HTC Vigor named the HTC DROID Incredible HD

When we first heard the name HTC Vigor we all knew it was a codename and we’d eventually hear Verizon and HTC’s plan on a name. While we’ve seen plenty of leaks it appears the new name has finally been decided. The HTC Vigor will be the first HD phone to market as the HTC DROID Incredible HD and feature a 1280x720p HD display.

The Vigor originally leaked back in July and we’ve seen bits and pieces for months but lately it’s all coming nicely together. The Vigor recently cleared the FCC showing those 4G LTE speeds and more. Latest leaks are also suggesting the Incredible HD may land possible as soon as October 13th just as recent roadmaps have suggested.
With a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, HD screen, 4G LTE and the latest Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread this should be a nice alternative to the Bionic. I figured it would be called the Incredible LTE but HD sounds a bit more exciting don’t you think?
More options are always welcome and I’m just glad to see Verizon is rolling out the 4G LTE phones in full.
[via Droid-Life]

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LG U6200 leaks with 1.5 Ghz dual-core, LTE and 720p HD screen

Well folks, it seems LG is finally ready to hit the dual-core realm. Most of their current offerings have been single core devices thus far, but things are about to change. Just hitting the wires is not only a dual-core phone, but it also packs 4G LTE, an HD display and a few other impressive specs.


A flash site showing the phone appeared and was quickly pulled. What we have is a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU with a 4.5″ 1280 x 720p HD display touting to be better than Samsung’s AMOLED technology — called H-IPS, then 4G LTE and more. First guesses might say this is the LG Revolution 2 for Verizon like we’ve seen in that leaked roadmap.
Some of the other rather impressive specs are a 8 MP camera on the rear, 1.3 MP front facing webcam, 1GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage and nicely rounded up with a sleek 10.5mm thin profile. Originally launching in Korea it should be announced late this month and be available shortly. With specs like that hopefully we see a global release or at least over in the US so we can get our hands on it and see if LG can rival the Bionic and Galaxy S II.
[via GSMArena]

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Samsung fires a lawsuit back at Apple in Australia

Samsung has filed a lawsuit in response to Apple's prior claims that Samsung devices violate Apple design patents in Australia. In the filing, Samsung claims that Apple is in violation of its technology patents.
If this sounds familiar to you, that is because it is virtually the same story as to what has transpired between the two companies in other parts of the world. Samsung's lawsuit claims that Apple has violated seven of its patents regarding wireless communication standards. It is also looking for a revocation of the patents granted to Apple that have been used against Samsung's line of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Apple's claims that Samsung has violated its design patents have prevented Samsung from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia. Samsung has also been barred from selling Galaxy smartphones and tablets in Germany. Apple has not had to pull any of its products from shelves due to Samsung's lawsuits at this point in time. [via Business Week]

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HTC To Be The First With Intel Powered Android?

Earlier in the week some big news came out of the Intel Developer’s Forum in San Francisco, CA.  When Andy Rubin delivered his address to attendees he said that new Android phones would incorporate Intel chip sets and furthermore Intel powered Android handsets would be optimized for Intel throughout the entire device.  The new Intel Android devices would be utilizing the Medfield chip.
An unsourced news piece on a website called Bright Side of News is suggesting that the rumors at IDF were  that HTC would be the developer for the new Intel device.  Although the device shown by Rubin and Intel at the conference was a reference build with no manufacturer associated with it, a few folks we talked to who attended IDF said that the form factor and design looked like it was made by HTC.  Rumor has it that the Intel powered HTC Android device will be ready by CES.
More after the break
Despite losing their chief of innovation, Horace Luke, back in July HTC seems to be full speed ahead on a path of new innovations happily surrounded by Android.  Last month HTC announced their $300 million dollar partnership with Beats By Dre that won’t only give better sound to HTC devices but lend some street credibility for the Taiwanese manufacturer.  HTC also brought back the “stylus” in the case of the HTC Flyer and HTC JetStream it’s a digital pen but they made it cool again to control a tablet with a pen like device. A move that sparked Samsung into building the stylus into their new Galaxy Note.
Now, with this latest rumor about Intel, HTC proves again that they aren’t afraid to test the waters.

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Zynga Brings Hanging With Friends To The Android Market

The creative force behind the insanely popular Words with Friends has now released another one of their hits, Hanging with Friends, to the Android Market. The game is based of the classic “hangman” but thankfully with better visuals than that stick character you used to draw with pen and paper.

Like Word with Friends, you can play with up to 20 people simultaneously no matter if they’re rockin’ Android or iOS. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the game is available in all markets (couldn’t get it on my Evo 3D) but keep checking back as I’m sure Zynga will fix this issue soon enough. Click the Market link below and let us know in the comments if it’s working for you.
Thanks, Gregory!
[Market Link]

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Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch now available

Finally users waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S II can now rejoice, the Epic 4G Touch over on the Now Network is available for order today. The wait is finally over and the SGSII superphone is here in the U.S and you can go snag one today, right now in stores or via online order.

We know plenty about these phones but once again the specs include that massive 4.52″ AMOLED display, 1.2 GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos processor, 1GB of RAM and more. Powered by Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread with a 8 MP rear camera with dual LED flash and a 2MP front for video chat this has it all.
As if you didn’t know all that already — who is going to buy one today? The AT&T Galaxy S II should also be arriving this weekend set to hit shelves on the 20th bright and early so that’s another option although it’s been downsized in the screen department to 4.3″ respectively. 

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Google Readying Pulse Competitor feed reader app

One of the most obvious and easily made excellent functions of a tablet computer is its ability to act as a news reader. What groups like News360 and Feedly and Pulse have discovered is that it’s quite the lucrative and easily accessible market indeed. And you know what happens when there’s a market that’s available for access, right? Google comes in and smashes everyone else with their Thor hammer! Or I suppose that’s what they’ll be hoping to do with what’s likely to be called “Google Propeller.”

What Propeller is set to do is take on all competitors and also take a jab as Facebook’s recent news additions. This app will be set to be released on both Android and iOS (specifically on Honeycomb and iPad, so tablet-based right out of the box), and is one of SEVERAL new powerful apps Google is said to have coming down the pipe for mobile. Will it be compatible with Google Reader? We’re thinking yes, even though Google Reader v1.0.1 is already out there on the market. This news comes from Robert Scoble straight off his G+ feed where he also says:

My source says that the versions he’s seen so far are mind-blowing good.

This news comes soon after Google earlier this month killed off their Flip Fast news reading system alongside several other lesser-used apps. This Flip Fast app was, for those of you that never used it, a screenshot sort of app that collected images of news sites that you were then able to flip through at a later date. Concepts within this app are said by google to “live on in our other display and delivery tools.”
Does it look to you like this may be an app you’ll be tapping at in the future? We’re certainly going to give it a shot if it ever materializes.
[via SlashGear]

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HTC Rhyme and Bass likely for September 20th Reveal

It was all the way back in time when we first saw a trademark list for HTC listing the HTC Rhyme that we knew the Beats were coming. It was back when a leaked specs list was found that we assumed the HTC Runnymede and the HTC Bliss would be released side by side. It was just yesterday when the device known as the HTC Runnymede was said to be launching as the HTC Bass. All of this of course points toward the September 20th launch event that we’ll be covering live. All of this adding up?

So here’s the long and short of it: the HTC Runnymede is the shorter of the more stout of the two devices and will be called the HTC Bass. The HTC Bliss, aka the one with the metal strip in the middle, will be called the HTC Rhyme. With the names both having to do with music and the HTC Bass literally having the beatsaudio logo on the center bottom back, we can very safely assume that these will be amongst HTC’s newest recruits for the Beats-laden future of HTC handsets. With the event happening next week, we can also assume we’ll be seeing both of these devices.
What’s more is that in addition to the notion that the Sensation XE, a new edition of the HTC Sensation, would be the first on the block to get beatsaudio audio fidelity. This was recently trumped on the hack side by some developers who’ve craftily installed beatsaudio on the Desire HD pre-software launch. The same goes for the brand new look at HTC Sense, version 3.5 that is, which has been floating around the block for a couple weeks now.
Will the combination of the two plus this lovely new hardware be enough to entice you to join the HTC Android pack – or if you’re already running with the pack, will these devices keep you a wolf?

[via SlashGear]

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Boost Mobile adds $5 monthly to Android plans

Boost Mobile has announced that it will be putting an additional $5 charge on the Android phones that people use on its network. The notification of the price increase was placed at the bottom of the details on the rewards program called the shrinkage plan that lowers the users rate after a certain amount of payments made on time.

Boost isn’t the first mobile carrier to add an additional fee to Android devices. Boost’s parent company with an unlimited data plan for the Android devices out there added a $10 monthly charge. If you are already, a Boost Mobile customer on an unlimited data plan at $60 per month you are grandfathered in without the extra $5 as long as you don’t let your account expire.
In fact, if you are thinking of getting an Android device on Boost you have until October 6 to get it with unlimited data without paying the extra $5. After that date, all upgrades will get the new charge as well. Boost Mobile is a pre-paid carrier that is starting to get some nice devices in.
[via Connected Planet]

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