Ice Cream Sandwich Google+ 2.0 and new Google Music 4.0 Apps revealed [Download]

Today we’ve seen plenty news regarding the Samsung Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich. It appears a few are out in the wild and the leaks are finally starting to flood in so prepare for a few crazy days. Obviously there will be tons of changes and new apps, features in Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich but a few that are already leaking have just hit the wires. We have a new Google+ application, version 2.0, with a few changes, then a brand new Google Music app too. More details and download links below.

First off it appears the new Google+ app comes pre-installed and is version 2.0. Recent updates changed Huddles to Messenger, and if this leak is accurate Google is changing it yet again to something called “Chord”. Personally I think messenger was fine and Chord will only confuse people, but what do I know right? We still may see another name come the official launch, but with it being version 2.0 this looks like a final build of some type. There are also numerous UI changes and you can see all of that and more at the source.
Next up we have a brand new Google Music application, this excited me even more. I love Google Music and now we are seeing a new and improved version 4.0.1 from the Ice Cream Sandwich leaks. Basically what we have is a revamped but similar user interface, a clean and simple look, much better controls, and an overall design looking very similar to ICS. It looks quite similar to version 3.0 but just overall cleaner and much more simple. The playing now tab on bottom seems smaller too, check out the picture.

Everything looks nice. I wont get into the details too much because all of this is just starting to hit the wires. Sadly the Nexus Prime CTIA event was canceled in respect to Steve Jobs, so we’ll all have to wait a little longer to get a full look at Ice Cream Sandwich, although I’m sure plenty of leaks are coming shortly so stay tuned to Android Community.
Google Music 4.0.1 download
Google + 2.0 Download

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HTC Sensation XL vs HTC Sensation XE vs HTC Sensation

The HTC Sensation, Sensation XE and Sensation XL - a triumvirate of Gigantosaurus-screened handsets poses a serious shopping dilemma as to which version to opt for. Each is an Android phone and each one described as a flagship handset by Peter Chou​ the his team from Taiwan.
With different processors, accessories, colour schemes and all sorts of other bits and bobs to choose from it's difficult to decide which to go for. It's even a bit of a challenge trying to work out which is which. As ever, Pocket-lint has done the difficult part for you and laid each one bear and clear for you to see against the the other. So, here to help out is the HTC Sensation XL vs HTC Sensation XE vs HTC Sensation. The words have lost all meaning.

Form Factor

1st: Sensation XL

132.5 x 70.7 x 9.9 mm, 163g

2nd: Sensation XE

126.1 x 63.2 x 11.3mm, 148g

3rd: Sensation

126.1 x 63.2 x 11.3mm, 148g

The good news from the off is that all three of these phones look and feel good when you’ve got them in your hand. Traditionally, that’s been the HTC way as long as the company has been knocking out Android smartphones. Each of these sensational devils is machined from a solid block of aluminium making them reassuringly heavy and just a bit lush.

The HTC Sensation and Sensation XE are more or less identical. Measurements-wise, they’re identicalc but you get the red Beats branding on the black back of the XE plus a ring of the same colour around the camera lens. It’s a matter of taste really but we reckon the majority of folk will prefer the limited edition look of the XE.

But the one that beats (pun, partially intended) them both is the HTC Sensation XL. On the stats side, it’s significantly thinner than the other two, making it seem more premium as well as allowing it to fit more snugly against the line of your clothing. On top of that, it also comes in a two-tone silver and white, and that makes it pretty tasty.

Display

Tie: Sensation

4.3-inch, 960x540, Super LCD, 256ppi

Tie: Sensation XE

4.3-inch, 960x540, Super LCD, 256ppi

Tie: Sensation XL

4.7-inch, 800x480px, LCD, 199ppi

It’s really impossible to sort this category out, and we had all three devices in front of us when we were thinking about it.
Ultimately, the big screen HTC Sensation XL is very impressive. 0.4 inches on the diagonal might not seem like much on paper but to behold there’s quite a staggering difference. The XL hits you in the face with its super-large display in a way which the other two just don’t and the lower resolution and pixel density don’t really come across. What does seem lacking is all down to the screen technology itself. While the XE and straight Sensation get the benefit of HTC’s Super LCD power, the XL doesn’t and, as a result, the last of the three here is just a little less impressive as far as colour punch goes; about 10 per cent less colourful if we had to try and put a figure to it. So, this one all comes down to what you’d prefer - a bigger hit or a more colourful one.

Engine Room

1st: Sensation XE

1.5GHz Snapdragon MSM8260

2nd: Sensation

1.2GHz Snapdragon MSM8260

3rd: Sensation XL

1.5GHz Snapdragon MSM8255

Why does the Sensation and its MSM8255 system-on-a-chip come bottom of the pile? Because it runs a single core processor rather than the dual-core units sitting in the Snapdragon set ups on the smaller two devices. Now, it’s arguable at the moment as to how much the Android software can really use a second core but if a touch of speed here and there combined with the promise of potential isn’t enough for you, then there’s always the graphics to consider.

The Snapdragon MSM8260 contains an Adreno 220 GPU rather then the Adreno 205 in the HTC Sensation XL. In real terms, what that means is that the XL is considerably out-striped on the graphics front. It’ll render HD videos and games more smoothly now but, more importantly, it'll still be good enough towards the end of your contract when developers have moved on to games that have really started to push your hardware to its limits. We're not so sure how well the Adreno 205 will be doing at the end of 24 months.

Oh, and for your records, all three phones come with 768MB of RAM.

Imaging

1st= Sensation

8MP rear, 0.3MP front, 1080p video capture

1st= Sensation XE

8MP rear, 0.3MP front, 1080p video capture

3rd: Sensation XL

8MP rear, 1.3MP front, 720p video

If you asked most people whether they’d prefer Full HD video recording or a little more resolution on the webcam, the answer, for most, will be the 1080p; not all, but most. The tricky part is that HTC has gone to some detail to describe the snapper on the XL in a way that the Taiwanese mobile maker just hasn’t with the other two.
The XL’s rear camera, with its very wide (for a mobile) f/2.2 aperture potential and back-illuminated sensor, both of which combine for better results in low light conditions, sounds like an excellent piece of kit but for quite how much of a difference it makes in terms of image quality, we’ll have to wait for the full HTC Sensation XL review. It's quite possible it will turn out with the best rear-facing camera of the lot.

Connectivity

1st= Sensation

Wi-Fi, BT 3.0, DLNA, Wi-Fi tethering, HDMI-out

1st= Sensation XE

Wi-Fi, BT 3.0, DLNA, Wi-Fi tethering, HDMI-out

3rd: Sensation XL

Wi-Fi, BT 3.0, DLNA, Wi-Fi tethering

It’s arguable if HDMI-out is quite so relevant these days as more and more devices become DLNA certified for you to stream you media to without wires. However, TVs tend to sit in our homes for a long time and there are probably more out there without Wi-Fi modules in them than with. So, the inability to hard wire the HTC Sensation XL to your TV and get all your HD content on the big screen is going to grate every now and then. Not so much a win for the HTC Sensation and Sensation XE but a loss for anyone that opts for the XL.

Battery Life

1st: Sensation XL

1600mAh, up to 710 mins talk time

2nd: Sensation XE:

1730mAh, 550 mins talk time

3rd: Sensation

1520mAh, up to 500 mins talk time

Thee Sensation XL offers quite a big advantage in terms of battery life over the straight HTC Sensation and Sensation XE depsite not having as big a battery pack as the last of the three. The difference is likely to be down to having a less power-hungry system-on-a-chip as well as having fewer pixels push and possibly to do with the nature of the screen technology as well. Whatever the reason, though, the result is that if you’re deeply concerned about not getting enough juice out of your handset, you might want to seriously consider the HTC Sensation XL over the others.

Software

1st: Sensation XL

Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread + Sense 3.5 + Beats

2nd: Sensation XE

Android 2.3.4 + Sense 3.0 + Beats

3rd: Sensation

Android 2.3.3 + Sense 3.0

We’re not going to sit here and tell you that the difference in secondary decimal places of Android versions is that important but having the latest issue of Sense as well as the Beats audio software and hardware additions is quite a bonus. Sense 3.5 has largely identical functionality to 3.0 but it’s a smoother fit and finish.

The Beats by Dr Dre​ tie-in means that your audio is going to sound better on both the XE and XL to the normal Sensation, particularly if you use the Beats branded headphones that come in the box.

Storage

1st: Sensation XL

16GB

2nd: Sensation XE

1GB + 8/16GB microSD in-box

3rd: Sensation

1GB + microSD

Yes, both the HTC Sensation and Sensation XE have larger storage potential thanks to the obvious addition of a microSD port but phone memory is both more useful and easy to manage on Android than anything removable. One of the problems is that you can’t store every app on microSD and, with just 1GB of internal to play with, it’s not going to take many stubborn developers before you fill up your quota on the two smaller screen devices.

Extras

1st: Sensation XL

iBeats/Beats Solo headphones

2nd: Sensation XE

iBeats in-ear headphones + 8/16GB microSD

3rd: Sensation

4GB microSD (if lucky)

The inclusion of the Beats in-ear headphones in the boxes of both the XE and XL phones is a good one. Pocket-lint would always normally advise leaving the free-with-the-phone headphones in the box that they came in but getting the pair approved by Dr Dre bundled means you don’t have to turf out another £60+ on top of your mobile purchase.
The super extra is if you choose to go with the limited edition white HTC Sensation XL which comes with the Beats Solo on-ear headphones as part of the package. For the record, the Solos, pound for pound, are possible the best quality Beats in the entire range. They also happen to be relatively portable.

Price

1st: Sensation

£385

2nd: Sensation XE

£500

3rd: Sensation XL

£unknown

No prices just yet for the HTC Sensation XL, so not a lot we can say about this round for the time being but expect this big screen phone to be pricier than both of the 4.3-inch models. The real shocker is how much extra you have to pay for the HTC Sensation XE now that the straight Sensation is old enough to have had a significant price drop. When you’re talking about some headphones and a touch more on the CPU clock, that’s quite a price hike.

Conclusion

1st HTC Sensation xl

2nd: HTC Sensation

3rd: HTC Sensation XE

It’s a horrible decision to have to make. You’d probably feel most proud brandishing an HTC Sensation XL about you as you go about your life but that terrible hollow insecurity that your phone’s a weakling on the inside might be a little too much for some people to bear.

If you’re more about browsing the web than watching videos or playing games, then the XL is probably still the best one to go for, so long as that missing Full HD video recording doesn’t bite too much. It’s stylish, it’s got a nice big screen, it’s super thin and the Beats inside mean your music listening gets a little kick too. There’s also the healthy whack of storage to enjoy

On the other hand, if you’re a keen video watcher and are into your imaging, you might prefer the straight Sensation. Sure it doesn’t have the Beats branding and headphones of the XE but that £115 margin would buy you a better quality pair than those iBeats anyway and probably wind you up with a better audio experience. And, if you happen to own your own decent headphones already, then it’s really no contest.

Oddly enough, it’s the only Sensation XE that we’d tell you to steer clear of at the time of writing. Despite still being a very good handset in its own right, for now, it just doesn’t offer enough to make you choose it over either of the other two.

When it really, really comes down to it, if money is not particularly an issue, then we’d have to say that the HTC Sensation XL is the one to go for. Yep, there’s no dual-core processor, yep, there’s only 720p HD video and, yes, there really ought to be more pixels than there are but we don’t reckon you’ll really notice that stuff too much. What you will notice is a good looking phone, with a really usable big screen, a nice fat internal flash drive, a super-smooth UI and that somehow doesn’t seem to run out of power when you really need it.

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Sprint will launch 15 LTE devices next year, including phones and tablets

Sprint has revealed that it will launch "at least" 15 new devices next year that support its upcoming 4G LTE network. The carrier promises that there will be smartphones, tablets, and mobile hotspot devices available.
The first LTE phones will be CDMA and LTE dual-mode, though Sprint says that mobile hotspot devices will offer CDMA, WiMAX, and LTE connectivity options. Both HTC and Motorola have confirmed that they will offer smartphones and tablets for Sprint's new network, and Motorola said that it expects to launch a CDMA-based push-to-talk phone for Sprint before the end of this year.

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Samsung US Confirms Unpacked Cancellation

Anyone still not believing the Unpacked event is cancelled? A few other blogs out there have been reluctant to report the news but we’ve been able to confirm with Samsung US that this is, indeed, true. Here is their official statement:

Samsung and Google have decided to postpone the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event during the CTIA in San Diego, previously scheduled for Oct. 11.  Under the current circumstances, both parties have agreed that this is not the appropriate time for the announcement of a new product.  We would ask for the understanding of our clients and media for any inconvenience caused. We will announce a new date and venue in due course.
Thank you,
Samsung Mobile PR

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Minecraft Pocket Edition coming to the Android Market today

Minecraft addicts, prepare to have your productivity assassinated in more places than just your home. The super-popular independent game is releasing in the Android Market later today, according to a developer’s Twitter posting. Android-using Minecraft fans have been waiting months for the announcement.

Minecraft Pocket Edition has been available for some time on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play, but it was an exclusive release for that device. In order to ensure compatibility on a wide range of Android phones, developer Mojang needed more time and resources devoted to the project. The PC version of Minecraft is a smash hit, combining addictive open-world gameplay with simple visuals that allow it to be played on even the most anemic of graphics cards. The game has sold an incredible three million copies… and it’s not even out of beta yet.
The Android version of Minecraft was previously scheduled for release on September 29th, but the developers found some critical last-minute errors in the code and had to postpone it on the scheduled day of release. Let’s hope that the early news isn’t a red herring – Android fans could hardly take two enormous delays on the same day. Keep an eye on the Android Market throughout the day to see if Minecraft Pocket Edition pops up. The XPERIA version is $6.99 USD, and the mass-market edition is likely to cost the same. Mojang will also release a demo version.

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Sprint details 4G LTE network roll-out plans, launch in mid-2012

During Sprint's Network Vision announcement this morning, the carrier detailed its plans to transition from its 4G WiMAX network over to a 4G LTE network. Sprint will be aggressively deploying LTE over a variety of spectrum holdings that it has access to.
The first thing that Sprint plans to do is to shut down its iDEN network, used for its push-to-talk services for the Nextel brand. The iDEN network runs on 800MHz spectrum, and Sprint intends to migrate users from iDEN to its new CDMA-based push-to-talk services by 2013.
Before the iDEN network is shut down, though, Sprint will deploy 4G LTE services on its 1900MHz spectrum. The carrier is aggressively deploying this, with a launch planned for mid-2012. The LTE rollout is expected to be largely complete by 2013. This isn't Sprint's only LTE plan, as it has a partnership with LightSquared to use the 1600MHz band for LTE as well, provided LightSquared's network is approved by the FCC. Sprint also has access to Clearwire's 2,500MHz spectrum, which it currently uses for WiMAX service. The carrier said that it could eventually utilize that for LTE capacity in the future.
Once the iDEN network has been decommissioned, the 800MHz spectrum will be freed up for 3G CDMA voice service and 4G LTE data service. Sprint is confident that it has enough spectrum holdings to maintain capacity through 2015. It claims to be prepared for the onslaught of new devices, including the iPhone, and has been preparing its network capacity for months.
Sprint's LTE plans include four different bands of spectrum: 1,900MHz, 1,600MHz, 800MHz, and possibly 2,500MHz. All of these are different from the 700MHz spectrum that AT&T and Verizon Wireless already use for LTE, which makes device interoperability between the networks nearly impossible.
Sprint expects to cover 120 million residents with LTE in 2012, with 250 million covered by the end of 2013. It currently covers 123 million with WiMAX, and the future LTE network will overlap with that.

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Sprint promises to sell WiMAX devices through 2012, despite LTE roll-out

Sprint has confirmed that it will continue to offer 4G WiMAX devices through 2012, despite its concurrent roll-out of its new LTE network.
Sprint's WiMAX devices will not be compatible with its new LTE network, but the carrier is committed to supporting WiMAX devices for the near future. LTE devices are expected to be available for the network's launch in mid-2012.
Sprint did not clarify if it would continue to offer WiMAX devices after 2012.

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Free Android app of the day: Paper Camera

Today’s free premium app of the day at the Amazon Appstore is Paper Camera. If you haven’t used this app yet, we suggest that you give it a try especially that that it is offered for free, today only. Otherwise, it will set you back $1.99 if you grab it from the Android Market.
Paper Camera uses a camera filter to change the appearance of your pictures making them look like they were drawn by a sketch artist on a wrinkled piece of paper. Here are some of the filters used: Pastel Perfect, Comic Boom, Sketch Up, Acquarello, Old Printer, Neon Cola, Con Tours, Bleaching, and Gotham Noir.
Amazon listed these features for Paper Camera:

• Use unique camera filters that transform your reality into more than just a photo
• Look through your camera’s video feed and view effects in real-time
• Turn your reality into a sketch, comic book, cartoon, and more
• Take a photo and it’s automatically saved to your device’s gallery
• Share your creative creations through the lens of a paper camera

If you want to see what Paper Camera is all about, we included a promo video of it below. Also included, are the link and QR code to the Amazon Appstore if you’d like to access it directly from your phone or tablet.





Amazon AppStore Link

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HP TouchPad Go clears the FCC, HP gearing for launch?

Now we have some potentially good news for folks who didn’t manage to pick up the HP ToucPad after HP decided to slash its price to $99 – there is a chance that you might be able to pick up the TouchPad’s smaller brother – the TouchPad Go. According to reports online, it appears that the 7″ webOS tablet has paid a visit to the office of the FCC and gotten the stamp of approval. Now this isn’t the first time that the TouchPad Go has visited the FCC, so it shows that HP has actually made some changes to the device – but why would you make change to a tablet after you announce its cancellation? Unless you’ve got plans to put it up for sale.
Now of course, that’s just being a bit optimistic about the whole situation. After all, it could just be a case of HP forgetting to inform the FCC that the tablet was discontinued, or it could be that HP didn’t care at all. With no official announcement from the company, it’s hard to say what’s going to happen – but until then, don’t hold your breath. It’s okay to keep those fingers crossed though; HP is capable of surprises after all.

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