Monday, October 10, 2011

Ice Cream Sandwich’s Android Market 3.2.0 Leaks

Next in a line of Ice Cream Sandwich goodies to leak ahead of the new Android OS update’s launch is version 3.2.0 of the Android Market. Nothing major appears to change with the latest update, at least not on the surface, but there are sure to be some tweaks and enhancements buried within. You can check it out for yourself by heading over to the source link below and downloading the APK.
[via DroidLife]

Samsung Galaxy S III details leak, 1.8 GHz dual-core, 2GB ram, more

Who wants some juicy details of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III? For now we’ll just say take this with a grain of salt although it looks pretty exciting, and somewhat legit too. We heard some details leak from a very flaky source last month, so seeing what could be an actual internal document here makes me feel much better. Head on below for all the juicy details on this 1.8 GHz dual-core powerhouse smartphone.


According to what sources say is an internal document from Samsung (below) we have a 4.65″ Super AMOLED Plus HD display (similar to what we should see in the Nexus), then the good stuff is a 1.8GHz Exynos 4212 processor (no quad-core sadly), 2GB of RAM, and a huge 12MP camera. Does that sound awesome to any of you guys? As if the Galaxy S II wasn’t ahead of the rest already right. Clearly slated for 2012 we can also see Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as the operating system, but that is what we all should be expecting anyways.

Is this the evolution of the Galaxy S III, or come 2012 will they have their quad-core processors ready to take on NVIDIA’s Kal-El. A few interesting notes from the leak also mention that while running ICS it will retain the usual 4 Android capacitive touch buttons, something I find a bit odd. They also mention the design will see a change to avoid further legal issues, among other things. We can expect the Galaxy S III to be even thinner than the II, and faster of course.
Do take notice of a few typo’s and the original Galaxy S is listed as an Exynos chip when in fact it was a Hummingbird processor. This could be a neatly faked document and as always we take these sort of leaks with a grain of salt. It is fun to speculate and dream though right guys?
[via Phandroid]

Verizon adds 22 new 4G LTE cities on November 17th

Verizon’s LTE network is already the largest true 4g network in the country (sorry, AT&T and T-Mobile, HSPA+ doesn’t really count) and now it’s getting a little bigger. The carrier issued a press release highlighting its latest rollout plans, including more than twenty new LTE markets for November 17th. Verizon is focusing its efforts on intermediate cities like Little Rock, Arkansas and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, now that most of the largest cities in the country are well-covered.


With the November expansions, Verizon’s 4G network will be active in 178 cities across the country. In addition to planned expansions on October 20th and November 17th, they’ll be upgrading existing equipment and coverage in major markets like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Check the list below to see if your city is included in the rollout (one asterisk means the LTE network will go live on October 20th, while two is for November 17th):
  • Birmingham, Ala.*
  • Decatur, Ala.
  • Huntsville, Ala.
  • Mobile, Ala.
  • Montgomery, Ala.
  • Phoenix, Ariz.
  • Tucson, Ariz.
  • Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers, Ark.
  • Fort Smith, Ark.
  • Jonesboro-Paragould, Ark.
  • Little Rock, Ark.**
  • Bakersfield, Calif.
  • Fresno, Calif.
  • Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Modesto, Calif.*
  • Oakland, Calif.
  • Sacramento, Calif.
  • Salinas/Monterey/Seaside, Calif.
  • San Diego, Calif.
  • San Francisco, Calif.
  • San Jose, Calif.
  • San Luis Obispo, Calif.
  • Santa Barbara, Calif.
  • Stockton, Calif.*
  • Colorado Springs, Colo.
  • Denver, Colo.
  • Fort Collins, Colo.
  • Greater Fairfield and New Haven, Conn.
  • Hartford, Conn.
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Daytona Beach, Fla.
  • Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
  • Ft. Myers, Fla.*
  • Gainesville, Fla.
  • Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Lakeland, Fla.
  • Miami, Fla.
  • Orlando, Fla.
  • Pensacola, Fla.
  • Sarasota/Bradenton, Fla.
  • Tallahassee, Fla.
  • Tampa, Fla.
  • West Palm Beach, Fla.
  • Athens, Ga.
  • Atlanta, Ga.
  • Augusta, Ga.
  • Savannah, Ga.*
  • Hilo, Hawaii
  • Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Kahului/Wailuku, Hawaii
  • Lahaina, Hawaii
  • Boise, Idaho
  • Bloomington, Ill.
  • Carbondale, Ill.
  • Champaign/Urbana, Ill.
  • Chicago, Ill.
  • Rockford, Ill.
  • Springfield, Ill.
  • The Quad Cities, Ill./Iowa
  • Bloomington/Bedford, Ind.*
  • Elkhart, Ind.*
  • Evansville, Ind.*
  • Fort Wayne, Ind.
  • Indianapolis, Ind.
  • South Bend/Mishawaka, Ind.*
  • Terre Haute, Ind.*
  • West Lafayette, Ind.
  • Cedar Rapids, Iowa**
  • Des Moines, Iowa**
  • Iowa City, Iowa
  • Sioux City, Iowa*
  • Wichita, Kan.
  • Lexington, Ky.**
  • Louisville, Ky.
  • Baton Rouge, La.
  • Hammond, La.
  • New Orleans, La.
  • Shreveport, La.
  • Baltimore, Md.
  • Frederick, Md.
  • Hagerstown, Md.*
  • Boston, Mass.
  • Springfield, Mass.
  • Worcester, Mass.
  • Detroit, Mich.
  • Flint, Mich.
  • Grand Rapids, Mich.
  • Kalamazoo, Mich.
  • Lansing, Mich.
  • Saginaw, Mich.
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
  • Tupelo, Miss.*
  • Kansas City, Mo.**
  • Springfield, Mo.**
  • St. Louis, Mo.
  • Lincoln, Neb.**
  • Omaha/Council Bluffs, Neb.
  • Las Vegas, Nev.
  • Reno, Nev.
  • Albuquerque, N.M.*
  • Las Cruces, N.M.
  • Santa Fe, N.M.*
  • Albany, N.Y.
  • Buffalo, N.Y.*
  • Ithaca, N.Y.
  • New York, N.Y.
  • Orange County, N.Y.**
  • Rochester, N.Y.
  • Syracuse, N.Y.
  • Asheville, N.C.*
  • Charlotte, N.C.
  • Fayetteville/Lumberton, N.C.
  • Greensboro/Winston Salem/High Point, N.C.
  • Raleigh/Durham, N.C.
  • Wilmington, N.C.
  • Fargo, N.D.
  • Akron, Ohio
  • Canton, Ohio
  • Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Columbus, Ohio
  • Dayton, Ohio
  • Lima, Ohio
  • Mansfield, Ohio
  • Toledo, Ohio
  • Bartlesville, Okla.*
  • Oklahoma City, Okla.
  • Tulsa, Okla.
  • Portland, Ore.
  • Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, Pa.
  • Altoona, Pa.
  • Erie, Pa.
  • Harrisburg, Pa.
  • Johnstown, Pa.
  • Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa.
  • State College, Pa.
  • Greater Providence**
  • Charleston, S.C.
  • Columbia, S.C.
  • Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C.
  • Hilton Head, S.C.
  • Rapid City, S.D.**
  • Sioux Falls, S.D.
  • Chattanooga, Tenn.
  • Clarksville, Tenn./Hopkinsville, Ky.
  • Cleveland, Tenn.
  • Dyersburg/Union City, Tenn.
  • Jackson, Tenn.*
  • Knoxville, Tenn.
  • Martin, Tenn.
  • Memphis, Tenn.
  • Nashville, Tenn.
  • Austin, Texas
  • Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas
  • Bryan/College Station, Texas
  • Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
  • El Paso, Texas
  • Houston, Texas
  • San Antonio, Texas
  • Temple/Killeen, Texas
  • Wichita Falls, Texas
  • Provo, Utah
  • Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Greater Hampton Roads, Va.*
  • Richmond, Va.*
  • Roanoke, Va.**
  • The Tri-Cities, Tenn./Va.
  • Olympia, Wash.
  • Seattle, Wash.
  • Spokane, Wash.
  • Tacoma, Wash.
  • Charleston, W.Va.
  • Appleton, Wis**
  • Green Bay, Wis.*
  • Madison, Wis.
  • Milwaukee, Wis.
In addition to the new and upgraded markets, Verizon noted that they’ll be expanding their LTE coverage to more rural areas soon. Currently Verizon and other major carriers rent or lease towers and equiment from local companies to expand and maintain their networks in hard-to-reach areas. The “LTE Rural America” program will partner with these companies to upgrade existing towers for rural Americans (like yours truly, who’s still suffering under 3G MiFi speeds as his only reliable source of Internet access).
Rural partners adding LTE equipment include Appalachian Wireless, Bluegrass Cellular, Carolina West/Clear Stream, Cellcom, Chariton Valley, Convergence Technologies, Cross Telephone, Custer Telephone Cooperative, Pioneer Cellular, S and R Communications, Strata Networks and Thumb Cellular.
Verizon was also quick to point out their current line-up of 13 LTE devices – which may be getting a significant bump soon.

My BMW remote control app coming to Android

Beamer-owning iPhone users have been able to play with all the nifty remote gadgets and tracking of the My BMW app for a little over a month now. Today news breaks that the app is on its way to the Android Market, so that you could – just as an example – unlock your $150,000 760Li with your HTC Hero. You know, if you wanted to. Right now the app is slated for an “Autumn” release.


The My BMW Remote app includes a host of features, the most interesting of which is the Vehicle Finder. This handy tool works just like one of the many parking locator apps you’ll find in the Market, but instead of setting a GPS point when you hop out of your car, it zones in on the GPS tracker in the car itself. The standard unlock, start and navigation functions are included, as well as the ability to remotely flash your BMW’s headlights and horn. This is known as the “scare the crap out of your friends who stuck you with designated driver duty” button.
The app ties in with the My BMW service, currently available as an upgrade for most models. The Bavarian automaker was tight-lipped as to a firm release date, but expect the app in the Android Market before year’s end. For those of you without a BMW, remember that you can add much of the same functionality to any car with the Viper SmartStart upgrade kit.
And look at that – the BMW folks are still rocking the Nexus One. You stay classy, Germany.

Samsung Galaxy Wi-Fi 5-inch and 3.6-inch confirmed for the UK

If you’re not into the whole “smartphone” scene but still want a media player with more brains than you can shake an iPod Touch at, you’re in luck (at least if you live in the United Kingdom). Samsung has officially announced the new Galaxy Wi-Fi in that market, an Android-based PMP cousin to the Galaxy line of phones and tablets. A 5-inch version is on sale now, while a smaller 3.65-inch version will make its way to retailers soon.


Both devices feature a 1GHz processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, access to the Android Market and Wifi b/g/n radios. Naturally they support more codecs than standard Android phones, with MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV and DivX video and MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, ACC, FLAC audio playback built-in. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Wi-Fi can handle 720p playback at 30 frames per second. Bluetooth 3.0, an accelerometer and a remote control feature for Samsung Smart TVs round out their spec list. Disappointingly, both 800 x 480 screens are LCD panels, not AMOLED.
The 5-inch version has a 3.2 megapixel camera while the 3.65inch version uses a 2-megapixel shooter. Both devices have a standard VGA front camera for video chatting. The larger brother gets an impressive 2500 mAh battery while the smaller has to settle for a more typical 1500 mAh version. UK residents can pick up the Samsung Galaxy Wi-Fi 5-inch now for £199 and £219 in 8 and 16 gigabytes, respectively. The 3.65-inch version will be £149 and £169, and you can get either in black or white. Currently there are no details for a United States release of the new models.

Verizon slashes HTC Thunderbolt to $49 for existing customers

Do you not have enough lightning in your life? Is your phone’s outdated 3G connection bumming you out? Are you a Verizon customer with at least $50 in your bank account? Do you have poor impulse control? If all these things describe you, then by all means, jump on over to Verizon’s Thunderbolt page to take advantage of rock-bottom pricing on HTC’s (current) king of the 4G airwaves.


The carrier is offering the HTC Thunderbolt for just $49.99 for existing customers, provided that they’re eligible for a two-year contract renewal. Even better, Verizon is throwing in an extended battery for free and gratis – a very sweet deal if you intend to make use of that juice-hungry 4G radio. In a strange move, new customers aren’t eligible for the included $100 rebate, bringing their total cost up to $150.
So why wouldn’t you jump on this amazing opportunity? First, as Android Community readers know, there’s always something new around the corner, and that fact is likely what spurred this generosity in the first place. There’s the rumored Samsung Nexus Prime, which totally is/absolutely isn’t a Verizon exclusive. There’s the HTC Vigor, AKA the Rezound, AKA the Incredible HD, with a truly incredible 720p display. And then there’s the new Motorola event scheduled for next week, which coincidentally enough, has been announced on the same day.
All that aside, $50 for a new Thunderbolt is a pretty sweet deal. It’s hard to go wrong with HTC’s hardware, and with a vibrant developer community already pumping out ROMs for the phone, there’s plenty for modders to play with too. Head over to Verizon’s Thunderbolt page to pick one up, and remember to log in with your Verizon account to see the $49 price tag.
[via Droid-Life]

Motorola and Verizon event set for October 18th – new XOOM, Droid RAZR possible

We’ve just learned of an upcoming event featuring the smiling faces of both Motorola Mobility and Verizon, set for next Tuesday, October 18th in New York City. Details are scarce, but given the large number of recent leaks, there are a few very specific possibilities for new devices. The tagline “Faster. Thinner. Smarter. Stronger.” is a big clue – rumors that Daft Punk will be on the scene are completely speculative at this point.

So, what’s on deck for Motorola? It could be any number of devices. A big event like this is likely to feature the biggest and brightest in Motorola’s upcoming lineup, and for tablets that means just one thing: new XOOMs. The XOOM 2 and XOOM Media Edition have had extensive leaks already and are strong possibilities for an unveiling, and the kid-friendly XOOM Family Edition could be on hand for a chaser.
As for phones, with all the recent rumors and leaks there’s really no telling. The DROID RAZR is a strong contender considering the “Thinner” text, especially since Motorola hasn’t seriously pushed that particular branding angle in a while. Equally possible is the Atrix 2 (final Verizon name is up in the air), sequel to the AT&T original with a BIONIC-style laptop dock and a beefed-up display pumping out 960 x 540 pixels. And any one of the concept devices revealed back in June might finally be coming to market.
All bets are off  until next Tuesday. Android Community will be bringing you all the news as it happens.
UPDATE: Check out Motorola’s promo video for face-melting implications and jump cuts.


Motorola readies ET1 7-inch rugged business tablet


Android still isn’t considered especially business-friendly (that title still rests with the increasingly humble Blackberry) and most “business tablets” come with either a full version of Windows, Windows CE or a custom operating system. Motorola is aiming to change that with the ET1, a rugged business tablet designed specifically for point-of-sale operations and other things done while listening to Bachman Turner Overdrive. Compared to Cisco’s Cius tablet, it could be a winner.


The 7-inch tablet isn’t likely to fulfill the wishes of the Android enthusiast crowd, but then it isn’t really meant to. It includes a rather standard 1024 x 700 panel behind protective Gorilla Glass, front and rear cameras, and a swappable 4620 mAh battery, all powered by a 1GHz processor and a full gigabyte of RAM. It’s not the lightest tablet out there at 1.4 pounds, but it’s rated to survive multiple drops at anywhere between -4 and 158 degrees Fahrenheit. As of now only a WiFi model is being offered, but mobile broadband variants are scheduled for the future. Motorola is aiming to keep the pice “below $1000″ with discounts for bulk enterprise orders.
Android 2.3 Gingerbread rests on the ET1′s rugged silicon, but keep in mind, this device isn’t meant for media consumption and web surfing like most Honeycomb tablets. Motorola is including some industry-focused software tweaks, like multi-user log-ins, point-of-sale tools, and built-in encryption for the 8GB of on-board storage. Remote access allows IT managers to wipe devices that have been lost or stolen. The ET1 is expected to make its way into enterprise hands in the fourth quarter – calendar, not fiscal.
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Apple sells over 1 million iPhone 4S handsets in first 24 hours

Apple has confirmed that the company has sold a mind-numbing number of iPhone 4S devices in pre-orders, over one million of them. The previous record was from last year’s iPhone 4 launch which totaled over 600,000 in three days. Apple had a larger amount of global carrier partners for this year’s launch, including Verizon and Sprint in the U.S., but it’s still incredibly impressive. Apple’s Apple’s press release is after the break.

iPhone 4S Pre-Orders Top One Million in First 24 Hours
CUPERTINO, California—October 10, 2011—Apple® today announced pre-orders of its iPhone® 4S have topped one million in a single day, surpassing the previous single day pre-order record of 600,000 held by iPhone 4. iPhone 4S is the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri™, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking.
“We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do.”
iPhone 4S will be available at all 245 Apple retail stores in the US beginning at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, October 14. Every customer who buys an iPhone 4S at an Apple retail store will be offered free Personal Setup service, helping them customize their iPhone 4S by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store™ and more, so they’ll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store.
iPhone 4S includes iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features, and iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad®, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 4S comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the new 64GB model.* iPhone 4S will be available from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and select Best Buy, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4 is available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 3GS is available for free with a two year contract.
iPhone 4S will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries by the end of October including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
*Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.