Sprint’s Motorola Admiral Pictured in the Wild

Sprint’s Motorola Admiral has been pictured in the wild, and wouldn’t you know, it looks a lot like the handset pictured in an official promo video posted last month. While we speculated an announcement would be forthcoming shortly, the video was pulled and no further word has been given about the Sprint Direct Connect device. Given that history, we are hesitant to speculate on whether or not the new photos suggest a release could be imminent, but expecting the phone sometime in the near future is a safe bet.

Word along with the photos confirms the specs laid out previously: a 1.2GHz single-core CPU, 3.1-inch display, 5MP camera, and Android 2.3.
[via Engadget]

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Verizon gets Samsung Stratosphere with LTE and QWERTY keyboard

Verizon has announced a new smartphone that is a first for the carrier. The new smartphone is called the Stratosphere and it has some very cool features. One of the biggest features is that the smartphone has 4G LTE service inside. The smartphone is aimed at the business user that sends lots of texts and emails. Its other big feature is a slide out QWERTY keyboard.

The phone will hit Verizon stores on October 13. It packs in a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen and has special B2B connectivity services from Cisco. The smartphone will also support business communications like VPN, encryption, and mobile device management. The OS on the smartphone is Android 2.3. It has 4G hotspot capability as well.
Other features include a Samsung 1GHz Cortex A8 hummingbird processor. The front camera is a 1.3MP unit with the rear having 5MP and video recording capability. The device supports DLNA for sending content to other devices and has Bluetooth 3.0. It supports lots of video file formats and has 802.11 b/g/n. The phone will cost $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new contract.
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China blocks access to Android Market and Gmail App

China is well known for blocking and censoring anything that the government doesn’t like or thinks will harm the population. China sensors so much content on the web that it has come to be known as the Great Firewall of china. According to reports, China is now censoring access to other things like the Gmail app and the Android Market for Android devices.

Gmail is commonly a target of attack by hackers suspected of living in China. MocoNews reports that right now the Gmail app is blocked in China along with access to the market alone. Apparently, the block has been going on for 36 hours now at mobile and broadband providers around the country.
The Gmail app isn’t working, but Chinese users are reportedly still able to access the Google Gmail accounts online. So far, there has been no official statement on why the blocks are in place. It’s not clear at this point if the blockage is an accident or if it was put in place on purpose.

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Galaxy Tab Plus hits pre-order starting at $399

If you looked at the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus that was unveiled last week and thought the tablet might be for you if the price is good you weren’t alone. Samsung offered us all the specs the tablet has inside, but left us hanging on pricing for the new Tab. The 7.0 Plus has now turned up at J&R for pre-order according to Galaxytablife and the price is not bad at all.

The 16GB storage version of the Tab Plus is priced at $399.99 and the 32GB version is priced at $499.99. Both of the tablets are the same other than the storage capacity. Both have a 7-inch 1024 x 600 resolution screen. They also both have HSPA+ internet connectivity. The rear camera is a 3MP unit and the front is a 2MP unit.
The processor used is a 1.2GHz dual-core and the tablet has 1GB of RAM. Both run Honeycomb and have the TouchWiz interface over the top. The price isn’t bad and the only thing we don’t know right now is exactly when these pre-order tablets will ship.
[via SlashGear]

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CyanogenMod 7.1 is released, brings Android 2.3.7 in pure form

We teased the Breaksclusive™ last week from the CyanogenMod panel at the Big Android BBQ (check out the video if you haven't already), and today CyangenMod 7.1 has been released. The changelog is pretty massive, of course, with fixes and tweaks galore. But chief among them is that you'll be first on your block to be rockin' Android 2.3.7.
The CM team also notes that it's added support for more than two dozen more devices since CM 7.1. And currently in beta status are builds for the HTC Pyramid (Sensation), Doubleshot (myTouch 4G Slide), HTC Shooter (EVO 3D), HP TouchPad and the LG Optimus 3D. So if you've yet to give CM a whirl, you're running out of excuses.

Source: CyangenMod blog

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Nexus Prime’s extra screen space is for Android navigation buttons

A consistent part of the ever-changing Samsung Nexus Prime/Galaxy Nexus rumors is its eye-popping 4.65-inch, 1280 x 720 display. If you’re the kind of Android user whose small digits quaver at a screen that size, fear not: a reddit user going by the name of “thantik” has drawn up a quick schematic illustrating the need for an extra .35-inches. The bonus space may be reserved for Android’s navigation buttons, which will soon be migrating to the phone screen.

If you’ve ever used a Honeycomb tablet’ you know that they eschew any sort of physical control buttons, including a home button. Instead, the standard home, back and menu buttons reside on the status bar, and follow the user around as he or she rotates the screen. The next version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, will combine elements from Gingerbread and Honeycomb for a universal OS, one of which will be the navigation buttons. You can check out these virtual buttons on the leaked Nexus Prime video from last week.
While the mock-up graphic certainly makes sense, it doesn’t make the wait for the Nexus Prime or Ice Cream Sandwich any easier to bear. Samsung and Google delayed what was probably the unveiling of the new phone and OS from Tuesday, October 11th to an unspecified date, giving technology followers the world over a little breathing room after the untimely death of Steve Jobs. Rumors of an October 27th date persist, but have not been confirmed.

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T-Mobile announces Springboard and Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets, available this year

It looks like the leaked T-Mobile roadmap from last week is progressing right no track. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the “T-Mobile Springboard”, which is almost certainly the Huawei “Tallsome” tablet we espied a while back, are both coming to the carrier before the holidays. T-Mobile wasn’t forthcoming with an exact release date or price on either, but we’ve got a pretty good idea.

First, the familiar Galaxy Tab 10.1. If you’ve kept up with Samsung’s current-generation tablet line, you know the drill: an ultra-thin, ultra-light Honeycomb tablet that takes all comes and then some. Not much has changed in this version, save the addition of T-Mobile’s “4G” radio bands. You still get the familiar 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, a full gigabyte of RAM, and a 1280x 800 LCD screen. T-Mobile declined to mention how much storage it’ll have, which probably means the default 16GB. According to the leaked roadmap (which is, of course, subject to change) the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will make its grand entrance on October 26th for $399.
The Springboard is the latest of T-Mobile’s subsidized devices from a lesser-known OEM to forgo manufacturer branding. Its 7-inch screen is describes as “HD” from the carrier, which hopefully means 1280 x 720. T-Mobile is emphasizing the tablet’s affordability, which lines up with the leaked $199 price tag. It will have an impressive (for a tablet) 5 megapixel camera with 720p video recording along with an unspecified 1.2GHz dual-core processor, GPS, 4G and Honeycomb 3.2. The Springboard should be available at retail on November 2nd. $199 for a 4G Honeycomb tablet is hard to argue with, if you’re in the mood for a 7-inch screen and a new 2-year contract.

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HTC Evo 4G Software Update, Full Tech Specs

The HTC Evo 4G smartphone offered on Sprint’s 4G WiMAX mobile broadband network was the first mobile device to land on that wireless platform. It was also the first 4G/3G handset, capable of accessing 3G towers when 4G was not within reach. Recently, HTC and Sprint both announced an over the air software upgrade, and now that update should have reached all HTC Evo  4G handsets.
The software upgrade was rolled out in a tiered delivery system, with some handset owners receiving it before others. You should have received a notification, and then simply followed the on-screen prompts to install. To check and see if your handset has already received the new software, check the settings on the HTC Evo  4G for a 4.53.651.1 handset profile designation.
The software upgrade was issued to address several problems that HTC Evo 4G handset owners have expressed. Voice recognition accuracy is now integrated with voice search which was a problem in the past. Some images were being cut off in the Picasa application, and out of memory errors were appearing when there was no memory issue. These have all been addressed with this new software update, and users have even reported battery better battery life as a result of the upgrade.
The HTC Evo 4G was one of the first handsets to deliver a 4.3 inch capacitive touchscreen supporting multitouch gestures with a layer of protective scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass on top of the screen. Light and proximity sensors are built into the display, and the touchscreen technology employed is TFT. The HTC Evo 4G is medium in size and heavier in weight than the average 4G smartphone, measuring 4.80 x 2.60 x 0.50 inches (122 x 66 x 13 mm) and weighing 6.00 ounces (170 g).  Buy the HTC Evo 4G starting at only $19.99.
The processor on board is a single core Snapdragon chipset, with 512 MB of RAM memory and 1.0 GB of ROM memory supporting it. Out-of-the-box the HTC Evo 4G handset supports Android Froyo 2.2, but an upgrade to Android’s 2.3.4 Gingerbread software was recently rolled out over the air.
A rear facing eight megapixel camera offers recording video and still pictures in 720P HD with autofocus, digital zoom and dual LED flash features, and the front facing 1.3 megapixel camcorder offers video chat and video call options at VGA quality. The HTC Evo 4G Android handset is exclusive to the Sprint 4G WiMAX mobile broadband network, and is available for $19 at select Sprint authorized retailers with a two-year activation.

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Sony to go it alone? RIP Sony Ericsson

Well, something had to give. Sony Ericsson​, once one of the most successful mobile manufacturers in the world, has become a bit of a laughing stock of late. It’s about a year behind rivals when it comes to dual-core, and the much-hyped Xperia Play – once touted as an “iPhone killer” – is languishing in bargain bins at £150.
It’ll come as little surprise then that Sony is reportedly in talks to buy out Ericsson from their ailing joint venture.

A source “with direct knowledge of the matter” told Reuters that Sony hopes to go it alone in future. At present, tablets (including the Tablet S and Tablet P), gaming devices (such as the PSP), and consumer electronics come from Sony, while smartphones come under Sony Ericsson.
"Up to now Sony's products and network services have all been separate. Unifying them would be positive," said Yoshiharu Izumi, analyst with JP Morgan Tokyo. "If they can leverage their games and other network services I think they can lift their share." Hmm, we’ll see.
"The talks are not something that have been announced by Sony. We are declining to comment," said a Sony spokeswoman in Tokyo. Not denying the existence of the talks then?
Sony Ericsson is well into double figures with its smartphone output this year, and the reaction has largely been “meh”.

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