HTC to Drop Beats at November 3 Press Event, HTC Rezound Unveiling Likely

Beats Audio looks to play a key role in many of HTC’s upcoming high-end Android devices, one of which will be the long-rumored HTC Rezound (Vigor). That device is rumored to launch in early November on Verizon, and wouldn’t you know, HTC has sent out invites to a press event scheduled for the 3rd in NYC. The Beats logo features on the invite, raising further the possibility that the Rezound will be formally unveiled. As always, we will be providing live coverage and first impressions of everything HTC has to throw at us, so mark the date.

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HTC EVO 3D Gets a Maintenance Upgrade

The HTC EVO 3D is reportedly receiving a 9MB maintenance upgrade. Users were prompted of version 2.08.651.3 this morning. Alongside our tipster, we’ve seen two other reports here. HTC says it’s an important security update – we didn’t expect much more considering its size. Rooted folks will want to decline this, of course, but everyone else can upgrade if they need to. Head to the software updates menu in Settings > About Phone and check to see if it’s there. Download it if you want. [Thanks Zac!]

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SpringBoard and Galaxy Tab 10.1 get official release dates on T-Mobile

T-Mobile customers have been waiting patiently for their version of the ubiquitous Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and come November 2nd, they’ll be able to pick them up online or in retail stores. The T-Mobile (Huawei) SpringBoard will go on sale a few days later on November 7th. T-Mobile revealed the dates on its website, but unfortunately hasn’t let the prices out just yet.

According to a leaked T-Mobile roadmap (which has been on the nose for pricing so far), the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be going for $399, while the 7-inch SpringBoard can be yours for an economical $199. TmoNews is reporting that the SpringPad might be going for as low as $179. Both of those prices include a two-year data contract, unfortunately. The good news is that both tablets will be taking advantage of T-Mobile’s “4G” HSPA+ network, meaning that in most T-Mobile areas they’ll be surfing and downloading at a pretty good clip. Both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the SpringBoard use Honeycomb, though the exact version isn’t disclosed.
Both devices feature 16GB of on-board storage, and though the SpringBoard’s exact “HD” resolution isn’t listed, it’s probably at least 720p like the Galaxy Tab 10.1′s 1280 x 800 panel. While the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is clearly sporting Samsung’s standard TouchWiz interface, the SpringBoard appears to be running stock Honeycomb, though the pre-loaded Netflix app will probably have a few companions when the tablet goes on sale. We’ll be keeping an eye out for an official price on both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the T-Mobile SpringBoard.

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HTC begins OTA rollout for Sense security flaw fixes

A few weeks ago news broke about a massive security flaw in nearly all of HTC’s current Android devices, stemming from customizations that the manufacturer made to the core Android files. Shortly after the flaw came to light, HTC vowed to fix the issue, and today some of its high-profile device are receiving their first updates. According to Android Police (Who broke the security story in the first place) the Evo 3D, Evo 4G, Evo View 4G and the new EVO Design 4G are all being updated now.

That’s just a small percentage of HTC’s Android devices, but at the very least one carrier seems determined to apply the fixes as soon as possible. Updates on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon will likely follow soon. HTC said that the Thunderbolt in particular would be patched as part of the new Gingerbread update that fixes bugs introduced in the last update, though there’s still no official date for it. We’ll keep you updated.
The HTC security flaw stemmed from the manufacturer’s logging techniques, which keep a record of all the actions taken on the phone for support purposes. Unfortunately, it also left a backdoor for control of Android processes by some or all apps, and may even allow complete remote control and copying through the mobile network. Android security enthusiasts were outraged at the oversight, which affected all phones running HTC’s Sense UI customization. EVO users can manually check for the update now, or wait for the automatic message to appear as the rollout reaches all users.

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Android serves up 56% of mobile ads in third quarter

Android can’t be stopped, and the progress is visible form more than just a hardware standpoint. According to Millennium Media by way of GigaOM, a full 56% of ads sent to mobile users were displayed on Android devices, with just 28% of the share going to Apple products and the remaining percentage split between other operating systems. Apple is still the leader in single-manufacturer impressions, with Samsung trailing at 16.5%.

The data is the latest in long line of stories that illustrate Android’s continuing worldwide dominance. Android now has the most mobile app downloads of any operating system, and the Android Market has published over half a million separate apps (though only about 320,000 total apps are available at the moment). Android continues to lead the pack in hardware sales, especially in Asia, where more than 50% of smartphones sold run the Android operating system.
The mobile ad data is important to advertisers and app developers, both of whom have to decide where to devote their resources. It’s pretty good news for Google, too, since ad revenue is their primary source of return income after developing and giving away Android for license-free use by OEMs. Though Apple still rules when it comes to manufacturers, Samsung is nipping at its brushed aluminum heels, and HTC had the highest number of devices in the top 20 ad impressions list with six. Android runs on 15 of the top 20 devices for ad impressions.

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Samsung Galaxy Note already on sale in the Netherlands

My Dutch is a little rusty, but according to Tablets Magazine, at least two online retailers in the Netherlands have already begun to sell the Samsung Galaxy Note to eager gadget enthusiasts. Phone Shop and 2Call already have the 5.3-inch device in stock at a wallet-shredding 597 Euros ($832 USD). As far as we can tell, this is the first time that the Galaxy Note has been on-sale to the public.

The release bodes well for the rest of Europe, most of which uses the same GSM standard. If you live in Europe, have an extra 600 Euros and think you can figure out where the language setting is without getting lost, by all means pick up a Galaxy Note right away. The rest of the world is waiting patiently for local releases. The UK, Australia and a few other small markets are currently slated to get the superphone eventually, and though a Galaxy Note sporting AT&T 3G bands showed up at the FCC a few weeks ago, there’s no official word on when, or indeed if, the device is making its way stateside.
That’s a shame. Even with powerhouse phones like Samsung’s own Galaxy Nexus, not to mention the HTC Rezound and Motorola DROID RAZR coming soon, the Note’s uniquely huge 1280 x 800 Super AMOLED display would be a welcome sight. The 1.4GHz phone uses a capacitive stylus and a modified interface and apps to take advantage of it, as shown in Samsung’s latest promotional video.
Check out our hands-on video of the Galaxy Note below:
Samsung Galaxy Note Hands On at IFA

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Analyst predicts lower Amazon profits after cheap Kindle Fire sales

We know that the Amazon Kindle Fire costs about $10 more to produce than its $199 selling point, and according to a Needham & Co. analyst, that loss-leading figure is going to hurt Amazon’s third-quarter profits by a considerable margin. Amazon’s earnings are predicted to fall by more than half year-over-year, from 51 cents to 24 cents a share. Amazon is of course mum on the subject, but even if the prediction is only half right, it illustrates how great a risk Amazon is taking on the Android-powered Kindle Fire.

Of course, Amazon is no stranger to risk. This is the company that brought e-readers to the mainstream with a $400 single-purpose device back in 2008. Since then e-books have outsold real books on Amazon.com, and generate billions of dollars a year in profit worldwide. Come November you’ll be able to buy the cheapest Kindle model for less than a hundred dollars. If anyone can reset the bar for multi-purpose, cheap tablets to make a single-device rival to the iPad, it’s Amazon. Even with loss-leading hardware and millions spent in development and marketing, the company’s strategy is a long-haul reset of customer interaction.
And Amazon’s strategy isn’t just about low price. The Kindle Fire and its descendants (like the 10-inch model we keep hearing about) is going to be Amazon’s new digital face, a hardware-based interface for all of their digital and retail goods. The heavily-customized Gingerbread OS is all about bringing Amazon books, movies, apps and store products to the forefront, hoping that customers will shell out and make up the difference in purchases. When you consider that two Kindle books or three movie rentals can make up for the loss-lead immediately, it’s easy to see why Amazon is eager to get tablets in people’s hands for as little as possible. Is it working? Ask the 250,000+ people who have pre-ordered the Kindle Fire.
Interested? Check out our hands-on footage of the Amazon Kindle Fire.
[via SlashGear]

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Samsung Galaxy Note gets its first commercial

We still haven’t received any new information on the gargantuan Galaxy Note coming to the United States since that AT&T FCC filing, but here’s some nice sterile marketing to tide you over. Samsung has released its first TV spot for the new phone, asking consumers the same question the tech press has been pondering since the unveiling at IFA in Berlin: is it a phone or a tablet? We’ll let you be the judge.

The commercial takes particular care to point out the Galaxy Note’s 5.3-inch Super AMOLED display and stylus-based interface. The Note includes a capacitive stylus with a built-in bay – you know, like the Palm and Windows Mobile PDAs you were using five years ago. Some rudimentary drawing and gesture-based cut and paste action takes up the more interesting part of the video. Other specs not highlighted but still very, very relevant are the 1280 x 800 resolution, 1.4 GHz dual-core processor and a full gigabyte of RAM.




Though we know that the Samsung Galaxy Note is coming to the UK sometime this year, prospects here in the land of no Value Added Tax are more murky. The FCC filing implied an upcoming AT&T release, but a filing is not a guarantee – many devices make their way through the FCC’s stuffy halls without ever coming to the American market. With Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus in-bound on Verizon in November and AT&T and T-Mobile versions due sometime after, it may be that the company doesn’t want to steal the thunder of Google’s flagship phone. Come on, Samsung, don’t make us beg.

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Android tablet users to get free articles from top mags

Zinio has announced that its new Zinio Explore offering is now available. The Explore service will allow Android tablet users to get access to free magazine articles from some of the top magazines in the world. The goal is naturally to get you to buy the magazines that the stories come from, but if all you want is some free reading material the app will do that too.

Zinio Explore is offered alongside the “Shop” and “Eead” sections of the existing app. There is supposed to be a wide variety of stories that the users can read at no charge. The stories the Explore section offers are updated daily at the same time the new issues of magazines and publications hit newsstands.
The new feature is offered in the latest update to the Zinio application for Android users. The last Zinio update we talked about was in July when the app was offered for Android smartphone users for the first time.

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