DROID RAZR pre-orders start tomorrow, ship out November 10th

Done and done. Rumors of the Motorola DROID RAZR‘s November 10th launch date seem to be right on the money, as Verizon has updates its DROID DOES mailing list with the happy news. Pre-orders will begin tomorrow, October 27th at 8 AM Eastern, and the note says that the phones themselves will begin shipping “no later than” the 10th of next month. No mention of retail availability was made, but you can bet that RAZRs will begin showing up in Verizon and partner stores shortly thereafter.

The $299 DROID RAZR is an undoubtedly drool-worthy device, with its 7.7 millimeter profile and Kevlar construction. The 1.2GHz processor and a full gigabyte of RAM should allow Gingerbread to fly on the device, and the 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD screen will mean it looks good doing it. A host of Motorola customizations might even help U.S. customers forget the non-removable battery and locked bootloader.
What might be of even more interest to prospective Verizon customers is what they haven’t mentioned, namely the Galaxy Nexus and HTC Rezound. Both superphones have been seen in the company of the RAZR in Verizon’s internal documents slated for the same November 10th release date. You already know all about the Galaxy Nexus , and the Rezound is likely getting a big reveal at HTC’s event on November 3rd. Considering the pomp and circumstance surrounding the RAZR, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Galaxy Nexus and Rezound pushed back a week or two to give everyone a little breathing room. We shall see.

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Winamp update adds Mac support, $5 Pro version

We’re no fans of animal cruelty around here, but in at least one case, we’re in favor of whipping the llama. Classic media player Winamp has released version 1.2 for Android, bringing a host of improvements, most notably the ability to natively sync with Macs and iTunes. The feature is in beta, but you can try it out now – here’s the Android Market link.

Mac syncing uses the new Winamp for Mac Sync Beta, allowing wired and Wifi transfers of individual songs and playlists. Android users who have not yet torn themselves away from the scourge of iTunes can enable their bad habits by syncing iTunes libraries and playlists automatically. The software is in beta, so there may be some early issues, but considering that it’s a free download there’s no harm in trying.
Winamp is also releasing a Pro version, which (regrettably) requires a non-Market upgrade. Winamp for Android Pro includes a full equalizer, crossfade and other goodies, bringing it in line with the current favorite commercial app among audiophiles, PowerAMP. Other advanced features include full FLAC support, gapless playback, and personalized ShoutCast recommendations, not to mention an absence of mobile ads. The Pro version is a $4.99 upgrade, and you can reach the purchase page via the app’s internal menu.

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Impression 7 tablet runs Froyo, but it’s cheap

I know what you are going to say when you read the specs of the Impression 7 tablet or i7. OMG, that thing runs Froyo?! Yeah it runs Froyo, but if you are in the market for a cheap Android tablet that you can use for someone just starting or a kid, the i7 might be just the ticket. It’s cheaper than the Kindle Fire by $20 with a price of $179.

It packs in a 7-inch TFT resistive screen with a resolution of 800 x 480. It has a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and runs Android 2.2 as mentioned. It packs in WiFi, 4GB of storage, and a G-sensor along with a pair of USB ports. It also has a microSD card slot with up to 16GB support. The camera is only 0.3MP, presumably a front camera.
If you want something larger you can get a 10-inch version for $349, but that will be a harder sell if it packs similar hardware inside. Availability is set for early November so they should land very near the Kindle Fire. I think I would pay the extra $20 and go with the Fire. What about you, which tablet would you rather have?
[via BGR]

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SoundHound offers usage metrics for the first time

Last month SoundHound launched a new update for its Android app that brought the app some fixes and a nice new feature. The new feature was the inclusion of LiveLyrics to the mix. At the time, I wondered how many people actually used SoundHound and the company has now offered up some usage stats. This is the first time that SoundHound has offered any insight into how used its app is on the iPhone and Android platform.

According to SoundHound’s figures, the app handled over 4 million searches each day. The company has recorded over 1,000 hits per second showing impressive user engagement. In the two years since the app has been on Android and iOS it has a user base of 50 million people globally. These stats make SoundHound the most used mobile music search and discovery app in the world according to the company.
The company points the apps unique features as the reason for its success. Since the company added live lyrics to the app, it has recorded 25 to 35 million hits per day for the 30 days ending October 20. Peak traffic was over 2 million hits per hour. Usage has grown by a factor of ten since it launched in 2010.

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T-Mobile Samsung Exhibit II 4G lands with no contract pricing

It’s only been a few days since we talked about the Samsung Galaxy W smartphone that surfaced on a video demo showing off its gaming chops and more. We knew at the time that the smartphone would be sold as the Samsung Exhibit II 4G. The device has now gone official on T-Mobile with launch dates and pricing in tow.

The smartphone will be the first 4G offering to be sold in Walmart stores that can be had without a contract according to T-Mobile. Granted the smartphone connects to the HSPA+ 4G network not a real LTE network. Folks shopping for a no contract Android device should like the Exhibit II 4G well enough. The smartphone will land in Walmart stores sans contract on October 27. If you like the idea of the device, but want a contact for some reason you can get that too.

The phone has a 3.7-inch WVGA TFT touchscreen and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. It will be able to access the Android Market, T-Mobile TV and the Samsung Media Hub. The device has WiFi and while Bluetooth isn’t mentioned in the press release, I would assume that it is included as well. The phone comes in blue only and has a 3MP rear camera that has flash and video recording capability. The no contract price for the smartphone will be $199.99 and the 2-year contract price will be $29.99 after a $50 MIR.
[via SlashGear]

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Widget Locker update brings ICS to your phone and tablet lockscreen

For everyone that loves the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich lockscreen found on the Galaxy Nexus I have a treat for you today. The popular lockscreen replacement application Widget Locker has just received a huge update that brings many new features, the biggest being a new Ice Cream Sandwich unlock option. It works great on phones and tablets both so check it out.

That isn’t all we have either — this update also brings new Sense 3.0 and Honeycomb unlock options, hardware acceleration and full Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich support. Once devices hit the market if you are one of the few that doesn’t like the new lockscreen, simply use Widget Locker to go back to something more original.

If you are unfamiliar with Widget Locker the image above should give you a good idea. You have the standard ICS unlock option, but right on that screen you can slide to unlock and instantly access anything you’d like. Everything is customizable and we can have camera, text, browser, email, market and more all added to your homescreen as sliders. Then instantly head to any application you choose right from the unlock screen. It really is an awesome application and you should check it out if you like customizing your Android or want to make it feel new again. Another nice new feature with the latest update is Unlock-With-WiFi compatibility.
For those wanting to try some Ice Cream Sandwich on your own lockscreen or any of the many awesome features you can get Widget Locker right now in the Android Market for just $2.99

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More trouble for Android, Apple granted Slide to Unlock patent

Today we have more news regarding some of those Apple patents. This morning after being filed way back in December of 2005, The US Patent & Trademark Office issued a patent grant to Apple regarding their familiar Slide to Unlock gesture. This has actually been officially granted to Apple, no longer is this pending, the deed is done.

We have seen plenty of news regarding Apple and patents already and this could be another major patent that we will be seeing lawsuits stem from in the near future. Apple’s lawyers have been busy, especially with Samsung phones and tablets, but things could get a bit more interesting now they’ve finally been granted a patent on this revolutionary “feature”.

Remember, this was a new feature and while unveiling the new iPhone to the world this is what we heard:

To unlock the phone, I just take my finger and slide it across. Wanna see that again? We wanted something you couldn’t do by accident in your pocket. Just slide it across – BOOM.”, Steve Jobs

For now we don’t really know what to expect from this grant, or what Apple will do with it but I have a feeling it wont be pretty. Android has a very very similar slide-to-unlock manor now, it’s still similar yet slightly changed in Ice Cream Sandwich but I’m not sure that will be enough to save it from a possible lawsuit. The course this will take on Android is unknown, but we will probably be hearing plenty here soon. For more information regarding the patents head to USPTO.gov search engine and look up patent number 7657849.
[via SlashGear]

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Sony Ericsson Xperia ray hands-on [Video]

For Sony Ericsson fans or those with small fingers in the world, I have a phone for you. Just arriving at the Android Community labs today is the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray. This little smartphone may be tiny but it definitely packs a punch. Below we have some details and photos for you to check out. Plus, I’ve compared this small and sleek phone to something with a size more in line with most phones for a comparison and to show just how small it really is, so check out the video after the break.

Under the hood of the Xperia ray you’ll find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.0 Ghz single-core processor, 512MB of ram, and a 4GB micro-SD card. While that may not be a dual-core powerhouse listing we do have an amazingly awesome display and an equally stunning camera. The Xperia ray only has a 3.3″ LED display but we have a high 854 x 480 resolution instead of the lower res many phones have in the smaller display market. Add in the slightly higher 854 resolution and Sony’s Bravia screen technology the ray actually looks quite gorgeous. The small screen and higher resolution actually makes images and icons on-screen almost too small, but they are bright, crisp and look excellent.

One of the show stoppers here is that even though we have a slim 9.3mm chassis Sony has still added a large 8.1 megapixel camera as well as a 1.3 MP front for chatting. The camera around back should be of high quality like most things from Sony and is said to take some exceptional images. We’ll give the camera a good testing in our review so if that interests you be sure to check back soon.
Along with those impressive specs above all crammed into a small and thin frame we also have Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread and Sony’s Timescape UI improvements. With deep Facebook integration and the usual suite of Sony apps such as Video and Music Unlimited we actually have some good content out of the box without heading to the Android Market. Sony provided us with a gold colored device, almost like a fine white wine. They also are offering the Xperia ray in White, Gold, Red (pinkish) and Black but lets see that video shall we.
Sony Ericsson Xperia ray hands-on


For more details you can see the Sony announcement from late September stating the ray is unlocked and available now across the US. This device is fully unlocked and while we have an AT&T SIM on board, it will also work with other GSM carriers such as T-Mobile. Could this be a truly small smartphone for those that don’t like all the huge phones we are seeing now days, while still being powerful and up to date? Be sure to check back shortly for our full review. Below you’ll find a cool bonus video thanks to Sony Ericsson and then a few more photos in the gallery below.
Bonus video: Xperia ray

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Galaxy Nexus pre-orders live in the UK, delivery date set for November 16th

We all know plenty about the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the brilliant Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich its powered by, what you might not know is apparently a few shops already are accepting pre-orders in the UK. The popular online store Phones2U.co.uk not only are accepting pre-orders for the Galaxy Nexus, but have it listed as “order today for delivered on November 16th”. Do they know something we don’t?

Galaxy Nexus pre-orders live in the UK, delivery date set for November 16th
I doubt any of our readers missed it, but just in case here is our Galaxy Nexus hands-on coverage for all the pictures and video you’d want until you can get your own fingers on this flagship smartphone from Googleville. Look over the image below and you’ll see what we mean, they are claiming the device will be launched before the 16th because that is their expected delivery date — not ship date.

In case you are still wondering about the Galaxy Nexus. It is the latest and greatest from Google running the brand new 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It rocks a 4.65″ Super AMOLED 1280 x 720p HD display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and it has a stellar camera. While only 5 MP it’s being touted as one of the best smartphone cameras available with zero shutter lag. You’ll find out everything you need to know in the hands-on post linked to above, as well as our hands-on video below. Check it out and decide if you’d like to purchase this phone, then head to phones4u.uk and order it today.

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