Transformer Prime pre-orders go live in Germany

The tablet market is looking up for ze Germans. Just a day or so after the Apple-busting Samsung Galaxy 10.1V went on sale, German citizens can now order the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Technically the tablet isn’t even a pre-order, it’s labelled as”out of stock”, though the seller is Asus so we’re not looking at any third-party shenanigans.

599 Euros is a pretty steep price when you’ll be able to get the same device for $599 in the US, a converted difference of about $200. Officially the Transformer Prime won’t be available until December, a vague date that Asus hasn’t amended with regional specifics. Considering that there’s no new information on availability on the merchant page, I’d advise would-be importers to hold off for the moment and wait for some more solid info.
The Transformer Prime is the first tablet to feature Nvidia’s blazing 1.4Ghz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, and boy, does it show. Even so it’s a svelte 8.3mm while managing to cram in a 12-hour (quoted) battery life and either 32 or 64GB of on-board storage. Add the updated keyboard dock (which sadly won’t work with the original Transformer) and you can extend the battery to a full 18 hours while typing away. The Transformer Prime will launch with Honeycomb, but Asus has promised a quick upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich, possibly making the Prime the very first tablet to support thew new software officially.
[via Droid-Life]

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Motorola MotoKey Social (Facebook Phone) headed to Canada

Why Motorola why? We’ve seen this phone a few times but it appears for some odd reason Motorola and Telus have decided to give this depressing idea another try. Introducing the Motorola MotoKey Social. The Motorola Facebook Phone that is destined for greatness, or something like that. Given the huge success of the HTC Status Facebook phone this just seems like a great idea. Right guys?

Maybe I’m just being mean but HTC gave the sad Status Facebook phone a whopping 46 days or so before they pulled the plug. Maybe Motorola feels they have something unique and different but it doesn’t look all that different or amazing if you ask me. Even a quad-core processor and a 4000 mAh battery couldn’t get me to buy this phone. Okay that was a bit harsh — either way here’s the details and specs:

Now I know what your thinking — where is the Android? The dedicated capacitive buttons are no where and neither is a home or navigation button standard to Android on the keyboard. Maybe that is part of the reason I’ve posted my lovely fail photo above. The official MotoKey Social specs page clearly shows Android icons all over the place so you decide. The MotoKey Social has a 2.4″ display, an unknown processor but I’m guessing 800 MHz or maybe 1 GHz, a 3 megapixel camera, and then some micro-SD support.
This beautiful phone will be $89.99 starting November 21st over at TELUS in Canada. Who’s buying?
[via UnwiredView]

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Archos Arnova 9 G2 budget-friendly tablet revealed

Honeycomb may be all the rage with Archos’ top of the line tablets, but they never miss an opportunity to make good with the low end as well. Behold the Arnova 9 G2, a Gingerbread 9.7-inch affair with tablet-friendly modifications to Android. Even so, the tablet packs in some respectable hardware with a 1Ghz ARM processor and 8 gigabytes of built-in storage.

In a strange move, the Arnova 9 G2 has a 4:3, 1024 x 768 LCD screen, just like the one found on the iPad and HP Touchpad. That’s a departure from the majority of Android phones and tablets, which use a 16:9 or 16:10 ratio. Because of the lower pixel density for a panel of that size and resolution, it’s probably a lot cheaper to manufacture than the ones we’re more used to seeing. Naturally WiFi is the only wireless option, though Archos continues its tradition of expandability with a microSD card slot, micro and full-size USB ports.As with most Gingerbread tablets, Google services and Android Market access are nowhere to be seen.
Gingerbread may be a buzzkill now that Ice Cream Sandwich is well and truly here, but Archos has a vibrant community of modders, so you can expect to see an ICS ROM show up once the Arnova is released. On that note, there’s no pricing or availability info just yet, but expect it to be considerably less than the already cheap G9 Honeycomb tablets. We’ll be keeping an eye out for other sizes in the Arnova G2 series.
[via Slashgear]

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Google Checkout checks out, replaced by Google Wallet

Google raised a few eyebrows when it sent indie artists through Google Wallet for the new Google Music service, instead of the more seasoned Google Checkout. Well, now it’s pretty obvious why: Google sent out an email saying that Google Checkout will be absorbed into Google Wallet in 2012. According to the email, consumers don’t need to do anything while the transition is being managed.

This move was a pretty obvious one for Google: Wallet is their forward-looking, NFC-enabled payment system, whereas Checkout is mostly just a competitor for PayPal in the online payment space. The move isn’t so much abandoning one product as it is combining two that have too much overlap. For a company with hundreds of active projects at a time, focus is important – and to be honest, something that’s been lacking with some of Google’s satellite products.
You don’t need to do anything if all you’re using Google Checkout for is Android Market purchase and the odd retail purchase. At some point in the next few months you’ll just be automatically transitioned to Google Wallet. If you operate a storefront or app with Google Checkout support, Google is asking you to adjust your wording to reflect the change my early 2012, but other than that there’s no modification necessary. Easy-peasy. If you need more answers, Google is hosting a webinar on the transition – sign up for it here.

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HTC Quattro Tegra 3 tablet photo revealed

And the HTC leaks keep coming. After images of the Edge, Ville and Zeta phones showed up in some leaked images, the HTC Quattro is the latest device to escape from Taiwan. The new 10.1-inch tablet is showcasing the latest quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, according to the anonymous source that leaked the image. Current release date is pegged as some time in 2012, like the other leaks, and may show up at the Mobile World Congress in February.

Other specs leaked include the standard 1GB of RAM, Ice Cream Sandwich and a 10-inch, 1280 x 768 LCD display. That’s the same size as HTC’s only 10-inch tablet so far, AT&T’s Jetstream. The Quattro is currently predicted to come in WiFi and 3G variants, so hopefully you won’t be forced into a two-year contract to get a hold of one. 16GB of on-board storage, an 8MP camera and Beats audio round out the hardware. All this is shoved into a chassis less than 9mm thick.
On the software side of things, besides a Sense version of Ice Cream Sandwich, the source is also claiming that the Quattro will receive an updated high-def version of HTC’s Watch movie store. Other goodies include the standard 5GB of Dropbox storage that’s being bundled with all HTC Android devices and compatibility with the Scribe active stylus first revealed with the 7-inch Flyer.
[via PocketNow]

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Verizon LTE Galaxy Nexus dimensions confirmed by updated Google website

The Nexus news is coming fast and furious today: after an official Verizon-branded Galaxy Nexus appeared on Google’s own instructional videos, the official Galaxy Nexus website has been given yet another visual makeover. Hidden within the shiny promo images and 360 degree demonstrations is the official thickness of Verizon’s LTE version of the phone: 9.47mm. That’s just a hair thicker than the phone’s HSPA+ brother, now on sale in the UK. The extra bulk is likely to accommodate the LTE radio and/or a beefier battery.

Verizon still hasn’t let out a peep about the release of the phone, save a logo-only appearance on the Verizon Wireless website. Today was one of many of the rumored release dates for the US’ exclusive primary Galaxy Nexus partner, but Verizon seems content to let the Europeans have all the fun for now. I’m sure they’d be happy to sell you a DROID RAZR or HTC Rezound in the meantime.
Passive-aggressive blogger ranting aside, we’re positive that the Nexus is coming sooner rather than later. After the phone finally made it through the FCC with Verizon’s LTE bands, it seems like a release is imminent. A Phandroid forum poster is showing what appears to be promotional material for a Verizon store, confirming the 4.7mm thickness and the rest of the Galaxy Nexus’ Ice Cream Sandwich features. Take note that these images (see gallery below) don’t feature anything we haven’t seen before, and could easily have been faked.
Just a little while longer

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Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus sign-up page now headlines Verizon Wireless

News regarding the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has appeared in some shape or form on a daily basis well before it was even announced, and today that continues. We first told you back in October about the sign-up page for details on the Galaxy Nexus right at Samsung.com but today it has changed a bit. Instead of just offerings news and updates it now exclusively states Verizon Wireless. Maybe an announcement with availability is coming soon.

The original sign-up page we mentioned and linked to above said, “Sign up to get the latest on the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung” but recently it has a slightly different tune that states Verizon Wireless and is also in bold. It now reads:

Sign up to get the latest on the Galaxy Nexus from Verizon Wireless.”

Is that just a tease? What does that mean? Maybe I’m crazy and its been that way for a few days now but last I checked it didn’t mention anything regarding Verizon on the official Samsung page. We have heard all sorts of rumors regarding the Galaxy Nexus hitting Verizon since it was first announced. The biggest date was November 17th, which happens to be tomorrow. I have a feeling we’ll get plenty of Galaxy Nexus news tomorrow, but whether Verizon announces it or not I haven’t a clue.

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Galaxy Tab 10.1N released in Germany, Samsung says “saugen sie es” to Apple

After winning an injunction against Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany over some extremely vague design patents, Apple was sitting high on the hog, keeping the South Korean company from selling tablets in the country. Months later Samsung has responded with the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, a redesigned model that presumably skirts Apple’s complaints to become legal in Deutschland. The new tablets will begin shipping in the next few days for €550, or about $743.

It’s not immediately clear what Samsung has done to the original design to make it comply with the German court’s ruling, or if Apple is planning a rebuttal on the new model. The latter wouldn’t be at all surprising, given Steve Jobs’ vitriolic mandate against Android and the company’s particular hatred for Samsung. But if the 10.1V successfully sidesteps Apple’s design patents, you can expect to see a similar model popping up in Australia soon, and perhaps even replacing the standard model worldwide to avoid future lawsuits.
That includes the United States, where Apple is currently suing Samsung over the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and other devices. Since the design looks like it’s got only a few minor changes, on the hardware side at least, it should be easy enough for Samsung to transition manufacturing for current and future models (assuming that it’s necessary). If Apple can raise any further objections, I’m sure we’ll hear about them in the coming months.
[via Engadget]

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Google Music App v4.0 now in Android Market, free streaming for all

Google Music Beta has left the building and will now just be called — take a guess — Google Music. It has left beta but the big news here is it will actually be free for everyone and users can store and stream up to 20,000 high quality 320 kbps audio files with Google Music — completely for free.

The brand new Google Music v4.0 application has just hit the market and is available right now. You can get the update and enjoy all the free streaming offered by Google right now. The music webstore is also available by clicking here or going to market.android.com/music — feel free to try the “Free Song of the Day”. This is very similar to the version leaked a few weeks back, but newer is always better right?
 For now the web market and the application are up and live but the actual music integration into the Android Market on mobile devices hasn’t landed yet. We’ll be sure to update everyone as soon as that hits so you can start buying and enjoying the millions of songs right from your Android devices.
Rock on!
Google Music
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