Google Wallet won’t work on the Galaxy Nexus – carriers preparing their own alternative

Bad news: Google Wallet isn’t going to work on anything besides the Nexus S 4G for the foreseeable future. Yes, that includes Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus, and very probably AT&T and T-Mobile versions, if they ever appear. Computer World broke the story, though I’d be wary of anything labelled “confirmed” from that particular source. Unfortunately, the news is not entirely unexpected.

Why? Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have already begun an initiative to create an NFC payment network for the United States, and have gotten Samsung, HTC, Motorola and LG in on the system. ISIS is currently set to launch sometime next year. The simplest answer to a lack of Google Wallet integration with the U.S. version of the Galaxy Nexus is that Verizon doesn’t want to compete with Google for NFC payments, a field that many consider to be on the cusp of mass consumer adoption. This hasn’t been confirmed, but it seems like the most likely culprit.
This is annoying in many ways. One, consumers shouldn’t be forced to use a carrier-supplied system on an “open” smartphone, especially since the Nexus line is supposed to be free of carrier interaction. We’ve already seen a disturbing first move by Verizon with included bloatware apps. Two, why should Verizon block, or even be allowed to block, apps that compete with its services? After all, you can still access YouTube and Movies in the Android Market, even though Verizon offers V-Cast videos.
Of course, the wonderful thing about the Nexus line is a rabid community dedicated to modding it and improving it. Solutions to Verizon’s meddling have already appeared in the form of custom kernels and carrier ID tweaks. It takes a lot to keep Android users from doing what they want, especially when devices aren’t saddled with locked bootloaders. If you want to use Google Wallet on the Galaxy Nexus, or any AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile Android phone, get comfortable with root tools and custom ROMs.

Read more »

Motorola DROID 4 visits the FCC

In what seems like the usual fashion lately for Motorola and Verizon we are about to witness another DROID powered smartphone hit shelves. Although the DROID 3 hasn’t been out but a few short months Verizon and Moto have a fully prepped and ready to go DROID 4 already in the pipes. If it feels like Motorola and Verizon have been churning out devices like mad lately — it’s because they have been.

Today the DROID 4 has hit the FCC giving us more reason to think it’ll be here within a few weeks. It was recently spotted on camera and was initially leaked back in October. This 5-row QWERTY hardware smartphone rocking a dual-core and 4G LTE is quite the device — I’m just surprised Verizon is launching so soon.

Just like we’ve seen in the past Motorola’s FCC filings are very slim on details and don’t give us much to go on. According to Pocket Now the DROID 4 has won its FCC approval and should be headed to market soon. Most likely we’ll see a full FCC teardown eventually but today we have no such luck. Late last month rumors suggested the DROID 4 would launch on December 8th as many Verizon phones usually launch on Thursdays but that is looking quite slim right about now. We could be seeing this QWERTY slider launch along side the Galaxy Nexus to give Verizon some DROID airtime but that is still up in the air. Once we get some official information we’ll be sure to update with additional details.
[via Pocket Now]

Related articles

• Verizon shows off DROID 4, Xyboard tablets (tech-gadget.co.in)
• Motorola DROID 4 poses for the camera along side the XYBOARD tablets (goandroid.co.in)

Read more »

First custom ROM for the Galaxy Nexus features EXT4 support

The type of people that gravitate towards the Nexus line aren’t shy of a little ROM flashing, and they’re invariably looking for that extra edge when it comes to performance. To that end, one of if not the first custom ROM for the Galaxy Nexus features a bevvy of tweaks and improvements to the stock ROM, the most notable of which is an EXT4-formatted partition, making for faster memory and storage access throughout Ice Cream Sandwich.

Other improvements in “Android Revolution HD” include a pre-rooted environment with the SuperUser app (naturally), removal of “bloatware”, de-odexed for theme support, and various other speed and data hacks. Externally it looks just like stock Ice Cream Sandwich, including the new launcher and all the little points of polish that you’re dying to get your hands on. Versions for the international HSPA+ model and Verizon’s LTE model are available. Of course, you’ll need a rooted Galaxy Nexus and access to ClockworkMod recovery to take advantage of any of this.
In what’s sure to be the first of many, many Galaxy Nexus ROMs, an emphasis on speed is key. Roms from popular sources like Modaco and CyanogenMod are yet to be completed, but when they are, what do you want to see? Each ROM dev has their own special flair to ad, and others will likely mimic the addition of EXT4 and surely remove the US hardware’s built-in Verizon apps. Leave suggestions in the comments section.
UPDATE: Whoops, looks like I jumped the gun – Paul “Modaco” O’Brien’s Galaxy Nexus kernel supported EXT4 before this ROM. It’s the basis of the modified Revolution HD ROM. There’s also an updated version of the ROM over on RootzWiki, version 1.3.1.

Read more »

Angry Birds send Seasons greetings via the Samsung Galaxy Note

Without a doubt, Rovio’s Angry Birds is the darling of the mobile gaming world. It’s sold millions of downloads, made at least as much in advertising revenue, and is now a household name amongst people who couldn’t pick Mario and Sonic out of a lineup. The most prudent thing that Rovio has done is release Angry Birds Seasons, periodic themes updates with brand-new levels and elements to keep the simple physics game fresh. Now they’ve teamed up with Samsung for a little cross-promotion of everyone’s crossover device, the Samsung Galaxy Note.

In the short video the green pigs are up to their old tricks, using a little Photoshopping skills via the Galaxy Note’s S-Pen to make the Angry Birds, uh, frustrated. Since there’s no such word as “overkill” when translated into squaks, the Birds respond in kind, sending the pigs a little holiday cheer with the same general enthusiasm. Fun times are had by all, with the exception of the pigs, who can rest easy in the knowledge that at least they haven’t been pummeled into dust beneath the usual pile of broken rubble.




Check out the video below. The Christmas themed commercial was developed for Samsung and published on their YouTube page. Viewers in the UK may be seeing it soon, but anyone can visit note.angrybirds.com to see the high scores for a special web level of Angry Birds “Seasons Greedings”, featuring the Galaxy Note itself. You can play the level yourself online and submit your high scores on the website. The fifty highest scores are eligible for prizes, including a free Galaxy Note and Angry Birds plush toys. What are you waiting for? Get crashing!

Read more »

Motorola DROID XYBOARD tablets have GSM support — disabled by Verizon

Those new Motorola Xoom 2 tablets headed for Verizon Wireless that have been officially been named the DROID Xyboard apparently have a dirty little secret. These new slates recently cleared the FCC with 4G LTE on board but new details have now confirmed they also have full GSM capabilities too.

Reports from Wireless Goodness have confirmed that the new Motorola Xyboard tablets have not only 4G LTE radios inside, but they also are rocking GSM/WCDMA support. Both the 10.1 and 8.2″ slates have full GSM support that has been disabled by firmware and Verizon Wireless. Having the DROID branding these will be exclusively for Verizon but now we have reason to believe they might eventually land on other carriers such as T-Mobile or AT&T.

This also brings up the possibility of it being turned on with a firmware update or release, not to mention those awesome hackers and developers at XDA could possibly get these things running too. The image above clearly states they have been disabled by firmware, and are SIM locked and will not support any US carriers. This could also just be the same hardware for international and European models, and we could possibly see users import the new slates from outside the US for use on T-Mobile or AT&T. Either way this is an interesting find and we expect to hear more on these tablets any day now as Verizon has clearly stated they will be released in December.

Read more »

Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE video leaks teasing live wallpapers, camera, and more

Well folks, it’s so close I can almost taste it. Our leakster is at it again and we have another awesome video to show everyone of the Verizon Wireless Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE. You all might be sick of hearing about this phone but I’m certainly still patiently waiting. With retail devices spotted in-stores at Verizon and all these leaks appearing we are definitely getting close. Enjoy the video preview below.

Latest rumors and “official leaks” are still claiming December 9th as the big day (this Friday) but I think I’ve decided to stop the gossip and just wait for something right from Verizon. For now we have one more video that was said to be the last one for now. This clip demonstration below shows off the Verizon Galaxy Nexus live wallpaper selection (I love Microbes), the regular wallpapers, camera performance and even the factory data reset animation — although that last one is nothing new. Enjoy the hands-on below while we all keep waiting for Verizon.




It’s better than nothing right? At least we have a few pictures and videos that keep appearing and for that, Anonymous — we thank you! Once again I’ll remind our readers we have no official details or information regarding launch date, or pre-orders but the device has been updated to Android 4.1 and seems ready to go. Arriving at retail stores nationwide the wait is almost certainly over. Get out those credit cards or add the Galaxy Nexus from Verizon to the list for Santa because it’s about to get serious.

Read more »

BlackBerry Curve 9360 vs Nokia Lumia 710

Nokia's Lumia 710 is the second device to emerge from the Finns coalition with CEO Stephen Elop's ex-employers Microsoft, and the device is looking a shoo-in to be as successful as its big-brother, the Lumia 800.

The Lumia 710's competition is the newly reinvigorated Curve 9360 from BlackBerry. A device which packs in plenty of features that RIM used to reserve for the top of the line Bold-class smartphones. But does this new Curve have what it takes to best a new, touchscreen only device?

Software

Straight out of the traps it's easy to see how the Nokia Lumia 710 benefits from the Windows Phone 7.5 OS. It's fast, slick, offers almost every feature imaginable and looks the part too.

The new iteration of the OS, version 7.5 (Mango), adds plenty to the foundations set down a year ago. There's now a new unified inbox, a new version of Internet Explorer, multi-tasking and an improved tile system which offers more information at a glance than previous versions.

The Windows Phone Marketplace offers an ever expanding range of apps for the OS, many of which are free of charge, and the support Microsoft has given developers is evident here.

Right now Windows Phone 7.5 is excellent, in a year's time it could be world-beating.

The Curve 9360 runs on version 7.0 of BlackBerry OS which, though billed as a 'new' version, is more an update to version 6.0.

The OS is still fast, simple to use and very efficient though. So it hasn't lost its virtues with age.

For all of its distinguishing qualities, and there are plenty, BlackBerry OS 7.0 seems very dated. The interface is still largely text-based, the number of apps available via the BlackBerry App World is minute compared to its competitors and with no widgets or live information functionality you may feel like you've stepped back to the early noughties should you pick one up.

Winner - Nokia Lumia 710

Screen

BlackBerry's Curve 9360 comes with a 2.45-inch HVGA+ screen with a very pleasing pixel density of 246PPI.

Despite its small size it's a dream to watch video clips on (or even full movies if you commute) and the overall performance is fantastic. The colours are warm and realistic and the viewing angles are second to none.

The Nokia Lumia 710 features a 3.7-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen which is every bit as decent as the myriad others on the market right now, with the added bonus of having a pixel density of 252PPI, giving it the edge over many of its competitors.

As with the Curve 9360, the Lumia 710's display offers crisp, vivid colours, responsive performance and reasonable sunlight legibility.

Winner - Draw

Power

Nokia opted to fit the Lumia 710 with a large single-core processor, and the 1.4GHz Scorpion CPU does its job superbly. In addition to the main chip the device benefits from an Adreno 2.5 GPU and 512MB RAM, giving it a predictably solid drive-train with which to keep the Windows Phone OS buzzing along.

One area where the Lumia 710 is lacking is support for external memory cards as it doesn't offer any at all. But the device does come with 8GB of on-board storage, so that needn't be a big issue.

The BlackBerry Curve 9360 is powered by an 800MHz CPU and also offers 512MB RAM, which may seem small but is perfectly adequate to keep the little messenger moving along at a fair turn of pace.

The device supports MicroSD cards up to 32GB in size to make up for its less than impressive 512MB of storage out of the box.

Winner - Nokia Lumia 710

Camera

RIM doesn't have a particularly good track record for the photographic capabilities of its devices and we're sorry to say that this hasn't changed with the Curve 9360.

The device's 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, geo-tagging, face detection, image stabilisation and VGA video capture is disappointing from top to bottom, with lacklustre video capture and an awful fixed focus system for capturing stills.

In ideal light conditions with a stationary subject you can capture a fairly decent image, but let's be honest, who has the time or inclination to wait and organise when they're taking a photo out and about?

The Nokia Lumia 710 has a 5-megapixel autofocus camera which is very much more the ticket. The camera benefits from an LED flash, face detection and geo-tagging, as well as 720P video capture, and the results are pleasing, though a little noisy in low-light conditions.

If you're looking for a device to snap photos on the move then the Lumia 710 should make your shortlist. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 most certainly should not.

Winner - Nokia Lumia 710

Form & Build

Nokia Lumia 710 - 119 x 62.4 x 12.5 mm, 125.5 g
BlackBerry Curve 9360 - 109 x 60 x 11 mm, 99 g

Both devices in this comparison are exceedingly well built.

The Nokia Lumia 710 is solid, comfortable in the hand and at the ear, and is light enough not to feel like an encumbrance in your pocket all day long.

The BlackBerry Curve 9360 is also a tremendously well assembled smartphone. It's small, well designed, offers an incredible hardware QWERTY keyboard which makes messaging and emailing a pleasure, and is comfortable to make a long call on.

If we had to choose and, well, we do, then we'd tip our hat at the Curve 9360. It's super small, offers excellent battery life and feels like you could kick it around a 5-a-side pitch for 90 minutes without breaking it (not that we'd advise it).

Winner - BlackBerry Curve 9360

Despite a late push, the Curve 9360 has come out second best today. It's a nice, compact smartphone which is available for an excellent price, but it's let down by a sub-par camera and lack of quality app support.

The Nokia Lumia 710 on the other hand, is a solid second entry into the Windows Phone 7 range and, as we've seen with the Lumia 800, with Nokia's hardware and Microsoft's software the only way is up.

Read more »

Verizon Celebrates One Year of 4G LTE, Name Drops the Galaxy Nexus and Motorola Xyboard

Verizon has issued a press release to remind people that this is the one year anniversary of their 4G LTE network. It was this month last year (Dec. 15th, to be exact) that Verizon began their rollout that they promised would reach everyone on their current 3G coverage network by the end of 2013.
Their progress? When Verizon lights up new markets on the official one year anniversary on December 15th they will have brought LTE to 190 different markets covering 200 million people.

Considering how long it’s taking other carriers to roll their 4G LTE networks or other 4G networks out we’d say that’s a hard standard to top. Only Sprint has made public ambitious plans to cover their entire network by the end of 2013 despite starting much later (they will begin mid-2012).
But today is about Verizon and their fast-growing LTE network and their commitment to bring faster data speeds to all Americans. Oh, and Verizon name-dropped a couple of existing and upcoming devices in their press release, including the Galaxy Nexus and the Motorola Xyboard. Don’t put too much weight on them being mentioned in this particular press release, though. Read on for full details.

Happy 1st Anniversary, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE!

12/05/2011
Alabama, Arkansas, California . . . West Virginia, Wisconsin . . . and all over. On Dec. 15, more than 200 million Americans will be able to experience the blazingly fast speed and reliability of Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.

And today, on Dec. 5, Verizon Wireless is celebrating because it’s the one-year anniversary of the company’s initial deployment of 4G LTE. Launched in 38 major markets, plus a 39th - West Lafayette, Indiana - the home of Purdue University, which was incredibly anxious to begin developing uses for 4G LTE on campus.

Network Reach
Those initial 39 markets weren’t all small, of course. They were places like metro New York City, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Chicagoland and Atlanta. And on that first day, we covered more than 110 million people with 4G LTE: a very strong showing.

This is what leadership is about. Some of our competitors in the marketplace talk about 4G LTE a lot. What they’re planning, when they might have services in lots of cities, when they might get an abundance of 4G LTE smartphones and other devices so users can actually, well, use the network.

On Dec. 15, Verizon Wireless will be in 190 markets, covering more than 200 million people, with numerous different devices. Which means you have a great selection of smartphones, tablets, mobile hotspots and USB modems to access the network.

Verizon Wireless builds and maintains the best wireless networks in the world. That’s why Popular Science and PCWorld have both recently acknowledged the company’s 4G LTE network as one of the great technological developments of 2011.

Hats off to the Verizon Wireless network engineers who are building 4G LTE from the ground up. Cheers to the major network infrastructure partners at Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson and Cisco.

It’s time to blow out the candle and know that "Year 2" will be twice as bright.

Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Facts

• 200 million Americans covered with 4G LTE (as of Dec. 15)
• 190 Markets covered (as of Dec. 15)
• 16 Devices currently available, including eight smartphones
• Two hot new Xyboard DROID tablets from Motorola coming out this month
• One anxiously awaited GALAXY Nexus smartphone running Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, from Samsung, coming soon

4G LTE Devices

• Smartphones: HTC Rezound™, DROID RAZR™ by Motorola, Samsung Stratosphere™, Pantech Breakout™, DROID BIONIC™ by Motorola, Revolution™ by LG, DROID Charge by Samsung and ThunderBolt™ by HTC
• Tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 with 4G LTE and Motorola XOOM™
• Notebooks and Netbooks: HP® Pavilion dm1-3010nr Entertainment PC and Compaq™ Mini CQ10-688nr with built-in 4G LTE
• Hotspots: Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi™ 4510L and Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot SCH-LC11
• Modems: Verizon Wireless 4G LTE USB Modem 551L and Pantech UML290 USB modem

Read more »

Bell and Virgin Mobile Canada launching Galaxy Nexus on December 7 in Toronto, a day early

If you’re in Toronto, Canada and were hoping to pick up the brand Galaxy Nexus running on Google’s latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, you won’t have to wait until December 8. Starting tomorrow at 1PM, Bell and Virgin will be selling the Samsung Galaxy Nexus at their store in Yong-Dundas.
In addition to Bell and Virgin offering the phone a little early, the Best Buy store in Bay and Dundas will also be selling the Bell and Virgin Galaxy Nexus one day early. The phone is going to sell for $159.95 CAD when you sign a 3-year contract.
If you’re not in the Toronto area, unfortunately, you will have to wait just a little longer to get your brand-new Galaxy Nexus, 1 day to be exact.
Unfortunately, the rest of us in the U.S. still haven’t received an official launch date for the phone. We’re still hoping that Verizon will launch it on December 8.
Via Mobile Syrup, Bell (Twitter)

Read more »