Huawei to Unveil Their “Smartest, Fastest and Most High-Performing Smartphone Yet” February 26th

We just received a save the date notice from Huawei for February 26th, 2011. That date and the location, Barcelona, coincides with Mobile World Congress, of course, and there they will be on hand to showcase their “smartest, fastest and most high-performing smartphone yet.”

Their words, not ours. We’re not sure what Huawei is cooking up but we know they’ve been trying to create a better name for themselves with devices that can compete against heavy hitters such as Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola. They are aiming to break out of the ODM mold and primarily into one of the OEM variety, and we don’t blame them one bit for wanting to.
We’ll be live on the Mobile World Congress scene once that time comes (it’s still over two months away so just keep it in the back of your mind) and we’ll be sure to bring you coverage of everything that Huawei’s set to announce.

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HTC finishes workaround for avoiding Apple patent ruling

Generally when a company loses a patent litigation case against Apple, it doesn’t look at the loss as a win. HTC is still saying that the loss to Apple in a recent patent litigation case was a win because the courts only found one instance of infringement out of ten Apple claims. The ruling would have resulted in a ban on the import of some HTC products to the US.

Bloomberg reports that HTC has already neatly skirted the patent ban with a new workaround that is already finished. The import ban wouldn’t have gone into effect until April 2012 so HTC is ready to go with the ban behind it. HTC’s CEO said that the infringing tech was rarely used hinting that the workaround was easy to build.
HTC CEO Peter Chou said, “It’s actually quite rarely used.” I wonder if there will be as many patent cases in the mobile phone and tablet world next year as there have been this year. I don’t see this sort of legal battle stopping, do you?
[via SlashGear]

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Android apps see in-app purchase swell

65-percent of revenues for the top 200 Android apps come from in-app purchases, download store analysts Distimo have discovered, though the potential for making cash from Android software still pales in comparison to iOS. Meanwhile, Android is the place to go for free titles, holding a comfortable lead ahead of its rivals when it comes to freely-distributed software.

iPhone apps in the top 200 make almost four times the revenue – looking at both upfront payment and in-app purchases – of Android’s top apps, while iPad apps make more than twice that of Android. Android holds the second spot for gaming options, too, with 46,045 titles in the US in comparison to the iPhone’s 79,077 and iPad’s 28,638.

Angry Birds was the top app of 2011 for downloads, Distimo found, followed by Facebook and Skype. Google’s own Google Maps came in fifth, despite only being offered in the Android Market.
[via SlashGear]

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Android Firefox 9.0 launches with custom tablet layout

The entirely new and reworked version of Firefox that was teased back in the summer has launched on the Android Market today, introducing Mozilla’s new layout designed to give tablet users a more appropriate experience on their posh big devices.
You get a bigger, bolder tabbing system, with completely different layout options depending on if you’re viewing in landscape or portrait mode, plus a tab-hiding full-screen option when it’s used in portrait. This is it:

Looks quite a bit like Opera. There’s a video of the new tablet Firefox in action over on the Mozilla blog and the full release notes are here. Firefox 9.0 is on the Android Market here.

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Nexus S Android 4.0.3 update roll-out paused to gather feedback

Google has apparently stopped rolling-out Nexus S ICS update in some regions for the time being. This step is said to be normal procedure and company does it every time it rolls out an OTA to monitor the reaction from users with already updated smartphones.
So, if you have not got the OTA notification till now, don’t worry it will be available on your phone within this month, or if you got the notification some time back but you declined and now you are not able to get it again, same case – you will get it soon.
According to Google’s Paul Wilcox:

If you received an update notification a little while ago but the update isn’t currently available for your phone, this is likely the result of Google pausing the update in your area while we monitor feedback. The Android 4.0 update is continuing to roll out around the world so your phone will receive another update notification when it’s available again in your region.

PS: You can always install it manually using the guide given here.

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HTC and Google comment on US Apple patent loss – Andy Rubin “optimistic” about the future

HTC’s boss Peter Chou and Android top man Andy Rubin have both gone on the record regarding the recent high-profile patent loss to Apple, which had some excitable people claiming HTC’s phones could be banned from sale in the US.
That won’t happen. Chou says the infringing feature has already been removed, while Rubin is pleased that the ruling only covers user interface touches rather than anything deep within Android itself.
Rubin said:
“The majority of these patents [in Apple's complaint against HTC] were claimed in the operating system itself, but actually in this case what was allowed… is some user interface feature of an application, not the operating system itself, so that’s why I’m very optimistic in basically my desire to achieve patent peace on the overall platform.”

He has in his hand a piece of paper…

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Intel gives us a better glimpse at its Android prototype

No, this amazingly sleek phone doesn’t exist – yet. It is a prototype that may never surface for the public’s use, but nevertheless it is sporting an Intel chip and Android OS. Finally, Intel intends to make a comeback in 2012 by incorporating their technology into both tablets and smartphones. Technology Review was able to test out both of the prototypes, and they state we should see them officially within the first half of 2012.

The chip’s are still contained within the “Atom” line but referenced as Medfield. But what does Medfield bring to the table? Apparently, they aren’t trying to beat their competitors with raw power – but with better battery life through lower power consumption. Oddly enough, it doesn’t seem to be dual-core.
From a first glance, or even a second – you would think you’re looking at an iPhone 4S. But Technology Review not only stated that it was lighter – but made of plastic and less metal or glass. I guarantee if a manufacturer released a device of those dimensions and styling, they wouldn’t make it out of the door without an Apple lawyer waiting to meet them. Of course, this design was purely made to attract manufacturers to using their SoC for their products – so they still have a chance to steer clear of a legal battle.
[via Technology Review]

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Apple Awarded Patent On In Call App Switching – Multitasking Smartphones Sound Familiar To You?

They’ve done it again. The boys at Apple must have some kind of strange patent voodoo because once again, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded them with another IP to stick inside their portfolio, this time with a patent for a “portable electronic device with graphical user interface supporting application switching.” Sound familiar to you? It should. Somehow Apple received a patent for a multitasking smartphone that allows a user to switch between calls and apps. Yup, they seem to have patented Android. You best believe that with Apple’s small victory over HTC yesterday, their lawyers are already plotting new ways to stick it to Android manufacturers everywhere. What’s next? A patent on green robot mascots? Well, played, Apple. Well played…
[USPTO via Engadget]

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Getjar Gold Apps Sale – Over 100 Paid Apps For FREE

This is the season for sales! And I’m not just talking about clothes or gadgets but those sweet little apps you have running on your phone as well. Taking a note from Google’s sale, independent app market, Getjar, has begun offering up some of the hottest paid apps in Android and all for absolutely free.
Getjar actually created a whole new site for their December Gold Apps catalog and it’s actually pretty fun. You scroll horizontally to see all the apps (horizontal is the new vertical) and can even jump to specific apps by clicking on the corresponding letters (pictured above). When you find an app that interests you, simply click on it and you’ll be taken to Getjar’s mobile site where you’ll have to download their app store to begin downloading your free app.
It’s kind of a process but if legitimately free apps are worth it to you, then hit up the the “Gold Apps Catalogue” in the source link below.
[Getjar Gold Apps Catalogue | Getjar App Store]

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