Samsung to launch 3D Android phones next year, Galaxy S3 to feature quad-core processor

Samsung is planning to launch 3D Android smartphones next year. Company is actively working on the next generation of 3D technology to integrate in these smartphones, they won’t just provide 3D display, but will also help you play 3D games, record 3D movies and work with 3D TVs.
Apart from these new 3D devices, Samsung might also include the technology in Galaxy S III. According to ETnews, it is however not final till now whether Galaxy S3 will come with 3D or not, but in order to procure 3D components at a major level, Samsung would need six months and that would delay the S3 launch. Thus Galaxy S 3D (tentative name) might be company’s first 3D Android phone, which is expected to launch in Q2, 2012.
Korean publication further stated that Galaxy S III announcement is currently scheduled for Mobile World Congress with availability in April. S3 is expected to feature a quad core processor; but there is no word on other specifications, which we suspect would include Android 4.0 and at least 4.5 inch display.

Read more »

HTC Super Tool Promises To Root A Variety Of Phones

If you have a rather recent HTC phone, the manufacturer allows you to unlock its bootloader the official way; the procedure might involve a lot of steps and, in the end, you are achieving root on your device with the price of officially voiding your warranty.

Not that any severe tampering will not void your warranty, but why let the manufacturer know about it, right? The HTC Super Tool from XDA Developers promises to root a variety of HTC-phones, including the EVO 4G, 3D, Shift, Inspire, Sensation, Incredible, Amaze and more. If you're techy and interested in having total control over your phone by cracking it open, check out the source link for more details, including the fact that there's currently no functioning S-OFF, but is planned for future releases. As usual, bold and italic word of warning is due when tampering with your phone!

Source: XDA Developers

Read more »

Asus projects as many as 6 million tablet sales in 2012

The Eee Pad Transformer Prime is king of the hill for Android tablets at the moment, despite an embarrassing objection from an entirely different kind of robot. Now Asus CEO Jonney Shih, who revealed the tablet himself at a conference months ago, says the company expects to sell at least three and as many as six million tablets next year. Taiwan Economic News reports the quote, noting that a considerable number of Transformer Prime units are experiencing WiFi difficulties, though Asus has already begun a replacement program for affected customers.

The original Eee Pad Transformer was one of the most popular of the initial Android Honeycomb tablets, due in no small part to its relatively low $399 starting price and attacheable keyboard. Though the Transformer Prime is $100 more expensive (and rightly so, with a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and a truly stunning all-metal frame) the company continues to sell the original, setting up two tiers for tablet competition. The first Transformer has sold 1.8 million units worldwide.
Android tablets are still nowhere near as popular as the iPad, but the gap has been closed considerably. Thanks to low-cost tablets like the Nook Color and Nook Tablet, which aren’t just cheap but reliable as well, Android’s market share in the tablet world is beginning to see the same accelerated growth that began its current boom in the smartphone market. Fourth-quarter sales could be as much as 40%. With 7-inch tablets hitting hard from the low end, and quad-core tablets bringing the fight to the iPad on the high end, 2012 looks promising indeed for the platform. And we still have 1080p screens and open source Ice Cream Sandwich tablets to look forward to, not to mention Asus’ very own Padfone, due early next year. [via SlashGear]

Read more »

OnLive now supports Xperia Play

Being able to stream console-quality games to mobile phones is novel, but the touch screen controls offered via OnLive didn't really impress us much. If only there were an Android-powered mobile device that also offered physical buttons for gameplay...

Oh yeah, Sony made one: it's called the Xperia Play. OnLive has now been updated to support the "PlayStation Phone," enabling Play owners to play "almost all" games in the OnLive library.

Thanks to the slide-out controls of the Play, Xperia owners can play games like Saints Row: The Third and Assassin's Creed Revelations via OnLive's streaming client.

"From the moment we launched our OnLive Android app, gamers began asking about Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY game control support," OnLive founder Steve Perlman said in a press release.

If you don't have an Xperia Play but want button controls, OnLive also sells a proprietary Bluetooth controller for $50. An iOS version of the OnLive client is in the works as well.

Read more »

Avast Intros Free Android Security Solution

Avast Software recently launched a free security app for Android devices.

"Avast Free Mobile Security supports a number of features that are usually available only in paid-for Android security software," writes PCWorld's Lucian Constantin. "These include privacy reports, call and SMS filtering, SIM-card change notifications, firewall and application management."

"The antivirus component supports real-time protection and automatic updates," Constantin writes. "Updates can be configured to only be downloaded over certain types of connections and the interface can be protected with a password."

Go to "Avast Launches Free Android Security Software With Special Features for Rooted Phones" to read the details.

Read more »

Sony confirms Ice Cream Sandwich update for Tablet S, P

Sony has announced on its official support forum that it will indeed release the official Android 4.0 update for both the tablets. Company however did not give a specific time-frame, but considering company’s timeliness with the updates till now, we would them to release ICS around Feb/March.
Company had recently rolled out the second release of Android 3.2.1 on Tablet S. To remind you, Sony’s Honeycomb tablets come with dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, dual cameras and 1GB RAM on-board along with 9.4 inch (S) and dual 5.5 inch displays (P).
Here is company’s full statement:

Today we’re happy to confirm that an update to Android 4.0 will be available for Sony Tablet. Details including timing will be announced in due course, so please stay tuned.

via

Read more »

Xiaomi M2 specs rumored

Remember the Xiaomi phone that was recently spotted running Android Ice Cream Sandwich? Well it looks like the phone has got successor on its way. Rumored to be called the Xiaomi M2, the Android smartphone will have a 4.6″ display, a 2.5GHz CPU, 2.5GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, 5-megapixel front facing camera, 12-megapixel rear camera, and Ice Cream Sandwich. The phone is also estimated to have a very low price tag of $394 (2,499 Yuan). Now there’s no way to verify if these are the actual specs of the device, but if they are, we’re looking at a powerful smartphone. Quite hard to believe especially because of its low price tag. However if it turns out to be true, it’s going to be one device that we’re keen on getting our hands on. Stay tuned for more details.

Read more »

Dell partners with Chinese search engine Baidu for Streak Pro

Dell’s American Android ambitions may have soured after lackluster sales of the Streak 5 and Streak 7 tablets, but it’s more than willing to take advantage of the rapidly expanding Chinese market. Since Google’s ubiquitous presence isn’t nearly as ubiquitous across the Pacific, it’s partnering with search engine Baidu to deliver services to their latest creation, the Streak Pro. The phone will use the Baidu Yi platform, a fork of Gingerbread’s open-source code that remains compatible with Android apps. Dell has effectively ended its Android products in America after it stopped selling the Streak 7 tablet through T-Mobile earlier this month.

Dell is the first company to produce a Yi phone, though they’ve released more subtly modified Android phones in the territory in the past. And just because it’s releasing to a traditionally low-income market doesn’t mean it won’t be impressive: the Streak Pro is aiming for the growing high end with a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen and qHD resolution. That’s enough to match most of the flagship phones in the US and Europe, and considerably more powerful than any ARM-based Dell products produced before.
Baidu apps are already commonplace on many Chinese Android smartphones, and the Yi platform will be an even greater integration with the company’s far-reaching services. It’s unclear how closely Yi will follow Android’s development path – they could simply update the modified Android code incrementally, as Barnes & Noble has done with its Nook tablets, or continue with independence development on their own. The latter seems unlikely, as apps published for Android would become increasingly nonfunctional the further that Yi’s code strays away from Android’s source. [via Engadget]

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy S II Duos Headed to China with Dual GSM/CDMA Support

After revealing a duo of dual-SIM handsets yesterday in the form of the Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos, Samsung will add to their lineup of handsets with expanded radio capabilities. A new variation on the Samsung Galaxy S II is headed to China and will support both GSM and CDMA2000. The phone is known as — you guessed it — the Samsung Galaxy S II Duos. The specs largely mirror previous GS2 iterations and include a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, and 8MP camera with 1080p video recording. The phone ships with Android 2.3 but should be in line for an Ice Cream Sandwich update along with other members of the Galaxy S II roster. The world phone will be available from China Telecom.
[Samsung via GSMArena]

Read more »