Many people were expecting the a new version of Android to be released at this years I/O developer conference at The Moscone Centre in San Francisco; either an incremental update to Jelly Bean (Android 4.3), or a completely new version of Android (Android 5.0). As we all start to take stock of everything that happened at I/O, including all of the new announcements to things like Google Play services, Google Play Games and the new Android Studio, I would say that Google actually updated Android, without releasing a new version of Android.

Why would Google do this? They would do this simply because it provides a solution to Android’s fragmentation problems, which is most likely why they also unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S4 ‘Google Edition’ which is essentially a Samsung Galaxy S4, with stock Android, so that many users, particularly developers, can use the latest hardware while still getting that ‘Nexus experience’, as well as those all important updates, if and when they do eventually arrive.

Getting back to the updates announced at I/O, you can see that Google wanted to update as many devices as possible to the latest products and services in their ecosystem, without having to go through carriers. To say that doing so would be a Herculean update is an understatement, and the chances are that unless you have a Nexus device you probably aren’t running the latest version of Android (which is 4.2.2).

By doing what Google have done, they have pretty much ‘updated’ most Android devices out there, not by a major firmware upgrade, but by updates on the app side of things. Most Android users can now access those services announced last week, including Hangours, Google Play Music All Access (in the US), Google Play Games and search improvements.

Does this end Android’s fragmentation problems? Probably not, and chances are that unless you get a new device or apply a custom ROM, then you won’t receive an update to Android 4.3 when it does arrive. However with the new updates on the app side of things, especially what Sundar Pichai called ‘the best of Google’, it might not be worth the effort of doing either.

What do you think of the latest updates to Google’s services? Let us know in the comments.

So Google I/O just passed and the company did a lot of talking up for a lot of their new products and projects, except for one that did not receive as much review as the others. Google Glass was introduced online a few years ago, but did not receive much attention during the company’s keynote speech this year. The product has been in development under the guidance of Project Glass and more recently, they have begun a sort of trial run called the Glass Explorer program. This trial consists of 2,000 users that are given a prototype of the product to use in hopes that all the bugs will be worked out, and it seems as though that plan is beginning to make progress.

One thing that Project Glass did announce at Google I/O is that the company will now be coming out with monthly updates for the Glass devices. This first update required all new tech for the Glass Explorer’s, but the corresponding software update was a simple, user-friendly, over the air update like in any other handset on the market. These monthly updates will mean plenty of time to spit shine the product based on reviews and suggestions made by the Glass Explorers, as the product is not scheduled to hit the bridges of the masses noses until 2014.

Do you really need to share shower-time with your circles?

It’s exciting to see such a futuristic technology reaching such a deep stage of development, but is the world truly ready to adapt to the option of an augmented reality? They say that a society is defined by the technology that drives it, but if that is the case where is this technological determinism leading us? It is no question that technologies from the past two decades are revolutionary and still on the rise, but personally I could never have predicted cell phones would lead us to augmented reality glasses. In fact I wouldn’t even been able to have defined or conceived of the term! Will Google make Glass Explorers of us all, and is that such a distinction from the techno-zombies people joke about while their friends are staring at their phones? Google has already explained to the public the benefits of Project Glass but one must accept the bad along with the good, so what do you think will be some of the social drawbacks of plunging users into a mainstream augmented reality for the first time in history?

Cygnett has sent us out quite a few cases for the Galaxy S4 to review. The first one that we’ll be taking a look at is the FlipFiber case. It’s kinda like the S View Cover, without the viewing part on the front. It also doesn’t have the magnet to wake it up or put it to sleep when you open and close the cover. Which is a bit unfortunate, but you get used to it. It’s made of microfiber and it feels really nice, there’s also a small pocket on the inside where you can place a credit card or your Driver’s License. It’s a very sleek case that wraps around your Galaxy S4 seamlessly.

The FlipFiber from Cygnett is a pretty good looking case. I’m not a huge fan of the flip cover type cases, but I’m learning to accept them. This is the second case like that, that I’ve reviewed now. The one major downside to this flip cover compared to the S View Cover is that you can’t fold the cover back and take pictures as the cover is in the way and you’ll just get a black picture. Other than that it feels great in your hand, looks great, and the rubber on the edges is a really nice touch. It definitely makes the Galaxy S4 harder to fall out of your hand.

The FlipFiber case is available from Cygnett for $35. It appears to only be in Gray at this time. But that may change soon. If you’re looking for a nice flip cover-esque case for your new Galaxy S4, this is probably one of the better ones to get. And it’s quite a bit cheaper than Samsung’s. It does not replace the back battery cover though. It goes around it, just to clarify. I’d definitely recommend this case to anyone with the Galaxy S4.

These days, we spend far too much connected to the world on our smartphones and tablets, so much so that we forget to have fun sometimes. I’m sure that more than a few of you have been staring at your display, flicking through post and after post, but you’re not really enjoying yourself, are you? Our smartphones and tablets can be a great way to keep connected with the world but, we also need to lighten up and chill out every once in a while. Read on to see how Footbag Frenzy can give you that little bit of rest your brain deserves.

Description: Footbag Frenzy is essentially the best way to kick around the sack on Android. Sure, it’s not like going outside for a few minutes but, let’s say that you can’t but, you still want that satisfaction of kicking around a hacky sack? Well, in Footbag Frenzy you can play as a number of different characters, including world footbag champion, Honza Weber. There are a variety of tricks you can pull off, including: outside, inside, toe, heel, clipper, half turns, full turns, duck, head, and around the world.

How it Works: To get started, you’ll have to head on over to the Play Store and download the game, once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to start playing.

There are a couple of modes to choose from:

If you just want to practice, to get to grips with the controls then you want to play the “Points Game”.

The game lets you know how to control your character. For what it’s worth, I found this easier to do on my Nexus 7 than on my One X. When you perform a trick, the name and points will appear on the screen, along with a point counter in the top right of the display:

The controls take some time to get used to but, they work well once they become second nature. There are different characters to choose from as well:

The skeleton is really quite cool:

The best thing about the game, is that you can just keep on playing, without having to complete a level or anything like that, giving you the freedom to just chill out, and kick around the sack.

Opinion: When I was quite a bit younger, hacky sack hit my Elementary school and became a sort of overnight fad, there was one problem though. I was awful at it. I was clearly never meant for sports because I’ve never been good with my feet, as an Englishman who fails at Soccer, I turned to Basketball. I’ve always loved the idea of just kicking around the sack and so, Footbag Frenzy is a lot of fun to me. It’s not without its problems, the controls are especially tricky to get used to but, for the most this little game is a lot of fun.

Ratings

• Speed (4/5) – Footbag Frenzy ran well on both my Nexus 7 and a number of smartphones, with no issues. 
• Features (3/5) – Essentially, there are only two modes to the game, at the heart of it all is the gameplay of kicking around a footbag, which works great – more modes in the future would be great. 
• Theme (3.5/5) – The 3D graphics are good here, animation is fluid for the most part. Some higher-resolution textures are needed to make the game look better though.
• Overall (4/5) – Footbag Frenzy has a long way to go but, right now it’s a fun game that will help those bus rides and waste away lunch breaks!

Pros

• Animation of characters is fluid, if not a little weird-looking at times. 
• Themed characters and settings (like the skeleton) is a cool addition.
• Variety of tricks encourages you to try harder to hit them all. 
• This is a great game to kill a little bit of time, or spend more time perfecting those tricks.

Cons

• Higher-resolution textures are needed to improve graphics. 
• Controls have a steep learning curve.

Conclusion: Footbag Frenzy is a game that’s not without its issues. For instance, the controls take a long time to get used to. Having said that, it’s got a lot of potential to become a great game, right now it’s a good game and it’s perfect for killing a little bit of time here and there. You can quite happily spend a lot more time with the game if you wish as well, to perfect those tricks. If you’re looking for a different type of game to play, then definitely take a look at Footbag Frenzy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Galaxy S4 has been tested yet again, this time its video recording stabilization in offroad conditions got tested. You can check out the video above to see how well it did.

BBM To Be For Phones Only

Looks like there are some drawbacks to Blackberry Messenger finally coming to Android and iOS. It’s said to be only for smartphones when it launches this summer. But it sounds like tablet support will come later on.

Galaxy S3 Comes to Straight Talk with LTE

The Galaxy S3 is still a very popular device. In fact it’s just landed on Straight Talk for $439.99 with LTE. But the odd thing is, it uses Sprint’s network. Usually Straight Talk is GSM only.

Google’s new WebP Image Format Hit Google+ 6 weeks ago

We’ve heard recently about Google’s new image format called WebP that they are trying to make a standard. It’s said to decrease bandwidth by 50%. Now that isn’t just good for website owners, but also for your data plan. That means 50% less data!

Here at Android Headlines, we try to cover a bit of everything as it pertains to Android. So that includes custom ROMs. I’ve already done quite a few reviews of different ROMs for the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy S3. Now today, we are beginning a new feature called “Custom ROM Spotlight”. Each week we’ll be featuring a different ROM. It could be a popular one like Paranoid Android, or it could be one that is only available for the Galaxy Note 2. But if you have an ROM that you’d like to see featured, feel free to leave a comment below.

Out of all the “flagship” devices out there, the Galaxy S4 and the Nexus 4 probably have the most custom ROMs available and the biggest developer community. This ROM, Purity, popped up on my radar not to long ago and I’d like to share it with everyone. It has loads of features and is pretty darn stable. Which isn’t too hard for a Nexus ROM.

Features

• JellyBean 4.2.2 JDQ39E
• AOSP sources based
• Built with Linaro 13.04 Gcc 4.7.x (O3, ISOC++11)
• Sources patched for better performance
• Fully deodexed, Rooted, Busybox included
• 0,90,180,270 degree rotation option
• CM Tiles fully customizables!
• Navbar extra settings
• Dual Pane settings
• Navbar height settings
• Pie control Settings (Color & Extra button & Trigger Options included)
• CM Lockscreen security Settings
• Extended power menu with settings
• Theme Chooser
• Clear all button on recent apps
• Option to control cursor in text fields using volume keys
• Allow volumes to be unlinked
• Volume rocker wake & Volume music control
• Fixed dream settings
• Quick message and reply & Emoji and Strip unicode support
• Allow user-installed apps to be disabled and force stop when disabling an app
• Templates functionality
• Split SMS functionality
• Dialer – T9 & Dialpad settings
• Low audio fix
• Increased lock screen widget limit to 9
• Advanced Browser Settings
• Clock style Settings
• Status bar brightness control
• Navigation Bar Settings
• Expanded Desktop Mode
• Cm Calculator App
• Extra browser settings
• Statusbar Settings
• Lockscreen shortcut Settings
• Silent Mode & Quite Hours
• Kill app back button
• Custom lockscreen background
• Purity Wallpapers app
• Hide ime switcher feature
• Bind VolUp+VolDown to toggle the ringer
• Advanced Phone Settings (ex.Vibrate on Answer…)
• LED control settings
• Navigation bar Quick launch shortcuts

Instructions

• Flash Rom
• Flash Fix (if it exists)
• Flash Gapps & Reboot
• Repair permissions (You can use Rom Manager) and reboot again

Remember, you’ll need to flash Gapps and the ROM for it to work right. Just like with any other AOSP-based ROM on any other device. You can head over to their XDA thread to find out more about the ROM and see what issues people have had. They also recommend the stock kernel. Let us know what you think about Purity ROM for the Nexus 4 in the comments down below.

Lately, Prepaid carriers and MVNO’s have been pretty popular. Especially with phones like the Nexus 4 selling for $300-350 unlocked. We’ve also seen AT&T start their own new Prepaid carrier, along with T-Mobile all but going Prepaid only. When T-Mobile first announced their new UNcarrier plans, we said that it would have a trickle effect on the competition. But not quite what we were hoping for.

Verizon has made changes that most of us never thought we’d see. Instead of rising prices, Verizon has added more data. Yes you read that right, added more data to their two existing plans. They have a $60 plan with unlimited talk and text with 2GB of data which was upped from 500MB of data. They also have a $70 plan that has unlimited talk and text with 4GB of data which was also upped from 2GB of data.

In comparison, AT&T’s AiO Wireless has a $55 plan which offers unlimited talk and text with 2GB of data. Along with a $70 plan that offers unlimited talk and text with 7GB of data. Their site also shows 4G, but we aren’t sure if that’s HSPA+ 4G or 4G LTE on AT&T. AiO is currently only in a couple of cities including Houston and Miami.

Verizon’s new plans really are no comparison to T-Mobile. T-Mobile’s prepaid plans fit just about all your needs. They start with a $30 plan that has 100 minutes, unlimited text and data, and go all the way to $70 for unlimited everything.

So it’s nice to see Verizon upping its game a bit and try to compete with T-Mobile and others. But I’m not sure it’s enough to compete with the guts of T-Mobile right now. If you’re currently a Verizon prepaid customer, you can switch to these new plans now. Check out the source link for more details.

Source: Verizon

It’s no secret that Google likes to keep a bunch of balls in the air all at the same time. While some of their projects like Android and Chrome OS get a lot of attention and resources, there are the things like the left for dead Nexus Q or the rumored physical Google Wallet card that never see their full potential realized.

Google Glass, one of the more ambitious ideas to come from the search giant in recent years, seems to have the full backing of everyone at Google HQ though, and judging from the predictions of many analysts outside the company Google should have a big winner on their hands.

It seems like every tech company worth their salt these days has some kind of wearable computing device either already on the shelves for sale or in various forms of testing. Some products like the Jawbone Up, Nike Fuel Band, and the Pebble smartwatch have had success but they have so far been very limited in their current forms. While these devices have either a specific app designed for them as is the case with the Up and the Fuel Band, it’s the smartwatches like the pebble and other forms of wearables that actually run apps which have the potential to be the real moneymakers.

How much money can these things make you may ask? According to IMS Research out of Wellington in the United Kingdom, the wearable computing market should become a $6 billion industry by 2016. Another firm, Juniper research, also sees this huge growth in the market and is predicting that sales of such devices to climb from 15 million this year all the way to 70 million by 2017.

Of course much of the success of any device that runs apps is a direct result of the number and quality of apps that are actually designed to run on the platform, and developers are certainly intrigued by the new frontier. Evernote for example has roughly two dozen engineers working with wireless watches, heart-rate monitors and Google’s Glasses in an attempt to make their note taking application compatible. For their part Google has recently partnered with venture-capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in an attempt to encourage developers to write applications for their marquis project.

Even with apps like Evernote or a Facebook or Twitter on board, some people see the application development for these technologies starting out in a different direction. Roger Entner who is an analyst at Recon Analytics LLC says “I am not sure commercial developers are right now lining up for small-run niche devices. The first batch will come from hobbyists that do it as a labor of love. Only then will we see the commercial app developers jump on the bandwagon.”

It remains to be seen if the wearable technology will take off as much as smartphones and tablets have or if it will remain stagnant like connected televisions, but the one thing you can say in favor of the former is that the app developers seem to be ready to sign on. With a bunch of new smartwatches as well as Google Glass about to be made available it’s a sure bet that we will all know the answer soon enough.

Source: Bloomberg

With the Galaxy S4, Samsung changed up the settings app a bit. Which makes it a bit confusing when you first open it up. They’ve divided up different menus into tabs along the top. So today we’re going to walk you through each tab, hopefully making it easier for every user (both new users and seasoned Android users). The Settings app has four tabs, those are Connections, My Device, Accounts, and More. We’re going to take each one individually and go through them.

Connections

Inside this tab you can access your Wi-Fi  and Bluetooth settings along with checking your data usage. You can also find Airplane Mode, hotspot/tethering and mobile network settings along with the VPN settings for your device. There’s also settings for NFC, S Beam, Nearby devices/DLNA, Screen Mirroring and Kies Wi-Fi settings. There are on/off toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and S Beam in this tab.

My Device

Under My device, there’s probably the most settings out of all the tabs. We’ve got your lock screen, display, LED indicator, sound, homescreen mode, calls, blocking mode, power saving mode, accessory, accessibility, language and input, Motions and gestures, smart screen, air view and Voice control settings. In addition there are toggles for Voice Control, Air View, Power Saving Mode and Blocking Mode. Like I said, this one has the most settings.

Accounts

This one is pretty self explainatory. But it basically has all your accounts, along with a link to add a new one, and backup and reset your device. Pretty simple tab.

More

Under more we just have settings, no toggles. There are settings for Location Services, security, application manager, battery, storage, date and time, developer options, and about device.

As you use your Galaxy S4 more and more you’ll get used to how the settings app is laid out now. It’s certainly different than the settings app on most other devices, but it does work quite well.

It was a trend that seemed to start with Samsung, as most Android trends do nowadays. A few months after the Galaxy S III was released, an S III mini was also sent into the wild. If we return to our current time; just a short time after the S IV hit the market, rumors are circulating for a mini S IV. Furthermore Samsung isn’t the only major OEM making small phones. HTC are also making a HTC One Mini, also know as the HTC M4.

Before we even start to really look at how useful, or necessary, these products are for the market I reckon I’ll make a quick guess from my personal experience. I know many iPhone faithfuls (I know eww…) that are turned off from the Android flagships, just because the phones are just so big. Also one of the major ‘plus points’ for the Android market is the huge choice of products, so more choice should always be good.

Is There a Hole in the Android Market?

Like I mentioned before, one of the great points about Android is their is huge choice of products. There are generic phones to 6-inch monsters, and most of what’s in-between.

However, with the recent flagship push to 1080p 5-inch phones a hole in the market is appearing. Now that none of the major OEMs are making average sized phones anymore, many potential new customers are being pushed away by the huge screens that can be quite uncomfortable to manage.

Android needs to fill this hole in the market if they are going to play on their strength of diversity.

Why Are Manufacturers Making These Mini Phones?

Naturally manufacturers mostly lean towards making money, but a few more specific reasons can be whittled out. As Android’s largest holder of sales, Samsung makes a good example to look at.

Huge amounts of people are greatly excited for the huge power and amazing 5-inch screen of the Galaxy S IV. However, there are also a lot of people who would dislike this. However, these people (a lot of them joining the Android market due to the popularity of Samsung) will still want a Samsung phone.

So Samsung has a simple way of solving this little problem of differing demographics. All they need to do is take all the hardware of the S IV and put it into a smaller body. It’s a very cost-effective way of making a lot of people happy, and helps Samsung to dominate the market even more.

A great example of this is the Galaxy Note 10.1, Note 8.0 and Note 2. They all do basically the same thing, except they’re all just different sizes.

Should All Manufacturers Do the Same?

In a word, yes. So far only Samsung is doing this extensively and while Song, HTC, and LG are doing something similar, it isn’t enough. However, not all
companies are greatly suited to following Samsung’s business plan. HTC in particular.

HTC UK chief Phil Robertson says, “We have to get back to focusing on what made us great – amazing hardware and a great customer service experience. We ended 2011 with far more products than we started with. We tried to do too much.”

Companies like HTC focus on making a select few products that work really well. If they try to follow Samsung, they’re just going to get crushed by a one-on-one battle with the larger company.

The Problem With Mini Handsets

Naturally no product is perfect, but so far the mini handsets all seem to have a similar problem. None of them have EXPLOSIVE power. And if you try to take
on the iPhone in its own turf without it, you aren’t going to get very far. While the iPhone doesn’t particularly have a lot of power, the simple operating system doesn’t need as much to run very smoothly.

Even the Samsung Galaxy S III mini felt like a mid-range device for its time, odd considering that the Galaxy series has tended to have the most power of all the major OEMs. Until the Android market can supply ‘tower of power’ mini handsets, the iPhone is going to dominate the market.

The Future of Android

I’m certainly not going to be vain enough to say that mini-handsets are going to be the future of Android. The market of Android changes so quickly that no set thing can be ‘the future’, but mini devices are certainly going to play a significant role in Android’s continued dominance of the market.

So I turn the issue over to you. Should Android make these mini devices, or should they focus on ‘bigger is better’? Personally, I reckon that they have the hardware already, why not make them?

Some of you may have heard that Google launched their music streaming service at Google I/O. Well they beat Apple to the punch…again. There had been rumors all year long that both Google and Apple had been in talks with record labels to get these services going this year. As we know, Google just unveiled theirs this week at their Developer Conference, and Apple had planned to unveil theirs at WWDC next month. But that may not pan out as it should.

Report is that Sony/ATV has rejected Apple’s terms. Sony/ATV is the largest music publisher. The Verge is also reporting that BMG Rights Management is also holding out, who is the fourth largest music published. Insiders are also saying there’s plenty of “market momentum” still behind iRadio and some of the industry’s largest players still want to launch the service as soon as possible. That includes Universal Music Group.

Now here’s the interesting part, Google was able to beat Apple to the punch because Google was securing deals for All Access which is a standard subscription service. Very similar to the likes of Spotify and Rdio. Meanwhile, Apple just has to be different. Apple was looking to do a hybrid web and radio service. This would be something that resembles Pandora but also has some on-demand features, according to sources.

Word is that Google also had an easier time getting licensed because it agreed to pay advances to some of the major copyright owners. Apple has a long history of refusing to pay advances and didn’t offer any. Sources are also stating that Apple has agreed to pay content owners a share of ad revenue, a per-play fee and a minimum guarantee.

Additionally, Google’s All Access program is like Spotify. In that it’s an on-demend model and that’s much more lucrative for the labels than Pandora’s webcasting service, which is what iRadio will resemble. iRadio will not be a Pandora clone as it would never get licensed that way.

So Google beat Apple out the door with their streaming music service. But doesn’t Google always beat Apple out the door with features and services? How many of you are enjoying the All Access service from Google? Let us know in the comments down below.

Smartwatches are starting to crop up everywhere now. It seems like ever since the Pebble met with a great deal of success on Kickstarter, everyone wants in on the action. It’s rumored that companies like Apple, Samsung, Microsoft are among many planning to introduce a smart wristwatch to the market. It comes as no surprise then that Motorola is working on acquiring patents for a new smartwatch of their own.

The patent documents were discovered by PatentBolt, and accurately detail a Motorola smartwatch along with various features it may offer. Of course, it’s important to note that these are patent documents which means that the final product could end up being quite a bit different.

Motorola plans to develop a standalone device, that will work whether it’s paired to a handset or not. When you think about it, it makes a lot more sense than just simply tethering a smartwatch to a handset. Don’t worry though, it appears you will be able to connect device wirelessly to the watch, including a smartphone.

The documents mention that a Motorola smartwatch would support a plethora of advanced features like a wristwatch mode, desktop mode, health monitoring tools, a traditional clock mode, calendar mode, gaming mode and even a media player mode. Essentially, it’s going to be a mini smartphone that sits on your wrist if Motorola actually develops it.

Furthermore, Android is disclosed as the primary OS for such a device.

Apparently, Motorola also has plans to make the main dial of the smartwatch removable. The patents named it as a “detachable electronic module,” which would separate entirely from the wrist strap. Even more interesting is the fact that Motorola wants to implement unique technology that would allow the watch to detect when it’s covered by clothing. Perhaps, they’ll use some kind of ambient light sensor or something similar. For example, when you have your sleeve pulled down over the watch, it’s supposed to detect that and turn off the display to save the battery.

Additional features mentioned include a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 1.6-inch OLED touchscreen display (possibly flexible), mobile wireless support (CDMA, GSM, UMTS, and PTT) and 8GB of internal storage. An extra battery may even be kept inside the wrist strap.

All in all, this is starting to look like a real promising device. We’ll update with more information as soon as it’s available. Would you be interested in a smartwatch if it had all of these features?

The image above is Motorola’s current smartwatch the MOTOACTV.

Hangouts hasn’t had the best of starts. With a non-update ‘Open’ button, as seen in the image above, many users had to figure out for themselves that the update (which replaced Google Talk) could be got through the web. Many users became frustrated by this, and a quick look at the Play Store rating at 9pm today where I am in Ireland (which is about 1pm Pacific Time), shows that the app is receiving a very mixed review from users. By my own browsing, it looks like many were expecting the new service to do a lot more, while others simply didn’t want to let of Google Talk. Totally understandable, but talk of Babel, Babble, and later Hangouts has been around since at least the springtime.

Now that many people have received the update, there were reports of Hangouts not working correctly on many tablets, including the Nexus 7. That issue seems to have been solved by the update to  v1.0.1.678536, which will fix the support for tablets. If it still doesn’t appear in the Play Store on your device, or if the ‘Update’ button is missing, you can update through the web on all of your Android devices by hitting the Play Store button down below.

What caused these teething problems? Dan Morrill, an Android engineer, has explained that this happened due to an unfortunate bug to do with telephony-related permissions. Another Google employee, Ben Eidelson, confirmed on Google+ that Google+ Messenger will soon be merged into hangouts once chat history is migrated onto Google’s new service. Also, if you go to your Google account settings overview, you’ll notice that there’s a nice setting called ‘SMS for Hangouts’, a de facto confirmation that SMS integration is coming to Hangouts also.

All of this integration could see Google go on to build Hangouts as one of their core services, and it will surely play an important role as part of Google’s broader ecosystem when the company launches Glass to the general public, possibly in late 2013, or early 2014.

Have you had any teething problems with Glass on any of your Android devices? Have these updates solved any of those initial problems? Let us know in the comments.

Latest rumors surrounding the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 say that the devices have been delayed. Which probably isn’t too much of a big deal since it’s not their flagship devices. After Samsung confirmed these two devices last month, Samsung also said that they would be launching globally and hit Europe and Russia beginning in May. However there are a few clues that point in an entirely different direction.

We already knew that the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 wouldn’t be coming to the UK, but the 6.3 was. If you check out the image down below, you can see that the Galaxy Mega 6.3 isn’t expected until July 2013. Which is a good 2 month delay for the device.

This data comes from GSM Helpdesk which lists that week 23 is when the Galaxy Mega 6.3 would be releasing. Which is starting June 3rd, and week 30 (July 22nd) for the Galaxy Mega 5.8. We’ve seen the Galaxy Mega 6.3 visit the FCC twice already, but there is no word on when it will be hitting the US.

The Galaxy Mega 6.3 of course has a 6.3-inch display which is an LCD display at a 720p resolution and powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor and 1.5GB of RAM. It also has a choice of 8GB of 16GB of internal storage along with a microSD card slot. There’s also a 8MP camera on the back and a 1.9MP on the front.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Mega 5.8 has a 5.8-inch qHD display and is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core processor and 1.5GB of RAM. It comes with 8GB of internal storage and has a 8MP shooter on the back and a 1.9MP shooter on the front. Both the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 are running on Android 4.2.

Were you planning on picking up either of these devices? Let us know in the comments down below.

Source: GSM Helpdesk 1, 2; Carphone Warehouse

Was the Galaxy S4 Google Edition not enough AOSP news for you this week? Well, Sony put out a blog post today that they have released AOSP for the Xperia Tablet Z, which accompanies the AOSP project for the Xperia Z which is already out.

Sony said that for developers this means that you can access the software to contribute to the project. Keep in mind, that this is before the Xperia Tablet Z even makes it onto US soil. Sony has thrown all of the code up on Github for those that want to dig through all the code.

Sony reminds developers that if they want to participate in this AOSP program, they’ll have to use the GitHub tool and that all devs are welcome. We’ve already seen Sony do this with the Xperia S way back, and as we mentioned before, the Xperia Z already has AOSP support. Which means we might see more devices like the Galaxy S4 Google Edition coming soon, now would that be a terrible thing? Certainly not.

You can check out the video down below to see how AOSP is running on the Xperia Tablet Z. It actually looks fairly good, and seems to be really responsive. So good job on Sony there.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How many of you were contemplating picking up the Xperia Tablet Z? Has this made up your mind for you? The Xperia Tablet Z has some great specs and being able to get stock Android on it with help from Sony is definitely a good thing for Sony and for sales. Now if only they could get the thing into the US already. There were rumors of it landing on T-Mobile, along with the Xperia Z. But it looks like Sony is rapidly running out of time to do that. Let us know in the comments down below if you  have picked up or plan on picking up the Xperia Tablet Z.

Source: Sony Blog

Lots of games are being updated to incorporate features offered by the Google Play Games service, but it’s still difficult to tell what’s using what.  For example, Modern Combat 4 is using Google Play based achievements and leaderboards, but they’re using a proprietary multiplayer gameplay service.

Google has added unique badges that tell you exactly what games are using what features. Take a look at the screenshots below and you’ll see badges for leaderboards, achievements and more. Of course, the leaderboards and achievements are the two most common features you’ll find at the moment. There are also a few scattered badges for realtime multiplayer support. I haven’t come across any games that support cloud saves yet, but when I see a title using the related badge I’ll update this post accordingly.

Unfortunately, the badges haven’t rolled out to every single title in the Google Play store offering Games support. Some of the apps even have conflicting app descriptions, for example the paid version of World of Goo displays the badges, while the free version page has none. It’s probably going to take some time for Google to implement the badges for the entire Google Play storefront.

Of course, you’ll need to have the latest version of the Play store to see the badges so keep that in mind.

As for the in-game Google Play Games menus, they look remarkably similar to the Google Play store design. That’s to be expected really. Unlocking an achievement will share the milestone to an attached Google+ account, but this functionality can be turned off if you don’t want everyone to know you’re playing games at work.

Personally, the games I’ve tried include World of Goo, Modern Combat 4, Super Stickman Golf 2 and more. The new achievement system really just gives us another reason to play mobile games all the time.

It will be interesting to see how many games implement these new features and how many choose to ignore them. It’s possible that achievement and leaderboards will become something of a rarity for Android games if developers decide not to offer support. Are there any games you would like to see these features come to? I for one would love to see support offered for Minecraft: Pocket Edition.

Source: Google

Just a day before Google I/O Nvidia quietly announced the pre-order dates and prices for their upcoming Shield. They named the date as May 20^th, which isn’t that far away. In hindsight, it seemed like a silly move to announce so close to Google’s main event, but it’s in the past now.

Apparently, Nvidia opened up pre-orders three days earlier than expected. Right now, you can pre-purchase the device via the Nvidia website or through select third party retailers like Gamestop, Newegg and Canada Computer.

By now, I’m sure you already know what Shield is, yet I’m still going to tell you a bit about it anyway, so get over it. The Nvidia Shield is essentially a 5-inch tablet meshed with a traditional console gamepad. Instead of requiring users to connect a controller wirelessly, there’s one already built-in. Shield is running stock Android at its core, 4.2.1 to be exact, and it has full access to Google Play. That’s all great, but what sets it apart from similar devices is that the Nvidia Shield can connect to desktop rigs equipped with a compatible Nvidia GPU to stream games wirelessly.

In the demo videos, Nvidia showed off Shield by playing various games through Steam, Origin and even straight from the desktop. We saw Borderlands 2, Need for Speed and many more. You can always check out those hands-on videos here.

For now, I’m going to drop some specs:

• Quad-core Tegra 4 processor
• 2GB of installed RAM
• 5-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution
• 16GB of internal storage with MicroSD expansion slot
• Bluetooth 3.0 functionality
• GPS and Wi-Fi

We’ve already discussed the price before, but I’m sure some of you missed out. In that case, the Nvidia Shield is currently selling for $349, and it will be shipping to consumers by the end of June.

The real benefit of Shield is that because there are no wireless carriers to deal with, Nvidia will be able to push out updates at a much faster rate. You might as well be getting a stock Nexus device equipped with a gamepad here. That combined with all of the other great features, makes this baby a steal for gamers.

What do you think of that price though? Are you going to pre-order the Shield?

Source Nvidia

Samsung has been making waves this year with their new flagship phone, the Galaxy S4, and now they may see the fruits of their labor. At first many simply saw the device as a mere upgrade from its predecessor the Galaxy S3, but it now reaches nearly 10 million sold! This is not an unprecedented feat for Samsung; in fact the GS3 reached the 10 million mark in late July last year after releasing two months earlier on May 29th, 2012. That in and of itself is an impressive accomplishment, but now Samsung is one-upping themselves. The GS4 has only been out for 21 days ago, launching on April 26th, and has already reached over six million units sold! Samsung’s co-CEO JK Shin has told the Korea Press that he expects the devices sales to reach the desired projection by the end of next week.

If this were accomplished, Samsung would have literally cut their turn around for upgrading Galaxy phones in half. So what made it possible for Samsung to break their own impressive record and reach 10 million sold in only a month? Much of it comes down to some subtle (and some not so subtle) differences in their marketing strategy. On the subtle side, the GS4 was immediately available upon release in North America from three major U.S mobile carriers, as opposed to the GS3 debuting a month after its European release last year. Availability allows products to reach such immense sales, but it is pointless without a good marketing strategy as backup.

Apple’s iPhone 5 came out September 21st of last year, and that was right about the time they began airing TV ads portraying their already successful GS3 as the “iPhone killer”. Their ads showed the massive pre-release lines that stretched for blocks stemming from the Apple store while people waited for the iPhone 5 talking about it’s new features that users were skeptical about such as the inverted headphone jack and new charging port. Then, as if their ears were burning, GS3 users would pop up and give a free display of the Samsung phone’s capabilities. Now even though this was an ad for the predecessor, Samsung’s placement of these ads simply tenderized the consumer market for the GS4 and planted the idea in their minds that Samsung is the new kid on the block, here to knock the iPhone down a peg. And it seems that playing off Apple’s marketing and user community in hindsight has worked brilliantly considering Samsung’s Galaxy S4 should be in 10 million pockets by the end of next week and stands poised as the iPhone 5’s biggest competitor.

The Nexus Q was one of Google’s rare misses. The ‘first social streaming media player’ was announced along with the Nexus 7 back at Google I/O 2012, while the Nexus 7 became quite a success story and is probably what has led to the emergence of the 7-8 inch budget tablet market. The fate of the Nexus Q was in stark contrast to that of the Nexus 7 being an utter failure. While its tablet cousin sold millions around the world Google decided to scrap the Nexus Q before it even came into market. The problem with the Nexus Q was unlike most other Nexus devices, it didn’t offer great hardware for the price, instead it lacked features of its competitors and was priced higher, the only redeeming feature being the beautiful shell it was encased in.

With the Nexus Q fading into obscurity many have wondered whether or not Google would revive the product at this years Google I/O updating the hardware and features so it could compete head to head with its rivals, unfortunately while Google did show off a plethora of new software features at this year’s I/O no new hardware was announced and so the fate of the Nexus Q is still unknown. Worst yet with the latest updates to Google Services in particular Play Music, these new apps don’t even support the Nexus Q anymore, a fact that has been confirmed by many owners of the device. While Google Play Support claim an update is coming to the Nexus Q, Google has yet to release an official statement on the matter. Unfortunately the Nexus Q might be confined the pages of history and even if there is a public outcry against it, Google already has plans to axe significantly more popular services despite the views of consumers.

While Google’s apparent intent to cease support for the device might seem like the ultimate insult to its owners, keep in mind when Google cancelled the device’s launch they ended up sending one free of charge to all of those that placed an order. Also, Nexus devices are meant to be ‘pure’ Android devices aimed towards developers, so given time the modding community for Android will eventually figure out a fix to resolve this issue and potentially introduce software features that will inspire Google to revive the device.

Source: Engadget

Not long after the HTC One was launched we found out that HTC was having some pretty significant supply issues, mainly because of the new camera module for the “UltraPixel” camera. It was a camera that nobody else really tried to make in the smartphone industry, so of course there wasn’t going to be a lot of supply for it, as their suppliers had to make it from scratch. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, why not check out our review here.

This created a double problem for HTC. Not only did it hinder the supply for the existing demand, but it also restricted HTC from advertising the HTC One as much as they could. Poor advertising of its devices combined with a myriad of different new brands has been one of HTC’s biggest problem over the past few years. So just when they were starting to put things together and unify the marketing budget under one brand and phone model, they couldn’t properly advertise it because they had all these supply issues.

But all of that seems to have been fixed now, and HTC promises to double the shipments of HTC One units as soon as this month.  HTC says it has strong demand for the HTC One, but I imagine they are going to spend a lot more on advertising in the next few months, because it’s the company’s main phone until next year. They have to sell as many as possible, and not be overshadowed by the Galaxy S4 or the next iPhone or any other flagship device launching this year.

I still believe HTC would be smart to make a Nexus phone this year, because that would probably help them a lot more with their image and even their sales, just like it did LG. LG was barely in the minds of people anymore after releasing buggy phone after buggy phone and having a poor upgrade cycle, but once they released the Nexus 4, the tech media and a lot more people started taking them seriously again.

This has helped them, whether directly (Nexus 4 sales) or indirectly (“higher quality” quality image and word of mouth) to rise to the #3 spot in smartphones right now. HTC could really use a sales and image boost like that, too, right now. And I can’t think of anything else that could help them achieve that just as fast. A Nexus phone would be HTC’s “magic bullet” to regain the loyalty and trust of Android smartphone users.

[Via Engadget]

Recently, Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab 3, with specifications that make for a fairly mid-range device. Samsung also released the Galaxy Note 8.0 earlier in the year and we’ve been hearing word of them releasing a non-note version of that device for some time now. SamMobile have gotten their hands on some info that would suggest a Galaxy Tab 8.0 is closer to being released than we might think. Here are the specs that the folks have managed to sniff out:

• 8.0” WXGA ,1280×800 TFT
• 1.5 GHz Dual-Core
• 1.5 GB of RAM
• 16 GB of Storage with MicroSD support up to 64GB
• EDGE (850/900/1800/1900) HSPA+42Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps (850/900/1900/2100)
•  1.3 megapixel front-facing camera with 5 megapixel rear-facing camera
• BT 4.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, A-GPS
• Android 4.2.2
• 4,450 mAh battery
• 209.3 x 122.2 x 6.95 mm

Apparently, the Galaxy Tab 3 carries codenames of  SM-T310 and SM-T311 for 3G and Wi-Fi, respectively. According to SamMobile the device could be launched as early as the end of June. Whether or not there’s any truth in this rumor remains to be seen but, Samsung have historically released a number of tablets all with varying different screen sizes, and in fact their first line of Galaxy Tabs featured sizes of 7, 7.7, 8.9 and 10.1 inch sizes so, there’s no telling just what Samsung are going to do this time around.

It doesn’t look like this is going to be Samsung’s iPad Mini rival, that duty looks to have already been given to the Galaxy Note 8.0 and it’d be a smart idea to leave it to the Galaxy Note 8.0. Pricing is going to be crucial here, if Samsung are releasing the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 and a 7-inch version as well – which one of them is the “premium” model? How much more should one cost than the other? It seems that Samsung are becoming dangerously close to flooding the market with tablets again and with an apparent Nexus 7 successor on the horizon, they will need to price these tablets perfectly.

Is the Galaxy Note 8.0 not above to bridge the gap between the Galaxy Tab 3 and a new Galaxy Tab 10.1? Is this is one product too far for Samsung, let us know what you think in the comments below.

Disclaimer: The picture above is in fact, the Galaxy Tab 3.

[Source: SamMobile]

• Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 @ 1.2 GHz
• 8-inch 1024×768 IPS display
• Adreno 203 GPU
• 1 GB of RAM
• WiFi, 3G and 2G data connection
• Front and back 2 megapixel cameras
• 4GB of internal storage and support for 64GB microSD cards
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Obviously this tablet won’t feature the greatest hardware at such a low price point, but all things considered the ability to get a Snapdragon S4 SoC and Android Jelly Bean means the tablet would be almost as smooth as any out there on the market. While the 4 GB of internal storage is relatively small, the ability to connect to cloud service via mobile data and being able to add in your own microSD card means this would be a great platform for consuming media. The only real gripe I have with the hardware is the display, instead of going for a 1024×768 resolution I think Archos would have done better if they went for a 1280×720 due to most media using 16:9 HD aspect ratios instead of the now dated 4:3 aspect ratio, but still despite that issue with the aspect ratio the screen is still an IPS display so that means great viewing angles and accurate color reproduction so all your movies and pictures should still look great on it.

This tablet is also carries proper Google Play Credentials so you will have full access to the Play Store with all its apps, games, movies and books to help you enjoy your device and with a quad-core CPU it should have no problem powering the majority of games on the market. This tablet is expected to be on shelves by June and if you were waiting for a budget tablet and were disappointed at the lack of a new Nexus 7 at Google I/O  you might want to take a look at this device.

]]> http://androidheadlines.com/2013/05/archos-new-budget-8-incher-brings-quad-core-performance-and-jelly-bean-for-only-200.html/feed 0 http://androidheadlines.com/2013/05/android-news-canada-16052013-galaxy-s4-launch-wind-q1-results-telusmobilicity-acquisition-and-more.html http://androidheadlines.com/2013/05/android-news-canada-16052013-galaxy-s4-launch-wind-q1-results-telusmobilicity-acquisition-and-more.html#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 13:04:05 +0000 Briley Kenney http://androidheadlines.com/?p=263412

Welcome to ‘Android News Canada’  a weekly column for our Android friends to the North covering all of the note-able Droid News affecting Canadians. While I am not Canadian, Chris our Editor-in-Chief and Founder certainly is, and he has tasked me with delivering all the latest Android News in Canada and hopefully I will become an honorary Canuck once a week! Now that, the snow has stopped falling, well except in Whitehorse, Spring is here… take out that BBQ, head to the cottage, eat some poutine, grab your favorite beverage -Molson Canadian, Labatt Blue or a Timmy’s- put some hockey on TV and get all your Canadian Android News right here! It is ‘aboot/aboat’ time to get started eh!

Wind Mobile Launches the Samsung Galaxy S4

On May 14th, Wind Mobile launched Samsung’s latest flagship the Galaxy S4. They’re offering the Galaxy S4 for $399 through WINDTab or $699 contract-free.

Galaxy S4 Available Through Mobilicity

Moving right along with Galaxy S4 news, Mobilicity has also launched the flagship offering the device at the lowest off-contract price of $649.99.

Finding a unit may prove problematic, however as Mobilicity originally released this statement on Twitter:

“A limited number of the new Samsung Galaxy S4 phones are now available at select locations. Contact your local store for availability!”

So keep your eyes peeled and if you find one, covet it!

Wind Picks up 11,281 Subscribers in Q1

According to the numbers, WIND mobile picked up 11,281 subscribers in the first quarter. WIND Mobile’s parent company, Orascom Telecom released their Q1 results and noted that the company now has 601,719 total subscribers. That’s an increase of 44.9% from 2012.

In addition, the average revenue per user (APRU) is currently at $27.60 which is up 1.1% year-over-year. WIND attributes the increase to its new “Value Plus Strategy” along with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Blackberry Z10. They’re probably playing down the importance of those flagships, but their numbers are up nevertheless.

Rogers Realigns Monthly Plan Prices

Rogers implemented a complete realignment of their monthly plan fees, just like they did last week in Quebec. Most of the prices are decreased, yet they’re still pretty high. Keep in mind that a lot of these new plans are offered as promos for new customers until June 30^th.

Individual plans:

• $25/month plan talk and text:
  • 100 minutes
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $30/month plan talk and text (was $35/month):
  • 200 minutes
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $35/month plan talk and text (was $42/month):
  • 1,000 minutes
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $45/month plan talk, text and internet (was $55/month):
  • 200 minutes
  • 150mb data
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $60/month plan talk, text and internet (was $70/month):
  • Unlimited Canada-wide calling
  • 3GB data
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $70/month plan talk, text and internet (was $80/month):
  • Unlimited Canada-wide calling
  • 5GB data
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $90/month plan talk, text and internet (was $100/month):
  • Unlimited Canada-wide calling
  • 7GB data
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail

Family Plans:

• New $70/month plan talk and text plan:
  • 2,000 minutes
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $90/month plan talk, text and internet (was $110/month):
  • 2,000 minutes
  • 300 MB data
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $120/month plan talk, text and internet (was $140/month):
  • Unlimited Canada-wide calling
  • 6GB data
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $140/month plan talk, text and internet (was $160/month):
  • Unlimited Canada-wide calling
  • 10GB data
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail
• $180/month plan talk, text and internet (was $200/month):
  • Unlimited Canada-wide calling
  • 14GB data
  • Unlimited evenings starting at 6PM
  • Unlimited texts
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail

Telus Enters Agreement to Acquire Mobilicity for $380 million

This was to be expected, so it’s not really a huge shocker. TELUS announced earlier today (May 16^th) that they entered an agreement and if all goes well they will be acquiring Mobilicity for $380 million. Of course, the deal won’t go through until the Competition Bureau Industry Canada and Mobilicity’s debtholders agree to it.

“The purchase price received would be applied to repay all of the outstanding first and second lien debt of Mobilicity, with the remainder being used to repay certain outstanding unsecured debt securities issued by Mobilicity.”

According to Mobilicity:

“If this transaction is approved, TELUS will retain all 150 Mobilicity employees as it integrates the Mobilicity operation into TELUS over the coming months.”

According to court documents the whole deal should be complete by June 10, 2013. If it’s not over by that date, then TELUS has to pay Mobilicity a $10 million deposit. This will fund Mobilicity enough to enter the 700Mhz spectrum auction. The last day anyone can drop down money is June 11^th, which is why that stipulation exists.

In the acquisition, TELUS will gain all 150 Mobilicity employees and their 250,000 subscribers. Not a bad deal all around for TELUS, but we’ll know soon enough if the deal went through or not.

TELUS took the time to post about the acquisition in a recent blog post:

“We don’t believe this transaction will have a significant impact on competition in our industry… If approved, our agreement to acquire Mobilicity would be good news for their 250,000 customers. Importantly, their wireless service would continue without the risk of disruption. Moblicity’s customers would also join Canada’s most satisfied and loyal customers at TELUS and Koodo.”

Field Trip is Now Available in Canada

Niantic Labs quietly made Field Trip available in Canada so no more sideloading is necessary. You can head right to Google Play and get it now. In case you’re not already familiar with the app, it uses your current location to display unique locations nearby that you can pop in and visit. As advertised by the developers it will help you “see this world with new eyes!”

If you’re unfamiliar with Microsoft’s “Scroogled” campaign, it’s basically the latest in Microsoft’s long crusade to paint Google as the bad guy. It’s no surprise that Google and Microsoft are at each other’s throats these days – or, I should say Microsoft is at Google’s throat. The two giants occupy very similar spaces, they both have successful mobile operating system platforms, and they both operate services on the web such as search, maps and e-mail. Of course, we all know which one of the two is the more successful company when it comes to the Web. Bill Gates famously sent a memo around his company detailing the missed opportunity that was the Internet and how that was to be their focus going forward. I really hope that this “Scroogled” campaign is not how Microsoft hope to take the web back.

If you want to learn a little more about the Scroogled campaign, then just head on over to the website, and take a look at some of the videos. After just a few minutes, you’ll realize that Microsoft are trying their best to paint Google as the nosy, unscrupulous web deviant they want everyone to view them as. Things such as Google going through every word of your e-mail and spying on your every move are a little far-fetched. On a personal note, I am no stranger to Microsoft’s services and I’m by no means an “All Google, All the Time” kind of guy but, GMail is a massive part of my life. Do I dislike the ads that are on there, sure, do they bother me? No. They don’t bother me because I pay no attention to them and as for me worrying about Google going through all of my e-mails, if I didn’t want it on the Internet for someone to trawl through; I wouldn’t put it into my web browser. I feel perfectly secure using Google’s servers for a lot of things.

Now, on to Chrome which is the focus of this latest attack from Microsoft. Apparently, this video was “leaked” from Microsoft but, the fact that it’s available to watch in quality up to 1080p suggests to me a controlled leak. This wouldn’t be the first time Microsoft have failed at a viral campaign; does anyone remember #droidrage? We all know that Chrome has become a big deal for Google; it’s also become the world’s most used web browser. Now that Chrome is on our PCs, smartphones and tablets browsing the web has gotten a lot easier but, Microsoft don’t seem happy with that – not one bit.

Google have been advertising Chrome quite heavily recently. Here’s one of Google’s fun-loving ads that gets the point across nicely:

Click here to view the embedded video.

So, there’s nothing wrong with that as an ad from Google, right? Well, I didn’t think so. Now, take a look at Microsoft’s spoof version of the ad:

Click here to view the embedded video.

As you can see, the message here is very much the same: Google is bad, Google is evil. Now, I’m not out to discuss privacy matters – that’s a discussion for another day – but, does the idea of Google making money from an ad you see because you once searched for “Game of Thrones” on Google really bother you? It doesn’t me, that’s for sure.

Overall, I dislike this approach from Microsoft and not because I have anything against Microsoft, despite my many years using Linux I rely on Windows 7 day-to-day and to get my fix from Steam but, because this is not really doing Microsoft any good. Their products simply cannot match up, they have great potential but, they have a long to go. So, instead of Microsoft bashing on Chrome; why don’t they finally do something good with IE?

[Source: 9to5Google]

As we do every Friday, here is another dose of hearty, British Android news for you all! Turn the telly down, go and grab a cuppa and read up on the most important Android news that affects the UK. As a Brit myself, it’s nice to write about the little things that are closer to home, so let’s get on with it, shall we?!

Motorola RAZR i Now Available with 3

The RAZR i is a curious device, it’s a well-built smartphone with an easily managed screen size of 4.3-inches, on the inside it’s powered by Intel’s mobile technology, which sets this apart from all of the ARM devices on the market. It’s been out for quite a while now, and it’s only just hitting 3 but, if you’re in the market for a new contract or just a new device, then the RAZR i will not disappoint. It’s also going for some very attractive prices, head on over to 3′s website for more info.

BT Considering Their Own 4G Mobile Network; Possible 2014 Launch

This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard of BT eyeing up the prospects of a 4G mobile network. Since they bought £200 Million worth of 4G spectrum at the recent auction, questions have been raised concerning just what BT were up to. Well, in an interview with The Telegraph CEO Ian Livingston has hinted at the possibility of a 4G mobile network from BT, to be sold alongside their TV and Broadband packages. Come 2014, the package deal might get a whole lot more mobile, and a lot faster.

Netflix Begins Streaming Disney Movies in the UK and Ireland

So, while this is not particularly Android news, I am sure a good many of you reading this probably use your tablet or smartphone to sedate the kids. If you’re a Netflix subscriber, that just got a whole lot easier now that Disney movies are part of their streaming repertoire. Those long trips in the car are about to get a little bit easier.

Xperia L Now Available in the UK 

If you don’t remember the Xperia L, we’re certainly not going to judge. It’s a mid-range device from Sony that puts emphasis on being able to take just as good photos as the more high-end devices, without the price tag. What you’re looking at here is a 4.3-inch smartphone with a dual-core 1 Ghz CPU, 1GB RAM and an 8MP camera. It’s available now from Clove for £228 and Amazon for a little bit more at £249.99. Take a look at the video below for a more in-depth look.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Phones4U Selling Huawei’s Ascend P2

The Ascend P2 is a 720p 4.7-inch smartphone with a quad-core CPU from Huawei and you’ll be able to get it from Phones4U in White. It’s a decent enough device that should hopefully not carry too large a price tag when it launches next month. You’ll also be able to get your hands on the device on Three, too.

Sony Xperia ZR Will Not be Sold in The UK

Here in the UK we’re a little more lucky than other territories, as we get pretty much every smartphone that Sony makes. We got the Xperia Z before most countries and we’ll end up getting their next flagship in a timely fashion as well. What we won’t be getting however, is the chance to buy the Xperia ZR, the device that takes from both the Xperia Z and the ZL but, brings things down in size a little bit. If you want to learn more about the smartphone we won’t be getting then read more here.

Samsung’s Galaxy Mega Series Delayed

No matter ho ridiculous the Mega series, at 5.8-inches and 6.3-inches seem, there’s clearly a market for this sort of thing. Those in the UK were disappointed enough to find out that the 5.8-inch version would not be sold here but, now we’re finding out the 6.3-inch version might not be launching until as late as July. Will you be waiting for it, or is it too close to the size of a tablet for your pocket?

Wow, what a week it’s been, Google I/O has pretty much come and gone like a tsunami! Although, it left behind more positives, with more tools being handed over to developers and of course, Hangouts. But, what’s been going on around the rest of the world? Well, I’m glad you’re here because that’s just what I am going to address here in another edition of Droid Worldwide Weekly, where we bring you the biggest Android News from around the globe. News that might be more relevant to your little corner of the globe. Read on to see what’s been happening in the World of Android this past week!

French Proposal Would Tax Smartphones and Tablets at 1%; Pile the Money into Art and Culture Funding

A proposal has been handed to the French President recently that details a tax on “Internet-capable” devices like smartphones and tablets of 1%. The money would then be piled back into funding that goes towards art and culture projects. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world these days, money is tight and yet Apple, Google and Amazon are all making a whole lot of money off of these devices. 1% is hardly a pill to swallow and would net roughly €86 Million a year, do you think this is a good idea?

XOLO Announce Q700 Quad-Core Smartphone

It’s been a little while since we heard anything from Indian company XOLO but, now they’re back with the Q700. This quad-core smartphone comes with some impressive specs and a number of special features, like the ability to set profiles for widgets etc. Let’s take a look at the specs:

• 4.5-inch (960 x 540 pixels) 16M color capacitive touch screen IPS display at 245 ppi
• 1.2 GHz quad-core MediaTek 6589W-M processor with 238 MHz PowerVR SGX544 GPU
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)
• 5MP rear camera with LED Flash, BSI sensor and 720p HD video recording
• 0.3 (MP) VGA front-facing camera
• 10.2 mm thick and weighs 151.3 grams
• 3.5mm audio jack
• 1GB RAM, 4GB internal memory, 32GB expandable memory with MicroSD
• 3G (HSDPA: 21 Mbps, HSUPA: 11 Mbps), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS
• 2400 mAh battery

Sony Xperia A Announced for Japan’s NTT DoCoMo

It’s that time of year again in Japan and one of the bigger announcements was the Xperia A for NTT DoCoMo, following in the footsteps of the Xperia Z and ZL, this is a device that’s a little smaller and a little less on the high-end side of things but, it’s still a solid performer and will serve you well. Here are the specs:

• 4.6-inch OptiContrast OLED at 1280 x 720
• 1.5 Ghz Quad-Core Snapdragon S4 Pro
• 2GB of RAM
• 13MP rear-facing camera with dedicated camera key and 15 fps burst rate with 0.3 MP front-facing
• NFC and LTE Support
• 2,300 mAh battery
• Android 4.1

Aquos Zeta SH-06E Packs 1080p IGZO Display

Here’s another device for NTT DoCoMo, this time from Sharp, packing a 4.8-inch 1080p IGZO panel, a 1.7Ghz Snapdragon 600, 2GB of RAM, a 13 MP camera.It’ll be available in blue, red and white from May 24th. Lucky Japan!

Aquos Pad SH-08E Comes With Full HD 7-inch Panel

Here’s something that will really make us Westerners jealous. Sharp are bringing a tablet to NTT DoCoMo alongside their new smartphone and it’s packing a 7-inch 1920 x 1200 display, a 1.7 Ghz Snapdragon 600 and a sizable 4,200 mAh battery inside. It’s also waterproof and dust proof. As with their new smartphone, Sharp’s IGZO panel tech will make that battery last that little bit longer. It’ll be available in Japan from July or so.

NTT DoCoMo to Roll Out 150 Mbps LTE This Year

NTT DoCoMo will begin rolling out their new Xi base stations that provide 150 Mbps speeds in Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya. While frequencies are not settled on just yet, the company wants to double its existing 24,400 stations to 50,000 by the end of 2013. Japanese readers can get more info from Impress Watch.

LG Announce Optimus It for Japan

The South Korean’s smartphones have been big features in Japan for some time now and the Optimus It is no different. This is perhaps more on the mid-range side of things but, it still has a lot going for it. Just like a lot of NTT DoCoMo’s other launches, this will run on the Xi service and has TV support as well. Here are the specs:

• 4.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) True HD IPS display
• 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8064T processor
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 13.2MP auto focus camera with LED flash and BSI sensor
• 1.4-megapixel front-facing camera withBSI sensor
• LTE / 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC
• expandable memory up to 64GB with microSD a
• 2100 mAh battery

Xiaomi To launch “Red Rice” Smartphone; Cheapest Yet

Xiaomi are known for their affordable smartphones but, there’s word of them pushing things even further with the rumored “Red Rice” device that could well cost as little as $130! That’s lower than the company has even gone and would be great for teenagers and first-time smartphone buyers. The rumored specs aren’t much but, they won’t be for that much:

• Dual-core processor running at 1.2 GHz, claimed to be a Leadercore LC1810
• 4.7 inch 720p display (1280×720 pixels)
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage (no word whether it will support microSD)
• 8 megapixel main camera
• 2 megapixel front camera
• 2,000 mAh battery
• MIUI v5

Micromax Readying Full HD 5.5-inch Device?

Our Indian readers will know of Micromax for their quality but affordable devices, now it looks like they might be ready to hit the high-end. A new phablet is apparently on the way from the company, with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a quad-core MediaTek CPU and 2GB of RAM. The device would cost somewhere in the region of 20,000 INR and could surface as early as next month.

Updated Fonepad Goes on Sale in Taiwan

The Fonepad has hardly been on sale very long and yet ASUS are already upping the specs! The tablet now comes with a slightly fast 1.6 Ghz Intel Atom Z2460, and 32GB of Storage for NT$10,900. Not too bad, right?

China’s MeituKiss Smartphone Has Two 8MP Cameras, A Phone For the Ladies

Have you wondered what it be like to have a quality shooter at the front of your smartphone, as well as the rear? Well, with the MeituKiss you can finally find out! Coming to China soon, this feminine handset comes with two 8 MegaPixel cameras, one at the rear and one at the back, both with a respectable f/2.2 aperture. As well as this there’s a Android 4.2.2, a quad-core MediaTek MT6589, a 4.5-inch 720p display and a 1,800 mAh battery.

Sony Xperia UL Heading to Japan’s KDDI Soon?

If you thought that the Xperia A was enough for Sony, then  you’d be wrong, because the Xperia UL has just broken cover. It’s said this is to become a KDDI exclusive – at least in Japan – and could be the first Sony smartphone to use the Snapdragon 600 over the aging S4 Pro. It’s codenamed “Gaga” and apparently comes with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and it is, of course, waterproof and dustproof. Perhaps Sony is gearing up for a bigger summer than we thought?

ZTE Announce Grand Z2 In, Coming to Europe Soon

It’s not everyday that we hear of ZTE bringing their more higher-end devices to Europe to to hear that the Grand X2 In is coming is good news. It’s an Intel-powered smartphone with a 720p display and while that doesn’t sound anything to special, it should be more than enough to keep up with the rest of the pack. Read more here.

Lenovo’s K900 Launches in China at Long Last

Easily one of the best handsets to hit the Chinese market in a long time now, the Lenovo K900 is finally available to buy in China! Pricing is going to depend on which carrier you buy it through etc etc but, this is not your average Lenovo phone, so don’t expect a cheap price. This is a quality piece of hardware, encased in aluminum and packing some serious horsepower. Take a look at the specs below, and let us know if you’re picking one up in the comments below:

• 5.5-inch 1080p IPS display
• 2 GHz dual-core Intel Atom chip
• 13-megapixel rear camera with dual flash/ 2-megapixel front-facing camera
• 2GB of RAM
• 16GB of storage
• Weight: 5.7 ounces
• Thickness: 6.9mm

Today, Archos announced the 80 Xenon tablet which has a quad-core processor with Android 4.1 – Jelly Bean on board and also has 3G capabilities. It’ll be selling for $199 and it has a 1024×768 IPS display. So not the best looking display but still pretty good.

Deutsche Telekom Can still Sell T-Mobile USA Shares

Thanks to a loophole, T-Mobile USA’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom can still sell T-Mobile USA shares before the lock-in period begins.

Verizon HTC One?

We all know you want a HTC One on Verizon right? Well here’s a new HTC device that has received Wi-Fi certification and it looks like it should be on Verizon as well.

HTC Says No to HTC One Google Edition

Yesterday, Google shocked most of us by announcing a Galaxy S4 Google Edition at Google I/O. There was also a tweet that surfaced after the announcement that we might see a Google Edition HTC One. But that turns out to be false.

HTC Backup for HTC One

HTC has released a backup app on the Play Store that works on the HTC One only. It allows you to backup over 150 different settings including your entire home screen, blinkfeed, Sense TV, Social networking accounts and so much more. You can grab it from the Play Store now.

Quick Action Buttons hit Gmail

Today, Google rolled out some quick action buttons to the Gmail on the web. You can now RSVP to events as well which is pretty convenient.

Here at Android Headlines, we constantly like to ask our readers questions and get their thoughts on some burning topics. So with this new feature, we’ll be asking questions every week to see what our readers think. Some weeks it might be a poll, others it might be more of an open discussion or debate. But feel free to let your thoughts be known in the comments below regardless.

Yesterday, Google held their keynote at the Moscone Center to kickoff their yearly developer conference. It was a 3-hour long keynote and they announced a ton of new features, updates and new products. But notably absent was new hardware and a new version of Android. But we did get a redesigned version of Google Play Music, Google+ and Google Play for the web. We also saw Hangouts, their unified messaging service, see the light of day and a new version of Maps. That’s just the tip of the iceberg though.

So what was your favorite announcement from the keynote yesterday? For me, my favorite announcement was Google Play Games Services and Hangouts. I also really liked the new streaming Google Play Music, and have been streaming ever since it was announced. Let us know in the comments below what your favorite announcement was.

Today, Sina Tech was lucky enough to be able to interview the new head of Android, Sundar Pichai. One of the biggest head turns from yesterday’s keynote was when Hugo Barro pulled the Galaxy S4 out of his pocket and announced the Galaxy S4 with the Nexus User Experience. Basically Pichai said that their version of the Galaxy S4 is an exclusive device that was made by Samsung for Google. He also stated that this is not the fifth generation Nexus phone.

Pichai also mentioned that there are a lot of alternatives on the Android Market. In the past Google has partnered with HTC, Samsung and LG for various Nexus devices that run stock Android. HTC made the original Nexus, the Nexus One, Samsung made the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus and LG made the Nexus 4. Samsung and Google have a relatively close relationship since Android was rising to prominence. Samsung was willing to provide their flagship Galaxy S4 to Google and modified its ROM into stock Android. Google is hoping that developers and stock Android lovers able to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S4 when it hits Google Play on June 26th.

Pichai also said that users can define the device as the Galaxy S4 that exclusive for Google but it isn’t the Nexus 5. He did refuse to talk about the relationship between Google and LG though. Sina Tech also asked Pichai whether Google will work with manufacturers to release stock Android devices in the future. Pichai said that they don’t have that type of plan at the moment.

Also asked, was about the Motorola X Phone, he quickly changed the attention by saying that Google is concentrating on Android and should ask Motorola for more details. Looks like the Google isn’t related to the X Phone anymore which is what we heard a little over a week ago.

Pichai also mentioned that countries like South Korea and China don’t support Chrome as the local authorities in both countries using Internet Explorer more than Chrome. He was also asked how he handles the job of being head of both Android and Chrome at the same time, and he did admit that it’s not an easy job.

Just like with most Android phones, if you root your pair of Google Glasses then it voids the warranty. Who didn’t see that coming, though? Strangely enough, during the Google I/O conference the company held a session on rooting the device. Even better, they titled the session “Voiding your Warrany.” During the session, Glass team members walked attendees through the root process and also showed them how to install Ubuntu on the device.

The root process for Google Glass can be described in five steps which are easier said than done:

1. Access the bootloader
2. Unlock Glass and erase any personal data
3. Swap out and override the boot partition
4. Reboot the device into a normal state
5. Access root

P.Y. Laligand, a Google software engineer and his colleague Hyunyoung Song, were kind enough to present slides that detail the root process. These images come from ReadWrite:

To Access the Bootloader and Unlock Glass

After the device reboots…

Testing for Root

To reiterate, Laligand paired up a Bluetooth keyboard with Glass, opened a terminal window and typed these five commands into ADB:

1. $ adb reboot bootloader:
2. $ fastboot oem unlock:
3. $ fastboot flash boot boot.img:
4. $ fastboot reboot:
5. $ adb root:

Once the device was rebooted, root access was verified and Laligand move on with his presentation.

Hyunyoung Song took a moment to point out that the process is not good for someone lacking in the appropriate knowledge. Essentially, she said that things may or may not go wrong, and Google is not responsible for whatever result comes about.

“Even though there are recovery methods, there is a chance that you could get stuck in a state from which it’s not easy for your device to be recovered, and Google will not support you.”

If you owned Glass would you root? That’s a silly question indeed, but when you consider the fact that it’s a $1500 device and rooting it voids the warranty- well, needless to say it really gets you thinking.

Personally, I can’t say what I would do if I owned Glass. I guess it all depends on what benefits I would receive from rooting the device. When it comes to my $200 phone, the positive benefits far outweigh the risk. What do you think?

Via VentureBeat

Smartphone cameras have seen massive improvements over the last few years. A few years ago many smartphones struggled to take good photos only in the most perfect of light. A seemingly innocent, even fluffy cloud, could become any amateur photographer’s nemesis. Turning a perfectly fine portrait into a hideous grainy spectacle of colors that have never existed in nature.

Many different smartphone manufacturers have marketed all kinds of camera features. Many have tried interesting, but ultimately gimmicky, ideas like the extremely hyped 3D shooter in the HTC EVO 3D. Now it seems like most manufacturers have become content with racing to see who can pack the most megapixels into their devices.

Unfortunately picture quality does not depend solely upon one number. Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 can take fantastically high resolution pictures that look amazing. Unfortunately they still suffer in low light situations. HTC has done the most to mitigate these issues with its “ultrapixel” camera. While their camera certainly has the best low light performance of any smartphone sensor, it’s low resolution allows very little zoom. In addition the 4megapixel resolution makes photos look poor blown up.

Of all the major names in smartphone manufacturing today one name is recognized above all others for its high quality digital camera. Sony has been making excellent cameras for decades, and their cybershot line has some of the best pocket digital cameras available today. Unfortunately they haven’t applied much expertise to their Xperia line of phones. I’m not saying their Exymos R and Exymos RS are bad, but they haven’t really lived up to Sony’s reputation.

If the rumors about Sony’s new smartphone are true, we can expect a smartphone that’s finally worthy of Sony. Codenamed Honami, it is rumored to boast a 16 megapixel camera, packing a massive 1.5 inch sensor. The huge sensor really excites me far more than the megapixel count. Sensor size is considered to be the most important facor in producing excellent pictures. Sony must be confident in the camera’s quality, as it has been discovered that the Cybershot brand-name will actually be used for the Honami’s camera.

Sony is an excellent tech company that hasn’t been able to grab a hold in the smartphone market. They have much expertise in many fields that have remained unused in their phones. The Honami, with its fantastic camera and long spec sheet, looks to be the very first smartphone from Sony that fulfills the Japanese company’s potential.

Who do you think makes the best smartphone cameras? Will Sony’s new smartphone have what it takes to finally bring them success? Let us know what you think in the comments below. If you want to stay up to date on all the latest android news and rumors, become part of the AH community over on Google Plus!

The lead industrial designer for Google Glass, Isabelle Olsson showed off a few pieces of Google history at Google I/O today. She debuted two prototypes at a developer session this evening. The picture above is a huge, clunky early model typical of earlier prototypes of Project Glass.

Olsson said “I will never forget the first day on the team”, she added “I walked into a room full of people wearing these crazy things on their heads. ….It’s kind of heavy. How do you go from something like this to what we’re all wearing today?” She said there were three guiding principles which included lightness, simplicity and scalability.

Olsson also stated that we are obsessed with weight and that we care about every single gram. She also said they strive to make Glass modular, so it can be used in other cases, such as prescription Glass units, which she showed the audience.

That first image was kind of scary right? Could you imagine wearing those heavy glasses everywhere? It’s bad enough that Project Glass is already pretty odd looking and obvious that you’re wearing them. Isn’t it amazing to see how technology changes in just a few short years. We went from that big prototype to a “slightly smaller one. Okay slightly might be an understatement. Project Glass is probably Google’s most interesting product in quite a while. We’re seeing new blogs pop up all over the place that are dedicated to Project Glass. So it looks like Glass is the future, and probably won’t end up on Google’s Spring Cleaning list anytime soon.

How many of you are excited to see prescription lenses inside Glass? Is that making you want to shell out the $1500 now? Let us know in the comments down below.

In one of the more predictable stories to come out of Washington D.C. in a while, some members of the United States Congress have sent a letter to Google asking for answers regarding the privacy implications of their most recent attempt at wearable technology, the Google Glass project.

The members of the Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus led by representative Joe Barton (Republican – Texas) want to know whether the search giant’s newest  technology “infringes on the privacy of the average American.”  The Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus you may be interested to know, has investigated the data privacy and security practices of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, College Board, Groupon, the four major wireless carriers, and the Social Security Administration, among other entities in the past.

The letter raises some known concerns about the product and also asks several questions including:

• When using Google Glass, is it true that this product would be able to use Facial Recognition Technology to unveil personal information about whomever and even some inanimate objects that the user is viewing? Would a user be able to request such information? Can a non-user or human subject opt out of this collection of personal data? If so, how? If not, why not?

• In Google’s privacy policy, it states that the company “may collect device-specific information (such as your hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information including phone number).” Would Google Glass collect any data about the user without the user’s knowledge and consent? If so, why? If not, please explain.

• Will Google Glass have the capacity to store any data on the device itself? If so, will Google Glass implement some sort of user authentication system to safeguard stored data? If not, why not? If so, please explain.

Others signing the letter include, Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. (D-GA), Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), Rep. Richard Nugent (R-FL), Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA).

While it’s good that Congress is concerned with the privacy of the citizens of the country it seems to me like they are a day late and a dollar short on this one. We live in a society where everyone has some type of camera, and that’s the government itself and private citizens alike. Just look at how quick the marathon terrorists here in my hometown of Boston were caught. Granted they decided to blow up what was probably the most photographed two blocks on the planet on that day, but they wouldn’t have been identified so fast had it not been for the all the the cameras in that location.

Sure these guys have to look like they are earning their paycheck but something tells me that they really don’t understand what Glass actually is.

For those who are more interested in their phones hardware than physical components, the name Corning might not mean anything to you. However after a recent breakthrough, the users of the next generation of technology will learn to tip their hat at the mention of the name. Corning is a company that makes glass for mobile device displays, Lotus glass to be precise. They introduced Lotus glass in 2011 with promises of thinner more sturdy screens to meet customer demand, but technological evolution never stops so they have done it again with their new Lotus XT glass.

The Bigger Picture

Lotus XT glass will be used for the same application as its predecessor, for LCD and OLED screen displays. The new and improved model can withstand higher temperatures, which allow for more reliable mass production of the glass for more devices. Not only that but the manufacturing process itself even produces the improved quality. When made at higher temperatures, the glass can create the brighter, more vivid image customers are still looking for. This will only encourage the many companies in the business of gadget making to push the threshold, as they always love to do, however Corning’s Lotus XT glass is now available so that mobile technology let creators maximize the full potential of their imaginations.

Of course we will not see the effective results right away, but we can now look forward to a future with cleaner and sharper digital displays. This is great news for the mobile community as a whole. This means more responsive screens for mobile gamers, more perceptive capabilities for mobile photographers and the Instagram community, and just plain great news for anybody watching Netflix on a plane. Lotus XT glass is made thin, lightweight and even more cost effectively so that it can function at the high temperatures that build up in an active smart device, while still offering better picture quality and resolution than any other device display screen available so far. Hats off to Corning for thinking ahead of the curve and working towards the mission of higher caliber devices  that will never cease to amaze us.

Seems like we’re getting more Android 4.3 rumors after Google I/O than we did before the keynote. We’ve been hearing some pretty persuasive reports that Android 4.3 is coming in a couple of months or less. Especially since API 18 is coming out in about two months, which always means a new version of Android is coming as well.

Now, Android and Me is reporting that the white Nexus 4 is hitting Google Play on June 10th along with Android 4.3. Right now not much is known about Android 4.3, except that we’ll be seeing some Bluetooth Smart integration into that version. I’d also expect a better Bluetooth stack, because the one in Android 4.2 is pretty bad. Lots of problems with it. I’ve also had problems with Bluetooth on my Nexus 4, mostly when connecting to Bluetooth speakers.

We’ve been hearing all kinds of rumors today about Android 4.3. So we are getting an idea that we’ll see it later this summer along with the new Nexus 7 and now maybe this white Nexus 4? Hmm, who knows. Personally, I don’t really like the Nexus 4. It looks rather….odd. Since it’s white with a black bezel. They could have at least made the bezel white as well. Android and Me also has the white Nexus 4 in hand and they have said that it is a carbon copy of the current Nexus 4, which I have on my desk right now. So doesn’t look like we’re getting an LTE or 32GB version. At least not for this generation of Nexus.

The Nexus 4 is still a great device, and with the current version of Android it’s a great deal starting at $299 for an unlocked phone. Now all we need is Android 4.3 and we’ll be all set until fall or even early 2014. What kind of features are you hoping for in Android 4.3? Let us know in the comments down below.

Source: Android and Me