Welcome to the weekly roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Market or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.

This is the app roundup. The game roundup from this week can be found here and the tablet app roundup here.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Featured AppTasks N Todos – ToDo List ManagerTasks N Todos is …

Official A…

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45 Best (And 1 WTF) New Android Apps And Live Wallpapers From The Last 2 Weeks (1/23/12 – 2/4/12)
Artem Russakovskii – rss.feedsportal

A user over at Android Central received an OTA notification on his Verizon Galaxy Nexus, and managed to pull the file and make it available for download. Apparently the update contains Android 4.04 IMM30B.

This seems to be a limited release, most likely for internal testing, so if you decide to flash this, don’t be surprised if you see some weirdness. Keep in mind that this is only for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, and will only install on a completely stock unit.

No word yet on what this update fixes or changes, so if you are brave enough and fit the requirements ab…

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Verizon Galaxy Nexus Android 4.0.4 OTA Package Unofficially Available
Ed Caggiani – talkandroid.com

What does a tablet mean to you? To most, it’s something that lets you have productivity on the go— emails, social communication, reading articles and e-books, etc. Of course consumers realize it’s possible to do all that with a notebook computer or netbook. However, it’s no secret that notebooks are losing in popularity because people understand in this day and age, “less is truly more”. You could have a netbook as well, but then some individuals would be graced with keys far too small for big hands like yours truly, a small screen th…

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Quick Rant: Why I Love My Motorola Xoom Wifi Tablet And Don’t Plan On Upgrading Anytime Soon
Roy Alugbue – talkandroid.com

An FCC application filed by Google, Inc. suggests the possibility of a Google entertainment device is in the works. The application requests permission for a six month window in which this mystery device can be tested at the Google HQ as well as in Google employees’ homes in four different cities: Mountain View CA, Los Angeles CA, Cambridge MA, and New York, NY. The description of the device and purpose of operation describes what sounds similar to Android @Home, which was announced at last years Google I/O. Excerpt from the application after the break.

<blockqu…

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Mystery Device From Google Stops By The FCC

When last we checked-mere minutes ago-ICS 4.0.4 source code hadn’t been released to the public. Which is why we were surprised to learn that 4.0.4 was available unofficially for the Nexus S 4G. Today, the mysterious Android version that’s forcing me to resist a “page not found” joke is showing up in a few forums, this time for the Galaxy Nexus.

Users on several forums are saying they’ve received prompts to download and install new updates that crank the version number up to 4.0.4. This new version appears to include new radios, so hopefully reception will improve. We’re also ……

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Android 4.0.4 Makes Another Surprise Appearance, This Time On The Galaxy Nexus (IMM30B) – Come Download It
Eric Ravenscraft – rss.feedsportal

Polarbit invites users to prepare for the ride of their lives, bringing the sequel to Reckless Racing to the Android Market just two days ago. The game keeps pace with its predecessor, bringing "the best powerslides in the world," online multiplayer, and customizable control layouts.

Reckless Racing 2 offers several different gameplay modes, including career mode, arcade mode, single event, and multiplayer. Career mode offers a variety of cups to compete in, while arcade mode allows players to choose from an array of tracks. I found the single event mode a refres…

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[Review] Reckless Racing 2 Power Slides Past Original, Brings Dynamic, Versatile Racing Action To Your Mobile Device
Liam Spradlin – rss.feedsportal

Following up on the success of Cordy (a game we mentioned in part 2 of our feature on the best action/adventure games of 2011), SilverTree Media released Cordy Sky to the Android Market today, giving players even more of the freewheeling platform action they came to love in the original. Sky’s gameplay is engaging, colorful, and addictive. In this adventure, Cordy meets Volt – a friendly robot who has been trapped on the mysterious planet for a while, and can help Cordy reach the big rocket in the sky to continue his quest to explore new planets.

Players …..

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[New Game] Cordy Sky Jumps, Bounces, And Flies Into The Android Market, Makes Successful Follow-Up To Original Hit
Liam Spradlin – rss.feedsportal

Android Central member seanmacanally got an OTA notification on his rooted Verizon Galaxy Nexus, and with a little help from the great crew in the forums got the package pulled and uploaded for everyone to play with.  A few caveats:

This is only for the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus It's Android 4.0.4 IMM30B You will need to be completely stock with stock recovery to install it as-is This doesn't seem to be an OTA that's going out in full force, so it very well could be some sort of internal testing version.  Keep that in mind if you flash it -…

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Verizon Galaxy Nexus Android 4.0.4 OTA package now available (unofficial)
Jerry Hildenbrand – androidcentral.com

Verizon is rolling out a new software update for the rugged Casio G’zOne Commando that brings free Push to Talk capabilities.  The update (C771M100) will also include:

Security improvements
An update to Gingerbread R8 for Google Mobile Services
A replacement to the V CAST Video app
Improvements to email deleting
Text notifications have been added
Improved password input in Lotus Traveler
A fix to the screen locking issue after a call is made with Bluetooth
Email and text message signatures have been added

For those of you who can’t wait to turn…

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Latest Casio G’zOne Commando Update Brings Free Push-to-Talk Capabilities and More
Emily Aquin – talkandroid.com

Whether looking to shake things up a bit, or help file your taxes there are plenty of application options available in the Android market. Lucky for you we take the time to check them out and see what's best, so let's hit the break and check out some of our favorites.

read more

…

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Android Central Editors’ app picks for Feb 4, 2012
Jared DiPane – androidcentral.com

Glu Mobile has done it again, introducing INFECTED to the Android Market today. Glu’s latest mobile game jumps on the zombie bandwagon, following the story of a "strange virus," which has begun infecting citizens of New York City, transforming them into "insane, violent zombies."

INFECTED uses a gameplay style strongly reminiscent of tower defense, replacing towers with civilians, and turrets with defenses ranging from NYC cops to muggers, limousines, oil tankers, and more. Players can unlock additional defenses and weapons by earning zollars or purchasing ziomon…

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[New Game] Glu Mobile’s INFECTED Hits The Android Market – Team Up With NYC Cops, Snipers, And Muggers To Defend Against The Zombie Onslaught
Liam Spradlin – rss.feedsportal

In a possible break from their single letter naming scheme for new devices, Sony has filed to trademark the name “Xperia Sola” with the U.S. Trademark and Patents Office. This comes at the heels of the announcement of the Xperia Ion, Sony’s first U.S. bound smartphone.

Could it be one of the mysterious devices in the leaked 2012 roadmap from last month? Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes companies register trademarks that they never end up using, though considering Sony’s attachment to the Xperia name, I would bet on it becoming a reality.

In Spanish, …

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Sony to Break Letter-Based Naming Scheme With ‘Xperia Sola’ Trademark Filing?
Ed Caggiani – talkandroid.com

Does a certain Huawei phone think it can quietly get FCC approval and not show up on our radars? Not at Talk Android folks. We already have the interesting Huawei Honor here in the States (under the name of the Huawei Mercury for US Cellular), but a variation of the phone will possibly be arriving with some new threads underneath. The Huawei Honor has gotten the OK from the FCC and will be on its way as a GSM version sporting WCDMA 850/1900 bands. This indicates the device would likely be part of AT&T’s lineup, that is if AT&T wants to even sell the device in its stores. Of cour…

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Huawei Honor Makes Appearance At FCC, Comes Dressed In AT&T Bands
Roy Alugbue – talkandroid.com

Youtube link for mobile viewing

If you have a Google TV unit of some sort or another, and plan to watch the big game tomorrow, here's a neat app you might want to try.  Social GTV is a small utility that simply creates an overlay on your live television content where Twitter postings can be displayed.  I'm not sure I would want to see a bunch of tweets on my screen while I'm watching a movie with the wife, but I can see how useful (and fun) this could be for things like Presidential election debates and primaries, my favorite series, or live sporting even…

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Social GTV brings Twitter to your Super Bowl party [Google TV]
Jerry Hildenbrand – androidcentral.com

If you want to install the ClockworkMod Touch recovery on your Android device, there are currently two ways of doing so:

install it for free manually from http://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager oruse the more convenient 0:600.99 in-app purchase option from within ROM Manager (please keep your opinions about this option to this thread)The GiveawayToday, we’re giving 20 of you a chance to enable the latter in your ROM Manager for free. The giveaway is short and sweet – it’ll end tonight, and all you need to do is leave a comment.

We’re also testing a new giveaway management tool …<b…

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[Lightning Giveaway] Win 1 Of 20 Free ClockworkMod Touch Recovery Codes For ROM Manager
Artem Russakovskii – rss.feedsportal

WinAmp, a favorite media player for over 10 million Android users, is adding a premium track for all the music junkies out there. Users can either purchase the Pro license from the Market here, or use the in-app purchase within Caffeine Free WinAmp. So, what do you get for your ? Here’s a look at the feature list:

10-band graphic equalizerCustomizable home screenBrowse by FolderCrossfadeGapless playbackSupport for FLAC playback in Folders View (lossless audio playback)Replay GainPersonalized station recommendationsPlay any streaming audio URL (supported formats only)No ads  …

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WinAmp Goes Pro, Brings A Host Of New Features To Users With A Spare $5
Eric Ravenscraft – rss.feedsportal

Choice is always good, and Japan’s Fujitsu has a new seven-inch Android tablet to add to the selection.  The Stylistic M350/CA2 will run for six hours, and weighs in at 420 grams.  It boasts a Wide Super VGA (WSVGA) display with 1024×600 pixel resolution. Interestingly, users can select between a numeric keypad input, QWERTY input, and hand-written input. Perhaps the hand-written input will need the use of a stylus; hopefully more details on that will emerge. The Stylistic will work perfectly as an e-book reader, a sales terminal, and for retail stores looking to display t…

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Fujitsu Presents New Android Tablet, the Stylistic M350/CA2
Emily Aquin – talkandroid.com

All the sport enthusiasts out there should keep their eyes peeled for the Xperia Active Billabong Edition.  Sony Ericsson has partnered with Billabong, a sportswear and casual clothing manufacturer based out of Australia, to present the ultra hip branding you see in the picture above.  The Billabong Edition will also have some exclusive screensavers, videos, and the Billabong LIVE app to track surfing events.  When you’re not hitting the waves, you can play the preloaded game Billabong Surf Trip.

In our unboxing and review of the Xperia Active, we noted that it run…

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Sony Ericsson Joins Billabong to Introduce the Xperia Active Billabong Edition
Emily Aquin – talkandroid.com

This project has been a bit of a slow burner for Google. We reported early in 2011 that the US Military was looking into Android and a Dell Android 2.2 build gained military approval late in 2011. This recent news  is a clear indication of the progress being made in what has long been a market dominated by RIM devices and software

The specially modified version of Android has been designed to run on commercially available smartphones, a move that will keep costs down whilst allowing the government to upgrade to that shiny new Galaxy SIII when it finally arrives!

US …

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High security Android phones headed to US government and military officials
Chris Stewart – talkandroid.com

This is a big day for ROM developers everywhere as Xiaomi, a Chinese technology company, has open sourced its MIUI ROM for Android. For those that live under a rock, MIUI gives Android an iOS flair in both look and feel and is based on both Android 2.3.7 and CyanogenMod 7 sources. MIUI 4 (based on Ice Cream Sandwich) is even being toted as extremely stable on the Galaxy S II. You can check out our review on an earlier version here. It’s even safe to say that it’s one of the more popular ROMs out there.

If you are wanting to take a stab at the code you can swing on…

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Xiaomi Open Sources MIUI ROM and Application Source Codes
Jack Holt – talkandroid.com

With SuperBowl XLVI so close that you can smell the sweat off anxious fans, EA has put its latest Madden installment on sale on the Android Market for [substring:0:600]

With SuperBowl XLVI so close that you can smell the sweat off anxious fans, EA has put its latest Madden installment on sale on the Android Market for $0.99. At $4 less than its usual retail price, some virtual NFL aficionados might rejoice, though some might still have a sour taste in their mouth from previous EA games not pulling the same weight their iOS counterparts have. Unfortunately the Android version of Madden 12 apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree as some users are reporting download issues, on top of incompatibility with newer phones like the Galaxy Nexus.

All-in-all a buck isn’t too bad for an EA game, regardless of it’s flaws. Give it a shot and tell us if you run into any of the issues other users are reporting.

Android Market Link

[/substring].99. At less than its usual retail price, some virtual NFL aficionados might rejoice, though some might still have a sour taste in their mouth from previous EA games not pulling the same weight their iOS counterparts have. Unfortunately the Android version of Madden 12 apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree as some users are reporting download issues, on top of incompatibility with newer phones like the Galaxy Nexus.
…

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Madden NFL 12 is on sale for $0.99 in the Android Market

Many of you might have heard about PandoDaily, a new tech blog that was launched on the 16th of January by Sarah Lacy, a former TechCrunch writer. One particular article caught my attention, primarily because of it’s title: How Google can save Android: Close it. License it. Swim in the Profits.

The writer, Farhad Manjoo, isn’t the first person to make the suggestion, and he most certainly isn’t going to be the last. Many have used the example of Amazon’s Kindle Fire and other such Android forks to suggest that Google’s strategy is back-firing. To his credit, the article doesn’t come off as an Apple fanboy mocking Android as many such…

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Android Does Not Need Saving
Raveesh Bhalla – phandroid.com

Google has filed an application with the FCC for a 6-month permission to test a home entertainment system involving WiFi and Bluetooth enabled devices. While I don’t quite understand all the legal-speak, it seems quite clear that the system has to do with Android@Home, which was announced at Google I/O 2011. You can find the application here.

Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary: 

Google is developing an entertainment device that requires testing outside the laboratory environment. The device is in the prototyping phase and will be modified prior to final compliance testing.

Please explain the pu

…

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Google Testing Mystery Entertainment System
Raveesh Bhalla – phandroid.com

Nullsoft, the developers behind the wildly popular Winamp music player, have released a Pro version app to the Market.

The app itself is simply a key that unlocks the Pro features of the regular app. Alternatively, you could purchase the pro features via an in-app purchase.

The pro version adds the following features:

* 10-band graphic equalizer

* Customizable home screen

* Browse by Folder

* Crossfade

* Gapless playback

* Support for FLAC playback in Folders View (lossless audio playback)

* Replay Gain

* Personalized station recommendations

* Play any strea

…

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Winamp Pro lands on Android Market
Raveesh Bhalla – phandroid.com

It had been quite a long wait for the official Wikipedia app to land on the Android Market. Barely two weeks after launch, it has racked up over 500,000 downloads with a 4.5 star average rating. And now, the team behind the app has posted a blog describing the development process.

The most interesting bit to note is the use of PhoneGap, the web-technologies based cross-platform development tool. Such tools have seen a rise in popularity because of the ability to target multiple platforms with the same code.

"Rather than diving into proprietary frameworks and SDKs, our application has been built on the same foundation as the open mobile web.

…

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Wikipedia discusses the development of its app
Raveesh Bhalla – phandroid.com

This week in tech news, we see a number of software updates, preparations by companies for the Super Bowl, and even a few official device reviews. Monday, Motorola began to offer a bootloader-unlocked RAZR XT910 ‘Developer Edition’. It is currently available for “499 (7), but only in Europe for the time being. ClockworkMod Touch by ‘Koush’ was released in Beta form early on this week as well. It has had steady updates throughout the week, and it’s obvious he wants to implement the new features on as many devices with a strong developmental following as possible.

The Samsung Galaxy Note will officially launch on AT&T coming February 19…

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Android Community Weekly: February 4, 2012
Sam Koutroulakis – androidcommunity.com

We’ve got a tradition in India where a newbie has to give an “intro” to his peers and colleagues at a new school or workplace, and answer any question as truthfully as possible. And since I’ve just joined the Phandroid team as a weekend blogger, I thought it’s only fair that I bring it here.

So, here I go. I’m a Computer Science undergrad student in India and spend quite a bit of my time developing Android apps and websites (though my primary interest is in UI design).

 Phone: T-Mobile myTouch 4G running CM7

Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Favorite Apps:

Pulse Reader: A must for …

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Phandroid, now on weekends too!
Raveesh Bhalla – phandroid.com

In contrast to the letter-based naming scheme that it's using internationally, it seems Sony may be sticking with something a bit more unique for its device branding in the U.S. Following the unveiling of the Xperia Ion at CES, it's emerged today that Sony has filed to trademark the name “Xperia Sola” at the U.S. Trademark and Patents Office.

What such a product might eventually be is anyone's guess. However, as it appears to be a U.S.-bound device, we can probably rule out “Xperia Sola” as the name for any of the phones on the recently-leaked i…

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‘Xperia Sola’ trademark hints at another possible Sony handset for the U.S.
Alex Dobie – androidcentral.com

Brandon Watson, a major player in the resurrection of Microsoft's Windows Phone OS, specifically in his work with developers, has taken a job with Amazon. Watson confirmed his departure Friday on Twitter, and ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley tracked down that he'll be director of the Kindle Cross-Platform Team. Foley says that makes him responsible for for all of the first- and third-party Kindle apps, which would include Android's own Amazon Kindle application.

Said Watson:

The rumors are true. The team is in great hands. I'll miss working on #wp

…

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Window Phone developer guru Brandon Watson joins Amazon Kindle team
Phil Nickinson – androidcentral.com

The Android Path application got itself a sizable update on Friday, bringing proper support for high-resolution 720p displays, as well as the ability to post to Tumblr blogs. Here's the full changelog for Version 2.0.30:

New features:

Full settings screen Moon phases when sleeping Share to Tumblr Support for 320×480 screens Support for 720×1280 screens (i.e. XHDPI) Fixes and changes

Better friend invite screens Cosmetic enhancements Improved scrolling performance on feed screen Tapping menu soft key now directly displays full menu Various bug f…

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Path for Android updated for proper 720p displays, adds Tumblr sharing
Phil Nickinson – androidcentral.com

These days, you can hardly get a device like the Droid 4 anymore, with a slide-out keyboard. But some people still like them a lot, which is why Motorola keeps making them, especially since they’ve been pretty successful with this Droid slide-out range. You won’t see some of the best specs in the market in this device, but they are good enough:

• 4″ 540×960 LCD display
• 5-row slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• 1.2Ghz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• LTE
• 8GB internal storage (expandable with microSD card)
• 8MP rear camera w/ 1080p HD video recording
• 1.3MP front camera
• 1785mAh battery
• Android 2.3.5
• Micro HDMI port
• Ships with Android 2.3.5

The only thing that I’d complain about, and it’s something that I will always complain about for any future phone which doesn’t have one, is a lack of a 3000+ mAh battery. After the Droid Maxx phone that showed it’s possible to have a 3300 mAh battery inside a still pretty slim phone, I just can’t imagine how anyone with knowledge about this would want to get a phone with such a large battery anymore. It’s just something that needs to be in every single smartphone from now on, and especially one with LTE, which seems to be the case with the Droid 4.

The other disappointing thing would be the lack of Android 4.0 on launch. It’s been 3 months since ICS source code was launched. It’s just not acceptable to launch a brand new phone without it anymore. How hard is it really for manufacturers to understand this?

Otherwise, it doesn’t have an HD display, which is also starting to become a disappointment in high-end phones, but for now I wouldn’t say it’s a huge one. qHD is still pretty sharp on a 4″ phone. The QWERTY keyboard, which might be one of the most important aspects of this phone for a potential buyer, actually looks very good from what I can see, so that might compensate for other things a little.

Here’s Wirefly’s take on the whole device in this following 13 minutes video review:

Click here to view the embedded video.

We can’t wait for  the Droid 4. In the world of smartphones, the QWERTY sliders are a rare and exotic breed these days. Catching a glimpse of a machine with powerful specs and a keyboard-shaped secret gets our mouths watering. So a thirteen minute video will naturally trigger some flood warnings. Wirefly goes hands-on with the Droid 4 in the first video review overview of the latest in the Droid series.

Here’s a rundown of Wirefly lays out in the video:

4″ 540×960 LCD display5-row slide-out QWERTY keyboard1.2Ghz dual-core processor1GB RAMLTE8GB internal storage (expa…

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Wirefly Gets Touchy-Feely With The Droid 4 In A 13-Minute Video Overview
Eric Ravenscraft – rss.feedsportal

Last year we saw the LG Optimus LTE get launched on Bell Mobility, and now it looks as if the flagship device is headed to TELUS as well. The Canadian carrier’s website has outed the device as model number LTE P935, which varies slightly from Bell’s P930 model number. To you U.S. folks, you might be more familiar with the device as the LG Nitro HD which launched on AT&T late last year. Also, LG recently announced that the device has already sold over 1 million units worldwide.

We don’t have any pricing or availability yet because TELUS has yet to announce the…

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LG Optimus LTE Soon to Launch on TELUS
Stacy Bruce – talkandroid.com

It seems like there's a new Android phone coming out every week.  As with all things electronic, the new stuff looks better than the old stuff.  It's enough to drive anyone, especially an Android blogger, insane.  But it's darn near impossible to justify buying a new phone, off contract and at full price, every couple of months.  And let's face it — sometimes we just love what we have.  A lot of people stuck with the first Droid, or the Nexus One because nothing else has caught their eye just yet.  There's a lot of variables, and ther…

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Late night poll: Do you keep your phone for the duration of its contract?
Jerry Hildenbrand – androidcentral.com

It’s not too late to snag a Verizon Galaxy Nexus for a great price! Sure its been out for a while, but it’s still one of the best phones available. Costco is offering it for 9.99 with a new 2-year contract, but also throwing in a free 2100mAh extended battery. Seeing as the battery would normally cost .99 from Verizon, this is a great deal!

After using my own Galaxy Nexus, the extended battery is almost an essential upgrade. If you squint at this snapshot of their in-store advertisement, you’ll see this deal is only available until February 7th (Tuesday). If you can’t make it to the store but still want to take advantage of this promotion…

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Costco offering Verizon Galaxy Nexus for $219, extended battery included
Sam Koutroulakis – androidcommunity.com