Our friends from the excellent and creative GO Team have created Go Locker. It’s a lockscreen replacement app and was built on top of their popular and flexible GO Launcher EX. Just like its homescreen replacement counterpart, Go Locker emphasizes themes, customization and beauty in their offering.
Most of the themes allow you to unlock the phone to either the homescreen, the dialer or the messaging app. Some of them also add the ability to unlock to the camera application. As you can see in the screen above, you’ll also be alerted to how many miss calls and texts there are.
Unfortunately there doesn’t look to be any support for customizing these icons or the lockscreens’ wallpapers. We imagine some of this will change in future updates. On top of that, Go Launcher Ex has also gotten an update today. Below you can find some of the things to expect upon downloading:
(New) Support GO Locker (Path: preferences-themes settings)
(New) New user interface and function for theme preview
(New) Add preview to GO Launcher shortcut
(New) Cylinder and sphere transition for home screen
(Improve) Return to app drawer after exiting an app opened in drawer
It seems these digital watches are becoming all the rage these days. After Sony Ericsson launched their LiveView accessory to little fanfare, Motorola decided they wanted to one-up them with the MOTOACTV. But yet another competitor has stepped into the fold.The company’s name is i’m and their product’s name is the i’mWatch. Sounds odd, right? We shouldn’t judge a book by its cover though.
The i’mWatch makes use of the Android operating system to create the “smart watch” experience that’s looking more and more exciting as OEMs take on the idea. You can receive and accept calls from the watch as well as read text messages.
Another area they hope to have the other products beat in are apps. Their app store (called the i’market) will house a number of apps adapted for the small display. Facebook, Twitter, weather and more are just a few of the obvious we imagine will be on there. They also have i’music, a music subscription service that’ll allow you to listen to millions of songs on the go.
The watch also looks good aesthetically. i’m is all about style and they bring a simplistic but elegant design with the i’mWatch. They’re aiming to come to market with the four great designs you see below. Depending on its price (which, alongside a launch date, has yet to be announced) this could be a hit.
I know I’d consider it if the price is right. But with their emphasis on it being a premium product, we somehow feel this one won’t be easy on the piggybank. Watch the video above. [Thanks Josh!]
Beats Audio looks to play a key role in many of HTC’s upcoming high-end Android devices, one of which will be the long-rumored HTC Rezound (Vigor). That device is rumored to launch in early November on Verizon, and wouldn’t you know, HTC has sent out invites to a press event scheduled for the 3rd in NYC. The Beats logo features on the invite, raising further the possibility that the Rezound will be formally unveiled. As always, we will be providing live coverage and first impressions of everything HTC has to throw at us, so mark the date.
Is fitness the new frontier? With smartphones and their operating systems becoming increasingly more sophisticated, the capability to track every nuance of your workout has led to a seeming resurgence in fitness related apps, accessories, and services. Sure, fitness tracking apps are as old as the smartphone itself, but big names not usually associated with such ventures are jumping on board. The latest is Garmin, who today announced their Garmin Fitness app for Android and iPhone.
Also increasingly popular is the ability to upload and store exercise info in the cloud, which Garmin Fit accomplishes via Garmin Connect. Garmin isn’t totally new to fitness tracking, however. They have been making ANT+ accessories such as heart rate monitors for quite some time now. An ANT+ adapter will be available for mobile devices, but disappointingly only the iPhone gains support at this time.
Garmin Fit App and ANT+ Adapter Keep You Connected and On The Move
OLATHE, Kan./October 25, 2011/Business Wire -- Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced Garmin Fit™ for iPhone and Android - its first fitness app that lets users track metrics such as speed, pace, distance, time, calories and with the help of Garmin accessories displays heart rate and cadence. Garmin Fit also maps and automatically uploads workouts to Garmin Connect™. Garmin also introduces its ANT+™ adapter for iPhone allowing users to use their Garmin ANT+ accessories with their iPhone.
"Garmin Fit is the ideal solution for users who are new to the fitness tracking landscape and for those looking to stay totally connected," said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. "To be able to utilize Garmin’s powerful fitness accessories with the same device that plays music, makes calls and uploads workouts automatically to share and analyze, makes Garmin Fit a must have app."
Whether running on a local trail, cycling around the neighborhood or traveling for business Garmin Fit makes it easier than ever to see how far, how fast and where users have been. Garmin Fit ensures users will never be stuck without a way to track their workouts even when they forget to charge their Forerunner™ GPS enabled watch or fail to pack it for a trip. With the tap of a button Garmin Fit displays time, distance, pace and calories and even allows users to control their music from within the app. Never miss that important call – during a workout users will also be able to view and answer incoming calls and text messages without interrupting Garmin Fit.
Upon completion of a workout, users will be asked to name the activity and will have the opportunity to input notes about how the workout went or what the weather was like. The data will then be automatically sent to the user’s account in the ever-expanding and free Garmin Connect™ community (http://connect.garmin.com). Here users can quickly and easily log their workouts, track their totals, set goals, share workouts with friends and family and participate in an online fitness community of more than 70 million activities around the world. Garmin Connect displays metrics such as time, distance, pace, elevation and heart rate. This information is shown through charts, illustrations, reports and a variety of map representations including street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps. Garmin Fit will display the previous 30 days of Garmin Connect history as well as charts directly on users’ smartphones — giving them an extra tool to achieve their goals.
With Garmin’s ANT+ adapter for iPhone ($49.99 USD), users will be able to monitor and record their heart rate and cadence directly on their phone when paired with those optional accessories. One such accessory is a footpod sensor - which allows users who are training indoors to track their speed, pace, distance and run cadence.
Garmin Fit is the latest solution from Garmin’s expanding fitness segment, which has spent more than 20 years developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ lives, making Garmin a household name in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless, outdoor and fitness industries. For more about features, pricing and availability, as well as information about Garmin’s other products and services, go to www.garmin.com,www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin.
The recently closed “Issue 3902″ over at Google’s Android Code site tells the whole story. After months of requests from users and IT departments alike, support for Cisco AnyConnect VPN will be found in Ice Cream Sandwich. A Googler confirmed the addition in the issue’s comments thread.
Support for AnyConnect has been found on many other platforms, yet has been surprisingly absent from Android builds to date. Wit each release Google seems to target enterprise users more and more, and this should go a long way for Android support in the workplace.
Orange’s San Francisco (otherwise known as the ZTE Blade) will soon get a sequel. After sales surpassing 2 million units, the the Blade/San Francisco will give way to the ZTE Crescent . The handset will be known as the Orange San Francisco II when it launches on the namesake network, but little other info is available. From the only low-quality image we have of the device it seems we could again see a 3.5-inch screen. The only other distinguishing feature is the presence of three Android buttons. A Bluetooth SIG entry pegs the phone for a European release (duh) with a 3G radio on-board. When that release will happen, well, we just don’t know yet.
We reported earlier on a couple of updates headed to HTC devices on Sprint’s network, but as it turns out all handsets from the Taiwanese manufacturer are inline for an over-the-air patch. The new software tweak addresses privacy concerns raised when a security hole was uncovered earlier this month. HTC promised a quick fix, and it appears the first round it ready. This update is targeted at the HTC EVO 4GHTC EVO 3D HTC EVO View 4G, HTC EVO Design 4GHTC EVO Shift 4G and HTC Wildfire S It’s rather small (>10MB) so you shouldn’t need worry about jacking into a WiFi network. More info can be found at Sprint’s support site (the link is found below).
Before you get too excited, the Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the Nexus S currently floating around over at XDA is far from a complete build. Nevertheless, some intrepid developers have managed to tack together a working build of Android 4.0 for last year’s Google flagship phone. Without a proper source code release to work off of, the build is based off of the SDK released by Google shortly after the announcement of the new version of the Android OS.
Some icons are missing, facial recognition doesn’t work, and data connectivity isn’t flawless, but the ROM gives Nexus S owners a preview of what they can expect when Google ships out a final build for the Samsung-made handset.
There has been some confusion over a very simple question regarding Android 4.0: Will the hardware Android buttons of current phones still function after updating to Ice Cream Sandwich? Provided your phone receives the update, the answer is yes. ICS is built to forego onscreen software buttons in favor of hardware buttons provided they are present. Speaking to Gizmodo, a Google spokesperson described the setup:
“ICS does have onscreen buttons but not always. If there’s a device with hardware buttons the onscreen buttons won’t be there, and the hardware buttons will act and function as you’d expect them to…. back and home will function as you’d expect, the search button will query the search bar (as you’d expect), and the menu button will query the menu overflow in the action bar.”
So there you have it. We assume it will be up to the hardware manufacturer to make the ultimate adjustments. Now we have to ask, did people really think the Android Team would just drop support for a hardware element that exists on nearly all current Android handsets?
UK smartphone retailer Phones4u has the Galaxy Nexus up for order through Orange. The phone isn’t available yet, but the site has delivery of the device pegged as November 16th. No official announcements have been made regarding availability of the new Google flagship device, but all sign point towards early to mid-Novemeber, lining up perfectly with the date we are seeing here.
Well, this could open up a whole new can of worms for Android and her manufacturers. Today, Apple successfully secured patent number 7657849, otherwise known as their famous “Slide to Unlock” feature found on iOS devices. Apple actually applied for the patent back in December of 2005 and after 6 years, the United States Patent and Trademark Office finally gave Apple their dues and in the process — more ammunition for future lawsuits. So what exactly does the patent entail? Well, here’s and image from the USTPO filing followed by a “brief” description:
“A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device. The device displays one or more unlock images with respect to which the predefined gesture is to be performed in order to unlock the device. The performance of the predefined gesture with respect to the unlock image may include moving the unlock image to a predefined location and/or moving the unlock image along a predefined path. The device may also display visual cues of the predefined gesture on the touch screen to remind a user of the gesture. In addition, there is a need for sensory feedback to the user regarding progress towards satisfaction of a user input condition that is required for the transition to occur.”
Yup. Sounds like just about any gesture to unlock a touchscreen device is just about in violation of this patent. Seems all we can do now is wait to hear from Apple lawyers who are no doubt already filing the paperwork. While we’re not all doom and gloom around here you never know — maybe this will push Android OEM’s to update to Android 4.0 and take advantage of ICS’s new Face to Unlock, right?
Last year Andrew Bell, the designer of those cute little Android collectibles, gave us a Halloween themed vampire collectible and although it doesn’t look like history will be repeating itself this year — it’s not all bad news. Turns out Mr. Bell may have something special planned for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) instead. The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that focuses on remembering friends and family members who have died, often in celebratory way.
This time Mr. Bell has enlisted a pair of Mexican designers Ernesto and Carlos East, better known as The Beast Brothers, to help deliver something fitting for the colorful Mexican holiday. The Beast Brothers were able to come up with the “Don Pablo Calaveroid” Android collectible featuring a bright colors, skeleton body and outfitted in traditional mariachi attire. I have to say, it looks freakin’ sweet.
These limited edition collectibles will go on sale November 1st first at 11AM and then again at 11PM (EST) on DeadZebra.com. Don’t forget to hit up DYZPlastic for more information on the shop and updates. Viva la Mexico!
Can’t say I’m too familiar with the developers over at Robot Invader but they sure delivered one helluva doozie in the Android Market with Wind-up Knight. I’ve always been a sucker for unique visual art style and great character design. Wind-up Knight hits all those marks and more.
The game is a 3D side-scrolling, run-and-gun platformer that puts you in the boots of the adorable Wind-up Knight who must run, jump, roll, and slash his way to rescue the princess from the evil Black Knight. While on the surface that sounds pretty basic (and with most run-and-gun games, it is) Wind-up Knight features the ability to outfit your character with upgradable weapons and equipment adding a little more depth to the classic gameplay. And you’re going to want all the help you can get if you hope to conquer the maddening 50+ soul-crushing levels.
Wind-up Knight also features an original soundtrack by Josh Whelchel and is one of those rare gems you don’t always come across in the Android Market. The difficulty could be a little much for some but I think most of you are going to love it. You can find Wind-up Knight for free in the Android Market.
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has appeared on Amazon today with an “in stock” date of November 7th. The device is being offered for £540 which translates to roughly $864.97 US dollars (although my cart said $930) SIM free and unlocked, which means if you’ve been saving up your pennies, you can expect AT&T and T-Mobile compatibility.
There’s been a lot of talk on Verizon having the exclusive and while I think that could be true for US carriers offering the device, the international version is a little bit up in the air at this point. I understand a launch date from the online retailer KingofGadgets is by no means definitive but it’s always fun to guess.
If you’re a Sprint customer, you may have found yourself recently looking for new reasons to stick with the carrier after their “Season of Change” removed a lot of customer perks. As most of you have already heard, ‘Ol Yeller is getting their new LTE network set up for next year but what you may not have known is the carrier is also planning on rolling out an LTE-Advanced network for the first half of 2013, with voice over LTE (VoLTE) devices scheduled in the first quarter of that year. Sprint’s VP of network and development Iyad Tarazi spilled the beans while speaking during a breakfast meeting at the 4G World conference.
Mr. Tarazi also mentioned that 12 LTE devices are currently scheduled for 2012 with Sprint planning on covering between 250 – 277 million people with blazing fast LTE by the end of 2013. How’s that for sticking with #3?
If you’re curious about the fate of your currently equipped 4G WiMax devices, Sprint’s agreement with Clearwire means you will be covered for at least the next few years. That’s about 60 in smartphone years. With this new development are any Sprint customers going to wait it out? Or have you already been seduced by the blazing fast data of other carriers?
The original Samsung Exhibit 4G is barely a few months old but T-Mobile is getting ready for the upcoming holiday season with the announcement of the all new Samsung Exhibit II 4G for their network. The Exhibit II 4G is essentially one of Samsung’s Galaxy W tired devices and features a 3.7-inch 800×480 LCD display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 3MP rear camera, front facing camera for video chat, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and of course, running on T-Mobile’s uber-fast 4G network.
The Exhibit II 4G will be available via T-Mobile’s website and stores on November 2nd, with WalMart stores offering the device a few days early starting Oct. 27th. The Exhibit II 4G will be $30 after $50 mail-in-rebate and a 2 year agreement or $200 straight up with no contract. You can check out the full press release below.
T-Mobile Introduces the Samsung Exhibit™ II 4G
An affordable 4G smartphone with rich entertainment features, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G will be available via no annual contract and two-year contract options beginning Oct. 27.
BELLEVUE, Wash. and DALLAS -- Oct. 26, 2011 -- T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. 1, today announced the availability of the latest budget-friendly, feature-rich 4G smartphone: the Samsung Exhibit™ II 4G. The Samsung Exhibit II 4G will be the first no annual contract 4G smartphone to be sold at most Walmart stores, available starting Oct. 27. The Samsung Exhibit II 4G is also planned for nationwide availability with no annual contract plans as well as two-year contract plans starting Nov. 2.
"T-Mobile offers a variety of low-cost service plans that, paired with America’s largest 4G network, provide a compelling reason for consumers to step up to the benefits of 4G smartphones," said Andrew Morrison, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. "The Samsung Exhibit II 4G is the perfect device for consumers desiring a smartphone with robust 4G entertainment and Web browsing experiences - at a price they can afford."
Featuring a 3.7-inch WVGA TFT touchscreen and a 1 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G provides a variety of entertainment capabilities and Web browsing experiences on America’s largest 4G network®. The Samsung Exhibit II 4G offers access to thousands of popular TV shows and movies through T-Mobile® TV in mobile HD and Samsung Media Hub. Powered by Android™ 2.3 Gingerbread, the device features some of Google’s most popular applications and services such as Google Maps™ and Gmail™, plus thousands of others via Android Market™.
Offered in a stylish marine blue color, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G makes it easy to share and take photos and videos via its 3-megapixel rear-facing camera with flash and video capture capabilities. The front-facing camera also makes it easy to connect with friends and family via video chat through T-Mobile’s 4G network or Wi-Fi. Additionally, the device enables consumers to organize personal and business email accounts, as well as sync with Microsoft® Exchange and Google calendar and contacts.
Availability
The Samsung Exhibit II 4G, exclusively from T-Mobile, will be available at most Walmart stores starting Oct. 27 and is planned to be available nationwide at T-Mobile retail stores, online via www.T-Mobile.com and at select dealers beginning Nov. 2. The Samsung Exhibit II 4G will be offered through no annual contract and two-year contract plan options, and is expected to cost $29.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate card with a two-year service agreement and qualifying Classic voice and data plan, and $199.99 via no annual contract.
It was only earlier today we told you guys about the Samsung Nexus S receiving an Android 4.0 SDK port and now it looks like it’s the HTC Thunderbolt’s turn to have a little taste of Ice Cream Sandwich. Jdkoreclipse was able to get the pre-alpha ROM booting but unfortunately, not much else is working at the moment.
In fact, without a Google releasing the source code, not even the touchscreen is functional. It’s like looking through an ice cream shop’s window but not being allowed in. Here’s to hoping the dev can work out all the kinks — well, at least the major ones.
Just in time for the big console releases of Battlefield 3 and CODMW3, Gameloft is looking to bring some of that FPS action to Android with their new trailer for the upcoming title Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation. Obviously the game’s claim to fame is in its console quality graphics — so good in fact, I had to double check to make sure I was looking at a mobile game.
You’ll take on the role of Corporal James Walker as he defends the U.S. from the attack of North Korean, Pakistan and Russian troops. Players will battle their way through 13 stages, across various locations around the globe where eventually, they’ll bring the fight to Kim Jong Il’s doorstep.
For those of you who like to battle with live opponents, Gameloft has included 12-player multiplayer with 6 maps and 6 game modes as well. Sounds pretty good, right? You can look forward to Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation launching for iOS devices on Oct. 27th with an Android version following shortly after. Anyone else excited to get their thumbs on this? Oh, I almost forgot — AMERICA!
Greetings, Phandroids! So many stories pass our way that it would be nearly impossible to write them all up. But for those that almost slipped through the cracks, we gathered them here for you, in the Android Overload. We felt these stories deserved a final once-over, before getting lost in the internet abyss, so have a look around. Find something that strikes your fancy? Leave your thoughts in the comments. Have a great night!
Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE launching tomorrow in South Korea. [SammyHub]
Handicapped man carves smartphone dock into prosthetic arm. [TelegraphUK]
U.S. government requests for Google’s user data jumps 29%. [Gizmodo]
Analyst says Amazon could sell 5 million Kindle Fires this holiday season. [BGR]
LG’s mobile division is in hot water. Lower than expected quarterly losses. [Reuters]
So I just woke up to news that Nokia announced several new phones, two of which run Windows Phone 7. I won’t get into the specifics of the hardware and the announcement – I’ll just link to Engadget here and here for their Lumia 710 and Lumia 800 hands-on videos, respectively.
But I’m curious… do these phones make you wish Nokia had kept their options open for those of us who someday hope to see an Android phone by them? As we would expect with any high-end Nokia, the hardware simply looks beautiful. The Nokia Lumia 800 has a solid block of metal construction. Its blue color isn’t paint – they molded the color into the metal so that it won’t have that ugly chipped paint look over time (like many of HTC’s new Androids).
They use a curved display – nothing new to our eyes, but is consistent with the beauty of the phone. The Lumia 710 was the more affordable of the two. It boasts a plastic chassis that allows you to change the back color of the phone. Here it’s blue, but they’ve confirmed they’ll be bringing black, white and yellow colors to the market.
And then there’s Windows Phone 7, of course. I’m not all too concerned with diving too deep there. Do you see yourself wanting Android on any of this beautiful hardware? Do you think there will come a point in time that Nokia will change their mind about Android and decide to try it out? Let us know in the poll and comments section below!
While we’ve stopped highlighting each and every free paid app of the day from Amazon, we felt this one was big enough to warrant attention. They’re offering OfficeSuite Pro 5 for Android. While there may be better options in the Android market, when you consider the fact that this is a $15 value it can’t be beat.
You’re getting the ability to create, edit and view MS Word and Excel documents, as well as the ability to view Powerpoint slideshows and .PDF files. There’s Google Docs integration if you’re into that sort of thing. If you want/need an office suite and don’t want to pay for one, you might as well download it. [Amazon]
The good people at WinAmp have reportedly issued a significant upgrade to their Android application to add a lot of the features that kept many from making it their default music playing application. Common to all users is the ability to wirelessly sync your music library between Android and Mac OS, a feature only previously available to Windows users.
Aside that biggie, here come a few more. For $5, WinAmp will allow you to purchase a “pro” version of the application that’ll bring oft-desired features such as FLAC support, gapless playback, crossfading, a 10 band equalizer feature and more. We can’t exactly find this scrumptious piece of llama in the Android market yet but keep your eyes on the market and let us know if you’re able to find it in due time. [via LifeHacker]
Sprint has finally posted their Q3 2011 financial results. The Now Network gained $8.3 billion in overall revenue, a marginal improvement over the same quarter last year. Despite the gains, Sprint still reported net losses of $301 million dollars, though they largely improved over the same quarter last year where they lost over $900 million.
For connections, they’ve added 1.3 million new customers overall, including 304,000 postpaid consumers, 485,000 prepaid additions and 835,000 wholesale additions.
Sprint says the additions were achieved even without the new iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4 they launched on October 14th (because it is now Q4) and they expect these numbers to be even higher afterward. They attributed their exceptional growth to many Android smartphones amongst other competing operating systems.
For the future of their financial performance, Sprint expects the iPhone to be their highest revenue-generating device, though let’s not forget their 2012 commitments to 4G LTE. Sprint is said to launch their service in the middle of next year and complete most of their rollout by the end of 2013. At least 12-15 4G LTE devices will be available starting in the middle of next year.
Sprint’s slowed financial bleeding also seems to be affected by their decisions to get rid of “premier” services that granted consumers costly perks. They’ve also made modifications to their data plans for non-smartphone data such as mobile hotspot/USB modem devices and mobile hotspot on smartphones. It’s also worthy to note that they began applying their $10 supplemental “data fee” to all smartphones since the same quarter last year, not just 4G smartphones.
Whew, that was a lot. It’s clear why Sprint’s losses don’t seem as significant as they once did, but they’re still losses nonetheless. Let’s see if they can keep it up and turn it around once they evolve their network sometime next year. Hit the source link for more details. [Sprint]
Those of you wondering whether or not the original Nexus phone would be getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich can rest not-so-easy with the answer Google’s Hugo Barra reportedly given The Telegraph. The Nexus One is apparently too old to receive the upgrade.
We’d imagine the CPU and GPU are Google’s main cause of concern considering Ice Cream Sandwich requires a bit more juice than Eclair, Froyo or Gingerbread. Not all hope is lost, of course – we know the development community will put forth their best efforts to bring it over and have it run smoothly. And who knows, perhaps it’ll inspire Google to do the same. As it stands, only the Nexus S and Prime are getting Ice Cream Sandwich. [via Android Central]
Welp, Verizon’s made it official – the DROID RAZR will be going up for presale tomorrow, Oct. 27th, for $300 after signing a new two-year agreement. And just as the rumors suggested, Verizon says it’s shipping no later than November 10th which gives them room to ship to preorderers a bit before then (we wouldn’t cling too tightly to that last bit, though).
The DROID RAZR has a 4.3 inch qHD Super AMOLED display, a 1.2GHz processor, an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording, Android 2.3 with MOTOBLUR, 4G LTE radios and more. It’s one of the thinnest phones in the world at just 7.1mm. Motorola has also committed to bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to the device sooner.
Hit this link tomorrow at 8AM EST to stake your claim to one. Other options include walking into a good ol’ brick and mortar shop or calling 1-800-2-JOIN-IN. Anyone in for one or will you wait for that other phone we’re all excited about?
DROID RAZR™ BY MOTOROLA AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER BEGINNING TOMORROW
Customers can pre-order the DROID RAZR™ starting tomorrow at 8 a.m. EST for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement and data plan at www.droiddoes.com/DroidRazr.
The DROID RAZR not only shreds through the Web at blazing 4G LTE speeds, it does it in style with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED™ Advanced display and measuring 7.1 mm thin. DROID RAZR is also packed with brains and security giving customers apps like MotoCast™ and features like remote wipe, pin lock and government-grade encryption for email, calendar and contacts.
DROID RAZR customers can take advantage of the Super AMOLED Advanced display and 4G LTE speeds to stream videos with NFL Mobile, only from Verizon. Fans can stay up to date on news, schedules and scores from their favorite teams. NFL Mobile is included at no additional charge for 4G LTE customers for the remainder of the 2011 season. DROID RAZR customers will have access to Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network that now covers more than 186 million Americans coast to coast with additional markets planned before year end.
Customers may also pre-order in stores or by calling 1 800 2 JOIN IN. Pre-orders of the DROID RAZR will ship no later than Nov. 10.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 107.7 million total wireless connections, including 90.7 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
The LG DoublePlay has been made available on T-Mobile’s website today. You can walk away with this unique looking device for $100 on a new two-year agreement ($400 otherwise).
If you can’t already tell from the blatantly obvious photo of the device above, the LG DoublePlay boasts dual displays, one a 3.5 inch primary display and the other a 2.0 inch secondary display. To the left and right of it is a split QWERTY keyboard. It looks like quite the odd layout but we’re sure it will be a breeze to get used to.
The display is said to be used as an apps launcher as well as a tray for incoming messages from social networking services. The idea is that you can view and reply to your friends using the secondary display while the primary one is used for important or fun things, such as web browsing or gaming.
It’s not too bad of a device when considering its specs, either, as it has a 1GHz processor, a 5 megapixel camera with flash and 720p HD video recording, Android 2.3 and LG’s UI on top. Considering its aforementioned price, there’s not a whole lot more to ask for here.
The device is currently temporarily out of stock on T-Mobile’s site but we expect that to change soon. We also expect the device to be offered in stores starting on November 2nd. Click here to check it all out. [MobileBurn]
We’re not sure what happened between last night and now, but Amazon UK has made some drastic changes to their listing for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Instead of it arriving November 7th for £540, we’re now getting a date of November 2nd and a price of £730.15. That’s a pretty big difference for both the price (very bad) and the date (very good). If you preordered the device yesterday, did Amazon allow you to keep it in your cart at the previous price? And if you were planning on putting your order in at a later time, are you now disappointed and turned off from doing so? Discuss your concerns below! [Thanks Andy!]
[Update]: Looks like at least one seller still has it for at least £550, though it is coming Nov. 10th, apparently. The one listed by Amazon is still showing £730.
O2 UK is now offering the HTC Rhyme the Android device that HTC hopes will attract lots of female business. It’s a mid-range 1GHz handset with a 5 megapixel camera that can shoot 720p HD video. Android 2.3 graces the software front but we’re also greeted with the fairly new HTC Sense 3.5.
We did a review on the device and the conclusion is that although it is not a highly powerful device, it should suffice for the market it’s aimed for. Accessories such as the charm notification light are perfect for women who often lose their phones in their purses or bags. The color, of course, was off-putting for us, but that’s hardly a taint as it wasn’t meant for the Phandroid crew. Anyway, O2 UK is serving this one up now for free starting at £21.00. Click here to get started.
Lookout Mobile Security wants to stay true to their product and provide security for all mobiles, so in addition to Android smartphones they have launched support for Android 3.0+. You can backup your photos, find your phone using the siren and the GPS locator feature, scan apps for virus and more. (Certain features are only available with a paid subscription).
Your existing myLookout.com account for your phone will also work for your tablet so you can track the two at the same time. They directed us to the Android market but we’re not seeing it there yet. We’ll be on the lookout (really, I didn’t mean to) for it sometime later. [Lookout]
So last week’s big announcements have all been wrapped up and we have the next edition of the Nexus phone on our hands – the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung. We’ve gotten a dual-core processor, Android 4.0 Ice Scream Sandwich, a 720p HD display and a lot more. But let’s take some time to see just how far we’ve come and reminisce how we got here.
The original Nexus phone – the Nexus One – was an exciting project. I can recall the day like it was literally yesterday, though I won’t go into grave detail. For specs, it boasted a 3.7 inch LCD display, a 1GHz single-core Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel rear camera and one of my personal favorite features – a trackball that doubled as a multi-colored notification light.
Its aluminum unibody build made it feel as premium as any phone and we considered it our “iPhone killer”. But beneath all that was Android 2.0/2.1 Eclair, the first edition of Android to bring exciting things like Live Wallpapers, multiple accounts support and more. At the time, a 1GHz processor was about as desirable as a million dollars. Having suffered over a year of subpar performance due to slow processors, the 1GHz processor (not to mention general optimization in the OS) made Android run like a dream.
The Nexus One also marked the beginning of Google’s “phone store” experiment. Instead of selling the phone in respective carrier and retailer stores, they opted to sell it online without any major advertising. It all started with T-Mobile, but AT&T and several Canadian carriers would add support for the device.
Verizon was initially said to get the phone, but that never came to pass as they instead directed users to buy the DROID Incredible (which was and still is a very awesome phone for its time). Sprint also opted to push their then-revolutionary HTC EVO 3D Worldwide it was made available by many carriers.
While those of us who check Android news every day were aware of the phone and bought it as soon as we could, we imagine sales performance wasn’t what Google expected. They soon closed the online store, though Nexus One devices continued to be sold. To this day, it remains many peoples’ main phone.
Nexus S
Though the Nexus One wasn’t a commercial success (it wasn’t meant to be), Google wanted to create a series, of sorts. Think of it as the iPhone of Google’s (not literally, of course). Finally, Android truly has its own flagship smartphone through the Nexus program that has OEMs clamoring for a shot at making the ultimate Google Experience phone.
The Nexus S is a fine phone. Still advertised and sold in stores today, it has a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, a 4 inch Super AMOLED curved display, an NFC chip, 16GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera with a VGA front-camera and more. Notably lacking from this phone is a notification light and a microSD card slot, something which affected many’s decision to buy it.
This release also marked the first time that a carrier put 4G radios inside of the phone as Sprint – a first time carrier for the series – put WiMax radios inside and dubbed it Nexus S 4G Retailers and carriers were allowed to advertise it and sell it in stores, meaning it has a lot better chance at success than the original (though we’re not exactly sure where its numbers are right now).
With its introduction came the first commercial release of Gingerbread. While Gingerbread was seen as a disappointment at first due to beliefs that it would be transformed so extensively that regular Android users wouldn’t recognize it, it eventually grew on everyone.
UI improvements were more than just eye-candy as we saw a great boost in overall OS performance. It also brought with it darker tones and the very green that the Android mascot is painted with. It also boasted great new features such as a highly-improved text editing feature and a new battery usage visual.
While the Nexus S is a great phone, a lot of original owners didn’t see too much reason to upgrade. It still had a single-core processor and it was actually a downgrade in some areas. That’s not to take anything away from it – it’s a great phone – but this wasn’t the one we were looking for.
Galaxy Nexus
And then there’s the Galaxy Nexus, the second entry in the series by Samsung. This one was revealed last week in Hong Kong at a joint press conference of Google’s and Samsung’s. We were extremely blown away by the announcement and showing and it’s impressive what Samsung has achieved here.
This is one of the first phones with a 720p HD display. It’s 4.6 inches in size, but as it comes with Ice Cream Sandwich there are no hardware navigation buttons as those are replaced by buttons built into the software.
Like its predecessor, it has a curved glass display for ergonomics’ sake. Unlike the previous version which has a completely plastic chassis, it also uses aluminum in parts of its chassis to give it that premium, solid feel.
To keep the trend going, the launch of the Galaxy Nexus will mark the first release of Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Android. Android 4.0 has applications and features to take advantage of everything inside the phone, including NFC-based content/document sharing.
It appears that a lot more carriers (at least here in the United States) will be willing to carry this phone. Verizon Wireless, who skipped the first two devices, have officially announced plans to carry it. Sprint has shown that they’re all-in with Nexus, too, as they went so far as to put 4G radios inside their Nexus S.
While Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile have yet to announce any of their plans (Verizon is said to be a timed-exclusive carrier for the device), we expect all of them to carry the Galaxy Nexus at one point or another.
A Benchmark for OEMs
I feel it’s necessary to touch on what the Nexus series of devices is meant for. For consumers, those of us who want quick access to the latest versions of Android is the main driving point, but Google has created this series more for OEMs in certain ways.
The Nexus series provides a benchmark for OEMs to work with for their own phones. It’s a program that is supposed to inspire the evolution of phone technology and drive OEMs to create great, powerful Android phones showing them that it isn’t hard to put a great device out.
Nexus phones often showcase never-before-seen features not only in the Android world, but in smartphones period. 720p HD displays, barometers and NFC chips among other components inside the Galaxy Nexus are all relatively new to America, for instance, and Google hopes that OEMs will find value in using such components in some of their future products.
Google first changed the game with the Nexus One mentioned above. With a 3.7 inch display, a 1GHz processor, sufficient amounts of RAM, ROM and more, it was fairly advanced for its time. Shortly after, we saw many phones follow the model. Android phones were no longer seen as the ugly cousin around the block.
The Nexus One was the blueprint for great devices like the HTC EVO 3D, the HTC Droid Incredible and more. The Nexus S wasn’t too much different – it had a better GPU and CPU, a bigger and better display, a front-facing camera, an NFC chip and Android 2.3. Still, it introduced features that Google hoped OEMs would adopt.
By this time, many OEMs have outdone Google in the Nexus line. NVIDIA first introduced their dual-core chips to OEMs and showed them that they can put a lot more powerful chips inside phones while still minding the budget.
Since then, manufacturers like TI, Qualcomm and Samsung have created dual-core processors and have put them in many of their high-end phones. The industry will soon take it even further as NVIDIA looks to quickly usher in quad-core chips.
While the Nexus One’s purpose and effects on the industry weren’t immediately seen, you can now see how much it is responsible for the great devices being pumped out left and right today. You could even say that the original concept behind Nexus isn’t even needed anymore as technology seems to be self-evolving in the Android world, but of course we would never want the series to end.
Finally, A Flagship for Google
Up until now and for the foreseeable future, the battle has always simply been “Android vs iPhone”. Early criticism was that Google didn’t really have a flagship device even though they get tons of high-end offerings from tons of OEMs. Apple brings out roughly one iPhone per year and that is their only phone.
The reason people put so much emphasis on Google needing a flagship device is due to fragmentation and inconsistency between low-end and high-end offerings from all the manufacturers.
While Google surely wouldn’t describe the Nexus line as a flagship series (it’s more of a developer phone and that contract other OEMs to create it), we all look at it that way. Each iteration since the Nexus One, Google has been able to showcase the latest in technology without waiting for OEMs to catch on.
We always see the latest version of Android on these devices and they always get the fastest updates. It’s essentially the “Google phone” we’ve always wanted even if Google doesn’t do a lot of the R&D for these phones alone.
Still, the brand has evolved into an identifying entity for all of Android, showcasing just how great an Android device can be when given the right combination of hardware and software. It’s alright if Google doesn’t want to call it a flagship, but we have no problem doing so.
The Future
After a dual-core phone with as many great features as the Galaxy Nexus, we’re not sure where the series can go from here. Quad core? An actual microSD card? A fingerprint scanner? The Galaxy Nexus is in line with most high-end smartphones these days and we’re not sure what would give Google incentive to keep the program going. That’s not to say we wouldn’t love to see another device, but at this point in time it’s about as good as it’s going to get.
We would love to see a Nexus tablet of some sort. We all viewed the Motorola XOOM as the first Android 3.0+ tablet for developers but Google had no more of a hand in its conception than they did with any other device – they provided the software (and understandably decided to test it on the XOOM seeing as it was the first and only Honeycomb tablet on the market earlier this year.
In any case, we’re optimistic that Google will continue the series even if there is very little to add. Then again, innovation is never ending so we probably just haven’t had the vision to think up anything else cool Google could add to these devices. Let’s hope Google’s vision still extends far down the road.
Movie lovers and Android tablet users, the time is yours. Fandango (one of our favorite Android apps) has received its own helping of Honeycomb. Using Fandango, tablet owners can now browse movies playing in local theaters, watch trailers, read reviews, and quickly buy tickets.
It’s no IMAX, but the bigger tablet screen provides for a much roomier app layout. Everything that is included in the smartphone counterpart, can be found in Fandango for Tablets. It really looks quite nice. Check it out for yourself in the Android Market.
The Xperia family keeps growing. Newly available for UK residents is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V The handset is an update to the Xperia neo unveiled earlier this year, and features a new 3D Panorama camera mode, Android 2.3, HDMI out and USB host modes, and a 3.7-inch Bravia Engine display. The phone won’t cost an arm and a leg either, coming in at just £249.99 SIM-free and off-contract. Head over to Sony Ericsson’s page to learn more.
The ASUS Transformer Prime promises to be one helluva quad-core tablet, but it won’t depart from the original’s main selling point: an optional keyboard dock that “transforms” the tablet into a quasi-laptop. The look of the new keyboard dock hasn’t quite yet been revealed, with its only appearance coming on-stage at the slate’s AsiaD unveiling. Spy shots of the new dock appeared on a Chinese site. The images were quickly pulled, but the guys over at Netbook Italia managed to snag them before they disappeared from the web. The dock gets a slightly new look, favoring a silver casing with black keys (Macbook, anyone?).
We also get a better look at the design of the Transformer Prime itself. Quite shiny with a brushed aluminum look. ASUS plans to give us the full reveal of the device in the coming weeks.
The ASUS Transformer Prime promises to be one helluva quad-core tablet, but it won’t depart from the original’s main selling point: an optional keyboard dock that “transforms” the tablet into a quasi-laptop. The look of the new keyboard dock hasn’t quite yet been revealed, with its only appearance coming on-stage at the slate’s AsiaD unveiling. Spy shots of the new dock appeared on a Chinese site. The images were quickly pulled, but the guys over at Netbook Italia managed to snag them before they disappeared from the web. The dock gets a slightly new look, favoring a silver casing with black keys (Macbook, anyone?).
We also get a better look at the design of the Transformer Prime itself. Quite shiny with a brushed aluminum look. ASUS plans to give us the full reveal of the device in the coming weeks.
Like using social media? Fancy yourself an internet success story? Motorola wants to hear about it. In 100 words or less Moto is asking for stories on how folks have leveraged social media to become a “trailblazer” of services such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or whatever else people are using these days to stay connected. Why share your social media success with Motorola? For the chance to win a brand new Motorola Droid RAZR and $2500 to go along with it. Head over to Moto’s Facebook page for all the info to enter.
The HTC Raider (aka HTC Holiday hasn’t been made official for any North American regions just yet, but we can likely add one more to the list. The Raider, an Android 2.3 device boasting a 4.5-inch qHD display, will bring its LTE radio to Rogers in Canada, making it among the network’s first devices to use the next-gen 4G technology. Rumors originating at MobileSyrup state that the Raider could be available as soon as November 1st.
For those looking to activate a new plan with Rogers, here is a great deal. Starting up a new family plan with at least two lines supporting voice and data will be eligible to receive a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 free of charge. Not a bad time to consider your network options if happen to reside north of the border.
Every day we peruse the Android Market looking for the best, worst, interesting, and most unique apps in an effort to sift out a few gems. We call it Apps of the Day. We can’t guarantee that every app featured below is a real winner, but each is worth at least a quick look. It’s all in an effort to help you, our faithful readers, get the most out of your Android handsets. Read on to see what we found today!
Shadowgun - Touted as one of the “best looking mobile games ever created” by IGN, Shadowgun is a force to be reckon with, both graphically and with its non-stop assault of ‘borgs and ‘droids (and not the good kind). The game puts you in conrtol of John Slade (not John Stalvern), an intergalactic bounty hunter. The game combines tactical combat with third-person action all with a polish that is worth every ounce of praise. At $4.99 it don’t come cheap, but it is a small price to pay for the near console-quality effort put forth. [Market]
Coupon Sherpa - As if we didn’t already have enough digital coupon applications and services, Coupon Sherpa is yet another good offering for the genre. You can search for coupons by store and you’re able to scan them straight from your phone, eliminating the need to do your weekly clipping that can sometimes take longer than the actual shopping trip. For free, there’s not much else to be said. Give it a shot over in the Android market. [Market]
It may not have the glitz and flash of Shadowgun, but one of my all time favorite handheld/console games is finally available in the Android Market — Puzzle Quest 2 from Namco. As my Twitter handle would suggest (@Gamercore), I’m pretty big on gaming. I’d also be lying if I said puzzle games really get my engine roaring. But make no mistake, Puzzle Quest 2 is not your typical puzzle game.
In fact, Puzzle Quest 2 could is equal parts RPG thanks to it’s story mode, character customization, spells, weapons, pretty much the whole nine. You start out choosing 4 different classes (in either gender) and battle opponents using a Bejeweled-style puzzle elements of matching 3 colors that supply various effects. Matching skulls will allow you to dish out an attack while the other colors are related to your characters magic.
Puzzle Quest 2 supports just about any Android screen resolution from 800×480 on up (even tablets) and requires users to have an SD card on their device for the mandatory 270MB download of additional resources.
The game is absolutely free to download but like most titles of this caliber, you’ll have to fork up $5 to unlock the full content (I paid around $15 for this on my Xbox). Reading through the Market comments, I’m noticing a few force closes and bugs on some devices so definitely give it a thorough testing before shelling out any cash. You can find find Puzzle Quest 2 in the Android Market right now.
Google uploaded a pair of videos to their YouTube channel today highlighting none other than their Google Voice Search. The videos were no doubt incited from all the buzz Apple’s Siri and showcase a few experiments conducted by a few of Google’s engineers on how well Voice Search function can understand a user (even those with heavy Australian accents) in Android devices.
The first video sees two Google engineers traveling all the way out into Australian desert where they test how well Voice Search works, even when the person speaking is over 50 meters away from the device.
The second video has another two Australian Google engineers travel to the Great Barrier Reef where they see how well Google Voice Search works while the user is underwater. Spoiler: it actually doesn’t work out as well as you might think. Check it out.
According to Google, Australians have the second highest smartphone penetration in the entire world, 2nd only to Singapore but for some odd reason, one of the lowest Google Voice Search usage rates. I wrote an article on my complete lack of taking advantage Google’s handy voice commands on my Android device and apparently, I’m not the only one. What did you guys think of these videos? Waste of time? Or a fun way to get the word out on one of Android’s greatest yet, underused features?
Awwww, snap! Here we go, folks! The sign-up page for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus by Samsung is now up and ready for… signage. All you have to do is make sure you’re at least 13 years of age, enter you email address and you’ll be one of the first to receive information regarding the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon.
And thanks to one of our commenters, I’ve included a shot of the banner ad that displays when you search for a Samsung phone on Verizon Wireless. May I draw your attention to the “Exclusively from Verizon” part. How does that sit with you guys? Either way, the SGN should be arriving any day now! You guys hyped?
If you needed proof that Google is gearing up to launch their own “music store” look no further than this mobile landing page for music.google.com. You can see a few links leading users to either more info on Google Music or the Android Market where they can “shop” for music, directly from their device. Funny, Google never mentioned selling MP3′s in the Android Market before, right?
Current rumors are pointing towards Google announcing the availability of music purchases in the coming weeks but with the possibility of an M. Night Shmayahalalahan twist. Some leaks say Google will allow for customers who purchase music to share it with their friends. There is one caveat however. The receiver will only be given a limited amount of time to listen to the track before being prompted to purchase from the Android Market. Sounds like fun.
If you’re thinking your Android device could use a little more Ice Cream Sandwich, I’m right there with ya. Thankfully, WidgetLocker was updated in the Android Market to version 2.2.1. Along with the usual bugfixes came the addition of an Android 4.0 style lockscreen, giving that finishing touch to whatever ICS theme you may currently be running.
Alright, perhaps Honeycomb or Sense is more you’re style? WidgetLocker features custom lockscreens from all your favorite UI’s — even if they only thing you liked about them was their lockscreens. The WL lockscreen is fully customizable as well, giving you the ability to add widgets, resize them or mix and match sliders from the different Android UI’s.
Must-have, bees-knees, constantly updated — these are all words that come to mind when I think about WidgetLocker. Whether you’re using a Android phone or tablet, you can download WidgetLocker right now from the Android Market for a measly $3.
There’s a lot of crazy stuff going on in the world right now. Look no further than the Occupy ___ (fill in the blank) protests taking place all around the world. While I don’t want to get into any political debates (this is after all, only an Android blog), many of these protesters have been capturing videos of alleged police brutality using their Android powered handsets and quickly uploading them onto YouTube.
If you think the U.S. government and various law enforcement agencies are happy about this, well — they’re not. Apparently, Google has received over 757 content removal requests for items on Google’s servers from services like YouTube. The information was revealed as part of Google’s biannual Transparency Report. Google’s said in their report,
We received a request from a local law enforcement agency to remove YouTube videos of police brutality, which we did not remove. Separately, we received requests from a different local law enforcement agency for removal of videos allegedly defaming law enforcement officials. We did not comply with those requests, which we have categorized in this Report as defamation requests.
I should note, although these requests occurred between January and June (before many of the Occupy protests), I imagine these take down requests will sky rocket after some of the things I’ve seen today posted to YouTube. Say what you will about Google, when it comes to government censorship, it’s nice to see they’ve got our back.
Aside from the usual Gingerbread goodies, The HTC Thunderbolt over-the-air update (rolling out now) had a few other Sense goodies bundled with it as well. As you can see from the above image, once the T-Bolt is nestled comfortably in its dock, the HTC activates an all new “Desk Mode” and viola — landscape Sense. This is a great surprise for those lucky Thunderbolt owners lucky enough to grab the official HTC dock from Verizon when it debuted back in June.
Desk Mode actually displays content a little different than when in portrait mode making Sense look a little more like a tablet UI. You may have noticed the transparent Friend Stream Widget and the Clock widget is now smaller and in the upper corner instead of smack in the middle of the screen.
While the new Desk Mode is only available while the device is docked, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before some ROM developers crack the feature to work sans dock.
We heard the rumors circulating for awhile now and it looks like the inevitable has happened — Sony has just bought Sony Ericsson for €1.05 billion. I’m sure some of you are confused with the news thinking, “Wait. Sony bought Sony?” Not quite. Sony Ericsson was actually its own separate company (Ericsson) that turned into a joint venture when Sony essentially bought half of the company back in 2001. This buyout now gives Sony full ownership of the company and allows them to expand their portfolio beyond audio, tablets, laptops and gaming and allows Sony to make a big splash in the smartphone market as well. The agreement also gives Sony a leg up thanks to “five essential patent families” that come with the deal. Nothing is finalized yet with the deal closing January 2012 (pending regulatory approval of course). Full press release can be found below.
Ericsson: Sony to acquire Ericsson’s share of Sony Ericsson
October 27, 2011, 08:16 (CEST)
Sony Ericsson to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony and integrated into Sony’s broad platform of network-connected consumer electronics products The transaction also provides Sony with a broad IP cross-licensing agreement and ownership of five essential patent families Ericsson to receive EUR 1.05 billion cash payment Sony and Ericsson to create wireless connectivity initiative to drive connectivity across multiple platforms Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced that Sony will acquire Ericsson’s 50 percent stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (“Sony Ericsson”), making the mobile handset business a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.
The transaction gives Sony an opportunity to rapidly integrate smartphones into its broad array of network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers – for the benefit of consumers and the growth of its business. The transaction also provides Sony with a broad intellectual property (IP) cross-licensing agreement covering all products and services of Sony as well as ownership of five essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology.
As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of EUR 1.05 billion.
During the past ten years the mobile market has shifted focus from simple mobile phones to rich smartphones that include access to internet services and content. The transaction is a logical strategic step that takes into account the nature of this evolution and its impact on the marketplace.
This means that the synergies for Ericsson in having both a world leading technology and telecoms services portfolio and a handset operation are decreasing. Today Ericsson’s focus is on the global wireless market as a whole; how wireless connectivity can benefit people, business and society beyond just phones. Consistent with that mission, by setting up a wireless connectivity initiative, Ericsson and Sony will work to drive and develop the market’s adoption of connectivity across multiple platforms.
“This acquisition makes sense for Sony and Ericsson, and it will make the difference for consumers, who want to connect with content wherever they are, whenever they want. With a vibrant smartphone business and by gaining access to important strategic IP, notably a broad cross-license agreement, our four-screen strategy is in place. We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment. This includes Sony’s own acclaimed network services, like the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. Mr Stringer also noted that the acquisition will afford Sony operational efficiencies in engineering, network development and marketing, among other areas. “We can help people enjoy all our content – from movies to music and games – through our many devices, in a way no one else can.”
“Ten years ago when we formed the joint venture, thereby combining Sony’s consumer products knowledge with Ericsson’s telecommunication technology expertise, it was a perfect match to drive the development of feature phones. Today we take an equally logical step as Sony acquires our stake in Sony Ericsson and makes it a part of its broad range of consumer devices. We will now enhance our focus on enabling connectivity for all devices, using our R&D and industry leading patent portfolio to realize a truly connected world” said Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson.
When Sony Ericsson started its operations on October 1, 2001, it combined the unprofitable handset operations from Ericsson and Sony. Following a successful turnaround the company has become a market leader in the development of feature phones by integrating Sony’s strong consumer products knowledge and Ericsson’s telecommunications technology leadership. The WalkmanTM phone and Cyber-shotTM phone are well known examples.
With the successful introduction of the P1 in 2007, Sony Ericsson early on established itself in the smartphone segment. More recently, the company has successfully made the transition from feature phones to Android-based Xperia(TM) smartphones. By the end of the third quarter of 2011, Sony Ericsson held a market share of 11 percent (by value) in the Android phone market, representing 80 percent of the company’s third quarter sales. During its ten years in operation Sony Ericsson has generated approximately EUR 1.5 billion of profit and paid dividends totalling approximately EUR 1.9 billion to its parent companies. Prominent models include “XperiaTM arc” and “XperiaTM mini” which received 2011 EISA Awards, while recent notable additions to the lineup include “XperiaTM PLAY” and “XperiaTM arc S”.
The transaction, which has been approved by appropriate decision-making bodies of both companies, is expected to close in January 2012, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
Ericsson has accounted for its 50 percent share in Sony Ericsson according to the equity method. Following completion of the transaction, Ericsson will have no outstanding guarantees relating to Sony Ericsson and will no longer account for Sony Ericsson as an investment on balance sheet. The transaction will result in a positive capital gain for Ericsson which will be defined after closing of the transaction.
SEB Enskilda is acting as Ericsson’s sole financial advisor in the transaction.
Good evening, Phandroids! So many stories from throughout the day and it’s hard to get to them all. But that’s why we have the Android Overload. These are the stories we felt deserved a final once-over before getting slipping into the abyss of the webernets. Take a look around and if you come across something of interest, leave your thoughts in the comments. Night!
New info reveals that Google paid $151 million for Zagat in September. [Reuters]
Appscribe is another all-you-can-eat subscription based gaming service for Android. [DroidGamers]
Oracle vs Google trial delayed until 2012. [Electronista]
Italian judge rejects Samsung’s plea to block Apple’s iPhone 4S launch. [AGIit]
Samsung has two new handsets headed for China. Taking its cues from the Galaxy S II LTE, the Samsung SCH-i929 is a dual-core smartphone clocked at 1.5GHz. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon MSM8660 powers the show. The phone features a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display at 480×800 resolution and 8MP camera. The main difference between the handset and the GS2 LTE is the lack of 4G support. The SCH-i929 carries GSM and CDMA2000 connectivity.
For the second device we get a form factor that isn’t all that common. The Samsung SCH-W999 picks up where the SCH-W899 left off and sports two 3.5-inch 480×800 AMOLED displays in a clamshell design. When flipped open the device resembles something more akin to a feature phone than any smartphone, but this is all Android. Similarly to the SCH-i929, the SCH-W999 carries an MSM8660 processor and GSM/CDMA2000 connectivity. Both handsets are destined for China Telecom.
It’s business time. Not because I am wearing my business socks but rather Motorola has announced their Pro+ 4G for Bell Canada. The enterprise-ready smartphone will make its North American debut on November 7th, bringing the power of a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 3.1-inch 640×480 display. OK, so it isn’t that powerful, but Motorola Pro+ 4G offers much more through its built-in security and productivity tools. The 4G of its name refers to HSPA+ connectivity with a theoretical limit of 14.4 Mbps. Pricing was not announced. Check out more details in the below press release.
Motorola Mobility Canada Delivers the Smartphone that Works and Plays as Hard as You Do: Motorola PRO+ 4G
Launching Nov. 7 exclusively at Bell, Motorola PRO+ 4G is a powerful smartphone optimized for business with all the fun, applications and web browsing power of Android – a work phone worth taking home
Oct. 25, 2011
TORONTO - Oct. 25, 2011 - Life is full of demands, and we all could use a little extra help. With the sleek and sophisticated Motorola PRO+ 4G, brought to you by Motorola Mobility Canada Ltd. and available soon with Bell on the best network across Canada, you can have your own personal assistant that fits right in your pocket. Motorola PRO+ 4G gives you the power to edit important documents on the go, multitask when every second counts and encrypt sensitive work information with enterprise-level security so your IT manager can sleep at night. This supreme blend of touch screen, full QWERTY keyboard and Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) makes this smartphone ready for anything.
“The Motorola PRO+ 4G delivers the security and productivity tools that businesses require, but all the fun things consumers want,” says David Petrou, director of sales, Motorola Mobility Canada. “For professionals looking for a smarter smartphone, the Motorola PRO+ 4G offers robust features that work hard and play hard.”
Motorola PRO+ 4G has a super quick 1GHz processor and physical QWERTY keyboard for more efficient typing and texting when you need to update a client on the fly, browse for news and really important information, or multitask as necessity demands. And, with quick group messaging, it’s easy to reach an entire list of people in no time at all. The device is also packed with productivity features to make your life easier and to help you impress your boss including the pre-loaded QuickOffice® Connect for accessing, creating and editing documents on-the-go. We know that in a fast paced world, going in and out of apps wastes precious time, so now key apps such as your calendar and email are scrollable direct from your home screen.
Motorola PRO+ 4G is a smartphone that you and your IT department can agree upon. Nothing says business ready better than the leading security features; whether it’s remote wipe of your device and SD card, password expiration and history, or full encryption, your IT manager will breathe a sigh of relief. Motorola PRO+ 4G comes loaded with 25 Exchange ActiveSync security policies - including PIN lock, auto-discovery of Exchange Servers, Extended Device Management API’s and 3LM integration. Your sensitive information - your career - is guarded in this virtual vault with Motorola PRO+ 4G. It’s fully loaded with support for Exchange and GmailTM for business, including corporate directory options. With these leading features your IT manager just might give you a smile.
Motorola PRO+ 4G merges all of your personal and business information for you in a convenient system designed to make your life easier. Take the pressure off knowing Motorola PRO+4G syncs services from multiple sources, so all your contacts are viewable the way you want them, calendar options are available to arrange, edit, and respond to meeting invites, there are direct dial conference options, and intuitive email solutions that can anticipate who you may be sending an email to before you do. Its 4G Mobile HotSpot capabilities enable you to connect multiple devices, such as a laptop or tablet, for quick access to the Web, corporate email and calendar syncing. Plus, it features scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass so tossing your phone in your bag or pocket doesn’t have to be a disaster.
Motorola PRO+4G is ready for full customization to bring you the games and applications most important to you. With Music, Motorola’s unique music player you have a dashboard for music discovery. You have easy access to all your favourite artists and song lyrics. Plus, you receive live, personalized recommendations for songs and videos as well as news and event updates from the world of music. With Gallery, you can aggregate all your photos from social networking and photo sharing sites like Facebook and PicasaTM for easy viewing. Plus, with Adobe® Flash® Player 10.3, you’ll be able to access the online content you love. Motorola PRO+4G is also preloaded with the latest Google MobileTM Services including Google Maps™ 5.0 with Navigation, Google Talk™ and more than 250,000 apps from Android Market™.
Smart Accessories
A suite of smart accessories ensures users get the most from the Motorola Pro+4G. Available accessories include a Bluetooth® enabled headset, Bluetooth enabled car kit, portable power, and car charger.
The Motorola Pro+ 4G will be available November 7 exclusively from Bell. For more information visit Motorola.com.
As promised, Verizon has gone live with its pre-order for the Motorola Droid RAZR The 7.1mm thin handset is available for a thick stack of dough measuring in at $299.99 on a two-year contract. For the price you get a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display, and support for 4G LTE. We had pretty high praises for the device and its sleek design in our initial hands-on report, and are looking forward to our chance to get to know the new RAZR a bit better. How about you? Who is doling out the cash now to get their hands on the RAZR later? The handset is expected to ship on or around November 10th.
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