We're guessing Amazon was feeling a little left out of all the HTC Thunderbolt launch date rumors. Seriously, though, we've pretty much got every day in February covered at this point, so no matter when it comes out everyone can say they were right. In any event, if you stroll on over to Amazon and do a search you'll see they now have the device listed for February 14. You can sign up to be notified when it becomes available. One thing is for certain though, the HTC Thunderbolt is coming -- soon. [via BGR]
Another long-awaited device update has just rolled out for those of you on U.S. Cellular. The HTC Desire Froyo update has been posted and is now ready and waiting for you to download it. So what are ya waiting for? Go get your Froyo on, folks, and most important, enjoy! Let us know in the comments or in the forums how to upgrade went for you all. [U.S. Cellular] Thanks, Brandon! Update - Yes, I put HD. My apologies but clearly you all knew the difference anyway.
Could this finally be the official Froyo build for Sprint's Epic 4G? A source tells us yes, and to expect it on Feb. 21. We can't share everything we've heard, but apparently some folks from Samsung are sporting build EA17, and it's ready to go. And no, we can't get a leak -- trust me, I tried :)
The whole Froyo debacle for US Galaxy S phones seems to be coming to an end, and while it made for a lot of news, we will be glad to see it put to rest. If it happens that is. All we can do is wait and see, and hope the Feb 21 date doesn't turn out like the Dec. 26 date from last year did. We were all told it would be coming "ASAP" a few weeks back, so our fingers are crossed. Thanks to our anonymous tipster!
(Oh, and for you folks on the Fascinate? You might wanna keep your calendars clear on or about Feb. 22. Just sayin'.)
O2, Vodafone, Orange, and T-Mobile UK... who else is getting Xperia Play, you ask? Anyone in North America, perhaps? Looks like the once (and in our hearts always) PlayStation phone has popped up on Sony Ericsson Canada's site, and will be exclusive to Rogers -- that is, if a certain tip that Mobile Syrup has received is to be believed. Either way, it looks like it's less than a week until we get all the sordid details.
Last we heard at CES, Viewsonic's ViewPad 4 handset was on track to launch with Android 2.2 in mid-June, but it now looks like there might be a pretty significant change of plans. Pocket-lint is reporting that it's heard from a source at Viewsonic who says the ViewPad 4 is now set to launch in April... with Android 2.4. According to the source, however, that update will not be dubbed "Ice Cream" as some had suspected, but will instead simply still be called Gingerbread. So what does the update bring if not a name change? Compatibility with dual-core apps designed for Honeycomb, primarily, which Pocket-lint speculates is one of the main reasons we've yet to see many Android 2.3-based devices hit the market (Nexus S, aside).
Sprint promised us an "industry first" at its event today, and it certainly delivered: check out the Kyocera Echo, the first dual-screen Android phone. That's right, dual-screen -- that's two 3.5-inch 480 x 800 displays which can be unfolded and used as a single 4.7-inch 960 x 800 surface. The screens are connected by a slick sliding liquid-metal hinge that Kyocera's filed several patents on -- the phone can be closed and used like a regular single-screen phone, unfolded all the way, or propped up into the faux-laptop configuration shown above. Under the hood there's a 1GHz second-gen Snapdragon running Android 2.2 -- we'll forgive the older software because Kyocera had to do extensive customization to add dual-screen support to seven core apps like the browser, email, and messaging. The seven optimized apps can be run on each screen individually so you can have the browser up top and email below, and several of them include useful full-dual-screen views as well. There's also a new dual-screen app manager, which is brought up by tapping the two screens simultaneously. Unfortunately, third party apps can't be run in any of the new modes and just fill the entire display for now -- Kyocera and Sprint say an SDK is coming shortly.
Interestingly, the Echo doesn't really run the optimized apps simultaneously when you have two of them open -- it quickly switches them in and out of hibernation, even though they're both displayed on screen. That means you can't do things like watch a video while writing an email, for example -- it's an odd limitation, but it seems like it'll only be an issue in limited circumstances. As for battery life, Kyocera and Sprint aren't giving definite numbers, but we were told things would last about a day with heavy use of both screens -- and the Echo is being sold in a bundle with a second battery in an external charging case, so you should have plenty of juice on the go. Downsides? Well, it's not the most attractive phone we've ever seen, and we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that there's just a lone rear-facing 5 megapixel camera with 720p video capture and that the Echo is 3G-only -- there's no WiMAX, which is a bit odd for a Sprint halo device. Still, it's definitely one of the most intriguing Android handsets we've ever seen, and at $199 (after a $100 rebate) when it launches sometime in the coming months, it's bound to pique some serious interest. Check a short hands-on video after the break.
Update: So the simultaneous apps thing appears to somewhat complex -- we weren't able to run a video and email when we played with the phone during our briefing, but Sprint's Fared Adib was able to do it when we ran into him during the launch event. We'll post that video soon -- and of course we'll dig deep into this when we get a review unit. One more thing we noticed: none of the devices we saw in action had pinch-to-zoom enabled anywhere, which is obviously very strange. We were told that the software is still early, so we'll have to see if it makes it into shipping product.
Update 2: It's attack of the press materials! New images, video, and release can be found below!
Let's be fair, for a company that pulled in NT$14.59 billion (about $500 million in US currency) in net profit last fiscal quarter, $40 million isn't exactly a huge chunk of change. But the recipient of HTC's money this go around is mighty interesting: cloud gaming experts OnLive. Said company spokesperson Maggie Cheng via Wall Street Journal, this will "strengthen its gaming capabilities and help HTC tap into increasing demand for games on smartphones" -- yep, smartphones. HTC also announced it has acquired London-based Saffron Digital for about $48.6 million, although it said the buyout shouldn't affect deals with its current content partners including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, LG, and Samsung. We don't think the OnLive investment will stop the cloud gaming company from pushing its way onto as many platforms as (in)humanly possible, but we'd be lying if we said we didn't expect HTC's versions to be even grander in scale and performance.
We heard last month when we got our first glimpse of a white Nexus S that it might be headed to Vodafone, and that's now finally been confirmed by Vodafone itself. Details are still pretty light beyond that, but Vodafone says that the phone is "coming soon," and that it will be the only carrier to offer the phone in white -- in the UK, at least.
The wonders you can find on YouTube, eh? LG's G-Slate (to be known as the Optimus Pad outside the US) has made yet another appearance on Google's video repository, this time giving us a whirl to show off its slender body and port and speaker arrangement. The integrated 3D cameras also get a demo, as you can see above, though we're much more excited to be able to churn out 1080p video with this device thanks to the Tegra 2 SOC it's built around. Its smartphone buddy the Optimus 2X delivered some very smooth output and we can't see any reason why the G-Slate should do any worse. Make your way past the break for all the intimate video action.
You know that N900 you keep around, just because. The one that's been hacked so many times you call it "leatherface?" Well, it's about to get a lot more flexible. Built upon the app quickening Dalvik Turbo, OHA member Myriad just announced Alien Dalvik with the promise of running "the majority" of unmodified Android apps on non-Android platforms "without compromising performance." A bold claim, no doubt. Myriad will be backing this up at Mobile World Congress starting next week with plans to release it later this year on MeeGo. But why wait until then? You can see it demonstrated right now running on a Nokia N900 in the video after the break (it's running Google Maps in the picture above). Hey Mr. Elop, you want to build, catalyze or join a competitive ecosystem? Maybe this is your solution
We really should send a message to phone manufacturers and stop covering these tiny little leaks of controlled information, but when it's a phone with dual cameras and a 3D display we're talking about, we can't help it. Every minute detail must be digested and analyzed. There's a fast-moving video awaiting your Sherlockian wits after the break, or you can hit the source link for a gallery of screen captures that highlight the construction details of LG's upcoming Optimus 3D. Look for it to stop being a fancy render and become a corporeal entity at MWC early next week.
The details are unfortunately slim on this one, but we have word that satellite radio powerhouse SiriusXM is going Android for at least some of its future mobile offerings. Teleca, a company that works largely behind the scenes developing software for major companies in the mobile and automotive spaces, is peeking its head out from around the edge of the curtain to announce a new platform for SiriusXM based on Android. It will enable support for devices intended for pockets, car dashboards, and home entertainment centers. Sadly, we couldn't get anyone to tell us anything more about those devices, including whether SiriusXM is itself looking to release new hardware or just support more existing solutions, things like Ford's AppLink and Mini Connected. Given the success Pandora has found on that front we'd probably put our money on the latter, but maybe we'll find out which is the safer bet at Mobile World Congress next week.
Teleca Announces Development of Platform for SiriusXM Radio
Solution showcases Teleca's expertise with Android IP integration
Seattle - February 8, 2011 Teleca, a world-leading supplier of embedded software solutions for
the consumer electronics, automotive and mobile industries, today announced the development
of an Android platform solution for use in SiriusXM's next generation vehicle, portable and home
products.
"SiriusXM continues to develop innovative products that allow our subscribers to experience the
best audio entertainment available," said Sean Gibbons, vice president of product marketing for
SiriusXM's aftermarket division. "We were impressed with Teleca's experience with the Android
Operating System and strong background in radio interface integration. Teleca is working with us
to develop a complete platform strategy for delivering our unique and compelling programming to
consumers."
"The platform we have developed for SiriusXM is an excellent example of Teleca's ability to
seamlessly integrate a customer's IP into a dynamic Android Operating System," said John
Trobough, president, Teleca USA. "Most importantly, the reference application allows SiriusXM
and third-party developers to quickly build out new products and thereby retain their competitive
edge."
Teleca will be demonstrating its comprehensive line of solutions at Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona, Hall 8 Stand 8B79, February 14-17.
About Teleca
Teleca is a world-leading supplier of embedded software solutions for a wide range of global
industries including mobile, automotive and consumer electronics. With unique global reach,
Teleca offers fully customized solutions, systems design, integration and testing to help drive
down development time and deliver value. For more information, please visit www.teleca.com.
Verizon (like most operators) has thus far been coy about its plans for rolling out voice calling services on its LTE network, in part because voice isn't a core service of LTE -- everything is simply treated as data, which means carriers have needed to mull their options and decide how (and when) to add voice into the mix. We'd gotten the vague impression from Verizon's LTE launch event late last year that 4G voice wasn't in the company's 2011 plans, but it turns out that's not true: they've now come out to say that the LG Revolution -- announced at CES last month -- will be Verizon's first VoLTE device when it launches mid-year. Naturally, it'll fall back to CDMA voice when you're out of LTE range, but the move will represent the carrier's first baby step into the 4G voice realm; it'll offer higher sound quality than you're used to with traditional cellular and landline calls (akin to HD Voice, we imagine) which will be one of its selling points when it launches. Every indication is that this will be a glacially slow transition -- it'll take years for handsets to support the standard on a wide scale and LTE footprints to expand nationally, never mind inter-carrier call compatibility -- but it's a big move nonetheless. Look for more news on this at MWC next week.
Third-party mobile retailer Wirefly has just released a seven-minute video detailing the HTC Thunderbolt's unboxing procedure in glorious detail, something that's just liable to make the wait for prospective buyers even more excruciating. Speaking of waiting, word on the street is that the phone might be delayed from its previously-rumored Valentine's Day launch; an ominous screen shot over on Droid Life says there's "no ETA at this time," a fact corroborated by Amazon's removal of the launch date on its Thunderbolt product page. What's more, in announcing its unboxing, Wirefly only says that it'll "begin selling the Thunderbolt soon" without offering a date -- so yeah, all signs are pointing to an open-ended delay here. Let's hope it stays within the short bounds of February, eh? Follow the break for the full video.
Dell always told us the Streak was a tablet and not a phone, so it makes perfect sense to see Android's latest version, the tablet-friendly Honeycomb, ported over to its 5-inch slate. As usual with these builds, we're still at a very early stage, with the chap responsible for the hack noting that "no way is this close to release," but it's still rather exciting to see that brand new interface freshening up familiar pieces of kit. And hey, it's not like Dell itself is going to be delivering Android 3.0 anytime soon either, right? Click the source link to keep yourself updated on how this community port progresses.
Update: Looks like DJ_Steve got his hands on the build and made a quick video -- check it out after the break.
It's not going to steal any thunder from its Inspire 4G big brother -- but if you're looking for an HTC that doesn't run Android or Windows Phone 7, your wait is nearly over on AT&T (though you won't be saving any money in the process). The Freestyle was announced back at CES last month, the first device in AT&T's lineup to run Qualcomm's Brew MP feature phone platform with a 3.2-inch display, full HTML browser, 3.2 megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD compatibility up to 32GB, and a familiar Sense UI experience ported from HTC's smartphone devices (and first seen in Brew MP guise on the Smart last year). Look for it to land in stores this coming Sunday, February 13th for $99.99 on contract after a $50 mail-in rebate; considering that the Inspire goes for the same price, we don't think that makes a lick of sense, so we wouldn't be surprised to see that price fall a bit in the next few months. Follow the break for the full press release.
It may be a Vibrant with Froyo, a front-facing camera and a thing for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but it's still downright enviable when you consider the Galaxy S 4G's innate support for 21Mbps downloads. As of today, neither Samsung nor T-Mobile USA have been perfectly clear about how much they'd be demanding for this guy, but thanks to a leaked pricing sheet from Walmart, it looks as if it'll be a solid $50 less than most new smartphones. Those who waltz into Wally World later this month will be able to take one home for $148.88 with a two-year service agreement, or if you're the No Strings Attached kind of individual, $650. Ah, the choices we're saddled with.
Look, it happens -- sometimes your video production team isn't perfectly synced with the marketing team, which isn't perfectly synced with the PR team, and so on and so forth until a leak eventually happens. No sweat, HTC! This video posted today on HTC's official YouTube stream starts off with a gentleman handling a water-washed rock on a beach... which magically transforms just moments later into a device we don't think we've seen before. Our tipster wisely suggests it could be the Wildfire 2, which seems believable considering its general similarity to the original model -- minus the optical pad, of course. Whatever it is, odds are good we'll get full disclosure in a few days at MWC. Follow the break for the full video.
Google's remained fairly mum on its TV experiment ever since a number of major networks blocked Google TV devices from accessing their online content, but you can bet that Logitech and Sony are still doing everything they can to unload inventory. If -- for whatever reason -- you've found yourself in the precarious position of needing a backup keyboard, EFO's got a couple of comical solutions. The outfit's new Google TV keyboard is named simply enough, and it's also one of the smallest KB remotes in the history of KB remotes. That's great for those who tend to shove their controlling devices into pockets and whatnot, and there's even a touchpad that works vertically and horizontally -- depending on preference, of course. Bluetooth ($75) and RF ($65) versions are available, with initial shipments to go out starting on the 15th. Head on past the break for a demo video, also known as the cutest thing you'll see all day.
Source: Engadget.com
