All Things Android - Apps, Phones, Tablets - Discussion

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On a different subject, I had the chance to mess with a One X+ trying to set it up for ActiveSync. I think HTC should have just stuck with the Snapdragon S4 and bumped the battery and internal storage up LOL. The 1.7 GHz Tegra 3 still feels laggy and underwhelming and the new Sense did nothing for the user experience.

 

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like we'll see an Exynos-bearing Sony phone in the near future.

Source

 

Well at least it's got a MicroSD card slot, that's already more than what the Droid DNA can offer. Take care of the SoC heat issue and it should be a pretty well-rounded phone.

 

Only ships with 4.1??? lol

 

Unless something has changed drastically, you're not going to see any handset with a quad-core Exynos5 SoC any time soon.
The TDP is way too high for such a small device.

 

I kind of took it to be Exynos 5 Dual. That one is possible, if downclocked a bit. Exynos 5 Quad isn't even sampling yet.

Exynos 5 dual and S4 Pro have a comparable TDP when pushed. I would think Exynos would be more efficient at lower clock speeds because of the arch.

 

Given the handset was also rumoured to have 128GB of storage, I just took it to be another stupid fantasy spec.

 

Tegra 3 is just underwhelming no matter how much you bump the clocks up. Single channel memory controller can only get you so far.

That, and it's 40NM.

 

Your first problem...Tegra...

 

Absolutely, as long as the battery has a decent capacity. A non-throttling S4 Pro is far from underwhelming.

I did too, but this wasn't the first rumour of it having an Exynos processor. Like H.A.L. I was open towards the possibility of it having a dual-core Exynos SoC. Of course, there was far more evidence pointing towards the S4 Pro, so this is hardly a surprising outcome.

 

Tell that to the Transformer Infinity guys that thinks they have a Jesus tablet just because of the overclocked Tegra.

As far as the guy with the One X+, he resolved the issue with the phone not following the off-hours sync settings by returning it for an Optimus G. All is well now.

 

Verizon Galaxy Note 2 Developer Edition confirmed

I LOL'd. Did anyone even buy the Developer Edition of the Verizon GSIII?

 

lol that's pretty funny, thank goodness I'm on a GSM carrier now, none of that CDMA junk anymore.

 

"Verizon Developer Edition: Now you can pay full retail price for the same devices that AT&T, Sprint, and/or T-Mobile customer can get subsidized. Oh yeah, free VZW logo on the home button for the Note 2."

I'm with you there, was actually pretty thrilled to pay Verizon the ETF to get back to AT&T. The ability to simply stick in a SIM card and have voice/data work without further drama is quite nice...and of course, being able to use international devices on AT&T's network and watch them scratch their heads on why the device can't be identified on the network is always amusing.

 

Oh, I know. Tegra just can't handle 1200p. Can't.

And a 40NM quad-core @ 1.7GHz in a phone is just beyond me.

Well, like Qualcomm and TI (formerly) and other SoC OEM's, Samsung is perfectly happy selling Exynos to any company that wants to buy a sufficient number of them.

BUT, Sony Ericsson (now Sony) has historically been die-hard Qualcomm, or in their lower-end Asian/Indian markets... Novathor.

 

Samsung Display teases 5.5-inch flexible 720p display for demo at CES

Want.

Also, loved one of the comments: Wait. Are those technically "rounded corners?"

 

The battle goes ON!

Apple’s pinch-to-zoom patent declared invalid - Telegraph

John.

 

Just for anyone wondering how long Nexus 4 will ship, I ordered mine nearly 1 week ago, last Friday, an email from Google.

Orders are shipped based on the estimate in your order confirmation email. Once an order has been processed you'll receive a second ship confirmation email with your tracking number. It may take 24 hours for the package tracking to return any information for your tracking number.

If you have not received a package tracking number after the time quoted in your order confirmation email, please let us know.

According to our records, your order should ship by the evening of January 30.

Neuxs 4 backorders: Please note that the above date is based on typical shipment processing and does not apply to Nexus 4 backorders. Nexus 4 backorders are being delivered based on the order in which they were received. If you receive a shipping confirmation email, then you will be able to track your delivery.

For more information on shipping and delivery, please see this article in our help center:
Shipping & delivery - Google Play Help.

 

I was seriously considering buying a Nexus4 SIM-free instead of upgrading my contract, by the time they become available again though, there will likely be a new generation of handsets being announced at CES and MWC.

 

What's people's take on the whole Goog-orola X-Phone rumour?

 

It can only be good for Motorola. They need a solid non verizon exclusive hit to get on most enthusiasts radar again. Much of their designs have been kinda boring as of late and they aren't exactly burning up the sales charts.

The perfect way to do that is through high-end specs, a new industrial design (the all black w/ Kevlar is getting old...), stock Android (even though the latest Moto enhancements are the lightest you can get this side of stock....it still has a stigma since it's not "stock"...enthusiasts/pundits would turn up their noses) and a unencryptable bootloader.

This could be Motorola's last chance to prove to google that they're more than just a patent bank. If the x phone is true, its a phone they cannot screw up on. I'd almost equate it to RIM admitting that bb 10 is their last shot ...there's no plan b.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

edit: i could see this being almost a lumia esque thing: Motorola's enhancements to Android 4+ are well regarded + have useful features while trmaining a experience that is super close to stock.

They could further refine/keep these as a point of differentiation between the X Phone (and tablet) and the respective Nexus devices, giving the latter a reason to exist.

 

To be quite honest, I wish Google would make Motorola Mobility their hardware manufacturer and converge the X-devices and the Nexus line. One of the advantages of being able to control both the hardware and software aspect like Apple would allow consumers to be able to identify a "Google" phone. With Samsung phones being the dominant player in the Android world, the Galaxy lineup has become the poster child for Android and it seems over time the general consumer are forgetting that Android is Google's product.

 

Huawei Chairman shows off 6.1" Ascend Mate ahead of CES - GSMArena.com news

Um yeah...that's just too big. I don't quite trust those Rockchip/Allwinner SOCs either.

 

Huawei...that scares me. Don't they manufacturer T-Mobile's MyTouch phones now?

 

+1

Sure there will be some OEM jealousy, but at this point, Google should be pushing one manufacturer, one brand of their Nexus lineup. Make it available on all carriers (instead of VZW-only like with many of the Moto products) and they will start seeing Galaxy-type numbers.

Nexus X sounds like a good brand to rally around.

 

That's just too large. It's going to be a flop.

 

I wouldn't say anyone was forgetting, more that a lot of people never knew that in the first place.

That's Huawei's own SoC.

I can see Huawei really taking off in the next couple of years - bringing component manufacturing in-house already puts them a step ahead of even HTC and their handsets seem to garner increasingly positive reviews etc.

There's one problem with that though.
Ignoring the fact they own them, if Google were looking to put all their chips on one Android OEM, why would they pick Motorola?

 

That's because HTC flat-out REFUSES to drop Sense. It's such a massive performance hog at this point that it's beyond help, aside from a complete rewrite or to drop it all together.

And yes, I agree. Why would Google stick all their eggs in Moto's basket. They're not a proven hardware manufacturer, they have consistently underwhelming sales numbers and they have a severely depreciated public image because of them dropping all their Tegra 2 devices off any further updates. Not updating the Atrix, OF ALL PHONES, to at least ICS... a travesty.

If Motorola were to release an "X" or Nexus device, I'd REALLY REALLY have to think about it before I buy, even with Google support.

 

Yep, two of my friends who own the Atrix have sworn never again to touch a Motorola smartphone... Given the Atrix's relatively recent release, it was a poor decision to abandon it so quickly.

On another note, picked up a 32GB Nexus 7 for $217 for my mom. Very nice device overall (although personally I would have liked to see a notification light), and the more-standardized interface of ICS and JB is now far easier to pick up even for the technologically-challenged.

 

That's software though, why would that affect them potentially manufacturing their own components?

And that's in the US where they actually try, other markets such as the UK are given zero effort or attention.
Motorola are in an even poorer position internationally and if Google were serious about pushing their hardware line, they'd need to look beyond one market.

If it were a Nexus device, it would address a number of the issues Motorola have had over the years, so provided the hardware was solid it would be tempting.
Especially if priced as competitively as the Nexus4 is.

 

Most technologically-challenged people would not buy Android, they would have bought an iPad.

 

That's just not true any more.

A lot of people who wouldn't traditionally have bought a smartphone now buy Android handsets because they're priced extremely competitively.
And once you have an Android handset, it's suddenly not such a leap to consider an Android tablet - especially one priced like the Nexus or the Kindle Fires.

 

Just got someone to trade me a NIB 16 GB Nexus 4 plus cash for the Note 2, making this the fourth handset I've had in the last two months. Oh dear.

 

Pre-ICS, pre-JB, and before Samsung's Galaxy line came to dominate Android, I would have agreed with you. But there are more and more people who are opting for Android handsets over Apple's iPhones (and Android tablets over the iPad) who are nowhere near technologically adept: the most common reasons I've heard for this are:

1.- iPhones' screens are too small. My dad was really swayed by this, which is probably why he ended up getting a Note 2.
2.- Price. There's some great deals on Android devices, even on flagships like the GS3. This is even more true in the tablet space.
3.- Google's solid ecosystem. Many people use GMail and GCal, and Android is a straightforward choice following that.
4.- Everyone has an iPhone. Although it seems everyone has a GS3 now, Android is still a more novel choice, I suppose.

I chose the Nexus 7 for my mom mainly for #2, price, but also because my brother and I are familiar with it, and my dad is also using an Android device. Much easier to share knowledge, apps, etc.

 

The Nexus 7 is a great device. It is much more portable than the 10" iPad/Nexus 10 and the screen is big enough that you can read ebooks on it. Hopefully the 2013 model has many improvements. I'd like to see a good camera, a high res screen (~300ppi), Tegra 4 or Exynos 5 since Tegra 3 has a slow GPU, better speakers if possible, and an SD card to hold music and pictures. If not an official Google Nexus, then Samsung, ASUS, Sony or Toshiba will hopefully make a 7" tablet with these goodies. It would probably add about $50 to include these but it's would be worth it. Rumor is Google is going the other way to make an even lower cost Nexus 7, but hopefully they or someone also makes a higher end 7-incher.

 

That rules out a Nexus device then

I want a Galaxy-branded Nexus10.
That screen and CPU with the S-Pen and multiscreen would be utterly amazing.

 

At least you don't need to wait until early February for your Nexus 4, I am REALLY disappointed with Google right now. Why allow people to order something YOU KNOW you don't have in stock for weeks and on top of that charge 14 dollars for 2 day shipping.

Well I wouldn't necessarily say that is true, my brother and dad recently just both bought iPhone 5 because they wanted something easier to use (I let them use my phone). Honestly my dad didn't care about price because they knew they wanted iPhones so again price wasn't a concern. I showed my mom a bunch of Android tablets but she complained about the UI (yes I've showed her 4.0) and she ended up getting an iPad anyway.

And after owning an Android smartphone for like 4 months now, I can say it is kinda like Windows 8, not everything is intuitive, coming from years from an iPod/iTouch.

 

Why did you trade your Note 2?

 

Nothing you wrote actually contradicts what MidnightSun said - the fact your family have opted for iOS is in no way incompatible with the statement that more and more people are choosing Android or what their reasons for doing so are.

 

Just an opportunity that was presented to me. Nothing wrong with the Note, just figured the Nexus 4 is much harder (Well, reasonably harder) to get than the Note II at this time so I took the offer as an opportunity to try something new.

 

Ah. I see!

Do you have the N4 in hand already? Have you gotten used to the smaller size?

 

I'll trade you my Blaze 4G for your Nexus 4 and cash?

 

Yep, I've been tooling around with it for the last three hours. The 0.8 inch hit on the screen size is definitely noticeable, definitely do miss the screen estate the Note II provides.

T-Mobile. :|

One thing I want to point out too is that the back of this phone always feel a bit warm even when not doing anything. I don't know if this is due to crap still running in the background due to a new setup, but it's a bit concerning. The last phone I had that felt this toasty was the GSII Skyrocket.

 

Someone like you still with stock image? Though does LG have software like odin for flashing?

 

I don't mean that Google should put "all" their eggs in Moto... but they should come out with a line specifically branded as THE Google line of phones, which is why I said "Nexus X". They can still do Nexus lines with other carriers (Nexus Galaxy S with Sammy, Nexus 4 with LG, etc).. but the Nexus X line would be their "flagship" line.

Despite their issues, I do think Moto has some quality phones (at least design-wise)... and with Google money behind them, they should be able to compete with Sammy.

 

Sense...I disagree with you there. It provides HTC with not only much needed differentiation, but IMO it still is a more "friendly" experience over "stock" android.

The high quality widgets, for example, are leagues better than what "stock" android provides. Try looking for a beautifully executed "agenda" widget in Play Store...you won't find one ...I've tried. There are other HTC widgets that are also just as well done.

The excellent social networking integration is another plus. (I tried pre ICS Moto implementation and Samsung's implementation in TouchWiz 3.5 and prior...sense trounces them both) .... Sense's SNS integration throughout the entire OS feels seamless and cohesive. From seeing the status or birthday of a contact on the incoming/outgoing call screen, to the excellent FriendStream app and widget, its integration that stock Android cannot touch without hunting down appear in the Play Store.

The sense themed apps and keyboard are also very polished and often have superior functionality than stock.

It's nice to not have to worry about looking for apps in Play Store because you have great apps and such already. I could see this appealing to new buyers.

I've got Sense (t-mobile's "espresso" variant) 3.0 on the MT4GS now and it feels absolutely fine ..no lag and plenty of smoothness.

Now about Motorola, I think that the hardware is solidly built for the most part, they've just had trouble on the software quality side and keeping their end of the bargain with updates.

The super lightweight (at least in appearances....I dunno about the nitty gritty internals ) nature of their latest suite of enhancements suggest that it'll be easier for them to have higher quality and faster updates because there's less to change from stock.

Besides the software on pre ICS/JB devices (it is indeed wretched), bootloader garbage, and the update issue, my main gripe with motorola is the camera quality. They have made excellent camera phones before...look at the feature phones they've collaborated with Kodak on...but they've never built a Android smartphone with a decent camera. It is something they need to get right to truly compete with not only the latest Android flagships but also Nokia's Windows Phone line and BB 10 devices (I doubt RIM's put all that Scalado goodness into the camera app just to saddle it with a crap sensor or optics....I hope at least)

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

 

We will have to agree to disagree here. I loathe Sense mainly because it has it's tendrils in EVERYTHING. Literally. KERNEL level.

If you remember back in the early 2000's, we had "Lindows" and "Windows"? One was a linux knock off and one was the real deal? Sense, to me, feels like a knock off.

It's funny you mention SNS integration... that's actually, very specifically, one of the things that's slowly being killed off, in favor of API level app tie ins. For example, you have to have the official app or an app with token access to be able to use a service's API (Ex: Twitter). For example, Twitter only allows a certain number of users per client service. With all these limitations and such, I seriously doubt it's in HTC's best interests to continue with this type of integration. Even in iOS, you have to have the official Twitter app installed to even use the "Tweet" button on the notification shade.

I agree wholeheartedly about the camera though. They've only ever had one good camera I've seen and it was on the Atrix 2. It had good color saturation, low noise and almost perfect color temperature reproduction. The OG Atrix was terrible with color reproduction and temperature, but was surprisingly low noise.

About BB... The Playbook has a fantastic 5MP camera sensor. And just about every BB I've ever owned (that had a camera) seemed to have a very decent sensor/optic. I doubt they'll drop the ball on that aspect. I'm really stoked about their camera software too, on BB10. The general UI software is coming along nicely. They've done a lot with what they "demoed" on the Playbook.

 

Kinda sorta, but it's not as immersive as KIES or ODIN. The LG Recovery Tool is for the regular LG handsets though, the Nexus 4 has to be flashed through ADB like the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S.

All nitpicks aside (No way to expand internal storage, average battery life, back always feels a bit warm), I've never used any other Android handset that comes close to the Nexus 4 when it comes to raw performance. Everything just transits and flows so quickly and this really gives the Apple devices a run for the money. The Galaxy S III and the Note II offered splendid performance, but this phone is just on another level. User interface flow and speed on AOSP 4.2 is simply fantastic.

 

>fastboot -w
>fastboot flash xxxx

 

I looked on XDA, there's an app that can just flash Nexus 4 directly, you just enter Download mode and the application recognizes the phone. Heck I think it's like 1 step to root the phone, or you can root through official CWM for Nexus 4.