HTC One X unboxed

The HTC One X goes on sale next week in Asia, but it looks like some folks have already managed to get their hands on the phone. Some folks recently got a demo unit of the HTC One X, unboxed it, and ran some tests on the phone. So far they seem pretty impressed, which should be good news – after all, it’s going to be HTC’s new flagship device; a first impression of anything that isn’t positive would be pretty devastating.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the HTC One X before it becomes available in our stores, be sure to check out the video above, thanks to Netbooknews.com. Who’s looking forward to pick up the phone?

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Tags: Android, HTC, HTC One X, Quad-Core, Smartphones, Unboxing, Video

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HTC reveals Central Europe release date, pricing for One X, One S and One V

HTC’s One series inches closer to expectant customers, with Central Europe apparently set to get the device next Monday. According to The Unwired, shoppers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will all be able to pick up any device from HTC’s 2012 catalogue, including the quad-cored One X (€599, around $800), the micro-arc oxidized One S (€499, around $670) and the somehow retro One V (€299, around $400). German carrier O2 has also backed up these claims, announcing that it expects to stock both the One X and One S next week. You’d best grab that passport and a wad of euros.

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Tags: Android, Europe, HTC, One S, One V, One X, Smartphones

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Google Maps for Android gets bumped to 6.5, new navigation view and higher resolution map tiles in tow

Google’s has never been shy at continually iterating on its wares, and today it’s Maps on Android’s turn. Headlining the 6.5 release is the above ICS-only revamp of the Navigation home screen, which we’re told makes selecting previous and recent destinations a cinch. Additionally, there’s also support for crisper map tiles (if your device is rocking a higher resolution screen) in addition to new options for mass transit directions which can prioritize routes with fewer transfers or less walking. See it in action in the feel-good promotional video after the break.

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Tags: Android, Apps, Google Maps, Navigation, Video

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Temple Run for Android released

Temple Run for Android has finally arrived, the much-anticipated smartphone and tablet game making the jump from iPhone and iPad over to Google’s platform. A free release, the game is a top-down 3D scroller where the player must guide a tomb-raider through various temples, dodging evil monkeys among other perils.

Temple Run has already topped the iOS download charts and been grabbed in excess of 36m times by eager iPhone and iPad gamers, so it was little surprise that Android users were equally keen to get their touchscreen-tapping fingers on it.

Temple Run hands-on:

On the downside, there are already several reports of bugs and instabilities, with reasonable frequent crashes proving frustrating for already-addicted gamers. We’d expect developers Imangi Studios to iron those flaws out in short order, however.

There’s a hands-on preview of Temple Run for Android over at Android Community, and you can download the game in the Play Market here. You’ll need an Android 2.1 device or above.

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Tags: Android, Apps, Gaming, Google Play, Smartphones, Temple Run, Video

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HTC to use LogMeIn to provide support for its Android users

As part of the effort to improve post-sale customer experience, HTC is teaming-up with LogMeIn to use its remote support and customer care solution LogMeIn Rescue to better serve its customers. Set to be incorporate across HTC’s worldwide call centers, it will allow HTC customer care and support staff the ability to remotely configure, diagnose and troubleshoot a technical issue wherever the customer has a data connection.

In order to make this happen, every future HTC Android device will come with LogMeIn Rescue applet pre-installed. This in turn will provide customers with the ability to securely connect their devices to HTC customer care representatives during so called “active support calls.” For instance, HTC technicians will be able to run remote diagnostics, push common device and network configuration settings, and remotely control the customer’s device to resolve issues.

Finally, in case you wonder, aside from Android – LogMeIn Rescue also supports other platforms, including iOS, Symbian and Blackberry; as well as PCs and Macs.

Article: RSS via IntoMobile

Tags: Android, Apps, HTC, LogMeIn, LogMeIn Rescue, Smartphones

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HTC Sensation with Ice Cream Sandwich sees massive jump in camera performance

The HTC Sensation is said to be on the receiving end of the official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update in due time, but for those who cannot wait, there is an unofficial Ice Cream Sandwich ROM already out. Folks who have the intestinal fortitude and have gone ahead with the unofficial ROM’s installation without running into any issues will be pleased to know that the camera’s performance has also improved – dramatically, it seems, where this mod paves the way for 20Mbps 1080p video recording (that would mean twice the standard 10Mbps), in addition to giving quality a boost in the process. Not only that, the maximum size of images has also been increased, breaking the 2MB barrier. According to XDA member krogoth, there is also an “experimental” 1250 ISO mode, just in case you need to capture images in extremely low light conditions. There is still life in the legs of the HTC Sensation just yet. Just remember to make backups of all your data before you flash any ROM, official or otherwise.

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Tags: Android, HTC, HTC Sensation, Ice Cream Sandwich, Smartphone

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Samsung Galaxy S III to support wireless charging from 1-2 meters away?

Samsung’s 3rd generation Galaxy device, aptly named the Galaxy S III, has caused quite a stir since its predecessor was released last year. That said, this particular handset hasn’t even been announced officially by Sammy but that certainly hasn’t stopped the rumors from flowing. This time around, we’re hearing that the Galaxy S III may ship with wireless charging as the standard practice of getting juice into the phone.

While wireless charging may still seem like a novelty of sorts today, the technology has been around long enough and we certainly wouldn’t mind seeing it end up in the next-gen Galaxy S device. Sure, a handful of phones can get their wireless charge on by getting a replacement rear backing, but like the late Palm Pre, we know that it’s never been a must-have feature. We doubt that the Galaxy S III will change the game by using a technology that’s been around but we doubt that there will be many complaints about adding the option.

What’s interesting about the possibility of the handset to support wireless charging is that it may not actually need to stay attached to the charging station and could charge your phone from 2 meters away. Now that is a feature that would get some attention. Being able to charge your phone without having it attached to a wire or sitting on a charging station – but instead just sitting next to you on your desk. We could definitely get used to that.

We can add wireless charging to the list of impressive specifications the Galaxy S III is said to have. So far, we’re expecting to see the handset rock a 4.8 inch Super AMOLED HD display,quad-core Exynos processor with LTE support out of the box, 12 megapixel camera, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, all wrapped up in a ceramic casing.

We’re still a couple of months away from the official unveiling of the device and we certainly hope that all the rumors we’ve heard so far will be packed into this highly anticipated handset.

Article: RSS via IntoMobile

Tags: Android, Galaxy S III, Quad-Core, Samsung, Smartphones, Wireless Charging

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Samsung Galaxy Pocket won’t cost you a packet

Pocket money Android

Samsung has announced that it’s expanding the Galaxy range with the affordable Samsung Galaxy Pocket. You’ll be able to buy it with pocket change and with diminutive dimensions it’ll slip easily into your pocket, handy for Pocket-lint.com on the move.

Now we’ve crudely made all the jokes about the name, let’s move on to the hardware. The Samsung Galaxy Pocket is a 2.8-inch Android smartphone, pitched at the affordable end of the market.

The hardware specs very much reflect this, with an 832MHz processor, a display resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and a 2-megapixel fixed focus camera on the back. The Pocket offers HSDPA of the 3.6Mbps variety, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi. The handset measures 103.7 x 57.5 x 12mm and is just 97g.

User memory is a little on the light side at 3GB, but you can expand this with microSD card, up to 32GB supported, hurrah! The battery is a 1200mAh cell, but on a phone with these hardware specs, that will probably see you happily through the day.

The Galaxy Pocket runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but comes with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin over the top, along with all the usual Samsung trimmings. You’ll get access to services like ChatON, as well as much of what the Andorid Market has to offer.

“This new device adds further breadth to the choice of smartphones we currently offer and provides a smartphone experience for even more customers at an affordable price” said Simon Stanford, vice president, UK and IRE Telecommunications and Networks Division.

No word on the exact pricing or availability, it will be coming to the UK a some point in 2012.

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Tags: Android, Galaxy Pocket, Samsung, Smartphones

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GO Launcher comes to Android tabs, frees you from fixed grid tyranny

Got an Android tab and don’t like its government manufacturer-issue UI? Then why not join the ranks of the launcher rebel alliance. GO Launcher EX for phones has been around for a while, but now it’s been upscaled for Honeycomb 3.0+ slates under the GO HD moniker. It’s only a beta release, and with that comes the normal caveats on functionality — such as a lack of fancy transitions — but you can still make other tweaks to your tab’s interface, such as alter the grid size and customize your dock. Ready to cross enemy lines? Then launch your browser toward the source for the download.

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Tags: Android, Apps, Go Launcher, Go Launcher HD, Honeycomb, Tablet PC's

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Archos Child Pad offers $129 Ice Cream Sandwich

Archos has revealed its latest tablet, the Archos Child Pad, targeted at kids looking for a tasty slice of Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The $129 slate runs Android 4.0 on an unspecified 1GHz processor, with a 7-inch screen and 1GB of RAM. More important than the hardware, though, is the software, which Archos has locked down to be child-friendly.

So, there’s an AppsLib-powered Kids App Store, which allows youngsters to pick from child-suitable titles split into 14 categories. Contents include 10,000 apps made up of games, multimedia, comics, sports, ebooks and more.

The Child Pad’s UI has also been reworked from the Ice Cream Sandwich norm, with more colorful iconography, and homescreen folders for keeping games and other apps neatly accessible. Archos will preload 28 apps including Angry Birds.

Browsing, meanwhile, complies with both CIPA and COPPA regulations, using the Mobile Parental Filter tech from Editions Profil. Obviously leaving kids unsupervised with tech still isn’t advisable, no matter what protection software you’ve loaded.

The Archos Child Pad will go on sale at the end of this month, priced at $129 in the US or £99 in the UK.

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Tags: Android, Archos, ChildPad, Computing, Ice Cream Sandwich, Tablet PC's

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