Xolo Play T1000 brings Tegra 3-based phones to India

Posted on 16/07/2013 by Jon Fingas

Tegra 4-based phones may be all the rage lately, but many in India haven't even had a shot at the Tegra 3 -- not very fair, we'd say. Xolo is addressing that deficit by launching the Play T1000, which brings the Tegra 3 to the country for the first time. The quad-core processor adds a gaming-friendly spin to what's otherwise a close cousin of the X1000 we saw back in March. Both phones share a 4.7-inch 720p LCD, 21Mbps HSPA+ and an 8MP rear camera; the T1000 cuts the (thankfully expandable) storage down to 4GB in return for a sharper 2MP front camera. Pricing may clinch the deal for some Indians, however. The Play T1000 is available now for 15,999 rupees ($268) off-contract -- a price low enough to make us wish there were plans for a US release.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, NVIDIA

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Source: Xolo

Intel-powered ZTE Geek arrives in China on July 25th

Posted on 12/07/2013 by Mariella Moon

When we first caught a glimpse of the ZTE Geek in Beijing, it was merely an awkwardly named prototype. Now, it looks like the smartphone with "Intel Inside" will soon be ready for primetime -- in China, anyway. It boasts the same Clover Trail+ processor as the Lenovo K900, but with pared-down features that help it achieve a lower price point. The phone's outfitted with Android (Jelly Bean), a 5-inch 1,080 x 720 pixel display, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1-megapixel front cam, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage space. Clearly, it's not the most tricked-out phone there is, but its price might entice people to try it out. The ZTE Geek will make an exclusive arrival at Jingdong Mall on July 25th, where it'll retail for ¥1,888 ($307). If you despise cables and your wallet can take a hit, you can also get one bundled with a wireless charging kit for ¥2,288 ($372).

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Via: Engadget Chinese (translated)

Source: ZTE (Sina Weibo)

Kyocera’s water-resistant Hydro Edge dives onto Sprint, Boost Mobile this month

Posted on 12/07/2013 by Joseph Volpe

An ice bar isn't how we'd choose to showcase a water-resistant smartphone, but that's just what Kyocera did at CTIA this year for the Hydro Edge. At the time, Sprint and Boost Mobile had set a loose summer launch for the modest device and now we have a hard date: July 19th and July 23rd, respectively. The IPX 5/7 certified device can be had on a two-year plan at the Now Network for $20 or for $150 outright at Boost, which gets you a 4-inch WVGA display, dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a 5-megapixel rear shooter. It's not as sleek and stylish as Sony's own hydrophobic smartphone, but if you're on a budget and need to brave the watery element, the Edge'll have to do.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google, Sprint

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Xperia Z for T-Mobile available from Sony today, T-Mobile on July 17th

Posted on 10/07/2013 by Jon Fingas

T-Mobile teased last month that it would bring an LTE version of the Sony Xperia Z to the US, and it's following through on its promise. The glass-backed flagship is on sale now at Sony's online and retail stores for $25 a month on an installment plan or $580 outright. As rumored, the phone reaches T-Mobile's stores on July 17th; wait until then and you can either pay the full $580 price or put $100 down for the installment option. While you'll want to read our review of the Xperia Z on T-Mobile before you fork over any cash, you'll get to pick up the device very soon if you like what you see.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sony, T-Mobile

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Source: Sony

Xperia Z for T-Mobile available from Sony today, T-Mobile on July 17th

Posted on 10/07/2013 by Jon Fingas

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sony, T-Mobile

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Source: Sony

Android’s Jelly Bean contingent finally surpasses Gingerbread

Posted on 08/07/2013 by Darren Murph

It's a new era, we tell ya. An era where Google can finally say that its latest build of Android is also the one being used by the greatest majority of Android users. For over a year, Android 4.1+ has been the most up-to-date build of Google's mobile OS, and yet, the greatest majority of those accessing the Play Store were using a build that was bordering on antediluvian. According to the official Developers Dashboard, the percentages have slid to a point where Android Jelly Bean -- which encompasses 4.1.x and 4.2.x -- now represents 37.9 percent of Play Store users. Gingerbread (v2.3.3 through 2.3.7) has fallen to second place with 34.1 percent, while Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.3 through 4.0.4) holds down the bronze with 23.3 percent. Hit up the source link to view the full breakdown, and do us a solid -- if you know someone still using Donut, grab 'em a Christmas-in-July present.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Android

Android’s Jelly Bean contingent finally surpasses Gingerbread

Posted on 08/07/2013 by Darren Murph

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Android

Refresh Roundup: week of July 1st, 2013

Posted on 08/07/2013 by Zachary Lutz

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

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Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition: what’s different?

Posted on 06/07/2013 by Myriam Joire

Several days ago we received a Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition to play with and shared our first impressions. This week we take a closer look at what's different between this handset and its TouchWiz-equipped cousins by scrutinizing the benchmarks, battery life and camera performance. Samsung pleasantly surprised us at Google I/O when it announced a Galaxy S 4 running stock Android. HTC then joined the party with its own unskinned superphone, the One. This Galaxy S 4, which landed in the Play store on June 26th for $649 contract-free, is identical to T-Mobile's 16GB model and shares the same specs. So, what does stock Android bring to this flagship? How does it compare to the TouchWiz versions? Is anything left behind? Finally, is this Google Play edition worth the extra cash? Hit the break to find out.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Google

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HTC One Google Play edition: what’s different?

Posted on 05/07/2013 by Myriam Joire

Last week we got our hands on the HTC One Google Play edition and shared our first impressions. Today we dig a little deeper into how this superphone differs from its Sense 5-equipped siblings, with a focus on benchmarks, battery life and camera performance. As you'll recall, Samsung introduced a Galaxy S 4 running stock Android at Google I/O and HTC quickly followed suit by announcing an unskinned version of its own flagship, the One. The handset, which went on sale in the Play store on June 26th for $599 unsubsidized, is based on AT&T's 32GB model and features identical specs. As such, it also comes with the same limitations. So, what's the HTC One like with stock Android? Is it better than the devices running Sense 5? What do you give up and, most importantly, is it worth spending the premium for this Google Play edition? Find out after the break.

Gallery: HTC One Google Play edition