Sprint Galaxy S4 is getting Android 4.3 update

Are you guys waiting for Android 4.3 on your Galaxy S4? If you are on Sprint, then your wait ends. After Verizon, Sprint is rolling out Jelly Bean 4.3 update for GS4. It makes Sprint version the second GS4 model to be treated with Android 4.3. This updates cost around 658 MB. To check for update manually, go to settings>check for updates. 

Galaxy Note II is going to have Android 4.1.2 update

This is a joyful news for owners of Galaxy Note II. The device is going to get powered by Android 4.1.2 update for the international handset, Galaxy Note GT-N7100. The update will be fresh and new however most of the people think that it's not a big update. But after all, its official update. It is supposed that this update will bring new notification panel, speed issues, disabling the multi-view, a new lock screen, updated Google Now and bug removal. It will soon make its way on Kies and Over The Air on devices. 

Are you going to update your Galaxy Note II? Share your views in comments.

Sony's limited edition Golden Xperia P

Sony Mobile has created a Limited 24K Gold Edition Xperia P and is giving one away in a competition.  Sony has given the luxury treatment to its smartphone having 4-inch display and dual-core 1GHz processor. It seems that smartphone giant has decided to make it compete against elite business class phone Vertu. Undoubtedly, it is the first luxury phone having Android ICS. 

15 such models have been made and Sony is also giving away some golden models of Xperia on Facebook. Register as soon as you can because the contest will close shortly. Sony posted on its Facebook page, all that you need to do to enter the contest is answer a single question and email your response to fans.se@sonymobile.com. The golden question is :

“What is a gold Friday for you?”

You can also visit Sony Facebook page here

Here are the brief specs of Gold edition Xperia P

• 4″ 540 x 960 Display
• 1GHz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB Internal Storage
• 8 MP Rear Camera / VGA Front-facing camera
• WiFi/Bluetooth/NFC/HDMI/USB OTG
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

[Source : Android Soul]

Android is on top of the market share

Android is king again. This year's Gartner's report says this. Android‘s overall smartphone market share has jumped to 72.4% in Q3 2012, up from 52.5% in the same period last year.

Apple has got reduction. Its smartphone OS, iOS has fall down from 15% to 13.9%. Microsoft is again struggling at the bottom, its Windows Phone managed to grow from 1.5% to 2.4%. Another player, Samsung’s Bada managed to increase its market share, from 1.5% to 2.4%.

But when talk comes to sales of devices, there is the king: Samsung. Samsung sold 97,956 devices in 3Q 2012 and secured 22.9% market share, while last year it was 18.7% with sales of 82,612 devices. A few time ago, samsung announced that 30 million units of Galaxy SIII have been sold.

Nokia is on the second place holding 19.2% of the market share while Apple is on third with 5.5% of market share. Other figures are as follows.

Jelly Bean updates are available for Nexus devices to download

A good new for Nexus owners. You are getting the new Jelly Bean flavor. 

The Galaxy Nexus and Google Nexus 7 tablet are scheduled to receive the Android 4.2, JellyBean update by mid-November.This software upgrade will also come pre-installed on many devices included in Google's new Nexus line-up such as the Nexus 4, 7 and 10.

The update brings some new features to Android products including improvements to the gesture keyboard, sphere camera and new notifications style.

If you're a Galaxy Nexus owner and are ready to buy Google's latest flagship phone Nexus 4, no need to worry because you still have the option to upgrade your Galaxy Nexus to Jelly Bean. You can download the necessary file and flash the ROM. However, this update will not bring the new hardware updates present in Nexus 4.

At least 512 MB RAM otherwise no Jelly Bean for your HTC

HTC is going to serve its users with latest Android dessert, Jelly Bean.

HTC has updated their Android FAQ page. Here the manufacturer has mentioned that which devices are going to receive the most awaited taste of Android, i.e.Jelly Bean. They have clearly specified that the devices having less than 512 MB of RAM will not receive the update and they have to stick to their present OS. So it also shows that such devices will not receive any update. For Example, HTC One V and HTC Desire C users have to stick to the ICS version.

However, HTC said it will update its customers on the other devices that won’t receive Jelly Bean in the future.

Here's the updated info from HTC.

What devices will not get Android 4.1?

We work hard to ensure each of our products has the optimal user experience and therefore some products will remain at their current version of Android. In general, devices with 512MB RAM or less will not be upgraded to Android 4.1. At present, these devices include the HTC One V and the HTC Desire C. As we identify other devices that will not be upgraded, we'll provide updated information.

It should be noted that upgrades are not the same thing as ongoing support. Devices not being upgraded to Android 4.1 will still get software improvements, security fixes, and technical support.

Galaxy Cam will be released on 8 Nov in UK

Galaxy Camera will be available across the UK from November 8th. The Galaxy Camera runs Android 4.1 and has a similar interface to Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones. 

This camera doesn't make phone calls, but it can access Google Play and apps like Skype. It's a camera first and foremost, then, and has a 16-megapixel 1/2.3" sensor and an f/2.8 21x optical zoom lens to prove it.

Like some of the newest smartphones on the block, the Galaxy Camera will come running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the latest version of Android. That means better Instagram photos — and more importantly the ability to share the pictures you take with your camera instantly with friends on web.

“Wirelessly enabling Samsung’s Galaxy Camera will create a significant shift in how consumers share and communicate with photos and videos,” said Chris Penrose, senior vice president, AT&T Emerging Devices in a statement.

The camera also borrows some features from Samsung’s popular Galaxy S III smartphone such as AllShare Play, which allows you to transfer photos between other Samsung devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and Buddy Photo Share which automatically tags faces of existing device contact in photos.

Courtesy: The Verge, Mashable

30 million units of Galaxy S3 are sold

Samsung has released the sales figures and according to them, the company has sold, 30 million Samsung Galaxy S III devices worldwide. That’s quite the impressive figure, and shows a substantial growth of 10 million units in just two months. Samsung’s announcement comes on the heels of news in which the company said 3 million Galaxy Note II units have been sold across the world.

It’s fantastic news for Samsung, and Android as a whole, as we head into the busy holiday season. Samsung revealed just how much time and effort went into the making of its S III, and the numerous rave reviews — and now, sales — show it was all time well spent. With Jelly Bean rolling out to the device all over the world, the sales are expected to only increase during the final stretch of 2012.

Courtesy: The Verge

Android growth chart: Nov 2012

Google has released the growth chart of Android Versions, with new Jelly Bean.

At merely 2.7%, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean usage has jumped just 0.9% compared to September, 2012. The OS debuted exactly 6 months ago, in Jun 2012, and despite Samsung and HTC's best efforts to update their high-end devices, Jelly Bean still needs help.

Ice Cream Sandwich distribution is also on the rise clocking in at 25.8%, almost 2 points up from last month. With most manufacturers having completed their scheduled ICS updates, we don't expect this number to continue to climb. Especially with the majority shifting their attention to Jelly Bean.

Finally, Gingerbread is continuing to drop from 55.8% in September to 53.9% in October. With most devices comprising this number being low-end droids that would never see an update in their life, this number isn't likely to plummet anytime soon.

Courtesy: GSMArena

Google announces new Nexus tablets and smartphone

Google announced lots of new hardware today via blog post, after an event in New York was canceled in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy. The major announcements are:

Google Nexus 4: Nexus 4 is Google's latest smartphone, developed together with LG. It has a quad-core processor which means it's super fast, a crisp 4.7" (320 ppi) display that's perfect for looking at photos and watching YouTube, and with wireless charging you just set the phone down on a charging surface to power it up, no wires needed.

• Google Nexus 4 smartphone: Developed with LG, it features a quad-core processor, a 4.2-inch display, 8 MP Photo Sphere camera and a wireless charging feature that lets you power the phone by setting it down on a charging service. It runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and a feature called Photo Sphere for creating 360-degree panoramas. The phone goes on sale Nov. 13 for $299.

• Google Nexus 7: Nexus 7 now comes in new Wi-Fi models that are 16GB (for $199) and 32GB (for $249). Google also is making a version available with an HSPA+ cellular connection -- $32GB for $299. It's on sale Nov. 13.

• Google Nexus 10: developed with Samsung, offers what Google calls the highest-resolution screen in the tablet marketplace at 300 pixels per square inch. That 2560 by 1600 pixel display will still get nine hours of video playback, Google says. And it has an account-switching feature that lets multiple users share the tablet more easily. The 16GB model goes for for $399; the 32GB model costs for $499. It's available from Nov. 14.

Google also announced updates for Google Now and Google Play

• Google Play: More entertainment, more countries. A ton of great new entertainment items are added to Google Play, such as movies and TV shows from Twentieth Century Fox. Earlier this year the service was expanded service beyond movie rentals and now you can purchase movies and build a library of your favorites in Google Play. Movie purchasing is available in more countries - Canada, the U.K., France, Spain and Australia.

• Google Now: Its predictive-search feature that presents information on a series of cards without the user having to search. In addition to weather and traffic information, cards will now display flight information, restaurant reservations, hotel confirmations and shipping details. 

Courtesy: CNET

HTC OneX JellyBean Update in October for Asia and Europe

HTC announced that Android 4.1 would roll out for its One X and One S handsets in October, and it looks like the company has hit one of its targets.

Android Central reports that the Jelly Bean update has already started rolling out for customers with the HTC One X in Asia and Europe. The Android update will also include HTC's Sense 4+ skin, two new Gallery app views, a refreshed HTC Watch app, and Google Now. There's no word on when the update will hit in the US.

Courtesy: The Verge

Due to Hurricane Google Android event canceled

Google has cancelled a major Android event planned for Monday in New York City due to Hurricane Sandy.

The event was rumored to revolve around the launch of Android 4.2 “Key Lime Pie” and a 10-inch “Nexus 10″ tablet running on the brand-new OS. However, it’ll be at least a little longer before we see that Android update and tablet.

Google sent an email to the the people who have booked their tickets:

“We are canceling our Monday morning event in New York due to Hurricane Sandy. We will let you know our plans as soon as we know more."

It's the second time Google has postponed a launch event in recent memory — last year it moved its Ice Cream Sandwich event after the death of Steve Jobs.

However, it won't make a loss because Microsoft is going to launch Windows Phone 8 on Monday, 29 Oct 12. 

Acer Iconia Tab A110

The Nexus 7 demonstrated that consumers have an appetite for powerful yet affordable 7-inch tablets, and now Acer is making its own play in the same space. The Acer Iconia Tab A110 features a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, 1 GB of RAM, and 8 GB of internal storage, all running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The screen may fall short of the Nexus 7, but Acer has seen fit to include a microSD card slot for up to 32 GB of additional storage. 

The usual radios are onboard too, including Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0, with ports including Micro USB and Micro HDMI. A 2-megapixel front-facing camera, meanwhile, handles video-calling duties. Acer says battery life on the tablet should be good for up to seven and a half hours.

The company says that the A110 will begin shipping on October 30th in the United States and Canada, with the price set at $229.99. Acer hasn’t quite managed to match the Nexus 7 on either price or specs, and paired with Google’s admission that its own tablet is sold through at cost, it raises questions as to how viable Nvidia’s Kai program really is for manufacturers.

Specs

• 7" 1024 x 600 screen
• Nvidia Tegra 3 processor
• Android 4.1 JellyBean
• 1.2 Ghz processor
• 1 GB RAM
• 8 GB internal memory
• Micro SD Card: Upto 32 GB

Courtesy: The Verge

Gallery

Next Android event will be on 29 Oct

Google has an Android event planned for Oct. 29. Invites have begun to flood in-boxes around the Web, with a tagline that says, “The playground is open.” It might be the Android 4.2.

An invitation from Google just landed in media in-boxes for an event at 10 AM in New York City, and while the invite is light on specifics aside from a tagline reading "the playground is open," the design is unmistakably a reference to the company's Google Now interface. 

Over the past few weeks rumors are being seen building for an LG Nexus phone running stock Android and based on the company's Optimus G hardware, but leaked images purporting to be of a Sony Nexus device lend credence to months-old talk of an expanded, multi-manufacturer Nexus program.

Courtesy: The Verge

HTC J Butterfly launched

HTC has launched a new flagship Android smartphone with a 5-inch, 1080p display, called the HTC J Butterfly.

Unveiled by KDDI as the HTC J Butterfly (HTL21), this Android 4.1 device is the first announced phone to feature a 5-inch, 440ppi full-HD"Super LCD 3" panel, and it's fittingly complemented by a 1.5GHz quad-core APQ8064 underneath, making this the latest member in the small family of Snapdragon S4 Pro phones. 

The screen is indeed the star here: A 5-inch behemoth with a full HD, 1080p, 440ppi resolution, making it one of the most advanced smartphone screens out there. For comparison, the iPhone 5′s retina screen has a 640 × 1,136 resolution at 326 ppi.

The device is only 9.1mm thick, but it still has a solid 2,020mAh battery inside.

Courtesy: Mashable, Engadget

Sony's rumored Nexus X

Does it look like the upcoming Nexus phone? Photos of a smartphone, purported to be Sony’s contribution to Google’s Nexus line of devices, emerged online Sunday.

Picasa user Mutul Yeter posted two photos of the phone, called the “Sony Nexus X” to his or her only album. One photo shows the front of the rectangular phone, which features three hardware buttons, including Back and Home. Another shows its back side, which has the Google and Sony logos inscribed on the surface. The device also appears to have both front- and back-facing cameras.

Courtesy: Mashable

Galaxy SIII mini unveiled

We knew it was coming, but Samsung has officially announced the Samsung Galaxy S3′s little brother…the Galaxy S3 Mini. The device is built in a similar style to that of its big brother, but aimed at those looking for a mid-end smartphone, with a mid-end budget.

Samsung hasn't yet provided details about availability or pricing. 

“The Galaxy S3 introduced a new concept of smartphone that has proven hugely popular around the world,” says JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “We’re now delighted to bring its revolutionary design, intuitive usability and intelligence to the Galaxy S3 Mni in a more compact form. We continue to make every effort to provide extraordinary mobile experiences to meet a wide variety of user needs.”

Specs

• Android 4.1 JellyBean
• Dual core 1GHz processor
• 5mp camera
• Memory: 8/16 GB (internal), upto 32 GB (micro SD)
• RAM: 1GB
• 4.0" screen (223 pixels per inch)
• Dimensions: 121.6 x 63 x 9.9 mm 

The Galaxy SIII mini is ready to deal a serious blow to the competition in the midrange, by offering a more compact (and cheaper!) way to get the premium smartphone experience. An ambitious goal it is, but Samsung isn't afraid of a challenge.

Courtesy: The Next Web, GSMArena

[Click on images to get full view]

Samsung rolling out JellyBean

Samsung has started rolling Android 4.1.1 or Jelly Bean updates for its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S3.

It was earlier said that Galaxy S3 will receive JellyBean update on 29th of August 2012. However, it was just a rumor. But this time news are true.

The first country to receive the update is Poland, and users in other European countries can expect it soon as well — no later than October.

Samsung has also announced the full list of devices that will get the Jelly Bean upgrade sometime in the future. The devices are: Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S Advance, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Chat, Galaxy Ace 2, Galaxy Beam, Galaxy Ace Plus, Galaxy Mini 2, Galaxy S Duos, Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Music.

Sony Smartwatch: New era of watches

Sony has released the future of watches: The Smartwatch. As expected, the SmartWatch costs $150 (Rs. 6299 INR) , while those colorful wrist bands are priced at $20 a pop. 

To recap, the watch pairs with Android phones over Bluetooth, using a free app available in Google Play (if you happen to own a Sony handset, you should find that application pre-installed). Like any smartwatch worth its salt, this one lets you read emails, texts and social updates on the device. 

Wearable electronics are not really the future anymore because they are actually available now. Of course, there is a heavy initial cost of possession but they are aimed at folks who want gadgets that are simple to interact with and are lightweight or small in form.

This watch supports Apps from Google Play Store including Facebook, News etc.

Features:

• Android
• Bluetooth
• SMS
• Calls 
• Music
• Facebook-Twitter
• Mail
• Weather
• GPS
• Apps from Play Store

Official Website: http://www.sonymobile.com/gb/products/accessories/smartwatch

Gallery

500 Million Android Activations

Google’s Director of Product Management for Android, Hugo Barra, has posted on Google+ this morning to announce that 500 million Android devices have now been activated globally.

It’s a huge milestone for the company, but it’s one that will quickly be surpassed. Barra also reaffirmed that a whopping 1.3 million Android devices are now being activated every single day. That means that by the end of the year, that total figure should look a lot more like 600 million — especially with the lucrative holiday season coming up.

Barra also announced on Google+ that the company’s Jelly Bean statue (above) is now sat outside of its Mountain View headquarters again. The figure was removed after its plastic head melted in the Californian sun over the summer, but it’s now been fixed.

The milestone is a steady improvement from the announcement of 300 million Android activations back in February and 400 million at June's Google I/O conference. 

Apple used to take part in this game, regularly announcing daily iOS device activations up until 2010, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that Android surpassed iOS in 2011.