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Posts tagged Eclair
WIND Mobile Getting High End Motorola Milestone XT720 Android Device?
Aug 7th
This will be a nice surprise if it pans out! An inventory screenshot of the Motorola Milestone XT720 Android 2.1-powered device has been leaked from WIND Mobile, and, if true, will be the only high-end Android device to hit the new carrier, and its second Android device overall after the Huawei U8100.
The XT720 is a much better device, matching the Droid’s odd resolution of 854×480 on a 3.7″ display, 8MP camera with flash, and media controls built into the device. Were this to come to WIND, it would be a huge get for the provider whose AWS devices are looking a bit long in the tooth after the premieres of the iPhone 4, Samsung Vibrant, HTC Desire and the BlackBerry Torch. This could get a lot of people to switch over, as, knowing they will never receive the iPhone (unless T-Mobile in the US gets it) their next best smartphone option is an Android-powered device. This should be upgraded to 2.2 eventually, as the Droid, Droid X and Droid 2 are all going to get the upgrade in the coming weeks.
We’ll keep our eyes peeled for you.
(via Mobile Syrup)
HTC Desire Available From Telus for $79.99! Whoa!
Aug 6th
Seriously?
Ok, so we actually knew this was coming, but looking back at it, we didn’t realize how important this phone would be to the Canadian Android market once the iPhone 4 was released. And since Telus is wisely pricing this phone at a very cool $79.99 on a 3-year term, I have no doubt that it is going to push a lot of people weary of the iPhone’s issues over to this bad boy.
The Desire is essentially the Nexus One on steroids. Which is a very, very good thing. While it doesn’t have the same “oomph” of the Bell Samsung Vibrant, its implementation of HTC Sense is a huge advantage compared to Samsung’s attempt to “improve” Android with their own TouchWIZ3 overlay. Consider as well that the Desire is half the price of the aforementioned Bell device, and we are talking a seriously attractive deal.
As for the upgrade path of the Desire, we know that unlocked European versions of the phone have already seen Android 2.2 released officially, so while the device is being released with 2.1, it shouldn’t be long before it sees Froyo. Right, Telus?
Check out the hella cool HTC Desire at Telus’ website, or go into a store to touch one.
Samsung Gem - a Wave with Android for Verizon?
Aug 5th
Verizon peeps have all the luck. According to a leak by IntoMobile, the Samsung Gem will be a lower-cost version of the Fascinate, running Android 2.1, when it is released sometime soon. The Gem looks not-so-vaguely like the newly-released bada phone, the Samsung Wave, on which the company installed their own awful software onto some beautiful metallic hardware. Honestly, 800×480 Super AMOLED on a 3.2″ screen is GORGEOUS. That the UI and apps are wholly unusable is infuriating.
So Samsung must have taken a cue from their manufacturing process; they know they’re not selling a ton of Wave devices, so why not take the hardware as is, or close enough, and slap some Android love on it. Makes perfect sense to me. Heck, I’d buy one if the price was right.
Along with the Gem, the Fascinate will be coming to Verizon in the next few weeks as well. This is their Galaxy S variant and shows little difference to the already-released Captivate and Vibrant, on AT&T and T-Mobile respectively. Rogers will also soon be getting the Captivate, and Bell the Vibrant even sooner, this week in fact.
(IntoMobile)
T-Mobile Motorola Charm Gets Real, Android 2.1 in a Small Package
Jul 7th
Do we really need a BlackBerry-like QWERTY Android handset? Does anyone really intend to do the type of mass communications on an Android device that they readily do on their BB? I suppose there is a certain market for it. And, considering the youthful name (charm bracelet OMG), I am not exactly T-Mo’s target demographic for this phone.
What we do know is this: it sports Android 2.1 on a 2.8″ touchscreen with an updated (and hopefully more useful) MOTOBLUR skin atop the vanilla Eclair experience. On the rear is a trackpad for scrolling, similar to the one found on the Backflip. It is a feature, while totally unnecessary for the enjoyment of the device, I found very useful. It aides in one-hand usability of the phone, and on a screen this small, will prove to be quite useful when scrolling through large swathes of text. Though I certainly wouldn’t want to read an eBook on this thing.
Other features include a 3MP camera, Adobe Flash Lite (read: not really Flash), and something called CrystalTalk PLUS, which is essentially a second microphone used for noise cancellation to enhance call volume and clarity.
The thing looks promising, if a little gimicky. I can’t imagine a lot of people over the age of 15 purchasing this, but T-Mo knows that, for back to school, at $0 on contract, it’ll be quite attractive to the Eclipse crowd.
Full press release after the break:
Libertyville, Ill. — July 7, 2024 —Motorola (NYSE: MOT) today announced the upcoming availability of Motorola CHARM™, a touch screen smartphone that packs a social networking punch with Android™ 2.1, MOTOBLURTM enhancements, a compact design and a BACKTRACK™ feature that makes screen navigation even more intuitive.
Motorola CHARM is expected to be available this summer exclusively in the U.S. for customers of T-Mobile USA, Inc.
“Motorola strives to provide an increased customizable user experience, which is enabled by our latest enhancements to MOTOBLUR and featured on the new Motorola CHARM,” said Jean Pierre Le Cannellier, vice president, Americas Marketing, Motorola Mobile Devices. “Combine that with a compact design, easy handling and all the features you would expect from a smartphone, and we believe that CHARM with MOTOBLUR adds the social ability and workability consumers are looking for.”
Motorola CHARM provides consumers all the features of a smartphone with the intuitive navigation of a 2.8 inch touch screen – all in a compact, pocketable design that makes messaging a snap using the combination of a full QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. The BACKTRACK navigation pad, located on the back of the smartphone directly behind the home screen, is similar to a laptop touch panel and enables an unobstructed view of the Web, texts, e-mails and news feeds. Plus, with Android 2.1 and enhanced MOTOBLUR features, CHARM offers new customization and filtering options.
“Being social with friends and family comes naturally for T-Mobile customers, and we think mobilizing their social experiences should be effortless,” said Saj Sahay, director of product management, T-Mobile USA. “With the new Motorola CHARM and enhancements to the Android and MOTOBLUR experience, we’re bringing more social skills to our broad portfolio of Android-powered smartphones.”
Motorola CHARM will be the first device in the U.S. to feature an enhanced version of MOTOBLUR built on Android 2.1, which syncs contacts, posts, messages, photos and much more in easy to manage streams — from sources such as Facebook®, MySpace, Twitter™, Gmail™, work and personal e-mail. MOTOBLUR now allows for even greater customization, providing users more options to follow who and what really matters.
MOTOBLUR filters can be selected from a single social networking account, contacts, group or messaging account so that users can select only the information they want to stream live to the Happenings and Messages widgets. Users can move and resize pre-loaded home screen widgets to personalize up to seven home screen panels for an even more custom experience. Lastly, consumers can manage their phone’s battery consumption by selecting different power modes to conserve battery.
Contacts in MOTOBLUR are automatically synced to the phone from personal and work e-mail and social network accounts. MOTOBLUR will continue to provide convenience and peace of mind, as lost devices can be located from a secure personal information portal and even remotely erased if necessary. In addition, one user name and password brings back contacts, messages and connectivity to previously configured networks and e-mail providers.
Last, but not least, Moto Phone Portal enables you to access and manage your phone’s data from any browser through a USB or Wi-Fi connection. Edit content and view important phone information while at home or on-the-go. Leave pictures on a friend’s PC, share a video at the local Internet café or share a presentation during an important business meeting.
Additional features on Motorola CHARM include:
- Adobe® Flash® enabled Web browsing experience to view most of today’s content-rich sites
- Full suite of Google™ services including: Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™ and access to thousands of apps on Android Market™
- Pinch to zoom functionality and two-finger swipe to easily surf the Web and sort through photos
- Capture sharp photos with a 3MP camera and KODAK PERFECT TOUCH technology for better, brighter pictures
- One-touch social media uploads to Facebook®, MySpace, PicasaTM and PhotoBucket®
- CrystalTalkTM PLUS for enhanced audio and call quality with a second microphone for increased voice quality while filtering out background noise
- Corporate email pushed immediately to the device for instant inbox updates
Availability
Motorola CHARM with MOTOBLUR is expected to be available exclusively to T-Mobile USA customers this summer. For more information on Motorola CHARM with MOTOBLUR, please visithere.
Nexus One Adds 720p Video Recording Through Sheer Willpower
Jun 9th
Well, good things come to those that wait! I haven’t been around the scene in the last few days, and look what I find? It’s not the Froyo source (where is it, Google!?) but it’s something almost as good. Considering the iPhone 4 was just annouced, and will bring with it 720p video recording. charnsingh_online from XDA-Developers has worked tirelessly to dig into the Nexus One kernel and pull out a pretty big coup, considering how everyone has been talking about the newer crop of phones and their recording capabilities. Sure, the Nexus was previously able to record as a respectable 840×400 resolution, but this is a major step forward.
Sure, there are still issues with low framerates and the works, but the announcement is more a testament to the sheer power of the Android development community, the benefits of an open platform where people can pool resources. I see it every day at XDA-Developers: people thank other developers for creating great things, and then use those things to build their own things, and so forth. It’s truly inspiring, and is why I believe the Google phone, for all its distribution issues, is here to stay, at least in the geek world.
Check it out at XDA-Developers
Bell Getting HTC Legend June 16th, Telus Drops Price of Hero to Compete
Jun 2nd
It was a shock to find out that Bell was getting the successor to the HTC Hero. But now that the shock has largely worn off, I can rest easy knowing that, on June 16th, I can bang out $400 for one of these bad boys off-contract.
The HTC Legend is one hell of a device. Leaving off where the HTC Hero succeeded, the specs are only slightly better, with a slightly faster processor, more RAM, better camera with flash; but the best part of the phone is the body. Crafted from one piece of aluminum, it feels about as sleek and robust as the iPhone 3GS. It’s a phone to believe in.
Not to mention that this will be the first phone brought to Canada with HTC’s updated Sense UI, which they brought to Android 2.1 earlier this year.
Telus probably saw this launch a mile away, and seeing that Bell was launching the Legend at $79.95 on a 3-year contract, they have dropped the price of the Hero to $29.99 to compete. The Hero is still a great phone, and I recommend it over the Legend if you’re into hacking and custom ROMs, as there is a very active development community around the Hero.
The comparison, however, to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is not really fair. The X10 has a much better screen than the two other devices, and runs stock Android (with a couple additions) over HTC’s entries. That doesn’t mean that I would recommend the X10 over the Legend, because I don’t. Even with its low-resolution screen, the fact that it is AMOLED gives it added brightness and clarify over the TFT equivalent.
Definitely looking forward to reviewing this unit!
(via Mobile Syrup)
Now Live! Twitter for iPhone, Sprint Hero Gets 2.1
May 19th
What a night! First, Twitter for iPhone is released (well, it’s kind of released) and Sprint Hero customers finally get theirs!
According to various sites, T4i is being propagated through various App Stores around the world, and has yet to reach these shores. What we do know is that there are tons of new features and UI improvements, but is essentially a rebranded Tweetie 2. UPDATE: Get the app now from the app store!
In other news, Sprint has gone official with its 2.1 update for the HTC Hero. Again, nothing OTA, but you can download it from their support website.
European Motorola Milestone 2.1 Update Available, Brings Nine Homescreens
May 6th
It may not be the mid-April date that Motorola had promised so long ago, but it’s better than nothing. According to Motorola’s Facebook page European Motorola Milestone users can now get their official 2.1 update bringing with it, the option to use as many as a whopping nine homescreens. Voice dialing over Bluetooth is also an added feature that the US Motorola Droid did not receive in it’s version of 2.1 that the Milestone will receive.
Users have been reporting however that they are having issues after the update with putting their devices in the multimedia dock. Motorola has offered some advice on how to fix the problem—simply clearing out the multimedia cache should resolve the issue.
In some cases problems with docking stations have been due to old cache, try this:
1.Settings -> Applications -> Manage applications
2.Press menu button
3.Filter -> All -> Multimedia station -> Clear data
The update is available from Motorola’s Milestone support page and is currently only available as a side-loaded update but we hear that an OTA version is in the works. A PDF is available here if you need more details before you bite the bullet.
(Via Android Central)
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