Mobile Archives - Page 6 of 15

Cricket Becomes First Carrier To Offer iPhone On Prepaid Plan

As of today, Cricket Communications is the first carrier to offer a pre-paid iPhone plan. The company announced that they will begin offering the iPhone on June 22 with a plan of unlimited voice, text, and data for $55. This plan is, obviously, contract free, so the price of the iPhone will be higher, but users will not be locked in for any amount of time. They will offer the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S, $399 for the 8GB iPhone 4 and $499 for the 16GB iPhone 4S.

Because this is a CDMA network, these devices are not unlocked, and you cannot buy an unlocked version from Apple and use it on Cricket’s network. It must be bought directly from Cricket, and they are currently not offering the iPhone online so you will need to call and order via phone or in-store until they do so. This should be a pretty big deal for any Cricket users trying to find their next high-end smartphone, and it’s another big step for pre-paid carriers in the US. The iPhone has finally started to branch out here in the states after going to Verizon, then spreading to Sprint and trickling down to smaller carriers such as Cricket. We’re still nowhere near the UK when it comes to purchasing any phone and taking it to any network, but it’s nice to see steps in that direction. Be sure to give your Cricket store a call on June 22 to pick up a shiny new iPhone.

Is This The Google Nexus Tablet Passing Through At The FCC?

Google’s annual developer conference, Google I/O is a tad bit less than a month away. The conference, which opens on June 27th in San Francisco will bring out a slew of new Google product news.

We are all expecting to hear more about the Google Chrome Box, Google Glass and the rumored Google Nexus tablet. Google is rumored to be launching a seven inch tablet to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire in size, price and content delivery.

Our friends at Phone Arena are reporting by way of Engadget and the FCC that the Asus MeMo Pad 370T has just crossed the desks of the FCCs approval center in Columbia Maryland.

So why is this significant to the Google Nexus Tablet?

Well Asus showed off the seven inch Tegra 3 powered device at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas back in January. However they immediately shelved it when rumors started swirling that Asus had been tapped for the wi-fi only Google tablet.

PhoneArena and others, speculate (with good reason) that the MeMo Pad 370T that the FCC is seeing right now, is in fact the Google tablet without the internal name changed.

We all seem to be in agreement that the Google Nexus tablet will be at least one of the devices given away at Google IO. Seeing it cross the FCC at the tail end of May, further solidifies that thinking.

Source: PhoneArena

Flipboard For Android Branches Out From GSIII And Enters Beta

Flipboard, the ever-popular iOS newsreader, was supposed to be coming to Android via the Galaxy S III. Not a stupid decision on the developers of Flipboard’s part, as the device locked in 9 million preorders. However, the Android community made sure that the Flipboard for Android application was successfully leaked and made available to everyone. And it worked surprisingly well.

The reason Flipboard decided to release their app on one major device was to make sure that it ran perfectly because apps like Flipboard bank on gorgeous visuals. But Flipboard did fine on most people’s phones, and after an OTA update the devs rolled out it ran even better, and I’ve actually been using it on a few of my devices since. Now that the GSIII has (sort of) launched across the globe, Flipboard is even closer to making their app officially available to all Android devices. They are going to publish a very strict beta that will allow users to find any remaining bugs, report them, and help Flipboard get everything nice and polished.

Android fragmentation makes it hard for developers to make sure their apps work the way they are supposed to on all devices, so it’s not uncommon that we see betas, public or private, to help them make sure things are running smoothly. In this case, Flipboard has made a lot of right decisions by keeping users in check with a “beta” tag, and not pushing an “official release” until they know they are ready for one. The Flipboard APK is all over the interwebs right now, but you can grab the official download here (directly from the Flipboard team) if you don’t already have it.

Google-Asus Nexus Tablet Shows Up On Benchmark Result Site

A lot of evidence points to Google working with Asus to bring us the first Nexus tablet. We first heard the idea a few months back, with news that it would be a 7-inch tablet that would finally put the Kindle Fire to bed. Asus has done a stellar job with Android tablets in the past, so it makes sense for Google to choose them as the official hardware manufacturer for the first Nexus tablet. With a 7-inch screen, the Nexus tablet would not be in direct competition with the iPad, which is clearly dominating the tablet market as of right now, so it is smart for Google to put a slightly different spin on things.

The Nexus tablet was rumored to come withe the next version of Android, JellyBean (or whatever Google actually calls it), and RightWare’s Benchmark site has given us even more insight on things. A device called the Google Asus Nexus 7 showed up with results on the site, leading us to believe that this was Google and Asus’s 7-inch Nexus tablet. The device is running JRN51B, which could very well be JellyBean right before our eyes. This falls right in line with Ice Cream Sandwich’s versions, and it would make sense that we start seeing more of this device because of the proposed July release date. Is this sure evidence of a 7-inch Nexus tablet? Not completely, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Source: Android Central

Samsung Galaxy S III Launches Globally, Pebble Blue Version Still Battling Availability Woes

Samsung’s Galaxy S III is easily one of the most hyped phones of the year, and today it has finally become available for purchase (kind of). In 28 countries across the globe (the US not being one of them) the GSIII is can be purchased and put on a mobile carrier, with the sales starting from an official Samsung store in Westfield Stratford City. However, the device can only be sold from this outlet to customers who preordered the device.

The device should be available to more people in the coming days, as more outlets will begin stocking and selling the device. In the UK, there is also a delay of the Pebble Blue version of the phone, with many of the major carriers not expecting the stock of those devices to arrive until June 5th, well after the initial release of the device. Most UK carriers have the Pebble Blue GSIII listed as “out of stock”, with the white version still being available to purchase.

Along with the device itself, Samsung is also launching what they call their all-in-one music service that will be integrated with Galaxy line handsets. The free version allows users to purchase and stream their music, while the paid version will allow unlimited streaming of content and users will be able to upload their own music as well. We will be sure to keep you updated on the launch of the GSIII and when it will be available to everyone, including those of us in the US.

Source: Samsung Korea

Facebook Preparing For Mobile Hardware Battle?

Reports are coming hot and heavy this Memorial Day weekend, that Facebook is reinvigorating it’s “Facebook Phone”. Business Insider and the New York Times are staying on top of the story.

According to SAI (sourced to the New York Times) Mark Zuckerberg is personally vetting engineers to join the Facebook team. According to reports he has several iPhone engineers and even an iPad engineer making the shift from Cupertino to Menlo Park.

Zuckerberg has been apparently asking all kinds of tough questions of his new Facebook Phonre recruits, including what chips are in the iPhone.

Potential investors were reportedly concerned about Facebook’s mobile presence when Zuckerberg took Facebook on their pre-IPOD road show.

There is no time frame for the reported release of the Facebook Phone. The device has been rumored for the past three years.

Last year Facebook endorsed two HTC Android devices, the HTC Salsa and the HTC Cha Cha. Both devices featured deep Facebook integration including a dedicated Facebook button on the front of both phones. Despite the social network having over 800 million members, the HTC Salsa and HTC Cha Cha were just marginal selling phones.

The HTC Cha Cha debuted in the US on AT&T. Despite having heavy Facebook integration and even being the sponsor phone for a reunited Blink 182 tour, the Status didn’t even last a quarter.

So why do they think they’ll have better success? Well one piece of the puzzle is an app store. Facebook already had some heavy hitters developing apps for the Facebook platform. Zynga was even able to grow large enough to go public based on the success of their Facebook social games.

Zynga and Facebook have been working hand in hand together now for years. Zynga may be waiting for the offices Facebook phone before releasing mobile versions of their blockbuster hits FarmVille and CityVille.

Facebook’s mobile apps are consistently top five in all other app stores. They just recently release the Facebook camera app which provides deep integration with Facebook, and the ability to post up to 30 photos at a time to Facebook. The Facebook camera may explain the reasoning behind the purchase of Instagram and Light Box

Bye Bye Cisco Cius Android Tablet

If you haven’t heard of the Cisco Cius Android tablet you are not alone. That may be the reason that Cisco has decided to stop manufacturing the hybrid business phone tablet device.

The Cisco Cius was not marketed to direct consumer channels. Instead Cisco was hoping to make the device a must have for enterprise customers.

PC World’s Tony Bradley suggests that it’s this direct to enterprise philosophy that ultimately resulted in the devices death. More and more companies are supporting the BYOD (bring your own device) mantra and with employees bringing their own iPads or Samsung Galaxy Tabs to work, there’s no room for a $750 enterprise Android tablet that can’t even access the Google Play Store.

Cisco’s OJ Winge reiterated that sentiment in a Cisco blog post “These stats underscore a major shift in the way people are working, in the office, at home and on-the-go, a shift that will continue to gain momentum.”

This isn’t the first innovative Cisco product to disappear from the company’s line up, last year they discontinued the Flip camera which was very popular with consumers.

Source: PC World

Samsung Galaxy S III Could Be Hitting T-Mobile Next Month With Galaxy Note Following Soon After

The Samsung Galaxy S III has been one of the most anticipated phones of the year, and the Galaxy Note was one of Samsung’s most successful devices as of late. While the GSIII hasn’t launched yet (and will internationally on May 29 and in the US this summer), the Galaxy Note has been on AT&T for a while now. Lucky for T-Mobile users, both of these devices could be heading to their beloved carrier in the coming months. Our friends at TmoNews have gotten some insight on when these devices could potentially be hitting the network.

Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB Metallic Blue – June 20th
Samsung Galaxy S III 32GB Metallic Blue – June
Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB Ceramic White – July 11th
Samsung Galaxy Note – July 11th

These dates go hand in hand with what we’ve heard for the timeline of the GSIII launch here in the US, although it doesn’t make sense that they launch the white version in 16 GB only and so long after the Metallic Blue version, especially because of the production issues Samsung has been having with the blue version. However, Samsung told us summer was when these devices would be hitting, and if T-Mobile is getting these devices in June/July other carriers most likely will not be too far behind. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the GSIII launch in the US.

Source: TmoNews

Nvidia Announces Lofty Plans For 30 Tegra 3 Devices

Nvidia just held their annual investor meeting. They unveiled a lot of plans for the remainder of 2012 and for the beginning of 2013.

Nvidia General Manager Mike Rayfield said that we will see 30 devices utilizing the Nvidia Tegra 3 chip set and it’s 4+1 core architecture. That’s compared to the 15 devices with Tegra 2 chip sets that were released in 2011.

One of the biggest issues with the Nvidia chip is it’s ability to play nice with 4G/LTE radios. Their Icera 410 LTE modem was just certified for use on AT&T’s 4G/LTE network. They will eventually replace the Icera 410 with the Icera 500 soon.

What’s even better news for Nvidia is that they will release a bundled chip with the Icera 500 and the Tegra series processor. The bundled chipset will be known as “Grey”. The first Grey devices will be released in 2013, most likely at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January or Mobile World Congress in February.

source: PhoneArena

Facebook To Buy Opera, To Gain More Of A Footprint In Mobile

In a move that makes as much sense as buying a company for $1 billion only to release an application just like it weeks later, rumor has it Facebook is looking to buy Opera. Facebook, which is now having to go before the SEC over how it handled its IPO is rumored to want to buy the Browser. Facebook which listed Mobile as a major interest in it’s IPO filing is quickly pushing full steam ahead to build it’s Mobile footprint. Which the acquisitions of Lightbox, Instagram and others Facebook looks to be pushing forward to the often rumored and mythical Facebook Phone.

With getting closer and closer to 1 billion users, having a browser will no doubt send shock waves in what is already a fierce battle between Google with Chrome and Microsoft with Internet Explorer. With the addition of a browser, rumored Application store, buying/built a Camera interface with Instagram and it’s own newly released iOS application, Lightbox for gallery. The only thing left for a full on blitz is an operating system. However after seeing what Amazon did with the Kindle, could a Forked Android version be what Facebook is soon to be looking at building or would buying RIM for it’s Blackberry OS finally push FB into building it’s own phone.

Source: Pocket-lint

Facebook Launches “Facebook Camera” For iPhone, Upload Up To 30 Photos At Once

Eerily close to their acquisition of the hit photo-sharing app, Instagram, Facebook has just launched a new photo-sharing app for iPhone called Facebook Camera. Facebook Camera is what you would expect it to be–an app that allows you to take pictures and add them to Facebook. This may seem simple enough, so much so in fact, that it is unnecessary to have, however, there are a few features that make it much easier to use than the iOS camera or just the Facebook app itself.

Facebook Camera has a completely new UI from what we have come to know in the official app, and it is actually very intuitive and easy-to-use. You can view a very streamlined version of your Facebook news feed that shows all of the photos your friends have uploaded and tagged, and you can also view their profiles (profiles only show pictures as well. When viewing your “me” stream you can scroll through your camera roll and pick the photos you would like to upload. You can add up to 15 effects to each photo, crop them, tag them, and upload up to 30 at a time. This is what sets this app apart from other photo uploading apps. When you have a ton of photos to upload via mobile, Facebook Camera would definitely be the quickest and easiest way to do so, that is, if you use Facebook. You can take pictures directly from the app, however, for some reason you can’t actually delete them. The app did just launch today though, so it’s understandable that they have a few things to work through.

Facebook Camera is a pretty nice app and if used for its strong points, can really be productive to have installed. It is a little strange that they launch this app right after the Instagram acquisition, but that was a pretty out-of-nowhere purchase to begin with, and it wouldn’t be surprising to find out that the team working on Facebook Camera had no idea it was going to happen. Either way, it’s here, so be sure to check it out in the App Store and let us know what you think in the comments.

Launching Tonight Yahoo’s Answer To Chrome, I Think

Yahoo, tonight is launching what they are calling a “Chrome Killer”. But there is a problem, as you can see right now you can download a plugin to use it on…guess what? Chrome.

I don’t get it either. As of now, when you go to axis.yahoo.com you are able to “Download it now”(Chrome Extension) view a video of it or see an ad for it. While having a new choice in browsers is nice, I’m still not sure why Yahoo will try something else it’ll fail at instead of fixing their problems they have now. Visually, it looks good until you realize how much quicker Chrome is to use, and return to using it.

Jury Finally Reaches A Unanimous Verdict On Google Vs Oracle Case

Good news for Google and Android fans everywhere, the jury of the Google vs Oracle case has finally made a decision. The verdict, which was actually unanimous, was that Google is not infringing on Oracle’s patents, and that they are perfectly fine to use their API’s in Android’s coding. Oracle began the lawsuit in 2010 when they acquired Sun Microsystems, and Google had been using Java in Android before the deal happened. Google defended themselves by saying they weren’t aware of the patents they were allegedly infringing on, and that their operating system was also free to license.

Oracle didn’t believe this to be true obviously, but the jury decided they did today. After asking a technical question about the legal definition of certain phrases within the patents themselves, the jury was again in deliberations and decided on a verdict 30 minutes later. Google made the following statement about the win: “Today’s jury verdict that Android does not infringe Oracle’s patents was a victory not just for Google but the entire Android ecosystem.” This is definitely a big step for Google in the many patent woes they have encountered with Android, but sadly, not everything has been cleared up for Android. Apple and Samsung are still going at it, and patents continue to be a problem for one of the world’s largest mobile OS’s.

Source: CNET

Android Developers Introduces An Amazing App Analytics Tool You’ll Really Appreciate

Earlier this month we told you about Appreciate, your personal Android app store. With the Appreciate app you get recommended apps based on the apps you have on you already have on your #Android phone and apps based on what your friends like as well.

Israeli startup Triapodi has already had tremendous success with Appreciate, because of their “Appreciate Relevance Engine”.

Now they’ve opened up something very exciting for developers. Appreciate, for all intents and purposes, has opened up their backend for developers to see and organized it in an easy to understand and visually appealing UI that they call Appreciate STATS.

If you’re among the hundreds of thousands of people who have already downloaded Appreciate, you’ll agree it is a must-have free app that cuts through the clutter of the Google Play Android Market to help users get the most out of their mobile experience by delivering apps perfectly tailored to individual interests. Appreciate is also the only comprehensive Social App Market for Android, empowering users to locate others within the Appreciate community, and to discover and install apps that are being used by people with common interests.

If you’re a developer, marketer or simply an observer of the Android world, making sense of the marketplace is often a crapshoot. Appreciate STATS, available for public use starting on or about May 21, 2012, provides exclusive, powerful insights into the Android consumer and individual apps based on the real usage of hundreds of thousands of Appreciate users. Appreciate STATS goes far beyond rankings based on the mere number of downloads to deliver detailed, segmented information about the usage of the most popular apps and the efficiency of individual app pages.

Appreciate has opened up an unheard of amount of data for developers.
You can see the most popular apps, demographic data, apps that are like the most popular apps, engagement, even “Android Market Funnel” that gives developers a break down based on sex.

Appreciate also gives great data about devices as well. Like Millennial Media’s Mobile Mix report, Appreciate provides real data on handsets based on the handsets that download the Appreciate personal app store app and the handsets that then in turn download apps. This can be very valuable to a developer because they developer will know which handsets they need to develop for.

The stats dashboard offers developers data filters as well:

Geography: North America, Europe and Asia
Gender
Age Group: 13-20,20-25,25-30,30-40 and 40+
Category: Multimedia, Lifestyle, Sports,Social, Health,Books,Tools, Travel,Shopping

As you can see Appreciate has opened up a treasure trove of data for developers. Data, that until now was absent from their arsenal.

Check it out today at stats.appreciate.mobi oh and did we mention it’s free?