09 · 02

Verizon Selling Certified Pre-owned DROID Xs?

Now this news is just plain weird.  Verizon appears to be pushing a new lineup of “Certified Pre-owned” devices and one of them happens to be the Droid X which we all know keeps getting pushed back (9/15 now).  Smart idea…I guess?  You can snag one for just $149 instead of the $199 price tag for the real un-owned version.  Wait, only a $50 difference?  Oh, and you may have to wait a while as the “certified” not-so-surprisingly enough happens to be out of stock as well.

Thoughts?

09 · 02

Samsung Confirms Android 3.5 Honeycomb For Tablets

Samsung is on a roll here. They announced the Galaxy Tab and along with it, they mentioned Google’s Android version 3.5 will be coming for their tablets in the future. During the Q&A session they mentioned that they will have larger tablets coming in the future, that will be based on Android 3.5 Honeycomb, which Google has not even announced yet.

Samsung did say that the Galaxy Tab will be upgraded to 3.0 Gingerbread when it is available (expected late this year.) Nothing for Honeycomb was confirmed at all from Samsung, but they did mention it will be tailored more for larger screen tablets. Until we get more details on this, head on over to our Galaxy Tab hands on HERE and tell us what you think.

[via SlashGear]

09 · 02

Google responds to Steve Jobs' comments on activation numbers

Steve Jobs

Apple held an event yesterday that introduced new iPods and the new Apple TV. [See complete coverage at TiPb.] CEO Steve Jobs was, of course, on stage and didn't hesitate to take some shots at Google and Android. 

Eric Schmidt stated last month that 200,000 Android devices were being activated everyday. That's a staggering number and shows how fast the mobile OS has grown in the past year. Jobs wasn't so certain that the numbers were accurate.

Quote from Jobs yesterday:

"We think some of our friends are counting upgrades in their numbers"

Obviously directed at Android, Google responded quickly, confirming the stat and clarifying what numbers they tally:

"The Android activation numbers do not include upgrades and are, in fact, only a portion of the Android devices in the market since we only include devices that have Google services."

Jobs took a couple other shots at Google at the event; perhaps he should get his facts straight before he attacks the competition. It's good to hear a clarification from Google, though, as no one was really sure what exactly counted as far as activations. [Fortune]

09 · 02

60% Of Apps In Android Market Are Free (Vs. 30% Or Less In Other App Stores)

Distimo yesterday published its latest report, once again zooming in on the pricing of mobile applications across a variety of platforms.

Consistent with its previous findings, Google’s Android Market has by far the largest share of free applications available compared to other mobile app store, but the gap is also widening.

In July 2010, 60% of all applications on Android Market were free of charge, representing an increase of 3% since May 2010 when it was 57%.

As you can tell from the graph below, that share is more than double the share of free apps on other mobile app stores, with the exception of Palm’s App Catalog (albeit barely).

The share of free applications is smallest on Windows Marketplace for Mobile (22%), followed by the Apple App Store for iPad (26%) and RIM’s BlackBerry App World (26%).

(click image for full size)

Let’s take a closer look at the prices of paid apps across mobile application stores.

Distimo posits that the average price of the 100 most popular apps in Android Market and Palm’s App Catalog is higher than the average price of the entire catalogue of applications.

While the average price of all applications is only 16% higher in the Apple App Store for iPad than in the App Store for iPhone, the average price of the 100 most popular applications is nearly three times as high in the former.

More than 60% of applications are priced below or equal to $2 in the App Store for iPhone, Android Market, Nokia’s Ovi Store and Palm’s App Catalog. The proportion of applications priced
below or equal to $2 is much lower in the App Store for iPad and Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

Notably, it seems prices of apps for iOS devices are on the rise. The proportion of paid applications priced below $1 on the Apple App Store for iPad and Apple App Store for iPhone has decreased in both in July 2010, from 30% to 25% and from 49% to 45%, respectively.

(click image for full size)

(click image for full size)

09 · 02

Samsung Galaxy Tab Officially Announced

It is official everyone, Samsung has announced the Galaxy Tab in their press release as expected. It has all the goodies that we have been hearing about and have expected. It is a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 touchscreen with Android 2.2 aboard, and Samsung’s TouchWiz skin is sitting on top. Powering it is the 1GHz Hummingbird processor, that will support Flash 10.1 and with 16GB or 32GB model options.

The 3G options incorporated into the device are HSUPA-capable triband 900/1900/2100 modem (along with quadband GSM/EDGE), also with that we have WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0. There is a 1.3 megapixel camera on front for video chatting and a 3 megapixel camera on rear. Samsung is claiming that they will have a talk time of up to 1,000 minutes and 1,500 hours of standby which is saying a lot for the battery life. No official word on the pricing is available yet but they say it will be available, in mid September for Europe followed by, Korea, US and Asia in the coming months. Feel free to check out the press release below and we have some hands on pictures and videos coming really soon.

Press Release

“Samsung GALAXY Tab Opens a New Chapter in Mobile Industry

A New Smart Media Device, surpasses mobile boundaries, allowing you to enjoy more possibilities on the go

Berlin, Germany, September 2nd, 2010 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in mobile technology, today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Tab (Model: GT-P1000). Powered by Android Operating System 2.2, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is the first of the company’s tablet devices, representing a new category of mobile products for Samsung.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab brings together all of Samsung’s leading innovations to provide users with more capabilities while on the move. Consumers are able to experience PC-like web-browsing and enjoy all forms of multimedia content on the perfectly sized 7-inch display, wherever they go. Moreover, users can continuously communicate via e-mail, voice and video call, SMS/MMS or social network with the optimized user interface.

“Samsung recognizes the tremendous growth potential in this newly created market and we believe that the Samsung GALAXY Tab brings a unique and open proposition to market. There is a new and emerging consumer demand that Samsung can satisfy since mobile is in our DNA. This demand continues to grow and develop as users tap its limitless potential,” said JK Shin, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “The Samsung GALAXY Tab has been designed to enable consumers to maximize their online experience wherever that may be. The Samsung GALAXY Tab is pushing the market in new directions and Samsung believes this is only the beginning of its innovations as pioneers in smart media devices.”

A new concept of mobility for media

As a new category of device, the Samsung GALAXY Tab brings a wealth of mobile experiences. Its striking 7” TFT-LCD display delivers exciting mobile experience for watching films, viewing pictures, e-reading or sharing documents. In design, its light (380g) build provides perfect portability, with its svelte dimensions making it easy to grip and use. Supporting the latest Adobe Flash Player 10.1, the Samsung GALAXY Tab fully supports swift, seamless viewing of every single page of the web.

The ‘Readers Hub,’ Samsung’s unique e-reading application, provides easy access to a vast digital library – from classical literature to the latest bestsellers and reference materials. At the same time, Samsung unveils ‘Media Hub,’ a gateway to a world of films and videos, and ‘Music Hub,’ an application giving access to a wide range of music tunes.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab has made rich communication truly mobile; it presents a level of converged technology that moves beyond mobile or PC to an entirely new category. Users have new powers to consume, create and communicate from wherever they are.

Powerful, always-on communication

With 3G HSPA connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth® 3.0, the Samsung GALAXY Tab enhances users’ mobile communication on a whole new level. Video conferencing and push email on the large 7-inch display make communication more smooth and efficient. For voice telephony, the Samsung GALAXY Tab turns out to be a perfect speakerphone on the desk, or a mobile phone on the move via Bluetooth® headset.

Powered by a Cortex A8 1.0GHz application processor, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is designed to deliver high performance whenever and wherever you are. At the same time, HD video contents are supported by a wide range of multimedia formats (DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263, H.264 and more), which maximizes the joy of entertainment.

While the front-facing camera allows face-to-face video telephony over 3G, the rear-facing camera captures still images and video that you can edit, upload and share, all without any hassle. As online content explodes, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is the best portable solution for every lifestyle that needs a constant connection.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab will be launched in Europe in mid September, and in other markets including Korea, the US and Asia in coming months.

Note to Editors:

For multimedia content of the Samsung GALAXY Tab, please access to the Samsung GALAXY Tab Social Media News Room (http://galaxytab.samsungmobile.com/press)

Applications of the Samsung GALAXY Tab
The Samsung GALAXY Tab is packed with services to complement and enhance your life in different ways. Access to Android Marketplace lets users download apps and personalize their device infinitely. In addition, there are pre-loaded applications uniquely designed and optimized for Samsung smart phones and smart media devices.

Readers Hub – Samsung Readers Hub consolidates e-reading applications such as eBooks, magazines, and newspapers. Users can enjoy ‘reading’ with unified and intuitive user experience powered by global eReading service leaders, Kobo, PressDisplay and Zinio. More than 2 million books including today’s best sellers, over 2,500 titles of magazines in 20 languages and more than 1,600 newspapers in 47 languages are available at launch and will grow the library gradually.

Google Mobile Services – Services like Google Maps™ Navigation (Beta) and Google Goggles are available on Google’s Android platform. With useful location-based services like Google Maps, consumers can search in Standard English instead of entering an exact address. A search-by-voice function is just as intuitive, meaning searches can also be completed easily on the go. Google Goggles is a powerful, visual search tool that uses the Samsung GALAXY Tab’s camera to uncover information – an image of a landmark or artwork is automatically used to perform a search, delivering relevant content like a description or history. In addition, with a camera, users can enjoy various augmented reality services which are downloadable in the application market.

More applications will be available from Samsung Apps.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab (GT-P1000) Product Specifications

Network: 2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE) : 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
3G (HSUPA 5.76Mbps, HSDPA 7.2Mbps) : 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
OS: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
Display: 7.0 inch TFT-LCD, WSVGA (1024 x 600)
Processor: Cortex A8 1.0GHz Application Processor with PowerVR SGX540
Camera: 3 MP Camera with Auto-Focus and LED Flash
1.3MP front camera for Video Telephony
Value-added Features:
Android Market™ and Samsung Apps for more applications and contents
Readers Hub, Media Hub* , Music Hub*, Social Hub
*Availability will be decided by market preference.
Adobe Flash 10.1 player support
Full HD video playback, Thinkfree Office, Swype, Hybrid Widget
Connectivity: 30 pin connector
WiFi 802.11n / Bluetooth® 3.0
Sensor: Gyroscope sensor, Geo-magnetic sensor, Accelerometer, Light sensor
Memory: 16G / 32G internal memory with up to 32G external memory slot
RAM: 512 MB
Size: 190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98mm, 380g
Battery: 4,000mAh (7 hour movie play)
* All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.
* Android, Android Market, Google, Google Search, Gmail, and Google Maps are trademarks of Google, Inc.”

Kyle Reddoch

I am an aspiring Web Developer, Android Fanatic, Family Man, and all around Web Geek! I also do Freelance Development work.

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