The 7 Most Hackable Android Smartphones

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HTC Evo


There are two types of people who want to buy an Android smartphone: those who simply don’t want an Apple product, and those who want to trick out their phones fancier than a Honda Civic from the set of The Fast and the Furious.

If you belong in the latter crowd, you may be familiar with at least some aspects of the hardware-modding community. But what of the layman who wants to pimp his phone and hasn’t a clue where to begin?

We’ve gathered a handful of the most mod-worthy Android phones, complete with straightforward instructions on how to fully go “Vin Diesel” on your smartphone. That is to say, we show you how to gain root access — or superuser, full-permissions status — to each phone. That allows for customization far beyond what you can accomplish with a stock device. After root is achieved, the sky’s the limit.

Warning: More often than not, rooting or unlocking your phone voids your warranty, which means you’ll get no love from your carrier’s tech-support line if you accidentally screw it up. You also run the risk of “bricking” your phone — essentially rendering it useless — when performing some of these procedures.

So, proceed at your own risk!

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Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install

The Nexus S is due to receive an over-the-air update to Android 2.3.4 over the coming weeks, but Google earned a +1 from eager fans and devs hoping to get the extra Google Talk functionality sooner. Instead of hopelessly checking for updates until the time is right, the Powers That Be are now offering the upgrade as a manual download to anyone who is already running 2.3.3 on the i9020T (the AWS-equipped model). We urge you to proceed with caution here and double-check that your phone is compatible, since those are the two requirements for the download to install properly. We’ve happily bumped one of our devices up to 2.3.4 this way without any sweat or tears, so we hope it will be a smooth experience for others as well. If you choose to be adventurous and update your Nexus S, click the source link below to download the necessary ZIP file.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install

Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink XDA-Developers  |  sourceAndroid 2.3.4 Official Download (ZIP)  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy S II GPS — it works, it really works! (video)

The biggest problem facing mankind? No, not really. But when the alien robot sentinels do eventually descend upon our puny green planet, you’ll be happy to know that your Galaxy S II smartphone will be able to get a GPS lock reliably and accurately. Samsung’s brand new flagship phone has unsurprisingly fixed whatever ailed the original Galaxy S in the satellite communications department and we’ve got the evidence for you just after the break. So click your clicking device on the clickable bit to see it.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II GPS — it works, it really works! (video)

Samsung Galaxy S II GPS — it works, it really works! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shocker! Free Android apps outnumber free iPhone apps

Good news for Android users who hate paying for stuff: according to new numbers from Netherlands-based mobile analytics group Distimo, there are now more free apps available for Google’s mobile OS than the iPhone, at 134,342 to 121,845. There are a few things to consider here: first, when one adds free iPad-only apps, the total number of gratis iOS apps increases to a more competitive 132,239. And then there’s Apple’s sometimes rigorous vetting process, which has probably played a role in its numeric slippage — after all, this report doesn’t highlight things like legality, repetition, or the overall number of apps dedicated to making farting noises. Also, Apple has a lot more premium apps, giving it the overall lead at 333,124 to 206,143 — but between Android’s rapid growth and what the report terms iOS’s relative stagnation, Distimo expects Google to take the top spot in five months’ time, outnumbering iPhone and iPad apps combined — a rough scenario for Cupertino to stomach, no doubt, but at least the company will still have Windows Phone to kick around a while longer. [Source link requires registration]

Shocker! Free Android apps outnumber free iPhone apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Appolicious  |  sourceDistimo  | Email this | Comments

Sprint starts selling Motorola Xoom WiFi (not WiMAX) May 8th for $600

We’ve gotten multiple clandestine clues that Sprint would sell the Xoom — a calendar entry here, an accessory there — but there was nary a confirming peep from the Now Network itself. Until today, when it announced that it would join the legion of retailers peddling the Wi-Fi version of Motorola’s tablet for $599.99 on May 8th. That’s right, the carrier will start selling folks the sweet Honeycomb slate soon enough, but a Xoom sans Sprint cellular data is a bit of a letdown. One question, Mr. Hesse, when will we get one with WiMAX? PR’s after the break.

Continue reading Sprint starts selling Motorola Xoom WiFi (not WiMAX) May 8th for $600

Sprint starts selling Motorola Xoom WiFi (not WiMAX) May 8th for $600 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSprint  | Email this | Comments

Android 3.1 gets namechecked by Adobe Flash Player 10.2, will be required to enjoy accelerated 720p video

Remember how Adobe said Flash 10.2 wasn’t living up to its full hardware-accelerated potential on Honeycomb thus far? Well, it seems the company’s found a solution by the name of Android 3.1. We’ve been inundated with tips (and have confirmed with Adobe) that there’s a sticky-sweet new build of Android on the way for the recent crop of slates that OEMs and carriers are rolling out, and that — just like last time — you’ll need that software to take advantage of all the hardware rendering and compositing that your Tegra 2 silicon can afford. With any luck, 720p playback won’t burn our eyeballs this time around. By the way, the Android Market item above was updated this morning to read “requires an upcoming release of Android 3” rather than “Android 3.1,” but it’s unclear whether the original number was inaccurate or whether Adobe got in trouble.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Android 3.1 gets namechecked by Adobe Flash Player 10.2, will be required to enjoy accelerated 720p video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Xoom LTE update delayed until summer, same time as Bionic launch

Motorola Xoom LTE update delayed until summer, same time as Bionic launch

Motorola’s just finished giving the news and the numbers on its quarterly financial report, and there was one bit of badness that we just had to share: the Xoom LTE upgrade has been delayed. We won’t be seeing it until summer according to Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha, which is also when we’ll be seeing the Bionic, a delay that we were already sulking about. Jha was a little vague about what the “issue” was that is causing the delay, only that whatever quality concern there is applies to both devices, and it could simply be that the company is waiting for its LTE rollout to get a little further along. Net result: one less G for Xoom owners until the summer, and no Bionic at all until then. Bummer.

In terms of the numbers: Motorola says that it shipped over 250,000 Xooms in the first quarter of the year, and managed net revenues of $3 billion. That’s up 22 percent from this time last year, which brought losses down to $.27 per share — much nicer than the $.72 in Q1 2010. Mobile device revenues were up 30 percent and 9.1 million total mobile devices were sold, of those almost half (4.1 million) were smartphones.

Motorola Xoom LTE update delayed until summer, same time as Bionic launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDroid Life, Motorola  | Email this | Comments

NFL Mobile apps bring the draft to you live tonight on iPhone, iPad and Android

The first round of the 2011 NFL Draft kicks off around 8 p.m. at Radio City Music Hall but if you’re not one of the players collecting racks on racks of cash (assuming there is a 2011 season of course) you can still get live updates via the NFL’s apps for iOS and Android devices. The NFL GameCenter apps that have been kicking around for iPhone/iPod touch and Android phones have been updated for the 2011 season in Lite (free) and Premium ($1.99) forms, and should be able to ply on the go users with live updates and information on each pick. The couch companion intended iPad app (pictured above, no Honeycomb love this go-round) is making its NFL Draft debut and adds on to the smaller format versions by including live NFL.com video streams both from within the auditorium and from the studio, video highlights and interactive features. Check out the screens for a better look at the UI or just click the source links below to download the free app of your choice — you’ll have to find the apps for tomorrow morning’s Royal Wedding on your own.

NFL Mobile apps bring the draft to you live tonight on iPhone, iPad and Android originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceiPad, Android, iPhone  | Email this | Comments

Motorola Xoom software update brings SSL and Widevine DRM, no LTE quite yet (update: pulled)

Seems like Verizon, Motorola and Google are on a bit of a security bent — the latest update for the Motorola Xoom lets you take a far more leisurely tour of the internet’s walled gardens. There’s a WPA-PSK security fix to allow choice users into your mobile hotspot, SSL for secure web browsing, Google’s Widevine DRM for viewing locked online video content and HDCP for piping it to your TV. Of course, there’s no mention of the Xoom feature we’re truly waiting for, but we’ll happily take our Bluetooth mouse support and POP3 email in the meanwhile. Droid-Life reports that this HMJ07B update will start hitting Xooms later today, but Verizon’s still got a month to make good on those LTE promises.

Update: We’re not quite sure what happened, but Droid-Life discovered that Verizon’s update-detailing PDF has been pulled, so it’s probably better to not expect an OTA upgrade later this afternoon.

[Thanks, K]

Motorola Xoom software update brings SSL and Widevine DRM, no LTE quite yet (update: pulled) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Droid-Life  |  sourceVerizon (PDF)  | Email this | Comments

Android 2.3.4 heading to Nexus S over the air, bringing video and voice chat to Gtalk

For an update with such a modest name, this is actually quite a major step forward. Google’s about to start delivering Android 2.3.4 to Nexus S devices out in the wild, and in among all the bug fixes and optimizations, users will find the addition of video and voice chat to Google Talk. You’ll be able to do it anywhere you can get a web connection going, whether by virtue of WiFi, 3G, 4G, or the force, and other Gingerbread handsets are expected to get the same improvements in time. For now, however, Google’s own-branded device is the only one enjoying the very freshest Gingerbread around.

Continue reading Android 2.3.4 heading to Nexus S over the air, bringing video and voice chat to Gtalk

Android 2.3.4 heading to Nexus S over the air, bringing video and voice chat to Gtalk originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGoogle Mobile Blog  | Email this | Comments