Sony Ericsson Xperia 10 officially debuts on AT&T: $130 on contract

If ever there were a place for using the phrase “it’s about time,” this would be it. If you’ll recall, we heard rumors that Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X10 would be headed to AT&T as far back as November of last year, possibly proving just how grueling the certification process is for getting a handset onto Ma Bell’s network. Those whispers flared up again back in April, and our hunches about yesterday’s tease seem to be confirmed today. The Android-powered X10 (v1.6 so far as we can tell, but the PR carefully dodges the issue) will be available for consumers starting on August 15th, with the handset boasting a 4-inch touchpanel, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, inbuilt GPS, 8.1 megapixel camera (with LED flash), 8GB of onboard memory, a 2GB flash card and a couple of SE’s own apps atop the stock Android build (Mediascape and Timescape). AT&T’s claiming that this bad boy will set you back $149.99 on a 2-year service plan, but Sony’s saying that it can be picked up in a local Sony Style store for $20 less. Oh, and if you wait a week, it’ll be $49.99 on contract over at Amazon. Decisions, decisions.

Update: Yep, it’s Android 1.6. Commence weeping.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Sony Ericsson Xperia 10 officially debuts on AT&T: $130 on contract

Sony Ericsson Xperia 10 officially debuts on AT&T: $130 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Dynamics’ GD300 is the Pip-Boy that runs Android

Yes, we totally stole this headline from our Spanish colleagues, but they summed it up perfectly — the General Dynamics Itronix GD300 is right out of Fallout 3, well ahead of HP’s model. It’s a full-on wrist- or chest-mounted GPS unit with an unspecified version of Android at the helm, designed to deliver both real-time global positioning (with a SiRFstarIII chip and stubby quad-helix antenna) and connect to tactical radios. The eight-ounce ruggedized plastic package is MIL-STD 810G tested for durability and holds a 600MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 256MB of memory, 8GB flash storage and a 3.5-inch, 800 x 480 “glove-friendly” and “sunlight readable” touchscreen display. That’s only about as powerful as your average consumer smartphone, but you’re not going to be painting targets on your Nexus One, we suppose. No word on whether it will pick up post-apocalyptic radio stations as your mission unfolds. We’ve got a close-up photo and press release after the break, and you can find the full brochure at our source link.

Continue reading General Dynamics’ GD300 is the Pip-Boy that runs Android

General Dynamics’ GD300 is the Pip-Boy that runs Android originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 08:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC’s 4.3-inch Desire HD shows up on video

We saw our first images of the Desire HD over the weekend, and just as day follows night, video leaks typically follow pictorial ones. You’ll already be familiar with the mooted specs — including 720p HD video recording, WVGA screen resolution, and an 8 megapixel imager — so what else does this handset tour reveal? Well, the family resemblance to HTC’s other 4.3-inchers is inevitably apparent to see, with the Desire HD sticking its headphone port at the bottom just like the HD2, and employing a dual LED flash à la the EVO 4G. Beyond that, it looks like yet another well rounded device from the prolific Taiwanese phone maker — hurry past the break to see it for yourself.

[Thanks, Cj]

Continue reading HTC’s 4.3-inch Desire HD shows up on video

HTC’s 4.3-inch Desire HD shows up on video originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy pegs Droid 2 at $199 with 2-year activation, $599 without (updated)

It’s rather astounding to believe we’ve come this far without Verizon or Motorola so much as recognizing the Droid 2’s existence, but with leaks like this on a weekly basis who needs traditional marketing? Astute reader Greg from North Carolina tells us his local Best Buy has those leaked dummy units out on shelves, and lo and behold, there’s a set of price tags right next to them. As originally rumored, the phone will launch at $199 with carrier subsidy and $599 should you choose to cart it home without a plan in tow. Still no solid confirmation of that August 12 release date, but at this rate we expect the handset may sell out before Verizon’s PR team breathes a word. Spot the full image after the break.

Update: On a related note, the original Droid is now “out of stock” on Verizon’s website.

Update 2: Oh what the hell, dropped in an official “coming soon” Droid 2 advertising supplement making its way into newspapers.

[Thanks, Greg and Jeremy C.]

Continue reading Best Buy pegs Droid 2 at $199 with 2-year activation, $599 without (updated)

Best Buy pegs Droid 2 at $199 with 2-year activation, $599 without (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony teases something smarter, our money’s on Xperia

Sony’s website is slowly ticking down the hours, minutes and seconds until the company’s latest product launch, but like all other Sony teasers in recent memory, there’s little real doubt. If references to “X10” peppered through the site’s source code left any doubt, this picture should clear it up — mark our words, that’s an Xperia X10 underneath the clock. Apparently the four-inch Android smartphone is finally ready for its US debut, though whether it’s “smarter” or no will probably depend on which version of the OS it ships with. Expect an AT&T launch, and be sure to read our full review.

Update: As numerous commenters and tipsters have pointed out, Sony hasn’t gone to much trouble to hide what’s going on — all you need to do to see the trademark Xperia logo is drop that image into a photo editor and crank up the brightness.

[Thanks, Jason]

Sony teases something smarter, our money’s on Xperia originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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QNAP’s QMobile app enables multimedia NAS streaming to Android and iOS

Got yourself a QNAP NAS, do you? If you’re also in legal possession of an Android or iOS-based device, you could soon be streaming your dusty Boyz II Men and / or Our Lady Peace jams straight from your network. Over the past month, the outfit has released QMobile apps for both Android and iOS, enabling everything from Google’s Nexus One to Apple’s iPod touch, iPad and iPhone to remotely stream images, tunes and videos so long as their NAS is online (and connected to a halfway decent broadband line). The app is said to work just fine over 3G or WiFi, and there’s even a My Jukebox feature that essentially acts as a shuffle system for those who aren’t too picky about what comes through. Both apps are available now in the Android Market and App Store for no charge, but you’ll probably want to tap those source links and update your NAS management software to v3.3.0 before trying any fancy business. Video promo is past the break, if you need some encouragement.

Continue reading QNAP’s QMobile app enables multimedia NAS streaming to Android and iOS

QNAP’s QMobile app enables multimedia NAS streaming to Android and iOS originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 01:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Augen’s Kmart tablet and smartbook won’t have Google-branded apps from now on

The future for Augen’s $150 tablet and $100 smartbook isn’t looking good — not only do the blue-light specials have slow processors and resistive touchscreens, but their official Google app privileges have just been revoked. To be fair, Android Market actually wasn’t working on either device from the get-go, but Augen just sent us a statement confirming that the entire proprietary suite (including Market, Gmail and more) was preloaded on the devices without Google’s permission, and won’t appear on new batches that make it to store shelves. Augen says it’s working with Google to secure rights to these apps for new products further down the road, but if you want a dirt-cheap mass market Android device with these apps preinstalled, you’d best head on down to Kmart… assuming they’re finally in stock, of course. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Augen’s Kmart tablet and smartbook won’t have Google-branded apps from now on

Augen’s Kmart tablet and smartbook won’t have Google-branded apps from now on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Desire HD spotted in the wild with EVO-like form factor, Android 2.2 on board?

Well, would you look at that — it’s an Android 2.2 handset with a giant screen, HTC watermark and plenty of similarities to (though apparently no front-facing camera like) the EVO 4G. Could this be the 4.3-inch, 1GHz HTC Desire HD? That’s what a Hong Kong forum claims, and we’ve no doubt we’ll have pseudo-confirmation at some point soon given how quickly and thoroughly handsets are leaking out these days.

HTC Desire HD spotted in the wild with EVO-like form factor, Android 2.2 on board? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5 Things Google Still Needs to Fix in Android

Any day now, the Evo 4G is going to get an over-the-air update to Android 2.2 (aka Froyo), complete with marquee features such as the ability to play Flash video and share contact details over Bluetooth. But after spending every day with a Motorola Droid, now running Android 2.1, we can think of plenty of smaller things we wish Google would work on instead.

High on our list, for instance: Make spellcheck work consistently across the platform and sync with business-grade Google Apps calendars. If Flash support won’t even allow you to watch Hulu videos on your phone (Hulu cruelly blocks mobile access), what else can Google do to make Android a more polished, user-friendly platform?

Push for More Consistency

It’s the small things that add up. For us, one of the most annoying things is the fact that if you make a spelling mistake while searching for an app in Android Market, Android doesn’t correct you.

For Andy Castonguay, Director of Mobile Device Research for the Yankee Group, it’s the fact that on certain devices, the accelerometer only works if you tilt the phone to the left. What makes it worse, he says, is that the Android experience is even inconsistent across manufacturers, as each phone maker layers their own interface on top (think HTC Sense and Motorola’s Motoblur) as a way of making their Android phones stand out. And these extra layers, of course, make it especially hard to update a phone to the latest version of Android, creating an even larger disparity between what Android phones can and can’t do.

“The great thing for the manufacturers is they can create that brand affinity with the consumer on the back of Android, instead of having Android be front and center,” Castonguay said. “That results in idiosyncracies and discrepancies.”

Google can’t wean itself off these skins entirely, lest it alienate the very OEMs that have made Android so ubiquitous. But Google can, and will have to, work harder to develop more and better widgets, so that it’s not up to the likes of HTC and Motorola to decide what information you can see at glance, and what you can’t.

“HTC and Motorola have adapted to reflect consumer needs in a very positive way. Android as a platform will need to adopt some of those characteristics,” said Castonguay.

Story continues…


HTC’s dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider with 1.2GHz CPU headed to Verizon in 2011?

It’s not expected to land at Verizon until sometime in 2011, but it’s never too early to take a look at an unannounced Android slider with specs like this. Leaked by Androidswag, the device is purportedly hiding a 1.2GHz processor (would that be dual-core?) beneath that 4-inch display — the sweet spot for size and pocketability. The prototype pictured above was apparently sporting a Vodafone SIM card making this a pretty bodacious CDMA / GSM worldphone by the time it lands for retail. Of course, anything, or everything, could change by the time this pup is ready for launch and we’ll be here covering every step of its journey. Two more shots after the break including a size comparison with the EVO 4G — a few more at the source link below.

Continue reading HTC’s dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider with 1.2GHz CPU headed to Verizon in 2011?

HTC’s dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider with 1.2GHz CPU headed to Verizon in 2011? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 05:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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