Sciphone’s Android-toting N21 unboxed, dual SIM slots caught rockin’ the suburbs

It may look a lot like the General Mobile DSTL1, but SciPhone’s N21 still has its very own soul. Our BFFs over at Engadget Chinese were able to wrangle one in, and naturally they took the opportunity to score a photo shoot and host it for the world to see. There aren’t too many surprises to be found, but if you’re looking for a pinch of KIRF, twin SIM slots, a 5 megapixel camera and the not-exactly-newest version of Google’s mobile operating system, you know where to look.

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Sciphone’s Android-toting N21 unboxed, dual SIM slots caught rockin’ the suburbs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New XPERIA X10 hands-on video brings the snappy

Sony Ericsson’s Android-based XPERIA X10 was mighty sluggish when we played with it at the launch a couple weeks ago, but this new video from hdblog.it shows what looks like a much newer software build that’s dramatically faster and more responsive. There’s nothing much new here in terms of features, but just the fact that the X10 is in the wild and running well is encouraging — especially since we’re really digging that media playback interface. Now all we need is some Stateside shipping details and we’ll be all set. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Nils]

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New XPERIA X10 hands-on video brings the snappy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Unveils Galaxy Spica Android Smartphone

Samsung_Galaxy_Spica_i5700.jpgSamsung has launched the Galaxy Spica i5700, the company’s latest Android-powered smartphone.

It offers an 800 MHz core–meaning it’s probably similar to the Samsung Moment inside–as well as first-in-class DivX video support. The Spica features a 3.2-inch touch screen display, dual-band 900/2100 MHz HSDPA support, and 128MB of internal memory.

The Galaxy Spica also comes with a standard-size 3.5mm headphone jack, a 1500 mAh battery, and the usual full compliment of Google-powered services.

It’s available beginning today in Europe and the CIS region, and will soon expand to the Middle East and Africa. No word yet on an American release.

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXLII: Aphone A6 is all about Android, aping Apple (video)

An Android and iPhone hybrid isn’t exactly new (hello, OPhone), but at least we can say this has a trackball. In fact, you might even mistaken this for iPhone OS at first glance, it’s just that kind of doppelganger. The fine details, you say? The GSM (EDGE only, no 3G) device sports a 3.5-inch LCD display with capacitive multitouch, 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, and the part that really bests it over Apple’s offering, a trackball! Huzzah! Video after the break.

[Via technabob]

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXLII: Aphone A6 is all about Android, aping Apple (video)

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Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXLII: Aphone A6 is all about Android, aping Apple (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung unveils Android-equipped Galaxy Spica i5700

The long-rumored little brother to the Galaxy, the i5700, has finally been made official by Samsung — and sure enough, it’ll go by the trade name “Galaxy Spica.” Sammy’s latest Android-powered set clocks in at 13.2mm thick and comes equipped with a 3.5mm jack (which, frankly, every smartphone in the world should be including at this point), an 800MHz core (presumably the same as the Moment’s), and an Android first: built-in DivX support. This one appears to be a no-frills Google Experience device considering the number of times that “Google” is mentioned in Samsung’s press release, but for some Android connoisseurs, the purest, unskinned look and feel is preferred. Sammy says it’s already out in Europe and the CIS and will be coming to the Middle East and Asia shortly.

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Samsung unveils Android-equipped Galaxy Spica i5700 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Menq’s $80 EasyPC E790 netbook runs Windows CE now, should run Android later (video)

Don’t be fooled by that background: this Menq EasyPC E790 is only using Windows CE 5.0 for the sake of this hands-on. The successor to the $89 E760 we saw last year still sports a Samsung ARM processor, bumps the 7-inch display’s resolution to 800 x 480, and at least as far as this Techvideoblog video hands-on shows, can do a decent (albeit not great) job of handling DivX files, Skype, and browsing. There’s a promise from the manufacturer that Android is coming sometime in the next month, but honestly, given what we’ve seen before, we’d be happy to stick with Windows CE. Of course, the big selling point here is the price, and that claimed $80 is quite the looker. Video after the break.

[Via SlashGear and Linux for Devices]

Read – Hands-on
Read – Product page

Continue reading Menq’s $80 EasyPC E790 netbook runs Windows CE now, should run Android later (video)

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Menq’s $80 EasyPC E790 netbook runs Windows CE now, should run Android later (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence: Got game?

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he’ll explore where our industry is and where it’s going — on both micro and macro levels — with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

There was a lot of buzz last week when Apple announced that there now more than 100,000 applications in iPhone App Store, and more than two billion apps downloaded. Those are impressive numbers. A former Palm executive recently told me that in the heyday of Palm OS, two thirds of users never installed a third party app and the average “power user” installed around ten. That averages out to about two apps per device — a pretty low number compared to most iPhone users, even novice users.

But that’s only part of the story. A few months ago, I discussed the viability of multiple mobile OS platforms and how it’s not likely that they all will survive long term, and one big reason Apple’s platform looks better and better is entertainment apps. Looking at my own device, once you get past the three core apps I use all the time (Mail, Tweetie, and Byline, a Google Reader app), the bulk of my hundred plus apps are all entertainment related — and most of them aren’t available on any other platform.

When you look at the out-of-the-box experience of most smartphones today, they’re all pretty good when it comes to basics. Email, web browsing, personal information management, and voice are all acceptable. What’s missing are the applications and experience that make up mobile entertainment. Media and content consumption are one core pillar. Games are another.

Continue reading Entelligence: Got game?

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Entelligence: Got game? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creative to show off ‘Zii Android mobile phone’ next month at Chinese summit

We’ve been saying all along that we’d love nothing more than to see someone throw a 3G chip into Creative‘s Zii Egg and sell it as a pretty strong smartphone, but so far we’ve been hit with little to no indication of interested parties making that happen. So when we spot phrases like “Zii Optimized Android Phone platform” and “the line-up of devices on display includes a Mobile Phone platform” on an informational site for the ZiiLABS Showcase happening early December in China, our interested are definitely piqued. The event is geared towards companies who’d like to use the Plaszma platform for their products, and with any luck, some debonair decision-maker will give Zii phone a chance.

[Via myCreative Fansite; thanks, Kyle]

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Creative to show off ‘Zii Android mobile phone’ next month at Chinese summit originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RAmos W7 spotted blazing through Android

As much fun as it is seeing the RAmos W7 in the wild, all legit and everything, what’s more exciting is seeing that Android-specific 600MHz Rockchip CPU in action again. This time it appears to be handling some pretty snappy web browsing to some fairly hefty pages, and then diving into what looks to be Flash video in an externalized, overlain player of some kind. The Android Archos 5 does a similar thing for media playback, but it’s not plugged into the browser like this, and we really haven’t seen many devices attain these sorts of browser speeds at this resolution. Sure, there’s still plenty more OS to see, but it’s good to see both of these products making a bit of good on their promises. Check out the video after the break.

[Via PMP Today]

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RAmos W7 spotted blazing through Android originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hikari to unleash iFrame Android tablet on Japan (video)

Hikari’s iFrame (as opposed to the other, Ubuntu-sportin’ iFrame from a while back) is an Android-powered tablet with a skin that’s heavy on the widgets and — in case you’re still intimidated by its difficulty — is also being touted as a photoframe for people who don’t mind ugly photoframes. Ideally suited for the kitchen or living room (and, as such, is being marketed towards women — which we find pretty condescending, truth be told) this bad boy features a 7-inch touchscreen display, SD memory card slot, and WiFi. Due out in Japan sometime next year (no word yet on a stateside release date) look to pay anywhere between $220 and $330 (with the company giving credit to the OS for the low price point). Video after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Hikari to unleash iFrame Android tablet on Japan (video)

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Hikari to unleash iFrame Android tablet on Japan (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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