Google has released the Chrome web browser beta for Android users. Unfortunately only those with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich can download and use the app, which is still a pretty small percentage of active devices right now. The apparent focus for now is on speed and efficiency, rather than aesthetics or stability. The general idea is obviously to show off the basic functionality of Android Chrome as opposed to other browsers. So far just what’s been added is a little unspecific, but we do know that tabs have been added which should make viewing multiple pages a much faster and easier process.
It’s been a while coming but the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has been confirmed for a mid-February release in the UK. No word yet on when the rest of the world will see the snowy counterpart of the world’s first Ice Cream Sandwich device, but we hope it shouldn’t be too long.
While we’re now pretty certain that the Samsung Galaxy S III will not be seen at the upcoming Mobile World Congress even in Barcelona, rumors are starting to circulate about a late April/early May release. Whether or not the news is true is anyone’s guess right now, but it certainly doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Although it’s true that Samsung did recently release the Galaxy Nexus, it’d be within past trends for Samsung to not consider that as a suitable flagship device and roll out a more specifically Samsung-branded Galaxy S II sometime soon.
A few of our readers have asked us what they can expect to be unveiled at the upcoming Mobile World Conference (MWC) in Barcelona. The unfortunate truth about big expos like the MWC is that it’s almost impossible to separate rumor from truth in the lead up. As such we can’t give any definite predictions, but here are some of the more viable rumors we’ve heard floating around the web in recent months.
The HTC Sensation XL is definitely at the larger end of the current smartphone spectrum, weighing in with a large 4.7 inch display. Being a variant of the HTC Sensation, it’s also one of HTC’s highest-end phones. So can this 4.7 inch beast compete in the big leagues? We took it for a spin to find out just exactly that for our HTC Sensation XL review.
HTC’s first quad-core phone, the HTC Edge, is a little device we found some leaked goss on a few weeks back. Very little solid info is currently known about the HTC Edge, but now it’s starting to look like we could be seeing a release date in late February.
Google’s Matias Duarte has revealed the new operating system (OS) standards for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. For any previous iteration of Android we’d say something along the lines of “who cares” but in this instance it’s actually positive news. Android 4.0, named Ice Cream Sandwich, is supposed to be the version of Android that will herald the new Golden Age for Android devices. Traditionally, one of Android’s biggest problems has been device fragmentation. With so many different and unique devices being pumped out by a multitude of manufacturers across a range of carriers it’s been an extremely difficult for Google to ensure that its Android OS updates actually reach the devices currently on the market. So difficult, in fact, that it hasn’t really been happening.
The Motorola MOTOLUXE has been making an appearance at CES in Vegas. Running Android Gingerbread 2.3.7, the MOTOLUXE seems to be a low high-end or high mid-range device coming soon from Motorola. There’s an 8MP camera, a front-facing VGA camera, a 4.0 inch 854x480 display and the Motoswitch 2.0 user interface (UI). The whole package has a profile of under 10mm, so it should fit nicely in the pocket.
The Motorola DEFY line of smartphones has been one of Moto’s more popular enterprises in recent years. DEFY handsets are functional, relatively cheap and extremely resilient. Many consumers have been attracted to the idea of a phone that is water, impact, dust and temperature resistant, as it seems that all too many smartphones end up in the repair shop these days from just minor bumps and bruises.
Viewsonic just seems like it’s bragging now, showing off the ViewPad e70, ViewPad 10pi, ViewPad 10e and ViewPhone 3 at CES in Vegas. The ViewPad e70 is a 7 inch Android tablet set to come running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). The e70 comes powered by a single-core 1GHz CPU and with just 4GB of internal memory, essentially labelling it a more budget-oriented option for tablet users.
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