Author: AndroidGuys

HTC just unveiled the successor to last year’s Hero handset at Mobile World Congress.  Called the Legend, it’s pretty much everything we’ve come to expect.  It has a similar form factor to the Hero with its slight chin but it gets an overall boost in performance. 

If last year’s handset was unique with its Teflon coating, this year’s standout design feature will be its unibody case.  Made with one continuous piece of aluminum, the Legend literally has a polish to it.  Like the just-announced Desire, the Legend also features the updated version of Sense UI.  Specifications include a 3.2-inch AMOLED display, optical trackpad, and Android 2.1 under the hood. Look for the HTC Legend in April on Vodafone and Asia in early Q2 with a worldwide rollout to follow.

The official HTC announcements have come and gone, leaving us a few Android handsets in their wake.  First up is the new superphone, the Desire.  Long touted as the Bravo, it comes with a large 3.7 inch AMOLED WVGA display, an optical joystick, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Android 2.1, and the newest version of Sense UI. Did we mention that this stunning little number is Flash 10.1 ready?

Engadget Mobile is reporting that the Desire will be”broadly available” throughout Europe and Asia in early Q2’10 as well as in Australia via Telstra.  No news as to if/when this will hit the US, but we’re pretty sure some version of this will arrive stateside at some point.  On a positive note, HTC was quoted as saying, “a record number of mobile operators have confirmed to launch our new devices. HTC Desire has been accepted by almost every key carrier in every key country we work with.”

Are you able to keep up with all the Android news coming out of Mobile World Congress?  We didn’t think so.  It’s tough for us to stay afloat amidst all of these new phones being announced.  To make things “worse”, we have another pair of devices from Acer to talk about!  You’re not complaining, are you?

First on the podium is the beTouch E110, which appears to be an entry-level handset to help bridge the gap from feature phone to super phone.  With a small form factor, this device features a 2.8-inch screen, 3.0 megapixel camera, FM Radio and a 5-way navigation key.  The meat and potato specs include a 416MHz processor with 256MB ROM/ 256MB RAM.   For some reason, Acer has opted to load Android 1.5 on the handset.  The beTouch E110 gets its juice from a 1500mAh battery which much higher capacity than we expected from such a small unit.

beTouch E110

beTouch E110

There are a handful of pre-installed apps, including Twidroid and Facebook.  Acer is also loading up a few of their own titles – Acer Spinlets, NemoPlayer, and Acer UrFooz.  Look for the beTouch E110 next month (March) in black or and/or dark blue.

The beTouch 400 is the slightly stronger, more powerful of the two.  It runs Android 2.1, features a larger 3.2-inch screen and more horsepower.  The processor speed is 600MHz and the memory comes in the form of 512MB ROM and 256MB RAM.  Other differences include hard buttons instead of a navigation key and Documents to Go preloaded.

beTouch E400

beTouch 400

Source: Slashgear

Motorola’s MotoMobile twitter account tweeted earlier today that an update was coming to the Cliq this week.  Nope, not 2.1 just yet.  That one is scheduled for the second quarter of this year.  The update rolling out over the next few days is designed to address battery life, GPS, and the touchscreen.  Hey, we’ll take what we can get.

CLIQ users: an update is coming this week w/ enhancements for battery life, touchscreen, and GPS. We’ll alert you when you can download it. – MotoMobile

So Cliq owners, keep an eye on your phone over the course of the next week as Motorola and/or T-Mobile push it out.  The next update after that should be the one you’re really looking forward to!

Chinese handset maker Huawei is in Barcelona and it’s not to see what the competition is up to.  They’ve just pulled the curtain back on 4 brand new Android handsets, the U8300, U8100, U8110, and the U8800.  In addition to that, they’ve also announced a SmaKit S7.  Let’s take a quick look at each of them, shall we?

U8300

The U8300 is targeted at the youth market, integrates social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter, features a QWERTY keypad, and is designed to allow for chatting and texting in comfort.  Look for the u8300 in three ‘bright’ colors – green, yellow and purple.

u8100

Up next, the U8100 and U8110, are the same phone on the inside.  The outside however might appeal to different segments (read boys versus girls).  These are considered entry-level handsets although we don’t have a complete list of specs.  What we do know is that they both have 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreens, a 0.3 mega pixel camera in the front and a 3.2 mega pixel camera in the rear.  Both of these models are expected in Europe at some point in Q2 of this year.

u8110

The high-end handset,the U8800 runs Android 2.1, offers support for HSPA+ (14 Mb/s download), a 3.8-inch screen and more.  With the right network and ideal situations, this phone can download a 400Mb feature-length movie file in under a half minute.  As far as carriers, price, or availability go, we’re still waiting to hear more.

u8800

Huawei is also introducing their first Android-based Internet Device, the SmaKit S7.  Featuring a 7-inch wide screen (800×480 resolution), it’s designed to support “information-sharing across screens to present the same content simultaneously on computers, mobile phones and TV screens”.  A screen this size makes it easy to read emails, tweet, and stay connected to friends and family.  The SmaKit S7 can also be connected to home gateway, TV, and of course, Android handset.

Be sure to check back with us as we fill in the blanks with the hardware specs and various Android builds for each phone!

Gorgeous, isn’t it?  We’ve been saying for a while now that the HTC Bravo appears to be the nearly identical twin to the Nexus One, save for Sense UI and some minor adjustments.  On paper, the two handsets nearly mirror each other.  If the rumors are true, we’ll be hearing officially from HTC on this device tomorrow at Mobile World Congress.  In the time we’ve been waiting for the news to come down from high, the on-board memory received a boost.  We’re talking 576 RAM and 512MB ROM!

The guys over at Madaco were able to get their hands on the full list of specs, but we’ve taken the liberty of pasting those we thinking most people care about.

• 1 GHz Processor
• Android 2.1 with HTC Sense
• Memory – ROM: 512 MB, RAM: 576 MB
• Display – 3.7-inch 480X800 WVGA AMOLED Screen
• HSPA/WCDMA:
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• Optical Trackball
• GPS, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, G-Sensor, Digital compass
• Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
• 5 megapixel color camera with auto focus and flashlight
• Battery – 1400 mAh

These are exactly the kinds of phones we expect from handset makers if they want to play in the upper echelon.  What do you guys think?  All the makings of a Nexus One, plus Sense!

This is one of those cases where the headline says it all.  The Acer Liquid A1 handset that features the underclocked Snapdragon processor has just been officially announced in new form.  Called the Liquid E, it is essentially the same handset as before except now it has all the goodies we’re coming to love in Android 2.1 such as five home screens live wallpapers, quick contacts, and more.   It’s not know whether or not the original Acer liquid will get an OTA update to 2.1 but one would logically assume that this is the case.

Source: Press Release

One of the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance, The Astonishing Tribe, has just announced their new TAT Home in Barcelona.    Touted as a “gesture-powered 3D Home screen” for stock Android, it adds a gorgeous interface to base experience.  Using TAT Home, users can pull up many common tasks including  messaging, music, weather, and contacts without actually leaving the home screen.

With their own unique widgets and 3D graphics, TAT Home gives Android an injection of sexiness that we’ve not seen yet. 

A quick rundown of the widgets created by TAT include:

• Weather Widget — flip between a compact at-a-glance forecast and detailed data with a simple gesture;
• Clock Widget — set the alarm in the most intuitive way and enjoy the ultra smooth wake up experience;
• Messaging Widget — do your everyday tasks with SMS and MMS;
• Music Widget – play your music from the small remote or flick into the immersive 3D album browser
• Contacts Widgets – quickly select a contact from the grid of Faves with zero setup

There’s also a ‘Widget Fan’ that ties all of this together.  As you’ll see in the video below, it shows all panes of the Android home screen with widgets and shortcuts displayed.  Using their gesture-based design, it’s easy to jump from screen to screen or add shortcuts to apps and widgets anywhere on the phone.

We’re really in love with where the look and feel of Android is headed.  As evidenced with Cooliris’ photo gallery and this new TAT Home, the polish and glamor that we want out of Android appears to be right around the corner.  We can’t wait for an OEM or ODM to pick this up and run with it!

Samsung just pulled the wrapper off of their new i8520 ‘Halo’ handset, which appears to be a true stunner.  It’s packed with all the things we love about the next generation Android handsets, including a 3.7-inch “Super” AMOLED screen, Android 2.1, and 8 mega-pixel camera.  In a first for Android phones, the Halo features a Texas Instruments pico projector which displays images anywhere from 5 to 50 inches in size.

Other notable specs include:

• HSDPA 7.2Mbps/HSUPA 5.76Mbps UMTS (900/1900/2100), EDGE / GPRS (850/900/1800/1900)
• 3.7” WVGA Super AMOLED
• 8MP AF w/ Flash (Front : VGA)
• Bluetooth v2.1 / USB 2.0 High Speed
• Internal memory: at least 2GB (4Gb ROM / 3Gb RAM + 16GB MoviNAND) External memory: MicroSD (up to 32GB)
• 1800 mAh Battery

Although the processor speed isn’t listed, we’re expecting something in the ballpark of 800MHz-1GHz.  This would line up with their current staple of Android phones and fit nicely with the next generation. Look for pricing and carrier announcements in the near future.

Source: Engadget

Yesterday, Sony Ericsson officially announced their Xperia X10 mini and X10 mini pro handsets.  Both are smaller versions of their forthcoming Xperia X10 and are powered by Android 1.5 and a 600MHz processor.  Although are slower than the Xperia X10, they’re still slightly faster than the first generation of Android handsets.  Other specs include a 2.5-inch touch screens and a 5.0-megapixel camera.  The two handsets are identical save for the slide-out QWERTY found in the pro version.

Look for the X10 mini in select sometime in the next quarter.  The mini will be available in black, red, pearl white, lime, and silver while the mini pro will come in black and red.  Could these be the first female-friendly designs for an Android handset?

Pricing and carriers have yet to be announced.  Here are a couple of videos from the official Sony Ericsson and Sony Ericsson Dev YouTube channels.

Curious as to when your Motorola handset is going to get its update to Android 2.1?  Motorola recently posted a quick list of their handsets with estimated update times.  The “Droid to get 2.1 any day now” rumor still seems on track.  However, we previously heard the Cliq was rumored for March.  According to this document, it might not be until April at the earliest.  Still, it is nice to see some transparency from the company.

Source: Motorola

HP has announced a partnership with Telefonica for their brand spankin’ new Airlife 100.  The smartbook (half smart phone, half netbook) is will offered with carrier subsidy in Europe and Latin America as part their mobile broadband service.  Naturally, this thing has Android under the hood, or we wouldn’t be talking about it. 

We’re actually pretty stoked by the device as it seems like Android might port to a netbook rather well after all.  Specs include a rumored 1GHz Snapdragon chip, 16GB SSD memory, 12hr battery, WiFi, and 3G.  The 10.1-inch touchscreen seems highly responsive, based on the video below.  We’d love to see this hit the US under the Mini brand with a data plan along the lines of what the iPad has with AT&T.

The Camangi team has shaved over 25% off of the price of their WebStation, knocking it down to $275.  However, it’s likely not enough of a discount to draw a substantial amount of attention.  It’s up against some steep competition this year as some major players get in the Mobile Internet Device (MID) game.   To make matters worse, some are rumored to be partnered up with carriers, which will give them added exposure.

It’s not like Webstation is a bad device, with its 7-inch screen and ebook capabilities.  It’s just not a stellar device with no standout features.  While’s there is plenty of room to make a name for yourself in this arena, we just can’t picture Camangi rising near the top of the list.

Source: BestTabletReview via Engadget

The team over at Handmark has just released their next Android app, Winter Sports Live.  Based around the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the app provides real-time access to news, photos, scores, and more.  Beginning today, you can download the free application from the Android Market and monitor everything going down in Vancouver!

Features include:

• Live from Vancouver – Top headlines, updated in real time
• Competition News – Stories from individual events
• Word on the Street – News, Scores and analysis
• Picture of the Day – The day’s top moment in pictures
• Photo Gallery – The best photos from the Games
• Olympic Champions – Features on Olympic champs, past and present
• Quotes of the Day – Top comments from participants and spectators

You can also grab Winter Sports Live from Handmark directly by following this link.

The latest Motorola handset, the Devour, has been tipped to roll out with Verizon’s indirect channels on February 25th.  Who are ‘indirect’ channels?  Those are the guys barking at you like carnival workers when you walk past them in the mall. You know, the guys hitting on your girlfriend as they talk about getting you into a new phone.

Look for the Devour to hit all of Verizon’s channels in just over a month –  March 15th.  According to Boy Genius Report, the handset should end up with that $99 price point we’ve all been hoping for. 

You can check the slides above and below for all the details, if that’s your thing.  Here’s a quick recap of the major specs:

• 3.1” HVGA Touchscreen
• Slide-Out QWERTY Keyboard
• Qualcomm MSM7627 Processor
• Memory (Flash/RAM): 512MB/256MB
• Android 1.6 /MOTOBLUR
• 3.0 Megapixel camera
• 8GB microSD card
• Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, WiFi, aGPS
• 3.5mm Headset Jack

As you might know, we’re big fans of streaming audio here at AndroidGuys.   Any chance we get to share our love with our readers, we’ll take advantage of it.   The kinds folks over at Slacker Radio are offering up some free Radio Plus accounts for our followers.  We’ve got 10 prizes to hand out to you luck guys and gals.

The awards break down like this:

• Two 1-year subscriptions
• Eight 3-month subscriptions

Slacker allows users to create custom radio stations based around specific artists or music genres.  If you’re one of the lucky winners, you’ll enjoy all the basic stuff plus ad-free listening, unlimited skips, full song lyrics and more!

How do you enter? Simple.  Leave a comment below.  We’ll draw 10 random entries on Sunday, February 14th (Valentine’s Day).  Now the question is, do you keep it for yourself or do you play the role of the awesome boyfriend/girlfriend?

Features found in any Slacker Radio account for Android include:

• Free application and free service
• Over 100 expert-programmed stations
• Create your own custom stations
• Convenient radio widget mode
• Integrated Twitter support
• Vertical and horizontal modes
• Displays album art, reviews and bios

The big winner in the second Android Developers Challenge (ADC2), SweetDreams, is now available for download.  Designed to allow its users to go to bed without worrying about getting calls in the middle of the night, SweetDreams, packs a ton of options into a relatively small (2MB) app.

Tell SweetDreams what time you go to bed and when you typically wake up and the rest is downhill. Customization features include toggling WiFi, Bluetooth, turning off the screen, notifications, and more. Not only does this work based on your preset time, but location also plays into SweetDreams. Users can also set specific spots on the map for when they want the app to be activated. Another cool feature is the ability to adjust motion and sound settings. Want your phone to wake up as soon as you grab it off the night stand? Presto! Likewise, you can also have your phone woken up by the alarm clock or rooster outside.

There are plenty of options available to customize SweetDreams around your preferences. It’s pretty easy to see why this app was a winner in the Android Developers Challenge.

Wanna do your part to help put the final touches on an Android app?  TouchType wants to hear from you!  They are currently looking for alpha testers for their upcoming SwiftKey keyboard.  By their own billing, SwiftKey is “revolutionary text prediction” for Android handsets.  According to them, it’s said to be upwards of 50% faster than other text prediction solutions.  Using text that has already been entered, their keyboard client is able to predict your next word with “incredible accuracy”.  Sounds like something we’d be down for trying, how about you?

If you’re interested in signing up, head right over to their page and fill out the form.  Let us know what you think!

If you’re an administrator or developer who uses Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) for hosting you application, you might want to consider Decaf.  This Android application gives users the ability to manage and monitor their Amazon EC2 cloud with plenty of options.  Users can perform all necessary operations like launching, rebooting and terminating servers. Keep an eye on your CPU, network, and disk activity from your handset! 

Judging by the images and description found on the 9apps page, we can see why Decaf made it into the semi-finals for the Android Developers Challenge 2.  It’s very easy to take the concept behind Decaf and put out an app that’s dry and void of character.  Thankfully, extra time was taken to ensure Decaf has great aesthetic appeal.

Currently, these are the features and functions found within Decaf:

• Monitor your servers, notifying you when one of them is down
• Continuously shows you charts on your home screen depicting the CPU utilization, network in-out activity and disk read/writes
• Allows to manage your servers by restarting, stopping, monitoring instances, attaching volumes, and all other actions that you can perform with Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud
• Gives you access to all of your Amazon EC2 information, from a summary view to the details of each of your items.

Their download page shows quite a few additional items on the roadmap.  You can download the app from the Android Market for €4.99 ($6.80 US) today!

We are all but certain that HTC will unveiling the Legend next week at Barcelona.  There have been a handful of “in the wild” shots this week, leading us to believe the demo models are circulating and the handset maker is ready to show it off.  Unfortunately, they won’t be the first to release any official photos or specs. KPN, a telco in the Netherlands, has just gone live with a few images of the new device with the specs.

Granted, the pictures aren’t high resolution, they still do enough to whet our whistles. The specs are pretty much everything we’ve been expecting so far – 600MHz, Android 2.1, 5 megapixel camera, optical trackpad.   This appears to be a mid-range Android handset and a definite successor the Hero from last year.  Expect this on KPN sometime in early March!  No word on pricing as of yet.

Thanks to Nick from HTCSource for the heads up!