Author: AndroidGuys

Samsung has announced another new Android handset, this one destined to stay back home in South Korea.   Like most everything else we’ve seen from the handset maker, it’s a touch-only phone.  Dubbed the SHW-M100S, this marks the first Android 2.1 to come from Samsung. 

The specs are right in line with other recent Android handsets. It features a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, 5 megapixel camera with 720p support, WiFi (802.11n), GPS, T-DMB, DivX support, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s an 800MHz processor under the hood and the UI is a new version of TouchWiz. Based on the few pictures we’ve seen so far, we’re fans of the evolved interface.  There’s no sign of any silly ‘cubes’ to be found!

Pricing has not been determined as of yet. Look for the M100S next month (March) on SK Telecom.

Source: Samsung Hub

Here are a pair of videos that come courtesy of SamsungRelease. Be sure to check out their gallery while you’re there!

A fresh batch of Motorola Zeppelin images have surfaced and they’re considerably clearer then anything we’ve seen so far.  Up until recently, we had been reporting on a different Motorola Zeppelin handset, even getting confused by the variations.  Having decided that this newer design is the one we’ll likely see in the US, we’re ready to move forward under that assumption.

Earlier today, the folks at Gizmodo Brazil (translated) were passed a half dozen shots of this, dare we say, beauty.  The Zeppelin looks more sleek and curvier than we expected out of Motorola.  It appears they understand that not all touch-only phones have to be box-like slabs.  Here we were, expecting to see something like the top half of a Cliq or Backflip.

Recapping, the handset will feature a 3.2″ screen, 5 megapixel memory snapper, and MOTOBLUR.  The backbone is said to be Android 1.5, which may not be the case by the time it arrives.  Latest rumors put this phone out for T-Mobile next month – March 10th, to be precise.

The full list of specs for the Droid Devour from Motorola have unearthed and they are remarkably unremarkable.  On paper, the next Android-based handset from Verizon looks much like the Cliq and Backflip.  Don’t get us wrong; we’re not saying that’s a bad thing.  Everyone has a form factor that speaks to them and the Devour offers another ‘look’ for Verizon customers.

Most of today’s smarthphone buyers are just graduating from features phones and aren’t too concerned with the specs.  As time goes, that may change.  The bottom line is this – If you are looking for a high end device, the Devour is not it.  On the other hand, if you are new to Android and like the idea of MotoBlur on your Verizon handset… well you get the picture.

The full specs, according to a document received by Android Central:

• 3.1-inch touchscreen at 320×480.
• Dimensions: 4.55×2.4×0.61 inches
• Android 1.6 with MOTOBLUR
• Weight: 6.35 ounces
• Talk time: Up to 340 minutes
• Standby time: Up to 440 hours
• Horizontal slider keyboard.
• 3-megapixel camera.
• EVDO Rev. A., WiFi b/g, aGPS
• Bluetooth with A2DP
• 8GB MicroSD card, expandable up to 16GB.
• Speakerphone.
• VCAST music with Rhapsody.

If there’s one area where Google could improve the Nexus One experience, it would be in how support is handled.  Thankfully, things look to be headed in a positive direction.  A posting has been found on a Google’s job board that shows the company seeking a “Phone Support Program Manager, Android/Nexus One,” who will be based out of their Mountain View location.  This comes as welcome news to those users growing frustrated with forums, message boards, email support, and a perceived lack of human touch.

“We’re working quickly to solve any customer support issues as they come up, and we are trying to be as open and transparent as possible through our online customer help forums. We continue to address all issues in as timely of a manner as possible, and we’re flexible and prepared to make changes to our processes and tools, as necessary, for an optimal customer support experience,” the company said in a statement.

We’re assuming that whatever is done for the Nexus One will ultimately happen for other handsets as they are rolled out.  Whether that includes phone support or not remains to be seen.

Source: CNET via Androinica

We’ve received a couple of emails over the last week from a gaming studio called HyperDevbox who has alerted us to two games of theirs. Both of them, LoveCatch and the brand new ExZeus were written to take advantage of OpenGL and 3D gaming capabilities.  As you may already know, Android, in general, hasn’t been lavished with recognition for its games.  If companies like HyperDevbox are doing this with today’s Android phones, we can’t wait to see what the future holds.  These look just as good as anything else we’ve seen on a mobile device.

I asked them to give me an idea as to what they might charge for a game like ExZeus.  Their responses was that it should be around 350YEN for ExZeus arcade ($3.80 US).  As of today, that’s the same price that LoveCatch goes for.  They plan to publish it to not only the Android Market, but also the new SHOP4APPS from Motorola.  In fact, they’d like to have it listed in every market where the games could be delivered in a “secure” manner.

Both games will depend on the microSD card for app storage as it gets downloaded directly from their local server.  For instance, LoveCatch installs 22MB to your memory card.  HyperDevBox states that this should free up the local memory quite a bit, not exceeding 2MB worth of space!

Take a look at the videos for both games below!  Still pictures do not do either of these justice.