Vodafone UK have put the Google Nexus One up for sale, and there’s no sign of the stock delay reported earlier this week. The launch marks the first time the Nexus One has been available through a UK carrier rather than demanding buyers import a device from Google in the US.
As for price, that’s likely enough to make US Nexus One owners livid. Vodafone are offering the Google Nexus One for free with a new two-year contract, as long as you’re spending £35 a month or more ($54).
Holding out for the black version of the HTC Desire? Initially promised for the end of April by Orange UK, a combination of volcanic ash and firmware issues have seen the Android 2.1 smartphone delayed. Now, Android Community tipster Chris has let us know that the black Desire is expected to arrive early next week.
That’s come straight from Orange UK customer services, who told Chris that the limited edition Desire was expected to arrive in their warehouses sometime in the first week of May. Actual shipments out to customers should take place from “middle to late next week”.
Orange’s product page is here – it still says simply “coming soon – and the specifications for the handset are the same as the regular model we reviewed back in March. The phone will be priced from free on new contracts.
[Thanks Chris!]
A new version of the Mozilla Firefox browser for Android has been released, under the company’s “Fennec” codename. As well as browsing, Mozilla have also whipped up a version of Weave to synchronize bookmarks, history, passwords and tabs between the desktop and mobile versions.
There are a couple of issues to bear in mind – this is an pre-alpha release, after all – with the biggest limitation being that the browser currently requires Android 2.0 or above. You’ll also probably need to have an OpenGL ES 2.0 capable device, you can’t open links from other apps in Fennec as yet, and there are bugs that will chomp through your available memory and likely end up forcing you to reboot the phone altogether.
Still, if you want to give it a try then head into your Android phone’s settings, check the option that allows you to install non-Android Market apps, and then head here for the package. Initial feedback seems to be that the UI needs some work, especially when trying to scroll without triggering the browser’s controls.
[Thanks Stalker!]
Garmin-Asus’ latest Android smartphone has been outed, the 3.2-inch HVGA nuvifone A10. Targeted at pedestrian navigation users, the A10 obviously comes with GPS but Garmin-Asus also preload mapping data onto the handset rather than leaving it to the whims of the cellular network while you’re on the move.
There’s also a 5-megapixel camera with geotagging support, an accelerometer and a 1,500mAh battery; Garmin-ASUS don’t actually suggest how long that will last you while navigating. In the box there’s an in-car windscreen mount that both recharges the smartphone and has a speaker for amplified voice guidance prompts.
The usual Android apps together with Microsoft Exchange support are loaded, and there’s the Android Market too; no word on whether the screen is capacitive or resistive, but it does support multitouch. The Garmin-Asus A10 will go on sale in Europe and Asia-Pacific midway through this year; no word on pricing at this stage.
Press Release:
Garmin-Asus announces newest Android smartphone with Garmin navigation
A10 focuses on pedestrian-friendly features and navigation for Europe and Asia-Pacific
Cayman Islands/April 28, 2010/Business Wire — Garmin-Asus, a co-branded alliance between Garmin® Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), and ASUSTeK® Computer Inc. (TAIEX: 2357), today announced the Garmin-Asus A10, a touchscreen smartphone running on the Android™ platform that is optimized for pedestrian navigation. The A10 is expected to be available in mid-2010 in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
For those times when walking is the best way to go, the A10 is ideal for city navigation because of its bright, 3.2-inch HVGA touch screen, electronic compass and long-lasting 1500mAh battery. As with other Garmin-Asus Android-powered devices, the A10’s GPS capabilities are optimized to ensure that customers have the best location and navigation experience a smartphone can offer. Detailed maps are preloaded on the A10 so that users do not have to pay and wait for third party maps to download from a server, nor will they lose their turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation if they are out of cell phone coverage. In addition to pedestrian navigation, the A10 is ready for use in an automobile out-of-the-box, and it comes with a powered audio mount that magnifies the volume of the device’s voice commands.
The A10 is a full-featured smartphone on the Android platform that integrates Google™ Mobile Services with one-click access to Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube™, calendar, contacts and Android Market™, where users can find more than 30,000 applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle. Android applications that include location-centric content are also able to utilize the A10’s enhanced GPS capability.
To optimize a user’s ability to stay in touch with family, friends and business contacts, the A10 is compatible with Microsoft Exchange server and will wirelessly synchronize contacts, calendar and enterprise email. Account setup is quick and easy, and in a few simple steps users will have their contacts, calendar and email ready to go.
Additional A10 smartphone features include a powerful WebKit browser with multi-touch,
five mega-pixel camera including auto-focus capability that automatically geotags images with an exact location reference. The built-in accelerometer will quickly change the display so that screens may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode.The A10 also supports optional cityXplorer™ maps, which makes it possible to plan and use routes that include public transit options such as bus, tramway, metro and suburban rail systems.
The Garmin-Asus A10 is expected to be available in mid-2010 in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Additional information about Garmin-Asus products is available at www.GarminAsus.com.
About Garmin-Asus
Garmin-Asus is a co-branded strategic alliance that enables Garmin Ltd. and ASUSTeK Computer Inc. to combine their complementary resources to develop world class LBS-centric mobile phones.About Garmin Ltd.
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroomor contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200.About ASUS
ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era, with a broad product portfolio that includes notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphics cards, displays, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s home and office users. ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than 10,000 and a world-class R&D design team, the company’s revenue for 2009 was US$7.5 billion. ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek’s InfoTech 100, and has been on the listing for 12 consecutive years.ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Garmin is a registered trademark, and cityXplorer is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
Google, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Android and Android Market are trademarks of Google, Inc.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Vodafone have come clean with their latest Android handset, the super-small Vodafone 845 first spotted in the wild a couple of weeks back. Measuring a scant 100 x 55 x 13 mm, the 845 has a 2.8-inch touchscreen, Android 2.1 Eclair and a 3-megapixel camera.
There’s also Vodafone 360, together with access to the Android Market, along with WiFi. Previous rumors tipped it to have Bluetooth 2.1, triband GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dualband UMTS/HSPA, as well.
According to Vodafone, the 845 will initially arrive in 12 different markets, including the UK, though it hasn’t yet confirmed pricing or specific availability. Still, last we heard the Vodafone 845 should be arriving sometime this quarter.
[via the::unwired]
Design firm Alessi have turned their hand to electronics with the new Android-based AlessiTAB, a touchscreen home media tablet. Shown off at an Italian design fair recently and spotted by InfoServi.it, the tablet packs WiFi and a digital TV tuner, together with internet access and digital photo frame functionality.
Users will also be able to access social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and the AlessiTAB has an integrated battery good for around 6hrs of use. As for recharging, a base station is supplied onto which the AlessiTAB sits, triangular in cross-section.
Alessi expect the tablet – which is made by Promelit and designed by Stefano Giovannoni – to go on sale in Europe in September 2010. Pricing is said to be around €300 ($403), making it less than an iPad.
Click here to view the embedded video.
[via SlashGear]
Is Android 2.2 just around the metaphorical corner? The next update for Google’s mobile platform is currently being tested by the company, reckon Android and Me, who have been digging through their visitor stats and finding records of devices running v2.2. They’ve also heard from additional sources that the new build is, indeed, being trialled prior to public release.
As for the date we can expect it, that’s not finalised but the current guesstimate is in time for, or alongside, May 19th; that’s when Google I/O 2010 kicks off, and it would make sense for the company to push out the new version to coincide with that. There’s also talk of Flash 10.1 for Android being released at the same time.
So what can we expect? Well, more available RAM is looking like it’s locked in, as Google switch to the new Froyo Linux kernel, as are multi-colored trackball notifications on the Nexus One. An OTA update is tipped, for the Nexus One at least, unlocking the “many secrets” left in the phone that Google’s Erick Tseng apparently teased about during CES.
[via T3]
Up until now, despite having a fair few Android 1.6 or 2.x devices to choose from, UK owners didn’t have (legitimate) access to Google’s Maps Navigation beta, with its free turn-by-turn directions. That’s all changed today, with an unannounced overnight update delivering the 4.1.1 Beta (that hit US Android phones back on April 6th) to UK handsets.
As with the US version, the app supports verbal directions together with 2D and 3D mapping views; you can choose to view directions as normal, or tap over into “Navigate” mode which looks more like a standalone PND. Various overlays are possible, including ATMs and fuel stations.
If you’ve a Nexus One, you’ll also be able to use the voice command functionality to enter a destination without using the onscreen keyboard: just say “Navigate to” and wherever it is you want to go. Screenshots in the gallery below.
[via Engadget]
There are plenty of Twitter apps for Android, but in our opinion Seesmic is one of the best. The team behind it may just have made it even better, however, with Seesmic for Android v1.3: the update adds geotagging and extra retweeting functionality, as well as satisfying one of the most commonly requested features, a homescreen widget.
The widget allows you to scroll through new tweets in your timeline together with composing a new update of your own directly from the desktop. Meanwhile the new retweet functionality allows you to choose between traditional quote method, or Twitter’s newer retweet system.
Finally, geotagging can automatically or manually add location data to newly posted updates. Seesmic for Android v1.3 is available – free – from the Android Market.
Images of a new Motorola Android smartphone have leaked, with the unnamed model having a flip cover form-factor similar to the Verizon Motorola Krave ZN4. The touchscreen handset has a transparent cover and a row of touch-sensitive controls; it’s also a MOTOBLUR device, it seems, going from icons on the homescreen.
According to IT168, where the images leaked, the phone is in prototype stage. Interesting it has dual network indicators showing in the status bar, which some are speculating could mean it has dual-3G capabilities for better coverage. Other tipped specs include a 5-megapixel camera and 720p HD video recording.
Of course, it could also be a Motorola-styled copy, running a ripped build of the company’s Android OS and themed around their popular Ming/Krave design.
[via Engadget Chinese]
Details on a new, ultra-compact Android 2.1 smartphone have emerged, the Vodafone 845. As the name suggests, the handset is apparently headed to European carrier Vodafone, but going by the:unwired’s anonymous tipster it’s actually the handiwork of Huawei and is known elsewhere as the Joy.
As well as triband GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dualband UMTS/HSPA, the Vodafone 845 packs WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 and a 3.2-megapixel camera. We weren’t joking when we said it was small, either; with a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen and dimensions of 100 x 55 x 13 mm it’s actually a little smaller than the HTC Tattoo.
Hardware controls include an optical joystick and a number of physical buttons, which should please those less enamoured with touch-sensitive keys, and apparently Vodafone’s 360 networking and app platform is preloaded along with the usual “Google Experience” apps. There’s talk of a Q2 2010 launch in Europe, but no word on pricing at this stage.
What specs we’ve seen of the HTC Incredible so far have pretty much left us convinced that its name is well-deserved, but if we needed any final persuasion then the full leaked spec sheet is easily sufficient. Acquired by BGR, the Verizon-sourced document – which lists the handset as the HTC Incredible ADR6300 – confirms the 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 3.7-inch WVGA OLED touchscreen and 8GB of onboard storage.
There’s also an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, WiFi b/g/n, 512MB of both ROM and RAM and dualband EVDO Rev.A. The Incredible runs Android 2.1 with HTC’s Sense UI, and measures in at 4.63 x 2.3 x 0.47 inches and weighs 4.59oz.
All in all it’s working out to be a great device, and we’re wondering exactly who’ll be plumping for the also-imminent Verizon Nexus One rather than picking up the better-spec’d Incredible. Last we heard, the HTC Incredible will arrive on Verizon come April 29th.
T-Mobile UK’s HTC Desire has only been in buyers’ pockets for a week or so, but already the carrier is warning owners to be ready for an OTA update. In a new post on the carrier’s support forum, T-Mobile says they are “aware that HTC is planning to release a new software update” and are working with the manufacturer to make sure owners have no issues receiving it.
“T-Mobile recently launched the HTC Desire and the phone has been very well received by our customers. We are aware that HTC is planning to release a new software update and we are currently working with them to provide an ‘over the air’ update for customers with an earlier version. The update will happen in the coming week and we’ll keep you posted on any developments as and when we have them.” T-Mobile UK
The exact details of what the update contains is unclear, though there has been talk recently about the Desire encountering last-minute issues that have potentially been the cause of delays for unlocked, SIM-free units. The OTA update itself is scheduled to go out at some point over the next seven days.
A semi-common criticism of Android devices in many reviews is that the Android Market isn’t as well established as, say, Apple’s App Store. While that’s still the case, it looks like Android is certainly beginning to accelerate the catch-up process.
AndroLib have been tracking the number of new applications added to the Android Market, and churning the figures to work out how many apps per month have been submitted. Turns out, March 2010 saw a significant jump in developer activity: over nine thousand new titles, versus 5.5k in February.
April 2010, meanwhile, has over two thousand new apps already, and we’re only a third of the way through. There’s no theorising from AndroLib as to what happened to provoke the jump, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the launch of the HTC Desire (and the HTC Legend) at MWC 2010 the previous month had something to do with it.
Sagem are looking to Android for their next-gen Puma phone, as the French phone company commences rolling out the open-source OS across its range. We caught up with the Puma phone – which is currently based on Sagem’s home-grown platform – at a pre-launch event last night, and the company’s executive VP of marketing and user experience confirmed that Sagem are considering an entry-level version of the sports/lifestyle themed device which would run Android.
The likelihood is that it would also be heavily skinned, with Sagem’s Puma-themed UI and links to the various connected services they’ve developed. These include everything from sports news through to an online store where you can buy phone accessories and sportswear from Puma’s line.
Any second-gen device isn’t expected to arrive until sometime in 2011, but it won’t be the only Sagem handset to run Android; the company have committed to making a significant part of their range run Google’s OS. More about the Puma phone over at SlashGear.
Bad news if you’re waiting for an unlocked, SIM-free HTC Desire in the UK. Despite the handset arriving on T-Mobile earlier this month, the unlocked version is apparently further delayed. According to retailer Clove, deliveries to retailers of the unlocked Desire have been postponed (again) until next week.
HTC apparently expect to begin releasing stock on April 13th – just under a week from now – but there’s no guarantee when a) that stock will arrive with retailers and b) when retailers themselves will begin shipping out the Android 2.1 smartphone. Clove point out that this isn’t a problem limited to themselves, and that it will affect all online retailers of the unlocked Desire; if a store is telling you they can get the Desire earlier, it’s time to ask some questions.
As for whether the handset is worth it, check out our full HTC Desire review over at SlashGear for all the details.
HTC Desire hands-on:
UK carrier 3 have announced that they’ll be the next network to offer the HTC Desire, with the Android 2.1 smartphone arriving on Tuesday April 20th. Priced from free on a £35 monthly agreement or £349.99 on pay-as-you-go, the Desire will be initially sold as a generic device with the 3-branded version rocking up on May 3rd.
However, apparently 3 users of either the generic or branded Desires will be able to download 3’s apps from the Android Market and use them as normal, so unless you particularly want the carrier’s logo on your phone there’s no reason to wait. Upgrades for existing customers are also available, of course, though you’ll have to ring customers services to find out exactly how much it might set you back.
If you’re still undecided on the HTC Desire, head over to our full review of the handset at SlashGear. Vodafone’s version hits the UK on April 8th and is already available for preorder, while T-Mobile are apparently already shipping their version.
HTC Desire vs. Google Nexus One;
Looks like Touchnote – who offer an easy way to take digital photos and send them as personalised greetings cards or postcards through old-fashioned snail mail – are keeping their promise to deliver an Android version of their mobile app. The company has just announced it’s looking for an Android developer for a 4-6 week project.
Touchnote is looking for an Android developer to join the team for a 4-6 week project starting as soon as possible. We’re in the exciting phase of working with a major client and need additional team resource for the project. If you’re interested please get in touch with me, ed[@]touchnote.com. Mobile: 07825 841098
Touchnote’s normal service requires that you upload your photos to their website and enter addresses and messages on there. However they also have two mobile applications – for iPhone and Symbian S60 – which allow you to snap a photo with your phone, create a card and pay for it, all on the handset itself.
I’ve actually used Touchnote before – though only the desktop version – and it works ridiculously simply. Prices kick off at £0.99 ($1.50) for a postcard, £1.99 ($3.00) for a card with fold-out flaps that work as stands, and £2.99 ($4.54) for a traditional greetings card. I’ve been pestering them for an Android version of the mobile app, so it’s great to see one is in the pipeline. Any developers out there interested in helping them out?
[via Mobile Industry Review]
Disappointment ahead if you’ve been holding out for an Android based tablet using NVIDIA’s second-generation Tegra chipset. According to some well-placed sources, NVIDIA are experiencing “serious issues” with Tegra 2, both in terms of hardware and software stability, and as a result tablets such as the Notion Ink Adam and ICD’s Ultra and Vega will be delayed.
The exact issues being encountered are unknown, but it’s apparently enough to push back availability to late August 2010. The first Tegra 2 tablet – a 7-inch model by Compal – was previously expected in early June.
The ICD tablets now won’t arrive until October 2010, while the Notion Ink Adam has apparently been pushed back by two months. NVIDIA are yet to make any official comment on the leaks; we’ll update if we hear back from them.
[via SlashGear]
The Cellbots project – using an Android smartphone as the brain for a relatively cheap robot – has had an upgrade, with a dashing new neon green chassis and, more impressively, voice control. The system takes advantage of Android’s native voice recognition engine, and allows the Cellbot robot to be controlled via speech commands.
In fact, thanks to Google’s recognition engine, the team only required a single line of code – (droid.recognizeSpeech() if you’re interested – to take advantage of the functionality. Just as with voice-controlled searches, the Android phone listens out for speech and asks you to repeat if it can’t understand the directions.
If you want to try it out yourself, there’s more on the project as a whole here together with downloadable code including the voice control support. Anybody planning on building a tiny Android robot of their own?
Click here to view the embedded video.
[via MAKE]