Ever since the original Padfone hit shelves we’ve been wondering whether or not such a device would be successful and while it wasn’t too successful in terms of sales, it certainly turned a few heads. It was something new and fresh in a world of ever expanding phone displays and generic Android tablets. It was a fine device and offered a lot but, when it came down to the specs, it wasn’t the cutting edge piece of tech that ASUS promised us, the phone itself came with just a qHD resolution display and the tablet dock was bulky and unsightly.

With the Padfone 2 however, ASUS has doubled down on their design and has made one nice looking Padfone. Not to mention the fact that the specs have taken a bump in the right direction as well, with this Padfone now going toe-to-toe with some of the high-end devices on shelves today. If you missed the announcement of the Padfone 2 and need a reminded of specs, we have you covered:

• 4.7” HD 1280×720 IPS+ Display at 550 nits bright thanks to Sharp’s IGZO tech
• 1.5 Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro – up from dual-core in the first model
• 2GB of RAM
• 16, 32 or 64GB of Storage with 50GB of ASUS Web Storage
• 13 MP rear-facing camera with f/2.4 lens – capable of 1080p video at 30fps and 720p at 60fps and a 1.2MP front-facing camera
• NFC onboard
• The camera is also able to take 100 shots at full resolution continuously!

As for the Padfone 2′s docking station, it’s a lot of the same from the previous model:

• 10.1” IPS Display at 1280×800
• The battery is down from 6600 mAh to 5000 mAh to shave weight
• The tablet now weighs just 514g down from 724g previously. Add the phone – at 135g – and the overall weight is just 649g which is lighter than any version of the new iPad!

This all makes for a really nice device and there’s a lot that ASUS have improved upon, making the whole package a lot nicer overall. With the new quad-core CPU there’s going to few problems when it comes to multitasking here and with 2GB of RAM you’ll be able to do more than ever on the tablet or the phone. It’s to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich but will receive an update to Jelly Bean at some point so, let’s just hope that it’s the 4.2 update that’s just been pushed to the AOSP.

When it comes to pricing, the Padfone 2 still isn’t all that cheap but it’s certainly not as expensive; the device will cost you around $620 to $750 depending on which storage option. If you want the phone and the tablet bundle this’ll set you back a further $200 on top of whichever version you choose. Pre-orders for the device go on sale in Taiwan tomorrow and will be shipping around the 22nd. There’s still no word on availability in the US but, I think this is one product ASUS will want to go global and if they decide otherwise, we’re sure that there’s a lot of retailers out there willing to import it and sell it you at a much higher cost.

Tags: android, featured, google, LTE, padfone, Padfone 2, pre-order, taiwan

Category: androidheadlines.com

About Tom Dawson: Assistant Editor — For years now I’ve had a heavy interest in technology, I grew up with 8-bit computers and gaming consoles and have been using Linux for years now. Android saved me from the boredom of iOS years ago and I’ve loved every minute of it. As a big reader and writer nothing pleases me more than to write about the exciting world of Android and technology as a whole. View author profile.

See Original Post At Android Headlines

When it comes to storage, these days it seems like we can never have enough of it. We’re always wanting more storage in our phones and tablets, and we’re more than willing to pay for it as well. Something that is fast becoming the norm is the lack of microSD card slots on phones and tablets these days, not so much so on tablets but a lot of phones these days are shipping without expandable storage. This is fine as long as you have a phone with a lot of internal storage but, often these are hard to come by. Samsung has been leading the pack a little bit by bringing high-capacity versions of the Galaxy S III to market as well as including a microSD card slot, too.

It’s no secret that Samsung are one of the few smartphone manufacturers that make a lot of the components that go into them and for a long time it’s been the Korean giant that’s supplied the world’s biggest manufacturers with NAND memory chips for smartphones and tablets. Now, the company is making a leap having finalized production of their 64GB NAND chips, with just a 10 Nanometer fabrication, making these things freaking tiny. It might seem like a boring thing to talk about but, when you think about it, it’s these advances that are going to make it even easier to put 64GB of storage on to your next smartphone or tablet. Who here would want a Nexus 4 with 64GB of onboard storage? Yeah, that’s a lot of hands raised.

The chips that Samsung will be producing aren’t slouches either, they’ll carry speeds of 260 mbps write and 500 mbps read. That’s easily a whole lot faster than something you’d find in a microSD card off the shelf. Having fast storage that comes in such sizes is going to be a boon for the industry as Google is adamant that they’ve lost all love for the microSD card system. It’s easy to forget that Samsung will more than likely shipping this stuff off to other manufacturers and 2013 could well be the year we see storage hit the 64GB point for all.

Tags: 32gb, 64gb, android, apple, fabrication, featured, google, htc, micro sd, microsd, motorola, nanometer, process, samsung, storage

Category: androidheadlines.com

About Tom Dawson: Assistant Editor — For years now I’ve had a heavy interest in technology, I grew up with 8-bit computers and gaming consoles and have been using Linux for years now. Android saved me from the boredom of iOS years ago and I’ve loved every minute of it. As a big reader and writer nothing pleases me more than to write about the exciting world of Android and technology as a whole. View author profile.

See Original Post At Android Headlines

The recently announced HTC Droid DNA for Verizon is a beast of phone. It not only packs a 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, but is the first device along with the HTC J Butterfly to feature HTC’s new 5-inch full HD 1080p Super LCD 3 screen with (1920 x 1080) resolution and a  440 PPI. The only negative about this powerhouse device is that it is a Verizon exclusive and appears that it will stay that way for some time.

For those of you who don’t have the benefit of Verizon’s LTE network or live outside the US you’re in luck. Verizon has decided to leave the HTC DNA SIM unlocked meaning with the simple change of the SIM card you can use that Super LCD 3 screen on the GSM carrier of your choice. It supports 850/900/1900/2100 MHz meaning 2G and 3G (HSPA+) for AT&T and 2G for T-Mobile.

HTC DNA On AT&T

Knowing the Verizon HTC Droid DNA is SIM unlocked are you more likely to add the superphone to your holiday wish list?

Tags: droid dna, featured, gsm, htc, quad-core, qualcomm snapdragon s4 pro, sim unlocked, super lcd 3, verizon

Category: androidheadlines.com, Phones

See Original Post At Android Headlines

With the new Nubia line of devices coming soon from Chinese telecom giant ZTE, a new comparison shot of the Nubia Z5 has surfaced. Although the company hasn’t had any major US hits, producing mostly mid-tier devices for that market, they are currently the worlds largest provider of telecom equipment and handheld devices.

Chinese news site China Mobile (CNMO) put the upcoming Nubia Z5 in a side-by-side comparison of screens with the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 4s.

The breakdown:

• Nubia Z5 – 440ppi
• Galaxy S3 – 306ppi
• iPhone 4s – 326ppi

The Nubia Z5 is a 5-inch screen phablet with a 1920×1080 resolution. The comparison shows that the Z5 is able to display the test image in noticeably better quality, with a considerably crisper image and better color correction. Screen color saturation varied apparently, but in the test image it appears very good. Other known information about the Z5 includes a quad-core processor and a 7.6mm unibody. Details about the release date, price, and additional features are still unknown, but analysts expect the device to reach stores sometime in December.

Source: CNMO

Tags: apple, china, cnmo, comparison, December, featured, Galaxy S3, iPhone 4S, mobile, nubia, PPI, samsung, screen, z5, ZTE

Category: androidheadlines.com, Phones

About Kody Frazier: Kody Frazier is a freelance journalist focused primarily on mobile technology. View author profile.

See Original Post At Android Headlines

With Tons of Android News coming out every hour is near impossible to write about it all but we want to make sure you don’t miss a thing! So everyday we offer a quick view of stories that did not make our front page top news and give you some extra reading, so you can get your Droid on!

SuperSU gets updated for Android 4.2

Today SuperSU got updated to support multi-user features that are included in Android 4.2, this is a root app. So if you aren’t one that roots your device, you probably don’t need to worry about it.

AT&T bringing LTE to even more markets

Today, AT&T continued its LTE roll out, bringing 4G LTE to users in Daytona Beach, Florida; York, PA, and Milwaukee, WI. Users in those areas should start experiencing much faster speeds.

Nexus 4 and 10; Not launching in Belgium and Netherlands

Due to the overwhelming demand of the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 in other parts of the world, users in Belgium and Netherlands won’t be able to get the Nexus 4 or 10.

Sprint 4G LTE coming to more cities in “coming months”

Today Sprint announced 4G LTE coming to 9 more cities soon:

• Fort Smith, Arkansas
• Oakland/Freemont and Hayward, California
• Key West, Florida
• Bloomington, Indiana
• Michigan City and La Porte, Indiana
• Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota
• Ardmore, Oklahoma
• McAllen/Edinburg and Mission, Texas
• Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Google Voice updated, Fixes Android 4.2 bugs

Yesterday we reported that Google Voice had a nasty bug in Android 4.2, well today Google released an update to Google Voice which fixes that bug. Seems that all lights are green now for Android 4.2 and Google Voice.

Apex Launcher updated, Supports Android 4.2

One of our other favorite launchers, Apex Launcher just got updated to Android 4.2 and added a few other minor features:

* Added option to close drawer after launching apps
* Added option to toggle home screen alpha effect (leave it off for smoother transitions)
* Improved icon label handling (labels will not be cut off or hidden automatically)
* Fixed FC under Android 4.2
* Various bugfixes
* Updated translations

HTC DLX Coming to China

December 6th, mark it on your calendars. It’s reported that the International version of the Droid DNA (HTC DLX) will be appearing in China on that day.

Malware strikes AOKP’s site

If you had an account on AOKP’s website, you’ll need to make a new one. Evidently Malware has attacked the site and all user accounts were compromised.

Rogers and Bell Customers; Xperia T now available

The “James Bond” phone, a.k.a. Sony Xperia T is now available in Canada on both Bell and Rogers, for $99 on a three-year contract. Here are the spec’s:

• 4.6-inch 1280 x 720 Reality Display powered by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine for razor sharp clarity
• 13 MP fast capture camera that goes from sleep mode to snap in just over a second
• Easy connectivity with ‘One-touch’ function enabled by NFC
• PlayStation Certified
• Latest generation 1.5GHz dual core processor for improved battery life, fast performance and ultra sharp graphics
• Android version 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Will be upgraded to Android version 4.1 (Jelly Bean) following launch.
• MHL connectivity for viewing content on a big screen without the need for a charger
• 16GB of internal memory
• Battery: 1850mAh (embedded) – 7 hours talk time, 450 hours standby

Samsung Galaxy S3 hitting Cricket November 23rd

November 23rd, the Samsung beast that is the Galaxy S3 is heading to Cricket and will cost $549.99. With all the same specs we’ve seen on the other major carriers.

Tags: android 4.2, AOKP, Apex launcher, at&t, belgium, bell, coming months, Droid daily, featured, google voice, HTC DLX, HTC Droid DNA, LTE, malware, markets, netherlands, Nexus 10, Nexus 4, rogers, Samsung Galaxy S3, Sony Xperia T, Sprint 4G LTE, Supersu, updated

Category: androidheadlines.com, Droid Daily

See Original Post At Android Headlines

It always seems like Verizon employees get the cool versions of new DROID phones. It appears that Verizon Employees are about to get a special edition of the red Droid DNA which was announced yesterday, it’s pictured below. And does it look nice or what? Almost identical to the J Butterfly in Japan, right?

Quick reminder to everyone on the specs:

• 5.0″ Super LCD3 1080p Display
• Quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage
• 2020mAh battery

Wonder if Verizon would consider hiring me? I’d gladly work for them and be able to carry around this phone everyday, wouldn’t you?

Tags: employee, featured, HTC Droid DNA, j butterfly, special edition, verizon wireless

Category: androidheadlines.com, Phones

About Alexander Maxham: Associate Editor — I’ve been a huge fan of Android since the OG Motorola Droid hit back in 2009 on Verizon, since then I have gone on to own some of the best devices we’ve seen including the HTC EVO 4G, Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 7. I also have a passion for writing about anything having to do with Android. View author profile.

See Original Post At Android Headlines

We’re back with our top 10 best News and Magazine apps. And there are plenty in the Play Store. We’ve weeded out most of them and gotten down to 10 that you’re going to love. There’s a few Google apps, and a few other apps. But none of these are biased, meaning The Verge, Engadget and USA Today won’t be on here, since they only show you news for their respective websites. So let’s get started.

10. Zinio

Zinio is one of the biggest Magazine apps on Android. It gives users instant access to thousands of titles. Zinio also offers two modes, full-color and text-only, this is great for when you don’t have a data connection or its very slow. You can also sync your library with your home computer. Give Zinio a try, we’re sure you’ll love it.

9. Google Reader

Google Reader is probably the oldest News app in the Android ecosystem. It’s been around forever, but it’s still a great app and service. Most have switched over to Flipboard or Currents though. Google Reader keeps track of all your feeds on your Android phone or tablet. It also syncs with your desktop if you happen to be using Google Reader from the desktop. Other than that it’s just a plain and straight forward app.

8. Pocket

Pocket isn’t technically a News or Magazine app, but it works well with many of them. If you’re going through feeds on the fly and you find something interesting you want to read later, just send it to Pocket and you can read all of those items later on. Pocket is formerly Read it Later, you might remember them. Pocket also features a Night mode so you can have a black background making it easier on your eyes at night.

7. BaconReader

 We all love Reddit right? Of course we do, that’s where we get many of our meme’s from. Well thanks to OneLouderApps, the creators of Tweetcaster and Slices for Twitter, we have a reader for Reddit that is available on your Android smartphone or tablet. This is the premium version which offers Android 4.x design, full featured Reddit inbox and more.

6. News 360 for Tablets

Here we have a news app that is just for tablets. Of course there are other versions of News 360 for Android phones and Google TV. News 360 is a news app that gives you the 360 degree view of every story, without being bias or impartial. You can also sync your news with news360.com which you can access from anywhere.

5. Zite

Zite is your own personalized magazine. You basically tell it the subjects you want to read up on (Ex. Android, Apps, etc.) and as you read articles, you can like or dislike it. Based on that Zite will determine what other news stories you’d like to read. It’s almost like having a magazine-styled Pandora app on your phone or tablet. Give it a try and I’m sure you’ll never go back.

4. Pulse

One of the more popular RSS readers on Android. Pulse beautifies your RSS feed on your Android phone or tablet. It also allows you to share stories directly to social sites like Twitter, Google+ and more. Pulse also features offline sync, news discovery, source syncing, dual view and more. Download it and you’ll love it, trust me.

3. Google Currents

Google Currents is my favorite news application on Android. Google Currents puts all your RSS feeds into a magazine-style format, and I’ve got to say it does a great job with it. Of course it follows Android 4.x guidelines, since it is a Google app. Currents also allows you to send apps to Pocket, and share to Google+, Twitter, Facebook and other social networks with ease.

2. Google Play Magazines

You’re familiar with Google Play Magazines right? Well this is the app you can read those magazines in. It has a great UI in my opinion.Google Play Magazines allows you to read your favorite titles anywhere. Some magazines will allow you to subscribe to a 14-day or 30-day trial while others are subscription or per edition.

1. Flipboard

Here we are with number one, Flipboard also known as your social news magazine. This is another one of my favorites, it first launched on the Galaxy S3 this summer. Flipboard is basically another RSS reader, but it works by flipping from page to page. You can niche’s and particular news websites. Including your favorite Android website, Android Headlines. If you haven’t checked this one out, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Tags: currents, featured, flipboard, Google Play Magazines, Google Reader, magazines, news, news 360, Pocket, pulse, Read it Later, Top 10, zinio

Category: androidheadlines.com, Applications, Top 10 Lists

See Original Post At Android Headlines

That’s right. In Asia, another HTC One device is now being sold. This time its the HTC One S, and it’s in White with 64GB of internal storage. We’re guessing it’s a revamped edition of the One S. Similar to the HTC One X+ on AT&T.

This HTC One S is packing the 64GB of internal storage, but has the same processor, RAM, screen, etc. Which is unfortunate. We’d love to see an upgraded display along with an upgraded processor. But it is running Android 4.1 – Jelly Bean with Sense 4+ on top, which is what the HTC One X+ has running. According to ePrice, this HTC One S in Taiwan is selling for 17,900 Taiwan dollars, or about $616 or “485. Which is a little more than the current One S which is on T-Mobile here in the States.

Would you be interested in a white HTC One S? We all want that 64GB of internal storage, right? Especially without a micro SD card slot. T-Mobile recently got a black HTC One S, so could this White version be heading to dear T-Mobile anytime soon? Let us know in the comments what you think.

Source: ePrice (translated)

Tags: 64gb, eprice, featured, HTC One S, taiwan, white

Category: androidheadlines.com, Phones

About Alexander Maxham: Associate Editor — I’ve been a huge fan of Android since the OG Motorola Droid hit back in 2009 on Verizon, since then I have gone on to own some of the best devices we’ve seen including the HTC EVO 4G, Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 7. I also have a passion for writing about anything having to do with Android. View author profile.

See Original Post At Android Headlines

Welcome back to another Verizon exclusive Phone Wars. Why is it a Verizon exclusive? Well both these phones are only available on Verizon, no other carrier. Today we’ve got two Droid’s going head-to-head. It’s the HTC Droid DNA with its gorgeous 1080p display against the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD with it’s huge 3300mAh battery which will last you for days. So which phone is better for your money? Join us as we find out.

Specifications

HTC Droid DNA

The HTC Droid DNA, one of the best phones put out by the Taiwanese manufacturer in a while. The HTC Droid DNA is what you would call a phablet, phone/tablet hybrid. It features a beautiful 5″ display which will blow you away. Along with a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro which is the same processor as the Nexus 4. Then you get down to software where you’ve got Android 4.1 – Jelly Bean with Sense 4+ on top. So you’ve also got Google Now out-of-the-box. Unlike the Droid Razr Maxx HD.

Pros:

• Gorgeous 5.0″ display which is 1080p with 441PPI
• Jelly Bean out-of-the-box; including Google Now, enhanced notifications, Project Butter and more
• Pricing; just $199 on contract. That’s a real bargain on Verizon where the standard flagship device is $299

Cons:

• Small 2020mAh battery. Smaller than the battery on the Galaxy Note 2
• Sense 4+; this could go either way, some like Sense while others don’t.

Motorola DROID Razr Maxx HD

The phone that just keeps going. The Razr Maxx launched earlier this year with a huge 3300mAh battery and would last for days even on LTE. This year Motorola released it again as the Razr Maxx HD, giving it a new processor, bigger screen, and updated to Android 4.0. The hardware is still pretty similar, only real changes are the display size on it now has on-screen buttons.

Pros:

• Battery life; even on LTE all day long, the Razr Maxx HD can last for two days before needing to be charged
• Kevlar back; it just looks so cool
• softkeys, making customization on custom ROMs that much better

Cons:

• Its still Motorola; while they have been working to change their reputation for the better, the Droid Bionic ICS update is still fresh in our mind
• Pricing: $299 on contract. While it is a great phone, and has crazy good battery life. It’s still a bit pricey.
• dual-core? In an age of everything being quad-core, Motorola decided to throw a dual-core processor in.

Winner….

Of course it’s the HTC Droid DNA. You can do so much more with it. It’s cheaper, bigger and better screen, and of course newer software. It’s running Jelly Bean compared to the Droid Razr Maxx HD’s Ice Cream Sandwich. But if you need a phone with a battery that can keep up with you for days, then the Droid Razr Maxx HD is your winner. It is your money, all we can do is bring you the facts and our opinions. Before making a decision, I suggest you check them both out at your local Verizon store.

Tags: Droid Bionic, featured, HTC Droid DNA, ICS, jelly bean, Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD, verizon

Category: androidheadlines.com, Phone and Tablet Wars

About Alexander Maxham: Associate Editor — I’ve been a huge fan of Android since the OG Motorola Droid hit back in 2009 on Verizon, since then I have gone on to own some of the best devices we’ve seen including the HTC EVO 4G, Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 7. I also have a passion for writing about anything having to do with Android. View author profile.

See Original Post At Android Headlines

Of all the features that received extensive coverage by the press after the official announcement of Android 4.2, gesture typing didn’t usually make the top of the must-have lists. In fact, for some Android users, like those on HTC Sense 3.0, gesture typing is nothing new. There are plenty of users who anxiously await this feature though, and if you’re one of them then there’s great news. Developer Honso has released a 3rd party app that should fit the bill for any user looking to start swiping instead of pecking.

AOSP Keyboard 4.2 is available now on Google Play, and it promises to bring gesture typing to most Android devices running 4.1 and higher. After installation users will need to manually set up the keyboard under Settings -> Language & Input. Also, to the dismay of many international users, the app is currently available only in English. The developer has big plans though, hoping to bring multi-lingual access and a port even further back to Gingerbread is in the works. The best part? It’s free!

Gesture typing is a part of the native Android 4.2 environment, but for many users this app should be a fairly comprehensive alternative. In the official update, Google promises that this feature will help users “power through messages like never before.”

Here’s a video of Gesture Typing in Android 4.2:

Tags: 4.1, 4.2, featured, gesture typing, gingerbread, google, htc, Ice Cream Sandwich, jelly bean, keyboard, sense, swipe, type, typing

Category: androidheadlines.com, Applications

About Kody Frazier: Kody Frazier is a freelance journalist focused primarily on mobile technology. View author profile.

See Original Post At Android Headlines