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Recent Reviews
LG teases 5″ Optimus Vu with 4:3 aspect ratio display
Posted:
February 8, 2012
By: soyacincau
No comments
Android smart phones are getting bigger and LG seems to be catching up with their upcoming LG Optimus Vu which features a 5″ display that’s rather different. While most Android smart phone displays are 16:9 aspect ratio, the LG Optimus Vu 5″ screen has an aspect ratio of 4:3 and supports a resolution of 1024×768. This makes the screen more square rather than the usual long rectangular shape. On LG’s blog, the direct translation read “the human hand can be seen in the perfect aspect ratio”. Well, we will only find out if this is practical with a hands-on.
Design wise, it looks like a Prada 3.0 with its slim profile with rounded edges and circular design. Internally, it is said to be running on 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm WPQ8060 processor, 1GB of RAM with 8GB of internal storage. At the back, there’s a 8MP camera. The Optimus Vu is expected to be revealed at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2012 which is happening at the end of this month.
Head after the break for the teaser video.
HTC Ville photos revealed ahead of MWC
Posted:
February 7, 2012
By: soyacincau
1 comment
HTC is expected to make a come back this year and the next biggest thing from the Taiwan maker is the HTC Ville. Earlier on, the HTC Ville was rumoured to be under 8mm thin and runs on a dual-core 1.5GHz processor.
Now a couple of hands-on photos of the HTC Ville has surfaced with more details of the device. According to the source, the Ville will run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4.0 UI.
In terms of hardware, it doesn’t differ from what was revealed earlier with a 4.3″ AMOLED qHD Display, 8MP Camera, 1GB of RAM and comes with 1,650mAh battery. For audio, there’s the usual Beats Audio enhancements as well.
Currently the HTC Ville is expected to be officially revealed at MWC 2012. From the pic, the back appears to have a gradient metal finish and capacitive buttons are also visible on the front. Overall, it’s a sleek looking device but the design remains very conservative. Hopefully the final product would look better than these photos.
Head after the break for more photos.
Screenshot Suggests Instagram Coming to Android Soon
Posted:
February 7, 2012
By: ccsoya
No comments
With over 20 million users there’s no denying that Instagram is a very popular application but at the moment it is for iOS only. The developers have mentioned that an Android version is currently in the works but there’s no indication of when users can expect the popular app to make the leap. But if this screenshot captured from a promotional notification on a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is anything to go by, Instagram for Android may only be days away from its much-awaited debut.
This is still far from definitive but it gives a glimmer of hope that Instagram could only be a few day away from being available in the Android Market. Would Instagram for Android be a big deal for you?
[via]
Data suggests that iOS apps crash more often than Android apps
Posted:
February 4, 2012
By: ccsoya
9 comments
Crittercism — a mobile app monitoring startup – painstakingly compiled data of mobile app crashes between November and December 2011, covering over 23 different permutations of the iOS operating system and over 33 Android versions, and over 214 million app launches between all those OS versions.
The data shows that iOS apps crashed more frequently than comparable apps on Android. As you can see in the data presented, iOS apps on iPhone, iPad and iPods Touch make up nearly 75% of total crashes in the period that the data was gathered.
The researchers suggests that the reason why Android apps see far less crashes than iOS apps is because the Android platform allows developers to send out updates faster and users are able to set their Android devices to auto-update apps which allow bugs to be fixed much faster than can be done on iOS. On iOS developers pushing updates have to go through an approval process which can take weeks and there is no auto-update for users using iOS.
From our own experience, we agree with the data. On a day-to-day basis we do see more app crashes on iOS than on Android. The apps that we use that crash on a daily basis include Safari, Twitter for iOS and Facebook for iOS, just to name a few.
So iOS and Android users, offer your thoughts, is the data indicative of your own user experience? Let us know.
A more detailed break down of the data sets is available after the break.
Maxis offers entry level Androids for bundling
Posted:
February 3, 2012
By: soyacincau
4 comments
For people that won’t want to spend a lot on phones, Maxis now offers 2 entry level Android smart phones for bundling. The Samsung Galaxy Y and HTC Explorer are both offered from RM0 with 24 months subscription of 3GB data plan.
On the lowest commitment and duration option of 12 months bundle of 1GB, the Galaxy Y and Explorer can be yours for RM349 and RM499 respectively. Since these are entry level device, it is surprising that Maxis isn’t offering lower data options such as 200MB and 500MB for the two.
To recap on the specs, the RM499 Galaxy Y is a 3.0″ QVGA device which runs on 832MHz processor and comes with a 2MP camera. The RM759 HTC Explorer meanwhile has a larger 3.2″ HVGA screen with 600MHz processor and has a 3MP camera.
For more information, head over to Maxis.
Samsung Galaxy Note now on Maxis from RM1549
Posted:
February 3, 2012
By: soyacincau
11 comments
Maxis is finally kicking back into Android action as it now bundles the Samsung Galaxy Note. This comes right after its recent rebundling of the Samsung Galaxy S II.
On Maxis, the 5.3″ HD Super AMOLED device is offered with either 1GB and 3GB bolt-on data plans on top of any Maxis Value postpaid subscription. You can choose from 3 contract duration options of 12, 18 and 24 months. The Galaxy Note is offered as low as RM1,549 with 24 months subscription of 3GB data plan. For the minimal spender, it goes for RM1,949 with 12 months subscription of 1GB data.
The revised data plan rates have been refreshed as well. With a minimum of Maxis Value First postpaid (RM30), the minimum bundled options would be RM78/month (1GB) and RM98/month (3GB).
As comparison, DiGi offers the Galaxy Note from RM1399 while Celcom offers it from RM1368.
For more information, head over to Maxis.
Samsung Galaxy S III won’t make an appearance at MWC
Posted:
February 1, 2012
By: soyacincau
9 comments
The anticipated Samsung Galaxy S III won’t be appearing anytime soon as Samsung has confirmed that it won’t be revealed at Mobile World Congress 2012. Here’s the statement straight from the horse’s mouth:
Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012.
The successor to the Galaxy S2 smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product.
Samsung stays committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences for customers around the world.
Last year, the Samsung Galaxy S II was revealed on 13 February, a day before MWC 2011. However it took about 4 months before it was officially available in Malaysia. In between the announcement and long awaited commercial availability, the Galaxy S II spec was upgraded from the initial dual core 1.0GHz to 1.2Ghz. It was a rather long wait back then and Samsung is now looking to reveal Galaxy S III closer to its commercial availability.
This also gives Samsung the opportunity to see what the competition are up to at MWC which gives them room to make changes. We all know that Samsung is well capable of making quick and drastic changes on its product line up as seen on the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1 & 8.9.
Hopefully by the time they release it sometime in the first half of 2012, Samsung would have a more compelling product. So for the time being, the Galaxy S II, Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note shall remain as the high end models for Samsung for another 4-5 months.
[ SOURCE ]
Cameras Compared: Galaxy Nexus vs Galaxy S II
Posted:
February 1, 2012
By: ccsoya
11 comments
The 8MP shooter on the Galaxy S II is one of the best cameras you can get on a mobile phone. Only the Galaxy Note and the iPhone 4S is better than the Galaxy S II, we can certainly vouch for that, but how does it compare with the 5MP camera on the Galaxy Nexus?
Android Central attempts to answer that question and pitted the two devices against each other. So which on is better?
Sorry to burst your bubbles Galaxy Nexus users, the camera on the Galaxy S II better in virtually every aspect, including detail, colour reproduction and noise management. With ICS coming the Galaxy S II within a few months, you can expect the camera to be even better with the possible inclusion of Zero Shutter Lag and other software enhancements.
How much better is the Galaxy S II compared to the Galaxy Nexus? You can read the full review here or you can head on over to after the jump to see test shots taken using the two devices.
Madly and deeply in love with Siri
Posted:
February 1, 2012
By: soyacincau
No comments
The recent Big Bang Theory episode features Siri, which is Raj’s new digital companion. The interaction is simply hilarious.
Enjoy the 5 minute clip!
[ SOURCE ]
Samsung officially reveals Galaxy S Advance
Posted:
January 31, 2012
By: soyacincau
6 comments
The Samsung Galaxy S Advance has gone official after its pre-announcement appearance yesterday. At first glance, it looks like a Galaxy Nexus with mid-level specs.
Now full specs have been revealed as well. Just to recap, the Galaxy S Advance comes with a 4.0″ Super AMOLED display which supports 800×480 resolution and it is powered by a dual-core 1.0GHz processor and 768MB of RAM. For storage it comes with either 8GB or 16GB or 32GB built-in which is expandable with microSD. For imaging, it comes with a 5MP camera with assisted LED at the back and a front facing 1.3MP camera.
While Samsung higher end models like the Galaxy S II and Note supports HSPA+, the Galaxy S Advance supports only HSPA up to 14.4Mbps download. At the moment it is running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with no mention of Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade at the moment. In terms of dimensions, the Galaxy S Advance is 9.69mm thick and weighs 120g. As comparison, the similar looking Galaxy Nexus has a thickness of 8.94mm and it weighs 135g. The bundled Lithium Ion battery is rated at 1,500mAh capacity.
According to Samsung’s press release, the Galaxy S Advance will be available February onward starting at Russia followed by the rest of the world including South East and South West Asia.
Head after the break for more official pics.