When two of the largest names in the tech industry collaborate on a single project, we all know we can expect great things. The latest big tie up comes with an unexpected cooperative move from Japanese electronics leader Sony and Korean industry giant, Samsung.
The new technology they are working on is an alternative to AMOLED touch screens. As many smart phone fans are already aware of, AMOLED screens are among the most impressive displays available for smart phone users. It is so good that the only technologies to ever surpass it are the Apple Retina display and of course, the super AMOLED touch screen which was developed by Samsung.
Among the handsets to use the AMOLED touch screen technology, there are some phones that truly standout such as the HTC Desire and the Google Nexus One. Both devices run the Android operating system and are two of the biggest profile handsets around. According to Sony and Samsung, the first S-LCD displays will be used in the Desire and the Nexus One smart phones.
The decision to use the S-LCD devices on existing devices (as opposed to slapping it into a new phone) is a tactical choice. First, HTC needs more AMOLED screens for the two handsets. With AMOLED technology being harder to produce, S-LCD is the perfect alternative. Not only does it match the AMOLED screens in terms of quality, but it is also able to deliver better viewing angles, contrast and more importantly, less battery consumption.
With Samsung previously pushing forward the limits of AMOLED technology, (they came up with the “super” variant and are reported to be working on a flexible and durable version of the technology) it would not be surprising they (along with Sony) also choose to improve the S-LCD screen technology in the same way.
Posts Tagged ‘Google-Nexus-One’
Samsung and Sony Team Up to Bring New Screen Technology
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010Froyo Update Available for Vodafone’s Nexus One
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
The Google branded Nexus One has received the Android 2.2 Froyo update a couple of weeks ago. However, not all owners of this impressive smart phone were able to update. Only users who purchased the device through Google’s online store had been updated to the new Froyo version while those who are under Vodafone’s contracts are still waiting for a compatible patch to be released.
Fortunately, the wait is finally over. Mobile network operator Vodafone UK has announced that the Nexus One smart phone is finally available right this very moment. Those who have not downloaded the update should go online as soon as possible to get their handsets fully fixed up with the latest firmware from Google.
As one might expect, an update of level is more than just a bunch of random bug fixes and tweaks, the new OS version provides plenty of additional functionality to users.
First off, Froyo gives the Android OS a major performance boost. The system runs and loads faster thanks to better kernel management. The user interface has been reported to be running up to three times faster than it normally does. Not only has the speed been improved, but the performance as well –the OS is also smoother and more stable than before.
There are also new features that have been added to the system such as a better user interface for the 5 mega pixel camera. This will allow users to easily add changes to settings, effects and filters as they shoot images on the go. Additional support for Exchange has also been added in as well.
Tethering is now supported, as well as an additional function that turns the handset into a WiFi hotspot. But of all the new features that Froyo brings, the most exciting one would be the compatibility for Adobe’s Flash Player 10.1 which allows users to view any Flash content online.
Google Takes Nexus One Off Online Store
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
Google has announced that the Nexus One handset will no longer be available on the online store.
Many fans of the Android operating system might remember that initially, the Nexus One was exclusively available on Google’s online store. When Google made the announcement about the device’s availability, many who attended the launch of the device last January 5 felt that the online store was a bad idea. And they were right. Within the first week of sales, Google managed to sell only 20,000 units of the Android smart phone.
But bad sales do not necessarily mean that it is a bad phone, many attributed the fall of the supposed iPhone-killer to its store availability than a problem with the handset itself. In fact, many considered the Nexus One to be an excellent high end smart phone.
According to Google, the Nexus One was simply meant to push the standards of the open source operating system further. They did not make the device to break into the smart phone industry. In fact, Google even says that they do not have any plans to create a second device –which means that it is unlikely that the initial rumors about a Nexus Two smart phone will no longer come true.
With that, the Nexus One is said to have already achieved what it was meant to do, and Google is not asking for anything more of the handset. The device has now been taken off the online store, but is still available in the UK. Mobile network operator Vodafone UK is still offering the device on their monthly tariffs.
The Nexus One, despite being Google’s first handset, is a very impressive device. The phone comes with a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, a 5 mega pixel camera with autofocus, LED flash and video recording. Of course, the handset is able to run the Android 2.2 Froyo.
No More Nexus Handsets from Google
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
According to some sources, it seems that Eric Schmidt is no longer going to pursue the Nexus series of smart phones. What this really means however, is pretty vague.
When asked for a reason, the CEO of Google simply stated that the Nexus One was meant to push the industry forward. According to him, it did, and now that it has served its goal, there is no need to create a second handset.
The announcement is pretty surprising because up until about a week ago, there were still some rumors about Motorola making the next Google branded handset. Some might argue that even if the Nexus line has been discontinued, Google may still choose to create more smart phones –which do not fully count out the possibility that the Motorola Shadow might still end up as a Google branded handset.
In any case, it is not surprising that the Nexus One series is no longer being continued. Despite the fact that the phone has rather impressive hardware and good specs, bad sales decisions have kept the handset far from the success that many expected it to be.
Google launched the device exclusively under their Google Online Store –a move which many questioned when it was announced at the launch of the handset last January 5 at the Googleplex in Mountain View. It took several months of the device lingering in the shadows of popularity before the UK release prompted Google to take a more open approach and have the handset available on retail.
Given that, it is still a sad bit of news if the Nexus series would no longer have new additions. HTC and Google have established an excellent benchmark for other smart phones to match up with and the Nexus One is still considered to be the quintessential Android smart phone of the current smart phone generation.
Google’s Nexus One is Getting the Froyo Update
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
The Android operating system’s latest update is now available for Nexus One owners. For those wondering, Froyo stands for Frozen Yogurt (the previous Android versions have been named Éclair, Donut and Cupcake –which as one might realize are reverse-alphabetically arranged).
Google’s Nexus One smart phone is considered to be the quintessential Android handset. After all, this is the phone made by the mobile platform’s developer, which means that the device delivers the Android in the way it was meant to be. HTC, a key partner of Google, helped manufacture the handset for the search engine company.
The Nexus One is considered as a high end smart phone – by today’s standards anyway. The device sports a high speed 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon for handling all apps and other resource heavy functions. The 5 mega pixel camera is a great way to take high resolution photos and videos. With the phone’s 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display, images are rendered beautifully in rich, deep colors.
New to the Android 2.2 Froyo is the inclusion of a new tips widget that provides new users with several useful guides and tips on how to customize a new home page –which is a great experience for users trying to get a grasp of the Nexus One.
Speaking of grasp, it has been confirmed that the new user interface will be affecting how images will be taken. Both video recording and image shoots will be controlled by the new user interface.
Speed and performance are going to be added to the Android 2.2 as well. According to reports, the new Kernel management and addition of better Java handling will make the Android a lot faster than its predecessor. According to Google’s benchmarks, the new OS will be about twice as fast (or even up to three times faster) than the older Android 2.1 Éclair.
Flash Player is Out Android Froyo Still Not Available
Friday, June 25th, 2010
In a move that can be best described as badly timed, Adobe has finally brought out the Android Flash Player. As impressive as it may be to bring Flash support to Google’s Android operating system, the fact that only the Nexus One has version 2.2 of the OS is a sad reminder to many Android owners who are still eagerly awaiting an update.
Right now, the only smart phone with the new OS is Google’s very own Nexus One. The first third party handset that is confirmed to be getting the update is the HTC Desire which will be getting a patch in a matter of days, for other smart phones; the wait will take much longer.
Considering the Android’s position in the mobile phone industry right now, this is one delay that Google should not allow to continue. Despite recent reports that the patches will be available earlier than expected, they are still taking too long. Take the Sony Ericsson XPERIA handsets. For now, the X10 and the X10 Mini are waiting for a patch to Android 2.1 –so far, there has been no announcement when the 2.2 update will be released. While the original 2.1 patch has been moved from Q4 to Q3 the delay is still significant.
Most of the other handsets are expected a 2.2 update in the next month or by August. Devices such as the Motorola Milestone, Dell Streak and the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S are just some of the Android devices that would need to be updated.
The move from 2.1 to 2.2 Froyo is significant mostly because of the Flash support that it brings. While the additional performance boosts are indeed impressive (up to twice the current UI speed and up to three times faster web browsing), people are more interested in finally being able to see Flash content on their smart phones.
Flash Coming to a Whole Range of Mobile Platforms
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
According to Steve Jobs, millions of people have bought his products even though they do not support Flash. He considers this as a testament for supporting his argument that Flash is no longer needed. He also seems to forget that he could removed phone call capabilities, text messaging and even taken out the camera and still would have sold millions of the iPad and the iPhone. This is not about Flash at all, but just how powerful the Apple branding is.
For a real measure of understanding where Flash stands in today’s standards: it is still being used. In fact, it is expected that in the span of a year (or even shorter), there will almost be no smart phones that will not support Flash aside from the Apple iPhone.
The Android is obviously getting Flash support; they clearly made their stand and alliance with the developer pretty early on when the argument between Apple and Adobe was just starting to brew. Microsoft also jumped into Flash bandwagon. While support for Flash will not be present in the very first version of the Windows Phone 7 mobile platform, it is expected to appear in one of the first updates for the OS.
It has also been confirmed that other operating systems will also be getting a compatible version of Adobe’s flash player. Among the systems that have been reported to be getting a flash Player update later on are the MeeGo, Linux Mobile, the Symbian OS, RIM’s BlackBerry OS and the Palm WebOS. The only OS missing from the list is Samsung’s Bada and the Brew though it is likely that the Samsung OS will also be getting a Flash update too.
Adobe has already released a downloadable version of the Flash Player version 10.1 for Google Android Froyo –well ahead of the first Android Froyo updates for other handsets aside from the Nexus One.
Milestone 2 Leaked, Promised to have Froyo
Monday, June 21st, 2010
The Android community certainly has plenty of new smart phones to look forward to. And among these upcoming devices is the Motorola Milestone 2.
So far, specifics on this handset have been vague and hard to pin down –especially when it was often mixed up with the Motorola Shadow (which is expected to be the next Nexus smart phone). Just recently, some leaked photos of the Milestone 2 were revealed and with it, promises of better specs and the new Android operating system.
The biggest news comes in form of a new processor for the smart phone; according to the rumors the Motorola Milestone 2 will have a faster 1GHz CPU –and it will also have a 5 mega pixel snapper too. This will put the smart phone on the same level as other high end Android smart phones released recently, such as the Google Nexus One, HTC Desire, Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, Dell Streak (also known as the Dell Mini 5), and the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S. Aside from the new CPU and better camera, very little is still known about the Milestone 2.
The pictures reveal that the smart phone will still be packing two of the biggest hardware features it had before –a big capacitive touch screen display and a physical slide out QWERTY keyboard.
It was also stated that the phone will come with the new Android 2.2 Froyo (which is somewhat expected as the Milestone tends to herald new versions of the OS –the older Milestone came with 2.1 Éclair).
The advantages of having 2.2 Froyo include a faster Android OS and even faster browsing, support for tethering and allowing the handset to be used as a WiFi hotspot, and best of all, having native support for Flash content –this means that all Flash content on the web will be visible on the Android smart phone.
Android Smart Phone Wrap Up: Q2 2010
Saturday, June 12th, 2010With the first half of 2010 coming to pass, here is a quick look back at all the big Android smart phone releases with a bit of looking forward as well.
The year started with the launch of the Google Nexus One. There was plenty of hype and excitement over the handset since late last year and until the very end, there were even speculations that Google might not be making a device at all. The folks at Mountain View protected their secret till the very end and when the Nexus One finally came out, everyone was awestruck with the amazing device.
However, Google’s announcement about the Nexus One’s distribution saw a gloom fall over the crowd as everyone knew that being sold exclusively on the Google Online Store is a death sentence for the mobile phone. They were right; Google only sold 20,000 units during the first week.
Despite the rough start, Google was able to pick up the pace by April with the back to back release of the HTC Desire (which is very much similar to the Nexus One) and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 (SE’s very first Android smart phone). The HTC Legend also came out in the same week as the two other devices providing the world with several new Android devices to choose from.
Just a while back, the HTC Wildfire and SE X10 Mini smart phones also came out –providing the mid range Android market with two extremely good choices for mobile phones.
The launch of the new Android 2.2 Froyo operating system also paved the way for the global re-launch of the Nexus One. The Google phone, now equipped with the new OS (with Flash support) is now becoming one of the top Android devices. In the meanwhile, manufacturers Samsung, HTC, SE and others are currently working on new Android handsets that will be released later this year.
Vodafone Offers Two Mid Range Androids
Friday, June 11th, 2010
The Android smart phone market is pretty much congested with high end smart phones. With handsets like the Google Nexus One, HTC Desire, Samsung i9000 Galaxy S, Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 and many others, it seems that getting to own an Android handset on a budget is a pretty hard thing to do. Fortunately, it seems that beyond these impressive devices and their 1GHz CPUs and large touch screen displays, there are still plenty of smart phones that are more reasonable with the balance of specs and cost.
Take these two new handsets that Vodafone is now offering its customers: the HTC Wildfire and the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini. Both handsets are based on more expensive high end counterparts, but they drop the pricey hardware and simply focus on delivering the basic Android smart phone experience to users, and it that sense, the phones are pretty successful.
Vodafone has announced that the plans for both handsets would make the mobile phones available for free on their various 20 Pound monthly tariff plan (good for two years/24 months). Since the phones vary in retail cost, the plan offers for the two phones vary a little. The X10 Mini gets about 100 minutes of talk time, 500 SMS and 500 MB of data. The HTC Wildfire on the other hand gets to have unlimited text messages, 300 minutes of talk time and also 500 MB of data. Either way, both plans are good.
The Wildfire comes with a 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen display, a 5 mega pixel camera, and the Android 2.1 OS (it also makes use of the HTC Sense user interface). The X10 Mini has a smaller screen at 2.6 inches, but has a faster CPU than the Wildfire.
Both Android handsets are available right now from Vodafone UK.