The Nexus One has a lot going for it: it’s established what constitutes a “superphone”, it launched with and, for a time, was the only phone running Android 2.1, and will always be the first phone to get updates (including Froyo, it should be receiving soon). But the major downside was that you couldn’t play with it, or test it at all – it was only available online at Google’s phone store. Until now.
Google has finally realized that the online store idea simply doesn’t work, and now the Nexus One will be headed to retail. Of the four main carriers only T-Mobile will actually carry it (an AT&T compatible one is available, but they will certainly not sell it in their own stores), but this is still a step in the right direction for Google. Hopefully, this will mean that the Nexus One will finally have a chance to achieve the fame it should of had to begin with.
Another interesting note is that the Google Phone page will not only stop being a store, but it will become a site to “showcase a variety of Android phones available globally.” This could really help spread awareness for Android, and could be just one step towards Google actually advertising their mobile OS.
Froyo is coming – there’s no doubt about it now. And with Google I/O starting in just a few days, with the added fact that the Froyo statue has been delivered to Google HQ, we know it’s coming soon. So, what will make this new version of Android better than Eclair?
Quite a few things, actually. Though we have no idea what phones will receive the update, with the exception of the Nexus, which will surely receive it immediately, we know plenty about Froyo. For one, it’s going to have the incredible convenience of automatic app updating, something we learned from the very first leaked screens of Froyo (which happened to be running on the myTouch, interestingly enough). I’m not really sure how Google plans to do this; if the application updated and the Security information (what it needed to access) changed, would it still be updated? Would you be notified? The new feature can be switched on and off for each app, but it would be a privacy nightmare if the apps could get updated without your knowledge and access more of your information.
Android 2.2 is also going to be the first version of Android to fully support Flash. Yes, you read that right – Froyo will come with full support for Flash 10.1. This was rather unclear, as it was confirmed in an interview with The New York Times, but Adobe had previously said that Flash would not be tied to a specific version of Android. Whatever the case, there are also hardware limitations to Flash, meaning first-gen devices, even if they run a 2.2 ROM, will probably not be able to run Flash 10.1.
You want speed? You got speed. The folk over at Android Police got their hands on a Nexus One running 2.2, and ran a Linpack test (which simply finds how quickly the phone can operate) on it compared to a Hero and a Nexus One running 2.1. The results? The Hero pulled in a weak 2 MFLOPS (lower is worse, by the way) while the Nexus One running 2.1 managed scores of around 6-7 MFLOPS. The Nexus One running Froyo? 37 MFLOPS. While each and every process on your phone might not be that much faster, you should definitely notice some major improvements in speed. (Just another comparison: I tested my myTouch running a 2.1 ROM and achieved only 2.28 MFLOPS, not very impressive at all.)
The latest feature unveiled by the people at Android Police is, quite frankly, incredibly surprising. Android 2.2 will come with support for wireless tethering. For those of you who don’t know, wireless tethering allows WiFi-enabled devices to connect to your phone and use your data connection. Sprint is unveiling their Mobile Hotspot plan for the HTC Evo, and it will cost an extra $29.99 a month – so when the Evo gets updated to 2.2, it’s quite possible that it may lose this feature; in fact, other carriers could stop this as well, but of course, rooting will still always be an option.
A new homescreen has also been seen, which includes an app dock right under the launcher and a new, universal search widget. More information will be posted when it is released.
What features do you want to see in Android 2.2? Post in the comments now!
It’s great to see older handsets getting updates to the latest and greatest version of Android, even if another version of Android is on its way and most Moment users won’t get the update because it is PC-based and requires a complete wipe.
Sprint has not yet made any announcement regarding the update, but it is already available here. Remember, this update does require a complete wipe, so I suggest downloading an app such as MyBackup Pro to backup everything stored on your phone.
Alternatives to Android’s default browsers are becoming more common as of late (which just goes to show the openness of Android), with great new applications such as Opera Mini 5, Skyfire (which has the exclusive feature of being able to view Flash videos), and xScope constantly being released. Another favorite of some people happened to be Dolphin Browser, which has just been updated to the new and improved “Dolphin Browser HD” – quite possibly the best web browsing experience I’ve ever had on an Android phone.
The app begins on a nicely-laid out webpage showing all the new features of Dolphin Browser HD, including: gestures, add-ons, very improved multi-touch, volume control to scroll, the ability to directly download YouTube videos, saving bookmarks SD card, and many more. I’d also like to note that this browser also has a major speed boost over the stock Browser, and it easily rivals my previous favorite browser, Opera Mini 5. Update: YouTube downloads have been removed in a new update, as they violate YouTube’s Terms Of Service.
One of my favorite things about this app is the multi-touch. Sure, the stock browser – not too mention most alternate ones – supports multi-touch, but for those of us with older phones (note: this app only works with Android 2.0 and above, but I am running a myTouch with a 2.1 ROM) it can be incredibly slow, enough to make it virtually unusable. Dolphin Browser HD fixes this problem; the multi-touch zoom is incredibly smooth, though double-tapping to zoom is still available for those who prefer it.
The ability to use the volume control key to scroll in the browser is also a nice addition. In many ways, it’s similar to using the spacebar on a desktop browser, but it feels less clunky because of the way it slides. MGeek Mobile, the makes of Dolphin Browser, have really gone out of their way to make this an incredibly user-friendly experience.
Personally, I could do without gestures, but the fact that Dolphin Browser HD gives you the option is nice. The bottom left hand corner of the screen holds a button that, when pressed, will allow you to draw gestures to perform various actions. The app comes pre-loaded with nine different gestures, but they can be edited to your heart’s content. In fact, that gesture launcher can even be moved to the bottom right hand corner of the screen, or be hidden altogether if you’re not a fan of gestures like me. The settings for gestures can be accessed by clicking the gesture launcher and then clicking settings, but settings for other parts of the app feel quite hidden; for example, to changed saved data/log-in information, you have to click Menu > More > Settings > System Settings. The average could easily get lost in these menus.
Add-ons and themes are an addition that I think really separates Dolphin Browser HD from other Android browsers. Currently, only one theme other than the default is available (and it’s unfortunately purple), but a few add-ons are available. The Dolphin Browser License, for example, is a paid add-on ($4.99) that removes ads from the browser menus (I suggest doing this if you want to support the developer; the ads themselves are not intrusive at all). Hopefully more add-ons will be available soon, but here are a few you might want to try out now: Bookmarks to SD, “Read it Later”, Twitter Share, Del.icio.us bookmarks, and Bookmarks Widget (3×3).
And, last but not least, the Flick menu. Dolphin Browser HD allows for up to eight tabs at a time, and the Flick menu makes it incredibly easy and smooth to switch between them. Just flick your finger from the left side of your screen to the right to reveal thumbnails of each of your open tabs. From this menu, you can change your current tab, open new ones, or close all. I had a few problems trying to open the Flick menu, however, because sometimes the browser would instead slide my screen to the left; conversely, when I was trying to slide the screen to the left, the Flick menu would sometimes open. I hope that the developers work to solve this minor problem, because it blemishes an otherwise outstanding app.
If you have a device running Android 2.0 or above, I highly recommend you download Dolphin Browser HD. It’s fast, reliable, comfortable, and a great overall experience. Minor faults aside, this is truly a fantastic app, and future themes and add-on support will only continue to make it better. I give Dolphin Browser HD the outstanding score of 9.2/10.
When the HTC Evo was announced, everyone could tell that it would be the Android phone to have. 1 GHz processor, 4.3″ screen, compatible with Sprint’s ever-expanding “4G” network – this phone is set to redefine the term superphone. But while this phone is surely “super”, it does have one huge competitor, and it’s not the Nexus One. It’s the new iPhone.
HTC Evo
Chances are, you’ve heard about the iPhone/Gizmodo scandal. To make a long story short: a man testing the new version of the iPhone lost it in a bar, someone found it and sold it to Gizmodo for $5,000, and now Apple is mad. But what’s really important isn’t the insides of device, which haven’t revealed much (it was remotely wiped, so no news on the iPhone OS 4.0) – the important fact here is that there will be an a new iPhone. And if it’s currently in a testing phase, how much longer until it’s actually released? Rumors are already pegging it’s release this summer, and Gizmodo recently posted news on another lost iPhone, saying it could be a “final model,” so the idea of the new iPhone launching this June isn’t too far-fetched.
Some people are claiming that, due to the fact that the new iPhone is set to have a front-facing camera, Apple and AT&T may be working together to create a “revolution” based on video calling. The new iPhone OS, 4.0, is also set to include background notifications and multi-tasking. The HTC Evo already has those OS features because it’s running Android, and it’s one of the first Android phones to have a front-facing camera. Clearly, these two phones are going to be the biggest this year.
iPhone 4G/HD
In this battle, HTC may just have the upper hand. Sprint may not be as large as AT&T, but it isn’t known to have all the problems AT&T’s network does. And Sprint’s new 4G network is definitely going to be a big deciding factor for customers, as is HTC Evo’s mobile hotspot features that allows up to 8 other devices to connect to Sprint’s 4G network. The fact that the Evo’s launch date, June 4, is already confirmed helps tremendously as well; HTC will get a decent headstart.
The iPhone may or may not launch around the same time as the Evo, but this battle is a pretty clear representation of the two company’s goals. HTC is currently the leading Android handset maker, and Apple is beginning to see Android as a big threat. Apple sees Android as such a threat that they’ve sued HTC over 20 patents, and HTC just recently decided to counter-sue over patents of their own. The patent battles may be pending, but the smartphone battle is ready to begin.
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