The LG Optimus Elite looks to be a good phone for eco-conscious, budget-wise consumers looking to experience Google’s popular Android OS. Sprint just released the phone today in stores and Virgin Mobile has their very own version available as well for the commitment-phobe demographic. However VM  has decided to up the ante and offer a $25 Google Wallet credit for all VM Optimus Elites activated until July 18.

Free money sounds great, right? It is indeed as long as you are prepared to receive payment in installments. New Optimus Elite owners will immediately receive a $10 credit upon activation and after 3 weeks will then receive the remaining $15 credit. It’s a smart move to ensure that potential return customers don’t go on a small shopping spree courtesy of Virgin Mobile. So if the LG Optimus Elite on Virgin Mobile interests you, then hit the source link below to get more info.

source: virginmobile

» See more articles by Tony Rosario

I’ll hazard a guess that a big factor behind your decision to buy an Android phone was the depth of customisation options available to you straight out of the box. There’s not much you can’t change on your phone these days and there’s always customer launchers or rooting for those who like to take it one step further. Still not satisfied? Well perhaps we have the solution for you.

Meet the Liquidware Amber, the tablet development framework for the more adventurous Android modder. Open the box and you’ll find an ARM Cortex A8 Processor, a 7″ capacitive display, 512 MB RAM and a custom Android 2.3 build. The tablet has no casing although it is fully functional, it’s down to the individual to decide which peripherals they’d like to add over and above the standard package. The only limitation is your sense of adventure!

The Amber doesn’t come cheap with the price ranging from $983 to $1,674 depending on which kit you opt for. Check out the video below and get ready to ditch that Meccano set for something a bit more exciting.

source: Liquidware

» See more articles by Chris Stewart

The original EVO landed on Sprint two-years ago and was one of the most popular Android phones in the U.S. After that success, the second chapter arrived last year; the EVO 3D. That was a complete disappointment, but not a complete disaster since most original EVO owners had 2-year contracts, which meant they weren’t buying anyway. Those contracts are now coming due and those customers need something good. The EVO 4G LTE promises to be the best EVO ever. It’s a variant of the One X, which is the best phone available hands down. Unfortunately Sprint customers will have to wait a little longer as the U.S. Customs is holding up shipments. Today was supposed to be the official release date, but unfortunately, thanks to Apple, we have no timeframe.

Will this be the EVO you’ve been waiting for? Hit the break to find out, but you can also check out my initial hands on review.

Design

This is by far the most important part of this review. Since the EVO 4G LTE is essentially the AT&T One X in terms of its guts, this is one of the main areas that is different. Sprint worked with HTC to change the design to be more EVO-like, and I think they succeeded. At first I didn’t care for the design at all, but after spending some time with it, I won’t say it’s growing on me, but I will say it’s not bothering me so much.

The biggest change is the addition of the kickstand that was found in the original EVO. It’s designed flawlessly within the red stripe in the back. In fact, it’s hard to tell that a kickstand actually resides in the red stripe unless you knew it was there. You will also find the same red pattern around the camera lens.

The other major change is the addition of a micro SD slot for storage expansion. The global One X and the AT&T One X don’t have a micro SD slot, but Sprint felt it’s customers would want the availability of increasing storage capacity. HTC decided to put it in the inside, and with it came a cover for the top back. This cover is where things get interesting because it doesn’t match the bottom half which is anodized aluminum, The top cover is a shiny black plastic.

Another change includes a silver metal ring around the sides, which I think compliment the overall look and gives it a nice feel in the hands.

The final change is a dedicated camera shutter button, which is a really nice touch since it’s hard to find a phone with one anymore.

Just like all versions of the One X, the battery isn’t removable. A lot of people like making a big deal about this, but I dare them to tell me how many times they switch out their battery. It’s a proven fact that the majority of people don’t carry multiple batteries, and I don’t think you should be worried about it.

The rest of the buttons and ports are identical to the global and AT&T One X. The top has the power button to the right with the microphone jack to the left. The right side has the volume rocker and below that is the added camera shutter button. The left side has the micro USB port.

Although I prefer the look and feel of the global and AT&T One X, this version is a close second. As I mentioned, at first I didn’t care for it, but after spending some time with it, I’ve realized it’s not so bad. The bottomline is this is a Sprint phone and if you’re on Sprint, this is your choice. If your negative on the design, don’t make your decision based on videos and pictures online. Go to the store and play with it. I think your negativity will calm down.

Hardware

Just like the AT&T version of the One X, the EVO 4G LTE gets the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor since it’s a LTE capable device. The S4′s performance is on par with the global version, but more importantly battery life should be better. Other than the micro SD slot (listed above) the only other hardware change is a 2000 mAh battery (instead of a 1800 mAh).

The full specs include a 4.7-inch (1280 x 720) Super LCD 2 display, a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, micro SD slot for up to an additional 32GB of storage, 8MP camera rear camera with ImageSense, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 2000 mAh battery, CDMA & LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, WiFi, HDMI through MHL port, and mirco USB.

The last item to mention is HD Voice, which is something that Sprint will roll out in the coming months. You won’t find it on any of the other One X variants and this is the very first smartphone to feature it. Obviously since the service hasn’t rolled out yet, I couldn’t test it. I did hear a demo at the announcement in New York City and it sounded amazing. How it will transfer to the real world is unknown.

Performance

Again, the guts are the same as the AT&T One X so performance should be identical, and that’s what I found. I ran the obligatory AnTuTu benchmark, which came in at 6772, which is the exact same number that came up on my AT&T One X test. For once a benchmark actually proved to be true.

The Super LCD 2 display is identical to the AT&T One X so there isn’t anything different to offer here. It’s by far the best display on a phone to date. No PenTile, just pure beauty.

Beats Audio is also onboard just the like the AT&T version and there are no differences. The plus with both phones is that it works on all audio apps (not just the stock music app). Yes it’s a gimmick, but I would rather have it than not.

Battery

There is no way to test the battery with LTE connectivity since there isn’t a market in Sprint’s network that actually has LTE. We are expecting six markets to land this Summer and they include Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio. For this reason, my battery test could only be conducted with 3G conductivity. If you’re not familiar with my test, I run continuous video with the display turned up to 2/3′s brightness. I was able to get 7 hours, which is the same as the AT&T One X. This is a little concerning since the EVO 4G LTE has a bigger battery (2000 mAh vs 1800 mAh). I did the same test with the AT&T version and I was connected to HSPA+ 4G. Hopefully there is a software tweak that will straighten it out.

Software

The software is identical to the AT&T One X. It’s Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich with a decent dose of Sense 4.0 on top of it. Most of the media seems to agree that Sense is toned down with 4.0. I would agree, but I’m still not in love with it. You can see my AT&T One X review for other thoughts, but the bottomline is that it doesn’t annoy me enough to not buy this phone.

Just like the AT&T One X, you get 25GB of Dropbox storage for free. This is a nice touch and I encourage you to sign up for it right away. The integration is really nice with automatic uploads for pictures.

One app you will find on the EVO 4G LTE that you won’t find on the AT&T One X is Google Wallet. I can’t say much about it because I don’t have a Google Wallet account, but I’m told my review unit doesn’t have the final build. You will also get a $10 credit when activating a Google Prepaid card.

As far as bloatware you get HTC Hub, HTC Mobile Guide, Setup (for HTC syncing), Sprint Hotspot, Sprint Zone, Stocks, Task Manager, Transfer (for transfering information from your old phone), Voice Recorder, Watch, and Weather (HTC).

Camera

I think from the benchmark, battery test, and software, you should’ve figured out that the EVO 4G LTE is the same phone as the HTC One X sans the design and battery. That means the camera is also the same. The only change is the availability of the dedicated shutter button, but other than that, everything is the same. You get the same high quality pictures and the same great software with all the effects, and of course my favorite, burst shooting. See my review of the AT&T One X and Joe Sirianni’s review of the T-Mobile One S for more information about the camera. Here are some photos for the heck of it, but for more examples of effects and stuff see those other reviews. This is truly the best camera on a smartphone to date.

Closing

It all comes down to styling, but if you want the best phone available on Sprint, this is the phone to buy. The only downer is the fact that LTE isn’t available now. Assuming if you buy this phone with a 2-year contract it’s likely Sprint will grow its LTE coverage over that time. It really doesn’t matter because WiMax really isn’t that great anyway and what else would you buy? It’s not like any of the other phones on Sprint would get LTE any sooner. I said it before that I prefer the global and AT&T version over the EVO 4G LTE in terms of design, but if I’m a Sprint customer, I’m fine with it. Not everyone has the luxury of changing carriers. It’s priced the same as the AT&T One X, which is $199, and that makes it an awesome buy. Now the only thing we need is the U.S. Customs to release the shipments so everyone can actually buy one.

» See more articles by Robert Nazarian

 

Oh boy— if you’re like me and an owner of a premium Motorola device released in the last 12 – 15 months, then this news is for you. Motorola has updated its ICS update timeline for select devices. Within the next month and some change, MOTO devices will begin receiving Android 4.0 with a (MOTO)BLUR topping, starting with the DROID RAZR/RAZR MAXX and the XOOM 3G/4G tablet. Other devices such as the DROID Bionic, DROID 4 and my smartphone– the OG Atrix 4G is set to get some love by Q3. The Photon is the last confirmed MOTO phone to receive the update and it will receive the update by Q4 of this year.

In some disappointing news, MOTO also confirmed the DROID X2 and DROID 3 which will remain on Android 2.3. This means unless you root and flash a custom ICS build on those devices, you won’t be tasting Android 4.0 glory. Such is life I guess.

Ah well, at least the rest of us MOTO owners have something to look forward too.

source: Motorola Support Forums
via: Droid Life

» See more articles by Roy Alugbue

Samsung has always been one to sport a device in as many colors as possible. The Galaxy S III will start off in White and Pebble Blue as you know and we can only assume in other colors down the road. This time however it’s regarding the “berry pink” version of the Galaxy Note that was launched in Korea early in April. Thought to only be seen in Korea the pink device is now making its way to the United Kingdom.

The folks at Carphone Warehouse revealed that it will launch the pink version of the device starting next month and they’ve gone as far as to create a pre-registration page. This page will allow potential buyers to sign up for more information. However as it’s the Galaxy Note just in a pink variety there isn’t much you wouldn’t already be able to find out other places.

So if you live in the UK and were really hoping to snag this giant device in pink your chance is coming up. While I personally wouldn’t get one in pink I’m sure someone will. Hit the source to sign up.

source: Carphone Warehouse
via: Android Central 

» See more articles by Jack Holt

You can say what you want about the Kindle Fire, but it’s clear that Amazon made the right decisions when it came to pricing and marketing. Their Kindle Fire e-reader tablet is now one of the most successful and popular tablets around, thanks to it’s uber competitive pricing against Apple’s iPad and other comparable Android offerings.

Word on the street is that Amazon is now planning to directly take on Apple’s iPad line of tablets by presenting a 10.1-inch Kindle Fire in Q3 of this year, while simultaneously canning plans for their suspected 8.9-inch model. If this rumor pans out, then we can only assume that the internals of this big brother Kindle should be fairly strong to compete with the fruits of Apple’s labor. Amazon just recently announced plans to continue offering tablets at low cost in exchange for advertisements in their devices, so perhaps we will see this 10.1-inch super reader at a great price point as well. Only time will tell what Amazon has in store for us in the coming months.

source: digitimes

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While we are waiting for Apple and HTC to hash out their differences regarding the Import delays for the possible Apple patent violations made by HTC, some folks have found a fix for a possible device annoyance. Regardless of which version of the One X is being used, folks have noticed a slight lag on HTC’s Sense 4.0 interface covering Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich.

Most of you who’ve had an HTC phone and are into modding should be familer with Rosie the Sense launcher. The mod tries to eliminate the lag being discussed. As the author of the mod puts it, it’s “a mod that locks the frame rate during page scroll in Sense launcher.” If you notice this too and have an international version of the device then hit the source link to snag the mod. As always, make a back up of your original files should the install get botched. As always you are responsible for what happens to your device when modding and tweaking.

source: XDA
via: pocketnow

» See more articles by Jack Holt

Surprise surprise. I knew it the moment we posted it. It simply had “garbage news” written all over it. To recap, the U.S. Customs is preventing shipments of both the Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE and the AT&T One X from arriving at their respective destinations. The result forced Sprint to cancel today’s anticipated launch with no timetable on when we can get our hands on the next EVO.

Supposedly Best Buy had the inside track with a “new and improved” release date of May 23. Folks, until you see news that the U.S. Customs has released the shipments, don’t believe any release dates. Sprint can’t schedule the release date until the product is released because they have no way of knowing how long this will take. We hope it will be sooner rather than later, but do you think Apple won’t try to drag this as long as they can? Anyways, Best Buy is now sending out the above email to customers, correcting their snafu.

source: androidcentral

» See more articles by Robert Nazarian