The GOOGLE | ANDROID Thread

[S_2NR]

just discovered a small scratch on my nexus s screen

1sigh

[r3iXmann]

invisible shield ftw ^

[sentraman]

can you get a galaxy s2 from bmobile without the hot spot device\plan?

[S_2NR]

ok..i got over the scratch now..

its just a phone.

and i know invis shield works.
but i like my phones without cases or screen protectors.
just using a tpu case now to add grip to my phone.

[stev]

^^^should get 'clear armor'. works great

[achillies]

I'm using a TPU, fits normel, ordered an Otterbox Commuter, should have it by Friday, will report back on if it's still pocketable as with the TPU

Also wanna order a Case-Mate Pop case for the kick stand, but later for that

[S_2NR]

as far as im concerned scratches add personality to a phone. they dont bother me.
if it falls whatever.
even though i take really good care of my stuff, i still wont feel like im getting the full use of the features and design of the phone in a case or under some plastic.

its like buying a lamborghini and keeping it in the garage all the time to prevent anything from happening to it.

[M_2NR]

i use those plastic screen protectors for 2$ for 3/5. work fine. when they get scratched, replace it in no time. hated those invisible shield ones with liquid.

i just hate to see scratches on my phone... worse is if you watching the screen and reading something and its noticeable.

[S_2NR]

they should have put gorilla glass on the nexus s.
but samsung couldnt because of the curved glass display.
sigh.

[trinitachi]

Finally bought my s2 and im very happy with my choice. can any of yi
You shed some light on data plans?

[stev]

well edge drives me insane...u cud find out about d 4g hotspot thing from bmobile.

[S_2NR]

i have the 70$ BB plan.
only use edge for IM and email.
everything else is wifi.

mitch..u still have this pouch?
i can use this for my nexus s.

[achillies]

Samsung have made a few aesthetic changes sue to the Apple lawsuits in 2.3.5, not all of them for the better, SMH

[achillies]

Samsung announces the Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy S II LTE HD (with a 720p display) for Korea



Samsung's dropped word of a couple of big phones for the Korean market -- the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE (that's it on the left), and the Galaxy S II LTE HD. Yes, folks, HD. As in high-definition. As in a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD display. As in a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD display at a 1280x720 resolution, for 316 pixels per inch, just shy of the iPhone 4's 326 ppi. Plus is, you know, better, because it's bigger, faster and runs Android.

Save for the screen, specs are the same for both phones -- a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of internal storage, an 8MP rear camera and the other usual features. And probably the one spec that'll keep those of us here in the states banging our heads -- it's Korean-only for now.

Android Central

[Swisha]

i have the 70$ BB plan.
only use edge for IM and email.
everything else is wifi.

mitch..u still have this pouch?
i can use this for my nexus s.

still using that pouch for my SII. it's a bit of a squeeze, but i like my phones au natural too...no case, no screen protectors, nothing

tried finding a nice pouch for the SII but no luck so ended up using the same one...

[S_2NR]

when/if u ready sell it.
lemme know.

not getting it on amazon and fraid to use ebay.

[Captainzaak]

Just let Raptor buy it for you.

when/if u ready sell it.
lemme know.

not getting it on amazon and fraid to use ebay.

[M_2NR]

ebay ftw

i was asking myself if the nexus s had gorilla glass yesterday yuhno... good thing yuh say so. oh well.

[Stephon.]

OK I give in, I'm gonna get an android phone now. Still deciding on what to get though. My sister will be in Trinidad in December, so chances are I will make the decision then so she can bring it down. Hiding from skybox charges

[S_2NR]

get a nexus s or galaxy s2

[M_2NR]

^isnt google going to launch some "New" thing right around the iphone 5?

[sensiman]

^isnt google going to launch some "New" thing right around the iphone 5?

this?

Google launched its Nexus S last year, but the phone has not had the same success on the market as Nexus One. Even so, Nexus S has generated good sales but recent rumors claim that Google is planning to replace it with Nexus 4G, a high-end handset, in November. The upcoming phone will be powered by a 1.2/1.5 GHz dual-core processor, incorporate 1GB RAM, 4G connectivity and a 5MP camera capable to record 1080p HD video content. The 4.3-inch display brings a 1280×720 p resolution, BGR reports.

As for the camera, Google will implement a 5MP camera with high performance image sensors capable to take good quality photos even in low brightness environments.

Nexus S has not impressed the market too much, but Nexus 4G could revolutionize the processing power standard and display quality for mobile phones.



Google has recently spread the news about its Android 4.0 operating system codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich and Nexus 4G is likely to be the company’s icon smartphone to run the new OS. On the other hand Apple did not introduce its coveted fifth-generation iPhone at WWDC thus breaking an unwritten tradition it had respected in the last three years. The tech giant announced a new iPhone model every year at WWDC.

The iPhone 5 could bring an edge-to-edge screen, a dual-core A5 processor and a 8MP camera. With its 1.5GHz processor, 4G capabilities, and 5MP camera integrating high performance image sensors, Google Nexus 4G is better than the iPhone 4, at least in terms of hardware.

Taking into account these elements, it is safe to state that Google’s Nexus 4G is going to join Samsung Galaxy SII, Droid Bionic and Photon 4G in order to give iPhone 5 the beating of its life.

http://www.nextiphonenews.com/2011/06/g ... -iphone-5/

[sensiman]

A bit about the "Ice Cream Sandwich" OS, and the history. Apologies if it was posted before in the thread.

Google's first Android phone, the HTC-made T-Mobile G1, wasn't much to look at when it debuted in October 2008, with its trough for a keyboard and its bizarrely jutting chin; but it kicked off an avalanche of Android just the same.

The now-mature Android operating system currently accounts for 48 percent of the global market share, according to research firm Canalys, with a staggering 85 percent slice of the pie in South Korea and 71 percent take in Taiwan. iPhone sales remain strong, but Windows Phone poses only a shadow of a threat.

There are consequences of such a blistering growth spurt, and in Google's case, it's been fragmentation--too many versions of the operating system available at the same time. While most models now host Android 2.2 Froyo and the newer Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), there's also the tablet-specific Android 3.0 (Honeycomb).



Ice Cream Sandwich is set to change all that, conquering fragmentation with its one-size-fits-all solution for Android screens large and small. Always searching for the next treat in its enticing alphabet of releases, tipsters are sharing news of what's to come after the ice cream, even though manufacturers and carriers are still upgrading existing devices to Gingerbread. (More details below the chart.)

It's always good to get a little perspective, and in light of that, here's a look at milestones in Google's Android operating system, from its humble beginnings to its current ambitions in tablet domination.


Android version SDK release* Notable updates
1.0 (G1) February 2008

GPS and Bluetooth (but not stereo Bluetooth)
Multitasking
Tight integration with Google services like Gmail, Google Maps (with Street View), and Google Calendar
Apps: Amazon MP3 Store; YouTube
Android Market (about 35 apps at launch)
No Microsoft Exchange Server; no camcorder

1.5 (Cupcake) April 2009

Universal search box (search had been limited to the Web)
Revamped Android Market: Browsing categories (Apps, Games, Downloads) and filters (Top Free, Top Paid, Just In)
Camera: Toggle between camera and video modes; integrated photo gallery and camera with bulk photo deleting
SDK expands support for gestures, voice-to-text

1.6 (Donut) September 2009

Virtual onscreen keyboard
Camcorder mode for recording (and watching) video
Stereo Bluetooth
Home screen widgets and folders
Copy/paste and search within the browser
Direct upload to YouTube and Picasa

2.0 (Eclair) October 2009

Multiple user accounts
Exchange support; universal e-mail inbox
Quick Contact pop-up widget to launch communications with friends in the address book
Search saved SMS and MMS messages
Camera improvements include support for flash and digital zoom
Bluetooth 2.1
Keyboard improvements: Adaptive dictionary that includes contact names in suggestions

2.1 (Eclair, second helping) January 2010

Live wallpaper; five home screens
Speech-to-text added to any text field; microphone icon for voice dictation in e-mails, texts, and so on

2.2 (Froyo) May 2010

Speedier OS
USB tethering and hot-spot support
Android Market update: Batch and automatic updates; installing apps to the SD card
Adobe Flash 10.1
File uploading in the browser
Improved Microsoft Exchange support: security policies, global address lookup, calendar sync, remote wipe
Bluetooth support for voice dialing and contact sharing

2.3 (Gingerbread) December 2010


Redesigned copy/paste
WebM video compression support
NFC (near field communication) support
Switch to front-facing camera from camera app
Virtual keyboard shortcuts

3.0 (Honeycomb) February 2011


3D graphics support
Side-by-side browser tabs; private browsing
Dual-pane modes for address book, e-mail
Redesigned UI includes program thumbnails
Video chatting with Google Talk
Full-screen-mode photo gallery
Bluetooth tethering

* We list the date of the SDK release rather than the over-the-air (OTA) update timeline since OTA release dates vary by carrier and handset model.

Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0?)
The shift from Android 2.2 Froyo to Android 2.3 Gingerbread was fairly modest, so it makes sense that Ice Cream Sandwich will do heavier lifting. Already, leaked screenshots and details paint a picture of the confection to come--although it's still wise to take these with a grain of salt, since nothing is confirmed and much can change before a design reaches its final stages.

New interface to unite smartphone and tablet UIs
Blue themes
New placement of Google search bar
Redesigned app launcher
Redesigned notification bar (shows thumbnail images)
Richer resizable widgets
Camera will include panorama mode
Redesigned Gmail app
Google Shopper app for NFC
Facial tracking software
Google movie rental services

Rumors points to October or November as the OS' launch date, with the Samsung Nexus Prime rumored to be Google's flagship Ice Cream Sandwich device.

Jelly Bean
Just about the only thing we know about the release to follow Ice Cream Sandwich is that it might be called Jelly Bean, and even that remains unconfirmed. The best we get is the tantalizing promise from a third-party's source that Jelly Bean will contain some "game-changing stuff," in addition to features that weren't finished in time for Ice Cream Sandwich.

Watch out, Apple. It's getting to be a Google World.

Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20 ... z1Z5xHhlOB

[Swisha]

[samureye]

Well fellas, I went to get a cheap phone for my bmobile which was in a shitty dual sim phone today and they had a bunch of android phones on display so I had to check it out.

Long story short, I am cutting my Digi postpaid service this month. The Nexus S was sah weeeeet. They had the Galaxy S1 I believe as well, which was really nice, so I could imagine the S2.

Questions: Anyone PREPAID with the S2 or Nexus S? I want to use bmobile prepaid data. Just email, IM, Whatsapp. Will it drain credit constantly or what? I just want an idea for what to expect if I put on a $100 card per month, and in a given day don't make calls, with the usage described above - what cost I looking at?

Where best to get phones online? Amazon? Pretty sure it was the S1 I played with today. Anyone advise against saving some cash and going with that? Liked the Nexus S as well. I just hope they could take new OS update in October.

Thanks!

[Stephon.]

oh gosh mitch, you like to make out blackberry eh!

[S_2NR]

^isnt google going to launch some "New" thing right around the iphone 5?

nexus prime with ice cream sandwich OS.
should be sweet.
coming with 4.3" screen also.

samureye.
i have a nexus s with post paid and works great but slow as hell.
i think pre paid is the same. just take a bb plan for 29$ or whatever it is /week.

and YES the nexus s is getting ice cream sandwich when it releases before all other android phones..

[samureye]

Won't I have to go through a postpaid voice plan as well? I don't want that. What about proving I am using a bb in the first place? I'd really like to hear from people doing it prepaid what their experience is like in terms of drain on their credit.

[S_2NR]

i think u have to buy the android phones postpaid or else it would cost alot more.
i hope u know this.

and u dont have to prove u have a BB, they dont care.
Just call and tell them u want that plan.

[samureye]

4299 post, 4599 pre - not that big of a difference. Was thinking to get off amazon actually, but I new to the android world so I dunno if there is some site that is preferred.

Anyone with insight on the prepaid data?