As far as hardware goes, an encouraging number of new devices were spotted this week. The biggest (metaphorically speaking, of course) is probably LG’s X3, the likely codename for their new flagship. The rumored phone runs Ice Cream Sandwich on a 4.3-inch 720p screen. It’s very likely that we’ll be seeing more of that phone next month at Mobile World Congress. Tablet dreamers Notion Ink unveiled the second iteration of their Adam tablet, this time with upgrades in hardware and more developer tools. WiFi versions of the Motorola DROID XYBOARD are up for pre-order, and those who fancy more variety in their LTE smartphones will be happy to know that the LG Connect 4G has passed through the FCC with Verizon radio bands. While we’re certain that the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy Note is coming to AT&T in the near future, industry rumor indicates that it will be coming to at least two more US carriers, and that the Verizon version will likely be renamed the “Galaxy Journal.” Finally, you won’t want to miss our review of ThinkSound’s ms01 Monitor Series earbuds, a pair of high-quality headphones with unique wood construction and environmentally-friendly materials.

On the software side of Android, the biggest release this week was probably Wikipedia’s official Android app, which can now be downloaded for free in the Market. Shooter favorite Counter-Strike is now available in beta form, and high-profile games Temple Run and Reckless Racing 2 will soon be headed to the Android Market as well. In more wide-reaching news, popular Android modder/developer Koush has begun work on a CyanogenMod App Store, which he says will welcome all the legitimate apps that have been given the boot from the Market by Google, including tethering, emulator and root apps. We can’t wait to see what comes of this one, especially since it will be open to non-CyanogenMod users as well.

In more general Android news, the original Motorola XOOM got an official Ice Cream Sandwich update, while the HP TouchPad got an extremely unofficial one, courtesy of the CyanogenMod team. Speaking of older hardware, an early version of Samsung’s update for the original Galaxy S was leaked, showing their “Value Pack” of ICS-style features that are intended to mollify users upset that they won’t be getting the real McCoy. Meanwhile, HTC is updating its CDMA phones to get rid of Carrier IQ’s software, which caused both hardware makers and carriers a PR nightmare late last year. The EVO 4G, Epic 4G, EVO 3D and EVO Design 4G are among the first phones to be corrected. In the ongoing patent wars, Apple slapped Samsung with a request for a ban on 10 devices in Germany and another US lawsuit over the slide-to-unlock feature on the Galaxy Nexus. I guess no one told them that Google made that particular feature.

We hope you’ve had a good weekend, and we’ll return you to your regularly scheduled Android coverage tomorrow morning. Enjoy the NFL playoffs!

I’ll start with our link to our sister site SlashGear — as we’ve got all of our coverage plastered on their front page. For any and all things CES click here. ASUS and NVIDIA had a strong day of announcements and more will be coming shortly. They just announced a new Android 4.0 7″ tablet rocking the Tegra 3 quad-core for only $249. AT&T will be getting a pair of 4G LTE devices from Pantech in the 8″ waterproof Pantech Element and the equally waterproof Pantech Burst Android 2.3 smartphone.

Like we said above Android 4.0 is available via an update for the Prime starting today. The popular shooter Shadowgun that we love here at Androi Community is getting full multi-player support and looks incredible.

Again all of our coverage can be seen at our CES 2012 Portal, and more is available over on SlashGear.

Quad core is the new dual core

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime got the ball rolling, but it’s far from the only Tegra 3 device we’ve gotten wind of. Expect both high-end smartphones and tablets to get a dual-core makeover on the floor of CES, with HTC leading the way. Its Edge and Ville smartphones are rumored to come out in March or April, so there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing them or some other variant at the show. Acer and Lenovo are both expected to reveal Tegra 3 tablets, and Samsung is preparing the latest generation of its home-built Exynos processor. This good news isn’t just for the high end: dual-core processors should start trickling down into the mid range for products released this summer and afterwards.

High end tablets…

As stated above, Lenovo, Acer and Samsung are all chomping at the bit to update their high-end tablet products. Acer’s Iconia Tab A700 and Lenovo’s IdeaPad K2 tablets both seem to have 1920×1200 resolutions prepared, and Samsung’s successor to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is rumored to have an astounding 2560×1600 resolution – as much as most 30-inch monitors. Combine all this with thinner frames, more RAM and in many cases LTE wireless connections, and the current generation of tablets looks like a Model T by comparison. Asus isn’t resting on its laurels: the long overdue Padfone device may show up in its booth.

…and low-end tablets

Basically, just lots and lots of tablets. Android tablet use is finally growing in leaps and bounds, but the biggest market is small, low-cost tablets like the Kindle Fire and Nook Color/Tablet, both of which have sold millions of units.  Android’s strength versus the iPad is in its ability to scale down, not up, and the new magic price for 7-inch tablets is $199. With Ice Cream Sandwich’s source code available, even manufacturers without Google’s blessing can produce a cheap machine with a true tablet interfce. Expect to see a lot of early hardware at CES running ICS, with a release date aiming for summer or fall. Google might even be working on its own low-cost tablet, but don’t expect to see that before Google IO in June.

LTE is here to stay

Three out of four of the major US carriers now have true 4G LTE rollout plans, with Verizon and AT&T leading the way. Now that the infrastructure is present and growing, manufacturers are eager to meet the needs of carriers, who are eager to get customers hooked on data that leaves the old 3G and HSPA+ standards in the dust. With the Motorola DROID RAZR, Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus, LTE no longer means a phone with the ergonomics of a brick and 4 hours of battery life. With more worldwide markets introducing LTE connections, expect every major phone manufacturer to strut out Android LTE units for just about everybody.

Google TV is back, baby 

We actually just learned this a few hours ago, but Google has signed up a bevvy of new hardware partners for Google TV, including Samsung, Vizio and LG.  LG will definitely be showing of new televisions with the Android-based system built in, and Vizio will be displaying units behind closed doors. The others may have surprises in store, but nothing’s set in stone. With a new ARM-based architecture, there’s a high probability of Google introducing some new partner systems itself. Google TV has had a rocky start, but it looks like Google isn’t ready to give up the fight any time soon.

Accessories galore

Fortune 100 gadget makers and service companies aren’t the only ones at CES. Makers of cases, cables, docks, dongles, extenders and everything else populate their own booths or tables, and with Android dominating the worldwide smartphone market, everyone wants a piece of the action. We’re already seeing increased interest in iPhone-style docks and cases for specific popular models like the Nook and Galaxy Tabs, so expect more model-specific accessories than have ever been available for Android devices before. Mobile startups a la Square should finally begin releasing their products for Android and iOS simultaneously. The Kindle Fire should feature heavily in this area.

Android everywhere

Android runs on phones. It runs on tablets and televisions. Increasingly, it runs on watches, goggles and maybe even glasses. The open-source nature of Android makes it a downright perfect starting point for almost any piece of consumer electronics, increasingly widening its scope with every passing product cycle. A free, complete OS with no restrictions and hundreds of thousands of skilled developers is hard to turn down, so why try? Expect to see anything and everything that needs web, apps, connectivity and expandability to run Android, even if it isn’t obvious. Client computers, TiVo-style set-top boxes, car stereos and navigation systems, even Internet-connected appliances – you name it, and it’s likely that somebody will be powering it with Android. We honestly can’t predict what kind of crazy stuff will appear, and we can’t wait to find out what it is.

Android Community’s CES 2012 coverage starts on Sunday, January 8th, and runs all through next week. Check the CES portal to see all the latest information.

Once I really sat down and starting to think about a few new year resolutions for Android I quickly started getting all sorts of ideas. From saying to leave nicer, more useful comments in the Android Market comment/reviews section, to be friendly in forums and developer sites and help your fellow Android enthusiasts. Although I do agree people need to search, investigate, and read how-to guides before asking silly questions when it comes to modding and hacking Android. Either way — be nicer to our friends and foes in the Android Community.

Battery Life

Battery life: we need bigger, better, with shorter charging times. Obviously the technology has only came so far and there is only so much room in these increasingly thinner phones and tablets. Batteries like the one above plastering 2,430 mAh (wow) in a big noticeable sticker isn’t what I have in mind either. That cheap battery probably is 1000 mAh under that wrapper. I’m talking about real battery improvements — whether that be in general power management with OS, displays, and apps — to bigger and better batteries that wont make our devices larger.

If people can drive 100 miles with a Prius with nothing but battery power then why can’t my Android smartphone last 3 days like my old Nokia candy-bar phone did? Just a thought. That is my first resolution for 2012.

Google Nexus Tablet

Now I wont spend too much time on this Nexus Tablet thing — mainly because we heard it from the big man himself. Google CEO Eric Schmidt said back in December that a Google Nexus Tablet could be here within the next six months. Now this is a very real possibility and something I’ve wanted forever (well, since the Xoom let me down). My only concern is making the design impressive enough for it to blow up, without getting Apple’s slew of lawyers in crazed dash for the courtroom. That is also my next resolution — chill out on the lawsuits everyone! Back to the tablet though, I have a feeling Google is planning a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 Android 4.1 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet that will hopefully set the tone once again for Android. Who’s with me?

Lawsuits and Carrier IQ

This entire lawsuit and Carrier IQ disaster than has erupted throughout 2011 is actually very irritating. I seriously almost didn’t even want to mention it but I feel it is quite necessary. Between the Apple/Micro$oft vs Google thing to the train wreck many are calling Carrier IQ. These types of things in general need to stop — although I’m almost positive the never will. The countless countless lawsuits thrown around by Apple are starting to get a bit ridiculous, not to mention all their “innovative” patents. And don’t even get me started on Carrier IQ.

Micro$oft needs to focus on Windows Phone 7.whatever and leave Android to do its thing. Attacking every manufacturer in their grasp isn’t going to do any good for anyone or the technology market as a whole — other than make Bill Gates richer.

Now I might have ended that on an angry note so sorry about that. I’m going to keep this sort of short and sweet and leave you guys with those few resolutions although here at Android Community we could think of plenty more. I do love innovation and the increasingly better and faster technology and devices, but could a few manufacturers (I’m looking at you Motorola) slow down on the releases. I know many Bionic owners were angry to see the RAZR appear so soon, and the DROID 3 getting replaced by something awesome isn’t sitting well with D3 buyers either. The rate of speed smartphones are being released and produced is awesome in every way that is for sure. Getting locked into 2-year contracts is almost a crime and something I just don’t see myself doing again. I’ll buy outright and enjoy the best whenever possible — but that is just me.

I’m sure many of our readers have resolutions of their own, plenty probably of which are Android related. Feel free to share any and all resolutions you may have in the comment section below.

Happy New Year!

Give me the bad news first, doctor:

5.  Kyocera Echo

Ambition and risk go hand in hand. Kyocera learned that lesson when they released the Echo, the first Android phone with a dual-screen design. As much as we’d love to double our pleasure and our fun with an extra screen (most of us are dedicated multi-monitor users on the desktop side) the reality turned out to be awkward and at times downright frustrating. The multi-tasking possibilities and custom apps were overshadowed by hardware that simply wasn’t up to the task. There’s no reason that the idea couldn’t work, and we’d love to see another try. By someone else. Anyone else. Preferably a long time from now.

4. T-Mobile Springboard

The Springboard, T-Mobile’s rebranded version of the Huawei MediaPad, is a study in how bad software can ruin great hardware . And it is great – a dual-core processor, 720p screen and HSPA+ connection running Honeycomb on an aluminum-clad 7-inch body makes for one of the most solid tablets in its class. But meddling with the software (we suspect T-Mobile) makes it sluggish, crash-prone, and just plain frustrating to use. The decision to block the video section of the Android Market seems to have had multiple detrimental effects. On more than one occasion, we found Honeycomb apps that just wouldn’t show up, despite the fact that the SpringBoard is running Android 3.2.

3. Motorola DROID BIONIC

Oh, BIONIC, we had such hopes for you. As Motorola’s first Verizon 4G LTE phone, and the first to carry the storied DROID name with LTE, the BIONIC had a lot riding on its shoulders. But a redesign that did nothing for its chunky body, a long-delayed release and multiple recurring bugs soured what was supposed to be a star-studded release. The BIONIC was announced at CES 2011 (almost an entire year ago!) but was delayed until September. Add to that the almost instant buyers remorse that new owners felt after the svelte DROID RAZR was released just a month or so later, and you get what’s easily the worst superphone release of the year.

2. LG G2X

The “T-Mobile G2X by LG”, a rebranded version of the Optimus 2X, looked pretty good when it was first released. A dual-core phone (a big deal early this year) with a big screen and vanilla Android? What’s not to love? A lot, as it turned out – the more we used the G2X, the more we came to loathe it. The problems with extended use went way beyond the minor bugs and foibles you’d expect from a new device. Massive screen bleeding, unexplained reboots accompanied by a maddening BEEP (not a great experience at three in the morning) and a confusing, protracted Gingerbread update makes the G2X one of the most frustrating high-end phones out there.

1. Samsung Dart

We hate the Samsung Dart. If you didn’t get that the first time around, let us reiterate it: we hate the Samsung Dart. The low-power, low-expectation “smart” phone hardware is decent enough, but the one thing we really can’t stand is the tiny 3.14-inch, 320×240 display. It’s so dark and low-resolution that using the phone for more than a few moments at a time is headache-inducing. The build quality is actually okay, but bare-bones software that’s still encumbered by TouchWiz makes for a achingly slow user experience. Appropriately, we’d be completely comfortable hurling the Samsung Dart at the nearest wall.

Now that a year’s worth of ranting is over with and the healing can begin, let’s get it off to a good start. Without further ado, Android Community’s pics for the best phones and tablets of 2011:

5. HTC Sensation 4G

The first of HTC’s dual-core phones is also one of its best, and a great pic for T-Mobile’s network. HTC’s typically awesome build quality is highlighted by some remarkable performance, and though we always prefer clean Android, HTC Sense doesn’t drag down the user experience thanks to high-end internals. Gingerbread was thankfully included at launch, which was far from a sure thing in June. A new 8 megapixel camera beats out the other HTC phone cameras on the market, at least until the Amaze 4G came along. One of the first 4.3-inch QHD screens rounds out an excellent package that should please just about anybody.

4. Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

The Galaxy Tab series of tablets is solid through and through, but one model stands out: the 8.9-inch version. It keeps all the charm of the original Galaxy Tab 10.1, including a razor thin profile and a 1280×800 screen, but manages to find a size that (to us at least) is the perfect middle ground between size and portability. A Tegra 2 processor and 1GB of RAM make for a snappy Honeycomb experience, even with TouchWiz running on top of it. Sure, it’s not as expandable as other tablets, but the overall performance is excellent. If you want a mobile connection, AT&T’s got an LTE-flavored version… for some extra cash and a 2-year contract.

3. Samsung Galaxy Nexus

You knew this one was coming. The first Ice Cream Sandwich device has earned a spot on this list, because Android 4.0 really is that good. A gigantic Super AMOLED screen and solid aesthetics make the Galaxy Nexus one of the best choices for any user, and pretty much the only one for dedicated Android modders who are eligible for a new phone. So, why isn’t the Gnex higher on this list? Aside from some software-related bugs, the phone that’s supposed to be the standard for Android is only available on Verizon in the US at the moment. That’s a major bummer for anyone who’s happy with their current carrier… or stuck with them for the next two years.

2. Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

The original Transformer was a great Honeycomb tablet, but the Transformer Prime is nothing short of amazing. Stellar build quality, a fantastic screen and blazing performance thanks to NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 processor make it the best tablet on the market by far. At $500 it’s a better deal than most of its competitors while beating every one of them in hardware, fit and finish and software performance, and that’s only likely to continue when Asus delivers its promised Ice Cream Sandwich update. And if you’re in the mood to get some work done, you can always attach the external keyboard for some good old-fashioned QWERTY input. Tegra 3 will be popping up in a lot of hardware next year, but for 2011, the Transformer Prime just can’t be beat.

1. Samsung Galaxy S II

The Galaxy S II, in all its variants, isn’t the fastest phone around. It isn’t the thinnest or the biggest, and it doesn’t run the latest software. The international version is almost six months old. But it still stands out as the best all-around Android device available today. Reliable performance, stellar build quality, an amazing Super AMOLED 4.3-inch screen (or 4.52-inch despite its relatively low resolution) and great battery life make it an excellent choice for almost any new buyer, and 16GB of storage and a great 8MP camera round out the package. The GSII is available on three out of the four major US carriers, plus an unlocked version, and AT&T has the excellent Skyrocket 4G LTE variant. No matter which flavor you choose, the Galaxy S II is a worthy phone for any Android user, or just about anyone else.

If you’ve got some extra time while you’re recuperating from your hangover on Sunday, be sure to check out our Yearly Wrap Up. Feel free to leave angry responses in the comments section, and Happy New Year!

The writers and editors here are spending the day with our families, and since a holiday that falls on a weekend is one of the crueler tricks a calendar can play on you, we’re taking Monday off as well. But don’t worry: we’ve got a few features waiting in the wings especially for today, with an eye towards some of the goodies you may be unwrapping at the moment. Once you’ve finished off the figgy pudding and successfully circumnavigated the fruitcake, check back for some guides and app picks later this evening.

We’ve got a lot to look forward to in the next couple of months here at Android Community. Just week or so after New Year’s Day we’ll be packing up our various gizmos for the Consumer Electronics Show, and in February we’ll be hopping the Atlantic for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Naturally, we’ll be keeping you in the loop for all the latest Android smartphones, tablets and other electronic bric-a-brac, so keep it right here for the latest news. And stay tuned for some very special rewards for being a loyal reader, headed down a chimney near you soon.

So far I must admit, Google Currents is pretty darn awesome. I’ve been viewing so much content and our awesome reviews like the one on the Transformer Prime that I’ve hardly been working. If you’ve been looking for a better and easier way to view your favorite sites (Android Community and SlashGear) then this is your solution. This isn’t your average reader or app like Flipboard, this is a full on all in one solution and Google’s done a fantastic job. It is simply, easy to understand, has a beautiful UI, and is highly customizable for both readers and publishers alike. Not only that but it works for Android phones, tablets and even iOS.

One awesome feature is publishers can create custom pages, change the layout, and even pull from multiple sources all at once. Take our sister site SlashGear for example. We have everything from our webpage to Twitter, Google+, and even our YouTube channel for all of our hands-on videos and reviews neatly in one place. Check out the screenshot below of SlashGear YouTube in Google Currents.

The user interface is fluid and brilliant and makes the entire browsing experience quite pleasurable. Being able to swipe left and right through all the content is very fast and easy. Click on an image in any of our many reviews and you can swipe through the entire photo gallery with pinch to zoom and more. Then hit the YouTube source to view the hands-on and walkthrough coverage for said product. Enjoy my hands-on video below for a better idea of Google Currents, then head to the market and give it a try today. Don’t forget to add Android Community and SlashGear to your front page!

Google Currents Market Link

Just to refresh everyone here was the original Week 3 Tabletpalooza Post so be sure to check that out as well as the Week 1 & 2 Winners round-up story. We had thousands of entries over at Google+ and you can see plenty of those comments over at the Google+ Giveaway Thread, we even cleared Google’s comment limit and had to open new threads a few times. We loved reading all the comments and appreciate each and every entry, but the time has come to announce the winner and that person is:

Josh Oman Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Congrats Josh, you are the winner of the Android Community Tabletpalooza Giveaway Week 3 of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi. I think the fact that you were willing to bow to my greatness might have influenced our decision making so congrats for being our winner!

In case you readers didn’t know this same Giveaway was also going on at the same time with our sister site Slashgear.com and here is the Week 3 giveaway details for SlashGear. While we are here I figured I’d be nice and announce the SlashGear winner at the same time so here she is:

Kirsty Lawer Congratulations!

Kirsty is the lucky winner of the SlashGear TabletPalooza Acer Iconia Tab A500 Android Tablet, everyone be sure to say congrats over on Google+ to both of our lucky winners.

Now remember one thing loyal readers, this is just ONE of MANY giveaways and we have big plans coming up very very soon so you better stay tuned right here at Androidcommunity and don’t go anywhere or you might miss the next big thing. This was a great way to end our first annual Tabletpalooza Giveaway and plan to have many more to follow. More details are coming soon for the next giveaway so stay tuned!

Again we would like to thank everyone for entering on both Android Community and SlashGear for this giveaway. We also can’t forget the amazing team at NVIDIA for not only providing amazing Tegra 2 dual-core tablets for the world, but also for sending us a few to give away to our readers and for that we want to take this moment and say, Thank You NVIDIA!

We love having these quick little giveaways and this time we were able to offer up the Archos 70 Android tablet. To see all the engagement and original thread on G+ you can head here. And if you didn’t win we still have the Archos 101 Giveaway on SlashGear so hurry and enter to win the 70′s bigger brother.

Now for the winner…. +Anthony Banks Congrats! We hope you love your new toy.

Here is the announcement over on Google+

For those that entered either giveaway make sure to say thanks to Archos for giving us this opportunity and don’t forget to thank +Vincent Nguyen either as he is the man behind these awesome giveaways. Now if the Archos isn’t your thing we still have our final Tabletpalooza Giveaway ending this next week and we are handing out the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 so make sure and enter that for your chance to win.

Again we’d like to thank everyone that entered, and Archos for making this possible. If you didn’t win stay tuned for the next giveaway in a week or so. See ya next time!

First off everyone should thank NVIDIA for making this possible. Last week we gave away the ASUS Transformer and a G-Slate. These tablets went pretty fast that is for sure, almost as fast as those powerful Tegra 2 processors inside. Feel free to read our Week 1 & 2 Winners post. This same giveaway is also possible over on SlashGear, our sister site and you can get all the details right here.

So you know what you’re winning don’t forget to read our full review of the Tegra 2 powered Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 so you are fully aware of its capabilities. Then you’ll need to follow the rules and guidelines below for your chance to win.

To enter, you must:

1. Add +Chris Burns (url:https://plus.google.com/108112318495739623290/) AND +Cory Gunther (url:https://plus.google.com/100702593269534557770/) to your Circle(s) on Google+*
2. Comment in our Android Community Tabletpalooza Week 3 thread with a comment tagging +Chris Burns and +Cory Gunther : this will count as your entry, and note that you may only enter this giveaway ONCE – all additional entries beyond your first will be deleted.
WEEK 3 G+ ENTRY THREAD URL: https://plus.google.com/108112318495739623290/posts/1pngJhJgKZm?hl=en
3. You are now entered into the Android Community Tabletpalooza Week 3 contest for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1!

For a complete listing of everything the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and many other devices have to offer you can see the full specs list at our new device.ac site. I’ll make it easy, here is the Galaxy Tab 10.1 details below.

Full Rules:

Giveaway begins July 18th, 10:01 AM CST, and ends July 31, 11:59PM CST barring any complications finding winners.

WINNERS will be given the opportunity to submit a review of their tablet and have it posted on the front page of SlashGear or AndroidCommunity.com! *Reviews may be edited or modified before publication and are considered works for hire under the 1976 Copyright Act. Submissions will be ineligible for payment or remuneration.

Competition is open to residents of the US or UK over the age of 18. One entry per person. Family members of Google and SlashGear/Android Community are not permitted to enter. Competition entries are only accepted via the specified Android Community Google+ Page; entries left in the comments section of this or any other post will not be recognized. One entry per person (and yes, we check). Winners of the July 2011 Android Community Tabletpalooza giveaway are ineligible to win the July 2011 SlashGear Tabletpalooza giveaway, and vice-versa.

The winners will be contacted by a SlashGear or Android Community staff member upon being selected and will be expected to respond to that staff member (it’ll be Chris Burns) ; they will be expected to respond within 24 hours else their prize may be forfeit and another winner selected. Editors decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winner agrees that their name and details of their entry may be used for promotional purposes by, but not limited to, NVIDIA, SlashGear, and Android Community.

Prize consists of five NVIDIA Tegra 2-powered tablets to be announced at the start of each weekly period, distributed between SlashGear and Android Community. One prize per winner. There is no cash alternative or any other alternative for prize winners unless this prize should become unavailable, in which case SlashGear and NVIDIA reserve the right to substitute another prize of equal or greater value.

Giveaway provided by SlashGear/Android Community. Prizing provided by NVIDIA. Any questions regarding this should be directed to Giveaway @ SlashGear.com

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Galaxy Tab 10.1

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : March 22, 2011

Release Date : June 08, 2011

Also Known As : Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Google I/O Limited Edition

Display

• Screen Size : 10.1 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x800
• Screen Type : TFT

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 10.09 Inch
• Width : 6.81 Inch
• Depth : 0.34 Inch
• Weight : 595 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 7000 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 120 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 3.1.x

Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• AMR
• MP3

Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS
• IM

Hardware

CPU : Tegra 2

CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1000 MB

Internal Storage : 32 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 3.2 MP

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording
• 720p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• GSM

GSM Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1800
• 1900

CDMA Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1900
• 2100

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11a
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 2.0

Location Features:
• Compass
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

NFC :

I’m going to start off with the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Tablet. We were lucky enough to already have some hands-on time when they announced it today. The important thing that came from the release of this Android Honeycomb tablet is it came pre-loaded with Netflix. Until now Netflix was not supported on tablets. Shortly after that Netflix received an update in the Market adding a slew of devices to the supported list, Ideapad K1 tablet included.

The IdeaPad K1 is a Tegra 2 platform tablet running on Honeycomb and if the new Netflix works on it, why not try it on other tablets. So we loaded it up on the Motorola Xoom and it worked — watching Daniel Tosh from my 10″ Xoom was a blast. You can read about that and download the new Netflix APK here. While I’m on the tablet subject don’t forget to enter the final week of our Tabletpalooza Giveaway.

The myTouch 4G Gingerbread update started rolling out today while the new myTouch 4G Slide is now available for pre-order. The Samsung Galaxy S II is available this week from Virgin Mobile in Canada and while here in the states we still don’t have it we did get some updated information and should be seeing the Galaxy S II this August.

The Motorola Triumph is available in the U.S. starting today from Virgin Mobile and feel free to read our full review of the Triumph. Staples is offering $100 off any Android tablet with this coupon. We got another look at the OliPad 110 tablet today and they have a 7″ tablet in the works too.

Last but not least check out my latest favorite live wallpaper, and if you live near NYC go meet some other Android enthusiasts for the NYC Android Bar Crawl coming soon.

That’s it folks, see ya next time!

We changed things up this week and this last giveaway is a Google+ exclusive. That means we will be choosing the lucky winner from our faithful followers over on Google+ only. Our sister site has joined us for the same giveaway so feel free to check that out at SlashGear. In case you missed here is the announcement of previous winners.

Like I said above the format has changed so if you entered for the previous weeks you need to enter AGAIN for this last week. To enter, you must:

1. Add +Chris Burns (url:https://plus.google.com/108112318495739623290/) AND +Cory Gunther (url:https://plus.google.com/100702593269534557770/) to your Circle(s) on Google+*
2. Comment in our Android Community Tabletpalooza Week 3 thread with a comment tagging +Chris Burns and +Cory Gunther : this will count as your entry, and note that you may only enter this giveaway ONCE – all additional entries beyond your first will be deleted.
WEEK 3 G+ ENTRY THREAD URL: https://plus.google.com/108112318495739623290/posts/TfGZnJnV6Wv?hl=en INSTEAD go to the OVERFLOW thread here, as our first thread is FULL UP: https://plus.google.com/108112318495739623290/posts/1pngJhJgKZm
3. You are now entered into the Android Community Tabletpalooza Week 3 giveaway for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1! Yay!

Something like this will work just fine but don’t be afraid to get creative with your entry.

Full Rules:

Contest begins July 18th, 10:01 AM CST, and ends July 31, 11:59PM CST barring any complications finding winners.

WINNERS will be given the opportunity to submit a review of their tablet and have it posted on the front page of SlashGear or AndroidCommunity.com! *Reviews may be edited or modified before publication and are considered works for hire under the 1976 Copyright Act. Submissions will be ineligible for payment or remuneration.

Competition is open to residents of the US or UK over the age of 18. One entry per person. Family members of Google and SlashGear/Android Community are not permitted to enter. Competition entries are only accepted via the specified Android Community Google+ Page; entries left in the comments section of this or any other post will not be recognized. One entry per person (and yes, we check). Winners of the July 2011 Android Community Tabletpalooza giveaway are ineligible to win the July 2011 SlashGear Tabletpalooza giveaway, and vice-versa.

The winners will be contacted by a SlashGear or Android Community staff member upon being selected and will be expected to respond to that staff member (it’ll be Chris Burns) ; they will be expected to respond within 24 hours else their prize may be forfeit and another winner selected. Editors decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winner agrees that their name and details of their entry may be used for promotional purposes by, but not limited to, NVIDIA, SlashGear, and Android Community.

Prize consists of five NVIDIA Tegra 2-powered tablets to be announced at the start of each weekly contest period, distributed between SlashGear and Android Community. One prize per winner. There is no cash alternative or any other alternative for prize winners unless this prize should become unavailable, in which case SlashGear and NVIDIA reserve the right to substitute another prize of equal or greater value.

Giveaway provided by SlashGear/Android Community. Prizing provided by NVIDIA. Any questions regarding this should be directed to Giveaway @ SlashGear.com

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Galaxy Tab 10.1

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : March 22, 2011

Release Date : June 08, 2011

Also Known As : Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Google I/O Limited Edition

Display

• Screen Size : 10.1 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x800
• Screen Type : TFT

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 10.09 Inch
• Width : 6.81 Inch
• Depth : 0.34 Inch
• Weight : 595 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 7000 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 120 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 3.1.x

Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• AMR
• MP3

Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS
• IM

Hardware

CPU : Tegra 2

CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1000 MB

Internal Storage : 32 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 3.2 MP

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording
• 720p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• GSM

GSM Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1800
• 1900

CDMA Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1900
• 2100

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11a
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 2.0

Location Features:
• Compass
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

NFC :

The original post with all the details can be found right here. The rules are simple, just follow these few easy steps and you could win that tablet you’ve been waiting for.

1. “like” us on Facebook: facebook.com/androidcommunity.com
2. Comment on the wall so we can see you’re connected
3. If you don’t already have a G+ account, submit your email and name to Giveaway @ SlashGear.com so we can connect to you with Google+!
4. If you’ve already got a G+ account, add Vincent Nguyen (right here) to your SlashGear Circle and share with him and the Public a message so we know you’re in!

Make sure you stay tuned both here and at our sister site SlashGear because we have a few more exciting giveaways that will be following shortly. While we have you here, did anyone notice we are also giving away Spotify invites for free also? If you missed that make sure you check out our Spotify Invite Giveaway post as we have plenty to go around.

Android tablets are on the rise and the Xoom just got Android 3.2 Honeycomb, with the 3G Xoom and Transformer next in line. Perfect timing for you to win it courtesy of Android Community and NVIDIA huh? One more time for full instructions and all the rules head over to the original Tabletpalooza Giveaway post.

Good Luck!

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Eee Pad Transformer

Manufactuer : Asus

Carrier : AT&T T-Mobile

Announced Date : January 20, 2011

Release Date : April 13, 2011

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 10.10 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x800
• Screen Type : LCD

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 10.67 Inch
• Width : 6.73 Inch
• Depth : 0.51 Inch
• Weight : 680 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 6547 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 3.0.x

Audio Playback:
• MP3

Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC
• MPEG-4 (MP4)

Messaging:
• SMS

Hardware

CPU : Tegra 2

CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 32.768 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 5 MP

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• GSM

GSM Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

Location Features:
• Compass
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

NFC :

We’re awesome I know! Lets start with a little background info on Spotify and Google+ because we have covered em both. Spotify launched in the U.S. by invite only just yesterday, feel free to read our Spotify App Review. Now for Google+ be sure to check out our Google+ 101 Guide, and don’t forget the Android App. Now that you’re all caught up, check out the details below!

All you’ve got to do is the following:

1. Add +Vincent Nguyen (url: vincent.tv/+) to your Circle(s) on Google+*
2. Comment in our Spotify+ thread [a new post each day!] with some witty banter
July 15th Thread URL: https://plus.google.com/103911183408644149411/posts/aYUYXLFYYw7
3. You’re entered into the contest! (Exciting huh)

*if you don’t already have access to Google+, send your name and email to giveaway @ slashgear.com

You’re already well on your way to getting Spotify for yourself – hours and days of endless magical musical entertainment for all!

Once we’ve picked you, the following will happen:

1. Vincent will ping you on Google+ to let you know you’re a winner.
2. You respond to that post.
3. Vincent gives you your invite code!

Good Luck!

While I’m mentioning things just launching today, Spotify also was released to the public this morning and is currently in beta here in the U.S.. Amazon is back in the tablet news and sources are now claiming Foxconn will build Amazon’s 10″ Android Tablet. Foxconn as you know is the premiere builder for the iPad so this could be good news. Speaking of tablets ViewSonic has the VB730 they plan to sell for $229 if you need a cheap 7″ tablet.

Virgin Mobile plans to throttle data starting in October, while the Google + Android app received an update today so now I can ignore circles I don’t want to talk to. The Motorola Droid 3 went on sale today in-store so head over and get one, We already did and you can watch our Droid 3 unboxing by clicking here. Oh and while we are mentioning DROIDS the original Moto Droid has a new Android 2.3.4 ROM as well as tons of kernels available.

Am I going to fast for anyone? Because that is the point!

The Motorola Atrix bootloader is now unlocked for the entire world to enjoy, and lets talk about leaks, yes leaks. The Samsung Admire with Android 2.3 was leaked for MetroPCS, we saw the LG Bryce (aka Revolution) packing 4G and also headed to MetroPCS today.

Google announced their Q2 Earnings and lets just say they have WAY too much money and I’d love like 1% of it — that is still like 10 billion dollars (not really but close). While Google was bragging they also let us all know the Market now has over 250,000 applications for download — a number they’ve been aiming for since Apple hit it last year. Don’t worry that’s not all as Google loves the news, Android is now activating over 550,000 phones every single day. That explains why they are making so much darn money.

Lets end this on a short note. Motorola is giving away 10,000 Spotify invites so you’ll probably want to click here. Canada will be getting the Droid 3 later this summer. Last but not least and speaking of Spotify, I’ve done a full Spotify Premium App Review that you don’t want to miss. More news will keep flowing today but that is all that really mattered to me today, so enjoy!

Oh yea, Qualcomm released a new browser benchmark app for mobile phones. It’s worth a look or two but it takes forever to finish a single test so you better have a few minutes to spare.

Have a nice night!

First of all, let’s talk about what you’re going to be seeing if you follow each of our staff members (and this includes everyone who’s involved in Android Community, not just the regular writers.) You’re going to see updates that are both professional and personal (to a degree) so if you see a photo of our assistants Susi the dog or Millie the cat, you need to show some respect – because they’ve got feelings! Now on with the show:

Vince king of Behind the Scenes!
Rue on the SG beats!
Cory from the Feeds!
Sam from the Forums!
Daniel in the Guts!
John hugging Androids!
Burnsy yours truly!
Simms22 ruler of the Pits!
Chris straight off the Streets of London!
Avi from out east!
Ewdi our man in Japan!
Shane on the morning tip!
And everyone else is still creeping around!

Then there’s the big one everyone should follow: Android Community!

If you’ve taken part in our Invite Initiative in one way or another, you will be or will have already been invited by one of our staff members OR the official Android Community account. Give whoever invited you (more than likely your humble narrator) a high five and get Circled!

Also don’t forget to get educated:
Android Community 101: Google+
A Google+ Guide from Top to Bottom

I’m sure you Android lovers have been flashing custom roms, getting the latest CM7 nightly or all those other fun things we all do, and I’ve been right there with you. Today being a celebration of our freedom that we all love and enjoy we are taking the day off at Android Community to be with the ones we love and appreciate. We hope you will all do the same and be right back here tomorrow morning to continue with our other favorite thing, and that is Android!

Here are a few simple quotes that I’ve always liked during this time of year:

Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better. ~Albert Camus

and

Freedom is never free. ~Author Unknown

They are short and they are sweet but if you read them and think about it for a minute you’ll see why I picked them. While you are all here you might as well head over to our Tabletpalooza Giveaway. I also figured I’d link to a few firework apps or wallpapers for Android so check this out as well.

Android Firework Apps

Thanks for stopping by on this amazing day, we hope you enjoy it as much as we all will. Happy 4th of July again from Android Community.

For the couple people who’ve not yet received their tablets, yours will be coming extremely soon. You’ll have tracking numbers within 24 hours of now at the latest – I can guarantee it. For everyone that’s already got their tablet in hand – how are you doing? Everything rocking as hard as you knew it would? NVIDIA treating you so well? Oh NVIDIA and your Tegra 2, how kind you are.

The winners of this contest are all those listed right here below:
David Cornier-Chevere
Jeremy Stagg
Santi Hallifax
Andre Phillips
Kimberly Michell

If one of these is you, you’ve already been in contact with me and your device is well on the way. If you’ve received your device and it was on fire or covered in slime or anything like that, contact me or leave a comment below in the comments section! Gooey!

Everyone else – stay tuned! Many more awesome big contests on the way!

Have a look here and see what strikes your fancy. The two sizes are, of course, tablet and handset. The source for perfection is the Motorola XOOM and the HTC Thunderbolt (or any other HTC device with that same display, of course.) The wallpapers were made to fit those two devices perfectly, but with Android’s excellent ability to crop wallpapers to fit whichever sort of pic you want to use, you’ll bet set no matter which one you pick up, no matter which device you’ve got!

HTC ThunderBolt [Handset Wallpapers]

These are only the first of many – but the future depends on you! If you see anything you like in any review past or future, speak up! There’s no reason why we can’t share!

Motorola XOOM [Tablet Wallpapers]

Also remember that we’ve got the “Glass” boot screen for your full and totally free use – go wild with it!

That essentially does it for our biggest fattest Android tablet contest yet, as it’s only Kreger left to close the loop of three tablets we’ve given away thus far. However, there has been a discrepancy in the choosing of a particular winner over on SlashGear, resulting in no less than one more freed up XOOM tablet available for you to win! Try your luck and click to win! These all come from the same box, I’ve got them all sitting right here beside my office chair.

That said, these devices were provided by our good pals at NVIDIA. From the goodness of their own hearts they decided to grant us, and therefor you, a whole pile of these tablets (five total) so that we could have a sweet contest. So if you’ve played, plan on continuing to play, or were one of the lucky 4 to win so far, give em a digital high five! Also make sure to check out our NVIDIA portal to see all sorts of sweet Tegra 2 games that you’ll be wanting to play once they’re released unto the market. They’re totally freaking sweet!