Currently the teaser site simply has a race-themed image of the familiar red bird, and no clues as to actual gameplay. Logic dictates that this will be yet another slingshot-style puzzle game, just like every Angry Birds title thus far. But some rumor suggests that the game takes a different track altogether, going in the traditional cartoony racing genre typified by Nintendo’s Mario Kart. I’m a little skeptical on this myself, since the developer has been quite single-minded thus far, but I’d love to see them try something different.

In other Angry Birds news, Rovio announced today that it would be building retail stores and “activity parks” in major cities in China later this year. Just imagine it, an entire store filled with nothing but sqwuaking, aggravated stuffed avians! … yeah, we’re kind of glad this one is on the other side of the planet.

[via Droid Gamers, via China Daily]

China gave an important condition to its approval: Google had to commit to keeping Android an open-source operating system for the next five years. As our regular readers know, Android’s open source nature is one of the primary reasons that it’s become so popular, among manufacturers, developers and even a considerable portion of end users. One can hardly think that Google hesitated when asked to keep the status quo.

There’s only been one major hiccup in Google’s open source claims for Android: version 3.0, Honeycomb. The company kept a tight grip on the code for the first tablet version of Android, claiming that they didn’t want the software adapted for smartphones that weren’t designed to use it. Honeycomb remained closed, or at least inaccessible, for eight months, and the source code was released in November along with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Notably, ICS can be adapted for both tablets and smartphones easily.

China’s interest in an open Android is obvious: the vast majority of the devices within the country have nothing to do with Google, and low-cost manufacturers use Android as a de facto standard OS precipitously because it is open source. Low-cost manufacturers often release the newest version of Android onto their new hardware, in most cases even faster than major brands. Having Google continue to develop and produce an OS that’s both free as in freedom and free as in beer is incredibly advantageous to the Chinese tech sector.

With all the major obstacles cleared, Google should be able to formally buy Motorola sometime later this summer. Google has states that it intends to run Motorola as a separate and independent company (though former CEO Sanjay Jha was given his walking papers) and many have speculated that Google acquired the company purely for its extensive patent portfolio.

[via SlashGear]

Model numbers for these new RAZR’s are MT887, XT885 and XT889, and they’ll be available in China starting June 2nd on multiple carriers. Motorola’s MT887 (on the far right above) comes with a 4.3-inch qHD display (not HD) an 8 megapixel camera, about 8.3mm thin and is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor. All these phones are running the absolute latest Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich — hopefully their US brothers will see the same shortly with an update.

All three of the RAZR phones shown will be available soon hitting China Telecom and China Unicom early next month. You can clearly see from the last image the famous RAZR designs around back although the one in the middle looks closer to the DROID line than anything. We’ve seen similar phones leak in the past but today they are official and headed to the Chinese marketplace. Now lets just hope Motorola gets that Android 4.0.4 update for Verizon’s RAZR’s sooner than later.

[via PocketDroid]

The original MI-One is an unqualified hit in China – in fact, the company can’t keep them in stock for more than an hour. The Youth Edition will hopefully help alleviate some of the supply problems they’ve been having. The Youth Edition will come in a whopping seven different colors because… I dunno, youths like variety in customized phone hardware?

Specs aside from the processor and RAM remain the same: a 4-inch screen with a resolution of 480×854, 4GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera and an unlocked GSM radio. The phone goes on sale on Friday in China. Unfortunately there’s still no word on the phone leaving China at this point. But custom ROM enthusiasts can always check out the MIUI ROM itself, now on its fourth release and updated to Ice Cream Sandwich.

[via Engadget Chinese]

The smartphone platform will integrate with company’s cloud-based storage service and other web products. Baidu is the number one search engine in China. This will be a completely different product from the Yi Android-based OS. This sounds a lot like Google’s move years ago when it unveiled Android to compete with other mobile operating systems.

Baidu executives claim that the company is in talks with global partners for use of the operating system. However, the company didn’t offer specific details on the operating system or launch plans. Those details will come next week when the Chinese search engine has promised to reveal partners and more. Baidu has already been tipped to be working with Foxconn on a so-called Baidu Phone. This device could well be running the new operating system and the prices been tipped at the equivalent of $159.

[via The Next Web]

The reviewers were pleased with the product, which starts at the $1300 (converted) level for the 42-inch version and goes up to $2400 for the 55-inch version. That’s about 30% lower than its in-country rivals. The built-in gaming service and controller (below) got especially high marks, since the latter comes in addition to a standard programmable remote. The Lenovo Android 4.0 Smart TV has a 5-megapixel web camera and al lthe normal bells and whistles of a high-end television.

There’s been no word of Lenovo bringing its smart TV out anywhere besides its home territory of China, and with Samsung and LG taking top spots in the limited market already, it’s no wonder. As far as Google TV goes, it’s still stuck in the states, but Sony hopes to bring it to Europe in the fall. Any new major developments should be shown at Google IO this summer. If you’d like to read the full review of the Lenovo TV, head over to MICgadget, though you’ll need to know Cantonese for the videos.

The Sola will ship with Gingerbread and be upgradeable to ICS, though Sony’s already updated the Tablet S and has betas available for several other phones. The 3.7-inch 854×480 screen isn’t big, but then it doesn’t have to be: Sony’s implementing new “floating touch” gesture controls using the front-facing camera that will allow you to control the phone without touching it. They’ve also implemented NFC with some free tags packed in.

Other specs aren’t all that inspiring; a 1Ghz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage and a 5MP camera put the Sola in the middle of Sony’s current lineup. It’s likely to come to other territories eventually, but your guess is as good as ours as to when. Given Sony’s increasingly rapid schedule of software updates, the Sola may be running ICS if and when it travels west to Europe and the Americas. Since it’s already stopped by the FCC, the latter is a definite possibility.

[via UnwiredView]

The MI-One is unique among retail Android devices in that it uses an aftermarket ROM, the popular MIUI Android variant. This heavily customized ROM focuses on visual flair, combining UI elements from Android, iOS, WebOS and a few completely unique visual pieces and apps. The ROM is in active development, and the Ice Cream Sandwich version is in the early stages of testing. The hardware on the MI-One isn’t quite cutting edge, but it’s perfectly serviceable: a 4.0-inch 854×480 display, dual-core Snapdragon 1.5Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of storage with a MicroSD card slot. Cameras are 8 megapixels and 2 megapixels on the rear and front.

Unfortunately Xiaomi’s practice of batch releasing means that new units won’t be available to Chinese customers for several weeks at least. The combination of high demand and unpredictable release cycles is making the MI-One a hot commodity indeed. Of course, do-it-yourself Android modders can always download the latest MIUI ROM and give it a try themselves on another rooted smartphone.

[via UnwiredView]

At present the holder of the world’s thinnest smartphone title is fellow Chinese manufacturer Huawei, whose Ascend P1 S was shown off at CES 2012. That phone was a mere 6.68mm thin, so if you just can’t stand that extra three hundredths of a millimeter sitting in your pocket, the Oppo mystery phone might be for you. To be honest, it looks pretty swanky too (despite the clear inspiration), with a full metal rim and an edgeless glass design. Just don’t drop it. Or hold it wrong.

Other details spotted in the teaser image are three capacitive navigation buttons which tell us that this is an Android device, and a trio of docking/charging pins like the Galaxy Nexus or HTC Rhyme. We’ve got no idea when this thing is coming, but given Oppo’s previous releases, it probably won’t be seeing the light of day outside of China.

[via Engadget]

The updates for the MX and the M9 are currently scheduled for sometime in June, via the standard over-the-air method. That’s a month (give or take a week or so) after the MX Quad-core is scheduled to go on sale in China. Meizu hasn’t released any details of the newest version of Flyme, but if it’s anything like the older versions it’ll be a considerably altered version of Android without access to Google’s services, but which can still run Android apps without much issue.

Meizu’s dedication to existing hardware is commendable. While I’m sure M9 and MX owners would have proffered to receive an Android 4.0 update sooner, releasing one just a month after the latest flagship is a better move than many of the more well-known carriers  can claim. (Right, Galaxy S II owners?) Meizu still doesn’t have any plans to release any of its smartphones outside of the Chinese market.

[via Engadget]

We’ve seen Moto’s ICS update for Verizon’s DROID RAZR, though they seem content to keep it to themselves for the time being. This software seems to be pretty similar, though obviously it’s using Chinese (the phone has a China Mobile logo emblazoned on the front). Specs match the current RAZRs with the exception of  720p screen: 1.2Ghz dual-core OMAP 4430 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP camera and an unknown amount of on-board storage. Due to this phone’s slightly chunky nature, it’s probably using the RAZR MAXX’s admirable 3300mAh battery. Also note what appear to be virtual navigation buttons, though those could be removed by the time of release.

Motorola seems comfortable with releasing a surprising number of phone variants in China, while most other markets just get the local flavor of the RAZR and RAZR MAXX. This being the case, it’s unlikely that we’ll see this particular phone, the “RAZR” MT887, outside of Asia. With Verizon preparing a bigger and probably badder version of the DROID RAZR, this model is likely just an incremental update for Chinese consumers who haven’t bought a RAZR yet.

[via GSMArena]

Where most manufacturers are using primarily ARM or 86x processors, Philips has gone with the MIPS processor. Philips is not the first to use this combination of MIPS and 4.0,the Ainol Novo 7 being one of the original devices doing it. Google has taken notice of the expanding use of the newer MIPS based units and is promising more support with their software.

Looking at the 2012 line up of new tablets from Philips, we can get some specs on the pending releases. Resolutions appear to be either a 1024×600 pixel or 800×480 pixel depending on model. Also there will be support for the different media types including MP4, H.264 and WMV. Projected battery life is going to be 4 to 5 hours for the new devices. Philips has been introducing many new products recently that support Android devices so this move just seems makes sense.

[via liliputing]

Meizu is claiming that the new phone will have a 60% processor boost and a 50% GPU boost when compared with the current model. According to their DPI numbers the 4-inch screen will also have a higher resolution, but they haven’t given an official resolution yet. (The MX uses 960×560.) 32GB and 64GB capacities will be offered, and the 8MP camera gets a respectable F/2.2 lens. Meizu doesn’t so much skin Android as fork it, but their latest “Flyme OS” is based off of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

At the moment the phone is only going to be offered in Hong Kong and greater China, and given Meizu’s history with its flagship devices that’s unlikely to change. The 32GB phone will go for 2999 yuan (about $475 at current exchange rates) and the 64GB version will be 3999 yuan ($635). The standard phone will come with a black front and white battery cover, with five replaceable pastel options. The MX Quad-core is scheduled to go on sale in June, and the current MX has been immediately reduced to 2399 yuan.

“White box” is an industry term meaning a piece of electronics created from readily-available parts, and resold quickly at retail. In this context it primarily means cheap tablets with little or no branding, sold to consumers who are unlikely to want or be able to afford the $300-500 price most tablets from more reliable manufacturers are going for. A typical model will have a 10-inch screen with a low 1024×600 resolution and 4GB of built-in storage, going for just a little over $100 US in local currency.

The good news is that apparently most of these tablets are being shipped with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. And why not, since the software is freely available as an open-source download, and most of the popular OEM components have already been integrated with Android. For Chinese OEMs, Ice Cream Sandwich is the new Gingerbread – off-brand Honeycomb tablets never made a splash because the source code wasn’t made available at the time. Due to a lack of Google certification, this considerable influx of ICS tablets is unlikely to show up on Google’s monthly Android distribution reports.

[via PC Mag]

All the phones get 4.0-inch 800×580 Super LCD screen. They run on a 1Ghz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage space, plus a MicroSD card slot. As far as specifications go, this puts them right in line with the HTC One V, albeit with a slightly larger screen. These similarities continue in the 5-megapixel camera and support for Beats audio.  Each Chinese cell phone company gets its own version: China Unicom gets the Desire V T328w, (plain back with metal oval around the camera), China Mobile gets the Desire VT T328t (plain back with dimples) and China Telecom gets the Desire VC T328d (diagonal grooves, above). All three will come in black or white, but only China Unicom is releasing the price, at 1,999 yuan. In addition, the  Desire VT T328t has only one SIM card slot to the others’ two.

It’s the last that might hold the most interest for American HTC fans. Note the diagonal styling along the back: a close (but not exact) match for the leaked device purporting to be Verizon’s Incredible 4G. The red-on-black styling matches the latest leaked pictures, while the white version looks more like an even earlier leak. If nothing else, this announcement gives us a clearer look at HTC’s design style for non-One phones going forward, which hasn’t changed much.

[via UnwiredView]

Now what exactly does your $110 dollars get you? A 7″ tablet that should run most games and apps quite decent with a 1.5 GHz Cortex-A8 processor, just not from any brands we know. It also comes with 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and room for more. The A7 has micro-HDMI out for gaming or watching movies on a big screen, and supports micro-SD for extra storage.

It might not be the prettiest tablet around but the screen is capacitive (as in not a cheap resistive screen you have to pounce on) and it runs the latest and greatest from Google. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The tablet has been available for a little over a month already but has recently landed in-stock again so was worth a quick shout out. Mostly likely this will feel like another cheap Chinese knock-off tablet but for $110 coming with a 1.5 GHz processor and Ice Cream Sandwich it’s worth a quick look.

If you have one feel free to comment below, and if you pick one up we’d love to hear your thoughts. Get it today from the link below with free shipping to the US.

[via Focalprice]

Reports from the China Times states that the HTC One X will actually ship before that and should be delivered on April 2nd for those that pre-ordered it early. We previously reported that operators like Three UK will start selling the quad-core superphone on April 4th but it appears China might beat them by a few days.

We are still waiting for some official announcements for the dual-core powered AT&T version, and some reports suggest the One X will also land on T-Mobile with the quad-core Tegra 3 on board. The One X has already cleared the FCC in both dual and quad-core configurations so hopefully carriers start making announcements soon because it’s one awesome device. Check out our hands-on video from the links below. If you want a quad-core smartphone with the latest and greatest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and also an impressive 4.7″ display this will probably be the phone to get for a while. Stay tuned for more details as AT&T should be speaking up any day now.

[via Unwired View]

The HTC Wind appears to be a pretty decent mid-range phone. Coming with a 4″ Super LCD display, Beats Audio, Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense UI 4.0, something that we thought was reserved for the “One” phones since all their previous devices are getting upgraded to version 3.6 currently. That is where the good news stops because the rest is mid-range at best.

The Wind comes with a 1.0 GHz single-core processor and only 512MB of RAM but should run Ice Cream Sandwich quite well according to HTC. The specs are pretty close to the HTC One V, but the front looks a bit like the new One S we saw at MWC. It will also come with 4GB of RAM and a 1,650 mAh battery under the hood.

For now this device will probably never leave the Chinese markets, but it’s new and appears to be one more of multiple HTC devices as of late. We thought they were going to slow it down for 2012 and produce less devices, but so far we’ve seen quite a bit still. It looks nice, but don’t expect to see it stateside.

[via Unwired View]

The design and curves are similar to the RAZR although the top has a redesigned style – possible for a DROID X3. According to some comments by PhoneHK the phone will be called the Motorola Blade. That surely goes right along with Motorola’s recent naming scheme with the RAZR, so it makes sense. With the larger bezel and chin below we are assuming this has soft keys, but there is no way to tell if it will come with Gingerbread or Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich at this point.

The phone goes back to the large hump on back leading us to think it has a 13 megapixel camera like other Motorola leaks from China in the past, but it does also appear to be slightly thicker than the RAZR so this could also come with a large MAXX-style battery. The Kevlar coating on the rear that we are starting to get used to appears to go from edge-to-edge here instead of being wrapped in an aluminum bezel like the DROID RAZR. This could be a brand new phone coming soon, a device solely for the Chinese markets, or something else. We’ll continue digging for information and update once we hear or see more.

[via Droid-Life]

We’ve been hearing requests for an international version of the DROID RAZR MAXX ever since it launched – that massive 3300mAh battery is an enviable feature. Motorola ain’t just whistlin’ Dixie, either: we gave the DROID RAZR MAXX a torture test over a three-day business trip, and it just barely managed to make the whole thing on a single charge. In addition to the bigger battery and slightly bigger body, the RAZR MAXX XT910 keeps the 4.3-inch AMOLED screen, 16GB of on-board storage and 1.2Ghz dual-core processor. The phone is still running Motorola’s customized version of Android 2.3.

The release of this phone is good news for our international readers. While this particular model is unique to China, it demonstrates that Moto isn’t keeping the MAXX line in the United States. Cramming a gigantic battery into a phone that’s still quite slim and manageable is an impressive feat of engineering, and I’m glad to see it spread to more models. If Motorola can start releasing more and more phones with these extended yet concealed batteries, it just might gain a reputation as the longest-lasting phone manufacturer around.

[via DroidMatters]