gingerbread

Google is reportedly in a hurry to unfreeze Ice Cream Sandwich.

The company is hoping to take away a little heat from Apple by trying to roll out its next of version Android before the iPhone 5 debuts, says AppleInsider.

Dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich, the next flavor of Android was initially slated to appear toward the end of the year. But Google has apparently been working hard to push up the launch date, with the first devices aiming to reach consumers as early as October, according to Boy Genius Report.

Citing information from a "source with knowledge of Google'… Read more

Samsung and Nvidia have teamed for the latest Galaxy smartphone and it made its official debut today.

Dubbed the Samsung Galaxy R, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread device is powered by Nvidia's Tegra 2 dual-core processor. Though the same chipset can be found in the Galaxy Tab 10.1, this is the first Galaxy smartphone to feature Nvidia's processor. Previous models, such as the Galaxy S 4G and Epic 4G, used Samsung's own 1GHz Hummingbird Cortex A8 processor.

With the dual-core goodness and GeForce GPU, users of … Read more

MetroPCS is making good on its Android commitment by announcing today the Samsung Admire, a mid-tier Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone.

The Admire comes equipped with a 3.5-inch HVGA touch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera and camcorder, a Swype virtual keyboard option, and an 800Mhz processor. It also includes a microSD card slot that takes up to 32GB expandable memory.

Those who prefer their Android without adornments will appreciate that the Admire comes without Samsung's custom UI. The Admire stands 4.6 inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, and is less than 0.5-inch thick. If you lust … Read more

If you've got a taste for plain old vanilla Android Froyo or Gingerbread, finding a smartphone without all of a carrier's and manufacturer's extra toppings is harder than you might imagine.

Custom interfaces that sit on top of the Android foundation cost phone makers (and sometimes carriers, who can also weigh in) time and money to develop and deploy, whereas Google gives its basic operating system away for free. An extra interface can also cause extensive headaches when it comes time to graduate a handset to the next dessert-y Android OS.

In other words, leaving a phone … Read more

After an early game of peek-a-boo, Sprint and Samsung officially announced the Samsung Conquer 4G today, the carrier's first 4G-capable Android smartphone, for less than $100.

Available starting August 21 for $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, the Conquer 4G might not have the most advanced technology but still packs in a good amount of features for the price. This includes Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with the option to customize with Sprint ID (no TouchWiz installed), support for Sprint's 4G WiMax network, mobile hot-spot capabilities, and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor.

The smartphone also offers a rear-facing 3.2-megapixel camera, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, and a 3.5-inch, HVGA touch screen. Sprint will ship the Conquer 4G with a 2GB microSD card, though the expansion slot can accept up to 32GB.

So what do you think? Pretty good deal for the price? … Read more

Upmarket Huawei phones are rare on U.S. retail shelves, but the Huawei Vision, announced today in Beijing, may just provide that glimmer of light for Android enthusiasts looking for something new.

Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the Vision also touts a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 processor, a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, and 720p HD video capture and playback. In addition, Huawei reaches for style points with the Vision's more premium-looking hardware design, a unibody chassis made from an aluminum alloy, with a curve in its design. It comes in rose gold, silver, or charcoal color. … Read more

In late June, rumors started to fly that Motorola and Sprint were working on another portrait QWERTY Android device, and now, there's even more evidence that such a handset exists.

Last night, This is My Next published new images of what's being called the Motorola "Pax." Though we originally thought it might sport a slider design, the Pax looks to be similar to the Motorola XPRT with its slate design and touch-screen/QWERTY combo.

The big difference between the Pax and the XPRT is that the Pax is said to feature a dual-core processor and support for Sprint's new CDMA-based push-to-talk-service.

Not much else is known about the smartphone at this point, but we'll be keeping our ears and eyes open for more information.

Earlier this summer, Sprint and Motorola announced a renewed effort to bring more innovative devices to market together and promised to launch more than 10 new devices in 2011. Recent releases include the aforementioned XPRT, the Motorola Photon 4G, and the Motorola Triumph for Virgin Mobile. … Read more

The dual-screen Kyocera Echo has become the latest Android smartphone to receive Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread. The update includes many of the standard Gingerbread features, along with pinch-to-zoom support, a Swype 3.0 virtual keyboard, and an improved downloads application.

Kyocera also is including a new Eco mode that's specifically designed for the Echo, which gives users the ability to better manage battery life. The application will change various power settings on the handset once it hits a preset, user-determined point. So for example, when the device reaches its chosen battery percentage, it will begin to conserve power … Read more

Samsung has already begun revving up U.S. consumers eager for more details about its popular Galaxy S II smartphone.

With the GS II set to launch in the U.S. in August, Samsung has set up a sign-up page where potential buyers can fill out a form to receive more info on the phone and learn about special offers. Consumers are invited to submit their name, e-mail address, mobile phone number, and carrier of choice.

The Galaxy S II made its debut in its home base of South Korea on April 29 before reaching Japan and several European countries … Read more