android 2.3

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

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

Android 2.3, as our readers might recall, offers several enhancements over 2.2 Froyo. They include user interface refinements, a redesigned multitouch keyboard, better power management, and more. As many carriers and manufacturers are finally rolling out Android 2.3 Gingerbread firmware updates to compatible phones, we thought we would highlight the select handsets that actually ship with the Gingerbread OS from the very start. The list of phones below is by no means comprehensive, and only reflects a representative sample from each of the four major carriers.

The very first handset to ship with Android 2.3 is … Read more

HTC has been pushing the 8-megapixel camera on the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide hard, mostly for its low-light capabilities and its "zero shutter lag." I won't dispute that it delivers excellent photo quality overall, and that it's a great camera to use, but calling it the "most advanced smartphone camera" on the market is going too far.

To see just where it triumphs and fails in executing still photography, I spent several days shooting outdoor, indoor, low light, and well-lit photos with four smartphones around the San Francisco Bay Area: the MyTouch 4G Slide, … Read more

Barnes & Noble Nook Color owners now have a new option that can turn their e-readers into full-fledged Android tablets.

Sold by a company called Nook2Android, a SanDisk microSD card preloaded with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the Android Market essentially transforms Nook Color readers into Android tablets.

Available in three sizes and prices ($34.99 for 8 gigabytes, $49.99 for 16 GB, and $89.99 for 32GB), the SD card plugs directly into the Nook, letting the device boot into Android mode. A boot menu gives users the choice of loading Android or the Nook operating system, while removing the card will automatically transform the Nook back into its normal e-reader state.

In Android mode, Nook owners can use the built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n to surf the Web and run various preinstalled apps, such as Gmail, Facebook, and Pandora, according to Nook2Android. Apps can be downloaded and installed directly from the Android Market. The company also promises that using the cards won't affect the Nook's internal memory or void the warranty from B&N.… Read more

HTC is mighty proud of the 8-megapixel camera and accompanying camera software it put on the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide, enough so that it beat its chest that this phone has the most advanced camera on any smartphone around.

We haven't had the phone in our clutches long enough to perform every test, especially against all our other smartphone cameras (but stay tuned--we will!) We did, however, run enough tests to know an overblown claim when we hear one.

The 1080p HD video capture, dual-LED flash, HDR camera software, and extensive other shooting modes are great, don't get … Read more

The image may be blurred, but the phone's body, distinctly bumpy back cover, and slightly upturned base are telltale signs of the Galaxy S II model.

This is My Next got their hands on a pair of images that show Sprint's markings. The photo above also clearly shows an 8-megapixel camera, the lens strength of the Galaxy S II.

Although this unofficial model (which may be known as the Galaxy Within) is clearly related to the unlocked model … Read more

Marking its second Android software update in as many days, Verizon Wireless is now offering Gingerbread to owners of the Droid Incredible 2. Customers who have the HTC handset can manually search for and download the Android 2.3 update, which also addresses random reboots and freezing applications.

As is the case with other recent updates, the Droid Incredible 2 will have enhanced application management, improved copy and paste, and a new desktop docking app. For a deeper dive of Gingergread's features, please see our Samsung Nexus S review.

The full list of details for the Droid Incredible 2 … Read more