Alcatel OneTouch T60 Android tablet shows at FCC

Alcatel will soon join the tablet market with an Android-powered device of its own, if a Thursday FCC test is to be trusted. What appears to be a seven-inch device, known as the OneTouch T60, will ship with Android 2.2. It will also connect to North American 850MHz and 1,900MHz networks.

Otherwise, the simple tablet will have Wi-Fi, GPS, a rear three-megapixel camera and a VGA front-facing camera. It gets access to Google Maps as well. A microSD memory card slot and 3.5mm headset jack round out the package.

Despite the listing, ship dates or prices for the device aren't known. The latter will likely place the device at the lower end of the Android tablet offerings, and perhaps at the very bottom.

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Lenovo IdeaPad K1 tablet shows on stores before unveiling

Lenovo's upcoming IdeaPad K1 tablet with Android 3.0 onboard is showing up on retailer sites, including Buy.com. The device hasn't yet officially been dated, and the sites lack a price and a shipping schedule. They also differ on basic specs from earlier reports.

A 1.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon is seemingly replaced by NVIDIA's 1GHz Tegra 2 dual core. Other new details that have no other ones to compare to include a 10.1-inch display with 1280x800 resolution, 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space. Android 3.0 should be onboard as are a two- and five-megapixel camera, front and rear, respectively. A microSD and a SIM card slot, along with a microHDMI port are accounted for, and a battery life rating of 10 hours.

The only model shown here is black, but China's LePad version is available in white as well. Earlier, pricing was expected to come in at about $520, but this could have been for a 16GB model. An optional keyboard dock is also likely coming at a later date.

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Toshiba Thrive tablet pops up for pre-order at $450

The Toshiba Thrive tablet, the name of which was trademarked last month, is again showing up online and is available for pre-order at J&R but the listings have been pulled. They did reveal that the 10.1-inch tablet with Android 3.0 will cost $449 for an 8GB model and $579 for a 32GB version. A 16GB model is expected, falling between the two at $499, but wasn't listed.

The listing also didn't show a shipping date, simply opting for a Coming Soon label. Other specs include a dual-core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, a 1280x800 resolution, a front-facing two-megapixel camera, and a rear five-megapixel camera with autofocus. There is also Bluetooth 3.0 onboard, Wi-Fi, an SD card reader and full sized HDMI and USB 2.0 ports along with a mini USB and dock port. A rubber rear backing differentiates it from other Android 3.0 tablets.

The model number of AT105-T108 doesn't match the earlier AT300 tablet from the company, though the specs are certainly very similar.

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Nexus S 4G from Google (Sprint)

With its untouched version of Google's Android Gingerbread OS, Sprint's elegant Nexus S 4G for Sprint ($199.99 with contract) will appeal to Android purists and software developers. But otherwise, it falls short of smartphone category leaders in almost every way, making it a good try, but not a winner.

Physical Design, Calling, and Internet

Sprint's Nexus S 4G looks exactly like the T-Mobile Nexus S ($199, 4 stars) we reviewed back in December, and it's a very handsome phone. A slim, smooth black slab, the 4.6-ounce Nexus measures 4.9 by 2.5 by .44 inches (HWD), with no visible buttons on its face and a rich 4-inch, 800-by-480 Super AMOLED screen. The display looks terrific, with pure blacks and deep colors, but Samsung's current top-of-the-line phones such as the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II ($799, 4 stars) come with Super AMOLED Plus screens, with even better colors.

Press the Power button on the side, and the standard four Android action buttons light up near the bottom of the handset. The phone has a very slight "chin" at the bottom that curves up towards your face, and the back is smooth, black plastic. It's quality plastic, though, and the build feels very solid all around.

The Nexus S 4G is a surprisingly poor voice phone. Its biggest problem is RF reception: I consistently got weaker reception on this phone than on a Samsung Epic 4G ($249, 4 stars) in the same location. Voice quality was harsh, with the occasional dropout and a very quiet speakerphone. Transmissions through the mic sounded a bit thready, and the speakerphone sounded tinny. At least the phone worked very well with my Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset ($129, 4.5 stars), including activating voice dialing.

The reception problem carries over to Internet speeds, too. The Nexus S 4G works on Sprint's 3G and 4G networks, and it's licked the standby battery-life problem that the first generation of 4G WiMAX phones had; In my tests, I was able to eke out 6 hours and 6 minutes of talk time on the phone and well more than a day of standby. The phone also works as a tethered modem and a Wi-Fi hotspot. But download speeds were noticeably slower than the Epic 4G. Testing with the Ookla Speedtest app, I got an average of 2.12Mbps down and 610Kbps up on the Nexus, and 6.23Mbps down and 475Kbps up on the Epic.

The reception problems are a pity, because the Nexus's Google Voice integration is pretty neat. You can port your Sprint number directly to Google Voice to get voicemail transcriptions and make international calls at discounted rates. Google's Talk app now includes video chat which works with the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, but I found it to be full of hiccups and audio/video sync issues when we tested it. But none of this matters if you can't connect at all.

The Nexus S 4G also integrates Near field communication (NFC), a fairly useless technology (at least in the U.S.) that banks and credit card companies have been promising would be part of a mobile-payment system for years. So far, it hasn't happened.

Android, Multimedia, and Conclusions

The Nexus S 4G runs Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" on a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, the same CPU used in the Samsung Epic 4G. That's cutting-edge, for last year. The current state of the art is moving to dual-core phones such as Sprint's upcoming HTC EVO 3D. Gingerbread didn't seem to offer much of a performance boost over the Froyo OS on the Epic, but that's fine; the phone feels sprightly.

As a Nexus phone, this handset should get updates from Google more quickly than other Android devices. That remains to be seen, of course; Sprint still has to approve the updates, but at least they don't have to go through a phone manufacturer. The Nexus runs more than 150,000 Android apps, and it's refreshingly totally free of bloatware, even from Sprint.

The Nexus S 4G has no memory card slot, instead relying on about 14GB of on-board storage. The video player lacks XVID and DIVX support, and won't play HD videos even in supported MPEG4 and AAC file formats. Our H.264 sample file looked jerky during playback. I had more luck with the elegant music player, which handles all the expected, unprotected formats over wired or Bluetooth headphones.

The 5-megapixel camera takes sharp, but washed-out-looking photos with blown-out bright areas. Indoors, there's some blur caused by slow (0.8-second) shutter speeds. The camcorder mode captures smooth 720-by-480 video indoors and out.

If you're looking for a top-of-the-line, full-touch-screen Sprint Android phone, wait for the HTC EVO 3D. If you prefer a QWERTY keyboard, the HTC Evo Shift 4G ($199, 4 stars) and Samsung Epic 4G are both excellent choices. Just getting started with Android? The LG Optimus S (Free, 4 stars) is a great pick, and it's free with a contract.

There are still reasons to get the Nexus S 4G, especially if you're an Android software developer who requires the latest, purest version of the OS. But the Nexus S 4G is neither a budget phone nor top-of-the-line, and its poor voice and data performance left me uneasy in the end.

PCmag

Motorola Defy may jump quickly to Android 2.3

Just last month, Motorola issued an Android 2.2 update for its Defy smart phone. Members at the XDA-Developers forum have posted a leak of Motorola's official version of Gingerbread and given instructions as to how to install it. The formal release of a sanctioned version is probably not far behind.

There are a few minor problems reported with the release, primarily related to camera operation, but for the most part, all else seems to be functioning properly.

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Motorola posts Droid X 2 user guide early

Motorola has posted the user guide (PDF) for the Droid X 2 ahead of its rumored May 26 launch. With Direct Fulfillment orders starting as soon as May 19, the user guide confirms that the device features a dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz and its rumored qHD high-resolution display.

The X2�s NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor is matched with 768MB of RAM, while the device will also shoot 720p video with its 8-megapixel camera. Videos can also be output over HDMI from the device�s built-in HDMI port. While pre-production versions have been shown running Android 2.2 (Froyo), it is expected to ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

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Droid X gets Android 2.3 early

One Motorola Droid X test phone owner has reportedly already received the Android 2.3 update, Droid-Life said Monday. The system update, version 4.5.596, is also dated for May 26, so that's likely when it will launch. About a month ago, Droid X owners had the option of manually downloading the Android 2.3 update but it was quickly pulled.

The May 26 date revealed by the update build number is very close to the May 25 date showed in earlier build numbers from leaks. The Droid X 2 is also expected to launch on May 26, so there is a possibility the same software will come preloaded on that handset as well.

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Android 2.3 test for HTC Thunderbolt leaks out

An early indication that an official Android 2.3 build for the HTC Thunderbolt is indeed coming soon comes in the form of a test build of the software now available for download. Hosted by 911 Sniper, the test build is a big hint that HTC is working hard to meet its June 30 deadline for the launch of the official OS for this smartphone. Not much else is known about the test OS at this point, including how difficult it is to install on Thunderbolt handsets.

With the upcoming official update, the Thunderbolt will get better support for the front-facing camera, better power management, built-in voice over IP calling, and a better media framework that includes AAC encoding and overall WebM support, among other improvements.

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Wi-Fi Xoom won't get Movies app for weeks

Users of the Wi-Fi only version of the Motorola Xoom updating to Android 3.1 have discovered that they do not have access to the new Movies tab. The reason for what appears to be a deliberate omission has not been made clear. A statement from a Motorola Support Forums manager, Matt, does little to shed light on the matter, but simply confirms the omission.

�The new Movies tab in the Android Market will not appear on updated Wi-Fi-only Motorola Xooms immediatly (sic) after the update. Google will make that available in the near future. Motorola Xooms from Verizon will be able to use the Movies service after the 3.1 update,� reads the statement.

While the feature is eventually expected to arrive on smartphones, in addition to Honeycomb tablets, owners of the Wi-Fi Xoom may have to wait several weeks before the feature is enabled.

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Samsung confirms Android 2.3 updates for Galaxy S, Tab

Samsung after a false start last month has officially started rolling out Android 2.3 updates for virtually all of its Galaxy devices. Every Galaxy S phone, the Galaxy Tab, and its budget Galaxy mix should all get the extra performance and user interface updates, including copy-and-paste text. The update is being pitched as especially helpful for 3D games and media playback, likely due to the much improved OpenGL graphics.

Initial upgrades will focus on the Galaxy S in Nordic countries and the UK starting sometime this week. Samsung plans a gradual rollout to the rest of the world, including North America, but didn't say when or how universally beyond mentioning a "regional plan." Upgrades for the Galaxy Tab as well as the Ace, Fit, Gio, and Mini also weren't mentioned. Some users still report updates already heading out on the Galaxy Tab, however, and may leave only a short wait.

All updates on the older phones still need to go through Samsung's Kies app for PCs.

Electronista

Samsung Infuse 4G, HP Veer 4G hit AT&T shelves

Two smartphones at the opposite ends of the size spectrum reached AT&T stores on Sunday. The Samsung Infuse 4G is the largest smartphone in the US and centers on its 4.5-inch, 480x800 Super AMOLED Plus screen along with a 1.2GHz processor, 21Mbps HSPA+ cellular data, an eight-megapixel rear camera, and a front 1.3-megapixel camera. In spite of the size, the Android 2.2 flagship costs the same $200 on contract as most high-end smartphones.

The HP Veer 4G meanwhile is one of the smallest phones with just a 2.6-inch, 320x400 screen and a slide-out keyboard. It's the first of the webOS phones designed primarily during the HP era and has a much faster 800MHz Snapdragon processor along with its namesake 14.4Mbps HSPA Internet access and webOS 2.1. AT&T is selling the phone for half as much as the Infuse at $100 on contract.

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Barnes & Noble Nook app optimized for Android tablets

As promised, Barnes & Noble on Friday put out a version of Nook for Android (free, Market) optimized for Android tablets. The new version takes advantage of the larger screen both for reading as well as browsing the book library and store. Unusually, the app isn't just optimized for Android 3.x slates like the Motorola Xoom but also for Android 2.x models, many of which are seven-inch designs like the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The only stipulation is that the screen have an 800x480 or larger resolution, the bookseller said. A device check will open up magazines and newspapers to non-Nook Color tablets for the first time while keeping them off of smartphones, even at the same resolution.

Readers can get the new app immediately and can now find it in other portals, such as Samsung Apps, Verizon's V Cast Apps, AppsLib, and GetJar. Outside of public domains, most regular books cost $10. Subscriptions vary but usually have a two-week trial to test them out before committing to a monthly fee.

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HTC Flyer goes on sale in Europe

The 7-inch HTC Flyer Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) tablet is now on sale in Europe. The device is shipping in two models, one a 16GB Wi-Fi only and a 32GB Wi-Fi plus 3G version. The tablet is shipping with the Magic Pen, unlike Best Buy in the US, which will be selling the stylus as an $80 extra.

Although limited by running Android 2.3, when many other newly shipping tablets are equipped with Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), the tablet offers the ability work with a stylus as well as through capacitive touch input. Another potential drawback is that the tablet is shipping with a single-core Snapdragon processor, but it is clocked at a fast 1.5GHz.

It also ulitizes HTC�s customized Sense 3.0 UI, while 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP provide connectivity. The included onboard memory is expandable through a microSD slot. The front camera is 1.3-megapixels, while the rear is 5.0-megapixels. Codec support includes AAC, AMR, OGG, M4A, MP3, WMA, WAV, 3GP, 3G2, MP4, WMV, AVI and XVID.

The 16GB version of the HTC Flyer will soon be shipping in the States for $499.

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Leak locks Motorola Droid X 2 in for May 26

Motorola's Droid X 2 has seen what should be its final ship date commitment after a leaked staff memo settled on its release date. The phone is now due to reach retail stores by May 26 with early orders starting on May 19. Droid-Life's copy of the note also confirmed that it would ship with Android 2.3 out of the box along with the new version of Motorola's Blur UI that was first seen on the Droid Bionic prototype.

The X 2 was already known to be Motorola's first dual-core phone for Verizon following the Bionic's overhaul. It should carry a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 chip capable of 1080p video and a much sharper, 540x960 4.3-inch screen. Verizon notes the X 2's eight-megapixel camera isn't any higher in resolution, but the memo touts it as 44 percent faster than the sensor on the original Droid X, albeit still limited to 720p video.

Storage should also go up with both 8GB of permanent storage and a pre-loaded 8GB microSDHC card.

Pricing is still an unknown, but the phone's limitation to 3G will likely put the price at $200 on contract.

Electronista

Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi starts getting Android 3.1 early

Google's warning that Xoom Wi-Fi Android 3.1 updates might be delayed for weeks were proven cautious on Thursday as numerous owners have reported getting the upgrade early. The build is virtually identical to the one reaching 3G Xooms on Verizon and brings movie rentals, USB peripheral support, resizable widgets and a deeper multitasking interface. Early adopters have also found it noticeably faster.

The update is still due to be pushed out gradually for those waiting for an automatic delivery. A chance exists that a manual check will speed up the upgrade process, but no Xoom Wi-Fi owners are known to have reported it working so far.

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Advent Vega tablet gets Android 3.0 hack with GPU boost

The Advent Vega tablet has just received an unofficial Android 3.0 hack along with a GPU boost, thanks to a creative developer over on the XDA-Developers forum. Zebwen ported Android 3.0 while others, including newbe5, Corvus and HomerSp helped out and the four have now achieved hardware acceleration. The Alpha ROM is also now available for download.

The hack will boot, provides the aforementioned hardware acceleration, supports widgets and most Android apps should run, though this hasn't been thoroughly tested. The video below shows the fast response of the OS on the Advent Vega tablet. What doesn't work is more comprehensive, as it's simply described as everything else. Wi-Fi doesn't work either, and neither does the camera or the accelerometer for screen rotation.

There are some caveats for those who wish to try this build, however. For example, ClockworkMOD is bundled with the ROM, and the Vega doesn't have a hard button for boot recovery, and the ROM doesn't have ROM manager installed, so code has to be added to enter recovery mode.

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Dell Streak 7 copy gets 1.2GHz chip, Android 2.3, more

Dell's Streak 7 tablet has been copied by an outfit called Welldone and is now available for order from China. Unlike the genuine gadget, it can make phone calls and has Android 2.3 preloaded rather than Android 2.2. The battery also has a slightly larger capacity, at 3,000mAh versus 2,780mAh.

There are some drawbacks, however, including a single-core ARM Cortex0A8 chip rather than a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core, ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, and its seven-inch screen has resistive touch input rather than capacitive. There is also just 4GB of storage onboard rather than the 16GB in the Streak 7. HDMI, Wi-Fi and external 3G are standard. This last feature implies the 3G connection comes by way of an adapter of some sort.

Price is obviously another huge advantage, with the fake priced at the equivalent of $180 while Dell's offering in Wi-Fi only guise costs a much more expensive $378.

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Sony Ericsson makes next-gen Xperia mini, mini pro official

Sony Ericsson used a special event on Thursday to at last confirm the second generation of its smallest Android smartphones. The touch-only Xperia mini and QWERTY slider Xperia mini pro are both much closer to full-size smartphones and both pack 1GHz Snapdragon processors, larger three-inch 320x480 screens, and five-megapixel cameras with 720p movie making. Android 2.3 carries over from the high-end phones and has been tweaked to make better use of the screen space than on the X10 minis, allowing as many as 16 apps launchable from hot corners on the home screen.

Also new is tighter Facebook integration that makes relevant parts of the social network available from music, photos, contacts, and calendars.

Either phone should get about 30 percent longer battery life than before, moving up to 4.5 hours of 3G talk on the Xperia mini and 5.5 hours on the mini pro. They come with a 2GB microSD card but can take up to 32GB.

Shipments won't start until the summer, although Sony Ericsson promises that either Xperia mini will come in a choice of four colors.

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Acer 7-inch Iconia A100, A101 to arrive May 14

Acer�s 7-inch Iconia A100 and A101 Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablets are set to arrive May 14. The devices, which are already up for pre-order in the UK, come with either a 3G + Wi-Fi (A101) or Wi-Fi-only (A100) configurations. Both devices run the Tegra 250 dual-core Cortex A9 processor clocked at 1GHz matched with 512MB of RAM and incorporate 8GB of memory expandable with microSDs.

Graphics is delivered by ultra low power (ULP) NIVIDIA GeForce GPU with Flash 10.1 support. Movies can also be played back at 1080p on HD TV�s through the integrated HDMI port. Both also come with 5-megapixel auto-focus rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front camera.

While North American pricing is yet to be revealed, The Android Community notes that they are selling for the equivalent of $660 for the A101 with 3G + Wi-Fi, and $485 for the Wi-Fi only A101 in the UK.

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MiTAC unveils Android 2.3-packing Zeus, Valar, Ulmo tablets

MiTAC, a company known for its Magellan and Mio GPS systems and for its Tyan PC motherboards has entered the tablet market. At the recent CeBIT show in Germany, MiTAC announced four Android 2.3 tablets: the Zeus, a six-inch model with dual GPS receivers, the seven-inch and ten-inch multimedia Velar tablets, and the Ulmo, a seven-inch waterproof tablet. The Zeus with its dual GPS receivers provides precise satellite positioning independent of whether it is held vertically or horizontally.

The Valar series support 1080p HD video playback and an HDMI connection so output can be displayed on a larger display. The Valar also sports a GPS receiver and stereo speakers.

The Ulmo supports 1080p video playback and stereo speakers. Its main uniqueness is that it is waterproof. It comes equipped with a 1 GHz Samsung processor 512 MB ??RAM, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and storage capacity through a microSD slot. It also sports a 1.3-megapixel camera up front and a rear five-megapixel camera.

Pricing and availability were not announced.

Electronista