HTC confirm the One Google Edition!

   It's finally here, HTC have confirmed the Google Edition of their flagship device, the One. This is an interesting proposition because you get HTC's design language with Google's almost instantaneous updates, but unlike the Nexus devices this one isn't cheap!

   Obviously this is the same HTC One we know and love on the outside and parts of the inside, but HTC Sense and all of the add-ons disappear and instead they're replaced by stock Android. What's interesting about this, as HTC's Jason Dunn says:

"Is what you don't get with it: no HTC Sense, no Zoes, no BlinkFeed, no Video Highlights, no HTC Share, Living Gallery, no SenseTV, etc. The IR blaster hardware is there, but whether or not developers will be able to tap into it is an unknown right now. If having the latest version of Android is paramount to your very existence, well, you have your answer."

   At the moment it's the trade off between getting superfast updates or getting a slightly more rounded experience because things like Zoe and the IR blaster are actually nice additions to the handset!

   If you're not sure whether to go for the retail version of the HTC One which you can get from carriers, or whether to go for one of the developer or 'Nexus' versions then check out the picture below and compare it with your carrier of choice to make the right decision for you. Bear in mind buying the HTC One without a contract will require a hefty up front fee.

Click to enlarge.

   Just as before we know this will be coming to the US Play Store, but there hasn't been wider availability announced just yet! US residents can get the device from JUne the 26th for $599!
Via HTC Elevate.

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In Other News: 17/04/2013.

• Google has finally told developers that from today they're, "now able to upload screenshots of your app running on 7″ and 10″ tablets to the Google Play Developer Console," something which gives people with tablets these pictures instead of the phone screenshots. It seems that Google is finally turning to their Android eyes towards tablets as Google I/O approaches! Check out the AndroidDeveloperBlog here for more information.
  Via AndroidBeat.

• Samsung appear to have delayed the UK launch of the Galaxy S4, unless you pre-ordered the device! The delay is only a day, so you can pick it up on Saturday instead of Friday! The Inquirer spoke to the Samsung store in Stratford and we're not sure if the issue is wider than that at the moment.
  Via TheInquirer.

• T-Mobile UK are in trouble with the Advertising Standards Authority for their use of 'unlimited' to define the internet on their Full Monty tariff. The ASA took issue with the way the company insisted on peer-to-peer limits during 8am and 2am each day. At the moment T-Mobile are excluding tethering from the plan for new customers!
  Via PCPro.

• Amazon have announced that they will be extending the availability of their app store from the seven countries they currently operate it in to nearly 200 in the coming months! Now where's that Amazon phone got to?
  Via TheVerge.

• Calling all Sony Xperia Tablet S owners! Get yourself ready if you live in America, Canada or South America because tomorrow morning Sony will unleash an OTA for your device which will give you Android 4.1.1 Jelly bean at long last!
  Via AndroidPolice.

• Microsoft and Hon Hia, the parent company of Foxconn have penned a new licensing deal for Android and Chrome OS devices! There can't be too many more people who Microsoft needs to sign up any more!
  Via PhoneArena.

• Sony Mobile have announced that the latest software update for the Xperia V has fixed all of the past 'sleep of death' issues which owners have experienced in the past.
  Via XperiaBlog.

• FunnyOrDie have posted a new mockumentary about Steve Jobs. The show is aptly named iSteve and there's not much to it other than the desire to make you laugh. If you're interested in the show you can check it out here!
  Via IntoMobile.

• Nintendo have confirmed the spring update for the Wii U which was promised wil arrive next week!
  Via Engadget.

• HTC's new flagship, the One, has been getting fantastic reviews from around the web, but it seems as though one person won't be giving it full marks! The review device for one person has developed the strange issue which we see below. It's not known whether the issue affects more than just this single device, but for the moment we'll assume it's an isolated incident!
  Via LandofTechnology.

And finally, what can you do if you have 10,000 iPhones and a fair bit of free time? Dominos! The video below is a pretty cool stunt!

Via Twitter.

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Rumour: Are 'AndroidBook' laptops on the way?

   Lets go straight ahead and say this is a rumour, a huge great big rumour from Digitimes of all places, but lets just pause and go through it and things start to make a little bit of sense.

   Google are already starting to push gently into the computing market: they're already offering their Chromebooks and there's companies like HP, Acer and Samsung on board with that project and all three of those examples are also working with Android too!

   If we add into that Intel's recent push into the mobile phone processor market with their work on the x86-based version of Android, it's not totally unreasonable to suggest that their could be Android-powered laptops and even Ultrabooks later this year.

   We've already heard Google reiterating their commitment to maintain Android and Chrome as separate operating systems because Schmidt said, "[Android and Chrome are] certainly going to remain separate for a very long time because they solve different problems." His point has seemingly been proved by the relatively tame take up of Windows 8.

   So we've basically seen that there are reasons for and against an 'AndroidBook', but what is it when we attach a Bluetooth keyboard to an Android tablet? Is that not effective an Android laptop anyway? We're sure at least a couple of you guys out there are using some of Asus' Transformer tablets so that's a makeshift Android laptop already.

    Where does that leave Google Play in all of this? That store now offers magazines, movies, music and tonnes of apps, so surely that is in a prime position to give consumers basically everything they need for their computing needs already and the Play Store is currently far more compelling than the Windows 8 store, which hasn't been too well received because the figurative shelves are pretty bare.

   The only thing really missing at the moment is an official move from Google to show people what they can do with Android in the laptop form factor. Perhaps with Sundar Pichai at the reigns of both Chrome and Android, it's a possibility that Google will offer more laptops whilst keeping OS' separate.

   What do you think on this grand idea? Should Google use Motorola's phone into laptop dock idea? We think that's the future! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Digitimes Via Tom'sHardware.

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Facebook Home details revealed by APK teardown!

   Remember this 'Facebook Home' thing that we've been hearing so much about lately? Well it turns out that Android Police have managed to get their hands on a developer preview of the APK and they've been able to have a look at how things are shaping up.

   The APK has some juicy details inside it too! There is confirmation that there will be a Facebook phone revealed and it will have a Facebook-ified version of Google's mobile OS. If we start with the phone then there is confirmation that there will be an AT&T-compatible device made by HTC Myst which will feature a 4.3 inch display, 1GB of RAM and a dual-core MSM8960 Qualcomm SoC. Add on to that a 5-megapixel rear camera, 1.6-megapixel front option, Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi and we have a solid mid-range phone which will appeal to teenagers everywhere! That phone will rock Android 4.1.2 and Sense 4.5 in parallel, with the Facebook app taking centre stage and acting as the devices home screen!

   So this Facebook home is essentially a new launcher from Facebook and subsequently the app will have more access to the system controls than the current Facebook app and it's been confirmed that the app can turn off the lock screen, start up when the phone boots and control your WiFi connection, among a few other things too.

   There's some pretty little icons embedded into the launcher too, so you can expect to have a slightly different look compared to other launchers and as you would expect Facebook Messenger integration is a key part of this too. Don't worry if you don't have the Facebook phone itself though because there's TouchWiz compatibility built into the home screen replacement and that means that you can install this onto other phones too! That means it'll probably be popping up in the Play Store!

   We'll have full details on Thursday when everything's made official!
 AndroidPolice Via Engadget.

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17/01/2013: Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 rumoured, EE store closures, Lenovo's new Chromebook and much more!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 specs released!

   Samsung's Galaxy Note range is insanely popular, the Note II has sold millions of units since it was released, as people were drawn in by the unique size of the 'phablet'. So Samsung has realised that they're onto a good thing so they're planning to expand the line with a new 8 inch model. 

   This device will be a follow up to the stunning Galaxy Tab 7.7 and a competitor to the iPad Mini, a market which Samsung only really offers the Galaxy Tab 7.0 in. In case you're wondering about a list if specs, it's embedded.

Code name: Kona
Android: version 4.2 Jelly Bean
Official name: GALAXY Note 8.0 (3G, Wi-Fi)
Product codes: GT-N5100, GT-N5110
Battery: 4600 mAh
Dimension: 211.3×136.3×7.95 mm , 330 gram.
Display: 8.0”1280×800 TFT (Super Clear LCD)
GSM networks: EDGE (850/900/1800/1900) HSPA+21.1Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps (850/900/1900/2100)
Camera 5 Megapixel (BACK)
Camera 1.3 megapixel (FRONT)
RAM + Storage: 2GB (RAM) + 16/32GB (optional) + microSD (up to 32GB)
Connections:  BT 4.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, A-GPS

   If the rumours are to be believed then this device will be with us by MWC next month!
Via SamMobile.

EE to close 78 stores!

   EE has announced that they are going to be closing a fair few of their high street stores. Now this isn't necessarily a cost saving measure, instead it's 'consolidation resources' because they currently have a couple of stores of every high street because of the Orange and T-Mobile merger. 

   The plan is to close around about 11% of their stores, so 78 out of the 700 stores will be closed down. This move does seem to make sense, there's not much point having multiple EE stores on every high street, in some cases the stores are right next to each other and from a business point of view this makes little or no sense.

   An EE spokesman said:

"We have reviewed our retail estate to improve the service our customers are receiving on the high street, as part of this we have decided to consolidate. This makes commercial sense and will also help us manage the high levels of demand in our stores and improve the customer experience."

   Thankfully for EE employees they won't have to threat over their futures as the employees from the closing stores will be shifting across to the nearest store:

“All front line staff will be moving to the other store which will boost service levels significantly. A store can only have one manager, so we will look to redeploy the small number of affected managers where possible.” 

   The closures started this month and we can expect them to be completed at some point this year!
Via ITProportal.

In other news:

• Sony's Xperia Z was promised to be getting its Android 4.2 update 'soon after launch' and the company has pledged to share more information about the update over the next couple of weeks!
  Sony Via AndroidCentral.

• Google is no longer offering the Nexus Q for sale. We expected Google would replace their Nexus Q with an updated an cheaper version, instead we're not sure if the device will be delayed until there is another version later this year. Naturally we'll keep you updated if we hear any more on the matter!
  Google Play Via Phandroid.

• Asus is reportedly working on a Windows 8 powered variant of their Padfone. We're not currently sure exactly how this would work given the divides between Windows Phone and Windows 8, but it does sound like a good idea!
  Via WallStreetJournal.

• Lenovo has announced a new Chromebook, the ThinkPad X131e! The laptop is specifically been made to survive the abuse from younger people and there is a rubberised bumper , reinforced corners, as well as strengthened hinges and brackets which aim for 50,000 opens and closes!
  Via HotHardware.

• Sony's PS Vita has a bizarre app issue. Sony seems to have limited the amount of installed games to 100, no matter how much memory card storage is available. We're not sure if Sony will release some firmware to fix this, but this shouldn't be an issue for most users!
  Via Engadget.

• Sony has also announced that they're offering one game a week for free for the next six weeks if you have a 'Playstation Certified' Android device, such as the Xperia S, Xperia ion, Xperia PLAY, or any of Sony's tablets. You might have the certification if you own a HTC device. The only restriction is that you have to live in Japan, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Spain or Australia. We're not sure about US availability for this promotion yet! We'll update you if we hear more! In the meantime the first app is Samurai Beatdown!
  Via Clove.

And finally, Samsung will be bringing some more colour options to their Galaxy Note II's. Soon there will be amber brown and ruby wine available in Korea, but we're not sure if these options will be offered to the rest of the world.

Via Engadget.

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