The Next Version of Android: Too Soon?

Android 4.2, rumored to be called Key Lime Pie, is most likely going to launch between now and November with the next iteration of Google's Nexus line. Google's Nexus line is the flagship line of devices, not unlike the iPhone, that launches once a year from Google with the latest version of Android. The great thing about a Nexus is that you are pretty much guaranteed to get 1, if not 2 software updates. While most of the rumored additions to 4.2 were proven fake, I'm sure it will still bring many improvements, just as Jelly Bean has. But is it too soon for another version of Android? I think so...

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was just released along side the Nexus 7 in July of this year, and only 2 or 3 devices have it. According to Google themselves, Jelly Bean is only on 1.8% of all devices, Ice Cream Sandwich(4.0) is on 23.7%, and Gingerbread(2.3) is still the most popular with over 50% of device distribution.

With each new version of Android comes further fragmentation. Obviously there are a lot of variable when it comes to updates, such manufacturers skinning them, carriers bloating them, and the specs of specific devices being able to run the new versions. Basically, if you want updates get a nexus. Although the multitude of devices and the skins of manufacturers don't help the process, releasing 2 new versions of Android in 1 year does not help either. 

I appreciate that improvements and optimizations that Google is working towards, but they should really be working toward pushing updates to more devices. 

But what do you think? Does having the "Latest and greatest" matter to you? Do you mind purchasing multiple phones a year to make sure that's a reality? Or are you fine with your current handset and software?

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T-Mobile: Brace Yourselves, The Phones Are Coming...(UPDATED)

Seems the rumor mill is over-flowing with T-Mobile devices that are reported to be just over the horizon. First, let's start with Windows phone. 

The Nokia Lumia 810 is going to be Magenta's exclusive Window's Phone 8 device. It has a 4.3" OLED WVGA display with Nokia's Clear Black technology, an 8 megapixel camera with  Carl Zeiss optics, a 1.5ghz dual-core Snapdragon S4 cpu, 1gb of ram, 8gbs of storage, and you can also switch out the device's shell for different colors. It seems like a nice addition to the T-Mo line up, considering that the Lumia 920 and 820 are AT&T exclusive. No official date has been confirmed yet, but T-Mobile has stated it will be available in the coming weeks. - via Techno Buffalo

Next up we have a rumor stating that Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 will be launching on October 24th on T-Mobile. It was leaked via and internal document from T-Mobile itself. This would be fantastic news, especially for me as I have an upgrade coming up in November. UPDATE: T-Mobile has confirmed that the Note 2 will be available "In the coming weeks" - via Android Authority Techno Buffalo & TmoNews

Finally, LG is rumored to launch Optimus L9 this fall. This guy is supposedly rocking a 4.5" qHD display, a 5 megapixel camera, a 2150mAh battery, a 1ghz  dual-core processor, an unfortunately, Ice Cream Sandwich. Seems like a reasonably nice mid-range device, which if it comes in at a good price point, could be great for the holidays. - via Techno Buffalo 
UPDATE: This guy has been confirmed! Not release date as of now, but it will definitely be out in time for the holidays. - via Android Central

So which device are you guys most excited for this holiday season?

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Widgets: What Android Skins Are Doing Right

I just got done running an AOSP rom on my One S, and I have to say, I love stock Jelly Bean. The fluidity of Jelly Bean absolutely trumps that of ICS. Project Butter is evident in everything you do. Going back to ICS, you really notice things like how much lag there is from time to time, or how many dropped frames there are. But one thing that just drew me right back to Sense, was the widget selection. In my opinion, Sense has the best widgets, hands down, of any other Android skin. TouchWiz has few good ones, as does Motorola, but they just don't compare to how polished the widgets with Sense are. Not to mention the sheer quantity of widgets as well. There are 5 pages alone just for clocks. That's right, clocks. 

I think this is one of the major things holding Android back in it's stock form. Finally in Jelly Bean we have the smoothness that we've longed for since the release of Android. But now we need polished, functional widgets to go along with it. We already know that iOS is much more "Boring" and "Stale" than Android, one of the key features being the lack of widgets, but just because Android has them, doesn't mean their nice. This is why I think Jelly Bean, along with Sense+, will be the most functional operating system in mobile.

What do you guys think? Do widgets matter to you? Or am I alone here? Do you love the AOSP widgets? Let me know!

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Naming Strategy: The Android Downfall

Since the birth of Android, one of the most annoying things that manufacturers have done with it, besides some of the down right horrible skins and UI's, is the naming strategy. 

When I see an awesome new(or rumored) handset like the one pictured above, I get excited just like any self-respecting nerd would. But then I here the name. The rumored name for the rumored device above is the LG Optimus Nexus G. The name of this devices alone has crushed any ounce of 'want' I previously had for it. LG is not the first company to do this either, not by a long shot. 

I know I've covered manufacturer skins, but let's take a look at some of the worst named devices, in my opinion: 

The Samsung Galaxy Stellar:

The HTC Evo 4G LTE:

The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD:

The ZTE Grand X LTE:

The LG Optimus Nexus G(rumored):

You see what I mean? This kind of naming strategy makes every phone unique, in the worst way. It makes the market increasingly confusing for the average consumer as well. Not only that, but once iconic names like Evo and Droid are meaningless because there tons of variations on the budget side of the spectrum as well. This also applies to Galaxy, and hopefully it will not apply to Nexus.

So how do you guys feel about this? Does a horrible name turn you away from a device? Or does the name simply take a backseat to the specs? 

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Carrier Exclusives: Hurting Everyone Involved

One of the most disappointing things in the world of mobile tech, is to find out that the device you've waited so long for is not coming to your carrier. A repeat offender in the area is would be  HTC. While companies like Samsung, and even Apple(even though the iPhone is still not available on T-mobile) have managed to rectify this grievous error, HTC is still quite guilty. In the days of the Galaxy S2, it was available on every carrier, just some had a ridiculous name for it. I'm looking at you Epic 4G Touch. But Samsung learned from their mistakes and made the GS3  available on Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, T-mobile, and US Cellular, with the exact same hardware and name for each one. The iPhone 4 and all subsequent additions are available on Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, and even smaller, regional carriers like Cricket. 

HTC? No matter what carrier you go with, you will get a different phone. On AT&T you've the One X, on Sprint you've got the Evo 4G LTE, on T-mobile you've got the One S, and on Verizon you've got the Incredible 4G LTE(if that can even be considered a part of the One series). 

When I saw the One X for the first time, I was so excited for it because it had everything that I wanted in a super phone; the big screen, Ice Cream Sandwich, NFC, etc... But my excitement quickly turned to despair when I found out that it was only available on AT&T. I have T-mobile. So where did that leave me? With the One S. While it is still a fabulous device, it wasn't my first choice. Not to mentioned, the One S does NOT have NFC. 

With the recent announcement of the One X+, it seems that HTC is back to their same old marketing tactics. You can only get the One X+ on AT&T. This is one of the reasons why Samsung and Apple are dominating the smartphone world, while HTC just isn't. 

Not only is this disappointing from the perspective of a consumer on another carrier, but it is also very frustrating for those who purchased the One X earlier this year. The One X+ is a nice upgrade, don't get me wrong, but this is what HTC should've launched in the beginning. Further more, HTC made claims of changing their marketing strategy from releasing too many phones in one year so as not to dilute the market. Well, that's exactly what they are doing yet again.Things like this are what make a company very overlook-able. I for one, highly doubt anyone is going to jump ship and switch to AT&T for one phone. 

I'm sure by now you're wondering Why is the picture above of a Nokia phone? well here's why:

HTC is not the only company taking this approach, though. AT&T has also stated that they will be the exclusive carrier of the Nokia Lumia 920. This to me, is the flagship Windows Phone 8 device of 2012. But why Nokia chose to let AT&T be the exclusive carrier, I'll never understand. If I were a company like Nokia, I would want my flagship device to be available on as many carriers as possible. The more readily available it is, the more people will buy it. Thus, Nokia and Windows Phone's market share grow. But that's just me.

How do you guys feel? Do these carrier exclusives bother you as well? Or do you have no problem carrier hopping for the device you want?

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HTC's One X+: It's Official(UPDATED)

Well folks, it's official! The HTC One X+ is launching this fall in the UK. It has yet to be announced when this guy will hit US shores, but we have been assured that it will have LTE on board when it does. While, surprisingly, the UK version will not. Other specs include a larger 2100mAh battery(it's a start), a 1.6 megapixel front facing camera(opposed to the One X's 1.3 shooter), an added amplifier for the loud speaker to improve audio quality, it only comes in black(pictured above), 64gb of storage, a 1.7ghz quad-core Tegra 3 cpu, Sense 4+, and to top it off, this is HTC's first Jelly Bean device. At a glance you wouldn't really be able to tell this apart from the OG One X, say for the red accents, because most of the improvements are internal. That said, seems to be a very nice upgrade. 

It should also be noted that the global One X and One S will be updated to Jelly Bean as well as Sense 4+ this month. No word on the US variants just yet, but I imagine it will take some time to go through the carriers. 

Though this is a very nice announcement from HTC, I'm still going to wait and see if they have a phablet up their sleeve. 

UPDATE: It has been confirmed that this will be an AT&T exclusive device in the States. Quite a disappointment for us T-mo fans, as this was rumored to hit Magenta shelves. Things like this are what hurt HTC the most, at least in my opinion. You don't see the Galaxy S3 exclusively on one carrier, now do you?

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Speaker Placement: Something Has To Be Done

Galaxy Note 10.1

Sound quality on mobile devices was, often, a very overlooked feature. When I had the HTC Sensation, I eventually return it because of the terrible speaker it had. These days I feel like sound quality is becoming more important to manufacturers. The new Kindle Fire HD has Dolby digital surround sound speakers, and the HTC 8X has enhanced music playback with Beats audio. 

One device that really stood out to me in the area is the Galaxy Note 10.1. Not because of speaker quality, but because of speaker placement. Reason being, the speakers are on the front. That's right, they face you! For some reason(that I cannot figure out), companies have chosen to place speakers in the exact spots you would use to grip the device.

Here are some examples:

The Asus Transformer Prime

When holding the tablet in it's natural landscape format, the speaker is on the right side, at the edge, towards the bottom......right where your hand would go.....

The HTC One X

This guy has the speaker conveniently located on the back towards the bottom. 

Since most people hold their devices like this:

You can see why this is a problem.

Those are just 2 examples of this problem. By now you would think that more companies would take after Apple and Samsung when it comes to speaker placement. Just take a look at what I mean.

The Samsung Galaxy S3

Speaker is placed at the top of the backside of the phone - away from hands

The Apple iPhone 5

Speakers are one the bottom of the phone - away from hands - Never blocked when placed on table or any other surface

You see what I mean? I don't know why certain OEMs have chosen put speakers in the exact places where you hold your device, but it needs to stop.

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