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Posts Tagged ‘android 2.1’

postheadericon Archos 101 now shipping, Android tablet game really heating up

We were really digging this 10-inch Android tablet when we spotted it back in August, and now it's shipping for a totally palatable $300 pricetag. It's powerful enough to play 720p video, has a 1024 x 600 screen, HDMI out, 802.11n WiFi and even a front facing camera. Plus there's even the somewhat comforting notion that this isn't Archos' first time to the Android tablet rodeo. Of course, the big drawback is the lack of Android Market, but there are always hacks to solve that, and Archos preloads some good apps to get you started. The tablet is shipping with Android 2.1, but Archos pinky swears it'll be getting 2.2 by the end of the month. Can't handle 10 whole inches of Android? Try the 7-incher Archos 70 on for size. You can't say they aren't trying.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Archos 101 now shipping, Android tablet game really heating up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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postheadericon Motorola Defy review

The Android landscape's certainly getting crowded, isn't it? We can still vividly remember the days when the T-Mobile G1 was the only game in town, and now here we are -- just two years later -- flush with options covering virtually every market segment from the ultra-high end to the ultra-low and everything in between. One niche market that's usually underserved, though, is the beat-the-crap-out-of-your-phone market. You know who you are: you work hard, you play hard, or you've just got an incurable case of butterfingers -- but whatever the case, you need a phone that you aren't breaking, bricking, melting, freezing, or otherwise destroying every few weeks.

It's not that rugged phones haven't existed, of course. Far from it: Nextel and Motorola practically invented (and thrived off of) the concept, and options like AT&T's Samsung Rugby and Verizon's Casio G'zOne series have been available for some time. By and large, though, it's been a field devoid of smartphones -- and these days, that's just not going to cut it. The kinds of people that need a phone that can take a few knocks don't necessarily want to buy them at the expense of power or capability anymore. On that note, Motorola's new Android-powered Defy for T-Mobile USA (and other carriers abroad) is one of the few to take a shot at elegantly combining environmental resistance with a no-compromise smartphone experience, featuring Blur atop Android 2.1 with a 5 megapixel autofocus cam, LED flash, 800MHz TI OMAP3610 core, and a 3.7-inch 854 x 480 display. In other words, on paper, it's no slouch -- but can it hang? Let's find out.

Continue reading Motorola Defy review

Motorola Defy review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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postheadericon NEC rolls out Android-based LifeTouch ‘cloud communicator’

NEC's LifeTouch Android tablet wasn't exactly turning heads for all the right reasons when it was first unveiled it back in June, but it looks like the company has managed to at least slightly refine it for its official launch today. In addition to ditching a handful of buttons, the tablet is also now being pitched specifically as a "cloud communicator" that's especially well-suited for corporate customers, although exactly what that means in terms of capabilities still isn't clear. The tablet's specs apparently remain unchanged, however, and include a 7-inch pen input-capable display (described as a "Retina Touch Panel"), an ARM Cortex A8 processor, a 3 megapixel camera, an SD card slot, built-in WiFi and GPS, and Android 2.1 for an OS. Don't count on this one being released over here, but folks in Japan will be able to pick it up by the end of the month for a yet to be specified price.

Continue reading NEC rolls out Android-based LifeTouch 'cloud communicator'

NEC rolls out Android-based LifeTouch 'cloud communicator' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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postheadericon Motorola Citrus launching on Verizon tomorrow for $50 on-contract

Not much of a surprise at this point, but Verizon has now confirmed that it will be launching the Android-based Motorola Citrus tomorrow, November 11th, and that it will be offering it for just $50 on the usual two-year contract (after a $100 mail-in rebate). Of course, that still doesn't make it the cheapest Android handset around, and that low-end price comes with some specs to match, including a sluggish 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7225 processor, a low-res 3-inch screen, and just Android 2.1 with some Blur customizations. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Motorola Citrus launching on Verizon tomorrow for $50 on-contract

Motorola Citrus launching on Verizon tomorrow for $50 on-contract originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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postheadericon Motorola CLIQ gets Android 2.1 at long last

Timeline (the condensed version): Google launches Android 2.1 on January 5th, Motorola promises to eventually offer 2.1 for all its Android handsets (including the heavily skinned CLIQ) on January 6th, Google's Nexus One gets 2.1 on January 11th. We wait. Motorola CLIQ gets 2.1 today, a mere 11 months later. Sure, maybe we were young and naive, but who could've known then that this update would be so long coming? Nobody really knows the solution to this problem in a general sense, especially since vanilla Android seems to be off the table for the majority of phones. What could compel a handset manufacturer and a carrier to work up timely software updates on heftily-skinned handsets past their shelf life, potentially competing with their own newer handsets in the process? Maybe paying for updates? Real Genuine Tears of Desperation? You tell us. Anyway, congrats to the saintly CLIQ owners out there who have waited patiently for 2.1, and a grumble grumble thanks to Motorola for keeping its promise.

Motorola CLIQ gets Android 2.1 at long last originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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