GT-i9260 Samsung Galaxy Express caught

Remember when a leak gave us a model number for Samsung's upcoming Nexus device. Well, it seems the leak wasn't correct as the model number actually belongs to the Galaxy Express. An upcoming mid-range device.

The device packs a 4.65-inch screen with a resolution of 720x1280 (the same as the Galaxy Nexus's), powered by a dual-core clocked at 1.5GHz. An 8-megapixel camera is featured on the back of the device paired with a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. Internal storage is at 16GB and can be expanded by MicroSD card.

Personally, I love the design of the handset. Somehow reminds me of the Wave 2 which I also loved. The device could be available early next year but I wouldn't get your hopes up, pricing should be between £300-£350.

LG Nexus spotted in the wild?

The phone is display in the picture with a rather different to the usual design of LG's smartphones. It looks similar to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus but has a longer bezel at the bottom and the back doesn't have the plastic-y battery door.

The phone featured in the photo is a prototype, so the design covering the entirety of back won't be featured on the final product and thank god it won't, it doesn't look nice at all. However, the picture clearly displays that the phone will run Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" which is awesome.

We should see this device very soon and since my Nexus S will probably be incompatible with the next version of Android, this or one of the other Nexus phones seem a fitting upgrade. 

"LG Nexus 4" spotted in CarPhoneWarehouse

The inventory listing at the CarPhoneWarehouse has yet again leaked another device, this time the "LG Nexus 4". So far we know that there will be multiple Nexus devices but only the LG (due to this leak) and Samsung's (due to a previous leak) has been confirmed so far.

With that being said, what does the 4 mean? Well, LG's Nexus device is said to be based on the LG Optimus G with a 4.7-inch screen so it can't be referring to the screen size. Whatever it may mean, we shall find out pretty soon.

Google's Dan Morrill posts about "rumour sites"

Since October has started, rumours about Nexus devices have increased drastically but no confirmation of anything has even been given by anyone.  Well, today Google's own Dan Morrill posted on Google+ about "rumour sites" saying one thing about them.

He reacts by saying "LOL" which confirms absolutely nothing. However, don't for one second that this means nothing. What this could mean is that something is going to happen this month, I mean it's very coincidental that he posted about rumour sites the same month that a year ago the Galaxy Nexus was revealed.

What ever is happening, Dan is clearly showing that we must be pretty far off what is actually happening. 

Android 4.2 and LG Optimus G Nexus.. (rumours)

According to an anonymous tipster on Android and Me, Google will unveil a new version of Android being 4.2 bringing with it bug fixes and maybe new features (maybe multiple users on tablets) but will still be named "Jelly Bean".

Not only that but LG will then go on to announce the Optimus G Nexus or announce the Optimus G as a Nexus device. I'll explain, Google may not be releasing an independent Nexus device like the Nexus One, Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus were but they are instead allowing companies to make a Nexus device but only if they follow certain requirements.

So for example, Samsung could make the Galaxy S4 device a Nexus phone (doubtful) by fulfilling the requirements that Google set. This would also mean that the devices that do get this certification get updates direct from Google, which is a lot faster than most if not all manufacturers/carriers.

Galaxy Nexus 2 & 32GB Nexus 7 spotted in CPW inventory...

We've had a few leaks involving the Galaxy Nexus 2 which looks to be a follow up to last year's Galaxy Nexus and today's discovery may actually confirm it's existence.

You can see in image that the CarPhoneWarehouse have an accessory for the upcoming Galaxy Nexus 2 (exact words are Nexus 2). Also featured in this leak is a 32GB version of the Nexus 7 which will most certainly be a welcomed addition since the Nexus 7 doesn't feature a MicroSD slot. 

However, the accessory may be referring to the Nexus S (as it is the 2nd Nexus smartphone), or an additional accessory for the original Galaxy Nexus. In other words, don't rely on this leaks delivering. 

"Updated" Samsung Galaxy Nexus coming soon?

Will Samsung be making the next Nexus? We may have an answer, a handset has shown up with the model number GT-i9260 on SamMobile, the Galaxy Nexus released last year was GT-i9250. The device shows a update on the specs but not a big update that will make it a flagship device. Design wise, we have no clue except that it most likely won't have any capacitive or physical buttons and instead have on screen buttons.

Specs wise, the device sees no update to the 4.65-inch SuperAMOLED HD screen, the processor may be the same or changed but will still be dual-core and operate at 1.5GHz (up from 1.2GHz of previous Nexus). Both Camera's are updated, them being a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. Internal storage is at 16GB but the best part of the "next Nexus" is that it will have expandable storage using a MicroSD card. 

Apple has a point...

Samsung and Apple, in the same sentence can bring countless lawsuits to mind. We're sick of it, Apple customers have turned because of them and many products have been banned due to their lawsuits. One particular lawsuit includes the basic design of the iPhone describing equally rounded edges and a central button at the bottom. The patents seem unfair but Apple has a point.

The Galaxy S, Galaxy S2, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Ace all use these design features. The products may be different in the fact that the central button is rectangular, not circular and that on some of the products the back has a bump in it, therefore they look heavily influenced instead of directly copied. However, that still doesn't rid of the fact that the products just look too-alike, even Google themselves said that it is dangerously close to the iPhone's design.


I think, what you can take away from this is, the Apple doesn't always have a point when their in court as we've seen. They're patent bullying is just out of order, but in this case they do have a point. However, Apple is still winning sales the hard, but nevertheless the most stupidest, stressful and annoying way. Let me just make myself clear, I am in full support of Android, I love it and therefore I am not a Apple fanboy in any way.

Huawei announces MediaPad 7 Lite tablet...

After Huawei released the advert for their presumably very expensive MediaPad 10 FHD tablet, they've taken the time today to announce the MediaPad 7 Lite which you could probably guess is a 7-inch tablet and will most likely compete with the Nexus 7.

Features that distinguish it from the Nexus 7 is the device's aluminium unibody design, and the fact that the device has both front-facing and rear-facing cameras and also has 3G connectivity. The device seems to be running Android 4.0 now but I expect that Huawei will change that when they announce the full specs and pricing in the future.

Want Jelly Bean on your Nexus S? Try this!

I am a proud Nexus S (i9020) owner and when I found out that my device will be getting Jell Bean, I literally screamed down the street in excitement. Vodafone in Australia said they were pushing it OTA. But if your impatient (like me) then try this trick:


1. System settings 
2. Apps
3. all
4. Google-Service-Framework
5. Delete Data
6. Force stop
7. go to Homescreen
8. System settings
9. about Phone
10. System up dates (last time of update checking should be 01.01.1970)
11. Check now
12. if not work go to point 1.


After one attempt, It worked for me straight away. I hope it goes well for everyone, enjoy Jelly Bean!

Trick courtesy of XDA member oldblue910.

Steve Wozniak's Gadget bag...

Ever wondered how many gadgets the Woz carries around with him? Well, brace yourselves..

This all adds up to $25,000 and includes, two iPads, four iPhones, two Galaxy Nexus's, a kindle, two iPod nanos, Macbook Pro and more. I just hope for Woz's sake that his bag doesn't get stolen by anyone, Luckily, He does have a list of everything in it, probably preparation in case such thing happens. I know I wouldn't carry around this much gadget. Especially in my town (chuckles).

Nexus 7 unboxing montage...

Check out this video of technology reviewers/bloggers struggling to get into their new Nexus 7's. Credit to JLishere for uploading.

You should consider this tablet...

Okay, so we have the Kindle Fire, Nexus 7 and may other tablets that float around the $200 price mark, but can you get any thing that is actually good quality for less, say $179.90. Might sound like a very big ask from a company, but Ainol have made such thing. This July they are set to bring fourth the Novo 7 Flame to the market for that exact price I mentioned. The specs are fairly good as well and it could be a alternative to the Nexus 7 that was announced.

The tablet has a 7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 800x1280, it is powered by a dual-core AMLogic processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 1GB of RAM, it doesn't have 12 cores of GPU and instead has 2, however from watching videos of game play, it is still relatively smooth. Other specs include a 2MP front-facing camera, 16GB of internal storage that is expandable and Android 4.0, It is unconfirmed as to whether it will be updated to Android 4.1, we'll just have to wait and see. This tablet can be made to be 3G/4G compatible by a dongle which is nice if your on the move.

Nevertheless, if this tablet does get Android 4.1, it will be one of the best sub-$200 tablets out there. Of course if you pick this over the Nexus 7 your missing out on NFC and faster updates, but if you can do without them then this is the tablet you want to get.

Pros and Cons of Nexus 7's specs...

Okay, we all have our opinions as to weather the Nexus 7 tablet by Google & Asus will either fail or be a great hit on the market. Here is a list of pros and cons of what the Nexus 7 tablet offers. Before writing this, I read reviews, comments and have looked over the specs myself, so this can be taken as a summary of opinions.

Pros:
- Nvidia Tegra 3 processor (with 12 core GPU)
- High resolution screen (216PPI)
- Jelly Bean out of the box and bound to receive update to next major version of Android.
- Very cheap ($199/£159 for 8GB, $249/£199 for 16GB)
- NFC, can be used to share stuff and pay for stuff.

Cons:
- No MicroSD card (will have to rely on cloud storage, but then have to rely on internet being available if on the go)
- No Flash player (Adobe announced that they will not support the next iteration of the Android OS)
- No rear-facing camera (Some people including me like to have this feature.)
- Not 3G/4G compatible (may be able to sort using a 3G dongle


Pros or at least what I think are the pros of the Nexus 7 out-weight cons but some cons will be a deal breaker for some people nevertheless. For me, no Micro-SD card is a deal breaker but I have resolved this situation with cloud storage but I have to rely on places I'm visiting having WiFi available for me to use to access files. 

Nexus 7 unveiled...

Google has unveiled their much anticipated Nexus 7 tablet at yesterdays keynote at the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco. The tablet which will retail for $199/£159 features a lot of high-end hardware including a Tegra 3 processor and IPS screen.

The full specs of the were leaked and are confirmed to be what was leaked, the device's specs are as follows, the device has a 7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 800x1280, it is powered by a quad-core Tegra 3 processor with a 12 core GPU. The tablet only a front-facing camera with a resolution of 1.2-megapixels, other features include 8/16GB of memory ($249/£199 for 16GB), NFC for use with Android Beam and last but definitely not least, it runs Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" out of the box.

Nexus 7 tablet specs leaked...

With this Wednesday being the day that Google's developer I/O conference starts, more speculation has been made about the Nexus 7 tab thats is supposed to be unveiled at the conference than ever before. Interestingly enough Gizmodo Australia has uncovered what is to be a training document for the device with all of it's specs. The specs seem to support most claims so far made about the tab.

The Nexus 7 will come with a 7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 800x1280, the tablet is said to be powered by Nvidia's Kai Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz with 1GB of RAM, there isn't a rear-facing camera but there is said to be a 1.2MP front-facing camera for video calling. The tablet is said to have a 9 hour battery life, NFC and the newest Android 4.1 namely, Jelly Bean.

The device is believed to be retailing for $199 for 8GB and $249 for 16GB respectively. In comparison to the recently unveiled Acer Iconia A110, the Nexus 7's advantages lies with it's 800x1280 IPS display which the Acer A110 only has 600x1024.

What to expect at Google's I/O conference...

This Wednesday Google's annual developer conference Google I/O will start in San Francisco. This conference has been the birth place of new android versions, devices and ideas. So, what can we expect to see from this years Google I/O?

Nexus 7 Tab by ASUS
First, we have the most talked about device that may be announced at Google I/O, said to feature Nvidia's Quad-core processor, 720p IPS screen and a price tag of $199 the device will surely make the crowd cheer .

Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean"
Second, is the announcement of a new version of Android, namely Jelly Bean. As yet, there have been no rumours that I've heard of that point to any new features Google may be bringing to us. One thing I'm hoping is, that the update can be supported by my Nexus S.

Google Glasses
We first heard of Project Glass when Google announced it on their Google+ social networking site. We've seen photos, parodies and plenty of speculation about the glasses and we may see them at Google I/O for demonstration purposes, unless Google announce their availability which would be a bonus.

As usual, there will be more than the above things announced at Google I/O. We'll just have to wait and see what they bring to us. The Nexus 7 Tab will be the crowd favourite, unless Google announce something bigger.

Nexus 7 tablet, Features I want implemented...

I'm sure most if not all of you have heard by now that Google is teaming up with ASUS to bring a Nexus tablet to the market sometime after it's announcement at Google I/O. This tablet has been said to cost beneath the $200 mark rivalling the likes of Amazon's Kindle Fire. No specs have been confirmed except that it'll most likely be a 7-incher in terms of display size. Anyway, here's what I would like to see from the upcoming Nexus 7 tablet.

First of all is high build quality, I mean even if Samsung did apparently copy the iPad in terms of design, you could tell them apart from miles away due to the fact that the build quality of most android tablets is quite shabby compared to the iPad which is absolutely amazing. Don't think I'm saying that ASUS makes products with bad build quality, as I haven't owned or tried a ASUS product to date. However, Some people have said they are pretty good at build quality judging purely on reviews of their Transformer Prime tablet.

Second is POWER! We've recently heard that Nvidia has made a new but cheaper architecture for processors which will still deliver the Tegra 3 type performance seen on the HTC One X. If Google doesn't use this then they're crazy by my count. Anyway, I'd like to see this cheaper version of the Nvidia Tegra 3 processor chip implemented in the Nexus Tablet, I mean it'd give the iPad 3 a run for it's money or should I say value for money?

Lastly, It must have a high quality HD display. I'm talking an IPS display also known as the display which is implemented into the Transformer Prime. Either way, as long as it's 720p (1080p being a bonus) I for one will be buying the device.

So there we have it, three of my most wanted features. All we need now is Google to read this and implement everything I want, Muhahaha. Seriously though, Google is making a great move by making this Nexus tablet because well, the Nexus devices are probably the best and get upgraded to the latest Android quicker than other devices and the fact that it'll be cheaper makes buying it less of a pain.

Nexus tablet to land June!

Digitimes is reporting that the upcoming but still not officially confirmed Nexus tablet being produced by Asus is to be on shelves by June this year. This claim is some what very reliable as the Google I/O developer conference is just around the corner.

The tablet has not had any of it's specs confirmed, however an expectation would be too see a 7-inch display, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models to be available and the tablet will possibly but most likely feature a Quad-core Nvidia processor based on their new Kai architecture platform which promises to produce $200 Tegra 3 tablets. The tablet will also obviously run Android 4.0, and most likely be upgradable to Android 5.0 when it comes.

Samsung announce Galaxy Proclaim...

Straight Talk is expanding is range of phone, their latest addition is a entry-level Android device by the name of Samsung Galaxy Proclaim. This device will be available for $179.99 but no release date is currently confirmed.

The Galaxy Proclaim comes with mid-range specs including a 3.5-inch HVGA display with a resolution of 320x480, a single-core 1GHz Processor with an unconfirmed 512MB of RAM, 1GB of internal storage (but a 2GB MicroSD card is included). The device runs on Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" with Samsung's TouchWiz on top. Cameras include a 3MP rear-facing but no front-facing, battery capacity is 1,500mAh.

People are calling this the "Mini Nexus" due to it's contour screen which the Nexus S has. There's also the 4 capacitive buttons are the bottom which again, point to the Nexus S. Nevertheless, the phone looks good with a soft back providing extra grip in the hand.