Search Results for: droid

Opera has launched Opera Mini 5.1 for Android OS based smartphones. The new Mini 5.1 version takes the mini browser out of beta to a final release.

The latest version doesn’t have too many changes other than a few bug fixes that took it out of beta status.

You can grab a copy of it now a couple of ways. First off you can just visit the Android Market and search for Opera in there and download it direct on your phone. Alternatively you can visit m.opera.com where your current browser will detect the type of smartphone you have and provide a link to the appropriate download page for it. [Read more…]

HTC DROID ERIS users can expect to start seeing an OTA (over the air) update notice starting July 16. The update will be rolled out over the following week and will bring a few new features to the old ERIS Android smartphone.

The downside here is that it’s not Android 2.2 that is being released. From what we see over on Droid Life, the update just brings a few enhancements to the smartphone which include improved audio, enhanced speed dial, improved text, video and picture messaging as well as some tweaks to some of the features. [Read more…]

Droid-Life managed to get hold of some screen shots showing how many DROID X smartphones a number of locations across the US will be getting. From what the numbers show, it appears that the DROID X inventory will be limited.

Some of the stores are seeing as little as 5 units whilst some of them are a bit higher in the 60’s. Most numbers look to be between 15 and 40 per store.

Of course this might be the “current” inventory with the stores getting more delivered tomorrow and Thursday ready for the launch. [Read more…]

The graph shown here represents the number of Android apps being launched in the Market Place over time.

As you can see, the number is increasing rapidly and it is expected that this month (July) there will be over 100,000 apps in total in the app store. Right now there are over 90,000 apps. A year ago that number was closer to 7000. Growth rate looks to be accelerating also.

A second graph found on Android Lib shows that every month in the last year has seen more and more apps approved. Last month was the highest month with 15288 apps being added. This month in the first 12 days is already at 9163 which indicates almost 24,000 apps could be added this month. [Read more…]

Last week a system error caused Verizon [VZ] to ship 170 Motorola DROID X smartphones early. The DROID X isn’t being launched till July 15 (another 3 days time). When users received the DROID X, the device couldn’t be activated which meant users had to wait till the official launch to use their new smartphone.

Verizon have now made a change to it’s systems that allows the 170 DROID X users to activate their new phone.

In an announcement on the Verizon site it said that provisions had been put in place that allow DROID X users to activate as of July 9. [Read more…]

Google [GOOG] has launched Google App Inventor. The software allows users to create apps for Android based smartphones by using an easy to use user interface to drag and drop elements on to a page.

The system uses blocks which you drag and drop on to a virtual phone screen. When the functions are on the page you can then edit actions and so forth to create interactive applications.

The application is not just limited to simple apps either. The App Inventor software gives users access to sensors and other functions of the phone allowing them to create more in-depth applications. [Read more…]

For those of you who still have the trusty T-Mobile G1 kicking around, you are now in for a treat as Cyanogen has released an Android 2.2 Froyo build for the smartphone.

Running Android 2.2 on a G1 apparently works well although it does lack a few features such as Adobe Flash 10.1 and it does on occasion see the Force Close box pop up which might put a few people off. Either way, it’s an early build and one that will be updated we assume over the next month to iron out a few remaining issues.

It’s certainly a good step in the right direction as many people said that the G1 was stuck on Android 1.6 and laughed last year at the idea of even 2.0 running. We then of course saw 2.1 and now see 2.2. [Read more…]

The HTC Desire Android 2.2 update is a few months away yet. However, if you are willing to root your HTC Desire now, you can grab the unofficial update that has just been launched.

The good news with the HTC Desire Android 2.2 update is that it works very well according to those at XDA Developers with only a small amount of bugs. These bugs include no wallpapers, geolocalization not always working well and sometimes a reboot for unknown reasons. Although the last could be a problem, it seems like it isn’t that often to cause worry and it would get you Android 2.2 on your Desire now.

Details of the Desire Android update include…

* Android 2.2 Froyo (FRF-85B)
* Kernel 2.6.32.15
* New Radio 32.41.00.32U_5.08.00.04
* New Base v2.04
* 720p Video recorder
* Native APP2SD
* App Sharing
* Car Panel
* Plurk
* Torcia
* Wi-Fi Hotspot
* ..and much more!

[Read more…]

The OS from Google [GOOG] called Android is making quite an impact in the smartphone arena.

Numbers indicated that the Android platform grew 44 percent between February and May. The three months prior to that saw Android taking about 9 percent share of the US smartphone market. With the Android OS growing 44 percent the three months after that, the market share jumped up to 13 percent.

Thirteen percent isn’t a huge number, but at the same time the four percent increase over a quarter shows the rate at which Android is moving. If the growth rate keeps up, which it can due to the sheer number of high end handsets being launched, then this time next year will show Android with a larger market share. [Read more…]

When Google [GOOG] announced Android 2.2 they demonstrated that the new OS managed to increase performance on devices that can run it. The speed increase is possible because of a high performance JIT in the Android Dalvik runtime environment.

When compared to the iPhone 4, the Nexus One performs better in terms of javascript speed. The tests performed over at Arstechnica show that JavaScript runs three times quicker on the Nexue One running Android 2.2.

We compared these findings with that of our tests of Apple’s mobile Safari browser on the iPhone 4. The results show that the Android device delivers significantly faster JavaScript execution than the iPhone, scoring over three times better on V8 and almost twice as fast on SunSpider. Apple has some work to do it if wants mobile Safari to retake the crown as the fastest mobile browser.

[Read more…]

On July 15 the Motorola DROID X officially launches. When it does launch, it will come pre-installed with Google Android 2.1. The following month (August), the Android 2.2 update will be rolled out OTA allowing users to install Adobe Flash 10.1.

Adobe decided to tease potential DROID X owners by demonstrating how Flash 10.1 runs on the device. The company demo a few games which easily run full screen by tapping on them. The results are quite impressive and provide full screen action that Adobe said can be easily mistaken for a full fledged app running on the device. [Read more…]