Leaks & Rumors about Motorola’s X and Upcoming Nexus Smartphones

by Jason Bracey on
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Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for some interesting news from the rumor mill. We have been seeing a hint here and another one there indicating what Google & Motorola has planned for its upcoming X smartphone. And although there have been rumors and speculation floating around for a while now, we have in fact, began to see more and more leaks about Motorola’s upcoming X phone. As if you all haven’t had enough yet, we now have more rumors to share with you courtesy of our friends from Android and Me. These leaks and rumors seem to come from a “confirmed source” of proven reliability…so hang on to your seats as we break down the latest and greatest!

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Roll Your Own Android: Android 4.2.2 Code and Binaries pushing to Android Open Source Project (AOSP)

by Jason Bracey on
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Great news for Nexus users, AOSP is pushing Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 binaries for several devices in the Nexus product lineup.  The build, JDQ39 (tag: android-4.2.2_r1), is the same as the one currently being rolled out to Nexus devices.

As listed on the Google Developers site, binaries are available for the following devices:

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Google CEO Larry Page unscathed by Apple’s supposed “Thermonuclear War” against Android

by Macky Evangelista on
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In a recent interview conducted by The Wire on Google’s CEO Larry Page, he was asked to respond to the late Steve Jobs’ statement that Apple was going to have a “Thermonuclear War” against Android. Page simply replied with, “How’s that working out so far?”

It’s no secret that Android has been on a recent tear, especially this past year with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S III and Nexus 7. With Android exponentially rising, this gives Page no reason to worry about Apple’s constant battle with their OS regardless of their recent court wins against Samsung and Android’s other vendors.

Page also added, “Android has been very successful, and we’re very excited about it.” We’re all very much excited about Android as well, especially for what it has to offer in this year.

Taking court battles aside, do you think Apple ever has a chance at bringing Android down? Or is it far too late for that now? Sound off in the comments!

source: The Wired

Google working with Motorola to create the ultimate “X Phone” in 2013

by Alexon Enfiedjian on
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Ever since Google acquired Motorola Mobile in early 2012, Android enthusiasts have been waiting anxiously to see what kind of amazing super-phone the combined companies would create. Well, according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal, we could be finding out as early as next year. According to some insider sources, Google is working very closely with Motorola to build the ultimate superphone, code named “X Phone”. Larry Page is said to have told the Motorola team to “think big” and has promised significant funds for the device. Dennis Woodside, Motorola’s chief executive has said that the company is currently “investing in a team and a technology that will do something quite different than the current approaches.” What is this “different” approach that the X Phone will be taking? It’s anyone’s guess really, but the fact that the phone is called the “X Phone” could be an homage to Google’s super secretive, super forward thinking “X Labs”, a branch of Google engineers that develop hardware and ideas that will change the future.

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A Rumor Revisited: Will Google release several Nexus phones from multiple manufacturers? I hope not.

by Alexon Enfiedjian on
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A few months ago, before Google released its most recent Nexus phone, the LG Nexus 4, there were several substantial rumors floating around that Google was planning on opening its Nexus line to multiple manufacturing partners. It all started with a report from the very credible Wall Street Journal and the rumors went something like this: Google will offer its “Nexus” name and early access to the latest stock Android builds to any OEM who is willing to play by Google’s rules and build their phones with a minimum set of specs set by Google’s team. There was said to be five new Nexus phones from five different manufacturers (LG, HTC, Sony, Samsung, and Motorola) all released on November 5th (Android’s 5th birthday) and they’d each be sold in Google’s new Play Store. Sounds pretty plausible, right? Android had finally grown up as an operating system, and now it was time to get the pure Google experience on as many powerful flagship phones as possible, while bypassing the manufacturers ugly and unconventional skins. To be honest, when I first read this rumor I was beyond excited. I absolutely love stock Android (post Ice Cream Sandwich) and was salivating about the fact that I’d get to choose from several top of the line hardware variations for my next Nexus.

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Three flaws Google needs to fix to make stock Android even better

by Alexon Enfiedjian on
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Our favorite little green robot has made a lot of progress over the last four years. From humble (and ugly) beginnings with Android 1.0 to the smooth and sleek styles of Jelly Bean 4.2, we have seen some tremendous growth and progress of our favorite mobile operating system. Google has worked hard at ironing out the kinks and improving the user interface with some exciting new features. The result has been a much smoother, better, faster, prettier operating system, but it has surprisingly left some simple yet important features out in the cold. Here are three features (or lack thereof) that I believe are major oversights in Google’s current OS.

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Nexus 10 Now Receiving Android 4.2.1 Update – Fixes December Bug

by Ed Caggiani on
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Look what just appeared on my Nexus 10 around midnight tonight. Yes, that’s Android 4.2.1! This is a small 1MB update that fixes the now infamous December bug. Other potential changes could include improved battery life and stability, but without an official changelog that’s just speculation at the moment. In any case, this is the magic of the Nexus program… quick updates with no manufacturer or carrier interference.

Anyone else get the update yet? Are you noticing anything different? Let us know in the comments below!

Thinking of nabbing an Android phone this Black Friday? Here’s a list of the best deals you can take advantage of!

by Macky Evangelista on
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With Black Friday just around the corner, knowing about the best deals that are available to you is key. If you’re planning on grabbing an Android powered device this Black Friday season, there’s some awesome choices for you to look at. TalkAndroid has your back with a list of some of the best deals out there that you can take advantage of on or around Friday!

Keep in mind that these are just some of what you can find this Black Friday. If you guys have any other info on some great deals, feel free to use the comments section. As more info comes to us this page will be updated. There’s also other stores worth mentioning such as Target and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart will be offering $100 gift cards if you purchase a device such as the Samsung Galaxy S III (on contract), so keep your eye out for those kind of deals! Or you can also grab the Black Friday app to help you find the best deals possible.

If you’re looking for a tablet this Black Friday, you can check out our round up of great Android tablet deals!

Hope you all get what you want this Black Friday and shop safely. And of course, have a Happy Thanksgiving from the TalkAndroid crew!

 

Why Missing Out On The Nexus 4 May Have Been A Good Thing

by Rudy Rivapalacio on
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The Nexus 4 packs pure unadulterated Android into a quad-core powered black slab of sexy. It’s a great device at an unbelievable price. Problem? It’s gone mainstream. Not in the way hipsters refer to any semi-successful musician either. Google’s deliberate attempts to make the Nexus brand much more grandma-friendly has, in some respects, been a message to its most ardent “root first and ask questions later” fans. I can almost hear Andy Rubin say, we’re going mainstream now, you tech-heads can come along for the ride if you want but you’re not riding shotgun anymore. The “pure Android experience” is no longer being designed or marketed for the  power user.

I really wanted the Nexus 4 but after much deliberation I’ve had to conclude that I am not entirely drunk on Nexus Kool-Aid. The lure of a $299 (8GB version) price for a top tier unlocked phone was certainly tempting. So too was the appeal of receiving timely and undiluted updates. For many, the updates alone may be reason enough to buy this phone. When I examined the compromises Google made to court the mainstream customer I realized the Nexus 4 can not fulfill my needs. I suspect this may be the case for other tech-savvy Android users.

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