I’m not sure how long Google and Samsung sat through negotiations to try and get a product like this out the door. I think it may have been a long time coming. But it makes so much sense that you have to wonder, why didn’t they do this sooner? In fact, why don’t all Android phone makers release a Nexus-like device of their own? It simply baffles the mind.

What we have with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition is a device with absolute top-notch hardware paired with the best software that Android has to offer. It is, strictly speaking, one of the best Android phones ever — at least if you’re with T-Mobile and AT&T. The only thing that will keep it out of most people’s hands is its prohibitive price tag. And that’s where real Nexus devices have it beat.

Still, it makes a truly compelling case for an upgrade or a switch. It’s exactly what a lot of people want: a top-of-the-line phone with the latest version of Android. And it will be updated to even later versions of Android when newer ones start coming out. If Google wants to stop making new Nexus phones like the highly rumored Nexus 5, then the Galaxy S4 with pure Android is the perfect excuse. The question is, would Google really go that far?

State of the Nexus

The maker of the current Google Nexus phone, LG Electronics, managed to snag a mere 3% of the global Android market in Q1 2013. This shows that adding high-end hardware and timely Android software updates together doesn’t always result in a killer combination. The Nexus 4 does have a few glaring faults — such as lack of microSD card support and lack of 4G LTE — that might have contributed to its weak sales. But it really should have sold more units and the bottom line is that it didn’t.

Google’s end-game is, as we all know, to get Android into the hands of as many people as possible. So it makes sense for it to partner with the current market leader, Samsung. And as for why it was necessary to inject an already existing phone with Nexus DNA instead of delivering a new one with actual Nexus branding (which they’ve already done in the past)? Well, the Galaxy brand is a much bigger brand than Nexus. It has more clout, and might possibly lead to bigger sales which would then translate to Android getting into the hands of more and more people.

There’s also the fact that the Galaxy S4 trumps the Nexus 4 in terms of hardware and sheer performance, which makes it a sensible candidate to become the latest Nexus model.

The power of the Galaxy

Google’s Nexus effort, as a whole, doesn’t appear to have been very successful. On the other hand, Samsung’s Galaxy brand has been a huge success. Only last week, an exec at Samsung declared the Galaxy S4 to be the fastest-selling Samsung handset ever. It’s on track to hit the 10 million unit sales point by the end of this month. And now we have this, a pure Android version of the same smartphone. Can you imagine what will happen next?

In all likelihood, the standard Galaxy S4 — with TouchWiz and all — will go on to sell many millions more after the end of May. And all the other people who have been keeping an eye out for a true high-end phone with stock Android can now set their sights on the Galaxy S4 Google Edition, which of course in the end means even more sales for Samsung yet again.

The mere existence of the Galaxy S4 Google Edition solves a number of problems all at once. It takes care of the Galaxy S4 storage problem because removing TouchWiz and all the extra software features that come along with it means less storage space is taken up by “system apps.” It also ensures that Android users have a chance to really enjoy the best of the Android software, because the hardware in the Galaxy S4 is more than capable of supporting pretty much everything (except worldwide carrier support, of course, at least for now). Developers will also benefit because now they can treat this phone like a special developer version of the Galaxy S4 (it comes with an unlocked bootloader).

Is this the end for the Nexus?

The Galaxy S4 Google Edition shows that Google is starting to finally get it. Google took a phone from Samsung and made it go from great to greater. Now, ongoing software support can help ensure that it sells fairly well despite the high price tag. But where does this leave Google’s Nexus line of smartphones?

If Google has plans of retiring the Nexus phone, now is the right time to do it. It just put the word out on a Nexus-ified version of one of the most advanced handsets ever, plus as we all know, it is supposed to be working on other high profile projects, such as its first smartwatch as well as the upcoming (still rumored) Motorola X Phone (not to mention Google Glass). Android phone makers are doing a good enough job of producing great models, and the world certainly doesn’t need more Nexus phones. If anything, there needs to be less phones with Android to cut out the issue of fragmentation.

The decision to release the Galaxy S4 Google Edition may be part of an experiment to see how the market reacts. If successful, we may never see another Nexus branded smartphone from Google ever again.

If you grew up in the 1990s, you’ll remember Sonic the Hedgehog as one of the more popular console game characters. If you’ve been longing for games you played in your youth, then here’s yet another reason to be happy you’re using Android. Sega has just released Sonic the Hedgehog on Google Play. We get to play Sonic at 60 FPS with widescreen support and re-mastered audio. Plus, we get to play Sonic’s friends, Tails and Knuckles, too.

Previously available on iOS devices, Sonic spins his way into Android smartphones and tablets, where you can play the re-mastered classic, plus a few new features. First, the game has been optimized for mobile devices, which means you get to enjoy Sonic in full screen and up to 60 FPS smoothness. The soundtrack has likewise been re-mastered, and it’s a big improvement over the 16-bit

Additionally, you can play new characters, Sonic’s friends Tails and Knuckles. These new characters let you explore Sonic’s world in a whole new way by using their unique abilities (flying, gliding and climbing around the levels). You will need to unlock them first with gameplay, though. Experienced players can also increase the challenge level with the new Time Attack Mode.

Sega made sure players will enjoy the title by adding in a few extras, which make Sonic the Hedgehog all the more enjoyable in our connected world. In particular, the mobile app features achievements and a leaderboard to encourage players to become more competitive — a feature that console games of the 20th century did not have.

Miss your Sega Genesis controller? Fret not, as Sonic the Hedgehog offers support for Power A Moga, Nyko, XBOX, and all HID controllers. The game costs $2.99 on the Google Play Store. An iOS version is also available, although Sega is yet to release the free update with new playable characters to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users.

Check out the promo video from Google Play.

The last of the Big Four to start selling the Galaxy S4 in the U.S., Verizon, appears to have started shipping Galaxy S4 pre-orders already. Meanwhile, last year’s Galaxy S model (the LTE version) has been reportedly spotted heading to T-Mobile stores.

Verizon Galaxy S4

Droid-Life reports that Verizon Galaxy S4 buyers have received notifications that their pre-orders are currently prepped for shipping, and while they have an estimated delivery date of May 23, they could actually reach some of the early buyers faster then expected.

Initially announced for May 30, the launch date for the Verizon Galaxy S4 has been pushed up to May 23, at which point the handset will most likely be available in brick-and-mortar stores.

Verizon sells the 16GB Galaxy S4 model for $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with new two-year contracts, and the handset is available in both Black Mist and White Frost. The 32GB model is not in stock with the carrier at this time.

T-Mobile Galaxy S3 LTE

The “old” Galaxy S3 may still be an enticing proposition to buyers, especially T-Mobile subscribers looking to score the LTE version of the handset.

The LTE edition (SGH-T999L model) is apparently heading to stores according to a screenshot scored by TmoNews.

While a release date for the T-Mobile Galaxy S3 LTE edition is not officially available, it looks like only the 16GB white model has been spotted shipping to stores, although we’d expect it to be available in other colors as well.

The non-LTE T-Mobile Galaxy S3 is still available from the carrier and retails for $69.99 upfront followed by 24 monthly installments of $20 each, so we’d expect the LTE version to have a similar price. However, it’s worth noting that the non-LTE version is currently marked as out-of-stock on T-Mobile’s website.

The special Galaxy S4 “Nexus” edition may be a software-modified T-Mobile Galaxy S4 model (SGH-M919), a new report shows, which could be good news for existing and future T-Mobile Galaxy S4 owners.

According to AnandTech, the available evidence suggests that the Galaxy S4 Nexus edition is actually based on the T-Mobile version, a device that best meets the hardware criteria.

Google revealed little on stage when announcing its partnership with Samsung to sell a Galaxy S4 version running stock Android OS. The device doesn’t have an actual product name to differentiate it from the other Galaxy S4 units out there – which is why we call it Galaxy S4 Nexus or Galaxy S4 Google Edition – but it’s not a Nexus-branded device as you’d expect it to be. Moreover, a model number for the handset is not available either, and we’re yet to see an FCC filing for it.

What’s known about it is that Google will start selling it from the Google Play Store on June 26 for $649, or what an unsubsidized Galaxy S4 already costs. n terms of hardware, the handset will offer 16GB of storage and support LTE with both AT&T and T-Mobile. In addition to being carrier-unlocked, the handset will also ship with its bootloader unlocked. Obviously, it will run Android 4.2.2 (or Android 4.3 right out of the box?) and will receive “prompt system updates” like any Nexus handset.

With all that in mind, let’s look at what AnandTech says about the handset:

SGH-M919 has always included support for LTE on Bands 2, 4, 5, and 17 (that’s 1900 PCS, 1700/2100 AWS, 850 Cellular, and 700 Lower B and C) and WCDMA on Bands 2, 4, and 5. At another level, this is the same hardware as the AT&T variant but without the arbitrary RAT (Radio Access Technology) locking that AT&T has put in place to restrict use of Band 4 WCDMA which T-Mobile needs for a good experience. This translates to that support for AT&T and T-Mobile LTE and WCDMA. That also means Snapdragon 600 (APQ8064AB) and no Exynos 5.

In case that will be confirmed, then current and future T-Mobile Galaxy S4 owners will have some reasons to be happy, as they’ll be able to run the Nexus firmware on their handsets instead of the TouchWiz-filled default one faster than anyone else. Of course, it makes sense to assume that the community will bring the Galaxy S4 Nexus firmware to other Galaxy S4 version in the very near future, so a stock Android Galaxy S4 experience may be just around the corner for handset buyers.

Moreover, some Galaxy S4 fans may end up purchasing a subsidized T-Mobile version in order to run the Nexus firmware on it without having to pay the full $649 for the handset, especially considering T-Mobile’s UNcarrier approach to selling smartphones, which doesn’t come with a mandatory two-year agreement.

Speaking about custom ROMs for the Galaxy S4, we’ll remind you that the T-Mobile Galaxy S4 version already has support for CyanogenMod 10.1 so it would make sense to assume that the Nexus firmware could be just as easily installed on the handset.

However, nothing is official just yet, and we’ll have to wait for the Nexus 4 to hit stores before telling you with absolute certainty which U.S. Galaxy S4 version it resembles most.

On a different note, we’re not encouraging you to install custom ROMs on any of your devices, we’re just informing you on the available options out there, so don’t blame us if anything goes wrong during such procedures. Whatever path you decide to follow, remember that whatever will happen to your device(s) will fall under your responsibility and yours alone.

Google this week at Google I/O unveiled its unified messaging service called Hangouts (our app review here). The Google Talk replacement has had a rocky launch, causing update woes for many, especially those with a tablet. Rest assured that Google has quietly pushed out a new update for Hangouts, which will make the app compatible with tablets of varying sizes.

Keep in mind that users may still be experiencing compatibility issues, as the service is being pushed out over several days. So it shouldn’t be long before users running Android 2.3 or higher see Google Talk get replaced with the Hangouts interface.

The excitement for Hangouts has dwindled a little bit as users learned that, unlike iMessages, it does not have SMS support yet. The sort-o good news is that Google Hangouts Community Manager Dori Storbeck confirmed that SMS support was coming, but quickly rescinded her comment saying, “we actually have nothing to announce at this time.” However, there’s still hope for SMS integration, as the app still requests a number of SMS permissions.

Have you downloaded the new update for Hangouts? Has it fixed the tablet woes that were previously an issue? Better yet, have you gotten to use the new messaging service?

Galaxy Tab 3 7.0

A new GLBenchmark test result reveals that Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 model would come with an Intel Atom Z2560 chip inside, which may be a surprising choice for the Android device maker.

Model number GT-P5200 has been spotted in GLBenchmark results both in Wi-Fi-only and 3G versions – we’ll remind you that the GT-P5200 is said to be the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, although this particular tablet version is yet to be unveiled by Samsung.

According to the benchmarks, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 is said to pack a 10.1-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution, a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor with Hyper-Threading, a 400MHz PowerVR SGX 544 MP2 graphics processing unit and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean under the hood.

When it comes to processor choice, the already unveiled Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 comes with a 1.2GHz dual-core Marvell PXA986 CPU, while the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is an unannounced product, but it’s rumored to pack a 1.5GHz dual-core processor.

The Intel Atom Z2560 said to power the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 is part of the same Clover Trail+ family of mobile chips, with its bigger brother, the Intel Atom Z2580 (clocked at 2GHz) being used by other mobile devices including the Lenovo K900.

The Lenovo K900 has managed to match in AnTuTu benchmarks the Galaxy S4 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 version) and we’re mentioning this because just recently, the GT-P5200 has reportedly scored 24616 in AnTuTu.

Comparatively, the Samsung-made Nexus 10 sporting a 1.7GHz dual-core processor scores around 13000 in AnTuTu. The pricier Galaxy Note 8.0 packing a 1.6GHz quad-core processor scores around 18000 in the same benchmark test (see our review here). Moreover, as you can see in the screenshot above, the GT-P5200 apparently outscores the GT-P5100 (Galaxy Tab 2 10.1) and GT-N8000 (Galaxy Note 10.1) in 3D graphics performance, with the Google Nexus 10 being a better match.

From the looks of it, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 may be Samsung’s first Intel-based tablet, but the device seems ready to offer a respectable performance, at least on paper.

That said, we’re still going to have to wait for Samsung to make the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 official. If recent rumors revealing potential release dates for the three Galaxy Tab 3 models (already announced or rumored) are to be believed, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 could hit European markets in early June (Wi-Fi version) and in late June (3G version), so an announcement may be very close.

The developers of Riptide GP2 released a video demoing the multiplayer support coming to the game thanks to the implementation of the new Play games services.

If you watched the Google I/O keynote on Wednesday, you probably remember the awkward moment when Hugo Barra tried to demo cross-platform multiplayer gaming on stage using the hotly anticipated Riptide GP2. To the disappointment of the audience, the multiplayer session failed to work for some reason, leaving us curious about how the new Play games services will look and work.

If you need a primer, Play games services is basically the Android equivalent of Xbox Live or a similar service. It provides a way for game developers to implement achievements, cross platform multiplayer, cloud saves, and leaderboards.

The team behind Riptide GP2, Vector Unit, put up a little video to show us what Google couldn’t demo on stage due to technical difficulties. Check it out.

As you can see, Play Services lets users instantly set up multiplayer games with up to four players. The system also supports game invites, which are received both in-game and outside of it via the Android notification system. The system works across devices, Android or iOS, and even with web-based games. The three players in the demo use a Tegra 4-powered Shield console, a Nexus 7 coupled with a Moga controller, and a Galaxy S4.

Vector Unit says that it recorded the video in real time, meaning that the connection times are pretty good. The process of setting up and joining the multiplayer seems simple and fast, which is crucial for the success of the platform. To be fair though, connection times will also depend of server load, so it’s possible that the process will be slower when games services roll out on a wide scale.

Games services is a feature that promises to boost the quality of Android gaming, at a time when more companies work on Android-powered gaming consoles. What do you make of it?

The Galaxy S4 Active is said to be very similar to the Galaxy S4, pictured above

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4 Active showed up in an alleged benchmark result that reveals some of its specifications, including a slightly older processor.

At this point, the consensus in the Android blogosphere is that he Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is real, and that it’s coming soon. The device was even confirmed by a Samsung executive. The Galaxy S4 Active is said to be waterproof and dustproof, and Samsung will likely market it as a phone for the outdoorsy, inspired by the success of Sony Xperia Z, the first major Android phone to feature resistance to water and dust.

Everybody thought that the Galaxy S4 Active (also known as J Active, though that’s likely just an internal name) would be identical to the general purpose Galaxy S4 in terms of specifications. However, a benchmark result uncovered by Techtastic indicates that at least the processor of the Galaxy S4 Active will be different.

Samsung SGH-I537, a codename associated with the AT&T version of Galaxy S4 Active showed up in the GFXBench results database. The device is powered by a Snapdragon MSM8960 (Snapdragon S4 Pro) system on a chip clocked at 1.9GHz. Other specifications revealed by the listing are Android 4.2.2 and a Full HD screen, both identical to those of the Galaxy S4. Note that benchmark listings can be easily counterfeited, and even if the entry is real, it could belong to a prototype.

Samsung currently sells two variants of the Galaxy S4, one running on Snapdragon 600 (available in most markets) and one running on Exynos 5 Octa (currently selling in South Korea and a few other countries).

Why would Samsung swap the Snapdragon 600 for an older S4 Pro on the Galaxy S4 Active? One reason could be cost reduction, though teardowns show that the difference between the two configurations is of only a few dollars per unit. Another possible answer could be a supply issue, though we haven’t heard of any supply bottlenecks related to the Snapdragon 600.

The Galaxy S4 Active has been rumored to be unveiled in the next few weeks, possibly along the Galaxy S4 Zoom and the entry-level Zest. Stay tuned for more details.

A source known for providing insider information on HTC devices tweeted that the HTC One could get an update in “2-3 weeks”, while a “Senseless” edition might come in late summer.

One of the most popular devices of the moment, the HTC One, is behind the times (and the competition) when it comes to the Android version. The HTC One is running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean coupled with Sense 5, at a time when the newest version of Android, 4.2, has been out for almost six months.

Naturally, HTC One users have been clamoring for an update, but the good news is their wish may be granted in as little as two to three weeks.

The info comes from a noted purveyor of insider information on HTC that has a good reputation when it comes to leaks of the Taiwanese company’s handsets. @LlabTooFeR has correctly predicted the HTC First, also known as the “Facebook phone”, and the specifications of the HTC M4, which is said to hit the market as the HTC One Mini.

Now @LlabTooFeR is back at it with info on the Android 4.2.2 update for the HTC One:

@ibolito_ @hawk1902 Sorry, my bad, thought you were asking about Senseless HTC One :) About HTC One 4.2.2 I’d expect it in 2-3 weeks…

— LlabTooFeR (@LlabTooFeR) May 17, 2013

The tweet refers to this earlier one:

@hawk1902 Definitely not this month, I think this might happen at the end of this summer…

— LlabTooFeR (@LlabTooFeR) May 17, 2013

Even more exciting is the reference to a “Senseless” HTC One, in other words, a One running stock Android, just like the Galaxy S4 “Google Edition” unveiled at I/O. As you can see, @LlabTooFeR is not committing to the info, so it’s hard to say if it’s his speculation or something he knows for a fact.

Though @LlabTooFeR has a successful track record when it comes to leaks, we wouldn’t recommend ingesting this information without the proverbial grain of salt. Even the best connected insiders get it wrong sometimes. We’ve asked @LlabTooFeR  for more info on the “Senseless” One via Twitter and we’ll update this post with his comments.

Update: @LlabTooFeR says he knows about the HTC One without Sense “for a fact”.

With that said, we’ve also heard about Sense 5 coming to the HTC J Butterfly by the end of the month, with Android 4.2.2 possibly in tow. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to believe that HTC is preparing a rollout for all its flagship devices, including the popular HTC One.

What will Android 4.2 bring to the HTC One? The most significant updates are the possibility to have widgets in the lock screen, a quick-settings panel in the notification dropdown and a swipe-based keyboard.

As for the HTC One Google Edition, an HTC employee did tease us during the I/O keynote, though an HTC PR boss was quick to shut down the speculation.

Credit: Engadget

When Google Glass was first unveiled to the public at Google I/O, the lack of support for prescription eyewear was a notable limitation. 75 percent of American adults use some sort of vision correction, with the majority of them being glasses, and Google obviously had a major market not being catered for.

In March, Google confirmed that there would be a version of Glass that would support prescription eyewear and now we’ve caught a glimpse of the first prototype of Glass out in the wild. Seen roaming around the floors of the Moscone Center in San Francisco was a man wearing a peculiar piece of hardware, mounted on top of prescription glasses. Is this the much vaunted Glass for prescription eyewear?

Google confirmed that this is a prototype of “Glass for glasses” (that’s not a real marketing term, just one that I made up), and uses the same software as the Explorer Edition of Glass, but contains slightly different hardware on the outside.

This new development means Google is closer to building “Glass for glasses”, and we can only hope that this version of Glass will be released in tandem with the commercial release of normal Glass. Still not sure Google Glass is for you? Check out Joshua Vergara’s and Nate Swanner’s hands on with Glass, down below.

Is Google Glass is the future of mobile computing? Are you happy that Google is accomadating people who wear glasses as well?

When think of Samsung phones, what do you think of? The Galaxy S4? The Note 2? Maybe the upcoming Note 3? Yeah, that makes sense. The Samsung Galaxy Fame, on the other hand, probably isn’t going to be the first thing that comes to mind.

It’s easy to forget, especially for people like us, that budget phones make up a sizable portion of the market. Samsung most definitely has not forgotten that portion of the market, and for proof you need look no further than the Galaxy Fame. It’s small and it’s cheap, but is it worth the money? Read on to find out.

In a hurry? Check out our video review or jump to the conclusion at the end of the article.

Specs

• 3.5-inch display (320 x 480, 165 ppi)
• 1 GHz CPU
• 512 MB RAM
• 4 GB internal storage (expandable via microSD)
• 5 MP rear facing camera
• 0.3 MP front facing camera
• 1300 mAh battery

Build Quality & Design

The Galaxy Fame seems to take its design cues from, well, most any Samsung phone currently on the market. It’s a little curvier, but this is probably necessary due to its thickness. Still this makes the Fame a perfect fit for smaller hands. For me, it felt a little on the small-ish side, but it should be fairly usable for most people. One touch that seemed out of the ordinary was the gold-tinted faux metal surrounding the bezel. For some it might seem a little too ornate, but others may find it to be a nice change of pace.

Like most other Samsung phones, the Galaxy Fame is built from plastic. Unlike most of those phones, however, the Fame feels a little heavy for its size. This is understandable: the components don’t get any lighter after a certain point, and neither does the plastic. If anything, it actually gives the Fame a sturdier feel than some of Samsung’s larger phones.

Display

We’ve seen time and time again that one of the main areas where the cuts are made for budget considerations is the screen. Still, for the most part, the main sacrifice is screen resolution. The 3.5-inch screen features a resolution of 480 x 320 and a pixel density of around 165 pixels per inch. If that was the only issue with the Samsung Galaxy Fame’s display, it wouldn’t be too bad, but unfortunately this isn’t the case.

The last time we reviewed a device with a display this size and resolution (the Sony Xperia E Dual) we noticed some pretty big issues with the screen, and we’re seeing a lot of the same problems here. No matter where you set the brightness, the screen looks washed out. Viewing angles generally aren’t too bad, but viewing the screen from the right side results in a not-so-fun viewing experience pretty quickly.

Performance

With a single-core 1 GHz CPU and 512 MB of RAM, we weren’t expecting a whole lot in the performance department, but we still ran our usual suite of tests.

Starting with AnTuTu, we ran the benchmark 10 times and calculated the average. In this case, it showed exactly why we run these benchmarks so many times, as the low score was 3,182 and the high score was a somewhat inexplicable 8,412. In the end, the average score was 5,075.

Next up we tried to run Epic Citadel, but the key word in that sentence is “tried.” Unfortunately, while the app launched, it consistently crashed before we got the chance to run the benchmark.

In real world testing, it was clear that TouchWiz bogged down the hardware a bit, as stuttering was present scrolling through home screens. Light gaming was possible, but heavier apps presented too much difficulty for the hardware. If you’re looking for a quick round of Angry Birds, you’ll be fine, but don’t expect too much more.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy Fame runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and, of course, Samsung’s own TouchWiz UI. While striving for a single feel across all devices makes sense from a marketing and design standpoint, we would have preferred to see a less hardware-intensive overlay, or even better, stock Android.

Looking at other software, many of Samsung’s usual apps make an appearance. S Planner, Game Hub, S Memo (simply called “Memo” here) and ChatON are present, but no S Voice. Along with an FM Radio app and the file manager My Files, Quickoffice is the major bundled app. This app allows you to view and presumably edit common office documents, though they can’t be created within the app. As with most phones Samsung currently ships, Dropbox is also included.

Camera

Given the specs and price point, we didn’t have the highest of hopes for the Samsung Galaxy Fame’s camera, and as a result, we were somewhat surprised by the quality of the photos it produced. That said, image quality is directly proportionate to the amount of light present when the photo is taken. Outdoors with sunlight or in well lit rooms, you’ll get a fairly accurate representation of whatever it may be that you’re pointing the camera at. In a poorly lit room, however, results that you’re happy with will be much harder to find.

The Galaxy Fame’s rear-facing camera is capable of capturing video, though you’ll probably only ever want to rely on it in a pinch. The resolution tops out at VGA quality (640 x 480), and has the same issues with low light capture as still photos do.

Battery

The Galaxy Fame’s battery capacity of 1,300 mAh may have you shaking your head, but keep in mind that it isn’t powering the most demanding hardware or pushing a particularly large amount of pixels. We have found in the past that the manufacturers claims of talk time often link up with general moderate to heavy use. In this case, Samsung claims around 6 to 8.5 hours of talk time depending on the network you’re connected to.

During testing and benchmarking, we found that the numbers did seem to line up. After around 5 hours of fairly heavy testing and benchmarking, the battery was down to around 50 percent. This might seem unusually good in this case, but it’s necessary to keep in mind that we had no SIM inserted and therefore no connectivity other than WiFi. Still, depending on your use, it seems that a full day without a charge should be no problem at all.

Video

Conclusion

So, does the Samsung Galaxy Fame hold up? Well, yes and no. It certainly gets points for style, and anyone pining for the halcyon days of flip phones might like the form factor. On the other hand, its relatively poor performance and less-than-beautiful screen aren’t going to help win the Galaxy Fame any fans.

What do you think? Have you tried the Galaxy Fame, or do you have any questions? Let us know in the comments!

Sony has certainly been turning quite a few heads in the mobile world as of late. Not only are the Sony Xperia Z and its variants stunning, the company has also come a long way when it comes to supporting the developer community. This effort largely began with the Sony Xperia S’ AOSP project, and has expanded from there. In fact, just last month Sony’s flagship Xperia Z also got the AOSP treatment. Now Sony is extending the same gift to the Xperia Tablet Z.

The Android 4.2.2 AOSP build is obviously not certified by Sony and is warned to not be “for everyday use”, but that doesn’t make its existence any less significant. For one thing, it makes it much easier for developers to get to work on bringing us brillant mods and custom ROMs geared towards the Tablet Z.

Just remember that, unless you have developer experience, you are best not bothering with this build just yet.

So what all is working? Sony doesn’t give us a full list, though they do admit that some features and apps will not be present, including things like Google Play. Additionally, you can expect proprietary pieces to be left out of the build.

We are excited to see Sony playing nice with the developer community, as this goes along way in winning over new fans in the Android world. Now here’s to hoping that they take things a step further by following in the footsteps of the Galaxy S4 Google Edition with an Xperia that runs stock Android. One can dream, right?

For those of you brave enough to give the AOSP build a go, you can grab the source code by heading over to Sony’s GitHub page.

Change isn’t always easy, sometimes it can even be scary. While some of us love new inventions and tech progress (raises hand!), others are a bit more cautious about what change might bring. That’s why campaigns like “Stop the Cyborgs” have surfaced recently, with a mission of bringing awareness of potential Google Glass privacy concerns. We’ve even heard about at least one Seattle bar that has already banned the tech ahead of its commercial launch.

So what’s the deal? Is there really cause for concern here? The problem is that Google Glass is a very new and different technology. People aren’t for sure what implications it might have on society and privacy. That’s why eight members of Congress have decided to take action, sending a letter to Google asking about privacy concerns and Google’s plans with Glass.

The inquiry came from lawmakers from the bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, and asks several questions about privacy both regarding the user and those that might come into contact with the user. For example, congress wonders whether or not Google collects device-specific information from Glass and how else it might be used to track its users.

More importantly, Congress wants to know how Google will handle recording and picture taking, and if someone (or even some buildings/landmarks) can opt out of facial recognition technology, if it becomes a feature of Glass.

The letter also points out Google’s past privacy concerns, and possible concerns with data tracking (methinks Congress has been watching too many Scroogled ads). The letter requests a response by Friday, June 14th, and can be read in full here.

It remains unseen if Google will respond to the letter directly or not, but it is worth noting that at Thursday’s I/O fireside chat with developers, the team did take some time to address possible privacy concerns regarding Glass.

Google addresses possible privacy issues with Glass at I/O

“Privacy was top of mind as we designed the product,” said Steve Lee, Glass’ product director. “You’ll know when someone with Glass is paying attention to you,” insists Lee. “If you’re looking at Glass, you’re looking up.”

As Lee points out, someone will pretty much need to be staring at you to record you.

“If you walk into a restroom and someone’s just looking at you — I don’t know about you but I’m getting the hell out of there.”

While that is mostly true, you could also position yourself perfectly for a second, start recording and then look in the other direction. Honestly though, you can kind of do the same thing with your phone. You can easily start recording but not hold the phone all the way up, making it look like you are simply checking an email, browsing the net or doing something else (though admittedly it might look a bit more suspicious with a phone).

Google seems to understand that there will be skeptics for the technology, and looks to be working hard to address these concerns as best as possible, which is all we can really ask for. “We are thinking very carefully about how we design Glass because new technology always raises new issues. Our Glass Explorer program, which reaches people from all walks of life, will ensure that our users become active participants in shaping the future of this technology,” Lee concludes.

Personally, I understand that people fear the unknown, but this is just another new mobile device. Used in the wrong hands, yes it can certainly be used for nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, so can a smartphone, a camera, a computer or just about anything.

Google Glass will take time to get used to, and this is likely far from the last we’ll hear about anti-Glass initiatives and privacy concerns. What do you think of Google Glass, does it pose real privacy concerns or are certain groups just blowing things out of proportion?

Image: Evan Forester/Flickr 

We are all mobile geeks, here at Android Authority. We love everything with a power button. We like to comment the latest news and endlessly argue over which phone is better. On the Friday Debate, we pick a hot issue and proceed to discuss it. Join us!

This week was Google I/O week, and naturally, in this Friday Debate we will discuss the new stuff that Google shown us at I/O, but also the stuff we didn’t get to see. Among the highlights: the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition, a boatload of news about Glass, new Google Maps, some good stuff for developers, and a redesigned Google Plus (it was a big commotion out there). On the MIA list: the Nexus 7 2, the X Phone, Android 4.3.

So, what do you make of this year’s Google I/O? We’ve asked ourselves this question, and came up with some answers. Join us in the comments.

Robert Triggs

Derek Scott

Bogdan Petrovan

As Derek said, the most impressive moment of the keynote was Larry Page’s speech and Q&A. For some reason, it resonated with me deeply. At the end of it, I went to G+ to proclaim my love for Google, with all the risk of ridicule. Larry’s presence and the entire keynote made me realize again how much I admire this company. As someone said yesterday (it was an article headline, I forgot by whom, sorry), Google’s products are just byproducts of its quest for tomorrow.

Watching the keynote, I felt that the people on stage are building the future. Amit Singhal teased the Star Trek Enterprise computer, and I have a strong feeling that Google is taking us in that direction. In my lifetime, I will interact with my computing device, regardless of what shape it will have, through natural conversation.

As for the lack of consumer products or Android 4.3, I wasn’t really disappointed. Google brought so much new stuff, it doesn’t matter that we don’t formally have a new Android version. Why are version numbers so important anyway? The new Nexus 7 will come, so Adam, don’t be disappointed. I think we’ll see it a couple of months, if the rumors are correct.

Overall, Google wanted to give I/O back to developers, and I think that was the right thing to do.

What did you like at Google I/O this year? What impressed you the most and what disappointed you?

Google’s Play Music has been around for some time now. It acted like your standard music player with a few bells and whistles thrown in, such as being able to play stream music instead of just off of your internal storage. The app had a really nice techno-themed design as well.

As you know, Google I/O is underway. During the conference’s first keynote, the search giant has said out with the old and in with the new. Welcome to the new, vastly improved Play Music app — now a rival to Spotify and other similar services.

Design

The first thing you’re going to notice after updating Play Music is that everything has changed. Much like Google+, and the recently updated Google Play Store, Play Music has adopted that beautiful Google Now-esque card design. While the design is a complete overhaul of that old techno-themed design, it should be quite familiar to those who use Google’s services regularly.

When you open the app, at the top left of the screen you’ll see the Play Music icon. When you tap it, you’ll be presented with a list. In that list is options like Listen Now, My Library, Playlists, Radio, and Explore. This makes it easier to enjoy your own library while making it a nice hub to explore and consume great content through the All Access radio (more on that later).

When you go to your playlists, song lists, or artist lists, you’ll notice that everything shows up as cards instead of the list view that the old version of Play Music used to use. It’s a lot nicer, cleaner, and makes the app feel a lot more natural.

One of the benefits to the new app is that once you get used to it, you’re able to swipe and slide through everything with the greatest of ease. It was a bit more complicated than that in the old version. As you can tell, everything is more colorful as well. This is a great improvement over the old app where all we really had was a dark background, and a simple list view. With this new design Play Music feels more like a media hub than your standard music player with streaming support.

Functionality

When you really look at it, Play Music has about the same functionality as before — you can play music either off of your device or stream it. Nothing’s really been removed from the app — it functions just like it did before. However, all of the big changes that happened to Play Music come from all of the new features Google has packed into the app.

Google is trying to offer its users a more convenient, and immersive web experience. The search giant is essentially eliminating the need for you to use multiple native applications. That said, you can now browse music inside the Play Music app instead of having to open up the Play Store and browse for music through that instead. In other words, you don’t need two apps to get the full Play Music experience.

Play Music will also recommend new music to you based off of your playlists and radio stations. On the other hand, you’ll be shown your own music when you’re exploring new genres, music, artists, etc. It really is a seamless experience.

Another basic, but really cool feature is that you’re able to create a new radio station based on an artist in your library. In example, if you’re a fan of Bon Jovi, you’ll be able to create a radio station that will play the same music in that genre. In addition to creating radio stations based off of artists, you can also create them based off of albums, songs, and even genres.

While Play Music has a lot of new exciting features, the biggest addition has to be the new subscription service. You can purchase the all access pass for $7.99/mo if you subscribe before June 30, 2013, and after that the price will go up to $9.99 per month. For the time being, Google is calling the subscription service All Access.

Here’s how All Access works: as long as you’re subscriber, you can listen to anything that is available on Google’s Play Store, which has a very wide variety of songs with more being added everyday. For the cheap subscription fee, you can listen to every artist, song, and genre on the Play Store. Simply head on over to the artist page, and you can listen to anything you want. It’s really an awesome service so far.

Conclusion

The new Play Music experience is jaw dropping. The Play Music has truly become a full-fledged Google service that all music lovers can enjoy. It’s an all-around seamless experience that can be enjoyed by all, even if you don’t have an All Access pass.

Of course, having the All Access pass makes the Play Music experience even better. Being able to seamlessly blend your library with Google’s without noticing it is a job well done, I say.

Play Music will, in the future, be a great rival for the likes of Spotify and similar services. At the time being, Play Music may not seem appealing to Spotify customers as Google doesn’t have the 20 million tracks that Spotify does just yet. After launching this music streaming service though, there’s no doubt that Google will catch up in no time.

Watch out Spotify, you’ve got a new competitor in town!

You slammed down good money to upgrade to the Galaxy S4 and soon found it was everything you dreamed it would be. Unfortunately, you also soon learned your existing NFC TecTile stickers didn’t play nicely with Samsung’s latest and greatest.

The good news is that Samsung’s TecTile 2 stickers have now arrived adding support for the Galaxy S4. The new TecTile stickers come in packs of five, priced at $14.99. The stickers can be purchased through Samsung, as well as select retail partners.

So what’s changed with the new stickers? Basically nothing, other than switching the format to support the BCM2079x NFC controller found in the Galaxy S4. This means that the new stickers will work with older Samsung NFC devices, alongside the newest Galaxy. It also means these tags will probably work with other devices, like LG Nexus 4, that also use the BCM2079x.

Just like the first-generation stickers, TecTile 2 stickers work with Samsung’s Android companion app and can be customized to change settings on your phone, make phone calls or even launch special apps. Once everything is set up, using the stickers is as easy as scanning them. Whether these stickers are worth $3 a piece is largely up to you and how you use your NFC-equipped smartphone.

What do you think of NFC stickers, do you use them and feel they are worth the extra cost?

Motorola smartwatch described in patent applications. Detachable electronic module removed from the strap (on the right).

Three new Motorola patent application published by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office reveal details about what a future Motorola smartwatch would offer users when it comes to specs and features.

Discovered by PatentBolt, the three patent applications – they’re yet to be awarded to Motorola – talk in great detail of a smartwatch device describing various features of such a gadget.

Like always with patent applications or awarded patents, we’ll tell you that the products described in the available documentation will not necessarily be made exactly as described. But it’s clear that Google is interested in such technology and wants to have all bases covered in the likely event that it will have to defend its intellectual property in courts. In fact, Google has a patent application for a smartwatch of its own.

In addition to Google, several other companies are rumored to be actively pursuing such smartwatch products including Apple, Microsoft and Samsung to name just a few of the most prominent names in the tech business. Other smartwatch design already exist with the Pebble being one such example. Not to mention that Motorola already dipped its toes in the smartwatch business with the MOTOACTV.

When going through the new patent applications you’ll notice that Motorola seems to have thought of everything. The smartwatch may not be just a companion device meant to be paired with a smarter gadget such as your smartphone or tablet, although it most certainly could be used as an accessory for a smarter device.

But the patent applications reveal that a Motorola-made smartwatch could include various advanced features including a wristwatch mode, desktop mode, health monitoring mode, clock mode, calendar mode, gaming mode, media player mode and others.

Unsurprisingly, the patents mention Android as a potential operating system for such a smartwatch.

Motorola smartwatch described in patent applications. Sensors inside the smartwatch.

When it comes to design, a Motorola smartwatch could be made from two different components, a strap and a “detachable electronic module” that would include the smart components of the watch and could be used independently from the strap.

In addition to expected components such as accelerometer, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, light sensor, infrared sensor and dual microphones, such a smartwatch would also pack a variety of wellness-related sensors that would allow it to register heart rate, pulse, body temperature and even skin moisture (the sensor would actually be able to tell the difference between skin moisture and moisture from external sources, like rain for example).

The device would store information in a medical profile and would be able to autonomously contact emergency numbers in cases in which the medical parameters it reads are outside of normal values.

Motorola even gives an interesting example in its patent applications, presenting a smartwatch wearer that has fainted during the robbery. The watch would be able to contact 911 after sensing that his “master” is not moving, and that before that happened he or she may have had a much higher heart rate and increased perspiration than in usual conditions.

Motorola smartwatch described in patent applications. Imagined robbery where smartwatch would autonomously notify emergency services as the wearer has fainted.

Other interesting tidbits reveal that the display of such a device would rotate according to specific activities just like the display of a smartphone or tablet, and that the device would be able to detect when it’s covered by clothing in order to presumably save battery life.

Furthermore, depending what patent application you read, you’ll notice that the device could come with CDMA, GSM, UMTS and PTT support (either one of all), could pack an 800mAh battery (made of two 400mAh batteries) and 8GB of storage. An extra battery could also be found inside the strap.

Other mentioned specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7630 processor (the kind of CPU that powered the HTC EVO Shift 4G) and a 1.6-inch OLED touchscreen display, which may be flexible or not.

Motorola smartwatch described in patent applications. Device would detect clothing and adapt actions accordingly.

Again, these aren’t the specs and features of a confirmed upcoming Motorola smartwatch, just examples mentioned in the three patent applications. The patents, filed on November 16, 2012, are yet to be awarded to Motorola.

With all that in mind, we’ll remind you that a source did tell us that Google would unveil a smartwatch soon – it was believed to arrive at Google I/O but obviously that didn’t happen – so it wouldn’t be completely unreasonable to expect a Motorola smartwatch to hit stores at some point in the near future.

While you wait, you can always check this particular Nexus smartwatch concept. Would you you purchase a Motorola smartwatch this year?

Some folks love customized skins like HTC Sense and TouchWiz. They feel that these customization add extra value, or that they simply look or work ‘better’ than stock.

For those of us that don’t have the same love for custom skins, we pretty much have two options: flash a custom ROM or get a Nexus device. That’s just the way it is, as most manufacturers continue to ignore vanilla Android. The big question is why.

TouchWiz is at the heart of Samsung’s mobile strategy, but that didn’t stop Google from announcing a version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 that runs on vanilla Android.

Pure Android runs faster, gets quicker updates and arguably looks better too. Not to mention there isn’t a bunch of bloat taking up more space on your phone.

The demand is there, at least from the hardcore crowd. So why haven’t more vendors ditched their custom skins?

Setting themselves apart from the rest of the pack

The most obvious reason is that it gives manufacturers an easy way to make their devices different from the rest of the crowd. Without Sense or TouchWiz, HTC and Samsung would have little to set themselves apart from each other  outside of specs and design aesthetics.

For devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4, it is also about creating custom software that allows the use of specialized hardware that isn’t recognized by Android in its default form. It remains unseen right now, but it is possible that some of the GS4′s special features won’t work with stock Android.

Once upon a time, a case could very well be made stating that custom UIs made Android “look and feel better”. That was in the days of Android 1.x and 2.x – a lot has changed with Android ICS and Jelly Bean, and Android has now matured into a very beautiful stock experience.

The partnership factor

Custom software allows the vendor more control over the experience, too. They can use this control to rollout updates at their own pace – and delay some updates, if needed, in order to push users towards newer devices.

They can also work with partners to put on bloatware special apps like Facebook, though obviously they could still do that with vanilla Android, it just wouldn’t be ‘true stock’.

I could certainly be wrong, but I have a feeling that a manufacturer’s custom UI and software generates profit through these kinds of deals that goes way beyond just the money made from selling the device to customers.

The carrier factor

Creating a stock Android phone isn’t enough to win over buyers, it also needs to be unlocked and modder-friendly. The problem with that is that carriers HATE unlocked bootloaders. Carriers such as Verizon give plenty of official reasons why they want to prevent you from unlocking bootloaders such as “giving you better customer service” and “protecting your devices”.

The reality is that that carriers often have specialized software that they don’t want you removing. They also are concerned that custom ROMs could somehow be used “against the network” or could allow you to bypass guards they use to prevent things like tethering without a special plan.

Bottom-line, carriers would be less receptive of manufacturers that pushed Nexus-like devices. Of course that argument doesn’t completely hold water either – considering the Nexus 4 is currently available directly from T-Mobile. Both Sprint and Verizon also once carried the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

So what’s standing in the way of more Nexus-like devices?

All of the factors listed above are understandable, but remember: this doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” game.

Manufacturers could easily do exactly what Samsung is doing with the GS4, release a Nexus-like variant alongside a customized UI-based model. Even if carriers weren’t interested, they could always take to Google Play or their own websites to sell their stock Android phones.

Okay, but then what is really standing in the way of more Nexus-like devices? The unknown.

The Nexus line has been extremely successful so far, but a large part of that could be due to Google’s aggressive pricing, especially with the Nexus 4. With the Samsung Galaxy S4 “Google Edition”, the same kind of price cuts aren’t present. That makes the GS4 an important experiment.

Will hardcore Android fans still flock to it? If they do, I suspect that more vendors will be actively interested in creating their own Nexus-like devices, whether they sell them through Google Play or not.

How about it, would you be willing to pay full price for bloat-free vanilla Android versions of devices like the HTC One and Sony Xperia Z? Do you already plan on snagging the vanilla Android version of the Galaxy S4?

The Xperia L comes in a few different colors: white, black, and red. The device is up for pre-order today, and buyers should begin seeing it on their doorstep come May 23.

This particular handset certainly isn’t a bad entry-level player either. It sports a 4.3-inch 480 x 854 FWVGA SCHOTT display, a 1GHz dual-core CPU, an Adreno 305 graphics chip, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and a 8-megapixel rear-facing Exmor RS camera, all running off of a nice 1750mAh battery. It also has a microSD slot allowing for 32GB of expandable storage.

While the Xperia L certainly doesn’t look like a bad entry-level device, we can’t help but notice that you can get more bang for your buck with the Nexus 4 at the same price. Which one is better to get? Ultimately, it is the preference of the buyer, but while the Nexus 4 has a lot to offer in terms of hardware and software, the Xperia L has some great design (i.e. the illuminated bar and sleek body) points that you really won’t find on many smartphones.

Which smartphone would you rather get for $350? The Xperia L or the Nexus 4? Let us know in the comments!

The Nvidia Shield is up for pre-order, three days earlier than initially announced, with the delivery set for June.

Although Nvidia has announced in a blog post that pre-orders for the Tegra 4 Android gaming console would start on May 20, online and in stores, something has pushed things forward and the process is underway. The price is the one you already knew, $349.

The Nvidia official store has the device listed, with an order limit of four consoles per person. The site mentions that the device would ship by the end of June.

The Nvidia Shield is also available for pre-order on NewEgg, with the expected shipping date listed as June 4, and the same goes for GameStop. The other partners mentioned by Nvidia – Canada Computers and Micro Center – were not listing the product at the time this article was written. The stores mentioned above only ship to the U.S. and/or Canada, with no news on the Shield’s availability in other markets.

Our Joshua Vergara had a chance to try it at Google I/O 2013 and do a hands-on video of the device, which you can watch below.

As you may already know, the Nvidia Shield incorporates a Tegra 4 CPU, has a 5 inch 720p display, and includes a console-grade controller. It has 16 GB of internal memory (as well as a microSD slot) and runs Android Jelly Bean.

Will you pre-order the Nvidia Shield?

The first photo of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, at least according to Sam Mobile, has made its way online.

The publication doesn’t mention the actual source of the image, which you can see below and which shows a device very similar to the officially announced Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 (above). The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 has a thinner bezel, destined to fit the larger screen while remaining comfortable to use.

The sensors at the top of the screen are also positioned differently, but the rest of the design is very similar to the one of the smaller model (if this is the actual Tab 3 8.0, that is).

Sam Mobile also offers a list of specifications for the tablet, mentioning two variants, the 3G SM-T310 (already spotted at the FCC), as well as the WiFi SM-T311 (a model with the same name has been seen at Bluetooth SIG recently).

The specs, which you should certainly take with a bit of salt (Sam Mobile also says they could change), are a bit different from what has already been rumored – an 8-inch display (1280 x 800 resolution), dual-core CPU at 1.5GHz (a previous rumor said quad-core), coupled with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory (expandable via microSD).

The back camera is said to be a 5-megapixel one, with the front one at 1.3-megapixels. Bluetooth 4.0 is included, but we knew that from the Bluetooth SIG filing.

The 3G version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is set to offer HSPA+ at 42 Mbps, while the battery of the tablet is said to be a 4450mAh one. The tablet will run Android 4.2.2 and the same source says that it will be released at the end of next month.

Would you be interested to buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0,if these specifications actually do get confirmed?

It’s been a slow climb out of the mess that HTC found itself in after the botched launch of the HTC One. Component shortages and delayed launches certainly didn’t do the company’s bottom line any good, but fortunately for HTC these problems look to be over.

HTC is expecting to ramp up production of the One over the next couple of months in order to meet the swelling demand for its latest flagship handset. Production capacity is set to double by the end of this month, now that component issues are sorted out, and will continue to increase throughout June to accommodate the demand.

Financially, HTC was already starting to show signs of recovery after the launch of the HTC One, and, as long as demand remains strong, the company could experience a significant turnaround in fortunes, come the end of the second quarter.

The company’s Q1 2013 financial results revealed a disappointing revenue of $1.45 billion (NT$42.8 billion) after months of dismal figures and a record low monthly profit of just $2.8 million in February. Fortunately, the last two months seem to have been much better, putting HTC on track for a projected Q2 revenue of $2.4 billion (NT$70billion). As a bonus piece of good news for HTC, sales of the J Butterfly doubled in Japan once the device was put on a free with a contract offer.

HTC must be feeling pretty good after a many rough months, but time will tell if the ailing company can sustain this momentum throughout the rest of the year.

Fragmentation can be a pain, especially when you’re waiting on your carrier to update its bloat-ware when all you want it to get your hands on the latest Android features and bug fixes. However, it turns out that the Android development team are eager to get on top of this problem, as they discussed fragmentation and other questions from an audience of developers at Google I/O.

During the interview, the Android team were quick to acknowledge the problems with fragmentation, but obviously it’s a difficult balance to maintain between supporting older hardware and pushing innovation forward. Dave Burke, the engineering director for Android, had this to say:

There is so much more we can do. And there is also so much more that can be done at the hardware level too. There's lots more innovation that can come.

Of course, the pursuit of more and more features and innovation is mainly what has caused this problem. We’ve already seen that a huge percentage of Android handsets are still running 2.3 Gingerbread, and some are running even older versions like Froyo. Newer versions, like Ice Cream Sandwich, require more system memory, which has left older handsets stuck with dated operating systems regardless of carrier intentions to provide upgrades or not, which is a problem that Firefox has also spotted and plans to put an end too.

We're trying to make Android more efficient so that even entry-level smartphones can use the software,

To address the wider problem, Google already significantly altered Android programming interfaces in Android 4.0. The layered nature of the software was designed to allow hardware designers to update and tweak software more easily, which was supposed to speed up the updating process. But as a result, we’re seeing more and more apps which only support Android 4.0 and higher. Sadly, this appears to be an unavoidable sacrifice of altering the platform in order to produce better results in the future.

Perhaps we’ll see further updates more along the lines of Android 4.1 to 4.2, where new features are added, yet the fundamental operating system remains the same. That way, specific features can be address without having to completely re-work the underlying operating system, and device manufacturers shouldn’t have to worry about updating their software.

The Nexus effect

Burke also alluded to the problems caused by device manufacturer’s non-“pure” Android versions, which again slow down the updating process. It’s obvious that every time a new version of Android is released that it takes some time for third party developers to update their own software, and this costs time and money, which some handset developers aren’t willing to put into such incremental upgrades.

Will the Galaxy S4 Google Edition be the first of many new Nexus type handsets?

The Nexus experience is clearly beneficial if you want the latest features, and devices like the pure Android Galaxy S4 show that developers believe that consumers have an appetite for more consistent updates.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will have the Nexus experience, and it will have more timely updates

Perhaps we’ll be seeing a larger number of devices shipping with default Android, or at least a greater consumer choice when it comes to Nexus type devices in the future. But again, this doesn’t really help users already locked out of newer Android features, but it would help reduce future Android fragmentation.

Striking the right balance

We’ve already seen software changes, like Project Butter, attempt to improve the performance of the Android operating system, but so far performance improvements like these haven’t been able to make their way onto lower end devices. Burke stated that although Jelly Bean has gone some ways to improve the performance of Android, there still is lot of work to be done.

In order for these future improvements to have a real impact on fragmentation, Burke suggests the need for more testing on lower end devices. Take the Nexus 4 for example, it’s a pretty high end smartphone and there are lots of users using lower spec devices, so developing for these higher specs is always going to leave the more budget orientated customers behind. But again, this has to be balanced against the demand for new features and innovative ideas. Bringing down memory usage is one thing, but you can’t take advantage of multi-core support or graphics computational power on older hardware.

So, is Google really going to be able to solve the problem of fragmentation? Well, probably not, at least not without forcing the handset manufactures and carriers to update.

Android covers a vast range of hardware configurations, and you’re never going to be able to support aging technologies for ever. However, there are lots of things which Google can do, and is doing, to offer consumers ways out of the problem. Nexus devices are a good solution to the problem, and more Nexus devices, like the Galaxy S4, could offer consumers a range of solutions, hopefully eventually encompassing  a wider range of budgets.

A wider range of Nexus devices is probably the best bet to alleviate the fragmentation problem, but will manufacturers want to lose the option to add their own software?

Secondly, building Android around lower specifications could help keep updates running on a wider range of devices, but it doesn’t guarantee that carriers and handset manufacturers will update their handsets. However, if the updates can be targeted at more specific pieces of software, rather than OS wide updates, then updates may be easier to rollout. Android 4.1 to 4.2 for example was a much more simple upgrade than 2.3 to 4.0.

There will always be cut-off points for how long handsets can be supported. But hopefully in the future, if Google can achieve these goals, we could see software updates roll out a little quicker, and hopefully have a little more choice regarding which handsets to buy for reliable updates.

Samsung’s JK Shin on Thursday told reporters that Galaxy S4 sales would soon top 10 million, while also cautiously answering Galaxy Note 3 flexible display-related questions.

According to Samsung’s mobile chief, the Galaxy S4 will hit the 10 million sales mark next week, a lot earlier than it predecessor did:

“We are confident that we will pass more than 10 million sales of the S4 next week. It is selling much faster than the previous model S3,” Samsung Electronics co-CEO Shin Jong-kyun told reporters at an industry forum in Seoul, Thursday.

The Galaxy S3 topped 10 million sold units 50 days after launch last year, while the Galaxy S4 will do it in less than a month. The handset was launched on April 26 in South Korea, with other major markets receiving it a day later. Currently, the Galaxy S4 is sold in 60 different countries.

Just the other day, we learned that Samsung sold over 5 million Galaxy S4 units in the first two weeks after launch.

Interestingly, Shin also answered a question regarding the adoption of “unbreakable displays” or flexible displays for the Galaxy Note 3. Enigmatically he said that “more time will be needed,” which seems to fall in line with a very recent report that claimed the new Note model would not pack a flexible display nor will it feature a metal design – however, details on the actual design of the phone were not offered:

“More time will be needed,” he said. The Suwon, Gyeonggi Province-based outfit is developing the Note3 with a 5.9-inch OLED display. The device will debut at this year’s IFA trade fair in Berlin, Germany, officials said.

As you can see Korea Times also notes that other “officials” said that the Galaxy Note 3 would arrive at IFA 2013, although they haven’t been named.

Previous rumors did suggest that Samsung would announce the third-generation Galaxy Note 3 at IFA 2013, which wouldn’t be surprising considering that the previous models have been unveiled at the same show.

Samsung and Apple are apparently engaged in an unseen battle for controlling supply chains for future products, with the South Korean company looking for more component deals outside of its in-house capabilities, a new Reuters story says.

Exynos 5 Octa vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 600

According to analysts, only about 10% of Galaxy S4 units will pack Samsung’s newest eight-core processor – or one in 10 units – with everything else relying on chips from Qualcomm. Comparatively, about 30% of Galaxy S3 units shipped with an Exynos processor.

The more mobile devices Samsung ships each quarter, the more components it will need to keep manufacturing a high-number of Galaxy-branded smartphone and tablets destined for different markets.

One of these models is obviously the Galaxy S4, its latest flagship product that’s selling like hot cakes in multiple countries – to date, the handset has become the fastest selling smartphone for the company.

While the Galaxy S4 offers generally the same specs and features no matter where you buy it from, it does come in two distinct flavors when it comes to its system on a chip (SoC). We’re looking at a model powered by the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, while the other has inside the Samsung-made eight-core Exynos 5 Octa processor (it actually packs two quad-core CPUs).

The difference in performance between the two is negligible some would say, Samsung included, while others will disagree. Existing AnTuTu tests reveal that the Octa model outperforms the Snapdragon one, although regular users may not notice the difference in performance in day-to-day activities.

For Samsung, shipping enough units to carrier and retail partners seems to be a primary objective. And to do so with the Galaxy S4 – which faced some launch issues caused by insufficient stock – Samsung decided to go with Qualcomm:

“We’ll continue to resort to multi vendors to ensure smooth supply,” Kim Hyunjoon, vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, told analysts on a recent earnings call.

The battle for supplies

Samsung still makes 80% of the components needed for its mobile business in-house, so it’s not as dependent on third-party suppliers as its competitors, Apple included. In fact, Apple was on of the biggest Samsung customers, shopping for various mobile components for its iOS-based devices in the previous years. But that may change in the future as the iPhone maker looks to distance itself from its main competitor in the mobile business, a rival who’s also fighting in courts over patent-related issues.

Samsung and Apple captured 100% of profits in the first quarter of the year, and more than 100% of profits in the previous year.

When it comes to other components, it looks like Samsung and Apple may be fishing for the same parts from the same providers. Some of the companies that already supply parts to both companies include Qualcomm (LTE chips), Toshiba (NAND memory chips), Sony (image sensors), and Corning (Gorilla Glass).

Other companies like Sharp (displays) and STMicroelectronics and Bosch (both “mass producers of pressure sensors used in navigation features”) could also provide components to both companies. Currently Sharp ships displays to Apple and is reportedly looking to “boost sales to the Korean firm,” while STMicroelectronics and Bosch deliver parts for Galaxy models.

Some analysts seem to believe that outsourcing more components would mean that Samsung would lose some of that hardware differentiation that helped the company reach its current position in the mobile ecosystem:

“Given that Qualcomm chips are also found in rival products, and the much-heralded launch of smartphones with flexible display appears to be delayed, I’m worried Samsung is losing its hardware differentiator,” said BNP Paribas analyst Peter Yu.

But let’s not forget that Samsung has one particular department that’s working at full steam to sell Galaxy products. That’s its marketing department that has access to virtually unlimited resources. Samsung outspent all its competitors in the past year promoting its mobile devices. In fact it spent “more on marketing than on research and development” in 2012. The company could have a similar approach this year as it fights for more market share and profits in the mobile business.

Will Samsung and/or Apple encounter supply issues as they continue to clash for mobile domination? We’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.