froyo

Huawei Ideos X5 will please Android purists (review)

We first glimpsed the Huawei Ideos X5 at CES and declared it a good-looking, midlevel Android phone. It runs the standard version of Android 2.2 (Froyo), which means that it doesn't have any of the extra interface graphics that manufacturers sometimes add for visual flare and to differentiate their phones from rivals'. That's sure to please those campaigning to let Android be Android without additional skin modifications.

The Ideos X5 has very solid hardware specs, like a 3.8-inch capacitive touch screen, a 5-megapixel camera, and 720p HD video capture and playback. It also has expandable memory … Read more

Dell Streak 7 review: T-Mobile's first 4G tablet

The Dell Streak 7 is T-Mobile's first 4G tablet and a welcome comeback for Dell after the original Streak struck out.

If the $199 price tag seems too good to be true--it is. To get the Streak 7 for less than the cost of an iPod Touch, you'll need to jump into a two-year contract with T-Mobile, with a 5GB monthly plan that costs $49 a month for new customers, or $39 a month if you're already part of the T-Mobile family. A $29 monthly plan is also available, but restricted to 200MB.

If you take the … Read more

Samsung announces Android-powered Galaxy Ace, Fit, Gio, Mini

Samsung's global family of Galaxy S Android smartphones is growing. Today the cell phone maker announced four more members: Samsung Galaxy Ace, Samsung Galaxy Fit, Samsung Galaxy Gio, and Samsung Galaxy Mini. We won't get a chance to see the new global devices until Mobile World Congress next month in Barcelona, Spain, and the phones are all headed to Russia first (the Fit is available there now), with expansion to the rest of Europe, India, and China. The Galaxy Fit will eventually head to South American countries as well.

We do know a little about each device. Like … Read more

Froyo's share is on the rise

Six months after its release, Froyo has begun to eclipse Eclair as the most prevalent Android OS version. According to figures Google released yesterday, Android 2.2 runs on 51.8 percent of handsets that accessed the Andorid Market in a 14-day period ending January 4. Eclair (2.1) handsets had a 35.2 percent share, whereas Cupcake (1.4) and Donut (1.6) have dwindled down to a combined 12.6 percent share.

We realize that Google is using a very specific measure that doesn't reflect the total number of devices on the market, but the news is … Read more

T-Mobile serving Samsung Vibrant Froyo on January 21

Samsung Vibrant owners may be getting sweeter later this month. T-Mobile will begin updating the Samsung smartphone from Android 2.1 to Android 2.2. Subscribers will begin seeing the long-awaited changes as soon as January 21, though the rollout will come in waves--not everyone will receive a call to update on the same day.

In addition to serving Vibrant owners some good new about the Froyo build, T-Mobile also put to rest a nasty rumor that Samsung has been purposely thwarting the Android 2.2 update.

Samsung's custom skin and T-Mobile's add-on apps are two complications behind … Read more

Samsung Acclaim gets Froyo

U.S. Cellular announced today that it's pushing Android 2.2 Froyo to its Samsung Acclaim smartphone. You can't get the update over the air--you'll have to actually connect your phone to a PC--but that's a small price to pay for all the goodness that Froyo brings. Here are a few of the highlights as listed on U.S. Cellular's site.

Fully integrated support for Microsoft Exchange (e-mail & calendar) Use the Acclaim as a mobile hot spot through the carrier's 3G network for five to eight users Save applications to the microSD card … Read more

Verizon's LG Ally poised to receive Froyo

Verizon is set to begin pushing out another Android 2.2 Froyo update, this time for the LG Ally. Launched last May with the release of "Iron Man 2," the smartphone has been running Android 2.1 for the better part of a year.

Details of the update range from enhancements to the browser to improved security and new versions of the Amazon, Amazon MP3, Facebook, and ThinkFree Office apps. Although the carrier has yet to announce the availability of the Froyo update, a support page has already gone live. Typically these pages hit the Web about a … Read more

CES: Huawei Ideos X5 First Look (video)

LAS VEGAS--One of the most interesting (and possibly best) things about the Huawei Ideos X5 is what it lacks.

The Ideos X5 is one of a couple Android smartphones we've seen without a customized skin on top of the stock Android operating system. Not all of those skins are bad by any means, but Android purists will welcome the simple, straightforward interface. Take a look at the phone and its features in this First Look video from the CES show fly.

CES: ZTE hopes to make Android 'Blade' stick

LAS VEGAS--ZTE isn't announcing devices besides its tablets, but we were able to glean a few things during our meeting with the Chinese phone manufacturer at CES. Chiefly, ZTE is looking for a home for the ZTE Blade, an Android-powered smartphone that's already been released in Europe and Asia.

We took a look at the Blade--it has a 3.5-inch touch screen, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. In global markets, it currently runs Android 2.1 but should be upgradable to Android 2.2 (Froyo). Right now ZTE says it's in talks with major and regional U.… Read more

CES: Huawei Ideos X5 runs stock Android

LAS VEGAS--Just as we reported yesterday, Huawei introduced a new phone for the U.S. market at this year's CES, the Huawei Ideos X5. This midrange Android handset is no stranger; it's already been released in Asia. The U.S. timetable is much murkier--Huawei is keeping the U.S. launch date, carrier, and price under wraps until later this month.

In that sense, the specs are no surprise. The slim, trim Ideos X5 has a nice 3.8-inch screen with a WVGA display (800x480 pixels). It looked bright in our hands and we liked the dark gray brushed … Read more