HTC Legend Android Review

With its release a few months ago, it’s time to see what the team over at HTC delivered with the HTC Legend. This was HTC’s effort to provide the best smartphone on the market, so let’s see if the phone will live up to its name.

HTC Legend Android

HTC Legend

From an aesthetic point of view, the Legend is beautifully designed. It is encased in an aluminum frame which gives it a sleek and modern look, and the very design makes it a phone that is simply pleasant to hold in your hand. Moreover, the screen has been given an upgrade as well. The size remains at 3.2 inches, but the images themselves are presented in a bright and dazzling display of color and imagery. The reason for the improved visuals is that HTC decided to use an OLED screen instead of the LCD that they used in their previous phones. For the uninitiated, the switch to an OLED screen means that it has a backlight; and in this case, it leads to a much better visual effect that even direct sunlight does not tarnish.

The software has also gone through some much appreciated updates. The Legend comes with the Android 2.1 system, which runs smoothly and efficiently. Another update is the Friend Stream, an app that lets you zip through your friends various statuses on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr all in one feed. There are a number of other cool additions. For instance, the phone comes with seven home screens to work with, and thankfully HTC kept in mind the need for a simple user interface by making it possible to bring up all seven homes screens at once to select which one you want to go to. All in all, the Legend’s software offerings are on par with the aesthetic appeal of the smartphone itself, which will go a long way in delighting its users.

Some of the other features of the HTC Legend Android include:

  • 3G Bandwidth: 900/2100 MHz
  • Touch sensitive optical trackpad
  • 3.2 inch screen with 320 x 480 pixels
  • About 6 hours of usage time and 560 hours of standby time
  • Operates with Android OS, v2.1
  • 384 MB of RAM, 512 MB of ROM
  • Built in GPS

The fact is that the HTC Legend was one of the best smartphones in 2010, and has to be seriously considered by any consumer even now. When you consider that it is going for only $281.00, you find that you have a powerful, useful, and beautiful phone that you can purchase on a budget. So don’t let the fact that it is over a year old stop you, it is still worthy of your consideration.

Apple and Android Face Off for the Best Tablet

In the war of the tablets, Apple’s iPad and iPad 2 have reigned supreme without any serious competition for some time now. Android devices have attempted to challenge Apple for this crown, but few have found any success, with the exception of the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tab. Samsung’s second version of the Galaxy tablet offers nearly all the features of the iPad 2, with an Android operating system that many people prefer. So which tablet reigns supreme?

Both tablets have similar price points at the moment, so pricing isn’t the main deciding factor. If you are interested in design and screen quality the iPad edges out its competition slightly, offering better graphics and a more sturdy aluminum backing. While the Galaxy Tab has a plastic shell, many people carry their tablets in a protective case.  The Galaxy Tab takes the crown for lightest tablet, weighing in at 19.9 oz., as compared with the iPad 2′s 21.3 oz.  The Galaxy Tab 10.1 features a higher quality front and rear camera than that offered on the iPad 2 and the Galaxy’s screen is slightly larger.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Galaxy 10.1 Tab (Wi-Fi + 3G)

The battery life on the Apple iPad 2 is longer than that of the Galaxy 10.1 (a reported ten hours for Apple and nine for Samsung), and on both devices, the battery cannot be removed by the user and the device must be shipped away if a replacement or repair is needed. Both tablets come fully loaded with a number of free apps, and both give you the option to choose your free eReader. The iPad 2 has more available apps with the Apple App Store than that of its Android counterpart, but many of the Android apps available to the Galaxy 10.1 allow for greater customization and freedom for the user.

Apple iPad 2

Apple iPad 2 in Black & White (Wi-Fi + 3G)

In the end, the winning tablet depends largely on user preference. If you are used to, and satisfied with, Apple’s OS then the iPad 2 will likely offer all the apps and functions you require. If you prefer a more customized experience, the Galaxy Tab’s Android platform is likely to please you. Because they’re priced within $100 of one another, the choice is yours. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

Shop for Galaxy Tabs

Shop for an iPad 2

India’s $35 Tablet delay disappoint many College Student

The India’s ambitious $35 tablet is going to put every college student’s dreams on hold because there’s been a delay. The Times of India announced that their government dropped HCL Technologies, the company behind the great democratic tablet, for failing to follow through on the 600 million rupee (or $13,198,416) guarantee. Last summer, the country’s HRD, Kapil Sibal, made a number of appearances toting a mock up of the Android-based tablet, and said that it will be release on the 15th of January. People who sit beyond the desk say that the project is still on track and should be ready this summer. However, while the government is till looking for the one who can replace HCL, skeptics continue to sound warnings that parts alone will cost more than $35, well that’s sounds not good but let’s see what will happen.

Android Smartphones Affected by Malicious Wallpaper App

As cellphones turned into smartphones and began replicating the features of a computer, hackers quickly turned their attention to new ways of collecting people’s information. But thanks to security firms like Lookout, malicious tools are soon detected often without causing any large scale damages.

The latest in Lookout’s discoveries is a wallpaper app meant for Android phones. The app is developed by “Jackeey Wallpaper” and provides numerous wallpapers including branded content.

As users enjoy the app, it does something very malicious in the background: it quietly collects personal information such as SIM card numbers, text messages, subscriber identification, and voicemail passwords. The app then sends the information to a site located in Shenzhen, China. The site is www.imnet.us

Lookout discovered the app through their App Genome Project that hopefully will continue to catch such malicious tools.

Android 3.0 Might be in the Testing Stage

We already know that Motorola is designing is a 10-inch tablet that will ship in the Fall of this year. We also know that the tablet will run on Android. The latest news related to this is that he Motorola tablet might feature Android 3.0.

A check of online analytics revealed some sets running Android 3.0 and even 3.1 and 3.2. The 3.0 sets indicate that Google has already finished the OS and is testing it out. The 3.1 and 3.2 versions are believed to be examples of concurrent development which will branch out once the 3.0 version is finished.

Android 3.0 will feature a more intuitive interface and will probably have support for upcoming services like Google Music. If the tablet comes equipped with Android 3.0, it will be the first major competitor to Apple’s iPad.



Verizon and Motorola Acknowledge Display Problems With Some Droid X Phones

The problem with latest smartphones is that they are overambitious and released fast. Resultantly the first batches of the phone present problems that were overlooked in testing. Droid X is a perfect example of this.

A competitor to the iPhone 4, Droid X offers a number of impressive features to its users including a high resolution 4.3-inch screen, an 8 megapixel camera, and a high definition video recorder. After it was launched, a number of buyers reported flickering and bands of light on their LCD screens. But this problem was by a very small percentage of phone buyers – Engadget reported it to be less than 1%.

Nonetheless, Verizon was quick in admitting the device’s flaw. A Verizon spokeswoman acknowledged on Tuesday that a small number of phone were affecting by the display problem. The carrier explained that the phone’s manufacturer, Motorola, had fixed the problem. Any Droid X phone owner facing the display issue should contact either Verizon or Motorola.

Google App Inventor For Android

iPhone app developers already know of Apple’s strict iTunes App Store policy. Out of the countless apps submitted, many are rejected by Apple. Creating an iPhone app is not an easy task; once the app has been created, facing a rejection by Apple must be tough for developers.

Observing the affects of Apple’s strict policy, Google has taken a different approach. Unlike Apple, Google plans on making app creation easier. Very soon they will be launching something that will give average phone owners the chance to create apps for their Android smartphones. This ‘something’ is Google’s “App Inventor” and is currently being tested in their Labs.

For App Inventor to graduate from Labs, it will need to demonstrate potential and success. If the idea takes off as planned, then very soon all Android phone owners will be able to create brilliant apps for their phones. This will be a huge success for Google and a huge step in Android’s progress.

You can learn more about the “App Inventor” here.

Vlingo’s SuperDialer For Android Is Here

On a desktop computer it is easy for me to open up any search engine in my browser, type in my query, and execute the search. But on a smartphone it is an entirely different matter. The search process that seems to easy on desktop computers can become inconvenient when you have a 3-inch screen on which you have to view and type at the same time. This is why Vlingo is a helpful app for all smartphone owners.

Vlingo is a free voice-enabled search app. You can use it to search for places. For instance you could open Vlingo and say the words “restaurants” and all indexed nearby restaurants will be displayed. Additionally you can speak in a status message that will be put up on your Twitter or Facebook account.

Other features of the app include dictating text and email messages but they come with a price tag ranging from $10 to $20.

Vlingo has different versions for BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android phones. This versions factor has greatly contributed to its popularity – more than 5 million Vlingo apps have been downloaded.

You can check out Vlingo

Verizon Will Not be Running Into Droid X Shortages

The soon-to-be-launched phone Droid X is perhaps the most advanced smartphone running on Android OS to date. Its specifications include a large 4.3-inch, 854×480 touchscreen display, and a 1GHz processor with enough power to support an 8 megapixel camera with 720p video recording and HDMI ouput. The phone will also have Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities allowing other Wi-Fi-enabled devices to connect to the internet uses the phone’s Wi-Fi or 3G internet.

The last “Droid” named phone in the Android series was HTC’s Droid Incredible. Like Droid X, Droid Incredible had gained an enthusiastic following. Many people went to buy the set when it was released. Unfortunately because of the supply shortage and high demand of the AMOLED screens used in Droid Incredible, people had to wait a long time before they could get their hands on Incredible.

With the released of Droid X right round the corner, the carrier that will be releasing it, Verizon, assures people that no shortages will be faced. There will be enough sets for everybody and all Droid X enthusiasts will be able to purchase the set from the beginning of the release.

Droid X launches on Thursday.

Motorola Charm Announced

If you were hoping that Motorola would confirm their plans on Charm then today is your lucky day. Motorola has officially announced that it will going ahead with their new cellphone titled “Charm.”

The phone will focus on social networking as well as capturing good media with a good quality. Main features of the phones are:

  • A bar-style
  • Full QWERT keyboard
  • Android 2.1 OS
  • A new version of MOTOBLUR that will enable better message filtering and customizations
  • 2.8 Touchscreen display with Gorilla Glass display
  • 3 megapixel fixed-focus camera accompanied by Kodak’s Perfect Touch software
  • Video capture at 24 frames per second
  • 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
  • Motorola’s Crystal Talk Plus for great voice quality
  • Adobe Flash Lite loaded in the built-in browser
  • Support for pinch-to-zoom
  • One-touch upload to social networks
  • Bluetooth
  • microSD card slot with maximum support of 32 GB cards

The phone will be released on T-Mobile and will support the carrier’s 3.6Mbps HSDPA network. No details were revealed about the phone’s pricing or exact availability.

You can read the official press release here