Jelly Bean Android Users Surpass Ice Cream Sandwich Android Users

Jelly Bean Android 4.1

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Good news for Android users, the Jelly Bean Android OS has surpassed the number of mobile device using the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS.

Around 28.4 percent of Android devices are using the latest versions of the mobile OS from Google. It was slightly ahead of the Ice Cream Sandwich or the Android 4.0, which accounted for 27.5 percent of all Android device users. The figures reflect users for the month of April.

However, the Gingerbread Android is still on top of the list with 38.5 percent despite falling by 1.7 percent.

The numbers were based on the users who visited the Google Play Store during a specific period of time. It shows a notable adoption of the Jelly Bean Android OS among mobile device users. The Jelly Bean Android OS was released by Google last July and it is gradually reducing its gap with the Gingerbread Android OS. The Gingerbread Android entered the market in December 2010 and it accounted for over 50 percent of Android users at the end of last year.

The increasing number of users of the latest Android OS can be attributed to the release of the Samsung Galaxy S3, which surpassed the 50 million unit level since it was released into the market last year.  With the upcoming release of the SamsungGalaxy S4, the Jelly Bean Android OS is expected to surpass the number of users of the Gingerbread Android OS soon.

Android 4.0 Update Coming To Samsung Galaxy Tab Devices

Android 4.0

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It appears that the Android 4.0 update is gradually being released to a number of devices and the latest devices that are set to receive the latest version of the Android mobile platform are the Samsung Galaxy Tab devices.

Reports have indicated that owners of Samsung Galaxy Tab devices can expect to receive the Android 4.0 update starting next month. The Wi-Fi only model as well as the Wi-Fi / 3G versions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, 7.7, 8.9 and the 10.1 will be receiving the Android 4.0 update.

Although the specific date of release of the Android 4.0 update for the devices remains uncertain, most of them should expect it to come by August. In addition to the standard features of the Android 4.0 platform, the devices will also see an enhancement in the speed and the battery life of the devices once they receive the Android 4.0 update.

The release plans for the Android 4.0 update of Samsung has been quite transparent as it often offers updates through Twitter or Facebook.

Even though some time has passed since reports of an update was made by the company, it has revealed that a number of devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 update over the summer. The official announcement of the release of the update should be expected in the coming weeks.

Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate - Budget-Friendly LTE Smartphone From AT&T

Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate

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The Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate was first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show near the start of the year and it appears that this budget-friendly LTE smartphone will be entering the market soon.

Reports have indicated that the Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate will enter the market by June 10 at a price of around $50. This budget-friendly LTE smartphone will be a welcome Earth-friendly addition to the smartphone lineup of AT&T.

Eighty percent of the components of the Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate are made of post-consumer waste material. AT&T revealed that an efficient charger will also come with this budget-friendly LTE smartphone. The $50 price tag of the device will come with a two-year contract with the US-based carrier.

The Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate will feature a four-inch Super AMOLED display screen, 1.2GHz dual-core Scorpion processor from Qualcomm, five-megapixel camera at the back that is capable of recording 720p HD videos. This budget-friendly LTE smartphone will also feature a 1.3MP camera in front.

Both Samsung and AT&T will reportedly add some applications into this budget-friendly LTE smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate is among the first smartphones that AT&T is adding to its lineup to allow it to certify its eco-rating system that will be unveiled during the summer.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Options For US Consumers

Samsung Galaxy S3

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It appears that US consumers will have a good number of choices when the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3 is finally released into the United States.

Reports have indicated that a total of eighteen different models of the Samsung Galaxy S3 will be made available for US consumers depending on the color and internal storage of the much-awaited device. The upcoming Android 4.0-powered Samsung Galaxy S3 is anticipated to become available in the United States within the month of June.

AT&T will offer at least three color options for its customers including the red-colored option which will be offered exclusively by the US-based carrier. However it appears that the Samsung Galaxy S3 models that AT&T will offer into the market will have a limited internal storage of 16GB, which would make it necessary for users to acquire a microSD memory card to increase the available storage for the device.

Pre-orders for the AT&T models of the Samsung Galaxy S3 will start on June 5 although the specific release date remains uncertain.

Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon will be offering two color options for the Samsung Galaxy S3 along with two storage options, 16GB and 32GB. Pre-orders for the device will start on June 5 and June 6 for Sprint and Verizon respectively. It remains uncertain when T-Mobile will be accepting pre-orders for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3.

Although US Cellular will be offering two color options for the upcoming smartphone, the 32GB model will only come in the white color option. Pre-orders for the device will be accepted by US Cellular by June 12.

The price tag for the AT&T model of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is at around $200 while both Sprint and Verizon will be offering the 16GB and 32GB models of the device at around $200 and $250 respectively. No price tag was made available for the T-Mobile and US Cellular models of the upcoming smartphone.

Verizon has the upper hand in connectivity as it is offering 4G LTE support for the Samsung Galaxy S3 in 258 markets. AT&T and US Cellular are offering 4G LTE support in 39 markets and 6 markets respectively. Sprint has yet to finish setting up its 4G LTE network while US Cellular is offering HSPA+42 support for its customers.

These are just some of the options that potential buyers of the Samsung Galaxy S3 have once the upcoming Android 4.0-powered smartphone will finally enter the US market before the end of the month.

Samsung Galaxy SIII Accessories Ready For Release

Samsung Galaxy SIII

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It appears that preparations for the Samsung Galaxy SIII was not limited to the device itself since a number of accessories were also being prepared by the company.

The Samsung Galaxy SIII features the latest version of the Android OS, the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS. Some of these accessories include a desktop dock, protective covers, an MP3 player and wireless chargers.

A capacitive stylus pen was also being offered for the Samsung Galaxy SIII which has been dubbed as the C pen. Some industry watchers have indicated that the C pen will likely be quite useful on the 4.8-inch display of the device. Prior to the Samsung Galaxy SIII, the Samsung Galaxy Note also featured a stylus pen that users can use on the huge display of the smartphone / tablet hybrid device.

It is also expected that more accessories will be released for the Samsung Galaxy SIII due to its Bluetooth 4.0 and near field technology or NFC support. These upcoming accessories for the Samsung Galaxy SIII will likely be designed to for use at home and at work.

Aside from unveiling the Samsung Galaxy SIII, the South Korean company has reportedly released additional details about the development of its media services. The last time the Music Hub and the Video Hub of Samsung was discussed was last February when the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 was unveiled.

The online service of Samsung will reportedly come with features that can go up against the iTunes Match of Apple. It will allow users to scan songs into the hard drive of their device and give recommendations on tracks found on its library. The Music Hub of Samsung reportedly has around 17 million songs available and has a monthly charge of around $10 for a single device while four devices will entail a monthly charge of around $13 each month.

Owners of the Samsung Galaxy SIII will also be able to use around 50GB of storage from Dropbox. This was revealed during the same event where the latest smartphone offering of Samsung was launched.

Keeping In Touch With Class Through The Tag Heuer Racer

Tag Heuer Racer

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Tag Heuer is a manufacturer of luxury watches from Switzerland and it appears that the company will be offering a luxury Android-powered smartphone, the Tag Heuer Racer.

The GT Racing cars were the inspiration of this luxury avant-garde Android smartphone that will cost a little over $3,600. The Tag Heuer Racer will feature a sock-proof rubber chassis and is made of titanium and carbon fibre.

Although reports have indicated that the Tag Heuer Racer will come with the latest Android software, the four buttons positioned in front of the device hint at the Android 2.3 OS instead of the Android 4.0 OS.

The design of the Tag Heuer Racer evokes of elegance and the classy style that the watchmaker is noted for. Sleek lines, exposed screws and muscular angles call to mind the sophistication that this Android-powered device will offer to users.

The Tag Heuer Racer also looks tougher compared to other smartphones in the market including the last smartphone that the watchmaker offered into the market, the Tag Heuer Link. Due to this appearance some industry watchers are expecting the new device to feature water-proofing, shock-proofing and the Gorilla Glass display.

For the moment no detailed specifications were revealed about the Tag Heuer Racer although it is expected to create some buzz once it enters the market.

The Tag Heuer Racer will have a few rivals in the luxury smartphone segment which include the BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981 that is available at Harrod’s, Vertu Constellation T of Nokia, and the AEsir AE + Y, which costs nearly $47,000.

The Tag Heuer Racer is expected to be available at the boutiques of Tag Heuer along with a number of luxury mobile and jewelry shops by July.

Possible Fall Release for Android 5.0 Hinted by Google Executive

Android 5.0

Some industry watchers are expecting the first smartphones to feature the Android 5.0 OS to be launch by summer.

However, according to the mobile engineering VP of Google, Hiroshi Lockheimer, the next version of the Android OS may be released sometime in fall. This was revealed during the recent Mobile World Congress as Lockheimer indicated that the company has not made any announcements on the release schedule of the Android 5.0 as of the moment.

Lockheimer further indicated that the company aims to maintain a one year interval between the releases of its Android OS, which some observers have indicated will suggest a fall release of the Android 5.0 OS since the present version was unveiled only last November.

But Lockheimer also added that the company is also flexible and the schedule is not the main stimulus of the company but innovation and providing a notable user experience.

Despite reports that hinted at the Jelly Bean name for the Android 5.0, no official statements were issued by Google in connection to the name of the latest version of the OS. Previous versions followed the alphabet starting with Cup Cake for the Android 1.5, Donut for the 2.0, Éclair for the 2.1, Froyo for the 2.2, Gingerbread for the 2.3, Honeycomb for the 3.0 and the present Ice Cream Sandwich for the 4.0. Due to this, some suggestions were made for the Android 5.0 to be named after sweets that start with the letter J.

The current version of the Android OS is currently receiving positive feedback from users and app developers as shown during the MWC where a good number of visitors were interested in Android 4.0 apps.

Lockheimer has also remained mum on the possible features that the Android 5.0 will offer to Android devices although he revealed that the company aims to make things simpler and powerful at the same time. With this, Google aims to appeal to both newbies and advanced users of the Android OS.

Recent reports have also speculated at the possibility that the successor to the Asus Transformer Prime will be the first tablet to come with the Android 5.0 OS although this remained unconfirmed. The first smartphone that will feature the Android 5.0 will be a Nexus phone although the manufacturer remains uncertain.

In the end, consumers will have to wait for the official announcement from Google and its partners in connection to the release of the Android 5.0 OS.

LG Aims to Offer Next Android Device

Jelly Bean Android

Reports have given indications that LG is discussing with Google the possibility of offering the next Nexus device for this year.

The Nexus brand is used for the introduction of the latest versions of the Android OS of Google. The original Nexus, the Nexus One, was produced by HTC. The Nexus S, which was produced two years ago, introduced the Gingerbread Android OS while the most recent Galaxy Nexus that was produced by Samsung came with the Android 4.0 OS.

The first Android OS designed for tablets, the Honeycomb Android, was introduced into the market through the Motorola Xoom tablets.

It appears that LG is interested in producing the next version of the Nexus device as indicated in recent reports. According to the head of the smartphone division of LG, Ramchan Woo, the company is currently discussing with Google in connection to offering the next Nexus device.

The next version of the Android OS is dubbed as the Jelly Bean Android and reports have indicated that it will likely be compatible with the Windows 8 OS. If LG is able to persuade Google in offering the next Nexus device, it will have a good opportunity of becoming solid player in the Android market.

It remains uncertain for the moment since no commitments were made yet in connection to the bid of LG in producing the next Nexus device. At present, LG has yet to offer a blockbuster device in the smartphone market and it has only adopted the Android OS a little later compared to its competitors and with the next Nexus device, the company may be able to help increase its share of the market.

The company is set to unveil new devices during the upcoming Mobile World Congress and it flagship brand is currently the Optimus smartphones. Industry watchers have indicated that if LG will be able to persuade Google to allow them to offer the next Nexus device, it may be dubbed as the LG Optimus Nexus.

Is the Low Price of the ZTE Light 2 Worth It?

ZTE Light 2

It appears that ZTE is making a big push into the market as the company is reportedly preparing to introduce a ZTE-branded tablet into the UK market. The upcoming ZTE Light 2 is a seven-inch tablet that will use the Gingerbread Android 2.3 OS and will come with a three-megapixel rear-facing camera.

However it appears that its features may be a bit lacking since it only offers a 4GB internal storage, which may not give enough space for the videos, music, and other files that users may want to store into the device. But the ZTE Light 2 does allow users to store additional content through a microSD memory card.

The ZTE Light 2 is slightly heavier than the seven-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab although it may still be light enough for users to carry around.

The unremarkable features of the ZTE Light 2 however reflect its price tag since it is relatively cheap compared to other tablets in the market. The ZTE Light 2 is priced at around £235 or around $370, this is cheaper compared to the iPad 2 which is priced at around £400 or around $630. However it is more costly compared to the BlackBerry PlayBook, which is priced at around £169 or around $265.

The ZTE Light 2 is anticipated to be released near the end of February or early March. However the Gingerbread Android that will come with the device may not add to the appeal of the device.

Despite these not-so-positive factors on the ZTE Light 2, some observers are actually taking the ZTE Light 2 into consideration due to its low price in comparison to a number of tablets in the market. The device will be the first tablet that comes with the ZTE brand to enter the UK market and how it fares in the market will likely set the precedent on the future tablet offerings of the company in the UK.

Reports Hint at Jelly Bean Android 5.0 OS Release This Year

It appears that the next version of the Android OS, the supposed Jelly Bean Android 5.0 OS, will be optimized for use on tablet PCs and may work well with the Windows 8 OS of Microsoft.

Jelly Bean Android 5.0 OS

This was revealed recently in a report posted by Digitimes, a Taiwanese website. The website has also indicated that it has knowledge on the possible launch of the upcoming version o the Android OS of Google.

Supply chain vendors were the supposed source for the report on the Jelly Bean Android 5.0 OS as the website has reportedly discussed with them on the possible launch date of the OS. These vendors have indicated that the Jelly Bean Android 5.0 OS will be unveiled during the second quarter of the year and will reportedly be optimized for use on tablet PCs.

But some questions may be raised on the claim that the vendors have revealed that the Jelly Bean Android 5.0 OS can be added to a notebook or tablet PC using the Windows 8 OS. This will allow the switching between the two operating systems without having to reboot the device.

The Chrome OS is designed for use on notebooks while the Android OS is designed for use on tablet PCs and smartphones. Questions will be raised on the veracity of the reports particularly on the supposed use of the Jelly Bean Android 5.0 OS with the Windows 8 OS.

The possible release of the Jelly Bean Android 5.0 OS may not be impossible although the latest version is still being released to a number of devices, which may raise more questions on the veracity of the report. The Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 OS is currently being released to a number of older devices following its launch on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

For the moment, it would be better to take a wait-and-see stance with regard to the supposed release of the Jelly Bean Android 5.0 OS particularly with its possible integration into tablet PCs and notebooks running the Windows 8 OS.