Daily Archives: October 20, 2015

HTC claims unlocked One A9 will get major updates only 15 days after Nexus devices

Posted on by

System updates have long been a sore point for Android and its fans, as manufacturers have often been painfully slow and carriers further delay updates to add their own bloat and annoying features. But with Nexus devices, you often get updates first, regardless of what carriers want, since they have historically been unlocked and free of carrier influences (there have been a few exceptions).

Other brands have tried to keep up as well. Companies like Samsung and HTC have improved in many ways, and Motorola has exceeded expectations in some cases. But HTC is looking to make an even bigger impact.

With the announcement of the HTC One A9, HTC claims that the unlocked device will be updated only 15 days after the Nexus devices receive their major updates. So whenever Android 6.1 launches, the A9 will get it just 15 days after the Nexus line, which is a stark contrast to the 90 days most manufacturers go by (and often fail to achieve).

That’s not to say HTC won’t be able to do it. The company has blamed lack of updates on carriers before, but the unlocked device will have nothing to do with them. But it remains to be seen how quickly HTC can pump out those updates, since it has to also adapt (and hopefully improve) Sense UI along with it.

There are some fears that a year or two in the future, HTC may not even be around anymore. The company isn’t doing too well financially, so those fears aren’t unfounded. What do you think of the promises HTC is making? Leave a comment!

from Android and Me http://ift.tt/1jShfBe
via IFTTT

The Robin is EE’s new child-friendly tablet

Posted on by

In today’s connected world, everybody and everything seems to be online. Naturally, that includes our kids and needless to say, growing up in the web can be both empowering, but also quite dangerous. Catering content, services and devices to a younger crowd is becoming more and more relevant, which is why offers like EE’s Robin tablet really seem like a natural step forward and should become more common it the future.

The Robin isn’t really a revolutionary product and similar efforts already exist, most notably, the Amazon Kindle Fire Kids Edition, but the key here seems to be execution and the proper mix of hardware and software to deliver the best possible child-friendly experience and in this respect, OEMs are just starting to evolve the experience.

On the hardware side, Robin doesn’t really offer much power, but it’s more than enough for its primary purpose – casual gaming and educational apps. It has a 7-inch display, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, plus a microSD card slot for up to 32GB more. Also, a 2MP rear-facing camera. This is all quite up to par with what Amazon offers and so are the protective features – both devices are encased in a thick layer of rubber. However, unlike the Kindle Fire Kids Edition, the EE Robin does offer 4G connectivity, making for a lot faster browsing in the carrier’s network.

But, truth be told, you could potentially buy a cheap Chinese tablet, slap a thick case on it and get pretty much the same end result. The real trick and value of Robin definitely lies in the software. The device runs the flexible Kurio operating system, built on top of Android 5.1 Lollipop. It is equipped with all you need to provide a truly safe digital experience for your kinds with advanced parental control features, based on “safe” and “block” lists. These are said to work quite autonomously, but there is also a lot of manual tweaking and control to be done. The Google Play Store is generally the source of content, but thanks to profiles and granular per-app control, you can not only block certain apps, but also time-restrict others.

Speaking of apps, Robin comes preloaded with over 40 popular games, like Fruit Ninja and Berry Rush. You also get a few months of free access to the Hopster network – an interactive TV streaming app with high-quality kid shows and games.

The Robin will first become available to customers in select stores starting October 23. Nationwide online availability and EE telesales should start on November 2. As for pricing, you can get the tablet on a variety of EE monthly plans, starting as low as GBP 13 a month. It can also be had for GBP 129.99 on a Pay as you go…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1QPRIDy
via IFTTT

Todo HTC One A9 libre recibirá actualizaciones de Android 15 días después de los Nexus

Posted on by

htc-one-a9-group Hoy hemos presenciado en el evento de HTC la presentación del su nuevo terminal, el One A9. De este nuevo smartphone se esperaba que fuera capaz de levantar la compañía, ya que HTC está acomulando un fracaso tras otro. El HTC One A9 como hemos analizado ya en Adro4all, no tiene pinta de ser una excepción, y aunque el tiempo lo dirá todo, no parece ser un terminal de alta gama y menos que “salve” HTC.

Todas las actualizaciones 15 días después que los Google Nexus

Esto es lo que promete la compañía taiwanesa con su HTC One A9. Todo está por ver pero normalmente los terminales que no son de Google en sí, tardan unos 75 días más en actualizarse que los Google Nexus, o al menos así ha sido hasta el momento. El hecho de contar con actualizaciones casi a la vez que los Nexus significa que tendrás 60 días antes las nuevas versiones de Android que hay por venir, aunque este de todos modos ya vendrá con la última versión de Android disponible, la 6.0 Marshmallow. Aunque no se sabe del cierto, es muy posible que esta característica solo este disponible en los Estados Unidos, como la versión de 32 GB de almacenamiento y 3 GB de RAM.

Si esta afirmación es cierta, le añade a este One A9 algo más de “prestaciones positivas” haciendo frente a sus puntos débiles, como su procesador, Qualcomm Snapdragon 617, que queda muy por debajo del esperado Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, o su batería, de 2150 mAh, todo eso por un módico precio de 599 euros. Aún así, nadie de momento ha probado este One A9 y a lo mejor nos sorprende, aunque con este hardware es muy probable que no. Encima, su CEO, Cher Wang, anunciaba ayer que sería un terminal capaz de reemplazar un iPhone tranquilamente. Por lo que hemos analizado, queda descartado que esta afirmación sea cierta.

Nuevo HTC One A9 presentado

En resumen, puede que HTC saque algo positivo si estas actualizaciones llegan antes que el resto de smartphones, pero aún así es posible que no basta para que HTC “levante el vuelo” si se cumplen las expectativas de cómo será este terminal con este Hardware descrito.

En general, hay dos posibles sucesos: la más catastrofista, en que es el fin de HTC como empresa o al menos como la empresa que era o que este One A9 sorprenda a todo el mundo y HTC haya sido capaz de crear un smartphone digno con estas características.

¡Estate atento a Andro4all para conocer este desenlace y comentanos si quieres que te parecen a tí estas actualizaciones, o qué te ha parecido el nuevo “tope de gama” de HTC!

¿Y tú que piensas? Pásate por Todo HTC One A9 libre recibirá actualizaciones de Android 15 días después de los Nexus para dejar tu huella.

Puedes unirte a nosotros en Twitter, Facebook o en Google+

Publicado recientemente en Andro4all

from Andro4all http://ift.tt/1GgRc1b
via IFTTT

Tesla Gets Sideswiped As Consumer Reports Now Knocks Model S Reliability

Posted on by

In a bombshell development that surely will prompt many fans of the brand to check their eyeglasses, Tesla Model S has fallen from an unparalleled pinnacle in the eyes of Consumer Reports evaluators to a model now rated by the magazine as “worse than average” in reliability.

from Forbes – Tech http://ift.tt/1OGScOQ
via IFTTT