Android and Me » android 1.6

Hands-on with i’m Watch at its official CES launch

Nick Gray — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:53:20 +0000

The world’s first real Android powered smart watch is finally here! Today at CES, i’m Watch was officially unveiled to the world, showcasing what a true smart watch should actually be like. We’ve seen what SONY and Motorola have come up with, but their devices don’t really do everything we want an Android powered smart watch to do. The Motorola ACTV is a niche device intended to work independently of your smartphone as an exercise accessory. The SONY LiveView 2 is really only a Bluetooth enabled accessory that features some nice widgets that tie into your phone. But they don’t work without having an Android powered phone by your side.

The new i’m Watch takes a different approach, offering a smart watch experience integrated with Android and iOS devices via Bluetooth that allows users to load music and other applications directly onto the device without having to rely on a smartphone at all times. Specs on the i’m Watch include a 1.54-inch 240×240 pixel (220ppi) curved capacitive display, 450 MHz ARM processor, 64 or 128 MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 450 mAh battery.

Currently, the i’m Watch is running Android 1.6 and there are no plans (with the current models) to update the device. I spoke with one of the engineers who said that the decision to go with Android 1.6 was due to the watch’s original 64 MB memory limitation. They have since changed the hardware to include 128 MB of memory, but found that the device was simply more stable on Android 1.6 than any of the newer versions of Android.

Battery life for the i’m Watch is rated at 48 hours of standby time, but that number drops off to only 24 hours if you have Bluetooth enabled. The i’m Watch team was brutally honest with me, saying that battery life is one of the main limitations of the device. Most people will be able to get through a full day with i’m Watch, but the battery can be drained in as little as three hours if you leave the display on the entire time.

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Shipments of i’m Watch will be headed out from Italy in February of 2012 as soon as the final version of the software is approved. The devices we played with were a lot more responsive than the hands-on videos that popped up on the web a few months back. The software allows users to sync their contacts, calendar and email and even access updates from Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re looking for the ultimate Android powered smart watch, the i’m Watch is definitely the way to go. Prices on the device range from $329 for the standard model to $2,299. Yes, it’s more expensive than the competition, but for now there’s nothing in the smart watch category that can really compete with the i’m Watch.

Show Press Release

LasVegas/Milan, January 10, 2012 – Play.me Radio Edition, the multi-device digital music application recently launched by Buongiorno-DadaEnt, is behind the i’Music channel for i’m Watch, the first smart wrist watch made in Italy, which is to be announced today at the CES in Las Vegas, the world’s foremost electronics and technology event.

The Play.me application on i’Music allows users to select all of their favorite music at a mere touch, thus enabling them to listen to their music anywhere through the intuitive interface offered by the smart watch that has already been selected for inclusion as a “CES 2012 Design & Engineering Award Honoree”.

Exclusively for i’Music, Play.me Radio Edition is offering over 1 million radio channels selected by artist and genre, along with carefully crafted playlists created by the DJs on the Play.me team, conceived to satisfy all music preferences, whether for pop, dance, Italian music, jazz, R&B or rock. Using Play.me Radio Edition is quick and immediate: the music is streamed in high quality and users can even listen offline by simply choosing a list of their favorite songs and saving them on their i’m Watches.

The radio channels are playlists of individual songs in a sequence that is constantly updated and not subject to any limits of use in terms of time or space. After having selected a radio channel, users can synchronize their smart watches to keep that channel always available for them to listen to at any time.

Smart watches with the Android operating system are innovative, effective wrist watches that are integrated with next-generation smartphones. Audio quality is guaranteed by 3.5 mm input/output mini-jacks for headphones, integrated speaker microphone connection and power and external “on,” “off,” “stand-by,” “re-activate volume,” “+” and “-” controls.

Buongiorno-DadaEnt, the Company behind Play.me Radio Edition app, has made it also available as a multi-device Web application based on HTML5 for use on PCs, tablets and smartphones or as a native application for Samsung smartphones and smart TVs.

Information about I’m Watch

I’m Watch is equipped with a 1.55-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth tethering and a 4GB memory card. The graphical user interface (GUI) is clean cut, minimalist, easy to use and draws inspiration from the icons of the iPhone and of other smartphones. A resistant glass protects the curved surface of the high-resolution display screen (similar to the iPod nano). The first collection of this wristwatch will be available in late February 2012 and can be purchased on the official website www.imwatch.it. For further information about i’mWatch and i’Music: http://www.imwatch.it/it-it/smartwatch/imusic/

Video: i’m Watch prototype looking slow, releasing in January

Edgar Cervantes — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:38:39 +0000

The i’m Watch has been one of the most promising attempts at an Android-based watch. This device runs independently, while other watches cling to mom (your smartphone). For example, the Sony Ericsson LiveView cannot even tell you the time if it’s not connected to your phone via bluetooth. In this regard, the i’m Watch would probably be competing more with the MotoActv .

We’ve had big hopes for the i’m Watch. Videos have started to show up online, though, and we are less than impressed. We must take into account that these are prototype devices, so they should be improved by the release date. According to the representative in the third video, the device will be released in January 2012 starting at €300. The most expensive ones will go for €1200.

The i’m Watch CEO goes on to demonstrate a bit of what the device can do, and it seems very sluggish. It takes from 3-5 seconds to get to the home screen, and the device seems slow overall.

According to the spec sheet in the same video, the device will include a 464 MHz processor, 64 MB of RAM and Android 1.6. We’re definitely not impressed with that. This is just a watch, though, and they might be able to make it work great with those specs.

We’ll hold judgement until we see the final versions of these watches, but it seems manufacturers will need to step it up. Wrist computing is not an easy market; the product needs to be great for people to adopt it. As of now, we’re not sold on any of the options available and are hoping for more manufacturers to jump in the game with better products. Maybe a Samsung Galaxy Watch or an HTC wrist watch?

Check out the videos and let us know what you think. Are you planning to shell out €300 (around $425 USD) for one of these?

Hard-working Staff suggestions for manufacturers:

“I can’t wait ’til we see the ‘world’s thinnest smartwatch’ — the Samsung Galaxy Swatch.” – Taylor Wimberly
“You mean The Samsung Galaxy Swatch S III with Google?” – Anthony Domanico
“The Samsung DROID SWATCHZR!” – Edgar Cervantes
“THAT SHAVES YOUR FACE” – Clark Wimberly (in response to the DROID SWATCHZR)
“The Casio DROID CLCLTR will have full graphing capabilities.” – Sean Riley

New Android Market get overhauled UI, changes refund window to 15 minutes

Taylor Wimberly — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 05:23:40 +0000

After a year of minor tweaks, the Android Market has finally received an overhaul. The new look incorporates many of the behind the scenes changes made over the last couple months and adds the most requested features by users and developers.

For users, Google has updated the UI for the app detail page so you can access all the information about an application on a single page without the need to navigate across different tabs. The app detail page also includes related apps to make it easier to discover apps of similar interest. Several new categories were also added like Widgets and Live Wallpapers.

Developers are now able to upload applications up to 50 MB. The old limit was only 25 MB which had caused issues for some developers (especially games) that had to setup their own servers to distribute data files. The refund window has also been reduced from 24 hours down to 15 minutes since most refunds occur within minutes of purchase.

Some game devs had complained about the previous refund window because users could purchase a game, complete it, and then return it before the deadline. Maybe this will finally encourage Gameloft to bring some of their HD titles over.

Google will also add support for device targeting based on screen sizes and densities, as well as on GL texture compression formats.

The new Android Market client will be coming to all devices running Android 1.6 or greater over the next two weeks.

It should be pretty obvious when your Market starts up if you have the update, but you can double check by seeing if the version is 2.2.6. Kellen from Droid Life suggested the following tip to try and force the update: Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications> Al l> Market and clear data

A post on the Android Developers blog says new capabilities are rapidly coming in the weeks and months and they are working hard to “make it the best content distribution service for the Android ecosystem”. I have no idea what took them so long with the updates, so maybe we have AppBrain and AppAware for motivating them to get moving.

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New Android Market (version 2.2.6) features include:

Refund window changing to 15 minutes
New carousel with featured apps on main page
Widgets and Live Wallpapers categories added
Related content added to app page
Single page app viewing, all info in one place
Max size for apk files increased from 25 MB to 50 MB

Let us know if you see the new Market on your phone. Browsing the AppAware update stats, I don’t see many updates, but maybe that will change soon.

Are carriers to blame for slow Android software updates? Sony Ericsson points finger at AT&T

Taylor Wimberly — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:03:01 +0000

If you are one of the 3 million Samsung Galaxy S owners waiting on Android 2.2, just be glad you didn’t go with a Sony Ericsson X10 phone on AT&T. That device shipped with the outdated Android 1.6 in August and it might not even get Android 2.1 till next year.

What is the reason for the hold up? In a wall post on Facebook, Sony Ericsson points the finger at AT&T and their “especially rigorous” testing process which can take several months to complete.

Sprint and HTC delivered the Android 2.2 update for the EVO just six weeks after it was released, so we know not all carriers are the cause for slow software support. Verizon and Motorola then updated the Droid to Android 2.2 right after Sprint did the EVO, so they also have Android updates figured out.

Out of all the national U.S. carriers, AT&T has done the worst job at supporting their Android devices after launch.

We have heard some rumors that AT&T would not be providing any Android 2.2 updates over the air and would go with a wired software update, but the company doesn’t have any phones with Android 2.2 yet so we are unable to confirm that. It looks like they will eventually update the Samsung Captivate, but we have no release date at this time.

At the end of the day I don’t know if we should place the full blame on the carriers, but they play a large role in the software support equation. Unless you have a hacked device and load custom ROMS, then the carrier if the main source of software updates in the U.S. market.

It doesn’t look like that situation is going to change anytime soon, so keep that in mind next time your AT&T contract comes up for renewal. Would you rather wait six weeks for your next software update or six months?

Sony Ericsson’s message to X10 customers on Facebook:

Hi,

Many of you are aware that we are currently in the midst of rolling out a software update for the Xperia line of handsets. We’d like to take a moment to address your questions about how and why an update is made available.

One factor in determining a software update is when a country first received the handset. The Xperia X10 has been available in some countries since March 2010 and they are also the first to receive the update. The U.S. received the X10 in August 2010 and will receive the update after the initial countries.

The second and more impactful factor of the timeline addresses the technical requirements that must be met in order for an update to take place — no matter which country you live in. Unfortunately, we have no control of that timeline factor. Those requirements are provided to us and we work hard to meet and test them as quickly as we can. In the U.S., the testing process is especially rigorous, and can take months to complete, which is why we cannot announce the timing for availability of the X10 update in the U.S. It’s not that we don’t want to; it’s that the timing is undefined until such testing is completed.

We hear and understand your frustration. We too want you to enjoy the most out of your Sony Ericsson products. We promise to keep you updated on where we are in the process moving forward as more information is ready to be made public. Please stay tuned to this Facebook tab!

Thank you,

Sony Ericsson USA

The iDECT iHome Phone brings Android to your landline

Nick Gray — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 16:36:44 +0000

While most of you are worried about which version of Android your cell phone is running, Binatone is looking to revolutionize your home phone. The new iDECT iHome Phone is basically an Android powered cordless phone with a 2.8inch (320 x 240 pixels) resistive touch-screen. The iDECT iHome isn’t going to impress any of your friends with Android cell phones, but it’ll definitely be a great replacement for your cordless phone on your home landline (if you still have one).

The iDECT iHome Phone will support most typical Android functionality (Internet browser, mp3 player, picture gallery, video/YouTube player, alarm clock, Internet radio, email, and more) but we’re sad to report that it will not have access to the Android Market.

Binatone has not disclosed which version of Android will be running on the iHome Phone and the official product images seem to conflict with what they show in the user manual. Our guess is that it’s running Android 1.6. If you’re OK with that, you can pick up the iDECT iHome Phone in Europe for about €99.

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Viewsonic announces two Android tablets, Viewpad 7 and Viewpad 10

Taylor Wimberly — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:35:05 +0000

Today Viewsonic announced its Viewpad line of Android-based tablets, including the Viewpad 7 and Viewpad 10. Neither device is that exciting nor would I recommend them to any of our readers, but it’s nice to see Viewsonic trying to get in the game.

The Viewpad 7 is a 7-inch Android 2.2 tablet that will retail for $479 and is expected to go on sale in late Q4 2010. I went hands-on with the Viewpad 7 a couple months ago and overall was not that impressed. It was nice to see Viewsonic include all the Google Mobile services, but the 600 MHz ARM11 processor is a little slow compared to other tablet offerings. This device will also not support Adobe’s Flash Player 10.1 because it lacks the processor power and I think there are better tablet options available like the upcoming Galaxy Tab.

Next we have the Viewpad 10, which is a dual-boot 10-inch tablet running Windows 7 Home Premium and Android 1.6. This device will be available in Q1 2011 for around the price of $629. It features a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom processor, 1 GB or memory, 16 GB SSD hard drive, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. I would also avoid this device since it uses Android 1.6 and the 10-inch LED display only runs at a resolution of 1024 x 600.

Mabye after Google releases the tablet version of Android (Honeycomb), we will see Viewsonic make a return with some better offerings.

SONY Ericsson sets sights on becoming largest global Android smartphone supplier

Nick Gray — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:13:59 +0000

The battle for Android market share should get pretty interesting over the next year or so. SONY Ericsson CEO, Bert Nordberg stated today that the company plans on becoming the world’s biggest supplier of Android powered smartphones. SONY Ericsson’s current Android market share sits at 17% while the leader of the Android segment has 23%. Bert Nordberg did not give a time frame or specify exactly how SE is planning on leapfrogging the competition.

SONY Ericsson’s current Android lineup has some potential, but many Android enthusiasts have looked the other way as other manufacturers have been churning out more powerful devices with the latest versions of Android (all of SE’s Android phones still run on Android 1.6). For the near future, not much is going to change, but don’t be surprised if SONY Ericsson reinvents their Android strategy in the next 12-18 months. Who know, that Android powered PlayStation phone might actually come to fruition and completely change the Android landscape.

SONY Ericsson XPERIA X10 officially heading to AT&T

Nick Gray — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:10:50 +0000

We’re not quite sure we agree with SONY Ericsson’s “Smarter is here” statement, but we can say that the XPERIA X10 has finally landed on this side of the Atlantic. The Android handset will be launching on AT&T on August 15^th for $149.99 with a new two year agreement and data package. Like the X10 that’s been available in Europe for nearly six months, the AT&T version of the handset will feature a 4-inch capacitive display, 8.1MP camera with LED flash, 8GB of internal storage, 1GHz processor, and GSP navigation.

We know it’s running Android, but SONY Ericsson’s press release did a very good job of not mentioning which version is backed in to the X10. Our guess is that AT&T customers will be treated to Android 1.6 since SE isn’t planning on rolling out Android 2.1 until the middle of Q3. At the rate SE is moving, we wouldn’t expect to see Froyo running on the XPERIA X10 any time before 2011. The SONY Ericsson XPERIA X10 may not be able to compete head-to-head with the Samsung Captivate, but at $149 the X10 may be able to give the cheaper HTC Aria a run for its money.

Show Press Release

AT&T and Sony Ericsson Announce the Xperia™ X10

Smart meets entertaining – Sony Ericsson’s flagship Android smartphone offers an open and integrated world of communication, entertainment and social media

DALLAS and ATLANTA, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — AT&T* and Sony Ericsson today announced a dynamic multimedia experience with the Android™ based Xperia™ X10, available August 15. The Xperia™ X10 introduces Sony Ericsson’s unique and entertainment-driven Xperia™ platform to U.S. customers in a cutting-edge, beautiful and fun package.

The Xperia™ X10 comes fully loaded with a 4-inch crystal clear touch display, superfast 1GHz Snapdragon processor and a GPS. The smartphone also features an 8.1 megapixel camera with smile detection, face recognition, autofocus and LED flash. The device comes with 8 GB of on-board memory and a 2 GB in-box memory card, with expandable memory up to 32 GB.

Sony Ericsson’s custom user experience is great for the intersection of communications and entertainment. Two signature applications, Mediascape and Timescape™, build on the Android platform to enhance the experience for users.

* Mediascape on the Xperia ™ X10 gathers music, photos, videos and content from your phone’s memory card and online, letting you browse, search, listen and share your media from one unified view. For example, view photos taken on the device as well as your Facebook® and Picasa™ web albums. Or, when listening to a favorite song on your phone, press Sony Ericsson’s infinite button to access related content about the artist pulled from the phone’s memory as well as albums, songs and video content from YouTube™ and search results from Google.

* Timescape™ is a unique communication application that automatically organizes social interactions in chronological order, leaving users free to concentrate on keeping in touch on-the-go. From Facebook® and Twitter® updates to photos, emails and text messages, a scrolling menu offers easy viewing and organization of all communications. Additionally, tap the Timescape™ infinite button to bring up and view all communications from a single person in a single place.

“Sony Ericsson has created a unique choice for our smartphone customers looking for a fun and smart device,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

“Sony Ericsson is raising the bar for entertainment-rich phones with the launch of the Xperia ™ X10,” said Paul Hamnett, senior vice president, Sony Ericsson North America. “With the convergence of our user experience platform and the Android OS, we are bringing consumers a smartphone experience that is not only exciting, but also very refined. Following the successful global launch of the Xperia™ X10, we are pleased to partner with AT&T to launch this phone in the U.S. market.”

Pricing and Availability

The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X10 smartphone will be available in black at AT&T stores, authorized retailers and www.wireless.att.com on August 15 for $149.99 after a two-year service agreement and minimum smartphone data plan.

For the complete lineup of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Viewable screen display area is measured diagonally.

A portion of memory is used for data management purposes.

Data charges apply for content and updates transferred through the mobile Web.

XPERIA X10 countdown unveiled, U.S. launch imminent

Nick Gray — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:15:38 +0000

The wait is finally almost over! SONY has put up a countdown on their SONY Style website today which is due to expire tomorrow morning. The page itself doesn’t give off many clues besides the back side of a phone which looks strikingly similar to the SONY Ericsson XPERIA X10. Since I personally don’t like playing guessing games, a little digging around in the source code gives me the confidence to say that this is definitely the countdown for the U.S. unveiling of the X10. It’s exciting to see another Android phone with a 1GHz processor and 4 inch display thrown into the mix, though SONY Ericsson is more than a tad late to the party.

The XPERIA X10 was first announced back in early November of 2009, nearly 9 months ago. At the time, the X10 would have been the first Android phone to feature a 1GHz processor, but after numerous delays due to software issues, the X10 finally made it’s European debut in mid February . Though the hardware and exterior design of the handset are phenomenal, the SONY Ericsson has been criticized for still using the Android 1.6 platform to run the X10, while most other high end Android phones are running Android 2.1 or even Android 2.2. We’re not exactly sure if the SONY Ericsson XPERIA X10 is heading to T-Mobile, or AT&T, and it’s hard to say which version of Android it’ll be running. We suggest checking back in tomorrow morning to find out.

If the XPERIA X10 does show up on your carrier with Android 2.1, would you buy it?

SONY Style source code

T-Mobile pulls the HTC G1 from their Android lineup

Nick Gray — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:14:10 +0000

Today marks the end of an era for Android. The HTC made T-Mobile G1 is no longer available from T-Mobile’s online store. Compared to today’s lineup for Android phones, the G1’s 528 MHz processor, 3.2 inch display, and Android 1.6 OS seem outdated and obsolete. With new phones like the HTC G1 Blaze set to replace the original, it was only a matter of time before T-Mobile decided to pull the plug on the G1. But let’s not forget that the G1 is the phone responsible for kicking off the Android revolution and lighting a spark in the hearts on the Android modding community.

The G1 was the first smartphone to actually rival the iPhone’s functionality, giving customers the option of an open OS. Nearly two years later, the G1 has proven to the world that an open OS is what the public really wants.

We’re pretty sure that most of you have owned a G1 at some point or another. Many of you have called it “the little phone that could” while others have complained about the phones low memory and abysmal performance. Feel free to share your thoughts, complaints, or favorite memories about your G1.