Over the weekend Google mentioned that something special for Android fans was arriving on Monday, and now we know what it is. Google just unveiled Patrick Boivin’s Ninja Unboxing 3, which follows previous stop-animation unboxings for the Nexus One and Nexus S. We don’t want to ruin all the surprises, so head over to [...]]]>

Over the weekend Google mentioned that something special for Android fans was arriving on Monday, and now we know what it is. Google just unveiled Patrick Boivin’s Ninja Unboxing 3, which follows previous stop-animation unboxings for the Nexus One and Nexus S. We don’t want to ruin all the surprises, so head over to YouTube and experience it yourself.

Generally, we let Taylor do most of the unboxing videos here at Android and Me, and for good reason. Simply put, I suck at them and don’t have a dedicated videographer brother capturing it all so I don’t have to fidget with the camera while trying to show off the latest gizmo. Or at least [...]]]>

Generally, we let Taylor do most of the unboxing videos here at Android and Me, and for good reason. Simply put, I suck at them and don’t have a dedicated videographer brother capturing it all so I don’t have to fidget with the camera while trying to show off the latest gizmo. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. I generally don’t mind being on camera, but avoid it as much as possible.

Tonight, I was able to get my hands on the Verizon-branded Samsung Galaxy Nexus, thanks to our trusty local Verizon PR folks. I’ve spent a grand total of about 45 minutes with the device, but I can say with certainty that it is the nicest Android phone that’s been put on the market to date. Sure, there’s been a ton of hype, but we strongly feel that the device will live up to the hype. Ice Cream Sandwich is that good, and the innards of the Galaxy Nexus are more than powerful enough to show it off.

We will have a full review of the LTE Nexus up in the next week or so. For now, enjoy my crappy unboxing video and accompanying screenshots below.

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The Transformer Prime is the most hyped Android tablet of the year so we quickly said yes when ASUS requested a full product review of the world’s first quad-core Tegra 3 device. Unfortunately we only had about one full day with the Transformer Prime before we were allowed to post about it tonight, [...]]]>

The Transformer Prime is the most hyped Android tablet of the year so we quickly said yes when ASUS requested a full product review of the world’s first quad-core Tegra 3 device. Unfortunately we only had about one full day with the Transformer Prime before we were allowed to post about it tonight, so we tried to touch on all the major high points of the device. Read on for our initial impressions.

ASUS Transformer Prime Highlights

Unboxing

The Transformer Prime comes available in two colors, Amethyst Grey and Champagne Gold. We happened to receive a Champagne Gold tablet and Amethyst Grey dock station, so we got a look at both options. Right away we noticed the high-end feel of the Transformer Prime thanks to its aluminum casing.

The bezel around the screen is a little wider than some tablets, but it tapers off on the back side around the edges so it feels slimmer in the hand. Sitting on the tablet next to each other, the Transformer Prime is a hair thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (0.33 in. vs 0.34 in).

Inside the box we found a wall charger, data cable, manual, warranty card, and screen wipe.

Gaming with Tegra Zone

There are many benefits to NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processor, but the most obvious one is the premium content available from Tegra Zone. There are currently about 25 games available, but that number is expected to grow to 40+ by the end of the year and 12+ are said to be optimized for specifically for Tegra 3.

Most of the titles that NVIDIA pre-loaded for us were still early demos, but they looked good in the early stages. All the Tegra 2 games we tried ran beautifully and we tested several other titles from the Android Market. New games from EA Mobile and Glu ran with no problems, but several titles from Gameloft were not yet supported.

Gameloft has shown they will support just about any device that sells, so we look forward to playing some of their future titles like Modern Combat 3 and Gangstar Rio.

Tegra 3 also supports just about any game controller, so you can sync up your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, or Logitech gamepad up to your Transformer Prime. Gamers can also connect the tablet to an HDTV set and enjoy 3D graphics thanks to NVIDIA’s  3D Vision technology. We didn’t get a chance to try the 3D Vision experience yet, so check back later in the week for the results.

Performance Benchmarks

Some say benchmarks are pointless, but we still like to play around with them and compare the results. For this round of testing we compared the Transformer Prime (Tegra 3), Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Tegra 2), Galaxy Tab 8.9 (Tegra 2), Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (Exynos 4210), and Sony Tablet S (Tegra 2). All devices were tested with the latest software and the Transformer Prime was running with the Normal power profile.

We did our best to stick with benchmarks that are freely available in the Android Market or the web.

Antutu: First up was Antutu which measures memory performance, CPU integer performance, CPU floating point performance, 2D graphics, 3D graphics, SD card readingwriting speeds, and database IO. Tegra 3 dominated in the RAM and CPU tests, but the graphics, database, and SD card speeds were comparable to the current generation of tablets.

CF-Bench:  Next up we tried CF-Bench which calls itself the “premiere multi-core-capable CPU benchmark.” Tegra 3 scored about 2x higher in the native tests which gave it a higher total score, but Java performance was on par with the others. Even though the benchmark produces a final score, the developer notes that “you should take those with a grain of salt. It is simply not theoretically possible to produce a single number that accurately describes a device’s performance.”

GLBenchmark 2.1: Next we went with GLBenchmark 2.1 which measures “quality and performance of the underlying OpenGL ES 2.x implementation.” We performed the Egypt and Pro tests in 720p offscreen mode so the results wouldn’t be affected by different resolutions. The Tegra 3 easily outscored the competition on the Egypt test and the Exynos in the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

NenaMark2: Moving on with graphics performance we tried out NenaMark2. This test is also an OpenGL|ES 2.0 benchmark for high-end mobile devices. Tegra 3 scored the highest framerate, but the Exynos 4210 inside the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus was close behind.

SunSpider JavaScript 0.9.1: Browser performance was measured with the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark that test “the core JavaScript language only, not the DOM or other browser APIs.” Surprisingly the Exynos 4210 delivered the fastest JavaScript performance. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus has a slightly lower resolution than the Transformer Prime, which could give it an unfair advantage against a bigger display, but we still wanted to post the comparison to show how the different devices stack up.

RightWare Browsermark: Finally we turned to another test called RightWare Browsermark to confirm the browser performance. Tegra 3 was faster than Tegra 2, but once again the Exynos 4210 (Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus) turned in the highest score. I’ve seen other sites like HotHardware show Tegra 3 with a higher BrowserMark score, but even they had it nearly on par with the Exynos 4210.

First Impressions

It’s impossible to review a tablet such as the Transformer Prime in 24 hours, so we will need to spend another week with it before giving it a final score. Even with the short amount of time we spent with the device, we can easily say this is the best Android tablet on the market. If you pre-ordered the Transformer Primer looking for the best in design, performance, gaming, and battery life then you will not be disappointed.

Here are some of my random thoughts in bullet form after playing with the Transformer Prime for a day:

• Good enough PC replacement: The big question with this device is – Can it replace a PC? The display might be a little small and the keyboard is cramp, but yes the Transformer Prime is good enough for about 95% of the computing tasks most consumers would want to perform. The combo price is still $650 ($499 tablet + $149 dock), so you might get more bang for your buck with a mid-range Windows laptop. However, as prices continue to drop and the Android ecosystem advances, I think this could be a much closer battle later in 2012.
• Browsing on par, nothing special: Web browsing on the Prime feels the fastest of any Android device I have used, but there is still the occasional stutter or jerkiness, especially when viewing mobile Flash Player content. Of course Flash has never performed that well and Adobe is pulling the plug on it, so what do you expect? ASUS already has one software update coming tomorrow to tweak performance and then Android 4.0 is arriving at a later date, so performance is expected to improve.
• Keyboard dock is awesome: Some might consider $149 to be pricey for a keyboard dock, but ASUS did an excellent job of cramming in value to it. The integrated battery increases battery life by 6 hours, the touchpad has multitouch gestures, there are full size USB 2.0 and SD card slots, and I love all the Android shortcut buttons. The SD card slot is great because you can currently add up to 256 GB of storge and it’s supposed to support the SDxC standard up to the full 2 TB of storage that we will see in future memory cards.
• Surprisingly stable: The Transformer Prime has a pinhole to perform a hard reset of the device, but I never had to use it. The overall Android OS was very smooth and the only force closes I experience were with some of the rushed game demos.
• Super IPS+ display impresses: You have to see the display to believe it. The Super IPS+ mode offers 600 nits of brightness, which is great for outdoor readability. The display also has an awesome 178 degree viewing angle that is great for sharing content with friends.
• Built-in underclocking (power profiles): This something I asked NVIDIA for with Tegra 2, so I’m glad they worked with ASUS to deliver three unique power profiles. Users can easily switch between Normal, Balanced, and Power Saver. “Normal” mode unleashes the full performance of the Transformer Prime with Tegra 3. “Balanced” mode caps the CPU frequency to 1.2 GHz. ASUS has added an additional “Powersaver” mode that caps CPU frequency to 1 GHz in single/dual core mode, ~700 Mhz when three cores are active and ~600 Mhz when all four cores are active. In addition, the Powersaver mode caps the frame rate at 35 fps and places the panel into an additional power saving mode.
• Game consoles are dead: So the current crop of Tegra Zone games doesn’t top PlayStation 3, but they are definitely as good as Xbox or PS2. NVIDIA uses a similar GPU architecture inside Tegra as their desktop GeForce cards and I think we will see a wave of games ported over. As others in the industry have pointed out, consoles as we know them are fundamentally dead and mobile devices will eventually replace them. Tegra 3 offers gamers support for HDTVs, 3DVision, and compatibility with a host of gamepads.
• I want a Tegra 3 phone and laptop: We still need to perform the full set of battery performance tests, but it appears Tegra 3 devices will offer some of the longest battery life and that’s why I want to see one inside a phone. There are plenty of cases where I would rather choose “Powersaver” mode and underclock my phone to extend the battery life a couple hours. The increased performance of the Tegra 3 processor also makes me really excited about the potential of Android on bigger displays. It should have no problem running a 13 inch laptop.

My expectations were high, but ASUS wowed me by delivering the best Android tablet experience I’ve seen to date. We will continue to explore the Transformer Prime over the coming days, so feel free to leave any questions you might have in the comments. Next up we will take a closer look at camera performance, battery life, and productivity performance with apps like Adobe Photoshop Touch.

For additional coverage of the Transformer Prime, check out AnandTech, Engadget, Slashgear, Android Central, The Verge, Android Police, PCMag, LaptopMag, CNET, HotHardware, and UberGizmo.

Can the Amazon Kindle Fire really outsell Apple’s iPad2? After spending less than a day with the $199 Kindle Fire, I believe Amazon will pull it off. And I think it will happen much sooner than many analyst are thinking.

As many bloggers have been discussing this week, hardware specs don’t really matter with a device [...]]]>

Can the Amazon Kindle Fire really outsell Apple’s iPad2? After spending less than a day with the $199 Kindle Fire, I believe Amazon will pull it off. And I think it will happen much sooner than many analyst are thinking.

As many bloggers have been discussing this week, hardware specs don’t really matter with a device like the Kindle Fire. What does matter is the $199 price and Amazon’s massive content ecosystem of 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books. There are millions of consumers who aren’t quite ready to drop $499 on a tablet, but when you lower the price to $199 and produce a device that’s good enough then you are going to attract a lot of holiday shoppers and impulse buyers.

A recent Kindle Fire study from retrevo.

Apple recently reported record iPad numbers, selling 11 million units during last quarter. This holiday quarter should see even greater sales, but I think Amazon can surpass that next year when they expand their tablet portfolio. Reports suggest that Amazon has increased production of the Kindle Fire twice already and could ship between 5-6 million devices before the end of the year. With the Kindle Fire appearing in over 16,000 retail locations, I predict it will be the hottest gift this year and sell out before Christmas.

I’ve already witnessed the Kindle Fire buzz in talking with some of my non-nerd friends who said they planned to purchase the device or they were interested in learning more about it. One particular friend who still carries an iPhone 3GS told me he pre-ordered the Kindle Fire over an iPad because he was an existing Amazon customer and the device was more in line with his budget. He is just one of many Apple customers that I think will be purchasing their first Android device this year.

Starting today, the Kindle Fire should be available at Best Buy and other select retailers if you want to give it a spin. Or you could also watch my first impressions of the device as I unboxed it late last night after UPS dropped it off. We plan to explore the Kindle Fire a lot more this week, so please let us know if you have any questions or things you would like to see us try out on the device.

How do you think the Kindle Fire will sell this holiday season? Did you already buy one or are you considering picking up one as a gift?

Is the Samsung Epic 4G Touch the best Android phone available for Sprint? Starting tomorrow, eager customers can pick up Sprint’s version of the Galaxy S II for $199 with a new 2-year contract. That’s the same price-point as the recently released HTC EVO 3D and Motorola Photon 4G, so which dual-core phone should [...]]]>

Is the Samsung Epic 4G Touch the best Android phone available for Sprint? Starting tomorrow, eager customers can pick up Sprint’s version of the Galaxy S II for $199 with a new 2-year contract. That’s the same price-point as the recently released HTC EVO 3D and Motorola Photon 4G, so which dual-core phone should Sprint users go with? Read on for our initial hands-on report.

We plan to do an in-depth review of the Epic 4G Touch after we spend another week of quality time with her, so let’s just cut to the chase. The Epic 4G Touch has the best display, processor, and cameras of any Android phone that is currently available. If you plan to buy a Sprint phone this month, get the Epic 4G Touch.

Now that we got the obvious out of the way, let’s talk about the one reason you might want to hold on to your hard-earned money and wait for another phone.

Android updates, or lack thereof.

Owners of the original Samsung Epic 4G from last year know what I’m talking about. That phone is still officially stuck with Android 2.2 and the wait for Android 2.3 feels endless. You can always hack your phone and flash one of the leaked Android 2.3 ROMs, but your average customer just wants the official over-the-air update.

This is important to note because we are quickly approaching the October-November release of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) and the Samsung Nexus Prime.

So Sprint customers can either buy the Epic 4G Touch and hope it gets Ice Cream Sandwich sometime next year or wait another month and get the Nexus Prime with the latest version of Android and guaranteed software updates from Google.

I don’t want to rain on the Epic 4G Touch parade, but I’d suggest waiting on the Nexus Prime if you can hold out for another month. However, if you are comfortable hacking your phone or you just don’t care about software updates, then by all means get the Epic 4G Touch.

Check back over the coming days as we continue to explore the features of the Epic 4G Touch and everything it has to offer. If you would like to request an in-depth post on a specific part of the Epic 4G touch, please leave a comment and we will follow up.

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While Lenovo does not have much experience with Android (or the mobile industry for that matter), it [...]]]> The tablets just don’t stop coming, do they? Well, you won’t find us complaining. Today is Lenovo’s day; the company officially announced two new Honeycomb tablets this morning. Meet the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 and the Lenovo Thinkpad tablet.

While Lenovo does not have much experience with Android (or the mobile industry for that matter), it has managed to bring some good quality Honeycomb tablets to the table. These tablets are sporting some good specs, as well as bringing some good Android tablet options for both the general consumer and the businessman.

Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Specifications

• Android 3.1 Honeycomb
• 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor
• 10.1-inch screen (1280×800)
• Internal Storage: 32 GB

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet

• Android 3.1 Honeycomb
• 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor
• 1 GB of RAM
• 10.1-inch screen (1280×800)
• Internal Storage: 16/32 GB
• Enterprise Ready
• Full-sized SD Card slot, full-sized USB port, and mini HDMI port

Not too shabby! It’s also worth noting that both of these are actually certified/supported by Netflix (as our tipster told us last week). These are the first Honeycomb tablets to come with Netflix preloaded. But it seems the apk file works perfectly on other tablets, as our friends at Droid-Life found out.

Furthermore, the prices aren’t bad. A tablet is a very personal product, so Lenovo has decided to give us a variety of options to choose from. If you’re interested in an IdeaPad K1, it’ll cost $499 for the 32 GB version. This tablet is available as of today, and you can find it on their website. It should also be mentioned that this will be available in stores by August in the US and during the third quarter of 2011 for other markets. Those looking to get a ThinkPad tablet will have to pay $479 for the 16 GB version or $509 to add in the digitizer. If you prefer the 32 GB version, you’ll need to shell out $589 for both the tablet and digitizer. There’s also a very cool keyboard portfolio case for $99. 3G versions will be available shortly after launch on August 2nd.

Now that you know the details, it’s always good to learn more about how these devices actually work. Luckily, Lenovo has prepared two nice long unboxing videos.  Check out them out below, along with the images and press release, for more info on these tablets. Let us know what you think. Are you guys going for one of these? If you own a Honeycomb tablet, have you tried installing the Netflix apk file? Does it work for you?

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The video seems to be just your regular, good ol’ unboxing video until 25 [...]]]> Not very often do we come across a video that manages to both disappoint us and impress us at the same time. But that’s exactly what happened with Toshiba’s unorthodox unboxing video of its upcoming Honeycomb tablet, the Thrive.

The video seems to be just your regular, good ol’ unboxing video until 25 seconds in. The guy blows our mind by pulling our friend Andy out of the box. Naturally, Andy starts doing what he likes to do the most:  full-on breakdancing. I’m not sure what happens after, since it’s hard to take my eyes off Andy’s cute little self. But I think I saw some spaceships and lasers somewhere in there as well. On the downside, the actual Thrive tablet is nowhere to be found on the video.

Toshiba is giving everybody a chance to win one of these tablets via contest. You can get all the details here. If you win, you could be the proud of owner of an Android tablet with the following specs:

• Android 3.1 Honeycomb
• 1 GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor
• 10.1-inch LED screen with a 800 x 1280 pixels resolution
• 1 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory
• 5 MP rear-facing camera and 2 MP front-facing camera
• 720p video recording
• SD card slot
• USB and mini-USB ports
• HDMI port

Not too shabby, Toshiba. What say you, dear readers? Do you see a Toshiba Thrive in your near future?