One of the highlights of Google's I/O, particularly for those with an affinity to Samsung-made devices, was the news that a variant of the flagship Galaxy S4 would be arriving on stock Android, bypassing all the crap additional extras Samsung likes to bundle therein. Now, rumor has it that HTC could be planning a similar move with its flagship ‘One’ smartphone, which currently ships with an overlay of bloatware including Sense 5 and the divisive BlinkFeed. The report, if true, would certainly appease the purists who like a 'clean slate' of Android when they purchase a new device, and given how unconfirmed sales figures have placed the HTC One in a strong position against the Korean company's latest and greatest (selling one unit for every two Galaxy S4s), it's a move that would help the Taiwanese vendor keep tabs on its strongest rival.
Google I/O was expected to play host to the grand unveiling of Android 4.3, but despite a number of key announcements pertaining to the search giant's flagship ecosystem, the next version of Android remained firmly off the agenda. Following the news (or lack thereof), many sources then went along with the story that Android 4.3 release date could be set somewhere around summer this year, and today, that notion has been offered a degree of legitimacy with the sighting of the bumped software running on an LG-manufactured Google Nexus 4.
Widgets make the world a better place, and luckily for those on Android, the Play Store is awash with them. Depending on which apps and features of a device you use most commonly, tailoring one or a number of home screens to your exact requirements is very easy thanks to the multitude of accompanying widgets available.
Early sales figures of the two biggest flagship Android smartphones thus far this year have shown once again that when it comes to overall consumer appeal, the Samsung Galaxy S series is still head and shoulders above the rest. The 10 million handsets shifted in first month of the latest and greatest Galaxy S4 is double the unofficial 5 million quoted sales of the HTC One in the same timeframe, but with the Taiwanese company still managing to flog the unibody device at a quicker rate than it can make them, its own sales figures are certainly not to be baulked at.
Anticipation for the Galaxy Note 3 and Android 4.3 release is approaching fever pitch. If you happen to be a tad bit excited about the prospect of its release, I'm sure you'll be impressed by the just-leaked benchmark scores.
As the device continues to arrive at various shores across the world, the debate rages on as to whether the Samsung Galaxy S4 is indeed worthy of its position as Android's poster boy. The latest in an immensely popular series, the Galaxy S4 dramatically improves on its predecessor in terms of hardware features, but opinion remains divided on whether it is a true humdinger, or just another re-hash of the same old rhetoric.
Whereas most vendors release a new flagship, take some time to appreciate their achievements and perhaps even give themselves a little self-congratulation, Samsung instead works without relent to bring more devices, more features, and more options to consumers. The Galaxy S4 may just be taking its baby steps into the market, but the talk of several spin-off devices has been incessant since before consumers could even get their hands on the latest and greatest. The Galaxy S4 Mini has been mentioned several times, as has a ruggedized, water and dustproof model of Galaxy S4, and according to a bunch of leaked images, the latter now looks a certainty for release in the near future.
A leaked Android 4.2.2 ROM for Galaxy S3 is now available for download. The said ROM includes tons of new features from Galaxy S4 for the old maestro.
The bigger problem with Android has always been its fragmentation, which often results in certain devices being left out when it comes to being eligible for an Android version update. Unfortunately, this happens quite often with devices that are barely a year old, and quite capable (hardware-wise) to run the new software. Therefore, it’s really encouraging to see an old device getting an official update to a newer version of Android. If you own an HTC One X, you may have reason to rejoice, because renowned developer LlabTooFeR claims that HTC is planning to update its last year’s flagship, HTC One X, to Android 4.2.2, and not only that, but also supply the handset with the brand spanking new Sense 5 UI skin! Details past the break.
A new update to Google Play Store app APK for Android is now available for download, bringing the version number up to 4.1.6, and we have full download and installation details right after the jump.
