Tag: kitkat

By March 29, 2014 Read More →

HTC One (M8) Benchmark video

Screenshot_2014-03-28-09-40-51With the launch of the HTC One (M8), many of you are asking questions about performance, in particular the speed of the new device and how this compares to its predecessor, the HTC One (M7).

The M8 has a Snapdragon 801 chipset and Quad-core CPU clocked at 2.3GHz (The Asian market gets a 2.5GHz version!), and 2GB of RAM. Clock-speed wise this is a decent step up from the 1.7GHz quad in the M7. 

So what does this clock speed jump equate to? In general usage the difference isn’t that noticeable but in intensive apps and games you’ll notice it more.

In the video below you’ll see an HTC One (M8) Benchmark compared to the HTC One (M7). The benchmark was run simultaneously to give some impression of the speed and how much quicker the M8 completed the test.

Interesting results in that the M8 has twice the score of the M7!

 

By January 28, 2014 Read More →

HTC One gets Android 4.4.2 KitKat

HTCOneKKThanks to HTC’s own Android update status page, we knew that the KitKat update for the HTC One was pretty imminent and today many users will have been presented with a notification to say that there was indeed an update available for their HTC One.

At the moment I’m installing the update on my own HTC One and so far it seems to be pretty painless.

The latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat update promises the following:

  • System improvements
    • Android 4.4.2 update
    • Security Enhancements
  • Printing imrovements
    • Cloud Print Services
  • Bluetooth improvement
    • New Bluetooth profiles to support more media interactions
  • Browser
    • Support of Flash Player removed
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By January 14, 2014 Read More →

No KitKat for HTC One X and One X+

No KitKat for HTC One X and One X+Just a few weeks ago we brought you news of HTC’s new pages that allowed us to track the progress of OS updates for the HTC One and several other HTC phones.

On that list you’l find the HTC One Mini and One Max and Desire 601. However, there are a couple of devices that HTC have apparently confirmed that will not see Android 4.4 KitKat and these, most significantly perhaps, include phones like the One X and One X+.

Both the HTC One X and One X+ were hugely popular and can still be found on sale in many locations. Whilst it could perhaps be argued that the One X is getting towards end of life, being two years old on February, but the One X+ is far newer, at October 2012 so its a little worrying that HTC will not be continuing to update these ‘older’ devices and we certainly hops this isn’t a taste of things to come in terms of cutbacks.

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By December 6, 2013 Read More →

More Samsung Devices to get KitKat?

samsung-androidMany manufacturers have already been making announcements about the availability of Android 4.4 KitKat for their current range of devices with updates expected from HTC, LG and Samsung over the coming weeks for flagship devices.

However, Android 4.4 KitKat was designed to be much more optimised than the previous versions of the OS and is capable of running on devices with a lower specification with slower CPU’s and as little as 512MB RAM being possible. But there have yet to be any announcements from any of the manufacturers regarding the possibility of offering an Android 4.4 update to older models.

But that could be set to change if the information that SamMobile have managed to get their hands on. They have apparently managed to secure some internal documentation from Samsung that suggest that many Samsung smartphones are ‘under investigation’ for upgrade to 4.4 KitKat.

These devices include the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, S3 Mini, Ace 3, Galaxy S, Galaxy Core, Galaxy Fame and Galaxy Fresh.

At this stage there’s obviously no guarantee that any of these devices will see such an OS update but it IS good to see that it is at least being looked in to and there is a further hope that if Samsung do release updates for older models then the likes of HTC, LG and others will be almost forced to follow suit.

 

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By November 13, 2013 Read More →

Nexus 7 gets KitKat

Nexus 7 gets KitKatWith the obvious success of the Nexus 5, Google is managing to get Android 4.4 KitKat in to the hands of more users.

That’s left many existing Android users wondering when their devices will have a KitKat update available. Several manufacturers have already made announcements and we know, for example, that HTC are going to have updates out later this month.

If you have a Nexus 7 though, you are definitely in luck! The Nexus 7 (both the 2012 and 2013 versions) and Nexus 10 will be getting the update imminently, although it’ll be exclusive to the Wi-Fi only models for now.

I’m checking for updates on my Nexus 7 ever 5 minutes!

Google have also announced that the Nexus 4 will get the update to KitKat soon too.

 

By November 9, 2013 Read More →

Nexus 5 WiFi bug

Nexus 5 wifi bugI’ve had my Google Nexus 5 for just over a week and one of the questions I’ve been frequently asked via twitter and Google+ 1 was whether or not I had experienced any issued with the WiFi in the Nexus 5.

Up until yesterday the answer I gave was no. Despite using a large number of WiFi networks almost daily, from the few WiFi access points I have at home to the WiFi on the train I commute on to the WiFi at work and in coffee shops in London, none had given me any WiFi issues with my Nexus 5.

That’s until yesterday. Suddenly my Nexus 5 dropped off one if my home WiFi points, it connected to the other but then despite showing as connected would not transfer any data. Initially I thought this was a problem with my internet connection but soon realised that my Mac and iPhone were still working fine over the same WiFi.

I switched to a different access point but the problem persisted. I rebooted the phone… the problem remained. I’ve tried removing the WiFi networks and re-adding them but that also had no effect.

WiFi access points I have tried using are a D-Link DSL-3680, TP-Link, Airport Extreme, Airport Express and a Vodafone Mifi. All have the same issue: The WiFi shows as connected but there’s no internet connectivity. Furthermore, the WiFi disconnects and reconnects frequently.

Reading other posts on the internet it would see that many other Nexus 5 owners also have the same issues and this seems to be related to an existing Nexus 7 problem too.

Possible Nexus 5 WiFi bug solution

After literally hours of playing around with settings on the Nexus 5, a hard reset, and pulling out old WiFi access points to try I have managed to get my Nexus 5 working again and this is the solution that works for me…

Connect to the WiFi network and then go and ‘Modify Network’. Under the IP Settings I’ve switched to static and have specified an IP address and DNS server addresses. In both instances I’m using the same addresses that were being assigned through DHCP anyway.

Having done that my WiFi comes back to life. The only drawback so far is that I’ve had to do this with each WiFi network that I use. Switching back to DHCP breaks the connection again.

Give it a try and let me know if it solves your problem!

Posted in: Editorial, News, Phones
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By November 3, 2013 Read More →

What is in KitKat?

What exactly is in KitKatIt looks like the new 4.4 KitKat version is the most significant upgrade for Android in a quite some time. It includes a massive array of new features.

Here’s a quick breakdown of many of the features:

  • Now supports lower-end devices and can run on just 512MB of RAM.
  • It will now have a new launcher.
  • Translucent system UI styling.
  • Enhanced notification access.
  • Includes faster multi-tasking.
  • More advanced caller ID.
  • new white/gray color scheme and fonts.
  • There is a new sensor batching technology. This is meant to cut down on sensor power consumption by grouping and prioritizing requests. Google claims it is now 25% more accurate, and can ask back for clarification.
  • It will now have wireless printing functionality.
  • Includes support for IR Blasters natively. It is limited to sending functions only for now. It can’t learn or receive yet. This is probably just a feature that is in progress since it is mostly not very useful yet.
  • Native screen recording and can output in MP4 format.
  • Now supports Moto X-style “OK Google” voice commands. For now this only will work with the Nexus 5. Supposedly this feature is hardware dependent, although Google hasn’t shared what is required.
  • Bluetooth devices will now be able to control the system volume directly instead of having to adjust two different volumes.
  • There is a new lock screen which includes a camera shortcut. You can also rearrange your homescreen.
  • Built-in Chromecast support.
  • Chrome web view.
  • Full-screen wallpapers with preview.
  • HDR+ photography.
  • Location in Quick Settings.
  • Low-power audio playback.
  • Music and movie-seeking from lock screen.
  • The NFC payment system doesn’t require using the secure element anymore. It uses a software based emulation work around. Because of this, carriers can no longer use this as an excuse to not support Google’s NFC payment functions.

Even at that, there is more. Little tweeks and drops of oil to make things run better. Google have put together a pretty terrific package and from what I can gather, here is a list of a few device that will see 4.4 arriving:

HTC phones to get Android 4.4

  • HTC One – sometime in 90 days
  • HTC One mini – sometime in 90 days
  • HTC One max – sometime in 90 days
  • HTC One Google Play Edition – sometime in 15 days

Nexus Devices to get Android 4.4

  • Nexus 4 – “the coming weeks”
  • Nexus 7 – “the coming weeks”
  • Nexus 10 – “the coming weeks”

Samsung Devices to get Android 4.4

  • Galaxy S4 – “in due course” end of 2013 or early 2014
  • Galaxy Note 3 – “in due course” end of 2013 or early 2014

Sony Devices to get Android 4.4

  • Xperia Z
  • Xperia Z1

Others Devices to get Android 4.4

  • LG G2 – “soon”

Annoying, despite the promise that KitKat will run nicely on low end devices Google have dropped the Galaxy Nexus from the update schedule.

Posted in: News
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By November 3, 2013 Read More →

Android 4.4 KitKat Easter Egg video

Android 4.4 KitKat Easter EggThere has been a long tradition of including hidden messages or features in software. These hidden messages, called Easter Eggs, have featured in each version of the popular Google Android OS and with the latest release of Android 4.4 KitKat the included Easter Egg is a pretty good one.

Accessed by entering the Settings menu and clicking repeatedly on the Android Version number we’re treated to a spinning ‘K’ and then a series of tiles with logos from each of the Android versions including KitKat.

So here’s a quick video of the Android 4.4 KitKat Easter Egg in action on the Nexus 5 for a little Sunday fun.

By November 2, 2013 Read More →

Nexus 5 benchmark video

Nexus 5 benchmarkIn my Nexus 5 unboxing and hands on video yesterday, I ran a quick benchmark test on the Nexus 5 using Quadrant. As I mentioned in that video, the Nexus 5 benchmark scores seem to be a bit ‘off’ and I suspect that this is largely down to Quadrant not being updated for Android 4.4 KitKat yet, giving us some false values, although the graph seemed to be about right, the numbers were wrong.

So, further to several requests that I’ve had over the past few hours, here is the Nexus 5 running an AnTuTu benchmark. You’ll be able to see for yourself how it runs and what the final score is be watching the short video below.

The Nexus 5 is now coming along with me as my everyday phone and I’ll keep you posted on my experience with it. If you have any questions please submit them below.

By November 1, 2013 Read More →

LG Google Nexus 5 unboxing and hands-on video

LG Google Nexus 5 unboxing videoThe LG Google Nexus 5 was finally launched yesterday afternoon and went on sale here today in the UK. So far the sales have been strong and many stores have already sold out of the Nexus 5. In fact I had to try 4 different stores before I managed to find one that had stock and I got the last one they had!

So here is my Nexus 5 unboxing and hands-on video. I have to say, despite only having used it for a short time I am so far very impressed with the Nexus 5. If you follow me on Twitter you’ll know how much I love my HTC One but it may be possible that the Nexus 5 could soon see itself as my everyday phone.

In the video below I’ll show you what accessories come with the Nexus 5 and have a good look around the hardware. We’ll then have a look at what’s installed and play with a couple of applications before running that customary benchmark. There’s a strange outcome there though but you’ll have to watch the video to find out!

The LG Nexus 5 has an amazing specification for the money and in terms of sheer value beats just about everything out there at the moment.

The video is a little long so I’ve cut out a few bits to be included in another video later on.

https://www.ukmeds.co.uk/surgical-face-masks