Paypal to offer In-App Purchases on Android & iPhone?

Apparently during an informal meeting at its Amsterdam headquarters, Paypal has announced it will be facilitating In-App Purchases in iPhone and Android applications.

According to Paypal Benelux Country Manager Dennis van Allermeersch, Paypal has managed to come up with a solution that is acceptable to Apple, Allermeersch noting: “We have found a way, Apple is OK with it”.

Android users will also be able to use Paypal as a payment method in the Android Market, adding an alternative to Google Checkout transactions.

At the time of writing there are very few details explaining how Paypal’s new service will work.

Paypal will apparently launch their In-App payment service in Q2 to the US, Canada, UK, France, Italy, The Netherlands and Australia.

Android 2.2 on the horizon.. ?

Quite likely fake image

According to website logs, Google is actively testing Android 2.2. Better known as Froyo (frozen yogurt), the future release is showing up in web logs from those visiting sites.

What 2.2 will entail hasn't been discussed by Google, but it should have a number of important additions despite the small version number. Among the steps may included an attempt to reduce Android fragmentation by making it possible to update some OS components without needing entirely new firmware. It should also provide the necessary underpinnings for Flash 10.1.

Many of the less critical changes should still improve performance and could bring new OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics features, free up RAM and solve problems with the accuracy of the touchscreen on phones like the Nexus One. Many features in the Nexus One may actually be hidden until future Android releases come out, Google's Erick Tseng said at CES.

The most likely release window for Android 2.2 is May 19th, when Google starts its I/O conference. The event in the past has included significant Android news.

Google has been on a relatively aggressive update schedule and has been adding large feature updates even with minor upgrades. The add-ons have been critical to the successes of phones like the Droid but, in the current architecture, has left many Android phones running outdated platforms and being locked out of certain apps.

Chief rival Apple is believed to have benefited from taking direct control of both hardware and software by giving every recent device the same features at the same time. The strategy is known to have spurred on the creation of the Nexus One.

Some of the rumored features for Android 2.2 include:

• JIT compiler

• Free additional RAM

• OpenGL ES 2.0 enhancements

• Flash 10.1 support

• Fixed problem with “crazy screen” / Resolution of cross multitouch

• Activation of Color Trackball

• Enable FM radio in Nexus one

HTC Supersonic spotted on video, to be announced on March 24?

Taiwan-based mobile phone maker HTC Corporation has been long rumored to be working on a handset that will boast WiMAX connectivity and will also run under Google's Android operating system, and it seems that we might see the device launched in about one week from now. According to the latest news around the Internet, Sprint-Nextel CEO Dan Hesse is set to officially announce the new mobile phone at the CTIA 2010.


The device in question has previously emerged around the Internet as the HTC Supersonic, and now reports on it suggest that March 24 would be the date when all of its specifications are officially unveiled to the world.

HTC Supersonic (also dubbed HTC A9292 WiMax) features a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, a 5 megapixel camera, HTC Sense user interface, GPS and Qualcomm’s 1 gigabertz (GHz) Snapdragon processor. The device will be targeted at enterprise and government markets besides consumers.

New HTC 'Incredible' pics + details

With the pictures come interesting specs. Reportedly, the Incredible measures 17.5 x 58.5 x 11.9 mm – almost the same as the Nexus one, comes with an 8MP camera with auto focus and with Dual-flash and 512mb of RAM & ROM.

Interestingly it seems the 1 Ghz Snapdragon processor has been under-clocked to run at 768MHz – presumably to save battery but without effecting the performance.

The phone should come loaded with Android 2.1, HTC’s Sense UI, a 3.7″ AMOLED screen, an optical trackpad, an FM receiver and Wi-fi, bluetooth and GPS.

Lets hope for an official announcement soon.

April is Android month for Aussies

A fistful of phones running your favourite mobile OS are set to launch next month, giving Android a boost while Microsoft waits for Windows Phone 7.

Christmas is coming early for Aussie Android fans as manufacturers and telcos ramp up for a bevy of smartphone launches next month.

HTC is prepping for the debut of the Desire, which will be available only through Telstra for a three-month exclusivity window before competing carriers can add it to their roster.


Motorola has issued Australian tech journalists with a ‘Save the Date’ notice for a launch on Tuesday March 30th. This is expected to see the release of one or possibly more Android phones from Motor’s current portfolio – which includes the Milestone (the 3G version of the Verizon Droid), DEXT (aka CLIQ), Devour or Backflip.

Sony Ericsson has confirmed April as the target date for the release of its first Android phone, the Xperia X10. VHA says the X10 will be available on both the Vodafone and 3 networks as of May, although it’s not known if this will be an exclusive deal or if other carirers will also be lined up at the X10’s starting gate.

Samsung is also rumoured to have at least one more Android handset on the boil, while speculation continue to swirl about a local release for Google’s Nexus One.

With such a surge of smartphones Android could shortly repeat the success it’s had in the US.

Market trackers ComScore reported Android enjoying a 4.3% boost in its share of the US smartphone market between October 2009 and January 2010. Not only was this the largest growth among its competitors, it almost exactly mirrored Microsoft’s drop of -4.0%.



As of January 2010, RIM retained its alpha-dog status with a commanding lead of 43% compared to the iPhone’s 25.1%, Microsoft’s 15.7% and Google’s 7.1%.

With Microsoft’s current Windows smartphone platform effectively stalemating itself until the release of the first Windows Phone 7 devices shortly before Christmas, there’s no reason to expect that the next two quarters will do any favours for Microsoft’s market share.

Based on these results and the continuing wave of Android smartphones, it seems almost inevitable that Android will pull level with Windows Mobile within the next few months.

Nexus One coming to Vodafone UK in April?

Google’s first own-brand mobile phone, the Nexus One, is rumoured to launch in UK in April.

Currently UK users are able to purchase the unlocked version of the phone from Google’s website, however they will now be able to buy the smartphone via Vodafone dealers starting April.

Sources close to both companies have confirmed that April is when the company will have a realistic chance of being ready for the launch, according to The Daily Telegraph.

At the moment there is no clear information on the price of the Nexus One for UK but rumours state the superphone should cost around 150 euros with a contract plan from Vodafone.

Hopefully this can also be interpreted as being good news for Australian consumers as Vodafone has also confirmed it will be selling Nexus One in Australia later this year.

HTC Supersonic spotted in the wild? Has 4.3 inch screen

Reportedly, the HTC Supersonic is an Android 2.1 smartphone that has features similar to the ones of the Windows Mobile-based HTC HD2: 4.3 inch WVGA touchscreen display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 1GB of internal memory (like T-Mobile’s HD2), and a 5MP autofocus camera.

A notable difference (besides the different OS) is that the Supersonic has an OLED display, instead of a TFT one.

Here’s a couple more HTC Supersonic in the wild shots:

Google’s Nexus One: New Details and the Price revealed!

The Nexus One, also known as the Google Phone, has been causing a stir this month after details began to emerge about the project. Earlier today, we learned that the phone will likely be revealed on January 5 at a Google press conference.

Information on the phone’s already starting to leak through the Google gates, though. Screenshots obtained by gadget blog Gizmodo reveal one of the most important details about the device: its price.

The screenshots seem to be the future landing pages for the Google phone. It will apparently go live soon at google.com/phone and be the sole portal for purchasing your very own Nexus One. And while we cannot verify the accuracy of these screenshots, the information presented makes sense.

Here are some of the key details you should know:

- Price: $530 USD ($593 AUD) unsubsidized and unlocked, $180 USD subsidized on the T-Mobile network with a 2 year contract.

- Rate Plan: $79.99 USD per month on T-Mobile, which includes unlimited texting/MMS and web data, along with 500 minutes. This seems to be the only plan available, even if you’re already on another plan with T-Mobile

- Purchasing: You can buy up to five Nexus One phones per Google account.

- Cancellation: If you cancel within 120 days, you have to pay the subsidy difference ($350 USD) or return the phone to Google.

Google Confirms Android Media Event -- Hello, Nexus One?

It may be the moment the tech world's been waiting for: Google has just officially announced plans for an Android-related media event to be held next Tuesday, January 5, at its Mountain View campus.

If recent online chatter is to be believed, the event could have something to do with the Nexus One -- the highly anticipated HTC-built handset seemingly under development by Google.

Google's invitation doesn't divulge many specifics about what's in store. The document, titled "Please join us for an Android press gathering," simply states the following:

"With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we've seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation. And this is just the beginning of what's possible."


Google and the Nexus One Connection

Google previously revealed that it was testing a "mobile lab" device that utilized the Android platform. Company employees were given the devices in early December, a Google blog posting confirmed. That news came amid a bevy of leaked images, videos, and details from people claiming they'd gotten their hands on the so-called "Google Phone" and that it was, among other things, "like an iPhone on beautifying steroids."

The standard flurry of rumors -- you know, the "this-or-that killer" kind of fare -- soon followed. Early (unofficial) reports had suggested the device would be unlocked and not tied to any specific carrier, leading some bloggers to speculate that the Nexus One would forever alter the mobile communications market. Other data, including the testing report filed with the FCC for the device, suggested the phone might work only with T-Mobile's data network within the U.S.


The T-Mobile Tie

The notion of a T-Mobile tie was reinforced with yet another purported leak published Tuesday morning. Mobile tech blog TmoNews released a document said to be from T-Mobile's internal system. It says:

"Google, with support from T-Mobile, is scheduled to launch a new Android device in early January. The Google Android phone will be sold solely by Google via the Web. Support for this device, including troubleshooting and exchanges, will be managed by Google and HTC. T-Mobile will offer service support, including billing, coverage, features, and rate plans."

So what's it all mean? Is the Nexus One almost here? Will it be an everything-imaginable-under-the-sun killer? Will it revolutionize our lives in ways we can't even fathom?

The answers, it appears, may finally be upon us. Stay tuned.

Google Nexus one specs revealed!

We have heard a lot recently about the Google Nexus One (N1) which has been rumoured to be launching soon. Finally we have the official specs to go along with what looks to be a fantastic phone.

The Nexus One will be a tri-band phone (900/1700/2100 MHz) UTMS and quad-band GSM which allows it to work on the T-Mobile network in the US. Features include a 3.7 inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen that according to one person who had a look at the phone said it was the best looking screen they had seen.

The Nexus One will run Android 2.1 and be capable of transferring data at 7.2Mbps where networks support this. The processor inside the phone will be a Qualcomm Snapdragon running at a snappy 1GHz.

The phone will have four illuminated soft keys primarily for Back, Menu, Home and Search. A tri-colour LED will be used in the device for notifications and charge status. Haptic feedback is to be included in the phone.

Other features are the fairly standard A-GPS, Accelerometer, Light sensor and a proximity sensor along with a compass, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack and active noise cancellation. The camera is 5 megapixels and will be capable of using the A-GPS for geotagging shots.

An LED flash can be used for lighting close subjects and the phone will have 2x digital zoom. For memory the phone will have 512MB RAM and 512MB of flash memory and will include a 4GB MicroSD card with 32GB cards being supported.

It looks set to be a very interesting phone. It will be interesting to see what pricing plans it will be made available on and how much it will cost.

A rumoured date early in January 2010 has been touted for the launch date. We’ll find out officially soon if this is the case.

wow - Google actually ARE releasing a phone! - the Nexus one

The rumors are over and the sources have confirmed, the Google Phone that has been talked about for some time now is going to be released with the name Nexus One. Apprently the phone will be developed by HTC for Google.

The Nexus One will come with the Google Android OS 2.1, and, unlike the other Android phones on the market, the user experience was ENTIRELY designed by Google. The phone will be unlocked, available for purchase through Google online and you’ll have to provide cellular service of your own.

Now the rumors are swirling as to when the phone will be launched, but there is speculation that it will be available in January 2010.

Update! Some minor specs according to other reports:

– Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz ARM CPU
– High resolution OLED display
– Around $500 USD
– GSM with possibility of UMTS (3G) on AT&T and T-Mobile
– Voice-to-text dictate feature
– Capacitive touch screen & on-screen keyboard

Could this be the HTC Dragon?

Could this be the HTC Dragon? The Dragon is believed to be the Android equivalent of the Touch HD2 (same hardware mostly and just Android instead of Windows Mobile).

Here are the specs for the Touch HD2 for you to drool over:

Processor/Chipset
Qualcomm MSM 8250, 1GHz

Memory / Internal Storage
ROM: 512 MB / RAM: 320 MB / HD: 207.13MB

Display Module
4.3-inch 480×800 WVGA resolution / 65K-color / Sensitive touch screen (Capacitive) / Keep support Multi-Touch capability for WM7 Chassis
HSPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM Function

Internal antenna
HSPA/UMTS 2100/900 MHz and GSM/GPRS/EDGE
Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) / HSDPA / 3GPP Release 5 compliant
Up to 7.2Mbps / HSUPA / 3GPP release 6 compliant / UE category 5, up to 2 Mbps peak rate / EGPRS Functionality / EGPRS class B / Multi-slot class 12 (10 Operator dependent) / PBCCH

Standalone GPS
Internal GPS antenna

Sensors
Motion G-sensor / Proximity sensor / Ambient Light Sensor / FM Radio

Digital Camera
Main camera: 5 MP Color CMOS with auto focus / 2x LED flash

Key/Button/Switch
Volume up and down control / Send Key / End Key (Power Key) / Windows Key / Home Key / (Cinema mode Key, TBD) / Back Key / Reset

Notification
Notification by sound, vibration, LEDs or status shown on the display
One dual colors (Green and Amber) LED in the left / lens for PDA event, battery and charging / status

Audio
Built-in microphone / Receiver / Loud speaker with hands-free support

Connectivity & Interface
Bluetooth / Version 2.1 compliant with EDR / Wi-Fi / IEEE 802.11 b/g compliant / Micro-USB: / USB 2.0 High-Speed client / 3.5 mm stereo audio jack with mic / 1.8/3V USIM/SIM card slot / microSD card slot with SDHC support

Power
Battery / Removable and chargeable battery, 1,230 mAh / AC adaptor / AC input: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz / DC output: 5V and 1A

HTC Hero & Tattoo Australian release announced!

The aptly-named HTC Hero and it's little brother the Tattoo will make their Australian début next week on Optus' dual-band 3G network.

The kick-off, to be held on Wednesday afternoon (18th, November 2009) at swanky Sydney waterside eatery Doltone House, will see the Hero replace the Magic as HTC’s flagship Android phone.

The Hero is quite late arriving to the Australian market, could it be because it is to be loaded with the newfangled Android 2.0 OS?

.. Only 3 sleeps till we find out!


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Rumour: HTC Touch HD2 will be an Android phone?

Original Touch HD on right, compared to iPhone

Looks like the successor to the Touch HD could be an Android phone with 3.8" Touchscreen and a 628MHz Qualcomm chip:

According to RegisterHardware, the device will get a faster Qualcomm processor at 628MHz instead of the 528MHz that HTC usually employs in its flagship devices and surprisingly, ditching WinMobile 6.1 (and the upcoming 6.5) to go with Google’s Android.

The Touch HD 2 will also allegedly feature a massive 3.8-inch touchscreen (no word on resistive or capacitive, but it is Android, so hopefully capacitive). There wasn’t any information revealed about future availability or pricing, but we’re sure that won’t be too far off now.

Here are the (rumoured) specs :

* Phone: GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS900, UMTS2100.
* GSM and HSDPA connectivity.
* Screen 3.6 (some say 3.8) inch WVGA touchscreen display transflective TFT, 65536 scales.
* CPU: speed 628Mhz Qualcomm processor.
* Memory: 256MB RAM and 512 MB ROM.
* Slot: Micro SD.
* Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR.
* Wireless LAN: 802.11b, 802.11g.
* AGPS.
* G Sensor.
* Headphones: 3.5mm.
* Main Camera: 8MP


..More details as they come to hand.

Different renderings of T-Mobile Pulse (Huawei U8220) surface

Regardless of what it ends up LOOKING like, the potential specs are more widely agreed upon although much like the design/date/price, still just a rumor:

* 3.5 inch touchscreen
* 320 x 480 pixels resolution
* HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
* Wi-Fi
* GPS
* Microsoft Exchange support
* Bluetooth 2.0
* 3.2MP camera
* MicroSD slot

Upcoming Motorola Android phones specs leaked?

Motorola Morrison Specs?

Expected on T-Mobile's network, the Motorola Morrison is rumored for an October 21 release. We haven't yet heard of a price for Morrison, but in comparison to myTouch 3G, T-Mobile's latest Android offering (in stores now), the Morrison packs in a better camera (5 megapixels) and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack.

The guys over at Android and Me claim to have the full specifications of the Morrison from one of their trusted tipsters as following:

• CPU: Qualcomm MSM7201A 528 MHz
• Memory: 256MB RAM
• Flash Rom: 512 MB
• Memory Card Type: microSDHC, Class 6, 32 GB supported (max)
• Display: 320×480 (HVGA)
• Accelerometer: 3-axis, Four-way screen rotation
• Magnetometer; Proximity Sensor; Ambient Light Sensor
• Voice Bands: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, W-CDMA 900/(1700 or 1900)/2100
• Wireless: 802.11 b/g, WEP, WPA, 802.11i (WPA2)
• Bluetooth Version: 2.0 + EDR
• Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, GAP, HFP 1.5, HSP, SDAP, SPP
• USB: USB 2.0 High Speed, Micro USB connector
• Headset Jack: 3.5mm, Stereo out, Mic
• Camera Resolution: 5 megapixels
• Image Capture Resolution (max): 2560×1920
• Camera Features: Autofocus, White Balance, Geotagging, Color Effects
• Camera Digital Zoom (max): 5.4x
• Video Recording Resolution: 320×240 (QVGA)
• Video Recording Frame Rate: 25 fps
• Location Services: Standalone GPS w/ internal antenna, Assisted GPS, E-Compass
  

Motorola Sholes Specs?

The Motorola Sholes is said to come on Verizon's network and is deemed as the flagship Google Android device this year. The Sholes will also be Verizon's first Google Android phone. One of Sholes' main strengths will be its 3.7-inch screen, which would be larger than the iPhone's or HTC's Android offerings.

The Motorola Sholes is rumored to ship with Eclair (probably Android 2.0), featuring many user interface enhancements and a focus on gaming and multimedia. The expected retail price for the Motorola Sholes (with a Verizon contract) is $199 and speculation puts a launch date for the device sometime in November.

Again, the Android and Me guys leaked some specifications of the Motorola Sholes, as following:

• CPU: OMAP3430 - 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 + PowerVR SGX 530 GPU + 430MHz C64x+ DSP + ISP (Image Signal Processor)
• Dimensions: 60.00 x 115.80 x 13.70 mm
• Weight: 169 g
• Battery: Li-ion 1400 mAh.
• Standby 450 hours, talk time 420 minutes
• 3.7-inch touch-sensitive display with a resolution of 854×480 pixels, 16 million color depth. Physical screen size is 45.72 mm by 81.34 mm.
• 512MB/256MB ROM/RAM
• microSD / microSDHC expansion slot
• Camera: 5.0 megapixel with autofocus and video recorder
• Connectivity: USB2.0, 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Wi-Fi
• Supported audio formats: AMR-NB/WB, MP3, PCM / WAV, AAC, AAC +, eAAC +, WMA
• Supported video formats: MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, WMV
• GPS navigation

3 LG Android Handsets on the way?

LG apparently claims that they would be unveiling 3 Android handsets by the end of 2009. Now, it seems that the GW620 Eve would probably be the first Android handset from LG.

Supposedly LG are planning to release up to three different Android based devices in Q3/Q4 of this year, with a few more due to land in 2010.

According to IntoMobile, LG’s site has disclosed few specifications of its Android handset. Reportedly, the Eve seems to come with a 320 x 480 resolutions HVGA touchscreen display. The handset is speculated to offer Wi-Fi and UMTS/HSDPA connectivity. The phone will probably come with a full QWERTY keyboard. The features are similar to the other Android phones likely to enter the market.

Apparently, none of the specifications are official as of now.

Dell working on Android gadget?

Dell is developing a pocket-size Internet device using Google's Android operating system that could take on Apple's iPod Touch, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal on Monday.
Android logo

Two people who have seen early prototypes of the device told the newspaper it looks like Apple's iPod Touch but slightly larger. And like the iPod Touch, the device isn't expected to include a cellular phone. The device is considered part of a new category of gadgets called mobile Internet devices, or MIDs, which are designed to fit into the market between a mobile phone and a laptop or Netbook computer.

The device could go on sale as early as the second half of 2009, according to the Wall Street Journal's sources.