There are two things I’ve learned about Android users in my three years covering the platform: they love to customize, and they often like to show-off their affinity for the little green robot. Here’s an interesting way for those Android fans with a Galaxy Nexus to do both.

Omar Trujillo is starting a project in which he laser etches custom designs onto the battery door of the Galaxy Nexus. So instead of your phone just showing the generic logos for Google and Samsung, it can show the Superuser icon to showcase your adventurous spirit. Anything that isn’t a copyright image and fits in the design area will be lasered onto the rear door of the Galaxy Nexus to declare your Android love.

Interested? Well, head over to the Indiegogo page to claim your perk. Trujillo is using the Kickstarter-like website to crowdsource the test run of his customized Galaxy Nexus doors. The project requires $1,250 to pay for material expenses, but anyone who contributes $30 or more to a succesfully-funded project will receive a battery door with a custom image. There are multiple levels of contributions and different perks, including just donating a $1 to see this project get going. Depending on the success of the test run, more phone models may be supported.

I first caught wind of this idea last Friday and a few of our Google+ followers expressed interest in it. Well, now’s your chance to show it. Get a look at a few designs or more info on Omar’s Google+ page.

[Indiegogo]

HTC has sold many different kinds of Android smartphones all around the world and Android consumers are hoping their device made the list of HTC smartphones to be upgraded to Android 4.0.  Today, the Taiwanese based company announced which phones would be upgraded to Android 4.0 and when, but the list is not as comprehensive as one might expect or hope.

To begin, four HTC Android 2.3 smartphones will be upgraded to Android 4.0 by the end of March with numerous others expected to receive an upgrade “later this year.”  The four devices that will receive Ice Cream Sandwich in a little over a month include the HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation 4G, HTC Sensation XE, and the HTC Sensation XL.

Slated to receive the update later this year include: Rezound, Vivid, Amaze 4G, Incredible S, Desire HD, Desire S, EVO Design 4G, and EVO 3D.  Unfortunately, there is no mention of the HTC Incredible 2 or the HTC Thunderbolt, which has certainly disappointed early adopters of those two devices.  However, I’m sure HTC is going to continue to explore options for devices not mentioned at this time.

It’s nice to see HTC be up front about which devices will receive ICS and when, but hopefully we will have more specific launch dates than “later this year” in the coming weeks.  If you would like to read the full report, then feel free to click the link below.

[HTC Facebook]

Anyone in the mood for an Android-based digital camera or camcorder? We’ve already seen the Altek Leo push the boundaries of what can be expected from a mobile phone camera, and Polaroid seems to be ditching the phone part in favor of a dedicated digital camera powered by Android. Could Samsung being doing the same?

Sammy Hub notes that Samsung has filed for a trademark for the “Samsung Galaxy Camera” name. The USPTO filing reveals that the Galaxy Camera application is for the “Camera and camcorders” section, not for mobile phones. And since Samsung has made “Galaxy” branding so ingrained in its Android products, there’s a very good chance that we may be looking at an Android-powered camera released later this year.

The same benefits of an Android camera I mentioned in my Polaroid hands-on apply here as well – apps, apps, and more apps. Inclusion of the Android Market could enable things like automatic syncing with Dropbox, easier shares to Twitter, immediate uploads to YouTube, on-device editing with Aviary, and more. And based on the Wi-Fi direct demo seen at CES, it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a way to hook into a smartphone as well.

The USPTO filing date was on January 31. Maybe this might be one of the products Samsung shows off at Mobile World Congress or perhaps its just a new device that pops up in a press release in a couple of months. I’d put my money on the Galaxy Camera being ready for its close-up sooner than later.

[USPTO] via Sammy Hub, Phandroid

LTE smartphones are the bomb right now in the United States, but if you live outside the US you don’t have many such high-speed gagdets to choose from. Technology enthusiasts in Japan, however, should get ready for the coming of a pretty great LTE smartphone from DoCoMo, the Medias N-04D, manufactured by NEC and Casio.

The 4.3-inch smartphone will be made available in less than a week (February 15, to be more exact) and, at least on paper, it looks like a more than decent mid-range to high-end gadget.

Powered by a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm APQ8060 processor, the MEDIAS LTE N-04D looks stylish and fashionable as heck, rocking an all-black dust-proof body. With a 10.9 mm (0.42 inches) ‘’waist’’, the N-04D will not become the world’s slimmest smartphone, but is not very far away from such a title.

The N-04D is also very, very light, weighing in at just 149 grams (5.25 ounces) and comes with a premium 8.1-megapixel shooter on the back, capable of capturing a photo just 0.8 seconds after the last pic.

The 4.3-inch touchscreen sported by this new Android-based smartphone should itself be pretty great, as it features a 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, while other features include 16 GB of on-board memory (kudos for that!), infrared connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, 3G, LTE (duh!) and a microSDHC card slot for expanding the memory to up to 32 GB.

As far as software goes, the handheld will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread with no mention of any impending Ice Cream Sandwich update, while the smartphone is also said to be waterproof to a certain extent (whatever that might mean).

In terms of pricing, we have no news right now, which means that we will most likely have to wait until next week to see if the 4.3-incher from NEC will actually be competitive enough to have a say on the Japanese smartphone market.

Also, there has to be said that we have no idea when and if the MEDIAS LTE-N04D will be made available in the Europe or the US of A, but I for one would feel really bad to see this pretty cool smartphone kept exclusive for the ”Land of the Rising Sun”.

Via Plusd.itmedia.co.jp

We heard about a week ago that Samsung decided it was not appropriate timing to announce the Samsung Galaxy S III at Mobile World Congress 2012  – an announcement that came as a disappointment to many.  The primary motive for doing so was that Samsung wanted the product to be available for launch shortly after an announcement and not suffer long delays in key markets (i.e. Galaxy S II in America).

Today, we learned that Samsung will not even host a press conference during MWC, which certainly comes as a surprise since Samsung usually has emphatic press conferences.  However, it does make sense because Samsung does not want to waste everyone’s time announcing products that will not appeal to the majority of consumers.  Without having a flagship device of the Galaxy S III’s magnitude, Samsung will not host a press conference, but instead introduce products at the trade show.

Since MWC 2012 will not see the announcement of the Galaxy S III or another flagship worthy device from Samsung, chances are most people will be interested in future Samsung dedicated events, but we will cover any and all products Samsung does announce at MWC 2012.

[PCMag]

If about a year ago the tablet market was all about quality, performance and design, it now seems that affordability has become the most important feature to look for in a slate. If you are one of these budget-crazed technology enthusiasts, this latest news received from Russia should make you go over the moon with excitement.

According to Mobile-Review.com, a new budget Android tablet has been released in Russia, called teXet TM-7025. Despite its pretty horrible name, which is almost impossible to remember, this 7-inch slate looks pretty good on paper.

Sure, it only runs Android 2.3.4 for the time being, but it should be updated to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich soon enough and, get this, it supports 3D video playback. Powered by a 1 GHz Boxchip A10 Cortex A8 processor and featuring 512 MB of RAM, the 7-incher looks pretty elegant and stylish, as far as I can tell from the first official photos, and only weighs 370 grams (13 ounces).

The 7-inch capacitive TFT LCD display sported by the teXet TM-7025 features a pretty modest 800 x 480 pixels resolution, but the tablet makes up for what might be a poor screen with the ports and connectivity options.

You therefore get (or rather I should say you, Russians, therefore get) WiFi connectivity, a miniUSB port, a microSD card slot, but also a miniHDMI connector, which is pretty darn good for such a cheap gagdet. Oh, right, I forgot to tell you how much it costs.

Well, in Russia it will be made available for 5,999 rubles, which would convert to around 200 bucks right now. That’s a pretty low price right there, but if we are to take into consideration the usual differences between the European and the US market, the slate might go for even less when and if it will come to America.

Other features include a 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 4 GB of internal storage space, an accelerometer and a 3100 mAh Li-Ion battery with a yet to be specified autonomy. There’s also the possibility of connecting the slate to a 500 GB hard drive without using extra power.

I don’t know about you, but I for one would really love to see a, say, $150 Android 4.0 tablet with 3D video playback support around here, even though it would come from an unknown manufacturer.

Via Tablet-News.com

Verizon Wireless announced the availability of its upcoming Motorola DROID 4 smartphone earlier today.  The DROID  4is going to launch on February 10th for $199 on a two year contract, as reported by Andrew.  However, this Friday not only marks the launch of the DROID 4, but will be the date Verizon reintroduces double the data and begins its BOGO promotion on the DROID RAZR series.

In late 2011, Verizon introduced a promotion in which individuals signing a new data contract would automatically receive double the data.  Typically, customers pay $30 for 2GB of data, but during the promotion, Verizon would double it to 4GB without any extra fees.  The same promotion applies to 5GB and 10GB doubling to 10GB and 20GB, respectively.  This is a great promotion since 2GB can be reached relatively easily if you use 4G LTE for a lot of browsing and video streaming.

In addition, the Motorola DROID RAZR in white, black, and purple will be available as a BOGO offer.  The DROID RAZR MAXX will also be eligible for this promotion.  The DROID RAZR is priced at $199 on a two year contract, while the DROID RAZR MAXX sports a $299 price tag.  If you’re looking to pick up two top notch Android smartphones for the price of one, Verizon has the deal for you.

Lastly, all of their 4G LTE tablets are said to be going on sale such that if you purchase a 4G LTE tablet and smartphone, the up front cost will be slashed by $100.

Again, these promotions will not begin until Friday, February 10.  If you are looking to sign a new contract with Verizon Wireless, you may want to consider this new promotion.

[BGR]

Motorola and Verizon have confirmed the price and launch date for the Motorola Droid 4. Set to go on sale beginning Friday, February 10, the Droid 4 will cost $199 on a two-year agreement.

The Droid 4 has access to Verizon’s 4G LTE network, so its comforting to see the company offer a premium LTE phone under the $200 mark. Verizon has also dropped the price of the Lapdock 500, which is sold separately for $299. That will be a welcome change of pace for anyone who considered getting the accessory that can turn the phone into a special laptop-like mode for browsing the web and accessing apps.

There’s plenty to like with in the Droid 4. The phone continues the original Droid concept of high-powered specs mixed with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It basically looks like a Droid RAZR with a keyboard strapped on to it, and has:

• Verizon Wireless 4G LTE – Customers can expect fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas
• Android^™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, to be upgraded to Android^™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 4.0-inch qHD display with scratch and scrape resistant glass
• Government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) for email, calendar and contacts; preloaded with Citrix^® Receiver^™ for Android (available in webtop) for desktop virtualization and access
• 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture
• Front-facing camera for video chat
• 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot supporting up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices

I played with the Droid 4 at CES and had a favorable first impression. The Droid 4 has a 5-row keyboard reminiscent of previous Droids, and the buttons are spaced out nicely. I did some brief testing of my favorite phrase – “Andrew Kameka is the greatest person on the face of the Earth” – and my thumbs immediately found the right key despite not having touched a QWERTY in months.

Pickings are slim for those who want a slide-out keyboard, but the Droid 4 is probably going to be at the head of the class thanks to its specs. There are some differences from the RAZR, the most noticeable being an LCD screen instead of Super AMOLED, but most of the other key specs are all present. Head to Verizon this Friday and test it for yourself to see if it’s worth upgrading.

The Toshiba AT200 tablet, dubbed as the world’s thinnest 10-inch slate, was officially revealed way back in September 2011, but for some reason it starts hitting stores just now. The AT200 has been made available in the UK today, but unfortunately we still have no idea when (and if) it will come in the US as well.

Available for order online at carphonewarehouse.com, the Toshiba AT200, also known as the Toshiba Excite X10 or the Regza AT700, starts at £399 (the 16 GB version) and costs goes for £50 extra for the 32 GB model. That would convert into around 630 and 710 dollars right now, but surely when it will come our way, it will not be released with such ‘’premium’’ price tags.

For those of you who don’t remember many things about the Toshiba AT200 (I can’t blame you, to be honest), this slate runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb and measures 7.7 mm (0.3 inches) in depth, which (barely) makes it the thinnest 10.1-inch tablet in the world.

Sporting a 1280 x 800 pixels resolution LED backlit display, the AT200 is powered by a snappy dual-core 1.2 GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor and features 1 GB of RAM. There are two cameras on the front and on the rear of the tablet (a 5-megapixel shooter on the back and a 2 MP front-facing webcam), as well as a micro USB port, a microSD card reader, a micro HDMI connector, Bluetooth, WiFi and a battery that should run for up to eight hours between charges, if we are to believe the manufacturers’ claims.

As you probably have already guessed, this slate’s strongest point is the design, which is quite elegant and stylish, but on the other hand there’s nothing special or anything that we have never seen before.

Also, it will be interesting to see how will technology enthusiasts worldwide receive this gadget, as we are closer and closer to the big wave of quad-core, Android 4.0-powered slates releases. What do you think, will you get this Toshiba AT200 tablet or are you holding out for something snappier and stronger, even though it might not be as good-looking as this?

Via Gizmodo UK

HTC reported its Q4 2011 earnings today, and revenues predictably took a dip. The company lowered expectations weeks ago and said it would report lower revenues, but no one knew to what extent. After seeing very strong quarters in Q2 and Q3 of last year, HTC fell to $101.42 billion NT last quarter. That was almost as low as what the company reported in Q4 2010.

Despite the late year decline, HTC is betting heavy on the devices that it will unveil at the upcoming Mobile World Congress. The first quarter of this year will likely be even more disappointing, but HTC expressed optimism that its next wave of phones will reignite the popularity that it enjoyed in the early half of 2011.

“Despite temporary weakness resulting from product cycle transition, HTC believes it has the ability to create a new wave of momentum through the upcoming product cycle. These margins are a temporary phenomenon and will normalized when [the] product cycle transition is over.” – HTC earnings statement.

The reason that sales declined was because the company got caught with its pants down during the holiday sales season. Apple had a phenomenal quarter thanks to the iPhone 4S, Samsung kept momentum going on the Galaxy S II series, and Motorola had a number of phones to offer. Meanwhile, HTC didn’t have anything new to compete with those phones. In the next product cycle, HTC will seek to deliver phones good enough to return the company to prominence. HTC was once the preferred phone maker of choice in the Android sect, but the brand lost some of its luster.

“We dropped the ball,” CFO Winston Yung is quoted as saying during HTC’s earnings call. Hardware design didn’t appeal to customers, so the company is expected to introduce thinner phones with better battery life and stronger specs. The rumored HTC Ville will be a big start, but users are likely to see a couple more high-powered phones unveiled at MWC. HTC has said it will focus on the higher end of the smartphone market and release fewer phones this year, so expect the company to come out swinging in Barcelona.

via Engadget, SlashGear