Google Android. That little green robot has been propping up everywhere recently but what’s it all about and why is it the fastest growing smartphone operating system in the market right now?
Simply put is an operating system for smartphones (and now tablet PC’s) developed by Google in 2008 as the answer to the continued dominance of Apple’s award winning iPhone. It didnt quite work out that way initially but nowadays Android is the word on everyones lips with many smartphone manufacturers from HTC and Samsung turning to Google’s product to run their latest phones.
The, , have all been big handsets in the last several months and all of them have shipped with varying updates of the Android operating system (we’ve had versions ranging from Cupcake all the way through to Ice Cream Sandwich so far – we’re thinking someone at Google has a sweet tooth!)
But there’s more than just the cute names and funny robot – Android OS can run multiple applications at the same time, whether in built apps or those from Android Market. Listen to music whilst browsing the internet, play a game whilst also on facebook, mutli-tasting is effortless on Android and with the introduction of new dual-core handsets like the Galaxy S II, this is only set to get easier.
Talking on the – Googles apps store now boasts over 250,000 3rd party applications ready to download to your phone and improve your mobile phone experience. From the hugely popular Angry Birds puzzle game (they’re angry over evil green pigs stealing their eggs apparently) to apps like Shazam which identifies a song on the radio for you – Android have catered for all smarpthone needs – entertainment, productivity, Utility and communication. And that’s not even mentioning all the built in apps like Facebook, Twitter and Google Maps.
But it’s not just Google Maps – one of Android’s biggest selling points is it’s full Google integration including Gmail, Google Talk,, YouTube, Google Calendar, and Google Search. Oh and not to forget Google Goggles!
So that’s it – in a nutshell. There’s plenty more features of the little green robot but we won’t ruin the fun of finding them out for yourself. But if you are after more information be sure to check out our new Android OS page as part of our or check out all our
Got a great idea for an exciting new app but don’t have the technical know-how to make it a reality? Fear not, Google have got you covered with todays launch of the App Inventor, a tool that promises to make developing new apps a piece of cake (relatively speaking).
Android App Inventor allows first time app developers to design and create new apps using a series of building blocks in an editing suite. The building blocks range from storing information to compatibility with GPS and even performing actions under certain circumstances so users can literally piece there app together brick by brick.
There are of course drawbacks to this new editing tool. Whilst making app development accessible to the masses seems like a great idea, it could potentially lead to an influx of weak, underpowered or, worse still, spammy apps. The rate the Android market is growing, Android doesn’t need another 1000 Fart apps. On the flip side to this, the new Android App Inventor tool could potentially unleash the next killer app. After all, now that Google have given us the tools, all it takes is an idea.
With a stunning selection of now on the market running Google’s Android operating system, there’s never been a better reason to join the Android revolution. From the stunning and to the and , there’s an Android phone to suit all your needs. But, just in case you needed further convincing that Android is the OS to get behind, here’s one more; the Android Market app store just passed the 50,000 app mark!
Any is only as good as its app store with both the quantity and quality of apps a real deal breaker for many when choosing which phone to plump for. In this respect, the iPhone remains top of the pile with over 200,000 apps on offer but is catching up fast with over 9000 apps added in March alone. Expect that to have been topped this month now that the Android market has hit the 50,000 app milestone.
The rate of growth for a platform that’s only been around for a year and a half is quite incredible but the really exciting aspect for Android users is that of those 50,000 apps on offer, over 65% of them are absolutely free. At this rate, it will only be a matter of time until Android has caught iPhone OS and leveled the playing field. .
With less than 24 hours to go before the finally launches and arrives in stock at , we thought we’d take this opportunity to whet your appetite just that little bit more with a juicy promo video of the potential -killer in action.
The phone, which is already an early contender for phone of the year, is brimming with top of the range features, from the latest and HTC’s excellent Sense UI, to the powerful 1GHz processor and gorgeous 3.7 inch AMOLED with multi-touch. But enough talk, check out the video below and start drooling. And if you haven’t done so already, it’s not too late to pre-order your own HTC Desire. to check out some of our fantastic offers.
You may recall last week the news that had launched for phones running version 2.0 or later of the Google Android operating system. Great news for and owners, not so great for those of you running an , or similar. Well, today we can announce the good news that Google gesture search has now landed in the Android Market and is available for all devices running version 1.6 and above of the Android OS.
The app basically acts as a universal search tool, searching through apps on your phone, contacts, bookmarks and music. Before you lose interest and dismiss this as nothing new, it’s worth pointing out that rather than requiring you to type on an on-screen or physical keyboard, Gesture Search instead relies on, yep you guessed it, gestures! Using a simple handwriting recognition tool, simply write on screen and the app will begin to search through your phone and start pulling up results. You can either draw the first letter of what you’re looking for or carry on writing as the phone narrows down the results.
Gesture search is available now in the Android Market, be sure to check it out on your Android phone today. Not got an Android phone and want to know what all the fuss is about? Then check out our fantastic range of Android mobile phones .
If you’re after an powered , you really are spoilt for choice these days, with great offerings from and as well as exciting new launches from and on the horizon. And now, we can add one more name to that list with the arrival of the which is in stock now at . Want to learn more about the latest member of the Android army? Read on…
The Liquid boasts a sumptuous 3.5 inch display, capacitive so you can rest assured it will be ultra responsive to your various pokes and prods. Not only is it good to use, it’s also some what of a looker with bright vivid colours and sharp, clean lines. In addition to the gorgeous touchscreen display, the Liquid has an ace up its sleeve in the form of an LED notification panel on the top of the device. Aimed at keeping you up to date when the phone is in your pocket, small LED indicators instantly notify you of any incoming or missed calls, messages and battery levels without having to look at the main display. Not exactly revolutionary, just a nice touch that improves the overall usability of the Liquid.
Inside, the phone is running Google’s Android operating system (in its version 1.6 guise) meaning you get a host of customisation options including multiple home screens, access to over 15,000 apps in the Android Market, social networking integration with support for photo uploads and even the ability to add friends’ social networking sites to contacts in your phone book. Behind the scenes, the Android toting Liquid is powered by an impressive Snapdragon processor with a clock speed of 768 MHz so web pages, apps, maps and more are all smooth and fluid.
On the hardware front, the Liquid sports an impressive complete with autofocus, video capture and geo-tagging. GPS enables the aforementioned geo-tagging as well as mapping and satellite navigation apps (with Google maps ready out of the box and more available in the Android Market) and HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity keeps everything ticking along nicely when you take the Liquid online. On the multimedia side of things, the Liquid’s 3.5 inch display is perfect for watching videos and movies on the move whilst the addition of a 3.5mm audio jack and expandable memory up to 32GB also boost the phones music player credentials.
The Acer Liquid is also given a generous helping of style with the cool LED notification panel on the top, classy touch sensitive shortcut keys and smooth clean lines meeting curved rounded edges making for a device that feels great in the hands and is incredibly light weight at just 135 g. In stock now and available on T-Mobile, the Acer Liquid is an exciting addition to the Android family. to check out our range of fantastic offers on the Acer Liquid.