Google releases Galaxy Nexus stock image for easy reinstall

Google has released a factory image for its pure-blood Galaxy Nexus GSM/HSDPA+ device and made it available to anyone.


The image can be used to easily recover the stock Ice Cream Sandwich software on the Galaxy Nexus in case of a manipulation gone wrong. This should come in handy to both experienced modders and newbies alike. If something goes wrong while flashing a custom rom, for example, you can revert your Galaxy Nexus to stock ICS in no time.
You'll need to set the device in fastboot mode before using the factory image. Google advises to lock your bootloader after restoring to secure the Galaxy Nexus. Hit the source link below for the bootloader, baseband and the rest of the system.
Source | Via

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Motorola DROID RAZR MAX to come with a bigger battery?

So, what is the Motorola DROID RAZR MAX? The first confirmation about this mysterious device comes from a user who was told by a Verizon Store employee that a new Motorola DROID RAZR MAX is coming soon. It is supposed to be thicker, with a beefier battery and hence, longer battery life.
Then the name Motorola DROID RAZR MAX has come up again in some EXIF data.

The EXIF data
That’s twice we hear the RAZR MAX moniker, so we guess there is a chance it might turn out a real device. Or the RAZR MAX might be a codename for one of the recently leaked (the XT928 has already gone official) China-bound RAZR versions. We guess we’ll know in a couple of weeks.
Via 1 • Via 2

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Android distribution in November: Gingebread gets a 50% share

Google updated the Android versions distribution charts and confirmed that the second Gingerbread release (covering versions 2.3.3-2.3.7) extended its lead at the top. Over half of all droids are now running on Gingerbread.
Back in second place, Android 2.2 Froyo continues to lose ground as most of the handsets that used to run it are getting Gingerbread updates. Still, Froyo retains a 35.3% market share, and it will take quite some time before it's completely gone.
Just look at the long outdated Android 1.5 Cupcake, 1.6 Donut and 2.1 Eclair releases. Those account for 0.8%, 1.3% and 9.6% of all droids, respectively, which means that one out of ten Android smartphones is running software that's over two years old (which is like a century in smartphone terms).
The fact that the trio fails to get off the map as quickly as expected is probably partially attributed by the evening out Android growth - the share of devices left with no support and future updates is harder to be disposed of than the software itself.
Finally, the trio of Android Honeycomb distributions continues to make baby steps forward. Android slates now account for 2.4% of all droid devices. We shouldn't expect that share to grow much further though - with Ice Cream Sandwich just around the corner Honeycomb might become the Android version with the shortest lifetime ever.

Version	Market Share, October	Market Share, November	Change
1.5 Cupcake	0.9%	0.8%	▼0.1
1.6 Donut	1.4%	1.3%	▼0.1
2.1 Eclair	10.7%	9.6%	▼1.1
2.2 Froyo	40.7%	35.3%	▼5.4
2.3 Gingerbread	0.5%	0.5%	0.0
2.3.3 Gingerbread	43.9%	50.1%	▲6.2
3.0 Honeycomb	0.1%	0.1%	0.0
3.1 Honeycomb	0.9%	1.1%	▲0.2
3.2 Honeycomb	0.9%	1.2%	▲0.3

Android 4.0 Ice Cream sandwich is yet to appear on the map, as the sales of the Galaxy Nexus, the first smartphone to run it, have only started a few days ago.

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Samsung Exhibit II 4G review: Second time around

Introduction

The Samsung Exhibit II 4G is aimed primarily at commitment-challenged consumers. Being one of the quickest product sequels we’ve seen in a while, the device is marketed mostly as a Pay as you go phone, which offers you the full Android functionality at the affordable price of $200 with no contract required.
Being only the fourth largest wireless provider in the United States, T-Mobile has always positioned itself as the budget alternative to its significantly larger competitors. This year, the magenta colored provider has become even more aggressive in its pricing by offering all-you-can-eat monthly plans, which require no contract.

Samsung Exhibit II 4G official photos
In case the device looks somewhat familiar to you, you’ve probably guessed it right. The Exhibit II 4G is essentially the U.S. version of the Samsung Galaxy W. In order to fit its attractive price tag however, some of its hardware has been replaced with less capable options. The CPU of the Exhibit II is a 1GHz Snapdragon, compared to the 1.4 GHz Scorpion core of the Galaxy W. Its camera unit on the other hand, comes straight from 2008 with its 3.2MP resolution and VGA video recording.
As always, we will follow with the full breakdown of the Samsung Exhibit II 4G by going over its key features and main disadvantages.

Key Features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 14.4 Mbps HSDPA; 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 1GHz Snapdragon CPU; Adreno 205 GPU; Qualcomm MSM 8255 chipset
• 512MB RAM; 1GB ROM; microSD card support (up to 32GB)
• 3.7” LCD display with WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) resolution; 252ppi pixel density
• Front-facing VGA camera for video calls
• Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with TouchWiz 4.0 launcher
• Rich video format support out of the box
• Wi-Fi calling enabled
• Accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors

Main disadvantages

• Design is a bit dull
• 3.2MP camera with lowly VGA video recording; no dedicated key
• All plastic construction
• High amount of preloaded apps from T-Mobile
• No memory card enclosed

As you can notice above, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G will certainly not end up on your list of dream phones. It is not aiming for it though. With a decent spec sheet and software which comes straight from the top of the Samsung Android ranks, paired with a low price tag with non contract, the smartphone makes quite a lot of sense.

Samsung Exhibit II 4G live photos
We will kick things off with unboxing of the Exhibit II 4G, followed by a hardware inspection.
Editorial: You might notice that this review is shorter than usual and doesn't include all of our proprietary tests. The reason is it has been prepared and written far away from our office and test lab. The Samsung Exhibit II 4G for T-Mobile is a US-only phone, so it will probably never get to the shores of the Old Continent. Still, we think we've captured the essence of the phone in the same precise, informative and detailed way that's become our trademark. Enjoy the good read!

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HTC Radar review: Mango on the radar

Introduction

The HTC Radar is the smaller, less expensive, less powerful and - overall - less exaggerated version of the Titan. Now, turn that around and the Radar will be the sensible, down-to-earth and friendlier phone of the two. It will be up to users to decide. HTC do need both.
HTC have been on home turf in the Windows Phone game so far. LG and Samsung didn’t really take the first complete makeover of the platform to heart, allowing the Taiwanese to capture more than half of the WP7 market share. Now though, with the emergence of Nokia, HTC will have a harder time asserting their supremacy.

HTC Radar official photos
The HTC Radar is a good-looking - though far from flashy - and well-built smartphone. It's a WP7.5 Mango-running 1GHz powered package with a fairly palatable price tag hanging off that aluminum unibody. Sure, it may not be the upgrader’s dream, but it will probably tick plenty of boxes for those that are only now considering giving the platform a go.

Key features:

• 3.8" 16M-color capacitive LCD touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Dual-band 3G with HSDPA (7.2 Mbps) and HSUPA (2Mbps)
• Windows Phone 7 operating system
• 1GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Snapdragon chipset
• 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, geotagging and a hardware shutter key
• 720p video recording @ 30fps
• 8GB of built-in storage
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Standard microUSB port (charging)
• Dolby Mobile and SRS sound enhancement
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotation
• Office document editor
• Facebook integration and cloud services
• Built-in A-GPS receiver
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• Comes with HTC Hub and exclusive HTC apps

Main disadvantages:

• Non-expandable storage
• No mass storage
• Zune-only file management and sync
• No Flash (nor Silverlight) support in the browser
• No native video calls
• No DivX/XviD video support (automatic transcoding provided by Zune)
• Non-user-accessible battery

A year ago when Microsoft launched it, Windows Phone 7 was refreshingly different and quite pretty, but still too immature to be able to cover as much ground as its maker hoped. The Mango update brings WP closer to its competitors and while Android and iOS haven't been idle either, WP7.5 has a better chance at making a difference in the midrange.

The HTC Radar at our office
What's fair is fair - Android has zoomed ahead on dual-core and HD screens. It's not up to the likes of the HTC Radar though to push hard and catch up. WP needs a foothold in the midrange and the second generation of phones may help the platform get it. The HTC Radar for its part doesn’t target upgraders - being pretty much the same phone as the 7 Trophy. It's mostly the software updates that will be trying to convince the fence-sitters.
And Mango does well to address some of the lacking functionality. Before we get to that though, there's the usual unboxing and hardware checkup. It's a proper unibody - at long last. We'd love a taste of the traditional HTC premium feel and solid build.

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Nokia Lumia 800 review: New beginnings

Introduction

It will take crowds erupting in delight to silence the ring of the "burning platform" speech in the Nokia Lumia 800's ears. The speaker being Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and the burning platform Symbian.
As Nokia are starting over, the Lumia 800 would do well not to look back. It's certainly beyond the ifs and buts. A shadow still lingers though. And there are people out there - loyal Nokia users too - who would've jumped in the fire with MeeGo rather than the freezing waters of Windows Phone.

Nokia Lumia 800 official photos
But it was for others to decide. The N9 was ordered to share its impressive unibody design with the Lumia 800. Good decision by Nokia - not saying fair - to give its WP7 pioneer a strong start. There are some Windows Phone mandated changes like the touch-sensitive Back, Menu and Search keys and a hardware shutter key.
The screen lost 0.2" and 54 pixels in height to make room for the capacitive controls. The oddly positioned secondary camera is gone as well. Still, the image quality of the screen seems unchanged - and we quite liked that AMOLED unit.
What else has changed? Well, there's a new chipset, among other things. To make this short, here're the pros and cons of the Nokia Lumia 800.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Quad-band 3G with 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA support
• 3.7" 16M-color AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display with anti-glare polarizer
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash, 720p@27fps video recording and fast f/2.2 lens
• Windows Phone 7.5 OS (Mango)
• 1.4GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8255 chipset, 512MB of RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Non-painted polycarbonate unibody, curved screen
• GPS receiver with A-GPS support and free lifetime voice-guided navigation
• Digital compass
• 16GB on-board storage
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• Built-in accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack; FM Radio with RDS
• microUSB port
• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and EDR
• Nice audio reproduction quality
• Impressively deep and coherent SNS integration throughout the interface

Main disadvantages

• Display is much dimmer than the N9's display
• No Flash or Silverlight support in browser
• No USB mass storage (file management and sync pass only through Zune)
• No video calls and no front-facing camera either
• Non-user-replaceable battery
• No memory card slot (and no 64GB version like the N9)
• microSIM card slot
• No native DivX/XviD support, videos have to be transcoded by Zune

A strong showing by Nokia, but it's a bit late to the Windows Phone party. They do have the design experience from being in the business longer than almost anyone else and they have Nokia Drive as their ace in the hole.
The fate of the company rests on Windows Phone Nokias being a success and much of that weight falls on the shoulders of the Lumia 800. It won't carry it alone, but it's the leader of the pack, the attention grabber.

Nokia Lumia 800 at ours
And sure enough, it has our attention. But it's you the Nokia Lumia 800 has to wow, so sit down and let us tell you about its hardware.

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