I’ve been trying to find out more about the Nexus 4′s overheating problem for the past few days, and just recently noticed that the Nexus 7 charger might have been part of my problem, at least as it relates to battery heat. However, it turns out that the Nexus 4′s processor also has a tendency to overheat, and that actually causes the device to throttle itself in order to avoid damage.

This behavior makes a lot of sense, as you obviously don’t want to overheat your phone to the point of physical damage, but it isn’t great if you want to make the most of the processor in the Nexus 4. As a result, a curious XDA member actually decided to do some great research and find out why the Nexus 4 would overheat and decline in performance.

In looking at the iFixit teardown pictured above, the user noticed that the Nexus 4′s mainboard should be able to use the entire metal frame of the device as a heatsink. Instead, however, the thermal contact between the mainboard, SOC, and metal frame is neither direct nor very good. The SOC doesn’t make direct contact with the metal frame, which causes the mainboard to channel heat to the battery, also activating the device’s heat sensor in the process.

In short, this poor distribution of the SOC’s heat is a big part of what is causing many of the overheating and throttling complaints about the Nexus 4. The solution, though, is fairly simple once you have disassembled the Nexus 4. Because the SOC should make contact with the frame for ideal heat distribution, there is solid metal below where the processor sits. The only reason there is a problem is that the mainboard is mounted in such a way that there is a small gap between the SOC and the frame that could potentially act as a heatsink.

The fix, then, is as simple as finding a way to transfer the heat from the SOC to the metal frame and allow it to dissipate. The XDA poster tried using thermal paste, which anyone who has ever installed a CPU on a computer will be familiar with, but the gap was too large. Instead, the user made a 0.5mm copper heatsink to connect the SOC with the frame, and provides data to suggest that this solution solved the problem.

I don’t know that I really want to disassemble my Nexus 4, but if the overheating gets much worse, then I’ll probably have to at least give some sort of pieced together heat sink a try. If you’re interested in the modification, the original XDA post has a little bit more information on how to make a heatsink. If I do end up deciding to modify my Nexus 4, I’ll also take as many pictures as possible to compile a more detailed guide.

[xda-developers]

The post The LG Nexus 4 lacks a proper heat sink, causing overheating and throttling appeared first on Pocketables.

Just a little while ago, I began to notice my Nexus 4 heating up a bit around the back of the device. The problem tended to appear at two times, after prolonged charging and when using mobile data. While I still haven’t found out exactly why the device begins to overheat when using data, I may have found out what part of the problem was. Around when my Nexus 7 first broke is when I first began noticing significant overheating with the Nexus 4, possibly because I began using the Nexus 7′s charger for the Nexus 4.

Before we proceed further, the only evidence for this is coincidental and anecdotal, and certainly not scientific. However, the Nexus 7′s charger does output 2.0 Amps as opposed to the Nexus 4 charger’s 1.2 Amps. While the battery management technology within the Nexus 4  should prevent this from causing any problems, as pointed out in this XDA thread, I have noticed some odd behavior when using the Nexus 7 charger for my Nexus 4. First, the phone does seem to heat up a bit more when charging, and when unplugged the power button does not respond for five to ten seconds. Additionally, the battery life has subjectively been slightly lower ever since I began using the charger.

I don’t intend to spread any FUD about charging cables or the Nexus 4 overheating, as I know very little about basic electricity or how modern chargers and batteries work. Of course, few people use the provided cable with their device for its entire life, and don’t have any trouble. In fact, I usually don’t use the provided charger with new devices, and certainly wouldn’t spend another $25 for another official Nexus 4 charger.. All that I can say is that ever since I started using the Nexus 7 charger with my Nexus 4, I have been noticing some admittedly small problems with the battery and the device overheating.

It may be the placebo effect or my battery may actually be defective, but for now I’ve switched back to the official Nexus 4 charging cable, and overall the battery seems to be working just a little bit better.

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Google I/O didn’t bring along too many new products, whether devices or software. One service that did get a decent update, though, was Google Play Music, which added new All Access streaming, as well as a completely new interface to the Android app. However, a few users have noticed that the update actually removed one noteworthy feature: Nexus Q support. This shouldn’t be unexpected, as there were hints that the Nexus Q was dying off early this year, but as someone who was holding out hope for a new Nexus Q, this isn’t good news.

Previously, one of the most useful features of the Nexus Q was the ability to play music through the Q from Google Music’s Android app. Now, Q fans not only are left with the disappointment of not getting a new Nexus Q from Google I/O, but also the increasing fear that Google’s streaming orb is dead. While nearly all Nexus Q users did get their device for free either from Google I/O last year or ordering before Google cancelled the Q, there are a small number who did pay for the streaming device on sites such as eBay. I was almost one of them, and at this point I’m quite happy that I didn’t elect to purchase a current Nexus Q, as I would be left with a good looking brick at this point

An official Google forum spokesperson said that the Nexus Q is currently incompatible with the new version of Google Play Music, and went on to justify the decision by noting that most Nexus Q users got the device for free. Still, he avoided making it totally clear that the Nexus Q wouldn’t be supported any longer, so perhaps there is some hope. In addition, Google’s support pages were updated to note that “All Access … is not compatible with the Nexus Q.” While again inconclusive, this seems to be trying to avoid saying that the Nexus Q is dead or alive, which leaves at least some slim hope that it could still live on.

Still, the current predicament is probably quite frustrating for Q owners. Even though I don’t have a Nexus Q, I’m still hoping that an update will restore some functionality to the original device, and that Google will eventually continue the line with new hardware.

[Droid-Life]

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Few people probably remember Jolla, the Finnish company comprised of many who left Nokia after the Windows Phone deal. Instead of producing Windows devices, the company decided to continue making Nokia-esq smartphones with the Sailfish operating system, based on MeeGo, which is in turn based on Linux. A November deadline for hardware was missed last year, but the company has continued its efforts albeit very quietly. After a long spell of silence, Jolla today announced somewhat unexpectedly the first real Sailfish smartphone.

While the name isn’t made clear on the website, the device appears to be called the Other Half. This seems to be because the back panel can be ordered in different colors, and customized by the user. What is clear is that it will include a 4.5-inch HD Estrade display, dual-core processor of unknown manufacturer, 4G LTE connectivity in some markets, 16GB of internal memory with a microSD, 8MP camera, user replaceable battery, and of course the Sailfish OS.

Interestingly, the device is also said to be Android app compliant, so while it won’t have the official Play Store or Google approval, it sounds like Jolla’s Sailfish will run Android apps much like the BlackBerry PlayBook (making third party app stores such as GetJar and the Amazon App Store viable options).

In addition to Android apps, the Sailfish OS will also include support for Jolla’s Linux apps for basic functions. The OS also has a custom “gesture based” interface, which looks at the very least quite interesting. The flat aspects of the interface remind me of Windows Phone and live tiles, while whatever is pictured in the image above seems at least a bit different from what we are used to seeing in smartphone software. As far as hardware goes, Nokia’s influence is clear, and the device looks fairly sleek, simple, and solid.

For now, the Other Half from Jolla is only scheduled to ship in Europe by the end of this year, but I’ll certainly be watching to see if it ever comes stateside.

[Jolla via Liliputing]

Update: According to Engadget, the device will actually be called simply the Jolla.

The post Jolla actually made a Sailfish smartphone with Android app compatibility appeared first on Pocketables.

Normally, most of the product rumors come out before a company’s big announcement, which is why I was half expecting an updated ASUS Nexus 7 with a high-resolution display from Google I/O on Wednesday. Sadly, though, Google didn’t release any new Nexus devices, and instead showed off a stock Samsung Galaxy S4 and spent the rest of the time on mostly software products like the new Hangouts.

While the new Hangouts service is still more of a work in progress than a polished product, one of Google’s promotional videos for the service revealed something potentially interesting about the Nexus 7. In the video, a tablet looking almost exactly like the current Nexus 7 is shown, except this version has a notification light much like the one on the LG Nexus 4. This certainly isn’t a conclusive indication, but it doesn’t seem likely that Google would opt to photoshop a feature onto its tablet that isn’t really there.

Then again, the Nexus 4 used in the video is held upside down, and appears to be running the older Android Ice Cream Sandwich. As a result, it is quite possible that what appears to be an updated Nexus 7 in the film is just a fluke. Of course, I still think Google might update the Nexus 7 about a year after its release (July 13, 2012, for those who are curious), so I’m currently hoping that it could be released with Android 4.3 and the white Nexus 4.

[Reddit]

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We don’t usually put too much stock in rumors and hearsay, but when certain devices continue to leak and show up different places, it becomes at least a little more likely that they are real. For example, the white Nexus 4 first showed up early this year, but then didn’t make an appearance at Google I/O yesterday. A few new shots leaked before the conference, but they were dismissed when Google didn’t announce the device. Now, a new leak has once again renewed the possibility of a white Nexus 4, as well as brought news of Android 4.3.

Coming from Android and Me, the white Nexus 4 was supposedly obtained at Google I/O, and appears to be an exact copy of the current Nexus 4, only in white. Obviously, the device does exist, and it even looks like a current “updated” Nexus 4 model, as you can make out what look like bumper tabs at the bottom of the device. This still doesn’t mean that the phone is being produced for consumers, but it does show that a new batch of white Nexus 4′s has likely rolled off of the production line.

The lighter colored Nexus 4 is said to be slated for an appearance on the Google Play store June 10, along with Android 4.3, but little fanfare from Google’s side. The apparent reason for the non I/O release is that Google wanted to show off their ability to update APIs and add new services to Android without an entirely new version, and presumably also wanted to release Android 4.3 with a “new” device. As a result, the white Nexus 4 was not announced at Google I/O, and instead was saved for a quieter reveal early next month.

Although I’m not likely to be upgrading to a new Nexus 4 just for the color change, I know quite a few people who prefer to buy white smartphones. However, I’m more interested in Android 4.3, which, while a minor update, will hopefully bring along at least a few of the features that we have been waiting for. With the new white Nexus 4 becoming more likely, I’m beginning to think that Android 4.3 may really have been pushed back to June 10, even though the decision seems a bit odd to me.

[Android and Me]

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In a very quiet announcement today, Google revealed a new service that combines the features of Gmail and Google Wallet into one. In the next few weeks, a dollar sign will begin appearing in the attachments area for people who use Gmail and Google Wallet, which will allow users to send money easily as an email attachment.

This is at least a little bit easier than using PayPal, because it is integrated with the email service that most people already use. In addition, there is no fee for any transfers directly from a connected bank account, although credit and debit cards will be subject to an additional 2.9% fee. Any users will have to be over 18, but other than that recipients need not have even a Gmail address. There’s not much more to the new service, as it is truly quite simple. As long as you have a Google Wallet account and are over 18, you can attach money to an email. The recipient will have to set up Google Wallet if they don’t already have an account, but other than that the transfer is quite easy.

Other companies have toyed with transferring money via cell phone numbers and email addresses, but so far none of the services have caught on. Google has the advantage of already having hundreds of millions of Gmail users, and quite a few Wallet users as well. I don’t doubt that this new service, if it truly works as well and as simply as Google says it will, could become quite useful for payments between friends and family, or in other casual situations. The service clearly isn’t aimed at business, but could potentially be useful to some small businesses in certain situations.

Google Wallet so far hasn’t been extremely successful, but this new integration should help to make the service a little more prominent. Although there may not be too many reasons that you would have to share money through email, Google’s new money attachment option certainly looks convenient for certain situations, and perhaps could even save small, casual transactions from the fees and hassle of Paypal.

[Google]

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It’s been more than a year since we started complaining about Google’s lack of unity with regards to its chat services, noting that there were too many different services that did essentially the same thing. A unified messaging solution from Google was rumored for some time under the name Babble (or Babel), but today at Google I/O the search giant finally released its unified messaging solution, called Hangouts.

The service ties together and replaces most of Google’s existing chat services, including Google Talk, Google+ Messenger, and Google+ Hangouts. Voice wasn’t mentioned, but eventually all of Google’s communication products are said to be moving towards the Hangouts brand. Hangouts is a basic unified messaging app, which is available for Android, iOS, and Chrome, meaning that it will work on Windows, OS X, Linux, and Chrome OS. (In fact, a nice little Hangouts icon appeared in the notification area of my KDE desktop as soon as I installed the Chrome extension, so integration for Linux is already great.)

Hangouts is a little bit different from Google Talk in that each conversation has its own name, and the interface begins with a list of current conversations instead of online contacts. Everything in a Hangout will be stored by Google in the cloud, including shared images and video history. This also means that you can “chat” with people who are offline, and they will see what you wrote when back online (much like Google Talk). The Hangout will keep track of how far each person has read, and you will be able to see that via a small watermark of each participant’s face. Of course, Hangouts also includes the features from the original Google+ Hangout, and any conversation can quickly be switched to a video chat with a simple click or tap.

The new Hangouts app may not include an incredible number of new features, but it certainly does a good job of unifying Google’s messaging services and integrating them with Google+. It is unfortunate that Google Voice isn’t yet a part of the unified Google communication experiment, but SMS and Google Voice support is planned for the future. For now, what we have is still a very good cross-platform text and video chat platform, which has unified Google’s products and should make communication easier, at least within the Google universe.

Download: Google Play

[Google]

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Analysts often make all kinds of predictions when an event like Google I/O is coming up, but few have the success and historical accuracy of Mingchi Kuo. Although you can never know with these sort of predictions, Kuo is well connected and has been reliable in the past. As a result, his report on what the new Nexus 7 by Google will look like has me quite excited.

Most importantly, the price will stay the same at $199, but that isn’t too bold of a prediction. What is most interesting to me is the massive display upgrade to a 7-inch 1,920 x 1,200 resolution panel, which would result in a 323ppi pixel density for a true 7-inch high-res display. Interestingly, if the display is increased to a 7.5-inch panel, the pixel density would be almost exactly the same as the Nexus 10.

Kuo does say that the bezel of the Nexus 7 will be getting smaller with this new version, but perhaps the device will remain about the same size and the display will get a bit bigger. While this would theoretically not impact portability, a slightly larger display could help the new Nexus 7 better compete with the larger iPad, and that is a change that I would welcome.

In addition to the new display, the updated Nexus 7 is said to be running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which makes sense based on other reports we have seen. Other hardware upgrades include a rear 5MP camera, wireless Qi charging, and a larger 4,000mAh battery. While these upgrades make a lot of sense and aren’t too surprising or groundbreaking, they will be quite welcome. Qi wireless charging across more Nexus devices simply makes sense, and the rear facing camera was blatantly missing from the first Nexus 7.

Sadly, there is no mention in this rumor of expandable storage or HDMI out capabilities for the Nexus 7. I’m coming to terms with the fact that Google doesn’t seem to be in favor of removable storage anymore, but I don’t see why the new Nexus 7 (or, potentially, the 2013 Nexus 7) can’t have an MHL port like the Nexus 4. However, despite these few shortcomings, on the whole this rumored Nexus 7 has me quite excited. Especially if the display is upgraded as expected, I’ll probably be buying the new Nexus 7 the first chance I get.

Would you be happy if Google released a Nexus 7 with these specs, or are you hoping for something else in Google’s next small tablet? Let us know in the comments.

[9to5Google]

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With Google I/O coming up in the next few days, rumors and predictions are to be expected. John has already talked about what he expects to see from Google’s event this year, but there have been plenty of reports, some conflicting. One of the most disappointing to me was the rumor that Google would actually delay the next version of Android (Android 4.3, at first thought to be Key Lime Pie) simply in order for the manufacturers to catch up with their updates.

There are plenty of reasons that delaying Android 4.3 Key Lime Pie/Jelly Bean would be a bad idea, but fortunately it doesn’t look like that is something that we will have to deal with. Across the web, a few different pages have noticed hits from what appear to be Android 4.3 devices. A primary example is SlashGear, which recently noticed hits from two Android versions, 4.3 and 5.3.8. Clearly, the Android 5.3.8 hits were spoofed, as evidenced by the Iran-based provider, but the Android 4.3 hits didn’t come from the same source. Others are also corroborating these hits, making them somewhat more likely to be real.

Obviously, these incidents could have been faked, but more and more reports are showing up across the web from places such as Android Police that confirm the idea that Android 4.3 is currently being tested. In fact, Android Police has seen hits from Nexus 7 and Nexus 4 devices running Android 4.3. Not only that, these requests were actually coming from IP addresses within Google.

Sadly, we don’t really know anything more about the features that Android 4.3 will bring, but according to the build number Android 4.3 will still be known as Jelly Bean. (I still used the image of key lime pie above partially because I want to be hopeful, and partially because it also looks really good.) This obviously means that Android 4.3 will be a simple incremental update, on the same scale as the transition from Android 4.1 to Android 4.2. Although most of us expected just an incremental update from the beginning, it is good to know that Google doesn’t seem to be delaying a new release for the sake of the manufacturers. We will know a lot more about Android 4.3 in just one week, but it looks like we can still expect the Key Lime Pie rumors to continue flying, even after that.

[SlashGear]

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We’ve been following the saga of the Google/Motorola X Phone for some time, and even heard what Larry Page had to say about future devices from Google and Motorola. Although you might think that working with just one manufacturer on new Android devices would be good enough for Google, it looks like the company is keeping its promise not to favor Motorola for Nexus phones, and may instead select another manufacturer independently for the next Nexus phone.

A very simple line in a Korean newspaper noted that Larry Page was meeting with LG CEO Koo Bonjoon, but that the meetings were on the down low since “LG Group is working with Internet-giant Google to make another Nexus-branded Google Android smartphone.” Now, it is certainly possible that Page was only there to discuss the current Nexus 4 shipments, or perhaps the slightly upgraded LTE Nexus 4 that may be released at Google I/O. It isn’t unreasonable, though, to think that he might have been discussing something a bit more interesting.

Google has so far followed a yearly cycle with the Nexus devices, meaning that a new one would presumably be due late this year. Since we don’t yet know for sure whether or not this will be the X Phone, it is quite possible that Google is going to separate the X Phone and Nexus lines, and release two different smartphones. If so, LG could certainly make a second Nexus device, as both HTC and Samsung made two in a row.

I’m fairly happy with the build quality of my LG Nexus 4 (despite the poor choice to use glass on the back), and the overwhelming sales of the Nexus 4 early on seem to indicate that quite a few consumers liked the latest Nexus device. Then again, some people blame LG for the massive shortages and order delays, so the opinion on LG as the manufacturer of another Nexus device could be mixed.

For now, we realistically know very little. It is clear that the X Phone will be made by Motorola, but we don’t know when it will be released or whether it will be a “Nexus” device or not. If it isn’t, we also don’t know if Google will kill off the Nexus phones in favor of the X Phones, however unlikely that is. If Google does continue the Nexus line with a device other than the X Phone, then it will probably be released late this year in November or December. Finally, if that Nexus device does exist, then it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Google give LG another try. The one thing that seems clear, though, is that there is plenty going on at Google to keep us Android fans busy and entertained for the next few months.

[Korea Times via Droid-Life]

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I first read reports that the LG Nexus 4 supposedly had an overheating problem when covering another supposed flaw which would cause the rear glass to crack. While I have decided that the rear glass on the Nexus 4 is a fairly stupid idea, I didn’t put much stock in the idea that the Nexus 4 would overheat enough to expand and actually crack the glass, since it seemed unlikely and I hadn’t experienced it myself.

However, while it has nothing to do with charging the device or the battery like the cracking glass, my Nexus 4 has recently been experiencing quite a bit of overheating. Interestingly, it doesn’t appear at all with relation to charging or much when performing intensive tasks and benchmarks, and instead the device really heats up when doing basic web browsing. It doesn’t seem to heat up as badly on WiFi, but using any app that accesses mobile data seems to quickly cause the phone to increase in temperature. As a result, it seems reasonable to think that the overheating is somehow connected with data transfer, whether cellular or WiFi.

The location of the heat seems to agree with that theory, as the Nexus 4 gets the hottest in what is about a 1-inch horizontal band around and a bit below the camera lens. According to the iFixit teardown, this is just about where the WiFi, Bluetooth, LTE, and quad-band GSM chips lie on the motherboard. It isn’t enough to make a conclusive judgement, but the area that overheats is clearly above the battery and appears to be related to wireless data transfer of some sort.

So far, although my Nexus 4 has gotten nearly too hot to touch, I haven’t experienced any functional problems related to this overheating. Of course, according to an older Android Authority post, some users have actually had the Nexus 4 automatically shut down due to excess heat. In addition, a Google Code issue has been opened to discuss the Nexus 4 overheating, although the problem hasn’t been pinpointed there, either. While I’m not sure if the problem has actually developed since I got the device or I just overlooked it at first, I’ll certainly be keeping tabs on my Nexus 4′s overheating to make sure it doesn’t cause any future trouble.

The post The Nexus 4′s supposed overheating problem has appeared on my device appeared first on Pocketables.

What you see in the image above is an unofficial build of Chrome OS made by Hexxeh, a Chrome OS fan and developer, running on the Nexus 7. There is no doubt that this application of Chrome OS is pretty neat and probably fun to mess with. But when I first heard about it I doubted the practical applications of a tablet with Chrome OS when it could just as well be running Android. However, it looks like Google may actually think that Chrome OS on tablet hardware does have some potential, and is worth distinguishing from Android for one reason or another.

The reason some are beginning to suspect that Google is planning a Chrome OS tablet is a simple change in the latest dev release of Chrome OS. The new release includes the ability to rotate the display, a feature that would not be useful at all on a laptop. It would, though, make quite a bit of sense if the software were running on a tablet. Thanks to the Chromebook Pixel, the OS already supports touchscreens, and the OS is even likely to become more Android-like in terms of navigation. Since we know from Eric Schmidt that Chrome and Android won’t be merging in the immediate future, it seems reasonable to think that perhaps these developments point to the fact that Chrome OS will soon be running on tablet hardware, although we have no idea what that hardware might be.

For the same reasons that an Android-based laptop would be a terrible idea, a Chrome OS tablet that only runs Chrome and is in direct competition with Android would also be a bad move.

However, there is another reason that Google might add touch features to Chrome OS: This is purely speculation, but since a dedicated Chrome OS tablet would be pointless, I think Google might instead offer a tablet that dual boots both Chrome OS and Android. This wouldn’t be a “merge” of the two platforms, but would allow them to work together. A tablet with both OSs, as well as a keyboard dock, could be billed as a productivity machine and media device. To me, an ASUS Transformer-like device that runs Chrome OS with the keyboard connected and Android as a tablet could actually make a lot of sense. It would be the best of both worlds, and a combination of Google’s two similar platforms that would compliment, instead of compete with, each other.

[Liliputing]

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With the invites to Google’s Glass Explorer program having been recently released, and beta devices shipping,  people seem to be more excited than ever about Glass. Unboxings are showing up on YouTube, images taken with Google Glass are showing up on Google+, and it generally seems like the public, or at least the tech crowd, is really interested in Google’s new invention. Sadly, it looks like those of us who are quite interested in Google Glass, but missed the Explorer program, may have to wait quite a while to get our hands on Google Glass.

More specifically, it is fairly certain that the commercial release of Google Glass won’t happen until at least the beginning of next year. Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt (who is not pictured above, that is Sergey Brin) specifically said in an interview that Glass’s consumer release “is probably a year-ish away.” While this isn’t binding, it does give us a general indication of the release timeframe, and the general state of the project with regards to a consumer release.

For those who were hoping to see Google Glass released at Google I/O, this is sure to be somewhat disappointing news, although I don’t think very many expect a full release less than a month after the Explore devices have shipped. Still, I don’t doubt that there are some people who were hoping to buy Google Glass later this year, before the holidays, or even simply forgot about the Explorer program deadline who will be disappointed at the long wait for a commercial version of Glass.

Even so, it is understandable that Google needs more time to perfect the technology, and the purpose of the Explorer Edition glasses is to be tested for a period of time. Although I’d certainly like to own a pair of Google Glass, it would be a much easier purchase if the price wasn’t $1,500. Hopefully, a lower price is one of the changes that is made before the eventual consumer release of Glass sometime next year.

[Android Central]

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Even though sometimes it seems that Google has neglected it, I’ve been a longtime user of Google Voice as my main phone number. The app has been working fine for months, and even though there has always been a slight delay when sending and receiving SMS messages, it is usually fairly consistent and can be dealt with. However, in the last week, I’ve  had many errors when sending SMS messages, and also noticed more of a delay in the receipt of SMS messages to the Google Voice.

Since a (rare) update to the Google Voice app came out exactly a week ago, I suspect that this is what’s causing the problems that I have been experiencing. On Wednesday of last week, the day after the update, I noticed that a few texts that I had sent from the app were still in the “Sending message” status, and that one had resulted in a “Message could not be sent” error. In addition, there also seems to be a bigger delay when receiving text messages to the app than before, although the difference may very well be coincidental.

Through the Voice app on my computer, SMS messages work perfectly, and the delay in receiving messages doesn’t seem to have changed at all. As a result, I’m even more inclined to suspect that the update to the Google Voice app, with the sole purpose of improving SMS delivery, has actually made it worse. I haven’t had a chance to test this on another device, but ever since the update my Nexus 4 has been having quite a bit of trouble, especially sending SMS messages. The error occurs about half of the time, and after dismissing the error the message usually goes through.

Apart from being a bit ironic, it does seem only logical that the new update is causing SMS issues with the Google Voice app at least on Jelly Bean. However, I haven’t seen any reports online of this problem with the update, which makes me wonder if it is just my Nexus 4 that has a problem. As such, I’d like to to hear from you if the latest Voice update is giving you trouble, or if you’ve heard of another cause of this SMS problem.

The post Latest Google Voice update actually makes SMS worse appeared first on Pocketables.

Thanks to the fact that my Nexus 7 is currently out of commission, I haven’t yet gotten the chance to try out the recently released Ubuntu Touch builds for the various Nexus devices. Even though I’d like to give Ubuntu Touch a try, I can’t sacrifice my only smartphone when so many things don’t work yet. However, development on Ubuntu’s mobile OS experiment has has been progressing rapidly, and the Touch platform has just been synced with the latest Ubuntu 13.04 Raring Ringtail code.

While the Ubuntu Touch builds were at first mostly demonstrations of the interface, newer builds have been growing more stable, and this latest update has finally added some of the Ubuntu team’s own apps to back up the various icons. It is still just the basics, like a calculator, and most things don’t work, but it is nice to see some progress. It is also said that this build runs better than previous versions, which were sometimes difficult to use and demonstrate.

Ubuntu Touch is still only officially available for the Nexus 4, 7, 10, and Galaxy Nexus, but according to Jono Bacon it is currently “working on 40 handsets with 25 in progress.” All these builds are still far from complete, and are in beta or even alpha stages. Still, if you want to try them out and perhaps help look for bugs, the Ubuntu-based installer is extremely easy to use, and rooted users can just flash Ubuntu Touch like any other ROM.

I’m still going to wait until I win a Nexus 10 or dual booting is available on the Nexus 4 to try Ubuntu Touch, but I still like to see the development progressing nicely. As I said before, the Nexus 10 and Ubuntu Touch could turn out to be a potential laptop killing combo once Ubuntu Touch is mature enough. Then again, it might be a little while before Ubuntu Touch is really ready for practical use, so I’ll likely be using my Chromebook for at least a while.

[ZDNet via Liliputing]

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We’ve been hearing quite a lot about the Motorola/Google X Phone recently, and have reason to think it will be coming either sooner or later, may or may not have customizable hardware, and may or may not have new and unique features. Basically, we don’t know much, although almost anything is at least a possibility. However, while less exciting and dramatic than some other rumors we have heard, some of Larry Page’s comments during a quarterly earnings call will probably give us the most realistic idea of what we can expect from Motorola’s next smartphone, whether it is the X Phone or not.

During the call, he said two things that are significant with regards to Motorola’s next devices. First, “You shouldn’t need to carry around a charger to make it through the day,” and, “when you drop your phone, it shouldn’t shatter.” He then goes on to talk about how Motorola’s upcoming products are potentially going to be impressive in those and other aspects.

Of course, this isn’t too exciting for us Motorola and Google fans, because Motorola already makes the smartphone with the best battery life on the market (RAZR MAXX HD), and is known for making durable hardware. Essentially, then, it sounds like Motorola’s next device, which may or may not be the X Phone, is going to build on the strengths Motorola already has. This does make quite a bit of sense for Google, but it won’t excite those who were hoping for a more drastic change.

Then again, battery life and durability (especially since I broke my Nexus 7) are two very important qualities to me and many other consumers, so perhaps Google is right to focus on these aspects. I don’t think too many consumers would be disappointed with an improved RAZR HD sporting a high capacity removable battery and a durable yet sleek build. I’m still inclined to think that the first Motorola device released after the merger won’t be the X Phone, but it should still shape up to be a fairly impressive smartphone.

[The Verge]

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Most people have probably forgotten about WebOS, Palm’s failed attempt at building a beautiful touchsreen smartphone OS. Of course, the eventual failure of WebOS doesn’t mean that it didn’t get a few things right, namely the card-style interface. In addition to the wireless charging, the more natural interface was one of the big selling points of Palm’s devices.

While you can’t currently get the exact WebOS card interface experience on an Android device, there is one very simple app that makes the Android 4.1+ interface look ever so slightly more WebOS-like: RoundR. The extremely simple RoundR app has the sole purpose of rounding out the corners of Android’s interface, and while the tweak is simple it does change the interface’s look quite a bit.

The app itself is what you see in the center screenshot, and that includes all the settings. You can start the app at boot, show or hide the notification, and adjust how much black space there is at the corners. Other than that, there isn’t anything else to adjust, since the app doesn’t do all that much. The one flaw I see is that it doesn’t round the lockscreen or the notification bar, but other than that this app has a simple purpose that it fulfills quite well.

It may be because I used a Palm Pre for a very short time before getting a Motorola Droid, or perhaps it is because I used a similar screen rounding feature in previous versions of CyanogenMod, but I quite like this very simple tweak. It certainly isn’t for everyone, and may look odd on lower resolution devices, but I think the change actually compliments my rounded square custom icon theme quite well. RoundR doesn’t do much, but I like what the app does and it does it well. Since it is free and doesn’t even require root, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try and see if the rounded interface grows on you.

Download: Google Play

[xda-developers]

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Ever since it was first announced, we haven’t talked much about the ASUS Fonepad 7-inch tablet. Mostly this is because, while it is an interesting concept, the tablet won’t be released in the States and the official release isn’t for about another month. However, for whatever reason, you can currently pick one up for $359 on eBay Daily Deals, with free shipping as well.

Now, the price is a bit higher than the predicted $250, but isn’t actually too far off from a direct conversion of the ASUS  Fonepad’s price of €219 Euros, which is about $325. In addition, since the tablet won’t be making its way stateside officially, the price of importing the tablet (between taxes and shipping) could actually make eBay’s free shipping  and lack of tax a deal. Also, the tablet might be a bit expensive because, after all, the official launch hasn’t yet arrived.

So far, it doesn’t look like very many people have bought into the idea that a 7-inch tablet that can also function as a phone is a good idea, and I can’t say I’m too surprised. Still, every once in a while I have the slightest inclination to buy an HSPA+ Nexus 7 or ASUS Fonepad, because it could almost work as a replacement for a smartphone and tablet. In fact, it might not even look too ridiculous for phone calls with a Bluetooth accessory like this one.

Then again, there’s still no way that a 7-inch tablet could fit in most of my pockets, so only in the coldest months when I wear a jacket would it be as portable as a regular sized smartphone. Right now, it seems like the upper bound for smartphone size is just about Galaxy Note II territory, and anything above that is a bit too much. If you are interested in using a 7-inch tablet as a phone, though, this might not be a bad opportunity to get the ASUS Fonepad. If only the price were $299, I would certainly be considering it.

[eBay]

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Whenever I get a Samsung device to review, I notice once again the biggest complaint that I have which applies to all of Samsung’s products: The low-quality feel of their smartphones and tablets. Now, I’m sure that Samsung’s plastics are decently high quality, and that Samsung manufactures its devices well. In fact, I’ve found Samsung’s hardware to be some of the most durable on the market, despite the light and cheap feel. However, despite all the advantages offered by Samsung’s essentially plastic smartphones, it is still a bit disconcerting to have a $500 smartphone that feels like a toy.

According to SamMobile’s “insiders,” Samsung has noticed the HTC One and is concerned that customers are going to prefer the aluminum design and build quality of the device. To be more precise, Samsung is a bit “worried,” and has received some criticism for releasing the Galaxy S4 with a plastic body.

As a result, it is now rumored that Samsung will switch from its standard design language for the next Galaxy Note, the Galaxy Note III. It is actually mentioned that Samsung planned to make this switch with the Galaxy S4, but couldn’t mass produce the metal devices in time for a spring launch. If this is true and Samsung can sort out these issues, it does sound likely that the next Galaxy Note may have a very new design and materials from Samsung.

There are, of course, reasons that metal smartphones are difficult to get right, the primary problem being reception. Then again, HTC managed to figure out how to make it work with the One, so obviously Samsung could use metal for the Galaxy Note III if it really wanted to. Still, even though I don’t like Samsung’s plastic phones, I do have to say that they are light, durable, and look at least decent, so they do have their advantages. I’m sure there are some people who might prefer a removable battery on a plastic phone to a metal phone without one, so perhaps Samsung should stay true to its roots and continue with their current designs. After all, it does distinguish the company from HTC and others, and choice for consumers is always a good thing.

Economically speaking, though, if the HTC One does begin to eat into Samsung’s sales, then I wouldn’t be surprised if the switch was considered. Would you buy a metal Galaxy Note III, or do you think Samsung would be smarter to stick to what they know?

[SamMobile]

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