Android 4.4 KitKat now on 1.1 percentof Android devices: Google

The latest iteration of Google's mobile operating system, Android 4.4 or KitKat has finally made its presence felt in the monthly OS distribution data, provided by Google. Sharing the distribution data of different versions of Android, Google reported that the most recent version of Android, KitKat or Android 4.4, is now present on 1.1 percent devices. 

Notably, the new version of the operating system ships only with the Nexus 5, though Google had also released Android 4.4 updates for the Nexus 4, Google editions of HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, and the Motorola Moto X, in addition to the Nexus 7 tablets (both 2012 and 2013 editions). 

Different versions of Android Jelly Bean are now running on 54.5 percent of all Android devices with Android 4.1.x on 37.4 percent devices (it was 37.3 percent, last month), Android 4.2.x on 12.9 percent (it was 12.5 percent, last month) and Android 4.3 on 4.2 percent devices (vis a vis 2.3 percent, last month). Last month, Android Jelly Bean's combined share was 52.1 percent. Android 4.0.x or Ice Cream Sandwich, in Google's latest report, registered a share of 18.6 percent, a decline of 1.2 points. Android 2.2 Froyo's device distribution share was 1.6 percent, a dip of 0.1 points while the share of Gingerbread (Android 2.3.x) was 24.1 percent, compared to 26.3 percent last month. 

While Gingerbread's share reduced by 2.2 points this month, it still has the second-largest share, making things difficult for developers who've been trying to put Android 4.0 as the threshold. This means that a significant number of Android users don't get access to the latest version of some apps. Beginning April, the distribution data charts are now based on the data collected from each device when the user visits the Google Play store. 

Google says this is to make it more accurate and reflect the percentage of users who are actively engaged in the Android and Google Play ecosystem. Prior to this, data was collected when the device simply checked-in to Google servers. Starting September, Google stopped including Android 1.6 Donut and Android 2.1 Eclair in the data as it is gathered from the new version of Google Play store app, which supports Android 2.2 and above. It's worth pointing out that the total sample excludes forked variants of Android (the ones on Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets) and variants in China that don't include Google services.

Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 dual-core 4- inch smartphone launched at Rs. 10,999

After being leaked in full via images,
prices and specifications , Samsung's
latest smartphone the Galaxy S Duos 2
is now official. The smartphone is now
listed on the Samsung's India online
store for Rs. 10,999. However, there is
no word on the availability of the
device, with the page providing a
'Notify Me' option for consumers.
The Galaxy S Duos 2 is also available
through online retailers for a
discounted price of Rs. 10,730, quoting
roughly 3 business days of delivery
time.

The Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 comes
with a 4-inch WVGA (480x800) TFT
display and is powered by a 1.2GHz
dual-core processor (unspecified
chipset). It is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM)
smartphone and runs Android 4.2 Jelly
Bean with TouchWiz UI on top.

The Galaxy S Duos 2 sports a 5-
megapixel rear camera with LED flash
and also includes a VGA front-facing
camera. The smartphone comes with
768MB of RAM and 4GB of inbuilt
storage, which is further expandable up
to 64GB via microSD card.
Connectivity features on the Galaxy S
Duos 2 include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE,
GPRS and 3G. There is a 1500mAh
battery backing the device which the
company claims can deliver up to 8
hours of talktime and up to 280 hours
of standby time. The Galaxy S Duos 2
has dimensions of 121.5x63.1x10.57mm,
and weighs 118 grams.

Recently, Samsung announced the
successor to the Galaxy Grand, the
Galaxy Grand 2. Though, the South
Korean handset maker has not revealed
the price for Galaxy Grand 2 and has
also not announced the availability
details for the smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 runs
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box.
The Galaxy Grand 2 is a dual-SIM
device with support for GSM+GSM. It
features a 5.2-inch HD TFT display
with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels.
The Galaxy Grand 2 is powered by a
1.2GHz quad-core processor alongside
1.5GB of RAM. It sports an 8-megapixel
autofocus rear camera accompanied by
an LED flash.

It also houses a 1.9-
megapixel front-facing camera. It
comes with 8GB inbuilt storage, which
is further expandable up to 64GB via
microSD .

Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 key
specifications
4-inch WVGA (480x800) TFT display
1.2GHz dual-core processor
(unspecified chipset)
768MB of RAM
4GB inbuilt storage, expandable up
to 64GB via microSD card
5-megapixel rear camera with LED
flash
VGA front-facing camera
Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM)
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz
UI
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, GPRS and
3G
1500mAh battery
121.5x63.1x10.57mm

Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2

KEY SPECS

Display
4.00-inch
Processor
1.2GHz
Front Camera
0.3-megapixel
Resolution
480x800 pixels
RAM
768MB
OS
Android 4.2
Storage
4GB
Rear Camera
5-megapixel
Battery capacity
1500mAh

Samsung Galaxy Note III to sport 5.7-inch display, Snapdragon 800 processor:Report

Samsung's next generation Galaxy Note smartphone, the Galaxy Note III has been in the news now for quiet some time though there's been no official word from the company, yet. The latest rumour claims that the alleged Galaxy Note III will feature a 5.7-inch display, 3GB of RAM and the latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS, as per Korean publication MK News . 

The publication claims that the company first tested the Galaxy Note III with a 5.99-inch display but finalised a 5.7-inch one, considering the market response to the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Mega 6.3. The site also suggests that the phablet will be powered by a Snapdragon 800 Chipset that supports LTE-A and would offer twice the speed of conventional LTE. 

Prior to this, a couple of sketches that revealed the design and specifications of the Galaxy Note III were leaked online . The sketches confirmed the model number of the alleged Galaxy Note III as SM-N900 and suggested that the phablet will feature a Xenon Flash and a physical camera key. 

The Samsung Galaxy Note III is said to sport a Super AMOLED panel similar to Samsung's other high-end devices. Earlier rumours suggested that the device will sport a full-HD display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. The latest leak has also indicated that the next iteration of the Note series will run the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box. 

Other rumoured specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Note III include an Exynos 5 Octa processor with a clock speed of 2.3GHz. Recently, Samsung also unveiled its next generation Exynos 5 Octa processor . However, the new rumour contradicts this. It has been reported that Samsung is likely to unveil the Galaxy Note III on September 4, 2013.

10 new features in Android 4.3 JellyBean

Google has announced the roll out of the next iteration of its Android operating system, dubbed as version 4.3, with the launch of its new Nexus 7 tablet. 

The new version will be called 'Jelly Bean' and would actually be the third version to carry the same tag after Android 4.1 and Android 4.2. The latest update comes about nine months after Google introduced Android 4.2. However as suggested by previous leaks, the new Android version doesn't bring a big makeover and comes with a few major features. 

The new OS is being rolled out first to Google's Nexus range of devices including the original Nexus 7, Nexus 4, Nexus 10 tablet and will ship with the new Nexus 7. We take a look at its new features. 

1. Restricted profiles Google added multi-user profiles in the last iteration of Android and it seems the search engine giant wants to enhance that experience through restricted profiles. With the new feature, users can restrict app usage and content consumption on an Android device. So you'll be able to set profiles for each user of the device in case of multiple users. For instance, parents can control what apps or games their kids have access to on their tablets. However, it's worth pointing out that the new restricted feature is only available on Android tablets. 

2. Bluetooth Smart Ready Google seems to be making way for wearable technology by introducing the Bluetooth Smart Ready feature in Android 4.3. Devices running Android 4.3 will now support low-energy Bluetooth Smart accessories like heart rate monitors, pedometers, thermometers and many others. Users can now sync the low energy devices without these affecting the battery usage of the device, as per Google. This feature was missing on Google's mobile operating system, till now. This would also make way for Android friendly wearable tech. 

3. Dial-pad Autocomplete Android 4.3 now adds the autocomplete feature in the dial-pad suggesting contact names or phone numbers when users start keying-in something. This is not a new feature as OEMs like Samsung and HTC had already introduced this feature on to their UI skins running on top of Android, but devices running stock Android were missing it. Users can initiate the feature by going to the app settings and enabling 'Dial Pad autocomplete' 

4.Notification Access The Notification bar has been a popular feature on Android and with Android 4.3, you can control and interact with the status bar notifications. This would allow users to control how notifications are pushed to the primary and connected devices (smart watches, fitness bands). Users will also be able to see all the notifications at one place. 

5. OpenGL ES 3.0 If you are a gaming junkie, the new update will definitely excite you. This feature would let Android devices render high quality graphics in games and other apps. Google claims that Android 4.3 supports the new version of the industry standard for high performance graphics. Google also gave a demo of a game showing detailed textures, lens flare, and reflections. This was missing in Android 4.2. 

6. Simplified Setup Wizard Android Jelly Bean now supports corrections to user inputs while signing- in to the device, the first time. This is due to more streamlined user agreements. Now a user can change the information that was keyed-in during the first boot of the device. Google has also introduced faster user switching from the lock screen in case of multiple users. 

7. Bluetooth AVRCP Google devices running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean can sync with Bluetooth enabled car stereos and offer additional functionality. The Bluetooth AVRCP 1.3 version allows stereos to display metadata such as song names when music is being streamed from an Android 4.3 device. 

8. Location accuracy features via Wi-Fi scan only mode Google has now increased the location accuracy of Android devices by allowing location scanning via Wi-Fi. It now allows apps to get location data through Wi-Fi even when Wi-Fi is set to off and not being used for data access. 

9. Keyboard & input Android 4.3 comes with an upgraded algorithm for tap-typing recognition that makes text input easier while chatting via messages or even while composing emails. It also brings a new emoji keyboard, which we've previously seen in iOS. The update also adds lower latency input for gamepad buttons and joysticks. 

10.Hindi support lands on Android 4.3 Google has introduced native local language support to its operating system for Africaans, Amharic, Hindi, Swahili and Zulu. Hindi has finally reached the stock Android operating platform. With the update, Google has also added support for Hebrew and Arabic (right- to-left) in the home screen, Settings, Phone, People, and Keep apps. 

Bonus - New Camera UI Android 4.3 also offers a new updated Camera app that features a new arch based menu which makes it easier to control and switch camera settings.

Jelly Bean is finally the most popularAndroid operating system

Releasing the adoption statistics on Monday, Google revealed that Jelly Bean now runs on 37.9% of Android devices, compared to Gingerbread (Android 2.3) on 34.1%. Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) comes in third with a respectable 23.3%. 

However despite this being good news for consumers worried about fragmentation and for Google in its battle with Apple, things could be about to change in the near future especially with Google expected to announce the next version of Android (Key Lime Pie) as early as next month.

Android 4.3 leaks online, Galaxy S4test firmware now available fordownload!

Android Authority Friday, June 28, 2013 1:23 PM GMT A juicy tip landed in the mailbox of the folks at Sam Mobile containing no less than a fully functional Android 4.3 Jelly Bean test firmware for the Samsung Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505G). According to the site, the build works flawlessly on the regular version of the Galaxy S4, which is, after all, identical to the Google Play Edition in terms of hardware. Sam Mobile claims that absolutely everything works as expected, and that the build wasn’t tampered with in any way. 

Moreover, the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean firmware can now be downloaded, meaning that you can quickly turn your Galaxy S4 into a Play Edition phone running the latest version of stock Android without jumping through any hooks. With the warning that flashing the firmware would void your warranty, and that you shouldn’t try to do it if you don’t have a modicum of experience in flashing custom ROMs, the firmware is available for download on Sam Mobile , along with installation instructions. 

While we caught some glimpses of Android 4.3 running on the Nexus 4 before, this is the first time when a full flashable version leaks. The changes over version 4.2.2 seem to be minimal, and include a redesigned Camera app that is available on the Play Editions of the HTC One and the Galaxy S4. Check out this gallery of screenshots of Android 4.3, courtesy of Sam Mobile. We expect to see a video walkthrough of the new version of Android Jelly Bean and more details about the changes it includes soon, so stay tuned.

Leef Bridge USB Drive Has Both Standard, Micro Plugs

This USB drive is compatible with
devices featuring Android 4.1 "Jelly
Bean" and higher, and support for the
USB OTG standard.
On Tuesday Leaf Technology
introduced Bridge
, the first USB flash drive for file
sharing between Android tablets,
smartphones, Macs and PCs. It
removes the need to use cloud
services, cables, Wi-Fi remote apps
and other solutions by offering two
connectors on one stick -- a standard
USB plug on one end and a micro USB
on the other – that accesses the same
flash storage.
"The memory utilized within Leef
Bridge has fast read and write speeds
to ensure slick video and music
playback directly from the USB drive,
without the interruptions or delays that
accompany low-grade USB flash drive
products," the company said.
Leef Bridge features an exposed slide-
and-lock tray which enables users to
quickly switch to the USB connector
appropriate for their device
connection. However it's not
compatible with all Android devices:
Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" or higher and
a micro USB On-The-Go (OTG) port is
required. The latter is a specification
that allows USB devices to act as a
host to attached peripherals like a
mouse or flash drive.
"Metago, the company behind ASTRO
File Manager has teamed up with Leef
to release an updated version of their
app that provides users with a
seamless experience using Leef
Bridge and ASTRO File Manager," the
company added. "Although ASTRO File
Manager is not required to be able to
use Leef Bridge, it is recommended by
the Leef design team for its intuitive
file management system."
Transferring files to and from Bridge
won't be quicker than using a
dedicated USB cable, but should be
ideal in situations where Wi-Fi and
3G/4G connectivity is out of reach,
and users aren't close to their desktop
or laptop. Yet it's also easier to carry
than a bundled up cable, so users will
have to pick their poison.
Unfortunately, a list that shows what
devices are compatible with the USB
OTG spec is hard to find. Device
owners will need to look at the specs
on the ODM's website to determine if
the micro USB port is compatible. This
list is only partial, showing twelve
phones including the Motorola DROID
Razr, the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy
S2/S3/S4, the LG Optimus G, Sony
Xperia phones and several others.
Samsung seems to be the biggest USB
OTG supporter in the tablet sector,
along with the Acer Iconia Tab,
Toshiba Excite 10 and a few others.
Here in the States, Leef Bridge is
available for purchase at Amazon and
www.2leef.com , costing $17.99 for
the 16 GB version and $28.99 for the
32 GB version. A 64 GB model will be
released next month, but the pricing is
unknown at this point. Leef Bridge is
also now available for purchase at
leading retailers in several
international markets, including
Russia, Asia and Central Europe.

Samsung Ativ Q tablet cum laptop hybrid launched with Android and Windows 8 dual-boot support

Samsung has launched a dual OS
hybrid tablet cum laptop called Ativ Q.
Samsung Ativ Q is a 13.3-inch device
that has a thickness of 13.9 mm and
weighs 1.29 kgs. It also comes with a
qHD+ display that has a resolution of
1800x3200 pixels. The hybrid is
powered by an Intel Core i5 processor.
The device comes with a 4GB RAM
and 128GB SSD storage. It also has a
720p HD camera on-board. In terms of
ports, the Ativ Q comes with one USB
3.0, one USB 2.0, an HDMI port, a
headphone/ microphone combination
jack and a microSD card slot.
The device comes with both Windows
8 and Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2
operating systems onboard, giving
users the option to choose which OS to
boot into. It also gives you the ability
to pin an Android application to the
Windows 8 start screen, providing
some kind of integration between the
two operating systems.
In terms of the physical build of the
tablet, the slider format with the
keyboard makes it similar to Sony's
Vaio Duo 13. There is no touch pad on
the keyboard but left and right mouse
keys do exist. The mouse is present in
the form of a track pad in the centre of
the keyboard, similar to how it is
placed on the Vaio Duo 13.
The tablet offers S-Pen functionality
allowing you to create content using
the stylus on the tablet. Samsung has
also incorporated Smart Sync
functionality into the tablet enabling
users to control their smartphones
using the Ativ PC. So, your Android
smartphone can be somewhere in your
bag, while you reply to a text using
your computer.
The hinge design of the ATIV Q gives
four physical modes to the tablet. One
can lay the display flat over the
keyboard for tablet mode; raise the
display upright to type through the
keyboard similar to how you use a
laptop; float and adjust the display to
a desired viewing angle; or flip the
display to place it on a stand mode.
Samsung has not revealed anything
about the pricing or the availability of
the PC-tablet hybrid as of now.