gingerbread

Android users may have accidentally gotten their first peek at Ice Cream Sandwich.

A person who bought a Samsung Nexus S smartphone via eBay reportedly discovered that the device was running the upcoming version of the Android operating system instead of the current Android flavor, say the folks at Engadget.

Checking the firmware version numbers, Engadget said the phone seemed to be using the same baseband seen in previously leaked screenshots but had a newer build and kernel.

The buyer shot a two-minute video showing off the phone's interface and features. That video then found its way onto Engadget'… Read more

Starting next month, U.S. Cellular customers will be able to get their hands on the HTC Wildfire S, HTC Hero S, and HTC Flyer tablet. All will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

The Hero S has a 4-inch qHD Super LCD touch screen, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The U.S. version of the HTC Kingdom, it'll be available for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, so long as you've got a data plan.

The more budget-friendly and basic HTC Wildfire S has a 3.2-inch display and a 5-megapixel camera. … Read more

MetroPCS introduced its latest Android smartphone today, the LG Esteem, a 4G LTE device designed to entertain.

Available this week in stores and online for $249, the Gingerbread-based Esteem offers access to the carrier's MetroStudio music and video service, as well as Rhapsody Unlimited Music. For a limited time, MetroPCS will offer a 90-day complimentary subscription to Rhapsody to customers who purchase the phone with a $50 4G service plan.

You can enjoy audio through the phone's Dolby Mobile Surround 7.1 system or you can stream media using a Micro-HDMI adapter or via DLNA. The LG Esteem … Read more

Yesterday T-Mobile announced two new dual-core Android smartphones for its upgraded HSPA+42 network--the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Amaze 4G. We were already pretty familiar with the Galaxy S II family at its kick-off event in New York, and we've also reviewed the unlocked version. The Amaze 4G, however, was new to us.

We were lucky enough to go hands-on with the Amaze at an event last night, and it turns out that the phone wasn't as "new" as T-Mobile would have led us to believe. In fact, the Amaze is very similar to the HTC Sensation 4G. Considering we gave that phone a CNET Editors' Choice Award, that's not at all a bad starting place.

Specs 'n' stuff Let's start with the specs. Like the Sensation 4G, the Amaze 4G has a 4.3-inch qHD SuperLCD touch-screen display. It's clear, bright, and pretty, and on its own, that's great. Hold it up next to any of those absolutely brilliant Samsung Galaxy S II phones, however, and it fades in comparison. Still, as I said, the screen definitely looks good regardless.

Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 is what's running under the Amaze 4G's hood. It's not the absolute most current version--that honor belongs to Android 2.3.5--but it's pretty darn fresh and fast. Speed is the name of HTC's game, and making the phone faster still is the 1.5 dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor, a step up from the 1.2GHz processor on the Sensation 4G.… Read more

Huawei announced its next Android endeavor yesterday, unveiling the Gingerbread-powered Honor and putting it on track for a fourth-quarter release.

Ask an average Android user to name one item they'd like to improve on their handset and you'll likely hear battery performance. That's why Huawei is really hoping to impress by adidng a 1900 mAh battery with a promised three days of juice. While it's not the highest-capacity battery we've seen yet (Atrix 4G has 1930 mAh), it still manages to keep the phone relatively light (140g) and thin at only 10.9 mm.

Other specifications include a single-core 1.4GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera, 512MB RAM, and 4GB internal storage. Falling right in the middle of the pack of today's new Android releases, the Honor will likely make a lower cost alternative to handsets from competitors such as Samsung or HTC. Additional noteworthy details for the 3G smartphone include a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, a microSD expansion slot, and support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and FM radio. … Read more

HTC unveiled yet another new Android phone yesterday, although with much less fanfare than the HTC Rhyme for Verizon Wireless.

Announced specifically for Korea, the HTC Raider 4G runs Android 2.3.4 with Sense UI and features a 4.5-inch qHD display, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, and an 8-megapixel camera. The phone offers support for 4G LTE, as well as Asia's 2,100MHz 3G network, which can theoretically hit 21Mbps download speeds.

Additional details include a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, a 1,620mAh battery, and the standard fare of connectivity options in Wi-Fi, … Read more

Great news for AT&T's Android fans. The carrier just announced via Twitter that the Samsung Galaxy S II will be available starting October 2 for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

The Galaxy S II boasts Samsung's Exynos 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of internal memory, a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture, and a 10 percent larger battery than the first-generation model. It also runs Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread OS along with the latest version of TouchWiz.

AT&T's version of the Galaxy S II is slightly different than the … Read more

If you've been searching for a smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard and affordable price tag, then the new LG Enlighten for Verizon Wireless just might be the answer you've been looking for.

Available online starting September 22 and in stores September 29, the Enlighten is set to go for $79.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. The midrange Android Gingerbread smartphone offers a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2-inch, 320x480-pixel touch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and an 800MHz processor.

The 3G-capable handset can be used as a mobile hot spot for up … Read more

In the latest sign that the unwrapping of Ice Cream Sandwich is near, Google has clued in developers on how to get their apps ready to take advantage of the upcoming, new flavor of Android.

In a blog post yesterday, Scott Main, lead tech writer for Google's official site for Android developers, reminded readers that Ice Cream Sandwich, or ICS, has been designed to run on anything from small-screen smartphones to big-screen tablets.

But apps designed to run under Android 3.0 Honeycomb are "forward-compatible" and therefore will run on any device with ICS, whether phone or … Read more