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AT&T spits their Android position

Dustin Earley — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:06:44 +0000

Their position about why they only allow market available apps to be installed that is. “Q. Why can’t apps be installed from sources outside of the Android Market?” Simple. Developer accountability. I, I mean… A.:

“Android Market, managed by Google, is open to all developers. There is no approval process for applications, they are all accepted by default and Google has stated that they place apps in the Android Market within 24 hours of their submission. AT&T selected Android Market as the exclusive source for applications because it forces developers to be accountable for the apps they submit. If the Android community has issues with an app, the app can be flagged and removed. This minimizes the risk of malicious apps harming customers and provides more protection to the customer’s private data stored on the phone.”

OK, OK, this is understandable. But still. I don’t like it, and I’m sure many of you don’t either. Then again… if you are installing experimental apps that aren’t in the market, you probably know how to make sure your device can already do so. What it really boils down to is this: One of the major selling points of Android is how open it is. The freedom to do what YOU like with YOUR device. AT&T is taking a little piece of that away from you. Involuntarily. Sure, there is no approval process so apps fly right in if devs so choose, but that only alleviates the sting a little. Because now, if a dev doesn’t put their app submission in right away, you don’t get to use it. End of story. Oh well I guess. Love it or hate it, I highly doubt the policy is going to up and change.

Via PhoneDog

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Dell Streaks tested in Seattle

John Walton — Fri, 21 May 2010 14:43:22 +0000

We already knew that it’s big, and we knew it will ship with the Android Kindle app. And unlike the original source of these photos, we already knew it will come in a variety of colors, including red. We also knew that it has cleared the FCC with AT&T 3G bands, but one key bit of information we don’t have on Dell’s Streak – previously known as the Mini 5 – is exactly when it’s planned to drop.

And while we still don’t have a window more specific than late Summer, it’s good to see that someone was recently spotted out in the streets of Seattle, testing a handful of Streaks’ e-911 performance on AT&T’s network. The tester was apparently a bit nervous about having the photos taken, but I don’t think there are to many surprizes left up the Mini 5’s sleeve anyhow:

Via The Seattle Times by way of Android Community

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AT&T’s Android app: MyWireless Mobile

John Walton — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:05:51 +0000

If you’re running an Android on AT&T (c’mon, there will be more soon), check out the free app MyWireless Mobile. It allows you to pay bills, view usage data for talk, text, and web, and even lets you change plan add-ons. It is not clear at this time whether or not the app facilitates changing the base plan. Can a Backflip owner check it out and post in the comments?

Search the Market for MyWireless or check out AT&T’s dedicated page.

Via Phandroid

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Aloha (?) clears FCC, headed for AT&T

John Walton — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:50:07 +0000

Not likely coming to America anytime soon? That’s what I said of LG’s LU2300 at the beginning of April, but to be fair, that model number wasn’t firmly linked to the Aloha moniker yet (still a bit shaky) and there was little information at the time about what could have been two distinct phones as far as anyone knew. Actually, there was some confusion about whether or not the Ally was fulfilling Aloha rumors under another name, and it’s easy to see why: we’ve heard at least four names/model numbers turn up surrounding a new Snapdragon Android from LG, and it’s possible that there are more gadgets lurking discreetly.

Thanks to a recent FCC filing, we do know that the LG-C710h (whatever that may be) is capable of utilizing AT&T’s 3G network. It will be nice to see a few powerhouse Androids – Galaxy S, Streak, and Aloha – bring the noise to a carrier that currently sells (what I would call) a generation 1.5 Android, the Backflip. Rumored specs, as listed at Android and Me, include:

Android 2.1
1 GHz Snapdragon processor
3.5-inch AMOLED 800×480 touch display
Sliding 4-row QWERTY keyboard
5 megapixel camera
720p HD DivX compatible playback
WiFi, GPS, DMB tuner

Via IntoMobile

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X10 reportedly launching on AT&T this Summer

John Walton — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:39:14 +0000

Engadget has word that AT&T will be launching Sony Ericsson’s troubled XPERIA X10 during the week comprising the end of July and the beginning of August. Will it be running Android 1.6? Probably, but a major update may roll out soon after launch. Will the touchscreen and phone performance live up to the expectations that Android fans will have acquired by then after playing with Incredible, EVO, and possibly Samsung’s Galaxy S? That’s another story. Of course, there is a very good possibility that this release window could change, and considering that the X10 already seems to be a better fit for the last generation of Android flagships, I say it needs all the updates and tweaking it can get before release.

Via Engadget Mobile

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Will Galaxy S be crippled?

John Walton — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:29:30 +0000

Recent FCC filings for Samsung’s spec monster, the Galaxy S, reveal that the handset will be headed for AT&T, and it looks like people aren’t too happy about it. Considering the way Ma Bell has handled Android thus far, basically de-Googling it, it’s likely that the Galaxy S will be far more beneficial to AT&T than AT&T will be to the phone. Nevertheless, the Hummingbird GPU is an exciting addition to the other promising specs, which pretty much line up with other flagship Androids of the generation. 3D graphics – especially those found in games – should be absolutely stunning and blazing fast. I’m not sure I’m ready to sign on with AT&T, but I sure would like to try this device on for size.

Via BGR

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Dell’s Mini 3 is Aero, headed for AT&T

John Walton — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:37:30 +0000

After all of the hubbub surrounding AT&T’s handling of the Motorola Backflip, one would hope that the company’s next Android would signal a more complete and up-to-date experience for consumers, but I’m not holding my breath. It seems that contracts and beef between industry beasts are often more significant in the way things shake out than consumer loyalties and preferences. I suppose that would explain *cautious* anticipation felt throughout the ANdroid blogosphere in regards to Dell’s Aero, previously known as the Mini 3. Not much is known about this phone right now, except that it is headed for Ma Bell, and that it looks pretty.

AT&T has posted Dell’s first American Android over at their Facebook page, where they tout a custom UI designed by Dell and AT&T. The UI looks nice in the press photos, but those don’t depict any animated carrier logos or Yahoo! integration.

Via Engadget

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Nexus One now available for AT&T

John Walton — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:45:16 +0000

After checking on a post over at Android and Me, I found that Google has indeed begun selling the Nexus One with support for AT&T’s 3G (and that of Rogers Wireless up North). As you can gather from the screenshot after the jump, there is no subsidy option – it’s $530 or nothing. But contract free is the way to go if you can afford it anyway, right? Welcome aboard the N1 train, Bellers. You ready to root yet?

Via Android and Me

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AT&T takes the Google out of Google Android

Alberto Vildosola — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:58:57 +0000

One of the best things about Android is the deep integration with Google’s apps. If you’re a Gmail, Google Docs or Google Calendar user, there’s no doubt that Android is the way to go. Well, the geniuses at AT&T decided that Android is way too Googley for their taste. They decided to take the Google out of Google Android. Thus, AT&T’s first Android phone -the Backflip- is deprived of a lot of that Google integration.

The Backflip will be the first Android phone to have Yahoo as the default search engine. Everywhere you’ll go to do a web search that giant violet logo will be waiting for you. Engadget was as shocked as us:

“Yahoo has replaced Google as the default search provider throughout the phone. It’s crazy: the home screen widget, the browser, everything’s been programmed to use Yahoo. We love us some irony, but golly, we’d prefer Google searches most of the time.”

There’s a good and bad side to this story: On the good side, this is what Android is all about, anybody is free to anything they want to it. I don’t think there’s much Google can do to fight this, these issues come with the freedom of the OS. On the bad side, AT&T is making the choice for us by making Yahoo the default search engine. Also, there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to switch over to Google as the search engine. To make matters worse, they filled the phone with AT&T branded crapware:

AllSport GPS
AT&T Maps
AT&T Music
AT&T Navigator
AT&T Wi-Fi Hotspots
Mobile Banking
MobiTV
MusicID
Where
YPmobile

The motives for AT&T doing this are still unclear. We’re not even completely sure that it was AT&T’s decision to replace Google and not Motorola’s. But seeing as all other MotoBlur devices have Google included, we’re going to go ahead and blame this on AT&T. It’s not like they don’t have a million reasons to do this. AT&T and Google are not exactly best buddies; maybe they’re trying not to get caught in the crossfire between Apple and Google. The Backflip itself is not a bad phone; you can watch our hands on here. However, we recommend you wait and see what else AT&T has coming down the pike.

Via Engadget

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Backflip unboxing from PhoneDog

John Walton — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:46:52 +0000

I can’t say I’m super excited about this one but Moto’s follow-up to the Cliq is AT&T’s first Android and employs a nifty method for navigating the screen called backtrack (not to mention that kooky out-facing folding QWERTY). This one hits stores on March 7th for $99.99 on contract.

I got to play with the Backflip a bit at CES and it was a nice looking device. A bump in specs would have been nice but hey, not all of them can be super phones. It’s $99, after all. Besides, AT&T has more Androids in store. As it stands, we’re looking at a 5 MP cam with 4X digital zoom and flash, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AGPS, a 1400 mAh battery, and a 320 x 480 capacitive screen. It reportedly ships with 1.6, though the official spec page says 1.5. It is upgradable to 2.1. Video after the break:

Via PhoneDog