Rumor: 2GHz HTC “Sabor” to Arrive with Gingerbread Late 2010 [Gingerbread]

I love juicy rumors like these. According to Oxford-Zeiss Content & Research Guide (OZCARGuide), HTC is working on a 2GHz 'Sabor' device for Sprint, expected later this year or early next year. Not only that, but the handset maker is developing their own screen technology said to rival Samsung's AMOLED displays.

'The upcoming HTC smartphone destined for Sprint packs a 2GHz processor, over 1000 resolution display, Android OS 2.5 (gingerbread), 2 cameras with one being a 10-megapixel, 1080p video recording and built-in kickstand.'

The 'over 1000' display would match up to yesterday's rumor of 1280×760, said to a minimal requirement for Gingerbread. The 2.5 listed here conflicts with the 3.0 we've heard matched up to the codename, but we can always worry about that later. For now, let's just drool over 10 megapixel cameras and 1080p recording.

If you didn't check your calendar yet today, I'll break the good news to you. We just started the second half of the year. Things could definitely heat up quickly.

Source: DroidDog

NOTE: Rumor: 2GHz HTC “Sabor” to Arrive with Gingerbread Late 2010 originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

Google Chrome Speed Tests as Seen by Google [Video]

Google showing off there speed tests for Chromes latest beta. They have so much time to play around. I wish I had their time. Or money.

Google Wants 3D Graphics Acceleration Directly In Chrome [Chrome]

Google's ANGLE (Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine) project, launched today, will allow their Chrome OS to be able to access graphics hardware using the OpenGL ES 2.0 API. What this means to you: 3D graphics in your browser!

So ANGLE, which will get Chrome (and presumably Chrome OS) use WebGL, the 'cross-platform web standard for accessing low-level 3D graphics hardware, will be mostly for Windows, because Windows can't run WebGL without OpenGL drivers installed. OS X and Linux can, because they already use OpenGL to a larger degree.

The main point is that with Google putting so much development emphasis in the browser, the ability to have 3D acceleration on all platforms means it's much more viable to get richer (desktop-like) apps in there.
[Gizmodo via PCWorld]

Form Autofill with Details in Latest Chromium Build [Features]

As of my last Chromium update I got a chance to select whether I want or not to use the Form Filling feature. It includes address details and credit card details as can be seen in the image below:

More addresses and cards can be added as well.

I'm still using the LastPass plugin as autofill service but will sure try out Chromium's soon. Currently it is saved locally and not in the cloud so won't have it handy at different locations you're using the browser. 

Samsung: Yep, we’re working on a Chrome OS netbook [Chrome OS]

In not-too-surprising, yet good-to-know-for-sure news, it seems that Samsung is indeed working on a netbook designed around Chrome OS. Now, what exactly that comprises I can’t tell you — my guess is they’re really just getting a cheap netbook ready to go with whatever Google announces when Chrome OS hits prime time. Or maybe they’ll use one of those neat (useless) transparent ones?
The specs are nothing crazy: 3G, 2GB of RAM to start, 64GB or more of SSD storage, probably a 10.1″ screen, and a nice long battery life. The chipset and processor weren’t disclosed, but the source is suggesting a 1.5GHz Snapdragon. I wonder about that — I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some curveballs in there. Dual Snapdragons, for instance, or a dedicated GPU like the iPad. It’s actually very similar to this speculative post here, except without a price, which makes it much easier to swallow.
Guess we’ll find out… not soon. It’s not clear when they’ll be making the real announcement, and at any rate we’ll probably hear from Google first.
[CrunchGear via Tom's Hardware]

Google Set to Make Gmail Social With Status Update Features [Social Networks]

Gmail is set to become Google’s next major push into social media. According to The Wall Street Journal, the popular webmail service will soon launch a new feature for sharing content and status updates with friends. Google might announce these features on Tuesday, 10AM.
As WSJ points out, Gmail users can already update their statuses — sort of — through Gmail’s chat feature. Currently, this feature is more akin to the traditional IM “away message.” However, with this new social push, Gmail will offer a timeline-view of your friends’ status updates, just like on Facebook and Twitter.
Those updates might come from both Gmail and third-party services. According to WSJ, Google-owned YouTube and Picasa will be integrated into the stream. The huge question then is whether or not the new feature will include updates from Twitter and Facebook.
If so, the new features could be thought of more like a TweetDeck or Seesmic, looking to provide an aggregate view of your friends’ social media activities along with the ability to push status updates to the services you use from inside of Gmail. If not, it could be thought of as a major competitor to Twitter and Facebook as Gmail looks to covert its millions of e-mail users into adherents to a whole new breed of social media service.
An issue with the latter, however, is that Gmail has historically added people to your contacts based on e-mail interactions. Hence, this contact list often varies significantly from your friends on social sites where relationships need to be made explicitly.
In other words, your Gmail contacts aren’t necessarily the same people you want to share status updates, photos and videos with. This is an issue that shouldn’t be overlooked in evaluating the new features Google is soon to unveil.
[Mashable]

How the Nexus One Was Created [Nexus One]

Google has launched a series of videos on its official Nexus One YouTube channel, documenting various details on how one of the world’s best Android phones was created.
The videos are being gradually rolled out; two are already live, and the other three will appear in the next three days. Other than soothing music, cool animations and 3D models, they do contain some interesting information. For example, the folks at Engadget and Android Central noticed there’s a car dock there, and another dock with an integrated spare battery charger, which aren’t yet available in stores. Check out the first video in the series below.


[Mashable]

Is This How the Google Tablet Will Look in Action? [Google]

Looks like we're getting a first look at what Google's Chrome OS based tablet may look like. Apparently Glen Murphy, Google Chrome's designer, posted a UI demo concept video along with some images on Google's official Chromium site.


[Gizmodo via Chrome Source via TechCrunch]

HTC Bravo Snapped in the Wild

On paper, the HTC Bravo appears to be everything the Nexus One offers. Although the two practically mimic each other in terms of specs, there are some subtle differences. For instance, there is an optical joystick in place of the trackball. Also, there are four physical buttons across the bottom as opposed to touch sensitive buttons found on the Nexus One. The other two changes are the inclusion of Sense UI and multi-touch support. Other than that, one might consider them the same phone.
Thanks to someone over at Omio, the first 'in the wild' shot has arrived for the Bravo. For now, it appears that Bravo will be headed to T-Mobile UK. It's not known whether or not this phone will arrive in the US, but we get the feeling that many of our readers would welcome it. Couple the hardware of the Nexus One with the great interface that HTC has put together and you have a winning combination.
[AndroidGuys]

The Motorola Shadow: a Droid For the Light Side? [Shadow]

There's not a whole lot that's certain about these images, which popped up at Mobile01, showing Motorola's Shadow as a friendlier-looking Droid. But they're interesting.
These aren't the first rumors that have trickled out about the Motorola Shadow. One leak, a few weeks ago, pegged it as having a super-thin body and a 4.3-inch, 800 x 484 screen. These renders, of admittedly dubious provenance, suggest a more Droid-like form factor, except with a white keyboard and wrist strap.

Mobile01 also suggests that the Shadow could be a candidate for the next official Google Phone and thus the designation of Nexus Two. Maybe, but it seems a little too early for Google to be picking the Nexus One successor. And what of HTC? [Gizmodo via Mobile01 via Engadget]

Nexus One support site at Google is up, sorta [Nexus One]

On a daily test of the GPhone support site at Google I just noticed something changed. It's not the same as yesterAny, it's not nice looking as well. I guess Nexus One is officially starting to start today.

Go to http://www.google.com/support/phone to see for yourselves. The Logo links to a not yet implemented Android site.

Google Tablet: Google and HTC To Launch Apple iSlate Rival [RUMOR]

Google is working on a tablet computer with HTC, the company that built the hardware for the Nexus One “Google Phone“, according to a report.


The report claims that HTC has “been working closely with Google for the past 18 months” on “several working models of a touch tablet”.


Are Google and HTC about to challenge both the iPhone and the Apple tablet, rumored to be called iSlate?


Australian news site SmartHouse, which first published the story, pits the Google/HTC offering as a direct rival to Apple’s tablet ambitions. But the device might equally prove a threat to Microsoft: getting Google Chrome OS into consumer’s hands is key to the operating system’s success.


Skeptics might argue that Google will never promote a tablet computer of its own: that would endanger its relationships with other hardware makers. And yet the Nexus One proves that Google very much will tread on toes if the move makes strategic sense.


What do you think: could a Google Tablet rival the iSlate? Or will this rumored device never see the light of day?

[Mashable, image via Gizmodo]

Google Nexus One docs get leaked: $530 unsubsidized, $180 with plan

Further details about the Nexus One have emerged since we reported about its exclusivity with Google this morning. It will be apparently be sold by Google for $530 unsubsidized, and $180 with a T-Mobile plan. If you do sign up for a plan and cancel within 120 days of purchase, you’ll have to cough up the remainder of the total cost of the phone — $350, or return the phone to Google. The leaked docs also offer the following tidbits:

• Yeah, it’s $530 unsubsidized. Google’s not going to be selling the phone at cost, like so many people considered. They’re not going to save us from the “making money off of hardware” culture we’ve got right now, so this is basically just another Android handset, albeit a really good one
• If you want it subsidized, you’ll have to sign up for a 2 year mandatory contract
• There’s only one rate plan: $39.99 Even More + Text + Web for $79.99 total
• Existing customers cannot keep their plan if they want a subsidized phone; they have to change to the one plan, and this only applies to accounts with one single line
• If that doesn’t fly with you, you have to buy the $530 unlocked version—this actually might save you money over two years if you already have a cheap plan
• Family plans, Flexpay, SmartAccess and KidConnect subscribers must buy the phone unlocked and unsubsidized for $530
• You can only buy five Nexus One phones per Google account
• There is language in the agreement of shipping outside the US
• Google will sell it at google.com/phone, which explains what they were doing with that page a few weeks ago
• Google will still call it the Nexus One apparently, and not the Google Phone

Anyone getting excited yet for what Giz has essentially pegged as a DROID killer? Stay tuned next week for more details from Google’s official announcement at its Mountain View campus… We’ll be there live-blogging the event.
[BGR]

Another Day, Another Nexus One Video [Nexus One]

We don’t know how it happens, but the Nexus One appears to be landing in the hands of seemingly random users. How or why this phone comes into the possession of this guys escapes us, but we don’t really care. Today finds another 5 minutes of blurry and jittery arriving online. Is it that hard to get this phone in front of a steady camera with someone who knows how to put it through the proper paces? The sad part is, we sat through this entire video and would gladly watch another.


Take it from this guy – This is the best, best Android ever.
[AndroidGuys]

Google announces press gathering on January 5th – Hello, Nexus One.

There have been whispers around the rumor mill for roughly a week now that Google was planning on throwing a press shindig right before CES - and sure enough, the invites just went out.

T-Mobile photo is rather small, we've BGR has broken down the text for you:

Google, with support from T-Mobile, is scheduled to launch a new Android device in early January. The Google Android phone will be sold directly by Google via the Web.
Support for the device including troubleshooting and exchanges will be managed by Google and HTC. T-Mobile will offer service support including billing, coverage, features, and rate plans. Additional details Streamline content regarding the launch of Google's Android phone will be coming in early January.

So… Google is simply selling the phone directly for now, as rumored, and T-Mobile will "officially" support it, even though they practically do the same for any unlocked handset on their network. Google and HTC will be fielding support calls from users.

[CrunchGear, BGR]

Chrome OS Netbook Specs Leaked: Multi-touch, SSD, and More [Rumor]

Google's Chrome OS netbook's rumored specs are out, and they're looking pretttty, pretttty, prettttty good.
According to IBTimes, the Google netbook will house an Nvidia Tegra platform with an ARM CPU. If the rumors hold up, it will also have a 10.1' multi-touch screen that supports HD, come with a 64GB SSD, 2GB of RAM, and other standards like Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, a webcam, and so on. Not surprisingly, the netbook will run Chrome OS and come pre-installed with a suite of Google Apps.
The rumors also indicate that the netbook will be available by holiday season 2010 for a subsidized price of under $300, which is impressive for the type of hardware they're talking about. It would sold directly from Google's website, and they may partner with a network operator to sell it as a bundled 3G plan.
If these rumors turn out to be true—which at this point, who knows—that's a welcome step up from the current generation of netbooks.
[Gizmodo via IBTimes]

REVEALED: Full Specs of Google Nexus One

You want Google Nexus One details, you got it. Yesterday, we posted a Nexus One Android 2.1 walkthrough video, and today Engadget has managed to score a full spec sheet for the phone, as well as some details about its release date.
According to Engadget’s source, the phone will initially be available by “invitation only.” It looks like Google will be deciding who gets invites (hey, Google, call me), but the specifications also indicate that T-Mobile will be able to sell the phone directly to the customers in the future.

---

The Breakdown

---

Here are some highlights from the screenshots that Engadget posted:

• 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM, included 4GB microSD card, expandable to 32GB
• 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and mechanical autofocus
• 3.7″ WVGA AMOLED screen — in other words, as big as the Droid and brighter
• Worldwide GSM/EDGE, but 3G only on T-Mobile in the US (supports 2100, 1700 and 900 frequencies, meaning Europe should be covered)
• 1GHz Qualcomm chip — if accurate, that would make the Nexus One one of the fastest -  if not the fastest — smartphones on the market.
• Wi-Fi A/B//G/N
• Bluetooth 2.1
• GPS
• Accelerometer

The specs look solid, the phone matches or beats every competing Android phone on the market (aside from having no physical keyboard) and also compares quite favorably to the iPhone (faster processor, nicer screen, wireless-N).
The only caveat for potential U.S. buyers is that, barring some sort of firmware upgrade (assuming the 1900 band is just disabled), this phone will only work in 3G in T-Mobile’s network. If you live in a large city, that might not be a problem, but T-Mobile does have the smallest 3G footprint of any of the major U.S. wireless carriers.
For international users, this is really enticing, because the phone should be compatible with all UMTS bands in Europe, Asia, South America and Australia/New Zealand.
Now all we need is a solid release date and a price. My friend Dan is ready to buy this sight-unseen. What about you? What do you think of the Nexus One?
[Mashable via Engadget]

Rumor: Google Working On Chrome OS-Branded Netbook With One (Secret) Manufacturer [Google Chrome OS]

Google's already said you'll need to buy a Chrome OS machine if you want it officially, but if TechCrunch's sources are right, they could be launching Google-branded hardware for the platform, much like they're doing with the Nexus One.
Sure, you may've already downloaded an early Chrome OS build on your current machine, but unless you want it to be your sole platform, and running just the way Google intended, then you'll need to buy the official hardware. Acer's stated its intent to be first with a product release, presumably at the tail-end of next year, but ASUS, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba are also involved in the Chrome OS project too.
A 'request for proposal' has already been issued to potential suppliers, such as those mentioned above, supposedly listing the specifications Google would like to see in that first netbook. Google is believed to be working with just the one manufacturer, to build the ideal netbook. TechCrunch's sources are claiming they'll be 3G-embedded, and quite possibly subsidized by a carrier.
Michael Arrington, editorializing at this point, goes on to say that:

'I'd be willing to bet one of our writers' right hands that it's ARM [as opposed to an Intel Atom processor]. And I'd even go out on a limb and suggest that they may very well be targeting Nvidia's Tegra line.'

Adobe, Freescale, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments are the other parties already working with on the Google Chrome OS project, so presumably the netbook will contain some components from them as well.
So, which company do we think Google will choose in this all-important talent show? Acer, ASUS, HP, Lenovo or Toshiba, or even someone else? ASUS obviously has strong heritage with netbooks, thanks to inventing the market for it back in 2007, but Acer launched the first Android-powered netbook. HP, Lenovo and Toshiba have all produced some solid netbooks in their time, but haven't quite measured up to Acer and ASUS' success just yet.
[Gizmodo via TechCrunch]

The Android Market Is Getting Ready to Explode [Data]

With total apps surpassing 20,000 this month, the gap in size—and consequently, quality—between the Android Market and the iPhone App Store is finally starting to close.
AndroLib's been tracking new submissions stats since the Market opened—stats which don't just show us when Android apps pass arbitrary milestones, but how quickly it's happening. And to answer the implied question: very quickly.

There were more that twice as many new apps approved in the month of November than in July, and the rate of increase is only getting higher. Of course, raw app numbers don't guarantee that there will be anything worth downloading, but they do help. Even if just one in every 100 apps it worth downloading, the good stuff starts to add up pretty quickly. It's a sad formula! But it works out.
[Gizmodo via AndroidLib via MobileCrunch]

Wanna See the Nexus One Boot Animation? [Startup]

Of course you do.


[AndroidGuys, via Benjamin]