We hope you weren't too excited about getting a Pebble Blue-tinged Galaxy S III in May, because we're seeing unconfirmed reports that the darker Hyperglazed hue might not be available for everyone in the first round of launches. Some would-be customers, primarily in Nordic countries but also in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Persian Gulf states, have been told that only the Marble White color will be on shelves at first. Most of the consensus, based on retailer notices, is that demand for blue is straining supply. Samsung Benelux's press lead Vivian Peters told Tweakers.net that at least the Netherlands wouldn't be getting the stealthier color until early June, but didn't confirm a rumor that there had been flaws in the blue plastic backplates that might have triggered shortages. There hasn't been mention of problems for the heavily-hyped UK launch.

We reached out to a Samsung spokesman ourselves and were told only that the company "does not comment on rumors or speculation" -- a slightly unusual statement given what Peters said on the record, but it does lead us to take at least the more dire claims with a grain of salt.

Pebble Blue Samsung Galaxy S III reportedly pushed back for some launches originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Are you a Londoner so taken with the Galaxy S III that you want to pre-order one before you've even held an in-store dummy unit? Samsung wants to give you a little something something for your eagerness: namely, Olympics tickets. The first 50 who pre-order the giant phone and pick it up at the Westfield Stratford City store on May 29th will get free passes to watch the home team run and leap its way towards a few medals. If you're hoping to claim the reward, though, be prepared to get into the kinds of lines that Samsung skewered in ads just a few months ago. Customers are being asked to show an hour ahead of the 6PM on-sale moment, and the limited slots for ticket winners could easily Samsung repeat its sale-driven Australian lineups in the northern hemisphere. There's no word yet on whether or not the promo will make the leap to Mobile Pin pop-up stores, but we wouldn't be surprised if Samsung spreads the perks around.

PSA: Samsung giving free Olympics tickets to early Galaxy S III buyers at London store, hopes you'll vault the queue originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cisco had grand plans for a Cius tablet on every fast-paced executive's desk, but those dreams appear to have been dashed not long after getting off the ground. Senior VP OJ Winge says the company will "no longer invest" in the design, leaving the already rather creaky Android 2.2-based, 7-inch tablet to an eternal slumber outside of occasional specialized orders. It's not hard to see what hastened the Cius to its early demise, as Winge pins it on companies and customers encouraging a BYOD (bring your own device) strategy that likely brought more than a few iPads and beefier Android tablets into the space Cisco wanted to occupy. Before existing Cius owners start videoconferencing with themselves out of sheer despondence, though, there's a silver lining: the company now expects to take the Cius' firmware all the way from Android 2.2 to 4.0 in one fell swoop near the end of the summer. You may not be living Cisco's 2010-era vision, but at least you'll have Chrome for Android.

Cisco drops Cius tablets after the BYOD crush, plans upgrade to Android 4.0 out of kindness originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jitters have persisted that the Canadian release of the Galaxy S III might face the customary weeks-long delays that those north of the border are used to. If we go by what looks to be an escaped Best Buy Canada flyer graphic, Samsung's Android 4.0 beast should be going up for pre-orders soon -- MobileSyrup hears May 30th -- with launches on at least Bell, Rogers, Telus and a Bell-owned Virgin Mobile around June 20th. We know that Samsung has publicly promised a US release in June, so there's a real chance that we could be seeing a simultaneous North American appearance that brings everyone together in TouchWiz harmony. There's still some big questions left open even if we're seeing an accurate snapshot, such as when Mobilicity, Wind and other LTE-less carriers will get their units as well as whether or not the LTE versions use Snapdragons instead of the Exynos 4 Quad.

[Thanks, Imdad]

Samsung Galaxy S III shows in Best Buy Canada leak due June 20th, maple syrup uncorked to celebrate originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Did you see the Google+ 2.0 update for iPhone and wonder if Google's attention had drifted away from its own baby? Don't fret, as the Android app has just been given similarly loving treatment. The interface shares the reworked stream look that we saw on iOS while keeping the swipe-to-switch category filters that Google+ has used from the start. There's even small rewards for having to watch your iPhone friends go first: you can now start a Hangout video chat from the main menu, get ringing Hangout notifications, download photos directly from conversations and edit your posts after the fact. The new look has already proved polarizing, but if you're the sort who revels in the purity of a Google social network running on a Google platform, you can now try the overhaul for yourself.

Google+ on Android gets its turn at a UI remake, extra Hangout and photo features in the bargain originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've been jonesing for a more international look at smartphone market share for the start of 2012, and IDC is now more than willing to oblige. In case you'd thought Android's relentless march upwards was just an American fling, Google's OS has jumped from 36.1 percent of the world's share a year ago to exactly 59 percent in the first quarter of this year. That's nearly two thirds of all smartphones, folks. As we've seen in the past, Android is siphoning off legacy users looking for something fresher: Symbian and the BlackBerry have both lost more than half of their share in one year's time, while Linux (led mostly by Bada) and Windows Mobile / Phone together lost small pieces of the pie despite raw shipment numbers going up. As for Apple? Even with all the heat in the kitchen, the iPhone's share grew to 23 percent, leading to a staggering 82 percent of smartphone buyers siding with either the Cupertino or Mountain View camps.

Continue reading IDC: Android has a heady 59 percent of world smartphone share, iPhone still on the way up

IDC: Android has a heady 59 percent of world smartphone share, iPhone still on the way up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It turns out that Motorola didn't want to wait until the Google deal closed -- or, for that matter, an American launch -- to undertake a significant revamp of its phone line. A quiet Chinese event last week is now known to have brought us three RAZR-derived, all-touch phones for the three carriers in the Asian country: the XT885 for China Unicom (pictured at left), XT889 for China Telecom (center) and MT887 for China Mobile (right). Other than the network types and pretty bits, you're mostly looking at the same device, where the highlight is an official dip into Android 4.0 waters that drops the physical navigation in favor of more Nexusish on-screen keys. Don't expect a revolution in performance over last fall's roster given that they still have 1.2GHz dual-core processors, eight-megapixel rear cameras and 4.3-inch, 540 x 960 displays. The trio arrives in China on June 2nd; Motorola is likely more worried about popping champagne than giving out US launch details right now, but earlier leaks give us a strong hunch that the MT887 could hit Verizon as the uncannily similar (if still very unofficial) Droid Fighter before too long.

Motorola shows three all-touch Android 4.0 phones in China, we see a possible Verizon model originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Verizon is clearly looking to make itself the front door for Internet video this year. Bolstering its tie-ins with Color and Redbox, it's now kicking off Viewdini, a carrier-specific Android app that will help you find video across multiple services: along with Internet-only providers like Hulu Plus, mSpot and Netflix, it will sift through the online component of Comcast's Xfinity brand, taking a little bit more advantage of that cross-sales deal coming out of the proposed spectrum handover. Even Verizon's own FiOS video will be late to its own party, coming "soon." Viewdini will only be available for 4G LTE-equipped Android phones and tablets later this month, with "other operating systems" and services due in the future -- given the currently very short list of non-Android 4G devices, we have a few ideas as to where the app might go next. Either way, get ready to collide with bandwidth caps faster than usual if you love what Verizon plans to offer.

[Image credit: AllThingsD]

Continue reading Verizon's Viewdini for Android hunts streaming video on Comcast Xfinity, Hulu and Netflix, strains our 4G

Verizon's Viewdini for Android hunts streaming video on Comcast Xfinity, Hulu and Netflix, strains our 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Normally, firewalls at cellular carriers are your best friends, screening out malware before it ever touches your phone. University of Michigan computer science researchers have found that those first lines of defense could be your enemy through a new exploit. As long as a small piece of malware sits on a device, that handset can infer TCP data packet sequence numbers coming from the firewall and hijack a phone's internet traffic with phishing sites, fake messages or other rogue code. The trick works on at least 48 carriers that use firewalls from Check Point, Cisco, Juniper and other networking heavy hitters -- AT&T being one of those providers. Carriers can turn the sequences off, although there are consequences to that as well. The only surefire solution is to either run antivirus apps if you're on a mobile OS like Android or else to run a platform that doesn't allow running unsigned apps at all, like iOS or Windows Phone. Whether or not the exploit is a serious threat is still far from certain, but we'll get a better sense of the risk on May 22nd, when Z. Morley Mao and Zhiyun Qian step up to the podium at an IEEE security symposium and deliver their findings.

Exploit uses firewalls to hijack smartphones, turns friends into foes originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 03:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sufficiently enamored with Samsung's Galaxy S III that you've got to have one in the US before anyone else, and you don't want it sullied by carrier customizations in the trip across the Pacific? Amazon has your back with pre-orders for 16GB versions in both Marble White and Pebble Blue. Either will keep the speedy Exynos 4 Quad and will stay unlocked, so you can hop networks to your heart's content. Do expect to pay a steep premium for being the first kid on your block: at $800, you're spending a lot to get an HSPA+ model on June 1st when the LTE-toting, cheaper (if carrier-locked and possibly part-swapped) editions should reach the US days later.

Amazon puts Samsung Galaxy S III up for US pre-orders, offers a slice of quad-core, unlocked utopia originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The European Union has been taking a leisurely pace investigating Google over possible antitrust abuses, but it's now accelerating to a full-on sprint. European Commission competition head Joaquin Almunia has given Google just a "matter of weeks" to propose how it would patch things up and soften fears that it was unfairly pushing its own web services over others. If Google makes the Commission happy, Almunia says, the whole investigation might wrap up and avoid fines. Google hasn't responded yet, but we wouldn't guarantee that it makes a deal: its execs have usually argued that there's nothing keeping users from going to another search site, and the company has been eager to emphasize that competition still exists. That said, Google only has to see what happened to Microsoft to know how expensive an EU antitrust fight can be.

EU competition head gives Google a 'matter of weeks' to offer an antitrust fix originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Going by Microsoft's Greater China COO Michel van der Bel, the launch of Windows Phone in China is off to an auspicious start -- enough to give Apple the shakes. He claims that devices like the Nokia Lumia 800c have helped Windows Phone reach seven percent of the Chinese market, or just enough to get past the six points of the iPhone. We're waiting on hard data before we take van der Bel's word: the top smartphone makers worldwide aren't depending much or at all on Windows Phone, and the iPhone has a thriving gray market in China that masks some of its real numbers. Having said this, we've seen signs of Windows Phone enjoying a bit of a surge even in an iOS- and Android-loving Europe, so we'll be watching to see if there's an uptick in the number of buyers saying ni hao to Microsoft in the near future.

Continue reading Microsoft exec says Windows Phone outselling iPhone in China

Microsoft exec says Windows Phone outselling iPhone in China originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The final significant roadblock to Google's buyout of Motorola has been cleared, as Chinese regulators have just given their rubber stamp. Their approval follows a few months after the simultaneous American and European clearances, and virtually all that's left now is to formally close the deal and start integrating the two mobile giants. It might still come too late for the combined entity to present a united front at Google I/O, but at least they won't have any awkward glances at each other across the room. We're just trying to decide on whether or not Googorola is the best pet name for the loving, $12.5 billion-dollar Android union.

Update: Google has since told the AP that the deal will likely wrap up early next week, so Motorola should be part of the family well in advance of Google I/O. Also, Google has to keep Android freely usable by anyone for at least five years, although no one was expecting that to change anytime soon.

China clears Google acquisition of Motorola, eliminates last barrier to Googorola bliss (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

That was quick. Just two weeks after Valve posted a new Steam beta that allows remote game downloads, it now has a truly polished release for everyone. Both Mac and Windows gamers can now queue up demos and full games, whether it's from a browser at work or from the Steam mobile app. Appropriately, Valve will let you reinstall games as well as start downloading a purchase as soon as the credit card clears. Either way, it'll guaranteed that your new copy of Bastion or that attempt to relive your Quake nostalgia will be ready when you get home.

Steam remote downloads exit beta, make impatience an option for everyone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 05:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's not hard to see that Americans love their mobile apps, and Nielsen can now tell us by how much. The average US smartphone owner circa mid-2012 now brandishes 41 apps, a pretty hefty 28 percent increase from a year earlier. They're preferring native apps to the web, as well: they're more likely to spend time with that direct port of Cut the Rope than the HTML5 version. Along with reminding us that smartphone owners are now in the majority in the country, Nielsen has added that there's a total of 84 million Android and iOS users in the US, or more than double what we saw just a year ago. We're a bit disappointed that the figures mostly exclude BlackBerry and Windows Phone owners, although they still paint a picture of a country that's entirely comfortable in its smartphone shoes.

Nielsen: Americans have 28 percent more mobile apps in 2012, look down on the web with disdain originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 03:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Good news ahoy if you've liked Time Warner Cable's TWC TV streaming app but were frustrated with content providers pulling channels over licensing rights: the cable giant and Viacom have reached a settlement that will see Viacom's channels return to your Android or iOS gear. Comedy Central, CMT, MTV and other channels will be back in the next several weeks, and the two sides even managed to bury the hatched over "unrelated business matters," according to a joint statement. Just what led to the about-face is being kept secret, although Viacom's tendency to sue over retransmission rights in the digital realm raises the possibility that TWC had to fork over an extra amount. At least now you can watch The Daily Show on your iPad knowing your cable provider and the studio are singing "Kumbaya."

Viacom and Time Warner Cable call truce, TWC TV mobile apps will stream Colbert after all originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's deemed likely that Apple had the top-selling cellphone in Japan this past fall, but how did it do in all of 2011? Quite well, if you go by MMRI's estimates. The iPhone had 30 percent (almost 7.3 million) of the Land of the Rising Sun's 24.2 million sales among individual smartphone labels, or nearly double Sharp's 17.5 percent. Don't think that Android-powered smartphones like the Aquos SH-12C didn't make an impact, though: virtually every other smartphone in Japan, 69 percent, was running some flavor of Google's mobile OS. Apple managed to shake up a sometimes insular overall keitai market as well, having come just short of Fujitsu for the top spot in all cellphones. Researchers are expecting the smartphone space in Japan to grow by a healthy 15 percent in 2012, although it's still a wildcard as to whether or not KDDI's iPhone support will keep Apple riding high for another year.

iPhone was Japan's best-selling smartphone in 2011, Android more than comfy as well originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here's an instance of NFC technology that's more exciting than yet another tap-to-pay scenario. Google employee Paul Carff combined a Motorola Xoom running ICS with an Arduino microcontroller to create KegDroid, a friendly green beer dispenser. The Xoom acts as a gatekeeper to that brewed goodness, only letting the bot dispense drinks after users swipe an authorized badge. The badge is read by an NFC scanner on the bottom of the case and is then authenticated (or rejected) by the Arduino board. Once the system grants access, users can choose from two selections on tap via a custom Android application displayed on the Xoom's screen. As Android Community points out -- and as you'll see in the video below -- the KegDroid hasn't mastered a bartender-level pour (read: there's way too much foam). Still, this is oodles cooler than your average keg, wouldn't you agree?

Continue reading KegDroid dispenses beer with the help of a Xoom tablet and an Arduino board

KegDroid dispenses beer with the help of a Xoom tablet and an Arduino board originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google itself may have thrown the pricing situation out of whack by offering up a contract-free GSM version of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus for just $399, but those adhering to Sprint's plans can't make use of that, anyway. The other CDMA / LTE-infused Galaxy Nexus is now shipping from Sprint, several months ahead of its first LTE rollout. $199.99 on a two-year contract nets you a device, while you can snag one for $549.99 sans any strings. It's also available in stores nationwide for those who'd prefer to try before they buy, and yes, Sprint users who activate a Google Wallet account within a week of activation will receive a $10 instant credit and an additional $40 within three weeks. Just try to ignore that Galaxy S III that'll launch next month, okay? (It's not a pure Google device, anyway.)

PSA: Sprint's LTE-infused Galaxy Nexus now available online and in stores originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Up until now, we haven't actually had any confirmation of what Samsung's upcoming superphone would be named. We've had plenty of reason to believe that it'd simply be the third iteration of the famed Galaxy S line, and even an Amazon Germany page predicting as much, but it's another thing entirely to see the term "Galaxy S3" used by Samsung itself. Indeed, that's exactly what's happening with the release of its Mobile Unpacked 2012 app, which will allow prospective users to stream the event as it happens in London on May 3rd, while also gathering facts and figures once the event passes. Whether or not the whole GSIII thing sticks remains to be seen, but if you're curious, we'll also be on hand to liveblog every revealing second of it.

Samsung's Unpacked Mobile 2012 app outs 'Galaxy S3' as next smartphone's name originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just under two months after LG's Optimus Vu got priced for the hometown market, in flies news that another hue will soon be on those very same shelves. The 5-inch, 4:3 ratio'd Android smartphone will soon hit South Korea in white, purportedly targeting the "younger" market -- you know, folks who like "cool" things (a translation for "refreshing," we're told). Folks can look for the device -- which should remain unchanged outside of the external color -- to hit SK Telecom as early as next week, but there's no word on when (or if) it'll spread to other markets.

LG's 5-inch Optimus Vu shipping soon in white (in Korea, at least) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HTC's hotly anticipated One X isn't supposed to ship to AT&T customers until May 6th, but there's a reason we're emphasizing the whole "supposed" thing. One lucky reader has managed to convince one particular store to sell them a handset early, with $199 (and a new two-year agreement) being all it took to grab hold of what'll undoubtedly be one of 2012's strongest Android phones. There's a gallery of shots below as proof, and if you'd like to try your luck at a local outfit, we certainly won't step up to stop you. (But look, you'll probably be waiting a few more weeks -- just sayin'.)

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Gallery: HTC One X sold early through AT&T

HTC One X sold early at AT&T, spotted in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We'll take a dedicated microsite over ole Mr. Blurrycam any day of the week. HTC's latest Verizon LTE handset is now an Incredible step closer to being official. The HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE has popped up on Big Red's Droid Does site, complete with specs and a $300 on-contract price tag. The ICS smartphone will be powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with a gig of RAM, and packs a 4-inch super LCD qHD display, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with a VGA shooter up front, an LTE hotspot mode with support for up to 10 devices and Beats Audio on board for "studio-quality sound." The Buy Now link brings you to the Droid RAZR Maxx's product page, so it's not quite clear when you'll be able to pick up an Incredible. You can take a closer look right now, however, at the elaborate dedicated Verizon page at our source link below.

HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE pops up on Verizon for $300, links to Droid RAZR Maxx originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

To close out each week, the Android Developer Relations team hosts a Friday App Review video. This Friday, however, the focus is far from whatever apps are being showcased (psst... it's Handy Scanner); instead, all eyes are on the Share to 'Drive' option, seen just below the 'Bluetooth' logo in the screen capture above. It's shown at the 32:53 mark in the video just after the break, and while this certainly isn't confirmation that Goog's own cloud storage service will be hitting the masses soon, it's one of the more tangible pieces of evidence that Google Drive is at least a real initiative. Come to think of it, we've got a couple of passes to Google I/O 2012, which just so happens to get going in around two months. Anyone else feeling that tug of puzzle pieces coming together?

Continue reading Google app review video shows Share to 'Drive' option

Google app review video shows Share to 'Drive' option originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

See that? That's the sign that awoke yours truly this morning. And that just happens to be confirmation that the long-awaited Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update is finally coming to unlocked (read: global, non-carrier branded) Galaxy S II smartphones situated in the United States. If you'll recall, said update started flowing to units in South Korea (among other locales) eons ago, but owners located in the US of A haven't been treated equally... until today. Head on into Settings and check for an update -- seeing anything intriguing?

Continue reading Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) now hitting unlocked Galaxy S II in America

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) now hitting unlocked Galaxy S II in America originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We know Google Offers is still slowly rolling out to US folks, but Big G's doing all it can to at least keep its current users content. This time around, the Mountain View crew has handed its Offers application a somewhat hefty refresh.Version 1.2 of the cash-saving app brings with it an all-new UI (which Google describes as "crisp") as well as more deals in more cities. The revamp now allows bigger images within the app, while also offering a speedier and smoother browsing between deals -- not to mention a faster checkout process. As usual, the goodies are up for grabs via Google Play.

Google Offers update brings revamped UI, faster browsing speeds originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

GSM Galaxy Nexus seeing signal issues after Android 4.0.4 update? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gmail app update brings ICS experience to Honeycomb tablets, performance tweaks elsewhere originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First it appeared in a slipped ad, and then on The Engadget Show during CES. More recently, Sprint's variant of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was spotted coasting through the FCC, and now it's practically a lock to launch between three and six weeks from now. We've received word that Sprint has initiated employee training specifically for the Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0, which will enlighten staff on the benefits of the handset, ICS and Google Wallet. Those involved with the training have to wrap things up within the next fortnight, leading us to believe that it'll make its way into retail outlets in late April or early May. In related news, the coursework also makes mention of enabling LTE on a heretofore unannounced "LG Fury" -- presumably not to be confused with the similarly titled handset from ZTE. Unfortunately, details beyond the name on that guy are nowhere to be found, but we'll be digging for more in the days ahead.

Update: We've since stumbled upon a full slide deck of the training guide, and while there's nothing too surprising here, we are seeing that early units will ship with LTE turned off by default, though the company will change that at an undetermined time in the future. Call us crazy, but it sounds like Sprint may start hawking these prior to its LTE network being fully active.

Gallery: Sprint Galaxy Nexus leaked training guide

Continue reading Sprint begins employee training for Galaxy Nexus, launch looks imminent

Sprint begins employee training for Galaxy Nexus, launch looks imminent originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ComScore: Android's US market share passes 50 percent, BlackBerry OS and WP7 slide originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

By now, you've got to be familiar with Instagram. Sure, you may have never used the app, which until mere minutes ago had yet to make its way beyond iOS, but you've surely seen the results, in tweets, emails or littering your Facebook feed. And beginning this very moment, you can join in on the fun, even if you've never owned an Apple device. We took instantly to Instagram for Android -- the app offers an experience nearly identical to the iOS version, though the ability to capture and manipulate images on a larger device brought a unique twist to the wildly popular image manipulation experience.

We decided to start off our snaps with a Samsung Galaxy Note, which not only offers a brilliant 1280 x 800-pixel display, but also a 5.3-inch surface on which to frame images and preview filters. Beyond the enormous variety of capture tools now available, it seems that not much has changed -- your favorite filters are still there, making those smartphone shots glow just as brilliantly as before. And, if you happen to despise the Instagram effect, this would probably be a good time to take that long-planned holiday from social media -- if it hasn't already, your screen is about to explode with colorful perfect squares of image funk goodness.

Gallery: Instagram for Android hands-on

Instagram for Android hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Instagram for Android screenshots

Continue reading Instagram comes to Android, available to download now

Instagram comes to Android, available to download now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Verizon's Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX to get Android 4.0 on April 4th, Rezound to follow on the 6th (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WSJ: Google to sell ASUS, Samsung tablets from its own online store originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading BlueStacks App Player hits beta, supports ARM-written Android apps on x86-based Windows (video)

BlueStacks App Player hits beta, supports ARM-written Android apps on x86-based Windows (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Instagram opens signup page for Android port, release date still unknown originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading US Cellular's first LTE device ships, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 claims the honor

US Cellular's first LTE device ships, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 claims the honor originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Comcast's Xfinity TV app updated with Android 4.0 support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading PayPal Here mobile card reader: it's like Square, but with way more frozen accounts

PayPal Here mobile card reader: it's like Square, but with way more frozen accounts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Amazon Appstore for Android celebrates a year of life, deals for a week

Amazon Appstore for Android celebrates a year of life, deals for a week originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.