The first non-Nexus Android 4.1 Jelly Bean phone is a ZTE!

Just a few days ago, we were discussing how ZTE might be the one to start the “stock Android revolution“, with their upcoming Grand X flagship, which will arrive with stock Android 4.0. ZTE is trying hard to become a stock Android manufacturer, and they’ve been working with Google to bring out stock Android devices faster into the market. According to Kan Yulun, VP and CTO of ZTE’s handset division:

“ZTE has an excellent relationship with Google and this, combined with our extensive R&D capabilities and our experience of customising devices for partners around the world, means we are able to bring new technologies to market very quickly”,

One of the results of this close relationship is the ZTE N880E smartphone, which was launched in China in May with Android 2.3, but is now jumping straight to Android 4.1.

This will make the ZTE N880E the first smartphone to run Android 4.1 in China, and (to our knowledge) the first non-Nexus device to run Jelly Bean. How is this possible, you may wonder? My guess is ZTE was one of the limited number of partners that received the PDK beta, before Google even announced Jelly Bean to the public.

The ZTE N880E looks like a mid-range phone in terms of specs, but the Jelly Bean upgrade should make it run smoother than ever before, and it’s the reason why I’m excited for Jelly Bean to arrive even on lower-end smartphones.

The full list of specs of the ZTE N880E includes:

Size: 119mm x 61mm x 10.4mmScreen: 4.0-inch, WVGA, 480 x 800 TFT, capacitive touchscreenWeight: 130gBattery: Li-ion 1650mAhStandard: CDMA2000 1x, EVDO Rev.A, 800MHzOS: Android 4.1.1Platform: Qualcomm 7627AFrequency: 1GHzMemory: 4GB (storage) + 512MB (RAM)Extended memory: MicroSD (max. support 32G)Camera: 3.2MP AFBluetooth: 2.1, A2DP, AVRCPWLAN: 802.11 b/g/nOther: GPS, GMS, FM, A-GPS

It’s nice to see that Google is working so closely with manufacturers to bring out upgrades faster, but ZTE wasn’t the only one in the limited beta program for the PDK. We’ve heard rumors that Samsung may upgrade the Galaxy S3 to Jelly Bean as soon as this August, and of course we know HTC is preparing to upgrade their One series smartphones to Jelly Bean very soon as well, so they must’ve been included in the limited beta as well.

This is great news all around for the Android ecosystem. Not only some smartphone manufacturers are starting to switch to the Google Experience version of Android, but the PDK is helping them upgrade to the latest version of Android much faster than before.

Hopefully, this also means that Android manufacturers will support their devices with upgrades for a lot longer than a year, and that they will upgrade more of their models as well.

SOURCES ZTE

TAGS Android 4.1 Jelly BeanNexusZTEZTE N880E

View the original article here

Read More

Google Nexus 7 sold out after “incredible demand” – where to buy the Jelly Bean tablet from?

The Google Nexus 7 Jelly Bean tablet has been officially announced at this year’s Google I/O edition, with Google taking pre-orders on the same day it unveiled the device in late June. By mid-July, the company partnered up with various electronics retailers that have also started taking pre-orders for the device.

The Nexus 7 started shipping last Friday, with customers not happy to see some of those retailers beat Google when it came to shipping pre-orders. Since then, we reported that various companies finished their first Nexus 7 allotments on the first days of sales, but the device continued to be available from Google’s own Google Play store.

In the mean time, it looks like the tablet is sold out with major retailers, according to ZDNet. Not to mention that after performing a quick check on Google Play you’ll see that the 8GB version ships in 3-5 days while the 16GB model will reach your home in 3-4 weeks.

So where should you buy a Nexus 7 tablet now? Well, you can always order from Google, but if you’d like to buy it in a physical store, here’s what you need to know regarding Nexus 7 availability from major retailers:

GameStop – 16GB Nexus 7 is backordered. The company waits for a third allotment of pre-orders to ship in August.B&H – online orders accepted, but the store only has limited Nexus 7 stock.Office Depot – 8GB version listed as “coming soon” while the 16GB model is “out of stock.”Staples – 16GB version available in stores only.Kmart – selling only the 16GB version, which is currently “out of stock.”MobileCity – takes pre-orders for the 16GB version, but does not provide shipping dates.Sam’s Club – does not take pre-orders: “this item is out of stock for delivery.”Curry PC World Store – Nexus 7 is sold out at this UK retailer.

As you can see, the device is pretty much sold out with everyone, although you’re surely going to find a device from eBay and/or Craigslist if you need one right now. Google notes:

We’ve had incredible demand for our new Nexus 7 tablet and are shipping them as quickly as possible. When your device ships you will receive a notification from Google Play with a shipping tracking number.

However, the company does not translate that “incredible demand” in actual numbers and we’re certainly interested to know how many Nexus tablets the company sold. The Search giant is expected to sell 2-3 million Nexus 7 units this year, and we’re yet to hear whether the device will ship in other markets in addition to the original four: USA, Canada, Australia and UK.

Did you buy your Nexus 7 tablet yet?

SOURCES ZDNet

TAGS B&HCurryGameStopGoogle Nexus 7Google PlayJelly BeanKmartMobileCityNexus 7Office DepotSam's ClubStaples

View the original article here

Read More