After a couple years of handing on by a small percentage, both Eclair and Donut (Android 1.6 and 2.1) have both jumped ship from Google’s monthly Android distribution chart. The main reason for this is the new version of Google’s new Play Store app, which only supports devices running OS 2.2 or higher. Google does note that Eclair and Donut accounted for “about 1% of devices that checked in to Google servers.”

Digging deeper into the the September numbers reveals Jelly Bean is on 45.1% of active devices, up from 40.5% last month. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich dipped by one percent [...]

Each month, Google posts the breakdown of its Android versions, ostensibly for developers to see which ones they can target with their apps.

As of August 1st, over 40% of users run Jelly Bean and, combined with Ice Cream Sandwich, 63% of users run phones with Android 4.0 or above. While this is not necessarily the target we’re looking for — over 90% of iOS users run the latest version, according to Apple — it indicates that Google has largely stabilized the fragmentation issue.

Gingerbread is holding fairly steady at 33%, dropping only 1.1% from [...]

If you are actively following the news around the Moto X you will know that earlier today the launch date for the elusive Moto X was finalized. Now @eveleaks the notorious tipster for the mobile world has leaked press renders for the hardware. 

The Moto X is expected to be a Mid Range handset and expected to be priced around 300-400 US $. The hardware expectations are running anywhere from a 4.7 inch to 5 inch HD display which may only run up to 1280 x 720 p screen. An 8 MP main camera and a 2.1 MP front facing camera will finish off the optics, and a Quad Core chipset will handle the processing needs of the Android 4.3 [...]

Every month Google releases stats that give a glimpse into the distribution of the various versions of Android. Like clockwork, the percentages of the older versions (Donut, Eclair or Froyo) tend to trail off, while newer versions such as Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean amass greater authority.

Last month’s data

Starting with the release of the new charts, Google has changed the way it collects information for the monthly Dashboard release. Back in the day when Froyo and Eclair were the current builds, Google took information from Android phones each time they checked in to Google servers. Now, the data comes [...]

LG has launched the LG Optimus G in India for a price of Rupees 34,500/-. The Optimus G is the global variant of the Nexus 4 which is an Un-skinned Google subsidized smartphone. The Optimus G on the other hand is packed with many features that are designed and implemented by LG for the device. 

Major hardware components of the LG  Optimus G include, a Quad Core Snapdragon S4 Pro Chipset clocked at 1.5 GHz,  a 4.7 inch 1280 x 720p display, 13 MP main camera with Full HD Video capability along with a 1.3MP front camera. The Optimus G also has 32Gb of inbuilt storage and a 2100 mAh battery along with NFC support. 

We are going hands on with the device [...]

HTC finally launched the new HTC Butterfly in India, while the phone will be available in a totally limited fashion, it is truly worth admiring. The HTC Butterfly is powered by a quad core 1.5 Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and 2 GB of in built RAM. 

While it follows along the previous design elements of HTC devices, the HTC Butterfly seems more refined any classy. The design has a curved back so feels a lot more slim and fits well in the hands. Including a 2020 mAh battery HTC feels that the device is powered well enough, that is if you probably dont consider the heavy [...]

Samsung has just announced the South Korea variant of the Galaxy Grand which was launched last week in India. While the looks of the device are identical to the global variants, there are several changes inside, including a Quad core SOC. The phone is also apparently capable of LTE networks, as opposed to the dual-core chip and 3G capable variant launched in India.

The best part is that the South Korea version of the Galaxy Grand also has NFC capabilities and a USB 3.0 port for faster data access. The phone retains the WVGA display and 5 inch screen along with the 8 megapixel rear and 2 Megapixel [...]

Sony Mobile has just announced that they have rolled out the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean alpha ROM for the Xperia T, and if you prefer to go by model numbers, then LT30p would fit the bill nicely. This is certainly in line with the corporate character of Sony Mobile, as their tradition had always been to introduce alpha and beta ROMs for upcoming firmware updates. Needless to say, you ought to take into consideration that pre-release firmware is only meant for folks who want to check out what is to come in the most recent update.

A few caveats apply here — radio functionality like [...]

Samsung has announced what is going to be the most notable, rugged launch ahead of schedule in 2013, the Xcover 2. Along with a 1 GHz dual core processor,  4-inch WVGA display all on Android 4.1 with TouchWiz, the device also has a  5-megapixel camera with a dedicated camera shutter button. 

The Xcover 2 also has GPS and GLONASS to cater to the explorer in you. The Xcover 2 will also pack a Cardio trainer Pro workout app along with a physical hand strap and mount. 

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

Samsung GALAXY Xcover 2

January 25, 2013

SEOUL, [...]

Wondering why Smartphones are still so fat? Well Huawei might be there with an answer to all the bulk with the new Huawei Ascend P2, a smartphone thats only 6.45mm thick. 

The leaked images confirm that the Huawei Ascend P2 is indeed in the pipeline, and that too with a mammoth 13 MP camera and a slick metal body. Apart from the details mentioned little is known about the P2 , although rumors are pegging a full 1080p HD display at only 4.5 inches, 2GB of RAM, and a big 3000mAh battery for power.

The Huawei Ascend P2 is said to be Shipping with [...]

When LG announced the Optimus G they stated their premier device would be upgraded from Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to OS 4.1 Jelly Bean sometime “early Q2 of 2013.” According to a press release today by LG they “will begin its global roll-out into over 50 countries this month.” The first country to receive the upgrade will be Singapore “at the end of January,” then slowly work their way through other countries with LTE networks. This most definitely rules India out of the picture for now.

The Optimus G launched last year to great expectations with a new 4.7-inch HD display, [...]