Transformer Prime Preview

Specs:
Display - 10.1" Super IPS+ LCD

Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core @ 1.3gHz
RAM: 1GB
Onboard Storage/SD Storage/Total Storage: 32GB or 64GB/32GB/64GB or 96GB
Camera: 8MP Rear, 1.2MP Front
Battery: 12 Hours Medium Usage
Connectivity: WiFi Only
Bonuses: Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) with a promise to receiving Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 shortly after its release, Micro-HDMI output, World's first quad-core mobile device.

The ASUS Transformer was one of the best selling Android tablets created. It had an amazing brand behind it with excellent build quality. The biggest differentiator was it's dockable keyboard that added battery life.

The ASUS Transformer Prime is no different. It is the world's first quad-core mobile device. Because of its importance in taking mobile computing further, it will likely be like the Motorola XOOM in the fact that it will be considered a 'developer unit'. All testing for Android modifications and updates will be done on this device. It will sport a new and improved keyboard dock which will make it look very similar to a Macbook Air. It won't be long until we start seeing cell phones with quad-core processors. Sporting 1GB of RAM and amazing cameras, the Transformer Prime will be the tablet of the season. While we're on the subject, there is no 'official' release date for the Transformer Prime. It was slated for late November, but is now looking like December/January. It will have an obnoxious amount of storage in it as well. 96GB? I'm not quite sure who would use that much storage, but what the hell.

ASUS has also shown us a video of Ice Cream Sandwich running on the Prime. It will receive the update within 'weeks' of ICS going live with the launch of the Galaxy Nexus in the USA. If you were to get some kind of mobile broadband with this thing, you can basically trash your old desktop unless you play intense games on it. Otherwise, you'd be fine rocking a laptop and this bad boy.

That's about it for the ASUS Transformer Prime. More will be leaked closer to the release of the device.

Tweaks to Increase Your Android's Battery Life and Increase Performance Part 2

Continuing on my older post on how to greatly increase the battery life and performance of your Android phone, I'm going to write a second edition to that article that goes in to a little more depth.


Tip #1: Remove Unused Widgets
1. Press and hold your finger on the widget you wish to remove from your screen.
2. After it unlocks itself from the page, you can swing it up or down (depending on your phone) to the trash can to remove it. NOTE: This does not delete the widget off of your phone, it simply does not show it anymore.

Widgets are a huge power sink for your phone, whether you use them or not. Any widgets that you don't commonly use, take off of your home screens to greatly save both battery and performance.

Tip #2: Take Extra Social Media Site's off of your Contact Sync List
1. Go to your contacts list.
2. Hit the Menu button on your phone.
3. Click 'Accounts', or on some phones you will have to click 'More' and then 'Accounts'.
4. Click on Twitter, GroupME, or whatever other social media apps you use.
5. Remove the option to 'Sync Contacts'. You only really need one social media website syncing your contacts (most people use Facebook or Google+).

This will save your battery a ton from not having to sync all your contacts every so often.

Tip #3: Change your background to something a little darker
1. Go to your home screen.
2.Hit the 'Menu' button on your phone.
3. Click 'Wallpaper'.
4. Select a wallpaper from your Gallery or from your phone. Make sure to select a darker one.

On most displays, the color black uses the least amount of light to draw on the display. So having a darker, blacker display wallpaper means that the screen is using less back light to create your background. This saves you power.

Tip #4: Clear Your App Cache Once In a While
1. Download the application App2SD from the marketplace.
2. Launch the application.
3. When it opens up and compiles your application list for the first time, hit the 'Menu' button.
4. Select 'Clear Cache'.
5. Confirm when the window pops up.

Applications use their cache to keep frequently used and accessed data. By wiping this every once in a while, you remove all of the data that those applications have stored. By doing this, you free up phone memory that can be used elsewhere for other things and keeps your phone in good health. The applications will continue to store things in their cache, so I suggest wiping it once a week at least.

Tip #5: Use Wi-Fi When at Home

1. Go to 'Settings'.
2. Click 'Wireless and Network'.
3. Click Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Settings. If you did option 1, skip to number 5.
4. After Wi-Fi Settings, click on Wi-Fi to check the box and turn on Wi-Fi.

It is a fact that when your phone searches for a Wi-Fi signal and tries to keep you connected to that signal, it uses about 50% less battery than when it is trying to search and stay connected to a 3G signal, and about 150% less battery than when it is trying to search and stay connected to a 4G signal.

Tip #6: Update Your Applications

1. Launch the Market application.
2. Click the 'Menu' button on your phone.
3. Click 'My Apps'.
4. Apps that need to be updated will be moved to a category called 'Updates' or 'Manual Updates'.
5. Click on each app that needs to be updated individually, and then click on 'Update' and then click 'Accept and Download' if you accept the Market terms.


Applications release updates to themselves to improve their efficiency on battery and to work out any bugs there may have been in the application. Doing this not only makes your phone more efficient, but it also makes sure you are getting the most optimized version of the application.

GZR Top 5 Android Phones - November

Rank 1: Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch

Specs:
Display - 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus
Processor: Samsung Exynos dual-core @ 1.2gHz
RAM: 1GB
Onboard Storage/SD Storage/Total Storage: 16GB/32GB/48GB
Camera: 8MP Rear, 2MP Front
Battery: 1800 mAh
Connectivity: 4G WiMax
Bonuses: Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread).

The Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch was an excellent lineup to the Galaxy series. Exclusively for sprint, this device is technically an Galaxy S2 (has the branding on the back of the phone and everything), however was modified for Sprint. It has a bigger screen (4.5" vs 4.3") and different battery. This bad boy has amazing camera options. Taking very vivid photos, you can also switch it to a panoramic camera mode as well. Overall, this is the best device out there right now. Hats off to Samsung for this one.

Rank 2: Motorola DROID RAZR

Specs:
Display - 4.3" Super AMOLED

Processor: TI OMAP dual-core @ 1.2gHz
RAM: 1GB
Onboard Storage/SD Storage/Total Storage: 32GB/32GB/48GB
Camera: 8MP Rear, 2MP Front

Battery: 1780 mAh
Connectivity: 4G LTE
Bonuses: HDMI output, webtop capable, Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread), incredibly thin (7.7mm), 720p front-facing camera recording.

The DROID RAZR's selling point is its thin design. Somehow, Motorola has managed to fit a 4G modem into a device that is only 1/3 of an inch thick (7.7mm to be exact). How they have done it, I have no idea. This is also the first phone able to record 720p quality videos using its front-facing camera. It's got an industry standard amount of RAM, an excellent processor, and a very nice gorilla glass screen. Definitely for those who want a 'wow' factor from people. Holding this feels like you aren't even holding a phone.

Rank 3: HTC Rezound

Specs:
Display - 4.3" S-LCD

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core @ 1.5gHz
RAM: 1GB
Onboard Storage/SD Storage/Total Storage: 32GB/32GB/48GB
Camera: 8MP Rear, 2MP Front

Battery: 1620 mAh
Connectivity: 4G LTE
Bonuses: Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread), 720p resoultion screen (incredibly crisp and clear), comes with a $100 pair of Beats Audio earbuds.

The HTC Rezound is an incredible piece of equipment. The screen looks incredibly detailed and crisp, given its 720p resolution on only a 4.3" display. It has excellent HTC cameras, which have decent software to handle its cameras power. It runs on Verizon's lightning fast 4G LTE network. The processor is clocked at 1.5gHz, which gives it a lot of raw power at its disposal. This also means, however, the Rezound's battery will take a small hit from having to power that monster for long periods of time. Given that the Rezound's battery is already rather small, AND it has a 4G modem, it ranks #3. Oh (and this has nothing to do with how it ranked, since I look at only the phone itself), but did I mention it comes with a free pair of $100 Beats by Dr. Dre ear buds? Sweet deal.

Rank 4: Motorola DROID Bionic

Specs:
Display - 4.3" qHD
Processor: OMAP Dual-Core @ 1gHz
RAM: 1GB
Onboard Storage/SD Storage/Total Storage: 16GB/32GB/48GB
Camera: 8MP Rear, VGA Front.
Battery: 1930 mAh
Connectivity: 4G
Bonuses: HDMI output, webtop capable, Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread).

The DROID Bionic keeps on the list, however moves down to #4.

Rank 5: Samsung Galaxy S2

Specs:

Display - 4.3" Super AMOLED

Processor: ARM Dual-Core @ 1.2gHz
RAM: 1GB

Onboard Storage/SD Storage/Total Storage: 16GB/32GB/48GB
Camera: 8MP dual-rear, 2MP rear-facing

Battery: 1650 mAh
Connectivity: 3G
Bonuses: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

The Samsung Galaxy S2 has dropped to #5. Given that this is a slightly (and when I say slightly, I mean very slightly) outdated piece of equipment, it has some competition that has came out with better hardware. This phone is still an amazing piece though, so it keeps its place on the list.