Pathik Shah

Honeycomb has only 20 Android Apps

Google may have rushed the launch of Android 3.0 Honeycomb, to prevent Apple from becoming very dominant in the tablet space, but it doesn’t mean shit until it can get developers to start developing tablet optimized apps for Honeycomb powered devices.

There are only 20 apps for Android 3.0 Honeycomb, compared to more than 65,000 for the iPad. It has been more than 2 months since the Honeycomb SDK launched, but for some reason, not many seem to be interested in making Honeycomb apps.
The ones that are available on Android Market are just scaled up versions of the mobile Android apps. Google is struggling with Honeycomb – it still hasn’t open-sourced it and it is largely a work-in-progress.

And because Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola don’t have a fucking clue about how to compete with Apple’s software, all of them are just going with the best available option – Honeycomb – which isn’t nearly as good as iOS, as of now.

Check out the list of tablet apps for Honeycomb here.

Samsung Galaxy Tab vs Motorola Xoom – Fight!

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the best Android tablet currently available. The Motorola Xoom which was just announced is an excellent Android tablet too, and offers much more than the Galaxy Tab, but it will be available only by March.

In this post, I will compare the two – Motorola Xoom vs Samsung Galaxy Tab

Motorola Xoom vs Samsung Galaxy Tab

Design

Both the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab have roughly the same design and form factor with a few changes. While the Motorola Xoom has a bigger display, the Galaxy Tab is much more portable. It boils down to whether you want a bigger but bulkier device, or a portable one.

Display

The Motorola Xoom has a 10.1 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The Galaxy Tab has a smaller 7 inch TFT touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Again, it boils down to personal choice. Portability vs Size.

OS

The Motorola Xoom comes with Android 3.0 Honeycomb – the latest version of Android made specifically for tablets. The Galaxy Tab comes with Android 2.2 Froyo. Both of them will have their custom UIs. Android 3.0 is obviously much better suited to tablets. The Motorola Xoom is the clear winner in this category.

Hardware

The Motorola Xoom comes with a 1 GHz dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and 1 GB RAM while the Galaxy Tab has a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor with 512 MB RAM. The Xoom comes with 32 GB internal storage while the Galaxy Tab offers 16 GB. Clearly, the Motorola Xoom is twice as better as the Galaxy Tab in this category.

Multimedia

The Motorola Xoom will come with a 5 MP camera and is capable of 1080p HD video playback, while the Galaxy Tab can only handle 720p. The Xoom also has a 5 MP camera with dual LED flash while the Galaxy Tab has a 3.15 MP camera. The Xoom has a 2 MP secondary camera while the Galaxy Tab has a 1.3 MP secondary camera.

Again, the Motorola Xoom is the better choice.

Connectivity

Both the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab have almost similar connectivity options – 3G HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS etc. The Motorola Xoom will get a 4G LTE connectivity upgrade while the Galaxy Tab is limited to 3G. Xoom wins.

The Verdict

The Motorola Xoom is undoubtedly the better Android tablet offering. It is much more powerful, has a better OS, better camera and better connectivity. But if you want portability, the Galaxy Tab is still your best bet.

Note: Samsung has announced an upgraded version of the Galaxy Tab. It will comes with a 5 MP camera, 1.2 GHz processor and 4G LTE connectivity. It might also get Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

How To Install Android 2.2 Froyo on Nook Color

I have already explained How to Root the Nook Color and install apps and games on it. Besides that, there is one more cool thing that you can do with it – Install Android 2.2 Froyo on the Nook Color.

The Nook Color is quite powerful in terms of hardware, and considering that it is priced at $249, it is one of the cheapest Android tablet around.

B&N seems to have realized that the Nook Color cannot beat the Kindle 3 as an eReader, so it has changed the game itself. Barnes & Noble has announced that the Nook Color will be getting the official Android 2.2 Froyo update in January 2011. It will be the complete Android OS update with full Android Market access.

I would advise you to wait for that update to install Android 2.2 Froyo on your Nook Color, but if you are the adventurous type, you can try out this tutorial to Install Android 2.2 Froyo on the Nook Color. I should warn you though, it is very risky.

10 Reasons Why I’m Buying the Samsung Galaxy Tab (And You Should Too)

Samsung Galaxy Tab Review

1. Android

It’s the first serious Android tablet that can go head to head against the iPad, and probably win. It runs the latest version – Android 2.2 Froyo, and comes with the TouchWiz 3.0 UI optimized for a higher resolution display and Swype for text input.

2. Hardware

It has much better hardware specifications than the iPad. A 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor coupled with a PowerVR SGX540 graphics processor with 512 MB RAM (the iPad has just 256 MB RAM). It comes with 16 GB internal storage and support for 32 GB microSD cards.

3. Apps and Games

The Galaxy Tab supports all apps and games from the Android Market (many other Android tablets don’t). Most existing apps scale up properly to the larger resolution. As the display isn’t as big as the iPad’s 9.7 incher, even the scaled up apps won’t look as ugly as iPhone apps looked on the iPad. Besides, Samsung has included enough apps on it tailored specifically for the tablet form factor.

4. Multitasking

As it runs Android 2.2 Froyo with 512 MB RAM and a 1 GHz processor, you can easily multitask dozens of apps. The iPad can’t (though it will get multitasking with the iOS 4.2 update by the end of 2010, I don’t think 256 MB RAM will be enough).

5. Connectivity

It offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB and 3G connectivity. It can also function as a phone, and you can also make video calls using the built in camera. It also has built in GPS. Pretty much everything you will need.

6. Multimedia

It offers much better multimedia capabilities than the iPad or any other tablet. Like the Galaxy S, it can directly playback MP4, DivX, XviD, MKV and even RMVB in 720p. No need to convert any videos, you can directly transfer them to the Galaxy Tab and watch them.

7. Camera

It has two cameras – a front facing VGA camera and a 3.2 MP camera on the back. The front camera can be used for video conferencing while the one of the back can be used to record video and capture casual shots. (The iPad has neither).

8. Display

It has a 7 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels (higher pixel density than the iPad). A SuperAMOLED display would have been awesome, but I guess the shortage of SuperAMOLED panels didn’t help.

9. Portability

It is much more portable than the iPad. It weighs close to half what the iPad does and is also much smaller. Perfect for one handed usage, ebook reading and watching videos. It is also pretty stylish.

10. Pricing and Availability

Very few tablets are available internationally. The iPad still isn’t available in India officially and neither are most of the el cheapo Android tablets. Getting one from the grey market is very expensive. The Galaxy Tab should be available in India soon, and is expected to be priced around $500.

Unless Samsung screws up the pricing, I’m definitely getting the Galaxy Tab. Are you?

The early reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Tab are already out (and they are looking great).

Check some out:

Mobile Review – Samsung Galaxy Tab – First Look

Engadget – Samsung Galaxy Tab Preview

Gizmodo – Samsung Galaxy Tab – Quick Look

Infibeam Phi Review – Windows and Android Tablets

Since the Apple iPad launch, many manufacturers have been planning to launch their own tablets. Some, like the HP Slate, have been cancelled, some have been delayed while some are slated to launch soon.

Notion Ink, the original Indian tablet, was one of the most anticipated tablets since its announcement about an year back. However, its launch has been delayed to the end of 2010.

However, there is still hope – After launching its own ebook reader – the Infibeam Pi and mobile phone range, Infibeam has now announced its own Tablet – the Infibeam Phi

Infibeam Phi Preview – Windows and Android

The Infibeam Phi will be available in two versions – the Infibeam Windows Phi and the Infibeam Android Phi.

The hardware specifications of both the Windows and Android version are similar. They comes with 8 GB internal memory (with support for upto 32 GB memory cards), a 7 inch TFT touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and come with the Windows CE / Android OS. They support both Wi-Fi and USB connectivity. THe Phi has dimensions of 225 x 175 x 75mm and weighs around 180 grams.

Both of them will have image, audio and video support. You can buy ebooks from Infibeam directly on these devices. The Windows Phi comes with Microsoft Office and GPS while the Android Phi is supposed to support the Android Market. Both the versions are supposed to have a battery life of around 5-6 hours with moderate usage. (1800 mAh Li-ion battery)

Infibeam Phi Price and Availability

Both the Windows Phi and the Android Phi will be available for Rs. 14,999 ($330) with a 1 year warranty and will be available on 30th July 2010.

Preorder – Infibeam Android Phi and Infibeam Windows Phi

Infibeam Android Phi

Infibeam Windows Phi