Android

Google appears to be readying Android Messages as an iMessage competitor

/ Shawn / Leave a comment

google-logo-1200x630

According to a report from Android Police, as part of their teardown of the update to Android Messages, it appears as if Google is readying a number of features to have it mimic the most popular features of iMessage, including using a web interface, as well as offering mobile payments directly in the app itself.

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[Special Feature] Silicon Theories – September edition

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While we have a little bit of a lull of late in tech, I had a few things I thought might be worth discussing, and each on their own merits wasn’t necessary a whole article, but in their totality, they might be – so I am going to roll up a bunch of ideas together, and start a new special feature I’m going to call “Silicon Theories” – this will be the inagural September edition of what I hope to be a monthly thing.  I’m going to collect of bunch of thoughts and ideas and submit them for your consideration.

  • Google may introduce a home WiFi product along with the new Pixel phones – as well as the Google Home device announced at Google I/O earlier this year:  October 4th is the day we expect Google’s next big event to announce at the very least, the new Pixel phones “made by Google.”  The latest rumors have them potentially announcing and releasing two additional products:  the Google Home device (a direct competitor to Amazon’s Echo device) and something rumored to be called Google WiFi – a device or series of devices that will allow you to expand the WiFi coverage in your home to eliminate “dead spots” or weak coverage areas. We discussed a little bit about the Google Home product during our Google I/O podcast, and we both here think its going to be a winner (especially priced at the rumored $129) – but are the vast majority of the worlds homes ready to become “smart homes?”  Amazon’s Echo (and Dot as well) products leverage the Alexa personal assistant tech, and Amazon’s own large ecosystem to make it relevant.  There’s also been a bit of a marketing push for Amazon of late, notably with celebrities like Alec Baldwin touting its impressive feature set.  Will most of America find it just as easy to talk to Google Home and are we ready for our smart appliances to talk back to us?  Google appears to be betting on a “yes” answer.  The smart WiFi product could be a great boon as well, and as Google deals primarily in search, allowing people increased access to the internet using its own products and capturing their search results and other data only makes them a stronger player in both advertising and search itself.  I personally don’t mind handing over my data to our new Google/Alphabet overlords, but there are some who are leery of doing so (perhaps with good reason) – its all fun and games until Google Now becomes Skynet…but by then we’re all doomed anyway.
  • Apple is making changes other than removing headphone jacks from the iPhone – speaking of folks who are leery of handing over their data, this recent article from The Verge about Apple’s increased push towards TouchID usage sparked an interesting monologue in my head.  I first reviewed Apple’s biometric log-in solution on the iPhone 5S I use through my employer.  Its simple, fast, and easy to use.  Its not foolproof however, and others who have both physical reasons for having flawless fingerprints and other personal reasons for choosing not to use it are going to reach a crossroads very soon (if they are Apple users at least, and even quite a few Android OEMs are moving this direction as well) – in an increasingly “short attention span, instant gratification” world, people want things faster and easier than ever before in history.  We have faster mobile phones, tablets, and laptops; we have faster wired and wireless access to the internet.  Someone at Apple clearly thought that typing in a secure password took too long and so they developed a way to unlock their devices (and subsequently use those same biometrics for things like payment systems a-la Apple Pay) using any available fingerprint.  But as seen, there are basic levels of security that can only be accessed using a PIN or other alternative secure unlock method (after a reboot of your device for example, a biometric event is not accepted) – so those with a personal or physical desire to not use fingerprints might not be left out in the cold completely.  But they may in fact be without access to certain additional features as we become increasingly more reliant on these biometric “conveniences” (Samsung even recently added a feature to implement retina scanning as a unlock method) and for those that won’t or can’t use them having to find other workarounds.  And that is a shame. 

  • There are rumors starting to surface that Google is looking to fold its 2 different operating systems together, creating a hybrid OS that can run on any mobile phone, tablet, and laptop – blending Android (on mobile phones and tablets) and Chrome OS (on laptops referred to as Chromebooks) into one new system, code named “Andromeda.”  This has the potential to do many things for Google, not the least of which would be to put them in direct competition with a company like Microsoft, with Windows.  As most know, Windows is the most used PC operating system in the world, and its not really even that close.  The Android operating system is the most prevalent mobile OS in the world, and again, not really that close.  There have been many developments in the laptop computing world of late, but one of the most significant was the ability for Chromebook to run certain Android apps – that’s means that all your stuff in apps like Evernote can now be accessed via your laptop.  That’s almost Apple level integration there, and perhaps a future even exists where Microsoft’s Windows is no longer the biggest driver of our PCs and mobile devices.  The future for Alphabet/Google could be very bright indeed.
So there you have the Silicon Theories – September edition.  Feel free to let us know what things are on your mind in the comments below, or hit us up at silicontheory@gmail.com – thanks for reading!
Cheers!

[Opinion] Does the Nexus program matter anymore?

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Google has tasked HTC with developing and producing the next Nexus devices, those smartphones that are designed to showcase the latest and greatest versions of the Android operating system.  For years, while the operating system grew and improved and added new features, the hardware showing it off was not necessarily considered with the same shock and awe.


For most Android enthusiasts, Nexus is a word synonymous with purity and the best that Android has to offer.  Google’s latest operating system release is one that is usually highly anticipated and the Nexus devices are usually the first to receive it or outright run it.  Since the first Nexus One released in 2010, the developer community has rallied around the Nexus devices and have embraced them as no other consumer segment has.  There are multiple websites devoted to taking the open source code of Android and making it do even more new and exciting things:  XDA-Developers is the most high profile one.  An Android guy (like both me and Sean P) can, and occasionally have, lost hours spent researching anything and everything there.  I owned the Galaxy Nexus and Sean P. owned the Nexus 6 – we have tweaked so many different settings and features that its really not even worth mentioning here.

We did all these things because Android as it evolved wasn’t quite there yet – wasn’t quite the finished product that we hoped or wanted it to be.  I’ve written before here about why I love Android – and customization is first and foremost amongst those reasons.  But the changes from “stock Android” were always because stock itself wasn’t capable of some of the things we wanted it to do.  But that was also kind of the point – Google releases Android, the developers get a hold of it and bend it, tweak it, shake it, and bake it – and once those features are coded and widely adopted, Google can sit back and see what has been done and then take some of those features and incorporate them into the next release of Android – lather, rinse, repeat.

With each and every release though, Android has become less of a joke and more of a polished, fluid operating system.  From Ice Cream Sandwich, to Jelly Bean, to KitKat, to Lollipop (and now Marshmallow and recently released Nougat on the horizon too) things stopped being ultra laggy, features got better and plentiful, and with the advent of the Material Design language (introduced in Lollipop) things look and feel like they might if you were actually interacting with a physical element in the real world.  The development community and Google themselves have pushed Android forward until it is now the most popular mobile operating system in the world.  A lot of that has to do with folks in the development community buying Nexus phones so that they could test, compile code, and test some more.  In that respect, Nexus phones can bear the lion’s share of credit for being easy to unlock and develop for, and difficult (but not impossible) to break beyond repair.  Initially, this meant that the phone wasn’t really pretty or even a well thought out design: it was there to serve a functional purpose – help you make Android and apps developed for Android better in a meaningful way.  Let’s be honest here – the Nexus One wasn’t a phone you bought because it was “good looking.”

Yes – this actually a phone with a trackball at the bottom (Nexus One from HTC)

It did, however, do its job.  The Galaxy Nexus is a phone that’s near and dear to my heart – its not really winning any style awards either.  From its bulbous bottom and large front chin, it was fine in its time, but was something that I liked more for what it did than what it simply was.  We have moved to a point in time where subsequent Nexus phones, like the Nexus 4 and 5, and even the Nexus 6P, are just down right nice phones themselves; attractive devices that also serve a purpose.  Google has moved to a place where their OEM partners can help them spread the gospel of Android to millions, and hey – a lot of those people will never, ever unlock and root their phones.  So if you want to sell a bunch of devices, at least give the folks their moneys worth when it comes to design.

The lovely Nexus 6P

Nexus phones are now a device that can be (and in some cases, should be) considered by regular every day Joe Consumers.  The upcoming devices from HTC bearing the codenames Sailfish and Marlin are rumored to have things anyone would want, like the latest hardware specs, premium metal unibody chassis, very good displays, and high quality camera modules.  These are clearly phones designed to be phones first and could also at some point by some people be used to develop and test software for the latest version of Android.  I loved my Galaxy Nexus, but grew tired of the mediocre battery life and downright horrible camera.  So I left it for a G2 from LG that wasn’t quite as fun but served my personal needs better in a lot of other ways.  And while I was using my G2, Android got better.  When I upgraded to the G3, Android got upgraded too.  When when it was time to get a new phone last year, I gave strong consideration to the G4 – and ultimately chose the Nexus 6P.  Not only does the 6P have the ability to showcase what stock Android can do from a software standpoint, it also is just a great stand alone phone.

Nexus users used to be a relatively small group of folks that were in a very real way responsible for helping to making Android better for everyone.  And over the years, Android has come a long way baby.  Its more polished, its got a ton of features, and its great for a wide range of mobile devices.  And the Nexus phones have come a long way too.  They mirror the development of Android itself; once unrefined and utilitarian, the Nexus 5X and 6P are amongst the best values for their price point of ANY phone, not just unlockable or developer phones.  And that’s why I feel the Nexus program actually does matter, and might continue to matter to folks for the foreseeable future – I no longer have to make the choice between a “good phone” and having the latest version of Android.  The Nexus devices can now give me the best of both worlds.  

[Review] LG GPad 8.3 tablet

/ Shawn / 2 Comments

Recently, chance and good fortune happened to land me a 1st generation iPad mini.  While very grateful for such a princely gift, I (of all people) had no use for such an Apple product.  So, armed with some courage and a good story, I found a local merchant that was willing to swap me out for my choice of Android tablet.  I had thought to find myself the proud owner of a 32GB Nexus 7 (2013) but at the 11th hour found myself going with the LG GPad 8.3 instead.  As those of you who follow this blog might know, I am rather fond of LG’s most recent tech products (see my review of the G2 here) and thought to give their new tablet a try.  Is it as outstanding a product as their flagship superphone?  Read below to get my thoughts!

How It Looks:

The GPad is sharp looking device.  The screen is bright and sharp, and is a great size at 8.3 inches.  The white version is very clean looking and the aluminum back gives the tablet a very futuristic look.  The power and volume buttons are well positioned and the LG logo on the bottom gives it the look of a supersized G2 (which isn’t a bad thing at all)  It’s a little unusual looking at first, since it resides somewhere between the ultra portable 7 inch tablets and the first generation 10 inch tablets like the iPad.  But the GPad is anything but a left over device.

How It Feels:

As I just finsihed mentioning, the screen and overall size of the device are great.  The GPad is a light and easy to hold device, and has that  premium feel.  The edges are nice and rounded and make this a 1 handed device if you have average to larger than average hands.  Its easy to view in both portrait and landscape positions and the device is very pleasant to hold for long periods of time watching a movie, TV show, or other video content.  The aluminum back also had a nice tactile feel that gives you a good grippy surface to hold onto.

How It Works:

The GPad is powered by a Snapdragon 600 processor, and is plenty quick to keep pace with most activity.  Even though the S800 is the current standard for mobile procesors, the GPad holds its own.  Its got a very large capacity battery which lasts and lasts and lasts.  In standby, its not unusual for me to get well over 100 hours off of a single charge.  The 16GB of internal storage is a bit of a downer, but the GPad does have an external SD card slot which helps with things like photos and music and other things you don’t want taking up your precious internal memory.  And speaking of internal memory, the LG UI isn’t exactly bloat free, but most of the extra features aren’t annoying to the point of unusability.  The device ships with Android 4.2.2, which should get upgraded to Kit Kat (Android 4.4) very soon.  The device is simple to root (much like the G2 itself it) which opens the door to a host of other options for the power user group.

The camera is just so-so, but for a tablet, it should suffice when you don’t have any other type of way to snap quick photos around.  But it also does have both a front and rear camera, something the earliest generation of the Nexus 7 lacked, so there’s that. There aren’t a whole lot of accessories available for this thing still, and LG seems to have not had enough money in their marketing budget to make a huge push for this.  In fact, at the time of this publishing, they’ve thrown down the gauntlet by adding 3 more tablets to their line up (some notes on that from the folks over at Droid-Life here) and the other competition in this space is fierce (Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 info and iPad mini retina) so some more differentiation would probably serve LG quite well.

Final thoughts:

Overall, this is a great tablet to use, great size, and if the pricing were about $50 less, it would be THE tablet that’s not called Nexus.  Since I got mine for basically free, its a great buy.  Perhaps the new generation of LG’s tablets might get a bit more marketing love than the GPad 8.3 did, and it seems that the G2 (and the soon to be released G3) got LG moving in the right direction.  And while LG had previously had a reputation for slow updates, I got a notification that Kit Kat was available for my GPad the other day, and I was very excited.  This also is a great thing for LG.

While I might feel differently if I had to pay full price for LG’s GPad 8.3, at it’s current price, its almost worth it.

[Op-Ed] The benefit to rooting an Android phone

/ Shawn / 2 Comments
Once upon a time, I was the proud owner of a Blackberry Pearl.  (Don’t laugh)  I had worked my way up at a previous employer to be in a position to recommend the products the company purchased.  Since mobile e-mail was king, we ended up purchasing a fleet of Blackberry devices.  My first smartphone impressed me so much that when I left the company I decided to buy one for myself.  I owned two before the Pearl was released, and I really though I had found the perfect smartphone for me.  The size, form factor, and RIM’s e-mail integration made this a real winner in my book.  Some days, I miss the feeling I had when I first got it…there’s nothing like the thrill of buying your next tech toy.  This was right about the time the iPhone began to gain traction as an all touch screen smartphone that had a host of other features that a Blackberry couldn’t hope to match.

As this inexorable shift in mobile technology began to take place (see my previous article here regarding the growth of the “prosumer” market segment) I heard about a new Android phone supposed to be coming to Verizon Wireless that had specs even better than the iPhone and comparable to those of a home PC from a few years ago – the HTC Incredible.  After seeing some of the commercials and reading the reviews online, I was hooked and gave up my beloved BB Pearl to pre-order the Incredible.  My first Android phone was a whole new experience…an all touch screen phone was something that made me truly realize where mobile phone tech was headed.  At the time, I knew nothing about the Android development community and was much too afraid to “hack” my phone and try some of the things I’d read about other folks doing to their phones.  But I always felt like there was something I was missing out on.
So when the time came for the Incredible to go, and for a new phone choice to be made, I made a decision that would change much of the way I viewed my phone – I decided to hold out for a “developer phone” – the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung, also on Verizon Wireless.  I had read that Nexus phones were among the first to get new releases of the Android OS, as well as having an unlockable boot loader and was able to be rooted (both terms at the time that didn’t hold much meaning for me).  But it would give me the option to learn and experiment and allow my knowledge of what Android could do to grow.  This was my first foray into the land of rooting and the Android developers community.

In its simplest terms, “rooting” an Android device is the ability to grant “Superuser” access to any application you choose.  This would be the equivalent in the PC world of having “admin” rights to the PC.  Install what you want!  And if your phone offers the option of an unlockable boot loader (meaning you have the ability to overwrite even the operating system if you choose), you can do even more.  You’re in complete control!  The downside is of course, you also have the ability to royally screw up your phone beyond recovery (usually called bricking the phone).  But I decided I wanted to learn as much as I could to make this process something that would work for me, and not against me.  I made the decision to get a Galaxy Nexus for my wife and myself, and I dove into learning all I needed to know to unlock and root them both.

The result has been a very rewarding journey that sometimes borders on an unhealthy obsession.  Initially, learning the process of accomplishing both of these was challenging, but the more time I spent on it the easier it became.  And now, there are multiple tools available to allow even the novice Android user the ability to unlock and root their phone.  A few button clicks is all it takes and one has opened the door to a world of wonders.  Unlocking the boot loader combined with rooting the device has given me the flexibility to be able to control virtually every facet of my phone.  I have installed a tool to help back up my phone in the event of anything going wrong.  I have installed custom ROMs (basically a customized version of Android that has been modified by a developer group to do things that the stock Android doesn’t do) over and over again to gain access to new features.  I’ve also installed a custom kernel (the software governing battery usage) to improve battery life and overall performance.  Even small things like changing the icons of the phones applications and modifying the display to rotate the icons as if they were on a 3D cube are all made possible by being able to unlock and root the phone.
What time I spent in learning how to do these things has resulted in my ability to make any changes I want to the software of my phone.  This knowledge has given me the satisfaction of making the phone do what I want it to do.  One of the developer groups making custom ROMs is known as “Team BAMF” and their motto is “Make It Your Phone.”  This can easily be accomplished through the process of rooting.

[Review] LG G2 (or how I learned to love a superphone)

/ Shawn / 1 Comment
Image courtesy of Droid-Life

At long last – the search is over.  Many of you will recall that I lamented over the lack of phone choices to replace my Galaxy Nexus (see the article here ) but I lament no more!  I have taken the plunge and purchased the G2 from LG, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier.  What the heck? you may ask – as this device was on the short list of possibles and was discarded as being unsuitable for my needs.  Well – no one is happier to be proven wrong than me.  Let’s take a closer and more in depth look at how LG’s newest flagship smartphone won me over.

Where to begin?  I despaired of ever finding a new phone that would meet my (admittedly) high standards and needs…but after a string of curious events, I was pulled – nay – destined to purchase the G2.  In a nutshell, here’s how it went down:  several friends were also in the market for new phones, so Sean and I were constantly talking and then looking over the latest and greatest in the smartphone game.  One day, while out and about, one of these friends picked up an HTC One for a song – the short time I spent looking over the One pretty much sold me on it.  During this time, the good folks over at XDA Developers had found a way to (in essence) unlock the One to make it rootable and also flash custom ROMs to it (one of my requisites)  The only thing that held me up was I really, really wanted it in black.  So I waited…during this time a quick side trip to a Verizon store after the G2s release really had me drooling over its beautiful screen and quad-core power – it was at that point that I hoped the G2 would get some development ported to it.  About a week after this Verizon visit, word on XDA popped up that first a rooting method, and then the ability to bypass the bootloader altogether (via a patch called “Loki”) was in the works for the G2 potentially making it a “superphone” – latest and greatest specs mated with a custom ROM that could take full advantage.  The decision was basically made for me – I went out that very night and purchased the G2 from Verizon.

Wow you’re probably saying…that’s a really big nutshell.  Yeah, it kinda is.  But the G2 really deserves it.  For those not familiar, here’s a quick rundown of specs:

*2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 quad core processor
*Adreno 330 graphics processor
*Beautiful 5.2″ FHD display, IPS LCD, little to no bezel and on screen keys
*2GB RAM, and 32GB internal storage, and 3000mah battery
*13MP rear camera, with optical image stabilization (OIS)

Image courtesy of Slash Gear

Yeah – on paper this bad boy will pretty much destroy any other phone currently out there.  LG has done a great job of putting together some fantastic hardware.  One of the reasons the screen is so large and has so little bezel was the design choice to move the physical control buttons (power, volume up/down) to the rear of the phone (as seen in the picture)  Some may argue this is too radical a departure from modern design to work – honestly, it hasn’t bothered me at all.  It took a day or two to get used to…and that’s it.

You might remember, I was looking primarily for something that had a large, nice looking display.  And LG crushed it with the 5.2″ display that’s on the G2.  Say what you want about the back buttons, but if it really allowed for this IPS LCD to show up in this phone, then I’m all for it.  Watching anything from Youtube videos to streamed TV and movies is a genuine pleasure to do.  I told someone just yesterday it’s exactly like walking around with a 5″ high def TV in my pocket.  And that’s a good thing.  The look and feel in hand is good; it actually feels smaller than a 5.2″ display phone should.  The only flaw in the whole design in the back, and here it is pretty awful.  The back plastic panel collects fingerprints, dust, pocket lint, and also small rocks.  You get the idea.  The good news is a case will do the trick for this problem, and I chose the Incipio Feather Case in grey, and its perfect.  Problem solved.

The quad core processor is blazing fast…there’s nothing it hasn’t been able to do for me with lightning fast speed.  I’m not much of a gamer (Angry Birds, Stupid Zombies, and Alchemy are about as far as I go) but the GPU renders smoothly and quickly.  And as mentioned, TV and other video is sharp, clean, and stutter-free.  And for streaming, with LTE speeds, this really makes a huge difference in your real life day-to-day usage.

Photo courtesy of BGR.com

While not loaded with stock Android, as I’d wished for, the LG UI skin really isn’t so bad.  Many of the the UI’s features are usable, and actually helpful.  The toggles in the notification shade are placed well, the Samsung-esqe additions (smart screen and such) can be turned off if unwanted, and within a few minutes, I found myself with a very different experience than what comes right out of the box.  Many of the “busy” features included might take a little time to warm up to, but better to have them than not I say.

Let’s talk about that battery – its awesome.  As my esteemed colleague noted in one of his articles, it really is all about the battery.  The 3000mah beast can last for 2 days off one charge, if you have light to moderate usage (and I’ve actually done this already) – one full day on an LTE connection the whole time is easily done (a not unimpressive feat)  No one cares how awesome your smartphone is unless it works, and it’s not going to work if you don’t have juice.  And the G2 has got the juice, for sure.  The rear camera is pretty impressive as well, if only slightly less so than the battery life.  Most other sites reviewing the phone have thrown out things like “best Android camera ever” and “above average camera with next generation technology.”  These pretty much sum up my experience so far.  The camera is really, really good.  Are you going to ditch your DSLR anytime soon?  No…but maybe you can leave it home more often if you have the G2 with you.

As for the rest…well suffice it to say that because the “Loki” patch works, I’ve already been able to root the device, push out a custom recovery, which then allowed me to wipe the phone and flash a custom ROM.  All this technical geekery really means is that, much like my beloved Galaxy Nexus, I can take advantage of the hard work and dedication of the ROM development community.  And from early returns, it looks like the future in that area is going to be very, very bright.

Even my wife is a little jealous, and I have a feeling we’ll be getting her one of them pretty soon too.  Great screen, unbelievably fast, and lasts a whole day and more.  I guess the final word here is that if you love mobile phone tech (as much as I do), and you are into tinkering with your device (like I am), then it doesn’t get too much better than the G2 from LG.  The better news is that even if you aren’t like me, I have a feeling you’d probably like the G2 as much as I do – even if it is for different reasons.

[News] Samsung debuts the Galaxy S4

/ Shawn / Leave a comment
Photo courtesy of Droid-Life

The waiting is over – Samsung’s even on March 13th officially announced their newest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4.  While it isn’t available on any carriers just yet, here are the official specs, direct from Sammy:

  • Processor: 1.9GHz Quad-core processor or 1.6GHz Octa-core processor (depending on global region)
  • Memory: 2GB of RAM and 16/ 32/ 64 GB User memory expandable through SDcard slot
  • Display: 5″ full-HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) display, with 441 ppi
  • Connections: Hexaband LTE, HSPA+, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, IR controller
  • Battery: 2,600mAh
  • Ships with Android 4.2.2
The Galaxy S4 has a larger screen than its predecessor, while still managing to come in thinner and lighter.  From early reports, this true HD screen looks incredible with vivid rich colors and amazing sharpness and clarity.  This is sure to be a huge selling point with fans of Samsung.
Some other interesting points – the device will carry two different processors depending on region.  The report is that the U.S. will carry the quad-core Snapdragon processor, while the international version of the device will feature the newest Samsung power plant, the so-called Octa core processor.  The device was also shown running the latest version of Android, 4.2.2.  This is something of surprise, but a pleasant one.  Samsung has skinned Android with its own proprietary TouchWiz skin, but this was expected.
What’s not known at this point – release date and pricing.  The “second quarter 2013” is all that was given.  But since April is right around the corner, its likely the device will launch sooner rather than later.  And since the device sports almost every cellular band known to man, its likely that every major carrier will feature the Galaxy S4 before the end of next month.  Yes, including Verizon (hard as that might be to believe)
Is anyone making the Galaxy S4 their next phone?
*Source:  Droid-Life, BGR

[Rumor] Galaxy S4 to launch in black & white

/ Shawn / Leave a comment
Possilble Galaxy S4 render

The latest rumor as we approach the middle of the month and the launch date for the Galaxy S4 is that Samsung will be kicking off their new flagship with 2 colors – the staple white and black.  In addition, there should be 16GB/32GB/64GB variants, all available for purchase (at some point) – this is in addition to the expandable SD card slot already pretty much a done deal.  Will there be carrier exclusive colors?  Will we see Pebble Blue ever again?  Stay tuned for more details!

*Source:  Droid-Life

[Rumor] Google to launch new Nexus 7 tablet

/ Shawn / Leave a comment

If you’ve read my review of the Nexus 7, you’ll know I surely love it and think it likely the best Android tablet on the market.  It’s been a very good seller for Asus (the maker) and Google as well…and it looks like its about to get a refresh.  The latest rumor from DigiTimes is that Asus is partnering with Google again to give us an updated Nexus 7, with perhaps an HD panel display, smaller side bezels, and an “upgraded version of Google’s Jelly Bean operating system” – whatever that means.

Plunkett called this in one of his Fearless Predictions…it will be interesting to see if it comes true.  I’m sure we will know by May, in time for Google’s I/O event.  Carry on Google and Asus!

*Source:  Droid-Life