Two new Android handsets on XT

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wendonside

22 posts

Geek

#66991 26-Aug-2010 14:27

I see Telecom has just announced 2 new Android phones - Garmin-Asus A10 ($699( and the SE Xperia A10a ($999). Both are Android 1.6.

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393 posts

Ultimate Geek

#373145 26-Aug-2010 15:05

just had a quick play on the garmin... thats a really cool phone

loving the gps

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Linuxluver

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#373147 26-Aug-2010 15:07

wendonside: I see Telecom has just announced 2 new Android phones - Garmin-Asus A10 ($699( and the SE Xperia A10a ($999). Both are Android 1.6.

I'll reserve judgement until I've tried the Garmin-ASUS. That one will have at least have GPS Nav....and hopefully include the NZ and maybe AU maps?

The SE X10 is a great phone.....but it seriously needs updating to Android v2.2 now...so the JIT support can give it a huge speed boost.

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kyhwana2

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#373150 26-Aug-2010 15:09

Man, whats with all these android 1.5/1.6 phones?
The telecos/phone makers need to hurry the hell up, instead of releasing phones with <2.1 after 2.1 has been out for ages!

mattRSK

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#373152 26-Aug-2010 15:24

I like the look of that Garmin phone. Shame about the old version of Android though.

pageweon

393 posts

Ultimate Geek

#373154 26-Aug-2010 15:29

i think its more the phone manufacturers, after all the garmin was only released in july(according to gsmarena)

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Linuxluver

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#373158 26-Aug-2010 15:33

pageweon: i think its more the phone manufacturers, after all the garmin was only released in july(according to gsmarena)

...and it's a phone from ASUS. Clearly the PC makers (DELL, Acer, HP, ASUS) are trying to make a future for themselves in mobile / handheld computing.

It raises the bar for any smaller companies. They don't have the resources to "make" phones and develop the software for them. if they are just box-droppers.....they are just about done.

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pageweon

393 posts

Ultimate Geek

#373169 26-Aug-2010 15:45

i totaly agree with you there

with open source software at their disposal we are going to see a few non-convetional phone manufacturers and a lot of innovation

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Dom007

53 posts

Master Geek

#373170 26-Aug-2010 15:47

sorry for being a bit naive, but what extras will I get from upgrading to 2.1 or 2.2 over 1.6 ?

I have a LG 540 and it seems to have everything I need on it - what will the above give me ?

eXDee

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#373239 26-Aug-2010 17:35

Cmon garmin, release an APK!

Linuxluver

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#373290 26-Aug-2010 18:47

Dom007: sorry for being a bit naive, but what extras will I get from upgrading to 2.1 or 2.2 over 1.6 ?

I have a LG 540 and it seems to have everything I need on it - what will the above give me ?

Good question...and the answer will depend on the expectations of the person asking it. :-)

Android v2.2 adds support for JIT (Just In Time compiling of apps called to run). This makes the phone faster after the first time each app is called. The Linpack benchmark for the Nexus One without JIT are 6.85 and with JIT the same phone is benchmarked at 38.5.

None of that means anything if you like you phone and you're happy with it.

Android v2.2 also adds a wifi hotspot than allows up to 8 wifi devices to share your 3G connection to the Internet. If you don't need or what that.....then who cares?

Android v2.1 and 2.2 add support for multi-touch. But the - / + bar in the browser always worked just fine for me....so unless the app won't work WITHOUT multitouch....then who cares?

...and so on.

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lokhor

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#373308 26-Aug-2010 19:15

I think before 2.1 Android only had 16 bit colour support which causes banding when viewing some images.

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

Dom007

53 posts

Master Geek

#373312 26-Aug-2010 19:25

Linuxluver:
Dom007: sorry for being a bit naive, but what extras will I get from upgrading to 2.1 or 2.2 over 1.6 ?

I have a LG 540 and it seems to have everything I need on it - what will the above give me ?

Good question...and the answer will depend on the expectations of the person asking it. :-)

Android v2.2 adds support for JIT (Just In Time compiling of apps called to run). This makes the phone faster after the first time each app is called. The Linpack benchmark for the Nexus One without JIT are 6.85 and with JIT the same phone is benchmarked at 38.5.

None of that means anything if you like you phone and you're happy with it.

Android v2.2 also adds a wifi hotspot than allows up to 8 wifi devices to share your 3G connection to the Internet. If you don't need or what that.....then who cares?

Android v2.1 and 2.2 add support for multi-touch. But the - / + bar in the browser always worked just fine for me....so unless the app won't work WITHOUT multitouch....then who cares?

...and so on.

right. So as I'm only really a Geek In Nappies compared to some of you others I think I'm happy. Having said that I will upgrade the OS if and when its available but I'm not too fussed anymore about getting a 1k phone just so it can run Android version X. Thanks for your reply.

Linuxluver

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#373326 26-Aug-2010 19:55

Dom007:
right. So as I'm only really a Geek In Nappies compared to some of you others I think I'm happy. Having said that I will upgrade the OS if and when its available but I'm not too fussed anymore about getting a 1k phone just so it can run Android version X. Thanks for your reply.

I've had something of a change of heart on OS versions recently.

My crappy old M001 tablet runs Android v1.6 at 300MHz in 128MB of RAM (with a 96MB swap partition on the sdcard to pretend it has more.....)

The thing runs really well and it runs virtually every app that doesn't need a phone, a camera or GPS.

I'm really happy with it. It can do so much!

So to moan about Android v1.6 on a phone seems somehow unfair.....maybe even hypocritical...though the tablet and the phone are very different.

Sure...I have a preference. But Android v1.6 is more than Good Enough(tm).

In real terms, that means if someone gave me an LG GT540, I would NOT throw up my hands in horror and go buy an iPhone. I'd relax and enjoy the GT540...which is a better phone than the HTC Magic I loved to bits. :-)

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lokhor

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#373355 26-Aug-2010 20:50

I just got my first Android device, a Galaxy S so not really sure what the other versions are like. Galaxy S is quite laggy if you run a lot of apps though, GPS is a little dodgy too.

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

vs2

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#373369 26-Aug-2010 21:21

Hi. New here.

I've had the Garmin-Asus A10 for a couple of months and its pretty good. The GPS is amazing and it picks up satellites very fast and somehow works indoors unlike my old Garmin Nuvifone G60 which never worked inside.
It evidently has 3 ways of getting the GPS signal.

Because they are unlocked I would recommend buying from Optus online for $470NZD, instead of the $700 Telecom is asking. There is no differences in the connected services and the only real difference is that the Optus version comes with Aus maps and the Telecom version comes with NZ Maps. No big deal and easy to put on the NZ Map. I have no idea why they did this as Garmin City Navigator 2011.10 is Australia and NZ combined. Just silly that they removed the NZ map form the Aus version and vice-versa.

Ardroid 2.1 (maybe 2.2) will be an update for the A10 next month.

The phone has a couple of issues that I have a work around for. Some people don't like to use task killer on Android but the Widget app on the A10 causes the phone to act strangely sometimes and so I don't use the widget app and kill it when it 'pops' up which is does randomly from time to time. Hopefully the software update will take care of this.

Other than that its a great phone and if you use the correct settings the 1500 mah battery lasts well. The windscreen mount has a powered speaker which make it cool for hands free calls and it all works seamlessly with the integrated Garmin Nav.

Follow the link to the Aus or NZ page. Has FAQ and plenty of info on the A10

http://www.garminasus.com/

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