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More AOSP references mention HTC-made “Flounder,” and possible first mentions of Android TV
We’re shaking in our tube socks as we try and brave the tough wait to Google I/O, but bits and pieces of Google’s plans are slowly beginning to take form.
Yesterday we heard of a new device in the Nexus family that may be codenamed “Flounder.” Considering Google has always reserved smaller fish for their tablets we imagine this is the next Nexus Tablet, which rumors suggest will be made by HTC.
More evidence of those beliefs have surfaced today, with an AOSP changelog on line 239 referencing “device/htc/flounder/”. It’s long been said that HTC would reprise their role as a Nexus manufacturer this year, and would do so with either a 7-inch or 8-inch option.
It would be the first Nexus device by the Taiwanese company since the original Nexus One, which is a bit odd considering HTC was the sole OEM to get this Android train rolling. Funnily enough, this would also be HTC’s first tablet since their first two failed attempts back in 2011.
But let’s shift focus to something else very interesting right now — a device codenamed Molly. No, probably not that Molly. More like the species of fish known as Molly. It’s referenced between lines 214 and 237 in the aforementioned changelog document, and mentions updates to set-top box related code, as well as Discretix, a top DRM solution for video platforms.
More evidence — down by lines 3664 and 3790 — mentions BeMote, Ethernet functionality, Pano and NVIDIA-related goodness. Could this be the forthcoming Android TV (aka, Google TV done the right way) we’ve all been waiting for? Let’s take a look.
BeMote could be related to whatever remote you’ll be using with the device. The changelog makes frequent mentions to a microphone on BeMote, so it’s possible it could be equipped with voice-related features.
Pano sounds like it’ll be the name of the new TV-optimized user interface Google will put atop Android. What’s important about the references to ethernet? Ethernet functionality only makes sense on a device like a set-top box. And all the NVIDIA stuff could suggest Google’s reference device for Android TV will run on Tegra.
Of course, we’re piecing all of this together as loosely as you would stringed popcorn on a Christmas tree, so it’s possible we’re off the mark on some of it. All of this coming to light makes sense, though, as Google gears up for what should be an exciting Google I/O late next month.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime pops up in Hong Kong pricing database, rumored specs corroborated
Need more evidence that Samsung is looking to bring out a more powerful version of their 2014 flagship Samsung Galaxy S5? The device — which we’ve been calling the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime to this point — has popped in a Hong Kong pricing database. It’s listed as the Samsung SM-G906S, which is the same model number that leaked on Samsung’s own site a while back.
The listing doesn’t tell us much more than we already knew, but most its specs fall in line with the most recent rumors. Said rumors suggest the device will look and feel pretty much like a Samsung Galaxy S5, except you can expect 3GB of RAM and a 5.1-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad HD display.
One discrepancy that contradicts with recent rumors is that the device will be coming with a Snapdragon 805 processor instead of the Octa-Core Exynos 5430. That may not mean much, though, as Samsung has never shied away from using different chipsets for different markets in the past.
New information gleamed from the listing suggests it’ll launch with Android 4.4.3 KitKat, an Android upgrade that doesn’t even officially exist yet.
Everything else is largely the same. It’s listed with a 16 megapixel rear camera, a 2 megapixel front camera, has a microSD card slot that can support up to 128GB of storage, will have LTE radios, and will come with the usual connectivity options of WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth, and microUSB.
It’s the phone we thought Samsung would be bringing to us in the first place, but alas it will take this second release to bring everyone the goods they were waiting for. The listing has the price set at $5,020 Hong Kong dollars, which comes out to about $650 over here in the states. That sounds about right for a device of this caliber, though we expect Samsung to go with a more traditional number whenever it is slated to launch over here.
Many of you expressed discontent with Samsung’s decision to bring this smartphone after the base Galaxy S5′s launch, and that’s understandable. It’s not fun to hear that the device you really wanted is going to come out after your return period is already up, but that’s what’s likely to happen, and there’s nothing we can do about it at this point.
We’re still waiting on details in terms of availability windows, though Qualcomm’s late 2014 availability of the rumored Snapdragon 805 processor should give us a hint that it won’t be here until late summer, or fall at the latest. Let us know what you think about the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime, and don’t be shy to share your thoughts with the folks over at AndroidForums.com.
[ Price.com.hk via SamMobile]
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