Shortly after the HTC Legend was unveiled during MWC, it was quickly placed for purchase on the web site of the Dutch wireless carrier KPN. During that time, it was slated to be released some time during March – but there was no official word on an exact date. Now it looks like forum members on the Dutch web site Tweakers.net that previously placed their orders for the Android powered smartphone are possibly getting treated to its arrival – it seems as though they’re getting confirmation that it’s scheduled for delivery today. That’s extremely impressive when you consider that it was originally slated for release by the early portion of the second quarter – which obviously starts in April. These lucky individuals will really have something to look forward soon if everything goes accordingly to their advantage – it goes to show that these early adopters that were swift in ordering their phones are lucky to get a special surprise.
source: Tweakers (translated) via Engadget

Raging Thunder is one of the (far too) few games at Android Marketplace that offer more elaborate graphics and complex gameplay. Yes, sad as it is, almost all available games for Android are nothing more than versions of painfully well-known logic puzzles, while at the same time most of the games in the Arcade & Action category are, to put it mildly, of rather poor quality. We hope the recent integration of OpenGL ES 2.0 support into Android is going to change the sad reality and we will get to see an increasing number of more and more spectacular games. We must say we have great expectations relating to the future of Android as a gaming platform.

Now, however, let´s leave the future be and focus on the present instead, the time when Polorbit releases Raging Thunder 2 – a new version of the arcade-style racing game that offers more something of everything. You will be able to relish extremely pleasing graphics and get yourself various and above all, upgradable cars. There are five separate single player modes, but the best thing is the game actually supports multiplayer over local networks and the Internet and it doesn´t even matter whether your opponents use an Android handset or the iPhone/iPod touch (yes, there is a version for Apple-made devices). You navigate your car via the cell phone accelerometer (sadly, there is no on-screen steering wheel) and turn on/off the speed acceleration with screen buttons.

We have to admit we are eager fans of arcade racing – we like Need for Speed and do have a thing for Carmageddon – that´s why we enjoy the fact that in Raging Thunder 2 you are encouraged to hit the cars of other players and get them off balance with any sort of creative road aerobatics you might think of. Varied bonuses are scattered about on the highways and you´ve got boost, cash, flaming tires and car repair kits. Your vehicle gradually gets broken down as you drive, so don´t go over the top smashing it against the cars of your opponents (sad faces over here). The runways we have had the chance to take a look at are nothing to write home about, plus they are too short. Still, it´s a good thing there are occasional shortcuts that allow you to gain the upper hand. Perhaps the best quality of Raging Thunder 2 is it´s really good at conveying a feeling of speed and you will probably have your adrenaline surge (despite the stuttering issues).

The main menu in Raging Thunder 2

Stuttering? Yes, that´s the worst aspect of the game. Raging Thunder 2 has been developed for high-tech cell phones and this is clearly indicated in its description at Android Market. In other words, if you want smooth, playable framerates, you better get yourself something like the HTC Nexus One, Acer Liquid A1 or (perhaps) Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700. We tested the title on our ageing T-Mobile G1 and as you can see in the video, although the game runs acceptably on the overall, the framerate is hardly bearable. The stuttering also prevents you from getting a proper score, since controlling the car gets so much harder.

Raging Thunder 2 is developed for high-tech handsets

Still, we do recommend that you give Raging Thunder 2 a go. The Lite edition is completely free and available for download at Android Market, but if the game runs smoothly on your device and you happen to be an eager gamer, well, we would advise you to get the full version. True, it will set you back with $4.99, but is one of the best games for Android at the time being.

According to AndroidStats, a company that monitors the Android Market, MySpace is the preferred social networking site for Android users. Based on the company’s rankings, MySpace Mobile is the third most downloaded app in the Market. The closest competitor to MySpace is Facebook which is 5th in the standings The Android’s Facebook app trails both the iPhone and BlackBerry version in terms of usability, although it has improved over the last 6 months. MySpace, on the other hand, works very well with Google’s open source OS and can even use a widget within the MySpace app to update your status by voice.

For those interested, the top downloaded app in the Android Market is T-Mobile’s My Account followed by The Weather Channel’s free app. The top installed game is Solitaire, followed by Namco’s Pac-Man and Labryinth Lite.
source: AndroidStats via Mashable

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, which we previewed last December, will be the manufactures first Android device, and as you would expect it has a lot of people interested. As we await for an official release, Sony Ericsson has posted their own unboxing video of their first X10 commercial samples. Features are as high-end as one could hope for, with a massive 4″ 480×854 resolution touchscreen display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8.1MP autofocus camera with flash, facial recognition and image stabilizer, 1GB of internal memory with an 8GB microSDHC card included, and a 3.5mm headset jack. The unique UX interface that is integrated into the Android 1.6 OS offers proper integration of Facebook and Twitter as well as some other online services like Flickr and Picasa. Hopefully the XPERIA X10 will be released before too long.
source: Sony Ericsson Blog via EngadgetMobile

After some speculation last week that the Samsung Galaxy Spica would come to Rogers in Canada, it has come to fruition and can now be purchased for $79.99 on a 3-year contract or $449.99 without contract. The Galaxy Spica is a nice alternative to the HTC Magic and comes comes two months after the 911 GPS problem that Rogers had with both the Dream and Magic. Features of the Galaxy Spica include a 800MHz processor, 3.2″ 320×480 resolution touchscreen display, 3.2MP camera, microSDHC card slot capable of 32GB, and has a 3.5mm headset jack. The device still comes with Android 1.5, but is expected to be upgraded to Android 2.1 in Q2 this year.
source: Rogers via EngadgetMobile & HowardChui

You may have felt it already that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini left us with some very positive impressions. It is cute, fast and functional. Speaking of functionality, you may want to know that due to the QVGA resolution, there are fewer apps for the X10 mini in Android Market, when compared to HVGA devices for example, but we are happy to see that the catalog has grown significantly since we reviewed the HTC Tattoo. Moreover, the X10 mini supports OpenGL ES 1.1 content (unlike the Tattoo), so we believe it will get more than decent app support.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini and mini pro are expected in the second quarter of the year, at a still unannounced price. This brings us to the question that if these babies get priced correctly (and Sony Ericsson doesn’t screw up in some way), we will have no other choice but declare them one of the coolest Androids out there.
source: PhoneArena

BerryScoop says that a trusted tipster (say that 10 times fast) has told them that Verizon plans on replacing the HTC Droid Eris with the HTC Incredible when the latter launches on April 1st. Even more, ahem, incredible is that the tipster revealed that Verizon is considering the Incredible to be its version of the Nexus One. Now, we know that the Android OS is fragmented, but this is really out there. The source told BerryScoop that the Droid Eris, which was launched together with the Motorola DROID back in November, is going “End of Life” on April 1st. Oh, and considering that Big Red will have the Incredible in the store, those earlier reports that Verizon would be selling the N-One at the retail stores seems to be incorrect and that the reps will be pushing the HTC Incredible instead.
source: BerryScoop

Sometimes all it takes to sell something so sweet like the Motorola CLIQ XT is nothing but pieces of information on paper. Well, that’s seemingly how it’s actually turning out to become as these pamphlet leaks of the Motorola CLIQ XT provide some pointers to T-Mobile employees and everyone else in between. Just looking at one of the pamphlets, it insinuates a sales process that would clock in at 60 seconds or less to get someone sold on this Android powered smartphone. Obviously one could simply throw in their own flare to really up-sell the handset to would be buyers, but features like its 5-megapixel camera, pinch and zoom navigation, and MOTOBLUR should hopefully be enough to convince the most uninterested consumer to take notice. If you do your homework before this handset is available, you can do a role reversal in stores and really impress that salesperson – potentially getting a part time gig working there as well.
source: Engadget via TmoNews

We haven’t seen the usual flurry of handsets that Samsung is typically known for dishing out, but the rather slower approach may not turn out to be a bad thing. Still trying to attract smartphone customers with its line of current Android powered handsets, the Korean based company is embarking on yet another first – it looks like they’re conjuring up the first Android phone with Bluetooth 3.0 on board with the Samsung  SHW-M120S. This of course would seemingly raise some flags as it managed to make its rounds over at the Bluetooth SIG flaunting a piece of the latest technology packed into the handset. The SHW-M120S features a 3.3” WVGA AMOLED touchscreen, 5-megapixel auto-focusing camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, HSDPA, and Bluetooth 3.0 that’ll come in handy when it comes to speedily transferring some of those photos it’s able to snap. Additionally, it packs a T-DMB tuner which suggests that it’ll be made available in the South Korean market. Samsung isn’t wasting any time getting this smartphone into the local market – it’s speculated that the SHW-M120S will see a launch happening “in the next few weeks.” Samsung’s track record is looking pretty good as they steadily keep on pumping out these kind of Android devices to the market.
source: Bluetooth SIG via Engadget & Samsung Hub

If you prefer convergence applications that takes away the hassle of juggling separate applications on your Android phone, then you may be interested in this thing called SPIDERSS. It’s an Android app that combines a lot of popular applications into one – it’s a Webkit-based browser, RSS reader, and allows for social networking elements to be used all on a single screen. The Tokyo-based jig.jp, known to be an avid mobile browser developer since 2003, claims that their “jig browser” is the world’s first Java based browser that follows closely the experience you get on a computer thanks to its support for HTML 4.0.1/XHTML 1.1 and JavaScript 1.5 – it takes advantage of Android 1.5 or higher handsets with support for QVGA and VGA resolutions. Not only can you surf the web with the application, users can even check out their Facebook and read their RSS feeds at the bottom part of the screen in the “Application Deck.” Although some may view the browser as still needing some work, it just simplifies the user’s experience without the need of having separate dedicated applications running simultaneously. Not only will it attempt to reduce frustration levels, but it happily combines some of the core elements that most people are accustomed to using nowadays.
via TechCrunch