Remember when Google opened up its own portal for purchasing the Nexus One? It was January 2010, and the URL was as simple as www.google.com/phone — ah, those were the days. Of course, the store has been down since late July when the phone sold out (permanently), so what’s the company to do with such a catchy web address? Simple: make a database of devices running your über-popular Android OS and help customers both compare and find where to buy. Only, it’s not just any devices running the platform: according to the Official Google Mobile blog, “all the phones in the gallery include Android Market, Google Search, and other Google Mobile services such as Gmail, Maps, and YouTube.” In other words, no phones that meddle with the Android Vision by opting for Bing or Yahoo instead. Maybe Fascinate can join the ranks after that purported Android 2.2 launch, but for now it’s conspicuously absent. Them’s the breaks — still, it’s fun to explore and draw up side-by-side comparison charts. Go on, give it a whirl, why don’t ya?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Google opens Android database at former phone store URL, but only for devices using Google services originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember the HTC Glacier spotted in a database a few months ago? Neither did we, but it’s back and eating most every other smartphone’s pixel-pushing lunch. Here it is at number four on the GLBenchmark Pro 1.1 charts, where only one variant of Samsung’s Galaxy S and a pair of Tegra 2 tablets managed to keep it from claiming the top spot. AlienBabelTech, who found the entry, believes this is evidence the device has one of the new Snapdragon dual-cores, and though we won’t speculate that far, a series of coincidences point to a T-Mobile launch (and a bout of logic has us worrying about battery life) if or when it hits our shores.

HTC Glacier leaks out in GLBenchmark database, boasts really high scores originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia’s new hotness, the N8, is starting our week off in fine style. Finest Fones, what looks to be a Symbian-only mobile news site, is reporting its own tests done with the handset that show it comfortably outpacing its predecessor. Of course, in these fog of war-obscured times (before proper hardware is dished out), we can’t really be sure of the veracity of what we read, but Symbian^3‘s newfound ability to exploit graphics hardware seems to be paying off relative to the more primordial ways of the S60 5th software on the N97. The intrepid investigators found a 180 percent performance delta between the two phones in Speedy Go! tests, while the N8 ran through a cycle of FPC bench 3D with perfect 60fps scores each and every time. We won’t be convinced by the purported 680MHz CPU inside till we test it out for ourselves with a load of widget-heavy homescreens, but early signs seem to be encouraging.

Nokia N8 benchmarked against N97, makes it look old and busted originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 03:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone’s iteration of Google Maps has been shown up time and time again by Google Maps Navigation on Android, but a quirk this big just has to be linked to some Skyhook database issue. According to a new report coming from the LA area, select iPhone users in Southbay cities near Los Angeles are seeing their GPS software linked to Boulder, Colorado, and the issue has been going on for around a week now. What’s curious is that the erroneous positioning affects other third-party iPhone GPS apps as well, and an ABC report notes that a “spokesperson at AT&T said the problem is with Apple.” Pass the blame much, AT&T? So, have any of you LA-based iPhoners found yourself navigating to Folsom Field when trying to find your way to Rodeo Drive?

[Thanks, Charles]

Select LA-area iPhones insist they’re in Boulder, Colorado originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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