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Select AT&T Android devices may get app sideloading as early as today
It's a classic romantic tale of "network meets OS, network disables OS," and just like any love story, this one is building up to a happy ending. Fourteen months after AT&T introduced a lineup of crippled Android phones that weren't allowed to install third-party apps, the carrier extended an olive branch to fans of the OS by quietly slipping the sideloading capability onto the Samsung Infuse 4G; now, the network is reportedly updating three members of its Android lineup -- the HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Aria, and Samsung Captivate -- sometime today. We're sure there were many Atrix users scanning this short list with fingers crossed, but unfortunately your phone did not make the cut this time. No word on why your favs were left out, but at least four devices with Amazon Appstore access is still better than zero. At present time we haven't seen the updates get pushed to our phones, however, so we'd love to hear if any of you have seen differently down in comments below.
Game Boy, HTC Aria and fake iPhone 4 combined for your amusement, is also possibly art
We're not sure what happened to Japanese tech mashup artist Goteking that inspired him to stuff an Android phone and a KIRF iPhone 4 into the back of a Game Boy Pocket, but stuff them he did, along with a bank of battery-powered LEDs that -- if we're not mistaken -- spell out a Tokyo train schedule. Perhaps it's designed to be a mind trip through and through, or perhaps it's a homage to the joint forces of nostalgia and geekdom that spark daily flame wars all around the world.
HTC Gratia is an Aria by another name, coming to Europe in November
It seems like launching a battalion of new handsets over the past month wasn't enough for HTC, so today the company's rolling out yet another option for European mobile phone buyers. Americans will already be familiar with the Gratia from their experience with AT&T's Aria, which looks to have made a more or less straight transition to the Old World markets. It now comes with Android 2.2 as its OS, while retaining its HTC Sense top-level skin (notably without the new "new" Sense additions present in the Desire HD and Desire Z), and is available in a pair of fresh new hues that include the deep green above and a lustrous white number after the break. Black is also an option for the more conservative among you. Look out for the Gratia on your local Euro retailer's cheap and cheerful shelves from next month.
Confirmed: HTC Sync lets tethered AT&T Aria sideload apps
Looks like more than HTC's description was erroneous yesterday afternoon -- we've just confirmed that the HTC Sync desktop client for the AT&T Aria allows users to install third-party apps on non-rooted devices, just as promised. We ran some quick tests, and while it doesn't actually enable anything on the handset end, it most certainly does allow those of you with Windows PCs (or VMware) to sideload APKs like Swype over USB with a simple drag-and-drop maneuver. Given how quickly the company sought to correct our original post on the subject, we'd expect HTC will be issuing a rather different version of the software soon, so hit up that source link, pound in your serial number, grab the EXE, and get while the getting's good. [Thanks, Dylan]
HTC Aria update for AT&T enables mobile hotspot, sideloaded app support (update: partially working!)
Well, this is genuinely awesome: it seems AT&T is pulling back from its ban on third-party sideloaded apps on its Android devices, because HTC has just released an Aria update that enables them (either that or HTC just went rogue here, but we highly doubt it). While that doesn't have much practical implication for your typical smartphone user, it's a strong sign that AT&T might be ready to take a more reasonable stance on the openness of its branded devices that would put it inline with the attitudes Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile have all taken with their Android phones so far. Additionally, the update includes "the Mobile Network sharing function," which we take to mean a mobile hotspot app in the same vein as the one that's shipping with Froyo -- if we had to guess, it probably requires AT&T's 2GB DataPro plan plus the tethering add-on, which would put it in line with what they're charging on the iPhone. Onward and upward, AT&T. Update: We got downright excited for a second there, but an HTC spokesman just called to inform us there's been a mistake -- this download is only for the desktop HTC Sync client and doesn't actually enable anything on the phone. We're working to get more information right now, but it sounds like the sideloading ball is still squarely in AT&T's court. Update 2: HTC apologizes for the confusion, saying the update description was in error -- it was merely supposed to read that the Aria now works with the company's desktop sync client. On Monday, the text will be updated to remove every last ounce of false hope. Update 3: Sideloading works after all! Read all about it. [Thanks, Dylan T.]
HTC Aria slipping out early into AT&T stores
Good news, Android fans! HTC's Aria -- arguably the first Google-fied phone on AT&T worth caring about -- is seemingly slipping onto carrier floors a few days early. As the story goes, the Sense-equipped, Android 2.1-powered handset was supposed to go on sale this Sunday, but based on these unboxing shots from a giddy tipster, it's clearly ready to be procured early in some locations. Still unsure if it's worth your $129.99 on contract? Have a peek at our review right here. Update: We're also hearing through the grapevine that these are in stock in certain Best Buy Mobile locations. [Thanks, Travis] %Gallery-95644%
HTC Aria review
It's sort of hard to believe, but AT&T finally has an Android phone worth paying attention to. Mind you, the AT&T compatible Nexus One is easily the best Googlephone on America's largest GSM operator, but this is the first one that the company has bothered to brand and sell on a subsidized plan within its own stores. Pundits could argue the reasons why forever, but considering that the carrier's doing all it can just to keep up with the demand for iPhones, it's hard to imagine that AT&T has been longing to pursue Android with reckless abandon. Believe it or not, it's been over 1.5 years since T-Mobile gave the world the first taste of a mobile OS that would soon rival (and surpass) the other options already on the table, but outside of the forgettable Backflip (and the nowhere-to-be-found Aero), there's been no Android to speak of on AT&T. HTC has somehow managed to break down the blue and orange walls, piercing the heart of a hardened operator and squeezing a delightful mid-range Android smartphone into a lineup that's about to be monumentally overshadowed by the iPhone 4. So, is the HTC Aria worth the $129.99 that you'll be forced to pay on a 2-year agreement when it ships on June 20th? Read on to find out. %Gallery-95473%
HTC Aria for AT&T hands-on
We just took delivery of AT&T's brand new Aria from HTC, and we have to say, we're kind of tickled -- with the hardware, anyway. It's hard not to smile at the HD Mini-esque design elements, including the faux screws on back, the wild yellow interior, and... well, just the overall mini-ness of it. Seriously, this is a tiny phone; that means that eschewing WVGA in favor of HVGA isn't an issue, but it also means that effectively using the on-screen keyboard could be. On that note, the jury's still out on whether this phone is any good for day-to-day use -- and whether it has any chops as a legit Android device -- but stay tuned for our review coming up! %Gallery-95351%
HTC Aria goes official for AT&T, gets toyed with on video (update: $130, coming June 20)
Um... okay? In what's easily one of the most curious product introductions of the year (in terms of method, not design), AT&T has seemingly just made official the first not-awful Android device to be sold in subsidized fashion for its network. 'Course, those who don't mind ponying up for an out-of-contract phone have been able to pick up an AT&T-compatible Nexus One for a few months now, but contract lovers have been stuck with the Motorola Backflip and the promise of Dell's admittedly underwhelming Aero. Dante Martin, a product manager at the carrier, has followed up on a prior video with a confirmation that the HTC Aria is indeed "launching on AT&T," though he gives precisely no specifications in his address posted after the break. All we know is that the phone will most certainly ship with Sense and an optical trackball, but mum's the word on a price or release. For now, anyway. Here's hoping this is just the beginning -- AT&T needs a decent dose of Android in the worst possible way. [Thanks, Travis] Update: Ah, and here's the official presser. It's a mid-range phone with Android 2.1, a five megapixel camera, 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive touchpanel, inbuilt WiFi and support for 7.2Mbps HSPA. There's also a soft-touch back and a total weight of around four ounces, and AT&T says this one will be available on June 20th nationwide for $129.99 on a two-year contract (after $100 mail-in rebate, of course). As for specs? There's a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM 7227 processor, proximity sensor, integrated GPS, a digital compass, light sensor, 512MB ROM / 384MB RAM, a microSD card slot (2GB included) and a 1,200mAh battery good for up to six hours of yapping. %Gallery-95106%
