It’s just a shame that carriers and manufacturers are releasing devices still with Android 2.3. Given this is a budget, no-contract device that could be put on T-Mobile’s $30 plan, but come on T-Mobile and ZTE bring us some Ice Cream Sandwich budget devices at least. This $99.99 device will bring you Android 2.3 – Gingerbread, a 3.5″ display and a 2-megapixel camera.

Manufactured by ZTE, basic specs include:

• 3.5-inch Capacitive Touch Screen with Multi-touch
• 2.0 Megapixel Camera with Camcorder
• Five Customizable Home Screens
• Android™ 2.3.5 Operating System,
• Bluetooth Wireless Technology, v3.0 including stereo audio
• USB 2.0 Connectivity
• WiFi™ 802.11b/g/n
• GPS for navigation and location-based services
• Video and Audio Streaming
• Google Play™ store with access to hundreds of thousands of Apps
• Full HTML Browser for PC-like Web Browsing
• 2GB micro SD memory card included

It will be on shelves starting August 26th, that’s this Sunday. We’ve got the full press release below for ya.

T-Mobile Expands Its No Annual Contract Android Lineup with the T-Mobile Concord
T-Mobile to offer its most affordable no annual contract Android smartphone for under $100

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Aug. 23, 2012 — T-Mobile USA, Inc., today announced the availability of the T-Mobile® Concord™, T-Mobile’s most affordable no annual contract Android™ option for those stepping up to their first smartphone. The Concord will be available to T-Mobile customers through a variety of no annual contract plans, including via T-Mobile Monthly4G™ and Walmart Family Mobile™.

Manufactured by ZTE, the T-Mobile Concord is equipped with the necessary features to keep customers connected with friends and family. The 3G smartphone is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is ideal for basic Web surfing, searching for a location via Google Maps or accessing favorite social networking sites. Coming in a sleek, midnight blue color finish, the new smartphone features a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display and is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera, making it easy to capture and share memories.

Paired with one of T-Mobile’s single-line, Monthly4G no annual contract plans, customers have access to unlimited talk, text and worry-free data that doesn’t have a hard cap or result in overage fees, as well as access to T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G network. The T-Mobile Concord can also be paired with Walmart’s Family Mobile service, a monthly, no-annual-contract wireless plan option for individuals or families, also powered by T-Mobile’s nationwide network.

The T-Mobile Concord is expected to be available at Target starting Aug. 26  for $99.99 with a qualifying Monthly4G plan. The T-Mobile Concord is also currently available at Walmart for $99.98 paired with a Walmart Family Mobile no annual contract plan.

# # #

Monthly4G plans provide access to wireless service; capable device required for 4G speeds. The T-Mobile Concord is not 4G-capable.

Source: ZTE

We’ve seen a lot of non-phone items powered by Android, such as cars, refrigerators, watches, and even cameras. At CES earlier this year, we saw a Polaroid Android powered camera and here is another. We’ve heard about the Nikon Coolpix S80C before, but never seen a decent picture of it until now. Judging by the leaked picture above, the device runs stock Android 2.3 Gingerbread and has full access to Android apps.

Can you imagine what kind of pictures taken with it will be ruined by Instagram filters?

Would you be interested in an Android powered camera? Let us know in the comments!

Google has updated its platform distribution data this evening to reflect some major changes. First off, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is now on 15.9 percent of devices, up from 10.9 percent last month. This was expected to be the case, as ICS continues to roll out to last years flagship devices such as the Galaxy S II variants.

Also appearing in the platform data for the first time is the newly-released Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The candy operating system is on .8 percent of devices. This is a decent amount considering that only the GSM Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, XOOM, and Nexus 7 have it.

Gingerbread still leads the way with 60.6 percent of the market, while Froyo comes in at 15.5 percent.

What version of Android is your phone/tablet running? Let us know in the comments!

[Source: Google]

Sony has sent out a press release announcing it has launched its Xperia NXT series in the United States. The Xperia S, P and U handsets, which have been available in Europe for several months, are now available unlocked here in the States. They are compatible AT&T HSPA+ and are rocking Android 2.3 Gingerbread, yes Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The company says that all three will be updated to Android 4.0, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen anytime soon.

The Xperia S has the best specs of the series, packing a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 CPU, 1GB RAM, a 720p Reality Display screen, a 12MP rear camera and 32GB storage. The Xperia P packs a qHD display, 1GHz ST-Ericsson dual-core chip, and an 8MP sensor. Finally, the Xperia U is the budget device with a WVGA display and 5MP camera.

Pricing is as follows:

• Xperia S – MSRP $559.99, unlocked, in black or white
• Xperia P – MSRP $479.99, unlocked, in silver, red or black
• Xperia U – MSRP $299.99, unlocked, in black or white

These devices offer some decent specs, though they ship with Gingerbread, which is a downfall for many. You also have to keep in mind that the Galaxy Nexus costs more than $200 less than the Galaxy Nexus, which has Jelly Bean.

Google has released its latest Android platform version data tonight. One thing to note is that Jelly Bean is not on any retail devices yet and therefore is not included in this data. So, let’s get to it. Ice Cream Sandwich continues to grow steadily and is now on 10.9 percent of Android devices. This is up from the 7.1% we saw in the last round of numbers. That was too be expected, as manufacturers have slowly begun to pick up the pace when it comes to updating devices. Honeycomb is now on just 2.4% of devices, while Gingerbread still leads the pack at 64%.

Sadly, some poor souls are still rocking versions below Froyo. God help you.

[Source: Google]

Sony first announced the Xperia Ion at CES, but it just went to market today. The $99 LTE device is available from AT&T, Sony, and BestBuy.

Specs of the device include:

• 4.6″ (measured diagonally) 720p HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine for HD viewing
• HD imaging excellence from Sony: 12MP camera with Exmor R™ for Mobile camera sensor, 1080p HD video recording on primary camera, 720p HD front-facing chat camera
• Easy multi-screen connectivity with HDMI and DLNA
• 1.5Ghz dual core processor
• 16GB internal memory with microSD™ expansion slot supports up to 32GB
• PlayStation Certified for high quality mobile gaming

Sadly, the device ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread not Ice Cream Sandwich. Yes, it is June 2012 and Sony has released an Android 2.3 device.

Does anyone on AT&T plan on picking this device up?

Sony is releasing two new Android smartphones soon on the Xperia line, the Xperia Go and Xperia Acro S. They will come with a “scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking” and are also made to withstand exposure to dust and water.

These aren’t just some rugged low-end phones either. The Xperia Acro S comes with a 4.3″ 720p HD Reality Display powered by Sony’s Bravia engine. A 1.5GHz dual-core CPU sits inside, a 12MP rear camera (no word on front-facing) and is running Ice Cream Sandwich. The Xperia Go is mid-range with a 3.5″ Reality Display, 5MP camera, 1GHz dual-core CPU and will be running Gingerbread. Full specs below.

Any of our readers planning on picking one of these up? Let us know in the comments!

Xperia go

• 3.5” Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
• 5MP fast capture camera goes from sleep to snap in just over a second
• Scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking
• Highest level of dust and water resistance in a smartphone – IP67 Rating
• 1Ghz dual core processor gives consumers super fast performance
• Launching on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradeable to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Available in black, white and yellow colours

Xperia acro S

• 4.3” 720p HD Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
• 12MP fast capture camera goes from sleep to snap in just over a second with a single key press
• PlayStation™ Certified
• Full 1080p HD video recording and 720p HD front camera
• Scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking
• IP55 and IP57 Ratings for dust and water resistance
• 1.5Ghz dual core processor gives consumers super fast performance
• Launching on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Available in black, white and pink colours

Source: Sony Press Release