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Motorola Droid RAZR: 4G LTE, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED screen, $299 this November
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds,
Today Motorola announced the return of their most popular brand ever when they unveiled the Droid RAZR smartphone. The RAZR isn't just another Android handset, and you know they Motorola wouldn't just slap that name on any average device. This one has a Gorilla Glass covered 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display (this has not been seen on any other mobile phone to date,) and a body made of Kevlar, making it lightweight, water-resistant, and durable. On the inside you've got a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP4430 chip, 8 megapixel camera that records 1080p video, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB flash storage onboard (and another 16 GB on the included microSD card.) It also runs on Verizon's 4G LTE network.
Motorola's also tried to make the phone as thin as they could, touting that it's just 7.1mm thin, but that doesn't take into account the thicker bottom area. Who's counting, right? One other nice feature is the addition of something Moto's calling SmartActions. It's meant to preserve and optimize battery life by doing things like turning off Bluetooth when you get home, or clocking down the processor while you're on a phone call.
You'll be able to squeeze out 12.5 hours of talk time when this bad boy hits Verizon this November 6th, and it'll cost you $299 for the priviledge. Pre-orders start October 27th.
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iPhone 4S: A5 chip, 8MP camera, 1080p, Siri, available October 14th
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds,
Today (after accidentally outing it) Apple announced the iPhone 4S. The device is the follow-up to the massively popular iPhone 4, and features an internal overhaul while keeping the same iPhone 4 external design. So, what's changed? First, the iPhone 4S is rocking an A5 processor, which makes it 2x faster in performance, and 7x faster graphics performance than the iPhone 4. The camera is upgraded to 8 megapixels, and records in 1080p video.
The iPhone 4S has two cell antennas, and will intelligently switch between the two on the fly. Speaking of antennas, the 4S is also a world phone, supporting both GSM and CDMA networks. The device can download data at about 14.4Mbps, which is double the iPhone 4 and its 7.2Mbps speeds - AT&T actually says this is 4G speed, but we won't get into all that.
The iPhone 4S will be available in black and white on October 14th, and will cost $199 for 16 GB, $299 for 32 GB, and $399 for the 64 GB model, a first for the iPhone. Another first? In addition to AT&T and Verizon, now Sprint customers can get in on the love as well.
AT&T 4G LTE compared to Verizon 4G LTE
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Wireless / WiFi,
AT&T officially dipped its toe into the waters of higher-speed mobile communications today with the debut of the company's 4G LTE network – yes, that's 4G LTE, not just "4G" – in five launch cities: Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Atlanta, and Chicago.
And it's safe to say that mobile users aren't going to be overtaxing the service anytime soon, as there currently aren't any AT&T handsets that would actually be able to make use of the new network. Users would have to pick up either AT&T's USBConnect Momentum 4G modem, Elevate 4G mobile hotspot, or USBConnect Adrenaline in order to get Wi-Fi friendly devices or laptop and desktop PCs connected up to 4G LTE. Those, or the recently announced HTC Jetstream 10.1-inch tablet, which promises to support both AT&T's 4G LTE and "4G" network, or HSPA+.
That's a big difference that's worth highlighting, as it's sure to ensnare neophyte consumers who can't understand why their "4G" devices don't work on AT&T's new network. We're talking different technologies: 4G LTE isn't 4G, or HSPA+. The latter's more closely related, technology-wise, to a 3G network. And it's worth noting that 3G devices aren't themselves compatible with an HSPA+ network. Got it?
Click to continue reading AT&T 4G LTE compared to Verizon 4G LTE
AT&T launching its 4G LTE network on September 18
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
AT&T will light up its 4G LTE network on Sunday, Sept. 18, an exec said Thursday.
John Stephens, the CFO of AT&T, revealed the launch date at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Entertainment and Communications conference in Bellevue, Washington, according to Fierce Wireless. No locations were announced, but in May, AT&T said it would first hit Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
In August, another AT&T exec said the company was on track to debut 15 LTE markets and up to 75 million POPs (points of presence) by the end of the year. Next year's rollout pace will depend on regulatory approval of its proposed T-Mobile merger, which is currently in limbo.
AT&T reportedly demoed its LTE network in Plano, Texas, the location of AT&T's Foundry, which delivered speeds of 28.87 Mbits/s down and 10.4 Mbits/s up.
Click to continue reading AT&T launching its 4G LTE network on September 18
Motorola Droid Bionic unboxing gallery
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Features, Galleries, Handhelds,
After much delay, the Motorola Droid Bionic has finally launched, and we've got one in at Gear Live HQ to review. While we play with the 4.3-inch display toting, 4G LTE packing, 1080p video shooting, Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread smartphone, we've got a gallery of photos that we've taken to show it off. Go ahead and peep the images in our Droid Bionic unboxing gallery, and be on the lookout for our review soon!
[Camera: Chris Aarons]
Gallery:
Samsung Galaxy S II hands-on with Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile models
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Features, Google, Handhelds,
The galaxy has landed. Samsung, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile today announced three Galaxy S II smartphones for the three carriers. We got some time with the AT&T and Sprint models (T-Mobile was playing coy) and even ran some benchmarks.
The Galaxy S II has been Samsung's fastest-selling smartphone so far, with more than five million sold in 85 days, according to Samsung's press release. This model is coming out on fewer carriers than last year's Galaxy S did, with Verizon Wireless the most notable missing piece (Verizon is going with the Nexus Prime.)
But remember, Samsung is the master customizer of phones for carriers; just because a "Galaxy S II" isn't coming out for Verizon (or for Boost, for that matter) doesn't mean another phone won't appear soon with very similar features and a slightly different name on those carriers. The company is just introducing the first three models today.
Just like with the Galaxy S, the three Galaxy S II models are all a little different. The AT&T model looks a lot like the international Galaxy S II to which we gave an Editor's Choice award back in May, although Samsung traded the single home button at the bottom of the phone for the four standard Android action buttons.
Click to continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II hands-on with Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile models
HP TouchPad price slashed by $100 permanently, 16 GB now $399
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Hot Deals,
In a bid to apparently alleviate confusion over the price of the HP TouchPad, Hewlett-Packard has made its previous $100 discount permanent.
As evidenced by the company's Web page, HP has priced the 16 GB HP TouchPad at $399.99, and the 32 GB version at $499.99, the same price that HP discounted it by $100, previously.
That also means that the previous HP.com $50 discount on the 16 GB TouchPad isn't active again. But the new, lower prices brings the TouchPad to right in the price range of Acer's Iconia Tab 500 and the Eee Pad from Asus, and beats the price of the iPad 2 by $100.
Click to continue reading HP TouchPad price slashed by $100 permanently, 16 GB now $399
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| HP TouchPad 16 GB
FCC filing shows Droid Bionic won’t be a global phone
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Rumors,
A draft of the Motorola Droid Bionic's user manual surfaced on the Federal Communications Commission's website, confirming most of the specs that were pulled from Motorola's website last week.
On paper at least, the dual-core smartphone built for Verizon's super-fast LTE network looks like a beast. The filing confirms that it will sport a 4.3-inch qHD display, a GHz TI OMAP 4430 dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, a microSD card slot, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a VGA front-facing camera. It'll have an HDMI 1.4 output for mirroring the phone's display on a larger screen and support wireless charging. Furthermore, the Bionic will run Android 2.3.4 "Gingerbread."
Click to continue reading FCC filing shows Droid Bionic won’t be a global phone
Unboxing Live 073: Sprint 4G MiFi WiMAX Mobile Hotspot
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Cell Phones, Features, Videocasts,
We give you a look at the Sprint MiFi 4G mobile hotspot in this episode of Unboxing Live. The MiFi connects to Sprint's and Clear's WiMAX 4G network, providing broadband speeds on the go. If you leave the 4G area, then it bumps down to standard 3G speed so that you can still stay connected. You can allow up to 5 devices access to the MiFi Wi-Fi network at once, which means you can use it to provide access for your phone, computer, and three other devices all at the same time.
Big thanks to our sponsor - GoToMeeting makes it easy to collaborate with anyone, anywhere - and they have just released their new HD faces feature that lets you see the webcams of up to 6 users as a time, which means you're collaborating face-to-face. Also, be sure and grab a free $5 credit from JackThreads now!
Unboxing Live 072: Verizon 4G LTE MiFi Mobile Hotspot
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Cell Phones, Features, Videocasts,
We open up the Verizon 4G LTE MiFi hotspot in this episode of Unboxing Live. The MiFI is a portable Wi-Fi hotspot that connects to Verizon's vast 4G LTE network at speeds that meet, or in some cases, exceed, the typical home broadband speeds that we are all used to. You can connect up to five devices to the network that the MiFi creates, allowing you fast Internet access on the go, anywhere within Verizon's 4G footprint. Leave a 4G area, and the MiFi will drop down to 3G speeds, which is a nice backup, and not something that all current 4G hotspots offer. It also has a low power e-ink display to show the status of the connection and battery life, something Samsung's SCH-LC11 4G hotspot surprisingly left out.
Big thanks to our sponsor - GoToMeeting makes it easy to collaborate with anyone, anywhere - and they have just released their new HD faces feature that lets you see the webcams of up to 6 users as a time, which means you're collaborating face-to-face. Also, be sure and grab a free $5 credit from JackThreads now!
