Nokia Lumia 810 a T-Mobile exclusive in the US

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft,

T-Mobile has announced that it will be the exclusive United States carrier of the Nokia Lumia 810 smartphone. The Lumia 810 runs Windows Phone 8 and sports a 4.3-inch OLED WVGA Clear Black screen, 8 megapixel Carl Zeiss rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front camera (Skype HD-certified!) It sounds awfully close to the Lumia 820, although from the image we were given, doesn't look anywhere near as slick. As lame as it sounds, T-Mobile has not announced pricing or availability, other than to say that the Lumia 810 will be available "in the coming weeks."

Nokia Lumia 920 coming exclusively to AT&T

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds, Microsoft,

Oh man--looks like the Nokia Lumia 920 is set to drop in November, and it's going to be an AT&T exclusive. That's unfortunate, since it's the new hotness from Nokia that Microsoft may just be hanging it's hat on as it pertains to Windows Phone 8, so it's a little odd that the 4G LTE smartphone won't be available on Verizon, the company that has the largest LTE network by far. The Lumia 820 should launch alongside the 920, but that is more of a mid-range phone rather than a top-of-the-line model, and that one should make an appearance on multiple carriers. That said, if you're interested in one of the colorful (yellow, black, cyan, red, white) 920 models, you're gonna have to go with AT&T come this November. No word yet on pricing.

Be sure to check out the top 5 features of Lumia 920.

Microsoft is working on a first-party Windows Phone device

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,

Last week we received a tip from a fairly close source that Microsoft would likely be introducing its own first-party Windows Phone device. We decided not to report on this one, because it seemed to make no sense. Why would Microsoft release a first-party phone that will be in direct competition with the Windows Phone 8 devices that its partners will be selling later this month?

Click to continue reading Microsoft is working on a first-party Windows Phone device

Verizon fixes iPhone 5 glitch that consumed data while connected to Wi-Fi

Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software, Wireless / WiFi,

It appears that iPhone 5 users on the Verizon network were using up their allotted data while connected to Wi-Fi networks. Fortunately, there is a carrier setting update that resolves this issue. As such, this is a highly recommended update for all users on Big Red, even those on unlimited data plans and, of course, those who are on the tiered or shared data plans. It appears that no other carrier is affected by this but, just in case, keep a close watch on your data usage for any funny business.

Click to continue reading Verizon fixes iPhone 5 glitch that consumed data while connected to Wi-Fi

Read More | Apple Support

How to unlock your iPhone 5 right now

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Software,

It's been widely reported that the Verizon iPhone 5 ships with an unlocked SIM slot, which means you can insert any 3G nano SIM into its tray and you can use it with any carrier. The AT&T model isn't as forgiving, as all AT&T iPhone 5 (see out iPhone 5 review) models ship locked to that specific carrier. However, there are a few ways of unlocking the AT&T model for use with other carriers, like T-Mobile.

Click to continue reading How to unlock your iPhone 5 right now

iPhone 5 coming to 22 more countries and US regional markets on September 28

Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds,

As many of you know, the iPhone 5 was only released to eight countries on September 21st: US, Canada, Australia, Japan, UK, Hong Kong, Germany and Singapore. Well, here's a bit of good news for those who live outside those areas.  Apple, as promised, is about to set loose the iPhone 5 in your native shores on September 28th.  Here's the list:

"iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland." - Apple

Also included in the 28th iPhone 5 launch rollout, some local regional markets like, Cricket Communication, GCI, Cellcom, Appalachian Wireless, Bluegrass Cellular and C Spire Wireless.

Be sure to check out Gear Live's iPhone 5 review.

Read More | Apple

iPhone 5: White & SIlver or Black & Slate? (gallery)

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Design, Features, Handhelds,

The iPhone 5 is the most beautiful iPhone that Apple has released to date (seriously - check our iPhone 5 review!) Since our review features both the white & silver model and the black & slate model, we've been getting questions about which is "better." The thing is, it's all a matter of opinion, although the black model is a bit more susceptible to scratches and scuffs. Since some people don't have an Apple Store nearby where they can check out the two color options for themselves, we've put together an iPhone 5 White vs. Black photo gallery. Check it out, as we have a bunch of comparison shots for your perousal. Let us know what you decide!

Gallery:

iPhone 5 review: This is the iPhone we’ve been waiting for

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews,

Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 to the world on September 12th, and just 9 days later, the smartphone launched. Pre-sales hit over 2 million in the first 24 hours alone, showing that there was massive demand for the newly redesigned iPhone. According to Apple, it's the best iPhone it's ever made, but does it live up to the hype? More importantly, os it worth your hard-earned cash? We've had a few days to use the iPhone 5 (as well as its built-in operating system, iOS 6,) and we’re ready to break it all down in our iPhone 5 review.

Click to continue reading iPhone 5 review: This is the iPhone we’ve been waiting for

iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S vs. Original iPhone in pictures

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds,

Earlier today we gave you a look at our iPhone 5 black & slate unboxing gallery, as well as our iPhone 5 white & silver unboxing gallery. Since then, we've received a few questions about how the new iPhone 5 compares to the iPhone 4S from a hardware design perspective, so we figured we would put together a third gallery for you. In our iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S vs. iPhone Original gallery, we give you a look at the new hardware as compared to the last model, and we also throw the orignal iPhone into the mix for added measure. Head on over and take a look, and be ready for our exhaustive iPhone 5 review to drop later this  evening!

Gallery:

Samsung TouchWiz bug erases all of your Galaxy S data (update: fixed!)

Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Mods / Hacks,

There is an SMS exploit in the wild that can cause a Samsung Galaxy device (including the latest  Galaxy S III) running TouchWiz to be completely reset. This exploit was first discovered by tech security researchers and proof of that concept was shown on YouTube. There are many vectors where this could be distributed and executed such as SMS, email, and QR codes. This is practically on the same level as a Zero Day attack. However, the interesting aspect is that this was mostly likely implemented by carrier request and designed by the OEM, which is Samsung. We at Gear Live have not yet independently confirmed this exploit, but other tech publications have confirmed the legitimacy of the hack. Some refer to this as a feature? As always, use of safe computer and internet practices is advised.

UPDATE: Samsung has released a patch for this exploit, and recommends that all of its users download the latest software update, which eliminates the problem.

Click to continue reading Samsung TouchWiz bug erases all of your Galaxy S data (update: fixed!)