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Giveaway: HTC Titan Windows Phone!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Smartphones, Features, Microsoft,
Yes - we're giving away an HTC Titan smartphone, running Windows Phone 7 Mango! We know that Christmas has come and gone, and we hope our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide served you all well, but we're not done with the gift-giving just yet. The HTC Titan we're giving away runs on the AT&T network, and is one of the first Mango devices that are available, and sports a 1.5 GHz processor and has 16 GB of storage built-in.
So, how do you enter to win the HTC Titan? Simply use the widget below to keep track of your entries! We've got a lot of ways for you to enter, but don't check off any that you don't actually perform. If you do, you'll be eliminated:
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Samsung Galaxy Nexus review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
How much does Android 4.0 mean to you? How much do you need to have it right now? Because that's the dilemma with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone ($299-$649). Overall it's not quite as good a phone as the Motorola Droid RAZR ($299). But right now, it's the only phone running Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), and that's the future.
In many ways, this is the ultimate early adopter phone. The phone itself isn't perfect; typically, Nexus phones aren't the best hardware on the market. But the software takes a major leap forward, with everything from a better Gmail experience to a faster browser and the ability to put folders on your home screens. Do you need that right now? Then yes, you need the Nexus. Why else might you want to jump on board the latest flagship Google device? Hit the link and follow us through our full Galaxy Nexus review for the answers.
Click to continue reading Samsung Galaxy Nexus review
Wi-Fi calling comes to T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G, Galaxy S II
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
On Monday, T-Mobile quietly rolled out a software update for its HTC Amaze 4G that, most notably, introduced the ability to make Wi-Fi calls. An official update today also added that feature and more to the carrier's Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone.
Wi-Fi calling sets T-Mobile apart from other carriers, but until now, it was only available on select phones. In fact, it was one of the five best features we discussed when an AT&T/T-Mobile merger seemed imminent. Given T-Mobile’s admittedly limited cellular network, the Wi-Fi calling option makes for a great fall back when signal is hard to come by. T-Mobile customers using phones like the myTouch 4G have already been enjoying this feature, and T-Mobile seems determined to bring it to as many phones as it can.
The added capability comes in the form of a device upgrade to Android 2.3.5, which T-Mobile claims will also improve the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S II. The update addresses a number of issues, including a "Force close" problem that dropped calls when split in a conference call. Also rolled into the update are improvements to Caller ID and battery notifications. T-Mobile notes that customers must have a GBA SIM card to access the added Wi-Fi calling capability, but most phones should already be equipped with the right card.
Click to continue reading Wi-Fi calling comes to T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G, Galaxy S II
LG Nitro HD review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
The LG Nitro HD ($249.99 with two-year contract) is the third smartphone to tap into AT&T's emerging 4G LTE network and (after the HTC Rezound) the second phone available in the U.S. to feature a 720p display. That display looks absolutely dazzling in person and the Nitro is a performance speed demon. We're leaving our Editors' Choice with the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket ($249.99) for its better signal strength and data speeds, but make no mistake: Either phone is a great choice.
Design, Screen, Call Quality, and Data Speeds
The Nitro HD looks and feels a a lot like the Skyrocket. It measures 5.27 by 2.67 by .4 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.5 ounces. It's made entirely of matte black plastic and features a textured back panel. While the look is somewhat generic, that all seems irrelevant once you feast your eyes on the Nitro's glorious, 4.5-inch 720-by-1280 AH-IPS (Advanced High-Performance In-Plane Switching) display. It's a real stunner. At 329 ppi, it has even greater pixel density than the Apple iPhone 4S ($199, 4.5 stars), with its 326 ppi Retina Display. For further comparison, a device like the Motorola Droid RAZR ($299.99, 4.5 stars), which features a 4.3-inch qHD display, has 256 ppi.
Click to continue reading LG Nitro HD review
2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Free 4G Android smartphones at Radio Shack
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Hot Deals, Family, Women, Men, Teens, Under $100, Under $25, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,
Our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide tries to hit you with gift recommendations at all different price points, and this one may be the least expensive. Radio Shack is selling a bunch of 4G Android smartphones for free, with two-year contract, this holiday season. You can get devices like the Samsung Stratosphere for Verizon, Samsung Infuse 4G for AT&T, and the HTC EVO Design 4G for Sprint. All of these devices support faster data speeds, and at a price of free, they're a tremendous deal.
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Motorola Droid RAZR unboxing gallery
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Features, Galleries, Handhelds,
Motorola has ressurrected the RAZR from the dead, slapped the Droid branding on it, and has come up with a 7.1mm thin powerhouse. Appropriately called the Droid RAZR, the smartphone has a Gorilla Glass covered 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display 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 runs on Verizon's 4G LTE network. so you know, it's fast. We'll be getting a review up soon, but in the meantime, be sure to peep our Droid RAZR unboxing gallery first!
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Verizon WIreless to allow customers to pay for ‘Turbo’ speed boost for apps
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Wireless / WiFi,
Verizon will publish an API that could allow consumers to "turbocharge" the network bandwidth their smartphone apps use for a small fee, executives said Tuesday.
Verizon anticipates that a customer running an app on a smartphone will have the option to dynamically snatch more bandwidth for that app, if network congestion slows it down, said Hugh Fletcher, associate director for technology in Verizon's Product Development and Technology team. The app, however, must be running what Verizon referred to as the network optimization API it is currently developing, and hopes to publish by the third quarter of 2012.
Users could have the option to pay for the extra bandwidth via a separate microtransaction API Verizon is developing and hopes to have in place by the end of 2012, Fletcher said.
Bleeding Edge TV 401: Apple iPhone 4S speed test - AT&T vs. Verizon
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos,
In this episode we compare the data speeds of the iPhone 4S, looking at Verizon and AT&T. As has been mentioned by Apple, the GSM version of the iPhone 4S supports the faster 14.4Mbps speeds that AT&T refers to as 4G (not to be confused with 4G LTE, as confusing as that may be.) The Verizon (and Sprint) model of the iPhone 4S doesn't support the faster speeds on those CDMA networks. We also compare the speed using the AT&T Microcell as well, which is a device you can buy from AT&T if you don't get great coverage in your home or workplace to boost your signal strength.
Be sure to also check out our iPhone 4S review, iPhone 4S unboxing gallery, and iPhone 4S video review.
Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like.
Verizon to take on AT&T, Comcast with residential LTE service
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
Verizon has indicated that it plans a residential LTE broadband service that could roll out in the fourth quarter, a fixed antenna that would challenge AT&T, Comcast and others for a home broadband connection.
Verizon also reiterated that it plans to concentrate its FiOS investments in areas it already serves.
Verizon executives said that a national rollout of a fixed broadband LTE voice and data package could be based on the "cantenna," a fixed antenna that it has already deployed with DirecTV, according to comments made by Francis J. Shammo, Verizon's chief financial officer, during Verizon's earnings call last Friday.
While Verizon executives did not state that the company was winding down its residential fiber optic (FiOS) service, executives gave several hints that geographic expansion was not in the cards. Verizon already serves 16.27 million premises in its 12-state wireline service territory, representatives said via email, mostly on the East Coast. But Verizon also began indicating in 2010 that it was going to focus its FiOS investments on the markets it already serves, last year.
Click to continue reading Verizon to take on AT&T, Comcast with residential LTE service
Samsung Galaxy Nexus: 4.65-inch HD display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds,
Google's next iteration of its mobile operating system has officially been dubbed Android 4.0 and it will be available for the first time on Samsung's new Galaxy Nexus smartphone.
The two companies lifted the curtain on the OS affectionately known as Ice Cream Sandwich and the Galaxy Nexus smartphone that will be the first to run it in Hong Kong late Tuesday evening (promotional video after the break.) Google said Android 4.0 would be immediately available to developers. Samsung will begin shipping the Galaxy Nexus worldwide in November.
And here's what you need to know about Samsung's Galaxy Nexus:
A slim and curvy design. The Galaxy Nexus is 8.94 millimeters thin with a 4.29-millimeter bezel and a wider screen than on earlier Samsung smartphones that's achieved "without the phone feeling any thicker in your hand," according to the company. The next-gen handset has a curved back that's contoured for a "softer, more natural look and feel," while the buttonless design and slip-resistant hyperskin backing are also highlights.
Click to continue reading Samsung Galaxy Nexus: 4.65-inch HD display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
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