Samsung Stratosphere for Verizon hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

The selection of devices to show off in the Samsung booth at this year’s CTIA Enterprise & Applications is a bit meager when compared to previous shows, but we hunted down a pearl: the Samsung Stratosphere. The newest addition to Verizon’s LTE lineup is also by far the most unique of the bunch, simply due to its physical QWERTY slide-out keyboard. In fact, you’re apt to find a hefty number of similarities between the Stratosphere and last year’s Epic 4G, as both devices come with 4-inch Super AMOLED displays, 1GHz Hummingbird single-core CPUs and 5MP rear cameras, though the former brandishes a nicer 1.3MP front-facing cam and comes with Android 2.3.4 installed. Verizon’s little beauty is priced smugly between the Pantech Breakout and LG Revolution at a cool $150 with a two-year commitment, and will be available on October 13th. Check out our full hands-on gallery and video below.

Samsung's CTIA press conference posted online, skinny new Galaxy Tabs shown off (video)

We were there, talking you through the entire thing in our liveblog, but if you want a more personal taste of what Samsung’s CTIA Wireless 2011 keynote was like, the company’s thoughtfully put it up on YouTube for general consumption. It features the introduction of the audacious new Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 models, both ever so slightly thinner than Apple’s iPad 2, with the latter also claiming the title of being “the thinnest and lightest large-screen tablet in the industry.” You can see it above, right alongside the Galaxy S II, which is in itself one of the skinniest smartphones you can hope to buy. Make your way past the break for the full presentation.

Google Voice for Sprint hands-on (video)

Remember that Google Voice integration for Sprint we mentioned recently? Today at CTIA we got to see it in action, and it promises to take us one step closer to our robot overlords — well, those of us who are Sprint customers, anyway. The most exciting feature is that the integration works with almost any Sprint number and device, and is not limited to just smartphones or the newly minted Nexus S 4G. Basically, you can pick your Sprint number or your Google Voice number to be your mobile number, and switch between them if necessary. Either way, this is the number that appears on other people’s phones when you call them, and you still benefit from all the Google Voice perks. See it for yourself in our video after the break.

Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint hands-on (video)

We finally got our hands on the elusive Samsung Nexus S 4G for Sprint at CTIA here today and it’s pretty much what you’d expect: a Nexus S with its GSM / HSPA radio swapped for a set of Sprint-compatible CDMA / EV-DO and WiMAX radios. While the Nexus S 4G lacks a SIM slot, it’s actually 0.3mm thicker than the Nexus S — that’s the thickness of a business card, and is meaningless for all practical purposes. The phone also features a 4G signal indicator in the status bar, along with a 4G sub-menu in the wireless settings. Our demo unit was running Android 2.3.4 (!) — a version we have not yet come across — but we were told that neither the hardware nor the software are final at this point. So don’t be surprised if the production model receives a few tweaks before launch. Perhaps a Sprint logo? Enjoy the gallery below, and hop past the break for our hands-on video.

Cricket teases CDMA-only Samsung Indulge, Huawei Ascend 2 at CTIA

Regional carrier Cricket surprised at CTIA today by showing off a couple new units that aren’t out yet — but they’re in the pipeline for the second quarter, which the company points out is coming “very soon.” First up is the Huawei Ascend 2, which — you guessed it — would be the follow-on to the original Ascend that the company launched last year. The display’s still HVGA; WVGA obviously would’ve been nice, but Cricket is promising to launch it at the same sub-$150 price point as the first model and it’s got a 5 megapixel camera around back (up from 3.2 before).
Next up, the Indulge is pretty much the same midrange QWERTY Android slider that already launched on MetroPCS, albeit with one big difference: this one has no LTE compatibility (Cricket has no live LTE network, after all). As with the Ascend 2, we would’ve preferred a WVGA display — this one’s just HVGA — and the four physical buttons up front seem a bit out of style, but Cricket’s still in a position where any new Android hardware is a very good thing. Look for it to launch for under $350 — off contract, of course.

AT&T's LG Thrill 4G hands-on (video)

AT&T showed off a new 3D set today, the LG Thrill 4G — also known as the LG Optimus 3D — and as we’ve seen before, the 3D glasses-free display is quite fun. The final device design and Android 2.2 software were not final — so this could all change by the time it launches in the next couple months — but it will ship with 2.2 and not the Gingerbread we’re seeing so much of lately. With Sprint’s launch of the EVO 3D just a couple hours ago, we’re thinking 3D in handsets may not be a passing trend. The video samples seen during the demo — which, sadly, you’ll not be able to enjoy in all their three-dimensional glory — are a pretty convincing argument for just how impressive this tech has gotten in such a short time. Enjoy the goods.

HTC HD7S hands-on

HTC’s HD7 was certainly one of the most handsome devices to be launched back at Windows Phone 7′s retail introduction late last year — and really, when you take the HD2′s heritage as your starting point, it’s hard to go wrong. Of course, in the last year and a half, mobile display technology has advanced by leaps and bounds — and the original HD7 was using nothing more than a standard, old-school TFT LCD with less-than-perfect contrast and viewing angle specs. Well, that’s where the HD7S comes into play: the “S” in the name presumably stands for Super LCD, the newer type of display that HTC’s been using on recent 4.3-inch models like the Thunderbolt. It’s quite pretty, but otherwise, it’s the same HD7 as usual — and really, considering how nice this hardware is, that’s just alright by us. The phone also comes with the so-called “NoDo” update of Windows Phone 7 preinstalled, a fact we were able to verify with a quick look of the version number being reported in system settings. Check it out in the gallery!

HTC HD7S hands-on

 

 

Sprint's HTC EVO View 4G hands-on (video)

Well, if you were keeping abreast of the happenings at Mobile World Congress, then Sprint’s EVO View 4G launched today at CTIA may seem pretty familiar to the HTC Flyer you saw there. These two HTC devices are essentially the same, with just a couple of minor cosmetic differences and some UI changes shown in the video that follows. We’re still not completely sure about the Scribe pen, though it certainly is an entertaining thing to play with. The Evernote app makes great use of the stylus allowing images to be scribbled on and saved, notes recorded — with voice and your text input — and of course everything can be shared. We’re not massive humans here at Engadget, and we’re happy to report that the device can still stay planted fairly comfortably in hand. A standout amenity is the ability to drop apps from the lockscreen onto a small target, and have that app open immediately rather than having to go find it once you’ve unlocked the device. All this and more is just below the fold.

HTC EVO 3D first hands-on! (video)

We’ve just put our paws on the EVO 3D for the first time, and what struck us immediately is that it’s not as beefy, bulky, or overwhelming as the 4.3-inch display or specs might have you believe — if you’re familiar with the EVO 4G, you’ll feel right at home here (and you might even be pleasantly surprised). The screen’s stereoscopic 3D effect is about as good as what we’ve seen on the Optimus 3D in the past — very good head-on with decreasing effectiveness as you move your head to the side. The 2D / 3D switch along the side is for the camera, not the display; it seems that all management of the screen’s capabilities is managed in software alone. Check out the shots in the gallery below; now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to go play with this monster some more!

HTC EVO 3D vs. EVO 4G… fight!

Naturally, one of the first things you need to do when you get your hands on an EVO 3D, of course, is pit it in brutal battle with its progenitor, the original EVO 4G — a phone that was introduced at this exact same event a year ago. As we’d mentioned in our hands-on, we immediately noticed that the EVO 3D didn’t feel particularly heavy or bulky in the hand; in fact, we would’ve guessed that it was a bit lighter than the 4G. Well, turns out they’re almost exactly the same weight — holding the two one right after the other, we couldn’t detect a difference.

As for dimensions, the 4G is actually wider — the 3D’s quite a bit more manageable when you’re holding it, especially if you don’t have giant paws — and they’re right around the same thickness. Pretty amazing that HTC was able to pack this much additional heat into a phone one year after the first model without adding any bulk, isn’t it? Science!

Sprint makes EVO View 4G tablet official: 1.5GHz, WiMAX, 7-inch screen, and a stylus to boot

Sprint has stopped playing coy about one of the worst-leaked devices in recent memory and has at long last made it official. The EVO View 4G is a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 Android tablet with a 1.5GHz processor, 5 megapixel rear- and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, a WiMAX radio, and HTC’s loving application of Sense for a UI. If all this sounds familiar, it’ll be because we’re really talking about HTC’s Flyer tablet, introduced at last month’s MWC, and just like it, the EVO View will also feature the HTC Scribe capacitive stylus. The Evo View 4G will ship with 32GB of storage “this summer.” You’ll now find the full press release and spec sheet (including a healthy gigabyte of RAM and a 4000mAh battery) after the break, and some preliminary shots below. Full hands-on to come!

T-Mobile G2x from LG hands-on (video)

We reported the rumors, we spied it on the show floor at CTIA yesterday, and T-Mobile finally announced it this morning. Well here it is now in the flesh: the G2x from LG. The hardware looks pretty much identical to its sibling, the LG Optimus 2X that we reviewed recently, but instead of featuring a custom UI, the software is plain Froyo (Android 2.2.2). Another major difference is the inclusion of “4G” support, which is missing from the Optimus 2X. Tegra Zone comes pre-installed, along with the usual T-Mobile add-ons like WiFi calling. Overall, the G2x made a very strong first impression, and we’re looking forward to getting more in-depth coverage soon. Take a look at our gallery below, and hit the break for our hands-on video.

Update: It turns out the “4G” radio in the G2x is quadband (2100 / 1900 / 1700 / 850MHz) but strangely, it’s limited to 14.4Mbps downlink speeds. Apparently, this also applies to the T-Mobile G-Slate. We’re reaching out to T-Mobile to check if the G2x radio is HSPA+ or merely just HSPA.

HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G tablet spotted — on Sprint's website, where else?

Oh, you know all about them, that much is true, but have you yet seen the HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G tablet? No, we hadn’t either, until this very moment when another premature information upload on Sprint’s website revealed their appearance. Two pre-registration pages exist for the as-yet unannounced products, one for the 1.2GHz dual-core EVO 3D smartphone and one for the 1.5GHz single-core EVO View 4G tablet. Both run Android and are unquestionably set to feature as Sprint’s flagship devices in their respective categories. Beyond confirming that the EVO looks like an EVO and noting that the EVO View seems to have a black case rather than the silvery one that the HTC Flyer (the product it’s based on) comes with, there’s little new here — you’ll have to wait till Sprint finally makes all this hardware official over at CTIA to learn more.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 specs and Honeycomb UI tweaks leak out before its official launch

You didn’t have any doubt that Samsung was going to bring its new Galaxy Tab 8.9 to CTIA, did you? Well, this thing is definitely coming very soon. We snuck onto the show floor this afternoon, and while we didn’t find the actual tablet, there was a serious amount of Galaxy Tab 8.9 signage. We couldn’t get a close look at the placards, but the guys at PocketNow had better luck. Not only does the 8.9-inch display have a 1280×800-resolution, but the tablet itself is said to be incredibly thin — it measures just .33-inches thick and weighs 1.03 pounds. It also looks like the 8.9 will be the first Honeycomb tablet with some noticeable interface customizations — one of the signs showed a new “Live Panel” and a “Mini App” tray. All that certainly makes this one a bit more interesting — we’re assuming we will be hearing all the official details at Samsung’s press conference tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Nokia Astound for T-Mobile coming April 6th for $80 (hands-on with video)

Want to know where those next 150 million Symbian devices that Nokia wants to sell are going to come from? Well, here’s a little sliver of your answer. We’ve just swung by Nokia’s swank dinner event well outside CTIA’s convention center grounds in Orlando tonight to check out the official introduction of the rumored Astound for T-Mobile. Make no mistake — this is a straight-up C7 in every sense of the word, featuring the same 3.5-inch AMOLED display, 8 megapixel camera, and 720p capture as the original announced last year atop Symbian^3 — so the only real differences are the T-Mobile branding (or should that be AT&T branding?) tastefully featured along the bottom chin and a slight platform bump to Symbian^3.1, which we’re told features “some, but not all” of the PR2.0 update’s features like portrait QWERTY support and a refreshed browser. Interestingly, the carrier will be offering WiFi calling on this one — just as it did on the E73 Mode — and you’ll be able to do unrestricted video calling over Qik thanks to the front-facing cam. Look for it to launch on April 6th for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate on contract (and pre-orders start tomorrow). Follow the break for our hands-on video and Nokia’s press release.

LG's T-Mobile G2x spied at CTIA

Welcome to the CTIA 2011 show floor where the booths are guarded and all the products are kept under lock and key! Oh yes, it’s pretty impossible to see what’s going to be unveiled here tomorrow when the doors officially open, but we did spot this lovely digital sign at LG’s booth of the T-Mobile G2x. This one doesn’t come as a major surprise since we heard rumblings last month that Optimus 2X would be headed stateside under the G2x moniker, but it certainly looks like the launch is imminent now. We’ve got one more shot for you after the break, but stay tuned for plenty more tomorrow.

Sprint's BlackBerry 4G PlayBook portal goes live, still on track for a summer release

We knew good and well that the 4G version of RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook was on track for a summertime release on Sprint, and here at CTIA 2011, the carrier has launched a newfangled product portal confirming that things are still on lock. For those in need of a refresher, this guy will boast a 1GHz dual-core CPU, Adobe Flash / HTML 5 support, “true” multitasking, rear- and front-facing HD video cameras and a price that’s still to be determined. What’s most interesting here, however, is the dearth of information about a WiFi-only version — we’re hoping that it’ll slip out a bit earlier than the WiMAX variant, but we’re intentionally keeping our expectations on the low side. No one enjoys a bursting bubble, you know?

AT&T launches HTC HD7S with WP7 and LG's 3D-enabled Thrill 4G Android phone

Who says CTIA is going to be overshadowed by news that actually broke prior to the event starting? Okay, so it’s entirely possible that the AT&T / T-Mobile buzz will be impossible to ignore here in Orlando, but that’s not stopping Ma Bell from rolling out two new (er, rebadged) handsets for those looking for iPhone alternatives. First up is the LG Thrill 4G (available in the “coming months”), an unpriced 4.3-inch superphone that features a glasses-free 3D display, dual 5-megapixel stereoscopic camera, 16GB of preloaded memory (8GB onboard, 8GB microSD card), access to Google’s Android Market and a special 3D marketplace coined LG 3D Space. The camera’s capable to snagging video clips at 1080p when shooting 2D, or 720p when opting for 3D. You’ll also get a dual-core 1GHz processor, HDMI output, DLNA streaming support and pretty much anything else you’d expect to find in a run-of-the-mill Optimus 3D — you know, considering this is that very phone, albeit with an AT&T logo on it.

Google Nexus S 4G with WiMAX announced for Sprint: coming this spring for $200

For a while, it seemed like the 850 / 1900MHz 3G version of the Nexus S that’d work on AT&T, Bell, Telus, and Rogers would be the next one to show up, but Sprint ended up emerging as the frontrunner more recently — and now it’s official. The Nexus S 4G stays true to the T-Mobile-flavored original, offering an unfettered stock Gingerbread experience; it’s fractions of a millimeter thicker and a couple grams heavier, but the real change is inside where you’ll find both CDMA / EV-DO and WiMAX radios — hence the “4G” in the name. There’ll be a menu option for turning WiMAX on and off — good for those times when you value battery life over breakneck browsing speeds — and considering Sammy’s prior experience rolling the Epic 4G for Sprint, we’re cautiously optimistic that the Nexus S hardware will make the transition from GSM with minimum pain. The new version will be available “this spring” for $199.99; follow the break for Samsung’s full press release.

T-Mobile G-Slate and G2X dual-core smartphone coming on April 20th?

LG, you big tease! T-Mobile must be feeling a tinge of regret for hooking up with the Korean hardware manufacturer lately, as TmoNews reports both the G-Slate tablet and a new G2X smartphone (believed to be the US moniker for the Optimus 2X) won’t be coming Stateside for at least another month. Neither will be exactly late, mind you, since both feature dual-core Tegra 2 chips and the G-Slate runs Google’s freshest Honeycomb software, however a launch date of April 20th does put LG a step behind its direct competitors. Motorola has already rolled out its own Xoom and Atrix alternatives, while Samsung is making noise about its new Galaxy devices, which might well beat LG’s wares to the market. Rumor is we’ll get an official date out of T-Mobile at CTIA next week, so keep your eyes peeled for that one.