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Motorola Droid Razr Maxx hands-on (video)
Its showing wasn’t as noteworthy as it was last year, but Motorola still at least brought a few new goodies to put on display. The latest major addition to Verizon’s Droid Razr family, the Razr Maxx, was on hand, as were the white and purple variants of the original version. So what makes the $300 subsidized Maxx so different from its predecessor? Simply enough, the name is a direct reflection of the phone’s battery life, as it sports a thicker (translating to a thickness of 8.99mm, a couple millimeters thicker than the original) 3,300 mAh juicepack that promises an out-of-this-world 21 hour talk time. Sadly, we didn’t have 21 full hours to dedicate to testing this claim, but we did have enough time to get a few pictures and a video of the entire Droid Razr family together at last below the break.
LG Spectrum eyes January 19th release date, dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and 4.5-inch HD display
You’ve likely seen the press photos for the LG Spectrum, but for those of you who’ve wondered what internals will power Big Red’s latest slab, worry no more. This replacement for the Revolution will feature a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 SoC, along with a 4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 IPS display and an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash. The rear shooter is capable of recording video at 1080p, and there’s also a 1.3 megapixel webcam up front. As you might’ve guessed, Ice Cream Sandwich will be nowhere in sight, but it’ll feature Android 2.3 all the way. Rounding out the specs, users can expect 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 16GB microSD card. Like the Revolution, the Spectrum supports LTE on Verizon, although its 1830mAh battery is a significant upgrade over the 1500mAh forebear. According to internal documents, we can expect a January 19th arrival. No word on pricing yet, but if you’re interested to see the complete spec sheet on this bad boy, which is nearly a dead ringer for the Nitro HD, make sure to hit up the source link below.
Verizon sidesteps Galaxy Nexus antennagate, claims signal indicator is to blame
This is just hilarious. Remember when Verizon Wireless stated rather unequivocally that its Galaxy Nexus suffered from a “signal strength issue” and that a fix was coming? Worry not, dear readers, because the company now claims that it’s identified the issue: apparently, there’s really no problem at all. According to Big Red, the Galaxy Nexus doesn’t suffer from poor reception, but simply reports its reception poorly. To resolve these ‘perception’ issues, the carrier states that it will deliver a software update that “will adjust the signal strength indicator to more closely match other Verizon Wireless devices.” So, whether or not there really is a problem with the Galaxy Nexus (LTE), one thing is for certain — very soon, its owners will have more bars to look at. Huzzah, indeed?
HTC Rezound shows off its Vigor with leaked press shots, Beats Audio demo, HD video samples (update)
HTC’s set to unveil its newest mobile creation in a just a few hours, and you can bet that it’s likely the 4G LTE-enabled Rezound seen above. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen a purported pre-release unit and even some colorful renders, but today Pocketnow has snagged what appears to be the first official press shots of this rumored 1.5GHz device. The leaks don’t stop there, though, as videos of the Rezounds’s Beats Audio capabilities and HD video-chops have recently popped up on YouTube — this courtesy of user worldofjohnboy, who’s had his hands an early-run unit for some time now. Questions still remain regarding any official specs and that supposed November 10th release date on Verizon, but we’ll surely find out in just a few hours. In the meantime, you’ll find the trio of aforesaid videos just past the break, and more info at the links below.
Motorola Droid RAZR hands-on (video)
To everyone who rocked a Motorola RAZR in the ’00s, it’s time to get excited again. The line — or at least the name — has been reborn, and not without good reason. This is a thin device — extremely thin. The Droid RAZR by Motorola is 7.1mm thin, in fact, and holding it up next to the iPhone 4 makes Apple’s phone look downright beefy by comparison. At 127 grams, it’s also incredibly light, a fact that’s quite apparent the first time you hold thing — we were honestly a bit surprised when it was first dropped in our hands. The company has clearly come a long way from the first generation Droid.
Of course, as noted, Motorola didn’t skimp on the specs here. The RAZR’s got a TI OMAP 4430 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB RAM inside, and it does zip through apps with ease. The handset is rocking Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread — or at least was during our hands-on. No word on Ice Cream Sandwich — though we’ll no doubt be hearing more about that OS at tonight’s event. The 4.3 inch qHD Super AMOLED display is quite bright, and should do wonders on those Netflix HD videos.
Also of note is the phone’s relative ruggedness, thanks to its Kevlar backing, diamond cut aluminum and Gorilla Glass, but in spite of these facts, it really doesn’t feel or particularly look like a rugged device in your hands, just a big, surprisingly light handset. It’s a slick, fast, thin phone, that certainly seems worthy of the RAZR name we’ve all know and love.
Motorola Droid RAZR unveiled: LTE, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, available November for $299
As far as secrets go, this one was not well kept. After a series of leaks that treated us to early images of the device, Motorola finally spilled the LTE beans with a teaser page reveal just yesterday. Now, we have official confirmation that the itsy bitsy 4G Spyder’s on its Big Red way.
This newest addition to Verizon’s Droid lineup boasts a Gorilla Glass coated, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display — a first for any mobile handset — atop a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP4430 processor. Although the RAZR may look like a Kevlar-wrapped, slightly warped Droid X with its 7.1mm skinny silhouette and familiar topside hump, the insides tell a different tale. Joining the list of well-heeled specs, are an 8 megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p HD video, 1GB RAM, 16GB of onboard storage with 16GB additional on the microSD card and an 1,800mAh battery. Moto’s also included Lapdock 100 and 500 Pro compatibility, converting this latest red-eyed beastie into a power user’s best friend.
To help you squeeze the most productivity out of its 21st century RAZR, Moto’s also thrown in what it’s calling SmartActions software to manage your phone’s battery life. These user-determined settings can be programmed to shut off Bluetooth when you return home or slow down the processor speed while you’re on the phone — whatever your energy needs, the company’s intent you make the most of this handset. A new personal cloud feature comes bundled with the device, dubbed MotoCast. Video, photos, documents and music can be streamed from your laptop straight to the handheld. And for the IT departments of the world, the RAZR comes business ready with Citrix Receiver, Motorola Webtop and videoconferencing abilities.
Of course, there are a slew of accessories you can pair up with that new Droid: two lapdocks, wireless keyboard options, HD docks and Bluetooth headsets. You can snatch up all the extra goods and, of course, that aluminum-accented smartphone on October 27th when Verizon begins accepting pre-orders. As for that hard street date, the network’s being coy with a global release slated for November.
Update: Motorola has also confirmed that the phone will be exclusive to Rogers in Canada, where it will simply be known as the Motorola RAZR. Still no word on an exact release date, but the phone is now available for pre-order at $150 on a three-year contract, and Motorola says it will launch “in time for the holidays.” Unfortunately, Canadians will have to make do without LTE, as Rogers’ version will only do HSPA up to 14.4Mbps.
Apple iPhone 4S now shipping in ‘one to two’ weeks, over 200,000 AT&T pre-orders in first 12 hours
iPhone 4S hands-on!
It’s not an iPhone mini or anything, but it’s the first iPhone with Siri. And that has to count for something, right? Right? While it’s no iPhone 5 (not even close, really), the iPhone 4S is far from being “last year’s iPhone,” and the greatly enhanced camera, bolstered A5 dual-core processor and inbuilt voice command should provide plenty of reason for folks to upgrade if they’re near the end of their contract. Furthermore, having the option on Sprint — despite Apple almost announcing it as an afterthought — is bound to make folks already entrenched on the Now Network think twice about what their next phone will be come upgrade time.
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iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 4: what’s changed?
iPhone 4S officially announced: lands October 14th starting at $199 in sizes up to 64GB, coming to Sprint
What’s this? The second coming of the iPhone 4? Sure enough, Tim Cook just pulled the covers off of the hotly-anticipated iPhone 4S here in Cupertino, making 2011 the first year in the company’s current stint in the smartphone business that it chose to launch three new handsets (Verizon’s CDMA iPhone 4 included, of course). On the outside the 4S looks exactly like its predecessor, but on the inside it’s “all new.” Apple has jammed a dual-core A5 CPU inside alongside a new dual-core GPU that supposedly boosts graphics performance by up to 7x. Up front is the same 3.5-inch Retina display we’ve all come to know and love, and around back is a glass plate. Those antennae around the sides (which caused many users so much trouble) have been revamped and iOS will intelligently switch between two different sets on the fly to avoid dropping calls no matter how you hold it. Those antennae are connected to a dual-mode GSM and CDMA radio that will let Apple’s handset roam the globe while enjoying either 14.4Mbps HSPA+ or EV-DO Rev. A.
iPod touch still maxes out at 64GB / $399, available in white October 12th
While the iPhone 4S takes the headlines with its dual antennas and upgraded processor, we also have a new white iPod touch joining the family. Pricing for the “#1 portable game player” (Apple’s words, with some numbers to back them up) still starts at $199 for the 8GB version, going up $399 for a 64GB. All will be available in black or white October 12th. There’s no hardware changes to speak of, so hopefully all those sweet iOS 5 upgrades are enough to hold you. Check out the full details in our live blog or in the press release, conveniently available after the break.
Droid Bionic review
It’s been said that absence makes a heart grow fonder, so it was with very willing and eager hands this week that we received the Droid Bionic, Motorola’s latest high-octane, robot-themed assault on Verizon Wireless subscribers. The phone was first announced at CES in the beginning of 2011 and we got to see it in the flesh just an hour later… but then the story took a tragic turn. The Bionic was attacked, killed and then reborn with all new internals.
Phoenix-like, the thing is now available for purchase on Verizon Wireless, $300 for a supposedly top-shelf device that packs both LTE connectivity and a dual-core processor. That makes it a first for Verizon, and it also happens to be the thinnest LTE handset yet to cross that carrier’s airwaves. Oh, and it has the biggest battery yet, too. Was it was worth the wait, then? Maybe.
Galaxy Tab 10.1 for Verizon, hands-on with the new 4G speed king (Video)
By now, you should be familiar with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. We’ve done countless hands-ons with the super-svelte Honeycomb slate, and even reviewed it… twice! Now it’s back, again, and this time its packing an LTE radio tuned to the frequencies of a little company known as Verizon. Outside of a few tiny cosmetic changes — the brushed, gray plastic back and the rumored Micro SIM slot up top, nothing else has changed. We won’t waste too much time rehashing what you already know, but we figured it was worth firing up the latest version, which officially went on sale today, and putting that 4G antenna to the test. You know the routine, keep on keepin’ on after the break.
HP's AMD-powered Pavilion dm1-3010nr arrives at Verizon with LTE, $600 price tag
It’s Verizon Wireless’ first LTE-powered laptop, but is it really anything to write home about? The familiar HP Pavilion dm1 — which emerged last year on Big Red’s 3G network — has undergone a minor revision, this time surfacing with a 4G radio and a far more respectable processor. The dm1-3010nr is expected to ship two days from now (you know, alongside that grotesquely overpriced Galaxy Tab 10.1 LTE), with an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) LED display, 1.6GHz AMD Zacate E-350 APU, 320GB hard drive, 2GB of DDR3 memory, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a VGA webcam, multi-format card reader and a 64-bit copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. It measures in at 1.2-inches thick and weighs 3.52 pounds, and so far as we can tell, the $599.99 asking price doesn’trequire a constricting two-year data agreement. We’re awaiting specific word from VZW to confirm, but as of now, it looks as if you can get 5GB per month for $50, or 10GB for $80. Looking for that $30 / 2GB plan? Tough luck, bub — she ain’t available here.Update: We’ve confirmed with VZW that no two-year contract is required with that price. You buy it outright, and then pay month-to-month for data.
Samsung's LTE-equipped Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes to Verizon on July 28th
It’s a Galaxy Tab 10.1, but with 4G. No, not that 4G. Not even that 4G. This 4G. You know, the LTE variety, being spread around like Christmas ham by the folks at Verizon Wireless. Cosmetically, the slate offered up by Big Red is no different than the WiFi-only model that we peeked earlier in the year, but the LTE radio tucked within obviously makes it the one to get if you’re looking for top-tier speeds on the go. VZW will actually hawk two separate models LTE Tab 10.1 models (in white or grey), both of which are priced outrageously with two-year agreements: $529.99 for the 16GB model and $629.99 for the 32GB model. That’s a pretty penny (to say the least!) given the albatross that is a 24-month contract, and those who’d rather provide their own connectivity can opt for the WWAN-less Metallic Grey edition for $499.99 (16GB). Access plans start at $30 per month for 2GB, with $50 per period getting you 5GB, or $80 getting you 10GB (no mention of tethering, unfortunately). Your pickup date? Two days from now, or July 28th for the calendar-challenged.
LG Revolution review
The army of high-speed broadband phones is actively seeking new recruits to join its rapidly-growing force, and the LG Revolution is the latest to graduate from boot camp. We’ve witnessed the emergence of three Verizon LTE handsets in as many months, beginning with the HTC Thunderbolt and the Samsung Droid Charge a few weeks later. As if this wasn’t enough choice to tempt your tastebuds already, the LG Revolution — the entertaining climax to the classic 4G trilogy — was born one full moon after that. With three options, all so close to each other in dimension and features, it’s natural to compare all of ‘em and make the call on which one is the best of the bunch. Is LG’s first crack at Verizon’s LTE network truly a game-changer, as its name suggests? Or does this Revolution fail to even get its feet off the ground? Read on after the break to find out.
Droid X2 review
Would a Droid X by any other name smell as sweet? When we reviewed that phone last year we found it to be a solid performer in a solid chassis. In short: a very good phone. Now it’s back with a new name, or a revised one at least, the Motorola Droid X2 offering the same basic design as its predecessor but packing a lot more heat on the inside — a dual-core dose of Tegra 2, to be specific. Will it tickle your olfactory sensors just like the first X?
LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1 gets official on Verizon, orders start June 8
WiFi not good enough for you? Verizon’s here to give you a bit more range. Customers will be able to pre-order an LTE-enabled version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 starting on June 8th, but the company’s playing coy about when exactly it will ship. The “coming weeks” is the best week can get, though if that wasn’t vague enough for you the press release embedded below also says “this summer.” Those willing to sign on to a new two-year agreement are looking at $530 for the 16GB model and $630 for the 32GB. That’s a $30 premium over the WiFi edition — not counting the next two years worth of monthly data charges, of course.
Verizon bonanza: Droid X2, Revolution, Trophy, and Xperia Play hit Big Red today
Verizon is seriously diversifying its portfolio today with the official in-store launch of four new smartphones. Three of them roll up in Android gear, though they all have major selling points beyond Google’s software. LG’s Revolution is the sole LTE-capable handset of the bunch, bringing with it a 4.3-inch screen and pre-installed Netflix for $250. The Droid X2 undercuts it on price, at $200, but doubles the core count with its Tegra 2 processor and ramps up resolution to qHD (960 x 540). Gaming aficionados can spend the same amount on the Xperia Play from Sony Ericsson, which offers a slideout gamepad and unique PlayStation Certified status. Bringing up the rear is HTC’s well-traveled Trophy, a 3.8-inch Windows Phone that accepts it’s a little late to the party and therefore slices $50 off its asking price, with a $150 levy before the obligatory two-year contract. What say you — buy, try, or keep waiting?
