Hasta La Gadget!

If you watched the most recent episode of The Engadget Show, then you know that Jimmy Fallon had a lot to say about the iPhone — particularly the fact that he’s been fed up with his 3GS’ dropped calls, and was planning a jump to an Android device on Verizon if the iPhone 4 didn’t improve things. You see, he takes a path through Midtown Manhattan where his calls are dropped in two specific locations on a daily basis. In his words: “It cuts out at 27th st. and cuts out again around 47th st., and it’s awful, I can’t take it.” Jimmy told us that he’d test the path with the iPhone 4 and see if things improved, and he’s recounted what happened yesterday in an email:

I did the experiment. I tried to stay on the phone from downtown Manhattan to Midtown with no dropped calls. (usually I get 2 drops)

I got….. (drum roll)

No dropped calls!!! Not one.

I’m a believer.

iPhone 4.

So like us, he’s getting better reception on the new phone (despite the antenna issues). What about you guys? We know that there are definitely noticeable, real signal issues, but how has your connection been? More dropped calls or less? Let us know in the poll below!

View Poll

The Jimmy Fallon Test: is the iPhone 4 dropping fewer calls? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Red Flag Software’s just shown off a custom MeeGo tablet that’s China-bound. Though we don’t have any images of the unit yet, we know that the NPad be a Moorestown-powered, 10.1-inch touchscreen tablet that “looks like” the iPad, and it’ll boast WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, and GPS. The company also says that it’ll be cheaper than the iPad, so there’s that!

NPad tablet shown off in China, running MeeGo originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Meego Forum  |  Investors  | Email this | Comments

So Droid Life — which has earned itself a solid record in the rumor game as of late — is reporting that Verizon Wireless will be dropping the “Wireless” portion of its name this weekend and announcing that it won’t be carrying the iPhone 4, instead concentrating on its high-end line of Android devices that it’s done an admirable job of building up lately. We can’t speak to the validity of the iPhone stuff, but we’re starting to believe the rest now that we’ve been independently tipped on a new branding campaign that’ll focus on the tagline “Rule the Air.” Interestingly, it would seem that changing the name to Verizon risks confusing the company with one of its two corporate parents — Verizon Communications — which leads us to wonder whether this is a sign that Vodafone could be getting close to relinquishing control of its sizable minority share after years of speculation. Regardless, it looks like the bright red theme ain’t going anywhere. More on this as it develops.

[Thanks, The Geek]

Update: We have it on good authority now that there will be no official name change from Verizon Wireless to Verizon — the only thing that’s changing is the use of new logos that lack the “Wireless” portion of the name.

Verizon Wireless changing to Verizon this Sunday, massive new branding campaign planned? (update: no name change) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

It looks like EVO 4G users will soon have one more thing to smile about, as Sprint has just announced that an Android 2.2 (aka Froyo) upgrade will indeed be coming to the “superphone.”

With the Android 2.2 upgrade, customers can expect improvements to include the following benefits: updates to user interface, improved EAS Support, improved browser performance, including Flash 10x Support, voice dialing over Bluetooth and application storage on external memory.

No word on a timeframe yet, but you’ll know as soon as we do — promise.

Update: According to this tweet from the carrier: “HTC EVO will be updated to Android 2.2; Samsung Moment & HTC Hero will not. Future devices launching w/ 2.1 will be also be updated to 2.2.”

Sprint: EVO 4G users getting Android 2.2 ‘in the near future’ (Update: No upgrade for Moment, Hero) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Community  |  Sprint  | Email this | Comments

iPhone 4, you’re the most beautiful thing. Holding you—so solid, so smooth, your zowielala screen glowing—makes me greedy. My precious. I want to lick you. I can’t stop looking at you. But your industrial design is a failure. More »