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Continue reading T-Mobile and Walmart offer 4G with no long-term contract, avoiding the pain of divorce

T-Mobile and Walmart offer 4G with no long-term contract, avoiding the pain of divorce originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple pulled a fast one by leaving the iPhone 5 in its back pocket during WWDC, and little did we know that it’d be Tim Cook — not Steve Jobs — revealing the company’s next-gen handset. ‘Course, Tim already had a bit of experience by doing the honors alongside Lowell McAdam for the Verizon iPhone 4, but this is another beast entirely. Will the “Let’s Talk iPhone” keynote bring about a cheaper, perhaps prepaid iPhone 4s? Will Sprint finally get an iPhone to call its own? Will the iPhone 5 read our minds? Will this change everything, despite everything already being changed? Bookmark this page here and return at the times below for our blow-by-blow coverage live from Cupertino!

Psst… and toss your own time zone / day in comments below!

07:00AM – Hawaii
10:00AM – Pacific
11:00AM – Mountain
12:00PM – Central
01:00PM – Eastern
06:00PM – London
07:00PM – Paris
09:00PM – Moscow
02:00AM – Tokyo (October 5th)

Apple’s ‘Let’s Talk iPhone’ event is tomorrow — get your liveblog right here! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s not uncommon for our batteries to need the occasional boost while we’re running around a trade show, but spending more than a couple minutes tethered to a power outlet can be seriously detrimental to our productivity. And we’re definitely not alone. NTT Docomo, one of Japan’s largest carriers, has developed a prototype battery that’s capable of achieving a complete charge in just ten minutes. NTT reps weren’t willing to get into much detail about the new technology, which currently employs an external lithium-ion battery sleeve and is only designed to support NEC’s super-slim Medias Android (Japan only) smartphone. They did let us take a look at the battery sleeve’s AC adapter, which supports output of up to 6.0 amps, but otherwise appeared to be fairly generic.

A pair of amp meters compared the power draw of a standard battery with that of the ultra high speed charger, which pulled 0.55 amps and 5.86 amps, respectively — at least according to the demo equipment on hand at NTT’s CEATEC booth. The model we saw definitely looked very much like an early prototype at this point, and the carrier didn’t seem to have any idea of when it may begin to be implemented in handsets and other devices, only committing to a release “as soon as possible.” Still, we’re pretty excited about the potential here (imagine being able to charge your phone completely with only a quick stop at an airport kiosk), and wouldn’t hesitate to pick a battery up — assuming of course that the final version is a bit more refined. Click on through the gallery shots below, or jump past the break for our hands-on video to get a closer look.

Continue reading NTT Docomo battery claims 10-minute charge time, we go hands-on (video)

NTT Docomo battery claims 10-minute charge time, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Giving you a new opportunity to tell your favorite carrier exactly where it can stick that nasty two-year agreement, the unlocked Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray has made its official debut in the United States. In partnership with NewEgg, the handset carries an MSRP of $425 (although it currently sells for $380), where shoppers may choose between gold, black, white and pink varieties. As carrier compatibility goes, the phone features quad-band GSM support, along with 3G capability over the 2100 / 1900 / 850MHz airwaves, which makes it best suited for AT&T in the US, or Bell, Rogers and Telus up north. The Xperia Ray packs an MSM8255 SoC — which features a 1GHz CPU and an Adreno 205 GPU — along with a 3.3-inch FWVGA display and Android 2.3. Of particular note, it also sports an 8.1 megapixel lens with an Exmor R sensor that’s well-suited for low-light situations, along with an LED flash and the ability to record video at 720p. So, if you’re mad as hell at two-year ordeals, here’s a reason to not take it anymore. Howard Beale would be so very proud.

Xperia Ray makes US debut, goes unlocked for $425 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 64GB iPhone 4S, and 8GB iPhone 4 revealed by Vodafone’s inventory system

Oh, Vodafone, what did you do? It seems that some over-efficient employee over at Vodafone Germany has prematurely updated its product list to include the new iPhone 4S. Even better, it lists a 64GB model, in both black and white colorways, and the 8GB iPhone 4 which is expected to take the place of the current low-end iPhone 3GS.

The info can be found in a compatibility drop-down box. I took this particular screen-grab on the product page for Elgato’s Tivizen TV tuner for iOS devices, but it can be found anywhere that regular iPhone 4 accessories can be seen (this iCandy case, for example).

What with these listings, the iPhone 4S name hidden inside iTunes, and the complete lack of reports about iPhone 5-specific internals from leaky manufacturers, it seems that the iPhone 4S is a done deal.

Which just leaves those curious tapered iPhone designs that the Chinese are making millions of cases for already. My guess? The new iPod Touch, wedge-shaped in order to fit in a decent camera at one end without thickening up the whole body.

Vodafone’s over-eager listings [Vodafone via Jon Fingas]

See Also:

• Leaks All But Confirm 32GB iPhone
• T-Mobile Accidentally Posts Secret iPhone 3G S Specs