Hasta La Gadget!

HTC’s Droid Incredible 4G LTE gave us a pleasant surprise by providing a capable Android phone that didn’t have to be supersized. It’s gone largely untouched since its mid-year introduction, though, which makes a new and imminent update all the more important. The upgrade’s biggest trick is support for Isis mobile payments that more officially throws Verizon’s hat into the NFC payment ring. Anyone living beyond Isis’ coverage will still want to check for the update when it’s ready — the patch switches on global roaming, allows remote technical support, makes Tango video chats useful and improves LTE connection quality. No matter what you’re looking for, Verizon’s tendency to start over-the-air updates within days of posting documentation leaves a likely short wait before the most recent Droid Incredible gets a breath of fresh air.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC, Verizon

HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE update to bring global roaming, Isis wallet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leap customers, go ahead and jump for joy. The CDMA-based carrier is finally rolling out its first LTE market next week after about a year of testing it in Tucson, Arizona. (The first official market has yet to be named, however.) With its spectrum swaps finally complete, Leap hopes to spread LTE to around 21 million POPs by the end of this year and to around two-thirds of its current network by the end of 2015. Its only LTE offering is a Huawei Boltz mobile hotspot, but it promises LTE-capable smartphones soon. Curiously, the carrier does offer the LTE-capable iPhone 5, but there’s no word if Leap’s LTE network will support it. The only nationwide carrier without LTE at this point is T-Mobile, though it has promised rollouts starting next year; here’s hoping that merger with MetroPCS (which already has LTE) will hurry that along.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Leap finally gets LTE, rollout starts next week originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPad mini is likely to be WiFi-only, sources claim, and accompanied by a refreshed iPad 3 with Lightning connector and broader LTE support, though last-minute design changes could shake up Apple’s launch. Tipped to be a 7.85-inch slate hoping to bring Apple’s tablet success to a mid-point between the existing new iPad and the iPod touch, the iPad mini will lack 3G/4G, according to the Guardian‘s insiders, so as to help keep prices down and maintain the larger model’s halo.

That would mean the only way for iPad mini owners to get online with their slate would be to find a WiFi hotspot or tether it to their phone. Still, it’s a sensible way for Apple to cut costs: the 4G 9.7-inch iPad, for instance, carries a $130 premium over its WiFi-only sibling.

As for that larger iPad, according to the newspaper’s sources, Apple is indeed preparing a minor refresh to the third-gen model. That’s believed to include a new version of the Apple A6 processor but also switch the tablet from the old-style 30-pin Dock Connector to its new Lightning port.

It would also allow Apple to tweak the 4G radio in the larger iPad to support the new EE LTE network in the UK, it’s suggested. EE will be the only UK network to support LTE in the iPhone 5, at least for the time being.

Meanwhile, current leaked images purportedly showing the iPad mini may not be as accurate as once believed, with whispers that a “major accessory company” has ceased case production at the last minute. Sources close to the unnamed firm told Macotakara that production of the cases had been frozen after Apple changed the rounded shape of the smaller tablet, though it’s not clear exactly how it has been modified.

Leaked case designs have circulated for some time now, including examples suggesting a cellular model was, indeed, on the cards. Apple is believed to be holding a launch event for the next iPad mini later this month.

Design-tweaked iPad mini WiFi-only tip insiders while iPad 3 gets Lightning is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Motorola Photon Q just a little too pricey for your QWERTY-loving taste buds? Sprint’s newest device, the LG Mach, was announced this morning at MobileCon 2012 to add another full physical keyboard option to its mid-range lineup. Despite the fact that its name doesn’t contain the dreaded “4G LTE” moniker, it certainly still has the high-speed capability built-in. We still haven’t been given the pricing or availability, aside from “this fall.”

This particular keyboard-clad handset isn’t going to turn any heads in terms of specs, but they aren’t lackluster either: 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 processor, 1GB RAM, a 4-inch WVGA display, 1,700mAh battery, VGA front-facing cam, 5MP rear camera capable of 1080p video recording, Bluetooth 4.0 and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. With a thickness of 12.1mm (0.48 inches), it’s one of the thinnest QWERTY devices you can find on the market. It’s also on the lighter side for the form factor, weighing in at 5.92 ounces (168g). Despite these dimensions and a faux-metal (read: plastic) battery cover, it feels surprisingly well-built. And just like Sprint’s Optimus G and the Motorola Photon Q, you won’t find any carrier-specific branding anywhere on the outside of the device — unfortunately, you also won’t see any SIM slots either, although you’ll find a microSD slot to enhance the 8GB internal storage.

Check out our gallery below, as well as our video and few last impressions past the break.

Continue reading LG Mach for Sprint hands-on (update: video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint, LG

LG Mach for Sprint hands-on (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If simple vanity trinkets don’t excite you, Sprint has something else to tempt you in — four new LTE devices. The new line-up includes two phones, a tablet and a USB dongle, so hopefully something for everyone. The phones? The 13-megapixel toutin’ Optimus G (as we suspected) and Mach (a cheaper, 1.2GHz dual-core, 4-inch, 1080p capable QWERTY ICS phone), both by LG. If you need a little more screen real-estate, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will be joining the other Koreans with its 1.5GHz dual-cores and 1,200 x 800-screened ICS on the good ship Sprint too. Happy with your notebook, and just want the service? Sprint’s adding a Plug-in-Connect USB dongle to the menu also. No deets on cost and dates we’re afraid, with “fall” being all the info we’ve got right now. Feel free to delve into the PR after the break, in the meantime though.

Continue reading Sprint adds LG Mach, Optimus G, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and tri-mode USB dongle to fall LTE lineup

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, LG

Sprint adds LG Mach, Optimus G, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and tri-mode USB dongle to fall LTE lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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