Hasta La Gadget!

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.

Continue reading Samsung’s LTE-equipped Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes to Verizon on July 28th

Samsung’s LTE-equipped Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes to Verizon on July 28th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pricing for the LG Thrill 4G popped up on Radio Shack’s corporate systems a few days ago, at $80 with a two-year contract. AT&T just shared its official Thrill pricing, however, with the glasses-free 3D smartphone commanding a healthy $99 at the company’s retails stores when it ships “in the coming weeks.” That timeframe meshes nicely with the August 7th launch date that a pair of Radio Shack insiders shared with us last week, though until we receive confirmation otherwise, it’s within reason to expect that devices will begin to ship before or even after that date. Either way, it doesn’t look like you’ll need to hold out much longer for your Thrill, with only a few more days of tranquility to go before the excitement begins.

AT&T confirms LG Thrill 4G pricing, release ‘in the coming weeks’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you feel about a little Android 2.3.5 (!) action on that Nexus S 4G of yours? What about some WiMAX performance improvements? You should be getting all that plus WiFi connectivity and speakerphone quality tweaks, along with TTY support on Monday July 25th, which is when Sprint is expected to begin rolling out an OTA update for Samsung’s pure Gingerbread handset. We were given an exclusive first look at the new software, and while it’s still being finalized, we tested it side-by-side with the original, and our results show a welcome increase in 4G speeds across the board. As you may remember, we observed repeatable WiMAX performance issues with the old software, so this update is excellent news indeed. The amount of improvement will likely depend on your locale, but even in signal-challenged San Francisco and New York we noticed the difference right away — so kudos to Google, Samsung, and Sprint for addressing this. We also experienced performance in-line with our Epic 4G — the benchmark device used for our initial testing with the previous firmware version. Take a look at our gallery below, and peek at our hands-on video after the break.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Continue reading Sprint readies Nexus S 4G update with improved WiMAX performance, we go hands-on (video)

Sprint readies Nexus S 4G update with improved WiMAX performance, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The third installment of a trilogy is typically the most satisfying. The Empire Falls, Frodo destroys the ring, Cinderella goes back in time. (Okay, that’s a stretch.) Our protagonist in this tale is the Droid 3, which bears an uncanny resemblance to its dad and granddad— but Verizon’s added a few new components and made some minor design tweaks in attempt to improve the overall experience.

Are these adjustments enough to save the series? The original Droid launched with much fanfare, a device that steered Motorola back onto the path of success from its post-RAZR Hades. It had a refreshing gold-laden design that oozed elegance, top-of-the-line specs for its time, and was the pioneer that helped usher Google’s mobile OS into a new era. Each new iteration has received less attention than the one before, however, and the Droid 3 experienced such a quiet launch that we blinked and almost missed it. No matter, though — as long as the phone can speak for itself, it doesn’t need the confetti to accompany it. But is the third time another charm for the Droid? Or will it be buried by other heavyweights like the Droid Bionic or Samsung Galaxy S II Function? Join us after the break to find out.

Continue reading Motorola Droid 3 review

Motorola Droid 3 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re here at Sprint’s monolithic campus in Overland Park, and part of our day was spent speaking directly with CEO Dan Hesse. Amongst other things, the bigwig confessed that it had been awhile since his company (or Clearwire) had launched a 4G market. While Verizon Wireless has been pushing out LTE to new cities on what feels like a fortnightly basis, there’s been nary a WiMAX deployment in the US during 2011. But that, friends, is gearing up to change. According to Hesse: “We’re going to come out with a great story this fall around 4G, and it’ll all become clear.” He seemed curiously excited about whatever’s around the bend, and Sprint’s VP of Product Development, Fared Adib, seemed similarly giddy about the impending unveiling. Neither of ’em would crack on what markets would be addressed or what tactics would be used to match rivals in terms of 4G reach, but whatever the case, we’re guessing Sprint users will be a lot happier with their service once they get through the summertime blues.

Oh, and it’s worth mentioning that Sprint’s “not exclusive to WiMAX, nor the Clearwire relationship.” Not a soul on the campus would talk details surrounding that rumored LightSquared investment, but judging by the smiles, it’s at least on the table.

Sprint’s Dan Hesse: significant 4G plans to be announced this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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