Sprint HTC EVO 4G now shipping with Gingerbread? (Update: mistakenly posted)

Lookie here, everyone — we just pointed our browsers over to Sprint’s official online store and if our eyes aren’t deceiving us, the HTC EVO 4G is now shipping with Gingerbread. This is definitely news to us, as we have made some calls out to the brick-and-mortar retail stores with no indication that the carrier’s top-selling phone is currently loaded with anything besides Android 2.2. It’s difficult for us to fathom this being a simple typo, considering it’s mentioned in four separate places, with one of them triumphantly declaring “now with Android 2.3.” We’re still waiting to get official confirmation from Sprint, and we’ll have an update on their response for you as soon as we get our hands on it. In the meantime, take a look at the source link for yourself.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: We received word from Sprint that the inclusion of Gingerbread was an unfortunate mistake, and that it plans to upgrade the EVO 4G as soon as it can.

Continue reading Sprint HTC EVO 4G now shipping with Gingerbread? (Update: mistakenly posted)

Sprint HTC EVO 4G now shipping with Gingerbread? (Update: mistakenly posted) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 14:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Holiday to be a 4.5-inch behemoth with qHD resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core, and AT&T future

HTC brought in the 4.3-inch craze, but now that that form factor has gone mainstream, it’s looking to even larger dimensions. A 4.5-inch HTC Holiday has been dug up by none other than 911sniper, which is said to pack a qHD resolution (960 x 540), a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660, 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and the very latest version of Android Gingerbread (2.3.4). That comes on the heels of Pocketnow unearthing a supposed image of the AT&T-bound smartphone, showing a predictably uncomplicated design framing a vast display. Let’s just hope the Holiday codename doesn’t mean we’ll have to wait till the holidays to see this overpowered new beast in action.

[Thanks, Connor]

HTC Holiday to be a 4.5-inch behemoth with qHD resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core, and AT&T future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 03:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp Aquos Android clamshell tricks friends into thinking you can’t afford a smartphone

Looking for a handset that harkens back to simpler, pre-smartphone era, without losing the Googley luster of Android? We’ve got the perfect phone for you, and all you’ve got to do is move to Japan and get a Softbank Mobile account. Sharp, one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in its native country, rolled out the retro-future Gingerbread-packing Aquos Phone Hybrid 007SH, an Android 2.3 flip phone with a 180-degree swiveling touchscreen above the hinge and a numeric dial pad below that all the cool kids in Shibuya crave. It’s also got some pretty solid specs, so far are clamshell phones go, including a 16MP camera and a 3D-capable display. The handset will hit Softbank in mid-June followed shortly by Sharp’s rotary Honeycomb tablet.

Continue reading Sharp Aquos Android clamshell tricks friends into thinking you can’t afford a smartphone

Sharp Aquos Android clamshell tricks friends into thinking you can’t afford a smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 21:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flyer Friday: Best Buy starts selling HTC’s seven-inch slate today

We thought HTC’s Flyer wasn’t going on sale until May 22nd, but it appears a certain big box retailer has changed its plans. Our tipsters have told us that stores with the device in stock have started selling it today, May 20th, despite the somewhat confusing text you see in the picture above. So, if you’re pining for a $500, seven-inch slab of silky smooth Sense 3.0, head on down to the local Best Buy and grab one yourself.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Flyer Friday: Best Buy starts selling HTC’s seven-inch slate today originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android Honeycomb has hidden Gingerbread interface, enabled by higher LCD density

Google’s already indicated that tablets and smartphones won’t be sharing the same Android build until Ice Cream Sandwich in Q4, though interestingly enough, it turns out that the tablet-friendly Honeycomb actually has Gingerbread’s interface quietly tucked underneath. According to modder Graffix0214, all you need for making the jump is one simple tweak in a system file: assuming you already have root access, use your preferred method — Pocketables recommends the LCDDensity for Root app — to change the LCD density value to 170 or higher to emulate a smaller, denser display. After a reboot, you should then see some Gingerbread love as demoed by Graffix0214’s video after the break; and likewise, set the value to 160 or lower to roll back. It sure is nice to have an option, eh?

Continue reading Android Honeycomb has hidden Gingerbread interface, enabled by higher LCD density

Android Honeycomb has hidden Gingerbread interface, enabled by higher LCD density originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 04:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Flyer lands at Best Buy on May 22nd for $500, Magic Pen sold separately

The 16GB-equipped, 7-inch Flyer from HTC is making its way west this week. Best Buy, which gets the honor of exclusively launching the WiFi-only Android tablet in the US, has revealed Sunday as the official first day of availability for the Flyer, at a price of $500. As you’ll recall, the stylus that ships in the retail box just about everywhere else will be markedly missing from the Best Buy bundle, costing an extra $80 to those who simply must have it. You’ll be able to purchase your Flyer online and at all brick-and-mortar Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores, but if mobile connectivity is more important to you, we’d advise holding out a little while longer for the 3G- and 4G-capable Evo View variety on Sprint.

HTC Flyer lands at Best Buy on May 22nd for $500, Magic Pen sold separately originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 02:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Exhibit 4G coming to T-Mobile on June 8th?

It wasn’t even two weeks ago that we first glimpsed the Samsung Exhibit 4G for T-Mobile in the wild (and spied its FCC footprint). Now it looks like this Gingerbread phone will go on sale June 8th — if this flyer sent in to TmoNews is to be believed. Still no word on pricing, though we know dealers will pay $325 a pop. To recap, a peek at the filing and unauthorized photos reveals the Exhibit 4G is an HSPA + handset running TouchWiz on top of Android 2.3, with front and rear-facing cameras, an LED flash in the back, and a microSD card slot. The site’s sources also suggest the phone will pack a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU and a 3 megapixel back camera, a departure from the speculation we were treated to earlier this month. In any case, it looks like T-Mobile will set the record straight in a matter of weeks.

Samsung Exhibit 4G coming to T-Mobile on June 8th? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 19:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Flyer review

Over the past couple of years, HTC has rapidly built up an enviable reputation (and bank balance) in the smartphone space with a succession of feature-rich, smartly designed, and innovative handsets. The HD2 introduced us to the 4.3-inch form factor, the EVO 4G ushered in the era of 720p video recording, and the Legend wrapped itself inside a never-before-seen aluminum unibody enclosure.

Today, the company’s Android assembly line is turning out yet another groundbreaking device, though this one’s closer in size to the Athena than the Aria. Yes, we’re talking about the 7-inch Flyer, the most unique of this year’s Android tablet offerings, opting for a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a sturdy aluminum construction that doesn’t even try to compete in the race for extreme thinness, and a Magic Pen to make you forget it’s running Gingerbread and not Honeycomb (yet). Also set for release under the EVO View 4G moniker on Sprint in the US, this tablet is the sum of a set of bold choices on the part of HTC. To see how well those decisions have come off, click past the break for our full review.

Continue reading HTC Flyer review

HTC Flyer review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NEC MEDIAS WP N-06C announced in Japan, shows off slimness with waterproof body

Seriously, why does Japan get all the fun toys? The leaked brochure of this crazy thin NEC MEDIAS N-06C already got us all giddy last month, and now we have a launch date: fans of NTT DoCoMo will be able to nab this device around June or July, meaning owners need not seal this waterproof phone in a plastic bag before heading out for a summer swim. In case you missed the details, here we have a 7.9mm-thick Android 2.3 phone, which easily beats the chubby Galaxy S II at 8.49mm in terms of slimness; though to be fair, the N-06C packs about 9.7mm around its 5 megapixel camera. Inside this tight package you’ll also find a 4-inch 854 x 480 LCD, a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255, 512MB RAM, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, and microSDHC expansion. But enough with the specs — head over to Akihabara News for some wet hands-on pics.

Continue reading NEC MEDIAS WP N-06C announced in Japan, shows off slimness with waterproof body

NEC MEDIAS WP N-06C announced in Japan, shows off slimness with waterproof body originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 06:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May

After encountering a little hitch with its mid-April Gingerbread delivery, Samsung is now ready to boot up Kies for another try. The company has this morning released word that it intends to update its entire Galaxy S family line, starting with models in the UK and Nordic countries from the middle of this month. The rest of the globe, including North America, will follow suit “according to the regional plan.” Also benefiting from a Gingerbread upgrade will be the 7-inch Galaxy Tab, which already got a taste of Android 2.3 in Italy, and the company’s bevy of budget Galaxy devices, the Ace, Gio, Fit and mini. Read the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May

Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 01:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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