Hasta La Gadget!

The Nextbooks 1 through 7 may not have caused much of a ripple in the Android tablet market, but eFun is keeping at it, and has now rolled out its new Nextbook Premium 8 model. There’s still no Honeycomb to be found on this one (just Android 2.3), but you do get a slightly larger 8-inch capacitive screen, as well as a Rockchip RK2918 processor, 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot, and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera — plus Kobo’s eBook Store app preloaded (though there’s no mention of Android Market). Unfortunately, in a season when you can get a Kindle Fire or Lenovo IdeaPad A1 for $200, this one will set you back a comparatively hefty $300 — then again, it does have “Premium” in its name. Press release is after the break.

Continue reading eFun announces $300 Nextbook Premium 8 Android tablet

eFun announces $300 Nextbook Premium 8 Android tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei’s four-inch flagship has appeared at a rigorous FCC screening, and this one comes with several radio band changes since its formal reveal. This new CDMA 800/1700(AWS)/1900 variant, making it through the Commission as the M886, indicates the Honor will be making a showing in the US on Cricket as the Huawei Glory. You can expect to see the Gingerbread-running device come with a 4-inch FWVGA (854 x 480) screen, a 1.4GHz single-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, a sizable 1,900mAh battery, an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 2 megapixel front-facing cam. If its expected November release remains true, this may easily be the best-selling device on the prepaid carrier for the holiday season. Check out more pics in the gallery below.

Huawei Honor gets knighted by the FCC, beelines it straight for Cricket as the Glory originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that we know how the iPhone 4S stacks up against the iPhone 4, let’s take a look at how Apple’s latest smartphone compares to its mightiest competitors on the other major platforms — Android and Windows Phone. In Google’s camp we chose the superlative Samsung Galaxy S II models (focusing on the announced US variants) along with the Motorola Droid Bionic for its qHD and LTE chops. We then picked the upcoming HTC Titan to bat for Microsoft’s team. RIM’s not included here since it’s still stuck in the junior leagues. We left out the intriguing Nokia N9 because it’s a niche player. Check out the fancy table after the break — the results are pretty clear cut!

Continue reading iPhone 4S vs. the smartphone elite: Galaxy S II, Bionic and Titan

iPhone 4S vs. the smartphone elite: Galaxy S II, Bionic and Titan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That pool looks cool and refreshing, and all of the kids are having the time of their lives. Problem is, it’s in an exclusive club, leaving you to stare at it longingly from the opposite side of a chainlink fence. We know the feeling, and it ain’t fun — yet, the state of LTE in the US over the last year has had just a pinch of elitism due to its high cost of entry and exclusion from most rural areas. Devices running on the near-miraculous speeds haven’t exactly been cheap, with handsets like the Samsung Droid Charge and Motorola Droid Bionic at an asking price of $250 to $300 on contract. Needless to say, lots of customers have felt the underlying feeling of inadequacy because their wallets may come up a Benjamin or two short.

The Pantech Breakout is the fifth phone in Verizon’s LTE lineup, and the first clear departure from the piggy bank-busting prices that its predecessors command. With Big Red boasting a 4G lineup full of monotonous 4.3-inch behemoths, we’ve been anxiously awaiting something different. Something — anything — that could likely appease a different set of customers eager to take advantage of this speedy network. The 4-inch Breakout certainly is capable of appealing to a wider demographic, but with an uncharacteristically low $100 price tag with a two-year commitment, does it ooze cheapness or is it a fair bargain? Follow us after the break to find out.

Continue reading Pantech Breakout review

Pantech Breakout review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:30:00 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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