Hasta La Gadget!

The next iPhone’s unveiling date is safely locked down. Whether or not it arrives at every US carrier simultaneously is up in the air, however, and there’s signs that Sprint’s model might not ship as quickly as we’d like. Carrier training documents obtained by iSource, which we’ve since verified are real, would require that sales staff and technicians all be ready to offer “in-store Apple support” on October 15th, wrapping up their earliest training by the 30th — that’s up to a month after the introductory event, which would reduce the chances of a simultaneous launch if the first wave of iPhone availability is as close as the rumors would have you believe. Before you start plotting a carrier switch out of impatience, we’ll add that there’s a few disclaimers at play. First is simply that October 15th is a Monday, which is very out of step with Apple’s habit of launching iPhones on Fridays. We’d see that day as the target for training alone, and that’s assuming that Sprint needs everyone on the same page before the iPhone is in stores. More importantly, we know from our own tips that Sprint’s internal calendar is in flux: the provider may not have concrete plans until after Apple’s executives leave the event stage next week. As such, we’d treat the document leak more as a heads-up than a guarantee of trouble in Sprint’s schedule.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Sprint training docs cast doubt on 2012 iPhone launch timing, but don’t panic yet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 02:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile confirmed rumors of true unlimited data plans almost as soon as they emerged, which left a surprisingly long gap between the announcement and real availability. Consider that gap closed — as promised, the Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data plans are ready for action. Those who don’t need hotspot support on a smartphone can add $20 to a Value voice plan or $30 on a Classic plan to get throttle-free, uncapped data. For real. While we’d ideally see a best-of-both-worlds scenario with hotspots and unfettered speeds together in one plan, it’s hard to object to a second major US carrier defending unlimited data in an era where we’re regularly getting less for the money. Can we have a few more providers onboard, please?

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

PSA: T-Mobile’s we-really-mean-it unlimited data plans go live originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everyone who regularly deals with cold winters knows the pain of using a smartphone in January — you’re usually forced to take your gloves off and risk frostbite if that call just can’t wait. Nokia’s new Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 phones bring in a Synaptics ClearPad Series 3 sensor whose responsiveness will keep those hands toasty. Super Sensitive Touch, as Nokia calls it, lets the capacitive surface react to more than just direct skin contact: it can recognize input through gloves, as well as from those with long fingernails. You’ll want to spring for the Lumia 920 if you envision updating Twitter during a sunny skiing trip, however. On top of that extra-large 1,280 x 768 resolution, the 920’s PureMotion HD+ display is reportedly about 25 percent brighter than its next-best rival. We’re looking forward to a real field test — not to mention preserving all the feeling in our fingers.

Continue reading Nokia Lumia screens tout Synaptics tech for gloves-on use, 920 adds outdoor-friendly brightness

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Mobile

Nokia Lumia screens tout Synaptics tech for gloves-on use, 920 adds outdoor-friendly brightness originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 12:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fresh on the heels of the much-anticipated Lumia 920 announcement, some new figures have come to light regarding its predecessors’ success. According to the Finnish phone-maker, a total of 7-million Windows Phone / Lumia devices have shipped to date. The firm was also keen to point out that this number comes from 54 markets in total — some 130 different operators. While this might seem modest, especially with only 600,000 of those sales being in the US, 4-million of those Lumia devices were sold in Q2, roughly double that of the preceding two quarters, so things are on the up. Now it just remains to see what impact any new Windows Phone 8 phones will have.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Nokia: 7 million Lumia phones sold to date in 54 countries, 4 million in the last quarter originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like Russia isn’t the only place with an appetite for overly expensive gadgets. Following the original launch last month, two of the four latest Tonino Lamborghini devices have made their way over to Hong Kong. Pictured above is the L2800 tablet which has since been upgraded from Android 2.3 to 4.0.3, but the hardware remains the same: a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm chip, 9.7-inch 1,024 x 768 display, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and microSD expansion, along with 3G connectivity, two- and five-megapixel cameras front and back, four obviously redundant capacitive buttons, 7,500mAh battery and, sadly, a proprietary dock connector. All of this plus the nicely crafted titanium chassis weigh 850g, and it’ll cost you just HK$13,800 or about US$1,780. Hey, quit moaning — it’s a massive reduction from the US$2,320 price tag in Russia.

Continue reading Tonino Lamborghini L2800 tablet and TL700 phone rumble in Hong Kong, we go hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

Tonino Lamborghini L2800 tablet and TL700 phone rumble in Hong Kong, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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