Hasta La Gadget!

Despite the sweltering heat waves, our spirits are high at Engadget, and for good reason: it’s time for our summer edition of the smartphone buyer’s guide. Here, you’ll find our top recommendations for the best smartphones across several US carriers, along with the best QWERTY and budget alternatives. In many ways, it’s now easier than ever to find a world-class smartphone, but unless you’ve developed a strong brand preference, choosing one is likely more difficult than ever before. It’s no secret that the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III have firmly cemented themselves as the premier smartphones of the day, but if you’re torn between the two, we’ll reveal our preference in this latest installment.

Summertime also brought a bit of a shock, as Microsoft revealed that Windows Phone 8 apps won’t be compatible with the current generation of Windows Phone hardware. For this reason, we’ve excluded all Windows Phone handsets from consideration in the latest buyer’s guide. While the future of Microsoft’s mobile platform looks incredibly bright, a purchase now would guarantee obsolescence in the short-term. Instead, all prospective Windows Phone purchasers must wait for the next generation of handsets to become available — you’ll regret it otherwise.

Naturally, there is no shortage of rumors surrounding the next Apple iPhone, and given the handset’s current lack of LTE connectivity, the iPhone 4S is certainly showing its age. While cautious purchasers may choose to bide their time, the iPhone remains top-notch in many other respects, and its arrival at a number of prepaid carriers brought a breath of fresh air to an otherwise stagnant environment.

If you’re curious to see how it all unfolded — and we know you are — join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.

Continue reading Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide: summer 2012 edition

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Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide: summer 2012 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Sprint flavor of Samsung’s latest flagship isn’t the only one to feel the gentle tug of patent warfare. According to Android Central (and several XDA Developers forum members), the latest OTA update for the international (i9300) version also does away with the universal search function, which browses your phone’s contacts and apps for results — and drew Apple’s ire. The new search box now offers web-only results, with the 27MB update also tinkering with the default browser layout. You may also find yourself back using Samsung’s homemade keyboard UI after resetting — though this can be quickly remedied in settings. Reduced functionality aside, if you like your smartphones legally sound, the update can be grabbed through the phone or Samsung’s Kies software.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Galaxy S III update sheds universal search feature on international model originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 05:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wondering if Samsung’s new flagship has hit its sales goal yet? Breathe out — it did. According to Yonhap, Shin Jong-kyun, head of Samsung’s information technology and mobile communication division, told reporters the firm has moved more than 10 million Samsung Galaxy S IIIs since its unveiling. Jong-kyun wasn’t able to give specific numbers, but we know from history that the handset is outpacing its predecessor, which took five months to make eight digits in sales. As for the goal, Sammy previously pegged the 10 millionth unit for early July, noting that it was fighting component shortages along the way — all in all, mid-month isn’t too far off. Thinking of helping the firm bolster its numbers further? We’ve got a whole series of reviews you may want to take a look at.

Filed under: Cellphones

Galaxy S III sales breach 10 million, satisfy Samsung executives originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When v2.0 of the Sky Go for Android app arrived earlier this month it promised another update would follow soon with support for Android 4.0 and more phones, and now it has arrived. We’re not seeing it in Google Play yet, but the press release (included after the break) indicates the app is ready to run on the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note from Samsung, and is also finally Ice Cream Sandwich compatible on those devices and the HTC Sensation / Sensation XE. That brings the total supported device count for the video on-demand player to a round 11, which is less than the “all” we’re looking for but still more than the zero supported prior to February.

Continue reading Sky Go for Android adds support for Ice Cream Sandwich, Samsung’s Galaxy S III, Nexus and Note

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment

Sky Go for Android adds support for Ice Cream Sandwich, Samsung’s Galaxy S III, Nexus and Note originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 04:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Early builds of CyanogenMod 10 have sprung up to enable users to get that buttery-smooth Jelly Bean experience onto your Samsung Galaxy S III. Work is further along on the international edition of the quad-core CPU, while the US variants are still in need of some work. That said, if you’re determined to free yourself from the watery shackles of Nature UX, you can get started right away — but it might not be all that polished just yet.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

CyanogenMod 10 builds start offering sugary sweets to Samsung Galaxy S III users originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 06:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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