Hasta La Gadget!

Just last month, Acer’s Liquid Gallant Duo teased itself for preorder on the Expansys website, which promised to be an affordable Android 4.0 smartphone for those in need of dual-SIM capabilities. Now, a slightly less capable handset — the Liquid Gallant Solo — has reared its head, and as you might expect, it’s a single SIM affair. Other than this omission, however, the Solo offers much of the same specs as before, which includes a single-core 1GHz MediaTek MT6575 SoC, a 4.3-inch qHD display, a 5-megapixel camera and a 1,500mAh battery. Similarly, the phone also features 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a microSD expansion slot. In terms of connectivity, users can expect quadband GSM and 3G support on 2100 / 900MHz networks. Like the Liquid Gallant Duo, the Solo’s public presence was short-lived, as the user manual (linked below) has since been pulled from Acer’s website. Its price also remains a bit of a mystery, but given the dual-SIM exclusion, it seems a safe bet that the Solo will retail for less than the £149 ($230) price of the more capable Duo. Hopefully we’re not far off from a more official debut.

Filed under: Cellphones

Acer Liquid Gallant Solo makes brief cameo, Android 4.0 smartphone lives up to its name originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 04:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If the images and link settings Android Police has dug up from the most recent (v3.8.15) Google Play APK that’s rolling out are correct, we could see a coupe more features coming to the Android app and media store soon. First up are very fleshed out menus for the redemption of Play Store gift cards, perfect for users that aren’t enthused about putting their credit card info out there and would rather purchase a few bucks prepaid and then spend them as they will. Also contained within the APK but not activated or accessible by default is some sort of wish list functionality. Hit the source link for all the images and screens that have been found so far, well have to wait and see when these pop up in a future updated or get activated later on.

[Thanks, Cullen]

Updated Google Play app reveals gift card support, wish list coming soon? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 01:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadians who need a new LTE handset, and can make things last, can now get Motorola’s Atrix HD LTE from Bell for just $50. The catch? You’ll be yoking yourself in matrimony to a whopping 36-month deal, a period longer than most celebrity marriages. The 4.5-inch handset is clad in a Kevlar body and comes with Ice Cream Sandwich, so as long as you’re not in the habit of flinging phones against walls, you should be okay.

Motorola’s Atrix HD LTE hits Bell Canada for $50 on a three-year contract originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While LG’s dollars and cents return on its cellphones have been up and down this year, the company just announced that since starting the LTE trend with the Revolution in May 2011 it’s sold five million high-speed data connected handsets and has no plans to slow down. The counter ticked over three million back in May, four million in June and, according to LG, sales continued at a pace of one phone every two and a half seconds. That includes two million Optimus LTEs, over 500,000 Optimus Vus and about the same number of Optimus LTE IIs in the first 70 days alone. Now the Korean company is preparing to take its Optimus Vu phablet global, and CEO Dr. Jon-seok Park says its LTE phones in the next few months will be “second to none.” Finally, there’s a note about LG having the “largest overall” total number of patents, claimed to be worth $8 billion, which is possibly intended to ward off the kind of patent trouble currently chasing Samsung.

Continue reading LG sells five million LTE smartphones, plans ‘second to none’ lineup soon and girds for patent battles

Filed under: Cellphones

LG sells five million LTE smartphones, plans ‘second to none’ lineup soon and girds for patent battles originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 02:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As the world awaits the arrival of BlackBerry 10 hardware, the Wall Street Journal has a report from RIM CEO Thorsten Heins that the company is ready to start showing off the “nearly complete” devices to carriers next week. Separately, CrackBerry has heard the same from its sources, along with word that more internal employees are becoming a part of the beta test group (already plugging away since May on alpha dev units like the one shown above) as well. As RIM is preparing to ramp up production of test devices, the CEO was also ready to confirm more details about the hardware, including that two devices are due at launch — one all-touchscreen and one QWERTY / touchscreen combo — with plans to expand to six models evenly split between the two options, and that it will stick with removable batteries.

Before RIM tries to convince end users early next year that its new OS was worth the wait, it will have to persuade potential carrier partners. Fortunately, if you believe one unnamed WSJ source, it’s already showing a “marked improvement” over existing phones that makes BlackBerry more competitive with Android. We’re not sure if that will keep BBM addicts on the hook until new hardware launches, but with the roadshow about to commence we should hear more concrete details soon.

Filed under: Cellphones

RIM is taking two BlackBerry 10 beta units on tour soon for carrier previews originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 22:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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