Hasta La Gadget!

As Sony’s second stab at the US mobile market, the Xperia TL arrives with a major corporate synergistic push: a 007 movie franchise tie-in. But an awkward distinction as the official Bond phone and a smattering of pre-loaded “Skyfall” multimedia content alone won’t drive consumer adoption; the specs and pricing will. Following in the footsteps of the company’s first stateside flagship, the Ion, this AT&T 4G LTE exclusive is priced aggressively at $99 on two-year contract, packing a 4.6-inch HD Reality display (1,280 x 720) powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine, a dual-core Snapdragon S4 clocked at 1.5GHz, 16GB of storage (expandable up to 32GB via microSD), 1GB RAM, NFC, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, as well as an integrated 1,850mAh battery.

With Ice Cream Sandwich running the show and a planned upgrade to Jelly Bean in the works, it has all the makings of a current-gen high-end offering. So will the Xperia TL help Sony build much-needed buzz for its mobile division here in the states? Can a sub-$100 price tag effectively lure consumers away from the bigger, faster and flashier Android phones AT&T has to offer? Or is this mainly one for Sony loyalists? Find out after the break as we put the TL through its paces.

Continue reading Sony Xperia TL review: the company’s second US flagship is much improved, but still imperfect

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony, AT&T

Sony Xperia TL review: the company’s second US flagship is much improved, but still imperfect originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Google and LG have kept quiet on the subject of any prospective Nexus phone, the leaky ship that is the LG E960 “Mako” popped another hole today as Belarusian site Onliner.by has apparently gotten its hands on a prototype unit. According to the site the specs match many of the previous leaks saying it’s similar to the Optimus G, rocking a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, 1280×768 4.7-inch display and 2GB of RAM, but only 8GB of storage built-in and an 8MP camera. It’s running the just-released Android 4.1.2 for now, so unfortunately there’s no hint of any potential Android 4.2 features. Hit the source link to check out a few more quality snaps of the “with Google” handset, but at this rate we’ll probably have more details any minute now.

Continue reading LG’s rumored Nexus, the E960 Mako, poses for Belarusian glamour pics

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

LG’s rumored Nexus, the E960 Mako, poses for Belarusian glamour pics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 06:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re in Seoul for the launch of LG’s latest flagship smartphone, the Optimus G, and we finally managed to spend a few minutes with a demo unit. This is a powerhouse — the first handset built around Qualcomm’s 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro. It features LTE, a 4.7-inch 1280×768 True HD IPS PLUS display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage, a 13-megapixel autofocus camera, a sealed 2100mAh battery, and NFC.

We like the simple and elegant design, which is reminiscent of LG’s Chocolate and Prada models — it’s thin (8.45mm / 0.33 inches) and reasonably light for its size (145g / 5.11oz). The front sports a glass surface with three capacitive buttons and the back showcases the company’s Crystal Reflection process — an attractive patterned glass-like finish that’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet. Materials and build quality are excellent (better than the Galaxy S III) and the Optimus G feels pleasant in hand.

You’ll find a volume rocker and micro-SIM slot on the left edge and the power / lock key on the right. There’s a notification light next to the 1.3MP front-facing camera. A standard headphone jack sits on the top side, with the micro-USB / MHL connector on the bottom. The speaker and main camera are in the back, pretty much where you’d expect them. While the display is definitely high quality, it’s not mind blowing (the One X screen still looks better) — we expected better viewing angles from LG’s True HD IPS PLUS and Zerogap Touch technologies.

Sadly, we didn’t spend much time using the software, but the Optimus G runs Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with a skin similar to what we saw on the Optimus 4X HD and performance is definitely impressive. We’ll get more seat time with LG’s flagship over the next few days, so stay tuned for more impressions. In the meantime, enjoy our gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.

Update: We’ve added pictures of the white model and screenshots to the gallery.

Continue reading LG Optimus G: hands-on with Korea’s latest powerhouse (video) (updated)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

LG Optimus G: hands-on with Korea’s latest powerhouse (video) (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 22:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s official. Nokia’s just taken the wraps off its worst-kept Windows Phone 8 secret: the Lumia 920. The device, announced at the manufacturer’s event in New York City today, is a spiritual successor to the 900 that first broke onto American shores and can largely be seen as a response to critics of that former device. With a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU (the same one that drives the current US supremos, the HTC One X and Galaxy S III), a “better than HD” 1,280 x 768 LCD display, PureView imaging (albeit with only eight megapixels), NFC capabilities, 2,000mAh battery with wireless charging and a next-gen Redmond-baked OS, this handset’s a big-break proposition for the flailing Finnish company; an attempt to up the ante and compete on even ground. From the outside, it may appear as though not much has changed in this generational hardware leap, but rest assured that what Espoo’s packed inside should take the mobile outfit to the next level. So, follow on after the break as we dive into our first impressions of this curiously hued smartphone splash.

Continue reading Nokia Lumia 920 hands-on: the dual-core, HD Windows Phone 8 flagship to take on the beasts

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Nokia Lumia 920 hands-on: the dual-core, HD Windows Phone 8 flagship to take on the beasts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Xperia T, formerly codenamed Mint, rumor and leak victim since January, has officially broken cover. Revealing its 4.55-inch face to the crowds in Berlin, the Reality Display packs a 1,280 x 720 resolution and offers what Sony is calling the “best HD experience on a phone to date.” The company claims you can view vids in full 1080p HD quality, though we’re still waiting to receive additional clarification on this statement. The Xperia T runs on Ice Cream Sandwich, but we’re told it will be upgraded to Jelly Bean shortly after launch. It also features a 13MP fast capture camera (with a camcorder capable of 1080p video capture) and boasts a feature Sony is calling Sleep to Snap, which means you can go from a black screen to taking photos in an instant. What else does this new flagship offer? A one-touch function with NFC which you can use to tap to connect to other Sony devices, a 60-day premium trial of Music Unlimited and a new tier called Access which will be available in Europe for 0.99 Euros per month and will deliver full access of the service to PCs and the PS3.

The T — which will be known as the TX in select markets, and should be launching globally over the next few weeks — also sports a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260A Snapdragon S4 CPU, pentaband UMTS / HSPA+ radios, a front-facing cam with 720p video capture, MHL connectivity, FM radio, 16GB onboard storage and an 1,850mAh battery. Dimension-wise, the T will weigh 4.9 ounces (139g) and come in at 9.35mm thick. Lastly, the new Xperia flagship will be available in black, silver and white hues (while the TX appears to come in pink as well). Pricing is still an unknown, but as we’ve seen before, it may largely depend on the market anyway. We’ll keep you posted as more details come in.

Continue reading Sony Xperia T flagship unveiled at IFA 2012: offers 4.6-inch HD display, 13MP camera and NFC

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Sony Xperia T flagship unveiled at IFA 2012: offers 4.6-inch HD display, 13MP camera and NFC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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