Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, and there’s no better time to get that special someone a new smartphone than now, especially since Verizon is launching a couple of new colors tomorrow exclusively on two devices. Motorola’s DROID RAZR M will come in pink, while Nokia’s Lumia 822 will be hitting it up in red.
Yes, folks. Verizon will be offering the DROID RAZR M in a pink variety starting tomorrow, though it looks more like a purple, rather than the light pink that we’ve seen from other mobile devices. However, if that doesn’t suit your fancy, you can opt for the Lumia 822 in red, just as long as you don’t mind using Windows Phone 8.
Other than that, the two handsets haven’t changed. The pink DROID RAZR M runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and sports a 4.3-inch (960×540) Super AMOLED display. There’s also a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and an 8MP rear-facing camera. The price remains the same as well: $99.99 after signing a new two-year contract, while the Lumia 822 will cost $49.99.
In related Verizon news, the Samsung ATIV Odyssey will be available online, as well as in stores starting tomorrow. It will cost $49.99 after signing a two-year contract and sending in a $50 mail-in rebate. The ATIV Odyssey is Samsung’s newest budget device, sporting a 4-inch display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, and a 5MP camera.
Well, after being teased at presentations and making brief appearances at football-themed trade show events, Samsung’s elusive ATIV Odyssey finally has a price and a release date. According to a recent update from Verizon, the humble Windows Phone will make its debut on January 24 (i.e. tomorrow), and will set prospective buyers back $50… eventually. As usual, Verizon is sticking to their obnoxious mail-in rebate tendencies, so those who take the leap will actually shell out $100 at time of purchase.
In case you haven’t been keeping tabs on this little guy, it’s a far cry from the attractive ATIV S that Samsung showed off late last year. The Odyssey packs a 4-inch Super AMOLED display running at 800×480, a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, a run-of-the-mill 5-megapixel rear camera, and 8GB of internal storage. Not the most exciting spec sheet, certainly, but plenty to provide users with a smooth ride as they fire up apps and scroll through live tile after live tile.
As annoying as the practice is, the mail-in rebate is far from the most peculiar thing about the ATIV Odyssey. What’s really got me curious is the timing of the launch — by pushing out the device only a day after announcing the thing, it almost seems like Verizon just doesn’t care about the thing. Granted, it’s not as sleek or as immediately impressive as devices like HTC’s Windows Phone 8X (and even Nokia’s Lumia 822 feels like a more solid device), but it just might be the right phone for a potential smartphone owner on the fence. I’m sure that’s what Samsung and its carrier partner are hoping, anyway.
Verizon may have lost some profit during Q4 2012, but one thing it gained last quarter was iPhone subscribers. A lot of iPhone subscribers.
During this morning’s conference call, Verizon announced it activated 6.2 million iPhones during the last quarter with nearly half of those iPhones activated with 4G LTE support. Seeing how the iPhone 5 is currently the only iPhone capable of 4G LTE connectivity, it’s safe to say Verizon activated a little over 3 million iPhone 5s.
Yesterday, AT&T decided to gloat a little in regards to its record-breaking Q4 in 2012 as the company sold 10m smartphones and averaging 110,000 smartphone sales in a day. Seeing how the company has been considered the worst-rated wireless carrier in the U.S. for a number of years now, you would think the first place wireless carrier, Verizon Wireless, would have an even more record-breaking Q4 2012. Right?
Verizon Wireless did have a great Q4 2012, but apparently it was just a a few hundred thousand smartphones away from meeting AT&T’s sales as they announced today they’re expecting 9.8 million smartphone activations for its Q4 2012. This also is a record-breaking amount of activations for the company, but not quite as record breaking as AT&T.
What drove Verizon Wireless to sell so many smartphones in Q4 2012 was Apple’s iPhone, although a number of just how many iPhones were sold wasn’t released. Verizon’s Communications Chief Lowell McAdam also noted 85 percent of devices sold during Q4 2012 were smartphones and 23 percent of Verizon’s subscriber base are using LTE devices. We’re just surprised the amount of smartphones being sold isn’t a higher number, I mean, who wants a phone these days that isn’t a smartphone?
Samsung’s first Android-powered camera has been out on the market for a few weeks now on AT&T, and we’ve already put the new device through its paces. However, it looks like Samsung will release the Galaxy Camera on Verizon at some point, thanks to the product page that lists the camera as “Verizon 4G LTE connected.”
Essentially, the Verizon version of the Galaxy Camera looks pretty much identical to its AT&T brethren. However, there is no mention of a CDMA radio in the spec list, which may mean that the cellular capabilities of the device will be completely useless unless you have a 4G LTE plan, but now that Verizon’s LTE is in over 400 markets, you’ll be hard-pressed to not find LTE service in your area.
The Galaxy Camera comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on board, and features a huge 4.8-inch TFT display with a 1280×720 resolution. The camera features an incredible 21x Zoom (23mm-483mm) and a 16MP sensor, as well as all the handy amenities you’d want, like WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. It also doesn’t hurt that it has a 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm chip inside running the show.
There’s no details as to when the Galaxy Camera will launch on Verizon’s network or even how much it will cost, but we’re guessing it’ll be the same $499 for the AT&T version. That’s certainly not cheap for a compact camera, especially for a point-and-shoot device, but the benefit of Android built-in along with LTE connectivity seems pretty worth it to us.
If you can believe it, 4G LTE has been around for two long years already. It only seems like yesterday when Verizon and HTC announced the carrier’s first-ever 4G LTE device, the ThunderBolt, but here we are today with LTE becoming the grand successor to 3G data. To celebrate the moment, Verizon has provided us with a few statistics that are pretty amazing.
Verizon boasts that 46 LTE devices have been introduced so far, and that the service is available in over 440 markets that covers over 250 million people across the US. Verizon also boasted that nearly 11 million customers are using the carrier’s 4G LTE network. That’s obviously a far cry from the 250 million that LTE blankets, but nevertheless, 11 million people is still a lot.
Those 11 million customers using 4G LTE are also responsible for more than 35% of Verizon’s data traffic. And lastly, over 140 companies are working with Verizon Wireless engineers, and 17 organizations participate in Verizon’s LTE in Rural America program. Verizon is clearly on a roll here, and it seems they can’t be stopped.
Again, it’s kind of insane that it’s been two years since Verizon launched their 4G LTE network. Other carriers like T-Mobile have yet to even launch a 4G LTE network, and AT&T is somewhat behind and has some catching up to do if they wants to keep up with Verizon. So, if you’re wanting the carrier with the biggest LTE network, Verizon is the one to go to.
If you’re a customer of Verizon‘s, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for an email, text message, or notification mentioning the carrier’s new “Verizon Selects” program. In exchange for sharing your data usage, such as location, web browsing, and mobile app usage data, you’ll get targeted advertisements delivered to you by either email, text messages, or other forms of mobile advertising.
Right off the bat, this definitely seems unsettling. However, Verizon is making the entire program optional, so when they ask you if you want to take part in the program, you can simply reply with a “no” and Verizon will leave you alone. Granted, the carrier probably didn’t want it to be optional, but they were mostly likely forced to ask customers.
Opting in, though, will score you a coupon or “some other form of reward” from Verizon. Whether or not the coupon or reward will be worth giving up your data is still yet to be seen, but most likely, it isn’t worth it. Customers will probably want to know what coupons they’re getting in return before handing their data over anyway.
For what it’s worth, we’re extremely skeptical that any customer would be willing to voluntarily hand over their usage information in return for a coupon, let alone more annoying marketing notifications, but at least Verizon is asking instead of simply forcing it on us. Offering an opting-in option is always the way to go, but a lot of companies still aren’t there yet, and they may never be.
Keeping up with their promise from Friday, Motorola and Verizon have begun rolling out the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR MAXX HD. Over-the-air update notifications are slowly hitting users’ devices, and new RAZR owners will finally be able to experience Project Butter, Google Now, and ISIS enhancements.
While Verizon simply said that update would hit sometime this week, we’re glad it’s happening first thing rather than later in the week on a Thursday or Friday. Either way, Verizon is pushing out the update “in phases,” so be patient if you haven’t yet seen the update hit your notification tray — it will come!
The Jelly Bean update comes with Google Now, which offers a Siri-like voice search experience that we really like, as well as Project Butter, which adds a layer of virtual butter to the user interface to make it snappier and smoother to navigate, as well as make it quicker to open up apps and switch between them effortlessly.
The DROID RAZR HD comes with a 4.7-inch 720p Super AMOLED display and runs on a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 1GB of RAM. While the 2530mAh battery may be plenty for most users, Motorola launched the RAZR MAXX HD, which is practically identical to the RAZR HD, except for the larger 3300mAh battery for those who really want to last all day long.
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about a Jelly Bean update for the DROID RAZR HD series, but Verizon has announced today that Motorola‘s newest RAZR devices will receive Android 4.1 Jelly Bean starting next week. The rollout will happen in phases, so if you don’t see your update the same time as someone else, be patient.
The Jelly Bean update is coming to Motorola’s DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR MAXX HD. Verizon promised that the update would come to the new handsets back in September when they were originally announced, so it’s nice to see that they’re keeping up on their promises. On top of what users will get with Android 4.1, Verizon says that the update will also offer improved voice and data connectivity, better native calendar settings, and updated versions of all of Verizon’s preloaded apps.
The new DROID RAZR M received the update a couple weeks ago already. That device has a 4.3-inch qHD display with a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and 1GB of RAM. The DROID RAZR HD has a little more oomph to it, thanks to a larger 4.7-inch screen with a 1280×720 resolution. It also has the 1.5GHz S4 chip with 1GB of RAM, and the RAZR MAXX HD comes with a larger 3300mAh battery for those who yearn for better battery life.
Owners of the RAZR HD and MAXX HD should get a notification on their devices when the update is ready to be downloaded and installed. Those who are lucky enough may even see the update as soon as Monday, but don’t be surprised if you don’t end up with it until later in the week.
HTC’s new Windows Phone 8X proves that the manufacturer is capable of building a solid Windows Phone 8 device. We’ve already taken a look at AT&T’s version of the 8X, as well as T-Mobile’s variant, but Verizon has the new device in its repertoire as well, and we’ve got it right here in front of us to see what this version offers. Since we already went over the basics as well as the more advanced stuff with the original full review, as well as dabbled around with T-Mobile’s version, I’ll just be briefly providing an overview of Verizon’s version for those who may be interested in grabbing the device from Big Red.
The HTC Windows Phone 8X sports a 4.3-inch Super LCD2 720p display with a pixel density of 342ppi, and it’s protected with Gorilla Glass 2. We have to say that there’s not much to complain about with the display — viewing angles are adequate, and images and text are really crisp. The back consists of a curved piece of soft-touch plastic that provides a wonderful grip for those with butter fingers. The back is also flat enough that the device is able to rest on a surface without rocking back and forth. Holding the device feels great, and since it has a smaller 4.3-inch screen, the overall size of the 8X doesn’t make it overwhelming to hold.
Below: Our own Cory Gunther walks us through Windows Phone 8 using the HTC Windows Phone 8X, which is the same device featured in this review, save for the carrier.
On the top of the handset, you have the headphone jack (enhanced with Beats Audio technology, of course) and the power button, while the volume rocker and a dedicated camera button are placed on the right side, along with the SIM card slot towards the top. On the back, there’s the 8MP shooter with the speaker placed towards the bottom right underneath the carrier branding. The microUSB port is placed directly on the bottom in the center — right where we like it.
On the inside, there’s the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip with a dual-core Krait processor clocked at 1.5GHz — the same chip that’s in the Samsung Galaxy S III and Nokia’s Lumia 920. Partnered with the S4 are Adreno 225 graphics, and there’s also 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (sorry, no microSD slot on this one either).
There’s really nothing to scoff at when it comes to performance. The 8X is fast and snappy, and the animations (which are what makes Windows Phone 8 look really good) are incredibly smooth. Apps opened quickly, and the dedicated camera button on the side of the phone makes it easy to snap a photo, which is great to have, honestly, since the camera app takes a bit of scrolling to get to. The 1800mAh battery is adequate, and while you’ll be able to go most of the day without having to keep it near an outlet, you’ll most likely have to charge it up by the evening with average usage.
Verizon’s version of the Windows Phone 8X has a little bit of the carrier’s own offerings squished inside the rest of the WP8 user interface. Thankfully, Verizon doesn’t go too crazy with the carrier-specific apps. There’s VZ Navigator, NFL Mobile, and My Verizon Mobile, which lets you manage your Verizon account and check to see how many minutes you’ve used up, as well as how much data you have left during the billing period. None of Verizon’s bloatware — if you could even call it that — gets in the way at all, and I actually hardly even noticed that the apps were there.
The 8X has an 8MP f/2.0 rear camera with a 2.1MP front-facing shooter. There’s nothing to complain about here, and while it’s not the best camera on a Windows Phone 8 device, it certainly performs. If you can’t get your hands on a Lumia 920 (which arguably has the best camera on a WP8 handset), the 8X is a good second choice. It handles low-light conditions surprisingly well. Although, even with adequate lighting, images sometimes appear darker than what they should. However, autofocus, as well as auto-exposure and white balance work pretty well.
The dedicated camera button on the side of the device is two-stage, which means you can push the button halfway down to lock in the settings and then all the way down to snap the photo. The button takes a little bit of force in order to push it down all the way, but you can also use the touchscreen as the shutter button for an alternative.
Wrap-up
Essentially, the 8X from HTC is a great and solid device to test out Windows Phone 8. Personally, it was my first time playing around with Windows Phone 8, and while it did take a little bit of time to get used to the UI, Microsoft clearly made a clean and and stylish mobile operating system, and it ran great on the 8X. Overall, if you’re wanting to stick with Verizon as a carrier (thus, taking the Lumia 920 out of the running), the 8X is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a Windows Phone 8 handset. Of course, there’s only a few options to choose from on Verizon, so the competition is still light at this point, but for $199, the 8X can certainly compete with other handsets out of the WP8 group.
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