Hasta La Gadget!

Though it’s just being called the “Samsung 4G LTE Smartphone” at this point, rest assured: the Android-powered device is very much real and very much destined for Verizon’s airwaves. Though the inclusion of LTE is obviously a high point, the phone’s claim to fame might be that it’ll be among the first devices in the world to feature one of Sammy’s newfangled Super AMOLED Plus displays (4.3 inches, in this case) that offers even better contrast and outdoor viewability than the original Super AMOLED did. You’ve got TouchWiz-skinned Android 2.2, an 8 megapixel camera with flash paired to a 1.3 megapixel front-facing unit for video calling, and a 1GHz processor that seems to mirror what’s already being offered on most of the Galaxy S series today — no dual-core madness here.

We had a few fleeting moments to touch (but not photograph) the phone recently, and the screen is definitely a sight to behold — we’re not sure how Samsung managed to make a more contrasty display than Super AMOLED, but it did. We’ll admit, we didn’t love the tapered shape — we thought it looked a little strange sitting on a table, though some might like it and it’s certainly not a big deal either way. We also weren’t huge fans of the big physical buttons below the display, a surprising counterpoint to the recent trend toward capacitive buttons on high-end Android devices. It’s a heavy phone, though probably not heavy enough to bother folks who are in the market for a 4.3-inch display anyway — and hey, we won’t know for sure how it stacks up until we pit it head-to-head in a brutal deathmatch with Verizon’s other version-one LTE phones like the Droid Bionic. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Samsung sends Verizon an unnamed Android smartphone with LTE, Super AMOLED Plus display

Samsung sends Verizon an unnamed Android smartphone with LTE, Super AMOLED Plus display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Would you look at that. Verizon’s ongoing press conference has been accompanied by the appearance of two 4.3-inch LTE handsets coming to the network. Both HTC’s Thunderbolt and LG’s Revolution were pretty well known in advance, but hey, now we have big luscious high-res pictures to gawk at. The Revolution will come with Android 2.2 preloaded while the Thunderbolt has Skype video calling integrated right into HTC Sense. The latter device also boasts a Super LCD display, 8 megapixel camera with HD video recording, DLNA, Dolby Surround Sound, and the honor of being a Verizon exclusive in the US. Now that the devices have been made official, we also know that the Revolution can stream, play and record HD video, perform video chat with a front-facing camera, and share its 4G connection with up to eight devices through its built-in hotspot functionality. Jump past the break for the full announcement.

Update: Hop on past the break for the Thunderbolt specs, courtesy of our friend Peyton (and HTC).

Continue reading HTC Thunderbolt and LG Revolution official on Verizon (update)

HTC Thunderbolt and LG Revolution official on Verizon (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We knew it was coming, but we didn’t know what it would look like… or anything else besides 4G, Honeycomb, and an LG partnership, but at it’s press event here at CES, T-Mobile has finally revealed its G-Slate tablet. It looks like, well, a big screen, and we’re still working on getting more details, but for now these shots from the presser will have to suffice.

T-Mobile G-Slate revealed at CES press event originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Samsung Infuse 4G for AT&T eyes-on (Update: video)

Samsung Infuse 4G for AT&T eyes-on (Update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If this is the direction high-power smartphones are going, we like what we’re seeing. Though the software’s still a bit raw (there’s no Android Market, for example), the Droid Bionics on display here at Motorola’s CES event this evening look and feel pretty blazingly fast. A spokesman we chatted with said that Motorola is actually doing some manner of software optimization (and yes, it’ll launch with 2.2) to take advantage of the two cores out of the box, so it’s a promising start — as Jha says, it’s “2GHz of processing power.” We hope that’s true in practice!

Physically, the phone feels smooth in the same way a Droid 2 does, though a bit lighter — good news considering the LTE hardware and big display, but not entirely surprising when you take into account the lack of a sliding QWERTY keyboard. The patterned battery cover looks textured, but it’s actually quite smooth with a slight soft touch treatment. The screen looks great — in particular, the viewing angle looked superb, though all phone displays have a tendency to look a little better in this sexy lighting since they can’t wash out as easily. Follow the break for video!

Continue reading Motorola Droid Bionic hands-on

Motorola Droid Bionic hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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