Hasta La Gadget!

Did you know that the word “jumbo” originated from the name of an African elephant famed for being the largest of his kind? HTC will be well familiar with that tag having already rattled off the HD2, EVO 4G, and HD7 in a smartphone-dwarfing 4.3-inch form factor. And while that may not be the largest screen you can have your Android confectionery on today, it’s arguably the upper limit of what we might consider a pocketable device. The HTC Desire HD follows, and seeks to improve upon, its laudable predecessors with an aluminum unibody construction, WVGA (800 x 480) display, 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash plus 720p video, and a modern 1GHz CPU. That hardware is put at the service of Android’s latest Froyo offering, complemented with an updated Sense that includes a web interface for controlling and discovering your phone remotely. It’s a rich spec sheet, that much is unquestionable, but you’re not just here for tenuous wildlife-related metaphors, you want to know if the whole is equal to, or perhaps even more than, the sum of its parts. Join us after the break for a deeper look at the Desire HD.

Continue reading HTC Desire HD review

HTC Desire HD review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If last night’s cameo showing off the official Twitter client for Windows Phone 7 wasn’t enough of a hint, yes, we’ve gotten our hands on LG’s Optimus 7. This 3.8-inch machine will serve as LG’s international WP7 ambassador while Americans get to grips with its QWERTY keyboard-equipped Quantum brother. As you’ll no doubt be aware by now, the internal equipment is standardized around Microsoft’s chassis spec, meaning a WVGA screen resolution, a 1GHz Snapdragon inside, and a 5 megapixel camera shooting 720p video at 24fps. You’d think, therefore, that it’d be a nondescript, middle-of-the-road option, but the Optimus 7 left us extremely impressed after our first hands-on and we’re eager to keep digging for more. Does it put up a righteous fight against the more ambitious HD7 from HTC and Omnia 7 from Samsung? Jump past the break to find out.

This review is primarily of the LG Optimus 7 hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS.

Continue reading LG Optimus 7 review

LG Optimus 7 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The first time Nokia’s N8-00 popped up on our radar was way back in early February of this year. On that chilly, misty morning, we learned of a mythical being capable of shooting 12 megapixel stills, recording 720p video, outputting via HDMI, and — most importantly — ushering in the promised Symbian^3 touch revolution. It’s been a long road of leaks, teasers, hands-ons, and previews since then, but at long last, the legend of the N8 has become a purchasable commodity. All the early specs have survived, including the 3.5-inch AMOLED display, but the key question today, as it was at the beginning, relates to that all-new software within: does Symbian^3 succeed in elevating Nokia’s touchscreen experience or does it drag down an otherwise stellar combination of high-end parts? For that verdict and much, much more, join us after the break.

Continue reading Nokia N8 review

Nokia N8 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’ve been waiting, and it’s finally here: the Apple TV review. Months before Steve Jobs announced the new set top box at Apple’s annual fall event, we had been reporting on news that the company would strike out again into the TV market, offering a small, low-cost box that had more in common with the iPhone than the iMac. When those rumors came to fruition, we were presented with the completely revamped Apple TV — a tiny black puck of a device priced at a staggering $99, and centered around a handful of completely new ideas (for the folks in Cupertino at least) about getting content onto your TV screen. The first is a new rental system which allows you to nab brand new TV shows at $0.99 a rental, and HD movies for $4.99 a go (or $3.99 for older titles). And that includes new releases the same day DVDs hit shelves (or Netflix distribution centers). Speaking of Netflix, the new Apple TV also features the rental service’s “Watch Instantly” as a wholly integrated component of its offerings, alongside a new function the company calls AirPlay which will allow you to “push” video and audio content from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch with the tap of a button. On top of that, the new ATV streamlines sharing from your home computers or laptops, making getting content you own onto your TV dead simple. So, has Apple finally solved the “second box” problem, or are they still struggling to turn this hobby into a real business? Follow along after the break for those answers (and more) in our full review of the Apple TV!

Continue reading Apple TV review (2010)

Apple TV review (2010) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3M may have snuck out two pico projectors for the guy in the boardroom yesterday, but its latest handheld is clearly designed for after-hour usage. Figuring it can leverage its projector roots and jump right on into the camcorder / camera side of things, the company’s Shoot ‘N Share packs a 5 megapixel sensor that can capture 720p MP4 video as well as take stills. Once you’re done recording, you can tap the capacitive projector button and display it on the wall (or in our style, on someone’s forehead). We figured with only 14 lumens of brightness it would be fairly dim, but some recorded video was actually bright enough to make out in a fairly light room. However, it only projects at 640 x 480, though we guess for $299 we didn’t expect much more. The projector… er, camera, has a microSD card slot and HDMI jack on its edges, but it’s definitely chunkier than we’d like. Hit the shots below to decide for yourself and the press release after the break for a few extra details.

Continue reading 3M Shoot ‘N Share does just that: shoots 720p, shares with its built-in pico

3M Shoot ‘N Share does just that: shoots 720p, shares with its built-in pico originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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