Samsung’s First Droid Smartphone to Drop on April 28

Samsung’s Droid Charge is the latest 4G phone slated for release on Verizon’s network. Photo courtesy of Verizon

First came Motorola’s Droid. HTC’s Droid Eris followed shortly thereafter. Finally, Samsung will add one of its devices to Verizon’s popular “Droid” brand with the Droid Charge, Samsung’s latest Android OS-powered smartphone.

In a release issued on Wednesday, Verizon and Samsung announced that the Droid Charge will be available in the U.S. on April 28 in Verizon retail stores.

The price? A hefty 300 bucks, and that’s after being subsidized with a two-year contract.

From what we can see on the details released thus far, the Charge’s hardware makes the phone no slouch. It’s got a huge 4.3-inch super AMOLED screen, 1-GHz processor and both back and front facing cameras (8 megapixels and 1.3 megapixels, respectively). It’s not running the most recent version of Android, though — the phone comes with 2.2 (Froyo) instead of 2.3 (Gingerbread).

It’s the second 4G LTE-enabled smartphone release for Verizon in 2011, with the HTC Thunderbolt being Verizon’s flagship 4G device. Until the Charge’s release, Verizon lags behind in the number of 4G device choices that its competitors AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile are offering.

Motorola’s 4G Droid Bionic was supposed to launch in the spring as the second 4G device on Verizon’s network, but Motorola has delayed the phone’s release until late summer, as the company wants to rework the phone with “expanded features, functionality and an improved form factor,” according to a statement.

The Thunderbolt has done well for Verizon, with phone sales topping 260,000 in the two-week period between March 17 and the end of the company’s financial first quarter. Though the 4G Thunderbolts sales were dwarfed by those of the 3G iPhone released on Verizon’s network in February: the company boasted 2.2 million iPhone 4 activations in the first quarter.

Of course, there’s a laundry list of other Droid-branded phones from Motorola and HTC we haven’t mentioned (Droid 2, the Incredible, etc.), but it’s Samsung’s first. The Droid branding and initiative revitalized the once-ailing Motorola, and made popular the relatively young HTC corporation.

We’ll have to wait and see what — if anything — Droid does for Samsung.


Amazon updates Kindle app for Honeycomb, shows that tablets really do exist

If you’ve done any Kindling on your Xoom or your G-Slate or your Transformer or whatever little slice of Honeycomb you’re calling home, chances are you’ve noticed the app isn’t exactly optimized for the relatively big screen of your slate. Well, now it has been. As promised, Amazon has just pushed an update to the Kindle app that makes it decidedly more 3.0-friendly. Gone is the ugly list of books, replaced by a lovely grid of titles including cover art. Just tap to start reading. Text itself within the books is higher-res and page turning seems snappier too. Worth the download? For sure — especially since it’s still free.

Continue reading Amazon updates Kindle app for Honeycomb, shows that tablets really do exist

Amazon updates Kindle app for Honeycomb, shows that tablets really do exist originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Xoom, Nexus S 4G hitting Sprint in early May?

Sprint service the only thing standing between you and a Motorola Xoom? Good news — a tipster passed along an internal calendar showing an April 25th employee training date for the Honeycomb tablet, and while we’re still taking it with a grain of salt, it seems like the real deal. If past products are any indication, it should hit Sprint stores a fortnight later, in early May, lining up nicely with those Xoom cases that were spotted a week back. The Nexus S 4G also looks to be slotted for employee training the same day, foreshadowing busy times ahead for the Now Network cashiers.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Motorola Xoom, Nexus S 4G hitting Sprint in early May? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon launches German Kindle Store with 650,000 titles and lots of long words

After having already penetrated the UK’s e-book market last year, Amazon has now launched the German Kindle Store, bringing more than 650,000 titles to Europe’s most populous country. With today’s launch, the German Kindle Store instantly becomes Germany’s biggest e-bookstore, with some 25,000 German-language titles, thousands of free classics, and a similarly bountiful collection of independent newspapers and magazines. Customers will also be able to purchase the latest Kindle and Kindle 3G models directly from Amazon.de, along with a whole new suite of free, German-language Kindle apps for iPhone, iPad, PC and Android platforms. Germany’s writers and publishers, meanwhile, can use the Kindle Direct Publishing service to make their works instantly available on the new store, where, if they’re lucky, they may get to pocket some handsome royalties, as well. Full press release after the break.

Continue reading Amazon launches German Kindle Store with 650,000 titles and lots of long words

Amazon launches German Kindle Store with 650,000 titles and lots of long words originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Fans Call Apple Out

 

white-iphone-4.jpgApple is suing Samsung for “copying” the iPod, and the iPad. However, Android users are saying that Apple copied the Android devices first. The fans claim that Apple stole the design from a Samsung Android-based phone called F700. The touch screen phone was a boxier looking model that some say started this whole craze.

Lets look at the facts, the Samsung F700 debuted back in 2006, then came out in February 2007. The Apple iPhone was first shown in January 2007 and then came out that following June. The product by Samsung was older than the famous iPhone, which makes Apple appear to have copied the design concept.

Thus far, neither Apple or Samsung have released a public statement about the lawsuit. Nor has Samsung filed one back at Apple.

 Via Apple Insider

ECOtality announces Blink Mobile EV charging app

It’s fast becoming apparent that no electric vehicle is complete without an accompanying smartphone app to help you find places to charge it, and it looks like ECOtality isn’t about to let that trend pass it by. It’s just announced its new Blink Mobile app for iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices, which will let folks locate Blink charging stations, check up on the charger’s status, and receive various alerts (like when your car is finished charging at home). Unfortunately, you can’t download it just yet, but ECOtality says it will be available sometime this summer, with the iOS and Android apps likely to come out a bit ahead of the BlackBerry app — a web-based app is also in development. Head on past the break for the complete press release.

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ECOtality announces Blink Mobile EV charging app originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon to take on Apple this summer with Samsung-built tablet?

You really should pay attention when Engadget’s founder, Peter Rojas speaks about the tech industry. Especially when he leads into a story like this:

It’s something of an open secret that Amazon is working on an Android tablet and I am 99 percent certain they are having Samsung build one for them.

The GDGT piece goes on to present a very reasoned argument that paints Amazon, not Samsung or the rest of the traditional consumer electronics industry, as Apple’s chief competition in the near-term tablet space. An idea that’ll be tough to argue against if Amazon — with its combined music (downloadable and streaming), video, book, and app ecosystem — can actually launch a dirt-cheap, highly-customized, 7-inch Android tablet this summer as Pete predicts. Oh, and the fact that Amazon already has our credit card details will certainly make for easy adoption. Hit the source below for the full read or, better yet, stay tuned for the next Engadget Show where we’ll be nerding-out with the son of the father of the father of Engadget.

Amazon to take on Apple this summer with Samsung-built tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S II to arrive in UK on April 27th, but only through Phones 4u

UK phone retailer Phones 4u has scooped itself a short-term but enviable exclusive — it’ll be the only place in the UK where you’ll be able to buy Samsung’s Galaxy S II in April. The 1.2GHz dual-core Android superphone has already been announced for wide availability in the Queen’s Kingdom on May 1st, but Phones 4u will get you one as early as April 27th, plus it’ll throw in a free 8GB microSD card if you pre-order one now. The Galaxy S II will be available for free on two-year contracts costing £35 per month and above and there’ll be a choice of carriers. Only Orange’s tariffs are listed at the moment, but we imagine the others will be showing up soon as well. Jump past the break for the press release.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II to arrive in UK on April 27th, but only through Phones 4u

Samsung Galaxy S II to arrive in UK on April 27th, but only through Phones 4u originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee Pad Transformer hits US on April 26th for $399

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer

We recently deemed the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer the “best Honeycomb tablet yet.” Admittedly that was before we got our hands on the T-Mobile G-Slate, but it’s still an awfully nice hunk of glass, and now we know just how much you’re going to have to pay to get one — and exactly when you can plunk down that credit card. The 10.1-inch Transformer with its 1280 x 800 IPS panel and 16GB of storage will cost you $399, while the 32GB version will set you back $499. That docking station, which kinda sorta turns it into a laptop? That costs $150. Units are expected to hit retail on Tuesday, April 26th, meaning you have just five days to scrounge together four or five Benjamins — plus tax, of course.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer hits US on April 26th for $399 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon starts delivering long overdue Froyo update to Fascinate users

Rejoice, brothers and sisters, for the Froyo has been delivered! Verizon’s Fascinate was up until today weirdly stuck in its Android 2.1 gear, but the carrier has finally figured out whatever needed figuring out and is currently beaming out an Android 2.2 update over the air to expectant users. Now that we’ve put this long wait behind us, can we maybe jump to 2.3 in a slightly more sprightly fashion, Verizon?

[Thanks, Jason]

Verizon starts delivering long overdue Froyo update to Fascinate users originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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