HTC Holiday hits the FCC, ready to deliver AT&T’s LTE to 3-percent of Americans

HTC Holiday at the FCC

We’re not sure how much longer it’ll be before the tiny fraction of Americans that can take advantage of AT&T’s LTE network will actually be able to put the HTC Holiday in their hands, but we imagine it won’t be too much longer. It looks like the dual-core super-phone just stopped by the FCC to have its radio checked out, and we’re happy to report the PH39100 came out unscathed. Though photos and specific branding were missing from the filing, we’re pretty confident that this 1700/2100/700 LTE device from HTC is, in fact, the Holiday. We’re also certain that Ma Bell is working like mad to get this 4.5-inch beast out the door real soon. Hit up the source link if you’re into things like RF exposure reports and label placement diagrams.

HTC Holiday hits the FCC, ready to deliver AT&T’s LTE to 3-percent of Americans originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments

Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video)

Dell Streak Pro 101DL. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Clumsy naming aside, this power-laden handset’s just been officially outed by Japanese carrier Softbank, where’ll it bow sometime next January. So, what sort of mobile media tour de force can you look forward to early next year? Try a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED Plus display vividly showcasing a skinned version of the now ubiquitous Android 2.3, all running atop a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 processor. There’s also the usual array of WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and dual cameras on board (1.3 megapixel front-facing / 8 megapixel rear), with planned support for Dell’s SyncUp cloud storage in the works. Of course, the phone delivers up to 14Mbps down via the network’s WCDMA 2100MHz frequency, but you globe-trotting folk can always take advantage of the included quad-band GSM / WCDMA radios. As with all things pre-released, certain specs can still change before the ringing in of our new year. Let’s just keep our toes crossed that one of those potential alterations is a frozen mobile OS dessert. Get a gander of the coming soon gadget in the videos after the break.

[Thanks, Babak]

Continue reading Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video)

Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceSoftbank (Translated)  | Email this | Comments

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet review

When Lenovo announced a pair of Android tablets this summer, we didn’t even pretend it was the IdeaPad K1 we were most jazzed about. Sure, it was exciting to see Lenovo enter the Android tablet market on any terms, but it was the ThinkPad Tablet that set our curious minds rolling. There was the design, for one — an obvious homage to those black, red-nubbed laptops with the same name. It has personality, one that’s inextricably tied to Lenovo’s laptop know-how. It offers a full-sized USB port, an SD slot, 1080p output, a 3G SIM and a slew of accessories that includes a dock, pen and keyboard folio case. It’s the kind of tablet we don’t review all that often: one that might actually make for some painless productivity on the road.

As you can imagine, we’ve been waiting months to learn more, and if your tweets, comments and emails are any indication, so have you. Well, wait no more, friends. We’ve been spending almost a week with one and have oh-so much to say. So what are you waiting for? Meet us past the break, won’t you?

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet review

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Skype 2.5 for Android brings video calls to 14 new devices, including Honeycomb tablets

Skype Video Calling

…And then there were 41.

Oh, sorry, we’re talking about Android devices here. Specifically ones that support video calling over Skype. With the update to version 2.5, the VoIP service has tacked on another 14 Goog-powered gadgets to its list of officially supported handsets and tablets. Yes, that’s right, we said tablets. In addition to bringing support to phones like the Atrix, Bionic and Nexus One, Skype is inviting the Xoom, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Acer’s Iconia to the party. We’ve even received reports that video calls are working on other Honeycomb slates like the ASUS Transformer. You’ll find the full list of officially supported devices in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Skype 2.5 for Android brings video calls to 14 new devices, including Honeycomb tablets

Skype 2.5 for Android brings video calls to 14 new devices, including Honeycomb tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sharp’s Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D qHD display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan

Just a few days after unveiling the waterproof IS13SH, Sharp has come out with yet another beastly submersible, known as the Aquos Phone 102SH. Juiced by a 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 CPU, this Gingerbread-coated handset boasts a 4.5-inch glasses-free 3D display with 720 x 1280 resolution, along with 1GB of RAM and a 32GB microSDHC card. The device also packs a 12 megapixel CMOS sensor and supports DLNA, infrared connections, e-wallet functionality and your standard 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities. No word yet on price, but Japanese carrier SoftBank will begin selling the 102SH in early December. Scurry past the break for more information in the full and translated PR.

Continue reading Sharp’s Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D qHD display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan

Sharp’s Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D qHD display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |   | Email this | Comments

Old Kindle Renamed ‘Kindle Keyboard,’ New Touch Just $10 Cheaper Than Fire

The ‘Kindle Keyboard’ has gotten a new name and price, but how long will it stick around?

I have no idea why you’d want to buy it, unless you do a lot of typing whilst reading a book, but the Kindle 3 has not only survived the keyboard-culling bloodbath that happened in New York yesterday, it has gotten a new, cheaper price.

$40 is the discount Amazon has settled on if you choose to accept ads on the new Kindles, and $40 is what Amazon has now lopped off the price of what is now called the Kindle Keyboard. The non ad-supported Kindle Keyboard is the same $140 as before.

Despite the name change, I have a feeling that these Kindles will be killed once production on the new models is going at full speed. Just take a look at their place in the lineup. To avoid things from becoming even more confusing, we’ll look only at the ad-supported prices, which is the new default positioning from Amazon. To remove ads from any of these, just add $40.

The cheapest Kindle is now the $80 Kindle. This lacks a keyboard (you “type” by moving a cursor over an on-screen keyboard using the d-pad) and has Wi-Fi only.

The Kindle Touch is $100, the same price as the Kindle Keyboard. The Kindle Touch 3G is $150, whereas the Kindle Keyboard 3G is $10 less, at $140. Weird, right? And certainly confusing, with models sharing price points.

But the oddest thing of all is the difference between the top-end e-ink Kindle and the color Kindle Fire when ads are taken out (there is no ad-supported Fire). The ad-free Kindle Touch 3G is $190. The Fire is $200. That tiny $10 difference is the best proof yet that Amazon is heavily subsidizing the Fire hardware to get the price down.

And this is something Amazon can easily afford to do because, unlike Samsung, Motorola and other Android tablet makers, Amazon will continue to make money on every Fire after it is sold. Movies, books, music: everything the average user puts on their Fire will be bought from Amazon. There’s no way other manufacturers can compete. Who the hell is going to buy a 7-inch Galaxy Tab now?

Kindle Comparison page [Amazon]

See Also:


Huawei Honor gets video run-through, manages to hold the mobile court’s attention

Sure, it may not grab headlines like a new iPhone or Google phone but that’s not to say we’re utterly uninterested in seeing a bit more of Huawei’s forthcoming top-drawer handset. Now confirmed to play friendly with US radio frequencies, the single-core 1.4GHz Honor has been given a full video run-through. Techblog posits a December launch and a €300 ($400) price-tag — not exactly the bargain basement prices we’ve come to expect from Huawei, but with a 4-inch touchscreen, DLNA abilities, an 8 megapixel camera on the back and a substantial 1900mAh battery, it looks like you’ll get what you pay for. Catch the video after the break to judge for yourself.

Continue reading Huawei Honor gets video run-through, manages to hold the mobile court’s attention

Huawei Honor gets video run-through, manages to hold the mobile court’s attention originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTechblog Greece (Translated)  | Email this | Comments

Flickr Catches Up to Instagram With Android App, Photo Sessions

Embarrassingly, it has taken Flickr over a year to make an Instagram rival

Just a year after Instagram stole its lunch, ate it and then moved in with its girlfriend, Flickr has launched a rival mobile application — on Android.

Unlike the plain Jane Flickr app on iOS, which lets you upload vanilla images and view pictures already on Flickr, the Android app has ten filters which can be applied first, just like Instagram. Also like Instagram, you can see where geotagged photos were taken on a Google map, share images on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and so on and see comments.

In short, it’s the closest thing Android users will get to Instagram without Instagram itself, and it’s free.

Also announced by Flickr is Photo Sessions, and it’s pretty damn sweet. Photo Sessions lets you watch slideshows of your photos with friends around the world, in real time. Say you’re on your iPad, and your mom is on her crappy old Mac at home. You can start a session (pick the set of your latest vacation, for example) and then send her the URL. It’ll launch into the same slideshow, and whenever you swipe to the next picture, your mom’s computer does the same.

You can even zoom in and draw on the picture, and this is mimicked almost instantly on others’ machines. And if mom is signed in to her own Flickr account, you can use a chat box in the bottom corner. I’m going to try out this exact same scenario, only I plan to do it alongside a Skype session.

Both Photo Sessions and the new Android app are good examples of what Flickr should have been doing a long time ago. With its huge existing community, it could have out-Instagrammed Instagram. As it is, Instagram has grown to 10 million users in a year, with just six employees, leaving Flickr playing catchup.

Flickr App [Android Market]

In-sync browsing with Photo Session [Flickr]

See Also:


HTC Explorer now official, we go hands-on (updated)

This little soldier carries the big responsibility of extending HTC’s dominance to the budget end of the Android spectrum, and it must achieve this mission with only a bare minimum of weaponry: a 3.2-inch HVGA (480 x 320) capacitive display, 600MHz processor, 3MP camera and 512MB of expandable memory. You’ll just have to believe us when we say we had a play with a pre-release device at an HTC event recently, even though the manufacturer’s reps refused to let us take any photos or video to prove it. You’ll find publicity shots in the gallery below plus a full press release, some educated guesswork about price and availability and our initial impressions of the handset right after the break.

Update: The UK’s Three network has confirmed it will stock the device, but it hasn’t divulged the price.

Continue reading HTC Explorer now official, we go hands-on (updated)

HTC Explorer now official, we go hands-on (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Flickr unveils Android app, introduces real-time Photo Session feature (video)

The Android community may be awaiting its very own Instagram app, but at least Flickr has now stepped up to fill the void. Yesterday, the photo-sharing service unveiled its very first Android app, along with a new social feature known as Photo Session. Available for free on the Android Market, the app allows users to snap, filter and upload their photos directly to Facebook, Twitter or Flickr, all from the comfort of their own handset. It also features an array of camera functions like flash, ratio selection, and shutter focus, along with ten high-quality filters. Photo Session, meanwhile, allows you to browse through images with your friends in real-time. All you have to do is round up your online comrades, start a session and begin flipping through a photostream. Every time you move on to the next image, your friends will, too, effectively turning any browsing affair into a collective, Don Draper-like slide show. For more details, check out the source links below, or trot past the break for a video run-down of Photo Session.

Continue reading Flickr unveils Android app, introduces real-time Photo Session feature (video)

Flickr unveils Android app, introduces real-time Photo Session feature (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFlickr  | Email this | Comments