Do You Really Need a 4G Phone Right Now? [4G]

4G is here! More Gs means more faster, right? And who doesn’t want their phone to be faster? Except—maybe you don’t need 4G today. More »

Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value

Now that Verizon’s gone official with its LTE pricing for an initial launch in some 38 markets this Sunday, we wanted to take a quick look at how it compares to the other players in the laptop data market — after all, how much you’re paying month to month can be just as big of a determining factor (if not a bigger one) in choosing a carrier than the speeds you’re seeing. So how do Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Clear, and Rover stack up? Let’s break it down.

Continue reading Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value

Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Olympus hitting AT&T in ‘December or January,’ says now-deleted Facebook post

Excited for Tegra 2 to finally take the Android smartphone world by storm? Recent leaks out of LG and Motorola certainly suggest that NVIDIA’s finally going to make some inroads with its silicon somewhere around the Gingerbread or Honeycomb time frame — and that might happen sooner rather than later if a posting on Facebook is to be believed. Remember that shiny black Olympus (pictured above) that leaked last week? Someone in the captain’s chair of one of AT&T’s official Facebook accounts responded to a question about availability of the phone earlier today, matter-of-factly reporting that “the Motorola Olympus should be available in December or January.” We would’ve been willing to chalk it up to confusion on an employee’s part, but the post was later removed without a trace, and a follow-up with AT&T elicited a standard “we don’t have any information to share about upcoming devices” response. The company claims the posting was made “erroneously,” and we’ll agree with them on at least one level: neither AT&T nor Motorola intended for that information to slip out today.

Motorola Olympus hitting AT&T in ‘December or January,’ says now-deleted Facebook post originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson faults ‘especially rigorous’ firmware testing in US for X10’s Eclair update delay on AT&T

We think this is a veiled way of passing the buck to AT&T — but whatever it is, Sony Ericsson USA has extended an old, crusty, TimeScape-enabled olive branch to Xperia X10 owners in the States by attempting to explain what’s going on with the Eclair update ’round these parts. Basically, the company says that getting an update out in the US is way harder than it is elsewhere because of “the technical requirements that must be met” over which Sony Ericsson has “no control.” The blame is levied on an “especially rigorous” testing cycle that can (and presumably, often does) take several months, which is why they’ve thus far refused to offer guidance on when the update will be released. Honestly, is there any way we can trade in our warranty card to get on the fast track with this stuff? And more importantly, would us bleeding-edge types be willing to take that risk on a wide scale?

Sony Ericsson faults ‘especially rigorous’ firmware testing in US for X10’s Eclair update delay on AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T-branded BlackBerry Bold 9780 spotted by way of eBay

T-Mobile’s got an American lock on the Bold 9780 at the moment, but you know how it goes with BlackBerrys: they tend to go pretty much everywhere (Storm and Torch notably excepted) if you give ’em enough time. Sure enough, an AT&T-branded version just popped up… and if you’ve got $899 lying around and an undying love for unreleased RIM gear, it can be yours. The phone’s chilling on eBay right now with a prominent AT&T logo silkscreened at the bottom; obviously, it stands to reason these guys would want to replace their Bold 9700 before too long, so we’re not surprised to see it go down like this. Want a white version, though? Well, you’ll just have to wait for that.

AT&T-branded BlackBerry Bold 9780 spotted by way of eBay originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Quantum, HTC Surround and Samsung Focus: BOGO from AT&T starting Friday

Here’s hoping you didn’t choose to adopt early. Not even three weeks after Windows Phone 7 went on sale in the US of A comes this: a buy one, get one free sale christened by Microsoft and AT&T. Starting November 26th (that’s Black Friday, we’ll have you know), sleepy-eyed consumers can drag themselves into their local AT&T store in order to pick up an LG Quantum, HTC Surround or Samsung Focus in BOGO fashion — best of all, you can mix and match, enabling users to snag a Quantum and a Surround (or a Focus) for just $199. Naturally, you’ll still be signing a pair of two-year agreements with Ma Bell, but it’s still the cheapest way to indulge in WP7 for the time being. There’s no telling when the deal will end, but common sense would say to jump in early if you’ve got a hankerin’.

LG Quantum, HTC Surround and Samsung Focus: BOGO from AT&T starting Friday originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TerreStar Genus now available to anyone who wants one for just $1,150

Just how much is the promise of anywhere, anytime cellphone reception worth to you? If you answered “one thousand, one hundred and fifty dollars,” well… your time has finally come. After initially launching through business channels alone for $800, TerreStar’s unique GSM / HSPA Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone for AT&T with satellite connectivity is now available to consumers from all walks of life, as long as you’ve got $1,149.99 lying around. The Genus features Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, a 2 megapixel camera, and pretty much every other amenity you’d expect form a WinMo 6.5 smartphone with circa-2008 hardware specs, with the obvious exception that it can be used anywhere you can see TerreStar’s satellite pretty much anywhere in North America. Of course, we’d be a little hesitant about buying a four-figure phone that operates on a bankrupt service, but if you need coverage in the boondocks, your options are pretty limited. Follow the break for TerreStar’s demo video and full press release.

Continue reading TerreStar Genus now available to anyone who wants one for just $1,150

TerreStar Genus now available to anyone who wants one for just $1,150 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell US now offering Streak unlocked with Froyo, in Cherry Red

We knew good and well that Android 2.2 was sneaking out and making itself active on Dell’s unlocked Streak units, but now it seems that the backlog of older units has been cleared. That has made way for new stock over at Dell’s US site, with a 16GB Carbon Black unlocked Streak going for $579.99 with Froyo from the factory; the 32GB model is listed at $678.99. Curiously, that 16GB model is $30 more than what the unlocked Android 1.6 model went for back in August. Also, we’re left to assume that even the “unlocked” models will still be SIM-locked to AT&T, though Dell does play up the fact that unlocked Streaks can be used as a mobile hotspot for up to eight WiFi-enabled devices without ponying up extra to Ma Bell. In related news, the long-awaited Cherry Red Streak is also on sale in the US of A, but you’ll have to flip to page two down in the source link in order to find the 32GB and unlocked variants. Good luck wading through the options, champ.

[Thanks, Jar Jar Binks]

Dell US now offering Streak unlocked with Froyo, in Cherry Red originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Free Phone on Every Major Carrier [Free Phones]

Amazon will gladly sell you awesome phones for a penny. But what if you need that penny? Here’s the best free phones on every carrier. More »

Screen Grabs: Someone named Jesse McCartney uses his Motorola Flipout to stare at some poor girl’s backside

Pop musicians have been endorsing products as long as they’ve existed (who could forget Beatles toothpaste, Ricky Nelson hand sanitizer, or Enrico “The Great Caruso” Caruso-brand horse polish?), but for some reason the convergence of the two never fails to amuse (and annoy) us. Even more so when sensible boy band yelper Jesse McCartney, um, flips out his Motorola Flipout Android phone to surreptitiously film some hard working dancer’s backside. Is that how a celebrity should act? We think not! Video after the break (if you really want to, that is).

Continue reading Screen Grabs: Someone named Jesse McCartney uses his Motorola Flipout to stare at some poor girl’s backside

Screen Grabs: Someone named Jesse McCartney uses his Motorola Flipout to stare at some poor girl’s backside originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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