Verizon bonanza: Droid X2, Revolution, Trophy, and Xperia Play hit Big Red today

Verizon is seriously diversifying its portfolio today with the official in-store launch of four new smartphones. Three of them roll up in Android gear, though they all have major selling points beyond Google’s software. LG’s Revolution is the sole LTE-capable handset of the bunch, bringing with it a 4.3-inch screen and pre-installed Netflix for $250. The Droid X2 undercuts it on price, at $200, but doubles the core count with its Tegra 2 processor and ramps up resolution to qHD (960 x 540). Gaming aficionados can spend the same amount on the Xperia Play from Sony Ericsson, which offers a slideout gamepad and unique PlayStation Certified status. Bringing up the rear is HTC’s well-traveled Trophy, a 3.8-inch Windows Phone that accepts it’s a little late to the party and therefore slices $50 off its asking price, with a $150 levy before the obligatory two-year contract. What say you — buy, try, or keep waiting?

Verizon bonanza: Droid X2, Revolution, Trophy, and Xperia Play hit Big Red today originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 02:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceVerizon (Droid X2), (Revolution), (Xperia Play), (Trophy)  | Email this | Comments

Sprint teams up with Motorola for June 9 event, finally launching a Tegra 2 device?

Sprint and Motorola have a little special something up their sleeves, and are rolling them up to show off their latest “collaborations” at a press luncheon on June 9th. Since big bosses CEO Dan Hesse and Sanjay Jha will be in attendance, and the event will be held during Apple’s WWDC, we have a feeling this is going to be something big. Whatever this project is, it’s been kept under the radar very well — until now. We’re hearing buzz about a Tegra 2-powered device planned for a launch next month; different reports have come out over the last few days claiming Sprint will finally take a turn sporting a Tegra 2 Android — the yin to the EVO 3D’s yang, we suppose — sometime next month.

The device may be called the Motorola Photon 4G, a name that first appeared in a WiFi certification form (seen after the break) a month ago. According to the rumors, Sprint was ready to launch its own version of the Atrix 4G back in March, but stalled the phone’s release in order to make a few design changes. Some of these changes supposedly include a 4.3-inch display, Gingerbread pre-installed, and a look that closely resembles the EVO 4G (it would even come with a kickstand). The Photon 4G is a probability for the event, but note that the invite mentions “collaborations,” implying there will be more than one product to showcase. This could mean a Xoom with WiMAX is just about ready for primetime — or perhaps it’s something else magical and unexpected. No matter what’s hiding in Hesse’s pocket on June 9th, we’ll be there to tell you all about it.

Continue reading Sprint teams up with Motorola for June 9 event, finally launching a Tegra 2 device?

Sprint teams up with Motorola for June 9 event, finally launching a Tegra 2 device? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 priced at €606 by Amazon.de, joined by 10.1 model in a pre-order dance

The US already knows when Samsung will launch its updated Galaxy Tab models and for how much, but that picture hasn’t been quite as lucid over in Europe. Amazon.de is doing its best to dissipate the mists of unknowing by listing the 16GB Galaxy Tab 8.9 at a price of €606.50 ($852), whether you’re buying the version with a black or white back. That sounds a relatively steep price, but it’s not clear whether we’re talking about the WiFi-only or 3G-equipped model. Notably, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 option is also listed alongside its 8.9-inch brethren, but there’s no price attached to it yet. All we can really say for now is that the wheels are in motion and these Honeycomb tablets look to be on their way to the Euro market at about the same time as they’ll hit the American one. Égalité!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 priced at €606 by Amazon.de, joined by 10.1 model in a pre-order dance originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 May 2011 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Netbook News  |  sourceAmazon.de  | Email this | Comments

Droid 3 details leaked: dual-core processor, 4-inch qHD screen, no LTE?

Droid 3

You’ve probably already seen the leaked pictures of the Droid 3, but what you really want to know is what’s going on underneath that chrome trim. TechnoBuffalo claims to have the inside scoop and it sounds like the latest landscape slider from Motorola is packing a number of nice improvements. According to a tipster the screen has been upgraded to a 4-inch qHD panel and inside is one of those fancy dual-cores all the cool phones are rockin’ these days — presumably of the Tegra 2 variety like its Droid X2 cousin. As spied in the photos it also has a new 5-row keyboard layout and front facing camera for video calls, while the rear-facing shooter is getting bumped to 8 megapixels. There is one disappointing, but not entirely shocking, detail though — the Droid 3 will lack LTE. We can’t confirm these specs, but they’re perfectly logical assumptions and raise no alarms and no surprises.

Droid 3 details leaked: dual-core processor, 4-inch qHD screen, no LTE? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 10:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Holiday to be a 4.5-inch behemoth with qHD resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core, and AT&T future

HTC brought in the 4.3-inch craze, but now that that form factor has gone mainstream, it’s looking to even larger dimensions. A 4.5-inch HTC Holiday has been dug up by none other than 911sniper, which is said to pack a qHD resolution (960 x 540), a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660, 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and the very latest version of Android Gingerbread (2.3.4). That comes on the heels of Pocketnow unearthing a supposed image of the AT&T-bound smartphone, showing a predictably uncomplicated design framing a vast display. Let’s just hope the Holiday codename doesn’t mean we’ll have to wait till the holidays to see this overpowered new beast in action.

[Thanks, Connor]

HTC Holiday to be a 4.5-inch behemoth with qHD resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core, and AT&T future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 03:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Product portal, tweets suggest ‘Thrive’ moniker for Toshiba’s Honeycomb tablet

“What’s in a name?” We’d ask Toshiba, but the company hasn’t been able to give its upcoming 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet one in five months — or has it? If you’ll recall, Toshiba registered the name Thrive for trademark and related domain names last month, and now evidence is mounting that all of that work wasn’t in vain. TabletCommunity learned days ago that a commercial for the device was in production via some chatty actors on Twitter; soon after, the site also uncovered a parking page for the slate on Toshiba’s website, albeit with little more than the aforesaid name categorized under “Tablets.” It’s a welcome update in light of the vapid titles “Antares” and “ANT300” that had also seemed possible, and once word spills of US pricing and availability, perhaps we can focus on more pressing matters… you know, like benchmarks.

[Thanks, Jakob]

Product portal, tweets suggest ‘Thrive’ moniker for Toshiba’s Honeycomb tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 May 2011 04:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TabletCommunity  |  sourceToshiba, @DavidLyddon, @actorlulumiller , @bigashb (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

Nokia’s Windows Phones will feature dual-core ST-Ericsson U8500, says STMicroelectronics chief

As you’ll no doubt be aware, Qualcomm currently enjoys a stranglehold on processing hardware inside Windows Phone handsets. Its Snapdragon chip stars in both Microsoft’s original and updated chassis spec for the platform, but its hegemony may soon be coming to an end. STMicroelectronics (the ST in ST-Ericsson) boss Carlo Bozotti is cited by Forbes as saying that Nokia will use ST-Ericsson hardware to power at least some of its Windows Phones. The dual-core U8500, a long-time Nokia favorite, is touted as the first such system-on-chip to appear, with its successors helping to populate Nokia’s expansive WP lineup in 2012. The only intel we’ve had so far on Nokia’s initial handsets for the new OS revolved around Qualcomm-based devices, so even if ST-Ericsson is indeed going to infiltrate the Windows Phone ecosystem, it doesn’t look likely to be among the very first Nokias out of the gate.

Nokia’s Windows Phones will feature dual-core ST-Ericsson U8500, says STMicroelectronics chief originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 01:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Streak Pro Honeycomb tablet pictured, likely to be with us in June

Android Honeycomb OS, 10-inch screen size with 1280 x 800 resolution, and NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 (T20) chip on the inside. If those specs sound familiar, it’s because most manufacturers already have a tablet just like Dell’s upcoming Streak Pro. This slate from Round Rock got us a little hot under the collar recently, when it appeared it would ship with the T25 Tegra 2 silicon — which runs at 1.2GHz and offers 3D support — but nope, it’s same old, same old from Michael and company. Still, the Streak Pro will apparently come will a brushed aluminum back, 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB storage options, dual mics, dual cameras (2 megapixel on the front, 5 megapixel ’round back), and a choice of four colors: blue, pink, black, and red. If that’s not enough customization for you, Dell’s also adding its Stage UI atop Android, while support for AT&T’s LTE network is also said to be under consideration. You can see some of the new tablet’s accessories at the source link below, which also advises us to expect the Streak to go Pro in June, as previously anticipated.

Dell Streak Pro Honeycomb tablet pictured, likely to be with us in June originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 03:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Netbook News, SlashGear  |  sourceTweakers.net  | Email this | Comments

Motorola Droid X2 official at $200: launching online May 19th, in stores May 26th (update: in some stores on 19th)

Motorola and Verizon have finally stopped teasing us and have made the Droid X2 official. This is a 4.3-inch Android (2.2, to be upgraded to 2.3) smartphone with a qHD screen resolution and a dual-core 1GHz processor. An 8 megapixel camera with continuous autofocus and HD video recording graces the back. The X2 will cost the usual $200 on contract and will be available to buy online tomorrow, May 19th, before making its way out to stores a week later, on May 26th. Leap past the break for the full PR.

Interestingly, we’ve also spotted the close proximity of the USB and HDMI ports on the side of the new X2. That arrangement is reminiscent of the one on Motorola’s Atrix, where the two connectors served to hook that handset up to its laptop and multimedia docks. We don’t know whether the Droid X2 will fit into the accessories designed for the Atrix, but it looks sure to be strapping itself into a dock of some description in the near future.

Update: NVIDIA has confirmed that its Tegra 2 chip is the heretofore unnamed 1GHz dual-core chip inside the Droid X2, which just happens to be Verizon’s first dual-core smartphone.

Update 2: A little birdie tells us you may be able to pick up this bad boy in person in some stores as soon as tomorrow (May 19th). Your mileage may vary, but let us know in the comments if you manage to buy one.

Continue reading Motorola Droid X2 official at $200: launching online May 19th, in stores May 26th (update: in some stores on 19th)

Motorola Droid X2 official at $200: launching online May 19th, in stores May 26th (update: in some stores on 19th) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 20:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid X2 official at $200: launching online May 19th, in stores May 26th

Motorola and Verizon have finally stopped teasing us and have made the Droid X2 official. This is a 4.3-inch Android (2.2, to be upgraded to 2.3) smartphone with a qHD screen resolution and a dual-core 1GHz processor. An 8 megapixel camera with continuous autofocus and HD video recording graces the back. The X2 will cost the usual $200 on contract and will be available to buy online tomorrow, May 19th, before making its way out to stores a week later, on May 26th. Leap past the break for the full PR.

Interestingly, we’ve also spotted the close proximity of the USB and HDMI ports on the side of the new X2. That arrangement is reminiscent of the one on Motorola’s Atrix, where the two connectors served to hook that handset up to its laptop and multimedia docks. We don’t know whether the Droid X2 will fit into the accessories designed for the Atrix, but it looks sure to be strapping itself into a dock of some description in the near future.

Continue reading Motorola Droid X2 official at $200: launching online May 19th, in stores May 26th

Motorola Droid X2 official at $200: launching online May 19th, in stores May 26th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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