Samsung: the LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus will be ‘a little’ thicker

We got it straight from the horse’s mouth here at Samsung and Google’s Galaxy Nexus launch event that the future LTE edition of the Galaxy Nexus will indeed be thicker than the HSPA+ model showcased today (and above). How much thicker? “A little,” according to a company representative, but he wouldn’t go so far as to talk millimeters. When asked if the additional size was there to hold the LTE package or just a larger battery, he also failed to elaborate. We’d be shocked if the LTE variant doesn’t pack at least a bit more juice — we’ve covered the damage that LTE does to a battery in great detail here — but frankly, we’d rather have something a wee bit thicker than a phone that dies after four hours of use.

Samsung: the LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus will be ‘a little’ thicker originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Droid RAZR by Motorola: the tale of the tape

Well folks, the wait is over. Now you can push the rumors, early introductions and other pre-announcement ramblings aside and focus on the real matter at hand: which of these shiny new handsets will you buy? Will it be the Galaxy Nexus or the Droid RAZR? Let us offer some insight into the matter as we dive head-first into the specs below.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Droid RAZR by Motorola: the tale of the tape

Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Droid RAZR by Motorola: the tale of the tape originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid RAZR hits FCC with Verizon LTE, global GSM radio

Surprisingly, Motorola seems to have been taken a page out of Apple’s book, as the Droid RAZR was curiously approved by the FCC almost immediately after it was announced. And there’s some good stuff to behold in here, too; in addition to the usual Verizon-friendly LTE Band 13 radio with CDMA 800 / 1900 support, we also found instances of GSM and WCDMA. In fact, we discovered that the 850 / 1900 bands were tested — even though they’re locked from being used by US operators. And that’s not all, folks: the docs specifically state “this device supports voice call functionality over GSM and WCDMA on non-US cellular networks.” We don’t want to say for sure that this means the RAZR will be the first LTE device on Verizon to officially support global GSM roaming, as it could simply refer to the device’s Canadian availability or being sold overseas, but it’s a strong indication towards the possibility. If fun graphs and measurements are your thing, the link is open for perusal below.

Motorola Droid RAZR hits FCC with Verizon LTE, global GSM radio originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid RAZR hands-on (video)

To everyone who rocked a Motorola RAZR in the ’00s, it’s time to get excited again. The line — or at least the name — has been reborn, and not without good reason. This is a thin device — extremely thin. The Droid RAZR by Motorola is 7.1mm thin, in fact, and holding it up next to the iPhone 4 makes Apple’s phone look downright beefy by comparison. At 127 grams, it’s also incredibly light, a fact that’s quite apparent the first time you hold thing — we were honestly a bit surprised when it was first dropped in our hands. The company has clearly come a long way from the first generation Droid.

Of course, as noted, Motorola didn’t skimp on the specs here. The RAZR’s got a TI OMAP 4430 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB RAM inside, and it does zip through apps with ease. The handset is rocking Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread — or at least was during our hands-on. No word on Ice Cream Sandwich — though we’ll no doubt be hearing more about that OS at tonight’s event. The 4.3 inch qHD Super AMOLED display is quite bright, and should do wonders on those Netflix HD videos.

Also of note is the phone’s relative ruggedness, thanks to its Kevlar backing, diamond cut aluminum and Gorilla Glass, but in spite of these facts, it really doesn’t feel or particularly look like a rugged device in your hands, just a big, surprisingly light handset. It’s a slick, fast, thin phone, that certainly seems worthy of the RAZR name we’ve all know and love.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Continue reading Motorola Droid RAZR hands-on (video)

Motorola Droid RAZR hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid RAZR unveiled: LTE, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, available November for $299

As far as secrets go, this one was not well kept. After a series of leaks that treated us to early images of the device, Motorola finally spilled the LTE beans with a teaser page reveal just yesterday. Now, we have official confirmation that the itsy bitsy 4G Spyder’s on its Big Red way.

This newest addition to Verizon’s Droid lineup boasts a Gorilla Glass coated, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display — a first for any mobile handset — atop a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP4430 processor. Although the RAZR may look like a Kevlar-wrapped, slightly warped Droid X with its 7.1mm skinny silhouette and familiar topside hump, the insides tell a different tale. Joining the list of well-heeled specs, are an 8 megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p HD video, 1GB RAM, 16GB of onboard storage with 16GB additional on the microSD card and an 1,800mAh battery. Moto’s also included Lapdock 100 and 500 Pro compatibility, converting this latest red-eyed beastie into a power user’s best friend.

To help you squeeze the most productivity out of its 21st century RAZR, Moto’s also thrown in what it’s calling SmartActions software to manage your phone’s battery life. These user-determined settings can be programmed to shut off Bluetooth when you return home or slow down the processor speed while you’re on the phone — whatever your energy needs, the company’s intent you make the most of this handset. A new personal cloud feature comes bundled with the device, dubbed MotoCast. Video, photos, documents and music can be streamed from your laptop straight to the handheld. And for the IT departments of the world, the RAZR comes business ready with Citrix Receiver, Motorola Webtop and videoconferencing abilities.

Of course, there are a slew of accessories you can pair up with that new Droid: two lapdocks, wireless keyboard options, HD docks and Bluetooth headsets. You can snatch up all the extra goods and, of course, that aluminum-accented smartphone on October 27th when Verizon begins accepting pre-orders. As for that hard street date, the network’s being coy with a global release slated for November.

Update: Motorola has also confirmed that the phone will be exclusive to Rogers in Canada, where it will simply be known as the Motorola RAZR. Still no word on an exact release date, but the phone is now available for pre-order at $150 on a three-year contract, and Motorola says it will launch “in time for the holidays.” Unfortunately, Canadians will have to make do without LTE, as Rogers’ version will only do HSPA up to 14.4Mbps.

Continue reading Motorola Droid RAZR unveiled: LTE, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, available November for $299

Motorola Droid RAZR unveiled: LTE, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, available November for $299 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re Live at Motorola, Ready to Peep This New RAZR. And More???

Oh man oh man oh man, we’re live in Midtown Manhattan, waiting with bated breath, hoping to check out the new Motorola RAZR. Wait, why are we liveblogging this? A few reasons. More »

Motorola’s Faster. Thinner. Smarter. Stronger. event liveblog!

The countdown is almost at an end. And that means it’s time for some serious Daft Punk-referencing Motorola action. What can we expect today? The Spyder / Droid RAZR handset? The sequel to the Xoom? Perhaps an early taste of Ice Cream Sandwich? All of these answers and more will be revealed at 12PM ET.

Psst… and toss your own time zone / day in comments below!

06:00AM – Hawaii (October 18th)
09:00AM – Pacific (October 18th)
10:00AM – Mountain (October 18th)
11:00AM – Central (October 18th)
12:00PM – Eastern (October 18th)
05:00PM – London (October 18th)
06:00PM – Paris (October 18th)
08:00PM – Moscow (October 18th)
01:00AM – Tokyo (October 19th)

Photos by Zach Honig.

Continue reading Motorola’s Faster. Thinner. Smarter. Stronger. event liveblog!

Motorola’s Faster. Thinner. Smarter. Stronger. event liveblog! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US leads global LTE adoption, rides Verizon’s coattails

There’s no doubt the demand for mobile broadband has skyrocketed worldwide, but the US is leading the LTE charge(s) — plural, ’cause you know, battery life sucks on a… nevermind. According to Pyramid Research, by the end of the year, the United States will claim 47 percent of LTE subscriptions globally. This is thanks in large part to three mobile operators: Verizon, MetroPCS and AT&T have created seven million connections across the country. Combine that with the fact that 71 percent of all LTE handsets will be in the pockets of Yanks by year’s end, and you’ve got a formula for domestic LTE domination. It comes as no surprise that VZW is the largest LTE operator in the US as it’s been making money hand over fist lately — which has allowed it to expand its high speed network at a dizzying pace. We salute you, Big Red, for carrying the banner for the ol’ US of A, blazing the trail littered with dead batteries and over-worked phone chargers.

US leads global LTE adoption, rides Verizon’s coattails originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s Korea-bound Galaxy S II HD LTE pops up in FCC filings

We’ll have to brush up on our foreign languages to decipher the full battery label, but the Samsung SHV-E120L (aka the Galaxy S II HD LTE, thanks David_DK!)– home to a 4.65-inch HD screen and dual-core 1.5GHz processor according to specs leaked last month — has passed through its FCC testing. We didn’t spot any indications it will bring that 1280×720 res display this way, but you can check for yourself at the link below.

Samsung’s Korea-bound Galaxy S II HD LTE pops up in FCC filings originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A look inside Verizon’s test car: we go heads-in at CTIA E&A 2011

Imagine if Verizon’s Testman was actually the admiral of a fleet of Chevy Tahoes, all dedicated to the purpose of testing and comparing networks and asking if others can hear them now over a million times each year. The famous Testman himself is just an actor, of course, but Verizon’s self-proclaimed “test cars” are a thing of reality; in fact, the fleet numbers a cool hundred nationwide. We had the opportunity to take a quick peek inside one of these cars, each of which drive an endless number of miles to measure the performance of not only Big Red’s network, but its competition as well.

You wouldn’t recognize any of these unmarked cars if they drove past you on the street unless you were trained to look for the outside clues: on the roof lies a GPS module in concert with several black nubs, each one acting as its own phone antenna. If you look close enough at the back windows, you may be able to make out the multitudes of USB data sticks taped to them. All of these elements are crucial for Verizon in order to collect real-time data on how its network stacks up against the likes of AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, not to mention regional carriers such as Cricket and MetroPCS. Thus, each test car is equipped with phones that work on almost every network and try each one out thousands of times a year. The company’s goal? To ensure that it maintains a standard of excellence in its network performance for both its voice and data quality. So how does this all happen? Read on past the break to find out what’s inside the car.

Continue reading A look inside Verizon’s test car: we go heads-in at CTIA E&A 2011

A look inside Verizon’s test car: we go heads-in at CTIA E&A 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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