LG Marquee caught on candid camera, is this Sprint’s Optimus Black?

Is this a case of smartphone identity crisis, or just a repurposed chassis? Whatever the case may be, LG’s got a Marquee handset ready to shore up Sprint’s future line-up. The leaked shot comes courtesy of a now private video spotted by Android Central, and was taken at a Dallas-based Radio Shack Business Summit. It’s evident from the one Mr. Blurrycam screen cap on display that the phone’s currently running a vanilla build of Gingerbread, and sports a minimalistic design that’s reminiscent of the Optimus Black. We can’t be certain the two are indeed twins, however that leaked roadmap did indicate a stateside October bow for the Optimus Black — this could simply be a rebrand for the Now Network.

LG Marquee caught on candid camera, is this Sprint’s Optimus Black? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S II now shipping for $100 in America… on Alaska’s GCI

Leave it the regional folks to steal the thunder of the Big Four. While we were all led to think that Sprint’s Epic 4G Touch would be the first subsidized Galaxy S II to officially land in the US of A, it looks as if Alaska’s GCI has beat ’em all to the punch — and in more areas than one. A tipster residing in The Last Frontier just picked one up today, and best of all, it’s running a solid Benjamin less than it will on those other operators. Oh, and it’s compatible with the company’s “4G” (read: HSPA+) network. Unadulterated wilderness? Yep. Northern Lights? Definitely. Early / cheap access to the year’s hottest Android smartphone? Evidently. So, who’s up for a little northern exposure?

[Thanks, Joshua]

Samsung Galaxy S II now shipping for $100 in America… on Alaska’s GCI originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC Fridays: September 9, 2011

We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol’ Federal Communications Commission’s site. Since we couldn’t possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we’ve gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don’t need). Enjoy!

Phones

Read – Samsung T679
Read – Samsung GT-S5360B
Read – Samsung GT-S5360L
Read – Samsung GT-S7250D (Wave M)
Read – Samsung GT-E3217B
Read – Samsung SCH-I405 (Stratosphere)
Read – Huawei C2835
Read – Amgoo AM85
Read – Mobo Colore
Read – Kyocera C5121 (Milano)

Peripherals

Read – Huawei K3773

FCC Fridays: September 9, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Droid Bionic gets extended battery treatment, proudly struts its freshman 15 (video)

As you’re aware, the Droid Bionic features a 1735mAh battery that provides a slight bump in capacity over its competition — namely the Droid Charge and Thunderbolt. Still, if you plan to push this LTE powerhouse beyond moderate usage, you’ll likely find yourself in a feverish hunt for wall outlets before the day is through. Now, Android Central gives us a peek at the Bionic’s extended battery, and so long as you’re willing to live with the (super obvious) protrusion, you’ll find the latest Droid riding high with a 2760mAh cell. Perhaps it’s not the sleekest solution in the world, but hey, at least it’s not quite so insulting as the extended battery on Verizon’s first LTE handset — take a peek at the video after the break for a comparison.

Continue reading Droid Bionic gets extended battery treatment, proudly struts its freshman 15 (video)

Droid Bionic gets extended battery treatment, proudly struts its freshman 15 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fring launches Playgrounds for group video chat with friends or randoms (video)

We all remember kicking it in anonymous chat rooms masked behind the safety of a screen name, but today Fring announced a new way to engage with randoms — this time with video. Playground lets users start their own video chat or join an existing room based on topic, with friends or complete strangers. We’ve seen four-way video from the app before, but the new feature takes it a step further — similar to joining a Hangout in Google+, only on a mobile phone. Although it does sound creepily Chatroulette-ish, it’s free (unlike Skype’s group video calling) and works on iOS and Android Phones — so go ahead, take a peek and see what’s actually going on in “Voldemort’s Death Eater” channel. Check out the demo and full PR after the break.

Continue reading Fring launches Playgrounds for group video chat with friends or randoms (video)

Fring launches Playgrounds for group video chat with friends or randoms (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint’s BlackBerry Curve 9350 will be delayed until October

Well, it looks as if Sprint’s going to miss tomorrow’s launch date for the BlackBerry Curve 9350. A representative of the Now Network confirmed the news to us today, stating that the phone will not arrive until next month due to “unexpected circumstances.” While the company has yet to announce a new target date, the anonymous tipster who initially outed the story tells Phone Arena to expect an October 2nd arrival. Seeing that Sprint already sells two BlackBerry models that are appreciably better than the Curve 9350, we hope you won’t lose sleep over the revelation. Still, if you’ve got a personal grudge against touchscreens, you’d best reset that countdown timer, starting… now.

Sprint’s BlackBerry Curve 9350 will be delayed until October originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Univa pictured in the wild, may be the Optimus One’s young Padawan

You, kid, have got what it takes. The LG E510 — also known as the Univa — may be the apprentice of the massively-popular Optimus One, learning the tricks of the trade and mastering the art of winning the hearts of millions across the globe. Norwegian site Mobili nabbed some quality hands-on time with the new device and gave it high marks. The Univa is rumored to feature an 800MHz CPU and Adreno 200 GPU, 512MB of RAM, a 3.5-inch HVGA display, a 1,500mAh battery, and will come with Android 2.3.4 installed. The spec sheet isn’t enough to stand up to the Droid Bionics and Nexus Primes of the world, but it’s certainly capable of holding up the lower end of LG’s Android lineup for the next year, likely picking up right where the aging Optimus One left off. The device still isn’t official, which means this is all pure speculation for now, but undoubtedly the manufacturer has something in mind for this newbie. Check out more pics in the gallery below.

Gallery: LG Univa E510

Continue reading LG Univa pictured in the wild, may be the Optimus One’s young Padawan

LG Univa pictured in the wild, may be the Optimus One’s young Padawan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola throws Italia a smartphone curveball with splash-resistant Wilder (video)


Ciao bambini! Motorola just lifted the veil on its latest ruggedized phone, the Wilder, which is destined for Italian shores later this month in all its underpowered glory. The GSM dual-band phone packs a 2.8-inch QVGA display, a two megapixel camera with 15fps video, and 5MB (yes, MEGABYTES) of on-board storage — so it’s not going to be blowing anyone away with lightning-fast performance. Moto is rather light on specs, with no mention of processor speed, OS, or 3G support, but there’s nothing here to imply that this thing has been sprinkled with even the slightest amount of Google dust. However, we do assume it’s powerful enough to run pre-loaded Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and YouTube apps, and browse the web with Opera Mini. There’s also a secondary notification display, expandable storage (up to 32GB), and some embedded games like Tetris and Need for Speed. The Wilder may only be available in Italy initially, setting you back a cool €89 (about $126), but based on these specs, your dough may be better spent on a few kilos of splash-resistant spaghetti.

Continue reading Motorola throws Italia a smartphone curveball with splash-resistant Wilder (video)

Motorola throws Italia a smartphone curveball with splash-resistant Wilder (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Maps update adds top-rated reviews, photos to Places

Updates can be somewhat of an addiction to the Android faithful — just peep those XDA forums. And even though this particular Google upgrade isn’t exactly the Ice Cream Sandwich of our Autumn dreams, it’s still a noteworthy bump to the oft-used Maps app. Bundled up in version 5.10.0 are two minor, but useful tweaks that’ll display your four and five star rated Places, as well as letting you tack a photo onto your review. We managed to download the update directly to our phone, but last we checked, the web-based marketplace still hadn’t refreshed with the latest offering. Make sure to hit the source link below to keep your Gapps up to snuff.

Google Maps update adds top-rated reviews, photos to Places originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cricket intros the Samsung Vitality, the first Android to offer Muve Music

If executed properly, Muve Music could be a pretty nifty idea. But up until now, the all-you-can download music service from Cricket Wireless has been offered on the Samsung Suede featurephone… and that’s it. Fortunately, the Samsung Vitality will come to the rescue as the prepaid carrier’s first smartphone to provide the beats. We’ve seen this device before as the Admire, which runs on Android 2.3, has a 3.5-inch HVGA (480 x 320) display and is powered by an 800MHz CPU. The phone also includes a 3.2 megapixel cam, 1,600mAh battery and a 4GB microSD card. It may not sound all that tempting, but the price could turn a few heads: the Vitality will be available for $200 — that’s sans contract, folks — and requires a $65 plan which will hook you up with unlimited data, voice and music. Sounds like this Muve Music feature has sprung back to life. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Cricket intros the Samsung Vitality, the first Android to offer Muve Music

Cricket intros the Samsung Vitality, the first Android to offer Muve Music originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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