Sep 03

Mobile Miscellany: week of August 29, 2011

Posted in: 4G, 720p, att, BestBuy, BlackBerry, droid, hspa, HTC, lte, mango, Miscellaneous, mobilepostmini, motorola, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, RIM, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, windows phone, WindowsPhone

This week, as always, was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 15, 2011:

  • More rumors are circulating about the upcoming Sony Ericsson Nozumi, originally leaked two weeks ago. The new specs getting floated around are even better than we previously thought, which include a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution for a PPI of 342, and NFC. (Thanks, David) [via XperiaBlog]
  • The Motorola Milestone 3 — the GSM twin of the Droid 3, essentially — was released in Brazil this week and will be available in select Latin American countries later this month. [via AndroidCentral]
  • Just as we’re getting used to the idea of a white HTC EVO 3D at Radio Shack, it’s now reported that a purple version will soon be available exclusively at Best Buy. [via PocketNow]
  • The BlackBerry Torch 9860 has two new Canadian homes, as it launched this week on Telus for $100 and SaskTel for $130. Both carriers involve setting up a three-year commitment. [via MobileSyrup(1) and (2)]
  • Did someone mention SaskTel? Yes, the carrier is jumping on the 4G bandwagon by announcing its intent to deploy LTE by the fall of 2012. [via MobileSyrup]
  • AT&T’s LG Thrill 4G is finally getting released tomorrow after several weeks of delays. While the phone will be offered for $100 by the carrier itself, you’ll be able to get it at Costco for $30. [via PhoneArena]
  • Alongside the Kyocera Milano, Sprint will also launch a new feature phone called the Kyocera Brio. The Brio will offer a QWERTY keyboard, a 192MHz CPU and will run Java. [via Electronista and AndroidCentral]
  • At HTC’s Windows Phone launch this week, reps confirmed that all of its new Windows Phones will indeed have the mobile hotspot feature included, though it won’t be a part of the software update to the company’s existing lineup. It’s likely to be added with a future refresh, but apparently the feature was added too late in the process to get thrown into the initial rollout. (Thanks, Gilles) [via Pocket-Lint]

Mobile Miscellany: week of August 29, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 02

FCC Fridays: September 2, 2011

Posted in: 4G, BlackBerry, HTC, LG, lte, mango, mobilepostmini, motorola, RIM, samsung, Sharp, Today's Chili, windows phone, WindowsPhone

We here at Engadget Mobile 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 I919
Read – Samsung I727
Read – Samsung GT-S5360
Read – LG AS680
Read – LG C800
Read – LG L55C
Read – LG VS920
Read – HTC PI39100
Read – HTC PI39110
Read – Mobo Murano
Read – ZTE N860
Read – Motorola P56MA2 (GSM / WCDMA)
Read – Motorola T56MP1 (Sprint CDMA)
Read – Sonim XP1301
Read – Sharp SH80F

Peripherals

Read – Huawei E560S-6
Read – Plantronics M155

FCC Fridays: September 2, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 31

ComScore calls Android top dog, Apple pulls further ahead of RIM

Posted in: Android, Apple, BlackBerry, cellphone, Google, ios, LG, market share, marketshare, Microsoft, mobilepostcross, motorola, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, RIM, samsung, smartphone, Smartphones, statistics, stats, symbian, Today's Chili, windows phone, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone, WindowsPhone7, Wp7

According to ComScore, out of the 82.2 million people in the US with a smartphone (up ten percent from last quarter), Android came in first as the biggest platform yet again, capturing a whopping 41.8 percent of the market like a boss. In a not-so-close second, Apple was able to snag 27 percent, followed by RIM in the third place spot with 21.7 percent — down 4 percentage points from last quarter. Pulling up the rear is Microsoft with 5.7 percent, and lastly Symbian with a grim 1.9 percent — both down when compared to the previous three months. As far as US hardware manufacturers goes, Samsung is still on top with 25.5 percent of the market, while LG got 20.9 percent and finally Motorola with 14.1 percent, down 1.5 percentage points from before. Apple was able to snag some standing in the OEM space with a 9.5 percent share, while BlackBerry-maker RIM only captured 7.6 percent. As the battle wages on, looks like Androids, iPhones, and BlackBerrys (oh my) are still on top — at least for this quarter. Check out the PR after the break for the full scorecard.

Continue reading ComScore calls Android top dog, Apple pulls further ahead of RIM

ComScore calls Android top dog, Apple pulls further ahead of RIM originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 30

Motorola Pro+ announced with Gingerbread, few other improvements

Posted in: Android, gingerbread, keyboard, mobilepostmini, motorola, qwerty, Today's Chili


As it turns out, Plus is becoming the new Moto sequel. Soon after announcing the Defy+, a phone that offers a moderate bump in specs from its predecessor, HelloMoto is back at it again with the Pro+. This obvious follow-up to the Motorola Pro (or Droid Pro, as it’s known in the US) doesn’t bring much of an improvement to the table. It’s adorned with the same 1GHz CPU, 3.1-inch VGA (640 x 480) display, 512MB of RAM and five megapixel camera; the largest differences in the new model are the inclusion of Android 2.3, 4GB of internal storage, an improved battery (1,600mAh) and a rounded design — in contrast to the original’s squared look. It’s due in Asia and Europe starting in October, so keep an eye out… if that “Plus” is enough to excite you. Head below for the full press release.

Continue reading Motorola Pro+ announced with Gingerbread, few other improvements

Motorola Pro+ announced with Gingerbread, few other improvements originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 29

Motorola Droid Bionic to include Webtop accessories

Posted in: accessories, Android, droid, mobilepostmini, motorola, Smartphones, Today's Chili

Back when we first caught a glimpse of the Droid Bionic, we speculated that the post-Atrix placement of the micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports might make it compatible with the updated Photon Webtop dock and accessories. Judging by the screenshot grabbed by Droid Life, we might have a winner as the add-ons look to be interchangeable, possibly a first step towards CEO Sanjay Jha’s promised improvements. The product page also says the accessories will be “affordable” for those “curious about the Webtop application” — count us in.

[Thanks, Chris]

Motorola Droid Bionic to include Webtop accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 29

The mobile patent fight, visualized

Posted in: Android, Apple, Google, HTC, maps, Microsoft, mobile, motorola, nokia, patents, samsung, Today's Chili

It seems like every day we’re given new information about the progress of one lawsuit or another in the mobile world. The fight has been stretched across the globe, and includes such a tangled web of intersecting companies that it is just mind numbing to try and follow without being hand held through it by a legal […]

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Aug 28

Switched On: The accidental handset company, Part 1

Posted in: Apple, business, cellphone, column, Google, industry, merger, mobilepostcross, motorola, smartphone, switched on, SwitchedOn, Today's Chili

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Tech company acquisitions often seek to reshape a company or even the entire industry. Buying Applied Semantics catalyzed Google’s rise to online advertising dominance. Apple’s purchase of NeXT transformed the former’s operating system’s roadmap. And HP’s merger with Compaq created a $40 billion powerhouse vendor of Windows PCs.

That’s not the case for “Googorola,” a portmanteau that the world formerly knew only as an Italian blue cheese often crumbled into steak salads. Indeed, Google’s recent announcement of its intent to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion may turn out to be the highest profile acquisition ever aimed at maintaining the status quo. Presaged by a blog post from Google’s chief legal officer and punctuated by lockstep statements by Motorola’s rival Android licensees praising legal protection, the blog post announcing the acquisition promised to “supercharge” Android. But the subsequent Google conference call regarding the merger reinforced that the “IP” Google seeks to acquire does not stand for “Incredible Phones.” Google seeks to invigorate Android simply by having the freedom to progress unencumbered along the successful path it already has largely staked out.

Continue reading Switched On: The accidental handset company, Part 1

Switched On: The accidental handset company, Part 1 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 28

Refresh Roundup: week of August 22, 2011

Posted in: Android, att, BlackBerry, firmware, firmware update, FirmwareUpdate, HP, HTC, leak, leaks, mango, mobilepostmini, motorola, nokia, refresh, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, RIM, roundup, rumor, rumors, Software, software update, SoftwareUpdate, Today's Chili, update, verizon, vzw, webos, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone7, Wp7

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android Updates

  • Motorola’s Photon 4G was the recipient of a minor over-the-air firmware revamp that offers improvements to responsiveness and voice calls, and offers more bug fixes and other enhancements. [via PhoneArena]
  • Want another bug fix update? The HTC EVO 3D is the next contestant, rolling out its second OTA refresh in as many weeks. This time it appears that a new “Corporate 4G” widget and a new radio have been added. [via AndroidCentral]
  • Gingerbread 2.3.4 is now rolling out to Bell’s Motorola Atrix 4G OTA. [via MobileSyrup]
  • Now that its official Gingerbread support page has gone live, Verizon’s Motorola Droid 2 will likely be receiving Android 2.3 in the very near future. [via AndroidCentral]
  • Sasktel’s HTC Incredible S is now the beneficiary of Android 2.3.3 in an OTA install. [via MobileSyrup]

Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc hackery

Other platforms

  • The Nokia N8 was recently blessed with Symbian Anna, but a few camera-related upgrades were left out. No need to fear, as an “experimental” update is now being offered, which adds continuous auto-focus and tweaks the UI to allow for faster access to the camera — among other improvements, such as a boost to 30fps. Check out the change log here. [via ZOMGitsCJ]
  • Given last week’s news about webOS, we were concerned the newly-launched Pre3 would be DOA, with no promise of future updates. HP’s proving this isn’t the case, however, as the device got a minor update that brought the phone’s help center live and fixed a few bugs along the way. [via PreCentral and PhoneArena]
  • Research in Motion released an upgrade to its Tablet OS for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Unfortunately, it’s not the 2.0 version we saw leaked screenshots of earlier this week, but it still brings a nice feature to the tablet: differential updates. This means that in future OS refreshes, only the affected sections will be changed. In addition, the new version, dubbed 1.0.7.2942, will improve WiFi connectivity via WEP and enhancements to BlackBerry Bridge. [via RIM]
  • WP7Mod showed a video of the HTC HD2 booting up with Windows Phone Mango’s RTM build installed. We’ve been told that it’s almost ready for any daring souls interested in a new challenge for their Windows Mobile device. [via WMPowerUser]

Refresh Roundup: week of August 22, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 28

Droid Bionic pops up on Motorola site, looks set for September 8 release

Posted in: droid, mobilepostcross, motorola, Today's Chili, verizon
Between the leaked ads, blurry photos and walkthrough videos, it seems that we’ve seen Motorola’s reworked Droid Bionic pretty much everywhere but in the hands of consumers. Looks like the company is ready to take one more baby step toward that eventuality, with what appears to be an official Bionic Twitter account (we’re working to get confirmation) indicating a September 8th release date, while a product page with some new shots of the device has also gone live. The page is still sadly lacking in-depth specs, but the handful of photos should keep eager customers happy at least until our friend in the leather blouse slices the head off another robot.

Droid Bionic pops up on Motorola site, looks set for September 8 release originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 07:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 27

MOTOFONE F3, the zombie apocalypse survival phone (video)

Posted in: e ink, mobilepostmini, motorola, RobotApocalypse, Robots, Today's Chili, video

You can never be too prepared. Whether you’re being chased by brain sucking zombies, hunted down by ruthless killer robots, or — more likely — the victim of an earthquake or other natural disaster. There’s only one phone you really need, and that’s the MOTOFONE F3. Forget your smartphone and its fancy pants features, forget the internet — when the apocalypse strikes your survival might depend on a durable handset with great battery life and just the basics, which is exactly what the MOTOFONE F3 delivers. Introduced in 2006 for developing markets, it makes and takes calls, sends and receives text messages, beeps and vibrates, stores and recalls your most important contacts, and includes an alarm clock — that’s it.

Of course, these specs describe almost every simple phone launched since SMS was added to the GSM standard. What makes the MOTOFONE F3 unique is that it uses a segmented e-paper display which sips power and remains legible in both direct sunlight and dark back alleys, along with dual antennae for superior radio performance. Battery life is absolutely incredible, with over 2 weeks in standby and several months powered off. Motorola also designed the handset to be light (68g), thin (9mm) and strong — it’s resistant to shock, dust and moisture, with a sealed keypad and speaker (which is extremely loud). The best part? You can pick one up online, unlocked, for as little as $25.

Check out our gallery below, and whatever you do, don’t be like our protagonist in the zombie apocalypse video after the break — don’t leave your SIM at home.

Psst… yeah, we know this phone’s ancient, but every now and then we like to reach back and have a little fun. And, you know, escape a looming zombie horde.

Gallery: MOTOFONE F3

Continue reading MOTOFONE F3, the zombie apocalypse survival phone (video)

MOTOFONE F3, the zombie apocalypse survival phone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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