Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract

We knew good and well it was coming, and come it has. Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play has made the natural GSM shift in the States in order to grace Ma Bell’s airwaves, and despite the “4G” naming convention, this fellow will be topping out at HSPA+. In other words, LTE lovers will need to look elsewhere. This marks the first launch of a PlayStation-certified smartphone for AT&T, and given that it’s been around the block a time or two, the carrier is (smartly) pricing it at just $49.99 on a two-year contract — a buck-fifty less than what it launched for on Verizon Wireless. As we’d heard, it’ll ship with Android 2.3.3, a 1GHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, a 4-inch display (854 x 480) and will arrive in an exclusive ‘stealth blue’ hue. AT&T customers will also be blessed with a gratis Multimedia Dock (DK300) and MC100 music cable, not to mention seven pre-loaded games at no charge. Full details on that are hosted up after the break, and interested consumers can line up to grab their own on September 18th.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG sheds light on the Optimus Sol, available mid-September in Europe

The LG Optimus Sol (aka the E730) received the full hands-on treatment a few days ago, and it didn’t take long for the mystery device to be officially recognized by LG. Named after the Spanish word for “sun,” the phone gained the title for a distinct reason: it’s using a 3.8-inch WVGA “Ultra AMOLED” display, which is supposed to make the screen easier to read in direct sunlight and also offers less image quality degradation. It’s powered by a 1GHz CPU, runs on Gingerbread, features a 5MP camera, and measures out at a thickness of 9.8mm. LG also uses the Sol to introduce a new power management technique it’s referring to as “Dark UI” — by utilizing less white light as the phone is idle, the company hopes to extend battery life by 20 to 30 percent. If you’re interested in picking up what LG is putting down here, you’ll be able to do so in parts of Europe around mid-September, followed by a release to Central and South America afterward. It’ll also be available in black, titan and white color options. Want to know more? Take a look at the full press release after the break.

Continue reading LG sheds light on the Optimus Sol, available mid-September in Europe

LG sheds light on the Optimus Sol, available mid-September in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mozilla officially releases Firefox 6, wants to show you how it’s done

You may have caught wind of one sly fox unofficially popping up over the weekend. Well, as we reported, that fox — specifically Firefox 6 — is now officially ready for your downloading pleasure. If you’re a diehard Mozilla fan, or just an armchair browser expert, you’re probably already hip to the new Firefox rapid refresh cycle that’s seen three releases in the past five months. If not, the folks at Mozilla sent along a couple of nifty graphics (available after the break) to show you how the new timeline works. Alternately, if you’re not interested in how your latest install made its way to your device, feel free to download the real deal at the source links below.

Continue reading Mozilla officially releases Firefox 6, wants to show you how it’s done

Mozilla officially releases Firefox 6, wants to show you how it’s done originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Conquer 4G set to raid Sprint on August 21st for $100 on contract

We’ve known about the Conquer 4G for a while now, in spite attempts to keep it under wraps. Sprint finally came clean on the existence of the handset today, announcing the milestone 25th 4G capable device for the its network — the first in that category to hit the market at under $100. The Samsung-manufactured smartphone will hit the market on August 21st for $99.99 (plus a two-year year contract and after mail-in rebate, naturally). The Gingerbread handset packs a 1GHz processor, a 3.5-inch display, and front- and rear-facing cameras. Press after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Conquer 4G set to raid Sprint on August 21st for $100 on contract

Samsung Conquer 4G set to raid Sprint on August 21st for $100 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Streak 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1… fight!

Why look at this! Samsung’s very own Galaxy Tab 10.1 decided to stop by in Beijing to greet Dell’s latest tablet. As mentioned in our hands-on post, it’s clear that the Streak 10 Pro would need to go on a little diet to match the Korean tablet’s lovely figure and weight, though the latter won’t be released in the country until some time next month. Also, there’s no doubt that Sammy will continue to ask for a premium price in exchange for the better display and portability, so our wallets will be the final judge. For now, just enjoy our quick and dirty comparison photos in the gallery below. You’re welcome.

Update: It appears that some of our readers are missing the point: the 16GB WiFi Galaxy Tab 10.1 is being sold for $499 in the US, and it’ll most likely be more expensive in China; whereas the Streak 10 Pro is priced at just ¥2,999 ($465). So again, you get what you pay for.

Dell Streak 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1… fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Streak 10 Pro tablet makes global debut in China, we go hands-on (update: video!)

There’s a Chinese saying that will suit most of our Western readers here: “quenching thirst by gazing at plums.” Oh yes, we’re talking about Dell’s Streak 10 Pro alright. Just as promised, said US company has skipped its home country to debut its first 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet in China (ka-ching!), and we happened to be at the Beijing press event for some intimate hands-on time. To be honest, you won’t be needing many imaginary plums for this Android’s rather mundane specs: it’s equipped with the oh-so-familiar 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 T20 chip, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 1,280 x 800 LCD (with Corning’s Gorilla Glass), 5 megapixel camera and 2 megapixel camera back and front, and regular-size SDHC expansion. That said, Chinese buyers can grab this 16GB WiFi tablet plus 2GB of cloud storage for just ¥2,999 ($465) a pop — a slightly more attractive price compared to its competitors. Check out our impressions after the break.

Update: Hands-on video added after the break.

Continue reading Dell Streak 10 Pro tablet makes global debut in China, we go hands-on (update: video!)

Dell Streak 10 Pro tablet makes global debut in China, we go hands-on (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gingerbread comes to T-Mobile G2x, users feel loved again

Dost our eyes deceive us, or are genuine, bona fide Gingerbread updates for the T-Mobile G2x taking to the airwaves? We’re inclined to believe the latter, since the T-Mobile support site announced that the OTA download is now underway. The rollout begins less than a day after the refresh became available as a manual install via the LG Updater Tool. As if this isn’t enough proof already, our inboxes have been flooded by G2x users who’ve personally witnessed Hades freeze over on their handset. Haven’t seen it show up on yours yet? Fret not, getting these updates out to everyone takes time. But if you were an eager beaver who managed to beef your phone up with Android 2.3.3 manually, go ahead and relax; grab a lemonade, dust off the ol’ hammock, and enjoy the rest of the summer afternoon free of (virtual) bugs.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Gingerbread comes to T-Mobile G2x, users feel loved again originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ChevronWP7 Labs to unlock your Windows Phone 7 handset for $9, hackers not welcome

Need a little extra unlocked WP7 incentive to keep you from buying those oh-so-distracting iOS and Android devices? Well, that official homebrew love is going to cost you — $9 to be exact. We already knew the Microsoft-sanctioned ChevronWP7 Labs would be open for business soon, but recent tweets from the jailbreaking outfit’s Chris Walsh have shed a little more light on the process. In addition to the nominal fee users will have to fork over for the official unlock, Walsh also points out that software updates to Mango and Nodo will close any security holes in the platform. So, if you were planning on getting your pirate-y hands dirty hacking away at WP7, think again — Microsoft’s still got the keys to its mobile OS’ house.

ChevronWP7 Labs to unlock your Windows Phone 7 handset for $9, hackers not welcome originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google officially announces “What Do You Love” search tool

  Google quietly launched a new website a few weeks ago called What Do You Love, otherwise known as WDYL. Today, the company made it officially by announcing it on the Official Google Blog. The new search tool combines almost all of Google’s services into one page. According to Google, the goal was to find a way […]

Verizon speaks up, confirms usage-based data plans are coming July 7th

The leaks about Verizon’s usage-based plans have become so abundant that it’s been nearly impossible to shake off with any amount of skepticism, but one key ingredient’s been missing from the saga: official word from the carrier itself regarding the exact date and specific pricing. A mere two days before DataGate’s rumored debut, Verizon’s finally cleared its throat to make a statement confirming the inevitable. The unlimited smartphone data plan will predictably make a sad and sudden departure from the company’s brochures — lingering only for those grandfathered into it — and a tiered structure will enter in its place.

There were no surprises on pricing: for smartphone data, plans start at $30 for 2GB, $50 for 5GB, and $80 for 10GB. New customers can add mobile hotspot service for an extra $20, and Big Red will throw in a couple additional gigabytes as well. Customers currently using the unlimited LTE mobile hotspot will be given the option to retain that service for another $30. We’ve yet to receive confirmation from our spokesperson, but will keep you updated as soon as we get word. Knowing is half the battle, though, so take action — interested parties only have two days left.

Verizon speaks up, confirms usage-based data plans are coming July 7th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFierce Wireless  | Email this | Comments