Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve already seen Verizon’s BlackBerry Bold 9930 rear its head in a leaked video and now, it looks like it’s finally gone all official on us. The slim, QWERTY-equipped handset has just popped up on Verizon’s site, where users can now order one for $250 on a two-year contract, or $510 sans contract. Its specs, meanwhile, coincide with what we’ve already heard, including that 2.8-inch, 640×480 VGA touchscreen, 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor and .41-inch thickness. The 9930 also comes equipped with BlackBerry 7 OS, bringing voice-activated search and speedy browsing capabilities to the palm of your hand. No word yet on when the phone will arrive in actual stores, though rumor has it that August 25th could be the big day. For more details and ordering information, check out the source link, below.

BlackBerry Bold 9930 now available from Verizon for $250, on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung i927 clears the FCC hurdle, AT&T-bound at last? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For many smartphone users, a quality keyboard is the only feature that truly matters. These passionate devotees will proudly live and die with their thumbs blazing, and for of all RIM’s recent troubles, it’s currently floating on a life preserver: a compelling handset with a portrait QWERTY keyboard doesn’t exist for Android. The HTC Status ($50 on contract) attempts to succeed where others have failed, and — if it’s any good — could entice many BlackBerry-toting teens that want a new handheld fixation. They rarely bother with email, as text messages and Facebook reign supreme for communication. To that end, the Status promotes itself as the perfect phone for Facebook users, but is the integration truly useful, or simply a chintzy add-on? More so, can HTC successfully marry Gingerbread with an upright keyboard? Join us after the break to learn whether we “Like” the HTC Status.

Continue reading HTC Status review

HTC Status review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The third installment of a trilogy is typically the most satisfying. The Empire Falls, Frodo destroys the ring, Cinderella goes back in time. (Okay, that’s a stretch.) Our protagonist in this tale is the Droid 3, which bears an uncanny resemblance to its dad and granddad— but Verizon’s added a few new components and made some minor design tweaks in attempt to improve the overall experience.

Are these adjustments enough to save the series? The original Droid launched with much fanfare, a device that steered Motorola back onto the path of success from its post-RAZR Hades. It had a refreshing gold-laden design that oozed elegance, top-of-the-line specs for its time, and was the pioneer that helped usher Google’s mobile OS into a new era. Each new iteration has received less attention than the one before, however, and the Droid 3 experienced such a quiet launch that we blinked and almost missed it. No matter, though — as long as the phone can speak for itself, it doesn’t need the confetti to accompany it. But is the third time another charm for the Droid? Or will it be buried by other heavyweights like the Droid Bionic or Samsung Galaxy S II Function? Join us after the break to find out.

Continue reading Motorola Droid 3 review

Motorola Droid 3 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What better way to open a new era of limited, tiered data plans than to bring it on back to the QWERTY slider that had a huge part in starting the Android revolution? That phone was the original Droid and now its grandchild, the Droid 3, is out of the nursery and up for order on Verizon’s page. Full-price is $459.99, but on-contract it’ll set you back a quite reasonable $199.99. For that you get a 1GHz, dual-core processor, 16GB of storage, 4-inch qHD display, and an eight megapixel camera around the back. To get it you’ll need one of Verizon’s new data plans, which start at $10 monthly for 75MB and go on up to $80 for 10GB. Oh, sweet unlimited data, we’re missing your soft embrace already.

Update: We’ve added the official PR after the break. Looks like this one won’t be making an appearance in stores until July 14th or so.

[Thanks, Wyatt and Peter]

Continue reading Motorola Droid 3 up for order, helps to usher in Verizon’s new data plans

Motorola Droid 3 up for order, helps to usher in Verizon’s new data plans originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 05:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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