Hasta La Gadget!

It’s peculiar how a simple number and letter can cause the price to skyrocket when added to the end of a phone’s name. But that’s exactly what the term “4G” does — ultimately, making a phone or tablet compatible with a carrier’s next-generation network seems to add value (and cost) in unthinkable ways. There’s a growing concern in the mobile industry; Sprint’s WiMAX 4G coverage, once a novelty in the United States, is now just one of the boys. It faces direct competition against its two (much larger) LTE brethren in Verizon and AT&T, and the Now Network is searching for other methods of utilizing its high-speed offerings. In doing so, the carrier wants to keep the value high without escalating the expense.

Enter the Samsung Conquer 4G, the latest addition to Sprint’s blazing-fast lineup. Rather than going head-to-head with giants like the Photon 4G and EVO 3D, the company’s strategy is to offer a WiMAX-enabled handset that’s light on the wallet. It’s not the least expensive of the bunch these days — the Samsung Nexus S 4G takes the cake there — but it’s another option to toss into the network’s growing lineup. So does this mid-range handset have a shot at living up to its namesake? Keep on reading to find out.

Continue reading Samsung Conquer 4G review

Samsung Conquer 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s shaping up to a be a busy IFA for Samsung. Barely 24 hours after announcing its new ChatON messaging client, the manufacturer is now gearing up to release a troika of new Bada 2.0-powered Wave handsets — the Wave 3, Wave M and Wave Y — set to make their debut this week in Berlin. Leading the pack is the Wave 3, which leaked earlier this week. Powered by a 1.4GHz processor, this little guy boasts a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, 3GB of memory (along with a 32GB microSD slot) and a five megapixel, auto-focus-enabled shooter. The Wave M, meanwhile, packs slightly less juice, with a 832MHz processor, a 3.65-inch WVGA screen and 150MB of onboard storage (with a 2GB inbox and 32GB microSD slot). Rounding out the collection is the Wave Y, with its 3.2-inch HVGA display, 832MHz engine and two megapixel camera. All three feature your usual smattering of WiFi / Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities and will ship with ChatON and Samsung’s Social Hub baked into their DNA. No word yet on pricing or availability, but you can find out more in the full press release, after the break.

Continue reading Samsung announces three Wave handsets, dripping in Bada 2.0 and ChatON

Samsung announces three Wave handsets, dripping in Bada 2.0 and ChatON originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 03:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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 […]

Samsung is using the ‘Goldilocks’ strategy with the new 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab

Clearly, any non-iPad tablet is currently doomed. They’re shifted off to the side in electronics stores (just like Macs used to be) and nobody is buying them. People don’t say “I want a tablet. Let’s go to the store to see what they have.” Nope, people say “I want an iPad.” And then they buy one.

Now, Samsung may have hit on the secret formula, the iPad-killing feature that has until now eluded the best minds in consumer electronics. The seven-inch Galaxy Tab failed. The 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab fared no better. So behold: The Galaxy Tab 8.9. That’s right. Less screen size than an iPad, and less portable than an e-reader. How could it fail?

The other special sauce is LTE, for connecting to all the 4G networks that blanket the world today. The processor is similarly redundant: you get a dual-core chip running at 1.5GHz, so you can enjoy the built-in Adobe Flash plugin stuttering along at a slightly higher frame rate than usual.

Otherwise, not much is new. The screen has a 1280 × 800 resolution, the unit is 8.6mm (0.03 feet) thick and weighs a stout 455 grams (one pound). Expect to see this thing fly off the shelves when it launches (possibly) later this year.

Advanced to the next generation LTE 4G market-leading smart device [Samsung via Engadget]

See Also:

• Courts Ban Sale of Samsung Galaxy Tab in Europe
• Apple Halts Samsung Galaxy Tab Launch in Australia
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Hands-On: A Plastic Toy With a …
• Samsung Chief Calls Galaxy Tab 10.1 'Inadequate'

Skipped over the Thunderbolt, did you? If you were waiting for that other LTE phone to come your way, Samsung’s Droid Charge may have been the one that caught your eye. For those who settled on it, we’re interested in knowing how things have been going. How’s that Super AMOLED Plus panel treating you… outdoors? Is the LTE radio smashing your battery life? Are the Android tweaks to your liking? Still feel it was worth the price premium at launch? There’s no doubt that the Charge is one of favorites on Big Red right now, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have its quirks. Speaking of which — it’s about high time you tossed in a few opinions of your own in comments below.

How would you change Samsung’s Droid Charge? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 22:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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