HTC Merge / Lexicon prototype previewed, 800MHz processor produces sweet scores (video)

Here’s a little something to make your weekend fly by — Android Central scored a hands-on look at Verizon’s dual-mode CDMA / GSM worldphone, the HTC Merge (or is that Lexikon?) and it’s looking like one hell of a handset. Though the prototype’s Android 2.2 build is saddled with HTC Sense and Bing for search, the hardware’s reportedly superb, with a “clicky and responsive and very well spaced” slide-out QWERTY keyboard with no Desire Z hinge nonsense, and a weighty, solid feel. There’s also a 5 megapixel shooter that does 720p video, a likely 2GB of on-board storage and 512MB of RAM, not to mention an 800MHz processor that’ll surely help derail the megahertz myth with superb benchmark scores. See it pull a 1,500 in Quadrant after the break, and start dropping those nickels into your piggy bank.

Continue reading HTC Merge / Lexicon prototype previewed, 800MHz processor produces sweet scores (video)

HTC Merge / Lexicon prototype previewed, 800MHz processor produces sweet scores (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 13:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RadioShack to sell T-Mobile G2 ‘first’ starting on October 3rd

If you were proactive enough to pre-order a T-Mobile G2, there’s a better-than-average chance that your shiny new smartphone is already en route to your abode. For those who slept in, it looks as if RadioShack will be the go-to place if you’re looking to snag one early from the retail universe. According to the badly formatted flyer pictured above, The Shack will be the first B&M location to stock the US version of the HTC Desire Z, and it’ll be hawking ’em for $149.99 on a two-year postpaid contract starting October 3rd. Got that penciled into your little black book? Good.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Continue reading RadioShack to sell T-Mobile G2 ‘first’ starting on October 3rd

RadioShack to sell T-Mobile G2 ‘first’ starting on October 3rd originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Style 9670 spotted in Sprint’s database, yet another YouTube clip

Any lingering doubts about this thing’s existence? Scatter ’em. The BlackBerry Style 9670 has just shown up in what appears to be a Sprint database leak, and given that it just received FCC approval earlier in the month, we’d say this is all lining up nicely for a near-term release on one of America’s most well-known CDMA carriers. As the story goes, these database slips usually happen just weeks before the official public release of a phone, and we’re guessing that both RIM and Sprint would love to have this out and about before the holidays. Head on past the break for yet another look — assuming you need one, that is.

Continue reading BlackBerry Style 9670 spotted in Sprint’s database, yet another YouTube clip

BlackBerry Style 9670 spotted in Sprint’s database, yet another YouTube clip originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceCrackberry (1), (2), Poder PDA  | Email this | Comments

T-Mobile G2 preview

Well, well, well… would you look at what we found lounging around Best Buy’s NYC holiday event! Yes, indeed, it’s the T-Mobile G2 (the US version of the HTC Desire Z if you happen to think it looks familiar). After months of leaks and blurry shots we finally got to check out T-Mobile and HTC’s G1 replacement, and it’s got everything we’ve been waiting for — a 3.7-inch display, Android 2.2, 4GB of internal memory, an 800MHz Snapdragon processor and a 5 megapixel cam with a flash. Oh, what’s it like to use? That answer, dear friends, is after the break along with a hands-on video.

Continue reading T-Mobile G2 preview

T-Mobile G2 preview originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG’s Optimus 7 gets previewed by Korean newspaper, has voice to text feature?

You know how we abhor machine translation, but this rumor was too juicy to pass up — the Korea Economic Daily reportedly got hands-on with LG’s Optimus 7 (aka E900) way ahead of release, and if we’re reading this right, the Windows Phone 7 device will be capable of writing your text messages, emails and status updates just by hearing you speak. The publication also reports it’s got a 3.8-inch, 800 x 480 screen (rather than the 3.5 or 3.7 inches we’ve heard before), a 1500 mAh battery, 16GB of built-in storage and a 1GHz processor. There’s also apparently “automatic panorama” feature where you simply pan the camera to take stills and stitch them together, which sounds a lot like the Sweep Panorama dealie Sony recently added to its Cyber-Shot lineup. Can we expect a US version to have these features? Hard to say. Even should this preview be wholly legit, speech-to-text would probably need quite the overhaul to tell English from Korean — and let’s not even get started on Engrish.

LG’s Optimus 7 gets previewed by Korean newspaper, has voice to text feature? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 07:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceKorea Economic Daily  | Email this | Comments

Study: we’re keeping our mobiles longer, despite sinking prices

Had your current cellphone for the better part of the this century? Turns out you aren’t the only one — according to new research gathered by J.D. Power and Associates, Americans are holding onto their mobiles for longer than ever these days. In fact, the study found that the length of time customers keep their traditional wireless cell phone has increased by 17 percent from 2009, with the average customer holding onto their phone for around 20.5 months. That’s the longest period since this study began tracking the data in 1999, when the average was 17.3 months. Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at the company, feels that the recent economic downturn has a lot to do with folks keeping their existing phones longer, while we’re guessing that it has to do with existing phones simply being “good enough.”

Furthermore, anyone who is even remotely tuned into the mobile world knows that widespread 4G is just around the bend, giving folks reason to hold off on renewing their contract until WiMAX / LTE comes to their carrier of choice. Curiously, phone prices are lower than ever before, which should mean that it’s even less expensive to upgrade now than in the past. Of course, none of that matters if your existing phone contract isn’t up (or you aren’t due for a discounted renewal), and the savings on the hardware is likely being devoured by the extra fees we’re paying for messaging and data. So, are you in the “run it till it dies” camp, or are you wondering who on Earth this survey (shown in full after the break) is referring to?

Continue reading Study: we’re keeping our mobiles longer, despite sinking prices

Study: we’re keeping our mobiles longer, despite sinking prices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile to bundle Wi-Fi Calling app with future Android devices?

Yesterday, we saw that LG’s Optimus One might ship with WiFi calling, and that’s all well and good, but a new leak suggests the Optimus was just the tip of a UMA iceberg to come. The above picture is one of several allegedly leaked training slides obtained by TmoNews, highlighting a dedicated “Wi-Fi Calling” app that may come pre-installed on upcoming Android devices, one of which just might be that new T-Mobile G2. Before you raid your piggybank in hopes of free VoIP calls, however, know that this app-ified brand of WiFi calling isn’t necessarily the seamless switching solution we’ve wanted all along; that little yellow “limitations” tab reportedly explains that as soon as you leave the WiFi radius, you effectively drop your call.

T-Mobile to bundle Wi-Fi Calling app with future Android devices? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 17:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PhoneArena  |  sourceTmoNews  | Email this | Comments

HTC Mondrian stars in leaked AT&T ad campaign, jump-kicks lesser smartphones? (video)

Would you believe that after months of leaks, this is the first time we’ve allegedly seen the HTC Mondrian? It’s true — though from this angle, it’s a dead ringer for the Mozart, which looks just like the Shubert, too. The above picture comes from what appear to be a pair of mostly complete ads for AT&T’s Windows Phone 7 push, which if real make the Mondrian look like it might be a flagship device. Perhaps those rumors of a 1.3GHz Snapdragon inside weren’t too far off. You won’t find real phones demonstrated in the videos after the break, but don’t let that stop you from clicking through — you do like watching oblivious folks flying through the air, don’t you?

Continue reading HTC Mondrian stars in leaked AT&T ad campaign, jump-kicks lesser smartphones? (video)

HTC Mondrian stars in leaked AT&T ad campaign, jump-kicks lesser smartphones? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 02:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change Dell’s Streak?

Oh, sure — our international contemporaries have been toying with the Dell Streak for the better part of 2010, but Americans have just recently had their equal opportunity to indulge. It’s a mini tablet, or a huge phone. Or both. And sometimes neither. But whatever the case may be on any given Sunday, the 5-inch Streak has caused more of a stir for the folks in Round Rock than any product since the Adamo. For those who eagerly pre-ordered and then not-so-eagerly paid the credit bill upon receipt, we’re interested in knowing exactly how things are going so far. Are you still stoked about having a 5-inch phone? Would you have made it any larger / smaller? Changed the casing? Made it available on another carrier? Thrown in a slide-out QWERTY keyboard? Let us know in comments below, capiche?

How would you change Dell’s Streak? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 01:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Dell teases new 7-inch Android tablet, says Streak to land in Best Buy next month (update: pic)

Oh Michael, such a teaser you are. Word has it that the head honcho of Dell Inc. has just pulled out yet another Android tablet from his pocket, only this time it’s a 7-inch whopper. Sadly, Mr. Dell left us high and dry with dates and specs (and the lack of photos from the event doesn’t help, either), but we’ll bet you that this is the long-rumored Looking Glass. On a more solid note, Dell also announced that the smaller Streak is heading to Best Buy next month. That’s great, except some of us would rather see the tabletphone getting its share of Froyo sooner — here’s hoping that this bigger tablet won’t disappoint us with an outdated OS.

Update: As it just so happens, Reuters snapped a pic of Mr. Dell himself holding the tablet on stage, and sure enough, it resembles that leaked Looking Glass even from quite a distance away.

Michael Dell teases new 7-inch Android tablet, says Streak to land in Best Buy next month (update: pic) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWall Street Journal, ABC  | Email this | Comments