Hasta La Gadget!

It may not be the biggest phone reveal coming in the next 24 hours, but leaked details had already piqued our interest in LG’s next big thing. The Optimus LTE’s screen rivals Apple’s Retina Display at 326ppi and that high-definition sharpness is slathered on a 4.5-inch AH-IPS display. The sizable 1830mAh battery should be enough to keep the phone ticking over despite these high-end specs, which include a confirmed 1.5GHz dual-core CPU and eight megapixel camera. Will we get to see it on these shores? We’re not sure of its travel itinerary after it reaches Korea, but we’d love to see this and Samsung’s latest LTE wares tussle for our affections.

Continue reading LG Optimus LTE now official: High-speed data alongside a high-definition IPS display

LG Optimus LTE now official: High-speed data alongside a high-definition IPS display originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, iFaithful, your newest Apple phone(s) are only a day away. Which is even more reason to hunker down into this latest chunk of pre-announcement gossip. According to information obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Sprint’s betting the farm on a 30 million-plus order of next-generation iPhones to put it on an even battle ground with heavyweight rivals AT&T and Verizon. The cost of this loss-absorbing gamble? That would be about $20 billion, with the Hesse-led co. subsidizing the $500 cost of each handset. For the third place operator it’s matter of do-or-die, as there really isn’t an alternative to the critically-praised, Jony Ive-designed handset that set off this smartphone race. Hesse’s purported admission to the company’s board that customer churn is directly linked to its iPhone omission only serves to underscore the uncomfortable plight his company faces. It remains to be seen if Sprint can convert its base of 52 million subscribers (mostly pre-paid) into the contracted customers it needs to stay financially afloat. While an iPhone on Sprint certainly seems a given, it’s unclear whether this next device will opt for a WiMAX or LTE radio.

WSJ: Sprint places $20 billion order for next iPhone, hinges company future on Apple’s handset? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Giving you a new opportunity to tell your favorite carrier exactly where it can stick that nasty two-year agreement, the unlocked Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray has made its official debut in the United States. In partnership with NewEgg, the handset carries an MSRP of $425 (although it currently sells for $380), where shoppers may choose between gold, black, white and pink varieties. As carrier compatibility goes, the phone features quad-band GSM support, along with 3G capability over the 2100 / 1900 / 850MHz airwaves, which makes it best suited for AT&T in the US, or Bell, Rogers and Telus up north. The Xperia Ray packs an MSM8255 SoC — which features a 1GHz CPU and an Adreno 205 GPU — along with a 3.3-inch FWVGA display and Android 2.3. Of particular note, it also sports an 8.1 megapixel lens with an Exmor R sensor that’s well-suited for low-light situations, along with an LED flash and the ability to record video at 720p. So, if you’re mad as hell at two-year ordeals, here’s a reason to not take it anymore. Howard Beale would be so very proud.

Xperia Ray makes US debut, goes unlocked for $425 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turns out, Sony Ericsson is really coming around to the understanding that Android phones are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. After taking notice of the FreeXperia team’s tireless efforts to bring CyanogenMod 7.1 to certain SE devices, the company is now “pulling a Samsung” by lending its support to the cause. The firm has provided the group with approximately 20 phones, along with debugged and rebuilt camera library binaries to ensure a proper user experience. Not stopping there, Sony Ericsson hopes to make these bits available to all developers under a special EULA in the near future. Of course, the company continues to remind its users that it doesn’t specifically condone unlocking the bootloader — which still results in a void warranty — even though it’s willing to help you do just that.

[Thanks, Thorsten]

Sony Ericsson lends hand to FreeXperia devs, shows love for CyanogenMod 7.1 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mango developers across the globe now have reason to hunker down and bring their apps up to snuff for Windows Phone 7.5. Microsoft has released version 7.1 of its SDK, which means no more coding with beta tools. In addition to the handful of bug fixes and a final spit-shine to the tooling experience, coders will discover the software has been localized to support nine languages, which includes English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Traditional Chinese. Redmond is also taking the opportunity to remind programmers that now is an excellent time to check into the App Hub and cross-submit applications into any additional markets where you wish to sell their wares. You’ve got the tools, folks, now it’s time to make it rain.

Windows Phone SDK 7.1 goes gold, seven new languages in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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