Hasta La Gadget!

Shopping for a new smartphone is an exciting and arduous experience. It holds the promise of something better and the fear of a two-year commitment. For gadget enthusiasts, it also involves pouring over specs and reviews, and fretting over what’s coming out in the near-term. As we publish this buyer’s guide, we face potential upheavals in the mobile space. Samsung’s Galaxy S II lineup will arrive at three major US carriers, the next iPhone perpetually looms in the distance, and a new generation of Windows Phone handsets is close upon us. You might ask, “Why would anyone buy a smartphone today, when something better is coming tomorrow?” Friends, that’s the blessing and curse of the mobile world — there’s always something better coming. You can’t wait forever, though, and if you want to purchase a smartphone today, we’re here to make the process easier and help you make an informed decision.

While our choices are sometimes contentious, they’re backed with experience that you can rely upon. If you’re looking to make a quick decision without much effort, you can rest assured that our selections won’t steer you wrong. Still, we encourage you to educate yourself before you decide on a smartphone that best fits your needs. Our Primed series is an excellent place to start, where you can learn about dual-core processors and mobile displays. As always, you’re encouraged to share your own experience in the comments, and we hope you have fun listing your own favorites, too. Just remember that we have an $80 ceiling for our budget selections. Compared to our previous buyer’s guide, Samsung has begun to lose ground, and while Android maintains dominance, it’s found some unexpected competition. Curious to see how it played out? Read on, as we round up the best smartphones of the day.

Continue reading Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide: fall 2011 edition

Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide: fall 2011 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s no secret or surprise that AT&T is unhappy with the DOJ’s decision to try and block its merger with T-Mobile. But issuing public statements is one thing, officially filing papers in court is another. Ma Bell submitted a 25-page document arguing that the Justice Department’s claims represent a misunderstanding of the market and dismisses competition from “innovative upstarts,” like MetroPCS and US Cellular. AT&T’s lawyers point out that T-Mo, currently the fourth largest provider, has been losing customers for years and it’s German parent company may not be inclined to invest much in improving it. By contrast, AT&T has spent $30 billion over the last two years to boost network quality and capacity, yet still struggles to keep up with demand. We can’t say the arguments are without validity, but the government’s fear of a market dominated by just three companies with little incentive to innovate or drive down prices also seems well founded. Well, the pageantry officially gets underway on September 21st, when the US District Court hearings begin.

AT&T files response to DOJ suit, says regulators just don’t understand originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Sep 2011 12:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When the DOJ blocked AT&T’s deal to snatch up T-Mobile, did you think Ma Bell would end up shelling out some ridiculous sum to lock things up? Well, the opposite may be the case — according to Bloomberg, the company can get a reduced rate if regulator’s requests become too pricey. A discount of sorts would be available to AT&T if the remedy to-do list surpasses 20 percent of the deal’s original $39 billion price tag (about $7.8 billion). Also of note here: the company could leave the proverbial table altogether if the concessions top the 40 percent mark, only owing a break-up penalty… and shelling out the $3 billion contingency fund to Deutsche Telekom AG.

AT&T may get a discount if T-Mobile bid concessions prove too expensive originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like the US government isn’t the only party looking to stand in the way of AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile. Sprint today announced that it has filed suit in federal court in the District of Columbia against AT&T, Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile. The filing outlines the carrier’s concern that the proposed deal would harm consumers, corporate customers and carriers (such as, you know, Sprint), while transforming AT&T-Mobile and Verizon into a “duopoly.” Of course, this isn’t the first time the carrier has let the world know that it’s not particularly pumped about the whole proposal. See the full litigious press release after the break.

Update: Right on cue, AT&T has fired back with a predictably laughable response.

Continue reading Sprint files suit to stop AT&T / T-Mobile merger

Sprint files suit to stop AT&T / T-Mobile merger originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

• The biggest update we saw this week was a widespread push of Android 2.3.3 to the Motorola Droid 2. This one is done OTA, so simply go into your settings menu and check for updates to see if it’s there. (thanks to everyone who sent this in)
• While we saw a rollout of Android 2.3 to a select few LG Optimus Ones in June, we’re hearing reports that the update’s now getting pushed out again to a few more regions. This refresh must be done manually through LG’s updater tool, so you’ll definitely want to check to see if your phone is one of the lucky recipients. [via PocketNow]
• US Cellular took to its Facebook Page to let customers know it’s working on revamping the Samsung Mesmerize to Gingerbread at some point, though no official date or timeframe was given aside from “as soon as possible.” [via AndroidCentral]
• HTC announced the arrival of Android 2.3 for the Thunderbolt and Droid Incredible this month, via its Facebook page. [via AndroidCommunity]
• In fact, some users have already reported getting Gingerbread for the Incredible, and we suspect the rollout will be complete no later than the end of the month, to fulfill the company’s promise. [via Phandroid]
• Gingerbread is in the plans for the Motorola Milestone 2, and according to the company the refresh will begin rolling out in early Q4. [via MyDailyGadget]
• The Samsung LC11 LTE mobile hotspot is getting a new build, EF07, that appears to improve its handling of multiple devices and congested WiFi locations. It also adds security patches and new protocols. [via Verizon]
• An update for the Droid 3 was apparently available to soak testers and leaked online, but was pulled from Motorola servers shortly thereafter. It appears to add video chat support in GTalk and adds a new radio that’s supposed to save battery life. The via link still has the update available for anyone interested. [via Droid-Life]

Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc hackery

• The root method used on most Motorola Android devices has been employed to root the Droid Bionic before it’s even been released. [via Droid-Life]
• LG has released the kernel source for its Gingerbread build of the Optimus S. [via AndroidCentral]
• The HTC Dev site expanded its support for the bootloader unlock tool this week, now encompassing all versions of the Sensation — including T-Mobile’s. [via AndroidCentral]

Other platforms

• SPB Shell 3.0 is now available for Symbian^3 devices. It brings a fresh 3D-style UI to the OS, and can be yours for $15. [via IntoMobile]

Updates already covered this week

• HP planning TouchPad OTA update for added functionality
• HTC Flyer Honeycomb ROM leaks
• Samsung Nexus S updated to 2.3.6, fixes voice search and breaks tethering

Refresh Roundup: week of August 29, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 10:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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