Hasta La Gadget!

We did it at WWDC, and we’re doing it from 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino, California. Apple’s holding its hotly-anticipated iPhone 5 (and iPhone 4s?) launch event here this morning, and we’re on-hand to bring you a bit of pre- and post-show banter. Join Tim Stevens, Darren Murph and a plethora of Sesame Street characters* as we break down what’s likely to go down during today’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event. And once we’re ushered inside (you know, where live video streams aren’t allowed), follow our liveblog right here. Check out the video after the break.

*Pending a response from Cookie Monster’s publicist.

Update: And we’re done! Stay tuned for the liveblog and more throughout the day!

Continue reading Engadget, broadcasting live from Apple’s ‘Let’s Talk iPhone’ event in Cupertino!

Engadget, broadcasting live from Apple’s ‘Let’s Talk iPhone’ event in Cupertino! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That pool looks cool and refreshing, and all of the kids are having the time of their lives. Problem is, it’s in an exclusive club, leaving you to stare at it longingly from the opposite side of a chainlink fence. We know the feeling, and it ain’t fun — yet, the state of LTE in the US over the last year has had just a pinch of elitism due to its high cost of entry and exclusion from most rural areas. Devices running on the near-miraculous speeds haven’t exactly been cheap, with handsets like the Samsung Droid Charge and Motorola Droid Bionic at an asking price of $250 to $300 on contract. Needless to say, lots of customers have felt the underlying feeling of inadequacy because their wallets may come up a Benjamin or two short.

The Pantech Breakout is the fifth phone in Verizon’s LTE lineup, and the first clear departure from the piggy bank-busting prices that its predecessors command. With Big Red boasting a 4G lineup full of monotonous 4.3-inch behemoths, we’ve been anxiously awaiting something different. Something — anything — that could likely appease a different set of customers eager to take advantage of this speedy network. The 4-inch Breakout certainly is capable of appealing to a wider demographic, but with an uncharacteristically low $100 price tag with a two-year commitment, does it ooze cheapness or is it a fair bargain? Follow us after the break to find out.

Continue reading Pantech Breakout review

Pantech Breakout review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple pulled a fast one by leaving the iPhone 5 in its back pocket during WWDC, and little did we know that it’d be Tim Cook — not Steve Jobs — revealing the company’s next-gen handset. ‘Course, Tim already had a bit of experience by doing the honors alongside Lowell McAdam for the Verizon iPhone 4, but this is another beast entirely. Will the “Let’s Talk iPhone” keynote bring about a cheaper, perhaps prepaid iPhone 4s? Will Sprint finally get an iPhone to call its own? Will the iPhone 5 read our minds? Will this change everything, despite everything already being changed? Bookmark this page here and return at the times below for our blow-by-blow coverage live from Cupertino!

Psst… and toss your own time zone / day in comments below!

07:00AM – Hawaii
10:00AM – Pacific
11:00AM – Mountain
12:00PM – Central
01:00PM – Eastern
06:00PM – London
07:00PM – Paris
09:00PM – Moscow
02:00AM – Tokyo (October 5th)

Apple’s ‘Let’s Talk iPhone’ event is tomorrow — get your liveblog right here! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 26, 2011:

• Last week we heard the rumor that Sprint would be launching the BlackBerry Curve 9350 on October 2nd, and we’ve finally received the official confirmation. The device will be hitting stores tomorrow for $80 with a two-year contract. [PhoneArena]
• The Motorola Photon WiMAX, referred to as the Photon 4G in the US, is now making its way to Japan as KDDI announced the launch of the device this past Monday. [Motorola]
• Verizon Wireless launched the Pantech Jest 2 this week, which is a feature phone with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. [Verizon Wireless]
• The Samsung Galaxy Y is now listed as “coming soon” on O2’s website, which makes it the second carrier to announce upcoming availability in the UK. The actual date of release, however, is still unofficial. [O2]
• Softbank (Japan) looks ready to land the ZTE Lord V882, which appears to be an Android device running on Gingerbread, and comes packed with a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, 3.8-inch LCD at WVGA resolution and a 5MP camera. [LandofDroid]
• NTT DoCoMo and Orange have teamed up to offer the Sharp AQUOS SH80F, which features dual 8MP stereoscopic cameras and claims to be the world’s first Android device capable of converting 2D content into 3D in real time. It’ll first be launched in France on October 6th and will follow to other European and Asian countries shortly after. [Softpedia]
• Maybe Microsoft Canada just assumed nobody actually reads terms and conditions, because the company outed the names of a few upcoming Windows Phones in the T&C for a developer contest: the Nokia Sabre and a duo of Samsungs named the Yukon and Wembley. The Nokia Searay was also named in the list, indicating the Sabre is a second device running on Mango. [Nokia HDBlog (translated)]
• In preparation for its Windows Phone debut, Nokia is also rumored to be featuring a new voice navigation system with 3D maps, according to some leaked marketing materials. [WinRumors]
• Here’s a rendering of the HTC EVO Design 4G, also known as the Kingdom or Hero S. [Pocketnow]
• Samsung may have a midrange device coming soon to AT&T’s lineup as a complement to the Galaxy S II. We’ve already seen the I857 pass through the FCC and show up in a leaked roadmap, and now it appears to have been dubbed the Doubletime, according to uncovered Cellebrite records. [Pocketnow]
• Also appearing in Cellebrite records are the HTC Vigor (PH98100), Motorola Droid HD (XT912), and the Samsung Nexus Prime (SCH-i515). [Droid-Life]

Mobile Miscellany: week of September 26, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stacking the lineup against Google Wallet, manufacturers HTC, LG, Motorola, RIM, Samsung and Sony Ericsson have been drafted by team Isis, agreeing to implement its NFC technology standard into future phone offerings. By garnering multi-manufacturer support, the joint AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon venture is pulling a power move against Mountain View’s offering — currently only functional on Sprint’s Nexus S 4G (although that’s almost certainly bound to change). Finally gearing up for battle, the crew recently pumped $100 million into the initiative, helping to win support from the aforementioned hardware heavy hitters. For those who aren’t ready to buy a new phone just to jump on the NFC bandwagon, Isis says it’s working with DeviceFidelity to add the functionality to older models as well. The more devices that have the technology, the better the chance we’ll be ditching our leather wallets for the mobile variety. Or so they say. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading HTC, LG, Motorola, RIM, Samsung and Sony Ericsson to add Isis NFC tech in future phones

HTC, LG, Motorola, RIM, Samsung and Sony Ericsson to add Isis NFC tech in future phones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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