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Nov 05

Verizon’s DROID ERIS by HTC does Android and keeps it cheap

Posted in: Android, breaking news, BreakingNews, droid, HTC, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

Verizon is making no secret about which Android device it wants to make waves this week — that’d be the DROID from Motorola — but there’s another model that’ll be available the same day with one-tenth the fanfare: HTC’s DROID ERIS. Codenamed Desire ahead of launch, the phone is essentially Verizon’s custom remix of the venerable Hero as found on Sprint and various GSM carriers around the world, featuring a 5 megapixel camera, 3.2-inch capacitive display, WiFi, 3.5mm headphone jack, and microSD expansion up to 16GB. Check it out in your local store hiding somewhere in the shadow of the DROID starting Friday for $99.99 on contract after a $100 mail-in rebate, which — if you can forgo a physical keyboard, faster processor, and high-res display — works out to a cool hundred less than Moto’s entry.

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon’s DROID ERIS by HTC does Android and keeps it cheap originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 04

Some more perspective on the DROID and multitouch

Posted in: Android, Apple, droid, Features, Google, legal, multitouch, patent, Today's Chili, verizon

There’s been a whirlwind of chatter about Apple’s multitouch patents since the Motorola DROID was released to reviewers sans any built-in support for Android 2.0’s multitouch APIs — there’s no pinch-to-zoom in the browser or maps app, and the soft keyboard is decidedly a single-touch affair. What’s even more curious is that the DROID clearly supports multitouch, as several new apps have demonstrated, and the overseas UMTS variant of the handset, the MILESTONE, has been shown on video with pinch-to-zoom in the browser several times now. That’s led to a ton of speculation that Apple’s somehow blocking Google from using pinch-to-zoom in the US, so we thought we’d step in with a little refresher on the state of Apple’s multitouch patents and some thoughts how they might be affecting the DROID. Read on!

Continue reading Some more perspective on the DROID and multitouch

Filed under: Cellphones

Some more perspective on the DROID and multitouch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 04

HTC DROID Eris unboxed and examined: ‘feels much better’ than Sprint Hero

Posted in: droid, HTC, Today's Chili, unboxing, verizon

If recent leaks are any indication, we should be seeing plenty more HTC DROID Eris unboxings any day now, but right now it looks like the Boy Genius Report has scored one of the first courtesy of one its helpful “connects.” Of course, there aren’t exactly a ton of surprises with the packaging apart from a bright splash of color upon opening the box, but the unboxer does say that the phone itself is thinner and lighter than the Sprint HTC Hero, and generally “feels much better in the hand.” Hit up the link below for a few more shots, and watch this space (well, not literally this space) for what’s sure to be more Eris news to come.

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC DROID Eris unboxed and examined: ‘feels much better’ than Sprint Hero originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 04

Motorola Droid $560 Without Contract

Posted in: Android, droid, motorola, Today's Chili, verizon

So you’re excited about the upcoming Motorola Droid, but you’re a bit of a rolling stone when it comes to settling down with wireless carrier contracts. The Android-based handset finally got an official month-to-month contract price, by way of the official Verizon Android Twitter account.

Interested parties will have to plunk down $559.99 for the honor of owning the phone sans-contract. The Editors’ Choice-winning handset will arrive in stores this Friday, priced at $199 for those who don’t mind contracts.

Nov 04

Verizon looking to bump early termination fee to $350 on ‘advanced’ devices

Posted in: BlackBerry, carrier, cdma, cellphone, droid, price, pricing, rumor, smartphone, Today's Chili, us, usa, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

You know what’s worse than showing your Bitter Beer Face to the world after you passed on Apple’s iPhone and let AT&T enjoy the spoils? Raising your early termination fee to stratospheric heights. Just over a year ago, we honestly though this whole ETF thing was headed in the right direction, as most of the major carriers (VZW included) sought to prorate contracts in order to lessen the charge as one’s contract drew closer to an end. Now, however, Big Red is evidently gearing up to pull a 180, with the slide above showing a $350 ETF for “advanced” devices (read: probably anything deemed a smartphone). The newly hiked rate will go into effect on November 15th, and while that $350 will decrease by $10 per month over the life of the agreement, this pretty much guarantees that you won’t be adding a line, disconnecting and then flipping that phone on eBay.

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon looking to bump early termination fee to $350 on ‘advanced’ devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 04

Verizon getting a little VAIO P to join its netbook offerings

Posted in: netbook, sony, Today's Chili, vaio, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

Motorola’s DROID is just a few days away from dropping on Verizon, but why pay $299 (minus $100 rebate) for that when you could instead pay $299 (possibly also minus $100) for a fully-featured definitely non-netbook VAIO P? Yes, Sony’s littlest ultraportable looks to be coming to VZW, popping up on a test page in a configuration with 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium. Seemingly (and curiously) no SSD versions will be on offer, possibly to keep down on costs, as the subsidized $299 price is quite a bit lower than the $800 or more you’d be looking to buy one new — not to mention a good bit more appealing than the other netbooks Verizon currently has on offer for the same price. Mind you, that two year wireless broadband contract won’t pay for itself…

[Via GadgetMix.com]

Filed under: Laptops

Verizon getting a little VAIO P to join its netbook offerings originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 04

DROID tethering? It’s coming early 2010, says Verizon

Posted in: droid, motorola, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

When the Motorola DROID debuts in Verizon Wireless stores bright and early this Friday, one nice little feature that won’t be making an appearance yet is tethering, for computing with your laptop on-the-go when that Android 2.0 interface just won’t cut it. We’re pretty sure that missing functionality won’t be lessening the early adopter crowds too much, but if you are so inclined, Gearlog’s confirmed with VZW that its “Broadband Access Connect” tethering plan is indeed coming to the device, but not until sometime early 2010. Now, how about muscling Motorola and / or Google for some of that double-finger pointing our fine European friends get to indulge in?

Filed under: Cellphones

DROID tethering? It’s coming early 2010, says Verizon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 03

Second Verizon DROID commercial stealth attacks America

Posted in: ad, ads, advertising, commercial, droid, motorola, Today's Chili, verizon, video

Looks like those iDon’t ads aren‘t all Verizon has in store to promote the DROID: this new spot, called “Stealth,” just leaked to BGR. Again, we can’t help but notice that Big Red’s taking a nerdier sci-fi approach to things with these ads, but that seems to suit the DROID, if you ask us. Video after the break.

Continue reading Second Verizon DROID commercial stealth attacks America

Filed under: Cellphones

Second Verizon DROID commercial stealth attacks America originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 03

Verizon May Charge Motorola Droid Users for Exchange Access

Posted in: droid, Microsoft, motorola, Phones, Today's Chili, verizon

Verizon Wireless loves to nickel and dime its customers and the upcoming Motorola Droid presents new opportunities.

Droid supports Microsoft Exchange’s ActiveSync feature that lets users access e-mail, calendar and contacts from their corporate servers running Exchange. But they could end up paying extra for the privilege, says InfoWorld.

Droid users could pay at least an additional $15 to $20 a month on top of their data plan for Exchange access. That means $45 to $50 a month including Exchange support instead of $30 a month for a data-only plan. Droid will be exclusively available on the Verizon network for $200 with a two-year contract.

The higher rate, though, will only apply for customers on a corporate or business account.

“Most customers will pay $30 for the data plan that gets them internet access and push e-mail,” Brenda Raney, a spokesperson for Verizon Wireless told Wired.com. “Customers who use an enterprise server are, in general, business customers and an IT department is facilitating the access. [Those] are the ones who need the $50 plan.”

In some cases, Droid users who get the $30 data plan could still access Exchange, says Raney. But that will be a decision for their companies to make. “Many companies required a corporate-approved device for it to access Exchange,” she says. “In those cases, Droid users will have to get a business account with Verizon.”

The policy is not just for the Droid. It applies to all Verizon smartphones, including the BlackBerry, that want to get corporate e-mail, says Verizon.

But that may not be telling the whole story. BlackBerry users pay additional fees because the phones connect with a company’s BlackBerry Enterprise Systems and not the consumer-focused BlackBerry Internet System, points out Mashable. And that involves additional licensing fees.

The Droid, though, runs the open source Android 2.0 platform with ActiveSync support already built in. That means users shouldn’t have to pay extra fees for their device to connect with their corporate servers.

It also defeats some of the good intentions behind Android. Wasn’t Android expected to help bring in cost savings for carriers and consumers?

Updated 11/04 to include comments from Verizon

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Photo: (tnkgrl/Flickr)

Nov 03

AT&T sues Verizon over ‘there’s a map for that’ ads

Posted in: ad, ads, advertising, app, att, breaking news, BreakingNews, Law, lawsuit, legal, maps, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

Whoa — we just got word that AT&T is suing Verizon for false advertising over Big Red’s “There’s a map for that” ads. We’re reading the complaint and motion to stop the ads right now, but here’s what AT&T says is the big problem:

In essence, we believe the ads mislead consumers into believing that AT&T doesn’t offer ANY wireless service in the vast majority of the country. In fact, AT&T’s wireless network blankets the US, reaching approximately 296M people. Additionally, our 3G service is available in over 9,600 cities and towns. Verizon’s misleading advertising tactics appear to be a response to AT&T’s strong leadership in smartphones. We have twice the number of smartphone customers… and we’ve beaten them two quarters in a row on net post-paid subscribers. We also had lower churn — a sign that customers are quite happy with the service they receive.

AT&T also says its network reaches about the same number of people as Verizon’s, so we’re thinking it’s a little miffed that it’s being portrayed as an also-ran here. We’ll update as we learn more, keep it locked!

Update: So this seems like a very narrow lawsuit, actually. As we’ve been told, AT&T thinks Verizon is trying to fool viewers into thinking that they can’t use any AT&T phone services outside of 3G coverage areas by showing two essentially different maps. Since Verizon’s entire network is 3G, the gaps in the red map are actual service gaps — but Verizon doesn’t show that the gaps on the AT&T map might be covered by AT&T’s huge 2G network. We can see how that could be misleading, but at some point you’ve got to compare apples to apples, and AT&T even says it has “no quarrel with Verizon advertising its larger 3G network” in its complaint, so we’ll see how the court reacts.

Update 2: Interestingly, Verizon’s already changed the ads once at AT&T’s behest, editing them to remove the phrase “out of touch” and adding a “Voice and data services available outside of 3G areas” small print disclaimer at the end. Apparently that wasn’t enough for AT&T, which says the ads still confuse non-technical viewers into thinking AT&T provides no service at all outside of its 3G coverage.

Update 3: Okay, we’ve read everything — there’s really not much more to this suit than the arguments over the maps. We’re thinking Verizon could have easily dealt with this by just using dark blue and light blue on the AT&T map to differentiate between 3G and 2G coverage, but at this point we don’t think Ma Bell is all that interested in anything except getting these ads off the air. All that said, it’s hard to deny that Verizon’s ads made a perfectly valid point: using an iPhone on AT&T’s network in New York or San Francisco is an exercise in frustration, regardless of whether you have 2G or 3G, and we’ve had zero problems on Verizon. Let’s just hope AT&T is working as hard to fight these ads with its actual service as it is with its lawyers.

Gallery: AT&T’s complaint for temporary restraining order over Verizon