Hasta La Gadget!

Is Big Red gearing up for a tag team Moto tablet refresh? From the looks of this internal screen grab (and the oodles of pre-release leaks), that may very well be the case. Despite the lack of official confirmation from both parties, we’re pretty certain those two mystery model numbers shown above — MZ617 and MZ609 — belong to the oft in-the-wild spotted Xoom 2 and its 8.2-inch “Media Edition” sibling. Unfortunately, that listed October 23rd date has come and gone with nary a mention of the slates’ existence, so we’ll just have to content ourselves with evidence of their apparent 4G capabilities and storage configurations. Folks keen to snag the full-fledged 10.1-incher will purportedly be able to select from 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, whereas lil’ bro Fleming offers up 16GB and 32GB options. With Google’s Motorola acquisition looming overhead, these could be your go-to tabs for an unadulterated Ice Cream Sandwich experience. And, hey, at least they’ll ship with LTE this time.

Mystery Motorola devices headed for Verizon, could be the long-awaited Xoom 2s? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The HTC Rhyme is one of the newest additions to the Verizon wireless line-up, setting itself apart from the rest of the family since it’s specifically for women — or hipsters who like purple. This time around, the company decided to focus on the accessories, leading its marketing campaign with a glowing purse charm to avoid missing calls — a fate all too familiar for gals whose phone is oftentimes buried at the bottom of a Louis Vuitton.

Unfortunately, we’ve been skipped over when it comes to some of the features popular with higher-end, more macho phones like the Droid RAZR or the Galaxy Nexus. Sorry, ladies, no 4- or 4.3-inch touchscreen, no 4G LTE and certainly no dual-core processor. Instead, this phone is pretty run-of-the-mill, with a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen, single-core, 1GHz processor, a WVGA display, a 5MP rear-facing and VGA front-facing camera, as well as an 8GB microSD card. Running the newest Sense 3.5 UI atop Gingerbread, the Rhyme offers a unique user experience for those who like HTC’s custom UI and, of course, the color purple. But is this phone powerful enough to keep up with the multitasking mayhem that is a day in the life of a modern woman? Jump past the break to find out.

Continue reading HTC Rhyme review

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Rhyme review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who said there’s no such thing as a second chance? After resurrecting the RAZR brand just last week with Motorola’s newly minted Droid member, Verizon’s now gearing up for a pre-order deluge on the 27th. That’s right, starting tomorrow morning at 8AM EST, Big Red’s dual-core 4G LTE handset’ll ship out to eager subs who plunk down the $299 on contract price before November 10th. If you’re not the early bird type, you’ll have to sit tight a wee bit longer as plans for an in-store launch have yet to be announced. Of course, you could always hold out for that eventual Galaxy Nexus to make its first place carrier debut, or even cross your toes for a Nokia Lumia 800 (one can hope, right?). Whatever your preference, this holiday season’s sure turning out to be a cornucopia of high-end mobile options. Check out the official presser after the break.

Update: Droid Life got a hold of an internal Verizon screen that pegs the Droid RAZR’s off contract price at $650. Still no word on an actual retail date for the device, but we’re sure that’s right around the corner.

Continue reading Droid RAZR pre-orders go live on Verizon tomorrow, ships to Blur fans before November 10th (updated)

Droid RAZR pre-orders go live on Verizon tomorrow, ships to Blur fans before November 10th (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like Verizon’s got a hardware-crush on teensy 3FF Micro SIMs. The carrier’s two latest 4G handsets, Samsung’s Stratosphere and Motorola’s Droid RAZR, both appear to make do with the diminutive cards. Neither, however, would be the first, as that honor was bestowed upon the carrier’s version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. If you’re eager to call one of these devices your own, but already sport Big Red’s LTE service, then get set to bust out the scissors for a little SIM card arts and crafts. Further pictorial proof of these itsy, bitsy modules awaits you at the source.

Samsung Stratosphere, Motorola Droid RAZR to be first Verizon LTE phones with Micro SIMs? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 08:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Overdrive 4G hotspot is just one device affected by the new Sprint data-capping policies. Photo: Dylan Tweney/Wired.com

In more bad news for bandwidth hogs, Sprint — the last bastion of unlimited data plans among U.S. carriers — will soon retire its unlimited 4G data plans for all non-smartphone devices.

Effective this November, Sprint customers will have to pay for 3G and 4G data use combined, a departure from the company’s previous policy of allowing unlimited 4G data while asking customers to pay only for 3G. Even worse, existing unlimited 4G hotspot data customers won’t be grandfathered in. That’s right: Now everyone has to pay up.

With the rise of 4G networks and devices in the U.S. over the past two years, carriers have grown stingier with data plan offerings. AT&T was the first to kill its unlimited data plan in 2010, paving the way for Verizon to follow suit in 2011. T-Mobile boasts an “unlimited” plan, though the company throttles download speeds after users pass the 2GB mark.

Sprints new plans will cost $45 for 3GB, $60 for 5GB, and $90 for 10GB of 3G/4G data. Every megabyte used after your limit will cost a nickel.

Fortunately, the policy strictly applies to non-smartphone devices like hotspots and tablets; Sprint remains the sole major U.S. carrier to offer an unlimited data plan for its smartphone customers.

Nonetheless, Sprint’s latest move may be an omen of things to come, especially as the company begins to carry the iPhone 4S on its network for the first time. AT&T killed unlimited data after gaining a notorious reputation for terrible iPhone coverage, and Verizon put down its unlimited plan only months after it started carrying Apple’s handset. Could Sprint be setting consumers up for the same thing?

A Sprint spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment from Wired.com. We’ll have to wait and see how Sprint’s network handles the influx of new customers.