Hasta La Gadget!

Yes, Verizon’s calling them “Windows 7 mobile devices,” but the underlying message is clear — Verizon’s tossing the Windows Phone 7 CDMA ball squarely into Microsoft’s court. There are no CDMA-ready smartphones running Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system (save the late-blooming HTC 7 Pro for Sprint) and Verizon doesn’t intend to take any of the blame for that. You’re up, Microsoft. Time for a three-point basket.

P.S. We suppose this could also be a coy reference to CDMA-ready Windows 7 tablets.

[Thanks, Daniel R.]

Verizon happy to offer Windows Phone 7 devices ‘as soon as Microsoft has ’em ready’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you weren’t so keen on that LTE-enabled LG handset for Verizon that we saw recently, feat your eyes on this puppy. What we’re looking at here is allegedly the HTC Mecha — which may be known at retail as the Droid Incredible HD — and from the looks of it, it’ll be the first true EVO 4G equivalent from HTC for Big Red. And yes, when we say “EVO 4G equivalent,” we mean 4G network support, too: you’ll notice a little “4G” symbol up there toward the right side of the status bar, suggesting this will likely be among the company’s inaugural LTE phones early next year. Android Central‘s source says that the phone is getting 9Mbps down and 5Mbps up in testing right now… so let’s just hope those speeds hold up when the network actually launches.

HTC Mecha / Incredible HD pictured for Verizon with a fancy ‘4G’ symbol originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So it was written, and so has it been done. Hot on the heels of T-Mobile, the little Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch Android tablet that could just hit Verizon retail for $599.99. Of course, that’s before taxes and options for month-to-month data plans (with $35 activation fee) are factored in starting at $20 per month for 1GB on up to $80 for 10GB. So feel free to jump right in if the idea of waiting for a Super AMOLED version, a 10.1-inch flavor, or a tablet-tuned Android release sounds like crazy talk.

[Thanks, Spencer T.]

Samsung Galaxy Tab lands on Verizon for $599.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 01:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You didn’t think Verizon would start selling its iPad / MiFi bundle without an ad blitz, did you? Big Red’s running a new commercial called “Breakaway” that features a dude using the combo to tear down the walls of his unfurnished home and wind up sitting alone on a bluff in a plastic chair. The magic of iPad, the power and reliability of Verizon. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Nick]

Continue reading Verizon iPad commercial hits the air

Verizon iPad commercial hits the air originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If surprise was the focus of the event, we’d say the Samsung Android-powered, Verizon-exclusive (and, alas, Bing-driven) Continuum reveal was a comedy of errors — but who cares now that we’ve got our hands on the Galaxy S phone, secondary ticker and all (at 480 x 96 resolution). The Android buttons themselves, as it turns out, are on the display as well — basically, it’s one huge display. The grip sensor that activates the display seems to work well, although it’s pretty easy to squeeze the camera button by accident since it’s also on the lower right of the phone. Unfortunately, there’s no way for third-party apps to update the ticker — it’s limited to Samsung’s stuff right now. We’re trying to get some battery life info — we’re curious if turning on a smaller screen more often will result in a longer shelf life, or if it’ll just be about even.

Update: Video after the break!

Update 2: Okay, we got some more info on that screen. The entire front of the phone is one huge four-inch screen, with the Android buttons more or less painted over the lower third — the screen lights up underneath them in white to illuminate them. Samsung says it’s just easier for marketing purposes to say it’s two screens, but that they’re selectively turning on the bottom portion of the display for the ticker. As far as battery life, it’s a 1500mah battery that’ll last about a day, we’re told — the lower screen turns on whenever a notification comes in, but since it’s a smaller screen the battery life is on par with the Fascinate.

We also learned the “grip sensor” isn’t really grip-based at all — it’s capacitive, so just lightly touching both sides of the phone lights up the ticker. It’s pretty nice, although super easy to set it off by just holding the phone. Samsung says there will eventually be an API for third-party apps to use the ticker, but right now they’re just focused on their core experiences. As for Bing, well, no one’s saying why some Verizon phones get Binged out and some don’t, but every indication is that Verizon calls those shots, not Samsung. We’re also told that an Android 2.2 update will eventually arrive, but there’s no timeline yet — and there’s a real chance this’ll launch with 2.1 after 2.3 hits. Developing…

Update 3: Added a quick macro pic of the buttons after the break — you can see how it’s just one big screen. We also took some side-by-sides with a Captivate — the Continuum is thicker and narrower. Samsung says the narrower size is designed to appeal to women, who generally have smaller hands.

Continue reading Samsung Continuum first hands-on (update: video!)

Samsung Continuum first hands-on (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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