Hasta La Gadget!

So we’ve got a crazy theory here: SlashGear just got a couple closeup shots of some heretofore-unknown HTC. So did we — one in common with SlashGear, one different. Could it be that Taiwan’s finest are “leaking” us these shots in an effort to drum up interest going into CES in a couple weeks? We wouldn’t doubt it in the least — with the LG B, Optimus 2X, and Samsung Nexus S all fresh off the presses, HTC probably wouldn’t mind getting a little boost in mindshare right now, and there’s no better way to do it than by teasing a phone that looks an awful lot like the previously-leaked Mecha. As a refresher, the Mecha is the beast that might end up on Verizon as the Incredible HD, offering LTE compatibility for the carrier’s new 4G network — and we know that Verizon plans on showing a whole bunch of LTE devices at CES, so this is all lining up pretty nicely. Follow the break for the other shot we received along with SlashGear‘s.

Update: Android Central got another picture, too, presumably from the same source. Shenanigans!

Update 2: Gizmodo, too. At the rate we’re going, we’ll have these pictures assembled into an actual working phone by the time the night is over.

Continue reading New HTC device starts leaking piecemeal — is it the Mecha / Incredible HD?

New HTC device starts leaking piecemeal — is it the Mecha / Incredible HD? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How many dedicated LTE-capable USB modems does Verizon need? At least three, apparently, because we’ve just been sent shots of Novatel’s upcoming USB551L that looks perhaps a tad glossier and sleeker than the Pantech and LG models that have preceded it. Hard to say from the spec sheet here, but it looks like there’s at least a chance this is LTE-only without CDMA / EV-DO fallback since there’s no explicit mention of it; unlikely considering how small Verizon’s LTE footprint is for the time being, but you never know. More importantly, there is explicit mention of Mac support, something the carrier’s current options lack. No word on a release date or pricing, but we imagine it won’t be long now that these dummy units — which you can see in the gallery below — are floating around.

Novatel’s USB551L LTE modem for Verizon in the wild, does Mac support out of the box originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Planning to pay Verizon an extra $130 for an iPad + MiFi 2200 bundle? Hold on a sec, because Best Buy’s planning to give away hotspots free of charge when you purchase Apple’s tablet. This advertisement, obtained by 9to5 Mac, does mention that you’ll need to shackle yourself to a carrier for two years to qualify — unlike Verizon’s original arrangement — but in exchange you get a free Verizon FiveSpot, AT&T MiFi, or perhaps most excitingly, a WiMax-capable Sprint Overdrive. Fine print in the lower-right hand corner suggests that the promo will begin immediately and run through January 2nd. What better way to spend your leftover Hanukkah gelt than on gigabytes of wireless data?

Best Buy offering free mobile hotspots with iPad purchase originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 23:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At this point, you’ve got one of two choices for Verizon LTE modems — the Pantech UML290 and the LG VL600 (which we got) — and neither work on the Mac. Verizon says OS X compatibility is coming soon, but if you’re the impatient sort and happen to possess the Pantech variant, you may be in luck: a member of HowardForums has posted instructions on how to set it up via Network Preferences. Windows is still needed for the initial activation, and there’s no promises it’ll work with every Apple computer, but if all the stars have aligned just right for you, hey, congrats.

Pantech’s Verizon LTE modem configured for Mac use, follow along at home originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 22:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By now you’re probably familiar with this slate, seeing as how Google’s Andy Rubin recently unveiled it on stage, but we’re willing to bet you’ve never seen the top edge — you know, the part now bearing a front-facing webcam and a conspicuous Verizon tattoo. Yes, this is Motorola’s 10-inch Honeycomb tablet, and it’s playing for Team Red just as foretold, though the tipster who obtained these images isn’t sure whether it will bear the name Stingray, Everest or even potentially “Trygon.” Spec-wise, we’re told our previous tipster was right on the money, and it’ll have a 1GHz Tegra 2 T20, a gyroscope and 32GB of storage underneath that 1280 x 800 multitouch screen, as well as 512MB of RAM and a slot for an up-to-32GB microSD card. It also sure looks like there’s a micro-USB jack, a mini-HDMI port and a 3.5mm headphone socket, as well as some contacts for a likely dock, though as always Mr. Blurrycam’s handiwork is such that we can’t quite tell. No matter — see for yourself in the gallery below.

Update: What’s that button on the back of the unit, right next to the speaker and dual LED flash? Why, it’s the power toggle, of course.

[Thanks, wnrussell]

Motorola’s 10-inch Honeycomb tablet meets Mr. Blurrycam, shows off Verizon logo originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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