Hasta La Gadget!

Alright, Devour users, we know the very first thing you want to know is whether this is Android 2.1 we’re dealing with here — and sadly, the answer to that is a forlorn “no.” That said, it looks like this update is going to tidy up a whole bunch of stuff for you with improved call performance, better UI response time, stability enhancements, a handful of minor email tweaks, better audio over headsets, and updated Google apps. As usual, Verizon and Motorola are rolling out this OTA in phases, so if you haven’t gotten it yet, just hang tight and see what the Firmware Fairy brings you over the next few days.

Motorola Devour graced with update, bug fixes are the main story originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though some information leaked out of Verizon’s pipes yesterday, HTC just got really real with the Droid Incredible at the 99% Conference in New York today. Specs are pretty much what we expected: Android 2.1 with Sense, an 8 megapixel cam, 1GHz Snapdragon (not the underclocked core we’d heard rumored before, thankfully), WiFi, and a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED display. Basically, this unit is a Sense-ified HTC Nexus One with an up-spec’d camera and a penchant for Verizon’s airwaves — and for a whole lotta Android users, that’s exactly what the doctor ordered. It hits on April 29 for $199.99 on contract after a $100 mail-in rebate — but in the mean time, you’ll be able to pre-order starting on the 19th. Full PR after the break.

Update: We’ve also got a live shot of the device after the break. Thanks, Bryan!

Update 2: Verizon’s own Incredible site is now live — have fun over there! Thanks, Artem!

Update 3: We’ve confirmed that the phone will be up for pre-sale at Best Buy starting on the 18th, and per usual, this route will ensure you get the handset for $199.99 sans any mail-in rebate hassles.

Continue reading HTC Droid Incredible officially official for Verizon, April 29 for $200 (updated with a live shot!)

HTC Droid Incredible officially official for Verizon, April 29 for $200 (updated with a live shot!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s finally official: Microsoft Pink — the product of Redmond’s acquisition of Danger — has just been unveiled as a pair of handsets sourced from Sharp (which made most of Danger’s Sidekicks) known as the Kin One and Kin Two. The devices are being marketed as Windows Phones, and while they’re ultimately based on most of the same underpinnings of Windows Phone 7, it’s a distinctly and totally different experience — the entire user interface is custom to Kin with a heavy social media slant, a custom browser (we’re told it’s based on the Zune’s browser), and surprisingly, zero support for third-party apps. The displays are capacitive with support for multitouch (yes, you can pinch and zoom in the browser), but there’s no support for in-browser Flash or Silverlight.

Kin One — the phone we’d seen rumored as “Turtle” — is basically a curved square slider with a QVGA display, 4GB of internal storage, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, and a full QWERTY keyboard. Kin Two, meanwhile, is the phone leaked as the “Pure,” upping the ante with a HVGA display and a more traditional landscape QWERTY slide form factor. It also moves up to an 8 megapixel cam and 8GB of internal storage, but otherwise, the experience is roughly the same as what you get on the One; both phones have WiFi and Bluetooth in addition to their 3G cellular radios. For what it’s worth, Microsoft is emphasizing that internal storage really isn’t a big deal with the Kin phones, because your entire photo and video collection that you capture using the onboard camera is synced seamlessly with your bottomless online storage; you can access the entire collection from your phone at any time by browsing thumbnails, and if you want the full content, you can download it. Kin comes bundled with a desktop web experience that’s entirely based on Silverlight for viewing and sorting just about all of the major stuff that you can see on your phone — contacts, social network status updates, images, and so on — and we’ve got to admit, it looks pretty slick. Keep reading after the break for a lot more info and video!

Continue reading Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two announced: Windows Phone roots with a social slant (updated with video)

Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two announced: Windows Phone roots with a social slant (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So Phandroid has scored some internal Verizon rah-rah type material teasing a device announcement on Monday, and they’re thinking it’s the upcoming HTC Incredible — but we’re not so sure. This lines up all too well with Microsoft’s mysterious event in San Francisco, an event that we’ve heard repeatedly from a multitude of respected sources (Paul Thurrott and Ina Fried, to name a couple) would be for Microsoft’s long-rumored Pink handsets, likely for launch on Verizon. Couple that with Verizon’s verbiage here — “it’s new, it’s unique, living exclusively on… Verizon Wireless” — and we kinda think that a device as similar to phones already in the marketplace as the Incredible is doesn’t warrant the hype. Fortunately, we’ll have this all sorted out in less than 72 hours’ time.

[Thanks, Tom]

Verizon teasing a Microsoft Pink announcement for Monday? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whoa, we didn’t see this one coming: Verizon just slashed the cost of its 3G Mobile Hotspot feature for the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus all the way down to $0, effectively giving you a broadband modem for your laptop, iPod touch, and up to three other devices for $60 less per month than you’d pay with a MiFi that accomplishes exactly the same function (and $50 less than any other tether-capable Verizon handset). For some, this alone could be reason enough to take the plunge and become a webOS user, we’d wager. Here’s Verizon’s official statement on the matter:

“Customers who purchase or upgrade to a Palm Pre and Palm Pixi will get the Mobile Hotspot for free. Existing customers who already have the service will find charges on their next bill will be $0.00.”

Add that in to the fact that the Pre Plus is now $49.99 and the Pixi Plus is now $29.99, both with buy-one-get-one-free deals tacked on, and yeah… what do you want to bet there are some wide smiles over in Sunnyvale this morning?

Note: This isn’t an April Fool’s joke — try pricing a Pre Plus on Verizon’s site and add the Mobile Hotspot feature at checkout.

Verizon Mobile Hotspot on webOS devices now free, Pre Plus and Pixi Plus fall to $49.99 and $29.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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