Hasta La Gadget!

Of the seemingly countless variants of the Galaxy S that Samsung’s in the process of deploying around the globe, one stands out in a couple very unique (and important) ways: Sprint’s Epic 4G. The Epic hangs on to a couple of the Galaxy line’s most important characteristics — namely the 1GHz Hummingbird processor and the 4-inch Super AMOLED display — but adds in a sliding landscape QWERTY keyboard, support for the wickedly fast WiMAX network that Sprint shares with partner Clearwire, and a handful of other notable one-off customizations.

We’ve already taken a look at two of the other US-bound Galaxy S models — AT&T’s Captivate and T-Mobile’s Vibrant — but it shouldn’t take more than a quick glance at the Epic to tell you that this is a very, very different beast. Becoming just the second WiMAX phone released in the States (and the first with a physical keyboard), this is a pretty critical release for Sprint at a time when its subscriber count is just starting to pick up after several quarters of decline — and making things even more interesting is the fact that Sprint’s first WiMAX handset — HTC’s EVO 4G — is simply one of the best phones we’ve ever reviewed. In other words, yeah, you could say that the Epic’s got a lot to live up to. Is it up to the task? Let’s find out.

Continue reading Epic 4G review

Epic 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve already heard how Verizon expects to hit the ground running on LTE, starting this November with a launch in 30 markets — New York, LA, Philadelphia, and so forth. Now it looks like you can add San Francisco to that aggressive list, if Boy Genius Report’s leak proves true. Will it beat WiMAX to the region? Your move, Sprint.

San Francisco in Verizon’s initial 30-market LTE rollout? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like your Samsung Galaxy S with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a dash of WiMAX? Sprint’s website has finally spilled the beans: the Epic 4G will arrive Tuesday, August 31st for $249.99 on contract (after $150 instant rebate and $100 mail-in rebate). Oddly enough, we’ve gotten a number of screencaps from readers who see an August 20th date, one that coincides with an upcoming Epic 4G promo we caught wind of, but the press release definitively lists the 31st. No way to pre-order at this point — reservations begin Friday, according to the press release — but feel free to sign up for reminders. Whew, glad that mystery’s finally solved. PR after the break.

Update: With Sprint now offering two Android-powered 4G smartphones, you’re probably wondering, Epic 4G or EVO 4G? Fortunately, Sprint’s got a video laying out the differences highlighting the Epic’s Super AMOLED display, keyboard, Samsung Media Hub movie store (available post-launch), and DLNA to wirelessly send pics and video to other DLNA devices in the home. Check it out after the break.

Update 2: Although reservations for in-store pickup aren’t set to begin until tomorrow, we’ve been tipped on a reservation link intended for premier customers. [Thanks, Miguel]

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Epic 4G coming August 31st for $249.99 on contract (updated)

Epic 4G coming August 31st for $249.99 on contract (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time for us to admit another entrant into the hall of unnecessary, but cool inventions. Installed at Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station yesterday, this latest spin on the vending machine dispenses with those silly windows unto what you’re buying and furnishes its user with a 47-inch touch panel from which to make his (or her) selection. An embedded camera will recognize your gender and age, allowing the machine to recommend a beverage suitable to whatever stereotype is attached to your particular circumstances. And don’t worry, it’ll store your purchasing history too, so you can be freaked out by tailored ads every time you use it. 500 more of these WiMAX-equipped units are planned to be installed in and around Tokyo over the next two years, with operating company JR East expecting them to tally up 30 percent more sales than their analog brethren. More bling equals higher revenue? Sounds about right.

[Thanks, Kyle]

Japan takes vending machines to their logical, 47-inch touchscreen extreme originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lately, the notion of getting Apple’s ever-growing line of mobile devices connected to 3G and 4G networks is attracting a lot of attention from carriers that aren’t AT&T — take Sprint’s Overdrive case for the iPad, for instance — but not in a million years did we think Clear would go so far as to create a mobile hotspot designed exclusively for them. In some ways, that’s taking respect for the Apple ecosystem to a whole new level. Of course, even the most die-hard Apple fanatics probably own a WiFi-capable device or three that doesn’t hail from Cupertino, so the usefulness of Clear’s iSpot is definitely limited — by design, of course. In exchange for the gimping, you pay just $25 a month for unlimited, blazingly fast WiMAX data with no contract, which is insanely cheap by modern standards — especially in an era when many carriers are moving to data caps.

So just how useful is the iSpot? Does it work as advertised? And perhaps more importantly, can it be used to… ahem, do things it’s not intended to do, if you catch our drift? Read on.

Continue reading Clear iSpot review

Clear iSpot review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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