14:43 by Unknown
We first heard murmurings of the Pantech Perception smartphone way back in January, a 4G LTE handset headed to Verizon. Now we have tentative news of a release date as proposed by leaked information and it appears April 25 could be the big day for Big Red.
We’ve already seen a leaked image of the Pantech Perception as well as rumored specs but although a Q1 release was initially expected, Q1 came and went with no sign of the Perception. Now though we hear this mid-range phone is set for April 25 according to well known source evleaks.
This phone hasn’t even been formally announced yet, let alone a release date set, but evleaks has been a reliable source of information on previous occasions and so this could well be accurate. Specs rumored for the Pantech Perception include a 1.5 Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor and 4G LTE connectivity.
The display size hasn’t yet been detailed but is believed to have a resolution of 1280 x 720 and could be 4.8-inches while other claimed specs include 1GB of RAM. Please note that the image above is the earlier leaked image of the Pantech Perception and has not been validated as accurate. Of course if we hear more on the Pantech Perception we’ll keep you informed.We’d like to hear your views on the Pantech Perception. Are you a Verizon customer waiting for its release,Maybe you think the Perception doesn’t stand out much against other handsets on the market or just about to release.
The Pantech smartphone with HD was first released on AT&T and that was called the discover and this came with very decent specs indeed with a price tag of $49.99 on the normal two-year contract. Today we can report that the new Pantech Perception for Verizon just got photographed and new documents were found on FCC, and this is great considering Verizon have not yet announced this smartphone.
In an earlier report we said that the Verizon Pantech HD 4G Perception was not too shabby with its specs, so it is great to hear that this handset has been tested by the FCC as well as a few photos of the device means it is getting closer for release. Ok the handset was not switched on and only the boring images above are available but it is a start in the right direction if you want an affordable Smartphone on Verizon.
You will notice that the Pantech Perception photos above does not show the Verizon branding, but this will happen just before release there is no doubting that.
The Pantech Perception for Verizon will feature specs such as a 4.8-inch HD touchscreen display, 1.5GHz Qualcomm dual core Snapdragon S4 processor, resolution of 1196 x 720, 1GB of RAM, Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich OS but we are hoping that this is incorrect and it comes running the Jelly Bean flavour.
The Pantech Perception for Verizon will possibly be released in the first quarter, unless they are waiting to announce it at MWC 2013, personally there is no point revealing it at this event as the phone is not ground-breaking in anyway shape or form.
Pantech is a South Korean company that manufactures mobile phones. Established in 1991, its market is mainly domestic with partners in the United States, Japan, China, and Europe. In 2012 Pantech was the second best-selling handset maker in South Korea, according to Gartner. Pantech also partners with PCD for specialized phones.In the U.S. market, the company primarily manufactures phones for the two largest wireless carriers, AT&T and Verizon.
14:41 by Unknown
We’ve been posting about the Nokia Lumia 928 Windows Phone handset coming to Verizon for some time now. Some days ago we mentioned a possible release of the Lumia 928 on Verizon in May and this has now been backed up by further news. Also it seems that the Lumia 928 is likely have a metal body, something that has been the subject of discussion.
The Lumia 928 is the first Nokia high-end Windows Phone to be offered by Big Red and there should be plenty of customers interested in it that could be lured away from the iOS or Android platforms. The phone is a thinner and more lightweight variant of the flagship Lumia 920 but has been claimed to have a Xenon flash.
We knew it was likely to be a Verizon exclusive and a new report tells how the phone will indeed, be only offered by Verizon. We recently informed that an early May release was possible and although the latest information does say the Lumia 928 will launch in May there is no specific time of the month mentioned. However as May is just around the corner hopefully the release is not too far away.
The same report also mentions a metal body for the Nokia Lumia 928, contradicting a recent unverified leaked image (see above), which seemed to dispel the idea. We think a lot of potential customers would love to see an aluminum casing for the phone so hopefully this news will turn out to be accurate. As the report comes from Bloomberg who quote people with knowledge of the plans it does seem as though this could be credible information.
Other information from the same sources mentions a 4.5-inch display, an 8-megapixel rear camera and also another potential crowd-pleaser, wireless charging. We’d like to know what you think of the Nokia Lumia 928. Are you a Verizon customer looking forward to this smartphone becoming available on the carrier.
Nokia Lumia 928 unveiling April 25
Many of you will have heard of the Nokia Lumia 928 by now and this is a slimmer and lighter version of Nokia’s flagship Lumia 920. The Lumia 928 is likely to be exclusive to Verizon and though a release date has not yet been announced we told how we thought it would be soon, after parts and accessories emerged. Today a report says that the Lumia 928 may be unveiled on April 25 with an early May release.
We recently discussed some Lumia 928 display components and also looked at a design concept for the phone but the news that many have been waiting for is a release date. Although this is so far unconfirmed a source states that after an official announcement on April 25 the phone will actually release on May 2 or May 9.
Nokia’s Stephen Elop previously said that a ‘hero’ phone would be launched in the US on a major carrier this quarter and so this could fit nicely with the Nokia Lumia 928, although that description could cover another device. May 2 or 9 will also be a Thursday, a day well known for Verizon releases and one more pointer that this could be accurate is that AT&T currently has an exclusive for the Lumia 920 that ends next month.
It’s also thought that Verizon’s Galaxy S4 will be released on May 30 and as this is likely to be a powerhouse and dominate sales on launch it makes sense to get the Lumia 928 on shelves as soon as possible so that it has a period of initial sales without the competition from the Galaxy S4.We think that many Verizon customers could be tempted by the Nokia Lumia 928 and that it may be the first Windows Phone handset purchase for many buyers but what do you think, Let us have your comments on this.
13:57 by Unknown
HTC Thunderbolt is old news now knowing that it will never receive the Jelly Bean treatment, Well, for some this may not be the case because Verizon has just released new information that the HTC Thunderbolt has a new update arriving soon.Even though Verizon will be releasing a new update, which can be seen over on its support page documents, we must stress the handset will never see an Android Jelly Bean update. Instead users will have to settle for a very small 19MB update.
The new update for the Thunderbolt contains features that will allow the microphone to work with HAC enabled, amber alerts will be visible, the text messaging app has been improved, as well as HTC Watch now shows titles available for viewing or purchase, there has been some improvements to Yahoo and Microsoft Exchange Email Connectivity as well.
Some may say that the HTC Thunderbolt is heading down a slippery slope, we have had a few emails from users saying they have given up this smartphone for other handsets simply because it will never have a Jelly Bean update. Most HTC devices now support Android JB and even new smartphones are being released with it pre-installed, the Thunderbolt is not good enough to handle such updates.Whilst we sit and wait patiently, please let us know if you have had any HTC Thunderbolt problems, the more you can tell us about your device the better. Check out the Verizon HTC thunderbolt update via this PDF page.
The ThunderBolt has a second generation 1Ghz Snapdragon processor manufactured by Qualcomm, and runs on Verizon's 4G LTE Network. It runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, with the custom HTC Sense 3.6 skin as the user interface. It has a 4.3-inch class (480×800) WVGA TFT capacitive touchscreen covered by Gorilla Glass, a special crack and scratch resistant material made by Corning. Two cameras are included; an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera, able to record 720p video, with a dual-LED flash, and a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera.
The phone has 768 MB of RAM and 8 GB of eMMC of internal flash memory data storage (2.58 GB available to user apps & user app data). An external microSDHC card slot supports up to 32 GB more storage memory, which comes preinstalled. The ThunderBolt also comes with a kickstand that works in landscape and portrait positions for photo or video viewing. A LED notification light is located near the earpiece.
The ThunderBolt shipped with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and it was later updated in September 2011 to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). In early February 2013, the ThunderBolt was updated to Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and Sense 3.6.
The 4.0.4 update brought many new features to the Thunderbolt, including new camera filters and features, the ability to capture screenshots, and facial recognition to unlock the device. It also improved the device's stability and improved connectivity issues. Connectivity issues were the reason why HTC and Verizon Wireless did not immediately release the 4.0.4 update. The "Drag Down to Unlock" unlock screen prompt was replaced by "Pull the Ring to Unlock".
Another new feature with the 4.0.4 update was the built-in data manager. This new feature helped Thunderbolt owners efficiently and easily manage their data usage. This feature would show a graph of data usage for the time period that the user had previously set. The feature would also keep track of the user's data usage, and would alert the user when they were close to their data limit, which the user would have previously set.
13:48 by Unknown
Verizon users of the Motorola Droid Razr M are now receiving an update bringing improvements and fixes. Unfortunately this is not the Android Jelly Bean update that many would have liked but the new software version 98.15.66.XT907.Verizon.en.US still has plenty to offer.
The rollout of the update began yesterday and one of the highlights is improved Wi-Fi performance. It’s an OTA (over-the-air) update and Droid Razr M owners will either receive notification that it’s ready to their phones or can check manually in Settings to see if it’s available. Remember to ensure you have at least 80% charge on your battery before you begin updating and are also receiving a strong Verizon signal or Wi-Fi signal.
The 80MB update has changes and bug fixes including voice volume at set level improvements as well as improvements to Mobile Device Management support and media sync with Back Up Assistant Plus. Enhancements have also been made to visual Voicemail connectivity and video streaming pixelation.
Those who enjoy using their device cameras will notice touch-to-focus, notifications and low light performance improvements. To find out more about the update you can head to this Verizon support page where you’ll find links to benefits of the upgrade and also software update instructions.
Motorola Droid Bionic 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update
Regular readers of Phones Review will know that we always try to keep readers in the know about operating system updates coming to their devices. Today there’s great news for Motorola Droid Bionic owners as the update to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean will start to roll out on April 15, so there’s only more 3 days to wait.
We informed readers last week that there were promising signs that the update would be released soon after invites for soak tests were sent out to some users. Everything must have been in order and Verizon has now officially announced the update. As is often the way with these sort of software updates the rollout of build 98.72.22, which includes Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 for the Droid Bionic, will be pushed out in stages. Don’t be too impatient on April 15 then if you’re not one of the first lucky ones to receive notification.
Users of the Motorola Droid Bionic will notice some real benefits from the major software upgrade to 4.1.2 Jelly Bean including smoother performance with Project Butter, Google Now, enhanced notifications and keyboard, improved voice search, fixes and much, much more. You can see software upgrade instructions and also all the benefits of this upgrade on this Motorola Droid Bionic support page.
As well as Jelly Bean benefits, this update will also bring improved voice and data connectivity from Motorola. As this is a sizeable update (98.72MB) please ensure your battery is fully charged and you have a strong Verizon signal or Wi-Fi connection before you begin downloading and installing.
We’d like to hear from you if you are the owner of a Motorola Droid Bionic. Are you really happy to hear that the Jelly Bean update will begin rolling out to devices on April 15, Maybe you could let us know when you receive the update, to share with other readers that it should soon be with them too, as confirmed by Verizon.
Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD on Verizon, knockdown price
If you’re after a new smartphone and are not too bothered if it was released a few months ago then there’s a deal at the moment that makes the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD on Verizon a real bargain. We included this phone in our ‘best for the holidays’ picks before Christmas and it had just been reduced from $299.99 on the usual two-year contract to $249.99 on Verizon. However this latest deal means you can pick it up for only $79.99 on a new two-year contract.
The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD would be a particularly good choice for heavy users because of its whopping 3300 mAh battery that offers around a day and a half of mixed activity or around 22 hours of talk time. At the same time as Verizon lowered its cost of the Droid Razr Maxx HD 4G to $249.99 (December) Amazon also reduced its price to an even better $149.99 for buyers with a new contract.
Amazon then reduced the price even further to only $99.99 for new contracts only or $50 extra for customers with an existing contract. Now Amazon’s cost has come down again to a knockdown price of only $79.99 on a new two-year contract with Verizon. However if you’re not a new customer to Verizon this will cost an additional $50 but even with a price tag of $129.99 this is still a genuinely good deal considering the specs and battery performance of the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx.
It was released on the Android 4.0 ICS operating system but this is now upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. You can check out this latest price reduction at this Amazon product page, which also shows all the specs and features of this very acceptable phone. The phone is currently listed as in stock with shipping in 24 hours.
13:36 by Unknown
There’s some great news today if you are on AT&T or Verizon and thinking of purchasing the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone as there’s a real price bargain available on Amazon right now for this device. The Z10 has been a popular handset already but with prices now even lower we think many more people will soon be getting their first taste of a device that runs the brand new BlackBerry 10 OS.
The price of the BlackBerry Z10 through AT&T or Verizon is currently $199.99 on the usual two-year contract. However that price has now been reduced by half on Amazon to only $99.99 on a two-year contract. This is for the Z10 on either AT&T or Verizon but we should point out this is for new customers only. If you are already on AT&T and upgrading to the Z10 the price on Amazon goes up to $149.99 but that’s still $50 less that the usual price.
The $99.99 price also applies to purchases on Verizon via Amazon for new customers with a contract but for existing customers choosing to upgrade the price is $139.99, again still a worthwhile saving. As a reminder we’ll tell you that the BlackBerry Z10 has a 1.5GHz Qualcomm dual-core processor, a 4.2-inch display with resolution of 1280 x 768 and 335 ppi, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD.If you want to see more or to order the BlackBerry Z10 through Amazon head here for the AT&T model, here for the Verizon white model or here for the Verizon black model.
BlackBerry Z10 prices on Verizon
Have you purchased your BlackBerry Z10 on Verizon yet, If the answer is no then please take a little time to read on, as we will let you know about the prices etc. Verizon is now selling the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone and there are two options, the first option is the $599.99 month-on-month, or you can opt to pay $199.99 on a 2-year contract.
Verizon Wireless is offering the BlackBerry Z10 in either black or white options, as well as a bundle option. This is called the ‘BlackBerry Z10 Premium Bundle – Travel’, this bundle contains a display protector, black Otterbox Defender case and a lighted vehicle charger.Be aware of the price differences if you choose the bundle option, the price will bump up to $669.98 on the month-to-month service and $269.98 on the 2-year contract.
BlackBerry Z10 carried by Verizon March 28, plus white option
There’s some excellent news today for those of you waiting for the BlackBerry Z10 to release on Verizon as the giant US carrier has now announced it will launch the flagship BlackBerry phone on March 28. Not only will the phone go on sale with Verizon but also it will be available on Big Red in an exclusive white color option, as well as the usual black version.
We’ve already heard launch details from T-Mobile and AT&T the latter will release the BlackBerry Z10 on March 22 so Verizon customers do have to wait a little longer, but thankfully not too much longer. We think the white color option will be a big draw to potential Z10 customers too as it looks pretty stylish and is a nice alternative.
The BlackBerry Z10 price on Verizon will be $199.99 on the usual two-year contract, which is the same price that AT&T will sell the phone for. Yesterday we also gave readers details of an unlocked price so check that out for more information. If you’re still waiting for details of the Z10 on Sprint then you’re out of luck as Sprint has decided not to offer the Z10 though the carrier will offer the BlackBerry Q10 with the customary QWERTY keypad, due for release later.
As a quick reminder we’ll tell you that the BlackBerry Z10 has a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor, 4.2-inch display with resolution of 1280 x 768 and 355 ppi, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD), 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capture and also a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Of course it runs the brand-new BlackBerry 10 operating system.Pre-orders for the BlackBerry Z10 will be available through Verizon from today here. Are you happy to hear the news that Big Red will soon release the Z10.
13:29 by Unknown
Although the focus of the smartphone world is very much on the Samsung Galaxy S4 event later today where we expect to hear all of the official gen at last, we want to talk for a moment about the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2. These two are extremely popular and impressive devices and Amazon US has now slashed the prices on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, very timely indeed. Read on for all of the details you need.
A particularly good bargain can be had on the Galaxy S3 and although we’d expect price cuts with the Galaxy S4 so close to release we haven’t seen anything as competitive as this previously. We had seen deals recently for the Galaxy S3 where the price had been discounted to $99.99 on a two-year contract but Amazon has topped that completely.
If you purchase currently through Amazon US with the usual two-year contract the Galaxy S3 is now available on Verizon in black, blue or white color options from only $0.01. For AT&T it’s available in blue, white or red, also for only 1 cent and for Sprint you can get the Galaxy S3 in blue or white, again for $0.01. Now that’s some serious price-cutting.
Prices of the Galaxy Note 2 phablet have also been cut on Amazon from today. On AT&T it’s available in titanium or white for $149.99 on a two-year contract. Better still, if Sprint is your choice of carrier the Galaxy Note 2 is currently available in titanium or white for only $69.99 on-contract. We imagine these prices are for new customers only but the source link below doesn’t make that clear. Nevertheless these are prices certainly worth considering.Although the Galaxy S4 is due to be announced later this evening the Galaxy S3 is still a very notable device. The Galaxy Note 3 may not be along for many months yet so these are attractive prices for the Note 2.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Verizon official 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update
We can hardly believe we’re about to say this but we have official news. We’ve been documenting for some time how Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Verizon owners have had a raw deal as far as OS updates are concerned. We are delighted to now be able to tell readers that Verizon has officially announced that the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update is now starting to be rolled out, bringing the device right up to the latest update available.
Regular readers who have been following the sorry tale of missing OS updates for Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus may remember that at the beginning of the month we told how signs were promising that Jelly Bean was coming. Previously we had not known if the next OS update for the phone would just be the next in the missing line of updates or whether it would skip right to the latest 4.2.2. update and we were then able to tell people that 4.2.2 was indeed being tested.
One of the XDA developers confirmed he had received Jelly Bean 4.2.2 (Build JDQ39) and so all the indications were that the update could soon be officially rolled out. We have just this minute heard that Verizon has now made this official and that the 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update will start rolling out in stages from today. Yes, today! Verizon also gives details of some of the benefits of Jelly Bean 4.2.2 including new camera features such as the panoramic photosphere function and new photo customization tools.
Other Jelly Bean delights include a new Gesture Keyboard and enhancements that allow users to put widgets on the lock screen. Bear in mind that Verizon says the rollout of this update for the Galaxy Nexus begins today but as it’s being pushed out in phases please be patient. Hopefully it won’t be too long before you receive notification but there should also be an official manual download location available shortly.
This news should make an awful lot of Galaxy Nexus on Verizon owners very happy but we know just how many of you have been very frustrated with this long-running saga. We’re glad you’ll finally get Jelly Bean 4.2.2 on your device but ultimately it has been far too long coming.
13:24 by Unknown
There’s plenty of interest in an upcoming Windows Phone 8 flagship device rumored to be heading to Verizon, the Nokia Lumia 928. The release is expected in April and not too long ago we posted an article with an image claiming to have been taken with the Lumia 928. Today we have news of some further photos purported to have been taken with the Lumia 928, one of which has some evidence regarding the smartphone in white.
Nokia Lumia 928 leaks so far suggest a curved handset with an aluminum body, slimmer and lighter than the Lumia 920. The camera is rumored to be an 8-megapixel PureView rear camera with Xenon Flash. The newest set of images that have come to light appear to show two of the three photos to have been taken with the front-facing camera but the EXIF data does mention the Lumia 928. The other image lacks EXIF data and has been downsized.
However, that particular photo is more interesting than the others as a closer look in the mirror reflection appears to show the lady holding a white aluminum Lumia 928 rather than the polycarbonate build of its predecessor, the 920. This is the image that we’ve shown above but you can see more images at the link below this story. There’s also a rather unusual flash placement on the handset in this image, which ties in with rumors that the camera will have Xenon Flash.
Other info from the images suggests that the front-facing camera is the same 1.3-megapixel camera toted by the Lumia 920 and EXIF data for that image reveals an f/2.4 aperture. The original source of these images was mutkas/blogspot.com but since these images went up they have now been closed to public access, which does indicate to us that they are probably the real deal. We’ll be following further developments on the Nokia Lumia 928 and of course will pass on more as we hear it.
We’ve been passing on news about a new Windows Phone 8 flagship device on the way, the Nokia Lumia 928, said to be for Verizon. This upcoming smartphone is rumored for a release sometime in April and for those interested in the camera capabilities we have news of a camera image claimed to have been taken with the Lumia 928.
The Lumia 928 is thought to be a step up from the Lumia 920 with an aluminum body and curved rear and also said to be slimmer and lighter than the previous flagship device. The camera set-up on the Lumia 928 looks to be an 8-megapixel PureView rear camera with Xenon Flash and many purchasers of Nokia Lumia smartphones enjoy the camera capabilities of these phones.
The image above was purportedly taken with the Nokia Lumia 928 and although it may be a rather uninspiring (or maybe inspiring for some) indoors scene at a bar with the focus being an alcoholic drink it does seem to show a very decent image result, although it’s hard to tell very much from an isolated photograph. Apparently the shot was taken by Nokia employee, thereby continuing the traditional possibility of a major new product being left in a bar!
As we get close to a release of the Lumia 928 we wouldn’t be surprised to see more leaked camera images and of course we’ll keep you informed about further developments of this smartphone as we hear details. Are you a fan of the Nokia Lumia handsets,What are your thoughts on this image purporting be taken with the Lumia 928.
13:17 by Unknown
Remember the LG Optimus F5, Well it will be called the LG Lucid 2 for Verizon and apparently going to be released within the next month. The F series was first announced and MWC and will be the successor to the Lucid that was launched last year.
The Verizon branded LG Lucid 2 is sort of exciting because not only does it comes with specs such as a 4.3-inch qHD display, it also comes featuring a 5-megapixel rear camera and 1080p video recording capabilities, it also boasts a nice 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon Krait CPU processor.Not only that it will come with a nice affordable rice tag to boot, it will come running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system as well.
If you visit Verizon Wireless right now you can bag the first LG Lucid for free on a new 2-year activation contract, wonder what the price will be on the new LG Lucid 2 when it releases on Verizon.There is not much else we can give you at the moment, but as soon as we hear about the release date and pricing we will notify our readers.
The Verizon LG Lucid was a solid budget smartphone that sold like gangbusters. Now, a year later, LG brings us the Lucid 2, which is bigger and better than the original in every way. It's even free this time around. But the times are a-changin', and with lots of solid, well-priced options to choose from, the LG Lucid 2 isn't quite as killer a deal this time around.
There are some budget phones where you'd barely be able to tell the difference next to a phone that costs hundreds of dollars more. The LG Lucid 2 is not one of them. It doesn't feel shoddy or poorly made, but the textured plastic finish gives off an unmistakably bargain bin vibe. The phone is predominantly black, with silver accents around the buttons on the sides and a glass front panel. The front feels slightly off balance, with extra bezel space at the top to make room for the pronounced Verizon and LG logos.
The phone measures 4.82 by 2.51 by 0.39 inches and weighs 4.55 ounces, which makes it light and comfortable to hold. The 4.3-inch, 960-by-540 LCD is a step up in terms of size and resolution from the original, but not in terms of overall quality. Some details, like text, can look a little jagged compared with much of the ultra-high-res competition, and there's a faint vertical pattern that runs through the screen, which is particularly visible in lighter areas. There's plenty of room for typing, which feels comfortable on the Swype-enabled onscreen keyboard.
The Lucid 2 taps into Verizon's 4G LTE network where it's available, and 3G everywhere else. Verizon LTE is very fast, and received top honors in our Fastest Mobile Networks tests last year. The phone can also be used as a mobile hotspot to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously with the proper service plan. The Lucid 2 has good reception, but sometimes had trouble pulling in a 4G signal. You can also connect the phone to 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networks.
Call quality is mixed. Voices are understandable in the phone's earpiece, but volume is a problem. Even at the halfway mark the phone's case begins to rattle; at higher volumes it can be painful to listen to. Calls made with the phone sound clear but a little muted, with decent noise cancellation. And calls sounded fine through a Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset, though I had a lot of trouble using the standard Android voice dialer over Bluetooth; it often took multiple attempts before getting it right. The phone's very large 2,460mAh battery was good for an impressive 13 hours and 43 minutes of talk time. The phone also supports wireless charging, but requires you to buy a special battery cover and a wireless charging pad.
User Interface, Hardware, and Apps
The Lucid 2 is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Quaclomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 processor, which makes for speedy, responsive performance. It's not as fast as any of the new quad-core chips, or even the 1.5GHz processor in the Samsung Galaxy S III, but it turned in solid benchmarks scores, and is fast enough to run any of the 800,000+ apps in the Google Play store without a problem.
The Lucid 2 runs Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), along with LG's Optimus UI 3.0 customizations. There's no word on an update to Android 4.2.2 (the most recent version of Jelly Bean), but 4.1.2 is close enough. Optimus UI is a very heavy layer over Android that won't please purists, but will look appealing to newbies.
Speaking of newbies, LG has created a Starter mode for first-time users. It places all of your important apps on the main home screen, like your Web browser, email, and Google Play store. There's another screen to add eight quick contacts, then another screen for your settings. It's not a radical change from your standard Android layout, but it's helpful to have all the important stuff up front.
Back in Standard mode, you get five customizable home screens to swipe between that come preloaded with a few apps and widgets. LG has added four themes to the phone that change your wallpaper and icons. In addition to Optimus, which is what you get out of the box, there's Adventure, Fancy, and my favorite, the particularly weird Monsterland. Verizon has loaded the Lucid 2 with a good amount bloatware, none of which can be deleted.
You get all the usual Android goodies, like a fast Chrome Web browser, excellent email support, and voice-enabled, turn-by-turn GPS directions via Google Maps. You also get QuickMemo, which is LG's system-wide note taking service that lets you annotate screenshots with handwritten notes and sketches, which you can then share. And SmartShare lets you display music, photos, and video on your HDTV or monitor via DLNA.
15:18 by Unknown
If you’ve been waiting for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE to release on Verizon then we have some good news for you today as we have learned it is heading for a March 7 launch on Big Red. This tablet can utilize the Samsung S Pen and there are only a few days longer to wait for it. This follows news that some accessories have already started arriving in for the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE.
The Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE offers something a little different with S Pen support and also the Wacom digitizer screen and users of the Verizon Galaxy Note 10.1 will also benefit from its LTE modem. A few days ago packs of display protectors for the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE already started appearing in Verizon retail stores, which was a promising sign that the tablet was on its way and hey presto.
We’ll give you a rundown of the specs and features of the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE and they include a 1.4GHz Exynos quad-core processor, 10.1-inch display with resolution of 1280 x 800 and 149 ppi, 2GB of RAM and 16, 32 or 64GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD. It also has a 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, 7000 mAh battery and runs Android Jelly Bean with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI.
We posted back in early January that the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE was soon to be released on Verizon so in fact for many potential buyers it will have seemed like a long wait. Have you been waiting for the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE to launch on Verizon.
The Note 10.1 was originally unveiled on 27 February 2012 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, with a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor. The tablet was released in Germany, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates on 6 August 2012. This final version of the tablet incorporates a 1.4 GHz quad-core Exynos processor.The tablet comes with 16, 32 and 64 GB of internal storage, and 2 GB of RAM. The Note 10.1 was launched in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea on 16 August.
An upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean has since made available, both as an over-the-air update and through Samsung Kies. Samsung has customized the interface with its TouchWiz UX software. Certain Samsung applications offer a "Split screen" option by which two apps share the screen of this tablet.
15:17 by Unknown
The ongoing updating of the Samsung Galaxy S3 to the Android Jelly Bean operating system has been going on for a number of months now, and most recently the device has been receiving the 4.1.2 version of the operating system. Today we have news that Verizon has given the OK to a Jelly Bean 4.1.2 update for the Galaxy S3, but there is no Premium Suite coming with the new software.
Last month the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update leaked for Verizon and didn’t feature the Premium Suite of features, and recently more users in the US on other carriers have been receiving the new firmware that also lacked the package.Verizon has now posted information regarding the Android 4.1.2 update on its website as it has been cleared for release, and should be rolling out shortly but there is no information about Premium Suite in the changelog.
There are a number of enhancements and bug fixes contained in the new firmware though that includes improvements to the predictive text, email syncing, Bluetooth, and much more. The firmware update is 150MB in size, but the lack of Premium Suite will anger many owners of the handset.
You wouldn’t have thought it was Samsung’s decision not to include the feature in the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update, especially as the rest of the world have already been enjoying such things as Multi-Window for a while now, but hopefully US users will get Premium Suite in the next JB update.
The International version of the handset is set to get Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean after the launch of the Galaxy S4, but it looks like this sort of situation will be improved with the next Galaxy as benchmark tests have shown the smartphone will be using the same processor around the world.
The device was launched with Android 4.0.4 "Ice Cream Sandwich", and can be updated to Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean". The phone's successor, the Samsung Galaxy S4, was announced on March 14, 2013; for an April 2013 release.
Following an eighteen-month development phase, Samsung unveiled the S III on 3 May 2012 in London. The device was released in 28 European and Middle Eastern countries on 29 May 2012, before being progressively released in other major markets in June 2012. Prior to release, 9 million pre-orders were placed by more than 100 carriers globally. The S III was released by approximately 300 carriers in nearly 150 countries at the end of July 2012. More than 20 million units of the S III were sold within the first 100 days of release. Samsung has since sold more than 50 million devices.
Due to overwhelming demand and a manufacturing problem with the blue version of the phone,there was an extensive shortage of the S III, especially in the United States. Nevertheless, the S III was well-received commercially and critically, with some technology commentators touting it as the "iPhone killer". In September 2012, TechRadar ranked it as the No. 1 handset in its constantly updated list of the 20 best mobile phones,while Stuff magazine likewise ranked it at No. 1 in its list of 10 best smartphones in May 2012.
The handset also won the "European Mobile Phone of 2012–13" award from the European Imaging and Sound Association, as well as T3 magazine's "Phone of the Year" award for 2012. It played a major role in boosting Samsung's record operating profit during the second quarter of 2012. As of November 2012, the Galaxy S III is part of a high-profile lawsuit between Samsung and Apple. In November 2012, research firm Strategy Analytics announced that the Galaxy S III had overtaken the Apple iPhone 4S to become the world's best-selling smartphone model in Q3 2012.
15:06 by Unknown
It looks as though there’s good news at last for Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners who have waited far too long since the last OS update and are several updates behind other devices. A few days ago we told how Verizon’s support account on Twitter had tweeted that an update was coming soon for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. At that point we had no way of knowing if it would be the next in the line of missing updates or would skip to Android 4.2.2. Jelly Bean but it now looks as though it will indeed be the latest 4.2.2 update.
Many of you will be familiar with the work of XDA Developers and one long-standing member, El Madhatter, has previously come up with early builds for the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon. Today he was contacted and asked if his Galaxy Nexus had received 4.2.2 (Build JDQ39) yet and he verified that he had received it this week and also sent a screenshot as backup.
The fact that 4.2.2 is now in the hands of testers is a very promising sign that the update will release for other Galaxy Nexus on Verizon owners in the near future. One more piece of information was gleaned as it appears new radios FK01 and FK02 are also listed under the system update information. El Madhatter has created an XDA thread (link below) where you can follow developments and see if somebody manages to grab the file from his Verizon Galaxy Nexus.
While we’ve been following the sad lack of updates for the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon we’ve pointed out that many owners of the device have had every right to become frustrated, as they’ve mentioned in comments to our stories. Hopefully though, this latest news may be a consolation as it looks very much as though the next update may bring their device totally up-to-date and another source has also reinforced this.
Android 1.0, was released in September 2008. Android is under ongoing development by Google and the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), and has seen a number of updates to its base operating system since its original release. These updates typically fix bugs and add new features.
Since April 2009, Android versions have been developed under a codename and released in alphabetical order: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean. As of 2013, over 500 million active devices use the Android OS worldwide. The most recent major Android update was Jelly Bean 4.2, which was released on commercial devices in November 2012.
15:02 by Unknown
For some time many owners of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE on Verizon have quite justifiably felt they drew the short straw as far as operating system updates are concerned. Although Jelly Bean updates have pushed out quickly to other devices, including the HSPA+ variant of the Galaxy Nexus, Verizon’s LTE version was sometimes left several updates behind. Now we have news though, that an unspecified software update is indeed on its way for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus LTE.
We’ve been documenting the woeful state of affairs for Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus for some time now and way back in November we discussed why Verizon might be lagging so far behind. One of the main points of concern for many owners of the device is that they purchased a Nexus device, particularly so that they had a smartphone that would be among the first to get any OS updates. You can understand why some Verizon owners might be feeling frustrated then, at being up to four updates behind other Galaxy Nexus owners.
If you’re a Galaxy Nexus LTE Verizon customer we don’t want to get your hopes up too much with this latest snippet of update news. Nevertheless it could turn out to be the news that you are waiting for. It appears that one Verizon customer fed up with waiting for updates posed a question to Verizon’s official support account on Twitter about this problem. Verizon then posted a tweet in response today reading, “Good question! Samsung will push the update directly to your device over the air. Sorry, no release date. But, it will be soon.”
Of course this doesn’t tell us exactly when this update will arrive but it does at least look promising. Another thing it does not tell us is exactly which update this is and whether the Galaxy Nexus LTE on Verizon may skip some updates to the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean or whether it will just be one step further along the update line. The reference to Samsung pushing out the update is also rather bizarre as the update will come from Google and will begin to roll out once Verizon approves it. In this previous post here we described how the update process via carriers works.
While this may not be a cast-iron guarantee that your Verizon Galaxy Nexus is just about to be upgraded with the latest 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update, hopefully it may reassure some readers that updates for the device have not been completely forgotten about. Another point that could be a promising sign is that in the last week Verizon has approved several software updates for other devices and so maybe the carrier is making a concerted effort to catch up with a backlog of updates.
We’d like to know your thoughts on this. Are you the owner of the Galaxy Nexus LTE on Verizon and if so do you find today’s tweet from Verizon reassuring, Maybe you’re so dismayed at the length of time it has taken to receive updates that you find no comfort in this news.
14:58 by Unknown
If you are the proud owner of the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-T999 or the Verizon SCH-I535, then stick with us and read on because this is where you will be able to install the new build 4 of AOKP that based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean AOSP is the latest build and it is suggested that it does not come with any major changes but does improve the overall security. The thing is, when you use custom ROMS such as the AOKP Build 4 you will experience the AOSP as well as many other additional customization.
The AOKP team have stepped up to the plate and ported previous AOKP released features in this build, for Galaxy S3 T999 owners your device must be rooted to carry on with the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean based custom ROM AOKP Build 4. The Verizon Galaxy S3 SCH-I535 can enjoy the new AOKP JB-MR1 Build 4 based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and it is relatively easy to install.
Please remember to back up your Samsung Galaxy S3 and we have to let you know that the AOKP build 4 based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean is still under development, it may contain bugs and a few issues even though we have been told it all works fine.
The S III comes with a multitude of pre-installed applications including standard Android ones such as YouTube, Google+, Voice Search, Google Play, Gmail, Map, and Calendar, in addition to Samsung-specific apps such as ChatON, Game Hub, Video Hub, Social Hub and Navigation. To address the fact that iPhone users are reluctant to switch to Android because the OS is not compatible with iTunes, from June 2012 Samsung offered customers of its Galaxy series the Easy Phone Sync app to enable the transfer of music, photos, videos, podcasts, and text messages from an iPhone to a Galaxy device. The user is able to access Google Play, a digital-distribution multimedia-content service exclusive to Android, to download applications, movies, music, TV programs, games, books, and magazines.
Apart from S Voice, Samsung has directed the bulk of the S III's marketing campaign towards the device's "smart" features, which facilitate improved human-device interactivity. These features include: "Direct Call", or the handset's ability to recognise when a user wants to talk to somebody instead of messaging them, if they bring the phone to their head; "Social Tag", a function that identifies and tags people in a photo and shares photos with them; and "Pop Up Play", which allows a video and other applications to occupy the screen at the same time. In addition, the S III can beam its screen to a TV or be used as a remote controller (AllShare Cast and Play) and share photos with people who are tagged in them (Buddy Photo Share). Other software features include Smart Alerts, Smart Stay, and S Beam.
The S III can access and play traditional media formats such as music, movies, TV programs, audiobooks, and podcasts, and can sort its media library alphabetically by song title, artist, album, playlist, folder, and genre. One notable feature of the S III's music player is Music Square, which analyses a song's intensity and ranks the song by mood so that the user can play songs according to their current emotional state. With the release of the S III, Samsung debuted its proprietary music management and download application called "Music Hub", designed to compete with Apple's iTunes, iCloud, and iTunes Match services. Music Hub's music catalogue contains over 19 million songs.
14:53 by Unknown
The BlackBerry Z10 is the first smartphone released running the new BlackBerry 10 operating system and as such was always going to attract a huge amount of attention. Already launched in the UK and Canada, those in the US have been left waiting and it seemed as though Verizon customers may have to wait longer for it than those using other carriers. Now though, it appears that the BlackBerry Z10 on Verizon release riddle may soon be solved.
While many are already enjoying the delights on the BlackBerry Z10 it looks likely to become available in the US at some point in March. We already told how T-Mobile US is confirmed to be stocking the Z10 but it seemed as though Verizon customers may still be drumming their fingers, as there were rumors it might not release on Big Red until some time in April. However we told how if this was the case then perhaps Verizon had planned this deliberately so that the Z10 became available from the carrier at the same type as the Q10 with the QWERTY keyboard, probably in April.
All of this was pure speculation from leaked reports though although it wouldn’t be the first time lately that a phone has arrived with Verizon later than with the other major US carriers. Now though some concrete evidence that the BlackBerry 10 on Verizon release seems to be edging closer comes with news from the FCC. It seems that the BlackBerry Z10 for Verizon has made an appearance at the FCC so this is a promising sign that maybe the release isn’t as far away as had been rumored.
A device with model number RFA91LW including CDMA and the 700MHz LTE spectrum with GSM roaming and NFC clearly seems to be Verizon’s Z10 so while we can’t say we’ve solved the mystery puzzle we do feel satisfied that a release is still coming and has stepped forward a bit closer.
Verizon BlackBerry Z10 poses for the camera before release
The new Blackberry 10 operating system launched in the UK and Canada with the Z10 being the first handset available on the platform, and now it seems the Verizon BlackBerry Z10 release is closer after the device poses for the camera in a number of images.
We told you yesterday that the device had stopped by the FCC, and the release of the handset may be only a couple of weeks away as the guys over at CrackBerry have got hold of a number of images showing the Verizon version of the BlackBerry Z10.
Verizon has decided to place its branding on both the front and back of the device, and are the best images seen so far of the unreleased smartphone. On the top left corner on the front of the device the Verizon logo can be seen, and on the back both Verizon and LTE branding can be found.
Some Verizon customers will be annoyed at this move by the carrier, as there was a big uproar from some users when the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 first appeared with its Verizon home button. What will be more pleasing though is the fact for the time being the carrier will be the only one in the country offering the white model officially.
The handset is going to be priced at $199.99 by the carrier with a new two year contract, but currently no exact release date has been given for the Z10 although previously rumours suggested it could be held back to come with the release of the Q10.
14:49 by Unknown
We always attempt to keep readers informed about new software updates coming to their phones and today we have some news for owners of the Motorola Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX on Verizon. It seems a soak test is just beginning for a new Jelly Bean build for these two handsets, news that should please a lot of owners.
Recently we gave readers news of a new look Motorola Jelly Bean list on which these two phones were listed and told how they were listed to receive an update in Q1. It’s now being reported that some users of these phones, namely members of the Motorola Feedback Network, are receiving emails asking them to test out a new Jelly Bean build for the Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX.
The invitation asks owners of these phones to “participate in an early preview of a new Jelly Bean software release” and also asks for feedback. The numbers of phones being tested in a soak test are intentionally kept down so that if any problems arise only limited numbers of phones would need to be replaced. Anybody taking place in the soak test must also keep the details confidential.
The soak test is good news for those eagerly waiting for Jelly Bean as if all goes well it brings the update release closer, so it still looks as though the Q1 timeframe could indeed be accurate. Sadly there’s not yet any news on Jelly Bean for the Motorola Droid Bionic but don’t give up if you’re waiting as at least it’s still listed for the update at some point.
We’ll be closely following developments with this and will bring you further news as we hear it. Are you the owner of a Droid RAZR or Droid RAZR MAXX and a member of the Motorola.
Motorola may not be the highest profile smartphone maker around but it makes some desirable and feature rich devices. It's taken a while for the Razr HD to arrive, replacing the Razr i as the firm's flagship handset.
Since the Razr HD is a 2012 smartphone launching in 2013 in the UK, the big question is how does it stand up to rival flagship smartphones on the market. Read our review to find out.Like other recent Razr devices, Motorola has opted for something of an alternative design. The Razr HD looks like a lot of smartphones from the front with a glossy black finish but has a fascinating back.
Once again Motorola has used Kevlar as a material and this time covers the entirety of the handset's back and wraps right round to the aluminium which runs around the edge. In our opinion, it simply looks awesome and gives the premium feel you want from a smartphone.With a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM we got the kind of mid-range performance you'd expect in terms of benchmarks.
We recorded a score of 1536 in GeekBench 2, which isn't bad but other flagship devices have been getting well above the 2000 mark. A framerate of 22fps in GLBenchmark is a good effort but wins the Razr HD no awards.The least pleasing test was the SunSpider JavaScript test in which the Razr HD managed a not very speedy 1856ms. After using the phone for a number of days, we experienced no major performance problems.
You get a fairly decent 16GB of internal storage and the handset has a microSD card slot for expansion. It can take up to 32GB memory cards.The Razr HD's 4.7in HD is a little smaller than a lot of rival flagship smartphones. The 720 x 1280 resolution don't punch quite the same amount of pixels either with new devices up to Full HD now. Even so, the 312ppi display looks great with a crisp and vibrant image.
With a decent amount of brightness on offer, the Razr HD's screen performs well in different lighting conditions. However, the auto-brightness function was too erratic to leave switched on.We've got no complaints when it comes to connectivity since Motorola has fitted the Razr HD with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC and support for 4G LTE networks. It also has the rare addition of a micro-HDMI port.
14:36 by Unknown
We try to keep readers in the know about software updates for their device and there’s good news today for HTC 8X Windows Phone owners on Verizon. It seems the Windows Phone Portico update is finally heading to your phone, indeed you may have received notification of it already if you’re one of the lucky ones. We say ‘finally’ as other carriers pushed out the update for the HTC Windows Phone 8X earlier but Verizon customers were left waiting.
It was way back in December that we informed readers of the HTC 8X on T-Mobile that the WP Portico update was rolling out to them and we hoped at that time that it signified it would shortly be coming to Verizon as well. It didn’t work out that way but two months later it seems some HTC 8X customers on Verizon are now receiving notification that the update (version 8.0.10211) is ready to install, despite the fact that Verizon support pages still list it as ‘coming soon.’
Benefits of this update include device stability improvements and new features such as Wi-Fi hotspot finder, persistent Wi-Fi connection (when display is off) and SMS call reject. Additionally the update means that users will be able to choose an MP3 file ringtone and will have the ability to send multi-recipient SMS messages.We’d really like to hear from you if you’re a Verizon customer with the HTC 8X to find out how the rollout of the Portico update is going.
Windows Phone 8X by HTC (codenamed Accord) was announced by HTC Corporation on September 19, 2012. It is also the signature Windows Phone 8 device, and is related to the Windows Phone 8S which is also by HTC.
While the 8X has NFC capabilities, wireless charging is only supported by devices on the Verizon Wireless network. Additionally, "Data Sense," a new feature of Windows Phone 8 that helps users keep track of their cellular data usage is only available on Windows Phones connected with the Verizon Wireless network. However, Data Sense may soon become available with other carriers.
14:31 by Unknown
The likes of the UK and Canada have had access to the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone for a few weeks now with owners giving the new platform the thumbs up, but consumers in the US are still waiting to have access to the OS, and there are now reports that the BlackBerry Z10 Verizon Wireless release may coincide with the Q10.
It is already known that the BlackBerry Z10 running the new OS will be launching in the US next month, with the likes of T-Mobile already confirmed to be stocking the handset once available. Now reports are suggesting Verizon customers will have to wait until April to get access to the BlackBerry Z10, which seems to be a growing trend with the carrier with other phones seemingly coming much later compared to rivals.
It is wondered though if Verizon is waiting to release the BlackBerry Z10 at the same time as the Q10 becomes available, which has already been pegged to be available during April. In a way it makes sense as BlackBerry fans would then have the choice between the touchscreen of the Z10, and the QWERTY keyboard of the BlackBerry Q10.
Obviously this has to be taken with the usual pinch of salt until availability of the two handsets are officially confirmed by BlackBerry or Verizon, but there could be some customers of the carrier disappointed having to wait even longer to get access to the Z10.
The BlackBerry Z10 uses the new BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system. The user interface of BB 10 is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interaction with the OS includes gestures such as swipe, tap, pinch, and reverse pinch, all of which have specific definitions within the context of the BB10 operating system and its multi-touch interface.
The Z10 comes pre-loaded with: BlackBerry Hub, Contacts, BlackBerry Browser, BlackBerry Calendar, BBM, Text Messages, BlackBerry World, BlackBerry Remember, Docs To Go, Pictures, Music, Videos, Story Maker, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, BlackBerry Maps, Games, YouTube, Voice Control, Weather, Clock, Calculator, Compass, File Manager, Box, BlackBerry Connect for Dropbox, Print To Go, Smart Tags, Settings, Android Runtime, Adobe Reader, Phone, Camera/Video Camera/Time Shift, Setup, Help, SIM Toolkit, Search.
The phone has a mobile hotspot functionality, which supports up to 8 devices, sharing its internet connection. It accesses the BlackBerry World, an online application distribution platform for the BlackBerry OS. The service allows users to browse and download applications, games, music, videos from the BlackBerry World store.
The touchscreen keyboard provides an advanced typing experience. It learns the user's writing style and suggests words to help the user type faster, more accurately and with the least amount of effort.
"The BlackBerry Z10 has an 8 megapixel camera on the back with autofocus and LED flash capable of shooting 1080p video, while there's a 2 megapixel camera on the front that shoots video at 720p". A unique feature in the Z10's camera app is TimeShift. "BlackBerry has been showing it off for a while, and it lets users dial back the time on certain pictures so that people aren't making less-than-ideal faces in it (like blinking mid-shot)."
The Z10 has Voice Control, that allows the user to operate the phone by spoken commands. Voice Control recognizes natural speech patterns, so that the user can talk naturally and always be understood. It can be used to send messages, compose emails, dictate documents, and search the phone just by speaking to the app.
14:23 by Unknown
If you are after the latest modern smartphone you will have to expect to pay a premium price for the device even if its via a mobile carriers two year contract. Although if you can wait a few months we often see prices come down with some good deals to be had, and now the Verizon HTC Droid DNA joins the T-Mobile Nexus 4 in the sub $50 club.
Last week we told you about the offer US carrier T-Mobile is offering on the Nexus 4, which can be had for only $49.99 after a $50 mail in rebate. This offer still has five days to go and ends on the February 18th, but if the LG Nexus 4 is not your thing how about the HTC Droid DNA?
At the time of writing online retailer Wirefly will sell you that handset for the same $49.99 price that even includes shipping. This offer is only open to new customers that agree to a new two year contract on Verizon Wireless, which will surely tempt many.
For your money you get a device that features a Full HD 5-inch display with 441ppi pixel density powered by a quad core processor clocked at 1.5GHz. Other features include 16GB of non-expandable memory, 2GB of RAM, 8 megapixel rear camera, and a 2.1 megapixel front facing shooter.That’s an awful lot of phone for your money and the display is one of the main features that pulls Android fans towards the handset.
The HTC Butterfly is an Android-based, 4G LTE-capable smartphone designed and developed by HTC. First announced for release in Japan by Japanese carrier KDDI as the HTC J Butterfly, the J Butterfly was released in Japan on 9 December 2012 as the successor to the HTC J. Outside of Japan, in other Asian countries, the phone was released as the HTC Butterfly. The Chinese and Russian versions of the Butterfly do not have a microSD slot.
In the United States, the Butterfly was released as the HTC Droid DNA as a Verizon exclusive: supporting wireless charging, but lacks a MicroSD slot.It is the second smartphone in the world to feature a 1080p display, after Oppo's Find 5.The phone has Android version 4.1, a quad-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, and an 8-megapixel camera. It comes with 2 GB of RAM and a 2,020 mAh battery.
The Butterfly is waterproof and has a 5-inch "Super LCD 3" display with full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels). This translates to a pixel density of 440 ppi.In comparison, The HTC One X offers 312 ppi. The Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD(HD has 720p display) at 312ppi, the iPhone 5's "Retina display", 326 ppi, and the Nokia Lumia 920, 332 ppi. The display is manufactured by Sharp , JDI and M7 JDI Samsung C2 1.
14:15 by Unknown
We always try to keep our readers in the know about software updates for their devices and today if you’re the owner of an HTC Droid DNA on Verizon then it’s your turn. Verizon has just posted support documents about software update version 2.04.605.2 and although this is not Jelly Bean 4.2 it will bring your device some improvements and bug fixes.
The first update to hit the Droid DNA is 103.5MB in size and once the support documents have been issued then the update usually starts to roll out within a week. Verizon and HTC both encourage Droid DNA owners to use the update and features and enhancements include hotspot connectivity improvements, the ability to load videos on HuluPlus, better audio quality when using wired headsets and earpieces and improvements to Bluetooth connectivity and volume level.
Other changes include more stability for the Contacts list, improved Wi-Fi connectivity, zooming capability for default browser and correct timestamp for the incoming messages display so there’s plenty worth having from the update. The download will take around 8 to 10 minutes and if you have the Droid DNA you should receive notification when your update is ready.
You may also be interested in our recent post about a Jelly Bean custom ROM that’s now available for the Droid DNA. Although we usually recommend readers wait for official updates for their devices and if you use a custom ROM it’s at your own risk if anything goes wrong, we also know that many Android device owners like to use these kind of ROMs for their phones and tablets.Hopefully the new Droid DNA software update build 2.04.605.2 will be arriving imminently and we’d like to hear if you will download this update.
The Sprint, Cellular South, Cellcom, Bluegrass Cellular, Manitoba Telecom Services, Ntelos, and Cox Wireless version of the HTC Hero is different from those that are sold in Asia, Canada and Europe. The outer body has been significantly altered, with the controversial "chin" that is present on the Asian, Canadian (some providers) and European models being removed in favor of a smooth, beveled surface where all but two of the once raised buttons now lie flat. Also due to performance issues some of the clock animations were removed. Some carriers may market it as the HTC Android 6250.
A modified version of the Hero, the HTC Droid Eris, was released on the Verizon Wireless network on November 6, 2009. Pictures of Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt have been circulated showing him holding the Droid Eris after a press conference that announced an Android-centric partnership between Verizon and Google. The Verizon Wireless version, unlike the Sprint and GSM versions, features a proximity sensor.The Eris was succeeded by HTC's Droid Incredible in 2010.
14:07 by Unknown
Potential purchasers of smartphones will often like to see a number of colour options to choose from, and normally after a handset has been available for a few months a manufacturer will often increase the colour options on offer. This is what we are seeing with the Motorola Droid Razr M at best Buy that now have a model in platinum with blue buttons.
For those of you that are thinking of getting the Motorola Droid Razr M and want something a little different from the black, white, and pink handsets can get this stylish looking platinum model from retailer Best Buy.
The handset is priced at only $49.99 on the condition of a new two year contract being agreed to, which is exactly the same price Verizon Wireless will charge you. Other than the new colour the platinum Razr M is the same handset as before with its 4.3-inch display providing a resolution of 960 x 540.
Other features include a dual core processor clocked at 1.5GHz paired with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage that is expandable via microSD card up to a further 32GB, eight megapixel rear facing camera, and a VGA shooter around the front.
The handset is listed as having Android 4.1 Jelly Bean straight from the box but if you want the handset without a two year contract it will set you back an eye watering $599.99. There won’t be many wanting to pay that much for a handset such as the Droid Razr M, but with a contract and the different colour many may be tempted.
Motorola Droid RAZR comes in the form factor of a slate with a diamond-cut aluminum chassis. The display is a 4.3 inch qHD (540 × 960) Super AMOLED Advanced PenTilecapacitive touchscreen that is covered by scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass with an oleophobic fingerprint-resistant coating.
The back cover is made with DuPont Kevlar fiber surrounded by a plastic structure. The internals of the Droid RAZR are packed the smartphone construction technique Component Lamination, which physically bonds each layer of components to each other to provide a stronger body. The whole phone is covered by an invisible layer of splash-proof nano coating, which makes the phone water-resistant to occasional liquid splashes.
The Droid RAZR features four touch-capacitive buttons with the respective functions of menu, home, back and search. It uses a dual microphone system for noise reduction.
The phone comes preinstalled with Android version 2.3.6 Gingerbread. It uses a modified user interface called Motoblur that is focused in social networking. The main features of Motoblur in the Droid Razr are:
Unified Contacts. The contacts from all services are unified and duplicates are removed.
This is often a source of errors as it has troubles distinguishing between unique contacts and copies.
Google apps. By default all the Google Apps present in the Stock Android are included, with the a modified UI and with Motorola services embedded.
Smartactions. A Motorola app designed to automate tasks based on a wide range of triggers such as; time, location, battery charge, Wi-Fi network, etc.
Webtop.
The Droid RAZR is upgradeable to version 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The release of the update (soak test) began on March 8, 2013 for Verizon Wireless Users. The official Over the Air (OTA) update was released soon after.
14:00 by Unknown
The Samsung Galaxy S3 was one of the most popular handsets that was released last year with consumers around the world, but the updating of the handset to the Android Jelly Bean operating system has not run that smoothly for owners in the US. Now the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 has appeared before release, but lacks the Premium Suite of features.
When the International Galaxy S3 received the same software it also got the Samsung Premium Suite that features a number of neat options, which includes the Multi-Window feature that is popular among users. Now Android 4.1.2 Jelly bean has leaked for the Verizon version of the smartphone ahead of an official release, and currently is missing this feature.
Verizon customers first started to receive Android 4.1 Jelly Bean back in December, which came a while after owners of the International model had seen their handsets updated. At the time of writing it is not clear if Premium Suite is missing as the firmware is any early build, or that it won’t be added at all.
It seems the leak was built on January the 19th and suggests an official release is on its way, but we could be a few weeks yet away from seeing an official release for US owners. Verizon is historically last to push out Jelly Bean updates so we may see rivals such as AT&T and Sprint get the software out sooner.
The Android 4.1.2 update brings a number of other features to the Galaxy S3 that includes the likes of new camera features, Paper Artist, and much more but if the Verizon update lacks things such as Multi-Window there will be a lot of angry customers of the carrier. Check out the videos bellow of Premium Suite in action on the Galaxy S3. Source, Droid Life.
The Galaxy S III has a polycarbonate plastic chassis measuring 136.6 mm (5.38 in) long, 70.7 mm (2.78 in) wide, and 8.6 mm (0.34 in) thick, with the device weighing 133 grams (4.7 oz). Samsung abandoned the rectangular design of the Galaxy S and Galaxy S II, and instead incorporated round corners and curved edges, reminiscent of the Galaxy Nexus.The phone is available in two basic color options: "Marble White" and "Pebble Blue"; however, "Pebble Blue" has reportedly been altered to a metallic blue-grey shade. A "Garnet Red" model was made available exclusively to U.S. carrier AT&T on 15 July 2012. "Sapphire Black", "Titanium Gray" and "Amber Brown" will also be available.
The S III comes in two distinct variations that differ primarily in the internal hardware. The international S III version has Samsung's Exynos 4 Quad system on a chip (SoC) containing a 1.4 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 central processing unit (CPU) and an ARM Mali-400 MP graphics processing unit (GPU). According to Samsung, the Exynos 4 Quad doubles the performance of the Exynos 4 Dual used on the S II, while using 20 percent less power.Samsung had also released several 4G LTE versions—4G facilitates higher-speed mobile connection compared to 3G—in selected countries to exploit the corresponding communications infrastructures that exist in those markets.[74] Most of these versions use Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 SoC featuring a dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait CPU and an Adreno 225 GPU. The South Korean and Australia versions are a hybrid of the international and 4G-capable versions.
The S III has a maximum of 2 GB of RAM, depending on model. The phone comes with either 16 or 32 GB of internal storage, with a 64 GB version to be available internationally; additionally, microSDXC storage offers a further 64 GB for a potential total of 128 GB. Moreover, 50 GB of space is offered for two years on Dropbox—a cloud storage service—for purchasers of the device, doubling rival HTC's 25 GB storage for the same duration.
13:54 by Unknown
We’ve been tracking developments on the HTC M7 smartphone and as we get closer to an expected release the more we hear. This is a notable Android handset and will be truly viable competition against some of the best phones on the market. It looks set to be a big success for HTC and we now have some carrier news for potential HTC M7 customers in the US. If accurate it seems that Verizon could be late to the game leaving the other 3 major US carriers to get a head start on sales.
Previous leaks on US carriers for the HTC M7 suggested that AT&T, Sprint and Verizon all looked set to carry the phone and that it was still possible that T-Mobile would also carry the M7. However although it now seems that all four major US carriers will supply the HTC M7, it appears that launch partners for the M7 will be AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. The ubiquitous “trusted sources” are now saying that although Verizon will carry the M7 at some point, it will be delayed.
No reason has been given for the Verizon delay but it is speculated that it may be to allow a gap between the M7 and Verizon’s HTC Droid DNA that only released in November, as they are similar in many ways. Yesterday we gave you news of a possible release of the HTC M7 in the UK and the rest of Europe on March 8 although this is not yet confirmed.
There is still no release date, rumored or otherwise for the M7 in the US but events are taking place on February 19 in London and New York where we hope to hear more. Remember the HTC M7 could just be a codename for this smartphone and that when it’s announced it may well be titled something entirely different. Whatever it’s called it’s one to look forward to as we’ve already heard leaks of a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 4.7-inch full HD display, 2GB of RAM and possibly a 13-megapixel rear camera, all running Android Jelly Bean.
We’ll continue to bring you developments on the HTC M7 and of course the news from the events taking place on February 19. You may also be interested in our comparison of the HTC M7 vs. Galaxy S4. Are you hoping to purchase the HTC M7 when it launches in the US or elsewhere.
Although HTC has developed several notable Android devices, such as the Dream (the first ever Android phone) and the Evo 4G (the first 4G phone on Sprint's WiMAX network), it has struggled financially in recent years due to the growing success of (and loss of market share to) other vendors such as Samsung and Apple. In some markets HTC had developed numerous carrier-specific phones and relied heavily on wireless providers to promote its products, a strategy that was unsuccessful in the face of Samsung and Apple's strong marketing efforts.The company's flagship phone in 2012, the One X, received critical acclaim from reviewers, but was overshadowed by the Samsung Galaxy S III and iPhone 5 and was commercially unsuccessful.
In response, HTC chose to take bigger risks with its next flagship device in order to make it stand out better among its competition, which included a major overhaul of its Sense user interface, and a new marketing strategy which will see the company take a more direct role in promoting its products. For 2013, HTC planned to double its marketing budget in comparison to 2012.
Details of this rumored new HTC device, codenamed the M7, leaked from various sources in the weeks prior to its official debut. HTC's CEO Peter Chou officially confirmed and briefly revealed a prototype for the new device during a company event on February 1, 2013. Leaked information speculated that the M7 would run Android 4.1.2 and HTC Sense 5.0, include a 4.7-inch 1080p display, 2 GB of RAM, a quad-core processor, a 13 megapixel camera, and 32 GB of internal storage. It was also indicated that the M7 carried design traits from the Butterfly.
