Vodafone Germany has chosen to use a HTC phone to be the first mobile device to launch its shiny new 4G LTE network. The HTC Velocity (can you feel the speed?) for Vodafone may look familiar to those of us in the US market since it’s essentially the HTC Vivid with a different name.

Specs [...]]]>

Vodafone Germany has chosen to use a HTC phone to be the first mobile device to launch its shiny new 4G LTE network. The HTC Velocity (can you feel the speed?) for Vodafone may look familiar to those of us in the US market since it’s essentially the HTC Vivid with a different name.

Specs on the HTC Velocity include a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor, 4.5-inch qHD (960×540) display, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, 1620 mAh battery, 8 megapixel main camera with auto focus, dual-LED flash, f/2.2, 28mm lens, 1.3 MP front-facing camera and 1080p HD video recording capabilities. The HTC Velocity will launch with Android 2.3 and HTC Sense 3.5, but an update to Android 4.0 should already be in the works since the US variant of the device is expected to get the upgrade within a month or two.

The HTC Velocity features support for Vodafone’s 800/2600MHz LTE network which currently provides coverage for 8.5 million Germans. The actual data speeds for the phone are still unknown, but both the HTC Velocity and Vodafone’s LTE network are rated for 100 Mbps downstream and 50Mbps upstream. Unlike in the US, most of Europe’s LTE network is expected to run on the same 800/2600MHz frequency which means customers will still be able to enjoy 4G speeds even if their carrier does not have LTE coverage in their area. At launch, the HTC Velocity will only be available at Vodafone shops which are currently covered by the netoworks LTE blanket.

No price or release date for the HTC Velocity have been announced, however we suspect Vodafone will want to get the device to market as quickly as possible to give the phone a decent shelf life before it becomes overshadowed by HTC’s new 2012 lineup which will be unveiled in a few short weeks.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. The number one reason you should buy a Nexus device is because your updates come directly from Google. Meaning you have first dibs and the lastest and greatest Android has to offer.

When we learned that some GSM Nexus devices were not going to be [...]]]>

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. The number one reason you should buy a Nexus device is because your updates come directly from Google. Meaning you have first dibs and the lastest and greatest Android has to offer.

When we learned that some GSM Nexus devices were not going to be updated by Google, instead being controlled regionally by carriers and Samsung, we were a little disappointed. But at least Verizon’s CDMA/LTE Galaxy Nexus is safe. Well, it was.

There’s been no official word from Google, but the Android Developers website tells it all. The CDMA Galaxy Nexus, codename “toro,” is no longer supported on the Android Developers website. Special CDMA radio installation and download instructions have been yanked, and factory images for the CDMA Nexus are listed as “archived, for reference only.”

There’s no telling exactly what is going on, but it doesn’t look like a mistake. Perhaps Verizon wanted more control over the device? Maybe they needed to add more custom apps, or decided they wanted to exclusively handle the updating procedure? Whatever the case, this is a sad day for Verizon customers who thought they were buying a developer device. It’s not that this will really impact consumers for the most part, but enthusiasts will surely feel let down.

We’ll let you know if the situation changes.

Update:

Dan Morrill has taken to the Android Contributors Google Groups page to explain the situation.

For various technical reasons, recent CDMA Android devices implement core telephony functionality in .apk files provided in binary form by the carriers. To function correctly, these .apk files must be signed by the so-called 'platform' key. However, when an individual creates a custom build from the AOSP source code, they don't use the same signing key as these CDMA flies were signed with.

The result is that these files don't work properly, and pure AOSP builds running on these devices can't place calls, access mobile data, and so on. Because we aim to make sure that we are as clear as possible about the degree of support that devices have, we updated the docs over at source.android.com to reflect this reality.

We will still make available as many as possible of the closed-source binaries for these devices, and Nexus devices will continue to have unlockable bootloaders. And, of course, GSM/HSPA+ devices are still supported, as are any other devices we're able to support. We've simply updated the documentation to be clearer about the current extent of CDMA support.Dan MorrillGoogle

It looks like there’s nothing really going on here. Developers compiling and using pure AOSP builds are leaving CDMA phones less than functional. Your weekend has been saved.

Despite the promise of LTE right on the horizon, a slew of some of the best Android phones available, the iPhone 4S and some pretty cheap plans, Sprint isn’t doing so well. Their numbers have been slipping for quite some time now, with potential and former customers flocking to Verizon and AT&T in droves. Do [...]]]>

Despite the promise of LTE right on the horizon, a slew of some of the best Android phones available, the iPhone 4S and some pretty cheap plans, Sprint isn’t doing so well. Their numbers have been slipping for quite some time now, with potential and former customers flocking to Verizon and AT&T in droves. Do Hesse and company have a long term plan in order to turn things around? Maybe, but we’re not seeing yet. For now, their best bet is bribery.

In order to keep customers from switching carriers, particularly those who are at a high risk of leaving, Sprint will be issuing $25, $50 and $100 discounts on handset upgrades with a two-year contract. The exact discount depends on the model. The promotion runs from February 5th to March 18th, and customers who are eligible for the discount will be notified via email or snail mail.

While this doesn’t fix the recent spike in network problems Sprint customers have been faced with, at least Sprint isn’t sitting back, digging their grave already. Although I have a feeling that if anyone is seriously ready to switch carriers, a $100 discount will do little to dissuade them. If you were looking to jump ship, would a discount on your next phone purchase get you to sign another two-year contract?

We’ve known this was coming for some time now, but US Cellular has finally laid out specific details on their 4G LTE launch. You’ll be able to kick the tires and light the fires and of course also satisfy your need for speed in March. That is of course assuming that you are [...]]]>

We’ve known this was coming for some time now, but US Cellular has finally laid out specific details on their 4G LTE launch. You’ll be able to kick the tires and light the fires and of course also satisfy your need for speed in March. That is of course assuming that you are in one of the select cities in Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and/or Wisconsin that are part of the initial class^[1]. Additional coverage will be announced later this month.

The next logical question is what are you going to be able to use on your nigh unlimited new super network and the answer is a bit of a letdown as the two devices that will be available first are the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is going to arrive first in March and it should be indistinguishable from the versions that have been available for about 8 months now. The Galaxy S Aviator is a new name, but it bears a striking resemblance to last year’s Droid Charge. It has the same 4.3″ Super AMOLED Plus display with an 8MP rear-camera, front-facing camera and HDMI port. If you were forced to go with one of the early 4G LTE phones from Verizon that probably would be my pick, but it would have been nice to see something more in line with the Galaxy S II or of course the Galaxy Nexus as was rumored.

While the devices might not be blockbusters it’s nice to see the regional carriers putting pressure on the majors like this. If US Cellular can get a second round of devices out in late Q2 or early Q3 that are a little more in line with at least today’s top-end devices they will be worth serious consideration if you live in one of their LTE regions.

The Droid RAZR MAXX just became available for purchase earlier today on Verizon’s site for $299 and here we are with a sale already. Amazon Wireless is offering to shave $100 off the top for new Verizon customers and get you out the door for a more palatable $199.

If you are an [...]]]>

The Droid RAZR MAXX just became available for purchase earlier today on Verizon’s site for $299 and here we are with a sale already. Amazon Wireless is offering to shave $100 off the top for new Verizon customers and get you out the door for a more palatable $199.

If you are an existing customer you can upgrade for $229, which isn’t a bad deal either. It does show as being on backorder at the moment, but based on past experience they usually ship on the early side of their estimates.

For those that somehow missed our previous coverage of the Droid RAZR MAXX then I’ll give you the elevator pitch for it quickly. For all intents and purposes it is the original Droid RAZR which we reviewed back in November, but with a 3300 mAh battery that may result in over 24 hours of battery life.

I’ll be getting my hands on the Droid RAZR MAXX tomorrow and will follow up with our full review soon. In the mean time, check out a super quick hands-on with the RAZR MAXX from this month’s CES (filmed with a Galaxy Nexus).

Huawei may not be a name you think of when you’re in the market for a high-end Android smartphone, but that could all change with the introduction of the Huawei Ascend P1 LTE. If you’re looking for a phone that runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and has all bells and whistles, the Ascend [...]]]>

Huawei may not be a name you think of when you’re in the market for a high-end Android smartphone, but that could all change with the introduction of the Huawei Ascend P1 LTE. If you’re looking for a phone that runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and has all bells and whistles, the Ascend P1 will probably fit the bill.

The Ascend P1 features both LTE and GSM connectivity and comes equipped with a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1.5 GHz processor (MSM8960), 1 GB or RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a microSD slot that supports all the way up to 64 GB. The Huawei Ascend P1 LTE also sports WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, 2000 mAh battery and a half dozen of the standard sensors included in today’s Android phones. The handset has an 8 megapixel camera with LED and is capable of shooting 1080p video at 30 frames per second.

Measuring in at 132 x 65 x 9.9mm, the Ascend is thin, but if you’re looking for the thinnest smartphone in the world, we suggest you check out the Huawei Ascend P1S. The handset’s thin body and curved edges give it a solid feel, the the plastic back and chrome finished edges make the Ascend P1 look a lot cheaper than it actually is.

Gallery

As we mentioned above, the Huawei Ascend is running on Android 4.0.1. Surprisingly, Huawei was the only large maufacturer at CES to show off phones running on Ice Cream Sandwich. The Ascend P1′s build of Android 4.0 is mainly stock, but Huawei has tweaked the lock screen a little, adding more direct launch applications to the unlock circle.

As usual, pricing and exact availability for the Huawei Ascend P1 LTE are not available, but we should have more details once we get closer to the handset’s spring launch

Verizon was a bit cagey about pricing or a release date for the new member of the RAZR line at CES, but Motorola apparently decided that we’d had enough waiting and slapped a January 26th release date on their Droid RAZR MAXX page.

Interestingly the “Specs” page is the only one that gives [...]]]>

Verizon was a bit cagey about pricing or a release date for the new member of the RAZR line at CES, but Motorola apparently decided that we’d had enough waiting and slapped a January 26th release date on their Droid RAZR MAXX page.

Interestingly the “Specs” page is the only one that gives the January 26th release date today, the rest all merely indicate that the Droid RAZR MAXX will be “available soon.”

Regardless of which is to be believed it is safe to say that we are weeks and not months from this thing releasing so if you were eyeing the Droid RAZR and value battery life highly then I’d counsel patience. The Droid RAZR MAXX should be slotting into Verizon’s lineup at $299 with the original Droid RAZR dropping to $199.

Just in case you missed the Droid RAZR MAXX amidst the madness of CES it is basically an extended battery version of the Droid RAZR. They stuffed an enormous 3,300 mAh battery into it versus the 1,780 mAh found in the original RAZR. This results in a slightly more standard 8.99mm thickness versus the virtually anemic 7.1mm of the Droid RAZR, but that trade off gets you over 21 hours of talk time, 15 hours of movie watching or 7 hours of web surfing. The rest of the specs mirror the original so you can go back and read our review of the Droid RAZR if you need to refresh your memory on our opinions of that device.

I got a chance to play with the Droid RAZR MAXX briefly at CES and preferred the feel of it in hand to that of the original Droid RAZR. Getting that kind of battery life in a form factor that is still thinner than the Verizon Galaxy Nexus should be a huge selling point for users that don’t want to have to worry about tweaking settings to eke out a day of use from their phone.

MetroPCS announced two new 4G LTE devices yesterday, but they had something perhaps even more interesting at their booth at the Pepcom media event last night.

So what’s so special about this phone? Well Samsung has added an extendable antenna to this Galaxy S class phone that allows you to tune in to [...]]]>

MetroPCS announced two new 4G LTE devices yesterday, but they had something perhaps even more interesting at their booth at the Pepcom media event last night.

So what’s so special about this phone? Well Samsung has added an extendable antenna to this Galaxy S class phone that allows you to tune in to live, over-the-air TV using the pre-installed Dyle app.

According to Mobile Content Venture (MCV), they will have the service available from 72 stations live in 32 markets at launch. Channels will be fairly limited at the outset; the rep mentioned Los Angeles, for example, would have 6 channels available. Dyle does have some powerful partners though in Fox, ION and NBC, so hopefully they will be able to help Dyle bring others on board soon after launch.

Live TV on a mobile device is something that has been experimented with in the US for several years now. You may remember the most recent victim, FLO TV from Qualcomm, that shuttered a couple years ago now. These services are common and quite popular in many Asian countries, but no one has been able to figure out how to get it done in North America to date. Time will tell if Dyle TV has finally hit on the recipe for success.

No word on pricing for the handset. They could only say that the device was being targeted for release this year. They also stressed that the handset we saw was purely a prototype, so it’s possible we would see something more along the lines of the Galaxy S II by the time it actually makes it to market for MetroPCS.

I’m guessing that most of you wouldn’t buy a phone solely for this feature, but it could be a nice added value if they put it in some of their higher end handsets.

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 4G LTE was officially announced earlier today for Verizon, and we got to go hands-on with it briefly tonight. We covered the specs earlier today, so we’ll just stick to first impressions here.

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 looks and feels amazingly thin. At 7.9mm and just 12 ounces, that shouldn’t [...]]]>

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 4G LTE was officially announced earlier today for Verizon, and we got to go hands-on with it briefly tonight. We covered the specs earlier today, so we’ll just stick to first impressions here.

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 looks and feels amazingly thin. At 7.9mm and just 12 ounces, that shouldn’t really come as a great surprise. That thinness makes it easy to hold one-handed, despite the bump up in screen size from the original Tab. I could certainly see someone using the Tab 7.7 as a supercharged e-reader, although that would be a bit of a waste of that beautiful 1280×800 Super AMOLED Plus display.

I found the Tab 7.7 to be extremely responsive while I was moving around the OS and testing the performance of a few of my favorite apps. It shouldn’t have any difficulties running anything you might want to throw at it.

You can watch the video below for a quick spin around the Galaxy Tab 7.7 hardware. I was unsure of the camera specs while shooting the video, but the rear facing camera is 3MP and the front-facing camera is 2MP, which is perfectly serviceable for tablet needs.

I was thrilled to finally get a chance to play with the Tab 7.7, and it didn’t disappoint. But regardless of the device’s own merits, Samsung and Verizon are going to have their work cut out for them with the quad-core ASUSs MeMo coming soon for just $250.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has quickly become the Holy Grail of Android smartphones. After a lengthy wait, the Galaxy Nexus finally made its way stateside with a release on Verizon Wireless back in December to much fanfare, with people lining up in droves to pick one up on release day. The Galaxy Nexus marks [...]]]>

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has quickly become the Holy Grail of Android smartphones. After a lengthy wait, the Galaxy Nexus finally made its way stateside with a release on Verizon Wireless back in December to much fanfare, with people lining up in droves to pick one up on release day. The Galaxy Nexus marks the third release in Google’s Nexus line of devices, bringing a pure Android experience without the bloatware handset makers are keen to putting on their devices.

The Galaxy Nexus is the first device to feature Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Google’s biggest leap forward in the mobile market to date, as well as the best hardware on the market today. On paper, it has the potential to be the perfect phone; but how does it hold up after a few weeks of use? Read on for our full review.

1. Display

The Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD display, with a 1280×720 resolution. Some have complained that the display is an RGBG PenTile display and that it renders color poorly with other various quirks, but having spent several weeks with the device, the display is simply as stunning as we’ve come to expect in Samsung devices. But the Galaxy Nexus takes it a step further; the display is the best in any phone I’ve used thus far, and I think we can safely say we’re beyond the point where PenTile is an inherently negative feature.

2. Hardware and Performance

2011 was the year of the dual core processors, and the Galaxy Nexus features one of the best – Texas Instruments’ OMAP 4460 clocked at 1.2GHz. Though it may not feature the highest clock speed out there, performance on the Galaxy Nexus is always snappy and fluid. The phone was able to handle every task I threw its way without any lag, even when playing graphically intensive games, such as Dead Space and Modern Combat 3, thanks to the PowerVR SGX 540 GPU.

Will the hardware be eclipsed next week when NVIDIA showcases devices with their quad-core Tegra 3 processor? Perhaps, but the Galaxy Nexus is powerful enough to get the job done with top-notch performance.

3. Camera

Over the last several months, we have reached the point where cameras can perform as well as point and shoot cameras for most people. Handset makers are doing truly amazing things with cameras, but the Galaxy Nexus is another story altogether. Though the Nexus can take pictures almost instantaneously and features a solid array of photo editing tools, the pictures taken with the Galaxy Nexus camera comes up average and leaves me reaching for my point and shoot more than I’d like.

What the Galaxy Nexus lacks in high-quality images it more than makes up for in the camera software. You can take panoramic pictures, edit the photos on the fly, and take time lapse images. The camera app is more intuitive to use than previous implementations, as well. Overall, the Galaxy Nexus camera isn’t horrible, but it’s not good either.

Some sample pictures and video taken from the Galaxy Nexus follow, so you can judge for yourself.

4. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice Cream Sandwich takes the Android operating system and kicks it up about 5 notches. Android 4.0 is a complete reimagining of Android, with a new font throughout the system, a new Holo UI theme, reworked notification pulldown, and many, many other features we’ve previously covered.

Android’s biggest critique thus far has been that Android was built for geeks, favoring function over form. Many have claimed that Android has lacked the polish found in iOS and Windows Phone platforms. Ice Cream Sandwich is the first Android platform released that beautifully melds form and function into an elegant, intuitive user experience.

5. Verizon 4G LTE

By now, it should come as no surprise that we totally love Verizon’s superfast LTE network. Though Verizon’s network went down three times in the month of December (leading many to question Verizon’s “most reliable network” claim), when LTE is up it’s super fast. Faster than most people actually need.

Verizon’s LTE network provided speeds that averaged about 10 mbps download and 5 mbps upload. That’s fast enough to stream basically anything you want, including music and HD movies, and is faster than what most people have in their homes. The era of LTE is upon us, and Verizon’s been leading the way for about a year now.

6. Battery Life

LTE isn’t all unicorns and rainbows, however. Battery Life has been the Achilles’ heel of LTE networks since LTE has been released, with several LTE devices struggling to get through a day of use. This trend continues with the Galaxy Nexus, which I’ve generally needed to charge before the end of the workday came. On average, the stock battery provided 7 to 8 hours of juice with moderate use, which though better than most LTE devices to date, is still pretty subpar.

Verizon is offering an extended battery that promises battery life in the 9 to 10 hour range for $24.99, which is highly recommended in this case. I didn’t spend hands-on time with the extended battery myself, but both Clark and Taylor bought the extended battery for their phones, and claim the extended battery is essential in getting them through the day.

7. Call and Sound Quality

Call quality on the Galaxy Nexus was excellent; everyone I called from the device were able to hear me perfectly, and they came through loud and clear as well. We’ve come to expect this with Samsung devices, whose handsets generally offer the best call quality of any smartphone out there.

The speakers on the Galaxy Nexus are a different story altogether. Whether using the phone’s speakerphone function, watching Netflix, or streaming music, the sound produced by the Galaxy Nexus is not good. The volume needs to be cranked up considerably, as I had a difficult time hearing the person on the other end of the line on speakerphone even when I was standing right next to the device.

8. Build Quality

Many were concerned with how big the Galaxy Nexus is, with the massive 4.65-inch display.The Galaxy Nexus is certainly bordering on Phablet territory, though certainly not as much as the Galaxy Note. Rest assured, the phone is lightweight, slender, and feels incredible in the hand. Because of the slim form factor, the Nexus also feels good in the pocket, and adds less bulk than many other devices on the market today.

9. Software Support

This one really goes without saying, but one of the biggest advantages to the Nexus line of phones is that the software updates come directly from Google. This means that the Galaxy Nexus will always be first in line to get the latest and greatest software updates because the updates will come directly from Google, rather than having to wait for handset makers to build their UI overlays atop the core software.

10. Notification Light

Handset makers need to understand that notification lights are essential to smartphones. We want to be notified when a new email or text message comes in and don’t want to have to constantly turn our screens on to figure it out. Google strayed from this with the Nexus S, and this omission was one of the main beefs with that device. Fortunately, Google has put the notification light back into the Galaxy Nexus, though it sits at the bottom of the device instead of the top as we’ve become accustomed.

Regardless of the location, the fact that the Galaxy Nexus has a notification light is a huge plus in our book and is something we rely on every day in our smartphone use.

Final Thoughts

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is THE phone to have on Verizon’s network. If you’re in the market for a high-end phone, you simply owe it to yourself to purchase the Galaxy Nexus. The phenomenal hardware mixed with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich highlights what an Android phone should be, and despite its shortcomings, the Nexus offers the best user experience on the market today.

Just be sure to pick up an extended battery if you don’t have a charger readily available throughout the day (or, you know, turn off LTE when you’re not using it). The Galaxy Nexus is currently available at Verizon Wireless for $299.99 with new 2-year agreement.