LG has failed to cause a great excitement over its latest rumored Verizon device, the LG Lucid. Previously known as the LG Cayman, it is not the greatest device, but surely another option to consider if you are getting a new Verizon phone soon.

This leaked render image has just hit the web, and it [...]]]>

LG has failed to cause a great excitement over its latest rumored Verizon device, the LG Lucid. Previously known as the LG Cayman, it is not the greatest device, but surely another option to consider if you are getting a new Verizon phone soon.

This leaked render image has just hit the web, and it gives us a preview of what the device could look like. The Lucid appears to be a much sleeker version of the LG Revolution with a different back style. The device does not look great, but that is a personal preference. It just might be your style.

LG Lucid Rumored Specifications

• 4-inch NOVA display (non-IPS)
• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
• 1 GB of RAM
• Android 2.3
• 5 MP camera (1080p recording)
• 16 GB of internal storage
• 4G LTE connectivity

As you can see, the specs are not bad, but also not special. On paper, it looks like most devices we have seen being released lately. And the fact that it is not being released with Android 4.0 is rather disappointing. But the device won’t be too expensive.

According to the latest rumors, the LG Lucid will hit the stores come March 29th with a suggesting a price tag lower than $200. This is very affordable, considering that this is a new 4G LTE device. Such smartphones usually come with an initial price of at least $250.

If you are into this one, stay tuned for the end of the month. Don’t forget to take all of this information with a grain of salt, as none of it is official. The device might be much better (or worse), but we will have to wait and find out. Would you guys consider buying a device with these specs? We know LG isn’t exactly our readers’ favorite manufacturer.

Who says Leap Days are not special? They only come once every four years, and the best way to celebrate it just may be by purchasing a new phone or tablet. If you’re in the market for a new device, Verizon is holding a very good deal tomorrow, allowing you to save $100 on the [...]]]>

Who says Leap Days are not special? They only come once every four years, and the best way to celebrate it just may be by purchasing a new phone or tablet. If you’re in the market for a new device, Verizon is holding a very good deal tomorrow, allowing you to save $100 on the best 4G LTE devices available.

The image includes the best smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Motorola Droid RAZR and the HTC Rezound, among others. The Leap Day sale website also includes an image of the Motorola Droid Xyboard, if you want to get your hands on an LTE tablet. If you have been looking to get one of these devices tomorrow might just be the day.

Some of these devices are currently listed at prices lower than $100, so they might very well be completely free, but we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out for sure. But you could get a Galaxy Nexus for $200, instead of $300, which is a great deal.

If you prefer working straight with Verizon, this might be something to consider. But do remember that other retailers have awesome discounts, as well. For example, Amazon has the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for $99, as well as the Motorola Droid RAZR. So shop carefully.

If you have been saving that upgrade for a good day, tomorrow might just be it! You can go ahead and set a reminder straight from Verizon’s site. Are any of you taking advantage of this sale?

Despite the carrier’s efforts and major LTE network rollout, only 5% of the Verizon customer pool is taking advantage of the blazing speeds, says the company. This comes as a disappointment, but Big Red has committed to a 4G-only smartphone selection in 2012. And that number is sure to increase soon.

Verizon Wireless was the [...]]]>

Despite the carrier’s efforts and major LTE network rollout, only 5% of the Verizon customer pool is taking advantage of the blazing speeds, says the company. This comes as a disappointment, but Big Red has committed to a 4G-only smartphone selection in 2012. And that number is sure to increase soon.

Verizon Wireless was the first US carrier to bring 4G LTE’s blazing speeds to Americans. With the anniversary taking place last December, the carrier has taken over most of the country. Surely, you have seen all the new markets being added continuously, and Big Red’s 4G LTE territory now covers over 200 million citizens.

Also, Verizon claims that all 3G markets will be covered by 4G LTE by 2013. This means that pretty much the whole country will run on these faster, more efficient (for the carrier) data speeds. Verizon has a clear advantage over all the other carriers, at least in regards to 4G LTE. But that does not mean the competition won’t be fierce as other carriers start deploying their own LTE networks.

This is why the company is trying to invest in 4G LTE for a world free of 3G speeds. The older network received a big enhancement last year, right before the release of the almighty iPhone (which does not have 4G capabilities). But Verizon is no longer interested in investing more resources in said network.

It is very critical for us, and we’re playing a very delicate balancing act here that I don’t want to spend any more money on my 3G networkFran ShammoChief fFinancial Officer of Verizon Communications Inc.

As small as 5% sounds it is a rather large number, adding up to 4.4 million users. This is out of the 87.4 contracted customers that signed up in 2011. But as mentioned above, Verizon is planning to release only 4G LTE smartphones from now on, so we are surely in a transition. Soon, all smartphone customers will be signing up for LTE blazing speeds.

As a 4G LTE customer, I must say that it is a great service, but the experience hasn’t been perfect. We sure hope all of these 4G LTE drops are resolved. For the same reason, it is unclear if Verizon is ready for a country-wide LTE explosion just yet.

Shammo also mentions that Verizon is planning to invest $3.9 billion in spectrum from cable companies. This might improve everything, but we still have to see if the purchase is approved. Smaller (and not-so-smaller) carriers like T-Mobile and MetroPCS are trying to stop it.

Here comes 2012 and 2013, guys. And some major changes are taking place in the mobile industry. Let’s see how things work out in the near future and pray that all these new 4G LTE customers don’t overload the towers too much. Is your next device going to be a 4G LTE smartphone? Would you rather keep things retro and stay with 3G speeds?

Carriers love to boast about their reliable and awesome 4G networks. As the 4G war continues, we are starting to see all major competitors cover the country with the awesome speeds that 4G delivers, though these companies have different technologies, speeds and coverage. We now have 3 out of 4 major carriers claiming to run [...]]]>

Carriers love to boast about their reliable and awesome 4G networks. As the 4G war continues, we are starting to see all major competitors cover the country with the awesome speeds that 4G delivers, though these companies have different technologies, speeds and coverage. We now have 3 out of 4 major carriers claiming to run the “largest 4G network” in the US, which is sure to create some confusion among customers.

All companies base their statements upon different sets of norms. First we must consider what constitutes a “real 4G network.” Many of us claim that HSPA+ networks are not real 4G, but very fast 3G, instead. Most people consider real 4G networks to be technologies like WiMAX and 4G LTE.

T-Mobile was the first to make the Largest 4G Network claim. Since it launched “America’s first nationwide 4G network,” the company has had a chance to spread its high-speeds to most of the country. It’s HSPA+21 network now covers 217 markets and 200 million people, while HSPA+42 reaches 175 markets and 184 million people. It was also the first boast the largest 4G network, due to the advantage they had.

It is claimed that Magenta’s network is not “real 4G,” though. Regardless, the network is very fast, and HSPA+42 is able to reach speeds as high as even the fastest LTE networks.

AT&T was one of the first to call out T-Mobile on the fact that its 4G network was not legit, and have recently laid claim to having the largest 4G network for themselves. AT&T basis this claim on the fact that both its 4G LTE and HSPA+ networks combined cover over 200 million users. Even after giving Magenta a hard time over the same issue, AT&T is now adding HSPA+ to its equation. If we only counted 4G LTE, AT&T’s network would reach 28 markets and 74 million people.

AT&T is focusing on a smoother transition that it’s magenta counterpart, however. Their phones will work with both technologies, and if you move out of 4G LTE coverage, odds are you will not need to use 3G, and will be able to use their faster HSPA+ data speeds.

In the third corner we have Verizon and its “largest 4G network.” This one happens to be true. Verizon does have the largest 4G LTE network. Since Big Red does not work with any of the other 4G technologies, it has invested much of its resources to build out its 4G LTE coverage.

It’s blazing speeds now cover 196 markets and over 200 million customers, making it the “largest 4G LTE network” in the US. This is quite impressive for being an LTE network, which AT&T and Sprint are barely starting on. Verizon was the first to bring LTE to the US, and has plans to spread it all over the country by 2013.

Sprint is still building its 4G LTE network, and WiMAX is definitely not the largest or fastest, so it is staying out of this argument for now.

I have always said that the “real” and “not-real” 4G arguments were a bit of a play on words to push each other down. There have also been claims that 4G LTE is not “real 4G.” It is fast, but not as fast as industry standards state that 4G should be. Really, these are all networks that are faster than the traditional 3G networks of yesteryear. Some are better than others, of course, but they are all truly the next generation, a true evolution from 3G technology.

Deciding which company has the largest 4G is based on definition, but we must remember carriers are corporations. They need to say such things to make their customers excited. As it usually goes, we would like to know what you guys think. Which carrier do you think has the “largest 4G network”? And do you consider HSPA+ networks to be “real 4G”?

The Motorola Droid legacy is about to receive its latest iteration, the Droid 4. This 4G LTE, slide-out keyboard device is undoubtedly one of the most awaited in Verizon’s network, especially for all the keyboard lovers out there. We were expecting this bad boy to hit the streets last December, but rumors indicate that the [...]]]>

The Motorola Droid legacy is about to receive its latest iteration, the Droid 4. This 4G LTE, slide-out keyboard device is undoubtedly one of the most awaited in Verizon’s network, especially for all the keyboard lovers out there. We were expecting this bad boy to hit the streets last December, but rumors indicate that the release was pushed back. But this time around all stars are lining up, and it looks as though the device will be released next week.

The first, and most important sign is the fact that the Motorola Droid 4 has recently showed up at the Droid Does website. Such instance is usually followed by a release, very soon. In this site, we can see all the main features and specs, as well as sign-up for more information.

If you have not heard of the specs, they include a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 4-inch qHD display, Android 2.3.5, 8 MP rear-facing camera (1080p recording), front-facing camera (720p recording), 4G LTE connectivity and a 5-row slide-out physical keyboard. Also, remember that this phone will be getting GSM global roaming capabilities. All the travelers out there might be interested in this.

Its appearance at the Droid Does website definitely makes the Droid 4 a bit more exciting. But it tells us nothing we don’t already know. The specs and features have been known for months now. What we want to know is when and for how much we will be able to get this piece of technology in our hands. For such details, we have to turn our heads to the rumor wagon.

Just yesterday, our buds from Droid-Life received a tip that confirmed a February 9 release date. Rumors also state that this bad boy will go for $199 on a 2-year contract, which is not a bad price compared to the other new 4G LTE devices.

That was all good and dandy, until this morning, when Droid-Life got another tip. This time it is a screenshot from Verizon’s equipment guide, and it states that the Droid 4 will be launching on February 10 instead (image below).

But whether it is the 10th or the 9th, odds are that it will be coming very soon. Get ready to let your flying fingers type away at 4G LTE speeds, texting demons! This bad boy is finally getting here. Is anyone signing up for this one?

The Motorola Droid 4 has been the worst kept secret. After a plethora of leaks and rumors, this keyboard-friendly 4G LTE device has finally become official. Motorola and Verizon have released a press release confirming all the specs and features we already knew.

In a nutshell, the Droid 4 has a 4-inch [...]]]>

The Motorola Droid 4 has been the worst kept secret. After a plethora of leaks and rumors, this keyboard-friendly 4G LTE device has finally become official. Motorola and Verizon have released a press release confirming all the specs and features we already knew.

In a nutshell, the Droid 4 has a 4-inch qHD screen, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB on-board memory (supports microSD cards of up to 32 GB) and comes with Android 2.3.5. Don’t freak out yet; Motorola is promising an update to Ice Cream Sandwich soon. This smartphone is also great for keyboard lovers, since it has a full 5 row QWERTY slide-out keyboard. And with 4G LTE connectivity, your waiting time will be decreased substantially.

So, there you go. It is now official, and the Droid 4 should be hitting the streets in “a few weeks.” Motorola should have this bad boy on the showfloor, so be sure we’ll be getting some hands on time later this week. Stay tuned.

Will any of you guys be willing to sign up for the first Motorola Droid with 4G LTE combined with a slide-out keyboard?

Verizon’s 4G network is proving to not be the “most reliable,” after all. While it certainly has been about the fastest in the US for a while, Verizon’s LTE network is not as dependable as we would hope (at least yet). A sudden rush of reports are proving that we are once again in a [...]]]>

Verizon’s 4G network is proving to not be the “most reliable,” after all. While it certainly has been about the fastest in the US for a while, Verizon’s LTE network is not as dependable as we would hope (at least yet). A sudden rush of reports are proving that we are once again in a Verizon network outage, and it looks like it is a nation-wide issue.

This would be the third time that Big Red’s 4G users are left without data this month, making for a not-very-merry holiday season. We can certainly understand issues here and there. For a company that claims itself to have the “most reliable 4G network”,  this is unacceptable.

Taylor (Galaxy Nexus) and I (Thunderbolt) are currently not getting any data at all (0G), and many others are reporting 3G or 1X connectivity. Either way, reports are coming from all over the country, as well as multiple devices. So if you have been wondering what is going on with your data speed, just know that you are not alone.

We have contacted Verizon about the matter, and will report back to you as soon as we find out what is going on with our G’s. As for now, let’s see how many of our readers are having issues. Let us know what network speeds you are getting, where you are from, and what device you own.

Could it be that too many of those 3.7 million new Android users purchased a 4G device over the holiday, and we are overloading the network?

Rumors of the Motorola Droid 4 came out very quickly after the Motorola Droid 3 was released. So much that all of us were wondering what was going on. It has only been about 6 months since the Motorola Droid 3 was released, and leaks of the Droid 4 started coming in months [...]]]>

Rumors of the Motorola Droid 4 came out very quickly after the Motorola Droid 3 was released. So much that all of us were wondering what was going on. It has only been about 6 months since the Motorola Droid 3 was released, and leaks of the Droid 4 started coming in months ago. After realizing that we would soon be seeing another successor to one of the most popular Android devices in existance, rumors pointed towards a December release for the latest member of the Droid family. Since then everything has settled down, and we haven’t talked much about this smartphone in a while. A new set of details has been spreading around these past few days, though.

The Droid 4 looks promising, with all the specs that we would expect from a good device in late-2011, including support for Verizon 4G LTE. Not to mention the fact that the design is looking pretty sexy, assimilating the look of the Razr (but with a keyboard).

Possible release dates included December 8th and the 22nd, both of which have come and gone without a word from Big Red. A sudden appearance of the Droid 4 at the DroidDoes website (click on the image to the right for details) a couple of weeks ago had us all thinking that the day was coming. While the site was quickly pulled, we realized that Verizon is probably setting things up to include the Droid 4 in their website, which would mean that the device is probably not too far from being released. The 22nd definitely seemed like a great day for all the keyboard-lovers looking for a good Christmas present. ^[1]

The day has come, and is quickly leaving with no Droid 4 for us today it seems. And it is unlikely that it will be announced today/tomorrow, and released on a Friday (especially one so close to Christmas). We can assume that the device will not be here for in time to find itself under the Christmas tree.

What gives, right? We could wait a bit more. Or at least we thought it was “a bit,” until yesterday’s new rumors hit the internet. It seems like the Droid 4 might be pushed back for a February release.^[2] Yes, the same February during which most of the CES super phones might be released. True, the Verizon 4G LTE market is a bit saturated right now, with the Motorola Droid Razr, HTC Rezound and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus all released in the last few months. February, though? Where is the love for the keyboard-lovers?

We know it is pretty hard to part from that physical keyboard. And with options becoming scarce, some might still want to wait for this bad boy. If you want to see more of this device, what appears to be official images of the device in multiple angles have recently leaked.^[3] Take another look at it, and think of the idea of using that upgrade for another smartphone, because this one isn’t coming in a while.

What do you guys say? Are you willing to wait until February for the Droid 4, or have you moved onto other devices?

After the long, very long awaited Samsung Galaxy Nexus release for Verizon, customers started reporting issues with the 4G LTE network. Verizon has acknowledged the problem, and says that it is working on a fix via a software update. It seems like the fix is not as big as we expected, though.

It seems [...]]]>

After the long, very long awaited Samsung Galaxy Nexus release for Verizon, customers started reporting issues with the 4G LTE network. Verizon has acknowledged the problem, and says that it is working on a fix via a software update. It seems like the fix is not as big as we expected, though.

It seems Big Red has reached out to the guys at Computerworld, mentioning that the fix does not actually improve the signal strength in our shiny Galaxy Nexus devices. This update will simply change the way the system displays the bars, making the device display signal “the right way” (with more bars).

Verizon goes on to say that the Galaxy Nexus does not actually have a signal problem, but there is a conflict in the way that this specific device translates signal into bars:

There is no issue with the performance of the device. There is a difference in the way the signal is translated into bars on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus compared to other smart phones. A future software update will adjust the signal strength indicator to more closely match other Verizon Wireless devices.Verizon Wireless

This statement is parallel with certain claims that have been popping out online. AnandTech happens to have one of the best explanations to the Galaxy Nexus signal issues dilemma, and they state that this device is actually better than most of the other 4G LTE smartphones out there. The only issue is that the bar meter displays the signal in another way. The signal for 3G and 4G networks works very differently, and there is no reason why both networks should use the same meter system.

There are still many users claiming actual issues, though. Including 4G LTE dropping out constantly, and being switched to 3G. Whether this is an actual problem with the device or not, we will see. For now, though, the only change will be in the way that the bars are displayed.

What is your experience in the matter? Does 4G LTE seem fast, even if the signal doesn’t show up as very strong? Do you get dropped out of 4G speeds?