Tablet computers have become popular among professional sports athletes, but you have probably never seen one on the sidelines during an actual game. That will change soon because the Phoenix Suns, along with Verizon Wireless and Samsung Mobile, just announced that they integrate the LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1 across all company operations.

The National Football [...]]]>

Tablet computers have become popular among professional sports athletes, but you have probably never seen one on the sidelines during an actual game. That will change soon because the Phoenix Suns, along with Verizon Wireless and Samsung Mobile, just announced that they integrate the LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1 across all company operations.

The National Football League and Major League Baseball have strict rules that won’t allow tablets on the sidelines, but the National Basketball Association allows coaches to bring them on the court.

It’s sort of a mystery why we haven’t seen tablets during games, but the Suns will be changing that this season as the first NBA team to adopt a tablet on the court. Head coach Alvin Gentry and his staff will implement the Galaxy Tab 10.1 into all aspects of the team’s preparations on and off the court. Every player will receive their own tablet that will include a team playbook, video from practice sessions, scouting reports for upcoming opponents, and travel itineraries for road trips.

Think of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 as a one-stop shop for all the basketball information that a player would need.

Gentry said that tablets are the best way to display diagrams of plays that he wants to run during a game. ”If I say, ‘I’m going to run a play called four-pop, [assistant coach] Noel Gillispie can cue that right up for me,” Gentry told the Wall St. Journal.

The Phoenix Suns organization will use the Tab 10.1 for business development opportunities. This includes such actions as season ticketholder presentations and in-game promotional programs. The Suns will also integrate the Tab 10.1 into their TV and radio broadcast to interact with their digital fans through social media platforms.

Ryan Bidan, Samsung Mobile Vice President of Product Marketing, said, ”The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 hosts an impressive array of technology that will allow the Phoenix Suns to collaborate, share, interact and prepare for games in ways that were impossible before. Not only will the Phoenix Suns be untethered from the traditional hard copies of their playbook but the Tab 10.1 will also provide the Suns with a premium and truly mobile, multi-media experience over Verizon’s 4G LTE network.”

The question I’m wondering is, will this tablet have any affect on the team’s performance on the court? This season the NFL allowed two teams, the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to use iPads as their official playbooks. We saw the Ravens come up just one game short of the Super Bowl, but they have been a strong team in the past.

Phoenix currently sits three games out of playoff contention in the NBA’s Western Conference, but they have the 5th oldest team in the league and they are still struggling to find their rhythm.

Gentry says today’s announcement “marks the beginning of a new era in the NBA.” Hopefully it also marks the start of a new era for the struggling Suns.

This Friday, Verizon is bringing back their popular double-data promotion that gives users double the data allowance for the same price. The deal, along with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, was the primary reason I switched over to Verizon from T-Mobile last year and I’ve been extremely happy with the service so far.

Verizon currently [...]]]>

This Friday, Verizon is bringing back their popular double-data promotion that gives users double the data allowance for the same price. The deal, along with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, was the primary reason I switched over to Verizon from T-Mobile last year and I’ve been extremely happy with the service so far.

Verizon currently offers three tiers of data - 2 gigabytes for $30, 5 gigabytes for $50 and 10 gigabytes for $80. With the special promotion, subscribers will get 4 gigabytes for $30, 10 gigabytes for $50 and 20 gigabytes for $80.

The Galaxy Nexus normally retails for $299 with 2-year agreement, but we just spotted a deal where Amazon once again has the Galaxy Nexus at $99 for new customers. I believe that Amazon Wireless honors Verizon’s promotions, so it would be an extra sweet deal to combine these two offers on Friday.

Roger Cheng of CNET is also reporting that Verizon will also offer buy-one-get-one free on the Droid RAZR ($99) and Droid RAZR MAXX ($199) this Friday. That’s the same day that the Droid 4 launches, so we might see that device as part of the promotion too.

Verizon is one of the most expensive carriers around, but I think the price is deserved since they offer the fastest and largest 4G LTE network. It’s not for everyone, but if you need a super-fast network connection then I’d give Verizon a look.

Their early LTE devices like the HTC Thunderbolt suffered from short battery life, but newer devices like the Droid RAZR MAXX (3,300 mAh battery) and Galaxy Nexus (2100 mAh extended battery for $25) offer battery life that can last all day. For those that are concerned with a metered data plan, Android 4.0 adds new controls for managing network data usage.

The majority of our fans tend to agree that Verizon offers the best Android experience, since they voted the carrier as their favorite in our first Android Bowl. If you have any concerns or questions about switching to Verizon, just ask in the comments below and our community will help answer them.

In case there was any doubt to the rumored release date, Verizon has issued a press release this morning which confirms the February 10th availability of the slide-out QWERTY device. Starting this Friday, the Droid 4 will sell for $199.99 with a new 2-year agreement or eligible upgrade.

The spec sheet for the Droid [...]]]>

In case there was any doubt to the rumored release date, Verizon has issued a press release this morning which confirms the February 10th availability of the slide-out QWERTY device. Starting this Friday, the Droid 4 will sell for $199.99 with a new 2-year agreement or eligible upgrade.

The spec sheet for the Droid 4 includes:

• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
• 4.0″ qHD display
• Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with Motorola’s UI overlay
• 8 megapixel rear camera with 1080p recording capabilities
• 720p front facing camera
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB onboard storage (up to 48 GB with micro SD)
• LTE

The Droid 4 will certainly become the best QWERTY device available to Verizon customers when it launches later this week. If the Droid 4 gives you a feeling a deja vu, that’s most certainly because the Droid 4 looks just like the Droid RAZR with a slide-out keyboard.

Anyone out there planning on picking up a Droid 4? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The dust has finally settled after the big day and we’re finally ready to announce the results of the first annual Android Bowl. We asked you, over the course of a week, to log in and choose your preferred carrier and manufacturer.

To sweeten the pot, we paired with @NVIDIATegra to give away three Transformer [...]]]>

The dust has finally settled after the big day and we’re finally ready to announce the results of the first annual Android Bowl. We asked you, over the course of a week, to log in and choose your preferred carrier and manufacturer.

To sweeten the pot, we paired with @NVIDIATegra to give away three Transformer Prime tablets, along with the keyboard charging docks. The winners of those tablets have been announced already, but this post is about the data. Check out the chart that follows then join me down below for some play-by-play.

While the results weren’t exactly shocking, we had fun watching you guys pick teams and stir up trouble. Almost 1,800 of you showed up to play, leaving comments and sending out tweets for your favorite Android brands.

The carrier rankings were dominated by the big four American carriers, with no other single carrier even breaking 25 players. All of the other choices from our list added up to a 5th place showing, while some of you didn’t exactly fit into our categories (we currently have US, UK, CAN, and AUS).

Manufacturers were even less diverse, with most of the votes falling into just three brands, with Samsung clearly dominating. Is it the amount of products they launch? Or something more special?

One fun stat was that the players from team ASUS had the highest average rank, something I’d attribute to the Transformer Prime currently only being in the hands of an elite group of power nerds.

We had a blast and plan to be back next year with something even bigger and better. Of course if you don’t want to wait a year, you could just stay tuned for something else, as we’ve got a bunch of other giveaways coming up soon.

Verizon and Redbox have announced this morning that they plan on bringing a Netflix competitor to market in 2012 via a joint venture between the two companies. Verizon will be the majority shareholder in the joint venture with a 65% ownership stake to Redbox’s 35%.

The service would provide both physical media [...]]]>

Verizon and Redbox have announced this morning that they plan on bringing a Netflix competitor to market in 2012 via a joint venture between the two companies. Verizon will be the majority shareholder in the joint venture with a 65% ownership stake to Redbox’s 35%.

The service would provide both physical media (DVDs and Blu-Rays) and online streaming video to subscribers, though whether these would be lumped together or sold as separate packages (a la Netflix) has not yet been announced.

Also missing from this morning’s press release is any word on pricing. The cheapest physical plus streaming option on Netflix is $16 per month, and we don’t expect the Verizon-Redbox offering to differ much from that number. Verizon-Redbox will offer support for mobile devices, though whether or not non-Verizon branded devices will be able to get in on the action remains to be seen.

Though the announcement certainly brings up more questions than it answers, one thing’s for sure: by the end of the year, consumers will have yet another choice when it comes to their video media consumption. We’ll bring you more details of the Verizon-Redbox joint venture as new information becomes available.

Enjoy living on the edge? If so, you’ll probably be excited to hear that the Android 4.0.4 update for the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus  is unofficially available for consumption. We’re not exactly sure when Verizon will be pushing out this latest Android update to the phone, but if you simply can’t wait you can always [...]]]>

Enjoy living on the edge? If so, you’ll probably be excited to hear that the Android 4.0.4 update for the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus  is unofficially available for consumption. We’re not exactly sure when Verizon will be pushing out this latest Android update to the phone, but if you simply can’t wait you can always take matters into your own hands. To flash the Android 4.0.4 update to the Verizon Galaxy Nexus you don’t need root access but you will need an unlocked bootloader. For more details, check out the source link below.

So what’s included in the Android 4.0.4 update? Not much really. The unofficial changelog below mostly includes bug fixes and performance improvements. While we all like new features in our android updates, I guess we can’t complain as long as Google is working to make Android smoother by squashing a few bugs.

Check out the the unofficial Android 4.0.4 changelog below. If you’re one of the brave souls who likes to flash leaked builds, let us know how the update works on your Galaxy Nexus and if you notice any other features or improvements.

 Unofficial Android 4.0.4 changelog

• Performance improvements
• Battery stats bug fixed
• Long-pressing on a blank spot on the last page of app tray bug is gone
• 3G/4G radio switch improvements
• Signal strength improvements
• New PRIMELA03 Bootloader
• Boot up time reduced
• Auto-brightness smooth transition change
• Camera refocus by long-pressing shutter button
• Multitouch issue resolved
• Autorotate speed increased
• Browser performance improvements
• Recent apps list opens faster
• Minor camera UI changes
• Increased volume
• Keyboard bug fixes
• Updated News & Weather app UI
• Quick controls changed in browser.

The LG Spectrum is Verizon’s version of the LG Optimus LTE, LG’s latest high-end smartphone that’s done particularly well in other parts of the world. Verizon is the second US carrier to feature the Optimus LTE; AT&T began offering the Nitro HD in December.

Verizon has released a barrage of high-end smartphones over the past [...]]]>

The LG Spectrum is Verizon’s version of the LG Optimus LTE, LG’s latest high-end smartphone that’s done particularly well in other parts of the world. Verizon is the second US carrier to feature the Optimus LTE; AT&T began offering the Nitro HD in December.

Verizon has released a barrage of high-end smartphones over the past few months, and the LG Spectrum will be placed alongside a slew of other Android devices on Big Red’s network with the lofty goal of wooing customers away from the likes of the Droid RAZR, HTC Rezound and Galaxy Nexus superphones. But does the LG Spectrum differentiate itself enough to make it a must-have smartphone for Big Red?

1. Hardware and Performance

The innards of the device are where the Spectrum truly shines. The Spectrum features a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor with the now-standard 1GB of RAM. This combination makes the device truly fly. Even when running multiple programs in the background, the Spectrum performed exceptionally well with nary a hiccup in performance. If you want a phone that’s blazing fast, the LG Spectrum holds its own with even the top-of-the-line devices out there.

Sadly, it does not have an NFC chip inside, which is frankly a baffling move for a device that will feature Android 4.0 (more on that later).

2. Build Quality and Aesthetics

I really wanted to like the build quality in the Spectrum. Though LG had some problems with software (and, perhaps, hardware) on the T-Mobile G2x, the device remains one of the best feeling Android devices out there. Though I haven’t personally had time with the AT&T variant of the Optimus LTE, several reviewers stated the device felt nice in the hand, thanks in large part to the textured backing on the Nitro HD.

When it comes to the LG Spectrum, the textured backing has been swapped out for a glossy checkerboard-patterned cover that, though it certainly looks good, makes the device feel cheap and plasticky. Further, the glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet, and it only feels clean after a fresh wipedown of the device. The Spectrum certainly doesn’t win in the build quality department, either, especially when it’ll be sitting next to the Galaxy Nexus and Droid RAZR line of smartphones.

3. Display

720p displays are certainly becoming a norm in higher end devices, and nowhere is this more true than on Verizon’s network. Though practically all devices Big Red releases feature a 720p display, the Spectrum’s 4.5-inch True HD IPS display stands out as one of the more gorgeous displays we’ve seen in a smartphone. Colors really shine on the Spectrum, especially when you crank the brightness up to the highest setting.

4. LTE

Though we’re almost sick of continually repeating this section at this point, Verizon’s LTE network covers the most people of any true 4G network in the country, and the speeds provided by Verizon LTE are ridiculously fast by any standards. With LTE capability, the Spectrum can easily churn through high definition video streaming and upload photos and video with ease.

5. Android 2.3 with LG's UI Overlay

By now, you’re probably painfully aware of my distaste for the custom UI skins carriers/manufacturers are keen to put on devices. Though there are certainly some good ones out there (I’m quite enjoying Touchwiz on the Epic Touch 4G, for example), they generally detract from the user experience Google has mastered in Android 4.0, and I believe the time is nigh to do away with them.

Unfortunately, these skins seem to be here to stay. LG has some serious work to do if it’s going to attract people to its UI. The categorized app drawer is hideous, and the launcher looks like a boxier version of Touchwiz. Fortunately, this problem is quickly remedied by installing a launcher replacement from the Android market.

Still, if you’re going to put money into the development of a UI overlay, be sure to make it differentiate itself in some way. Or, at least make it look pretty. In my opinion, LG’s does neither.

LG has promised to deliver Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich shortly, and we’ll update this review once the update hits our device. Hopefully LG releases a skinned-down version of Google’s latest OS, if not pure Android 4.0 altogether. Though without an NFC chip, we won’t be seeing Android Beam or Google Wallet hitting this device.

6. Camera Quality

I was actually pleasantly surprised with the LG Spectrum’s 8 megapixel 1080p capable camera. Though performance in low lighting for any smartphone camera is average at best, the Spectrum performed beautifully in medium to well lit situations. Pictures came out crisp and captured detail remarkably well. Videos came out good as well, though the auto-focus struggled a bit while taking video samples.

All in all, the camera on the Spectrum is one of the better cameras we’ve seen in an Android phone, and I’d argue you’ll be totally fine leaving the point and shoot at home if you’re going to be snapping a few photos in a reasonably well lit environment. Photo and video samples from the Spectrum can be found below.

7. Battery Life

The LG Spectrum is not the Droid RAZR Maxx; you won’t be able to get 24 or even 10 hours out of the device with moderate use. As with almost all LTE devices currently available, you’ll only be able to get through the standard 8.5-9 hour workday if you barely touch your device. The Spectrum fares about as well as the rest of the LTE devices, and I found it generally lasted about 7 hours before I was scrambling to find a charger.

As with most LTE devices, you’ll probably want to drop some money on an extended battery if you’re going to pick up the Spectrum. Fortunately, since the Spectrum runs a full $100 less on-contract than the top of the line devices, you’ll have some extra cash in your pocket to drop on an extended battery.

8. Call and Sound Quality

When placing phone calls, folks on the other end of the line were able to hear me perfectly well, and the sound on my end was pretty good, too. Speakerphone quality was also surprisingly good on the Spectrum. As for the speakers in general, the Spectrum provides pretty good sound output; movies and music played loud enough to hear them without having to stand or sit too close to the device.

9. Included Applications

Carriers are keen on loading extra applications on their devices, and Verizon is certainly as guilty as the rest. The Spectrum comes preloaded with several Verizon-branded applications, only a few of which proved useful. Of note, Verizon Video gives users access to a ton of video content, including live sporting events. I watched a bit of the Marquette at Notre Dame basketball game in HD quality — pretty handy for when you’re away from your TV or computer. You’ll also find access to several TV shows and other content.

Netflix HD and ESPN ScoreCenter HD come preloaded on the device to show off the HD capabilities of the IPS 720p display. I only tested out Netflix, but was really impressed with the video quality on the Spectrum’s screen. Consumers of video may want to take a hard and fast look at the Spectrum as a media consumption device.

As you’d expect, there are several other applications out there, some of which are arguably little more than free space takers on your device. If you were hoping you’d be able to uninstall these applications, you’re out of luck. They appear to be locked down by Big Red. The lack of ability to uninstall useless applications gives the Spectrum a half-point ding in this category.

10. Differentiating Factor

Customers who walk into Verizon’s store will be pitting the LG Spectrum against dozens of other Android devices out there. Even with the $199 price point, the Spectrum’s immediate competition will be the recently discounted Droid RAZR and HTC Rezound smartphones. Customers willing to spend a bit more will even consider the Galaxy Nexus and Droid RAZR Maxx devices against the Spectrum.

For the Spectrum to succeed, it will need to immediately catch the eye of the customer. Frankly, it is our opinion that the LG Spectrum does not do enough to differentiate itself from the competition in a good way. Several other devices have a 720p screen, feel better in the hands, or have an arguably better user interface than the Spectrum.

Final Thoughts

Verizon customers have a nearly infinite level of choice when it comes to which device is going to find its way into their pockets. Going up against the similarly priced Droid RAZR and HTC Rezound, the Spectrum fails to differentiate itself as the better choice, even more so when you consider the RAZR Maxx and Galaxy Nexus devices.

As always, the choice of which smartphone will be your next device is yours and yours alone, and we encourage you to spend some hands-on time with the device for yourself before making that decision; the Spectrum may very well be your preferred device in Verizon’s lineup, you just won’t likely find it in any of our hands.

Sorry about the fingerprints in the gallery below. I wiped the phone multiple times during the photo shoot, but this thing shows prints like no tomorrow, front and back!

Are you a lover of QWERTY keyboards? Verizon’s Motorola Droid 4 is scheduled to launch this week and the guys from Wirefly spent some hands-on time with the device this weekend. Highlights of the Droid 4 include an edge-lit, 5-row keyboard, dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 4-inch qHD display, 1 GB RAM, dual cameras, [...]]]>

Are you a lover of QWERTY keyboards? Verizon’s Motorola Droid 4 is scheduled to launch this week and the guys from Wirefly spent some hands-on time with the device this weekend. Highlights of the Droid 4 include an edge-lit, 5-row keyboard, dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 4-inch qHD display, 1 GB RAM, dual cameras, and support for Verizon’s blazing fast 4G LTE network. Check out the video below and let us know if you plan on picking one up.

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.

After much hoopla Google Wallet finally launched on the Nexus S last September, but it was only available on Sprint’s version of the phone and not T-Mobile’s. Then when Verizon announced their Galaxy Nexus, it was soon discovered that they would not support Google Wallet. Verizon claimed that Google Wallet “needs to be [...]]]>

After much hoopla Google Wallet finally launched on the Nexus S last September, but it was only available on Sprint’s version of the phone and not T-Mobile’s. Then when Verizon announced their Galaxy Nexus, it was soon discovered that they would not support Google Wallet. Verizon claimed that Google Wallet “needs to be integrated into a new, secure and proprietary hardware element in our phones” and they were continuing their commercial discussions with Google on the issue.

Thanks to a recent app update, Nexus users on AT&T and Verizon can now install Google Wallet directly from the Android Market. Many users previously obtained a hacked copy or side-loaded it onto their device, but now they can have the comfort of getting the latest official version from Google.

AT&T users with the Nexus S or GSM Galaxy Nexus just need to search for Galaxy Nexus and install it. Those devices are recognized as supported in the Market and it’s a 1-click isntall.

Google Wallet Google Inc. MARKET QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

For Verizon owners of the Galaxy Nexus, the process takes a few extra steps. They need to visit the Android Market website from their browser and then trick their device into installing the official app. It might sound like a little much, but it only takes around one minute to complete.

1. From your phone open the browser and head to http://market.android.com. (Tip:  You may want to clear data and defaults on browser and Market before doing this.)
2. Search for “Google Wallet.” (If your browser prompts you to open the Market, don’t. Just stay in the browser.)
3. When the results come back, tap on the Google Wallet icon.
4. Tap the “Install” button from within the browser and then sign into your Google account. (Again, this is all from the browser, not the Market app.)
5. Once you have signed in, you should be redirected back to the Market page in the browser.
6. Obviously, you will not have the option to install there since the VZW Nexus is not supported.
7. Tap the back button until you are prompted for the Market or Browser again, this time choosing the Market.
8. The Android Market should open to the Google Wallet page with an option to install.

If it doesn’t work right away, just sign out of the Android Market website from your browser and try the steps again. I tried this on my Verizon Galaxy Nexus and it worked on the 2nd try. Previously I had side-loaded an older version of Google Wallet, and the install updated it to the latest version with no problems.

We don’t have a Nexus S or GSM Galaxy Nexus on T-Mobile to test this trick out, but hopefully it works on that device as well. If you happen to have one on hand, let us know if you were able to install Google Wallet from the Market.

At least AT&T is now allowing Google Wallet on some Android phones with NFC, and hopefully Verizon is close to reaching an agreement with Google.