GADGET REVIEWS Just another GADGET NEWS

by Sam Biddle

Tuesday is the day a lot of you have been waiting for — theiPhone 4 taken under Verizon’s big red wing. We know the announcement’s happening, but what else do we know for sure? And what about thosefloating rumors?

First, here’s what we’re sure of.

It’s Announced Tomorrow

It doesn’t get much more solid than this. Verizon’s sent out invites to tech writers, and, though only through the always-nebulous “people familiar with the matter,” the Wall Street Journal has confirmed.

It’s the Same Phone as Ever

The odds of Apple giving Verizon anything other than a CDMA version of the same iPhone 4 AT&T has are extremely low. If a new Apple product — say, the iPhone 5 — were about to be loosed on us, you better believe it’d be Apple doing the unveiling, not Verizon. There’s also a whole host of reasons whyan LTE iPhone doesn’t make sense right now — poor coverage, battery-life murder, Apple’s early-adoption anxiety, and existing knowledge of a CDMA model’s development behind closed doors. Engadget’s alsodug up photos of an adjusted antenna design, likely made with CDMA optimization in mind.

Finally, if Apple had something shiny and exciting to debut, they’d be doing it themselves. So keep your pants on until this summer, when a new version is likely to be announced.

It Might Have an Unlimited-Data Option

Now we head into slight uncertainty territory. AWSJ report — again, via “a person familiar with the matter” — says Verizon’s planning an unlimited data plan. This makes sense, as it would give Verizon a competitive edge over AT&T, which terminated its own unlimited plan in favor of capped data (except for those subscribers grandfathered in with an unlimited plan that predated the change).

It’ll Be Out … Soon

The original WSJ report points to an end-of-the-month release for Verizon’s iPhone, whileBGR says sometime between Feb. 3 and 6 (based on a Verizon employee-vacation blockade during that time). Not much of a difference, either way.

Steve Jobs Might Show Up

All Things D, citing “sources in a position to know,” says Jobs’ appearance alongside Verizon is “likely,” unless there are “unforeseen circumstances” (a flat tire?). The significance of Jobs’ attendance, and what role he might take, of course a whole other barrel of speculation.

Verizon Might Get the White One

The elusive great white whale of mobile electronics! Could it show up tomorrow?ZD Net’s “educated guess” is that, yes, Verizon will indeed land the oft-delayed white model.

This story was written by Sam Biddle and originally appeared on Gizmodo.

Photo credit: jfingas /Flickr

See Also:

• Reports: Verizon iPhone Likely Coming Jan. 11
• WSJ: Verizon iPhone Debuts Early 2011
• Verizon CEO Throws Wet Blanket on iPhone Rumors
• Bloomberg: Verizon to Launch iPhone in 2011
• Verizon to Apple: We Want the iPhone
• Fortune: Verizon iPhone Debuts Early 2011

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LAS VEGAS — Another day at CES 2011, another 4G smartphone announcement. HTC debuted three new 4G mobile devices last week: the Thunderbolt, the Inspire and the EVO Shift.

Release date and price points on the Thunderbolt and the Inspire were murky. As in, HTC didn’t have any. But that’s been par for the course on a lot of announced smartphones at CES thus far. As I’ve previously reported, however, we do know the EVO Shift will be dropping on January 9th, the last day of CES. All three phones will be running Android version 2.2 (Froyo).

I got to spend some time playing around with the Thunderbolt at the tradeshow last week. Here are a few first impressions, broken down by category:

Screen

It’s been a big year for big screens at CES, and the Thunderbolt doesn’t stray far from what’s been debuting. At 4.3 inches, it’s a sizable display equal to that of Motorola’s new Droid Bionic, last summer’s EVO 4G, and the Thunderbolt’s sister product that debuted alongside it, the AT&T-carried Inspire. All the advantages of such a large screen come through when using the back facing 8-megapixel camera. It’s got a nice array of filters to tweak your photos, including the “vintage warm” filter (a.k.a. the Instagram effect). And sadly, I didn’t have anyone to video chat with, but it’s nice to know I can with the 1.3-megapixel front facing camera.

The haptic feedback on the Thunderbolt’s capacitive touchscreen is a nice touch, but I had a bit of difficulty with pressure sensitivity when trying to scroll through menu screens. On occasion I’d require a little extra effort to choose a widget. This was not a huge deal, but was still noticeable.

The sausage-fingered shopper need not worry. Where the spaciousness of the screen shines is in typing on the Thunderbolt’s keyboard. It’s easy to compose texts fairly quickly, and I made relatively few errors during test texts.

Browsing and Performance

We’ve been hearing lots about 4G network capability lately, and the Thunderbolt is HTC Verizon-carried contender. From the bit I did, the phone’s browsing speed is indeed ample. A quick Google search for Wired.com brought our site up in about five seconds. Scrolling downward on the page was fairly smooth, with only minimal clipping.

Under the hood, the Thunderbolt runs on a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, with 768MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It moved along through the menus speedily, and it pulled up video and pictures without much lag. There’s also a microSD card slot with a 32 GB card included.

Feel

The back of the Thunderbolt has a matte finish to it, somewhat akin to HTC’s unsuccessful Nexus One. With the Thunderbolt’s finish, it doesn’t seem like it would lend itself to slipping from the hand that easily. The little Google-branded kickstand on the back is a nice flourish, especially when you want to watch video on the phone’s large screen. And the metal finish of the kickstand just looks cool.

Overall, I dug the Thunderbolt well enough upon first glance. We’ll have to see how it — and how Verizon’s 4G network — performs upon the phone’s eventual launch.

See Also:

• Htc
• Wired Video: HTC Evo 4G Dissected
• WSJ: Verizon iPhone Debuts Early 2011
• Carriers Bet Big on 4G Phones Despite Network Immaturity
• Verizon CEO: Were Working With Google on a Tablet

Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

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American iPhone users frustrated with AT&T’s slow data speeds and dropped calls may soon have an alternative.

Verizon yesterday sent out invitations to a Tuesday, January 11 press event in New York.

Many believe that this event will be the debut of the iPhone on Verizon.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that “a person familiar with the matter” had confirmed the Tuesday event would be the announcement of a Verizon iPhone. Earlier, the New York Times cited “people with direct knowledge of Apples plans” who said that Verizon would soon be adding the iPhone to its lineup. Both phrases typically mean that a company has delivered a controlled leak to the newspaper.

Adding credence to the codewords, Gizmodo reports that it did not receive an invitation, despite having a good relationship with Verizon — while Apple-centric blogger Jim Dalrymple, who never covers Verizon, did. Gizmodo has been excluded from every Apple press event since it published photos of the then-unreleased iPhone 4. Gizmodo’s conclusion: Apple is behind Verizon for this event.

Many iPhone users have been frustrated with AT&T, the exclusive U.S. carrier of the iPhone since its launch in 2007. The company’s network frequently drops calls (especially for iPhone users) and many users crave faster data speeds and more extensive geographic coverage. Despite adding additional infrastructure, AT&T appears to have had difficulties keeping up with the demand for the wildly popular phone. Many hope that Verizon would do a better job — or would at least offer an alternative to customers who like Apple’s phone, but don’t like AT&T.

We’ve been unable to confirm the NYT and WSJ reports independently, but the signs point strongly in one direction: Verizon is about to get the iPhone.

Maybe it will even be available in white.

An award-winning writer specializing in technology, science and business, Dylan Tweney is a senior editor at Wired.com and publisher of tinywords, the world’s smallest magazine.
Follow @dylan20 and @gadgetlab on Twitter.

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LAS VEGAS — Samsung climbed aboard the increasingly crowded 4G train with a trio of 4G LTE-enabled devices Thursday afternoon at CES 2011.

Among the devices are a new version of the Galaxy Tab. Along with 4G connectivity capability, the new tablet will have an upgraded 5-megapixel back facing camera, distinguished from the current models 3 megapixels.

Samsung didn’t announce when the tablet would be available. It will be exclusive to Verizons 4G network in the U.S.

In addition to the new tablet, Samsung also unveiled a new, yet-to-be named smartphone, provisionally called the 4G LTE. Its yet another launch of a mobile device with a massive super AMOLED screen — it measures in at 4.3-inches — debuting only days after the company had first announced its 4.5-inch Infuse smartphone.

Under the hood, the 4G LTE has a 1 GHz single-core processor. Just like the Infuse, the 4G LTE has an 8-megapixel back facing camera, with a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for video chat. Both the 4G LTE and the Infuse will run Froyo. Like the tablet, there arent any pricing or availability details being made public yet.

And to round out the announcement, Samsung also introduced its aptly named 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot for Verizons 4G network. The device will work much like other hotspots do, acting as a wireless access point for up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices at once. Its also backward compatible with Verizons 3G network.

See Also:

• Official: Samsung Galaxy Tab $600 on Verizon
• How 7-Inch Android Tablets Can Succeed
• Verizon Mulling Wired Broadband Pricing Tiers For 4G Wireless

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

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LAS VEGAS After years of hyping up its fourth-generation cellular network, Verizon is finally ready to play ball. The company on Thursday announced 10 4-G devices that will be rolling out this year.

The telecom company has partnered with manufacturers HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung to serve smartphones on the 4-G network. Additionally, the company is working with Motorola and Samsung to offer 4-G tablets.

“During this three-year journey, from acquiring spectrum to launch, we not only transformed our network, but also our business by engaging in a strategy of collaboration and openness, while driving partnerships that will make 4G LTE successful across the globe,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless. “The result is true magic the sum of a powerful network, applications, software systems and devices that bring 4-G LTE to life.

Succeeding 3-G networks, the 4-G network operates under a standard LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, a cellular standard that carriers are adopting internationally. (If you haven’t already, read Wired.com’s full explainer on 4G.)

Verizon and its rival AT&T both highlighted their 4-G networks at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Both carriers are promoting flagship Motorola 4-G smartphones: the Atrix 4-G on AT&T and the Droid Bionic on Verizon. Each smartphone features the brand-new, dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor.

The rest of Verizon’s 4-G lineup includes the Motorola Xoom, a tablet that will ship with Honeycomb, Google’s Android OS modified for tablets. Also, the already-released Samsung Galaxy Tab will work on Verizon’s 4-G network, too.

The remaining devices are Android smartphones from LG, HTC and Samsung that include the older 1-GHz Snapdragon processor.

Releasing 10 devices can be considered a punch in the face to AT&T, who only disclosed three 4-G smartphones during CES. However, AT&T said it expects to have more than 20 4-G devices released by the end of 2011.

Regardless, in the 4-G numbers race, neither AT&T nor Verizon beat Sprint. Sprint said this month that it has already introduced 17 4-G compatible devices.

Brian is a Wired.com technology reporter focusing on Apple and Microsoft. He’s also writing a book about the always-connected mobile future called Always On (publishing April 2011 by Da Capo).
Follow @bxchen and @gadgetlab on Twitter.

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If you like Blackberry’s physical form factor and Android’s app marketplace, and you want to spend less than $200, Motorola’s Droid Pro was tailor-made for you. Verizon’s online preorders for the feature-packed smartphone start tomorrow, Nov. 9th; it will ship and be available in stores Nov 18th.

Physically, the Droid Pro has a 3.1″ touchscreen along with a full QWERTY-keyboard, a 5MP still and video camera, 4 GB of memory (2GB internal), Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and a 1 GHz processor. On the software side, it’s running Android 2.2 (Froyo), Adobe Flash Player 10.1, with QuickOffice’s productivity and both Google’s or Exchange’s push email, calendar and contact support built-in.

Verizon and Motorola also tout the device’s security features (VPN integration, remote wipe, and complex password support, with Device and SD card encryption in early 2011) and global-readiness for road warriors, offering voice and data in over 200 countries.

The Droid Pro costs $279.99 up front with a two-year service agreement, with a $100 Verizon debit card following later in the mail. Net, it’s $20 less than iPhone 4, all the new Windows Phone 7 handsets, the Samsung Galaxy and even Motorola’s own Droid X (which still ships with Android 2.1).

But the Droid Pro’s $180 is quite a bit more than all of Verizon’s Blackberries, which range between free and $150 out-of-pocket with the same two-year contract and data plan terms. A few users might like what they see and being willing to pay a little more than the Blackberry or a little less than those other smartphones.

DROID PRO By Motorola Now Available [Verizon]
DROID Does Business [Verizon]

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AT&T’s Windows Phone 7 handsets drop today, but if you navigate past the company’s big splash page, you’d never know it.

That’s because like most other phone retailers, AT&T’s online store drills down by manufacturer and device type (e.g., smartphone, feature phone, tablet/computer), but not operating system. The only smartphone OS it currently separates out is Android, grouped with categories like “free,” “slider” and “refurbished.”

MoreWindowsPhone7 coverage on Gadget Lab:

• Samsung’s Windows Phone 7 Packs Intuitive, Visual Punch
• Microsoft Announces First Windows Phone 7 Handsets
• A Humbled Microsoft Prepares to Boot UpWindowsPhone7
• Microsoft Blends Zune Media, Xbox Live Into NewPhoneOS
• Microsoft’s Mobile Strategy Takes Aim at Apple, Google
• Microsoft TellsWindowsPhone7’s App Story

While tech-savvy consumers increasingly think of smartphones in terms of competing operating systems, wireless companies still think of their own relationship with their subscribers first, manufacturers second and platforms a distant third.

It’s even starker if you’re an existing customer looking to upgrade a mobile phone; an AT&T customer trying to find an Android phone has to navigate a long list of smartphones, while Apple and Blackberry’s models jump to the top.

Verizon Wireless’s online store does break phones down by operating system if you mouse over the “Phones & Devices” menu. The choices are Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Palm WebOS and “Windows phone” — the last something of a misnomer, since Verizon only offers older Windows Mobile devices, not the new Windows Phone 7.

This arguably benefits companies like Apple and Blackberry, who enjoy high name recognition and whose platforms are only available on their own branded devices. It also benefits particular smartphones, like Motorola’s Droid on Verizon, who are featured prominently on store websites and network advertisements.

But the balance is tipping in favor of the operating systems. With Windows Phone 7 now offering devices from multiple manufacturers on AT&T and T-Mobile, Verizon selling iOS devices like the iPad (and perhaps soon the iPhone) and Android’s share of the market growing an extraordinary rate, wireless companies will be hard-pressed not to put a device’s operating system front and center — not buried at the bottom of a tech sheet next to its Bluetooth spec and its camera’s megapixel count.

AT&T has made a big bet on its support of Windows Phone 7 — I wouldn’t be surprised if we see those menus get an upgrade soon.

Images: screenshots from AT&T Wireless Store by Tim Carmody.

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The elusive Verizon iPhone is going to become a reality early next year, according to a chorus of mainstream publications.

Following The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Bloomberg, now Fortune claims that a Verizon iPhone is “fait accompli” (i.e., a done deal).

Repeating past rumors, Fortune says the new iPhone will be compatible with Verizon’s CDMA network. Fortune notes that globetrotters won’t be able to use the phone outside the United States: Most international networks rely on the GSM standard, so the Verizon iPhone can’t be used as a “world phone.”

Tech observers and analysts have squabbled about a Verizon iPhone for years, and the device appears to be forthcoming. Perhaps the most telling sign was when Verizon announced earlier this month that it would sell Apple’s iPads a move that reveals that Apple and Verizon are finally partners.

Photo of an AT&T-compatible iPhone 4: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

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Samsung has announced the price of its iPad rival, the Galaxy Tab. It will cost $600 and come contract-free on Verizon’s 3G network. A data plan is optional and will cost $20 per month for 1GB, and the tablet will be available to buy on November 11th.

It’s an interesting price, coming in at just $30 shy of the cheapest iPad 3G, but with a screen just half the size. You do get a couple of cameras, though – 3MP back and 1.3MP front – as well as the latest Android OS 2.2 Froyo running on Cortex A8 a 1GHz CPU.

I can’t guess how this will go. Samsung has, after all, sold five million of its Galaxy S phones in just three months, and many people will surely appreciate the pocket-ability of the smaller form-factor. On the other hand, the iPad can now be had on Verizon for around the same price, although you do have to use the MiFi hotspot to get Verizon 3G.

One thing is certain. The Galaxy Tab is the first really viable alternative to the iPad, and it will show us if the non-nerd public is willing to buy tablets in general like they do cellphones, or if they are only interested in Apple’s, as happened with its dominant iPad market. We’ll see soon enough.

Verizon Wireless Puts Samsung Galaxy Tab in Stores in November [Samsung]

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There are fewer places to go to for consumers seeking access to unlimited data on their smartphones. T-Mobile plans to reduce data speeds for those consumers who use more than 5 GB of data in a single billing cycle, according to the Tmonews website.

The move will kick in this weekend and T-Mobile claims less than 1 percent of its customers will be affected.

T-Mobile’s decision is just a step short of the data caps announced by other wireless carriers. In September, Verizon said it plans to stop selling unlimited data plans to new customers and will, instead, introduce two service plans with monthly data caps. A few months earlier, AT&T decided to retire unlimited 3G-data plans. Sprint has said it will have to reconsider unlimited data for its 4G network if data usage increases significantly.

Consumers today are using their smartphones for more than just voice and e-mail. The rise of social networking sites and mobile video and apps has led to a tremendous increase in the amounts of data being sucked through wireless devices.

Average data consumption increased to 298 MB a month in the first quarter of this year, from about 90 MB a month for the same period last year. Thats a gain of approximately 230 percent in a year, according to research by Nielsen Mobile. And, so far, it hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.

T-Mobile has said only “extreme data users” will feel the pain. The company plans to send text messages warning users about their data speeds if they reach the limit.

This is not the first time T-Mobile has tried to throttle data speeds for power users. Earlier, the company capped usage around 10 GB but it seems to be reducing the threshold now.

For consumers this makes for a difficult choice. They can either get limited data from AT&T and Verizon and pay heavily for exceeding that or get “unlimited” data at T-Mobile and see their data download to a trickle after a certain point. Either way, it’s clear–the days of unlimited data on mobile devices are over.

Photo: (Shawn Mclung/Flickr)

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Verizon Wireless stores will begin selling the iPad in late October in a move that marks the first time the telecom giant is partnering with Apple — but perhaps not the last.

Verizon’s 2,000 retail stores on Oct. 28 will begin carrying the Wi-Fi model of Apple’s iPad bundled with a MiFi wireless modem to gain 3-G access. (Verizon’s network is based on CDMA technology, which is not compatible with the current iPad hardware, hence the need for a separate standalone modem.)

Verizon’s MiFi + iPad bundles will be priced the same as an iPad with built-in 3G connectivity for AT&T’s networks. The 16-GB iPad + MiFI model will cost $630, for example, the same as the 16-GB 3G iPad.

“Were thrilled to be working with Verizon Wireless to get iPad into the hands of even more customers this holiday season, said Tim Cook, Apples chief operating officer, in a press release.

AT&T, too, will begin carrying 3-G iPads at its 2,200 retail locations.

The news of Verizon selling the iPad comes at interesting timing, as both the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times recently reported that Verizon will carry a CDMA-based iPhone in January 2011. Now that Verizon is selling iPads, the telecom giant is an official partner of Apple, which makes the possibility of a Verizon iPhone more probable.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

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Late yesterday, Verizon and Motorola announced a new Android smartphone with a front-facing QWERTY keyboard, sleek black business-casual look and a 3.1″ multitouch multimedia screen. The Droid Pro is expected to attract a big chunk of Verizon’s existing Android and Blackberry high-end and business users when released in the coming weeks.

My first, beloved smartphone was a first-generation Blackberry Bold; for me, Motorola’s Droid Pro is clearly the handsomest Android phone I have ever seen. (Yes, I like it more than the R2-D2 Droid.) The major differences between the new Droid Pro and my old Blackberry Bold are Android apps and a touchscreen. As long as the Droid Pro’s keyboard is a champ like the Bold’s, the touchscreen isn’t too teeny and its yet-unannounced pricing isn’t too obscene, we can say that it’s improved in every way.

The Droid Pro’s specs are also impressive: Android 2.2., a 1GHz processor with 2GB of storage, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and support for both Exchange and Google email and calendar programs. It can act as a 3G mobile hotspot (although Verizon has disabled that functionality for current Droid users) or stream media from a server over a Wi-Fi network using the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard. Its 5MP camera can shoot still images and video, so you might even have something on your phone worth streaming back.

When the Droid Pro’s finally released, upgraders should make sure they don’t throw their old phones away: Verizon Wireless today announced a new trade-in/recycling program that will appraise your old phone, refurbish or recycle it and offer you a Verizon Gift Card. Even non-Verizon phones can be traded in, so network-switchers can take advantage of it too.

Price and release date for the Droid Pro have yet to be announced; when released, it will be available through Verizon Wireless’s online and retail outlets. You can fully expect that Verizon’s people will be happy to sell you one.

Image from Motorola.

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Apple will begin mass producing a Verizon-compatible iPhone that will debut in early 2011, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The Verizon iPhone will be similar to the iPhone 4 in design and be based on the CDMA standard used by Verizon, according to WSJ, who cites “people briefed by Apple.”

Apple does not officially comment on product rumors.

WSJ’s latest article is slightly inconsistent with its March report claiming that Apple would begin mass producing a CDMA-compatible iPhone in September. The March report did not suggest a release date for a presumed Verizon iPhone.

Technology observers have learned to take Verizon iPhone rumors with a big grain of salt. Speculation about a Verizon iPhone has run wild ever since the original iPhone’s launch on AT&T. Multiple publications have published rumors claiming different release dates for the fabled device (see part of the list below).

Wired magazine’s Fred Vogelstein published a feature in July illustrating that a Verizon iPhone is stifled by complicated business negotiations, not technical limitations; Steve Jobs has actively considered splitting with AT&T for over a year.

Photo of an AT&T-compatible iPhone 4: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

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You may soon be able to watch live pro football on your tablet, but unless it’s on Verizon’s network, maybe not the tablet you might like.

NFL VP and media strategist Brian Rolapp told the Wall Street Journal that the league is currently in talks with Verizon about distributing live and rebroadcast games and other content to tablets. “The NFL will be on a tablet,” he said. “It’s a question of what shape or form.” Verizon declined to comment.

Why Verizon? The carrier already has a $720 million four-year exclusive deal to show games and other programming on phones with its NFL Mobile service that was just signed in March. Depending on the terms of that deal (and remember, in March, the iPad wasn’t even in stores yet), tablet computers are most likely not included, but the NFL may find it practically and legally difficult to partner with another wireless provider.

Why would you want to watch an NFL game on a teeny-weeny tablet? Besides being better than watching NFL on a phone, I have two words for you: VGA Adapter.

A Verizon spokesman told the WSJ that the company wants to secure the rights to rebroadcast every NFL game. Suppose you’re on the road, in a hotel, and the local channels aren’t showing your team’s game. Hook up your tablet to the television, and you’ve got it on your screen. You can even catch the Monday night game at the airport while your plane back home is delayed.

Regardless of how the deals eventually shake out, that scenario is definitely appealing to the NFL’s millions of hard-core fans, who are frequently both tech-savvy and constantly hungry for more content, and who have repeatedly demonstrated their devotion with dollars.

Image via NFL.com

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ByChris Foresman

Though rumors about the possibility of Apple launching a CDMA-compatible iPhone on Verizon have been picking up steam latelyour own sources have told us that an LTE-capable iPhone hasbeen in testing in Boston for several monthsVerizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg suggested Thursday that itmight not be coming in January as many had hoped.

Speaking at a Goldman Sachs conference in New York, Seidenberg made no mention of an iPhone model being made to work on Verizon’s current EVDO/CDMA network. Instead, he “hoped” that Apple would consider making an iPhone to work with its nascent LTE 4G network.

“We would love to carry [the iPhone] when we get there, but we have to earn it,” Seidenberg told investors. “I think 4G will accelerate the process, and any other decisions Apple makes would be fine with us. Hopefully, at some point Apple will get with the program.”

Those comments may be bad news to thesignificant percentage of current iPhone users locked to AT&T in the US who would likely switch to Verizon if given the chance. Our ownreader survey earlier this year also suggested that there are plenty of existing Verizon customers who would be interested in an iPhone that worked on the largest US network. Though Verizon has been very successful with a strong lineup of Android-powered smartphones from Motorola and HTC, pent-up demand for a CDMA-compatible iPhone definitely exists.

However, other evidence suggests that a CDMA-compatible iPhone is in the works, even if Seidenberg isn’t willing to work with Apple to bring it to his network. Component suppliers havehinted that Apple is prepping to build at least 3 million CDMA iPhones in December, which would track with a manufacturing ramp-up for a rumored January launch.

As mentioned above, we’ve heard through the grapevine that an LTE/CDMA iPhone has been in testing on Verizon’s network in the Boston area, and that the rumored January launch was contingent on Verizon meeting its stated goal of launching its LTE network in 30 major markets by year’s end. If Verizon isn’t on track to meet that goal, it may have resulted in Apple changing its mind. Still, a CDMA-compatible iPhone could launch on other networks, including Sprint in the US, and China Mobile and SK Telecom in Asia.

Whatever the problem is between Verizon and Apple, though, customers certainly don’t carethey just want the popular device to work on their preferred network. It would be beneficial to both Verizon and Apple to work out a deal, and work it out soon, while demand is still high.

Image credit: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

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Samsung is milking the launch of its 7-inch tablet called the Galaxy Tab by trickling out a little bit of news about it every other week. After announcing the Galaxy Tab’s launch in Europe earlier this month, Samsung held a press conference Thursday to say the device will be available in the U.S in the next few weeks.

The Galaxy Tab will be available on all the four major wireless service providers — AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. There’s still no word on pricing or exact shipping date for the Galaxy Tab. The devices, which support 3G and WiFi, will arrive in time for the holiday shopping season, says Samsung. A Wi-Fi only version of the tablet will be available in the future.

The Galaxy Tab runs Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and has a LCD display with a 1024 x 600 resolution. At 0.8 pounds, the device weighs just about half as much as the iPad. It also supports Adobes Flash Player 10.1 so it can display web pages that run Flash something the iPad cant. The Galaxy Tab will run many Android Market apps in full screen and those that are not scalable will be framed and centered on the screen at 800 x 400 resolution.

Another feature that U.S. customers of Galaxy Tab will get is the Media Hub, a mobile widget that will allow users to download and rent movies.

The Galaxy Tab will come with three accessories: a $100 keyboard dock, a $50 desktop dock, which will double as a charger, and a $100 car and GPS dock.

Photo: Samsung

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Today’s big rumor, coming from an un-named single source by way of the Download Squad blog, is that a Google Chrome tablet, made by HTC and available on the Verizon network, will go on sale on November 26th this year. That’s Black Friday.

An that is all. The author goes on to speculate about the hardware, but that’s guesswork. What of the actual “facts” of the story, though?

HTC would make sense. After all, the hardware-maker is behind many Android phones, and worked with Google on the original G1 Googlephone. That part lines up. As for Verizon, that too is a pretty credible pairing given the net-neutrality furore of the past couple weeks, which has seen Verizon and Google clubbing together to dismiss the need for an un-tiered internet for mobile devices. That, and the fact that Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said back in May that Verizon and Google are “working on tablets together.”

And the launch date? Either genius or incredibly dumb. If Google were to make the announcement ahead of time, it would certainly get a lot of headlines due to the sheer ballsiness of launching a product into the morass of hype that is the busiest shopping day of the year. But once those headlines have come and gone, the product actually could get drowned in that morass and just disappear.

I really don’t know which way to call this. The pieces all fit so well together, but the source is a very odd one. Either way, the prospect of an HTC/Verizon/Google tablet is a rather appealing one. What do you all think?

Google launching a Chrome OS tablet on Verizon, goes on sale November 26 [Download Squad]

Image mockup: Glen Murphy

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

Motorola Droid X is hit among consumers, having sold out at most Verizon stores, but for some the phone’s display has been an issue.

Some Motorola’s Droid X phone users are experiencing flickering of their display, horizontal and vertical bands in it, and at times a blackout of the entire screen.

But those problems may be fixed soon, says Verizon.

Verizon has issued a statement to say only “a very small number” of users are facing the issue. And help for them is on the way.

“Motorola has resolved the issue and is continuing to ship the phones. Any consumer who experiences a flickering or banding display should contact a Motorola customer support center or Verizon Wireless,” a Verizon Wireless spokesperson told Engadget.

Motorola announced the Droid X on June 23 and the phone hit retail shelves on July 15. The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a two-year Verizon contract) has a 4.3-inch screen and a 1 GHz processor. The phone launched with Android 2.1 operating system, but is expected to get an upgrade to Android 2.2 Froyo in the summer.

Droid X’ debut though has left more than just users with display problems unhappy. Last week, Android geeks found that Motorola has made difficult for hackers to mod the Droid X by using a bootloader and chip combination that could potentially brick the phone if it is broken. Motorola has said that the chip combination will boot the phone only when software is installed, squishing hackers’ hopes that they can quickly get custom-ROMs on the device.

Meanwhile, check out this video of a Droid X user whose phone screen started flickering after the device was woken up from its sleep mode.

Photo: Stefan Armijo/Wired.com

Source:wired.com

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Many Android fans are lining up to get Motorola’s latest phone, the Droid X, which hit retail shelves Thursday morning. But the phone has raised the hackles of some Android geeks.

Motorola has reportedly made it difficult for hackers to mod the Droid X by using a bootloader and chip combination that could potentially brick the phone if it is broken. The bootloader is the software component that loads the operating system in a gadget.

Some Android hackers say Motorola’s move has made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to load custom versions of Android on the Droid X.

“Motorola wants to keep people from modding their devices,” says Ryan Mills, an Android modder and blogger. “I don’t know if they are just afraid for security purposes, or they just want to stay proprietary.”

However, not everyone agrees that the Droid X will be un-hackable — and it’s impossible to confirm at this point, because almost no one has yet attempted the mod.

Motorola did not respond to a request for comment, while Verizon declined to comment.

The questions around the ability to hack the Droid X have stirred up a debate about how much a handset maker can control Android, which otherwise touts itself as an open source operating system. Android’s ability to be hacked and modded is one of the major draws of the OS.

Handset makers and wireless carriers decide which operating system can run on a phone and customers usually have no choice in the matter. In case of Android, hackers have created their own versions of the read-only memory, or ROM, on their cellphones, which holds the firmware. These custom ROMs can be loaded on an Android device to unlock features in a process known as “flashing.” That means devices that run the custom ROMs can boast features that the handset manufacturer or carrier may not have otherwise included. DIYers have gone so far as to buy phones running Windows Mobile OS and replace it with Android.

In case of the Droid X, the phone’s processor includes a feature invented by IBM called eFuse. eFuse, which is baked into the chips, gives manufacturers the ability to make changes to information on a chip that would otherwise be ‘hard coded.’ It also helps manage power and memory in the device.

p3Droid, a commenter on the MyDroidWorld forum speculates that the eFuse technology looks for information from the bootloader associated with the device. If it doesn’t get that, the eFuse trips the boot up process, leading to a potential bricking of the phone.

“The bootloader in the Droid X is signed with the recovery and the kernel for the device,” explains Steven Bird, who has created custom ROMs for other devices. ” If those don’t correspond it won’t work. It’s not any sort of self-destruct in there.”

The Droid X is not the only Motorola phone to have this technology, he says. Bird says that many of Motorola’s phones including the Droid, Droid X and Milestone all have chips that integrate the eFuse technology.

“HTC has a similar technology with the Incredible that made it very difficult to write custom ROMs for it,” says Bird. “It just means it takes longer to mod the device.”

But at this point, almost all of this talk around the Droid X is “conjecture,” says Steve Klondik, aka ‘Cyanogen,’ an Android hacker who runs the highly popular Cyanogen Mod community.

“From what I have gathered, no one has really tested anything to see if it is true,” he says. “One person who has tried to modify the bootloader says the system broke but we know nothing about how the mod was done and if it was done right.”

Klondik says the first step will be to root–the Android equivalent of jailbreaking–the device. From there, building custom ROMs for the Droid X may be difficult but it can be done, he says.

But it may not be enough to soothe modders like Mills. Mills and a few other Android developers are questioning if Motorola should be part of Android’s Open Handset Alliance if it doesn’t really want its phones to be toyed with.

Photo: Stefan Armijo/Wired.com

Source:wired.com

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Following the The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg reports that Verizon is launching an iPhone early next year.

Bloomberg cites multiple anonymous sources who claim Verizon will begin carrying the iPhone in January 2011, ending AT&T’s exclusive partnership with Apple.

Bloomberg’s report follows The Wall Street Journal’s article in May, which claimed that Apple is scheduled to produce CDMA iPhones this September. CDMA is the standard used by Verizon iPhones.

Technology publications and analysts have speculated about a Verizon iPhone for years, but the stipulations of Apple’s exclusive contract with AT&T remain unconfirmed. However, it’s notable that two mainstream news outlets are now claiming a Verizon iPhone is due soon.

In response to Verizon iPhone rumors in May, AT&T said during an investor conference that the company was not intimidated by a Verizon iPhone because discounted family and business plans would make it difficult for subscribers to transition multiple devices to a new carrier.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source:wired.com

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Eight months after Motorola debuted its first Droid phone, the company has refreshed the device to include a bigger screen, a focus on high-definition video and Flash compatibility.

Motorola’s new Droid X phone is the successor to its original Droid smartphone introduced last October. The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a two-year contract) will run Google’s latest Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and will include Adobe Flash Player 10.1. DROID X customers will the 2.2 and Flash updates wirelessly over-the-air in the latter half of the summer.

“It is pretty spectacular,” John Stratton, chief marketing officer of Verizon told attendees at the device’s launch. “When you have a screen and form factor like this — very thin and lightweight — it screams video.”

The new Droid X will have a 4.3-inch touchscreen (854 x 480 pixels resolution) — about the same size as the HTC EVO 4G and much bigger physically than the 3.5-inch display on the iPhone 4, which is 960 x 640 pixels.

The phone includes a Texas Instruments OMAP processor with 1-GHz processing ability, 512 MB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory that’s expandable to 40 GB using a storage card.

It also has a 8-megapixel camera, a step up from the 5-megapixel one in the earlier version. The camera can capture 720p video content and offers HD playback via HDMI. What’s missing is the dual camera that’s now a part of the iPhone and HTC Evo.

The Droid X announcement comes a day before the public debut of the iPhone 4, although Apple’s phone is already in the hands of some lucky customers as well as a few carefully chosen reviewers.

The Droid X will be the star in Motorola’s portfolio. So far Motorola has launched a number of Android phones, including the Cliq on T-Mobile, Backflip on AT&T and Devour on Verizon. But its first Droid phone remains a best-seller. Meanwhile, Apple is charging ahead with its latest iPhone, which is gathering generally positive reviews(though AT&T’s network has been criticized). Many Apple users have already started receiving their pre-ordered iPhone 4.

Droid X is Motorola’s 11th Android smartphone. The phone will start shipping July 15 and will be available exclusively on Verizon’s network.

See below for a larger image.

Top photo: Droid X
Stefan Armijo/Wired.com

Photo: Verizon

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

The new Motorola Droid X phone, with its slim profile and striking display, doesn’t set a new standard in industrial design. But what it lacks in style, it makes up for with features, including an emphasis on high-definition video recording and playback.

The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a two-year Verizon contract) will run Googles latest Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and will include Adobe Flash Player 10.1, following an update “late summer.”

There’s one key difference between the Droid X and the original Droid: The Droid X doesn’t have a physical keyboard. Instead its 4.3-inch display makes it one of the biggest touchscreens available among smartphones today.

The Droid X’s screen is gorgeous and incredibly responsive to touch. The display has a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels compared to 800 x 480 pixels on the HTC Evo. Placed side-by-side, the Evo’s display seemed brighter and more vivid.

But the Droid X’s touchscreen is a treat. It’s extremely responsive without crossing over into the annoyingly sensitive territory.

Unlike the Evo, which has its four Android buttons (Home, Menu, Back and Search) sleekly integrated into the frame, the Droid X has four physical buttons at the bottom of the phone and it is jarring. The matte black finish of the phone gives it a dull appearance compared to the glossy shine of the Evo.

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The unlimited data plan party could end soon. Verizon Wireless has hinted it is likely to follow AT&T and restrict the amount of data consumers can suck in through their phones.

“We will probably need to change the design of our pricing where it will not be totally unlimited, flat rate,” Verizon’s chief financial officer John Killian told Bloomberg.

For nearly 90 percent of smartphone users, new pricing plans are unlikely to make a big difference in how they use their phones, says Chetan Sharma, who runs a consulting firm focusing on telecom issues. But for super-users, this could signal a change in how smartphones and apps are designed.

It could force developers and entrepreneurs to take a second look at how data is delivered and optimized.

“So far, the ecosystem hasn’t paid attention to delivery efficiency,” says Sharma. “Content developers rarely care how much data is being transferred over their app. Now there’s room for technology that can help change that.”

Wireless service providers’ decision to do away with unlimited data plans plans runs orthogonal to what smartphones makers are doing. Smartphones today are in a race to offer more storage, along with the ability to shoot high-definition videos and photos. And they encourage you to share, uploading those files to YouTube and Flickr. Add to that video chat capability, especially over cellular networks, and there’s more stress than ever on the network.

“It was unsustainable,” says Sharma. “It couldn’t have gone on forever.”

After Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, it unlocked a world where users spend more time surfing on the phones, playing with apps and watching YouTube clips than talking on their phone. A Consumer Reports study found that the average iPhone user consumes 273 MB of data per month. About 4 percent users in that study gobbled an average of 1 GB per month.

Sharma estimates an average iPhone consumer uses about 600 MB a month, while a smartphone user who’s not on the iPhone or using an Android device takes in about 300 MB of data monthly. Unless, something changes, that data consumption will only go up, especially with the introduction of more powerful smartphones, straining the network’s capacity, he says.

With the iPhone, AT&T has been the first to feel the pain. In response, earlier this month, AT&T introduced a tiered pricing structure for data. Instead of a flat monthly fee of about $30 for unlimited data, AT&T users will now pay $15 a month for 200 MB, or $25 a month for $2GB. (See what AT&T’s limited data plans mean for you.)

Verizon is not changing the status quo just yet. The company has hinted it will introduce tiered data pricing plans as it opens up its LTE or 4G network. 4G data cards on the Verizon’s network could be launched later this year, followed by the first 4G smartphone next year, estimates Sharma.

A Verizon spokesperson declined to comment on when the company plans to introduce new data pricing plans.

“Unlimited pricing works well when you are trying to create demand,” says Sharma. “But now carriers are facing the reality that while their data revenue is fixed, their costs keep going up.”

Last year, approximately 70 percent of data traffic on wireless networks came from data cards. This year, smartphones will pretty much account for all data requests, says Sharma.

“The iPhone has catapulted the whole data issue to the forefront.”

Photo: (DJOtaku/Flickr)

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews