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Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Sprint reassured us with optimism for Windows Phone 8, and T-Mobile's CEO found a new partner to continue the fight against Verizon's AWS acquisition. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 7th, 2012.
Samsung Galaxy S III vs. rival flagships: iPhone 4S, HTC One X, Lumia 900
Oh yes, it's a good time to go shopping for a smartphone, particularly if you've acquired a taste for an abundance of pixels and silicon cores. But which phones ought to be considered flagships worthy of comparison with the shiny new GS III? Yes, we're including the Lumia 900 in this context, for the sake of platform neutrality and also in recognition of the fact that raw specs don't count for everything -- but we can't overlook that this handset is sorely lacking in terms of ppi and some other areas. The next two choices are more obvious: the eternal (or infernal) iPhone 4S and AT&T's version of the HTC One X. So here it is: one table to rule them all, right after the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 16th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Verizon announced that its LTE service now covers two-thirds of the US population, and T-Mobile dropped its 'nice girl' image in attempt to position its HSPA+ network as a viable competitor to LTE. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of April 16th, 2012.
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: spring 2012 edition
Springtime is here. It's a season of renewal, and similarly, an ideal time to replace your aging phone with one that you'll adore. With this in mind, we give you Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide -- your one-stop resource for selecting the best handset that fits your desires and budget. This time around, we're doing things a bit differently. In addition to naming the top phones for each provider, you'll now find more comparisons across carriers. This should help you find the best possible handset -- regardless of network -- if you're willing to make the switch. Also, you'll no longer see limited-time offers as our budget picks -- they'll still get a mention, but now, only phones that commonly retail below $80 will qualify for this coveted spot. Naturally, new smartphones are always coming onto the market, so before you make your final selection, be sure to consult our reviews hub for the very latest recommendations. With that in mind, read on as we round up the best smartphones of the season.
Insert Coin: Node helps your smartphone monitor pretty much everything
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Fallen out of love with sensor? Don't worry, Variable Technologies is here to help. The company's working to bring the world Node, a project aimed at helping smartphone users "explore the fun and power of sensors." The "Swiss Army knife-sized" modular device communicates with the iPhone 4S and Android devices via Bluetooth. It has a built-in accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope and can detect physical motion and space, temperature and elevation, to name but a few. It also has a game control module and eight LEDs that can double as a camera flash, with carbon monoxide and radiation detection on the way. The Node will be compatible with Arduino devices and will have an open API, firmware and source code. There's a month left to help Variable hit its lofty $50,000 goal. Click the source link for more info.
How would you change Apple's iPhone 4S?
It's the dawn of a new year for How Would You Change, so let's take a look back at one of the hottest-selling phones of the last one. A low-key launch couldn't dispel a summer of hype for the handset: Apple went for evolution when we were expecting a revolution -- even though we'd seen the same with the 3G/3GS. In the cold light of January, we can see the 4S for what it is: a refined experience that lacks a compelling reason to pay an early-upgrade fee. If you were in the planning meeting for the iPhone 6 (it's a hunch), what would you be pushing for? Built-in NFC? Would you have kept Siri under wraps until it had left beta? Do you resent the existence of any phone that can't run Android? Constructive and polite suggestions in the comments below, impolite ones should be written down on a piece of paper and sent to the usual address (we kid, we kid).
French court squashes Samsung's quest for iPhone 4S ban
Apparently it's time for the French to deliver Apple's tit for Samsung's tat won in US courts last week. Sammy's request for an injunction against the sale of the iPhone 4S was rejected by a court in France, which called the reaction out of proportion with its claims of intellectual property theft. And, as if to rub salt in the wound, the judge ordered Samsung to pay €100,000 (about $134,000) to cover Cupertino's legal fees. Of course, €100,000 is mere pocket change for these companies which probably spend more than that every day just to keep each other tied up in protracted legal battles.
Siri lends a hand via your Bluetooth-enabled car stereo, reminds you to buy milk (video)
Sure, we've seen Siri used to do a host of things, including controlling the temperature in a hacker's home. But the folks over at Autoblog were curious to know just how well the virtual assistant would work with Bluetooth-enabled car stereos. Once your iPhone 4S is properly tethered, holding down the handset's home button will activate Siri. Treating her as an incoming call, your Notorious B.I.G. playlist will pause before the ready-for-command chime sounds. The in-car assistant was tested on two Mercedes-Benz automobiles, a Chrysler 300, a Dodge Charger and a Nissan Maxima, with the Maxima showcasing the best results. It comes as no surprise that mic placement on each stereo and in-cabin background noise provided a noticeable difference in Siri's listening abilities during the test. For a glimpse of the action before trying it out yourself, hit the video just past the break.
Sprint pushes SIM lock to iPhone 4S customers, offers to undo it for good boys and girls
We all knew this day would come. It's hardly a tragedy, but some globe-trotting types out there might be a little annoyed. Starting today Sprint is pushing a SIM lock to all iPhone 4Ss on its network. As you may remember, the first batch of Apple handsets sold on bee-hued carrier were unlocked, but the company was perfectly clear that would be changing. A Sprint spokesperson told us this doesn't constitute a change in policy, "think of it as getting the device in compliance." Subscribers in "good standing" for at least 90 days can always call customer service and request the device be unlocked (again). Check out the full explanation of the locking/unlocking policy after the break.
Apogee Jam guitar adapter review
Musicians have long needed ways to catalog ideas and capture rough recordings of new material without the anchor that is a full-fledged recording setup. Apogee offers just that with its Jam guitar adapter for the iPad, iPhone and Mac, which allows you to strum your way to a record deal via an iOS device. Whether you're on the road or in your living room, the ability to connect a Les Paul to a mobile device and crank out the demo for your next hit is super helpful. But, is it worth the $100 investment to have recording-on-the-go at your fingertips? Read on to see what we discovered. %Gallery-137053%
IRL: Kingston Wi-Drive, Dyson DC35 and being an Ubuntu fanboy
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. The lively comments in yesterday's Nest thermostat post got us thinking: for all our talk of smartphones and Ultrabooks, it's the mundane, not-glamorous stuff that we're spending most of our money on. Take Brad, for instance, who had to make room in his iTunes library for the Aladdin soundtrack and had to get creative after maxing out his iPhone's (non-expandable) storage. Or Zach, who felt not one, but two vacuum cleaners were necessary in his bachelor pad. And at least one of us avoids paying anything by choosing to tinker around in Ubuntu. How'd Brad make do with his 16GB of fixed storage? Why is Zach such a compulsive cleaner? And who's the Linux fanboy on staff? Meet us after the break to find out.
T-Mobile's Andrew Sherrard: 'the iPhone is not the only option'
Remember when T-Mobile CMO Cole Brodman splashed a bucket of cold water on our hot iPhone 4S dreams? Yeah, well the carrier's back to clarify its glaring lack of the handset in its lineup, and it appears the choice wasn't the company's to make. In a statement released today, SVP of Marketing Andrew Sherrard expressed the operator's desire to play host to Apple's latest device, but claims Cupertino's omission of an AWS-friendly radio is the true culprit. In order for that phone to run competently on T-Mo's 4G network, those 1700MHz bands would need to be serviced. In its stead, the exec points to other more capable phones currently on offer -- namely, those bearing Android -- while referring to the 4S' apparent network issues. Fighting words or just a case of the sads? Follow past the break for the full quote straight from Magenta's mouth.
Beeri: Siri's new best friend cracks open a cold one (video)
We already know that Siri can send texts, check the weather or find you a restaurant, but did you know she can also fetch you a beer. Well, sort of... with a little hacking. The folks at Redpepper dreamed up Beeri, an RC truck that cracks open a can of brew whenever it receives a tweet instructing it to "pour." Since you can text updates to Twitter (40404) and Siri can text, that means it's perfectly simple to tell Beeri it's Miller time. Whenever the Arduino embedded in the truck detects a mention with the word "pour," it drives forward, slamming a beer can into a puncture wall that drips into a funnel, filling a cup beneath the table top. It's a pretty ingenious system, and you can see it in action after the break. We just hope Beeri has a day job -- looking at all that head, it's clear she wouldn't last a day as a bartender.
Switched On: As Siri gets serious
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Nearly 15 years passed between Apple's first foray into handheld electronics -- the Newton MessagePad -- and the far more successful iPhone. But while phones have replaced PDAs for all intents and purposes, few if any have tried to be what Newton really aspired to -- an intelligent assistant that would seamlessly blend into your life. That has changed with Siri, the standout feature of iOS 5 on the iPhone 4S, which could aptly be described as a "personal digital assistant" if there weren't so much baggage tied to that term. Siri is far more than parlor entertainment or a simple leapfrogging the voice control support in Android and Windows Phone. At the other end of the potential spectrum, Siri may not be a new platform in itself (although at this point Apple has somewhat sandboxed the experience). In any case, though, Siri certainly paves the way for voice as an important component for a rich multi-input digital experience. It steps toward the life-management set of functionality that the bow-tied agent immortalized in Apple's 1987 Knowledge Navigator video could achieve.
Chipworks throws an iPhone 4S under its infrared microscope, finds Sony-sourced image sensor
Look closely. Can you spot it? That gray abyss is actually an infrared image by Chipworks revealing an iPhone 4S' Sony-branded, 8 megapixel CMOS sensor. Looks like Howard Stringer wasn't bluffing to Walt Mossberg back in April, after all. At the time, it was reported that Apple's usual sensor supplier, OmniVision, was experiencing production delays, prompting speculation that Sony would eventually usurp the position. While the iPhone 4S that Chipworks looked into seems to confirm this, it's pointed out that Apple does have a habit of "dual sourcing" components (with its contacts saying this should be no different), so Sony may not be the sole supplier this time around. What ever the case, there's no denying that the iPhone 4S takes some stellar shots. You'll find more information -- including X-rays of the 4S -- at the source link below.
Colorware spills its inks on your iPhone 4S, charges dearly for it
You didn't think the latest iPhone would be saved from Colorware's paint-dipped hands, did you? Lo and behold, the company's swatches are currently ready for application on the 4S. Similar to its iPhone 4 treatments, you'll be able to spice up your device -- and its earbuds -- with a mixture of glossy, metallic and soft-touch coatings (excluding mainly the front face, which remains stock black or white). Colorware'll gladly sell you a fresh 16 or 64GB model for a whopping $1,500 or $1,700, respectively, or you can mail yours in to get a Benetton-esque makeover for just $250.
iPhone 4S lacks "Enable 3G" switch
If you're among the teeming masses holding a brand new iPhone 4S in your hands, you may be surprised (as we were) to find there's something conspicuously absent from the Network Settings menu on your new device: specifically the ability to manually shut off 3G data. After receiving word, and a screenshot, from a helpful tipster, rocking a 4S on Vodafone's network, we found the same option missing from our own AT&T iteration. Of course this isn't the sort of thing that's likely to have an impact on most users, but if you're the type that likes to squeeze every last bit of juice out of that Apple, the omission could cause some frustration. We gave Apple support a call to see what they had to say, and were told AppleCare has no official response on the matter. If you're lamenting the loss of the 3G flip-switch sound off in the comments below. Update: A few of our readers are reporting that the original Verizon iPhone 4 also lacked the 3G switch, which means the absence is most likely on a carrier-by-carrier basis. [Thanks, Chris and Charlie]
iPhone 4S welcomed by AT&T activation delays, iCloud stumbles out of the gate
If you've unboxed a shiny new iPhone 4S from AT&T today, you've most likely had an experience similar to many others who made the same purchase: frustration. It seems that the surge in activity from the release of Apple's new handset has reduced activation traffic on Ma Bell's network to a crawl. This isn't the first time the carrier has had issues on launch day -- but back then, it didn't have any competition. Now that Verizon and Sprint have joined the iPhone party, the pressure's on and AT&T's not looking good compared to the other carriers who don't appear to be having issues. As if that weren't enough for the folks in Cupertino, iCloud had a rocky debut this week as well -- from absent verification emails to an inability to backup data. Apple has documented all five of the new service's foibles via the coverage link below, but it appears everything's been peachy since early this morning. So, have you been waiting for your new iPhone to be more than a shiny new paperweight? Leave a comment, and let us know. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sprint to offer three levels of iPhone service, 'yellow' AppleCare+ repairs will cost $49
Thinking about buying an iPhone 4S from Sprint? Depending on how clumsy you tend to be with mobile devices, you might want to consider adding the $99 AppleCare+ option at purchase, since those Total Equipment Protection plans are definitely out. A Sprint employee wrote in to detail us on upcoming service procedures, which include grouping a damaged device within three categories -- green, yellow and red -- after diagnosis. As you might imagine, green repairs are the easiest to deal with, and include 'minor damage' (i.e. cracked screens are out). These repairs will be handled for free within the first year for all customers, and within two years for those who purchased AppleCare+. Next up, the yellow category covers damage that doesn't fall within green, but is still repairable. Non subscribers will pay $199, while those with AppleCare+ will pay $49. Klutzes beware: you're limited to two yellow repairs, regardless of whether or not the device is in warranty. Finally, the red category is reserved for iPhones that provide little function beyond holding down a stack of papers or propping open your door. You'll need to pay the full replacement cost for red-labeled phones. None of these repairs will be handled in store -- iPhones will be shipped to Apple, though you're welcome to start the process at Sprint. Our recommendation: reach out to Apple directly, since your iPhone is probably headed there either way. And if you want AppleCare, don't forget to buy it at launch. Updated: Sprint wrote in to let us know that device swaps (not repairs) can in fact be handled in store, so you won't always need to go to Apple. [Thanks, Anonymous]
iPhone 4S claims title of first Bluetooth 4.0 smartphone, ready to stream data from your cat
The Bluetooth 4.0 specification may have been finalized in July of last year, but smartphones supporting the standard are just starting to hit the market. In fact, the first such handset is the iPhone 4S. That the 4S is the first to deliver its 4.0 wares to the American public is something that got lost in all the hubbub surrounding its launch. One of the biggest selling points of the latest version of the PAN standard is its low-power mode, though that wont have much of an impact on Apple's device. What it will enable the latest iGadget to do however, is act as a hub -- collecting data from multiple sensors and accessories simultaneously, such as heart rate monitors and cats. Don't expect this to be alone on the market for long, other manufacturers will certainly be squeezing support for the specification into their next flagship device.
