CtiaWireless2011
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Galaxy Tab 10.1v up for pre-order at Vodafone Australia, shipping to start May 1st
Oh, sure -- it's pretty much an ultrathin Galaxy Tab 10.1, but then again, it's an ultrathin Galaxy Tab 10.1. The newly-christened Galaxy Tab 10.1v has finally found itself a pre-order host over at Vodafone Australia, with select customers receiving the newsletter shown above in their email accounts. Purportedly, this "exclusive" offer enables Vodafone customers camped out in the Land Down Under to pre-order the Honeycomb-based slate, with a trio of payment options available. A two-year agreement will cost you zilch upfront (but AU$39 a month over 12 months), a one-year plan dings your credit card for AU$259, and an off-contract option will demand a far stiffer AU$729. A book cover seems to be included with each option, and if you get your order in today, shipping should commence on May 1st. One nation down, six five continents to go. (Sorry, penguins.) [Thanks, Jeremy]
CTIA 2011 wrap-up: EVO 3D, G2x, skinny new Galaxy Tabs, and more
We just got home from this little massive US mobile industry event you may have heard about called CTIA Wireless. It took place in Orlando this year (instead of Las Vegas as usual) and we can definitely say that Sprint was the star of the show with its HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO View 4G, and Google Voice integration. Samsung also delivered some goodies with the Galaxy Tab 8.9, a redesigned Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint, and the Android-powered Sidekick 4G for T-Mobile. LG re-badged the Optimus 2x as the G2x on T-Mobile, and the Optimus 3D as the Thrill on AT&T. The HTC HD7 made a comeback as the Super LCD-equipped HD7S on AT&T, and Nokia gave us the Astound, nee C7, for T-Mobile. Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg -- so if you missed the action this past week, we've got you covered with all the nitty gritty in the links below. Major news / product releases: AT&T agrees to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion Google Nexus S 4G with WiMAX announced for Sprint: coming this spring for $200 Sprint, Google Voice getting tight integration, will let you use your number without porting it AT&T launches HTC HD7S with WP7 and LG's 3D-enabled Thrill 4G Android phone Sprint's BlackBerry 4G PlayBook portal goes live, still on track for a summer release LG's T-Mobile G2x announced, available 'later this spring' (update: preloaded with Tegra Zone) T-Mobile's LG G-Slate priced at $529.99 with a two-year contract HTC EVO 3D officially announced for Sprint Sprint makes EVO View 4G tablet official: 1.5GHz, WiMAX, 7-inch screen, and a stylus to boot LG gets official with WCP-700 Wireless Charging Pad, fails to provide pricing Samsung's CTIA press conference posted online, skinny new Galaxy Tabs shown off (video) Hands-on / previews: Nokia Astound for T-Mobile coming April 6th for $80 (hands-on with video) Sony Ericsson Xperia Play for Verizon hands-on (video) T-Mobile Sidekick 4G by Samsung priced at $99.99 with a two-year contract, we go hands-on Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and new Galaxy Tab 10.1 hands-on: thinner than the iPad 2, dual-core power, TouchWiz 4.0 T-Mobile G2x from LG hands-on (video) HTC EVO 3D vs. EVO 4G... fight! HTC EVO 3D first hands-on! (video) Sprint's HTC EVO View 4G hands-on (video) HTC HD7S hands-on AT&T's LG Thrill 4G hands-on (video) T-Mobile G-Slate bundled apps tour (video) Cricket teases CDMA-only Samsung Indulge, Huawei Ascend 2 at CTIA (hands-on) T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot hands-on Wysips wants to turn your phone's display into a solar cell (hands-on with video) ZTE's Style S and LTE tablet coming to the US during the second half of the year Kyocera pictures a world of deeply understanding phones Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint hands-on (video) Google Voice for Sprint hands-on (video) Samsung's original Galaxy Tab 10.1 renamed the Tab 10.1V, thicker Galaxy Tab 8.9 no more than a trade show dummy Everything else: LG's T-Mobile G2x spied at CTIA Cobra Tag Bluetooth key tagging system to ship in July, iRadar and PhoneLynx coming to Android Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 specs and Honeycomb UI tweaks leak out before its official launch EVO 3D specs confirmed: 1080p 2D video, 720p 3D, dual cameras, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G tablet spotted -- on Sprint's website, where else? Live from CTIA's day one keynote with FCC chairman Julius Genachowski Live from Samsung's CTIA event! Live from Sprint's CTIA event! Verizon says 4G LTE network will cover 'at least' 147 US cities by the end of 2011 HTC's WiFi-only Flyer launching exclusively with Best Buy 'this spring' Kyocera launches developer program for dual-screen Echo smartphone Best Buy signs up for LightSquared's wholesale LTE service Femto Forum publishes API specification for femtocell apps, places focus on 'awareness information' Blio e-reading software still alive, will come preloaded on T-Mobile Android devices Samsung's original Galaxy Tab 10.1 renamed the Tab 10.1V, thicker Galaxy Tab 8.9 no more than a trade show dummy And if that's still not enough, be sure to listen to our CTIA 2011 podcast and take a look at our CTIA 2011 page right here.
Samsung's CTIA press conference posted online, skinny new Galaxy Tabs shown off (video)
We were there, talking you through the entire thing in our liveblog, but if you want a more personal taste of what Samsung's CTIA Wireless 2011 keynote was like, the company's thoughtfully put it up on YouTube for general consumption. It features the introduction of the audacious new Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 models, both ever so slightly thinner than Apple's iPad 2, with the latter also claiming the title of being "the thinnest and lightest large-screen tablet in the industry." You can see it above, right alongside the Galaxy S II, which is in itself one of the skinniest smartphones you can hope to buy. Make your way past the break for the full presentation.
Samsung's original Galaxy Tab 10.1 renamed the Tab 10.1V, thicker Galaxy Tab 8.9 no more than a trade show dummy
Samsung certainly stole the award for best tablet at CTIA this year, but it didn't do so without confusing us a bit. Sure, its new rail thin Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 are impressive and we're loving those price points, but the company also had its older and thicker Galaxy Tab 10.1 on display to show off its TouchWiz 4.0 software. On top of that, it also had a heftier versions of the 8.9 on display at its booth for similar demo purposes. So, what happens to those older models? Well, the 10.1 will still be hitting Vodafone overseas, and as such it's being renamed the 10.1V. In fact, Pocket-Lint has heard that the UK won't actually get the new thin version, although we're guessing that could always change in the future. As for the thicker 8.9-inch model pictured above, Samsung was making it quite clear at its booth that it wasn't planning to release that product to the public. It even had that nice little sign up there to make sure it crystal clear to any onlookers. Whether that 8.9-inch tablet was intended for release and then scrapped after the iPad launch, we'll never know, but we will always have the pictures and video of it below. %Gallery-119710%
Google Voice for Sprint hands-on (video)
Remember that Google Voice integration for Sprint we mentioned recently? Today at CTIA we got to see it in action, and it promises to take us one step closer to our robot overlords -- well, those of us who are Sprint customers, anyway. The most exciting feature is that the integration works with almost any Sprint number and device, and is not limited to just smartphones or the newly minted Nexus S 4G. Basically, you can pick your Sprint number or your Google Voice number to be your mobile number, and switch between them if necessary. Either way, this is the number that appears on other people's phones when you call them, and you still benefit from all the Google Voice perks. See it for yourself in our video after the break.
Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint hands-on (video)
We finally got our hands on the elusive Samsung Nexus S 4G for Sprint at CTIA here today and it's pretty much what you'd expect: a Nexus S with its GSM / HSPA radio swapped for a set of Sprint-compatible CDMA / EV-DO and WiMAX radios. While the Nexus S 4G lacks a SIM slot, it's actually 0.3mm thicker than the Nexus S -- that's the thickness of a business card, and is meaningless for all practical purposes. The phone also features a 4G signal indicator in the status bar, along with a 4G sub-menu in the wireless settings. Our demo unit was running Android 2.3.4 (!) -- a version we have not yet come across -- but we were told that neither the hardware nor the software are final at this point. So don't be surprised if the production model receives a few tweaks before launch. Perhaps a Sprint logo? Enjoy the gallery below, and hop past the break for our hands-on video. %Gallery-119694%
Kyocera pictures a world of deeply understanding phones
You know what just doesn't understand true feelings enough? Our phones, that's what. But it doesn't always have to be like that if you ask Kyocera. Sure, the company had its dual-screened Echo on display at CTIA, but it also had an interesting exhibit of concept phones, including the ones pictured above, which can change shape based on human emotion. The premise is that since the majority of our communications comes through body language, these handsets would physically morph to express the mental state of your caller. Don't ask us why Kyocera's future just doesn't have better mobile video chatting solutions for that sort of thing, but as you could probably creatively imagine, the black slab on the left would represent a good mood while the one on the far right is clearly all worked up about something. Not zany enough for you? How about some phones that morph in your hand to adapt to how you're holding the device? Okay, that one actually seems pretty awesome, as does the one that looks like a spider web, but we'll let you wrap your heads around the rest of the concepts the company had on display by hitting the gallery below. [Thanks, Evan B.] %Gallery-119646%
ZTE's Style S and LTE tablet coming to the US during the second half of the year
We've long covered ZTE products at Engadget, but hardly ever do we see the company's phones touch down on a US carrier. Well, that's all going to change very soon. While the Chinese company isn't sharing exact carrier partnerships, it did reveal that its new Style S and LTE tablet will be coming stateside in the second half of 2011. The first of those two is that 4.3-inch Android 2.3 handset up there. Unfortunately, the Style on display at ZTE's booth was just a mockup, but we're certainly digging the large screen and soft back of the device. According to the placard, it will have dual cameras (a .3 megapixel shooter on the front and a 5 megapixel cam around back) and a 1350mAH battery. That aforementioned LTE tablet was also on display on the showfloor, albeit behind glass. The Honeycomb slab, which we hear will be aggressively marketed, has a 1280x800-resolution 10-inch display, two cameras, a 6800mAH battery, and an 1.2GHz processor. Unfortunately, that's all we've got for now, but check out the gallery below and expect to hear more during the second half of the year. %Gallery-119633%
Blio e-reading software still alive, will come preloaded on T-Mobile Android devices
Remember Blio? Yes, our memories of this colorful ebook-reading software are starting to fade too, but now T-Mobile's about ready to yank it from the shadows of obscurity with a newly announced partnership. Content provider Baker & Taylor will be responsible for installing the Blio Android app on "select future products from T-Mobile USA" and populating it with compelling content. The Blio store has grown to now encompass a healthy three million titles, both free and paid, and should you have the Windows version of its software, you'll get the sweet automation of having it sync with your mobile device as well. To get your reading started nice and early, jump past the break for the full press release.
Femto Forum publishes API specification for femtocell apps, places focus on 'awareness information'
As if the world needed one more association to keep up with, CTIA Wireless 2011 is delivering just that. The Femto Forum, which has done an excellent job remaining undercover of late, has just published an "industry-wide agreed set of API specifications" that will enable "advanced mobile applications based on femtocell technology." Truth be told, the first apps based on the specifications have already been built, and their currently available to the femtocell community. The specifications are for network-based APIs, which will purportedly "allow operators to drive the development of femtocell-powered open access, enterprise and consumer applications," and it'll also provide awareness information in order to allow developers the opportunity to incorporate enhanced presence, context and location-sensitive features into new and existing apps. Granted, we'd care a lot more about those location-based apps if we could drag our 3G MicroCell to Panama to use it to make free calls whilst on vacation, but hey -- maybe that's the next logical step. Not that we're much for passing along hints or anything.
Wysips wants to turn your phone's display into a solar cell (hands-on with video)
We chatted with a fascinating French startup by the name of Wysips here at CTIA today that's showing off transparent photovoltaic film -- in other words, it generates power from light... and you can see right through it. It's the only such film in the world, apparently -- and though you can probably imagine a host of possible applications for something like that, turning the entire surface of a touchscreen smartphone into a self-sufficient, solar-powered beast is clearly high on the list. Read all about it after the break! %Gallery-119600%
Snapkeys keyless keyboard hands-on
Okay, we admit, we were taken in by the video on Snapkey's site showing the keyboard in action before its inner workings were revealed at CTIA 2011. The system is actually quite simple: there are four boxes to tap for letters -- plus backspace and space -- and each represents a type of letter. Top left includes letters with one point that touches down like "i," bottom left includes closed letters such as "d," top right includes letters with two points on the bottom, and bottom right curved and letters with a flat base. Sounds simple? It is, or kinda. Of course there's a learning curve, in essence you have to rethink the way you type; as we immediately found we had to pay more attention to the letters in words, or at least the shape of them. The system we were shown was running on an iPad, but we were told it could be moved to just about any platform. Is it as revolutionary as the buzz suggests? We're not entirely sure but hope to find out soon with a trial in our labs. Follow on for a video of our 5th grade school assistant Jonathan giving us a tour. Update: The Snapkeys 2i system we were shown was actually embedded on the iPad under the Apple Development Program, and not on a Jailbroken iPad as originally stated. Also, our young tourguide was a 5th grade student, invited by Snapkeys to show just how quickly anybody can learn to use the keyboard.
T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot hands-on
We were wandering the show floor at CTIA like a pack of hungry wolves when we came across the T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot which we'd discovered a while back and which was officially announced yesterday. The ZTE-sourced device is T-Mobile's first ever mobile hotspot, and features an AWS-compatible HSPA+ radio capable of speeds up to 21Mbps. Sadly, the unit we handled was missing a SIM and we were politely asked not to insert our own, so we just snapped some pictures. Until we find out more about pricing and availability, feast your eyes on our gallery below.
Cricket teases CDMA-only Samsung Indulge, Huawei Ascend 2 at CTIA (hands-on)
Regional carrier Cricket surprised at CTIA today by showing off a couple new units that aren't out yet -- but they're in the pipeline for the second quarter, which the company points out is coming "very soon." First up is the Huawei Ascend 2, which -- you guessed it -- would be the follow-on to the original Ascend that the company launched last year. The display's still HVGA; WVGA obviously would've been nice, but Cricket is promising to launch it at the same sub-$150 price point as the first model and it's got a 5 megapixel camera around back (up from 3.2 before). Next up, the Indulge is pretty much the same midrange QWERTY Android slider that already launched on MetroPCS, albeit with one big difference: this one has no LTE compatibility (Cricket has no live LTE network, after all). As with the Ascend 2, we would've preferred a WVGA display -- this one's just HVGA -- and the four physical buttons up front seem a bit out of style, but Cricket's still in a position where any new Android hardware is a very good thing. Look for it to launch for under $350 -- off contract, of course. %Gallery-119546%
HTC's WiFi-only Flyer launching exclusively with Best Buy 'this spring'
Now that it's received its big US debut courtesy of Sprint and under the name EVO View 4G, HTC's Flyer tablet is free to, um, fly under the radar with a WiFi version this spring, exclusively through Best Buy. Specs on the Flyer are somewhat atypical for the current crop of Android tablets, as it opts for Gingerbread instead of Honeycomb and a 1.5GHz Qualcomm chip intead of the popular Tegra 2 dual-core solution. That, and it's a 7-inch tablet with a capacitive stylus and an aluminum unibody shell. Notably, this WiFi-centric variant looks set to beat the WiMAX-capable EVO View (which Sprint expects in the summer) to market, so we'll be keeping a very curious eye on pricing as and when it is announced. For now, we have a retailer and a rapidly dwindling release window. Oh, and a press release, which you'll find just past the break, augmented with a neat little promo video. [Thanks, Michael]
T-Mobile G-Slate bundled apps tour (video)
The G-Slate from LG (aka Optimus Pad) was on display at T-Mobile's booth here at CTIA, so we spent a few minutes investigating the apps the carrier is bundling with the 8.9" Honeycomb tablet at launch, namely Need for Speed Shift, T-Mobile TV, and Zinio eReader. Interestingly, the same three apps are also pre-installed on T-Mobile's other dual-core LG device du jour, the tantalizing G2x. Check out the tour in our video after the break.
AT&T's LG Thrill 4G hands-on (video)
AT&T showed off a new 3D set today, the LG Thrill 4G -- also known as the LG Optimus 3D -- and as we've seen before, the 3D glasses-free display is quite fun. The final device design and Android 2.2 software were not final -- so this could all change by the time it launches in the next couple months -- but it will ship with 2.2 and not the Gingerbread we're seeing so much of lately. With Sprint's launch of the EVO 3D just a couple hours ago, we're thinking 3D in handsets may not be a passing trend. The video samples seen during the demo -- which, sadly, you'll not be able to enjoy in all their three-dimensional glory -- are a pretty convincing argument for just how impressive this tech has gotten in such a short time. Enjoy the goods. %Gallery-119531%
HTC HD7S hands-on
HTC's HD7 was certainly one of the most handsome devices to be launched back at Windows Phone 7's retail introduction late last year -- and really, when you take the HD2's heritage as your starting point, it's hard to go wrong. Of course, in the last year and a half, mobile display technology has advanced by leaps and bounds -- and the original HD7 was using nothing more than a standard, old-school TFT LCD with less-than-perfect contrast and viewing angle specs. Well, that's where the HD7S comes into play: the "S" in the name presumably stands for Super LCD, the newer type of display that HTC's been using on recent 4.3-inch models like the Thunderbolt. It's quite pretty, but otherwise, it's the same HD7 as usual -- and really, considering how nice this hardware is, that's just alright by us. The phone also comes with the so-called "NoDo" update of Windows Phone 7 preinstalled, a fact we were able to verify with a quick look of the version number being reported in system settings. Check it out in the gallery! %Gallery-119530%
Sprint's HTC EVO View 4G hands-on (video)
Well, if you were keeping abreast of the happenings at Mobile World Congress, then Sprint's EVO View 4G launched today at CTIA may seem pretty familiar to the HTC Flyer you saw there. These two HTC devices are essentially the same, with just a couple of minor cosmetic differences and some UI changes shown in the video that follows. We're still not completely sure about the Scribe pen, though it certainly is an entertaining thing to play with. The Evernote app makes great use of the stylus allowing images to be scribbled on and saved, notes recorded -- with voice and your text input -- and of course everything can be shared. We're not massive humans here at Engadget, and we're happy to report that the device can still stay planted fairly comfortably in hand. A standout amenity is the ability to drop apps from the lockscreen onto a small target, and have that app open immediately rather than having to go find it once you've unlocked the device. All this and more is just below the fold. %Gallery-119519%
HTC EVO 3D first hands-on! (video)
We've just put our paws on the EVO 3D for the first time, and what struck us immediately is that it's not as beefy, bulky, or overwhelming as the 4.3-inch display or specs might have you believe -- if you're familiar with the EVO 4G, you'll feel right at home here (and you might even be pleasantly surprised). The screen's stereoscopic 3D effect is about as good as what we've seen on the Optimus 3D in the past -- very good head-on with decreasing effectiveness as you move your head to the side. The 2D / 3D switch along the side is for the camera, not the display; it seems that all management of the screen's capabilities is managed in software alone. Check out the shots in the gallery below; now if you'll excuse us, we're going to go play with this monster some more! %Gallery-119512%
