Super AMOLED
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Huawei outs super-thin Ascend P1 S smartphone, raised entirely on fruit and veg (updated: official!)
Huawei has been up to some impressive stuff lately, so we're not totally shocked to see this top-spec phone reveal itself at CES. Perhaps the Ascend P1 S's most surprising attribute is its thickness -- a mere 6.68mm (0.26-inches), which would let it glide past the 7.1mm Droid RAZR with barely a slice in the air. The screen is 4.3-inches along the diagonal, qHD 540 x 960, and -- to HTC's shame -- it claims to be Super AMOLED. There's a dual-core TI OMAP 4460 inside, clocked at 1.5GHz and accompanied by a SGX 540 GPU, which should be plenty sufficient to record 1080p video on the eight megapixel backside-illuminated camera. As if that wasn't enough, the Chinese manufacturer has also taken the raps off an Ascend P1, which does away with the 'S' but packs a chubbier 7.69mm waistline and likely a lower -- though as yet unknown -- price tag. Expect to see both models in the US and elsewhere in Q2, plus some full hands-on treatment on these pages much sooner than that -- as in, hopefully later today. Update: The Huawei P1 S is now official -- you'll find complete PR after the break.
Fujitsu Arrows μ F-07D hands-on (video)
It was only a few short months ago that Fujitsu's F-07D cropped up at the FCC and took a swing at the "world's thinnest" smartphone title. Since that time, the handset's taken on a new name -- the Arrows μ -- and has launched on NTT DoCoMo in Japan. Today at CES Unveiled, we got a chance to get up close and personal with the device which, despite hitting a high water mark for slim profile, doesn't exactly attempt to compete with high-end specs. Instead this Android 4-incher runs Gingerbread atop a single-core Qualcomm MSM8255 processor clocked at 1.4GHz and is complemented by 1GB of RAM, 5.1MP rear camera and 1400mAh battery. So, does it hold up to its slight reputation? Join us after the break as we answer that question and delve deep into our first impressions.
Samsung Captivate Glide review
The QWERTY slider hasn't exactly gone the way of the dinosaur, but it's definitely approaching giant panda status. That is to say, it's become rare for a major device manufacturer to output anything other than candybar touchscreen smartphones. And why not? Slimmer, faster, beastlier is the mobile motto as of late and that's precisely what consumers seem to gravitate towards. But for diehard fans of tactile feedback, Samsung's birthed the Captivate Glide, a handset that marries the best of both form factors. Sitting just below its high-end brethren, Sammy's 4-incher runs along AT&T's 21Mbps HSPA+ network and bundles an 800 x 480 Super AMOLED display with a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 1,650mAh battery, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a 1.3MP front-facing camera and an 8MP rear camera capable of 720p video capture. At $150 on a two-year contract, it's just half a Benjamin short of the top-tier, LTE-capable HTC Vivid. With that small of a price divide, you have to wonder: is the downgrade really worth it for the Captivate Glide's (comparatively) slower speeds and physical buttons? Are you willing to trade-in thin and sleek for messaging convenience and a bit of bulk? Follow on past the break as we deliver the answers to those burning questions. %Gallery-142058%
Verizon Galaxy Nexus review
It's the Galaxy Nexus. It has LTE. It's the phone we've been waiting (and waiting) for. Sure, some of our more globe-trotting members of the staff were suitably sated by the HSPA+ version that shipped a few weeks ago, but the rest of us domestic types simply need more bandwidth. Or, at least, we like to think that we do, and this $300 (on-contract) Verizon release certainly has that in spades.However, there's something missing: Google Wallet. That company's attempt at reinventing commerce isn't here and, while nobody's saying for sure, it surely has something to do with Verizon not wanting to kneecap the Isis payment service it has invested in. That leaves us wondering: with restrictions on what apps can be installed, and some rather prominent carrier branding on the back, is this really a Nexus device at all? And, more importantly, is it a good phone? Those answers and more wait for you below.%Gallery-142006%
Galaxy Nexus for Verizon LTE unboxing and speed test (video)
After weeks of waiting, rumoured launches and even a few accidental sales, the elusive Verizon Wireless Galaxy Nexus is finally here. We dropped by a New York City retail store to try out Google's first Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone in the flesh, before bringing one home for a proper unboxing and LTE performance test. As expected, the production version that we finally got our hands on today is virtually identical to the sample that popped up at the Samsung Experience earlier this month, but with one major exception: there's a Micro SIM installed, letting us try out core functionality, such as placing phone calls and accessing data without a WiFi network in range.The Verizon Nexus arrived with Android 4.0.1 pre-installed, but prompted us to update to 4.0.2 just a few minutes after we added a Google account. It is noticeably thicker and heavier than its HSPA+ counterpart, but this thing is fast when it comes to transfer speeds -- not quite as speedy as we've seen with some LTE devices on AT&T's budding 4G network, but it's definitely in line with competing handsets from Verizon, and the MiFi we used for a comparison speed test. Our salesperson wasn't willing to let us leave without first confirming that the phone was in fact working, so he had the honor of first peeling back the phone's plastic cover. Ready to check it out? Roll up your sleeves and join us after the break for our unboxing and speed test.%Gallery-141918%%Gallery-141932%
Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Verizon LTE hands-on (video)
New Yorkers got a sneak peek at the Verizon LTE flavor of the Galaxy Nexus at the Samsung Experience in Columbus Circle today, and we dropped by to spend a few minutes with the Ice Cream Sandwich handset in the Manhattan showroom. Samsung had just four pre-production Nexus models on hand, which were running Android 4.0.1 -- not the final 4.1 version we're expecting to see shortly, with a baseband update in tow. None of the samples included SIM cards, so we were only able to test them using the built-in WiFi module. A security alarm sounded when we attempted to remove the back cover to install a SIM, though the battery was also superglued in place, further inhibiting our access.We did take the unit for a speed test spin using our Verizon LTE MiFi, and achieved download speeds ranging from 5000-7000kbps and upload speeds of 300-2000kbps when connected to LTE over WiFi. These results don't represent what you'll see with the built-in module, but considering there was no way to get these running on the Verizon network, connectivity was limited to the MiFi and in-house WiFi. Still, this is your best shot at getting your hands on a device ahead of Verizon's official launch, so if you happen to be anywhere near NYC, head on down to the Samsung Experience to get your Nexus fix. Or hop past the break for our hands-on video.%Gallery-140993%
Samsung Wave 3 crashes onto French shores
Samsung's new Bada flagship has just docked into our illustrative French port. Announced back in the summer, the Wave 3 arrives on the refreshed Bada 2.0 OS, powered by a 1.4GHz processor and packing a four-inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED display. Storage matches the watery iteration, with 3GB of memory baked-in, with expansion possible through microSD. Meanwhile, an auto-focus five megapixel shooter will do its best to fill all that space. Not content with France (where Bada-powered handsets have established a niche fanbase), the HSPA-connected smartphone is also penned to hit Germany, Russia and Italy before the end of the year.
Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ review
Every now and then a device comes along that we really look forward to getting our hands on. Google's line of Nexus smartphones falls into this category, setting the new standard for Android each year.
Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ first impressions (video)
Wow... The Galaxy Nexus. It's finally here, in our eager little hands, and it's delicious -- just like Ice Cream Sandwich, in fact. Our review unit is the same unlocked HSPA+ version we briefly played with in Hong Kong and is running Android 4.0.1. We've only spent about a day with Google's newest superphone and we're already hard at work on a full review, but we wanted to share some raw, immediate, first impressions -- after the break. %Gallery-139724%
Droid RAZR's CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA variants teased in China, the latter with 720p display
Chinese mobile customers face a similar dilemma as their American counterparts: they have to choose either China Unicom's WCDMA network, China Telecom's CDMA2000 network or China Mobile's more obscure TD-SCDMA offering. Needless to say, this can be a real headache for phone fanatics stuck on a carrier that doesn't support their desired devices, unless they don't mind surfing the web on 2G radio (if compatible at all). Luckily, nowadays Motorola tends to take good care of all potential Chinese customers whenever it rolls out a new Android phone, including the Droid RAZR (aka XT910, pictured right) in this case. Read on to find out what these two new phones are about. %Gallery-139260%
Samsung Galaxy Note review
Remember the display on your first mobile phone? If you've been chatting on the go for as long as we have, it was probably barely big enough to fit a complete telephone number -- let alone a contact name or text message. And your first smartphone? Even displaying scaled-down, WAP versions of web pages was asking a lot. Now, those mobile devices we couldn't live without have screens that are much, much larger. Sometimes, though, we secretly wish they were even bigger still. Samsung releases 1.5GHz Exynos processor and 16MP CMOS for mobiles, if you're nice Samsung's Galaxy S II for T-Mobile proves that unicorns do exist (hands-on video) Samsung Galaxy Note announced: 5.3-inch display, built-in-stylus, custom 'S Pen' appsSamsung's new GT-N7000 Galaxy Note is the handset those dreams are made of -- if you happen to share that dream about obnoxiously large smartphones, that is. It's as thin as a Galaxy S II, lightning fast and its 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display is as gorgeous as it is enormous; the 1280 x 800 pixels you once could only get with a full-size laptop (or in the Galaxy Tab 10.1) can now slide comfortably into your front pocket. Its jumbo display makes it the perfect candidate for a notepad replacement and, with the included S Pen stylus, you'll have no problem jotting notes on the fly, marking up screenshots or signing documents electronically. But, is that massive display too much of a good thing? You'll need to jump past the break to find out.%Gallery-137768% %Gallery-137793%
The Galaxy Nexus' Super AMOLED display is a minus, not a Plus
For all the buzz around Samsung's latest hi-def smartphone, the absence of one little word has largely been glossed over. That word is "Plus" -- the wizened Galaxy S II has a "Super AMOLED Plus" display, for example, whereas the sparkly Galaxy Nexus is merely "Super AMOLED." Did the marketeers simply forget those extra hyperbolic keystrokes, or does the difference actually mean something?Well, regrettably, it does. Samsung uses "Plus" to refer to full RGB displays, in which each pixel possesses its own trio of red, green and blue sub-pixels. Meanwhile, a non-Plus display uses a cheaper PenTile system -- which forces pixels to share each other's sub-pixels. Aside from potential hygiene issues, this results in a lower overall sub-pixel density, reduced sharpness and worse color rendition. We saw the difference clearly enough when Engadget Spanish microscopically compared the original non-Plus Galaxy S against the GS II, and now the folks at FlatPanelsHD have undertaken a more up-to-date comparison at the source link. The upshot? They calculated that, despite its 4.65-inch screen size, the Galaxy Nexus has the same number of sub-pixels as the 3.5-inch iPhone 4/4S. Think of a word with no r, g or b in it, and you eventually arrive at "disappointed."Update: We just added AnandTech's analysis at the More Coverage link. They point out that if you like the pixel density on the GS II, you should be happy with that on the Galaxy Nexus -- although they don't address color rendition.[Thanks, Mauro]
Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Droid RAZR by Motorola: the tale of the tape
Well folks, the wait is over. Now you can push the rumors, early introductions and other pre-announcement ramblings aside and focus on the real matter at hand: which of these shiny new handsets will you buy? Will it be the Galaxy Nexus or the Droid RAZR? Let us offer some insight into the matter as we dive head-first into the specs below.
Motorola Spyder to be introduced on October 18, keeps its clothes on in video tease
Well, well. It looks like Motorola and Verizon Wireless are about ready to unveil something big. Something faster, thinner, smarter and stronger, to be precise. While that invite up there hints rather coyly at a new handset, a little digging confirmed this is, indeed, the LTE-packing Motorola Spyder, whose first-of-its-kind 4.3-inch, 960 x 540 qHD Super AMOLED display surfaced in leak shots last month. How do we know? Well, when we opened the invite in our browser and saved the image to our desktop, we noticed Moto's own PR team had labeled the photo "spyderlaunchinvite." So that's what we're betting on seeing that day, though it's less clear if it'll bear the name Spyder or Droid RAZR, as rumored (that familiar red light in the photo suggests it might well be part of the Droid family). And who knows what else the two companies have in store? The Atrix 2, perhaps? The Xoom 2? The Xoom 2 Media Edition? The Xoom Family Edition?! We'll find out at the event next week, where we'll be liveblogging, giving you the blow-by-blow. Until then, peep the video after the break if you're down for parsing a 35-second teaser.
Samsung's Omnia W: Mango, 3.7-inch Super AMOLED, 1.4GHZ processor
Samsung just took the wraps off its Omnia W, which looks like a non-US variant of the Focus Flash we've already heard about via AT&T. The handset will debut in Italy and start spreading across the Old World and Latin America from next month. It'll sport Windows Phone 7.5 out of the box, a 3.7-inch 800x480 Super AMOLED display, 1.4GHz processor, VGA webcam on the front and rear 5MP shooter with 720p video recording. We expect it'll go head-to-head with HTC's 3.8-inch Radar when the War of the Mangoes finally kicks off. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] %Gallery-134850%
Motorola LTE handset emerges with qHD Super AMOLED display, questionable identity
Well, what do we have here? According to "trusted sources" over at This Is My Next it's a Motorola Spyder, or a Droid RAZR, or maybe even the Droid HD we peeped back in August. Whatever the name, the phone is apparently packing a first-of-its-kind 4.3-inch, 960 x 540 qHD super AMOLED display. The rumored LTE handset also supposedly contains a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel, 1080p rear-facing camera and HD front-facing camera, and is apparently outfitted in Gorilla Glass and Kevlar. TIMN is also boasting exclusive new details for the recently outed Atrix 2. It seems the name is confirmed as well as a handful of previously identified specs. What's more, the phone's got a couple of accessories on board, including a laptop dock called the Lapdock 100, also rumored to play nice with the Spyder, or RAZR, or HD. More images of both devices await you at the source links below.
Samsung Galaxy Note announced: 5.3-inch display, built-in-stylus, custom 'S Pen' apps
Until a few days ago we'd heard surprisingly little about the Galaxy Note, a handset rumored to be launching alongside the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Wave 3 at IFA. It's ironic, really, because of all the phones to have kept a low profile, this is a memorable one. Behold, a 5.3-inch handset with a stowaway pen for note-taking, drawing and grabbing screen captures. In other words, a Dell Streak-esque hunk of a device that blurs the lines between phone and tablet. You're looking at a Gingerbread-running LTE and HSPA+ handset with a 1280 x 800 Super AMOLED display, dual 8MP and 2MP cameras, a removable 2,500mAh battery and the same Samsung-made dual-core 1.4GHz processor you'll find in the just-announced Galaxy Tab 7.7. For a phone this gargantuan, it's actually quite thin at light, at 9.65mm (0.38 inches) thick and a reasonable 178 grams (6.3 ounces). We had a few minutes to handle the phone in advance of today's press conference, and found it surprisingly easy to grip, even in our small hands. As with the Infuse 4G --whose own 4.5-inch screen once seemed impossibly sprawling -- the thin shape makes it tenable, as does the lightweight, textured plastic lining the back. As you'd expect, Android 2.3 comes layered with TouchWiz on top and, in this case, seven home screens and a touch-optimized interface dubbed "S Pen" designed to take advantage of that pen. These include S Planner, a native calendar and to-do list app, from which you can drag and drop appointments, changing time slots without having to open an entry. S Memo for note-taking, meanwhile, accepts voice, photo, text and handwritten input. We also got a quick glimpse of Virtual Whiteboard, a more collaborative form of note-taking. On top of that, Samsung says it's releasing the S Pen SDK to third-party developers, and the company's banking on more apps for organizing photos and drawing, among other things. For now, this is merely a global launch: Samsung says it's still in discussions with carriers worldwide, so depending on your neck of the woods it might be awhile before you hear anything definitive about pricing or availability. Find the some fancy press shots (and a promo vid) after the break, and stay tuned for our hands-on. %Gallery-132247%
Samsung GT-i9220 confirmed as smartphone with dual-band WiFi, specs remain in rumorville
Samsung's GT-i9220 has been swirling through the rumor mills for a while now, and we've seen tons of conflicting reports regarding this little monster. While its specifications remain shaky at best, a few solid tidbits courtesy of the Wi-Fi Alliance indeed reveal the GT-i9220 as a smartphone, which counters previous speculation that it was merely a media player. Additionally, this Sammy will feature dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi, the latter being an uncommon (though entirely welcome) feature for smartphones, and lending credence to its high-end specs. As for those details, the most plausible rumors suggest we'll see a dual-core 1.4GHz CPU, a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display at 720p along with an 8 megapixel camera. Obviously, internals like these are fightin' words in the smartphone domain, so we're forced to take them with a grain of salt until something more solid crawls out of the woodwork.
Samsung announces three Wave handsets, dripping in Bada 2.0 and ChatON
It's shaping up to a be a busy IFA for Samsung. Barely 24 hours after announcing its new ChatON messaging client, the manufacturer is now gearing up to release a troika of new Bada 2.0-powered Wave handsets -- the Wave 3, Wave M and Wave Y -- set to make their debut this week in Berlin. Leading the pack is the Wave 3, which leaked earlier this week. Powered by a 1.4GHz processor, this little guy boasts a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, 3GB of memory (along with a 32GB microSD slot) and a five megapixel, auto-focus-enabled shooter. The Wave M, meanwhile, packs slightly less juice, with a 832MHz processor, a 3.65-inch WVGA screen and 150MB of onboard storage (with a 2GB inbox and 32GB microSD slot). Rounding out the collection is the Wave Y, with its 3.2-inch HVGA display, 832MHz engine and two megapixel camera. All three feature your usual smattering of WiFi / Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities and will ship with ChatON and Samsung's Social Hub baked into their DNA. No word yet on pricing or availability, but you can find out more in the full press release, after the break.
Samsung's GT-i9220 shows up in leaked photos, preps for battle with iPhone 5? (update: nope!)
If you're a sucker for juicy handset rumors, then this one's for you. A few months ago, a supposed Samsung roadmap leaked, revealing a slew of new Android, Bada and WP7 handsets on the horizon. Today, a picture purporting to be one of those phones, the GT-19220 (W43) surfaced, complete with some specs to further grease the rumor mill. Word on the web says that the Sammy will have a 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED Plus display that measures in at 5.29 inches diagonally -- even bigger than the 5-inch Dell Streak tablet. If our observational geometry is right, we'd say that screen size is probably pretty accurate. Rather than taking tablet status like the Dell, however, it seems bound to be the Galaxy S II's big brother, as sources claim it's running Gingerbread with a 1.4GHz dual-core processor and packs an 8 megapixel camera. Of course, these specs can't be officially confirmed until the phone is launched, but it's safe to say it's likely a part of the Android army taking on the iPhone 5 this fall. Update: Alas, as many of you have pointed out in comments, there's not a lot of truth to this story. First, both devices you're seeing above appear to actually be PMPs, not phones -- the Galaxy S players we've seen before. Secondly, we're hearing the actual name of this supposed smartphone is GT-i9220, not 19220.
