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Next-gen Casio G'zOne makes it to the FCC, reveals LTE and NFC support
The last Casio G'zOne handheld to come our way was the Commando, a military-grade device that marked the company's first foray into Android smartphones. Now it seems there's another one in the works, at least if a recent FCC filing is any indication. The Casio C811 looks to be a successor to the aforementioned Commando, with its G'zOne branding and features like WiFi and GSM world phone capabilities. Notably, the FCC document reveals the phone has Verizon-flavored LTE plus NFC support, both of which lead us to believe it'll likely be a mid- to high-end handset. Not much else is divulged from perusing the filing, but we're sure that whatever the C811 turns out to be, it'll be just as tough and durable as the rest of Casio's G'zOne offerings.
Wilson Electronics releases three 4G multi-band signal boosters, no soup for Sprint
Even if you live in an area with 4G coverage, you might not get the best service inside certain buildings, and that's where companies like Wilson Electronics come in -- just take a peek at its Sleek 4G-V, for example. At MobileCon 2012, the antenna maker added three more to its lineup. They are the Tri-band 4G-V, the Tri-band 4G-A, and the Tri-band 4G-C, and are meant for Verizon's 4G LTE, AT&T's 4G LTE, and T-Mobile's "faux-G" network -- the latter of which is also recommended for use throughout Canada. The antennas are designed to boost the signal of older legacy networks too, so no worries if you don't live in an area blessed with 4G. No pricing and availability just yet, and we don't see any sign of a Sprint antenna either. To get more details, catch the full PR after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 with Verizon LTE hits the FCC
Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has mooched on through the FCC sporting a bundle of wireless radios that play nicely with Verizon's LTE. Given that it's the same Ice Cream Sandwich-running slate that has already passed through our own testing labs, there aren't any surprises to discover in the Government's report. Except to say that we can probably expect it to pop up at our local boutiques shortly.
HTC Droid Incredible 4G parties down with FCC, ready for Verizon?
Can't get enough of the FCC approval gossip? For some reason, neither can we. In the middle of what seems like a flood of new devices trying to get prepped for their inevitable US debut, the HTC PJ53100 appears to stand out above many of the rest. Why? It's boasting LTE band 13, which is Verizon's piece of 700MHz real estate. And while it doesn't come right out and proudly proclaim exactly what it is, we're rather certain this is the HTC Droid Incredible HD -- also known as the Fireball. Any other details? Nothing worth writing home about, sadly, but we have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of this smartphone pretty darn soon.
Verizon-bound ZTE V66 slate gets photographed, looks just like you imagined
It wasn't long ago that we first crossed paths with the ZTE V66 tablet, though at the time we were unfortunate to only meet its dull black-and-white renders. Those of you unfamiliar with the tab won't have your jaws dropped by its innards, which are expected to be missing out on the Ice Cream Sandwich treatment. Aside from the OS letdown (still, it's not as bad as shipping with Gingerbread), the V66 is pretty standard fare for a modern tablet. It'll be running on Verizon's speedy LTE network, sporting a 7-inch (1,280 x 800) display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a 4,000mAh battery will help keep it chugging along. We've yet to hear an official word from the Big Red about price and availability, so we'll let you know how deep into your wallet you'll have to dig as soon as we find out.
LG Spectrum hands-on (video)
We got our first glimpse of Verizon's latest LTE family member, the LG Spectrum, yesterday at the manufacturer's event. At the time, however, we weren't given an opportunity to get our own smudge marks on the glossy black device. That's all changed now, as we've spent time on the showroom floor getting know this Android handset -- a veritable twinner of the LG Nitro HD. So click on past the break as we parse through our first impressions.
LG Spectrum eyes-on
Sports, sports, sports, sports. Hey, it's LG spectrum, a good phone at sports! LG showed off its 4.5-inch handset today, during its CES kickoff press event -- and when we say "showed off," we mean exactly that, the company had two models on-hand, and it wasn't letting us poor members of the press actually get our paws on the thing. From our vantage point, however, it really does look to be a solid piece of hardware. It's fairly skinny, in spite of that large display. The body of the thing is pretty straight-forward -- it's a large slab, with rounded corners and a border around the edge that forms a bit of a lip at the point of contact. The top bit of the bezel rocks the Verizon logo and a small, front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. Below the display are three buttons, the menu and back white touch buttons and a silver home button that adds a bit of flourish to an otherwise drab bezel. That 4.5-inch IPS HD LCD is clearly the centerpiece of the thing, and given the company's ESPN partnership, it was keen on using it to show off sports. And we have to say, the tiny basketball players looks pretty crisp -- high-def may be the key to watching video on such a relatively small screen. Well, HD and squinting. Flip it over and you'll see a subtle checkered pattern on the glossy rear. At top, a good deal of real estate is devoted to the 8MP camera, including a large, silver border. A white LG logo is smack dab in the center, and a not-so-subtle reminder of the phone's 4G LTE capabilities graces the bottom, along with two small speaker grills. All in all, this is shaping up to be an extremely solid phone -- sports-lover or no. It'll hit on January 19th for $200.
Visualized: How Verizon preps LTE and 3G services for CES
With the population of Las Vegas growing by a few hundred thousand each year during CES, cell phone carriers begin planning boosted coverage weeks before the crowds arrive. We noticed a temporary cell site parked near the Las Vegas Convention Center, and asked if we could pop in to get an idea of how AT&T, Sprint and Verizon plan to accommodate all those extra devices. The trailer we saw (often called a "bull" or "cow") was connected to a standard fiber line and serves as a Verizon LTE and 3G cell site -- one of eight added for the show -- and will be tasked with keeping thousands of devices online. We'll be using Verizon LTE along with AT&T's recently launched LTE network to bring you all of this coming week's gadget news, making these temporary sites absolutely critical to our operations as well.
Mobile Miscellany: week of December 12, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of December 12, 2011:
White Droid RAZR available now on Verizon for $299 on contract
Black is always the new black -- some things never change. But if you're in need of a handset to match-up with the oncoming winter tableau, a little Droid'll do ya. Verizon's white-framed, branding mash-up -- the Droid RAZR -- is available today in-stores and online for the same $299 on contract price as its austere sibling. So, you can fork over the cash to flash this awkwardly-angled device or, y'know, just hurry up and place an order for the Galaxy Nexus. Get'em while they're white hot!
Verizon pushes for quick Windows Phone / LTE integration, tugs at Microsoft's pant leg
There's no question that Verizon's making a big push for LTE, but it appears that Microsoft has yet to take notice -- after all, Android continues to dominate Big Red's 4G network, with nary a Windows Phone in sight. VZW hopes that'll change, however, with CMO Marni Walden revealing that the company has "communicated to Microsoft that LTE is critical to us," suggesting that the ball is in Windows Phone's court. Meanwhile, Microsoft smartphone chief Andy Lees had previously confirmed that LTE functionality was on the Windows Phone roadmap, saying back in October that the company and its partners were looking at how 4G LTE support could be integrated. To date, Lees has declined to give any indication as to the actual timing for the first LTE models. In other news, Verizon has offered Microsoft a custom-made promise ring just to make sure its intentions were understood.
White Droid RAZR, Xyboard 10.1 and 8.2 tablets to hit Verizon stores this month
Verizon has confirmed that it will begin selling a "flashy new white" version of the Droid RAZR just in time to make an appearance under the tree, with a pair of Xboard tablets shipping this month as well. The Xyboard (Xoom 2) will be available in five flavors -- the 10.1-incher will come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities for $530, $630 and $730, respectively, while the 8.2-inch model will ship with 16GB of storage for $430, or 32 gigs for $530. All models require a two-year customer agreement, and include a stylus in the box. And Verizon will help soften the damage if you opt for a complete Droid makeover -- customers who pick up both a $300 RAZR and one of five Honeycomb Xboards will be eligible for a $100 discount when buying the phone with a two-year contract. Thinking about picking up an ICS-ready Droid? Jump past the break for the full feature rundown from VZW.
Verizon lights one candle for LTE, confirms Xyboard Droid tablet name, December launch
Today marks one full year after Verizon first flipped the switch on LTE, with 365 days of 4G speeds for customers in 39 markets. By the end of next week, Big Red will light up a few more cities, bringing the total number to 190, with access available to more than 200 million Americans. Buried below the PR cake, however, is an even juicer tidbit -- two "hot new Xyboard Droid tablets from Motorola coming out this month." And what might those be? Well, if this weekend's accessory leak is any indication, the Xoom 2 is headed to VZW -- before the year is out. And we're not surprised to see the Galaxy Nexus getting some love as well, though you'll have to make due with a "coming soon" release commitment for at least a short while longer. Jump past the break for the PR.
HTC Rezound shows off its Vigor with leaked press shots, Beats Audio demo, HD video samples (update)
HTC's set to unveil its newest mobile creation in a just a few hours, and you can bet that it's likely the 4G LTE-enabled Rezound seen above. In the past few weeks, we've seen a purported pre-release unit and even some colorful renders, but today Pocketnow has snagged what appears to be the first official press shots of this rumored 1.5GHz device. The leaks don't stop there, though, as videos of the Rezounds's Beats Audio capabilities and HD video-chops have recently popped up on YouTube -- this courtesy of user worldofjohnboy, who's had his hands an early-run unit for some time now. Questions still remain regarding any official specs and that supposed November 10th release date on Verizon, but we'll surely find out in just a few hours. In the meantime, you'll find the trio of aforesaid videos just past the break, and more info at the links below. Update: And just like that, the videos have been removed from the interwebs. [Thanks, Florian]
Refresh Resource: week of October 10, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy! Official Android updates Motorola Xoom owners who swapped in their devices for one with LTE capability may have found an OTA enhancement waiting for them when the tablet arrived. It included a few minor changes, such as updates to Android Market and some additional browser security measures. The full changelog can be found at the link. [AndroidCentral] The update to the Motorola Droid 2 Global was pulled last month due to an Exchange encryption issue, but we're hearing reports that it's once again resuming the rollout with that concern resolved. [Droid-Life] Motorola's Photon 4G on Sprint is on the receiving end of a minor bug fix update, which includes video chat capability for Google Talk. [PhoneArena] The good news for unlocked Dell Streak 7 users: the official update to Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) is now rolling out and you should see it over the course of the next couple weeks. the coming weeks. [Dell] The bad news for T-Mobile Dell Streak 7 users: Honeycomb isn't coming to your tablet, for unknown reasons. [Android Community] According to a tweet from LG, there's a small refresh in the works for the Optimus 7 which will finally enable WiFi tethering. [WPCentral] Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery A new piece of firmware for the AT&T Galaxy S II was leaked via RootzWiki, and includes a few bug fixes. Sadly, it adds some bugs as well. [Android Community] Samsung's officially released the kernel source for the Stratosphere, Transfix and Galaxy Y Pro. [Android Community] And now for the best news for TouchPad owners: after several weeks of progress, it appears that CM7 is now ready to roll on the HP TouchPad. As always, download and install at your own risk -- we have a feeling this may be a bit more involved than your typical Android custom ROM. [Redmond Pie] Other platforms Redsn0w 0.9.9b5 is here, giving you the go-ahead to jailbreak iOS5. Up for the task? Head to the link for all of the details on how to make it so. [Redmond Pie] Some Windows Phone users have noticed a few bugs popping into their updated devices ever since they received Mango. The main concerns seem to be found in the keyboard and live tiles, though the reported issues are much more numerous. Have you experienced any of these on the list at the link? [WMPowerUser] Refreshes we covered this week Motorola a bit slow boomerangin' back with LTE update iOS5 now available for download
Pantech Breakout now available to bring LTE to the light-walleted
An LTE handset on Verizon's network that doesn't feature a 4.3-inch display or a price tag that starts with a two or a three? Why, that would be the Pantech Breakout. The latest 4G phone on Big Red has finally been welcomed into the fold, available and ready to persuade more people to experience blazing-fast mobile broadband without frantically digging themselves out of debt. To recap, the Breakout features Android 2.3, a 1GHz single-core CPU and 512MB of RAM, 5 megapixel rear camera accompanied by a VGA front-facing cam and 720p HD video capture, a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480) TFT LCD and a 1,500mAh juicepack. Worth a Benjamin? You make the call.
Pantech Breakout finally does just that, available from Verizon starting September 22nd
Adding to Verizon's ever-expanding selection of LTE phones, Pantech's Breakout will be its first sub-$100 LTE handset, sneaking into the mix at $99.99 on a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. After an in-the-wild spot, the Breakout finally looks set to arrive on September 22nd -- a date that may sound pretty familiar. For the price, it still packs that LTE punch, and the ability to act as a mobile hotspot for up to ten devices. Compared to its pricier Verizon stablemates, the Thunderbolt and the Droid Bionic, the Breakout has a smaller 4-inch screen, but runs on a respectable 1GHz processor. There's also a 5 megapixel camera at the back capable of 720 HD video capture, and a VGA cam up front. LTE for less -- it's here.
Motorola Droid Bionic finally available on Verizon, angels sing in chorus
Nine months and three days. That's the length of time between Verizon's official unveiling of the Motorola Droid Bionic and its actual release. The poor device suffered through countless delays and a complete design overhaul as it watched its LTE brethren get launched in the meantime. But today, September 8th, is the day the chains come off Verizon's latest 4G wonder, and it's all yours for three Benjamins. Were you one of the faithful who waited so patiently (or impatiently, even) for the inevitable day of reckoning? Carpe diem, friends, and head to the source link.
Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users?
It's been a while coming, but it looks like some Motorola Xoom users will finally be receiving 4G LTE support, in the very near future. According to a customer service e-mail obtained by Droid Life, the manufacturer has already begun sending out instructions on how to receive the upgrade, as part of an apparent gradual rollout. To make the jump, select consumers, businesses and government clients will have to first back up their Android-based tablets, before shipping them off to Motorola in a pre-paid FedEx box. Once that's taken care of, they'll have to twiddle their thumbs for three business days before receiving their newly refreshed devices, dripping in Verizon's LTE goodness. No word yet on when the rest of the Xoom community can expect similar treatment, but hit up the source link to read the full e-mail for yourself.
Pantech Apache hits the FCC with Verizon LTE
Long-Term Evolution is a party and everyone is invited, but we weren't expecting Pantech to show up so early. Yet the Pantech ADR8995, bearing the name "Apache" as its FCC ID, just made its way through the halls of the Federal Communications Commission -- with LTE band 13 and CDMA in tow. This particular combination of bands, of course, is currently in use by Verizon, which gives us free reign to put two and two together here. The Apache's already received WiFi and Bluetooth certification, the latter identifying it as an Android with North American availability. We can't say with a surety that it will actually be the next 4G device to show up on Big Red (after the Droid Bionic, of course), nor that it will even earn a spot in the hallowed lineup, but things are positively looking up. Whether it shows up or not, it's about time more guests come around and suck down a few cocktails. %Gallery-130538%
