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Refresh Roundup: week of August 12th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. 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 we could find during 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!
T-Mobile reverses course, reveals Lumia 810 won't be updated to support LTE
We've some really unfortunate news to share with Lumia 810 owners who'd purchased the handset on T-Mobile's word that a software update would enable LTE support. As it turns out, despite the Lumia 810's hardware readiness and regulatory approval to access Band 4 LTE, that's not going to happen -- T-Mobile isn't going to release the update. Sadly, this isn't an April Fools' prank. If you're scratching your head about the revelation, you're not alone. Representatives for the UnCarrier first revealed to us back in January that a software update would enable LTE functionality, which is a position that it's maintained up through last week. As it stands, this leaves T-Mobile without an LTE offering for Windows Phone users, as the smartphone field is now limited to the Apple iPhone 5, BlackBerry Z10, HTC One, Samsung Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S4. We've asked T-Mobile whether it might make concessions to those who purchased the Lumia 810 on good faith that an LTE software update would be released, but for the moment, you'll need to find solace in the carrier's speedy HSPA+ 42 network.
Which T-Mobile smartphones will support LTE?
It's no secret that T-Mobile is on the cusp of lighting up its first LTE network in Las Vegas, but with Kansas City soon to follow -- and ambitions of extending LTE coverage to 100 million Americans by mid-year -- it's time to start factoring this consideration into your next smartphone purchase. While the carrier's HSPA+ 42 network is certainly speedy, there's no point in saddling yourself with a device that's rooted in the past. Want to make sure you're ready for what comes next? Read on for everything you need to know.
Nokia Lumia 810 for T-Mobile review
After a long wait, the next crop of Windows Phone handsets are beginning to trickle in, and just in time for the holidays. If you're familiar with our reviews of the HTC 8X and Nokia Lumia 920, you already know that Windows Phone has some impressive contenders in its stable, but these flagship devices only tell half of the story. Now, we're given an opportunity to test the Lumia 810, a mid-range smartphone that's now available on T-Mobile. It's clear that T-Mobile isn't looking to start a price war here. At $150 after a rebate, the Lumia 810 costs more than Nokia's crown jewel, the Lumia 920, which you can find on AT&T for $100. Another telling sign: the phone also costs more than its siblings, the Lumia 820 for AT&T ($50) and the Lumia 822 for Verizon ($100). Naturally, you'll be able to recoup some of this with T-Mobile's lower monthly fees, but it goes without saying that T-Mobile is levying an early adopter tax on its subscribers. That said, for those sold on Windows Phone yet unwilling to jump ship, you're left to choose between the Lumia 810 and the more expensive HTC 8X. Along with its lower cost, Nokia holds an ace up its sleeve in the form of its home-brewed Windows Phone apps, which may be enough to sway customers away from HTC's flagship. Will the extra card be enough for a winning hand? Join us after the break as we explore the finer points of the Lumia 810.
PSA: T-Mobile's Windows Phone 8X, Lumia 810 on sale today
After what's seemed like an interminable wait, Microsoft's freshly baked Windows Phone 8 devices are finally beginning to flood the US market. And if you happen to be a subscriber on lady Magenta, well then, mark today as the day you can claim the 8X or Lumia 810 as your own -- the latter being a network exclusive. While you won't have your pick from amongst the vibrant color options we've seen so heavily promoted, you will get to choose between HTC's signature device (in California Blue) packing 16GB of storage for $199 or Nokia's all-black low-ender for $149, both available on a two-year contract with a $50 mail-in rebate. Not sure whether or not you should make the leap to WP8? Then be sure to check out our full review of Redmond's mobile OS -- it might help force your hand.
T-Mobile unveils holiday lineup: Nexus 4, HTC 8X, Lumia 810 to land November 14th
T-Mobile was set to have its own splashy product unveiling today in New York City, but a certain Sandy put the kibosh on that. Now that Google's let its trio of updated Nexus products out of the bag, Magenta's ready to give us pricing and availability for the Nexus 4, HTC 8X and Lumia 810 which are set to hit the carrier's shelves this November 14th. Both Google's and Microsoft's (signature) flagships will be available for $199 on a two-year plan, while Nokia's lower-end WP8 handset will go for $149 with the same contract duration. Also, joining the crowded launch lineup that day is Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for $349 with a two-year agreement. As for the newly HSPA+ capable Nexus 7, well, you'll be able to snag that refreshed slate on Google Play just one day later. Of course, T-Mo hasn't forgotten about its value-minded sub base, offering up LG's Optimus L9 on the 31st of this month at an affordable $79 on contract. So if it's options you wanted this holiday season, Magenta's doling them out in spades. Hit up the break for the official PR.
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: fall 2012 edition
Shopping for a smartphone can be an exciting and arduous experience. Along with the promise of something new and fantastic, it brings the fear of commitment, and even worse, the prospect of saddling yourself to a lousy device for two years. Fortunately for you, Engadget spends tons of time playing with the latest gear and we're constantly on the lookout for what's coming next. If you're wanting to take the pain out of shopping for a smartphone, you've come to the right place. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: your one-stop resource to finding the best and most exciting handsets on the market today. Before you dive in, however, we've introduced a few changes to the buyer's guide, so take a minute to prepare yourself for what's in store. First and foremost, you'll now find alternate selections to supplement our top picks. This should already be familiar to many of you, which is the same format we use for our seasonal gift guides. The next one is a biggie: we've dropped the QWERTY selection. By and large, manufacturers and carriers alike have shifted their focus away from keyboard-equipped smartphones, and you'll rarely find more than one option on any given carrier. That said, if you still insist on the tactile experience, you'll always find everything you need to know in our reviews. Finally, whenever possible, you'll now find prices from Amazon Wireless, which allows us to provide you with more compelling budget selections and highlight the substantial savings that you can score by circumventing the carriers. It's not like they need your charity, anyway. If you're curious to see how it all unfolded -- and we know you are -- join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.
Nokia Lumia 810 for T-Mobile hands-on
T-Mobile's not being shy in its selection of Windows Phone 8 offerings, so far announcing plans to release the HTC Windows Phone 8X, 8S and Nokia Lumia 810, but unfortunately it does have to be shy in actually showing them off. The carrier's booth at tonight's MobileCon 2012-related event had the latter device, but wasn't able to turn it on for us (a situation that we've sadly come to expect with virtually every public appearance by a WP8 device). Technically, the 810 is being dubbed a T-Mobile "exclusive" in the US, but that takes on very little meaning when given its use of a AWS-friendly HSPA+ 42Mbps radio. It bears some family resemblance in specs and looks to its cousin, the Lumia 820, but it still keeps to a distinct design; the 8MP rear camera panel is laid out vertically (see also: Lumia 800) rather than horizontally, the LED flash is off to its side, and the 1.2MP front-facing camera is on the opposite side of the earpiece. It's still a little thicker (10.9mm, 0.43 inches) and heavier (5.11 ounces, 145g) than we'd like to see on a midrange device, which is mainly a result of the 810's exchangeable wireless charging shells (it's available in cyan and black). The Lumia 810 also features a 4.3-inch OLED WVGA (800 x 480) ClearBlack display offering a pixel density of 217ppi. Naturally we'll need to put this to the test once we're allowed to turn it on, but we expect this to be roughly the same quality as the Lumia 900. We'll let you know when more specs come our way, but in the meantime take a look at our hands-on images below. Myriam Joire contributed to this post.
T-Mobile to offer the Nokia Lumia 810 exclusively in the U.S.
T-Mobile announced on Monday that it will exclusively offer the Nokia Lumia 810 in the United States. Set to be available "in the coming weeks," the 810 features a 4.3-inch OLED WVGA Clear Black display, an 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss optics rear-facing camera, a 1.2-megapixel Skype HD-certified front-facing shooter, Windows Phone 8 and support for T-Mobile's HSPA+ faux 4G network. If those specs sound a little familiar, they should -- the 810 seems quite a bit similar to the already announced 820. There are some details absent from this release, however, including CPU, storage, RAM and pricing, but we expect this to be remedied in the coming days. Now that T-Mobile and Ma Bell have called dibs on some of Nokia's first wave of Windows Phone 8 devices, we're left to wonder if America's other two major wireless carriers will soon get with the program.
