CtiaWireless2011
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HTC EVO 3D vs. EVO 4G... fight!
Naturally, one of the first things you need to do when you get your hands on an EVO 3D, of course, is pit it in brutal battle with its progenitor, the original EVO 4G -- a phone that was introduced at this exact same event a year ago. As we'd mentioned in our hands-on, we immediately noticed that the EVO 3D didn't feel particularly heavy or bulky in the hand; in fact, we would've guessed that it was a bit lighter than the 4G. Well, turns out they're almost exactly the same weight -- holding the two one right after the other, we couldn't detect a difference. As for dimensions, the 4G is actually wider -- the 3D's quite a bit more manageable when you're holding it, especially if you don't have giant paws -- and they're right around the same thickness. Pretty amazing that HTC was able to pack this much additional heat into a phone one year after the first model without adding any bulk, isn't it? Science! %Gallery-119521%
LG gets official with WCP-700 Wireless Charging Pad, fails to provide pricing
So, there's good news and bad. Naturally, we're going to start with the former. A month after we spotted this character sneaking around at Mobile World Congress, LG has finally taken the (official) wraps off of its incoming WCP-700 Wireless Charging Pad. It's a pretty familiar design -- a slim (6.29- x 3.54- x 0.39-inch) inductive charging pad with a battery of LEDs to let you know the current status of things. We're guessing this guy is designed to work initially with the Verizon-bound Revolution, but given that LG makes no mention of what phones / cases will eventually be compatible, it'll have to remain just that for now. As for the bad news? Well, aside from not knowing what exactly this unit is for (in terms of compatibility), we're also left in the dark when it comes to pricing and a ship date. But hey, at least we've got a trio of high resolution images to gawk at. Update: Fulton Innovation has just confirmed that LG is using its Qi-compliant eCoupled technology for the charging pad. %Gallery-119458%
Sprint makes EVO View 4G tablet official: 1.5GHz, WiMAX, 7-inch screen, and a stylus to boot
Sprint has stopped playing coy about one of the worst-leaked devices in recent memory and has at long last made it official. The EVO View 4G is a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 Android tablet with a 1.5GHz processor, 5 megapixel rear- and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, a WiMAX radio, and HTC's loving application of Sense for a UI. If all this sounds familiar, it'll be because we're really talking about HTC's Flyer tablet, introduced at last month's MWC, and just like it, the EVO View will also feature the HTC Scribe capacitive stylus. The Evo View 4G will ship with 32GB of storage "this summer." You'll now find the full press release and spec sheet (including a healthy gigabyte of RAM and a 4000mAh battery) after the break, and some preliminary shots below. Full hands-on to come! %Gallery-119505%
Live from Sprint's CTIA event!
And here's the biggie, folks: Sprint's CTIA event today is widely expected to bring the introduction of HTC's first 3D handset, a tablet, and -- if we had to guess -- probably an encore presentation of the Nexus S 4G and the carrier's tie up with Google for tight Google Voice integration. Ready for action? Follow the break!
T-Mobile G2x from LG hands-on (video)
We reported the rumors, we spied it on the show floor at CTIA yesterday, and T-Mobile finally announced it this morning. Well here it is now in the flesh: the G2x from LG. The hardware looks pretty much identical to its sibling, the LG Optimus 2X that we reviewed recently, but instead of featuring a custom UI, the software is plain Froyo (Android 2.2.2). Another major difference is the inclusion of "4G" support, which is missing from the Optimus 2X. Tegra Zone comes pre-installed, along with the usual T-Mobile add-ons like WiFi calling. Overall, the G2x made a very strong first impression, and we're looking forward to getting more in-depth coverage soon. Take a look at our gallery below, and hit the break for our hands-on video. Update: It turns out the "4G" radio in the G2x is quadband (2100 / 1900 / 1700 / 850MHz) but strangely, it's limited to 14.4Mbps downlink speeds. Apparently, this also applies to the T-Mobile G-Slate. We're reaching out to T-Mobile to check if the G2x radio is HSPA+ or merely just HSPA.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and new Galaxy Tab 10.1 hands-on: thinner than the iPad 2, dual-core power, TouchWiz 4.0
You know who took the iPad 2 launch pretty seriously? Samsung, that's who. Just as we had heard, the company's executives were impressed by Apple's ability to slim down its tablet and, well, it turns out that it took it as a challenge to come up with some thinner tablets of its own. That's right, in addition to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 that we have seen repeatedly teased over the last few weeks the company's announcing a totally revamped Galaxy Tab 10.1, and both slates are incredibly thin yet very well spec'd. On top of that, both will be the first Honeycomb tablets to stray from the pure Android 3.0 experience and add what Samsung's taken to calling its TouchWiz UX or TouchWiz 4.0. We've got all the details and some hands-on impressions waiting below, so hit the break! Updated: Samsung came clean with the pricing at its press conference this morning. The WiFi 10.1 will hit on June 8th -- the 16GB version will cost you $499 and the 32GB $599. The 8.9 is $469 and $569 for 16GB and 32GB, respectively. %Gallery-119459% %Gallery-119457%
Live from Samsung's CTIA event!
We're in the door for Samsung's CTIA Wireless 2011 press conference, one of two blockbuster events today (the other, of course, being Sprint a little later on). We're expecting both phone and tablet news here, so hang onto your friends, your loved ones, and your computers -- this is going to get interesting. Follow the break!
Live from CTIA's day one keynote with FCC chairman Julius Genachowski
We're seated in the auditorium for CTIA Wireless 2011's first keynote session, featuring FCC chairman Julius Genachowski -- who's frequented CTIAs in years past -- along with the bosses of Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, and Sprint. Needless to say, these are a bunch of heavy hitters about to take the stage... and we're curious whether they'll be saying a peep about AT&T's planned acquisition of T-Mobile USA. Tune in after the break!
HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G tablet spotted -- on Sprint's website, where else?
Oh, you know all about them, that much is true, but have you yet seen the HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G tablet? No, we hadn't either, until this very moment when another premature information upload on Sprint's website revealed their appearance. Two pre-registration pages exist for the as-yet unannounced products, one for the 1.2GHz dual-core EVO 3D smartphone and one for the 1.5GHz single-core EVO View 4G tablet. Both run Android and are unquestionably set to feature as Sprint's flagship devices in their respective categories. Beyond confirming that the EVO looks like an EVO and noting that the EVO View seems to have a black case rather than the silvery one that the HTC Flyer (the product it's based on) comes with, there's little new here -- you'll have to wait till Sprint finally makes all this hardware official over at CTIA to learn more.
T-Mobile Sidekick 4G by Samsung priced at $99.99 with a two-year contract, we go hands-on
Ready for some serious Sidekick 4G news? We thought so. First up, we've finally got the official pricing details from T-Mobile. That's right, come this spring the revived Sidekick will be hitting the likely-to-be-acquired carrier for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate and two-year contract with unlimited data -- those that opt for the two-year contract but go with a lower-end data plan will have to pay $149.99 for the Android 2.2 handset. Sure, the pricing doesn't sound all that shabby, but how's the actual phone? There was no stopping us from getting our hands all over the first ever touchscreen-equipped Sidekick here at CTIA Wireless -- hit the break for our impressions and a hands-on video. %Gallery-119432%
T-Mobile's LG G-Slate priced at $529.99 with a two-year contract
Well, here ya go! T-Mobile has finally decided to come clean with the pricing on its 8.9-inch, 3D-capable LG G-Slate, and well, it isn't cheap. The Honeycomb, Tegra 2-powered tablet will set you back $529.99 after a $100 mail-in-rebate and that's only if you agree to a two-year contract. Of course, this thing can record 3D video, connect to T-Mobile's "4G" HSPA+ network, and output 1080p video, but that still seems like quite a bit of money when you consider you're also locked into paying at least $20 in data every month. Ready to grace us with the WiFi version, LG? Hit the break for the short press statement.
LG's T-Mobile G2x announced, available 'later this spring' (update: preloaded with Tegra Zone)
Why, hello there. Shortly after our sneak peek on the CTIA show floor, T-Mobile lifted its magenta curtain and announced the G2x, aka LG Optimus 2X elsewhere around the world. Despite the lack of LG's custom UI (which will no doubt be welcomed by Android purists), this 4G stock Froyo device will come preloaded with goodies like Qik, Need for Speed Shift HD, T-Mobile TV, and DTS Ultra Mobile sound enhancer. Specific prices and dates have yet to be revealed, but we now have confirmation that the G2x will be "available nationwide later this spring," so the previously rumored April 20th launch might still be on track. Full press release after the break. Update: Our friends over at NVIDIA also informed us that the G2x will be the first phone to be shipped with Tegra Zone preloaded. Makes sense considering this is yet another of those delicious dual-core Tegra 2 devices that are flooding the market these days.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play for Verizon hands-on (video)
Well, we knew it was coming, and tonight at CTIA we finally got our dirty little hands on Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play for Verizon. It's pretty much what we expected: an Xperia Play that's lacking a SIM slot but displaying a couple of Verizon tattoos logos. The front-facing camera is still on the menu, along with a tasty serving of Gingerbread -- Android 2.3.2, to be exact. Strangely, the custom skin we saw during our hands-on at MWC was nowhere to be found on Verizon's model, being replaced instead by what appears to be the stock Gingerbread UI with some Sony Ericsson wallpapers and widgets. The Xperia Play app was on full display on the demo phones, which came preloaded with Ashphalt 6, Bruce Lee, Crash Bandicoot, Star Battalion, Madden '11, and The Sims 3. Take a peek at our gallery below, and poke your way past the break for our hands-on video.
EVO 3D specs confirmed: 1080p 2D video, 720p 3D, dual cameras, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU
CTIA snooping is in full swing today, as the HTC EVO 3D has seen its major specs divulged courtesy of a document within the exhibition halls of the show. True to our initial scoop and subsequent spec leak, we're looking at a 3D-capable successor to the EVO 4G, this one rocking a 1.2GHz dual-core processor (Qualcomm's MSM8660), a 4.3-inch qHD ( 960 x 540) display, dual 5 megapixel cameras around back, and the sweet, sweet promise of 1080p video playback. That's constrained to 720p for viewing 3D content, but there's no denying this new Sprint smartphone's shaping up to be yet another multimedia powerhouse. Specs of the EVO View tablet have also been snapped, marking it as indeed a Sprint rebadge of HTC's 1.5GHz, 7-inch Flyer slate. Look for both to become official at Sprint's presser later this week.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 specs and Honeycomb UI tweaks leak out before its official launch
You didn't have any doubt that Samsung was going to bring its new Galaxy Tab 8.9 to CTIA, did you? Well, this thing is definitely coming very soon. We snuck onto the show floor this afternoon, and while we didn't find the actual tablet, there was a serious amount of Galaxy Tab 8.9 signage. We couldn't get a close look at the placards, but the guys at PocketNow had better luck. Not only does the 8.9-inch display have a 1280x800-resolution, but the tablet itself is said to be incredibly thin -- it measures just .33-inches thick and weighs 1.03 pounds. It also looks like the 8.9 will be the first Honeycomb tablet with some noticeable interface customizations -- one of the signs showed a new "Live Panel" and a "Mini App" tray. All that certainly makes this one a bit more interesting -- we're assuming we will be hearing all the official details at Samsung's press conference tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Nokia Astound for T-Mobile coming April 6th for $80 (hands-on with video)
Want to know where those next 150 million Symbian devices that Nokia wants to sell are going to come from? Well, here's a little sliver of your answer. We've just swung by Nokia's swank dinner event well outside CTIA's convention center grounds in Orlando tonight to check out the official introduction of the rumored Astound for T-Mobile. Make no mistake -- this is a straight-up C7 in every sense of the word, featuring the same 3.5-inch AMOLED display, 8 megapixel camera, and 720p capture as the original announced last year atop Symbian^3 -- so the only real differences are the T-Mobile branding (or should that be AT&T branding?) tastefully featured along the bottom chin and a slight platform bump to Symbian^3.1, which we're told features "some, but not all" of the PR2.0 update's features like portrait QWERTY support and a refreshed browser. Interestingly, the carrier will be offering WiFi calling on this one -- just as it did on the E73 Mode -- and you'll be able to do unrestricted video calling over Qik thanks to the front-facing cam. Look for it to launch on April 6th for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate on contract (and pre-orders start tomorrow). Follow the break for our hands-on video and Nokia's press release.%Gallery-119426%%Gallery-119427%
Cobra Tag Bluetooth key tagging system to ship in July, iRadar and PhoneLynx coming to Android
Cobra's taking a step back from its usual array of radar detectors to make a showing down in Orlando, and as such, today's announcements are all about mobile. The company's Cobra Tag system -- which popped up initially back at CES -- has just been given a price and release date. The Bluetooth tagging system will be keeping track of your car keys (and other miscellaneous items) starting in July, with a Bluetooth key fob linking up with a smartphone app in order to constantly monitor the position of anything it's connected to. All's that required from you is a BlackBerry or Android smartphone, $59.99 and a mindful personality. In related news, the outfit's also making available the previously announced iRadar application for Android, which is used to link your smartphone and radar detector, as well as the PhoneLynx for Android, which enables users to use a landline handset while tapping into Android voice minutes. Hit the source links if you're hungry for more.
LG's T-Mobile G2x spied at CTIA
Welcome to the CTIA 2011 show floor where the booths are guarded and all the products are kept under lock and key! Oh yes, it's pretty impossible to see what's going to be unveiled here tomorrow when the doors officially open, but we did spot this lovely digital sign at LG's booth of the T-Mobile G2x. This one doesn't come as a major surprise since we heard rumblings last month that Optimus 2X would be headed stateside under the G2x moniker, but it certainly looks like the launch is imminent now. We've got one more shot for you after the break, but stay tuned for plenty more tomorrow.
We're live from CTIA Wireless 2011!
As American consumer electronics trade shows go, CTIA Wireless is definitely one of the elite -- which is exactly why we've got a full contingent of Engadget staffers skulking around this year's shindig all this week looking for phones, tablets, and miscellany that may be relevant to your interests. Obviously, AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile USA has dialed up the volume level a notch or three, but we're expecting HTC's first 3D smartphone, an all-new Galaxy Tab, and countless other goodies... so keep it locked! Tip: Tune into Engadget Mobile's "ctiawireless2011" tag for all the action!
AT&T launches HTC HD7S with WP7 and LG's 3D-enabled Thrill 4G Android phone
Who says CTIA is going to be overshadowed by news that actually broke prior to the event starting? Okay, so it's entirely possible that the AT&T / T-Mobile buzz will be impossible to ignore here in Orlando, but that's not stopping Ma Bell from rolling out two new (er, rebadged) handsets for those looking for iPhone alternatives. First up is the LG Thrill 4G (available in the "coming months"), an unpriced 4.3-inch superphone that features a glasses-free 3D display, dual 5-megapixel stereoscopic camera, 16GB of preloaded memory (8GB onboard, 8GB microSD card), access to Google's Android Market and a special 3D marketplace coined LG 3D Space. The camera's capable to snagging video clips at 1080p when shooting 2D, or 720p when opting for 3D. You'll also get a dual-core 1GHz processor, HDMI output, DLNA streaming support and pretty much anything else you'd expect to find in a run-of-the-mill Optimus 3D -- you know, considering this is that very phone, albeit with an AT&T logo on it. Moving on, there's the HTC HD7S, which is essentially an AT&Tified version of the HD7 that has been on T-Mobile USA for quite some time now. In other words, you'll get a 4.3-inch WVGA Super LCD, 1GHz CPU, 5-megapixel camera, Windows Phone 7 (with copy and paste functionality baked right in) and a preloaded U-Verse Mobile application that enables "qualifying AT&T U-verse customers to download and watch TV shows" so long as they pony up an extra $9.99 per month. AT&T claims that its version of the HD7 will be the first in the US with an "improved Super LCD display," but as with the Thrill 4G above, no specific pricing is mentioned. That said, it should be popping up online and in retail locations "within the coming weeks," so you shouldn't have to wait too terribly long for those details to emerge.
