CTIA Wireless 2012
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The Engadget interview: OnStar's Nick Pudar talks smart grids at CTIA 2012 (video)
While visiting the Innovation Showcase at CTIA 2012, we ran into Nick Pudar -- OnStar's VP of Business Development -- who was kind enough to give us a few minutes of his time. We sat in the LTE Skype-enabled Chevy Volt on display and discussed such topics as OnStar FMV, RelayRides and smart grids -- wherein power utilities can (with the customer's consent) send a signal to a vehicle to control when it charges. The idea is to allows utilities to maximize grid efficiency and minimize power spikes while giving customers options for when to charge the vehicle -- like when the rates are the lowest or when the power generated is coming from renewable energy, for example. Pretty neat stuff, eh? Watch our video interview for all the (pardon the pun) juicy details.
CTIA Wireless 2012 wrap-up
Oh, how we will miss New Orleans. It's been a long and busy week in the Big Easy as tens of thousands of calories were sacrificed in the name of bringing you the most comprehensive coverage of CTIA's annual spring show. Not that we mind -- we love doing it, and it's easy justification for the dozens of beignets we downed during our stay. The event was a tad on the quiet side this year (no companies announced any buyouts, for starters) we still kept ourselves more than adequately busy sticking our noses in every nook and cranny of the show floor. After the break, feast upon our entire scope of coverage, in case you missed it the first time around.
The Engadget interview: Nokia VP of Developer Relations Richard Kerris at CTIA 2012 (video)
This week at CTIA in beautiful New Orleans, we were lucky enough to spend some time with Richard Kerris, VP of Developer Relations at Nokia. Obviously, there's bit of a chicken and egg situation when it comes to attracting software talent to Windows Phone. Developers favor platforms with an established community, and users prefer an ecosystem with a broad selection of apps. We talked about what Nokia announced at the show -- including apps like City Lens -- and how the company is helping developers with its Business Development Kit (BDK) and App Highlights showcase. Want all the details? Just take a look at our video interview. Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.
CTIA 2012: a look back at our favorite devices
CTIA 2012 is wrapping up and we thought we'd spend a few minutes reminiscing about some of the more interesting devices we had a chance to see for the first time or that were launched here. Unfortunately for us -- and thereby for you, too -- the show lacked the bite we've seen at previous events, in fact it barely registered a nibble. We did catch up with five products we'd like to highlight so follow on after the break for our recap.
Live from President Bill Clinton's CTIA keynote
It's the final day of CTIA Wireless 2012, and time for the week's big event. Will it be a new super phone? An epic new high-speed 4G network? The resurrection of webOS? Nope. The big get of the week is the 42nd president of the United States, Mr. William Jefferson Clinton. Honestly, we're not entirely sure what to expect of the event ending keynote. Most likely Willy (he let's us call him that since we're such close, personal friends -- it's no big deal) will wind up talking about the ability of wireless technology to empower the underclass and level the global playing field... you know, light-hearted stuff. But, there's only one way to find out for sure: follow along after the break. May 10, 2012 3:00 PM EDT
Konka W900 hands-on
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, consider Konka the number one practitioner of that "craft." The company, (in)famous for its OEM-copycatting ways, has set up a booth here at CTIA 2012, letting us get some up close and personal time with its W900. The HTC-esque handset, previously released at this past Mobile World Congress, is yet another in a line of underwhelming Android offerings that subsists on design without delivering on performance. Although, the phone's official spec sheet lists it as running Ice Cream Sandwich, the build we encountered was actually that of Gingerbread 2.3.6 -- a very buggy version, at that. So, don't let your eyes deceive you, what you're seeing on the homescreen is simply a third-party launcher made to ape ICS's more streamlined UI. Beneath that 4-inch WVGA display lies quadband GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900) and WCDMA (2100) radios, VGA front-facing / rear 5-megapixel cameras, in addition to support for WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth. Unfortunately, the company couldn't confirm what processor's powering this lackluster affair. But no matter, this is one uneven device you can safely ignore. Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report.
HTC Car StereoClip hands-on
Looking for something nice to take home alongside your shiny (oh, so shiny) new HTC EVO 4G LTE? How about the Car StereoClip? When the latest EVO hits shelves on May 18th, it'll launch with this Bluetooth accessory that lets you stream audio to any device with a mini stereo auxiliary input. The tiny, USB thumb drive-sized receiver has a micro-USB port on one end for charging, and a male 3.5mm connector hides under a cap on the other side. While the dongle is being marketed for in-car use, it could be used to turn your home stereo into a set of Bluetooth speakers as well. HTC claims that Bluetooth 4.0 and aptX support should make for drastically improved audio quality -- at least when paired with a similarly specced phone. You'll be able to pick up the plug for $60 from Sprint, followed shortly thereafter by AT&T. Check out the gallery below for a few more pics.
HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint review (updated)
More Info HTC EVO 4G LTE preview HTC One X for AT&T review HTC One S for T-Mobile review HTC is on a roll in the US, first releasing the One S for T-Mobile and the One X for AT&T. Now, with the EVO 4G LTE on Sprint, it's ready to shift to the CDMA realm in a different costume. Internally, it's incredibly close to what's offered in the One series' flagship, but the Now Network has made a few tweaks to the device so it'll adjust to life as the latest smartphone in the fabled EVO lineup. This time it's packing a powerful processor, gorgeous display and the ability to connect to the still-dormant LTE. It's eager to show its face in retail stores beginning May 18th for $200, placing it in the high end of Sprint's selection. This review, however, is just a bit different from any we've done before. How so? To our knowledge, we've never done one in New Orleans before. But when a phone gets dropped in our lap at CTIA 2012, we're naturally going to put it through its paces, regardless of location. As it shares so many commonalities with its One brethren, we've been expecting a very similar fit, feel and performance. In our review, we'll take you through what's different and what's better or worse. Is this the best device to grace the hands of Sprint customers? Follow us past the break to find out. %Gallery-155118%
First sample shots with HTC's EVO 4G LTE for Sprint
What better way to see what a smartphone camera is made of than taking a tour of the best of what New Orleans has to offer? We were given the opportunity to take the forthcoming HTC EVO 4G LTE on a brief tour of the city here at CTIA 2012. Our full review of Sprint's latest LTE-capable device is on the way, but we want to give you a small teaser to arouse your curiosity ahead of time. So check out some of the sights through HTC's 8MP ImageSense camera (including HDR shots) and take a look at how it stacks up against the likes of the One X and One S below!
Samsung's SGH-i667 'Mandel' Windows Phone: surprise, it's the Focus 2
Mystery, solved. That SGH-i667 'Mandel' Windows Phone that cropped up earlier in the month (and is shown above on the left)? Word on the street at that point was that it had been nixed from AT&T's lineup, but somehow, that same device actually made the trip to New Orleans. Sure enough, it debuted at CTIA as the Focus 2, a mid-range followup phone that's destined to tempt smartphone buyers to the WP7 side with a rock-bottom $50-on-contract price point. Hard to say if Samsung and AT&T mutually decided to carry through with launch plans after initially spiking 'em (or if that intel was just wrong to begin with), but we can think of it least one recently-canned phone that's hoping it's the former.
Braven Six Series hands-on
Remember those Braven speakers from a few weeks back? Well, guess what, the trio made an appearance here at CTIA and we finally got to put our shaky, caffeine-fueled hands on them. The Six Series of Bluetooth boxes is (going from left to right in the image above) the 600, the 650 and the 625s. Both the 600 and 650 are crafted from the same aircraft-grade aluminum and are all but indistinguishable at a glance. The lone physical differentiator is the numerical labeling in the bottom right corner. Both have a pleasant heft and a matte finish that makes them feel like decidedly high-end products. And, at $150 and $190 respectively, they're priced that way too. The 3W speakers and dual passive subwoofers were perfectly pleasant sounding and got surprisingly loud -- drowning out the crowded showroom floor with relative ease. The only issue, predictively, was that the low end started to distort as the volume was cranked -- particularly on the 600. We were even able to daisy chain them through a mini stereo cable (though not turn them into a stereo pair via Bluetooth), clearly irritating Braven's booth neighbors. The 625s is a slightly different beast. It also features an aluminum speaker grille, but the rest of the casing is wrapped in shock-absorbing rubber. It felt quite a bit lighter, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, since the company appears to think you should use this as a flashlight (hence the LED attachment). The unit even has a drybag should you decide to take it with you kayaking. We were even able to jack our iPhone in to the USB port for a bit of juice before heading back out on the floor. For more check out the gallery below. Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.
Join us live for Bill Clinton's CTIA keynote tomorrow at 3PM ET
Well, we kicked off the week with the current king of regulation, now we end the event with a keynote from a former regulatory king maker. President Bill Clinton will be taking the stage tomorrow afternoon to talk about... something. The philanthropist and former commander-in-chief took the long trip to N'awlins to address the industry and press, so we assume he's got something important to say. If you want to find out exactly what that might be, check back here at the time listed below to watch Willy get his word groove on. May 10, 2012 3:00 PM EDT
Alcatel OneTouch 995 hands-on
Alcatel's OneTouch 995 first graced our pages back in November, promising pumped-up specs and a departure from the company's traditional low-end lineup. We've now managed to lay our hands upon the device, and while it sports only Gingerbread (which contradicts those Ice Cream Sandwich rumors), it's really quite nice -- especially given the low price. While the hardware is relatively unassuming, that's not a bad thing. Instead, the OneTouch 995 manages to include just enough quality components to make the handset both attractive and functional. It features a 1.4GHz CPU, along with an admirable 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 IPS LCD display and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. We were also pleased to see a stock Android 2.3 interface, and Alcatel's addition of a micro-HDMI port with DLNA support is most definitely welcome. The enclosure itself is quite plasticky, but it's also comfortable to hold. We're told the OneTouch 995 will arrive on the market in the near-term, and will sell in the neighborhood of $270. As an important feature for some, it'll also be available in a variety of colors. To see the company's finest handset to date, be sure to check out our gallery below. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
AT&T cancels plans to release Samsung Skyrocket HD, likely setting sights on Galaxy S III
Remember the Samsung Skyrocket HD for AT&T? Great, now forget it. According to Sammy, the largest GSM carrier has decided to forego the mysteriously absent device, announced all the way back at January's AT&T Developer Summit, in order to focus on other products. This move adds credence to our suspicions that this particular handset wouldn't have a distinct place in the lineup alongside the carrier's version of the Galaxy S III, which hasn't been officially announced for US availability yet. We reached out to Samsung, and here's the company's official statement on the matter: "AT&T and Samsung have agreed to cancel plans to offer the Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD. We are concentrating resources on other products to bring exciting experiences to consumers." Not too much of a surprise, but those eagerly awaiting this device shouldn't get too frazzled -- if you can't wait for Samsung's newest flagship, at least we're hopeful that a few carrier-branded prototypes will leak out on eBay to whet your appetite.
Unnecto Quattro hands-on (video)
It's Italian for the number four and also the name of a certain German auto, but Unnecto's latest device bearing that very moniker has little to do with either. In fact, the star feature of this low-end Android 2.3.5 handset, shown off on the CTIA 2012 show floor, is its ability to accommodate dual-SIMs. Yes, much like the touchscreen-only TAP that preceded it, this phone offers users with multiple lines the option to pack two SIMs -- full-sized and micro -- for easy account switching. Spec-wise, the 4-inch handset's not much to get hot and bothered about, loaded up as it is with a middling 800 x 480 TFT display, VGA front-facing / rear 5 megapixel cameras, 4GB of storage (augmented by a pre-loaded 8GB microSD) and a 1,400mAh battery. There's no dual-core running under the hood either, just a lone 650MHz MediaTek 6573 processor and it shows given that our brief hands-on with the preliminary software was riddled with lags and stutters. Keep in mind the phone's still a work in progress and that mostly stock UI will eventually ship sometime this June with a customized overlay. An upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich is also purportedly on deck for Q4, but we're somewhat skeptical the single core handset could even support it. As for the price, well that all important bit is still up in the air, although we've been told it should retail between $150 to $200. If you're interested in buying what Unnecto's selling, check out the gallery below and hop on past the break for a brief video demo. Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report.
AT&T's Glenn Lurie sees the end of WiFi-only tablets
AT&T's Glenn Lurie believes that WiFi-only tablets won't be around for long as the cost of cellular modems falls. Talking at CTIA Wireless, the "emerging devices" honcho thinks that the low ($30) cost of an HSPA+ radio will eventually make manufacturers abandon the two-tier model -- doubling the potential customers for his network. He pointed to the success of the sold-out Pantech Element and has said that the company would be offering similarly enabled tablet devices in the future. Of course, if manufacturers only charged $30 extra for 3G-enabled tablets in the first place, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.
Sprint confirms Direct Connect Now, will offer Push-to-Talk services via smartphone app
Sprint's been rather quiet at this year's CTIA Wireless in New Orleans, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been sitting around without making any sort of noise. This morning, the Now Network let the cat out of the bag about Direct Connect Now, which is a service that will allow any regular smartphone user the opportunity to use the company's push-to-talk services in very similar fashion to devices that come with PTT already built into the hardware. How is this made possible? Simply put, there's an app for that -- or at least, there will be one coming to Google Play at an unspecified time in the not-too-distant future. This doesn't mean Sprint is giving up on hardware-based Direct Connect devices: new models will continue to be released going forward, but more smartphone users will at least have an opportunity to take advantage of the services in one way or another. More info as we receive it.
The Engadget interview: Sprint product execs John Tudhope and David Owens at CTIA 2012 (video)
We managed to catch not one, but two of Sprint's execs yesterday at CTIA Wireless 2012: Director of Product Marketing John Tudhope and VP of Product David Owens. While our discussion was centered primarily around the company's announcements at the show -- Sprint Guardian, HTC's EVO V 4G for Virgin Mobile and HTC's EVO Design 4G for Boost Mobile -- we were able to ask a few questions about the state of Sprint's LTE deployment and the associated value proposition. Want to find out more? Take a look at our video interview. Joseph Volpe contributed to this report
Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live from CTIA 2012!
If you've been following all of the latest coverage from New Orleans at CTIA Wireless 2012, you may be anxious to hear what we have to say about the stuff we've seen. Fortunately, you'll get to enjoy a full crew of Engadget Mobileteers gathered around one single microphone, ranting and raving about whatever comes to mind. So join us for an impromptu Engadget Mobile Podcast, live in just a few minutes! Featuring: Myriam Joire, Brad Molen, Sean Cooper, Joseph Volpe, Zachary Lutz, Terrence O'Brien
Nyx Mobile Twist Connect hands-on
It's not often that we write about a feature phone, but we were charmed by the Twist Connect's unique design. The dual-SIM device prides itself on its integration with Nyx Messenger, social networks like Twitter and its MP3-playing abilities. It's the music-playing features that caught our attention. The whole bottom of the phone rotates, switching from a full QWERTY keyboard, to a set of dedicated music controls. In messaging mode the keypad is angled out on a chin to make typing easier, while keeping the screen in a better position for visibility -- it wasn't the greatest display, easily getting washed out at even slight angles under the conventions center's lights. Give it a twist (hence the name) and the keyboard gets stuck to the rear, exposing a pair of stereo speakers and a set of controls to raise and lower the volume, skip tracks and, of course, play and pause your tunes. Otherwise, the bulky and plasticky handset holds little allure, but we'll cheers Nyx Mobile for their special twist on the MP3 phone. Check out the gallery below for a few pics.
