CTIA Wireless 2012
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Plantronics M55 and M25 bluetooth headsets ears-on
Plantronics has launched two headsets at this year's CTIA: the M55 and M25. Sure, we'd bet dollars to donuts that piles of companies offer more bells and whistles but the M55's $49 and the M25's $39 price tag will likely garner some fans. The M55 features voice activated answering, 11 hour talk time, 16-day standby, DSP noise reduction, a physical barrier on the mic to reduce wind noise, and one free year of the Vocalyst service. The M25 apes its pricier sibling except it lacks the Vocalyst service and voice activated answering. Both devices feature a deep sleep mode that extends standby time out to 150 days once your device steps out of range of your mobile for longer than 90 mins. Best thing? You can barely notice when you're wearing one, though the rubber parts are a bit grippy and might tend to pull hair when being put in and removed from your listening place. Zachary Lutz contributed to this report.
Clarity Pal hands-on, a new phone for senior citizens
In a perfect world, your grandparents wouldn't need a lick of help getting the most out of a smartphone, but let's face it: the devices are complex, and if you don't have the proper motivation, they can be a bit difficult to learn. You've previously seen the C900 from Clarity, and tonight we stumbled upon its second generation of handsets for senior citizens known as the Pal. Similar to the predecessor, the phone features a panic button on the back that'll call and text message up to five people in the case of an emergency. Other features consist of a backlit keypad that can read aloud the numbers that are pressed, along with a talking caller ID and up to 26dB of amplification for the earpiece. We received a quick demo of this last feature, and the volume was sufficient enough to cut through a noisy room while allowing us to hear everything that was said -- in other words, we have no doubt that the Clarity Pal will be perfectly suitable for those with moderate hearing impairment. The phone is compatible with GSM networks in the US and Canada, and for more ambitious seniors, it features SMS functionality and Bluetooth for pairing with Clarity's headset. Fortunately, the company has gone through a good amount of effort to refine and simplify the menu scheme, which is quite helpful for those wanting only the basics. The Clarity Pal will be available on May 28th through the company's website and will sell for $99. If you've got someone in your life who might need a simpler phone, take a peek at the gallery below. Sean Cooper contributed to this report
The Engadget interview: Mozilla Chief of Innovation Todd Simpson at CTIA 2012 (video)
Today at CTIA Wireless in New Orleans we got the chance to spend a few minutes with Todd Simpson, Chief of Innovation at Mozilla. We talked about the company's "pivot into mobile" -- more specifically Firefox for Android and Boot to Gecko -- and what it means for Mozilla's future. Is there a Firefox for Windows Phone in the works? Will Boot to Gecko migrate to other platforms, like laptops? We're not going to spoil the fun for you -- just watch our video interview. Brad Molen contributed to this report.
Jabra Supreme UC Bluetooth headset eyes-on
Coming next month from Jabra, you'll find the Supreme UC Bluetooth headset in its arsenal. In addition to featuring dual microphones for noise cancellation that'll benefit your friends, it also leverages a sizable 24mm speaker to incorporate noise cancellation on your end, too. As you'd hope, the Supreme UC is quite lightweight, and the microphone can even be folded to conserve space. We're told that its battery will give users up to six hours of talk time and between eight to fifteen hours of standby. The downside? It'll set you back $149. Then again, for those who care about the audio quality of their calls, it could be money well spent. Sean Cooper contributed to this report. Check out our event hub to keep up with all the action at CTIA Wireless 2012!
Nokia City Lens augmented reality browser hands-on (video)
It warms the heart to see Nokia's Beta-Labs delivering goods we actually want on our handsets -- and even more so when we really want the handsets themselves. Espoo's revered Lumia line has been treated to a new toy and it costs not one red cent: Nokia City Lens. Using an augmented reality browser, the user is offered a virtual view through walls and buildings of various points near you that can be browsed by categories such as food, nearby, sights or searched for with text. Better still, searching for AT&T WiFi will find access points nearby and all you then need to do is hoof it in the direction shown by the small icon on the display. Sound neat? We agree. Follow the break to see a video of it all in action, then take your Lumia-owning self on over to Beta-Labs to grab a copy.
Huawei MediaPad 10 hands-on (video)
Sadly, when this gorgeous slab of glass and silicon was unveiled at MWC, Huawei wouldn't let us put our greasy hands on it -- and with good reason, the spectacular panel on the MediaPad 10 is a bit of a fingerprint magnet. But, we're happy to report that the company trotted out the goods for Pepcom's event at CTIA. We took the device for a pretty thorough spin and, despite being saddled with software still in the development stage, came away thoroughly impressed. The 10-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display is one of the most gorgeous screens to ever grace a tablet. Sure, it's not quite "new iPad" levels of pixel density, but it certainly puts most of its potential competitors to shame. The primarily aluminum body feels great in the hand, striking a great balance between weight and a premium feel. At only 8.8mm thin it's no surprise that it comes in at just 13 ounces (roughly), all while packing a 6,600 mAh battery. The in-house developed 1.5Ghz quad-core K3 Balong CPU inside is given a pretty decent workout by the rough build of Ice Cream Sandwich on board, that was mostly stock but had the sporadic OEM flourish such as different icons and keyboard. Most actions, such as playing back HD video and launching the browser were smooth enough, but we did notice the occasional stutter and pause. We took some time to put it through a few of our standard issue benchmarks, and turned up some mixed results. The 2,696.7ms it took to chug through the SunSpider benchmark left us standing around awkwardly at the Huawei table, while the 2,737 on Quadrant and 30.1 fps in NenaMark 2 were respectable, though not mind-blowing. But, again, we'll stress that this is still running a development version of the OS. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break for a full tour.
Energizer Universal Multi-Port and Portable charger hands-on
You know the drill: it's Friday night and your smartphone's battery is down to a mere three percent. Here's the twist, though -- if you had Energizer's Universal Multi-Port or Portable Smartphone Charger handy, it wouldn't be a problem. The company is preparing to unleash both of these products this fall, and we quite like 'em. The Universal Multi-Port Charger ($76) carries a 5,000mAh battery, packs two USB ports and is able to deliver a total of 15W output, which means -- yes -- it supports quick charging. Meanwhile, the Portable Smartphone Charger ($55) holds 2,500mAh in its reserves, though it only has one USB output and will deliver 5W max. Both products feature a very nice soft touch, satin-like finish and the cables feature magnets for simple management of the clutter. Curious to see more? Just check the gallery below. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
AT&T small cell site pilot due between late 2012, 2013
AT&T has been hinting for a while that it's getting closer to implementing small cell sites in its network, and at CTIA Wireless 2012 gave a stronger clue as to when and how the mini network hubs will operate. Executive technology VP John Donovan clarified to Reuters that a pilot is expected to start late this year and should run into 2013. If all runs smoothly, the below-tower-sized sites will be clipping on to lamp posts and other parts of the urban landscape to strengthen coverage in places where wide-area WiFi alone won't do. While Donovan didn't venture deep into the infrastructure at the trade show, Cisco had previously said that AT&T would be using sites incorporating 2G, 3G, 4G and WiFi when the provider did start experimenting with small cells. If so, there's a chance subscribers could get AT&T WiFi without having to turn to an airport, landmark or coffee shop.
Plum Mobile lineup hands-on at CTIA 2012
Little-known Plum Mobile appeared at CTIA with the four dual-SIM Android sets pictured above and the Might, a Galaxy Note twin we had a peek at a little earlier today. From the top left we have the Debut, which is a 7-inch WVGA tablet (that can be used as a phone) with Android 2.2 powered by an 800MHz CPU, a 5-megapixel camera and a 4,250mAh battery. Pricing for the Plum Debut is somewhere in the neighborhood of $180. The $90 Plum Capacity runs Android 2.2 with a 650MHz CPU, it also offers a 3.2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, a 3.5-inch HVGA display and comes in "several" color options. The Wicked 3G is a quadband GSM dualband 3G set with a 3-megapixel camera around back, personal hotspot and a 2.8-inch resistive display. Rounding out the set is the Android 2.3 Plum Orbit -- this $50 dollar set lacks 3G but does have a quadband GSM radio, a 2-megapixel camera and a 3.2-inch display. All of Plum Mobile's sets are fairly low cost but the materials and build quality were decent. The Wicked 3G -- aside from having the best name of the group -- was somehow our favorite of the bunch. Sure it is pretty shiny plastic, but the shape was just great to hang onto which is something of a rarity in our world of giant slabs. We doubt that we'll be seeing these phones in any brick and mortar stores on these shores, so we thought we'd treat you to some glossies of them all. Check the gallery just below. Zachary Lutz contributed to this report.
HTC One S unibody housing micro arc oxidation process eyes-on
HTC's One S -- launched earlier this year at Mobile World Congress -- features a nifty ceramic-like finish that is achieved using micro arc oxidation. We've of course heard about the process and been treated to the details of the treatment but had yet to see it translated for our eyes to behold. HTC has a stand set up at CTIA detailing the steps from blank lump of aluminum to the finished HTC One S product with its lovely smooth black shell. Have a quick peek at the gallery below and then on to the video tour of the process steps from stamping to grinding to 10,000-volt shock. Plasma!
Nyx Mobile Lyuba Max and Fun hands-on
When PR reps have something they think is truly special, things can get a little cloak and dagger. While we were hanging around the Nyx Mobile booth, a rep quietly sneaked up on us to offer a glimpse of two new handsets his company is working on. When we enthusiastically agreed (after our heart rate dropped), he led us aside -- away from prying eyes -- and produced a pair devices, delicately wrapped in a silk handkerchief, from his suit's inside pocket. We won't lie, things got a tad disappointing when we realized they were non-functioning mockups, but if the company can pull off these frame-less designs we'll be quite impressed. Due to begin manufacturing within the next two or three months, the Lyuba Max and Lyuba Fun aim to make bezels a thing of the past. The lack of a frame on the five-inch, 63mm-wide Max makes it even trimmer than the significantly smaller-screened Galaxy Nexus, which checks in at about 68mm wide. While we won't make too many judgments on the feel and design based on a non-functioning prototype, we actually found the Max easier to hold and reach all corners of the screen with a single hand than the Nexus or the Note. The four-inch Fun felt a good half-inch smaller than its spec sheet implied -- more akin to an iPhone in size. Both devices will come rocking Ice Cream Sandwich, but they'll be powered by some rather mid-range hardware. Both will pack a 1.2GHz processor, likely of the single-core variety, and neither is boasting impressive screen resolutions. The Max is checking in with a decidedly dated 800 x 480 LCD, while the Fun drops to a lowly HVGA panel. Check out the gallery below for some images of the mockups.
Huawei Ascend Y200 hands-on at CTIA 2012
Huawei's at CTIA Wireless 2012 in New Orleans, and we got to spend a little time with one the company's newest devices geared toward the youth and first-time smartphone users: the Ascend Y200. Power users need not apply here, as the Gingerbread handset offers a not-so-tantalizing 3.5-inch HVGA display, 1,400mAh battery, 3.2MP fixed-focus camera and 1GHz Qualcomm MSM7625A single-core processor (the listed spec here is different from the 800MHz spec we've heard previously, which makes us wonder if this has been overclocked for the US market). It also features a lot of fingerprints, courtesy of its glossy plastic build. The UI of the Y200 closely resembles most Huawei Gingerbread phones we've played with, such as the Honor. All told, the Ascend Y200 is decidedly low-end, with some European venues offering the device for €100. We may see it on a few prepaid carriers in the US, but this certainly won't be of any interest to those who crave the latest and greatest smartphones. Terrence O'Brien contributed to this post.
HTC EVO Design 4G for Boost Mobile hands-on
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you -- that's the very same EVO Design 4G we reviewed late last winter when it bowed on Sprint's lineup. Surfing along the carrier's increasingly antiquated 4G WiMAX network, this handset's getting a new berth on Boost Mobile priced at an affordable $299 for pre-paid customers. Much like its girthier Android cousin the EVO V 4G, the physical construction and internal specifications of this device have remained unchanged. It's still packing a 4-inch 960 x 540 qHD display, single-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon S2, 1.3-megapixel front-facing / rear 5-megapixel cameras and 4GB of internal storage. So, for the price the prepaid carrier's asking, it's not a bad deal. The phone is still just as pleasant to hold in hand, owing to a soft touch plastic back that's broken up by a smooth piece of aluminum plating. Again, if you've seen its earlier incarnation, you know what you're getting into, but there is a distinct difference here -- a combo of Sense 3.6 and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Luckily for prepaid consumers, the phone's set to launch sometime this June with that software combo pre-loaded; a sweet perk given its place on the lower end of the consumer spectrum. Hit up the gallery below for a further peek at this re-badged handset, or head here to see the phone in action. Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Plum Mobile nicely KIRFs the Galaxy Note: hands-on with the Might
You've likely never heard of Plum Mobile before, and to be honest, neither had we before CTIA. Nonetheless, the smartphone creator is here to make a name for itself in New Orleans, even if it needs to ride on the coattails of other manufacturers. It goes without saying that of all the smartphones on display, it was the Might that immediately caught our eye. From a distance, it appeared to be a rebranded Galaxy Note. We then turned it on and discovered a clock widget that's undeniably reminiscent of HTC. The phone features Android 2.3.6 with an unusual UI that combines features of Sense, TouchWiz and stock Gingerbread, and while it's a bit of a mishmash, it's reasonably intuitive. Plum Mobile stopped short of cloning the Galaxy Note, but the resemblance is uncanny. Sadly, there's no stylus to speak of. The Might features a 650MHz CPU, a 5-inch display and a beefy 2,800mAh battery. Unlike the previous KIRF of the Note that we'd seen, this one features only a 5-megapixel camera, which is accompanied by an LED flash and a front-facing VGA. While none of the specs stand out as amazing -- including the display, which was a bit blurry -- we're told the phone will sell for approximately $180. Most fascinating about the Might, however, is its dual-SIM capabilities. Unfortunately, when we tried to play around with this functionality in the phone's settings, it locked up the phablet and we were unable to proceed. We know you're curious to see more, so be sure to check the gallery below. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
HTC EVO V 4G (Virgin Mobile USA) hands-on
Does that handset above look familiar to you? It should because you've seen it once before when Sprint debuted it as the EVO 3D. This time, however, the phone that failed to ignite much consumer interest is back with a rebranded moniker -- EVO V 4G -- a new home on Virgin Mobile, that 3D screen and a $299 price. We managed to get some hands-on time with the device and for better or for worse, it's still packing the same list of specs: 4.3-inch qHD display, 1.3-megapixel front-facing / dual 5-megapixel rear cameras, dual-core 1.2GHz processor buffered by 1GB RAM and packing 4GB of internal storage with an additional 8GB furnished by an included microSD card. Cosmetically, nothing has changed from its postpaid to prepaid journey, so you're still getting that same bulky build, jarring button layout for the 3D to 2D slider and the three quarter grooved plastic back. What counts, however, is the software it runs, namely Android 4.0.3. Yes, right out of the gate the company intends to ship this 4G WiMAX device (sorry, it's not future-proofed for LTE) with a Sense 3.6 skin running atop Ice Cream Sandwich. It's not HTC's latest lightweight 4.0 UX, but for the market it's aimed at, it'll do just fine. Check out our gallery below for additional shots of this fat smartphone ahead of its planned June launch. To see the device in action, head here. Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Sony Xperia Acro HD for NTT DoCoMo hands-on (video)
We just happened upon the Sony Xperia Acro HD for NTT DoCoMo, which is sold as the SO-03HD and recently launched with the Japanese carrier. As many of you are aware, the handset is a variant of the Xperia Ion, but with a few features for the locals such as a built-in TV tuner, mobile payment and infrared support. The Acro HD offers a respectable list of specs, which include a Qualcomm MSM 8260 SoC with a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU, a 4.3-inch, 720p display and a 12.1-megapixel camera that includes Sony's Exmor R sensor and is capable of shooting 1080p video. It also includes 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and an 1,840mAh battery. As a final notable aspect, the Xperia Acro HD is waterproof and can remain submerged in up to one meter of water for a half-hour. The phone is currently available in a variety of colors, which include Blue, Pink, White and Black -- the last being the particular variant that we sighted today. While there are many aspects of the phone we liked, such as its high-quality display and refined aesthetics, a number of its design elements such as the extendable TV antenna and atrocious number of doors for ports struck us as quite flimsy. The phone runs Android 2.3.7 with a heavy amount of skinning from the carrier, which you can see in our hands-on video after the break.
Live from CTIA with FCC chairman Julius Genachowski
The first keynote of the week is a doozy. We've got Gary Flood from MasterCard, Patrick Riordan president of Cellcom and Joe Kennedy the CEO of Pandora. Not too shabby. But, the big fish in this four person pond is clearly FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. The chief regulator of the wireless industry here in the US will be taking to the stage to talk... well, we're not entirely sure. But, if the topic of spectrum doesn't come up, we'll be quite surprised. May 7, 2012 10:30 AM EDT
Kyocera Rise hands-on (video)
Kyocera is looking to regain a foothold in the US smartphone market, and curiously enough, it's doing so by catering to niche audiences. First we saw the Hydro, a waterproof handset, and alongside it is the Rise, which features a sliding QWERTY keyboard. Both phones are built for CDMA networks, although Kyocera has yet to announce carrier availability for either. We wouldn't be surprised in the least to see it going to Sprint or any of its prepaid brands, but this is just speculation for now. Spec-wise, the Rise is very similar to the Hydro, and this extends to the OS. In our brief time with the phone, we were treated to a largely vanilla interpretation of Ice Cream Sandwich, which makes the Rise a bit of a rare breed in the QWERTY world -- hopefully its future carrier doesn't dictate huge alterations. The phone features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 IPS LCD display, a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. When compared to other QWERTY sliders, the handset itself is rather compact and fit nicely in our hand. We were similarly quite fond of the sliding mechanism on the Rise, which felt natural and provided just enough resistance. The four-row keyboard is altogether forgettable, but it should serve those who insist upon physical keys just fine. Our biggest gripe about the Rise, however, is its low-res display, which seems like quite a misstep -- even for a budget device. In terms of storage, you'll find 512MB of RAM, 2GB built-in and a 2GB microSD card. The Rise also features 802.11n (WiFi), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and EV-DO Rev. A. It's safe to say that Kyocera is targeting budget audiences with the Rise, but the strategy may work to its advantage if other carriers fail to keep their QWERTY sliders up-to-date with the latest version of Android. No pricing was announced at the show, but we imagine it will be strongly tied to whichever carriers choose to sell it. You'll find our hands-on video after the break.
Kyocera Hydro hands-on (video)
It's been a while since we've seen a Kyocera smartphone for the US market, and if you'll recall, its previous two attempts -- the Milano and Echo -- didn't manage to sway many consumers. Today, the company is adding two new Android handsets to the deck: the Hydro and Rise. True to its name, the Hydro plays off of Kyocera's experience in the waterproof segment, and while it's not mil-spec, the phone's able to withstand submersion at depths of up to one meter for a half-hour. The Hydro is a CDMA handset, although Kyocera is keeping the carrier affiliations -- and pricing -- close to its chest. As with the Rise, we'd expect to see it arrive on Sprint or one of its prepaid brands in the near future. The Hydro will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, and we're pleased to report that the interface is largely unmolested, save for Kyocera's app to conserve battery life -- whether the carrier dictates future changes remains to be seen. Beyond the OS and the waterproof aspect, however, it's rather humdrum in the spec department. It features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 display, a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. Because the screen is an IPS LCD, the quality is definitely a step-above your run-of-the-mill TFT-LCD mainstays, although it's hard to ignore the low-res image quality. The Hydro also offers 512MB of RAM, 2GB of built-in storage and a 2GB microSD card. In terms of connectivity, you'll find 802.11n (WiFi), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and EV-DO Rev. A. The handset itself is comfortable to hold, though its plasticky build materials reinforce the fact that it's a low-end handset. While the Hydro doesn't blaze any new trails, it may very well be suitable for those on a budget who'd like a phone that can handle life's accidents. Follow the break for our hands-on video.
Samsung, Qualcomm start up Alliance for Wireless Power to take on Qi
Wireless power has until now been closely associated with the Wireless Power Consortium's Qi standard. There's now a second proposed common ground in the Alliance for Wireless Power, or A4WP. Samsung and Qualcomm, along with some help from Powermat, SK Telecom, Ever Win Industries, Gill Industries and Peiker Acustic, are making an alternative that allows for "spatial freedom" between your gadget and the charging source, although whether or not that's better than the 1.6-inch distance of the updated Qi spec is left to the imagination. The strategy doesn't just let your device avoid French kissing the charger: it lets you power up through a material besides a metal plate, and it reduces the cost by eliminating repeaters. A4WP should power everything from low-power headsets through to smartphones and tablets, although with partnership talk just getting started at CTIA Wireless 2012, we wouldn't hold off on buying wired-power gadgets in the near future.
