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Droid Charge to revive its battery via induction, completes Verizon's Qi-based trifecta
After many unexplained delays, Verizon's Droid Charge has coaxed many anxious consumers toward the edge of their seats, but we've now uncovered a tidbit that's sure to drive these folks up the wall -- an FCC document confirms this elusive Droid supports inductive charging. Just like the Thunderbolt and Revolution, the Charge uses Qi-based technology to accomplish this wizardry, which combines an optional back plate that pairs nicely with Big Red's forthcoming charging pad. As for the launch of the phone, we've stopped holding our breath. Many local Verizon resellers report the handset is in stock, however the carrier seems content in toying with the hearts of its devotees. Jump the break for a quick peek at the FCC label, which admittedly is rather bland... although it delivers the proof we all desire.
Verizon's Droid Charge expected to invade Costco, beckons with free ravioli samples
The Droid Charge, our recently reviewed silent knight for Verizon, is expected to blaze into stores this week now that its retail embargo has lifted. Of course, this news comes like a blast of cold air following news that the handset would be indefinitely delayed. Android Central shares all the juicy details (thanks to a gutsy Costco employee), with the warehouse club expecting shipments to arrive on Thursday. As a side note, if you're intimidated by the $300 price tag, Costco's inventory screen suggests it will sell the phone for $250. Of course, given Verizon's hesitancy in bringing this LTE device to market, any additional hiccups wouldn't exactly surprise us, but if you're willing to brave those warehouse crowds and there's nary a Charge in sight, at least there's plenty of tasty morsels to nibble on.
Droid Charge review
We're still shaking our heads and sighing longingly at the performance of Samsung's Galaxy S II, a phone that wowed us in Europe but likely won't be coming to American shores for some time -- and who knows what it'll look like when it does. But don't get too down, dear reader, because here comes another slice of Samsung and this slab has that same 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display tucked in there. It's a little less slim, a little less classy, and a little less quick than Sammy's latest world-conquering wunderphone, but the LTE-equipped Charge is a proper contender in its own right. Read on to see why.
Verizon freezes Droid Charge launch indefinitely, blaming 'unexpected delays' (update)
Can't say we're surprised by this, but turns out Verizon's decided to delay the launch of its Samsung Droid Charge -- originally scheduled for today -- at the very last minute. According to an internal email we obtained, the blame's on "unexpected delays" and no new date has yet been set. This makes sense, considering it wouldn't do Verizon much good to launch a new 4G Android when its LTE service is still down (for over 24 hours and still counting). Ah well, this 4.3-incher better be worth the wait. [Thanks, Anonymous] Update: We're hearing reports that LTE is gradually being restored across the states, and our own Myriam Joire also sees 4G connection in San Francisco. That said, at this stage it's unlikely that the Droid Charge will resume launch today. Update 2: Apparently the folks at Target aren't picking up what Verizon's putting down, as a tipster has told us it's releasing the Charge today as planned. Picture's after the break.
Droid Charge gets semi-unboxed behind the scenes at Best Buy
Still not convinced of the Droid Charge's inevitable release? Well here's some photographic evidence direct from a Best Buy backroom, you cynics! Our tipster was too excited about his triumph to tame Mr. Blurrycam or even finish unboxing Verizon's Froyo-packing handset, so the rest of us will have to wait until tomorrow for some clear shots of Samsung's 1GHz LTE beast from all angles. With luck, the unit above should be fully unboxed by then. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Samsung's LTE-enabled Droid Charge coming to Verizon on April 28th for $300 on contract
Ready for the era of $300 superphones? We know, we aren't either, but the addition of LTE seems to be justification enough for Verizon Wireless and Samsung to toss a $299.99 subsidized price on the latter's newest handset. After being leaked a few times over, the borderline-ominous phone is finally getting official. April 28th is the day, with consumers then able to grab a 4.3-inch AMOLED Plus display, rear-facing 8 megapixel camera, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing shooter, 1GHz processor, Android 2.2 and LTE support. Unlimited 4G data plans are still being hawked for $29.99, and while the entry price definitely stings, having mobile hotspot for "no additional charge" is certainly a perk. Might want to be first in line, though -- that last snippet will only be offered for "a limited time." %Gallery-121989%
Samsung releases Droid Charge source code ahead of phone's launch
This isn't right... this isn't right at all. As a possible tip of the hat to enthusiastic coders, or merely a curious oversight, the source code for Verizon's forthcoming Droid Charge has appeared on Samsung's open source portal. Nothing earth-shattering here (as we've known of this 1GHz LTE handset for a while), but we reckon there's a few industrious readers who will appreciate hacking this Droid's software ahead of launch. So if you count yourself among that bunch, follow the source link and type 'SCH-I510' in the search box -- happy coding!
Droid Charge shows its colors in Verizon training docs, Droid Bionic gets killed off?
Samsung gave us the basic specs on day one, but Verizon's sparing no detail this week, as it trains employees how to effectively sell the LTE-packed Droid Charge to those of us who live and die by how many devices we can connect to our hotspot (10) and size of our bundled microSD card (32GB). Droid-Life brings us those revelations, while Phone Arena has a rumor somewhat upsetting if true -- that site's anonymous tipsters claim that the Droid Bionic is no more. They say that the Atrix-alike's Tegra 2 processor wasn't playing nice with Verizon's LTE baseband chips and had overheating issues too, and rather than expend more effort to fix the incompatibilities, Motorola simply gave it the boot. However, Phone Arena's quick to mention that the "Droid Bionic" name may live on, as Moto will allegedly be grooming the top-shelf Targa to replace it. We're reaching out to Verizon right now, and expect we'll have an official "we do not comment on rumors and speculation" before long. Update: Motorola tells the Wall Street Journal that the Droid Bionic has been delayed.
Samsung's Droid Charge spotted in leaked promo material, multimedia dock in tow
Like it or not, it's a Big Red kind of day. The latest VZW news to splash down in our inbox is the shot you see above -- the first hint of promotional material surrounding Samsung's Droid Charge. If you'll recall, this phone began its (public) life at CES 2011 sans a name, but as a source correctly predicted, the name shown above will be the one that sticks. Proving that the Atrix 4G setup was more than just a fluke, Sammy's also showcasing a must-have peripheral: the multimedia desktop dock. Said accessory ships with a built-in battery charger and spare cell, but with no apparent signs of a video output, we're having a hard time getting too hot and bothered.
Confirmed: Samsung SCH-i510 LTE phone to be named Droid Charge
Remember that Samsung LTE phone for Verizon we saw at CES -- you know, that nameless one? Well, according to the picture you see above sent by a trusted source, Verizon has decided to undertake the Droid naming scheme. The newly coined SCH-i510, if you recall, packs an 8 megapixel shooter on back, a front-facing cam and a Super AMOLED Plus display. At this point, we're uncertain which version of Android the Droid Charge will be running once it hits shelves, but last we saw it was running 2.2 with TouchWiz. No word on pricing or a release date as of yet, but you can rest assured that we'll be keeping you in the loop.