G2
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Panasonic GF2 rumored to be announced this week, released early 2011
There still isn't much in the way of actual details or pictures, but 4/3 Rumors is reporting that it's heard from sources who say the Panasonic GF2 Micro Four Thirds camera (successor to the GF1) will be announced as soon as next week. What's more, those same sources say that the camera will be the smallest mirrorless camera to date, and that it will use the Panasonic G2 12-megapixel sensor. That rumor is further backed up by a new listing for a GF2 at the Korean Radio Research Agency, although that unfortunately doesn't provide any details beyond the name. You might not want to ditch your GF1 just yet, though -- while camera will supposedly be announced next week, it apparently won't actually be released until sometime early next year. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
T-Mobile G2 overclocked to 1.4GHz, starts blitzing benchmarks (video)
Well now, that didn't take very long. T-Mobile's G2 (aka the HTC Vision) has been let off its leash, and there's no getting it back now. XDA-developers member coolbho3000 has posted his overclock module, which takes an already fast phone and make it considerably more perky. He started at a modest 1GHz, but kept on pushing up to 1.42GHz -- though there's potential to go even higher. All this despite T-Mobile's attempts at preventing hacking, but certainly seeming to allow for a fair bit of tweaking. You can download all you need at the source link, or if you'd rather just live vicariously there's video proof after the break. [Thanks, Brandon]
T-Mobile won't confirm the G2 OTA update, says it's working to deliver WiFi calling and tethering 'in the future'
We're still not sure what's up with the few reports of G2s receiving OTA updates that add WiFi calling and native hotspot support, but T-Mobile isn't fessing up to them just yet. In a statement issued to Phone Scoop, T-Mobile said that these features "are not currently supported" on the handset, although T-Mobile thankfully added that it "knows these features are important to consumers and we're working to deliver them to G2 users in the future." It's hard to tell if that means an update is just minutes away from widespread distribution, or if we've still got weeks or months to wait for these features. Familiar story?
T-Mobile G2 getting an OTA update to add WiFi calling and tethering?
It almost sounds too good to be true, but apparently some G2s are getting an official (if stealthy) OTA update from T-Mobile that adds the inexplicably withheld Android 2.2 native internet tethering back into the phone, along with the UMA WiFi calling T-Mobile plans to offer on all of its forthcoming Android handsets. What's not to love? Well, so far our G2 hasn't been offered the update, which is, like, totally unfair. Also, if you've been messing around with a "soft root" on your G2, you'll probably want to hold off for now. Still, if this is legit and meant for the masses it's a pretty major score for current and prospective G2 owners: WiFi calling is basically a beautiful dream short of a desirable handset, and of course tethering is becoming a requirement in this Android-age.
T-Mobile G2 review
It's been a long road to the T-Mobile G2 (and this review). Just two years ago, Android made its entrance into the smartphone market with the G1, a partnership with the fourth-place carrier, and a lot of promises about keeping things open. Since then we've seen the likes of the Droid family, Google's Nexus One, and the powerhouses that are the Samsung Galaxy S line -- to name a few. Yes, the Android landscape has become more than just a little crowded. But of those many, there are few who leap beyond what we've come to expect from the Google-backed enterprise into the realm of the top tier. For all the Android devices you can purchase, only a few rise above the noise. At a glance, the G2 looks like one of those handsets -- designed and manufactured by HTC (and known as the Desire Z in Europe), outfitted with a (nearly) stock build of Android 2.2, and equipped with T-Mobile's new HSPA+, which the carrier claims can offer network speeds nearly equivalent to 4G. So is the G2 the sum of its parts -- the pure Android experience you've been waiting for -- or does it fall short of the hype? Find out below in the full Engadget review! %Gallery-104433%
T-Mobile G2 said to have 'hardware rootkit' that restricts modifications (update: confirmed)
Say it with us now: "Here we go again." Just months after a particular eFuse predicament left legions of Droid X owners fuming, it seems that an all-too-familiar scenario is presenting itself to the earliest of T-Mobile G2 buyers. As the story goes, there's a problematic microchip embedded into the handset which "prevents device owners from making permanent changes that allow custom modifications to the Android operating system." That's according to a lengthy New America report on the issue, which outright proclaims that a hardware rootkit "restricts modifications to a device owned by the user." In other words, if you install some fishy (or not fishy, for that matter) third party ROM, the phone is capable of overriding your software changes and reinstalling the original firmware -- makes perfect sense considering how earlier roots were "vanishing" post-reboot. Needless to say, this isn't exactly going over well with the tinkering community, and a 40+ page thread has already exploded over at xda developers. The silver lining isn't tough to spot, though -- chances are someone with ample time and sufficient coding skills will be able to circumvent this nonsense by the time the G2 actually finds its way back into stock. Update: And now T-Mobile confirms our worst fears. If you're looking to root, you best look elsewhere. Here's the full statement from the carrier: "As pioneers in Android-powered mobile devices, T-Mobile and HTC strive to support innovation. The T-Mobile G2 is a powerful and highly customizable Android-powered smartphone, which customers can personalize and make their own, from the look of their home screen to adding their favorite applications and more. The HTC software implementation on the G2 stores some components in read-only memory as a security measure to prevent key operating system software from becoming corrupted and rendering the device inoperable. There is a small subset of highly technical users who may want to modify and re-engineer their devices at the code level, known as "rooting," but a side effect of HTC's security measure is that these modifications are temporary and cannot be saved to permanent memory. As a result the original code is restored."
T-Mobile no longer accepting G2 pre-orders due to 'overwhelming demand'
Already got your pre-order in for the T-Mobile G2? Then you should count yourself lucky, as the carrier has updated its website for the phone with the short and sweet notice that "due to overwhelming demand, we're no longer accepting pre-orders for the T-Mobile G2." It does note, however, that you'll still be able to buy the phone online starting tomorrow (though there's no guarantee when it'll ship) or, of course, at your local T-Mobile store. Then again, you could also try your luck at a few stores today, considering that official October 6th launch date isn't exactly set in stone.
T-Mobile G2 on sale right now
West of the Rockies? Want a T-Mobile G2 before (practically) anyone else? You may be able to grab your HSPA+ handset right now. We had it on good authority that T-Mobile corporate decided to match Radio Shack and release the G2 three days early, but we got a pleasant surprise when we called to verify that fact -- several stores in California, Oregon and Washington state said we could buy one today if we wanted, and even those who didn't said they'd have it tomorrow if we could bear the wait. Of course, it's less than two hours to closing on the west coast and we can't guarantee the handsets are there -- so give them a call yourself -- and be sure to buckle up if you plan to rush out. It also couldn't hurt to read our full preview, of course, and if you grab one please do let us know how your hinges hold up. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
T-Mobile G2 gets rooted, believe it or not
Who would've thought that a new Android device -- much less an HTC -- would get rooted? Quickly, no less? Okay, so this isn't the first piece of somewhat-obvious news we've had to report today, but it's newsworthy nonetheless: instructions are now online for obtaining root on your shiny new G2, albeit temporarily. It seems that the current hack vanishes into thin air once you reboot... but you know how this goes: we're certain that we're just days (if not hours, or minutes) away from a permanent solution. In the meantime, you know, just don't reboot. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
T-Mobile G2 trouble roundup: loose hinges, missing storage?
You know the drill -- new handset, new problems. It's pretty much inevitable that sporadic reports of bugs and hardware problems are going to start popping up by day two of any major phone launch, and sure enough, complaints are starting to circulate on two biggies for the G2. First off, some of the phones are shipping with loose hinges; the most obvious symptom is that holding it upside down causes the screen to hang down, but perhaps more annoyingly, holding it at some angles causes the screen to snap shut if it's open -- still not a huge deal since most humans don't use their phones upside down, but it seems like they could've tightened up a few springs to prevent this from happening. Secondly -- and more strangely -- at least some G2s in the field appear to have half the promised storage space of 4GB, clocking in at a total of 2GB, which just happens to be the amount promised on the phone's Desire Z doppelganger. We're not sure how that kind of mix-up happens... but if it's legit, T-Mobile's got to take back the units or offer really big microSD cards to affected customers, if you ask us. More on this as it develops -- and let us know your experiences so far in comments. [Thanks to everyone who sent these in]
T-Mobile G2 gets an early unboxing
T-Mobile's official street date for the G2 is Wednesday next week, but we knew some pre-orderers would be getting the phone early, and it looks like we've already got an unboxing to show for it. Rugged, free-spirited tipster Silverwolfe did the honors, and even managed to size the phone up against the original G2 while he was at it. Check out a few shots below, or hit up the source link for the full gallery. %Gallery-103894%
Engadget Podcast 214 - 09.30.2010
We thought about calling this podcast "Unchained Melody" or "The Engadget Podcast: RAW" but our COO got a little concerned about violating some sort of intellectual property laws, so you just get the plain vanilla name. Regardless, it is quite a monster, complete with a radio play set in an AT&T store and 3-D versions of Jerry Seinfeld and Jar-Jar Binks. Dunno how else we can sell you on this one. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay PatelProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: The Addams Family AT&T Store music: El Remolon - Riki Ticki00:02:37 - T-Mobile G2 now shipping to some pre-orderers00:03:45 - T-Mobile G2 preview00:06:30 - Editorial: Firmware, forums, and desperation -- the dark side of Android hacking00:08:00 - Apple TV review (2010)00:13:15 - Roku adding Hulu Plus channel this fall00:14:32 - Hulu Plus coming to TiVo Premiere too00:24:38 - Roku XDS review00:36:18 - Sony's Google TV makes an early public appearance, reveals little00:43:45 - RIM introduces PlayBook -- the BlackBerry tablet00:50:00 - BlackBerry PlayBook first eyes-on!00:57:20 - HTC Mondrian stars in leaked AT&T ad campaign, jump-kicks lesser smartphones? (video)00:58:02 - LG's Optimus 7 gets previewed by Korean newspaper, has voice to text feature?01:21:30 - Sony Ericsson LiveView acts as a 1.3-inch remote control for your smartphone, requires Android 2.0Hear the podcastSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
RadioShack to sell T-Mobile G2 'first' starting on October 3rd
If you were proactive enough to pre-order a T-Mobile G2, there's a better-than-average chance that your shiny new smartphone is already en route to your abode. For those who slept in, it looks as if RadioShack will be the go-to place if you're looking to snag one early from the retail universe. According to the badly formatted flyer pictured above, The Shack will be the first B&M location to stock the US version of the HTC Desire Z, and it'll be hawking 'em for $149.99 on a two-year postpaid contract starting October 3rd. Got that penciled into your little black book? Good. [Thanks, Anonymous]
T-Mobile G2 now shipping to some pre-orderers
You can't grab one of these bad boys from your local store just yet -- you'll have to wait until early October for that -- but some current T-Mobile customers who'd pre-ordered the G2 (including our own Myriam Joire) are reporting that their devices have shipped. That means we'll probably see at least a few of these showing up in excited forum threads tomorrow, and a whole phalanx of 'em by week's end. Get those QWERTY thumbs oiled and warmed up, folks. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
T-Mobile G2 preview
Well, well, well... would you look at what we found lounging around Best Buy's NYC holiday event! Yes, indeed, it's the T-Mobile G2 (the US version of the HTC Desire Z if you happen to think it looks familiar). After months of leaks and blurry shots we finally got to check out T-Mobile and HTC's G1 replacement, and it's got everything we've been waiting for -- a 3.7-inch display, Android 2.2, 4GB of internal memory, an 800MHz Snapdragon processor and a 5 megapixel cam with a flash. Oh, what's it like to use? That answer, dear friends, is after the break along with a hands-on video. %Gallery-103543%
T-Mobile G2 pre-orders go live for current customers, available to all on October 6
Just as promised, T-Mobile has started offering its subscribers that "exclusive access" to early G2 pre-orders. There have been a couple of early hiccups with the pre-order page for that select group, but they're being ironed out as we type and there's also word that the rest of us unwashed Android geeks will be able to join in on October 6. One of our tipsters forwarded along a bill for his purchase showing the phone to be valued at $249.99 and an estimated delivery date of September 30. That's quite the steep entry fee, considering Best Buy will have the phone on October 6 as well for just under $200 and Radio Shack is undercutting all with a $150 price on the typical two-year contract. [Thanks, Justin and Wei] Update: Our tipster's $250 levy is before the standard $50 mail-in rebate, making for the predictable $200 price when all's said and done.
T-Mobile G2 pre-orders starting tomorrow for current customers, it seems
T-Mobile has had a longstanding tradition of giving current customers first dibs on pre-orders for hot products, and it looks like the upcoming G2 will be no exception. TmoNews has a rather telling screen shot suggesting that T-Mobile subscribers will be able to sign up for the Android-powered QWERTY slider starting tomorrow through October 4, with retail availability following a couple days later on the 6th; we've already had that date on lock through Best Buy Mobile, so it comes as no surprise. From what we've seen so far, the G2 and the Desire Z are pretty easy to fall in love with -- trust us when we say the hinge mechanism is exquisite -- so who's signing up tomorrow?
HTC Desire Z hands-on (update: more pics and video)
We've just gotten to grips with HTC's luscious new Desire Z slider (you'll know it as the T-Mobile G2 in the US) and it is indeed a slab of finely crafted metal. That Z hinge that the company is touting feels pretty robust, requiring a reassuring amount of torque to get it to spring open. And it really is a spring, it flips from closed to open instantaneously. The QWERTY button array feels pretty terrific, giving us just the right amount of responsiveness, while separation between keys feels a lot more spacious than the images would lead you to believe. It's also worth noting that, exactly as HTC promised in its keynote, the Desire Z has one of the most accessible top rows in the slider smartphone business. We honestly didn't think there was a difference between typing on it versus any of the other rows. That's quite the feat, and easily positions this as the best competitor to Nokia's newly announced E7. Are we witnessing a QWERTY renaissance? We sure hope so. Check out the gallery below and hands-on video after the break. Update: Added a second video to demonstrate the Z's ridiculously fast startup and more under Android 2.2 Froyo.%Gallery-102286%
HTC finally throws T-Mobile G2 up on its site, lays out the final specifications
We've theoretically had nearly all of these numbers confirmed piece by piece, but there's something eerily comforting about HTC tossing it all together on a single page for our perusal. As anticipated, the HTC-built T-Mobile G2 will be powered by an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor, and it'll boast Android 2.2, 4GB of ROM, 512B of RAM, a 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen as well as a five megapixel camera with auto focus and flash. There's also aGPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and a 1300mAh battery, all of which may or may not cause you to drool. Hit the source link if you need to see for yourself. [Thanks, David]
T-Mobile G2 gets $150 price tag at Radio Shack
You didn't rush out and grab that Best Buy pre-order while it was still hot and steaming, did you? Radio Shack's decided to step up its charm offensive with any potential G2 owners in the best way possible: by chopping $50 off the upfront price for the handset via an instant rebate. So, Amazon et al, care to outbid this daring ploy for affection with your own discounts?
