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Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: winter 2014 edition
You don't need to cast bones or read entrails to know that smartphones arrive in predictable cycles. February, home of Mobile World Congress, is likely to see the launch of new handsets from heavy hitters like HTC, Samsung and LG. Those new flagships will rule the mobile hill until the fall, when Apple and Google are likely to wheel out next-gen devices of their own. Sony, meanwhile, recently launched its latest handset, the Z1 Compact, which reverses the "bigger is better" trend to great effect. There may have only been one top-tier phone launching in January, but the phone industry has hardly been hibernating this winter. Two years after Google bought Motorola for $12.5 billion, it sold the rejuvenated handset maker to Lenovo. AT&T, meanwhile, has rejigged its mobile share plans to shrink your monthly data bill; T-Mobile will now pay you to leave your carrier; and we're inching ever closer to a Sprint/T-Mobile merger, the FCC permitting. If you're already on the hunt for a new smartphone, or your deal's only for a few more months left and you like to be prepared, this is your guide to the best handsets on the market.
Sprint's push-to-talk app adds support for six new phones
Sprint is bringing push-to-talk functionality to six new devices today: the Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 3, LG G2, LG G Flex, LG Optimus F3, and the Kyocera Hydro Edge. The feature comes by way of Sprint's Direct Connect Now Android app, and allows user to chirp at friends who are using Sprint's Direct Connect services (and annoy everyone around in the process), as long as both have their feet firmly planted on US soil. In addition to today's announcement, support for the Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy Mega, and Sprint Spark edition Galaxy S4 are expected to arrive soon.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 begins Android 4.4 KitKat rollout in Poland
Sometimes, even the most massive of updates have humble beginnings. This is the case with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, a device that offered Android 4.3 Jelly Bean upon its debut. We all figured it was just a matter of time before an upgrade to 4.4 KitKat became available to users, and it appears Samsung is now ready to offer it -- albeit, on a rather small scale starting in Poland. According to SamMobile, Polish Note 3 owners (for the Snapdragon 800 quad-core version, at least) can now sideload the update through the manufacturer's Kies software. This is a pretty quiet and restrictive launch, so Samsung hasn't officially made any announcements, but we have a feeling that the company's limiting the rollout at first to ensure all of the possible bugs have been squashed prior to worldwide availability.
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: fall 2013
As the leaves turn to gold and flutter from the trees, the Engadget team digs out their scarves and mittens to get ready for the mad rush of phone launches that take place ahead of the holiday season. We've seen big devices (both large and high-profile ones) enter the world over the last few months, including new heavyweights from Apple and Google. Then there's Samsung, Nokia and HTC, which are all following the philosophy that bigger is better. But it's not just on the hardware side that things are getting exciting. T-Mobile's eliminated roaming charges and Verizon is doubling its LTE speeds to a whopping 80 Mbps. AT&T is offering customers a $5 daily pass for internet and is making mobile share plans the standard rather than the exception. Of course, if you'd prefer unlimited data, Sprint is promising that its Spark LTE will beat the field -- but it's currently only available in NYC, LA, Chicago, Tampa and Miami. Whether you're looking for a smartphone right now, or if your contract is about to expire, this is your guide to the best ones on the market.
This week on gdgt: Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 Jawbone's Mini Jambox, and iMessage issues
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
Samsung reportedly not alone in cheating Android benchmarks
Samsung has come under fire this week for allegedly inflating the benchmark scores for the Galaxy Note 3 among other Android devices, but -- shocker -- the company is not alone in enhancing scores. AnandTech just published a report that shows ASUS, HTC and other companies using the same "benchmark detect" function to artificially bump up the numbers. According to the site, virtually all OEMs run a CPU optimization on at least one of their devices, save for Apple, Google's Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 and Motorola's latest crop of phones. Dishonesty aside, though, what's the big to-do about these inflated scores? AnandTech found that companies notched less than a 10-percent performance boost in AnTuTu and Vellamo. And when's the last time you based your smartphone purchase on benchmark scores alone, anyway?
Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear now on sale in the UK
If you've been looking to get your hands on Samsung's new Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear, boom, they're here. The company has kicked off another of its world tours to announce availability of its 5.7-inch smartphone and new smartwatch in 58 countries. In the UK, an unlocked Galaxy Note 3 will set you back £649 but it's also available on nearly all of the major carriers (we're still waiting to hear from Three) -- starting at around £30 on a traditional contract, or free if you decide to sign up to a new early-upgrader tariff. The Galaxy Gear retails at £299, but Samsung thinks you could use a £100 discount if you bundle it with an unlocked Galaxy Note 3, for a total cost of £848. Customers in the US, Canada and Japan, however, will have to wait 'til October -- though pre-orders are already open.
Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear smartwatch for Sprint: ships October 4th with 'unlimited data for life'
As has become the norm, Sprint's primary differentiator is its "unlimited data for life" policy affixed to new flagships. Granted, the carrier isn't promising that the amount it charges for said data will remain the same for life, but at least you'll have the option to pony up for it. Following the footsteps of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, Sprint has announced that its version of the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear watch will arrive on shelves October 4th. The former will cost $349.99 on a two-year contract (a full $50 more than most of its rivals), while the latter will go for $299.99 outright. Outside of being compatible with Sprint's LTE airwaves and including a bit of carrier-branded bloatware, the handset itself will be the same one that we've previewed extensively.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 goes up for pre-order September 18th on T-Mobile
Get your giant hands ready, T-Mobile subscribers. The Un-Carrier announced this morning that the latest version of Samsung's phamed phablet will be going up for pre-order September 18th. Pick it up through the Simple Choice Plan, and the 5.7-inch handset'll run you $199 down plus $21 a month for 24 months. As noted earlier, the Note 3 will be hitting T-Mob's stores and site on October 2nd, along with the $299 Galaxy Gear Smartwatch.
Leaked Verizon doc prices Galaxy Note 3 at $699 retail, $299 with contract, $599 if you bundle the watch
AT&T and T-Mobile customers already know what they will have to cough up if they want to squeeze Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 into their pockets. Verizon customers, however, are currently in the dark -- despite big red encouraging you commit in advance all the same. A reportedly leaked document received by AndroidSPIN pegs the phone at $699 sans-contract, or $299 if you sign on the dotted line for a two-year fling. Verizon seems keen to bundle in the Galaxy Gear, too, offering a joint package for $599 should you want to go all in. The pricing-curtain officially lifts at 9am ET, but here's a head start if you need to count those beans. Take a squint at the image yourself past the break.
Verizon announces first US pre-order date for Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear: September 6th at 9AM ET
The Big Four (that'd be Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T) have all confirmed that they'll be stocking Samsung's newly-introduced Galaxy Gear and Galaxy Note 3, but none of 'em have been bold enough as to give us two precious details: pricing and availability. We're still waiting for the damage, but VZW has come forward and alerted its customers that pre-orders will open up on September 6th. Given that the Note 3 just sailed through the FCC (and that the Gear is due to land in October), we're guessing that you'll have to wait anywhere from one to eight weeks for shipment. We'll keep you posted if we hear anything more concrete. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Samsung details new S Pen with Air Command feature for Galaxy Note 3
Samsung's just officially announced the Galaxy Note 3 at its big IFA event, and its not so surprisingly spent a lot of time talking about the phone's brand new S Pen. In addition to bringing with it slightly new design, the pen also enables a number of new features on the phone. The biggest of those is the new Air Command functionality, which is a small pop-up window that's brought up automatically by the S Pen and offers quick access to features like Action Memo (which can link memos to actions), a scrapbook, the S Finder search option, and the updated S Note, which can sync content with your PC and tablet through Evernote. Fans of the Note's flip covers will also be glad to know that they can now also use the S Pen with the cover closed. Check out our full Galaxy Note 3 preview for a closer look at the S Pen's new features and, of course, the phone itself. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Samsung Galaxy Note 3: What's changed?
Another IFA, another Galaxy Note -- that's how it goes, ever since Samsung launched its first version of the phablet two years ago in Berlin. The company's latest S-Pen-wielding handset is upon us, with a bevy of hardware and software updates as expected. Does this year's device bring some game-changing tweaks, or is the Note 3 more of an incremental refresh of its predecessor? Jump past the break for a full spec-by-spec comparison of the two super-phones. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 makes official debut with 5.7-inch 1080p screen and faux-leather back, available September 25th
Samsung's annual IFA presser is typically its Galaxy Note coming-out party and this year is no different. JK Shin, the Korean company's President and CEO, has just announced the line's latest addition: the Galaxy Note 3. With a renewed emphasis on how it feels in hand, Samsung has built this Note with a faux-leather back, which should go a long way towards silencing critics of the company's former plastic-reliant ways. It also comes pre-loaded with Knox, the company's secure BYOD solution, support for super-fast LTE Category 4, runs Android 4.3 and touts integration with the just announced Galaxy Gear smartwatch. The new Galaxy Note 3 stretches past the dimensions of its predecessor with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED screen (vs 5.5-inches), 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 or 1.9GHz Exynos Octa CPU, 3GB RAM, weighs 168 grams and comes in three distinct colors -- one of which is pink (!). On the inside, the Note 3's been imbued with a 3,200mAh cell -- hopefully, that's enough juice to carry on the line's phenomenal battery life. The rear camera is of the 13-megapixel variety and packs optical image stabilization for HD video recording. As for its release date, Shin did confirm that it will ship in 32GB and 64GB versions globally beginning on September 25th, and in October for the US and Japan. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
