galaxy s relay 4g
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Isis' NFC payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City: 3 carriers, 9 phones, 1 long way to go (video)
To say that the launch of Isis has felt drawn out would be a mild understatement. The alliance first signaled its intentions two years ago, detailed its first markets one year ago and faced a last-minute delay. All the ducks are finally in a row, however, and residents of both Austin as well as Salt Lake City can tap to pay (or score discounts) at the "hundreds" of locations that accept NFC-based purchases through American Express, Capital One, Chase and Isis' own cash card. Launch day brings app- and SIM-enabled access for nine devices spread rather unevenly across AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon: only the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is confirmed working for Verizon subscribers, while the rest are divided more equally between multiple Samsung Galaxies and HTC devices like the Amaze 4G and One X. Over 20 phones should be Isis-aware before the end of the year. It's a potentially strong start to one of the few truly cross-network mobile payment systems in the US, but we see a long road ahead before Isis gives Google Wallet some jitters -- there's legions of banks, cities and stores needed before Isis is widespread, and we're not counting on that ever-elusive universal hardware support.
Isis makes October 22nd mobile payment launch official, vows 20 capable phones by year's end
While we could easily see this coming, it's still good to hear the news more directly: Isis has confirmed that its delayed mobile wallet system will arrive on October 22nd. The company's marketing lead Jaymee Johnson tells us that the NFC-based commerce should start in the previously mentioned Austin and Salt Lake City areas. We haven't been given a formal device list, but "as many as" 20 smartphones should be compatible by the end of the year. We can think of at least four. More details will follow on the day in question, although we already know that the cash-averse will need an Isis app, a special SIM card and compatible SmartTap terminals at stores. That's a lot of conditions that have to be satisfied just to lighten the strain on our pockets -- all the same, we'll take it when the alternatives are moving slowly.
Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G bringing keyboard, longwinded name to T-Mobile September 19th
We knew it was arriving soon, but until now, we weren't exactly sure what T-Mobile meant when it said the Relay 4G was hitting in the "coming weeks." Now the magenta carrier is putting the release of the QWERTY handset formerly known as the also verbose Galaxy S Blaze Q at September 19th. The slider will run you and your thumbs $150 with a two-year contract, after a $50 mail-in rebate.
Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G shows off all sides, sticks with new name
The saga of Samsung's Galaxy S Relay 4G (né Galaxy S Blaze Q) continues. In this latest episode, we're presented with an annotated set of pictures showing each side of the device -- courtesy of Samsung's very own US support site. Of course, this further confirms the handset's new name, which is just as terrible as the old name. No matter -- if you're a fan of QWERTY sliders this is definitely a phone to keep an eye on. While the full specs remain a mystery, previous leaks have confirmed HSPA+ 42Mbps support for T-Mobile's AWS network, a 4-inch screen (probably not HD) and a dual-core 1.5GHz processor (likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4). There's still no word on pricing or availability, but an official announcement can't be far behind, right?%Gallery-162860%
Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q may be renamed to equally awkward Galaxy S Relay 4G (update: image)
The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q might have missed the August 15th date mentioned in its leaked press shot, but a rumored name change would still put the future T-Mobile device in the running for the most convoluted phone name ever. Although there's a distinct lack of tangible evidence -- take this with a grain of salt -- the usually reliable TmoNews hears Samsung's TouchWiz-infused QWERTY slider will be called the Galaxy S Relay 4G when it ships. No, we're not feeling it, either. While there's no word on an updated release date, we'd at least like the earlier claims of a Snapdragon S4 to be true so that the phone is worthy of the respect the name isn't providing. Update: Just in case there was any doubt, TmoNews has snagged a training document that shows the new name and mentions a 1.5GHz processor of an unknown make (likely the S4), a 4-inch display, S Voice and support for mobile hotspots.
