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Motorola Motosmart Mix XT550 masks its middling specs with a set of nice headphones
HTC may be over the idea of including premium earbuds with its smartphones, but Motorola is stepping up to give it the ol' college try with its Motosmart Mix XT550. The phone will sell in China for ¥1,699 and is targeted at "people who really care about music." Along with the bundled set of headphones, you'll also discover a dedicated button to open the Sina Micro Music application. Beyond these selling points, however, the handset is a bit behind the curve. The XT550 features Android 2.3.6, a Qualcomm MSM7255A SoC with an 800MHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 3-megapixel camera and a 4-inch, HVGA display. On a positive note, the 1,735mAh battery is said to provide up to 30 hours of music playback. All things considered, however, we're inclined to agree: you'd have to "really care about music" to spring for this one. Undeterred? You'll find the full PR after the break.
PSA: LG Optimus Elite available today on Virgin Mobile USA for $150
If you were one of those who jumped on last week's pre-order, chances are you're eagerly waiting for this Virgin-branded Optimus Elite to show up at your doorstep today. For those who decided to wait it out, however, you'll be happy to know LG's Gingerbread slab is now up for grabs at "major" retail shops in the States as well as Virgin Mobile USA's site. The contract-free flavor of the Optimus Elite carries a $149.99 price tag, which isn't a bad deal when you take into consideration its NFC and Google Wallet capabilities -- that said, its biggest trait's likely to be that lack of a two-year commitment. So, hit the source link below if you'd like one of these for yourself, or you could always take a quick road trip to one of your favorite stores.
New Baidu Cloud phone unveiled: Changhong H5018 with 100GB of cloud storage
That new Baidu Cloud phone we told you about last week? You're looking right at it! Following the flagship Dell Streak Pro D43 (which was branded with what was then known as Baidu Yi aka version 1.0 of the platform), this Foxconn-built Changhong H5018 is the second smartphone to have its Android Gingerbread system enhanced by Baidu, meaning it'll come with 300GB of cloud storage space (instead of the old 100GB), voice search, voice control and a set of other online services offered by the Chinese search giant. As for the hardware itself, we're looking at a 10.3mm-thick matte chassis housing a 650MHz MTK6573 processor, a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display, a three-megapixel camera and a non-removable 1,400mAh battery, all of which would explain that highly affordable CN¥899 (US$140) off-contract price tag. That said, you'll still find a dual-SIM (WCDMA plus GSM) tray and a microSD slot hidden beneath the bottom cover. Not sure where ZTE is on this one, but for now, you can head over to Sina Tech for its hands-on report and photos. Update: Baidu just confirmed that it's actually the same old 100GB of cloud storage, so somehow Sina Tech got lucky with its 300GB edition. We'll let you know when we hear more.
How would you change the Kobo Vox?
Kobo is the underdog trying to scrape points while the e-reader heavy hitters of Amazon and B&N duke it out. The Vox was the Canadian outfits response to the Nook and Kindle Fire, but despite a similar price tag, our e-reader expert found that its last-generation hardware was no match for the big boys. That said, plenty of people must have bought them so tell us; how has it been? Do you regret shunning the other two for it, or does it have hidden charms that we didn't see first time around? Let us know in the comments below.
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Sprint reassured us with optimism for Windows Phone 8, and T-Mobile's CEO found a new partner to continue the fight against Verizon's AWS acquisition. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 7th, 2012.
Konka W900 hands-on
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, consider Konka the number one practitioner of that "craft." The company, (in)famous for its OEM-copycatting ways, has set up a booth here at CTIA 2012, letting us get some up close and personal time with its W900. The HTC-esque handset, previously released at this past Mobile World Congress, is yet another in a line of underwhelming Android offerings that subsists on design without delivering on performance. Although, the phone's official spec sheet lists it as running Ice Cream Sandwich, the build we encountered was actually that of Gingerbread 2.3.6 -- a very buggy version, at that. So, don't let your eyes deceive you, what you're seeing on the homescreen is simply a third-party launcher made to ape ICS's more streamlined UI. Beneath that 4-inch WVGA display lies quadband GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900) and WCDMA (2100) radios, VGA front-facing / rear 5-megapixel cameras, in addition to support for WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth. Unfortunately, the company couldn't confirm what processor's powering this lackluster affair. But no matter, this is one uneven device you can safely ignore. Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report.
Blue Droid RAZR heading to Verizon on May 17th, Ice Cream Sandwich nowhere to be found
Blue your favorite color? Have a thing for 7.1mm thin slabs? Then today's your lucky day. Verizon just announced an azure flavor of its exquisite Droid RAZR is set to hit its physical and virtual shelves next week -- though, it could show up at brick and mortar shops a wee bit earlier than that. Aside from the most recent paint job, this Droid RAZR isn't changing much, meaning you'll still get that admirable 4.3-inch, qHD display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU and Android 2.3 onboard (worry not, ICS should be coming soon). For now, gather up your cash and pay your nearest Big Red store a visit -- who knows, you might just get lucky.
Alcatel OneTouch 995 hands-on
Alcatel's OneTouch 995 first graced our pages back in November, promising pumped-up specs and a departure from the company's traditional low-end lineup. We've now managed to lay our hands upon the device, and while it sports only Gingerbread (which contradicts those Ice Cream Sandwich rumors), it's really quite nice -- especially given the low price. While the hardware is relatively unassuming, that's not a bad thing. Instead, the OneTouch 995 manages to include just enough quality components to make the handset both attractive and functional. It features a 1.4GHz CPU, along with an admirable 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 IPS LCD display and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. We were also pleased to see a stock Android 2.3 interface, and Alcatel's addition of a micro-HDMI port with DLNA support is most definitely welcome. The enclosure itself is quite plasticky, but it's also comfortable to hold. We're told the OneTouch 995 will arrive on the market in the near-term, and will sell in the neighborhood of $270. As an important feature for some, it'll also be available in a variety of colors. To see the company's finest handset to date, be sure to check out our gallery below. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
Unnecto Quattro hands-on (video)
It's Italian for the number four and also the name of a certain German auto, but Unnecto's latest device bearing that very moniker has little to do with either. In fact, the star feature of this low-end Android 2.3.5 handset, shown off on the CTIA 2012 show floor, is its ability to accommodate dual-SIMs. Yes, much like the touchscreen-only TAP that preceded it, this phone offers users with multiple lines the option to pack two SIMs -- full-sized and micro -- for easy account switching. Spec-wise, the 4-inch handset's not much to get hot and bothered about, loaded up as it is with a middling 800 x 480 TFT display, VGA front-facing / rear 5 megapixel cameras, 4GB of storage (augmented by a pre-loaded 8GB microSD) and a 1,400mAh battery. There's no dual-core running under the hood either, just a lone 650MHz MediaTek 6573 processor and it shows given that our brief hands-on with the preliminary software was riddled with lags and stutters. Keep in mind the phone's still a work in progress and that mostly stock UI will eventually ship sometime this June with a customized overlay. An upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich is also purportedly on deck for Q4, but we're somewhat skeptical the single core handset could even support it. As for the price, well that all important bit is still up in the air, although we've been told it should retail between $150 to $200. If you're interested in buying what Unnecto's selling, check out the gallery below and hop on past the break for a brief video demo. Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report.
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.
Did LG's Optimus L5 handset sneak through the FCC?
Remember LG's Android L-style series of smartphones from back at Mobile World Conference? While we can't be totally certain this is the case, it appears that the Optimus L5 handset recently passed through the FCC's subterranean lair. Buried within the testing report is the diagram pictured, displaying measurements that fit in nicely with the mid-tier device's 4-inch screen size. For cellular connectivity, you'll find GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and WCDMA (850/2100) radios, alongside the requisite GPS, Bluetooth and WLAN. Mum's still the word on when we might start seeing this device and its siblings up for sale on US shores, but feel free to parse the FCC testing report at the source link below in the meantime.
How would you change the LG DoublePlay?
It's almost baffling to see a modern Android smartphone with such an archaic design in a world more accustomed to the Galaxy Nexus. Still, LG's late-2011 DoublePlay has a slide-out physical keyboard and that dinky second screen which reminds us of a phone that's years out of date. However, when we reviewed it, we found it to be very useful, even if it lacked a front-facing camera and weighed a metric ton okay, 190 grams. But how about you? Some of you bought this phone, some of you love it, so how has it been? Tell us in the space below.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
T-Mobile Prism leaked: entry-level Huawei smartphone to launch in May
While the design (and even the briefing slides) scream affordable, we're sure there must be some Big Magenta customers aching for a keenly-priced smartphone fix. So here's the Prism. Huawei's behind that T-Mobile face, cooking up a Android Gingerbread phone with a pretty weedy 600MHz processor and a 3.5-inch (480 x 320) touchscreen. A fixed-focus (yeah) 3.2-megapixel camera pokes out the back, while a microSD slot means you can extend space for those vaguely-almost-in-focus shots -- the Prism arrives with a 2GB card already onboard. The phone looks set for a May 6th release date and TmoNews has several more slides with some extra launch details -- you can check them out at the source below.
Panasonic Eluga now available unlocked in Europe, yours for £369 or €460
Wouldn't ya know it, but Panasonic was spot on with its announcement of the Eluga smartphone's European arrival this month. The elegant, waterproof handset is now available unlocked from Expansys, where it retails for £369 and approximately €460, with slight variations among countries. While the phone supports quadband GSM, its UMTS / HSPA connectivity is limited to the 2100MHz and 900MHz bands, which makes it less than ideal for North American use -- though, if you really want one, it seems safe to peg this one in the $600 territory. Similarly available through NTT DoCoMo as the P-04D, we first managed to get a hands-on with the Eluga at Mobile World Congress. For those in need of a quick refresh, the phone features a TI OMAP 4430 SoC with a dual-core 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel rear camera and a rather paltry 1,150mAh battery. The Eluga includes a heavily-skinned version of Android 2.3.5, although an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich has been pegged for release this summer. The phone represents Panasonic's return to the smartphone arena, and while it's a bit behind the curve, it's no doubt a fine starting point.
Samsung Galaxy Note for T-Mobile spotted in the wild, pretends it's no big deal
Oh, snap. By all appearances, the T-Mobile folks haven't lost sight of the popularity of the Galaxy Note, as a collection of snapshots obtained by TmoNews have revealed Samsung's phablet in none other than Magenta colors. At the very least, this suggests the Bellevue crew is considering bringing the 5.3-inch handset to its stores, and while the carrier's subscribers are currently able to use AT&T's Galaxy Note LTE on the Magenta network, it's a rather roundabout process and the results are less than ideal. We can only hope this one pans out, because really, who wouldn't love to take this monster for a proper ride on the little network that could?
Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Sprint discontinues HTC EVO 3D online, limited quantities remain at retail stores
It's not like we're gonna argue with Sprint's rationale, but the EVO 3D has met its end at the Now Network. Visitors to the carrier's online store will notice that the gee-whiz smartphone is no longer available for sale, and Sprint reps have confirmed to us that it's not coming back. Those who insist on owning an EVO 3D will be glad to know that the handset is still available at Sprint's retail outlets, but according to the carrier, quantities are rather limited. Given a phone that debuted less than a year ago, its abrupt and unceremonious demise comes as a bit of a shock, but with the mighty EVO 4G LTE on the horizon, we can't blame the carrier one bit.
LG Viper 4G LTE review
They said it wouldn't last. And they -- pundits, analysts, bloggers, GSM fanatics -- were right. WiMAX, that flavor of 4G found in the 2500MHz band, has proven to be more of a hindrance than help during Sprint's transition from underdog to reinvigorated titan. Then there are the kerfuffles it's endured standing on the sidelines -- namely, watching one-time LTE partner LightSquared squander its regulatory good graces. Beleaguered would be putting it mildly; Sprint faces a treacherous climb uphill to the mobile Olympus where Verizon, AT&T and now-spectrum-rich T-Mobile sit -- after all, it's hard to change the tide of public perception, overcome the limitations of a dreadful 3G CDMA network and move away from weak third-party 4G signals. Yet, with all of those negatives working against it, a planned rollover to LTE technology might just be the panacea Sprint has so badly needed. Right now, at least, a wish and a hope are all Sprint can dole out to existing subscribers toying with the idea of switching carriers. Its nascent LTE network, currently in testing across six US cities, hasn't been cleared for launch, which makes its first 4G handset, the Viper 4G LTE, a dress rehearsal of sorts. And what a low-key affair it is: no cutting-edge aesthetics or kickstand here, just mid-range specs and a humble design made from recycled materials. But for anyone itching to surf those faster waves, LG's dual-core, NFC-enabled workhorse could be a tempting buy when it goes on sale Sunday for $100 (with a two-year contract). So will the dangling carrot of faster 4G persuade consumers to choose this over all those other mid-tier Android phones? Let's find out.
Samsung Galaxy Beam crosses paths with FCC, sports 3G connectivity for AT&T
The FCC comes across many smartphones in its daily routine, but it's hardly an everyday occurrence for one of those handsets to rock a miniature projector. That's the claim to fame of the Samsung Galaxy Beam, which just made its way through the regulatory body with full 3G support for AT&T's 1900MHz and 850MHz bands. We were first introduced to this updated version of the original Galaxy Beam at Mobile World Congress, and for a quick refresher, the Android 2.3 device packs a dual-core 1GHz CPU, 768MB of RAM, a 4-inch WVGA display and a projector that'll toss 50-inch imagery onto the wall. Naturally, whether AT&T chooses to sell the smartphone is another consideration entirely, but this certification will keep users in proper standing with the feds, and that's a good thing.
