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Sprint and LG launch Optimus Elite: entry-level specifications, planet-saving hopes
The successor to 2010's Optimus S, LG's readied another low-middleweight smartphone. Main features on the Optimus Elite include Android 2,3, a 3.5-inch screen, an 800MHz processor, NFC and a five-megapixel camera. So there's nothing particularly thrilling, but 50GB of free storage from Box could sweeten the deal for some. Eco-friendly nods include sustainable build materials, with 50 percent made from recycled plastic, with the hazardous likes of mercury, PVC and halogens also nixed from the device. Like other Sprint-LG team-ups toting green credentials, the charger ekes out minimal power when not charging the phone. Planeteers can pick up the Optimus Elite online -- in "Titan" silver and white -- from April 22, priced at $30 on a two-year contract. Sprint will also hand over a $50 reward card for your troubles and LG says the Optimus Elite will eventually arrive, at least in silver, on Virgin Mobile too. For a few more details, you can catch LG and Sprint emoting over Mother Earth in the press release below.
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 9th, 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, we've seen clues to suggest the Galaxy Nexus will arrive at Sprint in a matter of days, and leaked materials suggest Rogers will have the HTC One X in stock by April 20th. 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 April 9th, 2012.
Cowon Plenue Z2: US pricing, availability and hands-on impressions
Just mention the company's name, and a pair of things come to mind: world-beating sound quality, and above-average prices. Such is life when you're Cowon, which has informed us that its Plenue Z2 portable media player will be shipping to the US of A in May. Based on details shared to us from a Cowon spokesperson, "early May" is the targeted release window, which makes sense given the unit's FCC debut back in December of 2011. We've learned that it'll ship in 16GB (white only) and 32GB (black only) sizes, with prices set for $279.99 and $319.99 in order of mention. As for specs? Glad you asked. Rather than relying on one of Cowon's proprietary operating systems, the Z2 will ship with Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread), while measuring 62.8- x 116.5- x 11.8-millimeters, weighing 116 grams and boasting a 3.7-inch (800 x 480) capacitive touchpanel. On the audio side, you'll get a typical 20Hz to 20,000Hz frequency range, 29mW + 29mW maximum outlet and a 95dB signal-to-noise ratio. There's also an HDMI output, a microSD expansion slot, built-in FM radio tuner, 802.11b/g/n WiFi module, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and an internal microphone. The outfit claims that this guy can last some 22 hours when playing back music alone, while video junkies will see 8.5 hours of their favorite Family Guy clips before needing a rejuvenation session. Not surprisingly, the Z2 also supports a smorgasbord of file formats, including AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4, MKV, MPG, DAT, 3GP -- tired yet? -- DivX, XviD, H.264, WMA, OGG, PMC and FLAC. We managed to grab hold of a unit prior to its launch here in the States; head on past the break to hear our take.
LG Optimus 3D Max wages dual-core war in benchmark tests
A mere day has passed since we stumbled upon initial benchmarks for the Optimus 4X HD, and now, yet another LG smartphone has tossed its hat into the arena. In the Optimus 3D Max's arsenal is a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU, which is part of the TI OMAP 4430 SoC. Today, we pitted it against two dual-core contemporaries from HTC and Samsung -- namely, the One S and Galaxy S Blaze 4G. Sadly, the Optimus 3D Max failed to put up much of a resistance to either smartphone, and while its scores remain unofficial, its plainly obvious that this LG will look sorely dated upon its arrival. You can see how it all unfolded just after the break.[Thanks, Konstantinos]
Refresh Roundup: week of April 2nd, 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!
Lenovo K800's initial benchmark scores look promising, but not ambitious
If Lenovo's sticking to its promise, it should only be another two months maximum before its Intel Medfield-powered K800 smartphone debuts in China. Until then, we won't know the full potential of the 1.6GHz Atom Z2460 powering Ice Cream Sandwich, but we do have the next best thing for now: what we've just obtained are some benchmark results from a K800 prototype with Android 2.3.7, and while the graphics performance wasn't top notch this time round, the general score performance came close to that of the Galaxy Note (powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core Exynos chipset). However, the K800 did beat pretty much everyone -- including the brand-spanking-new One X and One S from HTC -- in the SunSpider 0.91 Javascript test, where it only took 1,270ms to complete! What remains to be seen is whether Medfield will really deliver a better battery performance than its competitors; so until we find the answer (along with improved scores) on a final unit, you'll just have to make do with our list of scores after the break.
Novero Solana convertible netbook gets flipped by the FCC
If you're excited about convertible tablets but can't wait for the IdeaPad Yoga to arrive, then perhaps Novero's Solana might give you a temporary fix. It's a dinky netbook (yes, netbook) that runs both Windows 7 and Android, but you can flip the display over in its frame to turn it into a tablet PC. It's packing a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom N2600, Intel GMA 3600 IGP Graphics, 2GB of RAM and a choice of 32 or 64GB of solid-state storage. Fortunately, it looks like it won't be long before we get to clench it to our chests since it's now been given the thumbs-up from the assembled experts down in the FCC's underground bunker. For around $800, you too can pretend it's 2009 all over again, just remember to bring the Flo Rida.
Huawei Mercury for Cricket gains unlimited Muve Music service, challenges aural appetites
Consider it a bit of a rebirth. Cricket's premiere smartphone, the Huawei Mercury -- known elsewhere as the Honor -- has just taken on a new life as a member of the carrier's Muve Music lineup. Beginning today, current owners may add the unlimited music subscription service to their phone via an over-the-air download. The requisite Muve Music plan is available for $65/month, which is a $10 premium over the carrier's traditional no-contract Android offering. The service comes with unlimited music downloads, ringtones and ringback tones, along with unlimited calling, messaging and 1GB of mobile data. For a quick refresh on the Mercury itself, the phone retails for $230 without contract, and highlights include a 1.4GHz processor, a 4-inch, 854 x 480 TFT-LCD display, an 8MP rear camera -- and now, an endless supply of tunes. Ready to rock out? You'll find the full PR after the break.
Is Samsung's white Galaxy Note coming to Canada on Telus tomorrow, Bell on April 10?
It's been nearly two months since Samsung's LTE Galaxy Note made its debut in the land of maple syrup Canada, and now Telus and Bell might finally begin stocking the white variant of the Gingerbread-loaded phablet. According to (supposed) internal memos leaked from both companies to Mobile Syrup, it appears as though Bell's planning to release the 5.3-inch device on April 10th, while Telus may let it loose as soon as tomorrow. Notably, the site also mentions that you'll be looking at an unchanged entry-fee of $200 with a three-year contract or $730 if you'd prefer the phone sans strings. It likely won't be long until this unicorn's northerly arrival gets confirmed for sure, but for now, drag your cursor over to the source links below for a shot of the Bell document and further insight.
Sprint LG Viper 4G goes on pre-order April 12 for $100, release date still TBA
Sprint's finally starting to get the ball rolling with its first LTE devices, announcing this morning that it's ready to begin pre-orders of the LG Viper 4G on April 12, and the next-gen goodness can be yours for $100 (after $50 mail-in rebate). The actual release date wasn't specified, but at least we know this means it's coming up much sooner rather than later. As a refresher, the Viper comes with Gingerbread, a 4-inch WVGA NOVA display, a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660 Snapdragon S3, 1GB of RAM, NFC and Google Wallet functionality, a microSD slot, 50GB cloud storage from Box and a smattering of eco-friendly features. For the full rundown, gaze upon the press release below.
ICS reaches 2.9 percent of active Android devices, 63.7 percent still on Gingerbread
As we check back in on Android's Platform Versions dashboard for the first time since January, we can finally see notable growth in the percentage of devices running some flavor of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, up for 0.6 percent then to 2.9 percent. That's likely fueled by the release of updates for the Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC Sensation family of devices, and is a sharp uptick from last month when it registered on 1.6 percent. Gingerbread (2.3) still reigns supreme, running 63.7 percent of the Android hardware that accessed the Play market in the last two weeks, but its growth seems to finally be slowing. Last year at this time that position was filled by Android 2.2, with 2.3 on just one percent of the hardware and Android 3.0 barely registering at all, a point which highlights the long cycle of upgrades. Call it fragmentation or flexibility, app developers can use these stats to plan their releases going forward, although it may be a little while still before the majority of the crowd can access any Ice Cream Sandwich-specific features.
Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G review
Maybe you've noticed, maybe you haven't, but the Galaxy S 4G no longer exists at T-Mobile. Just one year ago, it replaced the Vibrant -- the carrier's first Galaxy S handset -- and now the Galaxy S 4G has similarly felt the cold embrace of Father Time. Fear not, though, because it has a replacement, and it's really quite admirable. Folks, let us introduce you to the Galaxy S Blaze 4G. If you're curious about the rationale behind the Blaze nomenclature, its meaning is actually two-fold: first, it's capable of accessing T-Mobile's speedy HSPA+ 42Mbps network, and second -- get this -- it packs the same dual-core processor as T-Mobile's Galaxy S II. More Info T-Mobile announces the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G, available 'later this year' Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G hands-on T-Mobile's Galaxy S Blaze 4G lands in select stores March 21st, everywhere else March 28th Despite these two enhancements, the Galaxy S Blaze 4G stops short of encroaching on premium territory -- instead preferring to straddle the line between middle-of-the-road and high-end. Similarly, it retails for $200 on contract, before a $50 mail-in rebate. With such a lofty price, it'll undoubtedly instigate comparisons to the Galaxy S II and, soon enough, the HTC One S. Most importantly, though, is the question of whether the Blaze 4G can stand on its own as a quality smartphone; we're fully aware that prices change, and a vexing purchase today could become a wise decision tomorrow. With this in mind, join us after the break as we explore the latest that Samsung has to offer for T-Mobile.
Google Maps for Android gets bumped to 6.5, new navigation view and higher resolution map tiles in tow
Google's has never been shy at continually iterating on its wares, and today it's Maps on Android's turn. Headlining the 6.5 release is the above ICS-only revamp of the Navigation home screen, which we're told makes selecting previous and recent destinations a cinch. Additionally, there's also support for crisper map tiles (if your device is rocking a higher resolution screen) in addition to new options for mass transit directions which can prioritize routes with fewer transfers or less walking. See it in action in the feel-good promotional video after the break, or get the full skinny at the source link below.
T-Mobile's next MyTouch: Huawei Ascend G312 QWERTY hands-on
First the leaked product shots, then the Mr. Blurrycam pictures, and now the real deal in our own hands! When we spotted this upcoming T-Mobile MyTouch slider, we just so happened to be chilling out at Huawei's headquarters in Shenzhen where the phone was displayed as the Ascend G312 QWERTY, or "Buddy" according to the "About phone" info ("MyTouch Buddy"?). We didn't see the non-QWERTY variant, but judging by the name, we don't doubt that there's also an Ascend G312 lurking somewhere.Anyhow, this new MyTouch packs a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255T chip, a 4-inch WVGA screen, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage and microSD expansion, along with features like DLNA connectivity and five-second fast boot. As for image capturing you get a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera plus a five-megapixel main camera (with 720p recording) on the back, and you'll find a handy camera button at the usual place as well. Interestingly, the spec sheet listed Ice Cream Sandwich while the demo unit was only running on Android 2.3.6, so we'll probably need to wait for T-Mobile's final say on this end.During our quick hands-on we were pretty satisfied by the phone's overall build quality, especially with its spring-loaded sliding mechanism and keyboard feedback. The screen isn't the best in class when it comes to viewing angle and contrast, but bearing in mind that this phone comes with a Snapdragon S2 processor, we expect it to be priced almost as sensibly as LG's MyTouch handsets -- stay tuned for the official announcement, of course. Hands-on video after the break.
KIRF Notes are the Slankets of the phablet world (video)
Today we've got a special treat for you: not one, but two knockoff Galaxy Notes from across the Pacific. Both lack the raw power of Sammy's 5.3-inch device, and even knock the resolution down to a paltry 800 x 480. Our first contestant is rockin' only a 1GHz single-core processor and 512MB of RAM, but it's using those rather pedestrian components to push ICS through its little 9.7mm thick body. The second of today's players certainly wins the audacity contest -- brandishing its clearly unearned Samsung logos. It also wins the spec war here by jumping up to 768MB of RAM and a dual-core CPU, even if the later is an asymmetrical design with a 650MHz ARM7 and a 250MHz ARM9 inside. It also trades up in the camera department going with an eight-megapixel sensor, though, it does settle for Gingerbread. Now all we have to do is think up a new name for the segment, it seems wrong to bless these KIRFs with the phablet name. We were thinking slone or phlate... either way, check out the bonus hands-on vid after the break.
LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80
That LG Lucid we've heard so much about lately? Yep, it's real, and Verizon is now ready to publicly acknowledge its existence.The LTE-capable device resides in the mid-range, but for $80 (with a two-year commitment and after a $50 mail-in rebate) you're getting a 4-inch display covered in Gorilla Glass, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera with 1080p video capture and a front-facing cam of unknown resolution. And for the folks keeping track at home, the Lucid will be shipping with Gingerbread installed, though Verizon is quick to admit that ICS is in the works. Sound like your cup o' tea? You won't have to wait long -- it's heading your way on March 29th.
Refresh Roundup: week of March 19th, 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!
Mobile Miscellany: week of March 19th, 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, we've spotted the Lumia 610 in two new colors, and the open source community received new goodies from the likes of HTC, Qualcomm and Samsung. 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 March 19th, 2012.
LG Optimus M+ adds some minor hardware improvements, coming to metroPCS
LG's Optimus M has lingered around metroPCS' phone catalogue for over a year now and it looks like it's finally getting a similar-looking, but improved, replacement. Unfortunately, the Optimus M+ isn't quite enough to confer the title of carrier flagship. Incremental changes include a new 5-megapixel camera and a screen that's been boosted from 3.2 to 3.5 inches. According to Pocketnow, it's powered by a pretty meager 800MHz processor, which should be just about enough to handle the Gingerbread OS. Those middling numbers hopefully mean it shouldn't upset the ol' bank balance too much, but we'll have to wait for metroPCS' official nod for confirmation on pricing and availability.
Sharp intros underwhelming RW-T110 Gingerbread tablet with NFC, not much else on board
Last year, we saw Sharp bust out an array of 7-inch Android slates, including that NFC-packing RW-T107. Now, the Japanese company is adding a slightly larger member to the family, dubbed RW-T110. This 10.1-inch Gingerbread slab (sorry, Ice Creamers) is sporting a 1GHz TI OMAP processor alongside 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage, a 1280 x 800 display as well as an NFC chip. Additionally, the biz-oriented slate is powered by a 6,240mAh battery, which promises to get you up to nine hours of continuous video payback time. The RW-T110 will be hitting Japanese shelves on March 27th, and while there's no info on whether Sharp plans to launch it in other markets, we doubt you'll miss this run-of-the-mill "Big Pad."
