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LG Optimus Slider on Virgin Mobile at CTIA E&A 2011, we go hands-on (video)
Curiously enough, the prepaid market had as much of a field day at this week's CTIA Enterprise & Applications as anyone else; we already got our fair share of hands-on time with the Samsung Transfix for Cricket, and shortly afterward beheld our eyes (and mandibles) on the LG Optimus Slider, the latest beauty making a beeline to Virgin Mobile as early as this coming Monday. Aside from the obvious slide-out QWERTY, the Android 2.3.4 device will feature a 3.2-inch HVGA display, a 3.2MP camera and microSD support up to 32GB, and will be available without a contract for $200. Head underneath to take a look at the full image gallery and hands-on video. %Gallery-136414% Zachary Lutz contributed to this report.
Virgin Mobile announces LG Optimus Slider, sneakily postpones data throttling until 2012
Virgin Mobile was originally intending to celebrate the new month by flipping the switch on throttled data, but it decided to push those plans back and announce a couple new phones instead. The prepaid carrier announced the upcoming launch of the LG Optimus Slider (note: it's not the Optimus Note) and the HTC Wildfire S in October and, in the same press release, nonchalantly mentioned that it would delay reducing throughput speeds for heavy users until sometime next year. No word on why this came about, but we'll take good news whenever we can get it. The LG Optimus Slider is an Android 2.3 device with a 3.2-inch HVGA display, a 3.2MP camera and 1,500mAh battery, and will be available online beginning October 16th for $200 and in Sprint stores October 30th. The HTC Wildfire S will show up in silver at Best Buy and in white at Radio Shack starting October 23rd, and can be yours for $200 as well. We can imagine which announcement you're most excited for. Check out both press releases in their glory after the break.
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: fall 2011 edition
Shopping for a new smartphone is an exciting and arduous experience. It holds the promise of something better and the fear of a two-year commitment. For gadget enthusiasts, it also involves pouring over specs and reviews, and fretting over what's coming out in the near-term. As we publish this buyer's guide, we face potential upheavals in the mobile space. Samsung's Galaxy S II lineup will arrive at three major US carriers, the next iPhone perpetually looms in the distance, and a new generation of Windows Phone handsets is close upon us. You might ask, "Why would anyone buy a smartphone today, when something better is coming tomorrow?" Friends, that's the blessing and curse of the mobile world -- there's always something better coming. You can't wait forever, though, and if you want to purchase a smartphone today, we're here to make the process easier and help you make an informed decision. While our choices are sometimes contentious, they're backed with experience that you can rely upon. If you're looking to make a quick decision without much effort, you can rest assured that our selections won't steer you wrong. Still, we encourage you to educate yourself before you decide on a smartphone that best fits your needs. Our Primed series is an excellent place to start, where you can learn about dual-core processors and mobile displays. As always, you're encouraged to share your own experience in the comments, and we hope you have fun listing your own favorites, too. Just remember that we have an $80 ceiling for our budget selections. Compared to our previous buyer's guide, Samsung has begun to lose ground, and while Android maintains dominance, it's found some unexpected competition. Curious to see how it played out? Read on, as we round up the best smartphones of the day.
Engadget's back to school guide 2011: smartphones
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we're tapping away on our smartphones -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Now more than ever, collegiate studies require a wide variety of devices to help you get that prized "A." The thirst for knowledge you so desperately seek can strike at any time, and you're not always going to have that desktop or laptop nearby to find the answer to a burning question. Perhaps you just need to hurl birds at pigs for a while to blow off your stress. Whatever the case, you'll need something to help you study, store (and edit) all of your important term papers, keep you in touch with classmates or family, and everything in-between. What better way to get all of that than with a smartphone? We've picked nine respectable candidates that can help you through your upcoming semester -- three for each budget level. Oh, and while you're looking, we're giving away $3,000 worth of essential back to school gear to 15 lucky readers, and you can be one of them by simply leaving a comment below! So, which phones are most likely to help you get smart? Head past the break to find out.
Refresh Roundup: week of August 8, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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! Official Android updates Acer took to its Facebook page in Malaysia to announce that the Honeycomb 3.2 OTA update for the Iconia Tab A500 has been delayed until August 25. [via Phandroid] The LG G-Slate is starting to receive Honeycomb 3.1. [via AndroidCentral] We've also heard the HTC Flyer's on the receiving end of a 2.3.4 bump in Germany. [via HTC Inside (translated)] Motorola's announced that Honeycomb 3.1 has arrived on the Xoom in Europe, after several months of waiting. [via ITProPortal] Tomorrow, Sprint's pushing out a maintenance fix known as RD.00.02 for the Motorola Titanium. From a leaked screenshot, the main "enhancement" is correcting a bug that kept users from dialing from a meeting on the Exchange calendar. [via SprintFeed] Android 2.3.4 is making its way to unbranded HTC Sensation units in Europe this week as an OTA update, and will likely spread to carrier-branded devices over the next couple weeks. [via Phandroid] Both Bell and Virgin Mobile Canada are rolling out Gingerbread to its Galaxy S Vibrant. The download is available to any of its users by accessing Samsung Kies. [via MobileSyrup] HTC began pushing Gingerbread to the Inspire 4G on Monday. If you still haven't received your update OTA yet, instructions can be found on how to do it manually via its website. [Thanks, Brian] Are you an HTC Desire owner that's been eagerly awaiting Gingerbread? It's here now, but the manufacturer isn't going to push it out OTA -- rather, you'll need to do it on your own, so head to the via for a video tutorial on how to do it step-by-step. [via PocketNow] T-Mobile has announced that its OTA Gingerbread rollout for the G2x is now officially over. If you missed your opportunity, you may still download it using the LG updater tool. [via TmoNews] This is definitely a rumor, but an HTC support rep apparently emailed a concerned Incredible user to assure them that Gingerbread was still indeed in the plans for the year-old device. No timeframe was given, however. [via Phandroid] AT&T took to its Twitter account to state that the Infuse 4G is on track to receive Gingerbread sometime this month. [via AndroidCentral] Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc. hackery We heard last week that the Motorola Photon 4G had been rooted, but it required the use of the phone's fancy (and expensive) HD dock. This obstacle has since been removed, and you can root your brand new phone without it. [via AndroidCentral] Speaking of the Photon 4G, a System Boot File (SBF) is now available for the device. The SBF is a backup that comes in handy if something goes awry and your phone ends up getting bricked. By using the SBF, your phone will be restored back to its original factory defaults. [via SprintFeed] A dev preview of CyanogenMod 7 for the HTC Sensation 4G is now being shown at a YouTube near you. Did someone say CyanogenMod 7? Well, this week also witnessed a user updating their Motorola Triumph to Android 2.3.5, but almost nothing works properly on it; since the kernel source hasn't been released for it yet, the update isn't quite up to par. CM7 is also said to be coming to the Motorola Atrix 4G and LG Optimus 3D soon as well. [via Phandroid] Other platforms The tools used to flash Windows Phone Mango's RTM version has been leaked, and you can find instructions on how to get it on this XDA thread. Remember that you do this at your own risk. [via WMPowerUser] A few rumors circulated the web this week that Mango would be released on September 1. WP7's own Joe Belfiore was the one responsible for shooting down that rumor via Twitter. [via WMPowerUser]
Samsung Galaxy Gio heads to Canada August 8th, $150 off-contract
Looks like the Samsung Galaxy Gio -- the poor man's Nexus S -- is headed for an August 8th launch in our neighbor to the north's backyard. The budget entry Android phone has seen an OS bump to 2.3 since its debut at Mobile World Congress but, alas, is still riddled with same old, mid-grade 800MHz processor and 3 megapixel camera. Slated to hit Bell Mobility and Virgin Mobile on Monday, expect to snag this Galaxy handset for $150 outright, or free on a three-year contract -- but why do something crazy like that?
Motorola Triumph review
When we first laid eyes and hands on Motorola's first Android offering for Virgin Mobile, we were pleasantly surprised. The Triumph proved to be one of the better looking and performing pre-paid handsets we'd had the pleasure of holding in our sweaty mitts, but we had one major hangup: the name. Call us old fashioned, but we're of the mind that it's unsportsmanlike to claim victory before the race has even begun. After all, we aren't looking at an iPhone killer here. To the contrary, the Triumph is a decently outfitted, Motoblur-free Froyo phone, with a suitable 4.1-inch WVGA screen, a workable 2GB of storage, and a fairly attractive (and contract-free) $300 price tag. So, after a week in our palms and pockets, did the Triumph really affirm its arrogant appellative or did it fail to live up to its name? The answers to this and other, less alliterative, questions await you after the break.%Gallery-129474%
Ask Engadget: what's the best deal in prepaid wireless?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Alejandro, who's looking to cash in on the sudden glut of absolutely respectable prepaid smartphones. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm looking to grab a new phone using a prepaid service. What's the best prepaid phone service in terms of overall price, phone selection and other bells / whistles. Thanks!" We're guessing he's looking for a smartphone here, so before you yell "Cricket!" and run for the hills, give a bit of consideration to folks like Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile, amongst others. Any of you had a particularly charming experience with a prepaid provider? Speak up in comments below!
Motorola Triumph ascends to Virgin Mobile, can be yours for $300
Freedom can sometimes feel confining: you want to have a top-notch data device and be loosed from the shackles of two-year contracts at the same time, but the selection of zero-commitment smartphones can seem downright laughable. The Motorola Triumph may be your hero; it tops the Android lineup on Virgin Mobile, and all it'll cost you is three Benjamins. The newest flagship smartphone offers 4.1-inch WVGA display, a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU, 512MB RAM, and dual cameras with 720p video capture. If prepaid isn't your preferred style, a $300 handset of this caliber (and no contract to boot) may be enough to nudge you in that direction. Just be sure to enjoy your unlimited data as much as possible before October comes around. Full PR after the break. [Thanks, Devin]
Dan Hesse: Sprint's not following Virgin's tiered data movement, but 'nothing is guaranteed forever'
Without a doubt, it's the 800 pound gorilla in the carrier realm: will Sprint follow AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless down the woeful tiered data route, laced with pain, confusion and general awfulness? We asked Sprint CEO Dan Hesse that very question today at Sprint's campus, and the answer wasn't exactly heartening. He stated that people are simply willing to pay a price premium (when it comes to rate plans) for something that's just dead simple -- something that they don't have to think about when they use. He (rightly) admitted that most average consumers have no concept of what a gigabyte is, or how long it takes to use one up, and that's why the outfit's unlimited plans are still striking a chord -- and in fact, more so now than ever with its three main rivals giving it an even stronger differentiator. When asked whether Sprint would eventually have no other option but to switch to tiered data plans if heavy users begin to come over in droves, Hesse replied that having enough bandwidth to efficiently go around "could be an issue," and while it's working diligently with OEMs and app developers in order to implement things like WiFi offload, we were told that "nothing is guaranteed forever." We specifically asked if the recent tiered testing implemented at Virgin Mobile (which runs on Sprint's network) was an early indication that Sprint was also leaning this way, and Dan was steadfast in his denial. According to him, the postpaid and prepaid sectors are markedly different beasts, and it's not reasonable to consider that Sprint will follow Virgin's footsteps. Moral of the story? Sprint's clinging to unlimited for as long as it can, but we get the impression that a transition is imminent -- even if it's still a few years out.
Sprint's Virgin Mobile brand to test throttling while Sprint pokes fun at throttlers (video)
Alanis Morrisette couldn't have possibly thought up something this ironic to put in her hit song. On the same day Sprint launches an ad campaign trashing T-Mobile's "unlimited" plan for throttling its data speeds, the Now Network announced that it intends to begin throttling Virgin Mobile's broadband sometime in October. Those who use larger amounts of data on the prepaid brand will experience the briskness of 256kbps as soon as they hit a monthly threshold of 2.5GB. This won't affect postpaid customers on Sprint for the time being, but it's hitting a little too close to home. After all, the company -- always playing the role of consumer advocate -- is now at least experimenting with the idea of employing the same practices it's currently trashing its competitors for. Those who're taking full advantage of Dan Hesse's spoils are safe for now, but the question remains: who'll throttle the throttlers? Check out the vid and press release in all their irony-dripping glory after the break. [Thanks, John]
Virgin Mobile shuffles Beyond Talk pricing, saves BlackBerry owners duckets
Virgin Mobile, the contract-free subsidiary of Sprint, is giving its Beyond Talk plans a pricing overhaul -- with its cheaper choices getting a bit of a bump in the wrong direction. Sprint spokesperson Jayne Wallace confirmed to FierceWireless that this week its $25 unlimited text and data plan that comes packaged with 300 minutes will move to $35, while its 1,200 minute $40 option will become a $45 one. It's not all bad news though -- the unlimited everything $60 service tier is being cut to just $55 and the company is doing away with the $10 add-on fee for BlackBerries. So, try not think about it as a price hike, think about it as saving you $15 a month when the blessedly Blur-free Triumph hits. Update: And now it's doubly official!
Virgin Mobile preparing to alter pricing, send love to BlackBerry users?
With price hikes trending as the mobile industry's latest fashion faux pas, it appears that Virgin Mobile is readying its latest summer styles -- and yes, it may cost you. Sir Branson's minute misers will pay an extra $10 each month ($35 total) for the same 300 minutes, and casual chatters will pay an additional $5 each month ($45 total) for their familiar 1,200 minutes. Fortunately, those with an unlimited voice plan will actually pay $5 less, thanks to the new $55 plan, and the company seems prepared to eliminate its $10 monthly tax on Blackberry users -- not a bad move, since they've got it hard enough already. Hey, at least a few will be thankful for the Rebel Billionaire's latest move.
Spotify partners with Virgin Media to stream music to UK TVs, smartphones
Spotify, the Rhapsody of Europe, may still be an unfamiliar brand stateside, but the service just inked a deal with Virgin Media to bring streaming music to Virgin's broadband customers, set-top boxes, and mobile phones in the UK. The deal will bundle Unlimited (£4.99) or Premium (£9.99) monthly Spotify tiers, at to-be-determined discounted rates, allowing new and existing subscribers to access millions of tracks from any of their compatible home and mobile devices. Open (free) Spotify customers will reportedly need to upgrade to a paid version, but only to access the service on Virgin's set-top boxes, we presume -- don't expect to see a blanket ban on all devices. Until pricing is announced, the partnership appears to be more of a win for Spotify than for customers, who will still need to pay up before rockin' out, but set-top integration is likely to be a boon with digital TV subscribers, letting them bring those infamous Euro house music raves to an actual house.
Samsung Galaxy S II gets official for Canada on Bell, Virgin Mobile and SaskTel
We've already had some indication of where and when the Galaxy S II would land in Canada, and three carriers have now finally made things fully official (even if they haven't yet got completely specific). That includes Bell and Virgin Mobile -- neither of which are confirming a price at the moment -- plus regional carrier SaskTel, which plans to offer the phone for $79.99 on a three-year contract. SaskTel and Virgin Mobile both also say that the phone will be available in the coming weeks, while Bell isn't offering much more than a chance to win the phone in a contest that ends July 19th -- we've previously heard that the phone will be hitting Bell on July 14th. Perhaps not surprisingly, it's looking like the phone will also alternatively be known as the "Galaxy S II" or "Galaxy S II 4G" depending on the carrier.
Motorola Triumph for Virgin Mobile goes up for pre-order at Best Buy for $300
Fans of Virgin Mobile's prepaid plans were mighty jazzed over the Motorola Triumph, a 4.1-inch, vanilla Froyo-packing handset that might seem ho-hum on paper, but is a marked improvement over what you'd normally be able to score without the shackles of a two-year service agreement. At the time, more than a few of our readers swore that once they dutifully fulfilled their contractual obligations, a Motorola handset sans Motoblur would be enough to send them packing to Virgin. Well, it's time to put your money where your mouth is: she's up for pre-order at Best Buy for $299.99. In the world of unlocked phones, of course, that's a steal. Why, the Droid Charge costs the same with a two-year contract, and the (admittedly higher-end) Dell Venue fetches $500 unlocked, with the iPhone 4 topping it at $649. Order now and you're in for several weeks of thumb-twiddling -- Best Buy estimates it'll arrive sometime between July 19th and July 26th. As always, commitment-phobes, hit the source link to order and peep the spec list while you're at it.
Motorola Triumph release date leaked by 'People' magazine, coming to Virgin on July 19th
You've seen many views of the Motorola Triumph in our recent hands-on segment, but perhaps no angle is so tempting as the release date itself. Fortunately, that tidbit arrives courtesy People's current issue, where Virgin Mobile's July 19th release date is outed on page 77 -- in the StyleWatch Concierge section, if you just have to know. Given the "379 hot summer looks" to fawn over, it's easy to overlook this Blur-less handset, but the proof awaits at your local news stand. Sadly, we're still waiting on pricing for this newcomer, but perhaps it'll show in the next edition of The Economist, no?
Virgin Mobile lets Android run Blur-free on the Motorola Triumph
Motorola hopes to rescue its tarnished MOTOBLUR UI with a name-change. We, however, think the rust runs deeper than that -- and it seems we're not alone. Virgin Mobile has decided to give its prepaid customers the "true Android experience" from now on, which means you'll find no proprietary shell whatsoever sitting atop its new Motorola Triumph handset. Aside from a few bits of Virgin bloatware, the Triumph escapes with a relatively standard install of Android 2.2. Meanwhile, MOTOBLUR will still be foisted on pay-monthly customers who buy a Photon 4G or XPRT from Sprint, Virgin Mobile's parent company. Some of them might like the shell and its add-ons, but others will be better off without such OS contamination.
Motorola Triumph for Virgin Mobile hands-on (video)
We're live here at Motorola / Sprint's press event in New York City, and while most of the folks are swarming around the newly minted Photon 4G, we wanted to give some love to the Motorola Triumph, the first Moto handset to land on Virgin Mobile's network. While the 4.1-inch, Froyo-packing phone and its 2GB of storage might seem ho-hum to spec junkies, it's a shockingly solid option for a prepaid carrier. And it comes Motoblur-free! How many Photon 4Gs have that to say for themselves? Take a stroll past the break for a tour, and see why we think the Triumph could actually be a pretty solid score for those who detest strings and fine print. Update: Looks like it's coming in July, per Virgin's site. %Gallery-125986%
Virgin Mobile welcomes 4.1-inch Motorola Triumph, brings Froyo to the prepaid side
Fear not, pay-as-you-go fans -- Virgin Mobile saw a hat tip of its own at today's Sprint / Motorola event in the form of the Triumph, a 4.1-inch Android 2.2 handset that perhaps doesn't quite live up to it's hyperbolic name. Virgin Mobile's first-ever Motorola handset has 2GB of built-in storage, 512MB of RAM, a five megapixel camera, WVGA display, 1400mAh battery, A-GPS, WiFi, a Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU and HDMI output. It also comes pre-loaded with Virgin Live 2.0, a musical social networking feature that gives users access to exclusive musical content -- not quite the stuff victory laps are made out of, but it's certainly a welcome addition to the prepaid market. Triumphant press release after the break, which is triumphantly devoid of any pricing / release information. %Gallery-125986%
