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Droid Incredible 2 review
It wasn't that long ago that we were jonesing for a Nexus One on Verizon. What HTC gave us instead was the Droid Incredible, with the same 1GHz Snapdragon CPU and gorgeous 3.7-inch AMOLED display -- not to mention a better camera (8 megapixel vs. five), 8GB of built-in flash storage, an optical trackpad, HTC's Sense UI on top of Eclair, and a dash of funky industrial design. The Incredible was an impressive phone with a lovely camera, marred only by questionable battery life and lack of supply, forcing HTC to build a Super LCD-equipped model to satisfy demand. Judging by the popularity of the Incredible, it came as no surprise that following HTC's announcement at MWC, the Incredible S eventually became Verizon's Droid Incredible 2. With a 4-inch Super LCD display, global CDMA / GSM radio, front-facing camera, updated internals (including 768 MB of RAM), trick capacitive buttons, and a Froyo-flavored serving of Sense, the Incredible 2 seems like a worthy successor to last year's Incredible. Does it live up to our expectations or is it just another fish in the crowded sea of Android? Does it significantly improve upon the original formula or is it merely a refresh? Hit the break for our review. %Gallery-124397%
VZ Navigator Version X breaks cover, adds 'virtual city' maps, social features, and more
Paying a monthly fee -- or any fee, for that matter -- for turn-by-turn navigation on Android devices has felt pretty unpalatable ever since Google Maps Navigation happened, but Verizon's still trying to make things interesting with the latest version of its VZ Navigator product. A quick feature rundown of its new "Version X" is up on YouTube right now, and we'll admit, we're a little intrigued by some of this stuff: realistic 3D buildings in major cities (unlike the nondescript boxes in Google Maps, we imagine), some form of dead reckoning capability for those times that you don't have GPS reception, satellite maps, overhead street signs, social integration for letting folks know where you are, and a whole bunch of views for customizing the experience. We're assuming service is the same $9.99 a month that Big Red charges currently, but there'll also be a free version -- VZ Navigator Maps -- that dispenses of some of the crazier features. We're hearing this might be officially announced in a few hours, so more details will presumably be in tow; in the meantime, follow the break for the teaser video. [Thanks, Misty] Update: It's official. Full PR after the break.
Smartphone GPS shootout: Google, Ovi, and Verizon go head-to-head
It wasn't long ago that getting somewhere required a map on paper. You know, something you bought or that came groaning out of your tired old printer. GPS navigation units made those maps obsolete, but now they too are under threat. With smartphones invading pockets everywhere it's no surprise that their next assault would be on the dashboard, early volleys shaking up financial markets worldwide. That was just the beginning of a shock and awe campaign that will leave no automotive interior untouched -- and hopefully no driver unsure how many miles until the next Dunkin' Donuts. Google Navigation was the first to really shake things up, while Nokia's Ovi Maps is a more recent addition to the battlefield and the latest VZ Navigator, 5.0, lets Windows Mobile and BlackBerry users join the fray. We've taken this sampling of the best built-in smartphone navigation options (the set of paid add-on options for iPhone is a beast we'll be taming later), learning which you should trust to get you to where you're going and to dodge construction and traffic on the way there. Read on for a turn-by-turn exploration of each option's highs and lows. %Gallery-86386%
VZ Navigator 5.0 gets social with Facebook integration
At $2.99 for 24 hours or $9.99 a month, the latest version of Verizon's branded navigation service carriers over the same antiquated business model that seems destined for the scrap heap -- but for what it's worth, VZ Navigator 5.0 is now in full effect with a handful of new and freshened features. Most notable are a speech-to-text search mode for WinMo and BlackBerry versions of the service, crowdsourced traffic information (not unlike Google's strategy, though with decidedly fewer users on board), and Facebook integration that allows you to post location updates straight to your account. To start, only the BlackBerry Curve 8530, LG enV Touch, HTC Touch Pro2, and Samsung Omnia are getting the upgrade, but more devices will move to 5.0 "in the coming weeks." Droid users, meanwhile, continue enjoying Google Maps Navigation at no charge whatsoever.
Palm Pre Plus MMS and GPS issues crop up, webOS update can't come soon enough
It doesn't look like we've got any showstoppers here -- but just as with any major new smartphone release, Verizon's Pre Plus is starting to take some lumps after romping in the field for a week since its retail availability kicked off. Of the two biggies being cited so far, one is of particular concern: apps other than VZ Navigator don't seem to take advantage of GPS augmentation, meaning they're relying on a straight-up GPS signal alone to get a location lock -- something that often doesn't work on a phone (a reliable workaround seems to be to open VZ Navigator before you open the app you really need, but still, not an optimal situation). The second, less troublesome issue involves sending MMS messages over WiFi; basically, you can't. The phone forgets to fire up cellular data to send the message and tries to route it over the WiFi connection instead, which inevitably fails. What's odd about both of these is that they seem like regressions from the software already rolled out to Sprint (and other) Pres, and a surprising lack of rigor from a carrier known for putting its phones through the gauntlet prior to release. Let's hope we see an over-the-air update in short order, shall we?
Motorola Droid's website published a bit early, with specs galore (update: video)
A 3.7-inch, 16:9 touch screen with 480 x 854 resolution. A 5 megapixel camera with 4x zoom, autofocus, and dual LED flash. A 1400 mAh Li-ion battery for up to 385 minutes of usage time and 270 hours standby. A 550MHz processor (marginally better). A pre-installed 16GB microSD card. GPS, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g WiFi, and a micro USB port. Six ounces of weight spread out over a 2.4 x 4.6 x 0.5-inch body. We know, you were wanting the Motorola Droid's price and release date, too, but that's the one detail not on this page, we're afraid. Update: Guess Motorola realized the error of its ways, but not to fear, we've got the site and specs captured in the gallery below. Update 2: Some kind soul inhabiting middle internet managed to snag video of the Droid in action. Check it after the break. %Gallery-76317% %Gallery-76448% [Via Boy Genius Report]
Motorola Droid's website published a bit early, with specs galore
A 3.7-inch, 16:9 touch screen with 480 x 854 resolution. A 5 megapixel camera with 4x zoom, autofocus, and dual LED flash. A 1400 mAh Li-ion battery for up to 385 minutes of usage time and 270 hours standby. A 550MHz processor (marginally better). A pre-installed 16GB microSD card. Bluetooth, 802.11b/g WiFi, and a micro USB port. Six ounces of weight spread out over a 2.4 x 4.6 x 0.5-inch body. We know, you were wanting the Motorola Droid's price and release date, too, but that's the one detail not on this page, we're afraid. [Via Boy Genius Report]
Verizon Hub hands-on and impressions
We had a chance to get our grubby mitts on Verizon's new VOIP / home phone -- the Hub -- and we thought we'd give you a little preview of what's in store if you're planning on busting out the credit card. The device, which we've seen floating around in various forms since January of 2007, is a combo of a cradled wireless handset and 7-inch, resistive touchscreen display. It's an interesting play for a sector of the market that's all but forgotten (and maybe for good reason). If you want to hear some thoughts on the device, follow the bread crumbs beyond the break.%Gallery-43469%
Verizon relents, promises to open GPS on some WinMo phones next year
Okay, so maybe the unlocking of the GPS on Verizon BlackBerrys wasn't an accident after all -- and maybe hell has frozen completely over. WMExperts is reporting an official statement released by the carrier claiming that GPS has remained locked down on many of its models simply because it hasn't met Verizon's "performance goals," which granted, sounds like a crock -- but to Verizon's credit, they're the ones getting the phone calls when things aren't working smoothly, not the phone's manufacturer. Still, when you consider that VZ Navigator runs a pricey $9.99 a month for WinMo devices, the financial motivation was certainly there to keep it locked down, so maybe customer dissatisfaction with the policy has reached a boiling point or Verizon is simply realizing that they're not milking enough money to bother. Specifically, the Touch Pro, Saga, and Omnia have all been mentioned as getting fully unlocked, standalone GPS via firmware updates in the first half of next year.[Via Brighthand]
New features come to Verizon's VZ Navigator
Verizon Wireless wants to make sure you know where you're going when out and about. The CDMA carrier has introduced new features to its VZ Navigator that makes it easy to send club or restaurant directions to your friends with what is calls "place messaging." Sounds pretty hip to us, and recipients do not even have to be VZ Navigator subscribers. Anyway, we like the VZ Navigator website that allows Verizon Wireless customers to search for and save locations on their PCs for later direct recall on those Verizon handsets. You know, since it can be done 100 times faster on a PC, right? The new VZ Navigator website "synchronization" has been done before, but Verizon customers can also bookmark sites o the VZ Navigator website which then syncs with your Verizon handset in real-time. Quite a few Verizon handsets are featured on the service, and the cost will set you back $9.99 per month (unlimited) or $2.99 (per-day use).
Verizon releases new LG V with V CAST Music
Verizon Wireless has released an updated version of the LG V handset, which is actually the same as the old LG V handset, only now it supports Verizon's V CAST music service and VZ Navigator turn-by-turn direction service. Even without those fancy new perks, the EV-DO-equipped LG V was a decently feature-packed phone, a 1.3 megapixel camera, full QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth, and a MicroSD slot. Verizon also still lists the new V as having an "embedded MP3 player" in addition to V CAST Music, which would be a change in strategy on Verizon's part if true, as they've previously removed MP3 support on phones with V CAST (unless you buy Verizon's logic that the phones do play MP3s so long as they're convert to WMAs first). You can snag one for $149 with a two-year contract, or $199 for a one-year deal.[Via MobileTracker]
