PhoneTalk

Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G LTE available for pre-order now

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, May 09, 2012 (permalink)
Comments  

Love the HTC EVO, but wish it had 4G LTE connectivity? Then you’ll be happy to learn that a 4G LTE version of the phone will be available for Sprint customers later this month. The new model will also have a larger 4.7-inch HD display and run Android 4.0 Ice Cream with the HTC Sense 4 overlay. Other specs include a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, a NFC chip for use with mobile payment options, and Beats Audio. You can use the front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat or to participate in a Google Hangout, and the rear-facing 8-megapixel camera has HTC ImageSense so while recording HD video you can also snap a picture. Want to be the first of your friends to get the HTC EVO 4G LTE? Click this link to pre-order the phone now.

Verizon unveils the next DROID Incredible 4G LTE at CTIA

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Monday, May 07, 2012 (permalink)
Comments  

The latest member of HTC’s popular DROID Incredible line has been unveiled at CTIA in New Orleans. The DROID Incredible 4G LTE by HTC has quite a few upgrades including a larger screen size. The new smartphone sports a 4-inch super LCD qHD display, which means the screen is viewable in direct sunlight and images are crisp. It has a built-in NFC chip for use with mobile wallet apps and a snappy 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Additionally, the phone will be running the latest version of HTC Sense 4, Beats Audio, Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, and as its name suggests work on Verizon’s speed 4G LTE data network. The 4G LTE connection can be shared with up to 10 other WiFi-enabled devices via the Mobile HotSpot feature. Other noteworthy features include a front-facing camera for video chat and 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with a flash and 28mm lens. The camera can also be used to record HD video and even snap a picture while capturing video. The DROID Incredible by HTC 4G LTE will be available from Verizon in the coming weeks.

Slacker Radio adds sports coverage via ESPN

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, March 25, 2011 (permalink)
Comments  

Sports fans will be happy to learn that they will soon be able to get sports update from Slacker Radio. The company has teamed up with ESPN to deliver ESPN Radio programming to users of the music app. The integrated ESPN service will include ESPN SportsCenter headlines for hourly updates on any Slacker music station. Since Slacker Radio lets you create personalized radio stations you'll also be able to create custom sports stations.

Slacker Radio has a free version and subscription version, which starts at $3.99 a month, so not all of the ESPN coverage will be included in the free version. Those subscribed to the basic service will have access to the interactive programmed ESPN station, while those who pay for Slacker Radio monthly will get unlimited access to the ESPN offering including ad-free stations, the ability to create personalized sports station, and an option to add top of the hour SportsCenter updates to any Slacker Station.

If the Slacker Radio app didn't come included on your smartphone you can download it from the appropriate market place on your cell phone. If you already are a Slacker Radio user and want to add the subscription service for full ESPN access when it becomes available just click the "upgrade" button in the Slacker Radio app on your cell phone. There's no word on availability yet, but we'll keep you updated when we learn more.

The Cobra Tag and companion Android/BlackBerry App helps you find your keys

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, March 23, 2011 (permalink)
Comments  

If you're someone who is better at holding onto your smartphone than your keys, the Cobra Tag from Cobra Electronics can help get on your way faster. The Cobra Tag is both smartphone app (BlackBerry and Android) and Bluetooth-enabled Cobra Tag device that you can attach to any item (keys, purse, backpack, etc.) you want to be able to easily locate.

Essentially it lets your phone keep track of the Cobra Tag via Bluetooth. The smartphone app is paired with the Cobra Tag device via Bluetooth and monitors the distance between the phone and the Cobra Tag. If the items get too far apart or separated the app in the phone produces an audible alert. Say you don't want the alarm going off when the devices are separated, you can also press a button on the Cobra Tag that will ring the paired smartphone and vice versa. Plus, you can use the app to record the GPS location and time of day the items became separated and then send an email, text, or social media messaging to a contact list to see if anyone knows what happens to your missing item. The Cobra Tag will be available in July 2011 and cost $59.99

Nokia shows off its latest T-Mobile phone the Astound

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, March 23, 2011 (permalink)
Comments (1) 

Nokia unveiled its latest Symbian-based smartphone for T-Mobile, the Nokia Astound. This cell phone definitely has a lot to offer, starting with its 3.5-inch capacitive AMOLED touchscreen (so it's viewable in direct sunlight), stainless-steel design, and slim profile. Like many other smartphones being announced recently, the Nokia Astound can also record 720p HD video using its integrated 8-megapixel camera. You can make this phone feel more like your own by customizing the three available home screens and by downloading purchased or free apps from the Nokia Ovi Store. To get you started, the Nokia Astound comes loaded with Twitter and Facebook clients, Fruit Ninja game, Ovi Maps, and Slacker radio. If you're interested in the Nokia Astound it will be available for T-Mobile customers April 6.

Sprint adds 2 new HTC devices to line-up: HTC EVO View 4G and HTC EVO 3D

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, March 22, 2011 (permalink)
Comments  

At the Sprint event at CTIA today the company unveiled two new HTC devices - the next evolution EVO, the EVO 3D, and the 7-inch HTC View 4G tablet. Both 4G products will be available this summer. The HTC EVO 3D is more than just the next version of the HTC EVO, it's also a 3D cell phone, but don't worry you don't need glasses to view 3D images. That's thanks to the QHD 3D 4.3-inch touchscreen display. Although, viewing maps in 3D and playing 3D games are actually pretty cool uses of the technology the other big use of the 3D feature will be how you use its integration into the phone's 3D HD (720p) video recorder that's achieved with dual 5-megapixel cameras. Check out the nifty lenses on the back of the EVO 3D:

Since this cell phone will be loaded with Blockbuster On Demand you'll be able to watch 3D movies on it as well. Other than the 3D functionality, the newest EVO has a similar design as its predecessor and all the features you'd expect including a 1.2-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, 4G connectivity with the Mobile HotSpot feature so you can share the connection with up to eight WiFi-enabled devices, HDMI-out, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, and the ability to capture 1080p HD videos using a single 5-megapixel camera on the back. The HTC EVO 3D will come with 4GB of internal memory and an 8GB microSD card (support up to 32GB microSD card).

HTC View 4G

The 4G tablet will be running the Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS, sport a 7-inch 1024 x 600 touchscreen display with pinch-to-zoom and works with the HTC Scribe. Although the Scribe is being sold as a separate accessory the technology is interesting. It lets you use the pen to capture audio of a meeting at the same time as written notes. Like the EVO 3D, the View 4G will also have the Blockbuster On Demand application and 3G/4G Mobile HotSpot functionality with the ability to share the connection with up to eight other device.

Also of note is the View 4G's multimedia features. It comes with two cameras: rear-facing 5-megapixel that can record 720p HD video and a front-facting 1.3-megapixel camera that can be used for video chat. The tablet comes with a 3.5mm headset jack, 32GB of internal memory and there's a microSD slot so you can add a 32GB microSD card for more storage space. Since this is a Sprint tablet you can also expect to find a host of Sprint apps preloaded including Sprint Zone, Sprint Mobile Wallet, Sprint Football Live, and more.

Powerful and fun: T-Mobile G2x with Google by LG

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, March 22, 2011 (permalink)
Comments  

T-Mobile's latest 4G smartphone - the T-Mobile G2x with Google by LG - is definitely a powerful one. What sets this Android 2.2 smartphone apart from the other models currently available? Let's start with the specs. It has a NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processor with dual-core CPU both running at 1GHz (think gaming and speed), 4G connectivity over T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, and even HDMI mirroring with DLNA compliant devices (so you can wirelessly stream video or games on the G2x to a DLNA-ready HDTV). To really bring the gaming experience to life, there's an accelerometer and gyro sensor. Also on board you'll find a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with LED flash that can also record video in 1080p HD, and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for use with T-Mobile Video Chat powered by Qik. Additionally, the cell phone will come with Swype for fast texting, 8GB of internal memory (you can also add up to a 32GB microSD card), 3.5mm headset jack, and support for Adobe Flash. The T-Mobile G2x with Google by LG should be available later this Spring.

Sprint announces Nexus S 4G Android 2.3 smartphone to be available this Spring

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, March 22, 2011 (permalink)
Comments (1) 

Sprint's 20th 4G device - yes, that's number 20 - will be the Samsung Nexus S 4G Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone. The phone will be all about Google (so you won't find any kind of overlay UI on the Nexus S 4G) including Google Voice integration built into the Sprint network. If you haven't used Google Voice yet, it can be a pretty powerful tool letting users manage up to six different phone numbers with just one number and that number can be your existing Sprint cell phone number. You can also us Google Voice to receive transcribed voicemails and read or listen to them online.

Back to the Nexus S 4G, which is a good-looking phone with its rounded edges and solid feel. The cell phone has many of the specs that you'd expect including a 1GHz processor, 16GB of internal memory (store tons of apps, music, videos, and pictures), 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display, WiFi b/g/n (that's pretty secure) and of course 4G connectivity that you can share with up to six other WiFi-enabled devices via the Mobile HotSpot feature. There's also a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera/video recorder with flash, and a front-facing VGA camera for video chats. Be on the lookout for this cell phone this Spring.

New Samsung Galaxy Tab tablets are ultra-thin

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, March 22, 2011 (permalink)
Comments  

Today at CTIA, Samsung unveiled its next generation Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9. The real draw to this tablet is its profile. It's thin - measuring just 8.6mm - that's just a tad thinner than the new iPad. The 10.1 and 8.9 denominations refer to the screen size. Speaking of screens, both tablets will have 1,280x800 WXGA touchscreeen, support Adobe Flash, and be able to play back 1080p HD video. Also on board are a rear-facing 3-megapixel camera, front-facing 2-megapixel camera, and 1GHz dual-core processor. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 weighs 16.6 ounces (just a little over a pound) and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 doesn't weigh much more at 20.9 ounces (easily under 2 pounds).

After the tablets become available later this year, you'll be able to download the Samsung TouchWiz UX user interface that can help you customize the tablet. The TouchWiz UX is all about making it easier for you to do what you want on the Galaxy Tab. There's a live panel where you can have quick access to website, pictures, and more. While the Mini Apps Tray is for multi-tasking, so you can launch the most commonly used apps at any time from the tray.

WiFi versions of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available on June 8th (Galaxy Tab 10.1, 16GB - $499; Galaxy Tab 10.1, 32GB - $599), while the Galaxy Tab 8.9 will be available this summer (Galaxy Tab 8.9, 16GB - $469; Galaxy Tab 10.1, 32GB - $569). if you're interested in a version that will work with a wireless data network, we'll likely see a version that works on the HSPA+ network first, with WiMax and LTE versions later this year.

Sprint ID coming to Samsung Epic 4G and Samsung Galaxy Tab

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Monday, March 21, 2011 (permalink)
Comments  

The annual CTIA Wireless show is taking place this week in Orlando, FL and the news is just getting started. Case in point, Sprint is rolling out the company's Sprint ID app bundles to the Samsung Epic 4G and the Samsung Galaxy Tab Google Android 2.2 Tablet (see it with the Entertainment ID Pack below). The company announced Sprint ID at the CTIA Wireless show held in San Francisco last fall. The idea behind the Sprint ID packs is to help consumers customize their Android phones (Note: the packs were only available on a few phones at launch) by offering apps and widgets around a specific topic combined in a single downloadable package.

There are Sprint ID packs for entertainment, Yahoo!, MTV Music, ESPN, Fashion and Beauty, HomeBase designed to help you run a more organized household, and others. You can have up to 5 ID packs on a device at a time and change them whenever you want. The ID packs are free as are most of the included applications, however, occasionally there may be a fee for some of the apps. You can see all the Sprint ID packs by clicking this link.

If you want Sprint ID on your Samsung Epic 4G or Samsung Galaxy Tab be on the look out for an over-the-air software update being pushed to the device this week. The update will appear in the device's notification tab. Once you install the update, the Sprint ID icon will appear in the applications menu. Additionally, Samsung Epic 4G users will be happy to know that the Froyo Android 2.2 upgrade, support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Bluetooth dialing, and the ability to install apps onto an included microSD card is part of the update as well. Existing users of these devices should receive the update by March 24.

Samsung Transform at a glance

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, October 28, 2010 (permalink)
Comments  

The Samsung Transform was recently announced for Sprint. It's an affordable Android 2.1 cell phone with a spacious slide-out tactile QWERTY keyboard. We take a closer look at the cell phone in the video below.