PhoneTalk

MetroPCS’ latest smartphone can be used to watch live TV

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, August 07, 2012 (permalink)
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Looking for a cell phone with the latest technology? Check out the Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G available with MetroPCS service. The new smartphone runs Android 2.3, sports a 1GHz processor, and a spacious and crisp 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen. All of this will come in handy when using the Dyle mobile TV app that can be used to watch live TV found on your local TV stations. There's no need to worry about using 4G LTE data or finding a WiFi connection because the app actually provides mobile TV reception. The technology is fairly new so the service isn’t available everywhere. When you’re not watching TV on the phone, there’s also a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera for capturing pictures or shooting HD video.

Do you want to watch live TV on your cell phone? Let us know in the comments below.

HTC Phones expected to get Android Jelly Bean 4.1 update

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, July 24, 2012 (permalink)
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Rollouts of the Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS update are still headed toward existing phones and we’re already beginning to learn which phones should expect to receive the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. According to a recent article in Fierce Wireless, HTC plans to upgrade the HTC One X, HTC One XL, and HTC One S to the Jelly Bean OS. Users can expect a smoother experience, more personalization, and an updated home screen with the Jelly Bean Android 4.1 OS.

HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint will be available in white

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, July 12, 2012 (permalink)
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In April, Sprint unveiled the HTC EVO 4G LTE. Now the phone will also be available in the fashion forward white color this month. In addition to working on Sprint’s 4G LTE network and having a speedy 1.5GHz dual-core processor, the phone runs the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS with the HTC Sense 4 overlay. It also comes with 16GB of onboard storage (plus it will accept up to a 32GB microSD card) so you’ll be able to easily store any of the 1080p HD videos you shoot on the phone. It also sports an 8-megapixel camera with a fast shutter speed. You can learn more about Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G LTE by clicking this link.

DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX get update

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, June 22, 2012 (permalink)
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In March, we found out which Motorola phones will be updated to Android Ice Cream sandwich. Starting today owners of Verizon’s DROID RAZR and the DROID RAZR MAXX should start receiving an over-the-air update that will include Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS and the ability to use the phone when traveling overseas. If you plan on using the former feature abroad just be sure to get an international plan. There will be a few other enhancements as well including some improvements to the voice input technology. To learn more about the upgrade, visit Verizon’s News Center.

Windows Phone 8 Unveiled

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, June 20, 2012 (permalink)
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Today at the Windows Phone Summit being held in San Francisco, Microsoft showed off Windows Phone 8. There are quite a few enhancements that users can expect, but existing Windows Phone 7.5 users won’t get is the ability to upgrade their phones to Windows Phone 8. Existing Windows Phone users will, however, get an update to 7.8, which will have the new Windows Phone 8 Start screen -- it’s a bit of a centerpiece of the upcoming Windows Phone 8.

The idea behind the new Start screen is that you can customize it anyway you want, changing tile sizes giving some activities more significance than others (watch the video below to see it in action). Other noteworthy features are the inclusion of Internet Explorer 10 (that’s a full web browser, not a mobile version), the Wallet (manage payments, deals, and cards you might find in a wallet), and Nokia’s mapping software. We should also note that existing Windows Phone apps will work with the Windows Phone 8 platform.

We can expect to see Windows Phone 8 models from Nokia, HTC, Huawei, and Samsung. Some of the hardware features to expect include a multi-core processor (this will make the phone faster and more powerful), a slot for an external microSD storage card, NFC chip (Wallet apps and connecting with other Windows 8 devices), Nokia maps, and a WXGA display (1280 x768) – that’s HD.

Get a peak at the new Start screen in the Mircosoft video below.

Verizon Motorola XOOM Tablets start to receive Android 4.0 update

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, June 05, 2012 (permalink)
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This week owners of the Motorola Xoom will start receiving the update to Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The update will feature apps management, an improved photo editor, and speech-to-text technology.

Wondering when or if you’re Verizon Android device will be getting the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update? Check out Verizon’s list of products scheduled to get the upgrade.

Android 4.0 Update: Sony Ericsson Xperia phones

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, May 29, 2012 (permalink)
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For all those with a Sony Ericsson Xperia Play wondering if the phone will be updated to the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS there’s finally an answer. According to this FierceMobile article the company will not be updating the smartphone.

That said, users with other Xperia models that came out in 2011 such as the Xperia Arc should be receiving the update this week. Owners of the Xperia S, Xperia P, and Xperia U will be getting the OS update in the coming months.

Samsung GALAXY S III unveiled in London

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, May 03, 2012 (permalink)
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Samsung announced the next generation of its popular GALAXY S line of products in London today. The idea behind its design is that this smartphone will get to know and ultimately understand you. At the heart of how you will interact with the phone is a natural language interface called “S Voice.” It can be used to tell the phone what to do - anything from play a favorite song, send messages, or take a picture with the camera. The feature will get so accustomed to you, that it will be able to recognize your voice and even your face. With a 4.8-inch display the phone is a bit smaller than the Galaxy Note.

There are also quite a few enhancements made in the camera such as a zero-lag shutter speed, a burst shot feature for capturing 20 shots in a row, and even a Best Photo option that can select the best picture out of eight photographs. Find a photo that you want to share with others feel free to share it using “Buddy Photo Share.“ Want to share something larger? Then check out “S Beam.” It’s like Android Beam, but will work with bigger files such as a 1GB movie file in three minutes or 10MB music file in just a few seconds. None of this requires using a WiFi or data connection.

Now for the tech specifics: The phone will sport a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED (bright, crisp, and viewable in bright sunlight), rear-facing 8-megapixel camera and front-facing 1.9-megapixel camera, built-in NFC Chip, and run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The phone will be able to playback full HD 1080p video. Plus the phone can be turned on its side for watching videos in 16:9 widescreen mode. There will be 16GB and 32GB configurations for onboard storage with a 64GB model available soon and it will support up to a 64GB microSD card. That’s plenty of storage for videos, photos, music, files, and more.

The phone will be available this summer and you can learn more about it by cheking out the The Next Galaxy.

Galaxy Nexus by Samsung coming to Sprint

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, April 17, 2012 (permalink)
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Have you been waiting for Sprint to offer the Android 4.0 Galaxy Nexus by Samsung with 4G LTE capability? If so, you’ll be happy to learn the wait is almost over. The smartphone will be available this month. The Galaxy Nexus will not have an overlay, so expect a pure Google experience. The phone’s 1.2GHz dual-core processor adds to the speedy user experience and the built-in NFC chip means Google Wallet is included. The Galaxy Nexus is a bit larger than other high-end phones with a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED contour display that boasts a vibrant 1280x720 resolution. The cell phone also features a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats and participating in Google Hangouts and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera capable of recording 1080p HD video. Click this link to learn more about availability of the Galaxy Nexus for Sprint.

Does your Nokia Lumia 900 have data connection issues?

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, April 11, 2012 (permalink)
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It’s been reported that some people who were among the first to purchase the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone experienced trouble getting a data connection. According to this CNET article, Nokia has confirmed that there is indeed a glitch in some of the earlier models. The issue is a result of a combination of memory management and software. There will be a software update rolled out to the cell phones on April 16th that should fix the problem. In the meantime, Nokia is offering $100 credit for the service bill to those with affected phones until midnight on April 21, 2012.

Sprint announces HTC EVO 4G LTE

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, April 04, 2012 (permalink)
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The newest member of the HTC EVO line of smartphones for Sprint will be the HTC EVO 4G LTE. Like its predecessor, the HTC EVO 4G, this model sports a kickstand. As has been the case with previous EVO models, this version has a “first” of its own: HD Voice. The idea behind this feature is that it will offer improved voice quality making callers sound fuller and more natural and help reduce background noise. As the cell phone name suggests, this Sprint model will work on the company’s 4G LTE network that will be unveiled in select cities by the middle of this year. The cell phone will also work with Sprint’s 3G network when 4G LTE service isn’t available. The Mobile HotSpot feature can be used to share the data connection with up to 8 WiFi-capable devices.

The HTC EVO 4G LTE will offer a speedy user experience with its 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS with HTC’s Sense 4 overlay. For those interested in shopping, there’s the built-in NFC chip and Google Wallet. It’s spacious 4.7-inch HD super LCD display will come in handy when conducting a Google Hangout via the front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera or when using the rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with a flash to snap pictures with the f/2.0 lens or recording 1080p HD video. The cell phone will have 16GB of onboard memory and will accept up to 32GB microSD card - plenty of room for storing pictures and video. Since HTC teamed up with Beats, it’s no surprise that the HTC EVO 4G LTE will feature Beats Audio allowing users to listen to music the way the artist intended.

The latest addition to the HTC EVO family was announced at a Sprint/HTC press conference today and will be available in the second quarter of this year.