cellphone news: October 2011

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Motorola Admiral looks ship shape, headed for Sprint in the US

We caught wind of the Motorola Admiral early last month among a group of handsets all headed for US carrier Sprint. Beyond the name this device was effectively an unknown, with no spy shots or spec leaks that we could readily find available. The device in question has now made its first notable appearance on the interwebs so let's take a look at what it has to offer. So a the Admiral looks to be a smart, capable, candy bar QWERTY droid, built to withstand the (note: 810G means military spec) bruises and bumps from the environments it may...

White iPhone 4s spotted in AT&T's system

While perusing the AT&T customer service system, someone has come across a rather interesting tidbit of information. As you can see on the side, there is mention of a certain iPhone 4s White, along with the current iPhone models. It has been rumored for a long time that Apple may be announcing two iPhones this year. One would be an upgraded version of the current iPhone 4 and one completely new model, the iPhone 5, if you will. If you look at the list closely, you will notice that it shows the second page with the last five items on...

Apple's iPhone 5 design gets leaked by Case-Mate

It has been widely accepted that the closer a device gets to its official announcement, the more credible the related leaks become. Apple's iPhone 5 is no exception from the rule. We have sneak peak for you, on the design of one of the most anticipated smartphones to launch this year, courtesy of Case-Mate. As you can see from the picture above, the fifth generation iPhone will differ significantly from its predecessor. The aluminum back of the yet to be announced device hints at a design reference to the first iPhone, which took the...

LG LU6200 live shots emerge, we get to see its HD screen

It was only a few days ago when the first pictures of the LG LU6200 emerged, causing a stir in our geeky hearts. Today, we have live shots of the device for you and, finally, we get to see its HD screen in its full glory. The AH-IPS LCD display with HD (720 x 1280) resolution, featured in the upcoming LG flagship has already made quite a splash by winning a prestigious award. There is absolutely no doubt that it will be the droid's biggest highlight. As far as the rest of the device's rumored specs go, you can go ahead and check them out...

Android 2.3.7 update brings Google Wallet to Nexus S 4G

The Google Wallet service has finally started rolling out to users of the Nexus S 4G on Sprint's network. However, before you start using it, you will need to update your phone to the latest firmware. Google has dropped the Android 2.3.7 update, which upgrades your phone's firmware from GRJ90 to GWK74. You may get the notification asking you to update or you can go to Settings > About phone > System updates to see if you have got any update waiting for you. Do note that this update is only available to Nexus S 4G users as the Google...

Alleged iPhone 5 cases pop up at AT&T stores, thinner and wider

Just days before the official "Let's talk iPhone" event kicks off in Cupertino rumors about the next-gen iDevice are heating up - big time. The latest are the iPhone 5 cases that had popped up in AT&T's inventory database. Well now we have pictures to share of them. A ninja dressed in AT&T shop assistant clothing has sent these pictures to MacRumors. They show the previously leaked Case-Mate cases for the iPhone 5. Judging by them the next incarnation of the iPhone will be way thinner than the current iPhone 4, the LG Optimus Black...

Samsung Galaxy Note coming to AT&T following FCC approval

The Samsung Galaxy Note looks to be gracing the US of A with its presence following the FCC's recent approval of the device's support for AT&T's 3G bands, news that will no doubt bring a smile to gadget-heads across the nation. The Note is somewhat of an odd breed of device. Following the rise of mobile phones and the subsequent fall of PDA's. The Note takes the notion of a throwback and adds every modern smart-device garnish it has to offer on top, meaning you get all of the mod-cons you expect from a device such as this, but an underlying...

HTC Desire S gets Gingerbread 2.3.5 and Sense 3.0

We first met the HTC Desire S at MWC in Barcelona, back in February earlier this year. As the natural successor to the HTC Desire. We saw performance improvements in terms of a better GPU, bigger amounts of RAM and ROM, and faster connectivity, but that aside, the step up wasn't as dramatic as we'd have liked. Once it launched, the Desire S came running Android Gingerbread 2.3.3 and HTC's Sense 2.1 UI out of the box. The latest development however is that the next update for the Desire S, has started rolling out without so much as a whisper....

Bracketron Back-iT for the iPad 2

By now, I am certain that you are all aware of the iPad 2, and how the user can purchase the flexible, fold-able Smart Cover to protect the front. However, what about the back of the precious iPad 2? This is probably the mentality that led Bracketron to develop the Back-iT. It is a “low-profile, precision-cut polycarbonate back that securely holds and protects your iPad 2 from scratches and scuffs”. It comes in the same colors of the previously mentioned Smart Covers, which are all pastel and include a “soft-touch design for superior...

PURE Contour is one fine iPod/iPhone dock

After years of seeing PURE products at CES and electronics shows, I finally got one to try out with the Contour. The PURE Contour is an iPod/iPhone dock, but it is quite extraordinary. I’m not certain if its rounded shape has anything to do with its high quality sound, but it has full range 3.5 inch speakers and dual bass ports for 36W RMS of sound that really shook the floor. It has an iPod dock that is retractable, as well as an FM radio. The Contour can also connect via Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection so you can hook up to Internet...

Eton Mobius for the iPhone 4

Eton has a lot of solar-powered products such as emergency gadgets like the Raptor and the Scorpion. Their most recent product, the Mobius, takes a page from the Mophie Juice Pack playbook as it is a portable charger specifically designed for the iPhone 4. The Juice Pack is a battery that doubles as an iPhone case, and the Mobius is essentially the same thing, but solar-powered. According to the official Press Release, one hour of sun on the solar cells is sufficient enough for 25 minutes of talk time, 20 minutes of internet use, 35 minutes...

iKurv iPod/iPhone dock from Speakal

It is difficult to review the iKurv from Speakal without comparing it to the PURE Contour iPod/iPhone dock that I reviewed the other day. The iKurv certainly has the most odd of shapes. The arch with the speakers on each side can create 20 watts of great sound, and the sight of the blue light makes it look very beautiful. In addition to the iPod/iPhone, you can connect your TV, Gaming Console, or MP3 to it as well. I will have to say that when I put my iPhone in the dock, the sound was very loud, and that was at the lowest level. I...

Adidas Adizero f50 football boot is smarter than you think it is

We have smart TVs, smart fridges, smartphones, and now in the world of athletics, smart boots. Football boots to be specific, as adidas, the sponsor of some of the more illustrious names in world football like Lionel Messi, has rolled out the miCoach-powered adizero f50 intelligent football boot. The 2011 model will deliver smart technology to the field of play, where it transforms the boot into the the supreme digital training tool. How does it do that? Well, you are able to track and upload performance data such as speed, maximum speed,...

LG Optimus Slider to hit Virgin Mobile USA

If you’re one of the minority who subscribes to Virgin Mobile USA, then you might be interested to know that the carrier has yet another QWERTY keyboard smartphone that runs on the Android operating system coming your way – in the form of the LG Optimus Slider. Yes sir, this smartphone with a slide-out keyboard would make it perfect for those who absolutely loathe virtual keyboards even until today, simply because it is far easier to type with a physical keyboard, and the kind of tactile feedback that you receive makes it all the more satisfying....

Saturday, October 1, 2011

BlackBerry Bold 9900 review: Business reimagined

A brand new OS, more speed, a facelift and a high-res touchscreen, the latest of the Bold messengers is listening for the roar of the crowd. There's no going back to the old rational and composed self - give it danger, thrills and excitement. The BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 is stronger, faster, better. No ordinary messenger, it's the bearer of good news. BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 official pictures Although on a second thought, a snappy 1.2GHz processor, the new BlackBerry OS 7.0 with Liquid graphics and a super crisp VGA touchscreen ...

iPhone 4S launching on October 21 with BBM?

According to a Greek website an iPhone will be announced in early October and released to the major markets around the world on October 21. The site claims this will be the iPhone 4S with the same size display, 8 MP camera with 1080p video recording, a dual-core 1GHz A5 processor inside and a second antenna on the top. The rest of the specs are pretty much identical to the current iPhone 4. The site claims to have a "100% reliable source", but we wouldn't rush to bet our salaries on it if we were you. We also received another tip, claiming...

LG SU880 Optimus EX with Tegra 2 SoC and NOVA screen unveiled

LG has just officially unveiled its Korea-bound Optimus EX smartphone. We first met with the Android-running handset last week, when we got an official photo and detailed specs ahead of teh launch, so there are no surprises now. The LG Optimus EX runs on Gingerbread and relies on a Tegra 2 chipset with a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU and 1GB of RAM to do the math. The 4" WVGA screen on top will be of the NOVA variety, which promises one of the highest brightness levels on the market. At the back there's a 5 megapixel camera that does 1080p video ...

Officially confirmed: iPhone 5 comes on October 4th

That's that then - the invitations have been sent and it has been officially confirmed that we are just a week away from seeing the next iPhone. The announcement will take place next Tuesday in a rather unusual place - the Apple campus in Cupertino. Normally those things happen in other venues in San Francisco, but this time Apple will be inviting journalists to its home. There's an outside chance that this is done so they can make LTE demonstrations, without depending on the (still rather spotty) LTE coverage. Still, most rumors suggest...

Huawei-Discovery Expedition is here to redefine the ruggedness

The rugged phones are not something common nowadays but it's good to have them around. Despite the average user will need one not more than once or twice in the lifetime of the phone, there are people out there that spend most of their days in hostile environments or even adventures. Huawei and Discovery Communications acknowledge the needs of this sort of people and are stepping up with their own Discovery Expedition rugged phone (that's Discovery's lifestyle brand). The Discovery Expedition phone is water-resistant, dust and shock proof....

Samsung Galaxy Note hands-on: First look

The Samsung Galaxy Note is a player in a game of numbers - and it's drawing higher numbers than the competition. Starting with the 5.3" 1280x800 pixels SuperAMOLED screen on the outside and all the way to the beefed up Exynos chipset inside with two 1.4GHz cores, the Galaxy Note has +1 on all its specs. Samsung Galaxy Note This is hardly where the numbers end, here are a few more - 285ppi for the screen, 9.65mm thick, 8MP still camera, 1080p video camera, 2,500 mAh battery. It's either a Galaxy S II on steroids or a smaller Galaxy...

Huawei Honor gets some hands-on photos and video

But just the other day, Huawei unveiled the Honor, their latest Android device, with a spec sheet that places it amongst stiff competition including the likes of the Xperia arc S for example in the upper echelons of their portfolio. We saw shots of the Honor, tie straightened and trousers pressed in the official press photography, looking as Huawei intended, but now the team over at Techblog.gr have managed to snag some real-life, more light-of-day honest angles. Not only that, they in fact they had time to shoot a video giving a general...

Sony Ericsson Xperia ray review: Ray of light

Honey, I shrunk the Xperia arc. No, that's a different story. And yes, we like the Sony Ericsson minis. But that's not how the real story of the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray goes. They did things to the Xperia arc. They took out its beating heart and carved a new phone out of it. But this isn't a scary story, it has a happy ending. It feels the Ray was always living inside the Xperia arc, waiting to be released. Like a seed that will grow a new plant. That's how we imagine the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray was born. They cracked the rock open to...