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T-Mobile G2 to cost $199 on contract, a stiff $499 without

September 1st, 2010 Ben Marvin 3 comments

If the leaked screenshot you see above is to be believe, the T-Mobile G2, aka the HTC Vision is to be $199 with a new 2 year contract (or upgrade price) and $499 without a contract. Placing it right in line with the pricing of the Motorola Droid X, HTC EVO 4G, and other high end smartphones. The T-Mobile G2 is said to be available late September or early October and features a full QWERTY keyboard and HSPA+ 3.5G data.

[via TmoNews]

Motorola announces the Defy, a dust and water resistant Android phone

September 1st, 2010 Ben Marvin No comments

Although it doesn’t offer a whole lot in the way of looks or specs, the Motorola Defy offers something other Android devices don’t have. IP67 water and dust resistance rating means it’s fully protected from dust, anyone that’s had many smartphones knows that some models love to get dust under the screen. And the defy is also water resistant up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes, almost unheard of in any phone really. Other specs include:

  • TI OMAP3610 @ 800 MHz
  • Quadband GSM
  • 59 x 107 x 13.4mm / 2.3 x 4.2 x .53in
  • 118g / 4.2oz
  • 5 Megapixel AF Camera With Flash
  • Swype Keyboard
  • 3.7 inch touchscreen
  • Android 2.1 (but supposed to get 2.2 upgrade)

No word on pricing or availability, but if you need a rugged phone, and don’t want to carry an outdated Nextel, then this midrange Android phone is one to look out for. Anyone looking forward to this?

[via MobileBurn]

Samsung announces 1 million Galaxy S phones sold in the US

August 29th, 2010 Ben Marvin No comments

With the Captivate and the Vibrant barely a month old, and the Fascinate and Epic 4G just around the corner, selling one million phones is a pretty impressive feat for Samsung with only half of the available models being out. In other words, this is just the beginning. Of course these numbers don’t include international sales. Samsung is really trying to dominate the worldwide Android hardware market and they’re making quite a dent in HTC.

SAMSUNG MOBILE SHIPS ONE MILLION GALAXY S DEVICES IN THE U.S. MARKET

Android 2.1-powered smart phones available at AT&T and T-Mobile and coming soon to Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular and Cellular South

DALLAS, August 30, 2010 —Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile)1, the  No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S., today announced that it has shipped one million of its Android™ 2.1-powered Galaxy S devices in the U.S. market. Samsung Mobile began shipping the Galaxy S portfolio2 on July 15, which are currently available with AT&T and T-Mobile.  Galaxy S devices will also be available with Sprint on August 31 and will be available with Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular and Cellular South this fall.

Samsung Mobile has packed cutting-edge technology into its Galaxy S portfolio, including features such as a stunning 4-inch Super AMOLED display screen, 1GHz Hummingbird Application Processor and a multitude of entertainment, messaging and social networking capabilities. In addition, all Samsung Galaxy S devices will be upgradable to Android 2.2 in the future.

“Bringing Galaxy S devices to multiple carriers has given Samsung Mobile the opportunity to reach millions of consumers,” said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Mobile. “I am proud of the instant success of the Galaxy S line up and I am very pleased to announce that because of the support of our carrier partners and loyal customers, we have shipped one million Galaxy S devices in the U.S. market. Samsung Mobile looks forward to sharing additional Galaxy S milestones in the future.”

The roll out of Samsung’s Galaxy S portfolio has been supported by a multi-tiered print, online, cinema and television advertising campaign, including major networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN and MTV and in cinemas such as AMC, Cinemark and Regal. Samsung Galaxy S was also a sponsor of X Games 16, which was held in downtown Los Angeles from July 29 to August 1. From September 30 to October 3, the Samsung Galaxy S lineup will be showcased at the World Cyber Games Grand Final in Los Angeles.

In addition, Samsung Mobile has executed a comprehensive Galaxy S social media campaign, which included a Facebook promotion and daily content sharing on Samsung Mobile’s social media channels, which include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube™. As additional Galaxy S devices become available, Samsung Mobile will continue to distribute key digital and video assets to sustain awareness of the Galaxy S.

Samsung Fascinate for Verizon now available for pre-order at Best Buy

August 29th, 2010 Ben Marvin No comments

As if Verizon didn’t have enough Android phones already, customers can now start getting their Galaxy S fix. Featuring 4 inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 1 Ghz processor, as well as a 5MP camera with HD video, the Fascinate also features support for connection up to 5 WiFi devices.

[Best Buy via Android Community]

Archos 32 finally shows itself via the FCC

August 11th, 2010 Ben Marvin 1 comment

Thanks to this FCC filing, we now know what the Archos 32 looks like and have verification on its specs and features. Touchscreen with soft key controls below the 3.2 inch screen (hence the name 32), as well as GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth and WiFi. There’s a microphone, but apparently no camera mentioned as we originally thought. The Archose 32 is still available for preorder from Amazon for only $147, a hair below the MSRP of $150.

[via Engadget]

Comparing the HTC Evo 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G [video]

August 11th, 2010 Ben Marvin 1 comment

Can’t decide if you want the Evo 4G or the Epic 4G? Not really sure the differences besides the physical appearance? Well, Sprint threw together this video to help you decide. I guess all they really care is that you buy one or the other.

Personally, I’d have a hard time deciding myself, as both are real Android powerhouses.

AT&T and Sony Ericsson officially announce Xperia X10, available August 15th

August 9th, 2010 Ben Marvin No comments

We knew it was coming, and now it’s official. Today AT&T and Sony Ericsson officially announced the Xperia X10. Available now for pre-order and out on August 15th. Running you only $149 from AT&T or $129 from Sony. Still packing features that compete against the top Android phones of today, a 1Ghz SnapDragon processor, 8MP camera and a 4 inch touchscreen. Android 1.6 being the only downside of the latest offering in AT&T’s Android stable. But 2.1 is being promised by the end of the year.

AT&T and Sony Ericsson Announce the Xperia™ X10

Smart meets entertaining – Sony Ericsson’s flagship Android smartphone offers an open and integrated world of communication, entertainment and social media

DALLAS and ATLANTA, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — AT&T* and Sony Ericsson today announced a dynamic multimedia experience with the Android™ based Xperia™ X10, available August 15. The Xperia™ X10 introduces Sony Ericsson’s unique and entertainment-driven Xperia™ platform to U.S. customers in a cutting-edge, beautiful and fun package.

The Xperia™ X10 comes fully loaded with a 4-inch crystal clear touch display, superfast 1GHz Snapdragon processor and a GPS. The smartphone also features an 8.1 megapixel camera with smile detection, face recognition, autofocus and LED flash. The device comes with 8 GB of on-board memory and a 2 GB in-box memory card, with expandable memory up to 32 GB.

Sony Ericsson’s custom user experience is great for the intersection of communications and entertainment. Two signature applications, Mediascape and Timescape™, build on the Android platform to enhance the experience for users.

  • Mediascape on the Xperia ™ X10 gathers music, photos, videos and content from your phone’s memory card and online, letting you browse, search, listen and share your media from one unified view. For example, view photos taken on the device as well as your Facebook® and Picasa™ web albums. Or, when listening to a favorite song on your phone, press Sony Ericsson’s infinite button to access related content about the artist pulled from the phone’s memory as well as albums, songs and video content from YouTube™ and search results from Google.
  • Timescape™ is a unique communication application that automatically organizes social interactions in chronological order, leaving users free to concentrate on keeping in touch on-the-go. From Facebook® and Twitter® updates to photos, emails and text messages, a scrolling menu offers easy viewing and organization of all communications. Additionally, tap the Timescape™ infinite button to bring up and view all communications from a single person in a single place.
    “Sony Ericsson has created a unique choice for our smartphone customers looking for a fun and smart device,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

“Sony Ericsson is raising the bar for entertainment-rich phones with the launch of the Xperia ™ X10,” said Paul Hamnett, senior vice president, Sony Ericsson North America. “With the convergence of our user experience platform and the Android OS, we are bringing consumers a smartphone experience that is not only exciting, but also very refined. Following the successful global launch of the Xperia™ X10, we are pleased to partner with AT&T to launch this phone in the U.S. market.”

Pricing and Availability

The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X10 smartphone will be available in black at AT&T stores, authorized retailers and www.wireless.att.com on August 15 for $149.99 after a two-year service agreement and minimum smartphone data plan.

TweetDeck for Android beta coming this week

August 9th, 2010 Ben Marvin No comments

TweetDeck just announced they have been developing TweetDeck for Android and are nearing completion. A Beta program should be available as soon as this week. The best part about it, is that it’s not just a simple port from the iPhone or iPad version. They completely rebuilt it from the ground up, and that the Android version is what the iPhone and iPad versions will soon turn into.

So if you came from an iPhone, or you love the desktop version, or maybe just shopping for a new Twitter client for your Android, be sure to check out the Beta when it comes out.

[TweetDeck via Android Community]

High end HTC handset with QWERTY Verizon bound

August 7th, 2010 Ben Marvin 3 comments

We just love spy shots of phones still under development, and this is no exception. A high end HTC, featuring a 4 inch screen, full QWERTY spring-loaded sliding keyboard, CDMA/GSM radio “world phone” so it will work when not in the United States, and a 1.2Ghz processor. As well as coming preloaded with at least Android 2.2, if not 3.0.

After the success of the G1, HTC kind of abandoned the sliding QWERTY for a while until the average spec’d MyTouch Slide came out. But it’s good to see they still show love to the keyboard fans out there. I know I couldn’t do without one.

No word on when we might actually see this come out, but you can bet there’s more leaks around the corner soon. Hit the link for a couple more shots.

[The Droid Guy via Phandroid]

LG Ally owners will be getting Android 2.2 love

August 7th, 2010 Ben Marvin 1 comment

Good news for all you LG Ally owners out there. You will also be joining the ranks of the elite phones such as the Droid X and the HTC EVO 4G and getting the upgrade to Android 2.2 FroYo. LG has not provided an expected date, or even a timeframe, but we can assume they’ll try and get it out before the end of the year. Hopefully sooner than later. The LG Ally is in a unique position of being one of the only full QWERTY Android handsets and also one of LG’s only Android phones out in North America. Just because it isn’t the most powerful popular phone doesn’t mean it shouldn’t have the latest OS.

[PhoneDog via Phandroid]