Posted: 02 Feb 2012 11:22 AM PST Today Verizon announced that the folks at JD Power and Associates rank them right at the top in customer service and satisfaction here in the United States. While they were quick to announce the findings — they aren’t the only ones. A different survey has different results and the fine folks from Vocalabs claims AT&T actually tips the top spot instead.  One important note is while Verizon was number one overall according to JD Power, they actually ranked AT&T first in walk-in customer service over Verizon. Then you take the findings today from Vocalabs linked to above, where they surveyed phone-based customer service instead. Combine their findings of AT&T being at the top for phone based support, and JD’s comments on walk-in’s this could technically mean overall AT&T is the best. Vocalab’s study found that AT&T has been steadily improving both as a company and in customers eyes, while others such as T-Mobile and Sprint have continued to drop. According to Vocalab’s AT&T ranked “Very Satisfied” by customers after phone based support 69% of the time. Compared to 60% for Verizon, 59% for Sprint and a lowly 48% for T-Mobile. Surveys like this can be looked at in many different ways, as not all customers have the same needs. With AT&T being top in phone support here, and top in walk-in’s by JD it is safe to say they tend to make most of their customers extremely happy. I’m wondering if you asked about actual cell service what these polls would look like. So you tell us. How is your experiences with AT&T? Would you rank them Very Satisfied like 69% of callers did last year? |
Posted: 02 Feb 2012 10:59 AM PST This is starting to get a bit ridiculous. While we haven’t waited as long as many did for the DROID Bionic it appears we have another one of those situations on our hands. The DROID 4 has been delayed time and time again from initial leaks suggesting a December 8th launch. We’ve seen plenty since then but newest details could confirm February 10th is the real deal.  According to a few screenshots from Droid-Life, Verizon’s official equipment guide website has the Motorola DROID 4 Slider set to be released on “All Channels” starting February 10th. Making that 9th launch date we mentioned yesterday pretty close to accurate. There really isn’t much to say here, other than we are basically waiting for the official word from Verizon and or Motorola at this point. Obviously without an actual date confirmed this could still get pushed back and delayed for whatever reason, and we’ve seen that plenty in the recent past. I’m not the biggest fan of QWERTY keyboards especially with the strides in on-screen keyboards with Gingerbread and ICS. For those wanting the best of both worlds the DROID 4 employs a 4.0″ AMOLED display, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, Verizon 4G LTE, and still manages to have that built in edge-lit keyboard. We are expecting an announcement any day now so stay tuned if this slider is any interest to you. |
Posted: 02 Feb 2012 10:30 AM PST Who is ready for the Super Bowl? If you’ve been watching Sportscenter and NFL Network all week just like me and would like to show your team spirit on Android I have just the app for you. Obviously there are tons of different apps and live wallpapers available but NFL Super Bowl 3D Live Wallpaper so far is one of my favorites. It’s simple but elegant and I can sport my Packers with pride (maybe next year guys.)  While clearly anyone interested already knows it’s the Patriots vs the G-Men from New York. The app will allow you to choose any team you’d like, not just the Super Bowl teams. Although getting your favorite team logo and flag flying on your homescreen will cost you a few dollars, while the Super Bowl part is free.  It works on both phones and tablets, all screen sizes and has full support for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Once you pay for your favorite team there is all sorts of settings and options. From team ringtones, stadium background settings and more. They’ve even updated with a holiday theme and Lucas Oil Stadium options specifically for the Super Bowl. the developer states it has been officially licensed by the NFL ensuring the app wont get pulled randomly. They even have multiple angles for the helmet and stadium view for those that don’t like the standard options. It looks like a great app and will be an awesome way to show your team spirit this weekend. My Packers sadly lost and even though it was to the Giants — I’ll still be rooting for the G-Men come Sunday. Who is your team and who do you want to win? I’m saying Giants over the Pats 20-17 for the final score. Sound off in the comments below! Market Link    |
Posted: 02 Feb 2012 10:11 AM PST Verizon let us know today that they came out on top in J.D. Power and Associates Wireless Customer Care Full Service Study, ranking the major cell phone providers in the United States based on surveys taken in the latter half of 2011. J.D. Power asked customers who had recently contacted their provider through the web, on the phone or in person, and Verizon received the greatest accolades among its users. The achievement is the second in a row for Big Red.  Thee other three service providers in the US, including AT&T and T-Mobile, all recieved a two out of five rating from the J.D. Power survey. Verizon scored an impressive five out of five, soundly beating all comers. Note that this survey didn’t factor in wireless coverage or speed (thought that was almost certainly a contributing factor to the mood of those surveyed) just the performance of customer service representatives. Seperate surveys are conducted for wireless providers that offer contract-free services; in that survey, Virgin Mobile came out on top. J.D. Power notes that customers with 4G devices are almost twice as likely to call customer service than those who have 3G phones. The firm speculates that this is because of confusion or frustration over smaller 4G coverage areas, both with HSPA+ (AKA “fake 4G”) and LTE networks. 38% of users who went online for help used the newfangled live chat function, and 40% of applicants contacted their service provider because their device was malfunctioning. You can read the full report on J.D. Power and Associates’ website. UPDATE: we’ve received a bit of a clarification from AT&T who note the following: “AT&T was again named No. 1 in walk-in customer service by J.D. Power as part of its 2012 Wireless Customer Care Survey – Volume 1, and third overall. We remain dedicated to continuous improvement so we can deliver the industry’s best products and services with exceptional customer care.” – AT&TThe customer care saga continues! |
Posted: 02 Feb 2012 09:32 AM PST Earlier this morning we reported that serious security issues had been found in a number of HTC phone running its Sense UI skin, which allow third-party applications to view the passwords of saved WiFi SSDs. The flaw was discovered by the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team and reported on the Homeland Security website. HTC has responded to the issue on their support website, stating that some of the phones are already fixed through regular security updates. However, some of the phones will need a additional update to be made secure. The manufacturer did not elaborate on which phones are currently safe and which are not.  The flaw affects phones with Sense UI, and seems to go back quite a ways into HTC’s catalog. Users of the Desire HD, Glacier (T-Mobile MyTouch 4G), Droid Incredible, Sensation 4G, ThunderBolt, Desire S, EVO 3D and EVO 4G should be wary, but Nexus one and MyTouch 3G owners needn’t worry. The last two phones run mostly unmodified Android code, and are susceptible to the permissions error in Sense. HTC instructs its customers to check back on its support site in a week for further instructions. This is the second major security flaw found in Sense in the last few months. Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but doesn’t that indicate that Sense (and by extension most custom UIs) aren’t worth it? Note that those who install a ROM based on open-source Android are fine as far as security goes, yet still have a voided warranty for their trouble. Isn’t it time that HTC starts to let its customers choose whether or not they want Sense on their phone, or at the very least ,release one or two models running Stock Android? Considering that they’ve proven their own additions to Android make it less secure, and that the software differentiation is a non-issue for many users, that would seem like a good idea. Are you listening, HTC? Stock Android is safer, quicker to update and requires less legwork on your end to maintain. Why aren’t you letting your customers have the choice to remove Sense? [via The Next Web] |
Posted: 02 Feb 2012 08:29 AM PST There’s a rumored press photo for a shiny new Samsung smartphone making the rounds this morning. We caught a glimpse of it on Eldar Murtazin’s Twitter page, where the poster claims that it’s a leaked press photo for a new device set to launch at Mobile World Congress later this month in Barcelona. Based on the software displayed and the Ice Cream Sandwich-style buttons (which are still capacitive) it looks like Samsung’s first ICS phone following the Galaxy Nexus. But something’s rotten in Denmark, dear readers: to be blunt, this looks like an absolute fake.  How can you tell it’s fake? Oh, let me count the ways. First of all, the Ice Cream Sandwich updates for the Galaxy S II that have been leaked so far look nothing like the screenshot on the device in question. The early builds keep the look and feel of Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz skin intact, including the four-button bottom icon row on the homescreen. The photo above looks like a more even blend of AOSP Android 4.0 and TouchWiz, including the dividing bar and centered app drawer from unmodified Android 4.0. Even so, Samsung’s proprietary widgets and icons are seen hanging out next to the basic Android 4.0 folders.  There’s plenty of other things to suggest that this isn’t the real McCoy. International versions of Samsung’s phones almost always use a center button flanked by two capacitive buttons – the four-button Android standard is only adopted on Samsung’s US phones, which probably wouldn’t be revealed at a Spanish conference. Even the buttons themselves seem wrong, if only because Samsung rarely keeps the same design for the icons as Google’s Android spec recommends. Look closely and you can see errors in the photo itself: bad stitching on the left and right bezels and artifacts below the screen, probably where some modification has taken place to adjust the capacitive buttons. If I had to guess, I’d say the whole thing is a modification of the standard press image from the white version of the international Galaxy S II, seen here:  Could Samsung release a new phone at Mobile World Congress? We’d be very surprised if they didn’t. Could it run Ice Cream Sandwich? Certainly. But this isn’t that phone. The Galaxy S III won’t be in attendance either, thanks to Samsung’s delay. They probably postponed the high-profile phone to their own event so they could get better buzz versus the iPhone 5, and release the GSIII worldwide with fewer market interruptions. |
Posted: 02 Feb 2012 08:06 AM PST The options for cheap tablets are increasing, thanks to Chinese manufacturers like ZTE. Their first entry into the American tablet market is the Optik, a 7-inch Honeycomb tablet bound for The Now Network starting this Sunday, February 5th. The Optik is roughly the equal of the Huawei Springboard (AKA MediaPad) over on T-Mobile, with one important distinction: it starts at just $99. Of course, to get that sweet price you’ll need to sign a two-year contract for a data plan. This tablet is probably in the same family as the ZTE V66 we saw earlier.  The 7-inch device comes with a commendable 1280×800 resolution (most tablets of this size still user the older 1024×600 standard) and a 1.2Ghz Snapdragon processor. Honeycomb 3.2 should run fine on a full gigabyte of RAM, and 16GB of storage can be augmented with a standard MicroSD card. Cameras are a 5MP rear and 2 MP front shooter impressive for a budget tablet. A 4000mAh battery isn’t the best out there, but it should get you through at least two Netflix movies. The carrier and ZTE have included various apps like the popular Swype keyboard, but it looks like the Optik is running relatively unmodified Android Honeycomb underneath. Google has certified the tablet, which means you’ll have easy access to Gmail, YouTube, the Android Market and similar. Customers can pick up the ZTE Optik online or in stores starting on Sunday, and if you want one without a contract, it’ll cost $349.99. That’s not a bad deal for an unburdened wireless broadband tablet – assuming you live in a covered area. |
Posted: 02 Feb 2012 07:35 AM PST The last few months have not been kind to HTC on the security and privacy front. First there was a bug in HTC’s Sense skin that allowed for remote file access on a handful of smartphones, then the whole Carrier IQ debacle, which was demonstrated mostly on HTC’s hardware. The latest snafu was uncovered by the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, which states that a considerable amount of HTC phones are running flawed software that allows third-party applications access to encrypted WiFi passwords. The US-CERT team published their findings on the Homeland Security website yesterday.  The flaw is a minor one, allowing any application access to stored SSID passwords by using the “android.permission.INTERNET” permission. Affected phones tested by the researchers include the Desire HD, Glacier (T-Mobile MyTouch 4G), Droid Incredible, Sensation 4G, ThunderBolt, Desire S, EVO 3D and EVO 4G. While US-CERT recommends visiting the HTC support website for update instructions, HTC has said nothing as of yet about the security hole. Based on their behavior with the last security alert, you can expect them to update the affected handsets within the next few weeks. Users shouldn’t panic: there’s been no documented case of apps or malware taking advantage of this loophole as of yet, and it would take some doing for an unscropilous developer to take advantage of it for personal gain. That said, it might be best to delete stored WiFi SSDs until the update and rely on a 3G or 4G connection for data, especially if you access sensative networks at home or at work. US-CERT notes that the Nexus One and T-Mobile MyTouch 3G (HTC Hero), both of which run mostly unmodified Android code, do not suffer from this issue. That means that if you’re running a custom ROM built from Android’s open-source packages, you’re probably safe as well. [via PhysOrg] |
Posted: 02 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST If you’re a fan of the curved screen display Samsung’s showcased on the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, there’s good news in a new industry partnership. The phone manufacturer is teaming up with Corning, makers of the super-strong Gorilla Glass, to bring a brand-new substrate to the market. Lotus Glass is specifically designed for curved screens on organic light-emitting diode displays, which Samsung has been favoring for its mid-range and high-end smartphones for the last eighteen months.  So what’s so great about Lotus Glass? First of all, it can be curved to a much higher degree than standard tempered glass before cracking, allowing for a more dramatic curve in fixed screens. Considering that the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus both employ a screen curve that so subtle you need a little enhanced marketing to notice it most of the time, this should help make for some more striking phone designs. Lotus Glass is isn’t exclusive to OLED or AMOLED displays, but it is reformulated to allow for higher resolution and greater DPI in screens while maintaining strength and flexibility. Samsung seems intent on continuing its curved screen designs. The Galaxy S Advance is the third model in as many years with a curved display, and the first in Samsung’s primary Galaxy family. The jury’s still out on how much utility a curvy display adds – aside from a more natural feel in your hand and when talking, there aren’t a lot of pros or cons when it comes to the aesthetic choice. While it’s possible that the Samsung-Corning partnership could lead to a curved design for the delayed Galaxy S III, we haven’t seen any hard evidence pointing towards this. |
Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:30 AM PST Oh look, another white version of an existing smartphone. How mildly interesting. But wait, gentle reader: the bonus that comes along with the newest HTC sensation might just make you do a digital double-take. The Taiwanese manufacturer announced today that the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the popular mid-range smartphone would be releasing soon, but the special white version of the Sensation will (as far as we know) be the first HTC device to ship with Android 4.0. At the moment the launch of the white Sensation is only confirmed for the Netherlands. HTC will update to ICS for current owners of the Sensation, Sensation XE and Sensation XL around the same time.  If you’re excited to see Google’s shiny new user interface for ICS running on HTC’s hardware… don’t be. Based on what we’ve seen of a leaked version of HTC’s 2012 workhorse model, the Ville, HTC’s ICS build will look nearly identical to its Gingerbread one thanks to an updated version of the Sense UI skin. While Sense 4.0 will bring a number of small enhancements, it’s more of an evolution of HTC’s established look and feel than anything else. All of Google’s work in ICS aimed towards uniting the current smartphone and tablet interfaces seems to be going unheeded by HTC, and Samsung as well, since their TouchWiz skin seems intact on early ICS builds for the Galaxy S II. In any case, European Sensation owners can expect an over-the-air update to be released before the March 1st debut of the frosty phone or just after. Since HTC is expected to officially reveal at least one major phone and Sense 4.0 at Mobile World Congress in late February, it may not be until the new Sensation is already on shelves. HTC’s stated improvements in the software include faster browsing and ICS’s facial unlock technology, as well as better Sense integration with Google Plus, with a few stability improvements thrown in for good measure. US Sensation owners can expect updates a few weeks or months afterwards, if carriers can be bothered. |
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 10:21 PM PST It’s a wonder how the Motorola DROID 4 has managed to take so long to hit Verizon retail stores – especially since the accessories have been available from December 1, 2011. We had thought the device would release close to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, as both had been sharing similar rumored dates. Considering the DROID 4 just landed on DroidDoes.com, the release is bound to be right around the corner.  DroidLife has stumbled across some insider information that has confirmed a Thursday, February 9 release date. It won’t debut at $299.99 like many of their others – but instead carry a $199.99 pricetag (with a 2 year contract). We had some hands-on time with the Droid 4 way back at CES, and it could be the perfect QWERTY smartphone sporting 4G LTE. In case you may have missed the specs, the DROID 4 will sport a 1.2GHz dual-core processor – and retain the 4″ sized screen many have grown to love through its 3 other generations. It is running the same 2.3.6 OS as the current DROID RAZR, so by the time 4.0 rolls out, maybe it will be compatible on both within a similar timeframe. Those of you holding out for this bad boy can certainly make it a few more days! [via DroidLife] |
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 09:05 PM PST Do you remember long ago when Apple went ahead and held out from releasing an iPhone 5 – and just went along with the 4S instead? We could see a similar strategy from Samsung concerning the future of their ‘Galaxy’ flagship device. It has recently come to our attention that Samsung won’t be showing off the GSIII at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain – thus makes perfect sense there may be a middle man underway.  A Galaxy S II Plus benchmark has been logged in the An3DBenchXL database, and fits our specifications of what this device could carry. The data shows it running Android 2.3.4 with a 1.5GHz processor, and WVGA display. It could very well be running the same processor as the Note. To refresh your memory, there was indeed a Samsung Galaxy S Plus, so it makes sense to have a Galaxy S II Plus. The line has been practically flawless, and moved Android’s reputation in a very positive direction – so why change now? Most of our questions will probably be solved at MWC, but until then – we run on leaked data and speculation. [via SlashGear] |
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 08:34 PM PST We’ve seen some creative unboxings in our day, and this one is no exception. Team Evolve has created a LEGO stop-motion clip showing the unboxing of a Samsung Galaxy Note. Titled, “A Note To Remember“, a tiny LEGO man aims to show how great a large screen can be.  It really looks professional, and if you didn’t know better it wouldn’t be hard to mistake it for an official video! Though a Galaxy Note won’t double as a flatpanel for us like in this clip, we’ll just have to settle for its 5.3″ Super AMOLED display. It is no doubt the most unique device Samsung has released, and has really taken off to be one of this year’s most hyped up devices. It has been confirmed that Samsung’s Super Bowl ad will feature the Note, so they are banking on this being the ‘Next Big Thing’ in the US. That is, until the Galaxy S III is announced. So what will you all do? Are you anxiously awaiting the Note, or are you planning on waiting it out until a possible Galaxy S III? [via YouTube] |
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 07:51 PM PST One of the more exciting developments in the Android mod scene in the last week or so has been ClockworkMod Recovery Touch, a new version of Koushik Dutta’s ubiquitous custom recovery software. Initially offered earlier this week, the touchscreen enabled pre-boot environment is now available on more Samsung, HTC and Motorola devices. Initially developed for only the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S. But a recovery system takes a lot less time to modify than a full ROM, so we’re seeing the updated software spread out quickly.  Most of the newly supported devices are made by HTC. The EVO 4G, EVO 3D, Desire, Desire HD, and Thunderbolt all have shiny new touch-enabled recoveries waiting for them. The Motorola Atrix 4G (but not the Atrix 2) and the formerly unsupported Samsung Nexus S 4G (CDMA version). You can download the recovery built for your specific device at the ClockworkMod project page, or shell out six bucks fro ROM Manager Premium in the Android Market. It looks like ClockworkMod Recovery touch is fast becoming the main focus for developer “Koush”, who’s also a member of the CyanogenMod team and the lead in the CyanogenMod App Store project. That’s a good indication that most if not all future revisions of the recovery will feature touch-based controls, probably starting with version 6. Expect more and more supported models in the next few weeks. [via Android Police] |
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 05:30 PM PST If you’re reading this on your Android phone, odds are pretty good that it’s running Gingerbread and has a screen four inches or larger with a resolution of 800×480. That’s the conclusion reached by Localytics, a research firm taking a long hard look at data supplied by apps that use the company’s proprietary analytic data. Localytics claims that a full 73% of Android devices (smartphone and tablets) run Gingerbread. That figure disagrees with the latest numbers from Google, now a month old, which claim that Gingerbread runs on just 55% of Android hardware.  Using the data collected, Localytics created a picture of an “average” Android smartphone. Based on their research, the most popular spec is a Gingerbread phone with a 4.3-inch screen and a resolution of 800×480. This description matches a handful of Samsung and HTC models currently being sold. 4.3-inch phones accounted for more than 40% of all devices, with 4.0 inches, 3.2 inches and 3.7 inches following at 22%, 11% and 9%, respectively. Screen resolutions are more dramatically divided, with 800×480 taking 62% of the pie, followed by 480×320 at 14%, 960×540 (qHD) at 6%, and 480×854 (a popular Motorola res) and 320×240 at 5% each. The average tablet isn’t really surprising: it’s a 7-inch device with a 1024×600 screen. A whopping 74% of Android tablets use that size and resolution, first introduced with the original Samsung Galaxy Tab and Nook Color. Just 22% use the 10.1-inch ,1280×800 size popular among current Samsung, Acer, Lenovo and Asus tablets. 71% of tablets use Gingerbread, with just 21% using the various releases of Honeycomb. Clearly, small, cheap tablets are winning the game as far as Android sales are concerned. These numbers shouldn’t be taken as gospel – Google will probably update its distribution statistics in the next few days. [via 9to5 Google] |
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 04:58 PM PST As much fun as some of the latest generation Android games are, touchscreen controls leave something to be desired in the alien/zombie/robot shooting aesthetic. If startup company MetalCompass has their way, you can recreate duck hunts and zombie shoots of yesteryear with the Xappr, a light-gun style accessory for Android and iOS. Instead of sending out an infrared beam, it communicates with compatible games on your phone, allowing you to move your character or cursor with the gun and fire with the trigger. A standard headphone attachment registers clicks while a flexible clamp holds your phone in place.  The accessory can work with standard shooter games or augmented reality titles that take advantage of your smartphone camera, replacing the cursor or centered crosshairs respectively. Developers can use the supplied SDK to make existing games work with the Xappr, or create new titles around the toy. At present only three iOS games take advantage of the hardware, but since it hasn’t been released yet, thatis not as discouraging as it sounds. An exciting game coming from an Israel developer will user the gun to simulate laser tag. Game developers, get cracking! MetalCompass hopes to release the Xappr later this year, showing it off at the International Toy Fair in Germany starting tomorrow. Eager gamers can pre-order the toy from the company’s website via PayPal. The pre-order price is $44.99, and estimated shipping will begin in June. There’s no word on how much retail versions of the gun will cost, but it probably won’t be much more than $50 USD.    [via Cnet] |
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 04:19 PM PST Last week Symantec made a splash by declaring that somewhere between 1 and 5 million Android users were infected with the Android.Counterclank software, classifying it as a Trojan and declaring it malware. Almost immediately skeptics questioned the validity of Symantec’s conclusions, notably competing security vendor Lookout Mobile. Lookout declared that while the 13 apps were questionable from a privacy standpoint, the Android.Counterclank API used within was aggressive adware, not malware. Yesterday Symantec retracted their original claims in a blog post, noting that while the advertising in question is aggressive, it doesn’t meet the definition of “malicious”.  Further laying out exactly what Android.Counterclank does, Symantec notes that the applications are generally undesirable, but not inherently dangerous. Considering Symantec’s poor public image as of late (including malfunctioning desktop programs and compromised code) this episode isn’t doing the company any favors. Advanced users are already wary of alarmist declarations from security vendors, and though the malware threat for Android is growing, many consider it overblown, especially when compared to Windows and other desktop operating systems. All that being said, the thirteen applications that use Android.Counterclank should be avoided on general principles. The advertising that they employ goes way beyond the run-of-the-mill banner ad. Here’s just a few of the “aggressive” methods the apps in question use to try and get your dollars: setting a shortcut on your home screen, adding bookmarks to your browser app, reassigning the home page of the browser app, and sending unwanted web pages to your phone with a push notification system. We won’t link to the apps themselves, as many of them are still available on the Market, but if you’ve downloaded any of the apps on the original list, you’ll want to uninstall them immediately. Considering the rather crass nature and poor quality of the apps, you’ll probably want to do so anyway. [via ComputerWorld] |
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 03:52 PM PST More source code news today — and no we don’t mean the Jake Gyllenhaal movie either. Today Samsung has just pushed the kernel source code out for their new Samsung Galaxy Note with AT&T LTE. The code was released some time ago but this new release is specific to the AT&T 4G LTE model that was announced last month.  The AT&T version of the Note wont be available until February 19th, and pre-sales start on the 5th but that hasn’t stopped Samsung as the code is readily available today, right now at the source links below. Now those awesome folks at XDA or RootzWiki can get started on creating even better ROMs, mods, hacks, and overclock the beast. Don’t expect too much until the device starts landing in developers hands, but this is a good start. Available today at the Samsung Open Source Release Center, but there appears to be three different versions available to download that are basically the same. If you want to dig around inside the code for yourself or are eager to start developing for the 5.3″ Note hit the link below and have some fun. Galaxy Note source Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
 |
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 03:02 PM PST Motorola’s DROID RAZR (just the RAZR for international users) is every bit the leap forward in phone aesthetics as the original RAZR was way back in the day. But it’s a hollow victory: despite the shocking thinness and jet fighter style, the RAZR does little to rise above its contemporaries in actual hardware capability or utility. Enter the DROID RAZR MAXX, a very slightly adjusted version with an extra millimeter or two and a battery capacity that nearly doubles the original, released just two months after for the same price on Verizon. So the question for new buyers is: form or function?  Hardware We don’t usually do this, but if you want to save a few minutes, go back and read our review of the Motorola DROID RAZR from November of last year. As far as the hardware goes, the MAXX is almost exactly the same. Come back here when you’re done. Still with me? Here goes. The only physical difference between the DROID RAZR and the DROID RAZR MAXX is that the Kevlar-checkered back panel curves less coming from the 8MP camera and speaker bump, making more of a natural slant to the bottom of the phone than a sharp curve. This extra girth to accommodate the battery makes the phone 8.9mm thick – considerably thicker than the RAZR, yes, but still as thin or thinner than any LTE phone on Verizon. The only LTE-enabled device that even comes close is the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket over on AT&T. The extra thickness and weight actually make the phone a little easier to hold – instead of biting into the side of your hand as you expend extra grip on tapered sides, it rests naturally on your palm, like a “normal” phone. That also makes the relatively large 4.3-inch screen easier to use for extended periods. Otherwise, it’s exactly the same phone you love… or don’t. The awkwardness of the top-mounted charge and HDMI ports, not to mention a tough tiny door for the SIM card and MicroSD card (16GB included in the $300 asking price) are counter-balanced by the rock-solid build quality and highly polished feel of the device. Software  Remember when I said that the hardware was almost exactly the same as the DROID RAZR? Doubly true for the software. As a matter or fact, I’m convinced that it’s exactly the same software, as the “Model number” entry in the About Phone section of the Settings Menu says “DROID RAZR”. Take that as you will: Motorola’s highly customized version of Android 2.3.5 is solid and reliable, though it’s a long, long way from stock. The Smart Actions app seems to be doing a lot of work in the background. There’s a lot of bloatware apps, some of which can be removed and some of which can’t. I’d be excited about the prospects of custom ROMs working on both the RAZR and the RAZR MAXX – if it weren’t for the fact that both have locked bootloaders, and likely will for the length of their retail lives. Media and Call Quality  The RAZR’s AMOLED screen returns to make photos and videos pop off of the device, and it’s more than suitable for extended watching. Thanks to that massive battery, you’ll be doing a lot of it, too – more on that later. Thanks to a protracted run time, most users can leave the screen brightness as high as they like – a definite bonus. Photos and videos taken with the 8MP 1080p camera are good, but not spectacular. Like most tiny sensors crammed with eight million pixels, blur and artifacts crop up as soon as you leave ideal lighting behind. Call quality is good, but not great. We got much better results with the LG Spectrum in the same location. Battery This is the proving ground: where we learn whether an entirely new model of RAZR (and the ire that Motorola and Verizon have received from early adopters) is justified. In a word, yes. Cramming in a 3300mAh battery – nearly double the capacity of the original RAZR – into a body this thin and light is nothing short of a technical marvel. The largest of 1st-generation LTE phones couldn’t manage a package this comfortable even with much smaller batteries, and as we’ve learned over the last year, increasingly powerful hardware and a fast LTE connection demand it.  So, what’s the RAZR MAXX’s battery life? Your mileage will vary, of course, depending upon your usage patterns and area. My experiences over a week of use lead me to believe that no ordinary user could exhaust the RAZR MAXX’s battery with a single day of normal use. When left alone, the phone draws almost zero power on idle – or at least seems that way. When in active use, the draw is a little more believable, but outlast every single phone we’ve ever tested with a standard battery, and most of the extended batteries as well (which, in many cases, are in the 2500mAh range). As I write this review, the DROID RAZR MAXX sits next to my keyboard begging me for a charge. To get it into this state took some doing: it’s been mostly idle for just over three days. But I didn’t want an example of how well the phone could do sitting in a cupboard, so I tracked my usage including a couple of torture tests. I estimate that there’s about three hours of web browsing, another hour of talk time, and plenty of quick text and email checks spread throughout the trial.  At two occasions I attempted to drain the battery as quickly as possible. The first was streaming a 2-hour Netflix movie at full screen brightness, maximizing the use of the screen, data connection and processor all at once. After two hours, the battery had dropped about 25%. Later I spent an hour and a half using the phone as a wireless tether, which cost about 15% of the remaining juice. Either of these activities would strain any other phone, and would leave my Galaxy Nexus gasping for some electrical breath. It’s not all good; the enclosed RAZR design means you can’t remove the battery if you somehow manage to drain it all in one day. And strenuous activity like that Netflix movie will still cost you dearly – though I’d estimate that you could get through 3-4 full-length films before petering out. But there’s no denying that the DROID RAZR MAXX is the longest-lasting smartphone out there, bar none. Wrap Up  If you’re trying to decide between the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX, stop. You want the MAXX. A little less fashion appeal is absolutely worth it for the best in a short field of all-day battery champions. I only wish that customers were given the choice two months ago, or at least before their return period was expired. There’s no way around it: that’s a jerk move. Even so, if you want a Verizon and/or LTE phone that goes the distance, and can forgive the anti-modder locked bootloader, the MAXX is your man.                Device Info
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Posted: 01 Feb 2012 02:58 PM PST The new Motorola DROID 4 is coming, and coming soon. At least according to a few leaks and now the official Verizon DroidDoes.com website. We originally spotted it on Droid Does back in December, and according to multiple sources it was going to be released before Christmas. That never happened and all the dates we’ve seen have came and went without a release.  We received some hands-on time at CES 2012 of the new QWERTY smartphone (links below) and it should finally be available soon. Latest leaks from multiple sources have it slated for the first week of February but without any sort of official announcement from Verizon or Motorola who really knows. The latest leaked roadmap from Verizon now shows February 9th, so we could be getting some official news anytime now, but are still waiting. The new details on Droid Does sure makes us believe that it will be here within the next two weeks, as most devices show up there right before they kick off a scavenger hunt or some sort of promotion for DROID. That previous rumor for Feb 2nd is looking pretty slim right about now. Either way this 1.2 GHz dual-core smartphone packing a 4″ qHD display, 4G LTE, and a built-in QWERTY slide out keyboard is finally coming soon. Stay tuned for more details and hopefully we don’t see a DROID 4 MAXX in a month. |
Friday, February 3, 2012
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