Posted: 19 Mar 2012 02:02 PM PDT  Welcome to our regular buyer's guide column where we break down each carrier to let you know about current promotions and pick the best devices. Each week we rotate between the big four US carriers, so that each buyer's guide gets refreshed every month. Read on for T-Mobile's best devices and deals. Current Promotions and News500,000 fans promo: To celebrate 500,000 fans on their Facebook page, T-Mobile is giving away coupon for 30% off any one accessory at a T-Mobile store. Offer expires 6/30/12.Even more deals: If you are not quite ready to buy yet, make sure you follow @TMobile on Twitter and like T-Mobile on Facebook for the latest offers.
Not much has changed since last month and this pick was easy. The Samsung Galaxy S II is the best Android phone available on T-Mobile. We polled our staff, readers, and even some T-Mobile employees who all unanimously agreed upon the Galaxy S II as their favorite device. |
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 12:08 PM PDT  Humble Bundle made its jump to the Android platform last January, offering 4 games at the price of your choice. The team has decided to bring back the deal; there are 5 new games offered on the same business strategy. You can still pick your price, and the money will be divided among the Humble Bundle team, the developers and the Child’s Play Charity. You pick who gets the money and how much. This time around, Humble Bundle is offering 5 games. More importantly, these are games that have not been released in the Google Play Store. Humble Bundle is bringing them exclusively. The games include the titles Zen Bound 2, Canabalt, Cogs, and Avadon: The Black Fortress. Just like last time, there’s a trick to get the last title. If you pay more than the “average” you get the 5th game – Swords & Soldiers. The average now sits at $5.80, but it will continue to increase. Make sure you get your games soon if you want the 5th title! It is also important to note that these games are multi-platform. They can be played on Linux, Windows, Mac and Android, making this a much more enticing offer. Just head over to the Humble Bundle site if interested. But tell us, guys. Are you enjoying these Humble Bundle deals? Would you like to see more versions coming out continuously? |
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:37 AM PDT  J.D. Powers and Associates has just released Volume 1 of their 2012 biannual smartphone satisfaction study, giving us a glimpse into just how satisfied consumers are with their latest smartphone experience. The numbers haven’t changed all that much from last year, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Out of the top four companies ranked highest in consumer satisfaction, three are popular Android manufacturers. Including HTC, who is ranked number two overall. In order to get an idea on how smartphone users rank their experience with new smartphones for the study, J.D. Powers surveyed 7,080 consumers, asking them to evaluate performance, ease of operation, physical design and features. Only two companies have managed to exceed the industry average of 774 (out of 1000) for consumer satisfaction in the July of 2011 to December of 2011 report: Apple, who takes the number one spot with 839, and HTC, who takes the number two spot with 798. Trailing Apple and HTC is Samsung and Motorola, with 769 and 758 respectively. HTC is also one of only three companies to improve on customer satisfaction from the January 2011 to June 2011 report. As far as the industry as a whole is concerned, battery life satisfaction has taken a hit thanks to the introduction of 4G smartphones. 4G smartphone users gave battery life a 6.1 out of 10 on average, bringing the total average to just 6.7, down 0.2 points from the previous study. Overall though, software malfunctions had the largest impact on customer satisfaction. Those who experienced some sort of software malfunction, around 21 percent, recorded a 77 point gap in satisfaction from those who did not. How would you rank your latest smartphone experience? Has battery life made a negative impact? Software malfunctions bringing you down? Be sure to share in the comments. |
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:34 AM PDT  An anonymous Samsung executive has revealed a bit of news about the upcoming Galaxy S III’s Exynos chip. It comes as no surprise that the Korean manufacturer is using its own chipset for the flagship device. It has for past iterations, and this is what we were expecting. But LTE fans that demand Exynos will be happy to see a reaffirmation that it is gaining LTE-capabilities. This is a major issue, especially in the US. People have grown fond of the Exynos processors’ performance. But Samsung has seen the need to use Qualcomm processors in order for their devices to play well with the LTE networks. If this rumor proves to be right, we will soon have both specs on board. The new chipset is said to be a 32 nm silicon A9 quad-core processor, meaning that rumors of it being the Exynos 4412 are probably correct. This would make sense, since it was also reported to be LTE-friendly. It seems development is now complete, and they just need to be put in those super phones. We still have no idea when the device will be released, but if all the rumors were not enough to make you happy, this might be: We should also start seeing Tegra 3 chips coming out with LTE-support soon. So it;s looking like processor competition will get fierce in the coming months. Are you excited to see Exynos playing well with LTE networks? |
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PDT  Apple’s claim that the new iPad’s A5X processor is 4 times better in graphics performance shook things up a bit. NVIDIA soon responded that they would like to see more data proving said claim. The Tegra 3 manufacturer decided to simply buy an iPad and run its own tests. The guys from LaptopMag have decided to run their own tests, as well, from a subjective standpoint. It’s a bit hard to put these tablets against each other. There aren’t many multi-platform benchmark tests, they use different software and their applications are optimized diffferently. But the site did what was possible, using GLBenchmark 2.1 (graphics), Geekbench (processing power), Peacekeeper and Sunspider (browser). To be specific, the devices used were the new iPad and the ASUS Transformer Prime. On the GLBenchmark test, the iPad had a clear advantage. Apple’s tablet processed 6718 frames at 60 fps under the Egypt Standard test. This is reasonably high compared to the Prime’s 5,939 frames at 53 fps. The GLBenchmark Geometric and Fill tests are what really show the advantage, though. In the Geometric test, the A5X chip was able to process 7,530,524 frames at 57 fps, compared to Tegra 3′s 3,523,926 at only 27 fps. As for the Fill test, the chart below will give you an idea of the iPad’s advantage.  The Tegra 3 processor managed to perform better in raw processing power, though. On the Geekbench benchmark, the new iPad got an overall score of 692, while the Transformer Prime got 1571. Tegra 3 dominated on the test’s integer floating point and memory subtests. But Apple did manage to be a bit better in the stream subtest with a 324 score (against Tegra’s 266).  For the browser benchmarks, two tests were run – Peacekeeper and Sunspider. The former is a general test and was pretty much a match (386×387). But the new iPad beat the Transformer Prime by finishing the Sunspider rendering test in just 1810 milliseconds while the Transformer Prime did the same in 2216 milliseconds. But, what exactly do all these numbers mean to the general consumer? Not much. And we know that benchmarks aren’t exactly a great representation of better performance. What matters is how everything looks and feels once using the device for real tasks. The Laptopmag guys know this as well, so they have done a hands on test with a couple games. Albeit, this test is also a bit hard to consider, as the team uses two Tegra 3-optimized games. These games take full advantage of NVIDIA‘s quad core CPU and 12-core GPU. On the other hand, the games are only optimized for the iPad 2, currently. It is not exactly a fair match, at least until the developers catch up. After using Riptide GP and Shadowgun, both devices display their pluses and cons. The Transformer Prime showed better 3D effects, smoke effects, water graphics and shading. But the new iPad’s retina display really made a difference in colors, definition and text. As already mentioned, the tests are not exactly fair in every sense. This is about the closest we can get to a real answer, though. And Apple’s claim that the A5X chip is 4 times better is not exactly a correct statement. It would be great to see the developers rolling out new iPad versions of these games with the same effects. Until then, the real answer will continue to be unclear. Check out the video to see the game comparisons and hit the comments section to let us know what you think. How do you guys think we could reach a fair understanding of the processors’ performances? |
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 09:47 AM PDT  The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has been the best phone on Verizon since it launched last year, but the run could be coming to an end next month. Both HTC and Motorola have new devices coming to Verizon as soon as next month, and more details are beginning to leak out as we approach the launch dates. Read on to see if either of these phones can top the Galaxy Nexus. Motorola Droid Fighter First up we have the Motorola Droid Fighter, which appears to be the replacement for the RAZR MAXX. We first heard about this phone last month, but this week the Chinese blog PhoneHK posted the first picture of the device. As you can see from the picture above, this device is almost identical to the RAZR MAXX. About the only difference that we can spot is the subtraction of the capacitive buttons below the display. PhoneHK says the device will feature a 4.6 inch HD display (vs. 4.3 inch on the RAZR), so it will feature on-screen buttons like the Galaxy Nexus. It was also mentioned that the Droid Fighter features the same 3300 mAh battery as the RAZR MAXX. The RAZR MAXX just went on sale a couple months ago, so it’s a little weird for Verizon to replace it already. However, the RAZR MAXX was available just months after the RAZR, so who knows what their strategy is. Hopefully the Droid Fighter will see a boost in CPU performance as well. Motorola has been sticking with Texas Instruments processors lately, so there’s a chance this could be one of the first phones with the new dual-core 1.8 GHz OMAP4470 that features the faster PowerVR SGX544 GPU. Recent leaks suggest the Droid Fighter could debut around April 12, but we all know how Verizon likes to push back launch dates. HTC Droid Incredible 4G Rumored specs of the Droid Incredible 4G include a 1.2 GHz processor Snapdragon S4, qHD AMOLED display, 1 GB of RAM, 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, front-facing VGA camera, 4G LTE, and Beats Audio. It will also run Android 4.0 and should feature the latest version of HTC’s Sense UI. This week the device appeared on the benchmark site Nenamark, which confirmed the Snapdragon S4 processor with Adreno 225 GPU. According to a leak from Droid-Life, we expect the Droid Incredible 4G to be available sometime around April 26th. Any Takers?Even though details are scarce, I’m thinking the Droid Fighter could be the better of the two. I like that Motorola is sticking with the huge 3300 mAh battery, and this should be their first new device to launch with Android 4.0. If you are on Verizon and looking for a new phone, let us know which device you prefer. |
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 09:38 AM PDT  While we all love new Android phones, only a select few get to play with new devices before they go on sale. Fortunately, HTC has heard your complaints and is setting out on a world tour to give you the opportunity to get some hands-on time with the new HTC One series. Currently, HTC has Seattle, New York, Miami, London, Rome, New Delhi, Bangkok, Jakarta, Warsaw and Paris circled on its map, but more cities will be added in the coming weeks. Full details for each event (including exact date, time and location) are not currently available, but we expect the event formats to be on the fun side – similar to a video we’ve already seen from HTC. If you want HTC to bring the HTC One to your home town, be sure to leave them a comment on their blog. How many of you would enjoy some quality hands-on time with the HTC One? |
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 08:11 AM PDT  Sprint’s CDMA variant of the HTC One X may arrive as soon as June 10, roughly two years after the launch of the HTC EVO 4G. Just like most carrier models, Sprint’s variant of the device is going through an identity crisis by changing its code name from Jewel to Jet. Since HTC is poised to show off a unified brand, we’re expecting the device to carry the One X name is some fashion, but we doubt Sprint will give up its EVO branding without a fight. We wouldn't be surprised if Sprint's HTC One X was named HTC EVO One X (similar to Sprint’s naming of the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch). As we mentioned before, Sprint’s version of the HTC One X should feature nearly identical specs as its AT&T counterpart with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 4.7-inch 720p display, NCF, and HTC's new ImageSense camera technology which features a dedicated imaging chip for improved camera capabilities. If the June 10 launch date hold true, we’d expect Sprint to unveil the handset by the time CTIA rolls around in May. Will any of you HTC EVO 4G owners be trading in your old phone for Sprint’s version of the HTC One X? |
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Update - 253
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