There's been such a rush of Android messaging phones these days, we almost did a double take when we realized that the Samsung Trender was not one of them. Instead, the basic QWERTY slider runs on Samsung's proprietary operating system, one that involves using tabs and grids instead of swipes to move from screen to screen. Navigation was no problem, but the shortcuts to Twitter and Facebook's mobile-optimized sites made us wince--compared with native apps, the mobile Web accessed from the sapphire- or amethyst-colored Trender is nothing short of archaic.
Then there's the keyboard. I personally … Read more
It was four years ago today that Kent slaved late into the night to review the first-ever iPhone. (He still remembers it with grueling clarity.)
Fast-forwarding to today, Poor Bonnie no longer has a phone named in her honor, as HTC and AT&T rebrand the Facebook-centric ChaCha as the HTC Status. This week, we also take up Windows Phone 7.5, pitching Microsoft on five weak spots it needs to improve before its mobile platform can really succeed. We then ponder Stephen Elop's judgment slip in quickly telling journalists not to film what could end up being … Read more
According to unconfirmed reports, Verizon is unhappy with recent Gingerbread updates coming out of the Motorola camp. A source close to Droid Life has advised that the carrier is rejecting all current Android 2.3 updates from the handset maker over a growing list of bugs stemming from the recent Droid X update.
Users are reporting problems with random rebooting, Wi-Fi connectivity issues, and a general loss of functionality. Indeed, a quick glance in the Motorola support forums confirms that these are not isolated incidents, and that many of them happened prior to the 2.3 update.
Perhaps it's not a coincidence then that a Gingerbread update for the Droid 2 Global that was expected a few weeks back has yet to come. What's more, a very small number of Droid Pro users were found to have received a Gingerbread update back in late May. Though this is generally a precursor to a large-scale rollout, virtually nothing has happened in the month since.
As of today, neither Verizon nor Motorola has made any statements on the matter. While I wouldn't look for Verizon to say anything public on the subject, Moto may take to its forums to address the problems. The company has a decent track record for acknowledging and forecasting software updates, even as it pertains to shortcomings. In the meantime, a new team of developers is said to be working on Android 2.3 for the Droid X and other Verizon devices. … Read more
The recent rumblings about the AT&T-bound HTC ChaCha were right, as the two companies made their friendship official today via Facebook.
Rebranded as the HTC Status, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread device has a dedicated Facebook share button that lets you instantly post things to the social networking site, such as status updates, photos, and videos.
You can use the button to check in to places, post news links, and even share what music you're listening to. There's also a chat widget that shows you when your friends are online, so you can instant-message with them. … Read more
Research In Motion is expanding its series of developers conferences to European programmers.
The first DevCon Europe, as it's called, is set for Amsterdam on February 7 and 8, 2012.
The BlackBerry maker has been slowly increasing its outreach to developers, launching DevCon Asia this year. (The 2012 show will take place in Bangkok.) Meanwhile, the San Francisco area will see its fifth such conclave this fall.
RIM's quickening pace for wooing developers with dedicated shows makes us wonder how much the troubled mobile-device maker hopes that developer interest will increase its mainstream appeal. Android and iOS have … Read more
The next collaboration out of Sprint and Motorola's renewed partnership looks to have already landed online.
A blurry photo passed to Pop Herald shows an Android handset with a portrait QWERTY slider that doesn't look all that different from the Motorola XPRT. According to the source, this phone will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread and may possibly support Sprint's 4G network when it makes its official debut.
Considering the XPRT was only just released, it's far too early to talk replacements. So you might be wondering why bother with an almost identical phone? Well, if you take a closer look at the picture, you might see a different phone altogether.
For example, notice how both the bottom of the device and the keyboard have a smilelike curve to them? Well, the bezel around the display also has that same shape to it, so it's entirely possible that what we could be looking at is a portrait slider, like the BlackBerry Torch. … Read more
On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world.
It's been a few months since I've used On Call to answer reader questions, but this week offered the perfect opportunity. Being that tomorrow, June 29, is the fourth birthday of the original iPhone, I wanted to tackle a great query on replacing a lost Apple device. Plus, the ongoing AT&T-T-Mobile merger has produced a lot of reader questions on the status of unlimited data plans, and the recent introduction of the Nokia N9 has cause … Read more
Today, T-Mobile finally put the rumors to rest and officially unveiled the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide. Expected in July for $199.99 with contract, it's the latest addition to the carrier's line of consumer-friendly Android smartphones, and it's more than just the next-gen version of the MyTouch 3G Slide; T-Mobile is touting the MyTouch 4G Slide as having the most advanced camera of any smartphone out there.
Designed in collaboration with HTC, the smartphone has an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and 1080p HD video capture, which isn't out of the ordinary. What is special, however, … Read more
Google and Samsung could be teaming up once again and this time for the first Android 4.0 handset. According to sources close to Boy Genius Report, this latest collaboration bears the code name of Prime and could ultimately arrive as the Nexus Prime when it debuts late in the year. The handset should significantly improve upon its predecessor Nexus devices on multiple fronts, including processor speed and display resolution.
Keeping with other Pure Google experience smartphones, the Nexus Prime is expected to be devoid of any carrier customization or preloaded applications. Rumors also have been swirling that the first … Read more
The Samsung T404G is one of those messaging phones you don't hear much about, offered by Net10, a prepaid wireless company you don't hear much about. With service ultimately supplied by TracFone Wireless, the Samsung T404G has a full, sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera and camcorder, and Bluetooth support. There's also mobile Internet, an MP3 player, and a microSD card slot with space for up to 16GB external memory. The T404G, released earlier this year, began at $79.99 without a contract.
Manage updates with the Download App
