There's a lot to love about Android, but the slow, fragmented software updates can be annoying. Your friend might be rocking Gingerbread (Android 2.3), but you've been stuck with Éclair (Android 2.1) for months. On the upside, you can do a bit of detective work to see whether your phone is getting the upgrade or not. But a warning: Not all Android phones are getting the upgrade, so you might find out some heartbreaking news.
The HTC Droid Incredible was a big success. But does the next generation Incredible S measure up? Pretty much.
This Spring's CTIA delivered something totally new to the US mobile market: 3D phones.
The T-Mobile Sidekick 4G made its first public appearance on the eve of CTIA Spring 2011 in Orlando and I was lucky enough to get my hands on it. As a former Sidekick LX user (and honestly, I kind of miss good physical keyboards), I was excited to check out Samsung's spin on this popular phone.
The HTC Droid Incredible was a huge success in the United States when it launched on Verizon. Does the next generation Incredible S measure up? Pretty much. The Incredible S isn't a huge overhaul in design or specs from the original Incredible, but there are some nice little upgrades and tweaks throughout the phone.
The HTC Wildfire S proves that lower-end Android phones don't necessarily have to be attractive too. The original Wildfire is one of the many budget Android phones we saw in 2010. The Wildfire S is no super phone; in fact, the specs are pretty unthrilling.
HTC's entrant into the tablet wars, the 7-inch Flyer, was definitely the belle of Tawainese handset manufacturer's press conference this morning, but there was still some exciting phone news. HTC announced updates to three popular Android phones including the Desire S.
One of the most buzzed about phones here at Mobile World Congress is LG's Optimus 3D, the first phone to use 3D display technology. Like the Optimus Black and the Optimus 2X, which we saw at Mobile World Congress, the Optimus 3D is powered by a dual-core processor and a 4.3-inch display. So how does 3D look on a mobile phone? Well, I'm honestly not all that impressed.
Mobile World Congress hasn't even started, but the next generation of super phones are already being unveiled. Samsung showed off its latest, the Galaxy S II, at its flashy Unpacked event in Barcelona. The Galaxy S II sports a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a dual-core processor, and a whole new user interface.
HP today introduced two new webOS phones, the HP Veer and the HP Pre 3. The Veer, targeted more at the everyday consumer, will be available this spring. The Pre 3, designed for professional and entertainment use, will be available this summer.
Picking up where the Palm Pixi left off, the HP Veer is smaller than your average high-end smartphone. But not everybody wants--or needs--a monolithic 4.3-inch phone so it is nice to see HP come up with some alternative form factors.
While the HP Veer is targeted at first-time smartphone users, the Pre 3 is for the person who wants to do everything on their phone. It has a nice mix of business and multimedia features with the horsepower to do it all. I was only allowed to use the keyboard and a limited number of apps on the Pre 3 in the hands-on area. I got slight deja vu for CES 2009 when Palm launched the first Pre--we couldn't even touch it.
CES might be over, but the 4G phones keep trickling in. As a part of its aggressive 4G plans, T-Mobile announced that the Samsung Galaxy 4G will launch in the first half of 2011. But will it have the specs of the hot next-gen Galaxy phones? It doesn't seem like it.
Prior to CES, there were only a handful of phones with front-facing cameras: the iPhone 4, the EVO 4G and the T-Mobile myTouch 4G to name a few. This year's CES was all about 4G, for sure, but video chat is definitely one of the apps carriers love to use as an example of how great the next generation of data speeds is.
T-Mobile announced Thursday that it plans to double the speed of its HSPA+ networks and unveiled a line-up of new 4G products including tablets and phones.
