Verizon LG Optimus Vu apprehended by Android Police, confesses to Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade

Posted on 17/07/2012 by Sean Buckley

If the LG Optimus Vu's insistence on running Gingerbread was the sole factor keeping you from its 5-inch HD-IPS display and its goofy 4:3 aspect ratio, your prayers may have been answered. According to a leaked gallery of images at Android Police, the oversized slab's rumored Verizon variant will be running Android 4.0.4. The images don't reveal much else --save for big red's standard logo, prominently stamped above the device's face -- but that's one less negative you can count from our review. Check out a second shot after the break, or the full gallery at the source below.

Continue reading Verizon LG Optimus Vu apprehended by Android Police, confesses to Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade

Verizon LG Optimus Vu apprehended by Android Police, confesses to Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Optimus Vu review: a 5-inch, pen-enabled phone to take on the Galaxy Note

Posted on 13/07/2012 by Joseph Volpe

Tech companies are no strangers to the game of follow the leader -- industry imitation is, after all, the sincerest sign of a successful product. In the case of the Galaxy Note, Samsung's phablet wonder has been enjoying some unexpected popularity in markets abroad and even here in the US. But the company's ownership of that once-niche category is about to be contested by a surge of copycats, spearheaded by the stylus-toting LG Optimus Vu ($866 unlocked). It should go without saying: this 5-inch not-a-smartphone, not-yet-a-tablet has a steep climb ahead if it wants to oust or even claim equal billing with its successful opponent.

Of course, the Vu isn't launching an attack on all fronts yet as, right now it's a Korea-only affair running Android Gingerbread. (It redeems itself somewhat with an LTE radio.) Though the competition is welcome, the duel is not an even one, given the Vu's unusual mix of internals: a 1,024 x 768 HD-IPS LCD display, dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, 32GB of non-expandable storage, an ample 2,080mAh battery and a region-specific T-DMB TV tuner. But could that be enough to dethrone the current category king, or at least present a viable alternative? Join us after the break as we crack this rectangular nut and winnow out the marketing noise.

Gallery: LG Optimus Vu review

Continue reading LG Optimus Vu review: a 5-inch, pen-enabled phone to take on the Galaxy Note

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

LG Optimus Vu review: a 5-inch, pen-enabled phone to take on the Galaxy Note originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 review: Android media player that needs more of a voice

Posted on 20/06/2012 by James Trew

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It wasn't all that long ago that one of the pinnacles of the gadget world was the PMP. How many gigs has yours got? Mine plays FLAC. Whoa, iPod video! These are sentences that are largely consigned to the digital mists of time. Now that your phone, watch and pretty much any other gadget can fill the shoes of the media player, its days among gadget nobility are numbered, and its rank slipping ever lower. There will always be a corner of the gadget realm for them but it's more of a country cottage, compared to the sprawling manor of yesteryear.

Why all the nostalgia? Samsung's Galaxy Player 4.2 is the latest descendent of the Android media player lineage, and the company's rightful heir to its PMP kingdom. As you can see, a full-fat media player in 2012 wears a very different uniform than its forefathers, and definitely fights a different battle. Can what is essentially a phone-without-a-phone, hold its territory and prevent the mobile bandits from scaling the walls? We spend some time with it in the trenches to find out.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 review

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 review: Android media player that needs more of a voice

Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 review: Android media player that needs more of a voice originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Baidu Cloud phone unveiled: Changhong H5018 with 300GB of cloud storage

Posted on 15/05/2012 by Richard Lai

That new Baidu Cloud phone we told you about last week? You're looking right at it! Following the flagship Dell Streak Pro D43 (which was branded with what was then known as Baidu Yi aka version 1.0 of the platform), this Foxconn-built Changhong H5018 is the second smartphone to have its Android Gingerbread system enhanced by Baidu, meaning it'll come with 300GB of cloud storage space (instead of the old 100GB), voice search, voice control and a set of other online services offered by the Chinese search giant.

As for the hardware itself, we're looking at a 10.3mm-thick matte chassis housing a 650MHz MTK6573 processor, a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display, a three-megapixel camera and a non-removable 1,400mAh battery, all of which would explain that highly affordable CN¥899 (US$140) off-contract price tag. That said, you'll still find a dual-SIM (WCDMA plus GSM) tray and a microSD slot hidden beneath the bottom cover. Not sure where ZTE is on this one, but for now, you can head over to Sina Tech for its hands-on report and photos.

New Baidu Cloud phone unveiled: Changhong H5018 with 300GB of cloud storage originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 12:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Micromax’s Superfone A50 Ninja enters India with AISHA voice assistant, forgets its shuriken

Posted on 28/04/2012 by Edgar Alvarez

Hoping to compete with the Siris of the world, Micromax has announced its new Superfone A50 Ninja alongside a novel feature dubbed AISHA -- which is short for Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant. Similar to Cupertino's personal secretary, AISHA vows to help folks with every-day elements such as making calls, setting up calendar events and even reporting what the weather looks like. Much to our disappointment, however, the A50 Ninja runs a not-so-new flavor of Android -- Gingerbread to be exact -- and Micromax left out any mention of Android 4.0. On the specs front, the dual-SIM Superfone sports a 3.1-inch display (mum's the word on the resolution), a two-megapixel shooter, Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities and an unspecified 650MHz processor. All in all, thanks to its 4,999 rupees (around $95) budget price, we can't imagine you'd complain too much. Be sure to hit up the Micromax link below if you're interested in grabbing one of these.

Continue reading Micromax's Superfone A50 Ninja enters India with AISHA voice assistant, forgets its shuriken

Micromax's Superfone A50 Ninja enters India with AISHA voice assistant, forgets its shuriken originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 08:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012

Posted on 23/04/2012 by Zachary Lutz

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G review

Posted on 02/04/2012 by Zachary Lutz

Maybe you've noticed, maybe you haven't, but the Galaxy S 4G no longer exists at T-Mobile. Just one year ago, it replaced the Vibrant -- the carrier's first Galaxy S handset -- and now the Galaxy S 4G has similarly felt the cold embrace of Father Time. Fear not, though, because it has a replacement, and it's really quite admirable. Folks, let us introduce you to the Galaxy S Blaze 4G. If you're curious about the rationale behind the Blaze nomenclature, its meaning is actually two-fold: first, it's capable of accessing T-Mobile's speedy HSPA+ 42Mbps network, and second -- get this -- it packs the same dual-core processor as T-Mobile's Galaxy S II.

T-Mobile announces the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G, available 'later this year'

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G hands-on

T-Mobile's Galaxy S Blaze 4G lands in select stores March 21st, everywhere else March 28th

Despite these two enhancements, the Galaxy S Blaze 4G stops short of encroaching on premium territory -- instead preferring to straddle the line between middle-of-the-road and high-end. Similarly, it retails for $200 on contract, before a $50 mail-in rebate. With such a lofty price, it'll undoubtedly instigate comparisons to the Galaxy S II and, soon enough, the HTC One S. Most importantly, though, is the question of whether the Blaze 4G can stand on its own as a quality smartphone; we're fully aware that prices change, and a vexing purchase today could become a wise decision tomorrow. With this in mind, join us after the break as we explore the latest that Samsung has to offer for T-Mobile.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G review