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Mar

The Four-Gees Comparison: Which Carrier Should You Be Looking To For Your 4G Android Phone?

Posted by David Ruddock in AT&T, Carriers, Editorials, Off-Topic, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: March 30th, 2011

4G is here - and it seems like all four of America's biggest carriers are more than happy to advertise the fact that they've got it. Sprint was first on the scene - offering their WiMax 4G, and T-Mobile shortly thereafter began its upgrade to HSPA+ technology. Verizon was next, providing mobile broadband LTE via USB dongle for laptops, though its much-awaited debut 4G handset, the Thunderbolt, has yet to hit shelves after numerous delays. Finally, lagging behind in truly characteristic fashion, AT&T has begun to roll out its own HSPA+ network, with plans to offer LTE in the second half of the year.

Jan

Verizon Comparison Charts Show Thunderbolt's LTE Speeds Crush WiMax, HSPA+

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

A couple of leaked Verizon charts popped up on Droid Life this morning, their contents? HTC Thunderbolt propaganda - well, at least in one of them.

If Verizon's estimated LTE speeds aren't just hot air, then Sprint and T-Mobile (and AT&T) should probably be worried right now. Sprint's smartphone plan price hike probably isn't winning them any points, and T-Mobile's 4G handsets aren't exactly new and exciting (G2, myTouch, or a rehashed Vibrant - take your pick).

I don't know where Verizon gets their network speed estimates for T-Mo and Sprint, but they seem pretty forgiving - given the speed ranges shown.

Jan

NFL Enterprises Releases Official Super Bowl XLV Android App

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News

The 45th Super Bowl is only a week away, and NFL Enterprises decided to help out all attendees by introducing the official Android app. The app features 3D pinch-to-zoop-and-rotate maps of North Texas, parking, events and local info, and a detailed map of the Cowboys Stadium with Steelers and Packers already clearly marked on the field. You can also utilize GPS to find yourself on the map in case you get lost in the crowd.

Not everything is as awesome as it looks like from the screenshots, however. UpNext, the company contracted to create this app, apparently thought it was a good idea to pack 23.5 MB of data into the app, all without giving us an ability to move it to SD.

Dec

Well, This Should Sell A Few Phones - Google Builds A Fully Operational Gigantic 42" Nexus S For Best Buy [Video]

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in News, Nexus S (Crespo/Soju), Samsung, Videos

Still playing with dummy units while shopping for your next phone at your local retailer? Those things are annoying, aren't they? You can hold them in your hand, but you can't touch or interact with them in any way.

Best Buy may just have the solution. You'll have to take a few steps back in order to see the new Nexus S demo unit in all its glory, because it's a fully functional 42" monster, complete with a working touch screen, live wallpaper, apps, and everything that a real Nexus S contains.

After hearing the news of the largest Android phone ever arriving to the San Carlos Best Buy, Jason Kincaid of TechCrunch rushed to get some hands-on with a device you can't even fully hug.

Sep

Verizon Decides To Make More Bad Decisions - VCAST App Market Is The Latest

Posted by Brad Ganley in News, Verizon Wireless

Well, Verizon is up to their old tricks again. Last time they did something worthy of a head-scratch was just a short time ago, when they forced Bing onto the Fascinate and abandoned the built-in Google bits and pieces for search.

Now they've decided that, in addition to Google Maps, Google Search, and Google Voice Search not being necessary, the Android MARKET is insufficient. Introducing the Vcast App Store!

Verizon seems to think that they are somehow more likely to persuade users to buy apps. While there may be some advantages (carrier billing being the only one i can think of), it is really starting to look like Verizon hates Google.