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Last Updated: January 24th, 2013

Update: Amazon just updated the deals and dropped many of the prices down for customers looking to upgrade. For example, the RAZR M is now also just a penny for those renewing.

If you're looking to abandon your existing carrier and move to Big Red, then the RAZR M is a great phone to choose for the transition. And now you can grab it from Amazon Wireless for only a penny (Black, White). That's a top-notch phone with Jelly Bean (4.1.x) for basically free - and it's still $99 at Verizon.

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If, for some strange reason, you'd rather have an older model, Amazon Wireless is running a number of other devices for a penny, like the RAZR MAXX, HTC Rezound, and the DROID Incredible LTE.

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Nov
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The HTC One X was (and still is) a fantastic device thanks to its solid hardware, excellent build quality, and stunning display. But it's a little long in the tooth, partially because the newest high-end smartphones have both quad-core CPUs and LTE, and partially because in the smartphone world, anything that's 7 months old is (unfortunately) outdated.

That brings us to the HTC One X+, which is more of a mid-cycle refresh than an all-new model. It keeps the same basic frame and the outstanding display, but packs a more powerful version of NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 CPU, and the AT&T variant even comes with LTE.

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Nov
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If you're looking to save a hundred bucks or so on the powerhouse Optimus G from LG on either AT&T or Sprint, Amazon Wireless is the place to be. The company just dropped the price of the device for both carriers down to $99, which is a fairly substantial savings for such a high-end device, especially compared to the $199 that both Sprint and AT&T are asking.

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For those who may not be aware, the Optimus G has the same hardware guts as the Nexus 4:

  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 quad-core at 1.5GHz
  • GPU: Adreno 320
  • Network Compatibility: AT&T: GSM quad-band with LTE, Sprint: CDMA with LTE
  • Operating System: Android 4.0.4 with Optimus UI 3.0
  • Display: 4.7" TrueHD IPS+ 768x1280 (320DPI, 15:9)
  • Memory: 2GB RAM / 16/32GB storage (depends on model)
  • Cameras: 1.3MP front, 8/13MP rear (depends on model)
  • Battery: 2100mAh, non-removable
  • NFC: Yes
  • Ports / Expandable Storage: microUSB / microSD (AT&T model only)
  • Thickness: 8.45mm
  • Weight: 145g

As noted above, the big difference between the two is in the area of storage: the AT&T model comes equipped with 16GB on-board, as well as a 16GB microSD card; whereas the Sprint version has 32GB with no microSD card slot.

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Nov
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Do you have a hankering for a big phone? Before you answer, know that I'm talking about a massive mobile phone with a stylus here. Well, there's a big phone deal going on if you're willing to hitch your wagon to AT&T for two years. Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is on sale for just $249.99.

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The Note II is selling for $300 or more on other carriers, and AT&T itself is still asking $300 from the unwashed masses. But you know better, right? Just head over to Amazon, and you can get the black or white version of the device and save fifty bucks.

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Nov
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RadioShack has a holiday promotion starting Sunday that, if you're in the market for a Galaxy S III here in the states, you might be interested in (unless you're on T-Mobile - this one's only Sprint, VZW, and AT&T).

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So, what's the deal? Galaxy S III's at RadioShack are just $99 on a new agreement or upgrade, and if you buy one, you'll get a $50 Google Play credit. Not bad. It gets better - the Shack will give you $10 back for every $50 you spend. So, you're probably better off going in to the store and grabbing a $0.99 item alongside that $99 Galaxy SIII, and that means you'll be able to get a GSIII for just $81, and a $50 Play Store credit to go with it.

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Nov
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While Google may not be entirely ready to commit to LTE as the network that its current line of Nexuses will run on, three of the big four carriers seem to boast what they're up to in that department pretty consistently. Today, it's AT&T.

The company has just announced that not only does its LTE network cover "more than 150 million people across the U.S.," but also that it's ahead of schedule and plans on adding around 100 million more people to that number by the end of 2013. And another 100 million by the end of 2014.

To help reach that goal, they announced ten more LTE markets today:

If you're in any of the above areas, congratulations - you can now "do more faster."

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Nov
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Thanksgiving isn't just about turkey and mashed potatoes (sorry, I had to), it's also about snapping up deals on the things you've been waiting all year to buy, or the things you've yet to cross off your holiday shopping list.

Sprint, in a newsroom post earlier today, announced that it would be sharing "the gift of 'Unlimited' for the holiday shopping season," revealing a few nice deals customers can take advantage of between Thanksgiving and "Cyber Monday."

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Nov
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Since its announcement, many internet comments (and tech bloggers, frankly) have lambasted the 2020mAh battery inside the DROID DNA as obviously being too small. A 5", 1080p display, quad-core processor, and LTE - with a 2020mAh battery? HTC must be nuts. Well, it turns out, they actually aren't nuts and actually do know how to make a phone that doesn't die after half a day off the charging cable teat. Surprising, I know. And despite what you may be hearing elsewhere (I won't name names), my experience with the DNA's longevity has been quite positive. I got a lot of requests for an in-depth look at battery life on the DNA when I posted my initial impressions, so here's what I came up with.

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Nov
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If you thought Google Fiber sounded like a game changer, you may want to keep an eye on this story. According to the Wall Street Journal, which has a history of having well-placed sources, Google has held talks with Dish Network discussing the possibility of partnering on a wireless carrier to compete with AT&T, Verizon, and all the rest. At first, it sounds like a pipe dream. The kind we've been hoping for since the G1. Thing is, this time, it has a shot of not being complete bupkis.

Before we get into why this might be true, though, let's take a look at why it might be false: for starters, according to WSJ's own sources, the talks are not very advanced and "could amount to nothing." Keep in mind companies talk to each other all the time without releasing products.

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Nov
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If you head on over to Verizon's support page, you can find a changelog for a decidedly minor update to the Samsung Galaxy Stellar (version VRALH2). The update improves backlight brightness coming out of sleep mode, boosts voice quality, and fixes some bugs that may have led to "rare occurrences" of device resets.

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If you have a Stellar, this update should be rolling out to you in the next couple of weeks.

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