Verizon Wireless - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

May

[Update: AT&T Edition Gone] AT&T And Verizon Galaxy S4 Developer Editions Appear On Samsung's Site, Coming Soon

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in AT&T, News, Samsung, Verizon Wireless

Developer editions of the Galaxy S4 have appeared on Samsung's site, and they have their sights set on AT&T and Verizon customers. Note, this is not the $649 Nexus-like version that Google unveiled at Google I/O. This developer edition is good for tinkerers who still want all of Samsung's software and Verizon customers who really don't have any other option if they want a Galaxy S4 with an unlocked bootloader. Variants for both carriers seem to be only offered in Black Mist color.

Update: The AT&T edition disappeared from Samsung's site. The Verizon one is still there.

While it's not unreasonably difficult to root the consumer version of the phone, there is a certain peace of mind that comes with using a device that doesn't require the hassle.

May

Dan Rosenberg Releases 'Loki', A Tool To Allow ROM/Recovery Developers To Bypass The Bootloader On The Verizon And AT&T Galaxy S4

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, Galaxy S4, News, Verizon Wireless

When news broke that Verizon's and AT&T's versions of the Galaxy S4 would ship with locked/non-unlockable bootloaders, people were... upset. This sort of action was basically expected from Verizon, but AT&T had historically left its device's bootloaders unlocked, allowing users to do what they wanted with their own handsets. To make matters worse, the Galaxy S4's bootloader signature verification is nearly impossible to crack.

Then, at the first of the month, all-around genius hacker Dan Rosenberg released a teaser for his upcoming tool that would "hack" the AT&T's versions bootloader. That tool, now knows as Loki, is finally available for download, and it also works on Verizon's version of the device.

May

Verizon's Samsung Galaxy S4 Available Today, AT&T Shows Off Aurora Red Version Ahead Of June Launch

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in AT&T, Galaxy S4, News, Samsung, Verizon Wireless

Attention, Verizon-shackled Samsung fans (like me): the Galaxy S4 is available today. Like, right now - you could probably drive down to the Verizon store and it would just be sitting there, waiting for you to fondle its 1080p screen. If you want to take it home, it'll cost you $199.99 with a new or extended two-year contract. Still clinging to that unlimited data like the last slice of pizza in the frat house? You can purchase the contract-free version for $649.99. Naturally, you can buy one online as well.

The Verizon GS4 comes in the standard ~~blue~~ black and white shades, but carrier rival AT&T has decided to glitz things up a bit with an Aurora Red version.

May

[How-To] Root The Verizon Galaxy S4 With No Device Wipe Necessary

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Galaxy S4, News, Verizon Wireless

Give the community enough time and almost any device can be cracked open, no matter how determined a carrier or OEM is to keep it locked down. The Verizon Galaxy S4 has proven a tough nut to crack, but a new root method is much less convoluted than previous ones. Just flash a kernel, run some tools, flash again, and you're done! Well, it's a little more involved than that, but not much. Here's how you do it.

First up, grab the necessary tools:

Samsung Official USB Drivers - Link
ODIN v3.07 - Link
VRUAMD2 Pre-release Kernel - Link
VRUAMDK Stock Kernel - Link
Motochopper Root Exploit Tool – Link

ODIN is a tool used for flashing firmware and kernels on Samsung devices.

May

Verizon Offers VMware Virtualization On DROID RAZR M And LG Intuition, BYOD Is Just $125 Away

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in News, Verizon Wireless

Using a work phone and a personal phone at the same time sucks. That's the motivator behind the Bring Your Own Device ("BYOD") trend, wherein employees use their own smartphones for work-related tasks. Most people do this anyway, but it can become a real problem if you're working with sensitive data. That's where VMware comes in. This company specializes in virtualized PCs for remote access and security, and after years of development, it's expanding into mobile with Android. Too bad it's only available on Verizon at the moment - and only on two mid-range phones at that.

VMware's Horizon Mobile solution works like this: your company sets up a default mobile workspace, complete with apps, security measures, and even a wallpaper if they want.

May

Verizon Moves Up Samsung Galaxy S4 Launch To May 23rd

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Carriers, Galaxy S4, Samsung, Verizon Wireless

Verizon certainly likes to take its sweet time getting new phones out there, but this time it's at least making an attempt to speed things along. Big Red has announced that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available a week earlier than previously stated. May 23rd is now the big day.

The Galaxy S4 has already launched on the other big US carriers, and AT&T has even announced the availability of a 32GB version of the device. Verizon is late to the game, but it's probably going to push this 5-inch 1080p smartphone hard. Verizon's 16GB GS4 will be going for $199.99 with a new 2-year agreement (after a $50 mail-in rebate).

May

[Deal Alert] Verizon Droid DNA Drops To $19.99 For New Accounts On Amazon

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Deals, DROID DNA, HTC, News, Verizon Wireless

As the weekend begins, you know deep down inside what's missing in your life. Happiness, love, and security? Nah, if that's what you were about to say, that's dead wrong. What you need is a big honkin' phone in your pocket running on Big Red's 4G LTE network. Oh, and it can't just be big – it needs to have a full HD screen too. The Droid DNA certainly fits the description, and it just so happens it can be yours for the low price of $19.99 (some restrictions apply, phone will not love you back).

The Droid DNA is a bridge between the 2012 and 2013 smartphone worlds.

May

[Deal Alert] Wirefly Now Taking Verizon Galaxy S4 Pre-Orders - $179.99 For New Accounts And Upgrades

Posted by David Ruddock in Deals, Galaxy S4, News, Verizon Wireless

If you're a Verizon Wireless subscriber looking to get your hands on a shiny new Galaxy S4 come release day, you're probably weighing your various pre-order options already. Well, Wirefly's one you can toss into the mix, and with a half-decent deal - their Verizon GS4 is just $179.99 for new account or upgrades, $20 less than Verizon's price. Here's the white version, and here's the black.

Even better, Wirefly doesn't charge sales tax for many states, and that's actually a big savings, since generally you're charged the full MSRP of the phone for sales tax. In California, for example, tax in my region would otherwise be over $60 if I were to buy from Verizon.

May

[Deal Alert] HTC Droid DNA $50 For Upgrades And New Contracts From HTC Direct

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Deals, DROID DNA, News, Verizon Wireless

The Droid DNA may not have Boomsound, Ultrapixels, or other HTC-branded buzzwords, but it's most definitely the best HTC device you'll find on Verizon right now. And if you're dead set on not paying more than a fifty spot for a new phone, the DNA is your ticket to a high-end smartphone that won't break the bank - , so long as you're willing to buy directly from HTC.

It's pretty rare that we find the manufacturer of a device selling its phones cheaper than, say, Amazon Wireless or Wirefly, but that's exactly what HTC is doing here with the DNA.

May

Verizon's Galaxy Note II Getting Updated To Build JZO54K.I605VRAMC3, Brings Android 4.1.2, Multi-Window, And More

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Device Updates, Galaxy Note II, News, Verizon Wireless

Last to the party as always, Verizon is finally pushing Android 4.1.2 to its version of the Galaxy Note II. This update also brings some Samsung enhancements like a proper version of multi-window, along with overall bug fixes and enhancements. Overall, it looks like a pretty good one for Big Red's note-taking behemoth.