Verizon Labor Day Sales include XOOM, ThunderBolt, Galaxy Tab, Continuum

There’s a big handful of devices on sale this weekend up until Labor Day including more than a couple of our old favorites on the Android front. All of these sales are online exclusives and each of them requires a 2-year activation, but beyond that you’re in the sweet, sweet discount world. First there’s the HTC ThunderBolt which is now $149.99 – this is the only LTE-capable smartphone on the whole list, and buying it here will mean it’s pre-owned. Then there’s the Motorola XOOM for $299.99 – note that this is a pre-owned model you’ll be getting – this is the only LTE-capable tablet on the list. There’s a couple of LTE mobile modems on sale too but I’ll let you check those out for yourself since they’re not Android-based.

Next there’s the LG Cosmos Touch and the Samsung Continuum, the latter of the two being one that we’ve reviewed with glee when it was released, both of these devices being free here with a 2-year contract. There’s the Casio G’zOne Commando, an ultra-rugged device set for being tossed around and dunked in water for $99.99. If you’re aiming for a smaller tablet, there’s always the first Samsung Android on the market, the Original Samsung Galaxy Tab (pre-owned) for just $69.99. Cheep!
Then there’s the awesome Motorola DROID 2 Global, quite similar to the original DROID 2 but here in Global form meaning you can pretty much use it anywhere on earth supposing you’ve got the right SIM cards, and it’s in white, which of course means its awesome.
There’s a few more deals going on right this moment at Verizon you might want to know about, these not necessarily having just to do with Labor Day: Motorola Droid 3 and Motorola Droid X2 both on Buy One Get One deals, and Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY for $99 (half-off). There’s the LG Revolution, another LTE-capable Android device on sale for $199.99, that being about $50 off its normal price.

Deals!
Check them all out over at Verizon Wireless online store – lookin good!

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Goes Missing from IFA

Samsung in a surprise move has removed the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and all traces from the showroom floor at IFA 2011. The device is no longer visible and they’ve covered everything regarding the Tab 7.7 in the building. Details are scant but this appears to be further fall-out from the ongoing and irritating legal battle between the company and Apple.

Our man Chris Davies from SlashGear is live at the event in Berlin, and after digging around for a few answers (and snapping some photos) he found a spokesman that had this to say,

Samsung has removed the Galaxy Tab 7.7 from our stand at IFA,” Samsung Europe spokesperson Brendon Gore told SlashGear. “We cannot make any further comment as we have not received an official statement from the court.”

The spokesman Gore also commented that the decision to remove the Galaxy Tab 7.7 from the showroom floor was made voluntarily, and not at the court’s request although the statement above sounded like Samsung has heard from the court, but has yet to receive an official statement. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 was announced just Thursday, and with plenty of excitement so a move like this so quick is a bit odd.

Back in August, Apple was successful in getting an injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe, stopping all sales from continuing and most likely these two event are related. I don’t know about you guys, but the Galaxy Tab 7.7 looks nothing like the iPad in my opinion.
It sounds like Samsung and Apple’s lawyers are already hard at work this weekend but we’ve yet to hear any further details. As soon as we get an official statement or more information we will be sure to update everyone on this situation.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Galaxy Tab 7.7

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier :

Announced Date : September 01, 2011

Release Date : January 01, 1970

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 7.70 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x800
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED Plus

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 7.74 Inch
• Width : 5.24 Inch
• Depth : 0.31 Inch
• Weight : 335 Grams

Battery & Power

• Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 5100 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

• Android OS:
• 3.2.x

• Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• MP3
• WMA

• Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC
• MPEG-4 (MP4)
• WMV

Hardware

CPU :

CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 65.536 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution :3 MP

• External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

• Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

• Network Technology:
• GSM

• GSM Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

• Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

• Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

• Location Features:
• Compass
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

[via SlashGear]

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Google’s Schmidt: Motorola buy is about ‘more than just patents’

Google Executive Chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt on Thursday reiterated that the company’s proposed $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility is about more than just patents. When Google announced the deal, CEO Larry Page said in a statement, ”Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.” He also noted, however, that Motorola’s extensive patent portfolio would greatly assist Google and its Android partners in defending Android against patent complaints from the likes of Apple and Microsoft. Read on for more.
Several experts have since weighed in on the acquisition, and many believe Motorola’s portfolio of 25,000 issued and pending patents will do less to protect Android than initially believed. One patent expert went so far as to call the deal “an immense mistake.” On stage at the Salesforce.com Dreamforce conference, Schmidt made certain to communicate that the benefits of the Motorola buy extend beyond patents. “We did it for more than just patents. We actually believe that the Motorola team has some amazing products coming,” Schmidt told Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff on stage at the conference. “We’re excited to have the product line, to use the Motorola brand, the product architecture, the engineers. These guys invested the RAZR. We know them well because they’re Google Apps users.” He continued, “[We enjoy] having at least one area where we can do integrated hardware and software.”
Schmidt continued, noting that the current U.S. patent system has created a hostile environment that is in serious need of an overhaul. His only idea for a proposed solution, however — to crowd-source patent applications and let the general public comment on possible prior art — is not legal under the current system.
Read

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Amazon Kindle Android Tablet Hands-On Revealed

It appears that Amazon’s future plans for a brand new line of Android tablets is very real and that tech journalist MG Siegler has gotten his hands on one this week. This device is a 7-inch tablet whose form factor is not unlike the BlackBerry PlayBook according to Siegler, and yes, indeed, it is running Android [SORT OF]. What Siegler is saying he’s acting on is strict orders to not reveal anything TOO telling about the future of Amazon’s tablets, but he’s sure got a whole heck of a lot of information from a source that doesn’t appear to want to give too much of the surprise away. No photos, no video, only the word of the man himself. Let’s talk about it.

First of all, this is not an E Ink device, instead being back-lit, full color, and capacitive in its full touchscreen abilities. This device appears to have 2-finger touchscreen capability, and the 7-inch form factor appears to be the only tablet they’ve got any plans to release at the moment, and they’re currently aiming at the end of November for a full release. The version Siegler saw was a Design Verification Testing unit and is therefor not a final build by most means, but the hardware appears to be set, while the software needs tweaks before release.

Apparently it’s confirmed that this Amazon Kindle was originally one of two, the smaller of the two with the 10-inch version still somewhere in the works should the 7-inch version prove to be a hit. This 10-inch tablet would then be released in Q1 if all goes to plan, costing some sort of amount more than the release cost of the 7-inch Amazon Kindle which will be, unbelievably, $250 USD.
Remember though, that the Barnes & Noble Nook Color also currently costs right around that price, and both this and that tablet have a 7-inch display. Also in a similar fashion to how the Nook Color is running Android but you’d never know it because of its totally different user interface, the Amazon Kindle has its own version of Android – as Siegler says, it looks nothing like the Android you’re used to seeing. The interface is very brand-specific to Kindle and Amazon, it being covered with black, dark blue, and lots of orange, and the main screen is set up sort of like the carousel you’ve got on your everyday average Android, but looks much closer to Cover Flow in iTunes.
This spinning set of options includes all the content you have on the device including books, apps, movies, and more. Right below this set of moveable icons you’ll see a dock where you can pin your favorite items for later use. This dock only appears in portrait mode, disappearing when you hold the device in landscape mode. Above the dock (below the carousel?) is a status bar which shows time, battery, and other items including notifications. The very top bar here shows “YOUR NAME’s Kindle” and shows the number of notifications you’ve got in bright orange text.
There are no physical buttons anywhere on the device, save for a single power button on the bottom when you hold it in portrait mode, a single tap of the screen bringing up your navigation menu from whens you can get back home or go to several other places as well. Amazon’s content store, for example. You can read books with a Kindle app, and you can play music with Amazon’s Cloud Player. To play movies, you’ll be using Amazon’s Instant Video Player. Amazon’s Android Appstore is the place you’ll be downloading apps, and there is no Android Market out of the box.
From what we’re to understand from Ziegler’s report, this device’s software is build on a very basic version of Android prior to version 2.2 FroYo. How this will play out with apps created in the meantime that require higher versions of Android to function we cannot be sure at the moment. This device will not be updated in the same fashion that other Android tablets are updated, that meaning you wont get “the Honeycomb update” if you know what I mean, all updates coming from Amazon and being either invisible or working to improve the Amazon user interface.
Beyond the fact that Amazon has used an early version of Android to build their new user interface on, Google’s influence is nonexistent. While most manufacturer’s work directly with Google to get their devices approved so that they can have access to the Android Market, Amazon has opted to do whatever they want since they’ve got their OWN Android Appstore. There’s a web browser that appears to be very similar to the current Android (WebKit) app, but with tabs, and Google search still appears to be the web standard while there’s an entirely separate Kindle search tool on the device to search through your local content. Pulse may be included in the final build as a standard app, and a simple game like Angry Birds will more than likely be included as well.
Another bit of the plan is to push for people to subscribe to Amazon Prime, this given away for free with the purchase of an Amazon Kindle tablet. What Amazon Prime does is offer you free unlimited two-day shipping on products purchased at Amazon.com with no minimum purchase price to get said perk. Another piece of the Amazon Prime pie is Amazon’s Instant Video service, and it’ll almost be a certainty that other perks will come along with the launch of the tablet as well. Currently Amazon Prime costs $79 a year.
This device appears to have only a single-core processor, though the 10-inch version will likely have a dual-core chip. Inside there appears to be 6 GB of storage, with emphasis placed on the cloud services Amazon uses for all sorts of different media. Mentions appear to have been made about an SD or microSD card slot for memory expansion, but the unit being looked at here did not appear to have any way to access it (if it exists.) The first version of this tablet will be Wi-fi only, with a possible 3G version coming afterward. The back of the device is rubbery for grip, there are speakers on the top of the device (when held in portrait mode) and there’s a microUSB port for power (and perhaps data transfer). And there are no cameras.
In addition to this tablet, Siegler has been told by his source that Amazon is working on a multi-touch E Ink hybrid tablet device, but that it’s not coming any time soon. This Amazon Kindle will be a real contender from what we’ve heard here, and it’ll likely be out by the end of 2011, right on time for the Western holiday season.
[via TechCrunch]

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HTC Incredible Android 2.3 Gingerbread now rolling out

I must say that was pretty fast HTC. Just a few short days ago they mentioned the Thunderbolt and Incredible would both get 2.3 Gingerbread in September. Now two or so days later it appears the Incredible is already getting the OTA update because it’s hitting handsets right this minute. If you are confused, the update was started back on the 15th but was quickly delayed for a few bugs HTC or Verizon found.

A few days after the first OTA started rolling out it was halted for some fixes but now all systems are a go because its live again. This is the newest version coming from HTC and shouldn’t have any issues or bugs the previous builds had. The last OTA was later leaked online but this official build is what you want.

For all the details regarding the official Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update for the HTC Incredible feel free to stop by the Verizon support page. As always the update should hit handsets over the course of the next week and those that do not wish to wait can always manually update by going to Settings>About Phone>HTC Updates and then hit OK.
With this finally starting today does this mean the official update for the Thunderbolt is coming soon too?

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Droid Incredible

Manufactuer : HTC

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : April 15, 2010

Release Date : April 29, 2010

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 3.70 Inch
• Resolution : 480x800
• Screen Type : AMOLED

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 4.63 Inch
• Width : 2.30 Inch
• Depth : 0.47 Inch
• Weight : 130 Grams

Battery & Power

• Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1300 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 146 hours

Software

• Android OS:
• 2.2.x

• Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• AMR
• MID
• MP3
• WAV
• WMA

• Video Playback:
• 3GP
• MPEG-4 (MP4)
• WMV

• Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : Snapdragon

CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz

Core : 1

Ram : 512 MB

Internal Storage : 8.192 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution :8 MP

• External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

• Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 720p Video Recording

• Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

• Network Technology:
• CDMA

• CDMA Band:
• 800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

• Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

• Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 2.0

• Location Features:
• Compass
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

[via androidforums]

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Upgrade to a Smartphone on Verizon and get a $100 Gift Card

Everyone likes a good deal and now Verizon is all set to introduce their new trade-in program. It’s actually really simple, upgrade to a new smartphone and then mail them your feature phone (dumbphone) and they’ll send you a $100 gift card you can use as you please. Sounds pretty great right? Obviously this deal varies a bit with new subscribers and what not but they are offering this to almost anyone eligible for a new plan, upgrade, and all new subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber at Verizon you are still eligible for the deal if you are ready for an upgrade, or if you add an additional line of service. Here is how it works according to Verizon:
-Activate a Smartphone line of service with a new 2 yr contract agreement and data plan (or resign).
-Within 5 days, you will receive your promotion code via email or text message after you’ve activated your phone.
-Then, visit our Trade-In program web site to submit you request along with your promo code.

-You will receive a postage paid envelope (within 5 days) and mail in your used basic device. You must return your device within 30 days of trade-in submittal.
-Allow up to 3 weeks for us to process your Verizon Wireless Gift Card.
-Receive your $100 Verizon Wireless gift card in the mail. Use it to pay your bill, buy accessories, purchase ringtones and ringback tones plus more.
That may seem like a lot of steps but it really isn’t. Buy a new amazing smartphone like the upcoming Droid Bionic, wait for an email, ship your old phone back, wait a bit longer and boom — you just got $100 dollars. I’m reading that this is an online only special but you may be able to call in or head down to your nearest store and give it a try.
Now go get with the times and upgrade to an Android smartphone already.
[via Verizon Wireless]

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HTC Flyer Receives Honeycomb Upgrade [Leak]

Several weeks ago we were holding the HTC Flyer for the first time, a brand new tablet running a unique version of HTC’s Sense user interface on top of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, all in a mid-sized tablet form factor with a special “Scribe” stylus for on-screen writing. We got to look at this device as the HTC Flyer (a Wi-fi version of the tablet) and the HTC EVO View, a WiMAX-capable black instead of white plastic casing version. Now what we’ve got coming down the underground pipeline is a Honeycomb upgrade for the full tablet experience!

But wait, wasn’t HTC able to get ahold of Honeycomb back when they first started producing the HTC Flyer? We’d like to think that they were able to do so since the Motorola XOOM had already technically been released right around that time earlier this year, and certainly several Android 3.x Honeycomb devices had been released before the Flyer was sent out to stores, so what gives? More than likely it was simply much more feasible to build Sense around Gingerbread at the time of development for this device than it was to work with Honeycomb.
Now we’ve got this totally-unauthorized BETA, and an early Beta at that, build of Honeycomb for the HTC Flyer in RUU – you can access it at MoDaCo courtesy of Paul – if you should take the risk and run it, let us know how it goes. Meanwhile check out what we know about the AT&T HTC Jetstream, the manufacturer’s first 10-inch tablet and first device running Honeycomb. We’ll more than likely take a look at the tablet before it’s released to the public having been excited about its existence since it was simply called the Puccini.

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HTC Sense UI 3.5 Ported to the Desire HD

Those that saw the new HTC Sense UI screenshots recently and would love to give it a try now can. Thanks to some nifty dev work over at XDA users with the Desire HD can now give it a test run. We first saw HTC Sense UI 3.5 screenshots leak last week and thanks to the HTC Bliss devs are now porting it to other devices.

Recently we received a full video walk-through of Sense UI 3.5 on the HTC Bliss shown here and now it’s available for those with a Desire HD via a custom ROM. A leaked RUU build of the HTC Bliss was leaked and that is where this custom ROM gets the bits of Sense UI 3.5 and while its not perfect, it looks great from what we are hearing and seeing.


If you can handle a few bugs with bluetooth and having the camera be completely non-functional (for now) go ahead and give the new Desire HD build a try and test Sense UI 3.5 for yourself. This is still a work in progress and will likely be completely stable over time, as always this is one of those at your own risk type of deals. Be sure to back up all user data or do a Nandroid backup but you should know all that already.
Full details and download instructions are available at the source link below thanks to XDA.
[via XDA Forums]

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Motorola DROID Bionic Live Demo Units Arriving at Verizon Stores

While Verizon still hasn’t officially announced this phone we know everything there is to know about it basically. They’ve recently launched the ARena Scavenger Hunt App to go along with the DroidDoes.com website and we are now seeing the official commercial on TV’s saying September 8th, all we need is Verizon to officially say the word, or do we?

A few sources are now spotting the actual phone in Verizon stores. With all sorts of launch kits, dummy models, and even live demo units appearing across multiple Verizon Wireless stores (Live Phone, Charge Me Up). In case you missed it the DROID Bionic Facebook page is now live and yesterday we learned the full retail price will indeed be $589, and $299 with a new contract.

The Verizon commercial is now stating September 8th so get ready guys. We learned this morning the Droid Bionic has already been rooted so now all we need is to get this thing in our hands already. I’ll be stopping by my local Verizon Stores this weekend hoping to maybe snag a demo unit sitting out.
[via Droid-Life]

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