Motorola unveils the Droid RAZR

Its official, after a number of rumors and a few leaks. The Motorola Droid RAZR was announced today at the Motorola event. Hitting Verizon shelves in November for $299 this device is super thin and packs a punch.  The new RAZR has some new features including; Smart Actions; a location based -automation system and MotoCast a cloud storage and remote access feature. Pre-order begins October 27th.

http://www.droiddoes.com/#/droidrazr

• Android 2.3.5
• 7.1mm thin, 127 grams
• 4.3 - inch qHD Super AMOLED display
• 4G LTE
• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8MP rear shooter, front facing camera
• 16GB built-in storage, 16GB microSD
• 1800mAh battery
• Made with Kevlar fiber, Gorilla Glsass
• Bluetooth 4. 0

Engadget has hands on video with the Motorola Droid RAZR.

There is also a full suite of accessories for the new RAZR check a few of them out below. 

New Nexus 4G device in the works.

I'm sure a lot of you can relate to wanting to get the hottest device out their when you're ready to make a purchase. And just when you're ready to make the plunge a new hot device with comparable specs is announced.  Just as I'm ready to finally make a move towards a G2x to replace my Nexus One here come rumors of a brand new Nexus 4G and apparently "it's a beast".

BGR reported just days ago that it had exclusive information on a new Google device possibly called the  Nexus 4G.  Reportedly the device will house a next-generation dual-core 1.2 or l.5 GHz CPU, a OMAP 4460 or a ultra low power 28nm Krait-based Snapdragon.  The display; 720 HD "monster-sized" screen and it will be free of any buttons below the screen.  Everything software based.  4G LTE, 1GB of RAM 1080 HD video 1-megapixel front facing camera and a  "class leading" 5 megapixel camera along with superior low-light performance. The device will be running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

BGR has been on their game lately but all of this is still unconfirmed along with no carrier being named.  My fingers are crossed that this will be shopped to all carriers. In the least giving the original android carrier a crack at it: T-mobile. Ok I may be a little biased being that i'm on T-mobile.  I want this phone already.  It's rumored to drop around Thanksgiving.



[via BGR]

HTC Sensation to hits T-mobile stores June 15th.

T-mobile announced last night that the HTC Sensation 4G would be available by June 15th. Readers will recall that the popular rumor last month was that the device would see a June 8th release. Also noteworthy is the report that Walmart stores will receive the device on June 12th. As you can see above T-mobile is totting this as their most powerful smartphone to date.




OS: Android with HTC Sense (gingerbread)
Processor: 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM 8260
Memory: 1GB internal storage (8GB microSD included) RAM: 758MB
Display: 4.3 inch touchscreen.
Battery: 1520 mAh
Camera: 8 megapixel  Front-facing Camera: VGA, 1080 HD video recording

T-Mobile G2X only $149 on Amazon with no rebates.

The Dual-Core and Tegra 2 totting smartphone has landed and his received some pretty good reviews.  This coming from tech blogs like Engadget and BoyGeniusReport. The most abundant thought seems to be that this device is really fast.   In fact infamous android hacker and modder Cyanogen tweeted last night about the newly launched device and seemed pleased. (Images below.) 

If you're looking to purchase the device it has been available for a few days now exclusively over the web through T-moible at $199 with a 2 year contract. Now available in stores the device can be found on Amazon for $149

For those unfamiliar with the device or looking to perhaps compare with other powerhouse device coming to T-mobile.  We'll run through the specs.

OS: Stock Android 2.2 (Froyo) (update available soon)

Processor: Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor
Display: 4-inch capacitive touchscreen
Camera: 8 MP rear camera  Front-facing Camera: 1.3 MP front-facing camera, Video recording at 1080p
Memory: 8GB internal memory Expandable memory: MicroSD RAM: 512MB
Battery: 1500 mAh

T-mobile relaunching Sidekick line with Sidekick 4G running Android.

I was a huge fan of T-mobile's Sidekick line of phones. The sidekick was for me like many others my very first venture into the land of smartphones. In fact I owned every version of the sidekick other than the original monochrome sidekick. If you're reading this I bet you know a few people who used to have Sidekicks.  When android launched back in '08 the G1 was the perfect device to lure me to android. Andy Rubin former co-founder and CEO of both Danger Inc. and Android had a lot to do with the design behind the G1 the first android device.

The Sidekick was officially discontinued as of last year but T-mobile still owns the trademarks to the Sidekick name.  Last week T-Mobile held an investor meeting and officially announced the T-mobile Sidekick 4G and that it would be running Android. Since then some 'in the wild' pics have surfaced (above) and even though not much is known about the device at this point we can see from the image that the device is apparently made by Samsung, has front facing camera, and is said to be running  2.2.1

[images via http://tmonews.com]

G-Slate Signup page is live on T-mobile.

At this point you may actually be tired of or overwhelmed by all the tablet news lately.  But for those of you who have been clamoring for a little more info on the G-Slate coming to T-mobile you can now signup to get notifications and information when it's available.  Click here to head over to the signup page. 


First Look Video at Honeycomb on the T-mobile G-Slate with Google

T-mobile to Double 4G speeds

Today at CES; T-mobile talked about phones, introduced tablets, previewed the coming Android OS and to the surprise of some.  They spoke about doubling their 4G HSPA+ network speeds. They plan to boost their network up to 42 Mbps as well as launching 25 new 4G devices.  They've also made the promise that there will not be a 'surcharge" off any kind for their 4G service. 

Mean while during and after the talks, T-mobile's twitter account was making a number of announcements.

The Breakdown: 3G, Super 3G and 4G. Take your pick.

When it comes to 3G and 4G I could start out talking about latency and sever requests but I digress. If you're the average costumer you will more than likely find yourself confused when I say that T-mobiles new 3G network is twice as fast as Sprint's 4G network.

The interesting thing is; that while Verizon and AT&T are gearing up to release new 4G networks; meaning massive nationwide hardware upgrades. And Sprint is already moving with their 4G network and a new 4G capable handset.

T-mobile is simply upgrading their already in place 3G network to reach it's full potential. That means a faster network, sooner. T-mobile has opted for HSPA+ 21 which is named such for it's maximum speed of 21 mbps. This as with all wireless speeds is a theoretical or "best-case" maximum. The general rule is to consider half of whatever the top speed is the average speed you will experience which is still not too shabby at 10.5 mbps. Also this technology is backwards compatible. Users and technology already set to use T-mobile's 3G network will be able to utilize the HSPA+, no need for brand new devices specifically marked for the faster network. For example MyTouch users will see an increase in download speeds as well. Though t-mobile has plans for a HSPA+ device in the 2nd half of 2010.

This network speed is seemingly as good or better than Verizon has stated will be average for it's LTE (4G ) network: at 8-12mbs. Verizon plans to open 20-30 LTE markets in 2010 with full nationwide coverage shooting for 2015 completion. This network will also not be as open as AT&T and T-mobile's current network's. Devices that are LTE capable will be required to be registered for use on Verizon's network and have to pass a level of hardware certification. (simply need SIM card for AT&T and T-mobile's current networks.) AT&T is also building an LTE network. More on that - here. [via pcmag.com]

Sprint's WiMAX (4G) network average is reported to be around 3-6 mbps (I'm hearing 4.7). Theoretically you could hit up to 13mbps. Also some will be shocked to here that apparently Sprint's new Evo 4G device can't use voice and data simultaneously. The word from HTC -
"If you're using 4g for data, you can't use CDMA for voice. Currently the only way to do simultaneous voice and data would be through a third-party VOIP solution. However, this is not do to strict hardware limitations, so it's possible this could change with future updates."
More on that - here. [via androidcentral.com]

For the moment Sprint and T-mobile are seemingly your best bet for faster mobile connections. With AT&T and Verizon's 4G networks set to hit markets in the future (likely a few years) One down side that you may see is a data cap for T-mobile's HSPA+. 3G networks are already pretty clogged as it is. And a easy way to deter people from tethering or as using them as their home wireless connection is to set a data cap. Only time will tell. On the flip side T-mobile stands to be in a great position to offer a relatively cheap and fast wireless connection. Long before some of their competitors are up and running. Also t-mobile has said it does plan to make the jump to 4G in the future.

All in all it comes down to coverage, plan cost and compatible devices. All of these need to be considered if you're ready to make the jump to a different carrier to get your hands on a faster network. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the latest from AndroidAppInspection.

What are your feelings about 4g?