Nokia 800 gets pictured, ready for its close-up originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After a few leaks and false starts, Verizon has finally made its plans to offer the Galaxy Nexus “later this year” official. That’s really the only detail revealed, as its price, release date and availability on other carriers are still unknown. Check out the press release after the break if you need any more confirmation.

Continue reading Verizon (finally) confirms it will have the Galaxy Nexus

Verizon (finally) confirms it will have the Galaxy Nexus originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Less than a week after it disappeared from iTunes, the Apple-friendly Google Voice app is back and declared iOS 5 friendly, per its official Twitter account. Also improved is operation when you don’t have a data connection, as there’s no data required for all numbers previously called. Hit the source link below for v1.3.1.1891 — we’ll never go back to the dark days of v1.3.0.1771.

Google Voice app returns to iTunes, iOS 5 crash bug fixed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Styli and Android haven’t exactly been strangers as of late — with devices like the HTC Flyer and Samsung Galaxy Note offering pen-based input — but it looks like that option will soon be even easier to implement with Ice Cream Sandwich. As noted on Reddit, Google’s recent overview of some Android 4.0 platform highlights includes a small tidbit towards the end that details the “full support for stylus input events” in the OS — including features like pressure sensitivity and the ability to distinguish motion events from different sources (i.e. a pen and your finger). Of course, it still requires someone to actually use it, but the native support could well open up some interesting possibilities, especially when it comes to third-party apps.

Android Ice Cream Sandwich includes native stylus support originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For all the buzz around Samsung’s latest hi-def smartphone, the absence of one little word has largely been glossed over. That word is “Plus” — the wizened Galaxy S II has a “Super AMOLED Plus” display, for example, whereas the sparkly Galaxy Nexus is merely “Super AMOLED.” Did the marketeers simply forget those extra hyperbolic keystrokes, or does the difference actually mean something?

Well, regrettably, it does. Samsung uses “Plus” to refer to full RGB displays, in which each pixel possesses its own trio of red, green and blue sub-pixels. Meanwhile, a non-Plus display uses a cheaper PenTile system — which forces pixels to share each other’s sub-pixels. Aside from potential hygiene issues, this results in a lower overall sub-pixel density, reduced sharpness and worse color rendition. We saw the difference clearly enough when Engadget Spanish microscopically compared the original non-Plus Galaxy S against the GS II, and now the folks at FlatPanelsHD have undertaken a more up-to-date comparison at the source link. The upshot? They calculated that, despite its 4.65-inch screen size, the Galaxy Nexus has the same number of sub-pixels as the 3.5-inch iPhone 4/4S. Think of a word with no r, g or b in it, and you eventually arrive at “disappointed.”

Update: We just added AnandTech‘s analysis at the More Coverage link. They point out that if you like the pixel density on the GS II, you should be happy with that on the Galaxy Nexus — although they don’t address color rendition.

[Thanks, Mauro]

The Galaxy Nexus’ Super AMOLED display is a minus, not a Plus originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 05:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VZW’s upward mobility shows no signs of slowing, as the carrier just reported total Q3 revenues of $27.9 billion — up 5.4 percent on last year. As usual, much of the growth comes from pulling in new smartphone customers, who were among 882,000 new retail postpaid connections and who helped to bring Big Red’s average revenue per user (ARPU) up to $54.89, which is 2.3 percent higher than the same quarter last year. We’ll have to wait for the Q4 results to see any impact from the iPhone 4S or the new Droid RAZR, but, in the meantime, there are plenty of double-digits in Verizon’s data revenue figures: it made $22.22 from each postpaid retail customer for data usage alone, which adds up to a 15.7 percent leap year-on-year. Read on for the full green-tinged breakdown in the PR.

Continue reading Verizon ‘on track’ in Q3, revenues up 5.4 percent to $27.9 billion

Verizon ‘on track’ in Q3, revenues up 5.4 percent to $27.9 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vertu’s first foray into the heady modern world of touchscreen phones has arrived, and it still looks KIRF-ably premium. But what’s surprising is that the Constellation’s feature ensemble is actually half-decent — at least relative to its predecessors. Wearing an exclusive 3.5-inch AMOLED screen coated entirely in sapphire crystal, the Constellation completes the look with a “ceramic pillow” (we’d call it an ‘earpiece’) and a black alligator skin back cover. Last seen skulking around Bluetooth product listings, it’s now back in the public spotlight with a confirmed eight megapixel camera, flanked by a twin LED flash and HSPA+ connections. There’s no word on what OS this starlet is working with, though it’s likely to be Symbian — appropriate for all those oil barons, F1 drivers and other anachronistic rich types who can (send staff to) pick up their new Vertu from stores now.

Vertu Constellation packs gaudy brilliance, and we don’t mean the AMOLED originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MetroPCS may be top contender for AT&T’s post-acquisition assets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We all knew it was coming, it was just a matter of time — that, of course, is the Motorola Admiral that Sprint sure had a difficult time keeping a secret. But no matter now, as the fleet captain is ready to hook you up with the Now Network’s CDMA-based Direct Connect service online starting October 23rd (November 13th for all sales channels) for $100 on a two-year commitment and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Summing up the specs: the Admiral features a 1.2GHz CPU, 5MP rear camera with 720p HD video capture, rugged 810G mil-spec design, 3G Mobile Hotspot for up to five devices at the same time, a 3.1-inch VGA display and Android 2.3. For a smartphone that you can kick the trash out of, that’s not too shabby. Check out the full press release below.

Continue reading Motorola Admiral to directly connect with Sprint on October 23rd for $100

Motorola Admiral to directly connect with Sprint on October 23rd for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man, can Nokia World get here any faster? Nokia needs Windows Phone in perhaps the worst possible way, and if you had any doubt whatsoever on that, just take a look at the outfit’s woeful Q3 2011 earnings. Right off the top, net sales dropped 13 percent year-over-year (and three percent from Q2), while operating profit plummeted a staggering 60 percent year-over-year (and 36 percent since the prior quarter). All told, the company recorded net sales of €9 billion ($12.35 billion), and while things are gloomy in comparison to the glory days, it still has a whopping €5.1 billion ($7 billion) in its coffers. And the good news doesn’t end there. The company’s shares actually surged on word that the losses weren’t as bad as anticipated, and that overall sales beat estimates. Only in a stock market can the loss of €68 million ($93 million) be “positive,” but hey — we’re sure Nokia will take all the silver linings it can find. Of course, things should be on the up-and-up after a spate of WP7-based Nokia devices are revealed later this month in London, but it still remains to be seen how soon the company can ship, and if it can penetrate a smartphone market that’s gaining iOS and Android loyalists by the truckload each day. Hit the links below for more percentages than the average simpleton can shake a stick at.

Nokia Q3 2011 earnings: operating profit sinks 60 percent, but sales beat estimates originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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