Category: Mobile Tech

80% Chance of the iPhone 4 Hitting T-Mobile in Q3?

In the 597th rumor of 2010 regarding the iPhone 4 hitting a new carrier, Cult of Mac claims that there’s an 80-percent chance that Apple’s magical smartphone will hit T-Mobile. Here’s the deal:

T-Mobile USA is very close to getting the iPhone in the fall, ending Apple’s exclusive relationship with AT&T, according to a highly placed source at the wireless company.

Talks between Apple and T-Mobile are at an advanced stage, our source says, and it’s 80 percent likely that the iPhone will be coming to T-Mobile in Q3.

As I mentioned last month, one analyst believes this will be the easiest transition for Apple since AT&T and T-Mobile are both GSM carriers. Going to a CDMA carrier like Sprint or Verizon would require a redesign to accommodate a different type of radio. That said, I would be exponentially more interested in a T-Mobile iPhone 4 if it had a radio that took full advantage of T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network, which offers wicked fast speeds that rival Sprint’s 4G WiMax network. An HSPA+ iPhone 4 would completely rule!

What do you think of the latest iPhone 4 to “carrier X” rumor? Will it happen this year? Or is that just wishful thinking?

Source

Evo 4G vs. Droid X Part III: Battery Life, Cameras, and More

My comparison of the HTC Evo 4G (Sprint) and the Motorola Droid X (Verizon) continues! In the third round of this epic smartphone battle I compare the combatants’ battery life, input methods (keyboards), connectivity, and cameras. Let the battle commence!

Battery Life
With their large screens and mercurial processors, the Droid X and Evo 4G require a lot of power. Using both phones with my typical usage pattern (lots of web browsing, some foursquare check-ins, Facebook browsing, text messaging, and around 30 minutes of calls per day), I had two very different results. From a full charge, I got about 12 hours from the Evo 4G and 15.5 hours from the Droid X.

For many users, the extra 3.5 hours could be the difference between making it through the day and coming up short. I usually have to charge the Evo 4G at some point during the day. The Droid X almost always makes it to bedtime. For situations like trade shows, I can’t imagine using either phone without an extra battery. Remember, your results will vary depending on how much or how little you use your phone.

The Droid X easily wins in terms of battery life.

Input Methods
Both phones have virtual keyboards that benefit from their large 4.3-inch screens. The Evo 4G has four directional keys that allow you to move the cursor. Unfortunately, this makes for a cramped keyboard. The Droid X’s keyboard is just roomier and easier to type on. It also has Swype pre-insalled, for users the prefer that input method.

The Evo 4G is fully capacitive, while the Droid X has four mechanical buttons. Aside mechanical buttons preventing you from accidentally entering a command, I prefer good capacitive buttons. It just makes for a more unified experience. The mechanical buttons on the Droid X can interrupt your flow of typing and accessing menus. It’s not a huge deal; I just like the congruous input experience of the Evo.

Lastly, there’s haptic feedback. The Evo 4G’s is pretty subtle, while the Droid X’s is strong as an ox. Some people love haptic feedback and some people hate it. I like it and prefer the hearty feedback on the Droid X.

With its superior keyboard, Swype option, and heavy haptic feedback, the Droid X nudges out the Evo 4G on the input front.

Connectivity
The Droid X uses Verizon’s 3G CDMA revision A network for data. The Evo 4G also uses that tech, as well as Sprint’s 4G WiMax network for even faster data rates. WiMax availability is still relatively sparse, but it’s growing rapidly and should be in most major cities by the end of 2010. The data rates are really impressive. With the Droid X, I often struggled to get 1MB down. With the Evo 4G, I got as high as 4.5MB down on WiMax.

While Verizon’s CDMA coverage is arguably the best across America, it’s also the slowest. AT&T has faster 3G, T-Mobile has its crazy fast HSPA+ 3.5G network, and Sprint has WiMax. A year from now, the Droid X’s data rates will seem sluggish compared to the competition’s.

The Evo 4G beats the Droid X in the connectivity department, especially for users that don’t change phones until their contract expires.

Cameras
Both phones feature good eight-megapixel cameras. I love the Droid X’s daytime shots and preferred its camera software. The Evo 4G is better in low-light situations. I’m going to give the Evo 4G the win here, simply because it has a front-facing camera and the Droid X does not. Video chat is poised to become a big feature; the Evo 4G is ready for it, while the Droid X is not. As a heavy Skype user, I’m anxiously awaiting a proper Skype client with video chat on Android. I truly believe that video chat will be a killer app for smartphones in 2011 (at the latest).

While I’m giving this round to the Evo 4G, I’m going to post picture and video samples so that you can see for yourself. That’ll be the next epic chapter of Robotech the Droid X vs Evo 4G fight.

Related Articles

Apple Promises More “Amazing Products” in 2010: Any Guesses?

Apple announced its Q3 2010 results…and it was ridiculous. The company posted all sorts of record sales, but also hinted that there were still new products to come in 2010. Before we play the guessing game, let’s take a look at the numbers via Wired:

  • 3.47 million Macs (A record)
  • 8.4 million iPhones (1.7 million were iPhone 4’s, which went on sale only six days before the quarter ended)
  • 9.41 million iPods (The Touch model was up 48 percent year-over-year,)
  • 3.27 million iPads (Went on sale three days into the quarter)

Simply ridiculous. Here’s the curious part: during the earnings call CEO Steve Jobs said, “We have amazing new products still to come this year.” What do you think he was talking about? An iPod refresh is expected in early autumn, but do you think anything else “big” is on the way? A MacBook Air refresh perhaps? Maybe the iPhone 4 going to another carrier? You think an entirely new product is on the way? Let’s speculate!

Source

Microsoft Drops (Small) Details on Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Live

Engadget posted an excellent preview of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system. One aspect that was touched on (lightly) was the operating system’s connectivity with Xbox Live. The site chatted with Microsoft corporate vice president Joe Belfiore and found out:

We were told by Joe Belfiore during a meeting that there would be two kinds of games on Windows Phone 7 devices — turn based, “app” games, and Xbox Live content which would be full-on arcade experiences. We’re dying to get our hands on something more than just a brief demo of The Harvest, but that’s not possible yet.

Although gaming details were sparse, I highly recommend checking out the article. It reveals a lot of details on what should be an excellent alternative to Apple iOS and Google Android. Whether it’s too late for Microsoft remains to be seen, but the details Engadget revealed are very exciting.

Source

5 Things I Learned From Apple’s iPhone 4 “Antennagate” Presser

Last Friday’s Apple iPhone 4 antenna press conference was amazing. Steve Jobs put on a masterful performance to quell the rage generated by tech bloggers over the company’s flagship device. I learned so much from watching the presser. Here are five nuggets of knowledge I extracted from Apple’s event.

1) Apple Loves You — I lost count of how many times Steve Jobs said that Apple loves its customers and loves making its customers happy. For a few seconds, I stopped seeing Jobs on stage and saw WWE Brother Love instead. It was mushy and gushy, but like so many love affairs it was also conditional. Apple loves its customers so much that it will give them free cases…but only until September 30th.

2) The iPhone Antenna Issues are Overblown — I agree with Jobs’ point that this issue is overblown. That’s just the nature of Internet reporting these days. The major tech blogs have been posting multiple stories on the iPhone 4’s antenna woes every day for the last few weeks. Out of the three-million consumers that have purchased the iPhone 4, the reception issues only affect a small percentage.

3) The iPhone Antenna Issue is More Serious Than Apple Will Admit — Jobs was simply brilliant at spinning the issue and some of you have already bought it. The Apple Care number of 0.55 percent is absolutely meaningless. That’s the percentage of iPhone customers that have complained, not the percentage that experienced reception issues. Some people never call to complain about any issue. A lot of Apple users followed the issue closely and knew that calling Apple Care wouldn’t solve anything.

Jobs also made the “one additional dropped call out of 100” seem small, when in reality it’s a significant number. According to one expert, the typical phone drops 1.5 calls per 100. If the iPhone 4 drops one additional call per 100 than the 3GS, that’s a sizable increase in terms of percentage.

Illustrating the “death grip” on other phones was another clever trick. Apple didn’t say where the test was being held or show an iPhone 4 for comparison. Furthermore, you don’t even need the full “death grip” to interrupt signal on the iPhone 4. Several videos have shown that a strategic poke will muck with the signal…which means Hulk Hogan’s finger poke of doom works on the iPhone 4 and Kevin Nash.

4) Apple Tests iPhones with Cerebro — I was blown away by the pictures of Apple’s antenna design and test labs. Covering tech and gaming for more than a decade, I’ve seen some really impressive labs, but Apple’s blew them all away. It’s totally Cerebro from the X-Men comics and movies. Just awesome.

5) It Doesn’t Matter What You Think! — Steve Jobs should have borrowed one of The Rock’s catchphrases and screamed, “It doesn’t matter what you think!!!” at the press. Ultimately, it doesn’t what any of us think of the issue. Apple is going to sell millions of iPhone 4 units no matter how big or small you think the antenna problem is. At best, the antenna debacle is just an annoying bump on the road. The iPhone 4 is a fantastic product with one pretty big flaw that most consumer will ignore.

Anyway, that’s what I learned. What did you pick up from the “antennagate” press conference?

Motorola Droid X Review Center

The Motorola Droid X is here and it’s selling like toaster pastries (most people don’t have time for hotcakes)! If you’re considering this excellent Google Android phone, check out my four-part review. It’s a fantastic handset and one of the two best Android phones available today. Find out if it’s right for you!

Coffee Talk #179: Your Apple iPhone 4 Presser Predictions

Apple is holding a press conference on Friday morning regarding the iPhone 4. The company has already sold millions of iPhone 4 units, but it can’t escape the negative attention it has been getting due to the phone’s reception issues. Earlier in the week Consumer Reports rescinded its iPhone 4 recommendation based off of the reception problems and Apple killed any discussion of the findings in its official forums. The issue has become so mainstream that it has been discussed in shows like Countdown with Keith Olbermann and the Late Show with David Letterman.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Drew Brees killing at the ESPYs, Mark Ruffalo possibly replacing Ed Norton as the Hulk, or Wladimir Klitschko getting the shaft from HBO, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Apple is holding a press conference on Friday morning regarding the iPhone 4. The company has already sold millions of iPhone 4 units, but it can’t escape the negative attention it has been getting due to the phone’s reception issues. Earlier in the week Consumer Reports rescinded its iPhone 4 recommendation based off of the reception problems and Apple killed any discussion of the findings in its official forums. The issue has become so mainstream that it has been discussed on shows like Countdown with Keith Olbermann and the Late Show with David Letterman.

Most tech writers have guessed that Apple will address the issue once and for all at Friday’s presser, but what exactly will the company do? A recall would incredibly damaging and expensive. Giving Apple Store credit for a free bumper would cost a helluva lot less, but still an admission of guilt. Perhaps the reception problem will be addressed and followed up with a big announcement that will help people overlook the situation. Before I get to your predictions, I want to leave you with the hilarious words of Fake Steve Jobs:

We will never, ever, ever do a recall. No way. The stain of a few gripers we can deal with. The stain of a recall is something that takes years — years — to overcome. In our business it would be fatal. We would never recover.

So, no. We’ll keep shipping the f***ed-up phones, and we’ll continue to insist that they are the best phones in the world with the best antenna that has ever been invented for any mobile device. We’ll keep running syrupy ads showing deaf mutes waving at each other over FaceTime.

That last line killed me. I had to share it with you.

Anyway, what do you think Apple will do this Friday? Do you think its reputation will take a long-term hit? How about its stock price? Predict away (please)!

Motorola Droid X Review Part IV: Battery Life, Misc., and Conclusion

My Motorola Droid X review concludes with thoughts on the phone’s battery life and miscellaneous features. After the smoke clears, I’ll give you my closing thoughts and recommendations. And away we go!

Battery Life
The Droid X comes with a 1,540 mAh lithium ion battery. With its large screen and fast processor, I wasn’t expecting great battery life, so I was surprised that I averaged 15.5 hours a day over the course of a week. With roughly the same setup and usage, I only got 12 hours a day on the comparable HTC Evo 4G.

Your mileage will depend on your usage. For my “moderate nerd” usage — lots of web browsing, 30 minutes of calls a day, lots of messaging, tweeting, foursquare, Facebook, etc. — the battery life was fantastic.

Miscellaneous
I was disappointed that the Droid X lacks a front-facing camera. For a lot of people, this is a non-issue. Some people care about video calls on a mobile phone and some don’t. Then there are people like me — heavy Skype users that can’t wait for video calling on a real Android Skype client. This would be huge for me and the tens of millions of people that use Skype. While consumers like me are in the minority today, video calling is going to take off in a huge way in the immediate future. Will the Droid X be missing a feature that’s big in 2011?

Road warriors (the business kind, not the Hawk and Animal kind) should also consider the phone’s data rates. While Verizon’s CDMA EVDO network is the best in the country, it’s hardly the fastest. Sprint is rolling out its 4G WiMax network, while AT&T and T-Mobile are deploying faster versions of their 3G networks. If you travel extensively and tether a lot then there’s a good chance the Droid X will feel slow (in terms of data) in a year.

Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
Along with the HTC Evo 4G for Sprint, the Motorola Droid X for Verizon is one of the best Google Android phones available today. If your priorities are excellent call quality and strong battery life then this is the best Android phone for you. You’ll have to deal with an interface that’s a little clunky, data rates that aren’t the fastest, and the lack of video calls, but if you’re fine with that then you’ll be well served by this excellent handset from Motorola.

If there’s anything I didn’t cover in my review, please let me know in the comments section. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

Related Articles

Motorola Droid X Review Part III: Camera, Pictures, and Video

The Motorola Droid X features an 8-megapixel camera with a pair of LED flashes. It’s definitely one of the better cameras I’ve used on a phone. Still images taken without a flash are excellent, with great details. Pictures taken with the flash or under low-light conditions aren’t as good. They’re still much better than average, but the flash often washes things out and produces grain.

As I mentioned in the first part of the review, the phone has a physical button for snapping pictures. It feels really flimsy and can muck with the phone’s stability, resulting in poor photos. That quibble aside, I’m confident that most people will be happy with the Droid X’s photo and video capabilities. Here are more samples — still and video — so that you can see for yourself.

Related Articles

Microsoft COO Calls iPhone 4 “Apple’s Vista” (Poll Time Too!)

At Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference, COO Kevin Turner took a jab at Apple’s iPhone 4. With the controversy surrounding the phone’s reception issues, Turner compared it to one of Microsoft’s recent debacles:

It looks like the iPhone 4 might be their Vista, and I’m okay with that.

On one hand, the comparison makes a certain amount of sense. Vista’s problems were overblown by the press and were never as bad as people made them out to be. While consumers have accepted that the iPhone 4 reception problem is a real issue, it’s mostly a problem for people that live in areas that are covered poorly by AT&T (San Francisco, for example). The majority of iPhone 4 users seem happy with their service.

On the other hand, comparing an operating system to a piece of hardware is usually dumb. What do you think?

[poll id=”59″]

Source via BoyGeniusReport