It isn’t available on Mac OS X yet, so you might have to bug your neighbor to borrow his Windows tower for a second. There are a few preparations you should go through prior to upgrading to Gingerbread. First, you’ll want to make sure your battery is fully charged up. Personally, I always have my device plugged into the outlet during software updates. Next, backup your data!

Contacts will likely be backed up to your Google account, but make sure they aren’t saved to the phone just in case. Once your done dragging all the files you want to keep to your PC, take your phone out of “Mass storage only” mode. Navigate through Application > Settings > SD card & phone storage to do this. Don’t disconnect the USB cable once the update starts! That’s all, easy enough right? Let us know if you run into any problems! We’ll give you some pointers if so.

[Update Link]

[via @LGUSAMobile]

We’ve known this is coming for months, but that doesn’t mean we’re happy about it. Truth be told, we’re not particularly pleased with the tiered data system, which implies a mobile bandwidth crunch without any empirical data to back it up. The simple fact is that on AT&T and Verizon, those with grandfathered unlimited plans can get a lot more for their dollar (in both cases, $30 a month) than can those customers who A) want more than 2GB of data a month and B) signed a new contract after the changes went into effect. To punish unlimited users for using their unlimited connection isn’t just disingenuous, it implies that they’re doing something wrong, as if the Internet itself was a non-renewable resource and they’re taking more than their fair share.

I must stress that AT&T limiting high-bandwidth users isn’t illegal in any sense. T-Mobile already does this with their “unlimited” plans, even though the smaller company is actively marketing them. In legalese, the “limit” (or lack thereof) applies to the amount of data transferred, not the speed at which it’s delivered. All that being said, limits of any kind on a service that was marketed as unlimited, however long ago, rubs power users the wrong way. This is doubly true considering how wireless service and its various satellite charges have become more expensive, even as the larger carriers seem to be raking in the money more than ever before. Even Verizon’s “Double Data Deals” come off as cheap attempts to lure in new customers with a “better value”; just remember when you’re paying $80 a month for 20GB of bandwidth that a small portion of Verizon users can go over 100GB and beyond for just thirty bones.

The good news is that if you receive a warning letter or email from AT&T, it’s probably grounds enough to get out of your current two-year contract if you so choose. The change in AT&T’s interpretation of their own rules is enough to make the huge ordinary early termination fee waivable, at least if you press your point with the right customer service agent. (Dropping a few names like the Better Business Bureau and The Consumerist couldn’t hurt.)

Even so, the pressure from a provider to alter its customers’ behavior to suit its own ends is not encouraging, especially when that provider does not offer the service that said customer originally paid for to others. AT&T’s recent attempt to buy out T-Mobile (instead of, for instance, spending several billion dollars on its own often disappointing 3G network) only serves to alienate them from American consumers wary of cellular companies. AT&T, Verizon: if you don’t want smartphones to devour gobs and gobs of data, why do you advertise them streaming music, HD movies and generally being the awesome connected devices that they are?

Here’s the gist of my little rant: AT&T needs to either offer truly unlimited service or quit implying that it wants its customers to enjoy the “freedom” that web-connected devices allow. Don’t tell us we’re unlimited, or even how great your service is, if you want us to use WiFi all the time. Failing that, give us real, concrete reasons why the current tiered system is absolutely necessary – because from our consumer standpoint, its only purpose is to net you some extra gotcha fees when we go over. (That goes for you too, Verizon.) Warning customers that they shouldn’t be using their phones as much is a great way to drive them to somebody else – or at least it would be, if more carriers offered real unlimited service.

You get that, nationwide carriers? Whoever offers real unlimited service again, on a carrier that’s reliable and available, gets the dollars of power users. You know, the ones who are always first in line to pay those ridiculous subsidized smartphone prices.

Best Buy didn’t elaborate on exactly what brand would be offering the cover, or even publish a photo with their press release. They might not have even ordered the accessory yet. Even so, they’re claiming it as a $29.99 value, and  new Note owners get it free when activating the phone while supplies last. You can begin pre-ordering the Galaxy Note this Sunday, February 5th through Best Buy’s website or any retail store, and the on-contract price is the same $299.99 you’ll get directly from AT&T. If you plan on getting it off contract, you should probably look elsewhere: Best Buy has a nasty habit of raising the full retail price by a hundred dollars or more.

When it launches, the Samsung Galaxy note will be both the largest and highest-resolution smartphone in the country, and Samsung’s Super AMOLED display technology is the icing on the cake. It’ll also be the first Android smartphone sold with a stylus or “S-pen”, the better to take advantage of the Wacom digitizer built into the screen. High-end specs like a 1.4Ghz processor, 16GB of storage and an 8MP camera round out the package. Author’s note: the above image may or may not look anything like the case that Best Buy is giving away – as stated above, they’ve shown no pictures and given no brand names. That’s a photo of Samsung’s official cover, courtesy of Unbox.ph.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Galaxy Note

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : September 01, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 5.30 Inch
• Resolution : 800x1280
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.78 Inch
• Width : 3.27 Inch
• Depth : 0.38 Inch
• Weight : 178 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 2500 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 390 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU :

CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 32.768 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

Other than improving overall performance, the Mobile Hotspot application has been updated to help retain a better connection to devices. The AT&T messages app has been revamped as well, offering easier methods for accessing texts stored in your cloud. They’ve gone ahead and renamed a few applications, but it shouldn’t effect anything. They’ve been shortened for easy access in the app tray.

If you’re not too anxious about having the update as soon as possible, then it should be pushed to your device. But those of you looking to get it sooner should navigate through Settings > About Phone > and tap System Updates. During an update, it’s smart to be plugged into an outlet, and also connected to your home wireless network to avoid climbing over your data cap. Hopefully it’s easy and painless, but let us know if any problems occur.

[via Phandroid]

Why Google Wallet can’t be open throughout all carriers is beyond me. Those of you on other T-Mobile or ‘Big Red’ head to http://market.android.com and conduct a search for ‘Google Wallet’ on your device. During this, your phone will then prompt if you would like to open the page within the Market application, but just say no and continue within your browser. Next, select ‘Install’. When it asks if you would like to open it in the Market, select YES this time. You can then install the app just like any other!

Since the Android Market application recognizes Google Wallet as a legit download, you will be able to receive normal updates. On a side note, those of you that already installed a modified version of the .APK file should definitely remove it before going through with this method. It could possibly mess up the download.

[via TalkAndroid]

Next up, there was a bit of confusion as to who currently tops the US in customer service. We first gathered from JD Power and Associates that Verizon was the victor, but later on – AT&T was said to top the charts by another survey. Who plans on watching the upcoming Super Bowl? If you’re a big fan of either the Giants or Patriots, an NFL Super Bowl 3D live wallpaper is now available in the market.

Possibly the most interesting news we’ll get to see today is a leaked image of the ASUS TF300T. It could be their next ‘Transformer’ tablet, but that’s the only speculation we can actually make at the moment. There’s no telling what could be packed inside, but it’s not like ASUS to regress in terms of hardware – so it’s safe to say their will be another NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core chip incorporated.

Finally, we have another update to add to the Motorola DROID 4 saga: As of now, expect to see it February 10th in stores. This was gathered from the latest leak, and is hopefully the last time this device will get pushed back. It would be a shame to receive it with a few glitches here and there, so it’s worth waiting for them to iron out anything before launching and risk making a mess of things.

The Huawei MediaPad is a pretty impressive budget tablet and features a 7″ 1280 x 720p IPS HD display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, 1GB of RAM, front and rear facing cameras with the rear being 5 megapixels and capable of 1080p video capture. Unlike most tablets the MediaPad also features not only micro-USB, but also micro-HDMI and micro-SD for expanded storage.

Recent news has detailed that Huawei has upgraded this tablet to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and are selling them with ICS onboard in some markets, but the AT&T mode will be released with Honeycomb and users can expect an over the update at some point. The AT&T 4G powered MediaPad will be available starting tomorrow, February 3rd on AT&T albeit for some reason only to enterprise and business accounts — not the general public. It’s not clear if AT&T has any plans to release a consumer-friendly version at this time.

[via SlashGear]

One important note is while Verizon was number one overall according to JD Power, they actually ranked AT&T first in walk-in customer service over Verizon. Then you take the findings today from Vocalabs linked to above, where they surveyed phone-based customer service instead. Combine their findings of AT&T being at the top for phone based support, and JD’s comments on walk-in’s this could technically mean overall AT&T is the best.

Vocalab’s study found that AT&T has been steadily improving both as a company and in customers eyes, while others such as T-Mobile and Sprint have continued to drop. According to Vocalab’s AT&T ranked “Very Satisfied” by customers after phone based support 69% of the time. Compared to 60% for Verizon, 59% for Sprint and a lowly 48% for T-Mobile. Surveys like this can be looked at in many different ways, as not all customers have the same needs. With AT&T being top in phone support here, and top in walk-in’s by JD it is safe to say they tend to make most of their customers extremely happy. I’m wondering if you asked about actual cell service what these polls would look like.

So you tell us. How is your experiences with AT&T? Would you rank them Very Satisfied like 69% of callers did last year?

The AT&T version of the Note wont be available until February 19th, and pre-sales start on the 5th but that hasn’t stopped Samsung as the code is readily available today, right now at the source links below. Now those awesome folks at XDA or RootzWiki can get started on creating even better ROMs, mods, hacks, and overclock the beast. Don’t expect too much until the device starts landing in developers hands, but this is a good start.

Available today at the Samsung Open Source Release Center, but there appears to be three different versions available to download that are basically the same. If you want to dig around inside the code for yourself or are eager to start developing for the 5.3″ Note hit the link below and have some fun.

Galaxy Note source

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Galaxy Note

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : September 01, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 5.30 Inch
• Resolution : 800x1280
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.78 Inch
• Width : 3.27 Inch
• Depth : 0.38 Inch
• Weight : 178 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 2500 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 390 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU :

CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 32.768 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

[via Android Police]

The update was announced over on AT&T’s forum but apparently the link wasn’t activated by Samsung because users trying to update were getting an error. Don’t worry though, you can simply load up Samsung Kies and pull the update in that manner. Sadly this is not an over the air update so users will be required to connect to a computer to complete the update.

As usual with Gingerbread we have improved copy/paste functionality, download manager, improved keyboard, UI changes and other software tweaks and improvements. Samsung has updated the Touch Wiz UI as well so users should see some added stability. The full change-log is available at the AT&T forum link above for those looking for more details and instructions. Angry Birds that was pre-loaded will be removed after the update and players will lose all progress — depressing I know.

Enjoy that Android 2.3 Gingerbread now that it is finally available. Feel free to let us know how the update process goes in the comment section below, or if you experience any problems after the update.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Infuse 4G

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : AT&T

Announced Date : January 05, 2011

Release Date : May 15, 2011

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 4.50 Inch
• Resolution : 480x800
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED Plus

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.20 Inch
• Width : 2.80 Inch
• Depth : 0.35 Inch
• Weight : 139 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1750 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 400 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 2.2.x

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

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : Cortex A8 Hummingbird

CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz

Core : 1

Ram : 512 MB

Internal Storage : 16.384 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:
• GSM

GSM Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

FM Radio :

NFC :

[via Phandroid]

The Huawei Honor is a respectable little phone that’s gotten rave reviews for its combination of solid hardware, design and price. The phone is already available in several world markets. As far as hardware goes, you get a 4-inch screen with a resolution of 854×480. Inside is a single-core 1.4Ghz Qualcomm processor, 514MB of RAM and 4GB of on-board storage. An 8MP camera takes 720P video, and toy get an open MicroSD card slot to play with.

Why might a budget-minded Android fan be interested? Mostly because the Chinese manufacturer has shown a surprising commitment to Android updates. The Huawei Honor was the very first Android device to get an official update to Ice Cream Sandwich – an impressive feat for a company that was hitherto though of mainly as a discount manufacturer. Huawei is reaching higher this year, with new Ascend models releasing with ICS and a super-secret high-end Diamond line set to be unveiled later this month at Mobile World Congress.

[via Unwired View]

Of course, big-budget Super Bowl ads are nothing new. Apple’s been running the pricey spots for years, and given their recent influx of cash (the better to pay their lawyers, my dearie) you can bet they’ll be representing. Google made a big push last year during Super Bowl 45, using the airtime to put a more human face on its search service. But since Samsung and Apple are running neck-and-neck as the largest smartphone producers in the world, their ads will shape perception for the spring and summer, at least among US viewers.

On that note, Samsung has already been fighting Apple hard with its collection of iPhone-bashing ads over the last couple of months. The “Next Big Thing” series makes light of Apple’s most devoted fans and their Starbucks-slurping ways, not to mention Apple’s penchant for barely passable hardware updates. Up to now, the commercials have all focused on the Galaxy S II. We might see one or two of these ads during the game as well. That being the case, Samsung better hope that the Galaxy Note is a smash hit – it’s got a lot riding on it.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : DROID RAZR

Manufactuer : Motorola

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : October 18, 2011

Release Date : November 03, 2011

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
• Resolution :
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED Advanced qHD

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.15 Inch
• Width : 2.71 Inch
• Depth : 0.27 Inch
• Weight : 127 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1780 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 8.9 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

Video Playback:
• MPEG-4 (MP4)

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : OMAP 4430

CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1000 MB

Internal Storage : 16.384 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• CDMA

CDMA Band:
• 800
• 850
• 900
• 1700
• 1900
• 2100

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 :

NFC :

The DEFY MINI is small 3.2-inch Android phone with low-end specs and a low price. If Android phones fit the old Starfleet naming pattern, we’d call this one “Wildfire class“. A 600mHz processor and 512MB of RAM won’t win any races, but the phone is designed to be durable, with Gorilla Glass and a water-resistant body. A 1650mAh battery is huge for such a small phone, and thanks to a small 480×320 screen should outlast most superphones. A 3MP camera with a bonus front-facing cam round out the package. If you live in the UK you can pick one up now for £174.99 contract-free.

As noted above, going through the FCC isn’t a guarantee of a US release, but it is a pretty good indication that it’s headed somewhere in North America. Unfortunately the DEFY MINI’s launch partner, the unique MOTOLUXE, is nowhere to be seen. Odds are pretty good that we’ll see one or the other headed for various world markets at Mobile World Congress next month, so if the DEFY MINI strikes your fancy, stay tuned.

As I’m sure you all know, the Galaxy Note rocks a 5.3″ 1280 x 800 resolution AMOLED HD display and now comes complete with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. Not to mention the 8 megapixel camera on the rear and the huge 2,500 mAh battery. The international version launched with Samsung’s own 1.4 GHz dual-core but the recent North American version on the AT&T Note and now Rogers both appear to be using a different 1.5 GHz chip — most likely a Qualcomm.

According to the official post at RedBoard Rogers will be getting the Note LTE in February just like AT&T here in the US, although no exact date or time frame was given. Just like Samsung and AT&T, it is nice to see Rogers using our very own picture from Android Community in their on-device news widget (in the picture above). Expect this 5.3″ device and that awesome WACOM-powered S-pen stylus to hit early February up in Canada on more than a few carriers as we’ve also seen reports that TELUS should receive the device around the same time-frame. Stay tuned for more details.

[via RedBoard]

The Galaxy Note has created quite a following since the original model was announced way back in October, at the IFA show in Berlin. The phone’s outstanding feature is a 5.3-inch 1280×800 Super AMOLED display, easily the largest and most high-resolution screen for any phone being sold today. In addition, it packs a Wacom digitizer and old-school stylus (“S-Pen”) for pen-based drawing and input. Samsung has several customized applications to take advantage of the stylus, as well as the S-Pen SDK for developers who want their apps to integrate with the feature as well. If the Galaxy Note is well-received, the S-Pen may make its way to other future devices.

The rest of the Galaxy Note is no slough: underneath that huge screen is a dual-core 1.4Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage space and an 8MP camera. To power all that you get an admirably large 2500mAh battery. The Note runs Samsung’s TouchWiz version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but an update to Ice Cream Sandwich is already in the works. The major difference between AT&T’s version of the Note and those already released overseas is the new radio, which will take advantage of the carrier’s LTE data network. Rumors of other US Galaxy Note variants, particularly the “Galaxy Journal” on Verizon, have yet to be confirmed.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Galaxy Note

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : September 01, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 5.30 Inch
• Resolution : 800x1280
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.78 Inch
• Width : 3.27 Inch
• Depth : 0.38 Inch
• Weight : 178 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 2500 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 390 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU :

CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 32.768 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

Not much is known about the device’s hardware, except that it’ll be restricted to HSPA+ networks. That’s a shame, considering that even cheap tablets are using AT&T’s LTE data speeds now. However, the report states that the tablet will launch in the first quarter (possibly on February 18th like the Samsung Galaxy Note) for $409.99. That price almost certainly includes a two-year data contract, because every Android user wants nothing more than a 24-month lock-in while the hardware world whizzes by.

So, what is it? Since we haven’t heard anything about drastically improved hardware, it seems likely that the Tablet S (above) will be getting a slight make-over and a new name. AT&T and other American carriers like to do that sort of thing: see also the Sony Ericsson Xperia S, given a slightly different shell and renamed the Ion for AT&T’s customers. That said, it’s always possible that Sony’s managed to keep brand new hardware under wraps for months. If that’s the case, a reveal at Mobile World Congress in February would be a likely scenario.

[via BGR]

According to some leaked information to the folks at BGR AT&T will in fact have three Android devices they are launching to start off 2012. Along with the 5.3″ Galaxy Note we are now hearing there will be a few budget and mid-range devices such as the Samsung Rugby Smart on the low end for $99, and the AT&T Fusion for a mere $129 with new contracts.

Recent press images that leaked of the AT&T 4G LTE powered Galaxy Note hinted at a February 14th launch date based on the on-screen widgets but these new leaks suggest the wait will only be a few more days. Being able to get the powerful and almost tablet sized Note with 4G LTE for only $299 sounds like a pretty good deal to me. If you’ve been waiting for this phone then relax, the wait is almost over.

As soon as we hear anything that confirms the details we’ll be sure to update, not to mention digging for more details on the Rugby Smart and Fusion.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Galaxy Note

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : September 01, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 5.30 Inch
• Resolution : 800x1280
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.78 Inch
• Width : 3.27 Inch
• Depth : 0.38 Inch
• Weight : 178 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 2500 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 390 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU :

CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 32.768 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

With the Super Bowl weekend quickly approaching and an upwards of 150,000+ people expected to be around for the big game AT&T has been making some huge moves themselves. Not only will this play a large role in providing top-notch service for Indianapolis moving forward — but Super Bowl Sunday will also be rock solid. A new report from Webpronews has detailed a few of AT&T’s plans and so far it sounds great.

While no numbers were reported we are hearing AT&T has made substantial investments for the game in general, and the city will benefit in the long run obviously. First, they launched an AT&T WiFi Hot Zone, the company’s seventh major hotzone, that will serve multiple parts of downtown Indianapolis. This will provide free and fast WiFi to many parts of Indianapolis around the stadium, and downtown. AT&T has also launched an expanded Distributed Antenna System (DAS) at Lucas Oil Stadium to help with the media side of things, and plan to launch more in venues around the area before the big game.

Next, AT&T has deployed 9 Cell on Wheels — known as COW’s — that will bring high speed 3G and 4G LTE to the surrounding area to help with the added stress of the biggest sporting event in the United States.

We’re excited to provide significant network improvements,” Brian Ducharme, Vice President and General Manager of AT&T Indiana and Michigan said. “They will enhance the network experience for our customers in Indianapolis before, during and after the game.”

Enjoy it Indianapolis — we have a feeling you guys might not be going to a Super Bowl for a while (sorry that was rude.) Now the biggest question of all remains… Who will win Super Bowl XLVI this year? I’m going with my man Eli Manning and the Giants all the way, that pass rush is just brutal!

Other than the announcement at CES and us knowing it will be released sometime in Q2 we don’t have any other details or pricing information at the moment from our friends at Sony or AT&T other than “coming soon”. According to popular online retailer Negri Electronics you can get the fully unlocked version for only $569.

That $570 will get you an impressive smartphone with a 4.6″ HD display powered by Sony’s BRAVIA engine. A 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and a huge 12 megapixel camera for 1080p video and more. Not to mention this phone has HDMI out and AT&T 4G LTE. Basically it could put the Galaxy Nexus to shame but I’ll hold off on my judgement til I get some hands-on time — although we already know the camera will be a heck of a lot better. It also appears if you take this unlocked phone outside the US you’ll get more than 2G speeds from the 2100 Mhz bands on board too.

We’ll update once we see or hear more details on the Xperia ION.

[via PocketNow]

The Element is a standard 8-inch Android Honeycomb tablet with a trick up its sleeve: it’s rated as IP57 waterproof, or more accurately, splash-proof. It wouldn’t be a good idea to toss the Element in a pool or tub, but you could confidently use it while cooking or in inclement weather. Other specs include a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 16GB of storage and a 5 megapixel camera capable of 1080p video recording. a 4:3 screen tops out at 1024×768, but the 6400 battery should serve you well. The Burst is a typical Gingerbread smartphone with a 4-inch screen and 16GB of internal storage.

Separately the tablet and phone go for $299.99 and $49.99, respectively, and $449.99/$$399.99 without a contract. For the few that are in the market for both a cheap tablet and smartphone, the Element and Burst deal might seem appealing – but remember that you’ll have to pay for both each month. It might be more economical to get the phone and a WiFi tablet, using the savings for a more high-end model, or getting a more functional MiFi hotspot instead. For those who like the idea of a combined tablet-smartphone package, AT&T is also offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE and Galaxy S II Skyrocket combo for $479.99.