In case you somehow missed the countless leaks of this smartphone here are the details. We have a very similar overall device as the RAZR, only less screen real estate and a few other goodies. With the D4 we have a 4.0″ qHD AMOLED display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor under the hood, 1GB of RAM, a beefy 8 megapixel camera around the back and a front camera for video chat. Last but not least is Verizon 4G LTE — the first DROID slider to rock this much requested feature.

For those that want a hardware keyboard, this is as good as it gets. With a new edge-lit QWERTY keyboard, and 4G LTE this is the best slider on the block — and probably will hold that crown for some time. Unless Verizon releases a DROID 5 this summer of course. The keys have a great feel with a good sense of spacing and almost a chicklit style like many laptops, only in a smaller space of course. The edge-lit lighting is more than just a gimmick and makes using the keyboard in darker situations quite nice.

Similar to the DROID RAZR and RAZRMAXX the DROID 4 has a very difficult to remove back and battery door. The RAZR battery isn’t user replaceable and you’re not supposed to remove the glued on back. With the DROID 4 the back does come off, but it’s no easy task. They’ve provided a small tool (don’t lose it) inside the box as a removal tool. Under there is where you’ll find the already installed micro-SIM for 4G LTE and a micro-SD slot for extra storage. It seems Motorola really wants to take the Apple route here, but is a bit undecided or afraid of the backlash that might follow. See the ridiculous picture below to see what I mean. Yes you must have the tool, and you pull the battery cover down and off — and it’s not easy.

Overall for first impressions the DROID 4 is pretty decent. Those wanting a QWERTY slide-out hardware keyboard it is excellent, but in terms of the Android market as a whole it’s pretty average for me. Being extremely similar to the RAZR many should love this phone powered by Gingerbread. See our size comparison in the image gallery below. The DROID 4 like many other Moto devices should see Ice Cream Sandwich within the next 3-6 months. Just like the bootloader the back is also secured by a Motorola lock and key, something that I’d rather not see in the world of Android. Stay tuned for our full review soon and check out the hands on video below.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : DROID 4

Manufactuer : Motorola

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : February 07, 2012

Release Date : February 10, 2012

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 4.0 Inch
• Resolution : 540x960
• Screen Type : qHD AMOLED

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.0 Inch
• Width : 2.65 Inch
• Depth : .50 Inch
• Weight : 179 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1785 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 200 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

Video Playback:
• MPEG-4 (MP4)

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : OMAP4430

CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1000 MB

Internal Storage : 16 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:
• CDMA

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 4.0

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

To start I’d like to mention again that this was only released today. It is still in beta although is widely available to the public right now in the Android Market. This is a great start but in some ways it does feel a little like a beta product, but we have a feeling it will grow into much more and soon replace our stock browser for Android. First the bookmark icons don’t display much and the UI is extremely ugly. On the other hand you toss it on a tablet and it looks amazing.

So yes this is very much still a beta (and you see what I mean when it crashes in my video) but for a first try and initial release it’s pretty freaking awesome. I’ll start with the video below in which you’ll see the Galaxy Nexus and ASUS Transformer Prime giving Chrome for Android a try. I cover a few neat new features, the “cards” style tabbed browsing and more.

Chrome for Android Beta hands-on

First, lets talk about Sync. The fact that we can now seamlessly sync from device to device, and from computer to device is awesome. I’ve waited for something this simple for a long time and so far it works great, but I don’t see any settings to tweak this option. In the video you can see it shows the sync between the Prime and the Nexus — showing it was just synced 5 minutes ago. This is awesome and highly impressive. Not only does it show me what I was browsing on the other device, but it loads them in the background and I just tap “devices” and chose what I want. You can run out of the office and be right where you were in a few seconds flat.

Other browsers offer this and Honeycomb sort of had this where it backed up bookmarks, but this real-time live sync is convenient to say the least. I’ve not found a way to get it to manually sync but it seems to check every few minutes. Hopefully more options will be adding to that later.

Next I want to compare a little between the stock Android 4.0 ICS browser, and Chrome. Both are very similar, and are about the same in regards to look, feel, and speed although both have their advantages and disadvantages. Here is a side-by-side comparison.

For one, Chrome doesn’t support Flash as we mentioned earlier today, so that might be a concern for many users. HTML 5 support will continue to grow but in the meantime no flash here, so you’ll have to use something else on mobile if that matters to you.

We also ran a few Sunspider benchmark tests just to see how she performed and I was actually quite impressed. Between Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Chrome we scored under 1,900. Most devices in the past struggle to get under 2,100. The screenshot below again shows Chrome for Android on the left, and stock ICS browser on the right (full size images in the gallery below).

Chrome scored 1880 while stock ICS was at 1912. So pretty dead even. Performance across the board seems to reflect a similar result with actual real-world usage too. Overall the stock Android browser has a better and more friendly UI in general, but the few tweaks to tabbed browsing and the “cards” effect in Chrome are awesome. If we could have a nice blend of these two I’d be in heaven. I have a feeling that is exactly where Google is headed — so it’s only a matter of time.

Now to wrap things up I want to mention the lack of “Quick Controls”. A feature in the labs section of the Android browser that I’m missing dearly. Obviously Chrome is its own browser and not integrated into Android, but we have a feeling it will be the main browser in the future. Same goes for the UI. While it has some extra polish, smooth animations, and a decent design it doesn’t resemble Ice Cream Sandwich other than the menu layout. Hopefully this will get blended together.

We have a few issues and shortcomings so far but the awesome features and overall polish make this my new default browser. Syncing everything from my PC over really has sealed the deal for me. Once they work out the bugs, make things a bit prettier, and enhance the overall experience nothing will come close and all those 3rd party browsers will be permanently replaced for me.

Get the Chrome for Android Beta in the link below, and check out the gallery for the rest of our images. Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below. Do you like Chrome? Will it replace your stock browser on mobile?

Chrome for Android Link

What makes AllJoyn special for both users and developers alike is all the work is already done before we even get these games or apps on our devices. The AllJoyn platform makes it dead simple for developers to integrate this service into their apps while developing — and even slotting them into already widely available games or applications.

Then from there all the work is already done and we can enjoy peer-to-peer live action gaming, music sharing/streaming, and more all without any connecting or pairing by the end user — AllJoyn does it all for you over WiFi or Bluetooth. The video below will explain more, not to mention detail how.

AllJoyn on Namco’s Pacman Kart

Next up is a custom app designed specifically for AllJoyn called JamJoyn. This allows multiple devices the option to completely control and change music. One device is connected to the stereo but using AllJoyn multiple devices can access and control the music. Changing tracks, turning up the volume and more all with the peer-to-peer technology. I can see this causing problems with backseat DJ’s always switching the song on me, but could really be useful in my house.

The video demonstration below shows the HTC Thunderbolt (powered by Qualcomm of course) connected to a Jawbone Jambox playing music via JamJoyn. Then both the Thunderbolt, and the Nexus One beside it can both control the music. Pretty neat huh?

JamJoyn Music

That isn’t all either. This same technology can be used for simple things such as drawing or Whiteboards. This could be particularly useful for educational settings both at home — or in the classroom. Being able to access and edit the same drawing board or whiteboard via AllJoyn. If I could add to the whiteboard in class without leaving my desk — that would be awesome. Take note of how this demonstration shows off how dead simple this really is, with no pairing or connecting needed by the end user. It’s seamless and all done inside the app.

WhiteBoard

Last but certainly not least we have one more demonstration (my personal favorite) called Fight Game: Heroes. This is another AllJoyn powered game that is actually running on two Qualcomm S4 developer tablets being played peer-to-peer over 4G LTE. We do have this streaming via HDMI to a larger TV for the demonstration for a better view.

Your humble narrator (me) on the right vs our good friend Chris Burns on the left battling it out boxing style. showing off peer-to-peer gaming on a few developer tablets I quickly get the jabs and kicks down and knock out my opponent in the first round. Winnah!

Fight Game: Heroes

We’ve seen this awesome technology from Qualcomm in the past but things are starting to finally take shape and show us just how impressive and useful this all can be for the world of mobile — especially for Android and the wide array of devices running on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Developers you can start thinking about what or how you want to use this technology now, and we’ll be sure to follow and update as we hear more from AllJoyn and Qualcomm.

It’s actually kind of remarkable how little the RAZR MAXX changes things from the original. Obviously, the 8.9mm thickness is a nit more realistic than the shockingly thin RAZR, but it’s still a pretty sleek device – compare this with the original Motorola DROID BIONIC, and the difference is still shocking. The 4.3-inch AMOLED display dominates the front fascia, with a surprisingly large bezel and four standard Android buttons.

Around the back you’ve got the slightly rubbery texture of the DROID RAZR MAXX’s Kevlar backing. There’s still no way to remove the battery, but with a claimed 20+ hour runtime, Verizon hopes you won’t have to. The right side holds the volume up and down buttons next to the power button, with the left side reserved for an access door to the 16GB MicroSD card and LTE SIM card. On top you get a MicroUSB charging port, HDMI port and headphone jack.

The phone feels just as solid as the RAZR, with one crucial difference: thanks to a little extra heft, it actually feels better in your hand. Where the RAZR would almost chafe because you fingers had to apply extra grip, the MAXX settles into your palm more like an ordinary phone. It’s a small detail, but given the choice between the two I’d take the MAXX for making phone calls. At least that’s my initial conclusion.

Sorry to sound like a broken record, but on the software side of things the DROID RAZR MAXX is identical – nay, indistinguishable – from the DROID RAZR. You still get Motorola’s skinned version of Android 2.3.5, which Moto and Verizon promise to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich eventually. Even the model in the “About phone” section still lists the device as the DROID RAZR. Response is fast and snappy, thanks to a dual-core 1.2Ghz processor and a full gigabyte of RAM. And of course, access to Verizon’s 4G LTE network is included.

As a phone alone, the $300 DROID RAZR MAXX is a solid contender, thanks mostly to the extended runtime. You can bet we’ll be putting that capacious battery through its paces very soon. The only sour note for the RAZR MAXX is that it came so soon after the DROID RAZR – soon enough that moving the former up or the latter back as far as release date goes could have made early adopters eligible for a return. As it stands, all those who went out to buy the DROID RAZR on day one will have to wait at least two years to buy another phone, which might get on their nerves whenever that battery is running low.

It’s a nice phone to be sure, and for many will be more desirable than its skinny brother. We’ll have a full review up soon. in the meantime, enjoy our unboxing video below:

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : DROID RAZR MAXX

Manufactuer : Motorola

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : January 13, 2011

Release Date : January 26, 2011

Also Known As : RAZR MAXX, DROID RAZR MAXX

Display

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

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.15 Inch
• Width : 2.27 Inch
• Depth : NA
• Weight : NA

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 3300 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 380 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 : NA

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:
• 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 :

Comparisons to the LG Nitro HD on AT&T are unfortunately inevitable, as this is essentially the same hardware. The changes are stylistic when it comes to the hardware: instead of a textured, rubberized back plate, you get a glossy plastic one with a faint checker pattern. The rear is unfortunately almost as fingerprint-prone as a glass screen. That said, the glossy look combines with a metal ring around the edge to make an elegant, if not overly thin, package. Spun metal touches on the camera and home button are snazzy, and compliment the black color scheme well.

Physical layout is typical of LG: on top is your power button, headphone jack and USB port hidden behind a tiny door. The left side gets the volume rocker, while the right is bare, and the microphone hides just under the nook that allows you to remove the battery cover. Inside you’ll find a generous 1830mAh battery and an even more generous 16GB MicroSD card filling the slot, combining with the internal 4GB to make 20GB of total storage – call it 18, after formatting and included apps.

The front is dominated by the HD 4.5-inch screen and LG’s standard three navigation buttons, Menu, Home and Back. A Search button would have been nice, but these days most of the major apps make accommodations for this. The phone definitely feels big and heavy – it’s almost exactly the same size as my Galaxy Nexus, and considerably thicker and heavier. For all that heft, it does feel pleasingly solid, and more so than previous LG phones I’ve tried.

Specs are impressive, but not head and shoulders above the pack: a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor and full gigabyte of RAM should handle Gingerbread (and eventually Ice Cream Sandwich) with ease. An 8MP rear camera shoots 1080P video, and of course the phone has access to Verizon’s LTE speeds. On the software side of things, the phone runs LG’s custom “I can’t believe it’s not TouchWiz” interface, which seems to chug even on this high-end hardware. There’s a considerable amount of pack-in apps from Verizon, LG, and their partners, and it looks like none of them can be removed.

The Verizon Spectrum by LG is available now for $199.99 on a two-year contract. You can see our hands-on unboxing video below, and stay tuned for a full review later in the week.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Spectrum

Manufactuer : LG

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : January 09, 2012

Release Date : January 19, 2012

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 4.5 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x720
• Screen Type : True HD IPS

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.33 Inch
• Width : 2.71 Inch
• Depth : 0.42 Inch
• Weight : 142 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1830 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC
• 3GP
• MPEG-4 (MP4)
• WMV

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : Snapdragon S3

CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 4 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:
• CDMA

CDMA Band:
• 800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

These two devices are actually extremely similar and in the video below we actually confuse the two they are that similar. The P1 S is the black Galaxy S II looking phone and is the world’s thinnest. The regular Ascend P1 is the yellow smartphone shown off in the gallery below. What is the difference you ask? Nothing. The Huawei Ascend P1 will be slightly thicker than the P1 S and will cost a few dollars less for those that don’t want to spend the extra dough.

Not to be rude but everything about this phone just screams Galaxy S II — but that’s just me. Huawei has been known for some lower to mid-range devices in the past but with their last few releases they’ve started to really take things up a notch. The Huawei Honor was a great example of that and these new P1 models are just as nice. Offering a great phone that feels excellent in the hand while not being too heavy. Huawei has found a nice blend between the heavy aluminum most HTC devices use, and the lightweight plastic of the Samsung line and blended it into a great overall smartphone.

This 4.3″ qHD AMOLED phone will be powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich although I see capacitive buttons still sadly. Enjoy a few more photos and then the video below. Hit the announcement post in the timeline to see the official details and full specs.

If you didn’t have a clear idea of the sheer size of this smartphone/tablet hybrid that picture above should settle any last thoughts you may have had. It’s large, very large. The AT&T Galaxy Note will be rocking their 4G LTE and come with a 1280 x 800 resolution 5.3″ Super AMOLED HD display. A 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and that awesome little stylus they are calling the smart pen. You all should know plenty about the Note by now so instead I’ll let you enjoy the photos we snapped real quick.

The obsession with white colored phones is continuing strong here in 2012 with Samsung unveiling this, the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy Tab lineup all with white models coming soon. Pictures and details on all of those are available from our timeline below. Our sister site SlashGear already reviewed this awesome device, only the GSM international version instead of an LTE one. We’ll be sure to get this phone in for a full review as soon as it hits the shelves at AT&T. In the meantime enjoy all the photos from our gallery below and check out the full review via SlashGear for more details on this huge device.

As soon as AT&T announces an official release date we’ll be sure to update with all the details.

The hardware we tried out wasn’t full baked (for example, the manufacturer still isn’t sure whether they’ll be including a rear camera) but the software seemed almost ready to go – the tablet was running a surprisingly solid version of Android 4.0.1. Unlike most of the more expensive models, not to mention other offerings from Coby itself, this tablet has a 4:3 1024×768 screen, and at 9.7 inches it’s almost exactly the same size and resolution as the HP TouchPad and iPad.

Under the hood you get a rather pokey 1Ghz single-core Cortex processor, but a generous 1GB of RAM. Internal memory is capped at 8GB, but a MicroSD card should allow for media junkies to add as much  storage as they can use. Standard hardware like an accelerometer, microphone and B/G/N WiFi should make for an Android experience that’s at least comparable to more expensive slates, though you’ll have to rely on GetJar for apps. A Coby representative said that the company is well aware that many of its users add Google Apps and the Android Market via various hacks, and doesn’t really have a problem with it.

The 9.7-inch Kyros is intended for a Q2 release at under $200. Various other models with smaller screens and less powerful hardware will be even cheaper, though a 16:10 models of the 10-inch tablet will have better resolution. Coby is trying to hit every conceivable part of the cheap tablet market, and good for them – with heavier players like Asus preparing entry-level models like the $250 quad-core MeMO, they’ll need every edge they can get.

Sony Xperia SmartWatch:

Battery life is said to be between a day and a week, depend on how heavy your usage is. Control is via various gestures and swipes, and thanks to the watch being Android-based this time – unlike its LiveView predecessor – there should be more flexibility as to what functionality can be added along the line.

Sony expects the SmartWatch to go on sale near the end of Q1, priced at $149.99. It should work with non-Sony/Sony Ericsson devices too, and comes bundled with a clip and a wrist-strap for a choice of how you wear it.

More details in our Xperia SmartWatch hands-on at SlashGear.

Both have NFC, HDMI outputs capable of 1080p Full HD video, and 12-megapixel main cameras that can record Full HD too. Front-facing 1.3-megapixel cameras are used for video calls and vanity shots, and there’s the usual WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS along with Sony’s Timescape interface.

Sony Xperia ion hands-on:

Sony also revealed some compact NFC tags, which can be used to launch apps or to instantly switch the Xperia handsets into different preset modes; you could have one on your nightstand, for instance, and automatically toggle the smartphone into silent mode before bed. The Xperia ion will arrive on AT&T sometime in Q2, while the Xperia S will arrive in the same quarter on various carriers. No pricing as yet.

More information in our full Xperia ion hands-on and Xperia S hands-on over at SlashGear.

The ASUS MeMO 171 features a 7″ 1280 x 800 IPS display with great viewing angles and exceptionally great colors and brightness. Unlike it’s recently unveiled brother this model doesn’t have the quad-core, instead it will be offered with the Qualcomm 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB of RAM.

Again, this 7″ tablet isn’t as thin as the popular Transformer Prime but they’ve packed all that power into a smaller package so that is one thing to consider. The MeMO 171 has micro-USB, micro-HDMI and even micro-SD for extra storage. For those unfamiliar it also has a stylus hiding in the bezel below that doubles as a great handle while using in landscape mode. Around back is a 5 megapixel camera and they’ve tossed a 1.2 MP front for video calling.

ASUS has added an integrated MeMic bluetooth headset for superior audio quality and hands-free calling — yes hands-free calling. Currently only slated for a Europe debut this tablet features GSM radios and was actually rocking a T-Mobile SIM (as seen below). According to ASUS they have no immediate plans to bring this to the US but that could change at any moment. They also state it will be upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich “soon”. Enjoy the hands-on video and pictures below.

Now at first thought you’ll probably think that it makes this sexy and sleek phone fat and chunky — and it does. While this definitely doesn’t appeal to everyone — for those that need the extra protection or are overly cautious this is as good as it gets. Coming in for around $34.99 this is no cheap purchase — but is it worth it? That is the question. Check out our hands-on video for a better idea of how simple and easy this case works with your smartphone.

Ballistic SG case hands-on

What makes the Ballistic unique — and worth the money is the design and durability. With reinforced corners for extreme drop protection and more these cases offer complete protection. The entire body is wrapped in a thick and protective gel-case that covers every aspect of the device (as seen in video). Then they offer another level of protection and durability with the shell snap on cover that not only adds strength, but also gives you an easy and comfortable grip.

Ballistic has made sure they kept every port, speaker, and microphone pinhole open and fully accessible while still adding the extra level of protection and strength on the corners. The gel-case is very strong and of extreme quality, as is the rest of the case and it feels worth the price once in your hand. Then if you happen to drop your phone, or toss it out a window you’ll know it was worth the price when it comes back basically unharmed.

You can see our thorough review of the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch right here, along with plenty of pictures and a link to purchase this awesome and highly durable protective case below. Get it for 20% off during the holidays using “YOLO17″ code during checkout until January 7th.

Ballistic SG Gel-Case Link

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Epic 4G Touch

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : Unknown

Announced Date : August 31, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 4.5 Inch
• Resolution : 480x800
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED Plus

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.1 Inch
• Width : 2.70 Inch
• Depth : 0.38 Inch
• Weight : 129 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1800 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• MP3

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : Exynos

CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 32 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording
• 720p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• CDMA

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

Device Connectivity

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

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

The PRADA Phone was shown off earlier this morning and has been leaked a few times in the recent past being called the Prada K2. Today we put on our favorite wool scarf and attended the official event to enjoy this new and fancy 4.3″ Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone. Here’s our video to get you started.

PRADA Phone by LG 3.0 hands-on

The PRADA 3.0 is obviously the 3rd device to carry the branding but this time around we have Android to liven things up. It’s tall, sleek, and slim but rocks some impressive specs and a brilliantly bright 4.3″ NOVA display — although sadly just 800 x 480 and no HD screen like the recently released LG Nitro HD.

Powered by Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread and a 1.0 GHz dual-core processor we also get 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a few powerful cameras to capture that perfect moment — or some nice shoes. Offering an 8 megapixel shooter on the back and 1.3 up front for video chat. The rear has a leather-like soft touch plastic backing that should hold up longer than genuine leather — but the idea did cross their minds. Performance is smooth and swift as you can see from the video although the custom interface changes are a bit odd to say the least.

The new PRADA is extremely thin and has a pretty blocky design, very similar to the recently released Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone. It does have a few neat features like the round power/wake button with an illuminating LED ring. We also have circular stereo speakers down on the bottom to keep things stylish.

LG has promised Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates for their lineup although this phone may be heading in a different direction, but we do expect an update at some point from LG and PRADA. Let us know what you think and enjoy a few photos below.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : PRADA Phone

Manufactuer : LG

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : December 14, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
• Resolution : 480x800
• Screen Type : TFT

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.02 Inch
• Width : 2.72 Inch
• Depth : 0.33 Inch
• Weight : NA

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1540 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : OMAP 4430

CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 8 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash

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
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

NFC :

Hardware
We already know plenty about this tablet so I figured we’d jump right into the hardware specs for a quick rundown before I unleash the slew of pictures and games on you. If you’ve been living under a rock and didn’t know, the Prime features a 10.1″ Super IPS display with a 1280 x 800 resolution — nicely covered in Gorilla Glass. Under the hood is the good stuff we already should love and that is the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor and its lovely 5th companion core (more on that below).

Now the magic here isn’t just that ultra-powerful processor but also in the optional keyboard dock — making this a full out portable computing solution similar to a laptop. Just like the original Transformer this is not a necessity, but is an awesome addition that would be amazing for anyone — especially students.

The keyboard dock isn’t included or needed to enjoy this slate, but it will give you a wide array of options not to mention extend the battery life from 10-12 all the way to 18 hours of continuous usage. We’ll cover more on the keyboard below and right now will continue with the tablet hardware. We were lucky enough to get the purple model (Amethyst Grey), and the Prime also comes in a Champagne Gold for those not in touch with their feminine side.

Right now nothing is faster or hotter than the Prime (the Fire doesn’t hold a candle to this), and we have been giving it a spin for a few days and have thoroughly enjoyed it. With a quad-core processor capable of speeds reaching 1.4 GHz, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (64GB available) and a decent 8 megapixel camera around back this has everything you’d ever need from a tablet and more. Here is a quick gallery of a few pictures then you can see plenty more in the full gallery below.

The front is dominated by a flat surface of Gorilla glass and the bezel is a bit large but we can live with that. The back is a solid piece of brushed, radial spun aluminum that looks and feels great and is very sturdy. Sadly it does scratch easy, is a fingerprint magnet, and always feels a bit cold to touch but I’m not complaining because I’ll take it over cheap plastic any day of the week. One important thing is we now only have one speaker rather than the two stereo outputs like most tablets. It is also located exactly where almost all users will place their palm while holding the device, especially while gaming. Sound was very muffled and I wish they could have found a better location, but it’s not that bad.

I am happy however with the location of the volume rocker and the power button. Most tablets including the original Transformer they are next to each other. I’ve always hit the wrong one on accident and it gets a bit frustrating. The Prime’s power/wake button is nicely placed on the top left of the device away from the rocker. It could be quite a bit bigger if you ask me — I missed it more often than not.

Keyboard Dock
The kicker here is not only that quad-core but also the optional keyboard dock. This accessory alone is the single best option for any tablet or device around. Giving extended features, extra battery power, charges the slate and even has USB and a standard SD slot for even more storage. Not to mention this little beauty makes it become a full on laptop — minus the Windows or OSX.

The keyboard is the same aluminum design and feels great and very sturdy. It will run you $149 but is definitely worth it, especially for students or anyone wanting to get some serious work done on this beast. The aluminum design comes from their ultrabook line and the keyboard makes it as close to one as you’ll get. the chicklet style keyboard is extremely easy to type on — even if it’s a bit small being only 10″. The touchpad is extremely useful, accurate and sensitive and I’d almost go as far as to say it could use an option to lower sensitivity. With dedicated home and search buttons for Android, music controls, screen capture, and more the keyboard gives you everything you’d need and more right at your fingertips.

Instead of explaining I’ll just let you watch my quick hands-on video with the tablet and keyboard dock. As well as our good friend Chris Burns giving it a glance too.

ASUS Transformer Prime and keyboard hands-on

For those wondering the dock has a few little rubber bumpers to protect the aluminum finish as well as the tablets glass from injuring each other so that isn’t a worry. The two together might not be the easiest to open but after spending a few days with it I’ve learned to quickly slide a fingernail in and turn it sideways to easily open the slate, but a little notch somewhere would have been nice. The trackpad is easy to disable for those wondering that also. While typing I accidentally slid it around and opened a few things and lost my place during typing but a quick toggle and you’re good to go.

To sum things up with the tablet and keyboard in terms of hardware — they are everything you’d expect from a $499 premium tablet device. The additional $149 for the keyboard is an excellent option for those who need it and I’d highly recommend you pick both up.

Software
Running along with Android 3.2 Honeycomb nothing is actually all that new and if you’ve ever experienced an Android Honeycomb tablet you’ll feel right at home. Only things are smoother, more fluid and overall just a better experience. ASUS has changed the standard notification pop-up in Honeycomb and added plenty of enhancements like battery meters for both the slate and the keyboard dock. I don’t need to explain this as the video did a great job but we also have quick toggle widgets for all the power modes to take full advantage of all 4 processing cores, or set it to power safe mode to conserve battery life. Other then a few visual changes to Honeycomb nothing has changed. ASUS does have a few custom settings for the keyboard dock and built-in screen capture features but that is about it.

There is absolutely zero bloatware with the Transformer Prime other than a few ASUS apps such as their online backup service. Obviously this being the first NVIDIA Tegra 3 device NVIDIA was nice enough to load up a few awesome games you can expect to hit the market soon. Shadowgun and a few others are already available but we have exclusive Tegra 3 optimized versions and will be showing you them all on video over the next few days. Stay tuned because you’ll want to see the absolutely stunning visuals from Bladeslinger later in this review.

Not everyone that buys this tablet will be getting the included keyboard dock, in fact most probably wont so I wont focus all of my attention on that. Using this as a tablet its everything you’d want and then some. The added power of the quad-core makes Honeycomb even faster, games look better and more immersive, and keeps this tablets future bright with Ice Cream Sandwich and whatever else lays ahead.

Performance and Benchmarks
We ran a slew of benchmarks and performance tests and while this is always something we focus on, obviously real world results are what’s most important. Whether it be old apps like Quadrant Advanced that aren’t taking advantage of all that the quad-core has to offer, or the tests just being not as accurate as we’d hope the results here weren’t overly impressive. I will say that real world usage (where it really matters) and gaming this tablet is by far the best and fastest around. Until more Tegra 3 slates hit the market if you are a gamer this is a must buy tablet.

I wont break all the benchmarks down too much because we have plenty of them. We also did an in-depth comparison of the original Transformer vs Prime vs iPad 2. That link will break everything down completely and is a must read for those benchmark fans. Below is AnTuTu since it seems to be most accurate with showing the real world performance across all the processing power inside this aluminum device so I’ll show that and the rest are available from the full gallery.

Performance for most games was already exceptionally great with NVIDIA Tegra 2 tablets and we’ve never experience so much as a slowdown or lag with most popular games so there wasn’t an easy way to compare with the Prime. Although seeing the enhancements to Shadowgun and others thanks to the NVIDIA Tegra 3 should be plenty of proof for all you readers. I’ll get into all those games soon but for now we have another video demo showing an incredible upcoming game called Bladeslinger. This is basically Shadowgun meets Infinity Blade meets Half-Life 2. You are a Bladeslinger that has a huge machete attached to a revolver and I wont explain much and instead let you see the video. The graphics are truly incredible and this was just a quick demo of a pre-production version of the game. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for all of us Tegra 3 tablet owners.

Bladeslinger on the ASUS Prime and NVIDIA Tegra 3

Camera
Tablets may not be the ideal solution for any photography moment and holding something that large has never really interested me for even a quick photo. Many tablets have opted for weak and measly 3 megapixel cameras to keep the cost down but this is one more area where ASUS has really stepped it up. While the camera is nothing extremely amazing and enough to write home about, it is by far the best camera of any tablet — but that isn’t saying much.

ASUS equipped the Prime with an extra special 8 megapixel camera around back with LED flash and f/2.4 shutter capability. While lugging around a 10″ camera never really appealed to me I was able to snap some great photos with the Prime. The auto focus was slow at times and would get a little confused and stutter for a moment but for the most part was very quick and took excellent shots. Below is a picture taken with the ASUS Transformer Prime of its new keyboard dock just for an idea of how good the image quality can actually be, especially in a medium lit room. More photo examples are also in the full gallery below

Battery Life
The first thing that comes to mind when you hear a quad-core mobile device other then the wow factor is probably battery life. I for one was extremely worried about how this would actually handle real world scenarios but I’m happy to report that between ASUS — and more importantly NVIDIA — the Prime lasts plenty long. All the details and power saving info on the quad-core is available from our official Tegra 3 announcement, plus a few hints on the companion core are right here.

The short version here being the cores only charge up and consume battery life as they are needed and shut down when they are not. Small tasks such as viewing photos or browsing the web and market are powered by the fifth companion core seen above. So technically this has five cores, not four. This is nothing new though. In our battery tests running the Prime non-stop it achieved a little over 10 hours of continuous use before running out of juice. Using the additional battery inside the keyboard dock the Transformer Prime played back movie continuous for almost 17 hours straight. That is mighty impressive and I was very pleased with my results.

Now most users wont play even 8 hours straight so while that is nice to know, it isn’t an ideal test. Instead I used the device off and on for more than a few days with a single full charge. I played over 2 hours of Shadowgun, browsed the web, updated all my applications, ran a few benchmarks and went to bed. Then enjoyed the tablet plenty throughout the next morning. The image above is about what I’ve achieved using the slate off and on as a normal user would, and that is just the tablet with no keyboard dock. It’s safe to say that most will be able to enjoy well over 30 hours and more off a single charge while using this tablet. That was set to “normal” mode which will use the most power and battery possible. Setting the Prime on power save mode I’m sure it would last far longer.

Wrap-Up
To wrap things up I’ll start by saying this — I’ll take two please! Hopefully if a tablet is what you’ve been wanting for this Christmas you’ll make sure your parents, wife, or significant other knows the ASUS Transformer Prime is what you want, and it will be available starting December 19th at retail stores nationwide. Just enough time to buy it and wrap it up for Christmas.

Pick your poison

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has by far been my absolute favorite tablet for a long time, and the 8.9″ brother has a special place in my gadget bag too — but the ASUS Transformer Prime has stole the top spot, that is for sure. Android tablets have been making a huge surge lately and the winning combination will be the Prime, NVIDIA Tegra 3, and Ice Cream Sandwich. This is the next step in Android’s tablet future and I’m extremely excited to be able to enjoy it. We’ve already seen a glimpse of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on the Prime and when that officially comes things will only get better.

You may or may not want the fancy keyboard dock and that really doesn’t matter. Whether you choose to add that awesome accessory to the Prime or not you’ll still have one of the absolute best, fastest, prettiest, thinnest, and most powerful tablets available on the market. So what are you waiting for?

This is not the end of our review either because I’ll be showing you more hands-on with all the amazing Tegra 3 games over the coming days. In the meantime you’ll have to enjoy the videos above and all the images below in the full sized gallery. If you haven’t reserved your Prime yet, you probably should.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Transformer Prime

Manufactuer : Asus

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : November 09, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As : Transformer 2

Display

• Screen Size : 10.10 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x800
• Screen Type : IPS+

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 10.35 Inch
• Width : 7.12 Inch
• Depth : .33 Inch
• Weight : 586 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Polymer

• Battery Capacity : 6579 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)

Hardware

CPU : Tegra 3

CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz

Core : 4

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 64 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

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

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

The Nitro HD feels good in the hand, without being noticeably heavy or especially thin. The rubber-style textured battery cover lets you keep a firm grip at all times – an important detail for a phone with a 4.5-inch screen. And if you’re interested in the Nitro HD over its alternatives, it’s definitely because of the screen: the 1280 x 720 IPS LCD beats all of AT&T’s other phones on resolution. Upon initial inspection, it is indeed one of the sharpest screens I’ve ever seen. Brightness is an issue, so you’ll probably want to bump it up a bit from the pre-set automatic leveling, but viewing angles are so good that it’s hard to find a bad way to look at it.

The rest of the hardware is just as impressive. With 1.5Ghz of processor power and a roomy 1GB of RAM, thew Nitro HD should handle just about everything you can throw at it. Going through the basic Android launcher and browser was as quick as I’ve seen on a stock device, and it wasn’t hindered by LG’s slight alterations to Gingerbread. 4GB of on-board storage is a little stingy, but the included 16GB memory card isn’t, and many (including yours truly) will appreciate the easy-to-access storage. And it’s accessible without removing the battery – always a plus.

The battery cover is the full-back type that seems to be getting popular lately. It comes off easy via a thumbnail, but doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere once in place. In an odd move that mirrors the Motorola RAZR, the MicroUSB charge and data port is on the top of the device. This shouldn’t present any issues in normal use unless you plan to use a third-party car or desktop dock of some kind. The omission of a capacitive search button, Galaxy S-style, is mildly annoying.

The phone comes with Gingerbread 2.3.5, but LG is promising an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich sometime next year. Sooner would be better than later, but for the moment Gingerbread should meet the needs of just about everybody. AT&T’s pre-loaded apps are present in abundance, including the ever-amusing AT&T Navigator and a Zynga poker app. Inside the box, you’ll find only a wall charger and data cable, no headphones or other goodies. We hardly expect them these days, but on a $250 class-leading device it would have been nice.

The LG Nitro HD launches this Sunday, December 4th for $249.99. If you’re in the market we’ll have a full review ready in the next few days. In the meantime, check out the unboxing video below:

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Nitro HD

Manufactuer : LG

Carrier : AT&T

Announced Date : May 31, 2011

Release Date : December 04, 2011

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 4.5 Inch
• Resolution : 720x1280
• Screen Type : LCD

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.27 Inch
• Width : 2.67 Inch
• Depth : 0.41 Inch
• Weight : 127 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1830 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : Scorpion

CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 4 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

FM Radio :

NFC :

Oh man, I must start by telling everyone that we at Android Community are quite excited for this amazing new powerful portable device from ASUS and NVIDIA. Thankfully we were able to get our paws on it and give our readers a closer look. I don’t think I really need to run down the spec list but here they are. Rocking a brilliant and extremely bright 10.1″ Super IPS+ display with a 1280 x 800 resolution. If you were wondering how it compares to the original then yes — the display is even better. We have an amazing 8MP camera on the rear with LED flash and a 2MP shooter around front to chat with friends and family, all wrapped in a brushed radial-spun aluminum shell rocking a grey or champagne color.

We have a wide array of ports including micro-HDMI, micro-SD, micro-USB and more but the main act in this show is all under the hood — and that is the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor. It actually has four main processing cores and a fifth companion core to do all the light jobs while saving battery. Making this powerhouse tablet last for up to 12 hours of decent to heavy usage. This slate has been talked about plenty over the course of the past few months and all the details are available from our official announcement.

Many planning on making this purchase might also have the original Transformer tablet so we’ll quickly compare the two in this first video, show you a few of the new things, then get into the hardware on our second video below. So for now just sit back and enjoy.

Obviously you can see for yourself in our videos this device looks stunning. It’s super thin coming in at only 8.3mm thick (that is thinner than the Galaxy S II or the iPhone 4) while managing all that power under the hood — a truly amazing feat if you ask me. So far everything looks and feels very impressive. While we sadly are running Android 3.2 Honeycomb it is as fluid and quick as ever. Once this bad boy gets Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich it will fly, I can almost guarantee that.

In general everything looks and feels extremely similar to the original (only faster) as we still have the same OS. ASUS has incorporated a few changes to make things easier for us with the Prime though. We have a toggle for the IPS+ mode on the display, power options to better use or conserve that quad-core processor and more all available in the easy to access notification bar on Honeycomb. We’ve all seen plenty of pictures and product shots so instead our video shows you the hardware a little while showing you plenty of the new changes and that all important keyboard dock.

We’ll break down everything including the keyboard dock in our full out review so be sure and stay tuned for that. This was just a quick hands-on and tease so everyone could at least get an idea of how awesome this tablet really is. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again — ASUS has my money already.

You can expect plenty more videos and comparisons throughout the week while we take a look at features, options, and what makes this tablet special — Not to mention a few hands-on videos with the exclusive Tegra 3 games NVIDIA was nice enough to provide. For now though we can’t wrap up a hands-on of a new quad-core device without a few benchmarks. What we have is a quick run of AnTuTu and the popular Quadrant. I’ll toss up the ASUS Transformer Prime quad-core results here and then a few screenshots from the original dual-core Transformer are also in the gallery below.

While Quadrant results weren’t the best I highly doubt it’s been optimized for quad-core devices so we wont look into that much for now although it did score much higher than any Tegra 2 tablet has. The clear winner here is the AnTuTu results. Blazing all four cores to a lightning fast result of over 10,500. The Xoom and other dual-core tablets don’t even break 5k and even faster 1.2 GHz dual-core devices like the Galaxy S II barely manage to get around 6,000 here. Clearly all four cores are working exceptionally well but until we play more games and benchmark this thing in-depth we’ll just leave you with these few awesome results.

So far our team is extremely pleased with overall performance, feel, and just the entire package. While the original was great, as was its dock — the Prime truly is an entirely new level. It’s thin and lightweight while being super portable and powerful at the same time. The design has a few awesome improvements and I personally love the volume rocker and power buttons are on different bezels. On the Galaxy Tab series I’m constantly hitting the wrong one as they sit right next to one another. There are plenty of good things to say and strong points with this new Transformer Prime but I’ll save the rest for our in-depth review coming in a few days or early next week.

Pricing and availability you might ask — The official and accurate information goes as such: The ASUS Transformer Prime will be $499 for the 32GB model, $599 for the 64GB model, and $149 for the new keyboard dock in the USA. The tablet will be available in Amethyst Gray (like ours) and Champagne Gold, and per ASUS official statement: “Expect retail availability of the unit to start the week of 12/19 or later and etailer availability the week of 12/12 or later.”

We took a few more pictures than the usual hands-on and unboxing type of post and you can expect tons of product shots to follow shortly. Enjoy the gallery below and feel free to ask any and all questions in the comments below and we’ll be sure to try our best and answer accordingly.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Transformer Prime

Manufactuer : Asus

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : November 09, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As : Transformer 2

Display

• Screen Size : 10.10 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x800
• Screen Type : IPS+

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 10.35 Inch
• Width : 7.12 Inch
• Depth : .33 Inch
• Weight : 586 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Polymer

• Battery Capacity : 6579 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)

Hardware

CPU : Tegra 3

CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz

Core : 4

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 64 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

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

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

Looking at my image we clearly have the Android 2.3 powered HTC Sensation but wait are those capacitive Android buttons, is that Ice Cream Sandwich up top? Or wait, maybe it’s just CyanogenMod 7 with my favorite Cyanbread theme. All running with Windows Phone 7. I’m actually sort of enjoying that photo to be honest.

If you haven’t tried a Windows Phone 7 device down at a local store Microsoft aims to get your dollars by giving you a quick glance and personal hands-on time with Windows Phone 7 right from your Android smartphone. All you need to do is go to the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 demo page from your mobile device and enjoy the tasty Mango (name for WP7′s OS). This will load a surprisingly smooth and nice mock-up of Phone 7 and their tiles. You’ll be able to enter a few different areas like the application tray, contacts, calender and things of that nature. It’s actually quite neat and even though I’d never ever consider making the change I did enjoy the quick demo.

Apparently this will also work on those i*hones too if anyone has one of those devices (For Barista’s see this video). It doesn’t give us an extremely close look but either way this was pretty cool and I figured you’d all like to give it a try. It’s an awesome marketing tool I must admit — well done Microsoft. Now stop suing everyone and their dogs in the world of Android. K thx bye.

Windows Phone 7 demo site (click from mobile device)

[via Engadget]

Being slightly smaller than the Tab 10.1 and offering a bit more screen real estate than the Tab 7.0 Plus this 8.9″ LTE slate might just be the perfect size. Being powerful, portable and connected this could very well do the trick for me. For now I’ll break down a few specs, let you enjoy my video while I compare it to those other two just mentioned, then look for a review to shortly follow.

Similar to the original 8.9 WiFi tab in most regards but it does have a few differences. This AT&T version of course comes connected with 4G LTE and a SIM slot. The other difference is we have a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor on board here, no Samsung 1.2 GHz. It also comes equipped with the standard for tablets 1GB of RAM, 16 and 32GB storage options, 3 megapixel shooter around back with flash, 2MP up front for video and the usual 30 pin dock connector down below. One thing worth noting is the SIM slot is present but sadly we don’t get a micro-SD for expanded storage with this slate, something the smaller sibling was fortunate enough to get. Although it does come rocking a 8.9″ 1280 x 800 resolution display that looks stunning. For now enjoy the hands-on and unboxing below:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 AT&T 4G LTE hands-on

Of course we have Android 3.2 Honeycomb on board with a few UI changes thanks to Samsung’s TouchWiz UX. I can’t stress enough how much I love the built-in screen capture function too. This here is just one of the few available 4G LTE devices that run on AT&T’s new and improved network and while it is still growing and expanding I’ve got a pretty solid connection here in Las Vegas and my surrounding city. I’ve experienced no outages during these past few days around my city but will be sure to test more for my review. I’ve included a quick speedtest result below to be nice and also took a screenshot showing I’m indeed on 4G LTE.

So far my initial impressions are quite favorable. I’ve been really enjoying the 7.0 Plus screen size and almost feel as if the Tab 10.1 could be too large for portable users. This might just be absolutely perfect but until I’ve ran it through the paces I wont comment further. I hope you enjoy the video and a few pictures below. Feel free to ask any questions in the comment section and I’ll try to address them in my review that you can expect shortly.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : GALAXY Tab 8.9

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : March 22, 2011

Release Date : October 02, 2011

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 8.9 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x800
• Screen Type : TFT

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 9.09 Inch
• Width : 6.21 Inch
• Depth : 0.34 Inch
• Weight : 470 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Polymer

• Battery Capacity : 6100 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 3.0.x

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

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : T250S

CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 65.536 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 3 MP

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

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light

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 :

Being very much an alpha build many things currently aren’t working, especially those needing a data or internet connection. We have no WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and the camera has issues. Obviously this will all get worked out and one day soon become a completely smooth and stable ROM for daily use. From what we are seeing so quickly, this will indeed be one blazing fast ROM as it already is and it’s no where near being complete.

Most of what you’re about to see in our video has been covered in-depth already in our ICS 4.0 hands-on, and our Galaxy Nexus hands-on but I’m sure many SGSII users will thoroughly enjoy the video below. What does it show you? Obviously we all knew that ROM’s would be coming soon, and that the Galaxy S II line will be getting updated to ICS eventually from Samsung — but this video shows you just how amazingly fast and smooth most of the things that are currently working actually are. And what we can expect to see in the future. GPU rendering works wonderfully and the scrolling and panning is exceptionally smooth. Once the bugs get ironed out and Samsung officially updates we will all be loving us some Ice Cream Sandwich.

Interesting point before the video — we have two menu buttons here. The on-screen ICS and the standard capacitive button, makes things both feel and look a bit odd but that shouldn’t be an issue. As all these ROM’s are built we can expect to see the soft touch buttons be removed to give us more real-estate on screen. We have the buttons already so there is no reason to waste screen space. We can expect this to be an option that users can toggle in most builds and ROM’s in the future.

Galaxy S II Android 4.0 ICS hands-on: Alpha build

Just like I stated in the title of this article and the video — this is seriously an alpha build and in no way intended for actual use in the current form. Either way it was very fun and entertaining to give it a whirl for a few days and see what Ice Cream Sammy is all about. Once more things get ironed out and daily features get incorporated you can bet we’ll be posting another video. This is just one of many many devices all at XDA that have similar alpha builds available. We urge you to check our your favorite developer portals to see if you can enjoy the same beta software on your own device.

For more information on this specific ROM or to try 4.0 ICS on your own Galaxy S II (we used the AT&T version here) feel free to head to this XDA thread. Thanks to @xplodwild we were able to enjoy this for a few days and look forward to more. If you are new to hacking Android we suggest you wait a little while or for an official OTA from Samsung. For more video’s specifically about Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich we have those right here. Enjoy!

Update: For those looking for more information you should also follow @aospsgs2 for the newest information and up to date builds

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Galaxy S II (AT&T)

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : AT&T

Announced Date : August 28, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 4.30 Inch
• Resolution : 480x800
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED Plus

Dimension & Weight

• Height : NA
• Width : NA
• Depth : NA
• Weight : NA

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1800 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• MP3

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU :

CPU Clock Speed : 1200 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
• 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

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

The same was also quickly done on the Kindle Fire but this is all about the NOOK although you can see a comparison right here. I’m sure you all know plenty about the NOOK Tablet but this little eReader rocks a 7″ IPS display, a dual-core 1.0 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and thousands and thousands of books or magazines to consume your day at the beach.

While you’re here, enjoy our Nook Tablet hands-on and unboxing, then check out how you can side-load apps right to the new NOOK by reading this info. The new NOOK Tablet has only been available a few short days and it already has root access and the Android market. Hopefully we’ll see a few ICS ROM’s appearing for this 7″ slate soon, I have a feeling it will be very shortly. The NOOK is a great little eReader and as we said above if you’d like to see every nook and cranny during the full teardown hit the source link after the gallery below.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : NOOK Tablet

Manufactuer : Barnes and Noble

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : November 07, 2011

Release Date : TBA

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 7 Inch
• Resolution : 1024x600
• Screen Type : VividView IPS

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 8.1 Inch
• Width : 5 Inch
• Depth : .48 Inch
• Weight : 400 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Polymer

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

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

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

Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC
• 3GP
• MPEG-4 (MP4)

Hardware

CPU : OMAP4

CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1000 MB

Internal Storage : 16 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : NA

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

FM Radio :

NFC :

[via iFixit]