CTIA Wireless

CTIA
March 24, 2011
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Best of CTIA Wireless 2011

By on March 24, 2011 at 10:36 AM.

Best of CTIA Wireless 2011

Mickey Mouse and pals stepped aside this week in sunny Orlando, Florida to make way for the latest and greatest gear wireless companies had to offer. After a killer Consumer Electronics Show in January and an action-packed Mobile World Congress in February, we wondered if our favorite brands had enough juice left in the tank for CTIA Wireless 2011 this week. While there weren’t quite as many announcements as in other shows this year, we definitely saw some exciting new devices showcased by companies like Sprint, HTC, Samsung and more. Hit the break for a rundown of all the biggest announcements from this year’s show. More →

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CTIA
March 23, 2011
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LG’s inductive Wireless Charging Pad for Verizon Wireless hands on!

By on March 23, 2011 at 10:58 PM.

LG’s inductive Wireless Charging Pad for Verizon Wireless hands on!

We met up with LG on Tuesday to check out its inductive Wireless Charging Pad, which it hopes will compete against competitors like Powermat. During our hands-on, we weren’t able to test the device — it seems someone forgot to charge the charger — but we were able to get a feel for its size, weight and some of its features. The Wireless Charging Pad has a power indicator that alerts you just how much power is left, and LG says it takes about two hours to charge itself up fully. All you have to do once it’s juiced up is pop a special back onto your smartphone and drop it onto the charging pad. In our eyes, the Wireless Charging Pad wasn’t a whole lot different than the Powermat; it’s light in the hand and can easily be packed in a briefcase, backpack or even a Florida tourist-friendly oversized fanny pack. LG hasn’t said which of its phones the Wireless Charging Pad will be compatible with just yet, but we think it’s a little counter intuitive for LG to make it only compatible with LG phones. Don’t forget to check out our photo gallery below!

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CTIA
March 23, 2011
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Second hands on with AT&T’s HTC HD7S [video]

By on March 23, 2011 at 5:20 PM.

Second hands on with AT&T’s HTC HD7S [video]

After our initial caffeine-fueled lap around the Orange County Connection Center, we made the rounds one more time to collect some videos for your scrutiny. One device on our hit-list was the HTC HD7S, AT&T’s third Windows Phone 7 smartphone. If you’re a Windows Phone fan, this one is sure to be up your alley. Its 4.3-inch screen was bright and its build was solid thanks to thick plastic and metal accents. We do feel the design is getting a bit stale, though, given that it has a body that’s very similar to the HD7 on T-Mobile and the EVO 4G on Sprint. It even features the same kickstand, which is good if you want to watch movies and set the device in landscape mode on your desk, but it also adds some bulk. The HD7S would be our top choice of Windows Phone 7 devices on AT&T too, because it has the latest NoDo update that includes copy/paste functionality. Hit the jump to see what the HD7S is all about, and check out our photo gallery as well.

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CTIA
March 23, 2011
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Hands on with T-Mobile’s Sidekick 4G, again [video]

By on March 23, 2011 at 4:41 PM.

Hands on with T-Mobile’s Sidekick 4G, again [video]

We swung by Samsung’s booth at CTIA Wireless on Wednesday to get some more hands-on time with the Sidekick 4G, soon to launch on T-Mobile. Somewhere in the back of our minds we still had the stigma that the Sidekick was a dead messaging phone of yesteryear, but that’s not really the case. The Sidekick 4G rocks Android 2.2 (Froyo) with a custom user interface that has more neon than a 1980′s themed frat-party, and, believe it or not, that’s actually what makes the phone pretty compelling. The screen is bright, and the colors remind us that the Sidekick 4G is all about being a party in your pocket. The keyboard was easy to type on and Sidekick fans will definitely feel right at home. The device’s pop-out hinge felt sturdy and has a nice snap to it, and we really like the overall build quality. Seriously, if you’ve been missing your Sidekick like the deserts miss the rain, this handset is going to be right up your alley. For a more in-depth read, check out our hands-on from Tuesday. Otherwise, hit the jump for a video tour of the Sidekick 4G in action.

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CTIA
March 23, 2011
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Second hands on with T-Mobile’s LG G-Slate [video]

By on March 23, 2011 at 3:03 PM.

Second hands on with T-Mobile’s LG G-Slate [video]

We hit every booth on the show floor yesterday for a first go at every new phone and tablet we could find. Today, we made the rounds again, like the mad men we are, to shoot some video of the newest phones and tablets. Now, we present you with video of the LG G-Slate, which is headed to T-Mobile soon with a $529.99 price tag. The G-Slate has a real premium feel to it thanks to the metal back side, and its display was large and bright even under the lights here. While it’s not as sexy as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 that was just announced at CTIA and measures just 8.6mm thin, it’s going to hit the U.S. market first, making it that much more attractive. There are a lot of compelling features too, like its dual 5-megapixel cameras for shooting HD and 3D video — but it’s a bit of a letdown the G-Slate doesn’t have a 3D display for viewing that content first-hand. Enough of the nitty gritty, you can read our hands-on text from yesterday for more details and thoughts. Hit the jump for our video and definitely check out our gallery, too.

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CTIA
March 23, 2011
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Hands on with the T-Mobile G2x, again [video]

By on March 23, 2011 at 2:30 PM.

Hands on with the T-Mobile G2x, again [video]

T-Mobile’s G2x could shape up to be one of T-Mobile’s hottest smartphones when it launches, so we figured we’d swing by LG’s booth again to bring you a closer look at the G2x and its beefy hardware — this time on video. As we said in our initial hands-on, we found the G2x to be seriously fast thanks to the 1GHz dual-core  Nvidia Tegra 2 processor under the hood. But while the phone was fast, the plastic back felt a bit cheap and we wish there was more metal or texture to give it a more premium feel. Also, it’s going to launch with Android 2.2 (Froyo) instead of the newer Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system, and that’s kind of a bummer. Alas, you can’t have everything. Hit the jump and check out our G2x video and don’t forget to stop by our photo gallery on the way there.

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CTIA
March 23, 2011
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Second hands on with Sprint’s HTC EVO View 4G tablet [video]

By on March 23, 2011 at 1:08 PM.

Second hands on with Sprint’s HTC EVO View 4G tablet [video]

We already brought you a photo-centric hands-on of Sprint’s brand-spankin-new HTC EVO View 4G tablet, but we thought we would get a little closer to the sexy slab with a hands-on video. The 7-inch tablet reminds us a bit of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, however the View 4G does run Google’s Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) mobile operating system. HTC also added its solid Sense user interface to the View that makes the whole experience a bit more enjoyable — the 1.5GHz processor purring under the hood helps too. Throw in an innovative stylus, the HTC Scribe, and you have a pretty compelling package. Hit the jump for a video walk-through of the hardware and UI.

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CTIA
March 23, 2011
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LG unveils inductive Wireless Charging Pad to combat Powermat

By on March 23, 2011 at 3:50 AM.

LG unveils inductive Wireless Charging Pad to combat Powermat

LG on Tuesday announced a new inductive charging system at the CTIA Wireless 2011 show. Like the Powermat, LG’s Wireless Charging Pad is a flat mat that plugs into any standard power outlet. Compatible LG handsets can then be placed on top of the pad, and the device will charge them without the need to connect any wires. Other similar inductive charging solutions currently on the market require users to attach accessories or a special battery packs to their handsets in order to function. LG, however, will build inductive coils into the battery doors on its devices, thus affording cord-free charging without the need for any third-party accessories. LG’s first Wireless Charging Pad, the WCP-700, will launch next month for $69.99, though LG has not yet detailed which handsets will be compatible with the device. Hit the break for the full press release. More →

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CTIA
March 22, 2011
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T-Mobile’s LG G-Slate Honeycomb tablet hands-on!

By on March 22, 2011 at 9:00 PM.

T-Mobile’s LG G-Slate Honeycomb tablet hands-on!

We just stopped by T-Mobile’s booth here in Orlando during CTIA to get up close and personal with the G-Slate, T-Mobile’s Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet that’s capable of running on its 4G HSPA+ network. Right off the bat, one of our biggest issues was that the G-Slate was covered with fingerprints, a sign that it definitely lacks an oleophobic coating on the display. The tablet felt great in the hand though, and we really liked the metal on the back, which gives it a premium look and feel. Hit the jump for our thoughts, and check out our gallery of images that’ll give you a closer look at this sleek tablet.

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CTIA
March 22, 2011
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Sprint’s HTC EVO View 4G tablet hands-on!

By on March 22, 2011 at 1:57 PM.

Sprint’s HTC EVO View 4G tablet hands-on!

HTC announced the HTC Flyer last month during MWC in Barcelona, and now Sprint announced it will launch a version of its own in the U.S. called the EVO View 4G. We had some time to check out the tablet first-hand during the CTIA Wireless show on Tuesday, and have a few hands-on thoughts to bring you. For one, the Flyer feels sturdy and well built; more so than the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. You can think of it as an over-sized and heavier EVO 4G, but with a little more processing power. Its screen is bright and easy to view, but it did appear to attract a lot of fingerprints. Read on for some of our initial impressions from our hands-on time with the EVO View 4G and definitely check out our photo gallery!

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CTIA
March 22, 2011
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Sprint’s HTC EVO 3D hands-on!

By on March 22, 2011 at 1:55 PM.

Sprint’s HTC EVO 3D hands-on!

Sprint just announced the HTC EVO 3D, its latest 4G WiMAX smartphone with a 3D-spin, and we had some time to sit down to check out the device first-hand. In one word: Amazing. The EVO 3D’s 4.3-inch 3D display is incredible to look at while displaying 3D images and video. It reminds us of looking at a holographic trading card. We watched some user-submitted 3D YouTube videos on the phone, and a few jesters dancing around really popped off of the display. Similarly, the flowers in a bouquet that one woman was holding in an image seemed to jump off the screen — we actually reached out to touch them at one point! There’s a ton to discuss here, so hit the jump for more impressions on the EVO 3D, and don’t forget to check out our hands-on photo gallery.

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Breaking
March 22, 2011
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Sprint announces HTC EVO View 4G tablet

By on March 22, 2011 at 1:54 PM.

Sprint announces HTC EVO View 4G tablet

On Tuesday at the CTIA Wireless tradeshow in Orlando, Florida, Sprint announced that it will carry a 4G WiMAX version of the HTC Flyer tablet, dubbed the EVO View 4G. The EVO View 4G has a 7-inch 1024 x 600-pixel capacitive touchscreen display, an aluminum uni-body design and a 4,000 mAh battery. It comes with a few unique software features developed by HTC, including HTC Scribe — a note taking application that can be used with an optional pen — and HTC’s Sense user interface on top of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Other features include a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calling, an HDMI-out port and DLNA support for wireless sharing of multimedia content to other DLNA-certified devices. Sprint has not yet provided launch details or pricing for the EVO View 4G. Hit the jump for the full press release and stay tuned for our hands-on. More →

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Breaking
March 22, 2011
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Sprint unveils HTC EVO 3D smartphone

By on March 22, 2011 at 1:52 PM.

Sprint unveils HTC EVO 3D smartphone

As was expected, Sprint officially unveiled the HTC EVO 3D during its press conference at the CTIA tradeshow in Orlando Tuesday. The EVO 3D is an Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) smartphone with a 4.3-inch qHD 960 x 450-pixel autostereoscopic 3D display. Under its hood, the smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8660 processor and it packs 1GB of RAM, a 1730 mAh battery and 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded to a total of 40GB using a microSD card. HTC also added a dedicated camera button, a feature we’ve long wished for, and it offers dual 5-megapixel rear cameras for shooting 3D video or 720p HD video. There’s also a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for Qik video chat. An external HDMI-out port will allow users to display 1080p video or 720p 3D content on an HDTV. At launch, the EVO 3D will sport Blockbuster 3D and YouTube 3D apps for viewing 3D content on its screen, which does not require 3D glasses. Pricing details are not yet available but the HTC EVO 3D will launch this summer. Hit the jump for the full press release.

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