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Aaron reviews the Samsung Vibrant, the first Galaxy S device to launch in the United States. 1 GHz processor, 16 GB of storage, 4-inch Super AMOLED display, and Avatar! Part 1 of 2.
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
Is it a common belief in the tech world that when it comes to mobile data usage, iPhone users are king. However, a recent report from Validas has proven that that's simply not the case. After analyzing 20,000 bills of wireless customers between January and May 2010, Validas found that Verizon users consumed 421 MB per month on average, compared to the 338 MB average of AT&T iPhone users. Keep in mind that Verizon's number doesn't include data used by BlackBerry devices, which Validas excluded due to the way they compress data and the fact that they "do not follow similar data consumption patterns to those of iPhones and other Smartphones."
When it comes to heavier data users, Verizon also came out on top. About 11 percent of Big Red customers use between 500 MB and 1 GB of data per month, compared to 5.6 percent of iPhone users that consume a similar amount. Finally, the report found that although many people complained about AT&T's new 2 GB data plan, only 1.6 percent of iPhone owners actually use that much data, compared to 4 percent of Verizon customers.
Another interesting statistic included in the Validas report is that the total number of smartphone owners in the U.S. that are signed up for a data package grew to 53 percent, up from 42 percent one year ago. This news isn't terribly surprising considering the rising popularity in devices like the iPhone and the DROID line of devices on Verizon. More people than ever are switching to smartphones as they become cheaper and easier to use than ever before. So, how many of you out there have a smartphone? How much data do you use per month?
Via Ars Technica
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
The BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider, which has been leaked more times than I can count, may finally be made official next week. AT&T and BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion just sent out invites to an event on August 3rd in NYC. There's no official announcement of what the event is for, but considering how many times we've seen the Bold 9800 slider in the past, I'd say it's about time that the people showing off the device are the ones that actually made it.
I have to say that I'm pretty excited to see the Bold 9800 slider finally made official, especially since we'll likely be seeing BlackBerry 6 shown off at the same time. Plus, this means we can finally move on and start seeing another new 'Berry leaked every other day. Hopefully AT&T and RIM are able to get the Bold 9800 slider into the hands of customers quickly and at a reasonable price to help fight off the onslaught of iPhones and Android devices. August 3rd is less than a week away, so all will be revealed soon!
Via Engadget
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
Dell may be remaining quiet on the release date for it's 5-inch Streak, but they've finally come clean about the other most important bit of info about the device: the price. On the official Direct2Dell blog, the company announced that the Streak will cost $299.99 with a two-year AT&T contract, while a contract-free model will set you back a cool $549.99. Customers that ordered the device during the presale period, running from July 20th through July 27th (aka today), will get first dibs at the Streak.
Meanwhile, Dell also came forward with more information on the Aero, its other upcoming Android-powered smartphone. The Aero will be released on August 9th for $99.99 on a two-year AT&T contract. Customers that don't feel like signing away two years of their mobile life can snag an Aero contract-free for $299.99.
While the Streak is definitely priced at the high-end of the spectrum for smartphones today, it sounds like a reasonable amount for a 5-inch device. Unfortunately, we're not any closer to knowing precisely when the Streak will actually land in the hands of customers, but I'm sure we'll be seeing it sooner rather than later. The Aero's pricing, like the Streak's, seems to be pretty fair considering $100 seems to be a normal price for a mid-range smartphone as of late. So, are any of you planning on to get your Android fix by grabbing a Streak or Aero?
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
Verizon customers using the DROID, DROID X, and DROID Incredible have been wondering exactly when their devices will get the upgrade to Android 2.2 for some time now. According to a tipster reporting to Android Spin, they won't be waiting much longer, as those three Droids will be updated to Froyo beginning August 6th. The source explained that the roll out will begin on Friday, August 6th, with all devices receiving Froyo by August 15th.
Usually we warn you to that news like this is a rumor and to keep some grains of salt handy, but Android Spin's tipster says that this news is confirmed. While I appreciate the confidence, I'm still going to stick this in the "Rumor" category until we see the Froyo roll out actually begin. This news does fit nicely with what we've heard in the past from Verizon, however, so you should probably keep the 6th open on your calendar, just in case.
Via Android Spin
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
So we know that T-Mobile is planning to launch an HSPA+-capable smartphone sometime this summer. However, our knowledge of the device ends there. Thanks to a new page on the T-Mobile site, though, we can learn about the mystery phone as soon as the T-Mo releases the information about it. The page, which can be seen here, offers users the ability to sign up to be sent information about the HSPA+ phone and contains a white placeholder image, as well. There's no way of knowing if the actual phone will resemble the white rectangle seen on the page, but if it does, the device looks like it will be similar to the HTC EVO or Moto DROID X, featuring a large screen and no physical keyboard.
I wouldn't be surprised to see T-Mobile launch an EVO-like device when they announce the HSPA+ phone. The carrier doesn't have an Android device with a 4.3-inch display, which seems to be the cool thing to have nowadays. What better way to blow out the launch of a gigantic Android phone than by making it the first HSPA+ phone, similar to how the EVO was Sprint's first WiMAX device? One last thing to note is that while we've heard in the past that T-Mo's HSPA+ device would be launching this summer, the site says that the handset will be launching in the even vaguer time frame of "later this year."
UPDATE: After digging through the site's source code, some eagle-eyed users have spotted the name "Vanguard," also known as the HTC Vision/G1 Blaze. Nothing is official, but I'm cautiously optimistic that the Vanguard/Vision/G1 Blaze will indeed be T-Mobile's first HSPA+ device.
Via TmoNews
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
Carrier: AT&T
Retail Price: $249.99 or via ebay
Phone Price: $99.99 or via WireFly
Hot Features: 3G capable, resistive touchscreen with full slide-out QWERTY keyboard
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
As we are not doctors, we try not to get too paranoid when a big health scare story hits the front pages. Nonetheless, a widely reported study claiming that using mobile phones could cause tinnitus is a slightly worrying prospect. However, before you start thinking that your ears have no hope, the NHS have published a very firm response telling us all not to panic because there’s no evidence!
The original research was carried out by researchers at the University of Vienna, using 100 tinnitus sufferers, 92 of which had previously used mobile phones. Considering that the number of mobile phone users in the world is significantly larger than those who took part in the study, it’s believed that 100 people just wasn’t enough to form the basis of a proper medical conclusion. The research had a few flaws though. It was based on those taking part having to remember their mobile phone use, rather than by factual records and there was little allowance given for other factors that may cause tinnitus, such as listening to loud music on headphones.
Although it may have been a well-intended research project, the NHS has concluded that there is no justification for us to believe the headlines. Well, at least that’s one less thing on our minds…now, what about this month’s phone bill?!
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
The term ‘jailbreaking’ refers to the process of modifying a mobile phone’s operating system in order to run alternative software or change its abilities in a way that the manufacturer doesn’t allow, and is commonly associated with the iPhone, although it could also be applied to removing a ‘lock’ put in place by your network too.
Apple have always said the process is illegal in the USA under something called the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, however the US government disagree. The DMCA is reviewed every three years and at the latest meeting to discuss any changes, jailbreaking and unlocking was ruled as being ‘fair use’ and therefore, legal.
Now, just because this has happened, it doesn’t mean that the US government have suddenly decided that installing pirated software on your iPhone is OK, rather than legitimate software made by a third party that’s not been approved by the manufacturer. The keyword they used in their statement was ‘interoperability’.
Obviously this will not change Apple’s mind on the issue, and we’d be surprised if they would be keen to offer warranty cover on jailbroken iPhones, nor does it apply in the UK, but it is refreshing to see a governmental decision come down on the side of the consumer rather than that of the mega-huge corporation.
We’d be interested to know, have you jailbroken your iPhone? If so, why?
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
San Francisco lawmakers have passed a bill which would require all retailers to display the radiation levels of wireless devices. This is a down-graded version of a previous attempt to have all phones actually say that they might cause cancer in children, despite a lack of evidence that they do any such thing. It couldn’t be clearer that someone’s either trying to destroy phones or just scared of everything while screaming “think of the children.”
The CTIA (previously the Cellular Telephone Industries Association) is fighting the law, as it fought (and defeated) the previous attempt to have all mobiles branded as dangerous without a speck of evidence. The most recent (of the millions) of studies on mobile radiation health effects was inconclusive. The fact that even the trained scientists performing the actual study refused to support the idea of health risks didn’t stop the SF Board of Supervisors from voting 10-1 in favour of the new law.
Proponents claim that it merely offers information and won’t damage the industry. If phones come with a big legalese warning about how much radiation they put out, this might lead people to assume that there must be some health risk.
Do you think we need an incentive like this in the UK? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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