Make no mistake: the Kin One and Two are coming into the world as the black sheep of the phone industry, and Microsoft would have it no other way. Straddling the fence somewhere between a dedicated smartphone and high-spec featurephone, they’ve been tricky to understand since the day they were first leaked (even Microsoft seemed unsure of what the devices meant until very recently). Billed as a Gen-Y (the “upload generation”) social networking tool — and sold in advertisements as the gateway to the time of your young, freewheeling life — the Kin phones have admittedly been something of head-scratcher to those of us in the gadget world. Built atop a core similar (but not identical) to the Windows Phone 7 devices coming later this year, manufactured by Sharp, and tied into partnerships with Verizon and Vodafone, the phones dangerously preempt Microsoft’s reemergence into the smartphone market. Hell, they’re even called Windows Phones. But the One and Two aren’t like any Windows Phones you’ve ever seen. With stripped-down interfaces, deep social networking integration, and a focus on very particular type of user, Microsoft is aiming for something altogether different with Kin. So do these devices deliver on that unique, social experience that Redmond has been selling, or does this experiment fall flat? We’ve taken both handsets for a spin, and we’ve got all the answers in our full review… so read on to find out!

Kin One and Two review

read on the entire review of the two devices at engadget.com

Remember Samsung’s impressive 3.7-inch Super AMOLED Beam projector phone running Andriod? This isn’t it. Instead, Samsung is launching its far less impressive 3.3-inch AMOLED (what, no Super?) Beam SPH-W9600 we previewed back in January into its South Korean home. So yeah, it’s the same 5 megapixeler with T-DMB TV, Microsoft Office and DivX codec support, and improved DLP pico projector that replaces last year’s W7900. But if it’s all the same to you Sammy, we’ll be waiting for the true projector phone successor — your Beam i8520, codenamed Halo — said to be launching this summer.

AMOLED Beam

Occasionally we’ve had strangers — very likely non-Engadget readers — coming up to us and ask, “Sorry mate, but is that the iPad?” To which we reply, “No, it’s the Dell Mini 5.” This may sound like a silly boo-boo to make, but there is this common misconception of the iPad being just “a bigger iPhone” while not knowing how much bigger it is (despite our best effort). To clear this up once and for all, we’ve brought the two devices in question together — the Mini 5 / Streak smartphone on the left, and the iPad on the right. Now it’s up to you guys to spread the love.

As a bonus, we also threw in various phones — HTC HD mini, Nexus One, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, and HTC HD2 — to pile on top of Apple’s latest toy, just to kill the Sunday afternoon. No magical and revolutionary devices were harmed in the making of this article.

[Thanks for the toys, Chris and Andy]

iPad vs. Dell Mini 5 / Streak… fight! (Bonus: smartphone pile-on)

While iPhone 3G owners and would-be Windows Phone 7 buyers sit in the corner, quietly weeping over their lack of true multitasking, webOS and Symbian continue to point and laugh. In mid-January, a Palm Pre Plus was seen cackling with joy over its rivals’ misfortune even as the device staggered under the weight of 50 simultaneous applications, and less than a week later, a Samsung Omnia HD performed the very same feat, despite having only half the Pre Plus’ RAM (i.e. 256MB) to work with. Now, in what we can only interpret as a large middle finger and “come here” gesture to all who aspire to the cell phone multitasking heavyweight title, we have a video of the i8910 running no less than sixty-two applications thanks to a custom ROM by HyperX. Watch in stunned silence as a finger scrolls through them, right after the break.

So we just got handed some sort of Sprint “overview deck” going over some of the HTC EVO 4G’s finer points — and rest assured, there are many fine points — but all told, there’s not a lot new here; there’s no release date that we can see, and we’re already well acquainted with its 4G hotspot capability and the major features of Android 2.1 integrated with Sense. That said, our attention was drawn to the last couple slides, which reveal a bunch of accessories that’ll be available just in case the phone itself isn’t enough to max out the plastic. Specifically, there’s a dock with HDMI out (“likely” available after launch), a car mount, screen protectors, several kind of cases and gels in every color of the rainbow, and a couple different kinds of replacement shells — one multi-color kit with a handful of snazzy shades, and a custom design option that sounds similar to what T-Mobile has done in the past with some of its devices. Oh, and there’s another gem in here: a battery charging holster — something along the lines of a Case-Mate Fuel, from what we can tell — that’ll come after the initial launch.

That’s about it as accessories go, but we’d like to call your attention to the second slide in the deck, which calls out a mysterious “Segment 1″ as Sprint’s primary target market for the EVO 4G, with “Segment 6″ gaining importance after the phone drops in price — possibly around the holidays this year. From what it sounds, Sprint actually has all of its target demographics grouped into numbered buckets; we’d love to know what they all are, but needless to say, you can count us (and probably most of you) in this fun-loving, awesome Segment 1. You know, the cool kids.

HTC EVO 4G to get boatload of accessories in Sprint stores

[Thanks, Crimmage]

Well, it’s not April 12th, but it looks like you can now order a Zune HD 64 nonetheless — straight from the Zune Originals website, at least. As expected, the device runs $349.99, and the 16GB and 32GB models have now also been knocked down to $200 and $270, respectively — all of which are naturally available in the usual range of different colors, and with custom designs for an extra $15. You’ll also, of course, get the latest v4.5 firmware pre-loaded on the device, which packs new features like SmartDJ that Microsoft was recently kind enough to demonstrate for us.

[Thanks, Henry and Jonathan]

Update: Turns out the Zune HD 64 won’t come pre-loaded with the v4.5 firmware — you’ll be prompted to download it when you connect the device.

Let’s just be nice and feign surprise, okay? Good. With that out of the way, Microsoft has announced a 64GB version of Zune HD, due out April 12th via the Zune online store (and later via other retailers) with a handful of color options and a strapping $349.99 price tag. Not to be outdone, the 16GB and 32GB will each receive a $20 cut on the MSRP, to $200 and $270, respectively — whatever Amazon and Newegg slash beyond that is up to them. It seems “as soon as possible” is the motto for when the price drop is taking place, so if your favorite online / brick-and-mortar retailer isn’t yet honoring the extra Andrew Jackson in your pocket, have patience. So now we’re left with a v4.5 firmware release date as the remaining piece in this puzzle, but Microsoft promises to solve that riddle wrapped in an enigma “in the coming days.” Right. Press release after the break.

Those whispers you might have heard of a Pro version of Samsung’s delectable Galaxy S have just turned into a booming roar, thanks to Eldar Murtazin apparently confirming the existence and prospective arrival of the rumored handset. According to the legendarily loquacious mobile reviewer, Samsung will be strapping a QWERTY keyboard onto the already potent Galaxy S hardware and upping the pricing ante with an extra €50 (about $67) charge. He also manages to give us a June launch date, but pictures of this device are predictably not yet available. We’ll just have to let our imagination do the work until Mr. Blurrycam gets on the case. Screenshot of the relevant tweet after the break.

Sharp’s new IS01 MID for KDDI au proved to be something of a letdown when it was announced earlier today, partly due to raised expectations, and partly due to a lack of a decent look at it. Thankfully, Akihabara News has now come through on the latter point, and provided a fairly extensive hands-on look at the Snapdragon-powered MID. Anyone hoping for a bit more incentive to buy one may well still come away disappointed, however, as the site describes the device as fairly “cheap” feeling, and says that it doesn’t have multitouch support (although earlier reports have stated that the device has a multitouch display). That said, the Snapdragon processor does apparently ensure that the device is suitably speedy, and there’s always the possibility for some exciting things to emerge from its developer-friendly JN-DK01 counterpart. Hit up the source link for a closer look.

The rumor mill is churning today as news of a CDMA iPhone running on Verizon will be manufactured by Pegatron in China while a whole new AT&T model, made by Foxconn, will also drop in the summer/fall timeframe. the Journal notes that the two new devices will be exactly the same except, obviously, the CDMA version will lack a SIM card.

We’ve seen weird leaks of an iPhone 4G screen – something longer than the current iPhone screen with a front-facing camera – but nothing concrete. We also need to take this with a grain of salt. Asian manufacturers enjoy talking up their connections with certain companies because it gives them a slight boost in the equities markets, so this could be a pump and dump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t look surprised. With the Windows Phone 7 Series dev tools now out in the open the pent up demand for that elusive HD2 upgrade was bound to be a priority for some well-meaning developers, somewhere… namely, Russia. Now we’ve got what looks to be the first screenies of the WP7S OS running on an HD2. Better yet, htcpedia claims that almost everything is working including WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. However, the graphics driver is still showing problems and there is noticeable device lag. Nevertheless, the team is planning a beta release soon. Imagine it, an HD2 WP7S ROM available before Microsoft and its partners can even launch an official device, with its 5 buttons or not — now that would be something. One more grab after the break, the rest at the source below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

When Google launched the Nexus One on January 5th, they coined the phrase “superphone” to emphasize how they pushed the limits of what’s possible on a mobile phone. I ordered the N1 on the day it was released and believe it lived up to the hype, but HTC has already surpassed their first super device with the new Sprint EVO 4G.

The following is a quick list of examples how the Sprint EVO tops the N1.

1. First smartphone to support 4G WiMax

Sprint was the first (and only) nationwide carrier in the U.S. to implement a 4G WiMax network and they chose Android to power their flagship device. Users can expect top downloads speeds of 6 Mbps which is 10 times faster than the average 3G network (only 600 kbps).

Monthly data caps are non existent on Sprint 4G data plans (when connected to WiMax), so users can download without worry.

2. 4G Android applications

The faster speeds of the 4G WiMax network opens the door to a wave of bandwidth hungry applications. For example, Google worked with HTC and Sprint to create a new YouTube HQ application that automatically detects a 4G connection and then streams a high def video.

Other developers like Qik are creating specialized versions of their apps targeted for the EVO. Sprint also offers ESPN Mobile TV on the EVO and plans to sign more video distribution deals before launch (Amazon VOD anyone?).

3. Larger 4.3 inch display

The HTC EVO 4G raises the bar for Android screens with its 4.3 inch TFT display. This is a half inch larger than the N1 and will come in handy for high definition pictures and videos. The larger screen size also makes text input easier by allowing a jumbo sized virtual keyboard.

Dell will include a 5 inch display on their Mini 5, but they are marketing it more as a mini tablet than a phone (and we still don’t have a release time frame).

4. 720p HD video in/out

The Nexus One records the best quality video of any Android phone and the EVO will improve upon that. The EVO records video in HD (1280×720) vs only 720×480 on the N1.

Not only does the EVO capture HD video, but you can also push it out with the included HDMI mini port. Users will be able to hook their phone directly to a HDTV by using only a HDMI cable (no dock required). This will allow users to share their recorded movies in HD and stream HD content over a 4G connection.

5. Dual cameras

The EVO is the first Android phone in the U.S. to feature dual cameras. An 8 megapixel camera is located on the back and a 1.3 MP camera is found on the front. This will allow for live video calling, which iPhone (and Android) users have been clamoring for.

Sprint has already released their SDK so developers can begin taking advantage of the forward-facing camera in their apps. Look for fring to be one of the first apps on Android to support video communications.

6. 1GB of internal storage

If Android has a dirty little secret, it is the limited internal storage found on most phones. Google has said they are working on an encrypted solution to allow developers to install their apps to the SD card, but that could still be some time off.

Most new Android phones have 512 MB of internal storage with only about 256 MB allocated for application installs. My Nexus One experienced the low space warning after a month of normal use and I have to constantly uninstall applications to free up room.

Thankfully, the EVO has doubled the internal storage to 1 GB so users should experience fewer space issues as they wait for Google to address the situation.

7. Built in tethering for 8 devices

Most carriers discourage tethering an internet connection from your phone to other devices.

The EVO will actually ship with tethering built in and Sprint is marketing this as one of its biggest features. Customers will be able to setup a mobile hotspot with their phone that up to 8 other devices can connect (vs only 5 of their previous Overdrive hotspot).

I considered purchasing an Overdrive to use as a backup internet connection for work, but the EVO eliminates the need for a second device.

Three reasons to skip the Sprint EVO 4G

Ok so at this point, it sounds like the Sprint HTC EVO 4G might be too hard to resist.

Sprint did not reveal the actual launch price, but I don’t think it even matters for a device like this. The EVO is geared towards the business crowd and hardcore geeks who are willing to purchase it at any reasonable price point. The current Sprint 3G rate plans are fairly competitive with the industry, so it will be interesting to see what options they offer for the EVO 4G.

To be fair, lets look at three reasons to skip the EVO and hold out for another phone.

1. Coverage area

The EVO is a worthy purchase even if you plan to use it on 3G, but a 4G connection is required to take full advantage of the device and all its services. Sprint plans to cover 120 million people by the end of 2010, so visit the Sprint 4G site and check your coverage area.

The only other carrier to roll out a 4G-like nationwide network in 2010 is T-Mobile. They plan to cover 185 million people with HSPA+ by the end of this year, so stay tuned for more markets.

2. T-Mobile HSPA+ is faster than Sprint 4G WiMax

Speaking of T-Mobile, their new HSPA+ network will be the fastest available with nationwide coverage in 2010. Their current implementation of HSPA+ has a theoretical max of 21 Mbps which is double the 10 Mbps theoretical max of Sprint 4G WiMax.

T-Mobile will have a smartphone with HSPA+ support, but it will not be available till the second half of 2010.

Verizon is launching 25-30 markets with 4G LTE late this year, but they will not have a LTE handset till summer 2011. AT&T will also adopt LTE for 4G, but does not expect a handset till 2012.

3. Android updates

Finally – if you always want to have the latest version of Android loaded on your phone, go with the Nexus One. The N1 uses the stock version of Android and should always be the first handset to receive whatever the latest version is out. The EVO will launch with HTC’s Sense UI (on top of Android 2.1) and HTC normally lags a few months before bringing their firmwares up to date.

Are you ready? Release likely around June or July of 2010.

Lots of speculation is going around on the new iPhone 4g… in HD!!

Verizon Wireless is currently testing a CDMA version of the iPhone 4G and Verizon confirms they are making network changes to bring the iphone to their network. The new iPhone 4g is going to be loaded with awesome new features like video chat, multi-tasking and extreme downloading. (List of possible features below). Just when you think there is nothing else to come up with, more and more and more technology comes out. And it is on the rise, and not just at Apple, Inc!

Woo hoo! This iPhone 4g could also have dual core processors and higher and powerful graphic chips that can deliver higher video resolutions and better “still” images when taking pictures.

There are a few networks working on building a 4G network. T-mobile would be a likely carrier since they are GSM already. Sprint has a 4G network already… AT&T and Verizon Wireless are in the beginning stages. There are talks of Verizon Wireless getting iPhone sometime in 2010 since the exclusive contract with AT&T expires, but it could be renewed until 2012.

Whether or not it will be 4G will be up to them!… can they build in time? Regardless, there is much anticipation on how many people will leave AT&T for Verizon Wireless because of AT&T’s lagging on app restrictions like Slingplayer and Google Voice and Skype (on #g network, not Wi-Fi).

AT&T’s restrictions have caused the percentage of people that are JailBreaking their iPhones to rise since Jail Breaking usually comes with Cydia which is the app store for jail broken phones. Most of the applications, ringtones, and even iphone themes!…are free with Cydia. Winterboard is part of the download, and it very easily add’s the changes to your phone so you dont have to figure how to do it on your own…it is VERY automated.

The Palm Pre on Sprint (Sprint now offering a 4G network) has made an attempt at being competitive with iPhone and Blackberry…but it’s not looking good. Maybe their recent Android phone will help.

iPhone 4G looks promising in terms of being sleek, packed with new hardware and multi-tasking software. Very exciting.

A few features of iPhone 4G:

• A new, sleeker body design.
• OLED screen.
• Multi-Tasking. (use multiple functions at once without going in and out of apps)
• iChat camera (on the front so you can have video chat!!!)
• 32G (basic) and 64G of memory. Your sure to never run out.
• Removable Battery.
• Hi Definition Camera.
• Hi Definition Camcorder.
• Hi Definition audio.
• Messaging light.
• True GPS built in.

What could possibly come after the iPhone 3GS? The iPhone 3GSS, of course! Joking aside, turns out Apple’s already dropped the 4G bomb on one of its job postings in May 2009 while seeking for a “Cellular Technology Software Manager” with “expert knowledge of… WCDMA/UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, LTE etc.” That’s right, LTE. Now, we’re not saying this means a 4G-powered iPhone is next in line in the annual product cycle, nor does this listing confirm Apple’s favored 4G radio (be it a decoy or an eventual change of heart), but given AT&T’s interest in LTE plus its prolonged love affair with Cupertino, it’s pretty hard to not consider LTE as a realistic option on future Apple portables. Frankly, it won’t be the end of the world if a 4G iPhone fails to turn up this summer — most of us here would rather have something with improved battery life, real multitasking, and 720p camera over those insane data speeds. No, really.

[Thanks, Bryan]

Why carry around a netbook and a smartphone when you can have a netbook / smartphone? Why indeed. Especially when you can have something as sensible as the BPhone, which is now finally available for the completely reasonable price of $569.99 (unlocked, of course). That will get you a not-quite-pocketable convertible device with a 5-inch touchscreen, along with a 624MHz Marvell CPU, ARM Linux 2.6 for an OS, 256GB of flash storage, built-in Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS, and quad-band GSM connectivity on the “phone” side of the equation. Sound like just the thing you’ve been looking for? Hit up the link below to get your order in.

[Thanks, BrianB]

We’ve been rumoring a WiMAX “HTC Supersonic” for a while now, and Sprint just dropped the hard news: the phone will be dubbed the HTC EVO 4G, will be released this Summer and it’s easily the best specced phone we’ve ever witnessed. The hardware is of quite obvious HD2 descent, but with Android onboard and some nice aesthetic tweaks, the EVO 4G takes on a life of its own. The handset is centered around a 480 x 800 4.3-inch TFT LCD, with a Snapdragon QSD8650 1GHz processor under the hood (the CDMA version of the QSD8250 in the HD2 and Nexus One), and even a helpful 1GB of built-in memory and 512MB of RAM — hello app storage! Even the battery is bigger than the HD2, and the camera is an 8 megapixel monstrosity with flash, that’s capable of 720p video, and is augmented by a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for good measure. The phone features HDMI out (though you’ll need an adapter for turning it into a TV-familiar HDMI plug), 802.11b/g WiFi, and an 8GB microSD card. There’s that still-rare Android 2.1 underneath an updated version of HTC’s Sense UI. But… despite all these wild features, what actually sets the EVO 4G apart is the fact that it’s Sprint’s first 4G phone. The handset runs a combo of EV-DO Rev. A and WiMAX, with calls still being made over CDMA and the EV-DO / WiMAX options for data. Interestingly, it sounds like concurrent data and voice use might be possible for the first time on CDMA carrier in this way (killing AT&T’s well-advertised differentiator), though Sprint says that’s still in the testing phase. One other new feature is the Sprint hotspot app, another MiFi-style connection sharing number, which is obviously aided greatly by the WiMAX on board and can support up to eight concurrent users. Follow after the break for our hands-on impressions and videos of the phone in action, including an up-close-and-personal test of the touchscreen keyboard. Below you’ll find galleries of the phone by its lonesome and up against the Nexus One and iPhone 3G.

Update: We’ve got a graph comparing the Nexus One and Droid with the EVO spec for spec, and there’s also a pictorial shootout with the Desire and HD2. Pick your comparo poison!

HTC EVO 4G press shots

HTC EVO 4G hands-on

HTC EVO 4G vs. iPhone vs. Nexus One

read on entire article with Video Reviews at engadget.com

You know your mobile OS is going places when people start resurrecting their smartphone divisions just to throw out their own spin on it. Kyocera’s approach with the new Zio M6000 has been to marry an 800 x 480 display to some rather middle of the road components and to sell that package at a significantly lower price point (between $169 and $216 unsubsidized) than most Android-infused communicators on the market. You know, for the people that like to have a handsome high-res phone, but don’t need it to have the firepower to run Quake. It’s still not a terrible slouch, coming with a 600MHz MSM7227 CPU from Qualcomm, 512MB of onboard app memory, and 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Look out for its US arrival in the second quarter of this year.

Kyocera Zio M6000

AT&T’s teaser site for the Dell Aero has gone live and we can now fill in a few more gaps in our knowledge about this forthcoming handset. It’s looking every bit the renamed Mini 3 we thought it was, so click here and here to get a closer look at the body of the device. The official web mouthpiece confirms a 3.5-inch screen with nHD resolution — which may or may not signify the same 640 x 480 as on the Brazilian and Chinese versions — and one definite point of departure, a 5 (rather than 3) megapixel camera on the back. Claimed to be the lightest Android smartphone yet, the Aero will also come with WiFi and GPS built in, though its biggest attraction will undoubtedly be the thoroughly tricked out Android UI, which promises Picassa, Flick, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitpic integration right out of the box. Check out the gallery below for some hints of what that willl look like.

[Thanks, Chilko]

Dell Aero