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Samsung Omnia II Video 1st Look

Chris Leckness — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:30:43 +0000

This is the hot new Windows Mobile phone from Verizon, the Samsung Omnia II. The Droid isn’t all Verizon has to offer. They have the Storm II and now the Omnia II as well. The Omnia II can be purchased from Verizon for $199 w/ contract. The Omnia II has the Swype text entry that Marilyn told us about last week too. It’s packed with power:

Windows Mobile 6.5
800Mhz Processor
Memory: 512 Flash/208 RAM (+ 8GB of internal user memory)
Battery – 1500 mAh
3.7" WVGA Display with AMOLED Technology
5.0 Megapixel Digital Camera/Camcorder with Flash

Read on for my video 1st look…

(...) Read the rest of Samsung Omnia II Video 1st Look (32 words)

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Motorola Droid Update Available, Android 2.01 on Verizon

Chris Leckness — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:19:13 +0000

Verizon has made an update available for the Motorola Droid. This puts the Droid on Android 2.01. The instructions on how to go about updating your Droid can be found here.

The following enhancements to the Droid by Motorola have been made:

OS stability is improved.

Battery life is improved.

Camera auto focus functionality is improved, and time between
shots is reduced.

Enhancements for three-way calling.

Audio for incoming calls is improved.

When receiving a call on call waiting, the speakerphone now
remains on.

Bluetooth® functionality is improved; background echo is eliminated.

Improved Bluetooth phone book transfer of contacts to in-vehicle
Bluetooth solutions.

After closing a GPS application, the GPS icon will now automatically
be removed from the notification panel.

Users can now receive SMS and MMS messages after an EMS
message is received.

SMS and MMS may now be sent to seven-digit addresses.

Google contact merging has been updated to accommodate
seven-digit numbers.

Visual Voice Mail notices now arrive instantaneously.

The corporate calendar widget user interface is updated.

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AT&T’s 3G network outperforms Verizon’s?

Chris Leckness — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:41:15 +0000

AT&T and Verizon are still taking blows at each other on the airwaves with all their ads countering each others strengths and weaknesses, but they have taken the fight out of the court system. A couple days later, Telephony Online published an article stating that AT&T outperforms Verizon in an independent report recently.

AT&T’s mobile data network problems compared to Verizon’s are mainly problems of perception, according to independent testing firm Root Wireless. On most critical performance metrics, AT&T’s 3G networks comes out on top, they say

I guess the real test is how each of them perform for you in your own city. For me, in Tuscaloosa Alabama, they are both really strong. I have no complaints with either company. I personally use AT&T, but if Verizon was GSM, it would be a toss up. This article goes pretty deep into the testing, well beyond the real life tests we all do in our own cities daily.

Root tested VZW and AT&T’s networks in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles-Orange County, New York, San Francisco, Seattle-Tacoma and Washington, DC. According to its data, AT&T’s average download speed ranged from 246 kb/s to 428 kb/s across the seven markets, while VZW’s average speeds ranged from 195 kb/s to 259 kb/s, validating AT&T’s claim of having the nation’s fastest 3G network. Verizon’s uplink-optimized EV-DO revision A network, however, beat out AT&T in upload speeds in most of those markets, though not by much. Average uplink bandwidth for both operators ranged from 94 kb/s to 138 kb/s. In general the chance for a data connection failure was low for both operators, never exceeding 3%, but AT&T managed to best or match Verizon in all seven markets. Surprisingly, Sprint (NYSE:S) had the highest connection failure rate, ranging from 11% to 15%, calling into question Sprint’s “most reliable network” claims.

(...) Read the rest of AT&T’s 3G network outperforms Verizon’s? (150 words)

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Motorola Droid Software Quick Look

Chris Leckness — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:28:00 +0000

I have already put up the unboxing/hardware tour and a photo gallery, you can check those out here:

For the software quick look, read on…

(...) Read the rest of Motorola Droid Software Quick Look (26 words)

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Verizon Samsung Omnia II Incoming

Chris Leckness — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:03:54 +0000

A little over a week ago, Verizon and Samsung made the “rumored” Samsung Omnia II official. Yesterday, I got word that I have one arriving today for our review. I reviewed the original Omnia last year and wasn’t overly impressed, but a lot has changed and this one looking pretty hot. I will have a video and some photos online for your viewing pleasure by this time tomorrow.

The Samsung Omnia II is a Windows Mobile 6.5 touch screen phone and Verizon will have it on Dec. 2 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate on a 2 year. The Omnia II features a full virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology that allows customers to input text faster and easier with one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard. The Omnia II is also features the Samsung Widget Store, which provides customers with the ability to download hundreds of free widgets.

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Get the HTC Droid Eris Andorid Powered Phone Free

Chris Leckness — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:54:09 +0000

If you are not already a Verizon customer, you can get the HTC Droid Eris absolutely free. That’s just the hardware though. You still have to get a voice plan and data plan. With Verizon’s Nationwide Select 900 plan and the unlimited data plan, my monthly bill would be almost $125.

Anyhow, this deal is at Letstalk.com and the Eris isn’t the only deal to be had. There are a couple phones that you get paid to take off their hands as well as a couple hot phones for cheap too. The Storm 2 is also free with a contract. All this relies on you not already being a customer though.

Back to the Droid Eris though, this is basically a rebranded HTC Hero like the one Marilyn reviewed recently. It’s running Andorid 1.5 has a 528mhz Qualcomm processor, has a 3.2” capacitive HVGA screen, 512MB ROM / 288MB RAM, a 5 megapixel camera, and even comes with an 8gb MicroSD card!

Let me remind you though, these great deals are usually only good for new customers and you have to sell your soul in the form of contracts to get them.

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Motorola Droid Photo Gallery

Chris Leckness — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:35:00 +0000

Here is some device pr0n showing Verizon’s Motorola Droid in all sorts of provocative poses. Please enjoy the show. I really enjoyed this shoot. The model was very fun to work with and it shows.

(...) Read the rest of Motorola Droid Photo Gallery (1 words)

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Swype Replaces Type On Verzion Samsung Omnia II

Marilyn Torres — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:22:34 +0000

A little over a year ago Chris posted a piece about the Swype software, and yet here is Swype again attempting to change consumers’ perspectives on typing using software keyboards. Since my introduction to software keyboards came in the form of the near-microscopic keys in Windows Mobile 6.0, I was slow to adopt the prediction-correction-ridden virtual-boards. The correction software on even the iPhone still throws me for a loop, and yet Samsung decides to turn convention on its head to welcome the 2009 holiday season with Swype on the Samsung Omnia II for Verizon.

(...) Read the rest of Swype Replaces Type On Verzion Samsung Omnia II (125 words)

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Motorola Droid Unboxing and Hardware Tour Video

Chris Leckness — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:10:23 +0000

The Droid has finally invaded Mobilitysite. Well, there are already a few Droid owners contributing to Mobilitysite, but they haven’t gotten around to sharing their thoughts yet. Maybe they are too busy enjoying the phone. Even though I got sick of all the buzz and ad saturation of this Droid launch, I feel the device is one that I would considering using longterm. It’ really surprised me. If the keyboard was better, It would be a touch choice for me right now. Check out the video after the break…

(...) Read the rest of Motorola Droid Unboxing and Hardware Tour Video (0 words)

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Samsung and Verizon Announce the Samsung Omnia II

Chris Leckness — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:36:08 +0000

Here’s a good surprise for your Monday morning, Verizon gets the Samsung Omnia II. The Samsung Omnia II is a Windows Mobile 6.5 touch screen phone and Verizon will have it on Dec. 2 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate on a 2 year. The Omnia II features a full virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology that allows customers to input text faster and easier with one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard. The Omnia II is also features the Samsung Widget Store, which provides customers with the ability to download hundreds of free widgets. Additional features include a full HTML Web browsing capabilities with Opera 9.5 enhanced browser, access to social networking applications and a 5.0 megapixel camera with flash and auto-focus and camcorder and decoder with DNSe technology and on-device editing capabilities.

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Droid Invades Mobilitysite Tommorow

Chris Leckness — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:47:06 +0000

After a long run of Windows Mobile devices, I tried Android back when the T-Mo G1 hit and wasn’t overly impressed. The chin phone failed to capture my enthusiasm. Then came the HTC Hero on Sprint. Excellent device, Sense UI made it an awesome phone, but the lack of keyboard left me out. That’s pretty funny considering the lack of keyboard was one of my main gripes with the iPhone and now I am using the iPhone as my daily driver. I am now finishing up my review of the Samsung Moment, a vanilla Android phone on Sprint. It’s running Cupcake and doesn’t have many bells and whistles on top of the standard Android package. Well, right on cue, I will be receiving the Motorola Droid on Monday. I will test it out for a couple days and hand it over to someone else to do the full review. After that, I will be taking a look at the hottest Windows Mobile phone on the market.

We have a couple editors with the Droid already too. Stay tuned for their opinions as well! One of them will be publishing a husband and wife style real life study too.

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Verizon Wireless vs. AT&T, Part 5

Steve Mueller — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:57:14 +0000

Keisha posted last week about AppleInsider’s defense of AT&T against Verizon’s “there’s a map for that” ad campaign. It turns out that Engadget Mobile has posted a rebuttal of AppleInsider’s article, too, with the catchy title, Hey, AT&T — drop lawsuits, not calls.

It points out the numerous inaccuracies and misleading claims in AppleInsider’s “analysis”. I won’t repost all of them here (copying them all would likely violate Fair Use), but I will list one of my favorites:

Verizon’s gaming the system by comparing only their 3G networks: the truth hurts, AT&T. Verizon’s commercials would have you believe that by comparing only 3G coverage, Verizon wins by a country mile. And guess what? They do. To AT&T’s credit, the 3GPP’s WCDMA technology path is considerably more advanced and extensible than EV-DO Rev. A is, but beyond UMTS’s simultaneous voice / data capability, the end user’s experience is pretty similar in day-to-day use. We go where the faster real-world speeds (and the reliable calls) are.

It’s worth reading the entire article (it’s not that long) to get a real-world perspective on the debate.

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Motorola Droid Having Speaker Problems-May be a software issue

Stephen Borders — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:10:17 +0000

Seems some are having speaker problems with the new Droid phone in which a reboot seems to fix it for a while. Here is what Engadget has to say:

It’s no reason to panic just yet, but apparently a good amount of people are having trouble with the external speaker on their Motorola Droid cutting out for no reason. It seems to be software-related, and sometimes a reboot fixes it temporarily, but it’s a scary problem for people relying on the handset as an alarm clock (or, you know, to receive calls), since you never know when it will strike next. For its part it seems that Motorola is replacing handsets that have the issue, though that’s no guarantee of escape from the clutches of silence. Let’s hope Motorola updates us with a software patch or some other serious solution soon — people need to hear that robotic "Droooiiid" alert sound — and meanwhile let us know if you’ve been seeing a similar issue.

Engadget is taking a poll so if you are having issues head on over and vote

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AT&T Defending itself with word rather than misleading claims…

Chris Leckness — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:54:06 +0000

I hate to keep rehashing the same issues over and over, but the soap opera is getting more and more in depth. Yesterday, AT&T Filed a 30 page document to the court system calling for a Verizon to stop running their misleading ads altogether. Today, they have posted a public letter to their customers. You can read that letter that after the break.

I personally think that Verizon has some points, but I still don’t like their attack Apple and AT&T method of advertising. Focus on showing what you do well and not what other do poorly. AT&T has network conjestion problems in many large cities, that has already been established. The issue I take with the Verizon ads is that they are claiming that AT&T doesn’t have data coverage in many places when they actually do. In fact, the Verizon version of AT&T’s map shows my town without coverage. I am all up on 3G and it’s just fine here. We haven’t had it too long, but we do. My opinion really doesn’t matter here though. This matter is going up to the legal system now. They can be the judge of that.

(...) Read the rest of AT&T Defending itself with word rather than misleading claims… (318 words)

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Phone Scoop handles the Saygus V1, VPhone

Chris Leckness — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:33:12 +0000

Phone Scoop has got some hands on time with another Android phone headed to Verizon, the Saygus V1. This is the one that I wrote about last week.

The VPhone — aka V1 — is being manufactured by Saygus. It runs Android 1.6 and will be updatable to Android 2.0 at some point in the future. Saygus executives said that the device will be available to Verizon Wireless customers, but it won’t be supported by Verizon Wireless. That’s one of the drawbacks of using an ODI handset. Anyone who eventually purchases this device will have to rely on Saygus for support if things go screwy. Once certified, the VPhone will be able to access Verizon’s voice and data network, but won’t offer Verizon-branded services.

Instead, Saygus is offering its own, home-cooked applications to make the VPhone stand out. The primary feature of the phone is a video sharing capability that will allow users to stream a live, bi-directional video feed between two phones. Yes, that means video phone calls from a cell phone. (Saygus claims its video compression technology is second to none, and will even work on EDGE networks.)

Head over to Phone Scoop for plenty of photos and a video…

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