Despite an earlier leak that made a May announcement seem increasingly likely, Samsung is apparently still considering an April launch for its highly anticipated Galaxy S III smartphone, South Korean news site MK reports. Samsung president for the China region Kim Young-ha is quoted as having said that the company is still pushing for an April launch. ”In order to increase sales of the Galaxy S3 as well as the Galaxy Note which is already very popular in China, the company is considering rescheduling the rollout of the Galaxy S3 from May to April,” Kim reportedly said Wednesday while speaking at the Samsung Forum 2012. An earlier report suggested that the flagship smartphone is currently slated for a May 22nd announcement, as tipped on the home screen of a leaked product render. With HTC’s One-series smartphones set to launch next month, the South Korea-based vendor is undoubtedly under pressure to push up its Galaxy S III release, though carriers could stand in the way here in the United States. BGR exclusively reported that the Galaxy S III will feature a 4.8-inch display with 1080p HD resolution, a quad-core Exynos processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a remarkably slim case made of ceramic.

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Netflix on Wednesday announced that users can now sign up for the service directly through Apple TV, and pay for it with their iTunes account. The company also announced that it will be offering 1080p HD streaming to Apple’s new set-top box. Apple unveiled its new Apple TV unit during the company’s press conference in San Francisco. Along with 1080p support, the new set-top box features a brand new user interface with support for Genius recommendations, Photo Stream and iTunes Match. Netflix’s new sign up and payment features will be available to customers in the United States, Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

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Apple on Wednesday unveiled an updated Apple TV with a new streamlined user interface during the company’s press conference in San Francisco. The iOS-based set top box supports 1080p content, Genius recommendations, iTunes Match, Photo Stream and TV shows will be available the day after they air. “People are going to love streaming movies and TV shows in 1080p with the new Apple TV, and photos look beautiful displayed at the maximum resolution of your TV,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Apple TV is easier than ever to use with its new icon-based interface and the ability to access your purchased movies, TV shows and music right from iCloud.” The new Apple TV retains the same $99 price tag, and it will be available on March 16th with pre-orders starting today. Read on for Apple’s press release.

Apple Brings 1080p High Definition to New Apple TV
New Apple TV Features iTunes Movies and TV Shows, Netflix, Photos & More in HD

SAN FRANCISCO—March 7, 2012—Apple® today announced the new Apple TV® featuring 1080p programming including iTunes® movies and TV shows, Netflix, Vimeo, photos and more in HD. With iTunes in the Cloud, customers can purchase and play their favorite movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store® and watch them instantly on their HD TV. The new Apple TV features a simpler, refined user interface making it easier than ever to access your purchased movies, TV shows and music with iTunes Match℠ right from iCloud®. With AirPlay®, users can stream or mirror their favorite content from their iPad® or iPhone® 4S to Apple TV.

“People are going to love streaming movies and TV shows in 1080p with the new Apple TV, and photos look beautiful displayed at the maximum resolution of your TV,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Apple TV is easier than ever to use with its new icon-based interface and the ability to access your purchased movies, TV shows and music right from iCloud.”

Apple TV users can choose from an incredible selection of programming including over 15,000 movies and over 90,000 TV episodes on the iTunes Store. Apple TV also offers great content from Netflix’s streaming catalog, live sports from MLB, NBA and NHL as well as Internet content from Vimeo, YouTube and Flickr.*

With iCloud, you can buy movies and TV shows on Apple TV and watch them on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC. iCloud also stores photos and pushes them wirelessly to all your devices including your HD TV via Apple TV. iCloud provides an incredibly easy way to get instant access to all of your content, no matter which device is being used.

iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users can use AirPlay to stream music, photos and videos from their devices directly to their HD TV with Apple TV. iPhone 4S or iPad users can use AirPlay Mirroring to show the screen of their device right on their HD TV, allowing them to stream web pages, spreadsheets or even games.**

Apple TV makes it easy to enjoy iTunes video, music and photo libraries from your computer right on your HD TV—and with iCloud you can instantly enjoy content that was purchased on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch as well. iTunes Match customers can now play their entire music library from iCloud—even songs they’ve imported from CDs. Users can also control Apple TV with their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch using the Remote app, available as a free download on the App Store™ (www.itunes.com/appstore).

Pricing & Availability
Apple TV will be available on Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of $99 (US) through the Apple online store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Apple TV requires iTunes 10.5 or later. Apple TV requires an 802.11g/n Wi-Fi network or Ethernet network, a broadband Internet connection and a HD TV capable of 1080p or 720p and an HDMI cable that is sold separately. iTunes movie and TV show availability varies by country. Second generation Apple TV users can install the new Apple TV user interface via a free software update, available today. Third generation Apple TV hardware is required to play 1080p video.

We reported some exclusive details surrounding Samsung’s upcoming flagship Galaxy S III smartphone this past weekend, and now we have received some more information that helps us paint a more complete picture. And as that picture becomes more clear, this sure looks like the baddest Android smartphone the world hasn’t yet seen. We reported that the new Samsung flagship would launch in a simultaneous fashion across the globe, but we now have some more detailed specifications to report. Ladies and gentlemen, here is the Samsung Galaxy S III:

• 1.5GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos processor
• 4.8-inch “full HD” 1080p resolution with 16:9 aspect ratio display
• A 2-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel rear camera
• Ceramic case
• 4G LTE
• Android 4.0

As always, we’ll keep pounding our sources for more information, but we have to say… a Blu-ray display? On a smartphone? We’ll cuddle up with that and some popcorn any night of the week.

Robino Films has posted a video which compares 1080p HD video samples captured by both the iPhone 4S and the Canon 5D Mark II side-by-side. The videographer said the iPhone 4S and Canon EOS-5D Mark II were set so that the frame rate, picture style, exposure and shutter speed were “as close as possible.” The Canon 5D Mark II was equipped with a 50mm lens, ISO was set to 160 ~ 640, shutter speed was set to 1/60th, auto-white balance was activated and the camera was set to record at 30 frames per second at 1080p. The iPhone 4S was simply set to AE/AF locked. The results are quite impressive and aside from some changes in color, the videos actually look quite similar. The Canon 5D Mark II with average lens runs around $3,000 and up. Be sure to catch the video after the break below.

The iPhone 4S is Apple’s top of the line smartphone, but is it just a small upgrade over the iPhone 4 or something entirely different? It looks the same, but does it act the same? New in the iPhone 4S is Siri, Apple’s virtual personal assistant, along with an upgraded camera, twice the speed as far as processing and downloads are concerned, and a redesigned antenna system that also supports global roaming for Verizon and Sprint users. Are these new features enough to upgrade your iPhone 4, though? What about iPhone 3GS owners or maybe even those of you who are stuck using some other smartphone you bought because the salesperson said it was just good as that iPhone your carrier didn’t offer at the time? Read on to find out.

Hardware / Design

The iPhone 4S combines some of the best materials with what is arguably the finest smartphone design on the planet — you don’t even need to see or hold one to know that. Why? Because it’s basically identical to the original iPhone 4 that launched last year in June.

While the iPhone 4S external hardware doesn’t greatly differ from the iPhone 4, there are some subtle and welcome changes. For starters, the iPhone 4S incorporates the updated external antenna design found on the Verizon iPhone 4. Instead of three breaks in the stainless steel middle band that surrounds the handset, there are now four symmetrically placed breaks.

I like this layout better because while Apple’s “Antennagate” issues were exaggerated, it was still a problem at times if you happened to hold the phone in a way that completely smothered the bottom-left corner of the phone. After over a year of consciously and then subconsciously avoiding that spot with my grip, this new antenna design makes me feel a bit more at ease. In fact, I haven’t noticed an issue at all even when purposely applying the death grip across one, two or even all four seams this time around.

There are also a few physical hardware changes like a redesigned home button (mostly from the inside) that should fix reliability issues. While not touted by Apple, I can also tell that there has been a big change with the microphone and speakerphone, but I’ll go into that a little bit later.

The big upgrades with the iPhone 4S are internal. The iPhone 4 wasn’t a slow device by any means; in fact, it performed and felt faster than most other smartphones that had much faster processors thanks to Apple’s complete control over the OS from top to bottom, including the user interface. The iPhone 4S though, is much faster than the iPhone 4 with most tasks, and it offers up seven times the graphics performance of the iPhone 4. Apps open instantly now, there’s no lag whatsoever, web browsing (which was already arguably better than it is on any other mobile device) is even faster now, and gaming on the 4S most certainly has a notable performance increase.

This device, Apple touts, is the first smartphone to incorporate two antennas that is able to switch between them even while on a phone call, offering a superior phone calling experience. This is in addition to being a true world phone for Verizon and newcomer Sprint, who for the first time is offering the iPhone 4S and the previous-generation iPhone 4. In short: Apple made the best smartphone, from a hardware and design perspective, even better.

iOS 5

Apple released iOS 5 as a free upgrade for all iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad, iPad 2, and third and fourth-generation iPod touch owners. It also ships with the iPhone 4S. The new operating system brings some much needed features and enhancements to the iOS platform to play catch up with competitors, while also leaping beyond other platforms in other areas.

A major pain point in previous versions of iOS, for example, was the notifications system. They were obtrusive, they we’re obstructive, they were so old school. Thankfully iOS 5 brings Notification Center, a new pull-down drawer that features all of your notifications from each and every app you’d like in addition the local weather and stocks courtesy of Apple widgets. Instead of a pop-up making you either dismiss it or read the message, new alerts simply drop down at the very top of your screen, allowing you to continue going about your business while of course letting you go into that specific alert if you’d like. It’s a system we’ve seen before, of course, but it’s better in a lot of ways.

Also new in iOS 5 is iMessage. Apple has finally introduced a messaging service that not only eliminates the need for many text messaging packages and saves you money, but also lets you communicate with any other iOS 5 device including iPad and iPod touch devices without a cellular connection. It’s Apple’s version of BlackBerry Messenger, and while it doesn’t offer the ability to request / deny buddies, or offer advanced features like group calendar sharing, it’s an excellent alternative that seamlessly integrates into the Messages app. By default, Apple will use iMessage, signified by a blue chat bubble as opposed to a green one, allowing you to bypass your carrier’s text message service in order to use Apple’s free one instead. Messages also show if they were delivered or read by the recipient, and you can share photos, videos, your location, contacts, and more over iMessage.

Another big addition to the iOS experience that comes alongside iOS 5 is iCloud, which works hand in hand with the brand new iPhone 4S.

With iCloud, you’re able to stop worrying about syncing your content and let Apple push it instantly to all of your computers and mobile devices. For instance, you can start working on a document in iWork on your computer, pick up your iPad when you’re on the sofa and pick up right where you left off, all without saving, emailing, uploading, or anything. The same thing goes with your media and content. Purchase a song from iTunes or download an app from the App Store and it’s immediately available on your other iOS devices and even in your iTunes library on your computer. iCloud works across third party apps as well so you can put down a game you’re playing on your iPhone, pick up your iPad and resume from the level or place you paused at.

Another major iCloud feature is called Photo Stream. After testing this feature for the last few months, I’m completely in love with it. If you have more than one computer, it used to be difficult to manage an iOS device as data including photos could only be synced with one computer. With Photo Stream, Apple automatically pushes your photos to all of your computers and other iOS devices, and it stores up to 1,000 photos for 30 days. Just grab the photos you want, and drag them to an album on any computer or even make one right from the iPhone 4S itself, and you don’t ever have to worry about syncing your photos again.

Other notable iOS 5 additions include the ability to sync your device to iTunes over Wi-Fi instead of plugging it in, wireless nightly backups to iCloud, and important enhancements to the Mail app like the ability to flag your emails, search all content, mark all as read, and more. Lastly, iOS 5 enables you to use your smartphone or device completely PC-free. This means you don’t need to plug it into a computer to set it up — in fact, you don’t have to use a computer for anything if you don’t want. You can make email boxes on the fly, make photo albums, and even set up and manage your Apple wireless network right from your iOS device.

All in all, iOS 5 brings over 200 new features and changes to the iOS platform and they add up to a dramatic improvement over a user experience that was already phenomenal.

Siri

There are a few words I can think of that can accurately describe Siri: game-changing, mind-blowing, revolutionary, empowering. Is Siri really that big a deal? Yes, and here’s why:

In it’s current iteration as a sassy voice-driven personal assistant, Siri is incredible. It’s by far the best artificial intelligence solution that’s ever been offered to consumers (and I’m sure even to most non-consumers as well). Siri not only can respond to ordinary tasks but it also has the ability to extend beyond the device and pull in information from many sources of information like Wolfram Alpha, Yelp, Wikipedia, and more.

There are many people who won’t understand the fawning over Siri, and following the Apple event earlier this month, a part of me was initially skeptical of Siri’s usefulness beyond the initial novelty when I would play around with it and show it off to friends and family. Then I got in my car and drove somewhere. Texting and driving is terrible, but let’s be honest, most of us glance at our phones or worse when we’re in the car. Siri enabled me to get all of my new text messages and emails, reply to my text messages, check my calendar, move an appointment, create an appointment including inviting someone to the meeting, check the weather, play a specific song, find where a specific friend was in the world (using Apple’s Find My Friends app), and make a few phone calls. I didn’t look at my phone once. Now that’s a game changer.

Siri allows you to have a normal conversation with your phone, and it actually is a tad bit… unsettling at first. Asking your phone to move your 1:00 p.m. calendar appointment to 3:00 p.m., call your mother back, text your friend and tell him that the movie he recommended you see was horrendous, how much 1912 times 451 is, how do I get home, remind me to grab my sunglasses when I leave the office, and how the markets are doing is just ridiculous. I’ve asked Siri her age, what her favorite color is, where she is from, and other personal questions, and each time there’s a personal response, most of the time with slight snark.

Now, Siri does have a few hiccups. It relies on the network, so if you’re using something like Optimum’s Wi-Fi hotspots when you’re out and about, this can cause a little bit of an issue as you switch on and off of Wi-Fi access points since Siri won’t be able to connect to the server when you’re disconnecting. And the few times you’re on an EDGE or 1x network, Siri can take a while instead of coming back with a response almost instantly. There are also some times when Siri will mess up, but I have found that even if you don’t say a few words clearly enough, or Siri doesn’t detect them clearly enough, that most of the time the response will still turn out alright. When Siri misunderstands a word, you can also edit it with a simple tap to ensure an accurate response. Then of course there are the comical times Siri doesn’t get what you’re saying at all, but those luckily don’t happen too much.

In addition to Siri, the personal assistant that lives on your iPhone 4S, you’re also able to dictate text in any text field on the iPhone using the new microphone button on the virtual keyboard. This is very similar to a feature Android has had for years. Fortunately, this works way, way better.

It was rumored that Nuance is powering this feature (and parts of Siri), and I’d believe it as this performs just like the Dragon Dictation iPhone app, but being built-in changes everything. Even with background noise, Siri and voice dictation normally worked flawlessly thanks to the iPhone’s second microphone for noise cancellation. Again, while driving, I didn’t have to check my phone once and I could carry on a perfectly accurate text conversation with someone. It’s incredible. When you think that Apple has labeled this as a beta, and that the system will improve over time, this is going to be the next big revolution as far as computer and device input is concerned. We’re actually starting to live in a world where you can speak naturally to your device and it won’t only understand you, but it will give you a little bit of attitude as well. Imagine something like this in different aspects of technology… what about in your TV? Instead of fumbling for the remote and navigating through those terrible, terrible, cable box interfaces, just tell your TV to tune to ESPN, or record a specific show at a certain time, and it’s done. Think about how bad car navigation and voice control is, even in the best automobiles. This is the start of the next revolution in terms of interacting with a computer, just as a mouse was, just as touch was.

Siri works internationally with five languages and a few localizations, though there are some features that are limited to the U.S. for now. Apple will expand Siri to more regions and languages in 2012.

Camera / Video capture

The camera on the iPhone 4S is the best camera I have ever used on a mobile device.

I remember years ago buying a Sharp GX22 and then GX30 camera phone and being impressed at the quality of photos that the phones could take. The first was a VGA camera phone, but it had a better lens than any other phone on the market, and the second featured a 1-megapixel camera. It was the first time I realized that megapixels weren’t the only thing that mattered as far as photos were concerned.

That’s not to say 8-megapixels isn’t impressive on a smartphone, but it’s what those 8-megapixels can serve up that matters, and on the iPhone 4S, they are the best photos I have seen taken on a non-camera. In fact, the camera is good enough to where I have no longer need to bring an actual camera anywhere I go outside of a dSLR for specific purposes. With face detection (it supports up to 10 people in the same photo) exposure is properly set, with the ability to use the volume up button as a shutter button, you no longer have to go hunting around for the on-screen shutter button, and with new features like grid lines that help you compose a shot even better, the camera on the iPhone 4S is a winner.

That’s not even considering how amazing the iPhone 4s is in low-light situations, or how with the new camera button on the lock screen combined with the speed of the 4S and optics, you can take a photo in under 4 seconds from getting your phone out of your pocket — you won’t ever miss a shot again. Photos can now be taken in rapid succession, and with the ability to edit photos right on the device itself, including red eye removal, cropping, and an auto-enhance feature, the iPhone 4S offers the most compelling camera package on any smartphone or mobile device.

As far as the video camera goes on the iPhone 4S, it’s almost equally as impressive. Finally you’re able to capture full 1080p HD video right from your iPhone, and in addition to crystal clear, full-frame 1080p video, the iPhone 4S offers up something even better: brilliantly, using the gyro built into the device (it can sense the device’s orientation and position on three different axes), video captured with the iPhone 4S is automatically stabilized as it’s taken, eliminating almost all shakes and jagged video. Additionally, using the same noise cancellation techniques that the phone uses for voice calling and for interacting with Siri, audio taken with videos is almost always crisp and clear.

Phone / Speaker

Apple’s iPhones have not ever been excellent phones for voice calling. Blame the networks, blame the radios or blame whatever else you want — voice calls were almost never a good experience. I’m extremely happy that the iPhone 4S finally starts to break that mold.

In terms of radio performance, speed and call quality, I am incredibly impressed. I have more service in more places, fewer dropped calls (just about on par with a phone like a BlackBerry 9700, which runs very well on AT&T’s network) and better call quality. The reason for the change? Well, Apple’s new antenna system is surely a part of it as is the updated software on the device, but I think we have to give some credit to the Qualcomm radio that Apple has finally migrated to. Qualcomm is known for making class-topping chips, and this is a welcome change.

Finally, the speakerphone on the iPhone 4S improves on an already solid experience. It’s not only louder than it was on previous models, but it’s clearer as well, offering call and music audio that’s not distorted or choppy. This improvement most likely has to do with Siri in order to ensure the experience with Apple’s new personal assistant is top-notch and crystal clear, but the improvements trickle down into other areas of the device as well.

Battery

Apple notes that battery life on the iPhone 4S should be comparable to the iPhone 4 even though the smartphone features a dual-core processor with two times the speed and seven times the graphics performance over the previous model. The company also notes that the iPhone 4S will perform better in some key areas, like delivering an extra hour of talk time over 3G than its predecessor. It comes at the cost of one less hour of internet usage over Wi-Fi (10% less), and 33% less standby time. At first these sound like big changes, especially in standby time, but over the last few days I didn’t notice much of a difference in battery performance compared to the iPhone 4.

Conclusion

Apple didn’t introduce a brand new iPhone with a radical new case design, larger display, 4G, or the ability to make you a cup of espresso. What Apple did do is drastically improve upon the company’s most successful smartphone ever — and the most popular smartphone in the world — the iPhone 4.

The iPhone 4S is better in every way possible, including being up to two times faster as far as regular use is concerned. It also features the best camera and video camera on a smartphone ever, drastically improved voice calling performance, global support, downloads up to twice as fast, and Siri, a game-changing virtual personal assistant that is the start of a shift in how we interact with computers and mobile devices.

The iPhone 4S comes at a time when most iPhone 3GS users are coming up for their wireless service renewal. The iPhone 4S isn’t just impressive to an iPhone 3GS owner, it blows the doors off almost any Android alternative (I’d say all, but then I’d fear for my survival), and if you’re big on photography, an on-the-go person who might need an extra hand from your phone, or even require the ability to use your phone internationally if you’re on Verizon or Sprint, the iPhone 4S is a worthy upgrade from any smartphone. Whether it’s an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, a feature phone or a BlackBerry, this is the best phone Apple has ever made, and there isn’t another company in the world that could deliver all of these features in such a beautifully designed, tightly integrated, and enjoyable packages.

With the iPhone 4S starting at $199 from each of the three largest carriers in the U.S. (finally), Apple is also making the original iPhone 4 available at only $99 for the 8GB model. Make no mistake, this is the most formidable smartphone tag team that exists on the planet, and while you can’t go wrong with either device, the iPhone 4S really pushes what we can do with mobile devices even further into the future.

BGR has just been given photos of the follow up to the original Motorola ATRIX 4G, the Motorola ATRIX 2, internally known as the Motorola Edison. The Motorola ATRIX 2 will not be an LTE device according to our source, though the phone will launch with a dual-core processor (either 1.2 or 1.5GHz TI OMAP, we’d assume), an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture, and Android Gingerbread 2.3.5. We weren’t given a launch time-frame, though we’d expect the phone to touch down in the next few months, most likely around Thanksgiving. Check out all of the photos in our Motorola ATRIX 2 gallery!

Samsung officially revealed the T-Mobile GALAXY S II on Tuesday at a press event in New York City. The phone’s specs are very similar to the European version of the GALAXY S II, but T-Mobile’s model has more rounded corners and a smoother back panel. The device looks like it’s primarily made of plastic, but unfortunately we couldn’t get close with it because Samsung and T-Mobile kept it under glass. It packs a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and Samsung’s new TouchWiz user interface which is a big improvement over the version that shipped on the original Galaxy S model — we’ve generally found widgets are cleaner and more useful, and overall it is much easier on the eyes. T-Mobile’s Samsung GALAXY S II is equipped with 16GB of storage, a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display that offers incredible colors and super deep blacks, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p video, a second front-facing camera for initiating video chats and support for T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a closer look in the coming weeks. T-Mobile has not yet announced pricing for the GALAXY S II but it’s expected to launch this fall. Be sure to check out our hands-on gallery below.

The Thrill 4G is the second Android smartphone in the United States capable of recording and displaying 3D video and photos without the need for special glasses. We first saw the phone during CTIA earlier this year and, after delays, it will launch soon on AT&T for $99.99. I spent the better part of the last three weeks carrying the LG Thrill 4G everywhere I went. Are the 3D effects useful and fun or are they just a lame gimmick? Does the “4G” in its name equate to faster data speeds or does it surf on a par with 3G phones? All of this and more is answered in my review, so hit the read link to get started.

Hardware

The LG Thrill 4G is identical to its European cousin, the LG Optimus 3D, in nearly every way. It’s equipped with a 4.3-inch 800 x 480-pixel screen that’s capable of displaying both 2D and 3D content on the fly. Measuring in at 5in x 2.7in x 0.47in and with a weight of 5.9oz, the Thrill 4G is a bit bulkier than other high-end smartphones on AT&T, such as the Infuse 4G, but it’s not terrible.

Despite its plastic back cover, the Thrill 4G feels very study just like its LTE counterpart, the LG Revolution. The front of the phone has black faux-brushed metal accents around the screen and AT&T ditched the matte gray back on the Optimus 3D for a more attractive matte black design with a faint cross-hatch etching. The back of the Thrill 4G is also home to two camera lenses capable of recording 3D content, and a single LED flash. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the Thrill 4G and microUSB and mini-HDMI hatches on the left side of the device. A single button on the right side of the phone can be pressed to quickly enter the phone’s “3D Space” application, and I wish it was a camera quick-launch button instead. AT&T also included an HDMI to mini-HDMI cable, which means you’ll be able to connect the phone up to your TV right out of the box.

The Thrill 4G is a nice package overall but I noticed two yellow splotches towards the bottom of the screen. The discoloration was most noticeable while accessing the web, since most websites have a white background. The defect is too subtle to see in the various images in this review, but it’s there. At first I assumed this was just a one-time flaw with my unit, but I noticed the same problem on my European Optimus 3D and confirmed the discoloration with another journalist, too. Perhaps the screen is responsible for AT&T’s delayed launch of the phone, although that is not confirmed. (Update: A second device from AT&T didn’t have this issue so it was clearly limited to my phone or at least an early batch.)

Software

The LG Thrill 4G runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) out of the box but AT&T has promised an Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) update is on the way. Android ran smoothly and I rarely saw any lag thanks to the phone’s dual-core 1GHz processor. LG overlays Android with its own lackluster and ugly user interface. There aren’t any worthwhile widgets aside from a decent third-party weather app, and the icons that infiltrate the status bar and the main menu are too colorful and toy-like for my tastes. The entire UI reminds me of LG’s experience on feature phones, which was never a good thing. Thankfully there are free applications such as LauncherPro that can rid your phone of the ugly icon and UI problem, but I wish LG had left this a “pure Google” experience as it did with the T-Mobile G2x. LG also added several 3D-specific applications and I’ll go over them in the following section.

3D

3D. Whenever I hear the term I immediately think I’m being sucked into a gimmick no better than a holographic trading card. I won’t even go to a 3D movie. You may remember my impressions on 3D when I reviewed the Nintendo 3DS; the display wasn’t impressive and it took away from the gaming experience in a number of titles.

The Optimus Thrill 4G definitely has a superior screen compared to the 3DS though, and since 3D is optional for the most part I, oddly enough, enjoy using it. LG included a full 3D menu that allows you to quickly browse 3D YouTube videos, 3D pictures and videos in your gallery, and fast access to 3D games.There are a couple of decent games that definitely suck you into the 3D experience. I liked playing Let’s Golf 2 in three dimensions and Fragging in Nova was also decent fun, but it wasn’t much better than playing in 2D. Additionally, there aren’t a lot of games pre-loaded, so you’ll need to buy more to keep the experience going. While there’s a YouTube application with dedicated access to 3D videos, I spent most of my time showing off the pre-loaded videos to friends and strangers in bars. The response was nearly always “that’s cool, but who cares?” And that’s the problem: who cares? 3D is somewhat exciting and it works, but at the end of the day it’s totally unnecessary.

Camera

The Thrill 4G’s camera is capable of shooting in both 2D and 3D modes. In 2D mode you can capture 5-megapixel photos and record video in 1080p HD. The stereoscopic 3D cameras are also capable of snapping 3-megapixel 3D images and recording 720p HD video in 3D. Videos came out well. In fact, here’s a video of a Jane’s Addiction concert on YouTube that was filmed entirely in 720p 3D video with a number of LG Thrill units, if you want a better sample of the camera’s quality.

The tricky part with the camera is that if you aren’t in the right light or aren’t careful enough when snapping a photo, there’s actually an overlap of two images and it looks like a blurry 3D mess. When I was careful to steady the phone and snap a photo of an object in a well lit area, the photos came out pretty well. If I held the phone in a darker area, to avoid any glare, the images didn’t appear to pop off of the screen. A shot of chips, salsa, and plates on a coffee table came out really well, as did a picture of a coffee mug on a bookshelf. Other shots, such as those taken down my street, weren’t as impressive. You’ll need to really get up close to your subject in order for it to appear to pop off of the screen. Otherwise the image looks like it has a lot of depth but it doesn’t pop off of the screen.

Another cool feature: you can take shots in 2D and then view them in 3D, although the effects are much better if you take the pictures in 3D originally. Worse, 2D pictures were often on the blurry and washed-out side (see above). Overall, I liked snapping photos better than recording video; the results came out better. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to a 3D TV to see my home videos blown up.

Call Quality and Data

Call quality on the Thrill 4G was good during my tests. I used the phone daily for a solid two weeks to place a number of phone calls and didn’t have any complaints. I was able to hear the callers on the other end loud and clear and they said I sounded “crisp.” I dropped a couple of conversations but that’s par for the course on AT&T in New York City. One issue I did notice: the signal strength indicator would frequently jump around between two and four bars. The icon doesn’t always reflect the actual signal strength, but there could be issues with the phone’s ability to maintain a solid signal.

As its name implies, the LG Thrill 4G runs on AT&T’s HSPA+ “4G” network. I ran a number of tests with the Speedtest.net application in my apartment, where I usually run my tests, and rarely saw the phone peak over 1Mbps while running a download test. Instead, I averaged about 750Kbps, which is slower than I’ve seen with a number of 3G phones. The phone’s upload speeds were solid, however: I averaged 1.6Mbps in my upload throughput tests.

Battery

I was able to get through a full day with the Thrill 4G without a problem using the phone moderately. Obviously your mileage will vary if you’re spending more time using the 3D display or streaming video, but generally the battery was on a par with the Infuse 4G on AT&T, which is one of the longer lasting Android devices out there.

Conclusion

I like the Thrill 4G because LG tried to differentiate itself with a device that could display and record 3D content. It’s a fun concept and works in practice, but it’s hard to recommend a phone simply because it offers 3D as an option. The third dimension, as it stands in mobile, is purely for entertainment purposes, and the problem is the phone has so many other faults.

The Thrill 4G has a solid build, despite its plastic accents, but it’s far bulkier and heavier than many of its competitors. Call quality was satisfactory, but I had issues with its download speeds in New York City.

Overall, the LG Thrill 4G is just a mediocre device. You might be better served picking up a Motorola ATRIX 4G for the same $99.99 price, as it still packs a mean hardware punch. If it’s power your after though, my advice is to stick around and see how Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S II handset for AT&T turns out.

AT&T and Motorola may be preparing to launch an updated version of the popular ATRIX 4G handset. According to leaked images obtained by ePrice.tw, a new ATRIX could launch with an improved 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p video. The images show a slightly tweaked industrial design as well; the power switch and 3.5mm headphone jack have moved slightly, there is a dedicated camera button, and the phone looks like it has a slightly larger display. We do not see Motorola’s custom MOTOBLUR user interface in the images, but we are assuming this new ATRIX is running the new Gingerbread build which is a lot less intrusive. We are certain Motorola would beef up more than just the camera, so we bet there’s a faster processor under the hood, too. Hopefully we hear more on this in the coming months. Read on for two more images.

[Via Unwired View]

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Motorola has pushed out Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) to the Motorola ATRIX 4G. The update adds a number of new enhancements unrelated to Gingerbread, including support for 1080p HD video playback, a re-designed home screen with white backgrounds for easier reading of text, an enhanced photo gallery, the ability to dismiss notifications one at a time, a faster Webtop browsing experience, enhancements to the dock icons and more. To update, make sure your ATRIX 4G is connected to a Wi-Fi network and then go to Settings > About Phone > System updates > Download. Read on for a link to Motorola’s website, which includes the full release notes on software v4.5.91.

[Via MobileBurn]

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AT&T has confirmed with BGR that it will launch the LG Thrill 4G “in the coming weeks” for $99.99. The Thrill 4G will be the second smartphone with a 3D display to land in the United States, and it features a 1GHz dual-core processor, 8GB of storage, the ability to record 1080p video in 2D or 720p video in 3D, a forward-facing camera for video chat and 512MB of RAM. AT&T has also included several pre-loaded 3D games including Asphalt 6, Let’s Golf 2, and Nova. We’ve been testing the Thrill 4G for the past few days and will be bringing you our full review shortly.

T-Mobile and HTC officially took the wraps off of the new myTouch 4G Slide on Tuesday, an Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) handset. As its name implies, the myTouch 4G Slide offers support for T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network. We recently sat down with HTC for a preview of the phone before its launch, and the manufacturer said it spent a great deal of time tweaking the camera software so that the myTouch 4G Slide would offer the best photo performance of any phone HTC has launched. It has improved low-light performance, should have zero shutter lag, and more. We also appreciated the solid design of the myTouch 4G Slide during our demo, and liked that the keyboard was comfortable and didn’t add too much bulk to the phone when it was stored away. The phone runs HTC’s brand new Sense interface on top of a dual-core 1.2Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, so everything was fluid and fast, too. The myTouch 4G Slide is equipped with a 3.7-inch WVGA display, 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, has support for SWYPE, has Netflix software pre-installed, and more. T-Mobile has not announced a price just yet, but the myTouch 4G Slide will be available in July in khaki and black. Read on for the full press release.

New T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide Delivers Most Advanced Camera of Any Smartphone

Latest myTouch device offers premium smartphone features paired with high-end digital camera capabilities for capturing and sharing life’s special moments

BELLEVUE, Wash. — June 28, 2011 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the myTouch 4G Slide, the latest 4G smartphone to join T-Mobile’s exclusive line of myTouch products. The myTouch 4G Slide features the most advanced camera of any smartphone with zero shutter lag, backside illuminated sensor and additional premium digital camera features that offer consumers a viable replacement for their digital point-and-shoot cameras. The myTouch 4G Slide is expected to be available in July.

T-Mobile’s high-speed 4G network continues to expand and is now available in more than 190 markets, reaching more than 200 million people nationwide. With the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide, T-Mobile customers in these areas can now take advantage of 4G speeds as they instantly capture and then share special moments at the speed of life.

“Knowing that the best camera is the one you’ve got with you, we set out to create a new best-in-class smartphone that allows our customers to leave their cameras at home,” said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president, marketing, T-Mobile USA. “Our newest myTouch device takes capturing and sharing memories to a new level by combining high-quality smartphone hardware with features that customers would expect from a top-of-the-line digital camera.”

Ideal for capturing that perfect moment with photos that rival high-end dedicated digital cameras, the myTouch 4G Slide comes with an 8-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash and a host of advanced digital camera features, including the following:
·         Improved low-light Performance: with a backside illuminated sensor and a wide aperture lens (f/2.2)
·         Zero shutter lag: innovative software features allow for an instantaneous shot at that precise moment
·         SweepShot™: for capturing panoramic shots by sweeping across an entire scene in a single motion
·         ClearShot™ HDR: for capturing objects in bright settings so your photos are not affected by high-contrast lighting
·         BurstShot™: for capturing multiple photos in a quick burst so you don’t miss the perfect photo

Running on America’s Largest 4G Network™, the myTouch 4G Slide allows customers to instantly capture, and then share, quality photos and videos with a dedicated camera button and one-touch access to post to Facebook, Picasa or Flickr ― all at 4G speeds. A true camera and camcorder replacement, the myTouch 4G Slide features a full HD 1080p camcorder with audio recording and ability to edit videos directly from the device.

Manufactured by HTC exclusively for T-Mobile, the new myTouch 4G Slide features a beautiful 3.7-inch WVGA super LCD touch-screen display, with Swype, and a slide-out full-QWERTY keyboard, offering customers the freedom to choose how they want to input text. Powered by Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) and HTC Sense 3.0, the myTouch 4G Slide provides an intuitive and powerful smartphone experience. With support for T-Mobile’s lightning-fast 4G network paired with a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor, myTouch 4G Slide customers will experience quick access to their favorite websites, videos, applications and much more.

The myTouch 4G Slide makes staying connected with loved ones more convenient than ever with T-Mobile Video Chat powered by Qik™ for face-to-face video chat on the go and Group Text™ by Bobsled™, which offers an innovative way to send and receive text messages with groups of friends. The new advanced Genius Button™ offers one shot voice commands, powered by Dragon Dictation from Nuance, that simplify the smartphone experience by enabling users to call, text, find a business or search the Web, all with the press of a button. With the myTouch 4G Slide’s Hands Free mode, customers can stay connected while on the road with the option for all notifications to be read out loud — simply tell the phone to text or dial to continue the conversation.

The myTouch 4G Slide offers preloaded entertainment applications, including T-Mobile TV, Netflix and YouTube for real-time mobile video streaming. The myTouch 4G Slide’s entertainment experience also can be shared with the whole family with T-Mobile KidZone, a built-in feature that allows parents to restrict what applications their kids can access on the device without worrying about them making a call or accessing inappropriate material.

Availability
Offered in two colors — black and khaki — the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide is expected to be available exclusively from T-Mobile in July at T-Mobile retail stores, online at         http://www.t-mobile.com, and from select national retailers and dealers. Customers can visit http://mytouch.t-mobile.com/4g-slide for more information.
T-Mobile’s 4G network has expanded to seven additional markets: Barnstable, Mass.; Chico, Calif.; Lancaster, Penn.; Ogden, Utah; Redding, Calif.; Vineland, N.J., and Winchester, Va.

The wait is over — Sprint’s brand new EVO 3D Android smartphone and EVO View 4G tablet are now available to all customers. The EVO 3D, which offers a glasses-free 4.3-inch 3D display, 4G WiMAX connectivity, a 1.2GHz processor, and the ability to record 1080p video, is available for $199.99 with a new two-year Sprint contract. We ran our review earlier this month and called it our “favorite Sprint phone, hands down.” The EVO View 4G, which we also recently reviewed, is powered by a 1.5GHz processor, has a 7-inch display, 4G WiMAX connectivity, and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It’s available for $400 with the Scribe pen for a limited time. Hit the jump for the full press release from Sprint.

Exclusively from Sprint and Available Today: HTC EVO 3D, America’s First 3D-Enabled Smartphone in the United States, and HTC EVO View 4G, with New Digital Pen Technology

Sprint Stores nationwide open at 8 a.m. local time for customers to get a jump-start on purchasing this summer’s hottest devices

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Two of the most highly anticipated wireless devices of 2011, HTC EVO™ 3D and HTC EVO View 4G™, debut today, exclusively from Sprint (NYSE: S). HTC EVO 3D, America’s first glasses-free 3D phone will cost $199.99 and HTC EVO View 4G, the first 4G-enabled tablet in the United States, will cost $399.99. Both prices exclude applicable taxes, and the devices require a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade.

“When it comes to gaming on the HTC EVO 3D, I am impressed.”

Sprint Stores nationwide will open at 8 a.m. local time. HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G will also be available through Sprint Business Direct Sales, www.sprint.com and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1), as well as RadioShack and Best Buy stores.

“HTC EVO 3D brings to life a visual experience that comes alive in front of the viewers’ eyes and offers crisp, clear pictures on the large display that showcases yet another new innovation from Sprint; and HTC EVO View 4G combines a wonderful tablet experience with the ability to use the optional HTC Scribe digital pen to take notes on web pages, e-books, PDF documents and more, in an easy and natural way,” said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “We’re looking forward to seeing our customers’ reactions to the glasses-free 3D experience when they get their hands on these exciting new devices today.”

Glasses-Free 3D plus Sprint 4G

HTC EVO 3D takes the mobile multimedia experience to a new level, providing the ability to capture and view in 3D and share at 4G speeds while offering consumers the ultimate glasses-free 3D experience. Built with the Android™ 2.3 operating system (Gingerbread) with the latest version of the acclaimed HTC Sense experience, HTC EVO 3D features America’s first 4.3-inch, qHD 3D display and a powerful 1.2GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon® dual-core processor. HTC EVO 3D also features dual 5-megapixel cameras, which can be used to capture high-quality conventional and stunning 3D images and videos, opening up new frontiers for user-generated content, social networking and streaming video.

Respected technology media agree Sprint has done it again with HTC EVO 3D. Here are a few accolades from early reviews:

“A lot of the hype on this phone will be centered on its 3-D capabilities. But take away the 3-D and you still have one of the better smartphones in the market.” – The Wall Street Journal
“When it comes to gaming on the HTC EVO 3D, I am impressed.” – TheGamerAccess
“So, if the way you use your phone and ease of navigation and functions is important, you want the best Mobile UI on the market, and you love glasses-free 3D technology, get the only phone that has them both, the HTC EVO 3D 4G for Sprint.” – VideoGamingPros
“The HTC EVO 3D builds on the original EVO 4G in every way possible. It’s thinner, it feels better in the hand, and it’s way more powerful.” – BGR
“The EVO 3D is more or less the same ass-kicker its 2D predecessor was, but a year later and faster.” – Gizmodo
“There’s no question that the 3D powers are an appealing feature of the EVO 3D. Taking 3D images and 3D video offers that ‘wow’ feeling almost each and every time, and makes even the most mundane subjects somehow more interesting. It helps that the EVO 3D’s camera is top notch. Even if the EVO 3D were a 2D-only shooter, it would be worth recommending for the camera performance alone.” – Phonescoop
“So let’s ignore 3D for a second. The EVO 3D is fast, sleek, up to date, and packs a pretty great qHD display.” – This is My Next

HTC EVO 3D requires activation on one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge – a savings of $39.99 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and web or $9.99 per month versus Verizon’s 450-minute plan with unlimited text and web. The Mobile Hotspot option is available for an additional $29.99 per month supporting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously. (Pricing excludes taxes and surcharges.)

An Unparalleled Tablet Experience

HTC EVO View 4G brings the best of the EVO experience to a tablet design with a 7-inch touchscreen, 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and latest version of HTC Sense. It will launch with an Android 2.3 operating system (Gingerbread) with a future update to Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). As the perfect combination e-reader, media player and portable computing device, HTC EVO View 4G offers a premium entertainment experience with HD-like quality video and a rich web-browsing experience with the ability to browse the web on Flash-enabled sites.

Here are a few nice things industry experts had to say about HTC EVO View 4G:

“I love the form factor and absolutely solid build quality of the View 4G. It’s a top notch tablet, the size is great, and it’s lovely having 4G WiMAX data speeds wherever I go.”2 – BGR
“The EVO View’s 7-inch, 1024 x 600-pixel glossy display is one of the brightest and most vibrant we’ve seen on a tablet. With the brightness turned up, images appeared bright and colorful even at 90-degree viewing angles.” – Laptop Magazine
“The HTC EVO View 4G for Sprint adds a fast 4G connection to the HTC Flyer, an already capable tablet with excellent pen input options.” – PC Magazine
“The HTC EVO View 4G is undeniably fun to use. The interface is fast and responsive.” – CNET

Additionally, for a limited time, any customer who purchases HTC EVO View 4G will receive the HTC Scribe™ digital pen (otherwise sold separately) at no additional charge, while supplies last, with a two-year service agreement – providing an additional savings of $79.99 on their purchase.

Rate plans for the HTC EVO View start as low as $34.99 per month for 3GB of 3G data and unlimited 4G data usage while on the Sprint network, when bundled with an eligible handset plan3. Unlimited text, picture and video messaging are included at no additional charge. Additional plans, including 3G-only plans, are available to meet customers’ needs. Optional add-on services include GPS Navigation for $2.99 per day or $9.99 per month and the Mobile Hotspot option for $29.99 per month supporting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously. (Pricing excludes taxes and surcharges.)

For an all-star look at HTC EVO View 4G, tune in to the BET Awards at 8 p.m. Eastern Sunday, June 26. Celebrity presenters will forego the traditional envelopes during the awards presentation in favor of HTC EVO View 4G tablets. During the live telecast from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, the presenters will be using Sprint’s latest tablet to announce the winners.

Sprint was unbeaten among major wireless carriers for customer satisfaction according to results from the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index. In addition to tying for first place among wireless carriers, Sprint was also the number one most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, over the last three years, according to the survey.

As the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology, Sprint made history by launching 4G in Baltimore in September 2008. Sprint currently offers 4G service in 71 markets in 28 states. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G.

Google is two devices deep in a quest to deliver its vision of what a mobile device should be, while pushing the envelope forward as far as specifications and collaboration is concerned. BGR has exclusively learned that Google’s next Nexus device, possibly called the Nexus 4G, is going to be an absolute beast. We have been told that the Google Nexus 4G will feature a next-generation dual-core 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz CPU, and contrary to reports about it featuring an NVIDIA Kal-El processor, our source indicates it’s most likely an OMAP 4460 or a, ultra low-power 28nm Krait-based Snapdragon. The display is said to be a 720p HD “monster-sized” screen, and it won’t feature physical Android menu buttons below the screen anymore — everything will be software-based. More after the break.

Additionally, we can expect a 4G LTE radio, 1GB of RAM, 1080p HD video capture and playback, a 1-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 5-megapixel rear camera. The 5-megapixel camera, however, is said to be an advanced 5-megapixel sensor delivering class-leading image quality in addition to superior low-light performance. The Google Nexus 4G will run Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and hold everything together in an ultra-thin package. We were told that Google is aiming to make the phone available around Thanksgiving, and our source couldn’t confirm a carrier, leading us to believe this might be one of the first AT&T 4G LTE smartphones. It’s also possible that this device will just be the flagship/reference Ice Cream Sandwich device — just like the Motorola DROID and Motorola XOOM were for Android 2.0 and Android 3.0, respectively — and not a Google Nexus-branded product, so we’ll have to wait and see. In either case, this sounds like an incredible phone regardless of what label is under the dress.