A source claiming to be in possession of an iPad 3 prototype provided BGR with images containing details about Apple’s highly anticipated third-generation tablet. From the data in the photos, which contain the output from an iPad 3 using a development and debug tool called iBoot, we can infer plenty of information about the upcoming iPad 3. For starters, the model numbers are J1 and J2 (iPad3,1 and iPad3,2), and while DigiTimes reported this a few weeks ago, these two models are not different devices, just a single iPad available in two versions — one with Wi-Fi only and one with Wi-Fi and embedded GSM/CDMA/LTE for all carriers. Also included in the photos is, for the first time, confirmation of which processor Apple will be using in the iPad 3: an A6 processor with model number S5L8945X. For reference, the Apple A4 model was S5L8930X and the A5 is S5L8940X. The new processor will also apparently be a quad-core model, making the upcoming iPad 3 the fastest iOS device ever, we have been told. More screenshots are included in our gallery below.

Samsung and Sony each brought their A-game to the Consumer Electronics Show this year when it comes to high-end HDTVs. If there was one other brand that could easily give these tech giants a run for their money though, it was LG. The South Korea-based company had a handfull of other devices to show off at CES 2012, but televisions took center stage in the firm’s booth and sets on display ranged from entry-level offerings to high-end stunners that were absolutely beautiful. Of all the TVs LG had on display at CES, our clear favorite — it’s not even close, really — was the company’s new 55-inch OLED model. The gorgeous panel on this HDTV gives Samsung’s Super OLED displays a run for their money, and we would be hard pressed to say which screen produces deeper blacks and more vivid colors. No pricing has been announced and we’re sure this set will cost a pretty penny, but it could very well find its way to BGR headquarters once it hits the market. Pictures can hardly do LG’s new OLED HDTV justice, but several photos can be found in our LG booth tour, which follows below.

Research In Motion didn’t unveil any new devices at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, but the Waterloo, Ontario-based vendor still managed to appease fans with a preview of its first major PlayBook OS update that will finally be released some time next month. We spent a good amount of time putting the OS 2.0 through the paces and while there are still some kinks to iron out — we had apps crash on us a number of times — we absolutely walked away impressed. Check out our hands-on photos in the gallery below and hit the break for our impressions.

PlayBook owners have been waiting for what seems like an eternity for RIM to finally bring native PIM functionality to the PlayBook, but the wait was worth it. We were already fans of RIM’s tablet, but the addition of in-built email, calendar and contacts without the need to tether to a BlackBerry smartphone is obviously a welcome addition. RIM did a great job with the apps as well, providing what is easily among the best email and calendar experiences we’ve seen on a tablet. Apps integrate with each other seamlessly and we’re big fans of the layered UI RIM used in the email app.

The email app opens to reveal a unified inbox with a list of messages on the left, and the body of highlighted messages appears to the right. Interactions with the menu buttons on the far left beyond the message list reveal a new panel on which users can perform searches, apply view filters, drill down to individual accounts and more. The calendar and contacts apps function much the same way, with layers of panels that slide to the right as the user selects menu items.

Integration across apps is also well-designed. For example, contacts are tied to meeting entries in the calendar. In the day view, a panel opens up to the right that displays a complete list of all contacts the user is scheduled to interact with over the course of the day. If changes to a meeting need to me made, the user can quickly and easily call or message contacts scheduled to attend the meeting and notify them of the changes. The PIM functions in PlayBook OS 2.0 support the standard mix of email services along with LinkedIn and Twitter right now, but more integration with various social services is coming.

While BlackBerry Bridge is no longer needed for email, calendar or contacts, RIM has added some great new functionality that we will be showing off in a forthcoming video walkthrough. Most notable is the new remote control feature, which allows users to type, navigate and even perform gestures on a PlayBook using a BlackBerry smartphone.

Even with all its improvements, the PlayBook OS is still missing key elements — most notably, support for two features RIM is well known for are still missing: BES corporate email support and BBM. The absence of this core functionality makes the PlayBook 2.0 still feel like an incomplete solution, but from what we know so far, RIM is working hard to overcome the development obstacles we have detailed numerous times here on BGR. As it stands now, assuming RIM works out the stability issues we saw, PlayBook owners should absolutely be happy with the PIM features and other new functionality coming to the PlayBook next month.

Last paragraph updated to clarify a lack of BES email support in PlayBook OS 2.0. Other BES features are supported by RIM’s BlackBerry Mobile Fusion solution.

Sony came to this year’s Consumer Electronics Show with a pair of new Xperia smartphones and while they definitely look and feel like older devices in the company’s Xperia lineup in terms of design identity, they were much smoother than older Xperia models. The dual-core 1.5GHz processor in the Xperia S clearly plays a big role in speeding up Sony’s UI, and the 4.3-inch 720p Reality Display produces deep blacks and vivid colors. The UI itself is still one of our least favorite Android interfaces though, and the handset itself feels a bit light. The Xperia S also packs dual HD video cameras — a 12-megapixel camera on the back records 1080p HD video and the front facing camera supports 720p video chats — and the handset is PlayStation certified, giving it solid gaming capabilities without the added bulk of a dedicated controller as was the case with the Xperia Play. Pricing could make or break the Xperia S, but Sony hasn’t yet announced availability details. Check out our hands-on images of the Xperia S in the gallery below.

Leading up to the Consumer Electronics Show this year, Nokia’s first Windows Phone for AT&T was definitely one of the smartphone announcements we were anticipating most anxiously. We were fans of the Lumia 800 when we reviewed it, but when our sources let us know that a bigger handset that maintained the Lumia 800′s design aesthetic would launch soon after CES, the 800 lost its luster. In line with our exclusive report, Nokia’s brand new Lumia 900 features the same unique design and build as the Lumia 800 Nokia launched last year, but there are two key differences that make this smartphone our clear favorite. It includes compatibility with AT&T’s new 4G LTE network, and it packs a larger 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display. The larger form factor was designed with the U.S. market in mind according to Nokia, and the size of the device is ideal. The Lumia 900′s build is outstanding as well, and Windows Phone 7.5 is beyond smooth thanks to the phone’s 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor. Nokia and AT&T haven’t yet revealed pricing or a launch date, but Nokia did say it will become available in the coming months. We can’t wait to review this gorgeous smartphone but in the mean time, check out our hands-on Lumia 900 photo gallery below.

Sprint’s version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is certainly the star of Sprint’s upcoming LTE device lineup for now, but a second 4G LTE smartphone was announced this week at the Consumer Electronics show that will offer early LTE adopters on Sprint’s network as solid second choice. Featuring a 4-inch display, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and  Google Wallet support thanks to an NFC chip, the LG Viper 4G LTE is a well-equipped Android smartphone that will launch later this half of the year. It will have Android 2.3 Gingerbread at launch, but Sprint has promised an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich shortly after the device is released. The device has a solid build and a great look thanks to the brushed metal-look back, and at the right price it could end up being a terrific option for Sprint subscribers. We’re looking forward to getting our hands on a review unit, but in the meantime, check out a few hands-on images of the LG Viper 4G LTE in the gallery below.

HTC and AT&T took the wraps off of their latest device during an AT&T press conference on Monday, the HTC Titan II. The device is the first 4G LTE-enabled Windows Phone to be announced at the show but it won’t be the last — Nokia CEO Stephen Elop confirmed earlier on Monday that the Finnish vendor will unveil an LTE Windows Phone as well during its press conference. The Titan II is a fantastic first LTE device for Windows Phone fans, as long as the monstrous size isn’t a turn off. The phone sports the same 4.7-inch Super LCD display as its predecessor, but the build is much different. The unibody aluminum case from the Titan has been replaced by a soft-touch plastic — we liked the aluminum case a lot more so we’re definitely sorry to see it go — and the dark black color has been replaced by a light gray. The user experience is still among the best available; like the Titan, the Titan II is unbelievably responsive and smooth. Differences of note beyond the case are the embedded LTE radio, of course, and the 16-megapixel camera. Images taken with the camera were definitely impressive on the Titan’s display and on our MacBook Air, but we didn’t have an original Titan handy to compare photo quality. Where data speed is concerned, however, there was obviously no comparison. We’ll have more for you in our full review but in the meantime, be sure to check out our hands-on gallery below.

We finally got our hands on Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and… well, it’s almost identical to the HSPA+ version we reviewed last month. It’s thicker, though we actually like holding and using the Verizon unit better because the slightly thicker case makes one-hand a bit more comfortable. There’s also a small, small, (notice how we’re saying small?) lip around the display that isn’t there on the HSPA+ version, but most people probably wouldn’t even notice such a minute case difference. The problem with the display’s auto-brightness being overly aggressive doesn’t seem to be an issue on the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus, but everything else seems identical. We’ll chime in over the next few days with a few more thoughts, but here’s a spoiler: provided there aren’t any huge issues we discover, this is easily the best smartphone to ever hit Verizon Wireless. Ready to go hands-on? It’s all in the gallery below.

LG’s first Prada phone set a precedent. It won design awards even before it was officially revealed to the public and it was among the first cell phones to feature an elegant full touchscreen form factor. Its launch was eclipsed by the announcement of another full touch phone, however — the Apple iPhone — though it did go on to be a popular option in some markets. According to images and specs published Wednesday by mobile blog BestBoyz, the LG Prada and QWERTY-packing Prada 2 are about to be joined by a third addition to the sleek cell phone line: the LG Prada 3.0. Read on for more.The Prada 3.0, or “PRADA Phone 3.0 by LG,” will be the first smartphone to bear the Prada brand according to the report. It will feature the Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread operating system with a heavily customized Prada UI. Other specs reportedly include a 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4430 processor, a 4.3-inch NOVA Plus display with WVGA resolution, 8GB of internal storage plus microSDHC support, an 8-megapixel camera with auto-focus, support for 1080p HD video recording and a 1,540 mAh battery.

The report claims LG’s Prada 3.0 will launch in January though pricing is currently unknown. LG is also reportedly working on an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for the phone as well.

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We just elbowed our way through crowds, crawled on the ground under legs and ducked beneath cameras to bring you a look at the insanity that is Apple’s Grand Central Terminal Apple Store (grand) opening. The line to get in was wrapped deep inside and around the corridors of Grand Central Station, and there were hundreds of people gathered around the steps of the East Balcony entrance as well. Those who are smart enough to steer clear of the bedlam should be sure to check out our photo gallery below, and stay tuned for more pictures once if we can manage to fight our way inside.

An image of an unannounced Android smartphone from Sony Ericsson code-named “Nozomi” has been published on a Chinese forum along with limited preliminary details. The smartphone reportedly features a 720p HD display and a dual-core processor, but additional specs remain a mystery. From the image, it looks like the phone features a display sized above 4 inches, and we can also see a unique lighting feature near the bottom of the device. The Nozomi is currently being tested by a carrier in Hong Kong according the forum user who posted the image, though a release could still be several months away. Earlier reports suggested that the Nozomi features a 4.3-inch 720p HD display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread.

[Via Engadget]

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When a product emerges that is created by a team of ex-Apple employees — including one responsible in part for leading the hardware teams behind the iPod and iPhone — that product sells out almost immediately. The latest device to fit the bill isn’t a new smartphone or even a tablet; no, this time around it’s actually a thermostat. As odd as that sounds, the Nest thermostat is exciting in many, many ways. For starters, the amount of thought that went into just the hardware alone is, well, Apple-like. It’s miles ahead of any comparable product in terms of look, form and function. It’s sleek yet is based on a classic and familiar Honeywell T87 round thermostat, and it is packed to the brim with technology including, among other things, a vivid color LCD display and Wi-Fi support.

The Nest thermostat doesn’t just provide control from your smartphone or web-browser from anywhere in the world, which is impressive in itself — it’s a learning product that will adjust to your preferences and habits. It will also adjust to factors like outside weather and other conditions to always make sure the temperature in your home or office is comfortable. Above all else, it will reduce your energy consumption by automatically adjusting your heat and airconditioning usage based on whether or not you are home. Go out for a bit, and the thermostat will lower your heat to save energy. As soon as you walk in, it senses you’re home and it will instantly dial up the heat to suit your preferences.

Installing the Nest thermostat was incredibly straight-forward even though I’ve never installed a thermostat or light fixture before. The directions are very simple to follow and well thought out. After removing the plastic piece of garbage that used to be attached to the wall, I quickly leveled the thermostat thanks to the built-in level on its base, screwed it in, connected the labeled wires to the backplate and connected the front display. There’s an outer ring wheel you rotate just like that classic Honeywell thermostat, except this one also doubles as an Apple iPod-like clickwheel, letting you select and enter text or scroll through options.

After you’re set up, Nest immediately starts learning your heating and cooling preferences. I installed the unit yesterday evening and since then I’ve successfully set a schedule from my web-based Nest account and adjusted the temperate from the Nest app on my iPhone, and the unit has performed perfectly. It’s hard to believe that I’m excited about a thermostat, but this is much more than a thermostat to me, especially if it can conserve energy. Plus I don’t have to get up to change the temperature anymore.

We’ll have more on the Nest learning thermostat soon.

Verizon Wireless has yet to announce the Motorola DROID 4 or either of its XOOM tablet successors, but that hasn’t stopped the carrier from showing them off to at least one website. CNET on Thursday published details and images of the devices following a briefing with Verizon, and the information lines up with earlier rumors. The DROID 4 will essentially be a DROID RAZR with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that could launch as soon as next week. Specs include a 4-inch qHD display, Android 2.3.5, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 4G LTE compatibility. Read on for more.

Verizon will also soon launch a pair of Motorola “Xyboard” tablets to replace the XOOM, which has reportedly seen lukewarm sales to date. The new tablets, which were announced overseas last month bearing the XOOM brand, feature 1.2GHz dual-core processors, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 5-megapixel rear cameras and 1.3-megapixel front-facing cameras for video chats. One will include a 10.1-inch display and the second will sport a slightly smaller 8.2-inch panel. An image of the Xyboard tablets follows below.

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Nokia’s upcoming flagship Windows Phone, the Lumia 900, has been revealed in a leaked promotional video aimed at developers. First discovered by Netherlands-based All About Phones, the video was accidentally posted to Nokia’s public YouTube channel before being marked private. The video offers very little in the way of details, though it does show an image of the sleek Windows Phone next to the text, “When you bring together Nokia’s stunning new hardware and a dynamic Microsoft OS you get amazing every day.” Nokia’s Lumia 900, code-named Ace, is expected to feature a 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display, a 1.4GHz processor and an 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. Nokia France boss Paul Amsellem on Wednesday alluded to the device while speaking with a French newspaper, but Nokia responded to reports by saying it had nothing to announce at this time. Nokia’s full promotional video follows below.

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We’ve been playing with a Samsung Galaxy Nexus for the last day, and after shuffling between a Motorola DROID RAZR, an HTC Vivid and an HTC Rezound, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a welcome change in many ways. It’s obviously the Google reference handset for Ice Cream Sandwich, and in almost all cases, it is the best Android handset we’ve seen far as hardware and software go. Android 4.0 is the most cohesive release from Google yet, and while it’s not that straight forward out of the box, you do eventually get the feeling that this phone has a distinct personality as opposed to many other Android phones, which often seem to blend together. Be sure to check out our hands-on photos in the gallery below, and hit the break for more thoughts.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus we were sent from Google is an HSPA+ unit as opposed to the 4G LTE handset for Verizon, and while the device came with a T-Mobile SIM card that worked on T-Mobile’s 4G network, we’ve been using it with an AT&T SIM card and have been able to use the device on AT&T’s 3G network as well. This looks like one of the few pentaband UMTS devices in the United States; one UMTS device to rule them all, we suppose.

As far as Ice Cream Sandwich goes, it’s the most cohesive release from Google ever. The phone finally feels like it has a personality, even if it’s that of a robot from a TRON-like world. Android 4.0 also feels like an actual operating system, not just one designed for tablets and smartphones, but that’s due to the amount of options and flexibility the OS gives users, not necessarily because the OS is more powerful than competing platforms. Ice Cream Sandwich at times feels like a frozen onion, one that’s a bit hard to thaw, and then you have to peel back each layer to get to exactly what you want.

In terms of hardware, the Galaxy Nexus is definitely a unique handset. It has a huge 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display but it’s still easier to handle than a device like the DROID RAZR because it’s much more narrow. One-handed operation still isn’t as comfortable as it should be, however. The curved body of this phone is great and it feels solid, but the back of the case is still built from cheap-feeling plastic similar to other Samsung phones, and it spoils the feel of the device in your hand.

BGR’s full review of the Galaxy Nexus will be published in the next few days.