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 ...

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, A...

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,...

It has been a month since Apple released its latest smartphone, the iPhone 4S. A month since it crushed sales records. A month since consumers got their first hands-on experience with Siri, the intelligent assistant that may help change the way we interact with consumer electronics moving forward. A month since we had to fight the urge to dry heave upon seeing “The S stands for ____” in every third headline across various tech blogs. We reviewed the smartphone in October and called it “the b...

We managed to get our hands on a brand new Apple iPhone 4S a little early, and while we haven’t spent enough time with the device to write a full review yet, here are some initial impressions:The iPhone 4S is noticeably faster. Having used an iPhone 4 since launch day, the experience now closely matches the iPad 2 in terms of UI speed. Apps open faster, browser performance is improved, and other system functions like installing apps from the App Store while you navigate to another app are much snappie...

We already reviewed the Sprint version, we’re working on reviewing the AT&T version, and now we’ve gotten our hands on the T-Mobile version. Samsung’s Galaxy S II is the fastest-selling smartphone the South Korea-based electronics giant has ever made, and for a good reason: this is a beast of a handset. The dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor screams, the HSPA+ 4G flies, and it goes without saying that Samsung’s giant 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display is nothing short ...

We’ve spent just about a day with the Motorola DROID BIONIC for Verizon Wireless, and while that’s not long enough to put together a thorough review, we can certainly report back on our first impressions. In short, the Motorola DROID BIONIC could be the best smartphone to ever grace Verizon Wireless’ airwaves, and that includes 3G and 4G devices. The DROID BIONIC feels completely different compared to other Motorola devices — especially the Motorola DROID 3. For the first time, it feels ...

Sonos released a new sibling in their audio lineup recently, and it’s called the PLAY:3. You can think of it as a smaller PLAY:5 (what used to be called the S5), and it is definitely up to par with the level of quality that Sonos is known for. There isn’t an actual subwoofer, rather a tweeter and a couple mid-range speakers, though the unit does offer decent bass and low-end performance. You can also create a stereo pair with two PLAY:3 units if you’d like, using one for a left channel and o...

Verizon Wireless just sent us the 4G LTE-equipped version of Samsung’s flagship Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, and we’re ready to deliver our initial impressions. First things first: this should go without saying at this point, but this puppy is ridiculously fast. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network is unmatched when it comes speed and latency — from the user’s perspective, it’s pretty much like being connected to a Wi-Fi network. A few quick tests performed just outside New...

Millennial issued its June Mobile Mix report Friday morning, and it paints a picture that is very similar to May. Android was once again the most popular smartphone operating system in the month of June as it ticked up one percentage point to receive 54% of all impressions served by the Millennial Media network. iOS lost a point to fall to 26% while RIM shed two points to fall to 15%. Symbian and Windows Phone each gained a point to account for 3% and 2% of the impressions served, respectively. Of note, how...

Mobile advertising firm Millenial Media on Wednesday published its Mobile Mix report for the month of May, highlighting several interesting developments in the mobile market. Using ad impressions served to each operating system as a barometer for share, Millennial can give us a good assessment of the current smartphone and connected device markets. Android was flat compared to April maintaining its 53% share of Millennial impressions, and Apple’s iOS lost one percentage point in May as it slid to 27%...

We have been playing with HTC’s DROID Incredible 2 for the last day or so, and here’s some quick feedback and first impressions: For starters, the 4-inch screen size, while no doubt a personal preference, really seems to be the sweet spot for most Android handsets. It’s reasonably large, yet not too big to use one-handed, as some 4.3-inch devices seem to be. The screen itself is beautiful, but there is an unusually high glare on the display that can be a bit distracting. Beneath the display ...

If you’ve seen one Nexus S, you’ve seen em’ all. That’s all that can really be said about the freshly announced Nexus S 4G from Sprint. The very same handset that was released on T-Mobile several months ago has made its way to Sprint, with the only addition being — obviously — a WiMAX radio. The device runs Gingerbread (Android 2.3.4) and has the same light-weight, compact design of the pure-Google handset we all know and love. The svelte smartphone was floating around the Pepcom m...

We knew if we looked long enough and hard enough we would find it! In spite of the handset’s absence from both the official AT&T and LG booths at CTIA, we found the company’s latest 4G offering hanging out at a media meet and greet just moments ago. We were not allowed to really poke and prod the Thrill all that much — it was running an international version of LG’s 3D-optimized, Android operating system — but we did get to handle the device a bit and snap some stills for you to s...