Images of a new HTC phone that’s currently being dubbed “Eternity” have apparently been leaked online. Reportedly it will land as one of the first Windows Phone Mango devices, which are set to begin launching this fall. Reportedly, the Eternity will be powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor and will come equipped with a 4.7-inch AMOLED display — a monster of a screen. Rumor has it there’s also an 8-megapixel camera, HDMI-out, 16GB of onboard storage, a 1.3-megapixel camera for video chats, 512MB of RAM, and a 1,650 mAh battery. The form factor reminds us of the HTC EVO 4G, the Inspire 4G, and the HD7, which are starting to feel a bit stale. There’s no word on when the Eternity will make its debut, but as we said earlier, we have a hunch it could be sometime this fall.

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During a recent presentation, Nokia’s CEO asked a large group of his employees to put away all cameras and recording devices because he was about to show something “top secret,” that he didn’t want leaked on the “blogosphere.” Oops… that’s exactly what just happened. The image above is of Nokia’s new Windows Phone, codenamed “Sea Ray.” While there’s little information on it now, it appears that it’s made out of plastic — a bummer if you’re like us and were waiting for a unibody aluminum Windows Phone from the Finnish company. Elop confirms there’s a gorilla glass display and a “pillow shaped backing.” A camera and shutter button are also visible, and we presume there’s either an 8-megapixel or 12-megapixel camera sensor, although that’s unclear. The device reminds us a lot of the N9, but if Nokia is already showing it to large groups of people, we suspect there will be plenty more leaks in the coming months. Elop recently confirmed that his company is on track to release its first Windows Phone by the end of this year. Hit the jump for a video of Elop discussing the Sea Ray.

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Sprint announced on Tuesday that it will offer the Wi-Fi version of Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet for $499 beginning June 24th. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) and sports a 10.1-inch display, a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 3-megapixel camera, and a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats. We recently reviewed the Galaxy Tab 10.1 developer edition, loaded with Android 3.0, and while it had some faults we still noted that it’s the “thinnest, sexiest Android tablet available today.” Read on for the full press release.

Sprint Expands Mobile Tablet Portfolio With Launch of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 on June 24 for $499.99

Ultra-Thin and Lightweight Tab Boasts a 10.1-inch HD Touchscreen, Android 3.1 and a Dual-Core Processor; Power Galaxy Tab 10.1 with an Overdrive Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless or MiFi 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Novatel Wireless for access to blazing-fast Sprint 4G speeds

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), June 21, 2011 – Sprint customers will be able to enjoy the convenience of Samsung Galaxy Tab^TM 10.1 16GB Wi-Fi version beginning June 24 through direct ship sales channels, including Sprint Stores, Web sales (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Sprint Business Sales for $499.99 (excludes taxes). It will be available for purchase in Sprint retail stores on July 24.

This powerful tablet boasts a brilliant 10.1-inch HD touchscreen (1,280×800) display delivering sharper movies, better game graphics, and crystal clear video chats. At just 0.34-inches, it is the world’s thinnest mobile tablet. It comes with Android^TM 3.1 Honeycomb with Android Market^TM providing access to more than 60,000 apps for Galaxy Tab 10.1¹ and an immersive, lightning-fast Web browsing experience.

“Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 expands Sprint’s tablet innovation, growing our lineup to five options,” said David Owens, Sprint vice president of product development. “This gives Sprint customers a one-stop-shop for all of their tablet needs. Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a dynamic tablet, but it is even more amazing when paired with the Sprint 4G network through our Overdrive^TM Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless or MiFi^® 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Novatel.”

Galaxy Tab 10.1 is designed with a brilliant 10.1-inch HD touchscreen display with WXGA 1,280×800 resolution, delivering vibrant colors and crisp clarity. The aspect ratio of the display is ideal for widescreen viewing of movies, TV shows and photos. It features two cameras – a rear-facing 3-megapixel camera with camcorder, flash and zoom, and a front-facing, 2-megapixel camera – enabling video chat.

Additional key features include:

• Android 3.1 Honeycomb offering faster and smoother transitions between different applications, more intuitive navigation to and from home screens, and broader support of USB accessories, external keyboards, joysticks and gamepads
• Android Market for access to more than 60,000 applications for Galaxy Tab 10.1
• Mobile Email–IMAP and POP, Gmail^TM, MSN Hotmail^® and Yahoo!^®
• Google Mobile Services, including YouTube, Gmail^TM, Google Talk^TM and Google Maps^TM
• HD camcorder with 720p video capture
• Full HTML Web browser with Google Search and Adobe^® Flash^® Player (10.3)
• 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor
• 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage
• Wi-Fi enabled
• Stereo Bluetooth Technology 2.1

Galaxy Tab 10.1 customers can expect a software update planned for this summer that will enable more favorite features and services including:

• Customized User Experience “Samsung TouchWiz UX”
  Samsung’s TouchWiz user experience is designed with a Live Panel menu for customizing the home screen of Galaxy Tab 10.1 with digital pictures, favorite websites and social network feeds. In addition, the TouchWiz UX includes a “Mini Apps” tray of commonly used features, such as task manager, calendar and music player, which can be launched while other major applications are already in use.

• Samsung Media Hub
  The software upgrade will introduce the evolution of Samsung’s popular movie and TV content service, known as Media Hub. Media Hub has been redesigned with a new user interface for even easier downloads of rented or purchased content. The new version of Media Hub also includes an HD Extender, which allows the user to play back Media Hub content on TV through an HDMI cable from the Galaxy Tab 10.1 dock or adapter.

• Readers Hub & Social Hub
  It will also gain access to Samsung’s Readers Hub service, which is a robust library filled with more than 2.2 million books, 2,000 newspapers and 2,300 magazines. Also, the software upgrade will install Samsung’s Social Hub service, which aggregates email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar and social network connections into a single interface.

• Versatile Content Sharing
  Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will also receive Samsung’s Allshare service, for seamless content transfer between the tablet and other DLNA-enabled devices, such as HDTVs, monitors and digital cameras. The software upgrade will also transform Galaxy Tab 10.1 into a device capable of accepting streaming content from a TV to the tablet itself.

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 most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, during the last three years, according to the survey.

On Monday, Huawei officially announced the MediaPad, a 7-inch tablet powered by Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). The MediaPad sports a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 5-megapixel camera, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chats, support for HSPA+ and 802.11n Wi-Fi networks, HDMI-out, and a microSD card slot for adding up to 32GB of storage. Huawei also says the MediaPad’s 4,100mAh battery should provide more than six hours of battery life. The MediaPad is expected to launch this fall, although Huawei did not provide a price.

[Via Electronista]

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We had heard early rumors, but now it’s official — the 16GB Wi-Fi edition of RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook is now available from Sprint for $499.99. If you’re unfamiliar with the specs, here’s a quick rundown of what the tablet has to offer: the PlayBook sports a 7-inch 1024 x 600 WSVGA display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, support for 1080p HDMI-out, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat, 1GB of RAM, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support. If you’re looking for 4G speeds on the go, Sprint has also said that it expects to launch a WiMAX version of the tablet sometime this summer. Hit the jump for the full press release.

BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi Available from Sprint on June 5

The much anticipated BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet with Wi-Fi® connectivity and 16 GB of storage will go on sale in all Sprint direct ship sales channels, including Sprint Stores, Business Sales, www.sprint.com and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) on Sunday, June 5, for $499.99 (plus tax).

BlackBerry PlayBook delivers a professional-grade, consumer-friendly experience that redefines the possibilities of mobile computing. This ultra-portable tablet, measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing less than a pound, looks and feels great. It features a vivid 7-inch high-resolution display that is highly-responsive with a fluid touch screen experience. It also offers industry-leading performance, uncompromised web browsing with full Adobe Flash support, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features and out-of-the-box enterprise support.

Customers that have a BlackBerry smartphone can also benefit from BlackBerry® Bridge™, a unique feature that allows the user to wirelessly and securely connect their BlackBerry smartphone, running OS 5.0 or higher, to the BlackBerry PlayBook over Bluetooth®. The secure connection allows the user to access their BlackBerry smartphone’s email, address book, calendar, memo pad, task list, BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger™) and browsing functionality using the large display on the tablet.

BlackBerry Bridge is available as a free download on BlackBerry App World™ and will be supported on BlackBerry smartphone data plans from Sprint for no additional charge.

BlackBerry PlayBook features include:

7-inch 1024×600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen
Ultra-portable at less than a pound and less than one-half inch thick: 0.9 lbs (425g) and 5.1″ x 7.6″ x 0.4″ (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)
1GHz dual-core processor
BlackBerry® Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback
Support for high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV)
1080p HDMI output
Two 1080p HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture – 3 megapixel front-facing and 5 megapixel rear-facing
1 GB RAM memory
16 GB internal storage
GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)
Stereo speakers and stereo microphones
Wi-Fi® (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support
In addition to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with Wi-Fi, Sprint and RIM are working together on the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook tablet.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

Motorola took the wraps off of the DROID BIONIC back during CES 2011, shortly thereafter announced that it had delayed the device until summer. Now, the first shots of the newly redesigned DROID BIONIC are beginning to surface. The images show the device has — what appears to be — a new version of Motorola’s MOTOBLUR user interface. We assume most of the other specs remain the same: the phone clearly shows an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p video, it has a 4.3-inch qHD display, and support for Verizon’s 4G LTE network. Unfortunately there’s still no word on a possible release date, but let’s hope the BIONIC’s battery life is better than Verizon’s other 4G phones. Hit the jump for two more images.

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On Thursday T-Mobile introduced two new Android phones that will be priced under $100 after rebates: the Samsung Gravity SMART and the Samsung Exhibit 4G. The Exhibit 4G runs the latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system, has a 1GHz processor, a 3-megapixel camera, and offers support for T-Mobile’s 21Mbps HSPA+ 4G network. The Gravity SMART runs Android 2.2 (Froyo), has 3.2-inch touchscreen display, a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash, and also offers a full four-row slide-out QWERTY keyboard. T-Mobile says both phones should be available this month, although pricing was not announced. Hit the jump for the full press release.

T-Mobile USA and Samsung Mobile Introduce Two New Feature-Rich and Budget-Friendly Android™-Powered Handsets

Expected to become available this month, the Samsung Exhibit™ 4G and Samsung Gravity™ SMART will each deliver on-the-go entertainment and connectivity for less than $100

T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. ¹, today announced the upcoming availability of two new feature-rich Android^™-powered handsets, the Samsung Exhibit^™ 4G and Samsung Gravity^™ SMART, each less than $100 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a qualifying rate plan on a two-year agreement.

“The Samsung Exhibit 4G and Samsung Gravity SMART will expand T-Mobile’s product portfolio to include two affordable options for customers who crave rich connectivity and unique entertainment experiences,” said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. “T-Mobile is continuing to help families easily make the move to smartphones with these new Android-powered handsets, together with data plans as low as $10 per month, all running on America’s largest 4G network^™.”

“The Samsung Exhibit 4G and Samsung Gravity SMART are two examples of Samsung’s commitment to delivering quality smartphones at a variety of price points,” said Dale Sohn, president, Samsung Mobile. “The Samsung Exhibit 4G shows Samsung’s dedication to delivering premium entertainment content, while the Samsung Gravity SMART builds on the success of our Gravity line of phones with premium messaging options, both at an exceptional value.”

Samsung Exhibit 4G

One of the fastest smartphones running on America’s Largest 4G Network™², the Samsung Exhibit 4G is a full-featured, touch-screen device that does not compromise on rich entertainment capabilities. Powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and equipped with a speedy 1GHz processor, the Exhibit 4G delivers a full entertainment package to the palm of your hand at blazing fast speeds.

Through the delivery of faster speeds comes an enhanced viewing experience when enjoying live and on-demand channels from preloaded T-Mobile® TV, including free programming from select stations like ABC News Now, FOX Sports, PBS Kids and Azteca America. Customers also have the option to rent or purchase their favorite movies and TV programs directly from the Samsung Media Hub, which features a robust collection of new releases and TV shows. In addition, the Exhibit 4G offers hours of amusement with preloaded family favorites such as Bejeweled^® 2, Hasbro’s SCRABBLE (in U.S. and Canada only) and Doodle Jump.

Becoming available in two color finishes — violet and black — the Exhibit 4G is the perfect companion for someone looking for their first, or next, Android smartphone. With theoretical peak download speeds of 21Mbps, capturing and sharing memories via email, social networks or video is quick and easy. The Exhibit 4G comes equipped with a 3-megapixel camera with flash and a camcorder, as well as a front-facing camera with video chat pre-installed, enabling customers to virtually connect with friends and family via T-Mobile’s network or Wi-Fi.

Samsung Gravity SMART

As the first Android-powered handset in the successful Gravity product lineup, running on Android 2.2 Froyo, the Samsung Gravity SMART is perfect for T-Mobile customers who are looking for an affordable, yet functional messaging device. Built to deliver a premium messaging experience, the Gravity SMART comes equipped with Group Text^™ and combines a spacious, horizontal, four-row, slide-out, QWERTY keyboard with a 3.2-inch touch-screen display featuring Swype^™ for easy text input, even with the keyboard closed. In addition, pin it notes enables customers to pin important messages to Gravity SMART’s home screen for quick reference.

Keeping in touch with friends and family is easy and fun with the Gravity SMART, which features integration with popular social networking sites and a full HTML Web browser for posting and viewing status updates. The Gravity SMART also includes a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash, digital zoom and a camcorder for capturing photos and videos.

The Samsung Exhibit 4G and the Gravity SMART offer access to more than 200,000 applications available on Android Market^™ and full integration with Google Mobile^™ services.

Availability

The Samsung Exhibit 4G and the Samsung Gravity SMART, both exclusively from        T-Mobile, are expected to be available to T-Mobile customers in June. Customers can visit http://samsung.t-mobile.com/exhibit-4g for more information on the Samsung Exhibit 4G or http://www.t-mobile.com or http://www.samsung.com/newsroom for more information on the Samsung Gravity SMART.

During the Computex trade show in Taipei on Monday, ViewSonic officially took the wraps off of its ViewPad 7x Android tablet. We had heard mumblings of the device earlier this month, but now we know all of the ins and outs of the tablet: it runs Android 3.0.1 Honeycomb, is powered by a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, has HSPA+ connectivity, an HDMI-out port, rear and front facing cameras, and a 7-inch LED display with a 1024 x 600 resolution. We hope ViewSonic has plans to update the 7x to Google’s newer Android 3.1 operating system once it launches, but it’s not clear if that’s in the works right now. ViewSonic has not yet announced details on pricing or revealed a launch date, either. Hit the jump for the full release.

ViewSonic promises to shine at Computex
Experience the latest innovation in tablets, smartphones, monitors and projectors

Computex, Taipei, 31 May 2011 – ViewSonic, a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, is set to surprise at Computex Taipei 2011 with its strongest-ever audio and visual solutions. It will be showcasing a wide range of high-definition entertainment offerings and the latest innovations. Products released last year have won rave reviews in the industry; this year promises more of the same. Products span from tablet PCs, high-performance smartphones, latest 3D Full HD LED monitors, to projectors, digital photo frames and digital camcorders.

ViewSonic will be located at Booth L0832, 4th floor, Nangang Exhibition Hall from 31 May to 4 June and is inviting everyone to ‘See the difference’.

The ViewPad 7x will be making its first official appearance. The ViewPad 7x is a seven-inch HoneyComb tablet that utilises a NVIDIA dual-core processor and promises users HSPA+ for greater Internet browsing and a enhanced multimedia experience.

The ViewPad 10Pro is the world’s first dual-OS tablet that has both Windows 7 Professional and Android at your service. It is also one of the first tablets to use the latest Intel Oak Trail processor. The new Intel processor is powerful, yet offers amazing power savings which delivers the perfect combination of Windows technology in a mobile touch screen device.

In addition to tablet PCs, ViewSonic is also announcing advanced AV solutions that include the V3D245wm-LED, a 24-inch 3D Full HD LED monitor; the W200, an ultra-thin and lightweight WXGA pico projector; the WFM851, a slim and sleek digital photo frame; as well as a range of HD digital camcorders.

Alan Chang, ViewSonic Managing Director of Europe and Asia-Pacific, said: “ViewSonic is the industry leader in launching a comprehensive range of tablet models. With cloud computing, social networking and streaming multimedia driving demand more than ever, ViewSonic is well positioned as a ‘display solution provider’ that integrates all its products and services into the best possible user experience. We have continued to invest in our strategic partnerships with Microsoft and Google. At Computex, you will see that ViewSonic is not content with standing still and are continuing to innovate with ‘display solutions’, ranging from small as three inch ultra mobile devices to large 300 inch professional display solutions, all brought to the user with the ViewSonic attention to quality and service.”

ViewPad 7x – the 7-inch HoneyComb tablet: Uses a dual-core NVIDIA processor and offers the fastest-ever HSPA+ for a greater Internet browsing experience compared to rivalling products in the same category. Weighing only 380g, with front and back cameras this powerful device provides video conferencing on the go that has to be seen to be believed. The high quality LED display is capacitive 10-point multi-touch, offering far more possibilities than standard screen offerings. Incorporating a HDMI port , DLNA support and SRW TruMedia the ViewPad 7x is a flexible multimedia device that delivers quality in a high quality package.

ViewPad 10Pro – the world’s first dual-OS tablet that uses Windows 7 Professional and Android, and the first to use the latest Intel Oak Trail processor: This tablet, powerful in both hardware and software, is ideal for users who wish to have a combination of entertainment and professional needs. It allows for an instantaneous switch between the two OSes without turning off the tablet – Android for simple tasks such as Web browsing and Windows 7 for business applications.

The V3D245wm-LED – An industry first, a 24″ smart monitor with a built-in 3D emitter: Presenting 20,000,000:1 maximum contrast ratio for great colour accuracy and high level of picture details the monitor features an ultrafast 2ms response time, 16:9 widescreen, Full HD 1080P, and scanning rate at 120Hz. The V3D245 supports the latest HDMI 1.4 input for future proofing realistic 3D content and fully supports current mainstream 3D devices. With the built-in SRS Premium Sound, the V3D245 is the ultimate 3D monitor.

The PLED-W200 – the world’s first WXGA pico projector: pocket-sized projector ideal for slipping into a laptop bag or purse for taking presentations and entertainment on the go. At 200 lumens, with a 2000:1 contrast ratio and display resolution of 1200×800 WXGA, the PLED-W200 packs the world’s highest lumen and resolution counts into a CD player-sized device. It weighs only 420g and boasts long-lasting LED light technology of up to 20,000 hours. Teamed with integrated 10w speakers and a SD/USB card reader, users can present and enjoy everything from image slideshows to presentations in a PC-free environment.

The VFM851 – ultra-thin digital photo frame: amazing design combined with high picture quality. Able to be battery powered offering a cordless experience it has 800×600 screen resolution, supports formats such as MJPEG, MPEG2, MPEG-4 and comes with USB ports (for SD/SDHC/MMC).

The ViewSonic HD camcorder series: The new ViewSonic Camcorder HD series provide a lot of advanced features normally found in professional camcorders but at a fraction of the price. With a 10MP image sensor and 12X optical zoom, these HD camcorders capture great detail even at 200 feet away. And with a 60fps high-definition video available, the ViewCam HD series is perfect for sports and other action shots. The camcorder’s innovative advanced Manual Focus System lets you select what subject to focus on by simply tapping on the touch screen, ensuring what you want to be focused on is captured in detail.

The DROID Incredible 2 recently landed on Verizon Wireless, and it has some tough shoes to fill. When the original launched, it was BGR’s favorite Android phone to date despite stiff competition from the Motorola DROID, which launched at the same time. The DROID Incredible 2 packs some decent hardware, like a 1GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p video, and more, but its specs — and data speeds — don’t match those of phones at the higher end of Verizon’s portfolio. Is the DROID Incredible 2 a worthy successor to the original or does it fall short? Read on to find out!

Hardware / Display

I remember reviewing the original Incredible and feeling a sense of loss the day I had to send it back. It had a unique race-car inspired design and HTC even had interchangeable red and white covers for the back panel that you could buy separately. The whole idea was that HTC was totally tweaking the industrial design of the phone to really get consumers turned on to the sexy designs possible with a mobile device. There’s less shock value with the Incredible 2. The red battery compartment is gone, the contours aren’t unique anymore, and the whole device feels too similar to the original to be exciting.

The phone feels excellent in the hand, though, and the soft-touch black finish provides good grip. The volume keys are in easy reach on the top left hand side, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top across from a power button, and the back is home to an 8-megapixel camera and a dual-LED flash. I love that the menu, home, search, and return buttons automatically rotate so that they’re displayed correctly in both landscape and portrait view. HTC should definitely carry that feature into other phones.

The most noticeable difference on the Incredible 2 is its larger 4-inch 800 x 480 resolution display. I like that it’s bigger than the original 3.7-inch screen on the first Incredible, which was a hair too small, but I’m disappointed that HTC ditched the AMOLED display panel. Text looks decent on the screen, but the colors don’t pop in the way they did on the original Incredible. The trade off is that the current display is much easier to view under direct sunlight, however.

I’ll discuss the rest of the hardware in various parts of this review, but here’s a quick rundown of the raw specs: the DROID Incredible is powered by a 1GHz processor — that’s the same clock speed as the original — and it has an 8-megapixel with a dual-LED flash, a 1,450 mAh battery, a 1.3-megapixel forward-facing camera for video chat, and a 16GB microSD card pre-installed.

Software

The Incredible 2 is powered by Android 2.2.1 (Froyo) with HTC’s custom Sense user interface running on top, and its 1GHz powered through it all just fine. Unfortunately, the phone is not loaded with HTC’s new revamped version of Sense, which will make its debut on the T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G any week now. I’ve always been a big fan of Sense. It’s one of my favorite Android user interfaces, but it’s hard to recommend software that’s already being replaced. The DROID Incredible 2 also runs Android 2.2 (Froyo), too, instead of the newer Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS.

Thankfully, there’s relatively little bloatware installed, save for V Cast Apps, V CAST Media, V CAST Music, V CAST Tones, and V CAST Videos. Verizon has pre-installed some other software, including 3G Mobile Hotspot, Blockbuster, Amazon Kindle, Lets Golf 2, NFS Shift, Skype Mobile, NFL Mobile, Slacker, and more, but those applications are often very popular Android apps, too, and I’m a big fan of many of them. The 3G Hotpsot application will allow you to share your 3G connection with other Wi-Fi enabled devices, and I used the Incredible 2 hotspot during an entire workday without any connection drops.

Calling / Data

Calls on the DROID Incredible 2 were solid, as is typically the case on Verizon’s phones in New York City. During a test call, the other party said I sounded “clear” while walking on the streets of New York City, and she said she couldn’t make out the background traffic. The speakerphone was a bit watery but the volume was sufficient. As far as data, the Incredible 2′s data speeds were just OK. I averaged 1.2Mbps on the downlink and 1Mbps up, which is good enough for a 3G phone but a far cry from Verizon’s brand new 4G LTE network which offers download speeds that are nearly 20 times that.

Camera

The Incredible 2 packs an 8-megapixel camera, just like the original, and can shoot 720p HD video. I was satisfied with the images I snapped — they look great on the phone itself and just as solid blown up on a computer screen. Unlike some newer phones, the Incredible 2 isn’t capable of auto-focusing while shooting video, though, which was a bit of a disappointment. Similarly, it lacks an HDMI-out port, so you won’t be able to show videos or photos on your bigscreen TV, another feature that’s supported by many other high-end devices.

Battery Life

During my few days of testing I didn’t have any problem getting through a full day of moderate use before the 1,450mAh battery ran out on the Incredible 2. Verizon rates it for 6.5 hours of usage, though, so you’ll want to bring a charger along if you’re planning to watch movies during a long plane ride or car trip.

Wrap-up

The DROID Incredible 2 is a good phone — there’s nothing inherently wrong with it — but I don’t think it brings the Incredible brand forward at all. In fact, there really isn’t anything “incredible” about it. The phone is very similar to the original, save for a larger screen and some small tweaks like a forward-facing camera, but at $199.99 it costs just as much as dual-core smartphones like the DROID X2, and it’s $50 shy of Verizon’s 4G LTE smartphones that offer much, much, faster data speeds. Is it a solid follow-up to the original? No. In fact, I like the original better.

Nokia’s N9 handset has made a brief cameo via a one-minute, official-looking video clip. What do we learn from said video? Not a heck of a lot. What we do see is a 12-megapixel camera complete with Carl Zeiss optics flash before our eyes, and the iconography seen suggests that the device will be a Symbian offering complete with the Anna software update. The rumor mill states the N9 will be a pentaband GSM handset that could make an appearance stateside, although… since Nokia is going all-in with Windows Phone, we’re not sure what the fate of this handset is. The video is after the break. Have a look for yourself.

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According to a purported internal screenshot obtained by TmoNews, T-Mobile may launch the HTC Sensation 4G on June 8th. We fell in love with the Sensation 4G in early April during our hands-on. It has a rock-solid aluminum uni-body design, is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, has a 4.3-inch 960 x 520 qHD display, 4GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p HD video, and runs Android Gingerbread with HTC’s latest and greatest Sense user interface. Pricing for the phone hasn’t been officially announced, but earlier rumors have suggested it will cost $200 with a new T-Mobile contract.

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Apple’s next-generation iPod nano may ditch the clip design and instead feature a 1.3-megapixel camera, according to leaked images posted by Taiwanese blog Apple.pro. The overall design of the unit looks similar to the current iPod nano, although there’s a chrome border around the new camera and the metal exterior has a noticeably deeper green hue, which suggests new colors are on the way. We’re a bit surprised at the lack of a clip on the nano, though, as most people we’ve seen with the music player use it — so perhaps it’s possible the clip can be removed to expose the camera lens. Either way, the form factor definitely matches earlier leaks of the next-generation iPod nano.

[Via Mac Rumors]

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We’re here live at the Boost Mobile’s media event in New York City where the prepaid carrier just announced the Samsung Galaxy Prevail — its first CDMA Android powered smartphone. The Galaxy Prevail runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) and sports a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, 2 megapixel rear-facing camera, Bluetooth, and free subscription to Telenav for voice-guided turn-by-turn directions. During our initial hands-on, it was immediately clear that the Galaxy Prevail does not have the same hardware prowess as other Samsung devices with the Galaxy namesake. There’s no 4-inch Super AMOLED display, it’s incapable of recording 720p video, and it felt a bit sluggish navigating through menus and panning on web pages. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker, though, as the Galaxy Prevail is available for a very reasonable $179.99 contract-free. When used with Boost Mobile’s $50 all-you-can-eat smartphone plan — which includes unlimited talk, text, and web browsing — the deal gets even sweeter. It’s certainly a welcome addition to Boost’s portfolio, especially for those looking to save a few bucks without sacrificing all that a smartphone can offer, but certainly isn’t going to woo many (read: any) users away from their current Android handset.

Nokia’s unannounced E6-00, a new, candybar-style smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard, has been leaked by a member of the NokiaTeco forums. The E6-00 reportedly sports a VGA resolution touchscreen, an 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, a front-facing camera, and a version of the Symbian operating system that was specifically designed for the device’s 4:3 display aspect ratio. It doesn’t look like Nokia has strayed all that far from the E71 — which also is available in white and comes with a metal back cover — and looks like a pretty solid piece of hardware. In a world with smartphones packing qHD displays, we’re not too crazy about the VGA screen resolution, though, and we hope that particular spec is wrong. Hit the jump to view a blurry video of the E6-00 in action.

[Via MyNokiaBlog]

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Best Buy announced Tuesday that it will exclusively offer the Wi-Fi version of the HTC Flyer tablet beginning this spring. The HTC Flyer, which is also launching on Sprint as the HTC EVO View, sports a 7-inch, 1024 x 768 pixel display; has 16GB of storage; a 5 megapixel camera; a 1.5GHz processor; a 4,000mAh battery a 1.3 megapixel forward-facing camera for video chat; and Android 2.2 (Froyo). The Flyer runs HTC’s new Sense user interface, which offers a host of UI improvements and supports the HTC Scribe — the company’s innovative stylus. Best Buy did not provide pricing details or a specific launch date for the Flyer, but said that it will be available in Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores, as well as online. For a closer look, be sure to check out our Flyer hands-on from Mobile World Congress. Hit the jump for the full release.

Best Buy® and HTC Announce Exclusive Launch of the Wi-Fi HTC Flyer Tablet at CTIA Wireless 2011

Wi-Fi HTC Flyer slated to launch this spring

ORLANDO, Fla., March 22, 2011 – Best Buy and HTC today announced the exclusive launch of the highly-anticipated Wi-Fi only version of the HTC Flyer™ tablet. All Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores, as well as BestBuy.com, will have the tablet when it launches this spring.

The HTC Flyer is a fast, portable, light-weight tablet that integrates the immersive and highly intuitive HTC Sense™experience and enables content including videos, music, games and more to be easily accessed and enjoyed. For those attending CTIA, Best Buy and HTC will have devices on-hand at Pepcom’s Mobile Focus event on Tuesday, March 22 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

“Over the past few months we’ve seen several new tablets enter the market, and we’re especially excited to partner with HTC to bring the Wi-Fi version of the HTC Flyer to our customers as a national retail launch exclusive,” said Scott Anderson, head of merchandising for Best Buy Mobile. “We have worked hard to bring a large assortment of great tablets to Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores, and the HTC Flyer is a great example of that effort.”

The HTC Flyer features a strong aluminum unibody case that is lighter than an average paperback book. Truly separating the HTC Flyer from the pack is the integration of the acclaimed HTC Sense experience and unique HTC Scribe technology. The new HTC Sense experience offers an interface rethought for the tablet format which allows users to easily scroll and locate photos, entertainment, weather, calendar and mail. An optional HTC Scribe™ digital pen unlocks HTC Scribe technology, which enables the ability to capture and annotate any on-screen content with notes and drawings. Also, with Timemark, handwritten notes taken with the digital pen are synchronized with audio, as well as the popular Evernote™ application, turning handwritten notes into true meeting minutes. Additionally, with front and rear cameras, people can also make live video calls using a variety of available video chat applications available in the Android Market.

“Best Buy offers a number of the hottest products on the market, including the all-new 4G LTE HTC ThunderBolt™and now the Wi-Fi version of the groundbreaking HTC Flyer, which brings the acclaimed HTC Sense experience to a tablet for the first time,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC Americas. “Like all HTC Sense products, the HTC Flyer was inspired by our customers, and offers the most simple and natural experience available on a tablet.”

Other key features of the HTC Flyer include:

Integration/compatibility with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 3.0
7″ 1024×600 display with multi-touch capability and an optional digital pen that enables users to take synchronized notes and annotate content
Built-in dual microphones for noise reduction
Android™operating system
Adobe® Flash® 10.1 support
5 MP Color CMOS camera with auto focus
1.3MP front camera for video chatting
16GB eMMC memory plus microSD card slot
4,000 mAh battery
Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving customers’ experience, including Walk Out Working, Geek Squad Black Tie Protection, Buy Back and a full array of accessories for customers to protect and personalize their devices.