It didn’t take very long to go from leak to official, but HTC has formally announced the refreshed version of their Sensation handset. Called the Sensation XE with Beats Audio, it’s exactly the type of smart phone that we expected it would be. Details include a dual-core 1.5GHz processor 768MB RAM,a 4.3-inch qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera (rear), and a VGA front-facing camera. The Sensation XE runs Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread with HTC Sense 3.0 over the top, and comes boxed with either 8GB or 16GB microSD cards.
HTC Officially Debuts Sensation XE with Beats Audio
AT&T Announces $329.99 Acer Iconia Tab A501 for September 18
AT&T announced early this morning that they will soon be offering the Acer Iconia Tab A501 tablet. Due this coming Sunday, September 18th, the carrier will be selling the Honeycomb tablet for $329.99 with a two-year service agreement. The discount price requires subscribers sign up for the new $35, 3GB monthly data plan, however they’ll have access to AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ network. Should you opp to pick one up without a lengthy commitment, the cost rises to $479.99 for the dual-core device. There are a pair of options available for pay-as-you-go data plans, $14.99 for 250 MB or $25 for 2 GB.
AT&T Set to Offer $49.99 Xperia PLAY 4G on September 18
AT&T is set to finally offer the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play later this month, putting the phone on sale at $49.99 with two-year service agreements. Tapping their iteration with a subtle name change, Ma Bell has decided that XPERIA Play 4G is a more moniker. Like its Verizon counterpart the phone runs Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread and features a 4-inch display, 1GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera, and VGA forward-facing camera. About that 4G suffix, it’s only AT&T’s HSPA+ network and not the 4G LTE stuff we’d rather see. Nonetheless, the $50 price point should help move a few of these stealth blue “PlayStation Phones”.
The Xperia PLAY 4G has access to more than 150 games optimized for the special hardware and comes with a number of pre-loaded titles (Dungeon Defenders, Asphalt 6 Adrenaline, Star Battalion, Madden NFL 11, The Sims 3, Tower Bloxx: My City, and Crash Bandicoot).
Cricket Wireless Announces $199.99 Samsung Vitality
Cricket Wireless unveiled their next Android smart phone today, the Muve Music enabled Samsung Vitality. Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread and powered by a 800MHz processor, the handset will be available next week for the price of $199.99 after $20 instant rebate. Details include a 3.5-inch display, 3.2-megapixel camera, and a Muve Music 4GB SanDisk flash memory card (holds up to 3,000 songs and has 1GB set aside for other content). Cricket subscribers who choose the Muve Music Android plan will pay $65 per month and receive full-song downloads, ringtones, ringback tones, nationwide calling, nationwide text, picture and video messaging, email and data back-up.
Press release after the break
AT&T Announces $29.99 Impulse 4G for September 18
AT&T announced a budget-friendly Android handset this morning, trotting out the $29.99 Huawei Impulse 4G. Expected to arrive on September 18th, the handset runs Android 2.2 Froyo (what?!) and features a 3.8-inch display, 5-megapixel camera, and support for AT&T’s HSPA+ network (not the 4G LTE). Processor speed, memory, and other details are unknown at this point, but we don’t suspect there’s an awful lot under the hood. Still, for $30 and a two-year commitment, it’s tough to argue the value for new smart phone users. Press release after the break.
Verizon Announces $299 Droid Bionic for September 8 (Tomorrow!)
And here we thought that September 8th was going to simply pass us by. Verizon has finally done it, announcing the Droid Bionic for release on September 8th, some nine months after its initial debut. To be fair here, we’re not talking about the same handset that was shown off in Las Vegas. But still!
Starting tomorrow, Verizon customers can pick up the latest model in the Droid lineup, the one that rules all machines. Carrying a $299 price tag, it’s more expensive than we’d like it to be however we don’t make the rules here. Details include a dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, a 4.3-inch qHD display, 8-megapixel camera (1080p HD video) and support for 4G LTE. Toss in a front-facing camera, HDMI output with mirror mode, webtop docking capability, and 32 GB memory (16GB on board and 16 GB microSD) and we can see why Verizon wants to charge so much.
Verizon has also announced a number of official accessories for the Droid Bionic, including the laptop dock, vehicle navigation dock, and battery dock. Hit the break to read the press release and learn all there is to know about the handset and its accessories.
Samsung Unveils 5.3-inch Dual-Core Galaxy Note with HD Super AMOLED
Samsung changed the game up this morning, unveiling brand new type of device in the Galaxy Note. Half phone, half min-tablet, and all beast, it features a massive 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display (1280×800, 285ppi), dual-core 1.4GHz processor, and 8-megapixel camera. Oh, then there’s also a front-facing 2-megapixel camera, pressure-sensitive stylus S Pen, HSPA+ and LTE support, 2GB internal storage, microSD expansion and all your other Android protocols. On the software side of things, the Galaxy Note comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and a host of Samsung services including Social Hub, Readers Hub , Music Hub, S Memo, and the new ChatON service.
If you’re the type of person who hears the word stylus and cringes, we invite you to watch the video after the break. Samsung has a serious winner on their hands with the Galaxy Note and we can’t wait to get our hands on one. Unfortunately we do not have any carrier, pricing, or launch dates to share just yet.
Samsung Announces Galaxy Tab 7.7 with Dual-Core 1.4GHz CPU
Samsung is at IFA today where they unveiled their next Android-powered tablet, the Galaxy Tab 7.7. Featuring a dual-core 1.4GHz processor, 7.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, and HSPA+21Mbps support, it’s more than a minor refresh to its predecessor. Additional details include Android 3.2 Honeycomb, microSD expansion, 1080MH playback, and a 5100mAh battery all packed into a crazy thin 7.89mm body.
As of today there are no carrier and/or pricing details to share but we hope to see this on shelves in the next few months. Full press release follows the break.
Galaxy S II Announced for Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T
The wait is over and the Galaxy S II has been finally announced for U.S carriers. Sprint will be the first provider to offer the device to its customers, making it available for $199 on September 16th. AT&T and T-Mobile have their own versions coming however neither carrier is ready to commit to a date or price. There are some specs that are universal across the three phones but each will have their own unique selling features and content. Hit the break to read your obligatory catch-all press release!
Motorola Announces the Pro+
Continuing the trend started with the successor to the Defy, the Defy+, Motorola has announced the sequel to the Pro. The Pro+ is set to hit shelves in Europe and Asia this October, it’s powered by an adequate 1GHz processor and has a Blackberry-esque full portrait QWERTY. The phone also sports 512MB of RAM, 4GB of external storage and a 5MP camera. Check out the video and full spec sheet below then let us know what you think of the device in the comments!
| Motorola PRO+ Features and Specifications | ||
| Form Factor | Touch Screen, QWERTY | |
| OS | Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) | |
| Size | 62 x 119.50 x 11.65mm | |
| Display | 3.1″ VGA, 640 x 480 pixels, scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass | |
| Weight | 113g | |
| Processor | 1GHz | |
| Battery | 1600mAh | |
| Talk and Standby Time(1) | Up to 8 hours of talktime and 13 days in standby | |
| Bands/Modes | Dual-band WCDMA 850/1900/2100, 850/1700/2100, 900/2100 Quadband GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA 2Mbps, EDGE Class 12, GPRS Class 12 |
|
| Connectivity | 3.5mm headset jack, USB 2.0 HS, BOTA, PC Sync 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities – Allows customers to connect up to five other Wi-Fi®-enabled devices and laptops |
|
| Messaging/Web/Apps | MMS, SMS, Email, IM (Dwnld Java, Embedded) | |
| Camera | 5MP auto focus with LED flash | |
| Audio | FM Radio Receive, AAC, AAC+, AAC+ Enhanced, AMR NB, MIDI, MP3, RA, WAV, WMA |
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| Video | Capture/Playback/Streaming, H.264, MPEG4 | |
| Storage & Memory | 4G internal storage, expandable up to 32GB512 RAM | |
| Location Services | aGPS (assisted) | |
| Pre-loaded Applications | Access to Google Maps™ with Navigation, Google Talk™ and Web browsing | |
| Sensors | eCompass, Accelerometer, Light and Proximity Sensor | |
Source: PRNewsWire