Pocketables

ZTE V66 Verizon Android tablet passes through FCC

If ZTE's Sprint-capable Optik tablet didn't hit your technological sweet tooth for whatever reason, the company has an alternative. It's called the V66 (probably a codename); while we've seen its overall shape before, we now have a colorful picture to show what the front will look like thanks to a Bluetooth filing.

If you need a refresher on this device's specs, here they are: it will come with a 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, Android 3.2, a 7-inch capacitive 1280 x 800 display, and a 4000mAh battery. 

Since it's a Verizon tablet, it will be able to connect to Verizon's network. It's also a 4G tablet, so expect to get some relatively fast speeds when you're in a Verizon LTE area. 

Unfortunately, as with other FCC filings, pricing and release dates are still unknown to us. I wouldn't be surprised to see something about this at Mobile World Congress, but who knows when it will actually be released and available for purchase. Any guesses?

[Android Community]

RIM's new CEO thinks all Android phones are "the same," won't sell to Samsung or anyone else

Well, this isn't something you hear every day. According to RIM's brand new CEO, "there is just no room for differentiation because all [Android Phones] are the same. This quote came in response to a question about the company potentially switching to Android, which Thorsten Heins clearly doesn't think is a good idea. 

This is especially interesting in light of a recent rumor that Samsung would buy RIM. While Samsung quickly denied the claim, there were still rumors that RIM was up for sale. Now, it appears that is no longer the case. Thanks to the direction of a new CEO, RIM will continue heavily pushing its yet unreleased BlackBerry 10 platform in an attempt to get back into the game. 

While I applaud Heins for stepping up and trying to turn RIM around, I have to disagree with his comment about Android devices. In just a couple years, I have seen Android hardware with multiple displays, with keyboards, without keyboards, with 3D, and even with laptop and UMPC form factors. In fact, one of the biggest problems most people have with Android is its fragmentation and diversity. It's all well and good that RIM is going to aggressively compete again, but there's no need to trash on Android to do so.

[SlashGear]

Idolian IdolPad is just $100, boasts 7-inch screen and decent specs

Most of the $100 Android tablets that we cover usually have dismal specs and, quite honestly, aren't even worth the small price tag. Luckily for us, there are a few devices that you can get for just one Benjamin Franklin that are worth it. I introduce you to the Idolian IdolPad, which happens to be one of those devices.

This tablet is actually pretty loaded for the price for which it's offered: it includes a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and Gingerbread (including Google's official Android Market). Those specs aren't bad at all; granted, the processor is just single-core and the operating system isn't optimized for tablets, but it's still a pretty good deal, nonetheless. 

On the outside, the IdolPad includes an HDMI port and a microSDHC slot for more storage space. Unfortunately, the big downer on this device is the screen and its resolution: it's a resistive panel with a meager resolution of just 800 x 480. 

You can order one at the source link below. Let us know if you pick one up!

[Indolian via The Digital Reader]

T-Mobile wants to gain spectrum, stop AT&T and Verizon

We found out just this Tuesday that T-Mobile will soon be getting a chunk of AT&T wireless spectrum to bulk up its network, but apparently that still isn't enough bandwidth for the outmatched magenta carrier. They are currently looking to aggressively  buy more spectrum at upcoming government auctions, and are concerned about being outbid by much larger (and richer) carriers.

This is due to some new legislation in Congress that would prevent the FCC from excluding AT&T and Verizon from the auctions based on the amount of spectrum they already have. In response to the perceived threat, the company's VP of federal regulatory affairs made this statement: 

"Eliminating the FCC’s authority to establish competitive rules, just as Congress is poised to authorize significant new auctions, could discourage participation by bidders other than the largest carriers, ironically driving down auction revenues and potentially undermining the very economic development Congress hopes to gain through its legislation."

Obviously, T-Mobile basically wants to exclude the big carriers so they can buy the spectrum for cheap, but in this case that probably is the best thing for consumers as well. T-Mobile's network has lagged behind AT&T, Verizon, and even Sprint, so even though the AT&T acquisition has fallen through, a GSM monopoly could still emerge if T-Mobile can't compete.  

As such, even though it seems unfair to block the larger carriers from the auctions, overall it will probably be the best thing for consumers. Hopefully T-Mobile can win some of these battles and get back into the wireless race, because having another strong competitor (who currently has the cheapest prices as well) can only be good for the market.

[T-Mobile Blog]

Sony Xperia S gets even better with fast charging and durability coating

We have been in love with Sony's Xperia S smartphone since we first caught a leaked glimpse of it back in December, and since then things have only gotten better. The announced specs were almost exactly what we thought they would be, and Sony even has plans for an AT&T version of the device. Now, according to a European product manager, the Xperia S will have two more previously unannounced features.

The first is rapid charging, purported to allow you to charge your device in half the time taken by other phones. While it's not the ideal solution to battery life, the lithium-polymer technology should certainly help. The other improvement is a special "dirt-repellent UV-active nano-coating," which sounds to me a lot like Fujitsu's new durability coating (albeit without the waterproofing).

Although the latter improvement has been confirmed by Sony's Facebook page, we still have no idea what exactly UV nano coating does. Of course, as long as it doesn't break anything there seems to be no reason not to have it. 

We also don't know if these improvements will also be present on the AT&T Ion, but it seems safe to assume they will. However, if you want to get your hands on the Xperia S/Ion before this spring, you may be better off looking to the international GSM version.

[Xperia Blog]  

Samsung Galaxy S II review

With the Galaxy Note fresh off the assembly line and rumors of the Galaxy S III breathing down everyone's necks, the Samsung Galaxy S II doesn't show up in the spotlight as often as it used to. Still, it's one of the top Android phones out there, and is far from outdated. With it getting cheaper and cheaper and putting up camp in the mid-range price segment it's gaining a lot of new users, and yours truly is one of them. Read on for a review of the Samsung Galaxy S II (international version). 

Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx is released on Verizon

As always, CES brought us a ton of device announcements from a massive amount of different manufacturers and carriers. One of those devices was the Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx, and it's finally available for purchase.

If you don't remember what makes the sequel to the original Droid RAZR so special, I'll gladly remind you since I like writing about incredible hardware. Including being one of the thinnest phones around at just 8.9mm, the Maxx also has a 3300mAh battery. That's one of the biggest selling points of the device, as it can achieve a whopping 21 hours of continuous talk time. 

So, if you're still interested in picking one of these up for yourself, you can give your friendly neighborhood (or online) Verizon store a relatively hefty $299.99. Of course, thanks to the beauty of the internet, you could also go to Amazon Wireless and save $100. 

[Verizon | Amazon]

HTC to slow down on releases and focus on amazing hardware

If you were to walk into any carrier's brick-and-mortar store, chances are that you'd see a multitude of different devices from any one manufacturer inside. Samsung has the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II devices competing for the top spot, and HTC has all of its great phones, too. But according to HTC's UK Chief Phil Roberson, the manufacturer doesn't want to do that anymore.

"We have to get back to focusing on what made us great – amazing hardware and a great customer experience. We ended 2011 with far more products than we started out with. We tried to do too much. So 2012 is about giving our customers something special. We need to make sure we do not go so far down the line that we segment our products by launching lots of different SKUs."

Roberson also stated that HTC will be focusing on smartphones this year, but it also won't be stepping entirely out of the tablet market, either. But given the company's plan to release a few amazing devices a year, it's probably better to pour all its resources into smartphones. 

I've always loved HTC's devices, but I do think that 2011 was its messiest year in terms of device SKUs. I would accept one or two phones per carrier from the company; however, having low-, mid-, and high-end smartphones alongside its featurephone offerings on AT&T is pretty indicative of a company that doesn't communicate very well on the inside. I understand the need for product diversity, but that's a bit too much. At most, how about a mid- and a high-end smartphone per carrier, with one or two carriers having a featurephone? 

[Mobile Today]

ZTE Optik is Sprint's $99, 7-inch Honeycomb tablet

Sprint has a mixed history of loving tablets. RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook is one of those examples that's negative: the carrier killed the idea of having a WiMAX-capable version, but it did offer a 3G variant. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't ever marketed very well. 

Today, though, it looks like Sprint is going to start marketing one of its forthcoming tablets a little better. It's called the ZTE Optik, and it's a 7-inch Honeycomb tablet that will cost just $99.99 on contract. 

For that price, you're getting a pretty sweet deal. On top of being compatible with Sprint's 3G network, it also has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD slot for further expansion, and 4000mAh battery. 

I'm looking forward to more cheap tablets from all sorts of companies. As we all know, prices do matter the most in a regular consumer's purchase — just look at the HP TouchPad or the Kindle Fire. If more companies and carriers get the prices just right, we could see an explosion of innovation in the tablet market this year.

[Android Police]

Sony Tablet P will get Ice Cream Sandwich, PlayStation certification this spring

Sony's dual-screen Tablet P hasn't been in the news much lately, but in is nevertheless a really neat device that hinges (literally) on a some pretty unique industrial design. However, it has also so far been relegated to mostly a niche market, thanks both to its price and uncommon design. Usually, this means that the manufacturer will delay or forget about updates, but fortunately Sony still seems dedicated to their platform.

According to a spokesperson at a London event, Sony plans to roll out the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Tablet P sometime this spring. Along with the usual Android 4.0 goodies, the update will also bring along a couple new features like PlayStation certification, which will allow you to download PlayStation games to the Tablet P much like Xperia Play and play them with the PS3 Bluetooth controller. For when you need to get some work done, they have also included more compatibility for Microsoft Office documents.

Even though it has only garnered a limited following, the Tablet P is still a great product. The design is innovative, and it is great that Sony is still supporting it instead of giving up. For current owners of the device, the Ice Cream Sandwich update should be welcome announcement, and may even entice some people on the fence. If it ever comes to AT&T as promised, I know I will be giving it a look.

[TechRadar]