Thinking of switching platforms? You don’t have to jump in with both feet

 

Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry: four very good reasons to be interested in the mobile aspect of technology. Each of these four platforms have plenty to offer consumers, but alas, when it comes to our daily driver most of us can only afford (or care to) use one at a time - but that doesn’t mean that other platforms don’t still intrigue you. Whether you love or hate your current mobile OS, sometimes the urge to test the waters of another is great. However, most widely advertised smartphones are going to cost you a pretty penny. Switching might sound like fun, but not necessarily at the price tag of $500 or a two year contract.

 

Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest to simply test the waters of another platform. All four platforms have much cheaper options that may not be top performance, per se, but can still give you a better idea of how a different mobile platform functions. With that being said, let’s look at some of the cheaper options when it comes to each platform.

 

 

Android

 

I’m going to start off with Android because if you’ve never used Android before and don’t know a whole lot about it, it’s a whole lot of mess thrown at you compared to the other three platforms. You have tons of manufacturers, tons of models, and just a ton of research to do if you’ve been drawn in by some of the big name flagships like the LG G3, the HTC One (M8), the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, etc.

 

The simplest answer for a cheap device that gets you a solid Android experience without an enormous price tag? The Motorola Moto E. The Moto E only costs you $129, and while the specs are nothing to write home about Motorola still manages to deliver a good, smooth Android experience for a super cheap price tag. You don’t really need all of the bells and whistles to be able to experience Android - you can worry about getting a better processor, more RAM, better camera, etc. later if you decide that you like the platform. But for a beginner’s experience with the platform, the Moto E delivers at a super cheap price.

 

 

Windows Phone

 

Windows Phone is probably my favorite when it comes to buying a phone on a budget to test the waters, because the best option for a cheap Windows Phone starts at just $49.99 with the Nokia Lumia 530. Again, the specs are really nothing special here, but the great thing about Windows Phone is that even the flagship models don’t need a whole lot more in order to run Windows Phone 8.1 smoothly. Heck, you might even be happy enough with the cheaper phone because it really doesn’t take much at all to make Windows Phone perform well.

 

Another benefit is that this is a Nokia phone, and Nokia (or Microsoft now, I guess) has some pretty boss Nokia-specific apps in the app store for you to look forward to using.

 

 

iOS

 

iOS has been one of the most popular platforms since the very beginning of smartphones, especially considering the iPhone is really what started this whole shebang. Due to its prestigiousness, this can be one of the most daunting switches if you’ve never used iOS before because the newer generations cost a considerable amount of money at full price.

 

Fortunately, Apple has a good track record of keeping its older models somewhat relevant for at least 3 years past its prime - and if you can find a model that’s 2 or 3 years old, you can usually find them at a pretty cheap price. Right now you can find refurbished iPhone 4S devices for under $200, or refurbished iPhone 5 devices for under $300. You might not be able to download (or perhaps shouldn’t download) the latest iOS version (iPhone 4S phones and iOS 8 don’t mix well) but the nice thing about iOS is that design and functionality-wise the platform stays familiar across the board. The very first version of iOS still has a lot of familiar elements to iOS 8. It’s usually pretty easy to adapt to.

 

That being said, trying out iOS is probably going to be the most expensive option.

 

 

BlackBerry 10

 

Although BlackBerry 10 is relatively new, if you’ve been itching to try it out you’re kind of in luck - even if that comes at the expense of BlackBerry themselves. The platform didn’t exactly take off with flying colors, so last year’s first generation of BlackBerry 10 devices are pretty cheap. A refurbished BlackBerry Q10 will cost you less than $200; a refurbished BlackBerry Z10 can usually be found for even cheaper than that.

 

BlackBerry 10 might have struggled to take off, but for people who still reminisce about their physical keyboards or just the BlackBerry ecosystem in general this is still a decent option to check out.

 

 

I try to encourage people to try all platforms if they can. It’s not easy (or even cheap) to test all four, but by going for some of the cheaper models (or models from previous years) you can still experience the platforms for just the fraction of a price that it would cost you to jump right in with both feet - and that can be scary when you’re faced with huge price tags or two year commitments in order to do so.

 

Images via iMore, Gotta Be Mobile, Berry Review

AT&T increases some Mobile Share Value data allotments

Trick or treat! AT&T announced today that to celebrate Halloween, it’s got a treat for consumers in the form of increased Mobile Share Value plan data tiers.

Starting Sunday, November 2, AT&T will offer 3GB and 6GB tiers in its Mobile Share Value plan for $40 and $70 per month, respectively. Previously, those prices got you 2GB and 4GB of data. Here’s how the Mobile Share Value plan tiers will look starting Sunday:

• 300MB for $20 per month
• 1GB for $25 per month
• 3GB for $40 per month
• 6GB for $70 per month

Each plan includes unlimited talk and text as well as bottomless international messaging. It’s also worth noting that the Mobile Share Value plan has a monthly smartphone access charge that’s set at $25 per month for AT&T Next or no commitment customers or $40 per month for on-contract users.

Finally, AT&T says that it’s extending its Double the Data offer for its Mobile Share Value plans that was announced at the end of September. The promo doubles the monthly data allotment of the 15GB to 50GB tiers. Originally it was slated to end today, October 31, but now it’ll run through November 15.

Via AT&T

Samsung Galaxy A5, Galaxy A3 feature full metal unibody designs

Samsung has been dabbling in metal smartphones recently with the Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4, but today the company introduced two new phones that go full metal.

The Samsung Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 are members of the Galaxy A family, which Samsung describes as “stylishly crafted” with slim, full metal bodies, Super AMOLED displays and “a wide range of selfie functions to play with.” The spec lists for the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 are as follows:

Samsung Galaxy A5

• 5-inch HD Super AMOLED display
• 1.2GHz quad-core processor
• 13-megapixel rear, 5-megapixel front cameras
• 16GB storage, microSD card slot
• 2GB of RAM
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• 4G LTE
• 2300mAh battery
• 6.7mm thick

Samsung Galaxy A3

• 4.5-inch qHD (960x540) Super AMOLED display
• 1.2GHz quad-core processor
• 8-megapixel rear, 5-megapixel front cameras
• 16GB of storage, microSD card slot
• 1GB of RAM
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• 4G LTE
• 1900mAh battery
• 6.9mm thick

Obviously the big deal is the fact that both the A5 and A3 are full metal and are made by Samsung, a company that’s caught a lot of flak in the past for its plasticky phones. It’s interesting to see that Sammy has gone full metal after trying it out on a couple of other recent phones, but I’m looking forward to seeing what a full metal Samsung phone feels like.

Samsung is also touting the A5 and A3’s selfie powers. Both feature 5-megapixel front-facing cams, but if you’d prefer an even higher-res photo, you can use their Rear Selfie mode. This feature lets you use the A5 and A3’s rear cameras and have the phone automatically detect and focus on your face.

Both the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 will launch in November 2014 in “select markets,” including China. Both phones will be available in multiple colors including Pearl White, Midnight Black, Platinum Silver, Soft Pink, Light Blue and Champagne Gold. Obviously they’re not the most high-end things that Samsung has ever cranked out, but they’re sure to garner quite a bit of attention thanks to the fact that they’ve got full metal, unibody designs.

What do you think of the look of these phones? Does a full metal Samsung smartphone interest you?

Via Samsung

The impact of numerology over the names

Whenever an infant is born into a family, it’s a norm to first assess him/her with a name. The name of a person is just not a word to be referred to them but actually is the definition, a description of their personality and the briefing of their traits. It should be made very sure that while naming a person all the necessary measures are taken care of. They say that labeling of a product is done properly to define the quality of that product. The same theory can be applied upon assessing names to the young ones too. The better the name the more illustrative would be the definition.

 

While a lot of people who believe in ancestry, name their children on the basis of their legacy or the family trees, while others who believe in Numerology have different opinions. The people who believe in numerology work and practice a lot with numbers before naming their kids. In numerology each letter of your name is said to have an individual corresponding number. Cornerstone is said to be the first letter in your name while capstone is said to be the last one. Under Numerology the first vowel is also given sheer importance, as it is said to fulfill all your urges and dreams in life. Each and every letter in this section has a meaning of its own and preparing a name with all those combine meaningful letters will eventually make out the best desired result. The sum of the numbers in your birth date and the sum of numbers you make out while naming a person displays a great deal in the character, the future, the strengths and the weakness of an individual. Numerology helps in standing and fighting against all these weaknesses and odds. Believers say that numerology make you achieve whatever you want in life, and not just infants, a lot of people change their names in the later stages of their life too after realizing the problems they are suffering in their lives and in order to fight against them. This concept of Numerology was initially brought up by the Babylonians but gradually everyone started practicing it and eventually it became so popular and effective that now it is practiced across almost all over the world. There might be no scientific proofs about the authenticity of these numerology charts, but people still have faith in ample numbers about the relationship of words and numbers.

 

People also believe that in Numerology the on goings and the redemption is based upon three major factors; the date of birth, the name given to you on your birth and the name you use currently. The third factor can well be managed according to the needs and necessary requirements by the Numerology charts. There are ways to work over your names even if you’re a grown up in order to get over the grey shades you are going through in your personal lives. So everyone needs to go through that Numerology chart while assessing their young ones with new names.

 

Browse through name meaning, rankings, other people's comments, ratings, and other statistics in addition to the name meanings.

 

BlackBerry Passport review

Cam reviews BlackBerry's latest flagship device. The Passport features an innovative physical keyboard with touch sensitivity built in, a sharp 1440x1440 LCD display and one of Snapdragon's 801 series quad-core processors. It's beautifully made, and feels fantastic in two hands. But is it enough? 

Few devices combine metal accents, chassis and plastic to such a high level. Everything from the solid body, to the slightly curved glass and metal frets between keys oozes quality and craftsmanship, and gives you piece of mind that this device will keep on going even with the most careless of business folk. What's more, it has a battery that will last 2 days and a camera that's half-decent (for once).

Key Specs: 

• 4.5-inch, 1440x1440 IPS LCD display (453ppi)
• 32GB storage
• 2.26GHz Snapdragon 801 processor
• Expandable storage
• 3,450mAh battery
• Stereo Speakers
• 13MP camera with OIS and HDR
• Runs BB OS 10.3
• Physical QWERTY with touch sensitive gesture control

BlackBerry Passport keyboard demo and walkthrough 

BlackBerry Passport unboxing

Moto 360 in 'Champagne' gold revealed by Amazon

Remember that gold Moto 360 that quietly appeared and then disappeared back in September? Well now it’s reappeared and redisappeared.

An unannounced “champagne” gold Moto 360 briefly appeared on Amazon last night. Both the casing of the watch itself and the band are gold, with the latter being a metal band like the silver and black ones that Motorola announced in early September.

Interestingly, Amazon also listed an 18mm version of the champagne gold option, giving folks at slimmer band that might want one for smaller wrists.

All of the gold Moto 360 models have since been removed from Amazon, which isn’t a surprise since Motorola hasn’t actually announced them yet. The good news is that this looks like a pretty good confirmation that a gold Moto 360 is indeed in the works, which is good news for folks that are fans of the recent “Gold Everything!” trend in mobile and want something flashy for their wrist as well.

Via Android Police, Amazon

Microsoft Band fitness tracker official, will launch Thursday for $199 [UPDATED]

Well, that didn’t take long. Shortly after Microsoft’s Band wearable device leaked out, the fitness tracker has been confirmed by the folks in Redmond.

The Microsoft Band will launch in Microsoft stores and online Thursday, October 30, for $199. As was rumored, the band features an elongated display that can track sleep, exercise and display notifications from your smartphone. The Microsoft Band is definitely more of a fitness tracker than a traditional smartwatch, though, packing 10 sensors to track things like heart rate, sun exposure and a galvanic skin response sensor that knows when you’re stressed.

Microsoft says that Band wearers can combine the data gathered during their work and personal lives to get a better idea of how events in one affect the other. Additionally, the Band can display weather and stock info, Facebook feeds and tweets from Twitter.

As noted in the leak from earlier today, Microsoft is also offering Health apps that are available on Android, iOS and Windows Phone. These apps gather data from the Band and display them in the Microsoft Health cloud service. The Microsoft Health cloud can also collect data from smartphones and even other fitness trackers, aiming to give you a big picture of your health.

There’s been a heavy focus on health in mobile lately, including dedicated devices from Jawbone, apps like Apple’s Health and Google Fit and more. It’s no surprise that Microsoft is aiming to get in on the action as well. What is interesting is that Microsoft Health works across Android, iOS and Windows Phone, which is a feature that could definitely help it gain some traction in the fitness space.

UPDATE: Microsoft’s Band site has officially gone live, giving us more details on the device’s features and specs. The Microsoft Band has a 1.4-inch 320x106 display and a pair of 100mAh batteries that Microsoft says will provide up to 48 hours of “normal use.” The Band is water and dust resistant and is compatible with Windows Phone 8.1, iOS 7.1 and up and Android 4.3 and 4.4 phones.

Microsoft has also revealed the full list of sensors that are packed inside the Band: optical heart rate sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, pyrometer, GPS, ambient light sensor, skin temperature sensor, UV sensor, capacitive sensor, galvanic skin response and microphone.

Rounding out the Microsoft Band’s feature set is support for text messages, incoming calls, email, calendar alerts, a Watch Mode, Facebook and Twitter alerts, weather forecasts, a Do-Not-Disturb mode, background design choices and support for a Starbucks card.

Via Re/code, Microsoft Band

Microsoft Band leak spills the details on upcoming wearable

The rumor mill has hinted that Microsoft will enter the wearable market soon, but we haven’t heard anything official on the matter from Microsoft itself. Now it looks like the company’s big news has been spoiled.

An app called “Microsoft Band Sync” has been discovered in the Mac App Store that includes an image of Microsoft’s wearable. The device looks like a simple band, but with an elongated display that can show the time, date and likely give you alerts on your fitness.

Alongside this Mac App Store listing, “Microsoft Health” apps have appeared in the Windows Store, Google Play and App Store that offer details about the device itself. The app description says that users can track their heart rate, steps, calorie burn and sleep quality. Wearers can also get guided workouts, 24-hour heart rate monitoring, calendar alerts and more. The Windows Phone app also supports note taking and reminders with Cortana.

Spec details for the Microsoft Band are still light, as is most of its feature set. However, the shape of the band and the descriptions of the Microsoft Health app suggest that it’ll be more fitness tracker than smartwatch. The good news is that, considering how much of the Microsoft Band has leaked tonight, it’s likely that an official announcement isn’t far off.

What are you first impressions of the Microsoft Band?

Via Windows Central, Mac App Store, Microsoft Health: Windows Store, Google Play, App Store

Project Ara prototype powered on in new video, Google details upcoming developer events

Following its announcement in October 2013, announcements relating to Project Ara seem to come out every few months or so. Today we got another update on the project’s progress and the upcoming Project Ara Module Developer Conferences.

First up, Phonebloks has posted a video that gives us a tour of NK Labs in Boston, where engineers are working on Project Ara prototypes. We’re treating to a demo of a prototype Ara unit with an LED module, battery, processor, loudspeakers and USB charging port. The device boots to Android and we’re given a quick peek at its home screen and app drawer. The video ends with the tease that the Spiral Prototype 2 Ara unit will be shown at upcoming developer conferences.

Speaking of developer conferences, Google has also spilled the details on its upcoming Project Ara Module Developers Conferences. Both will be day-long events in which interested developers can learn more about Ara and the Ara Module Developers Kit (MDK) version 0.20. Google will also show off the newest Ara prototype.

The first Project Ara Module Developers Conference will be held on January 14, 2015 in Mountain View, Calif. Satellite locations will be in New York City, Buenos Aires and London. The second conference — with the same agenda as the first — will go down on January 21, 2015 in Singapore, with satellite events scheduled to take place in Bangalore, Taipei and Shanghai.

Finally, Google has posted a FAQ for Project Ara in an effort to answer some frequently asked questions regarding the project. Google says that while Ara will run Android, it is a “development effort” and not an official Android or Nexus device. Project Ara is currently expected to launch in a “limited market pilot” in 2015, and while pricing is yet to be determined, Google is aiming for a basic Ara device to cost between $50 and $100.

Via Phonebloks, +GoogleATAP, Project Ara

OPPO N3 First Impressions

The new OPPO N3 has been unveiled! The OPPO N3 packs a big punch too. Now coming with a smaller 5.5-inch 1080P TFT LCD Panel, flagship specs, up-to-date software, and a new feature to improve the swivel camera, the N3 could be a serious contender in the unlocked markets, including the U.S. The new OPPO N3 packs a 2.3GHz Quad-Core SnapDragon 801 Chip, 2GB of RAM, 32/64GB of Storage alongside a new 16 megapixel camera with a new motorized swivel. The new motor allows the camera to swivel on its one depending on how you interact with the application or the physical touchpad on the back. Also, a fingerprint sensor is found on the back end of the device.

The N3 still carries the amazing build quality that OPPO are known for in their high-end devices. The N3 is built with steel, aluminum, and other high quality materials.

We'll be getting the OPPO N3 in for review very shortly. But for now, enjoy our first impressions of the OPPO N3!

Verizon's Galaxy Note 4 Developer Edition now available from Samsung, priced at $700

A week after the Verizon Galaxy Note 4 Developer Edition appeared on Samsung’s website, the phone has become available for purchase.

Samsung is selling the Verizon Galaxy Note 4 Developer Edition for $699.99, the same price that Verizon is asking for a no contract Note 4. There’s no subsidy available for this model, so it’s $700 or nothing. This Note 4 features the same specs as the regular Verizon Note 4 that’s been available for a while now, but the Dev Edition has a bootloader that can be unlocked, which allows for users to do things like load custom ROMs onto the phone.

Verizon typically locks its smartphones down pretty hard, which is why we see Developer Editions of flagship phones like the Moto X and Galaxy S5. While the Note 4 Developer Edition will cost you a pretty penny, it’s nice that at least the option of getting a Verizon-friendly unlockable Note 4 is available.

Via Android Police, Samsung

Google Fit app now available for download, lets you track activity and set goals

We haven’t heard much about Google Fit ever since it was announced at I/O back in June, but today we get to learn a whole lot more about the service.

Google Fit is now available for download from the Google Play store. The app will track your walking, running and cycling activity, receive recommendations for goals and set your own goals for duration or steps. If you’ve got a fitness-focused wearable, you can connect third-party devices to Google Fit and have all of your data in one place.

Google Fit is 13MB in size and is compatible with Android 4.0 and higher. It also works with Android Wear devices, and you can access your Google Fit data online and on your tablet.

While its feature set is somewhat basic compared to other, more established fitness apps, the current Google Fit app looks like a nice start. Not only is it nice to look at, but it’ll be nice for Android users to have a Google-built app for tracking their health and fitness goals.

You can download Google Fit from Google Play using the link below. If you do install it, be sure to share your first impressions with us!

Via Google Play: Google Fit

T-Mobile Q3 2014 results include biggest growth quarter, LTE in 250 markets

Tonight T-Mobile officially announced its third quarter 2014 earnings and revealed a big 4G LTE milestone as well.

T-Mobile says that Q3 2014 was the biggest growth quarter in its history. T-Mo added 1.379 million branded postpaid customers, but branded prepaid users totaling 411,000. In all, T-Mobile added 2.3 million customers in the quarter, leaving it with a total of 52.9 million users.

On the hardware side of things, T-Mobile sold 69 million smartphones in Q3 2014, which equals 93 percent of all the phones that it sold in that quarter. Magenta also says that the arrival of the iPhone 6 was its biggest device launch ever.

T-Mobile’s Q3 2014 financials included service revenues of $5.7 billion, a 10.6 percent year-over-year growth. T-Mo also saw its best ever Average Billing Per User (ABPU) in Q3, which finished at $61.59.

So what about that 4G LTE news? Well, T-Mobile reports that its 4G LTE network now covers 250 million Americans. The magenta carrier expects that number to grow to 280 million by mid-2015 and 300 million by the end of 2015. T-Mo intends to do this by using its 700MHz and 1900MHz PCS spectrum for LTE and adding AWS LTE coverage. Finally, T-Mobile continues to roll out its Wideband LTE coverage, which is now live in Connecticut and the Greater Bay Area. T-Mobile Wideband LTE is now live in 19 markets and is expected to be in 26 by the end of 2014.

Via T-Mobile (1), (2)

Underwater ABCs™ by SeaWorld® Kids - App Review

Educational apps for kids are a dime-a-dozen in the App Store and Google Play Store. And the latest marine animal themed one from SeaWorld Kids aims to combine learning basic letter shapes with learning about underwater creatures. It's a game designed for toddlers, to introduce them to letter shapes and does so in a very child friendly, colorful and playful manner. 

With me being the only parent among our video editors, I was asked to do the honors in reviewing Underwater ABCs. And although it's not perfect, it does exactly what the name suggests it will do. 

Open the app and it's clear it's been designed for use by children with no explanation necessary. Press the big green play button and you're greeted by all the letters in the alphabet. You can switch between upper and lower case by choosing the desired set. Choose a letter, and you're away. 

A clear outline of a letter is placed in an underwater scene, with an overly friendly-looking turtle smiling at you the entire time. A star and some arrows make it clear what's expected next. You "draw" the shape of the letter by dragging the star around the letter shape, and once you've done it, you're rewarded. An animal beginning with that letter shows up on screen, normally - like the turtle - with a huge, beaming smile. Everything underwater is delighted to be there, apparently. Even the great white shark looks cheerful. 

Music and graphics are attractive, making it a truly child-friendly environment. And a friendly voice kindly tells you the name of the letters and the animals pictured. 

Of course, I tested it on my kids. They're 4 and 5, both have already been learning reading, writing or recognizing letters already, and so it was a little basic for them. Still, they enjoyed learning the different creature names. 

Apart from choosing between upper and lower case letters, there's not much else to do with the App. It's the same set of 26 creatures each time you go through the alphabet. You can change a couple of settings to switch the music and/or voice off. You can also reset the data to start from scratch if you want to. As with many apps, there's also an are where it shows off the other apps available from the same developer. And I was impressed that the developers added a "security feature" asking you to calculate a simple addition sum to ensure that you're an adult, and not a toddler, trying to access the App Store. 

And that's the app in a nutshell. In all honesty, I think it's a little pricey at $2.99 for an app that doesn't do very much. Personally, I'd love to see more creatures being cycled through to make it less monotonous for the kids, and a change of scenery every once in a while would keep things a little more interesting. 

Apart from than, it's a great app for kids looking to get their first taste of the alphabet, and teaches them about nature in the process. 

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/underwater-abcs-learn-alphabet/id909327773

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.seaworld.abcs

Price: $2.99

Is Sony’s 6-month refresh a good thing?

 

It’s only been a little over a year and a half since we were introduced to Sony’s Xperia Z line of smartphones, and already we are on the 4th generation of the device. About every 6 months, Sony brings out a new Xperia Z model, each time having more features and power than the last. The latest iteration of the Xperia Z, the Xperia Z3, has been one of the most popular headlining smartphones of the season. However, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Sony’s track record for smartphone releases has been a little overwhelming, especially compared to competition. Rumors and leaks of Sony’s Xperia Z4 are already surfacing.

 

Technology has always been a fast-paced industry, and the mobile branch is no exception to the rule. Each year we are showcased with bigger, better, and occasionally more innovative smartphones. Most manufacturers like HTC, Samsung, LG and Apple will only release one major flagship (per line) each year. Not Sony, though. Sony makes fast technology move along even faster with these 6 month releases, and for some people, this really takes away the experience of feeling like they have the biggest and baddest phone on the market - at least for a little while.

 

I can see how some people might feel torn when it comes to purchasing a Sony Xperia Z phone knowing this information. You can either buy an Xperia Z now and relish the moment where you’ve got one of the best phones in the business, OR, if you can wait 6 months, you can purchase the same Xperia Z phone at a cheaper price and while you might not have the most powerful smartphone on the market, you’ve still got something pretty nice and you didn’t have to pay as much for it.

 

Neither option sound that bad in reality, but sometimes it’s a nice feeling knowing that you have one of the best smartphones on the market for a little while. It can be hard to feel that confident in your purchase when you know something better is coming from the same manufacturer in just 6 months’ time - and from the same line, too! This isn’t like the Samsung Galaxy S line vs. the Samsung Galaxy Note, which essentially serve two different purposes - this is the same line competing with itself.

 

On the other hand, a 6-month refresh isn’t really that bad, either. Maybe you’re not going to have the best of the best from your manufacturer for an entire year before a new model rolls out, but it’s not like your phone suddenly turns to dust once a new phone comes out. Your phone will still be a really nice phone for at least a year or two, and the 6-month refresh (at least on the Xperia Z phones) doesn’t seem to be so detrimental that you suddenly need to look at your old Xperia Z phone with utter disgust every time you need to use it. Just some updated specs, but generally nothing too innovative. With Android’s software seemingly improving older phones for the most part, specs are staying relevant for longer - it’s not like the olden days of Android where you had to be super careful with updating software.

 

I’m going to have to say that Sony’s 6-month refresh strategy must be doing them some good. I didn’t hear too much about the Xperia Z, heard a little more about the Z1, heard a bit more about the Z2, and I’m suddenly hearing a whole lot about the Z3 line. Maybe it’s due to better availability, but I also think that Sony must be getting something right despite these faster-than-average hardware updates. Until it stops working for them, they should probably stick to it - I would really like to see Sony succeed, because they’re making some quality phones lately. 

 

Images via CNet

Nexus Player Gamepad now available in the Google Play store

A little over a week ago, Google began accepting preorders for the Nexus Player, its new Android TV-powered home entertainment device. Now Google is taking orders for the Nexus Player’s most important accessory as well.

The Gamepad for Nexus Player is now available for purchase from the Google Play store. Pricing is set at $39.99, and Google says that the controller will ship in three to four weeks.

The Nexus Player’s controller looks a bit like a mix of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 controllers. The front of the Gamepad features two analog thumbsticks at its bottom, a D-Pad on the left, A, B, X and Y buttons the right and a trio of navigation buttons in the middle. Up top are two bumpers and two triggers, and around back is a bulge that likely houses the device’s two AA batteries.

We’ve already seen a couple of big-time Android devices come to market and try to offer serious gaming experiences, including the Ouya and Amazon’s Fire TV. There haven’t been any released by Google itself, though, and so it’ll be interesting to see how the combination of the Nexus branding and new Android TV software help the Nexus Player to perform with consumers.

Are you going to buy a Nexus Player? If so, will you be picking up a Gamepad so that you can do some gaming on it?

Via Android Central, Google Play: Gamepad for Nexus Player

Apple SIM carrier details spilled by T-Mobile CEO John Legere

T-Mobile CEO John Legere is known for being open and speaking his mind. For example, during an interview earlier this month, he referred to then-potential T-Mo buyer Iliad’s CEO as “that long-haired porn guy.” Now Legere has opened his mouth again, but this time around what he had to say was a bit more informative.

Last night, Legere conducted a “tweetstorm” in which he explained the details of the Apple SIM that’s included with the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. He said that the intention behind the Apple SIM is to “[give] customers ability to choose which carrier they wanted” and let them switch operators over time. He went on to explain that when you buy from Apple, Verizon is excluded from the Apple SIM, AT&T doesn’t allow you to switch after you pick it and AT&T is removed from your options if you choose Sprint or T-Mo.

The T-Mobile CEO then revealed that the iPad models that are shipped to carriers are different than the ones sold by Apple. The devices sold by Sprint and Verizon come with their own SIMs, while AT&T and T-Mobile models come with Apple SIMs that are preconfigured to the carrier that they’re sold by.

Carrier-sold iPads need a new SIM to switch service, and the non-confgured Apple SIMS aren’t available to carriers now, but they might be eventually. Finally, Legere shared that Sprint requires an Apple SIM-activated device to be in its registry to be activated on its network, and so if you buy a new iPad from a carrier, it won’t activate on Sprint unless you try to convince the carriers to get your iPad’s IMEI added to its system.

It’s not often that we get this kind of insight into the mobile industry, especially when it comes to the carriers and Apple, which is what make’s Legere’s tweetstorm even more interesting. Obviously it’s kind of a bummer that the Apple SIM isn’t quite as awesome as it originally turned out to be, but now that the device is actually available, perhaps we’ll see the carriers participate more as the SIM gains in popularity and Apple exerts some pressure on them.

Via @JohnLegere

The Nexus 6 is here, but don’t rule out the Nexus 5

 

There’s certainly a lot of excitement buzzing around the new Motorola Nexus 6, the latest in Google’s Nexus line of devices. The Nexus 6 is not a phone you want to sneeze at, and is probably Google’s most "flagship" Nexus to date. Last year’s Nexus 5 cut it close, but the Nexus 6 goes above and beyond when it comes to performance, features, and specs. With that being said, just because the Nexus 6 is in direct competition with what’s available from this year’s flagship lineup doesn’t mean that the Nexus 5 should be completely forgotten about.

 

The Nexus 5 might be a year old, but it is by no means (dare I say it) obsolete. With a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 1080x1920 5-inch display, the Nexus 5 is still able to hold its own against many phones released even this year. Maybe it’s not necessarily “flagship” status anymore, but given that the phone still only costs $349, it’s a great value.

 

Aside from the specs, the Nexus 5 still has the privileges that make the Nexus line so great in the first place - stock Android, and one of the first phones in line to get the latest Android updates straight from Google. Most other Android smartphones on the market are going to come with their own “version” of Android - at least in terms of skins - and those skins are not always the most user-friendly. Samsung, HTC, Sony, and even Motorola have their own skins that go over Android. Probably the most annoying thing about non-Nexus devices is that they also come with bloatware, which a user may or may not want. If you do want the bloatware, great! If not, most of the time you’re going to have to jump through hoops in order to get rid of it (read: learn how to gain root access). For some people it’s not a big deal, but it’s certainly not as easy as just being able to uninstall something you never plan on using. (Thanks, Windows Phone!)

 

The two biggest things that hold the Nexus 5 back probably comes down to camera and battery life.

 

The Nexus 5 features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, which was acceptable last year but won’t get by so easily this year. The phone also only features a 1.3-megapixel front-facing shooter, which is doable, but with the front-facing camera quickly becoming just as important as the rear-facing one it might turn some noses upwards.

 

As for the battery, a 2300 mAh battery isn’t really all that bad - but it’s nothing to write home about, either. If anything, the Nexus 5’s battery life can be described as “average” at best. It’s no measure to the Nexus 6’s 3220 mAh battery, but more importantly the Nexus 5 also doesn’t feature that nifty 15-minute charge for 6 hours of battery life feature, either. Still, the Nexus 5 should at least last you a day with average usage.

 

Despite it’s shortcomings, the Nexus 5 is still well worth the $349 price tag. The Nexus 6 might be here, but the price tag of the Nexus 6 ($649) is a lot more expensive than we’re used to seeing with Nexus phones over the past couple of years. If big phones (or price tags) aren’t your thing, then at least you still have the choice to purchase the Nexus 5. With the Nexus 5 recently coming back into stock on the Google Play Store, the phone seems like it is here to stay - at least for a little while longer.

 

Readers, between the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 6, which do you prefer? Do you prefer the Nexus 6 with its bigger screen and more powerful specs, or do you prefer the Nexus 5 with its lower price tag and Nexus charm? 

 

Images via Phone Cruncher, AnandTech

Latest Motorola DROID Turbo photo leak shows off its retail box

The Motorola DROID Turbo leaks have grown increasingly revealing over the past month. We started out with just a glimpse at its rear shell, but more recently full on images of the phone in the wild have leaked. That trend continues today with new photos that show us a brand new DROID Turbo in its retail packaging.

MotoFirmware has shared several images of the Motorola DROID Turbo sitting pretty in its retail box. The unit itself looks just like the one we saw earlier this week, complete with a Kevlar-clad backside, Motorola dimple and capacitive navigation buttons. The packaging itself looks to be pretty standard DROID fare, and we can also see that Motorola’s Turbo Charger is included in the box, which makes sense considering that we’ve heard that Verizon and Moto will tout fast charging as one of the Turbo’s main features.

The DROID Turbo is expected to make its official debut on October 28 with a 5.2-inch 2560x1440 display, 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor, 21-megapixel camera and 3900mAh battery in tow. While it doesn’t seem like Verizon and Motorola will have much left to announce next week, it’ll be nice to finally get the Turbo in our hands and see if it is indeed one of the top performing smartphones of the year like its spec list suggests that it will be.

Via Droid-Life, @MotoFirmware

I don’t use a lot of apps, so why do I care so much about them?

 

There are a lot of reasons why we’re able to put the “smart” in “smartphone”. The operating systems and specs are continuously gaining ground on what we make entire computers on, the clarity of displays are nothing short of amazing at this point, and then of course you have some phones that have features like fingerprint sensors and voice control. These “phones” are some serious pieces of work; yet, probably the most important “smart” feature of all is the ability to run apps - not because it’s the smartest feature, but because it’s what most people value the most when it comes to smartphones. You could have a smartphone with the most wonderful display, amazing specs, and wonderful features in the world, but without apps the smartphone experience just wouldn’t be the same.

 

At this point I’ve had experience with every major platform on the market. I’ve used Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and most recently, BlackBerry 10. Every platform has their pros and cons, but when it comes to the latter two platforms my biggest issue has been the lack of available apps. Even though Windows Phone is constantly getting a slow trickle of official apps (and often times third party apps that work just as well - or better) and BlackBerry has the ability to sideload Android apps (and soon to have the Amazon App Store) it’s still hard to see either of these platforms as equals compared to Android or iOS. There isn’t anything really wrong with either platform, either, other than often times I just felt like I was missing out on something greater when I would visit the app store and my searches would often turn up empty.

 

The thing is, I don’t even use that many apps on a daily basis. I sometimes browse Facebook; I use Netflix and Spotify regularly; I occasionally browse Reddit; I have a couple of news apps; I do the occasional online banking. That’s about the extent of what I do on my phones. Pretty crazy, right?

 

Yet I still find myself disappointed anytime I browse the Windows Phone or BlackBerry app selection. Maybe I don’t do a whole lot on my phone right now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t ever want a new exciting app that comes out sometime in the future. And if I want that new exciting app, everybody knows that chances are pretty high that these apps will appear on iOS or Android before making it to Windows Phone or BlackBerry... if ever.

 

It’s not that the apps are particularly bad (well, they are in BlackBerry’s case, but as I mentioned - sideloading) but they’re just not as... plentiful. And often times, especially in Windows Phone’s case, even the apps that are there have often times been haphazardly slapped together. Spotify might be there, but the interface is downright horrid compared to iOS or Android. Facebook is the same way. And while BlackBerry has the ability for Android apps to be sideloaded, the initial urge to want to go out of my way and set that up wasn’t met with a lot of excitement. As I get older, I find that I’m not as interested in tinkering with my phones as much as I once was.

 

I don’t use a lot of apps, but they are a huge part of why I enjoy using a smartphone so much. When I have the option to sink $199 on a phone that has the most apps with the best quality, or $199 on a phone where I’m going to have to make a lot of sacrifices in that important department, I end up wanting to go with the phone that has the most app potential. No matter how much I prefer the interface of one platform over another, if the apps aren’t there the experience just isn’t as grand. At least not for me.

 

Images via Degree Query, What's Trending

Google Inbox by Gmail, Microsoft Lumia and iOS [Weekly Recap]

Beau HD recaps the weekly tech news focusing on the new Windows Lumia branding, Nexus 9 accessories, Apple milestone and Google Inbox by Gmail. The new Google Inbox app by Gmail takes email to a whole new level by automatically organizing your email into categories including Travel, Promos and Purchases. In addition, Nexus 9 accessories like the HTC Keyboard Folio and Magic Cover are now available for pre-order on Amazon and the Google Play Store. Apple is also in the news, as they are expected to sell more than one billion iOS devices in the coming months. 

Microsoft Lumia branding confirmed, first device to feature that brand will be revealed 'soon'

Microsoft has steadily been integrating Nokia’s Devices & Services team into its own company ever since the acquisition was completed in April, and today the next major step in that process was confirmed.

Microsoft Lumia is officially replacing the Nokia Lumia brand. Tuula Rytilä, SVP of Marketing for Phones at Microsoft, says that Nokia’s Lumia websites and social media accounts are currently undergoing the branding change and that devices, packaging and retail will be rebranded in the future.

Rytilä wouldn’t say when we’ll see the first Microsoft Lumia-branded device, but she did tease that such a product will be revealed “soon.” Microsoft will continue to use the Nokia brand on its entry-level phones like the Nokia 130, and Rytilä says that Microsoft will continue to sell and support its existing Nokia Lumia-branded products.

The decision to move to Microsoft Lumia branding isn’t a surprising one. Not only is “Nokia” still a company that deals with software, networking and more, but Microsoft is a widely-known brand of its own. That said, it seems smart for Microsoft to continue using the Nokia brand for its entry-level phones, which are popular in emerging markets and will continue to be recognizable in the future.

Now that it’s official, what do you think of this change? Do you think that some consumers might be more drawn to Lumia devices with Microsoft’s branding than they were with Nokia’s?

Via Nokia Conversations

Maybe Amazon should stick to apps for now

 

Ah, the Amazon Fire Phone. The phone that was once rumored to be “free”; the phone that millions of Amazon shoppers would flock to simply because they can’t help but love the convenience of shopping from home; the phone that was supposed to officially get Amazon involved in the smartphone game. Only one of those predictions came true, and while Amazon’s Fire Phone did bring Amazon into the world of smartphones, it didn’t exactly do so tactfully.

 

Recent reports show that Amazon is taking a $170 million hit that is related to “Fire phone inventory valuation and supplier commitment costs.” On top of that, Amazon also announces that it had $83 million in unsold inventory when it comes to the Fire phone. In the grand scheme of things, this doesn’t do much to a company like Amazon when it comes to profits; however, it does kind of put a dent in their reputation, and any amount of money lost is never a good thing.

 

The Fire Phone wasn’t the worst phone ever made. In fact, the phone itself really wasn’t that bad at all. What was bad was the pricing of the phone, the phone’s overall purpose, and probably the high expectations that came with a smartphone made by a company that has done so well with the eReader and tablet market. When it comes to smartphones, Amazon’s Fire Phone just didn’t cut it - especially with a starting point of $200 (on contract) and a single carrier exclusive through AT&T. Despite the fact that the phone dropped to $0.99 not even two months after its release, the Fire Phone still struggled to make it big.

 

It’s hard to say whether this will deter Amazon from trying again sometime in the future. This isn’t the first time a major online service tried to cash in its name and turn it into a specialty smartphone. You can refer to two of HTC’s phones, the ChaCha and the First, for references on how well a “Facebook phone” managed to sell, even during the social network's peak (spoiler alert: it wasn’t happening either time). Granted, Amazon has a lot more services to offer smartphone users than Facebook does, so perhaps that’s where expectations were set a little higher with the Fire Phone. Regardless, if Amazon does attempt to make a second generation Fire Phone, some things are going to have to change: introductory price should be lower (unless the phone really is that great - in this case there were better models out there for cheaper), the phone should be available on more carriers, and some Google Services would be cool.

 

Overall, I think Amazon should lose focus on making smartphones for now; instead, the company should focus on bringing its services to all smart devices. iOS and Kindle devices currently get Amazon Prime Instant Video, and Android smartphones get them - but Android tablets don’t (which is kind of weird considering that Kindle tablets run on a forked version of Android, so you know that they have a working version for the platform). Amazon would likely profit a lot more just from improving their services rather than focusing on creating a competing smartphone of their own.

 

In the end, I’d say it was worth the shot - but they either need to learn from these mistakes and fix them or stick with what works.

 

Images via QZ, Wired

LG G Watch R launching in Europe in early November, North America and other markets 'soon after'

LG has been rather silent about the G Watch R’s availability ever since it announced the device in late August, but today the Life’s Good crew finally broke its silence and revealed when we’ll start seeing its new Android Wear device on shelves and our wrists.

The LG G Watch R will be available “throughout Europe” in countries like France, Italy, Spain and the UK at the start of November. Launches in “key markets” such as North America, Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (Russia, Belarus, Armenia and more) shortly after. LG also says that customers “in select markets” will be able to buy the G Watch R from Google Play in the coming weeks.

No details on the LG G Watch R’s pricing have been shared, but LG says that that info will come out closer to the device’s launch. One thing that we do know, though, is the G Watch R’s spec list:

• 1.3-inch 320x320 P-OLED display
• 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor
• 4GB of storage
• 512MB of RAM
• IP67 rated for resistance to dust and water
• 410mAh battery
• Compatibility with any 22mm wide watch strap

The LG G Watch R is the second round-faced Android Wear device that we’ve seen to date, offering a design that’s more like a mechanical watch than other Wear watches that we’ve seen to date. We’ll have to wait to try on the LG G Watch R and find out its price before making any judgments about it, but it looks like a nice piece of kit. Compared to the Moto 360, the LG G Watch R doesn’t have a black bar at the bottom of its screen, but it does have a slightly smaller display and larger bezel than Motorola’s offering

What do you think of the LG G Watch R? Are you thinking about buying one for your wrist?

Via LG

Can “Microsoft Lumia” do as well as “Nokia Lumia”?

 

Earlier this year, Microsoft had officially acquired popular Finnish mobile manufacturer, Nokia. The name Nokia, even if you’ve never owned a device made by the company, shouldn’t be an unfamiliar one. The company has been notorious for years now due to their uncanny ability to make extremely durable phones. From the old “brick” phones of the early 90’s to the Lumias we know and love today, with a name like Nokia embossed on a device, you could usually trust it to be one of the tankier phones on the market.

 

It won’t be too long now before one of the most popular lines of devices on the market will no longer sport that trusted Nokia name. Instead, the Lumia line, which has been running on the Windows Phone operating system for the past 3 years or so, will soon sport a Microsoft branding instead.

 

The phrase “a rose is a rose by any other name” stands out to me in this particular instance, but I have to wonder whether the Lumia line can continue to be as popular as it already is without the Nokia name stamped across the front.

 

I say “popular” loosely, because as most are aware, Windows Phone isn’t exactly the most popular mobile platform available. Still, third out of four major platforms is still better than fourth, and Windows Phone is slowly picking up pace every day - and although Nokia wasn’t the only company manufacturing Windows Phones, it was the one that took Windows Phone most seriously. Other companies like HTC and Samsung have thrown out Windows Phone devices haphazardly as well, but for the most part the other companies care more about Android for the moment. Nokia put all of its eggs in the Windows Phone basket, and its dedication to the platform with Nokia-specific apps and features like Here Maps, Nokia Camera, and Glance, not to mention Nokia’s own special updates it released for Windows Phone (the most recent being Cyan) did a lot for Windows Phone.

 

For Windows Phone to have come as far as it has, Nokia’s assistance was vital. Now that Nokia’s name is also being retired for the Lumia line, I have to wonder if Microsoft is going to be able to carry on the Lumia name just as well. It’s not that I find Microsoft to be any less reputable than Nokia, but Nokia was... well, Nokia - a mobile legend.

 

Given that Microsoft has pretty much everything they need to ensure that the Lumia line undergoes minimal drastic changes, if any, I’m going to take a shot in the dark and say that I think that the Lumia rebranding will go along just fine when it comes to the actual switch. What I’m not so certain about is how the general public will perceive the change. I could see it going either way; as mentioned, Microsoft isn’t some no-name company, but the reputation that Windows Phone has when it comes down to how the general consumer sees them might be what kills it. People have learned to trust and love Nokia for their hardware - people still aren’t convinced that Windows Phone is a platform that they want to love. Take Nokia out of the equation and you’re left solely with a Microsoft product. It might not be that different (or different at all) but people just might take notice of that.

 

I hope this ends up not being that big of a deal for Microsoft or Windows Phone. I think that the platform is still picking up momentum, and I would hate to see something happen to it to set it back. Seeing as Nokia is still a name under trademark, keeping the Nokia name isn’t feasible - but I can’t help but think that things would be smoother if Microsoft could have pulled a Google/Lenovo/Motorola type of deal: acquire the company, keep it as a separate branch.

 

I guess time will tell whether the Microsoft Lumia line of phones will be as successful (or more, or less) as the Nokia Lumia line was.

 

Images via Wikimedia, Gambar Gadget

Motorola DROID Turbo poses for some photos in the wild

By this point, the Motorola DROID Turbo has leaked so often that Moto and Verizon won’t have much to announce when they officially reveal the phone next week. If you still haven’t had your fill of the Turbo, though, I’ve got one more leak for you tonight.

Several photos that show the Motorola DROID Turbo in the wild have been shared by AndroidSpin. The device in the images looks just like the one that we’ve already seen several times so far, sporting a Kevlar-clad backside, round camera housing and dual LED flash. Also included is a centered front-facing camera and a set of capacitive navigation buttons.

In addition to giving us a glimpse of the DROID Turbo’s body, this leak claims to have confirmed some of the phone’s specs. The phone says that it’s got 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 2560x1440 screen resolution, 4G LTE connectivity and Android 4.4.4.

Rumors have suggested that the DROID Turbo will also sport a 5.2-inch screen, Snapdragon 805 processor, 21-megapixel camera and support for Motorola’s Turbo Charger. Overall it sounds like a pretty high-end handset, and it could be even more popular now that the Nexus 6 is confirmed to feature a 6-inch display, which some folks consider too large.

Motorola and Verizon are expected to unveil the DROID Turbo on October 28. As usual, I’ll bring you all of the official details as soon as Moto and Big Red share ‘em.

Via AndroidSpin

Verizon HTC One (M8) Android 4.4.4, Eye Experience update rolling out

Just as promised, the Eye Experience update is now rolling out to Verizon’s HTC One (M8), complete with the newest version of Android KitKat in tow.

The Verizon-flavored HTC One (M8) is receiving an update that weighs in at 210.5MB and includes Android 4.4.4 and HTC’s Eye Experience camera upgrade. If you’re in need of a refresher, the Eye Experience update brings the following features:

• Face Tracking: Track up to 4 faces during a video chat, and ensure that they stay within the camera’s angle of view.
• Split Capture: Record the action in front of you and yourself at the same time. Or, record the action first and then record a commentary.
• Face Fusion: Using 2 photos such as your selfie and a photo of your favorite celebrity, try merging your looks together.
• Voice Selfie: Take a picture or video selfie by just saying “Say Cheese” or “Action”.
• Live Makeup: Smoothen your skin before taking your selfie.
• Photo Booth: Take 4 selfies and merge them into a single picture.

Verizon hasn’t yet posted the support documents for this update, so it’s not clear what other tweaks might be included with it. If you’d rather not wait for that information to come out, you can check for the update right now by heading into Settings > Phone Update > Check for Update > Download Now.

Via Droid-Life, Verizon Wireless

Which is more important: Amount or speed of your data?

 

As basic flip phones turned into messaging phones, and messaging phones turned into smartphones, the most important features of our mobile plans also shifted. The allotted amount of minutes was most important for flip phones; messaging phones brought about a surge in demand for more text messages to be sent; finally, with smartphones, the demand for data has never been higher. However, when it comes to mobile data, which aspect is more important: the amount of data we use, or the speed at which we receive our data?

 

Most commercials I see that advertise data in smartphone plans lately revolve around how much data you get rather than the speed at hich you get it. When I hear advertisements of 10GB, 20GB, 30GB or even unlimited amounts of data, and I think, “Wow, that company is super generous with their data!” But as generous as they might be, does it really matter if your data only works at a snail’s pace?

 

Some are lucky enough to experience both, but more often than not you’re more likely to hear that somebody is getting shafted on one end or the other. As somebody who has had unlimited data with an extremely slow data network and a faster data network with a limited amount of data to use each month, I have to say that, in hindsight, I much prefer the speed over the vast amounts of data - mostly because in reality I never used that much.

 

I used to value the fact that I didn’t have to worry about treading the dangerous waters of overage fees when it came to data, and in a way it is still a comforting though. With that being said, when my data would run at a painfully slow pace, I tended to give up whatever it was I was trying to do and not end up using any data at all. Generally, whatever it was I wanted to do could wait until I could connect to a faster Wi-Fi network. In fact, for the most part, I don’t even have a reason to use data while I’m out anymore. My GPS maps and my Spotify playlists are already synced for offline use.

 

So much for unlimited data.

 

Ideally, of course, people shouldn’t have to choose between speed and amount - but the reality of it is that sometimes people just do. Maybe Verizon has a great and speedy network in the area, but Verizon no longer offers unlimited data. Or perhaps you like that Sprint gives you unlimited data for life, but as it turns out Sprint’s data speeds aren’t all that great in your area. The fact of the matter is that sometimes you just can’t have both, so when that is the case, which one do you choose?

 

Personally, I’m no longer concerned about unlimited data like I used to be. Yeah, it’s nice, but I don’t think there’s ever been a month where I went over 3GB of data usage, and even then that is a rarity. I’m better off settling for 2GB of data with a speedy network over anything else - at least then I have a chance at using what I’m paying for.

 

In the end, it all depends on the person and their needs, so here’s where we ask you, reader - when it comes to your data plans, which is more important: the amount of data you’re given each month, or the speed of the data? Are you lucky enough to have both? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Image via Car and Driver

Verizon reports Q3 2014 results, responds to Apple SIM absence

The flow of financial results announcements began in the past week or so, and today it continued thanks to Verizon Q3 2014 earnings release.

Verizon says that its wireless division added 1.53 million connection during the third quarter, 1.52 million of which were postpaid. This led VZW to finish Q3 2014 with 106.2 million connections, including 100.1 million postpaid connections, which is a 5.2 percent increase from the Q3 2013.

On the hardware side of things, Verizon sold 457,000 postpaid phones and 1.1 million postpaid tablet during the quarter. Once the third quarter was all over, 77 percent of Verizon’s postpaid customer base was using a smartphone. 

Verizon also says that it continued to improve its 4G LTE network during the quarter. Its XLTE coverage, which uses AWS spectrum to add bandwidth to its existing LTE service, is available in more than 400 US markets.

Revenue for Verizon Wireless finished at $21.8 billion for the quarter, up 7.0 percent year over year, while its postpaid average revenue per user (ARPU) grew 3.5 percent YOY to finished at $161.24 per month.

Finally, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo was asked about Verizon’s absence in the Apple SIM that’s offered with the iPad Air 2. Shammo didn’t have much to say in response, simply saying, “We have our own SIM card that we place in our devices. That’s really all there is to be said on that issue.”

Overall it sounds like Verizon had itself another nice quarter. The carrier added more subscribers, continued its XLTE rollout and sold a ton of tablets. It’s kind of a bummer that we still don’t know why Verizon isn’t supported by the Apple SIM — and it’s unlikely that we ever will — but it’s also not terribly surprising since Verizon is known for doing its own thing.

Via Verizon, Engadget

With Yosemite and iOS 8, it may be time to jump into Apple's ecosystem

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are bigger than their predecessors, and perhaps accordingly they also marked another record breaking launch for Apple. The new iPhones are, for a lot of people, what the company should have launched several years ago, but better late than never, right? So, here we are in the midst of the “big iPhone” year, and from here on out it’s anyone’s guess what the next big thing will be.

After all, the bigger iPhones also check off plenty of other bullet point must-haves, right? The camera? Check. Battery life? Check. (As long as you went for the iPhone 6 Plus.) Display? Check. (No, it isn’t a Quad HD display on either device. Yes, it’s still plenty good enough for human eyes, on both devices.) And so on and so forth, but you get the idea. The iPhones are great devices, unless you hate Apple and iPhones, then they’re garbage and obviously everyone who picked one up is a crazy person.

The launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have almost everything to do with the phones themselves, but there is also a bigger focus for Apple. More so than ever before, the Cupertino-based company has made it obvious, beyond any shadow of a doubt (not that there ever was one), that they want you completely, wholeheartedly embedded within their ecosystem. And not just when it comes to mobile, like your iPhone and iPad, but also when you think about your next laptop or desktop.

Apple wants you to realize that your life can be ridiculously interconnected between devices, and not just by sending messages or picking up where you left off in a web browser. With the launch of the iPhone 6 lineup, and more importantly iOS 8, along with the release of OS X Yosemite, Apple’s making an even bigger push to get people on their own Apple-branded gear, and away from everything else.

That isn’t to say that Apple always hasn’t made reasons in the past to be invested in their ecosystem, because clearly they (and Microsoft and Google along with them) have. But the features tied to those endeavors were pretty straightforward, and not all that inspiring. They were what we expected to have available, just because it’s been around for a bit of time. More than that, though, other apps and services almost make it more worthwhile with their own features, or even pricing, especially when it comes to cloud storage, or even messaging services.

This wasn’t even a problem, so to speak, but Apple decided to throw everything they had it, and now the problem that wasn’t so obvious looks to be just about fixed.

OS X Yosemite is a great looking desktop software, and it has plenty of great features tied into it, but let’s just be honest here: without an iOS-based device to share the happiness, Yosemite is a pretty small update in and of itself. Not that that’s a bad thing, mind you. Not every software update (even a yearly release) has to be the most loaded update ever. But, Yosemite is a glaring example of an update that’s meant to be shared with another update.

Without iOS 8, Yosemite is pretty unexciting.

But, with iOS 8? Wow. Having the ability to answer a phone call from your computer, or reply to a standard text message (and not just a text sent through Apple’s own Messages feature), or start an email on one device and continue it on another, is awesome. It really is. These are things that I thought sounded cool in theory, when Apple initially showed them off, but now that I’ve actually had the chance to try them out? Like I said earlier, this didn’t even feel like a problem, but I’m glad Apple fixed it. Or, more to the point, I’m glad Apple gave me things I didn’t even know I wanted.

(This doesn’t include responding to text messages from my computer. I’ve wanted this for years.)

The question that I have for all of you, is: did it work? Did Apple’s attempt to sway you with their all-inclusive ecosystem, from features shared between desktop software and mobile, convince you to make the switch from whatever you were using before? And I don’t just mean from a mobile perspective. With these new elements, did you decide to switch to an iPhone, get an iPad, and also ditch your Windows-based (or whatever-based) machine to pick up an OS X Yosemite-based Mac? Let me know!

iOS 8.1 now available for download with Apple Pay and more in tow [UPDATED]

Just as promised, Apple is now pushing the iOS 8.1 update to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners.

The iOS 8.1 update brings with it support for Apple Pay, the Cupertino firm’s new mobile payment solution. Apple Pay uses NFC and Touch ID to make payments at wireless terminals in stores. Your credit card info is stored in the Passbook app, but Apple says that it keeps your data secure by keeping it encrypted on the device and utilizing both a dynamic security code and a one-time account number rather than your actual credit card number when you make a payment. Your payments will require your Touch ID fingerprint to authenticate a purchase.

Apple Pay will support three major credit card companies — American Express, MasterCard and Visa — out of the gate. A number of retailers have announced their plans to support Apple Pay, including McDonald’s, Whole Foods, Walgreens and Macy’s. Many banks have said that they’ll support Apple Pay as well.

In addition to paying for things in stores, you’ll be able to use Apple Pay to pay for goods in apps. Apps like Target, Uber, Open Table and the Apple Store app will allow you to make payments using Touch ID.

Apple Pay will work with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus initially. It’ll also be supported by the Apple Watch when it launches in early 2015, which will allow wears to use their iPhone 5, 5s and 5c with Apple Pay as well.

Along with Apple Pay, the update to iOS 8.1 includes the public beta of iCloud Photo Library, which lets users keep all of their photos easily accessible on all of their iCloud-connected devices. iOS 8.1 will also bring back the Camera Roll, allowing users to easily access all of their images in their Photos app.

iOS 8.1 is available to the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad mini with Retina display and iPod touch fifth generation. You can check for the over the air update by going into Settings > General > Software Update.

Once you get iOS 8.1 downloaded on your iOS device, be sure to share your first impressions with us!

UPDATE: I’ve added the Apple's official iOS 8.1 changelog for those of you that prefer text to images.

• Apple Pay support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (U.S. only)
• Photos includes new features, improvements and fixes
  • Adds iCloud Photo Library as a beta service
  • Adds Camera Roll album in Photos app and My Photo Stream album when iCloud Photo Library is not enabled
  • Provides alerts when running low on space before capturing Time Lapse videos
• Messages includes new features, improvements and fixes
  • Adds the ability for iPhone users to send and receive SMS and MMS text messages from their iPad and Mac
  • Resolves an issue where search would sometimes not display results
  • Fixes a bug that caused read messages to not be marked as read
  • Fixes issues with group messaging
• Resolves issues with Wi-Fi performance that could occur when connected to some base stations
• Fixes an issue that could prevent connections to Bluetooth hands-free devices
• Fixes bugs that could cause screen rotation to stop working
• Adds an option to select between 2G, 3G or LTE networks for cellular data
• Fixes an issue in Safari where videos would sometimes not play
• Adds AirDrop support for Passbook passes
• Adds an option to enable Dictation in Settings for Keyboards, separate from Siri
• Enables HealthKit apps to access data in the background
• Accessibility improvements and fixes
  • Fixes an issue that prevented Guided Access from working properly
  • Fixes a bug where VoiceOver would not work with 3rd party keyboards
  • Improves stability and audio quality when using MFi Hearing Aids with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
  • Fixes an issue with VoiceOver where tone dialing would get stuck on a tone until dialing another number
  • Improves reliability when using handwriting, Bluetooth keyboards and Braille displays with VoiceOver
• Fixes an issue that was preventing the use of OS X Caching Server for iOS updates

Have you switched to cloud storage?

 

Along with battery life, display, cameras, and other specs, the amount of storage that our phones feature is another hot focus when looking to purchase a new smartphone. These days you’ll find that many smartphones no longer feature the best storage option of yesteryear, which is a microSD card slot. Instead, most manufacturers opt to go for large amounts of internal storage and urge users to take to something called “the cloud” for any extra storage they may want to use.

 

I’m not a huge fan of cloud storage, and I’m not sure I ever will be.

 

I feel torn about it sometimes. A lot of the phones that I really want to use don’t offer a microSD card slot, and there’s not much that you can really do about it if it’s not included. You cannot make a microSD card appear. You can either make do with the amount of internal storage given to you, or you can choose to start using cloud storage. Most of the time, when this happens, I choose to only use the internal storage given to me (even if that means deleting some information in order to make room).

 

I don’t have a totally legit reason for not using the cloud. It’s not really a “Bah, humbug,” scenario where I don’t like it just because it’s different. I think it’s more like I don’t like my information floating around out there in someone else’s database... somewhere. We’ve already seen how sometimes security can be breached in order to gain access to information that one would otherwise not want accessed; while I don’t think I’m important enough for somebody to want any of my information, it’s still just kind of a weird thought knowing that if somebody really wanted access to it, they’d have a better chance of being able to through the cloud than they would running into me on the streets and mugging me for my phone.

 

Cloud storage does have its perks though, and even more-so that there is available offline access through a lot of cloud storage providers as well. You would think that with the information being stored in “the cloud” that you would only be able to obtain saved data while connected to the Internet, but through some magical voodoo that isn’t quite the case. Cloud storage also comes in handy when it comes to saving files from your phone, computer, or tablet and then needing to access it from a different device. I have to admit that I do appreciate that feature more than anything else.

 

But for anything aside from easy file transfers, like for generally storing music, videos, photos or any other type of media I am not super thrilled about resorting to cloud storage. Although it may be an outdated method, and not even a super reliable method at that, I still prefer microSD cards. It just feels safer knowing that there’s only one copy and I have it in my possession. So what if everything gets erased just because you took it out or inserted it too hastily?! (Okay, so that actually really sucks when that happens.) At the end of the day I just prefer a hard, physical representation of where I’m storing my personal files. Of course, not everybody would agree with that sentiment.

 

Readers, when it comes to additional storage on your device, do you find that you prefer cloud storage over expandable, or is it the other way around for you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy Golden 2 is another Android flip phone, sports two 3.9-inch AMOLED displays

Samsung has shown that it’s not afraid to go old school and throw Android onto the clamshell form factor, having released a few Android-powered flip phones in the past. Now some regulatory documents have revealed that Sammy’s cooking up yet another Android flipper.

A filing in China’s TENAA database show what appears to be the Samsung Galaxy Golden 2, an Android 4.4.4 flip phone. The Golden 2 includes a pair of 3.9-inch 1280x768 AMOLED displays, a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 3.7-megapixel front facing camera.

Packed inside of the Galaxy Golden 2’s clamshell form lives a Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. The device’s model number is listed as SM-W2015.

Most of the smartphone world is dominated by big glass slabs, so it’s nice to see something different with this Android-powered flip phone. Unfortunately for folks that are interested in something different, Samsung’s Android clamshells have traditionally been Asia-exclusive offerings, and that’s unlikely to change with the Galaxy Golden 2. At least we can check it out in the images.

Would you use the Samsung Galaxy Golden 2 as your daily driver if it were offered by your carrier?

Via GSMArena, TENAA

Android L: We need to go flatter?

 

Android L, or as we now know, Android Lollipop, was recently announced and shown off during Google’s most recent event - the same event where we learned about the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9. I’ve both talked about the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9, so this is one of the last things from the event that I feel could be addressed.

 

Android Lollipop is one of the largest updates that Android has seen... probably since the release of Ice Cream Sandwich back in 2011. The design and functionality of Android has been updated significantly in Android Lollipop, so it seems like it would be appropriate to discuss how these changes affect us.

 

For me, the short of it is that Android Lollipop both looks good and boring at the same time.

 

When it comes to “flat” designs, I’m pretty vocal about the fact that I think it looks incredibly boring. I may be in the minority when it comes down to it, but that’s just how I feel. I’ve always known Windows Phone to be minimal, so I’ve never really cared or fussed about that. iOS, on the other hand, was probably where I had the biggest problem. I found iOS 5 and 6 to be a much more interesting design over iOS 7 or 8. I blamed my distaste for Apple’s design changes on becoming too flat and minimalistic, but after using iOS 7 for a couple of months I think it was more along the lines of the bright, gradient color scheme that turned me off from it. When I look at the changes in Android’s Lollipop, I don’t find myself quite as turned off by the flatter design as I thought I would be. It's just not that exciting, either.

 

Perhaps that’s because it’s offset by some of the functionality changes coming to Android. For instance, I like way the lockscreen shows notifications, and I think that the new animations make it look pretty snazzy (I do wonder how that will effect older devices, but we’ll find that out later). The new way to access quick settings from the notification center is also nice and has easier access. Lollipop also seems to bring out the best in certain devices in most early reviews, such as the Nexus 5. This is promising to hear, as we’re used to hearing that phones generally get bogged down when they’re allowed newer updates. Google seems to be doing extremely well at making sure that devices allowed to update will fully benefit from the change instead of making it some ploy to get you to purchase new phones.

 

And then of course you have Project Volta, which focuses on improving the battery life of devices running on Lollipop. Not-so-great battery life is one of the key problems plaguing most smartphones these days, and since we probably won’t be seeing any super batteries coming out anytime soon the best any company can do is make adjustments to what we have in order to make the most out of battery life.

 

I think the only complaint I really have when it comes to Lollipop is the excessive use of white backgrounds, which I think would look better if they continued to use darker backgrounds. If nothing else, it would be cool if Lollipop included the option of switching from a light theme to a dark theme, because I’m sure there are a lot of people who prefer the lighter theme the phone comes with. It’s nothing that a little rooting and flashing can’t fix one day, I’m sure, but it would be easier if it was a feature that was just included.

 

Aside from that, Lollipop actually looks like a pretty solid update all around. I didn’t think that Android could get any flatter, but as we can see, it can. I don’t think it’s any use hoping for designs with much depth these days because, simply put, it’s just not hip with the kids right now. I’m not saying go back to the days of Android versions Cupcake or Donut, which look horrible compared to what we see now - but you know, maybe a couple of drop shadows here and there wouldn’t kill anybody. 

Images via Tech Radar, The Droid Review

Can the BlackBerry Classic hold a candle to the Passport?

 

It’s only been a few weeks since the new, funky BlackBerry Passport was unveiled, and already the phone has taken the mobile media by storm it seems. BlackBerry is usually the underdog of the mobile industry, but these past few weeks I feel like my feeds have been positively buzzing with positive reviews on the BlackBerry Passport. Is it the great specs, the somewhat classic design, or the new feature twist that makes the BlackBerry Passport such a surprise hit on the market?

 

I personally think that the touch-sensitive physical keys is probably what really makes the device stand out. Not only was BlackBerry able to provide a physical keyboard (albeit slightly altered from the traditional BlackBerry keyboards you and I are used to) but they also found a way to give users the benefit of a virtual keyboard without wasting any of the precious 4.5-inch screen space - which was one of my complaints with my BlackBerry Q10. Simply put, once you go to a virtual keyboard, it’s pretty hard to want to go back to anything else due to - at least for me - low efficiency. You can also use the touch keyboard for other functions like swipe to delete, flick to type, on-screen scrolling, and fine cursor control.

 

Combine the touch/physical keyboard hybrid with the gesture-based nature of BlackBerry 10, a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board memory (up to 128GB expandable memory an option), a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and 30 hours of battery life and you have yourself a powerhouse of a business phone right there - and you manage to keep part of the BlackBerry charm as well. The Passport has exceeded expectations, and even has a higher than anticipated demand for the device - which is great news for BlackBerry.

 

The BlackBerry Classic, or the BlackBerry Q20, is the next device in line to show up on shelves. The question now is will the BlackBerry Classic be able to hold a candle to the popularity of the similarly designed Passport? Although the leaks and rumors on the device aren’t official, if we’re basing the specs off of those one could guess that the Classic won’t exceed expectations as well as the Passport has. Although the design might tickle the fancy of Bold and Curve users, it looks like the Q20 will share similar specs as the Q10, which was released last year. The biggest differences that one could expect to see is the re-introduction of a trackpad, a larger battery, a larger screen, and probably support for larger SD card amounts.

 

There will be no touch keyboard on the BlackBerry Q20. With that information, I’m not sure how much a bigger battery and a trackpad will be able to sway buyers over the Q10. The battery life on my Q10 has been decent enough to get me well enough through the day, but I do suppose that a trackpad would be handy for being able to pinpoint and select text easier.

 

Still, I think the Passport is more than likely going to be BlackBerry’s pride and joy going into 2015. For the first time in a long time, BlackBerry has invented something truly praiseworthy. The design might be funky, and it might not suit a lot of people’s taste, but the touch-enabled keyboard has solved a lot of issues that plague BlackBerry’s “classic” design in today’s smartphone world. The Q20, however, is still a good idea to keep the users who still prefer the Bold and Curve designs around - I just don’t see it becoming more popular than the Passport has.

 

Images via CrackBerry