Mobile Miscellany: week of September 10th, 2012

Posted on 16/09/2012 by Zachary Lutz

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, C Spire Wireless activated its first LTE networks and we discovered strong indication that Isis will leverage the GSMA's SIM-based NFC standard for its mobile payments system. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of September 10th, 2012.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of September 10th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Motorola Droid RAZR M arrives on Verizon today, priced at $99

Posted on 13/09/2012 by Mat Smith

We were pleasantly surprised with what Motorola offered in its smallest new smartphone. With a responsive dual-core S4 processor and a battery that went the distance, the RAZR M is looking like a strong prospect for Verizon, landing at $99 (after a $50 rebate) on a two-year contract. To celebrate it launching today, Motorola's even cooked up a quick ad to go with the launch -- we've added it after the break. Visit the Verizon link below to place your order.

Continue reading PSA: Motorola Droid RAZR M arrives on Verizon today, priced at $99

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PSA: Motorola Droid RAZR M arrives on Verizon today, priced at $99 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola XT890 approved by FCC, may be next week’s 2GHz Intel phone

Posted on 13/09/2012 by Brad Molen

As one major event wraps, we look forward to what's coming up next: Motorola's Intel announcement. We have a hard time believing we'd see anything besides a smartphone with an Intel chip inside, but the biggest mystery is in what type of phone. Are we going to see something ho-hum, or mind-blowingly awesome? Whatever it is, we think we may have stumbled upon a clue. Motorola's XT890, which has been rumored to be a global RAZR M with a 2GHz CPU and 897 x 540 screen resolution, just wandered through the FCC with AT&T-friendly 2G and 3G radios. There's no hint of LTE here, though the FCC doesn't require OEMs to mention non-US frequencies. The docs, however, indicate that we can expect dual-band WiFi -- no word on NFC, but we'd be very surprised if it didn't make the final cut. The supercharged processor seems almost too good to be true, but we wouldn't offer up any complaints if there is any truth to the idea.

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Motorola XT890 approved by FCC, may be next week's 2GHz Intel phone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid RAZR M review: a very good ICS handset in a small, Kevlar-wrapped package

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Joseph Volpe

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Family trees are monstrous wonders of genetic distillation, alternately yielding grotesque and delightful offspring. And, as is nature's wont, it's within the strongest of these "carriers" that dominant traits are passed on, ensuring a continued legacy for a specific branch marked by beauty, brains or beastliness. And so the same rings true for the RAZR lineage: a once forgotten, but now revived brand that's helping to define the new Motorola (as experienced through Verizon). Tucked safely under the protective wing of Google's guardianship, the manufacturer's embarking on a wireless renaissance and soldering that second chance at relevance to the Kevlar back of its latest Droid progeny. But as with all litters, there's bound to be one runt and here that distinction belongs to the Droid RAZR M.

Known internally as the Scorpion Mini, this ICS handset's barebones build can deceive the eye into believing it's smaller than it actually is. But really, its screen is the same 4.3-inch, qHD, Super AMOLED Advanced affair as that of the original RAZR reboot -- just without the considerable bezel. So Moto's engineers have trimmed some fat, but this cosmetic overhaul also goes below the surface. Keeping it fairly current is a gently skinned version of Ice Cream Sandwich (soon to be upgraded to Jelly Bean) that's powered by a souped-up 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 and 1GB RAM. And really, that's about as modern as the RAZR M gets. Put down on paper, that mild spec bump might not seem compelling enough, but let us tantalize you with the device's most attractive tidbit: $99 on-contract pricing. Yes, folks, this formidable Droid RAZR redux has a retail positioning ace up its sleeve, but does that alone warrant two years of Verizon's chains? Can a slimmer form factor, unchanged display and faster processor lure in the style-conscious on a budget? Or are you better off holding out for its bigger bodied (and batteried) Droid RAZR HD siblings? Stick with us as we pass judgment on Moto's little leaguer.

Gallery: Motorola Droid RAZR M review

Continue reading Motorola Droid RAZR M review: a very good ICS handset in a small, Kevlar-wrapped package

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Motorola Droid RAZR M review: a very good ICS handset in a small, Kevlar-wrapped package originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola’s rebate site goes live: $100 credit if you need to upgrade to get Jelly Bean

Posted on 07/09/2012 by Jamie Rigg

During Motorola's keynote on Wednesday, the company announced a nice little bonus for loyal fans -- should your 2011-or-later handset not receive a Jelly Bean update, you'll get $100 if you upgrade to one of its new models. Well, a website for the deal has gone live and the initial Ts&Cs don't make it sound like an immediate discount, but that the Benjamin will instead be reimbursed as a gift card, carrier credit or a cash equivalent of Motorola's choice. We're still in the dark about which specific phones will be denied a taste of Android 4.1, although the list is expected "very soon." In the meantime, you can sign up at the source link below to receive details of how to update, or how to claim the rebate once the fate of your old handset has been decided.

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Motorola's rebate site goes live: $100 credit if you need to upgrade to get Jelly Bean originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia and Motorola event roundup

Posted on 05/09/2012 by Brad Molen

Nokia and Motorola event roundup

Boy, what a day. September 5th has been one for the books, as five new devices from Nokia and Motorola were exposed to the public eye. We were happy to bring you extensive coverage of everything that happened today, but if you're just getting home from work you may not have had the opportunity to keep up with the goings-on. To help you navigate the feeds a little easier, we've compiled all of the essential news in one place. So kick off your shoes, grab a bite to eat and meet us below the break to get caught up on the latest smartphones!

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Nokia and Motorola event roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola bringing RAZR M to Europe with Intel mobile chip

Posted on 05/09/2012 by Mat Smith

If you liked the look of Motorola's recently-announced RAZR M, but reside on the other side of the Atlantic, you might get what you want -- with some internal changes. While Intel and Motorola's London event isn't for another two weeks, according to Pocket-lint, it'll possibly be a Medfield-powered version of Motorola's smallest new addition waiting for British phone-shoppers later this month. The Intel mobile processor would replace the Snapdragon S4 residing in the US version, but the rest of the phone's specification (and dimensions) will remain unchanged. We'll be checking in on this Intel iteration at its launch event on September 18th.

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Motorola bringing RAZR M to Europe with Intel mobile chip originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid RAZR family portrait

Posted on 05/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

We have three new smartphones from Motorola here -- the Droid RAZR HD, the Droid RAZR Maxx HD and the Droid RAZR M -- and we wouldn't be very good hosts if we didn't properly introduce them. So, here they are. Meet the RAZRs.

Gallery: Motorola Droid RAZR family portraits

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Motorola Droid RAZR family portrait originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Droid RAZR M and HD dev editions bring unlockable bootloaders to the Android party

Posted on 05/09/2012 by Michael Gorman

Motorola just released three new consumer phones today, but the company didn't want to leave developers out in the cold, so it also quietly rolled out a pair of developer handsets. A mere $550 gets you on the list right now for a RAZR M Developer Edition set to be shipped next week direct from Moto, and you can sign up for updates on the availability of a forthcoming RAZR HD dev-friendly handset, too. Each phone will bring an unlockable bootloader and the promise of immediate software gratification, though Motorola hasn't set an availability date or price for the HD version just yet. You can get on the list for either device at the source links below.

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Droid RAZR M and HD dev editions bring unlockable bootloaders to the Android party originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid RAZR M hands-on (video)

Posted on 05/09/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

Droid RAZR M handson

Motorola just took the wraps of the Droid RAZR M and, we've gotta say, the slender handset is quite the looker. The 8mm-thick body is plastic and Kevlar, just like its titular predecessor, but it adds some nice visual flourishes of its own, including rivets around the rim of the device. Despite its diminutive size, it has a nice heft in the hand, though we wouldn't say it's built like a tank. Overall, the device is frighteningly similar to the Droid RAZR, right down to the lock / power key with its concentric circle pattern. Also carried over from the OG Droid RAZR is the 4.3-inch screen. That means we are looking at a qHD Super AMOLED Advanced display, rather than some fancy HD panel and still saddled with a PenTile pixel layout. It also, as we harped on in the live blog, means that Android 4.0.4 has been slathered in Motorola's own skin. Though, we'll give credit to the new Google subsidiary for scaling back on the glitz and glam and letting Ice Cream Sandwich shine through a bit.

Gallery: Motorola Droid RAZR M