BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE hands-on

BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE handson

RIM's attempts to get a cellular-equipped version of the BlackBerry PlayBook have been troubled, to say the least. The company signalled its intentions around Mobile World Congress last February, only to watch as carriers backed off -- partly as RIM focused its attention on LTE, and partly after carriers grew skittish over sales of the WiFi version. A year and a half later, we finally have an LTE version, and with a faster 1.5GHz processor to boot. But do 4G data and a processor bump make all the difference? And does the upgrade stand a realistic shot in a competitive field that has moved on since the original PlayBook? We'll find out in our hands-on.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE hands-on

Filed under: ,

BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 17:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy S III LTE to support VoLTE calls, starting with Korea in August

Samsung Galaxy S III for AT&T and Sprint

Aren't you glad you waited to buy an LTE version of the Galaxy S III? Samsung has confirmed that the versions with faster cellular data will support Voice over LTE on appropriately equipped networks, giving them that IP-based boost to call quality. The rollout will start with the Korean LTE model receiving support in August -- we suspect SK Telecom is an early partner here -- followed by a deployment in foreign LTE markets, which would mostly limit the upgrades to American and Canadian owners. About our only qualm is with Samsung's assertion that the update makes the Galaxy S III the "world's first Voice over LTE smartphone:" we're pretty sure the fine folks at LG and MetroPCS have a thing or two to say about keeping up with current events.

Filed under: ,

Samsung Galaxy S III LTE to support VoLTE calls, starting with Korea in August originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 22:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSamsung Tomorrow  | Email this | Comments

Samsung bumps Galaxy S III Canadian launch to June 27th, pins it on 9 million world pre-orders

Galaxy S III review lead

Canadians who marked June 20th on their calendars as Galaxy S III Day will have to hold off on the festivities for a week, as Samsung has just confirmed that it's shifting the Canadian release to June 27th. As you'd expect, the company is blaming the last-minute swap on "unprecedented demand" -- the nine million worldwide pre-orders that it only anonymously mentioned before now -- and the resultant difficulty in getting enough supply for the magic moment. Any further shortages are still poised to be "short lived," Samsung promises us. The extra wait will no doubt leave us with more than a few crestfallen Canucks; we just hope the shortage doesn't spread and push more US launches into July in the process.

Samsung bumps Galaxy S III Canadian launch to June 27th, pins it on 9 million world pre-orders originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MobileSyrup  |  sourceSamsung Canada (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

HTC One V reaching Telus on June 8th, completes Canadian trifecta

HTC One V review

HTC's One V is invading Canada en masse, having just slipped into Bell and Koodo stores in the past few days. Internal documents slipped out to MobileSyrup would have Telus completing an unintentional troika: it's expected to ship the reborn Legend on June 8th. Pricing looks to be right in the middle of the pack, at $30 in Canuck bucks on a lengthy three-year contract but a still-manageable $290 contract-free. It's not as frugal as the $225 price Koodo asks, but if you're not eager to jump carriers just to get entry-level Android 4.0, there's now an abundance of choices.

HTC One V reaching Telus on June 8th, completes Canadian trifecta originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 22:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMobileSyrup  | Email this | Comments

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany week of May 28th, 2012

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, we learned of another possible prepaid destination for the iPhone (hint: it's a subsidiary of Sprint), and Samsung announced a combined sales total of 50 million Galaxy S and Galaxy S II smartphones. 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 May 28th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Canadian carriers put Galaxy S III launch on June 20th, back dual-core 1.5GHz chip for LTE models (update: Snapdragon, 2GB RAM official)

Samsung Galaxy S III Videotron

Canadian carriers flocked to the Galaxy S III before we'd barely even left our seats in London to try it, and it looks like they're also more than a little eager to provide launch details ahead of their American counterparts. Telus and Videotron have both confirmed the leaked June 20th release date, and Telus has gone so far as to reinforce suspicions that LTE models will use the Snapdragon S4 instead of the Exynos 4 Quad -- it expects the phone to use a "1.5GHz dual-core processor," which sure sounds like Qualcomm's latest to us. The same carrier has nailed down pricing at $160 on a three-year contract for a 16GB version and $210 for a 32GB model. Other carriers like Bell and Rogers are still a bit commitment-phobic, although that earlier Best Buy tip makes us think they'll fall into line before long.

Update: Samsung's own release has swung our way, and it's providing a slew of details that should closely relate to the US launch. As expected, that's a Snapdragon S4 inside, although we now know that the 2GB of RAM of the NTT DoCoMo version will at least be making its way to Canada as well. The LTE version for Bell, Rogers, Telus and a handful of regional carriers is known as the SGH-i747, while the fabled SGH-T999 stops at 42Mbps HSPA+ and is the edition that Mobilicity, Wind and Videotron will get, since it supports 1,700MHz 3G. There's no mention of a 64GB Canadian Galaxy S III, so you'll still have to import if you frown heavily upon microSD cards.

Continue reading Canadian carriers put Galaxy S III launch on June 20th, back dual-core 1.5GHz chip for LTE models (update: Snapdragon, 2GB RAM official)

Canadian carriers put Galaxy S III launch on June 20th, back dual-core 1.5GHz chip for LTE models (update: Snapdragon, 2GB RAM official) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MobileSyrup  |  sourceTelus, Videotron  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy S III shows in Best Buy Canada leak due June 20th, maple syrup uncorked to celebrate

Image

Jitters have persisted that the Canadian release of the Galaxy S III might face the customary weeks-long delays that those north of the border are used to. If we go by what looks to be an escaped Best Buy Canada flyer graphic, Samsung's Android 4.0 beast should be going up for pre-orders soon -- MobileSyrup hears May 30th -- with launches on at least Bell, Rogers, Telus and a Bell-owned Virgin Mobile around June 20th. We know that Samsung has publicly promised a US release in June, so there's a real chance that we could be seeing a simultaneous North American appearance that brings everyone together in TouchWiz harmony. There's still some big questions left open even if we're seeing an accurate snapshot, such as when Mobilicity, Wind and other LTE-less carriers will get their units as well as whether or not the LTE versions use Snapdragons instead of the Exynos 4 Quad.

[Thanks, Imdad]

Samsung Galaxy S III shows in Best Buy Canada leak due June 20th, maple syrup uncorked to celebrate originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 19:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMobileSyrup  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy S III gets a Canadian girlfriend as Bell, Rogers, Telus, Wind Mobile line up

Image

If you live north of the 49th parallel, you're no doubt frustrated that Samsung teased a summer launch for the Galaxy S III in North America but made no initial mention of its Canadian plans. Don't fret, as virtually every Canadian carrier and its mother has now pledged to carry the giant Android 4.0 smartphone while you're on your summer vacation -- the first carrier commitments in North America that we've seen. Bell, Rogers, Telus, Virgin Mobile and Wind Mobile have all stepped up as national providers, while regional carriers such as SaskTel and Videotron have also signed on. The Galaxy S III is a special milestone for Virgin, as it's the first 4G LTE phone on the Bell-run budget network. We're still waiting for Mobilicity and other cellular services to hop on the Galaxy S III bandwagon, and details like pricing and exact ship dates are still elusive, but odds are that Canucks will have a wide choice of carriers when the 4.8-inch flagship hits stores. Update: Sure enough, Mobilicity is also onboard, which along with Wind Mobile makes it pretty clear that T-Mobile-friendly AWS frequencies are baked in.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III gets a Canadian girlfriend as Bell, Rogers, Telus, Wind Mobile line up

Samsung Galaxy S III gets a Canadian girlfriend as Bell, Rogers, Telus, Wind Mobile line up originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments