Like your Samsung Galaxy S with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a dash of WiMAX? Sprint’s website has finally spilled the beans: the Epic 4G will arrive Tuesday, August 31st for $249.99 on contract (after $150 instant rebate and $100 mail-in rebate). Oddly enough, we’ve gotten a number of screencaps from readers who see an August 20th date, one that coincides with an upcoming Epic 4G promo we caught wind of, but the press release definitively lists the 31st. No way to pre-order at this point — reservations begin Friday, according to the press release — but feel free to sign up for reminders. Whew, glad that mystery’s finally solved. PR after the break.

Update: With Sprint now offering two Android-powered 4G smartphones, you’re probably wondering, Epic 4G or EVO 4G? Fortunately, Sprint’s got a video laying out the differences highlighting the Epic’s Super AMOLED display, keyboard, Samsung Media Hub movie store (available post-launch), and DLNA to wirelessly send pics and video to other DLNA devices in the home. Check it out after the break.

Update 2: Although reservations for in-store pickup aren’t set to begin until tomorrow, we’ve been tipped on a reservation link intended for premier customers. [Thanks, Miguel]

Update 3: You can also preorder at Radio Shack on August 13th — with the purchase of a $50 gift card.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Epic 4G coming August 31st for $249.99 on contract (updated)

Epic 4G coming August 31st for $249.99 on contract (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s here! The Evo 4G is now on sale at Sprint’s online webstore. The dual-mode 3G/4G handset with 4.3-inch display, 8 megapixel camera, two-way video calling, and personal WiFi hotspot feature all powered by Android 2.1 on a 1GHz Snapdragon is now for sale for $199 on two year contract (after $150 instant savings and $100 mail-in rebate). Oh, sales are limited to five per customer just in case you’re planning to go nuts. Now get out of here, the future is waiting.

Update: Official PR added after the break.

[Thanks, Tim]

Continue reading Evo 4G now for sale at Sprint online

Evo 4G now for sale at Sprint online originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carol Bartz and Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEOs of Yahoo! and Nokia, respectively, are on stage right now announcing a “strategic relationship” between the two companies on some of their core services. Nokia will be using Yahoo to power its Ovi email and IM services, while Yahoo will be using Nokia / NAVTEQ’s competencies for its mapping and navigation services. Both companies see it as a way to grow their respective userbases, with Yahoo hoping to grab onto the 9 million Ovi users out there, while Nokia hopes that Yahoo could provide it a bit of a USA mojo. Interestingly, Olli-Pekka confronted the US problem head on: “We are an unusual global company in the sense that we are clearly a global leader in our industry, and yet we do not lead in the US.” Carol was similarly forthcoming, saying that Yahoo had “lost its focus on maps a couple years ago,” then correcting herself, saying that they “chose to focus on other areas.” The first merged services should launch in the second half of this year.

During Q&A the big answer to everything seemed to be “scale,” but we also heard Carol toss in “downstream” at an opportune moment. When asked how this relates to Android, iPhone and so forth, Carol clarified that this doesn’t change anything they’re doing on those fronts. “It’s not exclusive from that point.” Each service will be branded as “powered by Yahoo” or “powered by Ovi.” Yahoo will be announcing some “social-like” services for its mail and IM soon, but it’s unclear if that’s specifically related to this announcement. Neither company is talking financial specifics, but Olli-Pekka did make it very clear that a Yahoo-branded device wasn’t forthcoming.

Nokia and Yahoo announce ‘worldwide strategic alliance’ on email, IM, maps, and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So that Vu Plus we’d tipped for a June 6 release has just gone official, and needless to say, it’s not your daddy’s Vu. The most notable change is the addition of a landscape slider QWERTY keyboard, but one of the Vu’s hallmark’s — support for AT&T’s FLO-based Mobile TV service — carries over for $9.99 a month with a free 7-day trial subscription. It’s got a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, a 3 megapixel autofocus cam with video recording, AT&T Video Share compatibility, and microSD expansion if the phone’s internal 50MB just aren’t cutting it. Look for it to hit shelves for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Follow the break for the full release.

Continue reading LG Vu Plus coming to AT&T on June 6 for $150

LG Vu Plus coming to AT&T on June 6 for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from James’ best bud, who would love to own an EVO 4G… if not for that 8 megapixel camera that’s strictly against protocol. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I have a friend who’s taken a job in a security field and the employer doesn’t allow cameras on cellphones. He’s currently happy with an iPhone 3GS and would definitely consider an Android device but is having trouble finding a decent phone with no camera. The only caveat is that for whatever reason he doesn’t want a BlackBerry. Does anyone else make a decent smartphone sans camera? Thanks!”

This is a fairly common question, actually, and despite the fact that few phones are made any more sans a camera, many organizations refuse to allow them. We’d hate for your friend be stuck with a dumbphone, so here’s hoping our readers can drop some knowledge below. Otherwise, we suggest he / she just mail in a two-week notice — Sent from their iPhone, of course.

Ask Engadget: best smartphone without a camera? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 22:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though some information leaked out of Verizon’s pipes yesterday, HTC just got really real with the Droid Incredible at the 99% Conference in New York today. Specs are pretty much what we expected: Android 2.1 with Sense, an 8 megapixel cam, 1GHz Snapdragon (not the underclocked core we’d heard rumored before, thankfully), WiFi, and a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED display. Basically, this unit is a Sense-ified HTC Nexus One with an up-spec’d camera and a penchant for Verizon’s airwaves — and for a whole lotta Android users, that’s exactly what the doctor ordered. It hits on April 29 for $199.99 on contract after a $100 mail-in rebate — but in the mean time, you’ll be able to pre-order starting on the 19th. Full PR after the break.

Update: We’ve also got a live shot of the device after the break. Thanks, Bryan!

Update 2: Verizon’s own Incredible site is now live — have fun over there! Thanks, Artem!

Update 3: We’ve confirmed that the phone will be up for pre-sale at Best Buy starting on the 18th, and per usual, this route will ensure you get the handset for $199.99 sans any mail-in rebate hassles.

Continue reading HTC Droid Incredible officially official for Verizon, April 29 for $200 (updated with a live shot!)

HTC Droid Incredible officially official for Verizon, April 29 for $200 (updated with a live shot!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unless you’ve been in one of a few key test markets, you’ve been pretty much out of luck boosting your AT&T signal in the comfortable confines of your home since the 3G MicroCell first launched — until now. Starting in the middle of next month in a deployment that spans “several” months, customers across the country should expect to see MicroCells pop up in their local regions. The device itself will run a one-time fee of $149.99 before a $100 mail-in rebate (when purchased with a “3G MicroCell calling plan,” though we don’t yet know what that constitutes). Separately, there’ll be a $19.99 plan bolt-on that offers unlimited calling when connected to the device — and anyone tacking on a new U-verse or DSL line of 1.5Mbps or higher will get another $50 rebate. It’s not the end of AT&T’s spectrum or backhaul concerns, we’re sure, but it’s a start.

Update: We’ve just clarified — the $19.99 bolt-on is the only one that’s relevant for the $100 rebate; there are no other dedicated MicroCell calling plans, so that should make it a little easier to bring down the net cost of the unit since you don’t have to change into another base plan.

AT&T 3G MicroCell starting nationwide roll-out in mid-April originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t get us wrong, enabling the Ovi Store was a pretty sweet add-on in the last update — but the second N900 push in just a single week features a list of fixes and changes that should put smiles on a few owners’ faces, too (and a few devs’ faces, for that matter, while they wait for this payment bug to get patched up). This time around we’ve got full support for Swiss keyboard layouts, better compatibility with 3-branded SIM cards, support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 in the handset’s Mail for Exchange service, and a handful of performance and usability tweaks for Ovi Maps. It’ll be available both over-the-air and via PC download in a phased global rollout over the next day, so keep checking; no need to get all crazy about it if you’ve already installed the first update, though — you’ll be automatically alerted when this one’s ready for you.

Nokia N900 gets its second firmware update this week originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look what just arrived in the mail. Yes, we are aware of your extreme jealousy.

Filed under: Gaming

Limited edition ‘Modern Warfare 2′ Xbox 360 unboxing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon is making no secret about which Android device it wants to make waves this week — that’d be the DROID from Motorola — but there’s another model that’ll be available the same day with one-tenth the fanfare: HTC’s DROID ERIS. Codenamed Desire ahead of launch, the phone is essentially Verizon’s custom remix of the venerable Hero as found on Sprint and various GSM carriers around the world, featuring a 5 megapixel camera, 3.2-inch capacitive display, WiFi, 3.5mm headphone jack, and microSD expansion up to 16GB. Check it out in your local store hiding somewhere in the shadow of the DROID starting Friday for $99.99 on contract after a $100 mail-in rebate, which — if you can forgo a physical keyboard, faster processor, and high-res display — works out to a cool hundred less than Moto’s entry.

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon’s DROID ERIS by HTC does Android and keeps it cheap originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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