Breaking Down the Latest Verizon iPhone Rumors July 2, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Cell Phones, Rumors , add a comment
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past couple of weeks, you’ve probably heard that Apple has released a new iPhone and that this new iPhone has been having some problems with keeping a signal when you hold it in your left hand. Of course, any new iPhone– and particularly any new iPhone problems– brings out the rumors of Apple finally adding another carrier to their cell phone world, with most of the rumors focusing on a particular carrier that’s red and rhymes with Shmerizon.
Yes, the Verizon iPhone rumors are alive and hotter than ever; with many top, well-respected publications (like the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg) chiming in by saying that a Verizon iPhone is on the way– and really soon.
So what are these rumors and what do we think of them? Read on for the full scoop.
First Look: Apple iPhone 4 June 25, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Cell Phones , add a comment
It’s here! After a seemingly endless wait, we finally have gotten our hands on the new iPhone 4! To sum it up in one word– incredible (though I’m still not sold on it being worth waiting in line for hours for…). After using it for the past few hours, here are some of my initial thoughts, which I’ll follow up on early next week with a full review. So what you waiting for, read on!
Live from the iPhone 4 Launch June 24, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Cell Phones , add a comment
Wow. Seriously wow. This is the line my local Apple store at around 9 am. Now don’t think I’m that crazy that I’ve been up since 4 AM camping out, I’ve actually only been here since about 8:30, but here’s a shot of people out since before 6:30 AM:
Yeah this is nuts. We’ll be updating this periodically, and of course we’ll have our thoughts later today once we’ve gotten some time with it.
For the full live blog check us out here: http://teenstalktech.com/2010/06/24/the-craziness-of-an-iphone-launch/
First High-End Android Phone Coming Soon to AT&T June 18, 2010
Posted by Zev Rosenbaum in : Cell Phones , add a comment
So much for AT&T not having a high-end Android. AT&T announced has finally announced that they are officially entering the high-end Android game (meaning that they are finally launching an Android phone on par with Sprint’s EVO and Verizon’s Droid Incredible) by getting the Samsung Captivate on their side. And wow is the Captivate high end.
Running Android 2.1 with a custom Samsung interface (though one that is by far not as drastic as HTC Sense on the recently announced HTC Aria), the Captivate will also be the first AT&T Android phone to have a 1 GHZ processor (which Samsung calls “Hummingbird” and may be Samsung’s version of Apple’s A4 processor), which is a great particularly when you are running multiple apps. Among these AT&T firsts, the Captivate has a numerous amount of handy specs, such as:
- A 4-inch Super AMOLED multi-touch touchscreen– Remember those great AMOLED screens on phones like the Samsung Impression and Moment? You know, ones with insane clarity? Not only is this screen much bigger than those (it’s pretty much on par with the EVO’s minus .03 of an inch), this does all of that but in a much thinner design– which when you look at this phone you can tell it’s paid off, as well as fix one of the biggest problems facing AMOLED phones, the horrible quality they produce when in outdoor or bright light areas.
- 3G, WiFi and GPS– With the WiFi supporting the latest wireless N. Oh, and the Captivate also is loaded with Bluetooth 3.0, something we have yet to see a lot of (or pretty much at all) in phones (Bluetooth 3.0 should make for things like wireless transfer between say a computer and phone much quicker among other things, but we also have yet to see many devices take advantage of the new Bluetooth, so take that as you wish).
- 3D graphics with gyroscope for better gaming
- Support for Google Maps, YouTube, Android Market and other standard Android apps– Though we couldn’t tell if AT&T is allowing Google Maps Navigation to be put on the phone. Let’s hope they do.
- 5 Megapixel camera with autofocus and 720p HD video recording– On par with the iPhone 4
- 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to your favorite songs
- 16GB of built-in storage, with the ability to add another 16GB via a microSD
Wow is right. I personally am really excited for this over the upcoming HTC Aria because the captivate is AT&T’s first really good Android phone (just look at those specs!), and I plan to get it. Of course, we will have to wait until this phone comes out to see how the Hummingbird processor and Super AMOLED handles in real life and if this is more this just talk, but until then, my plans for the Aria have been shelved and I am waiting anxiously for this phone.
The Samsung Captivate will be coming out “in a couple of months, for an undisclosed price” according to AT&T. In the meantime, check out AT&T’s “Coming Soon” page for the Captivate here. So, anyone else planning on holding off on getting their AT&T Android fix Sunday with the Aria for this?
HTC Aria Landing in Stores June 20th June 15, 2010
Posted by Zev Rosenbaum in : Cell Phones , add a comment
Enough about video games, lets talk phones. AT&T announced yesterday the first not horrible Android phone for its’ customers. The HTC Aria is a 3.2 inch Android phone coming to stores June 20th. This phone will have a 3.2 inch multitouch screen and Android 2.1, unlike AT&T’s first Android phone the Motorola Backflip (which is still running 1.5). Like pretty much all new HTC phones such as the Droid Incredible and the EVO 4G, the Aria will come with HTC Sense which will allow you to keep in touch with your social life while on the go, with HTC’s FriendStream app making Twitter and Facebook just a swipe of the finger away– all while also offering a much nicer and cooler Android homescreen.
Personally, I am excited about this phone because it will stand out as a viable iPhone opponent. Sure it’s not crazy high spec’d and powerful like Verizon Droid Incredible or Sprint EVO 4G (phones designed as true iPhone competitors), but for those on AT&T not looking for an Apple phone, the Aria will be AT&T’s first good Android phone. The thin, sleek design and beautiful touchscreen will rival the iPhone, and when combined with HTC Sense and Android 2.1, offer a nice change and in my opinion a big step up from the Motorola Backflip. It really looks to me that the HTC Aria will blow the Backflip out of the water.
Other specs for the Aria include 3G, GPS (with Google Maps Navigation), and WiFi, a microSD card slot, and a 5 megapixel camera. The Aria will be available starting this Sunday (June 20th), for $129 after a $100 mail in rebate and new 2 year contract.
Thoughts on the iPhone 4 June 10, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Cell Phones, Opinion , add a comment
If you’ve been anywhere on the internet the past couple of days you’ve probably by now heard the big news– Apple’s new iPhone 4 is officially upon us, and in a huge way.
When they say that it’s the biggest iPhone change since the original, they really aren’t kidding. What Apple has shown off in the new iPhone 4 is absolutely incredible– and I’ll be the first to tell you, last year’s major additions of speed, a slightly better camera, and a compass were really underwhelming (if it wasn’t for the fact my 3G broke and Apple Care offered to replace it with a 3GS– something they’ll do after multiple iPhone breaks– the $200+ and another 2 year contract was not worth the upgrade). But this…. this is amazing.
AT&T Bumping Up iPhone Upgrades To… Now? June 7, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Cell Phones , 1 comment so far
Well this was a very nice surprise…. apparently AT&T is bumping up iPhone users upgrade dates a few months, possibly in anticipation of a new iPhone announcement?
I can confirm first hand AT&T bumped up dates, because when I checked today I noticed my upgrade was bumped up for a new iPhone from October to now (as you can see in the screenshot above. You can check yourself by calling *639# from your phone, which will get a text sent to you with your upgrade status a min later).
Now why AT&T is doing this I’m not sure. It could be a preemptive move to avoid the same problems the last few times there were new iPhones and is even more proof we’ll see a new iPhone today (if you remember, the last two iPhone upgrades, first for the 3G and then for the 3GS, were met with a lot of angry people who were only one year into contract, forcing Apple and AT&T to allow those users to upgrade for the cheaper price). It could be a move to keep iPhone users from jumping to another carrier (if another carrier is in fact getting the iPhone), or it could be because AT&T is just feeling really generous to iPhone users this morning. Whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll know soon enough.
So anyone else noticing an earlier iPhone (or just general AT&T) upgrade date?
Reminder: Apple’s WWDC is Tomorrow June 6, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Rumors , add a comment
Is that new iPhone that we’ve seen so many pix of over the last few weeks finally going to become official tomorrow? Are we finally going to learn when iPhone OS 4 going to drop? Will MobileMe become free for all? Are there going to be the long awaited updated Mac Minis and MacBook Airs? Will Verizon, T-Mobile and/or Sprint be announced as new iPhone and/or iPad carriers, officially ending AT&T’s exclusivity? The answers to those pressing questions (which are some of the hottest rumors flying around– though again, before we get some hopes up, these are just rumors) and more should all be revealed in a few hours when Apple CEO Steve Jobs takes the stage for Apple’s annual WWDC conference at around 1 PM Eastern time tomorrow (June 7th).
It will no doubt be a big day no matter what Apple announces, so remember to check back here tomorrow where we’ll have all of Apple’s announcements broken down with everything you need to know. In the meantime, what are you thinking/hoping/wishing to see Apple announce tomorrow?
(And in case you were wondering, now would probably be the worst time to go and buy an iPhone 3GS).