Verizon plans to launch the Droid Incredible 4G LTE "in the coming weeks," but consumers should pass and wait.
The Incredible 4G features some decent specs: it's powered by Google's new Android 4.0 software, runs on Verizon's faster LTE network, and features a 4-inch high-resolution display, top-notch 8-megapixel camera with 28-millimeter f/2.2 lens, Beats Audio for better music and a speedy 1.2-gigahertz dual-core Snapdragon S4 chip.
So what's not to love?
1. Consider the HTC Rezound
The HTC Rezound, Verizon's fourth-quarter flagship phone, features a bigger 4.3-inch screen, with a higher 720-by-1280 pixel resolution -- that's a big difference.
The Rezound also comes with an 8-megapixel camera, a plenty-fast 1.5-gigahertz chip, and will soon run on Android 4.0 -- initially released with Android 2.3 -- and works on Verizon's 4G LTE network too.
While the Incredible is thinner, lighter, and offers NFC and Bluetooth 4.0, its only real advantage is HTC's Sense 4 -- over the Rezound's 3.5 -- a big improvement for a more streamlined interface, a 50 percent improvement in processing speed and lower power consumption.
For a new flagship phone, the Incredible offers slight upgrades in hardware. If you're considering the Incredible, give the Rezound some serious thought.
2. Consider the HTC One
The Incredible couldn't have come at a worse time. HTC is in the midst of a turnaround, after a serious decline last year. Why does that matter? The company overhauled its product line to focus entertainment, and the first batch of new phones is the... "One" series, which hit the market a few months ago.
That's right. The One is the future. The Incredible is the past.
AT&T and T-Mobile carry versions of it, but Verizon has yet to announce a launch -- but that's just a matter of time.
3. Sit Tight, HTC Is Revamping Its Products
Still, it's probably best to wait. HTC's second batch will be leaps and bounds ahead. So if you're looking at HTC, give the first generation of One phones a pass, and wait for them to work out the kinks before diving in.
4. Samsung Is on Top of Its Game
There's a reason Samsung sold over 20 million Galaxy S2 phones in under nine months. And the South Korean company just announced the successor, the S3, which also runs on Android 4.0, but features a massive 4.8-inch display, advanced "S Voice" technology that responds to spoken orders and gestures, and a 1.4-gigahertz "quad-core" -- not dual-core -- chip. It also comes with a 8-megapixel camera, but with "intelligent" camera options that tracks and adapts to what it sees you doing.
Verizon may water down the specs before releasing its version in the summer, but if you can wait a few months, it'll blow the Incredible out of the water.
5. The IPhone 5, Nuff Said
Rumors. They're all rumors, really. But still, we'll run through the list: made of liquidmetal, similar 4.6-inch screen, LTE-compatible, and other major changes. In short, it's the iPhone. Expect it sometime in June.
Bottom Line
If you're going cheap, the Rezound is a better choice. If you're sticking to HTC, wait for the next batch. And if you want the best, wait a few months.
When everyone's showing off their quad-core phones, Galaxy S3s and iPhone 5s, just don't say we didn't tell you so.
Verizon plans to launch the Droid Incredible 4G LTE "in the coming weeks," but consumers should pass and wait.
The Incredible features some decent specs: it's powered by Google's new Android 4.0 software, runs on Verizon's faster LTE network, and features a 4-inch high-resolution display, top-notch 8-megapixel camera with 28-millimeter f/2.2 lens, Beats Audio for better music and a speedy 1.2-gigahertz dual-core Snapdragon S4 chip.
So what's not to love?
1. Consider the HTC Rezound
The HTC Rezound, Verizon's fourth-quarter flagship phone, features a bigger 4.3-inch screen, with a higher 720-by-1280 pixel resolution -- that's a big difference.
The Rezound also comes with an 8-megapixel camera, a plenty-fast 1.5-gigahertz chip, and will soon run on Android 4.0 -- initially released with Android 2.3 -- and works on Verizon's LTE network too.
While the Incredible is thinner, lighter, and offers NFC and Bluetooth 4.0, its only real advantage is HTC's Sense 4 -- over the Rezound's 3.5 -- a big improvement for a more streamlined interface, a 50 percent improvement in processing speed and lower power consumption.
For a new flagship phone, the Incredible offers slight upgrades in hardware. If you're considering the Incredible, give the Rezound some serious thought.
2. Consider the HTC One
The Incredible couldn't have come at a worse time. HTC is in the midst of a turnaround, after a serious decline last year. Why does that matter? The company overhauled its product line to focus entertainment, and the first batch of new phones is the... "One" series, which hit the market a few months ago.
The One is the future. The Incredible is the past.
AT&T and T-Mobile carry versions of it, but Verizon has yet to announce a launch -- but that's just a matter of time.
3. Sit Tight, HTC Is Revamping Its Products
Still, it's probably best to wait. HTC's second batch will be leaps and bounds ahead. So if you're looking at HTC, give the first generation of One phones a pass, and wait for them to work out the kinks before diving in.
4. Samsung Is on Top of Its Game
There's a reason Samsung sold over 20 million Galaxy S2 phones in under nine months. And the South Korean company just announced the successor, the S3, which also runs on Android 4.0, but features a massive 4.8-inch display, advanced "S Voice" technology that responds to spoken orders and gestures, and a 1.4-gigahertz "quad-core" -- not dual-core -- chip. It also comes with a 8-megapixel camera, but with "intelligent" camera options that tracks and adapts to what it sees you doing.
Verizon may water down the specs before releasing its version in the summer, but if you can wait a few months, it'll blow the Incredible out of the water.
5. The IPhone 5, Nuff Said
Rumors. They're all rumors, really. But still, we'll run through the list: made of liquidmetal, similar 4.6-inch screen, LTE-compatible, and other major changes. In short, it's the iPhone. Expect it sometime in June.
Bottom Line
If you're going cheap, the Rezound is a better choice. If you're sticking to HTC, wait for the next batch. And if you want the best, wait a few months.
When everyone's showing off their quad-core phones, Galaxy S3s and iPhone 5s, just don't say we didn't tell you so.
A new virus is infecting Android devices, the latest in a persistent threat to Google's operating system.
The new Trojan virus, called "NotCompatible," downloads automatically to users' phones and tablets without their knowledge upon visiting certain websites, according to security firm Lookout. Once a person's device gets infected, all personal information on the handset is at risk to the hackers behind the virus.
Analysts say the threat on Android devices is not widespread at this point, but the fact that a virus can be downloaded through a mobile browser at all is damaging to the platform and could widen the threat of malware to a bigger pool of users. Malware issues within the Android Market have plagued Google's OS for some time, but users could steer clear of threats by making sure their downloaded apps were legitimate.
This new Android virus can hide in Web pages that users visit all the time, leaving all users susceptible to malware without any warning. NotCompatible has only popped up on websites with very little traffic. However, if hackers are able to affect larger sites visited by millions everyday, the Android platform will have a tremendous black eye that may drive off current users and scare away new ones.
Android has a history of issues with viruses that only seems like it's getting worse, but its competitors have nearly pristine reputations. Apple's iOS has a clean record for a mobile platform, and Microsoft's Windows Phone, beginning to emerge as a real player in the market, has shown very little permeability.
Google's OS is still the market share leader in smartphones, but if it can't contain viruses through its mobile browser, its numbers will take a severe hit as customers turn to Apple and Microsoft.
The timing of viruses affecting Android devices through Web browsers couldn't be worse for Google's planned venture into tablets, which will likely find large amounts of users clicking on websites and downloading apps and media. The company is planning on diving deep into the tablet market later this year with Android 4.0 powered devices, but consumer fears about viruses could put a serious damper on those plans.
In the past, Google has fought malware in the Android Market with its Bouncer software, and has defended its OS from claims that it's prone to viruses. However, the steps the company has taken to fix the problem with its apps thus far have been unsuccessful, and issues that continue to pop up suggest the problem is as bad as critics say.
Google needs to get out in front of the this Android virus issue and assure users they won't continue to fall victim, or it runs the risk of its mobile platform becoming the ultimate casualty.
Google won't jeopardize its valuable alliance with Android makers by beefing up Motorola, but rather, take what it needs from the beleaguered handset maker, leaving it to hemorrhage out.
Mototola reported losses again this quarter, with poor sales and merger-related costs dragging the company down. Though 20 percent of the company's losses were related to its pending merger with Google, the rest came from lackluster phone sales, as Samsung continues to edge the company out of the market.
Google pledged to treat Motorola the same way it treats other Android partners, but as its new business venture hemorrhages money, the search giant may end up treating the company worse than its competitors, simply absorbing its parts.
The search giant's interest in Motorola stems from the company's robust patent portfolio, which will help Google equip itself in patent skirmishes against Apple and other rivals. Google is also pushing into branded tablets and smartphones, and it may use Motorola's hardware know-how to move ahead with those plans.
Motorola is not keeping up with Samsung and other more successful rivals like HTC. The company would certainly need help from Google to recapture its market share. Instead, Google is discussing the sale of Motorola's more profitable home segment, leaving its flailing mobile component even deeper in the hole, and it may not be long until it begins an even broader sale.
Google would have to perform a tricky balancing act to help out its companion company without upsetting its more successful Android partners. Both HTC and Samsung, though initially publicly supportive of Google's acquisition of Motorola's patents, have expressed a willingness to beef up their phones on other platforms -- mainly, windows -- and Google won't be willing to jeopardize the standing of its OS with two major phone makers.
Many Android manufacturers worried Google will favor Motorola in the wake of the acquisition, and bailing out the troubled company could be an unfavorable signal that Google may not want to send to its partners.
The merger between Google and Motorola is still pending Chinese approval, although Europe and U.S. gave the go-ahead. Since Motorola is banking on the acquisition, it could be in even more trouble if the deal falls through.
Motorola may not turn around its finances on its own, and if Google tries to help the flailing company, it risks angering its Android associates, which may lead to a major shakeup in the mobile industry. Google's alliance with Motorola gave it patents and boosted its hardware capabilities, but if it endangers the company's partnership with Samsung, it may have cost more than it is worth.
Google spent a pretty penny on Motorola, but the biggest threat to its pocketbooks is a collapse of its Android empire, and that is likely to remain its priority.
AT&T built a solid base selling the iPhone, but Verizon gains the advantage with an LTE version, forcing AT&T to shift allegiances to Android or Windows to sustain its success.
AT&T built a solid base selling the iPhone, but Verizon gains the advantage with an LTE version, forcing AT&T to shift allegiances to Android or Windows to sustain its success.
Verizon is planning a big marketing push for the launch of Windows Phone 8 later this year, giving the struggling OS momentum to take on Apple and Android.
When Google purchased Motorola, industry experts believed it was a patent-play to shore up Android from lawsuits. But the Internet giant has far greater ambitions -- a line of Google phones -- which is leading to factions, and possibly, the downfall of the Android alliance.
Developers' interest in the Android platform has decreased, according to a survey from Appcelerator, which could eventually affect sales of devices running the popular operating system.
The number of programmers who said they are "very interested" in creating software for the Android platform on mobile phones fell to under to just under 80 percent, while only 65 percent said they want to develop for Android on tablets. Apple's iOS led the pack among mobile operating systems, with 89 percent of developers giving the platform their vote of confidence.
Android is still well ahead of the next closest OS in terms of developer interest in creating apps, but the decline in its popularity among programmers is alarming for a platform that leads all its competitors in market share.
"Our thought is a lot of developers are unhappy with the fragmentation of the platform as well as the fragmentation of the monetization platform," Mike King, Appcelator's principal mobile strategist told CNET. "Those things make it very difficult if you're a developer to make money on Android."
King said that developers have to account for the different screen sizes, features and manufacturer skins of all the different Android devices, a chore that offsets the tremendous number of users it reaches on the platform.
Google is fighting to end the issue of fragmentation in its mobile software, but so far, all of its attempts have failed to fully rectify the problem. It intended Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest update to Android, to help end inconsistencies in the platform, but the update has had little impact since its launch late last year due to phone makers delaying a widespread release.
Developer abandonment of the Android platform could be the first step in a fall from grace for Google's mobile software. If programmers continue to lose interest in OS, major apps could start to disappear from the Android Market and show up in competitors' mobile stores, making other platforms more attractive to handset and tablet users.
Once users begin to realize Android is not giving them the best available apps for their mobile devices, they'll likely begin to make the jump to handsets running a platform that does.
AT&T is offering a man a deal he can't refuse, while HTC is offering the long-elusive Android Ice Cream Sandwich update on several of its phones. Meanwhile, European carriers are accused of colluding to fix prices, while Apple promotes gift cards for trade-ins.
AT&T Offers Settlement, Threats in Throttling Case
AT&T is offering a settlement to an iPhone user who won a small claims court judgment over how the carrier throttles service for unlimited data users.
The company sent Matthew Spaccarelli, a 39-year-old truck driver, a settlement letter, but didn't say it would offer him more money. However, AT&T threatened to shut off his service if he didn't sit down to talk with them, and reminded him he violated the company's terms of service when he tethered his iPad to his iPhone.
Spaccerelli was also told he would need to sign a confidentiality agreement before the settlement deal could be discussed further. He likely won't be the last disgruntled customer as carriers shift from unlimited data plans to manage spectrum overload.
HTC Ready to Feed Ice Cream Sandwich Cravings
HTC is getting ready to release a slew of Android devices with the Ice Cream Sandwich update, answering the demands of consumers hungry for the upgrade, which has been slow to roll out.
U.S. buyers will be able to update the Droid Incredible 2, Amaze 4G, Evo 3D, Evo Design 4G and Sensation 4G. The Resound will also get a scoop of ICS, to go along with its Beats Audio technology.
If you bought a ThunderBolt or HTC Vivid, last year, you'll get the upgrade as well -- but HTC hasn't said when.
European Commission Asks if Carriers Are Colluding
The European Commission may be investigating cell phone carriers for allegedly colluding on prices and policies and hindering competition, sources revealed.
The carriers, including Deutsch Telekom (T-Mobile), France Telecom (Orange), Telecom Italia, Telefonica (O2) and Vodaphone, may have discussed challenges Android and iPhones provide for mobile competition, as well as standardizing near-field communications transactions. The commission reportedly received a letter from the carriers, complaining sites like YouTube create strains on their networks.
The commission has not yet started a full probe.
Apple Offering Gift Cards for "Old" IPad
Apple is offering Apple Store gift cards in exchange for the iPad 2, which could shave off a lot of money from the new iPad after it comes out later this week.
The maximum trade-in value for an Apple iPad 2 64GB WiFi + 3G model appears to be $320. To get that much, owners must have a "perfect condition" iPad 2 with no scuffing or engraving, and the tablet must be stripped clean of data and sent in along with a power cord. Cracks, water damage and wear will also affect how much Apple will give for it. The incentive will likely help fuel sales of the new iPad, taking advantage of consumers' eagerness for the device.
LightSquared Assembles Legal "Dream Team"
LightSquared appears to be "lawyering up" to fight back against the Federal Communications Commission, which blocked its network over concerns it would interfere with the nation's commercial, aviation and consumer GPS devices.
The company hired former Bush administration Solicitor General Ted Olson and Eugene Scalia, son of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, to help it overcome its regulatory setbacks. The lawyers could also help LightSquared salvage some of its $4 billion investment in the wireless network.
"We will do all we can to ensure that LightSquared does not lose billions of dollars in investments due to a precipitous, arbitrary reversal by the government," Olson said.
LightSquared may not sue over the FCC's ruling, but with the new legal "dream team," a lawsuit is becoming even more possible as it fights to remain viable in the industry.
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