It looks like Verizon Wireless will soon have another Android tablet available for sale. The device is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and it will come with support for their 4G LTE network. Sadly though, nothing yet was given in terms of the price and as for the availability, that was simply noted as being sometime in the coming weeks. That aside though, in addition to the 4G LTE the Galaxy Tab 7.7 will bring features to include a 720p capable display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 and a dual-core 1.4GHz processor. Other goodies include a weight of around 12 ounces and a thickness of less than a half an inch. And while we are fairly certain many will complain about this one, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 will arrive running Android 3.2 Honeycomb along with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface. Some of the other perks that you can expect to find include Mobile Hotspot, a 2-megapixel front facing camera, a 3-megapixel rear facing camera, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, a microSD card slot and 16GB of internal storage. And lastly, coming along with the TouchWiz UI will be the range of Samsung services to include Samsung Apps, Media Hub and the Social Hub. Via [PR Newswire]      At AT&T’s Developer Summit conference, we saw the Pantech Element officially launch, but that wasn’t the only Android device to be announced. AT&T and Samsung paired up to launch three more 4G LTE devices later this year. At the event, AT&T CEO, Ralph de la Vega, took the wraps off the Samsung Galaxy Note, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD, and the Samsung Exhilarate.
The Samsung Galaxy Note on AT&T has been rumored for quite some time now, but it is always nice to receive official confirmation on the 4G LTE device. Earlier during CES, a large poster of the Samsung Galaxy Note with an AT&T logo was spotted, thus providing strong evidence for an impending Galaxy Note announcement. As a quick recap of its specs, the Galaxy Note sports a 5.3 inch touch screen display, dual-core 1.4GHz processor, Android 2.3, TouchWiz 4.0, 8MP rear facing camera, 2MP front facing camera, and a unique stylus called the S pen. Next, we have the high-end Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD, which is essentially an AT&T version of the Galaxy Nexus without Android 4.0 on board. It features a 4.65 Super AMOLED HD display and a rocking 1.5GHz dual-core processor. No word on when it will launch and for what price, but it should happen in the next few months. The last 4G LTE smartphone announced is the mid-range and eco-friendly Samsung Exhilarate. It is set to launch for less than $50 on a two year contract, which makes it one of the cheaper 4G LTE smartphones available with AT&T.  
Verizon Wireless also announced today the availability of the new BlackBerry Curve 9370 starting Jan 19. This slim and stylish BlackBerry device is ergonomically designed with comfortable and iconic keyboard to let you type faster and with more accuracy. It also has the usual optical trackpad for easy, one-handed navigation of the phone’s menus and options. Running on Verizon Wireless 3G network, powered by the new BlackBerry 7 OS, the BlackBerry Curve 9370 is said to be the first global ready BlackBerry Curve for Verizon. Said device is a quad-band phone supporting GSM, GPRS, and EDGE networks in more than 200 countries. Other features of the BlackBerry Curve 9370 include – Near Field Communications (NFC), a 5MP camera, 2.44-inch display, Wi-Fi b/g/n. Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, and microSD card slot with support for up to 32GB SD cards. The BlackBerry Curve 9370 will be available from Verizon with a price tag of $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate plus 2-year customer agreement. Verizon also requires that you enroll in its Nationwide Talk plan with should cost you $39.99 monthly plus a smartphone data package for $30 monthly access to 2GB of data. Read [Verizon]  
Sony has once again expanded upon the Xperia device lineup, the latest addition is the Xperia S. The handset is expected to debut in the first quarter of the year and will bring features to include a 4.3 inch display and a 12 megapixel camera. More specifically, the camera will have Sony’s Exmore R setup and the rear-facing camera will be joined by a 1.3 megapixel on the front. Otherwise, the Xperia S will come with a display resolution of 1280 x 720, 1.5GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and either 16 or 32GB of internal storage. And worth noting, this one does not have any microSD card slot. With that, nothing yet in terms of a price, but rest assured in knowing that we will be checking the handset out on the show floor sometime over the coming days.  
Coming as was rumored in the leadup to CES, Nokia and AT&T have officially announced the Lumia 900 smartphone. As far as the features go, again, this is what we were expecting to see. The specs include 4G LTE connectivity, a 4.3 inch AMOLED ClearBlack display, 1.4GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, an 1830 mAh battery and an 8 megapixel camera on the back. Speaking of the camera, this one comes as a Carl Zeiss lens with large aperture (F2.2) and wide angle focal length (28mm). Additionally, the Lumia 900 will also have a front facing camera with what Nokia describes as a “large aperture and wide angle lens that will allow for high-quality video calling, right out of the box.” As for the pricing and release. Nothing yet in terms of a price and so far, that release was noted as being sometime in the “coming months.” But on a positive note, once available you will be able to pick from a variety of colors including cyan and/or matte black. Via [Nokia]  
Verizon Wireless also made some announcement during CES 2012, and it’s none other than the official words about the upcoming Motorola Droid 4. Said to be the thinnest and most powerful 4G LTE QWERTY smartphone, the Motorola Droid 4 sports a half an inch thickness and packs in a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, five-row QWERTY keyboard with PC-like layout and edge-lit keys that will let you type faster and more precise even when in the dark. Additionally, the Droid 4 is said to be geared for business professionals as it has government-grade encryption feature for keeping your official data secure. The handset is loaded with MotoCast, giving you remote access to music, pictures, and videos on home or work computers. There are also Smart Actions apps for automating everyday task and webtop apps for multi-window environment including full Firefox browser. Other goodies that you should expect from the Motorola Droid 4 include an 8MP camera with 1080p HD video capture, mirror mode for displaying HD video on HDTV, 5 to 12 Mbps download speeds and 2 to 5 Mbps upload speeds 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 4.0-inch qHD display with scratch and scrape resistant glass, water-repellant nanocoating for splash resistance, 16GB on board memory and support for up to 32GB microSD card. The Motorola Droid 4 should be available from Verizon Wireless stores in the coming weeks. No words on pricing yet. Read [Verizon]   Nokia has announced what CEO Stephen Elop calls “the first Windows Phone built and designed for the North American market,” the Lumia 900. This is Nokia’s first LTE device, and one of the first Windows Phone devices on AT&T’s LTE network.
The Lumia 900 looks very similar to the Lumia 800, but it a bit larger with a 4.3-inch AMOLED display with ClearBlack instead of a 3.7-inch screen. It has two Carl Zeiss lenses, with the back camera sporting an f2.2 aperture and a 22mm focal length which means you can get more in the frame of your photos at a great quality. Nokia is also packing in it’s exclusive apps like Nokia Drive and ESPN Sports Hub. There is no release date as of right now, only that the phone will be available in the coming months. Hopefully that means very soon. Nokia will announce the exact release date in the coming weeks. Even if the Lumia 900 really is just a slightly better Lumia 800, it’s still very exciting. The Nokia 800 is a great device, and a slightly larger version with LTE can only be great as well. To speak personally, I cannot wait to play with this device.  
Even though the Asus Transformer Prime launched only several weeks ago, Asus is ready to push out an upgraded model out the door starting in Q2 of 2012. The upgraded model is known as the Transformer Prime (TF700T) and represents an upgrade for those looking for a tablet with industry-leading specs across the board. For example, it features an improved 10.1 inch touch screen display with a 1920 X 1200 resolution, 2MP front facing camera, and an improved back design to help alleviate GPS and WiFi issues. In terms of pricing, the 32GB model will be available for $599 and the 64GB model for $699. The Transformer Prime TF700T is said to launch with Android 4.0 onboard as well. Lastly, it is also compatible with the existing keyboard dock found on the original Transformer Prime. Also, Asus is looking to make a presence in the smaller tablet department with the seven inch Eee Pad MeMO (ME370T). This seven inch Android 4.0 device contains a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, a 1200 x 800 screen resolution, 5MP rear facing camera, 1.2MP front facing camera, and will also be available for purchase in Q2 of 2012. Unfortunately, there is no mention of a retail price at this time. Via [Engadget]  | |
