Verizon Wireless

After leaked advertisements and many rumors, Google finally announced on Jan. 9 that Sprint would be the second carrier to host the Galaxy Nexus. Roughly close to a month has passed, and we have not heard anything out of Sprint or Google in terms of launch. However, finally this weekend, Google posted the official sign-up website for those looking to order the Galaxy Nexus on the Now Network.

The Sprint version of the Galaxy Nexus is unlike the Verizon version due to it Google’s Wallet technology and a faster processor. Last month, we exclusively told you that Verizon would not have Wallet because of its own wallet-like technology in development.

As some background, the Galaxy Nexus should be the first LTE device on the Now Network. It will rock 32GB of storage, along with a 4.65-inch 720P HD screen, 5-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM, and Android 4.0. There is no word on a launch date, but if you are interested—we suggest going ahead and signing up. (via Android Central)

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After all the wait, we’ve finally gotten definitive word from Verizon: The LTE Galaxy Nexus, which will be the first ICS phone sold in the US, will go on sale tomorrow for $299 with a two year service plan from Verizon.

Furthermore, the hold up was in fact the 4.0.2 update which we told you about hours ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdD8s0jFJYo&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

Full press release follows:
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PocketNow has obtained leaked press shots for the LG Spectrum — formerly rumored the “Revolution 2” — that is on its way to Verizon Wireless. Most likely seeing a CES announcement, the LTE handset is packing a 1.2GHz processor, 720p HD display, and an HD capable camera (probably 8MP). The LG Spectrum is a successor to Verizon’s LG Revolution, and doesn’t look too much different on the outside. I guess it’s the internals that really matter. It doesn’t appear the Spectrum will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich. At any rate expect the Spectrum sometime this winter season, hopefully with some ICS love.

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The answer to the question of “what would happen if you slapped a keyboard on the back of a Droid Razor” just showed up for a brief moment on Verizon’s DroidDoes website.  The Droid 4 “only” has a 4-inch screen compared to the RAZR’s 4.3″ but pretty much everything else lines up the same.  Perhaps more importantly, yes, that is a 5 row keyboard (4 rows is for suckers) and of course the speedy LTE comes along too. DOES below.
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Starting at Midnight PT tonight, Amazon will give every new purchaser of a new Hotspot device some Amazon Credit – hopefully enticing them to pick up a Kindle Fire.

With a hotspot-ready smartphone, you can access the Internet on your Kindle Fire or other Wi-Fi devices anywhere.

Beginning at midnight PST tonight and for a limited time, customers who buy hotspot enabled smartphone will receive a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card. Also, those that purchase a mobile hotspot device will receive a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card (Note: for new lines of service and upgrade customers. Hotspot feature for smartphones must be activated at time of purchase to qualify.)

This promotion extends to some of the most desired phones out there, including the new Motorola Razr releasing tomorrow, Samsung Epic Touch 4G Android Phone (Sprint) , Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Android Phone (AT&T)  and even the HTC DROID INCREDIBLE 2 Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) , which is available for only $0.01!

Additionally, we’ve heard that Amazon is having a special on the RAZR Launch for $111.11.  If the above deal works on that, you are looking at $11 for one of the sickest phones on the market when bought with a tethering plan.

Tune into Amazon in a few hours.

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PhanDroid has posted the side-by-side chart above to compare Verizon’s three new Android offerings: the Motorola Droid RAZR, HTC Rezound, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus. As you can see, all three phones are almost dead alike when it comes to specs. The Galaxy Nexus boasts a slightly bigger screen than the Rezound or RAZR, while the Rezound has the speed in-lock with its 1.5 GHz dual core processor. Ugh, the decision is just so hard..

The Galaxy Nexus is lacking when it comes to camera, having a 5-megapixel camera while the other two have 8-megapixel cameras. All three phones do pack Verizon Wireless’s blazing 4G LTE, so network speed won’t make a difference. So which device is for you?

The question is really up in the air right now. We’re currently playing with the RAZR (which lands tomorrow) and Rezound, and will be getting the Galaxy Nexus soon. You can expect our reviews of all three to be up in the coming weeks. At any rate, it really looks like Verizon is dominating as a carrier right now. The carrier is boasting all three of the cutting edge Android phones, along with the iPhone 4S. You definitely know where to shop this holiday.

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HTC and Verizon have just announced the rumored HTC Rezound (formerly Vigor) at their event in New York City. The HTC Rezound is available on Verizon for $299 with two year contract, featuring Android 2.3, Verizon LTE, a 720P 4.3-inch display, 1.5-GHz processor, and 1GB of RAM. You can notice the Beats Audio branding on the back of the device, in which headphones are includes. This device is sure to go head-to-head with Samsung’s Nexus Prime. Sadly, the Rezound won’t get Ice Cream Sandwich until early Q1 of 2012.

The HTC Rezound will be available at Best Buy and Verizon for $299 on November 14th.

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CCZuMH5mYs”]

We’ll have a hands-on of the device when the event ends in just a few minutes. In the mean time, check out the press shots of the device after the break:

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As is usually the case, the next Droid leaks have started months before any product is released. Droid Life got their hands on a whole gallery of images of the new Droid 4 and it looks incredibly impressive. So impressive that those Droid 3s now selling in stores are looking like a waste of time and money. The Specs:

• (smaller than RAZR )4″ screen (assuming Super AMOLED Advanced)
• Full 5-row “illuminated” keyboard
• RAZR styling
• 4G LTE
• Non-removable battery
• Android 2.3.5
• 1080p video recording (assuming 8MP)
• Front camera
• HDMI out
• MotoACTV syncing

If you like your physical Keyboards, your Verizon and Motorola bloatware (already loaded so coming soon) then you may want to keep your ear to the ground.  Head over to Droid Life for a full gallery

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A Localytics study issued today helps understand why Verizon Wireless recently sided with Samsung in the ongoing Apple vs. Samsung legal saga. Per Localytics’ data, 4G is one of Android’s key differentiators: More than one in three Android phones in the United States take advantage of fourth-generation cellular networks. In the third quarter of this year, some 36.6 percent of Android handsets in the United States were 4G-ready, a notable increase over the 22.6 percent in the first quarter of 2011.

This number is increasing rapidly – since the beginning of the year, the percentage of Android devices that are 4G-capable has grown by over 50 percent, culminating at a full third of the Android ecosystem. It will be interesting to see whether the iPhone 5 supports any type of 4G network. The drawbacks – bulkier antenna and a much shorter battery life – may outweigh the benefits in speed. Regardless, with the growth in 4G-capable handsets Android has seen, it appears that smartphone users are buying into the value of speed. We’ll see how this continues. 

The nation’s most popular 4G handsets in the third quarter were the HTC Thunderbolt (Verizon), the HTC Evo 4G (Sprint), the Samsung Epic 4G (Sprint), the Samsung Droid Charge (Verizon), the myTouch 4G (T-Mobile USA) and the Motorola Atrix (AT&T). A few caveats and the full list of most popular 4G devices in the country right below the fold…

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Droid-Life has published exclusive shots of the HTC Vigor which shows some pretty impressive specs for the upcoming device. According to a shot after the break, the Vigor is shown having a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch 720p HD display, 8-megapixel rear-facing, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and Verizon Wireless’s 4G LTE.

On the hardware side, the Vigor will feature Android 2.3.4 and Sense 3.5 (ugh). There’s no word on release date, but looks like a nice Thunderbolt successor, eh?

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From 9to5toys.com:

With activation of a new line of service, Amazon offers the Motorola DROID X2 Android 3G Smartphone for Verizon Wireless bundled with a $50 Amazon Gift Card for 1 cent with free shipping. Even if you don’t use the credit, that’s still $100 under our June mention and the lowest total price we’ve seen by $50. Features include a 4.3″ 540×960 color touchscreen, virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype, 8-megapixel camera with dual flash, 720p video capture, HDMI output, microSD slot, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth, Android 2.2 OS, up to six hours of talk time, and more.

Note that a $36 activation fee applies.
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Verizon has just announced the Pantech Breakout 4G LTE, which is available available right now. The Breakout is available for $99 on two-year contract, making for the first low-cost 4G LTE to hit the market. The specs are nothing spectacular, but pretty good for $99 combined with LTE. The phone features a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, microSD support with an 8 GB card included, a 4-inch 480×800 display, Gingerbread, 5-megapixel rear-shooter, and VGA front-facing shooter.

Of course the elephant in the room is that you can get just about any high end Android LTE phone at Amazon for almost free with a two year plan.

A couple more shots after the break:

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdM0w5Fee40&feature=player_embedded]

Joshua Topolsky of This is my next

Verizon Wireless officially announced the long-awaited Droid Bionic to be released tomorrow, and we are very excited to a look at the reviews that along with the announcement. The general consensus is that the Droid Bionic is a winner, if you’re looking to take advantage of Verizon’s badass 4G network and shell out the $299. We’ll add more reviews as they come in.

Joshua Topolsky / This is my next

This is not the killer handset that I think a lot of people were expecting it to be — it’s a good phone on a great network that will keep you satisfied… for now. As usual with Android phones, there always seems to be something else just around the bend, and you’ve got to figure out if you’re going to take the next exit, or keep on trucking. Let’s just say that the Droid Bionic isn’t a bad place to pull off and grab a cup of coffee.

Continue after the break:

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Boy Genius Report claims it has learned that carrier Verizon Wireless landed an exclusive deal with Samsung for the upcoming Droid Prime, the next Google-branded superphone. It is said to carry a model number SCH-i515 and launch on the Verizon network in October:

Apparently, “Verizon doesn’t think the Samsung Galaxy S II will be competitive with the iPhone 5 when it launches.” Instead, not only is Verizon launching the Samsung DROID Prime, a device that is sure to be the new flagship Android phone ahead of the holidays, but the company will have the handset as an exclusive.

What’s best, the Droid Prime should be the first smartphone to run Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich software, basically Android 4.0 with a unified set of features on both smartphones and tablets. The publication previously wrote that the Droid Prime should sport a Super AMOLED HD display, probably 720p, and Texas Instrument’s OMAP4460 processor rather than Samsung’s own dual-core chip.

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[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYN6ZPGOiIU”]

PhanDroid has discovered the Droid Bionic’s boot sequence, leaked by YouTube user hkscomm. The sequence is nice and flashy, and certainly gets us drooling with what’s coming up this September.

Along with the boot, the user showed off LTE on the Bionic by doing a simple speed test. The speeds looks pretty snappy, getting up to 4.5 down and 1.9 up. This is sure to be a nice addition to Verizon’s already impressive LTE line up.

TechnoBuffalo has received exclusive photos of the Tips and Tricks manual that will be paired with the Droid Bionic when it lands in the coming weeks, and it shows us a few new things. The Bionic was rumored to have a 4.5-inch screen, but today’s report from TechnoBuffalo lists the device as having a 4.3-inch — only a subtle change..

Other things to note is that the Bionic will feature Atrix like connectivity, with the ability to be paired to a computer with an optional dock. This feature will give the Bionic features like wireless printing and a Firefox browser on the laptop. The device will also feature a bedside mode alarm clock feature and HDMI-out. The free Zumocast app will also stream media from your computer.

The manual also reveals the device will pack an 8-megapixel shooter with LED Flash and 1080p recording capabilities. To go with the great picture quality, the Bionic will feature three microphones around various parts of the device.

We’re hearing September 8th as the launch date, but in the mean time check out another photo after the break.

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HTC Bliss, found by This is my next in May.

Rumors of the HTC Bliss have been floating around since May, but new details have emerged regarding the phone aimed at girls. The device is no powerhouse, reports HTC Inside. On the software side the device will feature Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) with a HTC Sense 3.5 as an overlay..bleh. On the hardware side the device will reportedly ship with a Qualcomm MSM7x30 processor running at 800 Mhz. This device will likely be a mid-range phone, like the Desire Z, and will most likely land at Verizon next month. Now for the girls part…

The device will come preloaded with apps aimed at women — like a calorie counter and a shopping app. More interestingly, as an accessory  there will be a charm that will hang off the phone and lights up when you have a notification (seen after the break).

Does the world really need a phone aimed at girls? TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez weighs in..

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We’ve been playing with Sony’s Xperia PLAY, from Verizon for the better part of a month now. The PLAY is available on Verizon for $99 (and free on Amazon), after seeing a price slashed from $199 just a few weeks ago.

The PLAY is running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with a pretty thick overlay, a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 4-inch multi-touch display, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, VGA front-facing camera, and preloaded PLAY software.  Also included are controls to play games. Is this the gaming phone the world needs? Read on after the break for our full review.

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Motorola’s Xoom will get the promised 4G LTE modem upgrade in September, per corporate communication from Verizon Wireless sent to registered users, published by the Droid Life blog. The free of charge update promises a tenfold increase in network speeds, available to more than 110 million people in select markets where the carrier rolled out its 4G LTE network, with “coverage expanding every day”. The email notice reads:

Be on the lookout at the end of summer for an email with information about how to upgrade your Motorola XOOM to speeds up to 10X faster than 3G. In the meantime, learn more about what you can do to prepare for the 4G LTE upgrade to your Motorola XOOM by backing up data, encrypting, or resetting your Motorola Xoom tablet.

On a somewhat related note, T-Mobile and Sony Ericsson also began rolling out Gingerbread updates to the Xperia X10 and G2x

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Give it to Verizon’s new CEO, Lowell McAdam (right), who takes over from
Ivan Seidenberg (left) August 1

Verizon Wireless just announced their second-quarter earnings, reporting a 2.8 percent revenue growth on revenues of $27.5 billion and consolidated earnings of 57 cents in diluted earnings per share. The carrier also announced in a separate statement that its current CEO Ivan Seidenberg will step down to be replaced by 57-year-old president and COO Lowell McAdam, effective August 1. The change is part of Verizon’s CEO succession process under way since 2010. Seidenberg will retain his chairman of the board position. Lowell has been a member of Verizon’s executive team since 2000 and COO over the last ten months.

Prior to joining Verizon, McAdam served as president, COO and CEO of PrimeCo Personal Communications, a joint venture owned by Bell Atlantic and Vodafone AirTouch. He was also vice president of AirTouch Communications and lead technical partner for cellular ventures in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Korea and Japan plus he held various executive positions with Pacific Bell. The executive earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Cornell University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of San Diego. McAdam also spent six years in the US Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps and is a licensed professional engineer.

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BOGO, an acronym for “Buy-One-Get-One”, is a marketing tactics some (perhaps iOS fans) are adamant helped boost daily Android activations to over 550,000 handsets. The strategy is again at play at Verizon Wireless, the nation’s leading carrier which put Google’s platform on the map with the original Droid. And now, less than two weeks since the Droid 3’s arrival on the Verizon Wireless network, the carrier is offering the device in a hard-to-resist BOGO deal, reports The Phone Arena. You can take advantage of the offer at Verizon’s web site.

The reason? We’ve heard that there is another 4-inch slider coming to Verizon, but with some LTE’s in the very near future.

The carrier is also taking sign-ups for the Droid Bionic, a Motorola LTE phone which could launch August 4. The Gingerbread-powered Droid 3 features a four-inch qHD display, a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard, a back camera that can record 1080p clips, all thanks to a dual-core 1GHz OMAP processor from Texas Instruments. It costs $200 after a two-year service agreement or $460 contract-free. Would-be buyers should remember that Verizon no longer offers unlimited data plans.

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