Google and Verizon announced on Tuesday that they have entered into a long-term patent cross-licensing agreement to “reduce the risk” of future litigation (via VentureBeat). Both companies expressed interest in reaching similar agreements with other large tech companies in an effort to thwart patent trolls that assert their patents in the courtroom in an effort to pad their pockets. Expand Expanding Close
While the traditional wireless landscape in the United States has consisted of AT&T and Verizon Wireless as the heavyweights and Sprint and T-Mobile as the underdogs, the divide between the carriers appears to be quickly narrowing. Sprint and T-Mobile have both introduced highly-competitive plans and promotional offerings in the fourth quarter, leading many consumers to switch carriers at a higher-than-average pace. Expand Expanding Close
Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure teasing the new promotion
Sprint today announced a new campaign to attract wireless customers from competitors AT&T and Verizon with aggressively priced plans and an offer to help pay switching fees. Under the new promotion, which Sprint’s recently appointed CEO Marcelo Claure previously teased, the wireless carrier will offer to match Verizon and AT&T plans at half the cost for customers switching to Sprint. Expand Expanding Close
Android 5.0 Lollipop for Verizon’s version of the 2014 Moto X is now live. The update is rolling out as an over-the-air software push that introduces a bevy of new features to Motorola’s flagship smartphone. For starters, your Moto X will be treated a new Material Design-themed layout loaded with Lollipop’s fluid animations, along with an updated notification setup that “intelligently” ranks alerts by type and who sent them. Software version 22.21.11 also introduces the ability to prioritize and set privacy notifications for each of your handset’s applications.
Verizon announced the availability of two low-cost LG tablets today. Priced at $300, LG’s full-size 10.1-inch tablet sports an HD IPS display, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing shooter, 16GB of internal storage, an 8,000mAh battery and Android 4.4 KitKat. The smaller and cheaper ($250) 7-inch slate features nearly identical specifications, with the exceptions of its smaller stature and its 4,000mAh cell.
It’s not the first LTE Chromebook, but it’s the first from Asus to offer cellular connectivity with sales of the device quietly kicking off at Best Buy and other retailers late last week. Asus doesn’t appear to have made an official announcement, but an LTE version of the C300 Chromebook variant is now selling through Best Buy according to an announcement sent over from Altair Semiconductor, the company providing the LTE chip for the Chromebook: Expand Expanding Close
Verizon Wireless has updated its customer agreement with new conditions related to early termination fees. Effective today, new customers that purchase a device on contract will be required to pay a full $350 early termination fee during the first seven months of the contract if it is broken. The fee is reduced by $10 per month between months 8-18, $20 per month between months 19-23 and $60 in the final month of the contract term… Expand Expanding Close
When you hear the word Droid, you probably think of two things: Star Wars and Android. While both items are a correct association, the latter comes with a bit of a twist. Armed with a licensing agreement with Lucasfilm, Verizon launched the Motorola Droid in the fall of 2009. To make a long story short; the device went on to become one of the first commercially successful Android smartphones, but with one small carryover. Verizon ran a very aggressive, but highly successful marketing campaign for the Motorola Droid and as a result, casual tech consumers started referring to Android phones and tablets as “Droids.”
Up until now, Verizon has typically released a few Droid-branded phones each year. But here we are at the end of 2014 and its hardware partner Motorola Mobility has been busy working on its own smartphones like the Moto X, which recently launched across multiple wireless carriers, including Verizon. With the exception of a questionable camera and a few small quirks, the former Google company’s flagship handset is truly sublime. So when Big Red and Motorola announced the Droid Turbo, we saw a device that looked to right some of the Moto X’s wrongs, at least on paper. However, is it really enough to lure us away from the phone that made us feel all warm and fuzzy just two short months ago?
The second-generation Moto X has been on sale for about two months and while we love the Moto Maker’s customization options for the Lenovo-owned company’s flagship smartphone, Verizon has just raised the stakes. Today, the carrier announced a new football leather Moto X as a Big Red exclusive. Available now for $120 under a new two year service agreement, this stylish option gives the Moto X’s wooden backing a run for its money.
Are you in the market for a new tablet, but a $400 Nexus 9 might restrict you to a diet of ramen noodles and tap water? If so, Verizon’s new low-cost slate might be more appealing to your wallet and less taxing on your grocery list. Today, the carrier announced the availability of the Ellipsis 8, an entry-level tablet that features an 8-inch 1,280 x 800 HD display, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 16GB of storage, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5,000mAh battery.
After much speculation and a few bizarre viral videos starring James Franco, Motorola and Verizon stepped forward to announce the Droid Turbo last week. That’s great for folks in the US, but what about phone fans in different markets? Today, the former Google company announced the Moto Maxx, which appears to be an international version of the Turbo.
Verizon has officially made the Motorola DROID Turbo available on its website starting at $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement. The smartphone can also be purchased through the Verizon Edge program for 24 equal installments of $24.99 per month. The full retail price of the DROID Turbo starts at $599.99 without a contract. Expand Expanding Close
Samsung on Thursday announced that it will be launching the Gear S smartwatch in the United States on next Friday, November 7th. The first 3G-connected smartwatch was originally announced in August and features a 2-inch curved Super AMOLED display, 1.0 GHz dual-core processor, network connectivity, 300 mAh battery and more.
The Gear S essentially doubles as a fitness tracker, with a myriad of sensors including an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, heart rate monitor, ambient light sensor, UV sensor and barometer. The smartwatch is based on Samsung’s own Tizen software platform, a clear differentiation over Samsung’s other smartwatches and Android Wear. Expand Expanding Close
Samsung this evening has officially put the Galaxy Note 4 Developer Edition for Verizon up for sale on its website. The device will set you back $699 off-contract, which when compared to other devices on the market, is not unreasonable at all.
Verizon Wireless on Tuesday announced the oft-rumored Motorola DROID Turbo at a media event in New York. The single biggest feature of the all-new smartphone is up to 48 hours of battery life based on usage time, meaning that you can actually use the device for two consecutive days before a recharge is needed. A complete rundown of the Motorola DROID Turbo tech specs, pricing and more is ahead. Expand Expanding Close
The Sony Xperia Z3v aka the Z3 is now available from Verizon. Two weeks ago, the carrier announced that it would offer Sony’s flagship smartphone for $200 under a new two year service agreement or $600 outright. Additionally, Big Red’s customer can also purchase the phone for $24.99 per month through Verizon’s Edge program.
From now through October 20th, Motorola Mobility is knocking $50 off the 2014 Moto X’s asking price on Verizon. This brings the device’s purchase price down to $50 with a two year service commitment. This deal also supports customization via Motorola’s Moto Maker, which lets you tailor the handset to fit your style.
Earlier today, Verizon sent out invites to an October 28th press event for its unveiling of the DROID Turbo, but thanks to leak from Android Central, we now know everything there is to know about the device. The report claims that the device will be available in classic Verizon red and black variants with 32GB of internal storage.
Following a number of leaks for an upcoming new DROID device from Verizon, we’ve now received word that Verizon has scheduled an Oct. 28 press event specifically to unveil its latest DROID product. While we know that the event will focus on the latest DROID device from the carrier, we can only assume it’s the DROID Turbo leaked through official Verizon channels in recent weeks (pictured above). Expand Expanding Close
Earlier this week, a user guide for the upcoming DROID Turbo was leaked for all to see. The guide revealed pretty much everything we needed to know about Motorola and Verizon’s latest flagship. Today, however, the official Verizon @DroidLanding account, which has been teasing the DROID Turbo for a few months now, published the above image of the device.
Verizon and Sony announced today that it will soon begin offering the Sony Xperia Z3v smartphone on its network, as well as the Sony SmartWatch 3. The Xperia Z3v, which is the U.S. version of the Xperia Z3, features all of the specs you would expect a 2014 flagship device to have and will be available on October 23rd for $199.99.
After first breaking cover in a leaked image last month, Motorola’s Droid Turbo has now been detailed in an extensive user-guide PDF. Published by MotoFirmware.com, the guide breaks down a variety of specifications regarding Verizon and Motorola’s upcoming flagship, in addition to giving us a clear look at the design of the phone.
While HTC has its own event scheduled for tomorrow, Verizon this afternoon went ahead and announced a new mid-range HTC device that it will offer to customers. The HTC Desire 612 will be available on October 9th for free when purchased with a new two-year contract.
After watching its competitors loosen up their data rates, Verizon has decided to get in on the action. Starting tomorrow the carrier will begin offering increased data allowances to customers committed to its More Everything service plans at no additional cost. Subscribers signed up for Big Red’s $110 12GB data plan will be bumped up to 15GB, while the carrier’s $130 16GB monthly setup will jump to 30GB.
