BEST DEALS: Samsung Galaxy S for £219 plus £10 top-up

Online retailer Mobiles.co.uk has gone DEALS CRAZY today, and is offering the very lovely 2010 edition Samsung Galaxy S for only £219 on a PAYG basis. You'll have to pay another £10 on top of that for an accompanying Orange SIM card and some credit, but even so. EVEN SO.

With an Android 2.3 update floating about the airwaves for the Galaxy S right now, this is a cracking phone for the price. Also, Mobiles.co.uk usually sells its phones unlocked, so we'd imagine that Orange SIM could easily be lost on day one. You might want to check that with the shop before ordering, though, if that's your plan.
source: Eurodroid

UK: Samsung Galaxy S now just £219.90 on Pay as you go

If you want to get a new smartphone that has top specs but don't necessarily care about owning the latest and greatest (and you're in the UK), you're in for a big treat. UK online retailer Mobiles.co.uk has an amazing deal right now for the Samsung Galaxy S – the original, not the Galaxy S II.

The Samsung Galaxy S can now be yours for just £219.90 on Pay as you go. That's right, £219.90 for a smartphone that's still pretty much up there in terms of features and specs. A year ago, this was the phone that everyone just had to have. Plus, there's an update floating around to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, so you're even going to be on the latest version of the operating system.

The only downside is a very small one. You also have to buy a £10 top-up with the device, this being a Pay as you go offer. Also, it's a PAYG deal on Orange, so the phone will probably be locked to that operator. However, according to Eurodroid, Mobiles.co.uk has the habit of selling its phones unlocked, so you may be in luck. Probably the best thing to do if you're interested in this offer and you're not an Orange customer is contacting Mobiles.co.uk directly and asking whether the phones are locked or not.

Because other than that, this is a deal that shouldn't be missed. Also note that we don't know how long it will last, so if you're interested you should act fast. Just go to Mobiles.co.uk and order your Samsung Galaxy S now.
source: Unwired View

HTC EVO 3D simulator online on RadioShack

While a lot of us can't wait until June 24th to get our hands on the upcoming 3D phone from HTC, RadioShack has decided to make the wait a little more bearable. The Shack has put up an interactive simulator for the 3D Android handset on its website, letting users find out more about the device and “experience” it before they get their hands on it.

While you won't be able to use the simulator to make calls or watch 3D movies on it, it does describe to you how to go about performing certain functions on the phone. The simulator lets users know what needs to be done in order to accomplish something, making sure they won't be lost like a newborn baby when they turn on the phone for the first time.

The HTC EVO 3D is the highly anticipated successor to the HTC EVO 4G on Sprint which makes the phone a big deal to a lot of people. It will come with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), dual rear 5-megapixel cameras (1080p video in 2D, 720p video in 3D), a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera, a 4.3″ 3D S-LCD display (960 x 540), 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth 3.0, FM radio, HDMI output, microSD card slot (up to 32GB), 4GB internal storage and a 1,730mAh battery. Check out the HTC EVO 3D simulator.
source: Ubergizmo

Sprint launching HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G on June 24th

Sprint has finally announced that the HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G will be available on June 24th. The price of the HTC EVO 3D is set at $199 with a new two year contract while the HTC EVO View 4G will be going for $399 when paired with a two year data plan.

Specs on the HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G are pretty similar to what HTC has already put out with the HTC Sensation and HTC Flyer. The HTC EVO 3D offers the "ultimate glasses-free 3D experience" on its 4.3-inch qHD display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 4G WiMax connectivity, two 5 megapixel cameras on the back to capture images and video in 3D (3D video shot in 720p and 2D video shot in 1080p), 1GB or RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a 1750 mAh battery. The HTC EVO View 4G is essentially identical in all aspects to the Flyer with the exception of its 4F WiMax radio chip its dark gray uni-body aluminum shell.

Sprint Premier customers who think the June 24th date is simply too far out, you may want to head in to your local Sprint store a few days early. Sprint is offering both the HTC EVO 3D and the HTC EVO View 4G to their Premier customers starting on June 21th.

Press Release:

Two Newest Members of the Award-Winning HTC EVO Family, HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G, Make Debut Exclusively from Sprint on June 24

HTC EVO 3D, with America's first 4.3-inch, qHD 3D display and a powerful 1.2GHz dual-core processor, available for $199.99; HTC EVO View 4G brings the powerful HTC EVO experience to a 4G tablet for $399.99

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), June 06, 2011 – Two of the “must-have” gadgets of 2011 are getting ready to make their debut. Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced the June 24 availability of HTC EVO™ 3D and HTC EVO View 4G™ on America's Favorite 4G Network1. America's first ‘glasses-free' 3D 4G device will be available for $199.99, and HTC EVO View 4G, the first 4G tablet in market, will be available for $399.99. Both prices exclude applicable taxes, and the devices require a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade.

Customers can pre-order HTC EVO 3D or HTC EVO View 4G at any participating Sprint Store with the purchase of a $50 Sprint gift card (per device). On June 24, Sprint Stores nationwide will open doors at 8 a.m. local time for customers to get a jump-start on purchasing these hot new devices.

Additionally, Sprint Premier customers will have the opportunity to purchase HTC EVO 3D online three days before the national launch, while supplies last. Qualifying customers will receive an email on June 21, or they can log on to their account at www.sprint.com on June 21, click “show me my rewards” and then “Sprint Premier Community” for more information.

“Sprint takes device innovation to a whole new level with the two newest members of the EVO family, HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G,” said Fared Adib, senior vice president - Product Development, Sprint. “HTC EVO 3D provides our customers the ability to capture and view content in 3D and share at 4G speeds; HTC EVO View 4G expands on the capabilities of tablets by introducing the digital pen, and allows our consumers to do more than they ever imagined was possible.”

Glasses-Free 3D plus Sprint 4G

HTC EVO 3D takes the mobile multimedia experience to a new level, providing the ability to capture and view in 3D and share at 4G speeds, offering consumers the ultimate glasses-free 3D experience. Built with the Android 2.3 operating system (Gingerbread), HTC EVO 3D features America's first 4.3-inch, qHD 3D display and a powerful 1.2GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon® dual-core processor. HTC EVO 3D also features dual 5-megapixel cameras, which can be used to capture high-quality conventional and stunning 3D images and videos, opening up new frontiers for user-generated content, social networking and streaming video.

Respected device critics agree Sprint has done it again with HTC EVO 3D. Here are a few of the accolades that poured in when it was announced in March:

LAPTOP Magazine honored HTC EVO 3D with its Best Smart Phone Award and the coveted Best in Show honor at CTIA this spring.

PC World added, “The design is gorgeous, and the combination of dual-core Snapdragon processors with 4G can't be beat. Suffice to say, I can't wait to get my hands on this phone this summer.”

Phonearena.com named HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G as “Best of CTIA 2011.”

Boy Genius Report said, “The HTC EVO 3D and the HTC EVO View 4G tablet were among our favorite new gadgets shown off at CTIA.”

HTC EVO 3D requires activation on one of Sprint's Everything Data plans plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint's Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge - a savings of $39.99 per month vs. Verizon's comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and web.2 The Mobile Hot Spot option is available for an additional $29.99 per month (excluding taxes and surcharges) supporting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.

An Unparalleled Tablet Experience

HTC EVO View 4G brings the best of the EVO experience to a tablet design with a 7-inch touchscreen, 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor and latest version of HTC Sense. It will launch with an Android 2.3 operating system (Gingerbread) and will be updated to Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) when it is available for a 7-inch tablet. As the perfect combination e-reader, media player and portable computing device, HTC EVO View 4G offers a premium entertainment experience with HD-like quality video and a rich web-browsing experience with the ability to browse the web on Flash-enabled sites.

Rate plans for the HTC EVO View start as low as $34.993 per month for 3GB of 3G data and unlimited 4G data usage while on the Sprint network. Unlimited text, picture and video messaging are included at no charge. Additional plans, including 3G-only plans, are available to meet customers' needs.

Additionally, for a limited time, any customer who purchases HTC EVO View 4G will receive the HTC Scribe™ digital pen (otherwise sold separately) at no charge with a two-year service agreement - providing an additional savings of $79.99 on their purchase.

Optional add-on services include GPS Navigation for $2.99 per day or $10 per month and the Mobile Hot Spot option for $29.99 per month (excluding taxes and surcharges) supporting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.

As the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology, Sprint made history by launching 4G in Baltimore in September 2008. Sprint also ranks as the most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, during the last three years4. Sprint currently offers 4G service in 71 markets in 28 states. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G.
source: HTC Source

Telus LG Shine Plus Android 2.3 Gingerbread update coming in late September

In Canada, the LG Ally that's on Verizon in the US is being sold by Telus as the LG Shine Plus. This midrange Android-powered device has been available in Canada since September 2010, and it's probably selling rather well if it has managed to survive in the carrier's portfolio this long.

LG Shine Plus owners should be happy to hear that LG and Telus do plan to issue an update that will make the phone run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system. That's not something that happens a lot with midrange devices, so kudos to LG and Telus.

There is one caveat however: the update will only become available in “late September”. That's a lot of waiting still left to do on the part of Shine Plus owners. And these very late updates are becoming more and more common in the Android world, unfortunately. By the time it reaches the Shine Plus, Android 2.3 Gingerbread will be 9 months old. It's obviously unclear what is taking LG and Telus so long. Perhaps the carrier would just rather you buy a new device than wait for such updates to reach you.

Anyway, if you don't have the option of changing devices (perhaps you've signed into one of those trademark-Canadian three-year contracts when you bought your LG Shine Plus), then it's time to be very patient. The latest OS version is on its way to you. It's just coming by footman from South Korea, presumably.
source: Unwired View

HTC ChaCha gets 200 MHz processor boost

The HTC ChaCha, one of the Taiwanese manufacturer's two Facebook-centric Android smartphones (alongside the Salsa), has received an unexpected 200 MHz processor speed boost. Up until now, the ChaCha's processor frequency was always listed as being 600 MHz. That's what HTC itself announced back in February when the handset was first unveiled.

However, if you now go to HTC's page which details the ChaCha's specs, you'll see that the processor has been bumped up to 800 MHz. This probably doesn't mean that a different processor unit was used (but there's no way to tell since HTC's page only lists the frequency), just that the existing unit can also be clocked at 800 MHz without any downsides. If that's the case, the Android dev community would have probably released 800 MHz kernels anyway, but those only appeal to people who root their devices and are used to flashing custom ROMs and kernels – so just a small minority. This way, everyone gets to enjoy the speed benefits that those extra 200 MHz bring.

So that's good news for prospective HTC ChaCha buyers. A few days ago we told you that this handset is now available in the UK, however it looks like in the meantime one of the two retailers mentioned there (Phones4U) has taken the ChaCha page down. The other retailer is Carphone Warehouse, which has a history of implying that products are available in stock when they aren't. So that makes the situation a bit confusing.

Anyway, even if the ChaCha isn't yet available anywhere (the UK was the first place we've heard it to be in stock), it will soon be. And when it is, you'll be getting a minor spec bump for free. If all phone launches would be the same…
source: Unwired View

Red HTC Inspire 4G for AT&T now available at RadioShack for $29.99

The HTC Inspire 4G, one of AT&T's top of the line Android smartphones, is now available in red, just as we heard it would be. RadioShack sells the red Inspire 4G, also in line with what we've heard late last month, however the price is even lower than the $49.99 rumored back then.

If you want a red HTC Inspire 4G with a two-year AT&T contract, RadioShack will give you the phone for just $29.99. That is, in fact, the exact same price that Amazon still asks for the ‘normal', black version of the device.

If you'd rather get the red Inspire 4G sans contract, you'll have to shell out $549.99 and RadioShack will gladly deliver.

None of the specs of the red Inspire 4G differ from its other color versions. You're still getting a 4.3-inch 800×480 capacitive touchscreen, a 1 GHz processor, an 8 MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 720p HD video capture, 4 GB of internal storage space expandable via microSD, 768 MB of RAM, HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 1230 mAh battery.

If you're interested, just go to RadioShack and order yours.
source: Unwired View

Samsung Trender and Android-based Motorola XPRT available now at Sprint

Sprint has introduced two new handsets over the week-end: the Motorola XPRT smartphone, and the Samsung Trender featurephone.

Officially announced in early May, the Motorola XPRT runs Android 2.2 Froyo and it's just a Sprint-branded Droid Pro (available at Verizon since last year).

Sprint is asking $129 for the XPRT (new 2-yr contract agreement required) – you can buy it here.

The Samsung Trender is a previously unannounced phone that comes with a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a touchscreen display, and a 1.3MP camera.
source: Unwired View

Motorola XT882 dual-everything Android smartphone goes to China this month

The Motorola XT882 is an Android-powered smartphone which is headed to the Chinese market, and will launch there later this month. It's an interesting device because of its ‘dual-everything' mantra. It's dual SIM, dual core, dual mode – “the triple dual”, in Moto's words. That, of course, comes dangerously close to the LG Optimus 3D's “tri-dual” architecture. Basically, phone manufacturers seem to have run out of marketing ideas and terms, and hence are overusing what they've got – “dual”, for example.

Regardless, the XT882 is one beast of a device. It has a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, dual SIM capability, and it's also got both GSM radios (for those SIMs) and a CDMA radio. This phone will basically work with an incredibly large number of possible network subscriber scenarios – which is good for you, the prospective buyer of this handset.

The Motorola XT882 (I wonder if the Chinese like these model numbers better than US-style individual phone brands, since all manufacturers seem to be dropping the latter in favor of the former on handsets destined exclusively for China) will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and it will have a 4-inch qHD (960×540) capacitive touchscreen, an 8 MP camera with dual LED flash (look, another “dual”!) and 1080p HD video recording, a front-facing camera for video chat, 8 GB of internal memory, an HDMI port, and an 1880 mAh battery (which is quite a lot by today's standards). Unfortunately or not (you be the judge), Motoblur, Motorola's Android skin once thought dead, is alive and well and present on the XT882.

The phone will be available for about $830 from China Telecom.
source: Unwired View

Could this be the GSM version of HTC EVO 3D?

HTC showcased the EVO 3D back in March, which was their first phone capable of recording images and videos in 3D. That phone, however, was intended for Sprint's CDMA network. But HTC may just have a GSM version of the EVO 3D up its sleeve.

Pocketnow.com came across these images on HTC's website. The one on the extreme left is the one that they initially announced, the one in the middle that was put up on HTC's website but later pulled and the last one that appeared on HTC's developer website and the one that we are going to talk about.

Notable differences between this and the others include a lack of circles around the keys below the display, which were exclusive to the HTC phones on Sprint's network. Along the side, the volume control button, camera shutter button and the 2D/3D mode switch have been redesigned. On the back the camera lenses don't have the red surround and the window for the LED flash has a different design.

It's also running an older version of Sense but if you look carefully at the icons you can see that it's because the screen does not belong to the phone but it's just pasted there from some other HTC phone. The EVO 3D has a qHD display which makes the icons look smaller with more gaps between them as is evident from the other two phones but this one looks more like the one on phones running WVGA screens.

All this point toward the fact that this slightly redesigned handset might just be the GSM version of the EVO 3D. If this is true it won't be the first time HTC has done this. They created GSM versions of existing CDMA phones before, for example, the Desire HD is virtually a clone of the EVO 4G. Perhaps this could be the Desire 3D?

Source