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Boost Mobile has cultivated a reputation for offering slick, good-looking smartphones--which is why I'm pleasantly surprised to see the ZTE Warp enter Boost's no-contract lineup.

ZTE isn't well-known in the U.S., and definitely not for higher-end devices, but the specs are promising so far. The Android 2.3 Gingerbread ZTE Warp offers up a 4.3-inch display, a 1GHz processor, and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash.

The screen won't be the most brilliant with its 480x800-pixel resolution, but it should serve, and in theory the 5-megapixel camera could be pretty good--it all depends on the light sensor and the camera software. It'll all become clearer in a few weeks when we can get our hands on the phone.

The ZTE Warp goes public on November 2 for $249.99 without a contract. That's $20 more than Boost's Samsung Transform Ultra, which also runs Gingerbread, and has a 3-megapixel camera, a front-facing VGA camera, and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.… Read more

It's been about a month since Boost Mobile and Samsung announced the Samsung Transform Ultra, but we only just got our hands on it at CTIA.

The specs are nothing to sneeze at--they include Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 1GHz processor, a VGA front-facing camera, and a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera--but the phone is much more compelling in real life than its numbers suggest, and it's more different from the original Samsung Transform than we'd expect.

It still has Sprint ID (the Transform was one of the inaugural phones to have that option), as well as that QWERTY keyboard, but the keyboard is a different model, and a bit flatter and less appealing in our opinion. What we do like are the four nicely tactile, physical buttons below the screen.

We'll soon put the Transform Ultra through our usual workout; but until then, check out the photos in the slideshow above. The Transform Ultra, by the way, is available now, and costs $229.99.… Read more

If you're one for tracking "firsts," add this to your list. The Samsung Stratosphere is Verizon's first 4G LTE handset equipped with a QWERTY keyboard. As popular as all-touch-screen phones are, there's still a strong argument for composing on a keyboard, and for the Stratosphere, that reason is business.

The handset is one of the first to showcase Samsung's B2B capabilities, including Microsoft ActiveSync e-mail and calendar syncing, VPN, and on-device encryption.

In another sense, the phone isn't a first at all--it's a second-running of the Samsung Epic 4G, originally released for Sprint in 2010. Apart from the new software, the major difference is that it comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread right out of the box.… Read more

Even as we lick our lips over Google's upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich update to Android, I'm impressed that even the more modest new Android phones are on board with Gingerbread.

The ZTE Score is one of them. First introduced exclusively through Best Buy, the Score is also Cricket's latest Muve Music phone.… Read more

Samsung may have crushed our CTIA dreams by pulling back on its biggest announcement here at CTIA, but thankfully it still introduced a number of new handsets.

The Samsung Transfix sits on the opposite end of the grandeur spectrum from the Galaxy Nexus we were all anticipating, but it's a good add for budget carrier Cricket. We got a chance to play around with it here at the show.

The Transfix runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread on its 3.2-inch screen. That's a little small for our tastes, or would be if there weren't a slide-out keyboard … Read more

Just when you thought the world didn't need another 7-inch Android tablet that few would end up buying, here comes the T-Mobile SpringBoard, the 7-inch tablet you'd do well to look at, for the right price.

Announced just before CTIA officially kicked off in San Diego, the SpringBoard offers quite a bit--"4G" speeds, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1,280x800 screen resolution, and surround sound. There's also a 5-megapixel camera that can record 720p HD video, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, support for HDMI, and up to six hours of battery life. There are … Read more

Cricket, wasting no time between Android announcements, unveiled its next smartphone today in the Samsung Transfix.

Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread and featuring a sliding QWERTY keyboard, the Transfix is powered by an 800MHz processor. Other notable specs include a 3.2-inch display and 3.2-megapixel camera, a microSD card slot, and the requisite connectivity package.

While the hardware may not appeal to your typical Android enthusiast, the no-contract $179.99 price point will certainly turn a few heads. The Transfix will join other Android phones on the Cricket network, including the recent ZTE Score and Huawei Ascend II.

The … Read more

Good: The LG Esteem runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, taps into MetroPCS' 4G LTE network, and has an impressive pair of front- and rear-facing cameras.

Bad: Bulky and heavy, the LG Esteem's worst offense is its poor battery life. Its slow data speeds keep it from working well outside of MetroPCS' 4G LTE territory.

Bottom Line: Specs-wise, the LG Esteem is MetroPCS' fastest and most advanced phone, but its dismal battery life is a terrible disservice.

Catch the video, photo gallery, and all the pros and cons in our full hands-on review of the LG Esteem.

The LG Optimus LTE, announced today, is another new Android 2.3 phone we in the U.S. can only dream about from afar, at least for now.

The Gingerbread handset has a 4.5-inch touch screen with a 1,280x720-pixel HD LCD display. LG claims it's the "highest-resolution IPS (in-plane switching) display" available on a smartphone.

The Optimus LTE also has a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, and an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture and playback. In addition, there's an HDMI port and support for DLNA, so you'll be able to play phone content on your compatible TV. An 1,830mAh battery will hopefully grant it long life.

The Optimus LTE picks up LG's pace in producing LTE-ready phones. So far we've been pretty happy with what we've seen, including the T-Mobile G2X and the Revolution. The phone maker has also recently reached out to prepaid carrier MetroPCS with the LG Esteem.

The Optimus LTE is currently slated for Korea. LG says its plans to release the phone beyond Korean borders are still "undetermined."… Read more