2.23

Looks like there's been some lively debate going on inside HTC over the last 24 hours. It's been almost exactly one full rotation of the earth since the company announced--via its HTC UK page on Facebook-- that "we've been forced to accept there isn't enough memory to allow us both to bring Gingerbread and keep the HTC Sense experience on the HTC Desire."

Then, just a short while ago this morning came another very terse post:

"Contrary to what we said earlier, we are going to bring Gingerbread to HTC Desire."

No … Read more

Motorola and Verizon Wireless are expected to deploy Android 2.3 to the Droid X on Friday, May 27. The Gingerbread update is rather sizable at 112MB, but it comes with a host of new features and enhancements including a new download manager app, application grouping, and an updated user interface (see our Samsung Nexus S review for the full Gingerbread features). Additionally, it should be easier to enter numbers and symbols, copy and paste text, and manage contacts.

In addition to the typical stability and general performance tweaks, Verizon has also improved upon the calendar, camera, and e-mail functions. … Read more

Samsung's aluminum-clad, 11.6-inch ultraportable is shipping from retail stores in the U.S., the second Series 9 laptop that takes precise aim at Apple's MacBook Air line.

Samsung seems to be on a mission to--let's put this carefully--emulate Apple. First Samsung came out with the 13.3-inch Series 9. Like the 13.3-inch MacBook Air, it is carved out of aluminum, is super thin at 0.64 inches (the MacBook Air is 0.68 inches at its thickest point), weighs just less than 3 pounds (2.88 pounds) and has a great display (with 400 nit brightness).

Now, Samsung has come out with a likeness of the 11.6-inch MacBook Air. And just like the the Air, it is 2.3 pounds. Hmm...I'm beginning to see a pattern here.

The 11.6-inch Series 9 is now listed as "in stock" at stores like Amazon. Previously, it had been listed as pre-order only.

Though Samsung is obviously following Apple's lead, there are some important departures from… Read more

Smartphone buyers who've been waiting for the 4G version of the Nexus S can now pick up the new model.

Making its actual debut yesterday, the Samsung Nexus S 4G is available directly from Sprint for $199 with a two-year contract or for $549 without a contract. But Best Buy is offering an even better buy, selling the phone for $150 with the two-year committment.

The new Android phone builds upon the same specs found in the Nexus S offered by T-Mobile but with the faster speed kicked in by Sprint's WiMax network. However, that 4G and other cool new features will take a bite out of your wallet.

Buyers will have to sign up for Sprint's Everything Data plan, which starts at $69 per month. It's an extra $10 a month for the Premium Data Plan add-on. And if you want the mobile hot-spot feature that lets you connect up to six wireless devices, you'll have to throw in another $29 per month.… Read more

What do you get when you merge Android 2.3 Gingerbread with a 1GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch high-end screen, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 4G capability? Simply Samsung's best smartphone to date.

The Samsung Galaxy S II (first announced at Mobile World Congress) impresses with a long list of top-shelf features that overall deliver. Not every design element is perfect and we weren't always able to maintain 4G-like speeds, a hurdle that's hardly surprising given this model is an unlocked handset that's unoptimized for US networks.

However, the FCC's recent clearance … Read more

Given that four months have passed since Google and Samsung ushered in the Gingerbread era with the release of the Samsung Nexus S, I thought this would be a good time for an update on when version 2.3 might land on your phone.

HTC Of all the manufacturers building Android handsets, HTC is arguably the most vocal in its plans. Take for instance the Desire, Desire HD, and Desire Z, which HTC released in various iterations over the course of 2010. HTC has confirmed that these devices, and the more recent Incredible S, would see Gingerbread in the second … Read more

Verizon Wireless has rolled out a beefy update for owners of Samsung's Galaxy Tab.

Now being launched as a mandatory system update dubbed EC02, the 35MB package offers a variety of fixes and enhancements for the Tab.

Verizon and Samsung are promising better speed and performance for the built-in browser and less drain on the battery when searching for Wi-Fi hot spots. The e-mail and message apps have been enhanced as well. Tab users can now access hyperlinks within e-mail messages, manage and download attached Word 2000 and 2003 documents, and open video attachments 5MB in size. Adobe Flash … Read more

For countless months, iPad and iPhone owners longed for Verizon to swoop down from on high and offer them versions of their favorite devices free from the accursed AT&T network. Now, users have those Verizon-based Apple gadgets--along with the first consistent reports of a recurring problem unique to one of them.

Owners of Verizon's native iPad 2 with both Wi-Fi and 3G (in 16, 32 and 64GB memory configurations) are complaining in online forums that they must reboot their devices if they want to connect to 3G after previously switching that feature off.

The Apple Support Discussion boards list five pages discussing the problem. Wi-Fi functions work well enough, but 3G connections either take several minutes or never occur at all. While there's no clear evidence that all Verizon iPad 2 users face the same problem, the complaints coming in from those affected are very similar. When the Verizon iPad 2's 3G function is deactivated, it will not reactivate or connect without a reboot. Switching the device in and out airplane mode has no effect.

Board posts complain of hours on the phone to Apple Customer Service and trips to the Genius Bar without solving the problem. Some extreme cases report Apple Store reps tapping out and simply handing over a replacement iPad 2--only to see the same problem return. … Read more

What does the world's most successful tablet computer do for an encore? More of the same.

The second-generation iPad from Apple is thinner, faster, lighter, and whiter, but not a radical departure from the original. Pricing is also holding steady, starting at $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only model, up to 64GB with 3G (provided by AT&T or Verizon without contract) priced at $829.

You can't blame Apple for going easy on new features. Apple's original recipe for the iPad single-handedly created and captured the demand for tablets last year. By any measure, it is not a product in need of fixing. It has the market share, it has the developers, and it has the momentum.

Apple also just makes damn fine products. Having had a few minutes with the iPad 2, I can say that it is every bit as stunning as the original. The first thing that struck me was the iPad's weight loss. It's still not Kindle thin, but the lighter design should make the e-book crowd happier and prove to be a distinct advantage over bulkier competitors, including the recent Motorola Xoom. … Read more