AT&T has put its 4G LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone/tablet hybrid up for pre-order. The Galaxy Note features a massive 5.3-inch, 1280 x 800 pixel Super AMOLED display and support for Samsung’s unique S Pen interface. AT&T is offering it in white or cobalt blue, and anxious customers can plunk down $299 and sign a new two-year contract to pre-order the device. The Galaxy Note is expected to officially hit stores on February 19. Tweet Vote on HN ...
HTC warns of another disappointing quarter in Q1 2012
After just recently going through a rough holiday quarter, it doesn’t look like things are turning around for HTC just yet, as the Taiwanese phone manufacturer is predicting another disappointing performance for Q1 2012. Tweet Vote on HN ...
Nokia explains its ClearBlack AMOLED display technology
One of the defining features of Nokia’s recent handsets is their ClearBlack AMOLED displays, which offer great color reproduction and work very well in outdoor light. While we already knew that Nokia employs a polarization filter in its ClearBlack displays, we didn’t really know how the whole system worked until now. Tweet Vote on HN ...
KAYAK drops support for BlackBerry app
Popular travel search site KAYAK has announced that it is dropping support for the BlackBerry version of its mobile app. Citing the fact that the current BlackBerry platform is “not working out to be a great channel for consumer mobile applications,” Kayak says that the cost to maintain and support the BlackBerry version of its app is just too great to maintain. The company does note that its mobile website works in the BlackBerry web browser, and that it is continuing its support for its iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone apps. ...
Apple iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS are the top selling U.S. smartphones in Q4 2011
According to a new report by NPD on smartphone buyers in the U.S., Apple’s three iPhone models took the number one, two, and three slots for top selling smartphones during Q4 2011. Behind the trio of iPhones, Samsung’s Galaxy S II and Galaxy S 4G took the fourth and fifth slots. Tweet Vote on HN ...
Nokia Lumia 710 sports call hang-up bug; fix to arrive soon
Owners of the Nokia Lumia 710 have been reporting that the smartphone has a bug that makes it appear as if calls are not terminated when the user hits the end call button on the screen. This has led many to believe that the phone is still using their plan’s minutes even after they are done with a call. Nokia has acknowledged the issue, but insists it is not as serious as many are led to believe. Tweet Vote on HN ...
Samsung and Corning Mate OLED and Glass Businesses
Samsung Mobile Display and Corning today announced a new joint venture that will create OLED glass substrates and panels for mobile phones and other devices. Samsung will supply its OLED expertise to the joint venture and Corning will contribute its Lotus Glass technology. The venture will supply OLED backplane glass substrates for Samsung Mobile Display, as well as for the broader market in Korea. The joint venture is an expansion of an existing partnership between the two companies. Growth in the smartphone market has increased the demand for low-cost, durable screens. ...
Verizon Prepping Maintenance Update for Droid RAZR
Verizon Wireless has shared the details about a forthcoming software update headed to the Motorola Droid RAZR. The update does not include Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but does introduce a wide range of enhancements and bug fixes. Some of the applications affected include the mobile hotspot, visual voicemail, VZ Navigator, Bluetooth performance, battery life, and MotoCast. The update also installs new applications, including V CAST and the Commercial Mobile Alert Service. The update will be available shortly. ...
Apple Resumes Selling Older iPhones in Germany
Apple was able to convince a German court to suspend an injunction that went into effect earlier today that temporarily prevented it from selling the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPad 2 via its web site. Apple lost a patent ruling to Motorola in December that effects the aforementioned devices. The patents in question cover GPRS standards. Apple claims that Motorola is seeking licensing terms for the patents that don’t comply with fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) rules. The iPhone 4S was excluded from the patent ruling because it uses a Qualcomm baseband rather than one ...
Motorola Atrix 2 Receives Maintenance and Security Update
Motorola has provided a system update for the Atrix 2, which is sold by AT&T. The software update, which must be downloaded via Wi-Fi, makes a number of adjustments to the Atrix 2. According to Motorola, the update improves the performance of the camera; adds the Google Music application; patches security holes; adds emergency alerts from government agencies; and improves the keyboard, device stability, and performance of the Webtop application. The update is free to download and install. ...