An Amazon ad broadcast Wednesday night appeared to reveal a number of products set for launch on Thursday, including a large-screen Kindle Fire tablet and back-lit Paperwhite e-reader.
It looks as if Jeff Bezos and his team are having some fun, teasing TV viewers the evening before a big product launch with an ad featuring, apparently, some or all of its new devices.
Interestingly, a large-sized tablet makes several appearances during the 60-second ad – likely the much-talked about 10-inch Kindle Fire. There even appears to be a shot of someone tapping away on a keyboard connected to the device – could the e-commerce giant be about to unveil a keyboard cover similar to the Touch Cover accompanying Microsoft’s soon-to-launch Surface tablet?
The existence of the Paperwhite e-reader is also apparently confirmed in the ad, with a fleeting shot of someone holding a device with a super-white back-lit screen.
There’s no sign, however, of a smartphone, though the company is said to be in the process of making one.
Broadcast during Wednesday night’s Giants vs Cowboys NFL game, the 60-second ad (below) begins with boxes – lots of boxes (with Amazon printed on them, naturally) – and a voiceover saying, “We’re the people with the smile on the box. We’re the reinventors of normal.”
Various shots of various people with various devices follow – there appears to be a (new) 7-inch Kindle Fire, a larger tablet and a new e-reader. And lots of boxes.
It is of course possible that the ad wasn’t meant as a tease at all but was instead broadcast as the result of a scheduling error. Either way, we’ll all find out on Thursday exactly what the Seattle-based company has up its sleeve.
Digital Trends will of course be covering Amazon’s media event, which begins at 10.30am PT, so stay tuned for more information.
Yesterday, Nokia announced the Lumia 920 with a PureView camera, except here, PureView did not mean the pixel oversampling that we saw on the 808 PureView but rather the use of optical image stabilization to achieve steadier low light photos and videos.
To demonstrate this effect, Nokia released a video where they compared the effect of having and not having optical image stabilization side by side, the implication being that the video was shot on the new Lumia 920.
Turns out, that was not the case, as was later discovered by Pocketnow.com as well as The Verge, who found a reflection of a camera crew in a van using what was clearly a professional camera (or at least most definitely not the Lumia 920) to shoot the 'OIS ON' part of the video.
This meant that what we were supposed to believe was Nokia's super awesome optical image stabilization at work was just actually just a professional video camera.
Now we expect some amount of deception in advertisements but that's for fancy press images. While talking about sample images and video we expect them to be the actual content captured from the device otherwise it defeats the purpose, which is why it was a disappointment to see Nokia fiddle with that. Nokia should have let their brand new product do the talking instead of relying on a professional tool to make things look nicer. Or at least provide a warning in the video so we know what we are really looking at.
Fortunately, Nokia has been quick to issue an apology, saying that the video was not shot on the Lumia 920 but rather "simulated" to give an idea as to what OIS on the Lumia 920 would look like. They have also released another video and this time it actually is from the Lumia 920, they say.
The new video looks impressive and makes us wonder why Nokia didn't use the actual phone to shoot the previous video. Maybe it would not have been as stable as the professional camera but it'd have still looked good and more importantly, be truthful.
Busted within 24 hours of posting the promotional ad online, Nokia backpedals regarding a misleading video featuring PureView technology.
Detailed on the Conversation by Nokia blog, editor-in-chief Heidi Lemmetyinen released an apology for misleading consumers with a video that was meant to show off how optical image stabilization helps when shooting high definition video on smartphones like the Lumia 920. The concept of the video in question was designed to show the difference between shooting with OIS turned on compared to shooting when it’s unavailable. In the video, the side-by-side-comparison video stream shows a couple riding bicycles and the twenty-something man is filming a young girl with a Nokia smartphone using PureView and OIS as they speed down the street.
Noted by many people on YouTube and other news organizations, a van can be seen filming the girl with a high-end dSLR or video camera in a reflection off the window of a nearby trailer around the 27 second mark of the video. Not only was the video taken while someone rode in a stable car compared to a less stable bicycle, the type of camera used was completely different from the PureView camera in the Lumia 920.
In the apology, Lemmetyinen stated “In an effort to demonstrate the benefits of optical image stabilization (which eliminates blurry images and improves pictures shot in low light conditions), we produced a video that simulates what we will be able to deliver with OIS. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but we should have posted a disclaimer stating this was a representation of OIS only. This was not shot with a Lumia 920. At least, not yet. We apologize for the confusion we created.”
In addition to the written apology, Lemmetyinen posted a video shown at the press conference that displayed the difference between shooting with a smartphone without OIS and a Lumia 920 prototype with OIS turned on. While Nokia didn’t identify the other smartphone in the video, the side displaying the OIS feature clearly shows a significantly smoother video stream while someone is walking and filming toward a fixed spot.
Nokia's second Windows Phone 8 handset is a little bit more interesting than its flagship older brother, as it comes with some alternative design features.
We're not going to wax lyrical about the interface, as we were given very little time to play with it. However, we did notice that a very slight amount more lag than we saw on the Lumia 920 when flicking about the apps – although we're going to thoroughly put that down to this being a pre-production model.
If you want to learn all about the software features on board the Lumia devices we suggest you check out our in-depth hands on: Nokia Lumia 920 review for a sneaky peek of how Windows Phone 8 looks on the device.
But let's move onto the design, shall we? And it's quite a departure from the original Nokia Lumia 800 – in fact, we almost feel saddened that the 800, which we consider something of an icon in smartphone design, has been 'downgraded' to be the budget option alongside the Lumia 920.
The main difference is to the outer shell – no longer are we looking at a unibody design; instead we're offered the choice of covers, be it to change the colour, iprove protection or allow it charge wirelessly.
The latter option is pretty cool, as there are a range of docks on offer to facilitate said functionality – plus a little bean bag from Fatboy as well.
However, the effect isn't the most premium, as the glossy covers seem to be a little bit lightweight in the hand, although they're a nightmare to remove from the Lumia 820 itself.
The 820 comes with very similar internals to its larger brother, wit the S4 Qualcomm chip delivering the power of two cores. This means operation should be slick once the whole phone is better optimised for Windows Phone 8.
The buttons on the side are also ceramic, and have a nice travel for when opening up the camera or locking/unlocking the phone. It fits well in the palm, although the rounded wireless charging cases we tried out did feel a little bit chunky, even though the thickness is tiny.
But it's things like the budget feel of the camera placement that bother us – while we're all for re-designs, this doesn't feel very high end as a snapper.
There is one neat trick up the sleeve of the Nokia Lumia 820… well, two actually, The first is you can remove the battery, which is something Windows Phones have been notoriously loathe to do in the past.
And under there is a little surprise: a microSD card slot for all your media needs! Sure, it's irritating you have to take out the battery to get to it, but it's a great way to supplement the meagre 8GB of onboard storage. Early verdict
We can't help feeling like the Nokia Lumia 820 should feel a little more premium, in the same way the 800 was mostly a shrunken down version of the 900 with something of the same clout.
The 820 is a more rounded affair, which certainly lends the air of being pocket friendly. Whether this will appeal to the Windows Phone 8 buyer, although the notion of being able to switch cases to change functionality is interesting.
The Lumia 820 will live or die by its price; get this under £200 and there could be a seriously good phone out there, but if it's more aimed at the premium user we can't see why you wouldn't opt for the 920 unless you love microSD slots and hate larger screens.
Apple acquired more than 300 new advanced long-term evolution (LTE) patents within the past year, creating a buffer if Samsung makes good on its threats to sue the Cupertino company if it releases any devices with LTE technology.
Since the iPhone 5 is rumored to have the speedy mobile tech, LTE is likely to become the next battleground in Apple and Samsung's well publicized patent war.
Over the past year, Apple's gained 318 patents regarding the fourth-generation mobile technology, according to the Korea Intellectual Property Office.
Raking in the patents
Last year, the iPhone purveyor had no LTE patents, but now ranks among the top 10 patent holders for LTE technology with just about 5 percent of total LTE patents held worldwide.
"This shows that Apple has been taking strategic steps to acquire intellectual property to prepare for potential legal disputes before it launches its own LTE smartphones," a KIPO official told The Chosun Ilbo.
Apple developed about 44 of those patents itself. The company then bought the rest of the patents from Nortel and Freescale.
Apple also owns a major part of a patent enforcement company, Rockstar Bidco, which has an additional 116 patents, bringing Apple's current LTE patent holdings to 434.
Samsung's hoard
However, if Apple hopes to rival Samsung's number of LTE patents, it will have to get busy acquiring a few more.
The South Korean company is the No. 1 LTE patent holder, with a total of 819. That's about twice the amount of arrows Apple has in its LTE patent quiver.
Though the extra patents will help protect Apple from Samsung suits, how sure those defenses are remains to be seen.
The Chosun Ilbo reported that Apple only holds undisclosed commercial patents for its LTE technology, but disclosed standard technological patents provide more legal firepower. So Apple may find itself at a disadvantage when it comes time to defend those patents.
Another interesting wrinkle is that versions of the iPad already have LTE technology, but Samsung has yet to sue. We'll see if this comes into play when the two techno-giants head back to court December 6.
Amazon is reportedly planning to unveil its first smartphone at Thursday's press event in Santa Monica.
There have been rumors swirling around for some time now about the possibility of an Amazon smartphone coming to market. A report from The Verge suggests it is going to happen, and that it may even be unveiled at Amazon’s press event in Santa Monica on Thursday.
The report obtained its information from “multiple sources”, adding that the handset would run “a variant of the Kindle Fire’s Android-based operating system.” Other than that, few details are known about the device.
The phone is reportedly not yet finished, though it appears this won’t stop it from being presented to the press at Thursday’s event.
Chatter surrounding the possibility of Amazon readying itself for the smartphone market increased significantly a couple of months back when reports surfaced claiming the e-commerce giant was “working with component suppliers in Asia to test the smartphone.” Foxconn is rumored to be manufacturing the phone at its plants in China.
As with its Kindle Fire tablet, any such handset from Amazon will likely be placed at the low end of the market, sold at cost, or possibly at a loss, in order to boost sales of the device and push people towards its well-stocked online store.
It’s set to be a busy day for Amazon tomorrow. The Seattle-based company is widely expected to launch the second iteration of its 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet at the media gathering, possibly together with a cut-price Fire with ads. An updated Kindle Touch e-reader, or possibly a brand new ‘Paperwhite’ e-reader, is also thought to be on the way.
Digital Trends will be at the event, which kicks off at 10.30am PT, so be sure to check back for the lowdown on Amazon’s new offerings.
Nokia's Lumia 920 is seen by some as a vital phone for the survival of the company – but is it a leading smartphone worthy of Windows Phone 8?
We'll get it out the way early on: Nokia was being overly-cautious with the Lumia 920 at its Nokia World press event – we were allowed only brief time to take pictures and were only shown the device being used, rather than play with it as intensely as we normally like to.
But let's get onto the design: it's the same polycarbonate as used before, but given an odd glossy sheen. We'll be honest: we're not fans of the shine, as the matte finish of the earlier devices really stood out.
However, it does represent a difference between this and the Nokia Lumia 900, which will be necessary on the shop shelves.
The phone feels a little larger in the hand than its predecessor though, and while glossy doesn't really slip about when used.
The 4.5-inch screen isn't as large as some others on the market, but that shouldn't detract from the performance, as it's very good. The larger screen is perfectly sized for the tile arrangements, and while it's annoying the extra width and resolution don't allow for more tiles on the screen, the display is vivid to say the least.
It uses Nokia's PureMotion HD Plus technology to make it 'better than HD', according to the Finns' Jo Harlow. It's actually just HD in reality, but it does sparkle when viewing media.
The layout of the buttons isn't to be sniffed at either, as we couldn't see any reason to jiggle the phone around in the hand during our quick test, as all could be reached without effort.
The ceramic effect of the buttons is an interesting contrast to colourful polycarbonate and is attractive, which is fast becoming a feature of Nokia phones these days.
The rest of the Nokia Lumia 920 is also interesting, featuring some alternative design options. For instance, there are micro-drilled holes at the top of the phone that function as a microphone (and the trick is repeated at the bottom for speakers) – plus the headphone jack is placed centrally for easier use in the pocket apparently.
A single slot gives access to the SIM card, and you'll need the familiar tool to get it out, which means hot swapping is out of the question. Talking of which, there's no option to plop a memory card in there either, which is infuriating.
There's plenty of talk about the fact that consumers don't really NEED microSD card slots from the big manufacturers – after all, it does make designing the unibody handsets so much easier.
But given Windows Phone 8 now supports expandable memory, it's only right we should see it from the flagship handset.
The interface of WP8 is well-documented – you can read our hands on: Windows Phone 8 review to get the full insight there – but it does look good on the large display, as we mentioned before.
There was minimal lag in the demonstration we saw, with flipping between apps showing nothing in the way of slowdown. This is always helped by the overly-elaborate animations that greet each app movement, but it does remain slick in the eyes of the user.
We checked out Nokia Maps (which looked great on the large screen – this is going to be a really decent satnav device) and the new cinemagraphs app. This essentially allows you to take a small film, choose a thumbnail as the photo itself then scrub over certain elements to animate them.
This has the effect of making a load of GIFs on your phone – it looked cool and easy to do, but we can't see it being more than a gimmick when users get their hands on it.
There are plenty of other features we're excited to try out: for instance, the PureView camera looks decent (although not really worth the whooping in the room when it was announced) and the NFC capabilities, so long a strength of Nokia, are once again well-implemented. From wireless speakers to, well, wireless headphones, Nokia is excited about the tech.
It didn't work well at all in the demonstrations we saw – but then again, this is prototype stuff. Which is why it's annoying we weren't granted longer with it to bring you a better picture of the Lumia 920.
Early verdict
Nokia is being frustratingly precious about its phones at the moment – surely Windows Phone 8 should be more ready for at least beta testing by now – which means forming a decent opinion on the new phones is difficult to say the least.
But the Nokia Lumia 920 is a good phone from the outset, although it didn't really give us much to feel wowed by. That's partly down to the fact we couldn't properly play with it, but also because it still bears so much of a resemblance to previous models.
While many readers will be able to easily tell the difference between this and the Lumia 900, whack Windows Phone 7.8 on the older model and place them next to each other on the shop shelf and see if consumers are bothered to find out the difference between the two.
Nokia's Pureview, Drive, Maps, Public Transport and Music are decent apps to differentiate in a crowded market, but we can't help but feel that this may not be enough of an evolution to really take Windows Phone to the next level.
The mobile world has changed a lot since Nokia last put out a phone that truly wowed large amounts of people. Its tie in with Microsoft spawned some half decent handsets but despite Nokia's best efforts, the world was never truly set alight.
Cue Nokia World 2012 and the announcement of the Nokia Lumia 920. Make no mistake, this is more than a big deal for both Nokia and Microsoft, with both having a lot riding on their respective contributions. Many see it as Nokia's big throw of the dice: make Windows Phone 8 into a top OS and the rewards are huge... fail, and things look ropey for the Finns.
So the big question on everybody's lips is: just how does it shape up against its two current biggest rivals, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the HTC One X?
(We'll be adding in the iPhone 5 when it's launched on 12 Sept - it's not really fair to use the iPhone 4S at this point)
OS
The Nokia Lumia 920 comes running Microsoft's latest version of its mobile OS, Windows Phone 8, complete with its interactive "Live Tiles" interface.
Both the One X and the Galaxy S3 run Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with custom user interfaces; Touchwiz on the S3 and Sense 4.0 on the One X. Samsung has said that it plans to update the S3 to 4.1 (Jelly Bean) very soon. HTC has also promised its arrival, but has yet to name a timeframe.
HTC One X: Ships with Android 4.0 overlaid with HTC's newest version of Sense
Processor
Nokia have opted for a dual core Snapdragon S4 chip clocked at 1.5GHz, with Nokia standing firm on its belief there's such a thing as too many cores.
Why, might you ask? As Nokia puts it, "why put something you don't need at the expense of battery life?". However on the 'bigger is better' side of the fence, Samsung pops one of its Exynos 4412 1.4GHz quad core's in to Galaxy S3, whereas HTC plumps for the quad core 1.5 GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 chip.
However, in the US all three run the same Snapdragon S4 chip - so the power is pretty even.
Screen
In terms of size, all three devices are rather similar and rather large, with the Lumia 920 measuring in at 4.5 inches, the Galaxy S3 at 4.8 inches and the One X at 4.7 inches.
All three look great, with the Samsung's 306ppi being pipped by the HTC's 312ppi. On the Lumia 920, Nokia have put in 'Nokia PureMotion HD+' which is supposedly better than HD in terms of screen performance. It certainly looks great, but we still can't feel we weren't as 'wowed' as we were when looking at the Super AMOLED HD of the Galaxy S3.
Storage
In the Lumia 920 you'll find 32GB of on board storage, backed up by SkyDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage system.
The Galaxy S3 comes with microSD support on top of Samsung's 16/32/64GB internal drive, whereas HTC decided to only go for 32GB internal storage. However, the former comes with 50GB of Dropbpox of storage, and the latter 25GB from the same source.
Google users also have access to Google Drive, which is Google's answer to the cloud storage question.
Samsung Galaxy S3: Samsung's device comes with 3 different storage size options
Camera
Nokia is playing its trump card in the camera department. Long being known for fantastic camera devices, with Carl Zeiss lenses, Nokia is bringing its PureView technology first seen on the Nokia PureView 808. However, this is placed over the top of a more modest 8MP sensor, with a 1.3MP front facing camera.
It does come with a wealth of fancy features, such as being able to plug in camera apps and optical image stabilisation to help stop blur when you least want it.
Both the Android devices also come with 8MP rear sensors, burst mode for millions of photos per night out, and the HTC also has a 1.3MP front sensor. Samsung, however, has a 1.9MP sensor.
Connectivity
Believe it or not, being the latest breed of smartphones, all three devices come fully loaded with every type of connectivity; 3G/HSDPA, Wi-Fi, (for fast internet browsing on those mega screens), Bluetooth (4.0 on the Galaxy S3 and One X, 3.1 on the Lumia 920), GPS and NFC.
Near Field Communication: With NFC gaining traction, mobile payment is becoming more prevalent
Dimensions and weight
The Nokia Lumia 920 is the shortest phone at 130 x 70.8 x 10.7mm,but the heaviest at 185g. Samsung manages to squeeze in at a similar size of 136.6 x 70.6 but is the thinnest at 8.6 mm, and weighs only 133g.
The HTC, more akin to the Galaxy S3, is the narrowest and lightest at 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm and 130g.
Battery
Being unreleased, we have yet to have any battery comparisons for the Nokia Lumia 920, but with only a dual core processor, and a 2000mAh battery, we'd be surprised if it wasn't very competitive. Samsung debuted a lot of nifty battery saving tech in the Galaxy S3, and its 2100mAh (removable) battery managed to last a lot better than the 1800mAh (sealed in) offering of HTC.
Early verdict
We can't yet say for sure, as the Nokia Lumia 920 hasn't been released yet, and will hit American shores first in Q4 2012.
That said, Nokia seems to have a device that will continue the strides that the original WP7 Lumia phones made.
As for the other two, both are superb devices in their own right, garnering 4.5 stars each. Maybe you should check out the Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X reviews to keep yourselves going until we bring your the web's most in-depth Nokia Lumia 920 review.
Verizon won't play around with Windows Phone 8 devices
Get ready for "multiple" handsets equipped with Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 platform to come to Verizon before 2012 is up.
Verizon executives confirmed the U.S.'s largest carrier will sell more Windows Phones during the fourth quarter, though just when that will be they didn't say.
Tami Erwin, Verizon's chief marketing officer, was quoted in a published report as saying the company will "sell multiple Windows Phones in the fourth quarter."
A new chapter
Currently, the only Windows Phone the Big Red stores on its shelves is the HTC Trophy.
Verizon added a trio of new phones to its lineup Wednesday too as Motorola announced the advent of its new Droid Razr family.
Comprised of the Razr HD, Razr Maxx HD and Razr M, the phones, when available, will hook up to Verizon's 4G LTE network.
According to Marni Walden, Verizon's chief operating officer, the company has engaged in "healthy conversations with Nokia" though that company has a long way to go in terms of rebuilding a relationship with American consumers.
Another Nokia Windows Phone 8 handset, the Lumia 820, was also released. The same source who said Verizon will carry the 920 said T-Mobile plans to pick up the lower-spec 820.
Whether Verizon's interest is peaked by Nokia's first Windows Phone 8 offerings remains to be seen.
In keeping with comments made by Fran Shammo, Verizon's chief financial officer, in April, Erwin said the company would like to nurture a third OS ecosystem, one beyond Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
To that end, Erwin said that when Research In Motion launches the BlackBerry 10 early next year, Verizon plans to carry a smartphone running the new OS.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera is getting its legs prior to launch.
For the better part of the last year, digital camera talk has shifted from being focused entirely megapixels, sensor sizes, and lens quality to connectivity and OS concerns. The digital imaging industry was turned on its head not by a revolutionary new pocket point-and-shoot or a faster-than-fast DSLR, but by a dark horse known as the smartphone.
Appropriately, manufacturers are responding with all sorts of experimentation to keep digital cameras competitive in their own right. Wi-Fi connectivity is starting to become a more popular feature, although it’s being implemented to varying degrees of usability, and several names have tip-toed into Android integration.
And the trail blazer is proving to be Samsung. In addition to bringing a bevy of connect cams to market this year, the manufacturer recently unveiled its Galaxy Camera at IFA. The part-camera, part-smartphone device is the first to really bring this sort of hybrid to the mainstream.
Today, Dropbox announced it would integrate its cloud storage service into the Galaxy Camera, giving users the ability to sync their images to their other connected devices. And then there are the expected features you’re going to get with this thing, such as instant Instagram posting – which there should be some mixed feelings about. Personally, I’m anti-non smartphone-captured images making their way to Instagram, but to each their own. But there are other apps which will have easy access to the Galaxy Camera’s photos, most notably Facebook and Flickr.
When it comes down to it, Samsung took their Smart Camera lineup (16.3 megapixel sensor, 21x optical zoom, manual controls and pre-set modes), and attached a Galaxy phone to it – complete with Jelly Bean and 3G/Wi-Fi or 4G/Wi-Fi connection options. I was a big fan of how easy the WB150F’s Wi-Fi settings were to navigate, but this is a whole other level of easy use.
It’s certainly exciting, and the newly announced Dropbox integration is extremely promising for where this thing can go. But it begs a really big question: Why isn’t anyone else doing this? I can’t help what’s happening with Polaroid’s ambitious SC1630 Smart Camera – last I heard, back in March, the camera was still in production and samples were unavailable for reviews. And where are Nikon and Canon? Clearly, Samsung’s mobile prowess is giving the brand a serious leg up, which is at once wonderful and frustrating. Samsung’s never quite been a digital camera powerhouse, offering up decent but never cutting-edge quality devices. As a user, I want the best of the best of the best and I want it to have every featured I crave – and that now means connectivity for cameras.
Our picks for the best Android tablet games. These games are specially designed to take advantage of large-screened Android tablets.
Android tablets have been around for more than a year, but there still aren’t very many games designed to take advantage of a large screen. These games are not only playable on tablets as well as Android phones (at no extra charge, unlike iOS apps), they are all more fun to play on the big screen. Some of these games were first available on Apple’s iPad, but as the number of Android tablets increases, we are seeing some companies release games for both formats at the same time.
Keep in mind that, try as we might to pick the best Android tablet games with broad tablet support, it is possible that any given game on our list might not be compatible with your tablet. If your favorite game hasn’t made our list, please let us know and we will take a look at it.
Once you know what games to play, you’ll need a tablet to play them on, so check out picks for the best Android tablets.
Why be limited to specific games when you can install the free OnLive app and play the latest console titles on your Android tablet? The service allows you to stream games to your tablet from remote servers. You can check out our OnLive hands-on impressions to find out more. There are a few touch-based options available, like L.A. Noire, or you can opt to buy the wireless controller and play games like Batman: Arkham City in all their glory.
It looks gorgeous and it plays like a physics-based dream. World of Goo started its life as a Wii game, which makes it ideal for your Android tablet. If you’ve never seen this smash hit before it’s essentially a very weird and addictive puzzle game that came out a few years back. Just buy it, you won’t regret it. If you’re tempted then check out the Humble Bundle where you can pick up World of Goo, along with a bunch of excellent indie classics for your Android tablet, and give to charity at the same time.
Fancy yourself as a tactician? You have to try out the turn-based strategy classic, Great Big War Game. The cartoonish graphics are great, it has a bit of humor to it, but most importantly the gameplay is immersive. You’ll need some real tactical skill to emerge victorious from the 50 mission single player campaign. You can also indulge in a spot of multiplayer action so there’s plenty of content on offer to justify that price tag.
You just can’t beat a bit of first-person shooter action with zombies. There’s something relaxing and deeply satisfying about slaughtering wave after wave of the undead. Dead Trigger features the standard post-apocalyptic zombie uprising scenario and it looks great. The basic game is free, but you do have the option of splashing out on in-app purchases like better weapons and upgraded abilities.
The new Droid Razr M makes for a compact developer device
On top of announcing three new consumer model Android smartphones for consumers, Motorola has unveiled two new handsets for developers.
Developer editions for both the Droid Razr M and Droid Razr HD are on the way. Both developer editions are identical to the consumer models, with the added bonus of an unlockable bootloader to dive into the device's code.
As announced earlier, the Droid Razr M sports a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of storage, NFC support, and an 8MP camera capable of 1080p video capture.
The Droid Razr HD packs a 4.7-inch HD display and is only 8.4mm thick. It is built for speed and battery life, with a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and a 2500mAh battery that boasts 16 hours of talk time, 10 hours of video, and 6 hours of web searching.
Droid for devs
Developers can already place their order for the Razr M developer edition directly through Motorola and will start shipping September 13. At $549.99, it is a little bit pricier than the $99 consumer model, but makes up for the difference with the unlockable bootloader.
The Droid Razr HD developer model will be a longer wait, with no information announced about its release date or final price. Those interested in snagging one though can register online through Motorola for updates when the handset is available to order.
Today Motorola unveiled a new three-member RAZR family, featuring the Droid RAZR HD, Maxx HD, and RAZR M, in New York City.
Motorola announced three new smartphones at Gotham Hall in New York City. Part of its brand new Droid collection, the RAZR HD, Maxx HD, and RAZR M focus on edge-to-edge displays and insane battery life.
Called “On Display”, Motorola’s conference kicked off with a band singing about America to a crowd of reporters who look like they’d rather not be forced into some mediocre concert. Once that bit of awkwardness ended, Eric Schmidt took the stage to talk up Motorola’s sales numbers for a while. Then there was more talking, mostly revolving around Motorola’s new focus on unprecedented battery life.
After more talking, and a couple jabs at Apple and Samsung, the newest Motorola smartphones were finally unveiled. Three to be exact, all part of Motorola’s new and improved RAZR family.
The higher-end devices in the line up are called the Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR Maxx HD. The RAZR HD is packing a 4.7-inch edge-to-edge display, Gorilla Glass, dual-core processor, and supports 4G LTE (obviously). Motorola also claims the screen boasts 78% more pixels and 85% more color saturation than the iPhone 4S. In benchmark tests, the new device can browse the web using Chrome up to 40% faster than Safari on the iPhone. Motorola really seems to be after Apple, there have been a lot of comparisons.
For some reason Motorola tried to show off this browsing speed using the Wi-Fi in the building, rather than Verizon’s wireless network so browsing speed was not impressive in the demo. The RAZR HD is NFC-enabled and Verizon has given up on blocking Google Wallet. The real star here, however, is the outstanding battery life. Apparently the RAZR HD can handle up to 16 hours of talk time, basically unheard of in the smartphone world.
The Droid RAZR Maxx HD appears to be running the same specs as the RAZR HD, but with the a maxxed out battery (sorry, couldn’t help it) taken from the RAZR Maxx. Meaning that you’re looking at around 21 hours of talk time and enough juice to watch an entire season of 30 Rock.
The mid-range Droid RAZR M rounds out the family dynamic, satisfying the needs of more casual users. The RAZR M has a nearly edgeless, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display (using Gorilla Glass), 4G LTE support, 8GB of storage, 1GB of RAM, dual-core processor, and an 8-megapixel camera in the back. Even at that size, however, it manages to squeeze in 40% more screen real estate than the iPhone 4S. The battery can handle up to 20 hours of music streaming, so there clearly won’t be a huge sacrifice in battery when moving from the RAZR HD to the RAZR M.
But here’s an interesting twist of events. Despite being owned by Google, Motorola’s latest line up will not ship with Jelly Bean. Instead they will be updated from Ice Cream Sandwich to Android’s latest OS — which was released two months ago — before the end of the year.
Pre-orders for the RAZR M start today at 5pm EDT (New York time). It will retail for $100, presumably on contract, and is eligible for the share everything plan. The RAZR HD and Maxx HD will be available sometime before the holidays.
Our own Natt Garun is in attendance, providing us with the collection of with the RAZR HD and RAZR Maxx HD below. She will be sharing her own hands-on impressions shortly.
