story links: Hardware

story links: Computer Hardware

story links: Computer Components

The wait for the 7-inch Galaxy Tab Android tablet will soon come to an end – at least for Verizon Wireless fans.  Verizon will launch the tablet on Thursday, November 11, for $599.

The Galaxy Tab will run Android 2.2 “Froyo” and include Wi-Fi and EV-DO Rev A 3G mobile broadband for always-on connectivity. Data plans will start at $20 for 1GB of usage, but just like the iPad on AT&T, users will be able to choose whether or not they want the data plan, and if they do it won’t require a contract.  There’s 512MB of RAM, 2GB of onboard flash storage, and an included 16GB microSD card.

$600 seems a bit steep for this device considering its smaller screen size and app library vis-a-vis the iPad.  If Samsung wants to compete with the most popular tablet device ever sold, it would seem they should be a bit more competitive in their pricing.  But the Verizon Galaxy Tab is $30 cheaper than the base iPad Wi-Fi + 3G model, so we’ll soon see how many users are willing to spend about as much for a tablet that doesn’t have a fruit logo.

Read the full press release after the jump.

VERIZON WIRELESS PUTS SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB™ IN STORES IN NOVEMBER

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and DALLAS – Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Tab™ will be available Nov. 11 for $599.99.  Running on Android™ 2.2, the Samsung Galaxy Tab features a brilliant 7-inch touch screen; robust HTML Web browsing experience with full support for Adobe® Flash® 10.1 for video and mobile gaming; and a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application processor.

“This is an incredible time in mobile technology, and as a company we’re excited to add the Samsung Galaxy Tab to our portfolio,” said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless.  “The Samsung Galaxy Tab brings together the reliability of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network and the power of Android 2.2 to deliver on our promise of providing consumers and business customers with a host of options to help manage their lives.”

Popular mobile applications, including V CAST Music and V CAST Song ID, VZ Navigator®, Slacker Radio, Kindle for Android, BLOCKBUSTER On Demand® presented by V CAST Video, and the exclusive golf game, “Let’s Golf,” will be available on the Samsung Galaxy Tab.  In addition to text, picture and video messaging, the Samsung Galaxy Tab will also feature V CAST Apps, Verizon Wireless’ mobile storefront offering hundreds of applications for businesses and consumers at launch.

Verizon Wireless customers can add a monthly access plan beginning at $20 a month for 1 GB on their Samsung Galaxy Tab.  For additional features and specifications on the Samsung Galaxy Tab, visit www.verizonwireless.com/galaxytab.

A question we often receive from Android users is whether or not there’s an Android OS Netflix app that would allow them to use the Watch Instantly video streaming service on their phone. Unfortunately, the current answer is no.

But no won’t be the answer forever.

Netflix released an iPad app that supported Watch Instantly the day the tablet launched; and an iPhone / iPod touch version followed a few months later. So there’s no question that Netflix is interested in the tablet and smartphone game in a big way; it’s only a matter of time for Android users to get theirs.

Also, in August Ars Technica noticed that Netflix had posted a job listing for an Android Video Playback Expert.  It’s a long journey from hiring development staff to releasing a product, but we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to be watching Dexter on a Droid come early 2011.

I was very interested to read Paul Thurrott’s post today regarding Windows Phone 7 and flash memory cards.  I wanted to share the highlights with you as this will likely be of great interest to those looking forward to grabbing one of the first Windows Phones released next month.

In the post, Mr. Thurrott confirms that Windows Phone 7 will – despite some previous indications to the contrary – support memory cards microSD and microSDHC). But that support is somewhat unusual in its implementation. Rather than being adjunct storage – i.e. something you can use,remove and/or upgrade on a whim like an external hard drive on a PC or an Android phone’s memory card – Windows Phone 7 will add the space on a microSD card to primary device storage.  Put another way, the OS will see the additional storage no differently than the internal storage, so files will be stored in internal memory and/or card memory as needed.  Removing the card, therefore, would result in missing files, likely causing system malfunctions (missing apps, app data, music, etc.).  To remove or replace the card, you’ll have to perform a hard reset, restoring the device to factory specs.

To make things even more interesting, the microSD cards – according to the post – won’t even be readable on a PC if you were to remove it and try to access the information stored there via a card reader.  This suggests either encryption or a non-standard file system.

I can’t imagine why such a setup would be desirable, but Mr. Thurrott says details will be forthcoming.  I can imagine that this will cause problems, particularly when users want to expand storage after a few months’ use and are met with system errors only a hard reset can correct.  Perhaps there’ll be some backup and restore solution via the Zune PC software which would allow for painless memory card upgrades?

Apparently, Microsoft has also mandated that hardware manufacturers that do opt for memory card slots must position them under the battery, presumably to curb the notion of the cards being hot-swapable.

M. Nichols, Products Editor

There have been rumors for months that Windows Phone 7 would up the power ante, debuting on devices with late-generation mobile processors running at speeds up to 1.5GHz.  But we now know this will not be the case, at least not with the first wave of Windows Phone 7 handsets.

Each of the nine Windows Phones officially confirmed by Microsoft yesterday is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC CPU running at 1GHz.  It is unclear whether the QSD8250 and QSD8650 processors used are Gen 1 (65nm)  or Gen 2 (45nm), but either way they’re well within the mainstream of what’s been in use since at least 2009.

From most reports, the existing 1GHz Snapdragon processors are producing more than satisfactory results with the new Windows Phone OS, and we look forward to putting the phones through their paces.  But it would have been nice to see some of the new, bleeding edge mobile processors in at least a few of the first crop of WP7 smartphones.

Oh well – there’s always 2011.

In the coming weeks, five Windows Phone 7 smartphones will be available for purchase, all from T-Mobile and AT&T; CDMA versions of Windows Phone 7 handsets for Verizon and Sprint will launch next year.

Starting from the left, there’s the Samsung Focus, a 4-inch AMOLED Windows Phone 7 smartphone headed for AT&T on November 8th.  Next, there’s the Dell Venue Pro (aka Lightning), which features a vertical sliding QWERTY keyboard and a 4.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen; the Venue Pro will work on T-Mobile, but sold by Dell.  In the middle, the LG Quantum, the smallest phone of the group.  The Quantum will be sold by AT&T in late November or December and has a 3.5-inch touchscreen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.  Second to the right is the HTC Surround T8788, also from AT&T, which features a slide-out surround sound Yamaha speaker behind its 3.8-inch display.  Last, but not least, the T-Mobile HTC HD7, an update to the HD2 with a large 4.3-inch Super LCD display, will be available in mid-November.

All of the Windows Phone 7 launch devices above have 1GHz mobile processors, 5MP autofocus cameras, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, and GPS.

There are more phones running Windows Phone 7 on the way; these are merely the first round.  We’ll keep posting as more device information is made available.

Updated October 12, 2010, with some smartphone release dates/times.

We’ve been following the Dell Lightning Windows Phone for months; but today the Lightning is no more.

The Windows Phone 7 device from Dell, code-named Lightning, will be sold as the Dell Venue Pro.  We’re not sure who’s doing the naming at Dell these days, but they might want to go back to their previous work naming television models.

Not much is changed other than the name.  Many details are still missing.  But we do know that the 4.1-inch QWERTY slider will be available with T-Mobile first, with AT&T nowhere in sight (at least in the immediate future).  The Venue Pro also won’t be sold, according to Engadget, in T-Mobile stores; you’ll have to order it from Dell or one if its “handpicked retailers.”

Learn more about the Dell Venue Pro Windows Phone 7…

T-Mobile just sent out its press release regarding the HTC HD7, the first official Windows Phone 7 device to be announced in the United States.  The HD7 will be available in mid-November, though no pricing details were announced.

Features include a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, 16GB of internal flash storage, HD video recording via its 5MP camera, and a range of entertainment-focused applications including Netflix, Xbox Live, Slacker Radio and more.

The press release also outed an additional Windows Phone 7 slider, the Dell Venue Pro (aka Lightning).  The Dell Venue Pro will also be powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and will have a 4.1-inch touchscreen.

You can read the full press release after the jump.

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Oct. 11, 2010 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the upcoming launch of the HTC HD7, one of the world’s first smartphones using the Windows Phone 7 operating system. Pairing rich mobile multimedia features with a 4.3-inch touch display — the largest screen available on a Windows Phone in the U.S. — the HTC HD7 promises to keep customers entertained and connected on the go.

“By delivering the largest screen available on a Windows Phone, T-Mobile is offering a top-notch smartphone entertainment experience,” said Paul Cole, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. “With deep integration of entertainment brands, social networking capabilities and rich Microsoft services, the HTC HD7 intelligently brings together information and experiences that matter to customers all in a bold, sophisticated design.”

Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Americas said, “With its huge, vibrant display, high quality sound and built-in kickstand, the HTC HD7 smartphone is the ultimate device to enjoy the outstanding entertainment services made possible by Windows Phone 7. With the HTC HD7 smartphone, HTC and T-Mobile are once again coming together to deliver an outstanding smartphone experience to wireless consumers looking for both entertainment and productivity.”

The HTC HD7 is the first phone from T-Mobile built on Windows Phone 7, Microsoft’s new mobile platform designed to bring together what customers care about most. Instead of the common icon displays on the screen, Windows Phone 7 uses Live Tiles, which allow customers to find out what’s going on, what’s happening next, and what they’ve missed without having to open an application.

Windows Phone 7 also delivers an integrated experience on the HTC HD7 through Windows Phone Hubs. Hubs bring together a related set of applications, services and content into a single view to simplify common tasks. Your contacts, music, games and work can be shared, synced and accessed virtually wherever you happen to be.

“T-Mobile has been a strong supporter of Windows Phones and we are pleased to continue our partnership with Windows Phone 7,” said Andy Lees, president of the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft Corp. “T-Mobile has a deep understanding of its customers, and we’re thrilled to bring Windows Phone 7 to market on its network.”

With the new HTC HD7, customers can access their favorite movies, TV shows, games, music and more on a large 4.3-inch screen. The HTC HD7’s top pre-installed entertainment applications include the following:

·Netflix for streaming thousands of movies and TV shows for Netflix members to watch instantly on the HTC HD7’s large, crisp screen.

· T-Mobile TV, offering consumers access to live and on-demand TV, including free programming from ABC News NOW, FOX Sports, PBS Kids, Azteca America, family holiday movie favorites and more.

· Slacker Radio for listening to free, personalized radio with over 130 genre stations and the ability for customers to create stations of their own.

· Xbox LIVE unlocks a world of games and fun, connecting customers to a global community of more than 25 million active Xbox LIVE members and offering easy access to Xbox LIVE features such as Friends, Avatars, Achievements, Messaging and more.

· Zune for loading people’s favorite media — music, movies, TV shows and podcasts — and taking it wherever.

In addition to rich entertainment, the HTC HD7 also keeps customers connected throughout the day with a best-in-class productivity experience featuring the largest virtual keyboard available on a Windows Phone in the U.S. The HTC HD7 includes fully integrated Microsoft Exchange e-mail and calendar as well as Office Hub, which offers customers mobile versions of popular productivity programs, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace.

Running on T-Mobile’s super-fast mobile broadband network, the HTC HD7’s 4.3 inch capacitive screen with built-in kickstand is ideal for watching the latest movies and other video entertainment or experiencing a large selection of games and applications. The device also comes equipped with a blazing-fast Qualcomm® 1 GHz Snapdragon™ processor for a fast mobile data experience.

In addition to the comprehensive entertainment features of the device, the HTC HD7 delivers advanced phone features including GPS functionality with access to turn-by-turn navigation from TeleNav GPS Navigator™, Internet Explorer 8, 16 GB of internal memory, HD video recording, and an advanced 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash.

The HTC HD7 is also the first device to offer T-Mobile® Family Room™, a new application exclusively from T-Mobile that helps families keep in touch and manage their busy lives. Customers can write a note on a virtual chalkboard and add shared calendar events for their Family Room group to coordinate get-togethers. Sharing pictures and interacting is easy, with real-time notifications alerting users when any family member posts something for everyone to see.

Availability

The HTC HD7 is expected to be available in the U.S. exclusively to T-Mobile customers in mid-November. More details will be available at http://htc.t-mobile.com/hd7.