HTC Thunderbolt issues abound, but a fix is on the way

As if the one-call-wonder's battery life wasn't enough, the update pushed out to HTC Thunderbolt owners a couple weeks back has some devices randomly rebooting. Verizon and HTC have said they're working on the issue, but that's of little comfort to customers whose phones are spontaneously restarting several times a day. If you were hoping to solve the issue by installing the leaked version of Gingerbread, we've got bad news -- there have been a number of reports at the XDA Developers Forums that the Sensed-up version of Android 2.3 is bricking phones and sending them into an endless bootloop. But don't despair, a fix could be arriving soon. A source at Verizon told Droid Life that Thunderbolt-owning employees "may be entitled" to a software update before it gets rolled out to the general public -- presumably a final test run for that reboot repressing patch. If you're too impatient to wait for yet another firmware update, you can apparently stroll down to your local VZW store and simply trade in your troublesome T-Bolt for a new one. Just make sure it's running the older software before you take it home.

XDA Developers Forum, Droid Life

Verizon bonanza: Droid X2, Revolution, Trophy, and Xperia Play hit Big Red today

Verizon is seriously diversifying its portfolio today with the official in-store launch of four new smartphones. Three of them roll up in Android gear, though they all have major selling points beyond Google's software. LG's Revolution is the sole LTE-capable handset of the bunch, bringing with it a 4.3-inch screen and pre-installed Netflix for $250. The Droid X2 undercuts it on price, at $200, but doubles the core count with its Tegra 2 processor and ramps up resolution to qHD (960 x 540). Gaming aficionados can spend the same amount on the Xperia Play from Sony Ericsson, which offers a slideout gamepad and unique PlayStation Certified status. Bringing up the rear is HTC's well-traveled Trophy, a 3.7-inch Windows Phone that accepts it's a little late to the party and therefore slices $50 off its asking price, with a $150 levy before the obligatory two-year contract. What say you -- buy, try, or keep waiting?

Verizon (Droid X2), (Revolution), (Xperia Play), (Trophy)

Gingerbread finally coming to Droid X Friday, Droid 2 and Pro to follow?

After several leaks Verizon and Motorola have finally gotten their act together -- Droid X owners, get ready for a little love in the form of Blurified Gingerbread. Verizon just reached out to let us know that Android 2.3 will start hitting the big-screened phones on Friday. You can find a full list of new features that it and the latest version of Blur bring to the party, along with instructions for downloading and installing. A Motorola employee also let slip in the company's support forums that other devices may soon follow suit: "other [Gingerbread] updates are currently scheduled to be released before the end of the third quarter." While he wouldn't name specific handsets, it seems safe to assume that the Droid 2 (including the Global version) and possibly the Droid Pro will be included.

Droid Life

Motorola Support Forums, Verizon

Droid Incredible 2 review

It wasn't that long ago that we were jonesing for a Nexus One on Verizon. What HTC gave us instead was the Droid Incredible, with the same 1GHz Snapdragon CPU and gorgeous 3.7-inch AMOLED display -- not to mention a better camera (8 megapixel vs. five), 8GB of built-in flash storage, an optical trackpad, HTC's Sense UI on top of Eclair, and a dash of funky industrial design. The Incredible was an impressive phone with a lovely camera, marred only by questionable battery life and lack of supply, forcing HTC to build a Super LCD-equipped model to satisfy demand. Judging by the popularity of the Incredible, it came as no surprise that following HTC's announcement at MWC, the Incredible S eventually became Verizon's Droid Incredible 2. With a 4-inch Super LCD display, global CDMA / GSM radio, front-facing camera, updated internals (including 768 MB of RAM), trick capacitive buttons, and a Froyo-flavored serving of Sense, the Incredible 2 seems like a worthy successor to last year's Incredible. Does it live up to our expectations or is it just another fish in the crowded sea of Android? Does it significantly improve upon the original formula or is it merely a refresh? Hit the break for our review.

Droid Incredible 2 review

Hardware

There's no doubt that the Incredible 2 is an extremely handsome, if not sightly austere looking handset. It's much like the interior of a late 20th century BMW -- all class, all business, and all black. Compared to the original, it's slicker and softer, with rounder edges and much better build quality thanks mostly to the ultra-rigid machined and anodized black aluminum screen bezel. Gone are the old model's whimsical red accents, red innards, and red battery. Instead you'll find a translucent black chassis and a black battery under the hood. Even the bevel around the earpiece is finished in black. Yes, this is Darth Vader's phone, the Droid he's been looking for. The back cover features the same grippy soft-touch finish and unique layered motif as the Incredible, but instead of two "steps", there's only one this time around. Like the HTC ThunderBolt, the Incredible 2 includes contacts (missing from the Incredible S) for an optional inductive charging back, and integrates some of its antennae into the battery door. Pop the cover, and there's a Verizon / Vodafone SIM under the 1450mAh battery plus a 16GB microSD card pre-installed.

Despite the bigger screen, the new version is only marginally larger than the original, about the same weight, and actually a smidgen thinner. The layout is almost identical to its forebear -- the headphone jack and power button have swapped places, and the camera flash is now arranged horizontally instead of vertically. On the left side you'll find the volume rocker and micro-USB connector while the right side is devoid of any controls. The top edge hosts the power button, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, plus a secondary mic, while the bottom edge hides the primary mic, along with an indent to pry the battery cover off. A sheet of Gorilla Glass protects the 4-inch display, the 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera next to the Verizon logo on top, and the four capacitive buttons at the bottom. The earpiece and notification light live in the aforementioned aluminum screen bezel above the glass. In back there's an 8 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash on top, a rather tinny sounding speaker, the embossed HTC logo, and the "with Google" stencil towards the bottom.

The 4-inch WVGA Super LCD display deserves a special mention. It's one of the best LCD-based panels we've come across -- bright without any leaks or spots, with naturally saturated colors, deep ink-like blacks, and superb viewing angles. Other than pixel density, it gives the iPhone 4's IPS screen a run for its money and even warrants a nod or two from the notoriously smug Super AMOLED crowd. We've mentioned the trick capacitive buttons before, which rotate when the handset switches between portrait and landscape for apps that support both display modes. It turns out the buttons are drawn by groups of tiny LEDs which are turned on and off based on orientation.

At first glance, the Incredible 2 specs look somewhat pedestrian in this day and age of dual-core processors, qHD displays, and LTE radios. But don't be fooled by the numbers. That 1GHz CPU is Qualcomm's latest generation MSM8655 Snapdragon SoC with Adreno 205 GPU -- it's fast, power efficient, and backed up by a generous 768 MB of RAM. Like with the Thunderbolt (which shares the same processor), we consistently recorded Quadrant scores ranging from 1500 to 1700 -- pretty remarkable for a single core device running Froyo. You'll find the usual collection of sensors on board (compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity, and ambient light) along with the standard assortment of radios (WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, GPS / AGPS, and even FM) plus Qualcomm's popular MDM9600 Gobi module (also used in Verizon's iPhone 4), which supports CDMA together with quadband GSM and dual-band HSPA (2100 / 900MHz). In our tests, calls sounded great thanks to the dual noise-reducing microphone setup, and reception was problem free.

Battery life is excellent for an Android smartphone. Starting from a full charge, the Incredible 2 managed 36 hours and 40 minutes of up time before we decided to plug it back in with 7% battery life remaining. That was mostly light use -- reading email (3 accounts), checking Twitter, and occasionally replying or posting -- with all the radios (except Bluetooth) turned on. Still, this included 30 minutes spent with the handset strutting its stuff in front of the camera for our video review, 20 minutes being used as a hotspot, taking / uploading a few full-size pictures, and only 6 hours idling while we slept.

Camera

The camera on the original Incredible was no slouch. It could be coaxed into taking fantastic shots given enough care and attention. The Incredible 2 takes this formula to the next level, with a camera that's capable of producing amazingly realistic pictures without too much effort. It features HTC's next generation 8 megapixel sensor with autofocus optics (also found on the Thunderbolt) plus a dual-LED flash. Color balance and exposure are top notch. Low-light performance is impressive. Noise is kept under control without compromising detail. In fact, we're pretty sure we're dealing with a backside-illuminated sensor here. There's a certain clinical precision to the pictures captured with the Incredible 2 that we've really come to appreciate -- the camera simply gathers a tremendous amount of information, resulting in amazing shots.

Droid Incredible 2 sample shots

The Incredible 2 captures 720p (HD) video at 30fps with decent results. While it performs significantly better than its predecessor, video recording isn't as stellar as photography. The frame rate isn't quite as smooth as with some other devices (the iPhone 4 comes to mind), and sound quality leaves room for improvement. The camera interface offers a plethora of settings: there's touch-to-focus (for both stills and video), flash mode, Photo Booth-like effects, and additional options nestled within the menus (such as timer, exposure, while-balance, resolution, ISO, and face detection). The digital zoom is activated by pressing the volume rocker or by using an on-screen slider. Unfortunately, there's no dedicated 2-stage camera button, no panorama mode, and the 4-inch Super LCD display, while gorgeous, tends to wash out in direct sunlight, making it difficult to properly frame shots.

Software

While the Incredible 2's hardware is supremely refined, things are bittersweet on the software front. It's running Sense, which we've reviewed in detail alongside the Incredible S. We appreciate that it brings a polished, friendly, and consistent user experience across HTC's multitude of devices, and also provides the company with a strong brand identity, but we're just not fans. The problem is that with each revision of Sense we feel more alienated from what we came looking for in the first place, namely Android. Sense is starting to look and feel like its own OS -- Android in a parallel universe -- with almost every aspect of the user interface getting customized, and deviating significantly from the Android way. Certain changes are positive, like the cool time / weather widget, the fast boot feature, and the much improved music player. Others are frustrating, like the the convoluted dialer / call log and the poor keyboard layout (who decided to put the hide button just below the shift key?!) We realize that it's all a matter of taste, and that some people will choose to go down the rabbit hole into Sense wonderland, but we're purists. So HTC, give us a way to disable Sense, and all will be forgiven. Oh, and third-party launchers and keyboards don't count - like most people, we don't have the time or interest to customize our phones beyond installing a few apps.

Sadly, the Incredible 2 ships with Android 2.2.1 (Froyo) which, despite having stayed properly refrigerated for the past 9 months, is getting rather stale. The good news is that the Incredible S is in the process of receiving an Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) update, so Verizon's version can't be far behind. Overall, we don't have much to complain about -- Froyo still provides solid performance, especially when paired with speedy internals. The phone feels snappy and light on its feet all around. It's clear that HTC's spent time fine tuning Sense to make it highly responsive. Still, there's room for improvement in some areas like the web browser which, while loading and rendering pages briskly, falls short of matching the rest of the user interface in terms of smoothness when scrolling and zooming around heavy sites like Engadget.

The most glaring issue we have with the Incredible 2 is the criminal amount of crapware that Verizon decided to pre-load on the handset -- apps that can't be removed and will forever litter the app tray. Some of them, like Adobe Reader, Kindle, Quickoffice (basic version), Skype, and Slacker are apps you'd likely want to install anyway. Others, such as Blockbuster (a shortcut to the Market), Let's Golf 2, NFL Mobile, and NSF Shift don't have the same widespread appeal, but are passable. But it's with apps like City ID, My Verizon Mobile, V CAST Apps, V CAST Media, V CAST Music, V CAST Tones, V CAST Videos, and VZ Navigator that things become downright ludicrous. Apparently Verizon wants to lump its sexy flagship 3G Android smartphone together with its generic dumbphones by contaminating it with utterly meaningless carrier-branded apps and services. We can only hope that a few heads will roll in Verizon's marketing department after we publish this review, and that common sense prevails with a Gingerbread update that allows us to uninstall the offending apps.

Wrap up

We'll come right out and say it: the Droid Incredible 2 is the best 3G Android smartphone on Verizon today. If you live in a 3G-only area or you can forgo LTE (and the Droid Charge), the choice basically comes down to the Incredible 2 and Verizon's iPhone 4. With this device, HTC is pushing the single core Snapdragon platform to the limit, then packaging it into an attractive and beautifully finished product. It improves upon the already excellent Droid Incredible with a nicer screen, an even better camera, global roaming capability, and most importantly, amazing battery life. It's an incredibly (ahem) well rounded handset -- the perfect storm of quality, refinement, power, and efficiency -- as long as you can live with Sense. And that's the crux of it -- while we think Sense will appeal to many people, we feel that HTC is doing its core audience of passionate, tech-savvy, pure Android aficionados a disservice by not providing a way to disable it (or at least making it easier to install custom ROMs via an unlocked bootloader). This, together with the insane amount of pre-loaded crapware, are the only major issues we have with respect to the software. Of course we'd have liked to see Gingerbread available out of the gate, but this looks like it will be remedied soon. In the end, the Incredible 2 isn't a fish in the sea of Android -- it's a shark seeing Verizon red and ready to devour the competition. Considering how much of a runaway hit the original Incredible was last summer, perhaps HTC should have called this new version the Jaws 2?

LG Revolution coming to Verizon tomorrow for $250 on contract

That's right, kids, and we have the press release to prove it: the LG Revolution that we got our hands on at CES is coming to Verizon tomorrow for $250 (with a new, two year customer agreement). Sadly, this handset won't bring you any closer to overthrowing the established social order, as LG seems to think that "revolution" has more to do with such niceties as HDMI out, the Android 2.2 mobile OS, and a 16GB microSD card. But hey, that pre-installed Netflix app sure does seem nice. Interested? The Nationwide Talk plans begin at $40 a month, with unlimited data for $30. Mobile Hotspot is also included for free -- for a limited time. Check out all the important info after the break.

Verizon rolling out LTE coverage in 21 additional markets on June 16th, wins 4G blackjack

This could be just the news your lonely little Thunderbolt has been waiting for. Verizon today announced the addition of 21 new markets to its LTE coverage, starting June 16th. The list includes some biggish spots, like Boise, ID, Milwaukee / Madison, WI, Salt Lake City, UT, and Hartford, CT -- Northern California will be getting a major coverage boost, as well, with the existing Bay Area coverage being expanded to Marin and Solano counties. The network launched with 38 markets back in December and those, plus these new additions and a handful announced earlier this month, are bringing the company ever closer to its proposed 175 markets by the end of the year. That's a whole lot of green stars.

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Smartphone buyer's guide: the best phones for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and more!

The world of smartphones changes mighty quickly, and if you blink, you're bound to miss the latest and most delectable devices. That's where we come in, to provide timely roundups of everything your friends expect you to know, along with the insight that you crave. To bring you up to speed, in our December buyer's guide, at first blush you might have thought we were doing an overview of the best Android phones on the market. That's because of our 16 highly-esteemed handsets, a whopping 13 of them had Google's operating system at the core. As you'll see, the landscape has changed somewhat, and these new contenders that have come out swinging.

We've broken down this buyer's guide by mobile carrier, each including the best handset money can buy, our favorite QWERTY alternative, and the most well-rounded budget phone available (with $79 as the absolute ceiling). For smaller US providers, we're providing a single selection, though we're confident it's a good one. You'll definitely be presented with some difficult choices, but that's merely a testament to the abundance of stellar phones that aggressively compete for your dollar. With that said, let's dive in -- it's roundup time.

Verizon

The Droid Charge from Samsung is hands-down the most desirable VIP pass to Verizon's LTE network. Granted, the HTC Thunderbolt will also get you there, but its poor battery life and hotspot cycling issues are difficult to ignore. Meanwhile, the Charge's pedestrian exterior belies the overall satisfaction you'll find with this device -- immediately apparent once its Super AMOLED Plus display comes to life. At its core is a wonderfully responsive Hummingbird processor, and the 1,600mAh battery promises to carry you confidently throughout the day (and well into the next). The $299 price tag may be difficult to swallow, but it's offset by Verizon's inclusion of a massive 32GB microSD card. Topping it all off, the Charge sports an HDMI port for quality entertainment and a camera that's sure to thrill.

If a keyboard is what you're after...

The Droid 2 Global is the finest QWERTY handset you'll find on Verizon, and we say that without reservation. First off, it doesn't have much competition -- its closest rivals are the Droid Pro or an aging BlackBerry Bold. Fortunately, this Android slider provides a solid option with a 1.2GHz processor and support for roaming abroad. Its keyboard is spacious, and while it's not perfect, even those with big fingers should get along just fine. The 3.7-inch, 854 x 480 display provides some appreciated space when compared to typical WVGA offerings, however its 5 megapixel shooter will leave you begging Motorola to take photography more seriously. All in all, the Droid 2 Global is a bit of a compromise, but if you're willing to accept the trade-off, it can be yours for $149 on contract.

The Vortex is a re-badged LG handset that's linked to its familiar Optimus One heritage. Unlike its siblings, however, this phone received a make-over by Verizon, which subverted Google's software by pre-installing Bing Maps and Bing Search onto the device. That's not to say it's a bad thing, but it's a departure from the norm for this series. The Vortex features 3G Mobile Hotspot connectivity, along with Skype and VZ Navigator. You'll find the phone houses an admirable touchscreen, along with a really solid camera. Unfortunately, Verizon seems intent to charge for its custom work on this LG, seeing that its Optimus counterparts on Sprint and T-Mobile are free.

AT&T

AT&T is now flush with stellar top-shelf offerings, including Motorola's Atrix 4G, the Samsung Infuse 4G, and yes... Apple's iPhone 4. While the choice was by no means easy, we continue to be enamored by this stalwart companion. For daily use, the iPhone 4 delivers the most balanced approach to consumer needs by providing snappy performance combined with battery life that's a cut above the rest. Its Retina Display remains the standard for comparison, and while the screen is small, reading text on web pages is a thoroughly pleasurable experience. A year after its introduction, the iPhone 4 still packs serious multimedia prowess -- the 5 megapixel camera captures beautiful imagery, and the iPod functionality simply can't be beaten... though, Music Beta is certainly gunning to level that playing field.

If a keyboard is what you're after...

Sure, the LG Quantum is unlikely to win a Hamilton in any beauty contest, but encased within its rubbery exterior you'll find a QWERTY keyboard that's really quite decent. Once in hand, your impression of its frumpy appearance will quickly melt away, thanks to its curvy lines and soft-touch shell. The WP7 slider features a 1GHz Snapdragon, 16GB of internal storage, and a 3.5-inch, 800 x 480 display that's sufficiently bright and clear. The Quantum's 5 megapixel camera features a dedicated 2-stage shutter button, though its lens is easily outmatched by more sophisticated offerings. Grab this handset for $49 on contract, and you just might realize that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

If your primary objective is to score the most phone for the least amount of coin, the Samsung Focus is unequivocally the best find on AT&T. For a minor outlay of cash, you'll be treated to an excellent Super AMOLED display, a speedy Snapdragon processor, and a 5 megapixel camera that's quite splendid. Yes, its 8GB on-board storage is small, but you can expand the overall capacity with a "certified" microSD card. Voice quality is superb on the Focus, thanks to the phone's top-notch earpiece and ambient noise filtering. All these virtues are packed into a 10mm slim device, and you'll have trouble finding a suitable alternative at twice the price.

Sprint

Sprint knew well before releasing the Nexus S 4G that it had a winner on its hands. What else could you expect when snappy WiMAX gets added to one of the best Android phones on the market? While the 5 megapixel camera doesn't reach the top echelons of shooters, it'll satisfy most needs with aplomb. What's more, the phone includes NFC support, which is good insurance for the future. Perhaps most importantly, however, the Nexus S 4G delivers a stock Android 2.3 experience that enthusiasts will adore and everyone else will appreciate without realizing why.

If a keyboard is what you're after...

For those who love big, spacious keyboards, the Samsung Epic 4G is an absolute triumph. Its five-row QWERTY is revealed by a sliding mechanism that's sturdy and confident, letting you compose long messages while proof-reading on that beautiful 4-inch, 800 x 480 Super AMOLED display. Naturally, the handset blazes thanks a 1GHz Hummingbird processor paired with Sprint's WiMAX network, and the camera is an absolute delight. Unlike the original GSM Galaxy S phones, the Epic 4G includes an LED flash that's got you covered in low-light situations. Although its 720p video capture isn't perfect, it's still quite pleasing, and we really appreciate Samsung's inclusion of a VGA cam up front. There's a lot to love with this one, and it can be yours for $149 on contract.

The LG Optimus S is a fantastic bit of engineering and, unless you're shooting for the high-end, this should absolutely be your next phone on the Now Network. The handset is eminently capable, featuring zippy performance, a pleasing touchscreen, and a sensible camera that's controlled from a 2-stage shutter button. While we'd love to see an LED flash, it's easy to appreciate the inclusion of a compass, accelerometer, GPS navigation, and mobile hotspot capabilities. If you're not sure whether Android is just a passing fad, Sprint invites you to take the OS for a two-year test drive -- and it's footing the bill.

T-Mobile

The G2x currently sits atop a rather high pedestal over at T-Mobile. That's because it's brought NVIDIA's 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 along for the ride -- where it meets a vivid 4-inch IPS display, an excellent 8 megapixel shooter, and a 1.3 megapixel cam in front -- all encased within an elegantly thin 10mm profile. What's more, this multimedia powerhouse beautifully captures video at 1080p for display over HDMI. The G2x ships with a stock version of Android 2.2, and while it's not Gingerbread, we're big fans of vanilla Froyo around these parts.

If a keyboard is what you're after...

Previously holding T-Mobile's pole position, the G2 continues as the best QWERTY phone on the network. Once you get past its unique "z-hinge" feature, you're presented with one of HTC's finest keyboards to date. While the 800MHz processor is being lapped by the competition, it'll easily keep pace with most common users thanks to stock Android underpinnings. Photography lovers will appreciate the dedicated 2-stage shutter button, which commands a 5 megapixel camera and LED flash. The 3.7-inch, 800 x 480 touchscreen features a Super LCD display, and while its visibility fades in direct sunlight, its beautiful in more suitable conditions. The G2 remains one of the most desirable phones available, and can be yours for $149 on contract.

The Nokia Astound represents a rare opportunity for budget-oriented consumers. Wrapped inside this gorgeous handset, you'll find an eye-catching AMOLED display that stays bright and vibrant when outdoors. Turn the phone around and you'll discover a stellar Extended Depth of Field camera that's paired with a dual-LED flash. While the focus-free nature of this lens means you'll struggle with macro shots, EDoF actually enhances the already smooth 720p video capture. Surprisingly, the Astound also features NFC, which is uncommon at any price. Users will need to wait for a software update to enable the functionality, however, since it's disabled by default. If you're looking to turn heads without breaking the bank, the Nokia Astound will surely fulfill its promise.

US Cellular

US Cellular is a regional provider that openly prides itself on treating customers fairly. It's also started taking the Android platform very seriously, and the Samsung Mesmerize is the clear front-runner of the pack. Users will find a brilliant Super AMOLED display, a nimble Hummingbird processor, and a camera that's thoroughly competent for still pictures and 720p video. While 384MB of RAM is a bit tight, we're rather pleased by the inclusion of an LED flash on this CDMA variant. Quite simply, everything about this phone falls right into place.

Cricket, MetroPCS, and Virgin Mobile

At the risk of sounding repetitive, we really like the LG Optimus One entry-level candybars. In fact, you've already seen it (twice) as our budget pick for Sprint and Verizon. While locating a good handset on regional and MVNO carriers is sometimes a mixed bag, LG hit it out of the park with this one. Put simply, it's a well-built, fully-featured phone that's reasonably speedy and doesn't bite off more than it can chew. Users are treated to a rather nice display, integrated WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, AGPS, a compass, and an accelerometer. The camera pleases, and even though we'd love to see an LED flash playing accompaniment, you're sure to capture some really attractive photos given sufficient lighting.

Cincinnati Bell

Cincinnati Bell is a newcomer to the list, but the carrier's AWS service is rather popular in its home territory that's bunched around southeast Indiana, southwest Ohio, and northern Kentucky. Its subscribers have several smartphones to choose from, including the Dell Streak 5 and Venue Pro, several BlackBerry handsets, and a smattering of Androids from Motorola, Huawei and Alcatel. For us, though -- and this goes for Cincinnati Bell customers -- the Samsung Vibrant is the certainly the phone to buy. We think its Super AMOLED display is absolutely alluring, and we're quite pleased by the photography skills in this Galaxy S handset. Unfortunately there's no LED flash, but we'll keep driving this point home until manufacturers take note. Meanwhile, as Engadget editors rail against such oversights, we hope you'll be cruising along with this snappy Hummingbird processor, and capturing happy memories in 720p glory.

Any carrier

If you have poor impulse control...

If you're willing (and able) to put a dent into your budget, we highly recommend the Samsung Galaxy S II -- you get one of the hottest handsets available today, along with a smug sense of knowing that it's better than everyone else's. In the same breath, the Galaxy S II brings an incremental yet monumental leap forward for smartphones with a bleeding-edge dual-core processor that's thrilling to command and a WVGA display that's quite simply jaw-dropping. If you can exercise a bit of patience, you'll likely be rewarded with subsidized models that we're expecting to debut in the US as the AT&T Attain, Verizon Function and Sprint Within (plus the rumored 4.5-inch super-sized "Hercules" for T-Mobile).

If you want instant gratification...

There are plenty of fantastic mobile phones out there, but glitz and glamour aside, we're convinced the Nexus S is the most well-rounded smartphone on the market today. Sure, its display isn't the most pimpin' and there's nothing dual-core about it, but its proven track record of receiving timely updates cannot be underestimated. With availability on T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T bands, there's great opportunity to use the Nexus S on your network of choice. In addition, we firmly believe that Android shines most brightly when it's free of superfluous skins and manufacturer meddling.

Droid 3 details leaked: dual-core processor, 4-inch qHD screen, no LTE?

You've probably already seen the leaked pictures of the Droid 3, but what you really want to know is what's going on underneath that chrome trim. TechnoBuffalo claims to have the inside scoop and it sounds like the latest landscape slider from Motorola is packing a number of nice improvements. According to a tipster the screen has been upgraded to a 4-inch qHD panel and inside is one of those fancy dual-cores all the cool phones are rockin' these days -- presumably of the Tegra 2 variety like its Droid X2 cousin. As spied in the photos it also has a new 5-row keyboard layout and front facing camera for video calls, while the rear-facing shooter is getting bumped to 8 megapixels. There is one disappointing, but not entirely shocking, detail though -- the Droid 3 will lack LTE. We can't confirm these specs, but they're perfectly logical assumptions and raise no alarms and no surprises.

TechnoBuffalo

4G netbook onslaught imminent as Verizon clears Novatel LTE radio to run on its network

Xoom owners might still be waiting for an LTE upgrade, but it does look like 4G netbooks and tablets could be hitting Verizon's network pretty soon. The carrier, known for its stringent testing standards, has cleared Novatel Wireless' E362 module to run on its network, paving the way for devices with embedded 4G radios. In addition to LTE, the module is compahttp://www.engadget.com/2011/05/20/4g-netbook-onslaught-imminent-as-verizon-clears-novatel-lte-radi/tible with CDMA and HSPA+ / UMTS technology -- a safety net for people outside the 55 markets (soon to be 147) where Verizon is serving up 4G service. Okay, so with no word on pricing or product launches, an onslaught isn't exactly imminent, but when it happens we'll try not to say "told you so."

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ComputerWorld Novatel Wireless

Verizon finally killing unlimited data plans this summer, says it'll get iPhone 5 at same time as AT&T

Verizon's been telegraphing its intent to drop unlimited data plans for nearly a year, and despite the fact that LTE smartphones launched with all-you-can-eat options, those plans haven't changed one bit. Reuters reports that Verizon will finally nix the megabyte buffet this summer, replacing it with a fully tiered data pricing scheme, though CFO Fran Shammo also floated the idea that tiered data could open up an avenue for family data plans. We've never really enjoyed sharing minutes, so we doubt counting our kilobytes will be much fun, but we suppose there's always room for Verizon to pleasantly surprise us with a really low price for mobile web browsing. Right? By the by, Fran also reiterated claims that the next iPhone will be a global device, and said that when it launches on AT&T, it'll hit Verizon stores at the very same time.

Reuters