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Can GameStop Mobile last longer than a year?

5/19/2012 8:40:00 PM

MVNOs, or mobile virtual network operators, aren’t anything new. They’ve been around for quite some time now. They are a strange thing, though, in that they can pop up unexpectedly, without any kind of warning, and disappear in the same fashion. Some make a bang, and others barely resonate even a whisper. Some come, but most go. So, which way will the newest member of the MVNO line-up end up? If you didn’t hear, GameStop is the newest addition . Yep. GameStop...

Google's acquisition of Motorola given approval by China

5/19/2012 5:15:00 PM

Google's proposed acquisition of Motorola earned a stamp of approval from both the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission back in February, and now the deal has gotten the final green light it needed before it could close. Today China approved Google's plans to buy Motorola, but the regulators did attach one stipulation to their approval, saying that Google must offer Android for free to anyone that wants it for the next five years. Now that the acquisition has been approved by...

Sprint offering $100 trade-in credit for old iPhones to put toward iPhone 4S

5/19/2012 1:45:00 PM

Sprint is a fairly recent addition to the group of carriers offering the iPhone in the U.S., joining the party late last year with the introduction of the iPhone 4S. That hasn't stopped Sprint from selling a number of iPhones, though, and now the carrier has introduced a new promotion to try and tempt iPhone users on other carriers to switch to the Now Network. Sprint has announced that it's offering to knock "at least $100" off the price of a new iPhone 4S when a customer brings in any model...

When it comes to the Nexus name, there should be only one

5/19/2012 1:35:00 PM

Every year, there are a few things we can expect to happen in the mobile industry. We have grown to expect that Apple will unveil a new iPhone. We’ve grown accustomed to Google showcasing their latest and greatest major update to the Android platform. And, we can now bet that we’ll see Google also unveil the newest member of the Nexus family. We know where it all started. We know which devices have made their way into the public eye since then. But, a new rumor to...

Featured user review Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 5-19-12

5/19/2012 12:11:00 PM

On this Saturday, the 19th of May, we feature a user review for the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. A popular continuation of the Galaxy S II series for AT&T, this user review comes to us from PhoneDog fan Vernon Xie. Its Alright By Vernon Xie, posted: Mar 30 I've had this phone for about 2 months now, its been treating me decently with roughly 10-12 hours of battery with moderate use, considering I live in an LTE area, and I do always use my phone. The phone itself is a...

GameStop Mobile appears as new AT&T MVNO

5/18/2012 8:45:00 PM

Today has brought with it the second new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) of the week, and while the latest provider comes with a name some of you may be familiar with, you likely wouldn't have guessed that the firm would be interested in entering the cellular arena. Video games retailer GameStop has introduced GameStop Mobile, an MVNO that operates on AT&T's network. Interested customers can buy a SIM card from GameStop Mobile and then insert it into an unlocked GSM or AT&T device, and...

Would you still own an iDevice if you couldn't jailbreak it?

5/18/2012 7:35:00 PM

Much like rooting , loading custom ROMs and kernels and hacking devices is increasingly popular in the Android development community, jailbreaking is the way of iDevice owners who aim to get a little added functionality out of their device. Developers crawl the system after each update, looking for a hole in the software’s security so they can work their magic. By jailbreaking , iOS users can gain access to Cydia, a third-party, homebrew market where you can purchase and...

ITC hits Motorola with import ban on some Android devices for infringing on Microsoft patent

5/18/2012 6:40:00 PM

Late last year, an U.S. International Trade Commission judge ruled that Motorola had infringed upon on Microsoft patent related to "generating meeting requests and group scheduling from a mobile device." We noted at the time that the judge's decision would be subject to review by the full Commission, and today it decided to uphold that ruling, meaning that Motorola now faces an import ban on its infringing Android products. The exclusion order is now subject to a 60-day review by the president.

Samsung Focus 2 Video Review Part 2

5/18/2012 6:35:00 PM

Windows Phone is making headway in the US mobile market, and they're working hard to appeal to several different price tiers. The Samsung Focus 2 is coming to AT&T on May 20th for $49.99 on contract, and despite the low price tag, it offers some great features. Focus 2 ships with a 1.4 GHz single-core Snapdragon CPU, 4-inch Super AMOLED display with 480x800 pixels, 5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording, a front-facing camera, 1,750 mAh battery, and 4G LTE...

Samsung Focus 2 Video Review Part 1

5/18/2012 6:20:00 PM

As cool as devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note and HTC One X are, not everyone needs a high-end superphone. For those people, the Samsung Focus 2 is an awesome option. Coming to AT&T for $49.99, Focus 2 offers a 1.4 GHz single-core CPU, 4-inch Super AMOLED display with 480x800 pixels, 5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording, a front-facing camera, 1,750 mAh battery, and 4G LTE connectivity. It'll be a great choice for many - and is a steal for under...

Verizon rumored to begin enabling global roaming for select phones soon

5/18/2012 5:20:00 PM

Remember earlier this year when Verizon said that the LG Spectrum and Motorola DROID 4 included global roaming support and that the feature would be enabled later this year? We haven't heard anything on the matter since, but a new Verizon information card suggests that the feature will be coming to at least one handset soon. As you can see above, an info card for the HTC Rezound reveals that a "global feature" that'll allow the phone to be used in an additional 185 countries is "coming soon."...

Motorola updates Android 4.0 upgrade schedule

5/18/2012 3:20:00 PM

Back in February, Motorola provided an update on its Android 4.0 update schedule, but at the time many devices that folks were wondering about, like the DROID RAZR and DROID 4, were listed simply as being in the "Evaluation & Planning" phase. Today Moto updated its schedule, though, and now we've got a better idea of when several products will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich (if they will be at all). The DROID RAZR and RAZR MAXX are now expected to receive an ICS update in Q2 2012, and the...

Are you willing to pay more to get the plan and device you want?

5/18/2012 2:50:00 PM

As interest in the smartphone industry grows, owning one and paying for the service is becoming more and more expensive. New, data-optimized wireless networks are rapidly being built and expanded to accommodate for the millions of new data users; phones themselves are becoming more powerful with every generation and their price tags are starting to scale accordingly; and the associated data plans are more expensive and being capped or throttled to curb usage and alleviate some network stress...

ZTE prepping a fix for Score M security hole

5/18/2012 2:30:00 PM

Heads up, ZTE Score M owners. ZTE has confirmed that the Score M contains a backdoor security hole that could allow someone access to a user's device so long as they have the hard-coded password. Some folks claim that the same issue affects other ZTE-made handsets, but ZTE denies that that's the case. The company says that a patch for the vulnerability is in the works and that it'll be sent out over the air "in the very near future." However the backdoor ended up in the Score M, it's...

Virgin Mobile offering $25 Google Wallet credit with LG Optimus Elite

5/18/2012 12:05:00 PM

If you've been on the fence about picking up Virgin Mobile's LG Optimus Elite, the carrier has a new deal that may convince you to pull out your wallet. Virgin has announced that any customer that buys an Optimus Elite and activates a Google Wallet prepaid card within seven days of the phone purchase will receive a $25 Google Wallet credit. The promotion starts today and will run through July 18th, meaning you've got plenty of time to gather up the $149.99 for a new Optimus Elite. It's also...

Some features I would like to see in the Jelly Bean update

5/18/2012 11:30:00 AM

Another year, another Android version. In mid-2010, Android godfather Andy Rubin told us that software updates would be coming once per year, slowing things down a bit from the breakneck pace updates were being churned out before. Neither carriers or manufacturers could keep up with the quick pace of the Android team's fast-coding fingers (and they still can't for that matter), so Andy and his team decided to pack more features into each update and give each iteration more time under the...

Featured user review HTC One S 5-18-12

5/18/2012 11:25:00 AM

Happy Friday PhoneDog fans. To kick off this weekend in May we are featuring a user review today for the HTC One S. It has become the premier line for HTC and this version has been popular Globally and with the T-Mobile faithful Stateside. This review comes to us from John Ariola. Enjoy. Fast Light And Great Looking By John Ariola, posted: May 9 First no matter which phone ICS is a vast improvement over Gingerbread. That said about the One S I have been using...

LG Optimus Elite to Sprint

5/18/2012 11:14:00 AM

We thought there was going to be two new smartphones hitting Sprint today, but since the HTC EVO 4G LTE is being held up, we can only announce the LG Optimus Elite on this Friday May 18, 2012. Release Date: Friday May 18, 2012 Carrier: Sprint Retail Price: $249.99 Phone Price: $29.99 after instant savings, mail-in rebate, and with 2-yr Agreement Hot Features: Eco-friendly, compatible at Google Wallet locations, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), 1530 mAh battery, 800MHz processor

Samsung Galaxy S III pre-orders said to have already reached nine million

5/18/2012 11:10:00 AM

Excited about the Samsung Galaxy S III ? You're not alone, as an unnamed Samsung official has told the Korea Economic Daily that their company has received around nine million pre-orders for the new Galaxy S handset from over 100 global carriers. The same official went on to say that Samsung's smartphone factory in South Korea is running at full steam, putting out five million devices per month. Samsung had no official comment on the report. Considering the popularity of the Samsung...

Apple and HTC ordered to take part in settlement talks on August 28th

5/18/2012 9:40:00 AM

Apple and HTC have traded their fair share of legal blows over the past couple of years, but now it looks like the two companies will soon have to put their weapons down for a bit and try to talk things out. The U.S. Court for the District of Delaware has ordered both companies to meet on August 28th to discuss the possibility of reaching a settlement in the battle between the them. The lawyers for both Apple and HTC will participate in the talks, as will decision-making company...

Best Buy sends out another HTC EVO 4G LTE email, now says it doesn't know when the phone is launching

5/18/2012 8:50:00 AM

HTC EVO 4G LTE Watch 2012 continues again this morning, as Best Buy is now sending out another email to customers that pre-ordered the new Sprint handset. Yesterday Best Buy told those folks that the EVO 4G LTE was expected to be released on May 23rd, but now the retailer is saying that the release date has changed and that it isn't aware of exactly when the new EVO will hit shelves. So far neither HTC nor Sprint have provided any updated information on the availability of the HTC...

Poll: Which new HTC smartphone would you carry?

5/17/2012 7:00:00 PM

I have all of the new HTC devices in front of me, yet I struggle with the same question. Personally, I love the size and build quality of the HTC One S (which I've unlocked for use on AT&T), but I hold back on carrying it as my daily driver because of the small (1,650 mAh) battery and non-HD display. The HTC One X is a really nice device with 4G LTE support, but I don't care for the design. The rounded sides, curved display, and polycarbonate shell make the device feel...

After one month with Android, I'm going back to Windows Phone

5/17/2012 6:55:00 PM

Consider this a late announcement that I switched to Android for a month. It wasn't quite an official switch since I still kept and used my Windows Phone smartphone as my primary personal device and the "switch" was actually more of a casual experiment I did in my spare time. Still, it was an intentional experiment and I learned a lot. After using Windows Phone for nine months, I started to miss Android a little. Though I carry an Android phone with me simply to keep abreast of the latest...

Verizon explains unlimited data situation and how customers can keep their plan

5/17/2012 5:20:00 PM

Shortly after issuing a brief statement on its data plans, Verizon has now clarified the situation surrounding its unlimited data offerings and what'll happen with them once it introduces shared data plans. In a statement sent to The New York Times, the carrier explains that once data share plans are launched, customers that upgrade to a new device at a subsidized price will no longer be able to hold on to their unlimited data plan. Any customer that buys a new device at full retail price will...

AT&T flips its 4G LTE switch in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Naples

5/17/2012 4:50:00 PM

Looks like AT&T is joining in on the 4G LTE expansion fun this week. AT&T today announced that it's flipped the LTE switch in a few new markets today, including New Orleans, La. (both the Northshore and Southshore), Baton Rouge, La., and Naples, Fla. Along with those new cities, AT&T has also expanded its existing 4G LTE coverage in Chicago, bringing LTE service to the city's South Side and suburbs. Some of the areas included in AT&T's Chicago expansion include Hickory Hills, Palos Heights,...