The Verizon BlackBerry Curve 9370 was announced last week at CEs 2012 and is available in stores today. The Curve 9370 is the latest in the curve family Line on the Verizon Network. it sports a 2.44-inch display that isn’t touch screen, a 5- megapixel camera, and is a Global ready smartphone on the Verizon network, with a Vodaphone 3G sim-card. The Curve 9370 has a 2GB microSD that is expandable up to 32Gb . It also supports NFC and has Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi B/G/N & GPS.  The Unit itself is very light and I feel is one of the lightest Blackberries to date.

BlackBerry Travel is a nice little additive on the BlackBerry Curve 9370, giving the user full access to booking tickets, setting up travel plans, checking local weather and getting great deals on trips. This is a useful feature I can see been fully beneficial to the business class user that BlackBerry attracts and has as their core customer base

BlackBerry Traffic is a free voice navigation service from BlackBerry, that gives you turn by turn directions. Though not giving you a map view, does indicate and show you traffic congestion and toll routes. It is nice that BlackBerry has packaged something extra into their smartphone as a free feature with the device.

The New curve 9370 from BlackBerry on Verizon is a super light-weight device, feels much lighter and performs faster than the previous curves. the addition of BlackBerry, travel and traffic are a welcome plus to BlackBerry 7.1 OS. Though an NFC capable device, we have yet to see any functional use of NFC technology on the new BlackBerrys let a lone the Blackberry Curve 9370. But in the end it feels like more of the same, which could be a good or bad thing.

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The Pantech Burst is the latest addition to AT&T’s 4G LTE smartphone arsenal on the budget range. This  smartphone is equipped with a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen with an 800 x 480-pixel resolution, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p HD video, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats and 16GB of storage.  The Pantech Burst doesn’t have any physical with four touch sensitive buttons for menu, home, back and search. The device is very snappy wit its dual-core processor, and comes with a custom skin UI over Android 2.3.5.

The Pantech Burst is heavily skinned across the whole UI, but not to worry Pantech has done a good job in creating a custom overlay that adds a lot to the overall Android experience. From the lock screen that provides you options in unlocking to different applications on the phone. Also the notification bar allows for quick access to easy settings on the device, which provides the user with setting controls for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Alarm, App management, tethering and sound control.  A lot of the additives to the OS have been well though out and well placed.  The Pantech Burst is also a 4G LTE device on the AT&T network and bow doe sit provide some eye-popping speeds in our tests, we got Maximum download speeds of 40Mbps and upload speeds of 20Mbps, which is fantastic and does help accentuate the values of this budget Android device.

The Pantech Burst is great for its price point, providing values as well as a solid user experience with the thrills of AT&T’s 4G LTE. The phone is now available for just $49.99 with a new two-year AT&T contract; plus AT&T has a sweet bundle deal that’s available for the Pantech Burst & Pantech Element tablet . Rather than paying $50 for the Burst and another $300 for the Element, if you purchase them simultaneously, you can grab the two for a deal at $249.99 on-contract — a savings of $100.

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The Droid Razr Maxx is the latest extension in the Droid Razr family by Motorola, what makes the Droid Razr Maxx different is the addition of a 3330mAh battery that only bumps the thickness of the device to 8.99mm. Which is truly astounding feat. Spec wise the Droid Razr Maxx is similar to is older brother the Droid Razr sport a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED qHD display that is coated with Gorilla glass. Powered by a dual-core processor and running Android 2.3.5 with 1GB of ram for some smooth operations all running by Android™ 2.3.5, Gingerbread

So we know the Droid Razr Maxx is pretty much a Droid Razr with a beefier battery. At 3330mAh Motorola Has stuffed an extended battery into a slim profile. So to see if the companies claims of 21hr talk time and 8 hrs of movie viewing was correct, we decided to carry out our own test.First we did a movie viewing test to see how long the battery will last with on a single charge watching 3 movies. Then we did a call time test. Actually we did two test, First was a call test with the LCD on and second was a Call test with the LCD off and here are the result.

Watching 3 Movies on the Droid Razr Maxx
Motorola Claim- 8 hrs
Actual-                    6hrs 7mins

Call time test
Motorola claim-            21hrs
Actual with LCD off-      22hrs 10mins
Actual with LCD on-     9hrs 16mins

Conclusion

Motorola Set the bar pretty high with the original Droid Razr released last year with its ultra thin profile and sleekness, it also feature some innovative software additives like Motoro cast which allows you to stream content back and fort to your home server or PC from anywhere in the world via Verizon’ Wireless 4G LTE. The Droid Razr Maxx has all these and a little extra with its 3330mAh battery, which lives up to Motorola’s Battery claims; with 22hrs of talk time in our test and 6hrs of video watching. The Droid Razr maxx can be deemed the best and most reliable Android smartphone dare I say Smartphone on the market.

Specs

1GB RAM for a fast user interface and multi-tasking
8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization technology for crisp and clear videos
Front-facing HD camera for video chat over 4G LTE, 3G or Wi-Fi
4G LTE Mobile Hotspot capable so customers can share 4G LTE speed with up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
Water repellent nanocoating protects the phone, and even the inside components, against everyday spills
Remote wipe, pin lock and government-grade encryption for email, calendar and contacts as well as voice and video chat conferencing
Use Quickoffice® to view, create and edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents on yourmobile device from anywhere at anytime
Bluetooth 4.0 low energy
32 GB memory: 16 GB on board and 16 GB microSD™ card pre-installed (actual formatted capacity is less)
Powerful 3300 mAh battery

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The Asus Transformer Prime is the Latest Android tablet and we were blessed with an Android 4.0 update during the Unboxing. The Transformer Prime is a 8.3mm thick table and weighs only 566g that house the Tegra 3 ka-el chip, a Quad-core processor, great for gaming on the go and will provide smooth operations to the system. It uses a Super IPS display with a 178 degree viewing angle with Gorilla glass .

An 8 Megapixel camera in the rear and a 1.2 megapixel camera in the front  for video chat. 1080p recording with the rear camera and a back illuminated CMOS sensor for taking photos in low light and better video recording. 32/64GB of inbuilt storage plus cloud storage in from Asus.

The Hardware of the Asus transformer primes is sleek, polish and well refined. The power button is located at the top of the device, with the volume toggles on the left of the device, the 10-inch Asus Transformer prime has a thick bezel and is very finger print happy. There is also a microSD slot, giving you the ability to expand your storage options beyond the capacity listed for the device.  overall I think the hardware is solid, its light  and easy to use, though it has a thick bezel and is not finger print friendly. It is still a well crafted device

Prime Camera Test

The Asus Transformer Primes has an 8 megapixel camera with an LED flash,  making it the highest megapixel camera found on a tablet to date. So we give the camera a test run to see how will it functions, In taking video and stills. It should be noted the camera has the ability to record in time-lapse as it is standard on all Android 4.0 devices, as we saw on the Galaxy Nexus . Enjoy this  1080p camera test.

ASUS Transformer Prime Camera Shots VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Conclusion

The Asus Transformer Prime is a power machine, the fact Asus was able to cram in the Tegra 3(Kal-el) chip  into such a thin profile and form factor is something to take note, the device runs like a dream, of course during our review we were running Android 4.0 on the tablet.  Operations were smooth and efficient, the device is built for mobile gaming handling different games with ease. Battery life is impeccable, considering you have a quad-core processor in the Asus Transformer prime, I still got up to 1hrs of battery life. It also helps that the Asus UI overlay on Android 4.0 gives you options to toggle your CPU usage, as well as the brightness on the Super IPS display. Which might I add is fantastic outdoors.  Overall the Asus Transformer Prime has set the Gold standard in 2012 for android based tablets, with power, efficiency and overall design. Lets see how the competition responds

The Samsung Galaxy will be hitting AT&T network on Feb 19th @ $299.99. Much higher than I expected, for this 4G LTE device The Galaxy Note is designed with a 5.3” display with HD Super AMOLED™ technology, a high-resolution screen that provides a bright, rich, colorful viewing experience. The Note includes a creative tool called the S Pen™, which delivers fast, responsive and precise control to create fine lines and detail on the device display, much like an ink pen and pad of paper.

The Droid Razr Maxx is the latest extension in the Droid Razr family by Motorola, what makes the Droid Razr Maxx different is the addition of a 3300mAh battery that only bumps the thickness of the device to 8.99mm. Which is truly astounding feat. Spec wise the Droid Razr Maxx is similar to is older brother the Droid Razr sport a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED qHD display that is coated with Gorilla glass. Powered by a dual-core processor and running Android 2.3.5 with 1GB of ram for some smooth operations all running by Android™ 2.3.5, Gingerbread

Specs

1GB RAM for a fast user interface and multi-tasking
8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization technology for crisp and clear videos
Front-facing HD camera for video chat over 4G LTE, 3G or Wi-Fi
4G LTE Mobile Hotspot capable so customers can share 4G LTE speed with up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
Water repellent nanocoating protects the phone, and even the inside components, against everyday spills
Remote wipe, pin lock and government-grade encryption for email, calendar and contacts as well as voice and video chat conferencing
Use Quickoffice® to view, create and edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents on yourmobile device from anywhere at anytime
Bluetooth 4.0 low energy
32 GB memory: 16 GB on board and 16 GB microSD™ card pre-installed (actual formatted capacity is less)
Powerful 3300 mAh battery

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The Pantech Burst is the latest addition to AT&T’s 4G LTE smartphone arsenal on the budget range. This  smartphone is equipped with a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen with an 800 x 480-pixel resolution, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p HD video, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats and 16GB of storage.  The Pantech Burst doesn’t have any physical with four touch sensitive buttons for menu, home, back and search. The device is very snappy wit its dual-core processor, and comes with a custom skin UI over Android 2.3.5. So far I like what I see and from an initial 4G LTE speed test I got 29Mbps on Downloads and 10Mbps on uploads.

The phone is now available for just $49.99 with a new two-year AT&T contract; plus AT&T has a sweet bundle deal that’s available for the Pantech Burst & Pantech Element tablet . Rather than paying $50 for the Burst and another $300 for the Element, if you purchase them simultaneously, you can grab the two for a deal at $249.99 on-contract – a savings of $100

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T-Mobile is fortunate to have two great budget Windows Phone Smartphones, On is the HTC Radar 4G which came out last year and sports a 3.8-inch touchscreen with 480×800 resolution, powered by a 1Ghz processor  with 512MB Ram and 8GB of Internal Storage. The HTC Radar 4G is a 14.4Mbps device on the T-Mobile network. 5-megapixel camera with F2.2 lens, LED flash, and BSI sensor (for better low-light captures). Front camera: VGA front camera. HD video recording: 720p HD.

The Network also carries the Nokia Lumia 710 sports a Clear black 3.7-inch display, powered by  a 1.4Ghz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor, with 8GB of storage a 5 megapixel camera that records at 720p and a front facing VGA camera for video chat. The Lumia 710 also comes packed with ESPN app, Nokia Drive(navigation), Netflix and a few other applications. Also the Lumia 710 uses a micro-sim.

In this video we pit both devices against each other. Why? the are priced similar at Under $50 and geared to the entry Smartphone market.; so lets see which is the best budget Windows Phone device on the T-Mobile Network

We had heard word about this during CES but need some more confirmation, but its looks like the whispers are true, the Nokia Lumia 900 which is a top tier handset is coming to AT&T on March 18th for just $99.99; which BGR is now reporting  Nokia and AT&T are going for some very aggressive pricing here. The Nokia Lumia 900 will the second Nokia Windows phone in the US and the company’s first 4G LTE device. The Lumia 900 is a 4.3-inch AMOLED Clear black display device. it is power by a 1.5Ghz Processor with 512MB of ram. its got a rear camera with an f2.2 aperture and a front-facing camera with a f2.4 aperture for some great videos and video chats. March 18th can’t come any soon, for AT&T customers.

The Asus Transformer Prime is the Latest Android tablet and we were blessed with an Android 4.0 update during the Unboxing. The Transformer Prime is a 8.3mm thick table and weighs only 566g that house the Tergra 3 ka-el chip, a Quad-core processor, great for gaming on the go and will provide smooth operations to the system. It uses a Super IPS display with a 178 degree viewing angle with Gorilla glass .

An 8 Megapixel camera in the rear and a 1,2 megapixel camera in the front for video chat. 1080p recording with the rear camera and a back illuminated CMOS sensor for taking photos in low light and better video recording. 32/64GB of inbuilt storage plus cloud storage in from Asus. So enjoying our unboxing video and stay tuned for our full review

The Nokia Lumia 710 is the first Windows Phone by Nokia on the T-Mobile network. This device is geared at the first time smartphone users and is priced competitively and accordingly at $49.99. The Lumia 710 sports a Clear black 3.7-inch display, powered by  a 1.4Ghz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor, with 8GB of storage a 5 megapixel camera that records at 720p and a front facing VGA camera for video chat. The Lumia 710 also comes packed with ESPN app, Nokia Drive(navigation), Netflix and a few other applications. Also the Lumia 710 uses a micro-sim. The hardware feels solid, though a bit plasticy with the replaceable back cover. The Lumia 710 is light weight and feels comfortable. though I will say the physical button bar can be a tad hard to press at times. The device doesn’t have a front facing camera for video chat

In this video we shall see how well Nokia first official reentry into the US market fairs, and is it the true budget smartphone it is dubbed to be.

5MP Camera

The camera test of the Nokia Lumia 710 is a set  recording at 720p, This video also includes shots in low light as well as some still attached. The Lumia 710 does a good job with its 5megapixel camera in taking stills as well as recording at 720p. It is also one of the few windows phone camera that allows photos to be taken widescreen.  Enjoy the camera test footage below.

Conclusions

The Nokia Lumia 710 is a very solid entry back into the US market, at an entry price point of $49.99 and at some places free, the Nokia Lumia 710 is a very attractive offering to the first time smartphone user, plus the addition of Nokia drive goes a long way in giving smartphone user a free turn-by-turn navigation system that can be used in over 140 countries world wide.  The are things I wished Nokia had done with the device, the lack of a front facing camera Is not acceptable in this day and age, though the excuse may be it’s a budget device and Skype has not been integrated into windows phone. But we know its coming and I don’t want to upgrade to use it, the use of plastic on the build is a choice I didn’t expect Nokia to take, which makes the device feel cheap in some areas. Overall the Lumia 710 is still very solid, pplus the battery life on the device puts other devices on the network to shame.

Nokia Lumia 710 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

At CES 2012  we got a chance to talk to Microsoft Senior Product Manger for Windows Phone Greg Sullivan, He was able  to share some thoughts on Windows Phone 7, what Microsoft plans where are it pertains to 4G LTE, User experience, Hardware & Carrier partnership

The Verizon BlackBerry Curve 9370 was announced last week at CEs 2012 and is available in stores today. The Curve 9370 is the latest in the curve family Line on the Verizon Network. it sports a 2.44-inch display that isn’t touch screen, a 5- megapixel camera, and is a Global ready smartphone on the Verizon network, with a Vodaphone 3G sim-card. The Curve 9370 has a 2Gb microSD that is expandable up to 32Gb . It also supports NFC and has Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi B/G/N & GPS.  The Unit itself is very light and I feel is one of the lightest Blackberries to date.  We will spend time playing around with the BlackBerry Curve 9370 and give you our full review. Till then. Enjoy our Unboxing

The Nokia Lumia 710 is the first Windows Phone by Nokia on the T-Mobile network. This device is geared at the first time smartphone users and is priced competitively and accordingly. The Lumia 710 sports a Clear black 3.7-inch display, powered by  a 1.4Ghz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor, with 8GB of storage a 5 megapixel camera that records at 720p and a front facing VGA camera for video chat. The Lumia 710 also comes packed with ESPN app, Nokia Drive(navigation), Netflix and a few other applications. Also the Lumia 710 uses a micro-sim

The hardware feels solid, though a bit plasticy with the replaceable back cover, we will get more to that in our full review. Till then hope you enjoy our unboxing & first  impression video

The Sony Xperia Ion is Sony’s first LTE phone coming to AT&T packed with a 12 megapixels. 3D sweep panorama, front-facing camera (1.3 MP 720p) and HD video recording (1080p). Sony Exmor R™ for mobile image. 16x digital zoom.  4.6 HD The Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine makes the super-wide, LED back-lit screen sharp and crisp. And through reduced light reflection, the picture stays clear when you’re outdoors too. ion has a 720p front-facing camera perfect for video calls with Google™ Talk or Skype