GeekSugar

Samsung Galaxy Note Gets Price and Release Date

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:31:18 PST

The biggest smartphone (or tiniest tablet?) we've ever seen, the Samsung Galaxy Note has finally received a price and release date: it's headed to AT&T on Feb. 19 for $300. Whether you're looking for a powerful smartphone or portable tablet, the Galaxy Note has you covered. Coming with a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, 1.4GHz dual-core processor, HSPA＋ and LTE connectivity for fast upload and download speeds, an included stylus (called the S Pen), and dual cameras (8MP rear facing and 2MP forward facing), it's got everything you might need from either device.

The Galaxy Note could also be your BFF when it comes to organizing your life. Included software integrates with your calendars, to-do lists, and schedule, and the S Memo app allows you to use the stylus to write notes and draw pictures, then converts them into a memo for later use.

You can preorder the Galaxy Note starting on Feb. 5 in two colors - carbon blue and ceramic white.

Where in the World Did Your Shiny Gadget Come From?

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:06:26 PST

We know what farmer grew our apples and coffee, yet we are usually clueless when it comes to the origins of our tech gadgets. That shiny new phone or e-reader you bought didn't just appear out of thin air - it required hundreds of parts that were produced all around the world before it was assembled and shipped across the country. Take this quiz to see if you know where your favorite gadgets are manufactured.

You Can Never Be Too Thin: The LG Prada Phone

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:35:21 PST

It's not unusual to see a designer smartphone with dumbed-down specs, but the latest entry to the designer gadget lineup seems to be packing both brains and looks. The Android-running Prada Phone by LG is a skinny one (naturally) at 8.5mm thick, and comes packed with a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, a 1.0Ghz dual-core processor for speed, 8GB of onboard storage, and an 8MP rear-facing camera so you can snap crystal clear photos of your daily outfits.

The signature Saffiano pattern on the backside adds a touch of class to the phone, while a whole range of Prada-branded extras, including a docking station, Bluetooth headset, and headphones, keep you accessorized. Unfortunately, for those of us stateside, the Prada phone will only be available in the UK for now (at a shockingly low price - free on a two-year contract), but you can fuel your dreams with a better look at the phone in the video after the break.

AT&T Announces New Data Plans For Smartphones and Tablets: Details You Need to Know

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:43:40 PST

AT&T announced new data plans for smartphones and tablets today that will take effect starting Jan. 22. As always when it comes to change, there's good news and bad news. Each plan costs about $5 more than the previous plans (that's the bad news), but the good news is that you'll get 100MB more data on the Plus plan and 1GB more data on the Pro plans than you were getting before. Current customers can stick with the plans they're already on or switch up to the new plans, whereas new AT&T customers will have to select one of the new plans at signup starting on Sunday.

Get the details on all the new data plans below.

Smartphones

AT&T Data Plus 300MB: $20
AT&T Data Pro 3GB: $30
AT&T Data Pro 5GB: $50, with mobile hotspot or tethering

It'll cost an extra $20 for an extra 300MB on the Plus plan and $10 for each additional gigabyte on the two Pro plans.

Tablets

AT&T DataConnect 3GB: $30
AT&T DataConnect 5GB: $50

13 New CES Smartphones You Should Know About

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:50:48 PST

There were a number of smartphones introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, ranging from large and powerful to sleek and sexy. Which will you choose? Get to know each of them a little better here.

The Stresses of Smartphones

Kelly Schwarze — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:29:17 PST

A smartphone is supposed to keep you connected with the world at your fingertips, but is it just stressing you out? A new study from the University of Worcester suggests staying connected is stress-inducing for those that feel they can never sign off.

Study volunteers admit their constant checking, rechecking, and triple checking for new notifications has them experiencing phantom vibrations, believing their phone is chirping for attention even in those rare moments it's not. Most of the participants originally began using smartphones to keep up with work on the go, which quickly spiraled into 24/7 replies to emails, tweets, and Facebook messages.

Companies are starting to react to the pressures of work-life balance in the face of technology. Volkswagen, for example, shuts off its BlackBerry email server outside of office hours so employees can recharge without a mobile distraction. Are you feeling the stress of being tethered to a smartphone?

Nokia Is Back: Lumia 900 Coming to AT&T Soon

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:16:36 PST

The wait is over, y'all; Nokia head Stephen Elop took the stage alongside Steve Ballmer and AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega earlier today to officially announce the 4G LTE Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone, slated to hit AT&T in the coming months. The phone is quite a stunner with a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen and your choice of cyan or black for an exterior hue. There are over 50,000 apps just waiting to be discovered in the Windows Marketplace, including those from partners like Sesame Street, CNN, and ESPN, and you can download plenty of apps, music, movies, and lots more with 16GB of storage space.

If you're a smartphone photographer, the 8MP camera will impress: it's stocked with a Carl Zeiss F2.2 aperture lens for the clearest and best possible pictures. There's even a 1MP F.2.4 forward-facing camera.

Stay tuned for pricing and release date details. This is one phone we've got our eye on.

Samsung Galaxy Note Coming Soon With Fancy Stylus

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:51:15 PST

Size may not matter to most, but according to Samsung's research, you're gonna love its new Galaxy Note. Packed with a massive 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED screen (the largest smartphone screen in the world, naturally), it's the perfect size for those who want a larger viewing experience but don't want to carry around a tablet in their bag. The 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 4G LTE connectivity ensure downloading and media viewing quickness, while the 16GB (expandable up to 32GB) of on-board memory lets you store more of those things.

Other features include an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP front-facing camera suitable for video chatting, and a stylus called the S Pen. Not just any stylus, though, the S Pen features 256 levels of pressure sensitivity, which means a lighter stroke will get you thinner lines and more pressure means thicker lines.

The Samsung Galaxy Note is enterprise-safe, which will please business customers who could use a little more tablet-like stylus action in their lives. It's coming soon to AT&T so stay tuned for pricing and release date info.

Huawei Hopes to Break Into US Mobile Market With World's Slimmest Smartphone

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:43:15 PST

Huawei chairman Richard Yu knows that Americans don't associate mobile phones with its brand, but the company is hoping to change all that with the introduction of the "world's slimmest" smartphone, the Ascend P1 S.

Landing in North America in April, the Ascend P1 S is just 6.68 mm thick and comes with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Gorilla Glass touchscreen, so not only is it big and bright, but it's strong, too. And more than strong, it's fast and powerful - the P1 S is stocked with a dual-core 1.5Ghz Cortext-A9 processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (something a lot of new phones can't say), though you'll only get 3G connectivity with this device. There are two cameras onboard the P1 S (an 8MP rear-facing and 1.3MP forward-facing), a dual LED flash, and 1080p recording capabilities.

As for the design, you can get the Ascend P1 S in metallic black, ceramic white, and cherry blossom pink with more colors to come soon. Huawei also introduced the P1 smartphone, which is built in the same spirit as the P1 S, but is just a bit thicker at 7.69mm.

Check out more images of the P1 S in the gallery!

Source: Flickr user HuaweiDevice

LG Spectrum Is Perfect For Video Lovers

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:25:57 PST

LG introduced its newest Android smartphone at CES this morning, the Spectrum. This slim phone features a 4.5-inch True HD IPS display, which brings TV technology to your mobile. Stocked with a 1.5GHz dual core processor and 1GB of RAM, the Spectrum was made with video streaming in mind - its HD screen boasts 329 pixels per inch and a 16:9 aspect ratio, while other goodies like ESPN streaming in HD and 1080p video recording and playback make it an entertainment powerhouse. It comes stocked with 4GB of on-board memory and a pre-installed 16GB microSD card, but you can expand that storage space up to 32GB if you want to tote more videos, photos, or music.

The Spectrum will launch with Android 2.3 Gingerbread (upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich) on Jan. 19 for $200 with a two-year contract.