Wireless and Cell Phones

Jan

2010

Nexus One hardware costs $174.15, US multitouch still priceless

If, while perusing the Nexus One teardown, you were doing a mental tally of just how much each internal part may cost, here's your chance to compare your numbers to some professionally obtained figures. iSuppli reports a preliminary estimate of $174.15 for the cost of materials needed to build each handset. The research firm also congratulates Google on keeping a bill of materials comparable to most recent smartphones while having "the most advanced features of any smart phone ever dissected by iSuppli's Teardown Analysis Service." Costliest of all things was the 1GHz Snapdragon ($30.50), followed by the AMOLED display ($23.50) and memory ($20.40) from Samsung. The Bluetooth and 802.11n WiFi transceiver cost $8.20, and perhaps the most egregious spend was $12.50 on a 5 megapixel camera that many of us might never use. Hilariously enough, Google has spent $17.50 on what is clearly identified as a "capacitive multitouch touchscreen assembly" from Synaptics, though enabling it clearly remains a bridge too far.

Nexus One hardware costs $174.15, US multitouch still priceless originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan

2010

Droid gets overclocking, Nexus One gets tethering, Android hackers get mad props

If there's one problem with Motorola's Droid it's that the battery life is just too long. We can almost make it through an entire day without a recharge and really, who wants that? Thank goodness there's a hack to enable an extra 50MHz boost, bumping the Droid up to a full 600 and, according to at least one user, significantly decreasing stability in the process. We'll go ahead and skip that one, but on the more alluring side there's a new add-on to the (already rooted) Nexus One that enables wired or wireless tethering. It's not a full ROM but does entail a kernel update, and as always these things can go horribly wrong if you don't know what you're doing. Not sure if you know what you're doing? Chances are you have your answer.

Droid gets overclocking, Nexus One gets tethering, Android hackers get mad props originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source Droid overclocking, Nexus One tethering | Email this | Comments

Dec

2009

BPhone looks like a netbook, acts like a netbook, has 'phone' in its name (video)

If you were looking for a large and impractical "cellphone," we just might have some news for you. Hot on the heels of a certain Dell netbook mod, we submit for your approval a 5-inch convertible device that features a QWERTY chocolate keyboard, trackball, and quite possibly Windows XP. We've got no relevant data for you, such as manufacturer, price, and release date are all mysteries at this point, but you can see it in action if you like -- just check out the videos after the break. As for us, we think we'll just wait for the xpPhone.

Continue reading BPhone looks like a netbook, acts like a netbook, has 'phone' in its name (video)

BPhone looks like a netbook, acts like a netbook, has 'phone' in its name (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Cloned in China | source M8 Cool | Email this | Comments

Dec

2009

Verizon MiFi 2200

Meet a 3G-connected Wi-Fi access point that fits in your pocket

When you’re ready to step up to the world of cellular broadband connections, there are lots of options. The removable PC Card, USB, and ExpressCard modems deliver great performance and work with pretty much any PC, but they’ll connect only one machine at a time to the Internet—that is, unless you can successfully set up connection sharing in Windows. And while we love the always-on nature of modems integrated in notebooks, their permanent association to a single machine makes the external cards seem positively promiscuous by comparison. Enter the MiFi 2200.

Inside this tiny device—it’s about the same size as a stack of six credit cards—is not only a 3G wireless modem, but also a Wi-Fi access point and a battery to power the whole thing. That’s right, the MiFi 2200 lets you and four of your closest pals connect to the Internet anywhere there’s a 3G cell signal. We tested the MiFi with two computers and a Wi-Fi-enabled phone and were pleased with the results. The battery-powered MiFi seems designed to work with PCs that are no more than 10 feet away. While we had signal further out in some test environments, we found it worked best up close.

The MiFi 2200 is about the size of a stack of six credit cards, but it packs a battery, a 3G cellular data modem, and a Wi-Fi access point into its slick black plastic shell.

To test signal, we took the MiFi to locations throughout the Bay Area, connected a laptop to the device and used Speedtest.net to measure latency, upstream, and downstream performance (see table). We tested the Verizon version of the MiFi 2200, but it’s available in AT&T and Sprint, as well. We wouldn’t want to use the MiFi’s connection for gaming or uploading video—it’s roughly analogous to an inexpensive DSL line—but it’s great for browsing and checking email.

Configuring the MiFi is simple. Plug it into a USB port on your PC and install the software from the integrated flash drive to activate the MiFi. Then unplug it and log into the pre-configured Wi-Fi access point. Once there, you can change many settings common to simple routers—including Wi-Fi security mode and SSID. There’s no driver disc to lose, and most of the settings are accessible using your browser after the initial configuration.

There are a few problems with the MiFi. The power switch is much too easy to turn on accidentally. That said, we didn’t experience battery life problems as a result—even under heavy usage, the MiFi lasted at least a couple of days. We were also disappointed that there isn’t a way to charge the MiFi using a laptop’s USB port without also disabling the Wi-Fi access point. Whenever you plug it into a live USB port, even a standard USB charger, it behaves like a standard USB cellular modem.

The MiFi isn’t perfect, but for the same monthly cost as a single-PC card or USB adapter, it’s a great deal for anyone who wants to connect more than one PC to the Internet... from pretty much anywhere.

Dec

2009

Verizon Samsung Omnia II impressions

When the Omnia II first appeared on our radar, two things caught our attention: TouchWiz 2.0 and Windows Mobile 6.5. To be honest, neither of these items really piqued our interest: we knew what to expect from WinMo and had serious reservations about Samsung's latest and greatest UI. That said, we were more than willing to suspend judgement until we saw her in action. With bullet points that include a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, 800MHz processor, and 8GB storage (before you even get to your microSD card), one could honestly hold out hope for a pretty decent product. Did the handset make for a satisfying, well-rounded smartphone? Or did it just find new ways of repeating the same old errors? You'll have to read on to find out.

Gallery: Samsung Omnia II glamor shots