Android Tablet Update

Starting this summer Verizon plans to eliminate the $30 unlimited data plan that it still offers to subscribers who were grandfathered into it, when tiered data plans were rolled out last year. The news comes from Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo who said that as these 3G unlimited data plan customers migrate to 4G LTE devices, they will be forced to adopt the company’s new data-share plan that is expected by mid-summer.

“LTE is our anchor point for data share, so as you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go onto the data share plan, moving away from the unlimited world,” Shammo said. “A lot of our 3G base is on unlimited. When they migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share. That is beneficial to us.”

AT&T recently began encouraging their subscribers to migrate to tiered plans (which pissed some customers off), so it’s not much of a surprise to see Verizon doing the same thing.

Verizon goes on to say the new data-share plan will allow subscribers to connect more devices. Shammo said, “If I can add as many devices as I want, that is more efficient from a family perspective and a small business perspective.”

Some say that you should be scared of Verizon’s shared data plans, but I’m not so sure that I share that opinion yet. I might be alone in this thinking, but I don’t mind tiers and paying for the data that I consume. Of course I wish that there were cheaper tiers and data overages cost less, but I don’t have a problem with the basic concept of shared data buckets for multiple devices.

If you are a Verizon customers, I’m curious to know what you think. Will the end of unlimited data plans encourage you to switch to a carrier like Sprint that offers truly unlimited data?

Sprint announced today that the LG Viper will hit stores on April 22nd for a retail price of $99 with a new two-year service agreement, and $50 mail-in rebate via annoying reward card. The device is expected to be one of Sprint’s first 4G LTE smartphones, along with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus that is rumored to launch on the same day.

Highlights of the LG Viper include a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4 inch display, 5MP rear-facing camera with flash, VGA front-facing camera, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB internal storage, NFC, and a 4 GB microSD card. The specs are pretty decent for a smartphone from 2011, but unfortunately the device ships with the aging Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

The LG Viper also includes several “eco-friendly attributes” including ULE Platinum Certification, the highest level of environmental performance recognized by sustainable requirements established by UL Environment and Sprint, a casing made of 50 percent recycled plastics, and packaging that is 100 percent recyclable.

I’m sure the LG Viper is a nice device, but we don’t see many Sprint customers signing up for the pre-order with the Galaxy Nexus launching on the same day and the HTC EVO 4G LTE just around the corner (pre-order begins May 7th). Sprint’s 4G LTE network will only be available in the limited markets of Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio by “mid-year”, so there is not much incentive to pick up the device at launch.

Check out the quick hands-on video from The LG Girl below and let us know what you think. Will you pre-order this device?

US Cellular is one of the larger regional carriers in the US, and has a pretty solid nationwide coverage map. Recently, they have begun rolling out an LTE network, with the high-speed network reaching portions of Maine, Wisconsin, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Iowa. Before today, US Cellular only offered one LTE-capable device, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1“.

Starting today, US Cellular will begin selling their first LTE-capable Android smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator. Yes, you read that right; the Aviator is a variant of the original Galaxy S line, and not the more-powerful Galaxy S II series. Fortunately, the original Galaxy S is definitely one of the better older Android devices, and it will only set you back $99.99 after $100 mail-in-rebate Mastercard.

Full specs for the Galaxy S Aviator include:

• Android^TM 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• 4.3″ Super AMOLED™ Plus Screen
• 1GHz Hummingbird Processor
• 8 MP Camera with LED Flash
• 1.3 MP Front-facing Camera
• 1.4GB of Internal Memory

Though we’re certainly not blown away by a device with a single-core Hummingbird processor when quad-core Tegra 3 devices are starting to eek their way out, the Galaxy S Aviator provides a solid option for US Cellular customers who want to board the LTE train.

Any US Cellular customers out there? Plan on picking up the Galaxy S Aviator, or are you holding out for a slightly more powerful device?

Like many Android users, the original DROID was my introduction to Android and while I’ve bounced through a half dozen other devices since then I’ll always have a soft spot for the DROID line. With that said the DROID 4 has launched into a very different landscape with devices literally half its thickness available and others offering twice its battery life. Despite all that, should the latest installment in this venerable line still warrant consideration as your next Android device?

1. Battery Life

My last review was for the DROID RAZR MAXX with its 3,300 mAh battery so the next competitor didn’t really stand a chance. The DROID 4 comes back down to earth with a 1,785 mAh battery and a more pedestrian 12-14 hours with regular use to go with it. I’m sure with liberal use of Smart Actions you could boost that a bit more, but basically don’t expect any miracles from the DROID 4 battery. It’s also definitely worth noting that while the DROID 4 battery compartment is accessible the battery is not meant to be user replaceable so just tossing a second battery in your bag won’t be an option.

2. Performance

The DROID 4 is packing the same 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM as the DROID RAZR MAXX. This is enough to run basically anything in the Play Store and keeps the OS flowing pretty smoothly. Sure there are quad-core devices powered by Tegra 3 and Exynos on the horizon, but for the time being the DROID 4 is offering plenty of muscle to get the job done. If you are heavily into gaming on your Android device I doubt the DROID 4 would be on your shortlist anyway, but I’ll go ahead and confirm your suspicions that this isn’t the device for you. If on the other hand you are looking to sling some fowl around the stratosphere or just draw something this will get you where you’re going.

I’m going to slip this in under ‘performance’ as it doesn’t really fit anywhere else, but the Droid 4 has 8GB of internal memory, which is a bit more of a tight squeeze than we are accustomed to lately. You do have a microSd slot should you need it, but be aware of this if you take a lot of photos or video with your phone.

3. Call Quality

I’m a bit of a broken record at this point, but I’m consistently pleased with the sound quality and signal strength offered by Motorola’s smartphones and the DROID 4 is another fine example. While I don’t question that there is room for improvement generically in cell phone call quality^[1], Motorola is definitely doing all that it can with existing standards.

4. Display

The DROID 4 offers a similar qHD PenTile LCD to that found in the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX, albeit shrunken down to just 4-inches rather than the now more customary 4.3. As with the DROID RAZR MAXX I didn’t feel that the screen on the DROID 4 warranted quite the level of dislike that it seemed to garner from many reviewers, but it is clearly not a top-end screen. When viewed at a normal distance text and images look crisp, but the colors aren’t as vibrant as what I’ve seen on any of the recent Samsung or HTC devices.

5. Build Quality

The DROIDs may not be the thinnest or the lightest of devices, but they are remarkably well constructed. Ignoring the ludicrous offerings from Casio if I had to lay money down on a device holding up to a substantial drop it would be the DROID 4.

While I was impressed with the slide mechanism found on the DROID 3 I think that the DROID 4 easily eclipses it. The keyboard slides with an ease and fluidity that I didn’t quite feel in the previous renditions and it solidly locks into place. Obviously I can’t attest to how this will perform over time, but it certainly feels like it will hold up for the long haul.

6. Aesthetics

I gave the DROID RAZR MAXX a little bit of static for its world-devouring bezel and unfortunately the DROID 4 is cut from almost exactly the same cloth. I’ll again warn that this may well be something that doesn’t bother you in the least, but I’m unable to get past it when looking at either device.

The DROID 4 has finally banished the lip or chin that should be familiar to any owner or fan of the previous DROIDs and I’m actually sad to see it go. For one thing it was the one part of the DROID that you could usually depend on being pretty thin, but it also was part of the distinctive look of the DROID line. After this bit of cosmetic surgery the DROID 4 with it’s keyboard closed is just left looking like a particularly portly version of the DROID RAZR or even the DROID RAZR MAXX. While it isn’t grossly out of line with it’s predecessors the DROID 4 is slightly thicker than the DROID 3 and in a time when the Verizon Galaxy Nexus is being cat called for it’s 9.3mm thick frame the 13mm DROID 4 begins to seem like a throwback device.

7. Software

The DROID 4 ships with Android 2.3.5 (aka Gingerbread) and ‘The Overlay Formerly Known as Blur.’ Motorola has only indicated that the DROID 4 is under evaluation for an Android 4.0 update and there is no timeline at present. I’d be more hopeful for the DROID 4 than others as it shares quite a few traits with the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX which are both slated to receive the update, but if you are dead set on having Android 4.0 it may be a good idea to wait for further word from Motorola or to look elsewhere.

My feelings regarding the Blur overlay remain the same as they did with the DROID RAZR MAXX. I don’t see any way in which it is improving the basic Gingerbread experience and I’m reasonably certain that it is slowing some pieces down, but the places that I noticed the slow downs the most were in tweaking settings in the menus and that isn’t really an area that the average user finds themselves mucking about in that often. Day to day I don’t see it as detracting from the users experience significantly.

8. Cameras

Again I found the DROID 4 to be quite similar to the DROID MAXX in this area. In daylight the DROID 4 was more than capable of taking a nice snapshot, but under even moderately difficult lighting the photos become noisy quickly. Shot to shot time was quick, but as with almost any smartphone you probably aren’t going to be capturing any quick moving targets such as squirrels or children. Another complaint that I reiterate from the RAZR MAXX is that I think the standard setting for Motorola’s cameras is way too dull. The average smartphone user will take the more colorful picture over the “real” capture any day.

9. Keyboard

The keyboard on the DROID 4 is an absolute pleasure to use. I think Motorola has finally dealt with all of the complaints the have been levied against the various incarnations of the DROID keyboard and are left with a polished gem. The backlighting is an incredibly welcome addition as without it the keyboard was rendered fairly useless in the dark which was a significant blow against it in the battle against onscreen keyboards. The separation between the keys, while a bit of an illusion, does seem greatly improved this time around as I experienced a very limited number of accidental key presses, which considering I only use a smartphone keyboard about once a year when a new DROID is released is fairly impressive. I also think Motorola has found the right responsiveness for the keys after at least the first two DROIDs suffered from extremely mushy keyboards.

10. 4G LTE

4G LTE is fast…mmmkay. Yeah I don’t really know what else to say about it at this point. The lack of 4G LTE in the DROID 3 was one of the big complaints when that phone launched back in July and perhaps correcting that lapse is one of the reasons that we saw such a rapid turnaround on the DROID 4 release. I had no problems with 4G on the DROID 4 and was consistently receiving speeds in line with the rest of my 4G LTE devices.

Final Thoughts

Each new release of the DROID line seems to be greeted with less excitement than the last despite the fact that the device does seem to at least subtly improve with each release. This is definitely the best version of the DROID yet, but I haven’t exactly heard anyone clamoring for it. Now in part that could be because it was released only about 7 months after its predecessor, however Android users are somewhat accustomed to turnabouts like that by now so I doubt that is a significant factor.

Most of us have just grown accustomed to Sywpe or some other onscreen keyboard and if that’s the case then there is no reason to opt for the DROID 4 over the DROID RAZR MAXX or Galaxy Nexus. Now if you just can’t get by without a hardware keyboard, and I know there are some of you, then by all means the DROID 4 is probably the best Android device available for you today.

Sprint is gearing up to release their first 4G LTE device as soon as next month, so it’s no surprise to find out today that the carrier is done releasing new 4G WiMAX devices. Sue Marek of Fierce Wireless reports that Bob Azzi, SVP of networks at Sprint, said “While the company experienced success with its WiMAX handsets, including the HTC Evo, Sprint will not launch any additional WiMAX devices.”

The upgrade to 4G LTE is part of Sprint’s multi-billion overall network strategy, also known as Network Vision. Sprint plans to finish building it’s LTE network by the end of 2013, but we think the buildout could even be extended til 2014.

“Within the first half of 2012, Sprint customers should experience first-hand the wide-reaching improvements we have made in terms of boosting voice and data quality,” said Bob Azzi, Sprint. “With advanced smartphones and sophisticated wireless modems, our customers are using more and more mobile data, and one of our top priorities is to provide the best technology possible to improve our customers’ experience.”

We don’t have an exact launch date, but Sprint already announced the first major markets to receive LTE coverage. Sometime during the first half of 2012, Sprint customers will see 4G LTE and improved 3G coverage in:

• Dallas
• Atlanta
• Houston
• San Antonio

Coverage will then expand to 10 markets by the end of June, but specific cities have not been named.

Today tech reporter Sascha Segan tweeted a picture of Sprint’s LTE coverage map for 2014. Areas in green represent LTE coverage while areas in blue will be covered by roaming agreements with other carriers.

Looking forward, the upcoming 4G LTE devices coming to Sprint that we know about include:

• Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Rumored for April 15
• HTC EVO One: Rumored for June 10
• LG Viper 4G LTE: Rumored for Q2

At this point most Sprint customers are kind of stuck in the middle. The best Android phones on Sprint are all WiMAX, but that will slowly be phased out this year. New subscribers will be encouraged to get a phone with LTE, but Sprint’s coverage will be sparse until next year.

If you are in the market for a new Sprint phone, let us know what you plan to do.

 

Today Verizon Wireless announced the full details for their next budget-friendly 4G LTE smartphone. The LG Lucid will be available in stores and online on March 29th and retail for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

A quick review of the specs show this is a decent Android phone for the price. The LG Lucid features a large 4-inch display, dual-core processor, and 4G LTE connectivity. We will reserve judgement till we get our hands on one, but the LG Lucid has the potential to become our best budget phone pick in the next Verizon buyer’s guide.

Highlights of the LG Lucid include:

• Android 2.3 (upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich)
• 4 inch display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass
• 5-megapixel rear-facing autofocus camera with flash and full HD (1080p) video capture, front-facing camera
• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor (model unknown)
• 1 GB RAM

It’s unfortunate that new phones are still shipping with the Android 2.3 operating system that debuted in 2010, but at least Verizon guarantees it will eventually receive Android 4.0. No timeline for the software upgrade was provided, so keep that in mind if you are thinking about picking one up.

Today Verizon Wireless announced they would more than double the number of markets for the nation’s fastest 4G network. Verizon currently offers 4G LTE service in about 200 markets, but they plan to be in at least 400 markets by the end of 2012. In a separate story, Greg Bensinger of Dow Jones Newswire also reported that Verizon would only unveil smartphones capable of running on its 4G LTE network, in order to encourage subscribers to upgrade from 3G devices.

“Our commitment to expanding and enhancing our 4G LTE network is enabling more customers across the country to enjoy the benefits of the most popular wireless devices. We will continue investing in our 4G LTE network and working with key partners to ensure our customers have access to the best products and services available,” said David Small, CTO of Verizon Wireless.

Verizon launched their 4G LTE network last year and offered the HTC Thunderbolt as their first LTE smartphone. Almost all of Verizon’s high-end Android lineup is now LTE-capable, but only 5% of their subscribers have moved to the faster network.

On Thursday, March 15, Verizon will introduce its 4G LTE network in Dothan and Enterprise, Ala.; Naples, Fla.; Greenville, N.C.; Altus and Durant, Okla.; and Longview/Marshall, Texas. The company will also expand its 4G LTE network in Washington, D.C.; Elkhart, Ind.; Baltimore, Md.; Columbus, Miss.; Northern N.J.; Wilmington, N.C.; Duncan, Okla.; Allentown/Bethlehem, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Pa.; Hilton Head, S.C.; Cleveland, Tenn.; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; and Kenosha, Madison and Milwaukee, Wis.

Customers can visit verizonwireless.com/lte for a full list of 4G LTE markets.

Verizon still advertises that 4G LTE users should expect download speeds of 5-12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2-5 Mbps. I’ve been on Verizon’s LTE network since December and I typically see speeds of 20 Mbps down and up, but I expect them to slow down as more customers move over to LTE.

I have been fully satisfied with my Galaxy Nexus smartphone on Verizon’s LTE network, but there have been some growing pains. Verizon Wireless has experienced several LTE outages in the last couple months, but most have been brief.

We have a lot of Verizon fans in our community, but I’m not sure how many are using LTE devices. If you have a 4G LTE device, please share your personal experiences with the network and if you still have a 3G device then let us know what is holding you back from upgrading.

Verizon has just announced the new iPad data packages, boasting the fact that they include hotspot services at no additional cost. Big Red offers the same feature for tablets with other operating systems. The hotspot may be a great incentive to buy a tablet, but seems rather unfair for smartphone owners.

Verizon’s tablet data plans are the following:

• 1 GB for $20 (iPad only)
• 2 GB for $30
• 5 GB for $50
• 10 GB for $80

Never mind the fact that iPads get an extra package to choose from, smartphone owners are paying identical prices for their data, while Verizon requests that they pay an extra $20 fee for tethering (mobile hotspot). Granted, mobile hotspot users get an extra 2 GB of data, though the extra data doesn’t quite make this a fair deal. The fact remains that smartphone users have to pay more for what is essentially the same service.

If given mobile hotspot at no cost, smartphone subscribers would be using the same bandwidth as those tablets. Meaning maintenance costs would probably amount to the same.

On the bright side, tablet users will be much happier about this change, and could be the reason why Verizon has set data plans in this manner. Asking a customer to sign a 2-year contract for a tablet is not easy, as such devices are also much more expensive and usually considered luxury items. Customers are less likely to purchase a tablet at full price.

But people don’t mind signing up for a smartphone, with some considering it to be a necessity. It could be argued that customers would not want to buy a data-connected tablet if they offered free tethering for smartphones. Users would just get a WiFi device, instead, or simply go without.

Regardless, such tactics are unjust currently, though those shared family data plans might make everything much better. Users will be able to share data among a plethora of devices without spending much more.

For now, though, we would really appreciate some equality among different platforms and devices. If there is no need to charge tablet users for hotspot services, there should be no reason for smartphone users to pay up. Give it some thought and let us know what you think. Do you believe it is ok for Verizon treat tablets and smartphones differently?

LG has failed to cause a great excitement over its latest rumored Verizon device, the LG Lucid. Previously known as the LG Cayman, it is not the greatest device, but surely another option to consider if you are getting a new Verizon phone soon.

This leaked render image has just hit the web, and it gives us a preview of what the device could look like. The Lucid appears to be a much sleeker version of the LG Revolution with a different back style. The device does not look great, but that is a personal preference. It just might be your style.

LG Lucid Rumored Specifications

• 4-inch NOVA display (non-IPS)
• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
• 1 GB of RAM
• Android 2.3
• 5 MP camera (1080p recording)
• 16 GB of internal storage
• 4G LTE connectivity

As you can see, the specs are not bad, but also not special. On paper, it looks like most devices we have seen being released lately. And the fact that it is not being released with Android 4.0 is rather disappointing. But the device won’t be too expensive.

According to the latest rumors, the LG Lucid will hit the stores come March 29th with a suggesting a price tag lower than $200. This is very affordable, considering that this is a new 4G LTE device. Such smartphones usually come with an initial price of at least $250.

If you are into this one, stay tuned for the end of the month. Don’t forget to take all of this information with a grain of salt, as none of it is official. The device might be much better (or worse), but we will have to wait and find out. Would you guys consider buying a device with these specs? We know LG isn’t exactly our readers’ favorite manufacturer.

We’ve seen hints around the internet that Verizon would finally bring family data plans to its network in 2012, and yesterday we learned of solid proof that this is indeed the case. In a statement made to a group of investors, Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo indicated that shared data plans would begin to be offered in the middle of this year.

While not a firm timeframe, the mid-2012 timeframe does indicate that we’ll see group data plans hit Big Red before the back-to-school season kicks off in the fall. No word on pricing or migration strategies were given, though we expect Verizon will make this package available to new customers first and give existing customers the option to switch shortly after the feature is introduced.

We do know that not everyone will be migrated on day 1, as the new billing system will be a bit complex to administer and will take some time to get fully up to speed. Mr. Shammo indicated that a move to shared data plans is an important move in Verizon’s ongoing transition to a fully-realized 4G LTE network.

We’re excited to see what Verizon has up its sleeves when it comes to a shared data service. Hopefully it’ll mean family plans that are more affordable for customers, as Verizon is currently known for having the largest, most reliable and most expensive 4G network.