iPhone 4 vs. Droid Incredible a Verizon smartphone showdown

The iPhone 4 is now on Verizon's network. But the Droid line of smartphones, running Google's open-source Android operating system, is already there ... and it's not going anywhere!

In an earlier article, I compared the iPhone 4 to the Droid X, Verizon's top-of-the-line Android smartphone. Now let's see how it compares to the Droid Incredible: Verizon's budget Droid, at only $99.

Droid does

HTC says that the Droid Incredible was inspired by an Italian sports car. It's not as minimalist as the iPhone 4's sleek, industrial design, but the ridges along the back help you grip the phone (per the Engadget review), and the extra buttons on the front serve a purpose. The menu is hidden in most apps until you tap the Droid's Menu key, freeing you from distractions; and the optical trackpad seems useless at first glance, but when you need to position the cursor while working with text it's a lifesaver.

Because the Droid Incredible is an Android phone, it can do things that the iPhone can't. While you're browsing the web, it reflows text to fit the screen width, so that you don't have to scroll horizontally while you're zoomed in. It can use a limited version of Flash, and the home screens can sport widgets, like the Mint finance one that lets you see your bank balance at a glance.

HTC's Sense interface takes Android to a new level, with sleek custom apps and widgets that let you easily check Facebook and Twitter. It also lets you pinch the screen to zoom out, and see all of your home screens at once. HTC Sense is shiny, and the animated weather widget is a nice touch.

Droid doesn't

The Droid's most obvious hardware deficiency, compared to the iPhone 4, is its lack of a front-facing camera. Its main camera has an 8 megapixel resolution, compared to the iPhone's 5, but unlike the iPhone it can't record HD video. The Droid also has a maximum of 40 GB of storage, compared to the iPhone's 16 or 32 GB, but only if you buy a 32 GB memory card for it; it only has 8 GB built-in. And you'll need at least a cheap 2 GB memory card, because some apps require it.

Speaking of apps, the Droid lets you buy them from Google's Android Market, which has over 150,000 according to Google CEO Eric Schmidt. But what he doesn't say is that one reason that number is growing so quickly is because it's much easier to put an app on the Android Market than it is on the iTunes App Store. There's no approval process, and many of the "apps" are just ringtones and wallpaper packs. The Droid does have access to the essentials, like eBay and Angry Birds ... but it's also loaded with garbage Verizon apps that you can't uninstall, unlike the Verizon iPhone.

Finally, the Droid's AMOLED display isn't as sharp as the iPhone's Retina Display, and looks washed-out when you're outdoors.

The verdict

The $100 savings over the iPhone doesn't stack up to the cost of a data plan. If you like Android's features, go with the Droid Incredible; otherwise, go for the iPhone. Keep in mind that both are going to go out of date soon, though, with 4G Android phones and this year's new iPhone model on the way.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

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Buying mobile phones – The tips on getting cheap phones

If you want to buy cheap mobile phones, you will have to decide whether you need a phone with various features or if you need just a simple one. Generally a cell phone providing simple features is available at low prices. However, if you think that you would like to buy a cell phone with different technical and advanced attributes, you will have to avail of various offers on the internet.

Buying cheap mobiles

There are various ways through which you can buy cheap mobile phones.

¶ You will have to research on the web on different mobile types and the associated features. You will be able to find different kinds of phones of numerous brands in different price range. If you don’t want a phone from any specific brand, you may get cheap phones with many attributes at the same time. However, you need to be very particular with the usage and functioning of electronic items. So, even if you don’t go for top brands, you should better opt for the ones just after the top ones. It is better to avoid any unknown brands.

¶ You can also take part in the cell phone buying test which can help you find the best cell phone for you as per your affordability and requirements. There are many websites that offer you such cell phone buying tests for free.

¶ Talk to different vendors about your requirements and your affordability. Vendors know a lot about different brands and the cell phone attributes. You will also be able to get used phones from the vendors at low rates. It is all the more advantageous to buy second hand cell phones from the vendors because you may also get high end phones at low coasts. However, before buying a second hand cell phone you should make sure that the phone will last at least for a year or some months. It should be in the working condition.

¶ You can also check out with the different cell phone providers. They generally offer cheap cell phones with free connection facilities to prospective users. They may require you to subscribe with them for one or two years at a stretch.

Moreover, cell phones have become cheap over the years than what it was when it was first introduced. However, before you buy a cell phone, make sure that it is a good one and can cater to your needs.

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AP will test digital ad 'inserts' for smart phones

NEW YORK – The Associated Press is developing mobile versions of the advertising and coupon inserts that come with weekend newspapers.

The news service said Friday that its board has approved testing the new offering, called iCircular.

Advertisers would be able to target customers on their devices by ZIP code. Readers would be able to search for specific products and share deals with friends.

The AP said newspapers would sell the ads and build the iCircular feature into mobile versions of their websites and applications for smart phones and tablet computers.

The development comes as companies such as Groupon offer services for local advertisers to reach people on websites and mobile devices. AP's iCircular would allow newspapers to offer similar mobile services, rather than cede that business to other companies.

The AP said iCircular will also let retailers promote sales and specific products, just as they now do with printed weekend inserts. Groupon, by contrast, focuses on offering steep discounts on a single product or business, such as bottles of wine or yoga classes, for a limited time.

"In my experience in calling on large retail customers, this is one of the most enthusiastic receptions I have seen," said Mary Junck, president and CEO of Lee Enterprises Inc. and chairwoman of AP's Revenue Committee. "They are impressed by the features and functions, and by the fact that the idea comes from the newspaper industry."

The AP, a not-for-profit cooperative owned by its member U.S. newspapers, plans to build and test iCircular over the next four months with a limited group of publishers and retailers.

Source: Yahoo News

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Android smartphones, tablets on the march

Just a year ago, Android handsets accounted for a slim 8.7 percent of the global smartphone market, with OS vendors such as Nokia, RIM, and Apple well in the lead, according to an industry survey. Not anymore. Also: Android establishes a beachhead in the tablet market.

We've already been hearing plenty of reports about how Google's Android OS has been surging in the domestic and worldwide smartphone marketplaces, but the latest figures from the industry analysts at Canalys put the new mobile platform landscape on stark perspective, with Android sales seeing an extraordinary, 615-percent growth spurt in 2010 to topple Nokia's Symbian platform off its throne.

As of the end of the fourth quarter last year, Android enjoyed a 33.3 percent share of the global smartphone market, according to Canalys, with Nokia's Symbian OS trailing (just barely) at 31 percent.

Mind you, Nokia still ranks as the No. 1 global manufacturer of smartphones, the survey noted, with the Finnish phone giant seeing worldwide shipments of its smart handsets grow 30 percent in 12 months.

But that wasn't enough to stop Android, which saw its global market share kick in the afterburners with help from a veritable gang of smartphone makers—think HTC, Samsung, LG, and Acer, according to Canalys.

After Nokia comes Apple, which saw its fourth-quarter 2010 global iOS market share dip ever so slightly to 16.2 percent, from 16.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009—although as with Nokia, Apple still saw a healthy surge in global sales (up nearly 86 percent compared to the fourth quarter of '08).

In fourth place, we've got BlackBerry maker RIM with 14.6 percent of the global smartphone market, down more than five percent from the year-ago 2009 period, while Microsoft saw its fourth-quarter 2010 market share slump to 3.1 percent.

Narrowing our focus to the U.S. market, the contest for the top smartphone OS really wasn't one, with a new NPD Group survey crowning Android the crown last quarter with a whopping 53 percent slice of the domestic pie.

Far behind in terms of smartphone platforms was Apple with a 19 percent share, according to NPD. Apple still had the top-selling smartphone in the U.S. last quarter with the iPhone 4, but a trio of Android handsets were nipping at the iPhone's heels: the Motorola Droid X, the HTC Evo 4G, and the Motorola Droid 2.

RIM was tied for second with 19 percent of the U.S. smartphone market last quarter, NPD said, with the old Windows Mobile OS at 4 percent and the new Windows Phone 7 platform at just 2 percent.

Meanwhile, Android isn't just surging in the smartphone department, with researchers at Strategy Analytics reporting (via Bloomberg) that Android-based tablets grabbed a 22-percent share of the worldwide tablet market last quarter, up from a mere 2.3 percent the previous quarter.

That's still far behind Apple's 75-percent global tablet share last quarter, but consider this: Apple's tablet share in the third quarter of 2010 was a dominant 95 percent, meaning that Android managed to take a serious chomp out of Apple's share of the slate market.

But while Android may be gaining ground on Apple's tablet market share—and eclipsing it in terms of smartphones—it's important to keep in mind that almost all the big mobile OSes are moving more devices (many more, in some cases) than they were a year ago.

For example, Apple saw its tablet sales surge an eye-popping 74 percent between the third quarter of 2010 and last quarter, according to Strategy Analytics, even as Android tablet sales soared to 2.1 million units from just 100,000 in the same period.

Same goes for smartphones, with only Mircosoft selling fewer smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2010 than it did during the year-prior period, according to the Canalys survey. Indeed, overall smartphone sales nearly doubled from 53.7 million units to 101.2 million handsets.

In other words: even if Android's piece of the mobile pie is bigger than Apple's, or Nokia's, or RIM's, the overall slices are getting bigger—a lot bigger. For us consumers, that's a good thing.

Source: Yahoo News

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Google topples Symbian from smartphones top spot

HELSINKI (Reuters) – Google's Android dethroned Nokia's Symbian as the global leader in smartphone software in the last quarter of 2010, ending a reign that began with the birth of the industry a decade ago.

The reshuffle underscores how quickly Google, which offers its software to phone makers for free, has raced to the top of the smartphone market ahead of Apple's rapid ascension. Google and Apple have revolutionized the smartphone market in recent years, sending Nokia scrambling.

In the fourth quarter, phonemakers sold 32.9 million Android-equipped phones globally, roughly seven times more than the year-earlier quarter, compared with Symbian's sales of 31 million, according to Research firm Canalys.

The numbers also highlight Google's success in battling Apple, whose shipments of its popular iPhone increased to 16.2 million from 8.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Unlike Apple or Nokia, Google does not make its own phone hardware but instead offers its Android operating system free to other phone makers who can adapt it to suit their devices.

As a result, Android has become the standard software for many phone makers. U.S. phone maker Motorola Inc has even managed to stage a comeback of sorts by focusing solely on Android after years of heavy market share losses.

Hit models from Samsung Electronics, HTC and LG Electronics also helped Android in the quarter as phone companies in many regions aggressively promoted Android phones.

In fact, only Nokia, Apple and RIM have so far resisted using Android software.

Meanwhile, Symbian suffered from the troubles of its owner and main user, Nokia.

Last week Nokia warned of a grim start to 2011 after rivals ate even more of its smartphone market share, highlighting the scale of the task its new boss has to turnaround the business.

Stephen Elop, a former executive for Microsoft Corp who took over as Nokia chief executive in September, will unveil his plan to revamp Nokia's strategy on February 11.

Elop said last week he wants to reopen markets such as the United States, where Nokia has lost out badly, and flagged a possible change in software strategy.

Some experts said this may mean that Nokia will announce plans to introduce smartphone models using Android.

Nokia shares fell 0.7 percent to 7.79 euros on Monday. Google shares rose to more than $603 in early trade after closing at $600.99 in regular Nasdaq trade on Friday.

(Additional reporting by Sinead Carew in New York; Editing by Will Waterman and Derek Caney)

Source: Yahoo News

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BlackBerry Experiences Brief Outage

If you couldn't access your email on your BlackBerry this morning, you weren't alone. RIM's BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) experienced a brief outage early Saturday.

"BIS email delivery was delayed this morning in (North America) due to system maintenance," RIM tweeted from @BlackBerry, its official Twitter account. "Service is now being restored. We apologize for any inconvenience."

The outage was also confirmed by Verizon Wireless.

"This morning's RIM email issue 100% over," @VerizonWireless tweeted. "All BlackBerry users on all wireless companies should be back up. Apologies!

Additionally, AT&T mentioned the issue on its Twitter feed.

BlackBerry is still the leading mobile operating system in the U.S. with 33.5 percent of the market share. However, the most recent numbers show a decline in RIM's lead. According to numbers gathered in November, BlackBerry dropped 4.1 percent from the 37.6 percent share that it snagged in August.

This decline could be attributed to the growth of Google's Android platform, which recently leapfrogged Apple to become the number two mobile platform in the states. Android and iOS are in a close race, however. Google's os leads with a 26 percent share, and Apple isn't far behind with 25 percent of the market.

While BlackBerry has faltered, both Google and Apple have strengthened their foothold. Android gained 6.4 percent of the mobile platform market and Apple added 0.8 percent to its share.

RIM also continues to face problems with India, with the government threatening to cut off BlackBerry service in the country if RIM does not hand over access to encrypted data traveling over the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). While the two parties have reached a solution for BIS, no solution has been reached for BES.

Source : Yahoo News

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The Main Differences Between iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4

There is no doubt that the appearance of the iPhone brought a true challenge to the phone manufacturers. It was amazing to watch how all the other companies started copying the iPhone. Nobody was probably expecting Apple to release a phone and here I will say not just a phone but the best smart phone ever made. Didn’t really matter how hard they tried, no one could copy the iPhone. Even the high price of it did not stop people from buying and some of the countries even run out of phones to sell – the demand was that big. Of course, after the release of the smartphone and the results that followed nobody believed that any other phone will be able to achieve the same. However, in 2010, Apple proved them all wrong with the release of the new iPhone 4.

I suppose you have all seen the new smartphone. The style doesn’t differ much from its predecessor, although the new iPhone 4 is the slimmest smartphone to date. Its strength has also been improved by the stainless steel back. The front of the phone has a special cover that is against scratches. However, not only the design has been changed. As we all know the iphone 3GS did not have two cameras and recording abilities. The new iPhone 4 has two cameras and video recording, helping you to remember all the important events. The new iPhone 4 has the function FacetoFace talk, which allows you to have video calls with your loved ones. Of course, this is not all. There are more pixels with higher resolution that allow you to enjoy the true colors of the applications and especially the one that allows you to read books. The other improved feature is concerning the applications. Now you can have many applications opened at the same time without worrying that they will be slow or will shut down any minute. The only problem known to Apple was concerning the built in antenna. Some people were saying that when they were holding the phone with their left hand, they lose the signal. Apple tried to rectify the problem with some specially made covers but then got rid of it completely.

The new iPhone was a better seller than the iphone 3GS and the reason for that of course is the slim design and the better applications and features. In many countries, there is a huge demand for iPhone 4. There are gossips that Apple is preparing to release iPhone 5, which did not stop people from buying. If there is a new iPhone coming out I am very curious to see what it has to present for us. In my opinion, every modern person has to have the iPhone!

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Android Tablet, Smartphone Boost Samsung in Q4

Samsung Electronics reported a fresh all-time sales high in the fourth quarter, boosted by two products with Google's Android mobile OS on board.

The world's largest maker of memory chips and LCD panels said sales rose 7 percent year on year to 41.87 trillion Korean won (US$37.57 billion) in the fourth quarter, beating its previous sales record of 40.23 trillion won, from the third quarter of last year.

Despite falling prices for LCD screens and DRAM, two of Samsung's main products, the company's net profit rose 13 percent year on year to 3.42 trillion won.

"Overall in the fourth quarter we saw difficult business conditions caused by a slowdown in IT spending caused by the economic slowdown," said Robert Yi, vice president and head of Samsung's investor relations team, in a conference call. A number of companies have said economic uncertainty in the fourth quarter hurt their earnings.

Android, the most potent rival to Apple's iOS in smartphones and tablets, provided a needed lift to Samsung during the quarter, as the world's second-largest handset vendor moved to expand market share.

Sales of Samsung's Android-based tablet, the Galaxy Tab, hit 2 million units in the quarter, while the company's Galaxy S smartphone was a star performer, the company said.

"[Currently] the market is quite inclined to Android OS and we are reacting quite aggressively with a huge range of products from very high-end to mid-tier smartphones. We are also coming up with a more varied lineup for Android," said Lee Younghee, senior vice president of the company's mobile communications business.

Samsung sold 10 million Galaxy S smartphones last year, she said, and is readying a successor that will feature a dual-core processor and a Super AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) Plus display. Samsung also plans to unveil a range of devices to follow up the success of the Galaxy Tab.

Overall, Samsung sold 80.7 million mobile phones in the fourth quarter, raising its 2010 total to 280 million, up 23 percent over 2009.

Younghee cautioned that in the first quarter, "smartphone competition will become fiercer upon launch of new smartphones. At the same time we expect various new tablets to be launched in the market."

The company has set a goal to sell 60 million smartphones this year, twice as many as 2010, she said. Samsung sells smartphones with a range of OSes, including Windows Phone 7 and its own Bada OS.

The electronics giant saw tough times in its component businesses.

Prices for LCD screens and memory chips, both DRAM and NAND flash, fell in the fourth quarter, Samsung executives said. The price declines in DRAM and NAND will continue in the first quarter, but LCD screen prices may have reached bottom, according to Lee Jungryul, senior vice president of Samsung's LCD business. He expects LCD panel prices to start to tick up over the next few months.

Overall, Samsung expects component prices to remain weak in the first half of this year but to pick up in the second half of the year, notable words for people looking for PCs or flat-screen TVs, because weak component prices usually mean deals for end products.

Samsung is considered a technology industry bellwether because it is the world's largest producer of several products, including flat-screen TVs, DRAM, NAND flash memory chips and LCD screens. It's also the second-biggest mobile-phone vendor.

The company plans to spend 23 trillion won on new manufacturing equipment this year, up from capital spending of 21.6 trillion won last year, the company said in a statement. Samsung will invest 10.3 trillion won of the figure on semiconductors, down from 12.7 trillion won last year, and 4.1 trillion won in its LCD business, down from 4.6 trillion won last year.

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Trendy And Stylish Latest Gadgets

You can find a variety of gadgets, and each has a unique role to perform. Because it is based on the technology, it is also called gizmos. Users can find wide variety of gadgets that can be used for different purposes. Hence, the gadgets are subdivided into several categories and so you can see many options in each category that you come across. If you are looking for gadgets, then one of the categories to be considered is the latest electronic gadgets that employ the use of new inventions taking place. From time to time you will find some or other change is made, so you can find the same change in your application.
So you can have so many wonderful ideas in this category, and also find some options that suits you. It not only gives you a feeling of comfort, but a new pleasure at the same time. Thus, it is said that you have several options to try and look for. Another option that you can do is go gadget store where you can find some latest collection and so you can easily buy it. As these gadgets will be trendy and exclusive, prices maybe a little higher, but you can afford it, if you want to get some modish. Apart from this store, you can even take a look at the online options where you can get this material for personal use. But most people feel comfort to visit the store as it can completely satisfy themselves and then buy it because it is a costly affair.

Thus you can go through some options in Latest electronic gadgets and can purchase it if you find the suitable gizmos. It is better if you compare its prices in other stores and also to get some help from internet about this. This will help you to get gadget at the best price. You can also search for discounts, if available during the festivals or any special occasion. Therefore, you can see many possibilities, but ultimately it will be your final decision to choose the gadget that gives a modern look.

2011 is good for gadget lovers with a collection of fresh gadgets. Latest trendy and stylish mobile phones are available in the market with new and innovative features. All the mobile phones in 2011 come in the market with cheap deals. So, you can sell mobile phones online and upgrade to new one with various lucrative deals. These mobile phones fall into the category of mobile phones 2011. Usually I sell my phone to a phone recycling company that has best price offer and takes very less time in making payment.

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Samsung Cellular phones: equipment that plans the globe.

Engineering insurance plan the globe and cellphone is actually a outstanding requirement of this items. In today planet, cell phone has occur to a essential device for a number of class of common person. After Once you finished up so unheard of mobile phones and many types of mobile devices done up the essential a real. Due to the fact, with all the advanced anatomist and the need coming from a Clients, most up-to-date mobile phones are progressively becoming obtainable. Those to not just aid your url bring about somewhat furthermore, it protects your feeling with plenty of enjoyment functions. Inside the many cell phone suppliers, Straight talk investigate mobiles are out there with newest engineering enough reason for clear decreasing design to make an impression on you. .

Read the mobile phone agencies come in their advertising and marketing for years. Straight talk wireless choice commenced in the year 1938. From this stringed, Straight talk wireless straight talk samsung make strength Straight talk wi-fi browse the Cell phone that is made up standard to most up-to-day up coming population cell phones. All cell phones from Straight talk are becoming straightforward and proficient with most recent engineering and simple to use characteristics. Straight talk straight talk is probably the electric titans with understanding inside of wide selection of critical systems. That is the conduct why Investigate phones have been about in around world-type to famous mobile phone businesses may buy.

It's also achievable to you ought to the attributes along with the executive with package cellphone legal agreements. cell offers are readily available on varied light systems. These special discounts offer several dedication price bundles that trust the program you choose and also the eliptical. Consequently, It is important to prefer this can be a plan from specific internet sites, Them figure out and choose the most effective a particular determined by your need. These tips proffer may well Zero cost devices, expense-free of charge units, no cost insurance coverage, etc. The advantages. Get a Investigate cellular phone and go through the change.

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Smartphone Call Applications for Mobile Phones

Making local and international calls today has never been this convenient. The pace of technological development in telecommunication became very apparent especially to mobile phones. Smartphones, the new face of mobile phone technology, have entered and driven telecom companies for more innovation in their products and services. They are not only used for calls but for enthusiasts in photos, they can also serve as your cameras. The main advantage of having this type of calling device is that you can bring them anywhere you go as long as there is a network service from the provider.

Smartphone applications are a software usually available not only for iPhones but as well as to more than hundreds of phone models from different mobile phone companies. They can be downloaded for free or for a minimal fee and can be easily installed in your mobile phones. The phone numbers in your mobile phone list can be easily contacted using the software. These are dialing applications where the interface is made to be user-friendly for more convenient calling. There are no access numbers to dial. There is no need to enter the account number or PIN (personal identification number) to enter. Enjoy speed dial feature where several numbers can be programmed with corresponding single key to press in order to place a call. These are the numbers that you frequently call.

Mobile phone calls have also become cheaper with the healthy competition of the many companies in the telecom market. There are lots of services that each customer can choose from. Some can offer as low as 1.8 cents per minute for a phone call. There isn't also a data plan when you use this service as they are commonly in prepaid. No need to worry about surging monthly bills. There is also an option for an automatic recharge that the company can offer. This is applicable for providers with their website for easier online account management service. Just register for easier payment with a debit or credit card, or through Paypal.

Companies who offer this service to their customers are also companies who have been in the telecommunication industry for several years. They have already created their name in the business with the trust of their customers. Just look for a company that has excellent reviews and testimonials from their users. Usually they have 95% retention rate as their customers continue to enjoy their service and even recommend this to their friends and relatives.

Call anywhere you want at anytime of the day at the most reasonable rates and superior call quality with any smartphone call applications. Keep the distance short among friends and relatives in other places with spending a few minutes to talk to them.

Febe is a freelance writerwho does reviews and contents on telecommunication companies, services and products for international calls like Pingo.

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