Where Is the Samsung Droid Charge?

Last week, Verizon got a bit of egg on its face when its 4G LTE network failed across the entire U.S. This was especially bad timing for this carrier, as it was scheduled to release its second smartphone with LTE support, the Samsung Droid Charge, the next day. Verizon got the network running again in about 24 hours, but still postponed the launch of its next 4G handset.

More than a week later, the Droid Charge is still MIA. I had expected it to launch on May 5, as this carrier likes to introduce new models on Thursdays. But this didn’t happen, and Verizon is keeping mum about why. And, in fact, the company has never said what the problem was that caused its LTE network to fail.

Verizon customers have been able to access LTE service again for more than a week now, but this carrier has yet to release the Droid Charge. Why the extra delay?

Is the Droid Charge at Fault?
I’m slightly suspicious about the timing of the LTE outage — less than a day before the launch of the Samsung Droid Charge. Is it possible that a bug in this model is somehow responsible?

I know this sounds like a conspiracy theory, but the fact that the network failed at the same time Verizon stores all across the U.S. were getting this model in stock, followed by the long delay in the release of this smartphone, seems to stretch coincidence more than a bit.

Whatever the case, I’m sure there are plenty of Verizon customers across the U.S. who will be happy when they can finally get their hands on the Samsung Droid Charge. Assuming it’s bug free, of course.

UPDATE
The Samsung Droid Charge finally launched on Saturday, May 14, over a week after this blog post was written.

Samsung Droid Charge Preview
The Droid Charge is going to be a cutting-edge smartphone with a 4.3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen. It is going to debut with Google Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) running on a 1GHz processor, with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface layered on top.

In addition to Verizon’s 4G service, this Samsung model is going to have Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and DLNA. Multimedia features will include a rear-facing 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with flash, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera for video conferencing, and an HDMA (720p) video-out port.

It is being priced at $300 with a two-year contract, well above the typical cost of similar models.

View original article here

Motorola Droid X2 First-Look Review: Blazing Fast

The X2 is, rather obviously, the successor to the Motorola Droid X released on Verizon last summer. Physically the two are almost identical: same design, same dimensions, even the same weight. The only way to tell the difference between them is to read the model name on the back battery cover. Like its predecessor, the X2 is somewhat broad and flat, although not as much as competing models like the Samsung Infuse 4G. It also features aluminum trim around the screen, which gives it a bit of a hefty, solid feel.

The Droid X was originally one of the forerunners of the "big-screen smartphone" trend, and the new version has the same size display -- although it's since been surpassed by models like the Infuse and Dell Streak. That said, its 4.3 inch screen still puts it in the top tier in this area, and it's now been upgraded from the "old" WVGA (800 x 480) to a cutting edge qHD (960 x 540) resolution. This change is definitely visible when you're looking at icons and zoomed web pages, although it's not as major a shift as going from the older HVGA (320 x 480) Android devices to the current standard WVGA.

PERFORMANCE
Once you get to the internals you really start to see the differences between the X2 and its predecessor. The Droid X2 has been upgraded with a dual-core processor for more speed, and it really delivers -- if processor power is important to you, the Droid X2 has it in spades. Not only does it outperform it's predecessor on benchmarks, it does so by a more than two to one margin.

The processor is definitely the main draw though, as the X2 has the same internal memory, same wireless options, and almost the same specs in every other way as the older Droid X. I would go so far as to call it more of an update than an upgrade, providing a few software benefits and improved performance, but otherwise providing nothing too revolutionary.

PRELIMINARY CONCULSION
If you were about to buy a Droid X, there's certainly no reason not to choose the Motorola Droid X2, although I'm withholding judgment as to whether it outpaces similar competing models until I've had more time with it. That will come with the full review, available soon, along with full benchmarks, more photos, battery life tests, and the works.

View original article here