Verizon (VZW) showed up big time and is clearly putting its money and creative agencies to good use with its new Nokia Lumia 928 ad. The ad checks all the desirable boxes for me and I suspect most others. Taking on the heavyweights directly shows you’re confident in your product. Naming a specific feature that is heavily used and weighted by smartphone users and producing side-by-side superiority shots is taking it to another level. Showing the camera in fun situations that most of us really encounter makes the commercial golden. Lastly, getting the geek speak out of the way and letting the phone’s capabilities sell itself makes this commercial priceless. In short, way to go Verizon. You’re the long lost carrier partner Windows Phone needed to show off such a great phone to the roughly 50% of smartphone users in the U.S. that don’t belong to AT&T.

Its hard to stand apart in the smartphone market these days, it is even more difficulty to do so in a positive way. With a market dominated by a handful of devices and everything else scrambling to live up to the hype, purpose built platforms or devices in general are none existent.

Ever since the Lumia 920, Nokia has been a blip on people’s radar. Strong sales, though nothing to challenge the heavy hitters thus far, would indicate the Lumia 920 is at the very least a consideration for some. Thanks to Nokia, the Lumia’s strong suit has been not only photography and specifically low light capabilities, but videography as well.

This is a trend Nokia is looking to improve upon with the upcoming Lumia 928 release on the Verizon network. Besides the iPhone 5, there is currently no challenger in sight on that network, coupled with strong interests, I expect the Lumia 928 to do well. The one key feature I think will sell that device is without doubt its camera abilities. Last piece to the puzzle, give the people INSTAGRAM!!!!

Check out this amazing video show entirely with the Lumia 928 showcasing the phone’s OIS features.

I have always wondered why CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) phones exist. I do not see any benefits to a CDMA phone. Maybe one of our readers can really tell me why they would get a CDMA phone.  One of the biggest reasons I will NEVER buy a CDMA phone is because it is not really a world phone. I tend to travel a lot to different countries and when I have a fancy smartphone I intend to be able to use it easily wherever I am. This is not really possible with CDMA phones, however, with GSM (Golbal System for Mobiles) I can easily use my phone any where in the world. Just pop the sim out put a sim in from that country and I am good to go in a matter of minutes. With a CDMA phone good luck trying to find a CDMA carrier in other parts of the world and then go good luck getting service on your phone within minutes.

In the US there are three major CDMA carriers Verizon, Sprint and Metro and two GSM carriers T-mobile and ATT. So, CDMA phones do make up the majority of the phones in the United States I think and this just bothers me. Every other place in the world has a majority of GSM phones where as the USA which always wants to be different from everyone else still has CDMA phones as the majority! Is this just the US ego of saying we will be different because we want to be different? Like still using inches and feet and lbs and ounces while majority of the world uses the metric system which is hell of a lot simpler when converting to different units and trying to describe a measurement. For example WTF is 3 and 5/16ths of an inch? why not just use a decimal system like 84.15 millimeters. Anyways, this topic is for another day, back to CDMA phones.

As I am writing this article, I did some “CDMA vs. GSM” google searching and did not really come across any information that could explain to me why CDMA phones are better than GSM. Maybe our readers can knock some sense into my brain and enlighten me. Whenever I am considering of switching carriers I never even think about Verizon, Sprint, or Metropcs my only two options are ATT and Tmobile because I need the GSM capability to switch out sim cards when traveling.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, or living your life, you might have missed the news that the BlackBerry Z10 launches on carriers AT&T (tomorrow 3/22) and T-Mobile (3/26?) and Verizon (3/28) by the end of March. AT&T pre-orders started on March 12, and Verizon 2 days later. T-Mobile opened up pre-orders for business customers but not regular consumers. With recent reports of how well BlackBerry sales had been exceeding expectation in previous launch markets the hope was that BlackBerry would continue to build on momentum and positive reports to take back marketshare in the U.S.

The latest round of reports paint a more sobering picture. Instead of long lines of consumers camping out it appears if you are in the market for a BlackBerry Z10 you will have a good chance to walk into your local carrier store and pick up a device. Checks indicate U.S. consumer pre-orders for the BlackBerry Z10 “have been light and well below expectations,” says Detwiler Fenton’s Jeff Johnston.

Are you getting a Z10 on day one? Are you even going to give it a try? I’ll be checking out the device and putting it through it’s paces tomorrow and will also gauge consumer reaction. I’m looking forward to see if the device really is as intuitive as people claim and how the RSPs present the Z10 as an option when a customer hasn’t made their mind up before walking into the store.

Rumors are flying of Verizon finally returning to the Windows Phone world, and they’ll be doing so in style. According to The Verge, Verizon customers can expect to receive the Lumia 928, nice!

But the higher model number is not only that, the rumors state it will be sporting an all aluminum body, which we’ve been hearing about for a few weeks. Although it would be a departure from the now famous polycarbonate Lumia bodies, anything aluminum is the new “premium,” so I’m glad to see Nokia heading that route. Not to mention, the render in the image above from wmpoweruser looks pretty sweet.

Also included in the rumor is a new xenon flash to improve low light images a bit more. This would be a good day when the or if the rumor comes true, I know a ton of Verizon customers itching to get their hands on some Windows Phone glory. Stay tuned!

So I stumbled upon a site where a fellow enthusiast was nice enough to create a program to update you Windows Phone from any version up to 7.8

I have a Sprint Arrive and after running the program 7 times (you have to do it for each step of updates that you are missing (F U Sprint) as I was on 7720 beforehand.

Remember he will say and I will say, if you mess up your phone we are not responsible.  But the success rate based on the comments on his site have been very good.

Install WP7.8 via WindowsPhoneHacker

Verizon has managed to secure an exclusive on BlackBerry’s upcoming Z10 device. It’ll be interesting to see what they does for Z10 sales on the carrier and if that will be carrying the black model too. I know a lot of people don’t care for the carrier exclusive model but in the US it is hard to argue with the powers that be.

Source: Barrons

Woah.. the Droid DNA has a 108p display and that kind of makes me sad that such a tiny little screen has the same resolution as my humongous HDTV does… Anyway, the Droid DNA features Gorilla Glass, a quad core Snapdragon CPU running at 1.5ghz and 2gb of ram! This thing has some sweet specs that’s for sure. Price will be $200 with 2yr agreement of course.

HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, and Verizon Wireless today announced the exclusive DROID DNA by HTC, the ultimate smartphone and the first with a full HD 1080p display. The DROID DNA by HTC will be available exclusively through Verizon Wireless through pre-order starting today and at retail stores nationwideWednesday, November 21st.

“It’s no secret that people depend on their smartphones more and more every day which rightfully raises expectations for performance, speed, and design.  The DROID DNA by HTC embodies a smartphone that pushes the envelope in all of these areas with the first true 1080p HD display, latest quad-core processor, and Verizon’s 4G LTE network, all wrapped in a beautifully crafted design,” said Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Corporation. “The DROID DNA by HTC is sure to top wish lists this holiday season.”

The Ultimate Smartphone

With technology rivaling the latest HD TV’s, the DROID DNA by HTC is the first smartphone to feature a true 1080p HD super LCD 3 display with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2 protection.  It boasts an extraordinary 440 pixels per inch (PPI) on a 5-inch screen for unprecedented in-hand HD experiences that delivers the maximum pixel clarity available on a smartphone.

Designed to accentuate the incredible display, the deep black, soft-touch back is understated, with the exception of a metallic red camera bezel, while the red microgrill pattern of the sidewalls hint at the phone’s DROID heritage and the power inside.  The beautifully crafted smartphone feels thinner than other devices of a similar size as the edges of the curved back taper to a mere 4mm for a comfortable feel in the hand or pocket.

The Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor, featuring a quad-core 1.5 GHz CPU and high-performance GPU, paired with America’s largest 4G LTE network from Verizon Wireless and a full 2G of RAM  enable the seamless use of multiple apps simultaneously.  With HTC Sense® 4+ and Android™ 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean), you get great software experiences including Google Now. HTC Sense 4+ offers a wealth of easy-to-use and customizable features bringing highly sought after personalization to your phone and placing the most important content front and center.  A series of intelligent features powered by HTC Sense 4+ also provides a number of improvements to the camera.

Amazing Camera

The DROID DNA by HTC has a world-class camera that delivers fast image capture, great images even in low-light and an easy interface to capture stills and video. With an 8-megapixel f/2.0 28mm wide-angle lens, 5-level automatic flash, backside illuminated sensor (BSI), and superfast autofocus, you’ll capture amazing moments without the worry of missing a single one. Instead of choosing between photos and video, HTC VideoPic™ allows you to capture video and still images at the same time. And by simply holding the shutter button, Continuous Shooting takes multiple photos at up to four frames per second to catch all the action. 

It also includes a new best-in-class 2.1-megapixel, f/2.0, 88-degree, ultra-wide angle, front-facing camera that allows more to be captured in self-portraits, and up to four people for group shots. Auto Portrait makes it easier to take photos of yourself and your friends with automatic face detection and a countdown timer so you can focus on your pose and not the shutter button.  Capable of capturing 1080p HD video, the front-facing camera also provides a sharper picture during video chat.

Authentic Sound

The DROID DNA by HTC has a unique, 2.55-volt, built-in headset amplifier and dedicated amp for the external rear-speaker to help boost the audio signal to deliver crystal clear sound with less distortion, even at maximum volume. The combination of amplified hardware and the rich, authentic, studio-quality sound of Beats Audio™ allows music to be heard the way the artist intended, and enhances the sound quality while playing games or watching video.

Additional Features

The DROID DNA by HTC is equipped with a 2,020 mAh battery and power saving software that enables long-lasting endurance.  In addition, the embedded wireless charging makes it easy and convenient to top off power throughout the day or fully charge overnight, simply by setting the phone down.  Finally, with near field communication (NFC), you can use the DROID DNA by HTC to share music and videos, add someone to your social networks, or download apps by tapping other NFC-enabled devices.

Availability:

The DROID DNA by HTC will be available exclusively from Verizon Wireless through a pre-order starting today at www.verizonwireless.com/droiddna, and in-stores nationwide beginning Wednesday, November 21st for $199.99 with a two-year customer agreement.

In February 2010 Microsoft took the wraps off of Windows Phone 7 and truly delivered a product almost noone saw coming. Yes the mobile platform was launched eight months later in the fall of 2010 missing essential features like copy & paste and any semblance of current hardware. Still the unique user experience paradigm Microsoft was championing offered many the opportunity to try something fresh. Of course, Windows Phone 7 & 7.5 hardware never really sold that well.  Part of it was the challenging task of getting people accustomed to iOS and Android to think differently. The other, more substantial, task was overcoming the lack of attractive hardware. This is where the future becomes now for Windows Phone.

Windows Phone 8 finally matches Microsoft’s true vision of what their mobile platform should be with outstanding hardware from their OEM partners HTC, Nokia & Samsung. All these devices are bold and jump out in an ever increasing sea of black slabs and white copy & pastas. This fall is Windows Phone’s future put on display and the general consensus is Microsoft’s offering is good enough to go head to head with iOS and Android. The attractive start screen, the fast & fluid OS, and the additions of Rooms, Kid’s Corner and Live Lockscreen give Windows Phone enough ammunition to grow and fast.

Carrier support is better than its ever been and thanks to the fact HTC and Nokia are really maximizing their global carrier partnerships the devices will be in almost 5 times the amount of markets than their original Windows Phone 7 devices. Currently, Windows Phone’s U.S. marketshare sits at just under 4% according to ComScore. Keep in mind that Verizon, the nation’s largest wireless carrier has basically spent the past year not offering any Windows Phone at all. So the fact Windows Phone even has as much marketshare as it does is encouraging to me. If you factor in the additional advertisement and availability of Windows Phones on Verizon and an even better selection of devices on T-Mobile (a strong Windows Phone promoter) it isn’t very hard to make a case for a rather quick signficant marketshare jump.

Best of all Windows Phone deserves to be used by more people. The start screen is getting rave reviews for its additional customizability and ability to drive a lot of important information the the user without having to deep dive into apps. The live lockscreen delivers information in an unobtrusive, relevant fashion. The ability for developers to use the improved background location API to deliver timely information is a boon to the platform. Something I’ve been really hoping for and crucial for the platform as iOS and Android already employ location-based APIs in meaningful ways. Other features like Rooms and Kid’s Corners are features we can see ourselves using and are really neat additions to the platform. As more and more people pick up Windows 8 family of devices the more these features will seem indispensable. I have two younger children that I like to let play with my phone. The ability to pre-determine what they can and cannot do with the phone is something I’ll be relishing every single day. Peace of mind is an invaluable thing.

Finally, the cherry on top for the Windows Phone platform is the aggressive pricing of the devices. HTC 8X can be had for as low as $99 (8GB version) and the Lumia 920 (32GB version) for the same price. Folks, the Samsung Galaxy Note II (16GB version) will be a whopping $299. A comparable iPhone 5 with 32GB is $299. Samsung Galaxy S III is being discounted now so you can find it anywhere from $99-$199 for (16GB versions). Carriers also seem to be pushing Wireless Charging as a key platform feature for Windows Phone. There has never been such a good time to deliver on the promise of Windows Phone. The Halo effect of Windows 8 is allowing millions each day to become more familiar with the tiled interface that Windows 8 & Windows Phone 8 share. If you never thought you’d get to see the future of Windows Phone take heart, you already are.

Life as a Nexus Owner

Over the past week it’s been a Microsoft and Google world. With Apples latest device the iPad Mini getting bad reviews and Microsoft and Google putting out device after device, all WinPhone and Fandroids are in geek heaven. In particular, I am ecstatic as it’s soon going to be a new Android build Jelly Bean 4.2!

4.2 is nice in that it’s just an interface focused update and some minor bug fixes. Mainly what we have to look forward to are the new applications coming to Android. I cannot wait to use the 360 photo gallery app. It’s such a useless feature but it’s something about having that ability. Google’s taking it a step further than just having a 360 image by allowing you to share 360 views on Google+ and also share the XML data wherever you choose. You can share the pictures with other Android devices and send emails of your 360 view that can be displayed in Google maps.

Another feature that’s going to be useful on my tablet is multi-user account support. The way Google is implementing the technology is unique in that it allows users to share application resources. So if one user has Spider Man loaded, then another user wants to load Spider Man, the OS only loads user specific data in each log on to save space.

This intelligent design is seen in a lot of places throughout the OS, Android 4.2 allows devices to enable wireless display. Allowing you share movies, YouTube videos, and anything that’s on your screen on an HDTV. All you need is a $20 Cisco wireless adapter for good integrity in my opinion; connect to any HDMI-enabled TV to mirror what’s on your screen quickly and easily.

Some other features Android will have in a few days are amazing in the ‘Moral’ category, such as screen magnification to easily zoom or pan the entire screen to get a closer look. Visually impaired users can now enter full-screen magnification with a triple-tap on the screen and even type and interact with the device while zoomed in.

Blind users can use Gesture Mode to reliably navigate the UI using touch and swipe gestures in combination with speech output. Once its setup for a blind person they can have their devices do say two things, call 911 and navigate home from wherever I am. Or complete more complex task like navigate by voice to a store, doctors office or strip club…what? Just because they are blind doesn’t mean the other senses are not working.

Google promises more reactive and uniform touch responses, futuristic new features in Google Now, new Swype-like keyboard by default; you can Swype or not. I do have a Verizon Galaxy Nexus so I did have to root to make sure it’s up to date immediately! so I do not have to worry…I do however, hope the carriers quit being greedy and update these “older” devices.

Not that even Android 2.3 Ginger Bread is a bad OS and Verizon will eventually push the updates… it’s just it would be pretty cool if all Android users could have these features day one.

I KNOW I WILL!