Smartphones

You could make a case that the Rezound phone by HTC could be the Flagship Android phone of the year so far. It ain't the thinnest, nor does it have Ice Cream Sandwich yet, but being the first carrier-branded handset in the US boasting a 720p HD display does set it apart from the rest. It's also the first HTC phone to incorporate Dr. Dre's Beats Audio technology. The HTC Rezound ($300 with a new two-year contract) is one of the more capable devices released in the past year. With robust specs, including a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and Verizon LTE 4G connectivity, the Rezound could be the phone to beat for the rest of the year.

The Rezound sports a 4.3-inch, 1280-by-720-resolution super LCD screen, and it's not small in stature. It compares size-wise to the Nexus S and just a tiny bit smaller than the DROID RAZR. Having said that, this device is great for watching movies, live TV and playing games. It weighs in at around 6-ounces, which gives some added stability while talking on the phone.Read more

The Motorola DROID 4 goes on sale today at Verizon Wireless for $199.99 (with a new two-year agreement). Unveiled earlier this year at CES, DROID 4 features a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, a 4.0-inch display, 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and a five-row QWERTY keyboard with edge-lit keys – all housed in a smartphone that's less than half an inch thin. In fact, according to Motorola, DROID 4 is "the thinnest and most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone" available today.

DROID 4 runs Android 2.3.5 (upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich) and comes preloaded with MotoCast Wireless, an app that allows you to stream music, pictures and documents wirelessly from your home or work computer. Another handy app, Smart Actions, helps you automate everyday tasks such as automatically setting the phone to vibrate during work hours or dimming the display when your phone reaches a specific battery level, optimizing its battery life.Read more

Did you catch the Samsung Galaxy Note commercial that aired during the Big Game on Sunday? You can now pre-order the device at Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, or online at BestBuy.com/Mobile and get a free Protective Flip Cover Case (value of $29.99) when you activate the phone (while supplies last).

The Samsung Galaxy Note has all the benefits of a tablet but the functionality of a smartphone. It features a 5.3" HD Super AMOLED screen, a dual core processor, 8MP rear facing and 2MP front facing cameras, and 16GB memory expandable to up to 32GB with optional microSD card. And, as seen in the commercial below, the device features a new S Pen stylus which can be used to write e-mails, texts and more in free-form handwriting.

Samsung Galaxy Note Commercial:

Shopping for a new mobile phone? Best Buy has announced that they are giving consumers a $50 gift card to anyone who registers and then purchases and activates a mobile phone at Best Buy by December 31, 2012. The offer is valid on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile phones activated with a new two-year agreement at Best Buy or online at BestBuy.com (excluding T-Mobile activations requiring a deposit).

The offer is simple:

• Step One: Consumers register their phone number at www.bestbuy.com/phonefreedom by Feb. 12, 2012
• Step Two: Consumers activate the registered phone number with the purchase of a new mobile phone with a two-year agreement at Best Buy or BestBuy.com any time before Dec. 31, 2012
• Step Three: Upon purchase and activation, customers will receive their $50 Best Buy gift card

There is no obligation once a phone number is registered. Best Buy Reward Zone program members may register their phone number online between Wednesday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 12 to qualify. All other customers may register their phone number online between Sunday, Feb. 5 and Sunday, Feb. 12 to qualify.Read more

The Casio G-Shock Android Phone is the company's latest "G'Zone" ruggedized smartphone being released. This thing could take a bullet. It's reported that it can withstand 2000 lbs of weight on its body. That's like a small car running over it. Additionally, the G-Shock phone will run a version of Android, can survive a 10-foot drop and be submerged in up to 10-meters of water without skipping a beat.

Casio has yet to make their latest G-Shock phone official, but one thing is for sure; it sure will be difficult cramming this phone into any pants pocket.

Casio launched the G'z0ne on Verizon last year, a phone that ran Android and could withstand a few drops. Casio is looking to release their next tough phone, this time also sporting a more current Android version. Read more

A rumor has surfaced that Samsung could be announcing the Galaxy SIII, with a release date of April this year. The announcement is said to occur at the Mobile World Congress this February.

As with previous Galaxy S models, you can expect some high-end specs and a very sleek device, possibly even a thinner model than the current Galaxy SII.....if that's physically possible.

Specification-wise, it looks like this sucker will have a 1.5GHz quad-core processor along with a 12-megapixel camera. It will run the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system at launch, maybe even an updated version of the new OS. The screen is expected to go closer to the edges making a smaller bezel around it.

Previous models of the Samsung Galaxy S have done extremely well in terms of sales. In fact, the Galaxy S line has been the best selling smartphone family in the history of smartphone revenue. We expect the next generation flagship Samsung smartphone to follow that path.Read more

It's official! The DROID RAZR MAXX by Motorola will be hitting Verizon Wireless stores on January 26, the company announced today. It will sell for $299.99 with the usual new two-year agreement.

The RAZR MAXX measures in at 8.99 mm thin and is touted as "the longest-lasting smartphone on the block" with a talk time of more than 21 hours straight on a single charge. This 4G LTE smartphone includes a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization and also has a front-facing HD camera for video chat, etc.

Additional features:

• Powered by Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Powerful 3300 mAh battery
• 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot capable – share 4G LTE speed with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• Remote wipe, pin lock and government-grade encryption for email, calendar and contacts, as well as voice and video chat conferencing
• 32 GB memory – 16 GB on-board memory and 16 GB microSD card pre-installed (actual formatted capacity is less)

Numerous smartphones were announced at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, which took place last week. One of the devices – the LG Spectrum – is one of the first to become available. You can now pick it up at Verizon Wireless stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 with a new two-year agreement.

Powered by Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread (upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich), the LG Spectrum features a 4.5-inch True HD display with 720 x 1280 resolution, an 8-megapixel rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p video capture, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera and has a Qualcomm 1.5 GHz dual-core processor. The dual-core processor, when combined with 4G LTE, gives the device super-fast download speeds and allows you to multitask with ease.

The LG Spectrum offers Mobile Hotspot capability and also comes loaded with SmartMovie HD, an app that lets you create and edit HD videos right on the device. In addition, for all you sports fans out there, the Spectrum features the ESPN ScoreCenter application which offers up exclusive HD video. Dolby Digital Plus is supported as well, allowing you to stream up to 7.1 channels of surround sound through your home entertainment system. Read more