Thursday, June 23, 2011

CTIA 2011 wrap-up: EVO 3D, G2x, skinny new Galaxy Tabs, and more

We just got home from this little massive US mobile industry event you may have heard about called CTIA Wireless. It took place in Orlando this year (instead of Las Vegas as usual) and we can definitely say that Sprint was the star of the show with its HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO View 4G, and Google Voice integration. Samsung also delivered some goodies with the Galaxy Tab 8.9, a redesigned Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint, and the Android-powered Sidekick 4G for T-Mobile. LG re-badged the Optimus 2x as the G2x on T-Mobile, and the Optimus 3D as the Thrill on AT&T. The HTC HD7 made a comeback as the Super LCD-equipped HD7S on AT&T, and Nokia gave us the Astound, nee C7, for T-Mobile. Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg -- so if you missed the action this past week, we've got you covered with all the nitty gritty in the links below.

Major news / product releases:
  • AT&T agrees to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion
  • Google Nexus S 4G with WiMAX announced for Sprint: coming this spring for $200
  • Sprint, Google Voice getting tight integration, will let you use your number without porting it
  • AT&T launches HTC HD7S with WP7 and LG's 3D-enabled Thrill 4G Android phone
  • Sprint's BlackBerry 4G PlayBook portal goes live, still on track for a summer release
  • LG's T-Mobile G2x announced, available 'later this spring' (update: preloaded with Tegra Zone)
  • T-Mobile's LG G-Slate priced at $529.99 with a two-year contract
  • HTC EVO 3D officially announced for Sprint
  • Sprint makes EVO View 4G tablet official: 1.5GHz, WiMAX, 7-inch screen, and a stylus to boot
  • LG gets official with WCP-700 Wireless Charging Pad, fails to provide pricing
  • Samsung's CTIA press conference posted online, skinny new Galaxy Tabs shown off (video)
Hands-on / previews:
  • Nokia Astound for T-Mobile coming April 6th for $80 (hands-on with video)
  • Sony Ericsson Xperia Play for Verizon hands-on (video)
  • T-Mobile Sidekick 4G by Samsung priced at $99.99 with a two-year contract, we go hands-on
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and new Galaxy Tab 10.1 hands-on: thinner than the iPad 2, dual-core power, TouchWiz 4.0
  • T-Mobile G2x from LG hands-on (video)
  • HTC EVO 3D vs. EVO 4G... fight!
  • HTC EVO 3D first hands-on! (video)
  • Sprint's HTC EVO View 4G hands-on (video)
  • HTC HD7S hands-on
  • AT&T's LG Thrill 4G hands-on (video)
  • T-Mobile G-Slate bundled apps tour (video)
  • Cricket teases CDMA-only Samsung Indulge, Huawei Ascend 2 at CTIA (hands-on)
  • T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot hands-on
  • Wysips wants to turn your phone's display into a solar cell (hands-on with video)
  • ZTE's Style S and LTE tablet coming to the US during the second half of the year
  • Kyocera pictures a world of deeply understanding phones
  • Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint hands-on (video)
  • Google Voice for Sprint hands-on (video)
  • Samsung's original Galaxy Tab 10.1 renamed the Tab 10.1V, thicker Galaxy Tab 8.9 no more than a trade show dummy
Everything else:
  • LG's T-Mobile G2x spied at CTIA
  • Cobra Tag Bluetooth key tagging system to ship in July, iRadar and PhoneLynx coming to Android
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 specs and Honeycomb UI tweaks leak out before its official launch
  • EVO 3D specs confirmed: 1080p 2D video, 720p 3D, dual cameras, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU
  • HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G tablet spotted -- on Sprint's website, where else?
  • Live from CTIA's day one keynote with FCC chairman Julius Genachowski
  • Live from Samsung's CTIA event!
  • Live from Sprint's CTIA event!
  • Verizon says 4G LTE network will cover 'at least' 147 US cities by the end of 2011
  • HTC's WiFi-only Flyer launching exclusively with Best Buy 'this spring'
  • Kyocera launches developer program for dual-screen Echo smartphone
  • Best Buy signs up for LightSquared's wholesale LTE service
  • Femto Forum publishes API specification for femtocell apps, places focus on 'awareness information'
  • Blio e-reading software still alive, will come preloaded on T-Mobile Android devices
  • Samsung's original Galaxy Tab 10.1 renamed the Tab 10.1V, thicker Galaxy Tab 8.9 no more than a trade show dummy
And if that's still not enough, be sure to listen to our CTIA 2011 podcast and take a look at our CTIA 2011 page right here.