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Nokia uses Lumia 900 as a hammer in a torture test, makes us wince (video)

# 2012-05-19 22:48:00, Engadget
As much as we're familiar with mobile device torture tests, they're normally inflicted by us or otherwise not-so-voluntary. Nokia, however, has stepped up to the plate and doled out the abuse to the Lumia 900 itself with a hammer and nail, all based on a wager that the Windows Phone's use of Goril...

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012

# 2012-05-19 15:30:00, Engadget
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Verizon Wireless brought its LTE service to 28 new markets and expanded its reach in 11 additional areas. We also saw Straight Tal...

Microsoft exec says Windows Phone outselling iPhone in China

# 2012-05-19 12:59:00, Engadget
Going by Microsoft's Greater China COO Michel van der Bel, the launch of Windows Phone in China is off to an auspicious start -- enough to give Apple the shakes. He claims that devices like the Nokia Lumia 800c have helped Windows Phone reach seven percent of the Chinese market, or just enough to ...

Engadget Mobile Podcast 138 - 05.19.2012

# 2012-05-19 12:00:00, Engadget
Borders. Here at the Engadget Mobile Podcast, we're so over them. That's why we let former Engadget Mobile CEO-in-chief Chris Ziegler come back and hang out on our side of the fence for a few hours, no matter where he comes from. You know who's NOT over border? The United States Border Patrol, Div...

T-Mo delays HTC Amaze 4G online orders due to 'unforeseen issue,' has other recommendations

# 2012-05-19 02:47:00, Engadget
Hot off the heels of the One X and EVO 4G LTE spending some prolonged time at customs, now another member of HTC's sensational family appears to be feeling the rigorous effects of the ITC. According to a recent email acquired by TmoNews, it looks as if the Magenta carrier is delaying shipments of ...

Parkmobile adds NFC to its parking payment repertoire

# 2012-05-18 19:21:00, Engadget
Let's face it, whether you're down at the laundromat or feeding the meter on a busy street, you can never find enough quarters when you need'em. Know what effectively sidesteps that lack of foresight? NFC, that's what. And that tap-to-pay convenience is ready to roll out for folks in Oakland, CA c...

Sprint introduces My Wireless STS service to assist folks with speech disabilities

# 2012-05-18 11:02:00, Engadget
Sprint's had text-to-speech services on devices like the Samsung Epic 4G for quite some time, and now, looking to build up on that, the company's introducing its My Wireless STS feature. The new speech-to-speech service aims to help people with speech disabilities by giving them access to an opera...

ZTE confirms the Score M has a backdoor, hopes to patch up soon

# 2012-05-18 06:29:00, Engadget
Who knew that owning a ZTE Score M would mean living life on the edge? ZTE has confirmed that the MetroPCS phone has a backdoor vulnerability which could let a less-than-scrupulous hacker get root-level control over the Android 2.3 phone -- and because it's a unique app baked into the firmware, th...

K-Touch joins China Mobile with Marvell-powered T660, waves a $160 price tag

# 2012-05-18 02:42:00, Engadget
Last we heard, Chinese manufacturer K-Touch was quite busy showing off its Treasure V8 at this year's Mobile World Congress. Now, the company's taken the wraps off of its budget-friendly, TD-SCDMA T660 smartphone, marking its first intelligent handset on China Mobile. The device itself features a ...

LG LS970 'superphone' shows up again, flaunts its removable battery and NFC chip

# 2012-05-17 23:32:00, Engadget
It's only been a few days since we first heard the rumors about an upcoming, Sprint-bound LG quad-core slab, and now that same LS970 "superphone" is back for more action. Thanks to yet another snap acquired by the folks over at BriefMobile, we can now spot a couple extra details on the device, inc...

Sony helps you 'personalize' your Xperia further, announces case maker partnerships

# 2012-05-17 22:04:00, Engadget
Despite there being so many smartphones nowadays, finding cases for certain handsets can be tricky -- unless you're toting the likes of an iPhone or the latest Android flagship device, that is. Keeping that in mind, Sony has good news for Xperia owners, as it's officially announced a partnership p...

Sony opens up PSN to digital download pre-orders

# 2012-05-17 18:47:00, Engadget
Pre-orders are nothing new in the realm of video gaming -- they're the requisite hype before the release day-storm. On the digital download front, however, that anticipatory frenzy hasn't gotten much major industry support, until now. Sony, purveyor of all things PlayStation, has just tossed a bone...

Best Buy expects EVO 4G LTE to land May 23rd, HTC remains cautious

# 2012-05-17 11:32:00, Engadget
We've received a boatload of tips that folks who have pre-ordered the EVO 4G LTE at Best Buy are now seeing a new release date of May 23rd. Does this mean Sprint's flagship handset is getting close to leaving those dreaded customs halls? Here's HTC's take on the matter: HTC is working closely wi...

Samsung Galaxy S III now available for pre-order on T-Mobile UK

# 2012-05-17 06:50:00, Engadget
Sure, we'd seen a handful of other carriers in the UK have Sammy's GS3 up for pre-order, but that circle wouldn't be complete without a certain Magenta network. Worry not, though, as T-Mobile's joined the pre-order race and is now ready to swap your cash for a spanking-new Galaxy slab. Per usual -...

Samsung launches customer service app on Android as proof that it Cares

# 2012-05-17 02:32:00, Engadget
Worried that Samsung is too busy selling millions of devices to care about you, the individual consumer? Fear not, for the company has released an app to prove its unconditional dedication to your happiness, and it's appropriately called Samsung Cares. The program serves as a hub for online suppor...

Rogers and CIBC make joint deal for NFC mobile payments in Canada, let you check out with your Black...

# 2012-05-16 20:43:00, Engadget
Canadians sometimes can't catch a break: while NFC payments have been relatively common for Americans, Europeans and certainly the Japanese, Canucks have had to largely make do paying with ye olde credit carde. Rogers and national bank CIBC want to put an end to these antediluvian ways: starting l...

NTT DoCoMo's Galaxy S III to ship with 2GB RAM?

# 2012-05-16 16:53:00, Engadget
Ah, Japan. That far east country what begot Mario most always gets to profit from the industry's more delightful excesses. This time, however, the spoils have less to do with gaming flash and more to do with smartphone specs. In a document recently released by NTT DoCoMo, the carrier's upcoming du...

Sprint's Android users get carrier billing in Google Play

# 2012-05-16 15:38:00, Engadget
American Android users started getting carrier billing in Google Play early this month through T-Mobile (and later AT&T), and now Sprint can join the party. Any app, book, music or video purchase can be tacked on to the monthly bill for your EVO 4G LTE instead of going through Google. The move ...

Visualized: Android's device diversity cut up into 3,997 little pieces

# 2012-05-16 11:41:00, Engadget
Some call it diversity, some call it fragmentation. However you slice it, there's a lot of Android devices out there. OpenSignalMaps has tracked a staggering 3,997 unique phones, tablets and other Google-powered gadgets, and has put them into a chart weighted by popularity. Not surprisingly, it's ...

Boost Mobile set to offer Smith Micro's Visual Voicemail features starting on May 31st

# 2012-05-16 10:22:00, Engadget
Up until now, the Boost Mobile crowd's been missing out on those fancy visual voicemail creations, but that's about to change starting on May 31st. Earlier today, Smith Micro announced it's delivering its Visual Voicemail features to the prepaid-friendly carrier, with the upcoming Boost-branded HT...

Motorola Droid 4 gets leaked ICS build, official Android 4.0.4 may soon follow

# 2012-05-16 08:51:00, Engadget
We've known for quite some time that Motorola intended to push Ice Cream Sandwich to the Droid 4, but until now the waiting game continued, with no end in sight. It now appears that the smartphone maker is making serious progress on its own Motoblur-infused flavor of ICS, with a stock version of t...

Motorola Motosmart Mix XT550 masks its middling specs with a set of nice headphones

# 2012-05-16 08:27:00, Engadget
HTC may be over the idea of including premium earbuds with its smartphones, but Motorola is stepping up to give it the ol' college try with its Motosmart Mix XT550. The phone will sell in China for

Sprint reportedly cancelling its early upgrade program June 1st

# 2012-05-16 05:28:00, Engadget
Like dominoes, Sprint's consumer-friendly policies continue to fall one at a time. Citing "high costs," the Now Network will begin discontinuing its practice of allowing customers to upgrade their phone 10-14 days prior to the official date of eligibility. According to the memo leaked by TechnoBuf...

Xiaomi Phone gets a Youth Edition, a less powerful, cheaper alternative for students

# 2012-05-16 03:05:00, Engadget
Many of you are already familiar with the Xiaomi Phone and its reverence in the MIUI community, but now the Chinese manufacturer has introduced a less expensive counterpart to the original, which is aptly known as the Youth Edition. Priced at 1,499 yuan ($237), this smartphone will sell for a full...

Is the HTC Ville C a cheaper One S?

# 2012-05-16 01:09:00, Engadget
The Desire C has barely revealed itself as HTC's latest pocket-friendly Android phone, but another device following the same naming convention might also be on the cards. According to BriefMobile, a lower-priced One S variant, currently under the Ville C moniker, will shed the dual-core 1.5GHz Sna...

Gartner: mobile phone sales fell two percent last quarter, Samsung confirmed as numero uno

# 2012-05-15 23:23:00, Engadget
Gartner's latest dispatch reveals a wobbly global trade in mobile phones. Although our love of smartphones continued to blossom, with sales of that subcategory up nearly 45 percent, it wasn't enough to stave off a two percent overall decline compared to the same quarter in 2011. A total of 419.1 m...

Galaxy S III will launch a day early -- for some UK pre-orders

# 2012-05-15 22:20:00, Engadget
Be still your beating heart, Samsung has announced that several customers who have already fallen for its incoming flagship's charms will get their pre-orders honored a day early. Unfortunately, it will be limited to those that ordered through its own brand store in Westfield Stratford City in Lon...

NTT DoCoMo hopes to expand content game with Buongiorno buyout

# 2012-05-15 21:43:00, Engadget
Japanese mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo, is making a play at the Italian firm Buongiorno, a mobile content provider that boasts two billion customers across 57 countries. The €224 million offer must still be approved by Italian regulators, and would reflect a purchase price of €2 per share for th...

NTT DoCoMo launching 19 new devices this summer, brings Galaxy S III to Japan

# 2012-05-15 19:12:00, Engadget
If you aren't already accustomed to Japan's regular deluge of device announcements, brace yourself: NTT DoCoMo just stepped forward with 17 new phones, as well as a mobile WiFi hotspot and a tablet. Throw a stone at the pile of hardware, and you're likely to strike something running Ice Cream Sand...

Pantech P8010 meets FCC, brings AT&T LTE along to say hello

# 2012-05-15 10:23:00, Engadget
Though it hasn't been officially announced, AT&T's likely has a new Pantech LTE phone in its reasonable future. The P8010 just got approved by the FCC, and its next-gen radio offers support for no less than four LTE bands: the 700 / 1700 frequencies used by AT&T, as well as 850 / 1900. What's curi...