Gear Diary » Verizon

Gear Deal: Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Verizon Plus Free SD Card

Dan Cohen — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:35:58 +0000

Today's Gear Deal brings us the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Verizon via AmazonWireless. This is one impressive smartphone. It features a 4.65" 720x1280 HD Super AMOLED display, has a speedy dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4460 processor, has 1GB RAM and comes with 32GB built-in storage. A 5MP rear camera (1080p video capable) and a 1.3MP front camera let you take images, grab video and make video calls. It also has NFC connectivity, 4G speeds when available, a microUSB slot and, of course, Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi. It is also the first phone running the new Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Off contract the phone is $749.99 and at Verizon it is $299.99 on contract. With Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Verizon Customer Service Rocks!

Carly Z — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:00:24 +0000

Sarah and I are planning a trip abroad soon, and on my to-do list was to call Verizon and add international roaming to my iPhone. When I called the customer service line, I was incredibly impressed with how helpful they were, above and beyond what I had expected! As soon as I explained the purpose of my call was to add international roaming, the customer service representative emailed me the Verizon rates for calls, texts, and data. She then waited until I confirmed I had it to review my options and move forwards adding a roaming plan, because she wanted to make sure I understood the cost structure. Even better, the email had dialing instructions with the country codes Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Wilson Electronics New Sleek 4G LTE Universal Cellular Signal Booster Rocks!

Judie Stanford — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:01:57 +0000

I'm a big fan of Wilson Electronics Cellular signal boosters, and I got to spend a little bit of time Joe Banos (their CEO) checking out their new 4G LTE Universal Cellular Signal Booster and learning about what's going on in the booster market. Joe sees 2012 as the year that carriers will acknowledge that customers want better signals on their mobile devices by embracing cellular signal boosting technology. Verizon is the first carrier to get fully on board, and Joe said another carrier is expected to do the same in the next few weeks. Wilson has just released a universal cradle that will take care of mobile users on all carriers, but specifically those Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Thank You For Calling Verizon Wireless, How May I Collect an Extra $2 (or not)?

Michael Anderson — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:59:03 +0000

Sorry about the Better Off Dead image, but when I saw this at Droid-Life yesterday that was all I could think of ... Verizon Wireless as Johnny chasing Lane across the field and down the mountain in search of the $2 paper money. Here is the image more related to the new policy:

According to the report from the AP:

Verizon Wireless, the country's largest cellphone company, said Thursday that it will start charging $2 for every payment subscribers make over the phone or online with their credit cards. The company said this "convenience fee" will

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Deal: Samsung Galaxy Nexus [Verizon]

Dan Cohen — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:59:41 +0000

Today's Gear Deal brings us the Samsung Galaxy Nexus at a steep discount for new accounts. While the retail price is $729.99 on contract with this deal you will get it for $224.99 with free shipping (It is expected in 1-2 weeks). If you already have an account and are upgrading prices start at $249.99 and you will get a free 4GB SD Card. The Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65" 720x1280 HD Super AMOLED display, a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4460 processor, 1GB RAM, 32GB built-in storage, 5MP rear camera (1080p video capable), 1.3MP front camera, NFC connectivity, 4G speeds, microUSB, Bluetooth, GPS, WiFi, 1750mAh battery, and more. This is the first phone running Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Droid 4 Revealed – Like a Moto Razr with a Slide-Out QWERTY Keyboard

Michael Anderson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:20:53 +0000

When it comes to mobile devices I tend to be fairly platform agnostic, owning Android phones, iPod Touches (well, iPods since the original one in 2001), and both iPads and Android Tablets. But there is one place where I have clear bias (well, aside from gaming performance), and that is my preference for physical keyboards. Listing the smartphones I have used over the last few years, there is the original Droid, Palm Pre, Palm Pixi, HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC 7 Pro, and Droid Pro. What do all of those phones have in common? A physical keyboard. I even stuck with PDAs with keyboards to the end - the Palm Tungsten C and HP Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

PSA: If You Are a Verizon Wireless Customer, Check Your Privacy Settings!

Michael Anderson — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:15:50 +0000

Whenever a wireless carrier discusses your private information, you can be sure of one thing: they are trying to squeeze more money out of you by leveraging your information, but know that if they don't give you an opt-out they will have regulators breathing down their necks. So ... this week we get an email from Verizon Wireless. What information are they storing?

Mobile Usage Information: • Addresses of websites you visit when using our wireless service. These data strings (or URLs) may include search terms you have used • Location of your device ("Location Information") • App and device feature usage Consumer Information: • Information about your use of Verizon products

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Amazon Has the Motorola Droid RAZR for $111.11 … But There’s a Catch!

Michael Anderson — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:30:31 +0000

Today is 11/11/11 - or in Europe 11/11/11 - and Verizon and Motorola are releasing the cool looking ultra-thin Droid RAZR Android smartphone - at 11:11:11, naturally. Never one to be left out of a chance to overuse a gimmick, Amazon Wireless is getting in on the fun, offering the Droid RAZR for ... yep, $111.11! But ... there is a catch. The image above is from when I select 'New Customer'. As soon as I indicate 'Exiting Customer', THIS is what happens.

So much for a good deal - I guess they figure if they Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Verizon Gets All the Cool New Android Phones, Including the Beats Audio Integrated HTC Rezound

Judie Stanford — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:50:31 +0000

If HTC and Beats Audio have their way, we aren't going to be able to immediately dismiss the headphones that come with mobile phones as being anemic or lame for much longer.

Today HTC announced the first and only phone in the U.S. with integrated Beats Audio™, the HTC Rezound. The HTC Rezound is a multimedia powerhouse with unparalleled audio and entertainment capabilities which allows customers to experience music and entertainment on-the-go like never before.

Its style is unmistakably HTC, but the Rezound appears to have been jazzed up a bit by the addition of a red speaker grill and red capacitive buttons along the bottom of the screen. A flashy Beats Audio logo on the back will also Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Facetones on Verizon

Douglas Moran — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:00:41 +0000

I've said it before and I'll say it again (partly because I have a tendency to repeat myself, as Sami sometimes points out): Competition is a Good Thing™. I like to see different products offered on different platforms, different versions of tech products, and all the rest. Yeah, sometimes I get a little weary when too durn many "solutions" get released--how many flinkin' Android phones are there out there now, anyway?--but in the main: competition=good. In that vein is Facetones; I'll let Verizon tell it:

Vringo’s Facetones service integrates with Facebook® and provides a new way to get visually exciting social content each time a user makes or receives a phone call. For Verizon customers who

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Gear Games Deal: Madden 12 Android Free for Verizon Oct 1 – 3

Michael Anderson — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:30:30 +0000

Here is a great deal for those of us who are on Verizon and have one of the supported phones: Madden 12 for Android is Free Oct 1 - Oct 3 for Verizon Customers! To get it call **MADDEN (**623336) From your Verizon Wireless Android phone. According to SlickDeals:

Supported devices include: Incredible 2.2, Vortex 2.2, Continuum, Thunderbolt 2.2, Droid Pro 2.2, Fascinate 2.2, Incredible 2.2.2, Commando, Droid Charge, Revolution 2.2, Droid X 2.2.2, Droid X 2.3

Head to the Verizon site to see more details, or just call **MADDEN to get the game! Source: SlickDeals Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

HTC Rhyme Introduced with a Family of Integrated Accessories and Sleek Good Looks

Judie Stanford — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:59:10 +0000

I can't even find it in myself to be annoyed that HTC has introduced a phone that is so obviously aimed at women; if they had just colored it plum and called it good, I would have been livid. But no. The HTC Rhyme is a phone that I would have considered carrying anyway ... and the bonus is that it just happens to be a lovely plum color.

From the unique plum color that draws on the inspiration from HTC’s designers to specific apps, wallpapers, and ringtones created for the HTC Rhyme, HTC Sense’s presence is seen throughout. Hardware design is taken a step further with available accessories including a wireless Bluetooth headset, wireless charging dock which turns

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Gear Deal: Motorola Droid Bionic 4G Dual-Core Smartphone [Verizon]

Dan Cohen — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:40:09 +0000

It is big. It is bold. It is Bionic! It's the Motorola Droid Bionic 4G smartphone for Verizon and it is today's Gear Deal.

The Droid Bionic isn't a smartphone. No, it is a super-smart phone. It has a 1GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3" qHD (960x540) display, dual-facing cameras with an 8MP rear camera, and 16GB built-in memory plus the inclusion of a 16GB microSD standard. It is hotspot capable, offers 4G LTE/3G connectivity, runs Android 2.3OS, and, of course, has WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. It has all that and it still offers up to 10.8 hours talk time. The full price of the Droid Bionic is $679.99. At Let's Talk it is just Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Mobile 4G & LTE, Just a Faster Way to Hit Your Data Cap?

Francis Scardino — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:00:41 +0000

Image courtesy of Droid-Life

What drives me nuts about mobile carriers these days is that I truly believe they are using new technology against us. Maybe you think I'm out of my mind, but it's really easy to see the common trend happening with 3 of the 4 big carriers in the US. As mobile broadband and equipment evolve, our data plans seem to reverse direction and impose some serious and costly limitations. If I remember correctly in the past before smartphones were big, you could use all the data you wanted. But let's remember the hardware was not nearly as advanced and you really weren't streaming anything over a mobile Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Win up to $10,000 with Verizon’s 4G LTE Field Tester’s Challenge

William Herbert — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:30:14 +0000

Are you an aspiring filmmaker? A smartphone owner? If so, it might be time to get down to business making a 60 - second video for Verizon Wireless' new Field Tester's Challenge. The premise is simple: create a unique video short showcasing a field test of Verizon's 4G LTE network. In other words, you're making an advertisement. Although the video needs a runtime of just a minute, there really aren't many other restrictions on entries. The full rules and regulations can be found here, though participants may want to get a head start on the project before the contest's fast approaching August 20th deadline. Areas of particular interest to the cellular giant include download Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon Slashes Prices on Android Handsets and Adds Additional Incentives

Judie Stanford — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 01:30:17 +0000

It always pays to shop around, even when buying a carrier-branded phone. Did you know that the same phones you can buy at the Verizon store are available on Amazon -- some at greatly reduced savings from the carrier sites? No kidding -- on the Verizon site, the HTC Thunderbolt (a phone I truly enjoyed while reviewing) is available with contract for $249.99.

That price seems fair enough, right? Especially since the full retail says $569.99. Well guess what? On Amazon Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Android Device Review: The HTC Verizon ThunderBolt

Judie Stanford — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:15:12 +0000

It's becoming a problem for me that HTC keeps releasing some of their higher-end phones on Sprint and Verizon; see, I am an AT&T customer. One of my old excuses for why I wouldn't switch to Verizon was that they were CDMA and therefore didn't use a SIM card. Not using SIM cards (which are easily swappable into other phones) is a huge problem for people who like to use more than one phone, or in other words, people like me. That's why the ThunderBolt, a phone that I have thoroughly enjoyed testing, became a bit of a conundrum. It has a SIM. When did Verizon start using SIM cards? Is this a common thing with them Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

A Quick Look at the HTC Verizon 4G LTE ThunderBolt

Judie Stanford — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:00:11 +0000

Later today you'll be able to buy the HTC ThunderBolt from Verizon for $299 with a two-year contract; yesterday I received a review unit, and I have spent much of the day (and evening) getting acquainted with it. The 4.3" WVGA screen is beautiful, and it's immediately reminiscent of one of my all-time favorite devices, the HTC HD2. You'll likely hear quite a few comparisons to the HD2 as I work my way through this post and the resulting review, because more than any device since its introduction, the ThunderBolt feels like the HD2's worthy successor.

The ThunderBolt is hefty! It measures 4.75" tall Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

One Month Later, Verizon Owns 12% of the iPhone Market

Michael Anderson — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:30:54 +0000

Last month I wrote about a new tracker that shows the comparative data used by the iPhone on Verizon and AT&T and uses that as a comparison for the number of active phones. The initial data set was likely skewed by the 'new user effect' of folks over-using their data plan as they signed up for the new Verizon iPhone. A month later, however, it is clear that regardless of non-existent retail lines at launch, there have been HUGE Verizon iPhone sales, and folks are making great use of those phones. The latest data shows Verizon with a greater than 12% overall share of the iPhone market:

Since the launch of the

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Cool Gear Deal: Get a HP Palm Pre 2 for FREE Through Verizon!

Michael Anderson — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:45:54 +0000

OK, not totally free, as always you'll need to be a new customer or eligible for an upgrade - and sign on to a 2-year contract. Still, the Pre 2 is a great phone with excellent features, and is supposedly going to get the Web OS update later this year allowing for the cool features HP showed in their media event a few weeks ago! Head on over to the HP Wireless Store and get your Verizon Pre 2 Upgrade for FREE! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iLuv Releases Verizonified iPhone 4 Cases

Douglas Moran — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:00:36 +0000

One of the things that I enjoy in doing Gear Diary news items is seeing how quickly companies jump on various new products and trends. (I know it probably seems ridiculous to you all, but when I'm in California, I'm a real geek in that I Have No Life™.) For example, when the iPhone first came out--the year of "The Surge", remember?--a lot of folks were saying "What the heck does Apple know about the cell phone market? They'll get stomped!" Yes, a lot of folks disagreed, but gear manufacturers seem to hedge their bets; I was astonished at how few cases were available when the iPhone first went out. Now, of course, you can't walk ten feet in Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Verizon Hot Spot Part of iOS 4.2.5: AT&T Could Implement?

LarryGreenberg — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:50:41 +0000

Image via Tech Crunch

Judie and I have been discussing the Verizon iPhone 4 announcement all afternoon. The pros, cons, new features (there aren't many), etc. One of the main, if not the only difference, between the Verizon iPhone and the AT&T version is the mobile hot spot feature found on the Verizon version. The Hot Spot feature allows up to 5 users to connect to the iPhone's internet connection and share it to get online.

After seeing the Verizon iPhone 4 demoed following the announcement we learned that the Hot Spot features appears to be part of iOS and the Verizon phone is running a new version of the iPhone operation

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Current iPhone 4 Cases Won’t Fit the Verizon Version?

LarryGreenberg — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:38:25 +0000

Image courtesy of Engadget

By know you already know Verizon just announced the availability of the iPhone 4 for their CDMA network. Perhaps the biggest WTF moment though came after the hardware of the device was being closely examined. Now it might just be the angle of the picture above but if you look closely you'll notice that the volume buttons and vibrate switch on the Verizon iPhone 4 don't line up with those of the AT&T version (in the photo above the AT&T iPhone 4 is on the bottom and the Verizon on top.) If this is indeed true that means many cases made for the AT&T iPhone 4 simply won't Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Cat’s Out of the Bag: Verizon Announces the iPhone 4

LarryGreenberg — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:30:01 +0000

Image Courtesy of Engadget

At a press conference held today Verizon announced the iPhone 4 will be made available for their CDMA network in early February. It didn't really come as a big surprise since the Wall Street Journal all but confirmed the announcement would be made last week during CES. The device will be available starting 2/10/11 for $199.99 (16 GB) and $299.99 (32 GB) with a new 2 yr. agreement. It will be available to both new and existing customers. The device itself will be no different than the iPhone 4 currently available on AT&T (same camera, same retina display, same Facetime etc.) However, the Verizon iPhone 4 will include a Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Three Main Reasons I Won’t Be Getting a Verizon iPhone … and Five Reasons I Would Like To

Michael Anderson — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:00:17 +0000

Image Courtesy of CrunchGear

If all the rumors are to believed, on Tuesday the 11th Verizon and Apple will unveil the iPhone 4 for Verizon. Unlike the hundred other times this rumor has made the rounds, there is reasonable evidence pointing to this time being FOR REAL. If you want more details on the rumor round-up, you can check out The Consumerist, who also has links to other places with more extensive coverage of each rumor element. Kevin at GottaBeMobile writes about three reasons why he won't be switching to a Verizon iPhone. These are fairly pragmatic reasons, such as already having an AT&T family plan, Verizon having spotty coverage Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Tethering Data with Your Phone; How Much Is It Worth to You?

Francis Scardino — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:00:59 +0000

To tether or not to tether, what to do? There has been a long-standing debate and rather good argument over whether tethering your phone is legal, ethical, or financially worth it. Most platforms today have programs available that allow you to tether a wired or wireless device to you phone without buying another data plan. Most wireless carriers do offer tethering at an additional cost, but even then they limit you data speed and connection options. These days almost everyone that has a phone capable of tethering and has an additional device or two that could benefit from sharing their 3G/4G data cellular data. So the big question is if you cheating your carrier by Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

UPDATED: Verizon FiOS: A Rant and a Rave

Carly Z — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:00:56 +0000

UPDATE: After this post went live, I received an email from Verizon. They were very concerned about the experience I had, and the frustration I expressed here. I talked with them about the plan we were on, and what bundles made more sense given what we were looking to accomplish (saving money since we didn't need super-fancy pants TV). To say they were helpful is an understatement. We picked a better bundle and worked out a much better set of features, and FiOS customer service was incredibly friendly. When I ranted about my experience, it was just to get it off my chest, not with any expectation, so having FiOS not only reach out Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon and Verizon Strike a Kindle Deal

Carly Z — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:00:13 +0000

Amazon appears to have reached phase two in their sinister brilliant "rule the ebook world" plot. Phase one was to blanket every major smartphone platform with Kindle apps, plus lower the price of the Kindle to impulse territory. Phase two is to make it so easy to find and use Kindle books that it's work to use anything else. That's clearly the motivation behind their newest plan, where Verizon Android handsets are going to be pre-loaded with the Kindle app. Make it easy for the biggest selection of the best Android handsets in the US to use your app, and you seal up that much more marketshare. Kobo has been striking similar deals with HTC and Samsung Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Verizon, Why Are You Asking for Email Passwords?

Joel McLaughlin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:30:49 +0000

I recently purchased a Droid 2 on Verizon to replace my aging G1 on T-Mobile. Overall, the experience was good, and my number ported quickly and the phone was already working properly by the time I walked out of the store. However, one thing about the experience concerned me. The Verizon rep was going to set up the e-mail on the phone for me, and she asked for my Google credentials. While at face value that may seem like a considerate or helpful gesture, it's really not something Verizon should be requesting. Like anyone else, I have e-mail in my account that I don't want to share with anyone else, and Verizon requesting my email password also sets a bad precedent Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Google and Verizon to Bring Out the Ultimate Android Tablet?

Carly Z — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:00:24 +0000

(Image courtesy Laptop Mag)

Looks like Verizon's love affair with Android isn't ending so fast. Boy Genius Report says that Google is teaming up with Verizon to bring out an Android tablet. Personally, I think this is awesome news, and Google needs this tablet out ASAP. There's a few reasons why this has the potential to be a huge win for Google. For starters, it helps slow the dilution of the Android tablet market. If you think the phones are fractured, just look at the tablets. There's a veritable army of current and rumored tablets, from Archos to MSI to Asus to obscure Chinese manufacturers. Unfortunately, an Android tablet with 1.5 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...