When the Optimus 2X was announced a few days ago, North America was conspicuously left out of the nebulous launch plans mentioned in the press release — but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not coming. RCR Wireless says it has it on “rather good authority” that LG’s beastly Tegra 2-powered Android phone will in fact see a US launch, and that said launch will be on T-Mobile in late February (which would be right after MWC) or early March. Considering how aggressively T-Mobile has been pushing Android dating all the way back to the G1, we tend to believe it — and between the dual-core processor, HSPA+, and the promise of a Gingerbread update in the works, this could easily hang with the HTC Mechas and Motorola Olympuses of the world (likely launching on Verizon and AT&T, respectively) over the next few months.

LG Optimus 2X coming to T-Mobile USA by March? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s chief operating officer John Stratton mentioned today that “LTE smartphones are on the horizon,” a sentiment the carrier has been echoing since it launched its 4G network earlier this month. That alone isn’t new, but what is new is the mention of Moto in the same breath: “Motorola will be right there.” He wouldn’t go into specifics about models, specs, release dates, or prices, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the offering looked a little like the Tegra 2-powered device codenamed Olympus (pictured) — allegedly for AT&T — that we’ve seen floating around recently. For what it’s worth, we’re also aware of models from HTC and LG in the pipe, so by all accounts, Big Red is planning on coming out with guns blazing when it rolls out 4G handsets next year.

Motorola has an LTE phone for Verizon in the works originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So we’ve got a crazy theory here: Slashgear just got a couple closeup shots of some heretofore-unknown HTC. So did we — one in common with Slashgear, one different. Could it be that Taiwan’s finest are “leaking” us these shots in an effort to drum up interest going into CES in a couple weeks? We wouldn’t doubt it in the least — with the LG B, Optimus 2X, and Samsung Nexus S all fresh off the presses, HTC probably wouldn’t mind getting a little boost in mindshare right now, and there’s no better way to do it than by teasing a phone that looks an awful lot like the previously-leaked Mecha. As a refresher, the Mecha is the beast that might end up on Verizon as the Incredible HD, offering LTE compatibility for the carrier’s new 4G network — and we know that Verizon plans on showing a whole bunch of LTE devices at CES, so this is all lining up pretty nicely. Follow the break for the other shot we received along with Slashgear‘s.

Continue reading New HTC device starts leaking piecemeal — is it the Mecha / Incredible HD?

New HTC device starts leaking piecemeal — is it the Mecha / Incredible HD? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Knight hits Best Buy’s system with PG0610 model name originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notice how we said “hardware,” not “phones?” In light of that wild Motorola teaser we just saw and the fact that we know Verizon and Moto are working pretty closely on Android tablets, it’s entirely possible that phones won’t be the only items on Verizon’s docket when it starts pulling the covers off its first consumer-oriented LTE gear at CES in a couple weeks. The fact that there’ll be new LTE hardware intros from Verizon at CES is nothing new — they’ve been saying as much for a while now — but the specific mention of Android is a comforting confirmation that we’ll probably see the HTC Mecha, that unnamed LG, and perhaps a tablet or two on hand as opposed to MetroPCS’ unusual strategy of taking the dumbphone route. ‘Bout time the EVO 4G and Epic 4G had to watch their backs, isn’t it?

Verizon teases Android LTE hardware for January 6th at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What do you get when you cross an HTC HD7 with a Mondrian ROM? Or a Schubert ROM? (‘Elephino… wait, that’s not right.) Nothing too crazy, we imagine, but in doing so, xda-developers patron ansar.ath.gr has provided a proof of concept that custom ROMs can be implemented on Windows Phone 7 devices. In more technical terms, “this proves that the imgfs.bin can be used from any branded device to any other branded device.” It’s okay, you don’t have to know what an imgfs.bin is, but if you’re the sort who likes to tweak phones well beyond what’s in the settings menu / user manual, just be patient and know there’s at least a few brilliant coders who’ll capitalize on this freshly laid groundwork.

HTC HD7 gets its .bins all in a tizzy, custom ROMs up next? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

HTC Aria gets Android 2.2 update… but not on AT&T yet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVO 4G gets new firmware update: lots of app refreshes originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Q: When does HTC plan to launch an LTE device, and which markets do you think will be the early adopters of that device?

A: We are working on LTE device for next year, 2011, we think the US mobile operator will be taking some leading and pushing the LTE 4G in the US market, but however, we are seeing the rest of world will be deploying LTE network elsewhere in 2011. Could be second half of 2011.

Our money’s on the Mecha / Incredible HD for the US, along with probably a dozen other phones of various sizes and form factors. And we don’t really know the details of its global plans. But hey, it happens — call us when Chou spills the beans on 5G technology and holographic displays.

HTC’s Peter Chou says LTE handsets are coming next year, and the world keeps on spinning originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember the Windows Phone 7 ads, the ones that promised to “save us from our phones” by giving us more “glance and go” information? For the most part, these phones haven’t delivered on that promise due to the relative dearth of apps taking advantage of Microsoft’s live tile concept. That changes a bit today thanks to an update to the HTC Hub app that ships with every Windows Phone 7 device manufactured by HTC. Now, instead of a generic double-wide icon, the HTC Hub presents you with the current weather condition and temperature and the forecasted highs and lows. As such, you’ll never have to click through and be subjected to HTC’s overwrought animations that feel so out of place on Microsoft’s more demure user interface. More please.

HTC Hub update helps save us from our Windows Phone 7 phones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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