Confession time: I’ve destroyed a review unit or two in my day. I lost a brand-new LG flagship in the back of a cab once. During a durability test late last year, I did enough damage to an LG G Flex that we ended up having to buy the thing from Negri Electronics. And just a couple weeks back, you all saw me
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Being that smartphones very rarely leave our sides, even the most ruggedized ones can incur a small amount of damage over time. Sometimes, that damage can be much, much worse. While contact with the elements – especially water – can be fatal to your handset, every smartphone still has an Achilles’ heel: glass. Whether you paid $30 for a Lumia 520 on sale to upwards of $1,000 for your smartphone, no phone is entirely shatter-proof. I’ve seen Mil-Spec phones get shattered, as well as a Nexus 4 drop a few inches onto a tabletop to spider webbing on the back glass. That ...
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When we first laid eyes on the Sony Xperia Z1S last month at CES 2014, we weren’t exactly blown away. Not because there was anything wrong with the device -its specs were great and its glossy glass construction was just as fetching as it had been on the Xperia Z1 we’d reviewed some months before- but because there wasn’t much to set it apart from that smartphone. Sony must’ve ...
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I’ve learned that there are two things about being a smartphone-and-tablet reviewer. The first thing: you get to handle awesome gadgetry days or weeks ahead of its official release date, and you’re not just allowed to use the heck out of it; you need to, in order to do your job. That’s the awesome thing. The other, less-awesome thing: you eventually have to give it all back. Empty Nest is a recurring column discussing what I miss -and what I don’t- about the devices I’ve had to return. • I was chest-deep in ...
The post Empty Nest: what I miss (and don’t) about the Galaxy S 4 Active appeared first on .
Just because we’re not reviewing the CAT B15 doesn’t mean we’re not trying to squeeze some knowledge from its unyielding aluminum-and-plastic chassis. We’ve already shown you what comes in the box alongside the $349 Android smartphone; now it’s time to see how the oddball from Caterpillar stacks up against the competition in the U.S. waterproof-smartphone space. That means we’re putting it head-to-head with the Galaxy S 4 Active from Samsung, whose
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Growing up on sailboats gives you a few useful skills. You learn to stand on wobbly ground a little better than your friends, to duck quickly without asking questions, and you learn to appreciate beer from a can, rather than a fragile and unwieldy bottle. You also develop a heightened affinity for electronics that can withstand the occasional sea spray or temporary dunk: on a boat, a waterproof phone can be a real lifesaver – particularly if it’s not saddled with the added ...
The post Waterproof phones are useless without a waterproof interface appeared first on Pocketnow.
We’ve handled it at its official London debut, even dropping it into a tank of water. We’ve unboxed our very own demo unit, graciously provided to us by the exclusive launch partner, AT&T. And we’ve given that demo unit the
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One of the up-sides to Samsung’s “try everything once” approach to doing business is that it lets the company nimbly and swiftly crank out variations on a theme. Want a Galaxy S 4, only smaller? You got it. Want a Galaxy Camera with a phone attached? Done. Want the world’s craziest tablet/notebook hybrid?
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Waterproof phones? Seriously? Why would we ever need waterproof phones and tablets? Have you ever had your phone just stop working? If so, you’re not alone. The next step is usually a trip to one of your carrier’s stores or kiosks to see what your options are. The first thing they’ll do is check the “moisture indicator”, and no matter how careful you’ve been, or even if you swear that it’s never been in the same room with anything wet, you’re out of luck, they’ll usually come to the conclusion that you’ve subjected your phone to ...
The post Waterproof phones and tablets are a good thing, but please, don’t take them in the shower! appeared first on Pocketnow.
When Motorola announced the Atrix HD, I did everything I could to get it, and I did. I know many of you are not fans of the RAZR, but it was the first GSM RAZR available, which is what works where I live. I didn’t want it because of its design, or the Kevlar, or the call quality, I just wanted it because of its Nano coating. I run as a hobby, and I sweat more than the average man, so for me it’s always peace of mind to have a phone that I don’t have to worry about getting wet. Sadly the Atrix HD is only splash proof. It can get wet and not become affected, but it’s ...
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