The Android revolution has worked its way through the nationwide carriers, but regional carriers – who are notoriously slow adopters – have been reluctant to jump on the bandwagon.  Over the past few months, US Cellular has entered the fray with plans to carry three Android devices (Samsung Acclaim, HTC Desire, and Samsung Galaxy S) by the end of the year.  The Acclaim hit retail stores on July 9th as their first Android device, and after working with it today, I find it to be a nice little mid-range phone. 

With its 800 MHz processor, 3.2-inch display, and stock build of Android 2.1, the Acclaim reminds me a lot of the Samsung Moment with Sprint.  That being said, it trades in the Moment’s bulky, block-like look with a clean, curved shape that resembles the Samsung Intercept.  Though it packs a full QWERTY keyboard, the Acclaim is a reasonably sized device.  Coming in at 4.49 inches long by 2.32 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick and tipping the scales at 4.93 ounces, it fits in a pocket with ease.

You’ll find a volume rocker and microSD card slot (with support for up to 32 GB) on the left side, and the microUSB charging port and camera shortcut button on the right.  The power button and 3.5mm headphone jack are on the top, and the camera and speakerphone are on the back.  Sure, I’m spoiled by the AMOLED displays out there, but I have a soft spot in my heart for devices with 3.2-inch displays.  Like the 3.7-inch units out there, it’s a fantastic balance between small and the 4+-inch behemoths on the market.

The Acclaim offers the standard version of Android 2.1, and though I’ve become fond of custom software like Sense UI, TouchWiz, and MOTOBLUR, it has been a pleasure to deal with vanilla Android again.  Like other mid-range Android devices out there (Ally and Intercept come to mind), the Acclaim sports a full QWERTY keyboard.  The keys are tactile, large, and easy to use, and I had fully adjusted to using it by the end of the day.  As I’ve said before, I prefer an extra row for the space bar and various symbols, but it’s personal preference.  For touchscreen-only fans, the standard Android on-screen keyboard is also included.

The Acclaim offers a 3-megapixel camera, so as you would expect, picture quality isn’t the greatest in the world.  Images are slightly blurry thanks to the lack of autofocus and colors are somewhat washed out, but it’s decent enough for the occasional snapshot.  A flash is included, and the Acclaim offers the ability to adjust white balance, color effect, picture size, picture quality, and focus mode.  Video quality is good for a quick MMS or casual recording, but I wouldn’t use it on a daily basis.

I won’t comment on call quality or data speeds since I’m not in a US Cellular native coverage area (I will be this weekend – stay tuned for those numbers in the full review), but the earpiece has been sufficiently loud in all of my test calls.  I was also able to pair a Bluetooth headset to the device with ease.  The Acclaim supports EVDO Rev. A connectivity, so I’m sure data speeds will be good.

The Acclaim offers a 1,500 mAh battery with estimated talk time of 8 hours, and 19 days of standby time.  I’m still working with battery life numbers, but the Acclaim appears to be on par with other Android devices.  With moderate use encompassing calling, messaging, e-mailing, downloading apps from the Android Market, I was able to make it about 10 1/2 hours before the device powered down.  Keep in mind that the device is roaming 100 percent of the time, so battery life numbers should improve once I’m in a US Cellular coverage area.  

The Acclaim is available now for $99.95 after mail-in rebate and two-year agreement at US Cellular.  Stay tuned – the full review is on the way!

One year ago, Motorola was not in the greatest position in the market.  They had produced several products that had not managed to match the success of their mega-popular RAZR.  Fast forward to today, and Moto is in quite the opposite position.  Today the company announced that their earnings for Q2 reached $162 million, compared to $26 million just one year ago.  Moto estimates that it shipped 8.3 million phones in Q2, 2.7 million of which were smartphones.  Much of Motorola’s success can be attributed to the DROID, quite possibly the most popular Android device to date.

The DROID definitely helped to bring Motorola back from the brink, and now they company is stronger than before.  They just released the DROID X on Verizon, which seems to be doing rather well, and it is expected that the DROID 2 will drop some time next month.  Considering the success of the original DROID, I’m sure we’ll see strong sales of its improved successor, as well.  Keep up the good work, Moto!

Via TG Daily

Despite offering fantastic push-to-talk capabilities and rugged handsets, Nextel has never been known for flashy devices.  Over the past 12 months, that’s changed with the introduction of devices like the Motorola i9, i890, and BlackBerry Curve 8350i.  Announced at CTIA 2010 in March, the Motorola i1 enters the fray as the first iDEN Android device, and while the specifications are a bit outdated, the phone is an awesome choice for Direct Connect users.  It’s also the first Android device to land on Sprint’s prepaid cousin, Boost Mobile.

The i1 offers a 600 MHz processor, a 3.1-inch LCD, 5.0-megapixel camera, Android 1.5, and Direct Connect.  Surprisingly, the i1 offers a few goodies in the box.  You get the device, battery, AC adapter, USB cable (which, following the common trend, doubles as the charging cord), 2 GB microSD card with SD card adapter, and a pair of earbuds that fit the 2.5mm headphone jack.  Overall, build quality is good (it meets military specifications), but as I showed in the unboxing video, the configuration of the plastic battery door concerns me.  After a few days of use, the plastic door is already showing some wear, leading me to question whether it would hold up over the course of a two year agreement.

Android 1.5 is installed on the phone, along with some Motorola tweaks.  My Sprint contacts tell me it’s not MOTOBLUR, but it looks incredibly similar, sans the social networking features.  Coming from newer builds of Android, I found myself missing multiple Gmail accounts and the newer version of the Android Market.  It’s all about perspective; if you’re coming from a featurephone, you’ll find a lot to like in Android 1.5 (even if it is outdated).  If you’re coming from another device to the i1 – particularly another Android device – you may find the experience to be frustrating.  The phone rocks a 5.0-megapixel camera, and it has worked well so far.  Pictures taken in low light came out well thanks to a bright flash, and video quality was equally decent for a mid-range device.

Call quality in the Charlotte area has been good, with only one dropped call.  The earpiece is nice and loud, and I was able to hear my callers without any distortion.  As you would expect from a device with Direct Connect, the speakerphone is incredibly clear and loud.  Direct Connect performance was awesome, and I’ve enjoyed “beep beeping” my friends.  I paired a Bluetooth headset to the device without trouble, and was sufficiently pleased with the audio quality.

The Motorola i1 was announced at CTIA 2010 back in March, and while the specifications were a bit outdated, the prospect of an Android phone for Nextel and prepaid users (through Boost Mobile) was exciting.  Fast forward to July, and there’s a plethora of Android devices available, most of which out-spec the Motorola i1.  Still, I like the idea of the i1, and would recommend it with certain caveats.  If you have to have iDEN and you’re in the market for a smartphone, the i1 is a device to consider.  If you’re an existing smartphone user migrating from another carrier, be prepared for some frustrations with network connectivity.

The i1 is a decent device, but the real Achilles’ heel is the Nextel network – simply put, iDEN was never intended to handle an always-on, data-centric device.  Existing Android users will immediately notice the average 5-7 minute wait to download an application, and as a testament to the network’s limitations, the device doesn’t offer YouTube streaming.

The Motorola i1 is available at Sprint.com for $149.99, with in-store availability in early August.  Full review to come shortly!

Research In Motion has been rumored to be producing a tablet-style device for quite a while now, and today that product took one step closer to becoming a reality.  After a simple WHOIS lookup on “BlackPad.com,” it’s been revealed that RIM purchased the domain fairly recently.  The name BlackPad has been rumored for the device for a while now, but no one was ever positive on if it was simply a codename or if the product would actually hit the market with that name.  Now that we know that RIM owns BlackPad.com, the name is looking ever so slightly more official.

Considering that RIM is planning an event on August 3rd, perhaps we’ll be seeing the BlackPad in addition to the Bold 9800 slider and BlackBerry 6?  It’s tough to say.  Considering most BlackBerrys are leaked numerous times before release, I would be surprised to see it released so soon.  A simple product announcement with a release in the future would make more sense.  You never know, though.  As for the name, I feel like RIM probably could have been a little more creative in their naming, but that just may be me.  What do you all think of the name BlackPad?

Via MobileCrunch

When it comes to the Android revolution, AT&T seems to have been left behind.  While the others were picking up superphones like the DROID Incredible, EVO 4G, and DROID X, Android enthusiasts on AT&T were forced to choose between the Motorola Backflip and the HTC Aria.  The HTC Aria is an excellent device and fits the bill for many, but it’s solidly entrenched in the mid-range market.

Enter the Samsung Captivate, AT&T’s first superphone, and the carrier’s third Android device.  Announced along with the other Galaxy S devices, the Captivate shares similar features as the Vibrant: 1 GHz processor, 4-inch “Super AMOLED” display, 16 GB of internal storage, and a 5.0-megapixel camera.  That being said, Samsung did a great job of making each model unique; while the Galaxy S line will eventually grace every US carrier, no device is exactly the same.

My first impressions of the Captivate are very positive.  The device is thin and light, like the rest of the Galaxy S series.  The overall design of the Captivate deviates pretty significantly from the original Galaxy S line – the device is tapered off at the top and bottom, and the battery door is metal.  As I’ve said before, my initial reaction to the design was somewhat negative, especially after handling metal and glass-encased devices like the Nexus One and iPhone.  After a few days of use, however, I was incredibly pleased with the build quality of the Galaxy S series.  Yes, they’re light and made of plastic (save for the battery door on the Captivate), but when holding the device there’s no give or creaking whatsoever.  It’s solid, but feels great in the pocket.

In typical AT&T fashion, side-loading applications to the device is blocked, so you’ll have to resort to the Android Market for your applications.  I’ve never felt the need to side-load applications, and I don’t see it as a negative for the average consumer.  But for Android enthusiasts, you may be swayed to non-AT&T branded device like the Nexus One.  Beyond that, you’ll find the typical AT&T software installed: AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Hot Spots, AT&T Maps, AT&T Music, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Radio, Instant Messaging, and YPmobile.

I’ve spent the last 24 hours testing the device in the Charlotte metro area, and call quality has been strong across the board.  Signal strength tends to fluctuate regularly when idle (it’s jumping between three and five bars as I type), but call quality has been consistent.  The earpiece is as loud as the one on the Vibrant, and the speakerphone works well, with minimal distortion.  Data speeds have been mostly pleasant; in the most recent test (using the SpeedTest app), I obtained a download speed of 3,062 kbps and an upload speed of 372 kbps.  Sadly, my Captivate is still suffering from the GPS issue that’s plaguing select Vibrant and Captivate models.  The Vibrant’s GPS sprung to life the night before my video review, but I haven’t had the same luck with the Captivate.

Out of the four Samsung Galaxy S models, the Captivate is my favorite in the design department.  It’s fast, offers a beautiful display, and is easy to carry on a day-to-day basis.  It strikes a nice balance between the 3.7-inch devices like the DROID Incredible, and the 4.3-inch behemoths like the DROID X.  It’s available now for $199.99 after mail-in rebate and two-year agreement.

I love finding the minuscule differences between the Galaxy S models, and to that end, here’s what I’ve come across that differs from the Vibrant:

• Signal strength indicator has five bars instead of four.
• Notifications bar is a different shade of grey, and font color inside of it is white.
• Notifications in the bar aren’t “bubbled in” like the Vibrant.
• From what I can tell, you can add and remove home screens, but you can’t move them around like you can on the Vibrant.
• Only one font pre-installed (“standard font”).
• Out of the box, “Email” and “Browser” in the dock instead of “Contacts” and “Messaging.”

Stay tuned for the full review!

Is it a common belief in the tech world that when it comes to mobile data usage, iPhone users are king.  However, a recent report from Validas has proven that that’s simply not the case.  After analyzing 20,000 bills of wireless customers between January and May 2010, Validas found that Verizon users consumed 421 MB per month on average, compared to the 338 MB average of AT&T iPhone users.  Keep in mind that Verizon’s number doesn’t include data used by BlackBerry devices, which Validas excluded due to the way they compress data and the fact that they ”do not follow similar data consumption patterns to those of iPhones and other Smartphones.”

When it comes to heavier data users, Verizon also came out on top.  About 11 percent of Big Red customers use between 500 MB and 1 GB of data per month, compared to 5.6 percent of iPhone users that consume a similar amount.  Finally, the report found that although many people complained about AT&T’s new 2 GB data plan, only 1.6 percent of iPhone owners actually use that much data, compared to 4 percent of Verizon customers.

Another interesting statistic included in the Validas report is that the total number of smartphone owners in the U.S. that are signed up for a data package grew to 53 percent, up from 42 percent one year ago.  This news isn’t terribly surprising considering the rising popularity in devices like the iPhone and the DROID line of devices on Verizon.  More people than ever are switching to smartphones as they become cheaper and easier to use than ever before.  So, how many of you out there have a smartphone?  How much data do you use per month?

Via Ars Technica

Earlier today, the news broke that the Library of Congress had declared jailbreaking/rooting your mobile phone legal.  Afterward, everyone was wondering how Apple would react to the news.  Wait no longer, dear reader, as Cult of Mac has spoken with Apple PR about the issue.  Apple’s response?

“Apple’s goal has always been to insure that our customers have a great experience with their iPhone and we know that jailbreaking can severely degrade the experience. As we’ve said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably.”

Not surprising, but it’s still good to hear straight from Apple on the situation.  When asked if they would sue companies that publicly distribute jailbreak tools, Apple PR would only say that they haven’t sued anyone in the past.  So if you were planning on opening up your own jailbreak business, I’d hold off on those plans for the time being. 

Via Cult of Mac