Category: Top Story

iPad Mini with 4G LTE Available Starting Today

by admin

iPad Mini With 4G LTE from AT&THow time flies. It seems like just yesterday all we could talk about was the iPad Mini. What would it look like? How much would it cost? The speculation was fun, and seemingly endless. But now that the device is out, have you forgotten about it? Unlike a lot of Apple product launches, it’s difficult to say what the reaction has been. On one hand, lots of people took to Twitter to express their surprise and disappointment that the iPad Mini didn’t come in at a lower price point. But on the other hand, the flagship Apple store in NYC had enormous lines even though the city was (and is) still reeling from Hurricane Sandy, and Apple has boasted record sales (they they always do though, don’t they?).

Bottom is line is that as polarizing as the new Apple iPad Mini may be, and however many other competitors are out there, lots of people still want it. Given how many people are already using the iOS ecosystem, and the unparalleled user experience provided by iDevices, it’s hard to blame them. If you’re one of those people, you’ll be happy to know that Apple has finally made the iPad Mini with 4G LTE available. Pricing starts at $459 for the 16GB model. 32 GB will set you back $559, and 64GB $659. As usual, Apple is claiming that they don’t have enough devices to keep up with demand, so if you’re committed to the iPad Mini it makes sense to order soon!

Click here to order your iPad Mini with 4G LTE from AT&T.

 

What Is Beats Audio Technology? Does It Live Up to the Hype?

by Katherine Elsasser
htc windows 8x with Beats Audio limelight yellow
HTC’s Windows Phone 8X with Beats Audio in limelight yellow

One of the big complaints about sound from laptops, smartphones, and even dedicated mp3 players is that the sound quality is pretty awful. And generally that’s a fair complaint; a good pair of headphones will go a long away toward making the sound better, but the actual design of the device is still going to affect how well the headphones can even works. That’s the problem that Beats Audio purports to solve: making better hardware and software that works together so you can enjoy some actual quality in your music.

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How to Use Microsoft Office on Your Tablet or Smartphone

by Katherine Elsasser
Try Office365 on the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
Office365 includes Microsoft’s official web app for Word, Powerpoint and Excel so you can use it on a tablet, like the new Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

One of the questions we get asked most often is about how to use Microsoft Word and Excel on tablets and smartphones. And while we love using iPads and other tablets to work whenever and wherever, but until now there hasn’t been a great native solution for those devices. Instead we’ve been using Android and iOS apps to try to recreate the laptop or desktop experience.

But starting today, Microsoft has partnered with AT&T to create a cloud-based Office Suite, so you can have Microsoft Office on all your devices. They’re calling it Office365, and the idea is that the cloud can provide everything you need to be productive on any device. Using the cloud actually enables lots of professional-level IT tools beyond just the Office Suite, which we’ll talk about later this week, but for now we’ll just concentrate on getting you up to speed on the Office Web Apps mobile stuff. Read More

Save $100 On Any AT&T Tablet, Including New Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

by admin
samsung ativ smart pc tablet hybrid
The Samsung ATIV Smart PC is a hybrid tablet and laptop, and is also $100 off from AT&T

Thinking about buying a tablet? Make sure you check out AT&T first! They’re offering $100 off any tablet with a 2 year agreement. Yeah you read that right: any tablet. And that includes brand-new devices, like the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 which launched Friday.

The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 was initially announced a few months ago in NYC, but we had no idea about pricing or release date. Now we know that the contract price is $499.99, minus AT&T’s $100 deal, of course. The Tab 2 is a 10″ device running Android 4 that weighs all of 1.28 pounds, and features 16GB of integrated storage and a 32GB-capable MicroSD card slot. If you’d like to compare that to some of the other tablets out there on the market right now, check out our handy tablet comparison guide.

If you’re looking for your tablet to work seamlessly with your PC, you can also use the $100 off on any of AT&T’s Windows 8 tablets. Both the Asus VivoTab RT and the Samsung ATIV Smart PC are being offered exclusively from AT&T. The Asus VivoTab is a 10.1″ 4G LTE tablet with 32GB of storage. It will also come standard with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview Edition. But you’ll have to wait: the Asus VivoTab RT won’t be coming till November 16th.

If you’re looking for a Windows 8 tablet now, consider the ATIV. The Samsung ATIV is actually more like a hybrid tablet/computer. The screen is a larger 11.6,” and the device comes with 64GB of storage (unheard of for a tablet) and an Intel Atom Processor. But at 11″ the device is still highly portable, and features a clamshell cover that can be detached if you want to use the machine more like a tablet. It’s a good compromise between portability and productivity that would make a great option for a business traveler, and AT&T’s $100 off deal makes it a good time to buy.

Want to check out the full range of tablets AT&T has on sale? Go to http://www.att.com/100offtablets and take a look: you can get $100 off any tablet AT&T has to offer!

Windows Phone 8X by HTC Launches Today Starting at $99 on AT&T

by Katherine Elsasser
HTC Windows Phone 8X
HTC Windows Phone 8X in California Blue, Starting at $99

If you’re still not sure about Windows 8 mobile devices, it may be time to change your mind. Ever since we first got a chance to see it, we’ve loved the design of  the HTC’s Windows Phone 8X. Now that the phone is available from AT&T we’re loving the price, too: the 8GB model is only $99 with a 2-year contract, and the 16GB is only $199. The HTC Windows Phone 8X is a great deal for customers who want top-quality design and performance, but don’t want to spend a ton to get it.

We love that this device isn’t one of the giant screen “mega-phones,” but instead has the right form and factor and size to be truly practical and comfortable. It’s light and sleek, but the 4.3″ display is big enough to make using the device a fun experience. But it’s not like the device sacrifices specs to be light and thin, either. Both model will boast impressive specs, including a Qualcomm dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, an 8MP camera, BeatsAudio technology for superior sound and a 341ppi “Super LCD” screen.

The 8GB model will be available in either California Blue or Limelight Yellow, while the 16GB model comes exclusively in California Blue. Want to see it in action? Watch our video below.

Click to here to order now from AT&T.

$99 Nokia Lumia 920, $49 Lumia 820 Pre-Order Begins Today

by Katherine Elsasser
Nokia Lumia 920
Nokia Lumia 920 in yellow & red

Pre-orders for both the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Lumia 820 begin today at AT&T. Amazingly, the insanely fast and feature-rich Lumia 920 is available for only $99 (contract price), while the 820 will go for $49.99 (also contract price).

Available exclusively on AT&T, the Lumia 920 is without a doubt the Nokia new flagship device for the holiday season. In the past few years the company has lost ground to manufacturers like Apple and Samsung, and the Lumia 920 is Nokia’s comeback effort. And it’s a strong one. Ton win back users, they’re offering a great deal: a premium phone at a budget-conscious price.

The Lumia 920 is all about offering lots of features. First of all, it’s got 32 GB of space, which is unheard of in a top of the line smartphone under $200. There are turn-by-turn directions. You can use the touchscreen with gloves on. And it can be charged wirelessly with a charging plate, without any additional software or bulky cases.

The build is serious too, with 4G LTE, a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and a 4.5″ inch display. And like previous Nokia offerings, they’ve put a lot of work into the 8.7 MP camera. There’s a Carl Zeiss lens, and proprietary camera technology called PureView that allows for better image stabilization for low-light photos. Read more on the specs and features of the Lumia 920 here.

And colors. Let’s not forget about the colors here. Cyan, red, yellow, black, and white. The design factor of the Lumia 920 is definitely bold, and is interesting after several years of mostly black and glass phones.

Click here for complete specs and pre-order information.

For the more budget-conscious, Nokia is also offering the Lumia 820, a more mid-range version of the 920. It will run off the same Snapdragon Processor, but feature a slightly smaller screen at 4.3 inches, and only comes with 8GB of internal memory. Still, it’s a very powerful smartphone for only $49.99. Click here for more information and to pre-order the Nokia Lumia 820.

UPDATED: Tablet Buying Guide: Comparing Major Brands, Specs & Prices

by Katherine Elsasser

UPDATED 11/6: We’ve added Barnes & Noble’s Nook tablets. For more on the Nook, go here.

UPDATED 10/31: We’ve added Google’s new Nexus 10 tablet to the chart. For more on the Nexus 10, go here.

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It may be impossible for us to pick a tablet for you. After all, personal preferences and needs account for a lot when it comes to gadgets. But we can at least help you know what’s out there! There’s a ton of different choices, so we’ve broken out the specs on some of leading tablets (including Kindle, iPad, Surface and Nexus)  to help you compare and contrast.  Plus we’ll be updating this chart as more devices are released.

A few things to consider as you look at the chart below:

– What size tablet would be the most useful for you? When and where will you use the device most often?
– Is cellular connectivity important to you? There’s a significant price hike on devices with 3G and 4G LTE capabilities (they all include WiFi).
– We’ve listed the base prices below. Upgrades for additional storage or in the case of Kindle, devices without ads, will cost more.
– Pixels per Inch is a good guide to display quality, but quality is also affected by things like contrast and illumination. If this is a big concern, we recommend trying a device in person.

Are we missing a tablet you’re considering purchasing? Have more questions? Let us know in the comments!

tablet comparison chart buying guide
Questions? Let us know in the comments!

 

Samsung Galaxy Note II Now Available for Pre-Order from AT&T

by Shy Mukerjee

The latest Superphone is almost here—starting today, AT&T is taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Note II, the latest high-end superphone from Samsung. A step up in every conceivable way from the Galaxy S3, the Note II is a powerhouse. 1.6GHz Quad core processors. 5.5″ Super AMOLED HD display. Next-gen S-Pen stylus technology.

Pre-order the Galaxy Note II at AT&T today by visiting: att.com/galaxy-note-ii.

We’ve talked about the previous generation Galaxy Note on our site quite a bit, and if you’re new to the Giant-Smartphone-Meets-Tablet hybrid that is the Galaxy Note, I’d encourage you to check out some of our earlier coverage:

– Is bigger better? Samsung’s betting on it with the Galaxy Note 5.3″ Phone
– iPad Still King: Why Artists Can’t Take Samsung’s S-Pen and the Galaxy Note Seriously
– Samsung Galaxy Note & Intuit GoPayment Bring Mobile Payments Everywhere

Later this week, we’ll be bringing you videos of the new device, showing off the features and figuring out if the improved S-Pen is good enough to risk embarrassing yourself using a Stylus on your smartphone in 2012. But if you already know you want it, why not pre-order today?

iPad 4: Is the New iPad Really That New? Is It Worth It?

by Katherine Elsasser
iPad 4 with retina display
iPad 4 with Retina Display. Worth your money?

Is it worth upgrading the new iPad 4? Well, that answer depends a lot on whether you have an iPad now, which one you have, and whether you have to have an Apple device — or a tablet at all.

Let’s back up for a second, and talk about why the iPad 4 release is sort of weird. First of all, it’s off-cycle. In the past Apple has updated its iPad (and iPhone) offerings once a year. But the previous iPad (let’s go ahead and call that iPad 3) was just released in March.

And that really highlights my irritation with Apple: rather than calling March’s release the iPad 3 (like the rest of us) they wanted us to call it “the new iPad.” Same deal with the most recent release. It’s almost as if they wanted customers who bought v3 not to notice that the product got upgraded within just a few months of purchase. Apple knew that they’d be releasing an updated iPad sooner than most consumers anticipated, but let folks buy those iPad 3s anyway. More proof: you can’t buy an iPad 3 on Apple.com. Your choices are either iPad 2 (now the budget model) or iPad 4. Apple’s calling it “iPad with Retina Display,” but when you look at the specs, it’s clear the only choice is this new, 4th generation model.

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