Verizon has officially told the AP that the SIM slot on its iPhone 5, which shipped unlocked, won’t be re-locked later on, as was the case with the initial shipment of Sprint iPhone 4S devices sold last year. That means that Verizon iPhone 5 owners can effectively use their devices with any GSM carriers around the world, including AT&T in the U.S.

That freedom not only to travel, but even to switch carriers within the U.S. once a contract expires puts a big premium on Verizon iPhone devices, if you ask me, allowing customers to save money both in the near- and long-term. It also increases the resale value of used Verizon devices, since the person you’re selling to doesn’t have to be on the same carrier.

There is a significant caveat, however: The iPhone 5 from Verizon will need Verizon’s network to achieve true 4G LTE speeds, while on AT&T it would have to settle for so-called “4G” HSPA+ network connections. That’s still a far cry better than being limited to EDGE, however, and probably plenty fast enough for most people.

As for the competition, AT&T has a policy of unlocking phones once they’re off-contract, and Sprint provides unlocking for international use only after a customer has been in good standing for six months or more.

Long story short, frequent business travelers looking for as little hassle as possible when taking their phones on the road would do well to give Verizon a good long look if they’re interested in buying an iPhone 5. Well played, Verizon.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

Though it’s far and away the best iteration of Android to date, 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has only made its way to a very small percentage of the Android population. I mean, we’re talking less than five percent, and that’s generous.

Luckily, HTC is doing its part to bring the cold creamy goodness of Roboto, facial unlock and a brand new UI to its handsets.

First on the list to receive the update are the HTC Sensation and the Sensation XE. The rollout for these phones has already started, and will continue over the next few weeks. After that, the Sensation 4G from T-Mobile and the Sensation XL will get their invites to the Ice Cream Sandwich social.

Here’s HTC’s official word:

We’re in the early stages of rolling out Android 4.0 for the HTC Sensation and HTC Sensation XE and upgrades will be more widely available in the next few weeks. The update for the HTC Sensation 4G and HTC Sensation XL will follow. Please note, once we start pushing out updates it will take time for all carriers in each country to get the update. We are working closely with our carrier partners to nail down update schedules for our other smartphones and will have more to share very soon.

The Taiwanese phone maker also outlined the rest of the handsets that are approved for Ice Cream Sandwich, a full list of which can be found here.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

NEC did it again: about 11 months after unveiling the world’s slimmest smartphone at that time, the company is ready to release another super-thin Android phone with a set of impressive specs (via Japan’s biggest mobile carrier NTT Docomo). Dubbed MEDIAS ES N-05D [JP], the handset will hit Japanese stores in February or March this year.

NEC rolled out quite a few Medias-branded Android phones in recent months, but this model is just 6.7mm thin and has the best specs.

Here are the main features:

• Android 2.3.6
• waterproof body
• 4.3-inch LCD with 720×1280 resolution
• 8.1MP CMOS camera with NEC’s Exmor R for mobile engine
• dual-core MSM8260 CPU (1.5GHz)
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal memory
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Wi-Fi
• NFC e-wallet function
• infrared connection
• digital TV tuner
• microSD card slot, microUSB slot
• 1400mAh battery
• connectivity to Casio’s G-SHOCK GB-6900 watch
• size: 130×67×6.7mm, weight: 110g

The MEDIAS ES N-05D might reach markets outside Japan at some point in the future, but there is no official word from NEC yet.

Via IT Media [JP]

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

News of the Lenovo YOGA tablet just broke the other day, and now at ShowStoppers we’ve got the chance to get up close and personal.

It’s pegged as the world’s first multiposition notebook, the its unusual contorting dual-hinge layout makes it a real eye-grabber. The fact that it’s known for running Windows 8 certainly makes it an impressive piece of kit.

“Touch is dominating our lives,” a Lenovo rep told us. “People want a tablet and they want a PC, and the YOGA is the machine to do it.”

There’s still no official word on availability — that really depends on Windows 8 sees the light of day — but it’s expected to cost potential customers somewhere between $1,000 and $1,200.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch