HTC Jetstream and LG Thrill now available on AT&T

On Sunday, AT&T officially launched their first 10" Honeycomb tablet and their first glasses-free 3D smartphone. The tablet, the HTC Jetstream, is also the first 10" tablet from HTC and features a dual-core processor and HTC's Scribe pen-input system. It is available now for $699 with a 2-year contract.

The phone, the LG Thrill, is AT&T's first glasses-free 3D smartphone, and only the second one to be available in the US. It features a 4.3" screen, dual core processor, 8GB of storage, 3D screen, and dual cameras for capturing 3D pictures and video. It is available now for $99 on a 2-year contract.

HOLY expensive. Seven hundred dollars WITH a contract? Are they seriously serious? Even the iPad with similar specs is $729 WITHOUT a contract. This sure seems to me like they're trying to keep people from buying the Jetstream and encourage them to buy the iPad instead. Which they probably are. The Thrill, on the other hand, looks really nice. I know lots of people who think the glasses-free 3D is a gimmick, and something they would never want, but I personally think it rocks and would absolutely want it.

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I think the Jetstream sounds like a nice tablet, but not that nice. Nowhere near that nice. Not even close, actually. Plus, I'm curious to see how the Scribe thing works. It sounds like an awesome feature, but pen-input on electronics has been traditionally...crappy. It would be awesome if it worked, though. But still, not $700 (+ another several hundred dollars in contract costs) awesome.

The Thrill sounds like a seriously decent phone, and at a much much better price. I've never tried the 3D screen but I would love to check it out. I have no idea if I would want that on my phone, but it does sound cool.

Samsung updates phone naming scheme

Samsung announced some phones today, and also an update to the way they name their devices. The new naming strategy is designed to help convey details about the device simply by the letters that follow it. For example: the devices announced today are the Galaxy W, Galaxy M Pro, Galaxy Y and Galaxy Y Pro.

Confused? Here's how it works: , R is for Royal (high-end) M is for Magical (cheaper high-end), W is for Wonder (mid-range), and Y is for Young (entry-level). Additionally, the Pro designation means the device has a physical keyboard.

So look back at the devices announced today. The M Pro, to pick one, will be a cheaper high-end device with a keyboard. It does make sense once you wrap your mind around it. As for their well-known Galaxy S line, that is sticking around, too and will denote their highest-end, premier devices.

Remember that this is just Samsung's official naming scheme, and carriers (especially those in the US) are almost assured to change them. So while the M Pro, Y, or Y Pro may arrive in the US, they won't go by those names here. [via Engadget]

Complete ridiculousness. Royal? Magical? Wonder? Those definitely make me think of Disney cruise ships rather than Samsung phones. I appreciate their desire to simplify their naming scheme, but...this?

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Bwahahaha! This is so stupid, it's awesome. What's the S mean, then? Superior? Saint-like? Superphone?

Android weekend rumor recap

Another week, another batch of rumors. We're getting ever closer to the holiday season, meaning these rumors are going to intensify over the coming months. Stick with us and we'll give you a nice weekly summary to help you make sense of it all. Keep reading for the rumors!

Google is buying Motorola Mobility

Huge news this morning from the Android world, as Google has announced that they are acquiring Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. Motorola Mobility was split off from the main Motorola back in January and is now a separate company, with Motorola Solutions being the second company. So Google isn't buying the entire Motorola brand, but rather just the Mobility company, responsible for all mobile devices.

If you recall, Motorola was responsible for some major Android home-runs including the original Droid, the Droid X, the Atrix, etc. Many people credit them with jump starting the entire Android brand with the Droid line.

Android weekend rumor recap

Finally, the first rumor recap since our return to blogging. This is the usual place where we discuss the past week's rumors, information leaks, and stuff like that. If you are a huge Android fan and prefer to follow these rumors as they show up, we recommend any or all of the Android blogs listed on the side of this site. Of course, if you're a huge Android fan, you're likely keeping up with at least one of those sites already. And now, some rumors!

Facebook launches new Messenger app

Facebook announced a new app yesterday called Messenger. The app is available now on both Android and iOS and is a simple group messaging app. It doesn't work with Facebook Chat, but is rather a stand alone app that provides group messaging similar to iMessage, Kik, Google+ Huddle, etc. It doesn't provide read/delivered notifications yet, either.

Google discusses Android patents

Google took to their official blog yesterday to vent some frustration surrounding the Android patent situation. According to the post, two longtime rivals, Apple and Microsoft, have joined forces to hamper Android innovation and attempt to profit from bogus patent licensing.