Here’s our review of the HTC One X on Rogers. The Rogers version is the North American One X variant which only has a dual core processor while the rest of the world gets a quad-core processor. 4 > 2 right? Let’s find out.

Last year was a banner year for Android hardware. It started off with the Motorola ATRIX. The ATRIX was my first dual core phone, plus it was the first one to have a 960x540 display. Its problem was that it didn’t seem fast for a dual core phone and its display and camera were lackluster. We also got the LG Optimus 2x. It had a beautiful display but also wasn’t very fast, also had a lackluster camera and it also shipped with an outdated version of Android. The Samsung Galaxy S II was a strong package but most variants had a lower resolution display (which looked outstanding). But there were also too many versions, if you wanted LTE you had to get one version, if you wanted penta-band then another. Choice is good but too much choice is confusing. The HTC Amaze and Raider where strong offerings but again you had to pick and choose. the Amaze had a penta-band radio but was stuck with a cheap looking display. The Raider had LTE but a slower processor.
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Boost Mobile recently added the LG Marquee to its lineup of Android smartphones. Prepaid carriers differ in many ways to the postpaid carriers like AT&T or Verizon. There are no contracts and lower monthly fees but the cost of the phones are usually higher because there is not subsidized pricing. This is the case with Boost Mobile who is charging $279.99 for the phone, but the monthly fee is only $55 for unlimited everything.
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Here’s our review of Apple’s new iPad. The first thing I noticed is that the new iPad feels noticeably heavier and thicker than the iPad 2. However, when I compare them side-by-side, they’re both essentially the same thickness (the new iPad is 0.6mm thicker). On the other hand, the weight of the new iPad is 10% heavier than the iPad 2.



Apple calls the new iPad ‘the iPad’, while the older version is the iPad 2. Yes, the new iPad shares the same name as the original iPad. Think of it like Batman Begins, they’re rebooting the franchise. Just to make things less confusing I’ll call the new iPad the “iPad 3”.

There are 5 new key features in the new iPad: LTE radio support, a higher resolution display, a new A5x dual core processor with quad core graphics, 1GB RAM (up from 512MB) and finally; a decent camera.
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Here’s our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note.

Initially I was surprised at how massive the Galaxy Note is. After all, its 5.3” display doesn’t sound that much bigger than the Galaxy Nexus’ 4.65” but in the flesh, the difference is huge. While I can kind of use the Galaxy Nexus with one hand, I can’t do this with the Note without holding it in a less secure manner. After that I’m blown away at how nice the display is, more on that later.

Design-wise, it sort of looks like cross between my original Galaxy S and a Galaxy S II. It has the bezel of the original S and pebbled plastic back of the II.
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I'm sure most of us share a similar opinion when it comes to the astronomical gas prices we have been experiencing for many years now: it's out of control! Although I don't have a magic wand to be able to lower the prices, I would like to share my thoughts on a helpful little tool called GasBuddy. GasBuddy is an application that among other things, tracks the price of gas at local stations. The application is available for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone. And if you'd prefer not to use an app, there is a mobile website as well. I used the BlackBerry app for the purpose of this review, although for the most part it should be applicable to all platforms. ...

In the past, Nokia ruled the market with their S60 smartphone OS. Of course that was then and now S60’s market share is shrinking faster than a snowball in summer (or this year, Feburary). Anyways, Nokia saw the writing on the wall and last year switched from S60 to Windows Phone. While Nokia has the Lumia 800 and 900 in the upper to high-end the 710 is their mid range device.

Probably the most interesting thing about the 710 is how similar it is to the 800. There are basically 5 differences: The 800 shell is a single piece of plastic while the 710’s isn’t. The 710 has a 3.7” LCD display while the 800’s has what appears to be a 3.7” Super AMOLED. The 800 has a slightly larger non-removable battery (1450mAh non-removable vs 1300mAh removable) a higher resolution camera (8mp vs 5mp) and more built-in storage (16GB vs 8GB).

What’s interesting is that the 710 and 800 both share the same 1.4Ghz Qualcomm processor. So speed-wise, there shouldn’t be any difference between the 710 and 800.
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Our resident case guru Sabesh just finished his review of the Casemate Pop for the Galaxy Nexus:



My friend and Howard Forums member DerekToronto gifted me this case recently and I decided to review it, as I like very much! Like Derek, I like to accessorize my phones and I can never have enough cases for them. The Casemate Pop case looks quite good, but is deceivingly tough!

The first thing I noticed about the case, brought a smile to my face: The interior soft-plastic has a funky design and the words "Happiness by design". How cool is that! ...

Sabesh's been busy! His beloved Galaxy Nexus has never been so safe - here's his OtterBox Commuters are 2-piece protective cases designed to withstand casual drops and spills. This case is designed to provide protection, yet be stylish. Hence, I was happy when Howard got me this to review. There’s no mistaking that it’s a classic OtterBox Commuter: A silicone inner core encompassed by a tough, polycarbonate shell. It comes in minimalistic packaging with pictorial instructions printed inside the box.
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Here's our OtterBox Defender for the Galaxy Nexus review written by our very own Sabesh.

OtterBox Defenders are 3-piece extreme-protective cases designed to withstand moderate drops and spills. By general consensus, they are considered to be the best at what they do. Hence, I was happy to come into possession of this venerable case. There’s no mistaking that it’s a classic OtterBox Defender: 2 snap-on polycarbonate shells to enclose the Galaxy Nexus and a silicone outer layer enclosing the polycarbonate shells for secure protection. It comes in minimalistic packaging with pictorial instructions printed inside the box. ...