Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Weekly Rewind: Apple responds to batterygate, take two for the Motorola Xoom, HTC Rezound hits Verizon

By
motorola-xoom-2-media-edition
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Didn’t have time to keep up with every ripple in the technology pond this week? We’ve got you covered. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last week.

Apple battles with iPhone 4S battery life issues

We learned last Saturday that Apple had begun an investigation into the battery life of the new iPhone 4S based on complaints from users that the smartphone’s battery was draining much more rapidly than it should. The complaints seemed to come from a relatively small number of customers, but just Wednesday Apple confirmed that a bug in iOS 5 may be responsible for the battery-life issues. Apple plans to release a software update in the next few weeks that should fix the problem.

Recommended Videos

Google briefly releases iPhone app, fully-releases new Web layout

Earlier this week we reported on the possibility of a Gmail app for iPhone and sure enough, Google released the app yesterday only to quickly remove it due to a bug. Apparently it caused users to see error messages and broken notifications. Once the bug is fixed, the app will give iOS users the ability to easily access folders, view their Gmail priority inbox, as well as filter through labels by swiping. These features are new to Apple users, who haven’t had a native Gmail app before. The email giant also released the new design of Gmail on the Web, with a cleaner look and more customization options. Users can stick with the old design or upgrade to the new look. 

Motorola unveils two new Xoom tablets

Thanks to a leaked Christmas ad, we found out a few days ago that Motorola would be revealing a new, downsized Xoom 2 tablet that would measure in at only 8.2 inches — much smaller than the iPad or most Android tablet competitors. Today Motorola officially unveiled not one, but two new tablets — the Motorola Xoom 2, a direct successor to the original Xoom, and the Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition, a smaller sized tablet with a slightly different sound system. Both new Xooms run on Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) and feature a 1280×800 display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front camera, and Gorilla Glass screens with a splashguard. 

HTC gets back in the ring with the Rezound

We got our first peek at HTC’s new offering on Monday when a Verizon ad was leaked with the new HTC Rezound front and center. We suspected that the phone would be officially unveiled at HTC’s planned press conference today, and we were right. The new Rezound phone will feature a 4.3-inch screen, 720p high-def display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4G LTE connectivity, and an 8-megapixel/f2.2 camera. The HTC Rezound will be available to Verizon customers for $299 with a two-year contract starting Nov. 14. Check out  our hands-on preview.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kelly Montgomery
Kelly Montgomery
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelly Montgomery is a magazine journalism graduate from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more