Gadget Reviews

Leaning back and forth between the $100 HTC Eris on Verizon and the $179 HTC Hero on Sprint? Well, your decision just got a bit more difficult, as Best Buy has now kicked off a new holiday promotion that’ll net you a chin-less Sprint Hero for the same hundred bucks as Verizon’s Eris. If you prefer, you can also now snag a Samsung Moment for the same price, but each will of course have to be paired with a new two-year activation, and you’ll have to take the plunge before the end of December — although there’s at least a decent chance there will be another discount / price drop by the time this one ends.

[Thanks, Daniel]

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Hero, Samsung Moment now $100 on Sprint courtesy of Best Buy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We knew good and well that Nokia’s Booklet 3G was coming to Best Buy sometime “during the holidays,” and now we’ve got something a bit more precise to share. Starting now, Reward Zone members can waltz into their local store and place a pre-order, while public availability is pegged for November 15th (though we already know that a select few have ‘em in stock). As we’d heard, the 2.76-pound, Atom-powered netbook will be sold for $299.99 with a 2-year AT&T data contract or $599.99 straight-up. Oh, and if you’re looking to get your order in early, we’d recommend printing out that image above just so you don’t baffle anyone with your otherworldly request.

Filed under: Laptops

Best Buy stocking Nokia’s Booklet 3G on November 15th originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At this point it would be bigger news if Apple didn’t announce new iPods tomorrow, but just in case you had some doubts, Best Buy’s gone ahead and posted up some listings for Belkin’s “3rd-Generation” iPod touch cases a little early. Sadly, there aren’t any pictures to be had, but hey — we’ve already seen a few of these cases in person, you know? They’re putting cameras in iPods, people. What happens next… is up to you.

Update: And hey — looks like there are some 5G iPod nano cases listed as well. Shocking!

[Via Pocket-lint]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

“3rd-Generation” iPod touch accessories appear on Best Buy’s website originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you were wondering when you’d be able to get your hands on the Nikon D300s and its 720p/24 movie mode, the answer is… yesterday, apparently. The cam was spotted (along with the lower-rent D3000) at a big box Best Buy, and a bit of testing was performed — an admittedly limited bit, but there’s only so much you can do when the cam is bolted to those annoying six-inch tethers. The updated video recording mode was the thing that underwent most scrutiny, and while the new auto-focus seemed to work reasonably well (if slowly — and noisily) on stationary objects, swinging the camera back and forth resulted in the same jelly-time sloshing effect we’ve seen on the D5000 and D90 before it, as seen in the video embedded below. Maybe its time for that 12.3 megapixel CMOS to hit the gym and tone up a bit, Nikon.

Continue reading Nikon D300s spotted and tested at Best Buy with its little brother, still does that jelly video thing

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Nikon D300s spotted and tested at Best Buy with its little brother, still does that jelly video thing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alright, look, we seriously have enough evidence here on our desk to put Sprint away for life convince even the most jaded naysayer that Sprint’s got a Hero on the way. It’s happening, end of story — but when, where, and how much? We don’t have the complete picture yet beyond suggestions of an October window, but we’ve just been tipped off here that Best Buy Mobile locations will be taking $50 deposits for the phone starting on September 13 with an SKU of 9510013. Whether the phone will be popular enough to warrant relieving yourself of $50 a month (or more) ahead of time is unclear — especially with the InstinctQ in the pipe — but at least it looks like you’ll have the option.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Sprint’s HTC Hero getting Best Buy presale on September 13? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As it turns out, Instinct HD really was the final name that Samsung decided for its Sprint-bound S50 / m850 Dash, at least as far as Best Buy is concerned. The “Weekly Ad Specials” listing confirms that the smartphone really does handle HD video, both recording and playback, with a 5 megapixel camera and a TV out connection for sharing. It’s also got visual voicemail, WiFi, and corporate calendar (likely Exchange and Lotus Domino) support. No price listed, but whatever it is will be effective from today through September 26th, so using our great powers of logic and deduction, we’re gonna predict it’ll hit stores sometime within the next month — bold assumption, we know. Don’t let us down, Sammy.

[Thanks, Benny L]

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Instinct HD pops up on Best Buy’s website with 5 megapixel camera, TV out originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that NVIDIA is totally free to chat up its Tegra involvement in the Zune HD, it’s wasted little time in publishing a list of Zune HD preview locations where you can witness the magic for yourself this weekend. The tour is fairly limited to the big urban hubs, but peep the PDF and see if your friendly neighborhood Best Buy is represented.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in. Warning: PDF link]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Zune HD getting previewed at select Best Buys this weekend originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Apple sells 25% of music in the US, none of which is AC/DC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We haven’t seen a new S-AIR product since Sony outed a few wireless HTIBs back in March, but it looks as if the outfit is hopping back on that horse with a new line at Best Buy. The ALTUS audio product range gets going with the “premium” ALT-SA31iR multi-room iPod package, which is comprised of an iPod / iPhone docking station and a pair of wireless speakers; it also touts an AM / FM tuner as well as an LCD-equipped S-AIR remote commander. The AIR-SW10Ti iPod docking station adds in a wireless subwoofer, while the ALT-SA32PC multi-room audio package consists of an S-AIR transmitter that connects to one’s PC via USB and a pair of wireless speakers. Finally, the ALT-A33PC package has an identical USB S-AIR transmitter, but includes a universal receiver with analog audio inputs. As for prices? Try $700, $400, $500 and $200 in order of mention, with each up for pre-order today through Sony and on sale in Best Buy locations starting next month.

Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio

Sony debuts iPod / iPhone-friendly ALTUS multi-room audio line originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Once again, an anonymous Best Buy employee has come through with some new Zune HD details, and this one’s infinitely more tangible than a computer screen. Pictures of an official display sent to Gizmodo seem to all but confirm its street date will be September 15th, just one week past what we heard yesterday. Pre-orders require a $25 deposit, but as for the full price, the best we’ve got right now are those $220 / $280 estimates from yesterday.

Update: If you needed any more reason to take September 15th off from work, Buy.com has a Zune HD countdown leading to that very day. Huzzah! Thanks, Stephen!

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Zune HD coming September 15th, says leaked display stand originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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