There's no shortage of retro games repackaged for mobile platforms.  This latest title to hit the App Store, Atari's Greatest Hits, could be the most significant single release to date.

You can download the app for free, although all you'll get is Atari's first game ever, the timeless classic Pong.  Since, let's face it, getting Pong is kind of pointless, you'll likely want to shell out to download a few of the 99 other classic games on offer (99 cents get you a four pack and $14.99 nets you the full lot).

If you find yourself drawn to the seemingly endless copycats of 70s and 80s Atari originals that litter Flash game sites, then this app will definitely keep you busy for a while.   The selection of games is wonderful, with amazing titles like Major Havoc, Yar's Revenge and Missile Command finding their way among the selection pool.  Sure, you get questionable additions like Basic Math, too, but the fun ones do outnumber them a good deal.

Being from an older era of gaming, the gameplay isn't all that sophisticated.  Then again, that's to be expected.  What's pleasantly surprising here are the control decisions, which work exceptionally well.  We also enjoyed the media galleries dedicated to each game, which feature original cabinet art and other bits of memorabilia that really capture the essence of the classic titles.  All the games allow a small amount of settings for gameplay and control customization, too, which is nice.

My favorite part of the whole deal?  Some of the games have been altered to allow multiplayer gaming over Bluetooth.  Personally, that's the part that made this set playable for me -- being rather disinterested in retro games for the most part.

[iTunes]

Casio has carved quite a comfy niche with their G'zone line of rugged phones.  Here's the latest one trickling out of Verizon: the Android-runnin' Casio G'zone Commando.

Bearing a name that inspires images of John Rambo, the handset is a full-on ruggedized device.  That means, it's equipped to stand most extreme conditions, passing military standards 810G for immersion, rain, dust, shock, vibration, salt, fog, humidity, solar radiation, altitude and excessive temperatures.

Details of the Casio G'zone Commando include a capacitive touchscreen display (unspecified size), a 5.0 megapixel camera module (with LED flash), aGPS, 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G mobile hotspot capability, stereo Bluetooth and microSD card expansion.   It runs Android 2.2 Froyo.

According to Verizon's press release, the phone is ideal for business environments, especially for occupations requiring exposure to field work and outdoor elements (e.g. construction, healthcare, transport).  As such, they've fitted it with high-security encryption for corporate email, aside from the survivalist construction.  We can't imagine it being any less attractive for rugged nature types either, especially with Casio's G'zGEAR software preinstalled, which offers various tools for outdoor enthusiasts and their ilk.

Expect the Casio G'zone Commando to hit Verizon stores this Thursday, April 28.  Price is $199.99 with a new two-year agreement.

[via Press release ]

After leaks upon leaks, Verizon has finally put an official stamp on the HTC Droid Incredible 2.   While the specs aren't quite as incredible-sounding in light of oncoming Android hardware, it's still quite the muscle-packin' smartphone.

The follow-up to last year's Droid Incredible S, the new handset doesn't stray too far from the original both in looks and internals.  As such, it isn't the top-of-the-class device that the Incredible was when it first rolled out, although it does cram a few new niceties.

The Droid Incredible 2 gets a bump up in screen size (4 inches compared to its predecessor's 3.7 inches), apart from adding a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera and DLNA compatibility.  It retains the same 1GHz processor, 8 megapixel camera (with 720p video) and OS, though (Android 2.2 Froyo), so it could feel a bit underwhelming as an upgrade.  Other details include your usual smartphone favors, like aGPS, WiFi, 3G with HSPA, mobile hotspot (up to 5 devices), stereo Bluetooth and microSD card expansion.

One big differentiator could be international support, as Verizon claims that the new device is global-ready, capable of utilizing voice and data services in over 200 countries.  Availability begins this Thursday, April 28, priced at $199.99 on a new two-year agreement.

[Verizon]

This is, supposed to be, what the iPhone 5 will look like.  At least, that's according to anonymous sources quoted by Joshua Topolsky.

While other sources have insisted on the next generation of Apple's smartphone to be physically similar to last year's version,  this render shows quite a departure from that.   If real, then the new iPhone's design will be super-thin, tapered and with very little bezel along the sides of the display.

According to the same sources, the iPhone 5 will sport a 3.7-inch display with the same 960 x 640 resolution as the current-gen handset's Retina Display.  The home button is both depressed and enlarged -- a decision that's supposedly been made because it will also double as a gesture area.  Other potential features mentioned in the report include the likelihood of NFC support and a  Qualcomm Gobi chipset (which supports both CDMA and GSM bands).

In all honesty, the render looks too thin.  And it's not just too thin to fit all the hardware, either -- it looks like the kind of slab I'm going to break in half when I accidentally sit on it while in my backpocket.

As always, none of these information are guaranteed facts.  We've all seen the same song and dance before, after all, only to have something entirely different turn up.  It will be a rumor-field wait for the next-gen iPhone, though -- hope you enjoy the noise.

[via This Is My Next]

You're LG.  And you're releasing a new phone in the Optimus line that's pretty big.  And you can't decide on a creative name.  So you call it this: the LG Optimus Big (model LU6800).

Announced for release in South Korea, the handset comes in as one of the bigger smartphones in the market today.  We don't have exact dimensions, but we're guessing it's pretty beefy with the straight-up candybar profile and 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen.

Details of the LG Optimus Big include an 800 x 480 pixel resolution for the display, a 5.0 megapixel camera module and a dual core 1GHz processor.  We're pretty sure something this big packs in all the usual favors, too, like a GPS radio, WiFi, Bluetooth and microSD card expansion, but we guess that's something to find out when the actual product page goes up.  It's going to run Android 2.2, with a likely upgrade path to Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

South Korea's third largest wireless carrier, LG U+, will get the honors of debuting the Optimus Big.  We don't have details on pricing, but it will be available to consumers beginning April 28.  No word on whether this will hit shores outside LG's home turf, although we'll probably get something very similar with some slight tweaks (as has been the norm for both the Optimus and Galaxy series).

[via UnwiredView]

Verizon has finally announced Samsung's first 4G LTE smartphone.  Called the Samsung Droid Charge, the new handset is notable for a lot of things, although there's one detail of particular concern: it costs $299.99 on contract.  That's right, the era of $300 phones is finally upon us with this latest announcement.

To both Verizon and Samsung's credit, this is a pretty spanking phone.  In fact, the $50 markup over the HTC Thunderbolt might even be justified.  We'll see soon enough, though, whether that price will have as many takers as the prevailing $200 ceiling.

Details of the Samsung Droid Charge include a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (800 x 480 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel camera module with LED flash, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing webcam, aGPS, 4G/3G connectivity, WiFi, stereo Bluetooth and a 1GHz processor.  The inclusion of 4G LTE means you'll get download speeds of between 5 and 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps, which you can share with up to 10 devices at a time over Mobile Hotspot.

It runs Android 2.2, presumably with Samsung's TouchWiz UI running on top.  You'll get the usual suite of Google Mobile Services, of course, along with a variety of apps and offerings, including the Samsung Media Hub.

Honestly, if they're pricing a phone with this kind of specs at $299.99 on a two-year contract, I'm a little scared what price point they're considering for those dual-core beasts.    You can get the Samsung Droid Charge from Verizon Wireless stores beginning April 28.

[Press release]

Sony just announced the first Walkman-branded Android smartphone in their roster.  Called the Sony Ericsson W8, it bears plenty of similarities to the Sony Ericsson X8, except with more color and the Walkman logo slapped on it.

A low- to mid-range smartphone, the new device is a compact handset (3.9 × 2.1 × 0.6 inches) with moderate specs.  A 600Mhz processor runs the action, paired with 168MB of RAM, so don't expect blazing fast performance (it should be serviceable for the target market, though).

Details of the Sony Ericsson W8 include a 3.0 inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 320 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera module, aGPS, WIFi, stereo Bluetooth, 3G with HSPA, FM radio, a paltry 128MB of onboard storage and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB).  Since it's a Walkman phone, it bundles the company's MH410 stereo headset.

Android 2.1 Éclair is the OS of choice, with Timescape UI running on top.  All the usual Google apps are thrown in, along with the Walkman line's various music-centric features and services.

Pricing for the Sony Ericsson W8 has not been announced, although availability for various Asian markets is slated for the second quarter.  It will come in three color choices: azure blue, metallic red, and iconic orange.

[Sony Ericsson]

We're a couple months removed from a new iPhone.   That means, we're right on time for a new load of rumors and speculations.  This latest one comes courtesy of Concord Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, who's had a pretty good track record for rumors, having correctly pegged some of the iPad 2's eventual specs.

According to the note Kuo released, the iPhone 5 will only get "slight modifications" from its predecessor.  Much of the external design will remain the same (based on checks with supply chain sources), with most of the changes actually coming in the form of upgraded specs.

Most notable of these features include Apple's A5 processor (which will reportedly match the performance of the processor on the iPad 2) and an 8.0 megapixel rear camera.  It will also feature a Qualcomm baseband, as well as an improved antenna design.  Sadly, there's no mention of the expected RAM quantity or the oft-rumored NFC support.

Kuo expects Apple to unveil the iPhone 5 during the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is slated for June 6 to 10 in San Francisco.   Do note that most other rumors contradict this -- in fact, they expect the event to be focused on iOS 5 and the OS X 10.7 Lion.

You can read more from the Appleinsider link below.

[via AppleInsider]

One look at the Kyocera Echo's design and you know its selling point immediately.  It's got two touchscreens, making for an entirely new smartphone experience.  At least, that's the promise.

Physically, it's a chunky device that doesn't look all that exciting.  When closed, in fact, it looks just like a regular touchscreen smartphone -- only bigger and with a less elegant styling.    We like the opening mechanism, which has you sliding the top panel up to a tilt, revealing the second display.  The phone feels sturdy enough that the hinge should be well-made, as well, although there appears to be plenty of moving parts (hence, more opportunities for breaking).  Both displays are 3.5 inches (800 x 960 total resolution), with decent brightness, color reproduction and touch performance.

The dual-screen configuration can be used in three general ways:

1. Tablet mode. In this mode, the two screens function as one, with all apps appearing stretched out across the 4.7-inch combined display.  It works well for the most part, although some UI behavior feels odd and the bezel in the middle gets in the way of longer swipes.
2. Optimized mode.  In this style of use, the top screen shows an app in landscape mode while the bottom display bundles the user controls.  It's great.  The catch? It only works for limited apps.
3. Simultitasking mode.  I hate the name, but the function is sweet.  Basically, this mode lets you use two apps at the same time -- one each on a separate display.   It works on only seven apps, but it s very useful.

Apart from that, it functions much like any Android 2.2 smartphone, with a variety of calling options, a bundle of tools, a boatload of apps, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G with HSPA, basic and advanced messaging, AGPS, and all that.  The 5.0 megapixel camera takes largely uninspiring images, but the camcorder manages serviceable 720p videos and you get plenty of editing options.

Call quality is good, with natural-sounding voices and little interference.  The heft makes it awkward to put to your face, though.   Speakerphone is similarly good.  The dual screens are a bit scary for battery life (which is rated at 7 hours of talk time), but the actual performance isn't too shabby compared to other large-display Android smartphones.

Overall, the biggest hurdle for the Kyocera Echo is the size.  While the dual-screen functionality is useful, it can also be frustrating.  Suffice to say, it's not the most perfect implementation of a dual display but it is good enough.  You can get it with a contract from Sprint, priced at $199.99.

This is some pretty big leak for the upcoming and still unannounced HTC Droid Incredible 2.   Bound for release by Verizon, today's leak is pretty complete -- with full specs and even the user guide thrown in.

As we’ve seen from previous leaks, this phone looks just like the Incredible S.   Heck, it's even coming out with Android 2.2 Froyo (same as its predecessor).  Of course, the specs get some sort of bump, though, which is the main selling point for the whole thing.

Details of the leaked Droid Incredible 2 include a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 800 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel camera in the rear (with dual LED flash), a 1.3 megapixel front-facing webcam, aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1, 3G with HSPA, WiFi (with Mobile Hotspot), microSD card expansion (with a 16GB card preloaded) and a 1,450 mAh battery module (rated at 6.5 hours).  A 1Ghz Snapdragon CPU beats inside the shell measuring 4.75 x 2.52 x 0.48 inches.

The phone comes with HTC Sense running over Android, along with a slew of useful apps and some likely pointless ones bundled in.  Official launch is expected on April 28, likely at a $199.99 price point on contract.

You can check out the full sets of pictures from Droid-Life, who broke the story over the weekend, from the link below.

[Droid-life]