Google adds Sony Z Ultra to Google Play Edition stock Android Portfolio

sony z ultra google play editionNo sooner do we post on the LG GPad 8.3 GPE, then we discover the Sony Z Ultra is also playing ball.

Yup, we now have a proper phablet offering for those who want a true-blue stock Android experience on a larger screened phone. Offering up a 6.4″ 1080p display, it’s also the first GPE device to rock Qualcomm’s screamer Snapdragon 800 quad core. 16GB of storage on board with a MicroSD card slot, and the Z Ultra is also water resistant. A nice little touch there, helping the survivability of a somewhat pricey gadget.

Speaking of price, you’ll drop $649 for a Z Ultra of your very own. Not a bad price at all for a proper phablet, and it looks like handsets should be shipping out in 1-2 days. Get at it folks!

Sony Z Ultra GPE on Google Play

LG Intros GPad 8.3 Google Play Edition Tablet

LG-G-Pad-8.3 front and backLooks like rumors surrounding a possible Nexus 8 tablet from LG were only MOSTLY false…

Google Play Edition phones are popular Android handsets running stock Android. We’ve seen Samsung and HTC strip out all of their custom software on the Galaxy S4 and One phones. LG will be offering up the first GPE tablet with the GPad 8.3. The specs make it a solid competitor for the Nexus 7: a 1080p screen powered by a Qualcomm 600 series chipset and 16GB of storage. Now you can choose between a GPad with LG’s custom software enhancements, or go with a clean, pure stock tablet.

GPad 8.3 GPE will start at $349, which on top of a Nexus 7 price, also nets you a MicroSD card slot and an IR blaster.

Full PR after the jump!

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Halo: Spartan Assault released for XBox One on December 24th

halo spartan assault video game somegadgetguy screenshotOne of the best games for Windows Phone and Windows 8 is now making its way to the XBox One this Christmas Eve.

Spartan Assault is a top down arcade style dual stick shooter set in the Halo universe with all of your favorite weapons and power ups. Over 30 missions will be on tap, and 343 Industries has polished up the game to be displayed in glorious 1080p at 60fps. Console gamers will also have access to a new online co-op mode to plow through missions with their bestest pals on Live. You lucky dogs.

This new take on Halo will launch at $15, but if you’ve already purchased the game for Windows Phone or Windows 8 (or purchase it before Dec. 15) you can get it for $5. If you’ve been looking forward to Halo: Spartan Assault, you should really jump on buying it now as you can schnag it for Windows 8 and XBox for$12, instead of $15 for the XBox standalone version.

Check the teaser trailer below.

AT&T Customers Can Now Roam in Canada on Roger’s LTE Network

ATT logoMarking the first international partnership for LTE roaming, AT&T customers can now sign up for discounted rates on Rogers’ 4G network when traveling through Canada.

Covering 70% of Canadian’s, Rogers will be lighting up LTE in 95 markets over this next year. For you world travelers, an AT&T Data Global Add-On package should help take some of the fear out of using your smartphone while on a trip. We all know someone who came home to find an outrageous bill because they used their phone overseas.

The packages  are tiered 120MB for $30/mo; 300MB for $60/mo; and 800MB for $120/mo, and are good in over 150 countries, but of course traveling to Canada will guarantee you the four gees speed.

Full PR after the jump.

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Long Term Review: The LG G2 on AT&T – Look, Feel, and Function from LG’s premier Smartphone

LG G2 Camera reviewOnly my second LG review!

The G2 is a MONSTER phone on paper. Incredible screen, huge battery capacity, big camera specs, and a brilliant tablet-grade processor. Having used the phone out in the wild for a couple weeks now, does real world performance live up to the specs on paper? Does this phone live up to LG’s promises?

Let’s take a look!

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Top 5 for the week starting Dec 1st, 2013 – LG G2 news, Batteries, and Cases!

ballistic hydra waterproof case iphone 5s test review somegadgetguyThese were the top read and most shared stories from SomeGadgetGuy last week! LG ruled the week, but we also got in a few accessories. Nice little round up as we wrap up 2013 and the holiday buying season!

Let’s jump in!

5 – Using a Ballistic Hydra Rugged case for iPhone 5 on an iPhone 5S

The nice thing about how Apple updates the iPhone with a tick-tock system, cases for the iPhone 5 largely work with the iPhone 5S. If you’ve been looking for a rugged case for the 5S, this waterproof case might do the trick!

4 – Review: Ravpower Lipstick Charger and Flashlight

003This week, Chris took a look at a handy little portable charger + flashlight combo. RAVPower has become a favorite here at SGG, offering up very good mobile charging solutions at great prices. Looking to extend your phone’s run time out in the field, maybe this gadget will help?

3 – Ask Juan: Why won’t my Moto X show up as a USB drive on my Mac?

An opportunity to play a little tech support? On a tech blog? Who’d have thunk it? Robin has a problem with his Moto X and his Mac playing nice together. Seems this is a pretty common problem seeing how popular this post was last week…

2 – Real World Battery Test: The LG G2 – 47 hours to “Critically Low”

LG G2 Camera reviewI don’t do a lot of battery bench marking. It’s very time consuming, and usage is very relative. What’s heavy to one person is light use for another.  That said, when a phone comes along with exceptional battery life, I at least need to point out how it handled real world activities.

1 – Camera Test: The LG G2 on AT&T – video samples from a 13MP Android with Optical Image Stabilization!

And the number one story from last week was a doozy! LG made some pretty bold claims surrounding the camera on the G2. It’s only the second Android with optical image stabilization, and it has three times the resolution as the HTC One. Did the G2 camera live up to the hype?

We’re nothing without you readers, and we certainly can’t compete against the big blogs by ourselves. We always greatly appreciate not only the likes, but the sharing on social sites like Google Plus, Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. The more we get to talk with other tech fans, the better we get, and soon we’ll be able to reward that participation with some fun contests coming up soon!

Thanks for reading, and if you feel we missed a big story this week, or you have a hot tip, please drop us a line on our Contact Page!

Set your Calendar! Experts Q&A Episode 2: Android Boogaloo!

experts round table androidThis will be a Hangout on Air event. Link will be provided here before the broadcast goes live.

Our first Experts Q&A was a hit, and now we’re ready to follow it up with our next topic! For this next round table, we’re going to chat all things Android! Phones, Tablets, Apps, Updates, Services. You bring the questions, we’ll bring the experts! Chat with us live while we’re on the air! It’ll be fun. I promise.

Mark your calendars! We’re a GO for Wednesday December 11 at 8pm Pacific. Hope to see you there!

Google Plus event page.

Experts Q&A 1: Live Tiles are the Future! – https://somegadgetguy.com/2013/11/26/watch-our-experts-qa-live-here-bwone-somegadgetguy-answer-your-microsoft-questions/

AT&T Overhauls Mobile Share Plans, Cuts Prices

att mobile share plansSimplifying is the name of the game over at Big Blue.

Customers bringing their own phone, or who have paid off their phone from a previous contract might save as much as $25 per line compared to the previous AT&T Mobile Share plans. Starting December 8th, the new rates go into effect. All plans include unlimited talk and text, and are tiered solely by how much data you want to pool.

Starting at $20 a month for 300MB and climbing up to 50GB for $375, the rates for individual devices has been simplified too. Smartphones off contract will cost $25 a month and smartphones on contract will cost $40 a month. So an individual who bought a phone outright on the lowest tier data plan will pay $45 a month.

Tablets can be added to share your data for $10 a month, and additional feature phones, home phones, and mobile hotspots can be added for $20. All in all a pretty decent combo for AT&T customers. Plans which are easier to understand, and you’re going to save a little cash at the same time.

Full PR after the jump

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