T-Mobile G2X copes with glitches, recall claims in dispute

The T-Mobile G2X is out of stock on the carrier's web store, with one TMoNews source claiming this is due to quality issues with the handset. T-Mobile, however, has denied the claim on Twitter and said the dual-core Android phone is facing "inventory constraints" due to "high demand." It claimed that it was working with the phone's maker, LG, to address the shortfall and hoped to have them return to normal in the coming weeks.

The handset's track record regardless of the actual cause of the shortage has been spotty. Technical problems reported by many users have included unplanned reboots, screen light leaks, and lesser control issues.

The phone supports T-Mobile's HSPA+ network and has a 1GHz Tegra 2 processor that gives it much of its speed. It ships with Android 2.2 and gets an eight-megapixel, rear-facing camera capable of recording 1080p videos, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, and a four-inch touchscreen.

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Analyst claims iPhone 4S due with HSPA+ 3G, Sprint version

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek claimed in a research note Friday that claimed to know details of the next iPhone. Saying that the phone was now called the iPhone 4S, he referred to "industry checks" that supported what had been rumored so far but also mentioned HSPA+ 3G support on GSM networks, implying 21Mbps. He was also told network support would expand to carriers that had been actively seeking it, including Sprint's CDMA network, T-Mobile's uncommon HSPA+ bands, and China Mobile's unique TD-SCDMA.

Most else of what he mentioned was mentioned in the past, such as better cameras, the dual-core A5 processor, and a design that could be just a minor revision of the iPhone 4. Apple wanted to include an LTE chipset, according to Misek, but wasn't ready.

Analyst claims of inside knowledge are frequently mixed and can be inaccurate. Most of what was said in the Jefferies note, however, matches with more concrete claims. HSPA+ 3G is now a common feature on HTC and Samsung phones and was already coming to phones from RIM and others. An iPhone 4-like prototype was already seen (above) running on T-Mobile USA's 3G, and talk has repeatedly surfaced of a deal with China Mobile.

Sprint is less certain, but it's technically capable of using CDMA. The company has been elusive on the subject but has always alluded to there being talks. Verizon has emphasized that it doesn't have an exclusive and may have just had the advantage of an early deal.

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Dodgy rumor claims iPad 3 is a 'dead cert' for 3D video

An unconventional rumor claimed that Apple was focusing the third-generation iPad on 3D. A woman billed as a movie industry insider claimed to RCR that it was a "dead cert" and that studios were supposedly preparing 3D movies and other content for iTunes. Multiple sources from Foxconn were supposedly corroborating leaks of early production plans.

The details of how it would work weren't given. Recording 3D is relatively straightforward as it requires two cameras to produce the stereoscopic effect. Tablets like the LG Optimus Pad can already produce it. Displaying 3D is much more difficult, however, and tablets like the Optimus Pad have to include glasses because of the costs and performance needed for larger glasses-free screens. Phones like the HTC Evo 3D and LG Optimus 3D can show glasses-free 3D only because of their size.

The rumor is uncorroborated by other sources and would fly against Apple's own typical conservatism relating to video. It remains one of the few computer builders to pass on Blu-ray, owing to the complication of getting it implemented, and so far hasn't included 3D video either in its devices or in its pro video creation tools. Apple usually only adopts technology if it believes the technology can be kept simple and would very likely reject any plan requiring glasses, just as it rejected the need for pen input on the iPhone.

Customer acceptance may also be a major problem. Nielsen in a study late last year showed 59 percent of Americans actively avoiding 3D, not just skipping past it. Modern 3D, even with glasses-free 3D like the Nintendo 3DS, both carries a noticeable price premium and often induces eyestrain. Some can't see the effect at all.

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Consumer Reports disputes claims white iPhone 4 is thicker

Consumer Reports on Monday disputed claims that the white iPhone 4 was thicker than its black counterpart. Using calipers, the buying advice magazine claimed both color iPhones were about 0.37 inches. It went so far as to try three cases and said all three fit properly.

The position was shared with Apple VP Phil Schiller but still runs up against contradictory evidence. Side-by-side looks have shown at least some examples visibly thicker and having problems in cases. Consumer Reports' own study made it difficult to check since the caliper contact point was inside the phone, and not at the slightly thicker lip.

Its view is still uncharacteristically supportive of the phone. Consumer Reports has refused to recommend the iPhone 4 in GSM or CDMA guise even though it consistently rates as one of the best phones in the US. All of its concern hinges on the antenna sensitivity issue and a belief that Apple should have either had a less susceptible antenna to start or continued offering free bumper cases.

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