Motorola Razr review

Motorola's Razr phones have been around since the mobile industry was in its infancy, but since smartphones started to take over, the appeal of this once ultra-chic brand has waned. Its new Android smartphone, however, aims to revitalise that image and put Motorola back in the race.
It's a stunning return to form. Physically, this is one of the most attractive handsets we've ever come across, with an angled dark-chrome trim around a fingerprint-resistant Gorilla Glass front, and a Kevlar panel adorning the rear.
It's also incredibly light and thin, and although there's a bulge at the top of the phone to house the 8-megapixel, 1080p camera, the rest of the body measures a svelte 7.2mm. It's enough to make the Samsung Galaxy S II look podgy, and despite the waif-like profile, it feels sturdier than the Samsung.

It's coated with the same water-repellent material used on the recent Xoom2 tablets, meaning it's much less likely than your average smartphone to succumb to a soaking.
Motorola has made concessions to design, though. As with the Nokia Lumia 800 and iPhone 4S there's no removable battery, and it takes a micro-SIM instead of a standard one, but otherwise the Razr is well appointed. On the top edge there are micro-HDMI and micro-USB ports and a 3.5mm headphone socket. Under a slim flap on the left edge, next to the SIM slot, is a microSD slot for expanding the phone's 16GB of storage.
Switch on the Razr and you're greeted with the next impressive component: a fabulous 4.3in AMOLED screen, with stunning contrast and colour. Its maximum brightness of 318cd/m² is superior to the Galaxy S II's, and black levels are perfect. The 540 x 960 qHD resolution looks sharper than that of the Galaxy S II, but the PenTile subpixel grid means that it does have a very slightly grainy appearance.

With a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, general performance is excellent. A SunSpider score of 2,162 puts it among the front-runners, as does a time in our HTML test time of 10.8 seconds. Its Quadrant score of 2,536, meanwhile, is beaten significantly only by the Galaxy S II.
As is normal with Motorola smartphones, the software integration is very good indeed. The Motoblur skin offers a long list of integrated social networks to choose from, and although the widgets make the desktop-to-desktop transitions in Android stutter a little, you'll appreciate the wealth of information they put at your fingertips.
We might have had a new king of smartphones on our hands here, but the Razr falls short in two significant areas.
The first is battery life: the Razr had only 30% remaining on the battery gauge after our 24-hour test. The second is the 8-megapixel camera, which you can tease crisp images out of if you're careful, but which isn't a patch on the Galaxy S II's for features or quality.
So all in all, the Razr is a fine phone that we'd imagine will sell by the bucketload on the strength of its looks, build and stunning screen. For the ultimate all-round smartphone, though, our money is still on the Samsung Galaxy S II.

Motorola Droid 4 review

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. For a phone that single-handedly resuscitated the business prospects of its parent company, gave a much-needed boost to Google's fledgling Android and finally added a compelling product to Verizon's lineup, the Droid can't get no respect. Initially billed as the anti-iPhone, the OG flagship embodied an aggressively tech for tech's sake design ethos, with its masculine, hard-edged build, geeky OS and Lucasfilm licensed moniker.

That was all once upon a time. Now, two years later and sucked of its disruptive significance, the only legacy remaining for the red-eyed Droid franchise is its brand equity and QWERTY slider appeal. Aside from BlackBerry addicts, most consumers appear none too chuffed to see those slide-out keypads become the stuff of mobile lore, and instead prefer those increasingly ubiquitous slabs (namely, of the 4.3-inch-and-up persuasion). So, where did it all go wrong? Why is the Droid 4, now imbued with LTE, getting the B-list treatment? Does a $200 price tag and a host of minor spec bumps (a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1.3 megapixel front-facer and beefier 1,785mAh battery) merit another spin around the two-year contract pole? Head on past the break to see whether this former trailblazer can still do what it's namesake robot supposedly does.

Hardware

Remember the lip? Long live the lip because it's sadly been erased. That signature design quirk, which stuck out as evidence of the keypad tucked below, has been replaced by an uninterrupted face, and those odd corners Moto ushered in with the Droid RAZR. Love it or hate it, that fresh (albeit jarring) build is sweeping the manufacturer's device portfolio, so it's best you make peace with it now. And so, with the launch of the Droid 4, it's clear the company's making a clean break from the traditions of the past. This device lacks any of the cutting-edge specs and "thin is in" appeal used to lure consumers in droves. Seemingly constructed with the enterprise user in mind, the phone manages to be both shockingly large and surprisingly comfortable to hold. Need a bit of convincing? At 127 x 67.3 x 12.7mm (5.0 x 2.65 x 0.5 inches), the unit's about 1 - 2mm thicker than its predecessor, in addition to being taller and wider. It's also managed to pack on some additional heft, weighing nearly 0.5 ounces heavier as compared to the Droid 3.

So, about that full body lift. Gone are the rubberized backing and polished metal frame that made the Droid 3 so familiar to users. In their place, a texturized, all-plastic encasement. Moto's PR team claims the "Droid 4 is pretty," but we beg to differ. While we won't outright denounce its construction as appalling, it is easily dismissed; a case of form fitting function. It's not necessarily a minus, as this device feels reassuringly solid and weighty in hand, mitigating any concerns that it might accidentally slip from your grasp. Also conspicuously absent in this refresh is that hitherto mandatory "with Google" branding, though unfortunately Verizon's logos (4G LTE, as well) are still present. We're not exactly the betting type, but we'd wager that omission of Mountain View inside has a little something to do with a certain pending merger. As for what lies beneath, well, we regret to inform you that access to those internals requires a "key." Yes, rather than simply allow users to slide off the phone's backplate, a special (and easily lost) plastic piece is needed that, when combined with physical force, reveals a non-removable 1,785mAh battery, microSIM and an empty microSD slot. We should point out that with considerable manual effort, you will have success in prying it free sans included tool.

Considering this dual-core handset's being quietly targeted at the business set, the phone cuts a rather staid figure, with its grooved posterior broken up only by an 8-megapixel / 1080p camera up top, and a sliver of a speaker on the lower left. Moving around to the front face, the 1.3 megapixel camera is positioned to the right of the smallish ear piece, itself sitting just above Motorola's logo. Fans of unblemished frames won't find a neat collection of ports and buttons here. On the Droid 4, it seems, if there's empty space, it must be occupied. And so, each side plays host to a specific function, with the mic below the screen, micro-USB and HDMI sockets on the left and a volume rocker on the upper right, in addition to the 3.5mm headphone jack and flimsy power button on its head. There's no dedicated camera key to be found, but that's probably for the best, given the power button's tendency to get stuck in its slot.

Usually when companies lock certain specs in place, it's a testament to not fixing what isn't broken. On the other hand, when that hardware detail happens to be a 4-inch, 960 x 540 PenTile LCD display, we're tempted to call it laziness. If you're possessed of a keen eye and meticulous attention to detail, then the poor contrast and low pixel density offered by the Droid 4's screen should prove to be a major turn-off. Out in broad daylight, even with brightness set to the maximum, we found ourselves continually shielding the phone so as to render its contents readable. This became particularly bothersome where photo-taking is concerned, as we were never quite able to tell what was being framed by the camera's viewfinder. Tilt slightly away from the phone and immediately you'll notice an apparent wash out, although viewing angles didn't take as drastic a hit.

Keyboard

Of course, the shining and defining star of the Droid 4 is its QWERTY slider. It's here that we truly see an investment in improved user experience on Motorola's end. The slide-out pad is, quite simply, one of the best available on the market. Fans of the OG Droid's terribly flat and difficult-to-master setup have been treated to marginally better layouts with each successive iteration. But this newest entry takes the formula employed by last year's model and makes it much more intuitive. The same raised, slightly curved, well-spaced plastic buttons permeate the keyboard across five rows, with the uppermost reserved solely for numbers. While directional keys are present, shortcuts for Android navigation are absent. But we're guessing most users will naturally reach above to manipulate the capacitive buttons, anyway. A soft backlight, triggered by an ambient sensor, surrounds the base of each individual key, which should make texting or emailing in the dark a non-issue for power users.

Functioning much the way it always has, the slider mechanism is, as before, stiff and missing that comforting snap to lock. That said, it does give off the impression of durability, so we'll err on the side of Moto's design choice here. Once opened, the phone instantly resorts to landscape mode and a mere button press triggers Google's search app, listing whatever contacts or apps that match your entered text. Swype does come pre-installed, so if you happen to tire of physical buttons, you can always opt for that alternative touch option. Given the intrinsic QWERTY nature of the Droid line, however, we don't anticipate you'll make much use of that software.

Software

To call it MotoBlur would be a slap in the face to this less offensive Android UX. Though it's far from the stock Ice Cream Sandwich pastures we're confident the company will adopt post-Google merger (and hopefully port to this handset), it's still a software overlay, however benign. Moto's own PR team makes nary a mention of what was previously referred to as its Application Platform -- a fancier term for skin -- which does its best here to be as inobtrusive as possible, delivering a consistent experience that should be recognizable to fans of the company's latest phones. As you may have guessed, this 2012 device runs Gingerbread (version 2.3.6, to be exact), so if you're holding your breath for that planned ICS update, prepare to turn blue by summer's start.

You're still given access to the same five homescreens, but, sadly, there's no ability to reduce or add to that real estate as needed, although you can customize the dock. Even the app drawer's remained unchanged, displaying the entirety of the phone's app collection or sorting it by user preference. As you might expect, the Droid 4 ships with pre-installed bloat a plenty -- Verizon's contributions alone amount to 13 -- with the spread of third-party software ranging from the useful (Twitter, Netflix, Amazon Kindle) to unnecessary (Let's Golf 2, Slacker, Slingbox). Not one to be left out, Motorola's also crammed its own dedicated applications onto the device's 8GB of storage, the most helpful of which is Smart Actions, an intelligent system that learns users' habits and adjusts settings to optimize battery life. Enterprise customers will be happy to note that the Droid 4 comes loaded with Citrix Receiver for Android, a feature accessible only in webtop mode via an optional 10- or 14-inch lapdock.

Performance and battery life

Aided by its dual-core 1.2GHz processor and generous 1GB of RAM, the Droid 4 zips along without faltering. While transitions between screens, as well as in and out of apps can take a tick too long to complete for our liking, we're sure that has more to do with the UX's own animations than any real performance hiccup. Indeed, the 4-inch screen is incredibly responsive, evincing a careful balance of touch recognition that's neither overly sensitive nor stubborn. Call us creatures of habit, but we noticed our own tendency to unconsciously rely on the phone's superb touch controls, rather than its fine-tuned keypad. Could that be a sign of these mobile times? Well, yes and no. Not all smartphone screens are made equal and the Droid 4 just happens to benefit from this particular performance tweak.

When it comes to benchmark testing, our dear Droid 4 wasn't able to overtake its flashier RAZR-thin cousin, but did eke out a few victories nonetheless. Leaving the higher-clocked Galaxy S II's near-pervasive dominance out of this, Moto's bulky slider scored a tie, toppling its svelte stablemate in Linpack single-thread with a score of 52 and NenaMark 1 and 2 topping out at 53.3 fps and 27.9 fps. Results for Quadrant and SunSpider make it appear as if the Droid 4 is marginally less able, but the RAZR wins by an awfully miniscule margin.

	Droid 4	Droid RAZR	Galaxy S II (unlocked)
Quadrant	2,755	2,798	3,200
Linpack (single-thread)	52	50	55
Linpack (multi-thread)	81.8	95.6	81
Nenamark1	53.3	50.3	59.8
Nenamark2	27.9	27.5	49.1
Neocore	58.2	59.9	59.8
SunSpider 9.1	2,158	2,140	3,369

As much as we would've liked to see the Droid RAZR Maxx's profile-fattening 3,300mAh battery built-in to the Droid 4, we're perfectly at ease with the 1,785mAh provided. Notorious though LTE may be for chipping away at charges, the allotted amount of non-removable juice should serve to get you through a day, at most, with moderate to light usage. Call upon the powers of Big Red's 4G network too consistently and you're sure to see that longevity take a severe dip. For a more concrete indication of this phone's battery performance, we played a single video in a continuous loop with brightness set to 50 percent, Twitter syncing at 15 minute intervals and one push email account active. Much to our delight, the Droid 4 lasted seven hours and 15 minutes, a considerable leap over the Droid RAZR's unworkable five-hour threshold.

Verizon's LTE network is no longer the sparsely-visited spectrum it was back in the days of the Thunderbolt and, as such, is subject to heavier traffic demands in New York City. So, it's understandable that previously accessible speeds hovering around the high 20s and 30s aren't as prevalent. Still, Big Red's 4G is reasonably fast, reaching max speeds of 21Mbps up and 12Mbps and averaging 12Mbps to 19Mbps down and 8Mbps to 9Mbps down in our time testing the handset.

Camera

Of the Droid 4's dual cameras, only its front-facer has received a spec bump from VGA to a 720p-capable 1.3 megapixels. Where its rear shooter is concerned, that module retains its 8-megapixel ancestry, offering up a bevy of scene modes (portrait, landscape, etc.) and shooting options (panorama, multi and timer), in addition to effects filters. The camera performs admirably well when faced with optimal lighting conditions (read: bright sunlight), snapping photos with exceptional detail, depth of field and contrast. Attempt to take similar shots under fluorescent lights indoors or even in dim environments and a noticeable loss of quality will be evident in still shots. Users can hone in on an intended object simply by tapping on screen, however, we noticed the sensor would occasionally continue to readjust without cease. This became increasingly problematic when attempting to take macro shots, with the focus consistently skewing to the noise in the background.

Video captured in full 1080p HD was above average, though nowhere near as pristine as you'd hope, appearing slightly grainy in playback with a noticeable jitter and lacking the ability to continually autofocus on the moving scenery. Considering we were standing in the midst of a busy downtown New York City intersection, recorded audio came across crisply and clearly, with overall image reflecting the same vibrancy of color and depth as noted above.

Wrap-up

Tailored less for trend-seeking consumers and more for power users (or prosumers), Moto's QWERTY flagship hits a handful of high marks, offering up one of the best physical keyboards on the market, access to Verizon's 4G LTE speeds, a responsive touchscreen and suitable battery life to accompany the demands of on-the-go productivity -- all for $200 on a two-year contract. Clearly, this is not the OG Droid of old -- just take a glance at that redesigned shell -- that led many first-timers into Android's fold, but it doesn't appear Moto wants it to be anymore. In fact, there's no longer a need for the vanilla Droid line to push Andy Rubin's baby forward. That heavy lifting has now been relegated to Google's suite of Nexus devices.

As it stands, the Droid 4 marries two concentrated markets: consumers clamoring for physical keyboards and the enterprise set. It may seem like only yesterday that IT departments across the globe depended solely upon RIM's server encryption and hardware for mobile enterprise solutions and portrait QWERTYs were all the rage. But the business times, they have undoubtedly changed, upending the tidy tea table established by BlackBerry for the newly pasteurized innards of Apple's iPhone and Google's vast array of Android handsets. Sparked by this "bring your own device" revolution, companies likes Motorola have adapted their strategies, repurposing existing product lines for more pragmatic, niche demos. Which is precisely how the formerly hallowed Droid brand came to this unassuming stage in its natural product evolution. Whether or not your own personal mobile savvy has outgrown it remains to be seen.

Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 leaked, says it'll arrive later this month

Whoa there, another phone leak? It could only be the run-up to Mobile World Congress. This time, it's Samsung that's let slip, and the not-particularly high-end Galaxy Mini 2. Mini in size, minor in specifications, it will purportedly arrive with a 3.3-inch display at 480 x 320 resolution, running Gingerbread on an 800MHz processor. Unfortunately, at that speed, don't expect to get any Adobe Flash action on this presumably entry-level phone. It'll be capable of HSDPA data speeds up to 7.2Mbps; add in a three-megapixel camera, 3GB of built-in storage and it's all starting to sound a bit 2008. GSM Arena's mole pegs it for a February release, so that could mean it sprints out ahead of MWC, but it'll find it hard to avoid the bright lights of Barcelona.

Googleplex expansion plans hint at Project X lab, wireless testing facilities

Google's eyeing up some vacant space at the end of its lawn to throw $120 million at a Grand Designs-style extension to its Mountain View campus. Residents will soon see the @Home lab, purportedly to test fully formed consumer devices and whatever secret home entertainment / wireless communications gear we've heard rumblings about. The new development will enable Project X (the interesting one with the James Bond-gizmos, not the lecture series website) to move into a meatier facility where they can perfect projects like Majel and the self-driving car. The most notable development (according to business-types, anyway) is the "Experience Center," a 120,000 square foot private museum / demonstration space for Google to schmooze its most important clients in style (wait, aren't we the most important clients?). VIPs will be invited to play with the newest toys the company can produce before gorging themselves on canapés, or something. Californians wandering past 1600 Shoreline Blvd down the road from the Googleplex, might also notice a new building that's not covered in official branding -- because it's going to be a new wireless testing facility that's being shielded from external signals. At least, that's where we'll be pitching a tent with a couple of long lenses when it opens for business.

iCade 8-Bitty hands-on (video)

It's still about two months out, but when the 8-bitty hits shelves it might just become our favorite member of the iCade family. At the moment the Bluetooth gamepad is little more than a hand-made prototype with some AA batteries taped to the underside and a sticker printed on the office InkJet slapped on the front. As a production quality controller, though, it should be the perfect handheld button mashers for those of you with a taste for the retro. The boxy, rectangular 8-bitty may be wireless and the final version will likely sport six buttons -- still, you can't help but be whisked back to your days spent blowing into dusty Contra cartridges and tapping out the Konami code. We gave the early prototype a quick try and the D-pad and red buttons feel just like their '80s inspiration. Unfortunately they're not quite as responsive yet, but we're figuring there's still some kinks to be worked out before it ships this Spring. The 8-bitty should be launching exclusively with ThinkGeek for between $25 and $30. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break.

PlayStation Vita review

Look familiar? It should: that's the PlayStation Vita, Sony's up-and-coming challenger to the mobile gaming throne. It's made the rounds a few times before, from E3, to Tokyo Game Show, to San Francisco's Vita Hill Social Club, and it even took an early pass through Engadget's review gauntlet -- courtesy of the Land of the Rising Sun, of course. After a strong start in its homeland (followed by a quick holiday slump), the budding portable hit the books, brushed up on its English and barreled its way back into Engadget's game room, demanding another review. And why not? We're happy to oblige.

And here it is, an extremely familiar looking slab of plastic, glass and electronics that calls itself the North American 3G / WiFi PlayStation Vita. Sony's new region-free tradition ensures that it won't be too different than Japan's native model, but we're diving in for a more detailed look anyway. Read on for a peek at its content management system, backward compatibility, the particulars of its fancy new thumbsticks, the latest firmware update's contribution to the platform and much more.

Hardware

The PlayStation Vita's face is dominated by its luxuriously large 5-inch OLED display, and with good reason: this touchscreen not only pops with rich colors, crisp textures and deep blacks, but it's also the user's primary method of input outside of games. Yes, this gorgeous display is capacitive, and is responsive enough to make the 3DS' resistive screen feel decidedly dated. The 960 x 544 panel boasts some fantastically wide viewing angles, to boot. We did encounter a hiccup or two with the touchscreen, though. After sucking the battery dry during Engadget's requisite endurance tests, the rebooted handheld failed to respond to finger input. Things were right as rain after a hard reset, but we braced ourselves anyway -- the US release may have to ride the same bumps its Japanese counterpart hit late last year. (Note: shortly after the incident, our Vita was updated to system firmware 1.60, and as of this writing, the issue hasn't returned.) Flanking either side of the screen are the unit's primary physical controls, with a classic D-pad on the left, and the traditional PlayStation triangle, circle, square and X buttons on the right. Each side also has its very own miniature thumbstick, situated above the port side's PlayStation "home" button and the starboard's start and select buttons.
PSP veterans will find the Vita's face buttons and directional pad a bit smaller than those of their old mashing grounds, though they don't feel too petite. The tiny set of user-facing toggles favor the "clicky" depression style Nintendo integrated into the 3DS, rather than the poppy, soft-bottomed buttons found in Sony's last-generation handheld, as well as the DualShock 3, Xbox 360 controller and classic gaming consoles of yore. Although we personally favor the slight mushiness of the classic controllers we were brought up with, the Vita's buttons respond to a comfortably light touch, and are plenty responsive. The D-pad is different as well, joining the four islands of Sony's traditional directional offering to form a single unified joypad. It's smaller, and a little different than the PlayStation norm, but it's also less stiff than the PSP's old D-pad, and rolls easily under the thumb.

Both the face buttons and directional pad are conveniently located just north and to the outside of the handheld's dual-analog thumbsticks -- that's right, there's two of them. Rather than simply adding one later or mimicking the original PSP's layout, the Vita simply includes both analog sticks up front, giving the handheld controls reminiscent of its big brother, the PS3. The sticks have been shrunken significantly, however, and don't have quite as much play as the joysticks that inspire them. Compared to a DualShock 3, these petite sticks don't tilt as far from their center, but because they still offer an appropriate level of resistance to their size, it's still possible to execute delicate maneuvers. The twin sticks also have a smaller turning radius than the 3DS' solitary circle pad, but their height lends them a feeling of leverage that Nintendo's handheld simply can't emulate. Unfortunately, that height also makes them stick out of the handheld's surface somewhat oddly, which returns us to an issue haunting the original PSP: portability.

Measuring 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (7.1 x .73 x 3.3 inches), the Vita's pushing the edge of pocket-friendly gaming. We haven't had so much trouble getting a portable gaming system into our pants since the Sega Game Gear, though the Vita is of course smaller. A pair of large, "only around the house" cargo pants held the Vita just fine, but any pair of trousers worthy of wearing public will hug the handheld with an awkward and uncomfortable firmness. This is a portable console, not a pocketable one, and prospective owners should plan on keeping it in their backpacks, suit jacket pockets or at home, on the nightstand. The 3G / WiFi version of the handheld logs a respectable 9.8 ounces (279g), but it seems lighter. The same wide, long body that makes the Vita look heavy at first glance also distributes its weight evenly, creating the illusion of a featherlight handheld. Yes, it's a hair heavier than the PSP 3000 and Nintendo's latest, but not by enough that you're likely notice the difference.

The Vita's perimeter is laden with ports, slots and even more buttons. The handheld's topmost edge is home to power buttons and volume controls, an unmarked accessory port and the PS Vita game card slot. Rounding out the top edges are the console's left and right shoulder buttons, which complete the handheld's oval curvature and mold to the insides of your index fingers. On the 3G model, a SIM card slot adorns the Vita's left side, made flush by a small, attached door. The handheld's south edge houses its proprietary goods: a combination data / charging port, and a slot for Sony's new (and unofficially required) PlayStation Vita memory card. The card looks remarkably similar to a MicroSD card, although it's a bit wider, a bit thicker and significantly more expensive -- a 32 GB MicroSD card will set you back about $30, versus the $100 you'll spend on Sony's equivalent storage media. Thankfully, the Vita's south side isn't a completely Sony exclusive zone --the headphone jack supports the 3.5mm standard.

The console's backside is painted with hundreds of Sony-styled triangles, circles, squares and crosses, highlighting the console's rear touchpad in between a pair of matte black grips. This new piece of hardware hopes to give players a smartphone-like interaction without crowding the screen with fingers -- an admirable goal, considering how well the Vita's glossy exterior collects fingerprints. In our time with the handheld, we didn't stray too far from our microfiber cloth; the console's smooth surface is a magnet for oil, dust and assorted fibers just begging to be wiped away. The edges collect minor scratches quite easily, and proved vulnerable to scuffs even when we casually placed it on a wooden table. We'd definitely recommend a case for the exacting perfectionists out there. Meanwhile, the handheld's back is headlined by the VGA rear-facing camera, but we'll get to that (and its front-facing companion) later. Now that we've got a good feel for the machine, let's see what it can do.

Software

 

The Vita's smartphone-esque user interface hasn't changed one bit since we first smudged it at San Francisco's Vita Hill Social Club. Its staggered icons are still accounted for, as are the intuitive touch controls. And touch is indeed the name of the game; the menu won't accept any input, save that of your capacitive-friendly digits. Blowing off the buttons is a bit of a bold move, but when the touch controls work this well, we really don't mind. Navigation is simple and intuitive -- flicking north or south brings you through as many as ten pages of staggered icons, each representing an app, game or feature. Tapping an icon opens up a starboard path, allowing up to five open apps to trail to the home screen's right. Scrolling horizontally allows you to mange these applications through their "LiveArea" screens. Here you'll find a centered launch button, as well as various shortcuts peppering the screen -- these might take you to the camera's photo album, for instance, or perhaps to a featured movie available for rent in the PlayStation store. A diagonal swipe closes a LiveArea tile with an animated flourish, "peeling" the program off of the Vita's screen and effectively terminating the program.

Open applications headline the status bar at the top of the screen, and can be viewed in a cascading file view with a quick click of the PlayStation button. Holding the button down produces a quick menu, allowing the user to adjust the screen's brightness, manage music playback and fiddle with the chat and microphone settings. A long press on any of the Vita's home screens will allow you to rearrange the icons, delete programs and customize any specific page's background with a new color scheme or an image from your photo gallery.

The Vita comes equipped with a small suite of apps, and most of them are pretty straightforward. Through Photos you can manage your images and control the Vita's cameras (more on that below), while the Music and Videos apps allow you to organize and -- you guessed it -- play your music and videos. These three media applications all share the same general layout: categories, artists or items flow in a vertical list. We've seen prettier media apps, but these get the job done just fine.
There are also a few applications pertaining to PlayStation Network that do the obvious. Group Messaging, Friends and Trophies all do exactly what you think -- that is, send PSN messages, organize your buddies and manage your Trophy data, respectively. The other shortcuts peppering the home screens are a bit more unique. Party, for instance, brings cross-game voice chat to the Vita, allowing friends to catch up using the Vita's internal microphone and send each other chat messages and game invitations (you can thank the Vita's extra RAM for that). Parties also monitor a user's status, letting your pals know if you've started a game or left the room.

The Near app also hopes to strengthen social ties between Vita owners, although the execution is less intuitive than we'd hoped. Diving into the Vita's online manual tells us that Near finds players in your area and exchanges play history data, in-game items and, if you allow it, usernames with local gamers. In practice, however, this is a bit more confusing; the app's "out and about" menu does indeed find a smattering of local Vita owners, shown on a friendly looking radar-screen. From here we were able to view expanded information on a recently played game, including a "buzz rating," the number of people playing and a map of emoticons detailing how players felt about the game. The application is interesting, to be sure, but far from straightforward; even after thumbing through the Near portion of the Vita's manual, we found ourselves stumbling through the program, unsure what, exactly, to do with it. It seems like a more robust (or maybe just complicated) version of Street Pass on the 3DS, but in the end we just found it to be the Vita's most muddled feature. We're hoping it'll make more sense as our local userbase fills out.

Sadly, the Vita's web browser hasn't improved one iota since we reviewed the Japanese model. It remains shockingly slow, struggling to render most websites at a respectable clip. It's not that it doesn't load pages fast -- it does -- it just doesn't tolerate much navigation. Even after fully loading a page, scrolling and zooming in feels painful, if not stunted, and that's true even if you're returning to an area of the screen that had previously been drawn. Some pages fared better than others, however. Google, for instance, didn't suffer any of the above maladies, nor did the mobile versions of Engadget, Facebook or any other watered-down site, really. In a pinch, the Vita's web browser is serviceable, but any modern smartphone simply crushes it in terms of usability -- which is surprising, considering how smoothly the rest of the Vita's applications run. Hopefully future updates will make up for the PSV's clunky introduction to the world wide web.

Our review unit didn't have Google Maps in tow when we first unboxed it, but firmware update 1.60 handily tacked it on. The Vita's map app is relatively simple, tapping Google's servers for traffic data, directions and satellite imagery. Zooming in and out or panning to a new section of the map usually causes the app to stutter, though it recovers faster than the web browser. It won't replace your GPS, or even your PC's Google Maps bookmark, but it's a nice feature to have if you're lugging around a 3G-enabled games console.

Content Management and backwards compatibility

The Vita's proprietary memory card won't play nice with your laptop's multi-card reader, so you'll be loading media and backing up games with the help of Sony's Content Manager Assistant, a piece of desktop software designed to help you, well, manage content. This is no iTunes, however: the PC GUI does little more than tell the Vita what folders it has permission to play with (the Vita itself browses the file system, selects content and initiates the data transfer). Cutting out the necessity of learning a separate desktop interface for data management keeps things easy, and creates a uniform experience that doesn't change regardless of platform. In other words, backing up files and transferring data works exactly the same way with a PC / Vita pairing as it does with a PS3 / Vita setup. It keeps thing simple, with just two menus: copy content, or backup utility. The copy content section lets you pick and choose the files you copy from your handheld to your host device or visa versa, and the backup utility lets you backup your Vita, restore it from a backup, or delete your previously saved backup files altogether.

While the device-controlled environment is easy to use and refreshingly uniform, it has some drawbacks, mainly stemming from the very strengths we just mentioned. Ease of use comes with a consequence. By making the PC syncing experience identical to the one you'll enjoy on the PS3, Sony abandoned the opportunity to build a more robust file management system on the desktop end. The Vita will only browse files located in a handful of pre-specified folders -- if the Content Manager Assistant isn't assigned to the folder that contains the particular picture or video you want to transfer, your Vita isn't going to find it.

Even then the Vita is only looking at certain types of files. It favors MP3, MP4 and WAVE audio files, likes its films in MPEG-4: SP (Level 3) and H.264 and plays nice most major image formats, including JPEG, TIFF, GIF, BMP and PNG. Knowing exactly what kind of game data will transfer, on the other hand, is a little less straightforward. Yes, the Vita has a degree of backward compatibility with its father handheld, but its love of last-generation games isn't universal. Be it licensing issues or a fault of the Vita's PSP emulation, a chunk of the PlayStation Store's PSP library, such as LittleBigPlanet and Killzone: Liberation, simply won't run on the next-generation portable. These games won't appear in the PlayStation store when you're browsing from the device itself, but you can still download them through the PS3. And in case you were wondering, no, the Content Manger isn't a loophole to compatibility. Purchase with care, or live with the consequences.

When the stars (or licensing agreements, or emulation compatibility or whatever) are aligned, PSP gameplay on the Vita's gorgeous OLED display is a sight to behold. The colors are brighter and more vibrant, and have shed the washed-out look that the PSP's LCD screen sometimes produced. It's bigger, too, making full use of the Vita's 5-inch display -- although this can make the stretched classics look a bit more jaggy than they might have on Sony's last-gen hardware. We could live with this caveat, and probably would without much question if we didn't read the Vita's online manual. As it turns out, momentarily holding the touchscreen while playing a PSP game brings up a settings menu, offering players a handful of tweaks.

Not a fan of jaggies? Bi-linear filtering should smooth out those rough edges. Nostalgic for your PSP's LCD? Switch on the Vita's color space mode to give the handheld's bright screen the appropriate muting. The menu even has camera options for scant few PSP games that pulled the augmented reality trick. If all this wasn't enough, the Vita's secondary thumbstick can be given the power to emulate the D-pad, face buttons or left analog stick. Bilinear filtering won't make every game look better -- in fact, as far as we can tell it didn't make any difference at all when applied to Mega Man Maverick Hunter X -- but it adds a caring touch to a passable PSP emulator.

Games

Despite its modest collection of multimedia apps, the PlayStation Vita is, first and foremost, a PlayStation. A portable games console, out to claim its place as king among handheld gaming beasts. It would stand to reason, then, that the PlayStation Vita has games. It does. Perhaps in response to the mistakes its competitors made, the Vita is hurtling towards launch day with a strong library of diverse launch titles.

Even Engadget's resident Nintendo fanboys had to give Sony's new portable props: these are by far the finest handheld console graphics we've ever seen. Still, it's not perfect -- close ups of Nathan Drake's shirt in Uncharted: Golden Abyss betrayed the games low-res textures, and a careful eye can see that some edges just aren't as smooth as they would be on a home console. We didn't expect anything else, of course. You aren't going to give up your PS3 for the sake of the Vita's graphical chops, but they're still darn impressive.

PlayStation Store

Although gamers around the world breathed a collective sigh of relief when Sony backed away from the PSP Go's digital exclusivity, Sony is still gunning for a future of games untethered by physical media. Getting there will mean making digital purchases more convenient and more appealing than the alternative. The Vita's PlayStation store isn't the solution, but it's a start. The handheld shop's main page is headlined with a rotating banner of featured content and four categories: featured, new releases, top downloads and all. Sony told us that more options are on the way, noting that game demos will start showing up after February 14th and that Netflix is due to arrive on the 21st. The default view, "All," offers the choice of PS Vita games, PSP games, minis, media as well as the chance to search by genre.

Jumping in is a fairly smooth, if somewhat basic, experience -- we easily hopped into the Vita category to see a short, alphabetized list of titles available for download. The PSP and Minis sections didn't stray too far from the formula, though here, the larger lists are further split various categories, arranged in alphabetical order. The Vita's online shop suffers the same faults as its PS3 counterpart: it's well organized, but no fun to use. While alphabetized games and clearly marked categories may make it easy to find the specific game you're looking for, but it doesn't make us want to just "look for games." The over-organized structure makes it difficult to browse, and the scarcity of gameplay screenshots put casual shopping out of the question. The aforementioned "Near" app seems to lean heavily on discovering new games that are being played in your local area, but users (this reviewer included) who find the location based social sharing application confusing won't find refuge here. The Vita's incarnation of the PlayStation store is no more engaging or creative than its big brother's online shop, but at the very least it's easier to navigate than its PS3 compadre, and for now, simpler as well.

Camera

 

Much like the Vita's web browser, not much has changed about the handheld's camera since its Japanese launch. Its rear-facing camera still whimpers with a maximum resolution of 640 x 480, often producing noisy images that skimp on detail. Swapping to the front-facing camera will frame the player's mug at the very same resolution, though its lens' off-center positing ensures they won't be looking at the birdie. These shooters work well enough for games like Little Deviants to use for augmented reality mini-games, but the Vita won't make you consider leaving your point-and-shoot camera (or even your cell phone camera) at home.

Still, firmware update 1.60 gave the camera a small kick in the pants, tacking video recording to the end of the list of things that the handheld's camera is "sort of okay" at. Videos adopt the camera's native resolution, keeping the same noisy grain and washed out colors that plague stills. It isn't any worse off than the 3DS' offering, but the Vita's camera simply doesn't measure up to the standard the rest of its hardware sets. A turn of the century camera phone, on the other hand, might be able to give it a run for its money.

Battery life

We already know better than to expect the Vita to pack enough juice to get us through an international (or even domestic) flight, but we couldn't resist running it through a handful of battery tests anyway. Our first few power drains matched our review of the Japanese unit almost exactly -- three hours of dedicated gaming on the console's default settings left our handheld dead. Dragging the Vita's brightness slider down to its dimmest setting scored us another hour of playtime, and kicking the console into flight mode seemed to buy it another twenty minutes. We were able to game for a little longer in PSP mode, stretching the battery to nearly six hours of gameplay on the minimum brightness level with WiFi and audio disabled. We were hoping to drag the handheld's longevity out a bit further than this, but were unable to get the Vita off of the company line -- our game-heavy battery tests match the Vita's official battery life estimates almost blow-for-blow. Three to five hours of gameplay -- it's what Sony promised, and it's what we got.

Sony seems to have made looser estimates for media playback, however. Although audio playback fell just a few minutes shy of the rated nine hours, our video test eclipsed the expected five-hour runtime by a full hour. Although the Vita's six hours of video playback isn't enough to make up for its other electrical shortcomings, we have to respect a device that can handle Gone with the Wind, complete with overture and intermissions, and still have enough juice left over for some light gaming. That's an inflight experience we could get behind. Despite our love of Rhett Butler, though, we still feel a bit let down by the Vita's longevity. At the very least, Sony's aware of this shortcoming, and has already announced an external battery pack.

3G connectivity and remote play

When we reviewed the Japanese PlayStation Vita 3G / WiFi, we were at a slight disadvantage, being several thousand miles outside of the handheld's chosen cellular network. The stubborn console simply wouldn't accept a foreign substitute. In the US, of course, it tapped into AT&T's 3G network without any fuss. Unfortunately, rumors of its limitations haven't been exaggerated. The cellular connection will get the Vita logged into the PlayStation network, browsing the web and even using Twitter on the go, but a 20-megabyte download restriction keeps the PlayStation store from using the connectivity to its fullest potential. Gamers on the go jonesing for something new to play will either have to settle for a PlayStation mini with a small data footprint, or return to the warm embrace of WiFi. Users can still "Party" over 3G, albeit without cross-game voice chat, as well as view their friends list, update their trophy data and check in with Near. Games will still let players check their leaderboard ranking over 3G, but won't let them climb any higher -- mobile multiplayer will have for Sony to build an LTE PSV.

Sony's Remote Play magic won't work over 3G either, though we were able pipe a PSone game through our local network just fine. The Vita currently supports the same list of Remote Play capable titles as the PSP, which mostly consists of simple PSN games, the home console's music, photo and video menus, and the aforementioned PSone games. We tried to recreate Sony's TGS Killzone 3 demo, but the Vita wouldn't have it. Right now, it's up to developers to activate Remote Play for their titles, and unless Sony decides to tweak the PS3's firmware to say otherwise, that's the way it's going to stay. In the meantime, Bionic Commando Rearmed and Gran Turismo numero uno will have to do.

Wrap-up

Sony's latest contender is a little late to the game, nearly a year following the 3DS' debut. Still, the Vita is technically a stronger player. Sony's new portable eclipses Nintendo's latest on more battlefields than ever before, outclassing it not only in graphical output, but in touchscreen technology, controls and button layout, user interface design and, perhaps most importantly, game selection at launch. So is that enough for it to pull ahead of the competition? We can't be sure.

We will say, however, that the PlayStation Vita triumphs where it counts. It has its hiccups and blemishes, sure, but web browsers can be updated, as can the PS3's remote play limitations. Still, no amount of software updates can undo that disappointing runtime. Without performance-enhancing peripherals, the PlayStation Vita won't be getting you through long flights or cross-country road trips. For gamers spoiled by the endurance of the original PSP and DS systems, it's a tough sell. In fact, the WiFi edition's $250 price tag might give gamers burned by the 3DS' price-drop pause, to say nothing of the $50 premium they'll pay for the 3G model.

Still, it's hard to shake the Vita's siren call: adopt early, it says, I'm worth it. As seductive as that call from the souped-up PSP successor is, its real song is its games -- if none of them resonate for you, you'd better stay bound to your mast through these Uncharted waters.