The LG Nexus 4 wasn’t much of a secret when Google finally announced it. After appearing in a variety of forms and rumors for weeks ahead of its unveiling, we thought we knew all there was to know about it. That of course, was not true. But once we finally got a hold of it, we wondered if there were enough hidden secrets or highlights to make this ultra-affordable Nexus stand out from a crowded holiday smartphone lineup or if the lack of LTE would be a deal breaker? Let’s talk about it. 

We don’t normally do headphone reviews, because well, we’re not a headphone site. We allow the real audio blogs to take care of that stuff, while we as Android enthusiasts, stick to what we do best. With that said, when Motorola asked if we would be interested in checking out their new wireless Bluetooth headphones, the S11-Flex HD, I couldn’t help but give them a shot. Since I know there is a small crew of you that also picked up their MotoActv sports watch, I figured you would also be interested in these headphones, which are their latest sweat-proof fitness product that can pair with any Android device on the planet. 

When Samsung first introduced the original Galaxy Note, there were plenty of tech pundits that giggled, poked fun at the product, and then proceeded to make up as many ridiculous tablet-hybrid names as possible. Little did they know that Samsung had a new star on their hands, that would compliment the already massively successful Galaxy S series. So when the Galaxy Note 2 was announced, there were fewer jokes, as it was obvious that Samsung had carved out a special niche in the smartphone game.

In this review, I’ll talk about its unique features that help set it apart from others. But most importantly, we still need to talk about the size, since that’s still the deciding factor here. Is it too big or are you ready to buy into the super-sized phone market? 

Guess what, ladies and gentlemen? It’s Samsung Galaxy Note 2 day. With Samsung (and Kanye) putting together the final preparations for tonight’s big launch party in NYC, you can start your day of Note 2 coverage right here. I have had the T-Mobile version (since it’s the first to launch) for a handful of days now and am close to finalizing our review, however, with the RAZR HDs (our review) taking up quite a bit of time, I didn’t want to short change this phone and will need another day or two. So far though, I’m absolutely loving every minute of it. Let’s talk about it. 

When Motorola first introduced the DROID RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD, they coupled the announcement with the idea that this was a “new Motorola.” In the front office, it most certainly is new, however, any industry player knows that these phones are the last to be inspired by the old guard. But before we start looking to the future for what’s next, we can’t look past the new RAZR family, as these are Moto’s final works of 2012. Bigger and better displays, long battery lives, and closer-than-ever-to-stock MotoBlur are all a part of the theme. Are they worth your dollar? 

Whenever we ask our readers to give us specs that they would like to see in a “dream device,” you would most certainly see a few, if not all of the Optimus G’s listed. Although, LG isn’t pushing the Optimus like Samsung is pushing the Galaxy S3 and you won’t see this device on all four major U.S. carriers. Customers on AT&T and Sprint will only see the device, but more importantly, the next Nexus device is rumored to be based around this phone, so it makes reviewing this device’s hardware and look somewhat more important than others.

If you’re on Sprint, let’s go over why this device may or may not be your next.  

When LG first announced the Optimus G, our jaws about hit the floor because of the specs. But as it inched closer to launch, most of us realized that this phone wouldn’t launch on all carriers in a way that we have seen from Samsung and their Galaxy S3, leaving us wondering if we should fully care or not. (This phone, is headed to AT&T and Sprint here in the U.S. (Verizon and T-Mobile customers will be left out of the party.) Thankfully, we have also all come to the realization that the next Nexus phone (possibly dubbed the Nexus 4) will be based off of the Optimus G, so whether or not this is coming to your carrier of choice, you should care about it. With that said, let’s talk about this device in a little more detail. 

I reviewed the Galaxy S3 Flip Cover back when the device first launched, so I’m not going to talk about this one in much detail other than the color. This is really just me sharing the new colorways that Samsung has available and what the green version looks like in person.

As you can see, it’s bright. Like, really bright. I’m sort of digging the look so far, just because it now looks like no other phone on the market. The back is neon-pastel-puke green. I know, I’m weird for admitting to liking this, but for whatever reason it has been growing on me over the last few hours.