Both phones are apparently due out in the same release window, as the Photon 4G has already been given a July 31 launch date, while the Droid Bionic is seemingly around the corner, given the fact that Verizon are now starting their marketing campaign for the device with official sign up pages, as well as recent photos showing Droid Bionic cases available to buy now.

Obviously Motorola are putting their attention into launching their two biggest devices to date, but considering that there are already official spec sheets and press releases for the Photon 4G on Sprint and nothing for the Droid Bionic as of yet, it seems to us that Motorola are prioritizing the release of the Photon 4G first, and then shifting their attention to the Droid Bionic afterwards.

If this is indeed the case, then naturally Verizon customers are not going to be too happy about it. For a handset that was scheduled to release in February after CES 2011, there has been very little information on the handset since then, with consumers only being offered scraps by way of photo and spec leaks on the internet.

Nobody knows the genuine reason for the delay of the Bionic other than the fact that Motorola are ‘upgrading’ the device, whether this means a processor change or improvements on battery life remain to be seen. Hopefully given the competition available on the market though, Motorola will be adding upgrades such as a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor and making the phone compatible with a future update to Google Ice Cream Sandwich.

Verizon will be weary of customers jumping ship to Sprint for the Photon 4G, so we’re guessing they will be putting pressure on Motorola to get the Bionic out as soon as possible as this release saga has gone on far too long in our opinion.

Is the Photon 4G more desirable than the Droid Bionic you ask? Well, on paper they are very similar with both handsets having a dual-core processor, an 8 megapixel camera, 4G data support, a 4.3-inch qHD display screen and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. However as we mentioned above, the upgrades for the Droid Bionic may prove to be decisive in terms of which handset has the best hardware specs out of the box, so it’s tough to make a direct comparison just yet.

As a Verizon customer who has waited months for news on the Droid Bionic, would it frustrate you if Motorola are prioritizing the Photon 4G release first? Hopefully we’re be able to put a smile on your face with official release details on the Bionic later this week, stay tuned for the latest updates as we get them.

More About: Droid Bionic, Motorola Photon 4G, Verizon

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There is sure to be mixed reactions over this, the first is how Sprint will not offer this deal on high-end phones, and the other is the hassle that you have to go through to get the discount in the first place. Instead of just sending off for your rebate you now receive a prepaid reward card from American Express – so why the change Sprint?

That is not the only issue that customers will have, they will also have to wait 2 months to receive it, but at least they get up to 6 years before they have to spend it. However, it would be wise to spend it sooner rather than later, not sure how much you will get for 50 bucks in six years time? Having said that, you will incur a monthly fee of $3 if you do not spend it within 6 months.

Rebates have always been a pain, but they do serve a purpose for those who are in financial difficulties. However, not sure how many people will want to turndown $50 for free, even if you have to spend 10 minutes of your time in order to do so? Our best advice on how to spend this $50 is to put it towards your Sprint bill, as IntoMobile has learned that you will be able to do this with the America Express prepaid card

Speaking of the Motorola Photon 4G, we know that the smartphone is due on July 31, 2011, just days before the Droid Bionic. The two are very similar, as they both offer 4G connectivity, however the former will be on Sprint, and the latter will be coming Verizon. It is hard to say which is the better of the two handsets, it will all come down the carrier and who will be able to offer the better 4G service?

The smart money would be to back Verizon, but we know that Sprint has more experience in this area, which will be of a greater value to their customers.

More About: Motorola, Motorola Photon 4G, sprint

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To get the Photon 4G at this reduced price you will need to pre-order them from Walmart here or Wirefly here. The discount is between $20 and $40; OK, so we know that this is not a huge difference than what you would pay going direct to Sprint, but something is better than nothing right? We all know how the consumer loves a bargain; well this is the best on offer for this handset at the moment.

We have to believe that Sprint will offer some sort of incentive soon, as they are sure to miss out on a few sales, as potential customers will go wherever the deals are. There are a number of new handsets on Sprint, such as the EVO 3D and 4G, but the Photon 4G is considered to be the better of the two 4G handsets – just hope that it can persuade customers that 3D is not important to them?

As for the Droid Bionic, we are still waiting for the device to be released, but the smart money is on August 4, 2011. Verizon had announced this handset back at CES, but has since undergone a makeover to help it compete in what is now a very tough market. You may wonder why we would be talking about the Droid Bionic and the Photon 4G in the same article.

Well the two are almost the same phone, expect one is on Sprint and the other on Verizon; this is the same thing that Samsung does with their Galaxy S range. The hardware is expected to be very similar, with the biggest difference being with the exterior design. We do find it funny how the Droid Bionic was announced first, yet Motorola will be releasing the Photon 4G beforehand.

Choosing between the two handsets will come down to two things, your carrier preference and if you are prepared to wait another two weeks. However, by launching these handsets late Motorola has given themselves another headache, and that is the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S II will soon be available on all four major US carriers.

More About: Motorola, Motorola Droid Bionic, Motorola Photon 4G

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Sprint will charge you $200 for the Photon 4G on a two-year contract, and will come with Gingerbread – yet another snub for Thunderbolt. For the price you will be getting a dual-core 1GHz handset with 1GB of RAM, 4.4-inch display, 8-megapixel camera, along with a VGA rear. If you are lucky enough to be one of Sprint’s Premier Customers, then you will be able to see what all the fuss is about three days sooner, which will give you a whole weekend to play with the device before the general public gets a chance. Visit Sprint for more details

There have been several rumors suggesting that Motorola is already working on the Xoom 2, as the current model is struggling to compete with the iPad 2. So we were surprised to learn that rumors of a new Ice Cream Sandwich tablet might not be the new version of the Xoom. There will be one major change with this tablet, and that is with the resolution.

According to a report from Fudzilla this will be a 4:3 format device and will come with a 2048×1536 screen resolution. The 10-inch tablet will also be supporting the newest version of Android, and should be with us either late this year or early next year – maybe to coincide with CES 2012?

We cannot say for certain if there is any truth to this rumor, but we do know that Motorola need to do something, as do all other Android tablets. We find it strange how they have managed to dominate the Smartphone market in a short amount of time, but cannot repeat that success with their tablets.

One key area where Android tablets are failing is with their apps, as they seem to lack support. There are less supported apps available, so they had better hope that developers have an easier time with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The iPad is another story, as there are now more than 100,000 apps available, and that number is increasing at an alarming rate.

Is Motorola doing the right thing launching a 4:3 format tablet – if the rumors are true of course?

More About: Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Motorola, Motorola Photon 4G

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For those who have yet to purchase the HTC EVO 3D, then IntoMobile believes that the Photon 4G is an ideal alternative. Some of the features that should be on Motorola’s newest smartphone will be a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 4.3-inch qHD display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and also WiMAX support.

Something else that the Photon 4G will sport is the latest version of Motoblur; there are not many new features apart from it being a little more defined. Techno Buffalo knows that the Atrix has not been that well received, which is why they believe that Motorola are now starting to launch multiple versions.

There could also be a world version of the Photon 4G, which comes with the codename Sunfire. We should expect to see the handset released in July, which would certainly fill the void left by the so-called absent fifth-generation iPhone. Will be interesting to see what else Motorola and Sprint will announce. Do you think that Moto is taking a risk with the Photon 4G?

More About: htc evo 3d, Motorola, Motorola Photon 4G

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