It seems that the plot thickens in the race for smartphone superiority with the entrance of a new challenger, the HTC Rezound. With some pretty stiff competition in the marketplace, the Rezound boasts some pretty cool capabilities and specs, but how does it measure up amongst Apple’s still popular iPhone 4S, who entered the market strong with its release last month, but still disappointed many when it wasn’t the highly anticipated (and rumored) iPhone 5? Here’s how these smartphone titans size up amongst each other!

Size

The iPhone is the smaller and lighter of the two, weighing in at 140 grams and measuring 115.2 mm x 58.6 mm x 9.3 mm (h x w x d), while the Rezound is 164 grams and 129 mm x 65.5 mm 13.65 mm (h x w x d). However, keep in mind that the Rezound boasts a bigger screen, which means a larger overall form factor and generally speaking more weight. But since this category largely relates to portability, the iPhone wins without question.

Winner: The iPhone is tiny and fits easier into pockets, purses and tight places. It’s also thinner and lighter.

Appearance

The iPhone 4S is practically a split-image of the iPhone 4S, with its black and white color options and sleek, glossy exterior. The iPhone is looking as sophisticated as always with its minimalist exterior. The Rezound seems to share this with the iPhone, supporting minimal button/port placement and a black exterior. However, where the iPhone is sleek on both sides, the Rezound features a sleek top and some soft-touch plastic on the battery cover. While soft to the touch, it does make one worry less about scratches to both sides and makes it more grippable. But some can also see this as cheap, preferring the exterior of the iPhone 4S because of its sleekness.

Winner: It really comes down to personal preference on this one, so it’s a tie. Having a sleek exterior like the iPhone 4S has both good and bad traits. Sure it looks great, but it’s easier to scratch and the appearance of fingerprints can by annoying without a cover. The Rezound sports a soft-touch plastic back, which eliminates the aforementioned nuisances.  But they both are sleek and let’s be honest, you know you’re going to probably get a cover for either, so really, does it matter?

Display

Given that the Rezound is larger than the iPhone 4S it might be bad in the size department, but it’s a major plus in terms of display. The iPhone 4S has a 3.5-inch 640×960 Retina display, while the Rezound has a 4.3-inch 1280×720 Super LCD HD screen. Where the iPhone boasts that it features the highest pixel density and resolution despite having a small display, the Rezound can now take that claim away since it beats the iPhone 4S with a 12-point difference with its 342 ppi against the iPhone’s 330 ppi, so the Rezound has a higher pixel density.

Winner: The Rezound’s 342 ppi knocks out the iPhone’s 330 ppi and does so with a larger display, making for a quite amazing viewing.

Operating System

It’s another Android vs OS challenge. The Rezound sports Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread with an HTC Sense 3.5 skin (but can upgrade to 4.0).  The iPhone runs iOS 5.0, Apple’s latest and greatest operating system. The HTC Sense 3.5 has come along way and features stuff you won’t find anywhere else on Android-based phones. When Ice Cream Sandwich becomes available next year, expect a significant upgrade to the Android platform in terms of features. But many find apple’s iOS to be easier to use and its 5.0 version is definitely the most advanced yet. And let’s not forget that iOS 5 includes 5GB of free cloud storage allowing you to sync your photos, contacts and more.

Winner: Since the iPhone 4S’ iOS 5.0 is easier to use and includes 5GB of free iCloud storage, Apple takes this one.

Processor

Both feature a dual-core processor but the Rezound’s 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8660 processor beats the iPhone’s 4S by 0.5 GHz. The Rezound also has more 1 GB of RAM besting the iPhone 4S’ by 512 MB.

Winner: Ummmm, the numbers don’t lie.  The Reszound’s chip is 50% faster, thus providing faster browsing speeds and multitasking compared to what the iPhone 4S offers.

Storage

The iPhone 4S comes in three options: 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB with no extra SD cards allowing you more. So as you go up in storage, you go up in price, too. For the Rezound, it comes with 16 GB of internal memory, but you can get a microSD card to provide you up to 32 GB of additional space.

Winner: Sorry Rezound, but the 64 GB option can’t be beat for many who like to have the biggest storage capacity available for all their apps, games, files and stuff. That built-in storage capacity plus that iCould service provided really can’t be beat.

Wireless Connectivity

So the Rezound is capable of true 4G speeds thanks to its LTE status, where as the iPhone 4S is technically 3G only. They’re both Bluetooth-enabled, though the iPhone boasts version 4.0, and the Rezound V3.0. The iPhone 4S is a world phone so it can work anywhere you go and has Wi-Fi a/b/g/n.  The Rezound isn’t a world phone and is capable of  two frequencies(850/1900 MHz) and single-band LTE (700MHz) with the same Wi-Fi capabilities as the iPhone 4S.

Winner: 4G speeds on the Rezound make it the definite winner.

Camera and Video

So this is a tough one.  Both smartphones include an 8 megapixel camera and can capture 1080p video.  While we have yet to test out the Rezound, we do know that the iPhone 4s takes stunning photos and video for a handset device.  But based on numbers alone, the Rezound does have two up on the iPhone 4s, which is a larger, 2mp front facing camera and a bigger f-stop of 2.2.

Winner: We’re gonna go on numbers alone on this one since we haven’t had a chance to get a hands on with both handsets.  So the Rezound is the winner in this bout.

Battery Life

This bout is moving target since it largely depends on how you use your phone.  Also, keep in mind that 4G is a huge battery suck when compared to 3G, but at the end of the day we have to look purely at specs.  The iPhone 4s claims 8 hours of talk time on 3G or 14 hours on 2G.  They say it will standby for up to 200 hours, will playback video for 10 hours and you can surf the web for up to 6 hours on 3G and 9 on WiFi.  The Rezound however claims a standby time of 261 hours, besting the iPhone 4s by 61 hours and 404 minutes of “usage.”

Winner:  Again, without real world testing we can only gauge this one objectively, and since the Rezound sports a 1620mah battery vs iPhone’s 1432mAh battery, we gotta give it to the Rezound. Furthermore, the Rezound’s battery is user replaceable.

Carriers

The iPhone 4S is available on Sprint, AT&T and Verizon.  The Rezound will be the first smartphone to hit the U.S. market with a true 720ppi screen on Verizon. But since it’s on Verizon, it will compete with not only the iPhone, but with the new Galaxy Nexus and Droid RAZR.

Winner: For those who aren’t part of Verizon can’t get the Rezound unless they break their contract with one of the other carriers or are on a month-to-month plan, making the iPhone 4S the winner here since has more carrier offerings.

Extras

The iPhone 4S come with Siri, which is a pretty advanced and unique voice activated system that’s witty and useful. It’s what’s really making the iPhone 4S as popular as it has become since it first dropped. But the Rezound has some extra goodies, too, boasting some awesome sound quality thanks to optimized hardware that has Beats by Dr. Dre (software AND some expensive ass headphones that are free with the phone). This is great for music lovers who really want to have amazing sound when listening to music from their phone.

Winner: We gotta give it to the Rezound.  Nothing beats (pun not intended) a pair of quality headphones included in the deal and chances are Google will roll out a comparable voice app very soon.

Price

The Rezound will set you back $300 bucks, while the iPhone 4S varies in price, making it a bit more flexible. The 16 GB is $199, the 32 GB is $299 (about the same as the 16 GB Rezound without the extra microSD card) and the 64 GB is $399 (but this all depends on contract status and goes higher when you’re not eligible for an upgrade).

Winner: The iPhone’s price flexibility is still pretty cool, making it available to those at different income levels, while the Rezound is $300 off the bat. This makes the iPhone 4S the winner here.

Overall Winner

Sorry Apple, it seems your iPhone 4S has some stiff competition with the HTC Rezound that boats a number of impressive capabilities like its display, processor, camera and video, price and more. It seems to be the Android that could really cause a dent in Apple’s iPhone 4S sales and popularity. While once a Mac lover always a Mac lover, those who want the latest and greatest will definitely want to top for the Rezound that has a better overall package.

The Beats headphones have long been synomous with a young urban crowd.  While this has paid off in dividends to its founders, its left the older, business class crowd out in the cold.  Don’t get us wrong.  We’re not trying to stomp on their parade.  We applaud Dr. Dre and Jimmy Levine for building a brand that has pretty much set the bar in terms of design when it comes to headphones and earbuds.  However, we just don’t see an executive whiping out a pair of bright red Beats headphones while adorning a suit and a brief case. But that is all about to change with the introduction of the Beats Executives.

Beats has done away with the plasticky facade and replaced it with a sleek brushed metal finish.  These headphones are wrapped in what we can only assume is supple leather.  And while we don’t know the size of the drivers or what other tech lays under the hood, we can tell you that there is active noise cancellation and an audio performance that is said to deliver “pure, crisp audio integrity with soaring highs, deep bass, and true mids.”

As it happens we’ll be at a Chrysler and Beats event tonight, where we might just get a hands on with the Beats Executive.

Update: We unearthed a Monster store link.  The Beats Executive are listed for $399.99.

Beats by Dr. Dre have had unrivaled success. The company offers a variety of headphones for listeners of all types. And despite their excessive price tag people continue to scoop them up. However, they’ve long lacked a wireless option, which means that Dre and company have been leaving money on the table, until now.

These are Dr. Dre’s newest headphones, the Beats Wireless. If you haven’t guessed, they connect to any audio device using Bluetooth. Unfortunately, this means that sound quality can only be so good since the throughput on Bluetooth is limited and won’t support HD audio. However, Bluetooth insures that they’ll be compatible with almost any portable audio device and not limited to say the iPhone, that is to say if Dr. Dre had chosen AirPlay instead.

Voice and music playback controls sit on the right ear cup along with a built-in mic for taking calls directly on the wireless headphones. We don’t know battery life, but if we had to guess you can probably assume 10 hours on a single charge. Dre says these headphones are lightweight even though they sport a built-in battery and some wireless tech. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to include a wired option, which might’ve help alleviate some of the pain associated with the $280 price tag, which comes by way of Gizmodo who got an ears on today.

Update: Looks like these will cost $329.95.

No word on an official release date, but expect them in the next 30 days.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Pros:

• Awesomely loud
• Built-in handle for carrying
• Includes remote and built-in iPod Dock
• GSM shielding prevents cell phone interference

Cons:

• Expensive; $300+
• A bit bright tonally at high volumes
• Heavy and big
• No battery or Bluetooth option

If 5 years ago someone would have told me that a rap artist turned producer would be behind one of the most successful line of headphones I would have laughed in their face. But the reckoning has arrived and in the form of not only $150+ earbuds and headphones, but a $450 iPod dock stereo system.

The Beatbox by Dr. Dre from Monster – they demand that you refer to the device this way – is a no frills, loud as balls iPod dock.

There’s a handle built into the form factor, a 30-pin dock, aux input, volume knob and power switch. On the back is a rubber flap that conceals a wireless port for a soon to arrive wire free streaming system called “Monster Streamcast”. They’ve also tossed in a pocket friendly, credit card sized remote.

The Beatbox houses 4 speakers; 2 tweeters and two drivers

The body of the Beatbox is plastic, which houses a metal grill, two 5.25-inch long throw bass drivers and two 2-inch concave high frequency drivers. A small red LED light hidden behind the grill indicates when the device is powered up.

It’s probably the largest iPod Dock I’ve had the luxury of playing with, as it measures 10″ x 22.5″ x 8.75″ (HxWxD) and weighs about 12 lbs, enough to warrant a “lift with care warning”. All that size and weight results in probably one of the most sonically capable docks I’ve tested. It had no problem handling any genre of music I threw at it, though tonally it was bright at times. I threw the proverbial audio curve ball at the beatbox, which is to crank it to full volume and listen for garbled output. To no surprise it was distortion free indicating that there is more than enough ampage outfitted in the Beatbox.

The Beatbox’s wireless module port (not used, yet), power input and AUX input

The Beatbox, I’m sad and disappointed to say, doesn’t have a Bluetooth option for wirelessly streaming your tunes. Also, it isn’t iPad compatible as the dock can only fit an iPhone or iPod Touch, and  lacks a  video output option, which would have been a useful since the Beatbox could very well pair nicely with a small LCD TV or monitor. However, it is shielded from GSM interference since during my testing I never experienced that buzzing noise that most speakers will pick up when a call arrives on the iPhone over Edge connectivity.

The build quality of the Beatbox is all around solid.  It survived a birthday party over the weekend, and while no one threw it from a roof top, I get the impression it could last and blast its way through just about any apocalyptic like environment.

Since the Beatbox’s arrival, the price has dropped significantly. As of my last check on Amazon it was about $309, which is more than $100 off the original price when it launched late last year. Is this an indicator of its sales volume? Probably not, since most of the Beats products have dropped in price, despite boasting significant sales numbers, or at least that’s what I’ve been told.

Beatbox power button and iPod/iPhone 30-pin dock

Nonetheless, $300+ is a hefty price to pay for a barebones iPod dock that serves one purpose: to play back music. Fortunately, it serves its duties with no qualms, no missteps and sounds so awesomely loud you’ll forget how much you paid for it.

You can purchase the Beatbox by Dr. Dre From Monster at Amazon for $309.

Beats by Dr. Dre have become a phenomenal success.  They’ve sold millions of dollars in headphones and in November launched a dedicated iPod/iPhone dock that retails for $449.95 (you can find it cheaper at Crutchfield, Amazon) called the Beatbox.   High price aside, the system really cranks and while I don’t think it will replace a stand alone home theater or stereo system, it definitely outclasses other speaker docks of a similar ilk.  

In terms of features the Beatbox is pretty barebones.  There’s a 30-pin dock for all things Apple, an AUX input and LED light to let you know that it’s powered up and running.  It includes a credit card sized remote and behind the metal grill are dual advanced 5.25-inch long throw bass drivers and two 2-inch concave high frequency drivers.  On top is a built in handle, which makes lugging it around from party to party a breeze, though no battery compartment is included, so parties in the park or at the beach will have to be relegated to the Jambox.  The top is finished in rubber which makes it pretty easy to grab and the bottom includes a rubber strip to dampen vibrations and secure it to any flat surface.

I’ll have a review posted of the Beatbox by Dr. Dre from Monster in the next week or so.  Until then, indulge in the unboxing video above and pics below.

Now for some more good stuff. To help promote this wonderment that HP has bestowed upon us we’re giving away ANOTHER Amazon Kindle 3G/WiFi to one lucky GadgetReview Facebook fan. To enter,

1. “Like” our GagdetReview Facebook fan page
2. Then post “HP Play Lady Gaga” in the comments below. Any dupe entries won’t be counted and we’ll probably boot you from the contest. This contest is only valid to US residents on this continent.
3. If you want a double entry tweet “@gadgetreview HP Play Lady Gaga #hpplay”
4. Feel free to post this contest on your wall and let your friends know, but it won’t increase your odds of winning

This contest, for the Kindle 3G/WiFi ends 1/21 at 11:59pm PST.  You must live in the continental USA to be eligible for this prize.

Dr. Dre did it so why shouldn’t Ludacris, right?  These are the ‘Soul’ headphones by none other than the rapper Ludacris.

Ludacris had a hand or two in designing these and I would bet he came up with the golden theme. And the name.

There’s going to be five Soul models right from the start. Noise-cancelling for the SL300, on-ear design for the SL150 and SL100, and choice of earburds between SE99 and SE48.

All have been built for heavy bass, “without sacrificing the clarity of mids and highs, yo”. But without the “yo”, since Ludacris is in business mode here, dropping golden headphones not marketing speak. But they are good looking enough, and will be available soon – early 2011 – with no prices known yet.

Read

Embracing a beautiful aesthetic, the Special Edition Beats Solo HD Headphones from Monster Cable are the newest iteration of high end headphones from the company that sues everybody.  In an apparent change of heart, Monster will now donate $5 for every pair sold to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.  Very honorable indeed.

The headphones use Monsters proprietary ControlTalk technology, which allows for full track functionality when used with iPhones and iPods.  They also have a microphone and answer call button for taking phone calls.

At the price of over $250 for the pair, Monster will maybe donate a couple grand?  Still, it’s better than nothing, and I applaud Monster for trying to dig themselves out of that DB hole.  No word on exact release.

Read

Dr. Dre and Lebron James of all awesome people were at Fenway Park last night to allegedly get press for the new Monster Cable Beats Red Sox Edition.  Looking ridiculously sharp and eye catching, they will also run you a cool $400.

But that’s nothing when it comes to team pride right?  Just don’t get them bashed into your head at Yankees Stadium during their next series in the Bronx.  They come with a carrying case and oddly enough take two AAA batteries to operate at full capacity.

No word on exact availability.

Read

Dr. Dre, who probably has all the money in the world, has once again teamed up with Monster to offer a cheaper, lighter version of his Beats headphones called the Beats Solo.   They included the same tangle free cord found in previous iterations of the heaphones, but this time around are lighter, smaller and include an inline remote with mic  – called Control Talk – for controlling your iPhone or iPod without having to reach into your pocket.

The Beats Solo will come in black or white and will be available this November for about $200 (SRP is $219.95 while the MAP (minimum advertised price) is $179.95).

Full release after the ‘leap’

New Addition to Popular “Beats By Dr. Dre Headphone Line is Lightweight, More
Compact Option; Available in Black and White Versions
BERLIN–(Business Wire)–
Monster and Beats by Dr. Dre, today announced an exciting new development in the
evolution of the popular “Beats By Dr. Dre headphone line – the on-ear “Beats
Solo” headphones (MAP: $179.95, SRP: $219.95). The new Beats Solo
high-performance headphones offer users an ideal entry level Beats by Dr. Dre
personal listening experience in a lightweight and smaller version. Beats Solo
will be available in November 2009 in both black and white versions.

Noel Lee, the Head Monster, noted: “When Monster teamed up with Dr. Dre and
Jimmy Iovine for Beats by Dr. Dre headphones our goal was to change the way
people experience their music by simply letting them hear what musicians
recorded in the studio – with the extreme clarity, deep bass and full power that
had been lacking in conventional headphones. Thanks to Beats, people have begun
to understand that sound really does matter. Now, with the introduction of Beats
Solo, we`re thrilled to make the Beats by Dr. Dre from Monster experience
available in a smaller, lighter on-ear headphone.” Mr. Lee continued: “There
were significant challenges in the creation of Beats Solo, including how to
achieve really great sound from a small speaker driver. This required serious
innovation and creative audio engineering. We were also challenged to take the
familiar Beats design and morph it into something smaller and more compact, yet
still recognizably `Beats.` I`m delighted to say that we rose to both these
challenges – the result is one of the easiest-to-use, easiest-to-wear and
best-sounding headphones ever created, with a look that is pure Beats and pure
Dr. Dre.”

Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M said: “For Beats Solo, Dre and I
worked along with Monster to create the best sound possible in light,
comfortable but powerful headphones.”

To provide users with the ultimate in convenience and performance when used with
today`s portable music devices, Beats Solo headphones feature “ControlTalk,” an
advanced on-cable feature that provides users with full control of their
listening experience when using their 3GS iPhone®, iPod® shuffle and other new
iPods and portable music devices. The special Monster ControlTalk headphone
cable features an integrated high grade microphone and answer button and allows
users to access their music and answer phone calls without having to reach into
their pocketbook, backpack or pocket.

In addition to its availability with Beats Solo and all Beats by Dr. Dre
headphones from Monster, including the new white version of Beats Studio and
Heartbeats by Lady Gaga from Monster, the ControlTalk feature is also being made
available as an option with all Monster brand headphones as well.

The ControlTalk remote and mic are supported by iPod nano (4th generation), iPod
classic (120GB), iPod touch (2nd generation), and iPhone 3GS and newer, but not
all, Blackberry models. The remote is supported by iPod shuffle (3rd
generation). Audio is supported by all iPod models. Requires software version
1.0.3 for iPod nano (4th generation), 2.0.1 for iPod classic (120GB), and 2.2 or
later for iPod touch (2nd generation). Support for Blackberry varies by model.
Subject to change.

ABOUT MONSTER

Monster, under its Monster Cable brand, is the world’s leading manufacturer of
connectivity solutions for high performance audio, video, car audio, computer,
console and computer gaming, professional audio and sound reinforcement.
Monster, under its Monster Power brand, is also the leading manufacturer of high
performance AC power line conditioning and protection products for audio/video
systems. Explore the world of Monster at www.MonsterCable.com

ABOUT BEATS ELECTRONICS LLC

Established in 2006, Beats Electronics is the brainchild of legendary artist and
producer Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records,
who set out to develop a new type of headphone with the capability to reproduce
the full spectrum of sound that musical artists and producers hear in
professional recording studios. In January of 2008, Dre and Iovine announced a
partnership with audio innovator Monster Cable to engineer “Beats by Dr. Dre,”
the most advanced headphones ever developed that are sold exclusively at Apple
and Best Buy. Today, Beats Electronics continues to work with Monster to improve
the quality of the portable audio experience and expand the Dr. Dre family of
headphones to include in-ear speakers and artist branded products. For more
information, please visit http://beatsbydre.com/

It looks like Dr. Dre and Monster aren’t willing to give up on their co-branded headphone effort.  Following the little to no hype of the ‘over the ear’ Beats By Dr. Dre headphones, the rap artist cum producer has launched a pair of in ear headphones.  You can expect the usual state of affairs with these buds, but the most notable of features is the tangle free cord, which conjures up images of virtual hands wrestling your knots to no end – in other words I have no clue how they’re ‘tangle free’.

You can grab Dr. Dre’s ear buds here for $150

[Crunchgear]