Sprint and LG were at tonight's Pepcom event in New York City, where the theme was eco-friendly technology. On hand was the upcoming Optimus Elite, the entry-level "green" device scheduled for an April 22 release. The Elite will not be the device of your dreams, but for $29.99 on contract, there really isn't much here to complain about. 

The Elite's got 3.5-inch display with a 320x480 resolution-- if you've gotten used to an HD display, this one's going to feel like a punch in the forehead. There's an 800 Mhz single-core processor pumping Gingerbread under the hood, and a 5 megapixel camera around back. The Elite is NFC-enabled, which means you'll have access to Google Wallet without breaking your wallet. Performance wise there's nothing truly remarkable, nor is there anything disappointing. I didn't notice any slowdowns or stutters, but if you're looking to do some heavy-duty computing, look elsewhere. The Elite will ship in two colors: white and titan silver.

The Elite will launch on Sprint.com on Earth Day-- a fitting release date for this ULE Platinum and CarbonFree-certified device. If you want to pick one up in stores, you'll have to wait until May 18th. Oh, and if prepaid is your preferred flavor, you're in luck-- the Elite will be heading to Virigin Mobile in the near future, though how near is yet to be announced. Hit the break for some photos and a quick video.

Just in case you never got around to preordering your Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Sprint, you won't really have to worry about it any more. As noted on the Sprint website, they've already sold through their allotted preorder inventory and are advising folks to just pick one up on April 22nd in stores. That is, assuming you can find one. Anyone want to speculate what helped preorder sales? We have a small idea that certainly could have helped a little.

Source: Sprint; Thanks, Zachary!

When Path first launched on Android it was, for the most part, on par with that of its iOS version. However, there were some small things left out and then one really big item that you may or may not have noticed, depending on your device history. Lenses otherwise known as filters, were not present in the Android version at launch despite having been available on iOS for quite some time.

That all changes today though, the now updated version of Path brings lenses to Android with a selection of seven in total to choose from -- Pro, Ansel, Instant, Diana, Lomo, Country and Lake. The updated version is available now in the Google Play Store of which, you can find the link to after the break. Go on then, what are you waiting for? Start checking them out.

Source: Path

We're in meetings this week with HTC in Seattle. And along with some great candid conversation with the smartphone manufacturer, we've gotten a look at an extra slim case that's in the works for the HTC One X. It's a plastic deal that adds just a tiny bit of thickness to the phone, wrapping around the side of the device. We've seen the orange case on one of the white One X's, and it's a pretty stark contrast. The white phone becomes an orange phone with hints of its former self poking through. Note the cutout for the camera, of course.

No word on when and where these will be available, so stay tuned.

More in the HTC One X forums

Hot on the heels of the Xperia S come Sony's mid-range and entry-level offerings, the Xperia P and Xperia U. We got to see both devices at the announcement event at Mobile World Congress a couple of months back, and if you're interested in picking either up, you should only have another 2-3 weeks left to wait.

UK retailer Clove Technology now lists both upcoming Xperia phones for pre-order, with an expected release date during the week commencing May 7. The Xperia P is available in black and silver, and will set you back £330 off-contract, the Xperia U comes in black and white, and sells for £204.

Pre-order pricing and release dates are always subject to change, but Clove has a proven track record when it comes to this sort of thing. And given the closeness of the purported release dates, we're inclined to believe them in this instance.

For more on the Xperia P and Xperia U, check out our hands-on coverage from MWC.

Source: Clove Technology (1, 2)

grunt0300 asks in the Android Central forums,

ATT vs Verizon?
Just wondering which provider works best in Europe?

Thanks.

AT&T is a GSM carrier, and that means SIM cards. AT&T also uses mostly compatible 3G bands with the continent, so it's easier -- on the surface.

The reality is both AT&T and Verizon lock phones to their network (if you're using an unlocked handset you probably wouldn't be asking this one), meaning they won't work anywhere else. This is simple enough to fix on an AT&T phone, but you'll need to enlist a third party to help, or root and monkey with things a little bit. Verizon is a CDMA carrier, but they do offer world phones that take a SIM card for use outside the U.S. Like an AT&T phone, you'll need to network (or SIM) unlock it to use a pre-paid SIM card in Europe. 

Of course both carriers will sell you an international plan, complete with expensive rates and restrictions. Verizon will even rent you a world phone for a couple bucks a day if you need one. It's a matter of how much you're willing to spend for the convenience, and to keep your same phone number. You can walk into the carrier's shop, tell them what you need to do, and they will take care of everything for you, and for a fee.

Our recommendation is to get the SIM unlock and pick up a pre-paid card from a kiosk or machine at the airport. If you're using a travel agent, they can help, too. In this case, unless you already have a Verizon world phone, AT&T is your best bet. 

Have a question you need answered? (Preferably about Android, but we're flexible.) Hit up our Contact Page to get in touch!

As promised, Panasonic's first Android smartphone, the Eluga, has launched in the UK and Europe. The Japanese manufacturer makes its first foray into the world of smartphones with a super-thin 4.3-inch Android device, powered by a 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP chip. And as we discovered during our time with the phone at MWC, it also sports dust and water-resistence, a feature found in many Japanese phones, but less common in the West. Other highlights include a qHD (690x540) OLED display, an 8MP rear camera and Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with a promised upgrade to ICS this summer.

Some stores are already stocking the device, with prices starting at around £365 at UK online retailer Expansys. The black version is now shipping, while the silver model is expected in the next week.

Source: Panasonic, Expansys

What better way to charge an Android phone than with the Andru USB charger? With light-up eyes (blue for charging, white for standby), articulated arms, and flexible antennae, this matte-finished USB charger would make a perfect desktop companion while not keeping you all charged up. Checking in at 2.5-inches in height on his stand he's small enough to keep anywhere, and the included microUSB cable works with many popular smartphones. You've got to keep things charged, might as well do it with some style and represent Android.

Check it out at ShopAndroid.com today.

We just got wind that Sprint will be increasing the TEP (Total Equipment Protection) fee for LTE devices over $549 starting June 16. The current cost of $8 monthly will be increased to $11, and we fully expect gnashing of teeth and online petitions against this travesty. Welcome to the Internet.

But could the June 16 date mean anything else? There's another Sprint LTE phone we're waiting to get greasy with (the HTC EVO 4G LTE of course), and so far all we know about rollout dates is "mid-year". Maybe the date is nothing more than a date, but maybe we'll see the E4GLTE or some switch-flipping by the LTE team, or both. It never hurts to hope, right?

Thanks, Anon!

Verizon has released their first quarter 2012 earnings, and it looks like they're going to need some help carrying all that money. I'm no finance wizard (I can barely keep a checkbook balanced) but there's no need to be when things look this good. Their wireless division reported the highest growth it has had in the past three years, with a 7.7 percent year-over-year increase in service revenues, 8.9 percent y-o-y growth in retail, and a whopping 21.1 percent increase in revenue from data services.

That's a lot of cabbage.

It stems from the addition of over 500,000 new postpaid customers, bringing the total to 88 million. 47 percent of those customers are using a smartphone, and the number will likely keep growing as Verizon continues its LTE expansion -- which now covers more than two-thirds of the U.S. population in 203 markets. In addition, the wireline services (FIOS cable Internet and phone) also grew by a couple hundred thousand customers, making the picture rosy all around. Of course, running a network isn't cheap so most of this profit and earnings will go back into the company. Hit the break for the press release with all the highlights.