Mobile Phone News

Sony Ericsson's 8.1MP C905a and W518a Walkman on sale at AT&T

2009-07-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Don't act surprised -- AT&T already told you that these two would go on sale this fine Sunday in July, and lo and behold, the carrier looks to have kept its promise. Starting today (officially, anyway), customers looking for a camera that doubles as a cellphone or a Walkman that occasionally makes calls can bring home the C905a or W518a, respectively. As expected, the C905a (which is available in silver only) will run you $179.99 after rebate and two-year agreement, while the W518a (which arrives in any color you like, so long as it's black) goes for $49.99 under the same conditions. Any takers? Or are all you SE fanboys waiting to court Rachael?

[Thanks, Jazzdoc]

Early Android 2.0 "Donut" build available, up and running on G1

2009-07-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Android's official code repository has been updated with a fresh load of Donut stuff in the past day or so, and as you might imagine, the dev community is already having a field day with it. Early reports show that all of the features demoed at I/O this year have made it into this cut in one form or another, including universal search, text-to-speech, and system-wide multitouch with gesture support, allowing users to draw symbols on the screen to trigger actions. What's more, though, the codebase is showing signs of CDMA support -- a must for Sprint and Verizon, of course, both of whom will almost certainly have Android sets at one point or another -- and a cool 5-in-1 bank of toggle switches in a home screen widget that can be used to control common features like Bluetooth and WiFi.

Perhaps more excitingly, the community is hard at work on a couple major fronts here: first off, the Donut build is actively being ported to current handsets, and an Android Dev Phone 1 / T-Mobile G1 version is already available (though very, very crashy and incomplete right now). Secondly, work is being conducted to extract major elements of Donut (some of the new widgets, for example) and roll them into cooked 1.5 builds, making the best stuff available in a more solid, accessible form without having to wait for 2.0 to become stable. If you're an adventurous -- nay, borderline mental -- G1 owner, though, you can start your journey to Donut right now.

[Thanks, Yoav R.]

Palm Pre drops to $99 at Best Buy

2009-07-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Interesting -- just a couple days after Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told a conference that "it's too early to tell" if the Pre's a hit while talking about Android, the latest Best Buy ad shows Palm's baby on sale for just $99 on a two-year contract. That ought to spike some sales, but we'll see if its just a one-week special or a permanent drop before we start trying to read any tea leaves here -- anyone running out to grab one?

Update: Best Buy marketing manager John Bernier has chimed in via his Twitter account to say that the Pre is $199 and that the "error is being corrected." It'll be interesting to see if any lucky customers managed to nab the device for less than a Benjamin.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Android team member says Donut isn't 2.0, doesn't have multitouch

2009-07-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Google's bakery-themed codename scheme for Android is a source of endless amusement (and hunger pangs) for bloggers, readers, and users alike, but with just a few builds actually blessed as gold, retail versions at this point, it's not entirely clear how those codenames -- Donut, Eclair, Flan, and so on -- will ultimately map to version numbers. An Android team member, Romain Guy, has jumped in on the official Android Developers Google Group to say that Donut is not 2.0 -- though he hasn't specified what it actually is. Technically, Cupcake wasn't 1.5, though 1.5 ended up being composed largely of improvements made in the Cupcake code branch, so if we had to guess, Google is simply making a similar distinction here -- Donut is nothing but a line of code that's being actively developed, and when it comes time for Android 2.0 to drop, it'll pull much of its changelog from that line. Also interesting is Guy's revelation that Donut doesn't include multitouch support, despite hints from the latest repository that it's in there. Ultimately, we won't know what's happening here until 1.6, 1.7, 2.0, or whatever it's called ends up hitting devices -- but for now, it looks like developers probably shouldn't be getting their hopes up for an open and supported multitouch API just yet.

[Thanks, shootingblue]

BlackBerry 8520 coming to Vodafone UK, too

2009-07-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

We didn't think Vodafone UK still had the stones to launch a non-3G smartphone in 2009, so color us a little shocked with this one. A scanned ad lends plenty of credibility to the rumor that the carrier will be joining T-Mobile USA in launching RIM's latest entry-level QWERTY handset, the 8520 -- and as the print states, these guys expect to be selling it at an "affordable price." CrackBerry claims we could see this one in August (which is when T-Mobile will be launching it, too), so if you're a Brit with a hankering for optical d-pads and BES, hang tight.

Fuze, X1, and a couple Touch Pros: the ultimate WinMo smackdown

2008-12-29T22:19:00.000-08:00

2008 was, to say the least, a banner year for Windows Mobile hardware. Windows Mobile software... well, that's another story; we're still patiently waiting for the same thorough overhaul we'd hoped for years ago, but in the meantime, manufacturers have done an absolutely stellar job of taking the platform to its limits and packaging it in ways that could make any smartphone envious. For this first time, VGA screens (and beyond) have come to market en masse, and -- unlike the 8525s, Tilts, Moguls, and XV6800s of yesteryear, the latest batch of QWERTY sliders look like they've actually got a lick of intelligent industrial design in their DNA.

So these puppies are similar, yes, but they're not the same -- so let's take a quick look at what separates the Sprint Touch Pro, from the Verizon Touch Pro, from the AT&T Fuze, from the Sony Ericsson X1 (whew!).

LG debuts dual-SIM KS660 overseas

2008-12-29T00:39:00.000-08:00

LG's first ever dual-SIM handset will go down as being the completely forgettable KS660, like it or not. The touchscreen-centric mobile includes a 3-inch 400 x 240 resolution display, an integrated multimedia player, 50MB of inbuilt memory, a microSD expansion slot, FM radio, video recorder, Bluetooth 2.0, USB support and tri-band GSM connectivity. Sadly, you'll only find support for EDGE data, and WiFi is casually omitted as well. Chances are you won't find this one outside of China, Russia and a few nations in Europe when it launches in February, but we get the feeling it won't be sorely missed here in America.

Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic gets torture tested, succumbs to the pain

2008-12-29T00:35:00.000-08:00

The same wild and wacky Russians that demolished a Motorola ZN5 are showing the same courtesy to Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic. The so-called Crash Test involves putting Nokia's first Comes With Music-enabled handset through a litany of horrible scenes, including a stay in the local freezer, a fall from grace, a ride in the washing machine, a dip in a freshly brewed beer and, of course, a crushing blow from a vehicle. The preview video is hosted up in the read link, and the full results of how it fared are promised in the near future. Let's just say we're betting the farm it doesn't handle unlimited downloads, calls nor texts very well (read: at all) after this hellish experience.

South Korea approves standard for voice over WiBro

2008-12-29T00:32:00.000-08:00

We've yet to hear any definitive plans out of Sprint for getting voice flowing over WiMAX-equipped handsets in the States, but it's bound to happen eventually -- and South Korea, one of the torchbearers of the standard with its long-operating WiBro network, is kicking off the party. The Korea Communication Commission has officially ratified a spec for voice over WiBro with service expected to start next year, though there probably wasn't a heck of a lot to ratify since it's essentially the same principle as any other VoIP tech. We're thinking the next challenge is probably getting enough battery juice to yap for longer than five minutes at a time, so yeah, good luck with that, guys.

Sprint's Treo Pro coming in January along with a pink Instinct

2008-12-22T19:29:00.000-08:00

Say, remember how there was supposed to be a Treo Pro coming to Sprint? Yeah, well, the time is drawing near for that to go down; odds are it could've happened sooner, but Sprint probably wanted to give its fairly fresh 800w a little breathing room before getting sunsetted in favor of the significantly more attractive Pro. The carrier is currently targeting January 25 for the model to be available in all channels for $549.99 -- which we're guessing (hoping) will come down to $249.99 or so after rebates, subsidies, and all that jazz. Also launching in January should be the Motorola i365IS -- an even more rugged model of the already beefy i365 -- and a pink version of the Instinct. If that's not a veritable potpourri of phones covering every corner of the market, we don't know what is.

European Nokia 5800 XpressMusic now available at Chicago flagship store

2008-12-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic (or the Tube, as we prefer to say) has been on sale in certain corners of the globe for a few weeks now, but the touchscreen-heavy handset has just now made itself to US soil. Sadly, it lacks the support necessary for US 3G data, but those who simply cannot wait another day can hop a flight to O'Hare (or Midway, if you please) and snap up one of the Euro versions at the Chicago flagship store. 'Course, you'll get the US warranty and all, and you'll only be asked to hand over $349.99 to take one home. As of now, only the blue variant is in stock, and the NYC store is still waiting for shipment.

Microsoft releases first iPhone application, Seadragon

2008-12-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

After some rumblings this past March, Microsoft has now officially joined the iPhone development community with Seadragon Mobile, a free app that lets you "infinite zoom" gigapixel-sized images. Although Seadragon is available as a Silverlight application on the desktop, Microsoft isn't bringing Silverlight to the iPhone, so don't get your hopes up -- this is probably just a custom implementation. We're itching to see if the company has any more apps in the pipeline -- we'll wish for an Office editor, but expect a Minesweeper variant.

"Zune Mobile" gets mentioned, plot thickens for Project Pink

2008-12-18T04:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so he doesn't have a thinner Xbox 360 than the rest of us -- at least, not one that's been captured on camera -- but Paul Thurrott still knows his way around Redmond, so when he utters the phrase "Zune Mobile," the cellphone-using world probably ought to sit up and listen. Rumors of Microsoft's so-called Project Pink have failed to quiet down, but the latest intel seems to suggest that we're looking not at a Microsoft-branded device but an entire software and service platform -- something Danger's pretty good at managing, and something Microsoft had said it liked when it closed the acquisition earlier this year. How does that tie into Zune Mobile, though? It seems that Pink might include Zune support as part of its offering, which could translate into a Zune Mobile software package for Windows Mobile (prior to the mythical version 7, says Thurrott) that would bring far more robust media support than any Microsoft-powered phone before it, and maybe -- just maybe -- a wireless download store. Ballmer's already said Zune support would filter down to Windows Mobile eventually, and for what it's worth, those alleged Windows Mobile 6.5 shots sure look Zune-ish, which would make true Zune support fit right in -- and Danger's in the PMX group alongside the Zune peeps, so that adds some credence to the potential Pink tie-in. Is it enough to resurrect WinMo from the brink of obsolescence in the consumer space? Likely not, but it's a heck of a start, and might just quiet down those endless Zunephone rumors for a wee bit.

Garmin Nuvifone gets FCC approval

2008-12-18T04:05:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while we're reminded that Garmin's Nuvifone -- announced nearly a year ago -- still exists, and this time around it's none other than the FCC doing the reminding. The curiously-named "Calf" from ASUS turns out to be the Nuvifone once you click through to the label diagrams, and test documentation reveals that 3G is being tested on both Bands II and V -- that's North America-friendly 1900 and 850MHz, for those who aren't up to snuff on their spectrum terminology. With gub'mint certification under its belt, maybe we can push that 1H 2009 release window to 1Q, eh, Garmin?

Nokia flings out two new colors of Supernova handsets

2008-12-18T04:03:00.000-08:00

We're always down with new shades of old mobiles, and we're particularly find of new ones that bring along something extra. Nokia has just expanded its Supernova range with a Graphite and Passionate Purple Supernova 7610, 7510, 7310 and 7210. Each of the newcomers also brings along "enhanced services" that enable users to "share their images and video with friends through Ovi Share, as well as keep up to date with friends via Nokia Maps and instant messaging with Windows Live Messenger." There's no mention of pricing, so we'll go out a limb and assume they'll remain the same as the colors already available.

Citrix aims to brings desktop virtualization to Apple's iPhone

2008-12-17T23:08:00.000-08:00

Citrix and Apple have been linked before under less positive terms, but word on the street has it that the former will soon be expanding its desktop virtualization software onto the iPhone. If successful, PC and Mac users would be able to access the same desktop session on their iPhone and their desktop, and moving "seamlessly between the two" would be a lesson in simplicity. Reportedly, the capability will be a part of the outfit's App Receiver, which is described as "a software client that would be installed on both a user's computer and mobile phone, and work in conjunction either with Citrix's desktop virtualization software or its XenApp Windows application delivery system." Of course, this type of setup isn't exactly new territory, but it certainly has yet to catch on in a big way. Who knows -- maybe this is the big break virtualization has been waiting for.

Nokia patent app suggests N97's form factor isn't complicated enough

2008-12-17T22:29:00.000-08:00

Combining huge screens with usable keyboards in a pocketable package is the challenge phone manufacturers are eternally doomed to try to solve, leading to an endless stream of (mostly comical) patent applications for ridiculous form factors that will never see the light of day. That's where we think -- well, we hope -- Nokia's latest app comes into play, combining a portrait-oriented QWERTY keyboard with a wide display that somehow swivels behind the body of the phone when you only need a little bit of screen real estate. Looks cool on paper, but realistically, we think this thing would be the most unwieldy Frankenstein of a handset since the MPx were it ever to be produced. Tilt-slide on the N97 looks fine, guys. Seriously.

Court to T-Mobile, AT&T: your voicemail ain't secure, so stop saying otherwise

2008-12-17T22:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to SpoofCard, AT&T and T-Mobile now owe some cash in the state of California, and the rest of us have been given one more reason to lie awake at night. The service -- of questionable non-illegal value -- reports your Caller ID phone number as anything you like, and injunctions filed in Los Angeles demand that the carriers stop advertising their voicemail services as being secure, considering that they can be set to rely on the calling phone number alone to connect to a specific voicemail box. For their indiscretions, AT&T will be coughing up $59,300 and T-Mobile owes an even 25 grand; meanwhile, SpoofCard's parent company will pay $33,000 for advertising its service as being legal in 50 states even though it's not.

Kogan's Agora gets tweaked ahead of release -- in Photoshop, anyway

2008-12-17T22:19:00.000-08:00

You're bound to face a few hiccups when you're a no-name brand trying to source an Android handset from a no-name ODM buried deep inside a Shenzen industrial park, and it seems Kogan's going through those growing pains right about now. The Australian company still says the Agora and Agora Pro will ship before the end of January (barely), but it looks like they're down to the wire with tweaks to the phone's design. For starters, the soft keys are gone -- not much use for those in Android anyway, last we checked -- replaced with a decidedly WinMo-esque set of home and back keys; the keyboard's been redesigned, too, and the d-pad is looking more usable than it had been before. For the Agora's price point, we're still sold on this thing -- but only if we can get something more than a printout of a pretty render delivered to our doorstep.

Singapore's StarHub launches first commercial 3G femtocell service

2008-12-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

Generally speaking, when cable providers offer up "triple-play" packages, that third leg is a digital phone that acts as a standalone landline. Singapore's StarHub has a better idea, and it's calling it Home Zone. Hailed as the first commercial 3G femtocell service, the setup puts a MaxOnline-enabled router (free on loan) in the home "so that users can make voice and video calls and send SMS over StarHub's cable network from their mobile phones." Any 3G phone is compatible, and up to four calls can be made simultaneously on a single box. Moreover, all outgoing local voice calls, video calls and SMS are free, though the Home Zone subscription will run customers $30 per month -- unless they get in prior to the start of '09, which will give them half off for the next twelve months. Better hurry, too, as the whole shebang is only available to the first 200 customers at present time.

Estonia to allow citizens to vote via cellphone by 2011

2008-12-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Brutal honesty here: on election day this past November, the entire Engadget staff (well, those of us with US passports) collectively agreed that casting our vote via SMS or some other incredibly simple method would be infinitely more awesome than trudging out in the streets and waiting in hour-long lines. Clearly, some higher-ups in Estonia are on board with that concept, as its Parliament has approved a law that will likely make it the first nation on Planet Earth to give citizens the right to vote by phone in something that matters (American Idol notwithstanding). 'Course, those who choose to take advantage must first obtain a free authorization chip for their handset, which sort of kills the whole "not having to leave your house" aspect of all this. Ah well, at least we're moving in the right direction.

Samsung i7110 gets reviewed

2008-12-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

We've already seen it out in the wild, but those intrigued by Samsung's shiny new i7110 candybar handset will no doubt want to head on over All About Symbian, which has just delivered part one of an expectedly thorough review of the phone. Not too surprisingly, the phone's 2.6-inch OLED screen proved to be the real stand-out feature, with the site even going so far as to describe is as "something of a revelation." It was also especially impressed by the phone's 5-megapixel camera and dual-LED flash, which stood up well to and sometimes surpassed the one on the Nokia N82 (video capture, however, proved to be considerably more lackluster). On the downside, the optical joystick and control cluster, while "interesting," proved to be "somewhat flawed," with the joystick occasionally resulting in the wrong item being selected. As you might expect, they're reserving final judgment for part two of the review, which also promises to delve into the phone's software suite in greater detail.

Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXI: iFone 3G is more than phonetically inaccurate

2008-12-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Not even 24 hours after discovering the completely befuddling iFone x1 comes this, something entirely more recognizable, yet just as wrong. The iFone 3G is -- so far as we can tell -- the first mass produced KIRF of the iPhone 3G, and if history has anything to prove, it'll be just the first in a long, long linage. The best part? The whole "3G" thing in the model name is not representative of actual data band support, so the best you'll do on this heap of festering rubbish is EDGE. At the $5 to $10 range, we could definitely see picking one up for kicks and giggles, but at $178? Psssh... no thanks, poser.

Nokia will gladly include DAB support on handsets... after it's popular

2008-12-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

This folks, is a classic case of "chicken before the egg." Reportedly, Nokia's director of product and technology marketing Sari Stahlberg was quoted as saying that "when the technology reaches mass adoption we would consider putting DAB radios into our phones," but rather than supporting it now and assisting the technology in becoming adopted en masse, it's fine to just wait things out. He continued with: ""The more the technology is adopted across Europe and other territories, the more chance it's got of being included." Translation? "We'll gladly pull the trigger once it's safe, but don't count on us to increase DAB visibility in the mobile space."

BlackBerry Storm update available to Verizon customers -- a few of them, anyway

2008-12-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

The good news is that one of those rumored imminent firmware updates for Verizon's Storm has just materialized -- the bad news, though, is that it's not available to the unwashed masses just yet. For now, the only way to get version 4.7.0.75 (compared to the 4.7.0.65 launch build) is to have a super on-the-ball BES admin who's pushed the update out to his / her Storm users; non-BES users are still in the dark, but we're hearing those folks (read: the overwhelming majority) should get it within a week or two. Let's hope, eh?

Sony Ericsson's Paris gets another postmortem tease

2008-12-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

Love UIQ? Well, bless your heart; we're sorry for your recent loss. We're also sorry that you have to see this, the best picture gallery we've seen yet of Sony Ericsson's doomed Paris -- a phone that would've undoubtedly been the ultimate execution of UIQ and the very top model in the company's line (X1 possibly excepted, depending on your point of view) had it not been unceremoniously cut down before its prime. We take some comfort in knowing that enough prototypes made it out into the wild for high-quality pictures to show up, but for most of us, this is as close as we're ever going to get.

What's coming from Nokia this week?

2008-12-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

A tradeshow to call its own, Nokia World kicks off this week in Barcelona -- and while it's expected to mostly be a way for developers to get out of their windowless offices for a couple minutes and connect with like-minded folks, a countdown timer has appeared on Nokia's European and Middle Eastern / African sites that suggests something bigger is afoot. New handsets, accessories, or initiatives? We're hoping for the first choice there -- because you know, Nokia, we haven't seen any Nseries devices running S60 5.0 yet. Hint, hint.

GPS-Action puts the "service" in location-based service

2008-12-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

The concept's not really new, but it's still kinda new -- and as S60 offerings go, Symbian Guru's GPS-Action looks like just about the most full-featured app of its kind that you can get. What does it do? Users of Android's Locale will feel right at home (or right at office, or the cottage) with GPS-Action, which lets you do pretty much anything your travelin' heart desires based on your current location. You can start another app, set off an alarm, open a website (we recommend Engadget Mobile), turn Bluetooth on or off, change phone profile, and the list goes on; even better, you don't even need GPS to use it -- as long as your set runs 3rd Edition, the app should be able to approximate your whereabouts by cell tower.

Motorola cancels RAZR3 / Ruby, era comes closer to an end

2008-12-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, the almighty RAZR fell from the top spot as America's best selling handset. Now, we're finding that the RAZR3 / Ruby has been canned. Granted, the move isn't all that surprising -- after all, Moto's known for awhile now that it simply can't keep tweaking the RAZR instead of, you know, innovating. But honestly, if this signals that the company is serious about moving forward and possibly adopting Android on the double, we won't shed a tear. Okay, maybe one, but only after all the lights are out.

Modelabs follows up MTV3.3 with -- you guessed it -- MTV3.4

2008-12-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

MTV and French carrier SFR are back at it with yet another remix of their Modelabs-sourced music phone, and this one's just about as funky fresh as we've seen 'em. Following the MTV3.3, the new MTV3.4 carries the torch with one-click access to MTV content (in other words, you'd better really be into MTV to buy this thing), a 2-megapixel camera, 3G, video calling, and microSD expansion. It runs as little as €9 (about $12) depending on the plan and the contract -- so MTV aside, it seems to be a pretty good deal considering you're getting a tricked-out 3G slider.

Latest Samsung Instinct firmware update looks promising

2008-11-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

They may not have come as quickly as anyone would've liked, but hey -- let's give Samsung and Sprint some credit here for keeping their noses to the grindstone, listening to customer complaints, and making the Instinct the device it probably should've been at launch with a series of major firmware updates. The latest update could very well be the most important to date, making text input possible from Opera Mini and other Java apps (we can hear the cries of joy all the way from here) and promising viewing capability for Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and PDF files once a Sprint Mobile Email Work update hits early next month. Instinct owners, care to chime in with your experiences?

Pantech's 3G-capable C630 coming to AT&T

2008-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Pantech's still trying to keep its C630 relatively under wraps until it's formally introduced next month, but thanks to a bit of snooping around within the FCC's database, we already knew it was on the way. At any rate, the company has revealed at a recent press event that the low-cost, 3G-capable C630 will soon join the expanding AT&T family. As for specs, we're told that it'll boast a 1.3-megapixel camera, speakerphone support, Bluetooth, an MP3 player and a microSD card slot. The end product isn't likely to be tremendously fancy, but at just $49 or so (estimated) on contract, it's probably not a bad choice for Symbian fans on a budget.

Vodafone voices intentions to keep stake in Verizon Wireless

2008-11-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the summer, some words from Verizon chief Ivan Seidenberg led us all to believe that he wanted his firm to take full control of Verizon Wireless. Now, Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao has made clear that his outfit had precisely zero plans to sell its 45% stake in VZW, though he did mention having an "open mind" about the future of said stake. Just in case that wasn't definitive enough for ya, he stressed that staying put was "the best thing" for Vodafone right now, and given just how many Storms are flying off of US shelves, we can't stand to disagree.

Meizu M8 Flash demo hits the scene, looks mighty familiar

2008-11-28T07:21:00.000-08:00

How much ASCII will be spilled, how much bandwidth utilized on this legendary (if vaporous) iPhone killer before it becomes a real reality? Like the tail end of a torrid love affair, we're not even sure if it's the phone itself that we dig or the soap opera that we enjoy so much. And now, hot on the heels of the hands-on video that has captured the imagination of the entire world, Meizu has posted a flash demo of the M8's UI for those of you thirsting for a closer look at the thing. SPOILER ALERT: It bears a strong resemblance to the interface of a certain Apple product.

Verizon's Touch Pro gets HTC-style introduction

2008-11-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

It looks like HTC jumped the gun here just a little bit for two reasons: first, we've yet to hear a single peep (officially, anyway) from Verizon about its Touch Pro's existence, and second, the "Buy Now" link on the product page takes you to... wait for it... Sprint. We don't know much, but we know that ain't right. Anyway, hang tight, folks, because we're still hoping for a release this week -- we've heard rumors that it may have been pushed back, but from the looks of things on HTC's end, they'd just as soon get this thing out the door on the double.

Samsung Behold gets reviewed, deemed "worth considering"

2008-11-28T06:41:00.000-08:00

Now that Samsung's TouchWiz-enabled Behold is available for the taking on T-Mobile, wouldn't you like to know if it's the handset for you? The phone seemed positioned to be the carrier's entertainment mobile for folks not ready to make the G1 leap, boasting a 3G radio, expansive touchscreen and a 5MP camera. In testing, phonescoop found the handset to be a dash of good and a dash of bad, with the UI being deemed "decent, but not great," the camera quality to be less than awesome and the music player "capable" enough (despite the omission of a 2.5 / 3.5-millimeter headphone jack). In sum, critics determined that the Behold was worth considering if you're "in the market for a touch device that has a better-than-average feature set," but don't expect it to blow your mind or anything.

BlackBerry Storm: the aftermath

2008-11-28T06:38:00.000-08:00

With day zero of the Age of the Storm (well, Verizon's day zero, anyway) now behind us, it's probably a good idea to pause for a moment, take a deep breath, and reflect on what just went down. First and foremost, we're hearing that stock levels are pretty bleak at the moment in many areas; in some cases, stores didn't get as many Storms as they'd been expecting, leading to speedy sell-outs. Some of those that were able to snatch a scarce unit were met with activation issues, Verizon's servers seemingly meeting the same fate as AT&T's and Apple's on iPhone 3G launch day. Will the situation improve? We can only imagine -- but it's hard to say just how long it'll take before you'll be able to stroll into the store (or shady mall kiosk) of your choice and score a Storm sight unseen, especially in light of the firmware drama unfolding before our very eyes. In the meantime, owners (and hopefuls, too), keep sending in your reports from the field!

John Garcia abruptly resigns as head of Sprint's CDMA business

2008-11-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

Look, we needn't tell you that things aren't exactly kosher for Sprint right now. SK Telecom just said "thanks, but no thanks" to a potential relationship, it managed to post a net loss of $326 million in Q3 and it's staring down the barrel of a $1.2 billion class-action ETF suit. All that considered, the sudden and apparently unplanned departure of the carrier's head of CDMA isn't apt to help things. John Garcia, without any (public) rhyme or reason, has decided it best to not clock in on Monday, and at the moment of his leaving, the company had no comment on the situation. Bigwig Keith Cowan has been chosen as the interim replacement while it searches for a successor, and in related news, Bill Morgan (SVP of brand management) will begin reporting directly to CEO Dan Hesse.

[Via mocoNews]

LG bringing Secret, mid-range slider to AT&T?

2008-11-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

We've heard some rumblings that AT&T was keen on picking up the Secret to shore up its high-end featurephone lineup, and that's being corroborated by what other sites are hearing as well -- all told, that leaves LG in a pretty enviable position with the 800-pound gorilla of the US GSM market, presumably launching the sexy (well, arguably sexy) Incite smartphone alongside one of the smartest-looking 5-megapixel handsets in the market today. The Secret clone, model number CF750, should apparently feature the same high-end cam, thin shell, 3G, and touchscreen as its European brother, simply swapping bands to make the package a little more palatable to a North American audience. Moving downmarket a little bit, the CF360 looks to be a lower-end piece that'll do duty in AT&T's rank-and-file lineup -- in other words, it'll basically print money. We're cool with all this, but seriously, guys, can we tighten up the European to North American technology transfer just a little bit? No? Too much to ask?

Samsung shows off W600 with T-DMB, HSUPA, 5MP camera

2008-11-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

From around back, you'd never know that Samsung's W600 was a phone. Well, we mean, you might be able to piece it together, but you catch our drift. At any rate, the Anycall W600 was recently on display in South Korea, and aside from the wicked 5-megapixel camera and all-black motif, it was also boasting a 3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen, T-DMB tuner, haptic UI and HSUPA support. Look for it to set locals back a stiff ₩800,000 ($600) or more depending on carrier when it ships next month.

[Via IntoMobile]

Mobile Firefox (Fennec) alpha officially goes live

2008-11-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

We knew the Fennec alpha was but moments away from release, but at long last, the wait is over. Mozilla has crafted a dedicated page for the early, early version of Mobile Firefox along with release notes, known issues, tips / tricks and installation instructions. Speaking of which, this release was made to be used solely on the N800 or N810 Internet Tablet from Nokia, though there are versions available for Windows, OS X and Linux computers in case you want to dabble from the comfort of your desktop / laptop. We won't bother keeping you any longer -- feast your eyes on the links below for all sorts of long-awaited mobile browsing goodness.

[Via NetworkWorld]

Read - Mozilla Fennec page
Read - Fennec video walkthrough
Read - Fennec on Windows Mobile screenshot

RIM's BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 endures old fashioned tear down

2008-11-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

Just because you're the elephant in the group, that doesn't mean you'll get away without suffering through the same humiliation that comes with being a hot new BlackBerry: dissection on camera. RIM's first flip phone has recently been disassembled by the curious minds over at SycotecSolutions, giving us all an up close and personal look at what makes the Pearl Flip 8220 tick. Eager for more? Give the read link some of your undivided attention.

LG's concept phone contest winners should please art house gadgetphiles

2008-11-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

When we see alluring phone concepts that'll never leave the lab, we end up wishing there was a little more innovation in the handsets out in the wild. There was a wealth of eyebrow-raising examples of that principle when LG Japan exhibited top entries to its Mobile Design Contest last weekend. We're keen on the fbt, a phone designed for braille text messaging, and the Tap, which is shaped like a light switch and functions like one too -- when you tap it, the phone turns off so you can live once again in peace. The winner, though, was the above-pictured Planet Phone, the surface of which is dotted with LEDs representing your friends; if you don't talk to someone for a while, their light gradually moves out to the edge. It's supposed to remind you to keep in touch, but it has darker connotations -- if you become angry with someone, you can revel in the pleasure of watching them slowly tick away into oblivion. That's absolutely a feature we want to see added to the Storm.

[Via Hallyu Tech]

Telus tantalizes with LG Chocolate GiG music phone

2008-11-10T19:18:00.000-08:00

Americans may know the pictured handset by another name (psst... it's Chocolate 3, you knew that!), but Telus Mobility customers will soon be referring to it as the LG Chocolate GiG. Available now on the Canadian carrier, said flip phone offers up 1GB of internal storage, an incredibly convenient 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, a spinning scroll wheel, 2-megapixel camera, 2.2-inch QVGA main display and stereo Bluetooth support. You'll also get access to Telus mobile radio (XM) as well as Telus mobile music, both of which should keep you adequately stocked with artfully imposed sine waves. It's available now for the taking at $99.99 (3-year contract), $199.99 (2-year deal), $249.99 (1-year agreement) or $299.99 without any obligations.

[Via mobilesyrup]

Deutsche Telekom shakes economic woes, reports "good" Q3

2008-11-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

We can't recall the last time a mega-corp informed the public that it had a "good" quarter (as in, it literally described the quarter as "good" in its headline), but we can't help but chuckle at this one. Deutsche Telekom has done what few other companies have managed to do of late, and that's post an impressive Q3. Even in a "difficult market environment," net income was up €0.6 billion ($775 million) to €0.9 billion ($1.16 billion) compared to a year ago, and it managed to snag 670,000 new T-Mobile USA customers all the while. As with most other carriers these days, DT also found lots of income flowing in from data usage; total data revenue (excluding messaging) was up 28.3% to a whopping €639 million ($825 million). For number crunchers and optimists alike, tap the read link for more material you're sure to love.

[Via mocoNews]

Samsung offers up simplistic E1110 / E2510 handsets

2008-11-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

If you can't appreciate the low-end with the elite, you'll probably find it impossible to respect Samsung's latest duo. The "classic" E1110 keeps it real simple with a 1.3-inch 128 x 128 resolution display, GSM 900 / 1,800 support, a 500 number contact book, MP3 ringtone compatibility, Bluetooth, 1.5MB of internal memory, USB 2.0 and a battery good for 8-hours of talk time (or 20 days in standby). Up next is the E2510 clamshell, which actually doesn't look too drab for a basic cellie. Features wise, it's rockin' a 1.9-inch 160 x 128 internal display, quad-band GSM support, Bluetooth / USB 2.0, 15MB of memory, a microSD card slot, FM tuner and talk time of 7-hours. There's no mention of price or global availability, so we'll just toss you a "good luck" on your hunt to find your next backup.

Samsung Delve for U.S. Cellular

2008-10-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

BGR shows us a picture of Samsung’s Delve, which may be available from US Cellular soon. Samsung Delve is kind of a mixture of Samsung Instinct and F480 touch phones. The Delve is also a touch phone with a 3-inch touchscreen. It features a 2 Megapixel camera, on-screen QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth and Samsung’s 2nd generation TouchWiz UI.

Philips Xenium X600 Clamshell

2008-10-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Philips offers the Xenium X600 clamshell mobile phone. This Xenium X600 is an entry level phone with a main display, an external display, a 2 Megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and microSD card slot. The Xenium X600 supports GSM and EDGE networks.

Sharp's 9225H brings the flip-open QWERTY action to Softbank

2008-10-13T04:17:00.000-07:00

Not that we haven't seen relatively ho hum handsets get cracked open to reveal their sunny side (and full QWERTY keyboard) before, but Sharp's newly unveiled 9225H does more than just look pretty in two positions. Unwrapped at CEATEC 2008, the Softbank-destined mobile packed a 3.5-inch VGA screen internally, an inbuilt 1seg TV tuner, multimedia player, e-mail functionality, 2-megapixel camera and a microSDHC slot for loading up additional Iron & Wine tunes. There's no mention of a price, but feel free to head to the read link if you're in search of more images.

Firefox Mobile for Windows Mobile screenshots emerge, excitement builds

2008-10-13T04:16:00.000-07:00

What else can we say? Sure, 2010 is a long ways out, but you knew good and well alpha / beta versions of Firefox Mobile would emerge long before then, right? Here we have the first living proof that Firefox Mobile (or Fennec, as it were) is alive and well for Windows Mobile, albeit in decidedly alpha form. Currently, the browser is managing an 88 out of 100 on the strenuous Acid3 test, which surely ain't bad for a handset-stricken browser. Hit the read link for a few more looks, and cross your fingers for a beta release sooner rather than later.

Motorola's Krave ZN4 acquired, photographed

2008-10-13T04:15:00.001-07:00

Here on the right coast of the US of A, it's not quite October 14th. That factoid aside, someone has still managed to acquire one of Motorola's peculiar (in a good way) Krave ZN4s from Verizon a few days in advance of its official release date. The touchscreen-heavy flip phone looks mighty impressive in the enviable photos waiting in the read link, and early impressions from the lucky owner assert that call quality is "very good," texting on it is a breeze and the touch response in general is quite satisfactory. For those of you passing this off as a gimmick before, see if you're still feeling the same way after having a look at the in the wild shots.

LG CT810 "Incite" for AT&T gets pictured, we think

2008-10-13T04:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, we're not absolutely positive that we're looking at the Incite here, but here's what we know: this is definitely the CT810, a phone that was approved by the FCC back in July bearing WCDMA (presumably HSPA) on the 850 and 1900MHz bands. It says AT&T on the display, it's running WinMo, and it matches the description we have of the Incite, so for all practical purposes, this is probably our prime suspect. We've got to say, LG -- if this is what you plan on bringing to the table, where've you been in our lives all these years?

Hop-on's $13.99 HOP1811 makes calls faster than any other handset in the world

2008-10-13T04:06:00.000-07:00

Aw, snap! Just what we've been waiting for! Forget that BlackBerry Storm. Overlook the Touch HD. The real iPhone killer has finally arrived in the Hop-on HOP1811. Taking off where the HOP1800 left off, this revamped "anti-iPhone" packs GSM connectivity, a Graffiti Wireless Airtime Plan, 4-hours of talk time (150-hours in standby), support for polyphonic ring tones and an almost unbelievable $13.99 price tag. And check out the bold words passed on by the outfit's CEO: "I challenge anyone to make a call faster than on the HOP1811." You hear that? That's a dare, son.

1.5 million T-Mobile G1s already pre-ordered

2008-10-13T03:56:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile sold right out of its original allotment of G1 pre-orders quick, fast and in a hurry, and even the second round has been claimed in a flash. What's it all mean? It means that someone at T-Mobile and Google are sitting in a fancy restaurant in France sipping on the good stuff, and it also means that 1.5 million G1s have already been reserved for eager early adopters. In addition to that, another couple of million are all set to take the retail scene by storm later this month. In other words, folks are genuinely stoked about the possibilities of Android, and scads of 'em have already committed to the OS (and HTC's design, by extension) before even having a chance to toy around with it in person. No pressure at all, Google.

Gone in 60 Seconds (Nokia)

2008-10-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Gone in 60 Seconds (Nokia)

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Keepin' it real WTF, Part II: Russian iPhone "boots up," does nothing else

2008-10-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time coming, but we've finally found a KIRF suitable to become the one and only successor to our very first "Keepin' it real... WTF?!" This here iPhone -- which is little more than a familiar chassis with a lead weight and a small amount of internal hardware -- is reportedly used by scammers in Russia in order to barter for train tickets, grub, etc. In essence, the phone has just enough electronics within it to give the appearance of a "boot up" sequence, complete with the Apple logo; the scammer in possession of it then explains that the battery is simply drained, but that it will work perfectly fine once charged. After any given sucker hands over something quite valuable in exchange for this heap, he / she proceeds to crush it into a million pieces while cursing the unknown name of whoever fooled them in the first place. Moral of the story? Stay sharp, street traders.

AT&T's BlackBerry Pearl 8110 gets pretty in pink

2008-10-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Pink Pearls are nothing new -- but a pink Pearl with a fancy silkscreen? That's another matter altogether. These 8110s imbued with a newfound sense of fashion are starting to show up in AT&T stores now, so get 'em while they're hot.

Vodafone debuts BlackBerry Storm 9500

2008-10-08T07:32:00.001-07:00

We're still waiting on Verizon to stop teasing us about this thing, but Vodafone (who's been hinting at the phone since last month) just announced the BlackBerry Storm, RIM's touchscreen flagship. As if you didn't know already, Vodafone is confirming a 3.25-inch 480 x 360 touchscreen, 3.2 megapixle camera, automatic orientation flipping, 1GB of built-in storage and a host of multimedia capabilities, including iTunes sync.

Vodafone's own-branded VF830 looks surprisingly okay

2008-10-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Typically, Vodafone saves its name-brand manufacturer partners from having to suffer the embarrassment of offering crap handsets by stuffing all of the super low-end stuff under its own marque, but the new VF830 seems to buck that trend pretty hard. The prepaid-only handset (really, Voda?) totally looks like it could be a midrange model from the likes of Samsung or LG, featuring a full 3.2 megapixels of shooting power and HSDPA in a sleek, all-black slider package. It runs just £80 (about $139), too -- contract-free, of course, since it's prepaid. What's the world coming to?

Small carriers, spectrum owners band together for 3G and beyond

2008-10-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

In the wireless biz, simple economics ensure that the little guys have a harder time of everything, including the all-important matter of getting decent handset selections from manufacturers. That's just the tip of the iceberg, though -- beyond the lack of hot hardware, rural carriers are struggling to find a way to pay for network upgrades that'll get them in line with what the rest of the world's up to. Some 28 companies so far have banded together as NextGen Mobile, a consortium designed to share the cost of network upgrades and give smaller operators a unified voice for approaching manufacturers and demanding what it calls the "next 'it' handset." Though members haven't yet been identified, everyone involved in NextGen is GSM-based and either has or intends to deploy UMTS -- and down the road, LTE. We're probably not looking at a team that's going to be challenging Verizon or AT&T for market dominance here, but if it means more people are going to have access to high-speed data faster, we're down.

T-Mobile G1 and Sony Ericsson X1 seen side-by-side, molten lava hangs head in shame

2008-10-08T07:26:00.001-07:00

There's really no denying it -- T-Mobile's G1 and Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 are two of the hottest mobiles around right now, and as predicted, all sorts of sparks flew when the two sat down for a side-by-side photo session. In a Dutch comparison of the two handsets, reviewers pointed out that the G1 was "significantly larger" than the SE counterpart, and while it's completely subjective, they also asserted that the X1 was a "true piece of art in comparison to the dusty look of the G1 [nice one, Google Translator]." Do yourself a favor and check out the whole thing in the read link.

EU directive aims to make all batteries removable, even THAT battery

2008-10-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

The European Union already initiated a Battery Directive in 2006 that aimed to make it easier to dispose of and recycle old batteries, but it looks like it's now taking things one big step further with its "New Battery Directive," which proposes that batteries in all electronic devices should be able to be "readily removed" for replacement or disposal. New Electronics' Gary Nevison further adds that "the requirement is clearly intended to ensure that users can remove batteries by opening a cover by hand or after removal of one or two screws," which would obviously pose a bit of a problem for the iPhone, not to mention every iPod and even a few non-Apple devices. Then again, this wouldn't be the first time that Apple has tangled with the EU, and we have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be the last.

HTC not bringing Touch HD to the States

2008-10-08T06:19:00.003-07:00

This shouldn't be surprising at all to anyone even remotely familiar with HTC's tendencies, but the Touch HD is officially not ever shipping to America (unless you import, obviously). The news was dropped via a Tweet (of all things), but evidently, the outcry over what we figured was common knowledge has caused some windows to be rattled in the penthouse offices. Another official Tweet followed to thank everyone for "expressing their desire for the HD," with the author noting that "US management now knows there's a grassroots demand for high-end HTCs here." Really, HTC? You needed a flood of angry Twitter comments to understand that Americans would give their second born for a phone like the Touch HD?

Update: We've received official word from HTC that they've been really overwhelmed by the "strong" demand for the HD in the States and other markets where no launch has been planned (with that insane display, it seemed like a no-brainer to us!). Sadly, due to the engineering time required to get a North American 3G version in the pipeline, they say they're better off just waiting until the next round of products launches -- hopefully with some extra bands in the radio this time, eh?

Motorola ZN5 tortured in the name of science -- or something

2008-10-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

Save from an occasional drop, we try our damndest to keep our precious phones out of harm's way, which is why torture tests like Smape's of the ZN5 are so painful to watch. This particular "survival guide" (their term, not ours) is pretty extreme, too, starting with a cushy stay in the freezer but progressing to a brutal tumble in a 500 RPM dryer, a thorough sandblasting, a sound crushing courtesy of a luxury SUV, and the obligatory dip in a hearty, delicious ale. The whole thing reads like a what's-what of things not to do with your phone, but hey, better their ZN5 than yours -- and we're sure it was a blast to actually perform some of these "tests."

Samsung's S3600 sticks to the metallic basics

2008-10-08T06:06:00.001-07:00

We're still trying to get used to this crazy one-letter, four-digit naming convention Samsung has suddenly decided to move to after countless years of the SGH / SCH / SPH convention, but at least they're easing the transition a bit with production that don't suck immensely -- at least, not for their price range. Meet the S3600, an admittedly low-end flip on account of its non-3G radio, meager 30MB of onboard memory, and 1.3-megapixel camera that still manages to pull off an upscale look with a liberal application of brushed metal. The spec sheet rounds out nicely with an FM radio, Bluetooth 2.0, and microSD expansion -- but the nicest feature of all might be the price, which looks like 4,000 Czech crowns (about $220) unlocked when it launches next month.

Sony Ericsson's new Cyber-shot gets clearer, isn't Kate

2008-10-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson's purported codenames are a source of endless amusement, because they 1) are virtually always feminine names, and 2) have zero bearing on the final product name. We'd heard that Sony Ericsson was prepping a new Cyber-shot candybar by the name of Kate, and now we're hearing that it's not Kate after all -- but really, it doesn't matter one way or another since it'll be a letter with three numbers after it by the time it launches. The important thing is that we're now seeing much better shots of the alleged 5-megapixel baddie with xenon flash, offering what'll probably be a modernized alternative to the K850. If Sony Ericsson doesn't cancel it first, that is.

Pantech C610 shows up on AT&T

2008-10-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

Pantech still seems committed to occupying the lower end of AT&T's spectrum (Duo notably excepted) with its latest, the just-launched C610 flip. We first saw this puppy in the FCC back in May, and it looks like not much has changed since then with a red shell, metal accents, and a 3G radio that turns out to support HSDPA on the 850 and 1900MHz bands. You've also got a 1.3-megapixel cam, Video Share support, Bluetooth (version 1.2 -- lame), and GPS, so we guess you're getting your money's worth -- more or less -- for the $49.99 on contract that AT&T's charging.

Ballmer keeps talking, says Android "looks like version one"

2008-10-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

Steve Ballmer's whirlwind UK media tour ahead of the Professional Developers Conference just keeps giving us sound bite gems: first it was Windows Cloud, then Zune on Windows Mobile, and now Stevie's taking shots at Android and the G1. Calling Microsoft David to Google's search Goliath, Ballms said that he wasn't worried about Android because it won't be "attractive" to other handset manufacturers because it's "version one... and it looks like version one." Not only that, but he apparently thinks Google's going to sit still, saying "they've got one handset maker, we've got 55. They're available through one operator, we've got 175." True for now, sure, but we know Android isn't going to languish on a single handset on a single carrier for long -- and we're pretty certain Steve knows that HTC and T-Mobile aren't exactly minor players, regardless. Still, it's some masterful bluster from a master of bluster -- now if he'd just back it up with Windows Mobile 7, we'd be way more inclined to believe him.

Nokia hints at new touch-based Communicator

2008-10-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

Every so often, Nokia will pop out a brick-like beast of a clamshell smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard -- a black sheep in Espoo's lineup in every sense of the word. These so-called Communicators even had their own custom Symbian-based operating system, Series 80, until the E90 came around and brought 'em in line with the rest of the S60 crowd. Of course, S60 just took a big leap to the world of touch today, and that means the E90's starting to fall a bit behind -- so what's next? Nokia dropped a little teaser during its webcast today in the form of a stylized touch-based concept bearing strong family ties to the E90 and its ancestors, suggesting S60 5th Edition won't spell doom for the form factor. If it materializes, history suggests it won't be a mainstream device -- but if the real thing can look as good as this render, who knows?

KDDI shows off Samsung-made 3.1-inch WVGA OLED display, 3D LCD panel

2008-10-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a full year since Samsung first announced its plans for a 3-inch WVGA OLED panel, but it's now finally delivered, and found a partner in the form of KDDI, which was showing off the panel at CEATEC. As Tech-On notes, the panel is quite the upgrade over Samsung's current top-end 3-inch QVGA panel and, best of all, KDDI says that it'll be showing up in actual products "shortly," though it's not about to get any more specific than that. As if that wasn't enough, KDDI also had a new "3D LCD" panel built by an unnamed "Japanese panel manufacturer" on hand at the show. It boasts the same WVGA resolution as the OLED and employs a "parallax barrier method" to magically "convert 2D images into 3D in real time -- check that out after the break, and look for the panels to be productized by the end of 2009.

BlackBerry Storm shows off in trippy Vodafone promo vid

2008-10-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

In what can only be described as the fastest and most exhilarating one minute, twenty-two seconds of our lives, RIM and Vodafone have thrown together a promotional video for the upcoming Storm that touches on most of the handset's high points: mobile music, GPS, desktop-grade browsing, streaming video, expandable memory, and -- get this -- voice and data ("it can do two things at once," we're triumphantly told). Now, bear in mind this is a Vodafone video, not Verizon, so that "two things at once" claim probably isn't going to hold water when you're hooked up to Big Red's EV-DO Rev. A -- but the remainder of the factoids in the flashy, seizure-inducing commercial should apply. Follow the break for the covertly-shot material, if your sensitive eyes can take the kind of sensory punishment that only this much primary color and enterprise compatibility can deliver.

Steve Ballmer confirms Zune coming to Windows Mobile

2008-10-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

Rumors of a Zune phone have floated around forever, but we've always thought it would make more sense for Microsoft to start by simply making a Zune player for Windows Mobile -- a plan Steve Ballmer casually confirmed today in an interview with CIO Magazine. Sure, Ballmer's hinted at Zune on WinMo in the past, but those were just hints -- not like today's pronouncement that "the Zune software will also be ported to and be more important not just with the hardware but on the PC, on Windows Mobile devices, etc." That's a pretty solid declaration of things to come, if you ask us -- too bad he didn't give a time frame. Now, about that 360 integration.

Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic phone intimately detailed on video

2008-10-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

If you've been enjoying those still pictures of Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic touchscreen phone, but feel you're lacking an in-depth experience, we think we can help. A slew of demo and instruction videos have just been slapped up on the Ovi Share site, allowing you to get a better idea of just how the device works, and what it looks like when it's doing it. Luckily for you, we've taken the trouble of including all of the videos after the break for your viewing pleasure, saving you the painful and laborious experience of hitting a read link. Enjoy.

Android Market will offer free trials, but not free bandwidth

2008-10-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Apple's App Store, with its millions of downloads, is clearly a hit with consumers. But with developers? Not so much. Like a dashing hero to a scorned mistress, Google's Andy Rubin is pledging a different, more loving and respectful relationship with those who would fill his company's Android Market with selections -- and his pockets with royalties. He indicates that the Market will enable free downloadable trials, something that Apple is stubbornly refusing to add, and that those downloads would not be subject to any arbitrary bandwidth caps. Meanwhile, T-Mobile at least will be levying a $2/month fee on developers of free apps expected to use more than the (somewhat arbitrary) amount of 15MB of data per user per month, though how they'll be keeping track of that data outside of their own content stack is unclear -- our guess is that they can't.

Verizon prices Motorola Krave ZN4 at $149.99

2008-10-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you who firmly believe that Verizon plus Motorola plus touchscreen equals pure, unadulterated bliss, heads up: we have a bit of information that might be of interest to you. phoneArena has scored a screen shot of what appears to be some promotional material for Moto's upcoming MING-esque doohickey, the Krave ZN4 -- and it looks like we'll be shelling out about $150 on a two-year contract for the honor of carrying one in our knockoff Louis Vuitton backpacks. Not a bad price for a phone clearly designed to rest toward the upper end of Verizon's non-smartphone lineup, we suppose, and we'll admit that it's looking better in this dolled-up promo shot than it was last time we saw it. Separately, they've landed pricing for the Moto VU204, a basic flip that's probably not going to turn as many heads as the Krave; that one is going to go out the door for $29, and you'll get three free with the purchase of the first for the ultimate four-pack of mediocrity. We don't have a solid line on when these are coming to market, but the Krave's still a possibility for this month.

Nokia Comes With Music officially launches October 16, 5310 XpressMusic eats first

2008-10-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

The 5800 XpressMusic is stealing the lion's share of the spotlight today, but the first S60 5th Edition handset out there actually isn't the first to get hooked up with Nokia's all-you-can-eat Comes With Music service. That honor will instead go to the lowly 5310 XpressMusic candybar, which will get access to about 2 million track downloads when it hits Carphone Warehouse in the UK in prepaid form for £130 (about $228) on October 16, a day earlier than rumored. Other models will have to wait, though Comes With Music versions of the N95 8GB and 5800 are both planned.

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

2008-10-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

While it may not be Nokia's first touchscreen phone (anyone out there remember the 7710?), the 5800 XpressMusic is certainly the first to come out of Finland with a mainstream appeal. What we've alternately known as the "Tube" throughout much of its development cycle is the first production device to run S60 5th Edition -- the fourth major overhaul of Nokia's ubiquitous smartphone platform since 2002 and the first to support fingers, styli, and high-res displays. Speaking of high-res displays, the 5800 comes equipped with an impressive 3.2-inch 640 x 360 resistive touchscreen to go along with its 3.2-megapixel autofocus cam, Carl Zeiss optics, dual LED flash, GPS, WiFi, 3.5mm jack, and a microSD slot with support for 16GB cards. It'll be available in three versions -- European HSDPA, North American HSDPA, and GSM only -- and ships this quarter in black, red, and blue for €279 (about $392) unlocked with an 8GB card thrown in for good measure. Music fans with voracious appetites for new tunes might want to hold out, though, for the Comes With Music-equipped version that follows on "early next year" at a to-be-announced price.

AT&T bringing iPhone 3G to Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands later this month

2008-10-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Just because you live in a tropical paradise doesn't mean you need to forgo a shot at the iPhone 3G -- heck, Hawaii has already proved that. There are yet more vacation havens within AT&T's expansive realm, though, and the carrier's about to throw two of 'em a bone later this month when it brings Apple's bundle of joy (or seething hatred, depending on your disposition) to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico's solid for 3G coverage -- but you may as well just leave the "3G" off "iPhone 3G" when you head over to St. Croix, seeing how there's no HSDPA to be found in those parts. Anyway, you'll be able to get "iReady" (AT&T's verbiage, not ours) on October 17.

Clear as mud: Samsung i907 "Epix" is AT&T's version of the i780

2008-10-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, bear with us here, because the road to this device is a winding one, to say the least: first, there was the Samsung i780 that launched in Europe. It was informally and unofficially branded the BlackJack III, thanks to its obvious resemblance to Samsung's own BlackJack series that has been a stalwart of AT&T's 3G lineup since its early days. More recently, we caught wind of an i907 that would be launching on AT&T's airwaves in the next few weeks; thanks to the model number's proximity to that of the i900 Omnia, it didn't take long for rumors to spread that it'd be an AT&T-branded version of the i900 -- but a counter-rumor claimed that it would actually take the form of the good ol' i780. A training pamphlet now circulating seems to have sealed the deal that this will, in fact, be a tweaked i780, which means we can expect Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, a full QWERTY keyboard, optical mouse, and HSDPA. What's more, the "Mirage" name we'd heard seems to have been tossed out for the way (way) cooler "Epix." Still no word on an exact release date or price, but considering the hefty specs we're expecting and the smartphone label, we're not exactly counting on a free-on-contract deal here.

The G1 gets a near-complete unboxing, we get totally jealous

2008-10-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well we see where this is headed. It was nice to catch a few of those quasi-unboxing pics of the T-Mobile G1 the other day, but now the cats and kittens at TmoNews have gone and gotten pretty much the full monty. If you want to get a taste of what's to come, here's the perfect chance. You can check out photos of the Android device being wrenched from its packaging, as well as some glamour shots of the bundled accessories -- including a bizarrely retro remote on the earbuds and "handsome" carrying pouch. October 22nd, you can't come soon enough.

ZTE looking to move upmarket, build lots of smartphones

2008-10-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

HTC might be setting the pace for Windows Mobile development right now, but it better watch its back -- especially on the low end of the range. China's ZTE, which has somehow silently risen through the ranks to become the world's number six phone manufacturer by volume, is said to be prepping a renewed global assault that will see it move beyond its typical role as a provider of low-end dumbphone fare to occupy the low-end smartphone niche, a market with traditionally limited choice. Windows Mobile and Linux are apparently both high on ZTE's hit list, with a contract already underway to supply Vodafone with a carrier-branded device next year (to fill the void left by the 920's killing, perhaps?); Symbian's not getting quite as much love, though they're said to have their eye on that camp, too. The firm commands a 30 percent market share in China's nascent TD-SCDMA market, and hey, you can only be a massively successful manufacturer in your domestic market before trying your hand elsewhere, right?

T-Mobile still taking G1 pre-orders, but you won't get it on October 22

2008-10-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

So the good news is that T-Mobile has decided to keep right on taking pre-orders for the G1 through October 21, just one day before the handset's official launch. The bad news, though, is that it doesn't mean you'll be getting your Android on come October 22. Turns out that the initial allotment of G1s set aside for pre-orders is now sold out completely, and any names taken between now and launch will be allotted phones being shipped "at a later date." It's not clear if a "later date" means a week, a month, or a decade after the 22nd, but for the sake of everyone involved, we hope its the former.

Update: T-Mobile's site says that pre-orders taken from here on out will be delivered "as early as November 10," so it looks like you early birds are going to have a nice little period of exclusivity. Thanks, everyone!

ZTE's U990 does Windows Mobile for TD-SCDMA

2008-10-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

Outside of China, TD-SCDMA isn't going to do you very bloody much good -- but inside China, it's just about the best thing going right now for 3G data. That makes devices like this here ZTE U990 particularly useful if you happen to be in the area, offering the People's Republic's oh-so-special flavor of high-speed wireless in an attractive package loaded with Windows Mobile 6, GPS, and EDGE roaming. The U990 also happens to be ZTE's very first Windows Mobile device, a surprising revelation for a manufacturer that currently sits at number six in the world for production volume. Look for it to launch into the retail chain "soon" -- which in corporate doublespeak could mean "tomorrow" or "2010."

RIM's co-CEO sez AT&T still testing BlackBerry Bold

2008-10-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

We've long since known that RIM's BlackBerry Bold was AT&T bound, but in case you haven't noticed, the rumored October 2nd release date has come and went, and there's nary a Bold on any of AT&T's store shelves. According to RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, the handset is still undergoing testing at AT&T, suggesting that it wanted to avoid the complaints that arose when the newest iPhone hit in July. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel remained mum on the subject when asked, only affirming that the handset would eventually be available this year. Ah well, you've been looking for a reason to vacation in Chile, haven't you?

HP said to be prepping consumer-minded iPAQ smartphone

2008-10-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

Details on this one are about as light as can be at the moment, but The Wall Street Journal has it that HP is aiming to expand its iPAQ smartphone line into the consumer market with a new model that it'll market to both average consumers and corporate users alike. According to "people briefed on the plan," the phone will have both a touchscreen and a keypad and, naturally, it'll run Windows Mobile 6.1 -- oh, and it'll be able to "send and receive emails, and access the Internet." While there's no indication of a price just yet, word is the device will be available in Europe first within the next two months, with a worldwide release to follow sometime thereafter.

Motorola ZN5 gets unboxed

2008-10-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

If you recall, Motorola's 5-megapixel ZN5 was slated for release last month, and sure enough, some units are starting to slip out -- enough units, in fact, that we now have ourselves a video unboxing out there somewhere. The packaging seems... dare we say, awfully ordinary for a phone that rests at the top of Moto's featurephone pyramid, especially considering Kodak's much-ballyhooed involvement, TV-out, WiFi, and a ModeShift morphing keypad. S'pose it's just the contents we really care about anyway, though, right? Follow the break for the full video.

Samsung's "Style Report" flip phone -- you know, reports style

2008-10-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

We haven't the foggiest idea where Samsung got the inspiration for the name "Style Report," but if we look past the unusual name for a second, we have a decent little phone on our hands here. The flip is vaguely reminiscent of the RAZR 2, featuring an expansive (2.2 inches, to be exact) secondary touchscreen that can be used to work the phone's media player, photo viewer, and T-DMB tuner. It's also got Bluetooth, a 3-megapixel cam, and global GSM / HSDPA -- but don't count on finding 'er for sale outside South Korea, where she'll run somewhere from 600,000 to 700,000 won ($505 to $589).

Sony Ericsson shuttering London flagship store

2008-10-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

If you blinked at some point over the past two years you may have missed it, but somewhere in there, Sony Ericsson had a flagship retail location in the heart of London. Actually, they still do -- it's not closed quite yet -- but it'll be gone by the end of the year, just one casualty of the manufacturer's cost-cutting measures in an effort to turn its weak financial position around. Worried about the prospects for immersing yourself in the Sony Ericsson lifestyle after the new year? Rest easy -- the company says it has no plans to get rid of its 200-plus stores in Asia.

Confirmed: Motorola Krave ZN4 comes to Verizon October 14

2008-10-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

We're calling it -- the closest thing we yanks have to a MING is gracing Verizon on October 14 for $149.99 on a two-year contract after $50 rebate. Full retail for the Krave ZN4 will run $349.99, for those so inclined. Entertain yourself with a little press photography in the meantime, won't you?

Acer reaffirms handset plans, launch targeted for Q1 '09

2008-10-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

Following up on comments made earlier in the year, Acer's senior veep and president of IT products has reaffirmed that it'll be launching its own brand of handsets early in 2009, having ramped up its handset R&D staff to some 500 heads by the end of 2008. What this means for recent acquisition E-TEN and its glofiish line is unclear, but for what it's worth, Acer says it'll be primarily targeting its existing PC channels in Russia and Western Russia with the new line -- so perhaps there's still room for E-TEN's wares to flourish elsewhere.

Sony Ericsson patent app takes the tedium out of zooming your camera

2008-10-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful autumn day, and you're out in the wooded path beyond the railroad tracks just taking it all in and killing some time. Hey, what's that? Why, it's the cutest bunny rabbit you've ever seen! Time to pull out that 8-megapixel C905 and... oh, this sucks, you actually have to press a button to zoom in and out! Screw this noise -- you're a visionary photographer, not a manual laborer. Happily, Sony Ericsson feels your pain, and a new patent application reveals that they're hard at work on a system to control your cameraphone's zoom level simply by moving it back and forth. Just get the phone closer to the subject, and boom, welcome to telephoto city, population one. We're still totally cool with the old-fashioned way of capturing Pulitzer-winning shots, but we're happy that someone's thinking of this type of stuff so we don't have to -- that'd be work.

AT&T reorganizes, Ralph De La Vega now in charge of consumer services

2008-10-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

The internals of AT&T's org chart aren't really hot news, but the company just reshuffled all its consumer services into a new division headed by Ralph De La Vega, who used to head up AT&T Wireless. Ralph now also oversees internet, TV and landline phones in addition to wireless, so he's got a bunch more on his plate -- the goal is be more aggressive bundling up more quadruple-play packages, which hopefully means lower pricing. We'll see -- we've heard these promises before.

FCC approval ensures American Sony Ericsson X1 users aren't bandits

2008-10-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

Now that Sony Ericsson's mighty X1 has earned the FCC's love and affection, you won't be an outlaw for using one in the States -- but unfortunately, you won't be a speed demon everywhere, either. The version that just nabbed approval here is the X1i, and anyone familiar with Sony Ericsson's naming scheme can tell you that an "i" means a phone's not really meant for North American consumption; in this case, we're lucky to squeak by with UMTS Band II support, which means we'll theoretically be able to pick up some of AT&T's 1900MHz signal. On 850, though, you'll be stuck with EDGE. Of course, a true global launch has been in the cards for the X1 from day one, and we're not worried that we won't see a more 3G-rife model getting torn down by the feds -- this just ain't it.

Emulator gives you the T-Mobile G1 experience now

2008-10-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

Yeah, the wait for October 22 (or after) is absolutely excruciating; trust us, we know. We'll take every scrap of information and imagery we can to hold us over until G1s start showing up on doorsteps in a few weeks, but T-Mobile's really gone above and beyond the call of duty here by setting up a surprisingly functional and feature-complete emulator to satisfy our urges to touch icons and click buttons. Obviously, you're not going to get a GPS lock, so don't get your hopes up that you're going to be playing around with Street View or anything wild like that -- in fact, most apps lead you to a "this screen is not fully functional" message -- but it's got more goodies than the Android SDK's emulator, and it's just enough to get you acquainted with the phone's personality by the time it's actually in your paws.

AT&T DataConnect overage: $480 per gigabyte

2008-10-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

As much as we hate that true, no-strings-attached unlimited data plans are being killed off one by one, we appreciate that carriers have had the common decency (well, sometimes) to impose caps as "soft" ones -- going over repeatedly might irk 'em into throttling your bandwidth or tearing up your contract, but at least you wouldn't be getting a bankruptcy-inducing bill in the mail without any warning. Watch yourself, boys and girls, because that's now changed on AT&T, where the one and only domestic DataConnect plan offered for laptops -- 5GB for $60 -- now features an overage charge of $0.00048 per kilobyte. Running the numbers, that works out to a staggering $480 per extra gigabyte -- and on a laptop, a gig isn't hard to burn through at all. We guess AT&T would probably either cut you off or give you a call if you went way over, but by then, you've dug yourself a pretty deep hole. It's all pretty ridiculous, and we're hoping they're only a few lawsuits away from reconsidering the way they're handling this.

[Thanks, Bill]

Update: Several tipsters have written in to let us know that AT&T shuts you down after you've racked up $100 in overage, which seems awfully arbitrary. If we're seriously going to keep going with this per-kilobyte model, can we get a configurable hard cap or something? Thanks, everyone!

Motorola VU204 drops by Verizon on October 14

2008-10-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

If you've been dying for the full rundown on Motorola's upcoming low-end VU204 flip for Verizon -- well, first of all, bless your heart. Secondly, here you are. Key features include a VGA cam, Bluetooth, GPS, 220 x 176 primary and 96 x 80 secondary displays, and styling that'll make passers-by think you opted for the pricier VU30. After rebate and a signature on the dotted line, it'll run $29.99 ($199.99 commitment-free) when it launches on October 14.

BlackBerry Pearl 8220 launches on TIM in Italy

2008-10-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

Color: Black

State Available

Characteristics

EDGE, GPRS
Quad Band: 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz
Room integrated from 2.0 Mpixel with flash

INCLUDED

269 €

List price
(vat included)

Line winning and ergonomic beyond numerous functionalities for the first one clamshell of RIM in exclusive right of market TIM. Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220 with camera 2,0 Mpixel and connettività Edge/Wi-Fi. Fast transfer given thanks to the Bluetooth and USB, reliability of Operating Sistema RIM. In equipment, a memory card from 1GB for having always in mobility all this that is necessary.

Main characteristics:

EDGE, GPRS
Quad Band: 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz
MP3 Player
Main Display: 65,000 colors
External Display: 65,000 colors
WAP Version 2,0, Java Version 2,0, Web browser RIM, Arrange Operating RIM
Bluetooth logon, Logon USB, Wi-Fi Logon
Email client, MMS
Video Recorder & Playback
Room integrated from 2.0 Mpixel with flash
Internal storage from 128MB, Memory Card from 1GB
Integrated modem

In equipment:

Auricular stereo, Caricabatteria standard, CD-ROM
Battery standard
Cable given USB

Dimensions:

100x50x17,5 milimeter

Weight:

102 grams

Autonomy: (*)

Stand by: till 336 hours
Conversation: till 240 minuteren

* The performances of the batteries depend from several factors between which the vicinity of the antennas, the state of the batteries, the geographic position and the type of used net.

RIM's BlackBerry Storm 9500 / 9530: details galore

2008-10-06T06:36:00.000-07:00

RIM's BlackBerry Storm 9500 / 9530, which is more affectionately known 'round these parts as the Thunder, is definitely within striking distance. Still, just because you don't have too much longer to wait doesn't mean you aren't anxious to get your hands on as many details as possible beforehand, right? The Boy Genius has managed to procure a few mundane stacks of PowerPoint slides that just so happen to contain some pretty scrumptious information on the touchscreen-based BlackBerry, and while there aren't any mind-melting surprises in there (like, confirmation that it can indeed read and reply correctly to each e-mail automatically), it's not the kind of data any real RIM fan would want to overlook. Go on and hit the read link, what exactly are you waiting for?

Samsung Jack gets Windows Mobile 6.1 boost in Canada

2008-10-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

Rogers' Samsung Jack, which is Canada-speak for BlackJack II, has been officially blessed with Windows Mobile 6.1. It's a few weeks behind the BlackJack II's own upgrade, true, but... you know, Canada-izing this stuff takes time. Or something. Grab the update from Samsung's site while the gettin's good.

Engadget Mobile - 13 new articles

2008-10-02T03:33:00.000-07:00

"Engadget Mobile" - 13 new articles

Nokia hard at work commercializing indoor positioning systems

Filed under: Software, Nokia

How'd you like to be able to make a bee line straight for the ketchup in the Mega Mart without having to walk down thirteen aisles first in a frustrating process of trial and error? Yeah, Nokia feels you, which is why it's working on developing an indoor positioning system that's robust enough to use -- and easy enough to set up -- to be commercialized. The company apparently already has some 40 buildings worldwide set up with trial systems, and it's working on a commercial trial with a Helsinki mall that'll go live later this year with the goal of figuring out how such a system could generate cold, hard cash. We wouldn't expect this to go big any time soon, but for what it's worth, there's talk of dropping a build of the client on Nokia's own Beta Labs at some point in the future.

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Motorola flashes its OHA member card, confirms it's working on Android products

Filed under: Motorola, Android

It goes without saying that any company hooked up with Android's patron saint -- the Open Handset Alliance -- has at least a passing interest in actually doing something with Android, and in Motorola's case, we're going to go out on a limb here and say that, you know, in all likelihood, they were fixin' to drop an Android build onto a phone or two at some point down the road. Indeed, BetaNews has received a brief, largely unhelpful statement from Moto saying that it "look[s] forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google and the Open Handset Alliance community," which -- in light of the recent Android hiring frenzy alleged on Moto's campus -- is about the minimum amount of disclosure a company could make shy of saying nothing at all. While it probably stings from their perspective to see HTC get all the glory for the first Google-ified phone out of the gate, let's hope (for their sake, if nothing else) that this stealth-mode, take-our-time philosophy leads to some killer material out of Schaumburg down the road.

[Via Talk Android]

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Sony Ericsson Rika turns red, still not announced

Filed under: Handsets, Sony Ericsson, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

It looked pretty good in silver, but it's looking even better blushed, isn't it? The alleged music-focused remix of the G705 has now made its second unofficial appearance, and while exceptionally little is known about the darned thing, we can pretty much gather that it'll do HSDPA, a 3.2-megapixel cam, and GPS. Of course, Sony Ericsson has a nasty habit of canceling leaked phones that look ready to be released, so we'll be holding our collective breath right up until the moment we see a press release.

[Via Unwired View]

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T-Mobile gets rough with Motorola's MOTOACTV W450

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE

Ruggedized handsets are all the rage at the moment, and T-Mobile's the latest carrier to bow to the trend with the MOTOACTV W450 from (who else?) Motorola. Moto's advertising the colorful flip by saying that it's ready for "the great outdoors or the corporate jungle" thanks to a rubberized coating, chin bar for clipping the thing to your carabiner as you're rappelling some sheer cliff in Tasmania, and Mayo Clinic's In Touch software built-in for learning how to treat your life-threatening injuries when you fall off. It's got a 1.3-megapixel camera, quadband EDGE, stereo Bluetooth, and microSD expansion up to 2GB -- not massive, but probably enough for a jog, unless you're some insane endurance runner. Look for the W450 today in your choice of alpine white / canary yellow or black slate / mandarin.

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Concept phone can see through walls -- in theory

Filed under: Handsets, KDDI

Remember that scene in 'The Dark Knight' where (spoiler alert!) Batman uses the city's cell-phones to look through walls and find the bad guys? Totally awesome, right!? A group of scientists at KDDI apparently thought so too, creating a prototype they say could do something similar. Using geomagnetic sensors, accelerometers, and GPS, the device is able to determine its position and render its surroundings on the screen in OpenGL, including areas that are currently out of sight. We're guessing you must have already scanned those areas with the phone and that it can't actually see through walls, but we'd be happy to be proven wrong -- whenever they actually have something to show us. Like the group's funky concept phones we brought to you earlier, this one doesn't actually work. Yet.

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Keepin' it real fake, part CXLII: Sony Ericsson's T700 gets a twin (sans Ericsson)

Filed under: Handsets, Sony Ericsson

We've always wondered when we'd see a KIRF that was actually more desirable than the original, and while this ripped T700 isn't quite as succulent at SE's own T700, it's closer than most... on the outside. This touchscreen-based cellphone (which is obviously masquerading as a camera) supposedly sports a Carl Zeiss lens, a 5x optical zoom (seriously?), 8-megapixel sensor, a microSD slot and easily one of the nastiest user interfaces we've ever had the displeasure of laying eyes on. Hit the read link if you're into that type of sick stuff , and jump on past the break for a front side shot.

[Via MobileMentalism]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CXLII: Sony Ericsson's T700 gets a twin (sans Ericsson)

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HP's Silver smartphone in the wild

Filed under: Handsets, Windows Mobile, HP, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

After missing its July release target by a country mile, we'd thought the Silver may have been canned -- but nope, she's alive and well, strutting her stuff for a few privileged hands around the world. The HSDPA 7.2Mbps handset with GPS and WiFi takes the original candybar Pearl's wildly successful format and applies a hearty dose of Windows Mobile Standard -- not a concept that's going to appeal to everyone, but for the S740 shoppers of the world, a totally viable alternative. So we know Vodafone has a keen eye on releasing this; anyone else?

Gallery: HP's Silver smartphone in the wild

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Apple drops iPhone NDA

Filed under: Apple

Apple's insistence on locking down iPhone developers with a restrictive NDA has been controversial from the start, and it looks like the company's seen the light -- it's just posted up a tersely-worded letter saying that the NDA is being dropped. It's a strange little note, actually -- the first paragraph comes off as a little defensive and whiny, if you ask us -- but we're not going to complain about anything that makes developing apps easier and faster for devs. Now let's work on not capriciously rejecting and deleting apps from the App Store, and maybe we can go back to focusing on the iPhone platform's actual merits instead of all these paperwork shenanigans -- we've got some suggestions if you're having a hard time figuring this out on your own.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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HTC's Rose (alias S740) gets FCC approval

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, GSM, EDGE

Like most new HTC codenames, the Rose had been a bit of a mystery to us when it first came out of the woodwork in some Bluetooth SIG documentation; it later turned out to be the very well-concealed S740. Unlike the ROSE100 model that we saw with the SIG, though, the FCC latched onto a ROSE110, giving us fleeting hope that there might be some North American 3G buried in this one. Alas, it's nothing more than EDGE 850 / 1900, Bluetooth, and WiFi -- a crying shame, considering what a unique little beast the S740 turned out to be. Maybe we can hold out hope for a ROSE120 down the road?

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Toshiba powers cell phone with methanol fuel cell -- no, you can't have one

Filed under: Toshiba

Toshiba continues to tease us with its prototype liquid fuel cell-powered gadgets: last year it was a Gigabeat media player, and at this year's CEATEC you can check out a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) that's been crammed inside a cell phone, lending it a robust six hours of talk time (compared to the paltry three or four hours of a traditional battery). Toshiba won't reveal the capacity of the DMFC, but they have said that a 50ml cartridge is good for about 15 refills. No release date yet, but the phone "might" be available "as early as next year." In the meantime, enjoy this picture of a woman holding a flip phone with "DMFC" clearly visible on the display.

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DoCoMo's separated phone hands-on and video from CEATEC

We got all down and dirty with DoCoMo and Fujitsu's prototype "Separated phone" today at CEATEC, and we can confirm that the device does, in fact do what they say it does. As reported earlier, the device uses Bluetooth to communicate between the phone's two magnetized halves, enabling configurations in everything from standard clamshell to gaming landscape formats. Perhaps the most compelling configuration is one that allows the phone to be held to the ear while one accesses data on the another half, complete with neck cramps. The touchscreen, Symbian S60-based UI was easy enough to use (albeit in Japanese) and features a hearty media playback element, but we were unable to squeeze any commitment to a launch date, price, or probability of seeing the unit on the market. That all said, the demo units were very much operational as you can see for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading DoCoMo's separated phone hands-on and video from CEATEC

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Another look at KDDI's CEATEC concepts

Filed under: Features, KDDI

When the coup de grace of your CEATEC showing is a concept phone designed to look like a frickin' satellite, you know you've got some winners on your hands. KDDI's known for trotting out some really cool concepts in the past, and its latest batch is no exception -- check 'em out over on Engadget.

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Samsung Sway, Motorola Rapture get dates and prices on Verizon

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Samsung, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA

A reasonably attractive pair of phones that have been in the wings for a while now on Verizon are finally hitting next week -- October 6, to be exact. The Motorola VU30 Rapture is the first of the pair, a glossy flip set to do battle with Sprint's VE20 featuring a 2-megapixel camera, touch-sensitive external display (Verizon calls it "vanishing"), GPS, and EV-DO for $179.99 on a two-year contract or $299.99 with no Hancock required. Next, we have the Samsung u650 Sway, a silvery slider coming in at 0.47 inches thick and a feature list eerily reminiscent of the VU30's, right down to the 2-megapixel cam -- though EV-DO is strangely missing, as far as we can tell. Where they got the name "Sway" for a slider, though, is beyond us. Look for this one to run $119.99 on a two-year, $239.99 contract-free.

Gallery: Samsung Sway, Motorola Rapture get dates and prices on Verizon

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