25 Jun 08 Some more pics of the BlackBerry Kickstart
We bought you the scoop on RIM’s first flipper, the Kickstart, last month. Now feast your eyes on some live pictures of the clamshell, courtesy of BerryShack. Here’s a rundown of the known specs:
- Internal LCD: 240×320
- External LCD: 160×128
- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
- “Next Gen” SureType keyboard
- 2 Megapixel camera
- 16-bit color LCDs
- WiFi 802.11b/g
- 3.5mm headset jack
- 4.6 OS
Rumors point to a T-Mobile release in September but until then, you will have to be satisfied with a couple more snaps after the break…
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Tags: kickstart
24 Jun 08 Alltel Upgrades Rev. A Network
Alltel isn’t happy with their current Rev. A network and they have just announced they will be upgrade it in the following months. 18 new markets will be added to their current count in the next 6 months. We’ve seen how AT&T went all full HSPA in all their markets so Alltel’s efforts to expand their high speed network come right in time.
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Tags: Alltel, EV-DO Rev A
24 Jun 08 Totally Unlimited Plan from Virgin Mobile
Well here’s something I wasn’t really expecting. Virgin Mobile is offering a “Totally Unlimited” plan for just $79.99 starting with July 1st. And that’s not even it. Apparently this new plan will be the first unlimited nationwide calling plan with no contract and more importantly with no roaming charges. Ok, where’s the catch? The hidden clause? You know, where are we supposed to sign with blood?
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Tags: payment solution, virgin, Virgin Mobile
24 Jun 08 Rumored: 3G iPhone Going on Sale July 11th 8 AM
Word on the street is that the 3G iPhone will be sold starting July 11th 8 AM. Apparently this is another leaked piece of news from AT&T so I wouldn’t be surprised if tomorrow they will announce anything different.
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24 Jun 08 Nokia Finally Buys Symbian
That’s right you heard me right, Nokia is finally buying Symbian out. It was something bound to happen. One of the top seller of regular and smart cell phones will completely own Symbian. And there’s a twist to this transaction too. Nokia is going to go open source on Symbian software.
The remaining 52% of Symbian will go down for about $410 million. Not too bad Nokia, not to bad! And now the fun part follows. After the transaction will be complete, Nokia, joined by none others than Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Japanese NTT DoCoMo will start a Coalition of the Willing-like foundation which will turn the software into a free, open source resource. The three different Symbian versions will be combined into one larger open platform.
According to Nokia, AT&T, LG Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC are also interested in joining. And probably more carriers and cell phone manufacturers will follow.
All in all this is a good and, I would say expected move from Nokia. With competition closing in on mobile OS, open sourcing Symbian seems like the smart thing to do. Good thing for them Android is taking too damn long to come out. Windows Mobile is however, a worthy adversary, and with LiMo’s Linux intentions we could witness a mobile OS revolution.
via AP
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Tags: Android, Nokia, symbian, Windows Mobile
24 Jun 08 Nokia N78 Mobile Phone Hits USA
Folks in the US can look forward to Nokia’s latest Nseries device, the Nokia N78, with features like assisted GPS (A-GPS), a 3.2 megapixel camera and HSDPA connectivity. With support for Nokia’s suite of Ovi services, you can do a lot more on your mobile phone. There’s an integrated FM transmitter that lets you broadcast music from your phone onto your car stereo – so there’s no need to splurge on an additional accessory.
The Nokia N78 comes with a 3-month trial navigation license for the Nokia Maps service. With A-GPS, you can also geotag your images and upload them to Share on Ovi. With support for 8GB on an optional microSD memory card, audiophiles can look forward to carrying their music with them.
Thanks to Web Runtime technology, you get useful little widgets for weather, sports, news and more. More widgets are available using the Download! client on the Nokia N78 or through the MOSH platform.
Priced at US $560, the Nokia N78 mobile phone will be available in Nokia Flagship stores in Chicago and New York.
(via press)
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24 Jun 08 Softbank and Apple announce the 3G iPHONE Price for Japan
Apple’s 3G iPhone has now reached the stores for sale. If you are in Japan, you can choose to pay 23,000 Yen (138€) for the 8GB version or 35,000 Yen (209€) for the 16GB version. Avail of the offer giving unlimited free calls from 1 to 21 as per White plan. Hey! You can enjoy Unlimited Data package by paying just 6,000 yen (36€). Hurry up to get 90 days free telephone support.
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24 Jun 08 Motorola MING A1600 and A1800 get official
After clearing the FCC in May, Motorola has now officially unveiled the new MING A1600 and A1800 along with the Motozine ZN5. These two touchscreen entrants retain the same form factor as the original MING, the A1200, but are somewhat updated to match at least some of the features that are becoming ubiquitous in today’s market. While both the A1600 and A1800 support tri-band GSM networks with EDGE speeds, run on Linux, have a 3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth with A2DP, GPS, and a microSD slot, the A1800 has two radio transmitters enabling it to connect to two different networks simultaneously with support CDMA networks too apparently. Sadly missing is WiFi and 3G, which could have added a bit more pull to these two devices, but since emerging markets seem to be Motorola’s target this time, we will just ignore that important fact.
As I said before, the A1600 and A1800 will most probably head to China before making rounds in other developing markets at a price that is not revealed yet.
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24 Jun 08 Palm Centro, now available unlocked
If you are still tethered to your least favorite carrier just because your beloved Centro is available on it, we have got news for you. For $299, you will be able to enjoy the Centro and the reasons that made it successful without the hassle of a carrier plan and the freedom to choose the network you want. The specs will remain the same as the AT&T’s version with quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/900 Mhz network support, EDGE speeds, Bluetooth, and instant messaging, but the liberated version will get a gray number pad instead of AT&T’s green.
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Tags: Palm Centro, unlocked
23 Jun 08 Samsung Omnia Coming in Q3 2008 from AT&T
After Samsung Instinct arrived people already started to talk about the Samsung Omnia 900. Both are very dependable handsets, both appear to be worthy adversaries to the iPhone or the HTC Touch Diamond. The Omnia i900 was supposed to arrive on June 9th but something else might have happened that day. And it appears that AT&T is going to launch it since they are saying that the Omnia i900 will be officially launched somewhere in Q3 2008.
Well isn’t that convenient? I mean sure, if AT&T is launching it, why do it now when they’re waiting for July 11th? They must be really busy right? Why waste potential iPhone customers on Samsung’s Omnia?
As for the Omnia 900 itself, we’ve heard so much but we’re still waiting for more. We’re supposed to be expecting a Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone with an unconfirmed 3.2 WQVGA touch screen. There’s GSM 850/900/1800/1900 network support, HSDPA at 7.2Mbps, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and TV-out. And there are two versions: 8GB and 16GB. If one is black and the other one white, we’re not going to call it coincidence any more.
Here’s a video of the Omnia i900. That’s the least we can do.
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Tags: OMNIA, Samsung, Samsung Instinct
23 Jun 08 Nokia to Acquire Plazes
Well Nokia can pretty much buy anything they want. They’re only first when it comes to counting how many cell phones one has sold so far this year. We’ve seen how they bought Norwegian Trolltech a while ago and now they are getting ready to buy out Plazes, a 13 people start-up German start-up company based in Berlin.
Curios what a Plazes is? It’s a social activity service which allows you to plan, record and share your social activities. Better set your stories straight as you will be able to check out where you were in the past, where you are in the present and what the future will have for you. Nope, it’s not a fortune telling app, but rather a detailed journal of your whereabouts. So be careful when you start introducing places in Nokia’s Plazes.
Nokia found the Plazes thing pretty interesting and worth buying it out. Nokia’s social environment will benefit from the addition of Plazes. The German application will add place and time as elements of social networking. Friends we’ll know when you were there and where you are now. Kinda like a Twitter for social events.
So Nokia, how much did you pay for Plazes?
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Tags: Nokia, ovi, social networking, social networks
23 Jun 08 Softbank Announces iPhone Prices for Japan
Softbank is the Japanese carrier that managed to snatch a deal with Apple for releasing the 3G iPhone in Japan. I’m not going to build up suspense and throw it right in the first paragraph. The 8GB version will cost about $215 or 23,040 Yen which is almost matching AT&T’s price.
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23 Jun 08 T-Mobile’s Early Termination Fees Reduced
Carriers in the USA are doing their best to lower those early termination fees. We’ve seen how AT&T worked their plans out to lower those early termination fees and now it’s T-Mobile’s turn. Let’s see how they’ll do it. FCC will be making up some rules for early termination fees after the recent events related to these unfair fees. Sprint Nextel was recently involved in a trial in California and more carriers might follow.
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Tags: payment solution, prepaid SIM, T-Mobile
23 Jun 08 Rumored: Unsubsidized 3G iPhone for $700?
Here we are sports’ fans with yet another iPhone post. There are those who love the iPhone and those who hate it, cough Ballmer cough, but as long as Apple’s makes the news with it, we will have to cover it. After all, even Bush was constantly covered by the CNN for more than 8 years despite the fact he wasn’t exactly the perfect man to fit the job description. And we aren’t saying the 3G iPhone is the best thing that will ever happen to you. No! But the 4G iPhone will be!
Well whether you love it or you hate it, you might be able to buy the 8GB 3G iPhone for $700. I wonder how can AT&T keep pricing away from us. They leaked so many things before. What’s keeping them to do so now? An unsubsidized iPhone is definitely something they must consider. I know how they’d love to get another million subscribers who are only interested in the device and not the carrier. But I think it should only be fair of them to offer customers the ability of choosing between a subsidized phone with a plan or an overpriced free phone.
Looking over the yard, O2 is going to offer the iPhone for just £350 when a customer chooses a prepaid plan. That’s about $700 for the 8GB version. Considering you will end up paying over $2,000 after a two years AT&T plan, $700 sound much better.
iPhone haters you may look now, this post is over. Oh, one more question. Would you get a $700 iPhone?
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23 Jun 08 Would You Buy a Phone Made From Trash?
Is Nokia actually considering manufacturing a phone made out of trash? Is this their response to Samsung getting ready to launch their first handset made of corn?
When I read trash I think recycled materials which sounds like a good idea. After all why not try to re use materials which were previously a part of a defunct cell phone? Just put them back in the melting machine and let the robots recreate cases and keypads from old materials. This would effectively take care of some of those old phones transformed into polluting waste. Why stop there? Why not recycle other materials which have nothing to do with cell phones but become waste and potentially toxic?
The new phone made from trash is apparently code named Remade. Wow this is such an original name. People must have missed good sleep hours to come up with it. The Remade will be made from recycled materials. The keypad and gaskets are supposed to come out of tires and plastic components and the shell will be composed of recycled metal from cans.
How smart will the Remade be? Just so I can figure out if I’d get one.
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23 Jun 08 T-Mobile USA Introduces Nokia 6301 and Samsung SGH-T339
We’ve seen lots of cell phone launches lately with even more to follow. We had Apple’s iPhone which we keep hearing stuff about, we had the Sony Ericsson phone spree last week, we had the Samsung Instinct getting a great price with terms and conditions and more. And T-Mobile USA isn’t going to sit and just take it. They are bringing not one, but two cell phones, the Nokia 6301 and the Samsung SGH-t339. And these phones have a special cherry on top. T-Mobile will include HotSpot@Home Service support which means unlimited calling over WiFi from both handsets.
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23 Jun 08 Motorola ZN5 gets official
I know 5 megapixels is so passe, now that Sony Ericsson has started the next step in cameraphone evolution with its 8.1mpx lens, but the name “Kodak” should still ignite some fire in some die-hard photogs. Anyways, Motorola has finally admitted its existence and with all the leaks, we pretty much know what else the ZN5 has other than the Kodak-branded 5mpx lens. Although there’s no 3G, this shooter will work on 900/1800/1900 MHz networks and has EDGE support. The 2.4-inch display is good enough to work as a viewfinder and Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR and WiFi should just about take care of any connectivity needs. The whole setup runs on Montavista Linux 2.6.1 OS along with TV-out and a media player.
China is the first frontier with rest of the Asia to follow. No word on whether it will make an appearance stateside or not.
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Tags: 5 megapixel, kodak, zn5
22 Jun 08 Rumored: TomTom 7
The TomTom 7 hasn’t been officially released but apparently a certain number of HTC Touch Diamond have this version of the popular European GPS service. Why not all of them? Why hasn’t the TomTom7 been officially released?
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Tags: 3g iphone, GPS, HTC Touch Diamond, tomtom
22 Jun 08 Apple Expected to Sell 10 Million iPhones in Q3 2008
Not that this is breaking news to anyone but Apple is going to make lots of money off the 3G iPhone. And I say this a millionth time (ok I might have said it ten times so far), they will make money because it’s an Apple iPhone, with a great Apple long term marketing plan. The Samsung iPhone will not sell as many handsets. Nor will the HTC iPhones. I’d dare RIM to make as much money from their future Thunder which might be so much better than the second generation iPhone.
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Tags: Apple, iPhone, Mobile News
22 Jun 08 Cinderella Phone from Sharp
We’ve seen quite a few phone combos this days. We have seen the award winning Asus Lamborghini, we have looked at Motorola Ferrari, so it’s time we checked out a Sharp Cinderella phone too. It appears that Walt Disney and Sharp agreed to manufacture such a phone. But for whatever reason this collection handset will be available from Softbank in Japan only.
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Tags: Sharp. Disney
