While we here at Gadgetell have been wondering just how well the Palm Pre is actually doing, it seems like we are still getting mixed signals overall. And in this particular case, the mixed signal is actually a price drop. And a price drop that has quickly followed another price drop.

In this case that means that our friends who are north of the border, well those who are either on or willing to switch to Bell will be able to score a Palm Pre for just $99.95 (CAD).

Now normally I would consider a price drop a nice thing, and and just rejoice in the fact that any would be customers can save a little money, but in this instance I am left wondering if the drop has anything to do with poor sales.

You see, I only say that because the Palm Pre was given a $50 price drop back towards the end of last month which brought the price down to $149.99. And now another $50 price drop has brought it down to $99.99.

Either way, good for Bell customers, maybe bad for Palm and Bell. Maybe now we can see a little bit of that lower Pre pricing come down here to the US and Sprint. Of course, with all the recent press Sprint has been getting for their Android offerings lately, a price drop on the Pre may be a helpful thing.

Read [Bell]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

As if the new Droid phone from Motorola wasn’t enough, Verizon Wireless has announced the launch of the LG Chocolate Touch.  The Chocolate Touch has a 3 inch touch screen, a 3.2MP camera, full HTML browser, 1GB of memory with additional memory up to 16GB easily added via the SD slot, a music player that plays back MP3, WMA and ACC files, a built in FM radio, Bluetooth, EVDO Rev. 0 connectivity and easy access to social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

Verizon is offering the Chocolate Touch for just $80 with a 2 year contract and after a $50 mail in rebate.  Be warned however that the rebate will come in the form of a prepaid debit card, not a check.  The Chocolate Touch looks to be a big seller this holiday season and is just the first in a line of hot new phones being introduced by the big 4 cell providers.  T-Mobile will be offering the My Touch 3G Fender Limited Edition and Samsung Behold II while Sprint will offer the HTC Hero and Samsung Moment and AT&T will have the Pantech Reveal.

Sprint and AT&T are also said to be working on a nationwide launch of new netbooks. Sprint will offer the Dell Mini 10 while AT&T will offer the Nokia Booklet 3G, which will be a Best Buy exclusive over the holidays.  The netbook boasts a 10 inch display, 12hr battery life and Windows 7.  It will be offered for $299 with a data plan or a whopping $599 without.

Read [PR Newswire]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

It looks like AT&T users may soon have one more BlackBerry to choose from, that is assuming we can believe the latest rumor. Sadly, though aside from the above image there are little to no details as to when this is expected to be available. Price wise, it would be safe to think that it would drop at the same price as the existing Curve 8900 in black, which is currently $149.99.

That said, I am not sure I really like this model. Which is a change because I am typically a fan of white phones, but this one sort of looks a little toy like. Maybe it is just because of the image.

Of course, a white BlackBerry Curve 8900 would fit the pattern. After all the black Curve 8900 has been out for a little while now, and it has also been reasonable successful.

Via [BGR]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

This latest release by Slacker seems to be following in the path of their recent decision to phase out of the hardware business—the good news is that there is now a Slacker app available in the Android Market.

The Android app, similar to the one for the iPhone and BlackBerry will allow you to enjoy Slacker as well as your customized music experience on the go. I will say that I downloaded, installed and began using the Slacker app yesterday and at least on my HTC Hero, it seems to run much nicer than Pandora. Of course, that was just in my unscientific testing.

Anyway, like I said the app runs well and is very nice. In fact the only drawback that I see is that it does not allow you to cache music for offline use. Which is something that you can do with the BlackBerry app. Possibly that is coming in a future version.

Additionally, Slacker will allow you to listen for free. Of course, there is a paid version available. The free version however is pretty nice, as long as you do not mind the occasional advertisement and being limited to skipping only 6 songs per hour. Those interested will be able to find the Slacker app in the Android Market.

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

FCC listings are always a nice way to get an advance look at what we can expect to see product wise, and this latest listing is not any different. The listing is for the Mini 3iX smartphone, which is the upcoming Android based handset from Dell.

Of course, even though these FCC listings tend to give us an advance look, they often do not give us all of the details. And this is certainly a case of that. What we can tell you though is good news and that comes in the form of 3G support on AT&T bands as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

That said, we have already seen this same handset get released in China, and based on those specs it would seem likely that the US version will also have the a 3.5-inch touchscreen display and 3-megapixel camera.

In terms of a release, while nothing has been made official, the Mini 3iX is expected to hit AT&T sometime in early 2010. Which should make it the first Android based handset to become available with AT&T.

Via [Unwired View]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Perhaps in an effort to not be outdone by Verizon, at least in terms of the BlackBerry, Sprint has also announced the upcoming availability of the Curve 8530. Though the Sprint unveiling was a little light on the details.

Instead of announcing the handset with a release date and price, Sprint choose to simply offer up an “introducing” style page that simply lists the details of the phone and notes it as “coming soon.”

Otherwise, we can tell you that the Sprint branded Curve 8530 will be 3G and Wi-Fi equipped and available in either black or royal purple.

One nice perk about the 8530 is the optical trackpad which comes in lieu of the trackball. Of course, I suppose that would just come down to a matter of personal preference.

Anyway, like I mentioned, nothing in terms of a release date or price. But if Sprint were smart they would release it very close to, if not on November 20 for $99.99, because after seeing the Verizon announcement that is what customers are now going to expect.

Product [Sprint]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

While there are plenty of people that are getting excited about the upcoming handsets becoming available with Verizon Wireless, we now have one more to add to that list—it is the BlackBerry Curve 8530.

Of course, unlike the Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Eris, the Curve 8530 is not going to be available just yet. Instead interested customers will have to wait until November 20 to satisfy their BlackBerry needs. Once available, the newly announced Curve will be selling for $99.99, which comes after a $100 mail in rebate.

Feature wise, the Curve 8530 will offer users an optical trackpad and the full QWERTY keyboard that BlackBerry users have come to both expect and love. Additionally, the Curve will also offer users 3G support, WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, a built-in GPS, a 2-megapixel camera with zoom and video recording and 256MB of internal storage.

And just one last bit, the Curve 8530 will be available in both black or smoky violet.

Read [Verizon Wireless]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The lesser known droid, the HTC Eris, is finally shown in an unboxing event.  This Droid, unlike the Motorola Droid, has not hardware keyboard.  The Eris is a touchscreen beauty running Android 1.6 with Sense UI skin for an HTC feel.

Boy Genius notes that their source says the phone feels lighter and thinner than the HTC Hero.  Another tidbit is this phone supposed is the next best Android phone to date, after the Motorola Droid with 2.0 software.

Our Shawn Ingram had this to say about the Eris:
“The Droid Eris appears to be a repurposed model of the HTC Hero.  It features the same Sense UI as well well as the exact same specs as the Hero.  The only real difference comes in the phone’s body, carrier and price.  While the Hero sells on Sprint for $180 (after rebates), the HTC Droid Eris will be sold by Verizon for $99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.  Given the price point it’s obvious that Verizon views it more as the lesser model to the Motorola Droid.  The phone does have a less powerful processor, a lower resolution screen, no hardware keyboard and runs on Android 1.5 as compared to 2.0 on the Droid so that viewpoint does make sense.”

Read: [Boy Genius Reports]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Yesterday, two tech greats chimed in on reviews of the Droid.  Both Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal and David Pogue of the New York Times reviewed the phone and both came away with an overall positive overview.  Neither reviewer could stay away from constant iPhone comparisons.

Mossberg’s review

Mossberg reviewed the Droid and only managed to say, “iPhone” nine times.  He thought the phone would be a success on the Verizon network, perfect for loyal Verizon users who lust after a decent smartphone without jumping carriers.  “I regard it as a success overall. It’s the best super-smart phone Verizon offers, the best Motorola (MOT) phone I’ve tested and the best hardware so far to run Android.”

That is not to say Mossberg didn’t find problems, it is no secret Mossberg is a huge iPhone fan.  Things like, “Unfortunately for lovers of physical keyboards, I found the one on the Droid to be pretty awful,” and “Another downside: The Droid’s screen has only three panels for displaying apps, versus 11 on the iPhone, and some large apps, called widgets, hog much of the space on these panels.”

Pogue’s review

Pogue, gets right to the heart of the matter: “So is it true? Is the Droid an iPhone killer?  No, but it’s certainly a killer phone.”  Pogue mentions the iPhone 18 times in his review but is able to sum up the phone’s successes:

Since Verizon seems to want a Droid-iPhone faceoff, here it is: the Droid wins on phone network, customizability, GPS navigation, speaker, physical keyboard, removable battery and openness (free operating system, mostly uncensored app store). The iPhone wins on simplicity, refinement, thinness, design, Web browsing, music/video synching with your computer, accessory ecosystem and quality/quantity of the app store.

Pogue laments not having multitouch when surfing.  He must use that a lot more than I, as double tapping seems to be my predominate way to focus.  Pogue also points out that the Droid won’t work out of the USA, out of CDMA anyway which is a point to consider.  Other phones like the BlackBerry Storm can do both CDMA and GSM networks so it can make the trip, too bad that wasn’t included in the Droid.

Summary

Both writers liked the phone and would recommend it.  The tone of both reviews wasn’t one of giddy excitement as they had when reviewing the iPhone.  Both suggest the iPhone is still the king though the little droid is getting close.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Yesterday I posted on the Verizon Droid and what appeared to be the carrier charging more for Exchange access.  It looked ridiculous and it turns out it is.  If you are getting a personal line for the Verizon Droid, you can pay the $30 data plan and enjoy all the Exchange you wish.

The confusion looks to have stemmed from the definition of business.  Carriers consider you a business customer if you use a business credit card and purchase from their business department.  If you are just doing business on a phone in your name, then technically from the carriers point of view, you are not business.

Thanks to Sacha Segan for sorting this out for us.

Read: [GearLog]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

LG had unveiled the GW620 in mid-September and at the time, at least according to the press release it was noted as being headed to “select European markets.” Of course, that did not stop some from hoping to see it become available with AT&T here in the US. Well, in a little bit of good news and bad news, the GW620 did launch somewhere else. In fact it will be coming to North America—but not here in the US.

Instead, Rogers has just listed the GW620, which is also the first Android handset to come from LG. As of now, the handset is listed on the website and is priced at just $49.99 with a three year agreement. Additionally, you can also grab it contract free for a pretty reasonable $399.99. Sadly though, as of now, the GW620 is still listed as being out-of-stock.

Feature wise, the GW620 will offer users a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3-inch touchscreen display, a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus and video capture, Wi-Fi, GPS, an accelerometer, Bluetooth and support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA connectivity. Additionally, the handset will also ship with a 2GB microSD card. And of course, it is running the Android OS, but the listing does not confirm which version.

All things considered, Rogers seems to be shaping up quite nicely as an Android provider. They are already offering both the HTC Dream, err G1 for us here in the US as well as the HTC Magic.

Product [Rogers]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Despite my fanboy like affection for the Pre, and my desire for it to be a perfect phone, there are still some complaints coming from users. One of which that is often heard mentioned is dealing with sluggishness in webOS. Of course, to be fair, I would say webOS is not the only to hear complaints about that.

However that may soon be corrected, because according to statements from Ben Galbraith and Dion Almae of Palm;

“On ease of use, multitasking has been great; UI latency is still an issue even though the hardware is comparable to 3GS. The problem is the path to the GPU didn’t exist, but now with CSS transforms, that will be solved in the immediate future.”

Overall that sounds like a good bit of news, after all what can be better than “immediate.” That said, we are still going to have to sit tight and wait for some more details because we are unsure which update this will be coming with.

We already know that the Palm Pixi is getting ready to launch soon, and we are expecting version 1.3 soon. But we are not sure if these speed UI enhancements will be coming with 1.3 or in a later update. Bottom line, immediate sounds good, but it will be nicer when we have some firm details as to when.

Via [Everything Pre]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Just yesterday we saw the introduction of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 with Rogers. And at the time, the Bold 9700 was listed for $299.99 with the now older model Bold 9000 at a slightly lower $249.99.

Not much of a difference in price, but thankfully the BlackBerry Bold 9000 is now much lower in price, its down to $99.99 on-contract. Of course, that contract is three years.

Additionally, Rogers has also listed the once rumored white BlackBerry Bold 9000. And as you would expect, the white model is priced the same at $99.99 on-contract.

Product [BlackBerry Bold 9000 (white)] Product [BlackBerry Bold 9000 (black)]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Here in the US, Sony Ericsson isn’t high on my list of phones to check out.  Primarily, their inexpensive phones make the trip across the pond and the American public has yet to really embrace them as a quality brand.  That may change with the new XPERIA X10 which is due to become a flagship Android phone for the brand.  All isn’t perfect yet, though.

Slashgear was received by Sony Ericsson and shown the ropes of this phone due in Q1 of 2010.  There is much to brag about, from the custom UI skin that overlays Android 1.6 (that was something to brag about up until last month, now it seems a bit dated with 2.0 in the wild - no word if the X10 will get the update), an 8.1 megapixel camera, a snappy 1 GHz Snapdragon chipset, and a 480x854 capacitive touchscreen.

What is most interesting about the device are it’s two customized apps by Sony Ericsson: Timescape and Mediascape.  As described by Slashgear:

Timescape handles events, with a single view of tumbling panes each detailing the most recent changes, updates or events. SMS or email messages, calls, voicemails, photos, Twitter or Facebook updates and calendar entries are all pulled together into one dangling stream, and you can tap each pane to see it completely; hitting the Infinity symbol in the top corner then pulls together related information from all across the phone and online.

Mediascape, meanwhile, works in a similar way to Timescape but for audio, video and still image content. Three tabs show photos, audio and video, with the top half of the screen having draggable bars showing local content (split into rows by most recent, most played, etc.) while the lower half has online content. Sony Ericsson are working with content providers and carriers to develop this latter content; right now, the XPERIA X10 has access to YouTube video and online galleries, but there’s the potential for carrier-provided streaming music, PlayStation Network integration or third-party services. We’d particularly like to see Spotify integration too.

It was clear the demo Slashgear got was on an unoptomized software so the apps were sluggish to respond.  One of the fun things about Android is the manufacturers ability to create a branded feel of the OS by using skins.  It looks like Sony Ericsson may be onto something here and offered more Android phones would follow in 2010.

Read: [Slashgear]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The successful launch of the Palm Pre, Palm’s darling of a phone running the “revolutionary” webOS was supposed to save Palm.  Launched on June 6 in the US, the Pre was off to a fast start, depending on who you asked.  The Pre continues to be sold on one network, Sprint, while it’s application catalog fills out.  The question now becomes, did the Pre save Palm?

That was the question poised to me by our Robert Nelson who was standing next to me when the phone was announced at CES last year.  Both of us left with a sense of hope and excitement about the new phone and about the webOS.  Where are we now?

Robert says, “To me, I think it has gone stale.  It almost seems that Palm is back on life support.  But at the same time, I like the Pre (of course, that could just be the fan boy in me).”

My take is two parts: I agree with Robert the gloss has faded a bit on the Pre.  I attribute that to an unappealing design, at least for me.  I am edging closer to despising key’d phones, the split second it takes to slide out the keypad or worse, reorient the device is far too long for me.  The Pre doesn’t live on the now network, it lives on the, wait for it, slide out, network.

So it’s clear I am not a big fan of the hardware on the Pre.  That’s a personal call and one that I may be on my own with it; I can deal with that.  I have the same problems with the Moto Droid and the slew of Android phones with slide out full-size keyboards.  A phone store clerk explained it to me like this: the teens and 20 year olds love the slide out, the 30 and up crowd digs the slider phones.  Test that one out, I’ve found it to be a decent predictor.

Part two is this, while the Pre hasn’t saved Palm, the webOS will.  The OS is fun, simple, brilliant in some ways.  I think the Pixi will do well, assuming it gets off Sprint in record time.  I think the phone after Pixi will do even better.  There is much competing operating systems could learn from webOS.  While it still could use some polishing around the edges, it works and works well.

There is no question in my mind that the webOS can compete with Android for most people.  Competing with the iPhone OS isn’t the problem, it’s the Santa’s sack of apps that is getting harder to get around.

What is your take, did the Pre do enough good for Palm?

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

We knew it was too good to be true.  We knew Verizon couldn’t keep it’s mitts off the phone and tweak something to make it less fun. The good news is unlike most of Verizon’s disabled phone, this one can be fixed by throwing money at it.  $15 per month to be exact.

Thanks to the geniuses at Verizon, if you wish to access Exchange mail on your Droid phone you’ll need to cough up another $15 per month.  This is the case for accessing work email on a Microsoft Exchange server as well as accessing GMail via the Exchange platform.  If this seems a bit harsh to you, you’re spot-on.

Verizon’s response to criticism on this is to point out Droid is designed as a non-corporate phone.  A consumer oriented phone like this, isn’t expected to go into Exchange servers, or so the thinking goes.  Tilting the phone as a non-business phone is odd to me.  Horse hockey is what I say.

From InfoWorld: “Verizon offers three data plans for Droid customers: $30 month on top of your voice plan’s rate for non-Exchange usage, $45 per month on top of your voice plan’s rate for Exchange usage, and $50 per month total cost for a data-only plan (whether or not you use it to access Exchange). Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney notes that the requirement to get the $45 “smartphone plan” for corporate e-mail usage applies to any smartphone, such as the BlackBerry—not just to the Droid.”

Contrast that with AT&T’s iPhone and BlackBerry smartphone plan that adds $30 on top of voice and includes Exchange access.  AT&T does have a business plan that mirrors Verizon’s at $45 per month.

While realizing it’s tough being a carrier these days, profiling data is a bad idea.  Data costs the same whether it is a movie streaming, Exchange email or surfing the net.  Verizon should not penalize users based on what data they consume.  Maybe, it’s just $15 a month but it bugs me.  How about you?

Read: [InfoWorld]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Redfly makes a small, instant on netbook-size device that brings your small phone screen to a bigger screen complete with larger keyboard.  Redfly has worked with Windows Mobile phones for some time and now the company announces BlackBerry support.  For users that needs more than the small keyboard and screen a phone offers, this could be a life-saver.

Available in both 7” and 8” models, the Redfly connects to your WinMo or BB smartphone allowing you to bang out emails even faster.  Browsing the web is also possible, though reviewers were not so happy with the results.  Redfly can be used with the BlackBerry Bold 9000, BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Tour 9630.

We’d suggest this device for those who travel often and could use just a little more space.  We’d love the device to be a lot thinner (think Macbook Air thin) a bigger keyboard and a bit more upscale look.  If you are going after business class, you can’t look like economy.  That’s just my opinion though.

There is a contingent that believes this is the wave of the future.  Palm thought this but was ahead of the curve and pulled the program before launching.  As our phones become more powerful and capable, connecting to them seems logical.  To get on the wave, you’ll need $200 or $250 for the 7” and 8” respectively.  Or you can try to win one from Crackberry here.

Read: [Brighthand]

Image credit: Brighthand

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

We have recently seen reports of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 begin delayed here with T-Mobile in the US, but that is not the case north of the border with Rogers.

The newly listed BlackBerry Bold 9700 will set potential users back $299.99, which comes with the standard three-year contract. Of course, there are options for those that prefer to avoid a little bit of that contract. You can also choose to pay $499.99 or $549.99 to go with a two year or one year contract.

One other notable change includes the older model BlackBerry Bold, which has been lowered in price from $299.99 down to $249.99. Still no sign of the white model just yet though, but maybe that is still set to be listed later today.

Product [Rogers]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Tag Heuer has teamed up with Automobili Lamborghini to create a new luxury limited edition phone, known as the MERIDIIST Automobili Lamborghini.  In a tribute to the year Lamborghini was launched, only 1963 phones will be available for sale. 

The phone is crafted from titanium and crystals with a top coat of stainless steel.  The keyboard features the bull logo for Lamborghini while the back of the device is engraved with the phone’s limited edition number.  Features include 28 hours of standby time, 7 hours talk time, 2 megapixel camera sensor, music playback, 2GB, USB compatible, 2 LCD screens, web browser and built in modem.

The MERIDIIST Automobili Lamborghini will be available starting this month through select authorized retailers.  You can find a listing of these retailers on the phone’s official website.  Although no official pricing was announced in the press release today, expect to pay upwards of $8000 to own one of these phones.

Read [Tag Heuer Lamborghini]

Image Source: GQ Magazine

Full Story » | Written by Heather Wood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The Samsung Moment, the world’s first AMOLED screen with slide-out keyboard phone featuring Android is now available from Sprint at $179 after rebates and another 2-year commitment to the carrier.  The phone definitely has some muscle under the hood but does it make up for having Android 1.5?  Read on to find out.

The Moment features a 800MHz processor that drives the phone faster.  Faster than, say, the Motorola Cliq - Engadget found the boot times to be 41 seconds for the Moment and 1:22 for the Cliq, ouch.  A lot of that has to do with the processor and the lack of a skin on the Moment.  The Cliq features a skin on top of the OS called Blur that will add some time to load in.  In other tasks, the faster processor was noticeable making transitions faster and movement through menus faster

The AMOLED or active matrix organic light emitting diode, is inherently rugged, very thin and lightweight and is intended to have lower power consumption rates.  These all add up to a win in the mobile phone market.  In the smartphone wars, every battery-saving advance is a big plus.

Should you buy the Moment?

Sprint recently began selling two Android phones, the Moment which is launching today and the HTC Hero, launched a couple of weeks ago.  The Hero is a physical keyboardless phone running HTC UI skin over the top to give a very specific user experience.  The Hero runs Android 1.5 and it is not clear if an upgrade to 2.0 will be supported (though, we believe it will).

The Moment runs Android 1.5 and again the same upgrade questions abound.  If you need a qwerty keyboard that will fit big hands, the Moment might just be up your alley.  Be warned though, they keyboard is a little on the awkward side: the “z” key extends past the “a” key instead of the other way around.  A nice feature is a row of dedicated number keys.  Keyboard action is good with positive clicks keeping the action familiar.

With just the Cupcake update to the Android system, users will miss out on the updated Android Market, Google Navigation and the goodness that built into 2.0.  Sprint ought to be upfront with potential buyers on the upgrade possibility for this phone.  The phone is capable of over-the-air updates, so upgrading is a real possibility.

My call: hold off until either Sprint makes it clear on upgrades or you get some time on the new Verizon Droid (a 2.0 device) so you can decide if you need the latest.  Nobody likes walking out of a store with last years software and at $179 and two years commitment, you shouldn’t have to.

Product Page: [Sprint]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

I am loathe to use job posting info on what a company is thinking but it is worth mentioning that RIM is looking for a webkit developer presumably to help out with Blackberry’s browser.  In addition to their recent Torch Mobile purchase it seems clear RIM is owning up to the fact that their browser needs some love.  Somebody wise once said, “knowing is half the battle” though that could have been G.I.Joe. 

From CNET on the BlackBerry Storm 2 browser:

“We thought that the BlackBerry browser was slightly faster and easier to navigate than previous versions, but it still needs a lot of work to catch up to the browsers on the iPhone, the Palm Pre, and the HTC Hero. “

Yesterday, Robert Scoble wrote a post on which mobile phone OS developers though was best.  He asked Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora on download numbers for the top three OS for the wildly popular Pandora app.  The results might not surprise you, but Roberts comments caught me off guard.  While the iPhone claimed top honors, BlackBerry was in the #2 slot and Android was #3.  What caught me off guard were comments about which two OS developers were looking at to develop for:

Westergren told me if he were starting development today he’d build for the above three platforms and is seeing more growth in Android than the others, so he’d bias to iPhone and Android, if he had to make a choice of only two platforms to develop on. This is also what I’m hearing from many other developers.

So if developers are looking elsewhere, the browser isn’t a game winner, is the Storm relegated to just an option for BB owners?  Essentially RIM has spent a lot of money on R&D to simply fracture their customers.

Not a good scenario all the way around.

Read [careerbeacon] via [Engadget ]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

New York State has just added a new law that further bans the use of cell phones while driving. Effective immediately, drivers can no longer text while driving and if they are caught doing so they face a fine of up to $150.

While a great law, for me this always goes back to common sense. Personally, I do not mind seeing laws like this but at the same time hate seeing laws that are passed that should just be common sense. Bottom line, it is not safe to text and drive.

Of course, this like many other offenses this is considered a secondary violation. Which technically means that you cannot be pulled over for texting and driving alone. The officer would also need another reason, that said, it seems safe to believe that they could most likely find something. After all, no driver is perfect.

Anyway, the real strange part here is that this texting and driving ban comes a long time after, in fact it comes years after they banned talking while driving. I guess we can just say, better late than never.

Read [Poughkeepsie Journal]  Via [MobileCrunch]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

By now we all know that the Motorola Droid is coming to Verizon this Friday, November 6th.  Verizon hasn’t been keeping many secrets about the Droid, aside from maybe the fact that Droid is looking to be a full brand rather than just one phone.  A leaked document found by Engadget is pointing to a new phone, the Droid Eris, which is made by HTC and is set to be released on the same day.

The Droid Eris appears to be a repurposed model of the HTC Hero.  It features the same Sense UI as well well as the exact same specs as the Hero.  The only real difference comes in the phone’s body, carrier and price.  While the Hero sells on Sprint for $180 (after rebates), the HTC Droid Eris will be sold by Verizon for $99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.  Given the price point it’s obvious that Verizon views it more as the lesser model to the Motorola Droid.  The phone does have a less powerful processor, a lower resolution screen, no hardware keyboard and runs on Android 1.5 as compared to 2.0 on the Droid so that viewpoint does make sense.

The only real downside to the Droid Eris being on Verizon at such a (relatively) low price-point is that Sprint HTC Hero owners might feel bad about spending the extra $80 on what is essentially the same phone.  Verizon could be missing a big point in not marketing the Droid Eris if it is coming in on the same day as the Droid.  True, the focus is (and should be) on the Droid, but that doesn’t make the Sense UI any less desirable to many people.  It’s clear that Verizon is really getting the Android platform and pushing the newer features, which is definitely a welcome move.

Via [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Mobile search isn’t anything new, Google’s had m.google.com for years now and it works well on mobile devices that need info fast without all the glamor of the standard Google site (sarcasm).  Bing has been rising in the charts but needs to find a way to continue to grow; its answer: mobile Bing.

I have to keep reminding myself this is a Microsoft product because the Bing team keeps offering something new for users.  For example, in making Bing mobile, they added some mobile-specific features that will perk your interest.  The first is flight info, simply go to Bing and enter in your flight number and you’ll be given gate info, departure and arrival info.  That is super handy for mobile users that actually are mobile as they dash across the airport.

Another new feature is what Bing calls the NFL Feature.  Simply enter the name of your team or player and you’ll receive info on schedule, standings, and while the game is on you’ll get real-time stats.  Super handy for data freaks and fantasy leaguers.

Bing has added a special version for mobile touchscreen devices such as iPhone, Zune HD, T-Mobile G1, Verizon Imagio, or Samsung Omnia.  Not a big list but the Bing team will be adding support for more devices in the near future.

I used the touchscreen version of Bing mobile to search for movies and compared to the same search on Google, the Bing Mobile search was much better looking, more complete and offered trailers without any extra work from me.  It is worth checking out and with clear, concise data you may find you don’t need a full featured browser on your mobile device.  Bing Mobile might even look good on a Windows Mobile device.  Yikes.

You can find Bing Mobile at m.bing.com

Read: [Bing Blog]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

This week stands out for me and my mobile phone addiction.  Big announcements in the tech world get us all excited until we stop to ask some questions.  Then we get kind of pissed off and start turning on the hype.  Behold the gems I turned up this week:

• Sears says deals won’t wait for Black Friday
• Microsoft has trust issues
• Barnes and Noble doesn’t want to start fist fights
• HTC brags about being smart

Sears says screw the calendar

Just the mention of Black Friday and shoppers pupils dilate just a bit, showing their arousal.  Sears has decided the calendar is for suckers and has started their sale this weekend.  Why not?  Our Sue Walsh explains:

Sears has announced it will be kicking off the holiday shopping season this weekend by offering special Black Friday deals.  It plans to offer those special “Black Friday Now” deals every Saturday from 7am until Christmas.

The Saturday after Christmas Sears shoppers will be welcomed by 1,000s of Abe Lincoln impersonators as the store kicks off “President’s Day Now” sale.  Feel free to move holidays around at home kids, it is the new marketing paradigm.  Somewhere, Sears marketing team is giggling at duping the American public.

Microsoft says manufacturers can’t be trusted

Our Heather Wood posted about Microsoft’s Signature PCs: “When you usually buy a PC, you have to spend time removing all of the pre-installed applications on the computer.  These can include 30 day music trials, limited anti-virus protection software and photo editing tools you probably will never use.  On these signature PCs, no crapware or trials will be included. “

Instead, Microsoft Signature PCs that they are selling direct to consumers will have only the basics installed.  The take-away from this is Microsoft is attempting to control the experience consumers have with their products.  Clearly, MS feels the crapware festival that greets most new owners is less than stellar.

It is a good move for MS but you’ve got to wonder, if companies pay to get crapware there in the first place, will prices go up?  Could this start a price war between MS and manufacturers at other retailers?  This could mean the net result of MS adventures in retailing will be to lower prices in an ever-dropping market.  Sweet.

Barnes and Nobles averts reader wars

What is likely to happen when folks who love hard covers and the smell of a new book mix with internet-loving einkers?  Book fight!  Imagine volume upon volume being flung about as screams of “tree killer” and “experience killer” get flung just as hard.  It is a nightmarish scene typically reserved for winning an NBA championship.

Our Robert Nelson commented on the plan: “Personally, it seems only logical that Barnes & Noble would have at least some Nooks in stock and ready for those that want instant gratification. But that is not the case, instead it looks like only select locations will have them available to purchase and take home.”

Only a crackhead could come up with a crazy retail plan, right?  Do they really fear book fights?  Are they worried the Nook would convert masses away from physical books and drive them to their online bookstore?  Sounds like some paranoid addict is afraid of losing retail locations over this.  That’s embarrassing.

HTC brags

It’s been my experience that folks that are actually smart don’t need to say it, much less make it their new advertising campaign.  So it goes with HTC’s new “quietly brilliant” as our Robert Nelson explains:

HTC has just recently begun a new ad campaign which deems them as “Quietly Brilliant” and is simply going by the name of “You.” While some may say that the quietly brilliant part is a bit self centered, the You campaign in general appears to be offering a welcomed push at showing consumers just how nice it can be to have a smartphone.

I am quietly brilliant too.  Something along the lines of “keep your mouth shut and let everyone assume your’re an idiot vs. opening your mouth and proving it,” springs to mind.  Wait, wasn’t this the plot to “Good Will Hunting”?  Will HTC singlehandedly relaunch the career of Ben Affleck, (who was the bomb in Phantoms)?  Doubt it.

Robert focuses on the “You” side of the campaign and the “you don’t need to get a phone, you need a phone that gets you” but that troubles me.  I don’t get me.  How can I expect some engineers in Taiwan to get me?  Should I be flattered if they do?  Can I get a phone number if they do to talk about being penpals?

Either way, I find the concept disturbing.  How about you?  Do you think they get you?

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Just yesterday, Sprint executive David Owens took some time and did a live chat for Sprint customers and in that chat were some interesting tidbits.

To begin, plenty of Android users have been wondering about the Hero. Well he confirmed that the HTC Hero, along with the yet-to-be released Samsung Moment would both be getting an update. With that the speculation is that it will skip the current version 1.6 and go directly to Android 2.0. Of course, we still do not have a firm timeline on when that will happen.

Additional Android related news came in the form of an interesting product. It seems that Sprint is “considering an Android phone with a built-in MiFi-type router.”

That last bit by itself is interesting, but at the same time it is good news because David Owens also mentioned that Sprint will never allow “tethering for phones that require Everything plans (such as all smartphones) from here on out.”

Moving on, for those not interested in Android, we also have some BlackBerry and Windows Mobile details.

The BlackBerry news included that the Tour will have Wi-Fi support added and that they will also begin offering other Wi-Fi equipped BlackBerry models in the future.

As far as Windows Mobile, this was mentioned, but less than exciting. Sprint is currently in the testing phase for Windows Mobile 6.5 updates on the HTC Touch Pro2 and other Windows phones. So far nothing firm was given as to when you can expect to see that available, however it is planned for “early 2010.” Additionally, Windows Mobile 7 is coming, but as you would expect that timeline is still in the hands of Microsoft.

Finally, Sprint is also looking to release some WiMax phones next year.

Via [GearLog]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

With all the hype around Google’s big announcement yesterday that they would be providing Android devices with free turn-by-turn directions, you’d think stand alone GPS companies should call it a day and pack up the office.  But we are missing something: nowhere does Google say anything about spoken turn-by-turn directions.

Turn left in 1.3 miles

One of the best features in a GPS navigation system, in my book at least, is audible instructions so I don’t have to take my eyes off the road.  TeleNav, which I use, even speaks the road names I should be turning on to.  How can a GPS navigation system be viable without spoken instructions?  Isn’t this traffic safety week or something?

Rerouting?

I’ve been thinking since the announcement that I must have overlooked it.  I twittered my question to bloggers and got no responses.  I combed Google’s Navigation site and watched videos.  The closest I came to any kind of confirmation was a mute button.  Not very convincing, right?

There is nothing better than connected GPS (IMO) and Google brings this.  I really dig the street view, another great thing Google brings.  But without spoken navigation instructions, what’s the point?  It will be just a step above the Google Maps route info on the iPhone.  At best, we can hope to get pulled over by all these no texting laws for this, at worst we take our eyes off the road and miss who knows what.  Surely Google isn’t trying to kill us, right?

I’ll continue searching.  If you find something on this, post it in the comments.  We’ll get to the bottom of this, hopefully before the phone launches.

Read: [Google Navigation]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Word is that Verizon will launch not one Droid phone in early November, but two.  You know one, the Motorola Droid, the other looks to be the HTC Eris and is quite unlike the Motorola’s version.  The two will run Android but that is about all that keeps them similar.

OS

The Motorola phone features the hot-off-the-presses Android 2.0 and offers unfettered access to the Android operating system.  HTC, on the other hand, features Android 1.5 with the sense UI from HTC.  The sense UI acts as a skin to provide users a different feel than just Android.  The experience is intended to be simpler for common tasks; HTC is regarded as top dog in the skins world.  It is unclear if HTC will upgrade its sense UI to 2.0 and if so, will the HTC Eris be supported for this upgrade.

Form factor

The Motorola Droid features a slide out QWERTY keypad that is getting mixed reviews.  The trade off for being oh-so-slim is very short key action and the result seems to be a less than stellar typing experience.  As with anything, the more you use it, but better it feels.

The HTC Eris is a true touchscreen phone.  The soft keyboard has more in common with the iPhone than Motorola’s version.  This makes choosing a Droid phone very easy: how do you like your keyboards: hard or soft?

Processors

This is an oft debated aspect, but for what it worth the Motorola has a 585MHz processor while the Eris has a 528MHz

Price

Yesterday, Verizon and Motorola announced their phone would be $199 after appropriate contracts, rebates, spiffs, and insults were done.  The HTC Eris in contrast is rumored to be the working-man’s phone at just $99. 

Marketing

So far, Verizon’s only talked freely about the Motorola version.  Pricing the HTC touchscreen version at the iPhone price seems to suggest the Motorola version is more of an upgrade in buyers’ eyes.  Verizon knows phone folks are going to gravitate to the up-speced version, the Motorola Droid.  Word is the $99 Eris will be just fine for most folks looking to get some of that soft keyboard touchscreen love.

Read: [BoyGeniusReports] and [Phandroid]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

I spent some time this morning digging around for some Android information, and ended up with some interesting info on the BlackBerry Bold instead. According to a Phandroid tipster, it seems that Rogers has a few goodies in store for customers beginning on November 3.

Of course, due to the website that provided this information, the highlight of their post was in regards to the Android based LG Eve that will be available for $49 on contract. Granted the Eve is no Verizon Droid, but that considered, it seems like a good deal. A few of the features of the LG Eve include a full 5-line slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a 3-inch QVGA display.

But moving on to the BlackBerry Bold, according to the image that was provided, Rogers will soon begin offering the BlackBerry Bold in white. That part we already new, but perhaps the better part of that news comes in regards to the pricing—$99 on contract. Sadly though, Rogers like all of the Canadian carriers requires a three-year agreement.

This seems to be a big drop from the current $249.99 price tag. Unfortunately, this is just coming from a tipster and nothing has yet to be confirmed by Rogers. Luckily November 3 is not all that far away.

Read [Phandroid] Read [Rogers]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Verizon, today, made Droid official.  They’ve been teasing us with the “Droid does” and “idon’t” ads that poked good fun at the iPhone.  Now that it’s here, priced, and dated, we’ve got three surprises they’ve been holding back on.  Each one is a potential game changer.

Surprise 1: Google Navigation

Say what?  I’ve been saying Google Navigation was logical for eons now, but Google finally made it happen and it could be an instant changer.  Available as a free part of Google Maps on Android 2.0 phones, Google Navigation will provide turn-by-turn directions.  By leveraging their simple search engine (just type in or say just about anything and Google will go find it) along with their satellite imagery to make navigating an unknown area feel almost downright home-like, Google nailed this.  While it still remains unclear if there is voice-guided directions, Google is clearly serious about this.

Google has made a point about saying this is only for Android phones and it is free.  The free part is debatable as there is no free lunch - don’t kid yourself you are trading privacy for the chance to have location-based ads served.  Only for Android I am willing to bet is a temporary deal.  Google is an advertisement company first and foremost.  This will trickle down to other OS at some point, you can bank on it.

Surprise 2: Gmail AND Exchange push

Typically, you can sync your phone with one and only one profile.  For example, if your corporate email uses Exchange, you can set up your iPhone to sync with them while your GMail will be accessed through IMAP or POP, not through the Exchange server as you can only chose one.

Droid, ala Android 2.0 seems to allow multiple profiles.  Sync to this AND that.  Hot diggity dog.

Surprise 3: Flash 10 ready browser

I really didn’t think this would happen but yes, the Droid is slated to have a full Flash 10 which means Hulu will be in the house.  Interesting but it gets better, Flash games anyone? 

To say that the Droid is going to be a big player is easy.  While the form factor doesn’t do much for me, I’ll be extremely interested in the next two Droid phones that are coming down the pipe not to mention the 20 phones Motorola has coming in 2010.  And it should be said, well done to Moto.  It looks like they are back in the game.

Read: [Motorola]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

A new study may prove worrisome to RIM.  It revealed that the iPhone has now captured 30% of the market share for smartphones, a mere 10% less than RIM’s leading 40%.  Palm, which was once the industry leader, has seen its market share slip to just 6%.

What does this mean if you are in the market for a smartphone?  Not much.  While the iPhone is wildly popular, it’s still stuck with AT&T’s stranglehold and resulting network issues and it lacks the security features many businesses need.  The BlackBerry, although it has lost some of its market share to the iPhone, is still a wildly popular device in its own right.  (There’s a very good reason they are dubbed CrackBerries!)  Businesses still rely on it as a valuable tool and the company has begun to successfully enter the consumer market as well.

For consumers it still comes down to individual needs and overall value.  An iPhone isn’t much good to someone who lives in an area without good AT&T coverage, and the touchscreen and lack of a physical keyboard are a turn off to some.  A BlackBerry may not be a good fit for someone who doesn’t get a lot of emails or who is big into mobile web surfing or gaming.  Both the iPhone and the various BlackBerry devices are available for $200 or so with a 2 year contract, so do some research and let your needs and budget decide which is right for you.

Read [CNet]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Motorola and Verizon Wireless have officially unveiled the pricing and availability details for the Droid. In short, the Verizon Droid will be available in Verizon Wireless stores as well as online as of November 6, 2009. In terms of price, the handset is $199.99, but that does come after a $100 mail in rebate. Additionally, as you would expect—a two-year contract is also required to get that price.

Otherwise most of the specs and other details are what we have seen already leaked. However for those that may not have been following as closely, the Droid will feature a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen display with an 854 x 480 resolution, 5.0-megapixel camera with auto-focus and dual-LED flash, full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and EVDO Rev.A support. Additionally, the Droid will also come bundled with a 16GB microSD card.

In terms of apps, of course you have access to the Android Market, however the Droid will also come pre-installed with Gmail, Google Talk, YouTube, Google Maps, Calendar, Contacts, Facebook, the Amazon MP3 Store and Visual Voicemail by Verizon Wireless.

It is also worth noting that the Verizon Droid marks the first Android handset to come installed and running Android 2.0.

Product [Verizon Droid] Read [Motorola]

Keep reading to check out the full press release:

 
Hello Humans: DROID by Motorola Arrives Next Week
Verizon Wireless DROID By Motorola: World’s First Smartphone with Android™ 2.0

October 28, 2009

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – High-speed Web browsing, voice-activated search, customizable large screen, access to thousands of Android applications and hundreds of widgets and the best 3G mobile network in the country: DROID by Motorola arrives on Nov. 6.

Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest wireless 3G broadband network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a pioneer in the mobile industry, today unveiled DROID by Motorola, the first smartphone powered by Android™ 2.0. DROID by Motorola features the brainpower and breakneck speed of a modern smartphone, designed to outperform where other smartphones fall short.

“We’re proud to work with Verizon Wireless and Google™ on the first smartphone to feature Android 2.0,” said Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices. “DROID by Motorola delivers a rich consumer experience with warp-speed Web browsing, a mammoth screen, and Motorola’s expertise in design and voice quality. Combined with Android’s open, flexible graphical user interface and the power of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, DROID is a smartphone that simply doesn’t compromise.”

“This is an exciting announcement for Verizon Wireless, as the DROID by Motorola is the first device that we are bringing to market under our ground-breaking strategic partnership with Google,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “DROID by Motorola gives customers a lifestyle device with access to more than 12,000 applications that will help them stay in touch, up to date and entertained, using the best 3G network in the country.”

DROID by Motorola has a solid exterior, intelligent interior and is one of the thinnest full-QWERTY slider phones available. It is a no-fuss, high-tech, location-aware, voice-recognizing, over-the-air updating, multi-tasking machine – and it is available just in time for holiday wish lists.

With DROID by Motorola, you can:

• Zip through the Web: Access the Internet at 3G speeds via the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G network or from any Wi-Fi hotspot. The multi-window HTML browser with a massive processor delivers the Web the way you expect.
• See it all in cinema-style: View the Web, e-mail, Google Maps™, videos and more in widescreen on a brilliant 3.7” high-resolution screen. Boasting a width of 854 pixels to reduce the need for side-to-side panning and more than 400,000 pixels total, DROID has more than twice that of the leading competitor.
• Run multiple applications at once: Customize your DROID with thousands of applications and hundreds of widgets available on Android Market™. Toggle back and forth between up to six applications at a time to juggle the universe and your apps.
• Perform Google Search™ at the speed of sound: Simply tell DROID what you’re looking for using voice-activated search, and it will serve up Google search results based on your location. If you want more, simply type what you’re looking for into the search bar on the home screen and DROID will also search content on your phone, such as apps and contacts, and the Web.
• Capture moments: Snap digital camera-quality photos with a 5 megapixel camera loaded with the works, such as a dual-LED flash, AutoFocus and image stabilization, or capture your friend’s antics in 16 million colors with DVD-quality video capture and playback. Store it all on the included 16 GB memory card, so you always have it on hand.
• Multi-task like a master: Keep tabs on all your messages with integrated Gmail™ and Exchange e-mail pushed directly to you, but don’t let them get in your way. With the handy Android notification panel, go straight to the message or simply ignore it, and get back to the task at hand. And, a smart dictionary learns as you type and automatically includes your contacts.
• Get where you need to go with Google Maps Navigation (Beta): DROID is the first device with Google Maps Navigation, providing turn-by-turn voice guidance as a free feature of Google Maps. It’s powered by Google and connected to the Internet. Use voice shortcuts and simply say “Navigate to [your destination],” and you’ll be on your way. See live traffic, use Street View or satellite imagery to view your route, and get access to the most recent maps and business information from Google Maps without ever needing to update your device.

Pre-loaded Applications and Enhancements to Google Mobile Services:

• Google Maps: With layers in Google Maps, view geographic information, such as My Maps, Wikipedia, and transit lines, right on the map.
• Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
• YouTube™: One-touch recording and playback from homescreen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
• Google Talk™: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
• Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
• Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
• Facebook: Syncs Facebook contacts to your address book, and a live widget gives the ability to update status and view latest updates from friends.
• Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
• Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.

Pricing and Availability:

• DROID by Motorola will be available in the United States exclusively at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online on Friday, Nov. 6, for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
• Experience the all-new DROID by Motorola at www.droiddoes.com.
• To get the most from DROID by Motorola smartphone, customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide voice plan and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide voice plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access for 450 minutes and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan is $29.99 for monthly access.
• For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Good grief.  Cruising over at the AT&T site and like some adult sites, you’re whisked away to refurb-phone-land looking at an 8GB 3G iPhone and asking yourself, why look at anything else?  Does an Android phone, a BlackBerry, webOS or WinMo phone even come close?  Chances were pretty good you’re considering getting a new iPod anyhow.

Palm will be launching their new Pixi, the cute candybar webOS sibling on Sprint next month at $99.  The phone, to its credit looks great, runs the fun webOS and even one-ups the Pre with a new Facebook app.  But can it stand a chance against the $49 iPhone?

AT&T and high monthly data plans might give the others a chance.  Carrier loyalty might do it as might the stigma of refurb (my iPhone is a refurb - shhhh).  Nah, none of this.  It is the in-store gotta-have-it-now crowd that will keep a refurbed $49 iPhone our secret.  And I am sure that works for them.

You’ve got to wonder what lower monthly data plans might do to iPhone sales.  Provide a GB limit of data transfer and make data a palatable $20 a month.  Now AT&T isn’t about to do that, they get a lot of income out of the hefty iPhone data fees, but we can dream about demand curves, right?

Over in refurb land, you can find the Pantech Matrix Nokia Surge, LG Vue and Samsung Rugby as well.

Product page: [AT&T Wireless]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Tomorrow, Wednesday the 28th is a big day for Google’s Android operating system.  The biggest carrier in the USA will launch its first Android-powered device.  You’ve read the reviews, you’ve seen the galleries, you’re ready to go.  But what do we really know about Android?  There are some downsides, right?

The Adware attack

That is the argument presented by RoughlyDrafted.  The site takes a long look at how Google will use Android to hunt you down like the depraved internet addict you are.  Android is reduced to nothing more than mobile adware:

Google is an adware vendor. You may decide that this is an acceptable tradeoff, but you can only do that if you actually stop and weigh the costs yourself. It’s completely delusional to blindly buy into Android as the free lunch with no strings.

This attack is a tough one to qualify for consumers.  Roughly Drafted presents it as a free lunch problem (you’re paying at some point, we just don’t know when).  Will it matter to consumers?  Tough to say, the problem with this line of thinking it, the experience is open-sourced so any forced ads are likely to be circumvented in short order.

The no good app attack

Robert Scoble makes an interesting case for why iPhone users are trapped in their world.  The reason?  100,000 apps.

“...now that Apple has apps the world has changed and challengers to the iPhone will find it very tough.  Here’s why: everyone is using a different set of 20 apps. Trillions of combinations. You can see this on Appsfire’s VIP list (my iPhone apps are listed there, along with a number of others). None of us have the same set of apps.

So, to get me off of the iPhone you are going to have to duplicate all my apps (and I’ve gotten several more since doing this list a couple of weeks ago).”

Scoble makes a very real and interesting point: if you’re hooked on the almost infinite variety of apps, moving off that platform gets very difficult to do.  For example, in the past week I’ve used RunKeeper (a program to track my exercising by GPS),  AT&T Navigator for turn by turn, Navionics for navigating by boat, 6 games, Geocaching and eBay.  Each iPhone could be as diverse in apps as their owners personality making replicating the experience on another phone almost impossible.  You’re trading down.

No good apps in the future attack

To fix Scoble’s app problem, Om Malik offers up some data.

“With a number of Google’s Android OS-based smartphones on the horizon, developers are devoting significant resources to the mobile platform, which will result in a boom in Android apps, according to reports from two Silicon Valley startups, Flurry and AdMob. Flurry, a San Francisco-based mobile metrics company, today said that it had seen an unprecedented 94 percent increase in the number of projects started by Android developers between September and October. “

More phones on more networks could work to get Android closer to the Apple App store. Om points out the disparity between earnings for developers between the iPhone and Android platform.  Om loosely suggests that the marketing muscle behind Android will help this cause as well.

Om does not come down on one side or another here, merely points out that we just don’t know.  There could be a boom, offering benefits to Android users and providing a serious threat to iPhone dominance.  The flip side is also possible, users don’t give a darn about what OS their phone is running as long as they can call, text and Facebook, the world is a good place.  What more do you need?

Summary

Android-haters have little tangible to hate.  We’ve seen the “in the bush” potential threat of Google doing evil things and turning your phone into mobile spyware.  We’ve seen the argument of being locked into an app environment and we’ve seen arguments that an Android app boom is looming. 

What does that mean for potential buyers of Verizon’s Android Droid phone(s)?  Personally, I think it means flux.  We don’t know quite what to make of Android yet.  Today it is a very usable OS that is about to get a lot of new users on multiple carriers on a variety of phones with multiple form factors.  Users coming from another other phone other than the iPhone are bound to get excited about the apps and open environment.  Chances are good you’ll like your phone more as time goes on as more apps build in and potentially bad as Google shows more of it’s hand.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The wait for the follow up webOS handset has almost come to an end. Just this morning Palm and Sprint have officially announced that the Palm Pixi will be available as of November 15.

Price wise, the Pixi will be $99.99 with a two-year agreement. Sadly though that price comes AFTER a $50 instant and $100 mail-in-rebate, which means potential Pixi owners will have to pay $199.99 to get out the door. Otherwise there is not much in terms of surprises. Customers will be able to pick up a Palm Pixi at Sprint retail stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart locations as well as by calling Sprint telesales.

Feature wise the Pixi has a 2.63-inch 320 x 400 touchscreen display, built-in GPS, a 2-megapixel camera with LED flash, accelerometer, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack and 8GB of internal storage. Additionally, the Pixi is 3G EvDO Rev A capable, but does not come with Wi-Fi.

Read [Business Wire]  Product [Palm Pixi]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

In today’s world of launch events for new phones complete with anxious customers sleeping in the streets, it is very telling that Verizon has decided to push the BlackBerry Storm 2 out of the back door with very little fanfare, as Verizon announced today that the phone would be available October 28th for $179.  Verizon’s dumped loads of cash to build interest in Droid, their forthcoming Android phone, but almost nothing on the Storm 2, a follow-up device that sold over a million units in the first go round.  So what is wrong with this new phone?

Is it the screen that still clicks?  A big sticking point for many reviewers was the oddity of the entire screen moving and clicking.  While BlackBerry hung tight to the company line: BB users love positive click feedback, the rest of us were not so sure.  Other issues remained making the phone cumbersome at best.

How is the Storm 2 different?  The Storm 2 is faster and more responsive than the original, adds Wi-Fi and more memory.  The display is gorgeous and is great for movies.  The screen tapping feature is refined to allow faster typing than the original.

How is the 2 received by BB experts?

From Crackberry: “Picking up the BlackBerry Storm2, it’s clear that Research in Motion’s thought process here was simply to build a better BlackBerry Storm. They weren’t thinking about building an iPhone killer or worrying about what Palm is up to with their Web OS or what the next wave of Android phones might look like.”

From InfoSyncWorld: “Even with the improvements, and they are significant, using the BlackBerry Storm 2 was a real chore, as the extra pressure required to ‘click’ makes every action a bit harder compared to other touchscreens. The interface design was continually frustrating, even while newer phones, like the HTC Hero on Sprint, manage to surprise and delight with clever and adaptive touchscreen interface ideas”

From PCMag: ” The Storm2’s screen is much better than before, but the UI still lacks the intuitive response of a device designed with touch in mind from the very beginning.”

In any event, each review went on to end up with the same feeling, the Storm 2 is definitely an upgrade to the original but stops short of being best-in-class out there. For BB users, this may be as good as it gets, for others not hooked on BB servers, there are other choices, even on Verizon.  Perhaps Verizon is gun-shy with the Storm 2, after getting a little embarrassed on the first one?

Press release: [Verizon]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Welcome back to InterrupTech where we catch you up on the most important tech stories.  This week there’s plenty to cover:

• The Barnes & Noble Nook e-Reader gets official
• Windows 7 is here
• The Motorola Droid goes after the iPhone
• Apple updates the iMac, MacBook, and introduces the Magic Mouse
• RIM’s BlackBerry watch
• VW launches car via iPhone app
• Google’s music service

The best part about the show?  Topics move quickly, but if you don’t like a topic, just skip it.  Keep an eye on that timer to help you along.  Enjoy the show.

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

HTC has just recently begun a new ad campaign which deems them as “Quietly Brilliant” and is simply going by the name of “You.” While some may say that the quietly brilliant part is a bit self centered, the You campaign in general appears to be offering a welcomed push at showing consumers just how nice it can be to have a smartphone.

“‘Quietly Brilliant’ is doing great things in a humble way, with the belief that the best things in life can only be experienced, not explained,” said John Wang, chief marketing officer, HTC Corporation. “The YOU campaign is the perfect embodiment of ‘Quietly Brilliant’ and is core to HTC as a company, innovator and partner.”

This new campaign has taken the tagline of “You don’t need to get a phone. You need a phone that gets you.”

The tagline is pretty simple, but perhaps a little more important is that it also seems to make perfect sense, especially if you have been following along with even a few of HTC’s recent releases. Just to name a few we have seen the Android based Hero as well as the Windows Mobile based Tilt2.

Of course, that is just two of the most recent. HTC has also been know over the years for their Windows Mobile based smartphones, not to mention they are (or have been) perhaps the biggest push in Android. If you remember back, it was HTC that got that ball rolling with the G1 and a little later with the myTouch 3G.

Finally, speaking as someone who has been using the HTC Hero with the Sense UI, I can say that if nothing else this phone is very capable of becoming “You.”

Read [HTC]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

AT&T announced mixed results this week during an earnings call: landlines continue their downward spiral while iPhone activations were up.  Perhaps the most interesting news for consumers was talk of life after the iPhone exclusivity has ended.  Could this mean a Verizon iPhone or other carrier in the US could be up sooner than expected?

While the iPhone is driving new customers to AT&T, it is not clear that AT&T is making a bundle off it.  After all, even the 3.2 million new iPhone activations couldn’t offset the decrease in landlines for the company.  While being the exclusive carrier for the iconic phone carries a bunch of brand cache, AT&T may not be earning the return they were hoping for.  Management breached the issue of iPhone non-exclusivity on this call.

“Even if we lose exclusivity [of the iPhone], we will be the only carrier with HSPA 7.2 [a network specification being deployed at AT&T] and [new devices] will work on our network faster,” AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega said.

The groundwork for the new marketing angle for a non-exclusive iPhone is already being laid down.  De la Vega stressed that AT&T is the network that “works best” for the iPhone and new Android devices.  He touted the ability to connect voice and data simultaneously.  ComputerWorld along with many industry watchers expect exclusivity to run out mid-2010.

What could this mean for you?  If industry watchers are right, the announcement would likely come at the iPhone refresh in June.  Hold out until then on committing to another new phone.  By then, Verizon will have a track record with the Android phones, so you won’t get hit with paying the early adopters fee should the Verizon iPhone be a no-show.  With the marketing tack AT&T is taking, it looks clear to me that there will be an end to the iPhone exclusivity and this is AT&Ts way of preparing analysts for that day.

Read [ComputerWorld]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

For those BlackBerry owners who were holding out hope of seeing OS 5.0 come to their handset, here is the list of the devices that will be the chosen lucky few. Of course, this list will most likely make some happy and some angry, but hey, there had to be some kind of cut off. Not to mention, OS 5.0 would most likely only bog down some older BlackBerry models to the point you would not want to be running it anyway. That said, here are the handsets that can expect to see the the OS 5.0 update;

• BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8200 series
• BlackBerry Curve 8330
• BlackBerry Curve 8350i
• BlackBerry Curve 8900
• BlackBerry Bold 9000
• BlackBerry Storm 9500 series
• BlackBerry Tour 9630

Getting back to the reasoning behind why there was a cutoff with certain devices, according to the official reasoning on the BlackBerry website;

“In order to optimize the BlackBerry smartphone user experience with BlackBerry Device Software 5.0, BlackBerry smartphones must have more than 64MB of memory to support this version of BlackBerry Device Software. BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 is targeted to be supported by Research In Motion on the above noted BlackBerry smartphones.”

Basically it seems to have come down to the simple reason of having enough onboard memory. Sure that is not good news for some, but at the same time I think it is more than understandably. Of course, despite the update being made available by RIM, it is now fallen into the hands of the carriers as to when the roll it out to customers.

Read [BlackBerry.com]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »