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 »

Courtesy of a Best Buy Reward Zone member advertisement, we now know that the Nokia Booklet 3G will be available as of November 15. Which is of course much nicer than the previous time frame of sometime during the holidays.

For those interested, the Booklet 3G will set you back $299.99, but that price does required a two year commitment. Otherwise, those looking to make the purchase contract free can expect to pay the full retail price of $599.99. And yes, for good or bad that contract is with AT&T.

Additionally, although we did know many of the details and features surrounding the Booklet 3G, except the actual release, I did at least get a nice little chuckle from the

“Windows 7 operating system is crazy fast”

comment in the ad. Crazy fast, really? That is the best they can do.

Anyway, for those waiting, well for those that are also a Reward Zone member, you can now head out to Best Buy and get your pre-order in.

Read [Nokia Mobile Blog]

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

Google is once again looking to expand the features of Google Talk, and the latest will make it more of a conferencing tool as opposed to something simply used to chat with a friend. In other words, it looks like Google Talk will be getting more professional features.

According to a recent report in the SFGate;

“This [current Gmail capability] is the first step in a much broader set of features we hope to roll out over the next six to 12 months around video [and voice] chat capabilities,” said Rishi Chandra, a Google Apps product manager. “It’s a great opportunity for us to push that space along.”

All things considered, this sort of makes sense. After all Google is just about everywhere, and this will add one more reason for a business to take advantage of Google Apps for your domain. Of course, I am also cringing at the same time because assuming this roles out to regular Gmail users as well as Google Apps users it could be a nightmare for some. Personally, it would seem as if I can now look forward to having multiple screaming children (as opposed to one) coming from my daughters room even when she is home alone. Thanks Google, I think.

Read [SFGate]  Via [Google Operating System]

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]

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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 »

We have been seeing some talk about increasing Early Termination Fees (ETF’s), most recently from Verizon Wireless. With that and perhaps in an effort to get the word out, Sprint has come out and stated that they will not be increasing their ETF’s. The message came short and sweet via the official Sprint Twitter account.

One more tweet on ETF policy. We won’t be following suit as other carriers increase fees.

Of course, they then linked to their existing policy in regards to ETF’s. Nothing has changed and the fees are still being prorated depending on what is left on your contract. Which means those looking to cancel an agreement with Sprint can expect to pay an ETF as high as $200 or as low as $50 if you are in month 19 or higher in your two year agreement.

So, basically nothing is new with the policy, but at the same time it is nice to see that there will not be any ripple coming down from the recent Verizon Wireless announcement.

Read [Sprint]  Via [Twitter]

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]

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Verizon, Verizon, Verizon—it seems they are determined to get some attention lately. We have seen the endless, but exciting Droid coverage, then earlier today we saw the BlackBerry Curve 8530 get announced.

Now, it looks like Verizon is getting into the pre-paid data game. Which personally I have to say it a wonderful thing. Especially for those who like to have Internet access on the go, but do not need it often enough to necessitate a service plan with a contract.

Anyway, detail wise it looks like customers will be able to get a daily, weekly or monthly option. And as you would expect, each of those levels comes with a set amount of data transfer. Here is a breakdown of the available data transfer along with the pricing.

• Daily – $15 for 75 MB
• Weekly – $30 for 250 MB
• Monthly – $50 for 500 MB

Finally, I think they only thing that would have made this announcement better is if they would have offered the pre-paid service in a plan that worked with the MiFi. However instead users will be able to use the pre-paid mobile broadband plans with the Verizon Wireless USB760 modem which will be selling for $129.99.

In terms of what you can do with the above plans, here is a breakdown which comes courtesy of Verizon.

To assist customers in determining their service levels, the following chart provides examples of different applications based on approximate size assumptions. Actual file sizes may vary.
Data Type

E-mail (1 text page, no attachments)

• Daily: 25,600
• Weekly: 85,300
• Monthly: 170,000

Typical Web page lookup

• Daily: 500
• Weekly: 1,700
• Monthly: 3,400

Low-resolution digital photos

• Daily: 150
• Weekly: 500
• Monthly: 1,000

Read [Verizon Wireless]

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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 »

If you are salivating over the thought of getting your hands on a Motorola Droid as soon as humanly possible, check the hours of your local Verizon Wireless Store.  Over two thousand locations are opening their doors as early as 7 or 8 am tomorrow morning in anticipation of Droid’s release.

Not only are stores opening early, but many locations are holding all day long in store Droid events.  During these events, Verizon Wireless employees will be on hand to demonstrate all of the features of the first phone running the Android 2.0 operating system.  The Droid is really the first phone to call out the iPhone and has been running “iDon’t” ads targeted at Apple’s mobile.

Verizon subscribers that enter into a new contract can get the Droid for $199 after the $100 mail in rebate.  You will receive the rebate by mail in the form of a debit card. Current subscribers can speak to a Verizon Wireless rep regarding costs for upgrading their phone.

Site: [Droid]

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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]

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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 »

If there’s one thing we can all agree we hate about cell phone contracts, it would have the be the Early Termination Fee.  The ETF has long been the bane of anyone who cannot stick to a single phone or carrier for any extended period of time.  Up until now they’ve ranged anywhere from about $175 to $200, but for some Verizon Wireless customers that’s about to change.

Starting November 15th, Verizon Wireless will be raising the ETF for devices like smartphones and netbooks to $350.  That number will decrease by $10 for every month or service, so even if you want out of the contract at month 23 you’ll have to pay $120.  The reason for the change makes sense for Verizon, smartphones and netbooks cost much more than feature phones do.  Verizon subsidizes the phones, and makes it’s money back through the monthly payments.  A smartphone that costs the buyer $99, like the BlackBerry Bold or upcoming Droid Eris, is paying much less than what Verizon paid for the phone, so this is really just Verizon trying to make that money back.

No matter how much business sense it makes, the change won’t make consumers any happier.  The ETF is already frustrating enough, and there are those who don’t want to be stuck with the same smartphone on the same network for two years.  Especially not Verizon’s network which until the Droid has had fairly poor choices of smartphones.  Of course there are those who don’t mind having the same phone on the same carrier for two years who won’t be affected.  It’s likely this give customers even more reason to stick with their plans until they run out, or just not use Verizon.

Read [USA Today]

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When the CEO of Packet Focus decided to test the security of the top three smartphones, he was shocked to discover they all failed miserably.  Joshua Perrymon sent a spoofed phishing email made to look like it was a LinkedIn invitation from Bill Gates to users of the iPhone, the BlackBerry and the Palm Pre and found his message got through 100% of the time.  Perrymon says smartphones simply have no protection against phishing attacks.

“What I found on the Palm and BlackBerry is [that there is] no protection to any type of phishing attacks. The Palm runs on Linux, so I SSH’ed into it and looked around. The email client is built in JavaScript and made to download emails from a server - POP, IMAP or Exchange. So if the hosted server doesn’t pick up on the email, then the phone gets the attack delivered.”

Perrymon sent the results of his experiment to RIM, Palm and Apple but none of them responded.  He said he hopes that they will eventually address the issue and hopefully issue a fix of some sort. Just last month RIM fixed a flaw in their browser that would have allowed a hacker to send a malicious link via text message.  The flaw prevented the browser from properly warning the user that the URL and the site certificate didn’t match.  This would have allowed the user to easily fall for a phishing attack.

To help combat this, a company called Deepnet Security has introduced a new app called MobileID that will allow banks, retailers and online service providers to offer authentication protection.  This will insure that customers data is protected and phishing attempts are blocked.  It’s available for Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and the iPhone.  Norton offers a security suite for smartphones that can also provide protection.  Norton Smartphone Security helps keep your phone free of spam and malware and can protect against phishing attempts by allowing to to block texts from unknown senders. It’s available for $29.99.

Read [SCMagazine]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh 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]

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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]

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Wish there was a web app that brought together your email, twitter and Facebook into one, easy to deal with place?  Threadsy is the answer.  I’ve been using it for over a month and it keeps getting better.  Today, I’ve got invites (500) thanks to the fine folks at Threadsy.

The service is still in beta but operation is far better than it was just 30 days ago.  The team is working fast and seems very responsive.  Here is quick recap on how Threadsy works:

Inbound

In the left pane, email is displayed along with @me Twitters and Facebook messages.  The idea is to have only the stuff that was specifically directed to you be in your inbox.  You can choose to view all of this or just the incoming mail from individual providers (like just Twitter).  Users can search through messages and this search was surprisingly fast.  Emails can be composed as either quick replies right from this screen or open and reply seeing the full message.

Unbound

In the right pane (which users can control its width), are the streams you follow from Twitter and Facebook.  As with the Inbound pane, you can choose to filter just Facebook or Twitter streams or view them all.  Another tab on top allows you to access GMail chat, which is very handy.

What’s better?

By bringing Twitter, Facebook and my mail together, I get instant context in reply to friends.  Let’s say I get an email from Gadgetell Editor, Robert Nelson.  Threadsy shows me his latest status updates from Facebook, his bio and his latest Tweets in the right hand pane.  I know what he is doing, how he feels, making my reply that much better.  It is very handy and very powerful.  Incidentally, this is the idea behind Motorola’s Blur UI for Android.  It is a winning idea.

I really like the way Threadsy lets users hover over a message and select delete, archive or quick reply without opening the message.  I am able to work through my GMail much faster.

What’s not?

Notifications on Chat is less than alerting.  The other big thing missing, for me at least, is how GMail handles attachments.  I rarely download anything anymore thanks to “preview in html” and that is missing from Threadsy. 

For me, these are small trade-offs for keeping on top of my communication (or at least believing so).  Check it out and let us know what you think, below is the special invite link just for Gadgetell readers.

Invite link: [Threadsy]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason 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]

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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

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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]

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Sprint has announced it will begin offering a mobile broadband equipped Dell Inspiron Mini 10 in select markets across the country.  The netbook is similar to those already offered by Verizon and AT&T and comes with a built in EVDO Rev.A wireless service. It weighs just over 2.5lbs, offers a bright 10 inch screen, 160GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, and in addition to the built in broadband, includes Bluetooth and WiFi 802.11g connectivity.

“Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is a fun way to easily access the speeds of Sprint’s network to catch-up on email, surf the Web and more,” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “We are excited to add this great Dell product to our industry-leading portfolio of devices available from Sprint that work on America’s most dependable 3G network. It offers an affordable way to stay in touch and stay connected.”

Sprint is offering the netbook for $199 after a $100 mail in rebate and requires you sign up for their $59.99 a month data plan as well, which comes with a 5GB cap.  Since Dell sells the Mini for $299 on their website it may not be the best deal for your buck.  A data card will give you the freedom to use it with any device you want rather than being locked into a single one, and Sprint’s Mi-Fi portable access point allows up to 5 devices to share the connection.

Still, if you’re in the market for a netbook and mobile broadband anyway and don’t mind being locked to once device, it’s worth checking out.  Sprint’s data service is among the best in the business.  For now, Sprint is only offering the Dell Mini in Baltimore, Phoenix, Indianapolis, the Twin Cities and the Bay Area, but it wouldn’t be unrealistic to see it become available nationwide as the holiday season unfolds.

Read [Business Wire]

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I have been a Google Voice user since before it was Google Voice. That was before Google had purchased the service, which was once called Grand Central. Of course, I did not really begin using and taking full advantage of the service until after Google began allowing us to change our phone numbers. That move did cost me ten bucks, but it gave me a pretty sweet number and my love with Google Voice truly began.

That said, while I really love the service, there was once a time when I was constantly bugged by people looking for an invitation. And now that I have a few available I have not been able to give them away.

Based on that, I cannot help but wonder just how many people were using Google Voice, because at least in my little bubble of tech, the shinyness that was once Google Voice seems to have faded.

Now thanks to some documents that were discovered by Business Week I have that answer. According to these documents, Google Voice currently has 1.419 million users, but only 570,000 are regularly using the service. And to clarify, their definition of use was based on people who use it everyday.

All things considered, the number of people that have an account is pretty high, but at the same time the active users seems a bit low. Of course, given the definition of “use it seven days a week” I am not sure I even qualify as an active user. So maybe that is squed just a little. Either way, I still love Google Voice.

Read [Business Week]

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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

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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]

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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 ]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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T-Mobile customers hoping to get their hands on the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 may have to wait a bit longer.  Recent reports have surfaced revealing that the expected release date of November 11 has been pushed back to November 15th.  T-Mobile has not confirmed this change or the reason for it.  They will offer the 9700 for $200 with a 2 year contract.  AT&T and Vodaphone will also offer the device.

The Bold 2 isn’t much different than the original Bold.  It’s smaller, sports an updated OS and camera, and instead of a trackball offers a sleek new touchpad for navigation.  The touchpad is expected to replace the trackball on all future BlackBerry QWERTY devices, something many BB users are looking forward to.  The trackball on the hot BlackBerry Tour has been much maligned as its weakest feature.  While RIM hasn’t officially said so, both Sprint and Verizon have admitted that there was a problem with the trackball on the first batch of Tours they sold.

Don’t want to wait?  Verizon just released the Storm 2, which it’s offering for $280.  Other upcoming BlackBerry devices include the Tour 2, which will sport the trackpad and have Wi-Fi added.  It’s set to launch on Sprint and Verizon later this year or early in 2010.
Read [Brighthand]

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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?

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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