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Is Nokia about to release a new music based phone anytime soon? Well, if the product page of this “unofficially announced” Nokia 8208 is an indication, we may well be looking at a new Nokia slider waiting to be officially unveiled. The new handset is called the Nokia 8208 which from what we’ve gathered is being geared for a release in the Chinese market. Based on what we can see from the product page, the Nokia 8208 is being prepped to be another music phone which interestingly does not belong to the Nokia N-series models.

The Nokia 8208 is a two-way slider phone with key features such as a 3.0-megapixel camera, external keys for playing music, FM Radio, digital music player and a GPS service which is either a stand-alone receiver for other countries or a hybrid GPS receiver for China’s Unicom. In addition, the 8208 also features a dictionary for China Unicom. Other features of the Nokia 8208 include; a 2.2-inch QVGA display, Series 40 spec, Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

No word yet on pricing or a release date, or even whether this will be released in the US market. But since its a CDMA phone which supports access to EVDO Rev. A networks, we might be looking for a possible release sometime in the future.

Product [Nokia] Via [electronista]

It looks like Verizon will be introducing a third variety in their Q9 lineup, and as of now its being code named “Napoleon.” It does however have something special in store for worldwide business travelers as it will not only offer CDMA EV-DO Rev. A support but it will also include full GSM support, meaning you can take and use this worldwide.

The Q9 Napoleon will be running Windows Mobile 6.1 and feature a 320 x 240 display, 2-megapixel camera with flash, Wi-Fi, stereo speakers and ship with a 1500mAh battery. In addition to the added support on the inside, the new world edition Q9 has also gotten a little face lift with a new shiny bezel around the edges.

Also, just good measure they have included a fingerprint scanner on the back, I guess when traveling worldwide you should never have your data unsecured.

As of now, no pricing or release information has been let loose, but as usual we will keep you posted when we find something out.

Via [BGR]

MetroPCS has just announced that they will begin allowing customers to activate handsets from other carriers. As a CDMA carrier, customers will be able to use handsets from other major carriers such as Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and Alltel.

According to the official announcement this will make MetroPCS “the largest U.S. wireless carrier” to allow the use of other carriers phones. MetroPCS however is limited in coverage areas with just 14 large metro areas across the country, some of which include Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. Still a nice change to see, and hopefully this trend will carry on to other large carriers as well.

Read [seattlepi.com] Via [CrunchGear]

It looks like our earlier report pertaining to Nokia’s plans of working more closely with US operators is still under way. According to the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat, Nokia’s chief designer, Alastair Curtis, said design cooperation with US operators are now close to bearing fruition. His exact words were, “In the next few months (U.S.) operators will carry a lot of new products from us.” This is then followed by a statement from a Nokia spokesman, who says the company will introduce a number of new handsets in the US this year, most likely CDMA phones that are tailored for the majority of U.S. carriers, as well as those across the world.

Read [Reuters]

Kyocera may not be a well known mobile manufacturer but it sure does know how to make its presence felt in this already crowded mobile phone industry. So, when it decided to release a new mobile handset, it announced not just one but three new models, all running on CDMA networks – the Neo E1100, Mako S4000 and the Adreno S2400.

Unfortunately aside from the weird sounding branding that goes with each of these mobile phones, Kyocera didn’t include many innovative features. In brief, here’s a lowdown on each of the new phones from Kyocera.

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Cricket Communications has introduced two new mobile handsets in its line up of CDMA AWS handsets, the Samsung MyShot (SCH-r430) and the Samsung Spex (SCH-r210). Designed specifically for the new AWS spectrum band, both phones however can still operate on PCS and cellular bands. Hence, making them work in all Cricket wireless markets. Cricket’s introduction of the two Samsung mobile phones earns the company the bragging rights of being the first to release the CDMA AWS devices to the mobile phone market.

Aside from being CDMA AWS handsets both the Samsung Spex and MyShot boast of distinct features that sets each other apart. The Samsung Spex is a slim and sleek mobile handset that offers an easy-to-use interface. Its features include Bluetooth, color display, speakerphone and personal tools (calendar, memo pad and more). In addition, the Spex also supports Cricket’s mobile services such as text messaging, mobile web, Cricket games and apps. 

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Dell has announced that it will soon be rolling out new-generation laptops that will enable users to connect online through mobile broadband running on multiple 3G cellular networks. The new Dell laptops will be equipped with the new GOBI Mobile Broadband Technology from Qualcomm. GOBI is a software-configurable technology that enables users to connect online using both UMTS and CDMA networks.

The new-generation laptops which are currently on Dell’s drawing board will have the capability to connect via HSPA carrier networks, a wireless standard commonly used in Europe, even if the user is US based and typically connects to the web using an EV-DO connection. The EV-DO carrier network is used by US mobile providers Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

Dell has not released specific models yet for these new laptops but the press release said that GOBI technology will be employed across Dell’s various laptop model series – Latitude, Precision and consumer laptops. 

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Cricket Communications has launched the world’s first CDMA Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) mobile phone - the UTStarcom CDM7126. The CDM7126 will also be available in other Cricket markets nationwide, but initially the launch is limited to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The CDM7126 was designed to operate on the new AWS spectrum band and also operates on the PCS and cellular bands. This allows the phone to work in all existing Cricket wireless markets that stretch from California to New York. The phone will be launched in other states later during the year.

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The BlackBerry 8330 Curve will soon have a CDMA version on the market. The overall design is similar to the current GSM model with a keyboard a little closer to the current 8310 from AT&T. The new CDMA BlackBerry 8330 will feature GPS! No word on which carrier this will hit first, but it is not expected to be available this month, meaning we can relax till at least March. Sadly no mention was made of pricing.

Keep reading for more pictures (courtesy of BB Geeks)…

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The latest mobile phone from HTC to receive FCC blessing is the Titan.  According to phoneArena, the Titan is set to replace the Apache, which was popular on most CDMA carriers, including Sprint and Verizon.  According to the FCC documents, there are two versions of the Titan being produced for Sprint and Verizon, similar to how there are several versions of the HTC Wizard (one for T-Mobile, and one for Cingular (AT&T)). 

My guess is that the black one is for Sprint, and the white/silver one is for Verizon - although I clearly have no idea.  The Titan differs from the Apache in that it has an internal antenna, 2 megapixel camera, EVDO Rev. A, and likely Windows Mobile 6 Professional.  It will also have 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth.  Note the following:

The EUT used the same antenna in Wireless LAN & Bluetooth function, but the two functions can not work at the same time.

No word on pricing or availability at this time.  The phones are expected to debut on Sprint as the PPC6800 and Verizon as the XV6800.

FCC Filing

Read [EngadgetMobile] Via [PhoneArena]