Motorola Gives Us a Hint of Its Future with the QA30

Today Motorola announced the QA30 Hint messaging phone. The Hint is a squarish slider that has a full QWERTY keyboard, threaded SMS and IM conversations, and access to multiple email accounts. The Hint comes with a 2 megapixel camera with video capture and supports microSD cards up to 8GB. It has dedicated music control buttons and a 3.5mm headset jack for regular headphones. According to FCC documentation, the Hint is a CDMA phone with Bluetooth and EVDO, in both 850/1900 and 850/1700/1900 versions, meaning network operators with AWS spectrum could sell the Hint. The Hint will be available with Alltel starting November 28th for $99 with contract, after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Verizon Wireless Announces the Samsung Omnia

Today Verizon Wireless announced that it will be selling the Samsung Omnia. The Omnia, which was first announced earlier this year, includes Samsung's TouchWiz user interface as well as Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Features include a 3.2-inch wide touch display, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, WiFi, and 8 GB of internal memory plus a memory card slot. It has a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, geo-tagging, auto-panorama, stabilizer, face detection, smile detection, and video editing. FM radio and auto-rotation round out the features. The Omnia will be one of the first phones able to access Verizon's new VZAppsZone, where users can discover and download third-party content. The Omnia will be available via sales channels starting November 26 and in Verizon Wireless retail stores on December 8. It will cost $250 after rebate with new agreement.

Nokia Introduces the 6260 Slide

Today Nokia announced the 6260 Slide, a new quad-band GSM/EDGE phone with HSDPA 10.2Mbps / HSUPA 2Mbps 3G capabilities. Other radios include GPS, Wi-Fi, FM radio and stereo Bluetooth v2.1. The 6260 Slide also has a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss optics, dual LED flash and video capture. The 6260 runs Series 40 6th Edition, supports microSD cards up to 8GB, and has stereo speakers. The 6260 has a 2.5mm headset jack that supports TV out. It will cost $385 and will be available in the first quarter of 2009. At the same time, Nokia also released a new SDK for Series 40 6th Edition. The SDK provides application developers and network operators with new tools to create applications and services for Series 40 phones.

HTC TouchPRO Available from Verizon Wireless

Today Verizon Wireless announced the availability of the HTC TouchPRO Windows Mobile phone. It costs $350 after rebates with new agreement.

Nokia to Launch MVNO in Japan

Nokia is planning to offer wireless services of its own in the Japanese market. It will use NTT DoCoMo's network and launch a high-end MVNO with its most advanced and expensive models. Nokia has only 1 percent marketshare in Japan and the move may help Nokia better penetrate the market there. The service is expected to launch in in the second quarter of 2009.

Apple Adds More Features to the iPhone

Today Apple released firmware version 2.2 for the iPhone. The updated software brings several new features to Google Maps, including Street Views; Public Transit and walking directions; the ability to see the address of dropped pins; and the ability to share user location information via email. It brings some updates to the email application, including fixes to mail retrieval and better formatting for HTML emails. The update also stabilizes Safari, decreases call failures, improves the voice quality of visual voicemail messages and makes podcasts available for download from within the iTunes application. The update is free.

Clearwire Shareholders Approve Sprint Merger

The shareholders of Clearwire have approved the merger of its WiMax business with Sprint's Xohm Wimax business. The merger has already been approved by the FCC. Sprint and Clearwire expect to close the deal by year's end.

LG Prada II

A Bluetooth watch for the 2nd version of the LG Prada. A gadget of luxury, coupled on the new telephone equipped with a sliding keyboard. The watch makes it possible to be informed calls and will also post the SMS on its screen 0,9 inch OLED.

Conceived by Korean manufacturer LG, exclusively for the Prada mark.

Nokia Adds Lotus Notes Support to S60 Phones

Today Nokia and IBM announced that the S60 platform will now support IBM's Lotus Notes email program. This means that S60 3rd Edition phones can connect to corporate email accounts via Lotus Domino Server software, called Lotus Notes Traveler. Traveler enables real-time syncing with email, calendar, address book, journal and to-do list data. The new software will be available in December.

Google Adds Contacts Sync to BlackBerries

Google has recently added some features to its Google Sync for BlackBerry product. One new feature is the ability for BlackBerry users to automatically sync their Google contacts over-the-air with their BlackBerry. It offers two-way synchronization between your BlackBerry's built-in address book and your Google Apps/Gmail contacts automatically. In order to enable this feature, users will need to download the most recent version of Google Sync. The software is free.

T-Mobile Launches Web2Go, Overhauls Data Plans

T-Mobile is re-launching its T-Zones Web portal as web2go. The new portal is completely redesigned and meant to provide a better mobile Web experience to feature phones. Web2go will let users create their own customized home page with links to the sites they visit most. The revised portal also offers T-Mobile customers access to the web2go marketplace, where they can download ringtones, wallpapers and other content. Web2go also has a dedicated section for downloads, so users can more easily manage their content. T-Mobile is integrating Yahoo's oneSearch into web2go to power search. The new portal is available on most T-Mobile phones starting today. Lastly, T-Mobile is now offering several new data packages to simplify customer billing. The bundles include options for Web, e-mail and messaging across all compatible phones and devices. Plan details can be viewed on the T-Mobile Web site.

Nokia N96 Bruce Lee Edition available in China

For those who have managed to remain completely unaffected by the current state of the global economy - and who really dig Kung Fu - this may be the best thing to happen to you since your money. Nokia China has just made a special edition N96 available and it packs all kinds of punch (sorry). Sort of. Basically you’re looking at an N96 with the image and signature of Bruce Lee on the back cover, a bluetooth headset and a special wrist strap and pint-sized nunchaku. The price of admission - ¥8,788, which works out to roughly $1,286. Wow. That might seem like a pretty steep price to pay, but you’ll surely be the envy of, umm… Of someone, we think. We can’t imagine who, but someone.

Shortage on Blackberry Storm Friday.

We were told all along there were more than enough Storms to go around on launch day, but a couple of our solid tipsters have hit us up to inform us there might be some issues. First off, we’re told that a last minute security flaw was found in the OS and they had to be re-flashed again. This will delay the shipments of the units to stores. Here is an example:

A Verizon Corporate store that was promised 100 units on launch day is now getting 20 Thursday, 40 for Friday, 40 for Saturday, etc.
The stock is spread out instead of being sent in large quantities.
Our Verizon ninjas want to stress that stores will definitely have stock, just not nearly enough as was originally planned.
We were also told to report that this was a RIM screw up (?) and not a problem on Verizon’s end. We have no idea what that means…
All other retailers like indirects, Best Buy, etc., will take backseat to corporate-owned stores. We’ve even heard Best Buy’s launch might get pushed back in light of the new situation.

Carphone Warehouse list Curve 8900 coming in time for the holidays.

Carphone Warehouse, the giant UK retailer for all major UK carriers minus Vodafone, has listed the BlackBerry 8900 Curve on its website and has announced that it is slated to arrive in December for the holidays. While nothing has been revealed in terms of which carriers the phone will be available from, so far T-Mobile is the only carrier who has announced that it will be carrying the new Curve. It is more than likely that Orange will be offering the device as it supports the UMA feature of the device. That said, Carphone Warehouse has apparently confirmed that it will also be selling the device SIM free — good news all around for anyone who will be in the market for a BlackBerry with an amazing 480 x 360 screen, WiFi, GPS and a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus. For those of you looking for 3G however, not so much.

Verizon Touch Diamond pushed back to January 09

The CDMA world is still waiting on a firm release date for Verizon’s iteration of the sleek HTC Touch Diamond and a new rumor might not exactly be the news we were hoping for. Initially it was thought that HTC’s sexy touchscreen handset would be headed to Big Red in October, then back in September we learned that internal training might not even take place until December. The latest rumor now puts the release date at some point in January of next year. Let’s hope we’re still looking at a December release which would make the Touch Diamond a holiday option, though its omission from the latest rebate sheet covering now through January 31st isn’t a promising sign. Well, at least we know the Touch Pro will be released in time for the holidays.

icePhone: an upcoming triple flip with windows mobile

The concept is interesting to say the least; a triple-flip 3G smartphone with a touchscreen, full QWERTY keypad and third function panel that can flip to face downward beneath the keypad and double as a gaming controller. Whether or not we’ll ever see it in production however, remains to be seen. A company by the name of The Medical Phone Ltd have begun showing off this unique contraption and claim that it is currently in production, though there was no working demo shown off at a recent expo it attended. As the company’s name might suggest, the handset began as a concept for a survival-based device that would pack a full first-aid guide and various other functionality. Of course this niche marketing would drastically limit the device so it has been fanned out a bit though it still has some interesting emergeny features such as a one-touch emergency button that phones 911, the closest hospital and your doctor simultaneously. It also actives the integrated GPS so you can be found, assuming whoever it contacts has some sort of device equipped to communication with the IcePhone. Spec highlights:

GSM Quadband 850/900/1800/1900, GPRS/EDGE
7.2 Mbps HSDPA UMTS 2100 connectivity
Freescale iMX31 532 Mhz CPU
3″ 240 × 400 px 65K color transflective TFT touchscreen
Windows Mobile 6.0 Pro OS
3.1 mpx camera with autofocus and LED flash
Built-in GPS
Wi-Fi b/g
1250 mAh battery
Dimensions: 127×60.8×23.3 mm
Weight: 210 g
According to The Medical Phone Ltd, the IcePhone should be available in Thailand soon and in the UK before May of 2009, retailing at an even $1,000. We shall see…

ifun turn your iPhone into a Wiimote or projectile

Is iFun cool? Yes, very much so. Is risking the livelihood of your iPhone or iPod Touch in the name of gaming a good idea? Well, the jury is still out on that one. As seen in the relatively cheesy video above, iFun is a gaming suite by SGN that allows users to connect to a computer and use an iPhone or iPod Touch as a motion-controller while playing games. It’s reportedly a bit laggy, but still a very cool use case for Apple’s touchy devices. Still, we have to recommend you tread with caution here as there’s a reason the Wiimote has a wrist strap - to prevent it from flying out of your hand and impaling your TV. It’s one thing to sacrifice a $30 Wiimote to the gods of gaming but it’ll be hard to shrug off a $200+ loss when that iPhone slips out of your hand and smashes all over your wall or desk. Our advice? Listen to Shaq: “The law of physics states that a body in motion stays in motion. And if you have two objects that meet in the air, the smaller object is going to fall much harder at the same rate of speed it was going.”

Nokia E71 coming to AT&T as E71x

There it is people, looking sexy as ever - we can only hope that the “X” doesn’t stand for “Xtra crippled”. It looks like we’re now pretty close to seeing AT&T formally announce the E71, rebranded as the E71x, as a welcome addition to its smartphone line. The 6650 made it through the AT&T branding process relatively unscathed so we’re hoping the E71 can do the same. In terms of pricing, we’re hearing it should be in the neighborhood of $150 with a 2-year contract but that’s unconfirmed for the time being. So, S60 fans, start your drooling. Hit the jump for two more shots including a close up of the various AT&T apps you can expect.

Facebook for BlackBerry to be revamped in January

Let’s face it — the Facebook for BlackBerry appication isn’t anything to write home about. Most everything it can do can be achieved through simple SMS commands, so it’s really nothing more than looking at an ugly face through some seriously strong beer goggles. When MySpace for BlackBerry was launched a lot of people were impressed with how much it could do, something that brought up feelings of resentment for how little the Facebook app can do. Thankfully word has reached the net that BlackBerry users will be able to upgrade to a revamped Facebook for BlackBerry, specifically version 1.5, in January 2009. Designed for tighter integration with the address book and calendar of the BlackBerry, users will be able to view and save friends phone numbers, birthdays, and events to their calendars. Pretty neat-o, but it really begs the question as to why this wasn’t implemented long ago.

Confirmed: iPhone 3G coming to Wal-Mart on December 28th, select Sam’s Club stores as well

Shortly after we posted about the iPhone coming to Wal-Mart this morning, it seemed like all of our ninjas came out of the woodwork to bombard us with info. Rather than post an update, we want to lay out what is now confirmed info. First and foremost, it looks like Wal-Mart will indeed begin selling the iPhone 3G on December 28th in select locations only. When all is said and done, about 2,500 locations will offer the iPhone 3G. Some stores will also be getting live demo units to display just like Best Buy Mobile. What’s more, we’re also now getting word that 69 Sam’s Club locations (locations that use the Wal-Mart ordering system, not the Radio Shack ordering system) will offer the handset as well - also beginning on the 28th. As Sam’s Club is a division of Wal-Mart, this certainly makes sense. Unfortunately it looks like everyone is still in the dark with regards to pricing and we expect it to stay that way to avoid slowing MSRP iPhone sales during the holidays. Won’t people be happy when they find out Apple’s handsets popped up at discount prices three short days after Christmas? Hit the jump for some internal Wal-Mart correspondence.

Top 5 Cell Phone Makers Launch Green Charger Initiative

The world's top five handset manufacturers have launched a new campaign meant to reduce the amount of electricity consumed and wasted by mobile phones. The companies involved include Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and LG Electronics. The companies have implemented a rating system for cell phone chargers -- from zero to five stars -- that gives consumers a better idea of how efficient their chargers are. This will help them easily choose a more efficient charger. Cell phone chargers continue to draw electricity when left plugged in, even if the phone is not connected. Up to two-thirds of all the electricity consumed by cell phones is wasted by chargers that remain plugged into the wall.

Motorola Shoots Off Another 5MP Camera Phone

Motorola announced the VE66, a new phone that includes a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, image stabilization and red-eye reduction. The VE66 is a slider that also has an MP3 player, FM radio with RDS and Wi-Fi. The VE66 is also the first Motorola phone to incorporate the use of widgets for Web-based content. Motorola did not state exactly what bands the VE66 supports, but it expects the VE66 to be available in the fourth quarter.

Kodak Tackles LG and Samsung for Patent Violations

Eastman Kodak has filed patent infringement lawsuits against cell phone makers LG and Samsung claiming the two are violating some of Kodak's digital imaging patents. The patents in question concern image compression, image capture, data storage, and previewing video content. Both LG and Samsung said they will fight the lawsuits. Kodak licenses its imaging patents to many other handset makers.

AT&T Offers Up LG's Incite

AT&T recently began selling the LG CT810 Incite, a Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone. The Incite has quad-band GSM/EDGE radios, tri-band 850/1900/2100 Mhz HSDPA, GPS, Wi-Fi, FM radio, and stereo Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. It has a 3-inch WQVGA touch screen for interacting with the phone's features. Specs include a 3 megapixel camera with video capture and Video Share. It has an accelerometer for switching between portrait and landscape mode and supports microSD cards up to 32GB. It costs $200 after rebates with new agreement.

Government Can Locate Mobile Phones Without Carrier Cooperation

Documents recently uncovered by the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation show that the federal government has the power to locate mobile phones without having to ask cellular network operators for help. Typically, the government needs to prove probable cause before it can access phone records to determine the location of suspects. Using "triggerfish" technology, the government can side-step that process. Triggerfish devices emulate cell phone towers and can trick a cell phone into broadcasting its serial number, phone number and other data that can be used to locate the mobile phone. The language in the documents unearthed by the ACLU and EFF specifically states that this technology can be used to circumvent the need for law enforcement to display probable cause to a judge before attempting to locate a suspect via their mobile phone.

Sony Ericsson G705 just released "$399.99"

The G705 handsets feature Google search on the standby screen as well as a built-in A-GPS module that backs up Google Maps and Wayfinder navigation software. The G705 is also the first Sony Ericsson cell phone to be compatible with Google's YouTube video service, meaning that videos recorded on the G705 can be uploaded directly do Google, and other YouTube videos can be viewed on the G705.

Sony Ericsson G705 available at Upnext Wireless at $399.99 without activation.


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HTC HD is released at Upnext Wireless

The Windows Mobile 6.1 powered HTC Touch HD smartphone features a large 3.8" 800x480 touchscreen display and offers the company's TouchFLO 3D user interface. Other notable features include a 5 megapixel shooter, GPS navigation, and HSDPA 3G connectivity Retail price without activation is $899.99
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T-Mobile's Gravity Goes On Sale

Today T-Mobile announced the availability of the Samsung SGH-t459 Gravity. The Gravity has quad-band GSM/EDGE radios and a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out sideways for messaging. The Gravity also has stereo Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera with video capture, and supports microSD cards up to 4GB. It is preloaded with a number of messaging and email clients, an MP3 player, and mobile Web access. The Gravity costs $50 after rebates with new agreement and is available in retail stores starting today, and on the T-Mobile Web site beginning November 18.

Verizon Wireless Announces the Samsung Saga and Renown

Verizon Wireless is adding two more world phones from Samsung to its ranks. Shared features include EV-DO 3G for data in the U.S. and quad-band GSM/GPRS radios for roaming abroad, stereo Bluetooth, support for microSD cards, and 2 megapixel cameras.

Saga: This Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional smartphone has a touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard. It includes an optical mouse, Wi-Fi, and the Opera Mobile browser. The Saga will cost $200 after rebates with new agreement and is available via telesales starting today, with December 1 set as the date for retail availability.
Renown: This clamshell is a feature phone that has visual voice mail, an MP3 player and access to Verizon's V CAST services. It will cost $180 after rebate with new agreement and will be in stores starting December 1.

Google Brings Voice-Enabled Search to the iPhone

Google is set to make a new application available to the iPhone that will allow users to conduct searches by speaking their queries into the handset rather than typing them in. Questions asked are converted into digital files and sent to Google's servers for processing. Once processed, the text is sent to Google's regular search servers and the search results are then returned to the iPhone. It will also use GPS information to return results that are relevant to the user's location. Google competitors Microsoft and Yahoo already offer similar services via their TellMe and oneSearch applications. The application will be available through the iPhone Apps Store.

Sony Creates 12 Megapixel Chip for Phones

Today, Sony announced a new range of CMOS chips for camera phones. The Exmor range includes new modules that rate 5.15 megapixels, 8.11 megapixels and 12.25 megapixels. The modules include the sensor, lens and autofocus mechanism. The "piezo" type lens motor used reduces power consumption when shooting video images. The 8.11 megapixel module will be available to handset manufacturers this month, and the 5.15 and 12.25 megapixel modules will be available to handset makers starting in March 2009. Sony did not announce any specific phones that will be using these modules.

AT&T Brings S60 Back with the 6650

AT&T announced that it has added the Nokia 6650 to its ranks. The 6650 is a clamshell that runs Nokia's S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 and has quad-band GSM/EDGE and 850/1900 WCDMA for AT&T's 3G network. Other features include a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR with support for A2DP stereo, aGPS and a 3.5mm headset jack. The 6650 supports microSD cards up to 8GB. It will be available at AT&T retail stores nationwide starting November 14 for $70 with new agreement after rebates.

BlackBerry Storm to Be Available Nov. 21 for $200

Verizon Wireless is displaying the BlackBerry Storm on its home page. Some of the information included reveals the availability date, which will be Friday, November 21. Verizon also mentions that the price after $50 rebate with new two-year agreement will be $200.

RIM Bringing the BlackBerry 8900 to the U.S.

Today RIM and T-Mobile announced the BlackBerry 8900 in Germany. RIM also said that the 8900 will be launching in most other countries, including the U.S., in the first quarter of 2009. The 8900 has quad-band GSM/EDGE, Wi-Fi and GPS radios. It has a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus. It supports microSDHC cards up to 16GB, has a 512MHz processor, and the 2.4-inch screen measures 480 x 360 pixels for HVGA+ resolution. RIM did not say exactly when the 8900 will be available in the U.S., nor how much it will cost.

HTC Announces GSM Phone With WiMax On Board

Today HTC announced the MAX 4G, a new mobile phone that is one of the first to include cellular and WiMax radios. The MAX 4G runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and has tri-band GSM/EDGE 900/1800/1900 radios, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, GPS and FM radio. It also carries a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and user-facing VGA camera, accelerometer and proximity sensors, and the TouchFLO 3D user interface. The MAX 4G will only be available in Russia on the Yota network. It is compatible with Yota Mobile's 2.5-2.7 GHz WiMax network. It has a 3.5mm headset jack and supports microSD cards up to 8GB.

from HTC

Nokia E63 breaks free for mass market consumption

The E63 just broke the shackles of the rumor monger to become Nokia's latest messaging device. With a pre-tax, pre-subsidy price of just €199, Nokia hopes to see the Symbian S60 device generate some mass-market appeal. So let's see: WiFi, physical QWERTY, choice of ruby red or aquamarine blue, standard 3.5-mm audio jack, camera with video recording, and the ability to switch from an E-series business mode (corporate email, appointments, intranet) to personal mode (pictures, personal email, and browser shortcuts) with a single key press -- sounds like a winning combination to us. Nokia's even tossing in 1GB of Ovi file storage for free when the E63 begins shipping in the coming weeks -- where, is Nokia's little secret for now. We'll update you with the hard details just as soon as Nokia releases them. Until then, check the blue version after the break.

Update: We were able to hack forth the following detail from the bowels of Nokia's website: 113 x 59 x 13-mm / 126g form factor, 320 x 240 pixel display, quad-band GSM / EDGE with 660 minute talk / 432 hours standby, microSD memory slot with 110MB internal memory, 2 megapixel camera capable of QVGA video @ 15fps, and of course, Bluetooth. It'll also be released in WCDMA 900/2100, 850/1900, and 850/2100 configurations. Sorry, no HSDPA data or infrared like that found on the E71.

AT&T Lights Up HTC's Fuze

Today HTC announced that the Fuze is now available to AT&T customers. The Fuze is a GSM version of the Touch Pro. It carries quad-band GSM/EDGE radios, as well as 850/1900/2100 tri-band HSDPA. Other radios include Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and A2DP stereo, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and GPS. It has a VGA touch screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The Fuze runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional with HTC's TouchFLO 3D user interface and supports microSDHC cards. It will cost $300 after rebates with new agreement. It is available via AT&T's web site, AT&T-owned stores, and it will be at other retail outlets in the coming weeks.

BlackBerry Storm Verizon Price Confirmed, Release Date Delayed

According to Verizon sources, the BlackBerry Storm release has been delayed until November 23rd due to a last minute software glitch that needed to be corrected. Sure that's big news, but even bigger news is the price. The BlackBerry Storm will be priced at $199.99 for individuals and "no more than $89.99 for businesses". RIM is serious about not losing business customers to the iPhone. Just weeks away from the release and the battle royale between the Storm and the iPhone

New Blackberry: Bold, Brighter... Worth It?

G1: 'Worthy Competitor' for iPhone

T-Mobile Cameo photo frame launches this month for $99.99

We never thought we'd live to see the day that digital photo frames had cooler phones than our parents. Actually, okay, that doesn't surprise us at all -- and T-Mobile's helping us live out that reality with the Cameo, its Parrot-sourced frame that features integrated GSM hardware and a dedicated phone number that lets loved ones shoot pictures to it from afar via MMS or email. The rumored details have turned out to be spot-on, meaning that you'll be paying $99.99 for the frame plus another $9.99 monthly to keep the line active. An exact launch date has yet to be revealed, it'll be available at some point in mid-November.

Microsoft CEO Confirms Windows Mobile 6.5

Speaking at an event in Australia, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer mentioned that Windows Mobile 6.5 is part of the company's roadmap toward Windows Mobile 7. The existance of a version of Windows Mobile between 6.1 and 7 had not previously been discussed openly by Microsoft. Ballmer did not provide any details about the new version of Windows Mobile and what features it would include, but he did indicate that devices will be running 6.5 starting some time in 2009.

Samsung Surpasses Motorola in the U.S.

Motorola lost the number one handset provider position to Samsung after its market share fell in the third quarter to 21.1%. Samsung made gains and grabbed 22.4%, edging out Motorola for the top spot. Motorola had been number one in the U.S. since 2004.

T-Mobile Announces Holiday Line-Up

Today T-Mobile announced its line-up of new devices for the holiday shopping season. Among the bunch are two new Samsung handsets.

Behold: This touch-based phone has a full-QWERTY on-screen keyboard with haptic feedback, and a 5 megapixel camera with flash that can capture video. It has quad-band GSM/EDGE radios as well as 1700/2100MHz 3G radios, which makes the Behold compatible with T-Mobile's 3G network. The Behold also has a full Web browser stereo Bluetooth, and GPS. It will be boxed with a 1GB microSD card. The Behold will be available starting November 10.
Gravity: The Gravity is a messaging-focused device that has a full slide-out keyboard and support for IM, text, multimedia and video messaging. It also has a 1.3 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth and support for microSD cards up to 4GB. It will be available starting on November 17.

from T-Mobile

AT&T Buys Wayport, Adds to Wi-Fi Hot Spots

AT&T has agreed to acquire Wayport for $275 million in cash. Wayport operates a network of Wi-Fi hot spots at locations such as McDonalds and several hotel chains. The deal will add free Wi-Fi access for iPhone and BlackBerry users at an additional 2,800 locations, including Wyndham, Marriott Vacation Club and Four Seasons hotels. With the acquisition, AT&T will control some 20,000 Wi-Fi hot spots in the U.S.

Verizon Wireless Announces Global Plans for BlackBerry Storm

Verizon Wireless announced some details regarding the plans that will be available for the upcoming BlackBerry Storm. Because the Storm has global capabilities, Verizon is offering a slew of plans that focus on overseas travelers. The Global Value Plan offers discounted roaming charges on calls made to and from 130 countries for $4.99 per month. Verizon is also offering a global flat-rate email, data and messaging plan that covers the U.S. and abroad. The GlobalEmail Data Plan will cost $70 per month alone, or $65 per month when attached to a voice plan. Verizon Wireless has yet to announce the retail price of the Storm, and when it will become available.

Sony Ericsson Uses MTV Event to Announce W705

Sony Ericsson showcased the W705 Walkman phone at the MTV Europe Music Awards today. The W705 carries all the same music features as the W980, which include high-quality audio and Sony's SensMe, Track ID and Shake control functions. The W705 has quad-band GSM/EDGE radios and support for European 900/2100MHz 3G networks. It also has stereo Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and an FM radio with RDS. The W705 carries a 3.2 megapixel camera with photo light and video capture. Other specs include an accelerometer for gaming, Google Maps, the NetFront browser and support for Microsoft Exchange. It will be boxed with a 4GB M2 memory card and will be available in select markets starting in the first quarter of 2009. Another variant, the W705u, will support UMA features.

FCC Approves Sprint / Clearwire Merger

Today the FCC approved the proposed merger of Sprint's WiMax business and WiMax provider Clearwire. Sprint and Clearwire will pool resources and the resources of companies such as Intel, Google and Microsoft to build a high-speed wireless network using WiMax technology. The merger has already been approved by the Department of Justice.

HTC G1 in stock at Upnext Wireless

T-Mobile G1 available in stock for $499.99. The first phone with Google's Android smartphone platform. Multiple input methods include a large capacitive touch-screen, trackball, and large QWERTY keyboard. Other key features include 3 megapixel camera, WiFi, accelerometer, and seamless integration with Google services.

T-Mobile Snags Motorola's Zine ZN5

T-Mobile and Motorola announced that the Zine ZN5 cameraphone will be available for sale starting today for $100 after rebate with new agreement. The ZN5 has a five megapixel Kodak camera with autofocus, xenon flash and panorama shooting mode. It's a quad-band GSM/EDGE monoblock phone and also has an FM radio, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It will be boxed with a 1GB microSD card, but can support cards up to 4GB.