Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Google Nexus One docs get leaked: $530 unsubsidized, $180 with plan


Further details about the Nexus One have emerged since we reported about its exclusivity with Google this morning. It will be apparently be sold by Google for $530 unsubsidized, and $180 with a T-Mobile plan. If you do sign up for a plan and cancel within 120 days of purchase, you’ll have to cough up the remainder of the total cost of the phone — $350, or return the phone to Google. The leaked docs also offer the following tidbits

LG to introduce two new mobile DTV devices slated to arrive in the US in 2010


LG Korea unveiled two new mobile DTV devices that are headed for the U.S. in 2010. The first is an upgraded version of the LG Lotus equipped with a long antenna and an integrated digital TV tuner. For those that have forgotten this rather forgettable phone, the original LG Lotus is a boxy QWERTY clamshell that launched on Sprint in late 2008. And, if a boxy cell phone with an ungainly antenna doesn’t suit your fancy, then perhaps a shiny, black portable DVD player with a built-in 800 channel DTV tuner may. No word on pricing or availability but both devices are expected to get the official nod from LG’s US division at CES 2010 next week in Las Vegas.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Leaked HD2 ROM confirms a future with T-Mobile


Since the very first day it was announced for Europe and Asia, we have known that the HTC HD2 would make its way to the US by the first quarter of 2010. A specific carrier was not named, although the rumor mill was quick to point to T-Mobile, something which was shortly thereafter given credence after the leaking of an alleged internal slide which featured the device. Today a new video featuring a leaked copy of ROM 2.01 proves once and for all that the device is undergoing testing by T-Mobile USA as the boot screen clearly shows the logo of T-Mobile’s “Stick Together” slogan. As for what’s new in 2.01, Windows Mobile junkies will likely love the live preview of files in the Documents tab as well as some much needed spit polish to the music library. Hit the jump for a quick video rundown.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 headed T-Mobile?

We already reported that the users manual for Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X10 was leaked to the interwebs by the FCC. But if you happened to have a look at page three of the PDF, the Declaration of FCC Conformity, you will notice something interesting, 3G bands 1, 4, and 8 — better known as T-Mobile’s AWS 3G bands. Looks like T-Mizzle might be getting some Sony Ericsson love. Who’s excited?

Friday, December 18, 2009

iPhone tops Windows Mobile in U.S. marketshare for first time


According to network research company ComScore, the iPhone has overtaken Windows Mobile in U.S. market share for the first time in since its introduction three years ago. Now, we’re not sure whether this is a nod to the iPhone — overtaking a plethora of Windows Mobile handsets on almost every network — or a reminder of the current, and sad, state of Windows Mobile. We can also see, thanks to ComScore, that RIM is the king of the U.S. smartphone market followed by Apple, Palm, Symbian and Android. We’re sure Redmond isn’t all that happy about this; hopefully Microsoft steps on the accelerator and gets Windows Mobile 7 out the door.

Fourth generation iPhone and iPod touch getting double the memory capacity?


Ever since the iPhone and iPod touch were released, it seems like a trend that its memory capacity doubles every single year: 8GB, 16GB and 32GB for the iPhone and twice that for the iPod touch. Now that Toshiba can pack 64GB of NAND flash memory onto a single chip, it’s easy for us to imagine this technology finding its way into the next generation iPhone and iPod touch. If you’ve been one of those people holding off on buying an iPhone or iPod touch because of your massive iTunes library, your decision might get a little easier this coming summer.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Samsung ST5500 packs 14.2 megapixels and Wi-Fi


Samsung has decided to pull all stops on its latest digital camera — the ST5500. This point-and-shoot sports a 14.2 megapixel sensor, Wi-Fi, 100MB on-board memory and microSD card support. For those of you who are into video, you’ll be happy to know that you can shoot footage at 30 fps with a 1280 x 720 resolution as well, which should make for some smooth playback. The 7x optical zoom camera also has a large 3.5″ LCD touchscreen on the back so everything should be more intuitive with less clutter and less buttons. With Wi-Fi built in, you can even send pictures via email and load videos straight into websites like YouTube or Vimeo. No word on pricing, but look for it to hit store shelves sometime in Q1 2010

Windows Mobile 7 delayed until the end of 2010?


Remember the good old days when Windows Mobile was at the top of its game? When the Windows Mobile-powered Dell Axim went head to head with the Palm Tungsten T or when Palm shook up its Treo line by releasing the Windows Mobile-driven Treo 700WX? That was then and this is now, however, and the now is not looking so good for Windows Mobile. Phil Moore, head of Microsoft’s mobility division in the UK, admitted that Windows Mobile 7 is being delayed until late 2010. With iPhone OS 4.0 and a sure-to-be-newer version of Android on the horizon, could a delay until the end of be close to a death sentence for Windows Mobile?

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Google Goggles searches by image


We’ve been dreaming about being able to take a picture of a place or thing, send it to Google and have the mother-of-all-search tell us what it is and where it is. And, it looks like that day has finally come with Google Goggles. With the new application for Android, you take a picture from your phone and Google uses it to search for the name of the place, location, or thing based on images it has stored in its database. It sounds crazy, but apparently there are billions of images in that database and the algorithm that Google is using for Goggles will only get better with time. Instead of having to type out the name of whatever it is you’re snapping a picture of, which can be tricky if you don’t know where or what it is or you don’t know how it’s spelled, you just take a snapshot with your phone and Google does the rest. Sounds easy enough, right? We’ve been messing around with it and absolutely love it,

“Google Favorite Places” gives QR barcodes to businesses


Today, Google announced a new service that it will be giving to popular businesses around the country, a service to be called “Google Favorite Places,” and the idea is fairly simple. Google has mailed customized window stickers to business across the U.S. that are frequently searched for on google.com or in Google Maps — 100,00 have been sent out so far. Each sticker bears a QR barcode ready to be scanned by a cell phone reader, when scanned the code provides a link to Google’s entry for the local business which contains general information, reviews, coupons, and other pertinent information. Favorite Places also has a website were you can check out what Google classifies as a “favorite” in your area. So simple it might work? We’re not sure, but we do have the silent video Google made to go along with this project queued up for you after the break.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 heading to AT&T and T-Mobile?


There is word floating around that Sony Ericsson is planning on two variants of the XPERIA X10. While it’s far from confirmed, it appears as though SE’s plan of teaming with U.S. carriers to subsidize this bad boy is working out. Both versions will have 3G support for their respective carriers, which means the T-Mobile version will have support for the 1700MHz band. SE is also saying it plans to have this phone out in early 2010, so we’ll find out sooner than later. We’re just wondering what pricing will be like since this device will have to be heavily subsidized to come down from its $700+ price tag. Hit the jump for some device specs.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Motorola Sholes tablet gets shot up in China?


Motorola is pretty darn lucky the overly masculine design of the DROID was as well received as it was, but we have a gut feeling its luck will expire with the number you see above. So far a face without an official name, the device appears to be possibly the same one we saw star in some cropped shots the other day save for a 5 megapixel in lieu of 8. Of course having its photo snapped in China and reportedly heading to China Unicom means it’s anyone’s guess whether or not it will ever make it Stateside, but if you’re anything like us you’re praying that it does. That is provided it gets a bit of a make-over because there’s absolutely no need for that Nokia Surge-esque hump. Then again, we’ve heard Motorola is working on multiple models, so possibly this is just a China-specific variant.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Nokia N87 12MP document leaked?


A random video on YouTube shows what looks something like an official Nokia document outlining some initial features of the Nokia N87 12MP. According to the document, the N87 will feature a 12 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens with a dual-LED Xenon flash, a 3.2 inch capacitive WVGA display, 600 MHz processor and 16GB internal storage. It is nice to see Nokia getting up to speed and finally introducing an N-series phone with some desirable specs. If this pans out, let’s hope this is the one that “Comes With Maemo”.

Nokia sues top LCD makers over alleged price fixing


In the future, the cost of your next smartphone might decrease by a few pennies thanks to a new lawsuit brought on by Nokia against some of the world’s largest LCD manufactures. Filed simultaneously in both the United States and the England on November 25th, Nokia is alleging that AU Optronics, Hitachi, LG, Philips, Samsung, Seiko Epson, Sharp, Toshiba and others willingly conspired to “artificially inflated the price of liquid crystal displays ultimately incorporated into LCD products purchased by Nokia, causing Nokia to pay higher prices.” Earlier this year, AT&T started a similar lawsuit after LG, Chunghwa Picture Tubes and Sharp pled guilty to price fixing which eventually caused Hitatchi to come clean. Of course with Nokia’s financial situation being what it is, any savings brought on by a successful lawsuit could just as easily — and most likely — be contributed towards the companies profit margins. So far Nokia has yet to go on the record regarding the remedies it is seeking, but we imagine the information will become clear soon enough.

say hello to CLEAR 4G WiMax "fastest mobie internet"


i'm excited to announce the arrival of hawaii's very first 4G WiMax "fastest mobile internet", whether you at home, work or pretty much anywhere in between, you can stream TV, movies, play online games and video chat on your laptop 4x faster than with mobile internet from a cellphone company. it's all the internet you'll ever need.

Our mission is Clear! To give you super fast internet everywhere. So whether you at home, in a car, on the bus or even riding a ferris wheel, you can always be connected to your life online.

You are invited to the upnext wireless showroom to demo a live experience of Hawaii's very first WiMax 4G.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Apple iPhone makes official debut in South Korea


After years of wrangling with privacy concerns over the iPhone’s location-based services, the Apple iPhone is now finally available in South Korea. Hundreds of people, hoping to be the first on their block to rock the iPhone, lined up overnight outside Olympic stadium in Seoul. Those not willing to brave the elements turned to pre-orders, with nearly 65,000 customers reserving an iPhone in the weeks leading up to the launch. The iPhone is being sold by #2 cellular provider KT Corp and has been priced competitively with a 32GB iPhone 3GS retailing for 396,000 won ($338USD) with a monthly plan of 45,000 won ($38 USD) and 264,000 won ($225 USD) with a monthly fee of 65,000 won ($55 USD). Samsung and LG, two homegrown manufacturers that currently dominate the South Korean market, are supposedly already feeling the pressure as they’ve started to lower handset prices across the board in South Korea.

sales of Sony Ericsson Aino halted!


When it rains, it pours, and for Sony Ericsson, this week has been one big torrential downpour. Earlier we reported on the Sony Ericsson Satio which has been pulled from the shelves of the UK’s two major retailers due to a software glitch. Only a few days later, sales of the Sony Ericsson Aino were halted due to a growing number of customer complaints with the touchscreen. Once again, the source of the complaints was traced back to a glitch in the software. Trying to minimize this public relations nightmare, Sony Ericsson responded by saying “We are working as quickly as we can to solve it. Aino has sold limited numbers in the UK and this issue affects a very small number of consumers.” The promise of a future software fix is little consolation to Aino owners affected by this glitch and a thorn to angry stockholders who must be shaking their heads in utter disbelief.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Sony Ericsson Satio pulled from the shelves of two major UK retailers


More bad news out of the UK for Sony Ericsson as its flagship handset has been pulled from the shelves of both Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U. The two largest mobile phone retailers in the UK have suspended sales in response to a high volume of returns due to a reported “problem with the phone.” Sony Ericsson cites a software glitch as the cause of the problem and is expected to release a software update within two to three weeks to address the issue. In the interim if you absolutely must have the Satio, Orange and Vodafone are still selling the beleaguered handset with no problems being reported in their carrier-specific versions of the handset.

Google to partner with TiVo and DISH Network, DVR info to be analyzed


Grab your tinfoil hat and rip the coaxial out of your TiVo privacy-freaks. Search giant Google has setup strategic partnerships with TiVo and DISH Network to analyze customer DVR data in a move billed to better “align advertisers with viewers.” Google TV will do what Google does best — mine data – TiVo and DISH will be providing Google with “second-by-second viewing information on who’s changing channels and when, who’s fast-forwarding through commercials and anonymous information on viewers themselves.” We’re unclear as to how information can be both anonymous but about the viewer? The information will be used to more accurately target and price 30 and 60 second advertisement spots as the data will be able to indicate just how many people actually watched that Viagra ad, versus how many people fast forwarded over the bloody thing.

Nokia unveils the 6700 and 7230, two new sliders


Nokia has announced two new entry level 3G sliders, the Nokia 6700 slide and Nokia 7230. Both are set to launch in Q1 2010. The Symbian-powered Nokia 6700 slide features a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and Carl zeiss optics, 2.2 inch QVGA display, HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, an FM radio and microSD expansion slot. Available in a rainbow of colors as shown above, the 6700 slide will retail for EUR 160 ($239 USD). Less flashy but equally attractive is the Nokia 7230, a slim slider that features a 2.4 inch QVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera, FM radio, Bluetooth, microSD expansion lot, with Symbian S40 being the OS of choice. Look for the Nokia 7230 to retail for an affordable EUR 100 ($149USD). One more shot after the break.

Boost Mobile new release of the iDEN Motorola i410 "In Stock now at upnext wireless"


Motorola added a new handset to its iDEN workhouse line today when it introduced the i410. Upnext Wireless has received their batch of inventory in stock. Destined for Boost Mobile, the i410 has a rugged flip phone design in black and silver. The small external display sits in the middle of the etched front panel, while inside you'll find a color display and the standard navigation array and keypad.

Features are firmly on the low end. There's no camera, but you get GPS, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, messaging, an Opera browser, and a personal organizer. Pricing is $89.99, no contract necessary. $50 / month includes unlimited talk, text, web and walkie talkie nationwide long distance and roaming in the USA included.

Google map navigation officially hits android 1.6 and higher


If you’re currently using every other Android device besides the Motorola DROID, you might have thought that Google was holding out on that navigation love. Luckily, and just in time for your holiday travels, Google Maps Navigation has just been made available for Android 1.6. Now your myTouch 3G, Motorola CLIQ and T-Mobile G1 can better help you in getting around your in-laws’ town for turkey day with GPS voice navigation, automatic re-routing and Google’s new Layers feature for navigation. Unfortunately for Hero and Eris users, you’re left out in the dark until HTC and your respective carriers crank out that 1.6 Donut update for your phones. We’re crossing our fingers for you that it hits before Christmas.

Dell Mini 3i now official in China


Thanks to a China Mobile press release, the details that we leaked back in August about Dell’s Android-powered Mini 3i are now confirmed. According to both sources, the Mini 3i will pack a 3.5” nHD (640×360) display, Quadband GSM/EDGE, 3 megapixel camera with zoom, auto-focus, flash, and video capture, Bluetooth, GPS navigation, and microSD expansion (up to 32GB). Dell’s first serious smartphone venture will be available to China Mobile’s 500 million strong subscriber base in “Red Passion” and “Oiled Bronze” variants later this month.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Blackberry Pearl 9100 gets pawed


After RIM’s release of the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip-phone it was hard to tell what direction the former candy bar style handset was headed, and rumors of the models demise began to circulate around intertubes. However, the rumors of its death were greatly exaggerated as an updated 3G Pearl has been whispered for months, and it looks like RIM has gone back to the Pearl’s form-factor roots with its latest spin on the classic, the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 — code name Striker or Stratus. The 9100 prototype in question is a GSM device with RIM’s now standard optical trackball, SureType keyboard, 3G, Wi-Fi, and BlackBerry OS 5.0; it also incorporates many of the stylistic changes of the BlackBerry Bold 9700. We’ll stay on top of this one and provide you more details as they become available, but for now there is a short teaser video from salomondrin.net all queued up for you after the bounce.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Nokia Nseries ditching Symbian by 2012


According to the Maemo marketing team, it looks like it’s already in motion. Apparently Nokia still has some Nseries devices in the pipeline which will still use S60 as the operating system, but after those are out of the factory, it seems like Maemo will be the OS of choice for Nokia’s Nseries. That doesn’t mean that Nokia has plans to ditch Symbian altogether yet, as the enterprise-friendly Eseries and new Xseries will still run Symbian for the foreseeable future.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

BlackBerry Internet Service hit with data outages worldwide

We’ve been receiving multiple reports that BlackBerry Internet Service, or BIS, is down for many people — possibly worldwide. Initially, we thought the outages were only affecting certain carriers, but users from multiple carriers have reported a service interruption for what seems to be a few hours now. Naturally, we’ll keep you updated as we receive more news, but for now we’re not quite sure what’s causing this outage as it seems to be possibly affecting BlackBerry users on a global scale and we have numbers of around 75-80% in terms of users affected. Is there anyone out there currently experiencing data issues? Let us know in the comments!

Second iphone virus found, again targets jailbroken iphones

Earlier this week, an Australian coder by the name of Ikee wrote an interesting iPhone worm targeting users with jailbroken iPhones — specifically those users who had not RTFM and changed their root password. The worm was programmed to scan the 3G IP ranges of the Telus, Optus, and Vodafone networks in Australia. Once a vulnerable iPhone was found, the exploit would change the wallpaper of said device to…Rick Astley. Respect. In an interview Ikee explains that his worm was designed as more of a warning shot than an attempt to compromise user data. Ikee had hoped users would be motivated to change their root password, which is set to “alpine” by default post-jailbreak, after seeing the consequences of a compromised root password. Fast forward to today, and a new anonymous coder has modified Ikee’s worm, and this new variant has less of that public service announcement feel to it. The modified strain, dubbed “iPhone/Privacy.A” by the online security firm Intego, is programmed to do several things: act silently and retrieve e-mail messages, SMS messages, calendar appointments, contacts, photos, music files, videos, along with any other data recorded by your iPhone apps. Currently details on where the worm is uploading the farmed data is scarce, and the threat of being infected is low. What’s our recommendation? If you have a jailbroken iPhone, change the root password. Maybe this is why Apple’s looking to secure their incredibly unsecure mobile operating system…

Thursday, November 12, 2009

T-Mobile plans to unleash blazing 21Mbps HSPA+ in mid-2010


T-Mobile might have been last in launching a 3G network in the U.S., but that hasn’t stopped it from moving right along. We had already known that T-Mobile was planning on lighting up its 7.2Mbps speeds in some cities by the end of 2009, but it looks like HSPA+ is kicking in just months later. Slated for mid-2010, a number of U.S. markets will have data speeds of up to 21Mbps on T-Mobile’s network. There are also a decent amount of handsets that will be able to take advantage of the 7.2Mbps kick, like the G1, CLIQ and the myTouch 3G, but we’re really looking for what T-Mobile has in store for the masses once HSPA+ hits. In addition to the speed upgrades, the company is also continuing to spread its 3G footprint across the country. Now where are those Nokia N900s with AWS 3G support?

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Nokia N900 gets it's marching orders


Nokia smartphone loyalists that feel S60 is a bit long in the tooth and are looking for something new should be all smiles today, as earlier Nokia announced that the Maemo 5-powered N900 smartphone has begun shipping out after a series of delays. To officially retail for around 500€ ($749 USD), the N900 has been spotted on various US-based websites for well under $600. And that’s a darn good deal, too, because you’re not going to find many phones at that price that offer up the following:
■Maemo 5 OS
■3.5-inch WVGA (800 x 480) resistive touchscreen display
■110.9 × 59.8 × 18mm, 181g
■Portrait-orientation sliding QWERTY
■Mozilla-based browser, full Adobe Flash support
■ARM cortex A8 processor
■32GB internal memory
■5.0 MP Carl Zeiss camera with dual-LED flash, auto-focus and sliding cover
■MicroSDHC support up to 16GB
■FM transmitter
■Quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA 900/1700/2100, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP
■GPS
■1320 mAh battery
One word of caution: as it currently stands, the N900 will not play nice with the new SIMs from 3 in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Austria, although a software update to resolve this comparability issue is due out before the end of the year. A launch video from Nokia is lying in wait after the jump.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

T-Mobile losses "even more" customers in Q3


Here at upnext wireless we love the underdog, so we are a little disappointed to have to tell you about the latest figures coming out of the T-Mobile camp. T-Mobile released their Q3 numbers today and suffered a net loss of 77,000 subscribers, with 140,000 customers packing up their number and shacking up with another carrier. Compare the loss with the 325,000 subscribers it gained in Q2 of this year or the 670,000 it gained in Q3 of last year, and, well ouch; it would appear as though T-Mo’s momentum might be slowing. The profits also shrunk a bit, in Q2 T-Mo posted a $425 million profit while in Q3 that number shrank to $417 million. So, will the new “Even More” plans, Android handsets, and new BlackBerry smartphones be enough to get T-Mobile back on track for Q4? Or will the comparatively meek holiday lineup make for a flat Q4? We’ll find out.

HTC HD2 now shipping to Europe & Asia, confirmed to U.S. in 2010


Our readers in both Europe and Asia have reason to smile this morning, as HTC has at long last announced that the highly anticipated successor to the Touch HD has finally begun shipping. Citizens in Europeans will be able to pick up the HD2 in the next few days while our Asian brothers and sisters will see a gradual rollout staring in a weeks time. As for the majority of our readers, Americans, HTC has formally confirmed what we reported one month ago when the device was first announced — the HD2 will be making its way to “a major US carrier” in early 2010. The only mystery is which carrier could HTC possibly be referring to. Hmm

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

T-Mobile voice outage!


We're getting reports from sea to shining sea this evening that T-Mobile service is down or intermittent on both voice and data -- particularly bad timing in light of the recent Sidekick drama.
We just got an official statement from T-Mobile, and it's confirmed -- service is down. Here's the statement:
"T-Mobile customers may be experiencing service disruptions impacting voice and data. Our rapid response teams have been mobilized to restore service as quickly as possible. We will provide updates as more information is available."

Sony Ericsson announces the XPERIA X10


And yet another manufacturer has officially entered the Android game as Sony Ericsson has formally announced the XPERIA X10. Powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and running on Android 1.6 “Cupcake”, the X10 boasts a 4″ WVGA capacitive touchscreen display, an 8.1 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and two flavors of UMTS/HSPA — one of which supports T-Mobile, the other, AT&T — in addition to quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE. Regrettably there is only 1GB of built in memory, although an 8GB microSD card ships in the box. In terms of UI customization, the X10 comes with the UI overlay UX called Rachael (user experience) which extends into two premier apps: Mediascape — the media player which we’ve already seen twice — and Timescape, which more or less is SE’s answer to a MOTOBLUR type skin. Pricing and countries of availability has yet to be announced, but the XPERIA X10 will be available in Q1 2010 in Sensuous Black and Lustre White (yes, we LOL’d, too). Hit the jump for a promo video and a press release.

Sprint and Clearwire plow ahead with 4G WiMax launch


Just a few days ago, Sprint announced its plans to release a ton of new and exciting handsets which included WiMax-capable devices. Our initial thoughts were, “Who’s gonna use these? And outside of a few cities, where is WiMax even available?” But it looks like Sprint has a plan and is sticking to it as Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth and a few other cities are going to be lit up with 4G goodness.
Sprint says, “To use Sprint 4G service, all you will need is a 4G plan and the Sprint 3G/4G USB Modem U300. Just plug in the device and start downloading mammoth attachments, uploading huge files and video-conferencing with no lag.” In case you were wondering, WiMax hits max speeds of about 10Mbps, which is faster than what some people have wired at home, and averages between 3Mbps – 6Mbps. We’re just hoping that the 4G plans are set at the right price points.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Google voice now features voicemail


It’s a scientific fact that Google Voice is all of that and a bag of potato chips, but now it’s gotten even better thanks in part to Google’s willingness to tick off every carrier in the nation. In the past, users who wished to take advantage of the features of Google Voice would have to use the number provided to them by Google, but now users are free to integrate some Google Voice features into their carrier-issued number. These features include:
■Online, searchable voicemail
■Free automated voicemail transcription
■Custom voicemail greetings for different callers
■Email and SMS notifications
■Low-priced international calling
What’s particularly neat about this new option is that your messages follow you no matter what, meaning that even if you switch carriers to get the hot new device, Google Voice features will come with you.

Introducing unlimited talk & text for $49.99/month (No contract)


H2O Unlimited is Unlimited Domestic voice & (Domestic & International) SMS without contracts or credit checks. Yes we did say Unlimited Global text messaging. All this for $49.99 USD per month.

There is no contract or credit check required, and all plans are month to month.
Monthly Plan-Unlimited Talk & Text
Want an unlimited calling and text messaging plan for one low price? The Unlimited Talk & Text is right for you. Talk and text all you want for only $49.99 a month on the largest GSM network in the USA! Unlimited Talk n Text has no hidden fees, and once you're on the plan you can replenish your account by purchasing a refill at participating upnext wireless retail stores in Hawaii. You can also bring ("port") an existing phone number with you to the new service from other carriers. All this for $49.99 a month, and with the reliability and coverage or our nationwide network!

Your Unlimited Talk & Text service will run on the largest GSM network in North America. H2O Unlimited works with your unlocked GSM phone or with an AT&T USA locked handset.

Visit us at upnext wireless to take advantage of the savings.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Netflix and Sony partner up to allow streaming movies on PS3


All you movie addicts who own the PlayStation 3 no longer have to envy Xbox 360 users. Sony and Netflix are teaming up to bring movie streaming to the Ps3. The bonus for those on the PlayStation Network is, since your PSN accounts are free, all you need is a Netflix account to watch movies whereas Xbox 360 users need a $50-per-year Xbox Live Gold membership. The service will launch in November and if you decide to use your PS3 to access your Netflix account (why wouldn’t you?), Netflix will send a Blu-Ray disc that will allow you to access its library. It might seem like a hassle to pop in the disc every time you want to watch movies, but Netflix says it’s working on a software update for the PS3 that will do away with the need for a disc. It looks like you gamers and movie buffs are about to see double the couch time.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

N900 delayed until November


We know many of you are close to dying and holding your breath for the awesome Nokia flagship device, the Maemo-packing N900. It was probably a big tease when we told you guys it was going to hit U.S. distribution centers on September 27, but for some untold reason sales planned for October have been delayed and it will go on sale in November. In just days T-Mobile will be making its Even More and Even More Plus plans available, and the N900 will totally support the network's 3G, and several of our readers are waiting to jump on this handset/carrier combo. Just be prepared to fork over somewhere in the neighborhood of $650 - $700 for the device itself and you'll be good to go. You've waited this long, what's another week or two?

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

T-Mobile to employees: Don't dare to open this until 10/25


What not to do if you are a large company and have a secret project — ship a box full of relevant collateral to a retail locale with a stern looking label that reads “Don’t Open Until 10/25″. A new connect has come through with some pricing details on T-Mo’s Project Dark, and as usual, we’ve ripped it apart and deciphered it. Pics and pricing after the bounce.

Google said to be launching Google audio soon


From Gmail to YouTube and from Voice to Maps, it seems there is hardly a service that Google isn’t in the business of providing. So we hope you can understand our somewhat lack of shock when we learned of the rumor that Google is on the cusp of releasing its own music service to be known as Google Audio. At the moment very little is know, but the big question seems to be focused on whether or not Google Audio — if it is indeed real — will provide streaming or downloadable music as it currently offers in China. Can we get an Amen for both?

RIM makes the Blackberry Bold 9700 official, hitting in November


It’s always a lot of fun for us — and hopefully for you, the readers — any time we can run wild with pictures, news, and even reviews of an unannounced handset. Today, however, RIM spoiled our fun and formally announced the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Things like carriers, release dates and pricing have been withheld for the time being, but RIM has made a statement saying that we should all expect to see the BlackBerry 9700 go on sale “around the world beginning in November.” Spec wise, nothing has changed since our pre-release review, but just in case some of you forgot or weren’t paying a whole lot of attention, here’s a quick refresher on the critical specs:

■BlackBerry OS 5.0
■624MHz CPU
■256MB flash memory and support for microSD cards up to 32GB
■Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA (800/850/1900/2100 MHz) or tri-band UMTS/HSDPA (900/1700/2100 MHz)
■Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
■Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g with UMA support (carrier dependent)
■A-GPS
■2.44″ HVGA+ display
■3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
■Optical trackpad
■Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP/AVCRP
■1500 mAh battery
■6 hours of talk time and 17 days of standby (3G)
■109mm x 60mm x 14.1mm, 122g
In short, this is the BlackBerry device of your dreams. We’re expecting pretty much every single major GSM carrier on the planet to pick up the 9700 sooner or later, so we’ll be sure to keep the updates coming. As always, high res pics and a few other odds and ends are available after the jump.

UPDATE: AT&T, Rogers and T-Mobile have announced they will be carrying the Bold 9700 in the weeks ahead. AT&T and T-Mobile’s 9700 will go for $199.99 after a $100 MIR on 2-year deals while Rogers will be asking for $299.99 on a 3-year contract with a monthly minimum voice and data plan of $45. Bell and TELUS have yet to come forward with pricing but have confirmed they will be carrying the device.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Sony Ericsson Saito & Aino available at Upnext Wireless



It's not like we didn't know this already, but Upnext Wireless has now officially have the Saito (Idou) and Aino U10 in stock at it's stores for its latest pair of handsets. The half-Swedish, half-Welsh mobile empire has set the seventh day of the tenth month of whatever year this is as the date for a nice little corporate get-together and unveiling of whatever little details haven't been seen or pored over by now. The Aino slider hopes to capture fans with its slender looks and PS3 Remote Play skills, while the Satio (formerly known as the Idou, pictured) works the multimedia phone crowd with a 12.1 megapixel cam and a 3.5-inch 16:9 display.

T-Mobile Project dark rumuors: financed phones


As we inch closer to the day when Project Dark is finally realized, we’re getting more news regarding what it is and what it definitely isn’t. In addition to what we’ve reported with network speed boosts, unlimited rate plans and new devices, we’re hearing that getting the device of your dreams is going to be easier than ever. It’s definitely an unconfirmed rumor right now and we’re working on getting more solid details for you guys, but apparently “Even More Plus” will give those who would otherwise qualify for FlexPay the option to finance a phone. It sounds crazy, right? Our sources tell us that the phones will not be subsidized and so there won’t be contracts for the devices, which means you pay the full retail price over the course of a set amount of time (up to 20 months is what we’re told). Not bad — for a $500 device over that time is just $25/month, as an example.

We’re also hearing that the “Most Affordable Unlimited Rate Plans” are going to include three tiers of unlimited options: unlimited voice, unlimited voice and text, and unlimited voice/text/data all priced at $40, $50 and $60, respectively. Again, none of this is completely confirmed, but it does jive with what we’ve been hearing in the past and the ad pictured above. With plans, pricing and financing like that, is it possible for T-Mobile to shoot its way out of 4th place and past Sprint for 3rd?

Monday, October 19, 2009

Samsung WEP 475 "new" with $10 mail-in rebate


SAMSUNG WEP475 @ $39.99 after a $10 mail-in rebate at Upnext Wireless, best value, best features. Get yours today while supplies last!
Includes: Travel Charger, Car Charger with Adaptor, Clear Ear hook, User Guide
$10.00 Main-in Rebate **
Noise Canceling:
- Echo cancellation technology
- Crystal clear conversations
- Eliminates unwanted background noise
- Crisp, clean voice audio even in a high-noise area
Convenience:
- Lightweight
- Easy to use
- Hands-free unit
- Ambient noise filtering
- Automatic volume control
Compatibility:
- All Bluetooth enabled cell phone models
- Mono Bluetooth audio, over-ear headset style, single pairing, Bluetooth version
2.1 + EDR, class 2 device with Broadcom progressive noise filtering

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

HTC HD2 looks T-Mobile bound


T-Mobile users that have grown accustomed to nothing but boring handsets might want to have a change of underwear on standby before reading any more, because it looks as if Magenta is actually going to offer a a handset of lust-worthy proportions.. According to TmoNews, its carrier namesake will offer the Snapdragon-powered HTC HD2 sometime in the near future, although it does not appear to be a part of Project Dark. We’re going to go and hit up some of our T-Mobile connects to see what they have to say on the matter, but in the meantime we suggest that those of you who are into it start praying that T-Mobile doesn’t ask for silly money if and/when it launches the HD2.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Blackberry 9520 aka Storm 2 is available at upnext wireless


While it's not certainly not much to go on. Upnext Wireless has first dip and offer of the Blackberry 9520 aka Storm 2 at $849.99 pricepoint no contract necessary. Vodafone's Storm 2 has 3G and looks almost similar to that of the original BlackBerry Storm. The Storm 2 for Vodafone will come with Wi-Fi and OS 5.0.0.138. We'll keep you posted of additional details on the Blackberry 9520 aka Storm 2 so stay tune!!

Friday, October 9, 2009

T-Mobile rumored Project dark: handset and rapid network expansion


There’s a lot of buzz surrounding T-Mobile secret project, “Project Dark” or “Project Black” as others have referred to it. One of our connects hit us up to clarify what it exactly is (they called it Project Dark).

So, what is it exactly? Other sites have speculated that it’s not a new phone or promotion, but our connects briefing has given us a pretty clear understanding. First off, it is tied somewhat to handsets. Project Dark contains the launch of the T-Mobile BlackBerry 9700 as well as T-Mobile’s upcoming Android handsets like the Motorola CLIQ and Samsung Behold II. It also contains a very, very rapid expansion of T-Mobile’s 3G network, and we don’t mean UMTS. We’re talking 21Mbps HSPA, the same as what just launched in the Philadelphia market. We’ll keep digging but this is what we’ve got for you for now.

Project Dark is a pretty big thing for T-Mobile. Not only will employees be wearing new threads consisting of a black top and grey pants while they sell the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and two Nokia Nseries devices (the N900 and something else), but they’ll also be pushing something pretty amazing — a $50 all you can eat plan that includes voice, SMS, MMS and data. Apparently this plan will be called “Everything Unlimited” and is meant to represent T-Mobile’s new strategy which will essentially see it try and poach subs from various low-cost carriers. We’ve also been told that T-Mobile will be adopting a very Walmart slogan of “More for Less.”

T-Mobile Blackberry 9700 launching Nov. 11


Look, we’ll be completely upfront like we always are: this is not confirmed. Since that’s out of the way, one of our new connects (whom we have reason to trust) has informed us that T-Mobile USA is gearing up to launch the BlackBerry 9700 on November 11th. Engadget’s announcement dates make sense, as does this launch date. If it all pans out you’ll be hearing about the BlackBerry 9700 for AT&T and T-Mobile come October 21st, and on November 11th, you’ll be able to mosey on down to your local T-Mobile shop and actually buy one for yourself.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

T-Mobile introduces it's holiday line up


Believe it or not, Christmas is but 11 weeks away which means that every single tech company on the planet is going to be lighting up our inboxes with press releases about their holiday offerings. The first company to do this for 2009 is T-Mobile. Apart from another chance to get us bloggers talking about the Behold II and the Motorola CLIQ, T-Mobile took the opportunity to introduce two new handsets and a limited edition collaboration piece. The first new handset is the Nokia 3711, a 3G clamshell affair with a 2 megapixel camera, GPS by Telenav, and stereo Bluetooth. The second is the T-Mobile Tap. Presumably made by HTC based upon its appearance, the Tap is an “affordable and attractive” full-touchscreen featurephone that, like the 3711 has 3G, a 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth and GPS by Telenav. New in another sense of the word is the myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition. With only 10,000 to be offered sometime this winter, the Fender myTouch 3G sports a “guitar-inspired wood-grain finish”, 16GB microSD card filled with a bunch of music and videos not a soul alive won’t delete, and *gasp* a 3.5mm headphone jack. What do we think, people?

Sony Ericsson T715 just landed @ upnext wireless for only $249.99


Sony Ericsson has introduced a new slider phone called the Sony Ericsson T715 that permits its customers to remain connected without compromising on the features or design. The T715, an ultra solid slider phone offers a large keypad and font size which allows getting the most out of your SMS, MMS or email management. It helps to keep the customers structured in an innate way with its elegant desktop feature. Special animation and notes helps stay updated with all the birthdays, appointments and global events coming up. Records of the earlier call history and messages can be assessed quickly.

The turbo 3G network connection provides a hassle-free immediate internet browsing and the huge 2.2” screen shows the website brilliantly in day light.
Google Maps is also included in the T715 which has local search and guidelines and AccuWeather. This keeps one updated about the next three days weather forecasts and never allows oneself to fall short of umbrellas or sunglasses.

The T715, with a size of the credit card has a high-quality finish which brings in a lot of classiness to life. With a 3.2 mega pixel camera and an attached photo light, whipping out and snapping in high-class pictures is an easy task even in a dim environment. The classy design of this new Sony Ericsson phone helps users keep in touch with friends and family no matter if in a business meeting or enjoying lunch with friends.

Visit us at upnext wireless.com

Sony Ericsson Aino just release at upnext wireless.com


Sony Ericsson Aino brings in some heavy multimedia firepower such as a PS3-inspired touch menu, a large 3-inch touchscreen, VGA30fps video recording. Wi-Fi and GPS are also in the mix to make the device that much more tempting. The Remote Play feature enables users to control and access media content on Playstation 3 from their phone. Aino is available at upnext wireless.com at $569.99.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

HTC HD2 is coming to a store near you!


Today was a pretty big day for HTC. Not only did it have a bunch of new handsets go live on scores of carriers across the globe, but it also announced the HD2. Known best by its codename Leo, the HD2 is the crown jewel of HTC’s Windows Mobile 6.5 offerings if not the envy of every other WinMo handset maker with a spec sheet that reads as follows: 4.3″ WVGA capacitive display, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, G-sensor, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB ROM / 448MB RAM, 7.2Mbps UMTS/HSPA and HTC’s Sense UI overlay. As it stands, there is no official announcement on the HD2’s USA-bound status, but Slashgear was told by HTC CEO Peter Chou that the HD2 should arrive in the New World sometime in Q1 2010.