Samsung and LG surpasses 20 million touchscreen handsets sold

So, at this point it’s pretty safe to say touchscreen handsets are big. Like, really big. Every major mobile phone manufacturer is basically knee deep in touchscreens right now, or well on its way to being knee deep at least, and for good reason: everyone wants one. Of the major players in the handset game right now, Samsung and LG both jumped head first into the touchscreen trend over two years ago — for a while there it seemed like they forgot how to make a hardware button. It’s no mystery that touchscreens have been paying off for the manufacturers but this morning we learn Samsung and LG have each surpassed the 20 million mark where touchscreen device sales are concerned. In other words, each company is selling approximately 1.6 million touchscreen handsets per month. With people this hungry for touchscreens, those who have been slow to embrace them would be well served to jump on board; the global market for touchscreen smartphones is estimated to reach about 500 million by 2012. It’s anyone’s guess who the major touchscreen players will be by then but for the time being, it’s pretty safe to call South Korea the touchscreen capital of the world.

Nokia launches 3 new low-end devices

Today Nokia announced three new devices that it hopes will makes serious inroads in emerging markets. While they certainly aren’t much to write home about from a phoneaholic’s perspective, they are definitely interesting in that they place particular emphasis on entertainment and social media. Nokia seemingly feels the time is right to thrust mobile internet and social networking upon the up and coming masses and we’re more than eager to see how it works out. Provided data costs are reasonable, Nokia’s effort could certainly provide a means of low-cost entertainment that is well placed in emerging markets. Hit the jump for more details on the 2720 fold, 2730 classic and 7020.

Rumor: Nokia N97 NAM to be shipped out June 2nd

We’ve long believed that the Nokia N97 would ship in out in July but a new rumor has the North American version of the N97 pegged for a June 2nd shippingdate. The evidence: a screenshot from the site of a major North American distributor, as seen above. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if this rumor pans out and the N97 makes an early word-wide release, especially considering Vodafone UK’s website now lists a June launch instead of July for the Euro edition. No matter what, unless you’re one of the lucky few who managed to score an N97 NAM on pre-order for $454.35, you may just want to hold off on pulling the trigger. From what we hear, June is going to be quite a month for new handsets in the US – *cough* iPhone *cough* Pre. Then again, it makes complete sense that Nokia would try to push the N97 out before the US starts going bananas for the aforementioned carrier-subsidized phones.

Images of Blackberry Storm 2 emerges

A mere four days after the world got its first look at the upcoming BlackBerry Driftwood, the guys at CrackBerry have scored pictures of the successor to the BlackBerry Storm from the same source. Featuring similar styling queues as the Driftwood with black plastic convenience keys and a battery cover sporting the seven-dot BlackBerry logo, the Storm 2 does look a lot like the current 9500 / 9530 Storm — albeit much thinner and more streamlined. We’re currently short on concrete specs other than the fact that it will launch on Verizon and feature Wi-Fi and a new screen technology called TruePress (as opposed to the current Storm’s SurePress). The newest Storm also retains the metal battery cover and auto-focus 3.2 megapixel camera with flash as well. Anyway, hit the jump for a

AT&T Samsung i637 Jack gets official

We have seen it breeze through the FCC and make a recent appearance on an AT&T rebate sheet; now it is time for the Samsung Jack to get official from Samsung and AT&T. This successor to the popular Samsung Blackjack and Blackjack II will feature quad-band GSM, dual-band UMTS / HSDPA, front-facing QWERTY keyboard, 256 MB RAM, 3.2 megapixel camera with video-capture, microSDHC support, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) and aGPS with AT&T Navigator support. Also of note, the handset will launch with Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard but will be upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.5 once it’s ready. Woo! The Jack will be available from AT&T starting May 19th and will debut for a mere $100 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a 2-year contract

LG Viewty Smart coming to UK this month, 12 mega-pixel beast

Right on schedule, LG is apparently getting ready to start pushing out it’s newest touchscreen gem — the Viewty Smart. You hear that ‘other’ handset makers? It is possible to release a phone on schedule! As we’re sure you recall, this little dynamo sports a 3″ touchscreen display with WVGA resolution, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, aGPS, Wi-Fi and the 3D S-Class UI. Oh yeah, and it rocks an 8 megapixel camera capable of “DVD quality” video recording. Sweet. On a separate and even more intriguing note, LG reportedly told several UK blogs to expect a 12 megapixel handset to drop this year with “even more smart features”. Interest = piqued.

T-Mobile G2 with suprise

You thought T-Mobile would go ahead and launch the same identical HTC Sapphire hardware as those other carriers, didn’t you? Well, it looks like good old T-mo US might have a surprise up its sleeve — at least it did. You’ll be pleased as punch to know that besides the rumored color options (which this photo does confirm to a certain extent), the T-Mobile G2 (if that is the actual name) will apparently feature a 5 megapixel camera instead of a 3.2 megapixel one. We’re looking at a July release from Walmart and a $179 price tag with a 2-year contract. McDonald’s Supersized image after the jump (throwback edition)!

Sony Ericsson CS8 hitting in September

It sure seems as if T-Mobile really loves high-resolution camera phones because in addition to launching the Samsung Memoir, they’re going to be rocking out with the Sony Ericsson CS8 come September. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 8.1 megapixel camera, UMTS — what’s not to love? The price for one. It’ll run you around $148 with a two year agreement straight from Wally World.

Nokia alleged next touchscreen, Nokia 5900 music Xpress

We’re going to go out on a limb here and say there’s a very, very good chance this is fake, but images of a handset reported to be Nokia’s next touchscreen Symbian smartphone have just surfaced. The source is in China — land of less-than-authentic handsets — so definitely tread with caution. That said, you’re looking at images of what is reported to be Nokia’s successor to the 5800 XpressMusic… The 5900 XpressMusic. Could this be the rumored capacitive touchscreen refresh that had been rumored a while back? Specs are limited for the time being but the source claims a 3.5 inch touchscreen and a 5 megapixel camera are on board along with a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a kickstand. The source also reports a possible lack of 3G which, if true, would definitely be a pretty good indication that the handset is indeed fake. Hit the jump for more shots.

changes at T-Mobile: smartphones to require data plans, family messaging rate hike

There has been quite a bit of movement recently as far as T-Mobile’s plans are concerned and if you haven’t been keeping your eye on the ball, you probably missed something. For the most part, T-Mo has added plans and options that are pretty favorable for subscribers but word just came in from one of our ninjas regarding a few more upcoming changes some might not be happy about. The first concerns smartphone users: We know that all you fans out there obviously have data plans but there are plenty of people who enjoy the enhanced functionality of a smartphone who haven’t yet embraced mobile data services. Unfortunately, those people are in for a bit of a disappointment — some time in June T-Mobile will begin requiring that all smartphones (new activations / upgrades) have a data plan. This new requirement will not apply to the BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry Pearl Flip, Samsung Behold or Samsung Memoir. Next up, messaging addicts: Also beginning some time in June, T-Mobile’s Unlimited Domestic Messages for Families will jump from $19.95 per month to $24.99 per month. It’s still a pretty sweet deal of course, just not quite as sweet as it used to be.

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone available in App Store in Wi-Fi only flavor, runs $29.99

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone is about to become available in the App Store, it only will work over a Wi-Fi connection as opposed to a cellular data connection. It also will run you $29.99. The only good news we could scrounge up is that Sling has allowed/enabled the iPhone client to work on any Slingbox, but they won’t officially support it. All in all, we’re sad to say, we really don’t see this going over well. $30 for an application you can only use over Wi-Fi really doesn’t sound that appetizing. We love you Sling, but this isn’t exactly optimal.

Well, we’re going to hold on to our demo apps that work over 3G — who knew some applications would become collectibles? We didn’t have a chance to put a formal review together even though we’ve been using the application for the last month or so, but quick thoughts? Really solid product that had a ton of potential (and a nice revenue stream for Sling) had it launched with cellular data support. Couple laggy spots, but hey, it’s your TiVo (or whatever crap DVR you use) on your iPhone. Anywhere. AT&T really bent them over with a hot iron stick on this one…

Windows Mobile marketplace opens it's doors....Finally!

All right file in, ever-patient Windows Mobile developers. If you’ve managed to stick with ole’ faithful this long without jumping ship to a trendier, flashier platform, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally coming into focus. Maybe. Microsoft has now officially opened its doors for Windows Marketplace for Mobile developer registration, again. We’re a bit confused here because as far as we know, registration has been open since the beginning of the month. Maybe MS means international devs can now register? Perhaps, but several developers outside the States are still reporting difficulties with the registration process. Whatever the case may be, if you’re a WinMo dev who hasn’t jumped on board yet you should. Now the only thing left is to give this bad boy a nickname. Windows Marketplace for Mobile is quite the mouth full and doesn’t have nearly the same flow as App Store or App World. So what do you guys think we should call it? WMM? WinMaMo? MarkFoMob? Hmm. We’ll keep working on this and get back to you.

Zune suprise: Zune HD a new phone from Microsoft.

June 2009 is going to be a big month: WWDC (iPhone announcement), the Palm Pre will be in action and rumor has it Microsoft has big news for the Zune. While many would speculate that the latter would mean a Zune phone from Microsoft, we’re thinking more along the lines of a Zune HD. After all, Microsoft explicitly said, “Microsoft is not going into the phone hardware business. Microsoft is not building a Zune-specific phone.” Stranger things have happened though, right? This fire was started by a Twitter account that detailed what would be included in Office 2010, such as Twitter and Facebook integration. It then went on to say “New product launch, that’s all I’m allowed to say. Hold off from buying an iPhone/Pre.” That would imply a phone, so we’re not sure where things are headed at this point. Whatever it is, at this point the only real reason to hold off on buying a new iPhone or Pre is to avoid the lines.

T-Mobile G1 v2 made by Motorola, not HTC. Motorola 1st android phone

You read that right! We just got a tip that basically more or less confirmed the phone we posted a couple days is going to be manufactured by Motorola for T-Mobile. Why isn’t HTC in the picture on this one? We have no idea. We’ve checked with a second source who also confirmed that this was going to be the case. Plus, look at the image real closely… Look at the keyboard font and the buttons on the front of the device — there’s stuff HTC just wouldn’t do — they’re totally crazy wild Moto style.

Touch Pro 2 hitting to T-Mobile this Summer

A simple post about the launch of T-Mobile’s upcoming Visual Voicemail service has revealed a proverbial goldmine of information about the Summer launch of several hot handsets for T-Mobile. In chronological order, we have the following phones and their respective launch dates:

Sony Ericsson CS8: 6/24/2009
T-Mobile Dash 3G (HTC Snap): 7/1/2009
Sony Ericsson CS5: 7/8/2009
Samsung t469 “Smiley”: 7/15/2009
Samsung t549 “XO”: 7/15/2009
HTC Rhodium (Touch Pro 2): 7/22/2009
Oh yeah, and there’s also a Visual Voicemail service launching on July 16th. Sadly missing from the list is the HTC Magic, aka the MyTouch 3G, whose marked absence from the list may possibly be explained by a pre-Summer launch date. No need to include the Magic if it will already be available before the end of June!

Nokia announces the E52:

There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a phone call and having your handset die on you. Or perhaps checking your work email on a long trip and having the juice run dry. This morning, Nokia broke out another Eseries device that will reportedly solve all your battery woes. The E52 boasts an impressive 8 hours of talk time and 23 days of standby. Devices like this typically offer a basic feature set but the E52 doesn’t hold back - it packs A-GPS, HSDPA/HSUPA, 3.2 megapixel camera, Mobile VPN and Exchange and Lotus Notes support. The device certainly does a hell of a lot more than refuse to die. The Nokia E52 ships later this year with a 1GB memory card and will set you back €245 (~ $326).

sexy 3G Samsungs get pictured on their way to T-Mobile

Tmonews forum user VtotheZ managed to get his hands on a whole mess of Samsung handsets that will be making their way to T-Mobile US this year. While details are limited for the time being, it certainly looks like there will be something for everyone. First up, pictured above at the top and bottom right, is the Samsung Gravity 2. Featuring dual keypads and a side-sliding form factor, this Gravity replacement will reportedly be available in pink/red and orange/graphite and out before Q4. At the bottom right of the image above, you’ll find the 20-key Samsung T349 we scooped last month which is due out on May 20th. Hit the jump for the goods on two more Tmo-bound 3G Sammys.

Samsung S5230 & Preston S5600 touchscreen phones

Never resting on their laurels, Samsung has just cranked out two new touchscreen handsets for this year: Star S5230 and Preston S5600. There’s no mistaking these as Samsungs given their looks — you can tell they’re obviously related to the Instinct and the Behold. The S5230 is a 2.5G handset (really?) coupled with a 3-inch WQVGA display and the S5600 sports 3G and features a 2.8-inch QVGA display. No pricing is available but expect to hear about it soon as the handsets launch in Europe and Asia this month.

Sony Ericsso W595a skips directly to U.S. soil

A little over a week ago the Sony Ericsson W995, affectionately known as the Hikaru, was revealed to have made it’s way through the FCC screening process. We knew the US-bound W995a couldn’t be far behind and sure enough, here she is. As is customary with Sony Ericsson handsets that actually find their way to North America, the “a” model is identical to the standard version but it brings WCDMA 850/1900 MHz to the table as well. Mmm, 3G. Specswise, we’re still looking at an 8.1 megapixel camera, 8GB of internal memory, 2.6-inch QVGA scratch-resistant screen, aGPS, Wi-Fi, stereo speakers, Walkman player 4.0 and dedicated media buttons. Will it get picked up? That remains to be seen but in the meantime, hit the jump for more FCC shots.

Blackberry to launch the 8900 Curve on May 25th

Well it looks like AT&T may be preparing to launch the BlackBerry Curve 8900 a bit sooner than we expected. Earlier this week we reported our latest intel which placed AT&T’s Curve 8900 on store shelves some time in June. AT&T followed up the next day and finally made the handset official, but provided very little in terms of a release date. It looks like things might be going down somewhat sooner than expected as a tipster reports the Curve 8900 will drop on May 25th. Pricing is said to be set at $149.99 though it is still unclear whether or not any rebates will be involved. Following the release of the 8900, our tipster also suggests AT&T will be dropping the price of a new Bold on June 1st from $299.99 to $199.99 on contract. $150 Curve 8900s, $200 Bolds… AT&T is apparently looking to move some serious BlackBerry volume this Summer.

Nokia prepping E71i with a 5 mega pixel camera

If you’re among the millions of E71 owners who felt somewhat slided to learn Nokia was launching an FP2-endowed variant of the handset with AT&T, just wait. According to everyone’s favorite Russian insider Eldar Murtazin, Nokia is preparing to release another new version of the device that will not only carry FP2 along with it, but a 5 megapixel camera and new color options as well. Eat your heart out E71x. As slender as the handset is, we doubt upping the megapixel count on the camera will have much of an effect on image quality — just compare the current E71’s shots to any decent 3.2 megapixel handset. At the same time, any upgrade from the current near-useless shooter is most definitely welcome. So Symbian fans, even if you were considering snagging an E71x for just a penny, you might want to reconsider before tying yourself to another 2-year contract. If you can somehow manage to wait for September or October you should have another, pretty affordable unlocked option in the E71i.