AT&T posts strong Q4, adds 2.7 million wireless subscribers

AT&T is the latest company to turn in their Q4 report card, and so far, things are looking good. AT&T is reporting Q4 revenues of $30.9 billion with a net income of $3 billion. AT&T Wireless boasted a 2.7 million customer net-gain in Q4 — 7.3 million additions for the full year — and trimmed $200 million from operating expenses year-over-year. An increasing customer base, the lowest churn rate in company history (1.44%), and an eighth straight quarter of increased ARPU (average revenue per user) made for a profitable Q4.

Apple announces the iPad, changes the course of history

If you were following this morning’s Apple announcement, it may have been quite overwhelming and your head could be spinning in confusion. We’re here to clear things up and give you additional details over what we posted this morning. What we know so far is that the device itself, in terms of hardware and software, doesn’t disappoint. Out of the box, it can support every single application available in the iTunes App Store right now. There is a new version of iWork available for the iPad — with each application going for $9.99 (which means $30 for the whole kaboodle). The Wi-Fi only version will be available in 60 days, and the 3G and Wi-Fi versions in 90 days.

Today at 10:00AM PST, hundreds of thousands of eyes were glued to computer screens as Steve Jobs made one of the most anticipated announcements in Apple history: the iPad. Some might giggle or scoff at the name, but that’s where the snark stops. The hardware and software had event attendees up on their feet applauding. Before we get into a deep run-down of the device, here are some specs you need to know right off the bat (we’ll continue updating these if there are move developments):
■0.5″ thick and 1.5lbs light
■9.7″ IPS display, capacitive multitouch touchscreen
■Built-in accelerometer, mic, 30-pin connector, 802.11n Wi-Fi, compass, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
■10 hours of battery life and one month standby time!
■1GHz Apple A4 processor
■16GB, 32GB and 64GB Flash storage
On top of all this, the iPad will run the applications you already have for the iPhone. It can appear on the screen one of two ways: pixel for pixel accuracy in a black box or pixel double it and run the application in full screen. Typing on the iPad was made to look like a breeze with a large software keyboard that pops up on the screen when typing is required. That ought to give you all a taste of things to come as the event is still very much in progress, so we’ll get back to you with more details very soon!

Pricing will start at $499 for the 16 gigabyte version, $599 for the 32gig version and $699 for the 64, jobs said.

Last minute Apple tablet leaks: images emerge, books to cost $12.99-14.99, $1 per episode TV shows?

In the waning moments before Apple’s highly anticipated tablet event, a few last minute leaks are stirring up the excitement. The device is encased in a plastic housing, bolted down to a table and covered with a black drape. This cloak and dagger treatment is reportedly standard practice for any super secret Apple device so these images may indeed be the Apple tablet. Apple is also reportedly in last minute negotiations with book publishers and television studios to finalize pricing for its rumored tablet device. Apple is rumored to be pushing Hollywood to offer $1 per episode pricing on television shows in iTunes and is offering book publishers a pricing scheme that would set book prices at $12.99 to $14.99 for best sellers with a basement price of $9.99 for less popular books. Apple would reportedly take a 30% cut of all sales, leaving book publishers with a take home price of $10.49 or less. This could place them between a rock and a hard place with Apple offering a potentially larger audience with less revenue per book, or going with Amazon which offers greater revenue per book with its Kindle but may not have the reach and allure of this rumored tablet.

Nokia launches 16GB X6

A somewhat tame version of the X6 has been announced by Nokia today and will become available this quarter. The new 16GB X6 has half the memory capacity of the 32GB version, and it’s also missing the Comes With Music feature. If you think you can live with that, the 16GB X6 has an impressive battery life of 11.5 hours talk time and 18 days of standby, 4.5 hours of video playback and 35 hours of music playback. Of course, Nokia doesn’t cut any corners with cameras on its high-end devices, and this one features a 5 megapixel shooter with Carl Zeiss optics and a dual LED flash — pretty much par for the course on Nokia devices these days. The new X6 also has in-phone video editing capabilities and TV out support so you can watch your amateur cinematography on a big screen. No details on pricing, but we’d imagine it to be less than the full-fledged 32GB version.

T-Mobile USA gets HTC HD2 with 576 MB RAM

It must have been annoying for the T-Mobile USA subscribers to have to wait three months longer than everybody else to get the HTC HD2. Well it seems their patience will be rewarded with an upgraded version of the device packing 576MB RAM and 1GB ROM. This definitely looks like a good spot for landing Windows Mobile 7 when it eventually becomes available.

And the good news doesn't end there. The T-Mobile USA will receive a 16GB microSD cards in their HTC HD2 retail boxes, instead of the 2GB available in the European/Asia packages.

The rest of the HD2 specs remain intact, but it doesn't change the fact T-Mobile will offer the most powerful HTC HD2 ever made. The rumored requirements for Windows Mobile 7 include 1GB ROM, so it might turn out that the T-Mobile's units will be the only ones to get the OS

Boost Mobile Blackberry 8330 Curve Smartphone "just arrived"

The wait is over! Boost Mobile just launched it's very 1st smartphone to their line-up Blackberry 8330 Curve at $249.99 price point (No contract, no credit check, no activation fee) $60/month unlimited talk, text and full web browser. It's the best deal in town. Visit your nearest upnext wireless authorized Boost Mobile dealer for a hands on experience.

Phone specification includes: RIM BlackBerry OS 4.3 , 32bit Qualcomm MSM6550, 225MHz CPU, 32MiB RAM, 32+64MiB ROM, 2.4" 320x240 color transmissive TFT LCD, 3.5mm audio jack, CDMA800, CDMA1900, cdmaOne, CDMA2000 1xRTT, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rel. 0, Includes a 1GB microSD, microSDHC, TransFlash, mini-USB port, Bluetooth, GPS, Built-in QWERTY-type keyb., 1.9MP cam., flash, 1150mAh removable battery

Apple reports record revenue and profits for Q1 2010

Apple reported its financial results for Q1 2010 which ended December 26, 2009 and the results were nothing short of impressive. Apple posted its all time highest quarterly revenue, its all time highest quarterly profit and when annualized, these numbers will push Apple into a $50+ billion per year company. Dollar figures that are impressive they don’t require an explanation, so we will let the numbers speak for themselves:
■Revenue of $15.68 billion ($11.88 billion in Q1 2009)
■58% of revenue derived from international sales
■Net quarterly profit of $3.38 billion or $3.67 per diluted share ($2.26 billion, or $2.50 per diluted share in Q1 2009)
■Gross margin of 40.9 percent (37.9 % in Q1 2009)
■$5.8 billion generated in cash
Sales of Macintosh computers and iPhones went through the roof in Q1 2010 with Apple selling 3.36 million computers and 8.7 million iPhones, representing a 33% unit increase for Macintosh sales and 100% unit growth for the iPhone when compared to Q1 2009. The only blotch on an otherwise stellar performance was the iPod which sold 21 million units in Q1 2010, an 8% unit drop from the same quarter last year. Estimates for Q2 2010 remain equally as optimistic with the Cupertino company expecting another quarter of impressive revenue that will top out at an expected $11.4 billion. And oh yeah, Steve Jobs said, “The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we’re really excited about.”

AT&T rumored to lose iPhone exclusivity this Wednesday?

“But it’s tied down to AT&T…” Those may be words that you’ll never hear again when it comes to the iPhone. Now, it’s not written in stone just yet, but one of Hot Hardware’s inside sources feels very confident that AT&T will lose its iPhone exclusivity during Apple’s big announcement this week. If this is true, coupled with an announcement / beta release of iPhone 4.0, Apple’s iPhone sales could skyrocket — especially since some people have avoided the iPhone like the plague strictly because of AT&T. Where will the iPhone go? Will there be an unlocked version available? We’re not quite sure, but we’ll find out soon as it’s shaping up to be a big week for Apple with a tablet announcement, iPhone 4.0 and now possibly the iPhone may finally be unshackled from AT&T’s grip. One thing to consider, however, is that if AT&T loses its exclusivity this Wednesday, who’s going to want to buy an AT&T-locked iPhone until the next generation model comes out? That alone gives us some doubt.

Developers not being paid for sales from Windows Marketplace for Mobile?

Microsoft may be biting the hand that feeds them by not paying developers who are selling applications on Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace for Mobile. An increasing number of developers are expressing their angst at Microsoft and its Marketplace payment system which is supposedly not sending out payments for eligible accounts. Some accounts are reported to be incorrectly labeled as “Not eligible for revenue payout” when they have met the $200 payout threshold and other accounts, though labeled as “Eligible for revenue payout”, are not receiving any payouts due to mistakes within the payment system. In the latter case, much confusion exists with the “Eligible for revenue payout” status which applies to accounts that have already received a payment and are setup to receive future payments once the $200 threshold has been reached.

HTC Obsession to launch on AT&T and T-Mobile as the Diamond3?

Windows Mobile 7 may be hitting AT&T and T-Mobile in the form of the HTC Diamond3, previously known as the Obsession. The Diamond3 will reportedly sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor, GSM/HSDPA connectivity, 3.7 inch capacitive AMOLED display with multi-touch, 5 megapixel camera with flash and HD video recording, 512MB RAM/512MB ROM, 4GB of internal storage, microSD expansion (up to 32GB) and a 1230mAh battery. The Obsession/Diamond3 is also going to be a GSM only device, no CDMA counterpart is in the works as sales of the last CDMA Diamond were sluggish. With HTC and LG rumored to be prepping Windows Mobile handsets for a mid-year launch, what are the odds that Windows Mobile 7 will be unveiled at MWC 2010?

T-Mobile cuts BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Curve 8520 prices

AT&T isn’t the only one enjoying lower prices on BlackBerry’s latest handsets. T-Mobile is now offering the Bold 9700 for $129.99 and the Curve 8520 for $79.99, like we reported in a Whisper a little whle back. If you’re a hardcore BlackBerry user and you haven’t upgraded to a trackpad-equipped device yet, now is the best time to jump on the bandwagon. Of course, T-Mobile’s pricing is still slightly higher than AT&T’s at $30 a piece, but if you’re tied to T-Mobile either for coverage, loyalty or love, it sure beats the original pricing. Keep in mind that new contracts and all the bells and whistles apply, but you already know that. Enjoy!

Simple fix will cure Nexus One 3G connectivity issues?

JkOnTheRun has stumbled upon a simple fix that may help fix poor 3G connectivity in the Nexus One. The fix is drop dead easy — all you need to do is go into the options for Mobile Networks under the Wireless & Networks heading in settings, select Network operators, wait for the Nexus One to scan for service, click on the choice to Select Automatically (do not select T-Mobile or AT&T), the phone will register itself on the network and voila! Your 3G connection should be improved. A handful of people are reporting that they are seeing 3G connections in areas where they used to have EDGE. If you have a Nexus One and are tired of poor 3G reception, give this fix a whirl and let us know if it works for you

Clearwire to trial WiMAX 2 in 2011, deploy in 2012?

IEEE is expected to approve the 802.16m mobile WiMAX standard, also known as WiMAX 2, this summer. Under laboratory conditions, WiMAX 2 can deliver a blazing 120Mbit/s down and 60Mbit/s up when using 4×2 MIMO antennas on a 20MHz-wide channel. In practical terms, WiMAX 2 will approximately double the speed of the current WiMAX technology. In an interview with Unstrung, Clearwire’s CTO John Saw said that Clearwire is going to review the new 802.16m standard but will not immediately adopt it. The wireless broadband company could begin testing WiMAX 2 sometime in 2011, with commercial deployment possible in 2012. Depending on the 4G market in 2010, though, customers may never see 802.16m hit their WiMAX connection as Clearwire has been very open about its ability to drop WiMAX and switch to LTE if the market favors LTE. Does it really matter whether Clearwire switches to WiMAX 2 or LTE as long as the connection is stable, the speeds are fast and the devices are numerous?

Google cancels the Chinese launch of two new Android handsets

Google’s Android mobile platform is now officially caught in the crossfire in the major row between Google and the Chinese government. Google played its Android card by announcing Tuesday morning that it is postponing the January 20th launch of two new Google Experience handsets with China Unicom. Google reportedly felt it was “irresponsible” to release the two offerings from Motorola and Samsung when its future in China is on such tenuous ground. Left sitting on the sidelines and remaining silent are China Unicom, Motorola, and Samsung, all of whom have declined to comment on the matter.

Motorola gives Korea a little Android love with MOTOROI

While we’re busy sitting here trying to figure out how this new phone is supposed to be pronounced, South Koreans are rejoicing that this Android device has become official there. We’ve all seen this handset before as the Motorola XT701 for China, but now we know that Korea will have it through SK Telekom. The device is running Android 2.0 and supports Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps and Google Talk. Basically, anything and everything Google will be delivered on this handset for the full Android experience. Shutterbugs and weekend videographers will be happy to know the MOTOROI packs an 8 megapixel sensor camera with Xenon flash, and has a 720p HD camcorder. Add to that support for up to 32GB of storage, a 3.7″ WVGA screen, HDMI capabilities, TV out and built in radio and it looks like Korea’s first Android device is a formidable one

T-Mobile rolls out Windows Mobile 6.5 for Touch Pro2 and Dash 3G, Sprint waits for 6.6 ?

Following closely on the heels of Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile has rolled out Windows Mobile 6.5 for its Touch Pro2 and Dash 3G handsets. The update rolled out earlier than the target date of January 20th and is accessible from T-Mobile’s website once you enter in your handset’s IMEI. While AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile customers now enjoy the new experience offered by Windows Mobile 6.5, Sprint customers are left waiting in the wings. Their patience may be rewarded as Sprint customers may be getting something more than the plain jane Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade. A statement from Sprint suggests that the Sprint flavor of Windows Mobile 6.5 may offer “significant enhancements to the Touch Pro2 user interface which will allow additional customization / personalization options and more integration with the applications users access most.” Is Sprint promoting this upgrade with over-hyped marketing speak in order to placate Touch Pro2 owners or is Sprint really alluding to the mythical Windows Mobile 6.6

HTC Espresso, aka MyTouch Slide or myTouch2, to hit T-Mobile USA in May?

TmoNews is reporting on three hot new handsets that are rumored to be hitting T-Mobile in this first quarter of 2010. One handset is the HTC HD2 which was made official at CES. The second is an unknown handset from Garmin that was spotted recently at the FCC showing off its AWS band and is rumored to be launching in May. Last but not least is a handset identified as the myTouch2, also referred to as the myTouch Slide and codenamed the Espresso. Android fans will recognize that last codename has been making the rounds in the rumor mill over the past few months. It has shown up in a list of codenames from a leaked Android 2.1 ROM, will be rocking the latest version of HTC’s Sense UI and may have the same 528MHz processor found in the Hero/Magic, a QWERTY keyboard and a 320×480 display. This latest revelation now places the handset as the potential successor to the myTouch 3G with a T-Mobile launch tentatively set for May 17th. Any future Android owners out there going to pass on the Nexus One and wait on the Espresso?

AT&T goes head to head with Verizon, drops prices on its unlimited plans

You knew it was coming but, wow, that was fast. The same day Verizon Wireless announced its new unlimited plans (and a day after we leaked it), AT&T also announced that it is dropping its Unlimited Talk plan to $69.99 monthly for individuals and $119 for Family Talk customers (two lines), matching Verizon’s latest unlimited offerings to a tee. Unlimited Talk & Text plans for its Quick Messaging devices will also match Verizon’s offering, coming in at a competitive $89.99 monthly for individuals and $149.99 for two lines on a Family Talk plan. Last but not least, AT&T will offer its Unlimited Voice and Data plan for smartphone customers, including iPhone owners, at a monthly cost of $99 for individuals and $179.99 for two lines on a Family Talk plan. Unlimited texting plans remain the same at $20 per month for individuals and $30 per month for Family Talk customers. All prices go into effect Monday, January 18th.

Google makes some tweaks to Nexus One pricing, offers some refunds

Ever since the Nexus One was announced by Google, many have marveled at the “revolution” in handset sales — no more carriers! However, it sparked a lot of confusion with contract-free pricing, commitment pricing, termination fees and other details. Google is finally setting the record straight. For unlocked devices, the price stays at $529, and for new T-Mobile customers it still goes for $179. However, the pricing for customers who were eligible for upgrade with data plans was set at a high $379. Quickly coming to its senses, Google slashed $100 off the price and it is now $279; the customers who paid the higher price will be given $100 back from Google.

Verizon Wireless announces unlimited talk and text plans

Like we exclusively reported yesterday, Verizon is overhauling most of their voice, text, and family plans. To start things off, there’s an Unlimited Talk rate plan which will run $69.99/month that can also be upgraded to $89.99 to be all inclusive of text, photo, and video messaging, dubbed the Unlimited Talk & Text plan. Continuting the revamp, we have new Family SharePlan plans like $119.99 which will get you unlimited voice, and $149.99 which will include voice as well as unlimited messaging. Those rates apply for the first 2 lines, and each additional line is $49.99. Our other exclusive scoop on Verizon redoing featurephone data plans also turned out to be spot on, as Big Red will now start requiring a $9.99/month 25MB data plan with select “multimedia” handsets. You can look for these new plans to get into effect starting January 18th.

T-Mobile assists Haitian relief effort by offering free calling to and from Haiti, donating wireless equpiment

While the world’s attention is glued to the small island nation of Haiti and the struggles of its inhabitants as they cope with the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake, it is nice to see at least one of our wireless carriers stepping up to the plate to offer much needed assistance. T-Mobile USA came forward and is offering its customers free international long distance calls to and from Haiti from January 12th, 2010 through January 31, 2010. T-Mobile is also pledging to donate much needed wireless equipment, including generators and wireless phones, to help restore Haiti’s communications infrastructure. Any wireless customer can contribute to the relief effort by texting the term “HAITI” to “90999″ and a $10 donation will be given automatically to the Red Cross.The $10 will be applied to your wireless bill and T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and AT&T are waiving all text messaging charges for these donations. Donations of $5 can similarly be given to a relief fund set up by Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean by texting “YELE” to 501501.

Clear to launch two new VoIP-enabled WiMAX modems with built-in ATA

Clear may be expanding its WiMAX offerings with the select launch of two new feature-rich WiMAX modems targeting home consumers. In addition to WiMAX connectivity, both modems offer VoIP functionality and feature integrated ATA, an emerging trend that obviates the need for an external ATA device for VoIP. The first WiMAX device is the Series G Home Modem, a relatively unknown offering from Taiwanese manufacturer Gemtek. The Series G Home Modem will be available in the Las Vegas market for a final price of $69.99 when purchased outright or $4.99 monthly when leased. Next up is the Motorola CPEi 725, a consumer modem that appears to be a scaled down version of the CPEi 775 and includes VoIP, integrated ATA, and an omni-directional antenna. The Motorola CPEi 725 will launch in Portland, Oregon and will set you back $69.99 or $4.99 monthly on a lease. Both modems will be available to new Clear customers but it is unknown if they will be made available as an upgrade for current customers. Let’s hope Clear shares the love and offers these modems to both current and new customers and expands their availability outside of their select launch markets.

Samsung pushes microSD to 32GB capacity, mass production starting February 2010

Samsung has pushed the limits of microSD technology, doubling the available flash memory from 16GB to 32GB. The new cards use 30-nm class 32GB NAND flash memory in a casing that is 1mm thick and a mere 0.7mm high. Currently in the hands of OEMs for sampling, Samsung will start to mass produce the 32GB card starting next month. No word on pricing but like most memory products, it will presumably start high and fall quickly.

Nexus One sells 20,000 units in first week?

According to analytics firm Flurry, the Google Nexus One sold an anemic 20,000 units in its first week of sales. When we first looked at the data our initial thoughts were that sales may have been hindered by the Nexus One’s availability on a single network at time of launch. However, when we saw that the myTouch 3G, also available exclusively on T-Mobile at time of launch, sold 60,000 units in its first week, we started to think again. The chart also compares the N1’s sales figures with those of the Motorola DROID, 250,000 in week one (with a rumored $80M advertising budget), and, unfairly, with the iPhone 3GS, 1.6 million in week one (the iPhone was available in many countries and many networks at time of launch). What does this mean for Android? To be completely honest, not very much. It was however a very disappointing launch for the first of many, many Android powered phones by HTC and Google this year, especially with Google pumping out one of biggest AdWords campaigns we’ve ever seen.

Netflix streaming coming to the Nintendo Wii this Spring

Netflix and Nintendo are teaming up to bring Netflix’s streaming media service to the Nintendo Wii this spring. In order to actually get some streaming content going, Wii owners will obviously need to have a broadband internet-connected Wii and a subscription to a minimum $8.99 Netflix plan. Similar to the PS3, the Wii will not be an embedded solution and will require a Netflix application disc which must be inserted in the Wii while accessing the Netflix content. Wii owners ready to jump on board can sign up now to receive additional information and reserve an application disc at Netflix’s website. The disc is free and will ship this spring when the service launches.

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The Skiff Reader

Are you guys sold on these reading tablets or do you prefer the good old books and newspapers? This has to be better for the environment so we guess it has it’s advantages. The Skiff Reader below is larger than the other devices that have been coming out and is made using LG’s “Metal Foil” e-Paper technology. It removes the risk of breakage found in other, glass-based screens, and offers full touchscreen capabilities. The device will be sold and supported by Sprint over 3G, and also offers a built-in content store and Wi-Fi.

Photo of 10 inch Apple tablet screen is either totally fake, or kind of disappointing

Could the image you see above, which really looks like it could be part of a giant iPhone, be the glass surface for the Apple tablet? If so, that giant hole on the bottom is likely where an iPhone-like home button will be, and the earpiece up top would be for a speaker. Or, and we know this could be a stretch, someone had nothing better to do and created a large-scaled replica of the iPhone’s face, drilled an extra hole into it and called it a placeholder for a camera. There are some things we see on the Internet that sends our BS meter through the roof, and this one did it at first glance. We’d be really disappointed if Apple made the tablet look nothing more like a giant iPhone, but then again, why mess with success? If rumors prove to be true, we’ll find out before the end of this month.

Google charges its own ETF for Nexus One in addition to T-Mobile’s ETF

Here’s a bit of interesting news on the purchasing and cancellation process for the Nexus One. If you buy the device subsidized, and you decide to cancel your contract after the 14-day period (30 days for California) but before 120 days into your contract, Google can charge a termination fee of its own — on top of the carrier ETF. Shocking? Yeah, a little bit. You’d imagine that if you’re paying for a subsidized device and you cancel your contract, you’d just be paying the remainder of the subsidy. Why isn’t this completely surprising? Well, if you purchase a handset with a wireless data plan from an authorized third party, like an electronics store, you sometimes end up getting into the same agreement. Many third-party retailers charge their own fees on top of carrier fees. Still, it doesn’t make it right. Here’s what Google has to say:
Please note that the Equipment Recovery Fee is imposed by Google and not your chosen carrier and is in addition to any early termination fees that may be charged by your chosen carrier in connection with termination of your wireless plan prior to fulfillment of your chosen carrier’s service agreement term.
BGR decided to get in touch with T-Mobile and it is pretty much confirmed: if you cancel after 14 days (again, 30 in California), T-Mobile will charge $200 for breaking the contract, and Google will charge the difference between the subsidized cost of the phone and its full price. Think long and hard before you make the purchase with a service plan: $200 ETF for T-Mobile, $350 for Google and $179 for the device itself will cost you $729 in the end if you cancel. At that rate, you might as well buy it at the unlocked, unsubsidized price.

T-Mobile acknowledges Nexus One 3G issue

We’ve been hearing grumblings on the intertubes about the newly minted Nexus One having 3G connectivity problems with T-Mobile’s network. Users have been reporting that the Nexus is constantly bouncing between 3G and EDGE, even in a 3G saturated area, or, in some of the more severe cases, not connecting to the 3G network even when it is available. A moderator on T-Mobile’s forums states, “Google and T-Mobile are investigating this issue and hope to have more information for you soon. We understand your concern and appreciate your patience.” Let’s hope this is a minor coding snafu and can be resolved quickly by a software patch. Any early adopters of the “Sexy Nexy” seeing 3G issues?

DIY Touchscreen Analysis reveals that the iPhone does, while the DROID doesn’t?

The folks over at MOTO Labs (not related to Motorola) demonstrated a DIY yourself technique that allows the average person to easily compare touchscreen performance between multiple handsets. The test is performed by opening a drawing application on the test handset and drawing a diagonal pattern of straight lines very slowly on the screen. A good touchscreen will produce straight linear lines, while a poor touchscreen will produce wavy lines. To demonstrate the technique, MOTO Labs did a comparison test between the Apple iPhone, Google Nexus One, Motorola DROID and HTC DROID Eris. The clear winner in most of the tests was the iPhone which produced straight lines but with curving and sensitivity loss at the edges of the screen. The Nexus One and DROID Eris fall slightly below the iPhone with both handsets performing equally well, producing straight lines with some waviness and good sensitivity at the edge of the screen. At the bottom of the pack was the Motorola DROID which showed significant waviness and “stair-stepping” in all tests. These results might definitely mean something to the average user as a touchscreen that tracks poorly has a higher likelihood of misinterpreting touch input, and apparently imprecision even as small as a millimeter or two can make a significant difference when using a small on-screen keyboard or selecting text for editing. The video demonstrating the test and its results are after the jump. Watch it and let us know what you think. Is the DROID really as bad as the results show or is this test somehow skewed?

Powermat shows us their 2010 lineup at CES

If there is one thing that definitely needs catching up in the gadget industry, it’s battery technology and charging options. Powermat showed us where the future is headed in terms of battery capabilities and new ways to charge them. You’re all probably familiar with how Powermat works: you slip on Powermat’s case onto your iPhone or BlackBerry, or attach the corresponding plug to your device of choice, and place it on the mat for wireless charging. The real issue with current models is that the receivers can be a little gaudy for some of you with Powermat’s bulky cases. In June 2010, however, that’s all going to change

T-Mobile to discontinue @Home service

About a month ago, one of our tipsters hit us up to let us know that T-Mobile was probably in the process of shutting down their @Home service. The @Home service allowed T-Mobile customers to make home phone calls via a T-Mobile router connected to the internet. The @Home service was an available add-on to most wireless service plans offered by T-Mobile for a modest $10/month. Bad news for future @Home customers, though, because another circulating rumor confirms what we reported a month ago — T-Mobile has supposedly halted future investment in the @Home service. Current customers can continue to use the service and T-Mobile will continue to support it for the time being. Once the current inventory of @Home routers has been sold, T-Mobile will no longer offer this service to new customers, though. Any T-Mobile customers interested in jumping on board, should do so tout de suite.

T-Mobile gets U.S. exclusivity on HTC HD2

For those of you who can’t get enough pixels in your pocket, we’ve got some good news for you. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, in his CES keynote, has announced that the HTC HD2 will arrive Stateside exclusively with T-Mobile. For those of you who need a quick refresher, the HD2 will be packing a 480 x 800″ capacitive touchscreen display, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, Wi-Fi b/g, 7.2 Mbps HSPA 3G, Bluetooth 2.1, and will be rocking Windows Mobile Professional 6.5 smothered in HTC’s Sense UI. We’ve got the press release queued up for you after the break.

Motorola makes the BACKFLIP official, other handsets to see Android 2.1, Flash 10.1 updates

Motorola’s time to shine at CES just wrapped up and the North American manufacturer announced the Motorola BACKFLIP. As rumored, the BACKFLIP will have a backwards-folding, outward-facing keyboard, a touchpad on the back of the screen whose functionality is customizable and even API-accessible, 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, a 5 megapixel camera and MOTOBLUR. The BACKFLIP is headed to multiple carriers worldwide including one North American carrier, not identified by Motorola but we will spill the beans — AT&T. In addition to the BACKFLIP, Motorola revealed some additional information that will interest current Motorola Android owners:
■All Motorola Android handsets, including the CLIQ, will be updated to Android 2.1
■Motorola is working on Flash 10.1 integration, is optimized for the DROID’s chipset and will be pushed out the DROID at some time in the future
■Motorola DROID will receive a second maintenance update in the near future
Motorola kept is short and sweet so that is all folks!

Google Nexus One headed to Verizon Wireless and Vodafone in Spring 2010

Google’s Nexus One announcement went smoothly as planned — Nexus One confirmed, Android 2.1 detailed and T-Mobile as the launch partner confirmed. All done, all good, except for the little bombshell that was presented at the end. The Nexus One will be hitting both Verizon Wireless and Vodafone this Spring! All you folks who eschewed the Eris and waited on the DROID will get your just reward in a few months. Any DROID or Eris owners out there just throw their handset through the window in disgust?

T-Mobile completes 3G network upgrade to HSPA 7.2 Mbps

Potentially some good news for those T-Mobile fans out there. T-Mobile has completed a scheduled 3G upgrade to its entire network, an upgrade which boosts HSPA speeds from 3.6 Mbps to 7.2 Mbps. T-Mobile had initially promised the speed bump by the end of 2009, but hey, better late than never when it comes to bandwidth. T-Mobile is also promising another upgrade is in 2010 to HSPA+ with peak speeds of 21 Mbps; a trial is already underway in Philadelphia. In our own, very rudimentary, tests here in Boston, we aren’t seeing the 7.2 Mbps type speeds we were hoping, 1990 Kbps down and 200 Kbps up, but we’re keeping our hopes up. Any T-Mo users out there that can report faster 3G speeds?

Apple’s App Store hits 3,000,000,000 downloads

On Nexus One day, and right before CES, Apple has posted an official press release, a press release which informs us that the iTunes App Store has surpassed 3 billion downloads. It was only 98 days ago, on September 28th, that Apple declared 2 billion downloads, and now, just over three months later, another billion apps have been consumed by iPhone users. With over 125,000 active applications available in the U.S. store, Apple seems to be proving that variety is the spice of life, and will keep users hitting the download button — over 10.2 million times per day in the last 98 days to be exact. For a relative comparison, there are around 18,000 applications available in Android’s Market and just over 4,000 applications available for RIM’s BlackBerry. Steve Jobs was quoted as saying, “the revolutionary App Store offers iPhone and iPod touch users an experience unlike anything else available on other mobile devices, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon.”

LG GD580 Lollipop 2 now available "Qtee"

LG GD580 is a beautiful and amzing 2.8 Inch Clamshell Phone for young people, which works on GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz and 3G/UMTS networks. The GD580 also featuresa resolution of 240x400 pixels, 3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, FM tuner, USB 2.0 port, 18MB internal memory and microSD card support.

Available in stock at upnext wireless for $269.99 no contract and works on any GSM simcards. It's a cute and attracts the young female of all ages.

Motorola Milestone "DROID", GSM version just released

MILESTONE features a 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and one-touch broadcast-quality playback and easy 3G or WiFi YouTube uploads.It automatically transforms into a multi-media hub for movies, music, pictures and can even act as your bedside alarm clock.
It's a pint size power plant. Location aware. Speech recongizing and multitasking. It can connect at breakneck speed. Power and intelligence can be more than a phone. DROID by Motorola.

Available in stock at your participating upnext wireless locations for $699.99, no contract necessary! Fully support on any GSM simcard.

Boost Mobile launching BlackBerry 8330, Sanyo Incognito, Sanyo Mirro

For those of you who love CDMA and fear contracts, we have some good news for you. A new connect has come through with some details on three new handsets to be offered by U.S. prepaid provider Boost Mobile. Our source indicates that starting January 13, Boost will be offering the BlackBerry 8330 for $249 and will pair it with an unlimited talk, text and web plan for $70/month. The Sanyo Incognito will be offered for $149 and the Sanyo Mirro for $99, both with unlimited talk, text and web for $50/month. We’ve got the additional screen captures queued up for you after the break. So the only question left is, any Boost Mobile fans out there and anyone itching to grab a BlackBerry 8330?

Spotify and Google teaming up to challenge iTunes Music Store?

If you are not familiar with Spotify — an online subscription based music service with millions of songs in its catalog that offers offline synchronization with the desktop and some mobile devices — there is a high likelihood you are living Stateside. Even though it still not available in the U.S. — really, thanks RIAA — TechCrunch is reporting that Google and Spotify are working together on some sort of partnership that would perhaps build Spotify support right into Android 2.1, and potentially the Nexus One. Details are scarce about whether this partnership would result in a free, ad supported online music catalog for consumers (doubtful) or a subscription based service to compete with Apple iTunes Music Store. Either way, we are keeping our fingers crossed that offline synchronization stays on the table at some level, paid or not. This does make us curious though, would any of you switch to a subscription based service like Spotify if it allowed for offline synchronization? Or is owning/sharing/dominating your MP3 library a complete necessity?

Happy New Years 2010!

Upnext Wireless would like to thank all of our loyal readers for their continued support in 2009. We'd also like to wish everyone a safe and pleasant Holiday with best wishes heading into 2010.

Clearwire ends 2009 on a positive note, looks forward to 2010

Sprint/Clearwire has enjoyed the bounty of being the largest 4G carrier in the US in 2009. The Kirkland, Washington based company has expanded its Clear WiMAX service from a mere 2 to 27 total markets in 2009 and is offering 4-6Mbps broadband wireless connectivity in five major cities including Baltimore, Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta and Portland, Oregon. The road has been bumpy for Clear with widely reported network problems and other growing pains plaguing the company as it builds out its fledgling WiMAX infrastructure. Despite setbacks and delays, Clear’s WiMAX service has attracted 173,000 customers by the end of Q3 2009 and its subscriber base is expected to increase as it continues to roll out service in the fourth quarter of 2009. Fueling this growth is a healthy amount of capital that will allow Clear to expand WiMAX to 120 million customers by the end of 2010. That is the status of their network, hit the jump to see what Clear has in store for devices in 2010.