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T-Mobile Dash debuts
Well, we can finally talk about the Dash. Not that we weren't talking about it before, but you know what we mean. T-Mobile's debuting the device today; you already know what the hell it is, so let's cut to the chase on specs: 2.4-inch transflective TFT display Quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE WiFi and Bluetooth 128MB flash, 64MB SDRAM, microSD slot 1.3 megapixel camera myFaves support 960mAh battery (vs 1130mAh on the Moto Q) 4.4 x 2.5 x 0.5-inch body (vs 4.57 x 2.5 x 0.47-inches on Q) 4.2 ounces (vs 4.06 ounces on Q) It's selling for $350 without contract, $250 with 1 year, and $199 with two years (and rebates, etc.), and will be available the 25th of this month. Want more on this sucka? Then peep our review!
T-Mobile Dash pricing leaked, myFaves confirmed
We all know when T-Mobile is planning to release the Dash, now the only question is at what cost. Consider that base covered as well to our old pal Roc A Fella. The retail units started appearing at corporate stores last week (no chances of you getting one early so don't bother) and the pricing is pretty attractive for such a feature rich phone. More than likely it's becuase Tmo wants you to use it on myFaves. Full Retail $349.99 One Year $299.99 Two Year $249.99 Customers who are willing to sign both a one and (gulp!) two year commitment are eligable to get an additional $50.00 mail in rebate off this beauty. For some the 16th of October won't come soon enough.
T-Mobile leaks Dash docs, October 16 confirmed
While we'd secretly hoped we'd see the T-Mobile Dash before September was out, we've gotten hold of some internal T-Mobile documentation that tells us October 16 is the date. We've always been told not to look a gift horse in the mouth (whatever that means) so we're going to keep our mouths shut and just thank the good folks at T-Mobile for seeing fit to launch HTC's Q-munching Excalibur at all. Keep reading for a transcript of their "Selling Aid" cheat sheet for the Dash -- something tells us it'll pretty much sell itself, but kudos to T-Mob for making sure their peeps are properly informed![Thanks, anonymous tipster]
The Boy Genius Report: T-Mobile Dash
Field report tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, the Boy Genius.As Pete so eleganty reported earlier the HTC Excalibur -- or T-Mobile Dash -- will be coming stateside soon. How soon is still unconfirmed, but I've heard as early as the end of this month; review units have indeed already found there way into the hands of the paparazzi press. Stare at the T-Mobile logo, let it control you. Thanks to none other than super-producer Just Blaze for the teamwork on this one!
Hands-on with the HTC Excalibur
Alright, we're not going to hold back here. We really thought the HTC Excalibur was going to fall way short of expectations, but when the Boy Genius got a hold of his and told us how stellar it was, we were prepared to be swayed. We picked one up at MobileFocus hoping to remain neutral, but we just can't help it, we fell in love. There's no way to easily describe how thin it feels in the hand, but it has the molded, shapely curved body of a Treo combined with the thinness of a Q (which, unfortunately, is much boxier). But it also just feels damned good in the hand, way more solidly built that Moto's handheld. No, it's not as speedy on the cellular data, but it does have a few things the Q doesn't, like WiFi, and, well, a keyboard we're actually pretty fond of. Sorry Moto, it might soon be time to step to the side with this new device class (at least for this round).
HTC Excalibur / O2 Xda Cosmo reviewed
If the Boy Genius' soiled-trow, hands-on of the HTC Excalibur had you gasping for more, then peep the full review of the O2 Xda Cosmo just posted at the::unwired. Their unit from O2 Germany came ready to go with Windows Mobile 5.0 and AKU3 which, besides some low-level tweaks, brought a new Internet Sharing application in replacement of HTCs Wireless Modem app. The reviewer who admittedly comes from a more traditional GSM phone background (read: no real experience with a QWERTY/Z Smartphones or BlackBerrys) found the keyboard confusing for "regular phone stuff" like entering a phone number or searching for contacts -- apparently preferring T9-style input instead. Still, he was stoked by this quad-band GSM phones WiFi, GPRS, and EDGE data connectivity options and "satisfied" by performance under normal usage or while watching live, Slingboxed TV. However, the reviewer then goes on to worry unnecessarily about the OMAP 850 processor getting overloaded if say, using it for GPS, watching live TV, and listening to audio over Bluetooth all at the same time. Hell, why not agonize over the risk posed by it getting lodged in your skull when used near certain supermodels? Geesh. Bottom line: if you're looking for a WinMo device with keyboard and "all the latest and greatest technologies" (well, almost all) then the Cosmo is a "great device."
The Boy Genius Report: Hands-on with the HTC Excalibur!
Field report tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, the Boy Genius.Ok fellow geeks, fanboys, nerds, phone fiends, and otherwise generally awesome Engadget readers. Excuse me if my typing is a little off I can't stop shaking. I just got a hands-on with the HTC Excalibur, and in all honesty, people are gonna have to watch out. This is the most responsive, fastest Windows Smartphone I have ever used. Everything was made to perfection. The device is metal and rubberized plastic which gives it a great feel in your hands, and the keys... oh my lord, the keys! They are firm but not hard, softly tactcile but not squishy. The touch bar is incredible: highly responsive and ingenious or, Boy Genius if you will. It also earns the right to be called a Q-killer because it basically kills the Q in size and usability. The EDGE performance is great -- no, it's not 3G, but the built-in Wifi helps make up for it. And the microSD and clear, great-sounding speaker don't hurt none, either. And now the moment you have all been waiting for, I give you KONG! Excalibur! Thanks be to E-Gadget.[Click on for pictures of the Excalibur next to the BlackBerry Pearl (8100), BlackBerry 8700, and a Nokia N73. -Ed.]
HTC Excalibur = US T-Mobile "Dash"?
We're not entirely sure under what means it was acquired, but a T-Mobile branded Excalibur showed up on MoDaCo's forums, and is apparently intended for US release under the listed codename Dash, which we assume refers to the touch-scroll on the right hand side. Expect a 200MHz OMAP, 128MB flash memory, 64MB RAM, and QVGA display (which we pretty much knew); we'll keep you apprised as to the launch status of this sucker.[Via Smartphone Thoughts]
Samsung's SGH-i600: an HSDPA and WiFi Smartphone at last
Sure, you like the Motorola Q but hate the fact that it's missing WiFi. And the lack of 3G on the HTC Excalibur is also a deal breaker. Well, look no further for your QWERTY fix brother, 'cause our favorite maker of boxy black devices is showing off their SGH-i600 Smartphone at IFA in Berlin. This tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 baby brings it all: HSDPA, EDGE, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel cam with another up front for video calls, a 2.3-inch, 65k color, 320 x 240 TFT display, Microsoft's Push Mail, and 128MB ROM / 64MB RAM with MicroSD expansion all powered by Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone on a TI OMAP 1710 processor. The phone looks small enough for single-handed operation, can pull double-duty as an HSDPA modem and can even be switched into USB mass storage mode for easy drag-n-drop data transfer off your PC. And yeah, it's FCC approved so the estimated Q4 2006 release date is certainly do-able. Now sop-up the drool and click-on for more pics.[Thanks, Martin]
HTC Excalibur / O2 Xda cosmo caught in the wild
You know it, you need it, and now you can finally loose your wild-eyed gaze upon these non-blurry pics of the HTC Excalibur. Or more appropriately, the Xda cosmo as this fully-functional, pre-release device from O2 Germany has been re-dubbed. Yeah, Germany, which explains the Z and Y switcheroo on zee handy's QWERTY QWERTZ keyboard. Still, with an expected September/October European release (coming to The States a few months later), we'd expect the specs and cosmetics of this quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 1.3 megapixel cam WinMo 5.0 Smartphone to push through to production with few, if any changes. Click-on for a few more hi-res shots courtesy of the::unwired. [Thanks, Martin]
O2 Xda Cosmo among the first of HTC's Excaliburs
By now we're all pretty well versed in what we can expect from HTC's Excalibur in the many incarnations it's due to begin taking, but it looks like O2 Germany will be among the first to have the honor. Dubbed the Xda Cosmo, this slim if bulbous looking portable doesn't yet appear to have a date affixed to O2's intentions for release in Deutschland. It does look like the marketing materials are well underway though, so we hope it shouldn't be too much longer before you'll pull this sword from the stone.
HTC Excalibur gets FCC nod
Well, can't be long now. We know, famous last words, but keyboard-havin' Smartphones always give us that special feeling, and HTC's Excalibur is no exception to the rule. With that all-important FCC approval under its belt, the handset should be making its way to T-Mobile in the coming months -- and since the GSM Q is still just a twinkle in Motorola's eye, this here's the next best thing. We still have some misgivings about the Excalibur's curious touch strip on its right side, but with built-in WiFi the Q sadly lacks, we've already decided to let it slide.
Excalibur up close and personal
Geek.com has scored a couple fabulous shots of HTC's upcoming QWERTY Smartphone, the Excalibur, and for once we can't complain about the quality of the photography. Besides being dwarfed by a BlackBerry -- always a good sign for something you'd like to be able to slip into your pocket -- we have a full frontal shot that shows the handset's curious touch strip on the upper right hand side, which we guess would take the place of your standard rocker or scroll wheel. But alas, enough with the shots already, we want to touch that touch strip ourselves. How about that T-Mobile release?
HTC Excalibur viewed from every which angle
If the Excalibur is nothing more than a figment of the smartphone community's imagination, the level of Photoshop skill required to keep us fooled continues to rise by leaps and bounds. Check this composite shot out, fr'instance -- as we mentioned before, the rumored QWERTY device from HTC will clock in 2mm thicker than the 11.5mm Samsung i320, and the side shots here (if legit) confirm that 13.5mm ain't bad at all. If this thing is piquing your interest, T-Mobile just might have your hookup before too long.[Thanks, Joe]
Excalibur blurry camphoned
Oh come on, shots like these wouldn't be fun if they weren't blurry. The chap who sent this one in, Indianboy, mentioned that WiFi was definitely a go on the Excalibur, as well as the Q-rivaling jog strip thing, and a resolution greater -- yes, greater -- than QVGA. Why you'd really need greater than QVGA resolution on a Smartphone is beyond us, but who are we to argue with HTC?P.S. -Yes, that's a T-Mobile theme, hint, hint.
HTC's Q killin' Excalibur depicted?
We've gotta take this one with a grain of salt, thanks to an unconfirmed source and that sketchy paste job on the screen, but if this pic and its accompanying deets prove true, we're in for a treat. Codenamed "Excalibur," we heard about HTC's attempt at a Q/i320 killer last month, and it seems to be shaping up nicely. Beyond the obvious QWERTY action, the quad-band phone will supposedly feature WiFi, and will be 2mm thicker than the i320. To the side of the screen is an interesting touch-jog strip for scrolling (in lieu of the Q's jog dial) with top and bottom touch buttons to open the Start menu and go back. Looking good HTC, now if you'll just confirm the device, mix in some HSDPA and ship a few to the States at $150 each we'll be all set.
Did Samsung rework the I320?
Wondering what's the holdup on getting Samsung's Q-killing I320 into your QWERTY-loving hands? We like conspiracy theories just as much as the next guy, and Sammy is doing their best to feed our rumor mill today with these seemingly incongruent pictures of two SGH-I320s side by side. Yes, we're as concerned as you that the model's hands appear to be attached backwards, but stay on task, folks: the device on the left appears to be lacking highlighted numeric keys and a slightly different D-pad. The device on the right, by contrast, looks essentially like the one we've shown you before. Go ahead and tweak that thing until you're blue in the face, Samsung -- we're just happy to know you haven't scrapped it. Hopefully you'll come to the party in time to do battle with the Q and Excalibur, eh?[Via the::unwired]
Barrage of HTCs rumored in the pipeline
HTC, making sure that the enjoyment of our fresh Star Trek is kept to an absolute minimum, looks to be preparing a spectrum of lustworthy new devices. This information is entirely unconfirmed, and we don't know much about what we're about to tell you -- some of these code names are as new to us as they are to you -- but we can tell you it comes from a reliable source.First up, the Muse has been mercifully renamed the "Melody," and the Triolgy has become "Monet." The Hermes, which is just starting to drop across Europe, has been upped to 400MHz for full-scale production; you might recall we recently reported that O2 was bringing a 400MHz Hermes to the table, and it now appears this will be standard fare for launches going forward. Trinity (pictured) specs are coming into focus, and we should expect this beast to throw down HSDPA, WiFi, and integrated GPS. There have been some rumblings of an "Artemis" recently, and that device still appears to be on the map, bringing integrated GPS and a trackball (wha?) but topping out with EDGE data. The "Herald" sounds positively gorgeous, similar in concept and functionality to the Hermes but measuring just 17mm thick. The Foreseer and Monet will be joined by the "Oxygen" in HTC's mobile TV lineup, though we don't know which standard it'll be packing. Looking to steal some of the Q's thunder, the "Excalibur" will be getting its QWERTY on and running Smartphone. Finally, look for "Vera" as a possible successor to the Star Trek, packing HSDPA and a front-facing camera for video calling.That's a lot of unconfirmed data to digest, we know, and we're still trying to make sense of it all ourselves. No word on release windows for most of these -- if we could divine you a Vera tomorrow, we would -- but as always, we'll be burning the midnight oil in our quest for deets.
