WorldPhone
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Leaked sign confirms Droid Incredible 2 will be a world phone, launch is likely imminent
We already had a pretty strong inkling that HTC's poorly hidden Droid Incredible 2 would be a world phone, and now we're even more certain (if that's even possible), thanks to this sign / billboard / flyer sent in by an anonymous tipster. What's interesting is how the handset's dual CDMA and GSM connectivity appears to be Verizon's biggest selling point, taking top billing over the front-facing camera and larger screen, which doesn't even get a nod. No word on when this open secret will launch on Big Red, but we say it's about time.
Samsung Galaxy S II hits the FCC, potentially ready for AT&T 3G
Surely you remember the Samsung GT-i9100, colloquially known as the Galaxy S II? Sammy's been tight-lipped about which US cellular carriers might offer it, but the Federal Communications Commission might have an idea. You see, the Exynos 4210-toting Super AMOLED Plus smartphone just made its way to the FCC authorization database, 850MHz and 1900MHz GSM frequencies in tow -- which just so happen to be the ones required to get a gig at AT&T. Mind you, the handset could also be moonlighting in Canada with those particular bands, but the odds are decent we'll see it stateside sooner than that. By the by, this particular Galaxy S II is also sporting 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies, meaning it'll almost certainly come with dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi. The Galaxy S II wasn't the only Samsung to hit the FCC this week, though, as the SGH-i708 also dropped on by -- it appears to be a worldphone with 850 / 1900MHz GSM frequencies alongside CDMA, EV-DO, and the standard Bluetooth and 2.4GHz WiFi.
iFixit: Verizon iPhone using dual-mode chip
A lot of the anticipation and/or naysaying about the Verizon iPhone has focused on CDMA, the somewhat less travel-friendly and slower network standard that Verizon uses. GSM covers a lot more countries, including all of Europe, and in the US the AT&T data speeds are testing noticeably faster -- of course, if you can't get or keep a signal, faster data does you precious little good. Some iPhone watchers were hoping for a dual mode phone like the Droid Pro, which features an antenna chip (the Qualcomm MDM6600) capable of handling both kinds of networks. That chip, combined with an auxiliary SIM slot for device identification and a secondary antenna, could have allowed the Verizon iPhone to roam from continent to continent at will. As we now know, the real-world Verizon iPhone is not a dual mode device; it's CDMA only, leaving us to hope that the next iPhone will be truly universal hardware for any and all carriers. There is a catch, though; today's thorough iFixit teardown revealed that the Verizon unit actually is using the MDM6600 chip, which would have theoretically allowed Apple to build out a GSM antenna in this version. Lacking the SIM slot and the GSM antenna, however, the current Verizon iPhone is decidedly not dual-ready. iFixit mused that the extra effort and space required for a second antenna may have put such a device out of reach for this cycle; however, since Apple is already using the required universal chip, the signs point even more strongly to an iPhone 5 that bridges the gap. [via Engadget]
Verizon gives Droid 2 Global a Facebook shout-out
We joked that the Droid 2 didn't need a marketing campaign, the leaks were getting so much press, and lo and behold, its Droid 2 Global refresh hit shelves without a single official word from Verizon. We figured the wireless carrier had taken our idea to heart and would rely entirely on word of mouth to sell the 1.2GHz worldphone, but if that's the case, Big Red's bending the rules -- it's given the handset a quick Facebook plug to speed that process along. At 215 characters, the status update is a little bit long to retweet, but you can Like it all you want... or even use it as a soapbox if you really must.
Droid 2 Global GSM bands locked, camera bulge added to case
No surprise here, but it looks like Verizon's on-sale-but-never-really-announced Droid 2 Global has its GSM radios locked down, meaning you can't just throw an AT&T SIM in there and expect anything to work. Of course, the enterprising hackers at xda-developers are hot on the case, so there's a chance things will be opened up, but we wouldn't hold our breath. In other news, it looks like there's been a slight case modification to the Droid 2 Global -- the camera module now sports a slight hump as seen in the comparison photo above. We're not sure if this is to accommodate the extra radio or (please please please) perhaps a better sensor, but whoomp, there it is. No big thing in the grand scheme of things, but between the dark blue casing and the camera bulge, you'll totally be able to spot D2G owners out of the crowd. And that... that will make you a super nerd weirdo. But it's okay, because we love you.
Droid 2 Global ads now running on Verizon's 800 number
Whoever said being on hold was a bad thing? Verizon customers who call in and get stuck in limbo right now are being treated to a minor device scoop: an ad for the mythical Droid 2 Global, which has leaked out here and there but hasn't yet been officially announced. The ad doesn't reveal much apart from the existence of the CDMA / GSM slider and the fact that it'll work in 221 countries, but that's all we needed to hear -- listen for yourself after the break. Update: Ha, as commenter Spider-Man points out below, that 221 number is mighty suspect, as there are only between 191-195 countries in the world today, depending on how you count them. Sounds like Verizon needs to take this one back to the studio. Thanks, Spidey! [Thanks, Anonymous]
Motorola and Verizon's crazy portrait Droid Pro unveiled (update: specs!)
Whoa -- we knew Motorola likes to get funky with the form factors, but the new Droid Pro on Verizon might be the strangest (and best) yet: it's a portrait device (the rumored Venus) with a BlackBerry-esque keyboard below the screen. It's not the Droid 2 World Edition we were expecting, but damn -- we're in love. We don't know much specs-wise apart from Android 2.2 with Blur and global roaming support in more than 220 countries, but we're digging for as much as we can, so stay tuned. Update: Motorola's Sanjay Jha just formally announced the Droid Pro on stage, following the typical sizzle reel of the company's business partners praising the company's business leanings. It's going to have a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera, 3.1-inch display, 1GHz processor -- and a dual-mode CDMA/GSM chip for worldwide roaming. It'll be available in the first week of November. Follow the break for the press release.
HTC Merge / Lexicon prototype previewed, 800MHz processor produces sweet scores (video)
Here's a little something to make your weekend fly by -- Android Central scored a hands-on look at Verizon's dual-mode CDMA / GSM worldphone, the HTC Merge (or is that Lexikon?) and it's looking like one hell of a handset. Though the prototype's Android 2.2 build is saddled with HTC Sense and Bing for search, the hardware's reportedly superb, with a "clicky and responsive and very well spaced" slide-out QWERTY keyboard with no Desire Z hinge nonsense, and a weighty, solid feel. There's also a 5 megapixel shooter that does 720p video, a likely 2GB of on-board storage and 512MB of RAM, not to mention an 800MHz processor that'll surely help derail the megahertz myth with superb benchmark scores. See it pull a 1,500 in Quadrant after the break, and start dropping those nickels into your piggy bank.
HTC's dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider with 1.2GHz CPU headed to Verizon in 2011?
It's not expected to land at Verizon until sometime in 2011, but it's never too early to take a look at an unannounced Android slider with specs like this. Leaked by Androidswag, the device is purportedly hiding a 1.2GHz processor (would that be dual-core?) beneath that 4-inch display -- the sweet spot for size and pocketability. The prototype pictured above was apparently sporting a Vodafone SIM card making this a pretty bodacious CDMA / GSM worldphone by the time it lands for retail. Of course, anything, or everything, could change by the time this pup is ready for launch and we'll be here covering every step of its journey. Two more shots after the break including a size comparison with the EVO 4G -- a few more at the source link below.
LG Fathom VS750 review
Falling somewhere between the flash of the Chocolate and no-frills, no surprises industrial design of the recently launched Ally, LG has outed the Fathom (aka VS750) with little fanfare. Featuring a mercifully unadorned WinMo 6.5.3 (save for wallpaper, pictured above, designed by a certain Vera Wang), a 1GHz CPU, quad band GSM, and a handful of AC adapters for charging all over Europe and the UK, this is a device clearly meant to go global. But will it capture people's hearts and minds? Read on to find out. %Gallery-93574%
Keepin' it real fake redux: Nexus One clone is 'Teg W3000,' has WiFi, dual cameras, TV tuner and Skype
Earlier this month, an unknown manufacturer had the dubious distinction of making our KIRF list, for building what appeared to be a Nexus One running iPhone OS. Mr. Blurrycam couldn't tell for sure... but today the KIRFtastic handset has been unveiled in all its infringing glory. Dubbed the "TEG W3000," the device is billed as a quad-band GSM worldphone with an accelerometer, WiFi and Bluetooth, front and back-facing 2 megapixel cameras, FM and analog TV tuners and Java support. While the iPhoney OS doesn't seem to have a App Store hackjob, the phone certainly has apps; in an interface pic, we spotted eBuddy, Facebook and Skype alongside Maps and the Opera web browser. Hands-down the most exciting ripoff in recent memory. Now cautiously whistle a happy tune, and move along. %Gallery-91067%
VS750 confirms LG's love for WinMo Classic, starts torrid new affair with Verizon
Sure, all the talk lately is about Windows Phone 7 Series and all the things it can and can't do. But, in the months between now and its release, companies still have to make money, and so LG has turned to Windows Mobile Classic 6.5 to drive its VS750. We first heard wind of this Verizon-bound machine back in December, and now it's been spied by Mr. Blurrycam over at PhoneArena, apparently due for a mid-April release. The QWERTY slider is intended as a world phone, and its list of wireless support certainly sounds comprehensive: CDMA 1x/EVDO Rev A. 800/1900MHz, and GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/190MHz and UMTS/HSDPA. Why, it'll even include plug adapters for Europe, Asia, and Australia right out of the box. It's fronted by a 3.2-inch 800 x 480 resistive touchscreen, backed by a 3.2 megapixel camera, sports WiFi and Bluetooth, a microSDHC slot and, if our eyes don't deceive us, its case has more than a passing resemblance to the prototype unveiled on The Engadget Show a few weeks back.
HP's Obsidian becomes iPAQ Glisten, officially comes to AT&T
Wow, talk about digging deep in the memory bank. The same phone that we spotted way back in July (known then as the iPAQ K3 Obsidian) has finally emerged in official fashion on AT&T. Dubbed the iPAQ Glisten, this all-business smartphone boasts a vanilla coat of Windows Mobile 6.5, a 2.5-inch AMOLED display, 3.1 megapixel camera, 256MB of SDRAM, a microSD expansion slot, A-GPS, 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, a QWERTY keyboard, 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. 'Course, you'll still be dealing with a resistive screen and a dated OS, but if you're turned on in some weird way, it'll be "available in the coming weeks" for $179.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement.
Motorola's A4500 world phone caught in the FCC covered in Verizon tattoos
We don't have a formal unveiling for Motorola's Verizon-bound A4500 world phone just yet, but an operation manual and some snapshots of its dress rehearsal from the FCC should suffice in the interim. From what we glean, it supports CDMA for VZW's network and quad-band GSM for SIM-packing Vodafone customers and other overseas roaming needs. No points for design originality (Q9, anyone?), but it does boast a wealth of good features including two megapixel camera, EV-DO, stereo Bluetooth, 2 megapixel camera, Windows Mobile (presumably 6.1), and a biometric fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. Not that we expected you to be eagerly anticipating this one, but we'd venture to say a cameo in the FCC means it's on track for release some time in the near future.[Via Phone Scoop]
Is RIM's BlackBerry 9630 Niagara headed to Verizon as World Edition?
Sure, the pic's getting old at this point, but according to the Boy Genius Report, we may not have too much longer to wait to catch the 9630 Niagara in the wild. The radio department in the 9630 is filled to busting -- or slowly warming your face -- with CDMA, EV-DO Rev.A, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and UMTS, with the GSM flavors getting the quad-band treatment. The rumored OS at launch is 4.7.1, though if delayed enough, it could pull through with OS 5.0. The last tidbits in the list are a 3.2 megapixel shooter -- and maybe a version without -- and the depressing news of no specific release date. Though, If we were Verizon and were sitting on this, you'd like to think that our timeline to launch would be as soon as frickin' possible.
AT&T launching LG CU575 "Trax" HSDPA musicphone later today
With those last minute bugs now apparently eradicated, LG has officially announced plans to deliver their 3G CU575 "Trax" clamshell to AT&T. Touting 850/1900MHz HSDPA 3.6Mbps-capable downloads and quad-band GSM, this flip fancies itself a part-time media player with the inclusion of a Touch Pad bar and up to 4GB of microSD expansion for your AAC, MP3, and WMA music files. Still no word from AT&T but we expect the announcement later today with all the pricing detail you crave. Update: The joint press release is finally out: available August 14th for $130 after mail-in rebate and two-year contract.Read -- launch announcementRead -- CU575 specifications
Telus confirms BlackBerry 8830
Now that everybody is doing it has done it, it seems Telus is about to drop this newest and sweetest BlackBerry flavored device in Canada. Sometime between now and a little later from now, the BlackBerry 8830 will be offered by Telus for the princely sum of $400 on a 3-year contract -- and yeah, that's a pretty savage price. While Telus isn't giving an official date yet, the pic of the 8830 on the site has the date May 25th on it; this of course could be just a random date, but we're positive many eager Telusites will hope not. Check the link for more info and a pretty 360 degree view.
Bell Canada jumps on BlackBerry 8830 bandwagon
Somehow Bell Canada missed the boat yesterday when Sprint and Verizon announced the BlackBerry 8830 (or we missed it) but we have it today, and Bell should have it this summer. Sporting the same features as we mentioned in a small pile of lead up articles, Bell customers will now have the luxury of wandering the world while staying connected to mail from home. Nothing is up on the site yet as far as pricing and plans go, but they will definitely appear between now and release day X.
