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CDMA iPhone rumored for India as exclusivities end in Germany and Holland
More fuel for the CDMA iPhone fire today. The Wall Street Journal says that Apple is in talks with both Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices to bring a CDMA version of its iPhone -- the one it again says will be on sale at Verizon early next year -- to India. The discussions have apparently been ongoing for four or five months according to one WSJ source. This comes out as news of iPhone exclusivity arrangements are ending in both Germany and The Netherlands. In Germany, Deutsche Telekom loses its exclusive now that both O2 and Vodafone will be offering Apple's finest before the holidays. In Holland, T-Mobile just lost its exclusive arrangement as both KPN and Vodafone have announced plans to carry the iPhone -- no specific dates were mentioned though, like Germany, in time for the holidays is a pretty good guess.
HTC HD7 is a HD2 lookalike with Windows Phone 7 and 720p video, exclusive to T-Mobile in US
Stop us if you've heard these specs before: 4.3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) TFT screen, 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8250 system-on-chip, 576MB of RAM, 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, and Microsoft's latest mobile OS on board. Yes, the HTC HD7 is almost a carbon copy of the much-loved HD2, albeit with a major upgrade to Windows Phone 7 software and an appreciated bump to 720/24p video recording. Beyond those enhancements, American buyers will be greeted with preinstalled Netflix, Slacker, and T-Mobile TV entertainment apps, along with 16GB of built-in storage. T-Mobile gets the honor of being the exclusive US carrier, with exclusives also going out to O2 in the UK and Ireland and Telstra in Australia. O2 Germany will also distribute the phone, along with Movistar in Spain, Bouygues Telecom in France, and a choice of carriers in Italy. Bear in mind that the non-US HD7s are likely to come with a less capacious 8GB of storage. The phone is scheduled for an October 21 retail debut in Europe, to be followed by a mid-November arrival on US shelves. You'll find the full press release after the break, although you shouldn't bother if you expect it to explain why the nearly identical HD2 isn't getting a WP7 upgrade.%Gallery-104727%
Rumor: Verizon iPhone to debut early next year
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will start manufacturing a Verizon-ready iPhone by the end of this year, with sales to start early 2011. Based on the iPhone 4, the new phone would leverage CDMA technology instead of the GSM 3G mobile technology used by AT&T. Wireless telecommunications company Qualcomm will provide a key chip for the new device. Sourced to "people briefed by Apple," the WSJ story is thin on details but is published on a reputable site that usually doesn't stick its neck out on unfounded items. If this report is grounded in truth, it indicates the end of AT&T's exclusivity deal with Apple and the possible opening of the device in the United States for even further carriers. This is a rumor we've heard several times before.
AT&T launching Windows Phone 7 handsets on November 8, unveiling them October 11?
Windows Phone 7 is really building up a head of steam, as AT&T and Microsoft are said to be planning a debut event for new handsets on October 11 in the US, to be followed by a retail launch in the week commencing November 8. A trifecta of launch devices is on tap, says the Wall Street Journal, with one each from LG, Samsung and HTC, and AT&T is unsurprisingly fingered as the exclusive early carrier for WP7 goodness. In exchange for that little favor, Microsoft will receive AT&T's "marketing support" in pushing the message out about Windows Phone 7's release. So long as nobody decides that home party packs are a good idea, we'll be cool with whatever.
Switched On: Getting real about a phone that's not (part 1)
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In the short history of smartphones, handsets carrying all but one of the major operating systems have been available to multiple U.S. carriers. That exception is iOS, for which the iPhone has been the only model. Of course, the iPhone's close cousin, the iPod touch, is available regardless of carrier (or service fees, for that matter), and has sometimes been referred to as "the iPhone for Verizon users." Ultimately, though, it's not. While the iPod touch provides access to a dizzying array of functionality that will likely expand this fall, its lack of an integrated cellular radio and attendant voice calling features means that it cannot assume that primary role in one's digital life in the same way that many smartphones have. For this reason, the notion of a Verizon iPhone remains one of the hottest rumors in the industry, with many assuming that it would cause a fundamental shift in the competitive landscape. But there are many reasons that a Verizon iPhone may take years to arrive -- if it ever does -- and may not create nearly the disruption that it has on AT&T.
White HTC Desire and silver Wildfire make a special appearance in London
Man, just look at these puppies -- a silver Wildfire nestling against a snow-white Desire. If this cute image is making you smile, you can thank our friends over at Android Community for stumbling upon these special edition HTC phones, which are headed to The Carphone Warehouse's exclusive club in good old Blighty (sorry, US readers). There's no date confirmed just yet, but given that these Android phones will be slapped with the regular price tags, you'd best be ready to dash to your nearest store before it's too late. Head over to the source link for more eye candy while you camp out.
WSJ: iPhone 4 to be offered by Vodafone and O2 in Germany as T-Mobile loses exclusivity
The last bastion of Applephone exclusivity in Europe is about to be toppled, according to the Wall Street Journal, as Deutsche Telekom is said to be preparing for the loss of its iPhone 4 monopoly ahead of this year's holiday shopping season. Citing separate sources familiar with the matter, this report suggests that Vodafone and O2's German arms are earnestly reaching out for Apple's latest and greatest, and while distribution deals haven't yet been finalized, negotiations have reached an "advanced stage." Much as with O2's UK exclusivity deal, Apple looks to have opted against extending its arrangement with Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile in an effort to reach the widest possible consumer base. Makes a lot of sense to us, now how about doing the same back home?
Vodafone teases with exclusive green Nokia N8, still mum on prices and availability
With September just a few days away, things are really about to get real for Nokia's flagship N8, especially in Europe. For instance, Vodafone's UK arm has just updated the "Coming Soon" page for this Symbian^3 device. What's new? Just the fact that the carrier will be offering the phone in two colors: black and green, with the latter ironically exclusive to red Vodafone. Yep, that's pretty much it -- no prices or dates mentioned just yet, but we'll be keeping an eye out for you N8 believers.
AT&T's bullish earnings report suggests iPhone exclusivity is almost over
You can tell a product ranks high in the public consciousness when something like this is news: AT&T's quarterly earnings report makes it sound like the telecom may finally lose its iPhone exclusivity deal. While a class-action lawsuit recently confirmed the handset was originally locked to AT&T / Cingular for a full five years, the company's Q2 SEC filing has the company making a considerable number of familiar excuses why AT&T's cellular business will thrive even "as these exclusivity arrangements end." While the iPhone isn't mentioned by name, it's hard to imagine sentences like "We believe offering a wide variety of handsets reduces dependence on any single handset" could refer to anything else -- but before you start defecting to Team Red, know there's nothing in there that suggests a date, much less proof of the fabled CDMA iPhone.
Lara Croft exclusive to Xbox Live Arcade for 'exactly' four weeks
Crystal Dynamics previously announced plans to launch Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light on XBLA, PSN and PC this summer. Since the XBLA release is now part of Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion, however, PSN and PC players are going to have to wait a bit longer for their date with Lara. When asked how long the game's timed exclusivity on Xbox Live would last, Crystal Dynamics' Karl Stewart told Eurogamer, "Well, for exactly four weeks, really. The agreement with Microsoft is, in order to participate in their hugely successful Summer of Arcade promotion there is a window of exclusivity. That window of exclusivity is a set four weeks." Lara Croft is slated to launch August 18 on Xbox Live Arcade, which would mean that the PSN and PC releases are essentially on hold until September 15. Stewart explained that it's ultimately "up to the first parties and the likes of Steam to agree that's the best date for us." It's worth noting that September 15 is a Wednesday, and North American PSN updates occur on Tuesday now, which could mean Lara Croft's release in the region could get pushed back another week. %Gallery-87912%
Hulu Plus launches on PS3, exclusive to Sony's console through 2010
The Sony Defense Force has reason to celebrate today, as the circle is now complete -- where Netflix HD once spited PS3 for Xbox 360, today Hulu Plus has chosen the PlayStation for limited console exclusivity through the end of the year. Today, "a select group" of PlayStation Plus subscribers can download the Hulu Plus app and start watching immediately, while regular ol' paying members can ask nicely (via the same app) and wait patiently for the privilege of shelling out an additional $10 a month. Those who aren't dropping $50 a year on PlayStation Plus aren't entirely out of luck, they'll just have to wait till the end of the preview period to get their Hulu on. Press release after the break, more info at the official PlayStation.Blog.
iPhone AT&T exclusivity lawsuit granted class-action certification, every AT&T iPhone customer included
Hey, remember that iPhone class-action lawsuit we poked around in a couple months ago and discovered Apple's lawyers confirming the original five year AT&T exclusivity agreement? Well, get ready to hear about it a lot more in the months to come, as the judge in the case has officially certified the case as a class action, meaning it now officially includes anyone who's ever bought an iPhone on AT&T. If you'll recall, the argument is that iPhone customers signed up for a two-year contract without being told that AT&T had an exclusive for five years -- thus in reality being held to the carrier for an additional three years without recourse. Sure, that sounds a little silly, but if you bought the first-gen iPhone and wanted to stick with the platform it's the truth -- discounting the fact, of course, that no one's required to buy another Phone after two years, and even then you have to sign a new contract. While we're definitely curious to see if the plaintiffs can get past that little logical hurdle and win something more than a token settlement, we're far more interested to see if they can get any more documentation from Apple nailing down its actual agreement with AT&T. Should be juicy -- we'll keep you in the loop.
iPhone 4 hits T-Mobile Germany in June, three Canadian carriers in July
Hot on the heels of a three-way UK celebration, Deutche Telekom's reportedly managed to continue its coup -- if the company's Twitter account is to be believed, German exclusivity of the iPhone 4 will go to T-Mobile this June. Meanwhile, the English (and French) speaking world is still rolling out iPhone launch dates, as Canada's Rogers, Telus and Bell Mobility have all quietly announced the new superphone will be available "in the coming weeks" or "coming soon." Americans at Engadget HQ are supremely jealous of your choices, Canada... and rest assured that we feel Germany's pain, too. Update: T-Mobile is also continuing its tradition of carrying the iPhone in the Netherlands, with another announcement that's light on specifics. [Thanks, Xylias]
Rumor: AT&T to sell more Android phones
Well, I guess if Apple is planning to sell phones through Verizon as has been rumored for a long time, then turnabout is fair play. The latest scuttlebutt says that AT&T is readying to announce its own next-gen Android-based cellphones sometime next week, putting the news smack dab up against any potential Apple announcements at WWDC. The HTC Aria is the latest device that AT&T is supposedly welcoming to their network, but it could be any number of Android phones, really; if AT&T goes for one, there's no reason they won't invite a few more in as well. [As noted by commenters, AT&T began selling the Motorola Backflip in March, which is an Android 1.5 device; however, the phone has been reportedly held back from the full Android experience, and cannot install arbitrary applications like other Android devices. The Dell Aero is also announced for the carrier but does not yet appear to be shipping. –Ed.] Of course, we don't know the details behind all of this. Given that we've never actually seen the agreement between AT&T and Apple, it's possible that AT&T was free to sell any handsets they want at any time, and they were only avoiding non-iPhone OS phones just to keep their exclusive deal popular. It's also possible that there was a clause in the agreement at some point that Android was a no-no, but when exclusivity drops, so does that clause. At any rate, we only have to wait a week to see what happens. If there's a vPhone at WWDC, an AT&T Android phone may not be far behind. [Since the Backflip is present in AT&T's lineup along with other smartphones, it's clear that Apple is not preventing the carrier from offering devices of many flavors. –Ed.]
Analyst: 40% of AT&T customers may head to Verizon if there's a vPhone
If the rumors are true and Verizon does eventually get to carry the iPhone, AT&T's CEO should probably be a little more worried than he is. Analyst Drake Johnstone says that if Verizon does carry Apple's smartphone, 40% of its customers are likely ready to jump ship for another carrier. That's 6 million of AT&T's estimated 15 million customers, all yearning to break free of their bonds to AT&T. That sounds high to me, and indeed, Johnstone admits that, as time goes on, that number will probably be much lower. Not only are AT&T's plans tough to get out of (and therefore not really worth the trouble to switch), but even if you do, they've just upped their termination fees, which will put another roadblock in the way. And Johnstone also says that AT&T's coverage is getting better by the day, so by the time Verizon does have the iPhone, AT&T's technical problems might not be so bad. Even if the number isn't quite as high as 40%, iPhone exclusivity has been a huge boon for AT&T in the past, and losing it won't be good for the company. If Apple announces a Verizon deal later this year, investors will be keeping a huge watch on what AT&T ends up dealing with.
Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Map Pack detailed [Update: Now with screens!]
Click image to amuse yourself with some new screens Xbox Live's Major Nelson had Infinity Ward "creative strategist" Robert Bowling on his podcast recently to talk about the upcoming Resurgence Map Pack for Modern Warfare 2. Set to release on June 3 on Xbox Live, the pack will be priced at 1200 ($15) -- the same as its predecessor, the Stimulus Pack. Resurgence will feature maps old and new, including two Call of Duty 4 maps and three new locations: Vacant -- the wide open Russian office complex from CoD4 Strike -- the urban town surrounded by hotels from CoD4 Carnival -- an abandoned carnival area with a Ferris wheel, fun house and other attractions Trailer Park -- full of "super tight corridors" and featuring a pool ("Mobile Estates," Bowling calls it) Fuel -- a "sniper haven" based in and around an oil refinery Bowling says that the new maps will be tied to specific playlists, just like the Stimulus maps. With the Resurgence collection, however, it's possible that all of the maps will be available in every playlist, as long as "demand is high." And, as with the previous pack, the new maps will be exclusive to Xbox 360 for a short time before coming to PC and PS3. Update: We've got images of all five maps, which you can check out in the gallery below or by clicking the image in the post. Enjoy! %Gallery-93049%
Confirmed: Apple and AT&T signed five-year iPhone exclusivity deal -- but is it still valid?
The term of Apple and AT&T's iPhone exclusivity deal has long been a mystery -- although USA Today reported a five-year arrangement when the original iPhone came out in 2007, that number has never been independently confirmed, and it's been looking suspect in recent weeks as Verizon iPhone chatter has gotten louder. But we've been doing some digging and we can now confirm that Apple and AT&T entered into a five-year iPhone exclusive in 2007, based on court documents filed by Apple in California. Read on!
Did AT&T provide cheap iPad data rates to keep iPhone exclusivity?
In a country seemingly obsessed with the question "When is Verizon going to get the iPhone?," it's surprising that AT&T's exclusive iPhone deal with Apple has lasted this long. A post in Computerworld today quotes Wall Street analyst Brian Marshall of BroadPoint AmTech, who believes that AT&T squeezed another 6 months of exclusive iPhone rights out of Apple by agreeing to provide iPad users with 3G data plans at 50% of their normal cost. Marshall and many other analysts expected AT&T's iPhone monopoly to end this summer, but now agree that it will be at least the first quarter of 2011 before Verizon gets a chance to sell the hot Apple smartphone. Many sources had told Marshall that Verizon would land the iPad data plan deal, something that of course did not happen. AT&T offered no-contract, cut-rate deals on data plans for the iPad, and that unprecedented step got Marshall thinking about an AT&T / Apple deal. AT&T and Apple have not replied to requests for comments on the alleged deal. [via MacRumors]
Hydrophobia now timed exclusive on XBLA, heading to PC and retail later
After this week's surprising reveal that "Xbox exclusive" Hydrophobia would also dribble onto PlayStation Network, IncGamers' clarification isn't quite as shocking. The site has confirmed that the game will be a timed-exclusive for Xbox Live Arcade and then eventually will be released not just for PSN but PC and retail, as well. Oddly, the retail release does not include a PS3 version. The site spoke with developer Dark Energy Digital head Pete Jones, who spilled details that the PSN release of Hydrophobia will arrive for digital purchase "at some point," though he couldn't detail when that or the PC iteration would become available (when we followed up, a DED rep told us that, due to "contractual reasons," no further details could be provided on the PSN or PC releases). Even more unfortunate? Without even a murky release window, we're totally up the proverbial creek without a paddle for this kicker. How about this? Water joke. %Gallery-74474%
Ninja Theory co-founder explains studio's move to multiplatform development
With the release of Heavenly Sword, Ninja Theory had seemingly established itself as a high-profile, PS3-exclusive developer. However, the studio's next game, Enslaved, a gritty action version of the same classical Chinese story Journey to the West from which Dragon Ball originates, is going to be multiplatform. "Heavenly Sword came out pretty early on the PS3," Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades explained to CVG, "and we sold, I think, a million and a half copies, and that's still not enough as an independent studio to break even. The publisher potentially breaks even at that point, but the developers don't. It's just that when so many people have Xbox -- I mean over half the market or more has Xbox 360s -- why limit yourself to one platform?" Without a clearly dominant platform like the PlayStation 1 or 2, he said, it's difficult to profit from console-exclusive games. "I think people are going to hold off for a long time before getting on to the next generation," Antoniades added. "I think everyone's licking their wounds and releasing new games to try and keep this current generation going. I'm hoping it doesn't come too soon either because we want to make at least a couple more games in this generation." Squeezing in a few more current-gen releases sounds like a good plan -- it'd be tough to be totally broke and have to start developing on new hardware again.
