If it weren't for RIM's "help, we're stuck in 2006 and can't get out!" approach of topping this thing out with EDGE data, we'd be all over its warm embrace of an all-new form factor -- but yeah, seriously RIM, what's up with that? Boy Genius Report has outed a few more alleged specs of Waterloo's first foray into the clamshell market, the Kickstart -- and it looks like we can expect a 2 megapixel cam, SureType (as though we couldn't have figured that out ourselves), internal QVGA and external 160 x 128 displays, WiFi, and a true 3.5mm headphone jack. We're also seeing some new shots with T-Mobile branding, which makes sense considering the carrier's longstanding efforts to be on RIM's bleeding edge. Oh, and just for the humor factor, RIM appears to be drawing parallels between the Kickstart and a few... uh, "objects," such as the "anodized color" similar to that found on an "urban nomad tool." So this is how product development goes down -- explains a lot!

[Via phoneArena]

If we didn't know better, we'd say Samsung really wants to develop some type of hybrid gaming / phone device. One need only look back on the plethora of patent applications from the electronics-maker to realize that something game-related is going on over at HQ. Whatever the case may be, the Korean company has applied for another iteration of device, this time taking a more modular approach to the layout of buttons and screen. In this new configuration, a RAZR-like clamshell would actually house a swiveling screen which allows the unit to flip open, thus placing the display squarely between two "wings." The resulting arrangement would be a symmetrical device that would encourage a more familiar hand position for gamers. Of course, like those other designs, these are just images on paper -- though it does spark the imagination considerably.

[Via Unwired View]

This is a phone we've seen in the wild on a couple occasions, but we had one detail dead wrong: the model number. It turns out that Sony Ericsson's newest Z series flip is actually the Z770, not the Z660 we'd heard before. The company is billing the Z770 as a phone fit for people who need access to the internet (web and email, specifically) but aren't necessarily interested in stepping up to a full-fledged smartphone, featuring "easy" email setup, zoom / pan features in the web browser along with an actual mouse pointer (anyone familiar with S60's browser will get the idea here), and integrated support for Exchange ActiveSync. The GSM / EDGE 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 2100 handset will hit shelves in the second quarter in Vogue Red, Graphite Black, and Exquisite Gold.

Phone Scoop appears to have caught LG a little unprepared with a pair of handsets that haven't been officially outed, and as far as we can tell, aren't on the docket to be announced this week at CES. First up, the AX565 clamshell is allegedly Alltel-bound (and we'd tend to agree from the silkscreened label on the front and all) and features an unusual square touchpad for external music control, stereo Bluetooth, microSD expansion, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Now, onto the moneymaker: the mighty Vu, a Prada-esque handset that should usher in AT&T's MediaFLO age when it gets around to launching in the next few months. We'll keep you posted if we get any more intel on either of these suckers.

Sony Ericsson appears to have taken a page clear out of Nokia's book with the Z555, a fashionable flip (subject to personal opinions, of course) that looks like a hinged homage to Espoo's Prism series. The innards aren't much to talk about -- the GSM comes in one of two triband flavors depending on your region, and there's nary a hint of 3G to be found -- but the draw here is something Sony Ericsson's calling Gesture Control, which allows you to control a handful of phone functions (ringtone mute and alarm snooze are specifically called out) by waving your hand in close proximity to the handset. You also get a hidden external OLED display, 1.3 megapixel cam, stereo Bluetooth, and pretty much all the colorful rectangles you can handle. Look for both regional versions of the phone to launch by the end of this quarter.

Many of us know The Sharper Image best as a purveyor of massaging lounge chairs (which makes their stores a must-stop location in the mall), a chronic pusher of ozone generators, and as a perennial favorite in SkyMall catalogs as we bide our time on the redeye. What we don't know The Sharper Image for, though, is its broad selection of no-name phones procured from Chinese manufacturers. We just happened to be flipping through TSI's latest catalog today and came across these four little gems, three with "The Sharper Image" proudly emblazoned across their faces. The pack includes a touchscreen equipped Chocolate knockoff (very 2006, but still quite strapping), a branded version of the AMOI N810 Windows Mobile 6 Professional device, a black slider that looks like death incarnated, and an ultra-generic silver clamshell that looks straight out of the early part of this decade. The good news is that they're all unlocked and range from a very reasonable $169.95 to $499.95; the bad news, however, is that you may have to keep your thumb over the TSI logo to keep the public mockery to a minimum.



Read - Sharper Image 101TSI
Read - Sharper Image 008TSI
Read - Sharper Image 007TSI
Read - Sharper Image 005TSI

So the Samsung A747 for AT&T is finally here, 'cept it's not the A747. Instead, the slim clamshell has been appropriately christened the "SLM." Think of the SLM as a juiced version of the also very thin A717, carrying over the 2 megapixel cam and attractive brushed metal exterior while adding a much larger 96 x 96 external display and support for Napster Mobile -- a first for AT&T. Get the SLM beginning November 23 for $150 after a $50 rebate on a two-year contract.

Helio today has announced the Fin, the first flip phone in the carrier's lineup. For an MVNO making its name with unique powerhouses like the Ocean, the Fin seems downright ordinary -- but that's not quite the case. For one thing, the Fin bests its A717 and m610 lookalikes (all three of which are manufactured by Samsung, coincidentally) in the thickness game, coming in at a svelte 11.4 millimeters to take the crown as the thinnest flip launched in the US. The Fin also totes a rather potent 3 megapixel sensor in its cam, 100MB of internal storage with microSD expansion up to 4GB, and stereo Bluetooth support. As with all of Helio's more recently launched devices, the Fin includes GPS on board; concurrently with the phone's release, Helio is announcing Garmin Mobile navigation for the Fin and the Ocean -- available for $2.99 per day -- for those times when the integrated Google Maps-based nav just doesn't cut it. Grab Fin starting today for $175.

We've can't say we've ever really understood the appeal of integrating remote functions into cellphones (except for some sly TV-B-Gone action) but we're even more confused by the GE Flip universal remote, which appears to finally bring the worst in cheap-o flip phone design to the low-end universal remote market. Sadly, GE apparently thinks looks alone will move this thing, since otherwise it's a relatively standard four-function universal -- even the press release kind of peters out after mentioning the design. That design, by the way, seems to have a pretty glaring weakness: when the unit is closed, it looks like the IR transmitter will be pointing the wrong way. Ouch. The Flip appears to be available now for $18.99.

Though the original PEBL didn't get quite the love Motorola may have liked (Maria Sharapova special edition notwithstanding), it seems they're looking to give it at least one more go with the upcoming U9 model. Presumably designed to slot in alongside the RAZR 2 V8 / V9 models, Phone Scoop reports that the U9 will be ROKR branded, indicating a strong music tie-in. Other details are sketchy, though there's speculation that the "9" designation in the model number indicates that 3G is in the cards; for Motorola's sake, we hope that's true.

Shoring up its music-friendly line alongside the UpStage from Samsung, Sprint has announced its "Muziq," the Fusic's spiritual successor from LG. While it'll face some serious musicphone competition from across the CDMA / GSM divide later this week, the Muziq holds its own with some interesting features including an integrated FM transmitter that can send tuneage to any FM radio within ten feet. It also offers up stereo Bluetooth, a microSD slot supporting up to 4GB of expansion (a 64MB card is included in box), 1.3 megapixel camera, and sideloading of DRM-free music via USB. Look for it to hit on July 15 for $99 on contract.

Yeah, the new batch of watches is pretty cool, but let's be honest -- at the end of the day, the handsets themselves are the real deal, and Sony Ericsson didn't disappoint with today's reveals. The Gracenote slip-up outed the three hottest of the bunch, the K850, W910, and W960. The K850 is the follow-on to the lauded K790 / K800 with a 5 megapixel cam, NetFront browser, and tri-band HSDPA (North American bands mercifully included) and quadband GSM plus EDGE. The W910 and W960 are beasts of Walkman phones, offering 3G data, 2 megapixel and 3.2 megapixel cams respectively, and -- in the case of the W960 -- UIQ 3.1 and a full 8GB of onboard storage. Also-rans in today's lineup include the not-for-US-consumption K530, a 14mm 3G candybar, and the low-end Z250 and Z320 flips. Look for 'em all in the second half of the year. Check Engadget Mobile for a plethora of eye candy!

Read - Z320 and K850
Read - W910 and W960
Read - K530
Read - Z250

And just when we thought "LAZR" was about the least creative name Motorola could've possibly dreamed up for its shiny morsel with the giant external screen, Boy Genius reports that the handset will roll out the door with the "RAZR 2" moniker instead. The choice of verbage there is actually very interesting, because it indicates that Moto views this clamshell as the true successor to the RAZR -- not only one of the first true fashion phones, but the singular device that pulled Motorola out of its rut and back into the manufacturer big leagues. Whether the RAZR 2 will be able to perform the same magic trick, of course, remains to be seen. Boy Genius also reports that the phone will be available in both GSM and CDMA versions (cross your fingers, Sprint and Verizon customers) and will in fact rock a memory expansion slot by the time it makes it into stores. We're wearing our lucky baseball caps today in the hope we see it in official form this week at CTIA in Orlando, and we suggest y'all do the same.

Call us fickle, but memories of the Motorola RAZR maxx Ve are already fading. We have virtually no details on this thing, other than the fact that it's the LG VX8700 and it's headed for Verizon; seems a worthy successor to the VX8600, does it not? The Shine-inspired clamshell should launch with a Flash-based UI (rife with Verizon red, no doubt) some time between tomorrow and... oh, say, the year 2100. Follow the break for a picture of the VX8700 all closed up (and no, it doesn't magically shrink when shut).

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]