Although there's no arguing that the 6-inch e-ink display used in both the Kindle and the Sony PRS-505 looks beautiful, we're not exactly huge fans of endless scrolling -- which is why we're pretty intrigued by these shots of the Hanlin V9 that just popped up on the Mobileread forums. The update to the V3 features a 9.7-inch display that definitely cranks the overall dimensions, but being able to view a full letter-size page seems like a tangible enough benefit -- and the addition of WiFi, EV-DO, and handwriting recognition just sweetens the pot. Apparently there are some issues mass-producing that screen, but when they get sorted pricing will land somewhere between $599 and $699 -- numbers that will probably keep this thing at the intriguing curiosity level for now.

Read - Hands-on with the V9 at Mobileread
Read - V9 product page

What a refreshing change of pace! AT&T actually beat its estimate of "early September" for its variant of the Motorola RAZR 2, the V9 -- albeit in a rather bizarre shade, "mahogany" (where we come from, that's called purple, but whatevs). Though it's not showing up on AT&T's online store just yet, it's showing up for their business "premier" customers (note the screen shot above) and seems to be filtering into brick-and-mortar locations as we write this. The premier site shows a rather shocking off-contract price of $749.99, though with a combination of discounts, rebates, and contracts, it should fall into a far more reasonable price range for pretty much everyone involved. Seriously, $750? Sheesh.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

As expected, Verizon and Sprint have given Motorola a venue for its latest and greatest hardware today, releasing the Q9m Windows Mobile smartphone and RAZR 2 V9m flip respectively. Though the media centric Q9m's $350 price on a two-year contract ain't exactly pocket change, it's interesting to note that it whittles right down to a more manageable $250 after rebate -- a mere $20 more than you'll pay for an old school Q Black. Meanwhile, minions from the other side of the CDMA camp (yes, we mean Sprint) have prepped the V9m for launch today at the same $250 price point after rebate, making it the first of several US carriers committed to a RAZR 2 launch to actually get it out of the door. If everything goes the way we expect it to, both of these devices will land on the other carrier in the next few weeks, so the "grass is greener on the other side" effect should be kept to a bare minimum here.

[Thanks, Dan and Boy Genius]

Read - Verizon Motorola Q9m
Read - Sprint Motorola V9m

Neither carrier has launched it just yet, but yes -- the RAZR 2 V9m has now officially found a home on both Sprint and Verizon, with both promising availability in the next few weeks. To split hairs, Sprint will be beating its sworn enemy by a few days, launching its variant on August 22, while Verizon's just promising "September" at this point. Unless AT&T manages to pull a rabbit out of its hat, it looks like the two will be the first in the US to launch what Motorola hopes will be the centerpiece of a turnaround for its flagging handset business. Thanks to EV-DO, attractive styling (yes, we realize we'll be really tired of it in a couple years, but it's still hot for now), and a gargantuan external display with touch controls, the phone is being positioned on the higher end of both carriers' dumbphone offerings -- and the price reflects it. Look for it for $300 with a $50 rebate on Verizon, $250 on Sprint, both on a two-year agreement.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Looks like AT&T didn't want to get left out of this little party after all! The carrier joins Sprint and Verizon in announcing its version of the RAZR 2 today, the HSDPA-powered V9. Look for it in "early September" for $300 on contract. Check the release here.

Read - Sprint press release
Read - Verizon press release