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LG GW600 with WinMo, 20-key layout for AT&T gets FCC approval
So that 20-key LG GW600 "HQ" we spied in an AT&T slide deck not long ago is now looking very real indeed, now that the FCC has seen fit to rubber-stamp it and send it on its way. 20-key layouts have always been an acquired taste, granted -- but with WiFi, 3G, and GPS, this looks to be just about the most attractive WinMo Standard handset in the game whenever AT&T gets around to launching it. Is it really running Standard, though? Our leaked slide said as much, but the manual makes repeated mention of handwriting support on the display. Either way, it's possible we're looking at a draft manual here with swaths of text stolen from another model (it happens pretty frequently), so it's hard to nail down an exact feature set without this one finding its way onto eBay or AT&T shelves, whichever comes first.[Via Phone Scoop]
Samsung announces 20-key SGH-t349 for T-Mobile
We saw this one coming -- and sure enough, Samsung's t349 is real, continuing the manufacturer's somewhat bizarre tradition of dropping 20-key configurations on T-Mobile. This one's yet again targeting the crowd looking for low-end, easy messaging with a 1.3 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth support, microSD expansion, and a funky silver / green color combo that the suits aren't going to dig as much as the kiddies. It doesn't do 3G, but the best part of the phone might be the easy-on-the-wallet price -- just $14.99 on contract.
Samsung prepping a 3G bounty for T-Mobile this year
It's not clear how people manage to score so many good pictures of phones that aren't scheduled for announcement -- much less release -- for months, but who are we to complain? Some crafty dude over on TmoNews' forums is showing off much of Samsung's 2009 lineup for T-Mobile, and the first fantastic bit of news here is that everything we're seeing is apparently 3G; that's a good sign that T-Mobile's confident enough about its AWS buildout to start transitioning its lineup to 3G en masse, and plump 3G lineups always makes us happy. Anyhow, we've got the Gravity 2 here your choice of red or orange, the 20-key t349 candybar, and that's not all we've got for you QWERTY and half-QWERTY fans -- there's an unnamed clamshell here (pictured) that'll be available in two colors. Finally, there's a supposedly low-cost full touchscreen device looking a little bit like a cross between a Cookie and an Instinct s30 that's running TouchWiz and features a 3 megapixel camera. No Android stuff here, though the lucky poster says that he believes the device will be the i7500 and won't be available until November -- a bummer if true. [Thanks, Glenn]
Samsung t349 to continue 20-key tradition on T-Mobile?
Strangely, Samsung has somehow developed a bit of a niche reputation for rolling out SureType-esque 20-key devices on T-Mobile USA, going back to the t719 flip -- and more recently, the t729 slider. It's an odd claim to fame, but it's a relationship they're apparently looking to continue with the upcoming introduction of the t349 candybar if a freshly-leaked doc is to be believed. This would mark the third form factor in as many handsets for the 20-key Sammy meme on T-Mob, but don't expect any amazing specs to commemorate the occasion -- it looks like we can expect a 1.3 megapixel cam, Bluetooth, and an utter lack of 3G data, so yeah, "entry level" is an appropriate phrase here. Anyhow, Boy Genius Report has May 20 pegged for launch, so if you're looking for something between a numeric keypad and full QWERTY on your cheap texting phone -- aren't we all? -- circle that date on the calendar.
