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iOS 4.3 code reveals new iPhone and iPad models, rumor mill suggests a dislike of the home button
History lesson, folks. If you dig far enough into iOS's code, you'll eventually come across iPhone3,1, which is the AT&T iPhone 4, and the analogous iPhone3,2 (i.e. Verizon iPhone). It's nothing we haven't seen before, but then along comes iOS 4.3 with a handful of new mystery identifiers to spurn speculation -- namely, two new-generation iPhones (4,1 and 4,2) and three iPads (2,1; 2,2; and 2,3). Speculate all you want, but there isn't much else at all we can say definitively here, but if we had to take a guess, it's the GSM and CDMA variants of the next-gen models (plus a WiFi-only iPad). It is interesting to note the lack of an "iPhone4,3" given the yet-to-be-revealed iPhone3,3 is still there -- will the last member ever see the light of day? Outside of iOS 4.3 but still very much related, BGR is claiming it's heard from sources that the next iPhone / iPad models will eschew the physical home button altogether in lieu of the new multi-finger gestures and that employees at Cupertino are already testing such devices. That seems a little more out there to us; five-finger pinch to home feels extremely clunky. The real takeaway here? We can finally have an iPhone rumor that doesn't involve wondering if it'll head to a new US carrier.
London, New York on track for subway cellular coverage?
After nearly three years of setbacks, if New York City isn't careful it looks like London just might win the race to extend cellular service to its underground transit system. The plan laid out by London Mayor Boris Johnson calls for the UK's big five wireless carriers (Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, and 3) to cover the cost (some "hundreds of millions of pounds," according to the Telegraph) for a system that should hopefully wire the Tube by the 2012 Olympics. Meanwhile, the New York plan came back to life recently when Broadcast Australia purchased a majority stake in Transit Wireless, which was awarded some $46 million to wire subway platforms and select tunnels back in 2007 -- and which apparently threw in the towel shortly thereafter. Unlike the New York plan, London's won't be limited to the platforms, which is great news for Britons who like to listen to obnoxious strangers' cellphone conversations.
ZTE Racer review
In a battlefield now abundant with Android handsets, there's only one easy way for a young smartphone brand to grab our attention: make a seriously dirt cheap handset. And we're not just talking about a free phone chained to a pricey 18-month contract (like the Vodafone 845); we're looking for a Pay & Go smartphone tagged with a standalone dumbphone price, so even the £200+ ($316+) "budget" HTC Wildfire and Sony Ericsson X10 Mini / Mini Pro are out of the question. This is where Three UK's ZTE Racer comes in: priced at just £99.99 ($158) or for free on various contracts, this Android 2.1 handset has quite rightly stolen the paper crown from the 845. But don't let that price tag fool you -- this 14.5mm-thick device still comes with a fairly modern 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset (as featured on the Aria and X10 Mini / Mini Pro), garnished with a 3.2 megapixel camera (sans flash), HSDPA 7.2Mbps connectivity, 2GB microSD card, FM radio, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and a Skype app for free Skype calls within the UK. There is just one caveat: you'll have to live with a 2.8-inch QVGA resistive touchscreen. So, is this an immediate deal-breaker? Can the other features make up for this flaw? Read on to find out.%Gallery-98528%
3 UK rolls out The One plan, promises not to use the word 'unlimited' when it's not unlimited
Long gone are the days when 1GB, 2GB or 5GB of data were unlimited "enough" to be called unlimited by carriers; modern phones can blaze through gigabytes just as quickly as HSPA can supply them, and companies around the world are starting to learn the lesson. In rolling out its seemingly enticing "The One" plan last week, 3 UK made an interesting and notable commitment to avoid the use of the term "unlimited" unless it really, truly applies -- and in the case of The One, it really doesn't: you get 2,000 voice minutes, 5,000 minutes between 3 UK phones, 5,000 texts, and 1GB of data for prices starting at £25 ($38) a month depending on the subsidized handset you choose. Sounds reasonable and straightforward enough, and for the overwhelming majority of users, it should be a deep-enough bucket to get the job done. [Thanks, Oli]
Huawei E5830 MiFi / i-Mo gets free unlock tool, parties outside the USA
Nope, this isn't the MiFi that you guys are familiar with in the States; everyone else -- mainly 3 / Hutchison customers -- are given this cute-looking Huawei E5830 HSPA modem instead. If you want to join this exotic MiFi party but would rather boogie with a different carrier, then fear not, as ex-iPhone hacker Zibri's just released a free unlock tool. Sadly, it's a bit of a hunting game -- plug in your MiFi (with its preloaded SIM card inside) into a Windows machine, launch the program, find Zibri's blog post that matches the random date picked by the program, type in the title and you'll get the unlock button. Of course, using this hack may invalidate your warranty, so proceed with caution.
3 Scandinavia first out of the gate with 84Mbps HSPA
LTE? Who needs stinkin' LTE? The 3GPP's HSPA roadmap still has plenty of runway to get faster, interestingly -- enough runway, in fact, for just about any practical application you could throw at it shy of hosting Engadget's back-end operations. Historically, Australia's Telstra has had a track record of staying on top of the HSPA tech path, but just a few months after it demoed 42Mbps service, 3's Scandinavian branch is hard at work with Ericsson to deploy an 84Mbps network -- up from 21Mbps before -- through a combination of backhaul and equipment upgrades plus the addition of a new 900MHz carrier. It'll become the world's fastest HSPA network at launch, with the rollout starting in Denmark and parts of Sweden this quarter -- and hey, do us a favor and let us know if you come across any 84Mbps handsets, alright?
3 Sweden says it's getting HTC Bravo in March
If you were hoping for a little more Sense with your Nexus One, you might want to keep your sights set on the late part of the first quarter or the early part of the second. That leaked roadmap from a while back had the so-called Bravo pegged for April, a phone that would ultimately form the basis of the Nexus One -- at least in hardware specification -- but 3 Sweden's official Facebook page made mention this week of a March launch. The combination of Snapdragon, a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, a 5 megapixel camera, and a full Android 2.1-based implementation of HTC's Sense UI is a juicy thought indeed, and we can't imagine that such a beast would only launch on 3. Since T-Mobile USA's taking a pass on offering the Nexus One in stores, perhaps this is the version they've been waiting for? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Dell Mini 3i OPhone detailed ahead of this week's China Mobile launch
After so much speculation and rumor, it's hard to believe that Dell's first modern cellphone is ready to launch. And while we've already seen the official press release announcing the Mini 3 for Brazil and China, today we get a followup release with a bit more detail. As expected, the Chinese Mini 3i variant is quadband GSM/EDGE only (no 3G) and packs a 3.5-inch nHD, 640x360 touchscreen display just like that found on Nokia's N97. The 58.35 x 122 x 11.7-mm OPhone will ship in "Red Passion" and "Oiled Bronze" colors packing Bluetooth, a 3 megapixel auto-focus camera with flash and video capture mode, microSD slot, and GPS with pre-loaded maps. And in case you're wondering why China first, that's easy: Dell's going after China Mobile's 500 million subscriber base when its first handset hits authorized stores later this week.
BenQ's new 1080p LCD TV monitor makes someone in Europe very happy
Looks like viewers in the Benelux countries have one more option for their Eurovision parties this year. BenQ has just announced the MK2442, a 23.6-inch LCD TV / computer monitor that sports a 5ms response time, full HD at 1920x1080 / 1080p / 24Hz, an HDMI 1.3 interface, and something called Senseye Human Vision Technology (a proprietary image enhancement engine that, you know, "mimics the human eye" for "deeper, richer and more detailed images"). Available from August 20 all over Europe -- and just the thing for all your Russian techno-pop viewing needs.[Via Far East Gizmos]
3 UK launches Nokia N97, Skype calling's a go
3 UK has thrown the N97 up on its site, so let the Nokia N97 orders begin. Of course, 3's "free calling" is plastered all over the N97's order page, so if you're a Skype fan, or an existing customer enjoying all that free calling, you'll still feel at home. Pricing on this do-it-all bad-boy is £free as long as you're willing to fork out £35 plus per month for the privilege. If you're more of a pay as you go type, fear not, you can still grab the N97, but it'll cost you somewhere in the £319 range. The website lists July 3rd as the earliest shipping date if you grab at it today, so quit reading and start ordering.[Via Unwired View]
3 UK promises free mobile Skype calls until the end of time
While most carriers are having quite a tift about Skype intruding on their territory, UK-based 3 is letting customers use unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls and messages without any extra fees. The new rules start May 1st for any compatible 3 headset, and later this summer it'll expand to every 3G phone on the network. The company says it sees the initiative as a win to everyone, not just the customers, as the hope is it'll lessen calls to people on other networks, which carries a hefty Mobile Termination Rate fee. Whatever the reasons, we're just happy to see at least one company embracing the VoIP service. We (and Nokia) can only hope this move is somehow contagious.[Via GigaOM]
Proposing with an iPhone app
Need to propose to someone? There's an app for that. Brian X. Chen at Wired reports that coder Bryan Haggerty proposed to his girlfriend Jeannie Choe this week with an iPhone app of his own making -- he sent her on a video scavenger hunt that marked points on a map drawing out the "<3" symbol (which has a lot of sentimental meaning to the couple -- he also gave her a necklace with the same thing on it), and then led her to a hilltop park, where he popped the question. Unfortunately, Wired doesn't tell us if she said yes, but it's Valentine's Day, so we'll assume she did. The app must have been distributed ad-hoc, too, because we don't see it on the App Store at all (not too surprising, considering that as cool as it is, it's got some limited functionality). But congrats to Haggerty and Choe -- if they run into any issues at the ceremony, there's probably an app for that too.
BT hits the sauce, mulls return to mobile market
Maybe we're just way, way off base here, but we're fairly certain the UK mobile market doesn't need yet another competitor that won't offer anything substantially different than what's already out there. According to a new report from The Observer, BT is considering the launch of a mobile phone operation as part of a "joint venture with T-Mobile and 3 in a bid to boost profits by cashing in on the migration of broadband and internet services to mobile devices." Of course, BT has dabbled in hybrid handsets before, but as expected, adoption was remarkably low. Our take? We can't see a washed-up mobile operator being any more successful in today's trying times than it was originally, but hey, we'll gladly sit back and watch the fireworks if it has the stones to try.[Via mocoNews]
Ericsson partners with 3 Scandinavia to deliver 21Mbps HSPA network
We're not quite sure if you really understand just how quick 21Mbps is, but it's fast -- really fast when you consider that we're talking about mobile broadband speeds. Ericsson and 3 Scandinavia have hooked up to upgrade the operator's current HSPA network to hit the aforementioned speed, though it'll be just Sweden and Denmark seeing the enhancements at first; of course, the duo has promised that the upgrade will eventually expand out to other locales, but details are scant beyond a 1H 2009 planned launch date.[Via UnwiredView]
Nokia's N95 to see Comes With Music on 3 UK
While the 5310 XpressMusic candybar has first rights to the Comes With Music party, Nokia's old faithful won't be far behind. Mobile operator 3 UK is gearing up to launch a CwM-edition N95 soon, which will give Nokia fanatics that have somehow managed to avoid the heralded handset this long a chance to redeem themselves. Details beyond that are scant, but we are told that the contract-toting N95 will be available from 3 "next month" for an undisclosed amount.[Via mocoNews]
3's INQ to hit the mobile scene with Facebook-friendly INQ1
Overseas mega-corp Hutchison, which owns the 3 network, has a new handset subsidiary called INQ, which is going after the social-hungry youth market in a big way. INQ's first handset, the INQ1, doesn't look like anything special -- just a frumpy-looking slider with a decent screen -- but start poking around and you'll find a massive amount of software for such a dorky phone from a handset upstart. The big angle here is Facebook integration -- INQ has a Facebook app to rival Facebook's own work on the iPhone, and ties Facebook contacts, chat and messages into all parts of the phone. The phone enjoys similar integration with Skype (including making Skype calls free over the network, like 3's Skypephone) and Windows Live Messenger. Other apps include an eBay tracker and a full-on WebKit browser. None of this is revolutionary, or even particularly polished, but the work INQ has done at integration, like a unified contact list, could do to be copied by even the major smartphone players. What is revolutionary is the price: INQ plans to sell primarily through pre-paid carriers, who are expected to retail the featurephone for under £99 without contract. The HSDPA phone, to be "officially announced" on October 13th, will hit the UK in November, and can apparently be flashed to work with US carriers -- with a launch planned for here next year. Oh, and the killer app? The phone doubles as a plug-and-play 3G modem. Yeah, US carriers are going to take real kindly to this one.%Gallery-34232%
Laptop makers and GSM Association team on Mobile Broadband branding plan
Laptops with built-in WWAN modems aren't anything new, but there's a hodgepodge of hardware and services available -- a situation the GSM Association is trying to simplify with the new Mobile Broadband standardization initiative. Sure, it's mostly an excuse to get another sticker on your gear, but companies like Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, Toshiba, Qualcomm and a bunch of carriers are on board to ensure that Mobile Broadband-certified machines will be ready and able to connect in some 91 countries around the world -- and what's more, they're committed to spending a cool billion dollars in the next year promoting MB as a "compelling alternative" to WiFi and WiMAX. That should be an interesting dilemma for the carriers that also run hotspot networks, but we've got a feeling everyone's happy as long as the sub fees keep rolling in.
3 launches Skypephone S2
Hold up just a second, this is more than your average WiFi-powered Skype handset for yakking it up while you're wandering around the abode in your skivvies. In fact, it's none other than the follow-on to 3's Skypephone of last year -- the aptly-named Skypephone S2 -- offering HSDPA data, a 3.2 megapixel camera, 50MB of memory with a microSD slot for plenty more, and pretty much all the Skype support you can handle (hence the name, we suppose). Skype-to-Skype calls are completely free from the phone, and the Skype service can be kept active by adding £10 (about $19) monthly on a pay-as-you-go arrangement; otherwise, the phone can be had for as little as zilch if you sign up for a monthly plan. It'll work as a broadband dongle, too, which we think officially makes this thing oodles more useful than even the most capable of WiFi phones, skivvies or otherwise.[Via Tech Digest]
3 Italia, Ericsson blaze with 5.8Mbps HSPA uploads
We hate to make you feel like a loser with your 1-point-whatever Mbps upstream data card there, but over in Italy, Ericsson and 3 are doing everything they can to put that card out of business. It appears that through nothing more than a series of software and infrastructure tweaks, the companies have managed to establish uplink data connections at a whopping 5.8Mbps. Oh, and get this -- it's not some fancy, futuristic trial, either, this was all done using 3's existing commercial network. Good news for Italians, and ultimately, good news for anyone that's not looking forward to waiting for LTE to take over.[Via Phone Scoop]
3's new Skypephone clears the FCC -- to be called IM2?
So it turns out Skype was more than a mere experiment for 3, apparently, seeing how the FCC just approved its rumored new Skypephone -- though contrary to what we'd heard, the documentation indicates that the candybar might end up being called the IM2, not the S2. Crucial difference, we know. Anyhow, the phone sports a 3.2 megapixel cam, HSDPA (up from the original's mere UMTS), and features a rather attractive brushed metal backing, not bad for a phone that's theoretically designed to save you cash by routing calls over the internets. Still no launch details for the thing just yet, but at least we now know we'll be able to use it in the good ol' US of A without drawing the FCC's ire.
