Q9Global
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Windows Mobile 6.1 gets pictured, detailed
So this weird Motorola Q9 that Boy Genius Report came across is turning into quite a gold mine. First it revealed AT&T's apparent intention to let its guard down just a tad and start bringing more devices into the WiFi fold -- despite the obvious risk to data revenue -- and now it turns out that she's dressed to the nines with none other than Windows Mobile 6.1. A fleeting glance at most of the screens doesn't indicate any obvious changes from 6 (it is a .1 release, after all), but the devil's in the details: goodies like threaded SMS (Yahtzee!) and cut-and-freaking-paste on Standard (double Yahtzee!) alone should make it a worthwhile upgrade. 'Course, it's up to the carriers and manufacturers as usual to ultimately decide whether to push updates to existing devices, but it would be pure, unadulterated torture if the lion's share of devices didn't see official releases. Seriously, we'd cry.
An AT&T-branded Q9 with WiFi -- wait, what?
AT&T has a long, storied history of shunning WiFi on the lion's share of its smartphones in an effort to corral folks into picking up a hearty helping of its own HSDPA instead (much to the chagrin of many a BlackJack, N75, and Curve owner, may we add). Not only is an unlimited data package a significant additional expense, but coverage is still spotty at best -- and don't no one want to do serious internettin' over EDGE. Times may be a-changin', though; Boy Genius Report has somehow managed to unearth, of all things, an AT&T-branded Motorola Q9 with WiFi on board. With the Tilt reppin' AT&T's WiFi-equipped offerings in the WM6 Professional range, it only stands to reason that there should be some WiFi kit down in the WM6 Standard arena, too, so we hope this thing makes it to production. Any Q9 owners feeling a little twinge of regret right about now?
Updated AT&T availability dates!
Like pretty much everything else in life, carriers' launch dates tend to slip, sometimes to the extreme (oh, come on, you can't tell us you've never procrastinated to the point where you couldn't make a due date!). To that end, we've gotten an updated look at AT&T's expected drop dates, and it seems like the wait has gotten a little longer for a few of the more anticipated handsets in the pipe. Some devices like the red version of the Nokia 6555 have slipped a couple weeks, while others -- the lowly Samsung A127 comes to mind -- have actually moved up. The Pantech Duo has also been pushed out from October 9 to the 30th, possibly to give the just-launched Tilt a little breathing room in the spotlight. Click on for the full list![Thanks, Kal-El]Update: A second source is telling us that the Duo is still tracking for shipment "on or about" the 9th. Of course, the proof is in the pudding -- but either way, at least we'll be getting our Duo on before the month's out.
Updated look at AT&T's upcoming launches
We've just been tipped on a fresh roadmap for AT&T's fall launches, and goodness, there's a little something for everyone in here! Note that these are order dates, subject to change -- not necessarily in-store dates -- so your mileage may vary trying to grab these devices on the dates you see here. First up, LG rolls out the CG180 and CU515 "Chiwoo" on October 2. Nokia adds another color for the 6555 on October 11, red, which we think will suite it quite nicely. Speaking of new colors, Sony Ericsson brings a black version of the W580i on October 9. The Pantech Duo -- a device we suspect many folks are getting fired up over -- should hit on the same day. From Motorola, the Q9 Global becomes orderable just a few days from now, September 25, alongside the Tilt from HTC. UTStarcom outs the AMOI-sourced 5700 on October 9, giving folks a low cost (albeit non-3G) Windows Mobile option. RIM gets busy with the Curve 8310 on October 4, effectively sunsetting the original 8300 by adding GPS into the mix. On the data modem side, Sierra and Option will both be contributing HSUPA devices in October. Let's hear it for speedy uploads! Follow the break for the full roadmap.[Thanks, Superman]
