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Samsung's Rugby II ready to put the smack down on AT&T for $130 on June 6
Another in AT&T's parade of June 6 launches, the Rugby II follows up -- yes, you guessed it -- the original Rugby, a rugged clamshell from Sammy that's been in the carrier's lineup for well over a year now. It's got push-to-talk compatibility, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, a 2 megapixel camera, Video Share support, voice processing tech from Audience (the same company that handled the Nexus One's noise reduction circuitry), Bluetooth, and microSD expansion -- standard fare to be sure, but probably just right for the outdoorsy-type workers that'll undoubtedly be carrying it. It'll be available the first Sunday in June for $129.99 after $50 mail-in rebate. Follow the break for Samsung's press release. %Gallery-93661%
BlackBerry 9670 caught trying to justify its existence on video
Look, we'll admit that we may have gone a little hard on the BlackBerry 9670 the first time we saw it -- but seriously, could you blame us? Thanks to the 8200 series, RIM's developed a reputation for making gargantuan clamshells, and the 9670 certainly doesn't seem to buck that trend -- in fact, it's very likely even wider on account of its full QWERTY keyboard, and you can tell from this new video that it doesn't make any apologies about its thick waistline, either. That being said, the phone seems to look just a smidge sexier now than it did before, though it's still not necessarily clear why you'd pick it over a 9650 or 9700 when it's essentially the same size folded. Guess we'll know when -- or if, rather -- RIM launches this thing. Follow the break for video.
Palm Pre Plus, Pantech Breeze 2 dummies showing up in AT&T stores
It's pretty wild that neither Palm nor AT&T have fessed up to a release date for the GSM-ified versions of the Pre Plus or Pixi Plus yet -- especially considering that there are already unboxings going on -- but we've now got confirmation that dummy units (of the Pre Plus, anyhow) are filtering into retail stores, so it definitely shouldn't be much longer now. Dummies of an updated version of the ultra-simple Pantech Breeze (uncreatively named Breeze 2) is also coming in, so between these two, you should pretty much be able to outfit every member of the family from grandpa to the newborn. Seriously though, AT&T -- wait much longer on this release, and this sucker's going to be obsolete. [Thanks, Kal]%Gallery-92113%
Samsung's 'quick and simple' Stride for US Cellular is exactly that
When you pay $29.95 for a phone on contract, you have a pretty good idea of what you're going to be getting: basic communication. Indeed, that's exactly how we'd describe the Samsung r330 Stride for US Cellular, a red-accented flip sporting a 1.3 megapixel cam, Bluetooth, speakerphone, 55MB of internal storage for all of your address book needs, and not much else. It's available now; follow the break for Samsung's full press release.
BlackBerry 9670 flip spotted running OS 6.0, causes eyes to bleed, children to cry
According to BGR, we're apparently looking at the first shots of a phone numbered 9670 in RIM's BlackBerry parlance, a true QWERTY flip running BlackBerry OS 6.0 on a 480 x 360 display with WiFi, a 5 megapixel camera, optical pad (as is the case with every new BlackBerry these days), microSD expansion, and a huge external display that's eerily reminiscent of Moto's RAZR 2. The device is said to be running CDMA, which almost certainly means it's being shopped around to Sprint and Verizon exclusively among major carriers -- the only other big potential takers would be Bell and Telus, and they're in the midst of migrating to HSPA -- so we'll just sit back, relax, and see if this thing materializes at WES next week. Granted, we've got to see it in person and gaze at a few non-blurrycam shots before passing final judgment, but we're admittedly a little worried about the merciless beating the ugly stick may have delivered up in Waterloo this time around.
Flip Slide HD review
Sure, it was leaked over a week early, but the Flip Slide HD is still quite a surprise in many ways. If you'd asked us to bet, we'd have put money on the next Flip camera including minor-but-important enhancements like image stabilization and perhaps a 1080p sensor with better low-light performance. After all, competitive products like the Kodak Zi8 and Sony Bloggie get great reviews for these simple incremental feature additions, and it's been nearly a year and a half since the original Flip Mino HD came out. But apparently you get to play by different rules when you own nearly 40 percent of the "shoot and share" camera market, and Flip's latest cam eschews the spec upgrade game in favor of repackaging the Mino HD into a radical new form factor with a tilt-slide screen that's designed as much for playback as it is for recording. It's an interesting take on sharing video, but we can't say it's worth it -- especially not for $279. Read on for our full review. %Gallery-90845%
Flip Slide HD officially official, on sale now
After a week of essentially non-stop leaks from Best Buy, Cisco's finally coming clean with the Flip Slide HD, the newest member of its Flip family. Obviously the big feature here is that pop-up three-inch screen -- when folded down and in record mode, it's a resistive touchscreen version of the Flip Mino button layout, but when it's time to play back you can pop it open for easy viewing. Thankfully, it's got a headphone jack in addition to stereo speakers and HDMI out, so you don't have to annoy everyone around you during playback. Camera-wise, the Slide is identical to the Flip Mino HD, so you're getting 720p video with no image stabilization, although storage has been bumped to 16GB for four hours of record time and 12 hours of compressed video storage. We'll be honest and say we're on the fence about resistive here, especially since that capacitive touch slider control below the screen in the open position suggests the touchscreen isn't responsive enough for navigation, but plenty of Flips get used on ski slopes and during other glove-intensive activities, so we can see the resistive rationale. We're less ambivalent about the $279 price tag, though -- for that money you can get any number of very nice HD video-capable point-and-shoot cameras with three-inch screens, all of which offer better lenses, better sensors, and image stabilization. Our review unit is due to arrive imminently, so we'll wait to use one before we make up our minds -- but if don't want to wait for us you can buy one from Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, and theflip.com right this second. %Gallery-90352% %Gallery-90353%
Flip Slide HD inevitably sold early by Best Buy
At this point it would have been more surprising if Best Buy hadn't just gone ahead and sold the Flip Slide HD before its official launch -- we've been getting leaked info and product shots from the retailer for a week now, and it was really only a matter of time before someone went home with one. That someone is our new favorite reader Scott Peterson, who nabbed one at the Roseville, California store for $279 and was kind enough to send in this photo and a quick video of the pocket cam in action. It looks like... a pretty chunky Flip with a slideout touchscreen instead of real buttons. We're also seeing a headphone jack in addition to HDMI out, which no other Flip has had, so we're guessing this thing is geared towards on-the-go playback as well as recording. Cute. Unfortunately we won't know what's what for sure until Cisco actually confirms that this thing is real -- and at this point it might as well just get it over with, as we're sure Best Buy is busy leaking the next model already. Video after the break. [Thanks, Scott]
Flip Slide HD caught outside the box, still looks weird
Maybe it's just the odd angle of this newly submitted out-of-box photograph, or maybe we just aren't smart enough for Cisco, but we still we can't quite figure out what exactly is going on here. We suppose the flip-up screen performs as a sort of poor man's photo frame? At risk of being rude, we're pretty sure we'd just like a thinner video camera, but when it comes to selling millions dirt cheap, dirt simple video cameras to the masses, the makers of the seemingly imminent Flip Slide HD are of course the experts. [Thanks, anonymous]
Flip S1240W priced at $280 in Best Buy's systems, reads an awful lot like 'Slide HD' to us
Our army of Best Buy informants has struck again, this time delivering an internal systems entry that references an S1240W model from Cisco's consumer division, described as a digital camcorder. Aside from the obvious appearance of the Flip name in the top right corner, the retail box dimensions listed herein -- 7.7 by 1.5 by 3.6 inches -- seem an almost perfect match for the recently spied Flip Slide HD product box. At that time, we were furnished with supplemental pics pointing out 16GB of built-in storage for up to four hours of video, and today we can add a price and potential release date to the dossier. April 18 is the reputed "in stock" date for this Flip shooter, with a $280 "regular retail" price shown on the other snapshot we've come across (see it after the break). That means we've only got a few days of mystery left before Cisco flips the covers away. [Thanks, Jae]
Flip Slide HD caught at Best Buy, slides into camera's view (updated)
All we have is this one image, care of a gracious anonymous tipster who said it was found at Best Buy. Our best guess? Well, it's a Flip camcorder, and there's a sliding element to it -- amazing deduction skills, we know. Perhaps Cisco has something up its sleeve soon? Inquiring minds want to know. Update: We got some more pics in from a tipster -- they're after the break!
Cisco's Valet routers take a cue from Flip's design department
Admittedly, we were a bit hesitant when Cisco contacted us with jubilation over a router, but now we can kind of see why. The company has pulled in design experts from its recently-acquired Flip for what it's banking on is a much simpler and friendlier user experience, from the packaging to the set up and maintenance menus, with a new lineup of routers it's calling Valet. The hardware itself is not too shabby -- it'd probably be quite inconspicuous in a Tomorrowland exhibit -- but the internals are nothing mind-blowing. Both the Valet and Valet Plus offer 2.4GHz Wireless N, while the latter model boasts a longer range and a quartet of Gigabit ports (the standard only uses 10/100). Eschewing the usual CD installation key is what Cisco's calling the USB Easy Setup Key. Similar idea to the other routers, just plug in and install the software. After two clicks of the menu, it auto-located our Valet and connected to a newly-minted, protected wireless service (in this case "BusyFish") with the password saved in our keychain. Adjusting guest access and parental controls are easy enough, and nice part of the USB key is that you can write the settings onto it, letting you simply plug it into another computer and auto-load the settings. Manual controls are still available and should be fine for most readers. Nothing mind-blowing, but for the audience Cisco's targeting, it's definitely a step in the right direction. According to Cisco, availability is "immediately" and prices are $100 for Valet and $150 for Valet Plus. Press release and oodles (yes, oodles) more pictures after the break. %Gallery-89348%
Samsung Corby Folder official, just for Korea so far
Samsung's Corby line has a reputation as a fun, simple, cheap, colorful range of handsets, and that trend looks to continue now that the Corby Folder has gone official -- in the domestic South Korean market, anyway. The first Corby with a hinge keeps it relatively simple (by Korean standards) with a 2.6-inch QVGA display, 3G data (HSPA or EV-DO Rev. A depending on the carrier), Bluetooth, microSD expansion, a 3 megapixel camera, and naturally, DMB mobile TV reception. It looks like it's available now on SKT, LGT, and KT in your choice of Candy Pink, Lime Green, and Blue Black (which is an oxymoron, as far as we know) -- no word, though, on when we might see versions in other markets.
VTech launches kid-friendly MobiGo handheld gaming system, Flip e-reader
You may be 32 36, but that's not to say that the kid in you is long gone. At this week's Toy Fair in New York City, VTech took a welcome step away from the landline handset department and tried its hand with a few swank toys. Up first is the $59.99 MobiGo (shown after the break), a handheld gaming system designed for minds within humans aged 3 to 7. Seen as a little tike's GameBoy, the device supports touch inputs and even features a QWERTY keyboard, both of which can be used to fish, color, draw, play on-screen instruments and generally enrich those malleable brain cells. Potentially more interesting, however, is the Flip; described as the planet's first children's animated e-reader, this $59.99 device has a 4.3-inch color touchscreen, a built-in dictionary and a QWERTY keyboard. Look out, Kindle!
LG Accolade, Clout coming to Verizon?
Verizon -- like pretty much any North American carrier -- has an amazing propensity for offering countless, virtually anonymous flips from LG and Samsung. Yes, granted, they seem to be better at catering to the specific "needs" of Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile more than any other manufacturer -- and for many customers, it's hard to argue with a decent-looking phone that costs a few bucks on contract -- but you'd think they'd be able to keep these handsets in the lineup for literally years on end without a single change. Alas, PhoneArena seems to have the inside line on a couple new ones for Big Red that do little to move the low-end needle, including this VX5600 Accolade (pictured) whose headline features are a 1.3 megapixel cam and Bluetooth support. There's apparently a second flip in the pipeline called the "Clout" that should be fixing to replace the year-old VX8360, so yeah, nothing that's going knock your socks off in this batch of rumors. Hey, they can't all be Snapdragon-powered beasts with WVGA displays, right?
Boost gets back into CDMA game in a big way
In the "press releases we missed while going out of our gourds on the show floor at CES" department, Sprint's Boost Mobile is getting back into CDMA in a big way this month. It wasn't long ago that Boost swore off its CDMA tendencies as iDEN started to heat up again against all odds -- thanks largely to the release of hot (well, hot by iDEN standards, anyway) devices like the Stature -- but CDMA makes a lot more sense now that the parent company has scooped up Virgin and smartly has no interest in running two separate, unrelated prepaid divisions. Anyhow, the gist of the announcement is that Boost will be reinvesting heavily in its $50 monthly unlimited plan for CDMA devices and has brought on three inaugural handsets to help kick it off: the Mirro and Incognito (pictured) from Sanyo alongside the venerable BlackBerry Curve 8330. The Mirro features a slick, mirrored finish (hence the name, we suspect) along with a 1.3 megapixel cam; it clocks in at $99.99. The Incognito steps up to $149.99 with a hidden set of external controls, a 2 megapixel cam, a full QWERTY keyboard inside -- it's got social network integration, to boot, and users can add 3G data to their plan for another $10 a month. Same goes for the 8330, which retails for $249.99; all three prices seem high until you remember that Boost doesn't do contracts. All three handsets are available now.
Samsung not done with Corby line yet, working on Folder model next
Samsung must absolutely love the thick gobs of profit it's making off its Corby models because it's wasted no time in building the line from a single device to an entire range of colorful, fun-loving handsets -- and the next to get roped in looks to be this SCH-W930, aptly named "Corby Folder." The model's destined only for Korea so far (you can tell from that SK Telecom logo in the upper right corner) with a 2.6-inch display, 3 megapixel cam, Bluetooth, microSD expansion, and -- like virtually all domestic South Korean phones -- DMB TV tuning. Following Corby tradition, it looks like it'll be available in a variety of two-tone schemes, but we don't have an exact date or price just yet so we're afraid your now-ancient Corby POP is going to have to tide you over for a few more days.
Motorola Brute now available for Sprint Direct Connect
If you were hoping for a helping of Android with your iDEN, we're afraid your wait isn't quite over yet -- but folks just looking for a standard issue tough clamshell for Direct Connect might want to take a gander at this one. The aptly-named Motorola Brute isn't likely to win any beauty contests, but it comes equipped with CrystalTalk-style noise reduction, a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, real-time switchover between push-to-talk and a standard call, and -- of course -- mil-spec 810F compliance for protection from dirt, moisture, vibration, and the like. It's available now for $119.99 on contract after rebate.
Samsung's Diva S5150 and S7070 delight, blind
Shiny, quilt-look phones are an admittedly limited market -- but considering that Samsung announces on average 17.2 quadzillion phones a week, it makes perfect sense that they'd devote a whole line to this kind of over-the-top foolishness. We spent a couple minutes with the S5150 flip and S7070 touch phones today -- the first two members of the Diva series -- marveling at just how truly frilly these trinkets are. The gilded S5150, in particular, dazzles the eyes with a concealed LED display (yes, LED, not LCD) and an amazing sheen that could probably be used as a defensive weapon to blind an attacker in a pinch. In terms of UI and functionality, you're not going to find anything new here -- but then again, that's not really what a Diva's about, is it? Follow the break for a quick, totally bedazzled look at the S5150's flashy dress. %Gallery-81606%
Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLVII: these Adidas don't go on your feet
Nothing says "I occasionally don a $200 jogging suit and plod through prominent areas of Central Park where my Greco-Roman form has the best chance of being noticed by onlookers" like carrying an Adidas-branded phone in your pocket. Bonus points for a metal-look "Sports" badge glued to the inside of the hinge. But ouch... minus 15 points for it being an unlicensed product, my friend -- who do you think you're fooling with this thing? Actually, whether it be the streets of Shenzhen or New York City, we don't think the average individual would suspect that this was a ripoff from the outside -- it's surprisingly convincing and tasteful -- but the multicolored lights on the keypad might give it away when you flip it open. Your years of athletic achievements, poof! Gone just like that in a cloud of illegal branding.