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The best places to buy and sell a used iPhone
By Jackie Dove With a new iPhone arriving soon, many people will look to sell their old iPhone for some quick cash. But which places offer the best return and the smoothest process? To find out, Tom's Guide tested seven services that buy and sell used iPhones.
Verizon-branded Samsung Glyde 2 becomes star in Blurrycam photoshoot
Samsung's launch of the Glyde was, well, far less than stellar -- but hey, second time's a charm, right? Shots have surfaced from HowardForums of what's apparently the Glyde 2 / u960. Looks like we've got a more expansive keyboard that makes better use of space on the bottom slide out, some TouchWiz action on the screen, and unsurprisingly a nice, big Verizon logo just above the screen. Nope, we don't have a release date or official confirmation of any sorts, so for now just hang tight on the farthest edge of your seat and feel free to browse the other shots of the device in the gallery below.[Via Phone Arena]
Samsung Glyde hardware refreshed for a better touchscreen?
The Glyde hasn't been the most trouble-free unit to see duty on Verizon shelves; folks following the drama closely will recall that it got briefly yanked late last year from some stockpiles while a new firmware was fast-tracked to resolve connection issues in some parts of the country. Connection issues aside, though, Glyde owners have complained of wonky touchscreens from day one, and it seems like Samsung may have really taken the issue to heart, allegedly gutting its capacitive sensor and replacing it with a more traditional resistive one according to some recent buyers. Given the recent trend toward capacitive displays, that seems counterintuitive -- but hey, whatever works. Anyone out there noticing a difference with a brand spankin' new Glyde? [Via Phone Arena]
Verizon's Glyde drama quickly resolved with software update
We still don't have our heads wrapped entirely around the code-red issues that brought the Glyde to its knees on Verizon last week (we've heard reports of touchscreen and network problems affecting only certain parts of the country -- nothing's been confirmed there), but it looks like we can already put the whole dang thing to bed. We've received reports from deep inside a Verizon call center that the carrier has given the green light to Glyde upgrade sales again thanks to a pending software update that should be released this week, and anyone calling in to report problems with their phones should be informed that the update is coming to the rescue. As QWERTY sliders go we'd still rather have a Touch Pro now that we know it's on the way, but we guess that's sort of comparing apples and oranges, isn't it?[Thanks, Carter]
Verizon halts Glyde sales, says it has "an issue" (update: maybe not)
We're not sure if these are like intimacy issues, magazine issues, or technical issues, but Verizon has put out a vaguely-worded all points bulletin to its employees saying that the Glyde's somehow screwed up and should be pulled off shelves immediately. In fact, the situation's so bad that Big Red won't even let you have a Glyde back if you send one in for service -- they want to give you an enV2 in its place (though it says in the memo that customers throwing a hissyfit over the switcheroo can be provided with something else at the manager's discretion). There's no word beyond that on what the hell's going on, but we're told to expect more info shortly.[Thanks, Carter]Update: One important additional detail here -- this information was received in a Verizon customer service call center. It's not clear when (or if) corporate and third-party stores will receive the same story from the big wigs.Update 2: We're still trying to get some official clarification from Verizon, but it seems that Glydes haven't been pulled. We still believe the screen shots we were provided to be authentic, though -- so it's not clear if Verizon changed its mind, hasn't yet pulled them, the stoppage was very brief, or this information only applies to certain departments or situations. We'll continue to update as we get more.
Samsung Glyde review roundup
The Samsung Glyde was one of the most hyped phones on an American carrier in recent memory leading up to its launch, and there's one small problem with that: it's hard to live up to the fanfare, no matter how good (or bad) the phone might be. A common early complaint coming out of the gate seems to be the lack of support for Verizon's MediaFLO-based VCAST TV service, a service that the Glyde's main competition, the Voyager, supports. The UI's also getting panned for being a little more confusing that it needs to be; compounding matters is the fact that Phone Scoop describes it as a "push UI" on account of a fiddly touchscreen. For what it's worth, it seems that the keyboard is at least quite good -- so if you can put up with the negatives, the Glyde might still have a place in your pocket. Otherwise, the Voyager's still looking awfully good, isn't it?Read - LAPTOP Magazine (2.5 / 5 stars, "...limited by a poor UI and unreliable performance")Read - Phone Scoop ("The Glyde pairs a few of the best things from the physical and touch worlds")Read - PHONE Magazine ("The Verizon Glyde isn't a bad cellphone, but it's outshone by its rivals")
Verizon launches the Samsung Glyde
One of the worst-kept secrets in Verizon's stable is finally getting official today; that's right, ladies and gentlemen, meet the Glyde from Samsung. Wearing CDMA guts underneath its F700 clothing, the fashion-friendly QWERTY slider offers a 2 megapixel cam with flash and autofocus, GPS, the full range of Bluetooth profiles, microSD slot, and a true HTML browser. Unlike its crosstown competition -- the LG Voyager -- the Glyde doesn't offer support for Verizon's VCAST TV service, but we imagine most folks will consider that a minor (read: nonexistent) inconvenience. Look for the phone to start circulating into retail channels this week for a princely $249.99 on contract after $50 rebate.%Gallery-22375%
Verizon to launch Samsung Glyde on May 9
We've learned from a trusted source that one of the jewels in Verizon's summer 2008 crown, the Samsung Glyde, will finally freaking launch on May 9. Despite a wealth of both in-the-wild and press quality photography of the phone over the past few weeks, it's been less and less clear when exactly Verizon was planning on actually offering it, so we're glad to finally have a date -- particularly considering that it's less than two weeks away. That'll give the Glyde a few comfortable weeks atop the heap ahead of the Dare's arrival, so enjoy it while you can, Samsung.Update: It'll be $299.99 on a two-year plan before rebate, $369.99 on a one-year, and $419.99 with no strings attached.
Best Buy to offer Samsung Glyde free on contract?
It seems like a healthy contingent of folks are getting amped for the imminent release of Glyde on Verizon, but we'd always assumed that those folks would be paying a buck or two for the privilege of sporting Samsung's latest and greatest in their pockets on day one. Well, turns out that may not be the case: we've been sent a tip showing what appears to be a screen shot out of Best Buy's system, indicating that it'll be free with any rate plan activation or upgrade. Skepticism is always in order with these sorts of things because even if the screen shot is legit, it's entirely plausible that Best Buy just has it's signals crossed as it preps for launch -- but we can always hope, can't we?[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Shortage of Samsung Glyde eye candy: solved
As far as we're concerned, right up until the Glyde is released, there's simply no such thing as "too many Glyde shots." Like the phone or hate it, are we at least all in agreement there? The latest round brings us a handful of photos of a dummy model, presumably destined for a Verizon or authorized dealer store somewhere within the US of A. Our initial impression is that it's just a tad thicker than we'd like, but we owe it to ourselves (and Verizon, for that matter) to hold off on panning the bulge until we feel it for ourselves. Click on, people!%Gallery-21044%
Verizon Hub headlines carrier's 2008 initiatives, devices
We've gotten the inside track on a few dates on Verizon's radar for the next few months, and it looks like the boys and girls in red are prepping an interesting mix of exclusive and Sprint catch-ups to keep customers fat and happy. As handsets go, the Motorola Q9c is planned for April along with the TouchFLO-powered XV6900, LG enV2, and the CDMA rendition of the BlackBerry Curve (so much for exclusivity clauses on this one, it seems), while the Samsung Glyde is currently slated for late April or early May. Centro fans will be happy to hear that the diminutive Garnet phone will finally hit Verizon following Sprint and AT&T launches in the tail end of May or the beginning of June, followed shortly by the Nokia 6205, which apparently isn't either the 2505 or 7205 unless one of those flips have been renumbered.As technology goes, Verizon looks to launch EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk services -- Sprint folks will know this as Qualcomm's QChat -- toward the end of May. We've also caught wind of something called "Verizon Hub," which we're told will go head-to-head with T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home service. It's not known whether this'll be a WiFi setup (a la HotSpot@Home) or adopt Sprint's CDMA femtocell strategy, but seeing how Verizon and Sprint seem to be endlessly engaged in a game of cat and mouse, we wouldn't be surprised to see 'em go with femtocells. We don't have a date on Hub just yet, but it's targeting the second half of the year at the earliest.Update: Commenters are noting that Verizon's do-all FiOS phone bares the "Verizon Hub" name, though it doesn't go head-to-head with HotSpot@Home -- and the Hub we're referring to is showing up on Verizon Wireless roadmaps. Weird. We'll keep a close eye on this one.
Samsung Glyde in pictures
We all need to reserve judgment until we actually have one in our hands, but we have to admit -- the Samsung Glyde for Verizon sure seems to get more beautiful every time we get new shots of it. These particular shots, of course, are designed to be especially beautiful since they're stock photos to be used for press and promotion. Are you really here to hear us blab about 'em, though? Heck no, you aren't! Go ahead, get a little clicky down below for the full gallery.%Gallery-18720%
Verizon's Samsung Glyde gets even clearer
We're thanking our lucky stars MobiTV didn't manage to shut down HowardForums on this particular day. Why? The best shots yet of Samsung's imminent U940 Glyde for Verizon have emerged over there, and we think a boatload of viewers are going to like what they see. The touchy, feely interface is pretty much what we'd expected to find, but perhaps most importantly, the visuals confirm that the U940 will in fact sport a true HTML browser, putting to rest fears brought about originally by some poor verbiage in the Glyde's draft manual provided to the FCC suggesting that it'd do no better than WAP. Who's getting excited about this one? Any jaded Voyager owners out there looking to sidegrade?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Verizon wisely renames the Samsung U940 to "Glyde"
We're delighted to report that the Q-Ball name didn't stick around very long for the upcoming Samsung U940 on Verizon; it's now the far more reasonable-sounding "Glyde" (truth be told, it was probably an internal codename all along, but we're issuing a hearty "whew!" nonetheless). The high-end QWERTY handset is currently targeted for late March; we all know how internal launch dates go, but we're trying to stay positive with this one. On a somewhat unrelated note, it turns out that the Motorola Q9c -- a more buttoned-up form of the Q9m, currently available on Sprint -- is still in Verizon's sights, though at this point, the darned thing is running the risk of launching itself right into irrelevancy.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
