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T-Mobile's UMA goodies exposed
It doesn't take an industry insider to notice that T-Mobile's been putting together plans for a UMA service to bridge their GSM network with public and home hotspots here in the States. We've also guessed that Samsung's T709 would be involved, and though we still don't have anything approaching an official confirmation, these pictures have filled in some blanks for us. Sent in by a handful of intrepid beta testers risking life and limb for the public good, we see here that the T709 looks to be T-Mobile's launch handset as expected, sporting a 1.3-megapixel camera, GSM 850 / 1800 / 1900 with EDGE, roughly 69MB usable flash, and media player. They have at least two routers in the works -- a Linksys and a D-Link -- though the only difference from your average 802.11b/g router appears to be the addition of a button to facilitate painless, secure hookup to your phone without entering a WEP / WPA key. Our respective tipsters report differeing experiences however: one said it works well, improves reception, and has no complaints; another said UMA performance leaves a lot to be desired, and besides draining battery juice at a breakneck pace (8-9 hours standby), voice quality is poor without perfect WiFi reception, and GSM / WiFi handoffs are currently a bit flaky with frequent dropouts. Of course, this is all still in beta and we'll reserve judgement until T-Mobile gives the signal -- which shouldn't be too terribly long, considering the beta materials have retail packaging -- but the T709 sadly lacks Bluetooth and any sort of memory expansion, meaning we're already in a holding pattern for second-generation devices.
"3rd-i" cam for spyin' on the go
There are undoubtedly less proprietary ways to go about doing this, but if you're looking for a quick, painless way to get a PC-free camera feed to your phone, a British operation by the name of 3rd-i reckons they have the answer. The concept is simple enough: take your garden-variety video cam, strap on a GPRS modem, and call it good for £199 ($370). Besides accessing live video and up to 30 days of archived footage via pretty much any Java MIDP 1.0- or 2.0-enabled phone, the unit can be set up to immediately text you upon detecting motion. Not bad -- in fact, we'd strongly consider using 3rd-i's cams to secure the Engadgetmobile, but the dual band 900 / 1800 support just doesn't cut it in these parts.[Via Crowdedbrain]
HTC's Q killin' Excalibur depicted?
We've gotta take this one with a grain of salt, thanks to an unconfirmed source and that sketchy paste job on the screen, but if this pic and its accompanying deets prove true, we're in for a treat. Codenamed "Excalibur," we heard about HTC's attempt at a Q/i320 killer last month, and it seems to be shaping up nicely. Beyond the obvious QWERTY action, the quad-band phone will supposedly feature WiFi, and will be 2mm thicker than the i320. To the side of the screen is an interesting touch-jog strip for scrolling (in lieu of the Q's jog dial) with top and bottom touch buttons to open the Start menu and go back. Looking good HTC, now if you'll just confirm the device, mix in some HSDPA and ship a few to the States at $150 each we'll be all set.
ORSiO Pocket PC phone in the pipeline
If you're wondering just who or what ORSiO might be, you're not alone -- but let's not get caught up in the details. Some rather fuzzy shots of spec sheets have been leaked, and it looks like we can expect fairly typical non-3G Pocket PC Phone Edition fare: quad-band GSM plus EDGE, 2.7-inch QVGA display, 2-megapixel shooter, 192MB of internal flash plus miniSD expansion, and a beefy 524MHz XScale to keep it all humming along atop Windows Mobile 5. MSMobileNews is reporting AKU3 will be in the box, but we beg to differ -- the feature list pretty clearly indicates AKU2. (Way to get us all excited, guys.) And a little tip to our anonymous sources: 5 megapixels would do wonders for those covertly-acquired shots.
Sony Ericsson P990i dropping this week in UK?
Yes, we know that Expansys' release dates tend to be, shall we say, moving targets. Call us optimistic, but their UK site's currently showing an estimated 4 days to availability, possibly putting units into the hands of patient British technophiles as early as this week. As a refresher, Sony Ericsson's latest top-of-the-range smartphone is currently in the process of pulling a BenQ P50, having been announced nearly ten excruciating months ago. Be that as it may, the P990i will still be the best way to get yourself to the tippy top of the UIQ hill and we don't put it past an American or two to import the thing -- despite lacking both GSM 850 and UMTS 850 / 1900.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Black Diamond - Diamonds - Black = White Pearl
If your dreams have been haunted by visions of VIPN's $300,000 Black Diamond but the thought of mortgaging a cell phone wasn't really sitting too well with you, might we direct your attention to the Black Diamond's less-costly sibling, the White Pearl. At "just" $1,500, the White Pearl's price should be music to the ears of folks who are merely rich -- you get the same Jaren Goh design in white instead of black and you lose the diamonds, but the rest of the specs remain the same. Heck, you even still get the 2GB SD card bundled in the box. We weren't able to track down the White Pearl on VIPN's site, but if this all checks out, look for the nifty candybar to drop about the same time as its bejeweled counterpart in early 2007.[Via I4U News]
BenQ P50 gets a (belated) review
Suffering from one of the most excruciatingly long, drawn-out releases in smartphone history, BenQ's, uh, Treo 600-killing P50 had already fallen behind the pack by the time it made it to the masses. That being said, it's still a unique Windows Mobile device -- albeit 2003 Second Edition -- and worthy of an in-depth review, especially considering its quadband GSM capability. MobileTechReview's done the honors for us here, noting that the P50 is bundled with an array of high-quality accessories, including a screen protector (hallelujah). Build quality was found to be impressive, as was size, though anyone migrating from a Treo will find little difference there. The P50's 416MHz XScale satisfies the speed demon in us in ways most other Pocket PC phones have not, but the 128MB combined ROM and RAM is a disappointment -- a complaint the P51 happily addresses. In the end, MobileTechReview finds the P50's flaws too great to justify the cost of admission. With nothing but GPRS for data, we agree, especially with a successor waiting in the wings.
Alcatel's OT-635a "she" phone earns FCC approval
Apparently looking to reach nooks and crannies of the market that haven't yet been fully saturated, a handful of recent handsets seem to be developing genders; Alcatel's the latest manufacturer to join the party with their "she mobile by Alcatel" OT-635a clamshell. We're not sure whether "she mobile" is a single model or a new series of phones, but for the sake of tech-savvy women everywhere, we're hoping it's a series -- the glossy white 635a is a bit thin in the specs, featuring GSM 850 / 1900, a VGA cam, no external display, and seemingly no Bluetooth. Personally we'll pass, but then again, that's exactly what Alcatel wants the men of Engadget to do.
The Boy Genius Report: Are those three new SLVRs in your pants?
Field report tidbits from Engadget's resident mobile insider, the Boy Genius. What do we have here? Four different SLVR models? Yep! That's right, from CDMA to GSM to WCDMA, the good folks at Motorola have you covered. Starting on the right the first is called the L7i which is simply an update to the L7, the way the V3i was to the V3. It adds a 1.3 megapixel camera, EDGE, more internal memory, the updated UI [though not Juix] and some other miscellany. Next we have a regular L7, you know the phone your grandparents use? The real star of the picture has to be the third L7 which is the 3G model. It has a front facing video conferencing camera (obviously), 2.0 mega pixel camera, world 3G bands, quad-band EDGE, and microSD as well. Finally we have the much rumored L7c that was just finally announced. It is indeed a SILVR SLVR, microSD card support, 1.3 megapixel camera, VCAST, and is coming to... Alltel! Just kidding. Verizon Wireless, holla at me baby! [Once again, props to Boy Genius! Click on for more images.]
FCC just fine with HTC's Star Trek
Quick survey: who just sort of assumed that the Star Trek had been FCC approved for some time now? Yeah, us too. Turns out HTC's flipalicious WM5 Smartphone ("STAR100," as it's labeled here) passed muster not long ago, paving the way for Cingular to make good on its launch plans. So, if you picked up an imported unit in the past few months and you've been, uh, patiently awaiting FCC word to turn 'er on, consider this your seal of approval.[Via phoneArena]
BenQ-Siemens adds trio of handsets
In the event Europeans are still unhappy with their selection of 3G-capable devices, BenQ's trying to come to the rescue this week, showing their UMTS SL91 slider and E81 candybar -- along with the more pedestrian EDGE-only E71. All three handsets share some visual cues, sporting glossy black finishes and rounded lines, though the similarities mostly end there; potentially most interesting of the three is the SL91, a Chocolate-esque, "mysteriously opaque" device featuring the LG phone's now-trademark disappearing navigation keys. Besides UMTS, the SL91 goes big with a 3.2-megapixel camera, QVGA display, and FM radio with RDS. One notch down the food chain is the E81, giving up some screen real estate with its 220 x 176 display and trading 3.2 megapixels for the more standard 1.3, but mercifully hanging on to the microSD slot. Finally, the EDGE-only E71 steps back up to QVGA, but the real draw here should be its "innovative non-stick coating" that promises to hide fingerprints on its shiny exterior. All three phones look to drop before the year's out, though odds are slim Americans are invited to the party. That's alright, BenQ; we prefer our phones good and smudged with fingerprints, anyway.[Via Reg Hardware]
Motorola's 9mm MOTOFONE
Eat your heart out, Samsung. Well, not really, since Motorola's new MOTOFONE is not only 2.1mm thicker than Samsung's current record holding X820, but also comes up quite short in the features department. Instead the new MOTOFONE, coming in GSM and CDMA flavors at a svelte 0.35-inches, is targeting first time wireless users, prepaid buyers, and developing countries. Luckily, while Moto was weeding out those "nonessentials" like a camera, MP3 playback and a color screen (The MOTOFONE has instead an electrophoretic display with similarities to e-paper) they managed to lose that unsightly hump Samsung slapped onto the X820. Motorola's thinnest phone does include some niceties beyond size, like local language voice prompts for ease of use, dust and sun resistance, and "extended" battery life. There's no word on price or a release date, but we're sure we can find enough change in our couch for whenever it does come around. Phone Scoop is calling this unit part of Motorola's "Scalpel" platform, of which the rumored SCPL should be a bit more of an exciting member.[Via Phone Scoop; thanks everyone]
ASUS intros 2-megapixel candybar with autofocus
After adding a slider and flip to its stable of autofocus camera phones, ASUS is turning its attention to the candybar form factor, showing the V80 last week. Other than the autofocus 2-megapixel shooter with macro, there's not much to write home about -- though the FM recorder is kinda nifty. Other features include a QR code reader, Bluetooth 1.2, 220 x 176 display, and EDGEless Class 10 GPRS. ASUS is making a big deal about the V80's 16mm thickness, but we're not entirely sure why, considering that Samsung's 9.9mm D830 alleges autofocus capability just the same. No word on availability or pricing, but thanks to quadband GSM, we might just keep an eye out for this sucker stateside.
Motorola's MOTORIZR Z3
What was once known as the Capri -- the US Motorola team's first 4LTR slider effort , not to be confused with the Korean team's Z -- can now be called the MOTORIZR, and the skinny is, of course, not entirely surprising. The 0.6-inch thick quad-band device features EDGE, a 2 megapixel camera, QQVGA display, Bluetooth with A2DP, microSD, and a 2H launch time frame. Again, nothing to turn the head of anyone who's heard about the device over and over online, but still a welcome addition to Moto's staid lineup of RAZRs in an ever-increasing array of colors.
Moto surprises with 3G MotoRAZR MAXX
Well, it's not an absolute surprise, we saw this model as an unnamed prototype floating around last month, but Motorola just officially took the wraps off of their new MotoRAZR MAXX, a purtiful followup to the V3x. At a mere 0.6-inches thick, the MAXX shaves a whole 0.2-inches off of the V3x. The new phone also adds EDGE and HSDPA in addition to the already speedy UMTS, making this handset much more likely to show up in the EDGE-friendly USA. Moto has included Bluetooth 2.0+ Enhanced Data Rate, 50MB of internal storage, a microSD slot for expansion and the snazzy glass front and touch sensitive music controls of launch buddy KRZR K1m. The 2.2-inch QVGA display is, of course, always welcome, as are the 2.0 megapixel and VGA cameras the phone has. Also, as a nice embellishment on the lot, the phone's details glow blue when receiving a call. Motorola is planning to release the phone to unknown markets and carriers in this half of 2006, our fingers are duly crossed.
Motorola's MOTOKRZR K1 and K1M
We've only been hearing about (and seeing, and getting the launch of) the Canary for a couple months now, so it's about time Motorola officially launched the damned things. The KRZR, as we very well know, is the latest in Moto's 4 LTTR DVCE NAME LINE, both models featuring a microSD, Screen3, and a thinned-wideness but slightly girthier body. The specs between sub-models do vary, however: GSM K1 has Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, 176 x 220 display, and 2 megapixel camera; both K1ms will forgo the A2DP, but the CDMA / 1xRTT version has a QVGA display (and an accordingly larger battery), and a 2 megapixel camera, while the EV-DO K1m has that damned 176 x 220 display a 1.3 megapixel camera, as well as a millimeter added to its waistline. Despite the differences, though, all should be available in the second half of the year (you know, the half we're currently in) from, well, you know damned well who's gonna offer this phone.P.S. -From the looks of it, that device is running Moto's new Juix interface. We can't yet confirm this, but that'd certainly be a welcome addition to the otherwise predictable handset. Read - MOTOKRZR K1 Read - MOTOKRZR K1m
Nokia releases N73 and N93 "multimedia computers"
Even if you're a die-hard Palm or Windows Mobile fan, it's hard to deny the appeal of Nokia's N-series lineup of S60-powered "multimedia computers," whose connectivity and imaging options are some of the best you can find on a smartphone today. As promised, the company has just officially released both the N73 (pictured, bottom) and N93 (pictured, top) handsets that we've been following for some time, and although you probably won't be able to pick them up through traditional channels, we know that they'll definitely be available at your local Nokia retail outlet. As a quick refresher, both of the phones (we know, we know, we're not supposed to call them phones) are highlighted by 3.2 megapixel, Zeiss lens-equipped cameras, with the N93 throwing in a 3x optical zoom and support for 30fps VGA video. Both models also feature high-res 2.4-inch displays, Bluetooth radios, a miniSD slot for image capture or rocking tunes, and quad-band GSM plus 3G UMTS capability. On top of all these attractive features, the N93 also gives you built-in WiFi with UPnP functionality, video out for replaying your precious memories on a big screen, and what sounds like better-than-average in-camera editing. We're still gonna stick with our current smartphones for now, but these models are so hot that we're seriously reconsidering our snobby insistence on rocking those handy QWERTY thumboards at all times.Read- N73Read- N93[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
"Black Diamond" WM5 Smartphone runs $300,000
If you're having a hard time justifying dropping a cool million on your next phone, might we turn your attention to the "Black Diamond," brought to us by Swiss manufacturer VIPN. Penned by Singaporean designer Jaren Goh, there's little question that the glossy black candybar is gorgeous -- but whether it's $300,000 gorgeous is another question entirely. Details are slim, but we know that the Windows Mobile 5 device should be rocking quadband GSM, WiFi, 128MB of memory with SD expansion, a 2-inch display, and a 400MHz XScale all wrapped up in titanium and diamonds. The touch sensitive keypad is Chocolate-esque, completely disappearing when not lit, while SIP is thrown in to keep your GSM usage minimum when you're in WiFi range (not to suggest anyone owning this phone is looking to save a few bucks). If we've piqued your interest, it looks like you've got until early 2007 to save your pennies, but keep your eyes peeled -- production is limited to 5 (yes, five) units.
New Treo "coming soon" on Vodafone
Vodafone UK's gone live with a site promising a WM5-based Treo "coming soon" -- we know very little here, but let's put the pieces of the puzzle together. First, we know that Palm's done with the 650 in Europe. Second, we know that it won't be a CDMA 700w, it'll have to be GSM. Third, they're saying the device will be "using Vodafone's high-speed network." We'll let you draw your own conclusions, but we're thinking antenna-free UMTS version of the 700w.[Via CoolSmartPhone]
Sony Ericsson Z525a now available from Cingular
If you're a Cingular customer and you've been jonesin' for a Z520a with push-to-talk, your phone has arrived. Sony Ericsson's Z525a is about an incremental upgrade as an incremental upgrade can get, offering the addition of PTT and that's about it. As we mentioned before, EDGE would've been welcome, but for 20 bucks on contract with a mail-in rebate, we guess we don't have much room to grouse about it.[Via phoneArena]
