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BMW plans to debut a 1 Series electric hatchback in 2021
While we've know for a while now that BMW plans to make electric variants of all its most popular vehicles, the company has now shared more definitive plans. In an interview with Auto Express, Robert Irlinger, the company's EV division chief, revealed BMW plans to debut an electric version of its 1 Series hatchback (pictured above) called the BMW i1 as early as 2021. Auto Express says the i1 will be an "entry-level" vehicle that will look like a conventional gasoline car (think: more iX3 than i3). What's more, BMW could launch the i1 as soon as 2021, according to the publication.
Sony Honami reportedly poses for photos in near-complete form
There's been a lot of talk about Sony's reported Honami smartphone, but there haven't been photos of the beast in a nearly finished state. At least, until now: Gadget Helpline and Weibo user @latter21 claim to have multiple photos of the would-be flagship. The photos largely match up with previous rumors, which have Sony fitting a larger (possibly 20-megapixel) camera into the corner while otherwise preserving a very Xperia Z-like design. There are a couple of surprises -- the xenon flash of an earlier leak isn't visible, and a large speaker has surfaced at the bottom. Unfortunately, the photo suppliers can't verify many other details. The camera interface is purportedly unfinished, and there's no mention of the CPU and display quality upgrades inherited from the Xperia Z Ultra. If the images are accurate, though, we're looking at a subtle design evolution whose biggest upgrades are hidden inside.
Sony camera UI leaks from 'Honami' system dump, gets ported to existing Xperia devices
We've been hearing stacks of rumors recently about a Sony flagship called Honami, which will supposedly come with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 and a 20-megapixel camera. A system dump, purportedly from a Honami phone, surfaced last week and now XDA developer "krabappel2548" has managed to dissect the camera app and get it working on some existing Xperia devices -- including the Xperia Z, ZL and Tablet Z, so long as they've been suitably prepped for hacking. From the resulting screenshots, it looks like Sony is set to introduce features such as augmented reality, "Time shift" (which sounds a lot like HTC's Zoe feature), live filters and an image search engine dubbed "Info-eye." All of this sounds reasonably in tune with the "One Sony" strategy of focusing on mobile and imaging. If Honami is real, and if it comes with the right hardware to support the updated camera module, it could be a big deal.
Idapt's i1 Eco universal charger keeps it lean, mean, and definitely green
You won't have a difficult time hunting down a charger these days, but hunting down a good one? Now that's a challenge. If you're looking for something that's off of the beaten path (and shamelessly fond of Ma Earth), Idapt's new i1 Eco may be precisely what the doctor ordered. It's a universal charger with two points of charger: a USB port and a tip port, the latter of which is useful for "over 4,000 gadgets" include the iPad, iPhone, PSP, your Xbox 360 controller and your GPS unit. It features an auto-off system that disables it when not in use, and a restart button kicks things back into gear when the time comes. It's slated to ship this spring, but only heaven knows for how much.
Motorola's rugged i1 coming to Sprint: July 25 for $150 on contract
A solid four months after first seeing thing plastered across half of Las Vegas, Motorola's i1 finally has a date with Sprint. The planet's first Android-equipped smartphone with Nextel Direct Connect will go nationwide on July 25th (via telesales and websites; all other Sprint channels will see it on August 8th), bringing military spec ruggedness, push-to-talk capabilities and a certain ability to withstand all sorts of death grips. Unfortunately, Android 1.5 is a bit of a dinosaur at this point, but it's still a heck of a lot better than that G'zOne Rock you're currently toting. Get ready -- you've got just under a week to scrounge up $149.99 and the nerve to sign another two-year contract.
Boost Mobile launches Motorola i1 on June 20
Since the Android-powered i1 was originally announced for Sprint's Direct Connect service, you might've assumed that it'd be the first to get a hard launch date -- but subsidiary Boost Mobile is breaking that news first for some reason with the announcement today that the phone is coming June 20 in Boost retail stores plus Bust Buy locations. Pricing hasn't been announced, but Best Buy had previously teased it for $350, so we wouldn't expect this to be a cheap purchase; then again, you've gotta remember that it's coming at you contract-free. Not like you'll be unlocking it and taking it to another iDEN network either way, right?
Boost Mobile confirms it's getting the Motorola i1, basically
Let's be honest -- there was never any real doubt that Boost was going to share the Motorola i1 with parent Sprint, especially after Best Buy went ahead and threw it up early. That said, if you still needed a little extra confirmation just to sleep better at night, look no further than this tweet today from Boost Mobile's official account saying it "is launching an ANDROID next month" and imploring that we all "spread it like wildfire." They don't mention what device it'll be, but clearly it'll be the i1 -- so consider the message spread like wildfire, Boost. Where you at?
Motorola i1 hitting Sprint on June 6, in stores on July 11?
Look, the i1 isn't that spectacular of an Android phone, we know -- but to the iDEN crowd, this represents just about the coolest thing that has ever happened to the network. This shot we've received today seems to indicate that the phone will be available by direct ship on June 6, just over a week from today, while it'll "launch into the rest of the sales channels" on July 11. We're not sure why there's such a gap there, but at least you should have some way to get it in just a few days' time. Interestingly, Sprint is pointing out that the phone "may appeal to customers that may not have previously thought of iDEN as an option," so expect the i1 to get marketed beyond the typical rugged, outdoorsy crowd that usually dominates Direct Connect. Everyone excited?
Boost-branded Motorola i1 goes live on Best Buy's site
You won't find any mention of the Android-powered Motorola i1 on Boost Mobile's site just yet, but the phone -- the very first to run Android for iDEN networks -- looks destined for Sprint's prepaid brand now that Best Buy has fessed up to it. It really doesn't come as any surprise since we already knew the i1 would be launching on Sprint's Direct Connect service, and it seems rather silly for those guys not to get as much use out of the phone as they can, particularly considering that it's arguably the most exciting iDEN handset ever made. That's not saying much, we know... but you know what we mean. Now, the question is: who's going to pay $349.99 for it with no commitment?
Motorola's i1 hitting SouthernLINC Wireless, Georgians and Alabamians rejoice
Moto's i1 went from rumored device to ready for retail over the span of just a few weeks, and now we're finding out just where it'll be available -- though the news isn't exactly good. Motorola is announcing that the iDEN device will be hitting SouthernLINC first, a rural carrier that you may not have heard of if you're outside of Alabama, Georgia, or the western half of the Florida panhandle. That is the extent of this carrier's coverage, and so it's not a huge coming out party for this military spec push-to-talk smartphone, but we're hoping down the road it gets a little more love from carriers with slightly broader coverage maps.
Motorola i1 video tour
We checked out Motorola's i1 last night at a dinner event, but didn't get any decent video for you so we went back to the booth and sorted that out. The i1 is definitely an interesting device, though whether its rugged mil-spec feature set -- we were playing shuffleboard with them last night, seriously -- will appeal to its intended market is still kinda up in the air. Don't get us wrong, it's not like the set is missing a pile of features, but it's essentially a giant glass display and we worry it'd eventually suffer a shattering end. Check out the video tour below and chime in, if you use iDEN let us know what you're feeling about this.
Motorola i1 first hands-on!
We're shmoozing with Motorola's team and Mike Rowe -- yes, the Dirty Jobs guy, who's been fittingly selected as the rugged i1's spokesperson -- and we're starting to get our first fleeting moments with Motorola's first Android-powered iDEN handset in the flesh. Believe it or not, it might be the best-feeling Android phone from Motorola to date, besting the CLIQ XT and Droid with a tasteful mix of black chrome and rubber around the edges; if it weren't for the lack of bona fide 3G, we could realistically see putting this in our pockets over, say, a myTouch 3G, Hero, or Behold II. We've been able to confirm that they've basically taken the UI look and feel introduced by Blur and subtracted... well, the things that actually make it Blur, namely the integration with Blur servers that brings social service aggregation into the fold. Will it appeal to the iDEN demographic? Hard to say, but Mr. Rowe certainly seems amped on it. Check out the gallery below! %Gallery-88751%
Motorola makes i1 official, melds Android and push-to-talk this summer on Sprint
Right on cue, just after the aptly-timed teaser poster, Motorola signs on just the right dotted lines to make its i1 push-to-talk Android handset official. Let's run through the specs quickly, shall we? A 3.1-inch HVGA (320 x 480) touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 4x zoom, WiFi, and microSD expansion -- no mention of the processor, so we'll have to find out on our own later. The OS version is 1.5 and, while there's oddly not a single mention in either the press release of fact sheet, given the official images and unofficial leaks, it's definitely got Motoblur. The browser of choice is Opera Mini 5 with support for Flash 8, and if you're worried about Mother Nature's wrath, the i1 meets Military 810F standards for handling averse weather conditions. iDEN lovers can pick up the call sometime this summer on Sprint, with price yet to be named. Update: Motorola's just sent word that the i1 does not have Motoblur, despite the presence of the traditional green call / blue contacts buttons. That begs the question, then, of what exactly defines Motoblur here (is just the Happenings widget missing?), and what Android skin is on the i1 -- the press images here are definitely not showing vanilla 1.5. We're still awaiting a response to that, stay tuned. %Gallery-88737%
Motorola's Android-powered i1 launching at CTIA
With CTIA still a day away, we're stoked to have already seen a giant billboard near the convention center confirming the rumored Motorola i1. Of course, billboards rarely offer much insight into the device's specifics, but there is a pretty decent view of the UI and its slogan: "Grab Life by the Calls." As you'd expect, we'll be all over this set just as soon as we can get at one, but in the interim follow on for one more pic after the break that features the i1's poster boy, Mike Rowe of Discovery's Dirty Jobs.
Motorola i1 gets clearer: 5 megapixel cam, Opera Mini default browser?
We've been slipped some additional information on Motorola's imminent Android-powered i1 for iDEN networks today -- actually, one correction and one interesting note. First, the correction: we're now being told (by the same tipster as before) that it's actually got a 5 megapixel camera on board, a nice upgrade from the 3 we'd previously been told to expect. More interestingly, though, we're also hearing that Opera Mini has been tapped as the i1's default browser -- a move that Moto is more than welcome to make since this is a Blur-powered, non-"Google Experience" device. It's also a possible admission that third-party Android browsers are currently outperforming Google's own, something Microsoft has long dealt with on Windows Mobile as companies like HTC ultimately ended up bundling Opera Mobile with virtually every model they sold. So, Sprint Direct Connect and Boost Mobile customers, you getting excited about this thing or what?
Motorola i1: we've seen it, it runs Blur, and it'll likely be out soon
Well, that was quick: thanks to some new information we've received, we're now able to confirm that the Motorola i1 is indeed the so-called Opus One that the company has been rumored to preparing for its iDEN carrier partners with Android on board -- and it's exactly the leaked device we saw back in December. We don't know much in the way of specs, but it sounds like we should expect Blur running atop Android 1.5 (sigh), a 3 megapixel cam, and a possible announcement within a couple weeks -- a time frame that would line up splendidly with CTIA toward the end of the month. Naturally, you can bet your little green robot we'll be there. [Image via BGR; thanks, Gus N.]
Motorola's Android-powered iDEN device to be called i1?
Alright, pardon our conjecture here, but we think we're on to something. A Motorola just flew through FCC certification with ID IHDP56KV1 and model name "i1" featuring iDEN plus Bluetooth 2.1 and WiFi -- in other words, this'll almost certainly be coming to Sprint Direct Connect. Remember that rumored Opus One with Android for iDEN? Yeah, well, "i1" is a pretty notable, stand-out model name if you ask us -- and it's not every day that you see an iDEN device with WiFi, suggesting this'll be a smartphone. Do a little hand-waving and liberal dot-connecting and you have a reasonable assumption that the Opus One will be coming to market as the i1 -- and with FCC certification under their belt, Moto might introduce it sooner rather than later. CTIA later this month, perhaps?
Has the Atom-powered WiBrain i1 UMPC fallen off the map?
Or more importantly, do you even care? One quick glance over at WiBrain's website will leave you searching to no avail for any traces of the i1, and while it's a shame we might not ever see this hardware package mass produced, we can't say we're terribly surprised. We mean, really, how many of your nerdy friends have saved up for one of these unwieldy UMPCs over, say, a netbook or the like? If the i1 really puffed its last breath at IFA, at least we can say we went to its farewell party. Ah well, onward and upward, right?[Via Slashgear]Update: The unit is still hanging around on WiBrain's German website, which possibly explains its IFA presence. Maybe it's being reserved for a Europe-only introduction? Thanks, xtron!
Wibrain shows off Atom-based i1, takes shot at Blackberry
We've already seen some nice and polished images of Wibrain's Atom-based i1 MID / UMPC, but the company's now finally let the device out on the trade show circuit, and the folks at Pocket-lint thankfully managed to grab a few shots of it at IFA. As we had heard, the device packs either a 1.1GHz or 1.3GHz Atom processor, along with 1GB of RAM, a 30GB or 60GB hard drive or 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB SSD (no 64GB option, it seems) and, perhaps most notably, tri-band UMTS / HSDPA and quad-band GPRS / EDGE connectivity. There's still no word on a price or release date, unfortunately, but Wibrain sure is taking a rather, um, interesting approach to marketing the device, with one of its leaflets (pictured after the break) boldly proclaiming, "Sorry, Blackberry. We provide you a real free mobile life – full browsing internet plus the complete functionality of Outlook, of course all MS Office documentation anytime, anywhere". Oh, snap.
Is this WiBrain's Atom-based M1 MID?
For those who've had a really tough time warming to WiBrain's design schemes, maybe this one will finally be the device you're able to fall for. This much shorter (albeit chubbier) device is said to be the elusive M1 MID, which was spotted chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool at IDF 2008. Initial specifications include a 4.8-inch 1,024 x 600 resolution display, an Atom processor, 512MB to 1GB of RAM, an 8GB / 16GB SSD, WiFi / Bluetooth, HSDPA, mobile TV and "Linux or Windows XP" as OS options. So, WiBrain haters -- would you give this a shot at winning you over?[Via Pocketables, thanks techiefan77]
