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LG BL40 Chocolate Touch coming to Europe this month, everywhere else in October
As much as we'd love to believe otherwise, our gut and Verizon's track record are both telling us that the BL40 probably bears no resemblance to the Chocolate Touch that Big Red's about to get. That doesn't mean LG's gorgeous mile-long slab isn't coming to North America, though -- we'd heard a long while back that it might be coming to Telus, whose new HSPA network is currently slated for an October launch. Coincidentally, fresh PR out of corporate reveals that the phone will be hitting "the rest of the world" in October following European kickoffs in the middle of this month, and if this isn't the perfect launch device for a brand new Canadian network, we really can't think what is. One way or another, LG says the phone will ultimately end up launching in 50 countries around the world -- so no matter where you are, you've got about a 1 in 4 chance you'll get a shot at this in the coming months without calling up your importer and taking out a second mortgage. Read - English release Read - Korean release
Nokia N900 now up for $649 preorder in the US of A
Nokia fans know the drill -- if you happen to live in the vicinity of the New York or Chicago flagship stores, you're almost certainly better off holding out and camping in front of the store as the launch date draws near -- but now that they're being taken, the rest of the States might strongly consider filing an preorder with Nokia USA's official online store if they want an N900 as soon as humanly possible. That's a good deal less than the US equivalent of $860 currently being asked by the company's German and Italian outposts, so we guess we should be thankful -- provided, of course, that the US launch isn't delayed into oblivion by some combination of T-Mobile drama, firmware issues, distribution problems, or swarms of locusts destroying trucks as they attempt to make deliveries. A pessimistic way to look at it, yes, but remember: a pessimist is never disappointed. [Via Cell Phone Signal]
Vodafone gets first dibs on WinMo 6.5-powered LG GM750 in Europe
The GM730's barely had time to breathe since its intro earlier this year, but Windows Mobile 6.5 awaits -- and with it, the world's expecting a slew of new models to kick things off right. Following the GW550 announcement straight from LG proper earlier today, Vodafone has stepped in to announce that it's secured European exclusivity on the GM750, which largely carries over the GM730's visual cues but swaps out 6.1 for 6.5. The 5 megapixel cam and S-Class support are carryovers from its predecessor, but considering that neither is a slouch, we can't say we're complaining. Look for the GM750 to launch in Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the UK (along with France through SFR) to celebrate 6.5's initial release on October 6, with other countries following on later.
Sony Ericsson W595 shows off its Ed Hardy tats
Hate or love their software, their usability, or their distribution model, it's hard to argue that Sony Ericsson (and Ericsson before it) hasn't usually had a keen eye for design. Ed Hardy, on the other hand... well, that's open to debate -- but like it or not, the two world are colliding thanks to Carphone Warehouse division mobiles.co.uk over in the UK. It seems the retailer has an exclusive on an Ed Hardied version of the W595 slider that's currently on pre-order, offering the same specs as its more buttoned-up sister -- QVGA display, 3.2 megapixel cam, HSDPA -- but the shell's been traded out for a truly unforgettable mishmash of artistry that's sure to leave an impression on anyone who sees the phone glued to your face. It's no more wild than the Bob Sinclar W508, really, so pick your poison. [Via mobil.cz]
Nokia Mural announced for AT&T, coming September 6
It's really not going to move the S60 crowd much, but the Series 40-based Mural has finally been announced for AT&T following an FCC unveiling back in May. The clamshell puts an emphasis on style thanks to user-customizable multicolor cover lighting and a mirrored finish, but you've still got a reasonable dose of technology (sorta, anyway) thanks to a QVGA display, HSDPA, a 2 megapixel cam and microSD expansion up to 16GB. Look for it on the 6th for $49.99 on contract.
Official: XPERIA X2 launching Q4, Windows Mobile 6.5 onboard (video)
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Official_XPERIA_X2_launching_Q4_Windows_Mobile_6_5_onboard'; If you've been waiting with bated breath for some real news on the XPERIA X2, wait no longer. News has just broken that the re-styled, gutted refresh of Sony Ericsson's popular (and expensive) X1 is due to hit "selected markets" in Q4. According to a post on SE's Xperiancers blog, the company is in talks with various carries right now, and will be detailing the plans in the coming weeks. Additionally, the blog delivers some info on the device itself, calling out its 8.1 megapixel camera, inclusion of a standard 4GB microSD card, and 13 pre-loaded "panels" in its reworked Windows Mobile skin (which appears to have a new SDK for the forthcoming OS update). Oh, and speaking of Windows Mobile, it'll be shipping with 6.5 onboard. To learn much, much more, check the two videos after the break. We'll also be grabbing an up close and personal hands-on with the device in a few moments, so keep your inter-set tuned to the Engadget channel.
Verizon beefs up global modem line with UMW190
Verizon's really starting to buy into this global 3G data thing, offering modems that do EV-DO domestically and HSPA abroad; problem is, ZTE's AD3700 that's on the market currently is... shall we say, a little too "in-your-face" for some folks. For those individuals, we might recommend the more buttoned-up UMW190 from PCD, which offers triband HSPA to go along with the EV-DO Rev. A that you'll enjoy domestically. Those with pockets deep enough to withstand the heavy-hitting roaming bills can grab the UMW190 now online (later this month in stores) for $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.
Nokia 3710a, some Motorola (Morrison, perhaps?) get FCC approval for T-Mobile
For T-Mobile USA customers, the FCC slid a couple particularly interesting batches of docs into its vast library in the past week: the Nokia 3710a and a mysterious Motorola. First, the 3710a (pictured) is simply an Americanized version of the 3710 flip introduced a couple months back, offering a 3.2 megapixel cam, Series 40, and a concealed external display in addition to that all-important dose of 3G on T-Mobile's AWS band. The more interesting item, though, might be this Motorola -- as usual Moto has done a terrific job of concealing virtually all useful bits of information about this phone, but we have reason to believe that it could be the Android-powered Morrison since it's got WiFi on board in addition to 3G, Bluetooth, and the usual RF suspects. With Moto's big announcement just around the corner, we wouldn't be surprised. [Via Unwired View] Read - Motorola device Read - Nokia 3710a
Vodafone kicks off 14.4Mbps HSDPA upgrade in UK
HSPA+ is the ultimate in pre-LTE wireless standards -- but before Vodafone UK gets there, it wants to take plain ol' HSPA just as far as it'll go by pushing downlink speeds all the way to 14.4Mbps. Great Britain's largest operator has announced that it has already flipped the switch on 14.4 in parts of London, Birmingham, and Liverpool, with the remainder of Her Majesty's Royal Network being bumped "on an ongoing basis." This puts rivals Orange, O2, and 3 in a bit of a crunch since they're just now in the process of rolling out 7.2, but then again, putting equipment in customers' hands to take advantage of the higher speeds is really the biggest challenge; otherwise, it's little more than a chest-puffing competition for these guys. At any rate, it makes you wonder about AT&T's claims that 14.4Mbps HSDPA had technical issues, doesn't it?
GSMA backpedals, changes Telus' HSPA launch window to October
We can imagine the phone call now: "GSM Association, how can I help you?" "Yo, this is Telus... where'd you hear September for our HSPA launch? What are you smoking?" "But we..." "Yeah, 'but you' nothing. October, broham... you heard it here first. Telus out." (click) [Thanks, Alex]
Nokia N900 running Maemo 5 officially €500 in October (update: video!)
In backwards order, Nokia has finally launched the N900 after we've already seen a review and countless leaks. Nevertheless, it's good to have the new Maemo 5 Internet Tablet out in the open and official-like. The specs include a 3.5-inch 800x480 pixel (resistive) touchscreen, sliding QWERTY, 32GB of on-board storage expandable to 48GB via microSD, GPS/A-GPS, FM transmitter, TV-out, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi, 1320mAh battery, and 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash. Better yet, this monster MID brings the power of the ARM Cortex-A8, up to 1GB of application memory, and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration to make quick work of polygons and what Nokia promises will be a "PC-like experience on a handset-sized device." It also brings a Mozilla-based Maemo browser with Adobe Flash 9.4 support. As expected, it'll be on display at Nokia World next week before this quad-band GSM/EDGE, 900/1700/2100MHz UMTS/HSPA handset heads to select markets in October for €500 (pre tax and pre carrier subsidy). And by the looks of that 1700MHz band, this baby's heading to T-Mobile USA.Update: Videos added after the break.
GSMA spills beans on September launch for Telus' HSPA network
There was really never any question that Telus' shiny new HSPA network was launching this fall, but the carrier's generally been tightlipped on specifics; fortunately, standards bodies and industry associations have a funny tendency to unintentionally help fill in some of those blanks, and this time around it's the GSM Association doing the honors. The GSMA is now reporting that HSPA (well, HSDPA, anyway) will be live next month, and customers apparently can expect to be treated to the opportunity to buy some world-class devices like the Hero and BL40 to celebrate the launch. It's hard to tell what Rogers is really thinking through the poker face -- but if you look closely, we think you can see a few beads of sweat forming. [Via MobileSyrup and HowardForums]
Oh, by the way: August 24, 2009
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of mobile for Monday, August 24th, 2009: Sony Ericsson is taking its Java runtime downmarket, committing to roll it out to what it's billing the "entry 3G segment." On a completely unrelated note, is it just us, or was the mini-golf game that came on the T610 one of mankind's greatest entertainment achievements of all time? It appears that parts of Europe will be receiving a tweaked version of the Samsung B7320, creatively rechristened the B7330. Differences are mainly cosmetic with one critically important material change: the screen's now up to 320 x 320 resolution from the original model's QVGA. German site AreaMobile is quoting a local release in October, but other than that, it's anyone's guess. [Via the::unwired] A whole bunch of new 850MHz 3G spectrum is now online in AT&T's San Francisco and New York City networks. 850 does a better job of penetrating buildings than 1900, and if there's one thing the Big Apple has plenty of, it's buildings -- so we'll see if this improves the dropped call situation at all. If you have a curious tendency to drop your phone into kiddie pools, throw it at brick walls, and engage in lengthy heart-to-hearts from Antarctica's Base Esperanza, you'll be delighted to know that Sonim's ultra-rugged XP3.20 is now shipping in the US unlocked for $399. [Via Gearlog]
Samsung UltraTouch S8300 review
Samsung has had quite a sideline in handsets sportin' AMOLED displays as of late, and you know what? We're fans -- that's why we were more than happy to get our hands on the UltraTouch S8300 for some in-depth use and abuse. At first glance it seems to be a worthy successor to the Soul -- we had no complaints with the 8 megapixel camera, the integrated FM radio brought us our tunes loud and clear, and who can find fault with 16GB microSD card support? But that isn't the whole story, not by a long shot. Hold tight as we examine the pros and cons and answer the question: Is this one destined for greatness, or just an average feature phone in a handsome package?
Huawei starting its Android march with T-Mobile 'Pulse' in Europe?
Huawei's been talking up its impending play for a share of the Android pie for most of this year, but where's the beef? There's nothing in the market just yet, but that might be about to change with details on a so-called "Pulse" for some of T-Mobile's European networks in the coming months. The Chinese manufacturer specializes in the value segment -- a side effect of its brand not really commanding any premium outside Asia -- and the Pulse could be a big winner there thanks to an unlocked price said to be around €250 ($356). That's an impressively low figure in light of the supposed 3.5-inch display, full HSPA, GPS (of course), WiFi, and an HVGA display like all proper Android sets of the moment. Dutch site tweakers.net says this is all confirmed by way of a retailer that pegs the device for T-Mobile Netherlands in early October, which means the Heros and Galaxys of the world have precious little time to capitalize before these guys swoop in and undercut 'em all by a few bucks.
FCC filing confirms Sony Ericsson Jalou could be the ugliest phone ever made
You'd think the FCC would have legal clearance to reject this on humanitarian grounds.
Acer posts S200 user manual, looks like an F1 to us
Just because you can't buy Acer's mighty F1 yet doesn't mean you can't do a whole lot of learning about it now that the company has officially posted the beastly handset's user manual online. Actually, if you want to get technical about it, they've posted a manual for an "S200" -- but browsing it quickly reveals that they're talking about the F1 judging by the diagrams and specs, which leads us to wonder whether S200 is the official go-to-market name, a regional variant, or something even more sinister. No bother -- at any rate, the manual is a good opportunity to learn about Windows Mobile 6.5, which the F1 will be shipping with; you're also reminded of that totally bangin' Qualcomm 8250 (that's Snapdragon to the lay folk) running at 1GHz, the 3.8-inch WVGA display, the full HSPA, and the 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Americans will be bummed to see the lack of HSPA 850, though they should be able to cling to 1900MHz in many markets -- and it's not like North America has gotten a lot of mobile love from Acer in the past, so it certainly comes as no surprise. [Warning: PDF link] [Via MobileTechWorld and wmpoweruser.com]
T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009 down to $175
Would-be Sidekick LX 2009 owners have one less reason to keep dragging their feet this week with the dropping of the model's price (in both Carbon and Orchid variants, of course) down to $175 on contract after discounts from the original retail price of $250. We're not sure what's ultimately responsible for the price cut beyond the usual ultra-rapid retail shelf aging process and the gnat-like attention span of consumers like ourselves, but either way, the move helps put the high-end featurephone back in line with some of its contemporaries (we're sorry, but running more than a BlackBerry Tour or an iPhone 3GS on subsidy makes about as much sense as mail-order beef). So, does this tip the scale for anyone out there? Who's taking the plunge? [Via Hiptop 3] Read - Carbon Read - Orchid
Samsung's SCH-W830 is like a window to your soul, if your soul is a circular dot-matrix display
If you spell happiness T-W-E-L-V-E M-E-G-A-P-I-X-E-L-S, you're looking in the wrong place. Samsung's SCH-W830 -- along with its SPH-W8300 and SPH-W8350 cousins for other networks -- finds inner peace through the simplicity and beauty of a scintillating light show set around an ultra-low res display. You've only got two megapixels to work with around back, but seriously, who has time to snap pictures when you're being dazzled by a seemingly endless array of colored lights? Between that and the spring-loaded opening mechanism, this is a flip fit for the fiddler / fidgeter in all of us, and it's available now on South Korea's LGT, SKT, and KTF. [Via mobile-review]
Samsung Gravity 2 now available on T-Mobile, $30 on contract
We knew the Gravity 2 was coming, but when it was announced, T-Mobile stayed coy about pricing and availability beyond saying "August." Turns out that "August" means today, because a quick visit to the carrier's website now lets you get in on the text-heavy landscape slider for a mere $29.99 on contract after rebate in your choice of "Metallic Pumpkin" or the arguably more sophisticated "Berry Mauve." Don't expect the world -- the camera's just 2 megapixels and the screen is going to cause frustration, eyestrain, injury, and / or death if you try to browse actual websites -- but at least you've got GPS, AWS 3G, and some of the more spacious texting you'll find at this price point. Just don't drop it, because you'll learn how it gets its name real quick. [Via TmoToday] Read - Metallic Pumpkin Read - Berry Mauve
