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Three of i-mate's five Ultimate devices canceled?
We wish we could say we were surprised about this, we really do. It seems that i-mate has canceled arguably the three most interesting versions of its Ultimate line: the 5150 slider, 7150 QWERTY flip, and 9150 numeric flip. Remaining and now apparently scheduled for October production are the 8150 numeric candybar and keypadless 6150, devices that could be considered pretty uninteresting by the time they enter a market rife with 3G capable Windows Mobile 6 hardware. So far, this is all unconfirmed -- it's being reported by a UK retail firm, Clove Technology -- but it seems plausible considering that the 7150 and 9150 have taken on a certain air of vaporeware-ness that the FCC approved 6150 has not. We have to admit, we're a little surprised that the 5150 bit the dust since it's nothing more than a slider grafted to a 6150, but considering the strength of its competition, it's probably for the best.[Via All About Symbian]Update: Crave Asia is reporting that i-mate says all five devices are still on track, but will be released on a "staggered" schedule starting with the 6150 and 8150. We'll keep you updated as we hear more.
Motorola shows shots of the Q9m for Verizon
Just in case there was any doubt that Motorola's Q9m for Verizon was real, well, this should put it to rest. Moto dropped a handful of press shots of its CDMA-ified Q9 the other day, including this one of the Windows Mobile 6 Standard -- that's "Smartphone" in WM5 nomenclature, if you recall -- handset in some sort of protective case (at least, we hope that's what it is). Thinking back to the amount of time that elapsed between the RAZR MAXX Ve's press shot release and its eventual launch, we could still be in for a bit of a wait -- but at least it's real, yeah?
HP looking to rebuild PDA, smartphone empires?
Once the glittering crown jewel of the Windows Mobile world, HP has sat back, taken it easy on R&D, and watched its empire dwindle to an empty husk of what it once was. The reasons are unclear, but other manufacturers have certainly had no qualms about rushing in to fill the void -- most notably HTC, the ODM largely responsible for HP's success in the first place. Does it stand a chance of reclaiming the throne? Eh, with so many competitors in the game at this point, probably not, but that may not stop it from trying. Rumors have been swirling the last few days that HP will surround its iPAQ 510 Windows Mobile 6 Standard smartphone with a wide variety of devices positioned both above and below it, and if the details pan out, there could definitely be a few winners in the bunch. The 600 series is said to be similar to the 510 in form factor -- candybar with a numeric keypad -- but will add tri-band HSDPA, a touch sensitive navigation wheel, double the RAM and ROM, and will sport Windows Mobile Professional in place of Standard. The 900 should be largely similar, but trades the numeric keypad for a QWERTY version. Word on the street is that these should be announced in September with availability late in the year -- if it all turns out to be true, we wish the best of luck to ya, HP!
UBiQUiO 501 owners, come get your free WM6 upgrade
Seems like pretty much every manufacturer big and small alike -- with some notable exceptions -- has come out of the woodwork to do the right thing and offer its customers an upgrade to Microsoft's latest and greatest. Most recent to loose a Windows Mobile 6 update is TechFaith's UBiQUiO brand, covering its 501 model with all the WM6 Pro you can handle at no charge. Seeing how these things can be picked up for well under $400 unlocked, it seems like the 501 might be a decent way to get oneself onto platform du jour outta Redmond -- if the lack of 3G is tolerable, anyway.[Via the::unwired and MoDaCo]
Palm gets official with Treo 750's WM6 upgrade -- in Australia
The good news is that the official Windows Mobile 6 Professional update for the Treo 750 is just around the corner; the bad news, though, is that you probably can't have it yet unless you're lucky enough to live in one particular corner of the world. Following countless incognito shots of WM6-sporting 750s in the wild, an imminent official announcement was pretty much a foregone conclusion -- though we admittedly never suspected Australia would be the first to get the hookup. Specifically, customers of the Australian branch of Hutchison 3 will be able to download the update free of charge starting mid-month, with "other customers" following on in September. Whether "other customers" includes AT&T is unclear, but we're keeping our fingers tightly crossed.[Via istartedsomething]
HTC Advantage now available, $899 at retail
HTC today announced official US availability of its mobile monster (and we do mean "monster"), the Advantage. Known alternately as the Athena and X7501, the sucker rocks pretty much every feature one could want in a pocketable device: 256MB of onboard ROM, 128MB of RAM, 8GB hard drive, HSDPA 850 / 1900 alongside quadband GSM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, 3 megapixel autofocus cam, integrated GPS, and an incredible 5 inches of VGA display madness sitting atop Windows Mobile 6 Professional. Coming in at a hefty 134 x 98 x 16mm (20mm with keyboard attached), the term "svelte" doesn't exactly apply here -- but for folks who think power trumps pocketability, this may just be their soulmate. Find it now at CompUSA and Amazon for a buck under $900.
Official TyTn WM6 update loosed by HTC, others on the way
We're not sure why HTC waited longer than virtually all of its carrier partners to unleash a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade for its own-branded Hermes, the TyTn, but no bother -- the point is it's now available, so there's really no good excuse for anyone with Hermes hardware to still be rocking old-skool WM5 at this point. Meanwhile, users of the P3300 (Artemis), S620 (Excalibur), and Advantage should all get their hookups this month if everything goes according to plan. Wasn't it, like, an eternity ago now that T-Mobile rocked WM6 on the Dash? Better late than never, we suppose.[Via the::unwired]
The Missing Sync now plays nice with WM6
The Missing Sync, the near-ubiquitous peace pipe that lets Windows Mobile devices play nice (and by "play nice" we mean "sync") with Macs, has just been upped to version 4. That in itself isn't huge news -- the new version offers up support for videos, call logs, and text messages -- but what is huge news is that the product now features Windows Mobile 6 support. That's great news for the ever-growing contingent of folks rocking Wings, upgraded Dashes and Treo 750s (and hopefully Blackjacks in the not-too-distant future) who dare to span the Microsoft-Apple divide.[Via TUAW]
HTC Touch gets hooked up on Orange France, too
Germany isn't the only country getting all the TouchFLO fun in Europe -- turns out Orange France has launched the HTC Touch, too. Pricing seems a bit high compared to T-Mobile Germany's offerings, though; the cheapest you can apparently snag it for is €129, scaling all the way up to €429 without an agreement. For the record, that's $177 to $588 in US coin -- and this is a 2.5G handset, mind you. Almost $600 for a phone with no 3G capabilities, imagine that![Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Missing Sync for Windows Mobile 4.0 adds WM6 support
It's sad but true; not everybody can have an iPhone. But for those poor souls with a supported Windows Mobile device, things just got a little bit better as Mark/Space has released version 4.0 of their Missing Sync for Windows Mobile with support for the new Windows Mobile 6 platform. New to version 4, Mark/Space has added plugins for video support (both ways), call logs, and SMS messages. And as always Missing Sync continues syncing support for iCal, Address Book, iTunes, iPhoto, etc.Missing Sync for Windows Mobile is $39.95 and upgrade pricing is $24.95 from a variety of Missing Sync products.
HTC Vogue sees FCC approval
Thanks to the characteristically loose-lipped folks at the FCC, it looks like HTC's making good on the rumor that a CDMA rendition of the Touch was in the pipeline. The "Vogue" has just gotten hooked up with regulatory approval, and though the documentation is kept to a bare minimum, we've already heard enough to suspect that Qualcomm's pride and joy (CDMA, that is) will be the lucky recipient of a TouchFLO-enabled handset in the not-too-distant future. Where the Vogue is ultimately headed remains to be seen -- but it could be argued that both Sprint and Verizon are in pretty desperate need of a smartphone lineup overhaul, so by all means, bring it on.
O2 Germany spices up Xda trion with WM6 upgrade
Germans on O2, relish in this moment, for you are much of the world's envy. After promising a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade path for the Xda trion (that's the HTC Hermes / TyTn for lay folk) not long ago, the carrier has now made good by rolling out the package. Walk, don't run -- it'll wipe your data -- but we figure it's more than worth the hassle nonetheless.[Via the::unwired]
i-mate Ultimate 6150 catches FCC on a good day
Well well well, look what the FCC dragged in! We're still not sold on the sickly champagne color shared by members of the Ultimate line, but there's very little to not love about the i-mate 6150 Ultimate's internals: tri-band HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, Windows Mobile 6, integrated FM radio, and a glorious VGA display -- internals that look to be assembled by ODM Arima, according to the FCC documentation. Of the five Ultimates promised, this particular one might be more of a... shall we say, "acquired taste" than the four others, owing mainly to its lack of a physical keypad. Otherwise, though, we're down. Can we still expect this in September, i-mate?
"WhoNeedsAniPhone" for WM users in iPhone denial
We're personally of the opinion that the best way to cure iPhone envy is to... you know, buy an iPhone, but we understand there are plenty of reasons why folks might be forced to admire from afar. A lengthy contract might be stifling your inner free spirit, for example; maybe the lack of 3G is just too much to bear (YouTube addicts, we're looking at you). The aptly-named "WhoNeedsAniPhone" project seeks to ease the pain of this demographic -- likely a sizable one -- by using Flash Lite to bring the iPhone's key visual elements to touchscreen-enabled Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices. Key goals for the release (which isn't yet available -- sign up to beta test it at the site) include a functional launcher, slide-style lock screen, and weather widget; baby steps, yes, but when you consider that the real iPhone's visual fireworks nearly match its actual functionality, that ain't a bad list.
HTC Omni to get HSUPA, 3.1 megapixel cam?
If GPS, a wide VGA display, and mere HSDPA weren't enough to get tongues a-waggin' for HTC's long-overdue Universal successor, it looks like the Omni will be throwing in a few additional goodies to sweeten the pot for its supposed October launch. Notably, pdadb.net sez that the Omni will be rocking a full HSPA implementation -- that's HSDPA plus HSUPA for the lay folk -- plus a 3.1 megapixel cam and LED (what, no xenon?) flash. If we had our druthers, we'd like to see a 5 megapixel autofocus behemoth in there, but you know, let's not get ahead of ourselves.[Via Unwired View]
HTC Europe WM6 upgrade dates being pushed back?
Despite all the slick talk and hope-raising HTC has done over the past few months regarding the company's plans for the WM6 upgrade, it's beginning to look like things may be getting pushed back nearer to something like the Fall for European users. In particular, the S620 upgrade which was slated for a May / June release has yet to make an appearance, and an HTC rep says (in a personal email to a user) that the "provisional" date for the release is actually closer to September. Of course, you could always bite the bullet, find yourself a leaked version (for the Hermes at least) and go the DIY route.[Thanks, Greg]
HTC Cavalier finally hits FCC
The HTC Excalibur -- better known as the T-Mobile Dash in these parts -- is one of those almost-perfect handsets that has us saying "if only." Specifically, in this case we're thinking "if only it had 3G," and that's precisely where the Cavalier comes riding into our dreams like a phone in shining armor. Thus far no American carrier has stepped forward with plans to offer the Cavalier (AT&T, we're looking straight at you, kid), but at least they can do so now thanks to an FCC approval. With HSDPA on the 850 and 1900MHz bands on board, this sucker is truly a worthy upgrade to the already good Excalibur -- so let's try to speed things right along, yeah?
Unboxing the Toshiba Portege G900
What would you give for a WM6 QWERTY with a 3-inch screen touting an 800 x 480 pixel resolution? Well, reader Kim Nyberg forked over a €635/$860 premium to Expansys for the Toshiba Portege G900 and has the unboxing pics to prove it. And you thought $599 was expensive. Oh, did we mention it's tri-band HSDPA with WiFi?%Gallery-4471%
HTC P4550 "Kaiser" reviewed
Paul from MoDaCo has our envy today, having recently taken possession of HTC's pièce de résistance -- the HTC "Kaiser" -- which looks to make a self-branded debut bearing the model number P4550. As he points out, HTC left virtually nothing out of the P4550 as Windows Mobile-based QWERTY sliders go; the 256MB of onboard Flash, 128MB of RAM, 3 megapixel cam, HSUPA, and trick flip-up display all set new marks for lustworthiness in the category. What's more, the device is said to be really snappy with Windows Mobile 6 and a 400MHz Qualcomm MSM7200 core, picture quality from the camera is superb, and voice quality is apparently top notch. The conclusion? "It's quite simply awesome." Too bad it's also quite simply not available yet.
O2's Xda "Helen" peeped?
Meet O2's newest Windows Mobile 6 Pro device, the Xda "Helen" (what happened to the slick device names?) a decidedly vanilla pocket-sized slider. The Helen packs quad-band GSM and EDGE, 3G in the 2100 MHz range, Bluetooth, WiFi, 64MB RAM, 256MB ROM, and a wee forward-facing cam for video calling. What the pics barely show (look carefully at the image on the left) are the touch sensitive softkeys on the face, a 2 megapixel shooter mounted on the back, and the fat 570 MHz CPU hidden under the hood. This is a bit of a unique departure for the Professional version of Microsoft's new mobile OS, as we get the slide-out dialpad and a touchscreen interface -- we haven't spotted a stylus yet, but hoping it is there somewhere. If this really does end up rolling out on O2 -- and it certainly looks branded to do so -- we'll be hitting you up with more specs, a release date, and some pricing soon.[Via the::unwired]
