| FCC Fridays Posted: 10 Oct 2008 11:53 PM CDT Filed under: Features We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy! PhonesRead - Samsung C6620 Read - Samsung E2510 Read - Samsung SCH-W299 Read - Samsung SCH-B269 Read - Samsung SCH-M490 Read - Samsung SCH-W690 Read - Huawei T521 Read - Sharp DM003SH PeripheralsRead - Nokia BH-212 Read - Samsung WEP450 Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1, unboxed at last Posted: 10 Oct 2008 08:28 PM CDT Filed under: Handsets, Sony Ericsson, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA Wow, that was one hell of a wait, wasn't it? Some eight months after its February announcement, X1s are finally available for sale in some parts of the world -- and naturally, any retail availability comes with the distinct possibility of a properly-documented unboxing. The packing materials don't look like they're anything terribly special, but to the Windows Mobile faithful of the world, the contents certainly are. Ain't that black, brushed metal casing awfully purdy? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| 3's INQ to hit the mobile scene with Facebook-friendly INQ1 Posted: 10 Oct 2008 05:05 PM CDT Filed under: Handsets, Features, Others, Hutchison 3 Overseas mega-corp Hutchison, which owns the 3 network, has a new handset subsidiary called INQ, which is going after the social-hungry youth market in a big way. INQ's first handset, the INQ1, doesn't look like anything special -- just a frumpy-looking slider with a decent screen -- but start poking around and you'll find a massive amount of software for such a dorky phone from a handset upstart. The big angle here is Facebook integration -- INQ has a Facebook app to rival Facebook's own work on the iPhone, and ties Facebook contacts, chat and messages into all parts of the phone. The phone enjoys similar integration with Skype (including making Skype calls free over the network, like 3's Skypephone) and Windows Live Messenger. Other apps include an eBay tracker and a full-on WebKit browser. None of this is revolutionary, or even particularly polished, but the work INQ has done at integration, like a unified contact list, could do to be copied by even the major smartphone players. What is revolutionary is the price: INQ plans to sell primarily through pre-paid carriers, who are expected to retail the featurephone for under £99 without contract. The HSDPA phone, to be "officially announced" on October 13th, will hit the UK in November, and can apparently be flashed to work with US carriers -- with a launch planned for here next year. Oh, and the killer app? The phone doubles as a plug-and-play 3G modem. Yeah, US carriers are going to take real kindly to this one. Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| DoCoMo serves your DLNA content to a friend's TV via mobile phone Posted: 10 Oct 2008 04:49 PM CDT Filed under: Multimedia Eager to live in the fantastical future it has prophesied, NTT DoCoMo went to CEATEC and demoed an upcoming addition to its Pocket U service: MH2H (Mobile Home to Home), which gives you the ability use your cellphone to stream content from your computer at home to a friend's TV. The phone connects to your friend's WiFi network and sends his or her DLNA-compliant receiver the IP address of your also-DLNA-compliant server, then tells said server to accept the connection and start streaming any videos, songs, or photos you feel like sharing. When you leave, the connection ends and every one goes back to partying on their own isolated media islands like it's 2006. [Image courtesy of Tech-On!] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Sorry, CDMA: Telus, Bell finally fess up to HSPA, LTE aspirations Posted: 10 Oct 2008 03:48 PM CDT Filed under: Bell Mobility, Telus Mobility, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA, LTE  Capping months of speculation, Canadian CDMA carriers Bell and Telus have both announced that they'll be moving to HSPA to power portions their 3G networks as a stop-gap on their way to an eventual LTE rollout. While both networks will be investing heavily to build out the necessary infrastructure, they'll be sharing the fruits of their collective labor to extend roaming agreements that are already in place between the two -- a logical move, considering they'll be going up against the Rogers juggernaut which has the distinct advantage of already being on the GSM technology roadmap. The carriers are looking at 2010 to flip the switch on HSPA, but don't worry, owners of EV-DO handsets: the CDMA goods will continue to be supported for the forseeable future while HSPA is getting layered on top. Odds are, anyone using a CDMA handset will be due for new hardware long before the lights finally go out. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| RIM's BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 gets photographed, previewed Posted: 10 Oct 2008 02:06 PM CDT Filed under: Handsets, RIM, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA While many of you may be waiting for some other handset to launch on T-Mobile, BlackBerry addicts may very well be counting down the hours 'til this one lands on the aforesaid carrier. If we just rang your bell, chances are you'll be extremely interested in this here preview, which delivers a whole gaggle of photographs, a decidedly ho hum video (hosted after the break) of the Pearl Flip 8220 in action and a lengthy writeup explaining the ins and outs of RIM's first flip phone. As for highlights, this thing turns into a real monster (read: it's big) when opened, but when closed, it's a real looker. For more on the aesthetics (not to mention some shots beside a few other BlackBerry siblings -- Bold included), head on down to the read link and dig in. Continue reading RIM's BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 gets photographed, previewed Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Minimalists, drunkards rejoice: LG Wine goes live on Bell Posted: 10 Oct 2008 01:40 PM CDT Filed under: Handsets, LG, Bell Mobility, CDMA If "function follows form" is your mantra, listen up -- especially if you happen to be in Canada. LG's curiously-named Wine has come to the land of polar bears, maple syrup, and adorable baby seals, offering very little in the way of bells or whistles (seriously, we're talking about a 1.3-megapixel camera and Bluetooth 1.2 here) but keeping the style dial turned to 11 -- and hey, at least it's still got a QVGA main display and GPS packed in there somewhere. It'll run you $79.95 now on a three-year contract in your choice of black or the always tasteful gold. [Via MobileSyrup] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Pantech imbues C810 Duo with Windows Mobile 6.1 update Posted: 10 Oct 2008 12:06 PM CDT Filed under: Software, Pantech, Windows Mobile  We're still waiting for that C820 to become reality, but in the meantime, we can just rest on our laurels while the poor Duo wastes away on some ancient build of Windows Mobile 6, can we? Of course not, it'd be inhumane -- and happily, Pantech agrees, finally releasing a 6.1 update for owners of AT&T's dual-sliding smartphone. Cheers to that! [Via MoDaCo] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| RIM said to be toiling away on BlackBerry super-phone, Storm successors Posted: 10 Oct 2008 10:20 AM CDT Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Verizon Wireless So the BlackBerry Storm hasn't even made it onto Verizon yet, and in flies word that RIM is actually doing something other than resting on its laurels (and contemplating buyout offers from Microsoft). The Boy Genius has it from two independent sources that RIM is currently hard at work on a "super-phone" of sorts, complete with a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera, 1GB of memory and a "near-HD quality screen." In all seriousness, it's not too shocking to hear that the outfit is working up a formidable opponent to go against HTC's Touch HD / T8290, but it's not stopping there. We're also told that a second and third-generation Storm are already being whipped up in the design room, but it's pretty safe to say you won't be seeing those in the flesh for a good while. Regrettably, that's it for the details, but you can rest assured that we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Is Microsoft finally close to snatching up RIM? Posted: 10 Oct 2008 09:33 AM CDT Filed under: Handsets, Others, RIM, Windows Mobile Funny story -- we pretty much heard this exact same rumor floating around last August, but given the current economic situation, we're inclined to believe this one a good bit more. A recent Reuters report is pointing out that RIM (like practically every other company right about now) is ripe for the picking, and any outfit with a serious load of cash reserves could get themselves quite a bargain. Given that the Redmond mega-corp has shown interest before (and clearly has plenty of Greenbacks), we were particularly interested in Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek's quote: "I'm fairly certain [Microsoft] has a standing offer to buy [RIM] at $50 a share." If you'll recall, RIM's stock sat at $148 per share just four months ago, and now, it's hovering around $60. As expected, Microsoft had no comment on the report, but don't be surprised to see something go down if Wall Street keeps hemorrhaging. [Via Electronista] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| HTC's first WiMAX-enabled handset revealed: T8290, from Russia with Speed Posted: 10 Oct 2008 09:12 AM CDT Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA With Sprint snagging the vast majority of the WiMAX limelight of late, we aren't going to complain with a similar network halfway across the globe yanking it back. Out of absolutely nowhere comes HTC's first WiMAX-enabled handset, the sure-to-be-delightful T8290. Reportedly, this bugger packs a 3.8-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, 802.11g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, GSM and WiMAX radios and is expected to launch soon on Russia's Yota. Granted, we can't take this as hard truth or anything quite yet, but the images that reside in the read link are more than convincing. Oh, and HTC -- given that you're passing on the US with the Touch HD, do you think it'd be possible to get this over here for use with XOHM? We'd really, really appreciate it. [Via Slashphone, thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Orange pulling Bolds to fix software issues, AT&T smiles Posted: 10 Oct 2008 08:57 AM CDT Filed under: Handsets, Software, RIM, Orange If you're wondering why you don't have an AT&T-branded BlackBerry Bold in your hand at this very second, the answer might lie a couple thousand miles away where Orange has allegedly pulled all units off the shelves to hammer out some "software issues" that have plagued early devices in subscribers' hands. The whole situation leaves us to wonder whether carriers jumped the gun on validating early builds of the Bold's firmware in an effort to get it out into the market in a non-ridiculous amount of time, while AT&T may have chosen to play it safe with a longer, more excrutiating battery of tests -- leading to RIM's swipe that the October 2 miss was all AT&T's fault. It's just a theory, and probably a pretty meaningless one since this Orange fiasco should apparently take a couple weeks to clear up at most, and we're still hearing occasional whispers out of the AT&T camp that they're still pushing for an October release over there. Chop chop, guys. [Via Mobile Tech Addicts] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| T-Mobile G1 gets early user review Posted: 10 Oct 2008 04:23 AM CDT Filed under: Handsets, HTC, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, Android Oh sure, you've already read over our (and Ryan Block's) brief one-day impressions of T-Mobile's G1, but one lucky (lucky!) user over at AndroidCommunity has been able to handle one for more than just a few hours. As a precious gift to the world, he's penned a nice list of pros and cons along with a Q&A, and it seems that the "review" is actually growing with time. Right from the top, he notes that the G1 is lke a "SideKick on massive steriods," albeit one with a minty fresh OS. Speaking of, he also states that the handset "doesn't run as smoothly as you would think," asserting that some of the applications "suttered" upon opening. We're also told that it requires a reboot from time to time just to keep things humming along, but we're hoping all of these quirks are just part of the Rev. A rigamarole. It's glaringly obvious that the user adores Android (and the phone, too), but we can't help but hope these niggles he speaks of are addressed in short order. [Thanks, Oscar] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| BlackBerry Curve 8900 get early video praise, T-Mobile Germany says November Posted: 10 Oct 2008 02:29 AM CDT Filed under: Handsets, RIM, GSM, EDGE Just when we're all geared up to get crazy corporate with a bunch of Bold purchases, RIM has to go and make our lives difficult by reminding us that the Javelin / Curve 8900 is out there -- lurking -- just waiting to make a grand entrance sometime in the next few months. A new video posted to CrackBerry goes through the 8900's finer points, noting that the handset clocks in just a bit more compact than its big brother, features a slightly smaller, higher dot pitch display, and carries over an original Curve-style keyboard with spaced keys rather than the flowing design employed on the Bold (for what it's worth, the narrator seems to like both styles equally). Interestingly, it's noted that this prototype employs an older trackball design that'll allegedly be replaced with a more bulletproof design by the time it launches. The lack of 3G is going to be a dream killer for many, but we could see this one getting some retail legs underneath it if the price is right -- it's got WiFi, after all. In fact, T-Mobile Germany is saying that it'll have the 8900 next month -- a claim we actually believe, since Germany is from the future. The trackball shown on its version of the handset is distinctly different than CrackBerry's, so it's looking like the claim of a redesign might hold water. [Thanks, Alex] Read - CrackBerry's Curve 8900 hands-on video Read - T-Mobile Germany's Curve 8900 product page Permalink | Email this | Comments |
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