HTC Dream Leaked Pics!

Oh, Android… how you tease us. After months and months of silence the Android floodgates have opened. First HTC Dream rumors, then drawings of the device, then the Android Market and the ADC Winners. And now… Live pictures leaked of the HTC Dream itself:




Don’t forget we have our HTC Dream Forum up and running so head over there to continue the conversation!

[Via phandroid]

Samsung Instinct at RadioShack: $99.99

The Samsung Instinct is one of Sprint’s best ever selling phones. It completely took off and they must have known they had something good with enough guts to launch an advertising campaign that pits it 1 on 1 with the iPhone. And BestBuy… well they inherited this gem by being the exclusive retail partner for the Samsung Instinct.

Until now:

The Samsung Instinct is now on sale at Radio Shack for $99.99. It’ll be interesting to see how well these suckers sell over the next several months as more and more competitors enter the market. Nonetheless, if you’re in need of an Instinct, add RadioShack to your solution provider!

Garmin NuviFone Delayed Until 2009

When GPS powerhouse Garmin announced they’d launch their first ever mobile phone in time for the holidays, there was a burst of excitement. It seemed like a natural  transition that could become one of the top Tech gifts of the holidays. Unfortunately, that will have to wait until the 2009 holidays as the Nuvifone won’t be launching until January at the earliest.

So why the delay? Because Garmin will make the NuviFone exclusive to ONE carrier in each geographic area. Just like the iPhone is only available on AT&T in the United States, so will the Nuvifone be limited to one carrier. Negotiations with the mobile carriers are what has taken longer than expected.

Quite frankly, its disappointing to see more and more of these manufacturers choosing carrier exclusivity. Sure, they probably make a ton of money up front. But isn’t the iPhone App Store and Android Market proof that openness is what wins consumers over? Let people CHOOSE!

[Via RegHardware]

Xperia Delayed Until January

The Sony Ericsson Xperia, which was announced in February 2007 and received enormous praise initially, has now been delayed until January 2009. According to sources, the reason for the long wait is that the Windows Mobile 6.1/6.2 isn’t functioning properly on the device.

This is a total shame for those who have been following this device… not to mention Sony Ericsson themselves. The handset manufacturer hasn’t exactly been pumping out platinum and the Xperia looked like a blockbuster hit when it was first announced. Since then though, many other phones have cast a shadow on the Xperia and it seems destined to launch with reluctant yawn given the circumstances.

The delay was initially found by looking on SE’s own online e-shop:

How sad. The Xperia could have been a big phone. It still could be but with each passing day Xperia news gets more and more stale. In fact, how did you even torture yourself to get through this entire post?

[Via RegHardware]

AT&T’s BlackBerry Bold Due October 2nd!

It’s been a long, long, long road for the BlackBerry Bold. Ever since it was spotted and leaked in the late 17th century, people have been hailing it as one of the sickest phones ever created. And then it faced delays. And then 3G was poor. And then more delays.

Well it seems as if the wait will finally be over on October 2nd for those who are United in the States. That’s a Thursday and sources are saying that will mark their “arrival” to the stores but the full launch will take place on the Monday after… October 6th.

So how many potential iPhone customers will be swayed by what some are calling the best screen in mobile history? We shall see…

[Via BGR]

Jay-Z vs. Dr. Dre, Headphones Edition

Its commonplace, almost expected, for musical icons and HipHop stars to make the foray into the fashion industry. But Jay-Z and Dr. Dre could spark a new East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry with an unexpected brand extension… headphones.

According to several reports, FCC documents show that on August 12th Motorola submitted an application for approval of new headphones with codename JayZ. Take a look for yourself…

They’re bluetooth enabled and support multi-tasking. So, you could be bumping the latest post retirement Jay-Z album, get a phone call, transfer the call to your headphones and when you end the call simply revert the headphones back to music listening. These are only in FCC land for now and it will take some time before these are on the retail shelves.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dre’s headphones serve a completely different purpose and are already available for sale. They’re called The Beats by Dr. Dre and cost $350 for the headphones themselves, a carrying case, cable for connection to your phone and undeniably sleek sexiness:

The audio quality isn’t groundbreaking but very solid. They only work with a pair of AAA batteries and the noise canceling capabilities are pretty kick butt… tune out the world why you tune in to your tones. And did we mention these things look bad ass?

[Via Crave, Twice]

Android Market PWNS iPhone App Store

Android has been hyped since November 2007 and the potential of the mobile phone OS has been talked about in geek circles for quite some time. Yes, Android COULD unlock the true potential of mobile communication but a lot of that would depend on how they handle the distribution of applications.

Well, it looks like Google will accomplish what they set out to do by announcing a truly open Application Market for Android that will allow ALL developers to EASILY create accounts and UPLOAD APPS to the market without scrutiny from bigwigs.

This is a major blow to Apple, the iPhone and their inexcusable Application Review and Reject process. It looks like Android will live up to all the hype afterall!

Head over to our HTC Dream forum to talk about the first ever Android Phone or the folks at Android Forums have a full website dedicated to the topic!

Here is the official announcement from Google

Sprint Customers in Baltimore 1st For WiMax

Sprint has just released a Press Release providing us some details of its XOHM WiMax launch which are essentially its branded version of a 4G network. According to the release it will enable users with portable devices such as laptops and phones to access location based information that will enrich their experience.

The content for these location based services come from at least 9 different sources which Sprint names and outlines. We’ve copied them below:

– uLocate Communications Inc. of Boston, Mass. the primary
partner in building XOHM’s location enabled mobile experience,
is providing its WHERE(TM) platform and leading friend finding
application Buddy Beacon(R) to connect XOHM customers with
their favorite people, places and things. Through WHERE, XOHM
users will have access to local information including
restaurant reviews, news, events, weather and much more.
Select launch partners on the WHERE platform include Yelp,
Eventful, Topix, NAVTEQ and Accuweather.

– Yelp Inc. of San Francisco, Calif., the leading Web site for
local business reviews, provides relevant user reviews and
ratings for anything local, from restaurants to doctors and
more. The reviews can be searched and sorted by category or
shown in a map view, with access to Yelp.com for details on
any of the three million local reviews.

– Eventful Inc. of San Diego, Calif., will provide users with
listings of local events displayed in a map view. Customers
can select sub-categories of interest, search for events and
click through to Eventful.com to get more event information
and purchase tickets.

– Topix LLC of Palo Alto, Calif., will provide local news based
on current location as a summary, with an option to read full
stories and others at its site.

– NAVTEQ of Chicago, Ill., will offer XOHM customers NAVTEQ
Traffic(TM) real-time local traffic and commuter updates with
links to the Traffic.com(R) Web site for additional detailed
construction, incident and drive time information.

– AccuWeather of State College, Penna., will provide three-day
forecasts based on users’ current locations. An easy link to
AccuWeather.com mobile Web site gives more forecast details,
radar/satellite images, and more.

– Google Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., will contribute
industry-leading Local Search capability along with additional
features and functionality from Google Maps.

– Openwave Systems Inc. of Redwood City, Calif. will provide the
location platform that enables XOHM partners to use location
to provide valuable services.

– Autodesk Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., will provide a
standards-based interface and geospatial services, such as
addresses, ZIP code and city/state information, to enhance
location within the XOHM network.

It appears that XOHM has a lot of the basics covered and this could be the start of big things if they can somehow parlay this into momentum. Hey Sprint… We’re IN BALTIMORE… HOOK IT UP!

[Via Sprint PR]

LG KC910 Joins The 8 MegaPixel Party

Apparently LG didn’t want the Sony Ericsson C905 and Samsung INNOV8 to walk away with the best camera phone title without being contested. Before the end of September the company is set to launch the 8 Megapixl LG KC910 to stand up to the ever increasing spec challenge.

Apparently the device is a follow up to the LG KU990 Viewty and will have the following features/specs:

One of the sweetest parts of the package is the thickness… only 14 mm thick! This thing is looking pretty good. The thing is, there will soon be so many 8mp phones that we’ll have to see how it stacks up head to head. One thing to watch will be to what carrier each of these phones goes. We’ll keep you posted!

[Via PhoneArena]

BlackBerry Thunder, BlackBerry Storm Both Brewing

You probably know that BlackBerry’s first every touchscreen device is coming very soon and has long been rumored to be named the Thunder. You may also know that a little online spat between two popular tech blogs pitted the name Thunder against the name Storm… both claimed to have incredibly reliable sources saying their version was the “right” name. Well… they’re both right.

The BlackBerry Storm will be a Verizon Wireless exclusive in the United States while the BlackBerry Thunder will head to Vodafone in Europe and Rogers in Canada shortly after. Oh yeah… they’ll be the EXACT SAME DEVICE! Don’t take our word for it… read the actual packaging that some snooping chap got his hands on:

We’ve had our BlackBerry Thunder Forum running for some time now so thanks a lot RIM for completely complicating things. Just call them both the Thunder, we beg of you!

By the way, do you remember that Verizon and Vodafone were supposed to be lifetime exclusives of sorts? How did Rogers sneak in on there? Rogers probably courted their Canadian brothers over a nice cold Molson and called it a day. Its not like Verizon or Vodafone operate in Canada so no harm, no foul. Where else could the Thunder/Storm pop up?

We’ll keep an eye out for you.

[Via Engadget]

Casio Exilim Phone Spotted via FCC

Casio isn’t exactly a mobile phone juggernaut in the states, but they’re slowly creeping up their market share. And one thing they ARE known for is creating is affordable, compact and surprisingly powerful digital cameras. With Kodak and Carl Zeiss getting lots of mobile phone love, Exilim decided to join the party.

The FCC document identifies the Casio Exilim W63CA and here are the few details we could summon from the document:

Word has it that this will never leave Asia let alone make it the UK or United States… despite the fact that it was originally discovered with help from the FCC.

[Via ElectricPig]

HTC Releases S740

Lets be honest, we can’t ALL have the Touch Pro can we? Not everyone wants to dump his or her life savings into a phone these days. While, if you fit into that category and enjoy that extra dose of an actual alphanumeric keyboard, then HTC has just released the device for you.

Enter, the S740. Following in the same DNA as the other “S” series HTC handsets this sports a very normal phone-like keyboard out front and a very smartphone like QWERTY board that slides out. Although its running Windows Mobile Standard it looks like HTC has made some modifications to help close the gap between its heavily modified Windows Mobile Professional TouchFlo 3D interface.

In addition to this, they’ve stuffed the 140 gram, 116.3 x 43.4 x 16.3 mm device chock-a-block full of features which include:

· GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz

· WCDMA/HSDPA 900/2100 Mhz (fingers crossed for a version with 850/1900)

· 2.4” QVGA display

· 3.2 Megapixel cam

· 528 Mhz processor, 256 MB RAM

· MicroSD slot

· WiFi, aGPS, Bluetooth and FM Radio

Seems like a great option for those wanting balance between the serious-business of Pocket PCing and the chilaxing qualities of a normal phone.

[Via Boy Genius]

Aww, Bold Wants to be Like iPhone

They say immitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I guess the iPhone should feel glad to have another high-end device to share its problems with.

Its seems that Apple products aren’t the only ones with starting stutters. While the iPhone’s 3G dropping behavior may be caused by more major hardware shortcomings, all kinds of newly released Blackberry Bolds are popping up with similar issues.

Apparently the devices are having difficulties holding on to 3G signals and regularly drop down to oh-so-lowly EDGE speeds. Really RIM? You couldn’t have seen this bug coming? Hopefully this issue can be fixed with a software update, but honestly, we don’t think people should have to deal with issues like this from a device that they are expected to pay $500+ for.

[Via RealTechNews]

Nokia Delivers the N85 and N79

Nokia had just released two new handsets to add to the N-Series fold, the N85 and N79. Although hardly unexpected, they do carry some strong features, albeit nothing that is really out of the ordinary for Nokia at this point. The N85 stays the N-Series course with a 2.6-inch AMOLED screen, GPS,  5 Megapixel camera, N-Gage compatibility, 8GB of microSDHC storage, WiFi, and 28 hours music playback battery life.

The N79, successor to the N78, also gets a 5MP camera with a dual-LED flash, GPS, 4GB microSDHC storage, WiFi, a 24-hour music playback battery life, and…wait for it… swappable back covers! Thats sooo totally awesome Nokia! Below is yet another fine example of why swappable covers are perhaps not such a great idea. Unless your into barf-lime colours that is.

[Via Engadget]

XPERIA Reviewed ‘Til The Cows Come Home

Smape has got its hands on the hotly anticipated Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 and managed to photograph, video and scribe about pretty much every detail possible, which is all good news for us.

As with many Windows Mobile handsets, the experience is generally good but never fully “there.” Despite the great build quality and high-end choice of materials the reviewer was left unimpressed by the keyboard/directional pad, noting that the Touch Pro was superior in both regards. The reviewer felt at points it was hard to distinguish whether a button had been pressed, and that some usability had been sacrificed in the name of design.  However, Smape came off with a generally positive opinion, noting the good quality of the 3.5MP autofocus camera, the 3.5mm jack (a first for SE) and the helpful backlighting present on the device’s controls.


The reviewer felt the software needed some improvements to really be on the same plain as HTC’s TouchFLO 3D. Smape commented that the phone’s UI felt “raw” in parts, although it was attractive and slick, and offered a great step in the right direction for WM.


There is more good news though. Sony Ericsson’s panel interface appears to have very few performance hiccups, and actually uses less memory than TouchFLO. The X1 is also graced with an ample 256MB of RAM to keep performance brisk. In addition, the X1’s already high-end specs, such as quadband GSM and triband HSDPA radios, WiFi. GPS and an excellent 3” 800×480 pixel touchscreen assure the product as one of the major players in the Windows Mobile field.

Smapes conclusion? A good device, with few nitpicks. However, ultimately the device is held back by the presence of the WM software, making the XPERIA more of a niche device then an all out consumer market warrior. For those that use Windows Mobile though, it will certainly make an attractive choice.

Hit up the link for videos of the hardware and software in action, and a deluge of photos.

Review – Smape.com

Motorola Blaze and Motorola Rapture: Live Pics

Those who think the higher the tech the better likely won’t stoop to the level of the Blaze or Rapture, but Motorola has two phones here that could fill the touch screen hunger for the low end market. PhoneArena has uncovered live pics of the Blaze and Rapture and they don’t look too shabby… especially the Blaze.

So lets dive into the yummier of the two. The Blaze looks pretty darn sleek - its a flip phone but its external shell is CLEAR allowing you to see the screen while the phone is closed. Once you open the flip you’ve got yourself a touch screen. All the folks who like flip phones so their screen doesn’t get scratched and buttons don’t get pressed… yeah, this will satisfy them… and there area  LOT of “them”.

Don’t expect this phone’s specs to blow you away, but with EVDO Rev. A, GPS, and Mobile TV, it makes an incredibly attractive option for the mid-range user. It should start shipping in September for Verizon Wireless. Worth watching.

The Motorola Rapture (VU30) is less intriguing, but its coming nonetheless… September 9th if the sources are correct. Its a flip that is pictured in Dark Blue but might also come in pink. A pink phone named Rapture sounds all wrong to us but hey… to each their own.

[Via UnwiredView]

Alltel Commercial - Lemonade Stand

The good people at Alltel have sent me over their newest TV Commercial which is set to begin airing tomorrow. Its called “Lemonade Stand” and depicts the “Sales Guys” from their childhood days… its cute and the MyCircle advertisements are certainly catchy:

What IS surprising is that Alltel has continued to run advertisements bashing Verizon Wireless although they have been acquired by Verizon Wireless - FCC approval is pending and the deal will likely clear before the year ends.

Maybe that’s why the Verizon guy just stands there in this commercial… and isn’t the one yelling, “YOU’RE STILL A DING DONG!”

Here are the newly introduced My Circle plans that Alltel is promoting:

Alltel recently introduced new “My Circle” Family Choice Plus plans. For $84.99 per month, customers will receive two lines with 1,000 shared minutes and the ability to call any 10 numbers on any network.  Also, customers can receive two lines with 2,000 shared minutes and unlimited calling within their “Circle” of 20 numbers for $114.99. In addition to the unlimited calling within their “Circle,” Family Choice plan customers will receive unlimited mobile-to-mobile calls and unlimited nights and weekends. Customers will also have the ability to choose either free evening calls starting at 7PM or 1,000 text/picture/video messages. The plans include unlimited texting to their “Circle of Friends” and other Alltel customers.

[Source Alltel PR]

8 New Phones: (Mid-Range Roundup)

We’ve seen bunches of new phone announcements cross the MobileRoar desk recently, but many of them were shuffled to the bottom of the priority list due to the surplus of mobile news in the past week or so. SO without further adieu, lets take a brief look at some of the new/upcoming phones that slipped through the cracks.

Sony Ericsson TM506 for T-Mobile

To launch on T-Mobile’s 3G network in early September, this stylish little bugger comes in Black with Green or Black with Chrome/Orange. Its got a 2MP camera, A-GPS and Bluetooth 2.0 among other options. This is the first SE device to landon TMO in awhile… pricing is not yet set. (Source)

LG Invision for AT&T

The LG Invision’s (only) claim to fame is being the 3rd AT&T phone to support their Mobile TV service. There isn’t much exciting about coming after sloppy seconds, sporting a 1.3 megapixel camera and coming in at $99 with a 2-year contract. Its smaller than the Samsung Access and if you’re looking for affordable simplicity… with TV… here’s your guy.  [Source]

Sony Ericsson T700

The T700 is an affordable mid-range phone with a decent amount of features and thin frame. It has 3G connectivity, 3.2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, USB connectivity and FM radio among other things. It’s estimated at around 200 Euro. [Source]

Motorola ZN200

GPRS, Bluetooth, USB, FM Radio, 2MP camera… you know, some of the standards of a decent phone. This isn’t anything ground breaking but its likely the low end model on Moto’s new “Zine” product line.

Motorola W396

This phone is living proof that phones with incredibly few features (usually) have at least two redeeming qualities: they are compact and light. The dimensions of the W396 are 95 x 45 x 17 mm and its weight is 88-94g.

Motorola W388

I’m getting tired of reciting specs, so lets just say that its a lot like the W396 but is candybar instead of clamshell… and leave it at that… [Source]

Motorola RAZR VE20 for Sprint

If you read this morning’s article about the NFL Mobile Live Application, and read it to the end, you probably noticed that the RAZR VE20 was mentioned as a suggested phone for the application. Just giving you the heads up… read that article for the specs and all [Source]

Nokia Navigator 6210

It is only available in India (at least for now) so don’t get your hopes up or anything. The Nokia Navigator is a dedicated nav device that will help both vehicular travellers and pedestrians find their way. Its built on Symbian S60 so their is some flexibility for 3rd party apps - big plus. Its about $430 unlocked. Head to GSM Arena for a full review. [Source]

Football Loving Sprint Fans, Rejoice

If you’re a Sprint customer who also loves the NFL, you’re in for a treat. NFL Mobile Live will be available for free to data subscribers this season, keeping you in touch with every game, regardless of where you are. Fantasy Football players will likely see use of their phone increase about 2,000 percent.

So what do you get? Live radio broadcasts of every single Regular Season NFL game and Mobile TV broadcasts of the Thursday night NFL games that start on November 6th! You can set your “favorite team” and every time you open up NFL Mobile, it will send you right to this team’s most recent info and broadcasts, making navigation a breeze. It also comes with a load of stats and score updates… you know… the whole 9 yards!

Here is the official press release from sprint:

Sprint and NFL Bring Fans New ‘NFL Mobile Live’ Application Free of Charge, Including Live Radio Broadcasts of All NFL Regular-Season Games and Live NFL Network Game Telecasts

Through NFL Mobile Live, Only Sprint Customers Can Receive Live NFL Content via WirelessOVERLAND PARK, Kan., Aug 18, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Sprint (NYSE:S) and the National Football League are bringing NFL fans closer to the game with NFL Mobile Live, the only wireless source for complete, live access to NFL action. NFL Mobile Live is free of charge to Sprint data subscribers and is only available at Sprint.

For the first time in wireless, Sprint customers will be able to listen to the live radio broadcasts of every NFL game throughout the 2008 regular season and will also be able to watch all eight of the Thursday Night Football telecasts carried by NFL Network live beginning on Nov. 6 via the new NFL Mobile Live application. Sprint is making it easier to follow a specific team by carrying a live radio broadcast for each game including pregame and postgame reports in most instances.

Users can choose a favorite team and every time they use NFL Mobile Live that team’s information will appear on the screen first with the latest information and quick links to live broadcasts for that team on game days, thus eliminating the need to navigate through several screens.

“NFL Mobile Live demonstrates how Sprint brings its Now Network to life,” said John Garcia, president of Sprint’s wireless division. “With NFL Mobile Live, fans will be able to listen to any NFL game as it happens, watch live streaming action of NFL Network games or check stats of their fantasy players and get updated scores - all from their phones. And they can do this from wherever they happen to be - at their child’s soccer game, shopping at the mall or even sneaking a peek while they’re raking leaves in the yard.”

NFL.com fantasy owners no longer need to be tied to their computer. NFL Mobile Live allows fantasy owners to monitor the performance of every player in real time directly from their phone. Key information for individual players will be easily accessible, including real-time game and season cumulative stats, rankings, player profiles and photos. And for the first time fans will be able to watch video highlights for some players on NFL Mobile Live via a link on the player’s main page. Players with video highlights will vary week to week.

“The NFL continues to explore new ways to feed our fans’ insatiable appetite to get NFL games, news and highlights, anytime, anywhere and on any screen,” said Brian Rolapp, NFL senior vice president of media strategy. “NFL Mobile Live, exclusively from Sprint, enables fans to enjoy Thursday Night Football and other exclusive content on their terms.”

In addition to the live radio broadcasts and NFL Network game telecasts, fans will again have live access to NFL Network’s non-game programming throughout the season including training-camp reports and previews for every team along with popular programs, such as NFL Total Access, NFL GameDay and NFL Playbook.

Fans will get the latest news and analysis from training camp through the Super Bowl from NFL.com’s experts along with video highlights of the top plays available each week throughout the season.

NFL Mobile Live is included at no additional charge in Sprint’s Everything plans starting at $69.99, including Simply Everything(SM), which combines unlimited voice, messaging and extensive data services - such as NFL Mobile Live - for just $99.99 per month. With other Sprint plans, customers can get NFL Mobile Live by adding a Data Pack, starting at $15 per month. NFL Mobile Live is available on most Sprint handsets.

In addition, Sprint and Motorola will introduce the MOTORAZR(TM) VE20 as an ideal wireless handset to experience NFL Mobile Live(1). Harnessing the speed of Sprint’s Mobile Broadband Network, MOTORAZR VE20 offers access to additional Sprint-exclusive multimedia content including Sprint TV(R)(1) with an extensive selection of live and on-demand programming, Sprint Music Store(SM)(1) offering over-the-air downloads of full-length songs(2) and Sprint Navigation(1) with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, one-click traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings. MOTORAZR VE20 features touch sensor controls on the external display, an integrated MP3 player, a 2.0 MP camera and stereo Bluetooth(R) wireless technology. The MOTORAZR VE20 became available in all Sprint retail channels, including www.sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1, on August 17. The device will cost $99.99 with a two-year contract agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

[Via Sprint]

BlackBerry Kickstart, Pearl 2.0 Forthcoming

Remember how BlackBerry’s first ever flip phones were dubbed the “KickStart” and “SeaWolf” but rumored to change to the BlackBerry Pearl in an odd twist? Regardless what they end up being called… their release seems right around the corner.

An online retailer (Expansis) has already posted a pre-order page for the device and they’ve include two pictures of the Kickstart-Pearl-Seawolf:

This could be one of the hottest - if not THE hottest - flip phone ever made. But what will it be called? Our guess is they’ll call it the BlackBerry Pearly KickWolfer… kidding, kidding.

[Via MobileBurn]

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