Motorola VE240 on Cricket & Metro PCS

It seems only the big carriers get love. What are gadget lovers in small rural areas to do when they want their phone fix from their own service provider? Weeping in the corner is usually one of the only options. But come out for a moment to check out the Motorola VE240.

Unfortunately, THIS is why, the smaller carriers don’t get enough love. The press release’s headline boasts of VALUE - a decidedly unsexy term that most customers on Cricket & Metro probably enjoy. Yet only 12 people in the nation would actually read the press release because they’re not reading gadget news online… they’re dilly dallying into their local store hoping to get a cheap phone that might even connect to the interwebs.

Some folks are forced to use smaller carriers… after all, sometimes you’re stuck with who ya got based on where ya live, right? If you’re one of those 12 people feel free to chime in on the comments, located after the full and depressing press release:

Motorola Introduces Value-Packed MOTO™ VE240 with Mobile Music and Hands-Free Convenience

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Nov. 14, 2008 – Motorola, Inc. today announced MOTO™ VE240 will be arriving soon to Cricket Communications, Inc., (a wholly owned subsidiary of Leap Wireless International, Inc.), and to Metro PCS Communications, Inc. The new MOTO VE240 is a sleek candy-bar style device that brings cutting-edge features, such as MP3 and Stereo Bluetooth® Wireless Technology¹, at an attractive price point customers will love.

“MOTO VE240 will help consumers further enjoy the benefits offered by two of the nation’s top providers of unlimited wireless communications with its many features and great looks,” said Kathleen Finato, vice president of sales, Motorola. “We are delighted to offer the features most important to consumers with impressive quality at an unbelievable value.”

The full music experience is enjoyed with MOTO VE240’s MP3 player with a dedicated music key, 4GB of optional removable memory, high audio speakerphone and USB 2.0 full-speed technology for fast file transfers from a PC² (optional cable required). Through Stereo Bluetooth wireless technology, MOTO VE240 makes it easy for users to enjoy high-fidelity sound when paired with compatible Bluetooth-enabled headsets.

Availability
The VE240 will be available from Cricket Communications in the Tulsa market tomorrow, and all Cricket Communications and MetroPCS markets in the coming weeks. Consumers can obtain additional information at any local Cricket retail location and online at www.mycricket.com or any MetroPCS authorized dealer locations and company-owned retail locations and online at www.metropcs.com.

About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications. The company develops technologies, products and services that make mobile experiences possible. Our portfolio includes communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. Motorola is committed to delivering next generation communication solutions to people, businesses and governments. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.6 billion in 2007. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com.

###

Maria Parra
Motorola, Inc.
Office: 954-723-5272
E-mail: maria.parra@motorola.com

Certain mobile phone features may not be available throughout the entire network or their functionality may be limited. All features, functionality and other product specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation.

¹This device supports Bluetooth OPP, FTP, BIP, BPP, HFP, and A2DP profiles. In order for Bluetooth devices to communicate with one another, they must utilize the same Bluetooth profile. To determine the profiles supported by other Motorola devices, visit www.motorola.com/bluetooth. For other devices, contact their respective manufacturer. Certain Bluetooth features including those listed may not be supported by all compatible Bluetooth-enabled devices, and/or the functionality of such features may be limited in certain devices, or by certain wireless carriers. Contact your wireless carrier about feature availability and functionality.

² Network-dependent feature, not available in all areas. Airtime, data charges and/or additional charges may apply. Wireless e-mail functionality requires an e-mail account with wireless server capabilities.
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. 2008. Windows Mobile, Microsoft, SharePoint, Windows, Outlook, and MSN are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. © Motorola, Inc. 2008. All rights reserved.

[Via Motorola PR]

Samsung Delve Dives Into Alltel

The Samsung Delve is now available for pre-order on Alltel’s Website and come November 6th will be found in retail stores. The Delve’s touch screen, virtual QWERTY, tactile feedback, TouchWiz Interface and widgetized home screen come with a $199 pricetag after a $100 mail in rebate.

Alltel sweetens the deal with a few extras:

Of course you’ll also need the “Smartphone Pack” for these features… a requirement to purchase the Delve. It also comes with a stylus, but no word on if the phone has any handy tricks that incorporate the stylus such as handwriting recognition. If it was included, we think they would have mentioned it, but a stylus is still pretty helpful for the big fingered folks out there!

It also has nuTsie which is a service that allows you to stream your iTunes playlist - or your friends’ iTunes playlist - directly to your phone. Hey Alltel customers… can we have some feedback on how well that service works?

The Samsung Delve is a pretty sweet and stylish looking phone, too! Lets see if this picture is big enough to break your screen:

Not bad… not bad at all, Alltel/Samsung. For Alltel folks who don’t want to wait for the Verizon deal to go through, praying they may be able to get a BlackBerry Storm on their beloved little network, perhaps the Samsung Delve is for you.

Here is the full Press Release:

Touch and Go: Samsung Delve™ lands at Alltel Wireless

Vibrant, stylish touch screen phone easy to use and navigate

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. & DALLAS — Alltel Wireless , America ’s largest network, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) announced today that the Samsung Delve™ will be available for pre-sale at alltel.com on October 30. With an intuitive interface and attractive touchscreen design, the Samsung Delve is a stylish way to stand out in the crowd and stay connected to those who matter most.

The touchscreen phone, highlighted by a virtual QWERTY keyboard and tactile feedback, has been designed with Samsung’s unique TouchWiz™ interface. The TouchWiz interface incorporates specially designed widgets that allow the user to customize and personalize their phone. Users can ‘drag and drop’ widgets onto the main screen, which offers users instant access to their favorite functions. The widgets allow users to customize the main display screen to match the icons of the applications and features they use the most.

“There is a paradigm shift in the way users are interacting with their wireless devices, and Alltel is at the forefront of creating new ways for users to harness the power of their mobile phones,” said Brian Ullem, vice president of device strategy for Alltel Wireless. “The Samsung Delve boasts a new, powerful user interface using ‘widgets’ customers can drag and drop to configure their phone. It offers a new level of control and convenience.”

Music lovers will appreciate the Samsung Delve’s MP3 player, and the 2.0 megapixel camera with video capabilities will add value for fans of multimedia content.

Several applications are preloaded on the phone for the ultimate entertainment experience, including Alltel Pic Transfer, Alltel Mobile Advisor, City Id, Collapse Chaos and Wallpaper Universe. The Samsung Delve also features Bluetooth® capabilities, an expandable MicroSD memory slot and an industry standard 3.5 millimeter headset jack. The Samsung Delve contains additional accessories such as an additional battery, a stylus, soft protective case, travel charger, stereo headset and PC data cable.

“The customizable features of the Samsung Delve make it easy for people to use and navigate,” said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Mobile. “People are busier than ever, and the easy-to-use Samsung Delve will keep the features people need within a single touch.”

Beginning today, Alltel customers can be among the first to order the Samsung Delve at alltel.com for $199.99 after $100 mail in rebate. The Samsung Delve will also be available in retail stores and at shopalltel.com on November 6. Additionally, customers purchasing the phone will receive free access to Email, Alltel TV on Demand Connect, Alltel Navigation, MyCast Weather and Alltel Radio Connect. A Smart Choice Pack is required in order to purchase the Samsung Delve at this price.

Additionally, Alltel’s newest music application, nuTsie, is available for free access on the Samsung Delve. nuTsie provides the ultimate music experience by allowing users to stream their own iTunes™ playlists, their friends’ iTunes playlists and nearly limitless new music from nuTsie’s catalog – with no side-loading or uploading hassles. For more information on this innovative application, please visit alltel.com/nutsie.

Alltel’s Smart Choice Packs give customers national voice minutes with an unlimited data plan and all of their favorite features, all for one low monthly price. The Smart Choice Pack 500 provides unlimited data, five “My Circle” numbers, 500 anytime minutes and free nights and weekends for $69.99 per month; the Smart Choice Pack 500 Plus includes 10 “My Circle” numbers for $89.99 per month. Additional packages include the Smart Choice Pack 1200, with 1,200 anytime minutes, unlimited data, 10 “My Circle” numbers and free nights and weekends starting at 7PM for $109.99 per month; the Smart Choice Pack 2000 upgrades that package to include 20 “My Circle” numbers and 2,000 anytime minutes for $139.99 per month. The ultimate choice is the Smart Choice Pack 5500, delivering 20 “My Circle” numbers, and 5,500 anytime minutes, in addition to all of the benefits offered by the other packages.

[Via Alltel PR]

RIM Releases Blackberry Web Signals

There are two things you should know about Blackberry users:
1.    When we are using our Blackberry’s but aren’t typing, we are probably playing Brick Breaker and,
2.    We like receiving information more from our Blackberry’s then from, say, the rest of the world.

So it seems in good taste that RIM has announced a new way to get yet more information to the screens of Blackberry users far and wide, in the form of Blackberry Web Signals.

Not quite emails, not quite texts, these packets of information are pushed to devices from any number of information sources one might frequent, such as Canada’s CBC News (if you live in Canada, or think Canada is sweet, which it is), Accuweather, The New York Times, Reuters, Thumbplay, Dada Entertainment, Fox News, and The Washington Post. Hey, if it saves valuable time spent scrolling around with the browser I’m all for it.

To add this service, visit mobile.blackberry.com on your BB.

Press Release via Boy Genius Report

BlackBerry Bold On AT&T - Nov. 4th at $299.99

The title says it all, folks. The BlackBerry Bold will finally, finally, FINALLY be hitting the market just in time for not as many people to really care considering the release of the T-Mobile G1 and upcoming BlackBerry Storm. At $299.99 you’ve got to wonder how many people will pick this up over the alternatives… including the iPhone.

Here is the press release about the launch, found on the RIM website:

AT&T Customers to Enter a ‘Bold’ New Wireless World

Breakthrough BlackBerry Smartphone Is Coming to Nation’s Fastest 3G Network; Arrives in Stores Nov. 4

DALLAS, Texas, and WATERLOO, Ontario - AT&T customers will be entering a bold new wireless world with the launch of the BlackBerry® BoldTM, a breakthrough 3G BlackBerry® smartphone that operates on the nation’s fastest 3G network and is the first to support HSDPA networks around the world, including in Japan and Korea. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Research In Motion (Nasdaq:RIMM; TSX:RIM) announced today that the highly anticipated BlackBerry Bold smartphone will be available in the United States for as low as $299.991 on Tuesday, Nov. 4, in AT&T retail stores nationwide, through www.att.com and select national retailers, as well as through AT&T’s business-to-business sales teams.

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone, which is being introduced in the United States only for AT&T customers, can be used in the most countries abroad, including more than 60 with 3G networks. AT&T is the world’s leading provider of BlackBerry services.

Bold Design
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone’s design and performance live up to its name. The elegant smartphone features a lustrous black exterior, satin chrome-finished frame and stylish, leatherette backplate with a stunning half-VGA (480 x 320 at 217 ppi) color display for eye-popping visuals and a newly designed full QWERTY keyboard for exceptionally fast and easy typing. On the inside, the BlackBerry Bold features built-in GPS and Wi-Fi®, a powerful new 624 MHz mobile processor that provides impressive performance, more storage memory than ever before — 1 GB on board and up to 16 GB via its microSD/SDHC expansion slot — and a rich set of multimedia capabilities, including an advanced media player for music, videos and photos and a 2 megapixel camera with built-in flash, zoom and video recording, as well as an optimized Web-browsing experience with desktop-style depiction.

“The BlackBerry Bold is the best BlackBerry smartphone ever, backed by the nation’s fastest 3G network and the hands-down best international coverage of any carrier,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer of AT&T Mobility. “The BlackBerry Bold is the complete package, providing customers with an absolutely outstanding mobile experience whether doing e-mail, browsing the Web, viewing streaming video or simply making a phone call. And it is being introduced in the U.S. only from AT&T.”

Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO at Research In Motion, said: “The development of the BlackBerry Bold smartphone was an ambitious undertaking, and we focused intensely on the things that are most important to mobile customers when developing this best-in-class smartphone for HSDPA networks around the world. The BlackBerry Bold exudes quality in everything from its stunning display sharpness and incredible keyboard to its premium phone performance and sophisticated software applications. It provides an extraordinary mobile communications and multimedia experience, and we are very proud to introduce this breakthrough smartphone in the United States together with AT&T.”

AT&T Services
In addition to the renowned BlackBerry productivity applications — including phone, e-mail, messaging, organizer and browser — the BlackBerry Bold from AT&T will boast such AT&T services as:

  • Simultaneous Voice and Data Capabilities — When connected to AT&T’s 3G network, customers can conduct a phone conversation and at the same time check e-mail, browse the Web or use another data application, including when tethered to a notebook computer.
  • AT&T Navigator Global Edition — Powered by TeleNav, the only GPS-based service available from a U.S. wireless carrier to provide international navigation capabilities. AT&T customers can get spoken or text-based turn-by-turn directions with automatic missed turn rerouting and a local business finder service in 20 countries.
  • Seamless Wi-Fi — Allows AT&T customers who turn on the BlackBerry Bold smartphone’s Wi-Fi feature — 802.11 a/b/g — to connect automatically to home or campus networks. AT&T customers also will be able to access more than 17,000 AT&T hot spots nationwide, including nearly 7,000 participating Starbucks locations plus thousands more restaurants, airports, hotels and other convenient locations across the U.S.
  • CV — CV (Cellular Video) from AT&T gives viewers access to thousands of video clips — news, sports, weather, entertainment and more — directly on a BlackBerry Bold smartphone via streaming video.
  • AT&T Mobile Music Services — An industry leader in mobile music, AT&T boasts the largest catalog of offerings available today, giving customers mobile access to enjoy XM Radio Mobile™, song identification through MusicID, music videos through MobiTV and over-the-air access to the extensive music databases of Napster Mobile® and eMusic® — just to name a few.

AT&T Navigator, CV, AT&T Mobile Music services and more than 90,000 additional choices are available through AT&T MEdia Mall directly from the BlackBerry Bold or online.

E-mail and More
Like all BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry Bold gives users the industry’s leading mobile messaging solution. It works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, which enables advanced security and IT administration within IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novel® GroupWise® environments, as well as BlackBerry® Professional Software for small businesses. It also works with BlackBerry® Internet Service, which gives users push-based access to as many as 10 supported work or personal e-mail accounts. Customers can also download and edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files using the preloaded DataViz® Documents to Go® software suite. Beyond e-mail, the BlackBerry Bold will support a wide range of business and lifestyle applications.

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone includes Bluetooth® 2.0, which provides support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals. The included BlackBerry® Desktop Manager software comes with Roxio® Media Manager for BlackBerry, which includes new features that make it easier to organize multimedia content as well as manage music, videos and recorded Voice Notes between a computer and the smartphone. It also optimizes video files for smooth full-screen playback on the BlackBerry Bold smartphone’s large display with support for full-screen and widescreen formats.

Roxio Photosuite 9 LE is included, allowing customers to easily enhance pictures and create photo albums on their computer. In addition, the new BlackBerry® Media Sync application allows customers to sync their iTunes® digital musical collections2 with the handset. The BlackBerry Bold also boasts a new acoustic design for enhanced phone listening quality and clarity and numerous premium phone features, including Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD).

[Via RIM]

T-Mobile Launches BlackBerry Flip

As if T-Mobile didn’t already have enough going for it with the Android enabled G1, they have just launched another phone - the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 - that should prove to be a work horse in terms of sales. As the first ever BlackBerry flip phone, T-Mobile will attract a the more typical, mass market consumer who has grown envious of the ever growing base of BlackBerry addicts.

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip phone has mostly everything your typical BlackBerry phone would have, but coupling it with the familiar flip form factor gives it the idea of a “dumbed down” device that the more “everyday” consumer can feel comfortable with.

Here is the Press Release from T-Mobile with specs and stats in the bullets at the bottom:

T-Mobile USA Launches First BlackBerry Flip Phone

New BlackBerry Pearl Flip Features Most Popular Mobile Phone Design in U.S.

Bellevue, Wash., and Waterloo, Ontario—Oct. 13, 2008—T-Mobile USA, Inc., and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM: TSX: RIM) today announced the BlackBerry® Pearl™ Flip 8220 smartphone—the first BlackBerry flip phone—is now available in the U.S., exclusively from T-Mobile.

The new BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone maintains the popular features and benefits of the BlackBerry Pearl; plus it packs numerous enhancements into the sleek and popular flip design. The spacious keyboard allows easy typing and dialing while the flip design helps protect the large, vibrant internal screen and provides the satisfying finality of ending a call by closing the phone. Customers will also appreciate the external display for previewing calendar reminders, e-mail, text messages and phone calls at a glance.

“The flip phone remains the vastly dominant and preferred design for mobile phones in the United States,” said Leslie Grandy, vice president of product development, T-Mobile USA. “Being the first company in the U.S. to offer the unique BlackBerry experience on a flip phone is a huge benefit for T-Mobile customers.”

The combination of rich multimedia capabilities and RIM’s powerful mobile e-mail solution together with support for text messaging, picture messaging, enhanced Web browsing and built in Wi-Fi® makes the BlackBerry Pearl Flip ideal for balancing a busy lifestyle by enabling customers to share pictures, check the latest sports scores or access social networking sites, including Facebook® and Flickr®.

“The BlackBerry Pearl Flip takes all the advanced features and refined usability that customers have come to expect from BlackBerry smartphones and makes them available in a friendly and innovative design,” said Mark Guibert, vice president of corporate marketing, Research In Motion. “Whether they are sending text messages or e-mail, listening to music or simply making phone calls, customers are going to love using this phone.”

In addition to the new flip design, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip also provides an advanced multimedia experience through video recording and playback, a 2.0 megapixel camera with digital zoom, stereo Bluetooth® support, and an easily accessible external memory card slot.

The Wi-Fi-enabled phone provides connectivity for both voice and data, as well as support for T-Mobile’s Unlimited HotSpot Calling service offering unlimited, nationwide calling over any accessible Wi-Fi connection including T-Mobile® HotSpot locations nationwide and great in-home coverage.* Whether through a Wi-Fi connection or the T-Mobile network, customers can quickly surf the Web, view pictures, send and receive messages, download documents, and access attachments.**

Key features of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip from T-Mobile include the following*

  • First BlackBerry smartphone to offer popular flip design
  • Wi-Fi-enabled (802.11 b/g) supporting Wi-Fi calling and fast Web browsing
  • Support for Unlimited HotSpot Calling, offering unlimited nationwide calling over accessible Wi-Fi networks
  • T-Mobile’s myFavesSM support to stay in touch with those who matter most, with quick, one-click access for instant messaging, e-mailing, texting or calling to your Fave 5 SM from the Home Screen
  • Enhanced SureType® keyboard to support text messaging, picture messaging, instant messaging (six popular clients), personal e-mail (access up to 10 supported e-mail accounts), and corporate e-mail
  • 2.0 megapixel camera with digital zoom, built-in flash and video recording (requires microSD card)
  • Advanced media player for pictures, music and video with full-screen video playback
  • Stereo Bluetooth® support (A2DP/AVRCP) and 3.5mm stereo headset jack
  • Media management software included on the BlackBerry Tools CD, which allows transfer of music files including sync of desktop iTunes music files***
  • Enhanced HTML browser for high-performance browsing with a more desktop-style depiction
  • Internal QVGA 2.4-inch diagonal screen, 320 x 240 pixels and supporting 65K colors
  • 128 MB of flash memory, 256MB microSD card included, and support for up to a 16 GB microSD/SDHC card
  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi network including support for international roaming
  • Dimensions: 3.9” x 1.96” x 0.68”
  • Weight: 3.6 oz

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip is now available in T-Mobile retail stores and select authorized dealers, online at http://www.t-mobile.com or by calling 1-800-T-MOBILE. Available at launch in black, the phone is also planned to be available in red in the coming weeks.

[Via T-Mobile PR]

Sprint, XOHM & WiMax: Event Recap

I walked a whole seven blocks to get from my house to the Sprint WiMax Press Conference in Baltimore earlier today and it was well worth the walk. The 4G technology is impressive… and it worked… and extremely well might I add. The event organizers did a tremendous job by turning a “press conference” into a “media event”.

When I arrived and signed in, I was given a folder with various literature, a USB Flash stick with press releases, bios and information and a Flip Mino video camera. Awesome! All the pictures and video in this post were taken with my new camera, courtesy of XOHM/WiMax (thanks)!

The venue was outdoors, on a raised stage and under a tent- the weather was nice and it worked out really well. I snapped a picture as I prepared for the “important people” to take the stage:

The speaking agenda was Barry West (CTO, XOHM), Sean Maloney (VP Marketing, Intel) and Dan Hesse (CEO, Sprint Nextel). Barry West stood out as a particularly engaging speaker who brought out a fun, down to earth style to the stage.

Mr. West opened up by acknowledging they were launching on one of the worst days in stock market history and after showing a brief promotional video exclaimed, “I’m Barry West and I approve this message.” It was funny and the crowd responded.

A few key points from his presentation:

I was really impressed with the marketing standpoint that Sprint is taking with XOHM. They acknowledged that most consumers don’t care how something works… they just care that it works! Most consumers know what WiFi is and are aware of the constraints of HotSpots. So… that’s why WiMax is “A Hotspot As Big As A City.”

It makes sense and I think the concept will resonate with consumers… as long as they are able to get the message out there. They’re competing with Comcast who has a HUGE market share (and Verizon). They’ll be testing in-store sales, mall kiosks, telesales, door to door sales and other methods to find what marketing/sales methods are most effective. More on that later.

But the day was about DEVICES, Barry West proclaimed… and that means new Notebooks from Lenovo, Acer, Asus and Toshiba with WiMax chips embedded. A ZTE USB Dongle, Nokia N810 Internet Tablet and 20+ more devices are on the way. These products will be available at XOHM.com, Sprint.com, Amazon.com, NewEgg.com and in 6 Baltimore area BestBuy kiosks.

Most Ridiculous/Funniest comment of the entire day: After listing where consumers can purchase, Barry West admits, “I’m not sure why you would buy anything with the New Egg.”

HA!

Then Dan Hesse took the stage with a completely different tone/approach. Whereas Barry West gave off more of a speaking one-on-one vibe, Dan Hesse got all Barack Obama with his public speaking skills. But does anyone else think he looks like Brian Billick (formerly of the Baltimore Ravens):

He said that if there was a single “Killer App” for mobile it would be video, which is a notorious bandwidth hog. WiMax overcomes that obstacle. He said it will open up a world of possibilities for other apps… and it really, truly will.

Plus… just think of the SPEED. A mobile device where it uses 4G when available and DOWNshifts to 3G. That’s right, 3G is a downgrade. Sheesh… technology moves fast. He closed by saying he read the book “BLack & Blue” about the Balitmore Orioles beating the Brooklyn Dodgers for the MLB pennant in 1966: “The Orioles won’t be bringing a championship to Baltimore this year, but Sprint is…”

I’m not sure how many in the crowd were from Baltimore besides me… I’m a big baseball fan so I liked the closing but imagine it seemed odd to others.

All the execs then got together for a picture where Barry Water did the formality of “cutting a riboon”. But just before he cut it, as a few people rushed to take last minute pics, he posed and said, “a special one for Verizon.” Nice… nice…

Then it was onto the product demonstrations. Right out of the gate, they had little kiosks set up with various devices that allowed you to test the speeds of WiMax:

Then, right next to those kiosks, there was a line forming for a luxury van tour. It drove you into the harbor area so you could test how WiMax worked in a vehicle, with reps answering questions in front of a big screen during the tour. The van never went over 25 or 30 MPH so its hard to tell how it would perform on the highway.

From there we walked a block to the “In Home Experience” which was pretty neat. They rented out a Row Home that overlooked the Harbor and converted it into a WiMax display house that had notebooks set up with friendly folks there to answer questions:

The deck on the back overlooked the waterfront where you could see Water Taxis coming and going, not to mention one of my favorite local restaurants (Shucker’s) directly next door:

Speaking of Water Taxis, that was yet ANOTHER experience that Sprint offered. Get on board for the XOHM Water Commuter Experience. Yup, it even worked on the water. And again, very well might I add.

So they offered multiple venues for learning about WiMax and did all three: Van, In-Home and Water. That was the biggest let down of the event… they kind of just said, “Here is a laptop… see how fast it is now? That’s because it has XOHM.”

So much hard work and technology goes into building a huge 4G network like WiMax but unfortunately, the network is just the guy in the middle that doesn’t get any love. The hardware is on one end, the applications and web are on the other and the network connects the two… but its compareably more boring than having a cool gadget to play with or awesome app to utilize. Fortunately for us, Sprint and partners are taking care of the “boring” stuff so that the “cool stuff” works faster than ever before, enabling a new breed of applications that would previously been either impossible or unbareably slow.

So exactly how was is WiMax? One gentlemen compared it on the spot to his iPhone 3G and it absolutely blew the iPhone out of the water. The down stream was consistently registering 5+ megs on land, car and sea. This thing is blazing fast.

What is more exciting is that Sprint supposedly has the spectrum to cover more than half of the world’s population with this 4G network. Even in areas where there aren’t ANY kind of wires - we’re talking straight up tribal - WiMax has the potential to allow mobile devices to access the internet at 4G speeds. The New Clearwire has already poured 3.2 Billion dollars of capital into this project and it will take an estimated $5 Billion to bring everything to fruition. Time to hold a fundraiser!

There is no doubt that WiMax is faster than the alternatives available now… MUCH faster.  Combine that with the mobility that WiMax offers - it truly is a city wide (and beyond) hotspot - and you could say that WiMax doesn’t even HAVE any alternatives.

Barry West would agree with that statement… and he did during his presentation saying that no company has the infrastructure to even CREATE a competitve answer to WiMax in the next 2 years.

But the competitors and challenges won’t be easy to overcome for Sprint and WiMax. Regardless of the fact that they have a clearly superior product/service, the market share and brand recognition that Comcast currently enjoys will take a ton of education to combat. Combine that with the current economic situation where people don’t want to HEAR about more ways they can spend money and the waters could prove to be turbulent.

Fortunately for Sprint and WiMax, the market also tends to reward companies who build truly innovative devices. And with 20+ products soon on the market with WiMax enabled chips and the likes of Sprint, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, ZTE and ZyXEL behind it there is virtually no way it can or will fail… unless for some odd reason, huge volumes of consumers eventually bog down the network.

But then again, that would be a good problem to have, would it not.

BlackBerry Storm: First Reviews

The cat is out of the bag - the BlackBerry Storm is now official… “for permanent real” as we like to say. How do we know? How about a joint Verizon/Vodafone press release, announcement video from Vodafone CMO, live info on Vodafone’s website and a handful of BlackBerry Storm Reviews from some of your favorite tech websites!

Lets go through the goods, step-by-step (NOTE: Visit the BlackBerry Storm Forum for more)!

Vodafone’s Chief Marketing Officer, Frank K. Rovekamp, announces the BlackBerry Storm:

Storm on Vodafone.com: http://blackberry.vodafone.co.uk/storm/
Storm Specifications PDF: http://blackberry.vodafone.co.uk/storm/bb_storm_tech_specification.pdf

BlackBerry Storm Reviews

It seems that Gizmodo, Wired and Engadget got their hands on the goods and we’ll overview each of the Website’s first impressions.

Gizmodo says that using the Storm for the first time is startling - in a very good way. The Storm’s full screen button is the first true touch screen innovation worthy of being dubbed “iPhone Killer” material… while its clumsily tossed around elsewhere, it is relevant here. Beautiful touchscreen, improved HTML browsing are huge pluses and no WiFi (for VZW) is one of the ONLY drawbacks. Read Gizmodo’s Full Review.

Wired.com also goes with the iPhone comparison saying The Storm, “gets closest of any device we’ve ever laid hands on. And in one critical area it — get ready for it — it actually beats the iPhone.” If you guessed the TouchScreen is that one critical area, you’re absolutely right. Its got connectivity around the world, cut-and-paste features and a 3.2MP camera to boot that works very well. One of the only downfalls mentioned? Its kind of heavy. Read Wired’s Full Review.

Engadget calls it, “a beast of a phone in more ways than one.” They were skeptical at first because of the phone’s “beefiness”, but its beautiful screen, excellent video playback helped win them over. It doesn’t hurt that the unique, ClickTouch touch screen, ” easily leaves traditional touchscreen typing… in the dust”. Read Engadget’s Full Review.

So there you have it: 3 reviews and 3 epic wins. Look for the BlackBerry Storm to be a real contender for your smart phone dollar come the holidays.

Last but not least, the Press Release:

BLACKBERRY TAKES THE WORLD BY STORM ON THE MOST RELIABLE NETWORKS IN EUROPE AND THE U.S.

Verizon Wireless, Vodafone and RIM Deliver the Power of a Smartphone with the World’s First Tactile Touch Display on a BlackBerry

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., NEWBURY, England, and WATERLOO, Ontario – Verizon Wireless, Vodafone Group (NYSE and LSE: VOD) and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that the BlackBerry® Storm™ will be available exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S. and Vodafone customers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand next month.

Designed to appeal to both consumers and business customers, the BlackBerry Storm combines the powerful communication features and productivity tools of a global BlackBerry smartphone with revolutionary technology that provides for easy and precise touch screen typing on the world’s first tactile touch display that responds like a keyboard and combines multi-touch and gesture support for intuitive selection and application navigation.

In the U.S., BlackBerry Storm customers will benefit from the nation’s most reliable wireless voice network and the pervasiveness of Verizon Wireless’ reliable high-speed Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) network for rich Internet browsing. Building on the strong business heritage of BlackBerry, the Storm offers consumers a host of fun and practical features, including:

  • Large high resolution screen coupled with a rich multi-media suite
  • Text (SMS), picture messaging (MMS), the ability to watch 30-second video clips, instant messaging and access to popular social networking sites
  • Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery that provides approximately 5.5 hours of talk time and 15 days of standby time.

“The BlackBerry Storm offers our customers more ways to stay connected to both their personal and professional lives – whether in their community or around the globe,” said Mike Lanman, vice president and chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless. “The BlackBerry Storm combines the reliability of our network with the dependability and network efficiency of the BlackBerry platform to deliver our customers the ultimate wireless experience – all in one of the coolest smartphones available on the market today.”

The Power is in The Touch
The BlackBerry Storm comes with a unique touch screen that gives a distinct ‘click’ confirmation when depressed ever so slightly, very similar in experience to a keyboard-based BlackBerry smartphone. An easy to use menu adds support for multi-touches, taps, slides, swipes and other gestures, so customers can easily select, scroll, pan, and zoom for smooth navigation.
The tactile touch screen display gives customers worldwide a choice of virtual keyboards – RIM’s SureType® layout in portrait and a full QWERTY* layout in landscape orientation. Relevant features such as cut and paste are only a touch away for the ultimate smartphone experience.

World Class Smartphone
The BlackBerry Storm is a top of the line mobile phone with global connectivity. In the U.S., the BlackBerry Storm gives Verizon Wireless customers EV-DO Rev. A/CDMA – technology – and (2100Mhz) HSPA/UMTS as well as quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM for global use. The BlackBerry Storm 9500 from Vodafone supports (2100Mhz) HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks.

Browse the World Over
Customers will enjoy a full HTML high performance browser that works in either portrait or landscape orientation. Navigating Web sites is fast and easy with the touch screen interface that lets users tap to zoom in and slide their finger to scroll. Icons along the bottom of the display allow for quickly accessing “Favorites”, opening the virtual keyboard to enter text, switching between “Page View” and “Column View”, as well as the ability to toggle between “Pan” mode and “Cursor” mode. The enhanced browser supports file downloading, streaming audio and video, and with its built-in RSS support, new content from supported Web sites can be automatically pushed to the user.

Packed with Additional Features
The BlackBerry Storm, exclusively from Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, also includes the following features and functions:

  • BlackBerry® Internet Service, BlackBerry® Unite!, BlackBerry® Professional Software and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support for seamless integration with corporate email systems and the security and IT policy controls that enterprise customers require
  • Edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset
  • 3.2 megapixel camera, with variable zoom, auto focus, and a powerful flash that also provides continuous lighting when recording video; the camera records video in half-VGA resolution (480×320) or at 176×144 for MMS
  • 1 GB of on board memory storage and 8 GB microSD memory card included in expandable memory card slot
  • Media player that can find content on the handset in an instant, display pictures and slideshows quickly, play movies smoothly in full screen mode in any orientation, and manage an entire music collection; playlists can be created directly on the handset and there’s an equalizer with 11 preset filters – including “Lounge”, “Jazz” and “Hip Hop” – for customized audio ranges when using wired headphones or external speakers
  • Sleek, elegant design with contoured corners, stainless steel back and chrome side-accents that frame its large (3.26”), touch sensitive, glass lens display; its exceptional 360 x 480 resolution at 184ppi, offering the highest resolution display ever introduced on a BlackBerry smartphone, is crisp and colorful with clarity that’s easy on the eyes
  • A sensor automatically adjusts to ambient light for ideal screen viewing and an orientation sensor allows customers to use the handset in a portrait or landscape position

Samsung Sway for Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless issued a press release today regarding their most recent music phone - available online now and later this month in stores - the Samsung Sway. Its actually very attractive and is less than HALF an inch thick - that is SUPER SLIM - a benefit that plenty of folks out there would enjoy. The full press release is below!

Swing Into Action With Samsung Sway™ From Verizon Wireless

Slim, Silver Slider Phone Packed with Non-Stop Music Entertainment and a 2.0 Megapixel Camera/Camcorder
Customer Inquiries

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and DALLAS — Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) announced that the Samsung Sway™ will be available for order today online at www.verizonwireless.com, in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, and by calling 1-800-2 JOIN IN. This stylish phone comes packaged in a slim slider design with a silver finish, and it will be in stores for purchase on Oct. 14.

Verizon Wireless customers can use the Sway as an MP3 player to access more than 5 million songs that can be side-loaded from their PCs to their phones with a USB cable using V CAST Music with Rhapsody. Most music downloaded onto the PC using V CAST Music with Rhapsody is free of digital rights management software, which means the music can be played on multiple devices.

The Sway’s 2.0 megapixel camera with digital zoom comes with NightShot to enhance the camera’s capabilities in dark environments. The phone features a camcorder; Bluetooth® wireless technology for certain profiles; and video, picture, text and IM messaging options to help customers capture special moments and stay connected to friends and family.

Key features and capabilities of the Samsung Sway from Verizon Wireless include:

  • Media Center-capable – downloadable games, ringtones, wallpapers, location-based services and more
  • Mobile Web-capable – customizable, enhanced wireless access to the latest in news, sports, weather and more
  • Mobile IM capabilities
  • Text, picture and video messaging
  • Bluetooth profiles supported: headset, stereo, hands-free (car kits), serial port, object push for vCard and vCalendar only, basic imaging, basic printing and phonebook access profiles
  • 2.0 megapixel camera with NightShot
  • Camcorder
  • Expandable memory up to 8GB with external microSD™ card slot
  • Hearing aid compatibility = M4
  • Bilingual user interface (English and Spanish)
  • Personal organizer with calculator, calendar, alarm clock, world clock, stop watch and notepad
  • Dimensions: 4.15” (h) x 1.96” (w) x 0.47” (d) with standard battery
  • Weight: 3.56 ounces
  • Display: 2.2”
  • Usage time: up to 270 minutes with standard battery or
  • Standby time: up to 312 hours with standard battery

Verizon Wireless has priced the Sway to be available for $69.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, customers can visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungwireless.com.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$103.4 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

[Via Verizon Wireless PR]