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Some of you probably remember the "leaked" HTC Roadmap that finished with a hot pink handset called Hero. And I'm sure a good chunk of you found the color obnoxious. Well, here's the same phone in doodie diaper brown... Er, I mean... Royal Tasty Bronze. I think I actually prefer the pink. I liked the Bronze G1, so I don't know why this rubs me the wrong way.

But enough with the easy insults. The prominent chin of this 3G phone is trackball-free, and I'm not sure about how that hits me. There's no hardware keyboard either, so it looks like this one is all about the screen. I hope it's a good one.

Via Androinica

Well, maybe "death of G1" isn't the best choice of words. This roadmap does feature G1: v.2, and places it in the Fall with the Houdini. Is it just me, or does the Bigfoot look a lot like the Neo1973? Sapphire (MyTouch) will be out by mid-July, and the first-gen G1 will be off the shelves by early September. Check out the changing price points and black holidays for yourself by clicking the image below.

WES 2009 is underway in Orlando, Florida as we speak, and PhoneDog is committed to covering the convention for you.  Naturally, the week has centered around BlackBerry products and services, leading to some interesting announcements and rumors from various sources.  Rest assured that we will keep you up to date on the latest news!

BlackBerry Curve 8520 gets reviewed
The guys at Crackberry have gotten their hands on not one, but two Curve 8520 units and have provided an extensive review of the device.  The 8520 is rumored to replace the Curve 8300 series; which is a logical deduction, given the new optical trackball - new technology on a device that may replace the most popular smartphone in the US.  From a specifications standpoint though, the phone is definitely a step below the Curve 8900.  The full review can be found here, and a comparison picture can be found below.  Is it just me, or would anyone else kill for a BlackBerry lineup like that?



RIM co-CEO confirms existence of BlackBerry Storm 2
We reported on Alain Segond von Banchet, Channel Sales Manager for RIM in the Netherlands speaking about the BlackBerry Storm 2 last month, and co-CEO Jim Balsillie confirmed the rumor to Reuters yesterday.  According to Balsillie, the market is "large and untapped" and the current Storm is a success in regards to sales and adoption.  

Additionally, a random posting in Charlotte's Craigslist page lists the launch date as June 3rd:

"June 3rd The Storm 2 will be unveiled, so don't get stuck with the current model, Sell if you have and if You Buy don't pay much."

While probably nothing more than a wild guess by a bored Craigslist poster, the date is plausible, given von Banchet's former statement that "no new RIM devices will launch until the Storm 2."  From our original post:

"Where Segond von Banchet appears to lose some credibility, however, is in his statement that the company will be slowing their release schedule, and no new RIM devices will launch until the Storm 2."

With the device launching on June 3rd, it could pave the way for the BlackBerry Tour 9630 to launch shortly thereafter.  The most intriguing part, however, lies in the rumor that a new text entry method will come to the Storm 2.  Will the Storm 2 build upon the current device, or start fresh?

Though "reliable" isn't necessarily the word that comes to mind when one thinks of text messaging on an iDEN network, problems begin to arise when a network of four million users start having messaging troubles.  So was the case last week with Boost Mobile, when users of the popular $50 unlimited plan suddenly began receiving delayed text messages.  The delays would range from anywhere from one minute to as long as several hours, and didn't seem to be tied to a specific carrier.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Boost spokesperson John Votava acknowledged that the issue existed, and that Boost's engineers were hard at work installing new hardware and software for increased messaging capabilities.  "They've assured us we have a fix in place by next week, specifically by May 7th," he said.

The comments of dissatisfied customers could be found across the internet, specifically on the carrier's Facebook page.  "We've received comments from customers via our Facebook page, and we've had a few vocal customers on the site who were complaining about it, and who have since changed their tune, saying that their service has been stellar in the last few days," Votava added.  

At $50 per month for unlimited voice, text messaging, and data, the plan is priced competitively in comparison to postpaid unlimited plans; should Boost Mobile resolve the text messaging problems, the "bang for the buck" could be enough to compel die-hard texters to switch.

Cincinnati Bell, the small regional telecom company, became the first U.S. carrier to sell the Nokia 5800 touchscreen smartphone. The phone had previously only been sold inside the United States at Nokia's flagship stores.

"The touch screen Nokia 5800 XpressMusic adds a new dimension to Cincinnati Bell's growing smartphone line up," said Tim Bracken, director of consumer wireless for Cincinnati Bell. "It truly is a modern entertainment device with advanced Web browsing, built-in GPS, picture messaging, and music capabilities that surpass expectations for a fresh everyday smartphone. Also, the Nokia 5800 is WiFi-enabled, which means customers can achieve some of the fastest data speeds available today."

The phone will sell for $149 with a two-year service contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Nokia trumpeted the success of the phone worldwide, and announced in February that it had sold 1 million units in three weeks. However, the phone has not been picked up by any of the Tier 1 U.S. carriers.

The perpetual battle of BlackBerry versus iPhone is on, and Waterloo has won the first quarter.  The interesting part lies in the actual device that won - even with the company's launch of the BlackBerry Storm, Curve 8900, Pearl Flip, and Bold, it appears that the device of choice is still the trusty BlackBerry Curve 8300 series.  A recent analysis by NPD Group places the popular device in the top slot for US smartphone sales in Q1 2009 amidst some tough competition from Apple and HTC.

Stealing the title from the iPhone, NPD credits the Curve's success to the BOGO promotions that Verizon has been running as of late.  The top five smartphones sold in Q1 of this year:

1. RIM BlackBerry Curve (all 83XX models)
2. Apple iPhone 3G (all models)
3. RIM BlackBerry Storm
4. RIM BlackBerry Pearl (all models, except for Pearl Flip)
5. T-Mobile G1

Sascha Segan (@saschasegan), the cell phone guru at PC Magazine, made a good point on Twitter this morning - the primary reason for the BlackBerry Curve's success is its availability across most of the US carriers.  At any rate, having three devices in the top five lineup is quite the accomplishment.  With the Pre and a potential new iPhone launching this year, the heat is going to be on as to who can be number one.

Your thoughts?  Let us know!

Source: BGR

After numerous delays and several sighs by Symbian fans around the US, AT&T has finally released the Nokia E71x.  Launching at $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate (and as low as $.01 in some places), the device offers a full QWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, aGPS, all wrapped in a 10mm thin 3G package.  The device is available online today (May 4th), and will be in stores by the end of the week.

I've used the unlocked version, and in my opinion, the best feature by far is the battery life.  The E71 lasted for nine days when I left it on my desk, and when talking, I could easily go two days between charges.  As with most Nokia phones, the reception is also second to none.  For those that travel and are frequently away from a charger, the combination of reception and solid battery life makes the device worth a look.

Remember the T-Mobile ‘Dance’ sensation back in January, when 350 dancers took Liverpool Street Station in London by surprise?  Well, T-Mobile and advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi are back with another feel-good video for their ‘Life’s for Sharing’ campaign, this time involving a lot more people and a lot more interaction!

After grabbing the public’s attention with a series of teaser adverts suggesting something was going to happen in Trafalgar Square on the 30th April 2009 at 6pm, an astounding 13,500 people gathered there to be part of the follow-up to ‘Dance’, but totally unaware of what it would be!

T-Mobile’s plan was to recreate the fun atmosphere of a Karaoke, so 2000 microphones were handed around the crowd and a huge video screen began showing images of the people, filmed by more than 20 cameras in and around Trafalgar Square.  As the music started and lyrics appeared on the screen for all to follow, the crowd burst into song, with even passers-by joining the throng and sharing a handy microphone!

But it was to be The Beatles’ classic ‘Hey Jude’ - the first time it has ever been used as part of an advertising campaign in the UK - which would form the heart of the ‘Sing-along’ advert and you can enjoy watching the extended four-minute version on YouTube.  We can’t wait to see what T-Mobile have for us next!

Post from Dial-a-Phone, UK's no. 1 for Mobile Phones.

Noah checks out the built-in Facebook and MySpace apps on the Sidekick LX 2009. But one of them won't work! Uh-oh...