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Dashing onto the scene today, the T-Mobile Dash 3G is officially available on the T-Mobile website.  Looking somewhat similar to the HTC Snap with Sprint (they are related, after all), the device offers a full QWERTY keyboard with a 2.4-inch QVGA display, built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, Exchange support, and of course, Windows Mobile 6.1.  Starting at $349.99 full retail, the device is available for $169.99 with a two-year agreement.

Does the phone woo the PhoneDog gang?  Is it worth owning?  Does it perform and dash through tasks as it should?  Check out Noah's unboxing video, and stay tuned for my written review of the device!


Source: Engadget Mobile

Sunday's launch of the BlackBerry Tour 9630 is making waves across the circuit, but in a lesser known news bit, Sprint plans to offer two new colors on its various BlackBerry Curve models.  On the Sprint side, the BlackBerry Curve 8330 will be offered in "inferno orange," whereas the Nextel BlackBerry Curve 8350i will launch in red.  The orange 8330 is scheduled to be in retail locations by July 12th, and the red 8350i will hit shelves on August 2nd.

I, for one, will be interested to see what an orange Curve (which, in my mind, is the first real consumer colored Curve) looks like in person.  Anyone going to jump on the bandwagon and get one at launch? 


Source: BerryReview

It may be 48,000 shy of Apple's App Store, but the BlackBerry App World is making waves three and a half months post-launch.  Despite a few bugs at launch, the store stands at about 2,000 applications, a respectable number and a great thing for North American BlackBerry users.  The App World is set to launch in in Italy, France, Germany, andSpain later this month, and the number of applications will most likely rise when they go live, according to Jeff McDowell, vice president of global alliances.

Though download numbers haven't been announced as of yet, the company was "very happy" with the results, McDowell added.  The inevitable question of whether the App World will catch up with the Apple App Store doesn't seem to worry RIM.  "Whether it's 40,000 or 2,000 [apps], you've still got a broad range of choice," he said.  Anyone disagree?


Source: Engadget Mobile

 

My distress over the fact that T-Mobile USA just launched a new HTC Android phone that's not Hero has been well documented as of late, so let's just leave that to the side for now, shall we?  Fact is, there's finally a second Android phone on a US carrier, and T-Mo's got both of 'em ... so let's celebrate T-Mobile's (and HTC's) monopoly over the US Android market while it lasts, shall we?

T-Mo hosted a launch shindig for media in NYC today, and to nobody's surprised they used the event to launch myTouch 3G, which is essentially a re-branded HTC Magic.  They also unleashed a slew of myTouch accessories and made it generally known that they're going to hype the customization angle when it comes to marketing myTouch to the peoples.  Which is good, because everyone and their cousin has been wondering why T-Mo didn't name the thing "G2" instead of "myTouch 3G."  Now we know: $199 with a two-year contract won't merely get you a thinner, keyboard-less G1.  No, no, it will get you a supercustomizable smartphone worth of YOUR touch.

I think the $199 launch price is a bit high given the shot across everyone's bow Apple and AT&T sent with the $99 iPhone 3G, but it also places myTouch in line with everyone else's flagship phones, most notably iPhone 3GS (AT&T) and Palm Pre (Sprint).  I'd preferred to see myTouch slotted in at $149 or less, more to play up T-Mo's "best value" angle than anything else, since the real cost of a smartphone to the consumer comes in the form of those hefty monthly service bills.  People - well, American people at least - don't seem to look at the long-term cost of ownership when making a purchase like this, though.  We're suckers for that lowball up-front price.  Hence the genius of the $99 iPhone 3G and my slight scoff at myTouch costing twice that.

That said, I like how T-Mo is positioning myTouch 3G as an uber-customizable experience.  Let's face it, I might me miffed that we're not getting that other (newer, faster, better) HTC Android phone, but most consumers won't know the difference.  They won't even know what Android is.  What they will know is how they react to a smartphone that:

• - Has the Google name on the back
• - Looks like an iPhone without being an iPhone (c'mon, it looks enough like an iPhone to fool the Average Joe)
• - Can handle Email, messaging, Web browsing, and Maps with ease

and ...

• - Comes with a metric ton of customizable accessories in a slew of fashion-conscious colors!

I'm not being sarcastic with that last comment.  Seriously.  myTouch is like a grown-up Sidekick in that it offers a serious smartphone experience in a button-down jacket, but also gives you the option of wacky, fun extras.  Sidekick has those snap-on body plates and multicolored lights, right?  Well now myTouch 3G has:

•  Custom Shells: Choose from ready-made options or create and upload your own
•  Gel Skins available in eight colors
•  Wrist straps in colors to match those Gel Skins
•  Microfiber pouches, also available in those eight colors
•  A commuter mug.  Seriously, with the myTouch logo on it.
• And so much more!

Okay, there was a little sarcasm in there, but seriously, when have you seen a carrier launch a phone with so many accessories?  Sure, you can get crappy skins and cases on eBay and at the kiosk at the mall, but direct from your carrier?  And made to coordinate with a high-end flagship phone?  This is new to me, anyway.

So while I am mad at you, T-Mo and Google, for not giving us Hero's faster platform, better camera, 3.5mm audio jack, and Sense UI today, I am very proud of your marketing efforts.  I'll be very curious to see how this plays out, and if the mainstream set is drawn to the MY in myTouch 3G.  We already know those mainstreamers are interested in smartphones.  Could a commuter mug and "Fashion Case with wrist strap" be just what those folks need to tip them away from iPhone and Pre and towards myTouch 3G in finally signing up for their first smartphone?

Could be.  Geeks like specs and UIs.  Mainstream consumers?  Sometimes they're all about a choice of high-fashion colors.

On July 7th, the same day that GMail dropped its beta tag, wait...GMail is out of beta? Apparently so (more than five years after its introduction). Anyway, on the same day, Google announced the Chrome OS--a light-weight, cloud computing, open source stack consisting primarily of the Chrome browser and a window manager sitting atop the Linux kernel. It will initially be targeted at netbooks, but will grow in scope to envelop desktop computers and possibly other devices.

Chrome-powered netbooks will be available to consumers in the second half of 2010, says the entry in the Official Google Blog. The project will go open source later this year, and Google is looking for help from the community. Chrome OS will run on x86 and ARM processors, and the company is already working with various OEMs to get it in your hands.

Before long, we could be booting up in under five seconds to check email at the airport. We could have absolute back-up with auto-saved system changes. Our operating system could be as easy to synch across computers as Firefox is with a couple of plug-ins. Universal synch sounds wonderful. This isn't what they're promising, but that's what the cloud is about, right?

So the Android netbook debate may have been put to rest this week. While Google acknowledges some Android overlap and the factor of personal taste, it's clear where they're headed with the netbook set. And considering their affinity for open source products, I'd say it's about time they launched the Linux version of the Chrome browser so more of us can get a feel for the future of laptop computing.

I'm happy to announce that today is the start date for pre-orders of the T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google. You can put in your reservation now by clicking this link or by hitting the T-Mo homepage and clicking "Get it Now!" next to the picture of a myTouch. If you get in on the pre-order, you will receive your unit in the last few days of July or the first few of August.


Pre-orders are limited to existing customers. If you are eligible for a two-year contract extension you can get the phone for $199.99. But if your extension eligibility date was moved up by a customer service rep, like mine was, the phone is $399.99 on contract. The phone is $499.99 without a contract.


This means I cannot pre-order. my eligibility was moved up as a greatly appreciated gesture of courtesy for some hassles I had with my G1. Pre-orders are taken online only, and customer service reps have no access to the details of the sale. They can't change the shipping address after the order is placed, they can't change the unit prices populated at the website based on your account standing, and they can't wait for you to order online and then refund the difference. Believe me, I tried.


I have about a month to mull this one over. That's plenty of time for other Android handsets to be announced so my plans aren't set in stone.

Nokia has been approved to purchase several assets from failed Canadian telecom company Nortel. The FTC said on Tuesday they would allow Nokia to continue with the asset sale.

Nortel had said Nokia Siemens Networks — a joint venture of Nokia and Siemens — would offer $650 million for Nortel’s CDMA and LTE wireless technology businesses and act as the “stalking horse bidder.”

As part of their designation as a “stalking horse bidder”, Nokia will be allowed to match any offers that come later.

The auction is scheduled to take place on July 24 2009.

Rogers Wireless has set up a Facebook application that allows users* to submit and vote on ideas for an Android application that will stand out as a home-grown Canadian program. I tried to enter with the predictable hockey scores and schedules app idea, but alas, I have no mailing address in the provinces.

The winner will get a Dream or Magic and, if the app merits it, something to brag about in a Northern accent.



Via Phandroid
*Users refers to Candians only.

If this is legit, color me impressed and intrigued. The Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog posted what they're calling an exclusive demo video of Rachael's UI, Rachael of course being the codename for SE's forthcoming first Android phone. Whatever's in the vid, be it the actual UI or a fanboy's cartoon dream, looks great - a rather HTC-like custom UI with eye-pleasing apps for messaging, twitter, music player, and so on. The Xperia-branded Rachael is said to be on tap for launch later this year, and will be built on the Snapdragon platform and feature a crazy-big display measuring no less than four inches diagonally.

Motorola is betting pretty heavily on Android in a bid to change the lumbering beast's current course of financial loss and to regain some footing. Moto has announced the release of their own Android SDK for later this year, and at least one handset is expected to precede that push. It is unknown whether or not a custom UI or branding will be implemented.

In an approach not yet mentioned by other OEMs, Motorola is focusing on a brand-specific application development initiative that will reward coders with assisted sales and the pre-loading of their wares into Moto handsets. Until we see the results, expect more meet-ups and virtual reach-outs organized by the manufacturer of the once enormously popular RAZR flip phone, whose glory days and gravy train are long gone.

Via Information Week