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Since we can’t actively cover every news article that breaks (as much as we would love to), PhoneDog compiles various news announcements and press releases that have been published throughout the week and places them in one easy to read article known as "Tidbit Tuesday."  Enjoy!


BlackBerry Bold in white coming to AT&T on October 18th?
Though the RIM representative at CTIA last week hinted at the white BlackBerry (WhiteBerry?) Bold coming to AT&T next month, new reports are coming to light lending credence to a launch in October.  Rumored to land on the 18th, the rumored strategy is to keep the BlackBerry Bold 9000 in the lineup as the "mid-tier" 3G device, while the 9700 will be positioned as the flagship phone.  The price is slated to be $199.99 after a mail-in rebate, but the question remains: is it worth paying several hundred dollars for a device that's a year old, particularly given that a revision is right around the corner?  Via BGR



The T-Mobile/Sidekick saga continues; $100 credits for select customers
First, the Sidekick servers were down.  Definitely a problem, but one that most could live with - after all, Palm, BlackBerry, and other smartphone users have experienced the same at some point.  Then the delay continued.  Now, Microsoft and T-Mobile are admitting that important data is lost for many users, causing a mini-uproar in the Sidekick community.  Yesterday, I received a statement from T-Mobile stating that the carrier is offering a free month of Sidekick data to all customers, and for those that permanently lost their data, a $100 customer appreciation card for use on T-Mobile's products and services.

Is the compensation enough?  Will the carrier let Sidekick users out of their contract sans-ETF (and if not, should they)?  The full release is below.

Dear valued T-Mobile Sidekick customers:
 
We are thankful for your continued patience as Microsoft/Danger continues to work on preserving platform stability and restoring all services for our Sidekick customers.  We have made significant progress this past weekend, restoring services to virtually every customer.  Microsoft/Danger has teams of experts in place who are working around-the-clock to ensure this stability is maintained.
 
Regarding those of you who have lost personal content, T-Mobile and Microsoft/Danger continue to do all we can to recover and return any lost information.  Recent efforts indicate the prospects of recovering some lost content may now be possible.  We will continue to keep you updated on this front; we know how important this is to you.
 
In the event certain customers have experienced a significant and permanent loss of personal content, T-Mobile will be sending these customers a $100 customer appreciation card.  This will be in addition to the free month of data service that already went to Sidekick data customers.  This card can be used towards T-Mobile products and services, or a customer’s T-Mobile bill.  For those who fall into this category, details will be sent out in the next 14 days – there is no action needed on the part of these customers.  We however remain hopeful that for the majority of our customers, personal content can be recovered.
 
Sidekick customers can continue to visit T-Mobile Sidekick Forums (http://www.t-mobile.com/sidekick) on a regular basis to access the latest updates, as well as FAQs regarding this service disruption.  The Forums also offers tips and suggestions for rebuilding content on your device.

Sprint launches the Motorola i856 Debut
Available on Boost Mobile for some time now, the Motorola i856 Debut has made its way over to Nextel.  Sporting a sliding form factor, MP3 player, and ho-hum 1.3-megapixel camera, it will be available for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and new two-year customer agreement.  Not the most feature-rich phone in the field, but at least they're trying, right?  Via Sprint

What could Apple possibly come up with next? Applications to dress you, to cook your tea or maybe even start your car? Hold on, that’s been done… No you’re not seeing things, coming soon to an iPhone app store near you is the Viper StartSmart App, the program that can start your car up, turn the air con on and even heat the cabin up for you.

Gone are the days of making the dash to the car to de-ice it, with a simple touch of a button via your iPhone the car can be defrosted in a matter of minutes, all while you’re tucked safely inside a nice warm house.

The concept is sure to prove very popular with most car owners. All you have to do is download the app from the store and a Viper engineer will come out and fit another device into the desired vehicle. Unlike most remote start systems, which use a remote control on a key fob and typically have very poor range; The Viper SmartStart works directly from your phone and has virtually unlimited range. If the iPhone and the vehicle have signal, then it is sure to work.

Other features of the Viper System include:

• - Door Lock and Unlock Facitlites
• - Boot / Trunk Open
• - Find the Vehicle in a Parking Lot
• - Arm the Security System
• - Multiple Car Capabilities

“The growth and popularity of the iPhone has opened the door for a whole new category of products in our business,” said Kevin Duffy, President of Directed Electronics. “Our customers have consistently told us that the two most important features in a remote starter are range and user interface. We developed the Viper SmartStart in response; range is virtually unlimited, and iPhone owners can use the elegant touch-screen interface they already carry in their pocket.”

“We think customers will find all sorts of unique and personal value in Viper SmartStart,” said Mike Simmons, EVP of Directed Electronics’ parent company, DEI Holdings. “Whether helping out her husband who’s locked his keys in the car, or securely locking her keys and purse in the car while she takes a jog with some music on her iPhone, we expect to hear about some uses we never anticipated.”

Two Viper SmartStart models are currently available in the US. Users who don’t have remote start can purchase the Viper SmartStart System (MSRP: $499) while those who already have a compatible Viper system will only need the Viper SmartStart Module (MSRP: $299). Unfortunately there’s no word whether this technology will reach the UK anytime soon.

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

Fridays launch of the Palm Pre is set to cause a stir in the smartphone market. More than a quarter of smartphone users said they’re interested in buying the handset, before it has even hit the shelves. The research, carried out by TNS technology reveals 26% of users were likely to buy the Palm Pre, that’s 10% more than the figure calculated for the iPhone in 2007.

When TNS checked out what existing 02 customers had to say, again the Palm Pre beat iPhone figures but 10% prior to its release. Since awareness of the Palm handset is relatively low, compared to the iPhone hype, the Pre could prove to be the device we’ve been waiting for to rebalance shares of the Smartphone market. Initial Palm Pre reviews seem to support the notion that, at the very least the device will give the iPhone a run for it’s money.

However, loyal iPhone users are likely to stick by their Apple devices, and with the app store growing by the hour, it’s hard to believe another device can take control of the market. Kevin Evans, Director at TNS Technology, commented, “the Palm Pre is already being touted as the iPhone killer and our research certainly suggests it’s going to shake up the market.”

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

While it may sound harsh this early on, Windows Mobile 6.5 unfortunately isn’t a revolution, however we have a feeling even Microsoft will admit that.  What it is though, is an evolution, just like 6.1 evolved from 6.  For this reason, one must keep expectations in check, as what 6.5 mainly does is make Windows Mobile play better without a stylus, introduce an overhauled Internet Explorer, launch Marketplace and get funky with some designer themes.  If you want more than this, you’ll have to wait for Windows Mobile 7, which could be a while.

The first thing Microsoft want you to do with their new OS is stop calling it Windows Mobile 6.5, as from now on, it’s supposed to be simply Windows Phone.  Officially, this is used to both clarify they don’t make the hardware and to simplify versions for the consumer, but unofficially, who wouldn’t want to distance themselves from 6.1 by advertising a ‘new’ OS?

So what exactly is new?  Let us start with a locked phone, as this is one of the most helpful new features.  When you go to unlock your handset, a sliding bar is presented for you to do so, however if you tap it instead of sliding it, a new slider appears below it for any new alerts you have, a new message or a missed call for example, and sliding that one takes you directly into the relevant application.  This is a great productivity tweak and likely to be something everyone will end up using.

With the phone unlocked you’ll see the new Today screen, which consists of a movable bar highlighting the various options available.  For rapid movement through the menu, the screen can be moved instead of the bar.  The new Today screen shows off your flashy wallpaper, looks great and is simple to use, but it’s also the section which will be obscured by whatever custom UI is installed over the top - TouchFLO or TouchWIZ for instance.  It’s a shame, as it’s really good!

Next up is the replacement of the Start menu, which is both good and bad.  Gone is the fiddly drop down list and in comes the ‘honeycomb’ icons, but without the grid clearly separating them from each other, creating to the eye a slightly jumbled and confused system.  It is however, easier to use with a finger, so we have to begrudgingly say ‘mission achieved’ here too.

Heading deeper into the menus sees the tweaks become a rarity, however by bringing up a menu you’ll notice the options have been spaced further apart to allow for finger presses rather than the stylus you would have had to produce using 6.1.  Windows Mobile aficionados will spot the subtle curvy screen edges and new tab layouts, but otherwise the OS becomes less innovative and more like the WinMo we already know.

Finally, Internet Explorer has been ungraded and overhauled to provide a better mobile web experience, but it still lags behind Opera Mobile, so make sure this is one of the first apps you download if it isn’t already on your new phone.  Talking of applications, Windows Phone marks the debut of Windows Marketplace, where you can currently chose from around 200 apps to download.  It’s good to use too, with no need to break out the stylus.

There you have it then, Windows Mobile 6.5 is undoubtedly better than 6.1, but not as good as we hope 7 will be, or crucially, as good as other smartphone OS’s out there.  This said, we love the new Today screen and the unlock tweak, plus we expect the Marketplace to get very busy, very soon, providing 6.5 with a big selling point.  Perhaps the biggest compliment we could pay Microsoft’s new OS is that we could imagine using it without a manufacturer UI which, when you think about 6.1, is quite an achievement!

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

So most of us already know that the iPhone 3GS is Apple’s next handset to devour the Smartphone market, and that Vodafone and Orange have muscled in. Today Phones 4u has announced plans to stock the iPhone on both Orange and 02, no word about Vodafone as yet, the beginning of the iPhone conflict perhaps? But, before we delve into the sordid world of Network wars lets refresh our iPhone memory.

The 3GS is a dead ringer for the original iPhone 3G externally at least. Ever heard of the saying ‘it’s what’s on the inside that counts’? Never a more accurate word has been said about this handset. It isn’t being called ‘The fastest iPhone ever’ for nothing, Compared to it’s predecessor the 3GS has a faster CPU, double the amount of RAM, a faster performance in general and a lot more storage, with both 16GB and 32GB available. That’s not all it has to offer, new voice control technology means you can call people, play and shuffle music simply by asking the handset to do so. Other improved features include the 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus, but a limited feature set and no flash means it still isn’t quite up there with other high end handsets. Better battery life is a welcome enhancement, but it is still well behind the rest of the market.

Once you’ve got you hands on the iPhone 3GS, you won’t want to let go. If it does get stolen, misplaced or hopelessly lost, in true Apple style ‘there’s an app for that’, or rather a built in tracker. Using Apple’s Mobile Me Service it can help you find your missing handset. Not only can you view a map online to locate your iPhone but also set an alarm to help seek it out. If it’s likely to have a ‘new owner’ then you can send a display message to the screen ‘Give me my phone back you horrible thief’ comes to mind, or something along those lines. And if it looks like all is well and truly lost, you may find comfort in wiping the phone and locking it with a password, wiping that smug smile off the iPhone bandit’s face.

The iPhone 3GS and it’s predecessor the iPhone 3G will be available on a range of networks. It looks like November will be the month Orange gets the iPhone machine up and running, ready to churn out the handsets in time for Christmas. Vodafone customers, however, will have to wait until 2010 to get their hands on either device. (Expect pre-orders to be taken at Phones 4U within the next month or so.) O2 will still range the iPhone, but with the two other big competitors on board, they can expect to see their profits drop significantly.

It’s a win-win situation for us, the consumer. While each network retreats to the boardroom to discuss tactics, we wait…for the price war to begin. Despite protests from Andrew Harrison, chief executive of Carphone Warehouse’s UK operation research shows in every country where the iPhone is being sold on more than one network, the handset is cheaper. Ultimately, the ball is in Orange’s court, how aggressively they attack the iPhone market will determine how O2 and Vodafone retaliate, meaning we could see as much as £100 knocked off the final price. In addition, under the new deals Orange and Vodafone will not have to pass any ongoing revenue to Apple. Basically giving both companies greater price flexibility, which again benefits the customer. If the ‘mobile experts’ are right and costs aren’t slashed, you can still bet on competitive tariff bundles or at least a clash of the iPhone accessories.

We know it is only a matter of time before an unscrupulous iPhone battle begins, but which network are you backing? Let’s cast our minds back a couple of weeks and consider the big Orange T-Mobile merger news, could this joint venture give them the edge in the iPhone market? If we also take into consideration Ofcom’s 3G-coverage report for the UK, O2 appears to have the patchiest 3G-coverage, with Vodafone and T-Mobile teetering just ahead. The best options without a doubt are Orange and 3, providing the best coverage by far. Keeping the merger in mind, it would hurl the Orange-T-Mobile combo to the top of the coverage ladder, leaving Vodafone and O2 squabbling on the lower rungs. And if all that has passed you by, basically 3G determines the call quality, data rate exchange and data service. This essentially means, the better the 3G coverage the more advanced features you can access from your mobile like fast download speeds and clear calling. Pretty basic stuff for the iPhone 3GS.

So why are the networks going crazy for Apple? Well, it’s safe to say that the iPhone transformed the British smartphone market. Since it launched in 2007 O2 have sold more than 1milion devices, making it the fastest selling device O2 have ever had in the UK. The iPhone raised the bar for smartphone manufacturers; arguably almost 2 years on, no one has been able to match it. And the iPhone’s dominance doesn’t stop there; traditionally, mobile phone networks would chose which handset to range and when. The success of the iPhone saw people switching networks in order to get their hands on the Apple device. Consequently, the power shifted to the manufacturers, if one company gains most of the market, all the networks can do is give in to public demand. As a result, networks are left to battle it out between themselves, leaving Apple and the customers to reap the rewards.

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