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As I reported last week, the BlackBerry Curve 8910 is indeed real - in fact, it's taking a little walk through the FCC's headquarters at present.  Considering the lack of 3G and the fact that it falls in the 89XX family, my guess is that RIM is continuing the migration from trackball to trackpad, and is simply upgrading the Curve 8900 series with a slightly modified look, a trackpad, and OS 5.0 out of the box. I would expect AT&T and T-Mobile to pick this up in the coming months as a replacement to the Curve 8900. 

Does it matter?  Is the update worthwhile, given the lack of 3G connectivity?

Via FCC, Engadget Mobile

If you've watched Noah's HTC HD2 videos, he often references Windows Mobile as the bottleneck of an otherwise great device.  Like him, I couldn't agree more - as I've said before, I'd love to see Android running on the HD2's hardware.  The HTC A9292 with WiMAX was rumored for Sprint a few days ago, and it looks like some additional details have emerged.  Hang onto your hat, folks - according to the tipster, this puppy is running Android.

Here is what we have so far:

• The codename is rumored to be "Supersonic."
• Is said to offer a 4.3-inch non-AMOLED display and a svelte shell.  No exact specifications were given.
• A kickstand is included on the back of the device.
• It runs Android 2.1 with HTC's Sense UI.
• Engadget's tipster saw the unit in white, though retail devices could offer several color choices.
• The phone's software stack is said to be incredibly buggy, and as such, no release date has been confirmed.
• The processor is unknown, but is said to be "Snapdragon fast."

Music to my nerdy ears.  Anyone else agree?

Via Engadget Mobile

Not to be outdone by all of that iPhone tomfoolery cluttering up the rumor mills, Windows Mobile kicked up some dust today with a few juicy bits of leak/rumor info of its own. We've got Windows Mobile 7, we've got Project Pink (remember that one?) and we've got flagship devices from HTC and LG. Wowsers.

First up is word that WinMo 7 is going to be a major overhaul that looks, feels, and acts very little like the Windows Mobiles of today and yesteryear. While contradictory information is flying around - as it should be in the rumor mill - best I can tell it looks like WM 7 will come in two distinct flavors, neither of which will run very many legacy WinMo apps. I'm not sure how I feel about that last bit, nor how thousands of WM 6 owners will feel if their current software libraries in fact won't run on the new OS, but such is life in the techno fast lane.

According to various sources, tipsters and NinjaConnects (or whatever the kids call them these days), WM 7 will be made available in "Media" and "Business" editions. As John Biggs put it, "Microsoft is about to get all Apple up in this piece," with WM 7, and I'm guessing that means the Media version, which will look, feel and act like a Zune HD with some phone stuff thrown in there for good measure. The Business version will be super stripped down - that is, sanded and primed and ready for HTC Sense and other OEM customizations to be applied. 

WMExperts - by way of Engadget - have gotten all wacky and specific in taking going beyond the dual-platform rumors into hardware specifics. Specifically (see what I did there?), they're saying that the Biz Edition will require higher baseline-specs while Media Edition will focus on HD media and networked services integration like Xbox Live and those social sites everyone from John Mayer to Gilbert Arenas can't shut up about. To wit, WMExperts published some specs for two mythological - I mean, rumored - WM 7 Media Edition devices:

LG Apollo

• GSM/EV-DO/HSDPA world phone
• 1.3 GHz Qualcomm processor
• 3.8", 1280 x 720 WXGA (HD) AMOLED display
• 10 MP camera with 720p HD video capture

Then there's Project Pink, the Zune Phone/Sidekick thingy that I'd all but forgotten about in the past nine months. According to some analyst quoted on some Walt Mossberg-blessed blog, Microsoft is gearing up to pull a Google and launch their own mobile phone as soon as MWC or CTIA of this year. MWC is in, what, four weeks? That's soon! Said analyst said the Microsoft Phone will be ... wait for it ... "Zune-like," and feature a 5MP camera, 720p HD video capabilities, and support for subscription-based music services. Kind of like, you know, every other mid-to-high end phone out there.  Well, like everything except iPhone 3GS and its decidedly SD imaging features.

Hey, wait, did you just notice what I just noticed? Windows Mobile Seven Media Edition and Project Pink sound kinda the same? And the "Microsoft Phone" and the HTC Obsession sound kinda the same, too! So either one is the other and the other is the one, or MIcrosoft's gearing up to confuse the bejeezus out of everybody by releasing two new versions of WM 7 and a Zune Phone, with two of those three flavors tasting an awful lot alike.

Hmm ... A totally revamped Windows Mobile 7 sounds like a good thing. A consumer-friendly, media-centric version of WM 7 alongside of a business-centric version made to be skinned by non-MSFT phone makers also sounds like a good thing. But that business about legacy WinMo apps not being compatible with the new platform sounds like a very, very bad thing. For as much as I'm not really a Windows Mobile fan (I see you nodding your head, saying, "No kidding, Noah") I am a fan of competition and consumer choice amongst high-quality offerings in the mobile marketplace. 

And so I leave you with a few more quoted words, again from Mr. Biggs, which I really hope don't wind up ringing true:

As for developers, they're kind of pissed. As far as we can tell they're not quite sure they want to take the steps necessary to move over to the new platform. This is a Hail Mary pass and could mean huge changes in the WinMo ecosystem.

Ruh-roh. Say it ain't so, Steve Ballmer. Without developers in tow, you've got nothing. And as awesome as Zune kinda sorta really is, ditching the enterprise for a full-on consumer media WinMo play would be risky business. 

[Via: MobileCrunch, All Things D, Engadget]

For world travelers on AT&T and T-Mobile, it's understandable that you want to unlock your phone when you travel overseas.  In a kind gesture, T-Mobile has reduced the requirements that must be met prior to them unlocking your beloved wireless device.  Before today, FlexPay, postpaid, and prepaid (provided you've had a minimum $10 balance and have refilled the account in the past month) customers were required to wait 90 days before receiving an unlock code.  As it stands now, FlexPay and postpaid customers will be able to receive their code after 40 days of service, while prepaid customers will be able to receive theirs after 60 days of service.

It's important to note that the account must be in good standing, with no service interruptions or past-due balances.  It's free, and enables you to put any kind of GSM SIM card in your device.  Why not?  Hit the comments section and let us know how it goes!

Via Engadget Mobile

The Apple rumor mill moves like clockwork. First you get the constant stream of rumors all year long. Then you get spikes in rumor traffic leading up to the usual times on the calendar: January (post-CES / ex-MacWorld), Spring (WWDC), Summer (iPhone refresh), and Back to School (iPod event). And then, in the week that always falls between Apple announcing a media event and the event actually happening, the rumor mill goes bezerk. 

Yesterday, Apple announced a press gathering for next Wednesday morning in San Francisco. Ergo, today the rumor mill has switched into overdrive.  The latest? We've got rumors about the Apple Tablet, iPhone OS 4.0, and even Apple's iLife multimedia creation suite, which currently only runs on Mac OS X for computers, not iPhones.

BGR says they've got iPhone OS 4.0 intel from one of their "trusty Apple connects," who must be Mr. Blurrycam's silent partner. Notably, BGR says to look out for the following in the next generation of Apple's mobile platform:

• iPhone OS 4.0 will only run on the 3G and 3GS models, which makes sense to me (sorry original iPhone owners). The update will be the much-needed dramatic overhaul that I've been waiting for, and according to BGR's sources it will “put [Apple] ahead in the smartphone market because it will make [iPhones] more like full-fledged computers.”
• The OS refresh will include "Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient"
• Everyone at Apple is "really excited" about iPhone OS 4.0

Important new features will include improved multitasking (backgrounding of apps), improved syncing of calendars and contacts, system-wide multi-touch gesture support. That last bit of info jibes with earlier reports that the OS 4.0 will power iPhone, iPod Touch, and the new "iTablet," though the tablet may run a slightly modified version of the OS.

All Things Digital has been focusing on the content aspects of the tablet launch, which could prove incredibly important to the magazine and newspaper industries (something us hardware junkies may be overlooking in our gadgetlust). According to today's MediaMemo post:

• Look for the New York Times to join Steve Jobs at the Apple event next Wed. That means some kind of newspaper content being delivered via the iTunes Store
• Look for some kind of E-Reader content coming to iTunes, as well. There's been lots of buzz in the past few days about publishing giant HarperCollins holding negotiations with Apple as of late
• Don't expect any big music labels in the house next week. The Apple tablet may well play music (it'd better), but beyond iTunes LP support, the device doesn't look to offer anything new in the music content arena. Music videos? Sure. But not music itself.

I've got some thoughts on iTablet and the future of magazines and newspapers that I'll pull together in a separate post. For now, let's leave it at this: Something's coming from Apple next Wednesday, and it's going to involve content and content delivery methods as well as hardware. Whatever it is, we'll keep you informed right here on the Dog.

And, oh yeah, there are also reports that Apple will launch iLife 2010 at next week's event.  iLife is Apple's multimedia software suite for creating and managing music, photos and video. While the software is currently only available for use on Mac OS X laptop and desktop computers, it wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility for Apple to include some media creation/editing software on the tablet computer. Then again, it would also make sense to position the tablet as simpler and lower cost than Apple's MacBook/MacBook Pro line of full-fledged notebook computers, thus keeping iLife off of iTablet.

What say you? iPhone OS 4.0 - are you excited? Are you expecting another Apple phone revolution, or merely some evolutionary steps aimed at keeping pace with Android and WebOS, the current pace-setters in the modern smartphone arena? Sound off in the comments!

[Via: BGR, All Things D, AppleInsider; Image Via: FunkySpaceMonkey] 

We learned a few days ago that the Motorola MOTOROI was en-route to Korea for the country's first (Motorola) Android release, but it turns out that the rest of the world will be getting some MOTOROI love as well.  Speaking at the Korean launch of the MOTOROI, Motorola Korea chief Rick Wolochatiuk explained that the new handset "will be launched in other markets around the world," with the United States targeted for a March release.  The MOTOROI offers a 3.7-inch WVGA display, 8.0-megapixel camera with 720p video capture and a Xenon flash, HDMI-out, multitouch (which I doubt will make it to the US version), and more.  

Could the MOTOROI be the mythical "Motorola's unique form factor smartphone" that is slated to hit AT&T in the "first half of 2010?"  The GSM side could certainly use a Motorola DROID counterpart.

Via Engadget

The blitz is on! PhoneDog is giving away dozens of new cell phones to kick off 2010! Free to play and free to win! Click here to play!

Steampunk is a subculture that is well on its way to hitting the mainstream. One area of technology where steampunk is being explored and exploited is in the world of mobile phones. Many people are interested in making mobile phones that are designed to look like they could have been used back in the 19th century. These phones are the antithesis of everything that most people want in a phone today - and that’s precisely why fans of this subculture love them. These handsets might not be for you but they’re something that you just may start seeing around here and there so it’s not a bad idea to get to know what it is that you’re looking at.

What is a steampunk mobile phone?If you’re not familiar with the steampunk subculture then basically what you need to know is this:

• It’s a type of science fiction subculture. It’s based on everyday objects serving dual purposes such as the mobile phone that can transport you back in time.
• Instead of being futuristic, like other types of sci-fi, it is retrospective; it’s all about the steam era of the past.
• Think Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. The contraptions they made in their novels are the type of thing that you’ll see in the modern steampunk subculture.

Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile

No sooner has Google unleashed their first mobile phone, the Nexus One, onto the market than the rumours of their second release hit the wires.  Last week, Google VP of Engineering Andy Rubin said the second Nexus phone would likely have a QWERTY keyboard and be aimed at business users.  Fast forward a week and the Motorola Shadow arrives on the scene, with its keyboard and more serious aspirations than its Droid cousin.

The Shadow’s design still seems to be derived from the Droid/Milestone, but will have a 4.3″ touchscreen and an 8 megapixel camera, plus a black and white colour scheme if the rendering is to be believed.  The leaked information included some less likely, but nonetheless exciting, features including an HDMI port and 1080p video recording facility.  The chassis thickness is quoted as just 9mm, which if true would be super-thin considering the slide-out keyboard.

If Google do claim the Motorola Shadow as their next phone, will it wear the Nexus Two name tag?  The estate of Philip K. Dick has been looking into the legality over Google using the Nexus name, which the author used in his Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep short story, so the closer Google get to the Nexus-6 the more they risk a case against them.  Aside from this, names with sequential numbers in suffer from lack of recognition rather quickly, so swapping to one without a number in could make sense at this point.

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