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It's a common occurence in the wireless industry - European handsets are feature packed, while their US counterparts are watered down.  It's something we see all too often, so when the reverse happens, we're taken aback.

The T-Mobile-bound HTC HD2 will sport 576MB of RAM while ROM is boosted to 1GB from 512MB.  While the unlocked HD2 offers a 4 GB microSD card out of the box, the T-Mobile version will offer a 16 GB card.  Identical features include a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, Windows Mobile 6.5 (though there's talk that the T-Mobile version will get Windows Mobile 7 at launch or shortly thereafter), and a 4.3-inch HD display.

Beautiful piece of hardware, combined with improved specifications and 3G connectivity, makes the T-Mobile HD2 a winner in my book.  Now, if we could get Android on the unit...it would be perfect.  Windows Mobile fans, what do you think, given this new information?  If you were on the fence, are you going to buy one now?

Via TmoNews, PhoneArena

I’m pretty sure that if the iPhone was capable of having emotions, it might be feeling a little sibling envy right now. Word on the street is that Steve Jobs is more than just enthusiastic about his upcoming Apple Tablet; it’s become the favorite of his creations thus far. 

According to TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington, senior Apple execs and friends of Jobs describe him as being as excited about the tablet device as he’s ever been. That’s quite a statement, considering his past lineup of revolutionary technologies — including the iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch and computing products, among others. The Cupertino honcho has even been overheard saying that the new device “will be the most important thing I’ve ever done.” 

Now all this comes from Arrington, who’s kind of a controversial figure. And say what you want about him — that he’s got questionable ethics and waged a silly war with traditional journalists, or that he’s a genius who smartly leverages his VC contacts for inside info — when all is said and done, this investor-entrepreneur-journalist does tend to get the scoops. 

In his short post, he admitted that Jobs’ gushing was only heard second and thirdhand, but it came from independent sources several different times. He went on to say: “If Steve Jobs thinks the iPhone was just a warm up act to this device, I can’t wait to see what it can do…” 

Actually, that last part, I totally agree with. 

Via: TechCrunch 

Overview

What's Hot: Nice design, 4G connectivity, and good performance.

What's Not: 4G still limited to a few markets in the nation.

When Sprint announced the Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot at CES 2010, I was a bit taken aback.  Could this be the only device that Sprint planned to announce at CES?  As the convention went on - and as I had more time to play with the Overdrive - I became more and more impressed.  From conventions to general traveling, It seems like I'm always on the road.  I wouldn't change that for the world (FYI, I love to travel), but it has always been challenging to find a good replacement to my high-speed internet at home.  Is the Overdrive the perfect replacement?  Of course not.  That being said, 4G connectivity is the closest thing to cable and DSL yet, and I found myself less irritated with the connection speeds than ever before.  Sure, it had times where it was faster than others, but overall, I rarely found myself thinking "good heavens, I wish I was doing this work at home."  Given the connectivity options I've faced prior to this, the fact that I don't have to think about that is a compliment to the Overdrive's capabilities.

Design, Features, and Functionality

Shaped like a hockey puck, the Sprint Overdrive offers beveled corners, and a relatively minimalist design, with a display and power button on the front of the device.  The top of the device houses a sound on/off toggle, and the microUSB charging port and microSD card slot are on the bottom.  The Sprint Overdrive box is shaped like the device and offers an AC adapter, USB cable, and instruction manuals.



When connected to the Overdrive, you can view full stats at http://overdrive from your computer.  From the control panel, you can monitor the Overdrive's status, review the connection information (and decide if you want to connect to 3G or 4G), and see how many people are using the device.  A primary frustration about the MiFi solutions centered around the inability to easily detect basic information about the device - battery life, the number of users on the device at any given time, and signal strength.  Thanks to a small screen on the front of the Overdrive (and the accompanying admin webpage), the problem is gone.

The Overdrive was tested in the Charlotte area, and 4G data speeds were very good.  Download speeds came in at 5.20 Mbps, and upload speeds came in at .75 Mbps.  When visiting a known Sprint dead spot, I found data to be reasonably quick, despite having one bar of (3G) service.  When I was testing the device in Las Vegas, I experienced the occasional cutout - I would be browsing the web, and the unit would suddenly lose the connection.  Assuming that it was the overload of people using the network during CES, I waited until I returned home for formal testing.  I'm happy to report that there have been no outages or issues here - in fact, I've been using it for the past five hours without trouble.

Conclusion

I'm very impressed with the Sprint Overdrive, and given the (recently lowered) $59.99 monthly price tag, why not?  For the same price as Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile's solution, I can sport 4G speeds in several markets across the US, with 3G as a backup.  Speeds are reasonably fast given the device's mobile nature, and it offers upgrades that make it worthy of consideration over the carrier's MiFi offering.  The way I see it, it's a product that's about a year ahead of its time, and should be taken seriously.

Pick up the Sprint Overdrive at select Sprint stores, or online at Sprint.com.

Yesterday afternoon, one of BGR's tipsters shot over some information about the BlackBerry Tour 9630 going out of stock at Best Buy.  Not that it's a huge surprise, but a potential discontinuation of the BlackBerry Tour 9630 in Best Buy's systems means that the BlackBerry Tour2 9650 is on its way.  Featuring Wi-Fi, OS 5.0, and RIM's new trackpad, the Tour2 9650 was rumored for late January-early February, so it makes sense given the timeframe.

Let the guesses begin!  This month or next month?

Via PhoneArena, BGR

Engadget received a picture (mockup, rather) this morning of an Android-powered device known as the MOTOSPLIT.  Offering a split-horizontal sliding QWERTY keyboard, Snapdragon processor, and a 3.7-inch display, rumors have it landing on AT&T in Q3 of this year.  It could make sense, given that AT&T has announced the launch of five Android devices this year (and a few are still unknown).

As much as I enjoy seeing these form factors hit the market, these funky, flipping, spinning Android devices don't (and won't) appeal to the business demographic in any way, shape or form.  If Google has any interest in wrangling the group from the RIM's tight grip, they need to consider launching a few more professional form factors (i.e. DROID, Hero).

That being said, does the form factor appeal to you in the slightest?

Via Engadget

It's official - Palm's webOS devices are now on two nationwide carriers.  The Palm Pre Plus is available for $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and the Pixi Plus is $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.  Both require new two-year customer agreements and a data plan.  Much like the other BOGO offers in the company's lineup, buying one Palm Pre Plus or Pixi Plus qualifies you for a Pixi Plus for free after rebate.

Check out Noah's unboxing videos, our articles, and let us know if you take the plunge!

Via Verizon, Engadget Mobile

Despite the fact that there are hundreds of rumors (or so it seems) circulating around Apple's Wednesday press event, I find this one of particular importance given the numerous debates we've had about it over the past few years.

According to a source reporting to HotHardware, it is thought that the Apple tablet announcement will be followed by an announcement detailing the end of AT&T's iPhone exlusivity.  Given that an announcement of iPhone OS 4.0 has been rumored as well, it could be a huge day for iPhone lovers that have refused to join with AT&T.  No whispers on what carrier(s) will pick up the device (if the rumor is indeed true), and I'd venture to say that if this comes to fruition, Wednesday's event will serve as an announcement - don't expect another iPhone to hit retail shelves this week.

If (and that's a really big if) all of these things are announced at the event, my money would be on the following dates:

• Apple's tablet: Announced Wednesday, released in 1-3 weeks
• Apple iPhone OS 4.0: Announced Wednesday, released either Wednesday or within a week
• Apple iPhone (of a different flavor): Announced Wednesday, released in June

Now that we're in the home stretch, let the speculation begin.  Tablet?  iPhone OS?  New iPhone?  None of the above (wouldn't that be terrible)?  What say you?

Via BGR, Business Insider