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18MarSydney does a basic overview of the top Twitter apps for the Android platform.
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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18Mar
There have long been rumors from anonymous tipsters about the iPhone going here, or pundits guessing it could go there. This time, though, there’s actually a source. And it’s no less than Deutsche Telekom’s chief, Rene Obermann.
In an interview, Oberman mentioned a little something about T-mobile USA trying to land a deal with Apple to nab the iPhone for later this year or 2011. The exec wouldn’t get into any specifics though, and Cupertino, of course, was mum on the whole topic.
Not that there aren’t already scores of people using jailbroken and unlocked handsets on Tmo anyway, but this is good news for users who were looking for a more sanctioned way of toting the small “i.” And, may I add, the version of the device Magenta would be getting at that time would be the mythical “iPhone 4G.”
If you were crossing your fingers for a Verizon hook-up, this wouldn’t necessarily negate the possibility of Big Red getting it; the trouble of reworking the GSM handset for CDMA or LTE might do that. (That is, if Apple & VZW are even willing to put the tension and drama of the Droid-iPhone ad war behind them.) But who knows? There have been some pretty weird bedfellows in the mobile tech world lately, so there’s no telling how that could shake out.
iPhone fans, buckle up (haters too): Rumors always heat up around spring, and it’s only March now. This is already looking like it’ll be one heck of a season for gossip.
So if those crazy kids — Tmo and Apple — finally get official, how many of you are finally snagging the iPhone? Weigh in.
Via: Today’s iPhone, TmoNews, Electronista
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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18Mar
These days, when measuring the success of a mobile platform, it's not the size of the screen that matters, it's the amount of apps in the market. This past December, Google claimed that the Android Market had reached around 16,000 apps. Now, only three months later, the official number is 30,000; a healthy rate of growth by any account.
When AT&T released the Motorola BACKFLIP in early March, a benchmark was reached that seems to have gone unmentioned: consumer access to Android devices from every major carrier in the US. What's more, over the last few days it has become apparent that consumers will have access to Google's Nexus One from any carrier of their choice - on or off contract (in some cases).
Next week at CTIA, it is expected that several, if not all of the US carriers will announce even more options for their Android-loving customers. As more and more people continue to adopt Android as their mobile platform of choice, businesses will begin (or continue in some cases) to take notice and the offerings of the Android Market will (presumably) continue to increase.
Let's hear it for more apps! Leave your comments below.
Via MobileCrunch
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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18Mar
Last week we heard that Verizon might be giving Droid Eris the EOL treatment to make way for the HTC Incredible. The date that was thrown around was April 1, 2010. Here we are, just about one week later and DailyTech is reporting that sources from Verizon "confirmed that the HTC Incredible was supposed to begin to arrive at Verizon Wireless stores in two weeks." As far as rumor confirmation goes, it's only official when it's official. But when rumors from different sources start to line up (note that two weeks from today is April 1!), you can't help but feel more confident in their accuracy.
The Incredible is said to be sporting the acclaimed 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, underclocked to 768MHz (I'm not sure why...), 512MB RAM, 8.0-megapixel camera, and potentially 6GB of flash memory. In addition, it will come with a microSD expansion slot that will probably be capable of packing up to a 32GB punch, and an FM tuner.
With CTIA around the corner, there's no telling what news will be unleashed. Verizon seems to be positioning itself very well in the Android race. Who's waiting for the Supersonic, or is it the Nexus One? Wipe the drool off your lip and sound off below!
Via DailyTech, Gizmodo
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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18Mar
Worry not, MOTOBLUR fans - the latest iteration of the Motorola CLIQ has landed at T-Mobile. The CLIQ XT sports a 3.1-inch touchscreen display, Swype technology, 3G (HSPA 7.2), Wi-Fi, a 5.0-megapixel camera, FM radio, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Noah has been working with it and posted his impressions a few days ago - check them out here.
You can pick up the CLIQ XT for $129.99 on an Even More plan (two-year agreement required) or snag it for $329.99 on an Even More Plus plan (no contract). T-Mobile users, does the CLIQ XT tickle your fancy, or are you going to stick with your CLIQ (pun intended) until something else comes out?
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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18Mar
Less than 24 hours after the launch of an AT&T-capable Nexus One, it appears that the device is suffering from screen issues. BGR received their AT&T Nexus One unit in the mail, and in testing it side-by-side with the T-Mobile version, the black levels are completely off. In other words, the hue is purple and red - not as it should be.
The issue seems to be widespread, so we're waiting to hear from Google. Could this be a problem for future (Sprint, Verizon) Nexus Ones? Is it affecting your buying decision? Let me know in the comments!
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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18Mar
Today I sit on the couch, blogging with one eye while I watch the opening round of the NCAA tournament with the other eye. Tomorrow? Ditto. But come Monday it's all about the phones: The PhoneDog gang is headed to the desert to cover CTIA Las Vegas, starting with Monday's pre-show press gatherings.
What's on tap for the mobile tech gathering this year? This week's edition of Top 5 Thursdays is all about CTIA rumors.
1. Big, Fast Android Phones: Sprint Supersonic and Verizon Incredible
All kinds of sources are all but promising the unveiling of the HTC-made Sprint Supersonic WiMax phone next week, and I'm not about to contradict those reports. Sprint's holding a press event Tuesday afternoon and you know they're going to continue to hype their WiMax network like they did with the CES launch of the Overdrive mobile hotspot. Odds are we'll see what's more or less an Android version of the HTC HD2 (4.3" display, Snapdragon processor), but with a dual-mode EV-DO/WiMax radio, launched next week.
Then there's the HTC Incredible, said to be coming to Verizon in the near-term. Incredible is rumored to be something like a Nexus One (3.7" display, Snapdragon processor), but with HTC's Sense Ui and an upgraded camera (8 megapixels). Incredible is rumored to hit Big Red in two weeks, but could show up in Vegas for an early coming out party. It'll be interesting to see what Incredible does to sales of the VZW-compatible Nexus One should both phones launch at the same time.
2. WiMax, LTE, and HSDPA+
Sprint's already launched WiMax and is likely to roll out a few new markets along with their first 4G handset (see #1 above) at CTIA. T-Mobile is holding their own presser Tuesday to talk about network upgrades and new products, which likely means some HSDPA+ goodness. Verizon's been talking up their LTE tests, saying they're ahead of schedule with their 4G deployment plans - even if they're still many months away from launch. And just today some rumors started kicking around regarding a possible T-Mobile/Clearwire partnership of some sort - which is odd considering that T-Mo is supposedly committed to LTE as their 4G tech, while Clearwire is in the WiMax game (with Sprint). Hmm.
At any rate, bigger, faster wireless data pipes will clearly be in the news next week; AT&T, you got anything to say?
3. What's AT&T Up To?
AT&T executives are involved in two keynote addresses at the show. AT&T's also hosting their traditional media luncheon. And there's even chatter about them throwing a party at the show (which they never do). What does it all mean? Is AT&T gearing up for some kind of a media blitz at CTIA, or is this all standard fare stuff with no real promise of interesting devices or service offerings? We already know about iPad and the carrier's forthcoming role as a premiere partner for Windows Phone 7 Series in the US, and they launched four new "Quick Messaging Devices" earlier this week. So what else could they have up their sleeves? Something good, we hope ...
4. BlackBerry Slider
BlackBerry's rumored new flagship phone, a vertical slider with a full touchscreen and hard QWERTY board, was recently leaked. Will it show up at CTIA next week? Will it launch on Sprint? Will it be called Storm3 or 9900/9930 or even ... "T" ? Most importantly, will this new BlackBerry finally usher in a new OS or at least that new WebKit based Web browser we're all yearning for?
5. Android Video Phone
This one's a wildcard, but I've been hearing something about an Android-based smartphone with actual, for real, full-frame video chat capabilities. Yes, I mean a phone on a US carrier. I can't say much, but the device may be launching at CTIA and available later this Summer. Or it might be pushed back for a late Spring/early Summer debut. We'll see.
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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18Mar
Remember the BlackBerry slider that popped up out of the blue a few weeks back? According to a RIM parts supplier, it may be coming sooner than we thought. The CEO of Woojeon & Handan let it slip about the BlackBerry "T," an upcoming device intended to challenge the iPhone.
"The Canadian company RIM famous for BlackBerry smartphones is releasing a new model next month. Known as the "T," The new model is an ambitious product aimed at competing against iPhone's storm of success. Rim will present it ("T") as its flagship model to compete in global markets such as the U.S. and Europe."
According to CrackBerry, the codename "Talladega" and "Mr. T." correspond to RIM's slider device. To clarify, this is a rumor in the highest sense of the word - suppliers have a long history of running their mouths, and it wouldn't surprise me if April came and went without a BlackBerry slider device. What's more, the CrackBerry crew make an excellent point - the turnaround time between leaked pictures and launch are way too quick given RIM's past history with such things. Considering that the Tour/Bold 9650 hasn't debuted yet, why would a device rumored to run OS 6.0 come out this quickly?
At any rate, does the idea of a sliding 'Berry tickle your fancy? Let me know!
Via Engadget, CrackBerry
Powered by Sprint 4G
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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18Mar
If there's one area where Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint, does exceptionally well, it's introducing firsts. First affordable all you can eat plan, first unlimited calls to any wireless carrier, first 4G network. So, it's no surprise that the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the next first isn't far away.
According to the WSJ, Hesse is expected to introduce the HTC Supersonic as the nation's first 4G capable phone, in a presentation next week at CTIA. Rumors of the Supersonic started surfacing back in December of last year, followed by leaked images and even a short (albeit uneventful) video. To date, there hasn't been much in the way of "official" information regarding the Supersonic, mostly just conjecture and a report from Forbes that we could expect a 4G phone from Sprint this summer.
If WSJ's tipsters (read: "people familiar with the matter") are right, and everything goes according to plan, there's a very good chance that Sprint will be touting the very first (and I'd bet second and third) phone, capable of surfing the web at DSL-like speeds. Not only will it be a first, but it will be a first for a while. Verizon, which just finished field testing their 4G network in two test markets, plans on having LTE in 25-30 markets by the end of this year, however, they don't intend to have a 4G capable phone until mid-2011. This leads analyst Avi Greengart of Current Analysis to believe that "It's now or never" for Sprint because "They won't have an exclusive on the 4G marketing message indefinitely."
Next week is going to be a crazy week in Geekland - who's ready for all the exciting announcements? Sound off in the comments!
Via BGR, WSJ
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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18Mar
When the news broke about Windows Phone 7 arriving without Copy/Paste feature, it made quite a stink. Analysts were gobsmacked, and fans were confused and ticked off. Why would Microsoft take such a huge leap backwards?
Well it turns out, they won’t be. Citing well-known Windows blogger, Long Zheng, BGR reports that the Windows platform WILL be offering copy and paste — just not in time for launch.
Microsoft wanted a more elegant feature that fits the experience of its newest platform. That translated into some hard hours for the dev team, which did ultimately succeed in figuring out stuff like UI and implementation, but just needed more time to get all that into the codebase.
The good news is that this shouldn’t delay any interested, but anxious fans from picking up a WP7S device. If you can’t wait for a completed OS to come shrink wrapped with your phone, you’ll be able to get the feature via software update at some time post-purchase.
Frankly, it would’ve been weird for them forego this. Way back, this was one of the biggest WinMo functions that kept some fence-sitting consumers from the lure of the iPhone, which took years to finally add this to the OS. So thanks for quieting the unrest, Long! There’s only one last question: Any chance that pesky multitasking thing will get addressed too?
Via: BoyGenius Report, IStartedSomething.com
UPDATE: Engadget's Nilay Patel offers the following clarification on the multitasking issue:
"...first-party apps like the Zune player and IE can run in the background, and third-party apps are actually left running in a suspended state (Microsoft calls it "dehydrated") as long as the system doesn't need any additional resources. If the user cycles back to an app, it's resumed ("rehydrated") and life continues merrily along, but if the user opens other apps and the system needs additional resources, the app is killed without any indication or remorse."
So there's sort of a multiple apps operation on board, but it's not performed in a traditional way. It's based solely on the demand you'll place on your handset's system resources. So if you don't do a lot of crazy stuff simultaneously, you may not even notice the difference. But for anyone who's planning on running a dozen programs while listening to music, surfing the Web and downloading apps — I guess Microsoft is just trying to save you — and your device — from yourself. The alternative? Slow, buggy, crash-prone user experience. Or in other words, WinMo 6.
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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