With the news that Sprint would be launching 2 HTC Devices (Diamond and Raphael) later this year, it seems that HTC has even more news for our salivating tongues: the HTC Touch Find. The HTC Touch Find looks very similar to the HTC Touch Cruise, but brings a new twist to the design with its rounded corners. Other than the rounded corners, the device is a solid Windows Mobile device for those looking for power without a keyboard. As usual, the 3 mega-pixel camera and 3G HSDPA connectivity are on board as well as Wi-Fi and Built-in GPS, but the real question is how many touchscreen-only devices do we need in the Windows Mobile department? It looks like you can add the HTC Touch Find to the list of iPhone worthy competitors, but we will hold our breath before labeling the Find a victor.
Here are the full details and specs for the HTC Touch Find
- Quadband GSM 850/900/1800/1900, GPRS, EDGE, 3.6 Mbps HSDPA
- 2.8″ QVGA 240×320 display with 65k colors
- 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM
- Qualcomm MSM7200 400MHz CPU
- 3 mega-pixel camera with autofocus and front video camera (video calls)
- Built-in GPS with Tom Tom navigation software
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- FM Radio, microSD memory slot (SDHC support)
The specs look very similar to the HTC Tilt (Kaiser, TyTN II) with the 3 mega-pixel camera with autofocus and the 400MHz CPU with built-in GPS and front facing camera. We still prefer a keyboard so we are going to have to take a pass on this one especially since the HTC Diamond and Raphael looks like much better candidates thanks to their VGA resolution screens.
[Source: Telefonica Spain]
The Sidekick has been a long-time friend for those with Disabilities, specifically customers that are hearing impaired. In an effort to level the playing field, AT&T has announced that they will be offering special plans for Customers with disabilities wanting to pick up the AT&T iPhone without a voice plan. If you happen to fit the Customer profile, AT&T is offering an iPhone Plan with unlimited text messaging, Web Browsing and E-mail access for $40 per month. While $40/month is still more expensive than the same plan on T-Mobile with the Sidekick lineup, the upcoming iPhone version 2.0 with 3G data should sway your next purchase if you can live without a physical keyboard. Unless of course the rumored slide-out keyboard holds true, in which case the 3G iPhone might be your winning ticket.
Here is the official statement direct from AT&T:
Today, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced a new Text Accessibility Plan (TAP) for iPhone, designed to give iPhone customers with disabilities the choice of unlimited text messaging, Web browsing and easy access to e-mail for $40 a month.
The plan is available for new and current customers with disabilities, but you must qualify for the plan before adding it to your account. In order to qualify you must complete an application form for eligibility which is available through AT&T’s website or you can hit the link below for a direct link.
iPhone for disability form
The Samsung U940, also known as the Verizon Wireless Samsung Glyde, will be hitting retail shelves this May 2008. We had received prior reports that the device would be delayed, but it looks like everything is coming together for this sleek Windows Mobile touchscreen device. Today we bring you the details on the pricing and availability which come in at $429 retail and $299 on a 2-year contract (new or renewal). We are pleasantly surprised by the pricing, as the Samsung Glyde is positioned to be the alternative to the not-so-famous Verizon VX6800. With the Verizon HTC Touch VX6900 recently launching and the VX6800 falling off the radar, the Samsung Glyde will be the perfect convergence device for those looking for style in the Windows Mobile department.
Owners of recent LG models will be comfortable with the Samsung Glyde’s haptic feedback known as VibeTonz technology (vibrating touchscreen), 2 mega-pixel camera and EV-DO (possibly EV-DO Rev A support). It looks like Verizon has a winner here and with May only a day away, the countdown for the Verizon Wireless Samsung Glyde (U940) heats up just in time for Summer.
Today is a huge day for the BlackBerry 9000 Series devices we eagerly anticipate later this summer. First an eBay auction went up which had a brief glimpse of the details and some spy shots, but then the entire internal spec sheet was leaked to the Internet. Not only are the specs leaked, but the new themes, in-browser streaming video and enhanced web access details are available in full force. Although we reported that the launch date of the 9000 Series had been pushed back due to battery issues, the device shows a July launch within the documents so at this point it is any one’s guess as to when the device will hit AT&T stores.
Within the spec sheet details of an automatic media play list, improved photo browser which can show images stored in both the device’s internal memory and additional microSD storage are listed. There are also tweaks to the camera which include a full-screen viewfinder and details on the Wi-Fi setup wizard. One important detail which was previously confirmed was a front-facing camera, but this rumor can be laid to rest now that the internal documents dismiss our prior evidence. In summary, the BlackBerry 9000 series has official confirmation of a July release date, 3G HSDPA support, Wi-Fi, GPS and of course the full QWERTY keyboard pictured above. Below is a detailed list of the BlackBerry 9000 Series specs:
- EDGE, 3G HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi b/g
- Bluetooth 2.0 Stereo support
- BlackBerry Device Software 4.6
- AJAX support: JavaScript 1.5, CSS 2.1, DOM L2, HTML 4.01, XMLHttpRequest
- July 2008 Launch Date (AT&T exclusive)
- No Front-Facing Camera
- Rear Camera with Flash (mega-pixels unknown at this point)
The details are exciting, but a retail price is still unconfirmed as well as the mega-pixels for the rear camera with flash. The eBay auction which went up and ended abruptly was going for $800, but this was an unlocked version and we do not expect the retail price to be nearly this high when the BlackBerry 9000 series launches on AT&T’s network this July. We will keep you posted as additional details leak for the 9000 series devices.
Our friends to the north will be getting a taste of Apple’s goodness very soon as Rogers has announced they will be launching the iPhone later this year. There is no release date, but this is undoubtedly great news for those looking to get their hands on the next generation of the iPhone version 2.0 (yes, with 3G support). It is expected that Rogers will be skipping the iPhone version 1.0 entirely and go straight for the 3G iPhone since their network supports HSPA.
To build further excitement, Rogers is considering subsidizing the handset and avoiding the carrier kickbacks to Apple in order to boost sales of the device. This would be a first for an iPhone launch although European carriers have slashed iPhone version 1.0 pricing to empty out inventories for the 3G iPhone release.
[Source: The Star]
The petitions have been piling up over the past few months as many HTC Kaiser (AT&T Tilt) owners realized the driver issue (or lack of driver) that was plaguing their devices. Thankfully HTC has announced a software fix (promised) that could contain the necessary tools to enable Qualcomm’s 2D and 3D graphics support. As usual there are not guarantees, but the Software fix is scheduled to hit the HTC’s website very soon. We will keep you posted if HTC decides another official statement is due and decides to give specific details to the software update to address the HTC Kaiser.
[Source: Phone News]
With LTE hitting Verizon and AT&T sometime in the next 4 years, it is all about WiMAX here in the States. Sprint has a big year ahead of them with the launch of their WiMAX service and Nokia has taken the necessary steps to launch the perfect innaguaral device: Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition. With a recent announcement confirming the N810 WiMAX Edition’s existence, the pre-order availability is simply music to our ears especially at a reasonable $455.99 price tag. The only downside here is that the N810 is already sold out for pre-order and no release date is given, making the news bittersweet.
With 4.13 inches of touchscreen joy, a slide-out keyboard, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, GPS and a Linux-based OS, how can you not be a fan of the latest Nokia Internet Tablet? Did we mention, the N810 WiMAX Edition also has a Webcam, 2GB of onboard storage and a microSD slot? We hope to see the N810 WiMAX Edition with a shipping date on Buy.com soon, but those of you who were clever enough to get a pre-order will keep us envious.
We are fans of the Sidekick lineup, whether it’s the Sidekick 3 or the Sidekick LX there is something about a spacious QWERTY keyboard with unprecedented typing speeds that drives us wild. With the Sidekick LX being released in October, it seems that T-Mobile’s next release (Sidekick 5) is coming much sooner than expected. Welcome the Sidekick Gekko and the Sidekick Aspen (also known as the Sidekick 5).
As usual both the Aspen and the Gekko do not exist according to T-Mobile, but you can never deny FCC filings and the truth is out there for anyone willing to do the research. In an effort to save you time, let me summarize the details that you need to know. The Sidekick Gekko is set for a July 27th launch date and the Aspen is following close behind on July 30th. In any case, July will be a big month for the future of the Sidekick, welcome the Sidekick 5’s.
[Source: Hiptop3]
It looks like Best Buy is jumping the gun on becoming the wireless authority before Carphone Warehouse joins their stores. In a Best Buy advertisement for their Mobile department, the Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 is shown in full force for $199.99 with 2 year contract and available starting May 1, 2008.
Unfortunately we have heard numerous reports that the device has been delayed and it has already missed the release date in Sprint’s internal documentation. The only explanation for this hiccup is that Best Buy planned the release to coincide with Sprint’s announcement, but never pulled the ad after Sprint delayed the release. In any case, maybe Best Buy is going to shock the Sprint nation and miraculously release the BlackBerry Curve 8330 on Thursday May 1.
[Source: Morning Paper]
Vodafone is no longer the only UK carrier to offer the Palm Treo 500. O2 has announced the availability of the Palm Treo 500 smartphone in O2’s top 100 stores as well as their direct sales team and online shop starting today. The good news here is that the Treo 500 is available in charcoal grey and free depending on the Pay Monthly tariff taken (plan choice). O2 has positioned the Treo 500 to be the perfect device for business users looking for a smaller sized device which brings all of the business functionality they need with all of the high-speed Internet and multimedia features they want.
There really is not much difference between the Treo 500 and the Palm Centro sold here in the states beyond the Windows Mobile OS. The Treo 500 packs a 2.0 mega-pixel camera, 3G connectivity, 150MB of user-memory and microSD slot, Microsoft Direct Push support for MS Exchange email and pre-configured email accounts (MSN, Yahoo, Gmail).
[Source: O2 Online Store]
