August 2008

The success of the iPhone’s AppStore has been a positive sign for software developers and now with Google’s Android OS approaching an official release the possibilities to deliver software to a second platform are becoming a reality.  According to Google, they will be launching an open content distribution system that will help users find, purchase, download and install various types of content on their Android-powered devices.  The distribution system will be known as ‘Android Market’ and it will have a very similar look, style and implementation to Apple’s AppStore.

Developers will be able to make their content available on an open service hosted by Google that features a feedback and rating system similar to YouTube. We chose the term “market” rather than “store” because we feel that developers should have an open and unobstructed environment to make their content available.

Similar to YouTube, content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it. We also intend to provide developers with a useful dashboard and analytics to help drive their business and ultimately improve their offerings.”

With an open-source platform, Android Market’s open content distribution system and a pending release of the HTC Dream/G1 on T-mobile USA Q4 2008 should be very interesting.  We still expect the Dream to launch in October on T-mobile as Google has announced that they are very close to finalizing the Android OS build for a full-scale release.  Now all we need are more device announcements across additional carriers and we might have ourselves some serious buzz.

For more information vist the Android Developers Blog

The European launch, and more specifically the UK launch of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 is rapidly approaching.  With a questionable release date, the XPERIA X1 has been both highly anticipated and overly promised, but solid information is beginning to pile in.  For starters, The Register.com is reporting that the X1 ‘may be slightly delayed’, but the Vodafone UK website shows an October launch date.  If you visit the Sony Ericsson shop website you will see a change to reflect this October release date (se-store.co.uk).

With Vodafone UK’s website and Sony Ericsson’s own website both showing October as the launch date, it is almost certain that we are past the guess work.  Until further notice, continue making plans for the XPERIA X1 October release date.

Sony Ericsson UK Store

If you been dying to get your hands on an official Windows Mobile 6.1 update for your Tilt or VX6800, today is the day.  Both Verizon and At&t have followed through on their promises to update their flagship Windows Mobile devices before year’s end.  While many have opted to go the ppcgeeks/xda-developers route, the patient users will finally be able to join in on the threaded sms fun today.

What’s new with Windows Mobile 6.1:

• HTC Home
• Video Share Calling
• Threaded SMS
• MS Voice Command
• OneNote Mobile
• Remote Desktop Monitor
• Enroll Domain
• Managed Programs

Some words of advice before you proceed with upgrading your Tilt or VX6800, back up your data!  You will need at least 50% battery, your USB sync cable and a PC running either ActiveSync (Win XP) or Mobile Device Center (Vista).  Typically ROM updates are between 50MB to 100MB and the entire process can take up to 30 minutes (usually 10 to 15).  Now that we have given our words of caution, go ahead and have at some WM 6.1 goodness with the link below.

Download Windows Mobile 6.1 Update for At&t Tilt

Download Windows Mobile 6.1 Update for Verizon VX6800

First the Touch Diamond then the Touch Pro and now the S740.  Only this time HTC has decided to add a second keypad, but dropped the touchscreen and lowered the resolution from VGA to QVGA.  Luckily HTC has decided to keep the GPS module and 3G so all is not completely lost.  The HTC S740 comes equipped with a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7225 processor, quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) and dualband HSDPA/WCDMA (900/2100MHz).

While the lower resolution screen and lack of touchscreen hurt, HTC has decided to ship the S740 with 256MB ROM and 256MB RAM to satisfy our multi-tasking needs.  802.11g/b Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, a 3.2 megapixel camera, FM radio, and microSD card slot round out the rest of the features.  The HTC S740 will release in Europe this September and we expect to hear pricing information soon.

HTC S740 Product Page

With a recent approval by the FCC, the HTC Dream is scheduled to land on T-mobile before year’s end.  While the Dream is slimmer than the iPhone 3G, the biggest mystery up until this point has been the device layout.  Thanks to the Android Community we finally see the big picture, complete with a five-row QWERTY keyboard, a home and menu button and a trackball.

An interesting piece of information is that both an ‘Android OS’ logo as well as a ‘with Google’ logo are displayed on the back of the HTC Dream.  With T-mobile myFaves support, and 3G connectivity for T-mobile’s AWS 1700MHz spectrum things are looking very bright for the number 4 US carrier.  Current speculation puts the HTC Dream launch for existing T-mobile customers (pre-release) in a little over 2 weeks, with a national launch following in about 6 weeks.

Pre-release sales date: September 17, 2008
Official nationwide launch date: October 13, 2008

T-mobile HTC Dream (G1) powered by Android:

• 528Mhz Qualcomm 7201 processor
• Data kit for USB connectivity in the box
• 64MB Internal RAM
• 128MB Internal ROM
• 1GB MicroSD card
• 5 Row QWERTY keypad
• Trackball
• 3.1MP camera (no flash) 2048 x 1536
• Video playback files - H.264, streaming, 3GPP, MPEG4, and Codec 3GP
• Dedicated YouTube Player
• Audio playback files - MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, MPEG4, WAV, MIDI, REAL AUDIO, OGG
• Speakerphone (mono, natch)
• Ringtones (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA)
• HTTP, WAP Push, xHTML
• Bluetooth (class 1)
• Picture Caller ID
• POP, IMAP, and SMTP, AOL, and GMAIL email
• AIM, MSN, YAHOO, and GTALK messaging
• Quad Band (850, 900, 1800, 1900)
• 3G
• 802.11b & 802.11g
• UMTS (1,4), HSDPA, SUPL
• 1150mAh battery
• 5.6 oz weight
• Sync capable with Google Calendar
• Downloadable content via Android Marketplace
• Google Streetview with built-in compass
• Measurements: 4.53 in x 2.17 in

With the buzz centered around the iPhone 3G and BlackBerry Bold of late, Nokia N96 news has been kept to a minimum.  Earlier this week Nokia announced that the new flagship device, the N96, will be coming stateside in Q4 2008 for $895.  With a 2.8 inch screen and 16GB of internal memory, the N96 is positioned to offer the best in imaging, gaming and multimedia capabilities.

Full Press Release

White Plains, NY, USA - Nokia today announced that the highly anticipated Nokia N96, unveiled earlier this year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, will be made available for high-speed 3G HSDPA networks widely used in the Americas during the fourth quarter of 2008. Combining a large 2.8 inch screen, 16 gigabytes of internal memory and compatibility with a wide range of video formats, the Nokia N96 is a sleek, smart and powerful device that delivers an outstanding entertainment experience.

Support for popular video download services, including those using Windows Media format, means that Nokia N96 owners can easily explore, purchase and download their favorite movies, television shows and other video content on their PCs and sideload them to their devices to watch at their convenience. The internal 16 gigabytes of memory, and expandable memory card slot, allows up to 40 hours of video content* to be stored on the Nokia N96. Additionally, the built in “kick stand” allows the Nokia N96 to be supported handsfree at an optimal viewing angle to ensure enjoyment of their favorite video content.

“Since the first Nokia Nseries device came to market in 2005, this range of devices has consistently represented cutting-edge technology combined with an unparalleled user experience. The Nokia N96 builds upon this tradition to bring mobility to today’s most valuable Internet services,” said Bill Plummer, Vice President of Go-to-Market for Nokia Americas. “With support for movies, music, games, navigation and more right out of the box, the real power of the Nokia N96 is that it provides an open application environment for users to define their own mobile lifestyle.”

While optimized for entertainment, the Nokia N96 offers all of the innovative features that make the Nokia Nseries line of devices the most advanced on the market. Some of these cutting edge features include a five megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, integrated Wi-Fi support and assisted-GPS navigation. Through the integration of Ovi services, the Nokia N96 becomes an even more powerful device. Consumers can enjoy one-click uploading of images, videos and other content using the Share on Ovi service, easy navigation across town and country with Nokia Maps 2.0 or a spur of the moment N-Gage games tournament with friends around the world using the preinstalled N-Gage application.

Included with the Nokia N96 are three months of navigation service for Nokia Maps 2.0, which enables the Nokia N96 to deliver detailed turn-by-turn diections for both automotive and pedestrian navigation. A voucher to purchase a full version of the exciting N-Gage racing title Asphalt 3: Street RulesTM is also included with the Nokia N96. Along with the Asphalt 3: Street RulesTM voucher, trial versions of four other popular N-Gage titles are already on the device, making it easy for owners to try some of the latest games before deciding to buy the full version. Other N-Gage games, including the newly released Dirk Dagger, are easily downloaded to the device.

The Nokia N96 with Americas 3G support is expected to be available during the fourth quarter of 2008 for an estimated price of USD 895.

*Capacity based on H.264 750-Kbps video at 320-by-240 resolution, combined with 128-Kbps audio. Capacity is half of this with H.264 1.5Mbps at 640-by-480 resolution, combined with 128-Kbps audion (near-DVD quality).

Print quality photos can be found at www.nokia.com/press/photos.

About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

Nokia N96 Specifications:

After finishing our review of the Nokia N82 we thought it might be interesting to pair up the device against two phones leading the mainstream smartphone market, the Palm Centro and the Apple iPhone 3G.  While every device has an ideal target audience, many people who would never consider opting for a full scale smartphone (think Windows Mobile) would consider a Palm Centro or iPhone.  Let’s be honest, we have seen plenty of soccer moms using the Palm Centro and setting down their Motorola RAZRs over the past 10 months (over 2 million the last time we checked).

Basic Overview of the N82, iPhone 3G and Centro:

Nokia N82 over iPhone 3G

• Camera
• Bluetooth
• Unlocked (any GSM provider)
• Smaller form factor

Clearly the camera is not up for discussion, a 5.0 megapixel camera with Xenon flash versus a 2.0 megapixel camera without a flash is not a fair fight.  This does not even take into account the front-facing camera for video calling on the N82, but it is hard to weigh this into an overall device score when US markets cannot take advantage of the feature.

The bluetooth connectivity on the N82 was superb, we never had any problems with auto-pairing nor did we have issues with static on the line.  While the iPhone 3G has improved its bluetooth performance over its predecessor, Nokia still takes top marks due to Stereo Bluetooth output to headsets and in-car units.

While the iPhone 3G is available in more than 50 countries at the moment, in the US the device is sold locked to At&t.  Without a software-based unlocking solution, the options for global use are limited to roaming with At&t or using the iPhone international data plans.  What we have always enjoyed about Nokias is the premium price delivers an unlocked phone with worldwide capabilities.  Since the N82 lacks 3G connectivity for US networks (At&t and T-mobile) and the iPhone 3G is locked to At&t in the US we feel that these features outweigh themselves.

Nokia N82 over Palm Centro

• Camera
• GSM data
• Screen
• Operating System

While the iPhone 3G now features GPS and A-GPS capabilities, the Palm Centro was only recently capable of using the MyLocation feature in GoogleMaps.  The N82 delivers solid GPS performance and much faster positioning with more robust navigation software thanks to Nokia Maps.  While the screen size is very close between the two devices, the higher color count on the N82 delivers a much richer and vibrant experience despite the slightly lower QVGA resolution.

When it comes to data options, neither the N82 nor the Centro can deliver 3G data over GSM networks in the US.  While in Europe and Asia you would be able to take advantage of the 2100 MHz spectrum for 3G data, but while in the US there is no advantage to either device.  The Centro continues the legacy of the Palm OS which is slowly approaching a major overhaul in 2009.  Due to the dated Operating System and the versatility and stability of the S60 platform we must give the edge to the N82.

The camera is probably the worst feature on the Palm Centro, at only 1.3 megapixels and no flash it is hard to consider this as a real feature to the phone.  While we can live without a flash on the iPhone 3G, the optics on the Centro deliver cloudy photos that lack sharpness and are best suited for Multimedia Messaging rather than printing.

Where the Nokia N82 could improve

While the N82 is the lightest device out of the group, it is also the only device missing a QWERTY keyboard.  The iPhone 3G delivers an acceptable on-screen keyboard and the Centro’s physical keyboard is a bit cramped for those with larger hands.  In either case, both the Centro and iPhone offer a better typing experience despite their flaws.

All 3 devices are able to connect to MS Exchange servers and deliver push email so OTA synchronization has become a standard feature.  Strictly in the US, the iPhone 3G and CDMA (Verizon / Sprint) Palm Centros offer the fastest Internet since the N82 is limited to EDGE data speeds.  While lacking US 3G, the N82 does offer Wi-Fi but the battery life strain is a problem. It is worth mentioning that out of the three devices we would pick the Palm Centro for mobile data speeds since Verizon and Sprint both offer greater 3G coverage across the US and the iPhone 3G has been plagued with spotty Internet.

While the iPhone is aimed at the multimedia crowd, the Centro at the casual/business user and the N82 at the camera phone audiences all three devices can crossover well.  For the constant talker looking to have access to their email and have the best in cameras the N82 is the hands down choice.  It offers the greatest variety of features, packed with excellent GPS, and delivers in the lightest package of all 3 phones.  If multimedia playback is your niche, the iPhone 3G is the clear winner.

The Palm Centro is a device which packs the capabilities of all 3 devices, but suffers from a poor camera and limited navigation options.  If you want business functions in a small package the Centro does deliver, but we would prefer the N82 despite missing a QWERTY keyboard.  There is something to be said about having an unlocked phone with a 5.0 megapixel camera and some of the best positioning features we have seen.

Here’s a quick recap on the current Sprint Touch Diamond situation (HTC Victor): the device looked to be ahead of schedule at the end of last week and we heard internally that we would see a launch by this Thursday (August 28th).  The original information we had received put the launch date on September 2nd, but then PhoneArena got wind that we were all wrong and that ‘the launch has been pushed back a few weeks’.

The current consensus puts the launch date back on September 2nd assuming we don’t see any further developments.  With the product manual leaked earlier today and the device confirmed to be released in Red, the Sprint Touch Diamond launch is becoming quite the build up.  We also have confirmation that the device will remain at $299 on a 2 year contract or $549 no contract.

We will keep you posted with any further developments.

Update Sept 10th: Today Sprint issued a Press Release outlining several device launches but most importantly they confirmed the September launch of the Touch Diamond and October launch of the Touch Pro. According to the Press Release, the HTC Touch Diamond will be available beginning in September. It will cost $249.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. HTC Touch Pro will be available Oct. 19 for $299.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. It looks like Sprint will take the cake as the first US carrier to launch either of these devices unless we see At&t bump up their release date unexpectedly.

It looks like being ‘green’ finally pads your pockets and helps the environment thanks to NextWorth, a company which delivers first-gen iPhones to non-iPhone countries.  The program pays out $300 for a first-gen 16GB iPhone and $200 for a first-gen 8GB iPhone which is enough coin to walk right into your local At&t Store (or similar) and pickup a shiny new iPhone 3G on a 2 year contract.

While an eBay sale will probably fetch you a a little more cash for your time, NextWorth sends you a check and the prices are guaranteed which is a nice alternative to risking overseas shipping eBay frauds.  We ourselves have been victims more than once to shipping an item overseas and later finding out the buyer filed a claim against us (yes, even with insurance and tracking).

NextWorth iPhone exchange program