GSM

Taiwanese manufacturer HTC has been busy working on their first-ever GSM/WiMax device: the HTC T8920.  Unfortunately for those of you living in Baltimore enjoying Sprint’s WiMax service there is no CDMA support on the device since it is intended for a Russian release on WiMax provider Yota.  On the positive side, the T8920 has been clocked at a downlink speed of nearly 14 Mbps and it delivers a Touch HD quality 3.8 inch 800 x 480 pixel WVGA screen.  At this point not much is known about the device, but we have managed to round up a few specifications:

• 3.8″ 800×480 WVGA LCD
• GSM+WiMax
• 802.11g WiFi
• Bluetooth 2.0

We are hoping for a possible spinoff of the T8920 that drops the GSM bands in favor of a CDMA flavor for Sprint subscribers.  Being able to live in Baltimore and have access to Sprint’s WiMax network, Xohm, plus having a T8920 might just be the perfect combination.

Via intoMobile

According to BGR, At&t has a plan to release a sweet bit of QWERTY sliding action from LG, formally known as the LG Xenon.  The device is expected to have a release date ‘before Christmas’, but if At&t’s delayed release of the BlackBerry Bold is any indicator we’ll be happy to see the Xenon by the Super Bowl.  The highlights of the Xenon include a 3.0 megapixel camera, UMTS/HSDPA support, A-GPS, WiFi, an accelerometer and a proximity sensor.  Now for the full specs for the At&t LG Xenon

At&t LG Xenon Spec Sheet:

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Dual-band UMTS/HSDPA (850MHz/2100MHz)
• 950 mAh battery
• It’s physical size is 105.5 x 53.5 x 15.8 mm
• 240×480 2.8″ LCD
• 3 megapixel FF +VGA (VT)
• 100MB of memory with microSD support up to 16GB
• Bluetooth 2.0
• USB 2.0
• Wi-Fi
• EMP U330 Lite Chipset

Update 9/25: The big news about this device is its supposedly slated to run Android. Basically, this is an LG G1. (thanks symbian-freak)

Source

The second Velocity Mobile handset to be announced, the Velocity 83, is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.  The slender smartphone features built-in GPS and a pair of microSD slots, one for storage and one designed to store maps on your GPS navigation software.  Despite the strikingly similar layout to the HTC Touch Diamond, the Velocity 83’s 2.8 inch screen runs at QVGA resolution running the Odyssey user interface.  With no 3G connectivity, a 2.0 megapixel camera, and WiFi, the Velocity 83 is more like the original HTC Touch than the next generation Diamond.

The Velocity 83 will be released in November for $500.  No word on which markets will offer the Velocity 83 first, but the lack of 3G will really limits worldwide launches.

Velocity Mobile 83

Start saving your Danish Krones, the white HTC Touch Diamond in GSM flavor is now available on Danish website, Tele Online.  Listed at DKK 4.699,00 (about $891 USD), the white Touch Diamond will not come cheap, but if you are looking for a new twist in color it might just be the way to go.  Also listed on Tele Online is the recently announced HTC Touch HD which is priced at DKK 5.939,00 (about $1126.90 USD).  It seems that the Danish are no strangers to the best in HTC products and it makes us a bit curious when they will actually be selling the HTC Touch HD since HTC formally announced the device yesterday.

Souce: Tele Online

For the record we knew that there were two models of the BlackBerry Flip, the 8220 with WiFi and the 8210 with GPS.  Now it turns out there is a third model which just made the rounds over on the FCC website.  As expected, the third BlackBerry Flip is also limited to 2G data speeds (EDGE), but this time the device will feature both GPS and WiFi.  Why RIM decided to release 3 versions of the same device rather than only releasing this version of the Flip is still unknown, but we have a hunch that its part of a plan to get early adopters to purchase a second Flip down the road.

As we’ve previously covered, the BlackBerry Flip will be coming to Rogers Canada and T-mobile USA, but unsure where the third Flip is destined to land.  Possibly an At&t launch to make T-mobile customers envious of a BlackBerry Flip with both GPS and WiFi?

Source: FCC

The Sony Ericsson W707 ‘Alicia’ might have been cancelled, but it has not been forgotten.  The little brother to the W980 is equipped with a 3.15 megapixel camera, dual displays and 3g connectivity.  Back in July we expected the ‘Alicia’ to be included in the Sony Ericsson July 22nd announcement, but it was later confirmed by multiple sources that the project had been cancelled.  Surprising enough, sonyericsson.blog.pl has managed to get their hands on a unit for some well-deserved camera time.

Source: Sony Ericsson Blog Poland

Just when you think you have it all figured out, HTC pulls a fast one.  Yesterday we reported on a mystery device, the HTC Opal, which lacked the power of either the HTC Touch Diamond or Touch Pro.  With a mix of the original HTC Touch styling and BlackBerry Thunder design, we are pleased to introduce the HTC Touch HD.  Complete with rounded corners, 480 x 800 pixel WVGA touchscreen display, Windows Mobile 6.1 and TouchFLO 3D UI.  The Touch HD represents the first migration towards a truley touchscreen device, losing the 5 way navigation wheel in favor of 4 pressure sensitive buttons.

HTC Touch HD Specifications (not confirmed):

• 480 x 800 pixel WVGA touchscreen display (!)
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• TouchFLO 3D UI band-aid
• 3G (you better hit that tri-band radio, HTC!)
• Qualcomm 7201A processor @ 528MHz
• 512MB ROM / 256MB RAM (+32MB on processor)

The release date for the HTC Touch HD is expected to be announced soon and the current prediction is by year’s end (Q4 2008). The device will feature a microSD slot and come with a 1350 mAh battery and 3.5mm headphone jack.  It seems like a very convenient day for a leaked device considering the announcement by Sony Ericsson that the XPERIA X1 would make a global launch on September 30th, but with an equally impressive screen resolution, the HTC Touch HD is definitely sparking some competition.

Update: We are now hearing that the device will feature a 5.0 megapixel camera and it will also make use of an accelerometer.  The new codename for the HTC Touch HD is ‘Blackstone’ and it will have GPS, Bluetooth A2DP, WiFi, and even a FM Radio.

Release Date: The Touch HD is promised to be available by X-mas 2008, but a Swedish website has the release date as 11-19-2008.

Source: Modaco

The original 200MHz HTC Touch was a bit of a disappointment compared to the 400MHz version that first hit the US on Sprint and today the alleged Touch successor is stirring rumors.  The device is being called the HTC Opal and according to the leaked specifications from HTC it looks to feature the same TI OMAP 850 chip running at 200MHz, 2 megapixel camera, no 3G (quadband GSM/EDGE only), WiFi, Bluetooth and a microSD slot.  The only major differences over the original HTC Touch can be found in some extra styling and the OS (Windows 6.1 Professional).

The spec sheet also lists that it will feature the Opera browser and run the same TouchFlo 3D interface that we have seen on the HTC Touch Diamond and Touch Pro, but the big question is why?  If we already have the Touch Diamond, Touch Pro and S740, why do we need an almost identical device to the original HTC Touch.  We’ll let you guys decide on this one.

Update 9/12: It looks like the HTC Opal will be officially named the HTC Touch Viva. Quadband GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), 128MB RAM/256MB ROM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, 2.0 megapixel camera have also been confirmed.

Source: HTC Opal Spec Sheet (PDF)

Despite Asus killing our hopes of owning the Lamborghini phone, today they announced the P552w touchscreen smartphone.  A 2.8 inch screen showcases Asus’ new Glide user interface which runs ontop of Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.  In an effort to battle giant HTC, Asus has taken much of the styling and UI directly from its competitor, the HTC Touch.  Besides the smooth looking UI is a catalog of unique software that gives users an entirely new smartphone experience.

It is clear that manufacturers are beginning to realize that the UI ontop of Windows Mobile is where they will sell phones.  Two of the best examples of the unique software on the P552w are EZiPhoto and EziMusic. The first, EziPhoto, allows users to flip through their photos with their finger tips similar to using the iPhone or iPod Touch.  EziMusic works exactly the same way and looks to be heavily influenced by Apple’s cover flow UI.

As far as the specs, the Asus P552w comes with support for 3.5Mbps HSDPA data on GSM 2100MHz UMTS networks.  To power the stylish touchscreen, the P552w matches the BlackBerry Bold with a 624MHz processor and 256MB of flash memory on-board for plenty of storage.  Bluetooth, WiFi, 2.0 megapixel camera, 1100mAh battery, and a microSDHC slot round out the rest of the features.

No information on a price tag or a release date have been given at this time, but you can expect a device with these features to be equally as expensive as the HTC Touch Diamond.