Radio Shack, or ‘The Shack’ as they’d like to be called, is offering a fine plethora of sales for Black Friday.  Shoppers be on alert since some sweet, sweet handsets are going on sale here, so make sure you’re wearing running shoes, or you could end up like Mrs. Avery up there.  Don’t worry, all she broke was her hip, ankle, femur, wrist, skull, clavicle, and nose.  But she saved a bundle!

• BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Curve 8520 – Free with 2 year contract
• Gigaware High Power Docking Speaker For iPod – $49.99
• LG Xenon – Free with 2 year contract
• Motorola (NYSE: MOT) CLIQ – $79.99 (with 2 year contract)
• Motorola i776 – $69.99
• Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 2720 No-Contract Mobile Phone – $9.99
• Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pixi – $99.99 (with 2 year contract)
• Palm Pre – $99.99 (with 2 year contract)
• Plantronics E210 Bluetooth Headset – $19.99
• Sandisk 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $9.99
• Sandisk 2GB Type-M xD-Picture Card – $9.99
• Sandisk 4GB MicroSDHC Card – $9.99
• Sandisk Standard SDHC Card – $9.99
• Samsung Impression – $29.99 (with 2 year contract)
• Samsung Instinct S30 – Free with 2 year contract
• Samsung Mantra Cell Phone – $29.99
• Snap-On Covers for iPhone 3G or Blackberry Curve 8300 – $9.99

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Black Friday Mobile Deals – Best Buy
• ‘The Shack’ to Sell the Motorola CLIQ for $79 on Black Friday
• Black Friday Roundup: Savings for Mobile Phones and Smartphones
• Radio Shack pushing Verizon Wireless once again
• Amazon offers Palm Pixi for $25

For those of you who are making the pilgrimage to Best Buy Friday morning, I hope you did some working out beforehand as trying to pick up a TV or a refrigerator without any kind of preparation will not end well.

If you’re anything like me, years of being a hermit has turned your body into a soft, delicate pile of pudding.  So why kill yourself when Best Buy has a great number of handsets for sale on Black Friday.  If you can lift a bag of potato chips from your lap, then lifting these handsets should be cake!

• AT&T Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) W518a – Free with 2 year contract
• BoostMobile Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Clutch i465 – $59.99
• DLO Jam Jacket For iPhone – $9.99
• Jabra BT-2080 Bluetooth Headset – $19.99
• LG Chocolate Touch From Verizon – Free with 2 year contract
• MiFi 2200 By Novatel Wireless – Free with 2 year contract
• Mobile Broadband Card 598U By Sierra Wireless – Free with 2 year contract
• Motorola DROID – $199.99
• Motorola i465 Boost Clutch – $59.99
• Motorola H710 Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headset – $39.99
• Motorola S9 HD Stereo Bluetooth Headset – $49.99
• Net10 Samsung T401G – $39.99
• Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre – $79.99 with 2 year agreement
• Sandisk 8GB MicroSDHC Memory Card – $19.99
• Sandisk 8GB SD Card – $19.99
• Sprint BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Curve 8330 Smart Phone – Free with 2 year contract
• Sprint Samsung Instinct S30 – Free with 2 year contract
• T-Mobile Motorola Renew Phone – $7.99
• Verizon Wireless DROID – $199.99 with 2 year contract
• Verizon Wireless Motorola Rival – Free with 2 year contract
• Virgin Mobile Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) X-tc – $49.99

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Black Friday Mobile Deals – Radio Shack
• Motorola’s bone-conducting Endeavor HX1 Bluetooth headset sneaks out to Sprint stores
• Deal Alert: $99 Motorola Droid, FREE HTC Droid Eris from Wirefly.com
• Jabra Launches Halo Stereo Bluetooth Headset, Confuses Gamers
• Motorola Droid just $119 from Dell

Ah, Thanksgiving.  The time where families come together to share a delicious meal and be thankful for all of life’s blessings.  Once Thanksgiving is over, that’s where the holiday shopping season begins.  Black Friday is known across America as the Friday after Thanksgiving where retailers drop prices on a lot of popular merchandise in order to get you into their stores.  Between today and tomorrow, we here at IntoMobile will be highlighting some Black Friday mobile deals that we feel would help you in planning your holiday shopping.

First up, we have Amazon’s Black Friday sales.  If you’re the type to do your holiday shopping online, they have an impressive array of deals for Black Friday:

• BlackBerry Bold 9700 – $149.99 with new T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) service plan
• Blackberry Curve 8900 – $0.01 with new AT&T (NYSE: T) service plan
• BlackBerry Storm2 9550 – $149.99 with new Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless service plan
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 – $49.99 with new Sprint (NYSE: S) service plan
• HTC Pure Windows – $0.01 with new AT&T service plan
• LG Xenon GR500 – $0.01 with new AT&T service plan
• Motorola TalkAbout Earbud with Microphone for All Series – $12.05
• Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth Headset – $84.99
• Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset – $70.00
• Samsung Moment M900 – $79.99 with new Sprint service plan

Additionally, you MIGHT want to come back next week as we have something special planned for our readers.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Black Friday Roundup: Savings for Mobile Phones and Smartphones
• T-Mobile Publishes List of Black Friday Deals
• Brief: Sprint’s Motorola Q2 with Palm OS – for sure not going to happen
• Price Drops on Rogers BlackBerry Bold 9000, Curve 8900 and 8520
• Black Friday Mobile Deals – Best Buy

So, you might have noticed how Verizon (NYSE: VZ) commercials might have sort of, kind of, maybe been taking some potshots at the iPhone. As we all know, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) can sling some mud with the best of them, and just launched these two ads that show just how darned handy it is to use voice and data simultaneously.

Son, you just got served. Actually, even though it’s fair game right now, simultaneous voice and data will be a moot points once LTE rolls around. It’s also maybe not such a smart move to be bashing on Verizon if Apple hopes to be using their network at some point, although the same could be said for VZW. One way or the other, Apple really shouldn’t be bragging about AT&T (NYSE: T)’s network, even with it’s data/voice capability. What do you guys think of the ads?

[via BusinessWeek]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• AT&T ‘Sets the Record Straight’ on Verizon’s 3G coverage map ads
• Vodafone CEO Sarin: Vodafone will take its time with LTE, Verizon can’t afford to
• AT&T sees massive data network outage on East Coast
• Alltel looking to launch LTE network
• AT&T definitely wants the Palm Pre, GSM style

The Verizon Samsung Omnia II’s launch isn’t going to be exciting just for Windows Mobile fans, it’s going to be exciting for anyone that’s been  to Swype’s continuous finger-motion typing interface. That’s because Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s Samsung Omnia II will be the first production device to support the innovative Swype typing interface, which Samsung has dubbed “Genius Texting.” Rather than having you tap our individual letters on an on-screen keyboard to form words, Swype allows the user to trace paths between those letters. The software analyzes your finger’s path to determine your desired word, increasing accuracy and increasing your typing speed.

The Swype-powered “Genius Texting” feature will be built into the Omnia II when it launches next month. The innovative keyboard still allows you to tap out words like you’re probably used to doing on a touchscreen smartphone. Should you feel so inclined, you can start tracing your word with a single continuous “swipe” motion. Gestures are also supported for tasks like capitalizing a letter – just swipe an upside down “V” motion onto the keyboard and off you go!

Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional might not be enough to get you to buy the Omnia II, but Swype’s new keyboard sure makes a strong case for putting an Omnia II in your pocket. Or, if Android’s more your style, we’re hearing that Swype will soon make its way to your favorite Google (NSDQ: GOOG) mobile OS. Word on the street has Swype hitting the Android platform in the first quarter of 2010.

Say good-bye to the decades-old typing paradigm and make room for the new wave of Swype-powered keyboards!

This is how Swype works:

[Via: MocoNews and MobileCrunch]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Samsung readying QWERTY-toting Samsung Omnia Pro for July?
• Samsung Omnia coming to Bell next month!
• Samsung Omnia HD rumored to run Windows Mobile
• Become and Omnia HD Ambassador and get a free Samsung Omnia HD!
• Prevalent Phraze-It – Effortless On-Screen Typing For Pocket PC’s

Smartphones are going to be hot sellers this holiday season. With the holidays fast approaching, HTC will be pushing hard to cash in on the smartphone boom. How, you ask? By giving $100 to anyone buying a qualifying HTC handset between November 27th and December 31st! If you’re shopping for a new smartphone, better deals will be hard to find.

As part of HTC’s “YOU” marketing campaign, the smartphone maker will mail you a $100 check for buying an HTC smartphone from Verizon (NYSE: VZ), T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) or AT&T (NYSE: T). The only catch, you have to send your old smartphone to HTC – think of it as a trade-in program for your aging mobile phone.

Details after the break.

Here’s how it works:

1. Buy and activate an eligible HTC smartphone from Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T.
   • HTC Tilt2, HTC Touch Pro2, HTC Imagio and the HTC Ozone are all eligible.
2. Hit up HTC’s smartphone trade-in page and enter the appropriate promo code.
   • Verizon – Trade-in page with promo code
   • T-Mobile – Trade-in page with promo code
   • AT&T – Trade-in page with promo code
3. Enter all the required information about your used/old smartphone and print out your free shipping label.
   • HTC is asking that you trade-in your old smartphone – shipping is free.
   • You also need to mail in your new HTC smartphone’s UPC code and invoice.
4. Once HTC receives the eligible trade-in smartphone, UPC code and invoice, they’ll mail you a check for $100.
5. Use your $100 to recover from all your holiday shopping!

Keep in mind, not all of HTC’s new smartphones cost $100 when purchased with new 2-year contract. That means HTC will actually end up paying you to buy a new smartphone from them. For example, the HTC Ozone costs $50 from Verizon. If you buy an Ozone and trade-in your old smartphone, you can actually make $50 profit!

Find details for Verizon here, T-Mobile here, or AT&T here.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Coupon Quickie: 25% Off Text-Friendly Phones from Verizon
• Flash custom ROMs to your Verizon Ozone
• Verizon Launches Another BOGO BlackBerry Sale
• Bringing in July With a Bang: 30% Off Sale Over at Bplay
• What Does Apple Have Up Their Sleeves for ‘Black Friday’?

Good news for those who have been following the rumors about the Samsung Omnia II i920: Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has set a pricetag and release date! Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface built on top of Windows Mobile 6.5, a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and dual-LED flash, GPS, and Wi-Fi all round out the Omnia II. Initially, we thought it would be launching with Windows Mobile 6.1, but it’s possible that originally-planned release dates were pushed back to include 6.5. You can expect to pay $199.99 on contract after mail-in rebates to pick up the i920 from Verizon stores on December 2.

[via Verizon]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Samsung Omnia HD rumored to run Windows Mobile
• Verizon to drop Samsung Omnia II i920 on November 1?
• Samsung confirms Omnia II headed to Verizon Wireless soon
• Verizon’s Samsung i900 Omnia launch date and pricing information leaked!
• AT&T’s Samsung Omnia II almost here!

Whoever said, “there’s no such thing as bad press,” obviously never worked for a wireless carrier. For the likes of AT&T (NYSE: T), the kind of bad press that Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless has been sending them could end up hurting their bottom line by way of lost customers. That’s hitting where it hurts. In it’s defense, though, AT&T has filed a lawsuit and is starting to hit back with their own Luke Wilson-ified TV commercials. It seems that lawsuit just wasn’t enough to disuade Verizon from running their ad campaign.

The latest of AT&T’s ads shows the usually funny actor taking a more serious tone to “set the record straight.” Verizon has been on a tear about how their rival’s 3G network pales in comparison to its own. AT&T is worried that some Americans might take Verizon’s claims and depictions of AT&T’s 3G coverage maps to mean that their network just doesn’t have widespread coverage. Their answer, apparently, is to show everyone out in TV-land just how extensive AT&T’s wireless network really is.

Take a look for yourself. There’s significantly more coverage area in AT&T’s map than Verizon’s version. By the looks of it, AT&T has some impressive coverage. So, what gives? Turns out, AT&T is showing off their entire 2G/3G network, while Verizon is focusing on the 3G network. That’s not exactly apples-to-oranges. This is getting interesting…

[Via: Mashable]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Want Verizon Wireless 3G coverage ads? AT&T’s got a lawsuit for that!
• AT&T ‘Sets the Record Straight’ on Verizon’s 3G coverage map ads
• Verizon to AT&T RE: Lawsuit: “The Truth Hurts”
• Verizon Wireless files a lawsuit against mortgage product spammers
• Amp’d Mobile signs deal with Verizon Wireless to stay alive

We love seeing hot new smartphones getting their price tags slashed mere weeks after its initial launch. The latest price reduction on the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid comes from Dell.com, making it possible to put a Droid in your pocket for just $119 and a 2-year contract with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless. The deal also applies to contract extensions, so you don’t have to wait until you’re eligible for an upgrade to take advantage of the low price.

If you like high-tech smartphones and want an Android-powered handset, the Droid fits the bill perfectly. If you’re not sure that the Droid is for you, check out our hands-on impressions and video. Keep in mind that the Droid is so far the only Android smartphone to rock the new Google Maps Navigation app.

To recap: Dell is selling the Droid for $119 with new 2-year contract (or a contract extension for existing customers), and will even ship the handset to you for free via Fedex. That’s one “hot deal,” to be sure.

Dell’s $119 Motorola Droid

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Video: Motorola Droid gets unboxed, handled, loved
• The Unboxing: Verizon’s HTC Droid Eris
• Want a GSM Motorola DROID? Say ‘hi’ to the Motorola MILESTONE!
• The Signal 45: The DROIDs We’re Looking For and Tenqa Bluetooth Speaker Giveaway
• Quick shot: Verizon Motorola Droid in the flesh!

This one goes out to all of you out there in Woodland Hills. In a puzzlingly region-specific announcement, Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless has announced that it has added a new cell site in Woodland Hills, California. Those of you living in the western San Fernando Valley will see improved 3G wireless coverage and performance on your Verizon handset.

Verizon’s press release also mentions that the carrier spent $600 million in infrastructure improvements in California during 2008. With all the back-and-forth between AT&T and Verizon these days, we can’t help but think that the $600 million figure is a jab at AT&T (NYSE: T). Although, we have to point out that Verizon is quoting numbers from a lifetime ago (which roughly equates to a year in the mobile world).

Full press release after the break

New Verizon Wireless cell site also adds capacity to stay ahead of demand for calls, email and text
IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Los Angeles County residents, businesses and visitors are enjoying improved service thanks to a new Verizon Wireless cell site. The site improves 3G wireless coverage from Santa Rita Street South to Rosita Street, and from Corbin Avenue East to Vanalden Avenue. The increase in network coverage and capacity means more calls, emails, text and picture messages for locals, plus expanded wireless access to the web.
Verizon Wireless invested over $600 million in California during 2008 to enhance service and coverage. Nationally, the company has invested more than $48 billion in its network since it was formed in 2000. The result is the nation’s largest, most reliable 3G network that powers services such as Mobile Broadband and email.
Businesses of any size can tap into the power of Mobile Broadband. The service allows users to connect to the Internet wirelessly while on the go to download music over-the-air, and access e-mail or corporate data. For example, customers can download a small 1 megabyte PowerPoint® presentation in about eight seconds and upload the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds.
Small business owners interested in Mobile Broadband, and other wireless solutions, can visit http://smallbusiness.vzw.com where they will find:
An online forum to share experiences and connect with other business owners
Access to Small Business Specialists in each Verizon Wireless store
Discounts and promotions to help businesses stretch their budgets
Summaries of mobile solutions like email, wireless Internet and Push to Talk service
24/7 tech support
Verizon Wireless tests its network and those of its competitors. The company determines if voice calls and data connections are successful on the first attempt and stay connected. Nationally, Verizon Wireless’ real-life test men and women drive 91 specially equipped vehicles almost 1,000,000 miles annually. They drive on Interstate, U.S. and state highways, as well as major roads and streets in high-population areas, based upon U.S. Census counts. Vehicles are equipped with computers that automatically make more than three million voice call attempts and more than 16 million data tests annually on Verizon Wireless’ network and the networks of other carriers.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving 87.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 87,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
SOURCE Verizon Wireless

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Verizon Wireless does femtocells too – CDMA femtocells for Verizon customers later this year
• AT&T ‘Sets the Record Straight’ on Verizon’s 3G coverage map ads
• Verizon Wireless launches static IP mobile broadband service
• Verizon Wireless lights up 4G LTE test network!
• Qwest drops Sprint in MVNO network lease deal, partners with Verizon Wireless

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) customers, the BlackBerry Curve 8530 is now available for your consumption. Available in both Black and ‘Smoky Violet‘ (ooooh, sounds so sultry), the Curve 8530 will set you back $99.99 on a 2-year contract after a $100 online discount. This CDMA Curve packs WiFi, Bluetooth, OpenGL ES support (3D gaming here we come..), VZ Navigator, a 2MP camera, music player and more… If your previous gen Berry has had enough, this one could be worth a look.

For more information hit up VerizonWireless.com, or head on over to your local store for the skinny.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• More BlackBerry OpenGL in Action: PBA Bowling and Super Monkey Ball
• Verizon Wireless launches BlackBerry 8330 Curve ahead of schedule
• Samsung a777 now available on AT&T for 80 bucks
• BlackBerry Curve 8520 Now Available at Walmart and T-Mobile
• Motorola Rapture, Samsung Sway get release dates, prices on Verizon

A tough, useful little flip has been announced on Verizon (NYSE: VZ) called the Casio G’zOne Rock. It had been previously spotted on a leaked roadmap, but few specifics were available.This phone looks like it would be a hikers dream, complete with compass, walking counter, thermometer, astro calendar, sunrise/sunset and tides apps to keep you oriented in the wild. It also features push-to-talk over EV-DO rev. A, a 2 megapixel camera, and meets MIL-STD-810F-grade ruggedization for impact, vibration, water, dust, extreme temperatures and just about anything else you could throw at it. The Rock joins the Boulder and Type-S in the G’zOne family of rugged handsets, but it’s tough to draw any real differentiation between them. The Casio Rock will run you $199.99 on contract after rebates starting tomorrow – just keep an eye out on the VZ store to pick it up.

[via Verizon]

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• Verizon launches Casio G’zOne Boulder
• Casio G’zOne Boulder for Verizon does ruggedness in style
• Telus Launches the Rugged Motorola V750
• Samsung Convoy is rugged, push-to-talk enabled and available on Verizon
• Motorola unveils VC6096 industrial PDA phone

It was, gosh, way back in August when Simon reported on this one. He spotted the BlackBerry 8530 in Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s internal systems, and noted that it looked like a Lavender color option was in the works.

Today, while doing my usual morning rounds, I noticed a pic of said device, and I’ve included it for you above. Nothing game changing here, but it is at the very least good to see the Verizon branding at the bottom… Rumor has it the 8530 (in black and lavender, aka ‘violet’) is going live on Verizon November 20th… Wait… that’s tomorrow! Hold on tight and let’s see what we get!

[Via: PhoneArena]

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• LG Secret gets four new colors
• Nokia N85 Available in Legit eBay Stores
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• T-Mobile launching Samsung Behold II on November 18th?
• Black and Lavender BlackBerry 8530 Aries Spotted in Verizon Records

So, you might have heard that AT&T (NYSE: T) is suing Verizon for misrepresenting them in the “There’s a Map for that” ads that attack AT&T’s coverage. AT&T tried to “set the record straight“, but Verizon (NYSE: VZ) continues to hold firm, and has even gone so far to say that AT&T only launched the lawsuit because “the truth hurts”. Oh, snap. Verizon is refuting the temporary restraining order that AT&T is demanding for the ads, on the basis that AT&T has apparently admitted that the coverage maps used in the ads are entirely accurate, and the comparison Verizon makes is apt. AT&T’s angle is “Verizon has stepped over the line of legitimate comparative advertising,” which sounds really wishy-washy to me. It looks like this whole situation is quickly degenerating to a PR slap-fight, and will probably result in nothing productive in the long run (however entertaining the drama may be).

[via Engadget]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Want Verizon Wireless 3G coverage ads? AT&T’s got a lawsuit for that!
• AT&T calls on Luke Wilson to ’set the record straight’
• Apple Forced to Pull the Plug on ‘Misleading’ iPhone 3G Ad in UK
• Verizon BlackBerry Storm Gets All GPS’d Out on Google Maps
• AT&T ‘Sets the Record Straight’ on Verizon’s 3G coverage map ads

Want some extra cash to blow at Walmart? What if I told you Wally World was giving away $100 gift cards with any BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) purchase from November 14th through the 21st? According to the good folks at Gizmodo, that’s exactly what is going to happen.

The new deal will be both valid in-store and online, but will require your purchase come complete with a 2-year contract. If you were planning to pick up a new BlackBerry anyways, the 14th through the 21st would be a good time to do it. $100 in your pocket to blow on holiday gifts or just treats for yourself could never be a bad thing.

Below is the list of BlackBerry devices up-for-grabs at Walmart:

• AT&T (NYSE: T) Curve 8310
• AT&T Bold 9000
• Sprint (NYSE: S) Curve 8330 (Red & Titanium)
• T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) 8520 (Black, White, and Frost)
• T-Mobile Pearl 8120 (Emerald)
• Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Storm
• Verizon Storm2

Go ahead, start pre-planning your BlackBerry shopping over at Walmart.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• List of BlackBerry Devices to go All Official with OS 5.0
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• BlackBerry Curve Tops U.S. Handsets for January
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• FutureShop BlackBerry Storm Demo Days, Holiday Pricing… and More!

You see this little snippet of a photo of an HTC smartphone? This may just be an image of the rumored Verizon (NYSE: VZ)-bound HTC Passion/Dragon’s display. The photo comes bundled with new speculation that has the big-screened Android phone bringing its 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and Android 2.0 OS to Verizon Wireless sometime in the middle of December.

How do we know this is the Verizon Wireless HTC Dragon? We don’t know anything for sure at this point. But we do know that the clock widget comes from HTC’s Sense UI, so the handset is definitely HTC hardware. The high resolution fits in nicely with what we’d expect from a 4.3-inch display rocking 800×480 pixels. And, to top it off, BGR has confirmed that the pictured handset is headed to Verizon Wireless. Mid-December seems to be the date to mark on your calendar, but we’ll update you as we get more detailed info.

The Motorola Droid might be getting the lion’s share of the media hype right now, but if the HTC Dragon hits Verizon Wireless before the holidays, it’s going to be hard to keep fawning over the Droid. The Dragon sports a larger display, a 5-megapixel camera, the same Android 2.0 OS, and Sense UI as a bonus. Sure, the Droid has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, but will that be enough to woo consumers away from the Dragon?

[Via: BGR]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• The Unboxing: Verizon’s HTC Droid Eris
• Video: Hands-on with Verizon’s HTC Droid Eris
• Reminder: Verizon’s Motorola Droid event on Oct. 28th
• FCC passes another Motorola Droid, this time with full AT&T 3G support!
• Android-powered Motorola Droid and Calgary found in Verizon’s systems

It’s becoming almost trendy to hate on AT&T (NYSE: T)’s 3G network, and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless is pushing hard to make the trend stick. So hard, in fact, that AT&T filed a lawsuit to stop Big Red’s “theres’ a map for that” TV ad campaign in its tracks. The lawsuit is still in it’s early stages, but the threat of legal backlash hasn’t stopped Verizon from going all-out with a new TV ad that has an iPhone look-alike hanging out with all the wayward toys on the “Island of Misfit Toys.” Funny? Definitely. But, those “misfit toys” bring up all kinds of creepy memories from our childhood.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Creepy Tamara Hope Palm Pre Ads Spoofed on YouTube
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• AT&T calls on Luke Wilson to ’set the record straight’
• Cartier sues Apple over trademark infringement [updated]
• Apple sued for patent infringement – SP Technologies claims patent over iPhone’s virtual keyboard

The Samsung Convoy is Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s latest rugged, PTT-enabled device. It’s a clamshell-shaped phone and aside from rocking the MIL-SPEC 810F standard for ruggedness, it’s also 3G-enabled, making sure you can access data services in all temperatures, altitudes and various solar radiation levels. In addition, the Convoy can also withstand shock, dust, vibration, salt fog and humidity.

As for the rest of the specs, there’s a 2-megapixel camera on board, Bluetooth, GPS (sings along VZ Navigator), large 1300mAh battery, and so on. Starting from November 15th, you will be able to grab this tough baby for $49.99 with a 2 year contract, and after a $50 mail-in rebate. In order to enable push-to-talk, prepare to pour out an additional $5 a month for the service.

[Via: MobileBurn]

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• Dual-mic equipped iVoice Diamond-X Bluetooth headset coming later in the month
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• WinMo-powered Motorola A3300 caught in the wild; Heading to China?

We’ve already had a chance to play with the HTC Droid Eris from Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless, but there’s nothing like a retail package unboxing ceremony to really get up close and personal with a new handset. As the “ying” to the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid’s “yang,” the HTC Droid Eris offers Verizon customers a fully capable Android smartphone at half the price of Moto’s headlining Droid, and it deserves some of our undivided attention.

The HTC Droid Eris is a lot like the HTC Hero from Sprint. Just like the Hero, the Droid Eris packs a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, 5-megapixel auto-focusing camera, 3G data, WiFi, GPS and a microSD card slot. It also runs the Sense UI, HTC’s custom Android homescreen skin, which gives the Droid Eris a bunch of extra HTC widgets to play with – and it doesn’t hurt that Sense UI looks way prettier than the vanilla Android homescreen.

Surprisingly, the HTC Droid Eris isn’t much thinner than the Motorola Droid, which sports a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. That’s not to say that the Droid Eris is a brick, it actually sits really comfortably in the hand. Still, the Eris could stand to lose a couple millimeters around its waist.

The Droid Eris’s 5-megapixel camera is faster and less laggy than the Motorola Droid. It also supports touch-focusing, which gives it a another small but significant leg-up on the Droid. The 3.2-inch display is smaller than would be ideal, but it’s plenty big for day-to-day use. Above all, there’s no sliding mechanism on the Droid Eris, so build quality is top-notch – no jiggling or creaking here.

The Droid Eris is available from Verizon Wireless for $99.99 with new 2-year contract. Or, you might be able to find a better deal here.

Unfortunately, the Eris runs Android 1.5 OS. The Motorola Droid features Android 2.0 OS, which has the Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps Navigation app pre-installed. Android 1.5 isn’t bad, especially with HTC’s Sense UI riding on top, but it’s no Android 2.0.

Anyway, acquaint yourself with the Droid Eris below!

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Video: Hands-on with Verizon’s HTC Droid Eris
• Verizon’s HTC DROID Eris Gets Official
• HTC DROID Eris Unboxed
• Verizon Launching HTC Eris and Motorola Droid November 6?
• Fresh HTC Droid Eris Eye Candy

Previously leaked image of a rumored 2.8-inch iPhone touch panel

AT&T (NYSE: T)’s iPhone exclusivity deal, by most accounts, will come to an end in mid-2010. When that happens, iPhone fans hesitant to leave Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s network might finally have a chance to put a Verizon iPhone in their pockets. In fact, according to a new report from OTR Global proves accurate, the iPhone might very well hit the Verizon Wireless network in the third quarter of 2010.

Word on the street has Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) putting in orders to build a batch of iPhones equipped with a new hybrid UMTS/CDMA chip capable of surfing Verizon’s CDMA network as well as the 3G UMTS networks already used by carriers like AT&T. Apple is said to have tapped Asustek subsidiary Pegatron to manufacture the new iPhone, rather than current iPhone manufacturer Hon Hai.

There’s also talk of the hybrid iPhone sporting a smaller 2.8-inch touchscreen. We’d previously seen leak photos showing the 2.8-inch touchscreen panel sitting next to the 3.5-inch panel used on all current iPhone iterations, but we’ve yet to see a smaller-screened iPhone come out of Apple’s R&D labs. Will the rumored hybrid iPhone be the first to hit market with a smaller touchscreen?

At this point, nothing is confirmed. But, with a little luck, we might see Verizon picking up the iPhone in the second half of next year. It’ll be interesting to see how that affects AT&T’s business next year.

The question is – will the prospect of a Verizon iPhone keep you from pulling the trigger on another AT&T iPhone or Verizon’s Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid?

[Via: AppleInsider]

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