Someone anonymously sent Android Spin information about an upcoming HTC device that wasn’t mentioned in the infamous roadmap leak of December 2009. If their information is to be believed, then HTC will come out with a device called either the Scorpion or the Olympian, that it will be powered by an ARM Cortex based 1.5 GHz processor, and that it runs Android 2.2.
The weird part out of all of this is that this mysterious device is supposed to include WiMAX. The amount of people using WiMAX devices right now is so small, so insignificant, couple that with an entire industry is moving to LTE, and I’m simply left confused. But hey, it’s a rumor.
Qualcomm has confirmed that they’re working on 1.5 GHz Snapdragon processors, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) is obviously working on a new version of Android, HTC is one of Google’s best partners, so we’re definitely going to see something turn up in the future that matches this rumour. Whether or not it lives up to the expectations you’ve set for yourself, or has the same model name that we’ve seen today, is a whole other story.
As an apparent answer to all those Nexus One customers who have been complaining that Google (NSDQ: GOOG) is taking too long to respond to customer service emails/inquiries, Google has rolled out a new Nexus One customer support hotline. Now, instead of just emailing the traditionally closed and uncommunicative search giant, Google is offering Nexus One owners and soon-to-be users a phone number that they can call to talk to a live person. Combined with the Google’s decision to lower the Nexus One return fee, it seems Google is looking to boost the Android phone’s flat sales.
Here’s Google’s statement on the matter:
“By design, we focused initially on providing the best possible customer support through our on-line channel, and our experience in the four weeks since the Nexus One launch enabled us to significantly enhance that on-line support offering. We have been able to address a large majority of customers’ inquiries successfully through on-line support, in combination with phone support from our partners, HTC and T-Mobile (NYSE: DT). That said, our approach with our new consumer channel is to learn fast and continue to improve…Live phone support from Google, combined with an optimized on-line support experience, enables a superior Nexus One customer experience.”
Starting today, Google will field all your Nexus One customer support questions through their new toll-free phone number. If you’re in the US, just dial (888) 48NEXUS (63987) between 4 a.m. and 7 p.m. to talk to a real, live person. If you’re thinking about calling to get technical support or in reference to your T-Mobile service, you can find phone numbers here.
Google’s Nexus One sales have been fairly flat since the Android phone was launched earlier this year, but things may change with Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s decision to reduce its early termination fee. The Nexus One maker has been getting some bad press surrounding the Nexus One’s $350 early return fee – something Google calls their “equipment recovery fee” – and has even drawn an official inquiry by the FCC. It’s not clear why, exactly, but Google has announced that it has dropped the fee for returning a Nexus One down to $150.
Still, the drop in fees doesn’t make the Nexus One a cheap smartphone to return. Google’s new $150 “equipment recovery fee” rides on top of T-Mobile (NYSE: DT)’s $200 ETF fee, so it’s still going to cost you a pretty penny to give the N1 back to Google. If you return the phone within 14 days of purchase, you’re free and clear of the penalty. But, should you return the phone after 14 days, you’ll be stuck paying Google’s fee in addition to T-Mobile’s ETF.
Check out Google’s new Nexus One terms of sale here.
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) makes phones in several countries spread out over the world, but Salo is special. It’s the only factory that the Finnish company has in Finland, and it’s mainly used for devices that are difficult to produce and require highly skilled workers. Yesterday Nokia announced that it’s cutting 285 people from that Salo factory, or practically 13% of the roughly 2,200 employees working there. With that bad news however also comes some good news, the temporary layoffs that the factory has been having for what feels like forever are coming to a stop by June of this year. The factory is also going to realign their focus to the “high-value smartphone market, especially in Europe”.
What does this mean for you? Well unless you’re one of those people that has to have a “Made in Finland” Nokia this really doesn’t mean anything. If you are one of the previously mentioned anal retentive characters, then you’re going to have an even better chance of getting a “Made in Finland” device.
Attention all BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) App Developers… Looks like RIM is having another informational and educational webcast. This one is titled ‘Small Screens, Big Dreams: a Detail-Oriented Approach to User Interface Design‘. Translation: Learn tips, tricks and methods to get the most out of your user interface. The webcast will run on February 16th, starting at 2PM EST. Presented by Brian Zubert (Senior Application Development Consultant), he’ll discuss everything from colors and fonts, to layout, alignment and other details often overlooked in UI design.
In addition to the GT350 model, LG has also announced another device – the GD880 aka LG Mini. It’s a slim all-touchscreen phone with “textured metal accents on the sides” and an elegant button-free face.
Feature wise, the Mini boasts:
3.2-inch 16:9 edge-to-edge display
5-megapixel camera with face detection
7.2 Mbps HSDPA
WiFi, Bluetooth, A-GPS, FM Radio
Media player, email client, web browser
Special apps for social networking (Facebook and Twitter): Social Network Connect, Social Network Feed and Social Address Book
The LG Mini will be available in Europe starting in March, followed by other markets. Prices will vary country-to-country…
I know many an AT&T (NYSE: T) Bold 9000 user has asked me when we’ll see 5.0. It’s been a bit of a wait for sure… and while this isn’t an official release from AT&T, it is official from another carrier. Via Zain Kuwait, OS 5.0.0.464 is now available. With this dropping (and other official releases sure to come) I’m sure we’ll get the official down-low from AT&T sooner rather than later.
Still, if you’re tired of waiting for AT&T, you can pick up OS 5.0.0.464 via Zain Kuwait right here.
Note: As always, be sure to backup your device and take all necessary precautions before you proceed!
LG has announced the successor to its low-end messaging phone – KS360, which we also know as Tribe or Neon. The new device keeps the side-sliding QWERTY form factor, while priding itself with social networking features, that include integration with Facebook and Twitter.
In addition, there’s a 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen (there were no touchscreen on the KS360) as well as four-line QWERTY keypad (versus KS360’s three lines) with dedicated buttons for accessing push e-mail, the web browser and instant messaging client.
Availability wise, the LG GT350 ill go on sale in Europe from this April and will then launch in other markets around the world. It will come in four color combinations including Aqua Blue, Purple, Light Silver, and Black, some of which will be exclusive to specific carriers.
As expected, the Samsung Flight has been cleared for landing on Rogers (NYSE: RCI). Translation: it’s hit the runway and is now available. The Samsung Flight features a portrait-slide full QWERTY keyboard, 2MP camera, 2.8″ touchscreen display, Bluetooth, expansion to 16GB via microSD and much more.
Oh yeah and the pricing? Try $69.99 on a 3-year contract, $119.99 on a 2-year, $219.99 on a 1-year, or $274.99 contract-free. The Flight is available in red only. For more details, head on over to Rogers.
Samsung has announced a new handset, the Monte, that seems packed with social networking software. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Bebo, instant messaging, and even Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Latitude all have dedicated widgets, accessible through a Touch Wiz 2.0 Plus interface. For the more serious users, there’s also Exchange and Google Sync support.
The hard specs are a little ho-hum: 3” WQVGA LCD display and a 3.2 megapixel camera. Still, if you’re digging the sound of the device, the good man Eldar Murtazin has had some hands-on time with the Monte already. My Russian’s a bit rusty, but I think we all get the gist of it. Yeah, we’ll see this at Mobile World Congress next week, but I think Samsung’s biggest focus will be on their own operating system, Bada.
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Google’s Nexus One sales have been fairly flat since the Android phone was launched earlier this year, but things may change with Google (
