IntoMobile » Manufacturers

Best Buy Mobile Reveals TELUS HTC Snap and Touch Pro2 as ‘Coming Soon’

James Falconer — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:07:04 +0000

One more tidbit of Canadian mobile news before I take a breather over here. Best Buy Mobile has confirmed that the TELUS (NYSE: TU) HTC Snap and HTC Touch Pro2 are ‘coming soon’. Rumored pricing to purchase the HTC Snap outright is sitting at $449.99, while the Touch Pro2 is coming in at $549.99.

No launch details for the Snap or Touch Pro2 were revealed, but in the flyer above, all details within are ‘good until July 30th’. So, chances are we’ll see all 3 of these devices before then. In fact, the TELUS BlackBerry Tour is scheduled to drop on July 15th (starting at $249.99 on a 3-year contract), so we could very well see all three devices launched on that date. That said, I’d lean more towards a solo Tour launch on the 15th, with the Snap and Touch Pro2 coming sometime between the 16th and the 31st. We’ll see!

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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Premium Fusion Theme for BlackBerry 8900 and 9000

James Falconer — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:51:40 +0000

This one caught my eye the other day… thought there may be a few Curve 8900 or Bold 9000 users out there wanting to give this the once-over. Designed by Ahead of the Curve Designs, their new Premium Fusion theme features custom fonts and icons, and is very sharp, clean, and easy to use. Six user-selectable home screen icons are also built into this one as a nifty feature.

Official description:

This theme is all business! Featuring my newest Icon Set-Fusion; this combines my favorites of the precision icons with an all new icon set. The Home and Applications Screens are unlocked allowing you to change the images to your favorite wallpaper. The Message List Screen is set to device default letting the end user choose their preferred font.

Not sure if any copies are left, but BerryReview is running a 40% off sale on this theme (regular price $6.99) for the first 50 copies sold. Check out either the 8900 or 9000 version of the theme and enter coupon code ‘BRdiscount’. Hopefully it works for ya!

[Via: BerryReview]

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Samsung ‘Link’ Coming to Bell July 15th?

James Falconer — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:38:07 +0000

Here’s the latest rumor from the land of Canadian mobile. Word has it that Samsung lovers in the Great White North are in for a treat. Samsung is set to release the ‘Link’ via Bell on July 15th. Not much else is known at this point (no pricing or device specs), but as you can see from the amazing image above (can you feel the sarcasm?), the Link will at the very least feature a full QWERTY keyboard. No slider here.

Stay tuned for more on the Samsung Link… I’m very interested to learn more about this one!

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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Former Intel CEO Craig Barrett: Will be a few years before you see anything useful from Nokia deal

Stefan Constantinescu — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:23:36 +0000

Way to crush people’s dreams Craig. Just over a week ago I live blogged the Intel-Nokia (NYSE: NOK) conference call where they announced they’ll be working together to create a new class of devices and usher in an era of unprecedented connectivity. Former Intel CEO Craig Barrett was in Helsinki yesterday and he told Retuers that “we will have to wait a few years to see if the deal is successful.”

Not one, not a couple, but a few. I’m not surprised really, an Intel Atom processor still consumes an order of magnitude more than the equivalent ARM processor, just keep your expectations in check. Don’t expect to see Intel based smartphones for a long, long time. 2011 we may see high end models, but 2012 is more likely.

[Via: The Inquirer]

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Video: Unboxing of the limited edition red Nokia E75

Stefan Constantinescu — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:41:43 +0000

The Nokia (NYSE: NOK) E75 is the first Nokia to feature a slide out QWERTY keyboard, it is also the first Eseries device to run S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 and feature a 3.5 mm headphone jack. It has WiFi, GPS, a 2.4 inch 320 x 240 resolution screen, 3.2 megapixel camera and if you want to know more check out the product page. When it launched it came in black, and now they’ve added a red version. There should be more colors coming out, when I was testing the device it came in … wait I don’t think I can tell you that

Don’t mind the fancy suit case, you’re not going to get that. It’s all a part of Nokia’s blogger out reach program to stir buzz. It’s on Amazon.com for $450 by the way, the USA version.

[Via: The Nokia Guide]

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HTC Hero with AT&T 3G bands is at the FCC!

Dusan Belic — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:30:11 +0000

The super sexy HTC Hero is at the FCC’s labs. We’re talking about the version of the device that can sing along AT&T (NYSE: T)’s and Canada’s Rogers (NYSE: RCI) Wireless 3G networks. The question is will AT&T pick it up? They have a good relationship with Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), which might be pissed to see such a contender being offered by their carrier partner. On the other hand, AT&T shouldn’t want to miss the Android wave, hence we may see them start offering the Hero alongside the iPhone.

Anyway, that’s something we’re still speculating on. The good thing is that the paperwork needed for launching the Heroic launch in the States is getting close to an end, and you’ll always be able to grab the device unlocked, sans any strings attached.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

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Nokia’s Ovi Maps 3.0 goes live, you need a PC (can’t use a Mac) to install it on your mobile

Stefan Constantinescu — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:22:56 +0000

Nokia (NYSE: NOK)’s Ovi Maps 3.0 just launched, and I’d love to tell you what it’s like, but I’m such a huge fan of Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps that I see no compelling reason to switch. For those of you living in nations that have expensive data plans, Nokia Maps is for you since you can preload maps. For those of you who need turn by turn navigation, Nokia Maps is for you. For the rest of you, the majority of you, just go to google.com/gmm on your phone, download, and enjoy.

Why all the negativity? You need to download a file on your computer, to install an application on your phone. How silly is that? Even more silly, the file you need to download to get Maps 3.0 on your device will only work with a PC. Sure Google Maps may not have “3D landmarks for over 200 cities, rotation, tilting, night view, and fly-overs and fly-throughs” or “enriched POI information by Lonely Planet, Michelin and Wcities, as well as a weather service that provides 24 hour and 5-day forecasts”, but the search works remarkably well and when I’m trying to find a bodega at 4 in the morning in a rough neighborhood, I want to see accurate results and fast.

[More screenshots here]

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Leaked AT&T Memo: iPhone 3GS launch = best sales day, ever; MJ death caused 65k texts/sec to be used

Stefan Constantinescu — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:03:48 +0000

A memo has just leaked from AT&T saying that the day the iPhone 3GS launched, it broke almost every record AT&T has ever had. Along with that, the day Micahel Jackson died, AT&T’s network was processing around 65,000 text messages a second. Crazy stuff:

1. Fact of the Week: On June 25, the day Michael Jackson died, text messages sent on our network spiked at 65,000 messages per second — the largest volume ever recorded — surpassing events like American Idol voting and New Year’s Eve, when millions of our customers wish their friends and family a happy new year via text.”

2. “iLaunch day 2009 was one for the record books, as AT&T customers scrambled to get their hands on the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet.

Here’s a look at some of the milestones we achieved:

* Best-ever sales day in our retail stores
* Second-largest traffic day in our retail stores
* Most transactions processed via our IT systems in a single day
* Most upgrade eligibility checks in a single day
* Largest order day in att.com history
* Largest features sales day in att.com history

On this year’s launch day, iPhone sales exceeded sales recorded on 2008’s iPhone launch day, Black Friday 2008 and Dec. 26, 2008 — all heavy-volume sales days. In fact, this year we surpassed 2008’s launch day sales at about noon Central time, and sustained our previous peak hour record, also set in 2008, for 11 straight hours.

[Image via Gizmodo]

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Bringing in July With a Bang: 30% Off Sale Over at Bplay

James Falconer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:22:15 +0000

Just received note from our friends at Bplay that ALL products are on sale at Bplay… 30% off that is. All you need to do is enter coupon code ‘JULY‘ on checkout. This sale is on now, through July 6th, so go ahead and check out all of the BlackBerry gaming goodness before it’s too late!

There are even a few new games over at Bplay to check out, including Self Defense, 4 Elements Puzzledom, and Boulder Dash Rocks among others.

Important Note: This offer is not eligible for Bill to Phone (direct billing) or in-game purchases… and Bplay tells me some products are not eligible for this offer. Bummer I know. Bottom line, add what you want to your cart, enter the coupon code, and hope that the discount applies

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Motorola Q9h Running Windows Mobile 6.5 Caught on Video

Simon Sage — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:19:55 +0000

Two minutes of blurtastic video have bubbled up which give a basic tour of Windows Mobile 6.5 Standard running on a Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Q9h. One would easily expect that the newer Windows Mobile handsets are built with 6.5 in mind, but it’s great to see even older hardware can handle the new OS, too. There’s not much that especially catches the eye - in fact, the whole thing looks pretty samey, but we all know 6.5 is more of a facelift than anything else. The SDK for the “new” Windows Mobile has already been released, so you can expect the software soon - maybe late summer/early fall if the hardware rumours pan out.

[via WMPowerUser]

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Vodafone New Zealand Pulls HTC Magic From Shelves

James Falconer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:56:07 +0000

Now this is an odd one. Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) New Zealand has reportedly pulled the HTC Magic from their website. Calls have been put in to Vodafone in the region, and the response was somewhat ominous: the Magic can be purchased for $1,099 NZD, but no more are in stock and it isn’t clear when more will be available. Very strange indeed. Blogger Ben Gracewood has also reported that not only is the device no longer available online, but all stock has been removed from stores. If you’re in the region and are hoping to pick up a Magic, looks like your best bet would be to either call Vodafone or pop down to a local store to see if you can nab the now elusive device. (Either that or catch a flight to Australia).

Something isn’t right here for sure. The Magic was launched only last week in New Zealand at a large party with many celebs in attendance. One thing is for certain, time will tell us what’s going on here.

Note: It’s interesting to note that the HTC Magic in New Zealand is a ‘Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Experience’ device. I suppose it’s possible Vodafone is having some issues with Google? Who knows. Let’s wait and see.

[Via: AndroidAuthority]

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WSJ App for iPhone and BlackBerry Going Paid?

James Falconer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:09:03 +0000

Apparently the folks at News Corp are considering a change for its Wall Street Journal App for iPhone and BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM). The change? New features and options? Nope, the change would be making the app a paid one.

WSJ.com has been surveying users regarding willingness to pay for the app, but any results from these surveys is unclear. The WSJ has a policy of ‘never sharing results publicly’, so I suppose we’ll assume the results land on the free side of things, that is, up until the app goes paid, if it ever does. No potential pricing structures are available for the WSJ App, but I would imagine we’ll hear more about this soon.

Interestingly enough, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has added some new billing options with the 3.0 Firmware update. Subscription payments are now very much a reality. Also, developers and publishers can charge for additional content found within an app. I’m yet to notice this first-hand from any of the apps I’m currently running… But rest assured the newspaper apps are looking into these options diligently.

This is a tough one for me. I know there will be a segment of die-hard users that enjoy the WSJ app so much that they’ll unquestionably pay for it… But for myself, saying ‘yeah, take it for free, and use it as much as you want!’… And then a year or so later pulling the ‘OK, now you’ve gotta pay for it, $2.99 per month please!’… That just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Either charge me up-front for it, or offer an initial ‘lite’ version with limited features that tempts me to pay up for a full version if I like what I see. Hopefully if News Corp makes the move to paid, the current version of the WSJ app turns into a ‘lite’ version, with fewer features and options than a new, paid version.

I better stop here or I’ll ramble on forever…

Your thoughts? Would you pay a flat fee and/or a subscription for full use of the WSJ app? Or would that turn you off completely?

[Via: PaidContent]

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Snapdragon-powered Toshiba TG01 UK unveiling on July 9

Will Park — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:54:58 +0000

When it comes to super-slim and sexy smartphones with enough computing power to take over the world, the Toshiba TG01 takes the cake. Thanks to a power-packed Snapdragon chipset, the TG01 speeds along at 1Ghz clock speeds while playing with a hefty 256MB of RAM and a 4.1-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen display. The kicker - the TG01 stuffs WiFi, GPS, 3.2-megapixel camera and 3G data connectivity into a package barely 10mm thick! And, it’s coming to the UK next week.

We’ve been keeping an eye on the Toshiba (OTCPK: TOSBF) TG01 ever since we had a chance to put hands on the super-thin smartphone in Barcelona. Despite having pulled the plug on Japanese production, Toshiba looks to be going strong with their TG01 roll-out. Check out our in-depth Toshiba TG01 hands-on here.

While those of use in The States will have to wait for the Toshiba TG01 to get all official, it looks like the UK will be the next market to get the Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone. Come July 9th, Toshiba will be showing off something really cool in London. Given Toshiba’s Summer launch window for the TG01, it’s highly likely we’ll see Toshiba unleashing the Toshiba TG01 on British soil next week.

For the time being, enjoy our hands-on video.

Stay tuned!

[Via: SlashGear]

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National Geographic’s Top 20 iPhone Travel Apps

Will Park — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:30:19 +0000

Like to take trips to foreign locales, do you? Don’t forget your iPhone! Armed with the right iPhone apps, your iPhone can be an invaluable tool to help you organize your trip and find your way around not-so-familiar terrain. Who better to help you find those iPhone travel apps than the globe-trotters at National Geographic? The renowned travel/exploration publication has posted their Top 20 iPhone Travel Apps for your perusal, and it’s a good’n.

From free iPhone apps like “Room” to paid apps like “Packing,” Nat Geo has all the your travel needs covered. Common travel apps like FlightTrack and Google Earth are staples of any would-be traveler, but less popular apps like Babelingo (300 common phrases in 11 languages), Room (helps you pack for your trip) and Cheap Gas (um, self-explanatory) also deserve a quick mention.

Head on over to National Geographic for the full Top 20 iPhone Travel Apps list.

[Via: NatGeo]

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T-Mobile myTouch 3G Hitting Inboxes Around Town… Pre-Orders Arriving by August 3rd

James Falconer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:30:11 +0000

Chances are if you were one of the eager beavers signing up on the T-Mobile myTouch 3G mini site, you have received an email to add fuel to the fire…. Pictured above, T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) has sent out this mailer to help build some much needed anticipation for device launch. Nothin’ too crazy here, but the mailer does point out that myTouch 3G pre-orders should arrive and be in-hand by August 3rd.

In case you missed it, a press event is scheduled for July 8th in New York City, where the myTouch 3G will be formally announced. From that point pre-orders for existing customers will be available. Latest rumors have the device available for general consumption on August 5th, but we’ll see. These dates have a way of changing.

[Via: TMoNews]

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Some thoughts on the next Nokia Internet tablet device

Dusan Belic — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:36:16 +0000

It’s fair to guess Nokia (NYSE: NOK) will launch a new Internet tablet device later this year. We’ve already posted an article with the rumored specs, but we haven’t said — cause we don’t know — whether the touchscreen used will be capacitive or resistive. The point of this article is to make the case for the use of capacitive touchscreen as well as a chance to add my 2 cents to the table.

First of all, I must say that I’m a big fan of the Maemo platform. Though I haven’t used the original Nokia 770, I relied on the N800 a lot. Coupled with a Bluetooth keyboard, it was my mobile office, and I wrote hundreds (yes hundreds) of articles for IntoMobile on it. Later on, I ordered the N810 from the U.S. — because it was significantly cheaper due to a weak dollar — but it got lost in the transport to Europe. Boy was I pissed…

Anyway, I continued using my N800 until I bought the Dell Mini 9, which is the cornerstone of my current mobile office. This is not to say I’m not using the N800 any more, it’s just that I’m not using it as often as I used to.

As a matter of fact, I brought the Nokia tablet with me to Barcelona. And there’s the part where my plead for the capacitive touchscreen comes in. It was very hard, almost impossible to see anything on the N800’s screen under the Sun in Spain. At the same time I had my iPhone with me, which touchscreen hasn’t bothered me at all. Now you could argue the capacitive touchscreen is no good for some markets in Asia where handwriting recognition is a must have feature, to which I say - fine, make two versions of the device, one with capacitive and the other one with resistive touchscreen. I’m sure, actually quite confident, the capacitive version will outsell the resistive one even if it ends up costing $50 more. And having a choice could prove beneficial to the platform, or at least me thinks so.

To summarize - capacitive touchscreen is a must. Otherwise I don’t see a reason why would someone (mainstream user, not a Linux fan) would go for Maemo rather than Windows Mobile. The rumored specs we’ve seen go in line some of the existing WinMo smartphones such as some HTC and Acer models, which rely on the “classic” resistive touchscreen technology. This is not to say this is the only reason for selecting one platform over another, it’s just something pretty visible/tangible to the end user.

You could argue an AMOLED screen could do the trick, but i don’t buy it.

As for the rest of my wishes, I hope Nokia will use the same or at least very similar keyboard as the one the N810 has. I like the D-pad on the left, but I don’t like the new-look keyboard of the N97. To be fair, the N810’s keyboard could slide a bit more down to leave little more space for the first row of the keys.

Moreover I’m looking forward to see a decent CPU running the show, and from what we’ve heard, that will be the case. Will Intel jump in as a supplier? I think that may happen, though Nokia could opt for some other chip maker for the first Maemo 5 device — some of their existing semiconductor suppliers.

Finally, to further spur the adoption of the Maemo platform, Nokia should offer the new Maemo device(s) to developers either for free or with a significant discount. The same should go for journalists and bloggers. Speaking of latter, have I mentioned I’m a big fan of Maemo?

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Sprint BlackBerry Tour Launch Date and Price Gets Official: July 12, $199

Simon Sage — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:16:38 +0000

Okay, scratch that July 20th. stuff - the officially official launch date for Sprint (NYSE: S)’s BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Tour is July 12th., and will cost you $199 on contract and after rebates. We had heard similar pricing and date for Verizon (and presumably Alltel), if Sprint doesn’t really do it for you. Of course, Bell and Telus are also hosting the BlackBerry 9630 if you happen to be north of the border. If you still think you’ll need a reminder when the Tour’s ready roll, be sure to sign up for e-mail updates from Sprint.

[RT @sprint]

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Samsung Gravity 2 Passes FCC

Simon Sage — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:58:08 +0000

So long as we’re cruising by the FCC, Samsung has filed papers for a little something called the Gravity 2 (T469). The original Gravity just hit Rogers in March and T-Mobile in November, and already the sequel’s coming down the line. Little is known spec-wise, other than 3G support, but it’s probably safe to say the Samsung T469 will be a nice mid-to-low-range handset for heavy texters. You can expect the Gravity 2 to land on T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) in mid-July.

[via PhoneArena]

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Motorola Aura “Celestial Edition” celebrates 40th anniversary of the moon landing

Stefan Constantinescu — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:22:55 +0000

None of you are going to buy this phone and I’m only writing about it to hit my post quota for the month so I can get a paycheck that will help feed my alcoholic tendencies and hedonistic weekends. With that nugget of knowledge out of the way, let it soak in for a moment what I just stated in the title: 40th anniversary of the moon landing.

America put a man on the moon, 40 years ago, and what do we have to show for it today? Why are we not setting our sites for Mars? Why are we not going to the moon on a routine basis? Why has America been the only nation to walk on the moon? Do these questions make you madder than hell?

Check out this article in Popular Mechanics by Buzz Aldrin about his proposed plan for today’s space program at NASA.

Oh and the phone: no idea on price, but it will be over £1200 and come with some videos, pictures and ringtones relating to the moon landing. Do something crazy on July 20th, I’m going to try and find a space suit from a costume shop.

[Via: Pocket Lint]

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BlackBerry 8520 Curve (Gemini) Passes FCC

Simon Sage — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:21:53 +0000

While most eyes are on the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Tour 9630 prepping for a launch next month, it seems like the 8520 Curve (code-named Gemini) is getting ready to blast out of the gates as well. T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) is rumoured to pick up the EDGE-only 8520 around August 5th., but given we’re seeing FCC filings now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the new Curve dropping this month. While the ho-hum specs might deter some (320 x 240 screen, Wi-Fi, 2 megapixel camera with no flash), the 8520’s style will likely be the key selling point: new media keys on the top, rubberized buttons, and, of course, a new touchpad to replace the trackball. Hopefully those specs will keep the price point down, but we haven’t heard any specifics as of yet. You can take a look at the full FCC filing here, if you’re into that kind of thing.

[Cellphone Signal via CB]

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