IntoMobile » Manufacturers

Google eases up on Nexus One return fee, now $150

Will Park — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:44:35 +0000

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.

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Nokia: We’re cutting 285 employees from our Salo, Finland factory and focusing on high end smartphones

Stefan Constantinescu — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:31:06 +0000

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.

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Upcoming BlackBerry Developer Webcast Set to Discuss User Interface Design

James Falconer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:07:50 +0000

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.

For more information or to register for free, hit up this link.

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LG announces another phone – GD880 aka LG Mini

Dusan Belic — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:48:42 +0000

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…

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OS 5.0.0.464 Now Available for the Bold 9000 via Zain Kuwait

James Falconer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:25:53 +0000

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!

[Via: BBOS]

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LG GT350 announced as a success to the KS360

Dusan Belic — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:15:17 +0000

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.

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Samsung Flight Now Available on Rogers from $69.99

James Falconer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:03:42 +0000

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.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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Samsung Monte S5620 Announced, All Social Network’d Up in Your Grill

Simon Sage — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:53:51 +0000

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.

[via Korea Newswire]

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OS 5.0.0.436 for the Storm2 9520 Now Available via Multiple Carriers

James Falconer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:37:46 +0000

Just a quick OS update notification here for the Storm2 9520 users out there. Looks like OS 5.0.0.436 has gone official on multiple carriers, as listed below. If you’re rockin’ the 9520 and decide to update, be sure to backup your device and take all necessary precautions before you install. After installation, be sure to let us know of any major changes or fixes you see in this build. Happy OS updating!

[Via: BBOS]

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Android 2.1 Coming Soon to the DROID: Will Pack Multitouch Browsing, Google Goggles and More

James Falconer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:08:13 +0000

Motorola DROID users will soon be able to get their hands on Android 2.1. This, according to Motorola’s Facebook page. Details of the update are still fuzzy at best, but the good ‘ol team over at Engadget have jotted down their thoughts on what may be coming in 2.1 for the DROID:

The update is based on Android 2.1. Build currently in the works is 2.1 version 1.
Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Goggles is pre-installed
Browser is now multi-touch enabled
News and weather widgets intro’d on the Nexus One will be included
No active wallpapers or home screen updates

Keep in mind this is all speculation… There’s only one thing for certain here: The DROID update is being tested by the good folks at Verizon (NYSE: VZ), and we’ll see it real soon (provided the testing goes smooth as butter). I’ll keep my ear to the ground for more details as they become available.

Note: Canadian ‘DROID’ seekers… Still nothing new on the TELUS Motorola Milestone yet. I still suspect we’ll see it by the end of the month… I’ll be sure to let you know once I hear anything official.

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WorldMate Live Plugs Travellers into LinkedIn

Simon Sage — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:35:14 +0000

In their latest version, WorldMate Live has included some new functionality with professional social network, LinkedIn. Basically, this would broadcast your travel plans to all of your connections so they have an opportunity to meet up with you if the opportunity’s there. Even if you don’t have the time to check your LinkedIn feeds to see who’s going where, mobile alerts through the app will now let you know if any connections are in town.

WorldMate Live is one of my favourite travel planning apps for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), hands-down. In plugs into Outlook, it’s easy to update your itinerary with new items (hotel, travel, meetings, etc.), and access flight info for peace of mind. The social networking aspect of travel apps isn’t entirely new, though – TripIt recently made its way to BlackBerry, and established itself initially for sharing location information with LinkedIn contacts. I’ll have to compare the two at some point, for Mobile World Congress next week, I’m going with WML. Hit up WorldMate Live for more info, or App World to download the free version – a premium Gold subscription provides a few extra goodies for the serious globetrotters.

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Samsung GT-S8500 passes the FCC hurdle

Dusan Belic — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:41:24 +0000

The first Bluetooth 3.0-enabled device, Samsung S8500, has been blessed with the FCC approval. It looks like a European version, so we wonder why the Korean company had to take this route, anyway.

Full specs are still a mystery, but we know few things – the S8500 will ship with a 3.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen, quad-band GSM radio, WiFi, Bluetooth, 1000 mAh battery and a microSD memory card slot. As soon as we hear something new, you’ll be the first to know. Stay tuned…

[Via: SamsungHub]

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ZTE F350 heading to Verizon Wireless

Dusan Belic — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:35:38 +0000

ZTE will finally get a spot in the major U.S. carrier’s portfolio, as Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is preparing to launch the Chinese company’s first handset – ZTE F350. We don’t have all the details about the device, but it seems like a basic phone with features that include Bluetooth, voice commands and a camera. No word on the mobile OS it runs, if any.

It’s also worth pointing out that Verizon is already offering another ZTE product – the AD3700 USB modem, but this would be the first ZTE phone in their offering.

Unfortunately, we’ve no idea when will Verizon officially launch the F350, but something tells me we’ll hear more from ZTE in the coming weeks and months…

[Via: Unwired View]

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Rumour: Photos: Is this the 4th generation iPhone, and how come it’s 1/4 inch taller than the original?

Stefan Constantinescu — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:32:22 +0000

What you’re looking at below are supposed images of the next iPhone. It’s 1/4 inch taller than previous iPhones, but similar to the original aluminium backed iPhone, the screen is glued to the multi touch screen digitizer. There’s also a tiny reflective surface right above the ear piece, which could be there for video calls, but that’s just my guess, it could be anything.

With the release of the iPad, my admiration for Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s ability to innovate was dramatically reduced, so my expectations are not that high for the next iPhone. That being said, Steve and the rest of the crew have between now and June 28th, the day of the next Worldwide Developers Conference, to come up with something new and exciting. Crossing my fingers that the NFC rumour is true.

When images like these turn up, always take them with a grain of salt.

[Via: iResQ, MacRumors]

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HTC Legend Poses for the Camera

Simon Sage — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:46:52 +0000

We haven’t seen many real devices from HTC’s roadmap yet (the Bravo is the only thing that comes to mind), but the Android-powered Legend has recently made an appearance. Eye candy aside, there’s not much additional information – at most, the Sense UI is confirmed. The screen looks an awful lot like the Verizon (NYSE: VZ) (NYSE: VZ)-bound Incredible, which we saw earlier today.

If we’re to take the roadmap at face value, the Legend will be packing a 3.2” display, quadband EDGE/GSM and 900/2100 HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 5 megapixel camera, optical trackpad, 3.5mm headphone jack, and 600 MHz processor. It could be coming out in March, which means an announcement at Mobile World Congress this week is pretty likely.

Personally, I find the phone a little blocky looking, and not really digging the chrome-coloured casing, but hey, if this thing comes out at $200 or under, it should offer a marginal upgrade option for the Hero.

[via Engadget]

Back of the device after the jump.

Update: Stefan here, one more photo just got leaked today courtesy of Android Community:

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PSA: Upgrade to iPhone OS 3.1.3 and kiss your SIM unlock goodbye

Will Park — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:07:43 +0000

If you’re thinking about updating your iPhone to the latest iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware, you might want to note that the update will essentially stop you from unlocking your iPhone for use on GSM networks that aren’t your official iPhone carrier. The iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware comes bundled with a new baseband firmware version (05.12.01) that makes it impossible to unlock the iPhone to use on, say, the T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) USA network. We’re telling you this because we’re a bit surprised by new stats from Medialets that indicates that 14% of iPhone users have updated their iPhones to the new iPhone OS 3.1.3 since last week.

The baseband modem is the piece of technology that allows your iPhone to communicate with wireless networks like AT&T (NYSE: T) and T-Mobile. It’s this baseband modem’s firmware that controls whether or not you’re allowed to surf multiple GSM networks, or just the one that sold you your iPhone. The thing is, there are hacks out there that will unlock almost all versions of the baseband, but none of them work on this latest version. Even the latest iPhone hacking utility, PwnageTool, won’t be able to hack this new baseband to work with unlocking utilities like blacksn0w or ultrasn0w.

Medialets also mentions that 87% of those that updated to iPhone OS 3.1.3 came from the previous iPhone OS 3.1.2 firmware. The only real benefits of the new iPhone OS are it’s less buggy batter meter and better support for third-party apps that were reportedly crashing with 3.1.2. Considering that most people probably don’t need the iPhone OS 3.1.3, we thought it was only right that we let you know what you’re losing by updating your iPhone.

In the end, if you don’t travel or could care less about using your iPhone on other GSM networks, just ignore this post. This concludes our Public Service Announcement. You’ll now be returned to your regularly scheduled programming.

[Via: Medialets]

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RealPlayer SP now Covers Mobile Video Conversion on Mac

Simon Sage — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:06:11 +0000

If you’re into watching videos on mobile at all, you’ll know what a hassle it can be trying to get some clips to run on your phone. In-between solutions like Roxio Media Manager for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) and iTunes for the iPhone can handle most stuff, but it can be hit and miss. This is why I’ve really enjoyed RealPlayer, whose desktop software is today available for Mac.

RealPlayer SP makes it super-easy to download Flash videos in your browser, and share them via Facebook, twitter, MySpace, or e-mail. What’s of particular interest to the mobile enthusiasts is that there’s a converter for all of the big-name handsets out there, so you don’t have to figure out which resolution to scale down to, or which codec to use. Mac handles Flash video ripping a bit differently than the PC version, but it looks like it’s still really usable.

I’ve found RealPlayer SP really handy for yoinking those YouTube videos of unreleased devices that you know will get taken down once the manufacturer’s lawyers get wind of it. Of course, there’s a ton of great Flash video and music out there, and it’s always great to have an easy way to get it on your phone. Head on over to Real to get downloading the app for free, or if you’re hardcore about your multimedia, get the premium version for $39.99.

[via The Real Story]

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Samsung to introduce SUPER AMOLED device at MWC 2010

Ben Robinson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:51:56 +0000

Our buddies at Oled-display.net have let us know about a nifty new Samsung handset that is going to be announced at MWC 2010, packing a SUPER AMOLED (yes, SUPER!) touchscreen!

We do a little bit more, but not much – the AMOLED will be WVGA, and around 3.3 inches. Apparently Samsung have suggested that the new screen is 5x more vivid than normal screens, and 20% better outdoor. I’m not 100% sure I believe it will be that much better outdoors (AMOLEDs aren’t historically the best in sunlight), but giving more vivid colours is definitely something we could all do with.

Unfortunately we don’t know the model name/number yet – but, we will dear readership, oh yes, soon we will!

[Via: oled-display.net via: Koreatimes / jknews]

Our buddies at Oled-display.net have let us know about a nifty new Samsung handset that is going to be announced at MWC 2010, packing a SUPER AMOLED (yes, SUPER!) touchscreen!

Unfortunately we don’t know the model name/number yet – but, we will dear readership, oh yes, soon we will!

[Via: oled-display.net via: Koreatimes / jknews[

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iPhone OS 3.1.3 gets jailbroken with PwnageTool 3.1.5

Will Park — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:09:33 +0000

It’s only been a handful of days since Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) released their iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware update through iTunes, and the iPhone Dev Team has already come out with a way to jailbreak the new firmware. The new firmware does little more than fix buggy battery level indicators and Japanese language keyboards, so most of you probably won’t need to install the update. But, there’s invariably going to be a subset of jailbroken iPhone users that can’t resist the urge to update to a brand spankin’ new firmware. For those of you in this group, the iPhone Dev Team has released PwnageTool 3.1.5 to jailbreak iPhone OS 3.1.3!

The PwnageTool utility creates a custom iPhone restore file that you can use to update and jailbreak your iPhone in one felled swoop. PwnageTool 3.1.5 will strip the iPhone OS 3.1.3 update file of its newer baseband modem firmware and replaces it with an older version that can be unlocked with ultrasn0w – this allows you to keep using your iPhone unlocked on any GSM carrier in the world. If you were to update your currently unlocked iPhone 3GS to iPhone OS 3.1.3 without PwnageTool, iTunes will replace your iPhone’s baseband firmware with a new version that cannot be unlocked.

For those of you using a newer iPhone 3GS or had previously updated your firmware to a newer version (05.11.07), you’re going to want to avoid updating to iPhone OS 3.1.3 altogether, if you plan to use your iPhone on unofficial GSM carriers. As long as you stay at iPhone OS 3.1.2, you can jailbreak your iPhone 3GS using blackra1n or PwnageTool and then run GeoHot’s blacksn0w unlock utility to free your iPhone of GSM lockdown.

Get PwnageTool 3.1.5 here.

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Samsung Flight and Motorola W388 Coming Soon to Rogers and Fido

James Falconer — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:17:54 +0000

While these aren’t the touchscreen beauties we’ve heard about, it’s always worth noting when a carrier has something new to offer. In this case, it looks like we have some proof (via a FutureShop flyer) of the Samsung Flight and the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) (NYSE: MOT) W388, coming to Rogers (NYSE: RCI) (NYSE: RCI) and Fido respectively.

The Samsung Flight features a look and form-factor strikingly similar to another popular device out on the market these days. I won’t mention the name, but if you know what webOS is, I think you can figure it out. The Flight packs a slide out QWERTY keyboard, 2.8″ touchscreen, 2MP camera with video, expansion to 16GB via microSD, and a bunch more. The cost? $99.99 on a 3-year term with Rogers.

The Motorola W388 is a basic candybar complete with 2.5mm headset jack, 1.8″ display, expansion to 2GB via microSD, 0.3MB VGA camera and more. The price tag will apparently be set at $15 on a 2-year contract with Fido.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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