IntoMobile » New Hardware

The Unboxing: Verizon’s HTC Droid Eris

Will Park — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:32:15 +0000

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!

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Video: Hands-on with Verizon’s HTC Droid Eris

Will Park — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:52:55 +0000

If you’ve had your eye on the Android-powered HTC Hero and its customized Sense UI, but just couldn’t bear to leave Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s warm embrace for Sprint (NYSE: S)’s network, you’re in luck! Verizon went official this morning with the Hero-esque HTC Droid Eris. The Eris is a lot like the Hero, just for the Verizon Wireless network. And, at just $99, the Droid Eris is the more affordable alternative to both the upcoming Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid and the Sprint HTC Hero. The Eris even sports the same Sense UI that we’ve come to love on the HTC Hero.

The Motorola Droid might be hogging all the hype this week, but the Eris deserves some time in the limelight. So, without further ado, here’s a hands-on look at HTC Droid Eris for Verizon Wireless.

Here’s a quick spec-sheet rundown on the HTC Droid Eris:

3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen (320×480)
5-megapixel camera (with autofocus)
Android 1.5 OS
3G data
WiFi
GPS
3.5mm headphone jack

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BlackBerry Curve 8530 Arrives on Verizon and Sprint

Simon Sage — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:00:33 +0000

Yeesh, Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s been busy: the Motorola droid, the HTC Eris, and now a new BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM). A simple CDMA version of the touchpad-toting Curve currently available on T-Mobile won’t exactly steal the thunder from Verizon’s other announcements, but based on our review of the 8520, the new Curve is a stable, if pared-down, BlackBerry with a few new stylistics twists. Sprint (NYSE: S)’s picking up the 8530 as well, and yes, both have Wi-Fi, a 2 megapixel camera without flash, optical trackpad, and 320 x 240 display like the original, but has the added bonus of 3G over EV-DO. Sometimes I wish BlackBerrys kept their cool codenames, like Aries in this particular case, especially now when there are three distinct families of Curves. In any case, you can sign up for notifications of Sprint’s version, or hold out for Verizon’s which will run $99.99 on contract after rebates, and be available November 20.

[via RIM, BusinessWire]

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Verizon’s HTC DROID Eris Gets Official

Simon Sage — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:10:02 +0000

After an early unboxing, Motorola (NYSE: MOT)’s little brother in Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s Android rollout has gone public. The HTC droid Eris is bringing a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, 320 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack and HTC’s very slick Sense user interface to the party. I’m still a little boggled as to how the Eris qualifies as a “with Google (NSDQ: GOOG)” experience with all the custom work done on top of Android 1.5, but more power to ‘em. Although not quite as buxom as the Motorola droid, or even HTC’s own Hero, the Eris still offers a lot for $99.99 on contract, and is a great option for folks who want the fancy Android experience while staying on a budget. Keep an eye on the VZ store for the Eris starting tomorrow, or take a closer look at the device over at HTC.

[via PRNewswire]

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Video: We take T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Bold 9700 for a spin

Will Park — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:25:16 +0000

The T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) (NYSE: DT) BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9700 isn’t quite launched just yet, but we’ve already gotten friendly with RIM’s newest hardware. The Bold 9700 looks and feels a lot like the original BlackBerry Bold 9000, with some significant under-the-hood upgrades. Cosmetically, the biggest difference is the missing trackball; in it’s place is a new optical trackpad. It’s a subtle design update that makes a lot of sense – the Bold 9000 was a big hit for RIM, of course they’re going to stick with a recipe that everyone loves.

The Bold 9700 is fitted with the same class-leading QWERTY keyboard that debuted on the Bold 9000. It’s slimmer than the original Bold, but packs an upgraded 3.2-megapixel camera and double the application memory (256MB) – all the while shipping on a fully-charged battery for days on end. The entire backside of the Bold 9700 is covered in a rubberized “soft touch” finish that highlights the faux-leather backing.

What about the new trackpad? Is it just as easy to use as the iconic BlackBerry trackball? Is it responsive and accurate enough to satisfy die-hard BlackBerry fans? In a word, “yes.” The optical trackpad samples your finger input hundreds of times a second, translating the direction and speed of your finger into smooth cursor movements. It works well. In fact, it might just be better than the trackball.

To beat the issue to death (again), the Bold 9700’s browser isn’t the best. The browser is said to be improved, but it still lags. It’ll get the job done, but you need to be patient with it. Check out the hands-on video below to see for yourself. It might help to distract yourself away from the browser and just focus on the Bold 9700’s improved camera and rock solid push email features.

Basically, if you liked the Bold 9000, you can’t really ask for any better than the Bold 9700. The official launch window is “sometime before November 27,” but all signs are pointing to a Nov. 18 launch for $199.99 with new 2-year contract.

Enjoy our hands-on video and photo gallery!

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Bell HSPA Network Goes Live, Featuring BlackBerry Bold 9700, iPhone 3GS, OMNIA II, and Video Calling

Simon Sage — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:13:52 +0000

Bell has today gone ahead and flipped the switch on their brand new HSPA network. Coupled with telus (NYSE: TU) launching their own tomorrow, Rogers (NYSE: RCI) will no longer have a lockdown on hot GSM handsets like the iPhone, and Canadians will get some much-needed choice in service providers. The only devices Bell was forthcoming about before today’s announcement were an HSPA+ internet stick, and MiFi mobile hotspot, but they have really opened up both barrels with their full HSPA family. Earlier today, you might have heard about the Bell BlackBerry Bold 9700, but there’s also the original Bold 9000 for $249.95 on contract, the LG Xenon (simple, full-QWERTY slider; $89.95 on contract), the Nokia 2730 (standard candybar; $29.95 on contract), the Samsung omnia II (touchscreen slate running Windows Mobile with TouchWiz 2.0; $199.95 on contract), Samsung Impact (A.K.A Highlight, touchscreen slate with voice and motion-controlled UI; $79.95 on contract), and of course, the beloved iPhone 3GS.

On top of devices, Bell is also announcing a new HSPA video calling service available on the omnia II and Xenon that not only works with other capable phones, but also through a Facebook app. Overall, this is a huge step for Bell and Canadian wireless overall, and it’s not over yet – we’ll be hearing more about telus‘ HSPA grand opening tomorrow. For a closer look at Bell’s full lineup, check their online store, or their HSPA landing page for more info on the new network.

[via Bell]

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Motorola CLIQ goes live on T-Mobile USA

Will Park — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:57:10 +0000

The Motorola CLIQ is hailed as Motorola (NYSE: MOT)’s first stab at reclaiming some of their lost mobile phone market share, and it just might be able to live up to expectations. Motorola and T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) announced the CLIQ a little over a month ago, showing off the Android phone’s innovative MOTOBLUR interface and its ability to magically update its homescreen widgets with information from your social networks and news feeds. Today, T-Mobile has gone all official with the Motorola CLIQ in the US. No more pre-order, folks – the CLIQ is live!

T-Mobile’s CLIQ has the distinction of being Motorola’s first comeback handset as well as the company’s first Android phone to hit market. The CLIQ is decidedly more curvy than its evil brother, the Motorola DROID, but it packs a cutesy-punch. The CLIQ sports a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, GPS, WiFi, 3G data, 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card slot. But, the CLIQ’s highlight feature is its MOTOBLUR UI. Motorola created its custom MOTOBLUR Android UI to work with special MOTOBLUR servers to constantly monitor your social networks and news feeds. When something new happens or someone posts an interesting (sometimes not so interesting) tidbit to their profile, MOTOBLUR pushes that information to one of your homescreen widgets. Social butterflies, take note, MOTOBLUR will help you stay connected!

And, to help celebrate the Motorola CLIQ’s launch, Motorola and T-Mobile have announced a contest for college students. The college to sign-up the most Facebook fans to T-Mobile’s fan page will win a free campus concert by Weezer, and up to $25,000 for their school. Even better, you don’t even have to buy a CLIQ to enter the contest! Find out more here.

Fans of Motorola’s curvy Android phone can walk into any T-Mobile USA retail store or go online to nab their very own Motorola CLIQ for $199.99 with new 2-year contract and mail-in rebate. The CLIQ comes in your choice of White or Titanium color schemes.

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Motorola CLIQ gets official for T-Mobile USA

Will Park — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:32:03 +0000

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Want a GSM Motorola DROID? Say ‘hi’ to the Motorola MILESTONE!

Will Park — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:11:20 +0000

The Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid is all the rage right now. It’s chock full of Android 2.0 goodies like Google Maps Navigation and enough smartphone hardware to satisfy even the hardest core of mobile enthusiasts – all wrapped in a slim, yet masculine, package. But, Motorola is going to have to look beyond Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s CDMA network to go truly global. In fact, Motorola’s already got O2 (NYSE: TEF) Germany in its sights. Yup, O2 will soon launch the GSM version of the Motorola Droid/Sholes as the Motorola MILESTONE.

O2 lists the price [PDF link] of the MILESTONE at €404.20 ($595), but that number should get a nice little price-chop after some carrier subsidies. The O2 website shows the Motorola MILESTONE looking every bit the GSM Droid we expected it to be, which is a good sign that German’s won’t have to wait too long before picking up their MILESTONE.

We’ve already seen the GSM Droid pass through the FCC and pop up in Vietnam, so it’s not surprising to see it going official in Europe. The only question is, when will Motorola release a US-spec GSM Droid?

[Via: BGR]

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Video: Motorola Droid gets unboxed, handled, loved

Will Park — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:42:21 +0000

The Motorola Droid is as hot as it gets in the smartphone space right now. It’s the first Android phone for Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless and it’s the first (that we’ve played with) to sport the newly announced Android 2.0 OS. It’s not just the slim-and-trim Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid’s impressive 3.7-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and slide-out QWERTY keyboard that make it a force to be reckoned with – the Android 2.0 OS blesses the Droid with integrated turn-by-turn GPS navigation with voice guidance and street view through the new Google Maps Navigation application.

Unfortunately, the closest you’ll be able to get to a Motorola Droid at this point is Best Buy’s pre-order. Us? Well, we’ve had the pleasure of playing with the Droid for a few days now. The Droid’s massive display is as good as it gets. The vanilla Android UI responds without any lag. Despite the huge display and full keyboard, the Droid is as comfortable in the hand and pocket as the similarly-sized iPhone 3G/3GS. And, with a respectable 5-megapixel camera and Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps Navigation adding icing to an already impressive handset, we have to say the Droid is living up to the hype.

So, how does it fare as a competitor to the HTC Hero and a possible candidate to unseat the iPhone as the de facto leader in the smartphone space? Check out our unboxing/hands-on video to see for yourself!

Here’s a quick rundown of the Motorola Droid’s spec sheet:

3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen at WVGA (854 x 480) resolution
Full HTML5 browser that supports Flash and will be upgradeable to Flash 10 once it becomes available
5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash; video capture at 720 x 480 resultion, 24 frames per second
16GB microSD card included
3.5 mm headphone jack
WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS
1400 mAh battery
Google’s new Google Maps Navigation application (more on that here)
60 mm x 115.8 mm x 13.7 mm; 169 grams

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Video: Google Maps Navigation – Voice guided GPS directions on Verizon’s Motorola Droid

Will Park — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:21:49 +0000

Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s announcement of turn-by-turn GPS navigation this morning was big. Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s Motorola Droid announcement was bigger. Combine those two into an orgy of Android 2.0 and Droid goodness, and you’ve got the makings of a truly impressive smartphone. Just how good is Google Maps Navigation? Why don’t take a video tour of the new turn-by-turn GPS navigation feature from Google, by way of the first Android 2.0 phone to support Google Maps Navigation, and find out?

What you’ll see in the video below is Google’s solution to serve up turn-by-turn directions to your smartphone, even if it lacks a digital compass. As a bonus, Google Maps Navigation will show you your route in Google Maps’ satellite view or street view. Judging by our initial experience, Google Maps Navigation might be just the thing to finally unseat dedicated GPS navigation devices. It’s that good.

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Quick shot: Verizon Motorola Droid in the flesh!

Will Park — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:45:31 +0000

The Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid went live as Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s first Android phone earlier this morning. Then, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) announced that their Google Maps app for Android 2.0 now supports GPS turn-by-turn directions with voice guidance. The two announcements merged, like that those really big storms in that one movie involving a fishing boat of some sort, to form one of the biggest product launches of the year. I just got a chance to put my hands all over the Motorola Droid and thought I’d let you in on my initial impressions (and from-the-hip pics). The short version: Verizon’s Motorola Droid is badass. Keep reading for the long version (and a massive hands-on photo gallery.

First, the Motorola Droid is slim – 13.7mm, to be exact. You’re probably not used to seeing a QWERTY slider as svelte as the keyboard-less iPhone 3GS, so the slim-waisted Droid is a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, all that thinness comes with sacrifices. The keyboard is decent, but the keys are almost completely flat and don’t offer too much travel. Thankfully, there’s a satisfyingly tactile “click” to the keys that makes the keyboard quite usable. It’s also good to see the top row sporting numeric alternatives and a dedicated “@” key.

The Droid is pretty. The little stub that extends below the bottom of the screen might look a bit awkward in photos, but in person the Droid is one attractive smartphone. Navigation buttons are flush mounted, making for clean look. The Droid’s sharp lines and modern industrial design remind me of Motorola’s glory days when the RAZR’s innovative design reigned king in the mobile phone market. And, with a soft-touch backside, the Droid is as pretty as it is fun to hold.

As for features and specs, the Droid is one power-packed handset. It’s got more than enough processing power to run its Android 2.0 OS without any noticeable lag or stuttering. Screen rotations execute without hesitation and menus pop up nice and fast. The 5-megapixel camera is impressive, as is the dual-LED flash and HD video recording at 24fps. The one video recording that I saw demonstrated on the Droid looked crisp and smooth, even at less than 30fps. The huge 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen is bright and responsive. Then there’s the microSD card slot pre-loaded with a 16GB microSD card. Can you say multimedia monster?

Google Maps Navigation is awesome (our video demo here). There’s a reason Garmin’s stock dropped through the floor this morning. Not only does Google provide turn-by-turn GPS navigation with voice prompts, the Google Maps Navigation feature allows you to overlay all kinds of data layers on top of your route – you can view traffic along your specific route, or you can find nearby gas stations, or Hilton hotels, or burger joints, or convenience stores, or… you get the idea. And, the ability to view your navigation route on top of Google Maps’ satellite view is amazing. There’s even a street view mode that gives you a look at what the upcoming turn looks like in real life!

More video and photos to come. For now, here are some quick shots of the Droid and its Android 2.0 UI.

[Update]
Check out our Motorola Droid video tour here!

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Nokia Surge Arrives on Rogers

Simon Sage — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:44:12 +0000

As expected, the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Surge 6790 has arrived on Rogers (NYSE: RCI) for the rabid texters out there. An unexpected bonus is a cheaper price point than the originally anticipated: a mere $29.99 on three-year contract. This is one of the cheapest new smartphones you’ll find out there, though the form factor might seem awkward to a lot of folks. Still, it’s packing a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, microSD memory card slot, and a 2.4″ QVGA display. It’s not in Rogers’ online store just yet, but it should be up soon.

[via Nokia]

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Reminder: Verizon’s Motorola Droid event on Oct. 28th

Will Park — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:37:49 +0000

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is set to unveil their new Android hotness tomorrow, and we’ll be there to witness history in the making. If you’re calendar isn’t already marked, remember to keep an eye out for out of Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid coverage from Verizon’s Android shin-dig!

For those of you that haven’t yet caught wind of the Motorola Droid or Verizon’s Droid advertisement blasting across all forms of media, the Motorola Droid is the first (of many) Android phones from Verizon. And with the way things are shaping up, the Droid could very well turn out to be the baddest Android smartphone on the planet!

In just a matter of hours, well be putting our crusty fingers all over the Droid’s 3.7-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera outfitted with dual-LED flash and low-light shooting capabilities, and the Android OS 2.0. Will the Droid have what it takes to reign supreme among worthy Android competitors like the HTC Hero. Will it give the iPhone something to lose sleep over? Well see soon enough…

For now, drool over the Droid’s spec sheet:

OS: Android 2.0 (Eclair), 550 Mhz processor
Display: 3.7-inch WVGA (480 x 854) touchscreen, backlit with haptic feedback
Camera: 5 megapixel with dual LED flash, autofocus, image stabilization, 4 X digital zoom, and video capture (24 FPS, 720 x 480)
Battery: 1400 mAh, 385 min. continuous usage, 270 hr. standby
Connectivity: EVDO Rev. A (3G), aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, microUSB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD slot (comes with 16 GB, expandable to 32 GB)

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Toshiba: We’ll be mass producing a 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor for fones in Q3 2010

Stefan Constantinescu — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:57:22 +0000

Toshiba (OTCPK: TOSBF), using pixels that are only 1.4 microns small, will be mass producing a 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor that measures 1/2.3 inches starting in Q3 2010. The sensors will be made using Toshiba’s 65 nm process on 300 mm wafers, yielding about half a million sensors a month when production begins. They’ll support back-side illumination, see photo below, which can increase light absorption by 40% compared to the previous generation of Toshiba sensors. Whether or not we’ll see these in handsets shipping during the 2010 holiday season is still up in the air. Nokia (NYSE: NOK) only has one 8 megapixel camera on the market, and Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) is just now starting to ship their 12 megapixel beast, so 14.6 feels like a millennium away. Remember this however, at the end of the day it’s the optics and image processing algorithms that make or break a camera phone. Don’t let the number on the side of the box fool you.

[Press Release, via: Engadget]

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Motorola AURA – Diamond Edition is a Girl’s Best Friend

Simon Sage — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:21:28 +0000

Motorola is sprucing up the aura, because it just wasn’t nearly expensive enough at $2,000. With 34 diamonds encrusted around the circular display and 18 karat gold plating, the Diamond Edition certainly kicks up the swank a few notches. The hardware itself has had a lot of attention – 130 ball bearings move the front cover and the display lens is scratch-resistant and 62 karats, but when it comes to software, it’s not what you’d call a smartphone. This monument to opulence will run you £3500 ($US 5717) when it comes out October 26, but if you’re feeling extra-rich, you can nab Amosu’s even more diamond-encrusted aura (of which only 50 exist) for £4995 ($US 8160).

[via Pocket-Lint]

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Corrections: ARM Cortex A8, Qualcomm Snapdragon and Marvell Armada oh my!

Stefan Constantinescu — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:14:11 +0000

The fastest way to find an answer on the internet is not to ask a question, but to make an incorrect statement. I don’t remember who said that, but time and time again, if I say something wrong on this blog, or any online forum, I’ll usually get a comment or an email in my inbox correcting me. It’s a fantastic way to learn.

That being said, I’ve made a few incorrect statements in my post about Marvell’s new Armada line that I’d like to address them now. Here are two emails I’ve received from Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) and Marvell regarding their latest chips:

Hi Stefan,

Hope all is well.

Nice piece the other day about Marvell’s new Armada processor line, I just wanted to clarify one point:

While Marvell may now have a license to “tweak” ARM’s Cortex A8 architecture, Qualcomm also has an architectural license for the ARM v7 instruction set, which is what is used for the Cortex A8. Qualcomm did not use “ARM’s ready designed Cortex A8 processor” in the Snapdragon processor platform. Snapdragon’s processor was designed pretty much from scratch, so to speak.

If you’d like to compare it to the new Marvell family: First-generation Snapdragon chipsets run at over 1 gigahertz (GHz), while consuming only 350 milliwatts (mW) of power. Snapdragon also integrates a 600-MHz DSP, graphics, numerous 3G standards, etc. – all into a single chip. The second-generation QSD8650A Snapdragon (sampling later this year) runs at 1.3GHz and the dual-CPU version (QSD8672) runs at up to 1.5GHz. Both new chipsets are being fabricated with 45-nanometer technology. Snapdragon chipsets are already powering commercial devices – Toshiba (OTCPK: TOSBF)’s TG01, Acer’s neoTouch and Liquid, and HTC’s HD2.

Is it possible to update the post to reflect that Snapdragon does not use an off-the-shelf A8?

I work for Qualcomm’s PR agency, and am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thanks,

Alison

Hi Stefan,

Hope all is well. Really enjoyed reading your piece today with regards to the ARMADA announcement by Marvell. However, I’m a bit confused to what you meant by this statement, “Marvell has a license for the actual Cortex A8 architecture schematics, which they’ve taken the liberty of tweaking to make their Armada family more powerful. In the process however they managed to chop off support for ARM’s NEON SIMDfp instruction set”.

Marvell CPU cores are designed from the ground up, from the microarchitecture level. It is not a case where we have taken ARM’s design and modified it. Marvell has never seen any RTL from ARM and has made improvements to its own architecture for the past 13 years, taking the best of XScale and the best of Marvell designs.

Any chance you’d be open to a briefing with our executives for any follow-up questions you may have regarding the announcement?

Look forward to your interest and feedback.

Best,

Daniel

I learned something today and am simply passing on the knowledge.

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Pantech Reveal Lands on AT&T

Simon Sage — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:28:35 +0000

AT&T has announced a new, cheap slider from Pantech that has a standard number pad on the front and a full, portrait, slide-out QWERTY keypad.The aptly-named Reveal also includes GPS services, 3G speed, and a new browser (Opera Mini, I believe – they were showing it off at CTIA). If you’re thinking of grabbing one, Pantech is giving away one Reveal a day for the next five days – all you have to do for your chance is become a fan on Facebook and leave a wall post. Otherwise, the Reveal will be running for $79.99 (or free) on a two-year contract.

[via BusinessWire]

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ARM Cortex A5: Super cheap, super low power, coming to a phone near you really soon

Stefan Constantinescu — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:42:37 +0000

ARM just announced their Cortex A5 processor, the latest processor to use the ARM v7 instruction set. The A5 is the “most power-efficient and cost-effective multicore processor” according to their press release, and judging by the spec sheet, they’re right. The Cortex A5 can be configured to be ultra economical by using a single core configuration, or can be threaded with a maximum of 4 cores. The 8 stage pipeline is lean and mean and achieves 1.5 DMIPS/MHz, which isn’t the 2.0 DMIPS/MHz performance of the A8 found in the iPhone 3GS and Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre, but then again this processor isn’t about performance, it’s about lowering cost. Right now smartphone manufactures go with an ARM11 based chip to save money, and that really screws things up since code that is optimized to run on that instruction set needs to be ported over to run on the new, modern, ARM v7 architecture.

Thanks to the Cortex A5, manufactures can now have a cheap, but speedy, processor to shove into their devices. Think low end iPhone, or crazy cheap iPod Touch and you’ll understand where this chip is aimed. The A5 is designed to be built on a 40 nm process and run at 480 MHz. It’s shipping to people who make full system on chip processors (think Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) with their Snapdragon or Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) with their OMAP) this quarter.

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Samsung Trill and Caliber go Live on U.S. Cellular

Simon Sage — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:32:48 +0000

As expected, the Samsung r520 Trill and r850 Caliber have found their way to U.S. Cellular. Both squarely occupy the mid-range and as such, don’t bring anything earth-shattering to the table. The Caliber sports a full touchscreen, slate form factor, and packs a 3 megapixel camera with video recording, stereo Bluetooth support, and all of the widgets you would expect from Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. The Trill, on the other hand, is a slider with a 1.3 megapixel camera and GPS. You can grab the Samsung Trill here for $85.95 after rebate or the Caliber here for $49.95.

[via PhoneDog]

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