IntoMobile » Rumors

BlackBerry App World Down in Israel?

James Falconer — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:53:58 +0000

While doing some poking around in the BlackBerryOS forums today, I happened to notice something disappointing… especially for the good folks residing in Israel. Seems as though BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) App World is no longer available in the country. Paid apps disappeared first, and now, apparently free apps aren’t available either. Strange.

I know there is quite a BlackBerry community over in Israel, so this news just flat out sucks if you’re packin’ a BB and are looking for new apps. If any BlackBerry users in the country could comment or shed some light on this situation, it would be much appreciated.

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Samsung A886 Forever Coming to Rogers

Simon Sage — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:02:11 +0000

Samsung Canada’s site is showing off a handset we haven’t really seen before: the A886 Forever. It’s running the all-too-familiar TouchWiz user interface, and proudly sports the Rogers (NYSE: RCI) (NYSE: RCI) branding. Here’s a quick run-down of the specs:

Quad band GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900) and dual band HSDPA (850 / 1900)
3.0″, 240 x 400 WQVGA TFT touchscreen
1000 mAh battery, 3 hour talk time, 250 hour standby
2 megapixel camera with autofocus (no flash)
AGPS, Stereo Bluetooth

They’re pitching the A886 as a web-capable phone that you don’t necessarily need a data plan to enjoy; bizarre contradiction, especially without Wi-Fi in there. It’s pretty mid-range, so it’s entirely possible that this will fit into Rogers’ sub-$99 “webphones” family.

[via MobileSyrup]

UPDATE: Oh, hey, there it is on Rogers for $79.99 with a three-year contract.

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Bell to Join the Android Party with Samsung Galaxy

Simon Sage — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:53:02 +0000

Bell’s inagural HSPA lineup had lots of new toys, but telus (NYSE: TU) was drawing a bit more attention with the HTC Hero. Luckily for Bell, Android will be one less leg-up the competition will have, as they’re getting the Samsung Galaxy I7500, according to this promotional poster. The Galaxy has been traipsing around Europe since launching over the summer, and boasts a 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of internal storage, 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, GPS, and Wi-Fi; no custom work on the user interface, it’s straight vanilla Android. Samsung has already provided the Impact and omnia II for Bell’s HSPA grand opening, but the Galaxy is really the icing on the cake. No word on a release date, but I think it’s safe to expect the I7500 in time for the holidays.

[via MobileSyrup]

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Sony Ericsson working on stripped-down XPERIA Pureness 2

Will Park — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:16:51 +0000

The original XPERIA Pureness

If you thought Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE)’s high-fashion XPERIA Pureness was pretty enough to make up for its low-tech attitude and nothing-to-cough-at price, you’re in luck. Sony Ericsson is apparently planning to launch a follow-up to the XPERIA Pureness with a Pureness 2. According to Electricpig, the Pureness 2 isn’t anywhere close to an official announcement (let alone a launch), but early reports indicate that Sony Ericsson is looking to create a more simplified and stripped-down Pureness phone. Sony Ericsson’s Pureness designer, Daniel Mauritzson, says the focus right now is on “taking away” features.

Imagine that. In a world where feature-packed smartphones jockey for visibility in a crowded market, Sony Ericsson is moving away from feature-bloat and looking to bring “counterbalance” to the smartphone market. Not just that, but Sony Ericsson is slapping its highest-end XPERIA brand on the Pureness handsets. That’s saying a lot about what Sony Ericsson thinks the public wants in a mobile phone.

The XPERIA Pureness is already a good looker, we can’t wait to see what the Pureness2 will bring to the table.

[Via: Electricpig.co.uk]

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Ashok Kumar strikes again! Google is making a phone, twice as fast as iPhone 3GS, runs Android Flan

Stefan Constantinescu — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:24:59 +0000

Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Northeast Securities, is now the butt of all my “people who work in this industry who have no clue what they’re talking about” jokes. This time last month he told The Street that Google will be releasing their own Android device, only to be burned a few days later by the head of Android Porject, Andy Rubin, who said “we’re not making hardware, we’re enabling others to build hardware”. Kumar now has new information, and I’m being a total idiot for linking to it, but here it goes:

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) will be releasing a Google branded handset that has unlimited free calls powered by Google Voice and the recent Gizmo5 acquisition
This handset will have a “large touchscreen display” and will have a processor “nearly twice as fast as the iPhone 3GS”
It will “probably” run a new version of Android called Flan
The device will “probably” be built by HTC and have a Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) processor inside

At this point in time you may proceed to slap your forehead.

If Google ever released their own mobile device, which they’re not going to, they would be alienating handset makers.

If Google ever released their own mobile device with unlimited free calls, which they’re not going to, they would be alienating handset makers and operators.

Will there be a version of Android called Flan? Absolutely, Andy Rubin already talked about, and he confirmed it will support advanced 3D graphics.

Will there be an Android device, built by HTC, with a processor from Qualcomm that is nearly twice as fast as the iPhone 3GS? Yes. Just take the HTC HD2, which has a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor inside, compared to the 600 MHz processor inside the iPhone 3GS, slap the latest version of Android on it, and there is your mythical Google Phone.

What next Ashok Kumar? Are you going to tell people that the next version of Android, the one after Flan, will be called Gelato and it is going to power the new Google Phone? It’s going to be 4 times faster than the iPhone 3GS, has the ability to tell you where the nearest café serving a hot steaming cup of decaffeinated “shut the fuck up” is, and best of all adds the ability to purchase said cup of coffee with Google Checkout!

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No Windows Mobile 6.5 Update for XPERIA X1

Simon Sage — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:04:34 +0000

Previously, there were rumours that Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE)’s X1 would get an update to Windows Mobile 6.5 after a supposed leaked ROM hit xda-developers. Well, sources close to the matter are apparently dashing those hopes, saying that no official update is actually in the works. Considering the X1 already has a customized user interface, you aren’t really missing out on the facelift, and Marketplace is coming to 6.1 anyway, so the only substantial feature X1 owners won’t be enjoying is My Phone. Big loss? Not really.

[via CNET]

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Sony Ericsson Kurara/U5 Reviewed

Simon Sage — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:15:33 +0000

The upcoming Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) Kurara, which got a brief glimpse of last week, just got an extensive review. This is clearly Sony Ericsson’s competitor to Samsung’s OmniaHD i8910, and meets the challenge on a few levels, such as processor (Cortex A8) and camera (8 megapixels), but the display loses a few points for not being AMOLED. The Symbian-based OS is similar to the Satio, complete with Facebook and Twitter integration, but the reviewer’s final conclusion is that this handset’s success will depend entirely on the price point – there’s not a lot of innovation going on, but a 300 Euro price point would likely be enough to win over a few folks. Even with the pricetag taken into account, I’m not sure why anyone would pick up the U5 over the X10…

[via Mobile-Review]

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T-Mobile Holiday Pricing Leaked… Maybe.

James Falconer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:10:42 +0000

My bud David at TMoNews has managed to get his hands on what looks to be a holiday pricing guide. Please note I’ve filed this under ‘rumors’ for now. I’ve heard mixed reports of these deals actually becoming available… so lets let this ’shake down’ until we get to the bottom of it.

Take a gander at the list above for all of the rumored goodness. Moto CLIQ for $50? I’ll take 2. BlackBerry Bold 9700 for $50? I would have taken 3, but it looks like I missed the sale by a day. How about the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Curve 8520 for $25 following Christmas? Yessir! Looks like the ‘biggie’ for the holidays is going to be the Motorola CLIQ, which goes back on sale December 21st through 24th for $50. Awesome.

Note: Apparently these prices are available on all rate plans. New 2-year activations qualify as well, but the customer must be eligible for the discounted rate.

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Palm, BlackBerry devices coming to China Telecom?

Dusan Belic — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:46:02 +0000

The Chinese mobile market is ever interesting. Now that all carriers have rolled out 3G, it’s time to build a differentiating portfolios. China Unicom is known to carry the iPhone, China Mobile (NYSE: CHL) is betting big on their flavor of Android – OPhone, and China Telecom… well, they seem to work to get some Palm (NSDQ: PALM) and BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) devices ’till the end of this year or early 2010, according to a Reuters source.

RIM already sells some of its devices in the world’s fastest growing economy, whereas Palm is a virgin when it comes to China. For them [Palm], unveiling the Pre and Pixi would certainly be beneficial and would help the once proud Treo maker get some decent numbers its shareholders desperately want. Moreover, if Palm does get in, it should establish a developer portal to spur webOS app development. There’s a plan!

[Via: Engadget]

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Bell To Offer ‘Skullcandy Mash Up Package’ December 1st

James Falconer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:44:55 +0000

Looks like Bell is getting ready to crank up the Holiday Promo Machine. According to a report over at MobileSyrup, on December 1st Bell will unveil a new ‘Skullcandy Mash Up Package’. The package will be available anyone willing to sign a new 3-year sentence, er, contract with Bell.

So what do you get? Well, for $69.95 you’ll get to choose one of the following packages:

Red and white Samsung Vice with matching red/white Skullcandy Lowrider headset
Black Samsung Vice with matching chrome/black Skullcandy Lowrider headset

I should also note that each package will come with 10 free Sony music downloads, to help you workout those new Skullcandy headsets.

Side Note: Check out the new Skullcandy NBA Player Series headsets, coming soon… Neat-o.

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BlackBerry Pearl2 9100 (Striker/Stratus) Makes First Appearance

Simon Sage — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:16:29 +0000

There have been rumblings for the last couple of months about a next generation BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Pearl code-named Striker, but in the way of details, we only knew it would have 3G. Well, today the veil has been lifted, and there’s a batch of pictures and a short clip giving us a full hardware tour. In terms of styling, there’s a lot borrowed from the latest BlackBerrys, like the Storm2-style battery door and chrome-finished siding, and the optical trackpad and sharp beveled edge of the Bold 9700, but anyone who used the original 8100 series phones will recognize the similarities immediately. The SureType keys have changed little, except for maybe a little extra rounding, but notably absent is any influence from the Pearl Flip, which featured a completely flush keypad with frets between the rows. Maybe RIM would just like to forget that one, and go with what works, eh? Hardware aside, OS 5.0 is purring like a kitten on there, and Wi-Fi and 3G are both confirmed. Since the home screen is asking for a SIM card, we can only say it’ll be coming to GSM carriers for now. I’m curious what kind of screen resolution it’s packing, but it’s expected to be in the same ballpark as the Bold (HVGA). More specifics are likely on the way, so stick around!

Hit the jump for a quick hands-on video!

[via CB, Salomondrin]

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Motorola Motus rumored to sport reverse keyboard and backside touchpad?

Will Park — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:10:02 +0000

The metaphorical ink on the just-leaked Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Motus spy pic hasn’t yet dried and were already hearing rumors that the Android handset will sport some really unique features. If you thought the form factor was a bit odd, you’re going to want to sit down for this. Word has it that the Moto Motus will feature a “reverse flip keyboard,” and (as if that isn’t crazy enough) something called a “rear directional touchpad.” Of course, the Motus is also rumored to be packing the usual assortment of smartphone features.

All this is completely unconfirmed at the moment, but Android And Me are saying that the Motus will feature a 3.1-inch touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera (with LED flash), 3G data, WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth 2.0. Android 1.5 OS should be running the show with Motorola’s social network-savvy Motoblur UI skinned atop. As for the geeky specs, were expecting a 528 MHz Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) MSM7201A CPU, 512 MB ROM / 256 MB RAM, quad band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM radio, and a never-been-done-before quintuple (yes, thats five bands) WCDMA radio pulling down 3G service on the 850Mhz, 900Mhz, 1700Mhz, 1900Mhz, and 2100Mhz bands! For those of you keeping score, that would mean the Motus can hop on any 3G network in the world (even T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) USAs wonky 1700Mhz 3G network) and work as the mobile gods intended.

The “reverse flip keyboard” kinda, sorta, makes sense, given the quirky looking keyboard in the spy pic. That “rear directional touchpad,” however, is just plain confusing. A touchpad on the backside of the touchscreen? Your guess is as good as ours. Whatever it turns out to be, we’re hoping it changes the way we think about interacting with touchscreens.

[Via: MobileCrunch]

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Motorola Motus spied in the wild

Will Park — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:36:53 +0000

You see the handset in this here blurry spyshot? It’s apparently the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Motus that was rumored in a leaked roadmap not too long ago. We know, it looks like it was taken by Mr. Blurry-cam’s drunken step-brother after a booze-fueled night of fun, but Engadget Mobile has confirmed that what we’re looking at is another Android-powered smartphone from Motorola.

The Motus looks like a respectable smartphone from what we can see in the spy pic, but we’ll have to wait until we put hands on it to really get a feel for it. That keyboard might prove to be a sticking point, but, again, that’s us just talkin’ to the wind. The Motus has a lot to live up to…

[Via: EngadgetMobile]

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Rumored Lavender Verizon BlackBerry 8530 Spotted in Light Purple Garb

James Falconer — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:16:02 +0000

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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Windows Mobile 7 Shown in Secret, Impressions Leak

Simon Sage — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:09:33 +0000

Now that Windows Mobile 6.5 is getting out there into the public, it’s time we started seeing something regarding the next generation of Windows phones. Apparently an early demo of WinMo 7 was shown to a private audience; some folks, like @ryanblock, kept their yap shut about it (presumably under the force of a non-disclosure agreement), but some of SoloPalmari’s impressions made it out to Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Translate before getting DCMA’d in the face:

Revolutionary, no need to take away: the next version of Windows Mobile, as shown by the leaks and the first screenshots of the new system, the Web will soon be spring, we are faced with an upheaval of the logic of interaction and not just a substantial revision of the interface. The concept of “applications”, as the programs continue to live their important identities, will bend to the principle of “user experience”.

Finally the performance, the fluidity in the display of screens, images and icons becomes a priority. As powerful and versatile Windows Mobile will be next, will never submit to slowdowns and delays in the response. How will, indeed, as they did to achieve this result is not yet technically clear. But developers say Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) is certain: the experience of use to forget the “old” Windows Mobile.

Those are some very promising (if awkward) words, and if Microsoft delivers, WinMo could be set for a resurgence to properly compete with the rest of the smartphone ecosystem. That’s a best case scenario, of course, since Windows has a lot of ground to make up for, what with new players like Android stealing the spotlight and riding a lot of momentum. Many of the important updates coming to WinMo 7 aren’t entirely secret – we’ve seen lots of bits and pieces, and one especially beefy leaked strategy document, but we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more juicy tidbits, especially now that Microsoft is starting to get comfortable talking about the update.

[SoloPalmari via MobileTechWorld]

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Telenor to buy Pakistan’s Warid Telecom?

Dusan Belic — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:10:14 +0000

It is being reported that Telenor is mulling acquisition of Pakistan’s Warid Telecom for around $1.3 billion. If this proves true and Norway-based company succeeds, it will leave the Dhabi Group with 7% of Warid, while other 30% will stay with Singtel.

According to Pro Pakistani, the talks went through in a smooth way, with Telenor agreeing to paying the value that was pretty acceptable for Dhabi Group.

Pakistan telecom market includes 5 big players: Moblink with just over 28 million customers, Telenor and Ufone with just under 20 million customers, Warid Telecom with around 17 million, and China Mobile (NYSE: CHL)-owned Zong with with just under 6 million customers.

And for the record, China Mobile had previously tried to buy out Warid Telecom but reportedly failed to reach an agreement on the price…

[Via: CellularNews]

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Meet the Sony Ericsson Kurara

Simon Sage — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:34:15 +0000

The most promising thing coming from Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) these days is the Android-powered X10, but not so fast – they haven’t put all of their eggs in one basket. This here is the Kurara, a Symbian smartphone with 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz processor, 3.2″ touchscreen, and HD video recording at 720p. Also called the U5, the usual fixings like GPS, Wi-Fi (with DLNA support), 3.5mm, microUSB and HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity are packed inside. We’ll have to see more of the device to pass judgment, but maybe SE should take a hint from Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and focus on Android for the immediate future. No release date, target markets, or pricetag just yet, but we’ll be keeping an eye out.

[via GSMArena]

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Do not believe TechCrunch, there is no Google phone

Stefan Constantinescu — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:44:04 +0000

Last night Michael Arrington from TechCrunch posted an article claiming that he has some magical inside knowledge about an upcoming Google Android phone. He believes that Google (NSDQ: GOOG) will make their own mobile device, with their own Google branding, but that it will be built either by Samsung or LG. Google will then sell this device as something they’ve created. When is this mythical creature supposed to be announced? January.

The same incorrect information was released by Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Northeast Securities, and published by Scott Moritz from The Street, almost a month ago. I had this to say about the Google phone rumour:

“Google would never, ever, make an Android device. That would hurt their relationships with current vendors, it requires a completely different skill set than what any Google employee currently has, and most importantly it would tarnish the image of Android since all other devices would be compared to Google’s hypothetical ultimate smartphone.”

A few days after that article on The Street hit the net, Tom Krazit from C|Net had a chance to speak to Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering for Android at Google. He confirmed my sneaking suspicion that Google would never hurt their partners:

“We’re not making hardware, we’re enabling other people to build hardware.”

And he later added Google does not want to “compete with its customers”.

So I’m sorry Michael Arrington, but you’re wrong.

Update: Michael responded to this article on TechCrunch. He says that it’s possible the Google phone is IP only and will work via voice over IP. I still don’t buy it.

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Analyst: BlackBerry Touchscreen Slider on the Way

Simon Sage — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:25:23 +0000

Shaw Wu from the Kaufman Bros. analyst firm has claimed that a 9900-series BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) is in prototype phases, packing a touchscreen slider form factor. The supposed device will mix the traditional BlackBerry style with the Storm, which makes me think it’ll be a portrait slider like the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre. Now, I’ve been calling for a slider BlackBerry for awhile now, and there have been similar rumors floating around about the 9100 Striker (although it’s in the Pearl family) and the landscape-oriented Mr. T; patent designs from RIM certainly show they’ve been thinking about it, but I’ll believe it when I see it. This new Storm 3 device has a lot of potential for appealing to consumers who still hate SurePress for typing, although it would go against the slim and trim look the latest BlackBerrys have been adopting. In any case, the 9900 should be landing sometime in 2010, according to Wu’s contacts in the supply chain, so cross your fingers.

[via Electronista]

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‘The Shack’ to Sell the Motorola CLIQ for $79 on Black Friday

James Falconer — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:47:05 +0000

Black Friday is just around the corner (November 26th), so with that in mind I’m going to do my best to keep my ear to the ground for any deals. This morning I happened to come across what appears to be a list of devices to go on sale at ‘The Shack’ (er, ‘Radio Shack’ for those that prefer) on the 26th. Nothing really too crazy here, but one device that does look like a half-decent buy is the Motorola CLIQ. Having launched on T-Mobile for $199, bringing the price down to $79.99 is a great opportunity for those that may have been on the fence. One has to figure the pricing on the CLIQ will drop before the end of the year anyway… But hey, $79.99 ain’t that bad (yeah, the same 2-year contract applies).

Other Black Friday deals include the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Curve 8520 and Samsung Instinct for free (on 2-year contract), plus… Both the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre and Pixi will be up for grabs at $99.99 on the same 2-year deal.

Note: Tagged this one as rumor for now. While I see no reason for these prices to be off… I’ll believe it when I see it

[AndroidCentral via BlackFriday.info]

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