This holiday shopping season is dominated by Android. Smartphones running Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s mobile operating system are flooding the market, and we really couldn’t be happier. The latest Android smartphone to find its way into our eager hands is the Samsung Behold II. Just in time for the holidays, T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) is offering the Samsung Behold II for $229.99 when purchased with new 2-year contract. It’s slightly pricier than the iPhone and the Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid, but with a sleek design and a quirky new 3D Cube UI, you might not mind shelling out the extra bucks for the Behold 2.

Unlike the original Samsung Behold, the Behold II sports Android 1.5 OS. It sports an impressive 5-megapixel camera (with LED-flash), 3G data, WiFi, GPS and microSD card slot. But, the one feature that outshines them all is the Behold 2’s 3.2-inch capacitive AMOLED touchscreen. The display doesn’t need a backlight, so it draws less power than traditional LCD displays, but manages to deliver a brighter, crisper, more color-rich picture.

The camera is a bit laggy, but serves up some impressively crisp and well-balanced pictures. The 3D Cube UI is quirky, to say the least. We’re sure some people will find it useful, but we just don’t see ourselves using it for more than just showing off to our friends. But, with a speedy browser and an incredible OLED display, the Behold II will more than make up for its confusing UI.

Enjoy the hands-on/unboxing gallery and video!

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Samsung Behold II Custom TouchWiz UI Caught on Camera
• Samsung Behold 2 Now For Sale on T-Mobile
• Samsung and T-Mobile unveiling the Behold II on Nov. 12
• T-Mobile Set to Launch Samsung Behold II on November 18th
• Samsung Behold II is smarter than its predecessor thanks to Android; Coming to T-Mobile USA just in time for holidays

Whoever said, “there’s no such thing as bad press,” obviously never worked for a wireless carrier. For the likes of AT&T (NYSE: T), the kind of bad press that Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless has been sending them could end up hurting their bottom line by way of lost customers. That’s hitting where it hurts. In it’s defense, though, AT&T has filed a lawsuit and is starting to hit back with their own Luke Wilson-ified TV commercials. It seems that lawsuit just wasn’t enough to disuade Verizon from running their ad campaign.

The latest of AT&T’s ads shows the usually funny actor taking a more serious tone to “set the record straight.” Verizon has been on a tear about how their rival’s 3G network pales in comparison to its own. AT&T is worried that some Americans might take Verizon’s claims and depictions of AT&T’s 3G coverage maps to mean that their network just doesn’t have widespread coverage. Their answer, apparently, is to show everyone out in TV-land just how extensive AT&T’s wireless network really is.

Take a look for yourself. There’s significantly more coverage area in AT&T’s map than Verizon’s version. By the looks of it, AT&T has some impressive coverage. So, what gives? Turns out, AT&T is showing off their entire 2G/3G network, while Verizon is focusing on the 3G network. That’s not exactly apples-to-oranges. This is getting interesting…

[Via: Mashable]

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Looks like Jimmy Kimmel has been busy pimping out the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid in one of his patented ‘Advertorials’. It’s good for a laugh for sure… check it out below:

‘Search for monkey pictures please’… Brilliant.

For Jimmy Kimmel, Droid DOES pay the bills. And then some.

[Via: EverythingAndroid]

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• FCC passes another Motorola Droid, this time with full AT&T 3G support!
• Attack of the (Verizon) Droids?

Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) UK’s X10 launch page has spelled out their launch window in black and white: February is the month to hold out for. The most we got out of the announcement of SE’s impressive Android handset was an expected release in the first half of 2010, so it’s good to have that narrowed down a bit. The X10 promises to be the biggest, baddest Android handset out there – an 8 megapixel camera, 1 Ghz processor, and 4-inch WVGA display put it head and shoulders above the HTC Hero, and will give the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) droid a run for its money. Their custom Timescape user interface is exceptionally slick, all practicality aside. If you’re interested in a prerelease tour, check out this video.

[via Engadget, HDblog.it]

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I very rarely use Craigslist. I mean, VERY rarely… But it’s funny, from time to time when searching for new computer stuff, or just some odd, random gizmo that’s hard to find, Craigslist usually comes through for me. That said, have I ever used the site on a mobile device? Forget about it. The mess of links makes navigation and general use of the site a headache. Thankfully it looks like the headaches may be going away for some, as we’re on the cusp of seeing the official Craigslist Mobile app for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) (NSDQ: RIMM) appear in App World.

From the folks at Movela, the new Craigslist app for the Berry will feature all of the locations and links you’ve come to get comfortable with over the years. It will allow you to search, bookmark and reply to posts… and you will even be able to save searches for later reference.

The developers at Movela have let us know that the app has been delivered to App World, so it’s only a matter of time before approval is given. Craigslist for BlackBerry will be available for $4.99… I’ll be sure to keep an eye open for it when it arrives!

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Oh good grief. I can’t tell you how sick to my stomach I got when I first checked out the video. No further description available here, I think the title says it all. Looks like the Motorola Droid survived with only minor injuries.

Anyone else out there find this video as disturbing as I did!?

[Via: AndroidForums]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Motorola Droid goods start trickling out
• Want a GSM Motorola DROID? Say ‘hi’ to the Motorola MILESTONE!
• FCC passes another Motorola Droid, this time with full AT&T 3G support!
• Qik beta bringing high-res video streaming to Motorola Droid
• Attack of the (Verizon) Droids?

The Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid isn’t just the first Android phone to run the latest Android 2.0 OS, it’s also the first Android phone to record video in DVD-quality 720×480 resolution. Putting clarity and video-quality arguments aside for a second, the Motorola Droid’s video camera is as high-res as you can expect in a smartphone today. Qik, the real-time video streaming service, has taken notice and will soon be releasing a new beta that will support high-resolution streaming from the Droid’s video camera.

Qik’s upcoming beta will make Qik the first video streaming service to support live streaming for the 720×480 resolution. According to MobileCrunch, the new Qik update will bring with it a UI refresh and enhanced “Speed Sharing Ribbon,” Qik’s speed-dial, of sorts.

Droid owners can get in on the Qik beta by shooting an email to droidbeta@qik.com

Here’s a sample Qik video taken with a Droid:

Here’s another Droid video sample, for comparison. Background: I recently forgot my SD card for my HD video camera and had to resort to recording video using the Droid.

[Via: MobileCrunch]

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• Motorola Droid goods start trickling out
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid supports Microsoft Exchange, but only if you pay $15 more per month

Another Twitter client is in the works for webOS, and it looks quite, shall I say, ‘elegant’? The ‘Bad Kitty’ Twitter Client (follow @badkittyapp) from Superinhuman Industries looks to be close to release. Check out the video above for a quick preview. A few words that come to mind after watching the preview again: ’stylish’, ‘different’, and ’simple’. Can’t wait for this one to come out, so I’ll keep an eye open for it.

Note: Love the icon for the app. Bad Kitty indeed.

[Via: PreCentral]

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RIM today announced at their BlackBerry Developers Conference in San Francisco that the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) OS will soon support OpenGL ES for 3D graphics acceleration. The arrival of 3D graphics support should finally bring the BlackBerry platform out of the dark ages, where BrickBreaker and other 2D games reigned supreme. RIM and EA Mobile took to the BBDC keynote stage to show off the still-in-development “Need For Speed: Shift” 3D game, giving the world a glimpse of what’s to come. The game looked impressive, to say the least, so we figured a hands-on video was in order.

We sat down with EA Mobile and gave the game a solid once-over. Before we continue, we should mention again that Need For Speed: Shift is still in early stage development, and what you see below is actually the first ever playable version of the game. As such, there weren’t too many cars to pick from, and the game had only a single playable track. Still, the accelerometer-based controls were easy to use – they were responsive but not twitchy (like a lot of racing games on the iPhone). In-game audio was impressive and really gave the game a more polished feel than the two weeks worth of development time would have suggested.

EA Mobile promises to have Need for Speed: Shift polished off by the time it hits the BlackBerry App World. By that time the game should support more computer rivals (AI enemies), a drift-turn feature to slide around corners and player-points to upgrade your ride. Check out the video below!

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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!

Related News from IntoMobile:

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Chances are you’ve noticed one of HTC’s latest commercials on the boob-tube. I first took in one during the Yankee’s punishment of the Phillies a little while back. You can check one of the spots out above. Now, the background music you hear… you recognize it, right? For the life of me I couldn’t figure out what song it came from… I was scratching my head over and over, trying to figure out where I’ve heard that beat before…

Then it came to me this morning.

The song? ‘Sinnerman‘ by Nina Simone. I think the song was featured in the movie ‘The Thomas Crown Affair‘.

Had to share this with you folks. Was bothering me Check out the scene in the movie I’m talking about right here (fast forward to around 2:14). Great scene.

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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

Related News from IntoMobile:

• The Unboxing: Verizon’s HTC Droid Eris
• Verizon’s HTC DROID Eris Gets Official
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• Verizon Launching HTC Eris and Motorola Droid November 6?

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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My bud David over at TMoNews has managed to get his hands (from a trusted ninja) on a video look at the Samsung Behold II’s TouchWiz interface. The custom UI ‘Cube’ is certainly a different take on the traditional Android UI. Check it out.

Last I heard the Samsung Behold II will be announced at T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) on November 12th… with availability coming November 18th. Pricing is said to be around the $249.99 mark on a 2-year contract. Would you spend that much for a spinning cube, WiFi, 16GB of storage, and a 5MP camera with auto-focus and flash? Check out the video above if you haven’t already, and leave your thoughts in the comments.

What do you think? Awesomely awesome? Or colossal FAIL?

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Samsung and T-Mobile unveiling the Behold II on Nov. 12
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Imagine, if you will, a squadron of stealth bombers on a grim mission to bomb their homeland with sexy, sexy, smartphones. That is the extremely awesome premise of Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s upcoming Motorola (NYSE: MOT) droid commercial, seen here. Enjoy!

[via BGR]

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Collecting business cards can be a good thing – expanding your professional network usually is. It can also suck. If you ever have the chance to wade through a stack of business cards and add those contacts by hand, give it a try, you’ll see what we mean. For those of you that share our pain, check out SHAPE Services’ Business Card Reader for iPhone. With a simple snap of your iPhone 3GS’s auto-focus camera, Business Card Reader injects contact information directly into your iPhone’s address book. It’s not free, but at $5.99, it’ll easily pay for itself after your next new business card.

The new app basically scans your business cards and analyzes the text using character recognition technology. But, the really nifty thing is the way Business Card Reader integrates with LinkedIn and your iPhone. It’ll automatically distinguish between home and mobile phone numbers, office address, website URL, job title, company and, of course, the first and last name. Once scanned, you’ll have the option of automatically adding a new contact, merging the data with an existing contact, or look up the information on LinkedIn.

Of course, the app is bound to make some mistakes. After testing five business cards, we had to specify one company name and break up a couple long first names into their respective first and last names. You’re also going to want to use this app on an iPhone 3GS. The auto-focus camera makes all the difference. The app isn’t perfect, but it’s way (way) better than the alternative.

Wanna see the app in action? Check out our demo video!

BC Reader [iTunes link]

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Craving a new puzzle game on your iPhone? One that you may want to check out is called ‘Penguin Break’. Like other puzzle games of this genre, the object of the game is to clear the board. You do so by tapping on penguins to throw snowballs, and each time you hit a penguin it will disappear, along with other adjacent penguins of the same color. You can create chain reactions for big bonuses (think ‘Bejeweled’)… and there are multiple power ups to be found within the game. Play in ‘Frenzy’ mode which puts you against the clock, or play a more classic style game in ‘Escape’ mode where you try and keep the penguins from reaching the top of the field of play.

For more details check out the demo video above, or pick it up for $0.99 in the App Store (iTunes link).

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BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) users have to check out this interesting new app from the folks at VirtualViews. Called ‘Elertify’, this new app allows you to preview incoming email, messages, phone calls and more right on your PC. My description won’t do it justice, so listen to Drew from VirtualViews describe and show-off the app in the video above.

‘This app was designed for people who use their PC a lot. It lets you preview incoming email, text messages and phone calls on your PC so that you don’t have to be checking your BlackBerry every 15 seconds… you can turn on the voice synthesizer and actually hear who’s calling…’

Once connected it looks like Elertify works wonderfully. Alerts pop up in the bottom right corner of your monitor, and you can dismiss the alerts by simply clicking on them.

Elertify is on sale for $4.99 until November 15th. And, a free 7 day trial is available. Cool.

[Via: BBCool]

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What would it take to put together 2 ‘working’ iPhone costumes? Apparently $2,000, a couple of 42″ plasma TV’s, a couple of iPhones, and a lot of work. Nothing else needed to be said here. Check out the video below.

I hope everyone had a very happy (and safe) Halloween this year!

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) has been getting the gears turning for the launch of their first Android handset code-named Rachel  with their What’s Next? website earlier this week, which has since been updated with this teaser video. This is the first official nod to the X10 device, though we’ve seen lots of hands-on pictures (mostly from when it was called the X3), and even a video of SE’s impressive custom user interface. Rumoured specs include a beefy 8 megapixel camera, 4″ WVGA touchscreen, 1 Ghz processor, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G, 3.5mm headphone jack and the recently-released Android 2.0. January is our best guess for launch so far, but an official announcement will be happening November 3 (next Monday).

[via GSMArena]

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