Hey friends, sorry about missing last week’s Mobile Roundup but I was up to my eyeballs in a Kin One review. This was a very Android-tastic week, as the EVO 4G got a price tag and a release data, the LG Ally was formally introduced and T-Mobile is reportedly working on bringing out a high-end handset that will probably be powered by the little green robot. Read beyond the jump for a thorough breakdown of these stories, as well as all the other hot mobile news from the last week.
The EVO 4G cometh
The biggest news of the week is Sprint finally giving a price and release date for the highly-anticipated EVO 4G, as customers will be able to buy the Android-powered handset June 4 for about $200 with a new, two-year contract. The phone is a beast: it rocks a 4.-inch capacitive touch display, a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8-megapixel camera and a front-facing one for two-way video calling. One of the best parts is that the device will be able to access Sprint’s expanding WiMax network for mobile download speeds of up to 10 Mbps.
Of course, it seems like every time Sprint does something good it can’t help but trip itself up. I definitely think this is the case with the $10 monthly data premium that will come with the EVO, even if you’re in a 3G-only market. I don’t like this one bit because Sprint is charging extra because the device could use more data, not because you are using more data. I’m sure this thing will suck down a lot of bandwidth but I would much prefer the $10 premium be optional for those who want 4G speeds.
Even with that premium, Sprint’s smartphone plans are still pretty competitive and I’m strongly considering this device. Check out our hands-on video of the handset and a demo of the two-way video chatting with Qik.
LG gets sad trombone for the Ally
LG introduced its first U.S. Android phone this week with the help of a certain Iron Man and, well, it looks quite mediocre. There’s nothing really wrong with the Ally – it boasts a 3.2-inch capacitive screen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3G, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, Android 2.1 and a 3.2-megapixel camera – but it seems bland compared to the hot Android phones out there like the Droid Incredible or the EVO 4G.
During our hands-on time with the device this week, editor-in-chief Will Park was not impressed with the “chunker” from LG.
“There are other phones out there with physical slide-out keyboards that manage to keep a slim waistline,” Will wrote. “The Ally does not. Sure, the keys on the keyboard are fantastic, but you pay for that extra tactile feedback and deeply recessed keyboard with extra mass hanging around the belly area.”
Regardless of our take, the handset can be had for about $100 with a new, two-year contract from Verizon Wireless. Yes, we have some hands-on video that you can view below.
T-Mobile’s Project Emerald
While T-Mobile has a ton of Android handsets, it really does lack at the high end. The myTouch 3G Slide is supposed to be its flagship device over the summer but I’d consider it a slight step below the champions on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. Enter Project Emerald: This is T-Mobile’s code name for its plans to bring out a Nexus-One quality handset shortly to compete at high-end customers.
What could this smartphone be? Well, the HTC Desire would be a nice addition to the lineup but we also just saw video which suggests T-Mobile’s “superphone” could be the Samsung Galaxy S. Samsung’s handset is definitely a step above the myTouch, as it rocks an absolutely stunning 4-inch capacitive Super AMOLED display, a 1 GHz processor, a beefy GPU, Android 2.1, a 5-megapixel camera and all the connectivity goodies you’d expect from a modern smartphone. This will definitely give T-Mobile a real flagship handset that could draw in new customers, as well as retain existing subscribers.
You know the drill by now: check out our hands-on video of the device below and let us know what you think of it in the comments.
CDMA iPhone? Oh snap!
It’s not all Android this week, as the iPhone-to-Verizon rumors went ballistic this week with the report that manufacturer Pegatron Technology has already been tapped to produce up to 10 million CDMA iPhones. When you pile this one with the reports that an ad company has already been contracted to draft up Verizon’s iPhone marketing campaign, Apple must be coming to Big Red soon, right?
I’m still not buying it yet because I think the exclusivity agreement with AT&T lasts at least another year. Sure, Apple could sell far more units by being on the largest two U.S. carriers but its margins would inevitably go down because no carrier has exclusive access to it and the mobile operators may not pay a premium for the device. I believe the CDMA iPhones are being made to work on China’s networks, which use a home-grown TD-CDMA standard for 3G. China is a huge market with billions of potential customers and you know Apple CEO Steve Jobs wants all of them to have a shiny iPhone. Adding further credence to this theory, during its last quarterly earnings, Apple said it has been experiencing phenomenal growth in the Asian markets.
I still say we won’t see an iPhone on Verizon until the middle of 2011. One thing is certain though, if Jobs pulls out a Verizon iPhone as his “one more thing” during the WWDC keynote, we’ll be there giving you up-to-the-minute coverage.
Until we meet again
Well, there was a few other things that happened this week but that weekend sure looks good to me. Shia LaBeouf and Michael Douglas know that “Money Never Sleeps” and neither does IntoMobile – We’ll have updates throughout the weekend of the latest mobile scoops, so keep it locked here if you’d like. In the meanwhile, feel free to follow me on Twitter (@marinperez) and please follow IntoMobile on Twitter (@intomobile) and Facebook. Take it easy, friends.