Dialed In

Dialed In 93: Moto's Android invasion!

The gang is back together once again and it looks like our couple weeks of calm is about to be over. Motorola has announced a September 10 event here in San Francisco to reveal its new Android products, and we think we have a pretty good idea of what we might see. Also, Nicole gives the coveted Editors' Choice Award to another Plantronics headset and Kent is on a mission to beat up the Sonim XP3 Quest. Check it all out on this week's episode of Dialed In.

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Rumor … Read more

On Call: Can Verizon make me buy a new phone?

On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world.

Q: I was an Alltel customer, but I'm now with Verizon Wireless following the merger. I want to add a fourth line to my family plan, but Verizon informed me that my Alltel phones were not compatible and that I'd need to replace them. Replacing all four phones would cost me about $600. What can I do? - Sarah

A: Since Alltel and Verizon both use CDMA technology, I was surprised to hear that your Alltel phones aren't compatible with Verizon's network. I checked with Verizon and got a quick response. While most Alltel customers won't have to buy new phones, there are exceptions (there always are).… Read more

Verizon Wireless Escapade goes global

World phones are typically of the smartphone variety, like the RIM BlackBerry Tour for example, but Verizon Wireless has laid that theory to rest with the new Verizon Wireless Escapade.

Developed by PCD, the Escapade has dual-band CDMA 1x as well as quad-band GSM/GPRS with a preinstalled SIM card. You'll only be able to use the SIM card overseas though, as Verizon does not have roaming agreements with AT&T and T-Mobile USA.

The Escapade is decidedly middle of the road, with simple features like Bluetooth, mobile e-mail, a 2-megapixel camera, and VZ Navigator support. That sits … Read more

Plantronics Discovery 975 pairs beauty with brains

Plantronics on Thursday announced the Plantronics Discovery 975, which it touts as a luxury fashion-forward Bluetooth headset built with premium performance. It's the successor to the Plantronics Discovery 925, and it shows--the Discovery 975 inherited that skinny hairpin-like design, right down to the square diamond base.

However, the Discovery 975 carries the brains of the Plantronics Voyager Pro, with its AudioIQ2 noise canceling and WindSmart wind-noise reduction technologies.

We had the opportunity to put the Discovery 975 through its paces the past few days, and we have to say we're very impressed with it overall. Even though not everyone will appreciate the skinny pin design and the tiny controls leave much to be desired, the sound quality is really very good. Indeed, it matches the Voyager Pro in outgoing sound quality. We even tested it in windy conditions, and our callers managed to hear us loudly and clearly. They said our voice sounded natural and not at all robotic or machine-like, and the wind noise that they did hear sounded more like rain on the roof. … Read more

Dialed In 92: A Verizon iPhone?

Everyone says the iPhone would be better with Verizon, but we wonder if that is really the case. We also discuss all the app stores that went live recently, a new Samsung Gravity 2, a truly hands-free Bluetooth headset, and more.

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News J.D. Power customer care award ends in three-way tie Use the iPhone on Verizon Will a Verizon iPhone be better? Maybe T-Mobile churns out Samsung Gravity 2 North American GSM Palm Pre gets Wi-Fi certification Samsung releases SDK for its TouchWiz phones Verizon entices app developers Palm accepting submissions for App Catalog e-commerce beta program … Read more

T-Mobile churns out Samsung Gravity 2

Samsung and T-Mobile have just announced the availability of the Samsung Gravity 2, which is the upgraded version of the Samsung Gravity from late last year.

It has a much thinner design and revamped navigation controls, and features a few notable improvements: 3G connectivity, A-GPS with TeleNav, and a 2-megapixel camera. Aside from that, it still rocks a microSD card slot, a music player with MP3 and AAC support, Bluetooth, and e-mail support.

The Gravity 2 will be available for $29.99 with a two-year service agreement in two colors: metallic pumpkin and berry mauve.

The 411: Do the Jitterbug

Welcome to the 411, my new Q&A column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have the same questions, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.

What is your opinion of the Jitterbug for seniors? My dad is 93, in good mental and physical shape and travels … Read more

Dialed In 91: Samsung goes green

Samsung and Sprint have jumped on the green bandwagon: they launched a new eco-friendly phone last week, the Samsung Reclaim. Speaking of green, some handset manufacturers and carriers think we're rolling in money and are charging some jaw-dropping prices for their devices. We're not quite sure what they're thinking, especially after a Gartner study finds that North Americans pay more for cell phone service than other parts of the world. We've got all this and more on this week's Dialed In podcast.

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Rumors of the … Read more

On Call: T-Mobile's unfair upgrade fee

Despite what you might think, I don't believe all cell phone carriers are evil. Like any big faceless corporation, they're not always going to get it right, but I'm confident that carrier execs don't just plot to screw the customer.

Yet, every so often something happens to shake that confidence. On Sunday, I accompanied a friend to the main T-Mobile store in San Francisco. He's been waiting for weeks to finally ditch his clunker Nokia 6133 and upgrade to the MyTouch 3G. As a five-year T-Mobile customer who had been off contract for three years, … Read more