Dialed In

T-Mobile hit us with a triple whammy today when it released the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900, T-Mobile Shadow and the Nokia 7510. Bonnie managed to secure the two smartphones for full reviews, and she gave us the full details in today's Dialed In. We also dish on the the latest Palm Treo Pro rumors, a camera phone-hating Congressman, texting in the sky, and why service rebates really stink. And if reviews are all you're after, we also give you the scoop on the latest handsets that we put to the test. Listen now: Download today's podcast

Q: I was wondering why U.S. carriers have not picked up Nokia's N-series phones. Why wouldn't a carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile want such high-end handsets to attract customers? - Zoheb

A: There are a few answers, Zoheb, but they all boil down to money. More so than in other countries the cell phone market in the United States has long centered on the service rebate. Carriers discount phones to attract customers and their contracts, while customers are trained to expect free or discounted handsets. While this dynamic is beginning to change due to the growing popularity of unlocked phones, service rebates largely rule the day here.

Though the rebates have their upside--customers can get $200 knocked off the price of a nice smartphone--they have their downsides as well. And I'm not talking about service contracts. Rather, the widespread use of service rebates has helped to "dumb down" the cell phone selection in the United States. With notable exceptions, carriers tend to keep their phones below $300 to make them as affordable as possible.

The problem with the N-series phones is that they cost well over $500 (the fancy Nokia N96 is $776 unlocked). So even with a service rebate they're going to remain pretty expensive. Sure, there will be customers like yourself who will be willing to buy one, but that's not enough incentive for a carrier to buy a several thousand of them. Instead, they're going to pick handsets that will sell in the biggest numbers.

We also have to remember that the N-series phones are complicated with a lot of different features. U.S. carriers tend to be in the driver's seat when it comes to choosing phones for their lineups. They have a lot of say in how the phone looks and what features it has. Thanks to the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1 this is also beginning to change, but they still like to exert their control. I'd wager than the N-series phones are simply too complicated for U.S. carriers. There are too many parts and features that the carriers can't control. Also, I'm sure that carriers haven't figured out how to monetize all the services on a handset like the N96. That's yet a another deterrent against picking it up.… Read more

There are rumors that HTC and T-Mobile are planning on the T-Mobile G2, and apparently it won't have a physical keyboard. We discuss that, as well as the Samsung Instinct's new calendar syncing, LG's breakthrough sales in 2008, plus a few new phones. And, of course, we tell you about the latest reviews and answer your e-mail too. Listen now: Download today's podcast

News Rumor of the week: T-Mobile G2? LG ships 100 million handsets in 2008 U.S. Cellular reveals LG Wine Instinct's calendar syncing put to the test Moto Tundra goes on sale … Read more

We're back from Vegas (and happy to be back), but before we wash away the memory of CES 2009, we take a final look at the show's cell phone announcements and share our thoughts on the scene stealer, the Palm Pre. We also catch up on some other mobile happenings and could the iPhone Nano be headed to China? All this and more on this week's Dialed In podcast. Oh yeah, and Happy Birthday, Kent!! Listen now: Download today's podcast

News Palm Pre wins Best of CES 2009 and People's Voice Award … Read more

Nothing is constant in the cell phone world and carriers are no exception. In the past five years, we've seen Sprint scoop up Nextel, AT&T Wireless merge into Cingular, and Cingular become the new AT&T. And I won't even mention the small regional operators that disappeared into the folds of a national carrier.

The latest carrier casualty is Alltel, which , as of last Friday, merged with Verizon Wireless. Like any corporate marriage, there are plenty of details to sort out so this one won't be completed for some time. But if you're a customer of either carrier, I'm sure you have questions on how the merger will affect you. So, to help you understand how the merger will proceed, I've created this handy FAQ that expands on Verizon's own FAQ on its Web site. If you have any additional queries, please send them on and I'll do my best to answer them.

Q: When will the merger be completed?

A: It will be a few months until Verizon and Alltel are one company. For now, Verizon is the legal owner of Alltel. Once the deal is done, Verizon will outpace AT&T as the largest U.S. wireless carrier with an expected 78 million customers.

Q: What will the company be called?

A: Verizon is the buyer here so the Alltel name and branding will disappear starting in the second quarter of this year. Most current Alltel customers will become customers of Verizon automatically.

Q: How much is the deal worth?

A: Verizon is paying $5.9 billion for Alltel and assuming $22.2 billion in Alltel debt for a total acquisition worth $28.1 billion. … Read more

Happy New Year! This week we bring you a special Dialed In podcast live from CES in Las Vegas. Listen in to hear all the highlights of the show and a complete rundown of the nominees for Best of CES in the cell phones and smartphones category.

Palm's new Pre smartphone quickly emerged as one of the hottest items at the show, and you'll get Bonnie's full take on this intriguing device. And there are plenty of other nifty handsets on the show floor. Nicole got the chance to try on the LG Watch phone and Kent … Read more

Join us for our last Dialed In podcast of 2009. In addition to the latest reviews and cell phone news, we'll give you a preview of Macworld and CES. See you in 2009!

Listen now: Download today's podcast… Read more

Though many people dread the approach of the holidays, I relish them. And it's not because I have a thing for eggnog (except when it's served with brandy). Rather, the arrival of December means the end of the very busy fall phone season. Between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, most manufacturers release a torrent of new phones in preparation for the holiday-shopping season. Though it's certainly interesting to see all the new models companies like Samsung, Nokia, and LG have to offer, following all those phones can be a little exhausting. Now, with CNET's holiday break just a week away, I have the time to reflect on what this year brought us in the world of cell phones. And be sure to tell me what you saw this year, as well.

iPhone 3G and T-Mobile G1 Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't lead off with the two biggest phones of the year: the iPhone 3G and the T-Mobile G1. Though the 3G version didn't quite reach the stratospheric hype of its predecessor, buyers still stood in line at Apple and AT&T stores on its July 11 release date. And despite some well-publicized problems with dropped calls and shaky 3G connections, buyers still flocked to buy the iPhone; Apple sold 5 million handsets in the third quarter alone. Apple continues to add new features through software updates, and I'm excited to see what 2009 will bring. I just hope one of the new features is something basic like multimedia messaging. And speaking of Apple, MacWold 2009 is only a couple of weeks away. We may just see an iPhone Nano.… Read more

This week we discuss the latest news that the T-Mobile G1 may not be the only Android phone for very long. We also talk about the latest BlackBerry Storm update, new Nokia handsets, calendar syncing for the Instinct, a new Bluetooth profile, AT&T femtocells, and the best phones of 2009. And of course we go over the latest reviews and listener questions. Listen now: Download today's podcast

News Sony Ericsson, HTC to release Android phone Non-G1 Android phone to hit Australia in January Verizon Wireless officially rolls out BlackBerry Storm firmware update Nokia 2605 debuts on Verizon … Read more