Dialed In

Kent kicks off the podcast this week by reminding our dear listeners that Verizon iPhone rumors are just rumors. Until Steve Jobs says differently, he's not ready to believe a thing. New New Yorker Bonnie is taking the week off, but Nicole signs on to give her take on Android fragmentation, a costly new LG phone and the quality a Rock for Verizon.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Rumor of the week
Verizon iPhone rumors are just rumors

News
Moto Cliq gets software update
AT&T Voicemail to text
Google Maps Navigation arrives for Android 1.6
Differentiation leads to fragmented, confused Android
Developers want a better Android Market
Project with the powerful LG Expo
Casio G'zOne Rock
Kyocera spills three new handsets
Nokia slides out two new sliders
Motorola's iDEN i410
On Call: All about the Droid

Reviews
Prizefight: Samsung Behold II vs. HTC Droid Eris
Pantech Impact
Samsung Omnia II
Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito

Upcoming reviews
Sony Ericsson Aino
Casio G'zOne Rock
LG Shine II
Nokia N900

Rumors about me are just rumors.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Almost as soon as the iPhone debuted on AT&T back in 2007, rumors started swirling that the popular touch-screen handset would head to Verizon Wireless as soon as AT&T's exclusivity ended. And since then, as AT&T's network has struggled to keep up with the demands of iPhone users, the rumor has only intensified. Indeed, every day I hear it repeated somewhere, whether it's from a tech/gadget site, a random Facebook friend, or a stranger I meet on the street.

Analysts have also dished the rumor on occasion, and just last week Brian Marshall, an Apple analyst with Broadpoint AmTech in San Francisco, mentioned it in an interview with Bloomberg News. Marshall suggested that Apple pursue Verizon Wireless as a possible carrier after AT&T's exclusivity contract ends next year.

The problem with Marshall's argument, and the rumor itself, is that it relies on a "fact" that has yet to be proven. To date, neither Apple nor AT&T have publicly said when the exclusivity contract will end. Though the summer 2010 is the most common time frame given--it would mark the third anniversary of the original iPhone--the details of the contract have yet to be released. We know that AT&T's exclusivity will end at some point, but we don't know exactly when that will be. Perhaps Marshall was told something in confidence, but I can promise you that I haven't heard anything of the sort.

Like I said back in August, I think that a Verizon iPhone is still possible (remember that Verizon's misfit toy ad is slamming AT&T's network and not the iPhone). Yet, I don't think it will happen until Apple produces a hybrid GSM/CDMA phone or adopts LTE technology (Canada's Telus did something similar with an HSPA device). Otherwise, I think it's unlikely that Apple would produce a CDMA-only version, even for America's largest carrier. I could be wrong, but I'm not going to believe any rumors about a Verizon iPhone until I hear something from Apple and Verizon. And similarly, I'm not going to believe anything about AT&T's exclusivity until I hear it from AT&T.

Until that time I can speak only to the rumor as I've always done. No matter what you heard through the grapevine or from a customer service rep in a Verizon store, we still don't know when, or even if, the iPhone will come to Verizon. Until that changes, I wouldn't take the rumor--and that's exactly what is it--seriously.

In this corner, the iPhone.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Last June, I complained about the overused phrase "iPhone killer." I argued that it elevates the iPhone to a place that it doesn't deserve. Yes, it's a great device in many ways, but it's not the pinnacle of cell phone achievement.

As it turns out, I was a little ahead of myself. In the two-and-a-half years since the first iPhone , was born, I've seen quite a few supposed iPhone rivals pass through CNET. But I had to wait until two weeks ago before a real challenger finally landed on my desk.

The Motorola Droid challenges the iPhone on more fronts than I've seen from others--it has some multitouch, the display is magnificent, and it's packed with a multitude of features. Granted, its media player can't quite compete, and it didn't win our Prizefight, but it bests Apple's device in overall performance. And really, the iPhone won that Prizefight by the thinnest of margins.

And in this corner, the Droid

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

As you can imagine, CNET readers had passionate opinions on both sides of the battle. Some praised the Droid before even touching it, and others wondered how we could dare suggest that the iPhone was deficient in any way. I have to say the latter camp was a little more vociferous--perhaps Verizon touched a nerve with their its snarky ad campaign (they aren't any snarkier than the "I'm a Mac" commercials)--but the Droid got people riled up on all fronts.

In the back and forth, however, an important point gets lost. It's not about which device is better, it's about which device is better for you. Some will prefer the iPhone and some will prefer the Droid. There's plenty of room in this world for more than one good phone.

Apple fans shouldn't reflexively slam the Droid (seriously, there's no reason to feel threatened) and Google Android devotees shouldn't cheer for the iPhone to be vanquished (schadenfreude is not charming). Each device can can excel in its own way, and not every phone will be perfect at everything. It's all part of the gadget world. And that's OK.

For many smartphone manufacturers and carriers, the Apple iPhone is the great, white elephant in the room. Though they might not want to acknowledge it, the iPhone has certainly changed the game and for better or worse, it's become the gold standard to which a lot of people compare other touch-screen phones.

While most of the competition might be content to let their products speak for themselves, Verizon has made a bold move by single-handedly calling out the iPhone and AT&T in its iDon't and "There's a map for that" TV commercials. The ads are certainly entertaining to watch, but are they actually true? Did Motorola really create an earth-conquering smartphone in the Droid?

Well, we decided to find out in our own Motorola Droid vs. iPhone 3GS Prizefight and while we won't spoil the ending here, we will say it was our closest smartphone Prizefight ever. Check it out for yourself and be sure to take advantage of our new commenting system right on the Prizefight page to leave your remarks. Apple, Android fanboy/girl alike, we're sure you'll have plenty to say. It all goes down right here.

With the Moto Cliq, it matters what's inside.

(Credit: Motorola Cliq)

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

In the age of iPhone, Google Android, and Palm WebOS, a funny thing has happened on the way to the cell phone store. Though handset design has long been the focus of cell phone development, hardware manufacturers appear to be shifting their attention. Software is now taking center stage as companies struggle to distinguish their touch-screen devices from their competitors, and companies aren't being shy about this new focus.

The shift really hit home in September when we met with Motorola following the introduction of its Android-powered Cliq. As my colleague Tom Krazit wrote at the time, Moto CEO Sanjay Jha was clear that his company is resting its comeback attempt on its signature MotoBlur software. Jha characterized MotoBlur as more than software, but also as "emblematic of the shift towards software and the Internet as the main features in a modern mobile phone."

From a company that developed some of the most iconic cell phones in history (hello, Moto Razr and Startac), Jha's words were surprising. Software has always been a part of phones, but it has rarely defined them. Unless you were a smartphone buyer deciding between Windows Mobile and BlackBerry, most customers bought a phone and used the manufacturer's standard operating system without a thought. Sure, more savvy users had their strong preferences, and Verizon tried an abysmal standardized interface on its handsets, but elements like thin designs, colored faceplates, and messaging keyboards got the most attention.

We all know the cost of a phone is more than just the price of the device. There are also monthly costs to deal with, whether you're going for the cheapest plan possible or for the expensive all-in-one bundle. This is especially a concern when it comes to smartphones, as data and messaging costs can add up to quite a hefty monthly bill.

In light of recent Android smartphone releases, we decided it might be good to compare the voice, messaging, and data plans of some of these phones across all four nationwide carriers to see which is the cheapest and which is the most expensive. Since AT&T does not yet have an Android phone, we used the Apple iPhone 3GS for comparison. We assumed that customers would be buying these phones with a new contract, so to keep things fair, we did not include T-Mobile's no-contract price plan in the chart (see note below). For Verizon, we did not compare the Connect or Premium plans because they aren't available for the Droid.

We also did not include the pricing for corporate and family plans. For example, Verizon's corporate data plans will cost $45 a month instead of $30 a month (despite claims to the contrary), which is the same for AT&T's iPhone.

We calculated the cheapest plans by adding up the cheapest of all the voice, messaging, and data options (we assumed that most smartphone users will want at least a basic messaging plan rather than no messaging plan at all). Conversely, we calculated the most expensive plans by adding up the most expensive of all three options. Typically, the costliest plans include unlimited voice, messaging, and data. We also know a lot of smartphone users don't use a lot of talk minutes, but are ardent users of text and data, so we also added up monthly plans with the lowest minutes but with unlimited text and data usage.

Open up the Droid

Verizon's recent iPhone attack ad featuring its upcoming Droid smartphone has the tech world buzzing, and iPhone fans are taking notice. The iPhone Blog even posted a point-by-point reply to the commercial's claims. While most of its arguments center on minutia (see the bit about the keyboard) the iPhone Blog makes one very good point concerning open development.

"Really, Verizon, with your history, you want to play that card?" Rene Ritchie wrote. "Android is an about face for you, not a two-face. We'll wait and see on this one." Indeed, we will have to wait and see. Though the Google Android OS is all about being open, Verizon's has a long history of locking down Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS on its phone. What's more, it imposed a frustrating and poorly designed standardized menu interface across its handsets.

On the upside, Verizon has been drifting away from its control-freak past over the past year, but Android marks a distinct change. If Verizon is to deliver Android as it's intended to be, then it will allow for real user customization of the device and not customization as the carrier wants you to have it. Come on, Verizon, be the "dumb pipe" that customers want.

Welcome, iPhone, to 2003

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

On September 25, AT&T finally activated multimedia messaging for the iPhone. The long-awaited features caused great excitement for AT&T iPhone users, primarily because they had gone so long without it. Even worse, they had to watch while their counterparts in other countries could use MMS immediately after they got iPhone 3.0.

When the MMS update went live shortly before noon Pacific time, I posted a quick blog announcing that users could now send their first multimedia message. The blog stuck mostly to the facts, but I decided to end it by welcoming the AT&T iPhone "to 2003." And that's where the fun began.

I soon received e-mails and blog comments from CNET readers who disagreed with my salutation. Some were polite, and some weren't, but all felt that I had overlooked the iPhone's other strengths while bemoaning its late arrival to the MMS party. Here's a sampling.

LOL. Hey Kent, what do you mean by "Welcome, iPhone, to 2003?" Why is that people think the iPhone is behind by not doing MMS? Other phones can do MMS, but are way behind cause they can't do email! The first MMS was sent out in 2002, the first e-mail in the mid 1960's! Somebody please explain. - mritalian76

OK, I read all these comments from people who sarcastically proclaim the iPhone having caught up with 2003. On the other hand, Apple did make some nice enhancements to MMS. For most people, "MMS" simply means photo messaging, but on the iPhone you can send audio files, contact cards, and map locations.
- KingKuei

I know it has already been said in the comments, but I think it is worth repeating. The iPhone, unlike most phones "from 2003," can use MMS to send more than pictures. You can send contacts, videos on the 3Gs, and mapping info from the Google maps app.
- dandy1117

Yeah, it's real sad [that the iPhone is just getting MMS] when you consider that other phones can only send/receive MMS, but not email and stuff like that.
- Perry_Clease

I'll readily agree that the iPhone does many things well and it offers some experiences that aren't available on many other phones. But even with those strengths, it lagged behind almost every other cell phone on the planet by not offering a basic mobile feature for the first two years of its existence. MMS is a basic feature, but full-fledged e-mail is not. What's more, though the problem was AT&T's, the carrier's strengths and limitations are an integral part of the cell phone user experience.

So, seriously, in this case I can't make excuses. The iPhone should have had MMS from the start, and AT&T customers shouldn't have had to wait when iPhone users in other countries got it.

We get a sneak peek at Microsoft's Project Pink, with leaked photos of a phone that isn't pink at all. We then dish about the Motorola Cliq, the finally released Garmin Nuvifone, MMS coming to the iPhone, and more.

Rumor of the week
Microsoft "Pink" emerges from Danger

News
Motorola Cliq gets official pricing and release date
Garmin Nuvi G60 launching with AT&T on October 4
iPhone MMS is now live
Samsung reveals pricey Instinct HD
Palm WebOS 1.2 released for the Pre
Amazon now offering Palm Pre for $99.99
Wal-Mart offers Palm Pre for $79
Cricket Captr is an entry-level camera phone
Verizon Hub is no more

Reviews
Nokia N86
Nokia 5130 Xpress Music
Samsung SPH-M330
Jabra Halo
Nokia BH-905

Upcoming reviews
Garmin Nuvifone G60
Samsung Instinct HD
Motorola H17 Bluetooth headset