smartphone

On Monday, Samsung introduced its first Google Android device, the Samsung I7500. While many were disappointed to hear that Samsung had initially delayed its Android devices till the second half of the year, the I7500 will be available in major European markets starting in June. Unfortunately, plans for a U.S. release are still unclear.

There is, however, potentially good news for us here in the States. The Samsung I7500 is a tri-band HSDPA device, supporting the 900/1700/2100MHz bands, which makes it compatible with the T-Mobile's 3G network. We talked to Samsung's public relations company this … Read more

On Thursday, Alltel announced that it will begin offering the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 starting in early May. Alltel's Pearl Flip is the first CDMA version of the smartphone (a GSM model has been available on T-Mobile since October 2008) and will go for a very reasonable $79.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates.

The Pearl Flip, of course, is the first BlackBerry to have a clamshell design and has a 2.25-inch, 240x320-pixel internal display and a SureType keyboard. Features include built-in GPS, a 2-megapixel camera, a full HTML Web browser, stereo Bluetooth support, and … Read more

As you may have seen by now, PreCentral.net got ahold of an internal memo from AT&T comparing its precious iPhone 3G with the Palm Pre, and not surprisingly, bashing the Pre as an inferior device.

Now, you know I haven't been particular happy with Sprint or Palm about the way the company's been handling the Pre, but I'm coming to its defense here and saying that this is just plain laughable. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

First off, AT&T has a couple of legitimate points. The iPhone has the advantage of international world roaming and comes in a 16GB capacity, whereas the Pre isn't a world phone and only comes in an 8GB model. Fair enough. However, the carrier then criticizes the Pre for only coming in black and being thicker and heavier than the iPhone. Well, if you want to nitpick, AT&T, the Pre is shorter and smaller in width, and I'm sure the whole 0.07 ounce of extra weight will slow all Pre owners down.

Next, AT&T makes several baseless statements, saying that the Pre's touch-screen gesture controls are "not intuitive" and that it has an "unproven App catalog." Unless AT&T has some moles embedded in Sprint's and Palm's labs, how do we know this is the case? Hey, I'll be the first to give Apple credit for the iPhone's ease of use, multitouch screen, and iTunes App Store, but does that mean the Pre will be unintuitive and have a crappy app store? No. The fact is, we won't know for sure until it's out, and to make this argument on pure conjecture is weak. … Read more

Kent's vacationing in Australia (lucky duck), so it's just Nicole and me this week. We've got plenty to talk about though, including details on the new T-Mobile Sidekick LX, and we tackle more rumors about an iPhone for Verizon. Also, the new Samsung Instinct S30 is out, and we've got a full review of the Instinct successor. Plus, Nicole's found what could be the best-sounding Bluetooth headset she's ever heard. All this and more on this week's Dialed In podcast. Happy Earth Day, everyone!

I just missed a call from our front desk this morning saying that two representatives from Sprint were downstairs with a package delivery. My first thought? "OMG, the Palm Pre!!"

I ran downstairs, and when our security operator told me they just left to drop the packages off at our loading dock, I bolted out the door to the back of our building and caught up with them. Guess what? It wasn't the Pre.

Instead, I got a little package of fortune cookies and a flash drive filled with press releases on Sprint's service plans, its … Read more

Forget what I told you before about disguising your iPhone; there are alternatives to feeling embarrassed by your mobile phone. Why not buy one that you can be proud of, maybe even one forged from the ashes of Miss Mother Nature herself? Set yourself up with an iWood 3B smartphone and you'll never again miss "all the times you wood rather stab someone in the eye than talk about 3G anything."

The iWood 3B is the perfect complement for the on-the-go professional who knows when it's time to work, when it's time to play, and when it's time to tap on a 3-inch by 4-1/2 half inch piece of Bamboo Plywood. Amazingly, the entire device is crafted from a single block of wood, and it's contoured at a precise 90-degree angle to fit ergonomically in your hand.

Like its current competition, it has all the internal components you now expect out of a full-time device: accelerometer, proximity/light/infrared sensor, and even its own sensor for sensing sensors around your sector. Best of all, the iWood 3B draws all of its power from a rechargeable gyroscopic battery that should last for approximately infinity hours with just one twitch.

What all-in-one (AIO) would be prepared for the masses without its own set of unique applications? Aside from the standard to-do list, calendar, MP3 player, and Web, the iWood also offers its own line of real-world apps that run autonomously off the OS. … Read more

During the past couple of weeks, we've seen pieces of the puzzle falling into place--leaked images and internal memos, FCC approval, a scheduled New York launch event. However, Thursday night, T-Mobile put all the speculation to rest and added the final and definitive piece to the puzzle. The end product? The new T-Mobile Sidekick LX.

Not to be confused with the original Sidekick LX, which it will eventually replace, the Sidekick LX 2009 offers a slimmed-down design and some great new features, including 3G, Flash video support, and Twitter integration.

Current Sidekick owners will get first dibs on the new device. Online presales start now for a price of $199 with a two-year contract. If ordered by April 30, customers will receive their Sidekicks on May 12; if ordered after April 30, the device will be delivered within 7 business days. For everyone else, the Sidekick LX will be available in stores nationwide and online on May 13, but final price had not yet been determined.

To come clean, we actually got a preview of the T-Mobile Sidekick LX at CTIA 2009, but we couldn't say anything because of nondisclosure agreements. However, now that the cat's out of the bag, we can talk about all the features and our first impressions. … Read more

We're not really sure why Verizon Wireless has been so slow to release firmware updates for the buggy RIM BlackBerry Storm, but it looks like help might finally be on the way.

According to PC World, Verizon is set to release an over-the-air firmware update to BlackBerry Storm users over the next couple of weeks. Version 4.7.0.113 fixes a number of issues and adds some new features. In all, there are over 30 bug fixes and about a dozen improvements. We won't list them all here (check out Wireless and Mobile News for a comprehensive … Read more