smartphone

Sheesh. A girl goes on vacation and that's when the cell phone world decides to drop a bomb. Obviously, the big headline Tuesday was the official unveiling of the T-Mobile G1, but turns out there was some non-Google Android related news that might also pique your interest.

Last week, we reported on the rumored touch-screen RIM BlackBerry Storm that's headed to Verizon Wireless, and while details were sparse at the time, it looks like Engadget Mobile got its hands on some internal documents with further details about the smartphone.

First, the BlackBerry Storm will feature a 3.… Read more

NEW YORK--Google's first Android phone may not win any beauty contests, but the smartphone's software and advanced Web browsing will give today's current crop of smartphones, including the iPhone, a run for their money.

T-Mobile USA and Google unveiled the first Google Android phone Tuesday at an event here. The phone, previously code-named the HTC Dream, is now called the T-Mobile G1. And it goes on sale in the U.S. on T-Mobile's network starting October 22 for $179 with a two-year service contract.

T-Mobile USA's parent company Deutsche Telekom will also be selling the device starting in November in the United Kingdom through its T-Mobile service. And the phone will be available throughout the rest of Europe via T-Mobile starting in the first quarter of 2009.

From a hardware perspective, the G1 isn't a game changer. The device, which has a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out from a touch-screen exterior, looks similar to other devices on the market, such as the T-Mobile Sidekick or Verizon's LG Voyager.

But under the hood, the Google Android software greatly improves the mobile Web experience for users, making it a compelling competitor to the Apple iPhone and a hands-down winner when compared with other smartphones like Research In Motion's BlackBerry or phones running Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system.… Read more

Tuesday is G-day for T-Mobile USA as it introduces the world to the first ever Google Android phone.

To keep up with the news as it happens, check out the CNET News live blog from the press conference held by T-Mobile at 10:30 a.m. EDT (7:30 a.m. PDT) in New York City.

T-Mobile USA will be the first mobile operator to offer a phone that uses the open-source Google Android operating system. The device made by HTC has been widely anticipated. And on Tuesday morning, T-Mobile and Google will finally unveil the phone, which is expected … Read more

The mobile industry is still jostling for position ahead of an eventual industry shakeout.

Over the past year, I've been to a dozen or so mobile computing conferences such as GigaOm's Mobilize Conference held Thursday in San Francisco. And little has changed: dozens of participants--phone makers, software developers, and wireless carriers--have little doubt they are on the cusp of creating the future of personal computing, but have widely different ideas as to how to make that future happen.

Attendees might have been better served wandering over to a different part of the University of California at San Francisco'… Read more

The soon-to-be announced, first-ever Google Android phone will be priced at $200 with a two-year contract, according to a blog post on TechCrunch.

The tech blog said an "insider" had confirmed the $200 price tag, which is reasonable considering that AT&T is selling the iPhone 3G for the subsidized price of $199. That said, it's still about $50 more than what we had expected. Earlier reports were that the phone would cost $150 with a two-year contract and $399 without a contract.

The HTC Dream will be the first phone that uses Google's open-source … Read more

Correction made September 17 at 9:05 a.m. PDT: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Google had not officially launched an application marketplace. Google has announced an application Web site called Android Market.

The launch of the new Google Android phone on T-Mobile USA's network is fast approaching, but will the phone live up to its hype?

T-Mobile USA is expected to announce the new phone, called the Dream, on September 23. And it is expected to start selling the device, which is made by Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, sometime in October.

The Wall Street Journal … Read more

Oh, snap. On Monday, Sony Ericsson kicked off its digital marketing campaign for its Xperia X1 smartphone, but the most interesting news to come out of the launch is that future Xperia models may not use Windows Mobile. Magnus Andersson, product manager for the X1, said, "The brand is not tied into any specific technical platform," but did not expand on what other mobile operating systems the company may consider.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 made quite a splash at GSMA 2008, not just for its unique panel interface but also for the fact that it was the … Read more

OK, folks. Here is your smartphone rumor for the day: The touch-screen RIM BlackBerry Storm is headed for Verizon Wireless. Several sources have reported on this news after a "talking points" sheet for Verizon employees was leaked, highlighting some of the key features of the smartphone.

According to the document, the BlackBerry Storm is said to have a click touch screen that helps for more precise text entry; dual-mode connectivity (CDMA and quad-band GSM for world roaming); and a 3.2-megapixel camera. The Storm will also support visual voice mail, VZ Navigator, and full HTML Web browsing.

Unfortunately, … Read more

The poor HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro; the two smartphones just made their CTIA Fall 2008 debuts, and we've already moved onto the next big thing. But can you blame us? On Monday, HTC introduced its newest Touch model, the HTC Touch HD, and it's a stunner.

The Touch HD features a 3.8-inch (diagonal) VGA touch screen, which is the largest display on a smartphone that I can remember to date. Given the spacious screen, it's no surprise the company designed the Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone for heavy Web and multimedia usage, hoping … Read more