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Good 'ol T-Mobile is in a giving mood this holiday season. On Thursday, the carrier announced that it has eliminated the $18 handset upgrade fee for its customers. It applies to all cell phones and smartphones offered by carrier, including T-Mobile G1, and doesn't matter whether you're upgrading your handset in stores or online. To be clear, this is not part of a holiday promotion and there is no specified end date. T-Mobile said it's the company's way of thanking its loyal customers, and we say cheers to that.

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

On Tuesday, 14 new members joined Google's Open Handset Alliance, showing their support and furthering the development of the Google Android mobile operating system. Among the fresh additions is Sony Ericsson, and it looks like the company isn't wasting any time and has hit the ground running.

According to several sources, Sony Ericsson is planning on releasing an Android handset by summer 2009 and a company spokesman has gone on to say that the first models will be on the higher end while it will release more mass-market devices at a later time. In addition, HTC is said … Read more

The iPhone and T-Mobile G1 come with pretty much full-fledged Web browsers, and Google now is according them that status by showing search ads on the phones.

Advertisers bidding for search ads through Google's AdWords service now can choose to have ad campaigns run exclusively on iPhones and the T-Mobile G1, the first phone with Google's Android operating system, which also has a robust browser. Alexandra Kenin, product marketing manager for Google's mobile ads team, announced the move on the company's Google Mobile Blog Monday.

By using the "iPhones and other mobile devices with full … Read more

Good news if you're a developer itching to get your creative developer hands on a T-Mobile G1--and especially good news if you happen to be a developer who lives outside an area covered by T-Mobile. Google has announced a SIM- and hardware-unlocked version of the first Android smartphone.

To get an Android Dev Phone 1, you'll first need to register as an Android developer on the Android Market site, which entails a one-time setup fee of $25. Then the device will cost you $399 (free shipping here in the States). To accommodate demand, Google says it's … Read more

Flickr's mobile Web site hasn't traditionally been in step with its popular Web app. A fresh lick of paint and some API work under the hood brings the two experiences much closer in line.

On Thursday, Yahoo-owned Flickr pushed out a very worthwhile upgrade to its mobile-optimized site, m.flickr.com.

Video streaming is the big draw. As on Flickr.com since last April, anyone accessing Flickr from an iPhone or iPod Touch can play videos hosted on Flickr's servers. In a few weeks, Flickr will unlock this capability for anyone using a Webkit, Opera Mobile (but … Read more

Android Guys has a story today from a T-Mobile G1 owner who got charged for $102.85 in roaming charges--even after he turned off data roaming on his phone. The story goes that he was visiting the U.K., and knowing that he would rack up high data-roaming charges while abroad, he turned off data roaming, data sync, and 3G on the phone (Though he did still use it for calls and texts under an international calling plan).

Turns out, of course, that it didn't work so well. When asked about it, T-Mobile customer service told him that the … Read more

In recent months, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint have done a pretty good job updating its smartphone lineups, but T-Mobile seems to be lagging in this area. Aside from the T-Mobile G1 and the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip, we haven't seen anything new and there are some aging Windows Mobile smartphones that need refreshing, namely the T-Mobile Shadow, T-Mobile Dash, and the T-Mobile Wing. Well, it looks like at least one of those devices will soon have a replacement.

Phone Scoop spotted the T-Mobile Shadow II on FCC's Web site Tuesday, complete with specifications and a … Read more

I learned about the new Give One, Get One program of the One Laptop Per Child Foundation the same way most people will--from a TV commercial sponsored by Amazon.com, which is handling order fulfillment for the new program through this page on Amazon's Web site.

Like last year's program, which I wrote about here before and after I bought one myself, the deal is simple: you buy two laptops for $399, and you get one. The other goes to a deserving student somewhere in the developing world. (This is why I sometimes call it the Buy 2, … Read more