Nokia N85 pops up at Amazon for $556 unlocked

No matter how accustomed we should be by now, it's always jarring to see one of the Nokia N-series phones drop at some outlandish unsubsidized price -- if you think the $556 tag on this N85 is hefty, keep in mind that amazon is claiming that's already been steeply discounted from an atmospheric $1,200 "list price." While the phone is available to "buy" right this second at Amazon.com, there's a 3 to 5 week ship time quoted, so there's no telling if this'll be the first spot to nab the hotly-anticipated, N96-besting AMOLED handset in the States -- though it might be the first to take your hard earned cash for such a purpose.

[ Via: OLED-Info ]
[ Tag: amazon, for sale, ForSale, n-series, n85, pre sale, PreSale ]

Motorola cancels RAZR3 / Ruby, era comes closer to an end

Earlier this month, the almighty RAZR fell from the top spot as America's best selling handset. Now, we're finding that the RAZR3 / Ruby has been canned. Granted, the move isn't all that surprising -- after all, Moto's known for awhile now that it simply can't keep tweaking the RAZR instead of, you know, innovating. But honestly, if this signals that the company is serious about moving forward and possibly adopting Android on the double, we won't shed a tear. Okay, maybe one, but only after all the lights are out.

[ Via: UnwiredView ]
[ Tag: cancel, canceled, kill, killed, moto, Motorola, razr, razr 3, Razr3, ruby ]

• Switched On: Riding Shotgun in a traffic jam

Motorola Alexander and Attila spotted, but not clearly

This is really just confirmation of existence more than anything, given that we've already seen purported shots of both the Attila and Alexander before, but at least we're assured that these forthcoming Motorola smartphones are more than just subjects of one's Photoshopping escapades. The image you see above is accompanied by no additional information whatsoever, but we must say, these look strangely seductive in greyscale. Could these really be the first truly black-and-white handsets? Do it Moto, we dare you.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: Alexander, Attila, in the wild, InTheWild, motorola, pics, pictures, smartphone ]

• Sanyo trots out a few new Gorilla navigators

Verizon announces Samsung Omnia for $249.99

If it's a 5-megapixel cameraphone you're looking for, there are decidedly cheaper entries on the market -- but if only a 5-megapixel WinMo Professional set will do, the Omnia's just about the best (read: only) deal you'll find on an American carrier these days. The CDMA translation of the smartphone that Samsung's been selling in other parts of the world for much of 2008 in GSM form carries over most of its key features, namely Windows Mobile 6.1 with TouchWiz, WiFi, DivX certification, the love-it-or-hate-it optical directional pad, and that beefy cam with flash and autofocus. It also nabs VZ Navigator support, stereo Bluetooth, a 3.2-inch 400 x 240 display, and 8GB of internal memory. Gives pause to that imminent Touch Pro purchase, doesn't it? Look for it to be available for order this week -- a full retail launch is expected come December 8 -- for $249.99 after rebate on a two-year contract.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: breaking news, BreakingNews, i910, omnia, samsung, sch-i910, touchwiz, verizon, verizon wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw, windows mobile, windows mobile 6.1, WindowsMobile, WindowsMobile6.1, winmo, wm6.1 ]

• iPhone Bug Crashes the Phone when Malicious Video is Played [IPhone]

Samsung settles up with InterDigital in long-running patent infringement case

At last, it's over. InterDigital, which is best known for its episodes in the courtroom with Samsung and Nokia, has finally reached an agreement with the former firm. The two have been at each other's throats since April of last year regarding patents allegedly used in some of Sammy's more sophisticated phones. The decision was reached just a day before the US International Trade Commission was set to rule on whether to recommend barring affected Samsung imports altogether, which we can assure you was not at all coincidental. There's been no public disclosure of settlement value, though one analyst at Hilliard Lyons estimates that Samsung will be coughing up $400 to $500 million over the next five years to make this problem go away. Talk about a recurring nightmare.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: infringement, InterDigital, lawsuit, legal, patent, patent infringement, PatentInfringement, samsung, settled, settlement, sue, suit ]

• Pioneer forecasts even wider net loss, names new president

Motorola's Hint QA30 gets official

We weren't particularly impressed when we got our first peek at MOTO's QWERTY-sliding Hint QA30 yesterday morning, finding the form factor to be a little too squat for our tastes whether open or closed. Today the phone has been given the official treatment and, while things look a little better in a new set of glamor shots from Motorola (no more Alltel branding on the UI), the "innovative" design still doesn't look particularly comfortable to carry or to use. Now that we can make out the buttons on the front we see that they'll serve as controls for the media player when closed, again making us think this should be a good choice for your family's texting-addict rocker. The specs we got before are confirmed, the one exception being that the microSD support tops out at 8GB, not 32GB -- better turn down that bitrate, son.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: hint, hint qa30, HintQa30, moto, moto hint qa30, moto qa30, MotoHintQa30, MotoQa30, motorola, qa30, qwerty, slider ]

• Drug Lords For iPhone Takes Dope Wars To the Next GPS-Assisted Level [ iPhone Apps ]

Motorola Krave ZN4 hands-on over at Engadget Mobile

Motorola's only -- yes, only -- touchscreen phone in the US market is on sale with Verizon, offering VCAST TV, two touch-sensitive surfaces (you'll just have to read the hands-on to find out exactly what that means), and a 3.5mm headphone jack, among a host of other lustworthy features. But is the total package any good? Head on over to Engadget Mobile for the scoop on the Krave ZN4!

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: hands on, hands-on, HandsOn, krave, moto, motorola, zn4 ]

• Dash cuts 50 employees, drastically changing business model

First pics of Motorola's MOTO QA30 QWERTY slider

Sliders are typically known for offering the best of both worlds: the sophisticated, clean looks you want hiding the ugly, QWERTY keypad you need. Motorola's bucking that trend with the chunky MOTO QA30, looking rather utilitarian open or closed and featuring the sort of squat form-factor that didn't exactly woo us on the UTStarcom TXT8010. The 2.5-inch 320 x 240 screen is a bit on the small side, but an integrated 3.5mm headphone jack and stereo Bluetooth 2.0, plus support for up to 32GB microSD cards, should make this a reasonably good choice for anyone needing a texting-friendly handset that can serve up some tunes. No word on price or availability, but we'd guess "affordable" and "soon."
Update: Jed commented to let us know U.S. Cellular recently featured this phone in an ad, dubbed the HINT and listed as being available as December. So, now you know what "soon" equates to, at least.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: MOTO qa30, MotoQa30, motorola, motorola QA30, MotorolaQa30, QA30, slider ]

• Magellan suspends development on Maestro Elite 5340 connected GPS

Switched On: Writers on the Storm

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

What happens when the efficient menu-driven user experience of the BlackBerry meets the discoverable new user experience of finger-driven touch? The answer for the BlackBerry Storm has been that the BlackBerry experience wins, and who loses depends on what you were expecting from RIM's first departure from a physical keyboard. While adorned with a few on-screen buttons and simple gesture support, the Storm is much less of an iPhone-like experience than, say, the T-Mobile G1.
The Storm's main advantage over other BlackBerry devices is that it has a larger screen, not necessarily one that is controlled by touch. However, to accommodate the removal of its trademark keyboard, RIM has taken touch-screens into a literal new dimension by requiring users to depress the screen to activate a button on the screen, which lowers and springs back like a giant keyboard key.
The screen's ability to respond to presses as a physical button (like the trackpad in Apple's new MacBooks), helps provide a more natural feel to typing on the Storm; the feedback is certainly more satisfying than the solely visual feedback that the iPhone e gives. Just because it feels good, though, doesn't mean you should do it.
While the screen's response may result in faster proficiency particularly as it (unlike the iPhone's keyboard) can be used in landscape mode while sending e-mails, fast typists may be frustrated to find that the screen sometimes cannot return to its "up" position fast enough to be ready for the next letter.

And then there is the issue of editing the inevitable typos that tapping out text on virtually any smartphone entails. It's unfortunate that RIM – while retrofitting a touch screen with so many of its user interface conventions -- decided to ignore a well-received BlackBerry navigation aid in the scroll ball that HTC has implemented well in conjunction with the T-Mobile G1's touch screen.

A scroll ball makes it easy to get between letters for editing. And with no iPhone-like magnifying glass user interface convention or other method for dynamically zooming in on small text, spot-editing on the Storm can be a frustrating tight squeeze. The Storm will usually provide a word or menu of words to replace the mistyped one, but navigating it too can be thorny in the limited on-screen real estate with the keyboard on-screen.

The classic BlackBerry form-factor represented by such handsets as the Curve, 8800 and now Bold was itself a screen upgrade from the first BlackBerry two-way pagers. With the rise of the Web and media demanding a bigger screen, though, there is potential for a BlackBerry with a side-sliding keyboard (similar to HTC's Touch Pro) that delivers an even more comfortable keyboard and the large screen while restoring the sense of proportion in the user interface at the expense of a little girth.

The typing feedback provided by the Storm represents an advance over those that offer only visual or haptic feedback, but for many of the BlackBerry's biggest fans -- even outside of Soviet Russia -- the clickable keyboard will depress you.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 9500, 9530, Blackberry Storm, BlackberryStorm, featured, keyboard, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, rim, storm, Switched On, SwitchedOn ]

• Navigon launches 5100 max / 2090S GPS units at RadioShack

Keepin' it real fake, part CLXVIII: Motorola Aura clone is everything we ever wanted in a knockoff

If there was ever a phone worth cutting down to size with a completely shoddy but not actually completely unattractive fake edition, it's the Motorola Aura. What we have here is the Wingtech D20, which shares the swivel form factor of the Aura, mocks the round LCD with a perfectly boring square one in a round hole, and boasts a surprisingly weak complement of features, even for a "fake" phone. Oh how you suffer for fashion, Motorola.


[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: aura, fake, kirf, motorola aura, MotorolaAura, wingtech, wingtech d20, WingtechD20 ]

• Дуэт автомобильных GPS -навигаторов MOTONAV от Motorola
• Reigncom reveals iriver NV mini: part PMP, part navigator, totally adorable
• Sanyo introduces WiFi-enabled R227 tabletop radio
• Netflix Watch Instantly coming to TiVo
• Nextar intros Q4-MD navigator, throws in MSN Direct free for a year
• Новые GPS -навигаторы и возможности от Garmin и «Навиком»

HTC MAX 4G officially announced, world's first GSM / WiMAX phone

Hey Sprint, you listening? Granted, GSM doesn't do Sprint a whole lot of good in the States, but swapping a CDMA radio into HTC's first WiMAX effort here would make for a downright mighty response to the Touch HD. The previously-seen T8920 has turned out to be the MAX 4G, an 800 x 480 monster with 8GB of Flash on board, two cameras, an FM radio, GPS, WiFi, triband EDGE, and -- most importantly -- WiMAX support, making it the first GSM / WiMAX handset anywhere in the world. It'll be launching on Scartel's Yota network in Russia, and if you have friends cool enough to have a MAX 4G of their own, calls between the two of y'all will automatically be routed over the WiMAX airwaves using VoIP. A launch date hasn't been announced, but unless you're in Russia, there's probably not much point in even bothering to lust after this one. If you insist, though, you can check out a couple additional shots of the phone over at Engadget Mobile.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: breaking news, BreakingNews, htc, max 4g, Max4g, russia, scartel, wimax, windows mobile, windows mobile 6.1, WindowsMobile, WindowsMobile6.1, wm6.1, yota ]

• Amazon slashes Dash Express by $100 for the day
• MvixBOX media server: 2TB of web-enabled, media streaming goodness
• Mitsubishi's $6,999 65-inch LaserVue HDTV now hitting retailers
• Nextar intros 5-inch SNAP5 / 7-inch SNAP7 GPS units
• NDrive rolls out new NDrive Touch GPS units
• На рынке GPS грядут изменения

Asus Announces 800MHz 'World's Fastest' Smartphone [Hooray?]

Asus is laying claim to the title for the fastest smartphone in the world, and there's little reason to doubt them. The news, though, is hollow: P565 with its 800MHz Marvell processor is objectively impressive, but underneath the oppressive, unflattering veil of Windows Mobile 6.1 it's not likely to blow anyone away. Carrying a dense 480x640 touchscreen to complement a solid range of specs — HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS S and 24fps video recording to name a few — the P565 is nonetheless fighting a software war with hardware improvements. On the other hand, if you're one of those odd folks for whom any superlative is an automatic selling point, then this may be your ultimate handset.
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

• BIOTRONIK gets go-ahead for GSM-based implant monitoring system
• Panasonic's portable Strada CN-GP50U GPS reviewed: not a winner
• Insignia's NS-CNV10 "Connected GPS" unit gets unboxed, examined
• Garmin nuvi 785T reviewed
• Motorola introduces MOTONAV TN20 / TN30 GPS devices
• Standalone VCR party finally ends, JVC shuts the door as it leaves

Verizon's Samsung Saga shows its face, as anticipated

Nothing new or unexpected here: just like we said a few days ago, the Samsung Saga, one of the bluest handsets in recent memory, is now available online at Verizon. Also filed under "things we already knew," the globetrotting GSM and CDMA-enabled smartphone with EV-DO is selling for $199.99 (with a 2-year contract and one of those mail-in rebates we all know and love), though apparently you won't be able to walk into a Verizon store and pick one up in person until December 1st. Hit the read link for more granular details should you really, really want them.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: gsm, gsm phone, GsmPhone, i770, qwerty, saga, samsung saga, SamsungSaga, smartphone, verizon ]

• iGPS360 add-on module for the iPhone and iPod touch is now available for order
• DViCO's TViX-HD 6500 eats Blu-ray rips for breakfast, spits 'em out via HDMI
• Sony details PS3 firmware 2.50 upgrades: DivX VOD support, AV tweaks
• Vladimir Putin finally acquires satellite collar for his dog
• SlingCatcher unboxing and hands-on
• Broadcom dips its chips in Skyhook WiFi positioning tech

HTC Touch HD review roundup

The HTC Touch HD may be somewhat hard to come by 'round these parts, but it certainly hasn't been making itself shy overseas, where it has been unboxed, examined, and given the early review treatment. Now that it's readily available in the UK, there's even more reviews of the phone cropping up, which seem to mostly agree that while it's not a phone for everyone, it definitely impresses. Among those completely blowing things out is Phone Arena, which, as you might expect, was especially impressed by the phone's screen, and describe it as "the phone for document viewing." Pocket Now was equally impressed by that "HD" display, as well as its overall performance and battery life, which they were pleased to find was about on par with the HD-less Touch Pro. CNET was even more effusive in its praise, saying that, despite its drawbacks, it is "HTC's best Windows Mobile phone yet." Windows Mobile, and HTC's GUI, proved to be a point of contention for the folks at Slash Gear, however, who say the phone would be even better running a next-gen version of the OS, or possibly even Android (a sentiment also echoed by Phone Arena). Other drawbacks include the phone's sheer size, some poor performance from TouchFLO 3D (despite an update) and, of course, it's lack of US 3G bands, which presents a bit of a problem for folks considering importing one. Still undecided? Then dive into the links below and watch the time slip away.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: htc, htc touch hd, HtcTouchHd, touch hd, TouchHd ]

RC29, RC30 G1 Android updates get explained

We'd already gotten a general idea about what Google's RC29 and RC30 Android updates for the G1 did, but if you're curious about all the little details, you'll no doubt be pleased to know that the Google Android Security Team has now finally come out and explained the updates themselves. As we had heard, the RC29 update fixed a vulnerability that could potentially let malicious sites take over your browser, but it apparently also fixed two other software bugs, including a universal cross-site scripting problem that could also give someone control of the browser, and an exploit that let folks bypass Android's locking mechanism by booting the phone into safe mode. As for RC30, it apparently not only fixed that little root access issue, but two other bugs related to WebKit, which could, again, let someone take over your browser, and access to the G1's memory to, for instance, read stored cookies and gain online privileges. Google has also clarified that it intends to wait until all users have access to updates before it discloses the full details about them, so it looks like this cycle of confusion is going to be a regular occurrence for G1 owners.


[ Via: Talk Android ]
[ Tag: android, android security team, AndroidSecurityTeam, g1, rc29, rc30, t-mobile, t-mobile g1, T-mobileG1 ]

Fusion Voicemail Plus App Is Visual Voicemail For Android [Android]

T-Mobile may not have an official Visual Voicemail service for customers, but PhoneFusion plans to change that—for the Google G1, at least. The app, which was previewed today at the Under The Radar Mobility Conference, is currently available on the Palm, Windows Mobile and Blackberry platforms, and works in a similar fashion as the VV apps on the iPhone and Instinct; the name, number, date and time for each of the messages in your inbox appears on the screen as a list of entries. As far as Android specific details go, there's not much info on the app except that it will appear in the Android Marketplace by the end of the year. [NewsBlaze via IntoMobile]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

iSuppli says T-Mobile G1 costs $144 to make, nothing to love

Teardown specialist iSuppli is at it again, digging through the G1's guts this time around in an effort to wrap its inquisitive brain around the inaugural Android handset's bill of materials. The result? $144, which naturally doesn't reflect HTC's R&D -- an additional expense that might have been unusually low for the G1 considering HTC's overwhelming expertise in manufacturing all things mobile. For the record, this is about $30 less than iSuppli's July estimate for the 8GB iPhone 3G, though the comparison isn't terribly fair considering that the G1 has a mere pittance of internal storage by comparison. There's no telling what T-Mobile pays HTC for each and every G1 it sells, but we pay $179 (or less) on contract -- so it seems HTC is making itself a nice little profit right out of the gate and customers aren't footing much of the bill. At least, not until they've gone a few months into their two-year agreements.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: android, bill of materials, BillOfMaterials, bom, g1, isuppli, t-mobile, teardown ]

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 reviewed on Engadget Mobile

Sony Ericsson's long-awaited XPERIA X1 is finally closing in on a US release, and Engadget Mobile has the low-down on the North America-bound X1a. Care to see how this hunk of sexy fared in real-world use? Do you love butterflies and magnetic fields? If you can honestly answer yes to any of the aforementioned questions, grab your reading glasses and head on over.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: panel, panels, review, reviewed, SE, smartphone, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, windows mobile, windows mobile 6.1, WindowsMobile, WindowsMobile6.1, winmo, winmo 6.1, Winmo6.1, x1, X1a, xperia, xperia x1, XperiaX1 ]

HTC Fuze now for sale on AT&T's web site

Well, that didn't take long -- the HTC Fuze just started trickling into AT&T retail stores, and now it's available for sale online as well. Just as we'd heard, pricing is set at $300 after rebate on a two-year contract, which makes the iPhone / BlackBerry Bold / Fuze decision all the more difficult for AT&T customers -- a dilemma we're guessing the suits in Dallas are only too happy to inflict upon the gadget geek masses. So, what's it gonna be?

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: att, fuze, htc, touch pro, TouchPro, win mo, windows mobile, windows mobile 6.1, WindowsMobile, WindowsMobile6.1, WinMo ]

Samsung U440 / Cleo drops by the FCC

Looks like Canada isn't the only country out there getting kisses from Cleo. According to documents recently filed with the FCC, the sassy cellphone looks set to emerge Stateside on Verizon with the decidedly unsassy designation U440. Will the stylish phone -- with its full QWERTY keyboard, 1.3 megapixel camera, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, threaded SMS text messaging and up to 8GB storage -- make its domestic debut soon? Not soon enough, we think!

[ Via: Phone Scoop ]
[ Tag: cleo, fashion phone, FashionPhone, fcc, flip phone, FlipPhone, samsung, samsung cleo, samsung U440, SamsungCleo, SamsungU440, u440 ]

iriver's wave touchphone hits Korea on March 9th

After teasing us with a touchscreen phone way back at CES this January, iriver has been decidedly mum on the subject ever since, calling what we saw more of a "proof of concept" than a ready-for-market product. Well, that veil has been lifted and we're finally staring at the iriver wave, a touchphone that iriver plans to start shipping in Korea on March 9th of next year with KT, and with other major carriers to follow. Other than a touchscreen, the phone packs WiFi and the traditional kitchen sink approach of Korean PMPs, with multimedia playback, FM radio, e-books and an electronic dictionary. There's miniSD expansion, access to the Bugs Music Service for online music and we're sure a few other perks hidden under layers of Korean spec sheets. Overall the physical design hasn't really changed much from what we saw at the start of the year (looks like that 3-inch, 480 x 272 touchscreen is quite intact), but the software has certainly been refined, and is devoid of many of its original, erm, iPhone-inspired touches.


[ Via: Hallyu Tech ]
[ Tag: breaking news, BreakingNews, iriver, iriver wave, IriverWave, touchphone, touchscreen, wave ]

Google Fixes Bug That Makes Android Do Your Every Typed Command [Android]

Google's fixed that a simple update to RC30, since it only affects G1s running firmware version RC29. [Wired]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Nokia's Smartphone Lineup Leaked? (We Really Hope So) [Rumor]

It appears that a complete Nokia smartphone prototype list may have leaked, playing Nokia's entire hand a bit earlier than the company would probably like. But whether or not Nokia's offerings have impressed you as of late, there are quite a few handsets listed that look more than a little fantastic. We're talking big touchscreens, haptic feedback and even a model or two with TV output. Surfer
"Landscape, 2.6-inch QVGA, QWERTY, GPS, NaviWheel, 5MP camera, DVB-H, quadband GSM, HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0" IP08
"Widescreen touch, Naviscroll, QWERTY, AGPS, FM radio and transmitter, 5MP AF camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, TV-out"
Note: there's also a follow-up to this phone in the works, according the the chart. Eitri
"Landscape candybar with QWERTY, 3.5-inch 640x350 display, minimum 8GB ROM, microSD, pressure sensitive touch UI with tactile feedback and gestures, charging via USB, 5MP AF camera with dual LED flash, integrated compass and accelerometer, proximity sensor, FM transmitter" But those are really just a few subjective highlights. Hit up Engadget for the fully drippy list. [Engadget Mobile]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

The Sidekick iD Is Back! It's Back Everyone, It's Back! [Sidekick]

We don't necessarily recommend the purchase, but T-Mobile has brought back the discontinued Sidekick iD for $50 online with a 2-year contract. Keep in mind that for $100 more, you can score a Sidekick 2008 that packs a camera and Bluetooth into a smaller package. Then again, $100 is $100. And last time we checked, that can buy you 100 double cheeseburgers or, like, 2/3 of a Sidekick 2008. [T-Mobile via gadgetell]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Debian gets ported to the G1, makes nice with Android

Recent firmware updates may have aimed to shut down such shenanigans, but it looks they were a little too slow to stop Jay Freeman (a.k.a. Saurik) from going to town with his newly jailbroken G1 and installing Debian on the handset. What's more, he apparently even managed to get Debian and Android to play nice with each other, letting you have a completely normal and unassuming phone by day and a nerd machine by night. As you might expect, however, it's not exactly as simple as installing an app from the Android Market, but anyone with a little experience in installing Linux distributions on unconventional devices should be able to follow the instructions fairly easily, although actually turning it into something useful is another matter. Hit up the read link below to get started.

[ Via: ModMyGphone ]
[ Tag: android, debian, g1, google, linux, t-mobile ]

iPhone 3G overtakes the RAZR as best-selling domestic handset

According to a report from NPD, sales of cellphones have shifted in a manner which should shock and stun even a casual observer. Apparently for the first time in years, Motorola's ubiquitous RAZR has been overtaken in consumer sales... by the iPhone 3G. This is a watershed moment for handset sales in the US, marking not only a shift away from the dominant market leader, but a turn towards more complex, full-featured devices. The news comes hot on the heels of NPD's previous findings, which still placed the RAZR in the top spot -- though with ever-decreasing numbers. In that same report, the iPhone found itself in second place, but it appears that flagging interest in the inescapable dumbphone coupled with the recent iPhone PR blitz have put Apple's moneymaker into the top position. The news is also buoyed by recent reports that Apple has overtaken RIM as the number two smartphone vendor, and a J.D. Power study which found affection for the device waxing in the extreme. Overall, however, handset sales fell 15 percent year-over-year, and LG managed to snag the top brand position, with two models in the top five. Still, if there already wasn't a clear indication of the market moving towards both smartphones and touchscreen devices, this should give everyone a clearer picture of both the public's wants, and the power of Cupertino's ad-men. Full PR after the break.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The NPD Group: iPhone 3G Leads U.S. Consumer Mobile Phone Purchases in the Third Quarter of 2008

Overall consumer mobile phone purchases declined 15 percent year-over-year

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 10, 2008 – According to The NPD Group, the leader in market research for the wireless industry, Apple's iPhone 3G surpassed the Motorola RAZR as the leading handset purchased by adult consumers in the U.S. in the third quarter (Q3) of 2008. RAZR had been ranked by NPD as the top-selling consumer handset for the past 12 quarters.

Even with stronger consumer sales of iPhone, and the mobile phone market's normal seasonal uplift after Q2, domestic handset purchases by adult consumers declined 15 percent year over year in Q3 to 32 million units. Consumer handset sales revenue fell 10 percent to $2.9 billion, even as the average selling price (ASP) rose 6 percent to $88.

Top-selling handsets and mobile phone brands

"The displacement of the RAZR by the iPhone 3G represents a watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality," said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD. "Four of the five best-selling handsets in the third quarter were optimized for messaging and other advanced Internet features."

The top handset models in rank order, based on unit sales in Q3, were as follows:

1. Apple iPhone 3G
2. Motorola RAZR V3 (all models)
3. RIM Blackberry Curve (all models)
4. LG Rumor
5. LG enV2

Popular features

When it comes to the specific features that motivated U.S. consumers to purchase their handsets, 43 percent of handset buyers cited the need for a camera and 36 percent noted the ability to send and receive text messages. Mobile phones with a QWERTY keyboard experienced the greatest year-over-year rise in sales; 30 percent of handsets were sold with this feature in Q3 2008, versus just 11 percent the year prior. Also this quarter 83 percent of phones purchased were Bluetooth enabled (versus 72 percent last year), and 68 percent of phones purchased in Q3 were music enabled (versus 49 percent last year).

"A growing data divide continues in cellular handsets," Rubin said. "Those who see the value in wireless Internet access are justifying the investment, whereas voice-centric users have little incentive to upgrade, which is obviously detrimental to operators who seek to sell data plans and media-access services to their subscribers."

Methodology: NPD compiles and analyzes mobile device sales data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer research surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally balanced and demographically representative sample of U.S. adults. Results are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers age 18 and older.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,600 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, visit http://www.npd.com/.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: apple, breaking news, BreakingNews, domestic sales, DomesticSales, iphone, iphone 3g, Iphone3g, motorola, npd, razr, sales, us sales, UsSales ]

HTC's official Fuze page shows up... kinda

If you had any lingering doubt that HTC's US, GSM version of the Touch Pro (AKA the Fuze) was headed to AT&T in the near future, you can probably take a deep breath. Thanks to an eagle-eyed tipster, we're now able to view HTC's official page for the device, although it looks like they may not be done with all the coding, as an image of the Tilt is still being used as a placeholder. There's no mention of release date, though we do learn that the device will sport AT&T's Cellular Video and Mobile Music services, and a "unique AT&T defined 5 row slide out / slide away QWERTY keyboard," which definitely means nothing at all. Hit the read link if you don't believe us, but for goodness' sake -- you should see someone about that paranoia.


[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: att, fuze, htc, official, page, site, touch pro, TouchPro, webpage ]

Samsung Cleo launches in sassy, stylish Canada

We heard a while back that the Samsung Cleo was on its way, and and now it's arrived -- well, if you're lucky enough to live in Canada, anyway. It's not the only square flip phone on the planet, but it's definitely the most fashion-conscious. As far as we can tell, specs are pretty much beside the point, but it's got a QWERTY keyboard, color LCD screen, 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 playback, and expandable memory up to 8GB (we're guessing in microSD format). More importantly, this attractive little devil (it's just over 2.5-inches wide and 3-inches tall) comes in pink, blue, and (our personal favorite) champagne. Though it's been officially launched, the Cleo's not for sale quite yet, and there's no word on price. We also don't know when or if it'll strut its way to the US, but we've got our fingers crossed. We really do.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: canada, cleo, fashion phone, FashionPhone, flip phone, FlipPhone, launch, qwerty, samsung, samsung cleo, SamsungCleo ]

Google patches up Android jailbreak with RC30 update

As you may have noticed, Google doesn't exactly seem to be hesitant about pushing out Android updates, and it looks like it's now at it again, letting the new RC30 update slip out just days after folks finally figured out what the mysterious RC29 update actually did. This particular update is decidedly less mysterious, however, with Google saying up front that it had been notified of the jailbreaking issue with Android and has developed a "fix," adding that it is "currently working with our partners to push the fix out and updating the open source code base to reflect these changes." No word on any other changes included in the update, but it's supposedly on an "accelerated release" and should be in everyone's hands within the next the three or four days.

[ Via: Talk Android ]
[ Tag: android, firmware, g1, rc30, t-mobile, t-mobile g1, T-mobileG1 ]

Mobile Millennium project promises to track traffic with cellphones

UC Berkeley has been working on using cellphones to track traffic for some time now, first under the the decidedly less expansive Mobile Century project, and now under its new Mobile Millennium project, which has the backing of Nokia, NAVTEQ, and others. It actually first kicked off earlier this year, but it looks like it's now about to take another big step forward, with the researchers set to open things up to the general public -- or the general public in Northern California, at least. The idea here is to collect data from folks with GPS-equipped cellphones and combine it with existing traffic data, and then in turn make that information accessible via cellphone to let you plan out the speediest route. According to the researchers, the software will work on both Nokia and non-Nokia phones, but it seems that they've only tested it on the E71 and N95 so far (you can also view real-time traffic data on your computer). More details will apparently be announced when this new stage of the project officially gets underway on November 10th, but those interested in taking part can already register by hitting up the read link below.
[Thanks, Eric M]

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: e71, gps, mobile millenium, MobileMillenium, n95, navteq, nokia, traffic, uc berkeley, UcBerkeley ]

Ericsson: 20 megapixel cellphones shooting Full HD video in 4 years

It's tough to predict the future, especially with cutbacks to R&D budgets in the face of a global economic slowdown. Still, it's always nice to see a forward-looking corporate-slide related to mobile handsets from the taller, blonder half of that Sony Ericsson partnership. LTE and fast CPUs are certainly no surprise, nor is that 1,024 x 768 XGA screen resolution that Japan's superphones are already bumping up against. The most compelling vision is that of the embedded camera sensors: 12-20 megapixels capable of recording Full HD video by 2012. Adding more fuel to firey speculation that handsets are about to find themselves embroiled in a megapixel war. Fine by us, just as long the optics and image processing are there to support such a resolution. Even though 12-20 megapixels seems high compared to the 5-8 megapixel cell phones we see today, those numbers are entirely within reason when you recall that Samsung hit 10 megapixels in Korea two years ago. In fact, we wouldn't be suprised in the least to find Ericsson's mythical device on the market well prior to 2012. Combined, these features certainly make for a tantalizing glimpse at the wireless handset future.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 12 megapixel, 12Megapixel, 20 megapixel, 20 megapixels, 20Megapixel, 20Megapixels, cameraphone, ericsson, full hd, FullHd, lte, sony ericsson, SonyEricsson, speculation, xga ]

Sprint now facing $1.2 billion class-action suit over early termination fees

We told you it wasn't over, and now, that once "manageable" $73 million payment could possibly balloon to upwards of $1.2 billion. As predicted, the prior suit -- which was held in a California state court -- has led to a far reaching class-action lawsuit that could "potentially cost the company as much as $1.2 billion." The suit alleges that the $150 to $200 fees violated the Federal Communications Act and laws in every state of the country, and when summed from 1999 to 2008, they total a magical $1.2 billion. Things aren't looking great for Sprint on this one either, as lawyer Scott Bursor is running the show. Who's he? Just a guy who was involved in getting Verizon to fork over $21 million for the same thing earlier this year.

[ Via: textually ]
[ Tag: court, early termination, early termination fee, EarlyTermination, EarlyTerminationFee, ETF, lawsuit, legal, sprint, sprint nextel, SprintNextel, sue, suit ]

Analyst confirms Apple slid past RIM to become number two smartphone vendor

So apparently Apple knew what it was talking about after all. Research firm Canalys says that Apple stole the rug out from underneath RIM in the third quarter to become the world's number two pusher of smartphones, taking a hearty 17.3 percent market share compared to RIM's 15.2 percent and Windows Mobile's 13.6 percent. For what it's worth, the firm says RIM could very well bounce back in the fourth quarter with the Bold, Storm, and Pearl 8220 all ramping up in time for the holidays, but either way, number one platform Symbian needn't sweat any time soon; Nokia's baby managed to lose 21.5 percent share year over year, but they're still sitting pretty with 46.6 percent.
How'd Apple manage to steal so much BlackBerry thunder (pun painfully intended)? Part of the evidence might lie in J.D. Power's just-released 2008 Business Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study, revealing that suits adore their iPhones, like their BlackBerrys just alright, and despise their Palms. Amusing to us was the iPhone's rating of a 5 out of 5 in the Features category -- the only contender to get a perfect score there -- despite the fact that virtually every other smartphone platform continues to outstrip it for raw capability. Usability, though, well... that's arguably another story altogether.
Read - Apple outsells RIM
Read - JD Power rankings

[ Via: AppleInsider ]
[ Tag: apple, blackberry, iphone, jd power, JdPower, palm, rim, windows mobile, WindowsMobile ]

Google Seals Up Android 'Jailbreak' in Automatic Update [Android]

It only took Google about three days to recognize, examine and fix the vulnerability that allowed Android phones to be 'jailbroken', and users should see the fix (update RC30) pushed to their phones via an over the air update during the next few days. From the mouth of the Google:

We’ve been notified of this issue (Jailbreaking of Android) and have developed a fix. We’re currently working with our partners to push the fix out and updating the open source code base to reflect these changes.

So what do Android users stand to lose from this Apple-like vigilance? At present, very little. The so-called 'jailbreak' was of a completely different nature than the app-enabling hack that iPhone users are now so accustomed to. The technique was a telnet trick that allowed for easy root access to the operating system. The reality of the situation is less like a 'jailbreak' in the iPhone sense, and more like finding the administrative password on a desktop Linux system. The exploit did provide more access to the the Android's core functions, some of which could be useful for app development and porting to other phones, but it also exposed a gaping vulnerability that would be immediately shut on any other Linux distribution. Google's fix is most accurately characterized as a security fix, not a party poop. [ModMyGphone, XDA —Thanks, Kyle]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Samsung Slips Into Number One Cellphone Slot, Leaves Motorola Sadly Second [Cellphones]

Samsung is now the leading cellphone vendor in the US, according to research by Strategy Analytics, and it's assumption of the top slot has pushed Motorola into second place. In the last quarter, Samsung pushed its sales up 6.2 percent over the previous year's results to 47.4 million handsets. Meanwhile Motorola's market share slid from 32.7 percent last year to 21.1 percent. Is that huge drop representative of Moto's woes? Probably, and with oddball cellphones like the Aura and no Android until late next year, the company's going to have to squeeze out a number of winning handsets if it wants to steal first place back from Samsung. [Reuters]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Not so fast: Android isn't coming to AT&T just yet

There's been a flurry of chatter over a rumor that AT&T's Ralph de la Vega, CEO of the company's Mobility and Consumer markets announced that the carrier would be releasing an Android-based phone in the near future. We'd love to be able to confirm that info, but according to an article just published on the San Francisco Chronicle's site, de la Vega has feelings that seem to run quite contrary to the sentiment. According to the paper:
"De la Vega said AT&T continues to look at Google's Android operating system but is not prepared to make any moves to carry any Android phones. He said the platform is still evolving and needs to open up even more to offer a wider array of non-Google applications."
As much as we want to see this thing happen, it looks like the boys at AT&T aren't feeling Google's insistence on intrinsically linking devices to its web apps. Haven't you heard guys? The future is in the cloud. Oh, and open.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: android, att, debunk, google, ralph de la vega, RalphDeLaVega, rumor, speculation ]

NTT DoCoMo reveals fall 2008 lineup: Bold, E71, 20 others

Hot on the heels of RIM's BlackBerry Bold finally hitting AT&T sales channels comes word that Japan's NTT DoCoMo has also joined in to offer the handset. As the Asian carriers dump their cornucopia of fall 2008 mobiles onto the world, this particular one is serving up 22, all divided into the STYLE, PRIME, SMART and PRO series. Naturally, the latter category piques our interest the most, as it hosts the Bold, Nokia E71, HTC Touch Pro (HT-01A), HTC Touch Diamond (HT-02A) and Sharp's decidedly handsome SH-04A. Feel free to have a look at the entire family (and their respective launch dates) just below in the read link.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: BlackBerry, BlackBerry bold, BlackberryBold, Bold, DOCOMO, E71, ht-02a, ht-o1a, japan, lineup, nokia, NTT, ntt docomo, NttDocomo, PRIME, pro, sh-04a, smart, style ]

How To Tether the G1 for 3G Laptop Browsing [Android]

We're not sure how well this method sits with your T-Mobile TOS, but a process has been revealed to share the G1's high speed wireless access with a laptop via USB. Configuring the necessary apps, drivers and settings is a bit more involved than a simple 2 or 3-step process, but it's all explained (and definitely followable) in the link. Actually, we'll put it this way: The method looks a lot easier than shelling out the cash for another 3G data plan. [TmoNews Forums via jkOnTheRun]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

GSM-only BlackBerry Storm clears the FCC

Folks in North America don't have too much cause to get excited over this one, but anyone planning on buying a BlackBerry Storm from, say, Vodafone, can now rest a little easier knowing that the less-than-secret GSM-only version of the phone has cleared the all-important hurdle that is the FCC. There's not exactly any other surprises to be found here, naturally, but if it's test reports you're after, you can find plenty of those by hitting up the read link below.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: blackberry, blackberry storm, BlackberryStorm, gsm, rim, storm, vodafone ]

Motorola to prevent secondhand AURA sales on eBay?

We'll be completely straight-up with you: we don't believe this for a second. Okay, maybe for a nanosecond, but not a full-on second. An unnamed source close to Motorola has reportedly informed Register Hardware that in order to maintain the AURA's appearance of exclusivity, buyers will be required to "sign into a contract that states they can't sell it on eBay." As if that wasn't preposterous enough, this so-called "source" also added that "if an AURA owner wants to sell their phone after they've bought it then they'll only have one option: to sell it back to the manufacturer." Even if this does miraculously prove true, we can't imagine Moto actually doing anything should someone decide to sell, and besides, there's always Yahoo! Auctions the flea market, right?

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: auction, AURA, contract, eBay, handset, luxury, moto, motorola, resell ]

AndroidBoy Gives the G1 Some Overdue Emulation Fun [Android Apps]

OK, a Game Boy emulator might not be in the same league as an NES or SNES emulator, but seeing as it's the first real emulator for the Android platform, G1 owners will have to take what they can get at this point. Available in the Android Marketplace now, the AndroidBoy control scheme looks like that of the first iPhone NES emulator, with virtual controls at the bottom of the screen. The lack of an on-screen D-pad, however, has me assuming the trackball is used in that capacity instead. In any case, if you needed a reason to revisit Game Boy classics such as Kirby's Dreamland or Link's Awakening, I think this will do just fine. [IntoMobile]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

T-Mobile offers Motorola's MOTOZINE ZN5 for $99 on contract

Among American carriers, T-Mobile USA isn't typically the first that comes to mind when we're thinking of purveyors of bleeding-edge hardware -- but between the G1 and this, we might have to start rethinking that stereotype. T-Mob has officially becomes the first carrier in North America to offer Motorola's 5-megapixel MOTOZINE ZN5, a quadband EDGE candybar with WiFi, a morphing keypad along the lines of T-Mobile's own MOTOROKR E8, and a 5-megapixel camera with xenon flash that's been infused with a heavy dose of Kodak imaging wizardry. The best part about the whole thing might be the price -- just $99 on a two-year contract, which fills our hearts with hope that awesome cams on phones are now officially commodity items. Look for the ZN5 in "select" T-Mobile stores and online starting today.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: candybar, motorola zn5, MotorolaZn5, motozine, t-mobile, zn5 ]

RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 gets hands-on treatment, looks mighty good

Oh RIM, why must you torture us? Just when we'd moved beyond our nightly dreams of the Javelin and had our sights set on a Bold, here you go reminding us of just how luscious the next-generation Curve looks to be. Sure, the omission of 3G makes us none too happy, but it's hard to kvetch about the design. The Boy Genius managed to get his paws around one of the forthcoming BlackBerry Curve 8900s, and his initial impressions are almost universally positive. He's totally digging the size, the screen, the keyboard and even the bezel. That's right, the bezel. Check the read link to see what the fuss is all about.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 8900, blackberry, BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackberryCurve8900, curve, hands-on, javelin, pics, pictures, RIM ]