CDMA -- Engadget Mobile

Mysterious Samsung "Link" coming to Bell this month?

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jul 3rd 2009 at 9:54AM

Details are scarce, but it seems that this blurry, partial photo of an unknown QWERTY Samsung might be the "Link," a smartphone destined for Bell -- allegedly as soon as July 15. Seeing that it's being described as a smartphone, that virtually guarantees that it'll be running Windows Mobile, and from the look of it, we'd probably have to expect WinMo 6.1 Standard. Technically, S60 is a remote possibility -- Samsung is an S60 licensee, after all -- but the company has yet to release S60 gear on North American soil, so why start now?

[Via Unwired View]

Sprint swaggers, promises to be first to release 3G Femtocell in US

by Ross Miller, posted Jul 3rd 2009 at 3:12AM

While AT&T's still claiming MicroCell will be out before the year's up, Sprint's bringing out the big words by boasting to Unstrung it'll be beating everyone to the market with its 3G femtocell solution. Company VP of device and technology development Mathew Oommen is pretty light on some of the finer details -- like actual release date, hardware supplier, pricing scheme, and pretty much every other piece of information we'd want -- but he did imply there'd be multiple options available for the CDMA EV-DO Rev. A extender, including a device more tailored for enterprise use. Look, you two can fight all you want over who gets first, but in the end, we just want our Pres and iPhones to live together and home in perfect-reception harmony -- think we can get that in time for Christmas?

[Via Slashgear]

TracFone's $45 Straight Talk unlimited plan punishes you with brutal hardware

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 10:59PM

They say "there's no such thing as a free lunch." They also say "there's no such thing as an unlimited contract-free $45 monthly unlimited plan that offers awesome phones," so we're not terribly surprised to see that TracFone's new blowout offering -- dubbed Straight Talk -- is rife with ancient Motorolas (with a RAZR V3a thrown in for good measure, of course) and an LG flip that we're pretty sure we saw McClane use in the first Die Hard. Then again, the plan becomes the one of the cheapest for unlimited voice and text anywhere -- and if you're less heavy on the minutes you can even step down to 1,000 minutes and 1,000 texts for $30 -- so we'll let it slide. But seriously, TracFone, we expect a V9 by 2012.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Verizon BlackBerry Tour unboxing

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jul 1st 2009 at 12:12PM

You might say that Verizon's brand new BlackBerry Tour 9630... ahem, took a "tour" through our offices this morning, gracing us with its QWERTY-having, global-roaming, 8830-killing presence. There's absolutely no question it's the best-looking CDMA BlackBerry to date and we also think you'll be able to stop Bold owners in their tracks as you flash this thing around town; we'd argue that the Curve 8900 is still a cuter handset when you take the company's lineup as a whole, but then again, the 8900 lacks 3G, and the Tour's keyboard might just be the best RIM's ever crafted for a phone. Bottom line, owners of any BlackBerry on Verizon or Sprint should be salivating at the sight of this thing -- and if they're not, honestly, they need their salivary glands checked. Stay tuned for our full review, but in the meantime, enjoy an unboxing and a few quick shots of the Tour taking its first breaths!

Gallery: Verizon BlackBerry Tour unboxing

BlackBerry Tour emerges in Alltel livery for those non-Sprint, non-Verizon types

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 30th 2009 at 5:28PM

We've got to give the divested markets representing the hollow husk of what was once Alltel a lot of credit -- they seem to be doing everything in their power to continue rocking. For proof of that, look no further than this -- pretty solid evidence that there's an Alltel-branded Tour coming down the pike. Assuming they can keep the price within reason, it'd make for a truly epic purchase on these fancy new one-year contracts they've moved to, would it not?

There'll be a BlackBerry Tour without a camera, too

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 30th 2009 at 12:08PM

Only the most buttoned-up, high-security businessfolk still require phones without cameras these days -- and seeing how the BlackBerry Tour is destined to become the new de facto choice for buttoned-up, high-security businessfolk, it stands to reason that a cameraless version makes a whole lot of sense. Sure enough, it turns out that Verizon will be offering a non-cam version right alongside the regular Tour when it launches on the 12th, but don't think of this as a great money-saving opportunity if you don't snap a lot of photos -- Big Red wants to charge the same $199.99 on contract for this one that they're charging for the regular version. CIA operatives, though, have to be pretty stoked.

[Via CrackBerry]

Samsung Strut still coming to Verizon?

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 29th 2009 at 3:22PM

We're hearing a couple interesting tidbits of information from the same ultra-reliable tipster with regard to the Samsung Strut -- an LG Lotus-esque QWERTY clamshell that would fill a form factor gap in Verizon's lineup (albeit a form factor that didn't really exist a few months ago). First off, the tipster tells us that he's starting to see accessories flow in that specifically list Strut compatibility; this doesn't necessarily mean anything since none of the accessories are exclusive to the Strut, but it's interesting nonetheless. On the flipside, he also tells us that the Strut firmware in Verizon's system is nearly a frickin' year old, which is pushing the boundaries of a phone that the carrier would still be planning to release. At this point, it's entirely possible the phone got canned at some point along the way -- but it's also possible it'll launch any day now. Anyone super excited about it either way?

BlackBerry Tour hitting Verizon on July 12 for $199.99?

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 26th 2009 at 10:12PM

You know what'd sell like a cold glass of water in hell? A $199.99 BlackBerry Tour on Verizon, that's what -- and it looks like that might be what the carrier's planning to unleash. Boy Genius Report has what seems to be a promotional graphic advertising the release of the Tour on July 12 -- just over two weeks from today -- which has the potential to make it the first Tour release anywhere, beating Telus' July 15 date and Sprint's nebulous "later this summer" window. Who's camping out in line with us?

Motorola VE440 "Cadbury" shows up with the Bluetooth SIG folks

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 26th 2009 at 6:38PM

Want a sneak peek at Motorola's first Android phone? Well, you're looking in decidedly the wrong place -- but if you want to know what's coming down the pike in the company's low-end stable (and who doesn't?), look no further than our dear friends at the Bluetooth SIG. Ever since the SIG's database started offering Mr. Blurrycam-style shots of upcoming products, we've really started to warm up to their ways -- and the VE440 is the latest to roll up to the counter. There's not much to see here, but we know from the SIG filing that it's a CDMA phone destined for North American markets, so we wouldn't be surprised to see this on, say, Cricket or MetroPCS in the near future.

[Via mobile-review]

HTC Ozone comes to Verizon June 29 for under $50

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 25th 2009 at 10:08AM

Is it cooler than Sprint's Snap? That's for you to judge, but whatever the case, Verizon has now announced its own version of HTC's latest WinMo Standard handset. The so-called Ozone features WiFi, global roaming capability, VZ Navigator and visual voicemail support, a QWERTY keyboard (which feels great if it's anything like its cousin's), and a beefy 1500mAh battery that we're betting will keep this thing going all day and then some. The best part, though, might be the price: it'll be just $49.99 on contract after rebate when it launches online on June 29 and in stores on July 13.

Verizon's CEO sidesteps questions on iPhone, Android handset

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 24th 2009 at 7:58AM

The last time we heard from Ivan Seidenberg, he was letting Sprint know precisely what he thought of it. This go 'round, in a new 'Charlie Rose' interview, the Verizon chief is being entirely more coy. In speaking to recent political happenings, he mentions that the communication coming from the citizens of Iran is "a great thing," and he also notes that attempts to block internet use "can't work long term" as the "power of the people will override that without any question." Sort of comical given VZW's prior persistence to cripple phones in spite of consumer backlash, but we digress. He also dodged (with great skill, might we add) questions on whether Verizon Wireless would carry the iPhone, noting that it was "Apple's decision" on whether it would build one to support the company's forthcoming LTE network. As for Android? He did confess that recent reports of a Motorola handset coming its way "might be true," which is CEO speak for "oh, that's absolutely happening." Hop on past the break for a video of the whole shakedown.

Continue reading Verizon's CEO sidesteps questions on iPhone, Android handset

FCC approves LTE / EV-DO hybrid gear from LG

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 23rd 2009 at 5:17PM

We're not sure what the LG M13 is, exactly, but we can tell you one very important thing about the mysterious device: it's awesome. We know this because the FCC has revealed some limited documentation about the recent approval, which is where we find out that it's a "Cellular / PCS CDMA / EvDO and 700MHz LTE Device." Translated, that means it'll be able to play both on CDMA networks -- take Verizon's, for example -- and also on LTE spectrum deployed in the 700MHz band, which Big Red just so happens to have recently purchased a whole lot of. This wouldn't be the first time LTE-compatible stuff from LG has garnered FCC love, but it would be the first time we've seen a device that supports both LTE and CDMA -- and considering that Verizon will have both networks operational for years (if not decades) to come, that's a pretty important feature. Any creative guesses as to what this might be, then? A modem, perhaps?

Sprint launches LG LX370, Samsung Exclaim, and HTC Snap

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 22nd 2009 at 3:39PM

You've been able to find the Exclaim and Snap for a while now if you've dug through third-party retailers hard enough, but Sprint's finally selling them directly from its own site. The Snap -- which we'd already known would hit this week -- is a portrait QWERTY handset running Windows Mobile 6.1 with support for HTC's Inner Circle functionality to block out email noise when you feel like you're about to lose your mind; it runs $149.99 on contract after rebate. The Exclaim is a low-cost QWERTY side slider designed to do battle with rival LG's Rumor 2; it'll set you back $79.99 on contract. Finally, the LX370 is a basic numeric slider with a 2 megapixel camera, running $99.99 with your name on the dotted line.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Pantech Escapade getting worldly on Verizon?

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 22nd 2009 at 7:04AM

Global roaming on Verizon has typically been revered as a premium feature -- which more or less makes sense, considering that the well-to-do are more likely to be globetrotting and the additional radio hardware jacks component costs -- but it always pays dividends to keep a few lower-cost options in any lineup, and that might just be where the Pantech Escapade comes into play. The Korean flip is rumored to be gearing up for a launch on Verizon -- and as the SIM slot suggests, you'd be able to take this one overseas with you on the occasional business jaunt or vacay. It's said to have a 2 megapixel camera and a QVGA display, though a microSD slot may strangely be missing; it's become such a common feature at this point (even on the lowest-end devices) that we'd be shocked to see it launch like that, but who knows? Maybe you don't need music and picture storage where you're going.

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 now available through Verizon

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 19th 2009 at 1:18PM

Seemingly as though it wasn't just totally pulling the claim of June 19 availability out of thin air back at the announcement, Verizon has gone ahead and started offering the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 online today. It's no Tour by any stretch, but the consumer-friendly phone comes in at a palatable $79.99 after discounts on contract and offers a 2 megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, EV-DO Rev. 0, and the 20-key layout made famous by the original Pearl -- if you're into that sort of thing. And hey, it looks pretty good in silver, doesn't it?

[Via Boy Genius Report]