We're still waiting for that C820 to become reality, but in the meantime, we can just rest on our laurels while the poor Duo wastes away on some ancient build of Windows Mobile 6, can we? Of course not, it'd be inhumane -- and happily, Pantech agrees, finally releasing a 6.1 update for owners of AT&T's dual-sliding smartphone. Cheers to that!

[Via MoDaCo]

This week is the week for Pantech and Sony Ericsson fans on AT&T to break out the bubbly and throw a wild, crazy party, because the trick dual-sliding C740 Matrix will be joining the W760a (check the gallery) for release on Thursday; they'll be available for $79.99 and $129.99, respectively. Down the road, we're now seeing signs of a Pantech "Slate" running $49.99 and a Samsung "Propel" for $79.99 (in three available colors, no less), the latter of which is signed up for a late October release, but we really don't know much more about 'em.

We don't have dates, but it looks like that Samsung Epix will suck $199.99 out of your wallet after rebates, and the Fuze will run $299.99. Finally, we're seeing an AT&T "Quickfire" that's due in late October just like that Samsung Propel -- but unfortunately, we don't know much about this one, either. Any educated (or completely wild) guesses?

[Thanks, Kal]

Pantech still seems committed to occupying the lower end of AT&T's spectrum (Duo notably excepted) with its latest, the just-launched C610 flip. We first saw this puppy in the FCC back in May, and it looks like not much has changed since then with a red shell, metal accents, and a 3G radio that turns out to support HSDPA on the 850 and 1900MHz bands. You've also got a 1.3-megapixel cam, Video Share support, Bluetooth (version 1.2 -- lame), and GPS, so we guess you're getting your money's worth -- more or less -- for the $49.99 on contract that AT&T's charging.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Looks like there's no end to this newfangled texting fad, and AT&T's doing its best to capitalize with a cute little Pantech that slides not one, but two ways. Whoa! What, not surprised? Okay, yeah, it definitely rings some bells, since Pantech's already done the form factor for AT&T as the WinMo-powered Duo -- but this one takes things a little downmarket by swapping in a dumbphone OS. The C740 Matrix still does alright for itself with HSDPA, Video Share support, Bluetooth, 1.3-megapixel cam, and a choice of three snazzy colors, so we're figuring the supposedly 80 dollar dual slider is going to get some love from the SMS addicts.

They say only three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and that SKY-branded Pantechs are destined for the Korean domestic market. No exception here with the IM-S380K, an HSDPA slider with an expansive 7:3 widescreen display, FM radio, microSD expansion, Bluetooth, and navigation. It'll be available by the end of the year -- in Korea, anyhow -- in pink, white, and black for about 400,000 won ($347).

[Via Unwired View]

So we've gotten a little more clarity on the situation with AT&T's next round of releases since we reported on pricing earlier today, and in a nutshell, things are looking up -- it's already mid-September, and it turns out that every single one of the phones we mentioned is scheduled to ship before the end of October. Specifically, the cheapo Samsung a637 should hit any minute now, followed by the Motorola V9x and the Nokia 6650 toward the end of this month; the Sony Ericsson W760a and Pantech C740 Matrix, meanwhile, are the stragglers of the bunch with releases planned for late October. Let's see how closely they can hold to this, shall we?

[Thanks, Kal]

It's always a good sign when rumored handsets get slapped with price tags, because that means that releases are right around the corner, too -- usually, anyhow. To that end, AT&T's latest stock information indicates that the S60-powered Nokia 6650 will run $129.99 in your choice of red or silver, as will the Sony Ericsson W760a; the Samsung a637 will be coming in for $49.99, so we're expecting some pretty low-end stuff there; the Pantech C740 "Matrix" is priced at $79.99, and finally, the Motorola V9x we found out about way back in early July is checking in at a princely $199.99. All prices are after rebate, too, so we wouldn't expect any miraculous deals on these -- at least for the first few weeks.

[Thanks, Kal]

This is one of those classic tales of joy and sorrow -- a tale of a phone that could've been Helio's undisputed flagship model of the year, a phone that could've saved the scrappy little MVNO from Virgin Mobile's gaping maw (alright, it couldn't have even come close to doing that, but we're running with it for the drama factor). On the high side, we've now heard confirmation straight from the source that the Ocean 2 is, in fact, a real device, but the problem is that it won't be coming out until next year because they "want to put it out when it's the best it can be." It's sure looking just about the "best it can be" from the videos we've seen recently -- and frankly, we think they should just throw this out there while kicking off development on an Ocean 3 ASAP -- but it looks like the decision's already been made, and we all know there's no such thing as moving a release date forward.

[Thanks, Blade G]

Like the IM-S300 before it, SKY's IM-S350 for the Korean market trades logic and any semblance of familiarity for a +1 on the fashion scorecard by sporting a crazy set of nav buttons that -- at a glance, anyway -- we can't figure out how you'd use. No bother, though; we're sure it's dead simple once you actually have your hands on it for a minute or two, and we guess you could look at it as an unusual form of theft deterrent. The 9.9mm, mostly aluminum beast features a QVGA display (if you can really call that a feature), DMB mobile TV, and a 2-megapixel camera, slotting it toward the lower end of what we'd expect out of Seoul. No word on pricing or availability here, but we imagine it won't drain the wallet.

[Via Unwired View]

That name -- yeah, don't ask us. We have to believe it has something more to do with the phone than the fact that the model's posing with one eye closed, but beyond that, your guess is as good as ours. Specs on SKY's latest Korea-only slider include a 2.6-inch wide QVGA display, HSDPA, GPS, FM radio, microSD slot, and a meager 1.3-megapixel cam; if we had to guess, it's being positioned as a fashion device, so we can give 'em a pass on the sensor if the price is right.

Pantech has an awesome habit of delivering a handful of fairly anonymous devices to AT&T -- C810 WinMo dual slider notably excepted -- and judging from what little we can gather in the test reports, we've got another one on the way. AT&T-bound models from the Korean outfit start with "C" (an homage to Cingular, no doubt) and this one fits the bill with GSM / EDGE on the 850 and 1900MHz bands. Other than that, though, your guess is as good as ours -- it seems pretty wide, though. A QWERTY piece, perhaps?

Nice phone, but we have to admit, we're not blown away here. Pantech's diving headlong into the fashionable touch phone market with the SKY IM-R300 for its domestic market, featuring a DMB tuner, microSD slot, 260MB of internal storage, HSDPA, a 2.6-inch WQVGA display, and a relatively puny 2 megapixel camera. Oh, and what's with that gargantuan stylus there? Actually, how does that monster even fit inside the phone? We're guessing finger control doesn't play a particularly big role on this one, though the need for character recognition might make switching between the stylus and a fingertip too much trouble to bother anyway.

Sure, Helio is going through a bit of a rough patch right now, what with those retail outlet closings and nasty Virgin merger takeover, but as far as we can tell, the company is moving forward with the Ocean 2. As you can see by the above shot -- nabbed from a YouTube video -- the slider looks eerily similar to its predecessor, though we know it's getting spec bumps all around. Apparently the source material has been wiped out of existence, and if things keep moving in the same direction for the MVNO, this might as close as you get to one of these babies. Enjoy!

Or could it? As the colorful name suggests, the hallmark of Pantech's new IM-U300K flip for its domestic market is a front cover chock full of 49 LEDs that form images and messages depending on what's going on -- text messages, calls, alarms and the like. PC-based software allows users to make their own designs, which can later be exchanged between phones via infrared (totally rad right up until that last bit, which seems straight outta 2002). Other features of the phone include DMB reception, a document viewer, and global roaming, so if you see a nightmarishly bright light emanating from the pocket of an individual in your neck of the woods, you now know why.

[Via Unwired View]

In Japan, carriers tend to release new models in giant, blockbuster batches -- seasonal "collections" that leave the rest of the world green with envy. KDDI au is no exception, having just announced its predictably spectacular Summer 2008 lineup with entrants from Kyocera, Sony Ericsson, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba, Casio, and Korea's Pantech. Here's the rundown:

• Hitachi Wooo W62H. KDDI is emphasizing this one's video and 3D gaming capabilities, both of which are assisted by the presence of a 2-way hinge for flipping out the screen in a landscape orientation. Comes in blue, silver, and black.
• Sharp W62SH. The FM transmitter's kinda cool, and the three-inch WVGA screen should be perfect for watching Spiderman 2, which comes bundled with the phone. Purple, white, and gold are the color choices.
• Sanyo W63SA. Global CDMA roaming and an integrated English-Japanese dictionary makes this one a solid choice for world travelers. Get this one in red, silver, or black.
• Toshiba Sportio. As the name implies, this one's all about burnin' those calories with an integrated calorie counter. The candybar form factor is a refreshing change of pace in the lineup, but too bad about that QVGA display! Five colors to choose from here: orange, black, white, green, and red.
• Casio G'zOne W62CA. Like its counterparts on Verizon, the W62CA is designed to take a beating without falling apart. It's impact resistant and waterproof, features a compass, thermometer, and GPS, and naturally, one-seg TV. Get it in green, black, or white.
• Sanyo W64SA. This fashionable flip has some crazy light effects to go along with its crazy selection of colors, but other than that, it seems pretty pedestrian. If you can call a 2.8-inch WVGA display "pedestrian." It's available in pink, white, yellow, and black.
• Sony Ericsson Full Change re. The WQVGA display is one metric ton of weak sauce, but as the "Full Change" name suggests, five individual pieces can be removed from the front, back, and top of the phone to create a totally customized handset. Shell choices include white, pink, green, orange, and silver.
• Toshiba W62T. Seriously, what's up with all this WQVGA garbage? The W62T appears destined for the midrange, though the 3.2 megapixel camera ain't bad. Colors for this one are gold, pink, and black.
• Kyocera W64K. Possibly leading up the bottom end of the collection, the W64K rocks a WQVGA display and a weak 2 megapixel cam. We see "basic capabilities" mentioned a couple times in the translated description for it, so that says pretty much all we need to know. Pink and gold are the only color options here.
• Kyocera W62K. Whoa, and we thought the W64K was low end! 1.3 megapixel cam, QVGA (yeah, that's right, QVGA, not WQVGA) display. 'Nuff said. Beige, blue, and black are the choices here.
• Kyocera W63K. The W63K candybar is just 10.8mm thick, but we're still not sure that we can forgive it for a meager 1.3 megapixel camera. Kyocera's seriously dragging here, in case you haven't noticed the trend. Black, burgundy, and beige.
• Pantech W62PT. The only phone in the lineup sourced from a non-Japanese manufacturer, the Pantech's nothing to get too excited about with a QVGA display, but the presence of quick dial buttons directly below the screen indicates that this one's designed for folks that are looking for a simple, easy-to-use phone that's just enough to make voice calls -- and ironically, it's still better than a good percentage of the phones you'll find elsewhere in the world. It'll come in silver, gold, and pink.

Not a bad showing, especially considering that KDDI au stands out as Japan's major CDMA carrier in a country dominated by FOMA. Get 'em while they're hot, folks -- you know it's just a few months before the next collection debuts!