It's always nice to see an already decent deal sweetened -- which is just what's happening over at AT&T these days. The company is now offering refurbished models of the 16GB iPhone 3G for $149 with a new two-year contract. That's $50 less than the previous price, so head over and save yourself a few bucks if you're so inclined. The 8GB refurb is still on offer at $99 with a two-year contract. It looks like the deals only apply to the black models, so you'll have to cough up full price ($299 and $199, respectively) for a new one if only white will do.
As we'd mentioned in mid-December, Bell's Sanyo PRO-200 and PRO-700 were close to launch and we're now hearing January 12th could be that day. Bell's pricing for the PRO-200 is looking like 3 years for $149, $199 on 2, and $349 if you want to get it off contract. Similar pricing for the PRO-700 with $199 for a 3-year stint, $249 for 2, and contract-free ownership will set you back $399. So there you have it, if rugged flips are your thing, now you know when you can get yourself lined up.
We've been waiting for this day ever since Opera first announced its Opera Mobile 9.5 web browser back in February. Today, it's out for a beta 1 launch. In other words, it'll be buggy but likely far more useful than the browser already installed on your touchscreen-based (PocketPC) WinMo professional phone. The initial release includes support for double-tap zoom, landscape flip, off-line page save, tab-like browsing, auto-URL complete, and a Google-search bar to name just a few of the 9.5 features. More functionality will be added later including Google Gears and support for Flash video on WinMo and Symbian devices. CNET already has the hands-on video review up for your pickings. Better yet, download and install for yourself and tell us what you think in the comments below.
Update: PhoneArena has chimed-in with a video hands-on of its own. Check it after the break.
Read -- Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 Read -- CNET first look
Ask yourself this: Are you a statistic or a specific example? That's the question being raised in the aftermath of a study in which researchers secretly tracked the locations of 100,000 people to determine their movement patterns. Such studies are considered invasions of privacy -- and illegal -- in the United States, but this one was done in an undisclosed industrialized nation. The subjects were chosen at random out of a pool of 6 million from a mystery wireless provider and tracked based on cell tower triangulation and other "tracking devices." Study co-author Cesar Hidalgo at Northeastern University promises that researchers didn't know the individuals' phone numbers or identities, and offers that the results are a major advance for science. The study found that people are homebodies -- most stay within 20 miles of their home and are rather habitual. Scientists say the findings -- to be published in Nature on Thursday -- can help improve public transit systems and even fight contagious diseases.
UK's CSR has been making waves in the Bluetooth and eGPS waters, so it's only fitting that it's the first to cram Bluetooth, eGPS, and FM all on one chip. The BlueCore7 silicon combines Bluetooth v2.1+EDR, ULP Bluetooth (or Wibree), eGPS (which they say works better in indoor and other non-GPS-friendly locales), and FM Tx and Rx in what they say is a major step in reducing the size, cost, and power needs of wireless devices. CSR boasts that this chip integrates "more wireless technologies on a single chip than any other product on the market." Who are we to argue? They expect to have BlueCore 7 to be available in volume starting in Q4 2008, when you'll be able to listen to FM radio on your Bluetooth headset while finding your satellite position indoors.
Actually, E-TEN's saying they're showing four new models here, but we've been aware of E-TEN's glofiish quad-band V900 for some time now, leaving three all-new Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphones on display at Computex this week. The DX900 is a dual-SIM smartphone for those on multiple carriers and comes in a form factor very similar to the aforementioned mobile TV-friendly V900. Meanwhile, the X900 is a quad-band GSM handset with HSDPA and is a basic upgrade to the X800 with Windows Mobile 6.1 and a tweaked UI. Finally, the X610 -- an update to the X600 -- also runs WinMo 6.1 and a similarly-updated interface.
So the backstory goes something like this: Swedish publication Elektroniktidningen were looking forward to a meeting with HTC, but the meeting was delayed due to talks of some sort of merger with Sony Ericsson. Everyone panicked: Could HTC be bought by Sony Ericsson? They've already worked together on the Xperia X1, so it could be possible, right? Not so much, according to HTC. Word from them is that this whole this is a bunch of hooey. According to HTC's spokesperson, "This is just a rumor and there is no truth to this statement." For now we're moving along.
It's looking like Google will do what it can to provide an application store on Android-based handsets (see that "Market" icon above?). As project lead Andy Rubin mentioned at the Google I/O developer conference, "It would be a great benefit to the Android community to provide a place where people can go to safely and securely download content and where a billing system would allow developers to get paid for their effort". So, two things of note here: 1) He wants to avoid malware and untested apps bricking people's phones, and 2) Google would like a little side action on your transaction. Given the open nature of Android, we fully expect many people to find all sorts of random apps online in the dark alleys of the Intertrons, but a sanctioned store like this seems like a no-brainer for those on the straight-and-narrow.
The countries continue to fall ahead of Apple's presumed June 9th, 3G iPhone announcement at WWDC. This time it's Hong Kong and Macau -- foothold populations as Apple eyes the big Japanese, Russian, and Chinese prizes which have thus far avoided Jobs' charm RDF.
Without much ado, the HTC Raphael, now called the T-Mobile MDA Vario IV in Europe, will hit streets sometime in Q2 2008. As for specs, we're looking at 158 grams, 300 minutes of talk time, 480x640 pixel screen, tri-band GSM, a 528MHz processor, 256MB on-board RAM, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, FM radio, and a 3.2MP camera. Don't expect a stateside release -- at least in this incarnation -- given the tri-band action, so we'll continue to hold out for the Sprint version.
It looks like those wanting something a bit more capable but just as brightly-colored as Willcom's most recent candybar phones could soon be getting their fix, as the company has just announced its new Willcom 03 smartphone, which packs a bundle of features into an eye-catching package. Up front and center on this one is a 3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen display, which should complement the built-in 1seg mobile TV tuner quite nicely. Otherwise, you can expect built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, along with 256MB of flash memory, a microSD card slot for expansion, a 2 megapixel camera, and Windows Mobile 6.1 for an OS, to name but a few features. Look for this one to hit Japan by the end of June.
In the latest of what's becoming a long history of tweaks to the Meizu M8 interface, Meizu CEO Jack Wong unleashed some new shots of the upcoming UI to his adoring fans. The new interface is designed by eico design -- who have also worked with Google, Lenovo, and Philips -- and looks to have a visually-satisfying sparkle animation for selected items (unless the battery above is just leaking). Another addition appears to be LED-styled status updates to applications, like number of missed calls and unread messages. Until we see this all in motion, though, we'll quietly speculate and hope the pretty pictures are real.
Drop your axe and pickup your BlackBerry? Seems Hands-on Mobile and Magmic Games have brought the wildly popular -- 7.5 million songs downloaded for the mobile version in less than six months -- guitar thrashing lunacy to the BlackBerry platform. The software can be picked up in two different flavors, a $4.49 subscription version that delivers 15 tracks up front with an ongoing charge of $4.49 which adds 3 songs a month to your track list. Magmic also offers a outright purchase option at $14.99 which includes the 3 songs a month. The initial crack track list includes songs like Santana's Black Magic Woman, Van Halen's You Realy Got Me, and even a bit of Black Sabbath by way of Paranoid. Aside from absolutely destroying corporate productivity, this game will add hours of joy -- and pain, we expect -- to your BlackBerry experience.
We've been hearing about the HTC Dream (likely not pictured above) for what seems like an eternity on a tech timeline. Now "a person close to the situation" tells InfoWorld that the Dream is indeed HTC's Android phone. Remember, HTC is widely expected to be the first from the gate with a retail phone featuring Google's open source OS. The Dream is said to measure 3-inches wide by 5-inches long and feature a full QWERTY keypad that "either slides out or swivels." Right, exactly what Forbes told us 5 months ago. Still, it's always a good sign when the rumor mongers align. Whatever happens, we certainly expect the first Android phone to be exceptionally spec'd as a showcase of the OS' power and possibilities to come.
In one word or less: wow. NVIDIA's MWC announcement of the APX 2500 cellphone applications processor was a stunner and we expect the cellular community is going to welcome them with open arms. We've covered what the hardware is all about, but we've also found out it'll be packin' 7.2 Mbps HSDPA in many flavors, quad-band GSM, WiFi, Bluetooth, and it frickin' plays Quake 3, like a monster. While gaming doesn't mean it'll be a successful device, the 2500 certainly seems to have the grunt to get some serious work done and with its Windows Mobile 6 underpinnings, it'll play well with current software. The current developer reference sample is a bit on the fat side, though we expect the likes of HTC will put this thing on serious diet before it gets out to and into our pockets. Follow the link to see the admittedly -- by NVIDIA -- iPhone-esque GUI experience -- and bezel, earpiece, face.
