Recent Comments:
Skyfire for Symbian beta keys: get 'em while they're hot {Engadget Mobile}
Aug 1st 2008 10:38AM randroth@yahoo.com
Telstra kills off CDMA, completes migration to GSM {Engadget Mobile}
May 1st 2008 10:54PM This is what the 'tards at Verizon and Sprint should have done years ago instead of conspiring with the Qualcomm as aspiring monopolists to set back U.S. wireless behind most of the developed world and some of the developing world! Instead Verizon talks about their fantastic network. It's the network alright...so long as you never take trips to Europe or don't mind carrying one of their bastardized selection of 3 phones that can roam globally, don't mind getting phones like the Blackberry Curve a year later than everyone else, or are too stupid to know you're being patronized when they discuss their open network philosophy which among other things means that you still can't easily switch off phones by simply popping out a SIM and must instead go through their loopy network authentication process. CDMA and Verizon---poster-childs of why the US can't stay globally competitive. Apparently, Sprint has decided they made such a good choice last time that they might as well go for another orphan technology so they can be at a competitive disadvantage for the next 20 years. Incompetence on epic scales!
AT&T claims completely open network, too -- "the most open," even! {Engadget Mobile}
Dec 6th 2007 10:40AM Technology choice is the operative issue here. By definition, the GSM-family of technologies are more "open" because they were designed that way to enable easier roaming and expanded feature sets. If anyone is making a PR ploy, it is Verizon. Fifteen years after everyone else has gone down the path of non-proprietary network and software standards suddenly Verizon has an epiphany and decides to knock down their walled garden, re-enable phone feature sets, and choose a network and technology architecture that is in line with 85% of the world that does not use Qualcomm's flavor of CDMA. All of a sudden they proclaim themselves as progressive and feel the need to solicit pats on the back for being trailblazers? Hardly. I'm sorry but Verizon has hardly been a force for good and too often has been the obstructionist preventing progress on this front. They can't re-invent themselves now.
"MOTORAZR xx" breathes more life into V3 formula {Engadget Mobile}
Aug 2nd 2006 2:16PM Actually I beg to differ with the editorial. The RAZR V3 might have been Moto's design zenith. I see nothing they've done before or since that approaches the original with its fine lines and top-flight metal materials. Frankly, the RAZRxx might be the better of the two designs when compared to the garish RAZRmaxx. And with an already huge and loyal base of users of the original why not continue the legacy while you experiment with the designs that will next capture the public imagination.
The Boy Genius Report: BlackBerry Stealth {Engadget Mobile}
Jun 28th 2006 11:57AM Couldn't disagree more. I've used Blackberries since before they had phone functionality and I must say that while they were novel and offered great advantages over pagers and PDA-phone combos for a while, they are looking long in the tooth now. No one's saying that they shouldn't not be available with and without cameras, however RIM has used this excuse to hold back on all sorts of useful features under the guise of serving its enterprise market. To wit, 1.)Blackberry has no memory card support or document editors native to the device making it impossible to carry and edit MS Word, Excel, or Powerpoint documents---admittedly a useful feature for professionals 2.) RIM has chosen to remove all semblance of media capabilities which while not strictly a concern because that's usually used for entertainment but is still a knock since some firms now disseminate important messages via video e-mail or save important conference calls in a media format rather than specify call-in numbers 3) Bluetooth capability is always crippled to prevent things like the DUN profile or support for fold-out keyboards that road-warriors use. In short, RIM uses the enterprise angle as an excuse to justify their lack of substantive improvements to the hardware and software that makes their device uncompetitive, in a featues context and in a value-for-money context, in a world full of HP 6500's, Treos, Nokia S60 devices, Sony-Ericsson P and E series devices, Moto Qs, and of course the HTC devices. And of course, they are no longer the only game in town for secure e-mail.
Nokia E62 to drop for $299/$199 in September/October {Engadget Mobile}
Jun 28th 2006 11:42AM Answering Mike's question:
Not exactly true that E61 will use different band for UMTS. E61 uses 2100 band and UMTS only, not HSDPA upgraded variant. Cingular is building out 850/1900 UMTS/HSDPA network. However, T-mobile has yet to begin construction of network because of lack of spectrum and one of the bands being auctioned is for 2100 spectrum like that deployed in Europe and elsewhere. So, if T-mobile decides that they want to cut deployment costs through bulk purchasing and improve compatibility with its European networks, they just might bid for 2100 spectrum. Of course the downside for U.S. consumers if T-mobile deploys 2100 is that it means that it will require yet more bands and modes to be supported by UMTS phones, making them more expensive, bulky, and less capable of roaming while the technical hurdles are initially worked out. Also 2100 coverage would be weaker and take more time to build out because in general, the higher you go up in band spectrum, the more base stations it takes to cover a given area.
BTW, I have the E61 and apart from a few minor gripes love its functionality and robust build quality.
HP iPaq hw6915 PocketPC phone reviewed {Engadget Mobile}
May 16th 2006 3:18AM I disagree with the criticism of the screen. I like the square dimensions of the 240x240 screen. Using a standard 320 screen only elongates most PDAs and makes them bulky and unwieldy to use. The 240 screen may be a compromise but it is one that most people would gladly take to make these devices more pocketable and phone-like and yet still usable. Heck, if you don't like HP 6900 series screen size there are plenty of alternatives that use the more traditional 320 screens. I for one like to have a choice.
Nokia shows off 5500 "sports phone" {Engadget Mobile}
May 11th 2006 1:59PM Had the 5100, which was the best phone I've owned because of the ruggedness factor and the fact that it didn't skimp on features like most rugged phones do to accomodate their robustness. I wish their were more models from more manufacturers that built sport-oriented rugged phones because as the devices become more expensive and people incorporate them into all aspects of their lives, physical environment be damned, phones, smartphones, and PDA-phones, need to be able to keep up with these active lifestles and avoid the cosmetic and functional damage that marr today's devices so easily. Then again, wimpy devices are what keep the case and accessory guys in business so I won't hold out hope.
Treo Hollywood nothing but a rumor? {Engadget Mobile}
Apr 19th 2006 9:09PM Funny, I'm American but I hate the big goofy antennas just as much as any European. They're ugly and make the devices less pocketable and more likely to get hung up in pockets. Only Dennis Strigl and his Verizon minions don't seem to that's the case and stayed wedded to the good-'ol-days-of-the-1990's styling motif.
Hands-on with the Sony Ericsson M600 {Engadget Mobile}
Feb 28th 2006 2:08PM The design is OK if a bit staid but where SE really missed the mark, and I hate to say this because I'm a big fan of their stuff over any of the Nokia and Moto crap, is they did not make it quad-band. If a camera is arguably unimportant for a business phone, the very opposite is true of connectivity options. A business phone is nothing if not a hub that maximizes communication flexibility. Not having all four GSM/GPRS/EDGE bands is a ridiculous oversight.
