While the N97 was free to fondle, the slightly less exciting E63 was decidedly bolted to a table, so we had to take what angles we could get. The phone is basically a cheap-o version of the E71: Nokia figured it had a good thing going on in that QWERTY candybar, and decided to spread the love at a lower price point, with a slightly thicker, plastic handset. The good news is that no matter what you do to cheapen the phone, the E63 comes from good stock, and is really a compelling form factor. The slight bump in thickness is negligible, and while the cheaper materials are easily distinguished from the luxury feel of the E71, the phone by no means feels cheap. Except for the keyboard. For some reason Nokia opted to remove the hardened, clickier E71 keys and replace them with a softer, rubberier keyboard with a considerable amount of distributed give to it -- that still leaves it as one of Nokia's best QWERTYs to date, but we greatly prefer the E71. The other compelling difference between the phone and its inspiration is the inclusion of a full 3.5mm headphone jack, instead of the mini jack found on the E71. Not bad at all, but we'd guess Nokia saved a lot more money in materials and manufacturing process than with the sorry removal of GPS and HSDPA.

Pretty much anyone that wants 4.7.0.75 on their Storm has it at this point, but for the remainder of the unwashed masses, the golden opportunity should come tomorrow. We're hearing that Verizon is officially releasing the tweaked firmware ahead of the weekend, which would make it the first Storm update to see the light of day in an official, Verizon-approved capacity since the phone's release a couple weeks back -- so if you're dealing with nasty bald spots where you've torn out hair from reboots, lags, or voice dialing weirdness, hang tight. In the meantime, though, you might want to just bite the bullet and shave your head, because those patches are seriously freaking us out.

With UMB officially out of the picture, carriers effectively now have only two options when choosing the faithful path to the fourth generation: LTE and WiMAX. There's no question that WiMAX is quietly gaining traction in pockets around the world, but LTE still commands the lion's share of attention -- and it's especially interesting every time a current CDMA network chooses the GSMA-backed tech. Confirming earlier rumors, Japan's KDDI is the latest to swing that way, hooking up with Hitachi and Nortel to deliver an LTE overlay that's interoperable with its current EV-DO infrastructure. Odds are they'll be offering 20-megapixel cameraphones with 1080p displays by then, too.

[Via Phone Scoop]

We promise to stop slobbering all over this handset in a month or eight, but the N97 is certainly the new hotness, so we hope you'll excuse us for returning for another go and getting some more in-depth hands-on-ness. Unfortunately, while the phone is certainly stunning in many facets, and probably the greatest S60 device to date, we're not sure it's the Storm / G1 / iPhone / anything killer we all might've been hoping for. If you'd rather just concentrate on the sexy, peep our video hands-on and wait six months or so for Nokia to work the kinks out, otherwise join us after the break for some hard-to-swallow, totally subjective, prototype-based opinion.

Last we heard from Cellular South, it was making waves by offering to pay early termination charges in order to hook new subscribers. Now, it's trying to lure even more paying customers in with the launch of the HTC Touch Diamond. The carrier, which serves much of Mississippi and portions of surrounding states, is now offering the touchscreen-based handset for $199.99 on a 2-year agreement, or if you're not really down with a data plan, it'll cost you a stiff $449.99. We're also told that a few new service plans have emerged, with family plans starting at $50 and packing in 700 to 1,400 nationwide minutes along with unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling with other CS users. Also of note, the Total Unlimited plan includes unlimited talk, text, mobile web and email for $80 / $100 per month for featurephones / smartphones.

[Via phonescoop]

We have a sneaking suspicion most Vodafone faithful have been focusing on other matters, but those who've kept HP's iPAQ Voice Messenger in the front of their mind can finally celebrate. Yep, the Windows Mobile-based smartphone -- which is about as "all-business" as they come, might we add -- is finally available for order at Vodafone UK. It can be claimed right now for anywhere between free and £85.11 ($126) depending on plan.

[Via coolsmartphone]

Think fast: China hasn't granted you permission to sell your long (long) overdue homegrown iPhone fighter, but you've already started production and you want to start raking in the yuan tout suite. How do you make that happen? Easy! Just slap a "Demo unit (not for sale)" label on each and every one of the M8s that rolls off the assembly line and you're back in business. If you read between the lines of Jack Wong's latest correspondence with his fans on Meizu Me, we suspect that the phones being produced as of tomorrow will indeed be sold -- you'll just need a little nudge-nudge, wink-wink to get one from the shop. Nothing wrong with an underhanded dealing here and there in the name of technology, right?

As part of an upgrade to Sprint's Mobile Email Work package -- which already offers corporate email access for those who refuse to capitulate and buy a stuffy BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device -- the Instinct is now capable of synchronizing work calendars with Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino servers. It's pretty comprehensive, too; users can accept or decline invitations, shuffle appointments around, change details, and delete stuff when that 7AM "status meeting" just feels totally unnecessary. The support is included at no charge for Instinct users, though a software upgrade is required -- which, because you're not at the mercy of Tommy the power-tripping BES admin, you can download and install at will. Imagine that! Oh, and if you don't own an Instinct, Sprint plans on filtering the support down to some of its "non-PDA" phones down the road, so hang tight.

AT&T may have about the best selection of choice handsets (smart or otherwise) available in the States right now, and continued iPhone exclusivity has definitely brought a windfall of new subscribers to its wireless division, but Ma Bell wasn't built on cell towers alone. There's still an extensive landline division to support, and it seems the company is leveraging the current economic doldrums to make it a little less so, joining the layoff crowd for the second time this year by shedding a further 12,000 workers (about 4 percent of its workforce), most said to be coming from passé, non-wireless sectors. So, happy holidays, folks -- hope those severance packages get you through the winter.

[Via CellPhonesMarket.com; thanks, SK]

Look, we know you've been holding out for the iPhone to hit Walmart before you pick it up, sandwiched between the fishing gear and row upon row of exercise videos -- and we don't blame you. You'll ride your shopping cart down the wide aisles like a chariot, and when you get home with the phone you'll dial up all your friends and let them know how much cheaper your iPhone was than theirs. What was that? Yeah, the new word on the street is that Walmart is getting a 4GB iPhone 3G for a mere $99, according to Boy Genius Report, and while BGR was previously reporting a November 15th launch date at Walmart, and can't vouch for the accuracy of this new report, Walmart training materials (pictured above) have been seen in the wild, so there's a grain of truth to this madness somewhere. Plus, a $99 iPhone just sounds so Walmart-ey, doesn't it?

[Via Mac Rumors]

Gartner's latest and greatest analysis of the global smartphone industry is in, and there are quite a few interesting nuggets tucked within all those percentages. For starters, the sector still managed to grow 11.5% in Q3 2008 compared to a year prior, but that increase is the smallest since it began tracking. Of course, given the current economic climate, we'd say it's a win to see any number not in the negative. Moving on, we see Nokia maintaining its numero uno status with 42.4% market share, though it did recognize a rare decline in sales of 3% year-on-year; as for RIM, its BlackBerry phone sales increased an amazing 81.7% in Q3. We're also clued in to why Apple was rumored to be hacking its iPhone production some 40% in Q4, as the company has some two million units of inventory built up in the supply channel. Finally, we're told that "for the first time (meaning in this quarter), iPhone sales exceeded sales of Microsoft Windows Mobile devices worldwide and in North America," and beyond that, "open-source initiatives like Android and Symbian Foundation [are set to] challenge Windows Mobile's licensing model in the short-term." Need we really reiterate how badly WinMo 7 is needed?

Mankind has never known a greater mystery than that of the true identity of "Kate." We knew it was a camera phone, manufactured by Sony Ericsson, and that it was part of the Cyber-shot line -- but beyond that all we had was speculation and innuendo. And here's some more! According to SEMC Blog, Kate -- officially known as the C510 -- should be available in roughly "two months." The camera sports a 2.2-inch QVGA display, 3.2-megapixel camera and 120MB on board storage. Also detailed were Filippa, a new Cybershot candybar, and Frances, its slider counterpart. Both of these phones feature 5-megapixel cameras with autofocus. There's no word yet on a release date, but knowing SE the information will trickle out... eventually. In the meantime, you'll have to make due with the specs we've included for you after the break.

Been pining for more information on HTC's chunky GSM / WiMAX handset, the HTC MAX 4G? Read on, comrade, because you've come to the right place: "friendly Malaysian guy" and blogger nextimelah has imported one and given a full review of the phone -- well, as full as you can get when you can't read Cyrillic. You see, the phone is still only available at Russian provider Yota and, while you might think a phone like this would offer an English mode, the language is apparently integrated into the device's ROM. So beware, potential importers. Short of the massive language barrier the phone gets high marks, described as being effectively a Diamond with a bigger, better screen -- which may or may not work for you depending on the size of your pockets. The ability to call fellow Yota subscribers via VoIP directly from the phone is intriguing, but sadly it only works when you're on Yota's WiMAX network -- not anybody else's -- again making this one less than import friendly.

[Via wmpoweruser.com]

Edward Samuel "Ted" Rogers, the founder of Rogers Communications, has passed away this week at 75. It only takes a brief glance to recognize what a giant Mr. Rogers built, and his legacy will obviously live on for years to come. Ted had suffered from congestive heart failure and was seeing his health decline, but thankfully he was surrounded by friends and family when he passed in his Toronto home. As for now, Alan Horn, Chairman of Rogers Communications, will serve as CEO and president until the Board of Directors can complete a thorough search for a proper successor.

[Via Boy Genius Report, image courtesy of TheStar]