Clamshell -- Engadget Mobile

clamshell posts

Nokia 3711 flips its way onto T-Mobile

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 5th 2009 @ 4:41PM

Say "AWS-compliant Nokia" and the first thing many folks are going to be thinking about right now is the mighty N900, but yeah, that's not what T-Mobile's getting around to launching today. Instead, it's the 3711 that we first met back in early October, offering a QVGA primary display, 2 megapixel camera, GPS, and FM radio in a smooth little clamshell package that'll run $69.99 on an Even More contract after rebate or $159.99 on Even More Plus. It's available now -- just don't expect to be running Maemo on this bad boy and you should be fine.

Samsung Convoy is a rugged push-to-talker for Verizon

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 5th 2009 @ 9:30AM

For some reason known only to its users, push-to-talk and mil-spec protection seem to go hand in hand -- and that trend continues with Samsung's Convoy for Verizon. The beefy little flip offers 810F compliance for resistance against shock, dust, vibration, salt, fog, humidity, sunlight, and temperature extremes, EV-DO-based push-to-talk, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 2 megapixel camera plus VZ Navigator support. Verizon's also touting its "long battery life" (we'll be the judge of that) with a 1300mAh pack on board, so you should be able to chirp-chirp your way through the night if you play your cards right and you've got some willing participants on the other end. Look for this one to drop (quite literally -- it's rugged, after all) on November 15 for $49.99 on contract after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Canceled Motorola RAZR3 reemerges as KLASSIC in South Korea

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 5th 2009 @ 4:29AM

When the bulk of your business suddenly shifts virtually all of its marketing and engineering resources to Android, certain things are bound to fall through the cracks -- take the "Ruby," for example, once said to be the fallen would-be successor to the RAZR 2. We guess Moto got far enough along on engineering with this one that they figured they'd toss it over to one of its lower-volume markets rather than canning it altogether, though, because the higher-end flip has reemerged in South Korea as the KLASSIC. For anyone who keeps track of these sorts of stats, that's exactly three more letters than the typical Moto model name has, but the phone breaks all sorts of rules -- after all, it combines an old-school 2G radio (which in operator SKT's case, means CDMA) with a relatively fresh 5 megapixel cam, not unlike the ZN5. There's no word on a release outside South Korea at this point, but frankly, we're pretty sure the DROID would eat it anyhow.

[Via AVING]

Sony Ericsson Equinox channels T707 flip for T-Mobile

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 27th 2009 @ 2:59AM

The T707 has become Sony Ericsson's gold-standard midrange fashion flip for 2009, and in light of the fact that T-Mobile USA has been turning a new leaf with these guys lately, it only makes sense that they'd want to bring a version of it onto the network, right? Indeed, the TM717 remix that we've seen in the FCC already has now been officially revealed as the Equinox, featuring a 3.2 megapixel camera, integrated FM radio, support for HSDPA, and a trick motion sensor that lets you control certain phone functions by waving your hand over the front. It'll be hitting "select" T-Mobile retail locations plus the corporate website tomorrow, but anyone holding out until the 31st and visiting the grand opening of T-Mob's latest LA location will have a chance to meet diehard Sony Ericsson fanatic Maria Sharapova (pictured, along with a T707) and participate in a lookalike contest. Conveniently, we were looking to go out on Halloween as Maria Sharapova anyhow, so this works out swimmingly.

Casio's G'zOne Rock C731 for Verizon oozes tough

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 22nd 2009 @ 8:54AM

We've been hearing about Casio's next US-bound G'zOne for a while now, but the Rock's been taking its sweet time getting to market -- not unlike the EXILIM before it, we suppose. We still don't have a release here, but PhoneArena appears to have nabbed solid shots of the C731 in the wild, showing totally typical G'zOne styling cues with the pointy tips, textured components, and a total disregard for beauty (at least in the traditional sense of the word). They still haven't managed to scrounge up a possible release date -- but really, you could argue that the Boulder still has some life in it, so we wouldn't be surprised if this didn't hit until closer to the holidays at the earliest.

T-Mobile Tap and Nokia 3711 are carrier's new low-end maestros

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 7th 2009 @ 9:47AM

T-Mobile is rolling in with a couple new 3G-enabled devices for the holidays that manage to keep costs under control -- at least they should, though prices haven't yet been announced. First up, the Tap -- as its name suggests -- is a touchscreen phone that looks a bit like a dumbed-down HTC Touch of old; it's got a 2 megapixel cam with video capture, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, and availability in "berry" and midnight blue. Next, the 3711 fold from Nokia has a concealed (read: fashion-friendly) external display, GPS with Nokia Maps built-in, 2 megapixel camera, and a "sable" finish. This one should be on shelves "in the coming weeks," but the Tap's merely "anticipated" for availability later this year, so we'll see how that plays out.

Nokia 6350 comes to AT&T October 4

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 1st 2009 @ 5:16PM

Wouldn't it have been amazing if Nokia had managed to drop S60 on a brand-new flip for AT&T and push it out the door for just $29.99 on contract? Yes, well, that's not what's going on here -- but if you're looking for a basic featurephone with a distinctly Finnish accent, the 6350 might be right up your alley. The phone still manages to pack HSDPA, a 2 megapixel camera, and dedicated music controls without breaking the bank -- and thanks to the 3G radio, it'll work with that newfangled 3G Microcell if you find yourself needing it. It'll be available in your choice of red and graphite (Nokia calls them "seasonal shades") starting this Sunday.

Verizon adds Motorola Barrage today, Nokia Shade next week

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 1st 2009 @ 5:22AM

There's a certain joy, an undeniable stress release associated with heaving your phone directly at a wall. Of course, your average handset isn't likely to respond favorable to that kind of maneuver, so you might want to pick up something that makes boastful claims about its ability to stand up to shock, vibration, and all the other ails of an abusive relationship with its owner -- something like the Motorola Barrage, for instance. The Barrage is a mil-spec 810F that can tolerate submersion in a meter of water for half an hour, dust, baking in the sun, and everything in between, giving Casio's place at the top of the rugged food chain on Verizon a run for its money. It's got external music controls, a 2 megapixel camera, and support for VZ Navigator, launching today for $129.99 on contract -- or if you prefer to skip on the camera, you can look for a blind version to hit on the 21st of the month.

Separately, Verizon is trotting out yet another member of its heavily-renewed partnership with Nokia, though this one isn't nearly as odd as the Twist. The 2705 Shade is your basic, run-of-the-mill clamshell with a 1.3 megapixel cam and swappable covers that's ready to do battle in the very lowest shelves of the store thanks to a $29.99 on-contract price -- though it'll take a while to get to those shelves since it's an online exclusive for the time being starting October 6.

Read - Motorola Barrage
Read - Nokia Shade

Pantech Crystal's dazzling cover distracts us from its lame specs

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 30th 2009 @ 8:09AM

Pantech's Korea-only SKY brand has launched a new flip that it's very overtly targeting at a female audience, the IM-S500K Crystal -- and as the name implies, it's a visual feast. The major differentiating "feature" here is a diamond patterned shiny plate up front with concealed lights and icons that seemingly illuminate at random (though are probably configurable enough to make sense to the user, just not those of us looking at a couple pictures from halfway around the globe). It's available in no fewer than four colors and features a 2.4-inch QVGA display, FM radio reception, a 2 megapixel camera, and a document viewer -- not the most Earth-shattering spec sheet we'd ever seen, but then again, can you really put a price on a shiny diamond pattern with LEDs underneath?

Motorola Barrage for Verizon sounds aggressive, has specs to match

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 27th 2009 @ 4:18PM

Casio has a pretty tight lock on Verizon's market for ruggedized gear, but they don't own it outright -- Motorola's got the V750 in the mix, too, though it's a little stale at this point (it launched last July, which amounts to an eternity in phone years). That might just be where this puppy comes into play: meet the "Barrage," a phone that both sounds and looks like it's gearing up to kick ass and take names. Verizon boasts in the launch pack that you don't have to "be afraid of getting dirty" when you're carrying the Barrage thanks to its mil-spec 810F compliance -- and you don't have to be afraid of getting wet, either, since 810F covers submersion in a meter of water for up to a half-hour without ill effect. If EV-DO, a 2 megapixel camera, external music controls, and GPS all sound good to you -- and you can tolerate a meager QCIF display -- it looks like you'll be able to score the Barrage online on the first of next month, while in-store availability follows on come November 16.

Sony Ericsson TM717 becomes Equinox on T-Mobile, launching next month?

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 24th 2009 @ 12:40PM

Are you a "connected socializer" or a "sharing optimizer" who's "motivated by the combination of affordability, style, and high-end features"? If so, good news: T-Mobile's directly targeting you with the release of its Sony Ericsson Equinox, a tweaked version of the T707 that we've seen in the FCC as the TM717 not long ago. Big features on this one include a 3.2 megapixel cam, a trick multi-colored pulsating light up front that can be assigned to individual contacts, and support for gesture controls, but don't get too excited just yet -- you'll have to wait until October 28 to enjoy this lovely little gem, it seems.

Motorola Entice comes to Verizon, available today

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 22nd 2009 @ 4:01PM

When we say "Motorola" and "Verizon" in close proximity to one another, you hope that it's got something to do with the Sholes (and we can't blame you), but alas, the next Moto to hit Big Red won't be running Android. The W766 Entice clamshell is a solidly midrange featurephone with a 2 megapixel cam, EV-DO, microSD support up to 8GB, touch-sensitive external controls, Bluetooth with A2DP, and USB 2.0 connectivity -- and at $39.99 on contract after rebate, it'll keep your wallet relatively well-padded. It's available online today and hits stores later this month.

Constellation F to be Vertu's first clamshell?

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 21st 2009 @ 5:56AM

So far, Vertu's stuck to a tried-and-true candybar formula for hawking bejeweled, leather-bound handsets to the extraordinarily rich, but they may be shifting focus just a tad for their next release. mobil.cz seems to have scored a fuzzy little shot and a few specs of what's being billed as the "Constellation F" -- that's "F" as in "fold," which lines up with parent Nokia's off-kilter parlance -- with a 2.4-inch HVGA primary display, global GSM / EDGE and HSPA, 3 megapixel cam with dual LED flash, 8GB of storage, and in all likelihood, more ostrich skin finish options than any phone you've ever owned. The presence of HSPA 850 / 1900 combined with the clamshell form factor would seem to be a very material recognition on Vertu's part that it's selling a good percentage of its four- and five-figure handsets stateside -- flips are historically more popular there than in Europe -- and at $10,000 or more a pop, it shouldn't take too many to make the R&D expense worth their while.

Nokia Mural doesn't play nice with 3G, yanked from AT&T shelves

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 15th 2009 @ 7:29AM

A North American Nokia with 3G that doesn't work on 3G, needs to be recalled and replaced... something about this story sounds familiar, doesn't it? Unlike the curious case of the 5800 XpressMusic, though, the Mural is a branded phone operated directly through AT&T -- so the fact that it was accidentally released without being able to connect to 3G is especially shady. It's a hardware problem which means a firmware update isn't going to magically make this particular quirk go away; replacement phones are expected next week, but if Mural owners prefer, they're welcome to come into an AT&T store and take a different device in its stead.

Sprint's Samsung M240 makes no attempt to be high-end

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 8th 2009 @ 5:01PM

Tired of the flurry of Samsung announcements yet? Hmm? Of course you aren't, so here's another one to keep you fed, fat, and happy: the M240 flip is now available on Sprint. Samsungs without names are typically extraordinarily low-end, and the M240's no exception -- the company flat-out describes it as a "no nonsense device focusing on the basics" with a non-EV-DO radio, voice dialing, speakerphone, basic (and we do mean basic) web access, and support for up to 500 contacts. It runs a cool $19.99 on contract after instant discount -- in other words, roughly 10 percent of the functionality of a BlackBerry Tour for 10 percent of the price.