Holiday -- Engadget Mobile

holiday posts

KDDI au, Louis Vuitton team up for designer standby screens

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 28th 2008 @ 6:20PM

What says "happy holidays" better than a media pack for your loved one's phone? Japan's KDDI au has hooked up with Louis Vuitton to offer a handful of custom home screens that show off the design house's all-too-familiar trademark, which is a great way to make sure your eyes are never too far from the famous "LV" should they stray from your bag, your shoes, your coat, or your car's custom upholstery. Even better, you can get in on the action just by snapping a QR code -- if you're on KDDI, that is. If you're not, scanning that code is going to lead you straight into the depths of designer withdrawal.

[Via kanYe West]

Vodafone lays out the dope on Christmas extravaganza

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 21st 2008 @ 4:26AM

Think you need to go all-in on a postpaid contract to get the best crap a carrier has to offer? Well, quite often you do -- but not on Vodafone in the UK, where its recently-announced Christmas lineup contains perfectly decent fare like the Samsung Steel and Omnia for £80 and £400, respectively. Granted, that's a little (okay, a lot) more than you'll pay on contract, but at least the options are there, right? Those two comprise part of a monstrous 16-phone lineup announced to lead Vodafone through the holiday sales rush, which includes the high-horsepower Sony Ericsson C905 and X1, the Nokia N96 16GB, and the BlackBerry Storm on contract, among a host of others. Voda sweetens the pot for buyers of the Samsung G600, Nokia 6500 Classic, and Sony Ericsson K770i by throwing in a digital photo frame, which particularly comes in handy with the G600's respectable 5-megapixel resolution. All told, the lineup's a little overwhelming, but if we had to choose between an overwhelming lineup and an anemic (read: American) one, you know which one we're picking ten times out of ten.

Smartphones most returned holiday gift, iPhones / BlackBerrys notwithstanding

by Darren Murph posted Jan 29th 2008 @ 1:41PM

Though we can't say we're entirely shocked -- after all, it's not like some other handset will really satisfy when you've had your eye on that one -- a recent survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation found that smartphones were the number one returned gadget this holiday season. Granted, the study was one of online nature, and neither Apple's iPhone nor any of RIM's BlackBerrys were included (um, why not?), but we digress. Reportedly, more than one-fifth (21-percent, to be precise) of smartphone recipients surveyed said they hustled back to the store shortly after gift giving was over and promptly returned it, and comically enough, the "inability to understand the product setup process was cited as the primary reason" that consumers did so. 'Tis a shame, really. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via textually, image courtesy of LawyersAndSettlements]

Got cash in the new phone budget? Do some good

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 5th 2006 @ 11:50PM

'Tis the season for giving, which leaves the rabid phone fans among us in a tight spot: how do we get in on a little new mobile tech for ourselves and help those less fortunate at the same time? Our friends over at Phone Scoop are hoping to fill the bill by auctioning off a handful of hot, current handsets graciously provided by carriers and manufacturers with all proceeds going to benefit The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria -- the same fund (RED) benefits. Loot includes a T-Mobile Dash, LRG Sidekick 3, Motorola MOTOKRZR K1, unlocked Samsung i320, M500 for Sprint, and BlackJack, and a Helio Drift (see, we told you the goods were hot). Bidding will take place via Phone Scoops' forums, with all auctions ending this Friday. Bid generously, and bid to win!