Nokia's Indian division recently announced that its customers there would be able to snatch up N96s of their own starting in September, so it comes as no surprise that European carriers are starting to confirm September release windows, too. Dutch carrier KPN, specifically, has announced that the N96 will start to flow its way in just a few tantalizingly short weeks -- September 15, to be exact -- while other carriers will have to wait an additional month until October 15 to get in on the action. One month isn't much of an exclusivity period, but when it comes to Nokia's most anticipated phone of the last few months (Tube notwithstanding), we're sure KPN will take what it can get.

[Via Mobile Phone Helpdesk]

A little easier on the pocketbook than the nearly $600 Movistar's asking for in Chile? Yeah, we'd say so. The BlackBerry Bold has now launched on KPN in the Netherlands, where it apparently takes nothing more than a €36.25 per month (about $54) plan on a two-year agreement to skirt any and all charges for the handset itself. Heck, even on a mere €26.75 monthly deal, you're still only shelling out €99.95 for the phone, which works out to something like $148 -- dirt cheap for a phone of the Bold's capability. AT&T's pricing on the other hand... well, we really don't know yet what they plan on charging for the pleasure, but something tells us we're going to need a Heineken or three to get over the sticker shock. A trip to Amsterdam wouldn't hurt, either, come to think of it.

[Thanks, hellejoep]

We know the wait's hard, guys, but look at it this way: one wait is actually ending -- the wait for an official waiting list -- while another is beginning. T-Mobile Netherlands customers are now welcome to put their name down to express interest in the lovely MDA Compact IV, T-Mobile's branded version of the HTC Touch Diamond WinMo superphone. There doesn't seem to be any indication here as to exactly when the retail floodgates are going to open up over there in Amsterdam, but it's a start.

[Thanks, Yoeri]

Ok ok, we hear you tipsters, iPhone now official for Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia "later this year" thanks to a deal between Apple and TeliaSonera. At this point, only The Netherlands seems to be out of the loop in Europe.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Last we heard from the seemingly endless Nokia / Qualcomm kvetch-fest, the former company was soliciting the ITC's help in barring US Qualcomm chip imports, but for those wishing on their lucky stars that this spat would simply vanish into the night, we've got marginally good news. Apparently, a trio of judges in a Dutch court ruled that it didn't have jurisdiction to rule on the phone maker's claims outside of The Netherlands, thus, the patent-licensing case against Qualcomm was dismissed. Aside from claiming that its "jurisdiction was limited," the court also stated that Nokia's gripe was "too broad to give a reasoned decision." Of note, a German court also dismissed the case just last month on "similar grounds," but if you were counting on Nokia to just take the news in stride, we doubt you'll be pleased to hear that it's already "considering if it will appeal the decision."

We can't be certain what Palm's playing at with this teaser brochure on its website: either it's talking about the launch of a European marketing campaign for the Centro on September 12th, or Palm's managed to pull a fast one and is ready to launch the Centro (or another unseen phone) in the next two weeks. We're guessing the former, but at least this promotion tells us something about this phone, Centro or not: the first people to get their hands on one will be European. Check out the website, and if you live in The Netherlands, the UK, Germany, or Italy, enter your details to potentially win not one, but five Palm smartphones.

[Via Treonauts]

Since Motorola and RIM already dished out news about their forthcoming mobiles, you knew Nokia would be joining the release party soon. Sure enough, the company has unveiled four new phones today at its annual Capital Market Days in Amsterdam, with one being aimed at the entry-level market and the remaining trio headed to mid-range consumers. The low-end 2626 rocks a few different color motifs, pack an FM tuner, color LCD, and all the bare essentials to keep you connected for €75 ($99). The 6086 houses quad-band GSM connectivity, UMA, a built-in camera, and an oversized keypad while costing €200 ($264). Stepping it a notch is the 6300, which comes in at 13.1-millimeters thin, touts a stainless steel frame (not to mention the "organic curves"), and demands €250 ($329). Last up is the 6290 (€325; $428) smartphone, which "combines the power of the S60 and 3G" in a new, sexy package, and boasts an interactive world travel application as well as "Quick Cover" access keys. While initial spec information is all but nil, we're sure to get plenty of juicy details while we wait for the foursome to launch in "Q1 2007."

Everyone who's ever been stuck in traffic always would love to know exactly what the road conditions are like. Sure there's those news radio stations that interrupt every three minutes to tell you how the freeway you're on is totally backed up, but those often don't tell you how to route yourself around the problem. TomTom and Vodafone have just partnered to create a new type of commercial traffic data system based on thousands of mobile phones that will describe traffic conditions in real-time. The idea is that by using the regular signaling information between the handset and the base station, the location and speed of the handset can be determined at any given time. Combine that information across a region among thousands of drivers who become data points, and a picture emerges of how backed a given freeway really is -- enabling TomTom to provide detours much more quickly than previously possible. The program is set to be launched in the Netherlands in the second half of 2007 -- so for all you folks who commute into the Dutch metropolises of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, you may want to renew your Vodafone subscription pronto.

[Via Reg Hardware]

Obviously the Netherlands is not a country you want to fire up a cell phone service in and try a "let's please everyone" approach; with over 40 virtual operators (including mobile giant Orange) battling for business, it's a tough nut to crack. easyMobile found out the hard way; launched just last year, the company consistently missed sales targets and simply couldn't attract customers away from other providers. Maybe it was because the easyGroup was too busy focusing on their empire of other startups, or maybe easyMobile just tried to be something they weren't by mimicking Orange. Either way, a notice on their official website has informed current subscribers that service will be halted on August 1, 2006 and for them to be seeking another carrier. While they're still striving in Germany and the UK, there's no doubt the markets are saturated, and we're fairly certain this won't be the last MVNO shuttering in 2006.

[Via The Register]