Rival -- Engadget Mobile

rival posts

Motorola Rival launches on Verizon, LG Neon seen casting suspicious glares

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 11th 2009 @ 4:28AM

The Casio Exilim was the big news out of Verizon this week, but it wasn't the only anticipated model to finally get announced for the carrier. The Motorola A455 Rival sorta reminds us of LG's Neon for AT&T, offering a touchscreen basically for the sole purpose of on-screen dialing so you don't need to slide out the keyboard or do anything crazy with the d-pad just to place a call; otherwise, you've got a 2 megapixel cam, EV-DO, VZ Navigator, and microSD expansion to 8GB. Even though the Neon's the doppelganger here, the Rival's priced more like the upmarket Xenon -- $99.99 on contract after rebate -- and is available now in your choice of silver and purple.

Read - Tin Silver
Read - Purple

Motorola Rival gets clearer ahead of Verizon launch

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 9th 2009 @ 1:01PM

Last time we saw the Rival in action, Mr. Blurrycam was in full effect, so we're happy to see that someone with steadier hands decided to step in and do the deed this time around. The QWERTY side slider -- which could very well launch tomorrow on Verizon -- is a simple text-centric device, which seems to be about the most popular mobile meme going right now. It's really not a bad looking phone (we particularly like the white), and if it's dirt cheap on contract, we'd wager they'll sell a few, especially considering the EV-DO support and decent 2 megapixel cam resolution.

Samsung Alias 2 and Motorola Rival a445 appear in the wild

by Nilay Patel posted May 7th 2009 @ 1:13PM

Got enough electronic ink yet this week? Hope not, cause here's the Samsung Alias 2 in the wild, complete with that segmented E Ink keypad. Apparently mode changes happen smoothly and quickly, so our usability fears now just boil down to feel -- those buttons do not look fun to press. We'll see when it launches on May 11.

Oh, and teenyboppers on the V might want to check out the blurry pic of the Motorola Rival a445 / Rush 2 after the break -- it's not going to blow your mind, but we hear you're into the colorful QWERTY slider scene these days. You scamps.

Continue reading Samsung Alias 2 and Motorola Rival a445 appear in the wild

ASUS gets serious about R&D, plans ten HTC-rivaling handsets for 2009

by Darren Murph posted Nov 26th 2008 @ 7:20PM

Oftentimes, it's difficult to remember that ASUS is in the handset game at all, and don't think for a second that ASUS isn't well aware of that fact. According to undisclosed sources, said outfit is looking to ramp up its reputation and seriously take on the likes of HTC next year by pumping out no fewer than ten handsets, almost all of which will boast 3G and a touch user interface. There's no definitive word on what operating system(s) will be relied upon, but we'd say it'd do ASUS good to get an Android-based mobile out in the States if it wants to seriously roll with High Tech Computer. Oh, and three cheers for competition.

Samsung's Croix: yet another 'iPhone rival'

by Darren Murph posted Sep 3rd 2007 @ 3:15PM

Honestly, we're getting a bit tired of all these so-called iPhone rival handsets, but Samsung's elusive Croix doesn't do a whole lot to shake the stereotype. The mobile, which happens to boast a very similar layout to Apple's darling (and Samsung's own F700), just won an iF Communication Design Award 2007, and while details are scant about the actual hardware, it sounds like Sammy is hoping to grab your attention with a sensationally sleek interface (seen in detail after the break). The name, which translates to "Cross" in French, supposedly symbolizes the phone's "progressive continuum, as opposed to discrete transmission from one item to another," and touts an "intuitive interface through on-screen touch input mapping which supports five different ways of interaction." Of course, only time will tell if this thing actually goes commercial (or proves real, to be honest), but it certainly has the look.

[Via I4U News]

Update: Indeed, "Croix" may actually be the branding Samsung has assigned to its SGH-700; they certainly look close enough, right down to the F700's trademark vertical stripes across its face. Then again, Croix may represent a different model or a touch-based platform for an entire range of models. We'll keep y'all updated when we know more.

Continue reading Samsung's Croix: yet another 'iPhone rival'

Competitors pricing not caving to iPhone emergence

by Darren Murph posted Jul 15th 2007 @ 11:00PM

Considering that Verizon went way out of its way to get noticed on iDay, it follows logic to think that it, along with a handful of other rivals, would at least consider slashing prices temporarily in order to redirect attention from the oft-hyped iPhone. Interestingly, none of that actually proved true, as Verizon went so far as to raise the prices of a number of handsets, while neither T-Mobile nor Sprint introduced any huge discounts in order to garner attention. Reportedly, AT&T was the carrier that implemented the most price cuts, as the Pearl, KRZR, and N75 all saw lower prices surrounding the iPhone launch. Of course, it could be that competing carriers simply succumbed to the fact that those eying an iPhone weren't likely to be tempted by anything else, and for all intensive purposes, they'd be absolutely correct.