Samsung's Omnia II and its gorgeous 3.7-inch AMOLED screen is still without a Verizon release date, but don't let that stop you from enjoying Italian site HDBlog's ten-minute guided tour of the device. Hard to tell exactly how crisp is from the footage, and we also couldn't help but note a good bit of interface lag, especially when using the new cube menu. We're hopeful that'll get remedied before launch, and all in all, it's looking good, and the hardware definitely has some style. Grab some popcorn, video is after the break.

[Via Slashgear]

It's pretty much the eve of Apple's big WWDC press conference, and Daring Fireball's John Gruber is back at the eleventh hour to chime in some more on his previous (and perhaps well-informed) iPhone predictions. He sticks to his previous wagers -- twice the CPU speed, twice the RAM, a heavy emphasis on a new video camera (no word on if there's an additional front-facing one), and $199 / $299 for the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively -- but additionally chimes in that the new device's codename is... drumroll, please... the iPhone 3GS, which he surmises is probably going to be the final product name, as well. Kind of a yawner, if you ask us, but it'd sell like gangbusters no matter what it was called. As for that lowered-tiered iPhone, he's expecting it to be the current 3G model with a price drop to $99. Also on the table is iPhone tethering, which we already know was built into OS 3.0, likely for a fee chosen by each carrier. Teasing farther into the future, he suggests "Marble," codename for an OS X visual overhaul, and the tablet are very much real projects but that there's little to no chance it'll be at WWDC. No clue what the "S" stands for (speed, perhaps?), but at this point we're pretty much counting the minutes to tomrorow's keynote, and our clocks can't tick much faster.

Wait, this thing's for real? Obviously so, else that's one awesome KIRF shown in the video just past the break. Sadly, it seems as if Samsung's AMOLED-equipped S8000 "Cubic" is still quite some ways from shipping to US soil, but those who need to brush up on their Spanish can tap the read link for loads of impressions.

[Via Mobile Bulgaria]

We're not quite sure what levers they pulled, but our compadres over at Engadget Spanish have managed to wrangle a retail N97 out of Nokia's tightly-clasped hands, and naturally, they've done us the honors of photographing it. We're hoping to snag a unit of our own soon, but 'til then, tap the read link for lots more shots and even a video. Yes, a video. Welcome to the internet.

You may be doing your best to plug your ears and pretend that Moblin's no big deal, but blissful ignorance is only effective for so long. At a Moblin press event over at Computex, the Inventec handset you see pictured above was demonstrated. Reportedly, the MediaPhone was a working unit based around Intel's forthcoming Moorestown platform, and the talking head made it clear that we wouldn't see a "netbook experience" simply shoved in here. We also get the idea that this particular device is just the beginning of a short to medium list of similar products, but there's obviously no word yet on what other handset / MID / UMPC makers are swallowing the Moblin pill. Live demonstration video is just past the break.

If watching the N97 crawl out of its Espoo-designed packaging just isn't enough for one day, how's about this? An unlocked Samsung OmniaHD (or i8910, if we're being proper) has found its way into the ever-loving hands of one mareskino, and he was kind enough to unbox the thing on video. Better still, the quality here is second to none, and we'd bet you'll be drooling by the end of it. If you're ready to prove us right / wrong, hop on past the break and mash play.

[Thanks, Curtis]

We always heard that where there is a will, there is a way. Said mantra has never been more exemplified than in the video past the break, as someone halfway across this great planet has seemingly procured what could be the very first shipping N97. Still, we'd like to point out a few things here: first, Nokia has yet to officially ship these things, so there's at least a sliver of a chance that by mashing play, you'll actually be watching a KIRF unboxing, and in turn, supporting terrorism. Also, we can't understand a word the unboxer says, so again, he could be explaining just how elaborate of a fake it is, and we'd never know. Needless to say, you should definitely proceed at your own risk.

Update: Seems another fellow got one, and he's got pictures to prove it.

After making a brief appearance on YouTube this morning, what seems to be a promotional video for the HTC Hero has been resurrected courtesy of Android Community. Not only do we see Hero in 7 different colors, but we get another glimpse at HTC's purported "rosie" Android UI already seen in that supposed tutorial video a few weeks back. So sit back and click on through, don't cost nothin' but 89 seconds that you were just going to dither away anyway.

John Gruber over at Daring Fireball has a pretty good track record when it comes to Apple rumors -- remember his spot-on predictions for the unibody MacBook Pro? -- so when he's got a thing or two to say about all the next-gen iPhone chatter, we listen. While not making any promises, he does say he'd wager quite a bit on a new model coming to WWDC, with about twice the CPU horsepower (and possibly twice the RAM, too) as the current model. He also adds some credence to all that talk of video recording, but makes no mention of potential background apps and plays down any surprise tablet or "iPhone mini" cameos. He goes on to add release date would be sometime in July in 16GB and 32GB varieties. We can't say we're willing to bet against him, but that doesn't mean we'll take his word as gospel. We can safely say, however, that we're anxiously waiting to see what kind of shenanigans Schiller has in store for next month.

There's really not much meat to these ultra-short videos highlighting major features of the Pre, but they do suggest that Sprint employees are already being actively trained, likely on final or near-final hardware and software. Painless for the reps that have to sit through them, yes, granted -- but if this is really all the help in-store peeps are getting prior to the phone's launch, we sense trouble. Perhaps more interesting than the videos themselves, PreCentral forum members have astutely observed that Documents To Go and Adobe Reader icons make quick cameos -- two apps that many, many productivity-minded Pre owners will be taking interest in. Check the videos after the break.

[Via PreCentral]

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We already had a bit of hands-on time with the LG Arena, which was shown for first time at MWC this year. This phone stands out from the now-crowded full touchscreen phone market mainly by including the new (and attractive) S-Class 3D interface -- and we found that its touchscreen responds well and the included selection of apps is plenty diverse. It's been said before that the Arena looks a lot like an iPhone -- although you'll notice from the video that the Arena's just a hair thinner than its doppelganger -- and if you pay attention, you'll see that the music and photo manager has a sort of Coverflow flavor. Piqued your interest? Follow the break for our latest video quick take -- and head over to Engadget Spanish for the full gallery!