So who exactly green-lighted the "mahogany" shade used on the AT&T V9 and Z9, anyway? We don't like it any more now than we did when we saw it on the RAZR 2, but the phone itself looks like a solid choice for anyone seeking a decent midrange slider -- especially if Samsung and LG aren't to your liking. We were pleasantly surprised by how thin the phone looks and feels (the press shots seem to betray it there for some reason), and the screen is one of the better we've seen in a device in this class, both for size and clarity. Throw in a little AT&T Navigator action, Video Share support, and HSDPA, and you have yourself a complete little package -- if you're into those sorts of things, anyway!

Love it or hate it, AT&T's been offering TeleNav navigation services on a number of devices for a while now -- but it looks like the carrier's trying to up its clout just a smidge by rechristening the service with its own name. We've been hearing that TeleNav will become AT&T Navigator tomorrow -- on AT&T, anyway -- and to commemorate the occasion, the Motorola Z9 slider will be launched as the inaugural device to use the rebranded service. We should be able to validate or debunk this in just a few hours now, so stay tuned.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in, with special thanks to Rick for the image]

Probably not worth rushing out to a store for, but some AT&T retail locations are starting to receive stock of the upcoming Motorola Z9's incredible batch of accessories. So, you know, if for whatever reason you were still holding out an irrational belief that the Z9 doesn't exist, this is probably the straw that breaks the camel's back right here. Now, let's just hope that we get something to actually put in the holster any minute now. Follow the break for another shot of the goods.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

We've just received a fresh round of release dates on AT&T, and if we had to pick a single word to describe the theme here, it'd be "colors." Shades upon shades of phones -- both new and old -- will see a release on AT&T in the next couple of months, starting with the Sony Ericsson Z750a, the first 3G Sony Ericsson to be released by a carrier in the States (but not in North America -- that honor belongs to Rogers); it'll hit in your choice of gray, pink, or purple in early April. The now-ancient UTStarcom 5700 finally sees release toward the end of April more than a year after we first saw it in the FCC's business, giving a lower-end choice to the Windows Mobile faithful. Finally, May should bring about the LG CU720 Shine in black, following its initial offerings of silver and red.

Oh, and it looks like the Motorola Z9 and the black Centro should be widely available pretty much any minute now -- stay tuned. Strangely missing from the list is the Vu, though that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be released by the end of May, it merely means that AT&T's not sure yet. Surprise, surprise.

[Thanks, Kal]

So, it looks like the Motorola Z9 slider is going to run $249.99 on a two-year contract after rebates. Our knee-jerk reaction was that it's a bit on the high side, but on closer examination, you notice that the V9 goes for exactly the same asking price -- and seeing how the Z9 is supposed to be a slider version of the same (right down to the odd color), we guess $249.99 will have to do.

[Thanks, BrainsnTheMonitor]

We've already mentioned that the LG Vu is looking solid for a late March release after being held up (or so they say, anyway) to work through a few MediaFLO issues; we've now received independent confirmation that it's true -- assuming no more issues arise, of course -- but that's not all. No, far from it, in fact. The Sony Ericsson Z750 is apparently inbound for a release within two weeks, and along with the rugged Motorola W760 "Hurricane" (pictured), that should close out AT&T's March docket.

Moving on to April and beyond, the Pantech "Breeze" is expected some time next month, but don't get too excited -- it's an entry level flip that should move out the door free on contract. The Motorola Z9 slider should lackadaisically stroll into stores in late April, and finally, we've heard that the Nokia N95 has been approved by the carrier's powers that be (!!!) and should be available in the second quarter; no word on whether it's the standard N95 or the N95 8GB, though. How about an N96 with MediaFLO while you're at it, guys?

[Thanks, Kal]

Update: We've just heard from another tipster that the N95 in question is the original for the North American market, the N95-3. It apparently just started going through the arduous approval process last week, a testing marathon that takes roughly 400 hours -- four to six months -- to complete. By then, we'll all have 4G radios embedded directly within our brains and be living in terraformed colonies on Mars, but it was a nice thought on AT&T's part nonetheless.

We've just been slipped some bittersweet information that we deliver with a heavy heart: AT&T's latest pricing information, which runs through April 7, apparently makes no mention of the hotly anticipated LG Vu. There's no mention of the Samsung Access, either, leading us to believe that the carrier's mobile TV launch may have been pushed out one more time for good measure. Of course, we suppose it's possible that there's no delay and they just haven't slipped pricing details to stores yet, but we're jaded enough at this point to say that another slip is entirely within the realm of reason. Now, onto some happier tidbits: the black version of the Shine should launch, along with the Sony Ericsson Z750 in pink, gray, and purple, the long-overdue 5700 low end smartphone, the white Centro sporting push-to-talk support, and the Motorola Z9 slider -- which AT&T curiously identifies as "ruggedized." We don't remember anything remotely rugged about the one we saw, but whatevs.

[Thanks, Kal]

A few scratches around the screen. A keypad that doesn't light up. No original materials included -- just a wall wart for charging. Doesn't exactly sound like a dream of an eBay find until you realize what this is, the totally unreleased Motorola Z9 slider that hasn't been seen or heard from for many, many moons. As the seller points out, the Z9's basically a slider version of the RAZR 2 (right down to the bizarre burgundy shade of AT&T's V9) so if sliders just really do it for you, here's your chance to get in on a little piece of unavailability. The seller also claims that the phone won't be out in retail channels for "a couple more months," though with six or more months already behind us since we first heard of it, who's counting?

[Thanks, Lincoln]

Anyone who's used the stylish, compact, voice-isolating Z9 Bluetooth headset from BlueAnt knows that while the unit itself performs satisfactorily, remembering the thousand and one unintuitive button combinations (three-second push to end a call?) can be a real pain in the ass. Well thankfully for fans of that somewhat flawed product, the Australian manufacturer will be back as CES with yet another dual-mic model, the V1, which drops the Z9's awkward input method in favor of almost complete voice control. The so-called BlueGenie Voice User Interface promises to operate the full suite of headset functions with the use of but a single activation button, which -- if it can actually work in real-world situations -- should definitely help give this new model a leg (or six -- ha) up on the competition. Stay tuned to our CES coverage for more details, along with pricing and release info.

Alright, Motorola faithful, listen up: AT&T's got a few goodies in store for you. Nothing we didn't already know about, really, but in light of the recent upheaval, it's a little reassuring to hear that stuff is still on track. It turns out that the Z9 -- a phone we heard about merely once before returning to the ether to mature for many, many more months -- is apparently on track for a January release alongside the updated V9 that will bring GPS and Video Share to the RAZR 2 formula. Oh, and that V365 replacement we'd mentioned a while back? Yep, it's still cookin' (with the code name "Hurricane," we hear) and may be billed as a higher end handset with crazy signal strength and some sort of industrial-grade metal housing. Anyone getting excited about that one?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Yep, we kinda knew about all these, but it's good to get a little more confirmation that they're still all on track. The LG Prada (alias "Vu2," alias CU920) has shown up for inventory tracking alongside the Motorola Z9 slider and the Samsung BlackJack II. The Vu2 could end up being one of AT&T's first MediaFLO-compliant handset for mobile TV on the network, and we don't really expect it until early '08 at this point; the BlackJack II looks ready to launch from the press shots we've seen, though, and we wouldn't be surprised if it hit before the year's out. The Z9 could be the hot slider we mentioned earlier today, suggesting a launch some time in the first quarter.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

It sure took long enough, but at long last BlueAnt is finally releasing its Z9 Bluetooth headset. The final version weighs in at 0.35-ounces, measures 1.5-inches in length, boasts a glossy, translucent finish, and most importantly, touts a two-level approach to noise cancellation. The firm's patented Voice Isolation technology "separates the voice signal from all background noise" in order to nix surrounding wind and ambient chatter from conversations, and can be utilized in Standard or Max modes depending on how raucous things are around you. Notably, the headset also sports dual microphones, supports on-the-fly device switching, lasts through 5.5-hours of yapping, and even offers upgradeable firmware via USB. So, for those who have managed to hold off till now, the Z9 can finally wrap itself around your ear for $99.95.

The Boy Genius has done it again, this time by outing the new Motorola Z9 slider phone. Its styling looks very similar to the RAZR 2 -- mainly due to the large primary screen -- although since the model that the Boy Genius got his hands on has some very deep AT&T branding, we'd have to say the similarities end there. Beyond the design the Z9 features 3G, a 2 megapixel camera with flash (no word on whether it's a "real" flash), Motorola's Synergy OS, support for AT&T's Live Video Share, and a microSD card slot. We're sure we'll be hearing a lot more about this phone over the coming days: for now, head over to The Boy Genius Report to check out a gallery of shots of the phone.