11/20, 4:15pm
Motorola says update will fix Droid camera issues
Motorola today confirmed it will soon fix the problems with its Droid phone's camera by releasing an automatic over-the-air update to the handset. The Android handset's 5-megapixel camera has been said to have trouble focusing and producing red corners in images when photos are being taken. The intermittent problem has been blamed on an unusual timing bug where particular states of the clock create problems with the autofocusing system. Users can simply change the date on the phone to resolve the issue, although a permanent fix is apparently due soon.
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11/20, 3:15pm
Touchscreen Motorola Crush now at US Cellular
US Cellular has added the Motorola Crush to its lineup on Friday. The handset is unique in its placement of the lock and call buttons above its 2.8-inch, 240x400 resolution touchscreen instead of below it, as is usual. There is also a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth support and a microSDHC memory card slot.
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11/20, 12:20pm
Moto making companion to Cliq
Motorola's Motus has been spotted in a leak that also suggests it won't be exclusive to T-Mobile. The device appears to be a smaller version of the Cliq with its directional pad "hidden" in the QWERTY keyboard section. A lone photo from AndroidAndMe also suggests it will be a "reverse" flip where the phone opens like a clamshell, although it's not yet confirmed at this stage.
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11/20, 11:40am
T-Mobile deal may be with MetroPCS, others
T-Mobile's US branch may land a deal with another carrier to grow its network much more rapidly, a rumor maintained on Friday. Sources for the German paper Handelsblatt claimed that Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile's parent, is in the "early stages" of looking for a partner that would help it build out the network through a cash infusion. The top candidates so far include budget carrier MetroPCS, WiMAX-based Clearwire and even AT&T, any of whom could get a small stake in T-Mobile in return for the investment.
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11/20, 10:10am
Sanyo Incognito on Sprint November 30th
Sprint introduced the new Sanyo-branded Incognito SCP-6760 from Kyocera to its lineup on Friday. The handset has a glowing keypad and OLED display before flipping open to reveal a hardware QWERTY keyboard and a larger 2.6-inch, 320x240 screen. The device will run on Sprint's EVDO network and users can access the e-mail and browse the web on 3G.
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11/20, 10:00am
Nokia cuts 2 percent of research force
Nokia on Friday said it would cut 330 jobs in its research and development group. The reductions are spread between an office in Oulu, in Nokia's native Finland, as well as in Copenhagen. Nokia isn't specific as to the nature of the layoffs and says only that they're meant to reflect the company's "focused portfolio of future products."
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11/20, 9:10am
Samsung Omnia II for VZ due early next month
The Verizon edition of the Samsung Omnia II should at last ship in about two weeks if a leak proves accurate. Internal product info has the phone shipping with Windows Mobile 6.5 on December 2nd, contradicting rumors of a Windows Mobile 6.1 version. The Engadget document gives it an effective price of $200, albeit after a large $100 mail-in rebate and signing a two-year contract.
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11/20, 8:30am
Gameloft cutting back Android game work
Gameloft today revealed that it has scaled back development of games for Android phones. The French software house made the move as just a fraction of its sales come from the Google platform: it sells 400 times more iPhone games than Android titles, the company's financial head Alexandre de Rochefort said.
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11/20, 7:35am
Pearl 9100 sleeker, faster
RIM's long anticipated overhaul of its most affordable BlackBerry is coming soon, a leak shows today. Likely to be called the Pearl 9100 when it's finished, the new model has a sleeker design reminiscent of the Storm2 but with an optical trackpad like newer BlackBerries. The Pearl's familiar SureType keyboard is still present in the CrackBerry shots, but the new model should also add 3G for the first time to those on GSM networks.
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11/19, 5:55pm
Twitter apps get location awareness
Twitter today added its promised geolocation feature for tweets. The addition gives any app using the API, but not the Twitter site itself, the option of tagging posts with a location as well as to automatically draw on the location for position-based features, such as finding tweets in a certain area. It isn't exclusive to GPS-equipped devices and will work with Wi-Fi and other methods that can generate the relevant data.
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11/19, 5:00pm
Palm Pixi now at $25, Pre at $80
The recently launched Palm Pixi handset is now selling for just $25 at Amazon, or about $75 less than it did at launch, though it still requires a two-year contract with Sprint. It's not known why the price cut has been made just days after the phone's release.
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11/19, 4:45pm
MS shareholder meeting shows share worries
Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer today warned at a yearly shareholders' meeting that the company needed to improve the standing of Windows in the future. The executive was emphatic that Microsoft was still in a comfortable position with "96 out of 100" choosing Windows worldwide but acknowledged that Apple had cut into Microsoft's share in the past year. He downplayed the amount, labeling it a "a couple of tenths of a percent" but added that even the claimed amount was significant and worth fighting for.
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11/19, 4:30pm
Telus sues Rogers over alleged false ads
Canadian wireless provider Telus is suing competitor Rogers over ads that say Telus' wireless voice and data network is less reliable than its own. Such claims can no longer be made, Telus argues, as it recently launched a 21Mbps HSPA+ network that is on par with Rogers' in terms of speeds. Telus claims requests made to Rogers to stop airing these inaccurate ads were ignored, resulting in the lawsuit filed through the British Columbia Supreme Court.
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11/19, 9:00am
G'zOne Rock touts outdoor apps, music
Verizon added a new rugged phone to its slate through the Casio G'zOne Rock. The clamshell is hardened to the military's 810F standards for dust- and waterproofing, shock and temperature but also now has six apps tailored for hiking and other outdoor activities. It uses its GPS both for a distance-aware compass as well as a pedometer; it also has independent apps for the lunar calendar, sunrise/sunset, temperatures and the tides.
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11/18, 7:40pm
Verizon 3G map ads to run during trial
Judge Timothy Batten Sr. dealt an early setback to AT&T's lawsuit against Verizon over allegedly misleading ads by refusing to grant a requested injunction that would have forced Verizon to take the ads down immediately. The US District Court ruled that the TV spots might be misunderstood but weren't harmfully deceptive, thus leaving no urgent need to change or withdraw the ads ahead of court proceedings. AT&T will have a second chance to persuade Judge Batten at one more hearing on December 16th.
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11/18, 5:35pm
MS accidentally shows Win Mobile 7 shot
Microsoft today inadvertently previewed its next mobile OS through a preview of Office Mobile 2010. Point 5 in a description of the beta shows a screenshot of the productivity suite running in an environment clearly unrelated to Windows Mobile 6.5 and which is consistent with earlier shots that point to a more touchscreen-friendly interface. At the same time, it retains the familiar two-button options at the bottom of the screen and generates touch lists not unlike the current platform.
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11/18, 4:25pm
T-Mobile Complete prepaid packages introduced
T-Mobile on Wednesday released new T-Mobile Complete prepaid packages that include a choice of handsets smartphone and one month of talk time without an associated contract. With this move, the provider has become the first in the US to offer a prepaid BlackBerry handset, the Curve 8520.
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11/18, 3:30pm
Google phone may actually be data device
Google's frequently rumored self-branded Android phone could skirt around its partners' worries by using only Internet service if a source is true. The still unknown device would primarily be intended for data and would use VoIP for its calls. At least AT&T has expressed interest in supplying the network for the phone and could let customers pay as little as $20 per month for access, although TechCrunch understands that "conditions" may be involved at that price.
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11/18, 2:50pm
Nokia N900 with Maemo Linux now in the US
Nokia on Wednesday lived up to an earlier promise by officially announcing its N900 smartphone is now available for purchase in the US. The company's first phone to use Maemo Linux is being touted as a mobile computer, thanks in large part to the OS and its ability to Mozilla-based browser with Flash support as well as the capability to run many apps at the same time. There is also 32GB of storage space available to users.
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11/18, 2:40pm
Qualcomm in regular talks with Apple
Qualcomm chief Paul Jacobs in an interview today said his company has been talking with Apple about providing chips for the iPhone. He didn't provide specifics but tried to downplay the significance for Bloomberg, explaining that Qualcomm's size means it talks to "everybody." He also pointed out that company "haven't made [a deal] yet" with Apple and didn't say what progress if any had been achieved.
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11/18, 1:00pm
Telus brings CDMA version of BlackBerry Storm2
Still adding to its CDMA smartphones, Telus today gave that side of its network an upgrade through its version of the BlackBerry Storm2. The successor to the original Storm has made some improvements, including replacing the mechanical click-down touchscreen with a piezoelectric system. It still generates a physical response but still allows for basic multi-touch inputs to speed up typing.
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11/18, 12:25pm
Exclusivity deals now hampering growth
The iPhone could soon become the UK's most popular smartphone, claims a Canalys analyst. Presenting at yesterday's Canalys Mobility Forum event in London, Pete Cunningham observed that the iPhone was the most popular smartphone in France during Q3 2009, a result of the end of an exclusive deal between Apple and regional carrier Orange. The French government ruled that the deal violated competition regulations.
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11/18, 12:00pm
Most Nokia phones to use Maemo by 2012
Nokia will abandon Symbian for all its Nseries services by 2012, the company said at a launch event for the N900. The Maemo-based smartphone is the only one of its type in Nokia's lineup so far, but the company plans to gradually phase out Symbian S60 on all its Nseries devices over time. It should eventually end in relatively mainstream devices and not just high-end flagships like the N900, which itself is considered a "bridge" between the old and new worlds.
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11/18, 10:00am
Sony Ericsson in major cost reductions
Sony Ericsson is in the middle of a surprise, major cost-cutting measure that will close some of its key buildings, an internal memo has revealed today. The cellphone designer is notifying workers that it's closing its Research Triangle Park facility in North Carolina as well as offices in Chennai (India), Kista (Sweden) and Miami. As a result, Engadget hears the company will have to drop 2,000 jobs, or more than four times the 450 jobs it dropped in 2008.
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11/18, 9:15am
Google's own Android phone custom-made
Google's rumored self-developed Android phone is real but has been pushed back, a scoop claimed on late Tuesday. The handset would be built by a third party, most likely LG or Samsung rather than the previously preferred HTC, but would carry only Google's branding and is said by TechCrunch to be designed almost exclusively according to Google's design. It would launch in early 2010 after a delay but would receive heavy marketing as soon as January.
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11/18, 1:00am
NTT DoCoMo expected to get the device
Sharp is allegedly readying an Android-based handset for the local Japanese market, according to MarketWatch. The report, originating from Nikkei, credits Sharp executive Masami Ohbatake with making the announcement, although he declined to disclose which carriers will get the device first. NTT DoCoMo is expected to be the "first in line," however.
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11/17, 11:30pm
MS' Ozzie claims mobile apps secondary
Mobile apps aren't an important factor in the success of a smartphone platform, Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie claimed today. Interviewed at the company's Professional Developer Conference, the veteran developer tried to downplay apps as a lure and insisted that "all the apps that count" will be available on every smartphone as the time to write and port code is much shorter than on the desktop. Ozzie instead implied that it was the OS itself and its built-in features that would make the difference.
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11/17, 4:05pm
Acer Liquid A1 smartphone due in UK this month
Acer's first Android-powered smartphone, the Liquid A1, will be out in the UK in late November, according to UK electronics retailer Clove. The phone will, as previously reported, run on a detuned, 768MHz version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon instead of the full-blown 1GHz CPU.
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11/17, 2:30pm
Analysts see Palm at Verizon next year
Palm may prove to be Verizon's best hope if the Droid line doesn't bear fruit, Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu said in a note today. He points to contacts within the cell industry and supply chain that suggest Verizon will carry one or more of Palm's webOS phones, such as the Pre or Pixi, sometime in 2010. Sales of both the Motorola Droid and HTC's Droid Eris have purportedly been "somewhat disappointing" and may lead to Verizon using Palm to bolster its smartphone catalog.
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11/17, 9:35am
Sidekick back on sale with lower price
T-Mobile today restored the Sidekick to its lineup after having pulled it for more than a month after the results of its major data outage. Both the Sidekick 2008 and the newer Sidekick LX 2009 are back on sale and have been price-cut in a bid to renew interest. The LX 2009 has dropped by $25 to $150 on a two-year plan, while the older model now costs just $50 on the same terms.
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11/17, 9:00am
Droid autofocus suddenly cured for users
(Update with possible explanation) A problem autofocusing the Droid's 5-megapixel camera has been suddenly fixed according to reports from multiple users. Although it had previously had problems properly locking on to subjects at all since the Droid launch, owners at HowardForums and elsewhere now say it has suddenly started focusing properly in almost every case, suggesting a silent over-the-air fix. Some have noticed it after rebooting the phone or changing settings, but others say they did nothing that might have triggered a check for an update.
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11/17, 7:20am
Dell Streak would have US carrier deal
Dell's Streak tablet will launch in the US with a carrier deal for 3G, Taiwan's Commercial Times newspaper said on Tuesday. The normally PC-focused builder is reportedly working "in cooperation" with AT&T to launch the mobile Internet device next year on its network. It may also not be the only model as local manufacturer Qisda is tapped for a "lineup" and not just the one device.
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11/16, 9:55pm
Device marks Creative's foray into cellular market
Creative subsidiary ZiiLABS has announced that it will unveil the Zii smartphone platform at the upcoming Zii Summit event. The ZMS-05 system-on-a-chip (SOC) components are claimed to be the first to offer 1080p video playback capabilities on a handheld device. The Media Rich Processor also boasts OpenGL ES 3D graphics with acceleration for web browsing, video playback and imaging.
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11/16, 5:35pm
Simple Mobile launches in US
A new MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) launched today in the US in the form of Simple Mobile. The cell provider has its own pick of phones but emphasizes attaching the SIM card over its own devices; customers are encouraged to bring their own unlocked phones, including smartphones. About 180 phones have already been pre-screened, though it should work with other devices.
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11/16, 4:45pm
Palm releases webOS 1.3.1 for Pre, Pixi
Palm on Friday announced users of the Pre smartphone on both the Sprint network and Bell in Canada will receive an automatic over-the-air software update to webOS 1.3.1. The Palm Pixi, released on Sunday, shipped with the updated operating system as well. A number of new features are made possible with the new OS, and some known issues were resolved. One such new feature is the integration of Yahoo contacts, calendar and messaging into Palm Synergy, along with Outlook EAS, Facebook, Google and LinkedIn accounts. The Yahoo contacts and calendars can also be integrated into the Pre's respective applications, while Yahoo! IM can be used in the webOS Messaging app.
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11/16, 4:10pm
BlackBerry Bold 9700 now at T-Mobile
T-Mobile is now shipping the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Its arrival at the provider does not come as a
surprise and the touchpad-equipped handset is T-Mobile first RIM device with 3G network access. The handset is equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera with video capture, and has an integrated Wi-Fi module along with Bluetooth.
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11/16, 4:00pm
WM 6.0, 6.1 phones get Windows Marketplace
As promised, Microsoft has released the Windows Marketplace app for Windows Mobile handsets running on the older 6.0 and 6.1 build of the OS. Devices equipped with Windows Mobile 6.5 already have Windows Marketplace preloaded. The free-to-download application store is available for both touchscreen and traditional handsets, and will allow users to browse and download apps from the store.
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11/16, 3:50pm
VZ won't give Droid tally but is happy
Verizon today responded to predictions for Motorola Droid sales with only a brief statement on their actual results (subscription required). A spokeswoman for the carrier declined to say whether or not a rough estimate of 250,000 Droids sold is accurate but did say the company is "very pleased" with sales in just over a week since the Android phone reached stores. Verizon doesn't normally provide sales breakdowns for phones and doesn't intend one for the Droid, she says.
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11/16, 1:35pm
Samsung 3G UbiCell to share EVDO
Samsung today confirmed plans to launch a new femtocell for those on CDMA phone networks. The 3G UbiCell still creates a local cell for CDMA phones to make calls over a home Internet connection but also adds EVDO Rev A so that 3G phones without Wi-Fi can still get online when reception would be poor. The UbiCell plugs in through Ethernet and has GPS to provide 911 and other mapping features.
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11/16, 10:50am
Two BlackBerrys and LG Shine dated for AT&T
AT&T loaded up its phone catalog today with one new BlackBerry, pricing and a ship date for a second, and an updated LG designer phone. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 effectively replaces the 8300 series at the carrier and, like the T-Mobile version, has both GPS and Wi-Fi but keeps the price low by shedding 3G and using a simpler 320x240 display as well as a 2-megapixel camera.
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11/16, 10:45am
Apps sync Mac content with smartphones
Mark/Space has launched two important Mac applications, The Missing Sync for Android and GoGadget for webOS. After a month's delay, the former is now in public beta, and can now sync content such as music, video, contacts, photos, ringtones and miscellaneous files to an Android-based smartphone. Data is pulled from the likes of Address Book, Entourage, iTunes and iPhoto.
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11/16, 9:40am
Deepening competition between Apple and Google?
Apple took tentative steps towards buying AdMob ahead of the recent Google acquisition, say sources contacted by Bloomberg. Google agreed to pay $750 million in the deal; the combined company will own between 30 and 40 percent of the mobile advertising market. Apple is said to have approached AdMob a few weeks before the Google bid, entering into private negotiations. Both companies have refused to comment publicly on the matter.
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11/16, 8:50am
Nokia adds DVB TV phone and lands E72
Nokia this morning launched an upgraded version of a key feature phone and shipped its flagship business phone. The 5330 Mobile TV Edition puts a DVB-H mobile TV tuner in Nokia's budget music phone and lets it watch free, digital broadcasts with a programming guide to pick channels. It's optimized for the format as it uses the owner's headphones as the antenna and has long enough battery life to last for six hours of TV.
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11/16, 7:35am
Samsung Galaxy Spica runs at 800MHz
Samsung started the week by launching its second Android phone on a world level. The Galaxy Spica, or i5700, sits closer to the mid-range but is one of the fastest Android phones ever with an 800MHz proecssor. Its main sacrifices versus the original Galaxy are the use of a less expensive LCD in place of an OLED and a 3.2-megapixel camera instead of the 5-megapixel example on the higher-end phone.
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11/13, 7:00pm
Smartphone sales to jump to 60% by 2014
Pyramid Research has released its Q3 2009 Handset Forecasts, projecting a large shift in the US market for new handset sales. Based on the increase in demand for smartphones, the research group estimates the segment to reach 31 percent of all new handsets sold in the US for 2009. The numbers mark a doubling of the 15 percent growth witnessed two years prior. By the year 2014, Pyramid Research predicts that roughly 60 percent of new handsets will be comprised of smartphones.
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11/13, 6:00pm
Old rumor of Nokia buying Palm resurfaces
Palm stock climbed over 8 percent on Friday after speculation that it would be bought out by Finland-based Nokia. Trading was about 15 times heavier than usual in the morning and remained heavy until the end of the day. The spike mirrored a similar increase from late September.
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11/13, 5:35pm
Moto Droid sales may have accelerated
A new set of extrapolated data from location network developer uLocate suggests that active users of the Droid may have more than doubled in the first week of sales. Third-party estimates indicated that Verizon may have only sold 100,000 launch units, but uLocate says it will have detected about 25,000 new Droids on its network by Saturday. As uLocate's information usually represents about 10 percent of the actual user base of a phone when it's new, the figure would translate to about 250,000 total Droid users.
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11/13, 4:25pm
LG to launch watch phone sequels, more Android
LG is working on releasing more watch phones like its GD910 that is currently shipping at UK wireless provider Orange. LG’s UK sales and marketing director, John Barton, said more styles of the LG Watch Phone will be introduced. No other details were given, however, and so it may only involve a new color or other style change as opposed to a whole new device.
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11/13, 3:25pm
HTC fall to suffer from iPhone, others
HTC this week warned that it should see a significant drop in its fall sales. The company expects its fall sales to sink 15 percent compared to the same season a year ago. It portrays the results as mixed due to strong US sales of Android phones, such as the Hero, being offset by a lack of presence in Europe.
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11/13, 1:05pm
Best Buy Thanksgiving sale flyer leaked
The flyer for Best Buy's Black Friday/Thanksgiving sale has been leaked on the Internet ahead of its official release thanks to a copy posted today. Among the 'doorbusters' are a $300 PS3 bundle that includes two games, while an Xbox 360 bundle with six games will carry the same sticker price. Another front-page deal involves a 46-inch, 120Hz LED-backlit Samsung HDTV with free home delivery, hook-up and recycling for $1,600, or $1,000 off.
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