11/06, 9:50pm
iPhone may have CDMA option next year
An analyst report sent today hints at Apple producing an iPhone that would work with both GSM and CDMA networks. The OTR Global note obtained by AppleInsider claims to know of an iPhone in development with a hybrid Qualcomm chipset that will support the two normally incompatible standards. It would support UMTS-based 3G on carriers like AT&T and would presumably support EVDO-based 3G on Verizon and similar CDMA carriers.
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11/06, 6:40pm
Radio Shack now third US iPhone reseller
Radio Shack in a terse notice today said it would begin selling the iPhone 3G and 3GS in its retail stores later this month. The initial rollout is small and will be limited to certain company-run stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as well as in New York City. Expansion to all of its stores isn't expected until 2010.
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11/06, 5:20pm
Droid tethering to cost $30, have 5GB cap
Verizon late Thursday confirmed that it would add tethering to the Motorola Droid but clarified its plans. Contradicting a prior statement, it now says tethering when ready will cost $30 in addition to the phone's existing voice and data plans. It will also have a 5GB bandwidth cap before overage fees begin, though the tethering rate will be separate from the Droid's regular data.
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11/06, 11:20am
Dell Android phone greenlit at FCC
Dell's Mini 3iX smartphone has edged closer to the US today with an FCC filing. While the phone itself isn't photographed, a label diagram confirms its identity as it identifies the handheld as a phone with UMTS-based 3G and Bluetooth.
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11/06, 9:10am
Most VZ stores see small Droid queues
(Updated with additional lineup details) Early reports have suggested relatively small lineups for the Droid at Verizon stores. Visitors to most stores have seen lines of several people or less, with others seeing no lineups even with later early opening 8AM openings. The midnight opening at Verizon's 34th Street Manhattan store has also been described as modest, with one report so far suggesting that only 20 were in queue roughly an hour before it opened and no reports of the line growing much larger by 12AM.
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11/05, 4:35pm
iPhone 3GS 8GB may combat Moto Droid
Apple and AT&T may use an 8GB iPhone 3GS as a 'secret weapon' against the launch of the Motorola Droid if a rumor proves accurate. Two separate sources of BGR's say the two iPhone partners are considering replacing the existing 8GB iPhone 3G with a 3GS variant, preserving the same capacity and $99 price. The move would undercut Verizon by offering the latest iPhone at the same price as the less ambitious Droid Eris.
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11/05, 2:30pm
Verizon 34th St store has Droid at 12AM
Verizon in a last-minute update today moved up the launch of the Motorola Droid for just one of its stores. Its flagship store on 34th Street in New York City will open at 12AM tonight for two hours to sell the Droid, the HTC Droid Eris, and accessories like the Droid's horizontal dock. This and other stores in the city will still open early afterwards, with most ready between 7AM and 8AM.
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11/05, 11:30am
Isabella Vizit photo frame uses AT&T
Young startup Isabella Products today unveiled a new digital photo frame that it hopes will make Internet access an always-available feature. The Vizit uses AT&T's cellular network to go online and, even more so than Wi-Fi, is ready to send and receive photos. It can send and receive photos through an online Vizit gallery or through e-mail but can also take photos sent by MMS.
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11/05, 10:00am
Samsung Mythic, Flight coming to AT&T Nov. 8th
Samsung Mobile began shipping two promised touchscreen handsets on AT&T's network. The Samsung Mythic has a 3.3-inch touchscreen only interface and is the latest phone to work with AT&T's Mobile TV service. It runs on Samsung's own widget-based TouchWiz interface and brings top-level access both to the Mobile TV service as well as Facebook and MySpace.
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11/03, 6:05pm
Verizon promises cheap Droid tethering
Verizon today noted that it plans to add a data tethering option for the Motorola Droid. A representative tells Gearlog that, regardless of the open nature of Android, the new smartphone will eventually support the same $15 Broadband Connect add-on plan as other devices and can share its 3G connection with others. The support should go live in early 2010 and will carry the same 5GB transfer cap as Verizon's regular tethering and 3G modem plans.
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11/03, 4:40pm
ATT claims Verizon ads misleading
AT&T on Tuesday sued Verizon for allegedly misleading customers with its "there's a map for that" ads. The complaint argues that Verizon is deliberately exaggerating the gaps in AT&T's coverage through its map of 3G networks, making it seem as though some areas have no coverage at all, not just 3G. The campaign has already had to alter maps after some earlier protests from AT&T.
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11/02, 5:15pm
Verizon adding 15 smartphones in 2 mths
A slip of new data today suggests Verizon may be planning a full assault on AT&T's command of the US smartphone market. One historically accurate contact for BGR says Verizon is watching its launch of the Motorola Droid very closely and, if successful, will accelerate smartphone launches it would have put off until early 2010. These would include particularly advanced devices like the Android-based HTC Dragon and Motorola Calgary, the former of which could launch on November 27th in place of the BlackBerry Curve2.
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10/30, 12:30pm
Joins assortment of cases already in action
Apple is facing yet another lawsuit over delayed MMS support on American iPhones, court documents show. Although the feature was eventually enabled on September 25th, the case's plaintiff -- Alabama resident Clyde Franklin -- charges both Apple and AT&T of misleading the public on MMS availability, with promises that it would become an option on the iPhone 3G and 3GS with the arrival of the v3.0 firmware. It did not, and Franklin notes that only a small disclaimer on the Apple website made mention that AT&T support would only come in "late summer."
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10/30, 11:55am
Verizon early openings to mimic iPhone hype
Verizon's launch of the Droid next week may involve a carefully orchestrated store opening, a source said late yesterday. Carrier stores will reportedly open at 6AM, or four hours early, to accommodate an expected rush of early buyers on November 6th. The Motorola Android phone is said by BGR be accompanied by the budget-minded Droid Eris at the same time.
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10/29, 8:30am
Sprint loses $478m cash, 135K customers
Sprint today reportedsignificant losses for its summer quarter. The carrier's net losses widened from $326 million a year ago to $478 million but were softened by losing a relatively modest 135,000 cellphone customers; the number is Sprint's smallest loss in customers in the past two years. It now has a total of 48.3 million subscribers and remains the third-largest provider, above T-Mobile but well below AT&T's 81.6 million.
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10/28, 12:05pm
Tradeoff may be worthwhile, says analyst
Apple will lose its current "sweetheart" US carrier subsidy if and when it signs an iPhone deal with Verizon, says Brian Marshall of Broadpoint.AmTech. The analyst argues that a Verizon iPhone will arrive in the second half of 2010, but with Apple unable to pressure the carrier into paying the same subsidy per phone required of AT&T, thought to be $450. A more likely Verizon figure is pegged at $300, which may contribute to thinning Apple margins.
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10/27, 7:25am
Google Voice light service with voicemail
Google on Tuesday rolled out a new version of Google Voice for those that don't want to change their phone numbers. Rather than route calls through a central number, the new tier uses Google Voice solely to provide visual voicemail for existing phone service. As before, messages are saved as files online and also converted into text so they can be heard or read online.
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10/26, 6:05pm
Genachowski says mobile data in crisis
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski in a talk published today warned that mobile data is facing a "spectrum gap" that could significantly damage Internet access on cellphones. He considers the iPhone a leader in a wave of devices that are straining 3G networks enough to create severe accessibility problems and that the FCC is considering "more creative" steps to solve the problem. Among these steps may include exploiting unlicensed spectrum or even allowing second licenses that have two companies share the same frequency.
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10/26, 3:25pm
Verizon adds just 1.2m new users
Verizon today reported mixed results for its summer quarter and reiterated its invitation to Apple. The carrier said its operating revenue grew year-over-year by more than 10 percent to $27.3 billion but that its actual earnings per shared dropped a sharp 30.5 percent from 59 cents per share a year ago to 41 cents today, or $2.88 billion. Most of the growth came about from added cellphone and FiOS customers.
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10/26, 9:30am
Strong Booklet 3G demand nets 2nd model
Demand has been high enough for Nokia's Booklet 3G netbook that the company is moving ahead with a second model next year, a leak to Taiwan's Economic Daily News newspaper claims. Nokia's contractor in the area, Compal, is reportedly working "overtime" to meet demand for the Atom-based portable and that it's likely to receive orders for a 2010 model as well. Details of the system are unknown, including whether or not it's an upgrade to the existing system or an entirely new configuration.
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10/26, 8:25am
Apple slate seen as impending
Apple's plans to launch a tablet in coming months may have gained credence today through a pair of possible leaks. New York Times executive editor Bill Keller in a speech at Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab last week included the "impending Apple slate" as one of the platforms he hopes to have carry the newspaper's content, alongside desktop, mobile web and iPhone apps. It's unclear if Keller has advance knowledge or is just acting on rumors, although it's been claimed that Apple is negotiating with publishers for content delivery through iTunes in advance of a tablet.
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10/25, 12:05pm
Even More Plus plans beat AT&T by $30
T-Mobile on Sunday quietly launched its Even More Plus plans in a bid to undermine rival US carriers. The plans provide a simpler and potentially less costly approach to phone service and scale linearly in voice minutes and data features: users pick from 500, 1,000 or unlimited US voice minutes and can add either unlimited messaging alone or messaging plus data. Prices as a result range from as little as $30 for voice only to $80 for an all-unlimited plan.
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10/24, 11:05am
2nd Moto Droid works with N. Amer. HSPA
An FCC filing discovered late Friday has confirmed that the Motorola Droid won't be limited only to a CDMA version. The US agency's tests show it running WCDMA, the foundation for HSPA-based 3G access, on the 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands that are used both by AT&T in the US as well as Bell, Rogers and Telus in Canada. Many Latin American carriers also use the standards.
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10/24, 12:30am
HTC Desire may show Nov. 6 as Droid Eris
The upcoming HTC Desire may become part of what Verizon considers an entire series of devices, multiple leaks tonight appear to confirm. Following a source speaking to Phone Scoop that says all Android-based phones at Verizon will carry the "Droid" name as a brand, gdgt has posted a page for the phone that suggests it will be called the Droid Eris based on the Greek goddess of discord and get an all-black color scheme not unlike the Motorola Droid. The phone is already known to be a touch-only model with a trackball as a backup control and should bring a 5-megapixel camera.
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10/23, 6:30pm
More airwaves freed for Euro cell data
The European Union in a decision this week formally approved the use of 3G and eventually 4G data on the 900MHz and 1,800MHz GSM bands. The measure substantially improves the amount of bandwidth available for cellular Internet access in EU states and should render it less expensive as well. Besides reducing the need for more cell sites, allowing frequencies lower than 2,100MHz for 3G will also extend the range and coverage of existing service.
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10/22, 12:40pm
FCC codifies tentative net neutrality rules
The FCC on Thursday published a draft version of its proposed network neutrality rules. The six terms in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would prevent Internet providers from blocking any legal apps, devices or services. They will also ban other forms of discrimination, except for neutral, "reasonable" management, and will require that providers also reveal any steps they're taking for network management, such as throttling or metered service.
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10/22, 8:40am
AT&T adds a high 2m total customers
AT&T today provided results for what it says is one of the best summer quarters in its history. The company says it activated 3.2 million iPhones, the most ever in its history and a steep jump from 2.4 million in the spring. It comes despite the iPhone 3GS having launched the previous quarter and points to increasing demand for the phone between July and September.
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10/21, 5:35pm
T-Mobile Project Dark plans leaked?
Details of T-Mobile's Project Dark smartphone plan pricing scheme have been revealed, thanks to leaked documents on TMoNews. This includes an individual $80 per month plan that gives users 500 anytime minutes as well as unlimited data and text messaging, which compares favorably to AT&T's $70 plan that includes 450 minutes and unlimited data but no text messaging. The pricing includes individual plans that carry no associated two-year contracts, as well as family plans with two lines and a two-year commitment.
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10/21, 12:20pm
AT&T sues AU Optronics, more
AT&T has filed a lawsuit in a federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday against Samsung, LG Display, AU Optronics and other LCD makers for allegedly colluding on fixing the price of display panels in the US. According to a Wednesday Bloomberg report, AT&T claimed Samsung and six others have formed an illegal international cartel meant to "restrict competition in the United States in the market for LCD panels." In its complaint, AT&T claims this conspiracy has included communications and meetings during which defendants agreed to eliminate competition and fix the prices of LCD panels that were coming to the US.
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10/21, 7:40am
BlackBerry Bold 9700 due for AT&T, T-Mobile
RIM today confirmed early slips with a launch for the BlackBerry Bold 9700. The smartphone is a refinement of the 2008-era Bold with a more compact design but a round of improvements, including a higher-resolution 480x360 screen (up from 480x320), a 3.2-megapixel camera (improved from two), and an optical trackpad in place of the more clog-prone trackball. Wi-Fi calling is new for carriers that support UMA, like Rogers and T-Mobile.
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10/20, 4:30pm
HTC Hero coming to AT&T with Flash support?
A Tuesday PhoneArena report maintains wireless provider AT&T will begin offering the HTC Hero early in 2010. This information reportedly comes from a tipster's friend who is developing firmware for the device. It remains to be seen whether the AT&T version will be styled differently from the reference GSM version.
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10/20, 2:50pm
Nook uses AT&T 3G, matches Kindle price
Barnes and Noble lived up to promises today and launched the Nook, its own e-book reader. The device is unique in having both a six-inch E-Ink display and a 3.5-inch color touchscreen LCD that serves to navigate and browse books. Also unlike most other readers in its class, it has both 802.11g Wi-Fi as well as AT&T-driven 3G to download books from Barnes and Noble's online bookstore.
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10/20, 12:50am
Jabra intros ultra-minimal Stone headset
Jabra early today launched the Stone as its signature Bluetooth headset. The earpiece is just a slim curve that escapes the bulky look of most headsets and even eliminates buttons, opting instead for touch-sensitive controls. It earns its name from a distinctive charging dock that exactly matches the earpiece's shape and creates the effect of a smooth stone when the two are together.
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10/19, 10:00am
QUE proReader to have thin touchscreen
Plastic Logic today took the wraps off of its long in development e-book reader. Now known as the QUE proReader, the e-ink device is under a third of an inch thick but has a full 8.5-by-11-inch display that can show many documents at their full size. It also has a unique plastic touchscreen that the company claims is shatterproof and uses both Wi-Fi as well as AT&T-based 3G for downloading content from Barnes & Noble.
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10/16, 10:00am
ATSC Mobile DTV gets matching chip
The TV standards group ATSC today said its members have approved Mobile DTV, its over-the-air format made just for portable devices in North America. The gesture should let notebooks, smartphones and in-car units tune into free, live broadcasts of H.264 video even while moving at high speed. Although not HD, the format can run on existing digital TV networks without significant complications and is built to consume little power on the viewer's end.
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10/15, 3:05pm
Bold 9700 appears early
Inadvertently tipping off RIM's plans, T-Mobile Germany today put up a listing for the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Also known as the Bold 2, the phone matches earlier descriptions and has the optical trackpad, taller 480x360 screen and improved 3.2-megapixel camera seen in prototypes. T-Mobile's version also appears to bundle a 2GB microSD card.
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10/14, 1:05pm
AT&T offers first full-sized notebook from Dell
AT&T on Wednesday struck a deal to provide 3G for a full-size notebook. Its version of the business-oriented 15.4-inch Dell Vostro 1520 notebook ships with an embedded 3G connection to AT&T's HSPA network for data access. Other than the link, buyers will also get around-the-clock hardware tech support.
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10/13, 3:50pm
Barnes' first e-book reader likely to show
Barnes and Noble this afternoon sent invitations to the press for its frequently rumored October 20th press event. The bookseller is short on details but exactly mirrors leaks in describing it as a "major event in our company's history." Most expect the event to involve Barnes & Noble launching a self-branded e-book reader that would be designed by Plastic Logic.
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10/13, 3:25pm
First white BlackBerry Bold due from AT&T
AT&T announced on Tuesday it will begin shipping the first ever BlackBerry Bold in white since the smartphones's launch in 2008. The handset will be available online starting on October 18th, and while pricing hasn't been announced, it is likely to mirror the black version's $200 contrat price. Specs are also unlikely to change, with the same HSPA-based 3G network support, integrated GPS and Wi-Fi.
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10/13, 11:35am
Nokia's 12-hour netbook ships to US
AT&T today said it would bring the Nokia Booklet 3G to the US as its most advanced netbook. The US version of the portable will ship preloaded with Windows 7 and arrive on the same day as the OS, October 22nd, as a Best Buy exclusive. It will sell for $299 when attached to a two-year, $60 monthly data contract but should still be less expensive at full price than the European version and will cost just $599 by itself.
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10/09, 10:35pm
Barnes & Noble reader may ship Oct. 20
Barnes & Noble's first e-book reader should launch soon and could introduce a watershed feature for any reader, a contacts claim this evening. The bookstore supposedly has a "major event" scheduled for October 20th where it's likely to introduce the e-book reader it promised for the end of the year. The device is likely to be a grayscale reader but to use AT&T 3G for downloading books online.
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10/09, 5:35pm
CTIA speech insinuates possible iPhone limits
AT&T's Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega, speaking at a CTIA keynote this week, hinted about "managing" iPhone users' data accounts. The executive spoke broadly about a small portion of users that account for an extremely large percentage of overall bandwidth. Although Apple's device wasn't explicitly blamed as the core problem, iPhone owners are known to consume much more data than users of other platforms. Despite de la Vega's acknowledgment of the need for internal controls, he voiced opposition to government intervention.
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10/09, 4:50pm
FCC to question Google Voice call policy
The FCC today told Google that it will investigate the company's policies regarding its Google Voice calling service (registration required). Acting on requests by AT&T and politicians, the agency hopes to determine whether or not the company is violating must-connect rules by refusing to complete Google Voice calls made to certain numbers, particularly those in some rural areas as well as to 900 numbers and other lines that have expensive access rates.
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10/09, 3:50pm
Carrier's profits thin, group says
North American phone carriers are far too dependent on subsidies, argues the Yankee Group. The research firm uses the particular example of the iPhone, which is said to turn only a small profit for AT&T. The carrier is able to lock customers into two-year contracts, but only after knocking several hundred dollars off the price of each phone. After also taking into account the impact of high data usage, the company is only breaking even on iPhones roughly 17 months into each contract. Yankee suggests that if AT&T were to eliminate subsidies, it could break even in eight months, and generate a 33 percent return over the course of two years.
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10/09, 8:30am
Leak has BBerry 9700 shipping in a month
The BlackBerry Bold 2 (known as the 9700) could ship for T-Mobile three weeks after it's unveiled, based on a new rumor. So far pegged for an October 21st unveiling alongside the AT&T model, the smartphone is described by a BGR tipster as actually shipping the device on November 11th, or exactly three weeks after it becomes public. It's still unknown whether or not the AT&T version will ship at the same time.
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10/09, 8:00am
Barnes & Noble may be 1st with color e-books
Barnes & Noble spokesman Daniel Joresson at CTIA appears to have confirmed a timeframe in a video (available below) for what's likely the first color e-book reader available in the US. The Plastic Logic device would be smaller than the 8.5x11-inch large model proposed early on and would have just a paperback-sized display. However, it would have its own direct access to Barnes & Noble's bookstore and would be ready by spring 2010, or considerably earlier than an Amazon Kindle with color or most other rivals.
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10/08, 4:00pm
FCC would check Google Voice fairness
Multiple Democrats and Republicans yesterday sent a letter to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski asking for a formal investigation into the legality of restrictions on Google Voice. The request follows a similarly worded AT&T letter and claims that Google is unfairly refusing to connect calls made over its service to some rural addresses and should be scrutinized to determine the actual nature of its service and potentially force a change in behavior.
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10/08, 3:15pm
Minor release targets bugfixes
Distributing through iTunes, Apple has released a new iPhone firmware update, v3.1.2. The code adds no new features, and instead fixes bugs, such as one preventing sleeping iPhones from waking. Also targeted are crashes during video streaming, and a bug which interrupts cellular connections until a phone is rebooted.
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10/08, 11:40am
Bold 2 to reach AT&T and T-Mobile same day
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 could be ready to launch on not one but two US carriers before the end of the month based on a key leak today. Possibly rebadged as just the Bold 2, the smartphone would be unveiled for both AT&T and T-Mobile on October 21st if the tip to Engadget is authentic. It would represent T-Mobile's first 3G BlackBerry and an end to AT&T's exclusive for the Bold line.
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10/08, 11:40am
Blames delay on network improvements
American iPhone owners will not be able to officially tether their devices for some time, AT&T has acknowledged. "Whenever we offer new features, we want to offer the best possible customer experience," a carrier spokesman claims. "For tethering, we need to do some additional fine tuning to our systems and networks so that we do deliver a great experience."
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