January 10 - 10:55am EST   Sprint's first device to directly compare against the iPhone will be a lower-cost variant of Samsung's just-announced F490, according to a new leak. The handset will be known as the M800 in Sprint guise but should keep much of the same design, which includes an extra-wide 3.2-inch screen with largely the same touch interface as the Vodafone Croix but without the more expensive phone's slide-out keyboard. Some icons and the overall look will change to reflect the American carrier, the leak shows. Sprint's version will also use its 3G EVDO link for its Sprint TV Internet video streaming service, buying songs from the Sprint Music Store, and navigating using assisted ... [full story]

December 24 - 11:10am EST   Samsung is gearing up for at least two new touchscreen phones early next year, a visitor to a Ukraine press event has noted. The F490 should be a silver version of the Croix that strips out the physical keyboard entirely, relying instead on a virtual keyboard for all its input. It should still preserve the unusually tall 240x432 screen, 5-megapixel camera, and HSDPA access, though whether it will support North American networks at 3G speeds is unknown. The F490 recently appeared in an FCC filing and suggests at least basic support in the US. [full story]