Edge - Engadget Mobile

Nokia's Maemo 5-equipped N900 on sale in America for $649

by Darren Murph posted Nov 18th 2009 at 10:02AM

We've already given you a glimpse at the N900, but as of today, you Yanks in the crowd can wrap your own limber paws around Nokia's hero device. Admittedly tailored for enthusiasts and developers to use while the company maneuvers Maemo into its product line, the N900 is now available through Nokia Flagship stores in New York and Chicago, the firm's website and "various independent retailers and e-tailers." A tidy sum of $649 (or $510 if you're smart enough to check Amazon) nabs you an unlocked version with a 5 megapixel camera, 32GB of internal storage and a bombastic, Flash-lovin' web browser. Ain't no shame in lusting after one, but tell us earnestly -- are you forking out nearly seven bills to bring one home?

Huawei U8230 (in other words, the one that isn't the Pulse) gets reviewed

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 18th 2009 at 8:55AM

Huawei's on the cusp of making a pretty serious Android push in Europe with the recent introduction of its Pulse on T-Mobile and this little puppy, the U8230, which -- let's be honest, is shaping up to be little more than a Pulse remix for countries where T-Mobile doesn't do business. In fact, it seems to be the same thing from a hardware perspective (right down to the 3.5-inch HVGA display and unfortunate 2.5mm headphone jack), so you can almost look at as a prime application of HTC's classic strategy of re-skinning devices for different carriers and markets around the world. Anyhow, PointGPhone has had a chance to screw around with a proper U8230, coming away with the conclusions you might expect -- it's an interesting play at the right price point, but with that sluggish 528MHz performance, limited on-board storage, and inexplicably missing 3.5mm jack, you might be better off looking elsewhere. Not to say we have an option in the States, anyhow.

AT&T's BlackBerry Bold 9700 starts shipping out to top bananas

by Darren Murph posted Nov 17th 2009 at 3:18PM

Got an AT&T Premier account at your disposal? Does your nine to five require you to wear a suit on every day that ends in "y?" If you're nodding your head and simultaneously thinking about just how tight that top button is around your neck, there's a decent chance that you can get AT&T's version of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 right now. 'Course, those on T-Mobile have already been enjoying the spoils for a few hours now, but judging by the unboxing shots in the read link, that window of US exclusivity looks to be all but shut. So, anyone jabbing the boss for an upgrade?

Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition is... a 5330 with mobile TV

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 17th 2009 at 2:08PM

It's not often that you see an existing handset remixed with entirely different kinds of radios built in, so color us a bit surprised this week to see Nokia announce a new version of the 5330 slider this week sporting DVB-H mobile TV tuning compatibility. Knowing what we know of DVB-H, its presence signifies that a North American release is a straight-up no-go, which is actually a bit of a shame -- it's a slick-looking Series 40 handset with a 3.2 megapixel cam and 3.5mm headphone jack for €155 (about $230) without a hint of contract or subsidy. Then again, just how badly do we want to watch football on a 2.4-inch display?

T-Mobile cautiously resumes Sidekick sales at lower prices

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 17th 2009 at 5:08AM

After a protracted "let's be absolutely certain we're in the clear" period, T-Mobile has gone ahead and lifted its self-imposed moratorium on Sidekick sales following that little meltdown you may have heard about. Oh, and there's a bonus, too: they're a little cheaper this time around. The Sidekick 2008 has dropped to $49.99 on contract while the top-of-the-line LX 2009 has shed $25 down to $149.99 on contract, so if you were looking for an excuse to live dangerously with your precious address book, this might be as good of a reason as any. Then again, what are the odds of lightning striking twice?

Read - Sidekick 2008
Read - Sidekick LX 2009

BlackBerry Curve 8520, LG Shine II coming to AT&T

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 16th 2009 at 1:46PM

That successor to AT&T's wildly popular LG Shine that we spied back in August has finally popped official today, becoming the Shine II (surprise, surprise). It's a very evolutionary set -- if you squint, you can't see much difference from the original -- but this might be a situation where it's in AT&T's best interest not to mess with success just as long as they don't end up pulling a RAZR over the next several years. It's got a 2 megapixel cam, a mirror-finish 2.2-inch LCD, GPS, 3.6Mbps HSDPA, and microSD expansion to 16GB; look for it on November 22 for $119.99 after rebate on contract. Perhaps more notably, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 has migrated from T-Mobile over to AT&T today with the same EDGE data and optical pad as its cousin; it'll be hitting in the "coming weeks" for $99.99 after rebate. Of course, the Bold 9700 hits on the 22nd for a hundie more, so there'll be some soul searching among AT&T-based BlackBerry lovers over the next few days, we suspect.

Nokia N900 quick hands-on

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 16th 2009 at 9:00AM

We've finally had a chance to play around at length with a very late pre-production version of Nokia's N900 (retail units are already shipping, but not to our neck of the woods just yet) and we wanted to scribble out a few notes for you before taking delivery of a final build for a full review hopefully in the next week or two. Here are some highlights we've noticed so far:

Processor, processor, processor. Oh, and did we mention the processor? The N900's Cortex A8-based core yields significant improvements in day-to-day usability over the N810's ARM11 unit.
Though it's still quite raw and feature-incomplete, Maemo 5 is by far the most user-friendly version of the platform to date, if for no other reason than the fact that it's very pretty. Screen transitions are smooth and look great, the home screen is as attractive and versatile as any widget-based home screen on the market today, and the Expose-style task switcher is a welcome addition.
The N900 may very well offer the best browsing experience of any smartphone on the market today (yes, including the iPhone). What little ground it gives up in user friendliness is more than countered by the fact that you have the closest thing you can get to a desktop-class browser in a device of this size and form factor; it's straight-up Mozilla, after all, and everything renders faithfully. Flash doesn't blaze, but at least the Cortex A8 makes it usable.

Follow the break for more impressions and a quick rundown on video!

Gallery: Nokia N900 quick hands-on

Continue reading Nokia N900 quick hands-on

T-Mobile's BlackBerry Bold 9700 now available for $200 on contract

by Darren Murph posted Nov 16th 2009 at 8:26AM

Right on cue, T-Mobile's newest BlackBerry is now on sale for those who covet. Starting at $199.99 on an Even More plan (which entails a 2-year contract, just so you know), the Bold 9700 can be ordered up from the carrier's website or be snagged in-store if you prefer to roll that way. It's also available for $449.99 on an Even More Plus Plan if you're no fan of attached strings, but something tells us you may want to have a peek at our review before laying down that much cheddar in a moment of weakness.

Nokia E72 in stores now, somewhere

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 16th 2009 at 7:33AM

Amazon's US pre-order site hasn't heard the news yet nor has Nokia USA's on-line store. Nevertheless, Nokia assures us that the E72 is "in stores now" and should cost €350 (as announced) before taxes and carrier subsidies are applied. Remember, this S60-powered followup to the much loved E71 sports a new 5 megapixel autofocus camera, 3.5-mm headphone jack, microSD slot (4GB included in the box), A-GPS and integrated compass, 10.2Mbps HSDPA, and new optical navigation pad right where a thumb would like it. The E72 also packs the latest version of Ovi Maps and Nokia Messaging with homescreen access to your IM accounts. Now scram buster and let us know if your pre-orders have been filled -- this baby's not going to unbox itself.

Samsung unveils Android-equipped Galaxy Spica i5700

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 15th 2009 at 10:56PM

The long-rumored little brother to the Galaxy, the i5700, has finally been made official by Samsung -- and sure enough, it'll go by the trade name "Galaxy Spica." Sammy's latest Android-powered set clocks in at 13.2mm thick and comes equipped with a 3.5mm jack (which, frankly, every smartphone in the world should be including at this point), an 800MHz core (presumably the same as the Moment's), and an Android first: built-in DivX support. This one appears to be a no-frills Google Experience device considering the number of times that "Google" is mentioned in Samsung's press release, but for some Android connoisseurs, the purest, unskinned look and feel is preferred. Sammy says it's already out in Europe and the CIS and will be coming to the Middle East and Asia shortly.

T-Mobile launching BlackBerry Bold 9700 on November 16 for $199.99

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 13th 2009 at 5:57PM

Anyone looking for the hottest T-Mobile-powered BlackBerry experience that money can buy need only wait a few dozen hours now, because the carrier has just revealed that it'll be launching the latest rendition of the Bold -- the 9700 -- on Monday, November 16 for $200 on contract. Your hard-earned cash reels in T-Mobile's very first 3G BlackBerry underpinned by a 3.2 megapixel camera and 480 x 360 display, beating AT&T's launch by a solid six days. Enjoy, folks.

T-Mobile Tap and webConnect Jet now available

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 11th 2009 at 9:31AM

Looking for a cheap full touch handset or a USB stick with 3G capability for T-Mobile? Heck, why not both? The self-branded Tap intro'd last month has now hit retail, bringing a 2 megapixel cam, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, and a choice of two hunger-inducing colors for $79.99 on contract. Coming alongside the Tap is the webConnect Jet USB modem, which can find its way into your shopping cart for as little as zero dollars -- $50 less than the older webConnect it slides next to in the lineup. Drop Android onto that feisty little Tap, sell it for the same price, and we're pretty sure we'd have a winner on our hands -- next year, perhaps?

Read - webConnect Jet
Read - T-Mobile Tap (Berry)
Read - T-Mobile Tap (Midnight Blue)

Nokia 5230 coming to T-Mobile?

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 11th 2009 at 7:01AM

With the N900 getting AWS support, there's every reason to believe that T-Mobile USA and Nokia want to make beautiful music together -- but in order to do that, they're going to need some quality hardware in the mix. Whether the S60 5th Edition-based 5230 qualifies as "quality hardware" is strictly a matter of personal opinion, but for what it's worth, Cell Phone Signal has raised some very good points about a recent FCC filing suggesting that the model is inbound. First off -- and most importantly -- the SAR report for model code RM-593 indicates that AWS 3G is supported, and overlaying the back of a 5230 with the filing's label document lines up perfectly. A slam dunk? No, it's not -- but considering how long it's been since T-Mobile's sold an S60-based device, the time might be right to get back into the game.

[Via Cell Phone Signal]

Motorola Milestone headed to Telus in early 2010

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 10th 2009 at 7:27AM

You heard the rumors now it's official: Telus is getting the Motorola Milestone. The Android device is the same 2.0 QWERTY slider already announced for Europe and set to run exclusively on Telus' new 3G+ network in Canada sometime in early 2010. Unfortunately, that means no Google Navigation unlike those pesky North American neighbors to the south. Hmm, in that case maybe you should just wait for the beefier Sholes Tablet expected in Q1 -- just sayin'.

Motorola Motus gets FCC approval, Sholes Tablet looking legit

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 9th 2009 at 6:11PM

Whenever a Moto with triband HSPA hits the FCC, we're naturally going to end up scouring the documentation -- what can we say, it's in our blood -- and today we've found a model claiming to be the rumored Motus. As a refresher, this is a device we'd heard would rock the Android midrange with a 5 megapixel AF cam, 3.1-inch QVGA display, and HSPA for a Q1 '10 release, so it's not much more than a tweaked CLIQ as far as we're concerned -- but the big news here might actually be that the Motus filing adds legitimacy to the leaked roadmap where we'd originally heard of it. That document made mention of a "Sholes Tablet" that takes the already-high-end DROID / MILESTONE further upmarket with an 8 megapixel cam and xenon flash, and as you can imagine, we'll be listening to our friends at the FCC pretty intently over the next few weeks to see if we can catch that one sliding through.