We've already seen the iPhone 3G got unlocked to function on any carrier (and you can already buy unlocked versions in several countries), but we haven't seen a locked handset get unlocked via software only, and the folks at gsmphone-unlocking have the first video we've seen of Steve's newest baby doing the SIM swap dance without any adapters. Yep, there it is, going from Rogers to Fido. Sadly, the video is more of a shameless ploy for publicity than actually useful information, and until we're told otherwise, we're just going to assume that they've just gotten hold of an early copy of the Dev Team's unlocking tool -- which should be free to the public sometime soon. So, you know: video after the break, but feel free to ignore the obnoxious phone numbers and URLs.
Windows iPhone 3G jailbreak tool released
Sure, it was already possible (if complicated) to jailbreak a first-gen iPhone running the 2.0 software under Windows, but this is the one-click tool all you crazy cats with those extra G's need if you don't have a Mac -- too bad no one's come up with a better name than "pwn" yet. Please, people. Let's do better.
PS.- As usual, you run the risk of totally destroying your phone mucking around with this stuff, so don't say we didn't warn you.
Update: winpwn.com is down already, mirrors in the comments!
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
PS.- As usual, you run the risk of totally destroying your phone mucking around with this stuff, so don't say we didn't warn you.
Update: winpwn.com is down already, mirrors in the comments!
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
LG launches KF300 Wine phone in Japan and Europe
What, you didn't realize that LG was shipping its KF300 Wine phone in Europe and Japan today? Just open your eyes -- you can probably see the screen from your current position. This easy-to-see handset, unashamedly aimed at folks 30 years or older, is being paradoxically shown off by a couple of minors (just a hunch, folks) as it makes its official debut in the aforesaid nations. Interested consumers can pick one up now in white / gold / pink (Japan) or pink / dark purple / black (Europe) for an undisclosed amount.
[Via UnwiredView]
[Via UnwiredView]
Verizon turning the lights out on the Treo 755p
Here's an interesting factoid to chew on: the cycle between the first rumors that the Palm 755p was coming to Verizon and its launch was longer than the window of time between launch and sunset. Just think about that for a second. Seriously. Verizon has reported to Palm Infocenter that it's officially decommissioning the Palm OS-based smartphone -- the only in Verizon's lineup with strong ties to Palm's old-school industrial design -- in favor of the Centro, a smaller, friendlier, more consumer-oriented device. It seems like Big Red might be at risk of alienating some Garnet-loving business customers who aren't interested in carrying a device with a keyboard as small as the Centro's, and honestly, doesn't it feel like the 755p has at least a few more months of life yet? Or are we crazy?BlackBerry KickStart 8220 gets really early review
The Bold is still stealing the overwhelming majority of RIM's spotlight at the moment for a handful of pretty good reasons: one, it's actually been announced; two, it's 3G; and three, it falls in line with the traditional (and loved) BlackBerry form factor. Lurking in the shadows, though, is the KickStart, RIM's very first flip phone, and a device that could end up making a huge splash if it actually manages to launch at the sub-$50 price point that's been making the rounds on the rumor circuit. CrackBerry got a way-early peek at the 8220 version of the device, which follows RIM's typical naming convention by packing WiFi while an 8210 will hold up the GPS side of things (seriously, RIM, how hard can it be to do both?), and overall it seems that the R&D team did its homework from the quick impressions. The SureType keyboard is huge and apparently quite easy to use without making the phone excessively large, though the trackball rests deeper in the shell making it a bit trickier to operate -- you win some, you lose some. The QVGA display is said to be just shy of Bold quality (which is a compliment, considering the killer screen on the Bold), and it's always hard to argue with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Come on, T-Mobile, let's make this happen.
Motorola "Ischia" earns its FCC wings
Well, if this isn't a sign that times are a-changin', we don't know what is: a new Moto handset with a non-capitalized, non-abbreviated word for a name has just garnered FCC approval. Granted, it's an absolute snoozefest of a phone -- and the name, "Ischia," doesn't exactly roll off the tongue -- but at least it's a step in new direction. Bluetooth and EDGE are included, there's a camera on board; hell, the only thing stopping us from saving up to buy one is the lack of GSM 850. That, and our fragile sanity.
Conceptual baton phone does the twist
The tried-and-true Hamburger phone is still our fav (what, there a problem with that?), but Marc Schömann's baton-styled concept phone is very worthy of a look. Laden with LEDs and ready to be turned, users can dial up friends and family in painstakingly long procedures that involve all sorts of inefficient rotating maneuvers. Still, we can't help but adore the hat tip to yesteryear's rotary phones, though we have no doubts that this will never, ever see a retail shelf. Please, someone, prove us wrong.
[Via PhoneMag]
[Via PhoneMag]
Sony Ericsson pushes out a trio of new Walkman phones, right on cue
Happy 3rd birthday mister Walkman phone. To celebrate, Sony Ericsson is getting official with its W902 "Patti" (pictured), W595 slider, and W302 candybar Walkman handsets. We knew the celebration was coming with the exception of Patti making a last minute substitution for Alicia. SE's quad-band GSM/EDGE W902 is the all-singing, all-media workhorse with UMTS/HSDPA 2100 data, 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of M2 memory, and 2.2-inch, 240 x 320 pixel display. It comes bundled with a pair of premium HPM-77 headphones and the promise of a clear audio, bass-thumpin' experience similar to that offered by SE's W980. The W595 shares the same radios but packs in stereo speakers, 2GB of M2 memory, a 3.2 megapixel camera, motion sensing Shake control, and a stereo Share jack to split the music with a friend. The quad-band GSM/EDGE W302 neglects 3G entirely in favor of a low price tag and dreams of mass adoption. As such, it offers a number of middling specs like a 2 megapixel camera, 512MB of M2 memory, FM radio, and stereo Bluetooth. All three Walkmans will hit select markets in Q4.
Sony Ericsson reveals new Walkman range today
Smell that? That, ladies and gentlemen, is the smell of anticipation -- Walkman anticipation, to be specific. The next chapter in Sony Ericsson's music-oriented range is about to get written today, with the W707 "Alicia," W595, and W302 all widely expected. Stay tuned; won't be long now.
Samsung F480 + second SIM = D988 for China
Call it Tocco in the UK, Player Style in France, and now, you can call it dual SIM capable in China. The F480 has been morphed (more or less, anyway) into the D988 for the Chinese market, a place where a good percentage of the mobile populace enjoys having a pair of wireless accounts at the ready. It carries over the 5 megapixel autofocus camera, too; bring back the 3G that's missing here and release it as a Europe-ready DuoS model, Samsung, and you might have a global winner on your hands.
[Via Unwired View]
[Via Unwired View]
Samsung launches BlackJack III -- in South Korea
Sorry if we got your hopes up for a second there, AT&Ters; we're still not sure if this one's ever coming to the US, and today is most definitely not the day. Instead, the SCH-M480, which appears to be alternately known as the BlackJack III and Ultra Messaging 2, has been launched on Korea's own SK Telecom for something in the range of 600,000 won (about $592). The Windows Mobile 6 Professional handset is a dead ringer for the i780 that's been launched for a few months now, featuring a lovely 320 x 320 touchscreen, HSDPA, WiFi, and a 2 megapixel camera; not really a direct successor to the BlackJack II since the latter runs Standard, but we could still see a whole host of folks going for the upgrade -- if it ever comes to AT&T, that is.
Separately, Boy Genius Report is claiming that AT&T will be getting its very own BlackJack III come October of this year, albeit with a 3 megapixel camera, up from the 2 megapixel sensor seen here. With these fancy new pink and blue versions of the BlackJack II, though, who the heck needs it? We kid, we kid.
[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Read - Ultra Messaging II
Read - US BlackJack III in October?
Separately, Boy Genius Report is claiming that AT&T will be getting its very own BlackJack III come October of this year, albeit with a 3 megapixel camera, up from the 2 megapixel sensor seen here. With these fancy new pink and blue versions of the BlackJack II, though, who the heck needs it? We kid, we kid.
[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Read - Ultra Messaging II
Read - US BlackJack III in October?
HTC Rose mentioned by Bluetooth SIG, inspires daydreams of Android
So when the Bluetooth SIG leaks a new handset, it's a leak of epically tiny proportions. Instead of the wealth of test reports we have the distinct pleasure of poring over when we get a juicy device via the FCC, the good ol' SIG gives us a single table of mostly meaningless information -- and that's in a best-case scenario. The worst case is where we get a model name or codename, geographic availability, and manufacturer name, and that's it. Such is the case with the HTC Rose, a phone we've never heard of before, and for all we know, may never hear about again. Our wild imaginations can easily concoct amazing Android-powered superphones with WVGA displays, 8-megapixel autofocus cameras, and 32GB of ROM until the cows come home, but this could just as easily be an EDGE-only Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard sleeper with all the design inspiration of an '82 Ford Escort. Or, you know, more likely something in between.
[Via Cellpassion]
[Via Cellpassion]
Nokia's North American E71 now available at Chicago flagship store
Call it a hunch, but you shouldn't have to wait too awfully long (like, hours / days / weeks) to secure Nokia's North American E71 today. Said handset is now available at the company's flagship store in Chicago, complete with a QWERTY keyboard and US-friendly 3G. Eager to grab one? Total cost will be $483 (plus tax) in addition to a roundtrip ticket to Chi-town, considering the store won't ship to out-of-towners (or so we hear).
[Via IntoMobile]
[Via IntoMobile]
LG becomes 3rd biggest handset maker after moving 27.7 million units
It looks like Motorola's hard times have been particularly good for LG, as it has now moved (by some accounts at least) into the number three position among the top five handset makers, just a quarter after it passed Sony Ericsson to take the fourth spot. That comes after LG moved an impressive 27.7 million handsets in the past quarter, a full third of which were sold in North America. LG is also particularly quick to boast about sales of its pricier touchscreen phones, which totaled some seven million. Among those, the Viewty was the top seller, moving more than two million units, followed by the Venus with 1.6 million, and the Voyager with 1.3 million. It's apparently not all rosy for the company, however, with it also warning that the slowing economy could cause its average selling price to fall by 26 percent.Sanyo Katana Eclipse does the FCC mating ritual
Well, there you have it: the very real-looking Katana Eclipse pictured in that leaked Sprint roadmap is, in fact, real. The upcoming clamshell flew right on through the FCC recently (filed under new parent Kyocera's name, no less) bearing the expected external music controls and an evolutionary design that's kinda sorta reminiscent of everything that makes the Katana series, the Katana series. We've got EV-DO in here, too, so if we had to guess, this will end up slotting in somewhere toward the bottom of Sprint's midrange when it goes on sale -- which may or may not be August 17 depending on the accuracy of said roadmap.
[Via Cell Phone Signal, thanks Marco]
[Via Cell Phone Signal, thanks Marco]































