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HTC Status Facebook phone launches on AT&T
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Internet,
The Facebook phones are finally here. Today AT&T and HTC announced the Status, the first U.S. phone with a dedicated Facebook button.
The Status is a small Android 2.3-based smartphone with a horizontal 480-by-320, 2.6-inch touch screen and a keyboard on the front. Its most important feature, though, is the dedicated Facebook logo button near the bottom of the phone. You can press the button to immediately share what you're doing or where you are, whether you're sharing a photo you just took, an interesting Web page, or a status update.
Facebook chat, which is missing from many phone versions of Facebook, is plumbed in here, and a home-screen widget shows if your friends are available. When you get a call, the caller's Facebook status pops up on the screen.
This is also a full-fledged Android phone, of course, with the latest version of HTC's Sense UI, which is widely considered to be the most thoughtful of the manufacturer Android software extensions. For example, you can jump immediately to popular apps from the lock screen by dragging a ring over the app's icon, an HTC-exclusive feature.
Click to continue reading HTC Status Facebook phone launches on AT&T
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Six reasons why Apple is selling unlocked iPhones in the US
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Editorial, Handhelds,
Yesterday we told you that Apple started selling unlocked iPhone 4s here in the U.S. We do have to admit that the move leaves us scratching our heads a bit. The iPhone 4 is a year-old device at this point. That leaves the question: why?
The GSM iPhone 4 only works well on AT&T. Sure, you can run it on 2G EDGE with T-Mobile, but that's a lousy user experience, and Apple is all about providing smooth user experiences. I just can't accept that T-Mobile users want the iPhone so desperately that they're willing to give up 3G for it, although I may be wrong about that, too.
Boy Genius Report's Jon Geller is right when he says that Apple sells unlocked iPhones in 85 other countries. But those countries all have more than one GSM iPhone-compatible 3G carrier. Canada has three. Dave Zatz points out this morning that for Americans, the "unlocked" iPhone will cost $450 more over two years than the locked model, because AT&T doesn't give any discounts for bringing your own phone. That's "an extra $450 mostly for the privilege of feeling more liberated and fancy free," he concludes.
Click to continue reading Six reasons why Apple is selling unlocked iPhones in the US
HP TouchPad launches July 1 for $499
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
The HP TouchPad finally has a launch date! If you've been jonesing to pick up the first webOS tablet, your lucky day will be July 1st, as long as you're cool with the Wi-Fi model. If you prefer the 3G TouchPad, you'll have to wait until later this summer. The 3G provider for the TouchPad will be AT&T, which may influence your decision on waiting. You'll be able to get the 16 GB TouchPad for $499, while the 32 GB model will retail for $599, which is right in line with iPad 2 pricing.
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| Palm Blog
Walmart slashes price of iPhone 4 by $50
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Hot Deals,
Just about 90 minutes before the WWDC 2011 keynote is to begin, a Walmart rep just dropped me an email letting me know that they've dropped the price of the iPhone 4 by $50. Starting today through June 30, you can grab an iPhone 4 for $147. This applies to both the AT&T and Verizon models, in both black and white. Of course, this pricing requires a two-year contract. Very interesting, as we aren't expecting any iPhone 5 hardware news this morning at WWDC--does Walmart know something we don't?
Read More | Walmart iPhone 4
Watch AT&T’s CEO spin a positive light on sucky SF and NYC service
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Videos,
AT&T Mobiliy President and CEO Ralph de la Vega was interviewed at the D9 conference, mostly focusing on AT&T's current service, as well as their hopeful acquisition of T-Mobile. In the clip above, Walt Mossberg hits Ralph with some criticism for the inability of AT&T to deliver good service to New York City customers in particular.
Rumor says iPhone 5 will land on T-Mobile and Sprint as well
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cameras, Rumors,
More Apple rumors for you to chew on today! A new research note from Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek suggests that Apple isn't going to be performing a significant upgrade to the connection capabilities of its new, to-be-released iPhone 5—namely, no 4G LTE support.
Whenever the next version of Apple's smartphone hits the market—we're already nearing the one-year anniversary of the iPhone 4's launch with no hint of a new product in sight—Misek suggests that the device will only have incremental upgrades compared to the iPhone 4's specifications. Heck, it's practically keeping the same name.
"We believe the likelihood of the iPhone 5 launch in September including LTE is now remote," wrote Misek in a research note on May 13. "According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support."
The bigger news on Apple's side is Misek's suggestion that the company will be pursuing an expanded carrier lineup for its iPhones. His "industry checks" indicate that Apple will be launching the iPhone on both Sprint and T-Mobile in time for the holidays—remember, although the latter is in the process of being purchased by AT&T, T-Mobile currently remains a separate company from the larger carrier. In other words, no iPhone yet.
Click to continue reading Rumor says iPhone 5 will land on T-Mobile and Sprint as well
Samsung Infuse 4G hits AT&T on May 15 for $199
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds,
If you're on AT&T and the HP Veer isn't your cup of tea, AT&T and Samsung on Thursday announced the sale date and price for the Infuse 4G, the carrier's first smartphone with the HSPA+ 21 speeds that we consider to be the minimum for true 4G. The phone will go on sale on May 15 (same day as the Veer) for $199 with a two-year contract.
First previewed at CES in January, the Infuse is an interesting phone: it's unusually thin, long and wide. The Android 2.2 phone is of the standard black-slab style, but it has a 4.5-inch, 800-by-480 screen. That isn't higher resolution than the usual smartphone screen, but it's wider. The screen also sports Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus technology, which combines the increased outdoor visibility of Super AMOLED with more subpixels for truer colors. The phone is also very slim, at 9mm.
The Infuse has AT&T's fastest Internet speeds yet, but it's not quite the fastest smartphone AT&T has to offer; with a single-core, 1.2-Ghz Samsung processor, it's a bit slower than the dual-core Motorola Atrix 4G. It's still faster than most of the other smartphones on the market, though.
Click to continue reading Samsung Infuse 4G hits AT&T on May 15 for $199
HP Veer goes exclusive with AT&T, $99 on May 15
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones,
HP has announced that its tiny HP Veer WebOS phone will be available from AT&T on May 15, and for a relatively tiny price, at that.
The HP Veer 4G will be available from AT&T stores on May 15 in either black or white, costing $99.99 with a two-year contract, AT&T said on Thursday. AT&T said the offer is good for just a limited time, however, and that there's an early termination fee of up to $325, depending on how far along users are into their contract.
Inside will be 8 GB of user storage, which will store preloaded apps including a mobile hotspot for up to five users and AT&T Navigator that uses the built-in GPS. AT&T also claimed that "thousands of apps" are available via the WebOS App Catalog.
"A large majority of our customers are choosing smartphones but they don't all want the same thing," said Michael Woodward, vice president, mobile device portfolio, for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, in a statement. "HP Veer 4G gives us a highly unique and feature-rich smartphone for customers who want something a 'little' different."
Click to continue reading HP Veer goes exclusive with AT&T, $99 on May 15
Windows Phone 7 NoDo update finally hitting HTC Surround
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Software,
Microsoft on Tuesday started rolling out its Windows Phone 7 "NoDo" update to the HTC Surround, the last U.S. smartphone on the platform to get the upgrade.
Separately, Microsoft also started rolling out the first security update for Windows Phone 7, which fixes nine fradulent third-party digital certificates.
Like other Windows Phone 7 users, those with an HTC Surround will receive two updates, the first of which will be for a minor update first rolled out in February. Once that's updated, users can move on to the March update, which includes copy and paste, improved Marketplace search, and faster app launching.
Windows Phones check for updates every three days, so it might not appear right away. If you don't want to wait, you can check for it manually via the Zune software on the PC. Just plug the phone in via USB and click "update now." Once the February update is installed, you will have to unplug the phone and plug it back in to receive the March "cut and paste" update. Microsoft has a how-to guide on its Web site.
Click to continue reading Windows Phone 7 NoDo update finally hitting HTC Surround
AT&T reportedly says there won’t be an iPhone 5 this summer
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Rumors,
The rumors continue to pile up that Apple won't release the iPhone 5 this summer as expected. The latest word reportedly comes from an AT&T rep, who confirmed to a customer that the next-generation iPhone won't make its debut in June or July.
According to MacRumors, Apple allegedly confirmed to AT&T that the phone is delayed, and that information was relayed to an AT&T customer.
"Apple has informed us that they do not plan to release the iPhone in the June to July timeframe, though there will be a newer version in the future," an AT&T rep allegedly said. "Unfortunately, we have not been given a release time for the new phone. We will release this information on our Web site when it is available to us."
Click to continue reading AT&T reportedly says there won’t be an iPhone 5 this summer
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