T-Mobile says it’ll launch ’4G’ tablets in 2011
Oh, you too, T-Mobile? Without delving into details, T-Mobile USA has gone tit-for-tat with Sprint by dropping the knowledge that it'll be adding tablets (other than the Tab , of course) to its product portfolio in 2011 -- and as you might expect, they'll be using the network T-Mobile has taken to calling "4G." Though it doesn't meet any technical definition of 4G, the company's ever-expanding HSPA+ network is definitely hanging with the big boys running WiMAX and LTE right now, delivering downlink speeds of 10Mbps or more in some areas if you're lucky -- and that's just the kind of special sauce you're going to want when you've got a big touchscreen to consume content. No word on brand or platform, but we've no doubt some of that Honeycomb noise will be in the mix.
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: 10mbps, 10mbps-or-more, boys, consumers, dominant, forefront, majority, mobile, partners, smartphones
Rogers adds ‘data sharing’ plans, will carry both WiFi and cellular versions of BlackBerry PlayBook
With the precedent the Galaxy Tab has set, it was an open question whether carriers would embrace the WiFi version of RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook -- after all, it's a little harder to fully monetize a data plan on a device that lacks its own cellular modem. Thing is, the WiFi version is the first one that's going to be available; RIM hasn't given much guidance yet on when the cellular version will follow on -- and RIM doesn't have much of a distribution channel outside its carrier partners. Well, Rogers has thrown its hat in the ring today at its TabLife event in Toronto, where it has been chatting up the success of the tablets it's sold so far (the Tabs apparently won't stay on shelves) and noting that it will be carrying both versions of the PlayBook as they become available
Categories: BlackBerry, Mobile Phone, Other Tags: boynton, entry, hold-the-answer, mobile, partners, playbook, question, rogers, stay-on-shelves, toronto, twitter
T9 Trace ships as QuickType on Samsung’s Wave II
So Samsung's Bada 1.2-based Wave II is now shipping in a variety of European and Asian markets, and it turns out that so phone's so-called "QuickType" input method is actually T9 Trace , Nuance's Swype competitor that was announced earlier this year. Just like Swype, T9 Trace works by letting the user glide a finger around the virtual keyboard to identify what letters they're trying to type -- and if it works as well as Swype does, it's a surprisingly natural, accurate, and fast way to enter text. Samsung, of course, has been one of Swype's longest-running partners, notably having its Omnia II featured in a Verizon commercial where the Guinness record for fastest text is broken -- so it'll be interesting to see whether Sammy keeps a healthy mix of T9 Trace and Swype in its products, or if Nuance has locked up a more lucrative deal.
Categories: Mobile Phone Tags: engadget-mobile, guinness, mobile, partners, press, running, samsung, swype, virtual, wave ii
Virgin Mobile USA partners with Walmart for Broadband2Go offer, $20 a month for 1GB
If you took a gander at Virgin Mobile USA's latest Broadband2Go plans you might have noticed a bit of a hole between $10 a month for 100MB and $40 a month for unlimited data. Consider it plugged, with a new $20 monthly 1GB plan that starts today. That's quite a bit nicer than the previous $20 for 300MB plan, but of course there's a catch: it's available only at Walmart , and only to owners of a Novatel MiFi 2200 or Ovation MC720.
Categories: Mobile Phone Tags: 1gb, gander, mifi2200, mobile, novatel, ovation, partners, prepaid data, usa, virgin mobile usa, virgin-mobile, virginmobile, walmart
Motorola and Verizon’s crazy portrait Droid Pro unveiled (update: specs!)
Whoa -- we knew Motorola likes to get funky with the form factors , but the new Droid Pro on Verizon might be the strangest (and best) yet: it's a portrait device (the rumored Venus ) with a BlackBerry-esque keyboard below the screen.
Categories: Android, BlackBerry, Mobile Phone Tags: BlackBerry, blur, crazy-portrait, dual, globalphone, mode, partners, portrait, verizon, World Edition
Altek Leo, the 14 megapixel Android cameraphone, headed for Europe in 2011
Altek's wonderfully outlandish Android-based Leo smartphone, which sports a "real" 14 megapixel CCD with "real" 3x optical zoom and 720p video, was already slated for Q4 of this year in Asia, but Altek has recently announced the phone will also be launching Q1 2011 in Europe. On a slightly disconcerting note, Altek says it's still in search of "channel partners," so if you happen to know any channel / partner combos, push this little monster in their direction before 14 megapixels starts to sound old hat, would you? Continue reading Altek Leo, the 14 megapixel Android cameraphone, headed for Europe in 2011 Altek Leo, the 14 megapixel Android cameraphone, headed for Europe in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:08:00 EST.
Categories: Android, Mobile Phone Tags: altekleo, ccd, channel, entry, europe, hat, megapixels, partner-combos, partners, smartphone, zoom
LG Optimus 7 Windows Phone 7 prototype flicks photos to TVs, launches October
We were a bit surprised to find LG's prototype Windows Phone 7 device for developers, soon to be unveiled officially as the Optimus 7 in its production form , hanging out in the wilds of IFA. Nevertheless, there it was, streaming DLNA content to a WiFi enabled TV. LG worked with Microsoft to develop a custom DLNA media sharing capability for its GW910 handset.
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: gw910, interface, partners, result, wilds, windows phone 7 os, windowsphone7os, wpos7
BlackBerry Curve 9330′s marriage with Sprint seemingly leaked by RIM
When RIM crafts a CDMA BlackBerry, you can bet -- well, usually bet -- that it's destined for both Sprint and Verizon, since there aren't many other carrier partners anywhere in the world where Waterloo can recoup the R&D costs. We've already heard plenty of rumors that Verizon's signed up to get it in the coming months, and now we've got information from none other than RIM itself that Sprint has its eyes on the 8530 successor, too. A knowledge base article on RIM's site (which has now been pulled, of course) referred to a "Sprint BlackBerry Curve 9330 smartphone," which pretty much says it all -- we suppose it's possible that the article's author was just preparing for the possibility that Sprint would be getting it, but we think the more likely scenario is that it was official info that went up a tad early
Categories: Android, BlackBerry, Mobile Phone, Other Tags: 9330, 9330-smartphone, berry-curve, black, BlackBerry, curve, curve 9330, curve9330, likely-scenario, mobile, partners, possibility, result, sprint-black
Fox Mobile launches Bitbop beta, a Hulu for your phone
While Hulu might be missing out on the mobile space due to licensing issues, Fox Mobile-backed Bitbop is looking to step in and take the reins. The app, currently in beta and available only for select BlackBerry devices, has 25 content partners including Fox (of course), CBS, NBC, and Comedy Central
Categories: Android, BlackBerry, Mobile Phone Tags: bitbop, BlackBerry, central, comedy-central, commercial, mobile-backed, partners, streamingvideo
Google I/O recap: more web than you can shake a frozen dessert at
Whew, Google really knows how to pack it in. Two days of Google I/O and we've got enough info on the future of the web, phone, and television to write a couple sci-fi novels and retire
Categories: Android, Mobile Phone, Other Tags: apple, download-server, flash, gingerbread, google io 2010, googleio2010, internet, microsoft, partners, server, web, web-browser