Cell Phone Hub

Welp, that didn’t take long. Just a few months after TerreStar announced that it had completed its first call on the new bird, the revived sat phone provider has now announced the first dual-mode smartphone for AT&T. Granted, we knew these two would be holding hands in the near future, but it’s still refreshing to see the Genus hit the landscape. The WinMo-based phone will ship with a 2.6-inch touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA radios. Oh, and it can tap into satellite waves too. This one’s actually aimed at government, energy, utility, transportation and maritime users, and while it’s slated to ship in Q1 2010 for an undisclosed amount, AT&T assures us that a consumer-oriented version is in the pipeline. Too bad this only enhances coverage in the US, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and territorial waters — we always dreamed of phoning home from Komsomolets Island.

[Via phonescoop]

Filed under: Cellphones

TerreStar Genus: AT&T’s first dual-mode cellular / satellite smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gotta hand it to LG, it pulled out the big hitting hyperbole with the launch of its otherwise simplistic GD510 touchscreen phone. LG begins with a reminder that it launched “the world’s first full touchscreen phone” — the Prada — back in January 2007. A claim that Ericsson, Nokia, and others would rightfully dispute. LG then calls the brushed-aluminum GD510, or “Pop,” the “most compact 3-inch full touchscreen phone ever made,” while boasting of its simplicity. That latter claim is achieved by removing “unnecessary features” that apparently include burdensome WiFi and 3G radios since modern consumers want to browse the internet over GPRS/EDGE. Spec-wise, you get a WQVGA (note the “Q”) display, 3 megapixel camera, 8GB of internal memory, and a single home key that glows green to call or red to hang-up / cancel. They’ve also ditched the S-Class UI in favor of something that’s presumably less convoluted. There’s even an optional solar-panel battery cover which we hear is the number one requested feature on touchscreen phones… right. It does look pretty though, which is saying a lot for a phone packing a solar panel. Hitting Europe in mid October and the US at the end of October if the Bluetooth SIG entry is to be believed. Video promo after the break.

Gallery: LG GD510 touchscreen ‘Pop’ is heavy on hype, light on specs

Continue reading Video: LG GD510 touchscreen ‘Pop’ is heavy on hype, light on specs

Filed under: Cellphones

Video: LG GD510 touchscreen ‘Pop’ is heavy on hype, light on specs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In a little over 19 days from now, you’ll be able to get your CLIQ… ah wait, no you won’t, but at least you’ll be able to express your interest in getting a CLIQ, which is a good first step, we suppose. T-Mobile has just thrown up its official CLIQ preorder countdown page, which we’re thinking the most die-hard Android types out there are probably going to leave running in the background of their machines for the next three weeks until the moment of truth finally comes. In the meantime, you can register for official updates, which — sorry, T-Mobile, much love — probably won’t come as quickly as we can provide them. Just sayin’.

[Via TmoNews]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

T-Mobile’s Motorola CLIQ presale is up and running originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As you know, Verizon is one of the carriers participating in the worldwide WinMo 6.5 rollout extravaganza bonanza on October 6, and that Microsoft has said they’ll be ramping up to thirty smartphones for the OS by year’s end, so the chance is pretty good that the HTC Imagio XV6975 is one of the new handsets we’ll be seeing early next month. As reported by PhoneArena, this one is by all accounts Leo’s little brother — a CDMA / GSM device that sports a 3.6-inch WVGA display, 528MHz processor, Wi-Fi, Opera browser, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, microSD slot, and all the TouchFLO 3D lovin’ you can handle. In addition, it will also be the first Verizon Smartphone to sport VCast MobileTV — you know, if that’s what you’re into. No word on pricing or release date, but you’ll know as soon as we do.

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Imagio with WinMo 6.5 out October 6 on Verizon? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It’s pretty typical for serial KIRFers to make minor changes to the names of the brands they’re ripping — take Sany Ericssan, for example — but we’ve never really known why. “Go big or go home” is the KIRF mantra we prefer to live by, and if you’re going to gank a phone’s design, by golly, do it with gusto. Give it 110 percent. In your heart, after all, that NOKLA’s really a Nokia — it’s what you feel deep inside that really matters, and no well-staffed, well-funded Finnish legal team can tell you otherwise. That’s what we’ve got to hand it to this particular model, simply called “Copy Nokia N900” in a painfully honest, accurate admission of its true raison d’être. Strangely, though, they’ve missed a few basic points: the Copy Nokia N900 trades the genuine article’s landscape QWERTY slider for a dual slide configuration in the same vein as the N85 and N95, for example, and Maemo 5 has gone missing — instead, you’re treated to a frighteningly accurate S60 5th Edition knockoff. If you can tolerate the dismal VGA cam, GPRS data, and QVGA screen, you’ll be pleased to discover that the phone features an analog (yes, analog) TV tuner and an accelerometer with “support” for flick control, which you can watch in action on video after the break — looks super fun and usable, doesn’t it?

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXXVI: Nokia N900 rip shows no trademark fear

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Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXXVI: Nokia N900 rip shows no trademark fear originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We might still have debates over whether the SCH-W880 represents a cameraphone or our newly minted category of phonecamera, but there’s no doubt about this: the Samsung AMOLED 12M is now official and coming to (at least) Korea in October. The specs align closely to yesterday’s info, with a 3x optical zoom, 720p video recording, dedicated camera controls, and a 800 x 480 3.3-inch AMOLED display grabbing the headlines. Touch AF makes use of the touchscreen to let you choose focus areas, while image stabilization and Smart Auto modes fill out the software side of the camera. That leaves us with scant little info on the actual phone, but you could probably fill those specs in yourself by now, right?

[Via Samsung Hub]

Gallery: Samsung SCH-W880

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras

Samsung’s 12 megapixel SCH-W880 made official originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

LG’s BL20 Chocolate — the younger sibling of the insane BL40 Chocolate Touch — has recently been making a real splash around these parts. Ever since we got our hands on it, we’ve been wondering when we’d hear some official pricing and launch information, and the wait seems to be coming to an end. It looks like the slider is going to run in the neighborhood of about €269, according to LG’s own website, which has also thrown up a few never-before-seen shots of the handset. That’s about all the news for now, but hit the read link to check out a few more snaps of this beauty, and be sure to have a gander at our own hands-on gallery below.

Gallery: LG BL20 hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones

LG’s BL20 Chocolate gets official with €269 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We’ve already seen AT&T’s 3G MicroCell picked up by a few desperate Charlotteans, but for those residing in North Carolina’s only city to own a professional sports championship (sorry, Panthers), their time has finally come to secure what just might be the most anticipated femtocell debut in the states. You heard right — Raleigh, NC has become AT&T’s second test market for the device you’re peering at above, and starting today, those in and around the Triangle can procure one from their local store. Needless to say, we jumped at the chance to give the unit a go, so feel free to hop on past the break if you’re on the hunt for a few more impressions.

Gallery: AT&T 3G MicroCell unboxing and impressions

Continue reading AT&T 3G MicroCell unboxing and impressions

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

AT&T 3G MicroCell unboxing and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXXV: TigerG3 looks like a Hero, doesn’t act like one originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well well, turns out rumors sometimes do come true. The widely speculated end to O2’s exclusivity of the iPhone is now upon us and Orange is the first competitor to throw its hat into the ring. The company has not yet released tariff pricing, but there’s a tantalizingly small release window, as availability is promised “later this year.” At least there’s finally some competition when it comes to the iPhone in the UK, and we can also probably look forward to T-Mobile joining in on the fun. Let the price war begin!

[Via iPhone Bang; Thanks, Gears]

Filed under: Cellphones

iPhone 3G and 3GS to be offered by Orange UK — official originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.