Engadget Mobile Gallery

Nokia's latest batch for emerging markets includes its cheapest phone ever

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 7:11AM

We spend most of our time talking about Espoo's Maemo- and Symbian-based lineup, which makes it easy to forget that the company has a vibrant business taking care of the very lowest rungs of the wireless industry -- devices that shatter price barriers and take service to entire new market segments in the furthest reaches of the world. Last year, it was the 1202 raising eyebrows with a €25 price tag, and this week, Nokia's beaten its own mark by coming out with the 1280 (pictured) at just €20 unsubsidized. The phone comes as part of a new five-pack of emerging market devices Nokia has shown this time around, including candybars ranging from the monochrome 1280 to the 1616 and 1800 with color displays for just €4 and €6 more, respectively; we've also got a 2220 slider and 2690 candybar that move a little upmarket at €45 and €54. All of the handsets feature FM radios (particularly critical in some of the markets where these phones will be sold) and feature killer battery life, perfect when power outlets can be hard to come by for days at a time. Indonesia will be the first to get these bad boys in early December, but we imagine they'll find their way to other regions shortly.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 available now from Rogers

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 5th 2009 at 10:56PM

AT&T and T-Mobile customers have a little bit to wait yet before they can clamp down on a 9700 of their own, but Rogers -- which has a history of being in the VIP section for new BlackBerry launches -- has already brought the new Bold flavor to market. RIM's latest high-end full QWERTY device will run you CAD $299.99 (about $281) on a three-year contract, scaling all the way up to CAD $599.99 (about $563) commitment-free -- so needless to say, you have to really want this thing. The original Bold's running CAD $99.99 on contract, so depending on what you're looking for (read: you're not a rabid early adopter like we are), that could come out the better deal.

[Via CrackBerry]

Nokia 3711 flips its way onto T-Mobile

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 5th 2009 at 4:41PM

Say "AWS-compliant Nokia" and the first thing many folks are going to be thinking about right now is the mighty N900, but yeah, that's not what T-Mobile's getting around to launching today. Instead, it's the 3711 that we first met back in early October, offering a QVGA primary display, 2 megapixel camera, GPS, and FM radio in a smooth little clamshell package that'll run $69.99 on an Even More contract after rebate or $159.99 on Even More Plus. It's available now -- just don't expect to be running Maemo on this bad boy and you should be fine.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 hands-on and impressions

by Laura June posted Nov 5th 2009 at 12:00AM

RIM's successor to the original Bold -- the BlackBerry Bold 9700 -- has finally landed on our doorsteps. The 9000 is in many ways a hard act to follow. Hardware-wise, it lived up to its name, going where most phones never went with its retro, leathery, nearly clunky looks in an age of rounded edges and shiny curves. Don't get us wrong -- we loved the 9000's aesthetics obsessively -- which is why we couldn't wait to get our hands on its newborn child. A few questions we had in mind: would the 9700 live up to its predecessor's notoriously uncompromising fashion sense? Would the new Bold feel as good to hold and use in the hand as its loving parent? How would it stack up against other, new devices from RIM? If these are the kind of questions you think you might want answers to, read on for our impressions.

Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9700 hands-on and impressions

LG GW620 Eve coming to Rogers, Android deftly avoids AT&T yet again

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 9:16PM

It looks like Canada's Rogers will be among the first carriers in the world to offer LG's first Android device, the GW620 Eve -- and for North Americans, this is particularly notable since it means there's a version of the device at retail that'll theoretically work on Bell, Telus, and AT&T in addition to Rogers proper. We have no indication that AT&T's about to actually pull the trigger on this thing (or on any Android device for that matter), though, so if you're into the 5 megapixel AF cam, full QWERTY slide, and 7.2Mbps HSDPA capability, we'd recommend putting your unlockin' pants on. For Rogers customers, we're not seeing a release date just yet, but it looks like you'll be paying a downright reasonable CAD $49.99 (about $47) on a three-year deal when it launches.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

North American version of T-Mobile Pulse gets FCC approval, but for which carrier?

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 6:07PM

Android-powered handsets are still rare enough so that the world can't afford to segment them by continent -- when a big model comes out, it's pretty much got to go everywhere. Okay, correction: it doesn't have to go everywhere, but we certainly want it to -- and fortunately, it looks like some lucky carrier in the Americas is signed up for the Huawei U8220. You might know this puppy better as the Pulse over on T-Mobile in Europe, and a new variant of the device -- model number U8220-6 -- has just garnered FCC approval in the past few days with 3G on the 850 and 1900MHz bands. That means Bell, Telus, Rogers, Fido, and AT&T could all be on tap to get this one; we doubt that AT&T would make its inaugural Android plunge with a midrange Huawei, but stranger things have happened.

[Via androphones.com, thanks Silver]

Motorola CLIQ lands in T-Mobile USA stores today

by Darren Murph posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 2:33PM

Motorola's Android-laden CLIQ has been available to existing T-Mobile USA users for a hot minute now, but not until today has the handset been widely available to all that care to take notice. Of course, the proper launch has been dampened somewhat by the emergence of the DROID (alongside Android 2.0), but hey, MOTOBLUR ain't nuthin' to scoff at, right? Feel free to locate your nearest T-Mob retail location, waltz in with $199.99 and get yours today.

Samsung Omnia II coming to Bell this month

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 12:40PM

Bell and Telus are both making quick work of forgetting their legacy CDMA networks and bringing gobs of sexy, high-profile devices to their new HSPA digs -- presumably in an effort to get folks switched over as quickly as possible and steal Rogers customers posthaste -- and the latest is Samsung's Omnia II, which will be coming to Bell in GSM form (despite the fact that Verizon is bringing a CDMA version to market). Featuring a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED display, 5 megapixel cam, WinMo 6.5, and 16GB of storage on board, the phone definitely rests at or near the top of the current WinMo crop -- but the real news here is the fact that the phone has just been selected as the Official Mobile Device of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which we suppose means you can use it with pride while bobsledding, lugeing, curling, slaloming, or whatever other arctic sports you enjoy. Pricing hasn't been announced, but the phone will be available this month; let's just hope that Olympic endorsement doesn't drive up the MSRP, eh?

LG's Android-equipped GW620 hits the FCC

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 30th 2009 at 2:59PM

By all accounts, the GW620 seems to be a pretty timid first entry into the Android fray for LG -- it's a pretty plain-vanilla set with nary a software customization to be found -- but there's definitely a market for that sort of thing, so it's good to see that they're making nice progress toward retail availability with an FCC filing here. Of course, as with far too many phones, FCC approval has precisely zero bearing on whether it'll actually be offered in the New World; these guys are just dotting their I's and crossing their T's as they prepare for a proper launch in key markets around the globe where travel to the US seems like a possibility. The particular version we've got here is the GW620F variant, rocking quadband GSM / EDGE plus WCDMA Band V which offers up 850MHz 3G. If we had to guess, there's also 2100 in there, which would make it likely bound for Australia. With DROID Fever still in full effect, of course, it could launch in Antarctica and we're not sure the Android community would be paying too much mind.

Nokia's Illuvial Collection is pretty in pink

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 29th 2009 at 7:22PM

We're not sure why the color pink tends to spawn special editions with greater frequency than other colors, but for pink lovers, it works out pretty nicely because you end up getting all sorts of free crap bundled with your phone simply for buying your favorite shade. Take Nokia's new Illuvial Collection, for example, which has taken the 5530, 6303, and 6700, dressed them up in a very hot shade of pink, and stuffed 'em in boxes with custom leather cases and straps. The pinkfest doesn't stop there, though: the phones also include custom themes which are dominated by -- you guessed it -- pink. It looks like all three models are already available from the UK's mobiles.co.uk, and other markets throughout Europe should be getting hooked up with at least some of these in the coming weeks.

[Via mobil.cz]

Read - 5530
Read - 6303
Read - 6700

LG Chocolate Touch for Verizon coming November 5

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 29th 2009 at 7:07AM

We've been able to confirm with a trusted source that LG's Chocolate Touch for Verizon -- which will end up being about as far from the sexy BL40 as possible, unfortunately -- is slated for a November 5 launch. With the DROID and Droid Eris both launching in the same window, it's going to be tough for this puppy to get a word in edgewise, even though it's the latest model in a storied brand and really doesn't compete on any level with Verizon's Android devices. Then again, considering how far they've strayed from the BL40 with this one, we can't say we're feeling a ton of sympathy.

[Thanks, HTC Kid]

Nokia's N97 mini gets its shipping papers

by Darren Murph posted Oct 28th 2009 at 2:31PM

Right on cue, the smaller-but-just-barely N97 mini is now ready for public consumption over in Europe. Granted, we're certainly at the tail end of October, but we can't say that we caught Nokia in a lie or anything based on what was said last month in Stuttgart. You've already committed the specifications to memory and read all about firmware 2.0, so now all that's left to do is run along, fork out €450 ($667) and wonder forever if this decision will positively or negatively change the course of your life.

SonyStyle unleashes Sony Ericsson Aino in the US for $600

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 28th 2009 at 12:01PM

Though it may not have the most elegant name in the world, we've got to give Sony Ericsson's Aino credit for at least one thing: it's officially launching in the US, unlocked, just a few short months after being announced. You'll be paying a stout $599.99 for the privilege of putting one in your pocket, but in exchange, you'll get an 8.1 megapixel sensor, Remote Play support, tri-band HSPA, and WiFi on a 432 x 240 display. You're not just getting the phone for that outlay, though: SE also throws in a stereo Bluetooth headset, dock, and an 8GB microSD (yes, microSD, not Memory Stick, mercifully) card. It's still showing as backordered on SonyStyle's website, but you should be able to find this in stock both online and in Sony's stores across the land very shortly. Follow the break for the full release.

Continue reading SonyStyle unleashes Sony Ericsson Aino in the US for $600

Bell announces HSPA+ Turbo Stick, MiFi for shiny new network

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 27th 2009 at 12:12PM

What good is a brand new 21Mbps beast of a network without some hardcore data devices ready to take advantage of it? Not much good at all, which is why Canada's Bell Mobility is Johnny-on-the-spot this week with a couple hardware announcements. First up, there'll be an aptly named HSPA+ Turbo Stick, which -- you guessed it -- is a USB stick capable of blazing along at HSPA+ speeds. Next up, lucky customers will be getting the MiFi 2372 from Novatel, the North American 3G version that we'd all love for AT&T to launch at some point. Both devices will be swinging by in November, just in time to christen the brand new towers on a high note.

Sony Ericsson Equinox channels T707 flip for T-Mobile

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 27th 2009 at 2:59AM

The T707 has become Sony Ericsson's gold-standard midrange fashion flip for 2009, and in light of the fact that T-Mobile USA has been turning a new leaf with these guys lately, it only makes sense that they'd want to bring a version of it onto the network, right? Indeed, the TM717 remix that we've seen in the FCC already has now been officially revealed as the Equinox, featuring a 3.2 megapixel camera, integrated FM radio, support for HSDPA, and a trick motion sensor that lets you control certain phone functions by waving your hand over the front. It'll be hitting "select" T-Mobile retail locations plus the corporate website tomorrow, but anyone holding out until the 31st and visiting the grand opening of T-Mob's latest LA location will have a chance to meet diehard Sony Ericsson fanatic Maria Sharapova (pictured, along with a T707) and participate in a lookalike contest. Conveniently, we were looking to go out on Halloween as Maria Sharapova anyhow, so this works out swimmingly.