Talks of Sprint and T-Mobile Merger In The Air

Recently, Sprint's CEO, Dan Hesse sat down with the Financial Times and re-confirmed the company's option to pursue LTE if and when the time is right. Sprint and Clearwire are said to be in the enviable position of having access ample 4G spectrum that is able to support LTE on the top of the current WiMAX network. The abundance in the 4G spectrum the company has and the possibility of deploying LTE has analysts reconsidering the potential for a merger between Sprint and T-Mobile. Rumors of a merger between Sprint and T-Mobile are floating the air and they first emerged in 2008 but the talks reportedly stalled between the two companies since they used two very different and incompatible wireless technologies. If Sprint and T-Mobile both adopt LTE technology, a merger is more likely as Sprint would receive a boost from T-Mobile's 33 million subscribers and T-Mobile would gain access to the 4G spectrum which will help them as well. During his talk with Financial Times, Hesse did acknowledge that there was logic to the merger but failed to comment on the possibility that the two wireless providers were in the middle of discussions.

Stay up to date with any news and info by following us on Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feeds.

Sprint Releases HTC Evo 4G OTA Update

Earlier today, Sprint released an over-the-air Android software update to the HTC Evo 4G. The update is labeled as version 1.47.651.1 and is 21.43MB. It is mainly a few bug fixes and improvements upon existing features. Many users have reported to have "enhanced" WiFi that works better and notice faster load times and more responsiveness on the phone's home screen. Others seemed to notice nothing different and and reported having certain customized settings being reset, such as wallpapers. If you own an HTC Evo 4G and have upgraded, let us know your experience post-update as opposed to before by dropping us comment below!

HTC Evo 4G Sells Out Online Once Again

The HTC Evo 4G first sold out soon after its release and is now still getting hard to find. You may have some luck tracking it down locally but the option that requires the least physical movement (ordering online) isn't actually an option for now, with Sprint saying "this device is hot we can't keep it on our virtual shelves." Within time the situation will probably be different but it makes you wonder whether the shortage is due to actual sales or the screen separation fix being on the assembly line. Have any of you been trying to get one? If so, share your experience in the comments below.

BestBuy Exclusive – “White” HTC EVO 4G

If you are a fan of HTC phones, and are into the EVO 4G but aren't too crazy about the Black color, well cheer up. BestBuy have locked an exclusive deal to offer a White version of the popular android smartphone. According to sources, the white model is now available for pre-orders and is set to go on sale as of July 11th.

The new handset is expected to cost the same $200 with a two-year contract as the current Black Evo 4G. HTC Evo 4G is the first US handset compatible with a WiMAX network, which is available in some markets across the US, and has a 1GHz processor, 4.3-inch screen and a front-facing camera.

For more information about the HTC EVO 4G, check out our posts here.

[How To] Tether Your Evo 4G

Evo 4G users can already rejoice as more features start to come in for them. Evo users can enjoy unlimited free WiFi and Bluetooth tethering using the Wireless Tether for Root users (or simply Android-WiFi-Tether) app. The app’s main committer Harald Mue worked with a community contributor Andrew Robinson to get the app up and running. The community dedication was just simply amazing as the Evo was released just this past Friday.

Requirements

The only requirement is that your Evo is rooted. You can read about what root means and how to get your Evo rooted by following the instructions in our previous post. It is really simple and you’ll be done fairly quick.

Download

wireless_tether_2_0_1.apk (Stable)

wireless_tether_2_0_2-pre14.apk (Experimental)

After you have rooted, download and install the .apk file.

Update: android-wifi-tether does not work in infrastructure mode. Your devices have to be capable of joining an ad-hoc network. Android devices cannot as of right now, so your other mobile device may not be able to do so.

Sprint’s WiFi Hotspot

Sprint offers its own version of the WiFi app, which supports a stronger encryption (WPA/WPA2), while android-wifi-tether only supports a weak WEP. The company’s hotspot app also costs $30 a month while android-wifi-tether is free. You are already paying Sprint $10 extra for “premium data” per month already, why not really take advantage of it? This is one of the most useful apps to date for Android phones. For those of you who are concerned about WEP, you can use a whitelist capability of android-wifi-teter, which only lets through pre-approved WiFi MAC addresses. As of right now, there still may be bugs, but the new pre14 release seems to be working well from what we gathered. Download yours, test it out, and report back to us by dropping a comment below!

Qik Charges $4.99 Monthly Fee For Video Chatting On HTC Evo 4G

We all thought the mandatory $10 "premium data add-on" for Sprint's EVO 4G would additionally include YouTube and Qik video chat, well we were only half right. The people over at Android Guys have what seems to be an alleged to be scan from Sprint's training materials, and according to one image, Qik will cost everyone another $4.99 monthly via PayPal (not through the carrier) to use. It has been confirmed and it's a bit of a bummer to see the premiums continuing to add up. Luckily Fring's Skype video is still free and you can see in the video below that it works pretty well.

Possibility of iPhone 4G / HD Coming To Sprint Next Month

Several rumors in the past few weeks lead us to believe that the next generation iPhone will be available on Verizon from September this year. However, there are new rumors on the block that suggest that customers may not get a Verizon iPhone anytime soon but they might not have to wait so long for AT&T’s network exclusivity to end either.

According to TheTechUpdate, Apple might launch the next generation iPhone on Sprint in June this summer. According to their source, who claims to be an employee at Best Buy, the shelf display of the device could begin “within a week or two.” The source claims:

“I work in an electronics store that has a mobile phone store within it. I can confirm that Sprint will be carrying the iPhone beginning in June. They’ve begun to grease the wheels for advertising. There is no news in regards o a Verizon version however.”

TheTechUpdate has also posted screenshots of the email conversation they had with their source which can be found below:

The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is just a couple of weeks away. The latest speculations provide an additional dimension to recent rumors that Apple might announce an end to AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity wit the launch of the fourth generation iPhone. However, skeptics have questioned the credibility of these rumors considering that Apple’s original agreement with AT&T was signed for a period of five years.

The Best Buy employee claims that Apple may have cut short the duration of the agreement in exchange for AT&T’s iPad deal that was announced earlier this year. MacRumors points out that Best Buy employees are not good sources to carry insider information from Apple and hence may not carry enough credibility. Also, a rumored “shelf display” next week appears very unlikely considering that the next generation iPhone is at least two weeks away from launch.

Nonetheless, an iPhone on Sprint could be an exciting proposition for customers looking for an alternative to the congested AT&T network. It would also be interesting if you consider that the HTC Evo 4G, will also be available on Sprint’s 4G network from June 4. Would you be willing to switch to Sprint if Apple’s fourth generation is also available on it’s 4G network or will you stay with AT&T?

HTC Evo Gets Rooted Before Its Release

Just a few days after Google handed out an Evo 4G to every attendee of I/O 2010, a team of three hackers managed to successfully root the phone with 11 days to spare. Details aobut how the root was achieved are being kept from the public, out of fear of a last minute patch, but that doesn’t mean that ranking members of the Android Army can’t get their freak on watching a YouTube video of the root at work. Click to see the video below:

FCC Fails To Acknowledge "Effective Competition"

You can think whatever you like, but when the FCC recently released its report on the state of competition in the wireless industry, it left a few choice words out. It failed to describe the industry as having "effective competition" for the first time since 2002. The report, which covers the period of 2008 and part of 2009, could signal the government is getting ready to regulate and impost policies to encourage and increase competition in the wireless industry. AT&T's senior vice president of federal regulatory policy, Robert Quinn, said that the move toward more regulation is "unwarranted," while Verizon' Kathleen Grillo said that the "facts" have already shown that there is enough competition in the industry. Regardless, the report actually fails to come to a conclusion on the whole matter. This leaves the FCC's options pretty open at this point, so we're going to have to keep an eye out.

AT&T Plans To Cover 250 Million People With HSPA+ By End of 2010

AT&T recently changed its story on its 3.5G / 3.75G strategy prior to rolling out LTE seemingly countless times in the past couple years, but the good news is that the new policy shift is decidedly a positive one: it intends to cover about 250 million Americans in speedy HSPA+ by the end of 2010. The remarks came from AT&T OperationsCEO John Stankey at a Reuters event, going on to say that the company intends to “double” its theoretical 7.2 Mbps maximum on HSPA. It’s almost certain that this move is in response to the aggressive moves into 21 Mbps made by T-Mobile, not to mention commercial WiMAX availability on Sprint and the impending launch of a handful of LTE markets on Verizon. Realistically HSPA+ on AT&T could easily run anywhere between 7.2 and 14.4 Mbps depending on market, the backhaul capcity, and countless other factors. Seems like this move was also planned to work out well with the upcoming iPhone launch.

Radio Shack To Offer HTC EVO 4G; Preorders Available For $50

Radio Shack has just been added to the list of retailers taking preorders for the HTC EVO 4G. They also are sweetening the deal just a little bit - if you reserve a phone prior to launch by purchasing a $50 gift card, they'll toss in a $20 credit toward accessories.

RadioShack’s preorder promotion is valid from today until May 31, 2010. There is a limit of three preorders per person, and once your EVO 4G arrives you have 48 hours to claim it.

The HTC EVO 4G will cost $200, with a two year contract, although to get this price you’ll need to turn in a $100 mail in rebate. You can also preorder the EVO 4G at Best Buy and Sprint stores, and if you preorder the device from Best Buy the retailer will get the $200 price without the hassle of a mail in rebate.

Google Opts Out From Selling Phones in Google Phone Store

Back in January, when Google officially unveiled the Nexus One to the world, the other big announcement along with the Google Application Store was the Google Phone Store, where they would be selling the device. The Store wasn’t meant to just sell the Nexus One, or at least that was what the original plan. Google’s ideas to sell multiple phones, to multiple carriers seemed like a great idea, until they began to run into some hurdles, which, apparently, have lead to the result of the actual selling of phones through the digital retail shop.

The CDMA version of the Nexus One seems to have fallen off the map. With Verizon opting out of the deal because of their recent launch of the HTC Incredible, and then Sprint deciding to back out from getting Nexus One as well in light of the EVO 4G’s release not even a month away, the only two version of the Nexus One available in the United States were GSM. So, not much to go on. And now, Andy Rubin of Google has officially announced that, starting now, the Nexus One will start being sold in retail stores around the world. And that means it’s going to not be sold in the Google Phone Store.

Google also announced that the Phone Store will now just be a “window to showcase a variety of Android phones available globally.” Though, this does mean the Nexus One will start selling in retail stores, so that may be good news to some people out there.

[via Google's Official Blog]

HTC Evo 4G Preorders Available At BestBuy

Earlier, Best Buy announced that the HTC Evo 4G, which was officially introduced by Sprint earlier, is now available for preorder from Best Buy stores effective immediately. It looks like the preorder is available strictly at Best Buy retail locations and not online at BestBuy.com, at least for now.

The email makes no mention of the mandatory $10 monthly Evo usage fee that we reported on earlier, which is a sure recipe for some surprised and possibly not very happy customers about to head to Best Buy.

There was also no mention of how exactly the deal is going to be handled, though from our past experience, Best Buy will most likely substitute any mail-in rebates with instant credits and take a $50 preorder deposit in the form of a Best Buy gift card.



The email received after preordering can be found below:

HTC EVO 4G with Google

Now available for you to pre-order

America’s first 4G phone is coming to Best Buy!

The feature-packed HTC EVO 4G with Google gives you the power to download music, photos, files or videos in seconds. Stream video, create content, and upload to your favorite social network. Features two cameras, mobile hotspot capability plus access to thousands of apps in Android Market. Learn more or view demo.

Pre-order your HTC EVO 4G today at a Best Buy store near you. Phone will be available for pickup beginning June 4, 2010.

And a spaced out, broken down version of the fine print which is awfully hard to read:

HTC EVO 4G: Phone requires a two-year Agreement and activation on select service plan and premium data buy-up.

Optional Sprint Mobile Hotspot add-on required to access Wi-Fi on device.

Other Terms:

Coverage is not available everywhere.

Sprint 4G is currently available in over 30 markets and counting and on select devices. See sprint.com/4G for details.

Not all services available on 4G, and coverage may default to 3G/separate network where 4G is unavailable.

Pricing, offer terms, fees and features may vary for existing customers not eligible for upgrade.

Other restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. Sprint and the logo are trademarks of Sprint. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

So how many of you are going to go and preorder your very own HTC Evo 4G? Share your thoughts and comments below.

Sprint's Evo 4G To Release June 4 - Has Two Way Voice Chat

 

It has finally been announced and made official, Sprint will have the Android powered HTC Evo 4G on sale for $200 on June 4^th, which was even earlier than expected. It is said to feature the two-way video chat on 3G and 4G networks, which makes sense given the forward-facing camera that it is implemented.

Although the pricing and release aren’t really a surprise, more information about the two-way chat was revealed. The device is said to run Qik, which is a third party app, which means that you’d likely be able to make cellphone-to-computer calls, which definitely has its own appeal.

Other pricing details that have emerged foreshadow future pain. Sprint WiMax is going to run everyone’s pockets an extra $10 a month as a “Premium Data add-on,” and while the thought of using the Evo 4G as a hotspot for up to eight devices is very appealing, the feeling suddenly turns around after hearing that it will cost about an extra $30 a month to do so.

HTC EVO 4G Android Smartphone Spotted On Sprint's Website

Consumers will soon experience the power of the 4G Android Phone. Sprint seems to be getting closer to the launch date of the 4G Android phone. The wireless company has posted a coming soon page on their website where you can sign up for updates on it's release.

The HTC EVO 4G handset is centered around a 480 x 800 4.3-inch TFT LCD, with a Snapdragon QSD8650 1GHz processor under the hood (the CDMA version of the QSD8250 in the HD2 and Nexus One), and even a helpful 1GB of built-in memory and 512MB of RAM. Even the battery is bigger than the HD2, and the camera is an 8 megapixel monstrosity with flash, that’s capable of 720p video, and is also enhanced by a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for good measure. The phone features HDMI out (though you’ll need an adapter for turning it into a TV-familiar HDMI plug), 802.11b/g WiFi, and an 8GB microSD card.

Sprint’s iPad “4G Case”

We all got the picture when Sprint first released the virtues of WiMAX in an ad featuring the iPhone on Sprint's 4G network, and now Sprint is giving away a special "4G" iPad case for free with the purchase of an Overdrive from BestBuy. To be sure, the tote features a special pouch for your new mobile hotspot as well. No word yet on if placing a 3G iPad in the case creates from singularity from which no nearby object can escape (or get reception, for that matter). I think we all got the picture of Sprint wanting the US drooling over an iDevice hitting the internet at 4G speeds.

HTC Leaks EVO 4G Video on YouTube

It seems that HTC does not want us to lose interest in last weeks announcement of the EVO 4G; the world’s first 3G/4G Android phone. HTC has just posted a YouTube video showing off some of the EVO’s strengths, complete with low-key techno music and a 3D-CAD style EVO - The HTC EVO 4g.

The EVO 4G takes on a life of its own, the handset is centered around a 480 x 800 4.3-inch TFT LCD, with a Snapdragon QSD8650 1GHz processor under the hood (the CDMA version of the QSD8250 in the HD2 and Nexus One), and even a helpful 1GB of built-in memory and 512MB of RAM. Even the battery is bigger than the HD2, and the camera is an 8 megapixel monstrosity with flash, that's capable of 720p video, and is also enhanced by a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for good measure. The phone features HDMI out (though you'll need an adapter for turning it into a TV-familiar HDMI plug), 802.11b/g WiFi, and an 8GB microSD card.

There's that still-rare Android 2.1 underneath an updated version of HTC's Sense UI. But, despite all these wild features, what actually sets the EVO 4G apart is the fact that it's Sprint's first 4G phone. The handset runs a combo of EV-DO Rev. A and WiMAX, with calls still being made over CDMA and the EV-DO / WiMAX options for data.

Check out the video below:

HTC Legend Vs HTC Desire Vs Google Nexus One

 

With the market flooded with Android cell phones how do you decided which one is best for you, I am sure most of you are huge Android platform fans. There is so much that can be done with that locked OS. This open-source helps to breed new modifications as anyone and everyone who can rip the coding apart to find bugs and create new enhancements.

We have been keeping our eyes on the newest devices out there and reading a lot of everyone's comments and informations on these devices. Android cell phone is the next big thing. In our usual perusing of the web for mobile news, we found this hands-on comparison of three of the top devices out in the market running this great OS. Now while it would have been nice to see Droid thrown in there for good measure, this is definitely worth the read. Afterwards, I'd like to get user responses from those who own any of these devices and see if the author's review is spot on.

The days when the T-Mobile G1 was the bad boy in the Android world has happily come and gone. Now, the Android OS is being used to create some truly industry leading handsets and HTC is behind some of the best. But yet again which one would you spend your hard earned money on? Here is a review on the three great devices.

The HTC Legend:

The HTC Legend, successor to the company's widely-loved Hero, was made official at Mobile World Congress 2010. A little smaller than the Hero, the Legend has a 3.2-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with multitouch support, dualband UMTS/HSPA (900/1800) and a frame milled from a single block of aluminum. In fact the Legend is an example of HTC's Hidden Power design ethos, a concept whereby good looks are delivered through slick functionality; in this case, the aluminum is not only the shell but the chassis, meaning HTC can make their devices a whole lot smaller.

The HTC Desire:

HTC Desire delivers intense brilliance, sharp contrast, and true colors on the expansive 3.7-inch AMOLED display. The 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor makes the phone incredibly responsive as you multitask from app to app without skipping a beat, while the instinctive HTC Sense experience lets you wield the power of the HTC Desire with the greatest of ease. The HTC Desire excels at helping you stay in touch with the different circles of friends or colleagues in your life. The new People widget lets you bring any group you create on your phone right to the surface for easy access to calling, messaging, emailing or simply checking up on social networking updates.

Google Nexus One:

The Nexus One is packed with its own tricks. Its version of Android is essentially the same improved edition as the one that appeared on the Motorola Droid back in November. But it has a few new features, including an experimental dictation capability. You just press a microphone icon on the keyboard and start talking, and the words appear. In my tests, this worked only adequately at best, and very poorly at worst, but Google insists it will learn and improve.

The phone also has handsome new visual features, including "live wallpaper," with waving grass or pulsing colored lines; and a new zooming effect when you want to view icons that aren't on your main screens. In addition, you can now view miniatures of your five main screens to help you navigate to the one you want. The Nexus One also has all the key software features introduced in the Droid, including free turn-by-turn voice-prompted navigation.

AT&T Invests In Network To Prevent Verizon iPhone “Exodus”

 

The Wall Street Journal mentioned today that AT&T is recently pouring several investments in building out its network as a defensive move against a "huge exodus to Verizon" when its rival gets the iPhone. The preventative measures include working with Apple on streamlining the iPhone's network load and infrastructure spending that is expected to be a total of $2 million by the end of 2010. The Wall Street Journal claimed yesterday that Apple was in the process of making a CMDA version of its iPone that could hit mass production as early as September and allowing other networks (Verizon) to get iPhones out by the holidays. However, you can't come to a conclusion about the iPhone on the Verizon network just yet. Sprint has shown a remarkable ability of attracting new cutting edge phones. The picture that comes with the whole ordeal though, is one of AT&T nervously trying to patch up its service offering in the ace of a rapidly expiring exclusivity agreement.

CTIA 2010 - Event Roundup

Well the CTIA 2010 Wireless event is over but for those of you who missed out on any info, our round-up should provide you with what you may want to know. Several big industry-changing announcements were made during the event, including the introduction of 4G technology and the announcement of the HTC Evo, which is one of the most powerful smartphones announced to this date. The U.S wireless carriers all brought some news to the table as to what their future plans are and several companies released their new phones to try and build up some hype.

4G Technology and Where U.S Wireless Carriers Currently Stand

Sprint's announcement of 4G technology was definitely industry-changing and all of the U.S wireless carriers started to drop news and information on what direction they are headed in to provide consumers in the U.S up-t0-date speeds on wireless devices. Smartphones have been increasing traffic exponentially and the consumption of bandwidth on the current wireless technologies is heavily increasing. Check out more information on how each network is planning on providing a better experience to U.S consumers in our scoop.

AT&T To Begin Nationwide Rollout of 3G Microcell

AT&T announced that next month it will begin a nationwide rollout of its 3G MicroCell service. The 3G service will allow wireless subscribers to utilize their home Internet connection for enhanced voice and data coverage. The service will cost up to $19.99 per month for unlimited minutes. In addition to the monthly cost, the 3G MicroCell device will cost $150. Selecting a plan at purchase will get you a $100 mail-in rebate, dropping the long-term price of the unit to $50. Even though AT&T is the last of the big 4 U.S. carriers to offer such a device to its customers, user with poor services at home or business will greatly benefit from it.

HTC HD2 Released & Sells Out Quick

HTC released it's first Windows Phone 7 compatible hardware device on March 24th by T-Mobile. But, Walmart got first dibs at it,and folks were able to get their hands on it a few days early before the official release of March 24th. And, then Amazon jumped on the offer as well along with some other stores and defeated T-Mobile sales and sold the SmartPhone withing 4 hours of its release. The cell phone was discounted down to a mere $100.00. This was great, despite the fact that this cell phone was released yesterday. Amazon has out done itself by offering the HTC HD2 for $99.99 with a two years contract. HD2 initially shipped with Windows Mobile 6.5, but an upgrade is now possible, even though Microsoft originally announced that an upgrade from OS 6.5 to OS7 will not be possible. According to a tweet posted this morning on a Russian twitter account, it looks like HTC HD2 has been confirmed to get Windows Mobile 7 upgrade when it is released in Q3/Q4 of 2010. Though we are sure the OS will be leaked prior to it's official release.

Samsung's New Phone: Galaxy S

Samsung announced their new phone as well, known as the Galaxy S. The phone on a quick note can be described as astounding. Everything is bright and crisp, text legible, and the colors are jaw-droppingly beautiful. The touchscreen performance is a standout on this Android 2.1 device and coupled with Samsung’s 1GHz Application Processor, not only is the phone very responsive but the UI is smooth and fast. The Galaxy S can shoot HD video at 720p also, with its 5 megapixel cam and it plays back beautifully on its display. The spec sheet lists this as a triple-band HSPA device living in the 900 / 1800 / 1900 realm and while US availability was announced for this year, no word on the carrier has been made. For more info on the Galaxy S, head over to our overview article about the new phone.

Sprint's Groundbreaking New Device - HTC Evo & 4G Technology

Sprint released an announcement of unveiling a "groundbreaking new device" the day before the CTIA event and the company was spot on. On the first day of the event, they announced the HTC Evo and announced 4G technology incoming to their network. The company went from having a middle of the line phone line-up and average service to gaining a substantial lead in the industry. More news can be read about their announcements on our scoop of their announcements and more information on the HTC Evo can be found here.

T-Mobile's HSPA+ Network Announcement and Dell Mini Netbook

T-Mobile while not working towards 4G technology announced information of their acceptance and advancement on an HSPA+ network which they are planning on focusing on. Although they didn't give specific numbers, T-Mobile has mentioned that their HSPA+ network should work three to five times faster than their 3G network. Alongside with the announcement of their HSPA+ network, they also announced the release of a Dell Mini Netbook which will also have access to their HSPA+ network. For more information on netbook and the network, check our article here.

Some of the Other Announcements

Dell Announced It's First US Android Phone: Dell Aero

On March 22nd, AT&T announced that it will carry Dell's first Android smartphone in the U.S market, the Aero. The Aero offers a 5 megapixel camera, a 3.4-inch nHD display, GPS, WiFi support, and integrated access to social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. The phone also sports Dell's custom Android user interface. One thing that made this phone stand out was how the company boasted that is the lightest phone out but never released full weight specifications, which was a bit off. Full list of features can be found below:

2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

3G Network : HSDPA 850 / 1900

Display Type : TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors

Size : 360 x 640 pixels, 3.5 inches

- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate

- Multi-touch input method

- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off

Sound Alert types : Vibration; MP3 ringtones

Speakerphone : Yes

Memory Phonebook : Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall

Call records : Practically unlimited

Card slot : microSD (TransFlash) up to 32GB

Data GPRS : Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 – 48 kbps

EDGE : Class 12

3G : HSDPA 3.6 Mbps

WLAN : Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g

Bluetooth : Yes v2.1 with A2DP

Infrared port : No

USB : Yes, miniUSB v2.0

Camera : Primary 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, autofocus

Features : Geo-tagging

Video : Yes

Secondary : No

Features OS : Android OS

Messaging : SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, IM

Browser : HTML

Games : Yes

Colors : Black

GPS : Yes, with A-GPS support

Java : Via third party application

- MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player

- MP3/e-AAC+/WMA player

- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,

- YouTube, Google Talk

- Document viewer

- Photo viewer/editor

- Organizer

- Voice memo

- T9

Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh

LG Unveiled Two New Eco-Friendly Phones: LG Cosmos for Verizon Wireless and LG Remarq for Sprint

At CTIA 2010, LG unveiled two slide-out QWERTY phones for the mass-market, the LG Cosmos for Verizon Wireless and the LG Remarq for Sprint.

The LG Cosmos will provide access to Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and other social networking sites, and it's 1.3 megapixel camera can share pictures directly to online albums and Facebook. The phone also supports Bluetooth 2.1, and sports a price tag of $30 / $80 and was already released on March 25, 2010.

The LG Remarq is said to be the most eco-friendly of the two, and even comes with a pre-loaded Eco Calculator application that allows users to calculate the CO2 reduction savings by walking or cycling as opposed to driving their car. The phone will be joining Sprint's new line of Eco-QWERTY phones in May. LG promised that users will be able to stay stay connected to friends and post their latest pics with easy access to Facebook and Photobucket. In addition to having a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the LG Remarq features a 1.3 megapixel camera, and MP3 player with a microSD slot, Stereo Bluetooth, and instant messaging. The phone will come in two colors, dark silver or turquoise and sport a $20 / $70 price tag with a release dat of May 9, 2010.

Motorola Announces i1

The Motorola i1 is a business-oriented smartphone heading for Sprint and it will be the first Android OS smartphone to offer Push To Talk (PTT) service. It will be capable of getting email from a wide range of business and consumer sources, including Microsoft Exchange. The Motorola model even meets military specifications for protection against dust, shock, vibration, and blowing rain but despite all that it isn't going to be huge or be a heavy lump. The i1 will have a ruggedized tablet shape with a 3.1 inch HVGA touchscreen and a wide array of third-party software available from the Android Marketplace. Users will be able to browse the Web with the Opera Mini 5 browser over an iDEN or Wi-Fi connection, but the standard Android browser will work only over Wi-Fi. This is to compensate for iDEN's rather slow data transfer speed. Check out some of the pics below for the phone, which is set to be released this summer:

Engadget had an excellent video tour of the phone which you can check out below:

OpenPeak Partners Up With AT&T For New Tablet

OpenPeak devices have been heard of for years but the company is finally getting behind its recently announced OpenTablet 7 in a big way, recently announcing a partnership with AT&T for data plans in the US. Neither party will confirm exact plan pricing, but it will probably be similar to iPad data pricing. The device itself is surprisingly well built and the software is rather mature as well. OpenPeak claims to have "thousands of apps" for its platform that stretches across devices including phones, frames, and now a tablet, with a Linux-based platform with a Flash layer on top.

The tablet has a smooth UI and seems pretty far along, though we're promised even more polish as things near the market released. The touchscreen keyboard could use some work btu for home automation and/or video conferencing (the device packs a 1080p front-facing camera and a 5 megapixel shooter around back), it seems like the OpenPeak can carve a niche for itself on the market. The 1.9GHz Moorestown chip under the hood, which offers huge power savings over Atom is an excellent step in the right direction. It helps with UI elements and vide, and even runs cool to the touch. The tablet comes packed with a docking station offers charging and port replication, but theres also an HDMI plug built right into the bottom of the tablet, along with a removable microSD up top. There is no word on an exact release date or price but it'll be rebranded with AT&T.

Palm Pixi Plus and Pre Plus Headed to AT&T "in the coming months"

Palm who had recent misfortunes of almost going out of business announced that their two popular phones are headed towards the AT&T network. The Pre Plus and Pixi Plus will be available for $149.99 and a deep-discount of $49.99 (with a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract), respectively. Both phones will be equipped similarly to their Verizon counterparts except AT*T will be offering a variation with a blue back plate. Both UMTS / HSDPA devices will support AT&T's new Address Book service as a Synergy sync option, and will have free auto-connect access to the carrier's WiFi +20,000 hotspots. We don't know exactly when during the "coming months" the phone will be available, lets just hope its soon.