Latest Mobile Phone News

Heres a video demo of the latest build of MeeGo phone UX running on the Nokia N900! Check it out after the break

Popularity: 9%

Not sure if your Motorola Android smartphone will be upgraded with Android 2.1 or Android 2.2? Motorola has announced its plan on the upgrading process, although it did not have a specific release date. Check out the device list table after the jump.

USA

* BACKFLIP (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.1 planned for Q3
* CLIQ (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.1 – testing in process, planned for late Q3/early Q4
* CLIQ XT (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.1 – testing in process, planned for late Q3/early Q4
* DEVOUR (USA) Will not have a software upgrade to Android 2.1
* DROID by Motorola (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.2 currently rolling out in phases
* DROID X by Motorola (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for late summer.

Canada

* BACKFLIP (Canada) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* DEXT (Canada) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* MILESTONE (Canada) Upgrade to Android 2.2 under evaluation
* QUENCH (Canada) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation

Europe

* BACKFLIP (Europe) Will not have software upgrade to Android 2.1
* DEXT (Europe) Will not have software upgrade to Android 2.1
* MILESTONE (Europe) Initial rollout of upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for Q4

Asia-Pacific

* BACKFLIP (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* DEXT (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* MILESTONE (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade to Android 2.2 under evaluation
* QUENCH (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* MILESTONE (Korea) Initial rollout of upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for Q4
* MOTOROI (Korea) Initial rollout of upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for Q4
* Titanium (Korea) Initial rollout of upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for Q4

Latin America and Mexico

* BACKFLIP (Latin America and Mexico) Will not have software upgrade to Android 2.1
* DEXT (Latin America and Mexico Will not have software upgrade to Android 2.1
* MILESTONE (Latin America and Mexico) Upgrade to Android 2.2 under evaluation

Popularity: 6%

Earlier this week a T-Mobile G2 mini site was launched. The G2 is a step up from the G1 and brings a list of improved features such as a faster processor, more memory, better screen and an updated Android OS. Another feature is that it will be compatible with HSPA+ networks allowing it to receive and send data at 4G speeds on the T-Mobile network.

The new smartphone is expected to have a 3.7 inch screen and also have a sliding QWERTY keyboard as pictures above. One thing we noticed when compared to the G1 is that a row of keys is missing with the QWERTY being the top row with numbers on the shift key.

A design feature sees the chin dropping on the G2. We are unsure why the screen is raised in the picture, but from what we have heard, it doesn’t tilt. Perhaps the G2 opens outwards in an arc rather than the upwards swing of the original.

We’ll continue to watch this one.

Popularity: 5%

The Sprint Epic 4G is one of the Samsung Galaxy S devices that have been released in US. There are few additions that make this one bad boy stand apart from it’s cousins. The Epic 4G can activate Sprint’s Wimax data in a location that has service.

As you can see on the picture, the handset will have horizontal keyboard. The Epic 4G features 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, 5-megapixel camera on the back, front camera, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, Android 2.1, Touchwiz user interface, and 512MB storage. The smartphone itself more rounded and lighter than EVO 4G. The Epic 4G will be available on August 31st. Check out the hands-on video.

Popularity: 8%

Here’s ineresting video reviews the Nokia C6-00. Watch and enjoy it…

Popularity: 11%

Sony Ericsson is introducing already-launched devices with multiple colors to choose from. This time we are talking about Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini and Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro. Originally, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini appears in black, pearl white, lime, red, pink, silver while Xperia X10 Mini Pro appears in black, pearl white, and red. Adding as the seventh colors, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini is now available in Gold color.

The Gold Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini is eye catching and pretty device. It seems glamorous and extravagant. On the other hand, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro maintain a complete different look with a pink color. It looks sassy and girlish.

The two new colors will be available soon but there are no confirmation on the exact date. On the downside, two devices is still running on Android 1.6 but an update Android 2.1 is coming soon for theese smartphones.

Popularity: 11%

The Samsung Epic 4G is rumoured to be arriving at Sprint as early as August 11. The information is found in what BGR refer to as the “Sprint playbook” where other information also indicates that stores will be opening up at 8am that day.

The launch of the Samsung Epic 4G jumps in just before the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and the DROID 2.

The phone it’s self is a dual-mode 3G/4G device that can work on either 3G or 4G networks depending on what coverage the user has.

A mini site was launched a few days ago that allows you to register interest in the device as well as see a few demonstrations of what’s in store and what it is capable of.

When we get more official details we’ll post them here. But for now, prepare for an August 11 launch.

Popularity: 13%

Sprint has uploaded a teaser site showing off the Samsung Epic 4G that is launching soon.

The new Epic 4G is a dual-mode handset capable of working on either 3G or 4G networks. No new information is revealed on the Sprint site although it does show a teaser video of the camera being used although it isn’t a real life example. Other “coming soon” videos include gaming and movie watching. The mini site teaser page can be found here.

Other than just a little bit of information on the slider device, the real reason for the mini site is for you to provide your email address so you can register your interest.

It looks like quite a nice device and one we look forwards to testing in the future.

Popularity: 15%

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro Android-powered smartphone has been available in the UK on Vodafone for some weeks.

And now O2 have stepped in and are offering the little device on bundles starting at £25/month.

O2 are heavily promoting the Google Maps free Navigation for this phone, which is cool and all that, but not really a differentiating feature for this puppy, since all Android phones in the UK get that service anyway.

The thing about the pricing is that Vodafone offer the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro from £20/month, so O2′s isn’t exactly the best deal in town. And we’re talking 2-year contracts here, so that’s a full 120 quid more expensive over the life of the agreement.

Anyway, if O2 is your network of choice and you’ve been eyeing the X10 Mini Pro, you can be happy now. This is an interesting slider device, in a niche of its own, being so small but still managing to pack a QWERTY keyboard. Texting and email fanatics who don’t much care for enormous displays will surely love it.

Popularity: 12%

Following in the footsteps of the Rumour 2, the LG Rumour Plus will get an August 11th launch in Canada, on Bell.

This is a side-sliding phone with QWERTY keyboard that is sure to be well received by the texting crowds that for one reason or the other choose to stick with featurephones.

According to the internal doc you can see below it’s “compact & clean… and is especially made for those individuals who want to stay updated and keep in touch with their social circle”. In other words, launching it right before back to school season is not random at all.

The LG Rumour Plus’s features include a 2.4″ 240×320 display, a 2 megapixel camera and ‘touch dialing’. It will be available in the color scheme you see above and weigh 119 g.

There’s no word on pricing yet, but it shouldn’t be too outrageous in order to make this phone a hit, sales-wise.

Popularity: 18%

Apparently the rumour is that the new smartphone out of the Research In Motion stable, the BlackBerry 9800 Slider may just see release on the AT&T network on the 15th of August and that the BlackBerry 9800 may also go with Rogers in Canada. BlackBerry Cool is also saying that there may well be a CDMA version of the BlackBerry 9800 for the Sprint network as well.

As for the BlackBerry 9800 hitting Europe well the word is that Vodafone is the most likely candidate and apparently “a source” claims the official schedule for the BlackBerry 9800 to hit Vodafone is sometime in September, although the general feeling is the device will likely ship in October.

A Vodafone link also makes hints that there will possibly be a CDMA BlackBerry 9800 for Verizon Wireless as well, although the Big Red is expecting the BlackBerry Storm 3 in the not too distant future.

Popularity: 46%

The brand new Nokia C6-00 got it’s first official firmware update today.

Depending on where you live, the update version is different. The Chinese version got update to version 10.2.24, North-American version to v10.0.24 and the European to version 10.0.21. Can’t actually verify these versions, since I don’t know anyone with a Nokia C6.

The update should be available via NSU, and as an OTA update in the coming few days.

As of writing this post, there is no official changelog available. Will update the post when/if I find one.

Popularity: 29%

We are hearing from multiple sources that the LG Aloha, previously discussed here, will be launching in the UK in September.

We initially thought the Aloha ended up being the new LG Ally, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. We’re now seeing another device passing through the FCC, which indeed may be the “real” Aloha this time. The kicker? The LG Aloha apparently supports AT&T’s 3G network.

While the LG Ally may have some hard-hitting backing from the likes of Verizon and the Iron Man 2 movie, it’s still a mid-ranged smartphone at the end of the day. We’ve been hearing that LG had been working on a Snapdragon Android device for some time now, but that has yet to materialize. The Aloha may indeed be that device, but we’re holding out hope that LG will revise the industrial design of the LG Aloha before it goes live on any US carrier.

I still can’t stand the look of the Aloha.  Hopefully, when or if it hits AT&T (or somewhere in Canada for that matter) I’m really hoping LG comes to its senses and makes a slider device that actually looks pretty enough to live up to its supposed specs. We’d welcome any AT&T-inspired design changes. That seems to be harder than it looks, but when you see devices like the EVO, Legend, or Nexus One, we know at least one company can design an Android phone and make them look great. The Ally doesn’t look bad at all, but there’s nothing stand out about it, either.

Rumored Specs of the Aloha smartphone:

Android 2.1
1 GHz Snapdragon processor
3.5-inch AMOLED 800×480 touch display
Sliding 4-row QWERTY keyboard
5-megapixel camera
720p HD DivX compatible playback
WiFi, GPS, DMB tuner
With a device that boasts the kind of specs that we believe will be packed into the handset, we’d love to get some hands on time with the device. Despite the looks, the device looks like it may deliver on the performance front, and if it makes it to AT&T at some point in the future, we’ll be sure to put the ugly duckling through it’s paces.

Popularity: 21%

The Nokia N97 got a new firmware today. Firmware version 22.0.110 doesn’t bring new features, but is mainly a bug fix release. The update will be pushed as an OTA update first, and it will become available via Nokia Software Updated in due time.

Data package content, corrections or changes :

* Corrections to TOP ~15 issues reported in the field
* OTC cases fixed:
o Wrong Cherry number used in Russia and Spain
o “System error” displayed occasionally at first start-up. Reported e.g. by Vodafone.

Genius cases fixed:

* Contacts performance improvement:
o #144324: Voice dialing not working when there are 2000+ entries stored in Contacts.
o #134637: Phone prompts “Memory full” when searching for names

Localisation & language variant specific:

* #154188: Message editor crashes and writing fails if predictive text input is On. (Arabic UI, v15 language variant)
* #146139: Scrolling to left and right works the wrong way around in Photos – Captured when using Arabic UI
* #147509: QWERTY keypad input does not work correctly with Calculator. (Chinese language variants: v19, v25, v26)
* #139207: “Slide to Answer” localization error (Hebrew)
* #140654: Localisation error in Bluetooth Audio – “Set as (un)authorized” (Czech)

Misc:

* #141675: “Security module error” shown in display occasaionally at start-up
* #147863: Occasionally device hangs and restarts soon after start-up.
* #137558: Device keylock opens (although it shouldn’t) when dialing a number using a carkit. (CK-300, CK-600, also some non-Nokia, factory installed car kits)

Others:

* Default Nokia tune is played as ringing tone for incoming calls instead of the one user has defined in Profile settings. Also sometimes device ahs stopped alerting for incoming calls. Both issues are now fixed.

Popularity: 38%

Sprint has just provided the Samsung Epic 4G cell phone, a new branding for the Galaxy S Pro phone. This is an Android smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and also packing a 1GHz Cortex A8 CPU, 3G/4G hotspot functions and many more features, detailed below. This slider phone also has  a 5 megapixel camera on board, complete with autofocus, LED flash and 720p video recording, plus a front-facing camera for videochat and a digital compass. Samsung Epic 4G will be bundled with a 16GB microSD card, it’ll run Android 2.1 and be upgraded to Android 2.2 in the future.

Popularity: 28%