Motorola Announces 3 New Android Phones for Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T March 3, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Cell Phones , 1 comment so far
We briefly mentioned the new Motorola Devour for Verizon in our post on the new Skype-Verizon deal, but that wasn’t the only new Android phone Motorola was getting ready to unveil. Both T-Mobile and AT&T are set to get new Motorola phones of their own very soon as well in the Cliq XT and Backflip respectively.
So what’s new in these 3 phones? Read on to find out.
HTC Announces 4 New Phones At MWC February 25, 2010
Posted by Zev Rosenbaum in : Cell Phones, Mobile World Congress , add a comment
When you want a slim, cool, phone you used to think companies like LG, Motorola, and Samsung. But recently, HTC has been continuously releasing phones which compete with the big phone companies. The Google Nexus One, myTouch and HTC-branded Hero, Touch Pro2, and Imagio are just a few of the big name phones that HTC has released over the last year; and at Mobile World Congress last week, HTC unleashed a few more phones that are sure to be ones you will want to be in your pocket when they become available later this year. Read on for all the details.
Inside Out: The Future of the Cell Phone February 21, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Cell Phones, Opinion , 3commentsFrom time to time, we’ll provide our thoughts as to where we think the industry is going, particularly as it relates to teens. We’re calling these posts, Inside Out, because we’ll be looking from where we sit into the outside world.
The future of the cell phone: the Windows Phone 7 Series, iPhone 3GS, BlackBerry Curve 8530, Palm Pre Plus and the Nexus One
Cell phones. We live by them. They’re by our sides 24/7, wherever we are. They are our ways of connecting with the world, through texts, IM’s, or just regular calls. Getting a new one is no longer just picking up a free phone, it’s a choice of style and design. Do we want a full keyboard, something that has a good camera and music player, a simple phone that doesn’t cost much, or something completely loaded with all of the latest features? The choices are endless, no matter what carrier you’re on– Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile.
But recently there’s been a major shift in the cell phone market, led by new phones like the iPhone, Pre, BlackBerry, Droid and Nexus One. This is the rise of the smartphone (as those phones are called), phones that no longer just do texts but also email, internet, Facebook and Twitter. These phones are growing rapidly and more and more of us are switching to them when we look for new phones. Let’s take a look at why that is and where this is all leading.
Skype and Verizon Join Forces to Bring Skype to Verizon Smartphones February 17, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Cell Phones, Mobile World Congress , 1 comment so far
At first you might not think so, but this recent announcement at the Mobile World Congress is BIG news. Today, Skype and Verizon announced a new partnership and smartphone app that will allow Verizon users to chat– both through Skype IM AND through calling– to Skype users around the world. The free app, which will come in late March, will be available on the BlackBerry (models Curve 8830, Storm 1 and 2, Tour, Curve 8330 and Curve 8530), as well as the Android-running Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Eris, and the upcoming Motorola Devour (a phone we’ll have more on soon–think of as less powerful Droid with full keyboard and MOTOBLUR).
The name of the app is Skype Mobile and is an “always-on app,” meaning that it will constantly running in the background. Now here’s the big part of this partnership– the calls made on Skype Mobile are made over Verizon 3G data network and will NOT use your minutes. This is huge in multiple ways– 1) for those close to running over minutes and have one of these phones, you can use this to help keep you from running over. 2) Not only do Verizon users have unlimited calling to the 90 million customers on their carrier, but now they now can also call the 500+ million Skype users, even if those users are online internationally!
Now you will need a data plan to use Skype Mobile (though since the application is only for smartphones, and that Verizon requires data plans for all the phones mentioned above, we don’t see this as much of a problem), and yes, AT&T has recently approved a Skype iPhone app that also allows calls over 3G and not just WiFi (which by the way, this app won’t be able to do)– but this is still definitely a big win for Verizon users if for no other reason than that Verizon is finally opening up their network for Skype and hopefully other services in the very near future.
Via Verizon Wireless and Skype
Nexus One Coming To AT&T and Sprint? February 3, 2010
Posted by Zev Rosenbaum in : Cell Phones , 3comments
The Nexus One Google smartphone (for more info see here) got a lot of buzz when it was released last month for T-Mobile. Now, you can also buy an unlocked Nexus One, but you only get EDGE or 2.5G, not 3G when using it on say, AT&T instead of T-Mobile. However, CNET and other sites are now reporting that Nexus Ones have been ordered with 3G for WCDMA bands that will allow for 3G on AT&T (which has 3G in many more places than T-Mobile).
Not only that, but CNET also reports that Google has said that there will be versions of the Nexus One coming out in the spring for Verizon (which Google and Verizon mentioned at the Nexus One launch) and possibly Sprint as well.
So are you pumped for the Nexus One coming to a network near you? Or are you satisfied with your current phone? Let us know in the comments.
Google Officially Announces the Nexus One– All the Info You Need to Know January 5, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Cell Phones , add a comment
Well, after loads of teasing over the last month or so, Google today finally came out and officially announced their own phone– the Nexus One. As it turns out a lot of those inital rumors were in fact spot on, but that’s not to say Google didn’t have some new surprises to show off today.
More Details on the Nexus One Leak Out January 1, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Cell Phones, Google, Rumors , add a comment
A clear shot of the Nexus One, and Google’s site for the phone.
Remember the Nexus One, you know Google’s true “Google Phone“? A whole bunch of new info just came out on this highly anticipated phone, and while it doesn’t answer all the questions about the phone (no full confirmation on specs), it does seem to answer a fair share of them.
The most significant revelation is in terms of which networks will be carrying this phone and the available plans. Unlike previous rumors, Gizmodo and other sites are reporting that while the phone will be sold unlocked without a contract from Google’s site directly for a steep $530, it will have T-Mobile 3G (and only T-Mobile and Europe 3G, not AT&T), and will give the option to purchase the phone at a dramatically subsidized $180 on 2 year contract with T-Mobile. However, only one plan appears to be currently available: $79.99 for 500 minutes, and unlimited text, and web. So if you’re on a family plan, your gonna need to buy the phone for the $530 unlocked price, which is something we honestly cannot believe is the only option, especially if Google and T-Mobile actually want to move a lot of phones.
But that’s not all. If you buy the phone on contract and decide to cancel your service within 120 days of service, you will either have to return the phone to Google, or you’ll need to pay the remaining the $350.
On the hardware front, the leaked info also talks about a home-and-car kit (you know, perfect for using this as your car’s GPS with Android’s Google Maps Navigation), and the originally leaked pix of the phone also appear to be the real deal. As for name and release, word is that Google will be calling this the Nexus One, and all the official details should be made really soon, as Google has scheduled an Android-related press conference for Tuesday of next week.
Technically this is all still rumors, but don’t worry– whatever Google’s got planned and unveils next week, we’ll make sure your kept up to date.
Pix and info from Gizmodo and Engadget
New AT&T and T-Mobile Phones for the Holidays November 19, 2009
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Cell Phones, Google , 1 comment so far
So Verizon has announced their loaded holiday phone lineup a few days ago, but what about AT&T and T-Mobile? For sure they got some new phones ready to spend some holiday cheer with right? Of course they do, and we’re talking some really nice ones– like new BlackBerrys, and even a new Samsung Behold 2 and LG Shine 2. What you waiting for, hit the link and get to it!