smartphone

NTP Going After Other Wireless E-Mail Software/Hardware Makers

As much as mankind’s (now) convoluted legal system keeps our complicated world (mostly) in check, sometimes it can just run amuck, particularly in the field of patent law.

Take the case of NTP, which claims to have a patent on “wireless e-mail”.  They have already extracted a sizable chunk of licensing monies (~$600M) out of R.I.M, maker of Blackberry smartphones. NTP is now going after the other big names in the smartphone business: Apple, Google, Microsoft, HTC, LG, and Motorola.

With any luck, these companies have altered their technology enough to avoid losing to NTP, because a win for them puts them in position to continue terrorizing the industry with lawsuits.

via Today’s iPhone

Sprint and HTC announce world’s 1st 4G smartphone, EVO 4G

sprint htc evo 4g smartphoneWe normally try to feature gadgets that are available right now, but this upcoming gizmo, a doozy of a smartphone is sure to make a huge impression this summer. It also helps makes the case for a Sprint that is not dead yet.

Sprint recently announced (at CTIA) its latest Android smartphone, the HTC EVO which also happens to be the world’s first 3G/4G phne. The EVO matches up really well with other Android stars – the Google-branded HTC Nexus One (on T-Mobile & others) and the Motorola Droid (on Verizon). Here’s a nice comparison of the 3.

Apart from its 4G cred, the EVO sports a 800×480 touchscreen with the Sense UI, 1GB of internal storage, an 8MP camera with video recording up to 1280×720, and get this, a front-facing camera. So now you can do some real video conferencing right from the palm of your hand.

The other noteworthy feature is the HDMI out connector. The EVO 4G is really being pushed as a video-savvy phone.

No word yet on pricing or exact availability, but you can be sure it’ll make a big splash. Pre-register for more info at http://www.sprint.com/evo.

Crackberry Owners willing to trade for iPhone

An interesting article by Arstechnica state that 40% of Blackberry users are willing to trade in for an iPhone. Does this mean Obama’s BlackBerry endorsements are wearing off?

The more likely scenario is that RIM is unable to keep up with features consumers want more of that are incorporated in the iPhone and Android. To muddy the waters even more, Windows Mobile 7 has been rebuilt from the ground up and will become more of a threat in 2010 to BlackBerry business. In fact, I know several gigantic enterprises that have switched from RIM to Microsoft’s Mobile devices porting apps and removing all traces of RIM from the environment.

It seems current iPhone and Android users are happy with their device as 90 percent plan to stick with their current platform for their next upgrade.

LG eXpo GW820 smartphone can turn into a projector

LG expo cellWe don’t feature a lot of cell phones on GfG because there are entirely too many models and there are other sites that are dedicated to just that. But of course we feature the ‘big name’ ones and the newsworthy and unique.

The LG eXpo GW820 definitely fits the newsworthy category, as it’s the first handset to feature (an optional) snap-on pico projector. Yes, a projector, like the expensive ones you have in the office to show off those mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations on how badly your company is doing.

The (did we mention optional) projector weighs only 1.8 ounces and is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand, and can project an image up to 40″ in size. Not bad. However, it does kill the phone’s battery pretty quickly, so you’ll probably end up using the conventional office projector for long presentations/demos.

The phone itself is a slider with a full QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2″ touchscreen, 3G connectivity on AT&T, a 5MP camera, 802.11b/g WiFi, microSD card slot and runs Windows Mobile.

Buy now!
More info from the manufacturer
Price: $99.99 with contract on AT&T. $179 for pico projector
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Sprint to launch 1st 4G smartphone this summer

sprint logoYou may already be immune to those Sprint commercials that keep using the term “4G”, but the reality is that they may have a 4G WiMax network in a lot of cities, but no phones! Well that’s about to change this summer with the introduction of a new 4G smartphone.

There’s a good chance too that it’ll be an HTC running Android. Sweet! [Well, if you’re a Sprint customer] Here’s hoping that it’s a Pre/Droid/iPhone-class gadget.

CES 2010: Dell Mini 3 Smartphone Will Run on AT&T

dell mini 3 android smartphoneDell is following through with their earlier announcement of an Android handset, and will be joining the ranks of the other AT&T Android smartphones.

The Dell Mini 3 smartphone [press release] is an iPhone/Droid/Nexus styled touchscreen phone that sports a 3.5″ 540×360 display, 3 Megapixel camera with flash, microSD slot, GPS and Bluetooth.

Expect availability in the 1st half of 2010.

Sony Ericsson P1i business smartphone

If you’re in the market for a serious business oriented smartphone that is also stylish and gives you some personal ‘toys’, then look no further than the 3G Sony Ericsson P1i. The P1i is a touchscreen smartphone with a slew of connectivity options like GSM and UMTS, Bluetooth, IR port, modem, and USB.

For productivity, you have on-the-go document editing, calendar and contacts application, task lists and notes, and even handwriting recognition among many others. The e-mail application supports syncing back to an Exchange and a standard POP3 e-mail client.

For your personal life, you’ve got a built-in photo and video camera, video viewing, a music player, RSS feeds, and numerous applications. The video camera also integrates with the phone for video calls on UMTS networks! With a talk-time of up to 10hrs on GSM, this is perfect for business folks who don’t always get back to their homes every night to recharge.

Price: $354.95
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Nokia E61 smartphone

If you’re one of the, yes, many people who aren’t necessarily in love with either a Blackberry or an iPhone, and are considering other cool phones, take a look at the Nokia E61.

This is a business-oriented smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard and a huge 320×240 full-color screen. Apart from the touchscreen, this smartphone even has a mini joystick for navigation. No digital camera, but it has a miniSD memory card slot, a WiFi conn, not to mention UMTS, EDGE and Bluetooth support. Its browser even supports CSS and Javascript to make even the most broadband-centric website viewable.

Do yourself a favor and take a good look at this phone.

Gimme!

More info from the manufacturer
Price: $379.99 unlocked
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Palm Centro now in sexy black

Palm Centro

Now you can get your hands on a Palm Centro, aka the Treo 800p, the smallest Treo that Palm has put out yet in sexy black from at least AT&T and Sprint. It is approx 10-15% narrower, with a smaller screen, so this may appeal to you folks who don’t like the current Treos’ bulk. At US$100 (with rebates and a plan), now you can have your very own smartphone. Of course, with the ‘p’ at the end of the model #, this Treo will run PalmOS (Garnet for those of you keeping track).

So like other Treos, the Centro offers features like a built-in 1.3 Megapixel camera/camcorder, full qwerty keyboard, speakerphone, e-mail app, Bluetooth, memory card slot, EVDO broadband on Sprint, MP3 player, productivity apps like Documents to Go, and the PalmOS so you can run thousands of existing apps.

Gimme!

Price: $99.99 with plan
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

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