BlackBerry Bold 9780 Now Available, Nothing to Set It Apart From Currently Available BlackBerries

The BlackBerry Bold 9780 is now officially available on T-Mobile’s network. The Bold 9780 is T-Mobile’s newest and best BlackBerry device, although there aren’t many changes in terms of design. The BlackBerry Bold 9780 features a 2.44 inch display with a resolution of 480x360, a full QWERTY keyboard, the same one that has been on BlackBerrys for ages, aGPS, WiFi 802.11g with UMA, HSDPA 3G connectivity, and a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash, and video recording. In terms of storage the Bold 9780 features 256 MB of internal storage, which is expandable to up to 32 GB via a microSD card slot, a 2 GB microSD card is also included in the box. The BlackBerry Bold 9780 also features Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a microUSB port. Performance is expected to be pretty good with a 624 MHz processor and 512 MB of RAM. The new BlackBerry Bold 9780 also features RIM’s new BlackBerry OS 6. As for battery life, the Bold 9780 comes with a 1500 mAh battery that will give you up to 528 hours of standby time on 2G networks and up to 408 hours on 3G networks and up to 6 hours of talk time on both 2G and 3G networks. Overall, there aren’t any features that distinguish the BlackBerry Bold 9780 from any other BlackBerries that are currently available, but it is still a great addition to T-Mobile’s product line. Press release below.


RIM Introduces the New BlackBerry Bold 9780 Smartphone

WATERLOO, ONTARIO, Oct 27, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) 
Research In Motion (RIM today introduced the BlackBerry(R) Bold(TM) 9780 smartphone - the newest addition to the BlackBerry Bold series of smartphones. Featuring a premium and iconic design with an incredibly easy-to-use keyboard and optical trackpad, the BlackBerry Bold 9780 is elegantly styled and packed with advanced communications and multimedia features. It is also the first BlackBerry Bold smartphone to come with the new BlackBerry(R) 6 operating system.

"We are very excited to introduce the BlackBerry Bold 9780 featuring the new BlackBerry 6 operating system," said Carlo Chiarello, Vice President, Product Management at Research In Motion. "This new model builds on the highly refined mobile experience that BlackBerry Bold users already know and love and delivers a wide range of enhancements including a rich new user interface, a fast and powerful WebKit-based browser, broadly improved communications and multimedia capabilities, an incredibly useful Universal Search feature and a high quality 5MP camera."

The BlackBerry Bold 9780 is a compact and stylish smartphone that offers a compelling blend of features, performance and design. It supports 3G networks around the world, includes Wi-Fi(R) with support for carrier supported Wi-Fi calling (UMA where available) and GPS for location-based applications and geo-tagging. It comes with a 5 MP camera with a full complement of high-end features including continuous auto focus, scene modes, image stabilization, flash and video recording. The BlackBerry Bold 9780 also includes 512 MB Flash memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage.

BlackBerry 6 is a new operating system that retains the familiar and trusted features that distinguish the BlackBerry brand while delivering a fresh, approachable and engaging experience that's powerful and easy to use. It integrates a new and rich WebKit-based browser that renders HTML web pages quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience. The browser offers fluid navigation using the handset's optical trackpad, includes tabs for accessing multiple sites simultaneously and provides a zoom feature that can intelligently auto-wrap text in a column while maintaining the placement of a page's key elements for easier viewing.

Additional features of BlackBerry 6 include expanded messaging capabilities with intuitive features to simplify the management of social networking and RSS feeds (Social Feeds), and integrated access to BBM(TM) (BlackBerry(R) Messenger), Facebook(R), Twitter(TM), MySpace(TM) and various instant messaging applications on the BlackBerry Bold 9780 smartphone. Its enhanced multimedia experience rivals the best in the industry and includes a dedicated YouTube app. It also features redesigned Music and Pictures applications and a new universal search feature that allows users to more effectively search for content on the smartphone as well as extend their search to the Internet or to discover applications on BlackBerry(R) App World(TM).

The BlackBerry Bold 9780 smartphone will be available from various carriers around the world beginning in November. For more information, please visit www.blackberry.com/bold.

T-Mobile Announces Data Tethering And Wireless Hotspot Add-On

T-Mobile recently stated that it was working on delivering hotspot support to T-Mobile G2 users, and it finally seems like it might be happening. T-Mobile has just announced that it will be offering a data tethering add-on for a $15 per month fee. The data tethering add-on will allow you to tether via WiFi, Bluetooth, or a USB cable. The tethering add-on will share the unlimited data of your smart phone, but it is only available on T-Mobile's $30 unlimited data package. This means that if you have T-Mobile's new 200 MB data package you won't qualify for data tethering, which probably wouldn't have been useful with such a small amount of data anyway. You also won't be able to tether to your Galaxy Tab. The data tethering add-on is reportedly coming to T-Mobile on November 3, which is also the day which T-Mobile is rumored to be releasing the new T-Mobile myTouch. T-Mobile's data tethering add-on seems great compared to other carriers' data tethering packages. The press release for the new data tethering add-on is below.


T-Mobile Kicks Off the Holidays With a Compelling Lineup of Affordable Android-Powered Smartphones and New Low-Cost Data Service Plans

T-Mobile Is Making It Easier for Families to Stay Connected This Holiday Season and Beyond

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Nov. 1, 2010 - T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced new products and service plans designed to help families stay connected without busting their holiday budgets. Beginning Nov. 3, T-Mobile is planning to offer a variety of new Android™ smartphones, including the T-Mobile® Comet™, LG Optimus T™ with Google™ and Motorola DEFY™ with MOTOBLUR™, each for less than $100.

"We're heading into this holiday season with our strongest and most affordable lineup ever of Android-powered smartphones," said Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. "Combine that with low-cost data service plans and even easier ways to give T-Mobile products as gifts, and we believe families will make the move to smartphones -- enriching how they communicate in the new year."

Affordable Android Smartphones for All
T-Mobile's compelling suite of affordable Android smartphones appeals to each member of the family, even first-time smartphone users. In addition to providing access to the mobile Web while on the go, Android-powered smartphones provide customers with one-click access to their favorite Google services, such as Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube®, and over 100,000 applications in Android Market™. For less than $100 with qualifying rate plan on a two-year agreement (plus taxes and fees), T-Mobile customers can purchase any of the following devices during the holiday season:
The T-Mobile Comet offers a compact form factor, 528 MHz processor, 2.8-inch full touch screen display and a 3.2 megapixel camera. Perfect for customers who are ready to make the affordable transition to their first smartphone, the T-Mobile Comet is also available for prepaid customers at less than $200 (plus taxes and fees), the lowest-priced 3G Android smartphone in the T-Mobile portfolio. The T-Mobile Comet is available in a black finish.
The LG Optimus T is an easy-to-use smartphone with a user customizable home screen, 600 MHz processor, 3.2-inch full touch screen display and a 3.2 megapixel camera with video capture. Featuring Voice Actions for Android pre-loaded on the device, the LG Optimus T allows customers to perform commands through voice entry, such as calling, texting, e-mailing and navigating to a specific destination. The LG Optimus T is available in a burgundy or titanium finish.
Slim and pocket-able, the Motorola DEFY is equipped to withstand all that life throws your way. The DEFY is scratch- and water-resistant, as well as dust-proof, combined with MOTOBLUR™, an 800 MHz processor, a 3.7-inch full touch screen and a 5-megapixel camera with flash and video capture. The Motorola DEFY is available in a black and linen finish.
The Motorola CHARM™ with MOTOBLUR features a full QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging, a 2.8-inch touch screen paired with a BACKTRACK™ pad for simple navigation, and MOTOBLUR, making it easy to keep up with family and friends. Also featuring a 600 MHz processor and a 3 megapixel camera, the Motorola CHARM is available in a golden bronze or cabernet finish.

Services Families Can Afford
In addition to affordable Android-powered smartphones, T-Mobile is delivering new low-cost data service plans expected to be available this holiday season, making data even more accessible for families. New value offers include these:
Mobile data plans. With T-Mobile data plans, customers will have two options for data: the Web – 200MB plan or the Web – Unlimited plan. The Web – 200MB plan will be available for $10 per month with a new two-year service agreement or contract extension for a limited time or for $15 per month, which will not require a two-year contract extension. The Web – Unlimited plan will be available for $30 per month. Both data plans will be sold paired with a new or existing voice and text message plan.
Tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing service plan. T-Mobile is offering a new tethering service plan that enables select smartphones to function as wireless modems for connecting devices, such as laptops, tablets and netbooks to the Internet through the T-Mobile network. Customers can add the Tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing plan to their Web – Unlimited $30 monthly plan for an additional $14.99 per month.

Availability
The T-Mobile Comet, LG Optimus T and Motorola DEFY are expected to be available starting Nov. 3 at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers and online at http://www.t-mobile.com. The T-Mobile Comet will also be available as a prepaid Android smartphone at Best Buy, Radio Shack and Target. T-Mobile expects its new mobile data plans and tethering service plan will be available this holiday season.

Making it even easier for consumers to give T-Mobile devices and accessories to their friends and families this holiday season, T-Mobile Gift Cards can be purchased and redeemed at select T-Mobile retail stores nationwide.

For more information on T-Mobile products and services, visit http://www.t-mobile.com.

T-Mobile Introduces Their Latest And Lowest Cost Android Device Yet, The T-Mobile Comet

T-Mobile has just announced their new T-Mobile Comet, their latest and lowest cost Android device yet. This is quite a feat considering they recently released their new LG Optimus T for just $30, and that it is available from some third part retailers for free. The Comet is pretty much T-Mobile's version of the Huawei Ideos. Although the T-Mobile Comet is T-Mobile's lowest cost Android device, it doesn't mean that it isn't fully featured. The T-Mobile Comet features a 2.8 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 240x320, a 3.2 megapixel camera, 3G connectivity with HSDPA speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps, a microSD card slot supporting cards of up to 32 GB, an FM radio, WiFi 802.11n connectivity, aGPS, and a Qualcomm processor with a clock speed of 528 MHz. This is all on top of Android 2.2 Froyo. Another feature on the software side is built in Swype. The big and perhaps only downside of the T-Mobile Comet is the 2.8 inch display, and perhaps the 528 MHz processor, which could cause Android to run slowly on the device, but we are not sure on that one yet as the device has not been released. Aside from the small screen the T-Mobile Comet has all the features you could ever want, and at a price point that is sure to fight off most dumb phones. Now, the moment that you have all been waiting for, the price. The T-Mobile Comet will be available for just $10 with a two year contract and a smartphone data package. The required data package is the only thing standing in the way from of T-Mobile Comet and beating off dumb phones completely. Of course, now that T-Mobile is offering a 200 MB smartphone data package for just $10 a month more customers might be willing to pay that small fee for the benefit of a decent Android device for a low price, plus 200 MB of data. The 200 MB data package could also appeal to those users who would like a higher end Android device, but are planning to use it mostly on WiFi or just don't want to dish out a hefty sum of cash for a data package. Now, back to the T-Mobile Comet. The Comet launches on November 3 for just $10, and is available in black. The Comet will also be available prepaid for less than $200. The press release is below.



T-Mobile Kicks Off the Holidays With a Compelling Lineup of Affordable Android-Powered Smartphones and new Low-Cost Data Service Plans

T-Mobile Is Making It Easier for Families to Stay Connected This Holiday Season and Beyond

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Nov. 1, 2010 PDT T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced new products and service plans designed to help families stay connected without busting their holiday budgets.  Beginning Nov. 3, T-Mobile is planning to offer a variety of new Android™ smartphones, including the T-Mobile® Comet™, LG Optimus T™ with Google™ and Motorola DEFY™ with MOTOBLUR™, each for less than $100. 
 
“We’re heading into this holiday season with our strongest and most affordable lineup ever of Android-powered smartphones,” said Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA.  “Combine that with low-cost data service plans and even easier ways to give T-Mobile products as gifts, and we believe families will make the move to smartphones -- enriching how they communicate in the new year.”

Affordable Android Smartphones for All

T-Mobile’s compelling suite of affordable Android smartphones appeals to each member of the family, even first-time smartphone users. In addition to providing access to the mobile Web while on the go, Android-powered smartphones provide customers with one-click access to their favorite Google services, such as Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube®, and over 100,000 applications in Android Market™. For less than $100 with qualifying rate plan on a two-year agreement (plus taxes and fees), T-Mobile customers can purchase any of the following devices during the holiday season:

The T-Mobile Comet offers a compact form factor, 528 MHz processor, 2.8-inch full touch screen display and a 3.2 megapixel camera. Perfect for customers who are ready to make the affordable transition to their first smartphone, the T-Mobile Comet is also available for prepaid customers at less than $200 (plus taxes and fees), the lowest-priced 3G Android smartphone in the T-Mobile portfolio. The T-Mobile Comet is available in a black finish.
The LG Optimus T is an easy-to-use smartphone with a user customizable home screen, 600 MHz processor, 3.2-inch full touch screen display and a 3.2 megapixel camera with video capture. Featuring Voice Actions for Android pre-loaded on the device, the LG Optimus T allows customers to perform commands through voice entry, such as calling, texting, e-mailing and navigating to a specific destination. The LG Optimus T is available in a burgundy or titanium finish.
Slim and pocket-able, the Motorola DEFY is equipped to withstand all that life throws your way. The DEFY is scratch- and water-resistant, as well as dust-proof, combined with MOTOBLUR™, an 800 MHz processor, a 3.7-inch full touch screen and a 5-megapixel camera with flash and video capture. The Motorola DEFY is available in a black and linen finish.
The Motorola CHARM with MOTOBLUR features a full QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging, a 2.8-inch touch screen paired with a BACKTRACK™ pad for simple navigation, and MOTOBLUR, making it easy to keep up with family and friends. Also featuring a 600 MHz processor and a 3 megapixel camera, the Motorola CHARM is available in a golden bronze or cabernet finish.
Services Families Can Afford

In addition to affordable Android-powered smartphones, T-Mobile is delivering new low-cost data service plans expected to be available this holiday season, making data even more accessible for families. New value offers include these:

Mobile data plans. With T-Mobile data plans, customers will have two options for data: the Web – 200MB plan or the Web – Unlimited plan. The Web – 200MB plan will be available for $10 per month with a new two-year service agreement or contract extension for a limited time or for $15 per month, which will not require a two-year contract extension. The Web – Unlimited plan will be available for $30 per month. Both data plans will be sold paired with a new or existing voice and text message plan. 
Tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing service plan. T-Mobile is offering a new tethering service plan that enables select smartphones to function as wireless modems for connecting devices, such as laptops, tablets and netbooks to the Internet through the T-Mobile network. Customers can add the Tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing plan to their Web – Unlimited $30 monthly plan for an additional $14.99 per month. 
Availability

The T-Mobile Comet, LG Optimus T and Motorola DEFY are expected to be available starting Nov. 3 at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers and online at http://www.t-mobile.com. The T-Mobile Comet will also be available as a prepaid Android smartphone at Best Buy, Radio Shack and Target. T-Mobile expects its new mobile data plans and tethering service plan will be available this holiday season.

Making it even easier for consumers to give T-Mobile devices and accessories to their friends and families this holiday season, T-Mobile Gift Cards can be purchased and redeemed at select T-Mobile retail stores nationwide.

For more information on T-Mobile products and services, visit http://www.t-mobile.com.

LG Optimus T Priced At Just $30, Hitting T-Mobile on November 3

T-Mobile has just announced the release date and pricing of their newest Android device, the LG Optimus T. Our previous post had all the specs but for those of you who haven't seen it the Optimus T features a 3.2 inch HVGA touchscreen display, which is most likely capacitive, a 3 megapixel camera, and Android 2.2 Froyo. $30 for a decent device like the Optimus T is a pretty good price, especially since it is probably the cheapest Android smartphone available. Of course, to qualify for the $30 price of the LG Optimus T you have to sign up for a qualifying data plan and wait for the $50 mail in rebate to come in. The Optimus T could be a huge contender to dumbphones with its low price point. You can get the LG Optimus T for just $30 on November 3, available in black or burgundy.

T-Mobile Introduces Their Latest Android Device, The LG Optimus T

T-Mobile has just introduced their latest Android device, the LG Optimus T. The Optimus T is supposed to be an affordable and easy to use Android device. T-Mobile hasn't released many details but we do know that the LG Optimus T will feature a 3.2 inch HVGA touchscreen display, which is rumored to be capacitive, a 3.2 megapixel camera with video capture, Android 2.2 Froyo, and much more. The Optimus T will also come pre-loaded with a 2 GB microSD card, but will support cards up to 32 GB. From the pictures it looks like the UI isn't stock Android, but it also isn't changed beyond recognition. There are no pricing details available yet, but T-Mobile has said that the Optimus T will be released sometime in the holiday season. No exact date has been released, but hopefully it will be soon. The device will be available in black and burgundy. The LG Optimus T should be a great device for those of you looking for a budget Android Device on T-Mobile's network. Below is the official press release and a picture of the burgundy version.

Exclusive to T-Mobile customers, LG Optimus T offers Android 2.2, Voice Actions for Android and one-touch access to popular Google services to keep customers connected while on the go

Bellevue, Wash. — Oct. 6, 2010

T-Mobile USA, Inc. and LG Mobile Phones today announced the latest easy-to-use and affordably priced smartphone to join T-Mobile’s extensive Android™ portfolio, LG Optimus T™. Equipped with the latest Android platform, LG Optimus T features a responsive touch screen sleek form-factor and deep integration of Google™ services, including Voice Actions.

LG Optimus T makes staying connected to friends and family while on the go a quick, one-touch process. Using Voice Actions for Android, customers can control their Android-powered phone by speaking commands to call, text, e-mail and even find directions on a map, among other tasks. LG Optimus T also offers customers close integration with popular Google services, such as Google Search™ (also by voice), Gmail™, Google Talk™ and Google Maps™.

“This holiday season, Android smartphones will be at the top of the wish list for multiple members of the family,” said Saj Sahay, director, product management, T-Mobile USA. “With the LG Optimus T, T-Mobile is helping customers who have not yet made the transition to the world of smartphones with an easy-to-use and affordable option.”

With access to Android Market™, LG Optimus T customers can download and personalize their phone with thousands of free and paid applications. In addition, the customizable home screen, expandable up to seven panes, on the Optimus T keeps life simple by bringing what matters most upfront and center, including favorite applications and widgets. The Optimus T comes equipped with a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with video capture, as well as pre-installed 2 GB microSD card and support for up to 32 GB of removable memory.

“LG Optimus T allows T-Mobile users to create a smartphone experience unique to their lifestyle and everyday needs,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, corporate vice president of marketing and innovation for LG Mobile Phones. “With Google features and a stylish design, LG Optimus T is the ideal device for first-time smartphone users ready to explore the Android world.”

Availability

Offered in a Burgundy or Titanium finish, the LG Optimus T is expected to be exclusively available to T-Mobile customers this holiday season. For more information about T-Mobileproducts and services, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com.

BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 Announced For T-Mobile, Big Brother to The Curve 8520

T-Mobile hasn’t had any new BlackBerry devices in a long time, but now they have finally decided to add some. T-Mobile has confirmed that they will be adding the new BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 to their line. The BlackBerry Curve 9300 is like the big brother to the older Blackberry Curve 8520. The 9300 adds a lot of new features that the 8520 didn’t have, but the design remains mostly the same. The BlackBerry Curve 9300 features HSPDA 3G connectivity on T-Mobile, which the 8520 did not have. It also adds GPS support and upgrades from 802.11g wireless to 802.11n. The BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 comes with BlackBerry OS 5 if you purchase it when it comes out, but it will later be upgradeable to BlackBerry OS 6. Other than that the 9300 has pretty much the same features as the 8520 including an optical trackpad, a 2.46 inch display with a resolution of 240x320, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot for upgrading your memory beyond the built in 256 MB, Bluetooth 2.1, a 2 megapixel camera, and an 1150 mAh battery. GSMArena also says that it is 2 grams heavier. Anyways, they are pretty much the same. The BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 has already hit the Canadian market, but it will be available both at T-Mobile stores and online in the next couple of weeks. The upgrade to BlackBerry OS 6 will be available in the coming months.

Press Release

New addition to the globally popular BlackBerry Curve series is fast, easy-to-use, richly-featured and BlackBerry 6 ready

Waterloo, Ontario - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the new BlackBerry® Curve™ 3G, an exciting addition to the globally popular BlackBerry Curve series of smartphones. Designed to provide the growing mass of smartphone purchasers with a distinctly powerful, approachable and affordable choice, the BlackBerry Curve 3G supports high-speed 3G (HSDPA) networks around the world and gives users the exceptional communications features they need to accomplish more than ever, when they’re at home, at work and everywhere in-between.

“The majority of people in the worldwide mobile phone market have yet to buy their first smartphone and the BlackBerry Curve 3G is designed to provide an extremely attractive and accessible choice that will help convince many of them to make the leap,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “The new BlackBerry Curve 3G is a perfect choice for happily busy people who are looking for a user-friendly 3G smartphone to help them make the most of their day and to stay connected with their friends, family and co-workers.”

The BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphone features a comfortable full-QWERTY keyboard for fast, accurate typing, optical trackpad for fluid navigation, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi®, as well as dedicated media keys, so music lovers can easily access their tunes while on the go. The new smartphone also features a camera that can record video and a microSD/SDHC slot that supports up to 32 GB memory cards for media storage. Support for 3G networks makes browsing faster, streaming music smoother, and gives users the ability to talk on the phone while they browse the web, instant message with BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) or share their location with friends on popular social networking sites.

The BlackBerry Curve 3G ships with BlackBerry® 5 and is BlackBerry® 6 ready. BlackBerry 6 is a new operating system for BlackBerry® smartphones that was announced last week. It retains the trusted features that distinguish the BlackBerry brand while delivering a fresh and engaging experience that is both powerful and easy to use. BlackBerry 6 is expected to be available for the BlackBerry Curve 3G, subject to carrier certifications, in the coming months.

The new BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphone (model 9300) will be available from various carriers and distribution partners around the world beginning in August. Check with local carriers for details about availability and pricing.

For more information about the new BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphone visit www.blackberry.com/curve3G. For more information about BlackBerry 6, visit www.blackberry.com/6.

T-Mobile gets A Samsung Galaxy S, Renamed The Samsung Vibrant

T-mobile will be getting a version of the Samsung Galaxy s, and it will be called the Samsung Vibrant. It has almost the exact same specifications as the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S, except for some slight differences in hardware and the fact that it comes with some preloaded applications and media. The specifications of the Samsung Vibrant should be familiar to you if you have heard of the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S, but if you haven’t here is a repeat of the specifications of the Samsung Vibrant. The Vibrant has a ton of great features and I can’t really think of anything that it doesn’t have. On the outside there is a 4 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display, 4 touch sensitive buttons, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro USB port, The speaker, and a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, geo-tagging, touch to focus, face detection, and smile detection. The camera is also capable of taking HD video at 720p and 30 fps. On top of that, there is a front facing video-call camera. Now, let’s get to the insides of the phone. The Samsung Vibrant runs Android 2.1 Eclair, which isn’t Froyo, but is still pretty new. The Vibrant also has a 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, 512 MB of RAM, and the option of 8 or 16 GB of built in memory. The memory can also be expanded with a microSD card of up to 32 GB. Now for connectivity, The Samsung Vibrant has WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0, assisted GPS, and 3G connectivity on T-Mobile’s network with HSDPA and HSUPA for both fast upload and download speeds. Samsung has stated that the Samsung Vibrant can benefit from HSDPA Plus speeds, but that the device does not actually have HSDPA Plus connectivity, which is kind of confusing. The device also has an accelerometer sensor and a proximity sensor. A cool feature which I don’t think that I have seen on any other Android phone is Swype text input. The phone also has a pretty good battery life with a 1500 mAh battery that delivers up to 720 hours of standby time on 2G and 576 hours on 3G, and thirteen and one-half hours of talk time on 2G and six and one-half hours on 3G. That’s pretty much it for the specifications, which are amazing. The phone is being released on July 21 for $200, but if you want to save some cash you can pre-order it on July 1 at Radio Shack for just $50, which is later returned to you as a gift card. You get all this plus Avatar and The Sims 3 Collector's Edition pre loaded onto a 2 GB microSD card. The Samsung Vibrant seems like a great addition to the T-Mobile family.

T-Mobile's New Nokia E73 Mode Is Finally Official

There were rumors that T-Mobile would be releasing a device similar to the Nokia E72 called the E73 Mode, but now it is finally official. The Nokia E73 Mode is almost exactly the same as the E72, except for a couple of specifications customized for T-Mobile. The E73 Mode features a 2.4 inch non-touchscreen display, a five-way scroll key, an optical trackpad, a full QWERTY keypad, and an accelerometer. It seems kind of strange that a non-touchscreen phone might have an accelerometer, but it is used for gaming and screen rotation. The E73 Mode also has a 5 MP camera with autofocus and flash, a microSD card slot (included is a 4 GB card), WiFi, A-GPS, and a video call camera on the front of the phone. One of the things on the E73 Mode that has been customized for T-Mobile is the 3G connectivity. The phone has one of the fastest 3G speeds of any T-Mobile phone at HSDPA 10.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2.0 Mbps. Some of the other more minor features are a digital compass, 250 MB of built in memory, Symbian 9.3, and Bluetooth 2.0. As for the battery, the E73 Mode has a 1500 mAh battery capable of delivering up to 16 days of standby time on 2G and 22 days on 3G. On the software side, the Nokia E73 Mode has Nokia’s Ovi Maps navigation software with free turn-by-turn navigation and T-Mobile’s uma calling feature which allows you to make voice calls via WiFi. The phone has pretty much all the features you could want, and it is almost exactly the same as the Nokia E72. The Nokia E73 Mode will be available on June 16 for $70 with a two year contract.

LG Starts Out Relationship With T-Mobile With Three New Handsets, Smartphones Nowhere To Be Seen

LG has finally started their relationship with T-Mobile. They are launching three new phones to start off their relationship. But don’t get excited yet, the three phones are dumphones and there in no Android or any other smartphone operating system to be seen. The first addition to T-Mobile’s line is the LG Sentio. It isn’t actually a new phone, it is just a rebranded version of the LG Cookie GS500 Plus. It features a 3 inch WQVGA touchscreen, a 3 megapixel camera, and 3G connectivity. The only difference between the LG cookie GS500 Plus and the LG Sentio is that the Sentio has a built in GPS receiver. It also supports visual voicemail and you can add a microSD card to expand your storage. The second of the three handsets is the LG dLite or LG GD580 Lollipop, it is a clamshell phone that doesn’t have too many features, but is still much better than the last handset that we will be looking at. The LG dLite has a 2.8 inch WQVGA non-touch screen display, a 3 megapixel camera, and 3G connectivity. As with the LG Sentio, it also supports microSD cards for memory expansion. It is available in two color choices (electric blue and bubblegum) and it has some concealed LEDs on the front panel. The last of the three handsets is the most low-end of them all. The LG GS170 is another clamshell, but this one has hardly any features. All it has is a VGA camera, email support, and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity. I wouldn’t count on the email support being too good, though. One of the main features that are described are the “large keys”. All three handsets will be available this summer, but there is no information on pricing. I am guessing that they will not be too expensive since they don’t exactly pack all the features you could ever want. Aside from the lack of any smartphones, LG partnering with T-Mobile is a very good thing.

T-Mobile Finally Getting a New Handset, Nokia E73 Mode

T-Mobile is finally getting a new handset. There are rumors and reports that T-Mobile may be launching a device known as the Nokia Mode. There is no word on specifications or anything detailed at all. All we know is that it is a full QWERTY device that looks an awful lot like the E72. T-Mobile has a record of taking existing Nokia handsets an renaming them (the Nokia Nuron), so it would be no surprise if this was just a renamed E72. Some of the specifications that we do know that the phone will have are 3G connectivity and WiFi. Everything else is unknown. The device will be released on June 16.

T-Mobile USA Says No to The BlackBerry Pearl 3G, No To Greatness

You know how I said that T-Mobile USA might be getting the BlackBerry Pearl 3G in the USA, well, guess what, they have decided not to. T-Mobile has announced that they will not be adding any of the Blackberry Pearl 3G devices to their product line. This is after T-Mobile had great success with all of their BlackBerry Pearl handsets. I see no reason that they should not get the Pearl 3G. I think that a lot of people would be interested in it. I would probably even get it. And considering that they only have two BlackBerry handsets available the BlackBerry Curve 3G would be a welcome addition to their product line. Instead, T-Mobile is waiting for a 3G version of a full keyboard handset, or another BlackBerry Curve device. T-Mobile was probably most likely to get the BlackBerry Pearl 3G in the United States, but now that they have said no to it there is probably little hope for it.

RIM Introduces 2 New BlackBerrys With 3G and Wireless N

Rim has introduced two new BlackBerrys to its BlackBerry Pearl Line. The two devices are the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 and the BlackBerry Pearl 9105. The Pearl 9100 looks just like any other BlackBerry Pearl with the half QWERTY keyboard on front. It will also use a optical trackbad instead of a trackball. The screen is 360x400 pixels, which is bigger and higher resolution that previous BlackBerry Pearl devices. It has 3G connectivity at 3.6 Mbps and HSUPA, so uploading is also faster. One of the most amazing features is the WiFi 802.11n. This is the first BlackBerry device to support wireless N, but probably not the last. It also has 256 MB of internal memory, which is expandable with a microSD card up to 32 GB in capacity. It comes with a 2 GB microSD card. The device has Bluetooth, of course, and a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash. The camera also supports video recording. The CPU is twice as fast as that on previous BlackBerry Pearl devices at 624 MHz. It also has assisted GPS support. The battery is 1150 mAh and will supposedly give you up to 5 hours of talk time on edge and 5.5 hours on 3G. You also get 30 hours of music playback and up to 18 days of standby time. The phone also has quad band GSM so you can use it around the globe. Both of the BlackBerry Pearl 3G devices will also run the new BlackBerry OS 5. The Blackberry Pearl 3G 9105 is almost exactly the same as the 9100, except for it does not have a half QWERTY keyboard. It uses a standard 14 key T9 keyboard. Other than that the phones are exactly the same. There is no word on what network the phones will be on, but the 3G frequencies are the used by T-Mobile in the US and other carriers worldwide. Both of the phones will be released in the third quarter of 2010.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100

BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105

Three New Samsung Handsets Headed for T-Mobile

Rumors are going around that T-Mobile will soon be introducing three new Samsung handsets to their product line. It is about time as T-Mobile has not released any mid-range phones for a long time. The phones that will most likely be added to T-Mobile's product line are the Samsung T359, T479, and the T669. They all feature full keyboards along with a few other cool features. The T359 will most likely be replacing the T349. It is a slider phone with a full keyboard, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a full browser. It will also have EDGE connectivity, but sadly no 3G. More specifications are expected to be released soon but for now this is all we have. The second phone, the T479, has most of the same features in a different for factor. It is expected to be replacing the Gravity 2, and has a very similar form factor to it. It has a full keyboard along with a standard keypad on the front, a 2 megapixel camera, a QVGA display, and 3G connectivity. The third and final device is the Samsung T669. It is a slider phone with a full keyboard and a 2.8 or 3 inch resistive touchscreen on the front. It also has 3G connectivity and will run a version of Samsung's TouchWiz operating system. There is no word on pricing yet but all three phones are expected to be released on June 23.

Samsung T479

Samsung T359

Samsung T669

BlackBerry Curve 8520 Review, a mid-range BlackBerry that falls short of expectations

Introduction

The Blackberry Curve 8520 is one of the few Blackberry devices that T-Mobile offers these days. They used to have a ton of Blackberries, but now there are only about 3 available from T-Mobile. The Curve 8520 is one of them. It is available in frost white or black, and costs $50 with a 2 year service plan.

In the Box

In the Box you get the phone (of course), a battery, a 4 GB microSD card, a data/charging cable, manuals, a BlackBerry software CD, and a wall charger.

Appearance

On the outside it looks just like a regular BlackBerry. It has the full keyboard, and good size 2.5 inch screen with a resolution of 320x240. It also has the fairly new optical trackpad instead of a trackball. I think that it is great that RIM have started using trackpads instead of trackballs, because trackballs are reported to have the single highest rate of failure out of all BlackBerry hardware. I think that trackpads are also much easier to use. It may take some getting used to for those of you who are used to trackballs, though. Something worth mentioning is that the Curve 8520’s body is entirely made up of plastic, which makes it lighter, but also cheaper and less sturdy. The keys on the side are also coated or covered in plastic, so they are not very definable, but it is a cool feature. On the sides you have the standard keys including volume keys, a camera key, and a voice command key. On the top you will find a play/pause/mute, next, and back button for controlling your media. There is also a 3.5mm jack and a micro USB port used for charging and data. One downside is that the back panel is a fingerprint magnet.

Front

Back

Bottom

Side

Top

Side

Camera

The camera on the Curve 8520 is only 2 megapixels, but it still takes good pictures. Pictures taken in good lighting conditions have great quality, but if you are taking pictures in a dark room or at night they turn out very dark and are a little grainy. The camera also does not have any special features like autofocus or flash.

Memory

The Curve 8520 has 256 MB of built in memory, but that can be expanded using a microSD card. The device supports cards up to 32 GB and a 4 GB card is included with the device.

Performance

The Curve 8520’s performance is similar to that of other devices near its price range. The 8520 has a 512 MHz processor, which is the same as most BlackBerry devices. The device performs well, even when you are running multiple apps at one time, which the BlackBerry operating system does great. It does start to chug a little when you are trying to load large web pages. One example is Real Gadget Reviews, which is fairly large. The browser is the default BlackBerry browser, and it has a lot of features but the device is just not powerful enough to handle large websites. Most small web pages load fine. You can also install a large amount of applications using the BlackBerry app world.

Battery Life

Battery life on the Curve 8520 is great. Using moderate web browsing, calling, and text messaging, I got about 3 days of battery life from the device. Web browsing will drain your battery the most, especially if you are browsing large websites that will use the processor a lot.

Connectivity

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 has a multitude of connectivity options, but the on e that it is missing is 3G. This is a big drawback. To make up for this, it does have WiFi, but let’s face it, having high speed internet access all of the United States is much better than having it at your home, office, and your local Starbucks. The 8520 does have edge, but it is unbearably slow, at least compared to 3G. A cool feature on the 8520 is uma. Uma routes all of your calls and text messages through the WiFi network that you are connected to. This is great if you are in an area with little or no reception. If you have T-Mobile’s hotspot service you can also get unlimited calling and text messaging when you are connected to a WiFi network.

Call Quality

Calls on the BlackBerry Curve 8520 are crystal clear, especially on WiFi. The speaker is also very high quality so you can hear the person whom you are talking to great, even on speakerphone.

Overview

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 is a great device overall. There are a lot of little problems but they are livable. One of the bigger problems is that many of the features of the device are unusable without a BlackBerry internet plan, even though the device has WiFi. You do get all of the features of the BlackBerry smartphone operating system, which is most known for its great push email system. The Curve 8520 is a budget BlackBerry device that still has a lot of features, but it falls short in some areas.

T-mobile Fender Edition myTouch 3G now available, minor changes

T-mobile's Fender edition myTouch 3G is now available for $180, which is $30 on top of the regular myTouch 3G's price. For $30 you get a 16GB microSD card, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a few pre-loaded songs, and a wood finish. Thats not too bad for $30.