Details on Verizon’s second Android smartphone, the Motorola Calgary, have emerged, courtesy of those sneaky buggers over at BGR. The entry-level counterpart to the Verizon Droid, the Calgary has a similar, blocky form-factor, a spring-assisted slide, full QWERTY keyboard and MOTOBLUR. There’s also a 3-megapixel camera, GPS and WiFi.
There are times when a press release makes you do a double-take, and MetroPCS‘ this morning has prompted just that momentary disbelief. You’re looking at the Samsung Code SCH-i220, the first Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone on the MetroPCS network; yes, while everyone else is getting up to speed with Windows Mobile 6.5, MetroPCS are taking time out to celebrate their first device running the superseded OS.
Remember the Barnes and Noble dual-display ebook reader spotted in concept form last week? There’s obviously something in the water, as Spring Design have just announced an ebook reader, the Alex, with both a 6-inch E Ink panel and a 3.5-inch color touchscreen, based on Google’s Android platform and with integrated 3G and WiFi.
The touchscreen can be used to browse the web and grab clippings, which can then be viewed on the e-ink panel. Spring Design have also developed what they call Link Notes, a hybrid of traditional ebooks, clippings, multimedia and user notes. As for production possibilities, the company claim to be in discussion with “selected strategic partners” and “major content” providers, with a release expected by the end of 2009.
Storage is via SD card, and there’s a headphones socket and full smartphone functionality. Spring Design call the dual-display system Duet Navigator, and as well as being used to pull up related photos, news articles, media content and more, it will also aid in annotation and searches by offering an on-screen keyboard.
Mobile internet sharing looks to be one of the key sales messages for smartphones over the next few months; we’ve already heard HTC talking up their connection sharing app on the HD2, and now Verizon are tipped to be promoting MiFi action on the upcoming BlackBerry Storm2. According to a leaked marketing page from the CDMA carrier, the “Totally New Storm2″ would launch on October 21st with “MiFi capability”; however that date was later retracted.
The market for wireless-connected ebook readers is hotting up, and so we’re happy to welcome the latest entrant, txtr. Set to hit European and US markets from December 15th, the €319 ($477) device has a 6-inch 600 x 800 E Ink display, capacitive slider, accelerometer, USB 2.0, WiFi and “txtr Net”; like Amazon’s WhisperNet service, txtr Net is an onboard 3G connection which keeps ebooks synchronized between the txtr reader itself and a user’s online account.
Video demo after the cut
Remember Mobinnova’s élan Smartbook from Computex earlier this year? The 8.9-inch ultraportable promised HD video playback and hours of battery life, thanks to its NVIDIA Tegra chipset; now Mobinnova are back, with the élan rebanded as the Beam, and promising a launch for the compact machine at CES in January 2010. According to LaptopMag’s interview, the Beam will be offered with a carrier subsidy, though the company are keeping quiet on exactly which US network they’re in bed with.
Our pre-emptive love for the HTC HD2 knows few bounds, and Peter Chou exclusively confirming to us that the Snapdragon-based Windows Phone would be hitting the US in Q1 2010 only helped in that. What was unclear, until now, was which carrier might be getting the HD2, but a leaked image acquired by TmoNews seemingly confirms that the Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone will be arriving on T-Mobile USA.
Modular phone manufacture Modu have already discussed their plans for next-gen 3G and tablet-style devices, but now the company is talking about adding a splash of Android to the mixture. Speaking to TechRadar, Modu CEO Dov Moran revealed that “we’re also planning to have a jacket based on Android, which will enable programming capability [on the Modu unit], but these plans are too early to expose.”
We already knew that the Nokia E72 was coming this month – it’s been listed on Vodafone UK’s site since early September – but the Finns themselves have now got into the action with a SIM-free price. The E72 has been added to Nokia UK’s online store for preorder, priced at £359 ($572), though there’s no telling when they’ll actually begin shipping.
LBook have been quietly selling ebook devices for a while now, but the company is hoping to make a splash into the multitouch tablet market next year with their T9. The LBook T9 is an Intel Atom-based 8.9-inch slate running Windows 7, and is tipped to arrive in March 2010 with a price tag in the $350 to $375 region. If they can pull that off, it’s an excellent price for a 12.7mm-thick sofa surfer.
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