Speaking with 9to5Mac this week on the situation, T-Mobile has brought the game to the iPhone market with enticing pricing for families looking to bring on two or more iPhones, amongst other tasty price bits. With T-Mobile’s Value family plan they note you’ll get “unlimited talk, unlimited text and unlimited data with 2 GB of high-speed data is just $49.99 per line for two lines.”

This price of course seems like a fantastic deal when you see AT&T’s similar two-person family deal at $130. That price of course includes AT&T’s 3G network while your T-Mobile phones will be working with 2G or EDGE speed data, both of them significantly lower quality than AT&T’s 3G. That said, T-Mobile has noted that they’ll be adding HSPA+ (their version of 4G) to their 1900 MHz PCS spectrum. This means 4G for the iPhone.

Sound good to you? Let us know if you plan on making the switch! Also remember to check out these simple instructions for unlocking your off-contract AT&T iPhone to get this process started!

[via 9to5Mac]

That leaves its GSM EDGE connection as the only wireless technology onboard, and unlike with Amazon’s Kindle, owners of the txtr will be expected to pay for their mobile service.  Monthly fees between €12 and €15 have been vaunted, and while they’re still optional the absence of WiFi means the txtr won’t be able to access the internet if you don’t subscribe to a service plan.

While there’ll also be a slight price reduction – bringing the txtr down to €299 ($449) – that fact puts it more on a par with regular, non-wireless-enabled ebook readers which generally come in far cheaper; the saving grace is that owners get free wireless access to the txtr ebook store even without a subscription.  txtr will begin taking preorders for the device from December 1st

[via MobileRead]

Video demo after the cut

Initially the on-device ebook store will only be available in Germany, but the txtr is compatible not only with DRM-locked ePub files but unlocked pdf, epub, doc and PowerPoint formats.  Interestingly, txtr make details about the device’s hardware and software available on their developer site, and seem to be encouraging tinkering and modifications with a public API; we’re a little confused with the talk of 3G connectivity on the main product page, though, while the developer hardware page discusses an EDGE modem instead.  However the same page also confirms Bluetooth and Near Field Communications.

Monthly service plans will be around €11.99 to €14.99 ($18-22) depending on length of contract, but be optional; it’s not quite clear, but it seems that wireless book purchases will not require a subscription.  The txtr will come with an 8GB microSD card.  NewGadgets.de caught up with the txtr team recently, and shot the video below of the device in action.

[via MobileRead]

Video demo after the cut

There’s also a mediocre WQVGA LCD panel and a multifunction button that’s used as a home-key normally and a call/end button while in the dialler.  Internal memory is a reasonably healthy 8GB, plus there’s a 3.5mm headphones jack and 3-megapixel camera (though no flash).

LG will also sell you a replacement battery cover that adds solar-charging to the GD510.  No word on pricing, but it’ll apparently land in Europe come mid-October and “other markets” after that.

Press Release:

A Touchscreen Phone That Has Never Been Simpler To Use

Seoul, Korea / September 30, 2009 – LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled the LG GD510, or more simply, “Pop”, the most compact 3-inch full touchscreen phone ever made. The LG GD510 is the handset people who want a simple touchscreen phone have been waiting for.

LG has been one of the industry’s leading innovators in touchscreen phones since it launched the world’s first full touchscreen phone, PRADA Phone by LG, in January 2007. Since then, the company has achieved great success in the touchscreen devices market by creating an array of handsets designed to meet different consumer needs. For instance, LG’s Cookie (KP500) is an affordable full touchscreen phone that has already sold more than 7 million units worldwide since its launch earlier this year. With the LG GD510, LG is applying its tried and true strategy to another new model – this time, to a compact full touchscreen handset.

LG’s consumer research showed that a large group of consumers wanted the functionality of a full touchscreen phone without the extra bulk and unnecessary features that resulted in higher prices. According to the research, many users were also put off by the complexity of feature-laden phones but still desired the easier navigation and larger screens of full touchscreen phones. The LG GD510 was designed to include the key features these users craved, without the overhead of features they didn’t use.

“We gave the LG GD510 an optimized feature set which allowed us to concentrate on making the phone more compact and simpler to use,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Our high-end phones like the Black Label Series New LG Chocolate (LG BL40) may be getting all the attention but there’s a gap in the market for affordable touchscreen phones that we want to fill. The LG GD510 delivers all the essentials in communication, multimedia and entertainment and comes in a compact form factor as well.”

Fully fluent in multimedia, the LG GD510 plays music and movies in several popular file formats and 8 gigabytes of internal memory provides plenty of room for storing large collections. An easy-to-use browser brings all the best mobile content to the device’s large screen and a 3.0 megapixel camera captures high quality photos and videos for sharing online or sending wirelessly to friends.

The spacious 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen extends almost to the edges of the LG GD510 with a narrow 4.8 mm bezel giving the illusion of an uninterrupted sheet of glass. The unit’s sleek design is accented by a single button on the face that functions as the menu, end and cancel keys, depending on the phone’s mode. A slim strip of light around the button shines either green or red to indicate the handset’s function. The LG GD510 is crafted from brushed aluminum which gives it a high-end look and feels solid in the hand even when squeezed.

LG GD510 will be available beginning in mid-October in Europe, followed by other markets. Prices will vary country-to-country and will be announced separately in each individual market.

The HSL 2.75G Femtocell seems, going by the picture above, to be in the render stage of final design, but according to the company’s press release they’re already in talks with European, Asian and other regions’ carriers.  While the language might lead you to initially assume they’ll be offering the femtocell directly to end-users, unfortunately they’ll need to get carrier agreements in place first; still, the possibility of a single femtocell device – which bridges voice and data calls from a mobile phone to your broadband connection, thus creating a small “cloud” of personal cellular coverage – that could handle traffic from phones on multiple networks is a promising one, should HSL be able to pull off the agreements.

Unfortunately, as the 2.75G name suggests, this first HSL model does not support 3G speeds, only EDGE data rates.  That’s going to make for a slower surfing experience, but then it’s likely better than no signal at all (which is, after all, the point of femtocells) and if you’re in range of the HSL 2.75G you’re likely also in range of your WiFi router.  Apparently up to 7 cellular clients can be connected at once, and HSL have opened up a page for pre-registering interest; no word on pricing as yet, though.

Press Release:

HSL Announce Direct Availability of Femtocells to Mobile Users

HSL, a provider of mobile infrastructure, are today announcing that their femtocell, the HSL 2.75G Femtocell, is to be made available directly from HSL to mobile users around the world to improve mobile service availability for 2G and 3G mobile users. In support of this HSL are today also releasing the website www.femtonow.com to give mobile users the means to express interest in obtaining the HSL 2.75G Femtocell ahead of the femtocell becoming available for use with their operator’s network.

Many mobile users in rural, suburban and urban locations experience problems using their mobile indoors due to poor coverage. As a result of this users can experience very low mobile service availability or no service at all. This problem is particularly acute for 3G mobile users but also greatly impacts 2G mobile users. Poor coverage prevents a mobile user from making use of their mobile phone in a location important to them such as their home or office. Given that on average at least 30% of calls occur when at home poor coverage in the home is a real issue for mobile users.

The HSL 2.75G Femtocell effectively addresses this problem for 2G and 3G users. The HSL 2.75G Femtocell is connected to the user’s broadband router so to communicate with their mobile operator’s own network across the Internet, and creates a cell of good quality coverage throughout the home or office. When within coverage of the femtocell users can reliably use their mobile for voice calls, SMS, MMS and data at EDGE speeds.

The availability of the HSL 2.75G Femtocell for use with individual mobile operators is subject to HSL entering into agreements with those operators. In conjunction with this announcement HSL has commenced pursuing agreements with operators in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

In certain markets the HSL 2.75G Femtocell will be able to simultaneously support mobile users belonging to different mobile operators. This will allow a single femtocell to serve all mobile users in a household irrespective of which network each mobile user belongs.

Mobile users interested in purchasing the HSL 2.75G Femtocell should register their interest at www.femtonow.com. As individual mobile networks become available for use with the HSL 2.75G Femtocell, mobile users belonging to those networks who have registered their interest will be contacted to allow them to purchase the HSL 2.75G Femtocell.

There’s also a full web-browser with support for YouTube, media player, internet radio and support for video streaming; Engadget recommend dropping a MiFi into your bag to provide the connection, and that certainly seems a good idea.  Meanwhile there are also more typical PND features, such as lane assist, a traffic receiver and text-to-speech, all running on a Linux-based OS.  No word on final pricing, but figure something well over the $500 mark.

As for the Garmin nuvi 1690, that’s tipped to launch on September 3rd and then ship at the end of September for $499.99.  Your money gets you two years of Garmin’s new “nuinfo” connected services courtesy of the integrated EDGE connection, including weather, flight statuses, fuel prices, movie times, traffic and Google-powered local search results, as well as Bluetooth handsfree and text-to-speech.  The 1690 has a slightly smaller touchscreen, at 4.3-inches WVGA.

That manual tips the nuvi 1690 as having various connected search and other services, the former provided by Google Local and the latter by Garmin’s own system titled “nuinfo service”.  As well as Bluetooth there’s an integrated cellular connection, with a powered in-car mount; it’s unclear whether voice calls will be enabled, though it seems unlikely.

There’s also lane assist, junction view, live traffic information and a “current temperature” feature.  The PND was first spotted back in early August clearing the FCC; a product announcement is tipped for September.

[via News-Mobiles and via GPS Tracklog]

As of now, the system is only compatible with Windows systems, and has a USB 2.0 connector that swivels out when needed, and can be hidden away when not in use.  To help users connect easily, it comes with VZAccess Manager software, which also allows for automatic installation of the device on the system.  Unfortunately, customers will need to activate global network access on their Verizon wireless service, before they will be able to use the mobile broadband around the world.

The AD3700 is scheduled to reach stores on August 14th, and cost $80 after a $50 mail-in rebate.  The rebate will come in a rebate debit card, which is usual for the wireless carriers.  You’ll need to tether yourself to a new two-year contract to  get this deal, but if you plan on going around the world and you’re under the Big Red’s checkmark, this might be the best way to do that.

[Thanks, David]

Those other things might include POI updates, Google Local searches and two way route transfer from a desktop or online interface, but the 1690 won’t support voice calls.  Instead, the integrated Bluetooth will turn the nuvi 1690 into a hands-free kit.  There’s also a 1,000mAh battery and, though there’s no image to support it, we’re presuming a large touchscreen taking up the front face of the PND.

No word from Garmin on when the “connected personal navigation device” may launch, nor how they’ll be charging for the data connection.  Connected-PND manufacturer Dash found positioning their products too difficult in the face of low-cost PNDs, and were forced to end hardware production and instead license out their technology.

[via GPSTracklog]

There’s also a 320 x 240 display, Bluetooth and WiFi.  A microSD card slot and 3.5mm headphone jack round out the specifications, while the battery is good for 4.5hrs of talktime or 17 days of standby.  While many may scoff at the absence of high-speed cellular connectivity, the success of other 2.5G BlackBerry handsets such as the Curve 8900 shows there’s still a demand for straightforward, solid messaging-centric smartphones.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 is expected to be available free in the UK, assuming you sign a new contract priced at £25 ($41) per month or more with Vodafone UK.  Meanwhile pre-pay customers will be able to buy the handset for around £150 ($247).  No word on US pricing or availability as yet.

Press Release:

T-Mobile USA and RIM Introduce the New BlackBerry Curve 8520

Approachable New Smartphone Offers Email, Messaging, Social Networking, Music and Entertainment for People on the Go

Bellevue, Wash., and Waterloo, Ontario –T-Mobile USA, Inc., and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the new BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 smartphone, a new addition to the BlackBerry Curve series of smartphones, with availability expected on August 5.
The slim new BlackBerry Curve 8520 is an incredibly approachable smartphone that comes in two attractive colors from T-Mobile – black and frost. For people who like to be connected, it provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including Facebook® and MySpace) and features a highly tactile full-QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing. It also features rich multimedia capabilities and access to music, games and other mobile apps for entertainment on the go.
The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone is a world phone, and is also Wi-Fi®-enabled to arm customers with fast Web browsing and Wi-Fi calling. T-Mobile customers can continue to get great mobile coverage and unlimited nationwide Wi-Fi calling with T-Mobile’s Unlimited HotSpot Calling service as well as unlimited nationwide calling to five people with T-Mobile myFaves® service.*

In addition to providing the industry’s leading mobile email and messaging solution, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone is designed to be efficient and convenient. It introduces an innovative touch-sensitive optical trackpad, which makes scrolling and selection smooth and easy for a great navigation experience. It is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to feature dedicated media keys, smoothly integrated along the top of the handset, giving customers an easy, convenient way to control their music and videos.
“People increasingly expect a rich, diverse experience with their phones because they’re using them in new and different ways,” said Travis Warren, director of product marketing, T-Mobile USA. “Adding the BlackBerry Curve 8520 to the T-Mobile line-up gives our customers a phone capable of helping bring balance to the chaotic demands of a busy professional and personal life.”
“More and more cell phone users are choosing to upgrade to a smartphone and the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 will undoubtedly convince many more people to make the switch. It delivers all the great messaging, social networking and multimedia features that have made BlackBerry the top-selling smartphone brand in the United States,” said Carlo Chiarello, vice president, product management, Research In Motion. “T-Mobile customers are going to love how easy it is to keep in touch on Facebook and MySpace and the full-QWERTY keyboard is amazingly fast and comfortable for typing on the go.”
Key features of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone include:
· Full-QWERTY keyboard and touch-sensitive optical trackpad for reliable, responsive typing and navigation
· 256MB Flash memory and a 512Mhz next generation processor for enhanced performance
· Premium phone features including voice activated dialing, and Bluetooth (2.0) support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth peripherals
· 2 MP digital camera with zoom and video recording
· Advanced media player for music, pictures and videos, with dedicated media keys and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, plus BlackBerry® Media Sync, which makes it easy to quickly sync music from iTunes® or Windows Media® Player with the smartphone**
· Access to BlackBerry App World™, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones. Categories include games, entertainment, social networking and sharing, news and weather, productivity and much more
· BlackBerry® Internet Service support for access to up to 10 supported email accounts, including most popular ISP email accounts such as Yahoo!®, Windows Live™ Hotmail®, AOL® and Gmail™; and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support, which provides advanced security and IT administration features for corporate deployments
· Expandable memory via hot swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot, supporting cards of up to 16 GB today and expected to support next generation 32GB cards when available; a 1GB card is included
· Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) with support for T-Mobile Unlimited Hotspot Calling service
· Quad-band world phone: EGDE/GPRS/GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
The new BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone from T-Mobile will be available on August 5 at T-Mobile retail stores, Wal-Mart Stores, select authorized dealers, and online at http://www.T-Mobile.com.
*Unlimited nationwide Wi-Fi calling requires Unlimited HotSpot Calling mobile plan, qualifying rate plan, broadband Internet connection and wireless router. Regular plan minutes are used when call does not originate on Wi-Fi network. For more information about Unlimited HotSpot Calling, visit http://www.T-MobileAtHome.com. myFaves only applies to calls directly between two people and allows unlimited nationwide calling to five U.S. numbers. Use of some device features may require a specific plan and incur separate, additional charges. See T-Mobile.com for rate plan information, charges for features and services, and other details.
** Certain music files may not be supported, including files that contain digital rights management technologies.

The carrier first announced the upcoming 8900 back at the start of May, though did not confirm any specific release date beyond an “early Summer” launch.  May 22nd might be pushing that definition, but we won’t argue with the Curve 8900 dropping earlier than expected.

While we’re yet to try the AT&T Curve 8900, we did spend some hands-on time with the T-Mobile USA version of the smartphone back in January.  While it lacks 3G, it’s nonetheless a very usable messaging phone, with an excellent hardware QWERTY keyboard and solid battery life; AT&T estimate roughly 5.5hrs of talktime or 15 days of standby.  Those buyers who choose an unlimited AT&T data plan will also get free WiFi hotspot access at nearly 20,000 locations across the US.

The Samsung Star S5230 measures just 11.9mm thick and has a 3.2-megapixel camera capable of recording QVGA resolution video at up to 15fps.  Internal storage is 50MB, expandable to 8GB via a memory card slot, and there’s an accelerometer to flip between portrait and landscape orientations.  An on-screen QWERTY keyboard can be used in both, plus there’s handwriting recognition; no word on pricing when it launches in Europe, Middle East Africa, South East Asia, South West Asia and Latin America from April 2009, but expect it to be reasonable given the lack of high-speed data connection.  Samsung claim 2m of the handsets have already been pre-ordered.

As for the Samsung Preston S5600, it has the same camera, accelerometer and PMP functionality as the Star but throws in 7.2Mbps HSDPA connectivity and 80MB of standard memory (again with an 8GB-capable card slot).  It’ll land in Europe and Asia from May; again, no pricing. 

Press Release:

Samsung Star (S5230) And Samsung Preston (S5600) Are Now Available

Samsung extends its “A touch for every lifestyle” strategy with affordable but attractive full touch phones to Global market

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, announced the launch of Samsung Star (S5230) and Samsung Preston (S5600) in global market. Boasting compact design and intuitive usability, the products answer today’s customer needs of full touch phone at affordable price. Supporting 2.5G networks (Star) and 3G networks (Preston) respectively, Samsung is able to expand its full touch product portfolio and target various consumers.

Prior to their market availability, Samsung Star and Samsung Preston have attracted tremendous market interest and demands. Especially, Samsung Star is the most awaited model in many countries as more than 2 Million units has been pre-ordered.

“Samsung Star and Samsung Preston are significant additions to our full-touch screen mobile portfolio, featuring all the essential functions in one single device,” said JK Shin, executive vice president and head of Mobile Communications division at Samsung Electronics. “I am pretty confident that the products will be one of our historical best selling mobiles. Focusing on our consumer-oriented strategy, Samsung will deliver various full touch products for every lifestyle,” he added.

In line with product launching, Samsung will conduct various marketing promotion activities. ‘Samsung Mobile Live’, which is the company’s “experiential marketing” program will be held at popular spots in major launching countries from June. At this event, consumers will be able to touch and learn about newest features of Samsung’s full touch products without the pressure of a sales pitch. Throughout the program, Samsung will deliver the core message of ‘Get in Touch’ in a compelling way to solidify its leadership in full touch products.

A new television commercial for Samsung Star will be aired in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East Africa, South East Asia and South West Asia from end of May.

Samsung Star (S5230)

Samsung Star comes with the latest multimedia features in a slim and compact body that measures a mere 11.9mm. Adopting a 3.0-inch WQVGA full-touch screen and Samsung’s TouchWiz User Interface with Mobile Widgets, the phone enables its users to enjoy their mobile easily and intuitively. Using “Photo Contact,” users can call a contact by simply touching an appointed image.

The Samsung Star boasts various multimedia features including a 3.2 mega-pixel camera and video recording supporting QVGA@15fps. It supports multi-format and DNSe for ease of use and better sound quality. The phone also features music recognition using Shazam’s “Find Music” service. To enjoy various multimedia content, Samsung Star supports 50MB memory capacity with an external memory slot up to 8GB. The users can enjoy full Internet browsing with an accelerometer sensor for auto-rotation. For convenience, the phone also supports a QWERTY soft keyboard, “Gesture Lock” and handwriting features. The product also comes with various colors including Soft pink and Snow white.

Samsung Star will be available in Europe, Middle East Africa, South East Asia, South West Asia and Latin America from April.

Samsung Preston (S5600)

The Samsung Preston attracts style-conscious users with its slim and compact design. Full Internet browsing support with an accelerometer sensor for auto-rotation also gives users exciting mobile Internet experiences via 7.2Mbps HSDPA connectivity.

Equipped with a 2.8-inch QVGA full-touch screen, Samsung Preston adopted the TouchWiz User Interface and “Gesture Lock” feature, designed to customize and personalize the way you use your phone. Mobile widgets can be placed on the screen for one-click access to your favorite applications. Samsung Preston comes with a 3.2 mega-pixel camera, Music Recognition using Shazam’s “Find Music” service, and Multi-codec support including H.263, MPEG4, and WMV. The handset’s generous memory (80MB and Micro SD slot up to 8GB) ensures ample storage space for multimedia content. Samsung Preston will be available in Sweet pink, Snow white, and Charcoal grey colors.

Samsung Preston will be available in Europe and Asia from May.

CrackBerry give the Curve 8520 kudos for its optical trackpad, too, a first for BlackBerry devices.  Rather than the trackball which the RIM handsets have become somewhat known for, the 8520 uses a tiny camera – similar to that on the original Samsung Omnia – to control direction.  Whereas the success of the Omnia’s optical trackpad was mixed, the 8520′s is seemingly much better.

Unfortunately, that can’t make up for the absence of 3G, the sub-par 2-megapixel fixed-focus camera, and a 320 x 240 screen that is “a step down if you’ve ever used the Bold, 8900, Storm or 9630″.  The expectation is that this will end up as a pay-as-you-go (aka prepay) handset, in which company it will look far more tempting.

Update: Second unboxing photoset here.

In the box along with the SmartQ 5 itself there’s an AC adapter, USB to microUSB cable, headphones and instructions.  There’s also a USB EDGE modem, intended for use in SmartQ’s Chinese home market.  We’re still waiting to hear whether the MID will play nicely with a 3G HSDPA USB modem, or if international buyers will be stuck using the integrated WiFi.

Depending on the software performance, and that 3G question, this could be an impressive little device, not least because of the relatively low price.  It’s selling for the equivalent of around $132; if the sticker can stay in that region if/when it reaches the US, we could see Intel-based MIDs having a rough time.

We’re hoping that it’ll also play nicely with 3G modems; onboard wireless connectivity is limited to Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi, the former of which can be used to tether to a nearby cellphone.  Dimensions are 120 x 74 x 14mm and the SmartQ 5 weighs around 160g; the battery is a 2,000mAh unit, but there are no estimates on runtime as yet.

In China, the Moses SmartQ 5 MID is apparently going for just 899 yuan ($132), which despite the low internal storage is a bargain for the functionality.  Still no word on whether it’ll be available in the US or Europe.

[via UMPC Portal; via MP4 Nation]

Zer01 uses a self-developed VoIP system to carry voice calls across the data network.  While the nature of cellphone coverage means some connections may only be GPRS or EDGE, rather than 3G, Zer01 claim their VoIP technology can scale to offer decent calls despite the poor bandwidth.

Similarly straightforward should be the setup.  While Zer01 will sell subscribers a new phone, the expectation is that most will come with their own Windows Mobile device; setup takes around five minutes to download the special VoIP application – which starts and ends automatically, to save battery life – and update the user’s SIM.  Support for other devices such as Blackberry, Android and iPhone will be available “within months”.

Press Release:

New True Unlimited Voice & Data National Mobile Service From Zer01 Mobile To Premier At Upcoming CTIA Wireless 2009 Convention In Las Vegas on April 1st

- Nominated For Four CTIA Wireless Technology Awards, Zer01 Mobile’s New Service Utilizes Proprietary VoIP Technology & Priced At $69.95 Per Month Without Any Contracts -

(Las Vegas, Nevada) – Zer01 Communications, a Las Vegas, NV based mobile communications company, announced today that it will premier its new Zer01 Mobile true unlimited voice and data mobile service at the upcoming CTIA Wireless 2009 convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 1 – 3, 2009. Priced at $69.95 per month for true unlimited national voice and data mobile service without any contracts or commitments, Zer01 Mobile has already been nominated in four categories for CTIA Wireless 2009 technology awards.

“We are the first mobile service to offer consumers a true national unlimited voice, data and Internet plan without any contracts or commitments that is priced affordably at only $69.95 per month with taxes and fees included. We have licensed patent pending proprietary Veritable Mobile Convergence (VMC) Technology from the Unified Technologies Group that allows each smart phone user to make voice calls or transmit data efficiently by bypassing carrier circuit-switched channels by sending voice communications through a VoIP system and onto a virtual private network that accesses the Internet,” explained Ben Piilani, CEO, Zer01 Mobile. “Zer01 Mobile is not a new mobile virtual network operator (MNVO). We are a new communications carrier. For many years now, we’ve been developing our VMC Technology and I’m looking forward to premiering our new Zer01 Mobile service at the upcoming CTIA Wireless event.”

The new mobile national carrier has created its own interconnect agreements throughout North America and the globe, and will also be announcing an international unlimited voice and data service without any commitments or contracts. Zer01 Mobile customers will be able to use their own smartphones or buy a new phone from the online store. “We are saving consumers hours of time and hundreds of dollars. Since we are setup as a pre-paid service, no longer will consumers spend hours and hours reviewing contracts and being subject to high-pressure sales tactics. A consumer will only need to wait an estimated five minutes to allow us to update their phone’s SIM card to connect to our network,” said Piilani.

“People will soon realize the technical advantages and cost savings of an unlimited calling plan, no contract, no roaming charges and no additional taxes and fees. Literally millions of people will become aware of this product very quickly. Truly innovative products tend to go viral very quickly on the Internet today and we believe that the buzz that will surround the Zer01 service will be incredible,” said Mark Richard, chief information officer, Pervasip Corporation, a leading provider of wholesale Voice over Internet Protocol broadband telephone services, White Plains, NY. “As an information technology leader, I have pioneered advanced systems and innovative software solutions for over 30 years. I have a hard time containing my excitement for this unique service where the GSM cell networks and Internet seamlessly converge into a single communications device.”

Zer01 Communications will be premiering its new nationwide, no contract, unlimited voice and data mobile communications service at the upcoming CTIA Wireless 2009 Convention, Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall, Booth #6363, from April 1-3, 2009. Visit www.ctia.org for details about this leading industry event. Zer01 Mobile will initially be available on Windows Mobile smartphones, however support for other devices such as Blackberry, Android and iPhone will be available within months.

Based in Las Vegas, NV, Zer01 Communications is owned and operated by the Unified Technologies Group, Inc., a global technology services and consulting company that is headquartered in Wilmington, DE. For more information about Zer01 Communications, visit www.Zer01mobile.com.

In fact like a lot of ruggedized phones you’re getting very basic features for your money.  The Samsung Xplorer has a 1.77-inch 120 x 160 LCD display, microSD slot to augment the pitiful 7MB of internal storage, a 1.3-megapixel camera and speakerphone.  There’s also Bluetooth 2.1 and a 1,000mAh battery good for 9hrs talktime or 600hrs standby.

Samsung also throw in an FM radio, and the whole thing measures 4.45 x 1.93 x 0.69 inches and weighs 3.63oz.  It’ll apparently hit Europe – and Germany in particular – come April 2009; no US release has been detailed, nor price, though we’d expect to see the Xplorer B2100 free with a new contract.

Press Release:

SAMSUNG REINFORCES ITS LEADERSHIP IN OUTDOOR PHONE MARKET

‘Samsung Xplorer’ is Best Fit For Active Outdoor Lifestyle

Seoul, Korea, March 18, 2009 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today introduced

‘Samsung Xplorer’ (B2100), a new phone that incorporates various outdoor features and robust durability, and boasts a stylish design and comfortable grip.

Following the successful launches of the M110 in 2007 and the B2700 in 2008, Samsung continues to introduce advanced outdoor mobile phones. With the unveiling of ‘Samsung Xplorer’, the newest submersible mobile phone, Samsung hopes to strengthen its leadership in the outdoor mobile phone market.

“Samsung Xplorer is the perfect companion for consumers who enjoy active outdoor activities.” said JK Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Mobile Communication Division at Samsung Electronics. ”With the launch of Samsung Xplorer, Samsung will be able to solidify its position in outdoor phone market and continue to make products that excel in durability and usability.”

Encased in anti-shock urethane material, the ‘Samsung Xplorer’ is built to withstand the bumps, bangs, scrapes, scuffs and even against dust and water. Featuring the IP57 certification, the phone provides perfect outdoor mobile experiences while supporting dust protection and water protection (under up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes).

‘Samsung Xplorer’ is adaptable for even the toughest environment – including blowing rain, salt fog, and extremely hot and cold temperatures, etc. – and is compliant with Military Standard 810F (MIL-STD-810F).

Furthermore, ‘Samsung Xplorer’ is equipped with outdoor friendly features such as loud external speakers, noise cancellation and a flash light. It is offered in a variety of colors and the slimmest thickness among other submersible phones, making it the perfect choice for both of work and leisure activity.

‘Samsung Xplorer’ will be launched in Germany and other European countries from April, 2009.

Unfortunately there’s no 3G connectivity: the Xenium X810 tops out at EDGE data, and WiFi seems to be another omission, at least from the specifications we currently have.  What you do get is Bluetooth, USB and a microSD card slot to augment the internal 45MB storage.

The whole thing measures 104 x 52 x 14.4 mm and weighs a mere 100g, and Philips have obviously been flexing their power-saving muscles in the X810′s direction as it will apparently manage up to one full month of standby time.  It’s expected to drop in China first; no word on pricing or whether it’ll reach other markets.

[via Unwired View]

Other specs include a full QWERTY keyboard, 2-megapixel camera and 320 x 240 resolution display.  The buttons below the screen appear to use the etched-metal design first seen on the Motorola RAZR and, to our eyes at least, don’t particularly suit the BlackBerry profile; there’s also a trackball.

The Gemini 8325 is expected to run OS 5.0, and really the only potentially interesting thing about it is the possibility – unconfirmed – that it will support draft-n in among WiFi b/g.  No word on official announcements or launches, nor which carrier might pick up the Gemini.

According to the source, the iPhone nano will have EDGE rather than 3G data connectivity like its bigger brother, be as tall as the current iPod nano 4G but broader and deeper, and have the same curved profile as the current Apple smartphone.  Unlike some of the earlier patents and speculative renders, it will have a touchscreen with multitouch support, dropping half an inch or so off of the iPhone 3G’s display. 

Apple will, apparently, be looking to sell the iPhone nano at retail locations such as Walmart, with aggressive pricing and an unknown amount of internal storage.  The original source suggests a Macworld announcement in January 2009.

[via Unwired View]

Now, since Steve and his fiends control the pearly gates of entrance into the iPhone Developer Program, and the distribution of Apps, if Apple is dead set on Flash not reaching the iPhone, then it may still not make it to the iPhone. Just because Adobe comes up with a version of Flash for the iPhone doesn’t mean it will be added to the iPhone App Store.

I hope that Apple at the very least allows them to peddle their wares in the App Store, optimally Apple will cave and finally start working with Adobe, and it will be a great partnership, but maybe not. However with all the other apps that will be coming out for the iPhone one might wonder if anyone will care about Flash support for the iPhone. I think part of the thing with Apple not wanting Flash on the iPhone is the sheer amount of data that is transferred by Flash applications, I mean on WiFi networks that’s fine, but over EDGE it would either be too slow to be enjoyable or would majorly irk ATT.

[via Apple-Touch]

The theme of the event is “EXPLORE THE EDGES OF MOBILE COMPUTING.”

All I know is ATT better get their stuff together or they are going to start losing customers, especially business customers. I mean it’s the end of the month/the beginning of a new one; this is a really bad time to have an outage occur that more or less only affects business users.

Apparently there are 5 states that are unaffected. If you are having any experience with this or know anything new, let us know in the comments section.

[via gadgetell]

It converts the whole WP-Admin interface into a mobile Safari friendly interface. With this you can write, and manage existing posts right from your iPhone. And to keep things speedy, it automatically strips everything down to its bare HTML essentials, but it also GZIPs everything before it’s sent to the iPhone, which means it should work rather well even on the EDGE network.

The guys running WPhone also have a plugin for other mobile browsers that don’t support JS, so, if you, and your fellow bloggers are on the go a lot, setting this up might not be a bad idea. The only problem I can see is how I’d download pics, and then upload them into the WP post, although I suppose I could do it via URL and then just put the pic into our gallery and change the link once I got access to an actual computer.

WordPress admin interface optimized to work with iPhone, other mobile phones [via intomobile]

They are claiming that they have received the info from “highly reliable sources”, what kind of “highly reliable sources” is close enough to Apple, but far enough away to go to an Italian blog first? Whatever, we all know a 3G iPhone is due sometime next year, and I personally would be disappointed if it was UMTS and not EV-DO or HSDPA, or even better yet HSDPA/HSUPA.

Apparently Vodafone and T-Mobile are also going to work out their differences sans lawsuit too. Oh, and this release also wouldn’t violate distribution agreements with the Jesus-Phone’s current carriers as those agreements apparently only cover the EDGE/GPRS versions of the iPhone.

Vodafone Gets Exclusive On UMTS iPhone 3G Next Spring Maybe [via unwiredview]

Even if you have a GoPhone iPhone account, you might have to call in this instance as Erica Sadun did over at TUAW, but if you are persistent you’ll be able to remove it from your bill. She got her bill down to $29.99 a month, which was just the voice portion of her bill, which should be enough to keep it activated, and still covered under Apple’s warranty/support.

So, if this sound like a good deal to you, just hop online and access your account and remove the data portion. Personally, if I had an iPhone, I would be hoping for the opposite, the ability to remove the voice plan, I do just about all of my communication via email/IM anyways.

Drop your iPhone data plan, keep voice [via TUAW]

It’s hard to explain, but the keypad area of the front fascia of the phone is flat, and blank. Haptics offer up the tactile feedback for the phones keypad which changes based on what you are doing. For example, if you are using the phone function, it’s a number pad, if you are using the media player function, it has music controls for buttons, and if you are using the camera function, there is a set of buttons for that too.

Other than that it has a 2MP cam, Bluetooth, quad-band GSM/EDGE, a 3.5mm headset jack, and the MOTOMAGX platform to run on. There isn’t any word on price or availability or even which carriers are getting it, but you’ll know as soon as we do.

Motorola ROKR E8: hands-on! [via boygeniusreport]

It has some software that comes built that I assume installs similar to that of software on a flash drive, so pretty much, you plug it in and you are off and running. The best part, its one of the first USB WWAN modems I have seen that isn’t god awful ugly.

Ahh, the best part of this job, informing you, the reader, that I have no clue when or for how much this thing will be on sale for. I don’t really even know where, I do have some details for you though, it won’t be available until next year, that’s all I’ve got.

Sony launches the MD300 mobile broadband USB modem [via gadgettastic]