Sprint has announced a new handset supporting push to talk on its nationwide mobile network. The handset is called the Motorola Debut i856. You might recognize the name of that handset, Boost Mobile added it to its lineup back in September. The Debit is the first handset for Sprint to offer a slider form factor and PTT service.
We doubt we’re the only people who forgot that Motorola had thrown their oar in with the LiMo Foundation, but happily we’ll unlikely to need that knowledge again since the company is seemingly dropping its support for the open-source mobile platform. Motorola VP Christy Wyatt has vacated her seat on the LiMo Foundation board, while the company itself has downgraded its membership from “founding member” to “associate member”.
“At this time it feels that the Android platform gives it a richer, more consistent foundation with strong support for the ecosystem and developer community” Motorola statement
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We thought Microsoft fell short of the mark with Windows Mobile 6.5 but we still managed to get excited about the HTC HD2; it seems Motorola feel very differently. According to Christy Wyatt, Motorola's VP for software platforms and ecosystem, the company is holding off from producing any Windows Mobile 6.5 devices, and instead waiting until Windows Mobile 7 arrives sometime in 2010.
Motorola have confirmed that their first Android smartphone, the Motorola DEXT, will arrive in the UK come Wednesday October 7th. Stealing a leap on its US cousin, the Motorola CLIQ, the DEXT will be available exclusively to carrier Orange, and be priced at free to anybody willing to sign two years of their life away to a £34.26 ($55) per month contract.
After yesterday’s extreme Motorola Tao close-ups, now comes a slightly more useful image of the phone that confirms the form-factor we’ve seen leaked previously. While there are no shots of the keyboard extended, this new picture does at least show the touch-sensitive buttons and metal screen bezel.
With only a few days left leading up to CTIA Wireless in San Diego, Verizon wireless pulled out all the stops and announced a boat load of new phones and a new subsidized 3G Gateway netbook. The most impressive handset from the lineup is the HTC Imagio powered by Windows Phone 6.5 aka HTC Touch Diamond 2 (which we’ve reviewed here). Other handsets include a rugged clamshell by Motorola – the Barrage, a unique phone made by Personal Communication Devices (PCD) and finally the Nokia Shade.
You probably can’t tell from this photo, but you’re supposedly looking at a pre-release Motorola Tao – aka the Motorola Sholes – that’s fallen into the hands of someone over at HowardForums. They’ve been posting various shots, though nothing that shows the full hardware at present, but certainly enough to keep us interested.
Back when people were desperate to get their hands on the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, a pre-order event seemed a reasonable way to stoke the hype. Now that we’re a few models down the line, T-Mobile USA’s pre-announcement for a pre-order of the Motorola CLIQ smacks vaguely of desperation. As of October 19th, existing customers of the carrier will be able to order a CLIQ for $199.99 with a new two-year agreement, though they won’t actually get their new phone until November 2nd when it goes on sale generally.
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Motorola are seemingly clearing their plate to focus on their upcoming mid- to high-end handsets, with the news from China being that the company have outsourced production of all of their entry-level models. According to the United Daily News, any handset costing under $150 moving forward will be built by a third-party, potentially over 40 million devices per year.
We’re not cellphone manufacturers, but we can’t imagine there’s much more disheartening to hear reviewers suggest your latest handset “isn’t ready for primetime”. Unfortunately for Motorola, that’s just the conclusion the Boy Genius Report have come to in their CLIQ preview, with the handset’s power-gobbling ways being the prime suspect for their dissatisfaction.
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