So we’ve been hearing flickers of rumors about a supposed Android-powered Acer smartphone coming in the near future, but now an official from the company itself is confirming the rumor: the A1 is expected to be released sometime in September.
Vodafone and HTC have announced the next Android-based smartphone, the HTC Magic. The Magic – which will be on sale exclusively through Vodafone in Europe for an unspecified period – has a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen running at HVGA 320 x 480 resolution, an on-screen keyboard of HTC’s own design, and dualband 3G HSPA together with WiFi b/g.
No great surprise, but Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer has officially announced the latest version of Windows Mobile, version 6.5, today at Mobile World Congress, complete with a new name: Windows Phones. The newest version of the platform, as we’ve already seen in leaked screenshots, introduces a honeycomb launcher GUI which can be organized with often-used applications to the top of the screen, has customizable widgets and improved browsing via Internet Explorer Mobile 6.5 with the same browser engine as IE on the desktop.
According to analyst Generator Research, in the next five years we will see Apple’s smartphones outselling Nokia’s handsets and snatching up 40 percent of the global smartphone market. This may be due to the leaning curve that Symbian S60 requires compared to the simple user interface of the iPhone.
If this rumor’s not true, blame Shaw Wu. Wu, an analyst at Kaufman Bros., claims that a Dell smartphone is “closer to reality” than we might believe. If you were a fan of the Axim series of PDAs, this could be good news.
It looks like Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is finally showing Apple’s iPhone a little respect. After initially tearing into Apple’s device when it was first announced, Ballmer has now conceded that the iPhone and BlackBerry have a pretty firm grasp on the smartphone. Along with that, Ballmer also said that we shouldn’t hold our breath for a Zune Phone.
We’re now a few days removed from Palm’s unveiling of the Pre and another Palm rumor has crept out of the shadows. According to Electronista, Palm might be readying a new, webOS-based Centro to be released after the Pre.
Is it true? There’s a rumor flying around the web regarding the Palm Pre’s price – $399 for a Sprint 2-year contract. We must stress that has not been confirmed. That said, what do you think about this price point?
Be sure to check in regulary for new developments on this story, and also check out our new sister site, Pre Community – a community for everything Pre.
Pre Community is certainly getting a lot of time near the Pre, it seems – the site has now posted the write-up from a Q&A with Sprint and Palm executives. Pre Community also states at the end of the post that a video of the Q&A is “coming soon”.
Well, Palm’s CES Press Conference has come and gone, and we now have our first look at the company’s new smartphone – the Pre. What do we know about Palm’s new device? We’ll give you the rundown (and treat you to the photos we weren’t supposed to liveblog) after the jump. Also note: We’ll have an exclusive hands-on with the Pre today at 3:30 PM PST. Look for more on the Pre afterwards! And be sure to check out PreCommunity.com, our new site for everything Pre.
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