Engadget Mobile

FCC Fridays

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 11:54PM

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend ~~a lot of~~ way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!

Phones
Read - Huawei U7517
Read - Huawei G6600
Read - Samsung B5310L
Read - Samsung C3510
Read - Samsung SCH-F339
Read - Pantech P7040
Read - LG GS107a
Read - LG 900G
Read - LG UN430
Read - LG GD350
Read - Panasonic 940P

Peripherals
Read - ZTE MF10
Read - ZTE K4505-Z
Read - Haier HC-CE310

iPhone coming to The Shack: Dallas and NYC this month, nationwide in 2010?

by Ross Miller posted Nov 6th 2009 at 7:52PM

So we knew a select number of authorized resellers would start stocking iPhones soon, and thanks to a tipster, it looks like we might be getting a glimpse at a none-too-surprising recipient of the new order. As these pics from an anonymous tipster show, "big hug for your mobile life" retailer The Shack will be getting AT&T's flagship device soon, with a letter supposedly from EVP of store operations Bryan Bevin (found after the break) adding that the 3G and 3GS rollout will begin this month at some company-owned locations in the Dallas Forth Worth and New York City areas, with a nationwide rollout in 2010. Not that you necessarily needed more places to tempt you with the device, but it's always fun to have options.

Continue reading iPhone coming to The Shack: Dallas and NYC this month, nationwide in 2010?

HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video

by Paul Miller posted Nov 6th 2009 at 5:45PM

Now that we've got the DROID ERIS in the mix, we're up to our ears in HTC Hero-derivative devices. We decided to sit the whole crew (GSM, Sprint and Verizon editions) down for a little modeling session, and we're finding ourselves reticent to pick a favorite. There are really plusses and minuses to each of them, but any way you lean it's a pretty good handset with some perhaps overly bulky software, a wonderful pricepoint (on Verizon, anyway) and probably a limited time in the sun with upcoming Android 2.0 devices, faster processors and wild new screens rolling on in. Check the video out after the break and you can make up your own mind.

Continue reading HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video

Google breaks from tradition, posts DROID ad on home page

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 3:57PM

Google's home page: a benchmark for simplicity in web design. Like clockwork, you can expect a text box, a pair of buttons, a logo (usually stylized these days), and not much else -- and if there's one thing you definitely won't see, it's an ad. So wait, what's this? Google is breaking from its time-honored tradition in a very big way today to pimp the launch of Motorola's DROID with an ad right below the search box, just like it did for the G1 last year. Not surprisingly, we've checked with our non-US editors and it seems that only Yanks are seeing this. We're conflicted about the whole thing -- we can understand that Google's stoked about Android 2.0 and the best Android-powered device to date, but this isn't really isn't as big of a deal as the first Android launch, so isn't it just a bit blasphemous? And even if it isn't, shouldn't everyone at least get on the same page about the capitalization of "DROID?"

AT&T closes Centennial Wireless deal

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 2:17PM

Wireless acquisitions tend not to be the most straightforward, easy-to-finalize business dealings in the world, and indeed, it's been almost a year to the day since AT&T announced that it intended to scoop up regional carrier Centennial to the tune of $944 million. Since then, thousands of pounds of red tape have been slashed and the deal has finally been sealed, meaning that Centennial stores will be fully rebranded in 100 US locations by January of next year, while the company's service in Puerto Rico will continue to carry the legacy brand through to mid-2010. For its part, AT&T plans to deploy 3G at "more than 100" Centennial cell sites and expand 3G coverage at 100 others, so it's a mutually beneficial relationship -- though we'll have to wait for feedback from old Centennial customers bearing the brunt of the transition before we start high-fiving.

[Thanks, Zachary]

Blinged out Michael Jackson phone is fashionably late

by Laura June posted Nov 6th 2009 at 12:25PM

Michael Jackson may never take the stage again, but that doesn't mean you can't commemorate him in your pocket, right? This special, "limited edition" mobile phone appears to have been dipped in gold and diamonds, and, if we're not mistaken... it's basically a Vertu KIRF that's dressed like a headless MJ? We're pretty light on specs and pricing information here, but rest assured that unless you live in China, you'll probably never be able to get your be-gloved hand on one of these. Nothing like cashing in on the dead.

[Via Shanzhai]

LG to announce Snapdragon-boasting Android phone, Korea-bound in 2010

by Laura June posted Nov 6th 2009 at 11:58AM

It's looking like LG will be offering an Android phone boasting Qualcomm's hot Snapdragon chip -- which has recently squeezed its way into handsets such as the Xperia X10 and Acer's Liquid. The new LG mobile phone is expected for the Korean market in the second quarter of 2010. While the device is still unnamed and specs are still a mystery, LG is promising that the device will be "more mature" than the GW620 Eve, an Android device announced earlier this week for Rogers in Canada. There's no solid word on what availability of the device will be like, though LG says its considering possibilities outside of Korea.

[Via Slashgear]

PSA: Sears charging $50 less for new DROID activations than Verizon

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 11:14AM

If you walk into a Verizon store today and pick up a DROID, you'll be out $300 (before tax) out of pocket, then you'll twiddle your thumbs for a few weeks while you wait for some mysterious PO box in Texas to send you your $100 rebate on a debit card. Wouldn't you rather just pay $200 upfront? Or better yet, $150? Sears -- which, we have to admit, we didn't know sold phones -- is charging just $150 without a rebate for the DROID today, a full $50 less than Big Red proper with rebate. We don't know how good these guys are with customer service (Simplexity is running the store on Sears' behalf, it seems), but truth be told, we can deal with a little incompetency for $50.

[Via I4U]

DROID mania sweeps the nation, so to speak

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 9:19AM

It appears that last night's midnight opening in Manhattan went off like gangbusters, but the situation across the country is a little more subdued this morning with seemingly short lines and easy access to DROIDs at every location we've visited. We won't put out a number, but we can confirm that several Engadget editors have taken the plunge today -- and if riffraff like us can waltz into the store and get them, you should certainly be able to. Good luck being assimilated out there today, and be sure to post pictures of your experience in comments (up above we've got San Francisco's first buyer courtesy of Ross Miller, and after the break, you can live it up with the good folks of Albany as they were paid a visit by Tim Stevens).

Continue reading DROID mania sweeps the nation, so to speak

Verizon confirms DROID tethering cost, will ask subscribers to double-down on their data plan

by Tim Stevens posted Nov 6th 2009 at 7:18AM

Just a few days ago Verizon made the less-than-shocking confirmation that DROID tethering was coming, but wouldn't say how much it would cost. Now that the hardest of hardcore fans are already waiting in line, disconnected from the world at large, the company is unleashing the bad news: it'll be $30. That doubles the cost of the required data plan that sits atop a subscriber's voice plan, meaning a total of $60 per month for "unlimited" data access on handset or laptop. Mind you, "unlimited" really means 5GB of data per, a total of 10 split between the two $30 plans. Glass ceilings: we hate them.

Nokia's latest batch for emerging markets includes its cheapest phone ever

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 7:11AM

We spend most of our time talking about Espoo's Maemo- and Symbian-based lineup, which makes it easy to forget that the company has a vibrant business taking care of the very lowest rungs of the wireless industry -- devices that shatter price barriers and take service to entire new market segments in the furthest reaches of the world. Last year, it was the 1202 raising eyebrows with a €25 price tag, and this week, Nokia's beaten its own mark by coming out with the 1280 (pictured) at just €20 unsubsidized. The phone comes as part of a new five-pack of emerging market devices Nokia has shown this time around, including candybars ranging from the monochrome 1280 to the 1616 and 1800 with color displays for just €4 and €6 more, respectively; we've also got a 2220 slider and 2690 candybar that move a little upmarket at €45 and €54. All of the handsets feature FM radios (particularly critical in some of the markets where these phones will be sold) and feature killer battery life, perfect when power outlets can be hard to come by for days at a time. Indonesia will be the first to get these bad boys in early December, but we imagine they'll find their way to other regions shortly.

Dell Mini 3iX shows up at FCC, with WiFi and 3G in tow

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 6th 2009 at 5:40AM

Having already witnessed the case and UI of Dell's incoming Android invader, we can now pretty much complete the picture with the latest info from the FCC. Reassuringly, WiFi and 3G -- the two big modifications from the China-bound Mini 3i -- both make it onto US soil, leaving us with only the timeless questions of when and how much. The Chinese version of the phone runs a 360 x 640 resolution on a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, which makes for a nice base to get all that wireless communication (Bluetooth included) flowing. We can expect the Mini 3iX to find its way onto AT&T's awesome networks some time in 2010, joining a growing army of Android devices vying for your cash, love and understanding.

[Via Unwired View]

LTE Connected Car redefines the 'mobile' in mobile broadband (video)

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 6th 2009 at 4:53AM

If you think cellphones have become overbearingly complex, look away now. A partnership of tech companies and content providers, known as the ng Connect Program, has revealed a prototype "LTE Connected Car," which, as you might surmise, combines 4G mobile broadband connectivity with a bunch of cloud-sourced facilities, such as video on demand, audio libraries, and multiplayer gaming. It can also serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot, connect directly to home automation or monitoring systems, and probably cook you scrambled eggs if you ask nicely. A Toyota Prius serves as the guinea pig for this new concept, and we've got video of the whole shebang after the break.

Read - ng Connect Program Puts Connectivity in the Fast Lane with the LTE Connected Car Concept Vehicle
Read - ng Connect Program Reveals the Long Term Evolution (LTE) Connected Car

Continue reading LTE Connected Car redefines the 'mobile' in mobile broadband (video)

Cellphone inventor says they've become 'too complicated,' rock-n-roll too loud

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 6th 2009 at 3:37AM

You know that smartphone you love, that ultimate expression of handheld convergence that some would call a mobile computer? It's crap. Or so says octogenarian, Martin Cooper, former lead engineer at Motorola said to have invented the handheld cellphone -- really, his name is on the "Radio telephone system" patent and he's credited with making the very first private handheld cellphone call from a busy New York City street on April 3rd, 1973. Well Marty doesn't like those newfangled handsets. In fact, according to our sterling Mr. Cooper, "Our future I think is a number of specialist devices that focus on one thing that will improve our lives." Words uttered this week during a conference in Madrid. Imagine it: a future where we carry a portable radio, film camera, wind-up watch, Kaypro luggable computer, HP calculator, and Atari handheld... oh wait, that was the eighties.

DROID and DROID Eris now cash sentient on Verizon

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 6th 2009 at 1:01AM

After weeks of buildup the day is here: the DROID (and his little HTC buddy, the DROID Eris) is now for sale on Verizon's website. As expected Motorola's new flagship will set you back $200 after $100 online discount and two-year commitment while his underhyped Eris little bro is a penny shy of $100 after the same discount and contractual prostration. If you're looking to shed your contractual duties then you can hand over $560 in non-Android green for the option of going month-to-month.

[Via Gearlog, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read -- Motorola DROID
Read -- HTC DROID Eris