Phonedig

The folks over at BGR got their hands on the new Motorola Droid and, boy, does it looks killer, as in almost iPhone killer. Looks like Motorola is back on track with a full QWERTY slider phone that’s amazingly only slightly thicker than an iPhone 3GS. Ultra-slick design, solid construction, huge screen, fast processor, and Android 2.0 to boot? What’s not to like. Check it out:

• It’s running Android 2.0. Duh.
• It’s thin. Just slightly thicker than an iPhone 3GS and the thinnest QWERTY-slider we’ve ever seen.
• It is the fastest Android device we’ve ever used. (It’s running a TI OMAP3430 processor)
• The feel of the device is very reminiscent of the OQO 02 model computer. Just smaller. It’s metal with a non-spring-assisted slide, very sturdy, and half soft-touch plastic.
• Awesome capacitive display. Plus it’s huge. Easily the best screen we’ve ever seen on an Android handset, and an amazing screen overall.
• The QWERTY keyboard is actually pretty usable and has a soft-touch rubberized finish. We’ve been told the keyboard design isn’t final on this unit, thus the two no-shows.
• Have we mentioned this phone flies? It’s the Android device to beat, and easily the most impressive. From what we’ve been told, Google had a direct hand in the Motorola Droid. Something to the point of almost dictating every move Motorola made when designing and making the phone. Interesting, huh?
• There’s a desktop cradle/charger that will ship with the Motorola Droid that we’ve been playing around with. It turns your Droid into a “multimedia station” and displays local weather, the time, etc.
• No one wants to listen, but it makes the CLIQ looks like a child’s toy (partly because it is, and partly because the Droid, even in its non-final form, is the most impressive phone we’ve used since the iPhone. It’s positively amazing).

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Not sure how they did it but BGR got their hands on an Android 2.0 build and it’s looking sweet indeed. Judging by the screenshots and info, the new Android is looking to be a significant upgrade. Check out the features:

• Native Exchange support
• Native Facebook support (syncs contacts)
• Browser improvements (specifically performance and double tap to zoom in/out)
• New Map application (Layers support)
• Unified email inbox
• New UI
• Built-in haptic feedback
• Option for text to speech
• Many more phone customization options

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Millions of mobile users let out a collective sigh of relief with T-Mobile’s announcement of data being restored on most Sidekick devices. Users should see a gradual restoration of data starting with their phone contacts followed by calendar, notes, tasks, and photos.

After all this headache it makes you think twice about computing in the cloud, eh?

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It’s now official, Vodafone and RIM announced the BlackBerry Storm 2. The new phone improves upon the first with refinements such as:

• An enhanced SurePress Technology
• Overall device performance
• Javascript on by default
• WiFi 802.11 b/g
• 256MB flash memory (vs. 128MB on Storm 1)
• 2GB onboard memory (Storm 1 has 1GB)
• Sleeker design
• Integrated touch navigation keys
• BlackBerry OS 5.0
• Faster web browsing

No specific release date but Vodafone UK customers can get it free from £35 per month on a 24 month contract. Hmm, not sure if I’d want to be tied to a phone for 2 years even if it was free.

Update: You can now pre-order the Storm 2 on Vodafone’s site.

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Samsung announced their Blue Earth device, an eco-friendly smartphone powered by the sun. This fully touchscreen phone is expected to be available in Sweden by the end of this month, followed by France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal, and other European/Asian countries.

So one would expect a solar-powered smartphone to skimp on features, yes? Well, it sure doesn’t look like it based on these specs:

• Quad-band GSM/HSDPA connectivity
• 3.0 inch WQVGA capacitive touchscreen
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• MicroSD slot
• Stereo FM radio
• Bluetooth with A2DP

What sets Blue Earth apart from other phones is that the back panel is lined with solar cells that charge the phone in direct sunlight. Not only that, the device’s casing is made from recycled plastic, is packed with recycled paper, is able to go into an “eco-mode” power conservation mode, and is bundled with a 5 star energy efficient charger. Now that’s what I call green…err…Blue.

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Looks like it’s official with AT&T’s announcement, the up to now black BlackBerry Bold will be making an appearance in a ghostly white skin. At first I thought it a bit strange but it’s definitely growing on me.

Expect an October 18 release for $199 after 2 year contract.

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The Motorola Debut i856 is now available on the Sprint network as part of their Nextel Direct Connect line of devices. It may not be the “glitziest” of phones but it’s the first slider phone to offer push-to-talk service. Features include:

• 176×220 pixel TFT display
• Direct Connect button with backlight
• GPS
• 3.5mm headset jack
• Stereo Bluetooth
• Threaded messaging/MMS
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• MicroSD slot for up to 8GB of extra storage

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In a face-saving move to quell angry Sidekick customers, T-Mobile is set to give a $100 card to those who’ve experienced significant or permanent data loss. The $100 credit can be used for future T-Mobile purchases or can be used to pay monthly phone bills. This is in addition to the free month of data service to all Sidekick owners. Good move, T-Mobile.

T-Mobile remains hopeful that the majority of customers will have their personal data restored.

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Samsung and Giorgio Armani today announced a smartphone based on Windows Mobile 6.5. Microsoft’s Balmer presented the phone and described it as the most “fashionable phone he’s ever had a chance to talk about.”

The phone resembles the Samsung Armani W820/W8200 phone and feature highlights include:

• 3.5 inch AMOLED touchscreen
• GPS
• 5 megapixel camera
• 8GB internal memory
• MicroSD slot
• Full QWERTY keyboard

The official name and release date is still unknown but expect to pay around $1k. Hey, it’s an Armani, what’d you expect?

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According to some snaps at the CTIA, the BlackBerry Bold 9000 is about to receive a white makeover. That’s right, folks, the long revered, sexy-black Bold is going to be available in albino white on the 18th of October for a cool $199.99 after 2 year AT&T contract.

I can’t place it but there’s just something about the white Bold that’s just…not…right. Think I’ll just stick with my black Bold, tyvm.

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