Hasta La Gadget!

Here’s an interesting one. Vodafone, which is one of the few carriers in the world right now with access to HTC’s HD2, is reportedly not going to stock the handset any longer once its current supply evaporates. The reason? Why, that’s a fantastic question! According to a company spokesperson, there has been a “massive amount of interest” in the big-screen mobile, with initial stock “selling out quickly and subsequent deliveries used to fulfill backorders.” Call us crazy, but it seems a wee bit foolish to can a product that’s selling well — unless, of course, Voda has a certain amount of iPhones that it’ll be required to sell just a few months from now (or else buy ’em itself). Whatever the case, we’re told that the operator “will not [be] re-stocking the HTC HD2 for general consumer sales once current stock runs out,” so if you’re jonesing for one, ten minutes ago would’ve been a great time to buy.

Update: Here’s the latest from Vodafone: “We haven’t recalled or stopped selling it, at the moment we have simply ran out of stock. When our next batch of stock arrives, this will be used to fulfill our outstanding back orders but we won’t be taking any additional orders via Telesales.”

Update 2: HTC pinged us directly and apologized for being unclear. Here’s the bottom line: “[The] HD2 will continue to be available on Vodafone, even after the iPhone launches.”

Vodafone reportedly ditching the HD2 as iPhone launch looms (update: nope!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know, our GPS gift guide has already been erected, but if you’re in the unfortunate position of needing a high-end gift for someone who’ll actually be in San Juan del Sur over the holidays, there’s hardly a better option than this. The TomTom XXL 540S World Traveler Edition is exactly what you think it is: it’s an XXL 540S, but with maps for the United States, Canada and Europe (what — no Central America?). The 5-inch touchscreen is still there, as is the company’s IQ Routes, ‘Help Me!,’ an increased 4GB of storage, advanced lane guidance and 7 million points of interest. It’s expected to hit retail shelves in both the US and Canada early next month for $349.95 (US) / $399.95 (CAD).

TomTom XXL 540S World Traveler Edition: perfect for that dude you’re jealous of originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Burglars over the weekend robbed a warehouse in Antwerp, Belgium, making off with $3 million worth of Apple’s popular iPhone, according to reports in the Belgian press.

The thieves reportedly used a fire ladder to climb to the roof of a warehouse, where they cut a hole to gain access to the goods. They pilfered nearly 4,000 brand new iPhones, according to De Standaard [Google Translation]. Police are investigating the robbery.

U.S.-owned transport company Ceva Logistics was holding the iPhones for Mobistar, Apple’s exclusive Belgian carrier. A Mobistar spokeswoman said the serial numbers of the stole iPhones would be blocked so they cannot be used. However, Fortune’s Philip Elmer De-Witt noted in his report that Belgian iPhones ship without a SIM-lock, meaning thieves will be able to circumvent Mobistar’s block by using the phones on another carrier’s network.

3,000 to 4,000 unlocked iPhones, huh? Keep an eye on eBay for an explosion of new, unlocked iPhones shipping from overseas.

See Also:

• Geek and Thief Come Face to Face Thanks to ‘Find My iPhone …
• Tracking Software Rescues Stolen iMac after Two Weeks

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Just weeks after Palm’s Pre sunk to CAD $149.95 on Bell, the outfit’s first-ever webOS phone has now stooped to just CAD $99.95. That still requires a 3-year contract, of course, but man — a single bill for a smartphone like the Pre? Anyone tossing out guesses on how long it takes Sprint to follow suit (and embarrass the Pixi)?

[Thanks, David]

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm Pre price keeps sinking on Bell, down to $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The only thing better than unannounced functionality is an automatic, surprise refund on your purchase. With the international version of Amazon’s 6-inch Kindle you get both. Several readers who ordered the $279 international Kindle have received the following email:

Good news! Due to strong customer demand for our newest Kindle with U.S. and international wireless, we are consolidating our family of 6″ Kindles. As part of this consolidation, we are lowering the price of the Kindle you just purchased from $279 down to $259. You don’t need to do anything to get the lower price–we are automatically issuing you a $20 refund. This refund should be processed in the next few days and will appear as a credit on your next billing statement.

By “strong customer demand” we assume that Amazon means “we’re trying to stay competitive with the $259 Barnes and Noble Nook,” but that’s just a hunch. A hands-on at the Gadget Lab also reveals the inclusion of web browsing thought to have been disabled. For the most part it is disabled but Amazon does let you browse to the English version of Wikipedia and nowhere else. The hands-on also notes “dead slow” 3G performance and Amazon’s decision to ship the international Kindle with a US power plug regardless of destination. Weird.

[Thanks, Simon]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Handhelds

Amazon’s international Kindle surprises owners with $20 refund, limited web browsing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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