Hasta La Gadget!

The rebate computers don’t work, the web software knocks dealers off-line, and a program that was supposed to have funding for July to November ran out in the first week. You could say CARS (Car Allowance Rebate System) is a joke. Here’s a joke that actually is funny: The bumper sticker being promoted by Mini dealers – “My Other Car Was Demolished by the Government.”  

That new BlackBerry Curve 8520 for T-Mobile is in the house, sucking down EDGE data like it’s going out of style (oh, right, it is). For a device that can be scored for $50 at Walmart as of tomorrow ($130 at T-Mobile stores), this is a surprisingly solid handset. The keyboard is classic BlackBerry goodness, and the overall heft gives us at least a little bit of assurance that the phone can hold up to wear and tear better than its predecessors. Most of the changes are for the better, like a trio of media keys up top and the rubberized sides, but we’re not completely sold on the touchpad. It works great when it works, but if it’s too clean or our thumb is at the exact wrong moisture level, we found that we kind of “stuck” to the pad instead of gliding across it. A bit of texturing could go a long way. We also found the QVGA screen to be pretty dim, which is particularly unfortunate in light of RIM’s higher-end, high-res wonders, but it’s certainly passable. We’re planning on spending some more time with the handset, testing that EDGE network to the limit, giving UMA time to handle some of legendary conversational stylings, and seeing how many Engadget Podcast episodes we can narcissistically cram onto the bundled 1GB microSD card.

In speaking with RIM, it’s quite clear that the decision to go EDGE was primarily based on price, along with the fact that T-Mobile’s 3G rollout is still lacking — it’s still a head scratcher to us, though. The spokesperson also seemed pretty confident that the new touchpad interface is the way of the future, and we get the feeling the BlackBerry’s legendary trackball isn’t long for this world. Check out a quick video hands-on after the break, or you could opt for some fine unboxing shots below.

Continue reading T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 unboxed and handled (with video!)

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 unboxed and handled (with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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INQ Mobile has unveiled two cell phones aimed at the social networking crowd. The INQ Chat is a QWERTY slab that looks a lot like a T-Mobile Dash 3G. It features a built-in proprietary e-mail client with push Gmail (!), as well as native Facebook, Skype, Twitter, and IM apps. It also comes with a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus, and a built-in GPS radio.

The INQ Mini, meanwhile, is a slim candy bar that offers many of the same services, but in a smaller device with a numeric keypad. Both devices include 3G radios and can function as modems for laptops. They can also be customized with a choice of seven different back panel colors, and offer seamless media sync with PCs and Macs. A 2.2-inch QVGA screen and 2-megapixel camera round out the design.

Both handsets will be available sometime in the fourth quarter of 2009; no word yet on a carrier or price.

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It’s not just called the crawl because it’s low on the screen; if ESPN’s news ticker isn’t fast enough for you, then both Yahoo and USA Today have the …

Eldar Murtazin over at mobile-review has chimed in on those alleged Nokia N97 Mini shots that leaked last week — and as anyone who follows the mobile industry knows, when the ridiculously well-connected Eldar speaks, folks tend to listen. The dude says that the N97 Mini is very much real, as is the name, which — get this — he claims was leaked by Nokia itself in an effort to stave off an unnamed competitor who’d also been planning to release a smaller version of one of its handsets with a “Mini” label slapped on the name. At any rate, the N97 Mini apparently isn’t pulling any punches — it’s said to be exactly what you see, little more than a smaller N97 with a reconfigured keyboard and no camera lens cover. That sounds like a tough sell at first, especially when you throw in Eldar’s claim that it’ll step down to 8 and 16GB versions from the N97’s 32GB, but the good news is that Espoo’s seemingly looking to get this on the market for about €100 less ($144) than the N97. As for an official announcement, Eldar says that Nokia’s planning to unveil it at Nokia World next month; the original model was revealed at last year’s show, and frankly, we’re hoping for a little bit more innovation than this by the time they’re done unveiling the new lineup. Rover, perhaps?

[Via Unwired View]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Nokia N97 Mini is seriously just a smaller, cheaper N97, it seems originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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