Hasta La Gadget!

Kicking off what’s sure to be a fun-filled week of announcements surrounding CTIA out in Vegas, AT&T’s smartphone lineup just got a little beefier thanks to the official introduction of a couple devices we’ve been expecting for a hot minute now. First up, the Nokia E71x is just about ready for shelves, bringing WiFi, AT&T Navigator (which hopefully won’t preclude the use of Nokia Maps and other GPS-enabled apps), and all of the lauded physical design characteristics you’re used to from the original, unbranded E71. The best thing here might be the price — just $99.99 on contract after rebate, thankfully beating rumors of $200 and $150 by a country mile; it’ll hit shelves “in the coming weeks.” Next up is the Samsung Propel Pro, a device that shares very little in common with its Propel namesake other than a form factor, mainly because this sucker’s a full-out smartphone running Windows Mobile 6.1. It’s got WiFi, a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard (naturally) and will be available on April 14 for $149.99 after all your discounts have been applied and your two-year agreement is filed away.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

AT&T pulls trigger on Nokia E71x and Samsung Propel Pro originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heart monitors for cellphones have definitely been around, but a new option is about to surface for AT&T customers. The service, which will be offered up starting April 21st by MedNet Healthcare Technologies, will somehow let patients monitor their own heartbeats and automatically send that information to their cardiologists using Bluetooth-enabled phones. Reportedly, the information will be sent out to a central monitoring center, which then transfers the data to the doctor. As expected, there will be a monthly fee for the service (exact pricing has yet to be disclosed), and doctors must also be signed on to receive the information. Sounds good and all, but seriously, good luck getting your M.D. to be attentive to your every data dump.

[Via textually]

Filed under: Cellphones

MedNet app monitors heartbeat, transfers data to cardiologists originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not digging that $299.99 on contract pricing for RIM’s BlackBerry Bold? If you’re kosher with placing previously loved gadgets in your presence, you can score one today for the low, low price of absolutely free. Apparently the deal is only valid on AT&T’s website and only for today, so you might want to pull the trigger now and think about it later.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

Filed under: Cellphones

Refurbished BlackBerry Bold free-on-contract at AT&T (today, anyway) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want an iPhone, but can’t deal with the commitment of a two-year contract? Starting yesterday, customers can now pick up the handset sans-contract through the Apple store. AT&T has already begun offering the deal, but phones bought through that channel were limited to one per customer. With Apple, you can pick up as many as you want–assuming that you have a lot of money to burn through.

The contract-free handsets run $599 for the 8GB $699 for the 16GB models. Users can activate the phones through iTunes. Without going so far as unlocking the phone (which will void your warrant, naturally), you’ll still be beholden to AT&T.

2008 marked the end for many a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), most going under in a flood of bankruptcies or getting consumed but their parent networks. It sure seems like no company in its right mind would want to wade back into that graveyard, but Zer01 is thinking differently, pledging to launch a new network within a network next month at CTIA 2009. Its services will be provided by AT&T, but it’ll undercut the competition with a combination of a $69.95 monthly unlimited voice and data plan and a complete lack of contracts, as well as unlimited international calling (to 40 countries) for just an extra $10. What’s the catch? The company will rely on a VOIP application for routing of all calls, and right now that app only works on Windows Mobile. That’ll be a roadblock for many, and given AT&T’s somewhat limited (and generally flaky) 3G data coverage we’re a little concerned about call quality, but just the same can’t wait to see how this one turns out.

[Via Unwired View]

Filed under: Cellphones

Zer01 is the new, contract-less MVNO that will bring VOIP to the mobile masses originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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