Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung’s i8910 HD-based Windows Phone 7 prototype has probably been the single most publicly-recognizable face of the platform this year, so it should come as little surprise that the Korean giant has come out swinging with production hardware today — and fortunately, the pair of retail models look nothing (well, very little) like the proto. The Focus is the phone we’ve been calling the i917 Cetus in leaks, a curvy, glossy slate with a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display (presumably ripped right out of the Galaxy S line), a 5 megapixel camera, and support for microSD expansion up to 32GB; it’ll be hitting AT&T in the States. The Omnia 7 is the second model, launching on Orange, SFR, Movistar, and T-Mobile across Europe with the same Super AMOLED display, Snapdragon processor (rare for a Samsung, by the way), 5 megapixel cam, and either 8GB or 16GB on board. Expect both of these to launch in time for the holidays; in fact, the Focus can be yours on AT&T come November 8 for $199.99. Follow the break for Samsung’s Omnia 7 press release.

Continue reading Samsung Focus and Omnia 7 are ready to rock with Windows Phone 7

Samsung Focus and Omnia 7 are ready to rock with Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While the basics have stayed the same for a while — $200 for an annual iPhone sweetened by a slowly descending overall plan price — carriers like AT&T of course have a lot of maneuvering to do in the periphery to make sure they’re still getting their margins. Hefty ETFs have of course been the most egregious element of this, and now AT&T is bumping its smartphone early upgrade exception price from $75 to $200, which means if you lost or smashed your iPhone and decided to go Torch instead (we don’t know why, it’s AT&T’s suggestion), that Torch would cost you $400 instead of the $500 unsubsidized price or the $275 tag you could’ve gotten away with a week ago. This new price only applies only to smartphones, and only non-Apple ones at that, and of course there’s always the potential for flex based on how long you’ve been a customer and how far you are into your contract. So yeah, we doubt this will impact most users, but it’s a nice bit of sand in the eye for a select, unlucky few.

AT&T bumping its smartphone early upgrade price to $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not that the connection between AT&T and HTC’s Mondrian WP7 handset was under much doubt anymore, but here’s the first image purporting to show the carrier-branded version of the device. The render is provided by 911sniper, whose long and distinguished record of leaking legit HTC ROMs leads us to believe it is indeed the real deal. It’s curious then to juxtapose the somewhat bulky Mondrian on show here against the press imagery recently unearthed by BestBoyZ — are we still looking at the same device? Our eyeball geometry would suggest not. Anyway, there’s not too long left to go until Microsoft tidies this alphabet soup of codenames up for us, and until then we suggest just enjoying that tantalizing tile titled AT&T U-verse Mobile.

[Thanks, Kamal]

HTC Mondrian render teases AT&T U-verse Mobile for Windows Phone 7, looks fatter than last time originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 06:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T told us back in July that it was fixing to launch the first carrier-provided two factor encryption service, and it seems that today’s the day. The day it goes live, we mean. At any rate, the company’s Encrypted Mobile Voice service is reportedly active, and it’s already providing “high-level security features for calls on the AT&T wireless network.” Of course, none of this fancy security is meant for simpletons like us — instead, it’s targeting government agencies, law enforcement organizations, financial services institutions and international businesses. We’re told that the tech combines KoolSpan’s TrustChip and SRA International’s One Vault Voice, with the former being a microSD card and the latter being a software layer. Currently, it only plays nice with BlackBerry and Windows Phones, but until we see Biden bust out a Bravo, we’ll assume the lack of Android support isn’t “a big flipping deal.”

Continue reading AT&T goes live with Encrypted Mobile Voice, kills your dreams of breaking into Pelosi’s social circle

AT&T goes live with Encrypted Mobile Voice, kills your dreams of breaking into Pelosi’s social circle originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 09:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’ll be a little while before AT&T’s LTE rollout is in full swing — but if you’re the kind of individual that enjoys some margin of future-proofing, you’ll want to take a close look at the just-announced USBConnect Adrenaline modem for AT&T, an LG-sourced unit that becomes the carrier’s very first device to tout LTE upgradeability in 2011. In the meantime, you get HSPA, a microSD slot with support for up to 32GB, and GPS; it runs $49.99 on contract. Next up, Sierra Wireless’ USBConnect Shockwave is AT&T’s first HSPA+ modem, meaning it’ll work nicely on AT&T’s upcoming HSPA+ upgrade — an upgrade that’ll have a more immediate impact in some areas than LTE will; this one goes for a nice, fat zilch on contract. Finally, the Huawei USBConnect 900 is AT&T’s first Huawei device (notice a lot of firsts here?), and it’ll be “compatible” with AT&T’s prepaid DataConnect Pass plans of $15, $30, and $50 for 100MB, 300MB and 1GB, respectively. Look for the Adrenaline and 900 in stores on October 17; the Shockwave hasn’t been dated just yet. Follow the break for AT&T’s full press release.

Continue reading AT&T’s new USB modems include HSPA+, LTE-upgradeable, and prepaid options

AT&T’s new USB modems include HSPA+, LTE-upgradeable, and prepaid options originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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