Toshiba TG02 lives, drops by the FCC

Before the Nexus One and the HD2, there was the Toshiba TG01, sprinting along with a 1GHz Snapdragon in its belly and a 4.1-inch front end. Alas, that phone was hamstrung by a resistive touchscreen and a poorly thought-out skin atop an even worse OS (WinMo 6.1), but even by today’s standards its hardware spec is top notch. Color us intrigued, then, to find its successor finally making its FCC debut — with Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi (802.11b/g) connectivity in tow and a case outline suggesting some earlier leaked shots might still be accurate. It’s a quad-band GSM handset, though from the tests we’ve seen it appears to sadly lack 3G frequencies for the US. The marketing name has also been confirmed as the TG02 and with MWC 2010 fast approaching, who’s to say we’re not going to have a brand new Toshiba handset to fawn over? Go past the break for more.

Continue reading Toshiba TG02 lives, drops by the FCC

Toshiba TG02 lives, drops by the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Mobile 7 roadmap elucidated, starts with MWC 2010 demo

You know, January is all but expired now. Gone are the heady (or is that headless?) days of CES 2010, and we’re nearly past the rumor euphoria of the decade, so what do we have to look forward to? According to CNET‘s sources, WinMo 7. This year. Sure, we heard as much from DigiTimes, but it’s always good to put a more legitimate source to what is quite the juicy forecast. Confirmation that Microsoft is planning to finalize all code by this summer also meshes with an earlier leak of an LG Windows Mobile 7 handset set for a September release, while the latest Pink phone rumors are also reiterated. At any rate, it all kicks off in Barcelona come February 15, with Microsoft also circling its MIX 2010 web development conference a month later as the time it’ll start dishing the dirt on how to code for the new OS. So there we have it, new consumer phones and a long overdue WinMo overhaul all coming to you within the next few months.

Windows Mobile 7 roadmap elucidated, starts with MWC 2010 demo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune ‘Phone’ devices listed in latest software update

Whoa, what’s this? The so-called Zune software maintenance release has a trio of Phone device drivers tucked away inside the Zune.inf file according to Long Zheng over at istartedsomething. And similar to the three devices listed representing the three types of Zunes, we have three Phone.DeviceDesc placeholders for three unannounced (Pink and WinMo 6.x/7?) phones presumably running premium Zune media services. We expect Microsoft will come clean at Mobile World Congress starting February 15th. We’ll be there live which means that you will be too.

Zune ‘Phone’ devices listed in latest software update originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Mobile 7 rumors coalesce around Q4 launch, MWC announcement

While DigiTimes isn’t our go-to source for all things Microsoft, the Taiwanese tattler does have its finger on the pulse of the Taiwanese / Chinese manufacturing juggernaut. As such, we expect it to be privy to information related to HTC, Acer, and ASUS handsets. So lean in close when it cites “sources familiar to Microsoft’s roadmap” in claiming a September 2010 release of Windows Mobile 7 to its handset partners — the same month pegged by that LG leak last week. That should translate into consumer availability by the end of Q4, or Q1 2011 at the latest. As it’s stated, WinMo7 will bring an improved interface, browsing, and multimedia experience with integrated support for Zune, Xbox Live, and Silverlight; nothing we haven’t heard before (and long wished for). DigiTimes claims that only English and “common European languages” will be available initially with Asian localization coming in 2011. Oh, and it’ll be announced at Mobile World Congress.

One thing’s clear: the rapid convergence of the rumor mill around dates and feature sets has us very excited about Microsoft’s chances at resurrecting its smartphone soul in time for the holidays. As such, we’ll be at Mobile World Congress in force to bring you the full story starting February 15th. It’s going to be good.

Windows Mobile 7 rumors coalesce around Q4 launch, MWC announcement originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Mobile 7 megarumor: LG Apollo and HTC Obsession running flagship ‘720p’ specs, Zune Phone Experience

Alright, this is some wild, heavy stuff, but the folks at WMExperts have compiled what they believe to be true about Windows Mobile 7, including a whole bunch of previously undisclosed info and even a couple of flagship phones. We can’t vouch for the rumors, but there’s a ring of truth to plenty of it, and most of the rest of it we want to be true. First off, Microsoft is approaching the revision with two flavors: Windows Phone Seven Business Edition, and Windows Phone Seven Media Edition. The former is a stripped down OS that will allow OEM overlays like HTC’s Sense UI, and includes lower minimum specs — though a WVGA “minimum” is nothing to get angry about. Meanwhile, it sounds like the Media Edition is the quasi-“Zune Phone” we’ve been dreaming of, with a heavy emphasis on HD media playback and capture, along with social networking activities like Xbox Live, Facebook and Twitter. Other features include cloud-style services on the Business Edition side for live manipulation of stored data, a long with a location-aware platform dubbed “Orion.”

This all sounds great, but what’s really exciting is what Microsoft is dictating should be in some of these Media Edition phones. The first two to break cover are the LG Apollo and HTC Obsession. The Apollo is a 3G worldphone (EV-DO and HSDPA) that runs a 1.3GHz Qualcomm QSD8650 processor and a 3.8-inch AMOLED 1280 x 720 WXGA display. The phone also is purported to have a 10 megapixel camera capable of 720p video recording. Meanwhile, HTC’s HSDPA-limited Obsession runs a mere 1GHz Qualcomm QSD8250 proc, with a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, 5 megapixel camera and 720p video recording. The Apollo is due in August or September of this year, with the Obsession following in October. Now, some of these specs are admittedly suspect, like the WXGA resolution on the Apollo and that seemingly 10 megapixel sensor, but we want to believe.

As for what we know to be true? Well, we know we’ll see something at MWC next month, unless Robbie Bach is just joshing around, and we also know HTC has confirmed its involvement with Windows Mobile 7 — lending some credence to rumors of the Sense UI sticking around for a new-generation — and that LG has gone on (and quickly off) record as well saying it’ll have a WinMo 7 phone in September. It’s all a lot more vague than the pages of specs we’re staring at now, but it’s clear that something is brewing. Hit up the source link for the full nitty gritty.

Windows Mobile 7 megarumor: LG Apollo and HTC Obsession running flagship ‘720p’ specs, Zune Phone Experience originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Windows Mobile 7 Will Have Gestures, Really Debut in February

There’s still some question about whether Windows Mobile 6.6 or Windows Mobile 7 will be shown in February, but a solid tipster just told us that it will be WM7. And then he describes it.

Here are a couple things described about WinMo 7 that mesh with the rumors we’ve heard before. First, it’ll have the Natal-like gestures to be able to use the phone without touching it. We first heard about gestures on WM7 two years ago, and then sprinkled about the rumors in the past year.

Then, he says that you won’t be able to upgrade to Windows Mobile 7, because the OS actually requires you to have better hardware (faster processor, more memory, etc) and includes support for the motion-sensing gestures above.

This bit also meshes with the rumored specs of the “Zune phone”, which is basically Windows Mobile 7. From that rumor:

ARM v6+ processor, with an Open GL ES 2.0-capable graphics chip-this may be the TI3430 or the Nvidia Tegra. To show all the eye candy there will be a 3.5″ 800 x 480 or 854 x 480 pixels touchscreen. The specification also points out at other things in Pink, like 3-megapixel camera, GPS, light sensor, 3-axis compass, accelerometer, USB, Bluetooth, and full Wi-Fi support.

But then how does that account for the HD2, which HTC Russia claimed will be getting a WM7 upgrade? Because HD2 is basically the top of the line right now, which—looking at its specs—put it into the Windows Mobile 7-capable category.

So yes, it seems like we’ll be seeing Windows Mobile 7 at Mobile World Congress in February. It better be pretty damn good for Microsoft’s projection of being able to regain 25% of the phone market by 2014.

Thanks tipster!

Engadget Podcast 178: CES 2010 Day 4 – 01.09.2010 [Chopped n’ Screwed Remix]

I hopped off the plane at LAS with a dream and my MacBook Pro
Welcome to the show of tech and glow, whoa will I make a big win?
Jumped in a cab, here I am for the third time
Look to the right, and I see the CES sign

This is all so crazy, everybody seems so nerdy
My tummy’s turnin’ from some cheese I ate at DigEx
Too much e-ink and I’m wired
That’s when the podcast man turned on the radio

And the Miley song was on
And the Miley song was on
And the Miley song was on

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Party in the U.S.A. (Chopped and Screwed)

Hear the podcast

05:00 – Pixel Qi screens to be used by a major manufacturer in 2010
15:30 – Qualcomm Mirasol display video hands-on in glorious 1080p
19:35 – Live from Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo’s CES 2010 keynote
32:43 – Andy Rubin on multitouch in Android: ‘I personally don’t like two-handed operations’
33:20 – Live from All Things D at CES 2010
40:01 – Dell divulges Mini 3 details, tablet (Mini 5?) caught running Android 1.6 (update: video!)
46:20 – Windows Mobile 7 coming to MWC in February, not just ‘evolutionary’
59:15 – Boxee Box interface demo video

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Download the podcast

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Contact the podcast

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Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget

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Engadget Podcast 178: CES 2010 Day 4 – 01.09.2010 [Chopped n’ Screwed Remix] originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Mobile 7 coming to MWC in February, not just ‘evolutionary’

We’d heard some rumblings, but apparently Robbie Bach let the cat out of the bag at an analyst briefing this week, stating that we should expect a showing of Windows Mobile 7 at the Mobile World Congress show in Spain, which begins on February 15th. He also added that the OS (which he’s played with, surprisingly) will “set the bar forward not in (just) an evolutionary way,” and that Microsoft is going to be “more engaged” with OEMs in its “go to market approach.” We love a good buzzword or three, but the hope here is that Microsoft has learned its lesson from iPhone and Android and is ready to compete in the next-gen smartphone game in a big way — a WinMo 7 showing just four months after the release of Windows Mobile 6.5 certainly smacks of that.

[Thanks, Matthias]

Windows Mobile 7 coming to MWC in February, not just ‘evolutionary’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft gets big support for Mobile Broadband enhancements in Windows 7

Just in case Microsoft hadn’t locked down enough support for Windows Mobile at MWC last week, the company also managed to shake hands with a slew of PC makers in order to extend support for Mobile Broadband enhancements within Windows 7. It’s still quite unclear what all this means, but we’re guessing that the likes of Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Fujitsu will happily support WWAN modules from Huawei, Option, Qualcomm, Sierra Wireless and ZTE. The writeup also gives us reason to believe that WWAN connections will be more tightly integrated than before, possibly even showing up alongside potential WiFi hotspots when looking for a wireless connection. At any rate, we’re all about getting a signal regardless of location, so we’ll take this as a definite positive despite the glaring dearth of details.

[Thanks, Jacob]

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Microsoft gets big support for Mobile Broadband enhancements in Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s touchscreen GT-S5600 sneaks by at Mobile World Congress

Samsung‘s GT-S5600 snuck past us at MWC last week — which was bound to happen with so many things making an appearance — but we’re catching up now. This small and potentially lower-cost touchscreen features Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, some type of cam, touchscreen display, and we’re sure plenty of other goodies that we still have to figure out. While Mobile-review caught sight of it at the show, Samsung seems perfectly happy to remain tight-lipped about it, so hopefully we’ll catch wind of more info in the near term. Until then, feel free to follow the read link for a few more pics.

[Via UnwiredView.com]

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Samsung’s touchscreen GT-S5600 sneaks by at Mobile World Congress originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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