Motorola Charm hitting T-Mobile on August 25 for $75 (update: Telus version caught on video!)

T-Mobile USA just dropped the knowledge on Twitter that it’ll be carrying the Motorola Charm starting next Wednesday, August 25 — but what it failed to mention is pricing. For what it’s worth, the company does specifically say that it’ll be “affordable” — and although a marketing department’s definition of “affordable” can be very different from ours, we’re encouraged by a handful of previous rumors that there would be ways to get it for free on contract. If you need us to jog your memory, the Charm is a cute little portrait QWERTY Android device with a Kodak-branded 3 megapixel cam and landscape display, giving it a rare form factor that could very well appeal to a whole new audience (read: BlackBerry folks). So, how much would you pay for it?

Update: Turns out Moto’s posted on its official Facebook page that it’ll run $74.99 on contract — not free, unfortunately, and in the age of free Pixi Pluses, that might be a tough pill to swallow. We’ve also been handed a video of Telus demonstrating its version of the Charm, which should look and work exactly the same — check it out after the break. Thanks, Matt and DeadMan!

Continue reading Motorola Charm hitting T-Mobile on August 25 for $75 (update: Telus version caught on video!)

Motorola Charm hitting T-Mobile on August 25 for $75 (update: Telus version caught on video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IPhone Case Adds Vestigial QWERTY-Slider Keyboard

The only surprising thing about the Iphone QWERTY keyboard is that it took so long in coming. That, and the curious capitalization of iPhone in its name. With iOS4, iDevices can talk to an external Bluetooth keyboard and, using the right adapter, any USB keyboard. This keyboard, whipped into cyber-existence inside the CAD software of Altamash Jiwani’s computer, is the first we have seen (or first non-fugly, at least).

Jiwani’s mechanical keyboard is a combination of polycarbonate bumper-case and QWERTY-slider, usable whilst closed and covering up the screen or open, hanging in the air just below the display. This not only gives you real, physical buttons to press, but also lets you see the entire screen as you type.

The Iphone QWERTY keyboard communicates with the iPhone via the dock-connector, and has a pass-through port on the outside for charging as you use it. It is clearly just a cobbled-together Photoshop job at this point, but the idea is sound. So why isn’t there an external iPhone keyboard on the market already?

At CES 2009, a year and a half ago, I was stopped in a corridor (“Hey! You’re a blogger right? Look at this!”) and pitched a non-existent hardware keyboard for the iPhone. Since then, nothing. Could it be that the included soft keyboard is good enough? That anyone who really needs a tactile set of push-buttons has already gotten a Blackberry? I’d say yes, and that the market for an iPhone add-on would be tiny.

The iPad is a different matter, but there is already an appropriately-sized, wireless external QWERTY for that, and it’s made by Apple.

Iphone QWERTY Keyboard [Altamash Jiwani]

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Epic 4G review

Of the seemingly countless variants of the Galaxy S that Samsung’s in the process of deploying around the globe, one stands out in a couple very unique (and important) ways: Sprint’s Epic 4G. The Epic hangs on to a couple of the Galaxy line’s most important characteristics — namely the 1GHz Hummingbird processor and the 4-inch Super AMOLED display — but adds in a sliding landscape QWERTY keyboard, support for the wickedly fast WiMAX network that Sprint shares with partner Clearwire, and a handful of other notable one-off customizations.

We’ve already taken a look at two of the other US-bound Galaxy S models — AT&T’s Captivate and T-Mobile’s Vibrant — but it shouldn’t take more than a quick glance at the Epic to tell you that this is a very, very different beast. Becoming just the second WiMAX phone released in the States (and the first with a physical keyboard), this is a pretty critical release for Sprint at a time when its subscriber count is just starting to pick up after several quarters of decline — and making things even more interesting is the fact that Sprint’s first WiMAX handset — HTC’s EVO 4G — is simply one of the best phones we’ve ever reviewed. In other words, yeah, you could say that the Epic’s got a lot to live up to. Is it up to the task? Let’s find out.

Continue reading Epic 4G review

Epic 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Research reveals RearType, puts QWERTY back where it belongs

We’ve seen a few wacky split keyboards in our day, and even the occasional back-typing peripheral, but Microsoft Research has just congealed the core ideas into a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that device for mobile use. Dubbed RearType, the QWERTY solution literally sticks a three-row keyboard on the back of a tablet PC, allowing users to have the same physical sensation as on laptop or desktop without taking up valuable touchscreen real estate. While there’s still a few kinks to be worked out of the system (like how to set it down without triggering input) and no plans yet for commercial availability, a brief study showed users could attain 15WPM speeds on average with a single hour of training, and one participant managed to eke out a healthy 47WPM in the same timeframe. We imagine a certain Motorola device is feeling a mite jealous right about now. See the front of the (non-Microsoft) tablet right after the break, and read the full study at our more coverage link.

Continue reading Microsoft Research reveals RearType, puts QWERTY back where it belongs

Microsoft Research reveals RearType, puts QWERTY back where it belongs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC’s dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider with 1.2GHz CPU headed to Verizon in 2011?

It’s not expected to land at Verizon until sometime in 2011, but it’s never too early to take a look at an unannounced Android slider with specs like this. Leaked by Androidswag, the device is purportedly hiding a 1.2GHz processor (would that be dual-core?) beneath that 4-inch display — the sweet spot for size and pocketability. The prototype pictured above was apparently sporting a Vodafone SIM card making this a pretty bodacious CDMA / GSM worldphone by the time it lands for retail. Of course, anything, or everything, could change by the time this pup is ready for launch and we’ll be here covering every step of its journey. Two more shots after the break including a size comparison with the EVO 4G — a few more at the source link below.

Continue reading HTC’s dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider with 1.2GHz CPU headed to Verizon in 2011?

HTC’s dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider with 1.2GHz CPU headed to Verizon in 2011? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 05:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Torch teardown offers few surprises, much like the phone itself (video)

The new BlackBerry flagship has been put through one of the more important ceremonies of acceptance into the smartphone world: a teardown. The CrackBerry crew have disassembled a Torch to see what makes it burn and produced some glamor shots of naked hardware for us to gawp at in the process. As you can see by the exploded shot of the phone above, most internals are either integrated or soldered down, but this undressing does afford us an opportunity to take a look at the biggest novelty in this new BlackBerry, namely its slider mechanism. It’s impressively thin, rated for 150,000+ cycles, and yours to witness on video just past the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry Torch teardown offers few surprises, much like the phone itself (video)

BlackBerry Torch teardown offers few surprises, much like the phone itself (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 03:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Paradise and Fiesta flipped on Craiglist, AT&T-bound?

Look familiar? We know, it’s tough to keep this endless barrage of Android gear straight, so let us refresh your memory: this phone, allegedly the HTC Paradise, matches up perfectly with a model PC70110 that we spied in the FCC all the way back in April on its way to AT&T. Sure enough, some lucky dude apparently scooped it up as an “AT&T sample” from an eager seller on Craigslist recently — and considering that the only QWERTY Android device that the carrier’s got right now is the Backflip, we’d be delighted to see it come along any day now. That’s not the only unreleased piece of hardware he managed to score, though: turns out he also got the Fiesta, a phone we haven’t heard about in a full year and could very well have fallen on the scrap heap by now. The picture provided of the Fiesta isn’t that great (check the Source link to see it), but from what we see and the fact that it’s got a 3.2 megapixel camera, our guess is that it’s been supplanted at retail by the Aria. At any rate, good to see AT&T seems to be keeping the heat on Android.

HTC Paradise and Fiesta flipped on Craiglist, AT&T-bound? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Sage spotted in the wild, Mr. Blurrycam claims there’s QWERTY on board

Sure, we’d heard tell of a Motorola Sage and briefly posited that the 850 / 1900MHz Android device could be AT&T’s followup to the Backflip, but bless our bluetooth and count our digital compasses if this isn’t it. Ubergizmo obtained this shot of a Motorola device that’s a dead ringer for the aforementioned horizontal clamshell, complete with the huge trackpad (mounted on the front this time) and 3.1-inch screen. Mr. Blurrycam reportedly says it will sport Android 2.1 and a hardware keyboard as well, though from this angle there’s no telling where Motorola might have stuck the QWERTY in, on or around the silver-trimmed shell. Portrait slider, anyone? [Thanks, Calob]

Motorola Sage spotted in the wild, Mr. Blurrycam claims there’s QWERTY on board originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Torch is official, launching August 12th on AT&T for $200

It hasn’t been announced just yet — we’re expecting that shortly at a New York event today — but the long-rumored BlackBerry Torch (née 9800) just went live on AT&T’s site offering the opportunity to sign up for a notification when you can buy the thing. Major features include a 5 megapixel cam with flash, full QWERTY on a portrait slide, 802.11n support, and — of course — BlackBerry 6 with an all-new browsing experience and a host of other features that should help position RIM within earshot of its less-stodgy rivals. You’ve also got 4GB of storage onboard paired with a 4GB microSD card in the box, 512MB each of ROM and RAM, a quadband 3G radio that’ll travel well around the globe, a 480 x 360 touchscreen display (same resolution as the Bold 9700) measuring 3.2 inches, the typical optical trackpad down below, and an interesting new Media Sync feature that’ll let you sync your media library right over WiFi — something various third parties have tried over the years, but has rarely been offered as an out-of-the-box capability. Interested? It’ll hit AT&T and third-party retail locations and websites on the 12th of the month for $199.99 on contract. Follow the break for RIM’s introductory videos and the press release.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading BlackBerry Torch is official, launching August 12th on AT&T for $200

BlackBerry Torch is official, launching August 12th on AT&T for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Vision headed to T-Mobile in new spy shot, dubbed G1 Blaze?

While high-end QWERTY sliders loaded with Android aren’t nearly as uncommon now as when HTC’s Vision first leaked onto the scene, it appears this particular handset may be destined for T-Mobile with its (alleged) 1GHz processor, spacious keyboard and 3.7-inch WVGA screen. Of course, we’d heard that the Vision would appear on T-Mobile before, and our worries are the same as then — there’s no telling whether the phone will actually land stateside, or if it’s destined for T-Mobile Europe instead. Either way, our tipster tells us it could arrive with a different moniker: T-Mobile may call it the “G1 Blaze.”

HTC Vision headed to T-Mobile in new spy shot, dubbed G1 Blaze? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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