Hasta La Gadget!

Stop us if you’ve heard these specs before: 4.3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) TFT screen, 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8250 system-on-chip, 576MB of RAM, 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, and Microsoft’s latest mobile OS on board. Yes, the HTC HD7 is almost a carbon copy of the much-loved HD2, albeit with a major upgrade to Windows Phone 7 software and an appreciated bump to 720/24p video recording. Beyond those enhancements, American buyers will be greeted with preinstalled Netflix, Slacker, and T-Mobile TV entertainment apps, along with 16GB of built-in storage.

T-Mobile gets the honor of being the exclusive US carrier, with exclusives also going out to O2 in the UK and Ireland and Telstra in Australia. O2 Germany will also distribute the phone, along with Movistar in Spain, Bouygues Telecom in France, and a choice of carriers in Italy. Bear in mind that the non-US HD7s are likely to come with a less capacious 8GB of storage. The phone is scheduled for an October 21 retail debut in Europe, to be followed by a mid-November arrival on US shelves. You’ll find the full press release after the break, although you shouldn’t bother if you expect it to explain why the nearly identical HD2 isn’t getting a WP7 upgrade.

Continue reading HTC HD7 is a HD2 lookalike with Windows Phone 7 and 720p video, exclusive to T-Mobile in US

HTC HD7 is a HD2 lookalike with Windows Phone 7 and 720p video, exclusive to T-Mobile in US 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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We all knew today was the day, but just in case you’ve been zoned out in Kauai the past few weeks, Microsoft’s getting set to release its refreshed build of Internet Explorer to the general public today. IE9 Beta is said to be a beta that’s essentially done, so you shouldn’t have too much to fear when the download links go live later today. The crew at Redmond claims that it’s far more compliant with HTML5, CSS3 and SVG2 standards, and that it’s the only game in town with full hardware acceleration. Keep an eye on that source link for a shot at downloading your copy later today, and if you’re terrified of offending your existing Firefox or Chrome installation, we’ll do you one better — our own in-depth review will be going live in a matter of hours.

Update: It’s out! Check out our review if you’re still feeling antsy.

Internet Explorer 9 Beta seeing public release later today (update: it’s out!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink All Things D  |  Microsoft  | Email this | Comments

Yes, that fateful day is upon us, the Samsung Fascinate has made its debut on Verizon’s online store pages, and it’s arrived with a quite unusual (for a top tier handset) sweetener. When buying one Fascinate, you’re given the option to obtain a second one for free. Well, the hardware would be free, you’d need two-year commitments on both phones with a minimum monthly data plan of $29.99 a piece, but it’s still the nicest thing Verizon’s done for us since it started throwing out free Pixi Pluses with purchases of Palm’s webOS handsets. You should also bear in mind your initial outlay here is a quite lofty $400, with two separate $100 mail-in rebates bringing the cost down. So it’s free in pecuniary terms, but probably not free of headaches.

[Thanks, Mike]

Verizon sweetens Samsung Fascinate deal with Buy One Get One Free offer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tapani Kaskinen is Nokia’s Senior Comms Manager, so it’s fitting that he’d be the first person from the company to communicate a solid release date for its long-awaited N8 handset. The gent in question told Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti that advance orders of the N8 will “begin shipping 30 September.” Bear in mind we’re chewing through a machine translation here, but that part’s pretty unmistakable. It also meshes perfectly with earlier speculation surrounding Nokia purchasing Google AdWords — that indicated a one-week exclusive starting on September 23rd for Nokia’s UK online store, which, if you do the math, again points to a wide release at the end of the month. We asked Nokia about it ourselves and they’re remaining mum on the matter, but chances are looking pretty good that October will start with the N8 finally in eager users’ hands.

Nokia N8 launches September 30, says senior manager originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink E’s Phone Blog  |  Kauppalehti.fi, NokNok  | Email this | Comments

We got a glimpse into the world of MeeGo for In-Vehicle Infotainment late last month when BMW, GM, Hyundai and a few others announced that the fledgling OS would one day show up front and center in their motorcars, and now v1.0 is out for the world to try. Of course, we’d probably recommend a helmet and a wide open — preferably private — roadway before you let a barely-tested system take over critical functions in your vehicle, but we digress. Those interested in digging into the first public release of MeeGo for IVI can do so right now by visiting the source link, and while we still aren’t hopeful that this will begin supplanting existing (awful) infotainment systems in the very near future, at least we’ve got some progress to smile about. Head on past the break for a brief overview.

[Thanks, vgrade]

Continue reading Meego for In-Vehicle Infotainment 1.0 launched today, all testing recommended on a closed course

Meego for In-Vehicle Infotainment 1.0 launched today, all testing recommended on a closed course originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Nokia Blog  |  MeeGo  | Email this | Comments