Hasta La Gadget!

The Wall Street Journal has weighed in on rumors of Apple’s smaller iPhone, and citing “people familiar with the matter” the publication says that the rumors are likely true. One such familiar person reportedly saw a device half the size of the iPhone 4, bearing the codename “N97,” and said that the handset will be only about half the size of the original, and at only around half the price too. Amazingly, those anonymous sources continued to divulge information, expressing the idea that Apple could finally make its MobileMe cloud service suite free, and that it just might be the platform from which Apple could finally launch a streaming music platform and lessen the need for all those gigabytes of flash storage in your pocket. We’ll let you know if or when any of that happens, okay?

Update: The WSJ‘s source proved even more talkative after getting an eyeful of the Samsung and Sony announcements this morn; the publication’s article has been updated to read that the device is “significantly lighter” than the iPhone 4, has an “edge-to-edge” touchscreen, and “voice-based navigation” of some sort.

WSJ corroborates the mini-iPhone, says Apple may make MobileMe free (update: ‘edge-to-edge’ screen) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gaming phones! Bigger tablets! Galaxy S reboots and a sneaky, perfectly-timed mini iPhone rumor to throw water on the whole thing! Today was a day of mobile/tablet news, dear readers, and it’s all here. More »

We’d heard sweet, sweet rumors that RIM would include a Java virtual machine in the BlackBerry PlayBook and even bring Android apps on board — and lo and behold, Bloomberg‘s corroborating those claims with no fewer than three anonymous sources. Where the new rumor diverges is that the Dalvik virtual machine used in Google’s OS reportedly won’t be part of the formula; RIM considered it, these sources say, but decided it didn’t want to get involved in the Oracle / Google legal fracas. Apparently, the company’s working on this secret project in-house and targeting a possible release in the second half of the year. We have to say, the ready availability of roughly 200,000 Android programs could be quite the shot in the arm if WebWorks and AIR don’t produce killer apps right away.

Bloomberg: RIM working to let BlackBerry PlayBook run Android apps, but Dalvik’s not the way originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 01:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia will jump from the burning platform this Friday, but whither will it dive? Towards Microsoft and Windows Phone 7, as continually rumored, or towards Google and Android? Two turkeys told us the latter isn’t likely, and Bloomberg‘s anonymous sources seem to agree, saying that Nokia is indeed in the final stages of talks with Microsoft, and is “close to announcing a software partnership.” These spooks also say that Google was also in the running, but is no longer favored for the job, and as such we’re very likely to see Windows Phone 7 running on Nokia devices soon. We’re sure you’ll have some very strong opinions about that — we had a few ourselves — but please keep it clean in comments below!

Update: The Wall Street Journal just published a report of its own, by and large saying pretty much the same thing as BW. “If an agreement can be reached in time… Elop likely would announce the deal Friday.” The report also said an executive shakeup might be in the works, with “several senior members of the executive board expected to leave.” Show of hands, who all’s excited for Friday’s announcement?

Bloomberg: Nokia definitely in talks with Microsoft, partnership likely (update: WSJ, too) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, well. Just after Nokia CEO Stephan Elop’s “burning platform” memo leaked out and prompted intense speculation that Nokia would start building Windows Phone 7 handsets, Google’s Vic Gundotra tweeted “Two turkeys do not make an Eagle” prefaced with a #feb11 hashtag — the same day as Nokia’s Capital Markets Day event in London. That’s some pretty serious trash talk, and we’d say it pretty much takes an Android tie-up off the table — we doubt anyone from Google would run around calling Nokia a “turkey” if they were actually partners. Then again, Vic could just be talking about some extremely disturbing genetic engineering research he plans to unveil on Friday — really, anything is possible with Google.

Update: Oh snap. We were just reminded that there’s some serious history behind “two turkeys do not make an eagle” — it’s what former Nokia VP Anssi Vanjoki said in 2005 about BenQ buying Siemens’s failing handset business. (Ouch.) Of course, Vanjoki also just said that using Android is like peeing in your pants for warmth, so we suppose Gundotra’s been waiting for some payback — although his timing’s a little off, since Vanjoki just made a very public exit from Nokia after being denied the CEO job, Still, though — is any burn sweeter than the obscure European handset business history burn? We don’t think so. [Thanks, Seth]

Google’s Vic Gundotra on Nokia: ‘Two turkeys do not make an Eagle’ (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 10:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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