Jul 17

Verizon Unlocks GPS on Samsung Omnia

Posted in: navigation, Smart Devices, Today's Chili, Verizon Wireless

Samsung_Omnia_Verizon.jpgAnd a tiny ray of light shines from Verizon’s cold, cold heart: the famously restrictive carrier has issued a software update for its Samsung Omnia SCH-i910 smartphone that unlocks the GPS radio.

That means subscribers can install third-party applications–either free or paid–that make use of GPS, and are no longer forced to pay $10 per month for VZ Navigator for location-based services. It’s a little later than a company rep had previously announced in Verizon’s support forum, but better late than never, right?

Of course, VZ Navigator still works on the Omnia. It’s a solid app for voice-enabled, turn-by-turn directions. But this latest software update for the Omnia lets subscribers install apps like Google Maps for Mobile or Windows Live Search and hook into the GPS radio, in the same manner that someone on Sprint, AT&T, or T-Mobile could already do with the Omnia and other smartphones.

If you’ve got a CDMA-based Omnia on Verizon, head to Samsung’s site to grab the CF03 update.

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Jul 13

Hands On With the Nokia Surge

Posted in: att, nokia, Smart Devices, smartphone, Today's Chili

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BOSTON–I spent some time today checking out the Nokia Surge, the company’s new smartphone for AT&T Wireless. In a twist, Nokia designed the Surge specifically for the U.S. That means there’s no unlocked version with a different model number (such as with the E71 and the E71x, for example).

In fact, it’s actually Nokia’s third smartphone for AT&T in the past 12 months; the first two were the Nokia 6650 and the E71x. That’s significant because it signals a change in Nokia’s strategy; up until recently, Nokia’s diverse lineup of unlocked smartphones have barely made a dent in the U.S. marketplace due to their high upfront cost.

That said, Nokia is aiming the Surge at a younger demographic than the E71x. The big news is the Surge’s thin, squat form factor, as if it endured a few passes of a rolling pin. It’s made almost entirely of black gloss plastic and accumulates fingerprints like crazy. The handset measures 3.8 by 2.3 by 0.6 inches and weighs 4.4 ounces. But it felt lighter in the hand than I had expected.

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Jul 13

Nokia Surges with New ATT Smartphone

Posted in: att, nokia, Smart Devices, Today's Chili

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Is the tide changing for Nokia in the U.S.? Nokia and AT&T have unveiled the Surge, a Symbian S60-based smartphone. It’s a horizontal slider with a four-row QWERTY keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera, and a 2.4-inch non-touch LCD screen.

The handset also features a GPS radio, support for Microsoft Exchange e-mail accounts, and access to AT&T’s optional services like AT&T Navigator and JuiceCaster. It weighs 4.4 ounces and measures 3.8 by 2.3 by 0.6 inches.

The Surge will be available online and ins stores on July 19th for $79.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates. That’s $20 less than last year’s iPhone 3G. This marks the second time in a few months that Nokia has released a subsidized smartphone with carrier support (the first being the excellent Nokia E71x).

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Jul 09

Generator: Apple to Pass Nokia in Market Share by 2013

Posted in: Apple, nokia, Smart Devices, Today's Chili

Nokia_E71x.jpgNokia’s slice of the smartphone market in the U.S. is virtually non-existent, although it’s still the number one cell phone vendor worldwide. However, that could change soon. A new study from Generator Research predicts that Apple’s share of the smartphone market could exceed Nokia’s sometime within the next four years, according to Electronista.

In fact, the research firm sees the market virtually “reversing itself” by then. It predicts that Nokia could fall from 40 to 20 percent share as the iPhone increases to 33 percent by that point–with Apple shipping 77 million iPhones in 2011 alone.

Generator cites the usual reasons for Apple’s success here, basically saying it’s a combination of the iPhone itself and Apple’s App Store, according to the report. That $99 iPhone 3G can’t hurt either. Meanwhile, Nokia seems unable to get U.S. carriers to pick up their devices here in the U.S., aside from the occasional E62 or E71x on AT&T, and steadfastly refuses to push into the CDMA side (read: Verizon and Sprint).

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Jul 09

T-Mobile Dash 3G Hits T-Mobiles Web Site

Posted in: Smart Devices, smartphone, t-mobile, Today's Chili

T-Mobile_Dash_3G.jpgT-Mobile’s new Dash 3G is now available for purchase on the carrier’s Web site, according to MobileBurn. It finally displacing the venerable (but solid) original T-Mobile Dash introduced way back in 2006.

Essentially, the Dash 3G is T-Mobile’s version of the HTC Snap on Sprint, which can also be found on Verizon as the HTC Ozone. In addition to the new 3G radio, the Dash 3G also looks more contemporary and colorful than the original Dash, and it now sports a 2.0-megapixel camera (up from 1.3 megapixel) and Bluetooth 2.0.

The Dash 3G runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard–not Professional–since it lacks a touch screen. It costs $169.99 with the signing of a two-year contract and after an instant discount.

Be sure to visit Smart Device Central, PCMag.com’s dedicated site for smartphones and other mobile technologies.

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Jul 07

Palm Pre Coming to Europe Before the Holidays

Posted in: palm pre, Smart Devices, Today's Chili

Palm announced plans today to bring its popular new smartphone, the Pre, to Europe. The webOS-powered handset will be available in the UK, Ireland, and Germany on O2. Spain will also be getting the phone via Movistar

Palm didn’t give a firm date for release, saying only that it would be available “in time for the holidays.” The Pre is currently available only in the US, with Canadian availability coming later this year via Bell Mobility.

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Jul 06

Rumor: Nokia Working on Android Phone

Posted in: Android, nokia, Smart Devices, Today's Chili

Everyone else is working on an Android handset, so why shouldn’t Nokia? The Finnish handset manufacturer is reported working on a new touchscreen smartphone using Google’s open operating system, which is set for debut at September’s Nokia World conference, according to The Guardian.

Since the launch of Android, Nokia has been hedging its bets on Symbian, with plans to offer that OS free of charge. The company, naturally, is not yet commenting on this latest round of rumors.

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Jun 29

Samsung Saga Gets Unlocked GPS, Software Update

Posted in: samsung, Smart Devices, smartphone, Today's Chili, Verizon Wireless

Samsung_Saga.jpgThe Samsung Saga SCH-i777 on Verizon is a nice smartphone with excellent ergonomics, at least hardware wise–and now Engadget Mobile has word that Saga owners can download an official Samsung software update as well.

The update features the latest version of Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 (AKU 1.5.1). More importantly, it also unlocks the handset’s GPS radio so that other applications aside from Verizon’s extra-cost VZ Navigator can use it.

In addition, the update lets users send MMS messages when roaming on GPRS networks. If you’ve got a Samsung Saga, head over here and check out all the goodness. If you don’t have one, read our full review. While the Saga isn’t perfect, its form factor, trackpad, Opera Mobile Web browser, and world phone capability are all big plusses.
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Jun 26

Palm Pre App Store May Become Community Driven?

Posted in: palm pre, Smart Devices, Today's Chili

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Palm execs hinted at some surprising trends in their quarterly earnings call yesterday, including a community-driven approach to application discovery and the possibility of licensing the Palm OS to other manufacturers.
Although the Palm Pre has had a million applications downloaded, so far there are still only a few dozen apps because the device’s software development kit (SDK) hasn’t been made fully public. The company is still “tweaking some things” in the SDK, Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein said, and will open up the SDK to “thousands” of developers within the next few weeks.
More intriguingly, though, Rubinstein hinted at some sort of community-driven element to Palm’s app store which will set it apart in the future.
“As you get large numbers of applications, you know, discovery and finding applications that are interesting to you becomes more and more difficult, and so we hope to use much more of a community approach to solving that problem,” Rubinstein said.
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Jun 23

ATT: iPhone Coverage Getting Better, Faster Soon

Posted in: att, Smart Devices, Today's Chili

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The iPhone 3GS has been a huge hit for AT&T, and although they aren’t saying how many customers they’ve stolen from other carriers, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph De La Vega said they had “hundreds of thousands” of pre-orders.
That puts a lot of pressure on AT&T’s network (which we reviewed recently), but the carrier is ready for it, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said. They’re doing three major things to improve their coverage and speeds, one of which will have a huge positive effect on coverage in cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
That major upgrade is known as “3G on 850 Mhz.” In busy cities, some dropped calls and signal problems come because the 1900 Mhz airwaves that AT&T mostly uses for 3G are totally saturated – they’re trying to cram too many iPhones into too little space.
Across much of the country, though, AT&T also owns big blocks of spectrum in the older 850 band, which was once used for AT&T and its predecessors’ older TDMA service. Verizon Wireless is the other big 850 Mhz carrier. AT&T has been refitting their 850 Mhz equipment for 3G. As 3G 850 comes on throughout the rest of this year, the effect will be like going from having 100 people crammed into a conference room, to having the same population in a spacious ballroom. 
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