Hasta La Gadget!

Okay, so T-Mobile confirmed on Saturday that it’s launching “multiple” Android devices from “three partners” later this year, and since most people assume the HTC Magic / Sapphire / myTouch / whatever and the Samsung I7500 are pretty much locked in, speculation has generally centered around that mysterious G1 v2 and the identity of the third partner — and it looks like it’s going to be Motorola. Not only did commenter Someperson notice that the button labels on the alleged G1 v2 are basically identical to those on other recently-launched Moto phones, Boy Genius Report says today that they can “more or less confirm” the v2 will be Schaumburg’s first Android set — a development that lines up perfectly with last month’s rumors of a slider QWERTY piece. Yep, it all fits together nicely, except for the fact that HTC is oddly out of the loop on the sequel to the G1 — but since T-Mobile owns that particular trademark, it can do whatever it wants, you know? Hopefully we’ll find out more soon — if that sketchy leaked roadmap is correct, we’ll be seeing this guy in the fall.

Update: Or… the G1 v2 could really be the Samsung Bigfoot. It’s a mystery for now, we’ll let you know.

Filed under: Cellphones

Motorola’s first Android phone to be the T-Mobile G1 v2? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite not being its official US carrier, T-Mobile still seems to wanna maintain an amicable relationship with all those who came over with an iPhone in tow. According to a report by The Consumerist, a recent update to the carrier’s voicemail system caused some of the smartphones, including Apple’s touchscreens, became unusable, with a volley of blank text messages dated from the future arriving instead. Those who contacted customer service were called later to acknowledge the issue and offered an one month service credit. Said the rep, “T-Mobile, though they do not offer the iPhone, and that they are committed to supporting users on their network who have them” — not too surprising a stance, but a kind gesture for sure. The problem has since been fixed, and everyone lived happily ever after.

[Via iLounge]

Filed under: Cellphones

T-Mobile provides support, good vibes to its iPhone-using clientele originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 May 2009 03:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If this looks vaguely familiar, that’s because it likely is — we suspect this image out of Boy Genius Report is a newer (or older) render of the “G1 v2” called out on the recently-leaked Android roadmap out of T-Mobile. It’d make sense — by October, when this is allegedly hitting retail for $150-ish, the G1 will be getting long in the tooth. What’s more, this sucker’s clearly running Android, and it’s a whole hell of a lot better-looking. More on this as it develops, of course, but in the meantime, that myTouch is looking just a bit less appealing, isn’t it?

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

T-Mobile G1 revision revealed? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 May 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And so it’s finally confirmed: no consumers on un-hacked T-Mobile G1s in the US have this yet, but Android 1.5 and all its gooey, chocolatey Cupcake goodness will finally be hitting American units come late next week. Of course, you know how Android updates go — they “roll” — and not everyone is expected to get hooked up until the end of the month. Meanwhile, British G1 owners are getting updated as we speak — so you might say they’re getting back their American counterparts for launching the hardware afterwards. You know, what goes around, comes around.

[Thanks, Shawn and David]

Update: The 1.5 update includes Picasa and YouTube uploads (you didn’t forget about video capability, did you?) straight from your device, which is pretty cool.

Read – T-Mobile USA announcement
Read – Android 1.5 now available in UK

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Android 1.5 coming to T-Mobile UK now, USA next week originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 May 2009 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over on PCMag.com, I’ve got a full review of the brand-new T-Mobile Sidekick LX (2009), and it’s an interesting gadget. The Twitter, MySpace and Facebook apps are ace, but good old email looks like a bit of an afterthought.

The most interesting thing to me about the Sidekick, though, isn’t the device itself but the cultural phenomenon. As I say in my review, the Sidekick lives “at the intersection of teens and hip-hop.” The other day, I was taking a bus through Queens Village, a middle-class neighborhood near where I live. Some prep school got out, and a half-dozen 16-year-old boys crammed into the back of the bus with me. Five out of six immediately popped out their Sidekicks. Yet on my daily commute at rush hour with a bunch of adults to our Manhattan offices, Sidekicks are a pretty rare sight – iPods, iPhones and BlackBerries rule.

That said, I did my best to write an even-handed review of the new messaging phone – and it’s even got a few things that market leaders BlackBerry can learn from. Check out my full review at PCMag.com.