Hasta La Gadget!

Chatter over Windows Mobile 6.5 has grown into a deafening din the past few weeks, strongly suggesting we’ll all be treated to the next WinMo release at MWC in a couple weeks — but how does that translate a device that we can hold in our own two hands, exactly? We’d previously heard Microsoft was targeting the third quarter of 2009, and “sources” of ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley are right in line. In a nutshell, she’s saying manufacturers will have access to the gold code in April and the first 6.5 devices will hit the market in September (okay, tail end of the third quarter, but that’s how the cookie crumbles), but she doesn’t stop there — she goes on to say that beta Windows Mobile 7 code will be in the wild in November of this year, with the first handsets following on in April of 2010. That’s a long-ass time from now, yes — but on the flipside, that’s a record for releasing two major WinMo versions in rapid succession. Can’t blame us for trying to find the silver lining.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

First WinMo 6.5 handsets in September ’09, 7.0 in April ’10? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Things just aren’t getting any better for Motorola — just weeks after the troubled phone manufacturer announced deep layoffs, it’s revealing that it lost $3.6 billion dollars in the fourth quarter. The loss is mainly attributed to falling device sales: handsets were down 26 percent, and mobile devices total were down 51 percent. According to Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha, the answer for now is Android phones, which the company thinks will be more competitive than WinMo devices in 2009 — and he interestingly said that Moto plans on continuing to make Windows Mobile devices because it thinks WinMo 7 will be a big deal when it comes out in 2010. That’s the first time we’ve ever heard a date on WinMo 7, if you’re keeping track — and if it’s right, it’ll be the second time Jha’s blown the lid on an upcoming version of Windows Mobile. Whoops! We’ll be watching that one, but for now here’s hoping Moto rights the ship with something like an Android-based SURF A3100 — otherwise it may not even be around in 2010.

Filed under: Cellphones

Motorola posts $3.6b loss as devices sales fall by 26 percent originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It always brings joy to our hearts to see a new UMA-compatible device come into the market, and T-Mobile’s revised Shadow from HTC certainly fits the bill. In fact, it’s being launched today as the very first Windows Mobile device to support HotSpot calls over WiFi, joining BlackBerrys and a handful of dumbphones on the support list. Speaking of HotSpot dumbphones, the stylish 7510 flip is also hitting shelves today with changeable faceplates, a trick semi-hidden external display, and 2 megapixels of Pulitzer-caliber shooting power around back in addition to the WiFi radio. Nab the Shadow for $199.99 and the 7510 for $49.99, both on contract after rebates.

Read – Shadow (White Mint)
Read – Shadow (Black Burgundy)
Read – Nokia 7510

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

T-Mobile launches new Shadow today alongside Nokia 7510 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The more we see Compulab’s sort-of-silly, sort-of-awesome exeda, the more we like it — although the reason we’re smitten today might be because it’s running what appears to be Windows Mobile 6.5, complete with that “honeycomb” app launcher UI. The company says this is an alpha build of the OS, but it does look farther along than those leaked ROMs we’ve been seeing loaded on a few HTC devices, and we’re intrigued by whispers that it takes full advantage of 6.5’s inertial scrolling and other touch enhancements. All that running on a phone which can also boot Android, sports an Ethernet port, and has left- and right-click buttons? We’ll take two. One more pic at the read link.

[Via wmpoweruser]

Filed under: Cellphones

Windows Mobile 6.5 shows up on the Compulab exeda originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We begged and pleaded for an official announcement back when we saw this beauty all boxed up, and comically enough, we’re still waiting for that release. Nevertheless, Sprint has quietly hosted up the long awaited CDMA Treo Pro on its webstore, giving those with an unquenchable thirst for more Windows Mobile something to lust over. For whatever reason, this thing is being priced at $249.99 with a two-year contract ($549.99 free and clear), though we get the feeling that figure will be dropping mighty quickly. Let’s just go ahead and call it the Pre effect.

Update: Looks like Sprint’s pulled the Treo Pro page from its site already, so they’re either not quite ready to hawk it yet or we’re looking at the quickest discontinuation in consumer electronics history.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm’s Treo Pro now on sale at Sprint for $249.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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