Those rumours about a February launch for T-Mobile U.S.A’s BlackBerry 8900 have checked out! GPS, Wi-Fi, 360 x 480 resolution screen, e-mail, web browsing, 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus, music and video players, as well as a microSD slot under the hood supporting up to 16 GB memory cards. I’ve been playing around with a Rogers (NYSE: RCI) review unit for a little while, and I gotta say that it is very slim and compact - just check out some of our picture comparisons to see for yourself. The lack of 3G might hurt some, but if all you’re doing is e-mail, you don’t need much more than EDGE. The screen’s fantastic, and should make folks looking at the Bold think twice.

[via MarketWire]

When we first laid eyes on the LG Viewty’s spec-sheet, we knew LG had a sure winner on their hands. The LG Viewty mates a 3-inch touchscreen display with a high quality Schneider Kreuznach 5-megapixel camera that doesn’t compromise functionality just because its part of a cellphone. With auto-focus, image stabilization, xenon flash, the ability to record video at 120fps, and world renowned optics, the LG Viewty can hang with the best point-and-shoot cameras on the market.

And, with an array of available color options, it’s no wonder LG has sold over 5 million units worldwide. LG has announced today that their 5 megaixel cameraphone has found homes in 350,000 South Korean pockets and 4,650,000 pockets across Europe and Asia. The LG Viewty’s success sets LG up for a repeat success with their Viewty successor - the 8 megapixel LG KC910 Renoir.

LG is making some serious headway into a cameraphone market that desperately needs to see hardware geared towards more serious camera features. Let’s hope LG brings the Renoir to CES 2009!

LG

Softbank recently announced their 1-Seg TV tuner/battery pack add-on for Japanese iPhone 3Gs. The Japanese iPhone 3G was criticized for its lack of an integrated TV tuner, and the One-Seg TV tuner accessory was to be Softbank (OTCPK: SFTBF)’s answer. The external TV tuner connects to the iPhone 3G over WiFi, streaming the TV stream to the iPhone 3G.

The Softbank One-Seg TV tuner was recently released to the TV-consumer public. That is, as long as you’re a Softbank subscriber. We’re not going to see this particular iPhone 3G accessory make the jump to

Thankfully, the lucky folks over at DVICE were good enough to post hands-on pictures and first impressions of the 1-Seg TV tuner. The device is sleekly styled (like the iPhone 3G itself), lightweight, and streams crystal clear TV to the iPhone 3G. Unfortunately, there’s the issue of power drain. Even with the integrated battery pack, you’re only going to get about an hour’s worth of TV viewing before your iPhone 3G starts complaining about low battery charge.

If you’re planning on moving to Japan anytime soon, the 1-Seg TV tuner might be a worthy investment. otherwise, you can just keep dreaming about getting terrestrial TV on your iPhone 3G.

Check out the rest of the pictures over at DVICE.

[Via: DVICE]

Update your T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) G1 to Android OS RC30, did you? Unless you updated your G1 with a hacked version of of the Android OS RC30 firmware, you’re probably missing out on the root access right about now.

Wax nostalgic about root access no more!

A newly released Android RC29 firmware from xda-developers member chavonbravo allows Android users to downgrade their T-Mobile G1 back to the older firmware. The Android RC29 build retains the root access security hole that allows hackers to do all kinds of nifty stuff with their hacked G1.

Downgrading to RC29 is simple. Follow the below steps to downgrade your T-Mobile G1 back to Android OS RC29.

1. Download the Android OS RC29 firmware file here.
2. Rename the file to update.zip
3. Copy the newly renamed “update.zip” file to root directory (base level, no folders) of your microSD card
4. Disconnect your T-Mobile G1 from your computer if you used the data cable to access the microSD card
5. Turn off the handset by holding down the “Power” button
6. Turn it back on while holding down the “Power” (End Call) and “Home” buttons
7. When you see “Triangle” icon, open the keyboard and press “Alt” and “L” simultaneously
8. When you see some yellow text, press “Alt” and “S” simultaneously
9. Follow the on-screen instructions
10. Press “Home” and “Back” buttons simultaneously when you’re done and ready to reboot
11. The G1 will reboot as it does its thing - let it do so.
12. Enjoy Android RC29 and its root access security hole.

Now, you’ll probably be looking to update back to Android RC30 while retaining root access. Keep in mind that the root access update method is not as simple as the RC29 downgrade outlined above. But, with a little focus and patience, you’ll be just fine. Find our RC30 root access update tutorial here.

Android OS RC29
IntoMobile’s RC30 root access update guide

Following on the legal kerfuffle in France that forced Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and Orange (France’s once-exclusive iPhone 3G carrier) to stop selling iPhones locked to Orange’s network, French retailer FNAC is now selling unlocked and contract-less iPhone 3Gs in France. The French Competition Council recently ordered Orange to temporarily cease its exclusive partnership with Apple, forcing Apple’s hand in allowing third-party vendors, like FNAC, to sell the iPhone 3G in France.

But, as with all things in the mobile world that involved the terms “unlocked” and “contract-free,” the FNAC iPhone 3G will cost a pretty penny. FNAC is asking would-be iPhone 3G owners to fork over €799 ($1,123) and €899 ($1,263)for the 8GB iPhone 3G and 16GB iPhone 3G, respectively.

File this latest iPhone 3G case in the category for ‘awesomeness’. I wish there was a category here for that… maybe I should create one!? Nah…

A new case mode for the iPhone 3G has appeared from Russian manufacturer iCustom. The case shows off all of the geek-a-licious internal guts of the iPhone 3G… all in-part to a clear back cover. If you want something completely different, this case mod should be right up your alley. I still enjoy the look of my white iPhone 3G, but there’s something about being able to see the ‘guts’ of the phone that is very intriguing… Perhaps this reminds me of the ‘Bodies’ exhibition currently going on at the Luxor in Vegas… That’s probably what it is.

For more information hit up iCustom (their site didn’t exactly load up properly for me… so… um… good luck!).

[iPhoneFreak via Gizmodo]

Those crazy Russians and their crazy crash tests. Like it’s not enough to test “accidental” drops and raining condition, they had to put the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic in the washing machine, beer and vacuum cleaner. The good thing, though, is that the Tube survived all the testing, proving Nokia (NYSE: NOK) knows its thing when it comes to making solid handsets. Check out the short video that sums up all the horrors Nokia’s all-touchscreen smartphone has managed to survive.

Hooah, that’s a spicy Q1 ‘09 lineup for Canadian carrier Rogers, boasting new goodies like a Wi-Fi BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Storm and 3G Pearl Flip, but a few things you might have heard about before are also on the way for 2009, including the Sony Ericsson X1 EXPERIA. Here’s the full list.

BlackBerry 8200 Pearl Flip - Due first half of 2009 - Dual-band HSDPA (850/1900) BlackBerry Pearl with Wi-Fi, including a secondary video calling camera, 2.0 megapixel camera with flash

BlackBerry 9520 Storm - Due first half of 2009 - SurePress clickable touchscreen, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS

Samsung M8800 Pixon - Due late Q1 ‘09 - 7.2 MBps HSDPA, 1.8 MBPS HSUPA, GPS, 8.0 megapixel camera with flash, 120 FPS video recording, Fido launch pending

HTC Touch Viva - Due first half of 2009 - Free on three-year plan with data ($99, $199.99, $369.99, $399.99 options available), Windows Mobile 6.1, Wi-Fi, Touch 3G possible

HTC Touch Pro - Due Q2 2009

Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Q11 - No date - GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.15 megapixel camera, quad-band GSM, Windows Mobile 6.1, still undecided on launching. 

Motorola VE66 - Due second half of 2009 -  5.0 megapixel, slider with 850/1900 HSPA

Motorola Motozine ZN5 - Due late Q1 2009 - $50 on 3-year contract (two years with Fido), $500 off contract

Sony Ericsson X1 XPERIA - Due Q3 2009 - 7.2 MBps quad-band HSDPA, 800 x 480 3″ touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Windows Mobile 6.1, push e-mail

Sony Ericsson CyberShot C905a - Due Q2 2009 - 8.1 megapixel camera with Xenon flash, dual-band HSPA, Wi-Fi, music recognition, $299.99 on a three-year plan, comes with 2 GB memory card

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) XpressMusic 5800 - Due Q2/3 2009

While I can’t say much about the other handsets (aside from the fact that the entire universe and its mother is waiting for the XPERIA), both the 3G Pearl Flip and the Wi-Fi BlackBerry Storm are giving much-needed feature upgrades to some hurting devices. A video conferencing camera could give the Pearl Flip a nice little kick in the pants that might actually have the flip-phone crowd notice it, while the lack of Wi-Fi on the BlackBerry Storm remained a primary gripe for most reviewers. A GSM version of the Storm was already released abroad on Vodafone (NYSE: VOD), so we weren’t exactly expecting a whole new device over here in North America, but it’s more than welcome. 

Full slide gallery of Rogers’ 2009 handset lineup after the jump!

Read the full article »

Few smartphones in recent memory have had as contentious a launch as the BlackBerry Storm. As you can see from just a few of the reviews, some have called the Storm “the best BlackBerry yet” while others have gone as far as saying it’s the “BlackBerry dud”.

With so many critics butting heads over the issue, it’s high time we stepped into the ring. While we can’t say much on the initial launch, RIM and carriers have had the time to squash bugs and really bring to bear the smartphone they were intending. The holiday season is the moment of truth for many companies, and RIM is no exception; despite a rocky start, they could avoid future returns and promote positive word of mouth if those Christmas presents really deliver a smooth, practical and enjoyable BlackBerry experience. On the other hand, if the trend of frustration continues, RIM’s risky foray into the touchscreen format could backfire dramatically. Some might argue that it already has.

Let’s get one thing straight: it’s still a BlackBerry. iPhone users will scoff at the Storm’s browser, diehard BlackBerry users will guffaw at anything without a physical keyboard, but at the end of the day, you still have essentially the same OS, layout, and functionality. The sole hurdle with the BlackBerry Storm is the form factor, and that alone makes nailing down a target audience very tricky.

Is it for coporate-types disgruntled that their stuffy IT department won’t let them use an iPhone? Is it for iPhone expatriates who got tired of the light saber and boob-jiggling apps which characterized their platform of choice? Is it for the undecided who have been reduced to lugging around both an iPhone and a BlackBerry, thus keeping business and pleasure distinctly (and inefficiently) separate? Maybe it’s unfair to even be comparing it to the iPhone - after all, Windows Mobile has been rocking touchscreens for way longer, and RIM could just be catching up. One way or the other, anyone who has used a BlackBerry before will easily make the transition to the Storm, while others might have a little bit more difficulty adapting to this newfangled clicking SurePress touchscreen and learning the BlackBerry operating system at the same time.

We’ve seen it before. The iPhone had previously taken the top spot as the most used cameraphone on all of Flickr. Today, we’re seeing the iPhone and it’s 2 megapixel camera hanging out with the big boys on Flickr - the iPhone is just about as popular as a full-on DSLR camera.

The iPhone has seemingly found a significant following on Flicker. Despite the iPhone’s marginal 2 megapixel camera and dubious low-light performance, iPhone users are flocking to Flickr with daily picture uploads that rival the venerable Canon Rebel XT and the Nikon D80. The Flickr Camera Finder, which searches through image meta-tag to determine their camera of origin, shows that the iPhone is actually keeping pace with high-end cameras on Flickr.

And, since the iPhone edged out the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) N95’s market-leading Carl Zeiss camera, the most recent data shows the iPhone easily outpacing the rest of the cameraphones on Flickr.

Keep in mind that camera popularity is determined by the regularity of picture uploads. While the Canon XT might have a total of 58 million, or so, images on Flickr and the iPhone boasts a more meager 5.8 million, there are thousands of iPhone users uploading at least one image on a daily basis.

Still, it’s interesting to see that the iPhone is being used just as regularly on Flickr as any stand-alone DSLR camera.

[Via: iPhoneAtlas]