That was a nice roller-coaster ride, no? Our main man Chris Zigz over at Engadget Mobile scored actual BlackBerry Storm packaging renders, and well, the BlackBerry Storm doesn’t look to bringing that much rain. If we read the box correctly, it seems as if there is an 8GB microSD card pre-installed (totally weak in our opinion), a 3.5mm headset jack, pre-installed SIM card, and no Wi-Fi. It is indeed a global phone, as stated on the box, our original scoop, and the SIM card bit (duh!), but other intricate details are unavailable at this time. Oh yeah, the name! Here is the break down on that: the BlackBerry Storm is for Verizon, and the BlackBerry Thunder is the name for the device on other carriers such a Rogers and Vodafone. Wait, Rogers? So much for that huge exclusivity. We guess RIM realized they’d only have a limited run with Verizon being the sole carrier in North America, and we’re not so sure about having different names for the same device. It’s one thing to have different model numbers for the slightest variations (read: wack), but for the same device? Oh well. We’re still holding true to our rumored mid-September marketing blitz and mid-October release date on Verizon Wireless.

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If you’re awaiting for the impending arrival of a CDMA version of the HTC Touch Diamond, you might want to stop and consider these spy shots. What you see above is, believe it or not, a side-by-side comparison of the GSM and CDMA HTC Touch Diamond handsets. Notice something amiss? Yeah, we see it too. The CDMA incarnation is, well, rather portly. We don’t have the official specs, but suffice to say that these real world shots paint the CDMA Touch in a bit of an unflattering light. For what it’s worth the poster seems to think that the CDMA Touch sits quite comfortably in hand. We’re not so sure, but will obviously have to reserve final judgment until we can handle one of our own. Until then, consider yourselves fairly warned.

[Via WMExperts]

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We just got a screen cap of the product inventory screen from a Verizon tipster. It shows that the BlackBerry Thunder, which we’ve all been reporting as a 9500-series device is correct. The specfic model — you guessed it — is the BlackBerry 9530 for Verizon. Would it be any other way? We were also told the launch date on Verizon is October 13th, and that coincides with our previously leaked info just marvelously. Now, is it the Thunder or Storm?

Yes, this week has been pretty crazy indeed. Apple might have been the focus of attention but yesterday we had a little treat for you BlackBerry lovers out there. Even still, those of you on CDMA networks were pretty much shut out. Well CDMA people, say hello to your new little friend. The folks over at the FCC have been pretty busy lately from the looks of things, not that being busy testing unreleased gadgets is a bad thing. This past Thursday we learned that the Touch Diamond has made its way through testing and its now ready for prime time. And what’s that? As has been rumored this is a CDMA version complete with all the EV-DO and WiFi you can handle. Telus has already announced that it will carry the handset north of the border, but no US carriers have publicly signed on for the Touch Diamond yet. Word on the street however, is that both Verizon and Sprint will be dropping this gem soon enough. No need to recap the rest of the specs; we covered it plenty when HTC dragged us all the way out to London to announce one - single - handset.

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Sprint is getting ready to launch to launch their Airave signal booster on July 15th. The box, which should be available from your local Sprint store for $99, plugs into your broadband router, providing you with an added signal boost aided by your home internet connection. The service, similar to T-Mobile’s Hotspot@Home, is targeted at folks that live in a fringe coverage area, but are still tied to a Sprint account for whatever reason. It’s a decent proposition, but we’re pretty sure that the pricing scheme will place it out of reach for most casual users. The service will run you $15/month on an individual plan and $30/month, but the real kicker is that it’s rumored to require an unlimited calling plan to function. Not good. Unlike T-Mobile’s service, Airave broadcasts an actual cell signal, so it should work with all handsets, not just those equipped with Wi-Fi. The bad news, however, is that the device actually has an embedded aGPS chip to determine whether you’re currently located in a country with Sprint service, effectively squashing our dreams of yapping from Mongolia on your Sprint phone. Thanks, Sprint.

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What a week for an almost-perfect Motorola device announcement, right? Motorola has announced the MING A1600 and A1800 with remarkably little fanfare. Spec wise, both handsets are relatively the same, both sporting GPS, touchscreens, Linux, A2DP, 3 megapixel camera, and more. The CDMA/GSM hybrid A1800 sports support for two simultaneous network connections, while the GSM-only A1600 tops out at EDGE. Why, oh why, is Moto crippling their GSM handsets with lowly EDGE connections? The Chinese target market is certainly part of the problem here, but you’d think they would at least, make some effort at a global launch with HSDPA support. Ah, we know! Because their MOTOMAXG OS doesn’t support 3G. That’s right! No pricing or release date info is available, but we wouldn’t hold our breath either way.

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….albeit a bit late for the many Palm faithful that have jumped ship for more exciting waters. Those that have remained, however, have a little bit to look forward to. The Palm 800w is set to be the first Palm device with Wi-Fi, GPS, and EV-DO Rev. A, all of which should be supported and available out of the box. As far as looks go, the handset appears to be a cross between a Centro and a 750, which is either great or disappointing, depending on your preference. We should see this hit Sprint sometime in the next month or two, hopefully sporting Windows Mobile 6.1. But for reals, though, is anything going to actually run out and get this thing?

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Since we were the first ones to break the news about a touchscreen BlackBerry device, it’s only fitting that we follow up and give y’all the real lowdown on it! This is going to excite a lot of people, but anger many. Are you ready? The BlackBerry Thunder, as it is codenamed now, (all you "reporting" on it as the Storm are incorrect) will launch in Q3 of this year. It is a full touchscreen BlackBerry — no slide out keyboard — with only 4 physical keys. Those are the send / end phone keys, the BlackBerry menu key, and the back key. Here is the most interesting part, though: it will launch as a worldwide lifetime exclusive on Verizon and Vodafone! We’ve heard the unit will be a hybrid device with CDMA EV-DO Rev. C (for clarification, Rev C., known as UMB is practically dead. If the device will indeed launch with a 4G solution, our bet is on LTE), and GSM HSPA for traveling internationally. Verizon and Vodafone will have the same unit. Currently, the model number is the BlackBerry 9500, though it’s very early and that’s likely to change. This is HUGE for the Verizon lovers. For once they’ll get an exclusive device, but Verizon will have a sales quota for the device and if they don’t meet those numbers, we’ve heard the exclusivity will then dissolve and it’s over. This will be extremely interesting to see play out.

P.S. No, you morons, the image above is not real. Didn’t we go through this once before?

P.P.S. For futher clarification about the whole LTE thing, the chip might support it, but that does not mean the network will be ready by any means…OK?

Like we told you yesterday, the BlackBerry Curve has finally made it’s way to Sprint. The device can be ordered online and through telesales, though we’re not exactly sure when the handset will begin showing up in Sprint stores. You have to admit that $179.99 price is attractive. But, it must irk all you CDMA lovers that when your favorite CDMA carriers finally launch the beloved Curve, the BlackBerry 9000 is right around the corner…

We’ve got a ton of tips over the past couple days surrounding the BlackBerry Curve’s debut on Sprint. Most if not all of those pointed to an official May 9th release date. Here’s a flyer detailing the release date, handset pricing, and specs. The no contract price of the Curve is $599.99! Don’t get too scared, though. If you’re signing up for a 2-year agreement with Sprint (don’t get us started) you can snag one of these CrackBizzles for $179.99 after instant and mail-in rebates. Happy Sprinting. Larger shot after the jump.

Thanks, Optimus, and everyone else that hit us up!

There was a little bit of confusion with the 3G-less BlackBerry 9000 we posted. We heard two different codenames: Javelin and Niagara. Well, we were just told some more information on both devices. It seems the BlackBerry codenamed Niagara is actually an EV-DO device slated to hit Verizon in May of 2009. That seems a long way away but here are the specs on that model:

• "Large screen family"
• QWERTY keyboard
• 480×360 LCD
• EV-DO Rev. A
• aGPS
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• 4.7 OS platform
• BES 5.0 support (HTML email, etc)
• Qualcomm MSM7600 processor

That’s the Niagara. What about the BlackBerry Javelin? Well, here you go:

• QWERTY keyboard
• 480×360 LCD
• Quad-band GSM/EDGE
• GPS
• Wi-Fi
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• 4.6 OS platform
• BES 5.0 support as well
• ArgonV processor

Both devices look extremely similar in physical appearance, thus the confusion. So, look at that. You just got two devices for the price of one. Who’s out there in Verizon land and excited for this one? May of next year, though…doesn’t seem right does it? Then again, you never know with Big Red.

The feature set on this device isn’t going to blow you away by any means — 1.3 megapixel camera, speakerphone, and stereo Bluetooth. With that said, we could only assume this is going to be a free phone when it launches on Verizon. There’s two colors which are titanium and grey and the keyboard looks a little funky, so, yeah. Anyone out there remotely interested in this one? Check out all the shots in the gallery

Click on over to our Motorola W755 gallery!

Thanks, Omie!

As you may remember, almost one year ago, we broke news of the BlackBerry Curve 8330. Granted, some facts have since been corrected (not a World Edition device), but it’s been a rather long wait for CDMA customers wanting a BlackBerry Curve device. Recent news posted on BGR has shown pictures of the Sprint release, as well as a launch date for the Curve model.

Now, for your very own pleasure and enjoyment on the only site you love, we bring you pictures of the BlackBerry Curve 8330 from your favorite neighborhood CDMA carriers - Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, Telus, Bell Mobility, and US Cellular.

You didn’t expect this one, did you? The Motorola MING A1800 is an update to their Linux-based MING line, but this time, there are some twists and turns. For starters, the MING A1800 is a CDMA and quad-band GSM device. There are also two, yes two, SIM card slots. The whole package has been reduced to a really nice pocketable size — the phone feels sturdy as a rock — and is actually pretty light. There’s a 3 megapixel auto-focus shooter on the backside, and besides the normal inclusion of Bluetooth and a couple other features, we don’t really have all that much more info! We haven’t got pricing or availability on this piece at this time, but we’re also not betting on it being launched at CTIA in the upcoming week. Then again, at this point, Motorola couldn’t do anything to surprise us. You know what to do by now, everyone. Hit that gallery!

Click on over to our Motorola MING A1800 gallery!

I’m going to keep this pretty short just because the unit is like, uh, almost identical to the GSM one we tore apart and reviewed a little while back. The HTC Shift is coming stateside, as you all know by now. It’s going to be available starting today, and is a Sprint unit. So besides the CDMA chip in place of the GSM one, what exactly is different? For starters, since it’s a US unit, you’ll get a US keyboard instead of the atrocious UK keyboard (sorry, fellas, but it really is bad). You also get better build-quality, at least in our view. The HTC software on the device seems to be pretty solid compared to our other Shift, and it makes a world of difference. For a little back story, I took the original GSM Shift with me on my vacation (because Sprint’s coverage isn’t the best) and the HTC Communications Manager failed on me big time. Crashed at start up, no chance of using the 3G modem that’s built in, and definitely no SnapVue. It rendered the whole device useless and this is a frequent problem with the GSM model for me. Additionally, the slider mechanism sort of broke despite my attempts to "baby" the unit. On the flip side now, the Sprint Shift we’ve been putting through the paces is a rock-solid trooper. No software crashes, amazing build-quality, and just a better overall feel to it. Something a little strange, though, is that the leather case that comes with the GSM model, is actually "built-in" to the CDMA unit. You can take it off by removing the T6 screws that hold it in place, but you’re left with the screw posts and it’s a little awkward. Having the case is nice, don’t get me wrong, it’s just weird and a little uncalled for if you ask me. Sprint’s Ev-DO service works well when you have full coverage, but personally there’s no comparing it to the 1700kbps + speeds I got with AT&T’s HSDPA. It will be interesting to see how this unit is priced on a carrier here in the US as the $1,500+ price tag is a lot to swallow for this first generation product that’s slightly underpowered and has some kinks to work out. Well, now you’ve got a choice, people. CDMA or GSM? If they fix the software issues and build quality with the GSM units, I don’t think there should be a question which to choose from. That is, of course, if you’re not a Sprint subscriber. But then again, who is?

Click on over to our HTC Shift CDMA Sprint gallery, and get your shift on!

Our trials and tribulations with the HTC shift over here at BGR world headquarters have been well documented. For all our frustration, however, we still think it’s one hell of an entry into the UMPC marketplace. While the GSM/HSDPA version of the machine has been floating around for quite some time, the CDMA version has been kept under wraps…until now. Amazon has posted a pre-order for the HTC Shift CDMA, which is available for early-order now at the low, low price of $1,499. There’s nothing to differentiate this from the GSM version, but at the end of the day, if CDMA/EV-DO is your flavor of choice, we would certainly recommend this bad boy. No word on exactly when this will ship, but given the limited quantities during the GSM launch, we’d certainly encourage you to move over there as fast as you can. We’ve had our hands on a Sprint-equipped version of this CDMA Shift for the past 2 weeks. A full review is forthcoming, but in the mean time, rest assured that the EV-DO radio on this baby is nothing to scoff at.

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Holy…okay. So here’s the deal. Sprint just posted their final sales numbers for the 4th quarter of 2007, and the results are a bit shocking. Sure, we all know that Sprint has been in a bit of a downward spiral for quite some time now, but it seems the real gravity of the situation has escaped everyone…until now. Over the course of 2007, Sprint lost $29.5 billion. That’s a lot of money, but here’s the real kicker. Ready? Sprint is currently valued at $23 billion. Is this sinking in yet? We can be a bit more clear, just for the sake of argument. During the 4th quarter of 2007, Sprint lost over $6 billion more than it’s worth. We’re not economists here, but all signs point to "Woops!" Sprint is in trouble, and no amount of $99 unlimited plans sold is going to stop the bleeding. We’re sure there’s some charitable soul out there willing to spend a couple hundred thousand on your remaining assets, and you can work towards making back some of the lost revenue by embarking on a speaking tour entitled "How to Completely Ruin a Company in 12 Months."

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Samsung has had good success with the Blackjack series, and now the Ace is making an appearance via Sprint. We do enjoy seeing new ultra-thin smartphones out of Samsung but it should be careful with the somewhat limited branding now being toyed with. Of course anything is better than referring to a handset as "SPH-blahblah" but we’ll tell you right now that you’re not going to catch us walking around with a "Samsung Queen" or a "Samsung Gin Rummy". The Samsung Ace however, is sure to make some Sprint customers pretty happy. The specs are nothing to write home about; Windows Mobile 6, 2.3" 65k color QVGA display, 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD support, Sprint TV support, etc. The Ace’s selling point is its dual compatibility with Sprint’s CDMA networks and the GSM networks of most of the rest of the world. Of course the GSM frequencies are limited to 900/1800MHz to avoid most GSM coverage in the US, but Sprint customers will find a good amount of roaming coverage in most major regions. Samsung’s Ace is by no means the first handset to feature dual-network compatibility but with some good marketing Sprint could play up its capabilities nicely. Users without the need for international roaming on the other hand, will likely pass on the Ace due to a price tag that is a few pay grades above its specs; $200 after mail-in rebate with a 2-year contract.

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You asked for ‘em, so here you go! Thanks to BBGeeks.com, we’ve got our hands on some of the first shots of what clearly appears to be the CDMA version of the BlackBerry Curve. This BlackBerry Curve 8330 looks pretty similar to the current GSM version of the handset, with a keyboard that looks identical to that of the Red 8310 currently available on AT&T. This should dispel any fear that the CDMA Curve would depart from the GSM version’s wildly successful form factor. We’re not able to tell much else from the shots, but we can confirm that this handset will include a GPS radio. No word on availability, but chances are good that we won’t see an announcement until sometime next month. Hit the jump for some more shots.

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What’s better than a single GSM/HSDPA model HTC Shift UMPC? Try another iteration of the same computer running on a CDMA/EV-DO frequency. Not too shabby, right? As we’ve said before, we think that the best thing for HTC to do here is to simply release a Shift…any Shift, before spending too much energy concentrating on new versions of the device. That said, it is nice to know that when this thing finally makes its way to our store shelves, we’ll have options regarding which mobile carrier we’re able to choose. The EV-DO Shift passed through the FCC testing labs under the name Cleo 200 a while ago, and the model you see above is the Cleo 100. We can only assume the Cleo 200 would be the HTC Shift with CDMA. You excited now?

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If you’re on the big red and have been praying for another Windows Mobile device, and want something pocketable, the SMT5800 could be right up your alley. Sporting a number pad on the outside, and full QWERTY slide-out keyboard, the HTC Vox reincarnated will grace Verizon’s airwaves on January 7th. You like walking up to the cash register and bothering the crap out of the sales person? Then you’ll have to wait for it to hit stores on January 21st. 128MB ROM / 64MB RAM, microSD slot, EV-DO Rev. A upgradability, and Bluetooth 2.0 are all part of the SMT5800. What about pricing, you say? $314.99 with a 2 year, $344.99 with a 1 year, and $469.99 full retail. Couple more details after the jump like package contents, and a couple available accessories!

Thanks, Omie!

P.S. The above pricing might be corporate pricing. Just wanted to warn ya’!

Car Charger HTCVPC1 $29.99
Extended Battery VTS5800BATXT $59.99

Contents:
Small Pouch
USB Cable
USB Spiltter
Battery
AC Charger
Phone

You might have heard a little this and that about the Helio Mysto device. It’s a new handset making its way to Helio’s powered by SK Telecom network, and it will launch first in the Korean American Helio market tomorrow. If you’re not Korean, you’re going to have to wait for the general market release early next year which is looking like mid-to-late January. If you want to get sneaky, though, you can head on down to Helio’s NYC or Santa Monica store on December 26th and pick one up! They’re $149 but won’t be out on display — you gotta’ tell the nice people BG sent you and have them snatch one out of the back! If you don’t make it on the 26th, you’re back in the same boat as everyone else, and have to wait another month or two. How do we like it? Well, it’s not a totally unseen device (it is a Samsung U600, after all), but Helio has completely done up the software and UI on this thing and it’s lightning fast! It also has GPS, a 2 megapixel camera, and it’s oh-so-sexy. We even heard they delayed the Mysto just to make sure everything was solid, and we’re pretty sure if you’re a Helio fan, you’re going to love it. Hit the jump for the hands-on madness!

Click on over to our Helio Mysto hands-on gallery!

As if anyone actually cares…Nevertheless, we’re here to bring everything we know to you, and what we do know, is that the Treo 755p will be making the rounds to Verizon Wireless on December, 17th. That’s going to be an online and telesales only affair, with the full release for brick-and-mortar stores happening on January, 7th. Doesn’t it feel like yesterday when we were eagerly awaiting the Treo 700w on Verizon? You ready for the price? I said, are you ready for the price? A whopping $449.99 with a 2-year agreement! Wowbawuah! The 1-year price is $519.99, and retail pricing is $569.99. For that kind of pricing you’re better off buying some plane tickets to the VZW headquarters and slapping them upside they heads. At least you’ll actually be satisfied. Click on for the SKUs and pricing for all the accessories, if you dare!

Thanks, Omie!

 
Standard Battery- $49.99 PALM755BAT
Leather Fitted- $24.99 PALM755CAS
Holster- $9.97 TREHOL-2
Stylus-$9.99 PALM755STY
Car Charger-$29.99 TRE650VPC
Rapid Charger-$29.99 TRTTVL-1
SYNC cable- $29.99 TRE650CBL
Desktop Kit-$49.99 TRE650DTC

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One of our Helio peeps hit us the other day and briefly said, "We’re sending you the coolest application for the Helio Ocean everz!" No details, nothing! Well, a day later we got a download link for the app, and what did it turn out to be? Their new YouTube application! As you might know from our previous reviews, the Ocean is a fantastic device, but it is plagued by random lagging and freezes. We had no idea how the YouTube app would perform based on our past use of the phone. The fact is, it works incredibly well! It’s lightning fast, has an amazing UI, and the features are by the boat load — geo-tag videos, post video responses, comment on videos, rate videos, upload videos. We’re really impressed! Hit the jump for a plethora of pics!

• Browse: view tens of millions of videos
• Rate: let everyone know which videos you like best
• Comment: add your own two cents by posting text comments for everyone to read
• Share: send favorite videos to friends using address book integration
• Save: save favorite videos to My Favorites and My Playlists
• Subscribe: subscribe to a channel to check out more from that user
• Record and Upload: capture a video on Ocean and instantly upload it to a personal channel

Oh yeah, it’s available now for all Ocean users!

What’s this? A QWERTY Samsung BlackJack-ish device destined for Sprint? Yeah, we’re as surprised as you are. This little bugger has shown up out of the blue, sporting a host of attractive features that should position it nicely in competition with Sprint’s current Palm Centro. A full QWERTY keyboard comes standard, as does Windows Mobile 6 Standard (or perhaps Windows Mobile 6.1?), and a 1.3 megapixel camera. We can’t tell from the promo shots just how big it is, but if the ratio of screen size to phone size is any indication, we’re guessing that this will be pretty much on-par with the older BlackJack. It also appears to sport a keyboard that looks very similar to the current BlackJack layout, which could be problematic for the thick-fingered amongst us. Want more? We’ve picked up the smell of a World device here! That’s right. Expect this to be a CDMA / GSM double-whammy punch that will offer you the same number world-wide, on Sprint.

Thanks, Marcus!

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Image courtesy: IntoMobile

Here’s something you don’t see everyday…a CDMA carrier and a GSM carrier holding hands and breaking bread. How sweet. The swap comes as both Dobson Cellular and Rural Cellular are being acquired and absorbed by their larger competition. AT&T will be taking ownership of some Rural Cellular coverage and equipment, all of which currently belongs to Verizon Wireless, in New York, Vermont, Kentucky, and Washington state. In exchange for this, Verizon will take possession of some AT&T licenses, equipment, and coverage in Kentucky, in addition to receiving 10 MHZ of PCS spectrum and an undisclosed sum of cash. And who said rivals don’t play nice…

Thanks, Mike!

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Helio, everyone’s favorite MVNO, has just added one more notch on their why-you-should-switch-to-us belt. The company has just thrown a $50 price cut across the board. This brings the Ocean down to $199, the Fin to $79, and the Heat to $Free 99. Couple this with their current $99 unlimited calling, text, and data plan, and you’ve got one hell of a deal on your hands. It goes without saying, of course, that these prices are only available with a 2-year service contract, but with ETFs going the way of the Dodo, we wouldn’t be too concerned about signing on the dotted line. Hit the link for more info.

BGR makes no claims you will get out of your contract without an ETF. This is America, after all.

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Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is going on here? Sprint’s holiday phone guide online lists the usual phones we know about like the Palm Centro, BlackBerry 8130, and all that jazz, but what in the hell is a picture of the Motorola Q2 running Palm OS doing in there? Anyone up for a Palm-powered Moto, ’cause we’re not…Would you actually buy this?

Thanks, Marc!

UPDATE: As our sneaky readers pointed out, the full specs on the Sprint page for the Motorola Q2 list Windows Mobile. Looks like one of their web guys got extra excited with the screen shot!

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Oh the sweet smell of victory! Verizon Wireless has officially announced the first American-bound CDMA BlackBerry Pearl. The Verizon BlackBerry 8130 is no secret horse, having been rumored and revealed time and time again. Even so, it’s nice to see our CDMA-loving friends get a bit of SureType love. The Verizon Pearl sports Ev-DO, GPS (which happens to be locked to Verizon’s proprietary VZ Navigator), a new browser, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and an external microSD slot that provides support for cards up to 8GB in capacity. Not too shabby. The handset will be available online and in physical stores on November 8th for a somewhat shockingly high price of $249.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. On the flip side, Verizon is bringing its BlackBerry BIS plans in line with Sprint’s recent price drop, offering unlimited data for $29.99 a month. Not too bad.

Thanks, to everyone that sent this in!

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Trying to crank out those holiday sales, Sprint? Well, you could have done worse, we’ll certainly give you that. In what is looking to be the most jam-packed mobile phone holiday season across all carriers in the U.S., Sprint will begin offering the Motorola Q9c alongside the BlackBerry Pearl 8130, both on 11/23. Pricing info? $449 for full retail, but we heard it will go for as little as $199 with a 2-year agreement.