Have an Android, iPhone, or webOS smartphone? Find yourself shopping at Best Buy, Sears, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm todos los dias? Well, Google has got a new feature for you. Google is officially launching an updated version Google Shopping, for selected mobile devices, that has the ability to search the inventory of local participating retailers. As Google explains:

Just go to Google.com in your mobile browser, tap on the “more” link, and then select “Shopping.” Or look for the “Shopping results” section in Universal Search results when you search on Google.com… look for the blue dots in the search results to see if it’s available in a local store. If you see a blue dot, you can tap on the adjacent “In stock nearby” link, and you’ll be taken to the seller’s page where you’ll see whether the item is “In Stock” or has “Limited Availability” near you.

Personally, we are hoping that all of these side apps get consolidated in the future… but that’s just us. We’ve got the official press release all queued up for you.

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According to them, the device actually failed in early diagnostic testing a whopping 4 out of 5 times (which is supposed to be extremely rare for RIM devices). The only other handset that failed, we’re told, is the BlackBerry Pearl Flip. What’s even more interesting, is that the BlackBerry slider our guy saw was Sprint branded. Want to go one step further? We’ve been told there is also a GSM/HSPA version and that the model numbers are BlackBerry 9900 and BlackBerry 9930. Lastly, it looks like the HSPA version of the device will support 850/1900MHz UMTS bands which would make it compatible with both AT&T and Rogers’ 3G networks.

Could Sprint be gunning for an exclusive on the brand new BlackBerry form factor? Our bets would be yes.

P.S. Our guy didn’t see the word “Bold” anywhere in relation to the sliding BlackBerry device.

And just like that, today we have the third photo leak of the mysterious BlackBerry slider. Unlike the first time we saw it but much like the second, the device has been placed next to a Curve 8900 for the sake of a size comparison. On its side the slider is noticeably thicker than the 8900 , but today it has been turned on its side in order to let us know exactly how thick this sucker is. What this device is actually called is anyone’s guess, but the general consensus is that this is not the Storm3. So what then is it? Lately a rumor has been floating around that it is actually a Bold owing to its identical styling queues to the current Bold 9700. Adding to this rumor is a UAProf found on RIM’s website for a 9700a that lists a portrait HVGA+ display (as opposed to the Bold 9700’s landscape HVGA+ display) and this all seems rather possible. Of course dealing with prototypes things can and will change as needed, so it looks like we’re going to have to twiddle our thumbs a little while longer until some more information comes to light. Hit the jump for a pic of device’s rear sans battery cover showing off its brand new F-S1 battery.

[via CrackBerry]

Read [9700a pics]

Read [UAProf]

In our review of the TELUS MILESTONE we lamented Motorola’s decision to digitally sign the bootloader which makes rooting quite difficult. Thankfully, over the past couple of days there has been a lot progress within the Android community and root access for the TELUS MILESTONE has obtained by way of a Brazilian sbf. Sadly kernel access is still absent, but at this point we guess we should just be happy we’ve made it this far. Hit up the read link for a full set of instructions.

Thanks, Arjun!

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The first is that one of our connects has informed us that the mythical OS 5.0 upgrade for the BlackBerry Tour 9630 will be released within the next “2-3 weeks.” It will also contain a Push-To-Talk feature that will run over Verizon’s data network for a $5/month fee. This ties in nicely to our second bit of info… We’ve heard that the BlackBerry Bold 9650, or BlackBerry Tour2 9650, or BlackBerry Whatever 9650x will launch unfortunately around May. It will also include PTT.

A lot happened in the US smartphone market from October 2009 to January 2010, but thankfully there are companies like comScore kicking about to help us make sense of just which platforms were the biggest winners and losers during this period. The biggest platform was not surprisingly Google’s Android which saw an uptick of 4.3% to a total of 7.1% thanks in part to the successful launches of handsets like the DROID, DROID ERIS and Hero. RIM’s BlackBerry OS, which faired second best with a gain of 1.7% continued to dominate the total smartphone market at 43%, but one has to wonder if RIM could have done just a little bit more. After all, it did launch the BlackBerry Bold 9700, Curve 8530 and Storm2 during these months. Apple’s iPhone didn’t do as well as many would have guessed, but its 0.3% increase makes quite a bit of sense when you consider the tradition of people holding out on iPhone purchases in the six months leading up the summer release of the devices later iteration. Nonetheless, it does hold a 25.1% stake in the US smartphone market. When it comes to market share, one’s success is another’s misfortune. Not exactly a stranger to losing ground, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile managed to shed 4.0% thanks in part to what can be politely summed up as a general indifference to its current platform (how things will change). After this, we saw Palm with a loss of 2.1%. In Palm’s defence a lot of this can be attributed to people finally getting around to ditching Palm OS, but the fact remains that thing’s aren’t going to well for a company that many felt was on the path to recovery just 15 months ago.

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Bad news today for Google and the Nexus One as investment firm Goldman Sachs has slashed its estimate for Nexus One sales by a third. Predicting a bright and rosy future for the Nexus One, Goldman Sachs originally estimated that Google will sell 3.5 million Nexus Ones in FY2010. After a disappointing first month in which Google only sold a rumored 80,000 handsets, Goldman Sachs has lowered its 2010 estimate to a mere one million handsets which will be sold across multiple carriers including T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and Vodafone. Google’s FY2011 outlook will improve to two million handsets if, according to Goldman Sachs, Google rolls out second generation handset, markets it aggressively, and drops it online-only sales model. That last criteria is condemning and suggests that Google’s online-only model needs to be supplemented, if not supplanted, by brick and mortar retail sales. So peer into those magic eight balls that predict the future and let us know — is Google’s online-only sales model fatally flawed or does it just need some time to mature?

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Our friends from Norway have dropped a little present in the Android Market — especially for all you Opera fans — as Opera Mini 5 beta 2 is available for download starting… now. Opera’s next generation mobile web browser packs tabbed browsing, speed dial, Opera Link, a download manager, and a password manager, amongst other things. Those of you who are sick of the default Android browser and can’t quite cozy up to Dolphin can go ahead and take Opera Mini 5 for a spin… and do let us know what you think about it.

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Apple fans waiting to scoop up the latest and greatest Mac Pro have been drooling at every rumor and waiting patiently for these half-truths to come true. Circulating today is yet another rumor to get those technology taste buds tingling by suggesting once again that the Mac Pro will receive a processor overhaul of colossal proportions extremely soon. According to anonymous sources, the upcoming Mac Pro will rock the recently announced Intel Core i7-980x processor which will clock in at a fast 3.33GHz with TurboBoost to 3.6GHz and feature 6 cores and 12 threads of processing power, a 32nm architecture, Socket LGA1366 and 130W TDP. Before your knees buckle and your head hits the floor, make sure you circle March 16th on your calendar as that is the date these bundles of joy are expected to debut if this rumor pans out.

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We know, we know, you’re sick of future iPhone OS rumors… but one more couldn’t hurt right? The folks over at 9to5Mac have been exploring the new iPhone 3.2 beta 4 SDK, and have found a few files that could indicate more gestures are coming to the next iPhone OS. Something we reported on a pretty decent amount of time ago. The two files, “3Tap.plist” and “LongPress.plist, are located in the “gestures” library folder and, according to 9to5Mac, are not in previous versions of the SDK. Now, we know that “three taps” does not have a defined OS-wide function in the current iPhone OS, but we’re pretty sure that a “long press” will bring up a contextual menu to copy, cut, and paste among other things. For those iPhone haters out there, we’re pretty sure we know what one fingered gesture you want to give the iPhone… but unfortunately the “FlipBird.plist” file was not included in this build of the SDK. Check out the full report at 9to5Mac.

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There are two sides to the proverbial “cloud coin” for small business owners. You can view cloud services, like Google Apps, as a time and money saver, allowing you to focus on your core business as opposed to IT needs. Or, you can view them as your worst nightmare, and shun the thought of having all your business data stored on third-party servers. For those whose views align more closely with the former perspective, Google wants to offer you greater flexibility and options for your cloud data. Yesterday, Google announced that Google Apps customers will have the ability to purchase and use third-party tools in their Google Apps cloud deployments. The Apps Marketplace has over 50 applications ranging from payroll and tax software to project management and development tools. “The Google Apps Marketplace eliminates the worry about software updates, keeping track of different passwords and manual syncing and sharing of data, thereby increasing business productivity and lessening frustrations for users and IT administrators alike,” writes Google. Quickly running through the new Apps Marketplace we think this could be a pretty big hit for Google’s Apps service. We’ve got the launch video queued up for you after the break.

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One of our T-Mobile connects just blessed us with some HTC HD2 unboxing shots. With a looming release date, it should help cut down on some of your healthcare costs. You know, for those of you that have been hyperventilating since the official announcement. Hit the jump for the shots!

As was widely expected, Rogers today announced the immediate availability of the Samsung Galaxy Spica. The carrier’s fourth Android smartphone, the Galaxy Spica offers a 3.2″ AMOLED HVGA capacitive display, 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.6Mbps HSDPA/UMTS, 800MHz processor and up to 7 hours of talk time and 10 days of standby for $79.99 on a standard 3-year deal. Anyone that was hoping it would come pre-loaded with anything past Android 1.5 aka “Cupcake” will be sorely disappointed, although we’ve received official word from Rogers that an update to Android 2.1 is in the works, there are “no details on timing to share at the moment.” C’est la vie.

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Apple’s patent lawsuit against HTC may be much more far reaching than initially thought. According to a report at CNN’s Fortune website, Apple’s lawsuit has Android handset manufacturers shaking in their boots with many hiring legal teams, revising their OS strategies, sending hardware back to engineering, and changing development roadmaps behind closed doors. It all started in early 2009 when Apple COO Tim Cook launched the first attack during an earning conference call by stating “we will not stand for having our IP ripped off and we’ll use whatever weapons we have at our disposal. I don’t know that I can be more clear than that.”  Apple publicly remained passive during much of 2009, sitting idle while Palm launched the Pre and other manufacturers pushed out non-multi-touch smartphones that posed no threat to its iPhone market share. Enter the HTC DROID ERIS, the Nexus One, and the Motorola DROID which recently took the smartphone world by storm with their sleek good looks and potential multi-touch capability. Apple is now on the proverbial warpath with HTC as its first target and other manufacturers fearful that they will be next as Apple reportedly held conversations with “Tier 1″ device manufacturers to inform them of Apple’s intentions. The winner in this fearful frenzy, ironically, may be Microsoft which is reportedly swooping in with its extensive patent library in hand, and promising Windows Phone 7 Series as a safe harbor to companies that are fearful of Apple’s wrath. It all sounds like a daytime soap opera conjured up for the geek world but it is unfortunately and incredibly true.

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In a mere few months, the HTC Supersonic has gone from being a name on a list to the star of its own home video. Spotted on YouTube is a short, sweet, and dark video that shows the HTC Supersonic in action. The video is small on new details but its presence serves to remind us that Sprint’s first Android WiMAX handset may be worth a close look when it finally launches sometime in the first half of 2010. Anyone passing on the current crop of handsets to wait for the Supersonic and its rumored 4G speed?

[Via androidmobileos]

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…and we use the word refine very loosely. In the last 30 days, Apple has dropped the App Store ban-hammer on applications that display images of scantily clad women and Wi-Fi scanning/stumbling applications. The bare-naked ladies were removed because, as Apple VP Phil Schiller put it, “the needs of the kids and parents” had to come first. Wi-Fi scanning applications got the boot for making calls to a private API, which raises the obvious question… why were these applications approved in the first place? So, what is latest app genre to feel the sting of Apple’s proverbial backhand? So called “cookie-cutter” applications. Apple is beginning to reject apps that were created using application building services and do not add any specific functionality to the iPhone or iPod Touch. Or, as TechCrunch’s Jason Kincaid succinctly put it, “Apple doesn’t want people using native applications for things that a basic web app could accomplish.” Whatever the reasoning, Apple is sending a scary message to potential application developers… we can change our mind.

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Last night was easily the best night of the year for the celebrity-crazed paparazzi. It also turned out to be a pretty darn good night for the smartphone paparazzi as well for two upcoming T-Mobile handsets were given the star treatment on their very own red carpet. First up was the HTC HD2, the infinitely lovable Windows Phone with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and gargantuan 4.3″ WVGA display, which looked as stylish as ever in Sense UI by HTC. Never one to miss an opportunity to show support for those in need, the HD2 took a moment to show off its Blockbuster app which will allow proud owners to download movies on demand. Immediately following the HD2 was the Nokia Nuron. Although the general consensus was that it was dressed more for the Kids Choice Awards than the Academy Awards, the Nuron made a bit of a stir when it shrieked at the top of its lungs how it had seen the light, converted to Buddhism and was now on a mission to convince everyone that less is more and that all other smartphones cannot possibly be as happy as it is living with S60, an OS that is on its way out. When will us ordinary folk get a chance to meet these stars? The Nuron is still a mystery, but we’re still very confident on a March 24th debut for the HD2.

Read [HD2] Read [Nuron]

Microsoft’s Charlie Kindel was ambushed spoke with CNET on a quaint San Francisco sidewalk this week about Windows Phone 7 Series. Among the topics covered were Microsoft’s commitment to improving the developer experience with Windows Phone 7, Xbox Live integration in the new OS, and a few UI walk-throughs on a phone Kindel just happened to have in his pocket with WP7 on it. We’ve got the video for you after the break. The magic begins about two minutes into the video for those of you who are impatient.

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It’s been out in Canada for a little under three weeks now, but the Motorola MILESTONE has already proven itself to be quite the popular handset thanks in part to all of the Canadians watching American TV and witnessing Verizon’s huge media blitz for the DROID. For a device that has been on sale in one form or another for many months, we have to wonder — is the MILESTONE still worth it? Put on your reading glasses, sit back and relax, and join us after the jump for our hands on the the TELUS Motorola MILESONE to find out.OS

Seeing as this is a hardware review we decided we’d bypass once again dissecting Android because everything that needs to be said about the Android OS has already been said by BG in his epic Android tirade post. If you’re seething at rage just thinking of what it is he said or simply as the prospect of reading well over 1,400 words then let us quickly catch you up to speed: Android, while a damn fine OS that has all the promise in the world, has “practically no human emotion with Google when it comes to technology. Everything is statistical and analytical.” On we go.

Tech Specs

When its EV-DO counterpart came out late last year, it was easily the most advanced Android handset to come to market. Quite a lot of things have changed since that time — what with the release of the Nexus One and the announcing of the Desire — but as it stands, the MILESTONE is still no slouch. Here are some key specs to keep in mind before you go on:

• Android 2.0.1
• 550MHz OMAP3 processor
• 256MB RAM / 512MB ROM
• 3.7″ WVGA capacitive touchscreen display
• 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash
• aGPS with MotoNav pre-loaded
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• 10.2Mbps UMTS/HSDPA
• 6.5 hours talk time / 380 hours standby (3G)
• 60mm x 115.8mm x 13.7 mm, 165g
  

Build Quality

As far as build quality goes, it’s pretty hard to fault the MILESTONE. On the top half of the device we have the display, encased by a metal bezel, and made up of a sturdy slab of plastic that does a more than admirable job of resisting scuffs and scratches. Underneath this is a fairly unique sliding mechanism that relies not on an easily breakable spring but a simple and unseen rail system. When pushed open or closed, it locks itself into place with a delightfully reassuring “click”.
On the lower half of device is where we see the plastic components come out of hiding. But fear not because they’re amongst the best we’ve ever encountered. The bezel immediately surrounding the keypad and d-pad is matte black while the entire backing of the device is made up of rubberized plastic save for the rectangular piece directly below the camera module that bears the “with Google” mark. Your average hardware-related creaks and groans and nowhere to be found on this device.
The only real concern we have with the hardware is the volume rocker/camera zoom because it’s looser than… well, we’ll let you fill in the blank. All of this high quality fit and finish means that the MILESTONE weighs in at an incredibly hefty 165g but oddly enough it feels great in the hand and surprisingly light in pockets. Bonus: This weight equals crime deterrent.

Display

It’s not an AMOLED nor is it even Super AMOLED, but for the life of us, we haven’t come across many screens that have wowed us like the 3.7″ WVGA display on the MILESTONE. Popping to life with rich color, easily viewable from all angles and bright enough to overcome direct sunlight, this display is also very accurate making things like web-browsing and typing on the virtual keypad all the easier. How would we rank it overall? Second only to the iPhone, but just by a few hairs because of the slightly better capacitive factor.

Keyboard

We know it looks like it might be nightmare to type on what with its lack of very flat surface, lack of major definition and overall footprint, but the QWERTY keyboard on the MILESTONE is actually quite nice. Okay, it doesn’t even come close to anything RIM makes and could definitely have used a bit more refining before the design was finalized (who in God’s name thought the tiny spacebar, two blank keys and non-sensical punctuation layout was a good idea?), but after a few days we think most people will be rather happy with it. And let’s be honest: with the stock Android virtual keypad being as bad as it is (who actually likes it?) you’re really going to want to use the real deal as much as possible. Or get Swype.

Camera

The MILESTONE’s 5 megapixel auto-focus camera is barely passable as a camera on a modern smartphone. It boots up in an acceptable amount of time, but the saving of images consistently took 4 plus seconds. The worst part is that after going through the whole boot up, focus, snap the pic and save it routine, any special moment you had hoped to capture forever will invariably come out looking like they were taken on a VGA webcam in a dimly lit room way back in the early 2000’s. Just in case you were wondering, the dual-LED flash seems to be as effective as the goggles Radioactive Man once infamously wore. Yeah.

Multimedia

Simply put, Android needs some work when it comes to multimedia. It can do everything you want reasonably well, but the interface feels rushed and incomplete and, what’s more, is quite clunky and cumbersome. We did find ourself enjoying videos if only for the screen, but things like the music player might prove to be a cause for concern for those hat refuse to carry a phone and a dedicated MP3 player. Nonetheless, it still manages to do an admirable job given what we honestly feel is a lack of effort on Google’s part.

Browser

Thanks to the MILESTONE’s snappy processor, awesome display and a little thing called multi-touch, the web experience on the MILESTONE is fantastic. We hate to do it, but for the sake of a benchmark that everyone can understand, we pitted the device against an iPhone 3GS (you knew this was coming, didn’t you?), the de facto standard for mobile web browsing. Speed wise both devices loaded up content-heavy sites within +/- 2 seconds of one another over 3G and 1 second over Wi-Fi. What sets them apart, however, is rendering. We really appreciated how big everything seemed on the MILESTONE and how easy it was to read even the tiniest text, but overall the  iPhone 3GS did a much better job of accurately and properly rendering websites as they’d appear on a desktop. But again, it’s a very close call.

Email Support

Being a product of Google, Android naturally has great Gmail support built into it and supports all of the goodies you’d expect like labels (sadly you cannot create, edit, or remove them), stars and search so we’ll leave it at that. The thing we really want to talk about is Exchange. Yes, the MILESTONE supports it, but we use the word support loosely. We hooked up one of our Exchange accounts to the MILESTONE and, truth be told, we wouldn’t count on Android for our BGR email if you paid us. Here’s a few reasons why: On several occasions the notification panel let us know we have a new Exchange email only for us to find it actually hadn’t been downloaded by the Email. This either led to us having to wait 5 seconds (!) while a sweet and simple text email was downloaded or manually hit Menu > Refresh. No doubt this is a bug and will likely be addressed in a future update, but the reality is we have no idea when an update is coming and have no guarantees it will completely fix the issue. Another fatal flaw with Exchange is folders because you can’t actually place an email into a folder of your choosing. To make matters worse, you can’t look at emails that are already in folders that are older than the maximum length you set up for synchronization (it caps out at one month). Add to this the fact you cannot even do something as basic as search for messages and the picture is quite clear: business users stay the hell away, get on board with Google Apps, or use one of the hideous looking but very function third party clients like Touchdown.

Telephony

We don’t often use our cell phones for actually calling people any more thanks to things like email, IM, BBM and SMS, but when we do we demand excellence, and thankfully the MILESTONE delivers. Calls came in loud and clear on both ends, and a few of the people we spoke to made a point of mentioning the lack of background noise.

The Network

Reality check: TELUS’s HSPA+ network is brand new and most of its customers are still milling about in the land of EV-DO. Because of this we think it would be unfair and inappropriate for us to compare its network (or Bell’s, for that matter) to Rogers’s which has been at the GSM/HSPA game for years. Having said that, commenting on it in and of itself is fair game. So how then would we summarize the network? Mind-numbingly fast. In fact, we ran speed tests on a daily basis and not once did we see speeds drop below 4Mbps.

Two Huge Issues

So far most of what we have said about the MILESTONE is positive, so naturally it’s time for two huge drawbacks.
The first is that paid apps from the Android Marketplace are unavailable in Canada. So unless you want to be greasy and get into pirating apps, you’re just going to have to make do without. Hope might be on the horizon considering it was just this week a spokesperson for Google mentioned the possibility of an announcement related to paid apps in Canada as early as next week, but this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard such a thing.

The second major drawback won’t hit everyone like the lack of paid apps, but it will sting the keeners. As you no doubt know, one of the greatest things about Android devices past is the ease in which users can root, hack, and load custom ROMs. Unfortunately when it comes to this particular device, Motorola has made what we consider to be a very weak move in locking up the bootloader. It doesn’t mean hacking is forever out of the question, it just means it’s going to be tough and take some time (odds are someone ends up gaining root access not too long after the first software update is issued). Nonetheless, we can’t help but think such a move violates the spirit of Android and is just plain odd considering the DROID does not have this restriction. “Smartphone Without Limits”? our asses.

Overall

There’s no denying that we’ve had some pretty uncomplimentary things to say about the MILESTONE, but it must not be forgotten that we’ve also given it a lot of praise. As we sit back and try and think of how to sum up our thoughts into a few sentences, we can’t help but come to the inevitable conclusion that, despite our perceived flaws, we think the average consumer who is out for a smartphone will really enjoy the MILESTONE provided they’re okay with dedicating some time to what is for some a bit of a difficult learning curve. As for the nerds, it’s really hard to say. If you’re not totally put off by the lack of paid apps and the fact that rooting is presently an issue then we say give the MILESTONE a shot. After all, we like it.

FREE THE BOOTLOADER

Starting today, AT&T customers with a penchant for Android can point their browser to AT&T’s website or hoof it to their local AT&T store to snag the Motorola BACKFLIP. Now available for a mere $99 after rebate and a two year agreement, the BACKFLIP features quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), tri-band 7.2Mbps HSPA 3G (850/1900/2100 MHz), a 3.1″ HVGA touch-screen display, Android OS 1.5 (upgradeable to 2.1), 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, aGPS, 3.5 mm headphone jack, microSD slot (up to 32GB), fully QWERTY “back flipping” keyboard, and Motorola’s MOTOBLUR UI. So AT&T Android fans, will you grab the BACKFLIP or will you exercise some patience and wait for one of the other four Android handsets to make their debut?

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Remember the Opus One, the Android-powered iDEN handset from Motorola we scooped and then spec’d just before Christmas? Well apparently it’s going to be made official sometime in the next few weeks (hello, CTIA!) and will feature one added but obvious goodie: MOTOBLUR. Since we know most of you don’t have encyclopedic memories, here’s a bit of a refresher on what we’ve been told this phone is all about:

• 3.1″ hVGA 320×480 capacitive touchscreen display
• 3 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• Accelerometer
• Proximity sensor
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth
• microSD card slot
• 2.5mm headset jack
• Home, Menu, Back, Speaker buttons are capacitive buttons with haptic feedback
• iDEN PTT & PTX
• Android LBS which is integrated into the iDEN GPS engine
• “Enterprise email”
• Plastic-molded housing with some rubberized texture finishes
• 58mm in width, 118mm in length
• 100g weight
• 512MB Flash / 256MB of RAM
• 64k and 128k iDEN SIM card support
• A-GPS
• Motorola dual-mic technology noise-canceling for noisy environments
• Flash Lite v3.1.x
• Some of the preloaded apps include: corporate email client with ActiveSync support, MOTONAV navigation app, barcode scanner, and document viewer.

Obviously without being official it’s not possible to confirm carriers, but naturally Sprint’s Nextel and Boost are going to get on board while TELUS’s Mike is said to be getting it in Q3.

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Skype users that own a Symbian-powered Nokia handset will have to go the extra mile to install Skype on their handset. As noticed following Wednesday’s debut of Skype in the Ovi store, Skype is reportedly not available for Nokia owners in the US. In response to an email from Venture Beat, Sravanthi Agrawal, a member of Skpye’s corporate communications team, said the following:

“Skype has made a decision in the United States to not promote the Skype for Symbian app through the Ovi Store. We did this so that we could drive more attention to the recently announced Skype and Verizon Wireless agreement. This was a marketing decision — plain and simple.

“Skype users in the U.S can still download Symbian by going directly to Skype.com.”

The supposed reason behind this removal is not surprising considering the controversy over the removal of the Windows Mobile version of Skype from Skype’s website, the removal of Skype from the Android Market, and the rumored delay of the 3G-enabled version of Skype for the iPhone. Unless this policy changes or is revealed to be incorrect, anyone unduly affected will have to search a little harder to find a version of Skype to install on their handset or sign up with Verizon Wireless.

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We don’t have a whole lot to go on, other than a couple of emails that were bounced around by some curious customers and some rather knowledgeable reps, but it certainly looks to us as if Verizon has begun training — at least some of its employees — on an EV-DO variant of the Google Nexus One. A tentative release date has not yet been communicated trough the chain of command, but apparently this sucker will be sold in Big Red’s retail stores across the country once it’s available. Again, this is about as confirmed (or unconfirmed) as it gets, and we’re merely passing it on to our readers because…well, we love you guys and gals to death. Don’t come kicking in our doors if it doesn’t exactly pan out.

Thanks Kappy!

There isn’t much else to say about this one. Apple has made the iPad release date official; that date is April 3rd for the Wi-Fi models. Pre-orders for the jumbo iPhone will begin on March 12th. If you’ve been living under a rock, and don’t know that much about the iPad, you can hit up our recap to get up to speed. Who has an extra $499 in their possession that they will be wiring to Apple, Inc. on March 12th? If you’re looking for the 3G-enabled models, Apple has said those will ship later in April.

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Our source said that this is a pretty telltale sign of the devices not performing well on Big Red as, “we make a ton of money off people not sending those rebates in.” We’d agree. So, if this all pans out, starting tomorrow, you’ll be able to pick up a Palm Pre Plus or Palm Pixi Plus on Verizon for $149.99 and $79.99 respectively, with instant rebates out the door.

Opera Mini goes native on Windows Mobile phones

Oslo, Norway – March 4, 2010

Opera Software today launched a native version of Opera Mini 5 beta for Windows Mobile 5- and 6-based handsets.

By integrating Opera Mini with the Windows Mobile platform, Opera is able to deliver an optimized version of the popular Opera Mini browser that dramatically improves performance and the overall user experience. While Opera Mini traditionally requires Java, the new Windows Mobile version does not, which means that Opera Mini will work on any Windows Mobile phone.

The Opera Mini 5 beta for Windows Mobile includes the same rich feature set as the Java-based version. Renowned features, including tabbed browsing, the password manager, bookmarks and Speed Dial, are built-in to deliver convenience while on-the-go.

One of Opera Mini’s major benefits is that it compresses data traffic by up to 90 percent, resulting in significantly improved page-loading and speed. This results in a dramatically reduced data load, which can translate to lower browsing costs when on a pay-per-MB data plan or when on expensive roaming.

“Windows Mobile deserves a mobile browser that looks better, handles better and delivers better than the default browser,” said Dag Olav Norem, Vice President of Products, Opera Software. “Even though Opera has 50 million satisfied Opera Mini users, we always seek ways to improve our browser for each and every mobile phone user out there. Now, we are pleased to offer the world’s most popular mobile Web browser as a native Windows Mobile application.”

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Another day, yet another Android handset headed to Canada? In the words of Palin, “you betcha!” The Samsung Galaxy Spica, which was unveiled this past November, will purportedly go for $79.99 on a 3-year contract while also being available for $449.99 without strings. Not too bad considering the fact it has a 3.2″ AMOLED capacitive display, 3.2 megapixel camera, aGPS, Wi-Fi, 3G and a 800MHz processor. So far there is a bit of confusion about what OS it will ship with, but some people who say they are in the know think the Galaxy Spica will be shipped out with Android 2.0 as opposed to 1.5. We’ll let you know what’s up as soon as we find out ourselves.

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Remember that BlackBerry slider? BBLeaks got a hold of some higher resolution pics, and there’s even a BlackBerry 8900 thrown in next to it for size comparisons. Hit the break for one more picture and to jump on over for the rest of the shots! Have these new pictures changed what you think of what’s said to be pretty early hardware?

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The fate of Skype for Windows Mobile may be in jeopardy, but the vitals on the Symbian version of the voice and text chat client seem to be very, very good. Yesterday, Nokia added Skype for Symbian, complete with the ability to make Skype calls via Wi-Fi, 3G or EDGE, to its Ovi Store. “With Skype for Nokia smartphones, more than 200 million smartphone users worldwide will be able to take the Skype features they love with them on the move,” said Skype’s mobile GM Russell Shaw. If you’re rocking a Nokia handset, and have Symbian^1 or higher, you can head on over to the Ovi Store to pick up the goodies.

[Via Engadget]

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