Beginning Thursday at noon, batches of 250,000 Droid customers will begin to see Android 2.1 rolled out them via an over-the-air (OTA) update.  Based on Verizon’s website, the update is finally official and it seems Droid users are besides themselves happy.  Will it be worth waiting for?

Software highlights:

Big ones:

• Pinch and zoom now active for Google Maps, internet browser and gallery
• New Weather and News app plus widget
• New voice-to-text entry for text boxes
• New 3D gallery layout
• Live Wallpapers

Smaller fixes:

• Yahoo! Mail support
• Google Maps update (desktop sync and night mode)
• Improved pattern-lock
• Better audio when handing off wired headset
• After OTA, email accounts will remain

In all, it looks to be a decent upgrade.  Droid users rejoice!

Update info page (.pdf): [Verizon]

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Is RIM losing the attraction it once held so proudly?  Maybe, according to a study by Crowd Science that looked at mobile phone owners and asked what their next device will be.  While customer preference before a purchase might be radically different from what they actually buy, the study is interesting in seeing how smartphone users view other brands and OSs.

“These results show that the restlessness of Blackberry users with their current brand hasn’t just been driven by the allure of iPhone,” said John Martin, CEO of Crowd Science. “Rather, Blackberry as a brand just isn’t garnering the loyalty seen with other mobile operating systems.”

The study was performed online only with people taking part who visit large websites.  A total of 1,140 users were surveyed and 44% used a regular phone, not a smartphone.  If my math is right, of the people surveyed, 171 of them used a BlackBerry and 69 of those said they’d leave the BlackBerry platform for an iPhone.  The question becomes, RIMs had a few years to dream up something that draws users away from the iPhone - where is it?

Android is making gains as well.  Awareness of the OS moved up and a third of the BlackBerry users would consider Android as their next platform. Like iPhone users, Android users are very loyal to the OS with over 90% of users commit to sticking with the OS.

Read [Crowd Science] via [ars technica]

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Yesterday, at MIX10, Microsoft unveiled much more about their Windows Phone 7, due to hit consumers hands by years end.  Besides the bits about software and partners, the company went into exactly who the OS was designed for.  The answer might surprise you.

For development purposes, the team created a married couple, Miles and Anna.  The married 38 year-olds, are called “life maximizers” as they demand the most from their devices and are living life to the fullest.  In fact, Anna just reduced her work hours so she could spend more time with the kids.  The couple is keenly aware of the necessary balances in life, Miles keeps track of his work exchange email as well as friends on GMail.  Miles may have a slight addiction to 3D games as well.

Not the younger demographic I expected with carry-over from other Microsoft brands like Xbox or Zune as the OS borrows heavily from both.  Instead, Microsoft looks to be going the “devices for grown-ups” route.  Competing against devices characterized as “toys” might be an angle the company takes.

What’s odd in this, is apparently I am a life-maximizer.  As a 38 year-old, I am married with kids; keep track of a work Exchange account as well as GMail.  My parents are not in Europe (though I’ve suggested they leave the continent and privately prayed for them to do so).  I expect a lot from my devices, in fact my phone rarely leaves my side.

From when I wake and check in with my editor, texting with a daughter at the bus stop, then work using Google Voice as a work number.  GPS navigation, reservations with Open Table and movie info and back to email check in and some gaming rounds out the day.  If I do it right, my phone’s battery is smoking and expired at days end.

But Windows?  I confess, I am not sure if I am willing to go back.  The Samsung Blackjack was my first smartphone and Windows Mobile 5, then later an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6 did its best to keep up, but it wasn’t enough.  Don’t even get me started on the stylus.

So far, the word from MIX10 is impressive.  Windows Phone looks to have taken the best of their other brands and rolled them where Windows Mobile needed help the most.  Is it enough or does it show it’s never too late in the mobile world?

Read: [Engadget]

Photo source: Engadget

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Today, in addition to the 4 new devices announced, AT&T offered up their plan to earn your quick messaging device dollars.  In all, three new services are designed to make your low-cost device behave more like an expensive smartphone at a fraction of the cost.  The services use the web in smart ways.

AT&T Address Book Sync

Today, and frankly much overdue, AT&T announced the addition of address book syncing via the internet.  The phones address book will sync with AT&T online site and allow you to access these contacts online as well.  That means no more phone-to-phone brain dumps, no more paying someone to off-load your contacts.  Even better, the service is free and the syncing is automatic.

Next Generation Messaging

Messaging on AT&T phones just got a bit smarter.  Adding the capability to text up to 10 numbers at once long with reply all, AT&T is encouraging users to make the most out of their messaging phones.  Additonally, messages are now threaded or grouped together by subject so you can see what everyone is saying, not just the author of the last text.  Getting everyone on the same page will be much easier with these new features.

AT&T Mobile Share

This $10 a month service might just be enough to help you avoid a smartphone data charge.  AT&T offers up 250MB of free storage online allowing users to upload videos and pictures at full resolution and then simple distribution to social networking sites like Facebook or allowing them to be sent via email.  Content in their online storage can be accessed anytime via online or from the handset.  The $10 monthly fee includes 50 transfers.  Ease of use is what AT&T is aiming for here as well as a way for messaging customers to edge closer to a full-time data connection.

Press release: [AT&T]

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AT&T announced two Samsung devices, the Strive and Sunburst as well as two Pantech devices, Link and Pursuit as part of the there new Spring line up.  AT&T also announced services to make their quick messaging phones behave more like costly smartphones at a much lower price.  The services are designed to mimic the sharing features of media created on the devices.

AT&T adds two touchscreen devices, the Samsung Sunburst and Pantech Pursuit.  The Samsung Sunburst has a 3.0” touchscreen, complete with a soft keyboard.  Apps like Facebook and MySpace as well as easy access to quick messaging are the focussed features of the devices.  The Pantech Pursuit, is a touchscreen phone but also features a vertical slide-out QWERTY keypad.  The Sunburst will be available on March 21 and cost $39.99 after rebates and contract.

The non-touchscreen phones are the Samsung Strive, a vertical slider and the Pantech Link, a QWERTY candybar-style phone.  The Strive follows the older Propel in styling while the Pantech Link is designed along similar lines to the Pantech Slate.  The Strive will be $19.99 after rebates and contract on March 21.  The Link is available at an undisclosed price “in the coming weeks.” 

Read: [AT&T release]

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ZD Net has declared, “Google’s online-only phone selling model has failed.”  Today, Goldman-Sachs announced they will slash estimates for Nexus One sales by 70%.  Can we call the experiment a failure?

The Google store was supposed to revolutionize how we bought phones, free from the high pressure sales of tiny phone stores across the country.  The store may have opened with excitement from the blogging media, but poor customer support limited how much love was shown.  to be fair, many in the blogging world picked up the Nexus One.

Is it fair to call it a failure?  I don’t think so, and here is why: they’ve had one phone on one network.  T-Mobile was the opening network way back when Android was a baby.  It isn’t the most popular, nor is it the most robust.  But T-Mobile is only part of the problem.

The other is advertising.  Consumers buy phones based on advertising and putting some fingerprints on one in the local phone store.  Who among us have the confidence to commit to 2-years on something we’ve never held (or seen if we have an allergic reaction to)?  The answer for the most part is bloggers and uber-techies.

A coming Verizon variety of the Nexus One might solve a lot of this issue and could possible make Goldman-Sachs turn red.  If Google puts some TV time behind the phone and Verizon lends a hand with yet more Android love, the Nexus One could ride into the spotlight again.

Will the Google Store be as successful as your local phone store?  Or even discounters like Firefly or LetsTalk?  No.  We do see it becoming a place where those “in the know” can get the top tech.  Anything beyond that is wishful thinking.  We can’t help wondering how well the Nexus One would do in Verizon’s store.

Read: [ZD Net]

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What the heck is a “weblication?”  The answer is in Riverturn’s new Google Voice web application that looks more like a native app, in fact, it fooled everyone I showed it to.  The new app brings the Google Voice experience to your iPhone, allowing you to place calls, send and recieve SMS, and even browse recent calls.  Even better, Riverturn did it by working around the App Store and its oft illogical approval process.  Take that Apple.

In fact, the whole effort is very impressive.  The app is actually running in Safari, but most users won’t realize it (I had to keep reminding myself).  Voice Central, Riverturns name for the service, has the look of a great app but, according to Riverturn, runs faster thanks to the data running through their servers.  Finger swiping delete calls, little icons on the bottom provide good-looking navigation, to contact details with the stock wallpaper background, Riverturn managed to make the Google Voice web app look like child’s play next to Voice Central Black Swan.

User simply navigate to the Riverturn website and the weblication loads in and users add the link to the home screen.

There are some limits to a weblication.  For starters, Safari (which is running Voice Central) can’t access your contacts.  Instead, Voice Central suggests syncing your data with Google Voice’s contacts to get around this inconvenience.  Apple prevents this so websites don’t have access to your contacts.  Another limit is a confirmation box pops up when you initialize calls, again set up by Apple to protect users from websites initiating calls without users consent.  And finally, voice mails are played through the speaker, not the earphone.  Little issues but something to be aware of.

Users can now download the program and register for free.  A premium version is available that brings contact images through, allows a setting change for Do Not Disturb, unlimited history, inbox searches and product support (free version is supported via forums only).  Premium is a whopping $6/year, on sale from $10/year.

Product page: [Riverturn]

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Google announced a new app for Android that brings a bit of handwriting recognition to searching.  The app allows users to create a gesture on the screen for searching for contacts, apps, bookmarks or song.  Even better, the app learns as you use it. 

What isn’t so great is this app only runs on Android 2.0 and higher.  So users who just purchased say a Droid Eris (*ahem, our Editor Robert Nelson), you can’t have it.  Even worse, only those in the US are getting this app so far.

I am sure Google is working to bring the app to more devices and more areas, but Android owners around the globe are finding ways to get around the practice. Folks from India, Australia and the UK chimed in with disappointment that their country was not supported.  Today, there are still companies launching new devices that run sub 2.0 Android OS; is Android becoming a 3 month handset ownership max then dump to keep up with Google and the latest and greatest?  If so, being an Android supported will become an expensive proposition.

All right, that’s out of my system.  The app looks great, seems to work well and gets smarter each time you use it?  That’s pretty sweet.

Read: [Google]

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Nokia and T-Mobile announced the Nokia 5230 Nuron smartphone will be released in the coming weeks.  Nokia’s produced a reasonably priced smartphone that is packed with many of todays in-demand features.  The phone will sell for $69.99 (after a $50 mail in rebate).

What sets the 5230 apart?  The Nuron is the first Nokia device that comes pre-loaded with Ovi Map which offer free turn-by-turn GPS navigation and the first to have the Ovi Store preloaded with access to games and other apps.  Overall, it’s a smart, slim, touchscreen device that comes ready to please.

The Nuron features a 3.2” screen, runs on T-Mobile’s 3G network, a 2 megapixel camera, 4GB microSD card (included) - expandable to 16GB, an accelerometer and touchscreen with tactile feedback.  Video is 640x480 (nHD) at up to 30fps.

Product Page: [Nokia]

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Yesterday, the world was abuzz with Apple’s lawsuit targeting 20 alleged patent violations by HTC.  Many of these devices named in the suit run Google’s Android operating system.  Google preemptively sent a statement regarding the issue, refusing to sit idly by while HTC took the punches.

“We are not a party to this lawsuit. However, we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it,” said a Google spokesperson in an email.

Google, it seems, is ready for the fight.  Apple didn’t name Google in the suit, which is a bit odd, but many believe this suit is about one thing: smartphone war.  Is Apple looking to clear the deck?  If so, why wait until now to do something about it?  Some devices like the G1 have finished their useful lifespan already.

Is there any correlation between Google flicking the multitouch switch on the Nexus One and the filing of the suit?  Was Apple waiting for a device that could match the iPhone, one that could be threat?  We’ve seen the Nexus One prepping for launch on the Verizon network.  A good device on a great network, that could give the iPhone some competition.

We suspect Google will give a lot more than lipservice to aid HTC in this.  The big guns are coming out.

Read: [TechCrunch]

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Recently approved by the FCC, rumor has it Google Nexus One will launch day one of CTIA on the Verizon network. The CTIA show opens March 23rd in Vegas and its where the big US wireless players show off their latest and greatest. Word is Verizon will refresh their top Android devices with the addition of the Nexus One.

Built by HTC, the Nexus One made headlines as it runs the latest Android version 2.1 (eclair). The hardware is top notch: a 5 megapixel camera, video shooting at 720 x 480 px at 20 fps or higher, WiFi, Bluetooth, 480 x 800 px, 3.7 in (94 mm), 252.15 ppi, 3:5 aspect ratio, WVGA, AMOLED with 100,000:1 contrast ratio and 1 ms response rate, and a 4GB microSD card (included) expandable to 32GB and it runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Like I said, top notch.

Launched in January, the Nexus One was offered for $529 "unlocked" with no contract or $179 with a T-Mobile contract. We expect a similar price with a Verizon contract.

The release date rumor comes from an anonymous contact inside Google. If Verizon is to announce this device, CTIA is the perfect place and opening day is the perfect time. A big phone for the nations biggest network.

Read: [Neowin]
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In the battle to be the smartphone in your pocket, a new twist has arisen: will the smartphone you choose stay on the cutting edge or will it be locked into one OS version?  Last week at Mobile World Congress, many phones were introduced running 1.X versions of Android while the platform has introduced 2.0 and 2.1.  As more and more features get added and refined, some users are wondering when they will get upgraded.

Android 2.0 brought many significant changes to the OS.  One of the most ballyhooed is Google Maps Navigation, a free turn-by-turn navigation app.  Other changes made the upgrade significant and put some shine back in Android.  But many devices still cannot be upgraded.

HTC has said, via Twitter, that an upgrade to the Droid Eris is coming.  “Droid Eris is getting an update to a newer version of Android early next year. Google Navigation support is coming your way.”  Exactly what OS version the tweet refers to is a mystery.  Until then, users will waiting feeling a bit helpless while other users that waited enjoy the new features.

Unique to Android?

This issue is in no way unique to Android.  In fact, most mobile OS face this issue or worse.  Windows Mobile users wait on manufacturers to build an upgrade for specific devices, same with RIM.  However, Apple and to some extent Palm have so few models, they can roll up OS upgrades for all.  Is the answer few models for easy upgrading/control of the platform or open and options but slower upgrades?

Does it matter?

Some say most users don’t know or care what OS version they are on..  I’d say that’s incorrect.  Today’s Android customers are techy enough to care and if new features are dangled on other Android phones, confusion sets in on why they can’t use them as well.  Should potential Android users come to terms with: “the phone you buy is the phone you get” or should upgrades to stay on the cutting edge be expected?

Have your say: do you expect your devices to stay on the latest OS version or is your expectation that manufacturers/carriers have no obligation to provide upgrades after the sale?  Let us know in the comments.

Fun reading: [InfoWorld]

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According to a Wall Street Journal interview with Sanjay Jha, Motorola’s Co-CEO and head of the mobile division, the company is open to working with Windows Phone 7 Series.  The interview touch mostly on the Motorola’s ideas regarding sharing it’s MOTOBLUR OS Skin with it’s set top box division.  Has MOTO gone nuts?

It was just a few short months ago that Motorola was reeling from the downward spiral of Windows Mobile and their stagnant RAZR line.  Once king of the hill, the RAZR phone remained largely unchanged and slowly became less relevant in the market.  With Android, the company was able to get a major smartphone on the Verizon network, which pumped money into marketing the device.  The Moto Droid currently sits as the best Android phone on the nation’s biggest network.

Perhaps Jha has learned companies can’t sit still and be happy with success.  Now that Moto has found its way back into relevancy, the company is keeping its eyes out for the next wave.  Heck, Jha was quoted as saying if he had the R&D budget, he’d build his own darn mobile OS.  When asked pointedly about having the Microsoft OS on Motorola phones, Jha said, “I’m open to it…I think I need diversity in our portfolio.”

From what we’ve seen of Windows Phone 7 Series, the OS looks promising.  Kudos for Motorola for not pulling a RAZR move yet again.

Read: [WSJ] via [Gizmodo]

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With the announcement from Microsoft of Windows Phone 7 Series, they created many questions about what will happen to the current iteration of Windows Mobile.  It seems Microsoft intends to rename Windows Mobile 6.5 into Windows Phone Classic.  The good bit of news here is Microsoft will continue to support the devices currently running the software.

Microsoft’s dual prong strategy involves having the two OS’ sell next to each other.  Yes, Microsoft will have Windows Phone 7 Series (whose name has been nominated for “Best comedic performance by an ensemble”) devices launching along side Windows Mobile 6.5x devices.  I can’t fathom why one would continue to support the old way of doing things, but then again, folks love styli.

According to istartedsomething, Microsoft will continue to aim the old Windows Mobile platform at enterprise, while the hot new sexy Windows Phone 7 Series will be tilted towards consumers.  Interesting.  While Blackberry,Android, webOS, and the iPhone OS all offer “one ring to rule them all” or one OS for both range of consumers, enterprise or not; Microsoft continues to treat the two markets as separate. 

It will be telling to see what MS has up it’s sleeve for the next version of Windows Phone Classic.  Can it be seen as anything but an old lumbering giant?

Read: [JK on the Run]

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Remail was remarkable in a few ways. Remail figured out a way to compress emails and store them all on the iPhone. Having the email stored locally on the device allowed it's searches to be lightening fast. The iPhone's stock app connects to the server to search most of your inbox (assuming you, like Cselle have 30,000 emails hanging around). In fact, those 30,000 emails only took up 127mbs.

It seems Google's interest in quickly scanning email, not just Gmail is the endgame here. Google could be looking to one-up the iPhone by incorporating Remail into an Android app but that seems against the Google's value prop of everything in the cloud, everywhere. It will be interesting to see how Google uses Remail and if they'll use it as a weapon to compete with rival Apple.

The founder had one time worked at Google on Gmail before he was a co-founder in Outlook plug in Xobni. Here's Cselle on his Remail application.

Read: [Gabor hits send]
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There are two stories being told out of the MWC in Barcelona, Spain.  One is that the new HTC Legend is the hottest Android phone to fall out of big show and the other is it is a let down compared to to the phone it is replacing.  The truth is likely somewhere in between.

First, the hot stuff.

The Legend aluminum frame is carved out of a block of aluminum ala Macbooks, which explain some of the fanboy kneejerk response of lust.  The device looks hot.  The 3.2 AMOLED screen is bright and gorgeous according to most who’ve held this one.  Like the Desire, an optical joystick has found a home here.  Android 2.1 that is featured on the Legend is made friendlier by the addition of the Sense UI.

Then the not-so-hot stuff

The Legend’s screen maybe upgraded to AMOLED but it kept the same HVGA resolution of 320x480 (sub par for a super phone).  The Legend has a 600 GHz processor vs the 1GHz found in the Desire and Nexus One.  Internal ROM is limited at 521Mb but is expandable with microSD card. The Legend has a smaller battery than the Hero and is expected to have a shorter runtime.  Not the overwhelming spec that would make this the easy buy in Android world.

Clearly, the phone looks amazing and we wonder why HTC chose the build the way they did.  Forcing consumers to make trade offs might have unpredictable results, though North American’s may not get the chance but Europeans will get the chance in early Q2 of this year.

Read: [Engadget] and [Techtree]

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Running Windows Mobile 6.5, the new Toshiba TG02 and K01 should be blazing fast with their 1GHz processors.  Both smartphones rely on a capacitive touchscreen but the K01 adds a slide-out QWERTY keypad and features an OLED screen.

The Toshiba TG02 is a follow-up device to the TG01.  The TG02 is designed as a consumer phone and focus on video, images and fast browsing.  The 3D User Interface optimizes common consumer functions over the Windows Mobile OS.  The screen is VGA and the total device thickness is only 9.9mm. 

The K01 is a bit more office-oriented.  The OLED screen should keep things bright while using as little battery power as possible. The slide out keyboard features big keys for banging out emails to the CEO.  Toshiba managed to only add about 3mm of thickness to this device by adding the keyboard for a total thickness of 12.9mm.

No word yet on where, when or how much.

Read: [Engadget]

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This image of a banner at the Mobile World Congress of a completely new device with a very decent looking UI could be the Zune Phone or Windows Mobile 7.  Regardless of what they call it, it looks to be the best Mobile Windows UI I’ve ever seen.  Looking like a consumer-oriented device, the package looks slim, capable and inviting; words that have been absent from describing anything Windows Mobile in a long, long time.

From the easy-to-touch big buttons for voice messages, email and texts, the fourth button looks to be Facebook friends.  Front and central.  Xbox Live looks to be part of this experience as well as a big button entitled, “Me”.  Perhaps this is Microsoft version of Mobile Me?

We know from the Adobe announcement that Flash 10.1 and AIR will be supported on Windows Mobile a bit later than Android and BlackBerry devices.  It’s coming but it will lag behind the others.

Microsoft’s announcements should be made today.  We’ll know more soon.

Read: [Engadget]

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Today, Adobe is announcing Flash Player 10.1 and AIR for mobile devices.  Coming first to Android devices in 2010, Adobe aims to bring the immersive full web experience to all mobiles devices, well all except its sworn mortal enemy: the iPhone.  It seems Adobe is working with everyone but Apple to bring Flash to high performance devices.

Flash and AIR for devices will provide developers with a platform that is able to work across OS.  Design an application for AIR and will run on Android, BlackBerry, Palm’s webOS and can even convert to an iPhone app.  That means Adobe developers can avoid using the iPhone SDK to reach a maximum of devices.  That is not what Apple wanted and is one of the reason’s Apple does not want Flash on the iPhone.

“With support for the Android™ platform expected in 2010, AIR provides developers with a feature-rich environment for delivering rich applications outside the mobile browser and across multiple operating systems via mobile marketplaces and app stores. AIR leverages mobile specific features from Flash® Player 10.1, is optimized for high performance on mobile screens and designed to take advantage of native device capabilities for a richer and more immersive user experience.”

The implications here could be huge for the iPhone and it’s enormous app store.  If developers are designing for everyone, the iPhone exclusiveness begins to fade away.  Companies with a smaller installed base, like Palm, will benefit from being part of the OS’s that support Flash and AIR.  Overall, this could be a big win for developers who can focus less on customization for each OS variety.

Press Release: [Adobe]

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According to the FCC filing, Sharp has built a new phone that approximates the rumored Turtle design.  Sharp built the Sidekicks for Danger back in the day and the suggestion here is Sharp is again building phones for Danger, now a part of Microsoft.  If this rumor proves true, we should see an announcement from the Mobile World Congress.

The image above is from the FCC filing and it looks similar to a slider phone dubbed Turtle that Gizmodo has floated.  While not the prettiest device out there, it seems a bunch of the MS Danger team has been tweeting with “from Danger” and the hashtag #Tmdp.  Danger did pretty well with the Sidekick bringing lots of kids into the fold, Microsoft could use some of that mojo again.

The Turtle device they have been testing has 4G of memory, at least the prototype does.  Tester Wojtek Chmielewski (poor kid had to learn to spell that growing up) tweeted this:

cleaning a 4gb inbox sucks!!! #tmdp
1:59 PM Jan 9th from Danger

Interestingly, my unofficial research has shown that kids prefer flip-style phone instead of the slider form factor which this Sharp phone seems to have.  So what gives?  Also, and this could just be coincidence, but Xbox comes up an aweful lot in the tweets, could Xbox have a tie-in with this new phone?

Read: [FCC filings] via [Neowin]

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Chocolate or vanilla?  Mustard or ketchup?  Cream or sugar?  Add the Nuvi phone to life’s tough choices with their new phones officially announced today: the Android-powered A50 and Windows Mobile M10.  Asus/Garmin announced these phones just as the Mobile World Congress is just getting underway in Barcelona, Spain.

The A50 is said to have “more location technology than any other smartphone.”  What the heck does that mean?  Garmin/Asus pre-loads the device with Garmin Navigation, so unlike say, AT&T Navigator, navigation calls are not made to the service and maps are not downloaded, on the Asus, the maps are stored locally.  An e-compass is on-board as well as optional cityXplorer for ubran transit navigation.  Many concepts are borrowed from Garmin’s high-end nuvi navigation units such as lane-assist.  The A50 will head to Europe in the first half of 2010, no word on US availability or price.

The M10 by contrast runs Windows Mobile 6.5.3 and as you’d expect, is aimed clearly at the on-the-go professionals.  Similar Garmin navigation features are preloaded, just as on the A50, as the defining feature of the nuvifone series is putting location up front and center.  The device is expected in Asia and Europe in the first half of this year.  No pricing or US availability yet.  The nuvifone M20 was released back in November with Windows Mobile 6.5, no word on if the M10 replaces this device or is a step up or down.  The M20 had expected distribution to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech, Turkey and other markets by the end of 2009.

Company site: [Garmin-Asus]

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  Despite using Google Voice on a daily basis I totally missed the addition of this little SMS perk—you can now send an SMS messages to multiple recipients. I guess I must have gotten so used to not being able to, that I just never think to do it anymore.

But rest assured Google Voice users, now when you have a 160 character (or shorter) message that you need to blast out to your friends and family—you can do it in one message instead of having to send it individually to each person.

Sure the big major features of Google Voice are nice, but the bottom line is that its the small things like this that keep me so interested in continuing to use Google Voice.

Via [Lifehacker]

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Assuming we can believe that this AT&T flyer is the real deal, then it looks like AT&T is going to begin requiring owners of select feature phones to have a messaging plan.

The phones have been dubbed as “Quick Messaging” phones and will include the Pantech Reveal, Pantech Impact, Motorola Karma, Samsung Flight, Samsung Impression, Samsung Magnet, Samsung Solstice, Samsung Mythic, Samsung Propel, LG Xenon, LG Neon and the LG Vu.

Price wise, the messaging plan will set you back at least an extra $20 bucks per month, which will be for the Messaging Unlimited plan. Additionally there is another $20 option which includes 200 messages and unlimited data. You can also opt to use an international or family messaging plan, and as you would expect they are both more than $20 per month.

The good news here is that if you are currently using one of the above phones you will not be required to do anything special now. That said, be prepared to spend a little extra money the next time you go in to upgrade.

Via [BGR]

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NAVIGON announced it is bringing its popular GPS navigation app to both the Android and Windows Mobile OS.  One of the things we loved about NAVIGON (who pulled it stand alone GPS navigation devices off the US market this past year) is its use of actual exit sign text to guide drivers.  Soon Android and WinMo users will be able to reap the benefits of NAVIGONs system.

The Windows Mobile version of the app will finish ahead of the Android app.  Launching in the next week at the early-bird price of $69.99, the price will jump $20 to $89 on Feb. 14.  The Android version is due to hit Spring 2010 for an undisclosed sum.  We expect similar pricing to the WinMo version.

For Android users, we’ve got to wonder how many will jump aboard with Google’s free navigation just an update away for many of the devices.  We wonder if NAVIGON is regretting the investment in the Android app now.

Android release: [BusinessWire] WinMo release: [BusinessWire]

Image credit: BGR

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At their CES press conference, Palm announced support for Flash 10.1 will be here in the coming months.  Palm aims to make webOS one of the first mobile phone OS that support the full Flash player.  Flash is very common on the web and most major mobile phones cannot display Flash content.

February was thrown around as a potential date for the update in webOS to add Flash support.  With Flash support, online games, online video content like Hulu and much more become possibilities.  Worries about battery life and bandwidth still abound but we’re still eager to see full Flash get mobile.

Company site: [Palm]

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Press conferences are generally hit or miss, well that may be a little nice, actually, in reality they tend to be on the dry side. You have an intro, another intro, maybe another into, learn about some previously successful products, then hopefully some new products and that is usually followed by the company telling us any awards they have received—either for a product or for themselves.

So naturally, when we get a little laugh, it makes the event just a little more fun. That said, LG shared some Public Service Announcements with us today, and despite it being a serious topic they were good for a few laughs.

So without anything further, go ahead and get a good chuckle out of a few PSA’s that were created to make teens and tweens more aware that they should not be sending naughty text messages, either in text or picture format.

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According to TechCrunch, Google offered to cover the $3-$4 per user cost to integrate Spotify, the hugely popular music service, into Android 2.1.  Spotify has been absent in the US market pending talks with the big music labels.  Google hopes the create an iTunes alternative in Spotify.

TechCrunch goes on to mention,

“the two companies sketched out a plan where Spotify’s excellent Android application would be build into the 2.1 version of Android and would launch in the U.S. with the Google Nexus One phone on January 5.” 

The music labels are moving away from a free sample in order to hopefully gain album sales.  Spotify insists on free music for their listeners.  We don’t see the labels changing their mind and Spotify seems set in their ways.  It isn’t clear that Spotify would set precedent with Google by allowing them to pay for music.  Surely, European labels would be looking for some kind of payment as well.

Google has announced an Android event January 5.  We’ll know then what is really going on.

Read: [TechCrunch]

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Its become almost accepted now that the more we rely on technology, the more our privacy is compromised.  Its also generally accepted that law will take a long time to catch up with current technology.  Not so with a new ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court regarding cellphones.

The ruling, a 4-to-3 vote, has ruled that police need search warrants to search anyone’s cellphone.  The ruling comes because the court recognized that, especially with smartphones, cellphones are “capable of storing a wealth of digitized information.”  Because of that, phones should be considered private and not just closed containers on a suspect as they have been before it seems.  While the ruling seemed to cite just smartphones as the reason, it ruled that all phones apply, which is good so its not just a guess at who’s phones are protected.  Either way, any sort of information stored or sent from a cell phone is now a bit more protected.

It is nice to finally see some of privacy protection for our gadgets.  While it is only the Ohio Supreme Court, it shows that there are some out there who do understand that we need more protection on our digital information.  One could hope that we might eventually see some sort of national movement to declare cellphones private, and require a warrant to search them.  One thing is definite with this ruling: the EFF must be quite happy.

Read [NYTimes] Via [Gizmodo]

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Most people blow their Christmas wishes on cameras, HDTVs, world peace, etc, but not me.  What I want this year, is a treat from the folks at Apple.  I want them to copy Palm.

Yes, yes, the iPhone is a marvelous creation.  Everything (perhaps save actual phone calling) works well.  Even the limited multi-tasking is something I can live with.  What is missing and needs attention is something Palm has nailed with their webOS.

Palm, who still gets snickered at as they strive to find hardware as elegant or polished as their software, perfected notifications.  The Palm Pre and the Pixi both, are an absolute joy to keep tabs on incoming communication.  by comparison, the iPhone looks like wastebasket with crumpled paper scatter around it.

Palm’s method sends an unobtrusive small bar on the screen’s bottom that contains incoming notifications.  From texts, to emails, to calendar appointments and invitations, these items get a small icon and wait patiently for you to be ready to deal with them.  They are present, but avoidable if needed.

Apple’s notification is not so user friendly.  “In your face and deal with it now” is the iPhone way, and once closed, the notification is gone, can’t remember if it was a text or email that came in?  Ha ha, too bad sucker -start opening apps to figure it out.

Palm’s bottom bar notification allows users to get a bit more info on the the notification before heading off to respond.  The effort is clean, clear and comforting that something isn’t being missed or forgotten.

Android does something similar to Palm and while surely a step up from Apple, fall short in my view.  The Android solution is a top bar that is pulled down in classic Android fashion that contains your notifications.  From here notifications can be deleted out of existence.  I don’t find this to be a better solution to Palms.  The top bar is busy to begin with, so the notifications there don’t grab my attention the way Palm does and for me, that is the whole point of notifications.

Both Palm and Android do a better job at handling notifications than the iPhone.  Santa, if you are listening, please fix the iPhone.  And if Apple is listening, please don’t force my hand with a Windows Mobile comparison.  Santa is watching.

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Just like the logo above, it looks like RIM is currently experiencing some trouble. And it seems the trouble is coming where it will hit BlackBerry users the hardest—with their email. According to the reports, all North American BlackBerry users are experiencing delays in receiving email. In other words, they are not getting any. Otherwise, according to what we have heard so far, it looks like the other services such as web surfing and BlackBerry Messenger are still working as expected.

If you are a BlackBerry user, shout out in the comments and give us some more details.

Read [NYT]

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Continental has joined the elite ranks of Virgin America, American, United, even the illustrious AirTran and have made the decision to offer WiFi on itsflights.  The new service will begin rolling out before summer 2010.  Continental will use Gogo Inflight Internet as the WiFi provider.

Interestingly, Gogo offers different rates depending on the device you are using.  For example, laptop users will pay $4.95 for flights up to 1.5 hours, $9.95 for a single flight between 1.5 and 3 hours, and $12.95 for a single flight over 3 hours.  Mobile device users can opt for a $7.95 plan that covers a single flight, no time limit.  A 24 hour pass is available, as is a 30 day pass.

While usually misers, we don’t think these prices are ridiculous.  Inflight WiFi is finally here.  Hooray!

Read [Jaunted]

Photo credit: Jaunted

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Apps are the hit of 2009.  Possessing the ability to turn your mobile device into anything from a gaming system to a GPS navigation device to a wine connoisseur, apps are everything to a phone OS.  Android rolled past the 20,000 app total and now rests at 20,003. 

Though Apple still reigns supreme in total app count, 100,000; Google’s Android OS seems to be on roll with big releases on major carriers.  The Verizon Droid by Motorola is seen by many as the flagship Android phone, that is until the Nexus One by Google in a partnership with HTC comes along.  Google looks intent on making Android as big a player as the mighty iPhone.

The 20,000 app mark shows that developers are showing an interest in the platform.  Research over at AndroLib says almost 38% of available apps are paid.  Paid apps are a good thing for an OS as it encourages developers to code for an OS with the incentive of earning dollars.  The more popular an OS, the more developers will code for it and it becomes a self-sustaining system.

Verizon’s deal with Google to bring the Droid onto the market clearly helps Android.  Phones featuring the Android OS are expected on AT&T in the near future as the carrier widens it’s already impressive smartphone offering.

Read: [AndroLib]

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Recently, we got the chance to play with the Palm Pixi, Palm’s second webOS smartphone.  The phone is currently offered on the Sprint network, though recent FCC filings suggest a Verizon model is also in the works.  The phone sells for $99 with a two year contract from Sprint but a quick look on the web shows the phone can be found for $24.99.

Size Matters

Those looking at the Palm Pixi almost certainly are concerned about the phone’s size.  The Pixi is slender, fits well in the hand and is light.  Sized to be an almost perfect front pocket phone everything about the hardware on this phone is optimized to be small.  From the small QWERTY keypad to the screen, everything has been shrunken down to become almost dainty.  That is all good news for phone those seeking to avoid carrying around a brick.

Small Screen

The down side is you get to live with smaller things.  The smaller screen worked well as I used the Pixi for basic functions.  I found during set up, many of the menu choices were hidden below the fold which was odd.  It became clear that the set up and things like it, were designed for the longer Palm Pre screen.  Again this wasn’t a problem for things like surfing the web or checking email.  Though, it did make GPS navigation on the phone almost unusable for me.

Small QWERTY

The keyboard is interesting.  The bubble like chiclet keys are tacky and have a very positive click when pressed.  I found typing on the Pixi to be much better than the Pre.  On the Pre I was always negotiating around the slider lip, but with the Pixi, I was free to roam the keys.  I almost enjoyed clicking away, as much as I can on physical buttons anyway.  My fingers are the size of hotdogs, but I had no real issues with the small QWERTY keypad.

webOS

While the webOS continues to gain new followers (and the Verizon Pixi will be an important milestone in getting more developers interested in designing for the OS), its applications is notoriously sparse.  Many others have belabored this point, so I’ll not.  What I did find in the App Catalog was pleasant and worked well.

I am a big fan of the webOS.  It’s use of notification is second to none in my book.  Simple, unobtrusive makes the iPhone notification system look downright childish.  Notifications on the Pixi simpling alert you at the bottom of the screen allowing you to ignore, touch for a little bit more information or switch to that notification.  And thanks to webOS multi-tasking, your original program will sit by patiently waiting until you are ready.

Like the Palm Pre, the Pixi makes use of gestures.  I find this to be another breakthrough aspect of the devices running webOS.  Swiping in the gesture area and pulling up will bring up the quick launch menu in a fun ribbon.  A long swipe through the gesture area switches open applications.  It is extremely elegant and brings a lot of fun to the device.

Touchstone

Another perk to the Pixi is the Touchstone, a charging accessory.  By changing the back plastic case, the Touchstone allows the unit to be magnetically held on the little toadstool for inductive charging.  All wireless and all effortless for users, the Touchstone will have you saying, “all phones should be this easy.”

Overall
Overall, this is a great device.  Miles ahead of the old Palm Centro, the Pixi shines in it’s small size but big performance.  Those looking for a small sized phone will find the Pixi near perfect.  It handles web, email, and loads of other tasks with ease and seldom makes you feel like you are on a much smaller screen.

Those used to larger screens will have to spend some time looking at the screen to see if the downsize will work for them.  Overall, the Pixi is a great offering from Sprint.

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It’s a bold move on the 23rd of the month to say we are shipping soon, by the end of the month as it doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.  The Dell Mini 3i must be locked and loaded, ready to explode onto the scene in China where the phone will debut.  China Mobile let loose some interesting specs about the phone.

The Dell Mini 3i runs China Mobile’s OPhone open source OS and comes loaded with localized 139Mail e-mail, Fetion chat and digital maps.  The phone does not feature a 3G radio.  The Mini 3i will come in fashionable Passion Red or Oiled Bronze, hot right?

Specs (from the press release):

Dell Mini 3i OPhone Specifications:   * Form Factor: Tablet/PDA   * Dimensions: 58.35 x 122 x 11.7   * Display: 3.5” nHD, 640x360   * Bands/Modes: Quadband GSM/EDGE   * Weight: <105g (grams) * Bluetooth * GPS * Micro SD (up to 32GB) * Connector: Mini USB

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Can any phone hold onto its price longer than one month?  We’ve seen several phones as of late launch at one price only to be blown out of the water by another retailer just weeks or even days.  The price chopper strikes again, this time with the Motorola Droid which is now $119, down from $199.

The Motorola Droid is Verizon’s hottest smartphone of the moment.  Running Google Android 2.0, the phone features several new features not the least of which is Google Navigation providing turn by turn directions for free.  The phone’s slide out keyboard and extreme customization are among its chief stand-out features.

Dell offers the Droid through Simplexity, an authorized reseller and carriers the same restrictions to new customer and 2-year contract.  The price includes the device as well as FedEx shipping.

Interested?  Just drop the Android in the Dell shopping cart, enter in your zip code and the price is shown at $119.  Sweet.

Product page: [Dell] via [IntoMobile]

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Pantech’s new Impact is now officially part of the AT&T line up today according to Pantech.  The quick messaging device features a haptic touchpad that side flips to reveal a long qwerty keyboard.  The phone will sell for $99 after rebates and contracts.

Remember haptic feedback?  When users press on a touchscreen the phones buzzes to give the sensation of pushing a button is how it is often described.  Pantech uses haptic feedback to give new users the confidence in using a touchpad .  Almost all phone and messaging functions can be performed on the haptic touchpad or users can flip open the screen to bang on the keys.

Instead of a full screen on the front of the phone, the screen is extremely small and the rest is a large touchpad.  The effect looks like a large touchscreen, common on many of today’s phones.  It is a risky move, looking like something you are not.

The Pantech Impact runs on the AT&Ts 3G network for fast data speeds and comes preloaded with AT&T’s new browser The Impact’s large inner color screen is surrounded by speakers.  The device also takes stills and video.

At the moment, I don’t see AT&T’s page for the Impact.  It should be up sometime today.

Press release: [VPO] and [PantechUSA]

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Sony Ericsson announced their first Google Android based phone yesterday, the XPERIA X10.  The phone sticks with the Xperia slide out qwerty form factor but offers up a new user experience laid on top of Android.  Sony Ericsson showed off a non-retail prototype with an expected release date in Q1 of 2010.

Sony Ericsson needs a hit.  They’ve only two supporting carriers in the US, AT&T and T-Mobile, while they’ve done much better in Europe.  Despite a strong following there, Sony Ericsson continues to lose market share.  Sales were off by 45 percent at the last quarter check-in, year-over-year.  Is this new phone just what the doctor ordered?

Maybe.  The prototypes were running Android 1.6, the penultimate version of Android.  It lacks all the flash and excitement around the newly launched 2.0, but perhaps an update is coming.  The new UI or UX as Sony Ericsson likes to refer to as users experience looks impressive.  Dubbed Nexus, the UI does what all new UIs are attempting to do today: combine social integration into everyday simplicity.  Contacts from Facebook, Twitter, email, and other social interactions are combined and presented in unobtrusive ways to keep you connected to people that matter most.  That is the idea, anyhow.

The phone features Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor and should scream, yet there seemed to be some lag in the prototypes.  Many press and analysts found the UI to be impressive, but less so than competing Android overlays from companies such as HTC (Sense UI) and Motorola (Blur).  The phone didn’t scream unique.  While way too early to judge, using the press and analysts at their announcement yesterday as a sounding board may not have been the best route.  We’ll reserve judgment until we see the full retail product.

At the moment, we’ve no launch date or carrier information to speak of.  The off-contract price is expected to be astronomical, $879, according to the Wall Street Journal, a subsidized price from a carrier should be much less.

Read: [BoyGeniusReports] and [ title="AndroidandMe">AndroidandMe]

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The quirky AT&T Reveal features a slider form factor and is a quick messaging phone.  I got some hands on time with the phone and wanted to share my evaluation.  The Reveal currently costs $79 with a two year contract.

Hands on:

With the keyboard tucked up or unslid, if you will, the phone is a simple, well, phone.  You’ve access to numbers and basic phone function.  Pantech did a great job on the feel of this phone, even though it’s plastic the materials feel high-end.  The phone is relatively narrow and feels good in hand.

The keyboard what separates this phone.  The number keys on the main part of the phone stay active even while the qwerty keyboard is slid down.  I found the keys to be too small and too close to the main part of the phone for my large fingers to reach.  In short, I wasn’t a fan.

Enter the preteen.

Figuring I wasn’t the target market for this phone, I let my daughter give it a go.  She normally uses the Pantech Slate, a super-thin quick messaging phone.  She found the Reveal to be fantastic.

She raved about the Reveals many background choices and better ringtones than the Slate.  She found the number pad to be a huge help when texting and she even found she was a faster typist on the Reveal because of it.

She also found the Reveal fits better in jeans than the Slate.  I am guessing width had something to do with this comment.  She also mentioned the camera has more zoom capabilities over the Slate.

Summary

We both found the operating system to be equally simple.  The Reveal does have GPS which might be nice for some.  The form factor worked for both me and my preteen.  I’ll defer to her recommendation as I am sure Pantech was thinking more about the youth of America than a jaded, smartphone wielding blogger.  We give this one a thumbs up.

I am assured (wink, wink) that this would make an excellent holiday present for a teen or preteen.

Product page: [AT&T]

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An interesting new bit of info popped up courtesy of a listing filed by a Senior Compliance Engineer for Palm on the Bluetooth SIG site.  The listing identifies a “Ring-P” device coming this January.  Could this be a new device or a new carrier?

The Pixi is set to launch November 15 at $100, roughly the same price as the Palm Pre at this point, so we can rule out this is for the Pixi.  The Pixi is a smaller, thinner candy-bar styled webOS phone.  The phones matches up to a smarter Centro replacement; the Centro was a hit for Palm (big unit seller). That leaves either a new device or a new carrier.

My money is on new carrier.  January marks the expiration of six months from the date of Pre’s launch on Sprint.  Many of us believe the exclusive agreement with Sprint was 6 months.  Verizon has said time and time again that the Pre will be on it’s network and after the positive attention of the Motorola Droid launching on the Verizon network, this would continue the intro of some decent smartphones.  Finally.

A new device seems a bit wishful to me.  Certainly the Palm team is working on something, but it is a relatively small group and brewing an OS coupled with two phone launches has probably sucked up most available resources at this point.  I just don’t see it.

Read: [PalmwebOS]

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Yesterday, two tech greats chimed in on reviews of the Droid.  Both Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal and David Pogue of the New York Times reviewed the phone and both came away with an overall positive overview.  Neither reviewer could stay away from constant iPhone comparisons.

Mossberg’s review

Mossberg reviewed the Droid and only managed to say, “iPhone” nine times.  He thought the phone would be a success on the Verizon network, perfect for loyal Verizon users who lust after a decent smartphone without jumping carriers.  “I regard it as a success overall. It’s the best super-smart phone Verizon offers, the best Motorola (MOT) phone I’ve tested and the best hardware so far to run Android.”

That is not to say Mossberg didn’t find problems, it is no secret Mossberg is a huge iPhone fan.  Things like, “Unfortunately for lovers of physical keyboards, I found the one on the Droid to be pretty awful,” and “Another downside: The Droid’s screen has only three panels for displaying apps, versus 11 on the iPhone, and some large apps, called widgets, hog much of the space on these panels.”

Pogue’s review

Pogue, gets right to the heart of the matter: “So is it true? Is the Droid an iPhone killer?  No, but it’s certainly a killer phone.”  Pogue mentions the iPhone 18 times in his review but is able to sum up the phone’s successes:

Since Verizon seems to want a Droid-iPhone faceoff, here it is: the Droid wins on phone network, customizability, GPS navigation, speaker, physical keyboard, removable battery and openness (free operating system, mostly uncensored app store). The iPhone wins on simplicity, refinement, thinness, design, Web browsing, music/video synching with your computer, accessory ecosystem and quality/quantity of the app store.

Pogue laments not having multitouch when surfing.  He must use that a lot more than I, as double tapping seems to be my predominate way to focus.  Pogue also points out that the Droid won’t work out of the USA, out of CDMA anyway which is a point to consider.  Other phones like the BlackBerry Storm can do both CDMA and GSM networks so it can make the trip, too bad that wasn’t included in the Droid.

Summary

Both writers liked the phone and would recommend it.  The tone of both reviews wasn’t one of giddy excitement as they had when reviewing the iPhone.  Both suggest the iPhone is still the king though the little droid is getting close.

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