T-Mobile

Perhaps one of the most exciting developments in the cell phone industry this year was the final release of the T-Mobile G1 (also known as the HTC Dream), and with it, the first commercial version of the Android operating system.

Even though we thought the G1 itself left much to be desired, we were impressed overall at the potential of the Android OS, and encouraged that Google's Open Handset Alliance might finally move the open-source platform forward. But, of course, Google faces great challenges ahead just in terms of market share--Symbian and Windows Mobile have a huge stake in … Read more

Good 'ol T-Mobile is in a giving mood this holiday season. On Thursday, the carrier announced that it has eliminated the $18 handset upgrade fee for its customers. It applies to all cell phones and smartphones offered by carrier, including T-Mobile G1, and doesn't matter whether you're upgrading your handset in stores or online. To be clear, this is not part of a holiday promotion and there is no specified end date. T-Mobile said it's the company's way of thanking its loyal customers, and we say cheers to that.

This week we discuss the latest news that the T-Mobile G1 may not be the only Android phone for very long. We also talk about the latest BlackBerry Storm update, new Nokia handsets, calendar syncing for the Instinct, a new Bluetooth profile, AT&T femtocells, and the best phones of 2009. And of course we go over the latest reviews and listener questions. Listen now: Download today's podcast

News Sony Ericsson, HTC to release Android phone Non-G1 Android phone to hit Australia in January Verizon Wireless officially rolls out BlackBerry Storm firmware update Nokia 2605 debuts on Verizon … Read more

On Tuesday, 14 new members joined Google's Open Handset Alliance, showing their support and furthering the development of the Google Android mobile operating system. Among the fresh additions is Sony Ericsson, and it looks like the company isn't wasting any time and has hit the ground running.

According to several sources, Sony Ericsson is planning on releasing an Android handset by summer 2009 and a company spokesman has gone on to say that the first models will be on the higher end while it will release more mass-market devices at a later time. In addition, HTC is said … Read more

There are phones with cameras, and then there are cameras with phones, and a new badboy reportedly making its way to T-Mobile seems to be the latter. This touch-screen Samsung beast features an 8-megapixel autofocus camera with flash and what appears to be optical zoom.

That would make the camera on this phone better than my normal point 'n' shoot, which I adore.

This would also probably be the highest-resolution in a camphone available in the U.S. as a subsidized handset. Since T-Mobile's 3G is finally becoming available all over, look for that as well.

TmoNews, an unofficial … Read more

Good news if you're a developer itching to get your creative developer hands on a T-Mobile G1--and especially good news if you happen to be a developer who lives outside an area covered by T-Mobile. Google has announced a SIM- and hardware-unlocked version of the first Android smartphone.

To get an Android Dev Phone 1, you'll first need to register as an Android developer on the Android Market site, which entails a one-time setup fee of $25. Then the device will cost you $399 (free shipping here in the States). To accommodate demand, Google says it's … Read more

Android Guys has a story today from a T-Mobile G1 owner who got charged for $102.85 in roaming charges--even after he turned off data roaming on his phone. The story goes that he was visiting the U.K., and knowing that he would rack up high data-roaming charges while abroad, he turned off data roaming, data sync, and 3G on the phone (Though he did still use it for calls and texts under an international calling plan).

Turns out, of course, that it didn't work so well. When asked about it, T-Mobile customer service told him that the … Read more

In recent months, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint have done a pretty good job updating its smartphone lineups, but T-Mobile seems to be lagging in this area. Aside from the T-Mobile G1 and the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip, we haven't seen anything new and there are some aging Windows Mobile smartphones that need refreshing, namely the T-Mobile Shadow, T-Mobile Dash, and the T-Mobile Wing. Well, it looks like at least one of those devices will soon have a replacement.

Phone Scoop spotted the T-Mobile Shadow II on FCC's Web site Tuesday, complete with specifications and a … Read more

Twenty-four hours after teasing us with news of a major product announcement, Nokia officially took the wraps off its mystery smartphone on Tuesday at the Nokia World 2008 conference in Barcelona, Spain. And despite some close guesses, no one got it quite right, so without further ado, let us introduce you to the Nokia N97.

Part of the company's high-end N series of multimedia computers, the N97 trumps all previous models with a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard and a tilting 3.5-inch touch screen (anyone else reminded of the AT&T Tilt or Sony Ericsson Xperia X1?). Yes, there's the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, but the N97 includes phone capabilities and is designed for the "needs of Internet-savvy consumers."

For example, the smartphone provides easy access to a number of social-networking sites, and the Web browser supports streaming Flash videos. The N97 also introduces something Nokia calls "social location," which uses the capabilities of the integrated A-GPS sensors and electronic compass to automatically update users' social networks, or let them share their location via photos or videos with friends.

The Home screen can be personalized with widgets of favorite Web and social-networking sites. Finally, the N97 is fully compatible with Nokia's Ovi Internet services, which include the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and the N-Gage gaming platform--though these services have yet to fully launch in the United States.

The Symbian-based smartphone also features a music and video player, a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and a whopping 32GB of onboard memory that can be expanded with a 16GB microSD card.

The quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) world phone is HSDPA-capable handset, but it currently supports only the 900/1900/2100MHz bands (AT&T's 3G network runs on 850/1900MHz, while T-Mobile runs on 1700/2100MHz). There is integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, however. … Read more