Smartphones

Anticipation is building as a handful of leaks recently have all but confirmed that HTC will release its Evo 4 in June.

AndroidCentral posted literature appears to be for The Shack sales representatives. From what we can tell, these documents are part of a planned four-week ramp up designed to educate employees on the handset's features. If we count this as week one, then the previously rumored June 6 launch falls right into place.

Another image that made its way around a couple of blogs this week shows the handset as being available for preorder from The Shack in … Read more

Sony Ericsson's Product Launch blog is reporting Thursday that the entire Xperia X10 lineup of phones will see Android 2.1 updates. The problem, however, is that this upgrade won't arrive until the fourth quarter of this year.

Aside from strictly updating the handsets to Android 2.1, this UXP (UX platform) update will enhance the Xperia X10's Timescape and Mediascape applications, as well as add wireless connectivity via Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA).

A minor update is scheduled for the next few weeks, although it isn't mentioned what will be addressed. As of right now … Read more

Thanks to a newly uncovered FCC filing, we have our first hint of an AT&T-supported HTC Legend.

Digging through the actual documents, we learn that the filing is for a handset with 850 and 1,900MHz WCDMA bands. For those not familiar, these are the bands used by AT&T here in the United States. That said, this isn't proof positive that it's for AT&T; Canadian wireless providers, such as Bell and Rogers, also operate with the same frequencies.

Personally, I'd love to see AT&T pick up the Legend. With … Read more

A mobile alliance between Microsoft and Nokia has given birth to its first application.

The two companies announced on Wednesday the launch of Communicator Mobile, a Microsoft app designed to run on Nokia smartphones.

Communicator Mobile will let users of Nokia smartphones tap into their corporate directories and check the availability of colleagues to determine the best way to get in touch with them--phone, e-mail, texting, or instant messaging. The app also comes with its own built-in IM client.

Targeted for the enterprise market, Communicator Mobile uses Microsoft's Office Communications Server on the back end to connect a company'… Read more

T-Mobile's latest Android device isn't the biggest surprise, considering all the various leaks over the past couple of months, but nonetheless, we're glad that we can finally talk about the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G Slide with official authority.

Slated for a June release (specific availability date and pricing were not announced at this time), the Slide is the latest model to join the carrier's MyTouch 3G line. Like the other MyTouch models, the Slide is made by HTC and as its name would suggest, it is a slider phone with a full QWERTY keyboard and is running Android 2.1. However, rather than just be satisfied with bringing its customers the latest Android features, the carrier has added its own custom user interface to not only differentiate itself from the competition but, more importantly, make the phones more connected and user-friendly.

T-Mobile didn't give its UI a fancy name and it's actually built on top of HTC Sense (so you'll see some elements of Sense on the phone) but there are three key features to it: the Faves Gallery, myModes, and the Genius Button. The Faves Gallery is an extension of myFaves, and by touching a dedicated soft button, you can instantly see and communicate with up to 20 of your favorite contacts. In addition, you'll receive a special alert in your notifications tray and a custom green light will illuminate any time one of your Faves contacts you and updates his or her status. The whole idea is to make it easier to stay in touch with the people you care about the most. … Read more

Though just a rumor a few days ago, LG Mobile officially introduced its Android-powered LG Ally on Monday by announcing a marketing partnership with Marvel Studios and its upcoming "Iron Man 2" movie.

Though the Ally won't be available till May 20, the handsetmaker has already kicked off the advertising campaign, starting with a commercial that began airing on Friday. The TV spot features five individuals caught in the midst of a battle between Iron Man and alien drones. Each user finds different ways to help himself by taking advantage of Android applications on the Ally.

LG … Read more

Smartphones drove a rebound in the overall mobile handset market in the first quarter of 2010, as BlackBerry maker Research In Motion broke into the top five of cell phone makers for the first time.

The worldwide mobile phone market grew 21.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010, compared to a decline of 16.6 percent during the first quarter of 2009 when the global economy was in recession, according to market research firm IDC. Growth was fueled mainly by the economic recovery and sales of smartphones, IDC said. In total, cell phone makers shipped 294.9 million … Read more

Verizon is slowly beginning to solidify its spot as the provider of top Android handsets. Between the launch of the Motorola Droid and today's release of the Droid Incredible, Big Red is starting to resemble the preferred carrier for high-end smartphones. If the latest rumors prove to be true, next month will see yet another powerful offering from the nation's largest wireless provider.

It's being reported today that Verizon is readying the release of the LU2300 from handsetmaker LG. Known internationally as the Aloha, the U.S. version will be called the Ally and pack some heft. … Read more

Though it has plenty more customers, Motorola's struggling handset business may not be as juicy an acquisition target as Palm turned out to be.

Wednesday, Hewlett-Packard announced it is buying Palm for $1.2 billion, bringing to an end what was once a pioneer in the mobile-computing space. HP executives made it clear why they found Palm so appealing: the well-reviewed Web OS mobile operating system.

For Motorola, the decision to focus on building smartphones powered by Google's Android operating system could spell trouble for finding a similar suitor.

"I don't think anyone would be interested … Read more