Happy August, everyone! I won't tell you exactly when, but I will tell you that I officially turned a year older earlier this month. I still feel like a Spring Chicken in a henhouse full of cell phones, so don't worry about my old age ... yet. I'm still spry enough to keep on top of the latest mobile device releases and rumors, and even to write 'em all up for you in one handy post (EDIT: Too many rumors, let's do two posts!). So here goes:
- Dell is apparently poised to release their first Android smartphone later this week in China. So says TechCrunch.
- Sprint is apparently poised to release a CDMA version of the HTC Hero Android phone, with its badass Sense UI, on October 11. So says a little birdy, as well as half of the mobile blogosphere. Makes sense, as Fall CTIA is right around that time down San Diego way.
- And our own John Walton reports that Motorola is going to pull an HTC and release an Android phone with their own custom UI/skin, codenamed "Blur." Like HTC's Sense, Blur is reported to include "lots of social networking hooks," perhaps including integrated use of contacts, photos, and news updates from Facebook and other social networks.
- And oh yeah, HTC is working on a smaller, lower-cost Android phone code named "Click." And, oh yeah, Samsung is said to be making a "Sub-$100" Android phone, too. Smartphones for the masses! Photo via UnwiredView.
- AND, David over on TmoNews posted alleged photos, specs, and a release date for Moto's T-Mobile bound Android phone, the "Morrison." Okay, Androidandme posted the specs first, but Dave told me about 'em ... so they both get a link. Look for Morrison to hit T-Mo on October 21st, no doubt with a different retail moniker.
- Dave also posted about Nokia's "Rover" tablet, as did most every other mobile tech blog in the universe. Engadget even posted a photo. "Rover" may be a smartphone, may be a cellular-based Internet tablet, will run the new Maemo 5 OS, looks kinda like an N810, and apparently cleared the FCC with AWS 3G as part of its innards. That's "T-Mobile 3G," in lay terms. Wonder if this will be T-Mo's take on a netbook, or a dual-use phone/tablet device, or what? And I wonder what Maemo 5 will be like?
- HTC's Touch Pro2 is about to drop every-which-where in the US, starting with T-Mobile. I've got the T-Mobile version in hand now and a full review will be up very soon. Meantime, it looks like AT&T is going to call theirs the Tilt 2, which makes total sense. HTC told me people missed the tilting screen on the Touch Pro (1), so they brought it back on the TP2, but in a fancier, more infinitely adjustable version. Tilt 2 FTW! Photo via Engadget!
- Speaking of the Touch Pro2, it's supposedly going to launch on Sprint on September 3rd, along with the Samsung Instinct S50. Sprint's TP2 has been shown with a 3.5mm audio jack, which is an awesomely welcomed change of pace. Another photo via Engadget, btw.
- There are a bunch of interesting rumors about the S50 floating around, including one you may not have heard before: A little birdy told me it's gonna do 720p HD Video OUT. As in send HD vid to your flat screen via an HDMI cable. Sounds wacky, so take it as a rumor, but if Samsung's Omnia HD can do it, it stands to reason that Instinct 2 could do it, too. Also rumored for Instinct 2 is a big, bad AMOLED display.
More juicy phone stuff in Part Two ...