Device Arena

Not that we didn’t have our suspicions already, heck, we even knew the Sidekick LX would be coming in multiple colors, but whoa! The Sidekick Slide announcement came out of left field! You might remember the Sidekick Slide from our intimate hands-on session a little while back. Something we knew but couldn’t share, was that the Sidekick LX’s fantastic high-resolution LCD screen actually is a Sharp Aquos LCD. Nice! All around the Sidekick LX seems to be more polished, a tad bit thinner (we’re talking almost the exact same size as the Sidekick 3 here), but who are we kidding…the big thing for T-Mobile Sidekick users is finally the addition of MMS. Believe you me, people were revolting for it! We can expect the same great and easy to use OS that know and love on both the Sidekick Slide, and the Sidekick LX. A whole list of improvements, specs and other important info is after the jump, but to sum it up; both devices are quad-band, they both have 1.3 megapixel cameras (the LX has a flash), both have MMS/SMS/IM, web browser, and of course, the Sidekick t-mail address. The Sidekick LX will be available for current T-Mobile subscribers on October 17th, and for new users on October 24th for $299 with a 2-year agreement. The Sidekick Slide will be available November 7th for $199 with a 2-year agreement. Everything you need to know, including more press shots after the break!

T-Mobile Sidekick LX (Price $299 with a two-year contract): With a number of enhancements of its predecessors – requested by those that live, breath and love Sidekick – the Sidekick LX boasts a thin, clean profile design, a large WQVGA screen that incorporates high-definition Sharp Aquos LCD technology, a camera with flash, enhanced media capabilities and mood lights that light-up with definable alerts for various communication functions. Featuring the iconic swivel screen that differentiates a Sidekick from all other handsets, the Sidekick LX will come in a midnight blue or espresso brown finish.

T-Mobile Sidekick Slide (Price $199 with two-year contract): Maintaining the popular communication features that the Sidekick is known for – full-QWERTY keyboard, a variety of messaging options and a great Web browsing experience – the Sidekick Slide is redesigned with a new look and feel. Debuting a smaller form factor with a slide-up screen, this pocket-friendly Sidekick comes in a black with deep purple finish.

T-Mobile Sidekick LX features include the following:

There are some real chances that we will learn more about HTC’s recently unveiled HTC Kii soon. The Taiwanese handset maker just invited the press to its two European events in the UK (Monday, October 1st) and Germany (Tuesday, October 2nd) to officially unveil its Q4-2007 line-up of Windows Mobile smartphones.

While HTC hasn’t given any further information of what we can expect, I’m sure we will see (again) some familiar faces like the HTC Shift, maybe the HTC Nike (which was already announced in Japan as NTT DoCoMo FOMA HT1100) and most likely HTC’s new flagship smartphone, the HTC TyTN II (which hasn’t had it’s launch event so far).

But maybe we will also see some new faces like the above mentioned HTC Kii, the HTC Polaris and the (by some) heavily awaited HTC Omni.

the::unwired

Foxlink (Cheng Uei Precision Industry) reportedly has landed ODM handset orders from China-based Huawei Technologies with shipments to start at a rate of one million units a month in the first quarter of 2008, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

Since Huawei’s handsets are likely to target emerging markets, Foxlink will use chipset solutions from Infineon Technologies and MediaTek for the manufacture of low-cost handsets for Huawei, the paper indicated. In addition to Foxlink, Huawei, the largest vendor of telecom equipment in China, still is looking for other ODM handset partners to help expand its growing business in developing countries, the paper added.

DigiTimes

Specifications:

Live pics:

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Sogi!

Unveiled with the Vodafone Christmas line-up announcement, not too much was known about Vodafone’s new co-branded Samsung SGH-i640v Windows Mobile 6 Standard Smartphone, which looks like a design-upgrade to the Samsung SGH-i620.
However, it seems the i640 is far more than just a design-upgraded i620 since it is expected to sport features, the i620 was badly missing, including WiFi and even GPS! And it’s sporting Vodafone’s new Home screen implementation we have seen on the Palm Treo 500v before already.

During Gitex, DinarSoft had the chance to play with Samsung’s latest Windows Mobile Standard beauty and recoded another video (you can find on YouTube):

According to DinarSoft, the Samsung SGH-i640 features Windows Mobile 6 Standard, triband GSM/GPRS/EDGE and singleband UMTS/HSDPA and a 2 megapixel main camera. Furthermore the i640 features a 2.4″ QVGA screen, the slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the Trackwheel navigation, Bluetooth 2.0 (most likely +EDR), USB 2.0 and a microSD card slot; specs which are the same to the SGH-i620.

the::unwired

Welcome to the real world, Apollo IM. The little IM app that could has just graduated to Version 1.0 status, bringing a host of improvements along with it. In addition to AIM, the program now supports MSN and ICQ. It also allows for multiple simultaneous logins. Yes! It’s still not the sexiest looking iPhone application out there, but in terms of functionality, it is now rock solid in terms of stability, and in usability.

The buddy list is now sectioned off by account and aliased buddy names are now supported, too. The true shame here is that there’s no guarantee that this, or any other iPhone application, will continue to work following the impending 1.03 / 1.1.1 firmware update. 1.02 for life.

The Boy Genius Report

The BGR received word that Rogers in Canada is gearing up to launch the Motorola Q9h in the very near future. Promo materials have already started being distributed and they are getting ready “for a large marketing campaign pushing Windows Mobile devices.“

Additionally, it looks like Rogers is going to grab the HTC TyTN II as well, as promo materials have also been spotted for this handset. The rumored drop date for the Motorol Q9h was today, but as our informant says, “their dates are always fluid.” Pricing should start at $249.99 with a 3-year agreement for the Motorola Q9h.

The Boy Genius Report

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) just unveiled another so far unknown HTC smartphone, the “HTC Kii” which must be - according to the Bluetooth SIG documents - a non-touch screen Windows Mobile Standard smartphone (because it is listed as a “Smart Phone”, like the HTC Breeze or HTC Vox).

Basically nothing else is known about the device but since it’s from HTC it can be expected to sport any version of Windows Mobile Standard and it’s confirmed that the HTC Kii supports Bluetooth 2.0+EDR:

While I have no idea or further information what the HTC Kii is about, the recently announced Vodafone 920 comes into my mind as a possible smartphone since we don’t have the code name for this smartphone yet and it’s the only device without any further information.

But generally, further features and a possible release date are unknown yet.

the::unwired

Apple said on Monday that programs available on the Internet that allow the iPhone to be used with other service providers besides AT&T’s Cingular network can irreparably damage the device.

Apple, which also makes the Mac computer, the iPod digital music player and runs the iTunes online store, said once an Apple-supplied software update is installed on the iPhone, it “will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable.”

Since the iPhone’s introduction at the end of June, Apple has said it expects to sell 1 million units by the end of this month. In the first two days it was on sale, Apple said it sold 270,000 of the gadgets.

“We are not doing anything proactively to disable iPhones that have been hacked or unlocked,” Phil Schiller, Apple’s head of worldwide product marking told Reuters.

Asked how widespread the practice of downloading unlocking software, he replied, “We do not know.”

The Cupertino, California-based company also said an iPhone that fails to work because of the installation of the unlocking software is not covered under the warranty.

Apple plans to release the next iPhone software update later this week, the company said in a statement. In the United States, is the only authorized service provider for the iPhone.

“Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones,” the company said.

There are a number of unlocking software programs on the Internet, and, at least two of them, iUnlock and Anysim, can cause the iPhone to stop working once its software is updated, Schiller said. “There may be others, but we don’t know all of them,” he said.

Apple sharply cut the price of the iPhone earlier this month and revamped its full iPod line, adding a model that can browse the Web and buy songs wirelessly.

He declined to comment on the company’s financial performance so far in the quarter or its expectations for sales in the holiday sales period at the end of the year.

In the past few weeks, Apple and telecommunications service providers in Europe have been announcing deals to provide service for the iPhone, which handles phone calls, surfs the Internet, and sends instant messages and e-mail.

The rise came after Citigroup raised its share-price target for the company. In extended trade, the stock eased by 8 cents. So far this year, the stock is up about 73%.

CNBC