AT&T have just launched a new 3G phone, the LG Invision aka CB630. Whilst not sporting any great specs the Invision does offer via AT&T’s Mobile TV network CBS Mobile, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile and NBC2GO. So if you like your TV on a small screen and we really do mean a small screen check out the following details on the Invision.
* 3G connectivity
* 4 x 2 x 0.5 inch (approximately)
* 1.3 Mp camera
* Bluetooth connectivity
No great numbers but this phone is squarely aimed at people who like their entertainment ‘on the go’, with the LG Invision sporting features such as downloadable music from eMusic, streaming digital radio from XM Radio Mobile as well as the afore-mentioned TV options. Unfortunately all these features add up to a pretty penny, in fact the max package of Mobile TV plus and XM Radio Mobile will add a neat US$39 a month to your phone charges.
If you’re still keen then you’ll be pleased to know that AT&T are flogging these puppies for a mere US$100 with a two year shackle after a rebate. Not bad if indeed you like your entertainment ‘on the go’ and on a screen less than 2 inches by 1.5.
Apparently AT&T’s SMT 5700 has been on the cards for a while now, well about a year, but it’s starting to see the light of day and here are its specs for you to check out.
* 62 x 115 x 13mm
* 125g
* Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Standard
* 220MHz TI OMAP 1710 CPU
* 64 MB memory
* microSD slot
* 320 x 240 res 2.5 inch display
* GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900 support
* CSD, GPRS, EDGE data support
* mini USB 2.0 connectivity
* 802.11 b/g connectivity
The original plan was to sell the SMT 5700 with a US$100 price tag plus the usual plan shackle no doubt. However with the Samsung Blackjack II rocking in at US$150 with a few more bells and whistles AT&T may well be about, err, a year late with this puppy. Try again AT&T.
As if on cue AT&T have launched the Samsung Blackjack II (aka SGH-I617) just in time for Thanksgiving. For some reason only the black version of the unit is currently available as the red unit is waiting until December 12th to come out of hiding. A mere US$150 will land you one of these puppies and a two-year contract along with these features
* UMTS/HSDPA and GPRS/EDGE
* MS Windows Mobile 6.0
* 320×240 res 2.4 inch display
* 7 hrs talk time and 14 days standby
* QWERTY keypad
* 2.0 MP camera
* MPEG4,H.263,WMV recording
* POP3/IMAP4 email
* Instant Messaging
Not to be sniffed at with that price tag of US$150, so check it out over at Samsung US.
The Motorola Q9h has seen the light of day over at AT&T as the MOTO Q Global. The full QWERTY unit looks a wee bit cumbersome as all full QWERTY models tend to do, but certainly sports some funky features behind that wide exterior.
* Windows Mobile 6
* 3G support
* 2MP camera with flash
* Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity
* 9 hours of talk time on battery and 30 days standby
* MicroSD memory expandable up to 32 GB
* Quad-band support (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
* Dual-band UMTS/HSDPA support
If you opt for the two year shackle plan then with a mail in rebate this little sucker will only set up back US$200, however if you prefer to be free-spirited the standalone unit costs US$500. Whilst the Q Global certainly has all the bells and whistles, I’m not sure that a $500 price tag will make it appealing to non-AT&T customers, however for those already committed to them it will have a certain attraction with a $200 tag.
Having been labelled as ‘unbelievably arrogant’ by European operators, rumour now has it that Apple have influenced AT&T, their iPhone carrier in the US, to downgrade the functionality of the ‘rival’ Blackberry 8820. The downgrade would limit the GPS functionality of the 8820 to the subscription only service TeleNav and with the iPhone boasting the Google Maps functionality the belief is the iPhone would appear ’superior’ and more appealing to the consumer.
As pointed out on several blogs the iPhone and 8820 are aimed at different market sectors, yet AT&T seem oblivious to this fact in promoting the iPhone over its other products.
Of course this is all rumour and there is no indication that Apple have asked AT&T to impose the downgrade of the 8820, but given Apple’s ‘arrogant’ labelling by some European carriers, it would be no surprise if this move was Apple instigated.
Personally, I’m neither a big Blackberry fan nor iPhone zealot, but the real concern here is that AT&T or Apple are forcing their will on RIM. Ultimately the loser in this is YOU not RIM, these kind of corporate moves directly affect the consumer through lack of choice and inflated prices. It is this kind of corporate greed that is repulsive and abhorrent in my opinion, the downside of capitalism no less - anyone else want to weigh in with their thoughts?
I hate bills, I hate receiving them, opening them and most of all paying them. Boy am I glad I didn’t get an iPhone then - check out this lass’s video on her first AT&T iPhone bill, bloody scary.
Now you know why your AT&T contract for the iPhone is so expensive, the cost of the packaging alone for all those bills must have cost a bomb. Way to go AT&T.
With no official announcement from HTC yet there seems to be plenty of rumours flying around about their latest product, the Kaiser or The Tilt as it’ll be known throughout AT&T stores in the US. I decided to track down all the specs (rumoured or confirmed) that I could find on this little sucker. The results are as follows
Slide and tilt QWERTY keyboard
Touch screen functionality a la HTC Touch
240 x 320 res display
3 Mp camera, a non-camera version will also be available as well as a dual-cam setup
Connectivity - 3G, GPRS, EDGE, video calls and WiFi
The 400 MHz chip along with 128 MB of RAM and 256 MB of ROM could run Windows Mobile 6
5 hours battery powered talk time
The Tilt will be hitting AT&T stores around the end of August/start of September with a rumoured price tag of $300.
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