GadgetReview

HTC ain’t messing around these days.  It seems like a day doesn’t go by when they’re not in the headlines.  Today, they announced the first ever smartphone to support both GSM and WiMax networks.  Dubbed the ‘Max 4G’, the phone runs Windows Mobile 6.1, HTC TouchFLO UI, sports a 3.8″ (480×800) touchscreen, 2 cameras, 8GB of flash storage, GPS, FM radio, WiFi and probably a whole lot more.  Even cooler, you and your 4G Max friends will be able to call one and other over VoIP thanks to the built-in WiMax.

The Max 4G will launch on Russia’s Yota network on November 26th.

[Mobileburn]

Nokia’s latest leaked phone - it’s currently under the code name ‘Wahoo’ - is a slender flip handset sporting dual screens, a 2 megapixel camera, a Blackberry-esque Suretype keyboard (two letters per key), music player, 2.5mm headphone jack (weak) and an SD card slot for memory expansion. It’ll supposedly support GSM/EDGE/GPRS/UMTS/HSDPA and GPS.

Not bad, but the flip phone seems so passe these days. Or perhaps it’s the iPhone in me.

[Pocketpicks via BGR]

The LG Prada II, which is less of an iteration and more a copy of the first Prada phone, will hit stores shelves in the EU come Tuesday, November 13th. LG plans to kick things off with some sort of swanky event in downtown London.

In case you forgot, the LG Prada II will sport a full QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen, HSDPA, a 5MP camera and a full HTML browser. Sorry, no word on price.

[Stuff]

Yeah, right!  I have a hard time believing this rumor.  The source?  Global Equities Research founder Trip Chowdhry.  The speculation, which says the iPhone will be available in Costco stores for $149 in January of next year, has no supporting evidence with the exception that Orange France will be selling the iPhone at a discounted price of 99 Euros until January.  Then again, I’ve heard you can get the iPhone for free in some parts of the UK.  And there’s also a rumor floating around that Apple will be discounting the iPhone for the holidays, so Costco might be an after thought.

Stay tuned.

[AppleInsider]

The Nokia E63 has finally gotten ‘Nokia official’. Yesterday they issued a press release detailing the E63 existence, but made really no serious design changes to separate it from the E71. So what’s different about the E63 over the E71? Aside from the incredibly small space bar, the E63 sports a button that will allow corporate users to quickly switch between a personal and business mode (this might be available on the E71, but I’ve never used so wouldn’t know). Additionally, the E63 will include 1GB of online storage space free of charge and come in red or blue finishes. That’s it, nothing else.

The Nokia E63 will ship in the ‘coming weeks’ and cost EUR 199 ($253).

Full release here

Available the day after Thanksgiving, Sony Ericsson’s touch-screen phone, the Xperia Xl, will most likely be used on A T &T’s network. It may prove to be a tough sell at the price of $800 smackeroos. With Apple’s iPhone costing about $200 dollars with a two-year contract, the high cost is sure to offend some.

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Xl is expensive for a reason. The Windows Mobile phone will be unlocked, which means that buyers can use any carrier network they choose without signing a multi-year subscription. Ironically, it is unlikely that buyers would use any network other than AT &T, because the Global System for Mobile Communications (GMS) that the phone runs on makes AT &T and T-Mobile the only two options available!

It is rare for American phone makers to try to sell their phones without partnership with an operator. By subsidizing phones in exchange for a multi-year subscription, the end price of the phone is reduced drastically. The Sony Ericsson unlocked phone may appeal to those users who don’t like contracts, but those numbers will never compensate for the many more who could be reached through an operator.

It is possible that Sony Ericsson may yet be negotiating with AT&T to sell the Xperia Xl, but may not have wanted to miss the end-of-the-year shopping season. The Xperia Xl has gotten generally good reviews and is expected to appeal more to business users than consumers because it runs Windows Mobile.

Time will tell.

[MacWorld]

Looks like those leaked documents from yesterday were either wrong, or Verizon has done a quick switcharoo to save some face. In any case, the Blackberry Storm will officially arrive in Verizon stores and on their Website on 11/21, not 11/24. As anticipated, and leaked, the device will cost $200 after a $50 mail-in-rebate and 2-year contract signing.

Official Verizon Blackberry Storm product page here

Reports indicate that this may be the new interface for the soon to be released Windows Mobile 6.5. If the images are accurate, and let’s sure hope so, Microsoft seems to have revamped the interface to actually make it usable. What a concept!

[Slashgear via SmartphoneFrance]

Two weeks back Dell’s website leaked Pharos latest handsets, the Traveler 117 and 127. Well my friends, here they are in all their glory, or lack there of. There’s not a ton of tidbits to salivate over, but they both look to be solid smartphones with a heavy focus on GPS, since that seems to be Pharos’ bread and butter.

Contrary to original reports, both devices sport touchscreen and both have voice prompted turn-by-turn GPS navigation. The 117 boasts a 2.8-inch screen sans keyboard, where as the 127 includes a full QWERTY keyboard and a 2.3-inch screen. The Pharos 117 and 127 will be available from all major retailer on December 1st for $530. Check the below for the other specage.

• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201-90, 400MHz
• Memory: 256MB Flash ROM, 128MB SDRAM
• Phone: unlocked GSM quad band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE / GPRS
• 3.5G tri band 850/1900/2100 MHz, UMTS 384Kb/s, HSDPA 7.2Mb/s, HSUPA 2Mb/s
• Talk time: up to 4 hours talk time and 200 hours standby time
• GPS: NMEA0183/AGPS compatible
• Wireless: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth™ v2.0+EDR
• Camera: 2.0 megapixel camera for picture or video; 0.3 megapixel front camera for video conferences
• Battery: 1410 mAh Li-Ion, rechargeable/replaceable
• Weight: 4.8 ounces

Traveler 117

• Size: 4.44” (L) x 2.28” (W) x 0.60” (T)
• Display: 2.8″ Resistive TFT LCD, 480 x 640 VGA with 18-bit 262K color capability

Traveler 127

• Size: 4.57” (L) x 2.44” (W) x 0.60” (T)
• Display: 2.5″ TFT LCD with touch panel, 320 x 240 QVGA with 16-bit 65K colors

No one wants to grow old but when you consider the alternative, it is the only path for all self-respecting flesh to go. Read on about Nokia, a company that celebrates the elderly with their wonderful new handset, the Clarity Life C900.

The ClarityLife C900 Cellphone is not grandiose enough to impress the younger set, as there’s nothing high-end or sleek or cool about it. The C900 is a simple, but specifically designed handset for the elderly, and it has features that only the older among us would care to have.

Only a Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) version of the phone is available for now, but it soon will be a great option for people with hearing loss as the incoming sound is amplified up to 20 dB. Buttons are large, making them both easy to see and navigate. There is also a one-touch emergency help button on the back, a large backlit screen for easy text reading, and orange LED for incoming calls.

The ClarityLife C900 handset costs $269.99 for the unlocked version.

Come and get your red-hot Clarity Life C900 handsets now!

[Cellphone Beat]