Get ready, Blackberry fans. After weeks of leaks and goofy internal videos, it looks like the Storm’s finally a-comin’ — the first ads for the RIM’s touchscreen wonder aired on CBS tonight. We’re on the lookout for a better video, but even at that low res we can’t help but notice how chunky that thing looks — but we’re totally willing to trade some heft for some sweet, sweet copy / paste action. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Jerry and deltajam]

Continue reading First Blackberry Storm commercials air on CBS

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Just when you think you’ve escaped the darkened woods of firmware 2.0.2 and previous ilk, along comes 2.1, wrapped in faster-loading-contacts-finery to convince you all is well in the iPhone world. That isn’t entirely the case, it seems, whether you’re user of POP or IMAP mail accounts which are set to fetch messages. Apparently, a maddening bug exists in the new software which — in the interest of battery ability conservation, we assume — stops the device from pulling down new emails while sleeping… unless the phone happens to be plugged in and charging. An ever-growing thread on Apple’s support forums has been barraged with reports of the problem, and editors here at Engadget have certainly felt the burn. So we’re putting the question to you, dear readers (and hoping the folks in Cupertino are paying attention). Are you noticing mail issues with firmware 2.1? Let us know in the poll below!

[Thanks to everyone who sent that in]

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Look, we love finding out the pre-release minutiae just as much as anyone, but that is getting a little absurd. Yesterday we spotted a Storm slide pack, just that am we ran across a sneak peek of RIM’s BlackBerry Application Center, and merely hours later we’re being treated to the BlackBerry Storm User Guide. What’s next, internal data on how to best polish the casing? C’mon Verizon, get that thing out in the open already!

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The Foundations said it best in their 1968 classic, but seriously, why let us down like this? Nokia didn’t mind busting out a litany of press shots and all the specifications one could need to get amped up about the 5800 XpressMusic, but it obviously has something holding it back from launching in “mature markets” before 2009. In an announcement that’s just as disappointing to the suits in Espoo as it is to those in North America and Down Under (just to name a couple), we’ve now learned that the touchscreen-dominated handset will only be available in seven countries in Asia, the Middle East and Europe before 2009 dawns. Even worse? Not knowing how deep into next year we’ll have to wait for that thing here in the US of A. Catch our feelings spelled out in video anatomy after the break.

Continue reading Nokia’s 5800 XpressMusic to mature markets: see you in 2009

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The NPD Group offered a bit of insight into the carrier-jumping habits of original iPhone buyers way back when and, as you might expect, it’s now back at it and taking a stab at determining precisely where the iPhone 3G’s users are coming from. According to the group, amidst July and August of that year, 30 percent of iPhone 3G buyers ditched their existing carrier to buy the phone, which is a somewhat significant uptick from the 23 percent of consumers overall that switched carriers during the same date period. Of that 30 percent, 34 percent of ‘em switched from Verizon, 24 percent came from T-Mobile, and 19 percent came from Sprint. That same report additionally pegs the BlackBerry Curve, BlackBerry Pearl, and the Palm Centro as the next best selling smartphones. In related news, the 2.2 firmware beta floating about has apparently turned up a few more hidden surprises — namely, support for Japanese emoji icons, an off setting for the auto-correction feature and, purportedly, support for Google Street View in the Google Maps application, although there’s unfortunately no screenshot evidence of the latter feature just yet.

[Thanks to everyone who sent that in]

Read - CNET News, “30 percent of iPhone 3G buyers dump existing carriers”
Read - Mac Rumors, “iPhone 2.2 Hidden Features: Google Street View, Emoji, Auto-Correction Off”

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We’ve already had a pretty clear indication that Motorola’s Q11 was nearing a release in Brazil and, according to ZumoBlog, everything is now set to finally get official tomorrow. That, however, hasn’t stopped the site from getting its hands on the phone today, and it’s thankfully snapped a few pics of it to give folks a peek at what’s in store. Of course, the pics of the Q9 lookalike don’t precisely tell the whole story, as the big news is added WiFi and GPS, and, unfortunately, a lack of 3G. Still, whether that’s a trade-off you can get behind, you can keep watch on the site for a promised video hands-on, and set aside the 899 Brazilian reais (or just by $400) it’ll cost you to get an unlocked version of the phone.

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Not even a fortnight after HTC’s Touch HD went official in Germany, out pops a review from Deutschland calling it the best thing since sliced bread. Okay, so perhaps our translation skills are a bit off, but one thing’s for assured — it was hailed as the first “iPhone killer to deserve that name.” Right off the bat, reviewers praised the TouchFLO 3D interface for masking Windows Mobile, and of course, the expansive display was drooled upon numerous times. Additionally, critics praised the Opera browser while scolding Internet Explorer, and while it’s hard to say for assured whether the battery life was remarkable, it definitely seemed to get their vote of approval. Of note, the 3.5-millimeter headphone jack was additionally loved, making us weep while thinking of what could have been with the T-Mobile G1. At any rate, it seems pretty clear that the Touch HD is going to rock some socks off, but we’re trying to push it out of our minds until it becomes available on this side of the drink. Too poor that approach isn’t working at all.

[Via WMPowerUser]

Read - Early Touch HD review
Read - Video showing off Stocks tab

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It’s been nearly a year since Parrot announced its DF7700 GPRS-endowed picture frame, said to possess the mystical ability to pull photographs straight out of the ether. Now T-Mobile has pledged to bring Parrot’s magic frame to the US as the CAMEO, a $100 device that, when coupled with a $10/month service fee, can be the recipient of picture-bearing messages. When you get bored with that feature (or that fee), there’s a mini-USB port plus slots for SD/MMC cards that will enable it to accept pics in a more traditional manner. Its 7-inch screen has a 720 x 480 resolution and is surrounded by an interchangeable leather border guaranteed to look cheap in any decor — not just those with golden mirrors astride marble mantelpieces.

[Thanks, Mark]

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There’s no telling what sort of crazy behind-the-scenes negotiations had to take place in order for our good friend Boy Genius to get his hands on the very first retail T-Mobile-branded BlackBerry 8220 we’ve seen in the wild — and let’s be honest, the whole unboxing takes on a sexier tone when there’s an element of intrigue to it, doesn’t it? Mr. Genius flatly pans the thing for having a pair of terrible screens and a prototype feel (despite the fact that he’s got a final production unit), so odds are the Bold owners out there aren’t going to be throwing fits of jealousy any date soon. To top it off, the contents of the box are about as exciting as flannel underwear (we guess it’s cool that RIM saw fit to throw in a pair of headphones), so don’t expect too much. At least it’ll be available in a few colors, right?

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At that point, you’re probably wondering what section of the Storm’s UI you haven’t seen. Enter a few new sneak peeks, that date showcasing the purported BlackBerry Application Center. Granted, these shots are from the Vodafone edition, but we don’t suspect the Verizon version will look much different. Reportedly, the Application Center will be available on v4.7 Storm devices, and carriers themselves will be responsible for hosting the details and sending updates; additionally, the download / installation will be handled by the browser in the first release, meaning that the software cannot restart the app or download intelligently. Give the read link a look for a few more tidbits / pictures.

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