Sprint and Motorola will begin trials of a 3G data service using WiMax technology (also known as 802.16e). The trial will last through 2006. WiMax allows for very fast data transfer over long distances. bq. The collaboration will spur IEEE...
Jun 30 2005 - 08:39 PM ET | Palm
PalmSource (maker of the PalmOS used by such devices as the Treo 650) is expected to announce a major new licensee. According to interim CEO Patrick McVeigh, the company has signed a "tier 1" manufacturer. Motorola, LG and Sony Ericsson...
Jun 30 2005 - 08:30 PM ET | Data, Smartphone
Opera today released a version of its popular web browser for Windows Mobile. Opera for Mobile is the preferred browser by most Symbian users, but until today wasn't available on Windows Mobile. bq. "Originally, we had not planned to make...
Research In Motion (maker of the BlackBerry) today announced its first quarter results for fiscal 2006. The results were very positive and show that RIM is growing rapidly. * Revenue of $453.9, up 68% anually * Adjusted net income of...
Jun 29 2005 - 12:18 PM ET | Motorola
As hinted at late last week, Motorola has agreed to acquire parts of Sendo. Motorola is purchasing Sendo's intellectual property portfolio plus the UK and Singapore-based research and development team, including design and test equipment required by that team. Financial...
Jun 29 2005 - 12:02 PM ET | Ringtones
The UK is looking more closely at how Crazy Frog (the wildly popular Jamster ringtone) was sold. Jamster has had problems with its sales tactics before. bq. Consumers who may think they are buying a single ringtone are in fact...
Verizon Wireless began yesterday selling the Samsung i730 to consumers. Previously the phone was only available to business customers. The i730 is a very feature rich smartphone powered by Windows Mobile. Features include: * EV-DO high-speed data as well as...
Jun 29 2005 - 11:43 AM ET | Sanyo
Sprint PCS today announced the Sanyo MM-8300. Features of the clam shell handset include: * Streaming media player * VGA camera with video recording * Speakerphone The MM-8300 will be marketed to the style-conscience crowd and come in three "base"...
Jun 29 2005 - 11:29 AM ET | Sprint Nextel
Sprint PCS is expected to overhaul its pricing before a corporate meeting on July 7th. Enthusiast site PCSIntel has a run down of the expected changes. Among the bigger news is that all national plans will be moved to be...
Jun 29 2005 - 11:22 AM ET | Nextel
Nextel has announced plans to test a 3G network in Washington D.C. based on UMTS TD-CDMA technology from IPWireless. Nextel currently has no 3G plans (though after the merger with Nextel EV-DO will be available within the same company). The...
Jun 29 2005 - 02:11 AM ET | Samsung, Unique
Samsung announced a new type of LCD that could extend the battery life of mobile phones. The new type of screen has a section that will remain always on, but at a much lower power consumption: bq. The new mobile...
Jun 28 2005 - 06:13 PM ET | Smartphone
The BenQ P50 has been approved by the FCC (ID JVP57P50). While this doesn't mean it's going to be for sale here, with BenQ's purchase of Siemens it may be more likely. Features of the BenQ P50 include: * Quad-band...
Jun 28 2005 - 05:50 PM ET | Motorola, Rumor
Apple today launched a new version of its popular iTunes music jukebox software (version 4.9) which was advertised to include built-in podcasting support. But behind the scenes it appears Apple has also built-in support for mobile phones. On the Macintosh...
Jun 28 2005 - 03:00 PM ET | Nokia
Nokia said today that the introduction of the N90 camera phone will be delayed by several weeks. The phone is now expected to ship in July. The Nokia N90 boasts a long feature list, including: * 2 megapixel autofocus camera...
Following last week's launch of more EV-DO BroadbandAccess markets, Verizon Wireless today announced more new markets in Ohio, Georgia, Texas, Indiana, Lousiana, New york, Connecticut, Minnesota and California. A full list of all current markets is available below. Sprint PCS...
Jun 27 2005 - 04:32 PM ET | Motorola, Rumor
A detailed drawing and feature list purported to be of a new Windows Mobile powered Motorola handset have hit the internet. The handset has been dubbed the RAZRBerry by enthusiasts because of its resemblance of BlackBerry units. Feature wise the...
Jun 27 2005 - 09:50 AM ET | Nokia
At JavaOne today, Nokia announced its next-generation Java technology for Series 60 phones. Nokia will will build the Connected Device Configuration (CDC) into Series 60 based smartphones. bq. "Incorporating CDC into Series 60 platform will provide the foundation for mobile...
Jun 27 2005 - 04:43 AM ET | Motorola
The Motorola E895 was announced this morning at JavaOne. The E895 uses a new operating system called JUIX (it combines Linux and Java) that Motorola believes is easier to use than existing smartphone operating systems. At this time there were...
Jun 26 2005 - 07:34 PM ET | In The News
JavaOne, an industry conference put on by Sun Microsystems, begins in San Francisco tomorrow. Nokia is a major sponsor and has a few speakers at the event. Motorola and Siemens are also sponsors (though due to Siemens' exit of the...
Jun 25 2005 - 02:15 PM ET | Cingular
Cingular has officially dropped the Ogo, a data-only device launched by AT&T Wireless. We noted back in March that it was likely sales would be discontinued after current inventory expired. Aimed at youth, the Ogo was an email/IM device that...
Jun 24 2005 - 08:25 PM ET | In The News
Three firms are in aquisition talks with Sendo according to Reuters. While not well known in the US, UK based Sendo makes several mobile phone models including the advanced X2. bq. "We're in discussions with three companies. As a matter...
Jun 24 2005 - 08:08 PM ET | Motorola, Rumor
Reuters is reporting tonight that Cingular Wireless is in talks with Motorola about picking up the coming iTunes enabled phone. The story is based on anonymous sources, but isn't all that surprising considering Cingular's exclusive with the Motorola RAZR V3....
TheStreet has an interesting article about smaller cell phone manufacturers being squeezed out of the market by "The big three" (Nokia, Motorola and Samsung). The top three players have all seen growth while LG, Siemens and others have had a...
Verizon Wireless has bolstered its BroadbandAccess EV-DO network coverage over the past week, likely in preparation for the upcoming launch of Sprint's EV-DO service. The following markets have either been added or updated recently: * Seattle, Washington * Portland, Oregon...
In a conference call with employees, executives with Sprint PCS and Nextel announced details surrounding the upcoming merger. The new company will be called Sprint Nextel Corporation. The combined company will employ the Nextel name as a product brand within...
It has been no secret that the Samsung SCH-i730 was heading to Verizon Wireless, but today marks its official launch. Today's launch focuses on business customers, but the i730 will be available to everyone starting July 7th. The big news...
Jun 23 2005 - 02:16 AM ET | Data, DoCoMo
Japan's NTT DoCoMo is busy testing 4G wireless technology (we're still using 2G here in the US) and has achieved a milestone, a 1Gbps data download speed while moving at 20km/h. 1Gbps while moving is a new record. The same...
Nextel and Sprint PCS employees will be briefed on the upcoming merger between the two companies. The conference call is scheduled for 11AM ET tomorrow, June 23rd. Among topics to be discussed are important issues like the new name and...
Both Research In Motion and NTP have confirmed that the US Patent Office has rejected two patents used by NTP in a patent infringement lawsuit against RIM's BlackBerry line. There is now only a single patent that the case hinges...
Jun 22 2005 - 06:32 PM ET | Nokia
Nokia is running a contest to win the N90 before it hits store shelves later this year. As you may remember, the Nokia N90 is a high-end camera phone that was announced in April. Nokia is giving away 50 N90...
BlackBerry subscribers experienced a service outage today for the second time in a week. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has seen a rapid increase in the number of subscribers over the last year, with the current total currently over three...
Sprint PCS has launched the BlackBerry 7250 for business sales channels. Unlike most devices carred by Sprint, the BlackBerry 7250 includes Bluetooth. Other features of the email-savvy device include: * 36MB of memory * 240 x 160 pixel 65K color...
Jun 21 2005 - 11:32 AM ET | Data
Intellisync today announced a new hosted push email service called Wireless Email Express that is being marketed as a BlackBerry alternative. Intellisync Express is a completely hosted service sold as a subscription through distributors (Ingram Micro), resellers and directly by...
UPDATE: The NFL has confirmed that talks have gone on with "major wireless carriers" though Sprint was not officially named. According to an indsutry report, Sprint is closing in on a massive sponsorship deal with the National Football League. Besides...
T-Mobile USA today launched the Samsung e335, putting it in place of the aging Samsung e315. The Samsung e335 is a mid-level clamshell with a very small footprint (it weighs only 3 ounces). New features include: * Tri-band GSM 850/1800/1900...
Oakley and Motorola have gained FCC approval (ID IHDT6FA1) of RAZRWire, the hybrid product that combines Oakley sun glasses with a Motorola Bluetooth headset. The product is scheduled to ship in the second half of this year. RAZRWire will come...
Jun 20 2005 - 10:37 AM ET | Data, SMS
According to data gathered by research firm IDC, American flyers would rather use their cell phones for activities other than voice communication. A hot topic because of FCC and FAA regulation, in-flight cellular communication was recently opposed by (of all...
Months after first launching ringback tones, Verizon Wireless today has expanded the program nationally. Verizon Wireless was the first major carrier to introduce ringback tones, but T-Mobile USA started to provide the service nationally back in December 2004. Ringback tones...
Research In Motion's Co-CEO Jim Balsillie said Thursday that his company has a work around engineered and tested that will null and void the patent infringement claims by NTP. RIM has been in a years long legal battle with patent...
Merrill Lynch believes that Verizon Wireless is well positioned to gain market share versus its rivals. The reasoning is that old AT&T Wireless customers have aging phones, and upon requesting an upgrade they are slowly finding out that they will...
Jun 17 2005 - 12:43 AM ET | Sprint Nextel
PalmOne and Sprint have released an update to the Treo 650 that enables among other things, the much awaited dial up networking support. The DUN feature allows Treo 650 owners to connect other Bluetooth devices (most commonly a laptop) to...
Sprint PCS today launched another EV-DO data card, the Novatel Wireless Merlin S620. While Sprint PCS hasn't technically launched EV-DO service yet, the card will work albeit at a slower speed until the 3G data service is launched. By the...
British Telecom has launched a new hybrid telephony service dubbed Fusion that combines cellular service with Voice over IP technology. While the system doesn't use WiFi (which many believe will revolutionize telecom in the near future), it does allow for...
By Jon Gales -- Sony Ericsson this week announced its latest models. MobileTracker attended a press gathering in New York City to get a hands-on look with two of the US focused models: the W600 and the Z520a. Both phones...
Jun 15 2005 - 12:58 AM ET | Samsung
Samsung is showcasing 50 new mobile phones at the CommunicAsia show in Singapore. While they are mostly CDMA models meant for Asian use only, a few of the new models are GSM capable. These include: * SGH-D600 - Update to...
Jun 15 2005 - 12:51 AM ET | Motorola
Motorola aims to regain the top market share position in China according to one of the company's executives. David Taylor, Motorola's director of strategic operations in high-growth markets, told reporters at the CommunicAsia conference: bq. "We have a number of...
Jun 15 2005 - 12:33 AM ET | Data
Napster, the [now] legal music download service, has teamed up with Ericsson to make a version of Napster's music service that will work on mobile phones. The new service is expected to be launched during the next twelve months. bq....
Verizon Wireless today launched the Kyocera KX1v, an abnormal looking clamshell style mobile phone. The asymmetrical KX1v is a low-end handset , with the following features: * 65K color main display * Speakerphone * Customizable faceplates You can purchase the...
Jun 14 2005 - 12:12 PM ET | Sprint Nextel
Sprint PCS has announced more details surrounding its upcoming EV-DO network launch. Like Verizon Wireless, Sprint PCS won't be using the EV-DO name, it will be marketed as High-Speed Data. An info page for High-Speed Data has been added to...
Jun 14 2005 - 12:08 PM ET | Sprint Nextel
SIRIUS Satellite Radio has teamed up with Sprint PCS to provide some of its music channels to Sprint's Vision subscribers. Not much info has been provided, but the companies are expected to announce details later this year (including pricing). Some...
Jun 13 2005 - 05:03 PM ET | Sony Ericsson
MobileTracker got a chance to use the Sony Ericsson W600a today at a press event in New York City. Below you'll find a small gallery of shots using one of the demo units Sony Ericsson had on display. The company...
Jun 13 2005 - 09:37 AM ET | Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson today announced its second Walkman branded phone, the W600a. The first Walkman phone was of course the W800i. Features of the Sony Ericsson W600a include: * 1.3 megapixel camera * 176 x 220 pixel TFT display with 262K...
Jun 13 2005 - 09:18 AM ET | Sony Ericsson
As part of a summer phone launch, Sony Ericsson today announced the J210i, an update to the J200i. The J210i is a low-end handset that hasn't yet had an American version announced. Features of the J210i include: * 128x128 pixel...
Jun 13 2005 - 08:32 AM ET | Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson today announced the Z520, an update to the popular Z500. Several other phones were also announced today by Sony Ericsson, including the Z600i. Features of the Sony Ericsson Z520 include: * Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 * VGA camera with...
Jun 13 2005 - 08:05 AM ET | Sony Ericsson
Adding to phone launch mania, Sony Ericsson today uncovered the S600. Features of the S600i include: * 1.3 MegaPixel camera with horizontal camera user interface, like the K750i * 176 x 220 pixel TFT display with 262K colors * 2...
Jun 13 2005 - 08:00 AM ET | Nokia
Nokia today introduced seven new mobile phone models at its annual Nokia Connection event. The new models include: * 6280 * 6270 * 6111 * 6060 * 6265...
Jun 13 2005 - 07:55 AM ET | Nokia
The Nokia 6265 was announced this morning at the Nokia Connection 2005 event. The 6265 is Nokia's most feature filled CDMA handset ever. Its feature set is very similar to the Nokia 6280/6270 which were also announced today. Features of...
Jun 13 2005 - 07:48 AM ET | Nokia
Nokia today introduced the 6060 at the Nokia Connection 2005 event. Unlike most Nokia phones, the Nokia 6060 is a flip phone. Nokia had said earlier that it had a new focus on introducing flip phones this year. Feature wise...
Jun 13 2005 - 07:41 AM ET | Nokia
As part of Nokia Connection 2005, Nokia announced the 6111. The Nokia 6111 is a slide-style design (like the 6280 and 6270 that were also both announced this morning). Features of the Nokia 6111 include: * Tri-band GSM * 1...
Jun 13 2005 - 07:34 AM ET | Nokia
The Nokia 6270 was announced this morning at Nokia Connection 2005. The 6270 is a 2G version of the 6280 (also announced this morning). The feature set is slightly different, but still quite full: * 2 megapixel camera * Stereo...
Jun 13 2005 - 07:26 AM ET | Nokia
As part of a broad launch of new Series 40 phones, Nokia today announced the 6280. The 6280 is a 3G handset, with a healthy feature set: * GSM/WCDMA * Series 40 3rd edition * Bluetooth * QVGA resolution display...
Jun 13 2005 - 07:23 AM ET | Nokia
Nokia today announced a new web browser for its Series 60 handsets. The browser uses open source software (WebCore and JavaScriptCore) made available from Apple. Apple uses the technology in its popular Safari web browser. The new Series 60 browser...
Jun 13 2005 - 07:16 AM ET | Nokia
Series 60 3rd edition was announced this morning at Nokia Connection 2005. Besides enabling more multimedia features, the Series 40 3rd edition also features a new user interface. * Streaming media (both audio and video) * Support for multiple screen...
Sprint PCS has set a date for its investors to vote on the proposed merger with Nextel. The merger would not change Sprint's role as the third largest US wireless carrier, but it would greatly increase the lead over #4...
Jun 12 2005 - 05:54 PM ET | Samsung
Samsung announced the SPH-V7800 today, adding another model to its line of high-end camera phones. The Samsung V7800 also adds an optical zoom, which should make the digital camera more useful (optical zoom lenses don't degrade image quality like digital...
Musician Jimmy Buffet recently lost his Sony Ericsson phone, which although was returned, was missing its SIM card. Busboy Jason Martin was in possession of the phone when the Secret Service found it. Why the Secret Service? The phone's SIM...
Jun 10 2005 - 09:32 AM ET | T-Mobile
For the second year in a row, T-Mobile USA took the top spot in J.D. Power and Associates' Wireless Customer Care Performance Study. The rankings: # T-Mobile - 108 # Verizon Wireless - 104 # Nextel - 103 # ALLTEL...
Jun 10 2005 - 09:04 AM ET | Nokia
Skipping over WiFi Nokia today announced plans to support WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) in the future, including both network infrastructure and mobile phones. While not officially a standard yet, WiMAX has the promise of providing very fast speeds over large amounts...
Jun 09 2005 - 08:08 PM ET | Samsung
The sleek Samsung SCH-A970 has been approved by the FCC (ID A3LSCHA970) The Samsing A970's feature set is impressive: * EV-DO high-speed data * 2 megapixel camera with 2x optical zoom * Bluetooth * Swiveling display with clamshell design *...
RIM is taking NTP to court over claimed non-cooperation for the deal reached between the two companies back in March. NTP, a patent-holding firm, originally filed suit against RIM for alledged patent infringement in the BlackBerry. RIM settled for $450...
Jun 09 2005 - 08:45 AM ET | Bluetooth, Nokia
Nokia today announced Sensor, mobile software designed to share information. With Sensor, users create personal pages designed to be shared with those around them. Sensor uses Bluetooth to connect with other Sensor users within your vicinity. bq. The Nokia Sensor...
Jun 08 2005 - 12:26 PM ET | Nokia
Nokia is being sued in Findland (where the company is based) for patent infringement over technology, "Allowing cellular phone users to answer their phones without touching them." This technolgy is now common in mobile phones because users can answer calls...
Jun 08 2005 - 12:26 AM ET | Data, Smartphone
TiVo today announced Windows Mobile support for TiVo To Go. For those unfamiliar, TiVo To Go allows TiVo subscribers to watch content on devices other than a TV. Prior today it was limited to a Windows powered desktop computer. TiVo...
Jun 07 2005 - 10:15 PM ET | Smartphone
Despsite an extensive print advertising campaign, the Sierra Wireless Voq smartphone never sold well. The company today announced that the Voq division will either be sold off or shut down. Wireless modems make up the vast majority (99%) of Sierra...
UTStarcom today announced its first 3G handset, the GW200. The dual-mode WCDMA/GSM phone sports the following: * 1.8" 65K color TFT LCD screen * BREW * Streaming Media * Size: 4.5" high by 1.8" wide by 0.86" thick with weight...
Jun 07 2005 - 11:12 AM ET | Siemens
Siemens today confirmed speculation--BenQ has purchased Siemens' mobile unit. Under terms of the sale, BenQ will be able to use the Siemens brand name for up to five years. Selling the division outright was a departure from the announced goal...
Jun 07 2005 - 01:31 AM ET | Ringtones
Xingtone announced that its flagship software package, Xingtone Ringtone Maker, will be sold in stores nationwide thanks to a distribution deal with Roxio. Xingtone Ringtone Maker allows home computer users to make and transfer their own ringtones. It is compatible...
Jun 07 2005 - 01:05 AM ET | Cingular
Cingular yesterday launched the HP iPaq h6320/6325, a Windows mobile powered smartphone. While identical in other respects, the h6325 sports a VGA camera. To make things slightly more confusing: the h6320/6325 is a re-branded h6310/6315 which launched on T-Mobile USA...
Jun 07 2005 - 12:59 AM ET | Data
Microsoft yesterday announced the Messaging and Security feature pack for Windows Mobile 5.0. The software will make Microsoft a direct competitor to push email leader Research In Motion among others. bq. The feature pack includes Direct Push Technology, which keeps...
Jun 06 2005 - 12:16 PM ET | Siemens
Word broke yesterday that an Asian handset manufactorer would soon emerge as the investor in Siemens' mobile unit spin-off. Today, the Financial Times is reporting today that the company is no other than BenQ: bq. BenQ, a leading Taiwanese technology...
Jun 05 2005 - 10:43 PM ET | Ringtones
Ringtone turned song craze Crazy Frog Axel F stayed on top of the UK singles chart after hitting number one last week. Rock group Coldplay, which expected a number one debut last week, moved down in the latest charts to...
Jun 05 2005 - 06:23 PM ET | Siemens
An article today in the German news paper Frankfurter Allegmeine Sonntagszeitung says that Siemens will spin-off it's unprofitable mobile unit with the help of an Asian manufacturer. The name of the other party will be announced once the deal is...
Jun 05 2005 - 06:12 PM ET | Bluetooth
Cryptographers have found a security flaw in Bluetooth that allows unauthorized pairing between (among other things) mobile phones. Pairing is the process that Bluetooth devices go through to make sure the owner of each device is aware of the connection....
Jun 04 2005 - 11:29 PM ET | Kyocera
Following on the heels of Nokia's low-end phone launch, Kyocera Wireless annoucned the Dorado KX13. While aimed at entry-level users, the Dorado KX13 has a much larger screen than Kyocera's other low-end phones. Features of the Dorado KX13 include: *...
Jun 04 2005 - 11:24 PM ET | Ringtones
Russell Simmons' Def Jam Enterprises has inked a deal with American Greetings to create Def Jam Mobile. According to the New York Post, the new company with market several types of mobile content, including ringtones. bq. While most ring tones...
Verizon Wireless plans to launch location based services (LBS) in the third quarter this year. During a talk at BREW 2005 in San Diego, a Verizon Wireless vice president noted that one of the first LBS applications would provide turn-by-turn...
Jun 03 2005 - 05:39 PM ET | In The News
At the BREW 2005 conference, Macromedia announced it is bringing Flash Mobile to the BREW platform. Having Flash on a phone allows developers to more easily build graphical applications. bq. "Macromedia's decision to provide Flash-based services for the BREW solution...
Jun 02 2005 - 04:30 PM ET | Motorola, Nextel
Nextel today began sales of the Motorola i836, a handset that looks more than a little like the Motorola Pininfarina i833. While technically an update from the i830, the i836 inherits most of the design features from the limited edition...
See story correction below A handset that appears to be the Sony Ericsson D750 has been approved by the FCC [PY7A1022012]. The D750 is basically a K750i in the W800i shell made exclusively for T-Mobile. Features of the D750 include:...
Verizon Wireless' Get It Now download service is on track to surpass the 200 million download milestone by the end of the month. Even more impressive is that 120 million sales have occured this year. More than 500 items are...
Jun 02 2005 - 12:28 PM ET | In The News
The Wall Street Journal has a piece today [paid subscription req.] on the rise of mobile phone only households, and how the percentage isn't growing as fast as once thought. The article cites things like wireline services being more reliable...
Jun 02 2005 - 11:26 AM ET | Nokia
Nokia today announced two low-end handsets designed for developing markets like Africa. The Nokia 1110 and 1600 will sell for 65 and 85 euros respectively, which is significantly more than similar models Motorola is preparing. Feature wise both handsets are...
Jun 01 2005 - 03:05 PM ET | DoCoMo
While US carriers are still leary of WiFi, Japan's NTT DoCoMo is going ahead with plans for a WiFi equipped phone capable of VoIP. bq. The new service, expected to begin next year, will allow subscribers to Japan's largest mobile...
Motorola and Samsung each shipped a super-thin mobile phone for the Korean market today. The two handsets will compete head-to-head for consumers wanting the thinnest phone. First word of the Motorola RAZR V3 CDMA came at CTIA back in March....
Jun 01 2005 - 02:12 PM ET | Cingular
After revamping its pre-paid offerings last week, Cingular Wireless today debuted retooled post-paid plans. Designed to be more simple, analysts also believe that the new plans could also increase revenue since the cheapest plan is now $39.99 monthly (up from...
Jun 01 2005 - 12:04 AM ET | Accessories
Pokia, the company that started turning old telephone handsets into mobile phone headsets, today relaunched as Hulger. Unlike Pokia, Hulger is mass producing its items instead of selling unique models on eBay. Right now there is one product, the P*Phone,...
