The Gadget 411 – Gadget Reviews & Tech News

PRESS RELEASE:

ASKING RIDGE, NJ, and WATERLOO, ONTARIO — Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion today announced that the BlackBerry® Storm2™ smartphone will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications stores, online at www.verizonwireless.com, and through business sales channels beginning Oct. 28. The BlackBerry Storm2 with BlackBerry® OS 5.0 evolves the BlackBerry® touchscreen platform with hundreds of hardware and software enhancements – including new SurePress™ “clickable” display technology and built-in Wi-Fi® – delivering the exceptional multimedia experience and communications capabilities customers have come to expect from their BlackBerry smartphones.

Key Features:

• Smooth design and premium finish with sloped edges, chrome accents, glass lens and stainless steel backplate
• Large (3.25”), dazzling high-resolution 480 x 360 display at 184 ppi
• Capacitive touchscreen with integrated functions (Send, End, Menu, Escape) and new SurePress technology that makes clicking the display practically effortless
• 3G and global connectivity support for making phone calls in more than 220 countries and accessing data in more than 185 countries (with more than 80 destinations in 3G)
• Network Connectivity: EV-DO Revision A; UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz); and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks
• Supports Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
• 256 MB of Flash memory
• 2 GB of onboard media storage and a microSDâ„¢/SDHD memory card slot with a 16 GB card included

Software Updates on BlackBerry Storm2:

• Features BlackBerry OS 5.0, which includes typing accuracy and selection improvements, as well as usability and visual enhancements such as inertial scrolling, spin boxes that make it easier to set dates and times, gradient shading on buttons, and more use of animation
• BlackBerry® Browser is improved with faster JavaScript and CSS processing as well as support for Gears and BlackBerry Widgets
• Customers running BlackBerry® Enterprise Server 5.0 will gain the ability to set follow-up flags, manage e-mail folders, access remote files (Windows Shares), forward appointments, view calendar attachments, and more

Additional Features and Specifications:

• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, Image Stabilization (IS), flash and video recording capabilities
• Premium and easy-to-access phone features, background noise suppression technology, loud distortion-free speakerphone and face detection (proximity sensor) that prevents accidental clicks and blanks the screen while the customer is on the phone
• Media player for videos, pictures and music, plus support for BlackBerry Desktop Manager for both PCs and Macs, and BlackBerry® Media Sync, for easily syncing Windows Media® Player music with the smartphone*
• 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and dedicated volume controls
• Bluetooth® (v2.1) capable with support for Secure Simple Pairing, hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals
• Built-in GPS for maps and other location-based applications, as well as photo geotagging; and Verizon Wireless’ VZ NavigatorSM service is pre-loaded
• V CAST Music with Rhapsody
• Access to BlackBerry App Worldâ„¢, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones, with categories including games, entertainment, IM and social networking, news, weather, productivity and more
• Support for Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Broadband Connect tethering service
• Removable, rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery that provides up to 5.5 hours of talk time or up to 11.2 days of standby time

Pricing and Availability:

• The BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone is available beginning Oct. 28 for $179.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an Email and Web feature or an Email and Web for BlackBerry plan. Customers will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data plans for the BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone begin at $29.99 when added to any Nationwide voice plan.
• New Operating System for Existing BlackBerry Storm Customers
• Existing BlackBerry Storm customers will be able to update their handsets to the new BlackBerry OS 5.0 software via Web software load (www.blackberry.com/update), BlackBerry Desktop Manager, or from Verizon Wireless’ download site (www.verizonwireless.com/storm). The software is available today.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Press Release (images below)

Verizon Wireless and HTC Corporation introduce the HTC Touch Pro2™, a global-capable smartphone designed for the busiest professionals and world travelers.  The HTC Touch Pro2 features an extra-large 3.6-inch touch screen that tilts to an optimal viewing angle, an ergonomic slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and an advanced speakerphone with asymmetric speakers and advanced noise suppression to deliver customers a robust productivity experience. Created with the intuitive TouchFLO 3D user interface, data on the HTC Touch Pro2 can be easily accessed with just the touch of a finger.

Available color: Black

Key specifications and features:

· High-speed connectivity over Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Broadband network (1x/EV-DO Revision A 800/1900 MHz)

· Global connectivity to allow customers to access e-mail and data in more than 180 destinations and to use the phone for voice calling in more than 220 destinations (GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz WCDMA/HSPA 2100 MHz)

· Wi-Fi capabilities (802.11 b/g)

· 3.6 inch WVGA resolution (480 x 800) tilting touch screen

· Advanced speakerphone with noise-cancelling technology

· 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera with video capture

· Touch-sensitive zoom bar

· Seamless connectivity with Microsoft^® Exchange, Outlook and Office applications with Windows Mobile^® 6.1 Professional

· Bluetooth^® 2.1 with EDR and A2DP stereo

· Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7600A, 528 MHz

· Memory: 512 MB ROM, 288 MB RAM

· Dimensions: 4.57” x 2.33” x .68” (length x width x  height)

· Weight: 6.3 ounces (with standard battery)

· Extended 1500 mAh battery for longer operation times

· Up to 5.3 hours of talk time (CDMA) or up to 13.5 days of standby time (CDMA)

Lifestyle features:

· Linked contact view delivers e-mail, text message, call history, and even Flickr images and Facebook^® updates to a single location

· Push Internet technology ensures that favorite Web sites are always ready for viewing at a moment’s notice

· 3.5 mm audio jack and stereo Bluetooth support to enjoy multimedia content through a variety of audio equipment

· Optional expandable microSD™ memory with up to 16 GB to store music, video, images, applications and other content

· Built-in GPS for VZ Navigator^SM, VZ Navigator^SM Global and other location-based services and applications

Price and availability:

· The HTC Touch Pro2 will be available for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an e-mail feature or e-mail plan. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

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Popularity: 6% [?]

The AT&T Samsung Omnia 2 cell phone has all the same specs except better processor, better camera/camcorder, capacitive screen. New Samsung Omnia 2 features include 800 MHz processor, a 3.7-inch WVGA (480×800) AMOLED touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G, DivX/XviD video support, FM, 8/16GB storage memory up to 32GB and running Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro OS. The Omnia2 is a good consumer device.

(check out full specs below)

AT&T Samsung Omnia 2 Specifications:

- GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/1900 MHz, HSDPA 7.2Mbps, HSUPA5.76 Mbps
- 3.7-inch WVGA (480×800) AMOLED touchscreen, Advanced R touch (Resistive)
- 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, dual LED flash, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, image
- 800 MHz processor
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP, standard microUSB port, standard 3.5mm audio jack, GPS receiver with A-GPS
- Memory: 8/16GB storage memory, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 32GB total)
- stabilization, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and D1 video recording at 15 fps
- Accelerometer
- DivX/XviD video support
- FM radio with RDS
- DNSe
- Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, TouchWiz 2.0 UI with 3D effect
- Dimensions: 118 x 59.6 x 11.9 mm
- 1500 mAh battery

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Popularity: 26% [?]