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Dialed In 80: Busy summer ahead

This summer will be extremely busy for all of us here at CNET. Not only is the Palm Pre coming in June, but we're expecting iPhone news at WWDC, a new Nokia N97 for North America, the LG enV3 and enV Touch, and more. Phew! We discuss all that, go over our weekly reviews, and answer your questions, too.

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Rumors of the week BlackBerry Storm 2 could hit as early as June Rumor: Nokia N97 NAM to launch June 2

News On Call: A summer of cell phonesRead more

On Call: A summer of cell phones

Update at Wednesday, May 20 at 10:00 a.m. PST: A few readers have asked about the North America version of the Nokia N97. It should launch June 2.

Though summer is always a busy time for new cell phones releases, so far the summer of 2009 is shaping up to be a doozy. We expect a full load of new handsets over the next three months with June being an especially hectic time for high-profile models. To help you keep track of the news, here's a handy list.

Palm Pre After months of waiting (and plenty of rumors), we finally learned today that the Palm Pre will go on sale Saturday, June 6 for $200. Palm pushed its "first half of the year" deadline to the very end, but it appears they'll make it.

We're hoping to have a review unit by the time it hits stores so that we can give you the full scoop on this much-anticipated device. Indeed, we're very excited to finally be able to touch it. June 6 was a bit unexpected since Sprint typically releases new devices on a Sunday. But the date does give Palm a two-day jump on what should be the next incarnation of the iPhone. … Read more

LG EnV3 to launch May 29

We hate to say anything is confirmed until we get the official press release, but it certainly looks probable that the LG EnV3 will be released May 29, according to the Boy Genius Report.

As we mentioned before, the EnV3 will sport a 2.6-inch internal display, a 1.5-inch external display, a QWERTY keyboard, a 3.0-megapixel camera with flash and video recording, a music player, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth, GPS, HTML Web browser, and EV-DO. It'll be around the same size as the LG EnV2, and will measure 4.11 inches tall by 2.13 inches … Read more

Leaked pictures of the LG enV3 and enV Touch

The rumors of a new LG enV3 and a LG enV Touch are becoming hot and heavy now, especially with these new leaked pictures on Phone Arena. The LG enV3 is, as expected, the successor to the LG enV2 messaging phone from Verizon Wireless. The enV3 will have a 3.0-megapixel camera, an LED flash, a QWERTY keyboard, a larger external display, stereo speakers, Bluetooth, and a microSD card slot.

The more impressive device is the LG enV Touch, which is rumored to replace the LG Voyager. Like the Voyager, the external display will be touch sensitive. It also has … Read more

Firmware updated on Fujifilm S5 Pro

Fujifilm has released a firmware update to its 12MP FinePix S5 Pro DSLR camera. The update, version 1.12, corrects an issue where in some rare cases the camera may freeze up when PC controlling-software is used--this includes Fujifilm's own Hyper Utility HS-V3. Details can be found on Fujifilm's Web site.

We generally recommend installing the latest firmware updates for your camera, so you can get the most out of your gear. For more information on firmware updates for a specific camera, visit the manufacturer's Web site. Before installing any firmware upgrade, always take the time to … Read more

On Call: Mourning Motorola

Kent German, CNET's cell phones guru, answers your questions about cell phones, services, and accessories and reports on the state of the industry. Send him a question!

You can't talk about Motorola's cell phone division without hearing gloomy predictions about its future. Such a prognosis is understandable considering the litany of bad news that's come out of the company over the past year. Indeed, plummeting earnings, layoffs, executive departures, and Carl Ichan haven't done much for Moto's image. Yet, I'm struck by how the cell phone world appears to be shrugging off the … Read more

Zander's cell phone highs and lows

The imminent departure of Motorola CEO Ed Zander marks the close of an interesting period in Moto's history. Three years ago this month, the company emerged from its post-StarTac hibernation to give the world the now iconic Motorola Razr V3. As any gadget geek can tell you, Moto had a winner with the V3. It spawned several revamps and scores of imitators, and it launched a cell phone design revolution that continues to this day.

Since that time, however, some Moto watchers (us included) have suggested that the company was attempting to ride the Razr wave a bit too long. … Read more

Motorola goes for the gold (and diamonds)

Peter Aloisson had a hard act to follow: himself. After all, it's not every day that a designer is so inspired to come up with something like the "Diamond Crypto Smartphone," which went for a cool $1.3 million.

So rather than try to exceed his already-over-the-top standard, he apparently has decided to go for a broader market with the Motorola V3i "Stainless Steel Gold" handset. The phone still has plenty of diamonds--855, to be exact, weight 3.8 total carats--but it's far more reasonable in price: Just $10,000. And if you're … Read more

Razr V3xx goes platinum

Brace yourself, dear Crave readers, as Motorola has given us a Razr in yet another hue.

This time, however, we're paying a bit more attention because the phone in question is the Motorola Razr V3xx from Cingular/ATST. Already available in charcoal and gold, the V3xx now comes in a platinum color as well. Features are the same; you still get such offerings as HSDPA support, Bluetooth, a music player, and the disappointing 1.3-megapixel camera. With a service contract, you can get it for an affordable $99.

Motorola Razr V3xx available in gaudy gold

Just in case you needed another reason to be mugged, AT&T and Motorola today launched the Motorola Razr V3xx in gold, for those of you who wanted an updated version of the Dolce & Gabana Razr. Sporting the same goodies as the original dull gray version, it features a 1.3-megapixel camera, a music and video player, stereo Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, the built-in Opera browser, and support for a screaming-fast 3.6Mbps HSDPA network. After rebates and a service agreement, it'll only cost you $20 more than the gray version, at $99.99.