smartphones

Getting a jump start on CES 2009, location-based provider Pharos officially introduced on Tuesday the Pharos Traveler 137 smartphone, a Windows Mobile 6.1-based handset with integrated GPS and navigation software. The unlocked, quad-band GSM phone will be available late in the first quarter for $599.95 and has been awarded a 2009 CES Innovation award for its navigation solution.

The Pharos Traveler 137 differentiates itself from other GPS-enabled smartphones in that it doesn't require a cellular connection to operate as a navigation device. The unit comes preloaded with Pharos' Smart Navigator software with the vector map and … Read more

While everyone might be buzzing about the T-Mobile G2 rumors, HTC is plugging on with its commitment to Windows Mobile devices and announced on Tuesday that it will release the HTC S743 smartphone for the U.S. market in Q1 2009.

A variant of the HTC S740, which has been available in Europe and Asia for a few months now, the S743 features a 12-button keypad on front and a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard for all those messaging fanatics. In its closed state, the S743 sports a compact design that takes its inspiration from the HTC Touch Diamond. Unlike the … Read more

Monday seems to be the day for BlackBerry rumors. First it was the BlackBerry Bold for Sprint and now the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 for T-Mobile. The folks at TmoNews believe T-Mobile, which is in serious need of a BlackBerry update, will release the new BlackBerry Curve 8900 on February 11 and posted some specs of the smartphone.

The Curve 8900, also known by its code name, the BlackBerry Javelin, features a sleeker design, a full QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, integrated GPS, a 512MHz processor, and a 2.4-inch, 480x360 pixel resolution display.

The question on everyone'… Read more

Sprint customers suffering from a little BlackBerry envy after Verizon Wireless landed the BlackBerry Storm and AT&T scored the BlackBerry Bold may finally get their break.

According to Engadget Mobile, Sprint will replace its BlackBerry 8830 World Edition with the BlackBerry Bold some time this quarter. While running on Sprint's CDMA network, the smartphone is said to have dual-mode functionality, so it'll work on international GSM networks to give you world-roaming capabilities.

Other reported additions include a slightly updated design, more memory, and EV-DO Rev. A support.

The Boy Genius Report also chimed in with a … Read more

We are starting to see more and more signs that the Garmin Nuvifone is real and not just a figment of our imagination. Announced almost a year ago, the first smartphone for the GPS manufacturer just recently received FCC approval and now Garmin has released a media gallery of Nuvifone interface screenshots, including those for the navigation app, Google Local, the Web browser, calendar, and e-mail.

The user interface looks snazzy and pretty intuitive, but of course, it's hard to say without playing with the actual device. We're hoping that we'll get to see the Nuvifone in … Read more

We're just a couple of days away from CES 2009, but rumors are already starting to fly about the new Palm Nova smartphone that is set to debut on January 8. Citing a "trusted source," CrunchGear reports that the first Nova device will have a slider design with a full QWERTY keyboard and portrait-oriented touch screen. Not surprisingly, it's been compared to the iPhone and will supposedly be outsourced to HTC like the Palm Treo Pro.

In addition, the new operating system has been described as "amazing," with full personal information management (PIM) and … Read more

There's already a lengthy wish list as users ponder the invention of the "ideal" smartphone in 2009. All well and good. But I submit that next year's most important technology development won't have anything to do with a new feature or application.

Instead, it's going to boil down to whether mobile device makers open smartphones as widely as the personal computer. Manufactures and carriers, scared to death about the possible security implications, may decide that it's wiser to instead keep their devices closed. How long they can ignore the pressure is unclear.

That'… Read more

This post was updated at 1:06 p.m. PST with the stock's closing price and comments from an interview with Elevation Partners Roger McNamee.

Christmas came early for Palm.

The struggling handset maker announced Monday that investor Elevation Partners has agreed to infuse Palm with an additional $100 million, in a move designed to provide a boost to its new product launches in 2009.

Shares of Palm soared on the announcement, rising as high as 49 percent in intraday trading Monday to $3.71 a share. And by the time the regular session ended, Palm finished the day … Read more

Good 'ol T-Mobile is in a giving mood this holiday season. On Thursday, the carrier announced that it has eliminated the $18 handset upgrade fee for its customers. It applies to all cell phones and smartphones offered by carrier, including T-Mobile G1, and doesn't matter whether you're upgrading your handset in stores or online. To be clear, this is not part of a holiday promotion and there is no specified end date. T-Mobile said it's the company's way of thanking its loyal customers, and we say cheers to that.