No iPhone 3GS for Verizon, but the Omnia 2 is due to hit stores shortly.
(Credit: Samsung)Since we posted a First Take of Samsung's Omnia 2 back in June, a lot of readers have been asking when Verizon would actually begin selling it. Well, according to the good folks over at the Boy Genius Report (who have a "trusted mole" at Best Buy Mobile), the much-anticipated iPhone pretender will be launching August 23, along with several other phones from different carriers.
Here's the complete list that leaked:
- Omnia 2 (Verizon)
- Global AirCard G2 (Verizon)
- Samsung Rogue (Verizon)
- LG Chocolate Touch (Verizon)
- Samsung u450 Intensity (Verizon)
- Samsung Gravity 2 (T-Mobile)
- Samsung Solstice (AT&T)
- LG Xenon (AT&T)
- BlackBerry Tour (new shipment--Sprint)
More:
Omnia 2 complete specs
Omnia 2 clears FCC
(Source: Gizmodo via Boy Genius Report)
Samsung Solstice
(Credit: Samsung)When Samsung introduces a cell phone, usually we can say that we've seen it somewhere before. And that's definitely the case with the new Samsung Solstice for AT&T.
Also called the SGH-A887, the Solstice sports a touch-screen design with few physical controls. It shows characteristics of several previous Samsung models, but its closest relative is probably T-Mobile's recent Samsung Highlight.
Features include a 2-megapixel camera with video recording, a music players, a speakerphone, a personal organizer, stereo Bluetooth, an external memory card slot, and a virtual QWERTY keyboard. It also offers Samsung's TouchWiz interface.
The Solstice will go on sale in August for $100 with a service contract.
Pontiac showed off a renewed vigor at the 2008 New York auto show, unveiling three models. The Solstice Coupe is a hard top version of Pontiac's roadster while the G8 GXP puts massive performance in a Pontiac sedan. The sport truck version of the G8 is, as yet, unnamed.
GM is one of a growing number of automakers that is using the SEMA show to debut modified or concept versions of existing production models. One of the stars of the GM booth is the Pontiac Solstice SD-290, a modified version of the popular roadster. The SD-290 features a covered passenger cockpit, some sharp body styling, and a turbocharged 2-liter Ecotec power plant good for 290 horsepower (hence the designation). This Solstice also sports a custom front fascia, hood and front fascia, and grille inserts.
Performance upgrades include 3-piston, 13-inch stainless-steel caliper brakes, a custom exhaust from Solo Performance, and a bespoke suspension system from KW Automotive. Inside, the HVAC system and stereo have been sacrificed for weight-saving purposes, as has the windshield. GM says that the rationale for the SD-290 was to pay homage to the "purposeful design of...classic race vehicles". Don't expect to see one of these on the road any time soon.
California dreaming in the 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line.
(Credit: CNET Networks)While much of the county is suffering blizzards and ice storms, we counted our sunny stars today and hit the dry, open road for a first look at the 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line. Like the Pontiac Solstice, with which it shares its platform, the Sky soft-top roadster exudes bold body styling. Sleek lines, a bulging hood, and aggressively arched front fenders all give the Sky a mini-Batmobile character, an impression underlined by the fact that our tester came in onyx black (that's black to you and me).
Blue Sky thinking: the view of San Francisco with the top down
(Credit: CNET Networks)As its name suggests, the Sky Red Line is a performance-tuned version of the regular Sky: in place of the 2.4-liter naturally aspirated engine on the garden-variety model, the Red Line gets a 2-liter turbo charged plant conjuring up a sensational 260 horsepower--enough to send us sideways a couple of times in spirited cornering. To complement the upgraded engine, the Sky Red Line comes with a couple of natty styling cues (hood vents and mesh grille inserts), as well as a list of standard performance features including: Bilstein monotube shocks, four-wheel disc brakes, four-wheel independent suspension, and Stabilitrak with competitive mode.
Our Sky Red Line tester also came with automatic transmission, a rather hefty $895 option. In general, we prefer our roadsters with manual shifters; however, we read that the Sky Red Line is actually quicker to 60mph with the automatic, and after our disappointing experience with the agricultural gearbox in the Solstice, we probably ended up with the best option. Cabin tech on the Sky is in short supply, although we did get the upgraded Monsoon Audio System, which gave us MP3 playback ability and a separate subwoofer. In the course of a one-hour drive around the streets of San Francisco, no fewer than four people complimented us on our car. When stopped in traffic at a stoplight, one guy asked us: "What do you do for work?" We told him: "This."
It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.
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