As if the both sets of pictures weren’t enough to give you a glimpse at the BlackBerry 9630 “Niagara,” now CrackBerry forums member salisa.m has graced us mortals with some honest-to-goodness video of the thing in all its rebooting glory. Of course — in the tradition of all things leaked — the video’s got a good amount of blurriness, but it’s not like we haven’t seen it before. Apparently this ‘Berry’s rocking OS 4.7.1.10 — not 4.6 like its sibling the Bold — but it’s got a “very likable Bold keyboard” albeit with a bit smaller keys. The back battery cover looks to be a piano-like carbon fiber plastic with a new hinge design to prevent dust accumulation, and it’s described as being very light and sleek. Unfortunately, the OS was super buggy, and the videographer couldn’t even get the device fully powered on for a tour of Verizon’s presumably tweaked software — but with this latest torrent of information over the past few days, we’re sure that we’ll be seeing a lot more of this bad boy in the not-so-distant future.

Filed under: Cellphones

Video: BlackBerry 9630 Niagara shown off… and on, and off again originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coupled with the discontinuation of the N810 WiMAX, Nokia’s intention to get LTE devices into the marketplace by next year had many folks thinking that the company was starting to sour on WiMAX altogether, but — at least officially — it turns out that’s not the case. Nokia has contacted us today to let us know that its positions on the battling 4G technologies have not changed, emphasizing that the N810 WiMAX’s departure “does not apply to other WiMAX business development efforts that Nokia is involved in.” Considering the growing belief that both of these technologies are here to stay — that is, it’s not looking like an HD DVD vs. Blu-ray-style battle of attrition — it’s a shrewd attitude for Nokia to take.

It gets juicier, though: Nokia is also refuting claims that it has entered into an exclusive agreement to develop a touchscreen LTE device with Verizon: “While we have not entered into any exclusive agreement for 4G touch screen device development as is being reported, we will continue to follow and pursue developments as a normal course of business.” In other words, “we’re not opposed to the idea, but we haven’t yet.” Sorry to leave you hanging, Verizon subscribers, but the good news is that we’re pretty confident these two giants are in bed together for the long haul in one capacity or another.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Wireless

Playing both sides: Nokia says its 4G position ‘has not changed’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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“Better late than never,” so they say. Perhaps — but with Sprint’s version of this in the rear view mirror for half a year now, just how relevant is a Touch Diamond on Verizon these days? Odds are we’ll find out next month — or, at least, that’s where the latest rumors have it lined up for launch — but in the meantime, we’ve got one floating around in the wilds looking pretty much like any other Touch Diamond you’ve seen in the past. Like its Touch Pro, it seems Verizon went ahead and nerfed the Diamond’s memory down to 128MB of RAM and 256MB of ROM (why is anybody’s guess), which only serves to reinforce our concerns that this thing is being launched months too late. We love you HTC, seriously — but with the Omnia at $99 on contract right now, we’re not exactly seeing the line starting to form at 8PM the night before release, if you know what we’re saying.

Continue reading Verizon’s Touch Diamond in the wild

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Verizon’s Touch Diamond in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve known for some time that Verizon is fixated on dominating the global roaming market in the US — or, at the very least, catching up to AT&T — and to do that, they’re going to need hardware capable of taking advantage of the very best speeds that those wild and majestic foreign lands have to offer. In other words, no EV-DO-only modem is going to cut it, and an EV-DO modem with a sprinkling of EDGE on the side is a consolation prize that’s going to get frequent world travelers irked after a little while. To that end, we just witnessed this brick of a USB modem pass through the FCC bearing Verizon branding, the A3700 from ZTE. Name a frequency or wireless technology, the A3700 probably has it; in addition to EV-DO, it’s got GSM / EDGE and HSPA, so your bases are pretty well covered wherever you happen to be (hell, it even has North America-friendly HSPA 850 / 1900 in there, though Verizon wouldn’t dream of letting you stray from its own airwaves when you’re stateside). Enticing, yes — but considering that this is one of the ugliest modems we’ve seen in recent memory, you’d better really need that roaming capability when it gets around to launching.

Continue reading Verizon’s global 3G modem from ZTE spotted in FCC

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Verizon’s global 3G modem from ZTE spotted in FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Given Nokia Siemens’ commitment to getting the technology rolled out with carrier partners on the double and the fact that Nokia’s tie-up with Qualcomm for S60-optimized HSPA and LTE chipsets will bear fruit in 2010 — not to mention the fact that multiple carriers will be deploying LTE over the next two years — it only stands to reason that Espoo would have LTE devices in the pipe sooner rather than later. Indeed, the company has now gone on record saying that it’ll have “data intensive” LTE gadgets launched next year, though they’ve failed to go into the nitty gritty details of what kind of devices those might be. That could very well be where this new rumor comes into play, though: TheStreet.com is claiming that there’s chatter of a Verizon / Nokia partnership that would see a serious full touchscreen multimedia phone launched to help inaugurate Big Red’s LTE airwaves — and considering that Nokia has ramped up its Verizon-branded product portfolio over the past year and publicly cheered on the carrier for choosing LTE over WiMAX or UMB, it’s not all that difficult to believe. If the rumored device comes in a brown pleather wallet, count us in.

[Via Phone Scoop, thanks papari]

Read - Nokia bringing LTE in 2010
Read - Verizon partnership?

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Wireless

Nokia says it’ll have LTE devices by 2010, Verizon partnership in the works? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s LG VX9600 Versa hits store shelves today originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is RIM’s BlackBerry 9630 Niagara headed to Verizon as World Edition? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It takes a awful lot of ingenuity and creativity — and maybe just a touch of dumb luck — to come up with a unique, truly innovative phone form factor in the year 2009. Somehow, LG and Verizon have managed to hit that rare combo with the Versa, a full touchscreen bar that can be augmented with add-on modules for those times when function takes priority over form. Right now, the only module available is a full QWERTY keyboard — a good first choice, we’d say — and it’s included with the package. Cool concept, yeah, but is it usable? Read on.

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LG Versa hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re the type of individual who can never decide between the Cobb salad, the lobster bisque, and the sesame prawns and end up ordering all three, take note — your phone has arrived. The long-rumored LG Versa lets you have your cake and eat it too by starting life as a full touchscreen slate, and when the time comes for some serious emailing, texting, or notetaking, you just snap on the included cover that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. The cover also features its own OLED display — handy, since the Versa’s 480 x 240 main display is concealed while the cover’s closed — while the phone itself rocks EV-DO Rev. A with tethering capability, a 2 megapixel cam with face detection and video recording, microSD expansion, and GPS. It’ll be available starting March 1 for $249.99 on contract before a $50 mail-in rebate.

Filed under: Cellphones

LG Versa heading to Verizon on March 1 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve already heard a few of you clamoring for internet radio support on Verizon’s Hub, and if a mall unit is indicative of shipping units, your prayers have been answered. Mr. Dave Zatz happened upon a Hub while checking out the good word at a Verizon mall kiosk, and sure enough, WiFi radio functionality was in tact and working smoothly. We’re told that the company’s initial music partner is Clear Channel’s iheartradio.com, though details beyond that are nonexistent. In all honestly, the Hub seems like the perfect device to see all sorts of added utility via firmware updates, so we’re crossing our fingers in hopes that Verizon feels the same way.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Verizon Hub spotted streaming internet radio originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At least on this Gregorian calender sitting here in the office, March 1st is still a few days off. True though that may be, it hasn’t stopped at least one LX9600 (or Versa, if you prefer) from getting unboxed from its Verizon Wireless packaging. There’s no indication of what truck this fell off of, nor if these phones may actually go on sale a few days early, but one thing’s for sure — this unboxer definitely did the honors in a high school cafeteria. Classy, no?

[Via phoneArena]

Filed under: Cellphones

LG Versa finds its way out of a Verizon box originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Versa could end up being one of the more fascinating North American devices to launch this year, and it turns out that Dooney & Burke agrees. New documentation arriving on our doorstep this week indicates that Verizon’s launch of the unusually adaptable device will be supported by fashion accessories from Liz Claiborne and Dooney & Burke, not to mention the usual host of water resistant, sport, and plain leather cases to keep your multi-hundred dollar investment safe from harm. More importantly, though, we’re seeing that it’ll launch on March 1 in all sales channels for $199.99 on contract after a $50 rebate — but that funky dedicated game pad controller will set you back another $29.99, and you better get it while the getting’s good since it’s labeled as a “limited stock” item. Can’t get caught playing Monopoly without a dedicated 8-way pad, can you?

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LG Versa press shots, full specs, accessories in the mix ahead of March debut originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Okay, an Android RAZR would have been amazing, but sadly Motorola didn’t announce anything at all at MWC, so our dreams are on hold for the moment. In fact, day three was bereft of any major announcements, but there was some action: Telstra boss Sol Trujillo’s prototype HTC handset running Windows Mobile 6.5 was pickpocketed, we played with a few real Android prototypes, and we even saw Windows Mobile hacked into compatibility with a capacitive touchscreen. What else did we learn?

Continue reading MWC day three: return of the Jedi

Filed under: Cellphones

MWC day three: return of the Jedi originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon went a step beyond simply revealing its LTE infrastructure partners at MWC this week (they’re Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson if you’re curious), announcing that it’ll actually have live networks in action by the end of the year. Two lucky to-be-named cities will be recipients of the 4G action — which sounds suspiciously similar to Sprint and Clearwire’s current WiMAX situation — where the company will get a better sense of the data rates commercial users can expect. Speaking of commercial users, they’ll be added into the mix come next year in 25 to 30 to markets. With a clear path for continued HSPA evolution up to double-digit Mbps under its belt, AT&T is pretending like it’s not feeling the heat here — but there’ve got to be a few beads of sweat forming on executive foreheads at this point.

[Via Unwired View]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Verizon launching LTE trials this year, commercial network in 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon went a step beyond simply revealing its LTE infrastructure partners at MWC this week (they’re Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson if you’re curious), announcing that it’ll actually have live networks in action by the end of the year. Two lucky to-be-named cities will be recipients of the 4G action — which sounds suspiciously similar to Sprint and Clearwire’s current WiMAX situation — where the company will get a better sense of the data rates commercial users can expect. Speaking of commercial users, they’ll be added into the mix come next year in 25 to 30 to markets. With a clear path for continued HSPA evolution up to double-digit Mbps under its belt, AT&T is pretending like it’s not feeling the heat here — but there’ve got to be a few beads of sweat forming on executive foreheads at this point.

[Via Unwired View]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Verizon launching LTE trials this year, commercial network in 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon’s LG Versa likely to launch March 1st originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard that The Network is pretty expansive, but we never could figure out just how Verizon Wireless managed to cover all those dead zones in record time without being heard. Now, it all makes sense.

Sean: “With a requirement to cut costs and save cake, Verizon has hired Bob the Builder to do the work of thousands. New Verizon slogan: ‘Yes we can!’”
Darren: “Anticipating an ambush from Chad and all his traditionalist friends, Verizon employees were forced to wear hard hats not just on location, but in transit.”
Paul: “There’s probably a smarmy guy with glasses in that car. Can you feel the anger rising within? You must learn to control that anger.”
Chris: “‘Small, slow, and easily destroyed’ was not the corporate image Verizon was hoping to project with its road fleet.”
Don: “Verizon was forced to quickly improvise after its first vehicle, the Storm-mobile, mistook park for reverse and met an unfortunate end.”
Joe: “It’s a long, lonely road out there — longer and lonelier when your car is wearing a funny hat.”
Nilay: “God, I hope no one can hear me now.”
Ben: “Ironically, this Verizon Wireless driver was seen using a GSM handset while traversing the International Speedway.”
Thomas: “My other car is a T-Mobile.”

[Thanks, Evan]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Caption Contest: The Network covers ground in a Smart car originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was the number one concern of about-to-be-swallowed Alltel customers going into this merger deal, and now it’s finally time for those individuals to breathe a huge sigh of relief. In a prime example of great decision making, the suits at Big Red have decided to not only allow ex-Alltel subscribers to keep their My Circle plans, but it’s bringing the circle to “current and future customers [read: both VZW and Alltel] as a flexible way to control wireless spending.” The news was shot out this morning in a message to employees (posted in full after the break), though there’s no word on when Verizon Wireless customers can look forward to enjoying 5, 10 or 20 numbers of free calling each month. So, AT&T — now that you’re cornered between myFaves and My Circle, what’s the reaction going to be?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Verizon Wireless adopts Alltel’s My Circle as ‘Friends & Family’

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon Wireless adopts Alltel’s My Circle as ‘Friends & Family’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like Verizon’s LTE (Long Term Evolution) service might be on track to launch this year, after all. Speaking at a Digital Broadband Migration event at the University of Colorado at Boulder, executive VP and CTO Richard Lynch said the company’s in the final stages of selecting vendor partners, and they’ll be announced at next week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. He also reiterated that service, which they’ve been trialing in conjunction with Vodafone, will co-exist with its current 3G platform. He said all vendors have been told that the they need to be and running this year. Hey fellas, let’s not let Lynch down here.

Filed under: Wireless

Verizon’s LTE vendor partners to be revealed at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like Verizon’s LTE (Long Term Evolution) service might be on track to launch this year, after all. Speaking at a Digital Broadband Migration event at the University of Colorado at Boulder, executive VP and CTO Richard Lynch said the company’s in the final stages of selecting vendor partners, and they’ll be announced at next week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. He also reiterated that service, which they’ve been trialing in conjunction with Vodafone, will co-exist with its current 3G platform. He said all vendors have been told that the they need to be and running this year. Hey fellas, let’s not let Lynch down here.

Filed under: Wireless

Verizon’s LTE vendor partners to be revealed at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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