The Hippest Phones » Clamshell

Inventec’s Dr. Eye puts Android in a pocket-sized laptop

Tim Stevens — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:21:00 +0000

It may sound like a mid-boss in some forgotten and poorly translated NES game, but Dr. Eye (aka the N18C) is actually a sort of keyboard-endowed MID from Inventec. This chubby clamshell sports a QWERTY keyboard, a 4.8-inch VGA touchscreen, 3G, WiFi, and a front-facing webcam. Power is said to come from a "Marvell 624," which we're guessing is a 624MHz PXA310 and, while it's currently running 1.6, word is that it'll be dipped in 2.1's creamy filling in the near future. When will delivery be? Inventec has been showing this guy off since last year, and while the person doing the demonstration indicates they'll be available "pretty soon" at a price point around $400, we found this guy for sale already at a price of 2688 yuan, or about $395. So, if you're eager to get computing and prefer donuts to eclairs, we wish you happy importing.

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Inventec's Dr. Eye puts Android in a pocket-sized laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG kicks off T-Mobile relationship with Sentio, dLite, and GS170

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:40:00 +0000

Don't look for any crazy Android hardware here, but these three dumbphones are more notable than you might think: they mark the first time LG has hooked up with T-Mobile USA, believe it or not. The Sentio (pictured left) is the most interesting of the trio, featuring a 3-inch touchscreen, 3 megapixel cam with video capture, and support for visual voicemail. The dLite flip (middle) offers a nifty concealed LED array upfront -- a feature you see occasionally on Japanese and domestic Korean handsets, but rarely on American models -- along with a 2.8-inch display and a pair of color choices ("bubblegum" and "electric blue"). Both the Sentio and dLite also feature T-Mobile's Social Buzz app for aggregating social network status updates, a helpful feature that's quickly becoming the norm in this class of device. Finally, you've got the GS170 flip -- a phone so basic that LG apparently didn't deem it worthy of a proper name -- offering a VGA cam, Bluetooth 2.1, and "large visible keys." All three phones will be available this Summer for yet-to-be-disclosed prices. Follow the break for LG's press release.

Continue reading LG kicks off T-Mobile relationship with Sentio, dLite, and GS170

LG kicks off T-Mobile relationship with Sentio, dLite, and GS170 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US Cellular rolls out ‘low-maintenance’ CDM8635 flip

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:13:00 +0000

When the term "low-maintenance" appears in the first sentence of a phone's press release, you can pretty much guess what it's all about. Sure enough, the CDM8635 being offered through well-established industry middleman PCD to US Cellular keeps things simple with a 1.3 megapixel camera, 2.2-inch color and 1.5-inch monochrome displays on the inside and exterior, respectively, dedicated shortcut keys for top phone functions, and voice-activated dialing; we don't have pricing details just yet, but we can assume it'll be dirt-cheap on contract. Look for it to hit USCC's online store some time today -- and in the meantime, follow the break for PCD's press release.

Continue reading US Cellular rolls out 'low-maintenance' CDM8635 flip

US Cellular rolls out 'low-maintenance' CDM8635 flip originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s Rugby II ready to put the smack down on AT&T for $130 on June 6

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:03:00 +0000

Another in AT&T's parade of June 6 launches, the Rugby II follows up -- yes, you guessed it -- the original Rugby, a rugged clamshell from Sammy that's been in the carrier's lineup for well over a year now. It's got push-to-talk compatibility, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, a 2 megapixel camera, Video Share support, voice processing tech from Audience (the same company that handled the Nexus One's noise reduction circuitry), Bluetooth, and microSD expansion -- standard fare to be sure, but probably just right for the outdoorsy-type workers that'll undoubtedly be carrying it. It'll be available the first Sunday in June for $129.99 after $50 mail-in rebate. Follow the break for Samsung's press release.

Gallery: Samsung's Rugby II ready to put the smack down on AT&T for $130 on June 6

Continue reading Samsung's Rugby II ready to put the smack down on AT&T for $130 on June 6

Samsung's Rugby II ready to put the smack down on AT&T for $130 on June 6 originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 25 May 2010 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry 9670 caught trying to justify its existence on video

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:37:00 +0000

Look, we'll admit that we may have gone a little hard on the BlackBerry 9670 the first time we saw it -- but seriously, could you blame us? Thanks to the 8200 series, RIM's developed a reputation for making gargantuan clamshells, and the 9670 certainly doesn't seem to buck that trend -- in fact, it's very likely even wider on account of its full QWERTY keyboard, and you can tell from this new video that it doesn't make any apologies about its thick waistline, either. That being said, the phone seems to look just a smidge sexier now than it did before, though it's still not necessarily clear why you'd pick it over a 9650 or 9700 when it's essentially the same size folded. Guess we'll know when -- or if, rather -- RIM launches this thing. Follow the break for video.

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BlackBerry 9670 caught trying to justify its existence on video originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 14:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXLVII: these Adidas don’t go on your feet

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:12:00 +0000

Nothing says "I occasionally don a $200 jogging suit and plod through prominent areas of Central Park where my Greco-Roman form has the best chance of being noticed by onlookers" like carrying an Adidas-branded phone in your pocket. Bonus points for a metal-look "Sports" badge glued to the inside of the hinge. But ouch... minus 15 points for it being an unlicensed product, my friend -- who do you think you're fooling with this thing? Actually, whether it be the streets of Shenzhen or New York City, we don't think the average individual would suspect that this was a ripoff from the outside -- it's actually pretty convincing and tasteful -- but the multicolored lights on the keypad might give it away when you flip it open. Your years of athletic achievements, poof! Gone just like that in a cloud of illegal branding.

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLVII: these Adidas don't go on your feet originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola prepping ‘La Jolla’ low-end Android clamshell?

Paul Miller — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:28:00 +0000

It's a source code-palooza these days! Fresh off that huge HTC code name find, someone's dug into the Motorola CLIQ's source code and found references to a new Motorola device dubbed "La Jolla." Meaning "The Jewel" in Spanish, La Jolla apparently means "low-end Android clamshell" in Motorola-ese, with mention of a WQVGA screen, 528MHz processor and what seems to be a QWERTY keyboard. (What such a phone might look like is pictured above. Thanks, LG). In fact, a QWERTY Android clamshell (the clamshell bit was extrapolated from the display driver by the folks at AndroidandMe, but sounds reasonable) seems to be the perfect cure for the recent rash of QWERTY featurephones we've been seeing lately, perfect for the SMS / email junky that doesn't want to bother with high-powered apps or a big price tag or the resistive touchscreen-only typing of the HTC Tattoo. Now, if only could find some device source code that could solve our trigger shyness brought on by this steady stream of Android handsets -- not that we're complaining.

Motorola prepping 'La Jolla' low-end Android clamshell? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Lotus successor LX610 seeks to look even stranger than the original

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:52:00 +0000

We've heard rumors in the past that Sprint is looking to replace its Lotus with an upgraded model, a testament to the fact that the bizarre mega-wide form factor must be doing relatively well at retail. And how, exactly, do you outdo a phone like the Lotus? One obvious answer is to add a huge display on the front, which is what the upcoming LX610 seems to be doing if the shots over on PhoneArena are legit. Without any obvious input method, we're not sure what good a big external display (QVGA, if we had to guess) does -- but then again, it sorta worked for the RAZR 2, so we suppose it could work here, too. Anyhow, time to start taking bets on the third-generation model -- twice as wide and a Dvorak keyboard layout is our best guess.

LG Lotus successor LX610 seeks to look even stranger than the original originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s ‘glamorous’ Diva Collection 2010 officially announced

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:54:00 +0000

There's nothing like a faux quilted battery cover to get the blood pumping, so if you've been unable to sleep since laying eyes on those magnificent Diva phones from Samsung last week as you've desperately sought high and low for more information, trust us, we feel you. Fortunately, Sammy's now seen fit to drop some knowledge on the pair of handsets targeted squarely at the fairer sex; first up, the S5150 clamshell features a "glittering LED" (their verbiage, not ours) on the outer cover that lights up in interesting ways when calls and other events occur. Meanwhile, the S7070 goes full-touch with Samsung's usual TouchWiz UI but adds special features like "Beauty Effect" to make shots snapped with the 3.2 megapixel camera "flawlessly beautiful." Interestingly, Samsung says that it'll be re-upping the Diva Collection every year with new phones aimed squarely at girly buyers, but don't rush down to the shady wireless shop yet -- these first Divas won't be hitting until January when they launch in Russia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe with Asian availability coming at a later date.

[Image via GSM Arena]

Samsung's 'glamorous' Diva Collection 2010 officially announced originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon launches hardcore Casio G’zOne Rock

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:21:00 +0000

It doesn't sound as hardcore as its predecessor, the Boulder -- but Verizon's just-introduced Rock is actually the company's most functional Casio G'zOne model to date. Though it looks quite similar to the outgoing model, the Rock's headlining addition is the so-called Triple Sensor -- something certain G-Shock owners might already be familiar with -- which allows the phone to offer an integrated thermometer, compass, and pedometer. It also features touch-sensitive music controls, a 2 megapixel cam, and -- you guessed it -- mil-spec 810F compliance for resistance to the everyday ails of the world like water, dust, and sun exposure. It'll be available online starting tomorrow for $199.99 on contract after rebate, while stores pick it up a few days later on the 30th.

Verizon launches hardcore Casio G'zOne Rock originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola i680 gets FCC clearance

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:03:00 +0000

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Sprint, iDEN

If there's one thing we can promise when a Moto starts with "i" it's that it'll be an iDEN phone, so when you hear that there's an i680 in the FCC, you can pretty much gather what's going on here. Taking a look at the documentation, the newest push-to-talk clamshell out of Schaumburg looks way different than what we're used to -- but then again, so did the i9, so we can't say we're surprised to see 'em push the boundaries of iDEN design yet again. It's got a camera of unknown resolution and appears to be pretty well ruggedized (we'd expect no less from your average iDEN set) on account of that beefy thumbscrew holding the battery cover on around back, but it's hard to say when it's launching, so we're trying to keep our excitement level to a dull roar at this point. More as soon as we get it.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Motorola i680 gets FCC clearance originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ViewSonic VPC08 keeps Windows XP, clamshell style alive

Vladislav Savov — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:40:00 +0000

Filed under: Handsets

The xpPhone isn't even out yet and already it has competition. ViewSonic has announced its own take on the idea of a phone with Windows XP as the OS, in the form of the VPC08. With an Intel ULV processor, half a gigabyte of RAM, and 8GB of storage, it has just about enough to let you run XP productively, and once you open up the clamshell casing you'll find a 4.3-inch display and a full QWERTY keyboard to do it with. The outside is adorned with a 2 megapixel camera, plus a 2-inch screen and numeric keypad for your old school phone needs. An asking price of $800 and what we suspect to be pretty atrocious battery life will likely be the biggest hindrances on this device's path to respectability, but all the same, we totally wanna play with one. You should mosey on past the break to find a picture of the retro-looking externals.

[Via Cloned In China]

Continue reading ViewSonic VPC08 keeps Windows XP, clamshell style alive

ViewSonic VPC08 keeps Windows XP, clamshell style alive originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Quantico gets rugged for AWS CDMA

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:30:00 +0000

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, EV-DO, CDMA

Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint (well, Direct Connect anyway) have all gotten their fair shares of ruggedized Motorola love, but what about the regionals like MetroPCS? The answer to that might very well lie in the Quantico flip that was announced today, bearing support for 1700MHz CDMA in addition to 800 / 1900 with EV-DO. Besides mil-spec 810F compliance for resistance to environmental evils like water dunks, heat, and dust, the Quantico offers up a 1.3 megapixel camera (a little meager, if you ask us), stereo Bluetooth, and microSD expansion. Moto's putting nearly all of its weight behind Android right now, but alas, no Android here -- speaking of, whatever happened to the non-touch version of the platform? Anyhow, look for the phone to hit markets in this quarter; carrier partners have yet to be announced.

Motorola Quantico gets rugged for AWS CDMA originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia 3711 flips its way onto T-Mobile

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:41:00 +0000

Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

Say "AWS-compliant Nokia" and the first thing many folks are going to be thinking about right now is the mighty N900, but yeah, that's not what T-Mobile's getting around to launching today. Instead, it's the 3711 that we first met back in early October, offering a QVGA primary display, 2 megapixel camera, GPS, and FM radio in a smooth little clamshell package that'll run $69.99 on an Even More contract after rebate or $159.99 on Even More Plus. It's available now -- just don't expect to be running Maemo on this bad boy and you should be fine.

Nokia 3711 flips its way onto T-Mobile originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Convoy is a rugged push-to-talker for Verizon

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA

For some reason known only to its users, push-to-talk and mil-spec protection seem to go hand in hand -- and that trend continues with Samsung's Convoy for Verizon. The beefy little flip offers 810F compliance for resistance against shock, dust, vibration, salt, fog, humidity, sunlight, and temperature extremes, EV-DO-based push-to-talk, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 2 megapixel camera plus VZ Navigator support. Verizon's also touting its "long battery life" (we'll be the judge of that) with a 1300mAh pack on board, so you should be able to chirp-chirp your way through the night if you play your cards right and you've got some willing participants on the other end. Look for this one to drop (quite literally -- it's rugged, after all) on November 15 for $49.99 on contract after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Samsung Convoy is a rugged push-to-talker for Verizon originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canceled Motorola RAZR3 reemerges as KLASSIC in South Korea

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:00 +0000

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, CDMA

When the bulk of your business suddenly shifts virtually all of its marketing and engineering resources to Android, certain thinks are bound to fall through the cracks -- take the "Ruby," for example, once said to be the fallen would-be successor to the RAZR 2. We guess Moto got far enough along on engineering with this one that they figured they'd toss it over to one of its lower-volume markets rather than canning it altogether, though, because the higher-end flip has reemerged in South Korea as the KLASSIC. For anyone who keeps track of these sorts of stats, that's exactly three more letters than the typical Moto model name has, but the phone breaks all sorts of rules -- after all, it combines an old-school 2G radio (which in operator SKT's case, means CDMA) with a relatively fresh 5 megapixel cam, not unlike the ZN5. There's no word on a release outside South Korea at this point, but frankly, we're pretty sure the DROID would eat it anyhow.

[Via AVING]

Canceled Motorola RAZR3 reemerges as KLASSIC in South Korea originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson Equinox channels T707 flip for T-Mobile

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:59:00 +0000

Filed under: Handsets, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

The T707 has become Sony Ericsson's gold-standard midrange fashion flip for 2009, and in light of the fact that T-Mobile USA has been turning a new leaf with these guys lately, it only makes sense that they'd want to bring a version of it onto the network, right? Indeed, the TM717 remix that we've seen in the FCC already has now been officially revealed as the Equinox, featuring a 3.2 megapixel camera, integrated FM radio, support for HSDPA, and a trick motion sensor that lets you control certain phone functions by waving your hand over the front. It'll be hitting "select" T-Mobile retail locations plus the corporate website tomorrow, but anyone holding out until the 31st and visiting the grand opening of T-Mob's latest LA location will have a chance to meet diehard Sony Ericsson fanatic Maria Sharapova (pictured, along with a T707) and participate in a lookalike contest. Conveniently, we were looking to go out on Halloween as Maria Sharapova anyhow, so this works out swimmingly.

Sony Ericsson Equinox channels T707 flip for T-Mobile originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio’s G’zOne Rock C731 for Verizon oozes tough

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:54:00 +0000

Filed under: Handsets, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA, Casio

We've been hearing about Casio's next US-bound G'zOne for a while now, but the Rock's been taking its sweet time getting to market -- not unlike the EXILIM before it, we suppose. We still don't have a release here, but PhoneArena appears to have nabbed solid shots of the C731 in the wild, showing totally typical G'zOne styling cues with the pointy tips, textured components, and a total disregard for beauty (at least in the traditional sense of the word). They still haven't managed to scrounge up a possible release date -- but really, you could argue that the Boulder still has some life in it, so we wouldn't be surprised if this didn't hit until closer to the holidays at the earliest.

Casio's G'zOne Rock C731 for Verizon oozes tough originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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