We were able to get a few minutes tonight with the all new Sprint Kyocera Echo and got  a chance to get a really nice feel of everything that’s in this dual screen beast. What do we think so far? Read on!

Ok, so first things first: the design. The Echo’s Pivot-Hinge flip design will no doubt take a little bit of time to really master (as in be able to go from pocket to open in under 5 seconds in class) but once you master it you’ll see its well worth it. The design of the Echo once you finally get the hang of it looks and feels really insane. For a phone with two 3.5 inch screens its remarkably thin (just slightly thicker than an iPhone 4) and the Pivot Hinge feels remarkably sturdy when the phone is open and the screens are locked together. In process of actually opening the phone however is where we really had trouble initially and got pretty nervous we’d go the wrong way and the thing would snap (again, takes getting used to).

And the screens– wow they both look incredible. Both screens have resolutions of 800×480, the standard high quality we see on many smartphones today. Both screens were pretty responsive regardless of which mode we were using them in: Tablet, Optimized, Simul-Task, or Single Screen. All modes seemed to work really well and for the most part were really quick.

From left to right: Simul-Tasking in the browser with ESPN and Facebook, with texting and VueQue (YouTube), and the Simul-Tasking apps (click on pix for larger shots)

And the Simul-Task mode in particular was insane. Switching between the multi-tasking apps was incredibly smooth, all you have to do is hold one finger on the top screen and one on the bottom and you can switch to any of the apps that support the Echo’s dual screens (right now that’s texting, email, browser, VueQue/YouTube, Maps, Gallery, Contacts and Phone). We really loved using Simul-Task, and it’s definitely one of the top features of this phone and one we see some real value in. Imagine watching a game in the browser (it’s an Android 2.2 phone after all and supports full Adobe Flash) and being able to at the same time either chat with your friends in Facebook/Twitter or texting them in the Messaging app– again as the video is playing in the other screen.

We also loved the Echo’s virtual keyboard, which is probably one of the top touchscreen keyboards we’ve ever used thanks in large part to it taking up the WHOLE second screen giving you a keyboard the size of the iPhone’s whole screen! Even in our brief use we were able to type on it as if we’ve been using it for days– it’s that good.

Graphics on the phone were pretty solid as well, though the Sims 3 game demo pre-loaded and optimized for the Echo wasn’t loading correctly during our hands-on so we were limited in what we could see up close of games on the Echo. What we saw in the presentation announcing the Echo though does show a lot of promise of what these dual screens could do for gaming and we’re really hoping this gets something like the PlayStation Suite as thinking about a Madden or PlayStation quality game on here gets us excited already!

On the more negative side of things we thought the look of the phone, mainly when “closed” in single screen mode, left a little to be desired (it isn’t “ugly” but to us at least it just didn’t look like a top of the line phone when compared to an EVO or iPhone. Of course, when it’s open to both screens it looks ridiculously awesome). Considering how this is also one of Sprint’s new flagship phones we were also a pretty upset by the lack of the now seemingly standard new high-end features like 4G, dual core processor, front camera and even pinch-to-zoom. Many of these features are already available on many current phones including Sprint’s own Epic 4G and EVO 4G, with the dual cores already announced to be coming to phones like the Motorola Atrix 4G and Droid Bionic pretty soon.  And considering the amount of big cell phone events coming over the next two months (MWC next week and CTIA in March– both major cell phone conferences where a bunch of awesome new stuff are announced) things like dual core processors are bound to be coming  relatively soon to other phones made by companies like HTC, Samsung and LG both for Sprint and other carriers; most probably before the “Spring” time when this would be released.

Even without all that though we’re still pretty excited for what the Echo’s revolutionary design could do for the future of our cell phones, and with the right apps we could see this definitely being a major game changer.

The other day we wrote about 5 upcoming Verizon cell phones, and now we’re switching or focus on 5 upcoming phones for AT&T. And if you are into heavy texting (like we assume most of you are) and are looking for some new cool phones that are great for texting, then read on, because AT&T has a lot of awesome ones coming really soon!

Ok, this will be a little unlike the Verizon post, in that these phones were today confirmed to be coming within the next few weeks to AT&T, so don’t worry, if you like something here you’ll be able to get it real soon!

The Samsung Impression

Samsung Impression

In my opinion, this looks to be the coolest phone on this list, as it seems to be everything you’ll need in a phone and much more!

• 3.2 inch Touchscreen with Accelerometer– Ya, a nice big touchscreen, and the accelerometer means that, like on the iPhone, the screen orientation will automatically shift from vertical to horizontal when flipped (great for doing things like taking pix, or viewing pix, videos or the internet)
• Slide out QWERTY keyboard!– Not only do you get the big touchscreen (almost as big as the iPhone’s), but a full slide out QWERTY keyboard! We told you: if you like texting you should definitely read this post, and boy were we right!
• AT&T 3G with AT&T Cellular Video and AT&T Music– Kinda like Verizon’s V Cast service.
• 3 Megapixel Camera with video capture
  
• GPS with AT&T Navigator
  
• microSD card slot and Mp3 player
• Samsung TouchWiz interface– This is similar to what is found on the AT&T Samsung Enteritiy, or T-Mobile Samsung Behold or Memoir. It is a nice, simple way to navigate through your phone, and gives you a really cool homescreen with “widgets” which make it easy to view things like text, weather, music controls and a whole bunch of other things, without the mounds of menus. Very nice.

I really like this phone, as it not only looks cool, but, if the touchscreen is solid (and easy to use), it could be a real winner for AT&T. The Impression is expected to come out April 7th (a week from today ) for a not to bad $199.99 — though it definitely wouldn’t hurt if it went for $100, which at that point would make this a pretty much MUST buy for any new AT&T user thats a heavy texter.

Samsung Magnet

Samsung Magnet

This is a thin and cheap messaging phone, for those who want something cool and good for texting, but don’t wanna pay so much for it. This phone also has some nice features like:

• Thin, cool design– Not as thin as the other cheap texting phone for AT&T, the Pantech Slate, but this phone without question is much nicer, and we MUCH nicer looking. And the color of the phone is orange, which  looks really good, much better than the blue on the Slate.
• Full QWERTY keyboard– This is great, especially for a cheap phone. Oh, and the keys on the keyboard actually looks more than usable unlike on the Slate, which when I saw it at an AT&T store, didn’t seem to be that easy to text on.
• Camera– We don’t know the resolution, but we doubt it will be near 2 megapixel, probably 1 megapixel or lower.

Other than that, there is not much to be said. We don’t yet know the date or price of the Magnet, but we’d expect it soon since AT&T confirmed it today, and for well under $100 when it does launch.

LG Neon

LG Neon

LG also has come out with a couple of phones for AT&T, and both are designed for the teenager and for heavy texting (just like the 2 Samsung’s above– yup, feel honored: they were made with you in mind ). Anyway, they are coming out with 2 new phones, the LG Neon and LG Xenon (I guess they really like “eon”). The LG Neon is the simpler of the two, and will most probably be significantly cheaper than the higher power Xenon. It’s got:

• Thin, slide out design– Think of this as a smaller version of the Samsung Impression listed above.
• 2.4 inch touchscreen with slide out full QWERTY keyboard– Again, like the Impression.
• 2 Megapixel Camera
• Mp3 player with microSD card slot to add more memory

Now the big missing feature here, like with the Samsung Magnet, is the lack of 3G. But hey, if your phone will really be for text and little to no internet, than 3G doesn’t really matter to you anyway and may be worth saving some cash. Its absence will keep the price low, and while we don’t know the exact launch date yet, we can also assume that it should be sometime within the next couple of weeks for well below $100.

LG Xenon

LG Xenon

Now here is the exact opposite of the Neon, and a real rival to the Impression, LG’s Xenon. This, like the Impression, is absolutely loaded– touchscreen with slide out keyboard, cool design, 3G– the whole 9 yards. However, it does though change things up a bit:

• 2.8 inch touchscreen with cool design and slide out QWERTY keyboard– Similar to the Impression, though a little smaller screen
• AT&T 3G with Cellular Video and AT&T Music– AT&T’s version of V Cast on Verizon
• GPS– We assume it also is AT&T Navigator
• microSD card slot with Mp3 Player
• 2 megapixel camera with video recording and flash
  
• Threaded text messaging– This is BIG, and something we’re not sure if the Impression has. Thread texting means your text appears as a conversation, like an IM. It’s found now on the iPhone as well as Windows Mobile 6.1 phones, and I must say from using it on my iPhone, it makes conversing over text a lot (and I mean A LOT) easier.

The LG Xenon will come out a day after the Impression is set to land– on April 8th, for $100 cheaper than the Impression, landing at just $99.99. It also will be avalible in either red, blue or black.

So now, which to chose– LG Xenon or Samsung Impression? My pick: the Impression. It has the bigger screen that promises to be much nicer than other phone screens preceding it it (using technology called AMOLED– it’s an organic screen which is not only brighter but, since no backlight is required, provides a far superior battery life–info from Wikipedia). However, the LG Xenon really makes me think bout that pick — saving the $100 is really something you can’t easily look over, especially in today’s economy. Having the threaded texting also is a major plus, and I really hope Samsung has something like it on the Impression (really doubtful about it though as it wasn’t boasted as a feature, but who doesn’t love a little plesant surprise ). Either way, whichever you choose, you should be pretty happy–they both look like to be great phones (and for that matter, the LG Neon and Samsung Magnet also look to be pretty cool, and should give you some nice bang for your buck).

Now let’s give the more “professional, business” readers out there something to enjoy

Samsung Propel Pro

Samsung Propel Pro

This, as you can tell from the name, is a professional version of the current Propel. What we mean by professional is that it has more “businessy” features like WiFi and Window’s Mobile. Other than that it’s got:

• Thin slider design, with slide out full QWERTY keyboard– Just like the Propel
• Chrome casing– A more metal, shinier and overall nicer look. This instead of the plastic on the original Propel.
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard– The latest edition of Windows Mobile out there, though this is the Standard, non touchscreen version. It  also has the threaded text messaging in its messaging app (remember we said Windows Mobile 6.1 phones have it? )
• AT&T 3G with Cellular Video and AT&T Music
• WiFi
• GPS
  
• Mp3 Player with microSD card slot
  
• 3.0 megapixel camera with auto focus

Overall, a decent offering that should attract some users when it comes out on April 1st (this is not an April Fools joke ) for $149.99.

Now while the Propel Pro is nice and all, I really like this next phone, both for business minded, and us regular texting teenagers alike.

Nokia E71x

Nokia E71x

This is the Nokia E71x, and wow have we been waiting on this one for a while. Rumor was that AT&T was gonna get this a couple months ago, but like with all US carriers, things get pushed off (it’s really annoying). This phone is not just sleek and stylish, but has a lot of cool features as well.

• Thin design with full QWERTY keyboard– This is really thin, like REALLY thin, AT&T is even calling this the thinnest smartphone ever! And while I can’t say if that’s true, it definitely is close as this phone really is that thin!
• Symbian S60 OS– This is the OS commonly found on Nokia devices, and is really popular particularly in Europe.
• AT&T 3G with Cellular Video and AT&T Music
• WiFi
  
• GPS with AT&T Navigator
• 3.2 megapixel camera with video recording, auto focus and flash
• AT&T Video Share
• Full web browser with Flash support– So you can view the real, internet your used to seeing on your computer. Flash means you can view sites like YouTube (the regular site not just the mobile site) that run Flash (which lets you view animations, videos, play games and such on web sites. It’s pretty much everywhere on the web).

You wanna know the best part? You can get all of this for only $99.99 when it comes out in “the coming weeks.” If your looking for a cheap, fast, good smartphone with a full keyboard, this is for you.

So there you got it, the latest info on 5 upcoming AT&T phones. These are perfect for anyone out there who is looking for a solid messaging phone for a good price. What’s your pick– I already told you I like the Samsung Impression, but what you think? You like the LG Xenon or Neon, Nokia E71x or any other phone instead? You rather get a current AT&T phone like the HTC Fuze (just watch out for the internet plan! See here), LG Vu, Blackberry Bold or another phone instead of any these phones? Let us know in the comments.

There’s a reason all these people lined up last year (Pic from ABC News)

For those who don’t know, Black Friday* is the day after Thanksgiving — the first day of the holiday shopping season –  and stores put out deals with HUGE SAVINGS on EVERYTHING, including electronics.

So if you want/need something new and value your wallet, READ ON!

*alludes to companies profits rising from “red” to “black” from its large volume of sales, though its less likely due to the current economic turmoil

All the major stores have great deals going down: Best Buy, Amazon, Circuit City (who really need go holiday sales if they wanna stay in business ), Amazon, Walmart, Costco- you name it.

For all the info on the deals from these and tons of other stores check out BlackFriday.info, but we’ll give you a small taste of some of the deals that catch our interest in this post.

By the way, if you really wanna capitalize on these Black Friday deals, you better be ready to get up really early (think earlier than 5 AM!) because the lines here are crazy.

Here’s some of our picks from each store.

Walmart:

• Xbox 360 Arcade Bundle- (see here) with Sonic Saga. wireless controller and Guitar Hero 3 with Guitar for $199.99 – this is a perfect example of insane Black Friday deals.

Xbox 360 Walmart Deal

Best Buy:

• Xbox 360 60GB Console with 4 games (Lego Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda, NBA 2K9, Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground) for $299.99. For those who wanted a 60 GB system deal instead of the deal Walmart is offering (above) for the Arcade.
• AT&T LG VU With Touch Screen – $49.99 with New 2-Year Contract- another great deal.
• $100-$150 off Macbooks and Macbook Pro’s- yup, this is even for the new Macbooks that came out only a lil’ while ago (see here for a recap of new Macbook info). This is great for those looking to buy one of those new, sweet, aluminum Macbooks (oh, and you can save even more on some of the older plastic Macbooks- I saw one with a $300 savings!). Check it here.

Circuit City:

• Xbox 360 Arcade Holiday Bundle with Extra Controller & 20GB HDD – $199.99. As you’re probably noticing, the Xbox 360 is getting major deals everywhere, but for those looking for an Arcade bundle (or anyone looking for a video game system below $200), but here you are basically getting what was the discontinued Pro model as a new deal. This is AWESOME and should make a great holiday gift.

Dell:

• Creative Labs 8 GB Mp3 and Video player w/ built-in speaker and voice recorder for $79! Perfect for anyone who wants a great music player loaded with features, that is also almost $100 cheaper than the iPod Nano.

Creative Zen Mozaic 8 GB

• Dell Inspiron Mini 9 for only $299- This is a tiny little laptop — aka netbook — is perfect for school and travelers with its small 9 inch screen. I assume this version is the one running a special Linux OS with a 4 GB SSD (solid state drive), and it may not be the perfect system for those who aren’t completely tech savvy.

Dell also sells a Windows XP version and both models have room for up to 32 GB SSD (these aren’t designed to replace you big 15 inch laptops or desktops), and these models may cost more than the $299 price here, though not much higher (these aren’t available with those expensive add ons you find on other computers).

For all the info on the Dell Mini 9 click here.

Dell Mini 9

This is just a small sample of the crazy deals coming on Friday. For all the info on all the deals go to that BlackFriday.info site.

What you think- any of the Black Friday deals listed going to make you wake up early on Friday? You gonna wait till a little later in the Holiday shopping season looking for even better deals? If you are getting something on Black Friday- what is it? Let us know in the comments. 

The other day we mentioned to you 9 upcoming AT&T phones, and guess what– not even a day after we posted it, AT&T went out and confirmed several of these phones, and even launched a couple. Which phones are we talking about and what are the finished specs and prices?

Pantech Matrix

This is a sleek, cool dual flip phone with a bunch of features. Here’s a recap on some of those features:

• Dual Flip Design- Slide it up and you get regular phone keypad, slide it the side and you get a full QWERTY keyboard
• Very Thin- AT&T wasn’t fully lying with this (we can’t really confirm nor deny it is the thinnest QWERTY device in the world ), but nonetheless, this phone is really thin.
• AT&T 3G
• AT&T Navigator and Video Share
• 1.3 Megapixel Camera with Video Recording
• Mp3 and Video Player
• Micro-SD card slot
• Three colors to choose from- Blue, Red or Green.

This phone is available now in all three colors for $79.99 after a 2 year contract and $50 mail in rebate.

The Pantech Matrix

Samsung Propel

This phone isn’t out just yet (release listed for late October), but it’s another sleek QWERTY phone that is sure to be good for any heavy texter out there. Recap of features here include:

• Small Design- This should fit in any into any pocket as well, but also features what appears to be a pretty big screen and of course, a full keyboard.
• Slide-out QWERTY (computer-like) keyboard– something great for heavy texters
• AT&T 3G
• Mp3 and Video Player
• Micro-SD card slot
• AT&T Navigator and Video Share
  
• 3 Different colors–  red, blue, green and a white with red lettering and outline.

This will also cost $79.99 when it launches later this month.

Samsung Propel in Red

AT&T Quickfire

We got some real cool new info on this- it has a touchscreen! Yup, you now get a Sidekick-like phone with a touchscreen in addition to its slide out QWERTY keyboard. Recap of all the features:

• Small Design- Like the other two phones, this should also fit smoothly in any pocket.
• AT&T Navigator and Video Share
  
• AT&T 3G
• 1.3 Megapixel camera with Video Capture
• Mp3 and Video player
• Micro-SD card slot- Still not sure how high this goes
• AT&T Mobile TV
• Available in multiple colors-  silver, orange and lime (think bright green).

This phone should be out in November for $99.99 with a 2 year contract

Pantech Slate

This a phone we didn’t mention on our list, but is being billed by AT&T as the thinnest phone with a QWERTY keyboard EVER. Obviously this phone is really thin, but we can’t confirm that it is the thinnest ever. Anyways, this phone also has some other respectable features which are:

• 1.3 Megapixel camera
• AT&T Navigator
• NO AT&T 3G- This is a real downer, especially with the current trend of the above phones.

Despite the absent 3G, this phone is pretty cheap, selling for $49.99 on a 2 year contract when it launches later this month. That price, coupled with its thinness and QWERTY keyboard, should win over some buyers.

Pantech Slate

Motorola Razr 2 V9x

Now we got a more high end phone release for you. Remember a few days ago we wrote about the Motorola RAZR 2 V9x being available from Motorola? Well, AT&T finally let this one out, and give it a nice discount over the $299.99 listed at Motrola’s site- with it now costing $199.99 with a 2 year contract and $50 mail in rebate. Recap of features on this phone:

• Very Small and Thin Flip Design- This phone is thinner than the original RAZR, and should fit easily into any pocket.
• 2 HUGE Screens- This phone has 2 HUGE screens (2 inch on the outside, 2.2 inch in the inside), and there are major updates to the outside screen–watching AT&T Cellular Video, listen to Music, view text and recent calls (really love the ability to view text, wish my old V9 had it), and much more
• Gray Color Design- This looks much nicer than what is on the V9, just need to say that.
• AT&T 3G
• AT&T Video Share and Navigator- For your one way Video Calling (does anyone even use this?) and GPS (this I see people using)
• Crystal Talk- For improving quality during phone calls (yes, cell phones are used as phones by some people)
• 2 Megapixel Camera with Video Recording- If this camera is anything like the one one the V9, then expect some decent pix– viewable but not real digital camera worthy.
• Mp3 and Video Player
• Micro-SD card slot- Expandable to up to 8 GB (instead of 2 GB as was on the V9).

This is the phone I could definitely recommend for anyone with a little larger of a budget to spend; it is a really great phone that just got a really good upgrade.

Motorola Razr 2 V9x

So what does all this info mean to you? If your a big texter, and AT&T user, you can see it means a whole lot. There are a lot of great phones on this list, and most are pretty budget-friendly. A couple that I would check out– always try to check the phone out at a local AT&T store before  you buy it (after all you are gonna use it and are spending the money) — are the Quickfire and RAZR 2. Blame it on my love of touchscreens, but these phones really stick out to me as both easy to use and really cool.

What are your thoughts- are you gonna go with a Quickfire or the RAZR 2 V9x, or one of the other phones on this list (if so which one)? Are you gonna instead wait it out a little longer for a Blackberry Bold or AT&T Fuze, or settle for a phone already out like the iPhone 3G or LG VU? Let us know in the comments.

Info from AT&T Newsroom, and Engadget Mobile.com

AT&T user looking for a new phone? Well, we got more info on 9 (!) upcoming AT&T phones, and boy do they look AMAZING. If you are an AT&T user, there is something here that is probably for you.

Well start with the simplest phones, and move up to the more high featured ones.

Samsung a637

A small phone, it looks pretty nice and also has some decent features.

• Sleek, stylish design- very nice and small, this phone should fit very well in any pocket.
• AT&T 3G
• AT&T Navigator- aka GPS
• Mp3 and Video Player
• AT&T Video Share- AT&T’s one way video chat with other Video Share phones when both are in a 3G area.

This phone is available now for $50 from AT&T’s website after a 2 year contract and a $50 mail in rebate.

Samsung a637

Samsung Propel

The official features of this phone are still a mystery — its not yet official — but the features we know include:

• Small Design- This should fit in any into any pocket as well, but also features what appears to be a pretty big screen.
• Slide-out QWERTY (computer-like) keyboard– something great for heavy texters
• AT&T 3G
• AT&T Navigator
• 3 Different colors–  red, blue and green.

This phone should cost $80 on a 2 year contract when it launches hopefully soon for AT&T.

Samsung Propel

AT&T Quickfire

This phone is something I personally find really cool. Looking like the sidekick, its rumored to have a slide up screen that reveals a full keyboard (great for texters). Like the Propel’s, the features are strongly rumored but we do know:

• Small Design- Like the other two phones, this should also fit smooth in any pocket.
• AT&T Navigator
• AT&T 3G
• 1.3 Megaixel camera with Video Capture
• Mp3 and Video player
• Micro-SD card slot- not sure how high this goes
• AT&T Mobile TV
• Available in multiple colors-  silver, orange and green.

This is expected to come later this month for $99.99 with a 2 year contract.

AT&T Quickfire

Pantech Matrix

This phone is a really cool dual slide phone- like the older Pantech Duo. Slide it to the side and you get a QWERTY keyboard like the Quickfire and Propel mentioned above, slide it down, a regular phone keypad. Other features include:

• AT&T 3G
• AT&T Navigator
• Mp3 and Video Player
• AT&T Video Share
• Micro-SD card slot
• Three colors to choose from- Blue, Red or Green.

This phone should be available for $79.99 on a 2 year contract when it launches hopefully later this month as well.

The Pantech Matrix

Samsung a867/ Eternity

This is the rumored Samsung Omnia AT&T look-a-like. This all-touchscreen phone looks really nice with that little AT&T logo up top, and is really the most feature packed device on this list.

• Samsung OS- Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it ), there is no Windows Mobile on this phone unlike the Omnia which uses Windows Mobile.
• Thin design- Will fit into any pocket.
• 3.2 inch touchscreen- This is a smaller screen than the iPhone, but about the same size as the new Blackberry Storm for Verizon.
• AT&T TV- This phone really is more like the LG Vu, now than any other phone. Unlike the LG Vu though, this phone doesn’t need you to have an antenna to watch TV as everything is built in!
• AT&T Navigator
• 3 megapixel camera
• Mp3 and Video player
• Micro-SD card slot- Ability to add up to 16 GB of memory to this phone
• 3.5 mm headphone jack- Ability for you to use regular headphones with this phone.
• A new “light pipe”- This “light pipe” has little lights on the bottom of the phone that glow when you get new emails, text messages etc.

The phone should be out be next month for $150 on a 2 year contract.

Samsung Eternity

Sony Ericsson W760a

This is a regular sliding phone that is very sleek and stylish. Loaded with features like:

• AT&T 3G
• Walkman 3.0 with Shake Control- This lets you “shake” the phone to change or shuffle songs like what is on the new Nano.
• 3.2 Megapixel Camera
• AT&T Navigator
• Tilt Control Gaming- We’re not sure exactly what this is, but our best guess is that it is like the iPhone and iPod Touch games where you can tilt and shake the phone to play games.
• Mp3 and Video Player
• FM Radio built-in
• AT&T Video Share

This phone looks really nice, cost $129.99 on a 2 year contract, and is available now at any AT&T store (online ordering should be available soon as well).

Sony Ericsson w760a

3 More Phones Due to Arrive during the Holiday Season

LG Incite

A completely rumored phone, it has:

• High resolution touchscreen
• 3 megapixel camera
• Windows Mobile 6.1
• GPS
• AT&T 3G
• WiFi
• Thin all metal design

3G Blackberry Bold

A regular Blackberry — not a touchscreen like the Storm — its release was scheduled for over the summer, but was delayed by buggy software. Features will be including:

• AT&T 3G
• WiFi
• Mp3 and Video Player
• Blackberry Media Sync- For syncing your non-bought iTunes (or songs without iTunes copy protection, aka DRM)  music to your Blackberry! And yes, this uses your iTunes library.
• Full web browser– to view the “real” internet
• GPS
• 2 Megapixel Camera with and built-in Flash and Video Recording
  
• The latest Blackberry OS.

The AT&T Blackberry Bold (click on pic to go to the AT&T preview site)

HTC Fuze

A successor to the AT&T Tilt, features on this phone are:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 with Touch Flo 3D- This is amazing (Touch Flo 3D), and lets you view text, mail, pix, contacts, play music and more with a sleek menu interface. Add the fact that you got Windows Mobile, means you can add a whole bunch of games and apps already created- without the need for an App Store.
• AT&T 3G
• A full web browser- For viewing the “real” internet
• GPS
• High Resolution Touchscreen
• Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• WiFi

HTC Touch Pro (aka AT&T Fuze)- Touch Flo 3D to left, keyboard open to right

What does all of this mean to you? If your looking for a new phone for AT&T at a good price, then you got some really nice choices just from the phones here. Big texters are also in luck with phones like the Propel, Matrix and Quickfire. Throw in some higher end phones like the HTC Fuze, Samsung Eternity, and Blackberry Bold and if your looking for a high end phone your good as well. Oh, and AT&T does still have already launched phones like a certain iPhone 3G (we think this is popular with some people ), and the LG Vu.

What you think- any of these phones looking good to being your next phone, if so which phone strikes your interest? Would you rather go for an iPhone 3G or LG Vu instead of one of these phones, or are you willing to wait for a phone like the Bold or HTC Fuze? Let us know your thoughts and plans in the comments.

Info and pix from Engadget Mobile.com, Mobile Whack.com and AT&T’s Wireless site (see Samsung a637)

Verizon Phones

1. The Rapture VU30

This phone is a stylish flip phone that looks a lot like the Motorola Pebble from a few years ago. Its features include:

• Verizon 3G
• V Cast Music with Rhapsody support (for downloading music to your phone and PC)
• VZ Navigator- for Turn by Turn GPS right on your phone
• Mp3 and Video player with V Cast Video support
• Micro-SD card slot- With room for up to 8 GB of space for storing those tunes and videos
• 2 megapixel camera
• 1.6 inch external screen with touch controls- This is becoming a trademark with Motorola, and this touch screen should offer a way to control music, take pix with the external screen, and possibly even read text messages if Verizon chooses.

The Rapture VU30 is available for order today from Verizon’s site for $129 after a 2 year contract and $50 mail in rebate.

The Rapture VU30

2. VU204

A much simpler phone, designed similar to the Rapture (albeit not as sleek and stylish looking), but not as fully featured.

• Small Design- nice, little flip phone that should fit in any pocket.
• Smaller external screen with no external media controls
• Only a VGA camera- does not take as nice pix as a megapixel camera like on the VU30
• Verizon 3G
• V Cast Navigator- Gives you Turn by Turn GPS on your phone

This phone will also be out on October 14, for a much cheaper $29.99 after a 2 year contract and $50 mail in rebate (though for those so inclined to get this phone- I’d recommend waiting a little longer after launch as it will probably drop a couple months after to a free on contract phone).

It is not a bad phone, but I would also recommend looking at some of Verizon’s other phones like the LG VX9400 (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! This also is running for $29.99, but is much more feature packed- 1.3 megapixel camera, cool swivel screen design and V Cast Mobile TV are some of the features), instead of picking up this phone.

VU204 Open

AT&T

Motorola Razr V9x

This is an update the Razr 2 V9 that AT&T got lost year. I gotta say- I really like this update and wished they could’ve put some of these features on the V9 when I had it. The features on this phone include:

• Large 2.0 inch external screen with 2.2 inch screen on the inside-Both screens are very nice if they are anything like the older version. The external screen used to only do music control, but now also does….
• GPS, watch AT&T Cellular Video (and any videos you put on the device), AT&T Music Store accessing, as well as text message viewing and other alerts!- This is all on just the external screen, without opening up the phone! I am so glad they added this, but am also pretty angry they didn’t do it when I had the phone. I really wanted the viewing text messages without needing to open the phone, but hey, what can you do.
• New Gray Color- The older V9 was only available in a dark “mahagony” or really dark reddish purple. That color wasn’t terrible but am glad they made this one with a more appealing blue.
• Crystal Talk technology for Voice Calls- The most amazing feature for anyone who wants to make phone calls with their phone (yes, there are some people who do this ). This really works, and works really well. Calls sound very clear with this and make talking on a cell phone actually enjoyable.
• AT&T 3G
• Mp3 and Video player
• Micro-SD card slot- allows you to add up to 8 GB of memory onto the phone for storing all those music and videos.
• 2 Megapixel Camera
• AT&T Video Share- For doing one-way video calls with other people who have AT&T and are in a 3G area with a Video Share phone. Basically, something cool, but also something you’ll probably never find use for.

Price and release date have yet to be announced. These are great additions to an already great phone, and I just hope that AT&T launches this soon for a good price.

Razr 2 V9x (with AT&T Navagator- GPS- on front screen)

Those are just some new phones to think about as the holiday season approaches. Right now, the V9x is the only phone here I recommend, as I used the V9 and was really happy with it- really is a great phone, very good with texting. The upgrades in the V9x make it even better, and a phone to seriously think about for those with AT&T assuming this comes out soon and at a fair price.

I am not sure if the Verizon phones are worth the investment, because Verizon has several other excellent phones:

• LG Chocolate 3 lineup– (we reviewed it here) very good and at the same price as the VU30 ($129.99)
• LGVX9400– also very nice and at the same price as the VU204 ($29.99)
• Samsung Alias- a dual flip phone that when you flip up gives you a regular phone layout, but when you flip to the side it gives you a full keyboard; it also has Verizon 3G and V Cast amoung many other features (see here for full product page) — for just $49.99.

Also, two of arguably Verizon’s top phones — the Dare and Voyager – will most likely see some big price cuts over the coming months with the holiday season under 3 months away (and America’s economic crisis- look at the front page of a newspaper or turn on MSNBC, Fox News or CNN if that doesn’t ring a bell). There will also be the addition of the touchscreen Blackberry Storm to the lineup soon at $199.99 (when it launches, we’ll keep you posted on that).

What you think, these Motorola phones worth it for AT&T or Verizon customers, a different phone on these networks you would recommend (or not reccomend)? Sprint and T-Mobile a better choice with some of their phones like the Instinct and the upcoming G1? Let us know in the comments.

Information from Verizon.com, Cnet.com, and Motorola.com (click here for V9x and here for VU204)

Ok, so over the last week or so we were lent an LG Chocolate 3 for Verizon (by a TeenTechBlog friend who would prefer to remain Anonymous ). We put it through its paces- you know made some texts and calls, checked some V Cast, etc., and to summarize this phone in two words: Very Good. To find out what we liked and didn’t like- as well as more detail besides the words Very Good, hit the more link.

We’ll do this in the same style of our usual hands on/ first look.

Features:

• Pretty thin yet very sturdy feel- We liked the design of the Chocolate 3, especially that HUGE screen on the front- changing music tracks, viewing text and pix, and even taking pix with it, was great and extremely easy (though we would’ve liked to have the ability to “Quick Reply” to a text without having to open up the phone). The back of the phone is a smooth feel, that felt pretty strong, the front though- even with the great screen- was very shiny, and that means a lot of fingerprints and scratches. The phone is pretty thin as well for a flip phone, and should fit comfortably in a jeans pocket.

You can see the Chocolate 3 is about the same size as AT&T’s thin LG Shine

• 2.2 inch inside screen and a 1.76 inch front screen with Scroll Wheel- We mentioned the front screen above, but the inside screen is also HUGE and very bright and colorful- making it very easy to read text, view pix and phone numbers, and really anything else you’d do with a phone.

LG Chocolate 3 both opened and closed

• 2 megapixel camera with video support- The camera takes pretty good pix for a phone, but like the Instinct (we reviewed here), the camera here will not be replacing your regular camera anytime soon.
• Built in Mp3 player with 1 GB of memory built in- We loved this part of the phone. Syncing music was similar to what we would do with our iPods and iTunes (thanks to Verizon’s free V Cast Music with Rhapsody player- we’ll cover that more on Verizon and Rhapsody later. You can also use other players like Windows Media Player for transferring songs if you want), and don’t even get us started on the sound. It was LOUD and EXTREMELY clear. The 1 GB of memory is also a nice touch, and for a music phone like this, it is really great to have the ability to load up 250 songs out of the box (it includes a USB cable in the box for syncing with your computer- as well as charging the phone).
• Built in FM Transmitter for Music- This allows you to play your songs over a car stereo’s FM radio (that is once you find an empty station on your car’s radio, and set the same station on your phone). This was simple and most of the time worked well from wherever I sat in my family’s minivan. Just a note on this feature- for best results you may want to keep the phone open instead of closed. From my tests with it, I got static- though not terrible- more often when the phone was closed, and when I kept it open, I most of the time got perfect quality.
• Micro SD card slot- This slot supports adding up to an 8 GB card- for those of you with a huge music collection.
• 3.5 mm Standard Headphone Jack­- Lets you use your regular headphones. It works as it should, and even with iPhone headphones!
• Verizon 3G- This is VERY fast, and downloading a 3 minute song with it took less than a minute- and I didn’t even have perfect coverage!
• V Cast- This phone has the whole set- V Cast Music, V Cast Video (the quality by the way is not the greatest with videos coming in very fuzzy and unclear), and VZ Navigator (for all your GPS needs- also includes traffic updates, which is a nice thing to have- especially when it will tell you where exactly the traffic is and how long the delay is there )
• V Cast Music with Rhapsody- We thought we should give you a little more info on this as it is a pretty big part of the phone. This works like other phone song download services, you pay usually $1.99 and get your song downloaded straight to your phone on the go. Now is where the good part begins. You download that Rhapsody player with V Cast from here, set up an account for your phone number, and when you log in after downloading your song from your phone- you’ll receive an alert asking you if you want to download an Mp3 version of that song to your computer for FREE. No more buying the same songs twice (though here you are paying $1.99 over the regular $0.99 you’d find on iTunes), and you can now use that Mp3 file to put that downloaded song on your regular iPod or Mp3 player! O, and this also works for other Verizon phones like the LG Voyager and Venus, and Motorola’s Razr 2 V9m (for a list of compatible phones click here)

V Cast Music Manager with Rhapsody (click on pic for bigger version)

• Great Call Quality- This may get overlooked with all these features, but this phone does have some really nice call quality- with calls sounding clear on our end and with the person we called.

Now let’s get to some of the bad parts of the phone.

Drawbacks:

• FM Transmitter works ONLY for Music- Something that we would have like to see- especially with the no talking on your cell phone while driving laws- was the ability to use this feature for calls as well. It would definitely make it easier for drivers even where that law isn’t intact.
• Front of Phone gets a lot of Fingerprints and Scratches- Not the end of the world- those of us who own or owned iPods know how the back of that gets scratched- but still it would have been nice not see such a good display get damaged so easily.
• V Cast with Rhapsody costs an extra $1 than buying a song from a Computer and transferring it to the phone- We don’t really get the logic behind this, as Verizon includes a USB cable in the box for syncing, and Rhapsody only charges $.99 per song when you buy from a computer.
• Video quality not the best, and is also not viewable on the front screen- Ok, so this wont replace your TV anytime soon, and again this isn’t such a big deal. A question we had- and again don’t see the logic behind- is why can’t we view our V Cast and other videos from the HUGE front screen. Trust us, when you see the phone in person you’ll see how big that screen is.
• No answering text from front screen- We know we said this earlier, but it was a big problem to us, and would make lives definitely easier.

Our Verdict: Very, very good phone. Those few drawbacks take away from it a little, but the great music and call quality make this phone great, and that huge front screen (it is that good) with Scroll Wheel (for easy navigation) just make it even better.

I would hands down recommend this phone for a person who wants a good music player and cell phone in one device- and doesn’t want to pay AT&T that $70 a month for the iPhone 3G, someone who wants a cool phone that at the same time works very well, or someone on Verizon who doesn’t want a touchscreen phone like the Dare or Voyager, but still wants a very good phone.

The price of the phone is $129.99 with a 2 year contract from Verizon’s site, and comes in either Light Blue or Black.

What you guys  think- is this better than some of the other phones out there like the LG Voyager or LG Dare for Verizon, the iPhone 3G or LG Vu for AT&T, Motorola Rokr E8 for T-Mobile, or even the Samsung Instinct for Sprint? Let us know your opinion in the comments.

We know, we know- this phone has been out since late last month and that Apple has something new coming Friday. But we finally got our hands on one and better late than never . This phone is insanely awesome and read below to hear our take.

Lets start this slow- Features: NOTE: iPHONE REFERS TO BOTH 3G AND ORIGINAL iPHONE

• Thin phone yet sturdy feel– phone is not the lightest, but it still could fit easily into a jeans pocket, and when you hold it, you feel like you’re actually holding something.
• 3.2 inch touchscreen– very large and bright while still not hurting the size or feel of the device.

Example of the large screen with the Instinct’s Menu- fills all of touchscreen with large “buttons” like iPhone

• Full Web Browser with Sprint 3G– instead of running off WiFi, which is what Apple’s iPhone uses, the Instinct uses the regular Sprint 3G phone network, so wherever you have phone service you have internet too (WiFi in contrast is harder to come by). While not quite as fast as iPhone’s WiFi, the speed of Sprint’s network gives this phone the internet speeds similar to a computer, and the web browser loads pages like a computer, giving you the “real” internet on the go.
• Tactile feedback– feedback= the response of the phone when the screen is touched; tactile= a vibrating response imitating the feel of pressing an actual button. O, and the iPhone doesn’t have it!
• Sprint TV– ability to watch On Demand TV and Live TV. the quality passes for watchable on the go, but thats about it. Its definitely not replacing your TV.
• Mp3 player with ability to Download Songs over Sprint’s network for $.99- the Mp3 player functions much like the iPhone’s, except for no cover flow . The downloading songs also works like Apple’s system, though as mentioned above, you will have connection to the Sprint network more often than WiFi.

The Instinct’s Mp3 player (sorry for bad pic, took from YouTube b/c I couldn’t get a better one- don’t worry, it works VERY well)

• 2 megapixel camera with video– the pix are good enough for a camera phone, but this wont be substituting your regular digital camera (and if it is, think about getting a new camera–see our camera suggestions). The video feature also is nothing special, though its beats the iPhone, which has none at all.

Example of Instinct’s picture taking using a Palm Treo as the subject.

• Built-in Speaker– good quality, but not too loud for listening in large groups or in public/ crowded areas.
• Micro-SD card slot– can fit as much as 8 GB in there, and the phone is prepackaged with a 2 GB card already slotted in
• FM Radio– in case you want to listen to something else other than the songs on your internal and external memory
• GPS– clean and clear maps with voice directions;  map zooming though is less fun than on the iPhone (see Drawbacks below)

Example of Instinct’s GPS and Maps

• MultiMedia Messaging (MMS)– ability to send videos or pix through texting to another person; a feature not available on the old iPhone, though it is suspected to be on the new one
• Visual Voicemail– like iPhone’s, this lets you search through your Voicemail and pick which order you want to listen to them, rather than listen to each one in the order they came in like on a regular phone
• 3.5 mm headphone jack– what now appears to be standard on these touchscreen/music phones, lets you use regular headphones with the phone rather than some special headphones.
• Gr8 call quality– yes, it also does the phone part very well (kinda sad that a post about a phone has this as last but oh well )

Includes a stylus, a backup battery (though regular battery is really good, and lasts really long), case, and a USB cable in the box as well.

Now it’s time for the down sides of the phone.

Drawbacks:

• No WiFi- even though you have Sprint’s network behind it, it is not as fast as WiFi is, and you’d think that with it being an iPhone competitor that it would have this feature, sadly it is missing.
• No Multi-Touch- we know Apple has this thing patented to who knows where, but still, as I used this phone I couldn’t help but long for the ability to just “pinch” web pages, pix or GPS maps to shrink them, and stretch out my fingers to enlarge them.
• No App. store yet- Sprint does give it a lot of programs, but it just doesn’t compare with all that can and will come out for the iPhone.

Now we say yet, because we do have news from Sprint saying that yes the Instinct will get its own apps, and that it will be part of a whole contest open to everyone, with a Grand Prize of $20,000 (yes 20 GRAND) for the person that makes the best app for the Instinct using a mobile version of Java (Java= way to play games, or other interactive things on a phone or computer). We’ll have more on this soon in its own post, though now let’s get back to our review of the phone.

• Lacking the overall slickness the iPhone offers. We’ll be very out there with this one- this phone does not match the ease of use and simplicity the iPhone offers, and there were a few times when using the phone that this became very apparent.

Final Verdict: Okay so here it is- this is a gr8 phone, works very, very well, and even passed my own expectations for it. Is this the complete iPhone killer? No. Is this a easy-to-use, feature-filled phone that gets the job done? Yes. Call quality was gr8, and that is what a phone should do right? Learning the keyboard was a breeze (keys are very spaced apart), and that tactile feedback made it even better and easier. This phone also is not terribly expensive, it costs $129.99 from Sprint’s site with a 2 year contract. Also, while Sprint also slaps on a $69.99 a month fee for the Instinct (like AT&T with the iPhone 3G), Sprint is including the ”Simply Everything Plan,”  with unlimited Web, TV, E-Mail, Text and Video/Picture Messaging, and GPS, in addition to 450 anytime minutes.

I would recommend this phone as a gr8 iPhone alternative, especially for Sprint users, people who don’t want to pay AT&T for the less-featured or more expensive plans, or someone who doesn’t have the money to buy the iPhone 3G without contract (see here for our post on that pricing).

There you have it. Now are you going to go for this phone, perhaps the LG Dare for Verizon, LG Vu or iPhone 3G for AT&T, Motorola Rokr E8 for T-Mobile, or something different entirely? Let us know your choice in the comments.

Btw, special thanks to my uncle, Dr. Robert Richter, for providing us with his Samsung Instinct for this review

Motorola Rokr E8

Wow, this summer is really the season for new, innovative, and often touchscreen, cell phones– iPhone 3G, LG Vu and Dare, Samsung Instinct… the list can go on (and can be read about here). However, one particular carrier is noticeably absent from that prestigious list: T-Mobile. Not to fear, though, the Motorola Rokr E8 is here– well on July 7 it will be, according to Cnet’s blog Crave– and its generating a lot of excitement; it already won top awards at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, including the People’s Voice award and best upcoming cell phone product (discussed by us earlier). But this phone is very different from the previous models we’ve discussed in the past for this summer…ITS NOT A TOUCHSCREEN! Yes, you heard me. Rather, this phone attempts to become the ultimate Music player Cell phone, or what we call the Mp3 phone for the sake of conciseness. Ever. Hit the more link for details!!

What makes this phone different?

I sympathize with those unfortunate T-Mobile subscribers who have been waiting anxiously for the announcement that has yet to come. But life still goes on; it may not be the touchscreen of your dreams, but the the music player cell phone integration on the Rokr E8 will indeed rock your world– and it does have some “touch” functions embedded if thats still bothering you. Dont believe me? Let me show you.

Mode “Shift” Technology– unprecedented in a cell phone at least, it illuminates only the keys relevant to the mode you are currently in–phone, Mp3, camera– giving the impression of a new device after each change in mode, and more importantly, providing a very clean layout, unlike many non-touch screen cell phones loaded with keys one on top of the other.

Haptics Keypad–while the keys are essentially touch rather than physical–only a light bump protrudes for the buttons– this fun feature sends a vibration feedback when buttons are pressed digitally. (thats the “touch” feature)

Fastscroll Navigation– see that white, frowning crescent in the middle of the phone? Well, its not the moon nor one of the iPods most famous hallmarks– the scroll wheel. Although it obviously misses out on the full wheel (could be patent reasons), the 3/4 wheel is still very comfortable and far better than many alternatives found on other phones.

Other Features:

• Aesthetically appealing and intuitive interface (Linux/Java OS operating system instead of Motorola’s regular OS)
• Similar dimension to a standard phone
• 2GB built in memory with a memory card slot–thats already 1000 songs, and the 1 GB micro-SD card included as a “free” gift from T-Mobile ups that to 1500 (keep in mind: depending on the size of your memory card, you could hit somewhere around 1700 songs!)
• T-Mobile “My Faves” support
• Stereo Bluetooth– wirelessly listen and connect your phone to headphones or car speakers (stereo headset included by T-Mobile for wireless playing T-Mobile also includes a stereo headset in the box that you can play your music off of)
• 2 inch colorful display– decent, though clearly not meant for some of the intense stuff done with the iPhone and others
• USB 2.0– fast transfer of files, and particularly music (T-Mobile includes a USB cable in the box)
• Moto’s CrystalTalk technology– greatly improves call sound quality (I know from having it on my Razr 2, this thing really helps)
• 2 megapixel camera with video capture and playback– like the display, standard but not particularly good
• Windows Media Player 11-Supported Mp3 Player–sync your music directly from your computer to your phone (similar to iTunes and iPhone- though you can also use a different media player if you want)
• Built-in FM Radio
• Compatible with regular headphones (3.5mm headset jack)
• $199 price w/2 year contract from T-Mobile — the exact same as what the other carriers charge for their touchscreen phones–the 8 GB iPhone 3G on AT&T; LG Dare on Verizon; and Samsung Instinct on Sprint (which is actually going for $130 but needs Sprint’s $70 a month plan like iPhone 3G)

So the looming question– which new phone to follow during the summer– has now become even greater. The latest list of choices: the LG Vu or Dare, Apple iPhone 3G or Samsung Instinct, and the Motorola Rokr E8 (even though it differs from the others in that it doesnt really claim to be a touchscreen, its still a very viable choice). Let your thoughts out in the comments.

Want to know even more? Go to T-Mobile’s “Coming Soon” page.

LG Dare

Now that AT&T might be getting another all-touchscreen phone, we thought it would be nice to mention some more info on Verizon’s latest touchscreen phone, the LG Dare. There’s a lot on it, but I think its worth a look. Click the More link if you’re convinced.

Now let’s get started:

Price and Realease:

The Dare is expected to go on sale online at Verizon’s online store today for a sweet price– $200 ($250 with a $50 mail in rebate). It will be in the “old fashioned” physical Verizon stores on July 3rd.

Features:

Click the Link to See a Pic

• 3 inch touchscreen with “Vibe-touch” feedback–touch something on screen and feel a vibration resembling pushing physical buttons on regular phones (also available on the Vu and Instinct, but not either of the iPhones–the regular nor the 3G)
• 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and auto-focus and video capture (cell phones are now becoming better and better cameras, and soon just having one device may be enough)
• 3.5 mm headphone jack– you can use regular headphones with it
• micro-sd card slot –room for holding up to 8 GB
• Auto-Adjusting Screen (Light sensor, Proximity Sensor, and Accelerometer)– alot of mumbo jumbo, but basically, like the iPhone, the Dare modifies the screen according to the direction–horizontal or vertical– you are holding it (accelerometer) and also adjusts the screen’s lighting (the other two sensors) based on the relevant conditions– distance from eyes, location condition etc.
• Verizon 3G with V-Cast Store and V-Cast Navigator (GPS)
• Intuitive Finger Scrolling for Music–similar to Cover Flow for the iPhone and iPod Touch
• Full Web Browser
• Embedded Video and Picture Editing
• Texting includes a touchscreen classic keyboard, Predictive text (like on most regular phones) and also handwriting recognition if you want to write in the words (another thing iPhone is missing, though you can write in Chinese–for those who have an inexplicable reason to do so)
• Drawing pad with colors, pen widths, eraser for scribbling and picture “editing”
• Compact dimensions similar to the iPhone

WOW!!!! That is a lot of stuff. On paper, the LG Dare seems better than the mighty iPhone!

Which phone do you like better– Dare, iPhone (both versions), Vu, Instinct, or the phone we mentioned yesterday, the Samsung Omnia? Who will be the king (or queen) of the touchscreen cell phones? Let us know in the comments…

Phone info and pics of phone are based on EngadgetMobile.com– who also happen to have the real thing and show the phone in action here.