I’ve always thought it was easier to use the Symbian OS on a mobile phone, especially relative to Windows Mobile.  It will be interesting how this deal will affect Symbian’s mobile OS market share in the future.

[Via Engadget]

AT&T/Cingular’s slogan of “Raising the Bar” is certainly an accurate statement, as the amount of reception in major cities is very good. We have had experiences in multiple major cities such as San Francisco, and we can say that we received 3 to 5 bars in almost every area that we went. However, the disappointing aspect of AT&T’s plan is that their roaming charges tend to be very high, so this would discourage a lot of people from using their phone when they are on the road in an area where AT&T coverage is not supported. When traveling outside of the United States, we experienced one of the highest roaming charges compared to other competitors. However, if you were to look at the AT&T network performance outside from a monetary perspective, we can definitely say that the reception quality is very good. This makes AT&T an ideal choice for business professionals and travelers who are in need of this capability.

Aside from the voice services that AT&T offers, their data network performance is also excellent. If you are a business professional who needs to access the internet from virtually anywhere, AT&T provides a fast and reliable data service that is difficult for many competitors to match. A great thing about the AT&T network too is that many of their phones can support data transfer, which means that you can connect your computer to a AT&T phone via USB and use the internet as if your cell phone was a cable or DSL modem. The speeds are not quite as quick, but definitely a great substitute if you don’t readily have access to a phone line or wireless network.

These are the current phone models offered by AT&T Wireless:

3125, 8525, 8125 Pocket PC, 8125 Pocket PC, BlackBerry 7130c, BlackBerry 7290, BlackBerry 8700c, BlackBerry 8800, BlackBerry Pearl, Ericsson Z525a, Firefly, LG CG225, LG CG300, LG CU400, LG CU500, MOTORAZR V3i, MOTORAZR V3xx, Motorola C139, Motorola KRZR, Motorola L2, Motorola L6, Motorola RAZR V3,Motorola RAZR V3r, Motorola RZAR V3xx, Motorola SLVR L7, Motorola V235, Motorola V365, Nokia 6030, Nokia 6102i, Nokia 6126, Nokia E62, Palm Treo 680, Palm Treo 750, Pantech C120, Pantech C3, Pantech C300, Samsung BlackJack, Samsung C417, Samsung D807, Samsung SYNC, Samsung W300i, Samsung X507, Samsung ZX20, Sony Ericsson J220a, Sony Ericsson W300i, Sony Ericsson W810i, Sony Ericsson Z300a

It’s that most exciting time of the year for owners of Palm’s Treo 755p on Sprint — firmware update time! Unfortunately, Palm’s being extraordinarily vague about the goodies contained deep within this particular binary; they simply call it a “tune-up” that improves “audio, stability, software quality and device usability.” Sounds good to us. Palm warns users to set aside a mind-boggling 45 minutes of their lives that they’ll never get back for the pleasure of updating, so be warned, and make sure you have a block of time where you really don’t care if anyone is trying to call you.

[Via Palm Infocenter]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

It was only a matter of time till the serious iPhone SDK rumors started flying, and with Apple’s Town Hall event next Thursday, it’s possible some of what we’re hearing is right on. If that’s the case, prepare to be letdown in a major way. According to iLounge, Apple will be severely restricting access on software for the iPhone and iPod touch, only allowing apps to be downloaded through iTunes, hand-picking which applications will make it to the store, and cutting off developer’s access to accessories which interface with the dock connector. Of course, this is just about what we expected from Steve, since he’s already lauded Nokia for its S60 verification scheme. Additionally, the report claims that the SDK we see next week will be an incomplete beta, with the full version rolling out in June to coincide with the WWDC. Thinking of any good reasons to keep jailbreaking your phone? Yeah, us too.

[Thanks, Omega]

Update: Here comes the counter-rumor, which has it that only paid-apps are get hand selected by Apple, while free apps would supposedly be open for download. Not clear whether that means free apps simply wouldn’t be offered in iTunes, but it’s all just hearsay until Apple tells us what’s up later this week.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sharpie to bend with David Beckham
National Post, Canada - Mar 7, 2008
The multimillionaire LA Galaxy star, whose face and body has been used to endorse everything from Emporio Armani underwear to Motorola phones, … ]]> http://theringtonezone.com/sharpie-to-bend-with-david-beckham-national-post/feed 0 http://theringtonezone.com/sharpie-to-bend-with-david-beckham-national-post http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theringtonezone/~3/_OUmt2LfHwU/motorola-marketing-chief-kenneth-39casey39-keller-departs-chicago-tribune http://theringtonezone.com/motorola-marketing-chief-kenneth-39casey39-keller-departs-chicago-tribune#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:58:47 +0000 Mobile News http://theringtonezone.com/motorola-marketing-chief-kenneth-39casey39-keller-departs-chicago-tribune Motorola marketing chief Kenneth ‘Casey’ Keller departs
Chicago Tribune, United States - Mar 7, 2008
He noted that Motorola’s phones have increasingly been associated with carrier promotions, which emphasize low prices to attract new customers. … ]]> http://theringtonezone.com/motorola-marketing-chief-kenneth-39casey39-keller-departs-chicago-tribune/feed 0 http://theringtonezone.com/motorola-marketing-chief-kenneth-39casey39-keller-departs-chicago-tribune http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theringtonezone/~3/qFE_KuxMCHk/moto-gets-a-tune-and-a-ticker-mobilised http://theringtonezone.com/moto-gets-a-tune-and-a-ticker-mobilised#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:58:23 +0000 Mobile News http://theringtonezone.com/moto-gets-a-tune-and-a-ticker-mobilised

Moto Gets A Tune And A Ticker
mobilised, Australia - Mar 6, 2008
… have teamed up to launch of Screen3 a service already available over seas which pushes content direct to the home screen of Motorola phones. … ]]> http://theringtonezone.com/moto-gets-a-tune-and-a-ticker-mobilised/feed 0 http://theringtonezone.com/moto-gets-a-tune-and-a-ticker-mobilised http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theringtonezone/~3/urCiXwMhVZ8/wind-river-profits-down-but-linux-bookings-soar-linuxdevicescom http://theringtonezone.com/wind-river-profits-down-but-linux-bookings-soar-linuxdevicescom#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:57:57 +0000 Mobile News http://theringtonezone.com/wind-river-profits-down-but-linux-bookings-soar-linuxdevicescom

Wind River profits down, but Linux bookings soar
LinuxDevices.com - Mar 6, 2008
… hardware platform, that could prove a major blow to rival MontaVista, which has supplied Motorola phones with its Mobilinux distro for over five years. … ]]> http://theringtonezone.com/wind-river-profits-down-but-linux-bookings-soar-linuxdevicescom/feed 0 http://theringtonezone.com/wind-river-profits-down-but-linux-bookings-soar-linuxdevicescom http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theringtonezone/~3/9uYuWuTIlfQ/metaswarm-announces-exclusive-licensing-agreement-for-music-rights-tmcnet http://theringtonezone.com/metaswarm-announces-exclusive-licensing-agreement-for-music-rights-tmcnet#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:53:25 +0000 Mobile News http://theringtonezone.com/metaswarm-announces-exclusive-licensing-agreement-for-music-rights-tmcnet

PhysOrg.com

Wireless Industry Goes Green
RedOrbit, TX - 7 hours ago
Sprint Nextel Corp. began earnestly exploring alternative energy in 2004, and has since deployed hydrogen fuel cells at many of its 65000 cell sites. …
Cellphone firms fight call for backup power Fort Worth Star Telegram
Greener Cell Power Presents Challenges The Associated Press
Cell Carriers Fight Backup Power Rule The Associated Press
Electronista - Wireless and Mobile News
all 258 news articles ]]> http://theringtonezone.com/wireless-industry-goes-green-redorbit/feed 0 http://theringtonezone.com/wireless-industry-goes-green-redorbit http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theringtonezone/~3/-cy79Trn_U0/are-you-thinking-of-choosing-sprint http://theringtonezone.com/are-you-thinking-of-choosing-sprint#comments Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:30:41 +0000 admin http://theringtonezone.com/are-you-thinking-of-choosing-sprint Another cellphone giant, Sprint PCS expanded their giant network by acquiring Nextel. They have possibly the best phone selection of any network. With a wide selection of phones, Sprint definitely has what you need for ringers, games and wallpapers. Their overall ring tone compatibilty is excellent.

Sprint’s network is above average in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you purchase a GSM-equipped phone, leaving Sprint’s standard network area won’t incur roaming charges. I used to have a business account with Sprint last year before I ended that contract. Now I am using them for my personal phone. I used to travel 50 miles a day for my part-time real estate job and would constantly be on the phone talking to associates and customers. I would say about once every week I would have signal problems, but otherwise things were working as they should have. Now I am getting the same good reception and clarity that I have gotten in the past. Overall, I am a satisfied customer of Sprint.

The following is a list of the cell phone models currently available from Sprint PCS:

BlackBerry 7130e, CDM-120, LG Fusic, LG LX150, Motorla MOTO Q, Motorola c290, Motorola MOTOKRZR K1m, Motorola MOTORAZR V3m, Palm Treo 700p, Palm Treo 700wx, PPC-6700, Samsung A640, Samsung IP-830W, Samsung M500, Samsung M610, Samsung PM-A840, Samsung UpStage, Sanyo KATANA, Sanyo M1, Sanyo SCP-2400, Sanyo SCP-3100, Sanyo SCP-7000, Sanyo SCP-7050, Sanyo SCP-8400

In light of the billions of dollars spent on its network, Verizon’s cellular coverage in the greater metro area of San Francisco is quite good. We did our own testing throughout the Bay Area and found that more often than not, reception was excellent with good clarity on our BlackBerry 7250, which we got online for $99.99. User opinion of the Verizon network seems to mirror our own findings.

Users of Verizon’s services can benefit from a reliable network, especially here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Also, users have the option of upgrading their phone along with a contract renewal every two years-an enticing option. Also, Verizon-exclusive phones and deals help to sweeten Verizon’s already promising deal of a reliable network.

Verizon’s homepage is fairly straightforward, with good deals right at the beginning to help you get started. Both single-line plans and multiple-line family plans are available, each category including standard, bundled and special plan types to match your needs. You can also set up your account to monitor your own minutes usage, a very convenient feature that should be standard for all carriers.

Verizon’s Get It Now enables rich multimedia content for your Verizon phone. Some of the features Get It Now brings to the table includes: music & ringtones, video, gaming, instant messaging, wallpapers and VCasts (streaming multimedia content). VCast technology utilizes broadband connections to transfer data at 400-700 Kbps. With all these features, Verizon brings a lot to the table for those consumers considering a new mobile phone service.