The Berry Reporter review states the design of this flip smartphone is really nice. It’s light and compact yet features a large enough screen to feel like a BlackBerry. The buttons are also flush with the device, giving it a sleek design.

Screen resolution isn’t exactly stellar and the camera doesn’t quite match up with other smartphones at this price point, but that’s not exactly a deal breaker. And even though the battery is rather date, Berry Reporter was still quite pleased.

For a first of its kind, this phone is well worth the investment. However, it is not the device for someone that truly wants the full functionality of a standard BlackBerry or even another smartphone. However, it does a good job of combining everyday needs with those that are more advanced. Check out the full review and full specs at Berry Reporter and watch a hands on video below:

[via Berry Reporter]

This fee will be enacted beginning on November 1st. So, any company that uses the network to send text messages will be affected. This could set a precedent for other carriers in the US, as well.

Currently, other carriers only charge a fraction of a cent per message sent. This does not reflect any pricing for consumers sending text messages. A few partner-sent text messages won’t be affected including free-to-end-user campaigns the text-giving.

[via Mobile Burn]

The HTC T8290 will have GSM and WiMax. However, a 3.8-inch display screen has a 800 x 480 WVGA resolution, so it looks great. Plus, there’s Wifi and Bluetooth built in. It really is pretty similar to other HTC Touch devices but the screen is considerably larger.

On the back of the T8290, there’s a Yota logo, which is actually the Russian WiMax network. We recently learned that the HTC Touch HD would not be getting a U.S. release, so this one might be its replacement. Or not. We’ll just have to wait and see.

[via SlashPhone]

Decryption of WPA and WPA2 systems has been possible for quite some time, but the use of NVIDIA cards to accelerate the process is “extremely worrying” according to GSS. We don’t know how long it took to break the encryption, so it’s hard to say what the real threat is.

However, I could see how this would be a real problem for those that rely on wireless networking for doing business. We’ll have to see how this pans out in real world tests, however.

[via The Boy Genius Report]

This will significantly increase download speeds, boosting them up to 100Mbps. Interestingly enough, the HSPA will be added to the current 3G networks in order to make the transition to LTE smoother, even though HSPA is usually only used on GSM networks.  

This will definitely be a game changer, considering current connection speeds on 3G networks can only reach a maximum of 7.5Mbps. This will greatly expand what people can access on their cell phones, no doubt increasing video and gaming options.

[via RCR Wireless News]

Apparently, an internal memo leaked out and the software is sporting a bunch of flaws. And until these errors can be eliminated, the carrier is removing it from their line up. RIM is said to be testing the device now to fix the problem and to help avoid such problems in the future.

Orange says a fix should be ready within a few weeks. The specific problems are not known but the BlackBerry Bold was said to have 3G issues on AT&T back in August. Yikes! Hopefully RIM will be able to get the Bold back on track shortly.

[via Electronista]

The low price tag and music-oriented focus of the phone are positives and will bring in younger audiences. Nokia is also obviously setting themselves up to do battle with Apple’s iTunes with their forthcoming Comes With Music service. The reviewer does emphasize, however, that since this is Nokia’s first venture into the touchscreen market, future devices may do better to break down the assumptions that smartphones with touchscreens are automatically outrageously expensive.

They also point out that the materials aren’t outstanding but they are not a letdown, either. The phone is rather thick, though, but not more so than many of its competitors. The phone comes with a soft, plastic case and a stylus that sports a wrist strap.

The display is very nice, however. You can use the stylus or your fingers to manipulate it and it can handle a beating. The reviewer notes the only screen that comes anywhere near the quality of this one is the one on the HTC Touch HD, though us in the U.S. are flat out of luck on that one.

The touch keypad is very responsive and accurate, responding to even the tapping of fingernails. There is even a mini-QWERTY and a full QWERTY keypad you can use in various text input situations.

Battery life was better than expected and the OS ran pretty quickly, though load times were apparently hard to pin down. You can read the entire review and see a ton of pictures of the device in action here.

[via Mobile review]

The device has a 1.3 megapixel camera with video capture, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth and A2DP support. With 3G support, this phone can be used for streaming online content or you can use it with the Video Share service from AT&T. This service lets you send video while talking on the phone.

With a quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz), dual-band UMTS (850/1900MHz) and an A-GPS, you’re all set. This is a standard phone, not a smart one, but you can’t beat the price at $49.99 with a two-year contract. However, this price reflects the total after a mail-in rebate.

[via Samsung Mobile News]

In fact, in Opera Mail, you can now ignore or follow your contacts or various email threads, if you’d like. Dubbing themselves the “Swiss Army Knife of browsers” Opera provides users with various tools to make of what the web they wish.

There is also a new website devoted to the browser upgrade that lets you see all of the latest features and new options built into the browser. Check it out at http://portal.opera.com/discover/.

Under the PhoneTag service, your missed calls are forwarded to their system, at which time the caller can leave a message. This message is then transcribed by the service and sent to you in text format as an SMS text message or an email. Email messages also include an audio file attachment of the original message.

Accuracy of the system was rather good. Words that the system had to spell out phonetically appeared with a single question mark, words it couldn’t make out at all, a double question mark. Problems are also identified by brackets. The system sometimes had trouble figuring out names and wind noise caused a bunch of double question marks. However, it seems overall accuracy is high.

PhoneTag is compatible with 95% of phone systems in the United States and there are a number of plans offered including a $9.95/month plan for 40 messages, a $29.95/month plan for unlimited messages and a pay-as-you-go plan at a rate of 35-cents a message. All in all, we were pleased with PhoneTag and if you’re a frequent voicemail user, this one is well worth trying out.

[via PhoneMag]

The Storm features a ClickThrough touchscreen display. This sets the smartphone apart from other devices in that it combines capacitive touch and sensors to create a fully functional experience.

The top layer of the screen is used for gestures like scrolling, highlighting and more. However, if you physically press down on the screen you reach the second layer which results in a “click” that users of BlackBerry devices in the past could liken to the trackball. This system runs on Synaptics’ ClearPad, which is a multi-touch model custom made and seen prior on Onyx.

Other unique features include two-finger typing, copy and paste and more. Use of such a screen definitely sets the BlackBerry Storm apart from its competition, primarily the iPhone. So we’ll have to see how it fairs in hands on comparisons.

[via SlashGear]

This is a big deal in the world of touchscreens. Even with contracts, the devices typically range in price form $100 to several hundred dollars. To just agree to a contract of a certain amount per month and then get the device free, this is somewhat of a game changer.

This is no doubt an effort to remain directly competitive with the iPhone by giving consumers the option to eliminate the typically pricey cost of the device itself. Pretty smart move by RIM and Vodafone on this one. We’ll have to see how it plays out, though.

[via Electricpig]