Press Release : AT&T Navigator Goes Global

AT&T Is First U.S. Wireless Carrier to Give Customers GPS-Based Navigation Capabilities Abroad With Initial Availability in 20 Countries

AT&T customers can now stay on the beaten path not only in the U.S. but when abroad, as well. AT&T Inc. today announced the availability of AT&T Navigator Global Edition, the only GPS-based service available from a U.S. wireless carrier to provide international navigation capabilities.

Beginning today, AT&T Navigator Global Edition can be used in 20 countries on AT&T-powered smartphones featuring built-in GPS capabilities. AT&T Navigator Global Edition’s coverage area includes most countries in western Europe, North America and the U.S. Caribbean as well as the six cities in China that will host Beijing Summer Olympics events. The new international navigation service is available in conjunction with the domestic AT&T Navigator solution on the AT&T Tilt, BlackBerry 8800, BlackBerry 8820, BlackBerry Curve 8310, BlackBerry Pearl 8110, BlackJack II and MOTO Q 9h global smartphones. 

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AT&T Blackjack II Gets Blue and Pink Versions

Looks like the all so popular BlackJack II is getting into the color choice game.

I am liking the styling on the back, but the 2 tone look ain’t doing it for me. If it were that same blue all over, I think that I would like it much better.

10 iPhone Tips, iPhone Rants, and Battery Tests

I asked and you guys answered. This poll was right on with what I expected based on the audience we have here. I think we’ve done a good job mixing it up here still. Either way, here is another iPhone post, and it’s another on my own personal usage.

Unlike many of the iPhone users, I have very little experience using the iPhone. Even though I have had the iPhone since day 1, I have about 1-2 weeks of hands on time. Now that the iPhone’s 2.0 Software supports 3rd party apps and Microsoft Exchange, it was time to give it another shot. I have done that and because I’ve been to busy to take the time to change it out, I am still using it.

I flashed my old iPhone to an unofficial 2.0 ROM a week ago. The battery life was horrible the next day. I will admit that I used the device a ton Friday to test and play. I had the Treo 800w to test out the next couple days and I used it mainly Saturday and Sunday. Sunday night I loaded the “official 2.0 ROM” and got back at the real world test to see if the battery could live up to my needs.

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3G Apple iPhone has the best Battery Life?

PC World has done some battery testing and it looks like the 3g iPhone edged out the Samsung Instinct by a narrow margin. The test looks fairly complete, but Gizmodo points out that they forget to include Nokia devices, maybe it was intentional? We all know that Nokia has some magic dust in their batteries.

PC World says that the result is remarkable knowing that AT&T’s HSDPA/UMTS network is very power-hungry because voice calls use the more battery-demanding 3G band. By contrast, the Samsung Instinct—which runs on EVDO—switches to CDMA for voice, which they say it uses less power. In theory—as the results show.

My 1st Gen iPhone had a less than stellar 1st day in the battery life department. I used the leaked Rom on Thursday and it could have contributed to this. James Fee, former moderator/admin here, pointed me to a MacRumors post stating that this leaked ROM could have been designed for the 3G iPhone Hardware. I went ahead and reflashed to the Official ROM. We’ll see how it goes.

Source: PC World via Gizmodo

AT&T LG Vu Video 1st Look

This is another fancy feature phone that i’ve had a chance to look at. I have looked at the Samsung Glyde already and have the Samsung Instinct left to look at as well. Look for the Instinct sometime next week though, I have a couple others I am looking at right now. Stop by Monday for the next phone. This one is inexpensive, but a very nice phone. It’s somewhat limited on features you might be used to with a WinMo phone or the iPhone though.

AT&T Apple iPhone 3G White Video Unboxing

This isn’t my video, it’s AT&T’s own unboxing of the white 3G iPhone.

I apologize ahead of time to those that don’t care about the iPhone, this is a iPhone 3G day, so there has to be a little tolerance eh? I’ll have some unboxing photos of the 16G 3G iPhone up later too.

PS. I personally think that white back is hideous. Sorry Apple. I prefer the brush metal look of the 1st Gen iPhone.

David Pogue Talks About the 3G iPhone

He makes mention about the lower price for the hardware, but also mentions the increase in price for the AT&T services. He mentions the spotty 3G coverage as well. It’s really a silly video, but informative and entertaining.

In the past, I’ve been a tad critical of David Pogue, I admit. Around the time of the Zune Launch, I had an email conversation with him and understand him a bit better. Thanks David.

PS. There will be a few iPhone posts over the next week or so here, but I am not going to flood you. I promise.

Video Unboxing of the AT&T Blackberry Pearl

I shot this video back when I got the Blackberry Pearl in May. I never got around to uploading, so here it is. Since this video, I bought my wife a Red Pearl as well.

There are some photos from back on May 15th here at Mobilitysite as well.

Samsung Omnia to AT&T? I Sure Hope So!

Oh boy, this is huge new for me as an AT&T Mobility customer if it’s true! Take a look at Arne’s video view of this sweet looking phone. This phone is being heavily compared to the iPhone, but you know, it’s running Windows Mobile 6.1. That means that the Apple folks are going to hammer it no matter what. Right?

BGR is reporting that they have some inside info from the "boys in blue"….

That’s what our AT&T boys in blue are sayin’! Want some details on it? Well, it’s rumored to have all the usual AT&T stuff like AT&T Music, AT&T Video, AT&T Navigator, and more. But, it’s also going to have AT&T Mobile TV, too. The other specs are pretty well know: a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional device with a 5 megapixel camera with face detection, quad-band EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, 3.2″ WQVGA touch screen (sadly it’s 240×400), Bluetooth, and either 8GB or 16GB of internal memory. We’re working on some press shots for y’all, but in the meantime, go on and keep comparing it to the iPhone 3G…

Source: BGR

Windows Mobile Game Developers Can Win $25,000

The AT&T Developer Program, devCentral, has partnered with Windows Mobile, HTC and mobile game distributor, I-play, to bring you the AT&T Game Development Contest for Windows Mobile. Show us what you’ve got and have the chance to win $25,000 cash and a distribution contract. Other prizes include $5,000 cash for runners-up.

• Deadline for submission: July 31st, 2008, 12 am (EST)
• Winner announcement at CTIA in San Francisco: September 10-12, 2008

Here are a couple resource to help…

• Windows Mobile 6 Overview
• Device Specifications
• Style Guides
• Windows Mobile 6.0 SDKs
• DeviceAnywhere Virtual Lab of Handsets

For complete prize details, rules and to register, visit the contest Registration Website.

Is the Touchscreen BlackJack Coming to AT&T? i780?

I’ve been calling the Samsung i780 the Touch screen Blackjack ever since I got to demo one at the Microsoft MVP Summit earlier this year. I really expected this phone to go by the wayside and be one of those only Europe releases and gave up hope of it coming to the US. Well, a little rumor on WM Experts perked my ears….

Here’s a fun rumor we heard over the weekend from an anonymous tipster: at a meeting for AT&T Store managers, looks like a few manufacturer reps got a little overexcited about what’s coming down the pike. One couldn’t help himself from pulling a BlackBerry Bold out and flashing it around. Another, she had a full-on gear bag full of phones — one of which appeared to be the Samsung i780. Technically, it would have been the Samsung SGH-i788, which has the bands necessary for the US 3G networks.

They are saying that the rep mentioned a release that would be in the same time frame as the Bold and iPhone release. I have a hard time believing this, but here’s to hoping. The blurb did mention that this phone “DID” have an AT&T logo on it.

Source: WM Experts

Apple to bring in $300 Profit per 3G iPhone?

You will never see a figure like this walk out of Apple’s doors officially, at least not to the general public, but Portelligent is estimating (although I can’t find it on the site) a $100 cost per unit to manufacture the 3G iPhone. The iPhone is rumored to be sold to carriers for $400. Of course AT&T and other carriers lucky enough to sell the iPhone will recover the other $200 of that $400 from the contract pretty fast. Anyhow, my math says $300 profit per unit. That is some serious coinage.

The new iPhone costs Apple considerably less than the original to make, according to a somewhat speculative analysis by Portelligent, an Austin, Texas-based teardown specialist.

David Carey, Portelligent’s president, told EETimes that based on what his firm knows about the components Apple is using, the bill of materials for the new phone could be as low as $100. The first iPhone, by contrast, came with a BOM of $170.

Source: CNN Money via intoMobile

iPhone Update … No tethering allowed

Well this is certainly a bummer for those that were expecting to take advantage of their new iPhone’s capabilities. 

With the iPhone 3G’s significantly faster data transfer rates and ability to perform voice and data functions simultaneously, potential buyers have become intoxicated with the idea of tethering the device: using it as a cellular modem for laptops — a service AT&T and other carriers offer for many other portable phones. iPhone Atlas has learned, however, that AT&T will not be offering tethering capabilities for the iPhone 3G.

Check out the story here at iPhone Atlas

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More iPhone Financial Wrinkles

In a story appearing on Reuter’s website, AT & T, while still not giving too many details about the dollar and sense behind the new iPhone 3G deals, indicates that they are viewing this as an investment that will only pay off in the long term.

The phone service provider is stating that it’s earnings per share will drop between 10 and 12 cents in 2008 and 2009.

However, it is the following quote that I find the most interesting/disturbing.

There would be penalties for users who do not activate the iPhone in the first 30 days, AT&T said, in a move aimed at reducing the number of customers who buy an iPhone and tweak it so that they can use it on another network.

Penalties unless you activate the device promptly? Sounds like Apple/AT&T is taking yet another page from the Microsoft playbook in order to try to stop the hackapolosa that happened after the last iPhone release.

Look out, AT&T is getting BOLD, Blackberry Bold

Last month, a couple days after a Bold showed up on ebay, Rim announced the Blackberry Bold. The next day it seems, John Mayer is showing off his Bold online. The carrier was set, the date was set, so all that is left is the waiting… The waiting continues, but you can got to AT&T’s website to drool now. The Blackberry Bold has made it to AT&T’s website in a “Coming Soon” role…

 

Source: Gear Diary