Gadget and Techno Updates
Posts tagged mobile phones
AT&T preps smartphones plans with built-in unlimited SMS
Jul 23rd
A newly unearthed AT&T briefing has shown the carrier will soon have smartphone plans with messaging built-in. Rather than choose a separate messaging plan, customers will have the option of a “Talk, Text, Web & E-mail” plan that already factors in unlimited MMS and SMS. The chart spied by Engadget shows that each carry a $20 premium over the standard versions, or roughly the same price as needed for choosing unlimited access on its own.
The lower-tiered bolt-on messaging plans will still be available and cost $5 for 200 messages per month or $15 for 1,500.
The plans don’t give customers a More >
Verizon returns unsold Kin phones, pulls online sales
Jul 19th
A pair of insiders disclosed today that Verizon is returning all the unsold stock of the Microsoft Kin line as of Monday. The carrier has decided against selling remaining stock and will simply give the phones back to Microsoft. It has also pulled online sales of both the Kin One and Kin Two entirely and now just sells the accessories.
The exit marks the formal end to the Kin, which is already considered one of Microsoft’s greatest failures to date.
microsoft kinone
Microsoft dropped the entire series after just over six weeks, despite investing years into the project. It’s also rumored, though unconfirmed, More >
HTC to Apple: our reception complaints are far fewer
Jul 19th
HTC took its turn at responding to Apple’s cellphone reception defense by pointing to the low problem rate with its own phones. While Apple claimed to have just 0.55 percent of calls to AppleCare centering on reception problems, HTC said late Saturday that the same rate for the Droid Eris — which Apple singled out as having such a problem — was just 0.016 percent. Company PR manager Eric Lin told Pocket-lint that there were “very few” complaints of the kind with the now discontinued Android phone.
HTC
The design of the Droid Eris, and its sibling phone the Hero, is somewhat More >
White iPhone 4 delayed by capacity, precision issues
Jul 19th
The reasons behind the month-long delay in delivering white iPhone 4 units may have been provided in a report from this Saturday. The 21st Century Herald explained that Lens Technology, believed to be the contractor, is having difficulty reliably getting the right opacity and thickness for the pure white paint that Apple wants on the glass panels. The setback, along with other obstacles, has reportedly left Lens’ production at just half the necessary level, or about three panels per hour.
Apple’s decision to postpone the different color was likely to build up enough of a supply at the reduced rate that More >
Consumer Reports still won't recommend iPhone 4
Jul 16th
Consumer Reports has already shot down Apple’s offer of free iPhone 4 cases to solve the phone’s reception issues. The testing magazine still declined to give a recommendation as it didn’t believe the program reached far enough. It was a “good first step” but wasn’t universal and had a set expiry date, CR said.
iphone 4
“Apple has indicated that this is not a long-term solution,” the magazine wrote. “It has guaranteed the offer only through September 30th, and has not extended it unequivocally to customers who bought cases from third-party vendors. We look forward to a long-term fix from Apple.”
The iPhone More >