BGR is reporting that the long awaited T-Mobile Shadow II will be released on January 28, 2009.  This Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard Smartphone has been listed as “upcoming” for months.

The FCC approved the Shadow 2 earlier this month.  The smartphone will replace the current T-Mobile Shadow and will be the first non-touchscreen Windows Mobile phone to be released in some time.  Features are expected to include UMA Wi-Fi call support, a 2MP digital camera, a 2.6-inch QVGA display, and a microSD flash memory card slot (with assumed SDHC support).

Expected price with two-year service agreement: $99-$149.

More details as they are made available.

We’re calling it quits for the next few days for the Christmas holiday.  Site updates will resume on December 26, 2008.  We wish everyone a wonderful week!

In the span of two days, we’ve seen two new BlackBerry Curve smartphone releases, one from AT&T Wireless and one from Sprint/Nextel.

The new AT&T offering, the BlackBerry Curve 8320, isn’t exactly new, but it is a newcomer to AT&T Wireless.  The Curve 8320 is a lot like the 8310, but with added Wi-Fi and no GPS.

The BlackBerry Curve 8350i, on the other hand, is brand-spakin’ new, and features support for Nextel’s Direct Connect push-to-talk service, Wi-Fi and aGPS.

Rumors about the so-called Zune Phone are legendary, and in recent weeks the rumor mill has been working overtime.

Until a few days ago, many were certain that a new Microsoft-branded Zune smartphone would make its first appearance at CES 2009, but last week when Microsoft’s Brian Seitz announced that there would be “No Zune phone at CES” that line of thought was quashed.

What does not seem to have been quashed, however, is the idea that the Zune and Windows Mobile universes will soon begin to collide, no Zune Phone required. The narrative forming now is that Zune services for Windows Mobile are coming down the pike, a development known as “Project Pink” or “Zune Mobile.”

Continue reading »

According to Engadget Mobile, Sprint will begin offering a CDMA version of the Palm Treo Pro on January 25, 2008.  The report also states that the Treo Pro will replace the Treo 800w, which is currently being sold by Sprint.

We’ve known that Sprint would adopt the Pro for some time now, so a release in late January isn’t hard to believe.  But if the Pro is replacing the 800w, it must be the fastest handset replacement in Sprint’s history as the 800w was just released in mid-2008.

Read more about the Sprint Treo Pro 850…

The Pocket PC Central Hands-On Review of the Samsung Saga SCH-i770 Windows Mobile Smartphone has been posted in the Windows Mobile Device Review Center.

Handango is offering 15% off all of their Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Android (and every other type) software titles today, December 12, 2008.  To apply these savings, just type the code FIRSTDAY at checkout.

This 15% off coupon code is valid through 11:59PM (CST) tonight.

Google has released a new version of Google Maps for Mobile for Windows Mobile.  Version 2.3 adds Street View, Walking Directions, and My Location (shows your current location on the map with or without GPS).

Google Maps for Mobile works a lot like Google Maps on your computer: find locations, select map or satellite view, get driving directions, view traffic data, etc. Click here on your PC to find out more, or point your mobile web browser to…

m.google.com/maps

…to download Google Maps for Mobile v2.3 directly to your Windows Mobile phone.

Skype v2.5 Beta for Windows Mobile has been posted on the Skype web site for download. Available in both non-touchscreen and touchscreen versions, Skype 2.5 for Windows Mobile features improved sound quality and better stability, along with improve screen resolution support. 

Find out more here.

Mobile devices have enjoyed 802.11g Wi-Fi connectivity for years, and the technology is widely available on multiple platforms, including Windows Mobile.  But 802.11n, the work-in-progress next generation Wi-Fi connectivity technology, has thus far been absent from pocket-sized devices. 

But that won’t be the case for long, as Broadcom has developed a new combination chip which offers 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM receiver/transmitter capabilities. 

Broadcom’s BCM4329 chip is currently in the testing phase and should begin showing up in pockets around the world sometime in mid-to-late 2009, just in time for the finalized 802.11n standard.  802.11n  products, which are currently in the “draft” phase, offer up to 600Mbps data rates.

Read more…