Articles

And that's the question of the day. HTC has released a slick new phone (pun intended — the darn thing's got a Teflon shell!), with a slick new UI called Sense. So, of course, one of the first questions asked is, "Will Sense come to Windows Mobile?"

HTC, so far, isn't saying, of course. Can't really blame them, seeing as how Sense is all of 6 hours old at this point. But NetworkWorld [via wmpoweruser] is saying otherwise:

The company calls the new software HTC Sense, and it will be introduced in HTC's entire portfolio of mobile phones starting with the HTC Hero. The company is the world's largest maker of Microsoft Windows Mobile smartphones, and handsets running that software will also run HTC Sense in the future.

That's taken from an interview with HTC's chief marketing officer, John Wang, though it's not a direct quote. So we're taking it with a bit of a grain of salt. But we're willing to bet we'll see some Sense knocked into Windows Mobile at some point (sorry, it's just too hard to resist). Whether it replaces TouchFLO remains to be seen.

Update: Oh, yeah. Forgot about this line from the official HTC press release, emphasis ours:

Built on a culture of innovation and a passion to enhance peoples lives, HTC shapes the mobile experience around the individual. Debuting on the HTC Hero and available on all new HTC devices moving forward, Sense delivers on three basic principles: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.

So, there you go.

Sorry, folks, no WMExperts podcast this week. But to make up for it, this week we're bringing you — Smartphone Experts Roundtable Live!

Tonight, Wednesday, June 24 at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT, SPE Editor-in-Chief, Dieter Bohn (representing PreCentral.net, AndroidCentral.com, and WMExperts.com), Kevin Michaluk (fearless leader of CrackBerry.com), and Matt Miller (editor of NokiaExperts.com) will be joining yours Rene Ritchie from theiPhoneBlog.com to talk Palm Pre, BlackBerry Tour, Nokia N97, and our very own iPhone 3GS/iPhone 3.0 — and, hopefully, a little Windows Mobile thrown in for good measure.

As usual for this sort of thing, pre-show will start about 5 minutes before if you want to drop by early and reserve a space in the chat room. (And you should. Things can get crowded.)

See you then! Join in at http://www.imore.com/live

We'll let our pal Casey over at Android Central (hi, pal!) do the heavy lifting here. But that HTC event in London this morning? Heavy on Android, light on Windows Mobile. (The success of the Touch Diamond was touted, apparently.)

HTC unveiled a new phone called the Hero (think G1, only cooler and without a keyboard) and, more interesting to you Windows Mobile fans, a new TouchFLO-like UI for Android called Sense.

Also of interest to you WinMo peeps is that the new phone and UI will be the first to support full-on Flash. You'll recall that we're expecting a Flash 10 beta for Windows Mobile sometime this fall. We're unsure if that's what the Hero is getting, of if it's something different.

So, HTC has been hard at work. And it reasons to say that they're still hard at work on Windows Mobile, so let's hope we see something new from them in the coming months.

A ROM update has been released for the Samsung Saga on Verizon, and it might just have a little gem in it for which we've been waiting quite a while. First, the fine points of the upgrade:

• The Latest Microsoft AKU Update 1.5.1.
• Enhanced zoom for Internet Explorer
• Slight UI Modifications.
• Various additional improvements to improve handset function.
• Open Standalone LBS Supported & Performance Enhanced. (This may Support 3rd Party Applications)
• MMS Over GPRS Supported. (GSM Mode)
• Softswitch For GSM (Allows handset to select correct network overseas)
• Multiple Qualcomm Patches Applied To Improve Phone Performance.
• VZ Access Manager Supports Bluetooth Connection (SPP).

Notice the fifth item there? LBS, of course, is location-based services. That could be cell-tower triangulation, or, GPS! So, that'd unlock two of the three phones that Verizon promised to unshackle in the first half of the year, with the other being the HTC Touch Pro. We've got a week left. Will we see the Omnia get an official update soon?

Go here to get the upgrade, and make sure you follow Samsung's overly complicated upgrade process.

Thanks, again, to cplush for the tip!

Think you have to wait a long time to get the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1? Our friends on the Rogers network in Canada have had to wait even longer. But their wait is finally over, as the phone finally is available, and with carrier subsidy, no less. Here's the price breakdown:

• 3-year: $249.99
• 2-year: $449.99
• 1-year: $549.99
• Outright: $599.99

So congrats, friends. Not only do you get the X1, you can sign away a couple of years of your life and get it on the cheap, relatively speaking.

Rogers via MobileSyrup

If at any point over the past six months you've used your AT&T phone anywhere along the coast or in the Gulf of Mexico you'll be receiving a letter from AT&T reminding you about service on the Gulf of Mexico and notifying you of a rate changes while roaming in the Gulf.

"Because you've recently used wireless voice, data or sms messaging services in the Gulf of Mexico, it's important for you to know that the Gulf of Mexico area is not serviced as a part of our national coverage footprint and is covered by a neighboring wireless provider with associated roaming rates."

"Effective July 10, 2009 there will be billing changes that may affect your monthly statement."

"Please take note that your device display will change to "AT&T Extend" or "Off Network" instead of "AT&T" when you leave our home network. This will alert you that roaming rates are in effect".

The rate changes were listed as follows:

• Data and MMS services will no longer be accessible without a special Gulf of Mexico Data Roaming feature on your device.
• Data transmission rate: $.01 per KB
• MMS Picture and Video Messaging: $1.30 per outbound device originated message (incoming charged at the domestic rate).

If you receive this letter and haven't gone offshore, it is likely that you used your AT&T phone in a location where signals overlapped and your phone was picked up by a non-AT&T provider.

It is our understanding that these notifications went out to prevent customers from unpleasant surprises if they used voice or data offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.  The Gulf of Mexico Data feature doesn't cost anything to activate and if your visits to the Gulf Coast take you off-shore it might be a good idea to contact AT&T and have them flip the switch on the feature.

Searchme Inc. has released a beta version of Searchme. Billed as an "innovative mobile search experience with a fun, easy to use interface specially designed for touch screen handsets running on the Windows Mobile platform", Searchme delivers results in web page thumbnail form as well as text descriptions. The results can be thumb panned horizontally or a pop-up menu can be used to scan through the results. Results yielding video or music can be played from the search page.

“Since launching our mobile app a few months ago, we had an overwhelming response from people who love the idea of a richer, more visual search experience on their phones. We’re very excited that we’re now able to introduce millions of Windows Mobile users to this superior mobile search experience that delivers quick page loads and immediate access to relevant information,” said Randy Adams, Searchme Founder and CEO.

For our impressions on the Beta version and some screen shots, follow the break.

It's been no secret that we've been lusting after the Toshiba TG01, namely because of its 1GHz Snapdragon processor. If you need any more persuading, see Exhibit A. So it's with great jealousy that we acknowledge the launch of the T-01A in Japan, which we previously saw in a demo of the latest version of Kinoma Play.

But, really, who needs a 480x800, 4.1-inch screen? Who needs that Snapdragon proc. Who needs the 512MB of ROM and 256MB of RAM?

OK, enough. We do.

Microsoft [via BGR]

If you're in the market for a new Windows Mobile Phone, the Palm Treo Pro just became a little harder to ignore. Palm has dropped the price of an unlocked model from $549 to $399. 

With Windows Mobile Standard alternatives such as the Samsung Jack available in the neighborhood of $350 and carrier-branded HTC devices pushing $500 out of contract the Treo Pro becomes very attractive to those looking for a WM Pro phone.

No telling if this is a permanent price drop or a limited time only savings.  Oh and as an added bonus, it looks like Palm is including a free travel charger and shipping on top of a very good price on a very good phone.

For you Verizon-types looking longingly at the HTC Snap on Sprint and (soon) T-Mobile, here's a tasty morsel: Specs, specs and more specs, courtesy of the Boy Genius Report.

First, the necessities:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard.
• 1500mAh battery
• 4.5 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches
• 256MB ROM/192MB RAM
• WiFi B/G
• Bluetooth 2.0
• 2.4-inch screen
• 2MP camera with autofocus and video
• MicroSD
• VZ Navigator

Now, the fun stuff: Sign a two-year contract and you'll pay just $49.99 for the Ozone. Yep, you heard that right. Going sans contract, the Ozone will cost $430.

The Ozone has EV-DO Rev. A comes with a SIM card and is a "World Phone," so you can take it overseas, if you're so inclined. Also, Verizon will allow you to use the Ozone as a modem (for a yet unknown fee, natch), and it'll sport visual voicemail.

Again, look for the Ozone online come June 29, and in brick-and-mortar stores starting July 13.

Want just the big news in the world of smartphones? Look no further!

• Pictures of Rumored Dell Android Handset Shows Up
• T-Mobile Confirms Second Android Phone Announcement Next Week
• Super Sexy Huawei U8230 Android Phone Leaked

• RIM Announces BlackBerry Tour Smartphone
• Verizon BlackBerry Pearl Flip Reviewed
• BlackBerry Visor Mount Reality Review - part 1

• Nokia E72 announced
• N97 falls 4 feet, survives virtually unscathed
• Nokia Ovi Store has major issues

• webOS 1.03 Download Available
• Download this incredible Palm Pre Tips PDF
• Why Dell can't - and Shouldn't - Buy Palm

• iPhone 3G S is here, and TiPb has all your news, views, and video reviews. Check them out.
• iPhone 3.0, with its 100 new features, is now available, and we've got a complete walkthrough for you.
• Need help with iPhone 3G S or iPhone 3.0? TiPb's iPhone Forums are sharing info and trouble-shooting at a record pace. Hit them up.

• Phone Creeper is just plain creepy.
• Samsung updates the Omnia line.
• T-Mobile announces the Dash 3G.

It was bound to happen.

Someone at XDA ("chetstriker") has gone and created what appears to be the mother of all "spy" apps for Windows Mobile.  Considering it is only at v0.3, it has quite the capability already.

Basically, you install this on someone's WinMo phone (they need .NET CF 3.5 installed) and then you send remote "command" SMSs to their phone which will give you what you want.  So what can it do?

• secretly and remotely read incoming / outgoing sms
• secretly and remotely delete incoming / outgoing sms
• secretly and remotely view call history
• bounce sms messages off remote phone to someone else.
• create a pop-up message on phone
• send a secret fart sound
• secretly and remotely listen to person. (Initiates silent call back of person to your phone with thier speaker phone enabled)
• also send listening in call to somebody else's phone

No doubt the programmer has some mad skillz here and we won't pass judgment on them for making this app.  Someone was bound to do it, and we suppose this is what makes WinMo such a powerful OS. 

Still, please be aware of your local and state laws on spying on people and seriously think about what you are doing if you use this app. In NY this is a felony. In fact, better to be safe than sorry here. If in doubt, do not touch.

Now sound off in comments on your thoughts about this app and the moral implications.

XDA via PPCGeeks