Cell Adictus

BlackBerry 9020 (Onyx) to Get Optical Trackpad Afterall

Ooops. Remember Wednesday when we dropped word on the blogs that the Onyx had been tagged the 9020 and that we had also heard the trackball would be staying on the final version?? Well we've got good news – it turns out that in regards to the trackball, that's not the case!!!

Upon further digging, and double confirming with some trusty peeps who have now actually seen it, there are already now Onyx's in existence that in fact have the optical trackpad (currently featured in the Curve 8520 – pictured above on right). The new and improved word is that the Onyx's buttons have received a slight redesign to accomodate the inclusion of the trackpad and that the 9020 will go to market with it. Awesome. This all jives well with previous word (dating back to May) that the Onyx/Driftwood would definitely be getting it (even though pre-release devices were sporting trackballs).

As for why the Onyx didn't have the trackpad in place from the get-go, I think part of the reason has to do with the fact the Curve 85xx was designed by RIM's Florida team (tasked with reducing costs/replacement), while the onyx was/is being developed by RIM's German design team, obviously somewhat in parallel. Though the trackpad isn't a 'perfect' solution (check out this forum post of where it has let me down just once in over six weeks of use), as I've gushed many times in the blogs already I'm absolutely in love with it. Now I'm truly excited for the Onyx. I can't wait to see photos of the updated device. The only bad news here is for the those who have pre-release Onyx's… it's hard to say (I'm guessing it's doubtful??) that future firmware upgrades will continue to support the trackball with the trackpad now going in place. Ah well.. them is the breaks. Bring on the trackpad!

CrackBerry.com’s feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBerry 9020 (Onyx) to Get Optical Trackpad Afterall

Nokia N97 vs. HTC Touch Pro2 comparisons appear

Now that Nokia has the N97 rolling out around the world I think one of the first things prospective buyers will do is look at what available options there are for these QWERTY devices. HTC has been making these side slider QWERTY devices for several years and they have been quite successful. Nokia started with the E75, but the N97 is the first with a touch screen as well. I took a look at the N97 and HTC Touch Pro2 on ZDNet and now Steve Litchfield posted a comparison between these same two devices. Steve doesn’t seem to like Windows Mobile as much as I do, but I can completely understand his thoughts on inconsistencies between what HTC has done and the Microsoft OS at the base.

After using the Touch Pro2 for a couple weeks, with the rumors of it coming to T-Mobile USA, and with my usage of the Nokia N97, I don’t think I am going to pick one up like I originally planned to. The keyboard on the Touch Pro2 is fantastic, but I am finding the N97 to be just fine for what I need on the go and actually enjoy using my T-Mobile G1 Android device with my T-Mobile SIM.

HowardForums 1 millionth member give away day 2: LG Rumor, Rogers HTC Dream

Check it out here.

Also, I haven’t heard from all the day 1 winners yet. If they don’t respond soon, I’ll be picking new winners for the T-Mobile G1, Sidekick LX and 2 Jawbone Prime headsets.

Apple Announces 24/7 Live Chat Support for MobileMe

Apple, via their MobileMe News blog, has just announced Live Chat Support 24/7:

We’re pleased to announce that English language Live Chat support is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you encounter an issue while using MobileMe and would like to address it immediately, simply go to MobileMe support. Click on the topics at the bottom left of the page to see if your question has already been answered. If it’s not, click the Chat Now button to initiate a realtime help session with a MobileMe support agent.

If you have cause to try it out, let us know how it works for you.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apple Announces 24/7 Live Chat Support for MobileMe

Best of SPE, 26 April 2009

We’re pretty sure that if you’re reading this, you’re the sort who likes exclusive, breaking details on Smartphones. We had that aplenty this week. Nokia Experts got the full skinny on the AT&T Nokia E71x in the form of PDF guides and a confirmation of a May 4th release. PreCentral.net scored an internal head-to-head between the iPhone and the Palm Pre. CrackBerry.com saw yet another Storm OS leak.

We’re also pretty sure you like free stuff. So you’ll want to check out the What Would You Do for a Palm Pre Giveaway. We’re also incredibly proud that CrackBerry.com reached – wait for it – One Million Members! They’ll be tossing out celebratory gifts to them this week. WMExperts will be giving away a phone (check there on Monday). Also, did you know that The iPhone Blog is approaching their 1 year anniversary in a couple weeks? Expect some fun to happen there soon, too!

Much more more happened in the smartphone world, so as usual, we bring you our “Best of SPE roundup.” Come take a look at what’s news!

Android Central

1 Million Android-based G1’s Sold

According to FierceWireless, T-Mobile USA has sold more than 1 million of its Android-based G1 devices during the past six months.

The figure was apparently “buried” in Deutsche Telekom’s earnings report. According to the German carrier’s report, the G1 accounts for two-thirds of all of T-Mobile USA’s 3G handset sales so far.

Initial sales of the G1 are certainly a lot smaller in comparison to Apple’s iPhone. Apple sold around 3.7 million iPhones during the two full quarters after the device’s launch in the summer of 2007. Keep in mind, however, that T-Mobile USA has less than half the number of subscribers than AT&T so on a relative basis, it’s doing OK.

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