FreshPhoneNews.com

Those who have tried Layar, swear by it, those who haven’t, well get with the times already. Layar works by using the camera on your Android handset to show the world to you with an extra layer of location-based content. If you’re using Google search or Yelping for a restaurant, the Layar browser will plot results in a 3D layer above the live video displayed on your screen from your camera. But the fun doesn’t stop here, Layar is actually a platform, an OS if you please. And many developers have seized the opportunity to make the OS more functional, Currently available content includes Flickr, Wikipedia, Yelp, Google local search, Qype, Britekite, Twitter and more. The augmented reality browser in now globally available on the Android OS, it even comes pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy. AND, there are talks that the makers of Layar are eyeing the iPhone 3GS with intentions of launching a browser for the iPhone by next year. In the words of Homer Simpson; Woohooooo!

Demo video

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Well the mystery has been somewhat solved. Why won’t the Google-branded HTC Android phones be getting the Sense UI? Brain capacity issues; the Google branded handsets like the G1 have potato chips for internal memory. The farthest OS update the G1 could accommodate was the Cupcake, now that that’s over, G1 is about as shinny as it’s ever going to be. Oddly enough, Android smartphones straight from HTC, the ones not bearing Google branding, have plenty of internal memory to squeeze in updates. Sadder news may be that the Google branded HTC Dream will never go beyond Android 1.5. of course this is a guess, but it seems sadly likely.

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Well of all the comical, over the top prying into other people’s personal preferences, the blogosphere has gone slightly ablaze with images of Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt sporting a BlackBerry. Gasp! Okay, so maybe that’s a bit of an eyebrow raiser, only a bit, that the CEO of the company that is making the newest and hottest mobile OS, Android, would chose a non-Android device. But just stop to think, BlackBerry phones have been around for a lot longer than any other business oriented smartphone and that too with resounding success. Most CEOs have practically grown up on them (corporately speaking of course). So maybe Schmidt was just chatting up with his favorite device. I’m sure he has his Android favorites too, just not in this photograph. No need to lose our heads and doubt Android, we are the new generation and have more options than ever before. Bask in that glory and let the veterans be.

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Ok, so the four major carriers in the United States have all dished out smartphones your way. Which do you chose? What we’d like to give you hear is a simple cost analysis, based on how low a price you effectively have to pay to own a smartphone on any one of the big four. Most websites generally do a comparison based on the contract price of the handset plus the price of an unlimited plan. Not everyone turns to unlimited plans, and if you’ve got the bucks for an unlimited plan, it certainly means that a decision based on the ‘cheapest’ plan will work just as well for you. It’s just practical, savvy smartphone users maybe onto certain features, techno-geeks will probably jump at the highest level of specifications and if you’re dad is the monopoly guy what the hell do you care what anything costs. But for average Joe who thinks it’s about time he owned a smartphone, here’s how much you’ll have to pay to get your foot into the door.

T-Mobile G1:

Handset: $149.99

Monthly cost [UPDATED]: $29.99 voice plan (300 minutes, unlimited weekends), $24.99 T-Mobile G1 Unlimited Web (unlimited Web/email/data)

$54.98/month — $1,319.52 over 2 years + $149.99 for the phone

Total: $1,469.51 (excludes SMS/MMS, starting at $5/month)

Sprint, Palm Pre:

Handset: $199.99 (after $100 rebate)

Activation fee: $36

Monthly cost [UPDATED]: $69.99 Everything Data Plan (450 minutes, unlimited nights/weekends, unlimited mobile to mobile, unlimited Web/email/data, unlimited SMS/MMS, unlimited GPS navigation)

$69.99/month — $1,679.76 over 2 years + $235.99 for the phone plus activation (after $100 mail-in rebate)

Total: $1,915.75 (after $100 mail-in rebate)

Verizon Wireless, BlackBerry Storm:

Handset: $149.99

Activation fee: $35

Monthly cost: $39.99 voice plan (450 minutes, unlimited nights/weekends, unlimited mobile to mobile), $29.99 Email and Web for BlackBerry (BIS, Web)

$69.98/month — $1,679.52 over 2 years (excluding SMS/MMS) + $184.99 for the phone plus activation

Total: $1,864.51 (excludes SMS/MMS, starting at $5/month)

AT&T, Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB:

Handset : $199

Activation fee: $36

Monthly cost: $39.99 Nation 450 w/Rollover (450 minutes, 5000 night/weekend minutes, unlimited mobile to mobile), $30 Data Plan for iPhone (unlimited Web/email/data)

$69.99/month — $1,679.76 over 2 years + $235 for the phone plus activation

Total: $1,914.76 (excludes SMS/MMS, starting at $5/month)

So the final decision still depends on what you want most. All four carriers offer similar plans that target both the high-end and low-end of the market. But these prices also come with deductions like fewer minutes or some other perk. And if you think you can just walk into the retail store of any carrier and expect advise in your best interest, think again, those reps are hired to sell, not stop sales. Even a blogger can just give you information, but the final decision is yours. What do you absolutely need and want in your smartphone, and can you afford it. These are the minimum bucks you’re expected to fork over.

 

 

In what has to be one the more eccentric marketing techniques (ok well not really, there are a god number of “creative” minds out there) but you’ll be amused to know that Rogers is shipping the HTC Dream (G1) to some early adaptors (read: folks it likes) in nothing short of a safe. Literally. The popular BGR blog received the HTC Dream under pure lock and key (with a compass too). So will the whole pre-order crowd be getting such shipments and dared to “Join the Revolution: 02-06-09″.…only time will tell.

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We already told you about how Rogers plans on retailing the HTC Dream (G1) and Magic for $549.99 a piece, well now it seems that Rogers has just adjusted the price point. And before you start celebrating, just know that it’s not to our advantage, seems like Rogers just jacked up the price to $649.99, which makes the three-year contract option cost $249.99.  But then there’s also news that Rogers will not be so shrewd, and has in fact kept the three-year contract price fixed at $199.99.  bear in mind that changes are still taking place and there could be further changes in Rogers’ pricing of both Android handsets. We hope so…and in a downward direction.

 

 

Rogers had announced earlier that it would be launching both the HTC Dream (G1) and the Magic, but what we didn’t know were the prices. But thanks to vigilant insiders that we can all be proud of, it seems that both handsets will have a retail price of $549.99. Now it’s an educated guess that the contract price on Rogers could be the usual $400 off retail, which means $149.99 on a three-year contract.

Also, it’s been talked about lately that Rogers is thinking about bringing out nation-wide calling plans. At present it seems only one plan is in the works; 350 minutes, nation-wide evenings and weekends and 1,000 texts for $45. Not exactly what anyone would call mind-blowing, but let’s give them time. Rogers is also planning on bringing back the 6GB/$30 data plan it introduced with the launch of the iPhone 3G last summer. Good for iPhone 3G inventory clearing, not to mention the Android phones.

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Globalive, aka Global Wireless, has just been the on the receiving end of a former employee’s wrath…or so it would seem. The employee in question was sacked for “poor performance in marketing” and decided to get back at the company that’s gearing to roll out UMTS / HSPA network with service planned for all provinces and territories excluding Québec that will make it one of the biggest carriers in Canada. How so? He hit up the HoFo forums and shared everything about the carrier’s future plans…except maybe the CEO’s favorite coffee. The tons of slides that he’s shared at the forum are not the best camera job on the planet, but thankfully they have been deciphered. Here’s what you can all expect from Globalive (hell hath no fury greater than an employee scorned?)

14 Handsets:

1.      Sony Ericsson TM506: 7.2Mbps HSDPA clamshell. $29.99 on 24-month, $99.99 on 12-month and $199.99  monthly / pre-paid. Available in green, silver and red.

2.      Nokia 5330 XpressMusic: 384Kbps UMTS candybar. $59.99 on 24-month, $109.99 on 12-month and $207.79 monthly / pre-paid. Available in black and red.

3.      Nokia 5730 XpressMusic: 3.6Mbps HSDPA candybar. $49.99 on 24-month, $99.99 on 12-month and $179.99 monthly / pre-paid. Available in black, pink, blue and red.

4.      Nokia 6070 Classic: 10Mbps HSDPA candybar with 5 megapixel camera. Pricing is unknown. Available in silver and black.

5.      Sidekick LX 2009: Radio information is unknown, though we’d wager 3.6Mbps HSDPA. Pricing is unknown and you can have it in any color you like so long as it’s black.

6.      Sony Ericsson Xperia X1: 7.2Mbps HSDPA Window Mobile 6.1-powered slider to be billed as the flagship device of globalWireless. $149.99 on 24-month, $249.99 on 12-month and $449.99 monthly / pre-paid. Look for it in black.

7.      Global (HTC) G1: Identical to the HTC Dream and the T-Mobile G1 including the 7.2Mbps HSDPA radio. $129.9 on 24-month, $229.99 on 12-month and $429.99 monthly / pre-paid. Black only.

8.      Global (HTC) M1: identical to the HTC Magic aka T-Mobile G2. Pricing is unknown, though we do know it will feature 7.2Mbps HSDPA and will be offered in white only.

Airtime Rates

1.      $29.99 – 350 minutes, unlimited e/w, unlimited incoming

2.      $39.99 – 650 minutes, unlimited e/w, unlimited incoming

3.      $59.99 – Unlimited minutes and incoming.

 

Voice Add-Ons

 

1.      $5 – Unlimited nights at 5PM

2.      $8 – Unlimited mornings until 9am

3.      $15 – Unlimited calls to the US

Included Services for Monthly Plans

 Unlimited SMS (Canada and USA), Voice Mail, Caller ID, Name Display, MissedCall, Call Waiting, Call Conferencing and Call Forwarding

Optional Services

·        $4 – 500 international SMS

·        $7 – Unlimited international SMS

·        $5 – Video Mail

International Calling

·        $5 – 100 minutes to Asia

·        $10 – 250 minutes to Asia

·        $5 – 100 minutes to Philippines

·        $10 – 300 minutes to Philippines

·        $5 – 200 minutes to Eastern Europe

·        $10 – 350 minutes to Eastern Europe

US Roaming (T-Mobile)

·        $0.19 per minute without plan

·        $0.05 per SMS without plan

·        $0.40 per MB of data without plan

US Roaming Plans (T-Mobile)

·        $15 – 75 minutes

·        $25 – 200 minutes

·        $40 – 650 minutes

·        $10 – 250 SMS

·        $19.99 – 50MB of data

·        $29.99 – 250MB of data

·        $59.99 – 1.5GB of data

 

Data Access Rates

·        $10 – Unlimited email (20MB in reality), IM and “communities” (social media sites?)

·        $23 – 2.5GB data and unlimited email

·        $40 – Unlimited, plain and simple

Data Add-Ons

·        $8 – Unlimited browsing

·        $5 – Enables tethering

·        $10 – “100MB of global remote mobile storage”

SIM Cards

·        $0 on 12 and 24-month plan

·        $19.99 on 1-month contract

·        $29.99 outright

·        Will only work on a globalWireless handset

If you still want to get a first hand look at the slides, HoFo forums are up and alive with the vengeance.

 

 

Good things come to those who wait…or not. Because all T-Mobile users have been clinging lovingly to their G1s in hope for the May release of the Cupcake upgrade but it seems that T-Mo is not done with all the teasing. The OTA update to Android 1.5 has been delayed till June. Hankie anyone?

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We all remember Haykuro,the 17 year old phenomenon who brought the world the Cupcake before it was officially announced. Well he’s back and true to his awesome achievements streak, has brought another treat for all of us. He dug up the ROM from the upcoming HTC Hero and, being the genius that he is, whipped it into shape and got it working on the HTC G1. Hello Donut. Enjoy the videothat shows what the future of Android will be.   

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