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So the guys at IntoMobile aren’t too excited about the new Motorola clamshell which has passed through the FCC. And why should they? When your focus is the latest and coolest in phones, seeing a clunker like this is rather uninspiring. However, it serves a purpose: A cheap entry-level phone. It’s stripped down, simple phone which probably won’t rumble your wallet. Plus, it has Bluetooth, EDGE, and a camera, so your basics are covered. And, if you’ll believe it, it isn’t named with four capital letters. Rather, this one is tentatively titled “Ischia,” which will lead us to call it “The Ish,” in memory of our elementary school bus driver. Photo after the jump.

Read the rest of Motorola sends entry-level phone to FCC…

It is not a good time to be Motorola. First off, they don’t have the iPhone. Second, they don’t have an iPhone killer — and no, the RAZR 2 doesn’t count. They were looking to spin off their handset division, but it’s starting to look like they’re going to sell. Which isn’t necessarily good, since at least one analyst thinks that they could sell for just $500 million. I suppose that’s what you get for making the same handset over and over again. Yet, the news gets worse.

Read the rest of Motorola continues slow decline…

You know you have a hit device when people are talking about killing it before it’s even released. That was the situation with Apple’s iPhone back in early 2007. Once it was announced in January, it seemed that flocks of phone were being announced, and dubbed by the media as iPhone killers. None has really succeeded yet, as Apple continues to own a large portion of cell phone and smartphone sales. To go along with the announcement of the 3G iPhone, or iPhone 2.0, let’s look back on some of the devices that couldn’t handle the job.

Read the rest of 7 phones that tried to kill the iPhone…

One of the best features ever incorporated into cell phones is the camera. It’s two gadgets in one slimmed down, easy to carry package. It’s great when you are out and you can take pictures without the burden of a second, and possibly bulky, device.

Most major cell phone manufacturers have made at least one cell phone with a built-in camera, and some companies have made several. Unfortunately, not all cell phone cameras are of good quality and some are better than others. In fact, the bulk of camera phones on CDMA networks are of the VGA or 1.3 megapixel variety, which does not provide a high level of quality. Listed here are the best camera cell phones made for CDMA networks, which are 2 megapixels and up.
Read the rest of The Best in CDMA Camera Cell Phones…

The number of handsets sold in the U.S. during the first quarter took a swift dive, as manufacturers saw a 22 percent dip from the first quarter of last year. This isn’t wholly surprising, though, given the current economic environment combined with the post-holiday lull. And, just so things don’t seem so bad, sales revenues only dropped seven percent, which isn’t a whole ton ($2.9 billion to $2.7 billion). I suppose it speaks to more expensive handsets being purchased. After the jump, how the manufacturers rated in the U.S.

Read the rest of U.S. cell phone markets slows down…

The day is fast approaching. And I’ll bet you haven’t gotten your dear old mother a gift for Mother’s Day yet. (Aside: I always thought it should be Mothers’ Day, no?) What better gift than a cell phone? Okay, I can think of a few, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers. So, what are the major carriers offering up for their Mother’s Day promotions?

Read the rest of What the major carriers are doing for Mother’s Day…

Wondering what new handsets your carrier is going to debut in 2008? Whether you got your newest phone a few days ago or two years ago, it seems everyone wants to be on the up-and-up with what phones their carrier is going to offer. After all, we all want to be the cool kid who has the phone everyone wants to play with (a big reason I never got an iPhone). While we’re not going to be able to track down the future releases for all carriers, the guys at Boy Genius Report have seen the list from T-Mobile. So what will their new stock look like?

Read the rest of T-Mobile handset 2008 launches leaked…

So you can quickly keep up with the world of mobile phones, here are some links from around the Internet. Today we’re looking at a new Hotspot @Home phone, a potential new carrier — or carriers — for the LG Voyager, and some news on the AT&T and Sprint fronts:

Read the rest of Mobile Notes: LG Voyager, Hotspot @Home, Sprint, AT&T…

Well, it looks like the Treo 755p is quietly dying. Sprint has ceased displaying the smartphone on its website before the device’s first birthday (it was released in May 2007). Apparently, high demand for the consumer-friendly Centro, combined with the presence of the Treo 700wx — a business-minded model — pushed the 755p to obsolescence. You can still nab the 755p through Verizon, which just introduced the device in September, though that could change if the rumors of them getting the Centro are true.

Update: Apparently, it’s just out of stock.

Or maybe we shouldn’t be calling it the HTC Touch, because Verizon has branded the devices for themselves. They’ve dubbed it the XV6900. It’ll hit the Internet on April 16th, and then head to retail stores half a month later. It will be a little thinner than the standard-issues Touches carried by Sprint and Alltel. Apparently, that’s not the only difference. Verizon will enable GPS, which neither of the other U.S. carriers have done. Other than that, though, the models are pretty much identical.
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So Verizon’s reasons for passing on the iPhone have become clear. Instead of focusing on just one device, they’re going for a multifaceted approach. In addition to the Touch, they’ve got the Samsung Glyde and the LG Voyager. They’re both touchscreen smartphones, though they both flip open to reveal mechanical keyboards. This should leave consumers more in their comfort zone — I’ve heard more than one person say they won’t buy an iPhone because of the touch keyboard.

The XV6900 will set you back $350 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract.