Via a press release today, AT&T announced that it will be offering two, Android-based LG handsets in both the prepaid and postpaid variety. The postpaid Phoenix and prepaid Thrive both sport a 600MHz processor, 3.2-inch touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, aGPS, 3.2 megapixel rear-facing camera, microSD card slot, and 7.2Mbps HSDPA radio. Both smartphones, which run Froyo (Android 2.2) will be available on April 17th with the Phoenix retailing for $49.99 with a signed two-year agreement and the Thrive retailing for $179.99 contract-free. Prepaid customs that purchase a Thrive must sign-up for one of three new, prepaid data-plan offerings also announced: $25 for 500MB, $15 for 100MB, or $5 for 10MB. The full press release is after the break.

AT&T and LG Launch First Smartphone for GoPhone

LG Thrive™ and its post-paid version, LG Phoenix™ available on April 17 from LG Mobile Phones. Both Android 2.2 Devices Available In AT&T Stores Nationwide

Dallas, Texas, April 12, 2011

Key Facts

• AT&T* will begin selling LG Thrive™ and LG Phoenix™ on April 17.
• LG Thrive™ is AT&T’s first prepaid smartphone. GoPhone customers can choose from new data packages with no long-term commitment required.
• Both smartphones will be available for purchase nationwide at AT&T company-owned retail stores and in select national retail locations.
• Both feature a 3.2 inch color full-touch display, Android™ 2.2 platform, Exchange email support, unlimited Wi-Fi usage on the entire national AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot network and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

Android Portfolio

AT&T is a pioneer in smartphones and devices, and expects to widen its portfolio in 2011. In January, AT&T committed to a robust Android portfolio, including more than 12 new Android devices this year. Delivering users on-the-go access to the growing Android Market™, LG Thrive™ will be the first Android smartphone available for GoPhone customers.

LG Thrive™ Data Packages and Voice Plans

In addition to providing access to applications and contacts, AT&T is introducing a new prepaid data package with the LG Thrive, offering 500 MB of data for $25. Each of the following options are available to customers who choose the Smartphone $0.10/min Plan or Smartphone $2/day Unlimited Talk and Text Plan. Prepaid customers who choose a smartphone like the LG Thrive must choose a data package in order to use data services.

• NEW: $25 FOR 500MB
• $5 for 10MB (previously $4.99 for 1MB)
• $15 for 100MB (previously $19.99)

The above data packages include unlimited Wi-Fi usage at thousands of AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots from your smartphone.

AT&T is also adding value to data pay-per-use pricing for non-smartphone customers with five times the data for the same price. The new pricing is $0.01 per 5kb (previously $0.01 per kb).

LG Thrive ™ and LG Phoenix™

LG Thrive™ boasts the latest Android features, including robust HTML browsing, integrated synching of Google ™ account features, Facebook® and Twitter apps for social networking, flexible personalization with up to seven customizable home screens, and unlimited Wi-Fi usage at thousands of AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide, included as part of the smartphone data plan required with either device.** LG Phoenix™ offers similar features to its prepaid counterpart as well as Mobile Hotspot and data tethering support which allows the sharing of the phone’s mobile broadband connection with other devices.***

Key Specifications

• Android 2.2 platform
• HSDPA 7.2 3G data speeds
• 600MHz application processor
• 3.2” 320 x 480 262k color full-touch display
• Wi-Fi/aGPS capable
• 160MB User Memory w/ microSD storage (up to 32GB)
• 2GB microSD card installed
• 3.2MP Auto-focus camera
• Stereo Bluetooth
• Quad-band GSM / Tri-band 3G (world capable)
• 1500 mAh long-life battery
• Text/Picture and Video Messaging support
• POP3/IMAP/Gmail/EAS email support

On April 17, AT&T will begin selling LG Thrive™, in silver for $179.99. To use data services on the Thrive™, a GoPhone smartphone plan and data package are required.

The LG Phoenix™ will be available on the same day in dark blue for $49.99 and requires a two-year agreement.

Both devices will be sold in company-owned retail stores and in select national retail locations.

Learn more about the LG Thrive™ and LG Phoenix™ at www.att.com/mobilephones-news.

Quotes

“We are excited to add LG Thrive™, the first smartphone for GoPhone, to AT&T’s growing Android portfolio,” said Judy Cavalieri, vice president, Voice and Prepaid Products, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Thrive brings more choice and more value to our GoPhone customers by delivering the benefits of a smartphone, balanced with functionality and affordability.”

“The range of smartphones available at LG and AT&T is a tribute to our consumers,” said Tim O’Brien, vice president for marketing for LG Mobile Phones. “LG Thrive optimizes data capabilities and value with a fully customizable experience. We look to continue our history of AT&T firsts.”

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

** Restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.

*** Mobile Hotspots and Tethering require a DataPro 4 GB Plan. Devices connected to your Mobile Hotspot or by tethering use data from your DataPro 4 GB Plan. An overage rate of $10 per each 1 GB provided, applies if you exceed the included monthly data allowance. Performance may vary depending on the number of devices connected and other factors. If you do not use a password, others will be able to use your Mobile Hotspot connection. For more details on Data Plans, go to att.com/dataplans.

**** Prices may vary at independent retailers.

LG Phoenix: Limited time only. Qualified customers only. Subscriber must live & have a mailing addr. within AT&T’s owned wireless network coverage area. Requires two year contract and new activation, and an eligible voice plan and eligible smartphone data plan starting at $15 a month. $36 activation fee. Early Termination Fee: Up to $325. Sales tax calculated based on price of unactivated equipment.

Mobile Broadband Coverage not available in all areas.

Price and Availability****

AT&T on Thursday responded to a Better Business Bureau complaint alleging that the carrier is capping data speeds on new “4G” devices like the Motorola ATRIX 4G. The BBB grievance was part of a series of complaints, both public and private, pertaining to slower than expected upload speeds on devices like the ATRIX 4G and HTC’s Inspire 4G. AT&T responded to BGR’s request for comment earlier this week, but the carrier’s statement left some room for interpretation. Now, any vagueness has been eliminated, at least in the case of the ATRIX. “Be assured that AT&T has not ‘capped’ the upload speeds on the ATRIX,” an AT&T appeals manager stated in a letter to a customer. “The ATRIX is a HSUPA-capable device, and we currently are performing the testing and preparations necessary to ensure that, when we turn this feature on, you will continue to have a world class experience.” This confirmation that the ATRIX 4G will have HSUPA enabled in the future should help ease the tension among users who are currently experiencing slow upload speeds, though AT&T has not commented on why HSUPA was disabled to begin with. Hit the break for AT&T’s full response.

AT&T Mobility (AT&T) received the above-referenced customer complaint and appreciates the opportunity to respond. Specifically, Keith Geissler complains that the recently released Motorola Atrix does not offer speeds anywhere near what advertised speeds claim. He is requesting activation of 4G services and removal of the cap on the Motorola Atrix services.

Account research regarding this complaint shows that AT&T is focused on delivering a wide choice of solutions and the best possible Smartphone experience to our customers. Be assured that AT&T has not “capped” the upload speeds on the ATRIX. The ATRIX is a HSUPA-capable device, and we currently are performing the testing and preparations necessary to ensure that, when we turn this feature on, you will continue to have a world class experience.

We ask that you please keep in mind; software is only one of many factors that can affect speeds experienced. Factors such as location, time of day, network capacity and facilities, can have an impact as well. Again, in order to ensure the best possible customer experience services will become available once testing has been completed.

AT&T sincerely regrets any inconvenience this issue may have caused. Please feel free to contact me directly at [redacted] if you have any additional questions or concerns in this matter.

Name: Sheila Utech, Customer Appeals Manager, Executive Response

Thanks, Zack!

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Some Motorola ATRIX 4G and HTC Inspire 4G owners on the AT&T network have been up in arms since purchasing their new 4G handsets. Despite the presence of “4G” in each moniker, users are experiencing slower than expected upload speeds on the devices. Some users like Zack Nebbaki have been so upset by the slow upload speeds, they’ve gone as far as to create a petition to voice their discontent. While we wish we had something more concrete to report, we just received the following comment from an AT&T spokesperson that may help put some minds at ease: “We have a number of HSUPA devices today and we will have more HSUPA-enabled devices in the future — new devices and updates to existing models.” The statement does not specifically refer to the ATRIX or Inspire so nothing is confirmed, but the mention of “updates to existing models” should at least give users hope that their 4G phones might be updated in the future.

Despite AT&T’s decision to slap “4G” right in the name, the new HTC Inspire 4G smartphone doesn’t even feature full compatibility with the “4G” HSPA+ AT&T network. Following T-Mobile’s lead, AT&T announced at CES that its 3G HSPA+ network is now a 4G HSPA+ network. With that announcement came the unveiling of several smartphones, one of which — the HTC Inspire 4G — launched last week. But users taking delivery of the device noticed immediately that while download speeds were on par with other HSDPA-enabled AT&T smartphones, upload speeds seemed quite slow. The explanation is simple enough: HTC’s Inspire 4G either doesn’t feature compatibility with AT&T’s HSUPA service, or the carrier has disabled it in the phone’s firmware. Wow. We’ve already expressed our feelings on 4G, but we never imagined carriers would push things further still and smack “4G” stickers on smartphones that don’t even support their fake 4G networks. Let this be a lesson, subscribers… Buyer beware. Not all 4G is created equal and not all fake 4G phones are even compatible with fake 4G networks. But who would want the Inspire 4G anyway, when you could have the Morris 4G?

Read [no HSUPA] Read [HSUPA disabled in firmware]

In the week or so that I have been testing the AT&T MiFi 2372 by Novatel Wireless, it has already saved no less than three lives.

First, it saved my cable guy’s life. You see, Time Warner Cable provides the worst home Internet service I have ever experienced. I can’t even think of a close second. If providing terrible home Internet service was a sport, Time Warner Cable would be on its tenth consecutive undefeated season. Forget the fact that my upload speed is capped at 60Kbps and I’m lucky if I can get half that — it has been months since I’ve gone through a full day without at least one service interruption. Months. Unfortunately, Time Warner Cable has an exclusive contract with my building so I have no choice but to endure its abysmal service. Last week, as a Time Warner Cable technician entered my home for the sixth time in two months, I realized that this certainly would have spelled serious trouble had it not been for my trusty new back up device.

Before the MiFi 2372 arrived on my doorstep from Novatel, Sprint’s Overdrive had been my savior — thus bringing me to the second life AT&T’s MiFi saved. After applying the most recent firmware update on my Overdrive, battery life dropped from roughly 2.5 hours to roughly 2.5 minutes. That might seem like an exaggeration, but I assure you it’s not. From a full charge, my Overdrive now displays a low battery warning in under three minutes. It then powers down and becomes unusable until I pull the battery and replace it again, which then affords me another 2.5 minutes of WiMAX connectivity before the device powers itself down. Since applying the aforementioned firmware update, the only purpose my Overdrive can adequately serve is that of a blunt object — one I surely would have used to bludgeon a poor unsuspecting Sprint store employee had the arrival of the MiFi 2372 not reduced my boiling blood to a simmer.

Finally, of course, the third life this mobile hotspot saved is my own. I’m certainly not bright enough to evade capture and I assure you… I wouldn’t last more than a few minutes in prison.

All joking aside, the combination of Novatel Wireless’ MiFi 2372 and AT&T’s terrific mobile broadband service in my area have made for a great experience. I routinely get around 5Mbps down and over 1Mbps up, which are identical to the speeds I saw over WiMAX back when my Overdrive was more than a shiny black paperweight.

For those unaware, the function of a “MiFi” device is simple: it connects to a cellular data network and then allows other devices to share this data connection over Wi-Fi. The MiFi 2372 supports up to five simultaneous connections, and anything with a Wi-Fi radio is compatible. It also features a microSD card slot with support for up to 16GB of storage, which makes sharing files between connected devices a breeze.

Novatel’s MiFi 2372 is capable of download speeds up to 7.2Mbps and upload speeds up to 5.76Mbps. While I haven’t gotten close to reaching the cap on the upload side, download speeds have approached 6Mbps in and around New York City. Assuming AT&T will continue to expand its HSPA+ service in the coming months, it would have been nice if Novatel prepared for 14.4Mbps in the MiFi 2372. Current speeds are more than adequate when only one device is connected, but I did experience some hiccups with multiple simultaneous connections — especially if any of the connected devices were streaming video.

Battery life on the MiFi 2372 is outstanding. Surprisingly so, in fact. Novatel’s website claims that the device will last up to 4 hours on a single charge when one Wi-Fi device is connected. Believe it or not, that figure aligns with my experiences quite well. It should be noted that AT&T’s service is exceptional in my area, and battery life will certainly be less impressive in fringe coverage areas.

The MiFi 2372 is the first device to feature Novatel’s new widget support. Because the device doesn’t have an on-device display like Sprint’s Overdrive, the widget panel is quite useful. It is accessible on the MiFi dashboard (just point your browser to http://att.mifi) and provides a good deal of information. Examples include remaining battery charge, signal strength and number of connected devices. You can also log into your AT&T account and see widgets that will display account information and messages. Finally, there are location-specific widgets that become active when you enable the MiFi 2372′s internal GPS. Accessible information includes weather forecasts and Google Maps integration for fast and easy local searches.

As AT&T’s first mobile hotspot, the Novatel MiFi 2372 sets the bar at a good height. Not too high, mind you, but just high enough. The battery life is impressive, the widgets are interesting and useful, and data speeds are adequate. AT&T’s network has taken a lot of heat recently, but I find AT&T to be just like every other cellular carrier in the world — it’s good if you’re well-covered and bad if you’re not. I happen to live and work in an area that is thoroughly blanketed with AT&T’s speedy 3G service, and as long as I’m not using an iPhone I rarely have any issues. If you can make the same claim about the majority of areas in which you plan to use a mobile hotspot, the MiFi 2372 is ideal.

The Novatel MiFi 2372 mobile hotspot is available immediately from AT&T for $299.99 off-contract or $49.99 with a new 2-year agreement. I recommend paying the extra cash up front so you can temporarily stop paying for the service if you don’t plan to use the device for a while. Monthly service costs $35 for 200MB of data or $60 for 5GB of data, and overages cost $0.10 per MB so definitely monitor your usage closely — which, by the way, can be done quite easily using one of the widgets on the MiFi 2372 dashboard.

AT&T might not call its HSPA+ network “4G” like T-Mobile does, but trust us when we tell you… AT&T’s enhanced 3G network can move. The screen shot above, taken just outside New York city on Wednesday afternoon, shows an iPhone 4 enjoying download speeds of 5Mbps on AT&T’s HSPA+ network. According to AT&T CTO John Donovan, 80% of AT&T’s network is now covered by HSPA+, though he did not elaborate on average speeds are experienced in various regions. Donovan also discussed the growth rate of data traffic on the carrier’s network, which is up 3,000% over the past three years — from approximately 1 billion MB in Q3 2007 to a staggering 30.3 billion MB in Q3 2010. Growth has slowed in recent months, from 50% growth in Q2 of this year to 30% in Q3, but the carrier isn’t expecting its data growth rate to continue decreasing. AT&T is currently preparing to launch an LTE network next year that will be even faster than its HSPA+ network, which has a theoretical downlink limit of 21Mbps. AT&T has not publicly stated firm speed expectations for its LTE network.

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Today, Verizon Wireless announced the availability of the ZTE Fivespot global hotspot. The internationally-compliant mobile hotspot will support the following frequencies: CDMA 1xEV-DO Rev. A/Rev. 0: 800/1900 MHz, WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA: 850/1900/2100 MHz, and GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz. The device will be available starting on October 7 for $99.99 with a 2-year service contract (after a $100 mail-in rebate).Available domestic and international data plans offered will be as follows:

Domestic

• $39.99 monthly access for 250 MB monthly allowance and $0.10/MB overage
• $59.99 monthly access for 5 GB monthly allowance and $0.05/MB overage

Prepaid Mobile Broadband plans are also available:

• $15 for 100 MB (one day of use)
• $30 for 300 MB (one week of use)
• $50 for 1 GB (30 days of use)
• $80 for 5 GB (30 days of use)

International

• $129.99 monthly access (5 GB allowance for the United States and Canada, $0.05/MB overage), 100 MB allowance in select countries ($0.005/KB after allowance)
• $219.99 monthly access (5 GB allowance for the United States and Canada, $0.05/MB overage), 200 MB allowance in select countries ($0.005/KB after allowance)
• GlobalAccess Pay Per Use for occasional use must be purchased with a $59.99 Mobile Broadband service plan in the United States. The Pay Per Use rate is $0.002/KB in Canada, $0.005/KB in Mexico, and $0.02/KB in more than 200 other destinations.

The device will work in over 200 countries; 120 of them with 3G speeds.

Read

Today in Berlin, Huawei announced the official launch of its affordable, accessible Android 2.2 handset, the Ideos. The Ideos handset comes complete with a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display (320 x 240), 528 MHz processor, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera (no flash), HSDPA 3G, Wi-Fi, 3G hotspot capabilities, and a micro-SD card slot. The device carries the “with Google” moniker (which means no Android skinning of any kind) and Huawei touted that Google was heavily involved in the designing of the Ideos. The company elaborated that Google’s direct involvement with the Ideos would ensure its owners OS updates with minimal delay, Nexus One style. The device will be available in mid-October for right around $175 off-contract; no word yet on whether or not this little guy will be coming Stateside. The phone is obviously meant to make an Android 2.2, touchscreen handset available to the masses… time will tell if the masses choose to oblige Huawei’s efforts. 

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The Motorola Charm, a pudgy little Android handset we first heard about in July, is now available for purchase on T-Mobile. Here is a quick recap of what the Charm is working with: quad-band GSM, HSDPA 3.6 Mbps, 3 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and 2.8-inch touchscreen display; the device will also be sporting Motorola’s MOTOBLUR UI overlay. The full-QWERTY, candy bar shaped phone can be yours — in a red cabernet or golden bronze — for just $74.99 with a 2-year contract. The two links are after the jump.

Read [Caberet] Read [Golden Bronze]

RIM’s mythical sliding device finally got official after years and years of rumors. It’s being released tomorrow exclusively on AT&T and features the all new BlackBerry 6 operating system. We’re talking multitouch, gestures, redone multimedia applications, and a whole lot more. It packs the best camera of any BlackBerry, a touch screen, full keyboard, and even an optical trackpad to help with navigation. Not to mention it has a web browser that is actually usable, and everything is packed in a pretty tight package. We have been using a BlackBerry Torch 9800 for over 5 days, and we’re excited to share our thoughts on it with you.

Hardware

Solid. That’s the first word that comes to mind. The second? Heavy and bulky. I love using this line more than RIM executives have played it out: RIM plans three years out. Unfortunately, they must still be planning for 2007, because the device is pretty thick compared to modern and current smartphones. It’s very well manufactured and doesn’t appear to be cheap, yet… it feels pretty cheap. The casing is a glossy budget-conscious plastic, and the four BlackBerry buttons are glorified piano black plastic. I can’t imagine how stunning a partly brushed gun metal / dark grey stainless steel BlackBerry would be. Cut off the sliding mechanism from the Torch and make the device that thin, and you’d have me seriously interested. Well, you’d have to throw a decent OS on that bad boy of course.

RIM’s optical trackpad makes an appearance here, as it should, and it works great. It’s very clickable, and doesn’t change the course of history — same trackpad you know and love. The four black piano keys are a little tougher to describe. Since each key is attached to its significant other, it is at times a tad bit difficult to accurately press either the send or end key (both on the sides of the device). They’re much smaller than their respective keys on the Bold 9000 or Bold 9700 and give less — they are almost flush with the device — but after some daily usage, it isn’t the end of the world.

It pains me to say this, but RIM has once again changed the location of the microUSB charging/data port. It is now located on the lower left side (at the expense of the left side convenience key). It is pretty ridiculous, but it’s also par for the course when you’re dealing with a manufacturer that can’t even get buddy icons to show up in their AOL Instant messaging application after three years. The 3.5mm headset jack that’s usually present on the upper left side has been shipped halfway around the world to the upper right side, followed by its partners in crime, the up and down volume keys. Below those sit the dedicated camera shutter button — half press to autofocus, full press to snap, snap, snap.

We’ve been using the device for over 5 days, yet we didn’t need more than a couple minutes to determine that the lock and mute keys on top of the device are extremely gentle. Since RIM AT&T doesn’t ship their flagship product with a holster (first time ever, I believe), we can’t tell you how many times the device got unlocked by mistake in our pockets. End of the world? No, but it’s not the best design that’s existed. While we’re talking about design, we’d have loved it if RIM would have pushed their device design identity forward a bit. Unfortunately the Torch looks pretty dated from a design perspective.

As far as internals go, the BlackBerry Torch is meticulously planned out. It uses an Marvell 624MHz CPU, 512MB of RAM (also for application storage), 4GB of internal storage, packs a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, tri-band UMTS/HSDPA 3.6Mbps, aGPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. For a flagship product, we’d expect nothing less than a 1GHz CPU, though the BlackBerry Torch seems to perform decently with light usage.

Display

Sad. It literally makes me sad — and I’m not phased that easily. It really hits you how bad the screen is when you compare it to a BlackBerry 9700 because of how much larger the 9800 screen is. Text is pixelated, normally crisp images look low quality by comparison, and web browsing is unusable without zooming in constantly. It takes away from the experience, and if there is something RIM doesn’t understand, it’s presentation. With a high quality, beautiful, large screen, you can at least show that you’re playing game to the average user. Unfortunately for RIM, this would mean even more fragmentation with their devices and a higher resolution screen would also highlight their general lack of focus on UI even more. For instance, when holding the BlackBerry button to bring up the transparent multitasking popover (by the way, do you know which BlackBerry application was the first to do a transparent popover?), RIM forgot to make the effect stretch to the edge of the display, so you actually see through the effect on the right side. Huge deal? Not at all, just representative of how Research In Motion overall could care less about the small things that can up and actually make a product.

We also have to say we noticed some wonkiness with the touchscreen side of the display at times. Mostly erroneous touch events when on a phone call (touching the top part of the display set off the lower touch buttons), though we’re not sure if this is a software or hardware issue.

Keyboard

Look, here’s the thing: all of you moaning about having to have a physical keyboard need to suck it up and get used to typing on a capactive screen. It’s what most phones will be in the near future and all in all, it’s superior to physical keys when you look at the big picture. Customizable keyboards and layouts, thinner, more solid, less clunky handsets — everything is moving over to touch and it’s for the better. If you’re an iPhone user and you pick up a BlackBerry (especially the Torch) you literally think to yourself, “What in the hell am I holding in my hands?” It’s that bad.

I have never in my life seen a worse onscreen keybaord than the one RIM included. The fact the phone has a physical keyboard is no excuse, this is an insight into what RIM is thinking, and it’s completely disappointing. The virtual keyboard looks like a Swype Android keyboard without the sexiness. Keys are tough to hit, the symbol shift key is awkwardly placed, and above all, you can’t see what key you’re hitting since the popups that display when you touch a key are practically useless. It’s almost insulting that there’s even a virtual keyboard at all.

Switching gears to the physical slide-out chiclet keyboard: it’s good, very good. RIM usually knocks these out of the park and the Torch’s keyboard is no exception, for the most part. Keys are graciously sized, pretty contoured, infinitely and deliciously clickable (the Torch totally doesn’t pass the typing-in-bed-while-someone-is-sleeping-next-to-you test). The keyboard is modeled after the devices in the BlackBerry Bold lineup, and even carries over some nice design elements; one of them being the chrome struts that serve as keyboard row dividers. If we had to complain about the keyboard, it would be that the keys seem to be pretty hollow and, well, cheap. It kind of sounds like bubble wrap if you run your fingers over them, and they aren’t as luxurious as the original Bold’s keyboard (obviously from a size perspective) in feel. We believe the keys are slightly less raised than a traditional form-factor BlackBerry device, and that’s quite an accomplishment — have you ever used a Palm Pre — but a small part of us yearns for that perfect, perfect keyboard.

Phone

Ah, making phone calls on a BlackBerry. It’s actually pretty enjoyable. Dialing phone numbers on the keypad is effortless (and extremely quick, too), checking your recent calls is straight forward, and calls were generally pleasurable-sounding, crisp, and volume-packed. One exception would be the fact that sometimes calls can sound a tiny bit distorted (mostly the top end) if the volume is up all the way on the ear speaker.

Something that annoyed the heck out of us was RIM’s proximity sensor. It literally is a pulsing/blinking red LED light that is visible to the human eye. Do you see this when you’re on the phone? Not at all, but now that we have seen it, we can’t not notice it when we dial a phone number and bring the phone up to our face. It’s ridiculously amateur-ish and we don’t remember the BlackBerry Storm2 (also a device with a proximity sensor) doing this.

Speakerphone unfortunately isn’t as successful as traditional phone calling on the BlackBerry Torch. It’s volume output was low to acceptable, but callers had trouble hearing us properly most of the time.

OS

BlackBerry operating system 6 isn’t an overhaul of the BlackBerry OS, and while it brings a couple API-level changes, it’s mostly top layer UI modifications. For starters, BlackBerry 6 brings modal popups, press-and-hold gestures, multitouch gestures like pinch to zoom and two finger select, and drum roll please… a WebKit-based web browser with tabs.

In addition to the above, there are a bunch more enhancements: universal search, multiple contact lists (sadly you can’t link duplicate contact entries), a social networking application that can aggregate all your social networks/accounts in addition to posting simultaneously to them, redone multimedia applications, a new camera interface, kinetic scrolling (though we would have liked to see even more of this), a notifications drop down menu, and much more.

In general, BlackBerry 6 seems a bit more cohesive in some ways, yet it seems to be pulled in different directions at times. For instance, the homescreen now combines the entire application icon view with a drop down notification view and a wireless networking view. Think about this, you are pulled in literally different directions by flipping through the aforementioned menus, and for basically no reason. If you want to get crazy, you can actually drop the application drawer up on the homescreen to reveal more than the default 4 icons. You can increase the view to 8 icons, 12 icons, or even slide the drawer all the way to the top if you wish.

Something we’re pleased as punch to see in BlackBerry 6 is faster application downloading/installation. Previously it would take forever to download apps (or anything for that matter), but in BlackBerry 6 the progress bar zips along just fine most of the time, and this is a welcome improvement. The phone also boots much, much quicker (everything is relative, it’s still a good minute or two)

We’re not in love with the multiple categories on the homescreen, though. It seems to add unnecessary complexity to an already complex UI. Now, in addition to the wireless connection menu sliding down, the app drawer sliding up, and the notification drawer sliding down, you can also slide left to right and right to left to flip different categories of application?

Unfortunately for BlackBerry 6, and the BlackBerry Torch, we experienced lag, slowdowns, and the dreaded black BlackBerry clock on multiple occasions, even when we weren’t pushing the phone hard. Simple tasks like marking more than one message as read, or exiting the web browser, or updating the social feeds application, set off that clock of death. Once we had to even pull the battery out due to the phone becoming unresponsive from a simple non-taxing task.

Browser

RIM’s new browser couldn’t have come soon enough. Rumored since the first Bold (we heard they were testing a Webkit browser when they were working on the 9000), RIM’s first real web browser is the best it’s ever delivered. In terms of rendering, web pages actually display as if they should on a desktop — correctly and formatted properly most of the time. Pinch to zoom is a go, and while it’s not as fluid as some other platforms out there, it does get the job done. We can’t say we love how the browser reformats text (RIM says it pioneered word wrap, though we have to say Opera Mobile does a pretty good job of this), but for the most part, tabbed browsing and even thumbnails in browser history are nice touches. We like the fact that when using the optical joystick to navigate you actual see an on-screen mouse cursor, though some of the hiccups with RIM’s browser start to overshadow much of their progress.

Since the BlackBerry Torch isn’t packing a bleeding-edge CPU, and since the core OS is pretty outdated, we experienced many slowdowns in panning and zooming, and even standard web page loading. We actually crashed the browser a couple times loading up our favorite non-mobile-optimized sites. This isn’t even with any sort of Flash 10.1 support whatsoever. We’re not sure how RIM will be able to pull that off at all. Unfortunately, as we said before, RIM doesn’t seem to understand presentation, and the web browsing experience on the BlackBerry Torch is neither completely fluid nor competitive to other leading mobile smartphones for the most part.

Camera

RIM’s 5 megapixel camera is certainly a great improvement over their 3.2 megapixel offering. It takes pretty decent photos, and RIM has completely redone their photo-taking UI. Geotagging photos now has a prominent presence, RIM added scene modes (even face detection, portrait, sports, landscape, party, close-up, snow, beach, night and text modes) even though people most likely won’t use them, and there’s a new photo review mode to check out your latest shot and decide whether to keep it or not.

Unfortunately in a time when manufacturers are competing to see who can capture the highest quality, faster frame rate HD video, RIM fails to join the pack with 640×480 resolution video capture. Video taken on an iPhone 4 or Motorola DROID X could sometimes pass as being shot on a real video device and not a cell phone, but video from the BlackBerry Torch unfortunately can’t.

Battery:

We’ve been pleased by how much battery we can squeeze out of the Torch. Like all BlackBerry devices, RIM knows how to optimize, optimize, and optimize how much power their smartphones utilize, and the Torch is no exception in that regard. We’re not sure if we’d rate the BlackBerry Torch as having better battery life than it’s cousin, the Bold 9700, but we’d say it’s pretty close. It no question can power a moderately-heavy user through a pretty long day, and for a casual user, expect the phone to last more than a day without a recharge.

Conclusion:

We actually liked the BlackBerry Torch more towards the end of our use than we did at first. Once you get into using the device, you slightly warm up to it. With that said, I can’t help but think that the Torch goes against everything that a BlackBerry stands for. Or used to stand for. Simple, pick up and go, and focused. With BlackBerry 6, a touch screen, and a sliding form-factor, the Torch is not simple, it’s not a pick up and go device, and it’s not focused. Just the process of sliding the display up and away from the keyboard and dealing with a touch screen seems extraneous. There is much more work involved to use the BlackBerry Torch, definitely not less.

The device is a decent attempt to keep some of RIM’s current user base happy. Unfortunately, as you’ve read above, in our opinion, it’s not enough to stop the exodus of BlackBerry users switching to Android and iPhone devices for the most part, and it’s definitely not good enough to draw in boatloads of new customers. Definitely not when it’s on display next to an iPhone 4 and a Samsung Captivate in the store. RIM has possibly missed the most crucial and best chance to show the market and their loyal customers that they know what they’re doing.

In a world where things are supposed to get simpler and easier to use, the BlackBerry Torch 9800 unfortunately complicates things. Is it the “best BlackBerry yet”? It’s certainly possible. Though it’s most definitely not the easiest to use, and even RIM’s best product at this point in time seems so far off from being competitive in the smartphone market landscape. Our first photo in the review sort of says it all — it’s a nice phone that is easily overshadowed by something newer, leaner, and much sexier. We’re not sure we’d recommend the 9800 to any new cell phone buyer unless they had a specific need for a BlackBerry. Even then, there’s a good chance we’d recommend the Bold 9700 (or Bold 9700 refresh device) with OS 6 on it. While the BlackBerry Torch isn’t a complete screw-up, it’s far from the Apple-killing, Android-slaying device RIM thought it would be. Unfortunately RIM’s next product has to be a home run for them to continue winning the ballgame, or we’ll start to see some strike outs. If they can’t manage to excite consumers with the next go-around, RIM will most likely be relegated to a low-to-mid end market player, something Nokia certainly knows a thing or two about.

Click on over to our BlackBerry Torch 9800 gallery!

Originally announced in June, the Motorola Milestone XT720 has landed sans carrier in the UK today. The unusually-contoured handset sports an ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 3.7-inch display with 480 x 854 resolution, 8 megapixel camera with Xenon flash and 720P video recording, 10.2Mbps HSDPA, 512MB ROM / 256MB RAM, Bluetooth, WiFi, FM radio, and Android 2.1. The Milestone XT720 is available unlocked from online UK retailers Play for £359.99 ($550 USD) and Clove for £381.88 ($583 USD).  Anyone across the pond interested in this feature-rich handset from Motorola?

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It looks like Bell won’t be the only Canadian carrier to offer the Samsung Wave. According to MobileSyrup, Rogers dealerships from coast to coast have begun receiving display units. So far pricing and a release date have not been communicated to employees, but with Bell expected to launch the Bada smartphone on July 8th, we can’t imagine that Rogers will be wanting to take its time.

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Lost in the hubbub surrounding smartphone powerhouses like the DROID X and iPhone 4 is the fact that the average person simply wants a phone that makes calls. To satiate this need, and throw in a few extra feature for good measure, T-Mobile today announced the immediate availability of the LG Sentio. An affordable device that brings to the table a 3″ touchscreen, 3 megapixel camera, visual voicemail and 3G connectivity. A UI with a set of customizable widgets as well as Social Buzz, an application that will not only handle your social media needs, but email as well. The LG Sentio from T-Mobile is available for $69.99 with an Even More plan, or $9 per month with Even More Plus.

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Did we nail it or what? Today Rogers announced the creation of chatr, the low-cost wireless brand we exclusively told you about last week. Created to serve what Rogers calls a “niche” market that is not currently served by its flagship and value brands Rogers Wireless and Fido, chatr will offer no contract voice and text plans as well as unlimited talk and text plans. Data is not a part of chatr’s game plan. According to Rogers, the big draw of chatr is not only its great plans, but that for the first time it gives urbanites who simply want to make calls and send texts affordable service from a “network they can trust.” We were pretty curious about the timing of this launch, what with WIND Mobile now being half a year old and Mobilicity having only been on the scene for six weeks, so we asked Rogers about it. Surprisingly, they were adamant that they could not care less what their competitors are doing or where it is they are operating. They were quick to point out that chatr has been one year in the making and that it actually designed to mimic business model that allowed MetroPCS to go from a small time carrier to the 5th largest in the United States. Sadly this was about as much extra information as we could squeeze out of Rogers. As much as they want to get chatr up and running today, they’ve still got a few more things to do behind the scenes before it launches by the end of summer. This means that they can’t get into specifics about when the network will launch. But as we have said before, thanks to our connects we know that Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Ottawa are a lock. Anyone planning to wait with baited breath?

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Good news for Koodo customers who have spare HSDPA phones lying around, as the Canadian carrier today announced that it is now fully supporting HSDPA handsets. Koodo, a value brand owned and operated by Telus, was launched in mid-2008. One of its main selling points is the “Tab” payment system. With the Tab, customers are able to get a new phone at a discounted rate and pay for it in monthly increments. When the balance is paid off, customers start earning a positive balance on their Tab which can be used towards the purchase of a new handset. Koodo didn’t single out any HSDPA devices in its press release, although for now it looks like the only HSDPA phone being offered is the Nokia 3710, which is priced at $25 on a Tab, or $125 outright.

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