Excited about the upcoming Samsung B7610 Louvre? Well wait just a tick, because we’ve got some interesting news to report. Yesterday Samsung slipped up and pictures of the Louvre were briefly published to its press gallery. Apparently Sammy referred to the Louvre as we know it as the Omnia Pro, a device that we have been hearing about since late April. Truth be told, we wouldn’t be all too surprised if this were the case considering all of the known specs of the Louvre match up with the rumored specs of the Omnia Pro. And speaking of the devices specs, a more detailed list has surfaced that makes the device look even more promising:

• 3.5-inch AMOLED resistive touchscreen display w/ WVGA resolution
• 800MHz processor
• 5.1 megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash
• Sliding QWERTY keypad
• 2 UIs (Pro & Media w/ dedicated button to switch between them)
• TV-OUT
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• MicroUSB
• Divx/WMV/H.264 accelerations
• GPS/WIFI/HSDPA/HSUPA/Bluetooth
• FM Radio
• DNLA support
• 1GB internal memory with microSDHC up to 32GB
• 1500mAh battery

The Louvre/Omnia Pro is believed to be on track for September or October. There are some reports that the device is currently running quite slowly because of a very buggy ROM however, so rumor has it the launch might be pushed back a month. September is still quite a ways away though, so we’re hoping Samsung can sort any issues out in time. Until then, hit the jump for a few more press shots.

[Via Unwired View]

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When we showed you some exclusive pics of the LG enV Touch aka Voyager 2 we didn’t know a whole lot about the Verizon-bound device. Don’t worry though, as some new details have now emerged thanks to a leaked Verizon Equipment Guide. The handset will sport dual WVGA touchscreen displays, a full-QWERTY keypad, stereo speakers, Bluetooth, microSDHC support and a 3.2 megapixel camera with not only auto-focus and flash but a Schneider-Kreuznach lens as well. The enV Touch will also feature a UI that is quite similar to its predecessor the Voyager in many ways, with one of the most notable improvements being the Shortcut Menu that stores up to 15 shortcuts. As for when the enV Touch will hit the shelves, it’s anyone’s guess at this point. The fact that it was left off of the latest Verizon rebate sheet that is in effect until June 4th however, probably isn’t too comforting for those who have their hopes set of landing this device ASAP. Hit the jump for a few more shots from the Equipment Guide.

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Motorola’s Hint QA30 is a device that we aren’t afraid to say that we’re not too fond of. A short, fat QWERTY slider whether open or closed, the Hint just doesn’t feel quite right (in our minds, not our hands) no matter how hard we try. But then perhaps we shouldn’t be slinging too much criticism as low-end QWERTY devices are primarily snapped up by youths who don’t quite have the finances to procure something with a little more kick. It doesn’t have the worst specs with EV-DO Rev. 0, a 2.5″ QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera with video capabilities, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth 2.0 and support for microSD/microSDHC cards of up to 32GB, but it’s certainly no must-have for those who are looking for the next best thing to smartphone. So what is this going to cost the Canadian consumer? Bell has apparently set the pricing for the Hint at $129.95 on a three-year contract and $329.95 off contract which seems to indicate that Bell’s is betting that the Hint will be able to offset some of the damage done to their bottom line by the recent introduction of three low-end QWERTY devices from Rogers, the LG Neon and the Samsung Propel and Gravity.

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Sunday is a banner day for Sprint which added not only the Treo Pro, but also the LG Rumor 2 and the Motorola Stature i9 to its handset lineup. The QWERTY-slider LG Rumor 2 is available both online and in stores for a rock bottom price of $49.99 after an instant savings of $150 and a $50 mail-in rebate. The Rumor 2, as you surely know by now, sports a QVGA display, 1.3 megapixel camera, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, microSDHC support (up to 16GB) and a 2.5mm headphone jack. Next up is the Nextel Direct Connect-compatible Stature i9, available for $199.99 after an instant savings of $150 and a $50 mail-in rebate. The Stature has already made its debut on Boost Mobile and offers a 3.1 megapixel camera with flash and auto focus, integrated music player, GPS, Bluetooth and rock solid PTT functionality. Two year contracts apply to the pricing on both handsets of course. Happy shopping!

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While this might come as a bit of a shock to some, there is a little known country just north of the good ‘ole US of A that just so happens to be home to the World’s second largest smartphone manufacturer. That country is of course Canada and the manufacturer is RIM. It used to be the case that BlackBerry fans in the US got the latest BlackBerry devices before Canada, but in recent times it seems that Canada has launched RIM’s latest devices long before its neighbors to the South — the exception to this being the Storm. Canadian carriers stuck it to the Americans once again however, when Bell was the first carrier to release the CDMA Pearl Flip 8230. Sure, a few hiccups six days after launch due to buggy software killed off a lot of the excitement, but thankfully for RIM, TELUS launched the Pearl Flip 11 days after Bell, a launch that went off without a hitch.

Now back in October we reviewed the GSM version of the Pearl Flip (the 8220) and found it to be a pretty decent device considering its affordability. However, we couldn’t help but feel let down by the build quality which made the device feel extremely cheap, and the ridiculously pixelated display. So does the CDMA Pearl Flip offer any notable improvements over its GSM cousin? Hit the jump to find out.

The Pearl Flip comes in the standard, old school BlackBerry box that has been around forever. Inside the box is a 900 mAh battery (the same C-M2 battery that all others Pearls come with), a microUSB cable, stereo headset, travel charger, the standard new phone papers and installation CD and of course the device itself. An 8GB microSDHC card came loaded inside the device, though there is no mention of this on the box or on the TELUS website.

Our Pearl Flip was running OS 4.6.1.182, the latest official OS. We’re not going to get too heavy into OS related details in this review because we’ve already covered OS 4.6.x to death and there are no surprises here. In case you need a picture of what things look like in your head, just think of what’s running on the Bold and Curve 8900 and that’s exactly what you’ve got on a smaller scale. In terms of memory, the Pearl Flip has 128MB ROM / 128MB RAM. In terms of free memory, we averaged around 62MB after a battery pull.

As mentioned before, we were really let down with the GSM Pearl Flip and its poor build quality which made the device feel more like a working prototype than a retail model. Unfortunately, the CDMA Pearl Flip does not offer any improvement in this department. The build quality is not so bad that it will shatter into a thousand pieces if dropped a short distance, but compared to the rest of RIMs offerings — old and new alike — it’s probably the most cheap feeling device ever to bear the BlackBerry name. One part of the phone in particular we feel we have to single out is the battery cover. It honestly has to be the cheapest battery cover we’ve ever seen on a phone. It comes in at under 1mm thick and is not big enough to remain snugly in place — so much so that you can feel it move when typing.

Since we mentioned typing, we have to say that the keyboard has definitely grown on us. The keys are set up in a wave pattern and each key has a minute ridge on it to break up the monotony of typing on a flat key. Guitar-like frets separate each row of keys like they do on the Bold. They’re nearly flush with the keys, but they’re raised ever so slightly so as to make typing without looking a breeze. Of course being a SureType phone, strange typos are often made which make typing without looking a rather foolish move unless one doesn’t care about making typos.

The 2.4″ QVGA internal display on the GSM Pearl Flip sorely disappointed us but we’re pleased to report that the display on our 8230 was much more vibrant, crisp and colorful. It’s not better than anything else out there with the same resolution, but it does its job and it does it admirably well. As for the 1.6″ external display, we must confess that we don’t like it all that much. It does make things pretty simple by displaying messages without making one flip open the phone but the screen is so tiny and so dim that unless you’re in a pretty dark environment, it has a tendency to get very washed out. If you do find yourself in a dark environment by the way, the Pearl Flip does feature a 2.0 megapixel camera with flash. The pictures it takes are nothing to write home about but it will serve most people fine for the occasional candid.

As was long expected, the CDMA Pearl Flips does not have the WiFi but it does have GPS. If this were a more high-end device we’d do the typical bitching and groaning that so irks some readers… But alas, it’s a lower-end device meaning that yes, while it really, really, really does suck that users will be forced to pay data roaming fees while out of the country, at least the GPS is unlocked and doesn’t require a $10 per month subscription to TELUS Navigator, right?

It might shock some people to know that he Pearl Flip is running the same processor as the Pearl 8100 did back in 2006, but hums along rather well with the only major loading delays occurring where you would expect them, such as when opening a picture or starting a movie. There are times such as the aforementioned web browsing issues where it becomes pretty clear that OS 4.6.1 is pushing the 312MHz processor to its limits.

One of the first things that we noticed when handling the Pearl Flip was that it was having a difficult time maintaining full signal strength, typically staying somewhere between three and four bars while occasionally dropping to zero for a few seconds. We were able to isolate the problem to the device itself and rule out a network issue as we happened to have a 8830 on hand which was able to consistently achieve five bars. Because we didn’t have a newer OS build to upgrade to on hand, we’re unable to say whether or not this is a hardware issue or a software issue. Even with signal issues however, the Pearl Flip ran pretty fast with its EV-DO Rev. 0 connectivity but browsing anything beyond a WAP site on the thing is about as fun as looking at a photo of the New York City skyline on a postage stamp. That is, non-WAP websites load up pretty much like they do on a computer except that to fit on the screen the whole thing is zoomed out. By the time you zoom in to where text is legible it takes up so much of the screen that it requires constant scrolling which in turn makes the phone lag.

Conclusion:

If we were to rate the Pearl Flip against the best phones on the market like the Bold, Fuze and iPhone 3G, it would absolutely be crushed and no one can deny that. But doing that would be foolish as this device is not at all intended to compete with such devices. So, taking into consideration where it stands in the market place, what it offers and how much it costs, we’d have to say that the Pearl Flip is definitely capable of holding its own. So what would we rate the TELUS BlackBerry 8230 Pearl Flip? 3.5 BG’s out of 5.

Head on over to our gallery for more shots of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 from TELUS.

Well lookie here — right on queue, the LG Rumor 2 gets all official with our pals at Sprint. Starting March 15th, past, present and future Sprint customers will be able to order the the slider-QWERTY for $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Aimed squarely at crazy text-obsessed youths, the Rumor 2 has a QVGA display, 1.3 megapixel camera (perfect for sexting), GPS, stereo Bluetooth, microSDHC support (up to 16GB) and a crummy 2.5mm headphone jack. Now for the strange part. As we said above, you can order the Rumor 2 starting March 15th, but you will only be able to get it in Black Titanium by visiting Sprint.com or calling 1-800-Sprint-1. However, if you can hold out until the 29th you will be able to order the phone in Vibrant Blue through the same channels. If you can manage to hibernate until April 19th, the Rumor 2 will be available in all retail outlets. kthxbai.

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Never mind the fact that they’re just doing it to get free publicity and a head start on pre-orders, we absolutely love it when retailers give it to the manufacturers in the junk and out the specs of their phones just days before they’re official. Expansys is no stranger to this process and has done it again with the Nokia E75. We’ve seen the E75 countless times before and while we want it for reasons we can’t really describe we’re now in a position to say that the E75 won’t suffice to stave off our hunger for the upcoming N97. Why? High cost, a tiny display and poor screen resolution will do the trick every time. If you’re an S60 nut however, chances are you’re going to love what the E75 has got:

• Quad-band GSM / EDGE, dual-band HSDPA (900/2100) at 3.6Mbps
• 2.4″ 240×320 QVGA display
• 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, digital zoom, LED flash
• 30FPS QVGA video recording
• aGPS
• WiFi
• FM radio
• microSDHC
• 3.5mm headset, Bluetooth 2.0, microUSB
• Nokia Maps, PDF Document Viewer, ZIP File Manager
• Dual home screen (work/personal)
• 1000 mAh battery
• 630 mins talk, 408 hrs stand-by time

So what’s all of this going to cost? Early estimates are that the E75 will ship on March 13 for £389.99 SIM-free ($580 USD) or free on select tariffs from T-Mobile UK. Fail.

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LG has announced its first ever dual-SIM device. Featuring a 3″ WQVGA display and a 5 megapixel camera, the tri-band KS660 is being touted as a great business tool as it allows users to have access to both their business and personal lines with the same device – no battery pulling or fumbling with SIMs required. The major drawbacks to this phone are that it lacks both 3G and WiFi. Also, if you’re a stylus hater don’t even think about the KS660 because it has one tucked away on the right-hand side.

• 105mm × 55mm × 14.9mm, 115g
• Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900/1800/1900 MHz)
• 3″ WQVGA (240×400) TFT touch-screen display w/ feedback
• 5 megapixel camera w/ autofocus, flash, and video recording (720×480)
• 50MB in-built memory
• microSDHC
• accelerometer

Not expected to be released for North America or Western Europe, the KS600 should drop in China, Russia and a few other Russian satellite states in Q1 2009.

[Via engadget mobile]

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