T-Mobile announced on Tuesday that it is now offering the LG GS170, a prepaid phone, in 6,000 Family Dollar stores around the United States. As you might expect from a phone being sold at a dollar store, the $30 GS170 offers a relatively basic feature set. It offers a large keypad, a VGA camera, Bluetooth 2.1 and support for e-mail. The phone will be available with T-Mobile’s no annual contract Monthly 4G plans, which includes the carrier’s $50 unlimited talk, text and web option. “T-Mobile’s track record for providing quality service and customer support fits well with our culture and commitment to the customer, and we are very excited to take our partnership to the next level and begin selling the company’s devices as well,” Family Dollar divisional vice president Bob Giles said, suggesting that Family Dollar will begin to stock more T-Mobile devices in the future. Read on for the full press release.

T-Mobile USA and Family Dollar Partner to Make Prepaid More Accessible and Affordable

T-Mobile introduces prepaid device to Family Dollar stores across America

BELLEVUE, Wash., and MATHEWS, N.C. — Aug. 16, 2011 — Today, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Family Dollar Stores, Inc. announced the availability of a T-Mobile prepaid device — to complement T-Mobile’s innovative prepaid plans and services — in nearly 6,000 Family Dollar locations, one of the fastest-growing discount retail chains in the United States.

Family Dollar customers now have convenient access to an affordable T-Mobile prepaid phone, the LG GS170. Available for $30 (plus taxes and fees), the LG GS170 offers an intuitive user interface with one-touch speakerphone, large visible keys and a high-resolution color display. In addition, the LG GS170 features a VGA camera, MP3 ringtone capability, Bluetooth® 2.1, text and picture messaging capability, and email support packaged in a sleek, pocket-size design.

“T-Mobile is excited to work with Family Dollar to offer an affordable prepaid device to its customers who seek value and convenience when shopping,” said Amy McCune, vice president of national retail, T-Mobile USA. “T-Mobile is delivering great prices, simplicity and a nationwide 4G network with our prepaid products, which we know Family Dollar customers will find appealing.”

Family Dollar customers can take advantage of T-Mobile’s affordable No Annual Contract Monthly4G plans, including the $50 per month plan featuring unlimited talk, unlimited text and unlimited Web, with no overage charges and the first 100 MB of data at up to 4G speeds*, on America’s Largest 4G Network™ for an unlimited and economical way to stay in touch.

Family Dollar stores will highlight T-Mobile’s products, along with other wireless offerings, in colorful new endcap displays that are conveniently placed in front of each Family Dollar store. In-store promotions and marketing collateral will help customers easily locate and learn more about these new T-Mobile products.

“We have had a great relationship with T-Mobile since 2003 and believe that this partnership has been a key factor in Family Dollar becoming one of the nation’s largest national retailers of mobile airtime,” said Bob Giles, divisional vice president for Family Dollar. “T-Mobile’s track record for providing quality service and customer support fits well with our culture and commitment to the customer, and we are very excited to take our partnership to the next level and begin selling the company’s devices as well.”

All invoicing, shipping and supply functions, as well as other operational and fulfillment needs, will be handled through a partnership with Brightstar Corp.

*Monthly4G plans provide access to wireless service for 30 days; capable device required to achieve 4G speeds. After high-speed allotment is used, speeds slowed to up to 2G speeds for remainder of month. T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network not available everywhere. See coverage details at T-Mobile.com.

Samsung on Thursday announced that an AT&T-ready version of its Nexus S smartphone will be available from Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile Stores beginning on July 24th for $99.99 on contract. The Nexus S offers a “pure Google” experience and is the first device to get new Android updates. It runs Android 2.3.x (Gingerbread), is powered by a 1GHz processor and is equipped with a 4-inch Super AMOLED Contour display, a 5-megapixel camera, a forward-facing VGA camera for video chat, and a 1,500 mAh battery good for up to 6.5 hours of talk time. Pre-orders for the Nexus S for AT&T begin today. Read on for the full press release.

SAMSUNG MOBILE ANNOUNCES AVAILABILTY OF NEXUS S ON AT&T

Nexus S hits Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, as well as online on July 24; pre-sale begins July 21

DALLAS – July 21, 2011 – Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, today announced the upcoming availability of Nexus™ S from Google™ through Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores and www.BestBuy.com/Mobile.

Optimized for AT&T’s network, and powered by Android™ 2.3, Nexus S offers an experience with uniquely powerful technology. Nexus S is designed with Samsung’s special Super AMOLED™ touch screen technology providing a premium viewing experience.  Nexus S runs off of a 1 GHz Samsung application processor, producing rich 3D graphics, as well as faster download and upload times. With Nexus S AT&T customers will now have access to the latest and greatest Google applications and Android updates first.

Nexus S will be available at Best Buy in stores on July 24 for $99.99 with a new, two-year activation. In addition, the phone is available for pre-sale in Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores and online at www.BestBuy.com/Mobile beginning July 21.

Nokia’s unannounced E6-00, a new, candybar-style smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard, has been leaked by a member of the NokiaTeco forums. The E6-00 reportedly sports a VGA resolution touchscreen, an 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, a front-facing camera, and a version of the Symbian operating system that was specifically designed for the device’s 4:3 display aspect ratio. It doesn’t look like Nokia has strayed all that far from the E71 — which also is available in white and comes with a metal back cover — and looks like a pretty solid piece of hardware. In a world with smartphones packing qHD displays, we’re not too crazy about the VGA screen resolution, though, and we hope that particular spec is wrong. Hit the jump to view a blurry video of the E6-00 in action.

[Via MyNokiaBlog]

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Windows Mobile 6.5 isn’t dead, it’s just been given a bizarre makeover and loaded onto a strange new handset from Motorola in the ES400. Created specifically for enterprise customers that need a handset that’s as secure as it is rugged, the Sprint-bound ES400 will run Microsoft’s newly announced Windows Embedded Handheld, an OS that is currently based on WinMo 6.5.3. An EV-DO world phone with support for HSDPA roaming, the ES400 is kitted out with a 3″ VGA touchscreen, 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi a/b/g, barcode scanner, 600MHz ARM 11 processor, 256MB RAM and 1GB of internal flash memory. Pricing and a release date have not been set.

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This rumor is for everyone out there who nearly went insane from all of yesterday’s WWDC coverage. Word is that what you’re looking at above is Samsung’s upcoming GT-i8000 aka Omnia II. Assuming the picture is the real deal and the specs are right, we’re hearing that the Omnia II will come with a 3.7-inch AMOLED WVGA resistive touchscreen display, 8.1 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and VGA video recording at 30 fps, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and HSDPA connectivity, miniUSB, 150MB of internal memory and a 1500 mAh battery. There is also a rumor that the Omnia II will run custom take on TouchWiz above Windows Mobile 6.1, which while not as polished as TouchFLO 3D is still remarkably better than the standard WinMo fare. But then, what isn’t? And yes, we too noticed that this resembles the mysterious x-ray of a device Samsung plans to spill the beans on next Monday.

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Today Motorola announced the MOTO W7 Active Edition, a 3G-enabled slider packing plenty of features that might appeal to those who live an active lifestyle. For starters, the MOTO W7 Active Edition features an accelerometer that not only doubles as a pedometer and ties into the Personal Trainer application, but also works with games that are designed to get ones body moving by dancing and jumping around. Okay, it sounds a bit cheesy, but it’s clear that Motorola put quite a bit of thought into this handset, and its accelerometer integration goes beyond exercise and gaming. For example, simply flipping the W7 over will mute an incoming call, snooze an alarm or pause music. Shaking the MOTO W7 will open a user-customizable application and flicking it from side to side makes for simple navigation between music and image galleries.

As for the inner-workings, the 49mm x 99mm x 15mm / 105g device features UMTS / HSDPA connectivity alongside quad-band EDGE, a 2.2-inch QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera with front facing VGA camera for video calling, FM radio, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, YouTube support, 30MB of internal memory and support for a microSD card of up to 8GB. The MOTO W7 Active Edition will make a Q2 debut in Asia and Latin America in Licorice and Alpine White, but the presence of dual-band HSPA (850/1900MHz) seems to indicate that this thing might very well show up on either Rogers or AT&T’s doorsteps one day in the not too distant future. Hit the jump for a couple more pics.

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A couple of our VZW ninjas sent along the contents of a memo setting an April 1st release date for the upcoming Samsung Smooth U-350, successor to the current U-340. This entry-level handset will feature a 128×160 65K color TFT display, 1xRTT support, VGA camera, Bluetooth, GPS and support for a suite of VZW-centric services like Chaperone, VZ Navigator, Mobile Email and Mobile Web. The phone is reportedly arriving in some stores now so if you really want this blue-gray clam shell, you may be able to sweet talk your way into getting one early. In terms of pricing you’re looking at either $30 with a 2-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate, though we’re told it may end up being $50 after rebate through some channels. Hit the jump for a full rundown of the specifications and few more close-ups of this little handset that could.

Thanks, VZWNinja and anonymous!

Description
The new Samsung Smooth appeals to tweens, teens and parents alike. It looks cool on the outside and has a lot to offer on the inside. With a full list of messaging options including TXT, Picture Messaging, Mobile Web Mail, you can easily keep up with your social scene. Snap a few pics of your busy life with the VGA camera, send them to friends and fire up your Bluetooth headset to have a laugh. Suddenly life seems a little smoother.

Features
BT Profiles: Headset, HF, SP, OP for vCard & vCalendar, Phonebook Access
Bilingual Interface: English/Espanol
Bluetooth (see BT Profiles for details)
Brightness Adjustment
CDMA 1X 800/1900mHz Digital Only
Camera – VGA
Chaperone Parent/Child capable
Color Effects: Normal, Black & White, Antique, Negative, Green, Aqua
Device Software Update: Download software upgrades Over-The-Air
Digital Zoom: up to 10 steps, depending on resolution adjustment
Directional Microphone
Embedded Ringtones, Vibrating Alerts & Silent
GPS Enabled / E911
Hearing Aid Compatibility:M4/T4
Media Center: Download Games, Ringtones, & More
Mobile Email, Mobile Web Mail and Chat Capable
Mobile Web
OTA Capable
Personal Organizer: Calendar with Scheduler, Note Pad
Phonebook with up to 1000 entries
Preview Mode
Resolution Adjustment: 640×480, 320×240, 160×120
Self Timer: Off, 5 or 10 seconds
Shutter Sound Selection
Speakerphone
TTY compatible
Text, Picture, and Voice Messaging
Tools: Alarm Clock, World Clock, Calculator with Converter, StopWatch
VZNavigator
Voice Commands
Voicemail
White Balance: Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent

Specifications
Mode: All Digital Talk Time:  Up To 300 Minutes
Color:  N/A  Standby Time: Up To 336 Hours
Size: 3.78H x 1.87W x 0.76D Screen Size: 1.9″
Weight: 3.35oz.
Screen Resolution:  128 x 160, 65K color TFT
Number of Contacts: 1000
Current Software Version:

Included With Handset
Quick Reference Guide
Standard Lithium Ion Battery
User Manual
Wall Charger

LAUNCH DATE- APR 1, 2009

What is the first thing you do when you get a pre-release version of a hot new Window Mobile handset? Why you dump the ROM and rip out all the new applications, of course. If you are nice fellow (or gal), you then package up your bounty into cab files and host them for all of the world to share. Such is the case for the Touch Diamond 2 whose ROM is the source of the following applications:

• HTC Calculator 1.0.1822.4128
• HTC Album 2.5.1820.4127 w/ Social Networking  (Thanks to herg at XDA)
• Opera v9.5 build 15613
• Diamond 2 Sensor with apps regedit  ( Thanks to herg at XDA for additional apps)
• Diamond 2 QuickGPS 1.0.1911.1733
• Diamond 2 Keyboard With Arrows ( Thanks to savage25rcracer)
• Diamond 2 Keyboard Without Arrows (Thanks to savage25rcracer)
• Diamond 2 Keyboard With Arrows in Landscape Only (Thanks to savage25rcracer)
• Diamond 2 Email Wizard
• Diamond 2 Volume Control 2.1.1911.2331

These cab files are reportedly ready and waiting to be installed on the VGA Touch Diamond. Got a Touch Diamond lying around? Let us know how everything goes in the comments section.

[Via WMPoweruser]

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Hardcore messaging fanatics on AT&T have a few more options to look forward to in the near future. If you find yourself in need of a full QWERTY keyboard and blazing fast data speeds aren’t a necessity, the Samsung Shift and LG Etna might be for you – if the Propel, Quickfire, Slate, Matrix and Duo just aren’t cutting it, that is. The Samsung Shift is a 2G candybar phone that has a full QWERTY keyboard and apparently not much else to tout; perfect for those who do some talking, a little browsing and a whole lot of messaging. It’s a pretty basic handset and really doesn’t offer much to squeal about with EDGE speeds, a VGA camera and no real smartphone features. But there is something for everyone and the Shift definitely has its purpose. For a video of the Shift along with info and a video of the Etna, hit the jump.

Next up for AT&T is the LG GT365 (sounds more like a muscle car than a phone), or the Etna. This little slider also offers a QWERTY keyboard as well as a 2 megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth support. It’s basically just a hair above the Shift in the features department for those who want a little more. It also has a resistive touchscreen with haptic feedback so you save some extra bulk and size by being able to dial on the screen instead of having another keypad (like the Pantech Duo). Otherwise, it’s a pretty basic phone with heavy messagers in mind.

Thanks, Fernando!

This right here people is the day you’ve been waiting for. The two best Windows Mobile devices out there; the Sony XPERIA X1 and the AT&T HTC Fuze. We put them head-to-head in a bunch of tests and categories just so we could help make your decision a little bit easier. They are both fabulous phones, both are manufactured by HTC, and both are practically identical in terms of hard specs. But which one comes out on top? Which one are you going to drop a weeks pay on? Well, hit the jump and see what’s really hood with the X1 and the Fuze!

Screen:

Sony XPERIA X1a:

The XPERIA uses a WVGA resolution for it’s 800×480 display, and while it’s absolutely gorgeous, we couldn’t help but feel as if it might be a little too big. The menu items are pretty small, and while it’s ok to use if you’re banging away on the soft key buttons on the front of the device, it’s kind of tricky to use your finger to select these most of the time. What we love about the XPERIA’s display is that there are no grainy artifacts, and the screen barely requires any pressure to register input. Not a bad thing, a good thing. But that might come down to personal preference.

AT&T HTC Fuze:

Ah, good ol’ VGA. The Fuze rocks out with a 640×480 display, and while it’s not as roomy as the Sony X1, it’s more than big enough to cram whatever you want into the screen. Most applications look great in this resolution, and hey, even Skyfire works! The only downside about the Fuze’s screen is that while it’s very, very nice, it’s a little grainy if you want to get nitpicky, and the pressure required to register a touch can get a little annoying.

Keyboard:

Sony XPERIA X1a:

The X1 makes use of a 3-row QWERTY keyboard (the fourth row being the spacebar, extra buttons like “OK”, etc). We said some pretty harsh words about it in our mini-review back in the day, but we’re actually loving the keyboard now. Our gripes were that the keys were a little too flush with the case, but it seems as if that has been cleared up now. The keyboard by no means protrudes, it’s still very flush, but it’s a lot better than the unit we toyed with previously and we have no problem banging out emails or IMs on here. The only complaint would probably have to be that there isn’t quite enough room to type 100% perfectly on the top row of keys. We would have loved a tiny bit more space in between the key and the front sliding mechanism, but once you get used to it, you’re pretty much good to go.

Final critique would have to be the backlighting. We understand the keys are metal and everything, but there is really no excuse. Once you have the layout sort of memorized you’ll make out alright, but the lighting is very dim unless you are in total darkness and it doesn’t even fully light up key like it should.

AT&T HTC Fuze:

The Fuze uses a 4-row QWERTY keyboard and is pretty much what you’d expect from HTC. The keys are not rubberized like they were on the Herald or Tilt, but they feel really good. There’s enough tactile feedback to minimize mistakes and the layout is near perfect. But there are a couple things that bug us, though… For starters, while we love AT&T for kicking the crap out of whoever designed the initial Touch Pro keyboard and making them add Start and OK buttons, there is also a negative. Instead of the numbers being at the top row of the device they are placed in a standard number pad format over the keys. That’s all well and fine, but what this did is push the letters to the side of the keys so they could fit the numbers in. If you’re not typing in perfect daylight this can kind of get annoying because when you go to hit a letter to type, you actually hit the very edge of the key and not the middle of it since the letters are pushed over. It’s not the end of the world, just a minor annoyance that we would have liked to be fixed. All in all, it’s a very good keyboard; one of the best keyboards on a Windows Mobile device

OS:

Sony XPERIA X1a:

While Sony doesn’t come close to offering anything like HTC’s TouchFLO 3D, they have made great use of something called “Panels.” There are about eight pre-loaded that range from the standard Windows Mobile homescreen, to a Google homescreen, to even a Facebook homescreen. The Facebook panel is straight up addicting. Like crack addicting. Really. Why do you think it took us so long to write this review? In addition to the aforementioned panels, there is also a music player panel, and customized homescreen ones where you can add in some RSS feeds and have them display right there. Very sneaky, very cool. Navigation on the XPERIA is just the regular Windows Mobile stuff, though, and Sony didn’t do much in terms of customizing the OS. For an expert WinMo user this is obviously not a problem, in fact, you might even prefer this, yet we can’t help but think how many additional sales Sony would have gotten if they had done a little more. Well, they probably would have got a lot more sales if the damn thing was shipping and wasn’t $800, so let’s not kid ourselves there.

AT&T HTC Fuze:

The Fuze uses HTC’s TouchFLO 3D which runs on top of the standard Windows Mobile junky OS. HTC has done wonders in this regard, and they don’t plan on stopping. If you’re not familiar with TouchFLO, you could sort of think it as a very complex skin, but the whole purpose of it is to minimize the actual user interaction with Windows Mobile as a whole. That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. You can always just rip into the regular Windows Mobile until your heart is content, but TouchFLO is the best Windows Mobile experience out there. In the OS department, where the Fuze differs from the X1, is that HTC has pretty much combed through everything to try and bring it up to snuff. You can’t polish a turn (well, you actually can) yet HTC has been able to deliver an amazing product that makes Windows Mobile far more usable. For instance, the soft keyboards. Instead of having to slide the phone open like the XPERIA to enter text (unless you want to use the atrocious standard Windows Mobile keyboard, or one of the other rudimentary text entry options), you can just quickly touch type and be on your way. For a longer typing engagement, just slide out the keyboard. This approach works wonders, and it’s actually one of the big complaints we had with the T-Mobile G1.

Battery:

The X1 makes use of a 1500mAh battery while the Fuze uses a 1350mAh battery. No question which one lasts longer, right? Well, not so fast. We’d say they are practically equal in terms of battery life, and if they aren’t exactly equal, the Fuze beats the X1 by a tiny bit. This as usual depends on your usage patterns, but we found both handsets lasting well into the late evening from an early morning full charge. If you’re a power user, you’ll want to pickup a second battery or car charger for either device.

Connectivity:

Both handsets are practically identical in this regard — quad-band GSM/EDGE, tri-band HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IrDA, etc. We noticed that the Fuze holds onto a 3G signal a tad bit better than the X1 but this wasn’t really a concern as both units 99% of the time mirrored each other in the signal department, and both would hold onto low signals in fringe areas very well. The only part where we can see these two differing in the connectivity department would be Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi just plain sucks on the X1. We’re not sure why. It might be the placement of the Wi-Fi antenna, it might be the semi-metal casing — we’re just not sure. But even standing 5ft away from one of our wireless routers wouldn’t yield better than a 1-2 bar signal. Wi-Fi dropped every so often, and it just wasn’t a pleasant experience in general. The Fuze fared much better and we really don’t have anything to complain about there. At least in terms of connectivity.

Speed:

Hard specs on the X1a:

• 528MHz Qualcomm CPU
• 512/384MB ROM/RAM

Hard specs on the Fuze:

• 528MHz Qualcomm CPU
• 512/288MB ROM/RAM

As you can see, they are pretty much identical. But how do they fare in real world usage scenarios? It’s tough to compare them, but we’d say overall the Fuze is a tad bit more responsive and polished. Neither device has crashed on us so far, and that’s very impressive seeing as how we’ve put both through the ringer.

Sexiness:

Beauty is the eye of the beholder, right? This one’s going to be tough to judge as y’all probably have more than your own opinions (anyone ever looked at our comment sections before?), but if we had to give you our take, we’d say the X1 is simply the sexiest Windows Mobile device out there. That’s not an insult to HTC either, they built the thing. The Fuze is a little more understated from the front, but we love the diamond back, though some people would have preferred the flat one that didn’t pickup an ant’s fingerprints, we dig it.

The X1′s backside is a little too “Sonyish” for out tastes, it reeks of the P-series, and while that might not be a bad thing, it sort of takes away from the beautiful aspects of the phone. The triangle front navigation keys, the sexy-crafted angled aluminum keyboard, and the very sleek polished aluminum bezel around the handset.

The Fuze isn’t an ugly duckling, and the all polished device really looks professional yet sexy. The all black theme works wonders for it as well. And while the casing is metal on the Fuze, we’d have to go with chrome/polished aluminum over gun-metal glossy black. But hey, we’re just speaking for us. Go on with your bad self and lust over whichever device you want to!

Navigation:

Sony XPERIA X1a:

The X1 uses the beloved (at least by us) optical joystick. You won’t see an onscreen cursor here, but you will be able to do pretty much all your navigating with the optical joystick. Some nice tweaks by Sony (or HTC, we might add) include using the optical joystick to scroll in the browser in a page up / page down mode instead of selecting individual items. This works great because you can scroll to wherever you want to go, and then when you need to actually select something, hit the up/down/left/right key and select with the optical joystick (yes, it’s a real button also, that pushes in). There are no arrow keys on the keyboard however, and at first this is pretty annoying. Once you get used to navigating with the optical joystick though, it’s really no problem. You just keep one hand on the joystick instead of on the non-existent arrow keys on the keyboard.

AT&T HTC Fuze:

Out of the box, the Fuze offers a 5-way directional pad with a circular touch wheel. The problem is that the touch wheel doesn’t really do anything besides zoom in and out in Opera, or increase text size in emails, and so on. To get it to work like a scroll wheel, you have to hit up XDA and get your freak on. That’s fine with us, but for the average user that just buys a phone and keeps it stock, that won’t work so well.

Touch:

Sony XPERIA X1a:

The X1′s screen, like we said before, requires a much lighter touch to register touch input and this is really preferred in this neck of the woods. You get very fluid touch movements that are easy to control. This makes it more prone to user error if you aren’t careful, but once you get used to the thresholds, it’s very nice to use. The X1 does use a form of TouchFLO for scrolling, so you can simply swipe in any directions and phone will continue that touch interaction for you. One of the negatives about the touch screen really doesn’t have to do with the touch screen at all, rather how it’s placed. The screen isn’t flush with the casing, and while it doesn’t make or break the phone, it does make it a little annoying when you can’t seem to hit the start menu or “X” button just right because it’s sunk in the corner of case.

AT&T HTC Fuze:

HTC’s Fuze requires a stronger touch to register input, and while it’s cool that you can get away with lightly touching the screen to wipe it clean, or not accidentally hitting buttons while you are talking on the phone, we think it requires a little too much force. We’ve begged HTC to integrate capacitive touch screens into their Windows Mobile phones, and while that might be a pipe dream (there’s too many damn tiny check boxes in the OS to make a capacitive screen effective at this point), the touch should require so much… touch. The good news is that HTC’s screen is flush with the front panel and this makes our problems with the X1 seem like much bigger problems — the layout is great here on the Fuze.

Conclusion:

At the end of the day, what phone is better? That’s the ultimate question isn’t it? I personally crowned the AT&T Fuze as the best Windows Mobile device out there. Am I sticking to it? More or less, yes. Here’s why… The XPERIA X1 is a fantastic Windows Mobile phone. But the more we use it and evaluate it, the more we think its target market shrinks. Not so much because the device is sub-par, it’s quite the opposite. It’s just that we feel the only consumers interested in the X1 will be prior Windows Mobile users that know what they are doing and know how to handle the shortcomings in WinMo. Then there’s the $800 price tag which will certainly push a huge segment of the target market away. Like real, real fast. Looking at both of them from a consumer’s perspective, there really isn’t any reason to not go with the Fuze. Even if you’re not on AT&T, paying $500 for an unlocked unit is still better than paying $800.

The Fuze offers a much more complete experience than the X1, and that combined with the price really makes this a winner. If we eliminated price altogether, which one would we choose? That’s really tough, folks. The fact is we’d be happy with either one of them, but at this point we’d probably just go ahead and choose the Fuze. It’s much more streamlined, the entire OS is cohesive in terms of what HTC has done (everything from the volume up/down screen, to the Connection Manager, to TouchFLO, to well, you get the point) and it’s just an all-around more usable phone out of the box. If you want to man up and get your hands dirty with customizing the X1 and making it suit your needs better, more power to you. We’ve pretty much raped this handset and got it up to snuff, we just don’t think that many people want to be bothered with doing that. Not with Android, Symbian, BlackBerry and the iPhone around.

With the latest crop of 8-megapixel phones, one would think they’d become ubiquitous and 2.0, 3.2 and 5 megapixel cell phones will be a thing of the past. Casio has put their Exilim series into a phone with the W63CA (if they plan on sticking around, they really ought to come up with a cooler name). This sharp shooter boasts a 3.1″ OLED display with 480 x 800 pixels – imagine the clarity and vividness of that high-definition screen. That’s right people, Casio has managed to stuff the same resolution as the HTC Touch HD into a display over a half-ince smaller! Of course, the main attraction here is the camera itself with a wide-angle lens, 9-point auto-focus, face detection, anti-shake controls and a video recorder that records VGA video at 30fps onto a microSD card – perfect for YouTube. See it hit Japan in early November and the US, umm, never.

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