Image via Gizmodo

For the sake of full disclosure let me point out that I drank deeply from the well last year and have become an avid Mac/iPhone-Fanboy. That noted…

I usually get pretty excited when brand new devices finally get released. This is true whether I am looking to actually get the device or not. For some reason though…this upcoming Android phone… not so much.

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Isn’t it close enough?
Won’t some people buy it?
Me here at last on T-Mobile,
You in mid-air.
Send in the clones.

Note:Bad Judy Collins parody

Maybe the Samsung T919 is going to be more than just another iPhone clone. Based on the specs (3G, 5MP camera, GPS, 16 GB memory and “fingerprint magnet) it may have a decent shot at capturing the T-Mobile crowd. My thinking on these iPhone wannabes: # 1 - You are going to pay damn close to the same expensive monthly plan on any carrier (and yes some people try different cheaper data plans to get a better deal - but most won’t) and, #2, to paraphrase Steve Ballmer - Developer, Developers, Developers. iPhone (and soon Android) will suck every last bit of oxygen out of this market space no matter how much money the carriers or manufacturers offer anyone to create apps for their devices. Sorry - for the next few years these are not much more than pretty pictures to drool over or alternatives for people who do not live in an AT&T coverage area.

TmoNews

Web site TmoNews is predicting a T-Mobile pre-sale of the new Android based HTC Dream to existing customers beginning September 17. This prediction goes against other rumors that have reported delays in the Android phones which could push its initial launch into 2008. According to the site, the HTC Dream will be up for existing customer pre-sale only on September 17th. Take this for what it’s worth. The site claims a trusted source pegs the SLP at $399 and that it will be available in black, while and brown. The data speed is 3G which leads to speculation that T-Mobile will follow AT&T’s lead and gauge charge their customers extra for the high speed data.

TmoNews

T-Mobile in the UK is announcing the Blackberry Bold will ship for their customers in September 2008. This is one of the first carriers to officially announce availability of the newest high speed RIM device and is the first T-Mobile Blackberry® on 3G and Quad-band for use all over the world, including the Far East.

For additional high-speed network coverage, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone supports the 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi® standards, meaning that T-Mobile customers can benefit from the world’s largest Wi-Fi network, with over 1,000 T-Mobile HotSpots in the UK and 27,000 worldwide. It is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to support tri-band HSDPA high-speed networks around the world, including the Far East.

With this powerful new smartphone, users can talk on the phone while sending and receiving email or accessing the web, and the BlackBerry Bold also allows users to download Word, Excel or PowerPoint email attachments and edit them directly on the handset with the preinstalled DataViz® Documents to Go® software suite “ a great advantage for those working on the go. The BlackBerry Bold also comes with a 2 megapixel camera that supports video capture and a media player for taking entertainment on the go. It includes 1 GB of on-board storage memory, as well as a microSD/SDHC memory card slot for additional storage of music, video, pictures and office documents*.

The BlackBerry Bold will be available to all T-Mobile Business 1-Plan customers. The Business 1-Plan tariff enables companies to reap more value from their mobile communications investment by building a truly flexible allowance of voice, data, texts and international calls “ removing the complexity of surrounding costs by providing one simple plan tailored to meet the user’s mobile communication needs.

T-Mobile UK via ShinyShiny

T-Mobile unveiled their latest iteration of the “teen popular” Sidekick last week. This version (aka - Sidekick 2008 or Sidekick Gekko) has video playback capabilities, Spanish languages support and a customizable outer case (black and metallic green ship with the phone). People have been buying them in the stores and I just noticed they’re available online for $149 after a $50 mail in rebate. Unfortunately the most expensive part of these phones is the data plans. The cheapest T-Mobile plan is $39 per month for 300 voice minutes plus $ 29 for data for a “teen budget stretching” $ 68 per month (before taxes and fees). If you have to have it, online purchasing beats standing in line at T-Mobile retail - so use the link below to get right to the order page. PS - One alternative to the $ 68 per month plan is to go prepaid which will run you $ 1 per day of data use and .15 per minute for each and every call.

T-Mobile’s New SideKick
PhoneDog Unboxing Video

According to web site TmoNews, starting August 6 you will be able to enroll in various post paid cell phone plans at T-Mobile without any one or two year contract. Simply pay full price for the phone and pick any of the available plans. It sounds like MyFaves plans (where you receive unlimited calling to and from 5 of your favorite numbers) will be included. T-Mobile has offered a similar plan under their FlexPay prepaid service which required the fees to be paid in advance and would stop your service if you went over your monthly minutes. No word on whether data plans (and devices) will be offered under this fee schedule. Here’s hoping other carriers follow T-Mobile’s lead.

TmoNews

Motorola announced today that T-Mobile will be the first US carrier to offer their ROKR E8 phone. What’s new about the E8 (short YouTube ROKR E8 demo) is that the keypad changes depending on how the phone is being used. In music player mode, the number pad “disappears’ and controls appropriate to music playback appear. When powered off, the surface of the ROKR E8 is smooth, with no visible keys. The phone is operated via touch and vibrating haptic feedback which gives feedback when keys are pushed. The ROKE E8 has a built in FM Radio, 2 megapixel camera/video recorder, talking phone reads your text messages, HTML browser, Audio support for: MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, Enhanced AAC+, WMA, WAV, AMR-NB and Real Audio v10, 2GB internal memory (which can be expanded to a maximum of 4 GB via microSD).

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T-Mobile just scheduled an SMS and MMS messaging rate increase for August 29. This means that casual message users (those without a messaging plan) will see their rates rise from .15 to .20 per message. Some subscribers over at the SlickDeals discussion forum have apparently tested the extent to which T-Mobile will allow subscribers to escape ETF free — with some reporting that T-Mobile allowed them to cancel their contract without any penalty. Apparently you cannot have an unlimited messaging plan on your account already. This is a YMMV (your mileage may vary) but if you’re looking for an escape from T-Mobile - it looks as if the August 29 SMS rate hike could be your opportunity to get out of T-Mobile ETF free.

Link: TmoNews and SlickDeals

T-Mobile is done testing their @Home VOIP service and on July 2 they’ll be rolling it out nationwide. The @Home service allows subscribers to connect their regular home telephone to a T-Mobile router which sends calls over the Internet in the same way as other VOIP providers (Vonage, etc). Cost for this service will be $10 per month provided that you are subscribed to a minimum $39.99 individual plan or $49.99 family plan. The router can also be used to supply the Hotspot@Home phone service which works with special dual Wi-Fi and cellular phones that automatically route your calls over Wi-Fi when you are within range of a Wi-Fi signal.

Link: T-Mobile’s home phone service goes nationwide

If you are a T-Mobile subscriber , check your email for a direct link to a cool new coverage map that has been added to your my.t-mobile page. The new map shows exact addresses of recently added T-Mobile towers in your area, as well as their coverage footprint. At this time you must log in via your My.T-Mobile online account to view the new coverage maps - it does not work for To-Go users or those visiting the plain T-Mobile coverage site. Tip: If you’re not a subscriber, use the T-Mobile compass tool available at http://compass.t-mobile.com/default.aspx This shows new cell sites with a magenta T so long as you are zoomed in 10 miles or closer.

Link: New T-Mobile Coverage Map For Subscribers
Link: T-Mobile’s Compass Coverage Tool - detailed tower information for non-subscribers
via: HOFO members ThePhantom, blacknoi, gregsmith59