Sprint released another update about the long awaiting Picture Mail capabilities (currently lacking) in their Windows Mobile phones. Presently Sprint only supports emailing of pictures between Windows Mobile devices. Subscribers cannot sent photos via MMS (Multi-Media Messaging). Sprint has publicly stated they will support this feature. Now there’s an update via the Buzzaboutwireless.com forum (official Sprint forum) with a little clearer timeline:

Sprint would like to provide an update in response to recent inquiries about sending pictures from Sprint’s Windows Mobile devices to other mobile phones. Currently Sprint’s Windows Mobile devices support sending/receiving pictures between any valid email address and receiving Sprint Picture Mail pictures from mobile phones via text messaging. Picture Mail pictures received via text messaging appear as a URL that is viewable from the Windows Mobile device’s Web browser. Sprint currently does not offer the capability to send pictures to other mobile phones by entering the mobile number to share photos. To address this issue, we are currently working on two solutions:

1. We expect to offer a free Picture Mail software download later this year that will enable all customers with existing Windows Mobile 6 devices to send pictures to other mobile phone numbers (normal usage fees will apply).

2. Beginning later this year, all future Windows Mobile device models from Sprint will be preloaded with the full Picture Mail application.

In the interim we would like to remind customers that pictures can be shared from Windows Mobile devices to any email account via the Options/Send menu on the device. Pictures can also be shared from Windows Mobile devices through the use of Bluetooth, beaming and synchronization capabilities, and removable memory cards. We will continue to communicate updates here as the exact timelines and solutions are finalized.

Link: Buzzaboutwireless discussion thread - Windows Mobile MMS Coming

Judie: Here’s how it all started. I got a press release from Kevin Doel regarding FlipSide, a new Windows Mobile MP3 Player which features “”Swooshing” Album Art as Part of Acclaimed Visual Interface.”

FlipSide, the MP3 player from Electric Pocket that has had BlackBerry users buzzing, is now available to users of Windows Mobile devices such as the Treo 700xw, Mogul, Ace, and Blackjack. The feature that has made FlipSide such an instant hit among BlackBerry users is its iPhone-like interface that allows users to visually “swoosh” through their music quickly and easily.

Navigating through music and selecting tunes is a simple process with FlipSide: scroll through the Album Covers, or flick through them using your finger on the screen, then click on the navigation button to open up a vertical list of the tracks. The spacebar is used to start, pause and skip songs, while the navigation button is used to scroll either left or right to either fast forward or rewind within a song.

While FlipSide comes with the features expected of any MP3 player, the feature that gets the most buzz is the attractive user interface that makes FlipSide both visually enjoyable and very easy to use. Its ability to “swoosh” through the full-color cover art of an entire music collection within seconds using the navigation control button makes FlipSide stand-out as both a simple and fun MP3 player. FlipSide downloads and displays the cover art of each album and even links to FlipSide Extras to provide biographies of the artists, recommendations for similar artists and more.

FlipSide for Windows Mobile plays music stored on memory cards in MP3 & WMA formats. FlipSide retails for $19.95 and a free trial download is available now from the FlipSide website at http://flipside.fm.

As I’ll usually do when I get a product announcement, I forwarded this release to the team to see if anyone might be interested in covering the item or reviewing the product…and then their emails started rolling in. It wasn’t long before we had another full blown GearChat Roundtable on our hands.

Sit tight; this one was a doozy…

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I’m not sure where I first spotted this, but yesterday I noticed that AT&T has their Tilt (refurbished) for FREE with NO REBATES online via their site. The site is currently showing them as Temporarily Out of Stock, but this deal is worth watching for when the phones return to stock. The site has some refurbished Blackjack IIs in stock at no cost w/2 yr contract.

P.S. - The most expensive part of these data centric phones is usually not the hardware, rather it’s the recurring $40/mo additional fee for data. If you can get Sprint coverage in your area, I would look first at the Sprint SERO offer and pick up a WM device and throw it onto a 500 minutes SERO plan which for $30 per month gives unlimited text and picture mail as well as free unlimited EVDO REV A data. By my estimation you can probably save at least 50% on the recurring cost of phone service. Over the life of a 2 year contract that can be big money (especially for heavy text message users who would also pay additional under any plan other than SERO - which includes unlimited SMS).

Link: AT&T Refurbished Tilt - Free
Via: Mobility Site.

I’ve been using JiveTalk Instant Messenger on my Blackberry 8320 for quite some time. It’s a great replacement for the multiple instant messenger clients that T-Mobile includes. Today JiveTalk have announced alpha testing availability of instant messenger for Windows Mobile 6 Professional. Screen shots and Sign-up link after the break.

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