Nokia's first Windows Phone 7 handset leaked by Nokia itself

Nokia was holding a closed door conference to unveil the N9, and an unknown prototype called the "Sea Ray". Nokia CEO Stephen Elop foolishly asked a crowd of people to “put away their cameras” for the unveiling of something “super confidential". Naturally, a few people ignored the plea for “no pictures please” and, indeed, someone leaked what appears to be a Nokia-produced video of the unveiling to the blogosphere.

Surprise! It's Nokia's first Windows Phone. While it looks nearly identical to the just announced N9, the different LED placement on the back (in line with the same 8 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens) confirms it's a new device as does the additional hardware button (for shutter release, we presume) along the side. And the fact that it's running Windows Phone 7 Mango seals the deal. See a few more shots and the full uncut video (and relevant snippet) after the break.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Nokia's First Windows Phone Leaked

During an event, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop asked a crowd to “put away their cameras.” Apparently, he was about to unveil something “super confidential.” As it turns out, it is a Nokia smartphone that runs on Windows Phone 7 Mango that goes by the code name “Sea Ray.” Pinch me, I might be dreaming.

Of course, not everyone is foolish enough to follow Mr. Elop's request. Within hours, leaked photos and videos of the secret phone were released into the blogosphere. The Sea Ray looks just like the just-unveiled Nokia N9, although the LED flash is placed differently on the back plus it has an additional hardware button on the side.

You can check out the full, sneakily-recorded video at the source link.
source: Gadget.com

HTC EVO View 4G Gets Pre-Release Software Update of its Own

The HTC EVO 3D has already received two pre-launch updates, and its tablet partner in crime isn’t getting left behind on this one. Yes, the HTC EVO View 4G is also launching tomorrow, June 24th, and HTC and Sprint have an OS update for the Android slate, as well. With the OTA, the View 4G will be bumped up from Android 2.3.3 to Android 2.3.4, which will enable GTalk video calling. The update will also do away with a few bugs that users should never have to experience provided they download the new software after picking up their View 4G tomorrow. How’s that for timely OS updates?
source: Android Phone

Deal of the Day - HTC Evo 3D Dual-core Android Smartphone for Sprint with Free Activation

Today's LogicBUY deal is for the HTC Evo 3D Android Smartphone for Sprint for $161.99. Features: Dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon cpu, 4.3x540X960 qHD Super LCD 3D display that offers a glasses-free 3D experience, dual 5MP rear cameras to capture in 3D, 1.3MP front camera, 3G/4G connectivity, hotspot capability, 1GB built-in memory that's expandable via microSD card. Runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with HTC Sense UI.

$179.99 - 10% coupon = $161.99 with free activation. (Sprint sells this phone for $199.99 plus an activation fee.)

This deal expires June 27, 2011 or sooner. Check the above link for more details on this deal, and check the LogicBUY home page for other deals.
source: The Gadgeteer

BEST DEALS: Samsung Galaxy Europa for £39.99 on O2 PAYG

The little Galaxy Europa only has a 2.8″ screen running at 240×320 resolution, but it is one of the few super-budget Android phones that features capacitive display technology. Which makes O2′s GIVEAWAY price tag of £39.99 all the more impressive.

In return for your £40, you also get Android 2.1, a 600MHz processor and a 2megapixel camera. Not great, but damn cheap for a workable Android phone.

Spotted by reader Hecatae, who also sent us that Pulse Mini deal yesterday. He must be in the market for something cheap. He also says there's an official Android 2.2 ROM for the Galaxy Europa available over at XDA, if you fancy buying one cheap and doing a bit of OS DIY.
source: Eurodroid

AT&T HTC Status Android Smartphone

AT&T's version of the ChaCha will be known as the HTC Status. In case you didn't know, this Android-powered smartphone comes jam packed with a dedicated Facebook button, allowing users to easily access their social networking account. The HTC Status also features a 2.6-inch (480 x 320) display, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a front-facing VGA camera, an 800MHz processor and the Google Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread OS. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi. No word on pricing at this moment. [MobileCrunch]

Gingerbread coming soon for HTC Thunderbolt

If you bought a HTC Thunderbolt phone and were hoping for a Gingerbread update - well you're in luck. The folks over at Droid-Life got their hands on a letter by a HTC representative that was issued to one of their readers, with some interesting tidbits. Not only will the next update fix the rebooting issues (that has plagued the phone for quite awhile now), it will bring the phone's operating system up to speed with Android 2.3 Gingerbread! Hopefully it will solve battery life issues with the phone as well, which is one of our major concerns about the HTC ThunderBolt.

Here's what the HTC letter had to say:

Dear Adam XXXXX,

I understand how important it is for your Thunderbolt to function properly and I apologize that you have been experiencing rebooting of the device. HTC and Verizon are aware of this issue and an update will be released soon that will address the reboot issue, and bring the Gingerbread 2.3 upgrade on board, as well as several other enhancements. Although I don't have an official release date to provide you, this update will be released soon. Please monitor our website for further information as the release date moves closer.

To send a reply to this message or let me know I have successfully answered your question log in to our ContactUs site using your email address and your ticket number xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Sincerely, Jessica

HTC Want to see what others are saying? Have a question to ask other HTC fans?

Great news indeed. Now let's just sit tight and wait for the update to be released.
source: Ubergizmo

Today's Mobile News in Brief (June 23, 2011)

As reported here on Cell Phones Etc. and across the Web, here's your daily brief on what happened in the world of mobile phones this Thursday, June 23rd 2011.

Telus Makes It Simple To Terminate Contracts, Replace Your Feature Phone

Taking a page from its own playbook, Telus Mobility has extended its Clear and Simple Device Upgrade program to the logical conclusion of contract termination. Now, if a customer chooses to cancel their service, they must pay only a $50 administrative fee and the remaining portion of their phone's subsidy — it could still result in a lot of loonies, but the amount decreases monthly according to a fixed schedule. Similar to Rogers, Telus offers its customers early upgrades by allowing them to pay this unrecovered subsidy and commit to a new contract.

Engadget

Rogers Releases Two Unlimited U.S. Text Message Plans

A couple weeks back Rogers posted a "coming soon" notice on their site regarding a new $10 Unlimited U.S. text message package. Today, this has been released along with a new $50 Unlimited offering. Here are the details: The $10 Unlimited U.S. Roaming Text Messaging Pass gives you Unlimited sent/received texts in States, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The fine print states that this plan "is only valid for 2 days: from 12:00am EST on the purchase date to 11:59pm EST the following day". The $50 U.S. Roaming Text Messaging Pass allows Unlimited sent/received texts but Rogers says it "expires one month after the date of purchase".

MobileSyrup

ThinkGeek Now Selling The FastMac U-Socket, The USB Wallplug

Most gadgets charge off USB nowadays so it only makes sense to have a wall outlet with a couple of outlets. ThinkGeek has you covered with the FastMac U-Socket USB Wallplug. The standard 110 volt socket has two 5.0V 2100mA outlets playing wingman. ThinkGeek has them in stock and shipping for just $24.99

CrunchGear

Google Sites Simplifies iOS And Android Viewing With Automatic Mobile Rendering

The search giant just added automatic mobile rendering to make your website more mobile-friendly when viewed on an iOS 3.0 or Android 2.2+ device. A new setting to “Automatically adjust site for mobile phones” can be activated in the site management page, at which point pages designed for desktop viewing will be displayed in a much simpler web format, so readers won't need to pinch-to-zoom just to see a page's content. Google also added mobile versions of the site list, sites search, and browse sites categories, for easy access from your smartphone.

Engadget

40% Of European Smartphone Buyers Intend To Buy An iPhone Next

Yankee Group is set to release its European Mobile User Study next month and the research firm has just provided a quick glimpse into its early findings. Reportedly, 40% of European smartphone buyers plan to purchase an iPhone as their next device. 19% plan to purchase an Android powered device, 17% have their eye on a BlackBerry, and 15% plan to buy a Nokia smartphone. "These findings highlight the continued strength of Apple in the European smartphone market and, in particular, its phenomenal brand appeal," Yankee Group research vice president, Declan Lonergan, said.

BGR
source: Cell Phones Ca

Gingerbread Update For HTC Thunderbolt

An HTC rep has recently confirmed that the next update for the Thunderbolt will address the reboot issue, and bring the Gingerbread 2.3 upgrade on board, as well as several other enhancements. This update will be released soon. Stay tuned for more updates. [Droid-Life]

OnLive Viewer lets you watch people play games from your Android device

While OnLive plans to bring its game streaming service to the HTC Flyer later this year, the company has decided to release an app to curb your itch for it in the meantime. OnLive Viewer, already available on iOS for quite sometime now, turns your HTC Flyer into a display for you to stream live video feeds of other people playing games using the OnLive service.

OnLive Viewer is part of a firmware update for the HTC Flyer and can't be downloaded from the Android Market but the folks at XDA-developers managed to rip the app and put it online for everyone to enjoy. Now you can use any Android device to watch other people play games since you can't play them yet. As is the case with ripped apps - it isn't officially supported by the company so don't be surprised if it doesn't work on your Android phone or tablet. Head over to XDA-developers to download it.
source: Ubergizmo