T-Mobile Increases G2x Price Due To Inventory Constraints

The T-Mobile G2x -- getting its Android Gingerbread update this summer -- sales were halted because of what initially appeared to be some software problems and bugs but Magenta was quick to react and stated that there were no problems with the smartphone except for the fact that it is extremely popular. 

According to the internal carrier screenshot above, T-Mobile is likely to increase the price on the G2x starting today. The reason states is "because inventory constraints" -- which might be related to the smartphone's popularity -- but might as well be Magenta having no other option but raising the price for the new shipment which is expected to counter the inventory problems. 

The new price for the T-Mobile G2x, as captured above, will be $249.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate on a 2 year contract, from the initial price of $299.99. Just as a reminder, the smartphone was going for $199.99 on a two-year contract from T-Mobile itself. 

Source: TmoNews

How Many New Windows Phone 7 Mango Features Are We Up To?

Eighty-nine down, a whole lot more to go! When Steve Ballmer brought up the claim that Windows Phone 7 Mango would be bringing in excess of five hundred new features to the operating system, it seemed more like hyperbole than anything. But once we started watching Microsoft's presentation at Tuesday's New York City event, it became hard to deny: there is a LOT of new stuff coming to Mango. Now, we've talked about some of the more impressive changes that are in store, and lamented about some that won't make the cut, but when it comes down to it, we've just scraped the tip of the iceberg. 

The obsessive minds over at anythingbutiphone have been taking meticulous notes about what Microsoft has revealed about Mango, not just at this most recent event, but in all the teasers leading up to it. All told, they arrived at eighty-nine features with a chance of making it in. The majority of those have been directly confirmed by Microsoft, but there are a few that, while either likely or highly-anticipated, are just rumors at this point. All at once like this, it makes for quite the impressive list. 

There are sixty-three Mango features that Microsoft has announced, and an additional twenty that were once just rumors, only to later have Microsoft confirm them. 

1. SkyDrive support (including shared folders) 
2. Internet Explorer 9 
3. HTML5 
4. Hardware acceleration 
5. Multitasking 
6. Task-switcher 
7. Twitter integration 
8. Xbox LIVE Avatar accessories 
9. Kinect integration 
10. Skype 
11. Application jump list 
12. Application search 
13. Redesigned Marketplace 
14. Improved Marketplace search results 
15. Streamlined app installation 
16. Over-the-air podcasts 
17. Silverlight + XNA 
18. Improved panorama and pivot controls 
19. TCP/IP sockets 
20. SQL CE database 
21. Live Agents 
22. Deep Links 
23. Multiple live tiles per app 
24. Gyro 
25. Motion Sensor 
26. Instant-resume for apps 
27. Power management 
28. Parental controls (including M-rated titles) 
29. Custom ringtones 
30. Background audio 
31. File download service 
32. Alarm notifications 
33. Redesigned Games hub 
34. Silverlight 4 
35. Beta/private publishing on the Marketplace 
36. Pinnable email folders 
37. Email conversation view 
38. Server search 
39. Lync 
40. Complex (alpha-numeric) passwords 
41. Information Rights Management 
42. Hidden Wi-Fi networks 
43. App Connect (formerly Search Extras) 
44. Quick Cards 
45. Local Scout 
46. Indoor maps 
47. Photo translation 
48. Image search 
49. Improved virtual keyboard 
50. Contact communication history 
51. LinkedIn integration 
52. Notifications 
53. Calendar integration with Facebook Events 
54. Facial recognition 
55. Updated mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote 
56. Single track repeat 
57. Improved drop-down media controls 
58. Playback controls on the lock screen 
59. Favorite places 
60. Web Marketplace 
61. Multiple file formats on SkyDrive, including PDF 
62. Instant access to Bing under device lock 
63. Emoticons 


1. Location check-ins 
2. Photosynth (possibly as an app) 
3. Windows Live Messenger / Facebook Chat 
4. Bing Vision 
5. Bing Audio 
6. Auditory turn-by-turn navigation 
7. SMS dictation 
8. Threads 
9. Colored tiles for Office documents 
10. Support for East Asian languages 
11. Visual voicemail 
12. Office 365 support 
13. Groups 
14. Artist imagery on lock screen 
15. Redesigned Music + Videos hub 
16. Smart DJ 
17. Playlist management 
18. Enable/disable camera sound 
19. Linked Inbox 
20. Multiple calendars for Windows Live accounts 


While we haven't officially heard about these one way or the other, some rumors point to the following six additions making the cut. 

1. NFC Support 
2. Mobile Studio 
3. Facebook video uploads 
4. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) 
5. Multiple calendars for non-Windows Live accounts 
6. Support for Wi-Fi Hotspots 

Look for even more Mango features to be revealed as the months until its release pass. As a bonus, if you speak Swedish, you can check out some of these features in the clip below. 



Source: anythingbutiphone

What Could a High-End Amazon Tablet Mean for Android Smartphones?

Rumors have been flying that Amazon may be readying an Android-powered tablet. Some say the tabletwill be based on another flavor of Linux. Where the rumors all seem to agree is that an Amazon tabletwould be very powerful -- potentially even quad-core. While pocketnow is not a tablet website, the thought of an Android-powered Amazon tablet could bring with it some seriously amazing smartphone benefits. 

Barnes and Noble and Amazon both sell stuff, including eBooks. They both have eBook readers. Barnes and Noble have their Android-powered nook and nookColor. Amazon has their Kindles. Both have eBook reader apps for Android-powered smartphones and tablets. Barnes and Noble's nookColor is loved by techies who have rooted it and hacked it into being a full-blown tablet -- not just an eBook reader. 

In addition to eBooks Amazon also has a streaming music service and associated app. They have an Appstore that sells Android apps. They even have a video subscription and rental service for Amazon Prime members -- which hasn't made it to Android. Yet. 

If Amazon is going the same route as Barnes and Noble, making an Android-powered version of their eBook reader, that would essentially be an Android-powered tablet -- just like the nookColor. Why would Amazon need all the extra processing power? 

Could Amazon be planning to bring video and TV rental to Android, possibly competing with Netflix? 

Perhaps Amazon, like Sony, feels that Android is a great platform for gaming and could sell console-like games through their Appstore for playing on their new tablet. 

If Amazon is prepping an Android-powered movie-watching, music-listening, eBook-reading, game-playing tablet, powered by Android, could those apps also come to high-end Android-powered smartphones? 

Smartphones wouldn't need all the extra processing power because their screens are smaller, and offering those services on your smartphone could mean you could start a game or a movie on your phone, then pick it up where you left off on your tablet. 

Then again, it could all just be rumors.