BlackBerry 9790 To Have 9900-Level Hardware In Smaller Package?

Of all the new RIM hardware that we've been seeing lately, the Bold 9790 – codename Bellagio - has been one of the most elusive. After seeing it in photographs back in May, it drifted off our radar for a while, only to reappear in late July in some new video clips. Now we have some new pics to check out, comparing the phone against the recently-released Bold 9900, as well as some informationon the handset's hardware specs.

Like previous models in the 9700 series, the 9790 offers a smaller-form-factor alternative to larger Bolds like the 9900. Not that we'd accuse the 9900 of being an excessively large phone, but the option will be there for users with smaller hands. RIM is expected to stuff that smaller case with some hardware that could make it the equal of the 9900, including a 1.2GHz processor, 8GB of flash storage, NFC capabilities, and a five-megapixel camera. Unlike earlier 9700 models, the 9790 will have both an optical trackpad and touchscreen inputs.

What do you think? Too small, or just right? 

HTC Runnymede: First Press Shot

We recently got a quick peek at the upcomingHTC Runnymede thanks to AndroidGuys, and now we've gotten a full press shot of the 4.7-inchGingerbread handset. Very much an Android-powered companion piece to the just-announcedHTC Titan Windows Phone, the all-white Runnymede will reportedly feature a single-core 1.5GHz processor, 768MB RAM and 16GB/32GBROM, plus WVGA resolution. Sound quality and image capture are said to be top-notch, with the Beats Audio-infused device supposedly offering up a class-leading camera that may even best the highly-anticipated iPhone 5's.

Pricing has been tipped at 530 pounds ($838) unlocked for the 16GB model and 560 pounds ($885) for the 32GB version -- which sounds right in line for a high-end HTC product -- although launch plans are still unknown. We could possibly learn more at the September 20th HTC event in New York City, although we suspect that may focus on US-specific devices such as Bliss and Vigor on Verizon.

U.S. Cellular Getting Motorola Electrify (Photon 4G) This Month

We first learned of the Motorola Photon 4G, and all its angular lines, when the manufacturer announced late last spring that the Android smartphone would be making an eventual appearance onSprint. Sure enough, by the end of July, the Photon was upon us. While the Photon continues to have a home at Sprint, its twin is about to arrive at U.S. Cellular, as the Motorola Electrify.

The name change aside, the Electrify is the same ol' Photon 4G we're familiar with. That means it will keep the 4.3-inch qHD display (and unfortunate PenTile arrangement), same dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, and the 16GB internal flash storage of the Photon (expandable via microSD). Similarly, you can still hook the phone up to Motorola's WebTop accessories to do some real web browsing on a full-sized display.

Sprint launched the Photon 4G at around $200 on-contract, and that's the same way U.S. Cellular is kicking-off its own sales of the smartphone. If a release date has been set, U.S. Cellular is keeping it on the hush-hush for now, only offering that the Electrify will come to carrier "later this month". 

No Exynos Chip For T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II

When Samsung and most of the major US carriers got together for the Galaxy S II launch late last month, T-Mobile didn't make quite the same splash as Sprint or AT&T. It didn't show off its GS2 like the others, and didn't have a feature-laden press release to put out. There was some speculation at the time that part of the motivation behinds T-Mobile's actions was due to GS2 hardware changes that it wasn't quite ready to announce. It's still not official, but a video that's been brought to our attention from the event seems to confirm that T-Mobile isn't getting a GS2 with a Samsung Exynos chip.

Samsung's Philip Berne goes over the differences between the three carriers, calling-out the processor swap. At first, we weren't even sure that AT&T would get an Exynos, but that's confirmed here. The question, then, is what chip will end up powering the T-Mobile GS2? A Tegra 2 would make sense, but a dual-core Snapdragon could fit in a pinch; phoneArena thinks the 1.2Ghz model in the now-defunct TouchPad would be a likely choice. Frankly, at this point, we just want to see the smartphone arrive, no matter whose chip is inside. 

Sprint Motorola Photon 4G Hardware Tour (Video)

The fight continues for the hearts and minds of today's phone consumers. In this video, we take a closer look at the hardware of the Motorola Photon 4G for Sprint. Thus far, impressions are very favorable, with some caveats. Is it enough to cause users to defect over to Sprint? We shall see.

Battery
1700 mAh Li-Ion

Talk time
10 hours

Dimensions
2.6" x 5.0" x 0.5"

Display
4.3" qHD Capacitive Touchscreen

Weight
5.6 oz

Processor
1 GHz NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 Dual Core Processor

Memory
16GB Internal, 1GB RAM

Bluetooth, WiFi, WiMAX, CDMA, GSM

The Motorola Photon 4G is available from Sprint for $199 with a two year contract.