Wondering what you may have missed this week in the smartphone world? The Best of SPE is here to ease your mind and get you caught up.
As we anxious await the official rollout of Android 1.5 for T-Mobile G1 users, we're happy to say that if you're sick of the wait we have instructions for a safe install of cupcake. Meanwhile, the Android Smartphone train keeps on running - though perhaps not quite on time. The Acer A1 should hit in "late 2009," Motorola's Android smartphone got dubbed "Morrison" and should hit T-Mobile, and the Samsung Galaxy, nee i7500 hits France in July.
The BlackBerry Leak-Machine worked overtime this week as we saw multiple bits of news hit the Internet. The good folks at Engadget got their hands on the BlackBerry Odin (Storm 2), while CrackBerry.com busted out photos of the BlackBerry Aries. Facebook 1.6 is in the works too - you can find a detailed overview here.
Nokia Experts continues to be your best source for learning how to use your E71x, from general Q & A to tips and tricks (including getting rid of some annonying AT&T Bloatware) to running Ovi Maps. We're also looking forward to the US release of the Nokia N97, which may be as early as June for as little as $600 (or less).
We were relieved to finally get the release date and price for the Palm Pre. It's $199 after rebates, available on June 6th. The device is out there in spots, though, as our own forum members grabbed Palm Pre Hands-on time and we first leaked internal Sprint documents detailing the Pre's Exchange support. Our Palm Pre Forums are a virtual bazaar of opinions about the Pre and help strategizing launch day tactics, too, so head on over and give them a visit!
Pre-WWDC crazy-time continues with leaks -- real and imagined -- of next-generation iPhone 32GB from T-Mobile Austria, AT&T, Vodafone Australia, and Rogers Canada. Just what specs will this next gen iPhone have? Consensus seems to have been reached, even if rumors about on-device TV and movie downloads aren't among them... yet.
TiPb also weighs in on iPhone 3.0 vs. Palm Pre -- which should you buy? And, yes, more controversy shook the App Store... on both sides. But hey, at least AT&T is considering lowering their data rates, right?
For those who enjoy reading eBooks on your Treo/Centro, we learned that Fictionwise is having a anniversary sale for turning 9 years old. Celebrate with Fictionwise and save 30% to 50% on every eBook. Plus, Andre reviewed the Motorola H780 Bluetooth Headset, giving it a 4 out of 5 overall rating.
The long march toward Windows Mobile 6.5 and some new hardware continues. Microsoft's My Phone sync service moved to an open beta. We got glimpses of the Sprint and Verizon versions of the HTC Touch Pro 2. One of our favorite Twitter clients, Twikini, hit v1.0 (and 1.1). We reviewed the European version of the HTC Touch Diamond 2. The Samsung Epix got a ROM update. Microsoft clarified app sharing in the Marketplace. The Samsung Jack and Touch Diamond 2 made TV appearances. And we gave away an HTC Fuze and Touch Dual.
