Official Windows Mobile 6.5 in April 2010?

View Microsoft.com page

Update: Revised timing on the MS Web site indicates a April 2010. I don’t know if i should laugh or cry.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone Web site reports we might be seeing an official Windows Mobile 6.5 release as early as February 2010. It not a done deal yet as we’ll have to wait on Samsung and AT&T to play nice.. and its still undetermined if a an official upgrade will fix all of the Epix’s issues, or if it’ll be a lot more like Trashcan’s unofficial release of Windows 6.5 for the Epix.

..and it wouldn’t be an Epix upgrade without the fine print:

* Not all models of these phones will be updatable. Check with your mobile operator to determine update availability.

** Dates provided by our partners and are subject to change. Update availability not guaranteed.

Samsung Epix gets the official Windows Mobile 6.5 nod

View link

Microsoft officially announced the Samsung Epix will get official Windows Mobile 6.5 support. There is no official word yet of when, but I suspect late October/early November of 2009.  [Edit] It’s a Samsung Epix Update, what was I thinking? New reports indicate possibly in Feb 2010.

If trashcan’s unofficial Windows Mobile 6.5 releases are any indication of what the official release will look like, Epix owners are in for for a real treat.

Lets just hope in this upgrade Samsung can fix the problems with the GPS, notifications and audio cut-outs.  We may finally have a stable phone after everything is said and done.

Even if this isn’t a silver bullet fix for all of the problems that plague the Epix, it’s a step in the right direction.

$50 coupon from AT&T

Claim your $50 coupon from AT&T

AT&T is offering a $50 coupon when you purchase a Samsung Epix and sign-up with a new wireless plan online. Unfortunately users that have existing AT&T wireless plans cannot use this coupon .

Please note that the coupon has the following restrictions:

• Postpaid Activation (Coupon does NOT apply to Pre-paid plans)
• Customer must purchase a $39.99 rate plan or higher with a two year contract
• Packages are NOT eligible for this discount
• Requires online activation via att.com/wireless
• Coupon is applicable to accessories (all hard goods) as long as it is made at the time of purchase

Anyhow, if you’re looking to sign-up with AT&T and get a Samsung Epix (or any other smartphone) click on the link above, and proceed through the check-out process to save $50 on your purchase. Below is an image of what your final checkout page should look like if the coupon has been correctly applied to your order.

(Click on the image below for a large image)

… And here’s the fine print for this deal: Save up to $50 on select phones, devices or accessories with qualified service activation. Offer requires online activation via att.com/wireless on qualified rate plans $39.99 or more with a two-year agreement. Discount will be automatically applied to your shopping cart. Credit approval and other restrictions apply.

AT&T introduces the Samsung Epix

AT&T quietly launched the Samsung Epix in the United States. The Samsung Epix is what Samsung is called what was previously the hotly anticipated Blackjack 3.

• AT&T Samsung Epix Product Page

Is the Samsung SGH-i788 a likely successor?

Is the Samsung SGH-i788 a likely successor to the Blackjack II?

TamWMS contends that the SGH-i788 is in fact a very UNLIKELY candidate for the next Blackjack III.The gist of TamWMS’s argument is Windows Mobile Standard (non-touchscreen) and Windows Mobile Professional (touchscreen) handle very differently:

… A person who can use a WMS will have huge problems handling a PocketPC and vice versa.
…
Customers usually expect phones from a series to handle similarly – the i788 could come to AT&T, but it won’t be the BlackJack III.

I contend that the SGH-i788 (or something _very_ similar) will become the next Samsung Blackjack III.

• Windows Mobile Standard (non-touchscreen) phones are a dying breed. With the huge success of the iPhone and touch technologies I see a marked decline in non-touchscreen Smartphones in the very near future. This is not to say that the phones will not be able to function without interacting with the screen, just that they will have the “touch” capabilities if you choose to use them.
• They SGH-i788 has a very similar look to the the Blackjack and Blackjack II.
• There is no other non-US model that meets the AT&T Roadmap’s specs as closely as the SGH-i788.

Could this be the Samsung Blackjack 3?

Could the Samsung SGH-i780 (Currently UK-only) be the Samsung Blackjack 3 (before a couple tweaks by Samsung’s engineers, and be released as the SGH-i788?

Here are a couple people that think so:

• Engadget Mobile
• IntoMobile
• MultiCellphone
• The Unwired

Samsung SGH-i788

AT&T Leaks Announcement of Samsung Blackjack 3

The good people at GearDiary somehow got their hands on AT&T 2008 Road map which briefly mentions the impending release of the Samsung Blackjack 3.

Samsung Blackjack 3 due in Q4 this year, specs below:

Windows Mobile SP 6.1
Tri-band HSDPA (3.6); Quad-band EDGE
528 MHz processor
128MB RAM/ 256MB ROM
Camera 3 MP
AGPS
VSC
WiFi

Launch Target: late Q4/08

Let me break down the information:

• Windows Mobile SP 6.1 — The latest version of the Windows Mobile OS
• Tri-Band HSDPA (3.6) — Will run on the 3G Network (up to 3.6 Mbps)
• Quad-band EDGE — Will run on the slower but more wide-spread EDGE network (up to 135Kbps)
• 528 MHz processor — Speed of the CPU (The Samsung Blackjack II’s processor speed is 260 MHz)
• 128 RAM/256 ROM — 128 MB of memory on the phone. (ROM amount is irrelevant to the user)
• Camera 3 MP — 3 MegaPixel camera. A 3 MP camera can take a picture up to a resolution of 2048 x 1536, or Print size of 6.5″ x 4.8″ at 320 dpi or 8.5″ x 6.4″ dpi.
• AGPS — Assisted GPS is an enhanced form of GPS; All this means is the phone will have built in GPS.
• VSC — Vertical Service Codes mean the Blackjack 3 will support the dialing of numbers that begin with special characters like * or #.
• WiFi — Wireless networking capabilities.

• Launch Target: late Q4/08 – The launch date will be sometime between the beginning of October 2008 and the end of December 2008 … just in time for the holiday rush!