We just received a tip that Samsung Blackjack’s are now shipping with both a regular battery and an extended battery. I sent an email to Samsung PR and they were unable to confirm this, but according to our tipster he ordered two Blackjacks from Cingular and both of them had one extended battery included with it. Has anyone else had this experience? (Thanks Zack!) → Read More
to market. Cingy’s KRZR is the first GSM rendition of the RAZR successor to hit the streets in America, and its features are on par with its CDMA cousins, including a 2-Megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, and microSD. It also supports instant messaging for AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! networks. We’d heard gossip that the phone would drop for Xmas, but for some reason Cingular waited until it became AT&T to release the phone. No word on why, and we don’t really care, we’re just glad it’s out. $200 with a two-year subjugation, if you’re scoring at home. Cingular KRZR [Cingular, after Zip code nonsense] → Read More
So now that Cingular is all AT&Tified, you can expect that things are going to change, hopefully for the better (as Cingular couldn’t get much worse). One change being brought about by the mothership is a new plan it’s calling AT&T Unity. Unity combines a customer’s wireless plan with their landline plan, allowing free calls between the two (if both of their plans are of the qualifying type). What’s more, it also allows for free in-network calling to any other AT&T wireless or wireline customer. That means free long distance and airtime between all its customers, of which there are over 40 million nationwide. While an initiative like this is hardly surprising, it is a harbinger of things to come with the new mega-telecom giant. Expect television and broadband packages to compliment Cingular service soon, as well. Press Release [Cingular] → Read More
AT&T. Next month, look for the launch of a sexy model called the 8800. Looking very much like the older, fatter brother of the Pearl, the 8800 is a full-QWERTY enabled BB of un-astounding features. More or less an upgrade to the existing 8700 series Cingular currently offers, the 8800 adds the popular/troublesome trackball of the Pearl, meaning this might be standard feature on all forthcoming BBs from RIM. → Read More
Damn the Boy Genius Report! Looks like our pals over at BGR got their mitts on an HTC Cavalier. This GSM beauty is the follow up to the popular HTC Dash/Excalibur for T-Mobile. It comes with HSDPA and 3G (guaranteed to make Blake wet), a 400mhz Samsung CPU, 128MB of flash memory, a 2MP camera, and a subtle design upgrade. Too bad the device is “postponed indefinitely” according to HTC. We’ll see if we can get our paws on one though… Unboxing the HTC Cavalier [BGR via Gizmodo] → Read More
Most of us are aware that Cingular has switched over to using the AT&T name instead. Not only is this another odd telecom move, it’s also confusing. Lucky for us, we have Stephen Colbert on our side to explain how it all works. His powerful graphs and gripping lingo make for an awesome clip to watch. The funny part is, it’s actually quite informative. Stephen Colbert Helps Explain the Whole AT&T Thing [Digg] → Read More
There are few things that piss me off more than anti-consumer contracts, especially of the cell phone variety. But getting out of that contractual noose has been the Holy Grail of techies for years, with most people being forced to either run out the clock or gulp down a ridiculous fee. Well, relief is here, at least for Cingular customers. Consumerist‘s got a must-read step-by-step (including a pretty amazing script for when you get those retention folk on the phone) for ditching your Cingular contract. Basically, they keep on upping charges to contract holders, creating legal loopholes for you to slip through. Totally boss. → Read More
Nokia’s vice president of the N-series musicphones computers, Pekka Pohjakallio, got real-time word of the launch of the iPhone earlier today. What does he have to say about it at CES? “…It is a 2G device, not 3G, which was a surprise to me.” Thanks, Mr. Pahjakallio for putting voice to the complete “Wait, WHAT!?” that we’re collectively thinking. Now for the heart of the matter: Cingular is rolling out this nationwide HSDPA, blazingly fast 3G network. Apple finally rolls out the rumored iPhone, exclusive to Cingular, without support for this network. The iPhone also hasn’t made its merry way through the FCC gauntlet. This means that, when iPhone hits the streets in June, one of two things: 1) We’ll see a boosted iPhone with HSDPA or at least UMTS by the time the retail launch happens, or 2) Steve Jobs has finally lost it (note the color of the turtleneck? Things have changed). Nokia responds to Apple iPhone – ‘it is a surprise that the iPhone is not 3G’ [Tech Digest dot TV] → Read More
Rumors are fluttering about that tomorrow at the MacWord keynote Mr. Jobs wil announce some sort of partnership with Cingular. While the kneejerk reaction would be to assume that Cingular will be releasing whatever the “Apple iPhone” has become, we’re going to go out on a limb and say that the partnership is to deliver iTunes on Cingular devices. We don’t know how or why. We might not be right. Cingular Wireless is expected to provide wireless service for a new Apple Computer Inc. cellphone, people familiar with the situation say. The launch of the new phone and service is expected to be announced as early as Tuesday, these people say. BREAKING: Cingular to partner with Apple [MobilityToday] → Read More
this past fall, was an instant hit with business minded users, as it’s Palm’s first GSM Treo running Windows Mobile 5. → Read More
Most people only use their cellphones to make voice calls, we all know this, it is fact. Cingular, however, thinks its come up with a way to entice people to use its 3G features in a new way: video calling. It’s not the video calling of the G.I. Joe wallscreen we’ve all dreamt about as kids, but rather phone-to-phone broadcasting of video, basically using the video camera on a phone as a glorified webcam. The idea is that one could start a voice call, then say something along the lines of, “No! The strippers here are way hotter than the ones there! Look!”, and then one could point the video camera on one’s phone towards said topless girl, and stream live video to one’s friend. The technology to do this is relatively simple, Cingular is just the first carrier to attempt it. We see it either being a huge hit or a miserable failure, there’s not really any middle ground here. The key will be other networks following suit with the feature, and the ability to share cross-network, something we’re not counting on. Look for some additional coverage next week, as Cingy is set to demo this new feature at CES, and you know we’ll be there. Press Release [Cingular] → Read More
So earlier we reported that you could get out of your Cingular contract due to the hike in texting fees. Well apparently if you go and call up Cingular and use this tactic they’re going to throw the following back in your face: Q. Since Cingular is raising its rates, are customers entitled to cancel service without paying an early termination fee? A. No, that doesn’t apply here. This is simply a pricing change for pay-per-use text and instant messaging, which is an optional service. It’s similar to buying a ringtone – that’s optional as well. It’s not part of your monthly rate plan. Customers who pay for text and instant messages on a per-use basis are generally those who use text messaging occasionally. Frequent users generally purchase packages or bundles, so they can send and receive messages for as little as a penny each.” So in a nutshell, Cingular is trying to pull a big ol’ load of bullshit on you by claiming text messaging is an optional service that isn’t part of your monthly plan. I’m outraged that Cingular is pulling some AOL-esque manipulation here. Have any of you tried to cancel your Cingular account without termination fees and have been shot down? Let us know in the comments. What Cingular Tells Customers Canceling Over Text Message Rates [The Consumerist] → Read More
Cingular customers looking for a decent Bluetooth headset can now rejoice. Cingular announced today that it’ll be carrying Aliph’s Jawbone Bluetooth headset. It comes in a jet black, modern design and packs military-spec noise cancellation. Basically, they jacked some secrets from the US military to offer noise cancellation that adapts to your surroundings. So if you’re in a quiet office building and walk into a crowded street, the volume should adjust accordingly. It also comes with four different earloops so that everyone can wear it properly. It’s available now for $120 — a bit more expensive than most Bluetooth headsets. Cingular carries Jawbone designer headset [Electronista] → Read More
Recently, you may have heard about text messaging fees increasing in price for Cingular customers. The $.10 to $.15 jump is enough to piss off a few people I’m sure. So if you’re a Cingular customer and hate the new rates or just want to ditch your service altogether, now’s your chance. Cingular points out in their ToS agreement the following: “IF WE INCREASE THE PRICE OF ANY OF THE SERVICES TO WHICH YOU SUBSCRIBE… YOU MAY TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT WITHOUT PAYING AN EARLY TERMINATION FEE… PROVIDED YOUR NOTICE OF TERMINATION IS DELIVERED TO US WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE FIRST BILL REFLECTING THE CHANGE.” As The Consumerist points out, the price bump for texting doesn’t occur until January 21st, 2007. So come January, have that phone of yours ready, put on a pot of coffee, and get ready to rumble. Break Your Cingular Contract Without Fee, Thanks 2 Txt Msg $ Raise [The Consumerist] → Read More
Some Cingular employees must have been overjoyed this weekend. Seems Treo 750 demo units started showing up in a few Cingular stores recently. Is it the same thing as the Vodafone version? Yes. Are all the features still the same? Yes. But do we care because we’re fanatical geeks? Sadly, yes. It’s still looking good and has a “Q4 release date,” but with only 13 days left in December, we’re not sure if it’s going to stay true to that statement. Cingular Treo 750 Demo Model Arrives To Stores [BGR via Mobility Today] → Read More
Peace Helio users! Catch ya later! Looks like you’re no longer the only wireless provider with a MySpace deal. Cingular Wireless and MySpace have teamed up letting its wireless customers access their profiles on the social-networking site while on the go. You and your 15-year-old punk girlfriend with pink highlights can check your profile, make comments, upload pictures from your phone and do all the things that make MySpace so entertaining. Oh but wait. You thought this was going to be free didn’t you? A nice gesture from Cingular that helps out the younger demographic, right? Don’t think so. Be prepared to shell out $3 monthly for a mobile MySpace application for your cellphone. And don’t think it stops there. You know damn well they’ll be pushing phones to you now that are “MySpace compatible.” Cingular to offer MySpace on cellphones [Yahoo! News] → Read More
Ah I love it when stories compliment each other. Like this GlobeTrotter HSDPA card and the Cingular upping its HSDPA capabilities to 7.2Mbps. It’s a thing of beauty really. The GlobeTrotter ExpressCard supports 7.2Mbps HSDPA lovage. It also supports UMTS, EDGA and GPRS for those hard-to-reach places. Additionally, and here’s the cool part, it’s said to be Macbook Pro compatible. So, of course, there is not yet a peep on pricing or availability, but given Cingular’s revelation, I’d expect to see it sometime early next year. Option GlobeTrotter Express 7.2 [via Gizmodo] → Read More
A representative for Qualcomm stated recently that Cingular would be launching 7.2Mbps HSDPA in January. This purported bandwidth leap is nearly double the speed of current HSDPA, which tops out at 3.6Mbps, and about half the speed of HSDPA’s theoretical tops of 14.4Mbps. As the proud owner of a Samsung Blackjack, an HSDPA equipped device, I’m rather elated to the HSDPA bandwidth building so quickly. If it keeps on this trend, perhaps people will be abandoning home broadband in lieu of mobile broadband much the same as people has shunned land line telephones in favor of cells. 7.2Mbps HSDPA service to hit Cingular next year [engadget] → Read More
has launched on Cingular’s website with something we didn’t know about: Push To Talk. We knew Cingular had plans for PTT, but we didn’t think it would debut with such little fanfare and on such a pedestrian phone. Sure, it’s got 3G, but it’s a cheap-o otherwise. In addition to the CU400, PTT can be enabled on the Pearl, the Moto V365, Samsung D407, and SE Z525a. Until more phones on the network have the service, we don’t see it being very popular, though for a family, the $19.99 plan is actually a fairly good deal. And since this phone is only $29.99 with a 2-year contract, you can probably afford to outfit your whole clan with 3G goodness. Unless you’re old-school Mormon, that would just cost a fortune. LG CU400 [Cingular] → Read More
Cingular will announce tomorrow the availability of exclusive Jay-Z content to its wireless customers. Subscribers with 3G access will be able to stream content from the Jay-Z Hangar Tour. → Read More
