i Phone BUY

T-Mobile hit us with a triple whammy today when it released the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900, T-Mobile Shadow and the Nokia 7510. Bonnie managed to secure the two smartphones for full reviews, and she gave us the full details in today’s Dialed In. We also dish on the the …

Originally posted at Dialed In Podcast

Go ahead, send that all-important text.

(Credit: Airbus)

British Airways announced this week that it would initiate limited cell phone use on an upcoming route between London and New York City. Voice calls will not be permitted, but passengers will be allowed to send and receive text messages and e-mails.
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Boost Mobile

(Credit: Boost Mobile)

Following its recent news of unlimited monthly plans, Boost Mobile confirmed today that it is aiming to push all of its subscribers to iDEN over time. According to this PhoneScoop report, Boost Mobile spokesperson said that the Sprint Nextel subsidiary will still support its CDMA …

Boost Mobile

(Credit: Boost Mobile)

Following its recent news of unlimited monthly plans, Boost Mobile confirmed today that it is aiming to push all of its subscribers to iDEN over time. According to this PhoneScoop report, Boost Mobile spokesperson said that the Sprint Nextel subsidiary will still support its CDMA …

The Nokia 7510: Get it while it's hot.

(Credit: T-Mobile)

It’s a busy day for T-Mobile. In addition to announcing the availability of the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 and the new T-Mobile Shadow, the carrier also started shipping another CES phone, the Nokia 7510.

Though T-Mobile isn’…

The Nokia 7510: Get it while it's hot.

(Credit: T-Mobile)

It’s a busy day for T-Mobile. In addition to announcing the availability of the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 and the new T-Mobile Shadow, the carrier also started shipping another CES phone, the Nokia 7510.

Though T-Mobile isn’…

(Credit: Pocketlint.co.uk)

Less than a year after buying up smartphone maker E-Ten, Acer will debut its first handheld, a company representative confirmed Wednesday.

The Taiwanese PC maker has just begun distributing invitations to a press event in Barcelona, Spain during the Mobile World Congress being held there next …

(Credit: Pocketlint.co.uk)

Less than a year after buying up smartphone maker E-Ten, Acer will debut its first handheld, a company representative confirmed Wednesday.

The Taiwanese PC maker has just begun distributing invitations to a press event in Barcelona, Spain during the Mobile World Congress being held there next …

Windows Mobile 6.5 is rumored to offer cosmetic upgrades, not major feature changes.

(Credit: Mobilemag.com)

For all the talk there’s been about Microsoft’s big Vista problem, much less has been made of its smaller operating system, Windows Mobile, which has some major problems of its own.

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T-Mobile Shadow

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

In addition to the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900, T-Mobile also announced the retail availability of the T-Mobile Shadow on Tuesday night. The Windows Mobile 6.1 device was first announced at CES 2009 as the replacement to the original Shadow and can now …

Windows Mobile 6.5 is rumored to offer cosmetic upgrades, not major feature changes.

(Credit: Mobilemag.com)

For all the talk there’s been about Microsoft’s big Vista problem, much less has been made of its smaller operating system, Windows Mobile, which has some major problems of its own.

…

T-Mobile Shadow

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

In addition to the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900, T-Mobile also announced the retail availability of the T-Mobile Shadow on Tuesday night. The Windows Mobile 6.1 device was first announced at CES 2009 as the replacement to the original Shadow and can now …

RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

T-Mobile teased us at CES 2009 by introducing the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 but denying us any details on its availability date and pricing. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait too long as the carrier released the final details on …

Q: I was wondering why U.S. carriers have not picked up Nokia’s N-series phones. Why wouldn’t a carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile want such high-end handsets to attract customers?
- Zoheb

A: There are a few answers, Zoheb, but they all boil down to money. More so than in other countries the cell phone market in the United States has long centered on the service rebate. Carriers discount phones to attract customers and their contracts, while customers are trained to expect free or discounted handsets. While this dynamic is beginning to change due to the growing popularity of unlocked phones, service rebates largely rule the day here.

Nokia N96

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

Though the rebates have their upside–customers can get $200 knocked off the price of a nice smartphone–they have their downsides as well. And I’m not talking about service contracts. Rather, the widespread use of service rebates has helped to “dumb down” the cell phone selection in the United States. With notable exceptions, carriers tend to keep their phones below $300 to make them as affordable as possible.

The problem with the N-series phones is that they cost well over $500 (the fancy Nokia N96 is $776 unlocked). So even with a service rebate they’re going to remain pretty expensive. Sure, there will be customers like yourself who will be willing to buy one, but that’s not enough incentive for a carrier to buy a several thousand of them. Instead, they’re going to pick handsets that will sell in the biggest numbers.

T-Mobile G1

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

We also have to remember that the N-series phones are complicated with a lot of different features. U.S. carriers tend to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to choosing phones for their lineups. They have a lot of say in how the phone looks and what features it has. Thanks to the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1 this is also beginning to change, but they still like to exert their control. I’d wager than the N-series phones are simply too complicated for U.S. carriers. There are too many parts and features that the carriers can’t control. Also, I’m sure that carriers haven’t figured out how to monetize all the services on a handset like the N96. That’s yet a another deterrent against picking it up….

Originally posted at Dialed In Podcast