866 Cellphones
Just another Cellphones News weblog
Apple Offering $30 iTunes Credit for Flubbed iPhone Activations
Author: +866.com21 Jun
Did you get the iPhone 3G-S this weekend only to be greeted by a failed activation and an expectation of waiting 2 days before it could be activated? Apple wants to say sorry by offering you a $30 credit to iTunes.
While nobody will take the blame, it seems as though Apple is pointing the finger at AT&T on this one. After all, it was AT&T’s system that failed last year during the ill-fated iPhone 3G launch. We can tell that there wasn’t as large a failure this year, but plenty of things still went wrong for new iPhone users.
Since enough users were having problems activating their new phones, Apple sent an email out to those users to handle a little damage control.
Here is the email:
Dear Apple Customer,
Thank you for your recent Apple Store order. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay in your iPhone activation.
We are still resolving the issue that was encountered while activating your iPhone with AT&T. Unfortunately, due to system issues and continued high activation volumes, this could take us up to an additional 48 hours to complete.
On Monday, you’ll receive an email from Apple with an iTunes Store credit in the amount of $30. We hope you will enjoy this gift and accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this delay has caused.
Thank you for choosing Apple.
Sincerely,
Apple Online Store Team
So while there isn’t any guarantee you’ll receive a credit, keep an eye on your inbox tomorrow for an email with a Redeem code for $30, just in case. And do please let us know if you were affected, and if you got the Apple credit.
via EverythingiCafe
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Hugo Chavez launches ultra-cheap “penis” phone
Author: +866.com28 Apr
Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s president, has become the world’s first country president to launch a mobile phone.
And as if this isn’t weird enough, Chavez gave the phone a funny (or maybe offensive, for some) name: Vergatorio – which is a Venezuelan slang term for… penis.
Produced by a company that Chavez nationalized, the Vergatorio phone is a low-end model that costs only about $15.
Even so, according to Telegraph.co.uk, the handset features stuff like WAP browser and MP3 player.
Hugo Chavez believes that the Vergatorio phone “will be the biggest seller not only in Venezuela but the world. Whoever doesn’t have a Vergatario is nothing.”
Uhm, right 
Via IntoMobile
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AT&T officially announces the BlackBerry Curve 8900
Author: +866.com28 Apr
Not long after we’ve heard that the BlackBerry Curve 8900 may be coming to AT&T, now the giant blue carrier has officially confirmed the smartphone’s release.
Unfortunately, AT&T didn’t give us an exact launch date, but it said the Curve 8900 would be available starting “early summer”.
The handset’s price is also unknown, but I guess it will be of around $200 on contract.
As we’ve already said, AT&T’s Curve 8900 is similar to the one available via T-Mobile – although, of course, it will provide exclusive stuff like AT&T Navigator and free Wi-Fi at almost 20,000 AT&T hot spots.
Well, until AT&T actually releases the smartphone, you can read our BlackBerry Curve 8900 review here.
Via Press release
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Sony Ericsson CS8 and CS5 release dates unveiled
Author: +866.com28 Apr
Alongside the 8MP Sony Ericsson CS8 (aka C905a), T-Mobile USA will also launch the CS5 – another camera phone made by SE.
Apparently, Sony Ericsson CS5 is a North American version of the C903 Cyber-shot (pictured below), which we first saw back in February.
In consequence, T-Mo’s users should expect the CS5 to come with a 5MP dual-LED flash camera, a QVGA display, 3G, GPS and TV out.
According to CellPhoneSignal, T-Mobile will release the Sony Ericsson CS8 on June 24, while the CS5 should hit the shelves on July 8.
No word yet on pricing, but the CS8 will most probably be more expensive than the CS5.
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Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60’s release pushed back to Q3 2009
Author: +866.com28 Apr
Last time we heard about it, the launch of Garmin-Asus’ Nuvifone G60 was planed for the first half of 2009.
However, now Garmin says that its very first smartphone will not hit the market until the third quarter of the year.
According to Twice, the Nuvifone G60 is still “in the testing phase of the certification process”.
That’s because, as Garmin’s president Cliff Pemble mentioned, it’s difficult to build from the ground up a smartphone based on a custom Linux OS. Well, we can’t say we disagree.
So in the end it looks like the G60 may be released at about the same time with the Windows Mobile 6.1 M20. Now let’s hope that there will be no more delays announced by Garmin-Asus.
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Facebook 1.5 Updates For BlackBerry
Author: +866.com27 Apr
The launch of Facebook 1.5 for BlackBerry should have been a happy event, but as many users found out, it might have given them more than a tiny problem. First off, your default calendar might have gone all funny and be replaced by one from Facebook. Aside from that, friends who didn’t list a phone number on their Facebook profile page were bombarded with requests for them to share their numbers. Certain not too fun, is it? The 1.5.0.32 should fix those problems, and is available on http://www.blackberry.com/facebook (from your BlackBerry’s browser). If you already had 1.5.0.31 installed on your device and the calendar went weird, you’ll want to restore your default calendar after installing the update. You can do so by going to Options -> Advanced Options -> Default Services -> Reset Calendar.
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HTC Magic UK Launch On May 1st
Author: +866.com7 Apr
Word on the street is that the HTC Magic will be launched in the UK on May 1st, making it the 2nd Android device to go on sale. Users should be able to pick up the device for free if they agree to a £25 contract or higher. Though there aren’t any specific details of data plans, it’s assumed that there will be unlimited data packages being offered to users too. In case it slipped your mind, the HTC Magic will have a 3.2 megapixel camera, capacitive touchscreen, HSDPA, and GPS, albeit lacking the physical QWERTY keyboard like the T-Mobile G1.
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Orange Vegas touchscreen phone to be launched for only €69 on PAYG
Author: +866.com3 Apr
Orange is getting ready to launch a new and highly affordable touchscreen phone, called Orange Vegas.
The handset is a dual band GSM/GPRS one that features a 2.4 inch TFT touchscreen display, probably with a QVGA resolution.
The price of Orange Vegas (on Pay as You Go) is said to be of only €69 (92 USD), which would make it one of the cheapest full-touch phones ever.
This is what the device looks like:
The rest of its specs include:
- Bluetooth
- MP3 player
- FM radio
- 1.3MP camera
- 64MB of internal memory
- 1GB MicroSD card
- Talk time: up to 3 hours
- Stand by time: up to 7 days
- 84 grams
Orange Vegas is already featured on Orange UK’s website, in black and pink – although it’s not yet available for purchase. Most probably, the carrier will sell the phone in many of its European markets.
Via Xataka
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Sony Ericsson F305 FIFA 2009 launched by Virgin Mobile France
Author: +866.com28 Mar
The F305 is one of Sony Ericsson’s most affordable sliders, so it’s no wonder many carriers are picking it up.
In France, Virgin Mobile decided to launch a special edition of the phone: Sony Ericsson F305 FIFA 2009.
Targeted at football fans and not only, the handset comes with the FIFA 2009 game pre-installed in its memory, and 50 other titles on a 1GB M2 card.
Since the phone features a motion gaming sensor, playing FIFA 09 on it is probably a pretty cool experience.
The F305 FIFA 2009 costs just €1 if you buy it with a Virgin data plan, or €129 if you get it on pre-pay.
It’s not clear yet if Virgin Mobile wants to release the phone in other countries too, but I guess it should consider doing it.
Source: Virgin Mobile France
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O2 UK intros cheaper 24 month iPhone 3G tariffs
Author: +866.com23 Mar
Today, O2 has announced new 24 month iPhone 3G tariffs for the UK, thus confirming those rumors which appeared last week.
Starting April 3, O2 UK’s customers will be able to get an 8GB iPhone 3G for free if they choose a new 2-yr contract agreement with a data plan of at least £34.26 per month.
The 16GB iPhone 3G will (obviously) also be offered for free, if you’re willing to pay £44.05 per month for two years.
Sadly, the 18 month iPhone 3G tariffs will not be changed by O2.
Almost certainly, the cheaper tariffs are being introduced because Apple is getting ready to launch a new iPhone this year. Of course, iPhone OS 3.0 kind of makes the old handset a new one, but let’s hope there will be some fresh hardware coming from Cupertino in addition to the fresh software.
We might even see more than just one new Apple smartphone – perhaps that iPhone Nano will finally be announced, together with a handset that can be a worthy successor to the iPhone 3G.
Via Press release