Mobile Phone News

Filed under: Software, Apple

Recently we were sent a PR email about an iPhone app called BdEmailer. No big deal, press releases about new iPhone applications show up in our box in large bundles every day — but this one was different. According to the release, the program is the “the first wide email iPhone app that supports client SMTP.” That means, in essence, that it duplicates an exact function of Apple’s Mail application on the iPhone and touch. That’s kind of a very big deal, because up until this point we’ve been led to believe that this duplication of functionality is one of the company’s red flags when it comes to approval. at this time mind you, we’re not complaining. The idea of having more apps to choose from for Makethings like sending email is a great idea, but Apple… what the hell is continue? You refused MailWrangler and Podcaster for similar reasons, yet BdEmailer passes through your review process, SMTP functionality intact? This means one of two things as far as we can tell — either you’ve relaxed your policies on duplicate functionality, or you’ve gotten incredibly lazy when it comes to approving applications. We’re inclined to believe it’s the latter, as BdEmailer has a fair share of bugs that need working out, but really, people need some clarification in this place on what will and won’t pass — and moving the goalpost all the time isn’t plan to help.

Apple approves third-party email client for the App Store, violates its own policies originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, Verizon Wireless

We’re not sure if these are like intimacy issues, magazine issues, or technical issues, but Verizon has put out a vaguely-worded all points bulletin to its employees saying that the Glyde’s somehow screwed up and should be pulled off shelves immediately. In fact, the situation’s so bad that Big Red won’t even let you have a Glyde back if you send one in for service — they want to give you an enV2 in its place (though it says in the memo that customers throwing a hissyfit over the switcheroo can be provided with something else at the manager’s discretion). There’s no word beyond that on what the hell’s continue, but we’re told to expect more info shortly.

[Thanks, Carter]

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Filed under: Handsets, LG, Alltel, EV-DO, CDMA

We’re continuously pleasantly surprised to see a carrier beat the rumored release Dat. for a phone, and that’s certainly happened in this place with the LG Rhythm, a phone we’d heard would bow in the middle of next month. The trick slider features a secondary touch-sensitive display in the center of the d-pad — not a feature you see every day — and has an integrated FM transmitter, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1.3-megapixel camera, microSD expansion, and a graphic equalizer personally tuned by none other than Mark Levinson himself, making this one hell of a little music phone. It launches today in black and white for $119.99 after rebate on contract.

Read - Rhythm (white)
Read - Rhythm (black)

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