Let’s compare the devices in more detail:

LG Xenon Highlights:
Large 2.8″ Touch Screen With Tactile Feedback
Slide-out QWERTY Keyboard for Fast, Accurate Texting
Enhanced Flash User Interface and Customizable Shortcuts Menu
Supports AT&T’s Video Share For Live Video Sharing During A Call
Internationally Compatible
Bluetooth v2.0 Compatible For Hands-free Conversations
2 Megapixel Camera/ Camcorder

LG Vu Highlights:
Digital Camera - 2.0 Megapixel Camera (1600 x 1200 Pixel Resolution Max), Digital Zoom, iPhoto-like Support
Streaming Multimedia Support - Yes, AT&T Music and MediaFLO Lets You Experience Dazzling Video and Stereo Music
Camera Megapixels - 2 Megapixels
Bluetooth Wireless Technology - Yes
Two-handed Gaming Experience - Yes
Video Capture / Camcorder - Yes, Long Video Clip Capture, Video Clip Playback
QWERTY Keyboard - Yes, Built Into Touchscreen
Voice-driven Menus - Yes
PC Synchronization - Yes, Synchronize With Your PC or Mac

Images:

Installation

Although I couldn’t contain my excitement for the BlackBerry App World my first impression was far from expected. I tested the BlackBerry App World on a new in box BlackBerry Curve 8900 – you would think you could just plug it in and go. One thing that really bugs me is that BlackBerry forces you to use Internet Explorer to get the Store on your phone. Ok I get it… you want me to use Internet Explorer. It puzzles me as to why large companies get sucked into Microsoft exclusivity.

After firing up Internet Explorer I was prompted to install a few updates since I haven’t used it since last year. After the updates are installed I continue on my journey to install the BlackBerry App World. At this point nothing could possibly go wrong, right? Wrong.

Alright so some extra resources (apparently AxLoader.cab) are required to be installed before pressing onward. BlackBerry, this error message is fantastic, an installation FAQ would be helpful because at this point I’m getting frustrated. After installing AxLoader.cab and restarting Internet Explorer I visit the URL that I know all so well by now. It HAS to work now.

It turns out that I was wrong again. Even after updating and running Internet Explorer, installing extra controls from the BlackBerry installation page, and finally installing the BlackBerry USB driver from CD (CD comes with phone) the page still resolved with an error. What about the customers who don’t have the CD anymore? What about the customers that bought their phone second hand? Where are the links to download the driver from this page? I’m not even going to go there.

For a brand new page that was only announced a few days ago you would think the Copyright date would match the year like the rest of the site.

Forget about using the data cable to install BlackBerry App World.

Instead find an area with good reception and visit http://www.mobileapps.blackberry.com then click on the link to install directly. But wait you must have a BlackBerry with a scroll ball because the App World won’t work on older phones without it. Who would have ever thought a review of the installation would be this long, my bad.

The BlackBerry App World Review

First impressions: simple, clean, fast, but limited.

At the time of this review BlackBerry has 17 applications in the ‘Featured Items’ slider that is presented as soon as you start the App World. A compilation of free and purchasable games, news, business, social media, and instant messengers are all available for download.

The BlackBerry App World menu is divided up into 4 main parts:

Categories (13)

• Entertainment
• Games
• Maps & Navigation
• Music & Video
• News & Weather
• Personal Finance & Banking
• Personal Health & Wellness
• Productivity & Utilities
• Professional & Business
• Reference & eBooks
• Social Networking & Sharing
• Sports & Recreation
• Travel

When you click on a title you are presented with the full list of applications for that category, intuitive enough.

Top Downloads

25 of the most downloaded BlackBerry applications are on the list. At the time of this writing the top 3 are:

1. Viigo for BlackBerry
2. Shazam
3. Slacker Radio

In my opinion TwitterBerry and the Associated Press BlackBerry application should be on this list.

Search

It’s rather simple, enter any common search term and get presented with a vertical list of matched applications.

My World

My World is the BlackBerry App World’s way of simply saying ‘My Downloads’. Here you will find a list of previously downloaded applications, status of their installation, & the file size.

The Application Page

No matter which menu you chose to get to an individual application page there will be a list of 5 options and a summary of the application.

Download

This button should automatically start the download unless it requires purchase. In the event that your download requires a purchase you will have to provide PayPal information. Be forewarned – the BlackBerry App World works only with PayPal for paid applications. Again why would they do this?

Reviews

It appears that the reviews are non-biased and left by actual users. You may only leave a review if you have downloaded the application and then revisit the reviews page this time you should be presented a large ‘Add Review’ button. The worst rated application that I could find was a soccer news application that was surprisingly found in the ‘Featured items’ category. It appears that BlackBerry has since removed the application due to bugs & possibly all of the negative reviews.

Recommend

This is a nifty feature because it adds a viral element to help spread truly quality applications. The ‘Recommend’ feature allows you to send a link to download the app through Email, Pin, SMS Text, or MMS.

Screenshots

Displays a slideshow style screenshot slider with images of the application in action.

Support

If you have any issues with the application you installed it is encouraged that you contact the developer. When clicking the ‘Support’ button an e-mail window will open.

Conclusion

If you can deal with the irritations with installation, phone model requirements, and limitations like being forced to use PayPal to download a paid application, the BlackBerry App World actually provides a simple and clean interface that does exactly what it’s supposed to. The categories option allows easy browsing to get to what you are looking for quickly. You are never in question about the price or quality of an application after reading the reviews. All in all I would recommend the BlackBerry App World after they work out the launch bugs.

The BlackBerry App World appears to be developed by Handango.

Am I seeing double? The most noteworthy of the lineup has to be Sprint’s decision to bring back the Instinct with two new versions!

Samsung Instinct Mini (Q2)

Reason for Development: This device will help target the low-end full Touch device market.

Target Market: Customers wanting a FULL touch device to be current, but not wanting to spend as much or get the latest features.

Key Features:
3.2″ WQVGA Touch Screen
EVDO Rev 0
Bluetooth
2.0-MP Camera

Samsung Instinct Dash (Q2)

Reason for Development: Capitalize on the success of the first generation Instinct with a follow up version with updated form factor, styling,, and higher tier feature set.

Target Market: Customers seeking the most advanced features and willing to pay a premium to be on the cutting edge.

Key Features:
3.2″ HVGA Touch Screen
EVDO Rev A
5MP Camera w/Auto Focus
Accelerometer

Is that it for this year or will there be more? Rumors are flying.

Find the 2009 Sprint Q1-Q3 roadmap in it’s entirety straight from the source!

“The Storm is a faster, better device after the upgrade, including the responsiveness of the accelerometer, and improved battery life.” - CNET

“The Storm is a striking device. From the second you lay eyes on it, it’s clear that a lot of time and care went into crafting this phone.” – Engadget

“The very first time you touch the BlackBerry Storm—RIM’s first all-touchscreen keyboard-free smartphone, just announced for Verizon Wireless—you will be startled. No matter how many times your fingers dance on the screen like you’ve been trained on every other touchscreen, nothing will happen. At least, not until you push the screen all the way down and you feel a click. Yes, the screen is a giant button, one you have to punch for basically every action, even every letter you type, completely breaking the touchscreen paradigm. Surprisingly, it works.” – Gizmodo

All in all, you won’t go wrong purchasing this fine piece of hardware at such a ridiculous $99 price point without the need for rebates. With all the greatest features jam-packed into one device, the BlackBerry Storm is one of the most sought after phones of 2009.

Buy the Storm for $99 after instant discount (no rebate required) with any new Verizon Wireless calling plan.

One particularly interesting feature of the Samsung i627 is its ability to hide a rather comfortable sized slide-out QWERTY keypad. This phone is optimized for AT&T’s 3G network, has GPS, and runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 which is outstanding for anyone who wants to connect to Microsoft Exchange and oh yeah, did I mention it has a joystick-powered optical mouse as well?

One last bit I’d like to hit on:
The Samsung i627 “Jack Frost” gets straight to the point with it’s no nonsense external controls which are laid out in this order: Talk, Home, Joystick Control, Back, & End Call/Close. The center aligned joystick doesn’t protrude from the phone so you won’t have to worry about discomfort and it also brings something new to the table which is actually useful and innovative. Even though the Samsung i627 has a gigantic 2.2” screen it is thin enough to fit comfortably in my pocket.

We hope that we’ll be impressed when we get to take a peek at the Nokia N97 which is rumored to be available in Q2 of 2009.

Read below for the full specs that were released at the Nokia 2008 World Event.

Nokia N97:

• Dimensions : 117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9-18.3 mm
• Weight : 150g



• Display : 3.5 inches TFT touchscreen
• Display resolution : 360 x 640 pixels resolution
• Sensors : Proximity sensor, accelerometer, digital compass
• Keyboard : Full QWERTY
• Memory : 32GB internal
• Camera : 5 MP, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, dual LED flash
• Card Slot : microSD up to 16GB
• Connectivity : GPRS, EDGE, HSCSD
• 3G : HSPDA, 3.6 Mbps
• WLAN : WiFi 802.11 b/g with UPnP
• GPS : Inbuilt with A-GPS and Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch
• Bluetooth : Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
• USB : microUSB v2.0
• OS : Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
• Battery : Li-ion, 1500 mAh
• Other Features : Handwriting recognition, 3.5mm jack, Stereo FM Radio, Stereo speakers
• Release date : Q2 2009
• Approximate price : $700

Recently, Wired.com published an article outlining five ways to reduce your monthly cellphone bill.

1. Unlimited isn’t always good

2. Go prepaid

3. Cut out the bells and whistles

4. Don’t cut the cord just yet

5. Buy online

With the importance of saving as much as you can for the holidays, make sure you read the full article.

Wired.com’s Five Great Ways To Slash Your Cellphone Bill

Not only is it $50 cheaper than Verizon, but it’s an instant discount. There’s no mail-in rebate nonsense that I’ve seen from other sites.

These phones are going fast, if your lucky you’ll catch them in stock. A friend of mine went to a Verizon store this morning and he said the line was reminiscent of the iPhone madness, and that the store was on the verge of running out of stock.

Wirefly doesn’t show the price on the page above until you click through. But rest assured, it’s there. I already ordered mine.

Find more information on the Casio Boulder.

Here are the pics:

Available now!

Get it here: http://budurl.com/8rfn