There are convincing arguments to be made for law enforcement agencies' access to location data, like in missing person cases, kidnappings or maybe fugitive situations. It just seems like it ought to be a little more mediated than this:

[At the Intelligence Support Systems for Lawful Interception, Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Gathering conference] Sprint Nextel's electronic surveillance manager Paul Taylor described an automated system that law enforcement could use to easily look up subscriber whereabouts.

They can submit a request for a particular user's location up to every three minutes, for a period of 60 days, which accounts for the 8 million figure. What else does Sprint collect about you, for sharing?

Sprint keeps 24 months worth of URL history for some devices and that's not even because of law enforcement. "It's because marketing wants to rifle through the data," [Taylor] said.

The marketing data retention sounds like the kind of thing you might unknowingly sign off on in some kind of unintelligible user agreement, and the location stuff could conceivably be used only in palatable ways (if you broadly consider warranted wiretapping palatable) but they're both reminders that your telco—no, this isn't just Sprint's issue—knows a lot about you. Or, more to the point, that the average cellphone user has no idea how much data their wireless provider is collecting (or can collect) from them, and specifically, how it's used.

Queasy yet? No worries! There's a pharmacy two blocks to the west, and one block to the south. And they have your favorite pills. [PCWorld]

Yes, in 19 of the 26 cities surveyed, AT&T was ranked dead last in every category. Verizon was ranked the best, followed by T-Mobile, then Sprint and then, of course, bringing up the rear is our friend AT&T. You can compare their results to the results of our own nationwide 3G test here.

You've got to wonder if Apple can afford to stick this exclusivity contract out another year, what with decent competitors such as the Droid and the Pre now available. AT&T is as big a black mark on Apple's customer service reputation as they've ever had. And hell, for AT&T's sake it'd be nice to see some other carriers share the burden of iPhone data hogs. [9 to 5 Mac]

You'll notice that one of the shots is in landscape mode. Be Geek, who scored the images, suggests that Sense with Android 2.1 will either support accelerometer-controlled landscape rotation, or HTC might have another landscape-slider planned. Time will tell. [Be Geek via SlashGear]

Sprint isn't giving in to the request and is proceeding to argue independent test results. I quite frankly don't care whether they give in, keep the claim, or change it to say that they're the best thing since sliced bread. I just want reliable service and calls that actually go through. [Electronista]

It also gets a native PDF reader, previously only found in the Kindle DX. The total battery life for the international version measures at seven days with wireless on (up from four days), and two weeks with wireless off (same as before).

It looks like Amazon just improved the wireless usage, which might have come as a result from switching from using Sprint as the provider to AT&T as a provider? Probably not, seeing as previous Kindle users also get the 85% battery life from a firmware upgrade delivered automatically. PDF support comes over OTA upgrade as well, but no timeframe was announced for either. [Press Release]

If you hate the gallery format, click here.

All pricing shown is with a new 2-year contract, and some deals may be temporary.

AT&T

iPhone 3GS
The iPhone 3GS is the best overall smartphone you can buy. It's really that simple. Best user interface, best internet, best apps, best media support—the list goes on. Okay, not the best network, but nothing's perfect. $199

BlackBerry Bold 9700
I miss the original BlackBerry Bold's king-sized keyboard, but the Bold 9700 squeezes the best of the BlackBerry for CEOs into an impressively tight form factor—faux leather back included—making it very possibly the best BlackBerry you can buy. $10

Bonus: Nokia e71x
It's free, and an actually good smartphone—my favorite Nokia phone on the planet. Free

Verizon

Droid
It's a terminator. A huge, disgustingly high-res screen, Batman-worthy industrial design, and the full power of Android 2.0 make it the best phone on Verizon—and the fact that it's running on arguably the best network in the US make it the second best smartphone you can buy, period. $150

BlackBerry Tour
Sure, it's notorious for trackball problems and it's missing Wi-Fi, but this is the BlackBerry of choice for email warriors if they're not on AT&T or T-Mobile—and it sure as hell beats anything running Windows Mobile. $50

Bonus: Droid Eris
If you're desperate to save $100 over the Droid, the Droid Eris will run Android 2.0 soon enough, and is smoother, smaller, and friendlier, if a little blander. $100

Sprint

Palm Pre
The Pre offers one of the best user experiences of any smartphone with Palm's webOS, and it's probably the best phone on Sprint, hardware build issues and comparatively dinky App Catalog aside. $80

HTC Hero
The best Android phone not running Android 2.0, HTC's Sense UI makes the sometimes confusing Android interface more digestible and has a few nifty tricks of its own, like integrated social networking. $100

Bonus: There is none. The Pixi's close ($25), but the fact that you can get the Pre for nearly as cheap undercuts a lot of the value, as much as we like the design and form factor.

T-Mobile

Motorola Cliq
Motorola's other Android phone is gussied up with Blur, a custom interface that's bright and friendly, with widgets for keeping track of everything happening on your social network. It's our favorite Android phone on T-Mobile. $100

Unlocked iPhone
No, I'm not kidding. A jailbroken and unlocked iPhone, even without 3G powers, is the second best smartphone you can use on T-Mobile.

Bonus: BlackBerry Bold 9700
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the first BlackBerry with 3G on T-Mobile, which is reason enough, really, but it's good the reasons listed above, too. $130

There are two main problems: We like bills to be consistent, and we're risk-averse consumers.

To the first point, Sprint tried to offer a plan in 2004 where 300 minutes cost $35, and $2.50 for each additional 50 minutes. Seems great to me, no outrageous overage charges. But customers didn't like it because their bills would vary so much from month-to-month, so Sprint switched back to age-old tiered minutes plans.

Because we like consistent billing, the carriers institute ridiculous overage charges to convince us to spend up. That way we don't have to worry about any unforeseen costs, even if the fixed price plan ends up costing more than a variable pricing structure would.

The article also goes into how stupid expensive text message rates are subsidizing falling voice revenues, how wireless carriers would love to stop subsidizing phones, and more.

I know the average Gizmodo reader would like nothing more than to pay as little per minute as possible, but the average consumer thinks differently.

What's interesting is that this wholesale mentality does work, at least in terms of raw pricing. One minute of talk time costs 5 cents, and the average text message costs 1 cent. According to the article, that's the lowest average pricing in the developed world. The minutes do come at a bulk discount, it's just a matter of whether or not you use all of them.

I'll leave it to you commenters to discuss, but it's a good read into how wireless pricing in America got so complicated. [New York Times]

Compared against the Droid Eris, the decidedly secondary, little-advertised rebranded Hero that happens to be launching alongside the Droid Droid (and also happens to be the cheapest new Android phone on the market), the Pixi's hasn't been driving much Google traffic at all, according to Google Trends. More odd is that even with reviews starting to hit, exciting deals showing up online and a release date rapidly approaching, the Pixi's buzz is flat. Yes, that Pixi—thelegitimately interesting handset aimed at a broader audience than its much buzzier predecessor. Hm.

A couple of points: Although I searched for "Droid Eris" in quotes, there's a good chance the Eris is getting a leg up on Google searches by piggybacking on the hyper-hyped Droid Proper. Also, I've seen three people, two of whom work with gadgets for a living, write "Pixi" as "Pixie" in the last 24 hours, which is funny! Also: probably a bad sign, for the buzz. But still, that explains a disparity, not totally flat interest, or the weirdly tiny bump in attention the phone got when pricing was announced back in October. General public: what gives? [Google Trends]

It's an improvement over the last six months—the biggest sequential improvement in five years—and less terrible than expected, but still not good. Sprint thinks it'll be better next quarter, but that $478 million loss gots to sting. [PC Mag]

While the specs might make you dizzy, there's absolutely nothing unique about the software. It's running a totally stock build of Android 1.5 (Cupcake) with some standard Sprint software tossed in, like Sprint TV, Navigator, apps for Nascar and football, and Exchange support through Moxier Mail. So, we're mostly gonna talk about the hardware here, since otherwise it's nothing you haven't seen before.

800 Whole Megahertz

The single biggest expectation for the Moment, and its rip-roaring 800MHz processor, is some zoomzoomzip speed in Android, which ain't known for being the fastest smartphone OS around—largely, you would think, because every Android phone currently on the market is strapped with basically the same 528MHz ARM11 processor (the Moment's also using an ARM11 processor, though one built by Samsung, not Qualcomm).

Despite the extra clock speed, a turbocharged Android this is not. Some parts of the experience are smoother—transitions between apps stutter less, and less often, for instance—and it boots faster than any other Android phone I've used, but there's no serious extra pep in the OS. In fact, a lot of the same slowdowns that've become a hallmark of Android are present: The app menu often (but not always) lags as pull you it up, and those random moments where the phone just won't respond to keys your tapping or your finger madly pounding on the screen still happen, just like on other Android phones. I was hoping it would be more than a little better (seriously, hanging while I'm just typing in Google Talk?), especially since it's running a vanilla build of Android without any fancy overlays on top of it, like the Hero or Cliq.

I suspect it would run faster and better on Android 1.6, which might take greater advantage of the bonus horsepower, but it's not shipping from Samsung until sometime in 2010.

AMOLED Makes Me Blue

The AMOLED display is stunning in some respects—it's incredibly saturated, blacks are gorgeous and it makes other Android displays look pale and washed out. There are two problems: It's not very readable in the sunlight (just like the Zune HD, which used an OLED display), and it's very blue. At first, I thought it was just a tendency of OLED displays to be this cool, but this is what it looks like compared to the Zune HD: Not a dealbreaker for the screen out of context, but I really wish I could adjust the color temp, since now that I've noticed it, it bugs me every time I look at it. I probably just ruined it for you too.

Hello, Giant Keyboard, Goodbye Trackball

The Moment is a gigantic phone. That's because it has a big fucking keyboard. Tiny people with tiny hands might think it's too big. The keys are sorta rubbery, and flat, separated in a kind of honeycomb design, but they're big enough to easily tell them apart, and they make surprisingly deep satisfying clicks when you press them. Overall, despite the mediocre size and placement of the space button, it's probably the best typing experience on Android.

Samsung ditches the classic trackball for a trackpad. It sucks. I tried to use it like 4 times, and then I just didn't. The touch-sensitive buttons on the face of the phone are a mistake too—during a call, my face apparently rolled over the menu button and I muted myself, leaving Wilson to yell, "Hello? HELLO!? HELLOOOOOO!" for like 30 seconds while I tried to figure out what the hell just happened.

Why It's the ED-209 of Android Phones

It's massive, has theoretically superior firepower, and runs marginally faster than the Android competition. But in the end, it's clearly stuck in the past, and Robocop blows it up by being smarter. In this case, that's the Hero. Or Cliq.

The Moment's disappointing not just because the Hero and Cliq actually do interesting things that make Android better, but because it's running an older version of Android that's likely limiting its potential, and it won't get the chance to be better until everybody stops caring about it.

If you absolutely need an Android phone with keyboard, get a Cliq or wait for the Droid. If you want an Android phone on Sprint and were torn, just get the Hero.

The Pixi is generally thought of as a hardware downgrade from it's older brother, because that's basically what it is: With a smaller screen, no Wi-Fi and a gimpier two-megapixel camera, it's more or less a neo-Centro. Sure, the keyboard's a bit easier to type on, and the device is slimmer, but Sprint (and Palm) really should've shaved another $50 of off this thing: It's a drop in the bucket next to what Sprint will make from each Pixi's two-year service contract, and would go a long way toward making the Pixi, which has to compete with not just the Pre, but a decent spread of $50-$100 entry-level smartphones, a decent buy.

And seriously, still with this rebate stuff? The Pixi's technical price is $250 dollars, yanked down to earth by a $50 instant rebate and a $100 mail-in card. But Best Buy, Radio Shack and Walmart credit the MIRs instantly, so what's the point?

In any case, the Pre didn't sell for full price for more than a few months—in fact, as John Paczkowski notes, Amazon has it on sale for $100 right now—so with any luck we could see a Pixi deal in time for the holidays. And even without any luck, within a few months after that. [Sprint via BusinessInsider]

The new T-Mobile Unlimited plans match Sprint's all-you-can eat $99 deal with its unlimited $99 voice/text/voice plan (as seen in the image, with discounted handsets). Update: The $79 price point comes into play with regular priced handsets, two-year agreements, as seen in T-Mobile's marketing materials:

As a fellow iPhone owner I'm with Jesus on this one. Apple, please drop this exclusivity BS in the US. I completely understand that all cell phone companies are guilty of bending over their customers with overpriced text messages and fees and the like. I really do. I accept that. It's just that I'd love to be bent over for less.

Editor's Note: Pardon the pun, but hold the phone. Fresh from the comments, Gizmodo's own Brian Lam weighs in on whether the "deal" here carries with it some not-so-hidden baggage:

No one is mentioning that you can't compare TMO's 3g network to ATT's. TMO's isn't rolled out very thoroughly and it would get crushed if more people used it.

A fair point. It's also been mentioned that deals like this one exist specifically because T-Mobile doesn't have the iPhone (again, from the comments). T-Mobile users, care to weigh in, one way or another? [Fone Frenzy]

Sprint will also make you grab a data package: either the Everything plan with data (which now has free calls to any mobile number), or the Business Advantage message and data plan. Off contract, the HTC Hero $480.

It may not be as polished as the iPhone or Pre, but the Hero's HTC Touch UI supports beautiful multiple desktops, social networking, and variety of Android enhancements. See our full review: Sprint Hero: Faster, Stronger, Uglier. [Sprint]

• The 160GB Archos 5 tablet is leaving Amazon's warehouses now, but you'll have to wait if you want to pick up other capacities. The guys at T3 posted a review that out own Joanna Stern summarized. T3 called the Archos "pocketable" and "well-built," but the lack of a real app marketplace is a bummer. If that doesn't bother you, go ahead and grab one now for $390. [I4U]

• Garmin's nuvi 1690 is shipping, and comes bundled with 2 years of nuLink service. That gets you access to traffic, weather, and other internet connected goodies through AT&T's network. After the two years are up, though, you'll have to start paying $5 per month for the service. Keep that in mind as you stare down the 1690's steep $500 asking price. [GPS Track Log via Ubergizmo]

• A quick note to Best Buy Rewards Zone members: you can grab an HTC Hero on Sprint two days before the wide launch. (Thanks Charles!)

That means when a new cell tower site is proposed, there's just a short period for a community to protest it—the idea being more towers going up even faster will help speed up the rollout of crazyfast 4G wireless. The FCC's also working to free up more spectrum for carriers to use for 4G, though that's not exactly easy, since wireless spectrum, while invisible, is a pretty limited resource. (It's why Verizon paid a kabillion dollars for a chunk of it.)

Even if you're not happy about the shot clock timing for towers, on the upside, the FCC's committed to having net neutrality apply to mobile internets as well as the stuff your cable company provides, the wireless carriers won't be able to terribly restrict what you do with all of that mobile broadband, beyond very basic network management to keep it all running. [Cnet]

The Moment is a fairly slick-looking device, quite thin for a full QWERTY slider and with an inoffensive black and silver design with a nice silver grille accent on the top. It's certainly a step up from the other major Android QWERTY slider around, the T-Mobile G1: For one, it's got a 3.5-mm headphone jack and SDHC expansion (compared to an awkward mini-USB combo and a microSDHC), but it's also significantly thinner and loses the G1's chin.

The QWERTY keyboard feels okay—it's solid and nicely clicky, but the keys are a little flush for me, making it harder than I'd like to differentiate between keys. But the layout is easy to learn and it's overall very easy to use. The Moment also has an array of buttons around the side: A volume rocker on the left; 3.5mm headphone jack under a protective flap on the top; and a microUSB jack, speakerphone toggle and camera button on the right. It's got a 3.2MP camera on the back, which isn't as good as the Hero's and Cliq's 5MP lens.

The front of the device houses the main buttons (Home, Menu, Back, Call and Call End, the latter two of which are tactile) as well as the optical trackpad, which I found a little confusing: It's harder to use than simply touching the screen, and I'm not really sure what exact purpose it's supposed to serve. To its credit, it's very responsive and has nice tactile feedback on the click, but I'd always rather touch the screen.

Unlike the Motorola Cliq or HTC Hero, Samsung hasn't messed with the stock Android interface very much at all, merely sprinkling in some carrier-specific widgets like Nascar, Sprint Navigation and Sprint TV, which actually works quite well.

Compared to the Cliq, which is really the Moment's main competitor, I'd have to say I prefer the Cliq. The Moment's stock Android OS seems so last year, and even though the Cliq is sort of frenetic and sometimes cluttered, at least it has a philosophy. The Moment seems totally serviceable, but Android can be exciting—hell, Sprint even has one of the most exciting Android handsets already in its lineup, the HTC Hero. All in all, the Moment is a solid, if unremarkable, addition to the Android lineup.

Features include a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2 megapixel camera and an 800 MHz processor. Release is slated for November 1 with a $179.99 price tag after a two-year service agreement, $50 instant rebate and $100 mail-in-rebate. Stay tuned for a hands on.

Samsung's First Android-Powered Phone,
Samsung Moment™ with Google, Coming Soon to America's Most Dependable 3G Network

Available Nov. 1, Samsung Moment from Sprint features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, brilliant display screen and premium Web experience;
Pre-registration for Samsung Moment begins today at www.sprint.com/moment

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., and DALLAS – Oct. 7, 2009 – Sprint (NYSE: S) and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the number one mobile phone provider in the United States1, today announced the upcoming availability of Samsung Moment, Samsung's first U.S. handset integrating the open and innovative Android™ platform with the high-speed connectivity of America's most dependable 3G network2 (EVDO Rev. A.) and the best value in wireless with the Any Mobile, AnytimeSM calling feature.

Samsung Moment represents a new generation of portable Internet access devices and provides access to built-in Google™ mobile services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™ and YouTube™, as well as thousands of applications available in Android Market™. Samsung Moment also offers the first Sprint 3.2-inch AMOLED touch-screen, creating crisper colors and wider viewing angles than other display screens. Samsung Moment is powered by an 800 MHz processor, making this device one of the fastest wireless phones available today.

Beginning Nov. 1, customers can purchase Samsung Moment through all Sprint channels including Web (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and our national retail partners. Retail pricing will be $179.99 (excluding taxes) after a $50 instant savings and a $100 mail-in-rebate with a two-year service agreement. Pre-registration for this phone begins today at www.sprint.com/moment.

"Sprint is thrilled to add the powerful and sophisticated Samsung Moment to our growing portfolio of Android devices," said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president of product development for Sprint. "This is the second Android product that will be available from Sprint this holiday season. With a full QWERTY keyboard, Samsung Moment allows customers to easily access the thousands of applications available in the Android Market. The excitement around Android products confirms Sprint's decision several years ago to be a charter member of the Open Handset Alliance and lead the Open revolution."

"The launch of Samsung Moment is an exciting realization of our commitment to providing consumers open, powerful and versatile devices," said Omar Khan, senior vice president of strategy and product management for Samsung Mobile. "With the combination of the Android platform, applications, Web browser and a powerful 800 MHz processor, the user experience options are unlimited."

Leveraging a library of applications
As charter members of the Open Handset Alliance™, Sprint and Samsung are closely aligned with the Android community. Through Android Market, Samsung Moment users can download thousands of applications, widgets and games on their phone. Pandora®, ShopSavvyTM, TwitterTM, ShazamTM, amazon.com®, USA Today®, Flixster®, PacManTM, CraigslistCheckerTM, and MySpaceTM Mobile are among the countless well-liked applications already available on Android Market. Additionally, customers can access Sprint Navigation and Sprint exclusive applications NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM already preinstalled on the device. Samsung Moment is a perfect solution for anyone who wants the freedom to stay connected on-the-go and enjoy a PC-like experience.

In addition, Sprint recently launched new tools on its developer Web site designed to make it easy for developers to create innovative applications for the Sprint Android-powered devices – http://developer.sprint.com/android. The enhancements will give developers access to Sprint products and services, including location-based services, messaging and geofencing through the Sprint Developer Sandbox. Developers using the site and tools will easily be able to create and test applications for the Android platform on the Sprint network.

Application developers will have a chance to learn more about Android at Sprint's ninth annual developer conference this fall. The Sprint Open Developer Conference, Oct. 26-28 in Santa Clara, Calif., is open to all attendees and will feature information through speaker sessions and coding camps on developing applications for a range of platforms, including Android. For details, go to http://developer.sprint.com/devcon2009.

"The Samsung Moment and the Android platform are helping Sprint drive openness and innovation," said Andy Rubin, vice president of mobile platforms at Google. "With the Samsung Moment's built-in suite of Google mobile services, along with thousands of applications on Android Market, Sprint customers can enjoy a unique mobile experience."

Samsung Moment offers simple device navigation through an optical joystick located just below the expansive display. It features Wi-Fi capability, integrated GPS navigation and accelerometer. Additional features include:

* 3.2-megapixel camera with flash and camcorder with auto-focus
* Stereo Bluetooth® 2.0 wireless technology
* Expandable memory up to 32GB
* Sprint TV® with live and on-demand programming
* NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM
* Easy access to social networking sites, including Facebook®, Flickr® and TwitterTM
* Media player with 3.5-millimeter headphone jack
* Visual voice mail for quick and easy access to specific voice mail messages
* Access to personal and corporate email through Active Sync

Customers who purchase the new Samsung Moment can also take advantage of Sprint's newly announced Any Mobile, Anytime feature, which gives customers on the Sprint network unlimited calling to ANY wireless customer in the United States on any carrier anytime by selecting Sprint's EverythingSM Data plans. This device requires activation on a pricing plan offering unlimited data, which includes the Everything Data and Simply Everything Plans.

The Simply Everything plan provides nationwide unlimited calling, unlimited text and unlimited data, including email, social networking, Web browsing, GPS navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, for only $99.99 per month. That's a savings of $1,200 over two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone® plan3. Sprint Everything Data plans with unlimited messaging and data start at just $69.99 for 450 minutes with unlimited night and weekend calling starting at 7 p.m. (All price plans exclude surcharges and taxes.)

Both Everything Data and Simply Everything plans are available to existing customers without extending the service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.

The Sprint 3G Network is faster in more places than AT&T's 3G network4, and Sprint has more than 20 times the coverage of T-Mobile's current 3G network5, based on square miles. Since 2006, Sprint has invested almost $17 billion in capital to continue improving and expanding network performance.

Sprint is also the first national carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology. Separate from its 3G investment, Sprint has announced plans to extend its 4G leadership by launching the next-generation service in numerous markets in 2009, including the recently launched markets of Atlanta, Las Vegas and Portland, Ore.

Sprint is the only wireless carrier to offer Ready Now service with trained retail associates to work one-on-one with customers to personalize their Samsung Moment, set up features and demonstrate how it works before the customer leaves the store. Customers have the choice of sitting down with a Sprint retail associate at the time of purchase or they can schedule an appointment for a later time at www.sprint.com/storelocator.

The Samsung Intrepid is a full QWERTY phone with a 2.5-inch, 320x240 touchscreen, packing ho-hum features like a 3.2MP camera and Wi-Fi. It'll cost $150 with a 2-year contract on Sprint, which seems pretty pricey considering the Palm Pre retails for the same, but could be a decent businessphone if your business happens to be attached to WinMo. It'll be available October 11th. [Laptop Mag, Press Release]

Nokia Booklet netbook - October 25th launch (AT&T activation)
Sprint HTC Hero - October 11th
Sprint Palm Pixi - launch date TBD
Verizon Storm II - launch date TBD
Verizon Android device - launch date TBD
T-Mobile CLIQ - launch date TBD

Also of note are two cryptic quotes regarding BlackBerry and Android devices. "New BlackBerry devices across multiple carriers" are set to launch this holiday season, and a "host of devices launch in late October and November for all carriers."

Then there's the launch of "new technology which doesn't exist today" line to top things off. I'm crossing my fingers that means "flying car." [BGR]

It's also got Opera MIni 9.7 off the bat, a capable, though not phenomenal browser, along with (crappy) apps for Facebook and Twitter, besides the usual Sprint stock: Navigation, Live TV, etc. Overall, the experience feels clunky and, far too often, frustratingly laggy.

Why anyone would buy this $250 (or $200 at Best Buy) faux-smartphone over the much cheaper, more elegant, and just plain better Palm Pre or HTC Hero—which are real and excellent smartphones on Sprint—I don't know. The welcome addition 720p video isn't worth it, even if it is pretty decent vs. the Flip Ultra HD:

[Sprint]

It's important to remember the context here, because before TheStreet's rogue report, everything was awfully clear: Back in May, Verizon's CEO specifically said they'd be offering the Pre in "six months or so," which, despite some waffling on dates, and speculation that Verizon was just trying to poop all over Sprint's fancy phone party, still stands. And since then, evidence of a Verizon launch has been slowly mounting, seemingly to the point of no return. One analyst:

Palm reiterated its FY2010 guidance, which we believe REQUIRES a launch at Verizon (you just can't get there with just Sprint and AT&T)

In other words, Palm just restated—like, a day ago—an official full-year estimate for their company which, according to analysts, can't be anywhere near accurate if a Verizon deal isn't happening. Dropping their Pre plans at this point wouldn't just be a bad move in terms of attracting people to Verizon, it might actually break financial reporting regulations.

To put it another way, the only thing that's changed is that one publication has run an anonymously-sourced claim that Verizon's dropping the Pre, justified only by a flimsy VCast integration and software modification conflict—which hasn't stopped Verizon from carrying mostly un-tampered-with BlackBerrys, by the way—and softened by the fact that it basically contradicts itself:

Sources did say that Verizon could be more delicate about the decision and order just a small amount of Pre phones with no intention of lending much marketing support.

Verizon might not want the Pre; also, Verizon might want the Pre, a little! Gotcha.

So, stubborn Verizon holdouts: keep holding out. [AllThingsD, CNBC]

Let's just say It'd be terrible for both of them, not too mention a bizarre turnaround after Verizon's CEO stabbed Sprint in the face just before the Pre launched by telling everybody Verizon would have it "6 months or so" after Sprint.

Come on guys, if it's true, can't you talk it out? You need each other. [TheStreet]

I said the original version of the Hero was "daring" and "ambitious, but tragically flawed." (Read that review first.) If it was Batman, the Sprint Hero is Superman: Nearly perfect, but goddamn boring. HTC has taken the striking, aggressive angles of Hero v1 and flattened them out into a rounded, far more generic looking phone. It's not hideous, but it's lost its power to captivate as a geek fetish object.

Everything else about this version of the phone is better: The software, which is exactly the same content-wise on the HTC front as the first Hero, has been seriously optimized, so it doesn't suffer show-stopping slowdowns anymore, even with a full set of HTC's widgets running. Speedwise overall, it's about the same as a G1 running the stock Android OS—bearable, but not exactly a blitzkrieg. (The iPhone 3GS is way faster, to compare.)

Interestingly, while HTC says the hardware is exactly the same—except for the CDMA chips to get it on Sprint's network, obviously—there are some differences we noticed. The screen, while the same size, actually seems to look a little bit better on the Sprint model. Not worlds better, but if you look close, the difference is there. The colors are a bit more saturated, the viewing angle a little wider. Also, it's got a bigger battery: 1500 mAh, compared to 1350 before. The bigger trackball is a plus, since it takes less thumb movement to get around, meaning less carpal tunnel problems in the future.

And, while it's very possibly firmware at play, the 5MP camera shoots, on average, about twice as fast as the first Hero, and the metering in low light seems to be way better, too. Both of the shots above were taken using the same settings on each phone, with the old Hero running the original firmware it shipped with. (Still not great, but better.)

The only real new bits, software-wise, are a handful of pretty standard Sprint apps: Sprint Navigation, NFL Mobile Live, Nascar, SprintTV and Device Self-Service. Everything else, from the keyboard to the multitouch browser looks the same, just faster (and in the case of Flash in the browser, more reliable too, since we could actually watch videos this time around). Which is dandy, since HTC's Sense UI, with its multiple desktops, social networking integration, widgets for weather, Twitter, settings and other enhancements, made Android great.

The real power of this Hero is that the best Android phone you can buy—it's everything good we said about the first Hero, but with our biggest complaint, speed, fixed—is on Sprint and its solid 3G network—making it the first U.S. Android phone outside of T-Mobile—and it's $180. Plus, the required Sprint Everything now has free calling to any mobile number, not a bad perk.

The princess might not kiss this Hero because it's kinda ugly, but at least it'll actually get the job done now. If you've been waiting for an Android phone not on T-Mobile, or one that's finally just about ready for primetime, this is it.

HTC's Sense UI makes Android way more usable and adds useful features like social networking integration

Almost all of original Hero's problems are fixed

Android kinks, like no easy way to update all apps, meh store interface aren't polished over

Jumbo trackball and more logical front placement marred by cheap front plate

Hardware blobbified into something boring and dull, not daring and awesome

Still not as polished as iPhone or Palm Pre
[Sprint]

Q: Is the Palm Pre making a dent into the iPhone market?
A: Aaah... It's-it's doing well, but you can almost put the iPhone, to be fair, in a separate category. The Apple brand and that device have done so well, it's almost not... it's like comparing someone to Michael Jordan.

Well, not really, Dan. It is exactly the same category. It's just that Apple owns the category. So yes, you are right that the iPhone is like Michael Jordan, but the Palm Pre plays in the NBA too. In any case, don't give up so soon. We—the consumers—need the battle so Apple doesn't get so frigging lazy.

Adam Fendelman over at About has dug into the fine print, and says that unlimited minutes must be while on Sprint network, that is, not while roaming. Sprint also lists the following usage limitations:

Sprint may terminate service if (1) more than 800 minutes, (2) a majority of minutes or (3) a majority of kilobytes in a given month are used while roaming.

The Any Mobile feature could definitely save certain users money, but be sure to read up before you jump plans. [Sprint via About Cell Phones]

The date might still be an error—Pres don't seem to be showing an update available. But regardless, we've now got the full list of changes, shown below. It looks like it's packing a host of minor features (improved copy/paste, file downloading within browser) but of course any update is welcome. Let us know in the comments if you see the update go out to your phone! [PreThinking via Engadget]

Adds the following updates and enhancements:
-Enhanced copy feature added to browser and email (shift key + tap and drag to select text).
-Improved global search to catch synonyms. For example, "Movies" brings up YouTube and Videos.
-Send/Receive vCards via the contacts application (tap left menu drop down)
-LinkedIn enhancements
-Filter search in email
-Bluetooth for expanded car-kit support
-Improved auto-linking of contacts
-Save inline images in email
-Resume support for podcasts and long songs
-Download files in browser
-Backup/Restore of web browser bookmarks
-Support Amazon MP3 over WAN (not just WiFi)
-Photo Albums sync via Media Sync
Addresses the following issues:
-Capability has been added to dial phone numbers from a calendar notes field.
-User interface now displays "updating PRL" correctly when you tap on Update PRL in Phone Preferences.
-Device will no longer reboot while attempting to download music when there was not available user memory.
-Real-time updates on Yahoo Finance now work properly.
-Sprint Navigation is now able to use free form addresses for navigation, including addresses from personal email accounts.
-PDF files can now be opened from a browser link.
-If the device receives a notification alert (for example an SMS), a clock alarm would not play unless the notification alert was dismissed.
-If a calendar event is snoozed then moved to a future time, the event notification will now appear at the proper time.
-When editing or creating a calendar event and toggling to another application before saving the event, the event will no longer be duplicated.
-On Google calendar, all day events that are changed to timed events on a computer are now properly updated.
-If a cancellation is received for an event and the user selects "Remove from Calendar", the event is now removed from the device and desktop.
-If large attachments are sent in an e-mail, the e-mail is no longer sent twice.
-When setting email sync time to manual the device will no longer automatically sync the email accounts.
-Certain properties of tasks that can be set via the computer (but not displayed on the device) will no longer be deleted on the server.
-When two contacts were linked (one with a last name and one without) you will now be able to find them in SMS and email.
-Syncing issue with personal accounts has been resolved.

It's not especially strange for a company to renege on an unannounced offer or a minor typo, but that's not quite what this was. It was an offer couched in specific, deliberate language, and that was featured it two full, publicly-available information pages. In other words, it had been devised and considered—this wasn't a data input mistake.

That said, the fact that it only applied to new subscribers would've caused a PR problem for Sprint, who would be effectively penalizing their most loyal (read: preexisting) customers with the offer. And the two conflicting listed end dates did seem to indicate that maybe it wasn't fully baked. Since the deal was listed on their website, Sprint says they'll honor the service rebate to anyone who signed up for a contract in the last few hours, but after that, it's closed. But hey, at least they're thinking about $100 Pres, right? Right?

Sorry Sprint, I've got nothin' for you. [AllThingsD]

The Pre is the kind of phone that people might switch carriers for, so this move, spotted by John Paczckkckkowsawiki (sp?) over at AllThingsD, is a shrewd one. But a narrow one too, since Sprint's most devoted fans—you know, the ones who already have contracts—will have to pay the full price, while Johnny-come-lately T-Mobile defectors are given VIP treatment.

Of course, tiered promotions like this are fairly common, and for the large portion of prospective Pre buyers who'll be coming from another network, this is a great deal. Of course, it might still be worth waiting a little while—it's been a while since we've heard anything about the impending doomsday for Sprint's Pre exclusivity, but it's still very much impending. Verizon folks: If you're happy with your network, maybe you can wait just a little longer. For everyone else, the deal ends sometime in October (either the 10th or 31st, according to conflicting internal pages), and the $100 is deducted from your monthly bill.

UPDATE: Sprint has canceled the deal after only six hours. [Sprint via AllThingsD]

They've also confirmed that they're the only non-Sprint-store retailer that'll have the Hero. Aaaaand Sprint stores will be handing you a rebate form to take home, so, well, you've got a pretty obvious choice to make here.

Sprint's Hero is a bit blobbier than HTC's original, but it also looks less chinny—an HTC design quirk that's starting to get on some people's nerves—and at any rate, there isn't a whole lot of the Hero that isn't the screen, so aside from the shuffled hard buttons, this redesign shouldn't change too much in terms of usability.

Wisely, Sprint left the Hero's guts—hardware and software—intact. That's the same 3.2-inch multitouch capacitive screen, the same 5-megapixel camera, the same microSD slot (Sprint throws in a 2GB card for free), the same 3.5mm headphone jack, the same multitouch browser (no mention of Flash support though) and the same Sense UI, which converts Android into something unexpectedly beautiful, but tragically sluggish. And since this thing obviously supports EV-DO, we'll finally get to play with it on proper 3G.

Whether or not they'll be able to load HTC's latest Sense update—the one that fixes basically every complaint we had with the original Hero, including slowdown—before the handsets ship is still up in the air, but in any case, it's coming eventually.

The $180 price assumes a 2-year agreement at a minimum of $70 a month, and that you've got the initiative to mail in a rebate form, though just like with the Pre, there's a good chance retailers like Best Buy'll just take care of this for you. Like the Pre, the Hero is eligible for the $100 Everything plan, which is just about the best deal going for obnoxiously talky/texty types.

So, uh, Sprint's kind of killing it these days, no? They've got their iron grip on the only two smartphone underdogs anyone really cares about: the first of which made all the other carriers' Palm phones look pathetically lame; and the second of which looks like it'll sucker-punch a complacent T-Mobile right off its Android throne—especially considering the fact that Sprint's priced this thing a few bucks below T-Mo's categorically less good MyTouch 3G. It may have taken a year, but this whole Android thing is finally getting interesting.

The best bits of press release below. [Sprint]

The Innovation and Openness of a True Mobile Internet Experience Coming Soon to America's Most Dependable 3G Network from Sprint on HTC Hero with Google

Sprint's first device with the Android™ platform available Oct. 11;
Pre-register for HTC Hero today at www.sprint.com/hero

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., and BELLEVUE, Wash. – Sept. 3, 2009 – Sprint (NYSE: S) and HTC Corporation today announced the upcoming arrival of the first wireless device offering the combination of the open and innovative Android platform with the high-speed connectivity of America's most dependable 3G network1 (EVDO Rev. A), HTC Hero™ with Google™. Offering a rich mobile Internet experience, the much-anticipated HTC Hero offers synchronization for built-in Google mobile services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™, and YouTube™ as well as access to thousands of applications built on the Android platform.

Beginning on Oct. 11, customers will be able to purchase HTC Hero through all Sprint retail channels including Web (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and our national retail partner Best Buy for $179.99 (excluding taxes) after a $50 instant savings and a $100 mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement. Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/hero.

Access to countless applications
As a charter member of the Open Handset Alliance™, Sprint is actively engaged with the Android community. Through Android Market™, HTC Hero users have access to more than 8,000 useful applications, widgets and fun games to download and install on their phone, with many more to come. Thousands of developers are working to introduce new Android applications every day.

Intuitive, user-focused and fun
HTC Hero is the first U.S. device to feature HTC Sense, an intuitive experience that was built with a guiding philosophy to put people at the center and allows the device to be completely customized to the wants and needs of the user. The device's seven-panel wide home screen can be populated with customizable widgets that bring information to the surface.

HTC Hero users can easily create and switch between Scenes to reflect different moments or roles in their lives, such as work, social, travel and play. For example, a work Scene can be easily set up to include stock updates, work email and calendar, a play Scene could have music, weather, and a Twitter feed or a travel Scene could offer instant access to the local time, weather and maps.

Industry-leading features
HTC Hero features an integrated 5.0 MP camera and camcorder. It also offers easy access to personal and business e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging through POP, IMAP, and Exchange Active Sync accounts.

HTC Hero is a full-featured smartphone with Wi-Fi capability, a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with pinch-to-zoom capability and a fingerprint resistant coating, integrated GPS navigation, and trackball navigation. Additional features include:
Stereo Bluetooth® 2.0 Wireless technology
accelerometer, light sensor and home screen widgets for improved usability
multimedia capable with microSD slot (32GB capable, 2GB included)
Sprint TV® with live and on-demand programming
NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM
easy access to social networking sites, including Facebook®, Flickr® and Twitter
visual voice mail for quick and easy access to specific voice mail messages

HTC Hero requires activation on a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Sprint's Simply EverythingSM plan provides unlimited nationwide calling, texting, e-mail, social networking, Web browsing, GPS navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile and much more for only $99.99 per month. That's a savings of $1,200 over two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone® plan2. Sprint Everything Data plans with unlimited messaging and data start at just $69.99 for 450 minutes with unlimited night and weekend calling starting at 7 p.m. (All price plans exclude Sprint surcharges and taxes.)

Don't worry guys, you are not alone. T-Mobile received the same abusive price treatment. Oh, and did I mention that this price was on a 2-year contract after a $100 mail in rebate? Even the earliest of adopters are likely to be put off on this one. [BusinessWire via BGR]

Pre Central was sent a screenshot of a Sprint inventory system showing Palm 120 and C40 models. There are few details on the handsets (the $1 price has got to be a place holder), but the P120 looks pretty similar to the P121 that was leaked through Verizon and is assumed to be just a variation of the Pre (considering the Pre is entered in the system as the P100).

The C40 is thought to be a totally different model and perhaps that Palm Eos that we have been hearing about for awhile now. Here is what is safe to assume: Palm and the CDMA carriers have something up its sleeve. [PreCentral]

I hope the new wireless competition report will help set a standard for fact-based, analytically deep analysis of the mobile industry. It is essential that the commission develop policies that encourage a new generation of innovators, working with new tools, on new platforms, and having an extraordinary impact on our economy and society.

I don't know if this will affect exclusive cellphone deals—like Apple and AT&T's—but I'm sure that the latter, plus Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, would like to dedicate this song to Mr. Genachowski and his pals:

I, on the other side, hope the FCC nails them, so they stop all their abusive practices. [Reuters]

Though it doesn't go into specifics, the Best Buy listing says "prices effective Sunday August 23rd - Saturday September 26th"—so it's clearly not that far off. That syncs up with a recent leak suggesting Sprint could launch the phone on September 3. [Best Buy via Boy Genius Report]