Yes, the first thing you may notice is that Swype technically uses a QWERTY layout. But instead of pushing each key individually, you drag your finger from letter to letter.

It's tough to tell if the speed gains are legitimate, given this video has been created by the Swype camp. I will say, however, given that this demo is one hand vs. two, the technology certainly holds its own. What do you think? Would you be willing to part with traditional QWERTY to spell words through nonsensical doodles?

Swype will debut in Verizon's Samsung Omnia II arriving early next month before making its way to an unnamed Android phone next year. [Swype via TechCrunch via OhGizmo!]

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.

Well, the Pre keyboard hack is scary no more, and actually available as an app now, thanks to WebOS Internals. Full guide at [PreCentral]

It's definitely sweet looking—and it appears to be a logical alternative to the HTC Hero for Sprint customers that prefer QWERTY over a touchcreen. Of course, the details on a release date and price have yet to be revealed. Check out phandroid for more InstinctQ shots. [phandroid]

Take your pick, ruthless capitalist/unpleasant hippie! On the green front, 80% of its building materials are corn-fed and recyclable (the other 20% presumably vaporize baby pandas on contact), it doesn't come with a paper manual, and its recyclable packaging uses soy-based ink. (!) It's also painted green or blue, just in case the phone's "deal" wasn't already clear to you and your friends, and each purchase nets a land conservation charity a few bucks.

On the phone front, this is a slide-out-QWERTY-equipped dumphone, with Sprint's in-house OS and the One Click social-networking-oriented user interface. A 2MP camera, GPS and expandable storage and Bluetooth 2.0 round the specs out. It's nothing spectacular, but this Pre-like phone (wannaPre?) is also just $50 with a two-year contract on Sprint, after a small stack of rebates. Available from August 16th; full press release below. [Sprint]

Sprint Expands Environmental Leadership with New Initiatives and Debut of Eco-Friendly Samsung Reclaim

Available for less than $50, Samsung Reclaim is the most full-featured eco-friendly phone in the U.S.; Purchases of Samsung Reclaim benefit The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program

Sprint retail stores to feature green products and services section; Sustainable design blueprint announced for future Sprint-owned store builds and refurbishments

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & DALLAS—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sprint (NYSE:S) is making it easier than ever for customers to "go green" with new eco-friendly products, services and programs and expanding its commitment as a leader in sustainability. Available on Aug. 16, Sprint and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the #1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, today announced Samsung Reclaim™ as the first phone in the U.S. constructed from eco-friendly bio-plastic materials. Made from 80 percent recyclable materials, Samsung Reclaim is a feature-rich messaging phone that offers environmentally conscious customers a perfect blend of responsibility without sacrificing the latest in network speeds and must-have features.

Reclaim is the most full-featured QWERTY phone launched by Sprint at less than $50. It will be available on August 16 in all Sprint retail channels, including Best Buy, Radio Shack, Web (www.sprint.com) and telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) for just $49.99 with a two-year service agreement after a $30 instant rebate and a $50 mail-in rebate (taxes and service charges excluded). It will be available at Wal-Mart in early September.

When customers purchase Samsung Reclaim from Sprint, $2 of the proceeds will benefit The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program, which supports land conservation across the United States and protects some of the world's most beautiful and important natural habitats.

"This generous donation from Sprint will help us protect and restore some of America's most beautiful and ecologically-important landscapes for future generations to enjoy," said Mark Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. "We applaud Sprint's sustainability efforts, as innovation and new technology are crucial to the future of conservation."

Sprint is also launching several new environmental initiatives in an effort to support its aggressive long-term environmental goals:

* Sprint is the first U.S. wireless carrier to establish a set of environmental design criteria for future devices and accessories.
* Sprint is implementing a series of new environmentally-responsible retail initiatives including adding a dedicated display area in stores that highlights Sprint's commitment to eco-friendly products and accessories.
* Sprint is committing to reduce paper usage by 30 percent during the next five years.

"Sprint is widely recognized as a leader among telecommunications companies in environmentally-responsible initiatives, and today we are proud to announce an even stronger commitment to sustainability with new eco-friendly products and programs," said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. "Samsung Reclaim enables customers to go green while getting the latest in wireless technology. When customers walk into a Sprint retail store, they will be greeted by the information they need to make earth-friendly wireless choices, coupled with Ready Now to learn about the rich functionality of this device."

DEFINING GREEN WITH SAMSUNG RECLAIM
An eco-friendly overachiever, Samsung Reclaim from Sprint is designed with environmentally-responsible components and fully recyclable packaging, making it the perfect wireless phone for the eco-conscious consumer.

* Its bio-plastic material, made from corn, makes up 40 percent of the Reclaim's outer casing. Samsung Reclaim is free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, and nearly free of brominated flame retardants (BFR): three materials commonly targeted on green electronics guidelines.
* The outer packaging and the phone tray inside the box are made from 70 percent recycled materials. The images and text on the box as well as the phone warranty information are printed with soy-based ink.
* The typical thick paper user manual has been replaced with a virtual manual that users can access at www.sprint.com/reclaimsupport.
* The charger is Energy Star approved for meeting the highest energy efficiency standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. It consumes 12 times less power than the Energy Star standard for standby power consumption and is equipped with a visible notification to alert the user to unplug the handset once it's fully charged.

"Samsung Reclaim is more than just an eco-friendly device, it's also a powerful and stylish phone that's easy-to-use," said Omar Khan, senior vice president of Strategy and Product Management for Samsung Mobile. "When you combine the Reclaim's impressive feature set with its bio-plastic hardware and eco-friendly packaging, you're using a phone that is good for you and the environment."

Operating on America's most dependable 3G network2, Samsung Reclaim boasts One Click, Sprint's award-winning customizable user interface with quick access to such social networks as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. A new green One Click tile makes its debut on Reclaim providing the gateway to several green applications including:

* Five Simple Steps from Discovery Channel provides five simple changes you can make to be more eco-friendly, from how you commute to what you eat for dinner;
* Green Guides from Discovery Channel offers handy guides to help you green your lives with ease, and understand why;
* Green Glossary from Discovery Channel provides words and explanations about the Earth and Climate Change; and
* All Things Green, a Sprint Web category contains dynamic green headline and links to downloadable content.

Customers don't have to sacrifice the latest in technology to be environmentally-friendly with Reclaim. The stylish, full-featured phone offers:

* a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard making it easy to access personal or corporate email as well as text and multimedia messaging;
* Sprint Navigation with Search, providing easy access to directory information and GPS-enabled directions;
* 2 megapixel camera with 3x digital zoom and camcorder;
* advanced stereo Bluetooth® 2.0;
* expandable memory storage up to 32GB;
* an integrated Web browser; and
* two color options - Earth Green and Ocean Blue.

Sprint currently offers more eco-friendly accessories than any other U.S. telecommunications company. In May, Sprint announced the availability of new eco-friendly accessories, including the SOLIO Mono solar-powered charger and two new cell phone carrying cases made from 100 percent recycled plastic water bottles.

Sprint's green-themed website, www.sprint.com/green, details Sprint's green mobile applications and helps customers learn about Sprint's sustainability initiatives, including online bill pay, wireless recycling programs and acquiring green tips, such as using mobile GPS to calculate the quickest route to save gas. Customers can receive Sprint updates on specific company-wide environmentally-responsible initiatives on Twitter via @SprintGreenNews and can visit www.sprint.com/green for additional green tips.

GREENING SPRINT RETAIL STORES AND PRODUCTS
Beginning in September, all Sprint-owned retail locations will feature a new dedicated environmentally-responsible section that highlights eco-friendly products and accessories such as the SOLIO Solar Charger and carrying cases made from recycled materials. Sprint also will implement a new sustainable design blueprint for all future Sprint-owned retail store builds and refurbishments.

New and refurbished stores will implement numerous sustainable design elements consistent with LEED design standards, and will include energy-efficient lighting, low water usage plumbing fixtures and low VOC paint and carpet. The roll out of these energy efficiency upgrades is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of each store by about 19,000 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents.

Sprint's Environmental Product Design Criteria Vision Statement applies to all products sold in Sprint channels. Sprint will work with its device and accessory suppliers to design and provide products that:

* Reduce the use of potentially hazardous materials,
* Are energy efficient,
* Include standardized audio and charging interfaces,
* Are more recyclable, and
* Have more sustainable packaging including standardized sizes, reduced weight, increased recyclability rate, and increased recycled content.

Sprint also will work with its suppliers to measure and report on the environmental impact of their manufacturing processes.

The Hunt and Peck keyboard features a one-button switch between alphabetical and QWERTY, and helpfully lists both letters on each key so you can get even more confused than you undoubtedly are already. It also maps certain irritating acronyms to the function keys, so even though you've never seen a keyboard before, you can type LOL and ROFL with ease, and more confusion. It costs $30, if you're looking for a keyboard for one of those feral children raised by wolves or, more probably, you want to play a prank on somebody by switching all their keys around. [Oh Gizmo!]

It's a half-baked idea, of course, which is why we're only seeing it in a patent and not in actual hardware. Unless the half-keyboards were incredibly strong, the whole device would feel like it's itching to break into pieces, and wouldn't it have to be twice as thick as standard QWERTY sliders to accommodate double the amount of hardware? So it's just a patent, and it'll almost certainly stay that way. But at least somebody's trying to figure out a way to keep hardware keyboards alive. [Reg Hardware]

What Lenovo has done sounds like a smaller deal than it actually is: on the T400 series, the delete and escape keys are about twice as large as normal, taking an odd, long vertical form. As anyone who has used international keyboards can attest, even a little layout or proportion change can throw your typing off. Now why in the world would Lenovo go and do that? USA Today explains:

In designing the new ThinkPad, [Lenovo] installed keystroke-tracking software on about 30 employees' computers (They volunteered). On average, they used the "Escape" and "Delete" keys 700 times per week, yet those were the only "outboard" keys, or non-letter keys, that hadn't been enlarged.

As you can see, this is probably a practical change. The most fascinating thing about this kind of change, though, is how rare it is. Nearly everything about modern keyboards harks back to the early days of the typewriter, from letter spacing to key layout. This anecdote from the article sums up the problem fairly succinctly:

Tom Hardy, who designed the original IBM PC of 1981, said companies have tried many times to change the sizes of keys. That first PC had a smaller "Shift" key than IBM's popular Selectric typewriter did, and it was placed in a different spot, in part because the industry didn't think computers would replace typewriters for high-volume typing tasks.

IBM reversed course with the next version to quiet the outcry from skilled touch-typists.

When we're all living on Mars, our spacepods will still have Model Ms. [USA Today]

The thing is, as ridiculous as the peripheral may be, it felt pretty great in my hands. The back is shaped similar to an Xbox 360 controller (complete with triggers for the Wii's A & B buttons), so you can type on the large, split QWERTY with relative ease. I'm not sure the I'd use it to browse the web on the Wii, but then again, I'd probably never browse the web on the Wii in the first place. No word yet on pricing or availability.

BGR claims the rumor and mockup comes from a trusted source, but regardless eat some salt, roll your eyes, and just enjoy this for what it is. A random Easter Sunday unconfirmed rumor. Did I say it was a rumor yet?

Good. Anyway, the tipster reports that this will resemble a "swiveling E71-type handset" that will be launched by Verizon Wireless sometime in July/August. The OS is "S40 and not S60."

This concludes our rampant rumor and speculation for the day. Time to feast on something a bit more tangible, methinks. Like an egg. Or some rabbit. [BGR]

However, there isn't much as far as specific details are concerned. The exact date that it might arrive has not been determined (although they did note that launch should take place in Q2 ). Whether features like 3G compatibility will be added to the Pro2 for it's US debut also remains to be seen. [Twitter and Twitter via Electronista]

Not much! That's what we know. But there is this, from the Esato forums (via Phonearena), whence the included image was leaked:

Speculations point out that it will not be a smart phone but target people that are addicted to messaging and social networks.

Sounds like every other cell phone on the block right now, no? So I guess we'll see if Sony Ericsson has something up their sleeve this week at MWC, aside from big bulky QWERTYs on their smartphones. Maybe it's super cheap? For now, rumor or no, consider me agnostic on the issue. [Esato via Slashphone, Phonearena]

Essentially a credit cardesque Bluetooth keyboard, we're not sure that we'd use it to type on our coordinating LG phone, but it'd be fantastic for text entry on the PS3, or just navigating a simple home theater PC menu.

It also packs some simple functions like number storage, a calendar, and stopwatch along with the ability to activate a wireless shutter to take cellphone self-portraits. That's all fine, but we were really hoping to read something about a wipe cloth. [FCC via Unwired View]

BGR's sources didn't have much to say about the device, except the easily-guessable fact that it would run either Windows Mobile or Android (you can imagine which one we're hoping for). The keypad, as pictured, looks kind of bizarre. A portrait-mode QWERTY may be all we're seeing here, but if Acer has managed a swivel system by which the keyboard can work in portrait and landscape modes, the form-factor could be an instant winner.

The tipster also claimed the Acer would display an iPhone competitor alongside this handset at MWC on the 16th, which—assuming the conventions of the last few years hold—just means that they've got a full-touchscreen handset. [BGR]

NPR recently aired an interesting program exploring Japan's use of the cellphone. In it, Satoshi Tanaka, a cellphone content/portal guru, mentioned a pretty fundamental difference between Japan and America regarding email:

When you say email to today’s young people, they would never think of emails you do on the computer. To them, cell phone emails are emails. There are even some users who would say, oh, I didn't know you could do email on a computer, too.

Even with the rise of QWERTY smartphones, I think most of us view cellphone email as secondary, or at least part of an important balance with our computer-based email. But faced with IT lockdown at the workplace, I could definitely see cellphones becoming the main source for both personal email and web. [NPR and Getty Images Thanks Ponies!]

The LeapFrog Text & Learn puts a BlackBerry-esque device into the hands of babes three and up. Preschoolers can enjoy texting Scout (a quasi-imaginary friend) while browsing the "web." Intended to teach spelling, basic computer skills, and the layout of a QWERTY keypad, we just hope that "Scout" is every bit as asexual as his/her name implies. Because my child's first booty call will not, and I repeat, not, be from some crappy pretend friend on some crappy pretend smartphone for kids. I want a better childhood for them than I had.

No word on pricing or availability just yet.

Because while Blackberries are historically known for excellent emailing on huge keyboards, their newer SureType (two letters per key) system has turned off many users to smaller models like the Pearl.

But then you see this new patent mockup and you think, ooh, foldout keyboard! Death to SureType! Full QWERTY on the Blackberry Pearl! Unicorns live!

And then you realize that RIM's mockup doesn't add more buttons, it just puts two letters on each key. SureType just gets bigger. [US Patent Office via Engadget Mobile]

The E63, based on the E71, already dropped in Europe, so we expected it'd be making its way to North American shores at some point. In addition to the Wi-Fi, 3.5mm audio jack, and cloud storage we already knew it had, the E63 is also packing a 2 MP camera, Bluetooth, 3G, an FM radio (probably a receiver, not a transmitter, though that's not all that common either), and a memory card slot. Amazon doesn't provide a release date, but this is a good sign that the E63 is soon to see an American release. [Amazon, thanks Ron!]

When held in one position, the phone looks a lot like Nokia's traditional QWERTY candybars, but the screen can swivel up and out to present a widescreen, presumably for media or web browsing, apps that need a lot of screen real estate. It's a cool way to combine the appeal of a giant touchscreen with the utility of a QWERTY keyboard, except unlike sliders like the T-Mobile G1 or the Sidekick, the keys are always available on this concept. The screen can also apparently rotate side to side, though I'm not really sure what use could be had from that.

It's just a patent, and I'm sure there are a number of reasons why this idea won't come to fruition (how is that screen attached?). But I like the idea and maybe we'll see elements of it in future products from Nokia. [BGR]