Verizon's Smartphone Lineup For H1 2011 Leak; Involves HTC, Samsung, LG and Even RIM

One of Phone Arena's tipsters have just told them some beefy information regarding Verizon's upcoming smartphone line-up. Later in Q1, they're expected to launch the HTC Thunderbolt, the DROID Incredible HD 2, and the Samsung (i520) 4G LTE smartphone. The Samsung smartphone is rumoured to feature a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED+ display, a 1GHz CPU, an 8MP rear-facing camera, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, and the Android OS.

In Q2 we can reportedly expect the Motorola DROID Bionic and the LG Revolution which we got a glimpse of at CES about a month ago. Apparently, RIM will have some devices ready for that quarter as well. We could be getting their BlackBerry "Monaco", which could be the Storm 3, and the "Monaco", which will be the company's Bold with a touchscreen display. Interesting stuff, we'll see if it pans out to be true.

[Phone Arena]

RIM's BlackBerry Roadmap For the Year Leaks, Includes BB Curve Touch and Bold Touch "Montana"

CrackBerry has just got a nice exclusive on upcoming BlackBerry's from RIM. Clearly, you can see that they're expecting to launch the Playbook in Q2 2011, the Montana and Monaco in Q3 2011, the Sedona in Q3 / Q4 2011, and the Malibu in Q4 2011 / Q1 2012. To recap, the Playbook is the company's 7-inch tablet that should stir up the market. The Montana is said to be the touchscreen Bold, the Monaco is the next Storm, and the Sedona is the next Curve. The Malibu is something new though.

Coming from another CrackBerry post is the "Malibu" which is the BlackBerry Curve Touch. Like I said, this one's expected to hit the market in late 2011 / early 2012 and it's a CDMA device. Specs include: a 3.25-inch HVGA touchscreen display, a Qualcomm 800MHz CPU, a 5MP camera with HD video recording, Bluetooth 2.1 / WiFi b/g/n support, 512MB of RAM, 1GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, NFC capabilities, and likely BB OS 6.1. These specs seem decent right now but when this actually does hit the market it'll be way behind.

Update: According to another CrackBerry post, the BlackBerry "Montana" is a CDMA touchscreen Bold device. Specs reportedly include: a Qualcomm 1.2GHz CPU, a 2.8-inch VGA resolution, a QWERTY keyboard, 768MB of RAM, a microSD card slot, 8GB of internal storage, WiFi b/g/n / Bluetooth support, NFC, an optical trackpad, a 5MP camera with HD video recording, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE / dual-band UMTS connectivity, and likely BB OS 6.1 as well.

[CrackBerry]

RIM Execs Deny Apple Test Data on Signal Fade

The Research in Motion "BlackBerry Bold" device, as tested by Apple, appears to show the same signal fade issues as the Apple iPhone 4 when held in certain ways. RIM executives deny they have a signal reception problem.

watch the demo: signal fades

"Apple's claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation," say Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, RIM Co-CEOs. They don't specifically refute the Apple test data, though, which is odd.

They simply say "RIM is a global leader in antenna design" and say RIM "has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage."

Again, that doesn't specifically address the Apple test data.

link

Smartphone Antenna Performance: BlackBerry, Droid Have the Same Problem?

Apple says other smartphones, such as the BlackBerry Bold and Droid Eris, have the same problem with signal attenuation when the devices are held.

Mobile phone signal attenuation happens whenever a signal is obstructed, Apple notes. The density and composition of the human hand can cause attenuation to a greater degree than some other materials.

On a mobile phone, signal loss typically occurs when your hand attenuates the most sensitive part of the antenna. Apple even has put together videos demonstrating how different grips cause attenuation on many popular smartphones, not just the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.

Apple - Smartphone Antenna Performance