The Boy Genius Report has come through again with a most magnificent post that tickles our fancies in two ways… one for the Android lover that exists (or is at least building) in all of us… and the other for those who claim that Verizon STILL has the worst smartphones out there.

They’ve just posted a fairly incredible Android 2.0 screenshot walkthrough that goes into great detail about all new features and capabilities for the new Eclair version of Android… and don’t think that we didn’t notice that it was on a Verizon phone, probably the Motorola Sholes/Tao/Droid/Whatchamacallit… can’t wait to hear more about the actual hardware as they hint at the end.

Enjoy!

Android Community is reporting here that Verizon and Google are scheduled for a joint press conference this morning at 10:00 Eastern Time. The article suggests that this could be the announcement of the long-sought first Android phone for Verizon, most likely the Motorola Sholes/Droid. If so, this would be a major step for Verizon, definitely a welcome one for power-users! Tune in for further details as we learn them.

T-Mobile’s new Motorola CLIQ Android smartphone is all the rage right now.  There are a lot of people, yours truly included that are very interested in the device, for a number of different reasons.  The CLIQ will be made available to eligible, existing customers on 19-Oct-09 for $199.99 and then will be made available to new T-Mo customers on 02-Nov-09 for the same price, all with a 2 year contract agreement. Off contract, its $449.99.

While the contract price is not bad, I saw an article at Silicone Alley Insider that slammed both Moto and T-Mo for setting the price so high.  Their main point? Simple – You can’t sell an iPhone competitor that isn’t as good as the iPhone for more than the base price iPhone.

Sorry, but you can’t charge $100 more than the iPhone for a phone that’s not as good as the iPhone. The CLIQ should cost no more than $99; ideally, it’d be $49…

…T-Mobile ultimately sets the price here, but Motorola should have some say in the matter, based on its wholesale pricing and general pull in the relationship. But either way, Motorola ends up the loser here, because what they make up in margin getting the extra $100 or $150 for the phone, they are losing in volume…

They have a point. Refurbed iPhone 3G’s are currently going for $49 for 8GB and $99 for 16GB. I’ve looked through the tech specs for the device, and I can see nothing related to onboard device storage, aside from a mention for support for up to a 32GB microSD card.  The device comes with a 2GB SD card.  Great, but not so great.

Hopefully, by the time I’m really ready to buy one for myself, the prices will have dropped a bit; but I’m not holding my breath.

A new Motorola Bluetooth headset will hit the market soon, and it seems it will be one to be aware of.

In a press release (available here) Motorola presents this new flip style Bluetooth headset as the smallest and lightest in its class.

The headset features five hours of talk time on a single charge.  Plus the RapidConnect™ flip, so that you will be able to answer calls and turn the headset on with a simple flip of the RapidConnect™ switch. Usage of the CrystalTalk™ noise cancellation, i.e. Motorola’s dual-mic noise reduction technology, will also make your calls clear in noisy environments.

The H17 will guide you with voice prompts in pairing your device and will alert you when the mute is activated or the battery is low. In case you use the H17 with multiple devices, a voice prompt will also tell you which device is ringing.

Finally, a comfortable fitting will be guaranteed by three ear hooks and two ear cushions to choose from.

The headset should be available Q3 this year, but the price is still unknown. More information is available on the product’s web page.

Stay tuned for a full review of the device.

Motorola CLIQ

Motorola has been pretty unspectacular since the Razr.  They tried about 50 different versions of the same phone, and now they are finally releasing something new.  Well, it looks like the CLIQ won’t be the only Motorola Android phone out this year.  Analysts are predicting we could see a total of ten new phones in the next six months to a year.  I am really hoping that one of the phones we see very soon, like this quarter or forth quarter at the latest, is the Android phone for Verizon.  There have been plenty of articles talking about Verizon’s less than stellar selection, and I am one girl really considering a change.  Come on Motorola, make me smile!!!

Via Slash Gear