According this story at Gizmodo, as well as writeups at ARS Technica, it looks like Microsoft is going to hit the market with Verizon on a new mobile phone called the Pink. I have to say that Microsoft isn’t exactly great on names, adding Pink to Zune in their list of 4 letter forgettable.

While some suggest that it is a windows 7 mobile phone, the interface apparently does not look like Win7. The phone in the example is a turtle style slider phone, with a nice looking keyboard, and the phone seems to be aiming at the social networking / texting market, which is pretty hot at this point.

In what some see as a stunning admission of being crowded out of many of the smart phone markets, and perhaps as a preemptive strike against the upcoming Google Nexus 1, Apple and NeXT have filed suit against Asian smart phone maker HTC, alleging all sorts of patent infringement and the like. Public opinion on this is mixed, but many of the industry pundits are pointing to this as frustration on Apple’s part as they risk losing their dominant position in the smart phone market.

“We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. “We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”

However, it should be pointed out that the patents in question are entirely software related, and those sorts of patents aren’t always the strongest. Further, Apple appears to have unleashed the nuclear option as well, adding 10 more items to a list submitted to the ITC (International Trade Commission), attempting to shortcut the process and perhaps gain some sort of blockage against HTC phones coming into the US.

At the end of the day, Apple may or may not win this lawsuit and ITC action, but there is no doubt that many potential customers will now see them as bullies rather than innovators.

Fast growing cell phone manufacture HTC is hedging their bets and making sure they don’t miss either side of the phone markets. To that end, they announced that they will be a supporter of the new Microsoft Windows 7 Mobile, while continuing to build and sell many Google Android phones.

I would appear to be a wise move, as it means that they will be able to handle any market shift between the phone types. It also means that they don’t have to always directly compete with the Google phones with their own products, and expands their potential market.

Microsoft is running as fast as they can to keep up in the wireless phone and mobile market, which is quickly getting dominated by Apple and Google Android phones. Even though Microsoft was one of the first movers in the market originally, they have not been able to keep up. With the announcement of Windows 7 Phone, they are attempting to get back in the game, and get more into the consumer / entertainment market, it seems.

The OS is based on a widget sort of layout, looks very much like Windows 7 in font and display, and appears pretty easy to follow along with.

Check out the story here, and also a nice review on ARS Technica

Well, Apple has upset the apple cart as it were, and pretty much pushed the new Google phone right out of the headlines with the announcement of it’s upcoming Ipad tablet portable reader thingie. First off, I have to say that this is a terrible name, the jokes about Itampon, feminine hygene products in general, and bad jokes about the thing not working 1 week out of the month have come out all over. In many non-english countries, the name is too close to Ipod to be seperated in speech. Overall, no matter how good the product, the naming is terrible and terribly lame. There are also complaints that the data partner for the device will again be AT&T, which is having a hard time keeping up with just Iphone data bandwidth demands.

That being said, there is a pretty good Ipad review with video at Engadget. Plenty of interesting comments at PC World, and the Guardian in the UK has a pretty darn good review as well.

Even as overall sales for mobile phones remained flat for the third quarter, smartphone sales continue to show double digit growth—as they have ever since the market was redefined by Apple’s iPhone. Apple’s share of the market continues to climb and is edging close to rival RIM, while market leader Nokia continues its slow decline according to the latest data from market research firm Gartner.

Read the full story here!

Dell today confirmed plans to enter the smart phone business and announced partnerships with two of the world’s largest mobile operators.

Dell plans to distribute its new Mini 3 smart phones through China Mobile, the largest telecommunications company in the world with more than 500 million customers, and Claro, which serves more than 42 million people in Brazil as part of the America Movil network.

Entry into the smart phone category reflects Dell’s continued expansion into mobile internet products and services through value-added relationships with leading operators. Earlier this year Dell was the first mobile PC manufacturer to embed China Mobile’s 3G technology and services into its netbooks and quickly became the leading seller of netbooks through retail outlets in China. In addition Dell has existing agreements with other leading global telecom providers, including Vodafone in Europe; Australia/New Zealand, AT&T and Verizon in the U.S.; M1 and Starhub in Singapore; and Maxis in Malaysia, creating more opportunities to meet the needs of a connected lifestyle.

“Our entry into the smart phone category is a logical extension of Dell’s consumer product evolution over the past two years,” said Ron Garriques, President, Dell Global Consumer Group. “We are developing smaller and smarter mobile products that enable our customers to take their internet experience out of the home and do the things they want to do whenever and wherever they want.“

“This signals an important milestone in the long term partnership between China Mobile and Dell,” said a China Mobile spokesperson. “We are excited for Dell to be among the first manufacturers to introduce new technology based on the OPhone platform. We look forward to working with Dell as it brings innovative new products and services to add value to our customers’ lives.”

“As a leading innovation company in Brazil, Claro is proud of being the first wireless carrier in the world offering the 3G version of Dell’s smart phone. This confirms the Brazilian market strength and Claro as a leading actor in introducing new technology products and services to the country”, said João Cox, president for Claro.

The initial Mini 3 smart phones are designed around the Android platform to best deliver power, flexibility and customization opportunities for both users and carriers.

Dell’s Mini 3 smart phones reflect the elegant look and style that demonstrates Dell’s commitment to design innovation. Details of phone models will be announced on a partner-by-partner basis when devices are available in stores, anticipated in late November for China Mobile and year’s end for Claro.

Today is droid day, the day that the Motorola Droid hits the marketplace, available through Verizon Wireless. This phone marks Motorola’s plunge into using Google’s Android operating system on a phone, a trend that seems to be getting stronger all the time. In fact, the hubbub over the Droid phone is putting the hurt on Blackberry, who’s new smartphone offerings are getting lost on the editing room floor. There are a number of reviews of the Motorola Droid Phone, and generally they look very positive indeed!

An interesting move by Verizon to put their broadband 3G modems into prepaid plans. The downside? It’s a pricey concept. Check this:

Verizon Wireless today announced three new Mobile Broadband plans that will be added to the company’s Prepaid portfolio. Customers will be able to get speed when they need it on the Verizon Wireless 3G network with pay-as-you-go plans for daily, weekly or monthly access. The new Prepaid options are ideal for those who need access for occasional or seasonal use whether on vacation, enjoying a weekend getaway or for students away at school. Verizon Wireless gives customers the following service options:

* Daily – $15 for 75 MB
* Weekly – $30 for 250 MB
* Monthly – $50 for 500 MB

The prices are certainly way out there, but might be entirely useful for the occassional traveler or someone trapped in a place for a day or two. Otherwise, it seems to be even more expensive than even the most outrageous hotel internet rates.

This has got to be one of the weirdest lawsuits I have seen in a while. AT&T and Apple have been running Iphone ads for a while with the tag “There’s an App for that”. Well, Verizon recently started to roll out some new 3G phones, and decides to show how their network has superior 3G coverage over AT&T, with the cute but mocking tagline of “There’s a Map for that”. it is clear that Verizon has a significantly higher reach for 3G in the US right now, but AT&T is objecting, saying the commercials (using the image above) make it appear that AT&T has no cellular service at all outside of those areas.

I guess that big old “5X More 3G Coverage” taking about about 1/3 of the slide isn’t relevant. Sorry AT&T, but rather than spend the time suing, why not spend the time working on your network? Game set and match, and you are just giving Verizon even more exposure for their superior 3G coverage.