We know exactly what Canada’s Rogers is thinking right now: “c’mon, T-Mobile, you guys are leaving money on the table!” Though Rogers and its Fido subsidiary are charging CAD $50 to unlock an iPhone, T-Mobile’s Dutch division is now willing to do it gratis, citing the fact that multiple Dutch carriers now offer the iPhone and they no longer feel the need to keep it SIM-locked. Refreshing attitude, isn’t it? As of January 12th, newly-activated iPhones on T-Mobile Netherlands are unlocked automatically; existing customers can call into customer service to get an unlock now, or wait until February for a do-it-yourself method. Of course, the irony is that when a carrier treats you that well, you don’t really want to leave — but this’ll be a great option for folks that do a lot of roaming and don’t care to go the ultrasn0w route.

[Thanks, Gijs]

T-Mobile Netherlands starts offering free iPhone unlocks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We told you that this would likely go on forever. Nokia just announced that the company has filed claims in the UK, Germany, and The Netherlands alleging that Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad are infringing upon Nokia’s patents. This adds 13 more patents to the 24 already asserted in the ITC and US federal claims. Here’s a particularly snippy remark made Paul Melin, vice president, Intellectual Property at Nokia:

“The Nokia inventions protected by these patents include several which enable compelling user experiences. For example, using a wiping gesture on a touch screen to navigate content, or enabling access to constantly changing services with an on-device app store, both filed more than ten years before the launch of the iPhone.”

The new Nokia patent claims are wide ranging covering user interface, on-device app stores, antenna structures, signal noise suppression, messaging functionality, chipsets, caller ID, display illumination, integration of multiple radios, and data card functionality. Click through for the full press release.

Continue reading Nokia ups the ante on Apple, adds 13 more patents to the 24 already asserted

Nokia ups the ante on Apple, adds 13 more patents to the 24 already asserted originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 08:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s another thing the Desire has that the Nexus One doesn’t: a second color option. We’re told our Dutch buddies will soon be able to skip the default gunmetal paintjob that’s shared by HTC’s twin brothers and opt into the silvery casing you see above. The pictures are captioned with a note saying the silver Desire will be exclusive to BelCompany in the Netherlands, but we’ve found a few other retailers claiming their own exclusief. Either way, we still don’t know how things will shake out elsewhere, but at least there won’t be too long to wait. We’ve got video of the very slightly altered handset after the break.

[Thanks, Miguel]

Continue reading HTC Desire shows up in slinky silver (video)

HTC Desire shows up in slinky silver (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That certainly was a timely review, wasn’t it? Dutch site Tweakers.net is reporting through a number of its forum members that previously ordered HTC Legends are being scheduled for delivery as early as today, beating the phone’s announced early second quarter availability by a solid three weeks. That’s great news for anyone comfortable sticking with a lower-res display and a middle-of-the-road processor in exchange for one of the slickest, most metallic shells on the market today — but for those hoping for something a little more… ahem, Desire-able, the wait continues. And yes, we’d like to apologize profusely for that pun.

HTC Legend already trickling into customers’ waiting hands? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve little doubt at this point that HTC’s Legend is definitely real and likely coming to a shop near you, but now we’ve got what seems to be the first official confirmation by a company that would have authority on the matter. The Netherlands’ KPN has thrown up the Legend on its site for availability likely in March, offering the Android-loving Dutch the opportunity to sign up for updates — in other words, no money’s exchanging hands just yet. As far as we can tell, these appear to be official shots of the phone offered up by HTC, so odds are good that KPN simply jumped the gun — the phone is almost certainly destined for an official unveil either by HTC or a carrier partner at MWC in a few days’ time. There are some specs here, too: 256MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM on board, AGPS, WiFi, an FM radio, 3.2-inch display and 5 megapixel camera, making this an honest-to-goodness Hero successor — and it even looks like the Legend name will be carried over for launch. Any other carriers care to step up and help bust this thing wide open?

HTC Legend breaks cover on KPN’s site for March launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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