TeensTalkTech

One of the growing must-haves for any teen going back to school is a new cell phone– and for more and more teens that cell phone is a smartphone like an iPhone, Android or BlackBerry.

A couple of weeks ago, AT&T and RIM (the makers of the BlackBerry) released the next generation of the BlackBerry platform, the touchscreen slider BlackBerry Torch with the all new BlackBerry 6 OS. So, if you’re going back to school and on AT&T, is this new BlackBerry better than other phones like the Samsung Captivate and iPhone 4? Does BlackBerry 6 have enough to keep the BlackBerry in the game with iOS, Android, webOS and the upcoming Windows Phone 7? For all those answers and more, read on for our full teen review!

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Remember that BlackBerry Slider from a few months back? You know, the one that looked like a mix between a Palm Pre, BlackBerry Storm and BlackBerry Bold? Well, it’s real and is the new flagship phone from BlackBerry launching next week (August 12th) with the all new BlackBerry 6 OS on AT&T. So what’s in it and does it have the potential to match up with the EVO 4Gs, iPhone 4s and Droid Xs of the world? Read on for all the info.

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past couple of weeks, you’ve probably heard that Apple has released a new iPhone and that this new iPhone has been having some problems with keeping a signal when you hold it in your left hand. Of course, any new iPhone– and particularly any new iPhone problems– brings out the rumors of Apple finally adding another carrier to their cell phone world, with most of the rumors focusing on a particular carrier that’s red and rhymes with Shmerizon.

Yes, the Verizon iPhone rumors are alive and hotter than ever; with many top, well-respected publications (like the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg) chiming in by saying that a Verizon iPhone is on the way– and really soon.

So what are these rumors and what do we think of them? Read on for the full scoop.

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Wow, in summer already shaping up to be awesome for buying new phones with the releases of the EVO 4G and new iPhone, we can now possibly add to that list a new BlackBerry– that really cool touchscreen slider BlackBerry Bold 9800 we first saw a couple of months earlier.

The pix are much clearer than the ones we’ve seen in the past, and show off a couple of pretty big things, such as BlackBerry OS 6 (see above pic), the latest major update providing, among other things, a real web browser, improved media player (with its own version of Cover Flow), as well as a true multi-touch OS. Its worth noting here that the phone is also said to just be using a “normal” multi-touch screen and not the SurePress touchscreen seen on the Storm line.

The pic below is shot of the phone booting up to an AT&T screen, implying as Boy Genius Report claims, that AT&T is slated to get this monster new phone this summer!

RIM is still keeping quiet and hasn’t confirmed (or even said) anything about this phone so for the time being it’s still a rumor, but don’t worry– we’ll make sure to keep you up to date as we learn more.

Pix from TheBerryFix (here and here), and The Cellular Guru.

Is this the BlackBerry Slider?

BlackBerry fans out there- brace yourself. What we’re about to tell you is pretty HUGE news. Like seriously HUGE.

As you can see in the pic above, pix are leaking out all over the web of this– a BlackBerry that isn’t just touchscreen and isn’t just a regular BlackBerry with a full QWERTY keyboard– BUT BOTH, in a sleek-looking slider design.

Unfortunately, all that we have to go on is the pix (thanks to a site called BBLeaks)– which look to feature a touchscreen (though no SurePress as with the Storm), the new trackpad, and of course that awesome slide out full QWERTY keyboard. All in a design that doesn’t look to be much thicker than a Curve.

The BlackBerry Slider– closed and with the Curve

Ok, now for what some of the rumors on what else could be in this mysterious device. According to Boy Genius Report, this phone will run BlackBerry OS 6.0 (today’s BlackBerrys like the Bold 9700 are on 5.0, hopefully this new OS begins to separate itself from the same old BlackBerry OS we’ve been seeing for years), as well as pack WiFi capability with wireless N, for getting onto the latest and greatest WiFi networks out there. The device is also expected to use GSM/HSPA, the tech for networks like AT&T and T-Mobile, unlike the Storm, which is a Verizon exclusive (though that does not necessarily confirm nor deny the phone, or a version of it, to any of the networks). Additionally, according to CrackBerry, the Slider will also be a part of the Bold line– not the Storm.

This is clearly in the very early stages of rumors (yes, just to make sure it’s all loud and clear– this is still a rumor), but a rumor that looks to be absolutely awesome and one were hoping RIM makes official ASAP. What you think– would you buy a BlackBerry if it was a slider like this, or do you prefer your BlackBerrys to remain the same in terms of design? Share your thoughts in the comments.

At first you might not think so, but this recent announcement at the Mobile World Congress is BIG news. Today, Skype and Verizon announced a new partnership and smartphone app that will allow Verizon users to chat– both through Skype IM AND through calling– to Skype users around the world. The free app, which will come in late March, will be available on the BlackBerry (models Curve 8830, Storm 1 and 2, Tour, Curve 8330 and Curve 8530), as well as the Android-running Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Eris, and the upcoming Motorola Devour (a phone we’ll have more on soon–think of as less powerful Droid with full keyboard and MOTOBLUR).

The name of the app is Skype Mobile and is an “always-on app,” meaning that it will constantly running in the background. Now here’s the big part of this partnership– the calls made on Skype Mobile are made over Verizon 3G data network and will NOT use your minutes. This is huge in multiple ways– 1) for those close to running over minutes and have one of these phones, you can use this to help keep you from running over. 2) Not only do Verizon users have unlimited calling to the 90 million customers on their carrier, but now they now can also call the 500+ million Skype  users, even if those users are online internationally!

Now you will need a data plan to use Skype Mobile (though since the application is only for smartphones, and that Verizon requires data plans for all the phones mentioned above, we don’t see this as much of a problem), and yes, AT&T has recently approved a Skype iPhone app that also allows calls over 3G and not just WiFi (which by the way, this app won’t be able to do)– but this is still definitely a big win for Verizon users if for no other reason than that Verizon is finally opening up their network for Skype and hopefully other services in the very near future.

Via Verizon Wireless and Skype

Seeing as that in under 24 hours Apple will finally announce it’s new “creation,” the rumor wire has been burning up on the internet. Seriously, there is every type of rumors here from an actual possibility, all the way to “some guy in his basement’s magic wish.” And while we tried our hardest to stay away from all these rampant rumors, here’s a few of the latest and coolest ones, with our thoughts on if we believe it will actually happen.

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Ask TeensTalkTech is where we try to answer your questions on technology– from computer problems, to cell phone questions and everything in between.

What does it mean to “unlock” your iPhone?

Here’s a question we’ve been getting a lot lately: “if I unlock my iPhone will it work for Verizon/Sprint? It should, right, because it’s unlocked?” Sorry anxious reader, just because your iPhone is unlocked doesn’t mean it will work for you on Verizon and Sprint.

Let me explain.

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Wow– we thought Verizon would slow up on the new products for a little bit after it just announced and released one the biggest phones of the year last week, the Motorola Droid. But we were dead wrong (I mean the Droid just launched yesterday!). The other day, Verizon took the wraps off 4 new phones for the holiday and there seems to be something for everyone. We’re talking new BlackBerry Curve, new LG Chocolate phone, new Samsung phone specially designed to withstand being dropped or spilled upon, and another Android phone– the HTC Droid Eris (Verizon’s version of the HTC Hero).

While none of these are as powerful as the Motorola Droid, there is still some sick stuff here that you’d definitely want to know about– so what you waiting for, hit the more link and get to it!

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Watch out because here comes the Droid

Verizon users, today is your lucky day. Verizon , Google and Motorola have officially announced that one of the sickest phones of the year is coming to you– and very soon. Yup, the Droid is officially coming to Verizon, and brings some new Android 2.0 awesomeness that should make more companies than Apple a little nervous.

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