Google-Sprint Partnership, Clearwire is Born

Breaking News! Google and Sprint has entered a partnership in which Google will be the telecom's preferred mobile search provider allowing its customers to access various services such as YouTube, Maps and etc. This is a very smart move for Sprint considering they've been slowly losing out the marketshare war against AT&T and Verizon. Sprint has always been open to the Open Handset Alliance which is the basis of Google's Android mobile OS. This could mark a turning point for Sprint to be considered as a very open-source friendly company in this fast-changing world of mobile.

In other news, Clearwire and Sprint Nextel is to form a new $14.5B company named Clearwire. They will receive $3.2B investment from Google, Time Warner, Comcast, etc. to build out the mobile WiMax technology.

Smartphones and Handhelds Roundup

Updated: 03/19/2007

With so many smartphones and pda/handheld devices available today, I've decided to put together a list of phones offered by the major wireless providers. This list will serve as a quick reference to phones as well as their pricing. I'll try to update this list on a monthly basis. BTW, whats up with the 2-yr contracts?

Cingular: (13)
Apple iPhone (2-yr contract, $499 est. coming soon)
BlackBerry 7290 $99 (2-yr contract, $50 rebate)
BlackBerry 8700c $249 (2-yr contract, $50 rebate)
BlackBerry Pearl $199 (2-yr contract, $50 rebate)
BlackBerry 8800 $299 (2-yr contract, $50 rebate) new
Cingular 3125 $149 (2-yr contract, $150 rebate)
Cingular 8125 $249 (2-yr contract, $100 rebate)
Cingular 8525 $399 (2-yr contract, $50 rebate)
Palm Treo 650 $249 (2-yr contract, $50 rebate)
Palm Treo 680 $199 (2-yr contract, $100 rebate)
Palm Treo 750 $399 (2-yr contract, $100 rebate) new
Nokia E62 $99 (2-yr contract, $100 rebate)
Samsung BlackJack $199 (2-yr contract, $100 rebate)

T-Mobile: (10)
BlackBerry 7290 $99 (2-yr contract Instant Discount, $50 rebate)
BlackBerry 7105t $99 (2-yr contract Instant Discount, $50 rebate)
BlackBerry Pearl $199 (2-yr contract Instant Discount, $50 rebate)
BlackBerry 8700g $299 (2-yr contract Instant Discount, $50 rebate)
T-Mobile SDA $149 (2-yr contract Instant Discount, $50 rebate)
T-Mobile Dash $199 (2-yr contract Instant Discount, $50 rebate)
T-Mobile MDA $249 (2-yr contract Instant Discount, $50 rebate)
T-Mobile Sidekick 3 $299 (2-yr contract Instant Discount)
Sidekick 3 (Lift Research Group) $349 (2-yr contract Instant Discount)
Sidekick 3 (Diane von Furstenberg) $349 (2-yr contract Instant Discount)

Verizon Wireless: (8)
BlackBerry 7250 $99 (2-yr contract, online discount)
BlackBerry 7130e $199 (2-yr contract, online discount)
BlackBerry 8703e $249 (2-yr contract, online discount)
Samsung SCH-i730 $99 (2-yr contract, online discount)
Motorola Q $129/$229blk (2-yr contract, online discount, $50 rebate)
Verizon Wireless PN820 $149 (2-yr contract, online discount, $50 rebate)
Verizon Wireless XV6700 $299 (2-yr contract, online discount)
Palm Treo 700wx $399 (2-yr contract, online discount, $100 rebate)
Palm Treo 700p $399 (2-yr contract, online discount, $100 rebate)

Sprint PCS: (7)
BlackBerry 8703e $149 (2-yr contract, online discount, $100 rebate)
BlackBerry 7130e $99 (2-yr contract, Instant Savings, $100 rebate)
Motorola Q $99 (2-yr contract, Instant Savings, $100 rebate)
Sprint PPC-6700 $299 (2-yr contract, online discount)
Palm Treo 700p $249 (2-yr contract, online discount, $100 rebate)
Palm Treo 700wx $249 (2-yr contract, online discount, $100 rebate)
Samsung IP-830w $599 (2-yr contract, online discount)
Nextel BlackBerry 7100i $199 (2-yr contract, online discount)
Nextel BlackBerry 7520 $319 (2-yr contract, online discount)
Nextel BlackBerry 7520 $219 (2-yr contract, online discount, $100 rebate)