It doesn't look like we've got any showstoppers here -- but just as with any major new smartphone release, Verizon's Pre Plus is starting to take some lumps after romping in the field for a week since its retail availability kicked off. Of the two biggies being cited so far, one is of particular concern: apps other than VZ Navigator don't seem to take advantage of GPS augmentation, meaning they're relying on a straight-up GPS signal alone to get a location lock -- something that often doesn't work on a phone (a reliable workaround seems to be to open VZ Navigator before you open the app you really need, but still, not an optimal situation). The second, less troublesome issue involves sending MMS messages over WiFi; basically, you can't. The phone forgets to fire up cellular data to send the message and tries to route it over the WiFi connection instead, which inevitably fails. What's odd about both of these is that they seem like regressions from the software already rolled out to Sprint (and other) Pres, and a surprising lack of rigor from a carrier known for putting its phones through the gauntlet prior to release. Let's hope we see an over-the-air update in short order, shall we?

Verizon's playing catch-up this week in a game some of its rivals have been playing for ages now -- the WiFi business -- by bundling access to a fairly extensive network of hotspots in the US, Canada, and Mexico with its broadband data plans. It's a double-edged sword, though, because they're not stepping up to the plate with as much conviction as AT&T and T-Mobile have; first off, Verizon's limiting the service strictly to users of its modems and MiFi boxes while the other guys have succumbed to bundling it with smartphone data packages, and secondly, it appears hell-bent on forcing connections to go through the same crapware connection management app used with its data cards. Of course, you could argue that Verizon's larger 3G footprint gives 'em less impetus to offload users to WiFi, but by the same token, they're charging more for service -- so yeah, we're gonna predict they relent at some point just as AT&T ultimately did.

LG's Arena was one of the more important non-smartphone handsets of 2009, if for no other reason than the fact that it introduced the world to LG's latest standard user experience, S-Class. Of course, it was introduced all the way back in February -- a lifetime by mobile standards -- which means that it's about time to re-up with a shiny replacement. It sounds like that might come in the form of an "Arena Max" model, thanks to a fresh certification in the Wi-Fi Alliance's database pointing to an LU9400 model going by that name. Specs are anyone's guess at this point, but we can probably expect a big, stonking camera, a full-touch UI, and -- you guessed it -- WiFi.

Having already witnessed the case and UI of Dell's incoming Android invader, we can now pretty much complete the picture with the latest info from the FCC. Reassuringly, WiFi and 3G -- the two big modifications from the China-bound Mini 3i -- both make it onto US soil, leaving us with only the timeless questions of when and how much. The Chinese version of the phone runs a 360 x 640 resolution on a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, which makes for a nice base to get all that wireless communication (Bluetooth included) flowing. We can expect the Mini 3iX to find its way onto AT&T's awesome networks some time in 2010, joining a growing army of Android devices vying for your cash, love and understanding.

[Via Unwired View]

Sprint has a time-honored tradition of screwing up its ads. Remember the Palm OS-powered (yes, Palm OS, not webOS) Motorola Q2? How about the Pre's mythical tethering capability? Here's a new one to add to the history books: the "WiFi capable" Pixi, yours for just $99.99 after mail-in rebate. Count us in.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

The first Android device from Sony Ericsson may have undergone an upgrade in the naming department, jumping from X3 all the way to XPERIA X10 (probably to avoid confusion with Nokia's X3 handset), but what lies under the hood is reassuringly in line with what we've been hearing. That is to say, a 1GHz Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm, wide 4-inch capacitive touch display, 8.1 megapixel camera with LED flash, and a thoroughly tricked out Android skin named Rachael. Sony Ericsson stressed to us the symbiotic importance of both the new flagship device and "open OS" UI -- they see the X10 as the patriarch of a whole new family of handsets, which we can expect to see in the first half of 2010, all sporting the beauty of Rachael and perhaps helping to bridge the gap between featurephones and, well, more advanced featurephones. So don't be shy, come along to Engadget Classic to see our full and uncensored first impressions of both, along with hands-on video and pictures.

You know what's ridiculous? Modern smartphones without WiFi (why hello there, Pixi and Tour). Looks like Dell's getting the message with the supposed Brazil-bound Mini 3iX, which as far as we can tell is the Mini 3i as it should've been -- same specs, plus WiFi and 3G connectivity. The OPhone-esque user interface also seems to have gone through some changes, at least cosmetically, and Cellular Cafe has the vivid imagery -- so might this be the little guy rumored to be coming to AT&T, or will we get the 2G variant instead? How about we just skip this one altogether and get the Streak?

Hey, HTC -- we're onto you. We know you're a little upset that the lower-end Droid Eris isn't getting much attention now that the DROID is all over Verizon's marketing agenda, but it's not like we don't feel your pain. For those interested in spending a full Benjamin less on their next Android handset (on Big Red, anyway), the Droid Eris looks to offer that very solution, and now a few more sneak peeks have shown that a 5 megapixel camera (with a video record mode) is gracing the rear. We're also told that WiFi will be onboard (right, VZW?), and a bundle of joy will also be thrown in after mail-in rebate. Whatever that means.

Read - Boy Genius Report
Read - phoneArena

If you're using one of the various MiFi incarnations, you may have been slightly annoyed at the thing shutting itself down after a few minutes of inactivity. It's a lovely feature to save juice when running disconnected -- a little less desirable when running on AC. There's a new firmware in town and it does away with such bad behavior whilst also adding better compatibility with the Nintendo DS and BlackBerry Curve. It's not an automatic update, though, so you'll need to dig through some menus to make the magic happen, but we're sure you can figure it out. (If you get stuck, the read link has pictures.)

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

Well, hello there! Those Dell MID rumors we've been hearing have finally received vindication in the form of a nice, picture-heavy leak courtesy of some industrious folks in Vietnam. What we know as of now is that there's an 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen display (with multitouch zooming), WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G WWAN connectivity, all riding atop an Android 2.0 (aka, Donut Eclair) install. A dual-LED flash 5 megapixel camera adorns the back, and there's a 1,300mAh battery to power all that goodness. See pics below and a video awaits after the break, where an old friend of ours plays with the jumbo smartphone.

[Via SlashGear; Thanks, Nicky N.]

You know the deal by now: we grab a slab of fresh new hardware, fiddle, play, and tinker with it until exhaustion or boredom is reached, then wax poetic about the whole experience, with a side serving of pictures and videos thrown in. Today's candidate for a grilling is LG's BL40, which is now available in Europe. You'll be familiar with it already from our hands-on look last month, but do join us past the break where we explore what's under the glossy hood in more detail, and give you a definitive answer on just how useful that elongated screen really is.

Until now, T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home WiFi calling service had strictly been a consumer venture -- but now, it's time to rope the suits in on the fun. Many of the handsets currently in T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home stable aren't exactly prime workplace material, but a few -- T-Mobile's WiFi-enabled BlackBerrys, to be specific -- fit in rather nicely, and it seems that the BlackBerry line is exactly what the carrier will be using to position the service. There'll be a flat rate that applies to get unlimited calling over WiFi (just like consumers pay) , and considering that businessfolk are probably the last remaining niche of ultra-heavy voice users, this could be a power play for T-Mobile that wins over a few of those lucrative corporate accounts.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Good news for Canadians who can't seem to get a decent internet plan for home. Rogers has unveiled a 3G station for residential use dubbed the Rocket Hub, and with it a number of jet propulsion-related puns that we'll be taking painstaking measures to avoid. It boasts 7.2Mbps HSPA, WiFi and ethernet out, and voice calls over UMTS. Makes sense since it's riding an Ericsson W3x core. Upfront cost of hardware hasn't been disclosed yet, but plans start at $35 Canadian. Launch date (okay, we couldn't resist) is sometime later this month.

Gemini had its Aries, and now it seems Javeline (a.k.a. the Curve 8900) has found its own CDMA equivalent in the BlackBerry Atlas. (Isn't a shame that RIM's device codenames are so often catchier than their final designation? But we digress.) A new BlackBerry has hit the internet in grainy photograph form, and according to Salomondrin with additional notes from Crackberry, the pictured leak (it's the one on the left) boasts CDMA bands, WiFi, and a 8900 series keyboard. Mum's the word, officially and otherwise, on pretty much any other details, but hopefully RIM won't keep us waiting too long.

[Via Crackberry]

We can't think of a single phone on the face of the planet that doesn't look better wrapped a thick, rich, creamy layer of WiFi support, and non-3G phones in particular -- they've got no other way to push bits around at remotely reasonable speeds, after all. Take Samsung's S5230 Star, for example: it was a perfectly reasonable full-touch phone at its announcement back in spring, but with nothing but EDGE to its name, it's hamstrung for serious browsing duty. Sammy seems to have a solid understanding of the situation, moving quickly to re-release the Star in new S5230W and S5233W forms (for different regions), both of which are the same Star we already know and love but with a dash of WiFi thrown in for good measure. It's already shipping, so keep an eye on your local retailer for the lowdown -- and look carefully, because it'd suck at this point to get stuck with the EDGE-only version, wouldn't it?

[Via GSMArena, thanks Craig]