Motorola and T-Mobile are teaming up again, announcing yet another MOTOBLUR “augmented” Android phone, the Motorola Charm.

This Messenger-class Android phone is somewhat of a novelty; most Android handsets are slab or slide-to-hide smartphones.  The charm has a BlackBerry-style front facing keyboard for quick text messaging, Tweeting, or email, and a screen wider than it is tall (landscape).

Charm  has the BackTrack trackpad found on the Motorola Backflip on its rear.  Other features include Android 2.1, a 2.8-inch touchscreen display, a 3MP camera, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, up to 6.5 hours of talk time and a microSDHC slot for up to 32GB of storage (the Charm ships with a 2GB microSD card).

T-Mobile will release the Charm “this summer” in Cabernet (seen left) and Bronze.

Read the Motorola Charm Press Release

Although AT&T appears to have stopped selling the Samsung Epix smartphone – it no longer appears as an available option on the Shop section of their web site – a Windows Mobile 6.5 update for the Messenger class handset has been released.

The update flashes the ROM of the Epix with an updated version of the Windows Mobile Professional operating system.

The updater file along with installation instructions can be found here.

Remember that ROM updates clear a smartphone’s memory and return it to factory specs, so be sure to sync and backup your data before performing the update.

Celebrate Independence Day – at least in part – by downloading The United States Constitution for Android or Windows Mobile. The Windows Mobile version requires Microsoft Reader. 

Read the words that make our lives as Americans possible – even more than two centuries after they were written – on July 4th or any day of the year.

T-Mobile and Sprint each announced upcoming Samsung Galaxy S smartphone variants this morning: the T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant and the Sprint Samsung Epic 4G. 

T-Mobile’s Samsung Vibrant (shown left) is a touch-only smartphone, while the Sprint Epic 4G has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.  Each sports a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird SoC CPU (think iPhone 4, iPad), 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen displays and the full array of wireless technologies.

Each smartphone can also capture 720p HD video and will run Android 2.1, at least at launch.  As its name indicates, the Epic 4G is compatible with Sprint’s 4G data network.

T-Mobile will release the Samsung Vibrant on July 21, with Sprint’s Epic 4G exact release date as yet unknown (but assumed to be sometime this summer).

The Acer Aspire AS7736Z Refurbished Notebook PC features an Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4400 processor and 3GB of DDR2 memory to accelerate all your daily needs with the multitasking performance and responsiveness needed to download music, launch movies, chat and complete your daily tasks.

Amazon.com and LetsTalk.com have each lowered the checkout price of the Motorola DROID Android phone to $19.99.  There’s no mail-in rebate required at either retailer, but the price does require a two-year service agreement.  The direct Verizon price for the Moto Droid remains $149.

Amazon also has a variety of popular Windows Mobile and Android smartphones available for $0.01 at checkout with a two-year service agreement.  One cent Windows Mobile phones at Amazon include the T-Mobile HD2, AT&T’s LG eXpo, and the just-released Snapdragon-powered LG Fathom.  Two Verizon Wireless Android phones are also going for a penny: the LG Ally and the Motorola Devour. 

• T-Mobile HD2 Windows Phone @ Amazon.com
• AT&T LG eXpo Windows Phone @ Amazon.com
• LG Fathom VS750 Windows Phone @ Amazon.com
• LG Ally Android Phone @ Amazon.com
• Motorola Devour Android Phone @ Amazon.com

More AT&T Android news.  The iPhone carrier will release its first 1GHz Android OS-powered smartphone, the Samsung Captivate, “in the coming months.”

The announcement came today via an AT&T Mobility press release, without any price or availability details.  However, the carrier did give us some important information about its first high-end Android phone. 

Essentially a Galaxy S, the Samsung Captivate is powered by a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU (Samsung’s Snapdragon alternative), features a 4-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 7.2Mbps HSPA 3G mobile data connectivity, Bluetooth 3.0, a 5MP camera with 720p HD video recording, and 16GB of “expandable memory.”

We’ll keep you posted.

We’ve been on 32GB microSDHC memory card watch for nearly a year.  A few weeks ago we told you about the high-capacity cards showing up for purchase on eBay. Today a more reliable retailer has thrown its hat in the 32GB microSD ring: Amazon.

Amazon is currently selling the SanDisk 32GB microSDHC card via the third-party retailer Komputerbay.  The card is $180, which is a bit steep, but if you’re not comfortable purchasing a card from an unknown eBay seller, Amazon’s reputation should make you feel better (but you should be okay purchasing from eBay if you’re careful to choose a seller with an excellent eBay rating).

Most modern Windows Mobile and Android OS smartphones are compatible with 32GB microSDHC cards.

It’s been months since we updated you on the HTC Desire, a Snapdragon-powered Android OS smartphone originally thought to be headed to AT&T.  That may still be the case, though a home at AT&T is as yet unconfirmed. What is confirmed is that the Desire is indeed headed for the U.S.

We’ve just received word from an HTC PR rep that the Desire will arrive in the United States “via select regional operators beginning this August.”  It’s currently unclear what exactly is meant by “regional operators,” but if the Desire remains a GSM/UMTS handset when it arrives stateside, it’ll have to come via AT&T, T-Mobile or a similar network.

Today, if you want Internet access with your Starbucks Venti, sugar-free, non-fat, double shot, decaf, no foam, extra hot, Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with light whip and extra syrup, it can cost you up to $4 for two hours of Wi-Fi access. 

On July 1st, that will change. The AT&T-powered wireless Internet connection offered at Starbucks locations around the country will become free for all customers on that day.  The company made the announcement today at a WIRED business conference.  Starbucks also announced a new in-store network:

“…in partnership with Yahoo!, which will debut later this fall.  This online experience – available only in U.S. company operated Starbucks stores – will be unique in its content offerings, allowing customers free unrestricted access to various paid sites and services such as wsj.com, exclusive content and previews, free downloads, local community news and activities, on their laptops, tablets or smart phones. ”

Find a Starbucks location near you.