Well, not exactly, but considering that the Palm Pixi hasn’t even officially launched through Sprint yet, it is a little odd that Walmart would already slash the price by 70%.

The official launch price for the Palm Pixi is supposed to be $100 with a qualifying two-year contract, but it seems that Walmart is ready to sell the phone for a measly thirty bucks. Considering the other $30-with-contract phones out there, the Pixi looks like a relative bargain.

This is until you realize that the Palm Pre is selling today for $100. That extra $70 gets you a bigger screen, faster speeds, the inclusion of Wi-Fi, and an improved camera.

Seeing how you still have to sign up for the same Sprint plans, which start at $70 a month, you may as well get the Pre over the Pixi, right?

Source: Gizmodo

Set to hit store shelves on November 20, this newest addition to the smartphone family does away with the trackball that we’ve come to know and love from RIM, placing an optical trackpad in its place. It works in much the same way, but you don’t have to worry as much about getting random debris stuck in there. It also makes for a sleeker overall appearance.

Running our way through the spec sheet on the BlackBerry Curve 8530, we find the usual full QWERTY keyboard, 2 megapixel camera, GPS, multimedia keys, 3.5mm headphone jack, 528MHz processor, EVDO, and Wi-Fi. Yes, a Verizon phone with Wi-Fi. Imagine that!

If you choose to go to big red for the Curve 8530, expect the Verizon reps to ask for $99.99 on contract after a $100 mail-in rebate. From what I hear, Sprint will be launching its take on this phone around the same time for around the same price as well.

Source: BGR

Helping to attract the corporate market is the inclusion of quad-band GSM support for use on international networks. This way, you can take your Sprint phone and use it everywhere from London to Hong Kong. Naturally, the Samsung Intrepid also handles the 3G EV-DO Rev.A thing while at home with Sprint.

That may look like any old 2.5-inch QVGA display, but that’s actually a touchscreen in there. You also get the aforementioned QWERTY keyboard, as well as a 3.2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, Mobile Office, WiFi, Internet Explorer 6, and Adobe Flash Support. Access to the Windows Marketplace for Mobile rounds out the package.

Sprint will start selling the Samsung i350 Intrepid on October 11. Expect to pay $149.99 with a two-year contract and a $100 mail-in rebate.

Source: MobileBurn

We once knew about this upcoming phone as the Samsung InstinctQ, but it seems that the Korean electronics giant has decided to drop that branding. The Samsung Moment, as you can imagine, comes equipped with Google Android, giving you access to the Android Market and more.

You like nice displays? You’ve got one here in the form of a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen. That should be great for online videos, web surfing, and maybe even a game or three. Other highlights include the 800MHz processor, full QWERTY keyboard, and 3.2 megapixel camera.

Expect the Samsung Moment Android smartphone to hit Sprint store shelves on November 1. It’ll run at $179.99 with a two-year contract, assuming that you’ll deal with the $50 instant rebate and $100 mail-in rebate.

Source: Gizmodo

The average consumer, even the average business customer, will probably want to have a camera of some kind on their smartphone. The picture quality won’t be as good as even a cheap point-and-shoot, but it’s handy having that utility available. However, there are corporate and industrial environments where cameras are a no-no.

For that particular niche, Sprint is offering a BlackBerry 9630 Tour that does not have a camera in the back. This is perfect for high-security corporate customers who don’t want to forfeit their cell phones upon entry into restricted areas.

The BlackBerry Tour 9630 without the camera is listed at $199.99 with a qualifying service agreement through Sprint. Aside from the lack of the camera, the assumption is that this version of the Berry will be identical to its camera-touting cousin.

Source: Intomobile

You may already know about the HTC Hero through its European variant and how it’s supposed to be a substantial step forward for the whole Android world. It has great build quality, a nice design, and plenty of functionality. For the Sprint version, they’ve abandoned the chin to get a more streamlined appearance. And I think I like it.

The Sprint HTC Hero maintains much of the same features as its GSM cousin, loading up with the cool Sense user interface, smudge-resistant Teflon coating, and a 3.2″ touchscreen (320 x 480 pixels). Other features include the 5-megapixel camera, Qualcomm MSM7200A 528MHz processor, 512MB ROM, 288MB RAM, and microSD expansion.

In addiiton to Android and Sense, the Sprint-bound HTC Hero also gets something called Scenes. This lets you run different home screens for work, play, and other aspects of your life. Expect the Sprint HTC Hero to launch on October 11 for $179.99 on contract.

Source: Intomobile

Much like the Motorola Renew that you may have heard about, the Samsung Reclaim is a phone that’s made from eco-friendly bioplastic materials. I assume this means that when it’s time for this phone to be tossed, it’s much more biodegradable and won’t be quite as harmful to the Earth. It’s made from 80% recyclable materials.

Dubbed a feature-rich messaging phone, the Samsung Reclaim boasts a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. That’ll make it easy to send out text messages and emails while on the go. Other features include an Energy Star approved charger, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, Sprint navigation, integrated web browser, and memory expandable up to 32GB.

If you’re not digging the “Earth Green” color scheme, the Samsung Reclaim is also available in Ocean Blue. Both versions will be rolling out to all the usual channels, including Best Buy and Radio Shack The Shack, on August 16th. Pick it up for $50 and two bucks will be sent to The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program.

Source: MobileCrunch

There are a number of BlackBerry devices, for example, that may be great for business, but do not have Wi-Fi. Instead, they rely solely on the availability of the wireless network and this just won’t do for some customers.

As such, Sprint has announced that it is now “embracing Wi-Fi in all its major devices going forward.” This way, you don’t have to worry as much when your signal cuts out, since you can still check your email from an available hotspot. It can also help to cut down on your wireless data costs.

Sprint isn’t the only company to make this promise. Verizon has also said that it will be doing the same, promising that future Blackerry devices after the Tour (like the Storm 2) will come with Wi-Fi.

Source: BGR

That is, if you are with Verizon. There was all sorts of confusion yesterday regarding BlackBerry Tour pre-orders with Verizon, but that has all been cleared up. They initially said that no pre-orders would be made available for existing customers, but VZW has changed their tune.

Now, the official Verizon product page is saying that “existing customers will be able to upgrade or purchase the BlackBerry Tour on this site very soon. Please check back with us tomorrow.” I guess you’re getting a quick gift of sorts just before ID4.

The Sprint side of things isn’t quite so chipper, however. According to the Sprint social media and interactive communications manager, you will not be able to put in a pre-order for the Tour at all. Instead, you’ll have to head over to your local Sprint store (or call them up the old fashioned way) if you want in on the Tour.

Source: BGR x2