If we didn't know better, we'd say Samsung really wants to develop some type of hybrid gaming / phone device. One need only look back on the plethora of patent applications from the electronics-maker to realize that something game-related is going on over at HQ. Whatever the case may be, the Korean company has applied for another iteration of device, this time taking a more modular approach to the layout of buttons and screen. In this new configuration, a RAZR-like clamshell would actually house a swiveling screen which allows the unit to flip open, thus placing the display squarely between two "wings." The resulting arrangement would be a symmetrical device that would encourage a more familiar hand position for gamers. Of course, like those other designs, these are just images on paper -- though it does spark the imagination considerably.

[Via Unwired View]

We may not know when this thing's going to be at retail, but hey -- at least we'll know our way around the external controls by the time it does. A tipster has graciously hooked us up with overview documentation for the Samsung U740 for Verizon, an off-the-beaten-path, swiveling musicphone that has apparently been christened "Juke." The key legend doesn't reveal anything too terribly special, though we're happy to see a speakerphone made the cut despite the unit's diminutive outline. Our tipster tells us "it's your basic Verizon Wireless phone," so beyond a music player, stereo Bluetooth, and a trick mechanism that'll impress friends (for a few days, anyway), we're banking on a reasonably low price point. How's everyone feeling about the form factor?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Sure, Samsung's u620 was the first on the scene when Verizon's MediaFLO-based VCAST TV service launched earlier this month, but the fashionably late VX9400 from LG seems to be the real prize. At least that's the impression we got when we had the opportunity to mess around with both side by side at CES in January, and starting today, Verizon customers can start buying and critiquing VX9400s of their very own (in VCAST TV markets, anyway). Your hard-earned $200 -- plus the standard issue two-year agreement, of course -- will net you the Chocolate-esqe handset with a swivel screen, 1.3 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, microSD expansion, and naturally, EV-DO data. We wouldn't mind a few more teevee channels, but beggars can't be choosers when it comes to the mobile TV landscape here in the US -- and besides, it's a pretty nifty lookin' handset anyway, right?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

So, we covered the Pantech PN-810 in passing a couple weeks back as part of our regular FCC Fridays series, and at the time, we had absolutely no idea what significance the device had. Those familiar with the FCC's online document repository know that the "External Photos" and "User's Manual" PDFs are usually the most exciting bits. The test reports, on the other hand, typically cause one's eyes to glaze over by page two or three, and attempting to digest the entire thing is akin to torture. Anyhoo, eagle-eyed (and brave) HowardForums members have picked out a couple telling pictures buried deep within one of those test reports; besides revealing the form factor and design of the handset, they also leak a carrier -- Helio. Since VK Mobile's implosion earlier this year, it only makes sense that Helio would be looking to replace the VK-sourced Kickflip with another swivel phone (although this could be a slider, too) from a manufacturer more likely to stick around for a while, and that's where Pantech comes into the equation. All this being said, we don't know much of anything about the phone besides what we see here, and we don't think this is the rumored QWERTY phone Helio's been said to have up its sleeve. With an FCC approval under its belt, though, we hope this'll all sort itself out sooner rather than later.

[Via HowardForums, thanks Simon]

Update: Our original tipster, Simon, has pointed out something very important: there appears to be another "layer" hiding on the bottom of the phone that would presumably slide out to reveal a full keyboard. Combined with the centering of the screen and the soft buttons up top, it lends credibility to the theory that this really is the mythical Danger-designed QWERTY superphone after all. Shouldn't be long now, folks. (We hope.)

Fresh out of Samsung's gates comes the do-it-all SGH-P930 swivel phone, a handset that rocks pretty much every acronym we care about: HSDPA and DVB-H, just to name a couple. The 20-millimeter thick phone presumably locks into the 90-degree orientation or swivels fully open at the user's discretion, making for a more pleasant viewing experience when vegging out with that mobile TV they've got goin' on over in Europe these days. Italy's TIM will be the first carrier to take delivery of the P930, which also packs in a 2 megapixel cam, VGA front cam for video calling, picture-in-picture (as if the 2.3-inch display is even big enough for a single channel), and microSD expansion. Grab it on TIM now for a stiff €529 (about $700), which we sincerely hope is a contract-free price.

[Via Tech-On!]

Last time we checked in on Sprint's SPH-M250 DMB phone from Samsung, we met the swiveling clamshell head-on with a fair dose of skepticism that it'd ever see the light of day in these parts. Our bad; rumor has it that a handful of Sprint customers are now receiving invitations to participate in a market trial for the service, which is now apparently named "VUE." As a refresher, the M250 holds its own as a decent flip phone, packing a microSD slot, Bluetooth, voice recognition, and of course, that rare-in-the-States swiveling display. We're still not sure we entirely understand which multicast tech is being used on the M250 -- DMB, TDtv, or some proprietary concoction -- but if this invite is legit, we don't really care what tech they're using, as long as we can get our mobile TV on post haste.

[Via SprintUsers, thanks Jaime]

Yes, we know this looks like your garden variety Korea-only swiveling flip phone with DMB, but Pantech is making a very interesting claim about its PT-S130: it's allegedly the first DMB phone with Bluetooth. Of course, Samsung's been trying hard to collect every "world's first" title under the sun, but if this thing beats Sammy's Bluetooth / S-DMB SCH-B450 to market, Pantech's claim might just be legit. Other features include a 2.4-inch QVGA display, stereo speakers, and 2 megapixel autofocus camera -- pretty standard fare in Korea, but as usual, that doesn't stop us yanks from drooling.

Here's a feel-good story for all you Verizon users looking for some high-end love: the SGH-A990, Samsung's 3.2-megapixel object of desire chock full o' swiveling QVGA and EV-DO goodness, has officially dropped on your network. Bluetooth -- sans A2DP as best we can tell -- and a microSD slot (for those gargantuan pictures you'll be snapping) are also in the package, but getting yourself atop the Verizon food chain ain't cheap: the A990 will run you $349.99 on two-year contract with a $50 rebate.

[Via Mobiledia]

We hate to get our hopes up, since so far we haven't seen a lot of desire from US carriers to offer advanced services to their apparently podunk customers -- especially not something crazy as mobile TV -- but the FCC just unveiled what could be Sprint's big move into TV land. The phone is Samsung's SPH-M250, which looks to be a version of Sammy's SPH-B250, a DMB phone for Korea (2 megapixel camera, 128MB memory and Bluetooth if you're keeping track). The interesting thing about the phone is that it is only approved for the 1900MHz band, unlike other Sprint phones which are dual-band. So while it's possible that the phone is just for watching EV-DO movies in the comfort of that swivel screen, Phone Scoop thinks it more likely that there were antenna issues with Sprint's 2.5GHz mobile TV tech. They've already been running tests on TDtv technology, a method that uses 3G spectrum for live DMB-esque TV channels up to QVGA resolution, and this SPH-M250 could be for more testing, or to maybe even launch their TV service. We won't hold our breath.

[Via Phone Scoop]

The design team at LG is getting plenty of mileage out of this swivel shell for for their DMB phones, with the LG-LB1500 as the latest in a long line of similarly styled units. Of course, we're not complaining. There's a nice big 2.2-inch QVGA display dominating the unit, and an overall thickness of 0.77-inches. There's also some sort of "IPS method" to enhance viewing, but we're rather low on deets. The phone should be available in May -- in Korea no doubt -- so we suppose we'll know more then.