Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion (RIM) introduced the BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone, an exciting new addition to the BlackBerry Curve series of smartphones. The slim BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone gives customers access to Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities, as well as easy access to music, games and other mobile apps for entertainment on the go. The BlackBerry Curve 8530 will be available in the colors Black and Smoky Violet.

Quite a number of Android phones are in the pipeline. Also at Verizon; last month’s rumor had it, that a new Android mobile phone would be included in Verizon's range of phones. Yet this time, no famous phone brand would be involved, but instead, it would be one of the small players in the communications market. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) leaked information about a Saygus VPhone V1. Our initial reaction, imagining it to be a simple phone, seems logical, however, the cell phone specifications are quite considerable for this unknown Android phone. The question as to whether Verizon will fully adopt Android, still remains unanswered.

Verizon Wireless and LG Electronics MobileComm USA (LG Mobile Phones) announce that the LG Chocolate Touch will be available beginning Nov. 5 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at the Verizon website. Equipped with patented Dolby Mobile, the LG Chocolate Touch brings a dramatically richer listening experience with its potent bass and sparkling clarity, making it the perfect companion for music lovers.

T-Mobile USA announce the upcoming availability of its newest 3G-enabled smartphone, the T-Mobile Dash 3G, offering a balance of personal and professional connections in a sleek design with faster data delivery and Web browsing via T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g). The T-Mobile Dash 3G smartphone, designed by HTC and powered by Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.1, is available in a glossy-black finish with red accents, features a full-QWERTY keyboard, easy-to-use trackball and vibrant display.

RadioShack Corporation and T-Mobile USA announce that the new T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google, as well as a broad assortment of T-Mobile products and services, are from now on available in more than 4,000 RadioShack stores across the United States and Puerto Rico. The introduction of the highly anticipated myTouch 3G, T-Mobile’s new Android-powered smartphone, joins additional T-Mobile postpaid devices, all from leading brands that are from now on available at RadioShack, including the BlackBerry Curve 8900, the Samsung T239, the Samsung Comeback, the Samsung Gravity 2, the Samsung Behold, and the Sony Ericsson TM506.

The HTC Droid Eris mobile phone will invade Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the United States, bringing the power of the Android platform and the Verizon Wireless network together. The HTC Droid Eris smartphone combines the popular Android platform with HTC Sense, a user experience from HTC that makes it easy for customers to stay close to one another and create an individualized mobile experience tailored specifically to their needs. The HTC Eris handset offers customers the opportunity to customize a seven-panel wide home screen with a wide variety of widgets designed to bring the most important information to the surface.

AutoRevo, the premier provider of auto dealer websites and on-demand software for automotive dealerships marketing and selling cars online, announced the release of Auto Revo Mobile, an software application that allows dealers to manage their inventory on their Apple iPhone. “The technical barriers to a true mobile solution for auto dealers have now been removed with the latest Apple iPhone. This is a great opportunity for the auto industry to flourish with a drastically increased speed of business,” said Chad Polk, CEO of AutoRevo.

The worldwide mobile phone market saw mild sequential growth in the third quarter (3Q 2009), according to IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker report. Year-on-year growth remained negative, but improved from the first half of 2009. Mobile phone shipments totaled 287.1 million units worldwide in 3Q 2009, down 6.0% from a year earlier, but up 5.6% from the second quarter.

As GPS navigation becomes more accessible with the increase of mobile phone based navigation systems, US consumers overwhelmingly see Point-of-Interest (POI) search as the only other feature they need, according to “PND Owners Unlikely to Discontinue Using Their GPS handheld,” from the Strategy Analytics Automotive Consumer Insights (ACI) service. Almost three-quarters of navigation consumers in the United States insist on the GPS navigation system feature. Sixty-two percent of navigation consumers in the United Kingdom agreed. However, for 87% of French consumers, the speed camera warning feature is the top priority, and German purchasers require real-time traffic information.

Smartphone prices are falling as shipment volumes increase, and a new study from ABI Research finds that while in 2007 only 18% of smartphones on offer cost under $200 retail price, that percentage has already grown to 27% this year. By 2014, say the firm’s forecasts, 45% of the smartphones shipped that year will be priced below $200. These numbers highlight a rapid change in many consumers’ attitudes about smartphones, and a corresponding shift in vendors’ and mobile operators’ sales and marketing strategies. Prices will hold at a certain point, we may never see a $30 smartphone. But over time, smartphones will take a substantial part of the mainstream handset market.