That "more bars in more places" startup sequence there look familiar? We're not rocket scientists, granted, but first of all, we have no idea what rocket science has to do with the mobile phone industry. Secondly, seeing a carrier-branded firmware show up on a hot new (and somewhat unexpected) model is bound to get some gears turning. The whole
K850 debacle reminds us that a branded device can go all the way up to the last minute and still get tossed to the wayside -- and there's certainly precedent for such a tragic fate to happen to a Sony Ericsson, specifically -- but we can't help but let our minds wander to the possibilities of an 8-megapixel beast like the
C905 landing on AT&T in the near future. Some lucky cat was offering a US-friendly C905a model for sale (don't bother logging into eBay, it's already been snatched up) allegedly burned with an AT&T ROM, suggesting that they're either looking into offering it or, at the very least, Sony Ericsson was pitching it to the boys and girls in Atlanta. If it's still getting tossed around, let us just voice our opinion here: yes, AT&T. Do it.
[Thanks, Leeds]
posted Nov 17th 2008 12:20PM
Sony Ericsson devices are known for their customisability. This could very well just be someone who's cooked up their own ROM and then advertised it on eBay. Just look at it, there's no physical AT&T branding...
Nah. Now that someone else "mentioned" it, I can confirm that this phone really is being tested in at&t labs.... with the full 8 mp camera. Scheduled for early Q1 release.
Having said that, the same was the case with the k850i, until upper management yanked it a week before scheduled release date. So I mean, nothing is ever certain in at&t land until you physically get your hands on one.
You guys remember the N80 and 6282 with US UMTS bands right? There's a few of those floating around too...
doubt theres no physical att branding, anyne could just have the att logo on view pic and play a att 3g video to make it look like its branded.
This handset is definitely AT&T (without having the actual branding on the phone) and the one I have in my hand is listed as model "Q440i" - probably used within SE manufacturing/testing.
Post up some pics
FYI: Handset (SE) companies builds customized phone software for many operators (T-Mobile, AT&T, Vodafone, Hutch, etc.) since many times these phones need to go into an operators device acceptance/lab entry programs. With that said, if there is no 850/1900 3G band support in the hardware, flashing AT&T software will do nothing for it except give it AT&T logos, startup screen, and other AT&T customized menus and settings...and lock it to AT&T. However, there are C905a prototypes floating around...
@Dave,
This is not the case with the C905 - it _does_ have tri-band UMTS (850/1900 and 2100 MHz bands). Clearly a candidate for AT&T (as was the k850i).
Look at the last sentence of my post...there are C905a prototypes floating around...which presumably have 850/1900/2100 3G bands. The vanilla C905s don't. I assumed that C905a = 850/1900/2100 3G :p
not only are there prototypes, I believe you can buy them unlocked now.
the c905a "floating around" now are specifically for AT$T
everyone knows someone who knows something, or is a carrier employee...or claims to have physically touched a phone that's not out yet...
Not accusing YOU of this, per se..
just sayin.
AT&T did cancel the K850i at the last second, maybe they're releasing this as their high-end cameraphone.
Anyone know why the K850i doesn't support RTSP on ATT? Suppose this phone will?
some port numbers are blocked... on at&t... unfortunately believe it or not different ones are blocked at different NOC centers geographically... 554 might be blocked everywhere.. these days.. but i don't really know
i remember having problems getting Orb to stream over 554 so i just reconfigured Orb to use like 1044.. or something.. something in a different port range.
so if you have that option, try changing the port
generally, at&t likes SE phones... they're one of the top selling brands. the k850i was yanked because someone decided that there was not enough market demand for a carrier-subsidized 5 mp phone... those that wanted it bought it unlocked already... and the rest didn't care enough.
another minus was that it was a bar phone. that was right about the time that at&t got into SLIDER RAGE... because the market was responding more favorably to slider phones than bar phones when looking for an alternative to a clamshell.
so i think because this IS a slider ... and because t-mo upped the ante with a pair of 5 mp phones (t-919 and motozine)... this will almost certainly make it to market...
... early next year.
there. those are my 2 cents.
wish it were the lg renoir.....
If this does get released on at&t...
That C905a will have NO-Video calling
And Some ugly deathstar somewhere...
And The Main "Cyber-Shot" under the big screen will be covered by "at&t"
Of course no video calling, it doesn't have the camera in the face.
and yes the c905a has duel band umts.
and of course there isn't any branding on the casing, because obviously it's to much trouble to do if you're in a lab testing.
as far as I know anything at&t has done to the SE phones in their lineup is usually superfical menu changes.
and also 'w00t'
the 'thanks Leeds' = this poster!
It's the second month of Q1. Add it already AT&T!!