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With all the hype around the new iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre, and the Nokia N97, the Android OS is stealing some headlines with new upcoming releases. Samsung has officially joined the Android team with the new i7500 smartphone. Next signing is said to be LG with 3 expected devices in 2009. Sounds like the Android OS is adding more high-end players to their squad faster than Real Madrid these days. Check out the 411 on the 3 new transfers to Android roster below. Enjoy!

1. HTC Hero- GPS, digital compass, gravity sensor, a 5-megapixel camera, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD expansion slot. A dedicated search button on the phone provides a more contextual search, looking through not only your contact list and e-mail but also Twitter and other areas of the device.

2. Samsung i7500- 3.2-inch HVGA AMOLED Touchscreen, 8GB Memory, microSD expansion, 5mp camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

3. T-Mobile mytouch 3G- 3.2 inch HVGA touchscreen display, and a virtual keyboard instead of a physical QWERTY like the G1. The device also sports a 3.2 megapixel camera, comes with a 4GB microSD memory card, and Wi-Fi as well as 3G connectivity.

Pentax has announced a new camera in the “W” series lineup. The new W80 is a compact point and shoot that can truly handle all the elements. Pentax claims the camera is not only waterproof, but also shockproof, dust-proof, and cold-proof. The new shockproof design will protect the camera from a drop of up to 3.3 feet. The W80 is also capable of resisting cold temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit. In terms of the waterproof design, the camera can be used at a maximum of 16 feet underwater. This feature should really appeal to snorkelers and divers looking to capture great shots underwater. The main features of the W80 are not to shabby either. The camera features a 12.1 megapixel resolution, a 5x internal optical zoom lens, a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, and a wide-angle 28mm lens. The Pentax Optio W80 will be available in 3 colors: Cardinal Red, Azure Blue or Gunmetal Grey for $300 and is expected to ship this July.

T-Mobile has officially launched their second Android handset following the success of the Google G1 phone. The new myTouch 3G (produced by HTC) features a 3.2 inch HVGA touchscreen display, and a virtual keyboard instead of a physical QWERTY like the G1. The device also sports a 3.2 megapixel camera, comes with a 4GB microSD memory card, and Wi-Fi as well as 3G connectivity. T-Mobile is putting a strong emphasis on customization with the new myTouch 3G. The phone will feature an App called “Sherpa” that is supposed to monitor user habits to create a more personalized user experience.

The myTouch 3G will be available on pre-order starting on July 8th for $200 with a 2 year agreement. T-Mobile expects the actual device to start shipping by the end of July/early August. Check out all the details here at the official site.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our Twitter contest so far. Keep tweeting, we’ll be picking our second winner next Friday, June 19th just in time for the launch of the new iPhone 3G S.

Below is our winner and some for our favorites from this week!

Our first Twitter winner is Blogathomemom. We think it’s time you moved on from your RZR to the new iPhone too! Congratulations on being our first $199 winner- we hope it helps you upgrade!

blogathomemom: dear razr, you’ve looked cute and stylish, it’s nothing you’ve done wrong, it’s just that I’ve moved on… I need an iPhone #RIPhone

Additional favorites:

globalprincess: The time has come to lay to rest my newest cellphone that was the best. Now my 3g is old news the 3gs has got me singing the blues #RIPhone

Alexandrialeigh: Phone battles valiantly with glass full of beer. Struggle ensues. Beer emerges victorious. #RIPhone

gkimberwhiteDear Moto, I know it’s not cool to break up over Twitter, but my cellphone is unreliable & this way I know you’ll get the message. #RiPhone 

MissionDesigns: motorola i836 you were a piece of junk. Now it’s time for me to move on. Sprint really stunk. #RIPhone

txa1265: Ode Smsng u740 perfect phone for me To talk Id flip you to, text Id flip you fro. New job had no-cam policy,darling u740 had to go #RIPhone

As you can tell from the buzz on this blog and others across the Internet, the new iPhone is coming! To celebrate the release of the iPhone 3G S, and memorialize our old phones, we’re holding a contest on Twitter.

Here’s how it works:

1.    Log on to your Twitter account.

2.    Eulogize your old phone in a tweet that includes the hashtag #RIPhone.

3.    Win! Gazelle will award $199 to one lucky wordsmith each Friday ‘til the new iPhone’s release.

So how do you fit a eulogy into 140 characters? Just try and be as creative as possible. We suggest that you try to focus on one specific experience with your old phone or maybe write in Haiku verse. Another possibility would be to work on a simple good-bye. It’s up to you! We look forward to reading your eulogies. Remember the first winner will be picked tomorrow June 12th, so what are you waiting for!!!

WWDC, San Francisco - With all the hype around the iPhone 3GS, many people skipped past some other cool products from the event.  Luke Schneider of Zipcar showed off the new Zipcar app released for the iPhone. This new software allows Zipcar users to find and reserve the nearest available Zipcar on a detailed city map. This application works in any Zipcar city such as Boston, New York, Toronto, and even London. The application provides you with information about the car such as cost, how many people can fit comfortably, and even a few fun facts about the vehicle. The app really starts to come to life when it’s time to locate your Zipcar in the actual lot. With the Zipcar application you can actually hear where your car is by tapping the horn icon within the app. Once the car honks you can then proceed to unlock the vehicle by tapping the unlock icon on the screen. This feature makes the app a truly interactive experience for the user which is quite impressive. Now the only thing left to do is get in the car (where a car key and an iPhone adapter awaits you) and go!

Check out the Zipcar demonstration from the WWDC below!

Since the announcement of the new iPhone 3GS at WWDC, people have been wondering about the various pricing options. Looks like AT&T has a bunch of final numbers that reveal new customer pricing, early upgrade, and phone only. Check out the details below.

New customers, or for those eligible for an upgrade:

• 16GB iPhone 3G S - $199
• 32GB iPhone 3G S - $299

“Early Upgrade” (Current iPhone owners who aren’t scheduled for their 2 year upgrade yet):

• 16GB iPhone 3G S - $399
• 32GB iPhone 3G S - $499

No contract, No commitment price:

• 16GB iPhone 3G S - $599
• 32GB iPhone 3G S - $699

via MobileCrunch

The biggest announcement at the WWDC was the news of the new iPhone 3GS. I have decided to wrap all the info for this baby as I did for the 3.0 OS release earlier. The new iPhone will be available for $199 for the 16GB model,  and $299 for the 32GB model starting on June 19th. Apple also have announced a new $99 price tag for the current 8GB 3G model. Enjoy

• 3x faster than 3G
• 7.2 mbps HSDPA
• OpenGL ES 2.0
• 3.0mp Camera with AutoFoucs
• Video Capture 30FPS VGA w/audio (auto white + auto exposure)
• Tap to Focus / auto macro
• On board video editing
• API support for video
• Voice Control (hold home key) Controls calling and music playback
• Digital Compass with orientation/maps
• VoiceOver for content controls
• Support for Nike+
• Remote Wipe
• Improved Battery!!! 9hrs internet surfing/10hrs of video/ 30 hrs of audio/12hrs 2g talk/ 5hrs 3g talk
• More Eco-Friendly

One of the 3 big announcements at the WWDC was the 3.0 OS for the iPhone and the Touch. I have decided to wrap it up in an easy to read list for all our readers.  The new 3.0 firmware will be available for free for the iPhone, and $9.99 for the Touch starting on June 17th. Enjoy

• Landscape Keyboard in all native Apps
• Copy/Cut/Paste
• MMS (AT&T not initially supported)
• Spotlight
• Rent/Purchase Movies with parental Control
• iTunesU
• Tethering (No AT&T Support)
• HTML5 Support
• JavaScript 3x Faster
• AutoFill
• Language Support for 30 languages
• Find My iPhone through MobileMe and Google Maps (send message to beep/remote wipe)
• Peer-to-Peer wireless over Bluetooth
• Push Alerts - text/numerical/sound/icons
• Play music from iTunes inside App (ie. play your own tunes for video games)
• Asphalt 5
• TomTom with turn by turn
• Airstrip (Medical Alerts)
• ScrollMotion (ebook/magazine content)
• Ngmoco (new Star Defense game)
• Pasco Science Apps
• ZipCar app (embedded google maps/locate cars/remote unlock/active horn beep) COOOOOOOOL!
• Line6 + Planet Waves- control your guitar and Amp

Starting tomorrow people nationwide will be able to purchase the new Palm Pre from Sprint if they can get their hands on one. The Pre with it’s WebOS is said to be more user friendly and advanced than the iPhone, Symbian OS, and Blackberry all put together. A friend of ours at Gazelle happened to get his lucky hands on the device last week and was kind enough to share his thoughts with us. Below are some key points that he gave to us regarding this new device.

Design: The phone has a nice “hefty” feel to it, and a solid slider that reminded him of a Mogul or a Tilt. He states that the keyboard is bit packed but manageable. The top row of keys are a bit close to the bottom of the slider but overall a solid build.

Features: The webOS makes the Pre a multitasking monster. At one time he had over 16 different apps/menus running on the phone before the OS told him to close some stuff down. The menu icons and touchscreen are very simple and easy to work with as well.  Contact Synergy (something he liked most) - the Pre can draw contacts from gmail/facebook/chat and sync them with your phone contacts seamlessly from one conversation to an other. For example, he explained he was chatting to a friend on Google chat and continued the text conversation through standard text messages without interruption. Camera - the 3.15mp camera with LED flash is nothing to brag about but does the job for a simple point and shoot. The ability to sync with iTunes he see’s as a huge plus for the Pre.

Negatives: Here are the main points that he did not like about the phone: Battery Life was his main disappointment. He said the phone died before the day was over and even sooner when running multiple apps. The Pre does not support flash yet but he thinks that problem will soon be solved with an update. No virtual keyboard, if you want to type you have to slide it open.

Round-Up: His conclusions on the Pre were very positive saying it is probably one of the best multitasking phones available. He also says the WebOS makes the Pre one of the easiest smartphones to use. Personally he likes it better than an iPhone but holds his beloved BlackBerry just as close to his heart.

I wanted to thank our friend here at Gazelle for taking the time to speak with us regarding the new Palm Pre. Time will tell if this slick impressive slider can give the iPhone a true run for it’s money. With a ton of new devices coming out this summer (iPhone/N97/Omnia HD/Storm2) the Pre will have to live up to it’s expectations. The Pre will be available tomorrow at Sprint, Best Buy, and Radio Shack for $199.99 on a 2 year contract.