Casio's G'zOne Boulder doesn't do much, but what it does do, it does anywhere, anytime and under (almost) any circumstances. After launching a few weeks back on Verizon, the ultra-rugged handset has been reviewed over at CNET, and needless to say, it managed to handle a few dips in the pool and a couple close encounters with a wall with nary an issue. Unfortunately, the phone faltered at handling its most important task: making calls. Call quality in San Francisco was said to be "hugely disappointing," with most calls sounding "crackly" with a dash of "static and echo" for good measure. The extra features (camera, multimedia player, V Cast, etc.) were all decent, but nothing truly stood out as phenomenal. Overall, the Boulder is probably only a safe bet if you're dead set on the design and toughness, but even still, we'd try out a few other hardcore handsets before settling on one with lackluster call quality.

It doesn't take a finance major to figure out these two things are correlated, but yes, the fact that NTT DoCoMo saw profits increase some 41% while handset sales across Japan plummeted 20% do in fact have a common link. You see, DoCoMo (among others) has decided to lower rates and reduce subsidies in order to better exploit market conditions; the end result is that consumers are buying new handsets less often, leading to decreased sales for firms like Sharp and Matsushita. Many analysts are suggesting that some of the smaller outfits are likely to band together in an attempt to take on the new market, with IDC analyst Michito Kimura proclaiming that Japan would have "fewer mobile phone makers, fewer handset sales agents and fewer cellphone models." Hard to say if that's a net positive or negative just yet, but it should be interesting to watch, regardless.

[Via mocoNews, image courtesy of Flickr]

For those still thinking that flexible displays are far from being widely accessible, think again. E Ink has just announced that its Vizplex Imaging Film-based displays will be used in handsets by Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications. For starters, the Hitachi W61H (already available) boasts a 2.7-inch E Ink display that can scroll through 96 different images whenever a call is received or the clamshell is cracked open; the Casio G'zOne (shown after the jump) will feature the same technology on its secondary "silhouette display." Details beyond that are pretty scant, but the real news here is that these displays are finally making their way into reasonably affordable handsets. Open up the flood gates, we say.

[Via SlashPhone]

The second piece in Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A push-to-talk puzzle is getting pushed out the door today -- so if you weren't feeling last week's Motorola Adventure V750 launch, you've got another option to check out. The rugged G'zOne Boulder from Casio brings an integrated compass, 1.3 megapixel cam, VZ Navigator support, and a microSD slot; it's available both in orange / black and black / silver, but at launch, only the silver version will be optionally available without a camera. Look for it to start trickling through the standard retail channels today for $179.99 before a $50 rebate on a new two-year contract.

Training materials from Verizon break down the nitty gritty on just what makes its new EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk network better than the outgoing 1xRTT-based system, and apart from a totally unnecessary cameo by the "Can you hear me now?" guy, it's pretty enlightening. First, we learn that users will now be able to rock 500 individual contacts, 100 group contacts, and 50 contacts per group, up from 150, 50, and 20, respectively. As we've known, it'll also support presence, meaning callers will know whether you're available to annoy everyone around you before they hit the button. The slides on the two launch devices -- the Motorola V750 Adventure and Casio G'zOne Boulder -- don't reveal much new information, but we do see here that the black / silver version of the Boulder will be available with or without a camera for companies that like to clamp down on those sorts of things. See the rest after the break.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Alright, so here's one more picture we dug up -- turns out black won't be the only color available for Casio's latest piece of Verizon kit, the Boulder. Multiple color options for a G'zOne aren't unprecedented, but what is unprecedented is for the second color option to be straight-up wild, and in the Boulder's case, we'd say that this shade of orange certainly qualifies as "wild." We've also learned that the phone clocks in at 2.02 x 3.94 x 0.91 inches, making it close to a quarter-inch thinner than the Type-S it replaces. It'll feature a 1.3 megapixel camera -- a modest spec bump -- and, of course, EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk services. Shouldn't be but a few more weeks, months, or years before we can start dropping these into pools and throwing them against brick walls ourselves.

Verizon's G'zOne devices from Casio seems to attract a small but fiercely loyal following, mainly on account of their everything-proof shells (let's be honest, we don't think it's the VGA camera that's been drawing 'em in). Rugged and PTT go hand-in-hand -- just ask Nextel -- so it's great news that the next G'zOne will be supporting Verizon's new EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk infrastructure out of the box. We've managed to score a couple pieces of miscellany pertaining to the so-called Boulder, most importantly a diagram pointing out some of the phone's distinctive features. Just how distinctive are we talking about here? Well, if you look for another phone in Verizon's lineup with a screw-lock battery cover and charging contacts outside of the G'zOne series, we guarantee you're not going to find one. One difference between the Boulder and its Casio brethren, though, is that we're told this one looks "significantly slimmer." Another shot shows the back of the real, actual phone; no renders this time, we promise -- check it out after the break.

In Japan, carriers tend to release new models in giant, blockbuster batches -- seasonal "collections" that leave the rest of the world green with envy. KDDI au is no exception, having just announced its predictably spectacular Summer 2008 lineup with entrants from Kyocera, Sony Ericsson, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba, Casio, and Korea's Pantech. Here's the rundown:

• Hitachi Wooo W62H. KDDI is emphasizing this one's video and 3D gaming capabilities, both of which are assisted by the presence of a 2-way hinge for flipping out the screen in a landscape orientation. Comes in blue, silver, and black.
• Sharp W62SH. The FM transmitter's kinda cool, and the three-inch WVGA screen should be perfect for watching Spiderman 2, which comes bundled with the phone. Purple, white, and gold are the color choices.
• Sanyo W63SA. Global CDMA roaming and an integrated English-Japanese dictionary makes this one a solid choice for world travelers. Get this one in red, silver, or black.
• Toshiba Sportio. As the name implies, this one's all about burnin' those calories with an integrated calorie counter. The candybar form factor is a refreshing change of pace in the lineup, but too bad about that QVGA display! Five colors to choose from here: orange, black, white, green, and red.
• Casio G'zOne W62CA. Like its counterparts on Verizon, the W62CA is designed to take a beating without falling apart. It's impact resistant and waterproof, features a compass, thermometer, and GPS, and naturally, one-seg TV. Get it in green, black, or white.
• Sanyo W64SA. This fashionable flip has some crazy light effects to go along with its crazy selection of colors, but other than that, it seems pretty pedestrian. If you can call a 2.8-inch WVGA display "pedestrian." It's available in pink, white, yellow, and black.
• Sony Ericsson Full Change re. The WQVGA display is one metric ton of weak sauce, but as the "Full Change" name suggests, five individual pieces can be removed from the front, back, and top of the phone to create a totally customized handset. Shell choices include white, pink, green, orange, and silver.
• Toshiba W62T. Seriously, what's up with all this WQVGA garbage? The W62T appears destined for the midrange, though the 3.2 megapixel camera ain't bad. Colors for this one are gold, pink, and black.
• Kyocera W64K. Possibly leading up the bottom end of the collection, the W64K rocks a WQVGA display and a weak 2 megapixel cam. We see "basic capabilities" mentioned a couple times in the translated description for it, so that says pretty much all we need to know. Pink and gold are the only color options here.
• Kyocera W62K. Whoa, and we thought the W64K was low end! 1.3 megapixel cam, QVGA (yeah, that's right, QVGA, not WQVGA) display. 'Nuff said. Beige, blue, and black are the choices here.
• Kyocera W63K. The W63K candybar is just 10.8mm thick, but we're still not sure that we can forgive it for a meager 1.3 megapixel camera. Kyocera's seriously dragging here, in case you haven't noticed the trend. Black, burgundy, and beige.
• Pantech W62PT. The only phone in the lineup sourced from a non-Japanese manufacturer, the Pantech's nothing to get too excited about with a QVGA display, but the presence of quick dial buttons directly below the screen indicates that this one's designed for folks that are looking for a simple, easy-to-use phone that's just enough to make voice calls -- and ironically, it's still better than a good percentage of the phones you'll find elsewhere in the world. It'll come in silver, gold, and pink.

Not a bad showing, especially considering that KDDI au stands out as Japan's major CDMA carrier in a country dominated by FOMA. Get 'em while they're hot, folks -- you know it's just a few months before the next collection debuts!

Sandwiched between a pair of overdue TPS reports in our desk's inbox this morning was this little gem, a glossy Verizon presentation filled with magical, exotic wonders hailing from a place and time not too far from our own. For starters, we're guessing that the giant "ID NOT FINAL" label here means that the Samsung i770 won't look quite like this nightmarish blue slab of death by the time it's released, but even if it does, we're happy to report that it'll still be sporting the GSM radio for global service we've been hearing about all along.

We've got a bit in here about the WiFi-equipped Treo 800w landing on Verizon in the third quarter, too, a device more frequently whispered in the same sentence as Sprint as of late. It also turns out that Big Red intends to launch a Novatel USB modem later this year that supports both EV-DO Rev. A and triband HSPA, likely becoming its first data device to let customers scream at 3G speeds while abroad. Watch out for those roaming charges, though -- yikes!

Moving on, we've got details on upcoming Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades for the XV6800 and Samsung i760, some shots and specs of the Motorola V750 and Casio G'zOne c711 for the soon-to-launch EV-DO Rev. A PTT service, and the list just keeps on going. Honestly, this whole novella is recommended reading, so go ahead and click on that there gallery to get the ball rolling, won't you?

[Thanks, HTCkid]

The FCC has mercifully approved a new rugged G'zOne model from Casio named "Boulder," bearing a dual-band CDMA radio with EV-DO. If we had to wager a guess, we'd have to say the flip is likely the c711 we heard about a few days back, meaning that it'll be one of the very first devices to support Verizon's new EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk service -- which as we learned, is most definitely not QChat. Little else is known about the device from the FCC filing, but we imagine we'll be hearing about it straight from Big Red in the not-too-distant future.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Remember how we said Verizon was prepping a next-gen PTT launch right behind Sprint? It's still on, and we're starting to get a trickle of intel on at least two devices that'll spearhead the festivities. The first is going to be -- yep, you guess it -- a Motorola, the V750 flip to be exact. The other is going to be the next episode in Casio's G'zOne series of niche-but-popular outdoorsy handsets, which will be known as the c711. Both feature EV-DO (including tethering capability), GPS, Bluetooth, cameras, media capability, and a fat ton of onboard memory, while the G'zOne adds a compass and "rugged styling," which we think is code for "it's not as tough as it looks." We're not sure whether these are still on track for a May launch, but that V750 we saw sure looked ready for prime time, didn't it?

Verizon's Casio-sourced G'zOne Type-S ruggedized clamshell is now available in black and silver, a color combo seemingly befitting the phone's sporty image. This particular version happens to be among the G'zOnes that support push-to-talk, too, so if you can overlook the VGA cam or you just really need a phone that can tolerate absolutely every shred of abuse you can throw at it, well, here you go. Grab it now for a shade under $80 on contract after rebates.

[Thanks, Brian A.]

Yes, friends, the time has come once again for Japan's carriers to upheave their still-fresh lineups and replace them with even fresher ones. Here we take a look at KDDI au's just-announced Spring '08 collection, including a model with an e-ink display and another with a 3 inch OLED. Wowza! Note that not all of these handsets are new -- some are carryovers from the carrier's Winter '07 collection, so we won't be covering those here. Read on.

We've caught boatloads of noise detailing Verizon's pipeline for the remainder of the year (and possibly into early '08), but exact launch dates have been harder to come by. Granted, the carriers often don't know these until the last minute anyway -- network test failures and supply problems being what they are -- but Boy Genius Report has scored a spreadsheet that should at least start to give us a rough idea of what we can expect for the next few months. The Samsung i760 finally (and we do mean finally) launches on October 19, followed by the Juke two days later on the 21st. The first of November sees the BlackBerry Pearl 8130, LG VX5400, and Palm Treo 755p (probably right about the same time Alltel gets it), with the LG Venus coming just a short few days later on the 4th. The 15th sees two new shades for the G'zOne Type-S -- black and "burgundy / gold" -- alongside the Samsung u900 "FlipShot." The ultra-cool LG Voyager and G'zOne "Type-Sptt" (possibly just a Type-S without the cam) slide in on November 18, with two new VX8550 shades dropping on the 21st. Whew! Now, the real question: how many of these dates are actually gonna hold?

OK, Friday's caketaker for silliest name in a leading handset has been awarded to Verizon and Casio for the teen racer-esque named G'zOne Type-S; after all, this isn't a car, it's a mobile phone. The second in the G'zOne line from Verizon, the new and improved Type-S (aside from being much, much, faster from 0 - 60, we hear) also brings an internal antenna -- this is key to a nice looking set in our humble opinion -- Bluetooth, a VGA cam, and VZ Navigator, but sadly lacks the rumored expandable memory. The G'zOne can stand up to some pretty extreme "Military-grade" punishment and is tested as such with repeated drops from five feet, humidity tests, submerged in water, and even dust testing. This rugged fella drops in Verizon stores today (unless your local store started selling them way, way early, which we'd been hearing) and can be had for $149 after $50 rebate on a 2-year term.