Remember that easy-to-use, messaging phone that Samsung was sending over to MetroPCS’s network? Yea, well, it’s finally gone live in time for some last-minute holiday shopping. The Samsung R410 will bring some QWERTY-based messaging prowess to MetroPCS’s mid-range lineup. At a $200 price point, this thing is actually at the higher-end of the carrier’s stable, but with features like a VGA camera (they call it a “high-resolution” shooter, but we know better) and Bluetooth as the most-advanced offering, the Samsung R410 isn’t all that high-end. Still, if unlimited calling plans and text-messaging focus is what you’re looking for, then the Samsung R410 on MetroPCS should do you just fine. Grab it for the aforementioned $200 in your choice of black or red. We like the red, but you can’t go wrong with black. MetroPCS ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:MetroPCS announces the Samsung R410MetroPCS goes live in Los Angeles, CA.FCC: Huawei M318 headed to MetroPCSMetroPCS puts in buy-offer to acquire Leap Wireless for $5.12 billionMetroPCS planning 3G service in seven markets

Free unlimited calling plans are MetroPCS’s forte, but they just don’t have any youth-oriented messaging phones. As such, MetroPCS has announced that they are picking up the horizontally-sliding Samsung R410 to boost their wireless stable. What’s with the horizontal slider, you ask? Why, it reveals a full QWERTY keyboard for the text-messaging set. Unfortunately, when $35 unlimited calling plans are involved, you’ll have to sacrifice a couple power-features. The MetroPCS Samsung R410 trades a multi-megapixel camera and EVDO data connection for a lowly VGA shooter and 1xRTT data speeds. On the up-side, there’s a bit of stereo Bluetooth goodness to keep you in Bluetooth-headphone-bliss as you lament the absence of a decent data connection. But hey, if unlimited wireless calling on a text-messaging ace like the Samsung R410 is everything you’ve been wishing for, then head on over to MetroPCS and grab your own Samsung R410 for somewhere between $150 and $200. Oh, and unlimited AIM chats, text messages, and internet access will bump up your unlimited calling plan to $50 a month. Actually, for the price and the intended demographic, we’re liking the Samsung R410 more and more. [Via: Electronista ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:MetroPCS goes live in Los Angeles, CA.FCC: Huawei M318 headed to MetrPCSMetroPCS puts in buy-offer to acquire Leap Wireless for $5.12 billionMetroPCS: Leap Wireless keeps rejecting us, we're going to stop hitting on themFCC outs ZTE C88 mid-level phone for MetroPCS

Here’s an interesting tidbit from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We stumbled across this patent application, from none other than Nokia, that outlines a method to incorporate a “turn and slide” display that tilts upward to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Now, there have been numerous sliding-screen designs in an effort to combine the full-face screen (touchscreen in some cases) with a full, comfortably-sized QWERTY keyboard - there’s the inimitable Sidekick flip-display (Motorola Sidekick Slide excepted), the HTC Kaiser ’s ( AT&T Tilt ) slide-up and tilting display, and the laterally opening design on the Nokia E90 and HTC Omni . With all that competition, you would think Nokia would want to design a unique way to combine the full-face display with a QWERTY keyboard - and you’d be right. The USPTO patent application reveals Nokia’s intention to use a rotating “knob” on one end of the device that, when rotated, will slide the display to the side and tilt it upward for convenient viewing - unveiling a full QWERTY keyboard underneath. Interestingly, Nokia’s design sketches seem to hint at a full-touchscreen setup - indicated by the lack of buttons on the front-face of the device. Could this be destined to be part of Nokia’s S60 Touch lineup? A touch-based S60 device with a sliding and tilting display and a full QWERTY keyboard? Be still our beating hearts. We’re not sure if this patent application will actually materialize in the real-world, but we sure hope it will. Maybe Nokia will see fit to include some Haptikos haptic feedback as well? Fingers crossed. [Via: Unwired View ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:First Chinese-Keyboard Touchscreen SmartphoneApple sued for patent infringement - SP Technologies claims patent over iPhone's virtual keyboardRumor: Sprint to get new QWERTY slider from LG?PDA / Cell Phone Combo Patent Application - Cell Phone Tucked Inside PDAAnother Chinese phone with QWERTY keyboard; Runs Windows Mobile 5!