HTC Launches P3600i in Australia with Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional

Those lucky Aussies just got what no other European can hope for - an HTC P3600 Trinity packing the coveted Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional OS.
HTC hasn’t blessed the P3600 with that long-awaited WM6 upgrade, but they’ve seen fit to release a juiced-up WinMo6.0 version for those living “down under” - the HTC P3600i (”i” stands for “improved?”).

Apparently, the HTC P3600i won’t just be toting quad-band GSM radio (with UMTS/HSDPA) and Windows Mobile 6.0 in that yummy “Professional” flavor, it’ll be rocking a faster processor and double the ROM memory - 500 Mhz Samsung CPU and 256 MB ROM, to be exact.

3 Australia is offering this suped up HTC P3600 Trinity for 622 Euro ($839), free and clear of any contracts. We don’t know if HTC has any plans to bring this thing to the EU or US, we’ll just have to wait and see. We love waiting.

[Via: Unwired View]

Sprint to launch BlackBerry Pearl 2 on Thanksgiving Day weekend?

The story of the BlackBerry Pearl 2 release slowly starts reminding me on the iPhone launch, except that RIM can’t generate as much as buzz as Apple can.

First, we thought the next Pearl — also known as BlackBerry 8130 — is coming to AT&T and Vodafone this September. Later, Sprint’s 2007 and 2008 product roadmap revealed we could expect the RIM’s stylish baby to hit the streets on November 4. Now, we have a new piece of information, suggesting Pearl fans will have to wait for the end of November (Thanksgiving Day weekend) to get their hands on the next iteration of Pearl.

Apparently, the Pearl 2 will add GPS and a new media player on top of the existing BlackBerry functionalities. And while this is kinda cool, we still want the built-in WiFi as well!

[Via: BoyGeniusReport]

Alltel adds HTC PPC6800 to its portfolio

While Verizon subscribers are still waiting for their carrier to come out with what many consider to be the ultimate Windows Mobile smartphone, Alltel is losing no time with the launch of HTC PPC6800 — also known as Mogul on Sprint. Potential customers of this business-centric baby could expect everything they ever wanted from a smartphone, except maybe the built-in GPS and a better camera. There’s a WiFi, Bluetooth, 2 MP camera, full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, high-speed EV-DO radio, and an array of pre-installed software. All this is available for $249 with a two-year plan and a $100 mail-in rebate, or for $549 without any contract.

Interesting thing to note is that on its site Alltel is claiming the HTC PPC6800 is the Windows Mobile 5 based device. Kinda strange, as we’ve already seen it running the version 6 of the Microsoft’s mobile OS. Is this a typo or what?

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

Press shot of the Palm Centro leaked

Less than 5 minutes fresh in my RSS reader, Gizmodo has the scoop on the Palm Centro, a device that is meant for the youth market. Having recently been in college and still frequently attending parties at universities I can attest to the increase in BlackBerry Pearl ownership. Is the Centro a few years late? Yes.

First Sony Ericsson W580i shipments with faulty keypad

The first shipments of the Sony Ericsson W580i were found to be faulty with several thousand devices coming with keypads prone to cracking. According to one Carphone Warehouse salesperson, the W580i’s keys were splitting and the first three phones they’ve sold were all returned.
Naturally, the Swedish-Japanese handset maker reacted promptly and the later W580i shipments have been stopped in transit to ensure they did not go out. Anyone who had a problem with their W580i keypad should contact the manufacturer for a replacement.
I just hope this wasn’t the error caused by the shake feature, as I find that as one of the key selling points of the W580i! And of the W910i, of course…
[Via: MobileToday]

Samsung SGH-E848, SGH-J608, SGH-L768, SCH-S209, SGH-S730i Phone

Today, Samsung announced five new phones released to the public. First Samsung offers its SGH-E848. The SGH-E848 is touted as the world's slimmest phone with an average measurement of 101.5 (H) x 52.5 (W) x 10.6 (D) mm weighing in at 99g. Its enchanting features include a 2.0 megapixel camera with 4X Zoom, a 70 MB + support microSD, Document Viewer and a Speakerphone. Other features include a NetFront Browser 3.4 and plays MP3, AAC, AAC+ formats.

The next is the Samsung SGH-J608. The phone is a slender slider with heat recognition function keys. It is your ultimate compact and colorful companion. It has features such as heat recognition function keys, a 1.3 Megapixel camera Music Player, plays MP3,AAC,AAC+,e-AAC+,WMA has an FM radio and connects via Bluetooth® Version 1.2 and GPRS.

The third phone is the SGH-L768, a 3G slider phone to capture and share each and every magic moments. It features functions such as 3G Video Telephony, Dual Camera (2.0 Megapixel + VGA), an HTML Browser, FM Radio and MTP Support Music Player.

Fourth is the SGH-S730i, an affordable smartphone, perfectly designed for most of the people. This phone comes with a 2 mega pixel camera which has good resolution quality and can also record videos with a resolution of 352 x 288 pixels. The phone has a 262K color TFT screen display. The screen resolution is 176 x 220 pixels. The overall dimension is around 100 x 50 x 14.8 mm. The SGH-S730i weighs around 83 grams.

Lastly, there is the SCH-S209, a low end budget phone which completes the pack. All of this are great phones which you can get and has been released on the market.

Samsung Introduces its First DivX Certified Video Phone

Samsung Introduces an Ultimate Viewing Experience on the Move

Ultra Video Phone first in the world to be DivX Certified® and an innovative dual face LCD screen with swivel design and wide 2.4” screen

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. today set new standards for video viewing capabilities in gadgets with the launch of the Ultra Video F500, a portable media player and 3.5G mobile phone rolled into one beautiful user-friendly handset, giving users access to a world of entertainment with their favourite video and music files on the go.

One of the most versatile and super slim personal multimedia devices, Samsung’s Ultra Video F500 is a high-performing multimedia player and powerful 3.5G phone rolled into a 10.7mm-slim package. Superbly compact, it is the only gadget you will need to keep you entertained on the road, and is the first phone to be DivX Certified. Combined with a built-in audio player, the Ultra Video boasts DVD-like quality picture and sound with TV output function for the additional option of enjoying your favourite films on a larger screen. The phone supports up to five video formats for greater viewing flexibility, and features a unique swivel design that allows for an adjustable viewing angle or serves as a stand to be placed on a flat surface.

“High video quality should not just be limited to large TV screens. The Ultra Video highlights our passion to leverage on our multimedia capabilities to satisfy consumers’ leisure and entertainment needs, and we have advanced from a product provider to a total solution provider through our partnership with DivX. Samsung will continue to lead the wireless industry with premier technologies, innovative products and strategic marketing tie ups to enhance the lifestyles of our customers,” said Mr. Ng Long Shyang, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Telecommunications and IT products.

Complementing the Ultra Video’s cutting-edge features is an innovative design incorporating a dual face LCD screen - a phone on one side and on the reverse a large 2.4” screen for multimedia viewing. The 2.4” wide screen boasts a 320x240 pixel panel in 262K colours that can display video in landscape mode. With an internal memory of 350 MB and expandable memory up to 2GB (with microSD™ card), the Ultra Video allows the user to view approximately two movies (each about two hours long). The HSDPA (3.5G) enabled phone allows users to transmit data at broadband speeds five times faster* than 3G, for instant information and entertainment on the move. With HSDPA, Ultra Video users can download large files quickly for high quality viewing.

The Ultra Video also comes with a 2.0 mega-pixel camera and Bluetooth v1.2 with A2DP stereo headset support. The Samsung Ultra Video is now available at a recommended retail price of $998 without contract, bundled with a 2GB MicroSD card and pre-loaded with the full-length award-winning blockbuster ‘Infernal Affairs’ movie. The leather case included in the pack acts as a backup battery that allows up to double your talk time.

*HSDPA performance is network and SIM card dependent.

Review : Samsung SGH-U700V

While I wait for Samsung's recently announced five megapixel G600 to arrive, I've settled down with its SGH-U700V. This mobile is exclusive to Vodafone as I write, and is available from free depending on your chosen contract. It is essentially an update to the SGH-U600 I reviewed in May.

Just like the U600, the U700 is a very thin slider phone. In fact the two phones share similar dimensions. The U700 is a shade thicker and wider that the U600, though it's not quite as tall when closed. When opened though it's ever so slightly taller than the U600. It's also put on a bit- to the tune of 5Kg. None of these differences should be enough to sway you towards or away from one handset or the other.


So what else has changed? Well essentially this new handset has been upgraded in some respects, downgraded in others and it has a new livery. There is a pink version available, but my Vodafone sample, thanks goodness, was styled in silver tones.The bulk of the casing is made of light coloured silver plastic, and frankly is a bit disappointing.

The front fascia though, which is what you see most of the time when you use a mobile, is rather more pleasing. It has chrome-look edging and you can peer at yourself using the mirror-like grey and black area that surrounds and houses the screen. The white backlight to all the buttons - including the Call and End ones - contributes to this handset's distinctive look. Reflective it may be, but the front fascia seems more resistant than many other examples to fingermarks.

When using the phone rather than preening yourself the screen matches the U600 with its 2.2 diagonal inches, 262,000 colours and 240 x 320 pixels.


I had some big issues with the U600 in terms of general usability, and I am afraid they are still there with this handset. Opening the slider is no problem. There is no ridge to get hold of with a thumb, but there is a good springloaded mechanism.

Motorola's New Q Cell Phone

Less than two weeks after announcing its version of Motorola's new Razr 2, Verizon Wireless today followed up with the successor to another trend-setting Motorola handset, the Q PDA-cell phone hybrid.

The silvery Q, one of the first super-skinny Windows Mobile handsets with a QWERTY keyboard and a wide aspect-ratio screen, targeted business users, but the new version, called the Q music 9m, was created to entice a younger crowd that wants multimedia as well as messaging. It looks dramatically different, with a dark soft-touch surface with reddish accents, and a redesigned keyboard (no more Treo-esque elliptical keys). Here's a Motorola-supplied image:


And here's a close-up of the new keyboard, courtesy of PC World photographer Robert Cardin:

The Q-9m has two screen faces. A red keyboard button on the lower right toggles between the traditional Windows Mobile interface and a Motorola-designed multimedia player screen from which you can play music or run videos. Here's the Windows Mobile screen:

The Q-9m has two screen faces. A red keyboard button on the lower right toggles between the traditional Windows Mobile interface and a Motorola-designed multimedia player screen from which you can play music or run videos. Here's the Windows Mobile screen:And here's the multimedia interace (note that you can still get to your contacts and the start menu from bottom-screen entries activated by the handset's left and right touch keys):

Motorola says this is one of the first QWERTY-keyboarded devices that can access Verizon's VCast store for music downloads (which should go fairly swiftly as the device support's Verizon's fast EVDO data network). Another unusual feature: The SD card slot on the side can support large-capacity SD cards (4GB+); most handsets with SD support can only handle up to 2GB because of file-format issues.

And just in case you want to do real work as well as listen to music or watch videos with your handset, the handset comes with the Windows Mobile version of DataViz's Documents to Go productivity suite, a much more capable mobile productivity package than the Mobile Office apps that come with the OS.

The Q 9m is available online from Verizon starting today; it should appear in retail stores beginning next Monday. It goes for $350 with the usual two-year contract (a $50 mail-in rebate is available).

CGC unveils Nokia 7500 Prism in Qatar

Nokia 7500 Prism combines individual style and state-of-the-art technology. Among the highlights of the Nokia's latest offering are its cutting-edge colors, materials and graphics. Adorned with bold geometric patterns, beveled surfaces and vibrant color accents, Nokia 7500 Prism is at the forefront of modern style.

Explaining the main features of Nokia 7500 Prism, Anil Mahajan, Head-Business Development, CGC, said, 'Nokia 7500 is a fashion masterpiece having innovative design along with Multimedia and Bluetooth features.

Its signature diamond-cut design, featuring sharp angled lines, geometric patterns and graphic light-refracting colors gives Nokia 7500 Prism users a distinctive identity among the crowd.

Above all, the dashing mobile's progressive design cut is matched with personalized style. It will definitely enable mobizens to live life in style.'

Nokia 7500 Prism has an integrated 2 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and built-in flash and it can record high quality movies. This feature will help mobizens in capturing their life's great moments in still photos and stunning video qualities.

Nokia 7500 also has Music Player with exchangeable music themes and FM radio. The mobile allows Qatar's music lovers to play music for nine hours and hold up to 1500 songs on the expandable memory of up to 2 GB. This 83 gram phone has up to 2.8 hours Talk time and up to 280 hours Stand-by time.

Besides having a host of messaging and Voice Features such as Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recorder and SIND (Speaker Independent Number Dialing), Nokia 7500 also has several latest formats to support quality Ringing Tones. Among its other features are Alarm clock, Notes, Countdown timer, To-do list, Calendar, Organic Screensavers, Animated wallpapers, Sudoku, etc.

The latest gPhone rumor - Google to launch its phone in a fortnight

Before you read too much into this, be sure to get your recommended dose of salt ready. A newspaper out of India is reporting that Google will in fact be releasing a phone, and much sooner than anyone would have anticipated.

According to their unnamed source it will be only a fortnight before we hear an official launch from Google. Their source goes on to tell us that Google is currently in talks with two of the largest carriers in India for the phones release and that we can look forward to a simultaneous release in both the UK and the US. While I don’t see the phone coming out in a couple of weeks, I will admit that it would be great to see it released in the US and the UK at the same time.

All too often do we see a product released in on place, while the other sits around patiently waiting for their turn. (see: iPhone)

Google of course has declined to comment on the latest rumor and was careful to neither confirm nor deny their plans for a phone. They did however have this to say, “Google is committed to providing users with access to the world’s information, and mobile becomes more important to those efforts every day. We’re collaborating with partners worldwide to bring Google search and applications to mobile users everywhere.”

Debunking the Latest gPhone Rumor [via apple2.0]

AT&T Cracks Down On Commercial iPhone Unlocking Groups

It was bound to happen: AT&T is going after the commercial snakes groups trying to profit from the iPhone unlocking. Apparently they can hunt these mercenaries down. You can still 100% unlock with the TurboSIM method but, once again, there is only one way to really blow up the Death Star: Support the iPhone Dev Team to get the FREE software unlock and keep advancing native software development for the iPhone.



Press Release August 25th, 2007

iphoneunlocking.com, a subsidiary of UniquePhones (www.uniquephones.com).
was poised and ready to release remote software unlocking services for the
iphone today at 12 noon EST. The sale of unlocking codes is on hold after the
company received a telephone call from a Menlo Park, California, law firm at
approximately 2:54 a.m. this morning (GMT).

After saying they were phoning on behalf of AT&T, the law firm
presented issues such as copyright infringement and illegal software
dissemination. Uniquephones is taking legal advice to ascertain whether AT&T
was sending a warning shot or directly threatening legal action. The logistics
of different continents as well as it being a weekend factors into how the
situation develops.

Until an assessment is made of the potential of legal action,
Uniquephones is unable to release the unlocking software for sale. The company
spokesperson also said that the company would also be evaluating what to
eventually do with the software should they be legally denied the right to sell
it. A substantial delay caused by any legal action would render the unlocking
software a less valuable commodity as well as creating unforeseen security
issues for the company.

Oh, and keep your eyes open during tomorrow and the weekend because the shit is about to hit the fan. [iPhone Unlocking]

Nokia to release an upgrade to the N95 and the new 6555

Sneak previews of a couple of new Nokia phones

An upgrade to the Nokia N95 has recently been approved by the American FCC. The new version of the N95, will be in a stylish black colour but the two significant and more interesting changes are to the memory and battery. The current N95 has an internal memory of 170MB – which is capable of holding around 40 songs, the new version has a whopping 8GB of internal memory which can store over 2,000 songs! The battery has also been improved from the original 950 mAh to 1200 mAh – meaning a better battery life for heavier users. As far as we can see the only sacrifice that has been made to the original N95 is the removal of the lens cover.

No word on European availability or pricing as yet, but needless to say it will be an expensive piece of kit.

Nokia have announced a new clamshell phone, the Nokia 6555. Like the Nokia N76 this is another Nokia flip phone that appears to be taking styling advice from Motorola. Not a lot is known about this phone as yet, Nokia are apparently making a big announcement on new phones on the 29th August, so more is expected then.

We do know that the 6555 has a 16M color internal TFT display with a QVGA (320 x 240 pixels) resolution, but there has been no word on what camera this will feature. The Nokia 6555 is 3G, Quad band, has an internal memory of 30MB and a microSD card slot.

The Nokia 6555 is due for release next month, in four colour schemes and is expected to cost around £130-£150.

Review : Nokia 6555 Phone (AT&T)

Adding to its attraction, the Nokia 6555 features a QVGA 16 million color internal display - twice as many colors as the human eye can see - for a brilliant, crisp resolution on a large 240 x 320 px screen, making it perfect for viewing photos and videos.

The camera featuring a 6x zoom gives even greater versatility and full screen portrait viewfinder so users can be sure they get the right picture every time.

The self-portrait function on the camera and video sharing ability ensures that special moments are easily shared with family and friends.

From the thin, narrow form factor with smooth lines to the 30 MB user memory (with capacity for microSD expandable memory) and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, the Nokia 6555 sets the standard in its class.


Nokia 6555 Features

• Sleek, smooth-back fold design lets you stand out from the crowd when on the move
  
• 3G technology provides fast data speeds for browsing, downloads, video sharing and streaming
  
• Natural alignment of the phones from ear to mouth, its large keypad and generously sized scroll keys offer great usability
  
• Elegant analogue timepiece standby display not only assures punctuality but also makes a style statement
  
• Brilliant 16 million color, 2.0-inch main display enriches the media experience through crisp and clear viewing of images, video, applications and games

W100 wristwatch phone doesn't look that bad

Apparently, many people want a watch phone and the manufacturers are there to fulfill their customers’ desires. Lately, we’ve spotted W100 wristwatch cellphone, made by the Chinese handset maker Qiao Xing Mobile.

As usual, don’t expect the high-end features here, rather the simple to use phone that features the basic phone functions. There’s also an FM radio and 1GB of internal memory, hence it can store much of your music library. Surprisingly, there’s a 1.3 MP camera, for which I envision some kind of spy usage.

The W100 will start selling in September at the still undisclosed price — it’s a Chinese product, so don’t expect the bank-breaking amount…

[Via: uberphones]

Hardware unlock tutorial for Apple iPhone is now live!

Just like he promised, George Hotz over at iPhone JTAG has released the tutorial for his hardware unlock hack to free the iPhone from the evil grip of AT&T. But, in a surprise move, geohot went live with the instructions ahead of schedule.


Now, if you’ve got the guts and soldering skills to give it a go, head on over to iPhone JTAG for the instructions you’ll need to crack open that iPhone and unlock it for use on any network.

If any of you out there actually attempt this hack, please let us know how it goes. And good luck!
iPhone JTAG

AT&T to launch a 3G HTC Vox soon?

While we could file this under “early stage rumor”, the device in subject is a very interesting one, hence we’re writing about it.
Apparently, AT&T will be launching a 3G version of the HTC
Vox/Libra as HTC Juno in a not-that-distant future.

The new device should sport a quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and a tri-band UMTS/HSDPA radios, 2 MP camera, Qualcomm MSM7200 400 MHz CPU and should run the latest Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition (non-touchscreen) mobile OS. On the other hand, it’s still unclear whether the HTC Juno will come with the front facing camera and the WiFi, although we crave for the latter. Stay tuned, as we keep you well informed…

[Via: CrunchGear]

Boost Mobile slims down with stylish Motorola i425t iDEN phone

Boost Mobile has gone official with their new, slim, and stylish candybar - the Motorola i425t handset for the Boost Mobile iDEN network. The sleek iDEN phone gives up some mainstream features in exchange for that cool design and the legendary PTT functionality. But did Motorola really have to do away with the camera and Bluetooth - we could have done without the camera, but we really like our Bluetooth connectivity.

Still, you get integrated GPS and instant messaging packaged into one of the best iDEN phones we’ve seen to date. Oh, and that titanium gray/black slate color combo just oozes sexiness.

Pick up your own Motorola i425t for the Boost Mobile network next month - for $59.99 (which includes a $5 call credit).

Boost Mobile

Nokia 6500 slide Cell Phone Gets FCC Okay

The Nokia 6500 slide cell phone, which we recently saw on the Whack, has been granted FCC approval, paving its way into the world markets. Equipped with a 3.2 megapixel on-board camera boasting Carl Zeiss optics, the 6500 slide offers a TV-out jack allowing you to make video calls on your TV. It supports microSD memory cards, and a USB interface for data sync. Push-to-talk facility is available as well, but of course your provider should support it.

The Nokia 6500 slide features a 2.2" QVGA resolution screen. The camera allows you to capture video as well, but I must say I am looking forward to the TV out functionality more than anything. Up to 4GB microSD memory cards are supported on the device. It also supports Nokia Xpress audio messaging (which requires MMS to be activated on the phone). There's also a full-fledged email client and IM app on the 6500 slide.

The phone appears to be on target for its Q3 2007 release, priced at €370.

Nokia launches Nokia N73 special edition designed specifically for Arab world

Nokia today announced the launch of the Nokia N73 Special Edition which will be initially exclusively available in the Middle East and North Africa markets. The launch coincides with the Holy month of Ramadan and the offer includes a full range of applications, carefully tailored to meet the needs of consumers in the Arab world.

The Nokia N73 Special Edition is available in an elegant new soft white colour with subtle highlights. The fully featured sales package includes a 2GB mini SD memory card, matching leather pouch and high performance stereo headset. In addition to a large 2.4 inch display, the stunning multimedia computer features a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera with Carl Zeiss optics and integrated stereo speakers for optimized audio pleasure.

The new Nokia N73 Special Edition includes a unique portfolio of pre-loaded applications including a collection of Azkars for the morning and the evening, an Islamic Organizer with audible alarms for the five daily prayers, a Qibla direction indicator and a Hijri calendar. The Hajj and Umrah application provides simple step-by-step descriptions for the Hajj and Umrah, while the Ramadaniat application explains all the instructions and rules for the Holy month of Ramadan. Also included with these on the 2GB miniSD card are two Islamic e-books and a Universal Dictionary application which supports English, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and French.

“In addition the Nokia N73 Special Edition offers unique Ramadan Greetings, a very special customized e-card application that enables families and friends to send greeting cards through SMS or MMS in celebration of this Holy month” said Neil Gordon, Vice President for Multimedia, Nokia, Middle East & Africa, “This new edition is a reflection of Nokia’s commitment to continuously provide consumers with tailored services, based on their needs and requirements.”

And more to download…

In addition to the pre-loaded content consumers using the Nokia N73 Special Edition can also download other additional applications directly from the Download! feature on the device. Downloadable content includes the Name of Allah application, exclusively available for Nokia users as well as a third e-book.

Available in 3G, quadband EDGE/GSM networks, the Nokia N73 Special Edition has all the diversity of a multimedia computer, enabled with the S60 3rd Edition Software on Symbian OS.

© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Nokia gets Windows Live

Latest hook up with Microsoft will get your mobile playing nice with all your web stuff.

Nokia and Microsoft’s burgeoning relationship just got serious. The Big M and Finland’s favourites have announced that they’re to launch Windows Live specifically for S60 cells.
This means if you’ve got an N95, N73, N76 or N80 in your pocket, you can get downloading and have get Hotmail, Messenger, Contacts and Spaces on the go.

It’ll kick off as a free trial, but if you like what you see, then there’ll be a monthly fee to contend with.

Microsoft obviously fancies itself as a bit of a mobile player, and they’re already pretty cosy with Nokia. Their plans to bring PlayReady DRM across all their devices has the potential to slap down Apple’s hopes for world domination.

We’ve already primed our N76 with the new software, which you can check out in our gallery. If you like what you see, then boost on over to www.nokia.com/windowslive.

Nokia may be in more hot water with Japan for overheating batteries

Just when we though Nokia’s overheating battery problem was getting taken care of, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has ordered the Finnish handset manufacturer to “report by next Friday on details of a series of accidents.”

Apparently, Nokia Japan took a little too long (10 days is the limit, they took 16 days) to report the problem to Japanese officials. Why didn’t Nokia just fess up earlier and pass the blame onto Matsushita for shipping faulty batteries? After all, passing blame is what corporate big heads are hired to do.

It looks like Japan may want to find out if there were “any problems with Nokia Japan’s handling of the overheating accidents.” We hope Nokia Japan makes it out of this one without too much punishment.

Regardless, Nokia will be facing some tough times in Japan.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

Sprint get's touched by HTC - Sprint Touch

With AT&T and their iPhone putting the squeeze on other carriers’ subscriber base, it makes sense for them to scramble for the next-best iPhone alternative. As of now, the coolest touchscreen competitor in The States is the HTC Touch (and it’s CDMA brother, the HTC Vogue). And, it looks like Sprint wants in on the TouchFLO game. The CDMA Touch (again, the HTC Vogue) has been confirmed on the Sprint network as the appropriately named Sprint Touch.

As expected, the Sprint Touch will be rocking the same 400Mhz processor, 2.8 inch screen, quad-band GSM radio with EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, microSD slot, and 2 MP shooter as all the other “Touches” in the world.
But, Sprint has decided to make some proprietary changes to the TouchFLO interface. The TouchFLO cube will sacrifice one of it’s “faces” for a Sprint Software Store - weak. But, the improved keyboard and upgradeable EVDO (to Rev. A, naturally) helps even things out.

All you Sprint loyals keeping an eye out for this thing to drop had better stay tuned, we’ll keep you in the loop.
[Via: WM Experts]

Sony Ericsson K770i developer specs

We usually skip this sort of information, but it’s a slow news week and why not — I still think the Sony Ericsson K770i is one of the best looking devices (not yet) on the market. Let’s roll…

The K770 is based on Sony Ericsson’s Java Platform 7 and among other things it will be able to run a host of downloadable Java apps like advanced 3D games, mobile navigation applications, video streaming, travel companions, various applications using the camera (i.e. photo and video blogging). The new Cyber-shot phone also supports other entertaining content like ringtones, music, animated wallpapers and themes…

And that’s it for the rest of us. Developers - check out the following list after the jump.

Highlights of the Sony Ericsson K770i developer specifics:

• Supports multimedia features like 3D gaming, video streaming and podcasts, listening to music, using various web services like full HTML browsing, RSS feeds and picture and video blogging.
• Preloaded content includes 2 Java games (no major titles) and 2 Java applications: FaceWarp & Photomate.
• Based on Sony Ericsson’s Java Platform 7 (JP-7) supporting a range of Java programming features for gaming, video streaming and other entertainment, personal and business productivity.
• Developers can access the 3.2 Megapixel camera through the Advanced Multimedia Supplements API, JSR-234, to let users control the exposure, focus, zoom and frame-by-frame video recording from a Java application.
• Supports SVG Tiny 1.1 with anti aliasing, compression, opacity and gradients
  Supports Java Wallpapers (this sounds promising)
• Supports push e-mail with Exchange ActiveSync and Java push e-mail solutions provided by third parties and leading e-mail standards such as POP/IMAP
• Supports Sony Ericsson’s content download service - PlayNow (no surprise here).

Sierra Wireless AirCard 595U EVDO Rev. A USB modem to be available on Verizon Wireless August 30

Wow, we’ve been waiting quite a long time for this thing to drop. After missing it’s initial shipping date for last year, we fully expected the Sierra Wireless AirCard 595U EVDO Rev. A USB modem in April. Well, now it’s August, and it seems that Verizon Wireless is finally offering the 3G AirCard on their network.

The USB modem can be plugged in directly to your computer, or connected through a dock. The Sierra Wireless 595U comes bundled with VZAccess Manager software and features a removable battery. It’s gonna cost you a lot more than the expected $49.99 price point - $179.99 to be exact (after two-year contract and rebates, of course).


We’re expecting this thing to drop on August 30, let’s hope Big Red keeps true to the launch window this time around.

Press release

Sony Ericsson H2i concept phone

esato forum user xajel has posted this Sony Ericsson slider concept. With a cool hybrid design and VGA screen, the Sony Ericsson H2i runs on Symbian OS and is one sleek concept.



[Via: Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]

Lightning Round: T-Mobile Samsung Blast

The Gadget: The T-Mobile Blast, a medium-to-low-end red and black slider from Samsung.

The Verdict: Decent call quality, thin but solid build, nice red and black finish, but the half-QWERTY SureType is a bit tough to use.

The Catch:
Instead of a standard dialpad like regular phones, the Blast has a SureType two-letters-per-key typing scheme. It's a bitch to use at first, but gets slightly better after you get used to it. Whether you're willing to put in the effort is up to you.

The Performance: Calling and basic functions are there, but the menus don't look that great. It may be faster than T9 once you get used to the keyboard.

The Price: $99
The Recommendation: There aren't all that many other choices on T-Mobile, so if you're looking for a slider and you like texting (and don't mind putting some effort into learning the Suretype system), this could be the one for you. Plus, it's nice looking and thin.

[T-Mobile]

Samsung Updates K5 & T9

While Samsung is already off to a flying start for this year's IFA with the YP-P2 that hasn't stopped it fleshing out the rest of its range with two cracking editions.

The YP-S5 (right) and YP-T10 (left and middle) are successors to the quirky speaker touting K5 and Bluetooth sporting T9B. The latter has undergone the biggest makeover to bring its styling into line with the rest of the range, but both make sizeable improvements on their forebears.

In the case of the S5 in fact 'size' is the key term since while the K5 received heavy criticism for its bulky proportions its replacement promises to hack this bulk right down. Sadly, Samsung hasn't revealed the S5's dimensions but it will weigh just 85g. It will also be available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB variants and sport an increased battery life allowing 24 hours of continuous music playback or 5.5 hours of video goggling.

As for the T10 this matches the S5 with capacities up to 8GB, offers 30 hours and four hours of music and video playback respectively, has a 2in LCD and weighs a mere 43g.

Vitally both now sport Bluetooth with the former equipped with v1.2 and the latter with v2.0. Cleverly, the two models can also use their Bluetooth capabilities to handle calls from a paired mobile phone (as can the P2 I've recently learnt) – very cool.

Expect both models before the end of the year.

Could Samsung be set to make class leading products in yet another market sector? Looks that way...

Proporta Mobile Survival Kit with USB Mobile Device Charger: Review

We all have gone through those seemingly ‘endless’ days when indispensable gadgets like mobile phones, MP3 players, and iPods lose their charge. This issue gets even more amplified when away from home or even on holiday.


Now, there’s no need to worry about missing those important calls- that is only if you have a USB Mobile device charger at hand. A tried-and-tested one that comes in the Proporta ‘Mobile Survival Kit’ will definitely do the job and more for a great and affordable price too!

Aptly named the Mobile Survival Kit, this is a perfect partner for frequent travelers who may often get stuck with little or no charge in their devices. The vital Survival Kit includes a high-powered rechargeable battery which can be charged from any standard USB port. This battery stores an impressive 3400 mAh of power.

The Proporta Mobile Survival Kit also includes a USB to Mini USB cable, and a retractable cable which is compatible with the following interchangeable connector heads: 2x Nokia, 1x Sony Ericsson, 1 x iPod. If you happen to need another connector compatible with your device, you can always request Proporta to send it along in the package.

The best part about Proporta’s USB Mobile Device Charger is that not only can you charge your mobile phone and MP3 player with it, but also other electronics such as digital cameras, PDAs, smartphones and even GPS devices.

When we received the Mobile Survival Kit, the USB Mobile Device Charger already had a 75% charge, so we were able to juice up our dryed-out mobile phones at office itself. But, after charging dry devices from anywhere between three to five times, you will need to recharge the USB Mobile Charger once again.

To charge this battery, you just have to attach a mini cable to the battery’s small plug (labeled IN) and then attach the standard USB to the computer. A red light soon appears on the battery’s LED, which could mean either that the USB battery itself is charging, or that the battery is charging another device. When you see a green light, you know that your device has been fully charged.

Charging different devices using the USB Mobile Device Charger is quite a breeze. All you have to do is attach a suitable connector head to the battery’s USB via the provided cable and press the LED button on the USB battery.

Another great feature of the entire Proporta Mobile Survival Kit is that it is extremely easy to use, and is very portable. More than all of this, it is the most useful device to have around when traveling, or commuting to and from work (only if you have a laptop that is).

At just $45, the Proporta Mobile Survival Kit is truly a valuable buy. However, you must know that it is not compatible with Microsoft’s Zune digital music player. In times like ours, we can barely do without a mobile phone, let alone making do without it when it’s charge dies off. The Proporta Mobile Survival Kit is truly an essential piece to own.


Our Shout: We give the Proporta Mobile Survival Kit 9 out of 10 as this product is portable, user-friendly, and truly indispensable. Also, you won’t need to worry about compatibility issues, as you can hook up just about any gadget that needs to be charged using the interchangeable connector heads.

There are absolutely no cons on the horizon for the Mobile Survival Kit. Okay, just one small one; if you were stranded on an island, you would most definitely need a PC/laptop to charge this USB battery up, before you can charge up your GPS device, mobile phone, and digital music player!

LG Aloha, Virgin Mobile’s first LG Wi-Fi handset Introduced

Virgin Mobile USA and LG Electronics has teamed up to launch LG Aloha mobile phone.

With this announcement, Aloha is stated to be the first mobile device from LG to carry a pre-paid Virgin Mobile lineup in the US. The clamshell delivers 65k internal color screen with conventional keyboard.

The sleek wireless Aloha is 3.5-inch long and 1.9-inch wide with 0.9-inch thickness. LG Aloha has the capacity to store 199 contacts. Users can also add five numbers, three e-mail addresses and one URL for each of the contacts saved.

In addition, it features real music playback, animated ring tones, speakerphone and voice-activated dialing. It also comes with pre-loaded games such as ZooZoo Club and battle Reversi.

LG provides a battery that offers 180 minutes of talk time and 150 hours of standby time. It also features Virgin Mobile’s new dynamic and intuitive graphic user interface.

Virgin Mobile LG Aloha handset is slated to be out in stores by September 2007, with the price tag of $34.99 (approx. Rs. 1400).

Virgin Mobile and its charitable partners have auctioned the Aloha through The RE*Generation to help young people at-risk and alone on the streets.

Sony Ericsson Z310a Marries Fido

Fido is the oft-forgotten mobile service provider in Canada, because it typically receives cell phones that nobody wants.

The pooch of a phone operator usually gets cheap phones with less than flattering feature sets and the trend is continuing with the decidedly entry-level Sony Ericsson Z310a.

Fido has had a recent infatuation with Sony Ericsson flip phones, having added the W300i, Z550a, and Z710i in the past while. The newly announced Z310a is even cheaper, selling for $25 with a three-year contract. For that price, you shouldn't expect much. The tri-band (850/1800/1900) GSM flip phone sports a less than great VGA camera, Bluetooth technology, EDGE data, and a handsfree speaker.

But hey, it's only $25. You get what you pay for, right?

P3i Smartphone From Sony Ericsson

Between the giant touchscreen display and the beautiful slide-out keyboard, the oft-rumored Sony Ericsson P3i smartphone is quite the looker.

Of course, the renderings which you see to the right aren't actual photographs of an actual cell phone, so it's hard to say whether this is a concept that is currently floating around the offices of SE or if it is simply a very mean PhotoShop trick played on the mobile phone-loving community.

You'll notice that in its closed position, there are absolutely no physical buttons shown on the face of the Sony Ericsson P3i. There's not even standard keys for answering a call and hanging up. You'll also notice that its raw appearance immediately brings the iPhone and the LG Prada phone to mind. Where it wins, however, is with the SureType-style keyboard that slides out the bottom. I would have preferred QWERTY out the side, but then Sony Ericsson would be called out for copping HTC's style.

Is this for real? Then what's up with the SE 123 badging?

Is Sony Ericsson Cooking Up a Cyber-shot Slider Phone?

As if a skinny Cyber-shot phone wasn't enough to tickle your fancy, it seems that Sony Ericsson may finally be working on a sliding variant of its popular Cyber-shot line of mobile phones. What you see here is far from being an official rendering, so we'll have to take this report with a grain of salt.

It would makes sense, though, wouldn't it? Slider phones have rapidly increased in popularity these past couple of years, especially with the release of the LG Chocolate Phone. Sony Ericsson has already taking the sliding mechanism to their Walkman phones (W850, for example), so why wouldn't they do that for the more photographically-inclined in their mobile phone family.

We'll have to keep our ears to the ground, but I personally like the prospects. Sliders are awesome.

Sony Ericsson W660i Walkman phone

Has the latest W660i 3G Walkman music phone got anything new in its locker to make you sit up and dance?


Mobile Choice is incredibly fond of Sony Ericsson’s Walkman phone range and we’re always thrilled to get our mitts on the manufacturer’s latest music handset. But just lately, the excitement has gone a tad flat. If you exclude the higher end 8GB-packing W960i and the HSDPA shake control W910i slider, the recent editions to the Walkman clan have just been refreshes of the previous handsets. We recently reviewed the W610i, a phone we very much liked but essentially was just a tweaked and slightly souped up W810i. Similarly the phone gracing our pockets right now, the 3G-enabled W660i is the W850i slider melted into candybar form or even a pumped-up W880i. With 25-30 million Walkman phones sold worldwide Perhaps we can’t blame Sony Ericsson for not want to stray from a successful formula for its mid range music handset.

To put a spin on an otherwise familiar looking handset, Sony Ericsson is billing the W660i as a designer Walkman phone. Where as the W880i broke the mould with its incredibly gossamer 9.4mm profile, the W660i sadly returns to the well-worn signature candybar format. It’s still quite trim at 14.5mm thick and well constructed and Sony Ericsson has introduced two coloured models to appeal to a male and female audience. The Record Black model rocks up with bling bling gold trim and a subtle circular pattern that mimics the grooves on a vinyl record. The ladies model breaks Walkman black/white/silver tradition and comes sprayed in a Rose Red veneer with an etched floral motif on the rear. These flourishes are obviously what give the W660i its designer tag.

Sony Ericsson has abandoned the tiny lozenge tab buttons recently introduce on the W880i and W610i and returned to a standard button keypad arrangement. The buttons are nicely sized with a soft rubber texture and primed for speed texting. The navigation pad and soft keys follow the same design as the like of the W610i, W810i and W880i, with the pad doubling as the music players controls when in music mode, plus a dedicated Walkman player button and an Activity Menu button to easily access shortcuts, the internet, running apps and your appointments.

Walkman phones, and Sony Ericsson handsets in general, are always incredibly approachable and lucid to use and the W660i doesn’t differ on jot in the user-friendly stakes from past Walkman phone. One disappointment is the resolution of the display. We assumed its would be QVGA quality (320x240 pixels) like the W850i and W880i but it only stretches to 176x220 pixels. It’s not a massive but to the keener eye you can tell it lacks crisp detail.

As always the case with Sony Ericsson Walkman phones first impressions are positive. The W660i has a little bit more sparkle in terms of its design from its fellow tunemiesters but perhaps not really enough to really stand out in a Walkman line-up. Still, the Walkman series reputation is based on its built-in music player and we’re expecting the W660i to play out like its other band members. But to see if does cut the music mustard look out for our next instalment of the W660i review.

Sony Ericsson K770 Cyber-shot announced

As expected, Sony Ericsson started reveling the new handsets today. The first one announced is the new Cyber-shot phone - K770. Unlike other such phones coming from the Swedish-Japanese handset manufacturer, this one doesn’t just emphasize the camera — there’s also the new level of style incorporated with this device.

At just 14.5mm, the Sony Ericsson K770 is the thinnest Cyber-shot device ever. Plus, its “Truffle Brown” color make the device look classy!

In terms of specs, there’s the 3G/UMTS radio, 1.9″ 320 x 240 screen with 262k colors, 95 gram weight, 105 x 47 x 14.5 mm dimensions, stereo Bluetooth, FM radio and the Memory Stick Micro (M2) expansion slot (the sales package will containg the 256 MB memory card). The camera is 3.2 megapixels with auto focus and users can quickly share their photos online. Also important to note is that K770 comes with pre-installed Photo fix software, which allows PC-free photo editing directly from the handset.
In a word - excellent, though I wouldn’t mind that 5 MP camera from the K850i. On the second thought, there’s no way it would be this thin with such a camera.

[Via: Sony Ericsson Press Release]