Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

A totally new brand has been launched by Sony Ericsson; Xperia. Xperia meets the growing need for mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment. With Xperia Sony Ericsson will position itself at the forefront of mobile convergence. Today marked the launch of Xperia and a new era in mobile communications with the announcement of the Xperia X1, a stand-out, arc slider phone from Sony Ericsson designed to address the growing need for a premium, converged mobile experience. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 combines a 3-inch clear wide VGA display and a full QWERTY keyboard within a quality metal-finish body. With Windows Mobile inside, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 lets you choose from a dynamic range of activities at anytime and anywhere.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 arc slider phone
"Xperia represents the first brand that is truly borne from within Sony Ericsson. It represents our vision for a premium, energised communication experience," said Dee Dutta, Head of Marketing, Sony Ericsson. "This launch, and the announcement of the Sony Ericsson X1, further strengthens the overall Sony Ericsson brand and places us at the forefront of mobile convergence."

Sony Ericsson X1 - Mobile web communication
"Our vision for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design," said Rikko Sakaguchi, Head of Portfolio and Propositions, Sony Ericsson. "Xperia is our promise to think foremost of user experience and to deliver the premium experience - anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone."


X1 Sony Ericsson - Touch screen & QWERTY keyboard
Enjoy access to different experiences - Web, multimedia, applications - from your desktop. Navigate with the tip of your finger. Configure and have your Xperia panels just the way you want them. Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 lets you interact with your phone in different ways. Touch, full QWERTY keyboard, 4-way key and optical joystick navigation. Switch seamlessly between operation modes.


Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 - Windows Mobile
The arc design gives a distinct and unique feel. Slide the screen upwards to reveal the wide pitch QWERTY keyboard. Ample distance between keys makes writing fast and easy. With Windows Mobile, the highest data transfer rate (HSDPA/HSUPA) and WiFi support, you can enjoy your favourite entertainment and work efficiently on the move. Mobile access to everything that is important to you. aGPS gives you the freedom to explore the world. Xperia X1 is a premium mobile experience. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 will be available in selected markets from the second half of 2008.



Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 - Specifications

Xperia X1 - Camera
• Auto focus
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• Photo light
• Video recording

Xperia X1 - Music
• Bluetooth stereo (A2DP)
• Media player
• Music tones
• PlayNow
• Windows Media Player Mobile
• 3D games
• FM radio
• Java
• Video streaming
• Video viewing

Xperia X1 - Internet
• Internet Explorer Mobile
• RSS feeds

Xperia X1 - Communication
• Polyphonic ringtones
• Speakerphone
• Vibrating alert
• Video calling
• Email
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Text messaging (SMS)


Xperia X1 - Design
• Xperia panels
• Optical joystick navigation
• Navigation key
• Picture wallpaper
• Touch navigation

Xperia X1 - Organiser
• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Document editors
• Document readers
• Flight mode
• Handwriting recognition
• Notes
• Phone book
• Tasks
• Touchscreen

Xperia X1 - Connectivity
• aGPS
• Bluetooth technology
• Modem
• Synchronization
• USB support
• WLAN


Xperia X1 - Windows Mobile Operating System
• Microsoft Outlook Mobile: email, contacts, calendar, tasks
• Microsoft Office Mobile: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Internet Explorer Mobile
• Windows Media Player Mobile
• Windows Live
• Exchange ActiveSync
• Voice control
• Utility Applications: file explorer, calculator, pictures & video, notes

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1
• Size: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
• Weight: 145 grams
• Available colours : Black, Silver
• Main screen: 65,536 color TFT
• Resolution: 800 X 480 pixels
• Size: 3 inches

Xperia X1 - Memory
• Phone memory: up to 400 MB
• microSD memory card support

Xperia X1 - Networks
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
• UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz

[via LetsGoMobile]

HTC shows off HTC Touch Dual at CTIA Las Vegas 2008

There isn't much at the HTC Booth here in Las Vegas. In fact, there isn't even much of an HTC booth to speak of. Our favorite Windows Mobile smartphone manufacturer has gone the decidedly conservative route at CTIA Las Vegas 2008 and set up shop on a small piece of Las Vegas Convention Center floorspace.

HTC is showing off their HTC Touch Dual for the US market. The Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone has been floating around Europe with the Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional OS for a few months already, but this is the first time we're seeing it with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and available for US consumption. Fans of the HTC Touch that want quick access to a keypad for no-eye dialing will want to check out the HTC Touch Dual. The Touch Dual takes the tried and true formula of the Touch, and bumps up the OS and hardware.

The HTC Touch Dual rocks a 400Mhz processor, 2.6 inch touchscreen display, 256MB ROM/128MB RAM, Bluetooth 2.0, and microSD card slot - all powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.
Of course, HTC's TouchFLO interface is overlaid on the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional homescreen, which is a bit of a disappointment, given the sleek look of the new WM6.1 sliding panel homescreen layout. The smartphone is slightly thicker than the HTC Touch that has done so well around the world - the addition of a vertical sliding 20-key, SureType-esque keypad will do that.

We're looking for T-Mobile USA to offer the HTC Touch Dual as the MDA Touch Plus in the near future - most likely with a numeric 16-key keypad in favor of the 20-key setup that HTC is showing off at CTIA Las Vegas 2008. Pricing is not yet known.

Click Here for more Images.

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Sony Ericsson booth tour CTIA Las Vegas 2008

Sony Ericsson, not one to break the cone of handset-silence at CTIA Las Vegas 2008, didn't have anything new to show today. They won't have anything new to show tomorrow, or the next day. The booth was small, but they did have a live music show. An electronic music DJ and violinist make for an interesting duet, in a good way.

Unfortunately, the music show and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 were the biggest highlights of the booth. Sony Ericsson's Cybershot cameraphones and cool Bluetooth watches made a showing, but the XPERIA X1 was the center of attention. And, this time, Sony Ericsson actually let me touch the Windows Mobile 6.1 superphone(!).

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 is an incredibly solid and slick handset. The slider mechanism is smooth and springy. The keyboard is a joy to use, it provides great tactile feedback. And, the display is just amazing. Having 800 pixels span the width of the display makes for some incredibly sharp images.

From the pictures, you don't really get a sense of the size (and heft, obviously), so let me tell you that it fits very nicely in the hand. It's not too light as to feel cheap, but not so heavy that you are burdened with another load in your pocket.

Unfortunately, Sony Ericsson is still tweaking their custom panel UI overlay on the newly announced Windows Mobile 6.1 OS. That meant the device was still slow to respond to some inputs, but this thing's got some serious potential.

The XPERIA X1's launch is still a long way off, so I'm not going to hold our breath for this thing any more. I've come to terms with waiting for this superphone to become a reality.

Click Here to watch photos of Sony Ericsson Booth at CTIA.

Alcatel shows off Playboy phone at CTIA Las Vegas 2008

CTIA Las Vegas 2008 is slow, at least from a hardware/handset perspective. There haven't been many new announcements and even less new hardware on display. Still, some of CTIA's exhibitors really know how to entertain. Take Alcatel, for example.


The Alcatel booth wasn't the biggest or glitziest booth on the show floor. Not by a long shot. They didn't have amazing hardware. They did have, however, was a Playboy phone and a bunch of hotties prancing around the booth. Unfortunately, it seemed as though I missed the runway show.

The Playboy phone is a Playboy-branded Alcatel OT-V770A mobile phone for the discerning bunny-lover in all of us. Cellatel is handling the licensing of the Playboy brand. It comes in your choice of Gold, Pink, or Silver metallic trim, and plays up its Playboy affiliation to the brim. The Playboy phone sports the same 1.3 megapixel camera, media player, full-screen video playback, 10MB onboard memory, and microSD card slot as the Alcatel OT-VV770A, with the addition of that Playboy logo and embossed metallic rear-panel.

It's not high in features, but at 10mm thin, it's got gobs of style. The Playboy phone was only one of 20+ handsets that were at the booth today. The new lineup ranges from sporty and rugged to stylish and refined - but Playboy got the lion's share of the attention. Click Here for Complete photos of Playboy phone at CTIA.

Nokia N810 can run Android, too!

While we're all eager to see what will HTC announce on May 6th, some people can't stand waiting. Hence they are presenting us a Dream tablet, until Dream phone is ready. Yap, they've succeeded to port the Android to Nokia N810 and from what we can tell, it looks pretty cool. Forget about phone functions, who needs them anyway. Stick to the RAZR for making phone calls and text, and leave all other things to this baby. Not that I'm willing to try it out with my N800 — I'm not that tech savvy — but I'm sure some people will give it a shot. More information is available on eLinux. In case their site is down, here's the cached version. Good luck!

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

Samsung D780 DuoS on the way - more dual-SIM action from Samsung

The power to wield dual SIM cards is the hotness right now. At least Samsung seems to think so. With the Samsung D880 DuoS holding down the high-end of the dual-SIM market in Europe and the Samsung P240 DuoS bringing up the low-end, Samsung apparently wants to hit the mid-range of with the Samsung D780 DuoS.

Samsung is billing the Samsung D780 as the 300 EUR mid-ranger to handle the dual SIM card duties in a monoblock/candybar form-factor. The Samsung D780 sports a 2 megapixel camera, 2.1-inch QVGA display, tri-band (900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/EDGE radio, FM radio, and microSD card slot in a 15.7mm thick package.


Interestingly, the Samsung D780 looks just like and sports the same feature-set as the Samsung P240 that Samsung's Russian head Yoonsoo Kim showed off last month. And, just like the Samsung P240, the Samsung D780 is headed to Russia first. Did Mr. Kim mistakenly refer to the lower-end DuoS handset as the P240 instead of the Samsung D780? It would make sense to tag the dual-SIM handset with a "D" rather than the "P" that's reserved for Sammy's upper-range luxury handsets. Is Mr. Kim's Samsung P240 actually the Samsung D780?

We'll just have to wait and see what Samsung does with the Samsung D780 before we know anything…

[Via: Unwired View]

Microsoft makes Windows Live available for Windows Mobile

Microsoft loves to confuse the hell out of mobile enthusiasts with their multitude of mobile services. If it isn't Windows Live, it's Live Search, or it could be non-application Live Search web search. Windows Live is the brand name under which Microsoft is developing its web services and application. A unified "Live" web service platform would be nice, but that's just a bit beyond Redmond at this point.

The Windows Live application for all Windows Mobile devices is now available and should make your smartphone play nice with push email, contacts synchronization, Windows Live Hotmail, Live Spaces, and Live Search. With Live Search for Windows Mobile also gives the Windows Mobile user access to weather, gas prices, directions, traffic and GPS integration. Windows Live Search for Windows Mobile also lets you put a Live Search box on your Today Screen, so that's a definite plus.

Head on over to the Microsoft download site with your mobile browser (whichever you might be using) and grab Microsoft Windows Live for yourself.
We know, this whole "Live" business with Windows Mobile is all too confusing to deal with. Don't bother trying to figure out with Microsoft is doing and just go download Windows Live.

[via IntoMobile]

Hands-on with the Sony Mylo 2 Personal Communicator

Sony launched the Mylo 2 Personal Communicator to little fanfare recently, and Akihabara scored their very own unit for a hands-on Mylo 2 experience. That hugely beautiful 3.5 inch WVGA display is mated to a slide-out QWERTY keyboard with a 1.3 megapixel camera, WiFi (802.11 a/b/g), Skype support, 1GB on-board storage, Memory Stick Duo/PRO Duo card slot.

The Sony Mylo 2 apparently sports a perfectly sliding QWERTY keyboard, has an incredible display, responds quickly, and feels good in the hand. Unfortunately, video playback at a dismal 320 x 240 pixels puts the glorious 800 x 480 screen to shame.

Hit the hands-on video for more…



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Van Der Led WM2 Cellphone Watch Actually Looks Good Enough to Strap On

We've seen our share of cellphone watches (here, here, here, and here), but this Van Der Led WM2 cellphone watch is probably the first and only one we'd actually wear ourselves. There's a 1.3-megapixel camera, a 1.3-inch screen, a dialpad on the strap, 1GB storage for MP3/MP4 files, and stereo Bluetooth support. The only downside is its $471 price tag, but anyone who's in the market for a cellphone watch probably has that kind of spare cash to throw around and obviously doesn't care about how other people perceive them. [VanDerLed via Gizmodo]

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 Based on Windows Mobile 6.1

Sony Ericsson has said that their accessible Smartphone archetypal Xperia X1 would address with Windows Adaptable 6.1.

Windows Adaptable 6.1 is the latest copy of the adaptable operating arrangement from Microsoft and it has just been revealed.

It would aswell cover the latest adaptation of the Adaptable Internet Explorer which the software behemothic said would accredit abounding featured web browser (similar to Apple Safari for iPhone).

The adaptable accessory would affection a abounding QWERTY keyboard and 3-inch-wide touch-screen display.

Sony Ericsson added that the Smartphone would be able with a four-way key and optical joystick for navigation. It would aswell cover a 3.2-megapixel camera, A2DP Bluetooth, aGPS, and Wi-Fi.

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Samsung Unveils Its First HSPUA Phone

Samsung Electronics unveiled its first cell phone to support faster upload speeds using HSUPA (high-speed uplink packet access) technololgy.

The SCH-M470 is a slider handset that can upload data at up to 2Mbps when on the HSUPA network.

Conventional 3G offers upload and download speeds of around 384k , while HSDPA (3.5G) enabled download rates to increase to 3.6Mbps and 7.2Mbps. HSUPA which inessentially is 3.5G for uploads increases upload speeeds to 2Mbps.

The means that users spend less time waiting for pictures, video or music attachments on messages to be sent. Samsung stated that it takes only 30 seconds to send a full MP3 , using the new technology.

The phone also features WiFi, Bluetooth and a 2 megapixel camera.

The phone is available South Korea only and costs about 600,000 won (£300).

Source

Is That SureType on the Sony Ericsson P5 Slider?

We caught a sneak peek at the Sony Ericsson P5 late last week, and now we've received another teaser picture.

In the latest leaked photo, we get to take a closer look at the keypad that is hidden within the Sony Ericsson P5 "Paris" slider phone and it doesn't look like a standard 12-key numeric.As noted last week, the width of the phone seemed to provide almost enough room for a full QWERTY keyboard, which would be great for people who love sending emails and text messages on the go.

In the picture provided by the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog, it appears that the P5 is not equipped with QWERTY, opting instead for a SureType-like keyboard. This would represent a similar form factor as the T-Mobile Shadow by Samsung.SureType could represent a good compromise between the compactness of a numeric keypad and the utility of a full QWERTY keyboard.
Stay tuned as more details reveal themselves.

[via Phonemag]

More details on Nokia’s ‘Tube’ device

Like an old man at a urinal, details have slowly been trickling out about Nokia’s upcoming iPhone killer puncher. A post over on Symbian-Freak.com quotes an anonymous “journalist” as saying the following…

“Of course, it has a pretty respectable list of features, starting with a great high resolution (16:9) touch screen, larger than 3″ but still smaller than 3,5″. Yes it has a camera, a decent auto focus one that is way better than the one that we can find on an iPhone but still not as good as on the latest Nseries devices!

It is a quad band phone that also has a wide range of connectivity options: Bluetooth, uPnP, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, and WLAN. Furthermore, it has built in GPS and will support geottaging. All of this is even more impressive considering that all of these features are packed into relatively small and compact body with size of ‘_ _ _ _’.

I’ll only say that it is similar in size to the Nokia N73 but it is maybe a little bit wider. One more thing, NO, there is no multi touch and YES there is tactility feedback!

That’s all for now, the iPhone killer is born!!!!”

The whole iPhone killer thing might be a bit premature but I do like the uPnP feature and the geotagging stuff. The interface has to rock, too. I’ve seen a bunch of slick-looking devices with half-assed software lately. It’s one thing to make an iPhone-shaped device — it’s another thing altogether to make a great UI for that device.

[via CrunchGear]

Telus goes live with Motorola Q9c and BlackBerry Curve 8330

Our friends to the North will be happy to hear that Telus has followed through on rumors that they'll be launching a Canadian-flavored BlackBerry Curve 8330. The sleek, yet full-featured BlackBerry Curve 8330 offers BlackBerry fans a good dose of EVDO data, GPS, Bluetooth, and 2 megapixel camera. That is, when it finally launches on Telus's network - no word on exactly when that will be.

And, in a more solid launch, Telus has announced that the Motorola Q9c is ready to pull duty as the CDMA carrier's slim Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard handset.

Moto Q9c fans in Canada can expect a 1.3 megapixel camera, EVDO data, and Bluetooth - all powered by Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard. The Motorola Q9c is available on Telus for about $150 CDN after 3-year contract(!).

Head on over to Telus for more details.
Telus

Not at CTIA: Nokia unveils 4 phones for the emerging market

At the Growing Together 2008 Conference in South Africa today Nokia released 4 devices. Is that a Prism? For the entry market?! Find out after the jump along with the other 3 devices.

The Nokia 5000 is a 90 Euro device with a 1.3 megapixel camera, 240×320 resolution 65k color 2 inch screen, dual band (one version to be 900/1800, the other 850/1900), 700 mAh battery all in a 11.1 mm thin package scheduled to come out in the second quarter of this year.

The Nokia 2680 Slide will cost 75 Euros when it comes out in the third quarter of this year. It has a VGA camera, again dual band with 2 versions like the Nokia 5000, 128×160 resolution screen, 860 mAh battery and it is a hair under 15 mm thin.



The Nokia 7070 Prism is the cheapest fashion phone I've ever seen out of Nokia coming in at only 50 Euros when it hits stores in the third quarter of this year. You'll get a dual band device, 128×160 resolution screen, 16 mm thin device, but with a ton of style. It looks like a clamshell version of the 7500.


The Nokia 1680 Classic is the 2680 in a monoblock form factor, but it is coming out in Q2.

For more detailed information about these 4 devices the PDF datasheets are avilable here along with more press quality [read: high resolution] photos.

[via IntoMobile]

Nokia at CTIA: N810 WiMAX announced, along with two low-end CDMA phones - Nokia 3606 and Nokia 1606

The wait is (almost) over. Just as we expected, Nokia N810 WiMAX has been announced from the CTIA floor. However, don't expect it to hit the markets till summer, when it will be available in areas where WiMAX connectivity is available. No word whether the original N810 specs are changed or not (aside from WiMAX radio, of course).

In the other news, the Finish giant unveiled two new CDMA devices for the North America - Nokia 3606 and Nokia 1606. The first, more powerful one boasts a 1.3 megapixel camera with LED flash, stereo Bluetooth support, microSD slot. On the other hand, the 1606 model is the basic feature phone that neatly doubles as a flashlight, which will work even if the device is powered off. Both Nokia 3606 and Nokia 1606 are expected to be available in Q3 2008. No carrier partners have been announced.

[via IntoMobile]

Hands-on with Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1 smartphone

Boasting an "arc-slider" design, a QWERTY keypad, and an innovative paneled interface, Sony Ericsson's first stab at a Windows Mobile smartphone looks like a winner, give or take a few rough edges. Check out my hands-on impressions from Vegas.



The Xperia X1 was a big hit at last month's World Mobile Congress event in Barcelona, but apparently it spent its moment in the spotlight stuck in a glass case. This week, Sony Ericsson reps were finally ready to air out the X1 during CTIA, and I got a chance to give the sleek handset the once-over.

First impressions: The phone itself is beautifully constructed, what with its black, brushed-metal back panel and silver keypad, and the handset slides open with a solid, spring-y action.
The Xperia's "arc" design leaves the display at the perfect angle while you're typing.That said, the Xperia is not a small phone. The handset weighs well over five ounces, and at 4.3 by 2.1 by 0.65 inches, it's no svelte iPhone (although, to be fair, it's not a monster like the Nokia E90).

Also, about the metal QWERTY keypad: It's gorgeous, all right, but during my brief testing, the keys felt a bit small and slippery to my fingertips. It could be something that you'd get used to over time, but it's worth noting.

Back on the plus side, the wide, three-inch WVGA display looks great, and the phone itself runs the professional version of Windows Mobile (yes, it'll be the newly announced version 6.1), complete with a stylus. There's also a four-way navigational keypad and an "optical" joystick—a little nub that you swipe up, down and across for scrolling through menus and Web pages.

One of the most intriguing features about the Xperia are the nine "panels" that sit on the phone's main screen. The panels can be just about anything—Web pages, widgets, applications—and tapping one of them brings it to the fore. One panel that the Sony Ericsson folks were particularly proud of looked like a blank desktop save for a few colored fish and a digital clock.

Tap and hold the screen and the fish flock to your finger; tap repeatedly and the fish scatter. If your battery's getting low, one of the fish starts to turn red, while another fish turns yellow if you miss a call. Cool.

My Sony Ericsson rep said that the company's looking to developers to build even more panels, which can be displayed nine at a time or splayed out like a deck of cards.

Running beneath the panels is, of course, the pro version of Windows Mobile, which boasts your standard lineup of mobile Office, PIM and media apps. Unfortunately, the OS was running excruciatingly slow on the Xperia I saw; the reps assured me that the Xperia software will be tight as a drum by the time it ships. Let's hope so.

The Xperia doesn't disappoint when it comes to connectivity—full-on HSDPA access (yes, even here in the States), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Also on board is a 3.2MP camera with touch auto-focus (just touch the viewfinder to pick a focal point—nice!) and AGPS navigation.

So, when's the Xperia going to arrive? I'm told it'll be here in the second half of the year, quite possibly with a carrier (AT&T is my guess, although Sony Ericsson would only say that talks are "underway" with carriers unnamed). No details on pricing either, but from what I've seen…we could be talking upwards of $350 or more, even with carrier subsidies. Stay tuned.

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iPhone compatible speaker clock radio

Designed for bedrooms, studio apartments or college dorm rooms, Sony is unveiling its latest clock radio with a dock for Apple iPod and Apple iPhone. Sony is one of the first companies to launch an Apple iPhone compatible speaker clock radio. It features a wireless remote with full access to the iPod and iPhone devices’ menus (the Apple iPhone handset must be in iPod mode), as well as to alarm clock’s radio tuning and volume functions. It also charges the Apple iPhone while docked.

Sony ICF-C1iPMK2 clock radio
An adjustable backstop mechanism ensures that most devices fit snugly and securely in the clock radio's cradle. It's also compatible with the smaller iPod players. Because of its supplied cable and line-in jack, other digital music players can be easily connected to the unit. The clock radio also has a full-function alarm clock. Users can choose to wake up or fall asleep to music, the radio or a buzzer.

Sony clock radio with iPhone support
When first powered on, the Automatic Time Set (ATS) feature will display the correct Eastern Standard Time which easily can be changed to other time zones. The Sony clock radio also has automatic Daylight Savings Time adjustment, eliminating the need to reset the clock in the spring and the fall. Adjustable brightness control over the LCD display provides easy readability.

Price and Availability
The Sony ICF-ClipMK2 clock radio comes in both black and white designs. It will be available in May for about $100 at Sony Style stores or online troughout the Sony Style website and at authorized dealers nationwide.

[Source]

Hands-on with the Samsung Instinct - Sprint's answer to the iPhone

Everyone wants needs an iPhone competitor. In a market flooded with notions that sleek and slim smartphones with a rock-solid and intuitive interfaces are the way to go, no carrier can afford to ignore the touchscreen craze that's sweeping the mobile space.

And, Sprint has just announced their own attempt to woo the touchscreen crowd with the Samsung Instinct.

Sprint's Samsung Instinct wasn't available at Sprint nor Samsung's booth for some reason. I had to wait until an evening-event to get my hands on the Samsung Instinct, where Sprint had a handful of reps ready to showcase the new Sprint touchscreen handset.

Packed with a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, FM radio, EVDO Rev. A (the first Rev. A device on Sprint, according to the Sprint rep), 3-inch touchscreen (pressure-based and flush with the face of the device), and microSD card slot, the slim touchscreen offering from Samsung should help Sprint regain (or at least retain) some of its lost customer base. The Samsung Sprint measures a svelte 2.17 x 4.57 x 0.49 inches and tips the scales at a rather solid-feeling but still light 4.4 ounces.

The Samsung Instinct looks and feels much like the Samsung F700 Croix/U940 Glyde, without the sliding keyboard (of course) and without the award-winning Croix interface. The haptic feedback on the Samsung Instinct is the same pseudo-haptic feedback system that Samsung likes to use on their touchscreen handsets - the entire device vibrates with every touchscreen input. The vibration feedback novel at first, but then gets annoying quite quickly.

Overall, the pressure-based touchscreen was nice and firm - there was very little touchscreen "squish." The display's flush design helps to keep the Samsung Instinct's lines clean and smooth, and the LED backlit navigation buttons added a bit of flair to the device. As an iPhone competitor, this is probably as good as it's going to get for now (on Sprint). Capacitance touchscreen technology would have made the Samsung Instinct a little snazzier, and the UI could use some refinement. But in the end, if you want to get in on the full-body touchscreen craze, and you want to stay with Sprint, the Samsung Instinct is probably your best bet.

Booth reps said that the Samsung Instinct should be launching in June at a price point that is sure "to surprise" us all. I'd put money on the Sprint Samsung Instinct commanding a mid-$200 price tag with new contract.

[Source]

Nokia 5000 Camera Phone is Green with Envy

The newly announced Nokia 5000 candybar phone has the same appearance as so many other multimedia-centered phones in the Nokia 5000-series. As with handsets like the 5300, the Nokia 5000 is mostly white and black, with the exception of a color accent flanking the display on either side. In this case, they've gone with green.

Interestingly, the Nokia 5000 does not have the XpressMusic controls on their flanking green strips, opting instead for a more generic keypad layout. There are no dedicated music controls to speak of on this phone. Key features include a 1.3 megapixel camera, QVGA display, FM radio, MP3 ringtones, Bluetooth, and GPRS.

The good news is that the Nokia 5000 will be very affordable, selling for a mere 90 Euro ($140) when it hits retailers in Q2 2008.

[via MobileMag]

Nokia N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition

Nokia unveiled its latest N-series device, the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet - WiMAX Edition. The first device from Nokia to take advantage of WiMAX networks, the N810 is a pocket device that unleashes a full Internet experience while on the go. Unlike Wi-Fi which has a range of a few hundred feet, WiMAX allows for a larger area with each base station capable of reaching a radius of 2-3 miles.

The WiMAX Edition of N810 features a 4.13 inch touch screen along with a slider QWERTY keyboard. A host of popular apps, including IM, Skype, Google Talk and Gizmo5 are available to take advantage of VoIP calling. It also features built-in GPS and support for up to 10GB of memory, apart from microSD memory card slot.

Bundled with upgraded OS2008, the Nokia N810 features an enhanced email client, Chinese character rendering in the browser and software update capability.

The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet - WiMAX Edition will hit stores in summer 2008.

[via MobileWhack]

Nokia 1680 Classic Candybar Cell Phone

The fourth among the phones released by Nokia in the Growing Together 2008 conference along with the Nokia 5000, Nokia 2680 Slide, and Nokia 7070 Prism is Nokia 1680 Classic. This phone is recognized as Nokia's most affordable camera phone as of the moment. It capitalizes on having very basic phone functionalities with the added benefit of a camera despite its low price.

Aside from the VGA camera, it also has video recording capability, and even a one touch access for your photos and videos. Other features include easy access to email and phone sharing functionality. The Nokia 1680 Classic will ship on the second quarter of 2008 with a MSRP of $78-80.

[via MobileWhack]

Nokia 7070 Prism tags itself as the Low Priced Value Phone

Although stylish in looks and form, the Nokia 7070 Prism yet sets its prices down to earth. The Nokia 7070 Prism phone was unveiled along with the other 3 Nokia phones, namely Nokia 5000, Nokia 2680 Slide and Nokia 1680 Classic which come with a low price tag too.

The geometric patterns on its clamshell body set the phone apart from all other mobile phones. The sleek phone although low on price, does not sacrifice on the features.

The phone supports MP3 Ringtones, hands-free speaker and voice recorder functions. The lightweight phone weighs only 78 grams and supports GPRS, email and attractive themes and wallpapers.

Nokia 7070 prism has an internal memory of 11MB and provides a talk-time of 5 hours along with an amazing standby time of 20 days. The phone may miss out on multimedia player or camera functions, but for a basic phone these many features are quite satisfactory. The Nokia 7070 Prism is expected to ship in the third quarter of 2008 and its price is expected to be around US $80 which is just a mere €50.

[Source]

Motorola Car Rider Phone all set to Drive Along

Motorola is all set to position its phone as a car phone with the Motorola Car rider handset. Here’s a GPS enabled phone which drives you through with its efficient maps and voice-based navigation functions.

The phone is an intelligent device which helps you to guide your way with turn-by-turn voice based instructions and on-screen directions and detailed maps on a 2.8-inch high resolution, sharp color display. The Motorola Car Rider Phone has the smart Bluetooth technology which allows driving the vehicle comfortably while having active calls. The phone has a loud and clear speakerphone teamed up with a sensitive microphone thus eliminating the need to scream into your mobile units as the Motorola Car rider is the best choice for driving along.

When the phone is away from the car, it has all the major functionalities and features loaded in it. The Motorola Car rider phone is expected to launch in June and the pricing details are yet not available. However this phone’s concept seems to be out of the box and to add icing to the cake, it provides comfort and convenience to the mobile user.

[via Mobiletor]

T-Mobile Sells 8 GB iPhone for 99 Euros

…but don’t rush to buy it. According to Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile website, Apple’s iPhone, the 8GB version, will be sold for 99 euros as a part of a promotion that runs from April 7 to April 30. Through this promotion T-Mobile hopes to win new customers, but in order to obtain this price they will have to sign up for a two year contract that offers an 89 euros monthly plan.

Additionally, T-Mobile offers three other contracts: Complete S under which iPhone costs 249 while the monthly price is 29 euros, Complete M, through which the consumers could buy the iPhone 199 euros and a monthly price of 49 euros, and Complete L, with the iPhone priced at 149 euros and a 69 euros monthly price.
Meanwhile the price of the 16 GB version will remain unchanged, and the phone will be sold for 499 euros.

Financial Times Deutschland is speculating that T-Mobile’s move could be explained by two hypotheses. On one hand, it could be a sign that a new model, the 3G iPhone, is underway, but on the other hand, it might be due to the poor sales of the iPhone.

Financial Times reports that Deutsche Telekom declined to comment about the reasons behind the offer, but the financial newspaper noted that according to a statement released by T-Mobile in late January only 70,000 units have been sold since the launch of iPhone in Germany in November 2007.

[via eFluxMedia]

Mobile Projector First Look

Mobile projectors have been shrinking in size for years now, with the smallest models on the market right now being not much larger than a CD case. While these projectors are travel friendly, the ultimate business travelers still want something smaller, perhaps even built into a notebook or cell phone. This year at CTIA, two companies made incredible advances in this technology, bringing projector technology into devices no bigger than a cell phone or iPod.


Why are we talking about mobile projectors designed for cell phones? Because most industry insiders agree that mobile projectors will be integrated with notebooks sometime within five years or less.

As ultraportable notebooks get smaller and smaller we've had to accept the fact that our screens get smaller as well. Not anymore. Imagine a 10-inch notebook with a mobile projector hidden inside the lid. When you're on the road you can use the 10-inch LCD, but when you arrive at your office or hotel room all you need to do is press a button and you've got up to a 60-inch display with 1080i ... someday.

Texas Instruments brought their DLP technology to the table, bringing the component size down by an incredible amount, letting them build a projector into a gutted concept cell phone. While this prototype is just a simple working model, it shows just how small they can make them once they get companies on board who want this technology inside their products.

Here is a video showing a demo of the TI phone prototype in action. Please note that the phone was not functional, except for the projector. (Video comes courtesy of our sister site Brighthand.com)

Microvision was also showing off a prototype micro projector, with their model being more refined, almost to the point of being a finished product. The model was based off a technology that used three laser modules that fired at a wobbling mirror which scanned lines on whatever surface you pointed it at. Compared to the Texas Instruments version, this had a few advantages. The three lasers give a much brighter screen, there is no focusing adjustment needed if you changed the distance from the wall, and in dark rooms the projector made viewable screens upwards of 80" and 90". Microvision planned on selling the external projector first, and then moving to internal projectors for cell phones or notebooks when the technology became more refined.

Below is a video showing the Microvision Pico Projector in action. In both settings they are showing off an Ipod Nano connected to it, but in one clip the video is paused.

At this time Microvision was the only company with set plans on releasing their product in the upcoming months. If they are available at a reasonable price, you can bet my iPod, ThinkPad, and PS3 will have a new best friend.

[Source]

Video: Demos of cool new Windows Mobile 6.1 features

Windows Mobile 6.1 was just announced at CTIA yesterday. A bunch of us got together to record a video demoing most of the new features in Windows Mobile 6.1. Check out this 40-minute video that shows:

• Cool devices, including the T-Mobile Shadow, HTC Tilt, Pantech Duo, Moto Q9
• The new Sliding Panel home screen (aka "Bronze")
• All new home screen plugins
• Threaded SMS
• Copy & Paste support for non-touch devices
• New Task Manager
• Clock & Alarms
• Windows Live and Live Search Mobile
• and more...

This is a long video but it shows several features in great detail that you may not see elsewhere.

Also note, there are other improvements in Windows Mobile 6.1 that we don't cover in this video, including IEMobile's new Zoom feature and integration with SCMDM 2008.


Video: Windows Mobile 6.1