Mobile Phones Latest News and Reviews

Nokia X6

2009-11-11T00:50:00.001-08:00

Mobile Phone News : Nokia N900 is shipping now, Nokia X6 expected to follow soon

Nokia are getting ready for the holiday season by starting their advance on the smartphone market with two highly anticipated phones - the N900 and the X6. Both the devices are venturing into new territory for Nokia - a new smartphone OS for the N900 and a capacitive touchscreen experience for the X6.There have been many speculations about the fate of Symbian OS once Maemo gets to smartphones. Nokia says it's here to stay, Internet commentators doubt it. Well, we're about to see them coexist in two separate market segments.

The Nokia N900 is in the "all things to all people" segment - big high-resolution touchscreen and slide-out QWERTY, powerful, highly customizable OS and all-round wireless connectivity. It's certainly the top dog of Nokia's current line-up.

The N900 runs Nokia's Maemo OS, which isn't "Linux-based" like some other OSes - it is Linux, a fork from Debian, actually. This means a lot of much-loved Linux apps will be easily ported to Maemo or it will run things like OpenOffice, AbiWord, Firefox 3.0 and even more, thanks to projects such as Easy Debian.

Well as exciting as it may sound, the hard truth is there is quite limited number of applications available for the latest version of Maemo OS and early adopters may even find it difficult to find basic applications.

But now that it starts shipping as of today, we're sure developers will be hard at work of porting various apps to Nokia N900.

We should not forget as well, that as a consequence of its tablet roots, the Nokia N900 has landscape-only oriented UI. With the exception of the Phone app, everything in N900 runs in landscape mode and at least in this edition of the Maemo OS, there's no way to change that. So Symbian smartphones can rest at ease for now.
The Nokia X6 is the other handset from the Finish manufacturer that is about to go on sale soon - it should hit the stores as soon as this week (12 November) with the actual launch being 16 November.

But even before it's actually available, it attracted a great deal of attention. To build on that popularity and generate even more hype, Nokia is throwing a hell of a party to celebrate iots launch. Next Monday (November 16th) there will be a live concert in London where Rihanna will launch her new album "Rated R". The concert will be live-streamed globally for free to those of you who have registered in advance.

Getting back to the Nokia X6, it runs Symbian S60 5th edition and is the first Nokia phone with a capacitive touchscreen. It targets audiophiles with a pair of serious looking WH-500 headphones and a year of unlimited free music downloads from Nokia's Comes With Music. It can match the spacious 32GB internal memory of the N900, though it doesn't have a microSD port. Still, that's a lot of music, which you get to keep when the one-year period runs out.
For now, we know that the Nokia N900 is headed to T-Mobile USA and that the X6 is up for pre-order as is the N900. Oh, and there are photos of a QWERTY-less Nokia N920 already circulating the Internet.

Nokia N900 is shipping now, Nokia X6 expected to follow soon

Sony Ericsson Aino review

2009-11-07T01:05:00.000-08:00

Mobile Phone Latest Reviews - Sony Ericsson Aino

Introduction

Sony Ericsson are on the move recently and the Aino is very much part of the agenda. But living in the shadow of the Satio and X10 is not much fun we guess. So, the Sony Ericsson Aino is keen to live a double life. At first glance, it's a touchscreen PMP, but on a second look it's a regular slider phone with an extra big screen. It's not the ultimate PlayStation phone but it does have Remote Play, to wirelessly pair with Sony's PlayStation 3.

As far as feature phones go, the Aino has pretty much eve

rything - excellent connectivity, full-featured navigation, a great camera, plenty of internal storage and a simple-but-snappy touch media menu. By the way, don't let anyone tell you touchscreen functionality is limited to the proprietary Sony Ericsson multimedia menu. We were pleasantly surprised with Opera Mini, which seemed to quite agree with the Aino touch system. Touchscreen navigation is all there and it performed very smoothly. This means touch controlled Java games might work as well. All right, this was just a single little secret revealed. Let's take a closer look at what else the Aino may be hiding there.

Key features

• 3" 16M-color capacitive touchscreen, 240 x 432 pixels
• Quad-band GSM support
• Tri-band 3G with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 2Mbps HSUPA
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash; geotagging, touch-focus, face detection, image stabilization; VGA video recording @ 30fps
• Some degree of touchscreen functionality - touch-enabled media and camera interface
• Touch works in Java apps as well, e.g. Opera Mini
• Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS; Trial version of Wisepilot navigation software
• Wi-Fi with DLNA
• FM radio with RDS
• Stereo Bluetooth 2.1
• microSD card slot
• Wireless Bluetooth headset with 3.5 mm audio jack and nice headphones, desktop docking station and 8GB microSD card in box
• Remote play for Playstation 3

Main disadvantages

• No standard USB port
• No 3.5mm audio jack (but there's one on the Bluetooth headset)
• Touch control is limited to camera, gallery, multimedia players and some Java apps
• Media library updates very slowly in the touch media menu
• No DivX/XviD support
• No xenon flash
• No camera lens cover

The box contents are a sweat deal too - the matching desk stand and wireless headset would fetch a pretty high price as a separate purchase, but with Aino they are part of the experience. And the 8GB microSD card in the box should be enough for most people.

Mobile Phone Latest Reviews - Sony Ericsson Aino

Opera Mobile 10 beta for S60

2009-11-05T01:39:00.000-08:00

Opera Mobile 10 beta for S60 available for download now

Opera portfolio is definitely a one-stop-shop for finding a proper mobile web browser whether you're on a smartphone or a feature phone. The Opera Mobile browser has reached the beta stage of version 10 and is now available to Symbian S60 devices - both 3rd and 5th edition, so if you have a Symbian device, be it with a touchscreen or not, you'd want to try out this new version.

It brings the revamped interface, which we saw in the latest Opera Mini 5, complete with tabbed browsing and the speed dial interface. Tabs use a thumbnail of the page and seem very snappy. Check out the official demo video bellow to see them in action, along with the adaptive zoom feature.
Under the hood there are quite a few changes as well - Opera Mobile 10 uses the latest Presto engine, the same as in the desktop Opera 10 browser, and Opera advertize it as faster than the previous version in panning and zooming, and it should even opens pages 50% faster
.
For an even bigger boost the new Opera Turbo feature is included, which reroutes traffic through Opera's servers where content is crunched and compressed up to 70%. This brings down image quality but also data charges and can speed up browsing on a slow connection.

Opera Mobile 10 supports the latest web tech as well, including CSS 3 support (though not yet enabled in the beta version). The improved web standards support is touted to deliver a browsing experience that matches desktop browsing.

Helpful features like the password manager an address auto-completion plus image and webpage saving on the device are things we're used to in desktop browsers and go a long way to provide the promised desktop-like experience.

Owners of Nokia and select Samsung and Sony Ericsson S60 smartphones are the first that can try it out. There's no mention of a Windows Mobile version yet but don't despare, Opera Mobile has been running on WinMo devices for quite a while, so one should come up soon.
Head to the Opera web site for more info and screenshots of Opera Mobile 10 beta. You can download your free copy there or you can visit http://m.opera.com/mobile/ on your mobile device.
In case you don't have a smartphone, we suggest you take a look at the free Opera Mini 5 that delivers equally impressive browsing on a wide array of supported feature phones.

HTC Hero getting Android 2.0 Eclair update

2009-10-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

Mobile Phone News - HTC Hero getting Android 2.0 Eclair update UI

HTC are taking care of their existing Android devices - first it was Sense UI for the HTC Magic, now we hear that the HTC Hero is getting an Android 2.0 update. There's no specific timeframe for this update but at least it will be global, unlike the (so far) Taiwan-only Sense UI update for the Magic.

HTC have already confirmed to be working on phones using Eclair and Hero owners will be pleased to hear that they're getting it too. HTC are currently busy with porting the Sense UI to the new version of Android, which saw plenty of changes under the hood, so they need to rewrite things and get them tested.
The update will be available for all versions of the Hero - since the Hero is not a "Google" phone there are no licensing restrictions in its way to getting the update - exactly the thing that stands between the Magic and Sense UI.
Poor HTC Magic owners are yet again put in doubt - the hardware should be able to handle Android v2.0 as it's mostly the same as the one in the Hero, but HTC didn't mention plans for such an update. The devs over at xda-developers.com will probably create a custom ROM anyway, so if you're not afraid of modding your keep an eye on them.

Mobile Phone News - HTC Hero getting Android 2.0 Eclair update UI

Motorola Aura Diamond

2009-10-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

Mobile Phone News: Motorola Aura With Diamond - 3800 euro
The luxury Aura wasn’t luxurious enough for Moto anymore so they decided to upgrade it with 18 carat gold plating and 34 diamonds. There aren’t too many functional changes but than again features is hardly the Aura owner first priority.

The new Diamond Edition may be not so jewelry-thrilled and expensive as the 5500 euro Motorola Aura Diamoniqe Limited Edition, offering “only” 34 diamonds (instead of 90) and 18 carat gold plating but it will be much easier to pick one.

Thirty of the diamonds of the new Motorola Aura Diamond edition are inlaid around the circular display, while the rest four gems shine on the D-pad.
The specs of the Aura Diamond are the same as the first Aura. The highlights include quad-band GSM, 2 megapixel camera, 2GB internal storage and mostly a round AMOLED screen with 480 pixels diameter.

The Aura Diamond Edition will be sold at 3800 euro and can be yours starting from 26 October.

Mobile Phone News: Motorola Aura With Diamond - 3800 euro

LG GD510 Pop Mobile

2009-10-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

Mobile Phone Reviews: New LG GD510 Pop: Mobile pop culture

Introduction
It looks like LG have been playing their own version of will it blend. There's no need to tell you they're not playing for fun - they're rather trying to squeeze some more cash off a couple of hot-selling handsets. So, here's the deal. Get your blender, throw in an LG Arena and a Cookie and set the speed to "budget". And there you have it - an LG GD510 Pop - ready to be served to the happy masses. The "pop" LG are going for is definitely "popular", as opposed to the "popstar stuff" some of you may have hoped for.
You can go ahead and call it the new Cookie, or the low-cost Arena, but the LG Pop is quite obviously keen to have its own purpose and personality. The optional battery cover fitting a solar panel and the all-round eco-friendliness are one way for it to stand on its own two feet as a phone.
Apart from that, the Pop is just another midrange touchscreen. And this is by no means a guilty verdict. The LG Cookie used to be just another touchscreen too. Certainly not now - over 5 million units sold later. The Pop is perhaps setting its hopes high as well. Let's see if the classic unisex design, the feature mix and the affordable price tag can do it for it too.

Key features:
• 3.0" 256K-color TFT LCD touchscreen display (240x400 pixels)
• 3.15 megapixel fixed focus camera, QVGA video @ 15fps
• Quad-band GSM support
• Bluetooth with A2DP and microUSB v2.0
• microSD card memory expansion
• Standard microUSB port
• FM radio with RDS
• Widget interface and LiveSquare homescreen
• Accelerometer sensor for automatic screen rotation and turn-to-mute
• Landscape on-screen QWERTY keyboard
• Office document viewer
• Smart dialing
• Nice battery life
• Optional solar panel battery cover
• Allegedly affordable price

Main disadvantages:
• No 3G support, no Wi-Fi
• Display has poor sunlight legibility
• No DivX/XviD video support
• Camera lacks autofocus and flash
• Video recording maxes out at QVGA@15fps
• No standard 3.5mm audio jack

There's something about the styling of the Pop that might misguide users to expect Arena-like functionality. In fact, the only Arena stuff inside is the S-Class-styled main menu - the rest of the interface is like on the LG Cookie. The important features for the mass user are there but the expected price bracket doesn't really imply high-end specs.
Many people might miss the camera autofocus and 3G support. And yes, some would have been delighted to get Wi-Fi support on the spec sheet. To us, the most important omission - given the potential target audience - is DivX/XviD support. Anyway, the reason for all that is more than clear: specs are sticking to the basics to keep the price tag comfortably low.

We guess, there's no reason to construe the GD510 Pop as an upgrade to the LG KP500 Cookie. The Pop is simply the next LG handset to try and tap on the demand for basic affordable touchscreens. An inevitable response to what Samsung are doing with the Star, the Preston and the Corby. To set it apart from the Cookie, the Pop was given some of the LG Arena styling, an optional solar panel and has taken an altogether greener stance.
We praised the Cookie for its handling and style, and the Pop has quite a lot to live up to. The first impression is promising enough though. The Arena-like looks and absolutely minimalist exterior may receive a warm enough reception.
More on the LG GD510 Pop coming up after the jump. We can safely say the LG Pop looks above its class but let's see how it handles.

Mobile Phone Reviews: New LG GD510 Pop: Mobile pop culture

Worlds second luxury phone collection

2009-10-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

Mobile Phone New: Christian Dior to Unveil Their World second luxury phone collection

The world financial crisis is coming to an end and one of the signs is the increased number of luxury phones announced lately.
Today all eyes are on the new collection of the Christian Dior phones, which is born a good year and a half after the first set of mobiles named after the renowned designer.

But it's not only the name. The new phones have an attractive design, which is supposed to follow the latest in fashion terms turning them into a sure object of desire for every fashionable woman.

The first new phones in this new collection are black with PVD coating and sapphire crystals but with gold plating. That batch will costs you 6500 US dollars (a tad over 4300 euro) each.

The next couple of Dior phones are the diamond encrusted Zelie (the red one) and Zenaide (in white). Zelie should cost 7900 US dollars (approx. 5300 euro) while its more expensive sibling can be yours for good 13400 US dollars (nearly 9000 euro).

The last handset of this year's collection is the Nacre - with casing of mother-of-pearl and price tag of 8700 US dollars (around 5800 euro). Next to it on the image you see the Bluetooth headset with sapphire which is available in either black or white and as of September 2009 can be found in the stores for 470 US dollars (313 euro for a Bluetooth headset?!)

All the fancy materials aside, behind the new phones lies a simple mobile phone with a stainless steel casing measuring 99 x 43 x 14.9mm and weighing 125 g. It features flat electroluminescent keypad and supports Bluetooth.
The new Christian Dior phones collection is expected to become available some time in December 2009, right on time for the holidays. For further details you can visit the official Dior site.
If you don't intend to buy some, you can still join us in a window-shopping tour in the world of ultra expensive phones.

Mobile Phone New: World second luxury phone collection

Android 2.0 Eclair screenshots, Acer Liquid video

2009-10-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Mobile Phone News : Android 2.0 Eclair screen shots, Acer Liquid video

Mobile phone rumors have never been so tasty, especially now with Android’s second major version, or to use its more whimsical name – Éclair. The guys over at BoyGeniusReport somehow got a copy of the master chef’s cookbook and are sharing the desert section, complete with tons of photos.

This new version of Android is trying to take on both the old timers and the new cool kids. For corporate users, there’s Microsoft Exchange built right into the OS, along with a new unified email inbox. Not quite “unified” however – the Gmail app is still separate.

Exchange, Face book, unified email... yum

And for the always-on, ultra-connected and information-hungry Generation Z (it’s not still “Generation Y”, is it?) there’s the native Facebook integration, complete with contact syncing. The contacts app itself got some improvements as well. The new YouTube widget means you’re just two clicks away from uploading a video (now, if only there’s better video recording support)

Social media is important to the robo-OS

The Maps application now includes layers, e.g. a Latitude layer, a Wikipedia layer and so on. There’s even My Maps support, where you can add details to the maps to mark things important to you and you can share this with your friends. For example you can trace the route you took for the best tour of Venice and share it with someone who is thinking of going to Europe for the summer.

Paper maps are for cavemen

The browser got polished as well – Boy Genius say it’s a tad better than the custom browser in HTC Hero (though there’s no Flash 10 support). It was the first mobile web browser that outdoes Mobile Safari – a high honor in the mobile world. However, there is still no (out of the box) multi-touch support (did someone say Apple).

The browser just might be the best ever

Whew, this is getting to be a long list. And here’s the geekiest part – there’s text-to-speech support and a new home, the “car home”. Car Home is meant to be used while driving. To help keep your eyes on the road it offers easy access to voice search – apparently you can ask for gas stations and the closest ones will show up in Google Maps.

Car Home - TTS and voice search would make Michael Knight proud

Enough with the screenshots for now – here’s a cool video of the hot looking Acer Liquid. Yes, the one with the 768MHz Snapdragon CPU. The gauntlet has been thrown, Sony Ericsson. Bring on the XPERIA X3.

Vroom, vroom… oh, sorry. We were just pretending we’re Knight Rider – a talking phone that can do what Android 2.0 is promising means we can finally realize our dreams of driving KITT.

Mobile Phone News : Android 2.0 Eclair screen shots, Acer Liquid video

Nokia 5230

2009-10-18T06:11:00.001-07:00

New Smart Phone Nokia 5230 poses for some live shots before it heads for the stores

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic seems to have it all - large 3.2" touchscreen display, 3G and Wi-Fi support and even a GPS receiver aboard. The cute Nokia 5530 XpressMusic kept only the Wi-Fi, its display shrank to 2.9 inches and the battery capacity was decreased to 1000 mAh but the device costs considerably less than its smarter bro. Then the 5230 was introduced. And now we've got some live shots of it.

When it comes to the recently announced Nokia 5230, the situation with the specs is only a tad different. It shares the same design and touchscreen with the 5800 XpressMusic and just like it comes with a built-in GPS receiver, 3G capabilities and a promising 1320 mAh Li-Ion battery. There is no support for Wi-Fi, though, and instead of the 3.15 autofocus snapper of 5800 XpressMusic you'll get a 2-megapixel fixed focus one. Well, at least it can take VGA videos at 30 fps.

And here are the live images of Nokia 5230 we told you about just a second ago. Some of the color versions are missing but the red and the blue ones are here, posing just for us. Take a peep.
Even if our source predicts that the Nokia 5230 will hit the market some time in January 2010, we believe that the actual launch will take part sooner than expected - Nokia promised that the device will become available during the last quarter of this year. By the way, Nokia 5230 showed up on the Italian operator TIM online shop page several days ago and the price they set is 189 euro. Not bad, huh?

New Smart Phone Nokia 5230 poses for some live shots before it heads for the stores

Satio vs. Pixon12: 12MP shootout teaser

2009-10-17T00:59:00.000-07:00

New camera phones Sony Ericsson Satio vs. Pixon12: 12MP shootout teaser

Introduction
It took camera phones exactly one year to take the next step in their evolution, closing the gap on dedicated digicams even more. As usual we are here, carefully tracking the progress and checking out if it's going in the right direction.
Samsung M8910 Pixon12 and the Sony Ericsson Satio are easily two of the most interesting phones in our database and their appeal is in no small part due to the 12 megapixel shooters that are mounted on their backs.

Back in the day, Samsung INNOV8 was first to exceed even the most optimistic expectations producing photos of quality unknown to the GSM world before. We are now curious if the Satio and the Pixon12 will take another leap forward, to virtually null the difference in image quality between cameraphones and digicams.

Of course the answer to that question will come in the form of one of our trademark full-blown shootouts but until that's finished we decided to give you some food for thought. We've posted several camera samples that we took with the retail units of Samsung M8910 Pixon12 and Sony Ericsson Satio for you to enjoy and compare.
For now we will refrain from passing any judgment on the image quality, leaving the stage to you instead. Feel free to drop a line in the comment section about which of the two cameras you like better.

So take a comfortable seat and prepare to meet the future of camera phones. A host of 12 megapixel samples awaits after the jump.

New camera phones Sony Ericsson Satio vs. Pixon12: 12MP shootout teaser

Samsung B7620 Giorgio Armani

2009-10-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

New Mobile Phone : Samsung B7620 Giorgio Armani
Introduction

Well, here's for the next phone courtesy of the joint efforts of Giorgio Armani and Samsung. Third in line, it's meant to be the perfect companion for Armani's suits and more importantly, for the executives that wear them. Let's face it, a high-street fashion label phone is all about the statement and a little less about the functionality. The Samsung B7620 Giorgio Armani phones however, delivers on both and it does that with a charm of its own.
Honestly, when we first welcomed the review sample in our office, we were a bit put off by the large size, which seemed to make the golden highlights design even louder aesthetically. However we guess that in the fashion accessories worlds, being loud is the best way to attract the much sought-after attention.

After all, the B7620 is not tacky, it's just plain golden to our taste. And as you probably remember, our fearless editors don't mind dipping their feet in stores full of gold mobiles. So here goes, our quick preview of the Samsung B7620 Giorgio Armani as we briefly took it out for a spin

Samsung B7620 Giorgio Armani at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, EDGE class 10, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
• Form factor: Slide-and-tilt full QWERTY touch phone
• Dimensions: 118.5 x 58.3 x 16.4 mm, weight 164 grams
• Display: 3.5" 16M color (65K effective) resistive AMOLED touchscreen of WVGA resolution
• OS: Windows Mobile 6.5, TouchWiz 2.0 UI, Work&Leisure mode switch key
• Memory: 8GB built-in storage, 192 MB RAM, hot-swappable microSD (up to 16GB)
• CPU: 800 MHz processor with dedicated graphics accelerator
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto-focus, with dual LED flash and VGA video at 30 fps
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, TV out
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate and turn-to-mute, FM radio with RDS, DivX/XviD video support
• Battery: 1500mAh Li-Ion battery

You can easily tell - just by looking at the Samsung B7620 Giorgio Armani model name - that's it's a really close relative to the already available Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO. Well, there are some hardware differences, of course. The new Armani phone can tilt its screen and has 8 gigs worth of internal storage, but it comes with a slightly larger footprint and doesn't have the 3.5mm audio jack of the OmniaPRO.

N900 also comes to T-Mobile

2009-10-11T23:37:00.001-07:00

Smart Phone N900 also comes to T-Mobile along with $50 all unlimited plan

Good times are coming for the T-Mobile subscribers. Just a few hours ago we reported that the carrier will be offering the BlackBerry Bold 2, and now we have word on two more more hot devices coming to its shelves. Those include the Nokia’s new flagship – the N900 and another Nseries handset. Oh, and there is a new plan coming up that you might find interesting.

The Maemo-powered smartphone has been one of the most anticipated handsets of the season, receiving universally positive feedback. Along with it T-Mobile has also negotiated another Nseries device, though we are not sure which one exactly – the easy guess being N97 mini.
Those two combined with the already-confirmed Motorola CLIQ and Samsung Behold 2 will make up for quite impressive smartphone army.

But the good stuff doesn’t end with new mobiles at T-Mobile. The carrier also plans to speed up its 3G network, making it capable of 21Mbps HSDPA. There is also a greatly sounding 50 US dollars per month unlimited everything (voice, data, SMS and MMS) plan around the corner, that should allow more users to take advantage of it.
There's still no official confirmation on any of the rumors but the smart money is on all of them coming up true.

Smart Phone N900 also comes to T-Mobile along with $50 all unlimited plan

Windows Mobile 6.5

2009-10-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Update News : Exclusive Windows Mobile 6.5 Review

The OS is half a phone's worth and there's little wonder everyone is trying to make it the better half. In the case of Windows Mobile the emphasis really is on everyone. Version 6.5 is up and running but is it the upgrade everyone was waiting for?

You don't get to see OS reviews on our homepage too often, but this is such an eagerly awaited release that we just have to see if it lives up to the hype. Windows Mobile did need a design and usability overhaul - and you don't have to trust us on that. Go check out what HTC, Samsung and SPB have been doing about it. Alright, Microsoft must've thought it's about time they did something too.

Rumors of a new WinMo release started to fly just about this time last year, but it was not until a few months later that the official confirmation was finally out. Meanwhile, the inevitable leaks were rather quick to tone down the premature enthusiasm of PocketPC buffs.
It seemed at that point that the changes introduced by the WinMo 6.5 were almost nonexistent. Well, early leaks have never been real trustworthy stuff, so as soon as there was official word from Microsoft part of the excitement started to return.

Promises of increased user-friendliness, better browsing and an app store were made and it once again seemed the 6.5 could be the thing everyone was waiting for. And those leaked screenshots were pretty neat too.

Truth be told, we were still pretty skeptical at that point but seeing manufacturers all eager to hop on the bandwagon made us hopeful again. At the time of the official release of Windows Mobile 6.5, four major manufacturers had already announced handsets that were either shipping with the new OS or eligible for a free upgrade.

We even took a couple of them for a spin already and if you have been keeping track you'd probably know what to expect from this article. The Samsung I8000 Omnia II was indeed an inspiring performer but there's no escaping the fact that a large part of its charm was in hardware (mostly the magnificent 3.7" AMOLED display and the fast CPU). From a software point of view we're more impressed with TouchWiz rather than WinMo 6.5. Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 didn't manage to win our hearts completely but still had a trick or two up its sleeve.
So now, we're bringing the Windows Mobile out of its third-party guises and focusing on the upgrades 6.5 claims to carry. What we've seen so far tells us the massive overhaul has been postponed. But let's see if the changes are enough to buy Microsoft time to bring WinMo 7 as close to perfection as possible.

It is a hard enough task now that the competition is keener than ever to bite off massive chunks of the WinMo market. So, even if Windows Mobile 6.5 doesn't convert new believers it should at least be able to stand its ground against overly-ambitious newbies. Android, Symbian S60 touch, WebOS and Mac OS X are all much younger than the WinMo platform but their rapid rise must've got Redmond by surprise.

Update News : Exclusive Windows Mobile 6.5 Review

Nokia N97 Mini

2009-10-10T02:52:00.001-07:00

New Smart Phone Nokia N97 mini RAOUL Limited Edition available for pre-order !!!

We seem to be amidst a fashion phone splash today as the wave is still rolling with no intention of stopping. The star in this next fashion show is the Nokia N97 mini RAOUL Limited Edition coming only in 1000 units (and it's a Singapore deal for now).

You all know the Nokia N97 mini, so we'll just skip the introduction. The upcoming RAOUL Limited Edition will pack an additional emblazoned back cover with RAOUL signature stripes, a cal-skin leather pouch and appropriate lather dangler. All that stuff will be sold in a huge, beautiful leather-wrapped RAOUL box.

As far as software is concerned, the limited edition Nokia N97 mini will have a special Fashion Asia widget made exclusively for this package.
As a reward for buying this limited edition you will receive a complimentary RAOUL Gold membership with 25 euro credit, which can be traded on your next purchase in their boutiques. In addition Nokia will grant you a 25 euro voucher to show how much they appreciate you buying the fashion package.

Nokia N97 mini RAOUL Limited Edition costs exactly 400 euro and can be pre-ordered now from Nokia Snigapore until 29 October. Remember there are only 1000 available packages so you better hurry up

New Smart Phone Nokia N97 mini RAOUL Limited Edition available for pre-order !!!

BlackBerry-the sequels coming soon

2009-10-08T22:03:00.001-07:00

Storm 2 and Bold 2 coming soon !!!

Two BlackBerry handsets are inching closer to release - the BlackBerry Storm 2 and the Bold 2. After much leaking there's still nothing official on either of those phones. But the Internet rumor mill is beginning to lean towards "coming soon".

First up, the BlackBerry Storm 2 - we've seen photos of it and even videos demonstrating its amazing clickable screen powered by piezo-magic. The omens of its imminent coming are a Vodafone display snapped at the Carphone Warehouse plus a spy-ninja style blurry Verizon training video. The preliminary info of what's in the box says 16GB microSD card (plus 2GB internal) and BlackBerry OS 5.0.

The other soon-to-arrive Berry, the BlackBerry Bold 2 (code-named Onyx), is set to become the BlackBerry corporate flagship. It trades the traditional trackball for a touchpad and offers 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS, not to mention it has some really nice looks. A tipster also let Engadget in on an announce date for the Bold 2 - October 21st

October 21st can't come soon enough, can it? Prices, plans, even a release date are still a mystery however, so do count on coming home with one in two weeks.

Storm 2 and Bold 2 coming soon !!!

HTC Mobile profit decreases by 18 percent in Q3

2009-10-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

Mobile Company HTC profit decreases by 18 percent in Q3, but they're still ok !!!

HTC, the strongest player on the Windows Mobile field, declared their financial results for the third quarter of the year. The company has reported a healthy net profit of 179 million US dollars, though that is still 18 percent less than the same period of last year.
The total revenue of HTC devices reached went down to 1.06 billion US dollars, from 1.18 billion only a year earlier. The achieved revenue is at the bottom of their July forecasts (1.06-1.12 billion dollars).

HTC didn't give a reason for the decline in its earnings, but analysts said the Taoyuan-based company increased its spending on marketing, while at the same time reduced the prices, due to the extremely fierce competition on the smartphone scene.

Meanwhile Samsung have obviously recorded another successful quarter. They have just announced that their consolidated revenue for the three months ending at September 30th is 36 trillion Korean won (about 31 billion US dollars). The consolidated operating profit is 4.1 trillion Korean won (3.5 billion dollars) indicating that the company is already starting to shake off the consequences of the global economy crisis.

The full report of the Samsung earnings for the third quarter of 2009 will be disclosed in the following days, after the board of directors' approval.
We also expect Nokia to unveil their Q3 financial results report on the 15 October and Sony Ericsson on 16 October.

Sources: Samsung.com, Total Telecom

Mobile Company HTC profit decreases by 18 percent in Q3, but they're still ok !!!

Sony Ericsson C901 review: Cyber-shot reloaded

2009-10-07T03:25:00.000-07:00

New Cyber-shot reloaded From Sony Ericsson C901 !!!
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Introduction
At first, you might think that the Sony Ericsson C901 is just another 5-megpaixel cameraphone. Well, that’s not terribly exciting in the current market bustling with 8-megapixel snappers, and probing the boundaries at 12. But you’d be wrong. Be it for the simple reason that the C901 is one of the few handsets out there sporting a Xenon flash. And the one on the C901 is special enough to help it stand above the crowd of cameraphones.
Another thing to note is the eco friendly GreenHeart version which is interesting enough – and trendy – for being partially made of recycled materials (though, technically both devices are identical). You can find out more about it here.

Even after reading those lines many would say there is nothing so special about the C901, particularly as it’s not even selling worldwide! Well, we‘ve been inundated with requests that we review it and there’s nothing we like doing more than pleasing our loyal readers.

Key features
• Xenon and LED flash equipped 5-megapixel cameraphone
• Lots of dedicated camera controls
• Active camera cover
• Quad-band GSM support
• 3G with HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
• 2.2" 256K-color display of QVGA resolution
• Accelerometer for screen auto-rotation
• 110 MB of internal memory, M2 expansion (up to 8GB)
• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Motion-based games
• Multi-tasking and task manager
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages
• Video recording maxes out at QVGA@30fps
• No document viewer
• Memory card slot under the battery cover
• Disappointing box contents

The Sony Ericsson C901 is a great value in terms of image quality. Looking at the pictures we took with it makes us nostalgic for the time when Sony Ericsson camerphones set the pace and the others just followed.

Aside from the remarkable imaging though, the C901 is just an ordinary feature phone. And that isn’t a bad thing, since it does its job just fine. Very little to complain about, but at the same time not a huge list of features to get excited about either.

Anyhow, it’s about time we opened the box and started the review, don’t you think? Head for the next page to see what we found in the box and what we thought of the Sony Ericsson C901 design and construction.

New Cyber-shot reloaded From Sony Ericsson C901 !!!

AT&T says hello to VoIP over 3G with Skype and iPhone 3G, 3GS

2009-10-07T03:19:00.001-07:00

VoIP over 3G with Skype and iPhone 3G, 3GS !!!

Today AT&T has officially announced its readiness to support VoIP applications over its 3G network for the iPhone. Up until now the the Apple iPhone 3G and 3GS users were limited to using only Wi-Fi connection for VoIP services.
Effective now those handsets will be able to make calls over 3G with VoIP-enabled software such as the Skype app.

Additionally, AT&T allows customers to download or launch on their wireless devices a multitude of compatible applications, which were so far rejected from the App store.

The consequences of this move remain to be seen but we are hoping the increased network data transfers won't bring the overall speed down noticeably

VoIP over 3G with Skype and iPhone 3G, 3GS !!!

Nokia N86 8MP Updated

2009-10-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

Nokia N86 8MP gets an update, now has face detection !!!

Nokia has released another update that improves the camera performance of its imaging flagship - the Nokia N86 8MP. The key addition in this one is face detection, but there's also a general improvement of still image and video quality plus other updates and bugfixes.

The previous major update for the N86 8MP was 11.043, which improved quality in videos and low-light shots. The new update builds on that, adding red-eye removal, a new focus point indication and improved macro shots.

With this new update, Nokia N86 8MP also gets bugfixes to Ovi Maps, the browser, Nokia Messaging, Music store client, Here and Now (which is still in beta), N-Gage and the RealPlayer.
The update also adds an Ovi Store client (which reportedly is still buggy) and does some tweaking that should improve performance. Interestingly it seems like Nokia did some spring-cleaning - the update also frees up some memory both in storage and in RAM - C: now has 70MB free and RAM has 65MB free on system boot. As for the update itself - it's about 8MB big and preserves user data. The new (20.115) update is available over the air or through Nokia Software Update.

Nokia N86 8MP gets an update, now has face detection !!!

Million Dollar Phone

2009-10-01T03:36:00.001-07:00

The million dollar - Going window-shopping !!!

Introduction

This site is usually all about the features and performance, but not today. It's our day-off so we decided to go shopping. Well, window-shopping to be more depressingly precise. And the only bags we brought home are those under our eyes. Sometimes glitter is indeed gold - or better - and it sure can blind.
We may've seen it all: from basic phones that scratch a living out of calling and texting to technological triumphs. And they all used to make sense. Today's a challenge for our sense of right and wrong. What we are looking at are some outrageously expensive handsets for the uber rich who have more money than...ok, let's face it... us.

If you find insanely overpriced featureless handsets a complete waste of time and human effort you better stop reading right now. But if you recognize the limited-edition handcrafted diamond-encrusted models as a form of artistic expression then you might be informed and entertained. Oh, and feel free to be shocked. Even our hardened geek hearts couldn't help but skip a beat when we handled those 40,000 dollar pieces.

No one buys these handsets for their functionality, user-friendly interface or great reception. In fact, no one buys these handsets is where every right-thinking person would've stopped. But no sir, these things do sell, be it with just one purpose: to flaunt just how much you have. By the way, a certain group of users may find this review particularly upsetting. Nokia Arte, Motorola Aura or Samsung Ego owners seem to like feeling superior to the rest of the crowd, but they are going to look like poverty-stricken cheapskates next to the heavy hitters we are about to review.

The phones in this review are all of the love-it-or-hate it type. None of these could ever be called a sensible purchase, but the surprising number of boutique handsets available does suggest there is demand, even in these economically tough times. So who are we to judge if the money could be better spent elsewhere when the users end up happy and wanting more?

As a small aside, we would like to make the case that every reviewer should get to keep the handsets they test. How about that? Looking back at all the top notch phones we've had to give back over the years sure hurts. Alright, we never really made fuss about it until now but we're off to a trade union meeting as soon as we finish this article. And this time we mean it because this time it's different.

What we have here is a bunch of Vertu phones, a couple of diamond-encrusted Goldvish handsets and a bonus track - TAG Heuer's Meridiist. This last one with its tongue-twisting name doesn't even come close to the grandeur of its companions, nor has it been so aggressively marketed. But the underdog quickly became the favorite around the office. And the paltry 5000 US dollars on its price tag almost had us ready to torture-test it. No offence meant, out of the whole bunch the Swiss chap sure was our kind of stuff.

The million dollar - Going window-shopping !!!

Grand Monaco LE line of luxury phones revealed

2009-09-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

New Gresso Grand Monaco LE line of luxury phones revealed !!!

Devoted to creating unique and expensive mobile phones, Gresso, one of the active luxury mobile phones companies have just announced an upgrade to their latest product line called the Grand Monaco LE.

The newbies are inspired by the Formula 1 race cars but what makes them special is the materials they are made of.

If you are into highly expensive luxurious mobile phones, then you should definitely check our just posted Million dollar review - our own window shopping tour in the world of insanely expensive handsets.

When it comes to handsets like Gresso's each material deserves attention. But this time leather is the main topic. By the way, exactly that is what the "LE" in the line name stands for.

It's pure genuine leather but it has been specially impregnated to last as long as possible. The impregnation techniques used are similar to those used in the leather interiors of the most expensive Italian cars.

Gresso Monaco LE series comes in two color trims - bright red and black, and both suit the mobile phones just great.

And that's where the similarities to the other Grand Monaco devices begin. The casing of each Grand Monaco LE luxury phone is made by titanium with multilayer ceramic coating and the display is covered by a 42K hand-polished sapphire crystal promising remarkable scratch resistance.

For the keyboards a sheet of polished steel with laser cut symbols has been used. Titanium black PVD coating gives the surface the dark mirror-like finish and make it scratch-proof at the same time.
Stainless steel is the main topic as well when it comes to the navigation keys.
Underneath things aren't that fascinating but that won't surprise anyone. Along with Bluetooth, e-mail and EDGE support you get a 2-megapixel camera and an eye-catching menu design.
The Gresso Grand Monaco LE line is already available for purchase across the dealers showrooms at a price of 1800 US dollars.
If you are into highly expensive luxurious mobile phones, then you should definitely check our just posted Million dollar review - our own window shopping tour in the world of insanely expensive handsets.

New Gresso Grand Monaco LE line of luxury phones revealed !!!

Samsung W880 storms South Korea with 3x optical zoom and 720p HD video

2009-09-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

12MP Samsung W880 storms South Korea with 3x optical zoom and 720p HD video !!!

It's not every day we write about CDMA phones, but monsters like W880 are something we just can't miss. It's the world's first 12 megapixel cameraphone with 3x optical zoom, xenon flash and HD video recording at 30 frames. But even with the GSM capabilities, what is meant for South Korea stays in South Korea.
You probably remember the Samsung M8920, which leaked several months ago. While it's still in Rumorlandia, Samsung have just announced its Korean counterpart - the SCH-W880 or Anycall AMOLED 12M as its mundane name goes. Yes, it's a silly name, we know, but South Korea is a market that's entirely different from Europe or the Americas.
The W880 AMOLED 12M is the world's first 12 megapixel cameraphone with 3x optical zoom. Despite being mainly a CDMA mobile phone, the W880 will sport tri-band GSM connectivity and 3G connectivity (WCDMA 2100). But don't just open champagne yet as the W880 will remain exclusive for the South Korean market and the GSM radio will be used for roaming purposes only.

The Anycall (Samsung) W880 is not a smartphone, but boasts a 3.3-inch WVGA AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 4GB internal memory, 12 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and variable aperture, xenon and power LED flashes, 720p@30fps video recording, T-DMB TV tuner, Bluetooth, microSD card slot, microUSB connectivity and 1100mAh Li-Ion battery.
We know for sure that the long-awaited European version (M8920) will swap the T-DMB TV tuner for the more practical Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity. Check out that shot for reference.
Another nice surprise we have for you today, is that we managed to grab a pre-release sample of the S. Korean W880 and we are seriously impressed by its imaging prowess.

12MP Samsung W880 storms South Korea with 3x optical zoom and 720p HD video !!!

Nokia E55

2009-09-28T01:18:00.000-07:00

Official Phone Nokia E55 !!!

Introduction
Sometimes, a phone is nearly perfect, except for that one small thing you want to change. If you felt that way about Nokia E52, the E55 claims to have the answer. Don't get us wrong - the E52 has killer looks and specs. And the E55… well, like we told you, it's the same phone save for that one little thing.
If QWERTY keyboards are for heavy texters where does half-QWERTY fit? Some would say it's the same target but different goal. You know, like heavy texting is a bad habit and half-QWERTY is the therapy. Now, now, no need to be too smart. But does it really make typing faster or slower, and how hard it is to learn the new layout? We ran a test to find out.
But more on that later. Thanks to the excellent connectivity options and Office editing out of the box, the E55 keeps your office at arm's length - whether you're out to lunch or out of town. Emails, presentations, spreadsheets, memos - you can bring all that everywhere you go. But hey, we're not saying you should. Thanks to Modes, switching between Business and Personal homescreens makes sure you don't have to bring work home.
Texting and email go without saying, but the Nokia E55 is one of the best-equipped Symbian devices around. Here's the rundown:

Key features
• Compact metallic body and extra slim girth (9.9mm)
• Quad-band GSM support
• 3G with HSDPA 10.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2 Mbps
• half-QWERTY keyboard
• 2.4" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution
• Symbian OS, S60 UI with FP2
• 600 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology, DLNA support
• Built-in GPS receiver, A-GPS support, digital compass
• Accelerometer for screen auto-rotation and turn-to-mute
• One-touch shortcut keys mean "business"
• 3 megapixel enhanced fixed focus camera with LED flash
• Secondary videocall camera
• 60 MB of internal memory, microSD expansion, ships with a 2GB card
• microUSB v2.0
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
• FM radio with RDS
• Class-leading audio output quality
• N-Gage gaming support
• Ovi Maps preinstalled with trial turn-by-turn navigation license (10 x 1 days, to be used within 3 months) and lifetime City Explorer license
• User-friendly Mode Switch for swapping two homescreen setups
• Office document editor (with free MS Office 2007 update)
• Remote lock/wipe over-the-air
• Comfortable keypad
• Smart dialing
• Great battery life

Main disadvantages
• Disappointing camera features and performance
• Video recording maxes out at VGA@15fps
• No DivX or XviD support (can be installed, possibly requiring a purchase)
• No TV-out functionality
• Keyboard takes some time getting used to (not too long though)

Official Phone Nokia E55 !!!

HTC Leo could be called HD2

2009-09-28T01:07:00.000-07:00

HTC Leo !!!

The HTC Leo has been churning in the rumor mill for quite a while but it's all coming to an end - it's launching in October. On the list of rumors we've assembled for today there's a new name, price and even a video of would likely be the TouchFLO version that the device uses.
First up, the name - Leo is just the codename and we already reported a rumor about the device being called HTC Pro Three, but now a new candidate for the official name has appeared - HTC HD2. This one makes more sense, as Leo has more to do with the HTC Touch HD, than the Touch Pro2.
There are two sources for the price - pocketnow.com are reporting a price of about 550-600 euro (800 dollars) and the guys at Engadget have a photo of a brochure from O2. The brochure shows two things - O2 UK are getting the HTC Leo and more importantly, it comes free with the O2 1200 tariff (45 pounds a month or just over 70 dollars, 18 month contract). Their tipsters have the Leo landing in the UK in October 12th.
Meanwhile, PocketNow offers the end of October as a release date in the Netherlands. They've done even better - they managed to snatch a working ROM of the latest build of TouchFLO 3D v2.5, which is quite likely going to end up the running on the HTC Leo, HD2 or whatever they call it in the end (previous builds have been tested before).
Here's the gist of what's been changed - it's more colorful (color icons, animated background, etc.), email and calendar have been improved and there's Facebook and YouTube integration, plus Twitter and Footprints tabs. What they couldn't test was the multitouch capabilities, which are coming to the HTC Leo, thanks to its capacitive touchscreen - a first for Windows Mobile. However, they say Internet Explorer Mobile doesn't support it.

LG BL20 New Chocolate appears in new colors

2009-09-20T00:17:00.000-07:00

Latest LG BL20 New Chocolate appears in new colors !!!

LG opened a new office in Amstelveen, Holland and decided to show off the LG BL20 New Chocolate's color range plus some interesting info about its UI. The LG GW300 was also at the party along with some other models we've already seen.

The BL20, which originally leaked as BL42, has the traditional Chocolate look and form factor, unlike the LG BL40 New Chocolate. The color options are also very reminiscent of the original Chocolate.

Anyway, the interesting thing here is that BL20 New Chocolate apparently runs a non-touch version of the S-Class user interface, despite earlier rumors. The S-Class UI has so far been reserved for touchscreen handsets, but here is an interesting piece of trivia for you - it is reportedly much smoother on the BL20 than it was on the LG GD900 Crystal.

The other phone of interest was the LG GW300. It has a full QWERTY keyboard, a QVGA screen, 2MP camera, microSD card slot and 3.5 mm audio jack. It doesn't have 3G connectivity but with a price of about 100 euro, the LG GW300 will be one of the most affordable full-QWERTY handsets on the market.

Latest LG BL20 New Chocolate appears in new colors !!!

Samsung B7330 OmniaPRO

2009-09-17T10:58:00.001-07:00

Samsung B7330 OmniaPRO !!!

Samsung has been playing around with the "Upgrade" magic wand - the new Samsung B7330 OmniaPRO is an upgrade of the B7320 OmniaPRO. Also, the proud owners of the Windows Mobile side of the current Omnia lineup rejoice - you're getting the update to WinMo 6.5.
The new Samsung B7330 OmniaPRO brings a slightly bigger, square-shaped screen with 320 x 320 resolution (B7320 OmniaPRO has a QVGA screen). The 3G capabilities have also been updated with the addition of HSUPA 2Mbps and faster HSDPA at 7.2Mbps (versus the 3.2 of the B7320).
The rest of the Omnia lineup will be re-launched, with the "new" devices running Windows Mobile 6.5 out of the box. Sounds like an excuse to throw a party, but it's also a good way to promote your products.
The Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO is the premium device in the OmniaPRO series, with B7320 and B7330 serving as the mid-range. The upcoming Samsung B7300 OmniaLITE will be the entry-level Omnia device though don't underestimate it. In short it offers- WinMo 6.5, 667MHz CPU, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, VGA@30 fps video recording and then some.
The B7330 is coming in October along with the Samsung B7300 OmniaLITE and as for the update to Windows Mobile for current owners of an Omnia handset - Samsung was a little vague, saying just that it will be after the release of 6.5.

Samsung B7330 OmniaPRO !!!

Opera Mini 5 beta out now

2009-09-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Exclusive Version of Opera Mini 5 Beta !!!

Today Opera Software released a new fifth version of the world most popular and widespread mobile web browser - the Opera Mini. Introducing new features and sleek design its beta is already available for download.

Opera Mini 5 comes hot on the heels of its bigger brother - the desktop Opera 10, which was released just two weeks ago, with a revamped design and improved functionality. As a start - the tabbed browsing comes to the mobile Opera version, allowing fast jumping from one page to another.

Next is the Speed Dial, offering quick access to your favorite pages directly from the browser's start page. Similar to the desktop Google Chrome and Opera 10, the Opera Mini 5 will offer you 9 page thumbs on its home screen, which can either be selected manually or left to be filled up automatically with the most frequently visited web sites.

A password manager is also onboard the Opera Mini 5, storing various passwords and user names for e-mails, social networks, online banking, etc.

Finally the Opera Mini 5 is optimized for usage on both touchscreen and regular keypad phones. Considering the great heritage its has, we are almost certain that it will deliver pretty good browsing experience.

Here is the official demo video of Opera Mini 5

Opera Mini 5 is still in beta version, but it is available for download to all Java enabled mobile phones (there's also a dedicated version for the Blackberry devices). You can download it straight from your handset at http://m.opera.com/next .

Samsung S3650 Corby

2009-09-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

Latest Samsung S3650 Corby

Introduction
Like every maker out there, Samsung are keen to keep users coming back for more. But serving, inspiring and entertaining today's crowd is not enough it seems. So the next step is raising future Samsung users. The S3650 Corby is tech-savvy and fresh - just like its target audience. And this entry level touchscreen seems to quite nicely suit both the user's liking and bill-payer's budget.
The S3650 Corby is for youngsters that are keen on technology, for active social networkers, for those who like to personalize and customize. The budget price implies no fancy stuff but the wide range of features is absolutely relevant to the target audience.
Samsung S3650 Corby is a very fresh looking handset too - distinct shape and bold paintjobs. It won't really make much sense in adult hands but the Fashion Jackets - bright-colored interchangeable rear covers - are perhaps as strong a selling point as the capacitive touchscreen. There're two extra Jackets in the retail box to make the time spent with the S3650 Corby even more personal experience.
On the social side, the Samsung S3650 Corby offers Facebook, MySpace and Twitter integration, while photo and video sharing are taken care of with direct uploads to YouTube, Flickr, Picasa and Photobucket. You can update your status on the various social networking sites and receive updates from your friends via a neat pop-up notification feature. All that is a tap away on the 2.8" capacitive touchscreen.
Key features
• Quad-band GSM/EDGE
• 2.8" capacitive TFT touchscreen of QVGA resolution
• 90 MB onboard storage, microSD card slot (up to 8GB)
• 2 megapixel fixed-focus camera with smile detection, QVGA@15fps video recording
• FM radio with RDS
• Find Music recognition service
• TouchWiz and Cartoon UI
• Social networking integration with direct file uploads
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB v.2.0
• Office document viewer
• Smart unlock
• Interchangeable rear covers (Fashion Jackets), ships with two extra panels
• Relatively low price for a full touch phone (around 150 euro)

Main disadvantages
• No 3G
• The camera has no autofocus or flash
• No accelerometer for screen auto rotation
• No on-screen QWERTY keyboard
• Proprietary connectivity port
• No smart dialing
• microSD slot under the battery cover

Budget and low end can be easily mixed up with the Corby. But along with the features mentioned above, the basic handset has a lot of the technology used in the more expensive Samsung Jet. The S3650 Corby supports the same finger zoom feature, it has smart unlock and runs the widget-based TouchWiz user interface - not to mention the nice Samsung's home-brew web browser.

Latest Samsung S3650 Corby

New Nokia E72 having a pre-sale tomorrow – with extreamely exclusive 72 units

2009-09-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

New Nokia E72 with extremely exclusive 72 units !!!
The only reports of Nokia E72 getting a market release so far suggested October availability, however we got word of a special pre-release event to be held in Jakarta where some 72 units of Nokia E72 will be sold exclusively.

The Grand Ballroom of Ritz-Carlton Jakarta is where the Nokia E72 spin-off event will be held - a world's first public appearance for this device. Details are a bit scarce, but as the magazine ad testifies 72 units of the yet unreleased Nokia E72 will be on pre-sale that day. Boy, we can't imagine what the price will be. Update: As one of our readers explains, you have to be an E-series device owner to attend - that and a VIP pass perhaps?
The Nokia E72 was initially announced with an estimated price of around 350 euro or 500 US dollars (much like Nokia E71 last year), and current online pre-orders seem to confirm that price tag.

Still, the Nokia E72 is nowhere near ready for hitting the market en masse as the earliest availability rumors claim October launch (such as on Vodafone in the UK).

In case you've missed all the hype, the Nokia E72 is the successor of the highly popular Nokia E71. The Nokia E72 extends the functionality of its forerunner with a 5 megapixel camera, HSUPA (up to 2Mbps) and faster HSDPA (Up to 10Mbps). The UMTS support has upgraded and now the E72 will come with two tri-band versions (850/1900/2100 Mhz and 900/1900/2100 Mhz). The best part is that the Nokia E72 has managed to maintain the slim 10mm waistline of its predecessor, despite the added goodies.
Among the other goodies on board the new Nokia E72 is the new optical Navi key, which serves as an optical trackpad for going through menus and applications and the electronic compass that enhances the GPS navigation experience.

The rest of the Nokia E72 features are pretty much on par with the E71 - S60 3rd edition UI, a 2.4" QVGA landscape screen, microSD card slot and FM radio. On the connectivity end we've got WLAN, A-GPS, FM radio and quad-band GSM. There's also a 3.5mm standard audio jack, Bluetooh and USB onboard.

New Nokia E72 with extremely exclusive 72 units !!!

Verizon and Nokia Launches Nokia 7705 Twist Mobile

2009-09-14T00:48:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Verizon and Nokia Launches Nokia 7705 Twist Mobile

Verizon Wireless and Nokia introduce the Nokia 7705 Twist(TM), a fun phone with a unique square shape that swivels open to reveal a full QWERTY keypad. The phone's shortcut buttons provide quick access to messaging, the 3.0 megapixel camera, Web browsing, V CAST Music with Rhapsody®, voice commands, and speakerphone options. The Contact Light Ring, located in the lower right corner, can be customized to identify a message or a call from those listed in the contact directory. Customers may purchase the Nokia Twist online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning Sept. 13 and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on Sept. 21.

Features:
- Compatible with services including VZ NavigatorSM, V CAST Music with Rhapsody,
V CAST Video, Visual Voice Mail, Mobile Broadband Connect and Corporate Email
- Habitat mode activates a unique interface for visualizing your social circle and allows customers to easily organize their calls and messaging history
- 3.0 megapixel camera/camcorder with flash and autofocus
- Dedicated camera/video key
- Resolution adjustment: 2048 x 1536, 1280 x 960, 800 x 600, 640 x 480, 320 x 240
- Self-timer: Off, three, five, 10 seconds
- White balance: auto, sunny, cloudy, tungsten and fluorescent
- Shutter sound: Shutter, Silent, Say "Cheese," and Ready! 1 2 3
- Color effects: normal, antique, black & white, negative
- Capture mode: landscape and portrait
- Photo editing: pan and zoom, rotate
- Customized slideshow
- Video capture and playback
- Media Center-capable for downloading games, ringtones and more
- Threaded messaging helps customers keep track of a variety of conversations
- "Post to Blogs" feature allows multimedia to be posted to a blog or social networking site
- HTML browser
- Support for Mobile Email, Mobile Web Mail, Chat and Blogs
- Built-in mirror
- Supported Bluetooth® profiles include headset, hands-free, dial-up networking, stereo, phonebook access, basic printing, object push (for vCard and vCal), file transfer, and basic imaging
- 2.4-inch, 262K TFT QVGA screen
- EV-DO Rev. 0
- 2.5 mm headset jack
- Dimensions: 2.71" x 2.71" x 0.59"
- Usage time: up to 270 minutes or
- Standby time: up to 312 hours
- Weight: 3.44 ounces

Price and availability
The Nokia Twist will be available for 99.99 USD after a 50.00 USD mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Additional information about the Nokia Twist will be available at www.verizonwireless.com/twist on Friday. For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Available colors: Black with Xpress-on(TM) Covers in black and purple packaged with the phone

Exclusive Verizon and Nokia Launches Nokia 7705 Twist Mobile

Facebook For The i phone Users

2009-09-13T05:56:00.000-07:00

Face book in Your i phone !!!

Motorola DEXT-CLIQ in US with MOTOBLUR UI

2009-09-12T23:40:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Motorola DEXT-CLIQ in US

Motorola finally officially revealed their first device that runs on the latest Android OS dubbed Motorola DEXT internationally, except for the USA where it will be sold as CLIQ. This smartphone is the first high-end device coming out of Motorola labs for quite some time.

Moto DEXT has a sliding hardware QWERTY keyboard and large 3.1" capacitive touchscreen display of HVGA resolution (320 x 480 pixels). The capacitive nature of the display also promises multitouch functionality, yet we don't have an official confirmation of that.
The DEXT gears up most of the latest technologies such as GPS enhanced with a digital compass, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm jack, a 5MP autofocus camera with geo-tagging and video recording in HVGA@24fps resolution. There's also quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity and tri-band HSDPA at 7.2 Mbps.

Motorola CLIQ runs the latest Android OS v1.5 (Cupcake) and is powered by a Qualcomm MSM7201A platform with a 528MHz processor. The new Moto has 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM and 1GB of user storage supports up to 32 GB microSD cards.
The Motorola DEXT boasts some top-notch modern features not to mention Motorola's latest social networking oriented custom homescreen UI called MOTOBLUR that will run on top of the vanilla Android OS.

MOTOBLUR syncs via push with Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, MySpace, Yahoo, Last.fm and other services and similarly to Palm's Synergy and HTC Sense UI, Blur aggregates all your contacts from these communities into a single phonebook. MOTOBLUR also offers a remote wipe feature and GPS tracking of the phone from a desktop computer similarly to Apple's MobileMe.

Motorola CLIQ is offered in Midnight Titanium and Winter White colors and is expected to hit the market October in Europe and December in the USA (T-Mobile USA).Motorola CLIQ has been briefly spotted by the Engagdget team over at T-Mobile website for a price of 400 US dollars without a contract, while other sources suggest a price of 200 euro. Either way, it surely sounds like a nice deal.

Exclusive Motorola DEXT-CLIQ in US

Samsung will produce Vodafone's first LiMo OS based device

2009-09-12T00:57:00.000-07:00

Vodafone's first LiMo OS based device

The leaked images you’re about to see in a second aren’t simply some images of a still unannounced device. They are pictures of a device that's first of its kind - a full touch phone with Linux Mobile OS - and it comes from Vodafone, straight from the heart of the well-forgotten LIMO Foundation .

We're short of detailed info about the new Samsung phone but we do know the LiMo based device will feature an OLED touchscreen with haptic feedback, 8-megapixel snapper and access to the upcoming Vodafone People service.
Vodafone people will feature things like active contacts, location-based services and access to social networks. So, Android (which is based on Linux OS as well), better prepare for a battle 'cos Vodafone are hiding some strong cards in their sleeves.

Word on the street is the device is actually the Samsung I8305 Riedel, which was Wi-Fi certified recently and might be unveiled on 24th September in London. We guess, we'll do the waiting then.

Vodafone's first LiMo OS based device

Samsung S5230W Star WiFi goes official

2009-09-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

On Sale - Samsung S5230W Star WiFi

Sam sung surely haven't gone out of their way to popularize that one, but we just stumbled on some pretty interesting version of the highly popular Samsung Star - one with Wi-Fi, which is quite naturally called Samsung S5230W Star WiFi

The "Star with Wi-Fi" will hit the markets in Africa and Asia as well but under a slightly different model number - the Samsung S5233W - nevertheless it's still the same Star.
Samsung have already sold the original Star in more than 5 units so this is an attempt to boost the sales even further. Except for the Wi-Fi, the rest of the specifications of S5230W remain the same as the original Star - even the dimensions and weight are the same.
The new S5230W Star WiFi is already on sale in some retail sites (eBay including) and it runs around 250 US dollars, which is only a tad higher than the unsubsidized price of the original Star.
The Samsung Star WiFi will be available in black, silver, pink and white colors.

iPhone OS 3.1 and iTunes 9 now available

2009-09-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

Exclusive iPhone OS 3.1 and iTunes 9 now available

iPhone OS 3.1 and iTunes 9 now available, unlockers be aware
Today Apple released the new iPhone firmware 3.1 update along with the new iTunes 9. Bug fixes, changes to the AppStore, easier synchronization process and fixing a modem exploit are part of the features list.
The long rumored iPhone OS 3.1 has arrived bringing some new stuff to the iPhone and iPod Touch family. iTunes has also gotten a brand new 9th version offering extended functionality.
One of the most important changes is the iTunes app on the iPhone will have access to a Ringtone store (more than 30000 titles there already) available for 1.29 US dollars each.
Further on, Apple AppStore has been granted with a new Genius feature, which recommends you applications based on your currently installed and purchased software. This will ease the app search through the huge AppStore database, which continues to grow.
The new version of iTunes will also offer an easier syncing to Apple devices thanks to the many new controls and whole new interface. App syncing, for instance, is more user-friendly than ever, allowing you to arrange the apps on the iPhone/iPod Touch screens directly from iTunes.
The OS 3.1 for iPhone and OS 3.1.1 for iPod Touch are already available through iTunes and you can go for it just now.
Here is the complete change list of fixes:
• Improved syncing for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and photos
• iTunes U content organization
• Redeem iTunes Gift Cards, codes, and certificates in the App Store
• Display available iTunes account credits in the App Store and iTunes Store
• Save video from Mail and MMS into Camera Roll
• Option to "Save as new clip" when trimming a video on iPhone 3GS
• Better iPhone 3G Wi-Fi performance when Bluetooth is turned on
• Remotely lock iPhone with a passcode via MobileMe
• Use Voice Control on iPhone 3GS with Bluetooth headsets
• Paste phone numbers into the dialpad
• Option to use Home button to turn on accessibility features on iPhone 3GS
• Warn when visiting fraudulent websites in Safari (anti-phishing)
• Improved Exchange calendar syncing and invitation handling
• Fixes issue that cause some app icons to display incorrectly

There are some other small things that were spotted in the iPhone OS 3.1 beta a couple of months ago and it's strange why they are not included in the official changelog. Currently we still cannot confirm those - perhaps you would fill in in the comments:

• iPhone vibrates once upon entering the icon moving mode
• Updated AT&T profile to 4.2
• Updated modem firmware to 5.08.01
• Improvements to OpenGL and Quartz.
• New APIs to enable third party apps to access videos and edit them (meaning video editing applications coming your way).
• "Fraud Protection" toggle has been added to settings under Safari.
• iPhone boot time is now faster.

As you can see there is no ground shaking features added into this new update. Except for the fact, of course, that the 3.1 upgrade will update not only the operating system, but also the modem firmware, fixing the last known exploit used for unlocking the iPhones of all walks of life. It is also believed that once upgraded through the ordinary way you may not be able to unlock or jailbreak your device ever again.

Exclusive iPhone OS 3.1 and iTunes 9 now available

Nokia N97

2009-09-10T01:27:00.000-07:00

New Nokia N97 review

Introduction
They don't get any bigger than that. A launch of this caliber can aptly be called inauguration day. The release of Nokia N97 is the Nseries counter-move that geeks have been waiting for since November. Easily one of the most complete smartphones ever created, the N97 has been haunting Symbian buffs' dreams for quite a while.

We're about to see if this feature-loaded son of a gun is the stuff dreams are made of and if it has the gut to stand up to the best on the market. The 5800 XpressMusic was cheap enough to easily be forgiven a couple of shortcomings but the N97 is not the begging type. Nokia-faithfuls are used to only getting the best treatment, so they won't settle for less with the Nseries skipper.

Key features

• Slide-n-tilt 3.5" 16M-color resistive touchscreen of 640 x 360 pixel resolution
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and lens cover (VGA@30fps video recording)
• Symbian OS 9.4 with S60 5th edition UI
• Slide-out three-row full QWERTY keyboard
• ARM 11 434MHz CPU and 128 MB of RAM
• Quad-band GSM support and 3G with HSDPA support
• Wi-Fi and GPS with A-GPS (plus 3 months of free voice-guided navigation via Ovi Maps)
• Digital compass
• Class-leading 32GB onboard storage
• microSD card slot with microSDHC support
• Built-in accelerometer
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• TV out
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS, FM transmitter
• microUSB port and stereo Bluetooth v2.0
• Web browser has full Flash and Java support
• Nice audio reproduction quality

Main disadvantages
• The S60 5th edition UI still has poor ergonomics and is not as thumbable as expected
• Camera features are so two-thousand-and-late
• No DivX or XviD support out-of-the-box
• No smart dialing
• Somewhat limited 3rd party software availability
• No office document editing (without a paid upgrade)

Obvious from the list above, the Nokia N97 hardly puts anything new on the table. It is however a bold try to fit all of today's top features under one hood and offer a nice ride at that. This certainly is an ambitious task by itself but the ever-expectant Nseries fans, who always want something new on their next handset, make it even harder. The Nokia N97 will need to be near flawless to get a warm welcome.

HTC MAX 4G

2009-09-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

Latest Mobile HTC MAX 4G
Introduction
Guns at the ready fellas, we have a big game in our sights here. The HTC MAX 4G is paying us a visit in an attempt to prove that its relatively low popularity is only due to its very limited availability. With WiMAX connectivity and one of the most complete feature sets in the WinMo realm, it's a claim that might have some credibility.

The HTC MAX 4G was never bound to stardom, just heading to the right place. Making sense on the right market is what matters here and some handsets can only envy the MAX 4G focus. Having already previewed its Touch HD sibling we are pretty confident HTC know the touchscreen drill. But you shouldn't take anything for granted in this business so a thorough review is certainly in order.
The HTC MAX 4G is a Touch HD - add or take - and that's not a bad place to start. The WiMAX enabled handset skimps on 3G and that might just reduce it to a niche device with limited appeal. Or is there anything else to spoil the package? We are just about to find that out so sit down, take the weight off your feet and get ready to be treated to the MAX.

Key features
• Massive 3.8" 65K-color WVGA display
• Tri-band GSM support
• WiMAX connectivity
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS (by default comes in Russian)
• TouchFLO 3D UI plug-in and gesture controls
• Wi-Fi and GPS
• Qualcomm ESM7206A 528 Mhz CPU and 288 MB DDR SDRAM
• Dedicated GPU (64MB RAM reserved for graphics)
• 3 megapixel auto focus camera
• microSD card slot
• Accelerometer sensor for auto screen rotation and turn-to-mute
• Proximity sensor to automatically turn the screen off during calls
• Touch sensitive keys with vibration feedback
• miniUSB slot and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP on board
• miniUSB to standard 3.5mm audio jack adapter included in the retail box
• Active magnetic stylus
• MS Office Mobile document editor
• Excellent Opera 9.5 web browser
• Free WiMAX plan (Yota Russia subscribers only for a limited duration)

Main disadvantages:
• No 3G
• No Back key
• No dedicated camera key, no flash
• Poor camera performance
• Average display sunlight legibility
• No TV out port
• Video recording flops at CIF@30fps
• Battery life not up to scratch
• Fingerprint magnet front (the back is way better though)
• Too big for comfy single-handed use, on the heavy side
• No FM radio

Clearly designed for one market only, the HTC MAX 4G knows it's never going to have the reach or popularity of the Diamond and Touch Pro, or its 3G twin, the Touch HD. Some might even argue that the MAX 4G is barely first team material, just a sub that comes on in that one game. Well, the fact is quite a lot of handsets refuse it stay where they are supposed to (the handset is exclusive to Yota in Russia) and there may be good reasons why people are sneaking them across the border.

Latest Mobile HTC MAX 4G

Nokia N86

2009-09-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

Smart Phone- Nokia N86
Introduction
You may've thought Nokia lost their touch, you may be out of love with the Nseries but the Nseries are always keeping an eye on you. Their wide-angle, variable aperture eye. On you. Whether the Nokia Nseries are making up the ground lost in the megapixel race or claiming back what they believe is rightfully theirs, they seem to have the right leadership to put them back on the megapixel map.

Armed with one of the most advanced cameras in terms of hardware and features you don't just find on every other handset out there, the N86 8MP is keen to take cue from the N85 and shake the Nseries out of their slumber. Now, in case you forgot, it's still the market leader we're talking about here, and that should probably tell why everybody is so worked up.
So, the question as always is whether strong performance will deliver on that awesome promise. And you've got us to help you make a more informed decision about buying Nokia N86 8MP. Given all the comments above, the N86 8MP is more the kind to encourage impulsive spending but you'll choose wisely not to miss our write-up.

Key features
• 2.6" 16M-color OLED display of QVGA resolution (scratch-resistant surface)
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and AF assist light
• 28mm wide camera lens, variable aperture, mechanical shutter, geotagging, time-lapse, camera lens cover, VGA video recording at 30fps
• Symbian OS 9.3 with S60 3.2 UI
• ARM 11 434 MHz CPU, 128MB RAM
• Quad-band GSM support and 3G with HSDPA 3.6Mbps support
• Wi-Fi with UPnP technology
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality and 3 months of free voice-guided navigation (Ovi Maps)
• Dual slide design with dedicated gaming/audio/gallery keys
• microSD card slot with microSDHC support
• Beefy 8GB internal storage
• Built-in accelerometer for UI auto-rotation
• 3.5mm audio jack doubling as TV out port
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS, FM transmitter
• Standard microUSB port and stereo Bluetooth v2.0
• N-gage support plus you get an N-gage game for free
• Digital compass
• Web browser has full Flash and Java support
• Active kickstand
• Nice audio reproduction quality

Main disadvantages
• Camera feature set is last year's stuff (and even older)
• Image processing isn't very well tuned at this moment
• VGA@30fps video is no longer top of the line
• No xenon flash
• HSDPA only 3.6Mbps, no HSUPA
• Poor display sunlight legibility
• No DivX or XviD support (can be installed, possibly requiring a purchase)
• No smart dialing (can be installed as well, but will probably set you back some cash too)
• No office document editing (you upgrade for a fee, while some Eseries phones get that for free)

The Nokia N86 8MP offers advanced camera technologies, combined with the power and maturity of the Symbian OS and the intuitive S60 3rd edition interface. It doesn't get any better than that on paper, and if you aren't all caught up in touchscreen, you're most likely about to check it out.

Smart Phone- Nokia N86

Samsung I7500 preview

2009-09-08T00:39:00.001-07:00

New Smart Samsung I7500 First look
Introduction
For today's show and tell, Samsung's first Android phone is serving Cupcake. The Samsung I7500 a.k.a. Galaxy is the first Google-powered device to come with a 5 megapixel camera and that's just the tip of much improved multimedia skill.
This is just a preview and it should serve to whet your appetite as the I7500 prepares to launch. As soon as we get our hands on a final version, we'll grab our tool bag and make an out-and-out review. For now, we'll just share our first impressions of the device.

Samsung I7500 Galaxy at a glance:
• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, HSDPA 7.2Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps
• OS and CPU: 528MHz CPU with 128MB RAM running latest Android OS v1.5
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar, no keypad
• Dimensions: 115.0 x 56.0 x 11.9 mm, 119 g.
• Display: 3.2" capacitive OLED touchscreen, HVGA resolution (320 x 480 pixels)
• Storage: 8GB, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• Camera: 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, microUSB v.2.0, 3.5mm audio jack
• Misc: Accelerometer sensor, Gesture lock
• Battery: 1440 mAh battery

Version 1.5 of the Android OS brings some very welcome refinements. The on-screen keyboard is obviously one of them, now that Android powers a full touch handset with no keyboard at all. Video recording and playback have also been included - both strangely missing in version 1. Stereo Bluetooth is aboard as well.
There's also some UI polish and plenty of work done under the hood. Extensive bug fixes and improved performance should make the OS even more enjoyable.
Before we begin, it would be fair play to note that in this preview we're using quite an early version of the device and it's not all shipshape. The most noticeable absentees are the camera samples, but the obviously undercooked Camera app does the handset no justice. A good 5 megapixel snapper is a valuable feature and we have every reason to believe Samsung will get it right before launch.

New Smart Samsung I7500 First look

Apple iPhone 3GS

2009-09-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

Latest Smart Apple iPhone 3GS

Introduction
The Apple iPhone 3GS is probably not the next revolutionary iPhone as you might have expected it. But the performance boost, the sharper camera with video and the purportedly improved battery life certainly make of the current iPhone (3GS or whatever it is called this year) a much more balanced smartphone, one that you could probably wave in front your geeky friends more proudly. Well, you'd still get the chilling disapproving look, but at least you won't feel as embarrassed as you used to.
The truth about the iPhone is this - perhaps about 20 million people around the globe are quoted as having given in to the iPhone temptation ever since the frenzy started. Now, 2 years later, the rest of the modern world is already sick to death of hearing all about it.
Once ground-breaking, but still as controversial and inspiring as ever, the iPhone lineup has just received its latest offspring. Meet the iPhone 3GS, where "S" can mean a lot of things, but without a doubt covers all that's needed for "Speed".
Using last year's design but boasting some extra powerful hardware, the iPhone 3GS is supposed to, and indeed is, running up to 2 times better than what Apple have offered us so far. This speed boost doesn't bring substantial new capabilities to the table. Instead it's more like the hardware catching up with what we can still call one of the most advanced and user-friendly touch user interfaces to-date (in the realm of GSM mobile phones, of course).
While the iPhone 3GS and the 3G are most obviously cut from the same cloth, you'd be glad to know that there are some differentiating factors that can perhaps be worth your cash:

iPhone 3GS advantages over iPhone 3G:
• A faster 600MHz CPU and double the RAM at 256MB
• Noticeably faster performance
• Faster network speeds of HSDPA 7.2Mbps
• 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera with VGA@30fps video recording, touch focus with subject tracking, macro mode from as close as 10 cm
• Double the storage space - 3GS is selling in 16GB and 32GB versions
• Digital compass with automatic map orientation in Maps app
• Better audio quality (as recorded and analyzed in our office)
• Louder loudspeaker results (with performance gains primarily in music playback)
• Purportedly better battery life
• Oleophobic display coating supposed to make fingerprints easier to clean
• Voice Control, speaker independent. Can be use to call a phone number, play music by song/album/artist name, shuffle music
• Built-in support for Nike+ jogging system
• TV-out outputs 480p instead 480i resolution
• Text-to-speech feature called VoiceOver is included in the new Accessibility menu
• System-wide Screen Zoom is also included in the Accessibility menu

Main disadvantages of iPhone 3GS
• The new iPhone 3GS lacks the same novelty factor as its predecessors - the lack of design changes is a turn-down
• 3 megapixel camera with limited feature set hardly cuts it for a high-end device
• There's still no flash or hardware shutter key for the camera
• Despite the upgrade, battery life is still generally poor (2-year old iPhone 2G are still doing way better)
• No stereo speakers (or are we pushing it too far already?)

Since the iPhone 3GS is the first iPhone to come with the iPhone OS 3.0 factory preinstalled, we'll most definitely have a detailed look in this review at the changes it brings about - no matter that iPhone 2G and 3G have both received the update for free.

Latest Smart Apple iPhone 3GS

Nokia 5630 XpressMusic review

2009-09-06T03:10:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Nokia 5630 XpressMusic
Introduction

The XpressMusic family has walked a long way – and shed a great deal of weight – since the 5700. The music-centric Finns have always felt at home on Symbian ground though, and the Nokia 5630 is the next step for them and they’re getting smarter and faster. A sharp mind in a fit body, the latest XpressMusic smartphone packs the quickest processor Nokia have offered to date.
XpressMusic is not the Nokia 5630’s only virtue. The subdued exterior reveals little of the talent that lays beneath. Along with the music perks go Wi-Fi, a 3-megapixel snapper, N-Gage support, and S60 FP2 to open the door to a whole world of extra apps.
Of course, it’s not without its flaws but think again before casting the first stone. The 5630 XpressMusic is slim enough – both in girth and price – to dodge its critics.

Key features:
• ARM 11 600 MHz processor
• Quad-band GSM support
• 3G with HSDPA
• 12 mm slim
• 2.2" 16M-color QVGA display of excellent sunlight legibility
• 3 megapixel camera, enhanced fixed focus and dual LED flash
• VGA video-call camera
• Symbian OS with S60 3.2 UI
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g with UPnP technology
• Bluetooth (with A2DP) and microUSB port
• microSD card slot (16 GB supported, 4GB included)
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Dedicated music keys
• N-Gage support
• Ovi Contacts integration
• Contacts bar on the homescreen
• N-Series-like gallery
• Carrying pouch supplied
• Text-to-speech Message reader system application

Main disadvantages:

• Cheap plastic build
• microSD card very hard to eject
• Screen is on the small side for comfortable web browsing or video watching and has inaccurate color reproduction
• Camera has no autofocus and tends to oversharpen images
• Video recording quality is poor and the framerate – low

We quite like the nice little twist the Nokia 5630 XpressMusic brings in terms of looks and substance. Behind its youthful and playful disguise, there is indeed a power smartphone (along the lines of Nokia E52) to meet all your media and connectivity needs.

Exclusive Nokia 5630 XpressMusic

Samsung M8910

2009-09-06T02:56:00.000-07:00

Smart Phone Samsung M8910
Introduction
The Pixon12 is about to be three times lucky. But any way you look at it, it's nothing short of a dozen. Not that we wanted to make that much fuss, but a bunch of 12 megapixel pictures coming from a phone are always worth it. All the more so, when they come out just right. With two quick primers behind us already, we're about to focus on the Samsung M8910 behind the Pixon12.
The Samsung M8910 Pixon12 is a top of the line cameraphone but some may find it guilty of not being a smartphone. It's got the ultimate in still photography but not the best video a handset can offer. It's a dream-come-true upgrade but can the mishaps of the original Pixon spell trouble? Awaiting its official launch, the Pixon12 is standing tall against the odds.
When it comes to capturing your moments and sharing them with the world though, the Pixon12 will hardly let you down. On top of the industry leading camera, the phone has all the connectivity options you may need.

Key features
• 3.1" 16M-color resistive AMOLED touchscreen of 800 x 480 pixel resolution
• 12 megapixel auto focus camera with LED and xenon flash, 28mm (30mm effective) wide-angle variable aperture lens
• Object tracking auto focus, geotagging, image stabilization, Smart Auto mode, face detection, smile detection, smart contrast
• D1 video recording at 30 fps with auto focus and face detection
• Amazingly short shot-to-shot time
• Latest TouchWiz 2.0 UI
• Quad-band GSM support and 3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA support
• Wi-Fi
• GPS with A-GPS
• 150MB onboard storage
• microSD card slot with microSDHC support
• Built-in accelerometer
• TV out
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• microUSB port and stereo Bluetooth v2.0
• Web browser has full Flash and Java support
• Smart Unlock
• Preinstalled GPS navigation software
• DivX/XviD video support
• Good audio quality
• Smart dialing
• Office document viewer

Main disadvantages

• Video recording output isn't on par with the still camera performance
• No smartphone capabilities
• No stereo speakers
• No 3.5 mm audio jack on board (but a 3.5mm adapter is supplied)
• Smart dialing only works for numbers, not contact names

The original M8800 Pixon was dragged down by the lack of some key features and it seems Samsung chose to treat their top cameraphone with more respect this time. The Pixon12 boasts a complete pack of features, including Wi-Fi and SatNav software to go with the embedded GPS chip.

The complete xenon plus LED flash package will go down well with the cameraphone buffs. As a whole, the Pixon12 strives to be the complete imaging device with a wide-angle variable aperture lens and a whole bunch of camera features that Samsung are usually keen to offer anyway

Samsung S8000 Jet review

2009-09-05T17:14:00.001-07:00

Smart Phone Samsung S8000

Introduction

We were impressed in our preview with the new visual upgrades of the TouchWiz interface, which combine the best part of the 3D LG cube and page-organized iPhone menus. But now it's time for the final and deciding round with the Samsung S800 Jet.
Here is the full ammo of the S8000 Jet, along with what might be the deal breakers.

Key features

• 3.1" 16M-color resistive AMOLED touchscreen of 800 x 480 pixel resolution
• 800 MHz processor
• 5 megapixel auto focus camera with dual-LED
• Geotagging, image stabilization, face detection, Smile Shot, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR)
• Latest TouchWiz 2.0 UI with Motion UI, Media Gate 3D, Smart Unlock
• Quad-band GSM support and 3G with HSDPA 3.6 Mbps and HSUPA support
• Wi-Fi
• GPS receiver
• 2 / 8 GB onboard storage
• microSD card slot with microSDHC support
• Built-in accelerometer for screen auto rotate and turn-to-mute
• Proximity sensor for display auto turn-off
• TV out
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• microUSB port and stereo Bluetooth v2.0
• Web browser has full Flash and Java support
• DivX/XviD video support
• DNSe and SRS sound effect
• Smart dialing
• Speaker Call

Main disadvantages
• microSD slot is under the back cover
• No preinstalled GPS navigation software

As the specs suggest, the Samsung S8000 Jet is nothing short of a multimedia monster. The picture is complete with full Flash support - still quite a rarity among today's handsets - DivX/XviD video codecs and great music package. The camera is a high-end snapper with premium features that the LG Arena doesn't have, while the Smart Unlock, Speaker Call and Motion UI just add to its uniqueness.

Smart Phone Samsung S8000

LG GC900

2009-09-05T00:03:00.001-07:00

Smart LG GS900 Review
Introduction
It's 12 and counting for cameraphones but the real thick of action is at the 8 megapixel notch. There goes the next of them exciting imaging gadgets waiting to be put in play. We've got a bit of catching up with the LG Viewty Smart to do since our first rendezvous. But let's quickly review the basics. Whether you call it an LG Arena with a beefier camera or a Viewty on S-Class, we guess we're happy either way. Oh, you can also call it Viewty2, while we go on and check if it's 2 good 2 miss.
Sweet waistline and slick packaging, the Viewty Smart carries quite an impressive feature set including a 3" capacitive touchscreen, 8 megapixel autofocus camera with loads of options and the high-flying S-Class Touch UI. The Viewty is not smartphone kind of smart but the inspired interface and the sharp gadgety looks do give its name some credence.

LG GC900 Viewty Smart key features

• 3" 16M-color capacitive TFT touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• S-Class Touch UI
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA (7.2 Mbps)
• Wi-Fi and GPS receiver with A-GPS
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera, Schneider-Kreuznach optics, LED flash, manual focus, geotagging, image stabilization, multi face detection (up to 3), smile detection
• D1 (720x480 pixels)@30fps, VGA@30fps, QVGA time-lapse and slow-mo video recording
• 1.5GB flash storage, microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot
• USB Mass Storage, TV out
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotate
• Multi-touch input
• DivX and XviD support
• FM radio with RDS
• Dolby for Mobile audio enhancement
• Office document viewer
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages:

• Poor screen sunlight legibility
• Below average image quality
• No voice-guided GPS navigation software available
• No standard USB port and no inbuilt 3.5mm audio jack
• Records video in 3GP format
• Email attachment size limit is 1MB only (both ways)
• Limited DivX/XviD video support
• All-plastic build

LG GC900 is not just another cameraphone but one worthy of bearing the name of the original Viewty. For a bit of household drama, the Viewty Smart will be rightfully expected to outdo another strong performer like the Renoir. And to make the family tree even more intricate, comparison with the Arena will be inevitable. That said, the Viewty Smart sure has style and quality of its own. The feel and looks, the upgrades and the performance sound like a good enough reason for a proper in-depth review. And mind you, the LG GC900 Viewty Smart is not all about the imaging. With an inviting touchscreen platform, complete connectivity set (Wi-Fi and HSDPA), great music and DivX/XviD videos, the Viewty Smart promises a fun and exciting ride.

Smart LG GS900 Review

Nokia 6700 classic

2009-09-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Nokia 6700 Classic Mobile
Introduction
The slim and stylish no-nonsense handset has been a Nokia trademark ever since the 6300 took the world by storm a few years back. However, it's only now after a run of equally popular successors that we realize just how much the Slim Finn changed the rules of the game. And the Nokia 6700 classic is here to say that no matter how simple and seemingly perfect things are, they can always get better.
Not everyone wants a high-end camera, a huge touchscreen or a QWERTY keyboard and - even if they do - not everyone is keen to dish out. The extra features are always welcome to have on board but in the end it's about the core functions of a phone that you want to work and want to work well. They say money can't buy you love but when a handset is great at the basics and looks like a million bucks it has every right to disagree. And the Nokia 6700 classic, like its forerunners, seems to know just how to please a massive crowd.

Key features
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Tri-band 3G with 10Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA
• Slim and sharp
• Solid metal casing and beautiful design
• 2.2" 16M-color QVGA display with excellent sunlight legibility
• 5 megapixel camera, autofocus and LED flash
• VGA video recording at 15fps
• Built-in GPS receiver
• S40 user interface, 6th edition
• Built-in accelerometer sensor
• Tap-for-time and turn-to-mute
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth (with A2DP) and microUSB port
• microSD card slot (16 GB supported, 1GB included)
• Rich preinstalled application package
• Ovi Maps and Ovi Share
• Push notifications
• Dedicated camera key and good image quality

Main disadvantages:
• Memory card slot under the back cover
• Smallish display
• S40 interface feels clunky and out of date
• No smart dialing, multi-tasking or even an office document viewer
• No 3.5 audio jack
• Poor image gallery
• No videocalling

A brief look at the features listed above is enough to convince you that the Nokia 6700 classic is more than a pretty face. However we doubt it that anyone with I-want-features-and-I-want-them-all mentality will put it on top of their shopping list. On the other hand, the extra stuff will be better used to persuade Nokia 6500 classic owners that there is enough there for an upgrade.

HTC Magic

2009-09-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

Inroduction
A cool looking touchscreen carrying a new mobile OS was enough to get the attention of even the most hardened of them techies last time we checked. Fair enough, the HTC Magic isn't groundbreaking but the Cupcake-ful of changes it brings, promise a whole new experience.

Well, for starters the Android sure looks more human. The formidable and weapon-like G1/ HTC Dream needed every ounce of weight to stand its ground. With an honestly lighthearted and disarming approach, the HTC Magic is willing to play by the conventional touchscreen rules. And may as well be eyeing massive sales. Compact dimensions and distinct styling, decent all round functionality and system expandability, the HTC Magic seems to have what it takes to keep both smart and feature phone touchscreens on edge. The second edition of the OS should have dealt with the issues of the forerunner and given the Magic that extra bit of pace. So, what do you call a good platform getting better and a gadget looking more mainstream but still creative enough? We call it good sense but who knows, it may be Magic.

Key features

• Android OS v1.5 Cupcake
• 3.2" capacitive touchscreen of HVGA resolution
• Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528 MHz CPU, 192/288 MB RAM
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
• 3.15 megapixel autofocus camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• GPS
• Trackball navigation
• Accelerometer sensor
• Digital compass
• Compact and stylish body

Main disadvantages

• No video-call camera
• No Flash support in the web browser
• No file transfers over Bluetooth
• No FM radio

In the beginning there was the unforgiving vastness of G1. Come to think of it, mobile phone evolution has always moved from huge to small. Android for one is quite aware and unafraid to press the fast-forward on evolution. Anyway, Google and their HTC counterparts feel confident enough to concentrate on style. Size mattered when they were about to take their first dip in the shark pond. Size matters even more when they're gearing up to beat a legion of seasoned touch screens at their own game.

Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO

2009-09-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO -First Look

Introduction
Samsung are not quite the standard-setter in communicator devices but are obviously keen to have their say. Playing catch up seems well in order for a debut but we guess someone here is set to play for keeps. The Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO is a generously spec'd device that's poised to tackle the best in the class and even raise the bet. While sheer size and scope confine it to a niche, the Samsung communicator might be just the right option for those served by that niche.

Having acquired a pre-release sample of the side-slider PocketPC we are squeezing in a short preview, introducing its most important features. The chunky bloke does give a decent first impression, but handling will be the ultimate test. For starters, let's look at the key items on the Samsung B7610

Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 3.6Mbps
• Form factor: Full QWERTY side-slider
• Dimensions: 112.6 x 57.8 x 16.2 mm, 159g
• Display: 3.5" 16M color (65K effective) resistive AMOLED touchscreen of WVGA resolution
• OS: Windows Mobile 6.1 (upgradable to 6.5), TouchWiz 2.0 UI
• Memory: 1GB built-in storage, 256 MB RAM, hot-swappable microSD (up to 16GB)
• CPU: 800 MHz processor with dedicated graphics accelerator
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto-focus, with dual LED flash and VGA video at 30 fps
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, TV out, 3.5mm standard audio jack
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate and turn-to-mute, FM radio with RDS, DivX/XviD video support, work and leisure modes
• Battery: 1500mAh Li-Ion battery

Samsung are obviously eyeing market penetration at all levels. The B7610 OmniaPRO is their scout in a long colonized territory. HTC.are clearly the key target, though the communicator game is competitive enough with XPERIA, Nseries and Eseries all keen to take the lead.

HTC Hero Phone

2009-09-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

HTC Hero -Born To Rise
Introduction

In the beginning there was G1: the frontline trooper, the mean machine, the expendable GI. Elsewhere, in the HTC discourse, it was hope and vision. Well, it seems the dreamer's Dream is coming true and someone there is really proud with what they've done. HTC Hero is perhaps the most advanced Android to date. And the OS is probably the closest the competition has ever come to the iPhone's touchscreen revelation. The bold lines of the HTC Hero are just a hint at its superior hardware and when it comes to homescreen kit and widgets, it definitely has an edge even over the iPhone.
HTC and their Hero are finally bringing the fledgling new Andorid OS up to speed and up to par. Not that a Hero is badly needed to save the day for either HTC or the Android OS, but inspiration is always welcome. Having made their name in Windows Mobile, HTC probably most appreciate the creative break from the Microsoft mobile OS that's become a habit (and a curse) for them. It would be too much to call it a plan B, but after all business is propelled by competition - even if it's household.

Designwise, the HTC Hero brings even more style to the Android family. Breaking with the full QWERTY heritage but keeping the trademark angled chin, the Hero continues the tradition of slim full-touch phones much along the lines of HTC Magic that we also recently reviewed.
But today's story is a Hero's tale, and you can bet we've got one here to inspect. Let's kick it off with a rundown of the key specs and the main letdowns that we've found so far.

Key features
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
• Heavily customized (in both graphics and performance) Android OS v1.5 (Sense UI)
• 3.2" capacitive touchscreen of HVGA resolution
• Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528 MHz CPU, 288 MB RAM
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with video recording
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and GPS receiver
• Trackball navigation
• Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and turn-to-mute
• Digital compass for automatic navigation of maps
• Multi-touch zooming in gallery and web browser
• Standard miniUSB port for charging and data
• Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)
• microSD card slot with support for up to 8GB cards (2GB one included)
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Direct access to the official Android repository
• Web browser comes with full Flash support
• Smart dialing
• Tethering support right out-of-the-box

Main disadvantages
• No video-call camera
• No FM radio
• No camera flash, dedicated shutter key or lens cover
• Camera features are a bit outdated
• CIF@15fps video recording (352 x 288 pixels) is below par
• No TV-out port
• No voice dialing
• Flash video playback is laggy
• Somewhat limited 3rd party software availability
• No DivX or XviD video support or a third-party application to play that
• Poor MP4 playback performance - barely watchable in video resolution above QVGA
• No Bluetooth file transfers (not without rooting)
• No proper file manager (not without rooting)

The HTC Hero is hitting the shelves in two main colors - white and brown. The white is said to have the supposed advantage of some sort of super duper Teflon coating. No, it won't cook more healthy food for you but should keep away dirt and fingerprints alike.
The brown variety purportedly doesn't have this kind of coating, but we can't really comment on that having not seen both paintjobs. No matter what color you choose however, the frame around the display is finished in very classy brushed aluminum.