Sony Ericsson J132 Entry Level Phone Keep Dust Away

The next Sony Ericsson entry-level phones announced today is the Sony Ericsson J132. Also with torch functions and FM Radio, the J132 is a talk and text phone with FM radio, stereo hands free kit and equip with a dust-resistant keypad.



Everything about the J132 is uncomplicated. Its clear and bright screen coupled with its one-click shortcuts and easy-to-use navigation key means that you are ready to text, search for a number or access the FM radio without fuss. The J132 will be available in Night Black and Heaven Blue in selected markets from Q4 2008.

The J132 will support GSM 900/1800 frequencies and the J132a for US markets will support GSM 850/1900.
Sony Ericsson J132 Specifications

* Display: 65,536 color CSTN, 128×160 pixel
* Phone memory 4MB
* Sizes: 103.0 x 45.0 x 15.0 mm
* Weight: 76.0 gr
* FM Radio
* Talk time: Up to 9 hrs
* Standby time: Up to 450 hrs

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Sprint today announced pricing for Samsung Instinct. When the device launches on June 20, it will cost just $129.99 with a two-year contract after a $

European Commission announced that it had unconditionally approved Nokia’s voluntary tender offer for all the shares in Trolltech ASA. Nokia today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Trolltech.



In addition to the key software assets, the Trolltech team will play an important role in accelerating the implementation of Nokia’s software strategy. This will enable Nokia to accelerate the cross-platform software strategy for mobile devices and desktop applications, and develop our Internet services business.

Oslo Stock Exchange has decided to delist Trolltech ASA. Last day of listing will be June 17, 2008.

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Samsung Instinct Available on June 20 from $129.99

Sprint today announced pricing for Samsung Instinct. When the device launches on June 20, it will cost just $129.99 with a two-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate. Though, Instinct must be activated on a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Customers can choose from Everything plans for individuals starting at $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes or Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families starting at $129.99 per month for 1500 voice minutes to share between two lines.



Instinct has a high-tech look with large, vibrant touch-screen featuring localized tactile feedback, called haptics, which transform the virtual QWERTY keypad and other screen interactions into a sensory experience. The device also offers a Speech to Action button providing many functions using speech activation for calling, texting, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news, weather and search.

As Sprint’s first EV-DO Rev A consumer-centric device, Instinct provides the ability to quickly browse the Web, access business or personal e-mail, share pictures, listen to commercial-free radio and more at broadband speeds. Instinct also provides smooth access to GPS applications including Sprint Navigation, with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions and one-click traffic rerouting as well as Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, providing easy access to directory information on-the-go, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access.

Instinct boasts many advanced features including Visual Voicemail, allowing users to listen to messages in their order of preference and manage them with a simple tap of the screen. This device also provides support for corporate and consumer (POP3 and IMAP) email, multitasking capabilities that allow the user to play music in background mode while surfing the Internet, texting or playing games, a 2.0 megapixel camera with camcorder and expandable microSD memory of up to 8GB. Additional features include advanced stereo Bluetooth 2.0, SMS voice and text messaging with threaded text, picture caller ID and Sprint Mobile Sync.


Instinct comes with everything the user needs to enjoy the device’s full capabilities right out of the box. Contents include a 2GB microSD card that can hold approximately 2,000 songs from Sprint Music Store, two standard 1,000 mAh batteries offering up to 5.75 hours of continuous talk time each, battery-charging sleeve, travel charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with built-in microphone, and carry case with stylus.

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Vodafone UK to Sell HTC Touch Diamond next month

Coming Soon. As stated on Vodafone business section, they will start selling the new Touch Diamond in UK next month. Similar to other phones offered in the business section, you will get a free bluetooth headset and handsfree car kit with your purchase online.

The HTC Touch Diamond description on the page

Feature rich Windows Mobile 6.1 device utilising HTC’s new Touchflow UI. This device is in a tablet form factor meaning it is touch screen only. The Diamond surpasses the iPhone in all aspects, the key differentiator is the inherent flexibility of the Diamond. It comes loaded with Vodafone Email Plus and the Vodafone Sat Nav program. Launch expected in July

Selling Price is not available at the moment. The HTC Touch Diamond is already available in some places, for example Singapore since last week.

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Rumor: HTC to Launch 10 New Models in 2008?

Peter Chou, president and CEO of HTC, told DigiTimes that HTC will launch 10 more phones in the second half of this year. Additional info on the upcoming models is not available. The new models might have also included the Touch Diamond/Touch Pro variant for different regions or service providers. HTC estimates to sell 3 millions of the new Touch Diamond by the end of this year.

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New Samsung W510 and F268 Are Environmentally Friendly

Samsung announced two environmentally friendly mobile handsets, W510 and F268, at the World IT Show in Seoul this week.



W510 is Samsung’s first mobile phone with ‘bio-plastic’ made from natural material extracted from corn. Samsung has been making an effort to develop more renewable and eco-friendly material compared with common plastic produced from petroleum. Samsung F268 and all its accessories, including charger and headset, do not contain BFRs (brominated flame retardants) or PVC.

In addition, Samsung F268 has an alarm function to encourage users to unplug their charger when the device is fully charged. The product is following the Energy Star requirements as well, which are strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Both W510 for the Korean market and F268 for the Chinese market will be launched in June.

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Nokia Map Loader 2.0 beta Available

Nokia today put up the Map Loader 2.0 on their betalabs. The new version now includes a built in online store where you can purchase and download navigation, traffic information and city guide licenses directly to your device.



Nokia Map Loader 2.0 is a PC application for Windows XP and Windows Vista. As long as your phone is connected with PC Suite you can trasnfer the maps or traffic information to your phone. The new online store will accept payment via credit card. License will be sent to you directly after the payment.

According to Nokia

The new “Services” tab will let you browse through Drive*, Drive&Walk*, Traffic* and City Guides before deciding what to buy. In addition, the clear and easy to understand graphical representation will show what region is covered by the license. You will see exactly what you buy before buying.

Selecting “Guides” will let you browse through City Guides and Multimedia Guides from all over the world. Selecting one will show you information on the contents and you can download them directly to your device. It has never been so easy to find the right guide for your destination

Check out more detail here

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New HTC Touch Diamond Might Come with Newer Rom

Most of the users who got their HTC Touch Diamond in Singapore last week have the ROM version 1.35.871.5WWE on their phone. Baronic in xda-developers forum has obtained a newer ROM version 1.37.707.1WWE from a Malaysia distributor and successfully upgraded his Diamond, he bought the Diamond in Malaysia.


There is no official information on the improvements made or bug fixes from HTC. According to Baronic , it has at least fixed the SMS bug where the Diamond do not notify you (sms ringtone alert) when there is a new sms received in stand by mode.

If you got the older ROM version in your new HTC Touch Diamond, you can download the new ROM here, several download links are available in the discuss thread.

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In-car iPhone Cradle Available for Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz now allows the iPhone connection to be fully integrated into the vehicle architecture. The new Apple iPhone cradle allows simple switching between the telephone and audio functions. For ease of use, the iPhone is controlled via the multifunction steering wheel, while the vehicle display is used to indicate the phone status or music functions and information such as the track title and artist.

The Apple iPhone cradle’s exclusive design allows it to be integrated seamlessly into the interior of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The all-new design is based on a black-and-silver colour scheme that adds hallmark Mercedes-Benz touches. A further advantage is the automatic recharging of the iPhone battery whilst the phone is sitting in the cradle.

The fully integrated iPhone is available now for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E‑Class, CLK-Class, CLS-Class, S-Class, CL-Class, SL-Class, M-Class and R-Class. The product will also be offered for the new GLK-Class when this model is launched in October. In Germany, the Apple iPhone cradle retails at € 249 (including VAT) and is obtainable from all Mercedes-Benz dealers.

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Samsung SGH-D780 Gold Plated Edition

Already available in Russia, Samsung has released a Samsung SGH-D780 Gold Plated Edition and become the official phone of Russia’s Olympic team. The Samsung SGH-D780 accepts 2 GSM sim cards. You can have 2 GSM network active at the same time without the need to reboot your phone.

Samsung D780 comes with a 2 megapixel camera, 2.1-inch QVGA TFT, FM Radio, Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0. It is also equipped with a 1200 mAh battery and memory card expansion slot with the support of up to 2GB microSD card.

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Motorola and Kodak Announces MOTOZINE ZN5 in China

Motorola and Kodak today announced MOTOZINE ZN5. Featuring the Motorola’s ModeShift technology, the ZN5 can be used with KODAK easyshare software and easy access to KODAK Gallery or other web sharing sites, pictures are easily moved off the device, allowing consumers to print, share and enjoy their favorite photos whenever they want.



ZN5 puts image capture first, with a high-resolution landscape screen and one of the fastest click-to-click times available. To launch the camera, simply slide open the Kodak lens cover to transform the phone into a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, a Xenon flash, 4GB of optional external memory3 and optimized settings for low-light environments.

With one touch, photos can be viewed right from the home screen; no menus. Pictures can be uploaded via Gallery Link in one simple click and instantly shared to the KODAK Gallery (www.kodakgallery.com) to be viewed, stored and shared with friends and family. ShoZu can be used to upload photos to a variety of social networking sites.

MOTOZINE ZN5 is the first device to carry the MOTOZINE franchise name, Motorola’s new label for its multimedia-optimized devices. For the consumer who thrives on content consumption and creation, products in the ZINE portfolio give them the freedom to shape pop culture, on their terms.

MOTOZINE ZN5 will be first available in China in July 2008 and is expected to roll out around the globe throughout the remainder of the year.

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Palringo to Bring Messaging Service for BlackBerry

Palringo has released its software client for BlackBerry smartphones from Research In Motion. Palringo’s Rich Messaging Service is available for the BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry Curve and BlackBerry 8800 series smartphones.

BlackBerry smartphone users can now easily chat using voice and picture messages as well as traditional text. Further, they can do so with other users of many of the popular PC-based IM services such as AOL’s AIM, Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk through one, easy-to-use Palringo interface. Equally important, they can do so whether sitting at a computer, tapping with a smartphone or Pocket PC stylus, or using a BlackBerry.

Palringo presents a user’s contacts from all services into one combined, presence-aware list, eliminating the need to continually switch between multiple IM tools. In addition, Palringo’s dynamic “vocal instant messaging” combines walkie-talkie style voice chat, the real-time text functionality of IM and the ability to share pictures, all within the context of one “threaded” discussion.

Palringo lets the user set up an unlimited number of groups and send a voice, text, or picture message to all group members at once, a feature with obvious value for corporate as well as social use. (Think fellow employees, alumni, team players and their parents.) Neither does it limit recipients to simply those on the same wireless network. Palringo does not charge at all, unlike other wireless-carrier-supplied text messaging services that charge for each recipient and in some cases per message. While a mobile data plan or Wi-Fi access is required to use Palringo, the service’s instant messages take up very small amounts of data, minimizing costs.

Palringo’s Rich Messaging Service for BlackBerry smartphones is available now for free download at www.palringo.com. The service is also compatible with Windows Mobile, Symbian and Java-based clients, including devices from Nokia, Motorola, LG, Samsung, HTC and Sony Ericsson.

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Business phone launched by Nokia

Nokia announced the launch of a high end business phone E71 to meet the needs of the corporate world. E71 has a 320×240 screen which is very clear and a 3.2 mega pixel camera. E71 supports GPS navigation, Bluetooth 2.0, Edge and GPRS. E71 contains single speaker which is clear enough for ring tones and supports loud music. The battery used in E71 is a 1500mAh battery which does not go down even if constant phone calls and emails are done.

The weight of E71 is just 120 grams and is very convenient to carry and also has a metallic finish which adds to the look of the phone. I feel that this phone is better than the Blackberry.

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Alltel Wireless today announced that it will continue expanding its wireless broadband network in 2008 with the launch of EVDO (evolution data optimiz

Two idle months after its April announcement, Toshiba Information Systems has finally unveiled the Toshiba Portege G810 at the 2008 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The new smartphone is regarded as a fitting device for users that require both full functionality and mobility. Running on a Windows Mobile 6.1 platform, access to various Microsoft Office Mobile applications is readily provided, while e-mail exchanges are facilitated with the handset’s push e-mail feature.

The Portege G810 provides support for HSDPA and HSUPA which allows for broadband-fast web surfing and online transferring of picture and video captured on its front-facing 3-megapixel camera. Its large 2.83”, 320 x 240-megapixel QVGA touch screen has a user interface that is simple and easy to navigate, allowing for an enhanced Windows Mobile experience. The phone also has built-in GPS and A-GPS function, FM radio with RDS, up to 4 GB micro SD card and USB 2.0 support, GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 3G full connectivity, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities.

The sleek and slim Toshiba Portege G810 measures a mere 14 mm thin and comes in a stylish black mirror finish.

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Great Feature-Packed Phone By LG

Viewty is a wide touch screen phone and it can give iphone run for its money. Viewty is a product of LG and it has received the technology award of the year in the category of cell phones. Equipped with a 5.0 mega pixel auto focus camera this phone has boosted mobile photography. The phone looks very similar to a digital camera and it is difficult to differentiate whether it is a phone or camera from the outer look of the phone.

LG Viewty is a very good looking phone which comes in Black, Dark silver

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Alltel Wireless rolls out Rev. A broadband network

Alltel Wireless today announced that it will continue expanding its wireless broadband network in 2008 with the launch of EVDO (evolution data optimized) Revision A technology. Alltel plans an initial rollout of Rev. A to 18 market areas and dozens of cities, including Charlotte, New Orleans, Phoenix and Tampa. Customers using Rev. A will experience average upload speeds of 500-800 Kbps with bursts up to 1.8 Mbps. Upload speeds on the company’s existing broadband network average 50-70 Kbps, with bursts up to 144 Kbps.

Download speeds also will increase. Rev. A download speeds average 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps, with bursts up to 3.1 Mbps. By comparison, downloads on the existing broadband network average 400-700 Kbps with bursts up to 2.4 Mbps.

“Rev. A is the next step in Alltel’s commitment to provide our customers with the fast wireless broadband service they have come to expect in their business and personal lives,” said Jeff Fox, chief operating officer of Alltel Wireless. “As our customers’ needs continue to grow, Alltel’s network is well-positioned to deliver higher speeds and greater capacity for years to come.”



Alltel Wireless customers will need a Rev. A-capable device to access the company’s enhanced broadband network. Rev. A-capable Wireless Internet cards for laptops include the Huawei EC228 USB and the UTStarcom UM 150. Customers with an HTC PPC6800 or the HTC Touch smartphone can make their phones Rev. A-capable by visiting www.htc.com/us/ and downloading the appropriate software. The software is free.

In addition to rolling out Rev. A in select markets, Alltel Wireless will continue to expand its existing EVDO network, which now covers 76 percent of its potential customers. By the end of 2008, Alltel expects to cover about 82 percent of its potential customers with EVDO. Nationally, Alltel Wireless has one of the largest EVDO footprints of any U.S. carrier, covering cities such as Cleveland, Charlotte and Tampa, as well as many smaller communities.

Both versions of Alltel’s Wireless Internet service - EVDO and Rev. A - are available for $59.99 a month and do not require a voice plan in order to qualify. Customers can add unlimited access to 25,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to any Alltel Wireless Internet plan for $9.99.

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Pink Samsung Soul Available in UK

Phones 4u in UK has start selling the Samsung Soul (SGH-U900), in a special pink color. At only 12.9mm thin, Samsung Soul equipped with a 5 megapixel camera. Features such as face detection, image stabilizer and Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) are also equipped in Soul.


With magical touch by DaCPTM, navigation indicators on the keypad of the phone change according to the user’s needs, making navigation of the menus simple, intuitive and direct. The navigation panel’s icons change according to function. Users can enjoy super-fast Internet access through the 7.2 Mbps High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) browser and share images or video taken with the phone.
The Soul is already available with three different colors - ‘Sterling Steel’, ‘Soul Gray’ and ‘Platinum Silver’.

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Nokia Music PC client Updated with Bug Fixes

Nokia has released a new version of the Nokia Music PC client today, which will fix over one hundred defects according to the update news: “Things we have been able to solve include a large number of ‘stability’ type defects, the ‘Unknown Artist’ bug, as well as a number of issues around device connection.”



To upgrade to this new version, you can just install the new version over the old version for Windows XP users. For Windows Vista users, you will have to uninstall your old Nokia Music PC client beta version first and run the new installation file.

The supported devices list has also been extended to include the following devices: N76, N78, N81, N82, N91, N95, N95 8GB, N96, 5220, 5310, 5320, 5610, 6210, 6220, E66, E71.

The new version is also a beta version, where Nokia will release another Beta update after 28th July. The Music Store integration might get activated after 28th July.

You can download the software here

http://www.nokia.com/betalabs/musicpcclient

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Opera Mobile 9.5 Public Beta To Face The Mobile World July 15

The Opera Mobile 9.5 public beta version will finally be available on July 15. This was announced recently by Opera after an extensive delay left everyone hanging as to when they can experience the new mobile web browser’s added features and improvements.


Initially introduced in January, the Opera 9.5 had to be kept under wraps for some time to ensure its overall reliability and conformity with the Web’s latest and most advanced standards. The new 9.5, which is based on the desktop version, has been initially test-driven on HTC Touch Diamond mobile devices. Opera wanted to completely see how the browser would work on one specific phone before releasing it for use with other phone varieties.

The Opera 9.5 public beta version boasts of an intuitive user interface that provides for easy navigation and an overall convenient Web browsing experience. Other features that contribute to this end are tabbed browsing, improved text wrap, page overview, zooming and panning, landscape mode availability, saving of web pages for offline use, history and bookmarks, and Flash and Opera Widgets support. The new Opera 9.5 should be a lot faster than previous versions owing to its new Presto rendering engine.

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Nokia to Acquire Symbian Limited

Nokia today announced it has launched a cash offer to acquire all of the shares of Symbian Limited that Nokia does not already own, at a price of EUR 3.647 per share. The net cash outlay from Nokia to purchase the approximately 52% of Symbian Limited shares it does not already own will be approximately EUR 264 million.



Nokia has received irrevocable undertakings from Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), Panasonic Mobile Communications Co. Ltd. and Siemens International Holding BV to accept the offer, representing approximately 91% of the Symbian shares subject to the offer. Nokia also expects Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. to accept the offer.

The acquisition is a fundamental step in the establishment of the Symbian Foundation, announced today by Nokia, together with AT&T, LG Electronics, Motorola, NTT DOCOMO, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vodafone. More information about the planned foundation can be found at www.symbianfoundation.org.

Symbian Limited is the software company that develops and licenses Symbian OS, the market-leading open operating system for mobile devices. User interfaces designed for Symbian OS include S60 from Nokia, MOAP (S) for the 3G network and UIQ, designed by UIQ Technology, a joint venture between Motorola and Sony Ericsson. A privately-owned company established in 1998, Symbian has its headquarters in London, UK and other offices in the United Kingdom, United States and Asia (Bangalore, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo).

Nokia expects the acquisition to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2008 and is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. On a reported basis, Nokia expects the transaction to be dilutive in 2009, approximately breakeven in 2010, and accretive in 2011. On a cash basis, Nokia expects the transaction to be dilutive in 2009 and accretive in 2010 and 2011. After the closing, all Symbian employees will become Nokia employees.

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Motorola Deals With Tough Times

Skies have been cloudy lately for cellular phone maker Motorola . After ceding its number 2 mobile phone manufacturer global ranking to Samsung last year, Motorola has recently announced the postponement of some of its projects, and that it would apportion the size of its research laboratories to roughly 300, while transferring a number of people to other units.


The move came as a result of the company’s massive market share losses, which also prompted it to spin off its cell phone business in 2009. To cushion the effect of this cost-reduction on Motorola’s 66,000-strong workforce, opportunities for eligible employees in other parts of the company are being eyed. Aside from its mobile phone business, Motorola also has a network equipment and set-top boxes unit and government and public safety business concerns.

The company’s loss-making trend in the mobile phone market has been partly attributed to the sharp criticism of its handset designs and its failure to introduce a strong follow-up to its famed Razr phone series.

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Nokia N78 Hits US Shores

Nokia’s latest Nseries device, the N78, has made its way into the US mobile phone market. Bannered by features like GPS with geotagging and sharing via Ovi, FM transmitter and HSDPA connectivity, there is definitely a lot that can be done on a Nokia N78 handset.

Among other top-rate features, the N78 supports 8GB on an optional microSD which is great news for those who like carrying their multimedia favorites with them. Playing music through your car stereo using the FM transmitter gets rid of any extra accessories. Useful widgets for sports, weather, news and more are also available. It also boasts a 3.2 megapixel camera.

At $560, the N78 will be available in Nokia flagship stores in Chicago and New York.

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Twitterrific Spices Up The iPhone

Apple’s cute little blue bird has lately been enjoying standout status at the Apple site in line with its upcoming inclusion in the App Store. Only this time, the craze is about the iPhone and iPod Touch version of the popular Twitter application, Twitterrific.

Basically all the signature Twitterrific attributes are present, and even those who are totally new to the Twitter application should be able to figure everything out intuitively. But, owing to the iPhone’s beefed-up capabilities, there is a lot more tinkering possible.

Also worth noting is the application’s touchscreen interface which was designed with efficiency and ease of use in mind. Buttons are situated comfortably and there is even a setting that applies to left-handed users.

Twitterrific bagged the Apple Design Award for best iPhone Social Networking Application recently, which creates even more stir among consumers excited about its upcoming release.

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A Peek At Casio’s Latest For Verizon: The G’zOne Boulder

Loyal aficionados of the brawny G’zOne phones have good reason to rejoice after word came out on the upcoming Verizon release of yet another G’zOne ruggedness. The upcoming successor of the G’zOne Type-S will be aptly called Boulder.

A quarter inch thinner than its predecessor at 2.02 inches by 3.94 inches by 0.91 inch, the Boulder features a 1.3-megapixel camera and Verizon’s next-generation Push To Talk service – the EV-DO REV. A, which resembles Sprint’s QChat technology. Of course, the Boulder still comes clad in the traditional G’zOne “everything-proof” shell.

With G’zOne phones, multiple color options are always expected. But in the case of the Boulder, color matters turn a notch wilder than before as it will be available in Black Silver and Orange.

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Sony Ericsson Sets New Standards With The C905 Cyber-shot Phone

A cam-equipped phone? A phone-equipped cam? These are the kinds of questions popping up once faced with Sony Ericsson’s most advanced camera phone, the new Sony Ericsson C905.

Not only does the C905 take pride as Sony Ericsson’s first ever Cyber-shot slider handset, but it dares to stand out even more with its boastworthy 8.1-megapixel camera. You read it right, 8.1. And it’s worth reminding the reader, it’s a Cyber-shot camera phone not a Cyber-shot digicam.

Regarded as a real alternative to a digital camera, the C905 comes packed with Xenon flash, auto-focus face detection, 16x digital zoom, photofix, red-eye reduction, smart contrast, and image stabilizer features, all for a most convenient and top-quality image capturing experience. Video-wise, the C905 supports video recording and complements this with video light and stabilizer functionalities. Everything is viewable on its 2.4-inch, 240 x 320-pixel TFT display. Uploading pictures and videos to the PC is quick and easy through USB adaptor. But if you wish to just leave the multimedia stuff in the handset, its 2GB Memory Stick Micro should provide plenty of storage room.

The C905’s other notable features include a 160MB phone memory, GPS, Bluetooth, modem synchronization, and USB mass storage. The phone also supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS/HSDPA.

The Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot’s charming good looks will be accentuated even more with its three available colors – Night Black, Ice Silver and Copper Gold. Release date for the Cyber-shot slider handset starts Q4 of the current year, only in selected markets.

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China Gets First Taste of Motorola A1600 And A1800

Motorola hopes to arrest the negative press they’ve been getting lately by releasing their A1600 and A1800 smartphones. Packed with features like touchscreens, GPS with geotagging and a 3.0 megapixel camera with continuous autofocus, these Linux-powered ultra-modern smartphones have been reported to be available in small mobile phone shops in China.

The A1600 and A1800 are similar in appearance, but the A1800 allows users to connect to two networks simultaneously, and it features triband GSM with CDMA support. The A1600 lacks a 3G radio and a WiFi receiver.

Current reports indicate that both devices might never leave China. Release dates and pricing information are also being withheld. All that’s certain is that the A1600 and A1800 have both been confirmed for production.

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Low Manufacturing Costs And Wireless Carrier Subsidies Mark Down 3G iPhone Price

With a $199 price tag, the new 3G Apple iPhone is very affordable – a fact attributed primarily to low production costs. Reports had it that a total of only $173 is spent producing one of these smartphones, a figure that is inclusive of both hardware bill of materials (BOM) and manufacturing costs.

Furthermore, Apple will be offering the 3G iPhone to wireless service carriers for $499, of which $300 is subsidized by said carriers – a common business model for the mobile handset market. This is in contrast to last year’s 2G iPhone that went for the same price without any subsidies. This time, Apple will no longer take a portion of the wireless carriers’ service subscriptions revenue, which is why it is important that they take a profit through the subsidies.

In the future, the BOM/manufacturing costs will decrease as the component prices decline, which will allow for an even higher BOM/manufacturing margin.

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Rumor: More Blackberry KickStart Pictures Leaked

Vincent from SlashGear has got himself a ROKR E8 at the 2008 Motorola Holiday Gift Guide Preview earlier, check out his unboxing video here!

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ezGear’s New ezSkin Cases: Your iPhone’s Bodyguard

A lot of sectors in the mobile phone industry have been suiting up for the much-awaited arrival of the 3G iPhone ; and, case and accessories maker ezGear is certainly not to be left behind.

This time around ezGear is ready to dress and armor up the new iPhone with its new line of ezSkin silicon cases – the Landau and the Plus.

ezSkin Landau fits the iPhone 3G as a lightweight case that comes with a transparent plastic film protection for the phone’s touchscreen. Available in white, black and pink, the Landau allows smooth and easy access to all ports, buttons and switches, and sports ezGear’s patented “ezButton” feature that takes care of the iPhone’s power and volume controls. The Landau costs $15.

The ezSkin Plus, meanwhile, offers reinforced protection and some added features for the iPhone. Providing over-all safeguard protection, the Plus features a spring-loaded belt clip and a thicker static transparent protector that covers the touch-screen better than the Landau does. As to be expected, ezSkin Plus carries a bumped up price tag of $20, and comes also in white, black and pink.

ezGear announced July 8 to be the shipping date for the new ezSkins. ezGear is today’s leading maker and marketer of iPod accessories.

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SoftBank Mobile Announces iPhone 3G Service Price Plans

Vincent from SlashGear has got himself a ROKR E8 at the 2008 Motorola Holiday Gift Guide Preview earlier, check out his unboxing video here!

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SoftBank Mobile Announces iPhone 3G Service Price Plans

SoftBank Mobile in Japan will start selling the iPhone 3G from from July 11, 2008 (Friday), according to the company announcement yesterday. It has also announced the applicable price plan. The iPhone 3G will be available at 23,040 yen (215 USD) for the 8GB model and 34,560 yen for the 16GB model.


The price plan provided for iPhone 3G will be ‘White Plan’. It offers free domestic voice calls between SoftBank handsets from 1:00 to 21:00 and a SoftBank original mail service with receipt notification ‘Email’ for free. Other basic price plans such as the ‘Blue Plan’ (12 in total) and the ‘Orange Plan’ (10 in total) will also be offered in order to enable customers to subscribe to their preferred price plan.

A new service - ‘Packet Flat-rate Full’ (5,985 yen/month) - enabling customers full access to web browsing, video and map services regardless of the communication charges will be introduced. In addition to the basic price plan iPhone 3G users will be required to subscribe to ‘Packet Flat-rate Full’ and ‘S! Basic Pack’ (315 yen/month).

In summary, a white plan subscriber will have to pay 980 yen (White Plan Basic) + 5,985 yen (Packet Flat-rate Full) + 315 yen (Basic Pack), which is a total of 7,280 yen (67 USD) a month. Doesn’t sound cheap at all!

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Nokia N78 “over-the-air” software version 11.043 released

Nokia has release a small software update for Nokia N78. The software update includes improved stability with Bluetooth (headsets and car kits) and music (playback over a long time and content refresh). This release also includes optimized Camera performance and Naviscroll sensitivity improvements.


To obtain this software update, you will have to connect your phone to the internet using WiFi or wireless data network, click Menu > Tools > Utilities > Device Manager. Select Options > Check for updates and follow the on-screen prompts. A total 2MB file will be transfered to your N78 directly.

Nokia Software Updater can not be used with this update.

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MOTOROKR E8 Available at T-Mobile USA on July 7

The new ROKR E8 from Motorola is set to be available exclusively from T-Mobile USA beginning July 7, 2008. Targetting at music lovers, ROKR E8 features Motorola’s ModeShift technology, which transforms the device from phone to music player with the touch of a button.


When powered off, the surface of ROKR E8 is smooth, with no visible keys. Power on the device and it presents a virtual numbered keypad on the front surface. With one “press” of the virtual music key, the phone keypad disappears and control keys for the music player — play, pause, fast forward
and rewind — appear in its place.

Using vibrating haptics technology, the device provides the tactile feedback consumers expect from a traditional keypad, providing confirmation they have pressed a virtual key.
variable-speed touch control that lets consumers easily scroll through all of the content stored on the device. With a gentle slide of the thumb, the wheel quickly scrolls through your music (music mode), contacts (phone mode), calendar (phone mode), or multimedia (imaging mode) content. Information is easily viewed on the landscape 2.0″ QVGA display. In music mode, ROKR E8 delivers great sound through a three-dimensional stereo feature that enhances two-channel audio and an on-board equalizer. Music can be enjoyed on the built-in speaker, with a compatible Bluetooth(R) enabled stereo headset, or through a wired headset plugged into the 3.5mm jack.
ROKR E8 also helps consumers discover new music with a built-in FM radio and support for Song ID. The 2GB internal memory can store up to 1,500 songs, and the external memory is expandable up to 4GB with an optional microSD card. Music transfers quickly with USB 2.0. The device is compatible
with Windows Media Player 11 on the PC, which also provides access to more than 200 online music stores.

In phone mode, ROKR E8 provides outstanding voice quality using Motorola CrystalTalk technology. The powerful device can receive calls while downloading or playing music, text messaging or surfing the Web.

Summary of key features in ROKR E8:

* Dimensions: 115 x 53 x 10.6mm
* Quad Band; GPRS/EDGE class 12
* Weight: 100 grams
* Battery: 970mAh
* Display: 2.0” QVGA 240×320 262K TFT
* ModeShift technology transforms the device from phone to music player to imaging device with thetouch of a button
* FastScroll navigation wheel allows for scrolling through songs, contact and image library with theslide of a thumb
* haptics technology provides tactile response when a virtual key is pressed
* 2GB internal memory;
* external memory support up to 4GB capacity
* Microsoft music ecosystem support
* 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, stereo Bluetooth wireless technology (A2DP)
* 2.0megapixel camera with 8x zoom, multi-shot feature, video capture and playback
* Airplane mode to play uninterrupted music in the air
* MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, Enhanced AAC+, WMA, WAV, AMR-NB, Real Audio (RA) v10
Crystal Talk technology
* Full HTML browser
* Connectivity: Stereo Bluetooth Class 2, USB 2.0 Hi-speed, GPRS Class 12, EDGE Class 12

ROKR E8 will be available beginning July 7, 2008 at select T-Mobile retail stores and online at http://www.t-mobile.com. For more information on ROKR E8, visit http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/rokre8/ or http://www.t-mobile.com

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Rumor: Upcoming GSM Treo 850 Named Treo Pro

The CDMA world has already got the new generation of Treo smartphone, the Treo 800w. For the rest of the GSM mobile network users, the Treo 850w is coming soon with built in WiFi and GPS. There is no announcement date yet, but a Treo 850w hardware feature walkthrough flash site has been discovered on palm website is giving us a clue that it will be arriving soon. The Treo 850w could be named Palm Treo Pro and you can see its hardware design in details here.



The Treo Pro will be running the windows mobile 6.1 professional. Similar to the upcoming Treo 800w, it will come with built in WiFi and will be using a micro-USB connector for battery charging and desktop sync. Note that these specs might not be the final list.

Os: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
Size: 60 x 113 x 14 mm (W x L x T)
Display: 320 x 320 pixel TFT touch screen
GSM
HSDPA 3.6 Mbps / EDGE
A-GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth
2 megapixel camera
micro-SD card slot
micro-USB connector
256 MB NAND-Flash (> 175 MB for user) / 32 MB SDRAM
Palm has also been reported to have ordered 5 millions units of Treo smartphone from Compal manufacturer in Taiwan. Expect to see more Treo on the street soon!

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Samsung Introduces Software to Increase Efficiency of Embedded Memory Solutions for Smart Phones

Samsung is introducing software designed to optimize the performance features of its proprietary embedded flash memories: OneNAND, Flex-OneNAND and moviNAND, in smart phones, using the major mobile operating systems - Windows Mobile (CE), Symbian, Linux, and RTOS (real-time operating system).


“The new software, which significantly upgrades performance of our embedded memory solutions, is expected to make OneNAND and other high-performance, high-density memory solutions such as the 16GB moviNAND even more desirable for advanced handsets, speeding the adoption rate of Samsung’s embedded memory solutions,” said Young Joon Choi, vice president, Memory Division, Samsung.

The new file system/flash driver combination, when working with any of the memory chips and the operating system, will boost performance through faster booting, downloading and searching. This results in improving multimedia intensive operations common in smart phones, 3rd generation phones, digital still cameras, digital camcorders, memory cards, and digital TVs.

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Motorola ZN200 Slider Phone Available This Quarter

Already introduced last month in Brazil, Motorola has now listed the Motorola ZN200 on their global website. MOTO ZN200 comes with a 2 megapixel camera, music player and CrystalTalk technology. Press the dedicated camera key to launch imaging mode and only the keys you need are illuminated, making it easy to capture video clips and still images.


With up to 2GB external memory, in addition to 30MB of internal memory, the MOTO ZN200 also features an MP3 player and FM radio allowing users to enjoy music anytime. In phone mode, the MOTO ZN200 has a fashionable, slider look and provides best-in-class audio with CrystalTalk technology that allows user to hear and be heard, even in noisy environments. Status icons on the top of the device provide instant updates on missed calls, new messages and Bluetooth activity. The premium looking phone includes chrome plated keys and medallions, high-gloss metallic patterns on the back, and three sharp color options.

Dimensions 47 x 105 x 15.9 mm
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
GPRS/EDGE
Weight: 115 grams
Battery: BC50 (810mAh)
Display: 1.9″ 176×20 262k TFT
2 MP Camera with 8x zoom (fixed focus)
MP3 player + FM radio
Video Capture and Playback at 15-20 fps
CrystalTalk Technology
2 GB microSD support, plus 30MB internal memory
Bluetooth
USB 2.0

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