T-Mobile Dash 3G with packing Windows Mobile 6.1, the Dash doesn’t have anything groundbreaking under the hood; no landmark features besides the usual 3G, WiFi, 2.0 MP camera, bluetooth, to name a few.
While I believe that the faster a processor the better, I was glad to see a decent 528 MHz processor included in such a small smartphone. Not wonderful, but not terrible either (in comparison, the iPhone 3G’s processor is 400 MHz).
Comparison of the T-Mobile Dash 3G to HTC Snap and Ozone
Is the Dash 3G identical to the Snap and Ozone, or did T-Mobile throw in a few of its own flavors? Turns out there are some differences.
The Ozone, for example, adds visual voicemail and replaces the trackball with a standard navigation pad. Both the Ozone and Dash 3G use WiFi, whereas the Snap S511 does not.
The Snap, on the other hand, lacks WiFi and trackball but offers HTC’s new Inner Circle feature announced at CTIA 2009. Inner Circle allows high-priority emails to jump to the top of your inbox for immediate reading, amidst the flood of other less important emails that can wait a day or two before responding.
Now on to the Dash 3G. As mentioned above, the Dash is the only version that comes with a trackball (which is a great addition in theory, but I will talk more on that later) as well as T-Mobile’s now famous MyFaves.
Small differences also abound in out-of-box memory. The Dash 3G has 192 MB, while the ozone has the most at 256 MB and Sprint’s Snap the least at under 128.
While my goal is not to review all 3 versions of this device, it is nice to know what T-Mobile decided to leave in and take out of the Snap in order to make it their own.
My first impression when feasting upon the Dash 3G with mine own eyes was the size — or lack thereof. I found the Dash to be a very comfortable fit in my hand, and didn’t feel any awkwardness carrying it around.
After playing with the Dash, I was surprised to learn that the screen only used a QVGA 320 x 240 display because the resolution looked crisper and sharper than that. The size of the screen itself isn’t huge, just 2.4″, so that may contribute to the sharper screen.
I was not terribly fond of the keyboard due to its cramped feel. In a smartphone of this size I know it’s difficult to design a keyboard that feels spacious, but others have succeeded (the Nokia E71, for instance). HTC tried hard to make it work despite the challenge, but I had a difficult time nevertheless. I spent too much time trying not to press two keys at once, and it grew frustrating. With that said, I’m sure typing on the device gets better over time, but it’s hard to know for sure since I only have a limited time with the Dash.
One other thing I noticed about the keyboard was that the second row was aligned differently than the others. When typing “the”, I would repeatedly hit the J button because that’s where I’m used to the H button being. Instead, the H was almost directly below the T.
All of the soft keys on the top of Dash’s keyboard had a bubble-type look to them, which I assume was done to ensure there was enough room to fit them all. They still feel too cramped, however.
Only one button, the volume key, adorns the left side of the Dash. On the right side, a mini-USB charger port. HTC chose to go with a more simplistic style on the side, likely to add to the elegant look of the Dash. Even the volume keys are hard to pick out from a distance because it blends so well with the rest of the phone.
The back of the Dash is just as elegant and simplistic, opting to have only the 2.0 MP camera.
Overall, I loved the look and design of the Dash 3G. Just by looking at it I can tell it’s a well thought-out device; unfortunately, improving the design led to a few other inconveniences. The keyboard, as an example, we already talked about.
I had mixed feelings about the trackball. Having used the Blackberry Pearl for a year and a half, I grew comfortable with its trackball and it drives me nuts when I have to use a traditional 4-way navigation pad. The issue I have with the trackball on the Dash 3G is the sensitivity. I adjusted the trackball’s settings from top to bottom, but it was either way too sensitive or not sensitive enough. There was no comfortable middle ground that made me feel like it was a smooth flow from point A to point B.
One major design flaw is the lack of speakerphone quick key. When I want to switch to speakerphone in the middle of a conversation, I still need to go into Menu -> Turn on Speakerphone; it would be much more convenient to have one simple key I could press to enable this feature.
Features of the Dash 3G
The shining star of the HTC Snap, when announced at CTIA 2009, was its new Inner Circle email feature. It was going to be available on only the Snap to begin with, and eventually would spread to other HTC devices in the future. The Dash 3G came with Inner Circle surprisingly absent.
Besides that, the Dash 3G doesn’t add much new stuff to the table. Yes, it’s full of good features that we have all come to love and expect in a credible WinMo smartphone, but nothing that would make us fall in love with the Dash over any other similar device.
The processor isn’t half-bad, at 528 MHz; the 2.0 MP camera does come with video recording capability, but I would like to see every new smartphone at this particular price point ($149) come with 3.0 MP or higher.
WiFi connected perfectly fine, but had a couple issues. When I ran the native YouTube application, I ran video clips on both my WiFi network and the EDGE (since my region doesn’t have T-Mobile 3G yet), and I couldn’t tell any difference in download speed on my WiFi network. Frankly, this was rather disturbing as I should have a much-improved speed. Yet I was left waiting for almost a minute as the 4-minute clip buffered.
There were also a couple instances when the WiFi mysteriously disconnected and reconnected later, without any prompting on my part. I cannot tell for sure if this was the Dash 3G or my own network, so I can’t put too much stock into this claim yet.
The MicroSD slot is capable of recognizing cards of up to 32 GB. There were no issues putting music on and playing it on Windows Media Player through my stereo bluetooth headset.
Surfing the internet worked okay on EDGE, though it is difficult to see a website in its entirety given the smaller screen size. I was happy to see that the trackball actually worked quite well in this department (on sensitive mode), as it allowed me to scroll down through Internet Explorer faster. Dash 3G does support HSDPA with up to 7.2 Mbps speeds, so I imagine internet surfing is a much better experience in cities that have been blessed with T-Mobile 3G coverage.
I enjoyed the easy email setup. Setting up Gmail and Yahoo was a breeze, and the inbox was easily accessible through WinMo’s sliding panels on the Today screen. SMS and MMS also was a great experience on the Dash 3G due to Windows Mobile’s integration of threaded conversations into 6.1.
The GPS is open and well integrated with both Google Maps and Telenav Navigation. This is good news because several similar smartphones typically disable GPS so they only work with the carrier-endorsed Navigation apps. The Dash also has a QuickGPS app that locates multiple satellites fast.
Interestingly, the Hotspot @ Home service is absent on the Dash 3G. I find this a little odd since T-Mobile graciously includes WiFi on many of its phones to enable this feature, so why was it left out on this particular phone?
There is no word on if the Dash 3G will be upgradeable to Windows 6.5; if it isn’t, your phone will be dreadfully obsolete within just a few months of purchasing it.
One of my favorite features was the shortcut button on the bottom right of the keyboard. The button is completely customizable and can handle two different shortcuts. Quick-press the key for one shortcut; hold the key down for 3 seconds for another. I chose to use voicedial as my primary shortcut, which enabled me to speed dial contacts as well as other apps.
Performance of the T-Mobile Dash 3G
A couple notes on performance. Battery life is rated at 5 hours talk time and 480 hours standby. That’s average for a 3G smartphone, though with a 1500 mAh battery I’d like to see its life a little longer. It just goes to show how much of a battery-drainer 3G and GPS truly are; obviously if you will be relying on these two features more than the actual phone, expect the battery life to be sucked dry rather quickly. If you’re using GPS for navigation, plan on getting a car charger.
As mentioned earlier, I was unable to test 3G so I was forced to rely only on EDGE and WiFi, which I had mixed results on. WiFi didn’t work so great in certain apps such as YouTube, but worked just fine in Internet Explorer. Comm Manager was a handy tool on the Dash, which gave me the ability to handle all of my wireless connections from one spot.
I had no problems resulting from dropped calls and the audio quality worked rather well. I was very impressed by the volume of the speakerphone itself — I could listen to callers and my music without needing extra assistance.
Certainly the Dash 3G has its share of pros and cons; I applaud the brilliant design and overall size, but feel that some crucial features were either dumbed down or just left out completely. It’s a good performing Windows Mobile non-touchscreen phone but there’s nothing about it that makes us feel like we’re using a device with unique or special qualities.
read
Philips Xenium X650 slider another Xenium phone from Philips.Just like any other Xenium, your Philips X650 will last a month on a stand-by and give you up to 8hrs of talk time.Of the additional functionality of its new items, the company pointed to a built FM-radio with RDS, MP3 player with support for microSD memory cards, as well as support for wireless technology, Bluetooth, a profile including A2DP, which allows to transmit stereo sound.
Full specs of Philips Xenium X650 include:
* GSM (900/1800/1900MHz), GPRS, connectivity
* 2.4” 240X320px 262K color TFT LCD display
* 3.2 mpx autofocus camera
* FM radio
* 30MB internal memory and microSD card slot
* Bluetooth and USB connectivity
* Up to 720 hours of standby time.
* Up to 8 hours of talk time.
* Dimensions : 104.5X52X16.75mm
* Weight : 133.9g
read
Sony Ericsson Xperia x1 actually feels very solid. It’s a good weight. I’m one of the few people who don’t really care for a light phone. I like my units with a little heft in them. It’s mostly metal with the exception of the silver edge around the phone. Another thing that’s really interesting about the Xperia is that it’s the most un-Sony like phone I’ve ever met.
It takes a standard Mini USB cable to charge it, it takes standard MicroSDHC cards for memory and it takes a standard 3.5 mm jack for headphones.
Once the unit is turned on, it works like any standard Windows 6.1 device which is unfortunate. After being used to TouchFlo 3D on the Fuze along with other add-ons from other Windows ROMS, it makes the Xperia experience almost inadequate. The one thing that really didn’t work well for me was the design decision for this device to be a stylus- driven device. First is the physical aspects. While the unit itself is beautiful to look at and beautiful to touch, I really didn’t like the fact that the raised edges of the screen. It made it very difficult to get to menu items close to the edge of the screen. This problem was compounded by the very small size of the standard menus. Another thing that didn’t work well for me was how cumbersome it was to get to common apps like email, contacts and calendar. I either had to click on start menu and select the app I want or press the panel button, select a panel that had quick access to the information I want and then click on the icon that represented the information I want.
When I first looked at the keyboard for the Xperia, I was really looking forward to using it because in comparison to the cramped keyboard configuration on the Fuze, the Xperia looked like it was going to be a lot easier to type with. I quickly learned this was not necessarily the case. Granted, it takes a bit of adjustment to get used to a new keyboard but I found typing on it a bit clumsy. A couple of things I really missed when in comparison to my Fuze was arrow keys and shortcuts to apps like contacts, calendar and email. I found having to take my fingers off the keyboard to access apps very inefficient and resulting in a lot of frustration. Sony also implemented a feature called the optical joypad. The joypad basically sits on top of the directional pad giving the user the option of either using the raised edges as a standard directional pad or the recessed plain as a touchpad. Unfortunately I found myself constantly selecting the wrong menu choices because my fingers would accidentally slip just before making the selection causing me to do something unexpected frequently. The good news is that you can turn off the option. I can’t really think of any circumstances where the joypad would actually be usable because of the raised edges for the directional pad.
Outside of the hardware and operating system issues, the default software that comes pre-installed with the Xperia is both old and unimpressive. Outside of the standard Windows Mobile offerings (i.e. Microsoft Office for Mobile), the only 3 applications that come preinstalled - Handango InHand, Google Maps and Opera. The problem I have with Handango InHand is that it doesn’t allow you to try the software before you buy. There’s only the option to purchase. I love Google Maps and Opera but the version installed was about a year old and so was Opera. Given that it’s supposed to be a premier phone, I would have expected that newer versions of both those software would have come pre-installed. The Panels concept is great in theory but the implementation of it was really poor especially when you compare to other choices that you have in terms of Today Screens like SPB Mobile Shell and PointUI. I didn’t like any of the default panels and the one most useful for me was the Facebook panel.
My impressions on sound, RF and screen were neutral. I liked having the standard 3.5 mm jacks for headphones but the sound quality while playing MP3s were neutral. This is partly because I’m not much of an audiophile. Testing RF on the phone is tough because it’s not one of the things I notice with my phone. In my day-to-day life, I get constant signal or it doesn’t degrade enough for it to make a big difference for my use. The spec on the Xperia X1 screen is a mind-blowing 800 x 480. Unfortunately, it was quite underwhelming. My impression when I first go the Fuze was that I was completely in love with it. I didn’t get the same feeling looking at the Xperia.
But all is not lost. There are several things that work really well. The GPS on the Xperia was incredibly fast. This is the first phone I’ve had that I was able to get co-ordinates while not being outdoors or sitting next to a window. Another qualitative thing about this phone is that it seems to download information much faster than any of the other phones I’ve had. RAM usage for this phone is really low. It typically takes only about 40% of available RAM unlike the Fuze which takes close to 51% on boot up. Since I usually have my phones charged all the time, I was quite surprised when the Xperia reported about 50% use of battery after the end of the work day.
In summary, I don’t regret buying the Fuze for my use. It’s much better suited for how I use my phone. The hardware is quite nice and the drivers that come with the device drivers make this an exceptionally quick phone. I also like the fact that it’s an HTC built device so the community support for the phone should be good. Hopefully most of the issues outside of the raised edges can be dealt with through community developed apps.
read
Motorola launched a new program called Motodev this new platform is seen as something in line with the rapid growth of the Android platform. According to the company, the MOTODEV is aimed at offering developers a new suite of Google Android developer tools and programs, as well as advanced training and information-gathering at the MOTODEV Summit in San Diego, CA, on October 6. Inside Motodev one will find the App Accelerator Program and Motodev Studio for Android Beta.Through the Accelerator Program, select developers will be given access to tools, specs, and other resources, such as direct access to the company’s developer support engineers via private discussion boards. In addition, they will also have exclusive prerelease access to Motorola’s upcoming devices for testing and debugging.
the MOTODEV Studio for Android Beta. This is a development tool using the Eclipse interface for creating, debugging and testing applications. According to Motorola, it will give developers handset emulators and virtual testing labs; interfaces for deploying applications; application creation wizards and frequently used code templates; and access to marketing and distribution channels.
read
HTC Touch Pro2 smartphone from Telus via Best Buy Mobile has confirmed that the TELUS (NYSE: TU) HTC Snap and HTC Touch Pro2 are ‘coming soon’. Rumored pricing to purchase the HTC Snap outright is sitting at $449.99, while the Touch Pro2 is coming in at $549.99. The Telus HTC Touch Pro 2 at Best Buythe will be lovely one as it has the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Telus hasn’t even officially announced the new phone nor has the carrier priced the device yet. BUt, in the flyer, all details within are ‘good until July 30th’
To Refresh you the smartphone features a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2MP shooter with auto-focus, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, a microSD (HC) card slot, an FM radio with RDS and a 528Mhz Qualcomm CPU.
read
Samsung Mondi Available WiMAX-Enabled At August 1st has announced the commercial availability on Sprint Clearwire network in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Portland. As the first U.S. device to make use of WiMAX, the Mondi is sure to grab a lot of attention, despite being limited geographically - even then, we’re hearing that WiMAX will roll out to 10 major American cities by the end of the year. Odds are we’ll see more mobile devices in this vein taking advantage of WiMAX, while LTE will lure in more traditional handsets. Will had a look at the Mondi back at CTIA, and it was a pretty smooth device - a widget-enabled user interface has been painted on top of Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and it comes with plenty of handy preloads, like Fring, Gypsii, Route 66 GPS navigation, and Opera 9.5. The specs aren’t anything to sneeze at, either:
* 4.3″ touchscreen, 800 X 480 resolution
* Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, WiMAX connectivity
* 4 GB on-board storage
* 3 megapixel camera
* HDMI video out
If this is your bag, the Mondi will cost you $349 on a 2-year Clearwire contract, $449 with no strings, and will be available at Best Buy.
Sony Ericsson Xperia (X5?) Android phone aka “Rachael” has got a big touchscreen display, and is built on Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon platform. Snapdragon has some pretty amazing amazing specs – up to 1 GHz CPU, HD video decoding ,12mpx camera, GPS, broadcast TV and Wi-Fi support. Though it remains to be seen which of them make it into a new SE Android handset.
Sony Ericsson Android game confirmed by retailer Expansys now that they have a preorder page up. Code-named Rachael, and branded as the X3, Expansys offers a healthy spec sheet:
* 4″, 800 x 400 touchscreen
* 2G: 850/900/1800/1900 (Quad-Band)
* 3G: 900/2100 (Dual-Band); HSDPA (10Mbps), HSUPA (2Mbps)
* 8 megapixel camera with autofocus and 8 x digital zoom
o LED Flash
o Image Stabilization
o Smile Shutter
o Face Detection
o VGA Video Recording
* POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, MS Exchange e-mail
* miniUSB, 3.5mm AV connector
* Bluetooth (2.1), Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11g), AGPS
The Hero’s nice and all, but considering we heard the X3 is going to be packing a 1Ghz processor, it’ll be the monster Android handset for awhile, and combined with all of we’ve been seeing of the X2 lately, Sony Ericsson’s next couple of quarters look noticably brighter than their last one. We had seen what was supposedly the user interface Sony Ericsson was going to use for Rachael, but the video didn’t show the music player widget pictured above - who knows if it was fake or not, but we’ll be finding out soon enough.
see video
HTC Click Coming with Android will be packing a 3.5mm headphone jack, has a 2.8″ screen, and an unidentified camera on the back. It’s easy to see the similarities with the Magic - in fact, replacing the trackball with a jog wheel is just about the only discernable difference so far. It’s hinted that this will be geared towards the lower-end of the spectrum, which makes sense since HTC’s efforts on the upper end are currently occupied by the Hero. It would be cool if they could bring the Sense UI down to the more inexpensive handsets, but I guess we’ll have to wait for some screenshots to know what’s going on with the HTC Click.
Sony Ericsson launch Android-powered cell phone with named Xperia 3. The phone has candy-bar shaped design and is equipped with a 4-inch full touch-sensitive LCD screen.
Features of the Xperia 3 phone include 3G connectivity (supporting 900 / 2100 HSDPA), Wi-Fi connectivity, aGPS, and MP3 music player. The most impressive feature of the phone is its 8-megapixel digital camera with autofocus, LED flash, face-detection, and smile-shot features.
Although the Xperia 3 phone is powered by Android, its interface will looks a little bit than regular Android phone, as the Xperia 3 will have Sony Ericsson’s 3D panel user interface. Price and availability of the phone is still unknown.
BlackBerry will launch 8520 ” BlackBerry Gemini” on on August 5 this date via retail stores, RPS and Wallmart. The smartphone will also be available to employees and for upgrades.
BlackBerry Gemini, the smartphone will be released via retail stores, RPS and Wallmart. The new Curve 8520 is the first BlackBerry device to come with optical trackpad navigation instead of the traditional trackball. The phone also features a full QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, GSM/EDGE connectivity, a 2MP digital camera and access to BlackBerry App World. No word on pricing at this time.
Curve 8520 will be launched with an Optical Trackpad and is meant to replace the T-Mobile Curve 8320. It will launch August 5th for the following:
* Retail (stores)
* RPS
* Walmart
* Employees
* Upgrades (after 10 a.m. PT)
Top features:
* Full QWERTY keyboard
* Optical Trackpad Navigation
* Wi-Fi and Mobile Calling
* Personal and Work E-mail
* SMS, IM and Social Networking
* BlackBerry App World
HTC Leo specs based on Qualcomm’s 1GHz MSM 8250 Snapdragon chipset new device might be similar to the HTC Omni. When it comes to the graphics capabilities of the device, the fact that there might be support for OpenGL 2.0 included in it also suggests a Snapdragon processor, it seems. HTC is also rumored to release the Click, Mega and Rome – these are probably just codenames. The Click is supposed to be an entry-level Android phone but we have no details regarding the phone.
specs the HTC Leo has include:
* Quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity
* Dual-band HSDPA connectivity (900/2100 MHz)
* 4.3 inch WVGA (480 x 800) capacitive touchscreen display
* Wi-Fi
* GPS, A-GPS
* Accelerometer
* Light & proximity sensors
* 3.5mm headset jack
* 5MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash
* 512MB flash memory, 320MB RAM
* MicroSD card support
* 1230 mAh battery
* 121 x 67 x 11 millimeters
UK remix of the American Nokia Surge. There’s been a fair bit of talk about the Surge recently, mainly, it has to be said, about its unorthodox design. You can tell, just by looking at it, that it’s designed for young people who are messaging mad, hence the smaller 2.4 inch screen and the button layout on the front being that’s designed to only really make sense when the keyboard’s on display (note the menu keys on the front, which are aligned to the side, not the bottom of the phone). Oh, and the fact it’s really diddy, and looks like a super-deformed version of a regular phone.
And I actually rather like the design. It’s cute. Granted, it ain’t no Nokia N97, but it’s aimed at a different market, and I reckon it looks pretty cool.
However, messaging phones are turning up everywhere, so what sets the Nokia 6760 Slide apart? Well, for a start, it’s got a 3MP camera, so you’ll actually be able to take decent photos with it.
The big thing, though, that sets it apart from other mid-range messaging phones is its OS, because the Nokia 6760 Slide is clearly running Symbian, just like its smartphone big siblings. So what you are in fact looking at here is a really nice messaging phone, but which also gives you an entry level smartphone, in one device.
Basically, it’s starting to look like the Nokia 6760 Slide is the first smartphone designed for younger people on a budget, and that rocks…
Motorola’s latest messaging phone, called Motorola Murano, is leaked in Brazil. This GSM messaging phone has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a landscape LCD screen (320 x 240 pixels). Although it is not confirmed yet, the Moto Murano’s LCD screen is probably not a touch sensitive screen.
The phone doesn’t have 3G. Instead, it runs on slower GPRS / EDGE connectivity. The official release date of the phone is not confirmed yet.
Vertu Ascent Ti Carbon Fiber Collection has added one more high-end premium phone , namely Vertu Ascent Ti Carbon Fibre Edition. The phones are handcrafted in England, and each handset will include “the optimum amount of carbon fibers and resin”. Carbon fiber is known for its strength, resistance, light weight and not to forget price.
The handset itself sports features that remain pretty much the same, a 2-inch QVGA display, 3G functionality, 4Gb built-in memory and 3.15-megapixel flash camera.The new Vertu collection includes the following models: Ascent Ti Carbon Fibre Limited Edition, Carbon Fibre Grip, Carbon Fibre & Copper Grip, and Carbon Fibre & Aluminium Grip.
The Nokia 6303 Classic handset comes with an integrated 3.2 megapixel camera. The camera is complete with all useful features such as it includes Dual LED Flash and a digital zoom function which allow me to enjoy capturing important snaps. The camera is not only for capturing images but also for recording memorable moments videos. I can enjoy downloading and listening to music, ringtones etc., in different formats. The music player allows to play tracks in various formats as it supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, H263 and H264. The GPS receiver with a Nokia Maps application permits me to get directions in different locations.
The classic handset comes with messaging services. The user can share their feelings to their near ones through SMS (Text Messaging), MMS (Multimedia Messaging), Email (IMAP, POP and SMTP), Email with attachments and Predictive Text. The Nokia 6303 Classic comes with an internal memory of 64 mega bytes and 1 Gigabytes MicroSD memory card. It also supports up to 4 Gigabytes external memory to expand the storage device. The rechargeable battery allows the to enjoy 7 hours talk time as well as 450 hours stand by time. This gadget has come with all user friendly features which are essential for the people. I am quite sure that these will do best for the people.
Nokia Surge was announced today by Nokia and AT&T coming as a “Symbian S60 handset” that “offers social style with smartphone capabilities at a low price.” Nokia Surge packs a 2.4″ 16M-color display of QVGA resolution. Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dual-band UMTS with HSDPA 3.6Mbps support provide the network data transfers, while Bluetooth, USB and a 2.5 mm audio jack cover the local connectivity.
Thee highlights from the release are:
*2.0 megapixel camera - Customers can capture quality photos with color camera and 4X digital zoom
*AT&T Navigator - AT&T Navigator provides audible turn-by-turn directions, monitors traffic and alerts users when there is a slowdown or incident
*AT&T Mobile Music - Customers can listen and download their favorite music from Napster Mobile, eMusic Mobile, XM Radio and more over the air
*AT&T Video Share - The first-ever service in the U.S. that allows users to share live video over wireless devices while participating in a voice call
*JuiceCaster - Customers can share videos and pictures from their wireless device to the Web’s most popular sites including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr
Nokia Surge will be available at AT&T starting July 19, for $79.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $50 rebate.
Nokia Patents Flexible Remote Input Sleeve With circuits detecting stretches in a flexible material, signals are sent to a device that could interpret user input, be it for gaming, virtual reality, or other creative uses. The patent includes haptic feedback mechanisms - small vibrations or even pressure could go a long way to polish virtual interactions. Imagine having that little finger sleeve pull your fingertip backwards when you push a button, as if it was actually there. In addition to the finger joint sleeve, there is also a wristband pictured which could add further functionality. A cool patent, all in all, but one we won’t likely see before the coming of a dystopian Minority Report-style future.
LG Chocolate BL40 is expected to be launched in August, and will be the 4th Black Label Series phone. Looking a lot lengthier than most touchscreen phones out in the market, the BL40 will come a 4-inch full touch screen to support its mouth
Here is the latest video of the upcoming LG Chocolate BL40. The video shows that the handset will come with a 800 x 345 resolution display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. Other features include a Flash-based 3D UI, multitouch, AGPS, WiFi, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, and a glass screen surface that’s said to be scratch-proof.
The screen measures about 4 inches diagonal. The phone has a flash based UI and just looking at the video it appears that the very wide aspect ratio works well.
Other features seen in the video include multi-touch, AGPS, 7.2Mbps HSDPA as well as a scratch proof screen.
A tempered scratch-proof glass, active flash UI, WiFi, and HSDPA 7.2Mbps connectivity, and active shooting UI round up the other interesting features highlighted in the promotional video.
Nokia just announced the spanking new Nokia 3720 classic, an IP-54 certified mobile phone designed to resist water, dust and shock. The Nokia 3720 classic is encased in durable materials and is entirely sealed to protect the inner electronics. Available in grey or yellow, the Nokia 3720 classic also comes with a battery cover that is locked with a screw, making for worry-free usage in wet, dusty or muddy environments. Other features include a LED flashlight, a 2.2-inch QVGA display, a 2-megapixel camera, a 20MB internal memory, a microSD card slot and a 2.5mm headphone jack. Measuring 115mm x 47mm x 15.3mm and weighing 94-grams, the handset will retail for approximately €125 ($174) before subsidies or taxes.
Moto ROKR ZN50 This new Moto ROKR slider features a 3.2-inch TFT 240×481 262K color display, 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera, tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900MHz), WCDMA 2100/HDSPA 7.2Mbps connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR support, GPS, and an SRS WOW HD sound system to cap it all off. It looks pretty sweet and sexy, and if Motorola we’re too release more phones like this, they’ll be back at the top three in no time at all.
Unfortunately, this will only be available in South Korea for the time being, but we’re very optimistic that it will be released in other markets sometime in the near future. How about you guys? What do you think of the Moto ROKR ZN50 mobile phone?
Sony Ericsson is making some real news with its first Android phone . The Sony Ericsson Android smartphone is codenamed “Rachael“. The phone seems to be a Xperia branded full touchscreen smartphone with no physical QWERTY. It has got a big touchscreen display, and is built on Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon platform which is like the Windows Mobile-based Toshiba TG01.
The known features are: 1GHz Qualcomm Processor, 3D graphics, 3.5mm Audio Jack, HSDPA, mini-USB, 8 Megapixel Camera with Autofocus.
No clues are given as to the release date, but Sony Ericsson is unofficially expected to have its first Android phone ready by late 2009 at the earliest.
Codenamed Kiki, this handset, purportedly forthcoming from Sony-Ericsson. The Kiki has an unusual design. The display is made of glass and the images is projected on to the glass somewhat like a hologram. The story which came from mobil.nu also hinted this might be the upcoming Android XPERIA. It also has a smooth surface keypad on the front, where the numbers should appear when the phone is on.
Sadly there is no specs are offered. That’s Vodafone, in the mockup image, as carrier
This device is a bluetooth speakerphone that attaches to the steering wheel of your car. It has two built in 2 watt speakers, a microphone and echo cancellation to make more clear communication while driving.
On the front of the device is a small LCD display that measures 9/16″ that has caller ID. Calls can be accepted or rejected by the press of a button.
Other controls on the bluetooth speaker phone include volume, mute as well as the ability to sift through your phonebook of your phone (if your phone is capable of that). The device can be paired with up to 8 different phones if required and numbers can also be transferred to the units 256Meg of internal memory.
The speakerphone is powered by a battery which gives up to 5 hours of talk time on a single charge.
Available from Hammacher for $99.95.
Austrian Samsung Omnia II bundled with Windows Mobile 6.5tThis revelation was made none other than Microsoft Austria themselves in a brief press release. We’re not exactly sure why they’ve selected the Austrian version of the Omnia II to get tricked out with the latest Windows Mobile operating system, but we are hoping that this is just a subplot to an even bigger story. How big? Well, it’s a little far fetched with no concrete evidence available to back this one up, but we are hoping that Microsoft, in a spur of the moment thing, finally decided to roll out Windows Mobile 6.5 a little bit earlier than scheduled and Austria’s announcement is only the first of many more to come. We’re probably shooting for the stars here, but we’re guessing that all Omnia II versions will eventually be released with Windows Mobile 6.5 on-board.
This is, of course, just our take on the situation so don’t get too excited about this proposition since everything is purely speculative for the time being. How about you guys? What do you think about Microsoft’s move to arm
- USB detection error fix
- PC does not detect N97 or USB charging connection not detected
- Widget
- Home screen online/offline widget crash fix
- Fix for “Alphabetical and Number input are mixed in facebook until end key is pressed
- Widget UI improvement – New facebook widget fixes a problem of Home Screen background visible on soft-key area
- Browser fixes to improve widgets stability
- MfE related fixes
- Partial fix for Messaging/calendar entry lost
- Mail for exchange calendar entry synchronization error fix.
- UI transition error fixes (Portrait <-> landscape transition, there is a home screen corruption)
- UI transition (Slowness and bad effects)
- Slow Touch UI response
- Picture of the device lock appears half of the screen when transitioning the UI sometimes
- Landscape: in some cases the soft buttons on touch (right hand) show the Home Screen in background (install maps.google.com)
- Photos thumbnail performance and stability improvements
- Device performance deteriorates when lots of content in the device – especially photos
- Partial fix no display backlight illumination when unlocking lock-key – CAP Genius reported already
- New version of Accueweather to improve the “Connection error” situation
- Device reset when browsing with high speed packet access (for Malaysia)
- “Browser soft key UI doesn’t work after putting Chinese character with qwerty keyboard”
- Java fixes (TCK, Pre-install app disappearing, *#7370#*)
- Operator fixes (CMCC, Hutchson and Telefonica, Vodafone)
- Ovi store client now embedded in the core image
As you can see, they surely didn’t hold back in making this update certainly worth your time and effort. Likewise, Nokia has also quietly unleashed firmware 30.033 update for the N96.
So, whether you own an N96 or N97 mobile phone, you can start firing up Nokia PC Suite as there’s an appropriate update just waiting for you to download and install on your Nokia Nseries phone.
The unit is equipped with a 3-inch TFT-touch screen with a resolution 240h400 points, 3-megapixel camera with video recording function, the front of the camera for videophone, the receiver digital TV standard T-DMB , A music player, 255 MB of internal memory and slot for fleshek format microSD. As an additional includes Internal antenna, Speakerphone, Electronic dictionary.
The phone supports the work of third-generation networks, including high-speed data transmission technology HSDPA, as well as GSM networks outside of South Korea
Other specifications Pantech Love Actually (IM-U460K):
* Dimensions : 104.9X54.6X12mm.
* Weight : 100g.
* GSM Triband (900/1800/1900MHz).
* GPRS (General Packet Radio Service).
* WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access).
* HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) 7.2Mbps.
* WAP browser.
* Support VOD (Video On Demand) and MOD (Music On Demand) function.
* MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).
* Call vibration.
* Voice recording function.
* MP3/MIDI polyphonic ring tone.
* Text input predictive software.
* STK (Sim Tool Kit).
* MicroSD/TransFlash card expansion slot.
* USB clients.
* Downloadable animations and ring tones.
* Stores up to 2000 contacts in its phonebook.
* 255MB internal memory.
* Alarm clock, world clock, calendar, calculator, unit/currency converter, memo, ebook, handwriting recognition software, PC sync, photo caller ID, photo album, photo editor, wallpaper and games
the TG01 speeds along at 1Ghz clock speeds while playing with a hefty 256MB of RAM and a 4.1-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen display. The kicker - the TG01 stuffs WiFi, GPS, 3.2-megapixel camera and 3G data connectivity into a package barely 10mm thick. So far there is no word as to carrier availability or pricing.
The known features of Nokia 6790 Surge / Mako include a QVGA display, a 2.5mm headset jack, a 2MP camera and a 1,500 mAh battery. The smartphone should be launched by AT&T sometime this month, apparently for a low price on contract.
Until then, here you have the Nokia 6790 Surge video
Some time ago we wrote about SHAPE Services’ trip-trackin’ app GPSed for the iPhone. Well, it has been updated recently, not just for Apple ’s handset, but for all other platforms supported — including BlackBerry , Java ME and Windows Mobile.
Among the features GPSed 1.4 packs are:
- Ability to attach a photo directly from the application.
- Improved user interface.
- Dialog for posting to social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Blogger.
- Improved code that makes the app run faster.
- iPhone version is optimized to sing along iPhone OS 3.0.
- Many other fixes and improvements.
And that’s it. To grab the latest version of GPSed, simply search for it in your smartphone platform’s application store, or visit GPSed’s website…
It’s fair to guess Nokia will launch a new Internet tablet device later this year. We’ve already posted an article with the rumored specs, but we haven’t said — cause we don’t know — whether the touchscreen used will be capacitive or resistive. The point of this article is to make the case for the use of capacitive touchscreen as well as a chance to add my 2 cents to the table.
First of all, I must say that I’m a big fan of the Maemo platform. Though I haven’t used the original Nokia 770, I relied on the N800 a lot. Coupled with a Bluetooth keyboard, it was my mobile office, and I wrote hundreds (yes hundreds) of articles for IntoMobile on it. Later on, I ordered the N810 from the U.S. — because it was significantly cheaper due to a weak dollar — but it got lost in the transport to Europe. Boy was I pissed…
Anyway, I continued using my N800 until I bought the Dell Mini 9, which is the cornerstone of my current mobile office. This is not to say I’m not using the N800 any more, it’s just that I’m not using it as often as I used to.
As a matter of fact, I brought the Nokia tablet with me to Barcelona. And there’s the part where my plead for the capacitive touchscreen comes in. It was very hard, almost impossible to see anything on the N800’s screen under the Sun in Spain. At the same time I had my iPhone with me, which touchscreen hasn’t bothered me at all. Now you could argue the capacitive touchscreen is no good for some markets in Asia where handwriting recognition is a must have feature, to which I say - fine, make two versions of the device, one with capacitive and the other one with resistive touchscreen. I’m sure, actually quite confident, the capacitive version will outsell the resistive one even if it ends up costing $50 more. And having a choice could prove beneficial to the platform, or at least me thinks so.
To summarize - capacitive touchscreen is a must. Otherwise I don’t see a reason why would someone (mainstream user, not a Linux fan) would go for Maemo rather than Windows Mobile. The rumored specs we’ve seen go in line some of the existing WinMo smartphones such as some HTC and Acer models, which rely on the “classic” resistive touchscreen technology. This is not to say this is the only reason for selecting one platform over another, it’s just something pretty visible/tangible to the end user.
You could argue an AMOLED screen could do the trick, but i don’t buy it.
As for the rest of my wishes, I hope Nokia will use the same or at least very similar keyboard as the one the N810 has. I like the D-pad on the left, but I don’t like the new-look keyboard of the N97. To be fair, the N810’s keyboard could slide a bit more down to leave little more space for the first row of the keys.
Moreover I’m looking forward to see a decent CPU running the show, and from what we’ve heard, that will be the case. Will Intel jump in as a supplier? I think that may happen, though Nokia could opt for some other chip maker for the first Maemo 5 device — some of their existing semiconductor suppliers.
Specs-wise, the W850 / W8500 / W8550 offers slightly more than the Jet S800: DMB support, and a WVGA AMOLED display of 3.5 inches (as opposed to Jet’s 3.1.
The specs include a 3.5-inch WVGA AMOLED display, a 5MP autofocus camera, Samsung’s latest TouchWiz 2.0 UI, a media player, a DMB support, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Samsung W850 / W8500 / W8550 will retail for the price of 800,000 KRW (about $630).
BlackBerry continues the good fight against Apple’s iPhone and numerous other Windows Mobile handsets by making available their latest release, the 3G BlackBerry Tour from RIM. This model will arrive on Verizon wireless Communications stores come this July 12th, where it is going for a $199.99 price point after a $70 mail-in rebate as well as a new 2-year contract. At that price which is similar to the new iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre, it would be interesting to see this tussle work itself out when consumers vote with their wallets. Will the BlackBerry Tour be able to hold its ground or even win some more market share for RIM? We’ll just have to wait and see, but head on right after the jump to know more about the BlackBerry Tour before you make a purchase decision.
The BlackBerry Tour further expands the current BlackBerry family that already comprises of the BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Curve 8330 (available in either silver or pink), BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 and BlackBerry 8830 World Edition smartphones in the Verizon Wireless portfolio. What makes the Tour special? Well, this is a 3G world phone after all, which offers the privilege of customers making phone calls in 220 countries alongside the ability to access e-mail and Internet in any of the 175 countries where Verizon Wireless provides data roaming services. Other features that normal phone users have come to take for granted are also included in the BlackBerry Tour, and these include RIM’s popular push-based mobile solution for e-mail, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and social networking, a 3.2-megapixel camera with geo-tagging and video recording, audio and video playback for portable entertainment, integrated GPS navigation capability, full HTML Web browsing and support for Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Broadband Connect tethering service.
