Archive for June, 2008
Samsung is keeping itself busy and has announced new handsets at the Singapore Telecommunications Exhibition. The 3G, J800 Luxe slider is the first one on the block. It is a mid-range phone with a 2.2-inch 176 x 200 display, two-megapixel camera, FM tuner, A2DP support, and a slot for microSD cards. Next is the L700, a decent candybar with a 2.1-inch screen, HSDPA, a choice of colors (pink, silver, and gold), and similar features as the previous phone. The Symbian-based L870 is different from the rest, that the company claims is still on target for its August release. No word on pricing or release dates for the two new models, however.
Though they’ve already been well documented (heck, they’re already on sale in some parts of the world), Nokia’s just now getting around to making its foursome of Supernovas official. The new line reps mid-range fashion (think L’Amour, but not over the top) and comes in your choice of two candybars, a flip, or a slider as the 7210, 7310, 7510, or 7610, respectively. The 7210 features a tri-band GSM radio plus EDGE, a 2 megapixel camera, and an FM radio; look for it to launch in the third quarter for €120 (about $189). The 7310 apes the 7210’s look but adds support for changeable Xpress-On faceplates, TV-out, and support for GSM 850, and while all that extra kit adds €35 (about $55) to the price over the lesser model, it’s available now. The 7510 goes for the flip form factor but carries over most of the 7310’s spec sheet, waiting it out until the fourth quarter for a €180 (about $283) launch in scary colors like “Fatal Red”. Finally, the 7610 (no, not that one) moves up to a beefier 3.2 megapixel camera and hits next quarter for €225 (about $354).
From Engadget
Those of you who’ve been patiently waiting for your fancy new smartphone (you know, one that lacks any real buttons) will be happy to know that the Nokia N78 has been released in the US for $560. We pasted all the spec info after the jump in case you’re in need of a refresher, but to pick up your N78 you’ll have to venture to a Nokia flagship store in NY or Chicago—or just go online. But go online sounds too plebeian for purchasing a phone that costs as much as a laptop, no?
If Maxwell Smart decided to go to the beach, this would be his flip flop of choice. The ArchPoint show has been seen before with a wallet inside the heel of the shoe. The company now says that it has plans to make a sandal that has a spot for hiding a cell phone.
Before the concept can come to market the company says it needs to find a hardware maker that can build a device rugged enough to be stepped on all day and withstand dirt, water or the goo that is on the floor of your local movie theater.
I can see the benefit of a place to hold your money and keys while working out. However, I can hardly see you looking too cool if your show starts ringing at your favorite restaurant and you have to reach down and whip your cell phone out of your shoe.
You’ll find no iPhone touchscreen or 10 megapixel camera here. Nor will you find mirror finishes or a graphic interface spec’d for stunning video. What you WILL find is car tires, old PET bottles and pre loved soda cans.
Ok, so here’s the deal, apparently a typical mobile phone contains approximately 44 of the 112 elements known to mankind. Now I’m no chemist but apart from the environmental issues this would create, I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t want to be holding a large chunk of the periodic table 2 inches from my brain on a day to day basis. The folks over at Nokia have been looking at ways to create a sustainable mobile that reduces the number and toxicity of materials goes into manufacture. If that wasn’t noble enough, the skin and bones are created entirely through Upcycling. The result is the Remade.
The numeric keypad backing and all the gaskets are made from car tires, plastic components are from recycled PET bottles and the shell is made from old metal cans (lick one and see if you can taste the Pepsi).
As Nokia has eloquently stated, many small actions when multiplied by large numbers, can indeed change the world. We can see the result of the many small actions here. Now all the remains are the large numbers. I’ll be on the waiting list.
Today Motorola officially unveiled the MOTOZINE ZN5. The ZN5 is a bar-style phone similar in shape and appearance to the ROKR E8. The phone’s stand-out feature is its Kodak-branded 5 megapixel camera. The camera has autofocus, and can focus on images in less than a second, allowing you to take your picture quicker. It has a full flash, as well as Kodak-approved optics. It carries Kodak’s Easy Share software, and the user interface for the camera was jointly developed with Motorola and Kodak to ease operation. The software supports a lot of editing features, panorama shooting mode, and easy sharing with social networking sites. All functions related to the camera are color-coded purple, and the keypad morphs when in camera mode to show camera-specific buttons. The ZN5 carries quad-band GSM/EDGE radios, as well as stereo Bluetooth, FM radio and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. The phone has a slot for a microSD card (supporting cards up to 4GB), 3.5mm headset jack (supporting TV out), a full HTML browser and runs the MOTOMAGX platform. It will be launched in China first, and will be available in the U.S. by the end of 2008. Motorola did not announce its carrier partner for the phone yet.
Samsung has revealed its newest addition to its SGH line of cell phones with the SGH-i780 on the final day of CES. This Windows Mobile-powered device is packed with features with a full QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen. It supports triband GSM/GPRS/EDGE at 900/1800/1900 MHz and single-band UMTS/HSDPA at 2100MHz. The connectivity side passes the test with WiFi of 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. The long-rumored GPS is indeed included, which is fast becoming a standard on high-end smartphones. Another interesting feature is an optical mouse, although no details are available on its utility. The 2.55-inch touchscreen display boasts a resolution of 320×320 pixels.
Full specs for Samsung i780 include:
- Mobile Windows 6 Pro OS
- 2.6″ TFT touch screen
- Full QWERTY keyboard
- integrated A-GPS
- Triband GSM (900, 1800 and 1900 MHz), GPRS/ EDGE, 2100 MHz UMTS/ HSDPA
2mpx digital camera, front VGA camera for video calls - 256 MB ROM
- 128 MB RAM
- Bluetooth 2.0 + A2DP
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
- MiniUSB 2.0
- microSD port
- Dimensions : 11.6×6.1×1.3 cm
With its slide-out QWERTY keypad and the flashily stylish red attire aside, the LG KS360 is pretty much any other 2.5G cell phone that is available in the market now. The horizontal 2.4-inch display has a resolution of 240×320 pixels and there’s a 2-megapixel on the back for your casual photography needs. The KS360 is designed to work with triband GSM topping out with GPRS/EDGE connectivity. LG has also thrown in a music player and an FM radio to go with the snazzy color, so this might be a good option for your musically inclined nephew or niece. USB 2.0 support along with Bluetooth round its connectivity options. There is no word on pricing or availability but we could be looking at an Asian release pretty soon.
Only five years ago Bluetooth headsets were a new idea. Back then, it was impressive that they even worked—never mind how they sounded. But with the advent of advanced noise-canceling circuitry, as in the original Aliph Jawbone, manufacturers are beginning to pay more attention to audio quality these days—specifically, how good you sound to callers on the other end. As a result, by old-school standards, Samsung ’s WEP700 would be a great device, but it doesn’t quite measure up to the current class leaders in noise cancellation. Still, it’s a quality headset that looks sharp and is easy to wear.
Available in black or silver, the WEP700 measures 0.7 by 1.8 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 0.4 ounces. The volume buttons are on opposite sides of the unit and are a bit too small to handle easily. I was able to get used to them quickly, though. The multifunction call button is easy to press, and there’s an indicator light that flashes blue when the unit is in use. It’s solid blue during pairing, and flashes red when the battery is low. All you get in the package is the headset, its AC charger, a small user manual, and a quick-start guide. There are no additional earbuds, no extra ear hooks—so it’s a one-size-fits-all proposition. These aren’t necessarily deal breakers, but the lack of a USB cable for PC charging or a car charger might be disappointing to some.
The FCC has revealed the first Sony Ericsson cell phone to land on T-Mobile since the T610, which was discontinued in 2004. The Sony Ericsson TM506 is a clamshell handset, clad in an oddly tinted green color scheme.
Based on the FCC documents, the Sony Ericsson TM506 offers tri-band GSM (850/1800/1900MHz) and support for T-Mobile’s AWS (1700MHz) 3G network. A GPS receiver is also built-in, and the ability to geo-tag photos with location information is supported out of the box. The FCC documents do not reveal any specs on the camera, but there are photo and video editing tools included on the cell phone.
The Sony Ericsson TM506 also features a Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot for expanded memory, as well as Bluetooth connectivity.
You can view the FCC documents, including the user manual, here.
