Samsung F490 specs official

Today the South Korean handset manufacturer officially unveiled Samsung F490, a rich multimedia mobile phone with all-over 3.2-inch display, no hardware keypad and 5 megapixel camera running on the award-wining Croix UI.

The tri-band HSDPA/EDGE-enabled Samsung F490, a phone we've recently wrote about, looks like the younger brother of Samsung F700 since it features no hardware keyboard and is completed in bar form factor. No doubt the F490 has its own strengths too, standing at only 11.8mm thickness with rounded corners and glossy surface, loaded with some nice features on board.

The extra large 3.2-inch TFT touchscreen with 240 x 432 pixels resolution occupies almost the entire front panel, leaving only a small space bellow for the call and end keys, which are also touch sensitive.

The haptic feedback further facilitates the phone handling, offering tangible assurance that the touchscreen has accepted your command. The 16:9 widescreen ratio of the display benefits picture, video and internet browsing, too. The video player supports WMV, MPEG4, H.263, H.264 file formats in up to VGA resolution at 30fps.

Other intriguing feature is the 5 megapixel camera with built-in LED flash and yes, autofocus. The camera is also capable of recording MPEG4 clips with QVGA resolution at 15 fps. Storing favorite video files, music and pictures is easy with the 130 MB on-board memory and slot for microSD cards.

Music addicts will appreciate the standard 3.5mm audio jack of Samsung F490. As the Bluetooth supports A2DP profile, users will be able to listen to music on wireless stereo headsets, too.

A nice final touch gives the pre-installed Google Search application and the optimized full HTML web browser (NetFront 3.4).

Samsung F490 will be available in some European countries from February at around 530 Euros.
(Source : www.gsmarena.com)

Nokia N95 8GB gets a speed boost and Flash Lite 3

Seems like the owners of Nokia N95 8GB are up for some happy news. A new version of the firmware of the company's top-of-the-shelf multimedia phone was released today.

The new version is 15.0.015 and as we managed to confirm brings in quite a large number of improvements. The main among them is the added Flash Lite 3 and full flash video support. It gives you the opportunity to watch flash videos on video sharing web sites such as YouTube in their full web glory (yes, we know YouTube has a mobile version).


Nokia N95 8GB's web browser can now handle various flash content - our 360 degree spins, for example

The next addition brought by Nokia N95 8GB's firmware is the Web Run Time, which is used for Nokia's Widget platform. These are web-based applications that look very much like native S60 ones.

Another important feature of the new firmware is that it brings in a certain speed boost to Nokia N95 8GB. The start-up time of the phone has now been further reduced by a few seconds and the USB transfer speeds have also been greatly increased.

There are also some minor bug fixes and stability improvements but none of these deserves any special attention. After all, the phone was stable enough even before the update but there is always room for improvement as they say.(Source : www.gsmarena.com)

LG KF600 with a unique touch UI

The original LG Chocolate was a huge success for LG thanks to the touch sensitive navigation pad that warmed consumer's heart with its touch of glowing red. Obviously set on continuing the "touching" tradition after two successful touchscreen models, LG will offer their next high-end handset - the LG KF600.

We've had a chance to play around with a prototype of the KF600 last year and we were more than happy with its performance. In fact the LG KF600 is the GSM counterpart of the US CDMA-enabled LG Venus VX8800, but with a beefier camera module.

We have also added a hands-on with LG KF600 during the WMC 2008 in Barcelona.

The unique about the LG KF600 does not lie in its form factor, design or size. It is a normal slider with decent dimensions. Its true beauty is in the seamless dual display setup on the front panel.

The display in the lower part of the front panel is a smaller, touch-sensitive one and is used for navigation (think Samsung E950 but much, much sleeker and in full blown color). This so-called InteractPad changes in accordance to the context and provides the user with a pretty adequate navigation solution.


Unlike the navigational touchpad used on Samsung E950, which is more of an annoyance than a hip feature, the InteractPad of the LG KF600 seamlessly integrates with the main user interface in every aspect possible.

The user interface of the LG KF600 offers several distinguishable graphic themes made by the graffiti artists Keith Haring that can totally change the look and feel of the device.


In terms of specs, the scarce information we've seen outlines a 3 megapixel camera, GPRS/EDGE-only connectivity (no UMTS), Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, and an office document viewer and haptic fedback.

The LG KF600 will be initially offered only on emerging markets in China, Mexico, Brazil and Turkey obviously in order to gain some points on markets that have not been fully explored. Then a month later the LG KF600 will become available to the rest of the world. Pricing is yet unknown, but a hefty price tag is expected.(Source : www.gsmarena.com)

Nokia N82 Black version pops up

The Finland giant Nokia silently released the highly expected and speculated Nokia N82 Black version. The phone appeared nowhere else but in the USA Nokia online store with an "Unlocked" status. The sleek Nokia N82 Black version is already available for purchase at a price of $629.00 with free shipping for USA.
Let's refresh your memory with the Nokia N82 main features, starting with the HSDPA with video calls and quad-band GSM support. The 100MB of integrated memory is complemented by the microSD memory slot. The 2.4" 16M color QVGA TFT display is among the other highlights.
Nokia N82, a phone we reviewed in detail, is pretty much identical in hardware to the N95. It has 5 megapixel autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss optics, capable of capturing 30fps MPEG4 videos at VGA resolution, and has a TV-out port to watch those on your TV set.
The most significant difference to the Nokia N95 is however the built-in xenon flash which highlights the photo-centric nature of the Nokia N82, as well as the screen auto rotation.
You also have built-in GPS receiver that works with Nokia Maps. Compatibility with third-party software is not confirmed yet.
Meanwhile Nokia released three new titles from the new N-Gage platform. They may not be much but it seems to us as if the official start of the N-gage is just around the corner. After all it was about time as Nokia have been promising it for quite a while now.
The three new titles are: Space Impact: Kappa Base, System Rush: Evolution and Creatures of the deep. However, as we managed to confirm only the first was somewhat amusing. At this stage the games are only compatible with Nokia N81 (it's good that we have one around) but soon the other N-Gage enabled devices owners will be able to enjoy them. (Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Nokia 6650 and Nokia 6124 classic announced

Nokia is obviously running out of numbers. That became clear with the announcement of their spanking new Nokia 6650 at the CeBIT 2008. The thing is that there is already another Nokia 6650 - one of the first 3G phones ever to come to life. The original Nokia 6650 was also presented at CeBIT but way back in 2003. The other Nokia announced at the CeBIT 2008 is the Nokia 6124 classic which will be available exclusively for Vodafone.
The new Nokia 6650 is a stylish clamshell reminiscent of the Nokia 6555. It will be offered exclusively for T-Mobile customers - hence the logo on its front panel.
The Nokia 6650 is HSDPA-enabled and will offer full support for the T-Mobile exclusive services such as the web'n'walk internet service, the My Faves group calls service, and the Mobile Jukebox music service. A premium feature is the integrated GPS receiver, which thanks to the Assisted GPS service support will be able to provide quick positioning.
Armed with a 2.2-inch 16M color TFT display, the Nokia 6650 also offers a 2 megapixel camera with LED flash and 30 MB of internal memory. The list of features comes complete with a microSD card slot, FM radio and Bluetooth.
Design-wise the Nokia 6650 also packs a punch with the brushed stainless-steel finish reminding of the Nokia 6500 slide.
The Nokia 6650 will be available via T-Mobile's networks throughout Europe in Q3 2008 at a heavily subsidized price. In Germany for example, the Nokia 6650 will retail for just EUR 1 with the Relax 100 rate.
The second handset announced by Nokia is the Vodafone-exclusive Nokia 6124 classic.
3G enabled and as smart as Symbian smartphones get, the Nokia 6124 classic has a 2-inch display, a 2 megapixel camera and a microSD memory card slot. The Nokia 6124 classic is a Vodafone version of the original Nokia 6120 classic much the same way the Nokia 6233 has its twin in the face of the Nokia 6234.
But can we just say that the new design breathes life in the otherwise capable and compact Nokia 6120 classic - what a welcome change.
The Nokia 6124 classic will start shipping in Vodafone markets in Q2 2008(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Nokia 1209 and 2600 classic revealed

Today Nokia unveils two budget handsets that offer a range of handy features for consumers in emerging markets. Nokia 2600 classic and Nokia 1209 are targeted at emerging markets and make the most out of features such as multiple phone books, calls cost tracking, prepaid credit tracking, etc.
Nokia 2600 classic is a dual-band GSM/GPRS phone measuring some 12 mm in thickness and weighting 73 grams. It will be offered in several colors with Xpress-on covers to suit consumer preferences.
The Nokia 2600 classic has a 65K color TFT display with 128x160 pixels resolution. The budget phone is not scarce on functions at all - it sports VGA camera with video recording, FM radio, WAP 2.0 web browser (xHTML), as well as Bluetooth v2.0.
As for messaging, beside the SMS, MMS and Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging, Nokia 2600 classic also has an email client that supports POP3, IMP4 and SMTP protocols.
Nokia 2600 classic has already started shipping in key markets and will be selling for 65 EUR before taxes or subsidies. By the way you can get the same features except for the interchangeable Xpress-on covers in an even thinner body with the Nokia 2630.
The second model introduced today, the Nokia 1209 is a successor to the Nokia 1200 and adds color to it with the new 65K color CSTN display (96 x 68 pixels resolution). The phone interface offers support of up to 80 languages and offers up to five separate phonebooks each with up to 200 individual entries. This allows several people to share the phone as seems to be the trend in emerging markets.
Nokia claims the Nokia 1209 has noise cancellation filters that decrease the background noise for improved sound quality. Another plus is the dust-resistant keypad made with a one-piece key mat, and much like its predecessor, it as also has a flashlight on top of the phone.
All the features we've slowly taken for granted in modern cellphones lack here - there's no WAP browser, no MP3 ringtones, no MMS, no Email, or even Bluetooth.
We generally don't like the color user interface of low end Nokias. Since the color display is nothing special anyway, they should have stuck with the monochromatic ones as they offer better legibility and better power saving. The Nokia 1112 is a great example of that and we even wonder why Nokia went back to using the green backlighting with Nokia 1200.
The Nokia 1209 will cost only 35 EUR before taxes or subsidies and is expected to become available globally during the second quarter of 2008. It will have two dual-band versions - a GSM 900/1800 one and a second GSM 850/1900 one.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Apple iPhone can now record video

Ever since the Apple iPhone was released it has been (rightfully) criticized for the lack of video recording capabilities. Or so it was until today as a third-party solution seems to be just around the corner.
The guy from Monster and Friends has just posted a working beta of an application that can actually create videos using the iPhone's camera. What is even more exiting than that is the fact that the videos are captured at 2 megapixel resolution. Yeah, you heard that right - 2 megapixel.
As of now however the framerate is quite low achieving the miserly 10 fps but this is no surprise as at this stage the application is more proof of concept than something really useful. The author however promises that even videos of 40-45 fps could actually be captured with next versions.
A bold promise by all means but we are yet to see if it can actually be fulfilled. As of now the application allows the iPhone to record a 5 second video and replay it right after it is captured. We are yet to see if the promise for a 15-30 fps video at unlimited length will also be kept with the final version.(Source : www.gsmarena.com)

5 megapixel Nokia N96 pictures leaked

You know we rarely deal with rumors but this one is just too interesting (and real) to go unnoticed. Live photos of an unseen before Nokia N96 handset has surfaced online. The mobile features the dual slide design and overall looks as a hybrid between N95 and N81.
This could be just a Nokia N96 prototype that will never see the sun but nonetheless the handset deserves some attention. The 5 megapixel camera is one of the very few specs that can be guessed at this stage. The Nokia N96 will also feature auto focus, Carl Zeiss lens and dual LED flash.
An interesting feature is the added kick stand at the back of the phone which allows it to be placed on its side improving video watching experience. The loudspeakers are also repositioned and have found their place on the right side of the device - each on both edges.
The kick stand allows the phone to lay on its side • The camera is equipped with a dual LED flash
The user interface is also very interesting as it might just be the new Symbian 9.5 with Feature pack 2 included. The WLAN support is also certain as its ID number is visible on the label on the backside.
We are as eager as you to see if this feature-packed baby will actually become official so we will be watching the matter closely.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Nokia 3120 classic announced

A new mid-end Nokia handset saw daylight today. The Nokia 3120 classic is the new member of the company's mobile phones portfolio. Armed with a modest amount of features it will try to win customers with a good price-to-features ratio.
Nokia 3120 classic will sport a 2" QVGA display, capable of showing up to 16M colors. Connectivity is ensured by Bluetooth v2.0, USB port and a 2.5mm standard audio jack. An FM radio is another intriguing picture of the handset. The built-in camera will be a 2 megapixel one with video recording capabilities.
The quad-band phone will also support dual band 3G and will come in the following color versions - Graphite, Plum/Powder white, Deep red and Chestnut brown. It will also have support for push email and a microSD card slot for extending the built-in memory.
The Nokia 3120 classic will start shipping from Q2 of 2008 at an estimated price of 150 Euro before taxes or subsides. (Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Sony Ericsson K660 unveiled earlier

Sony Ericsson is expected to announce several new handsets tomorrow, but it seems the Sony Ericsson K660 just couldn't stay put. A few pictures of the early bird have already leaked. Before we get to it, rest assured that we'll still be on the lookout tomorrow, as Sony Ericsson W890 (supposedly the successor of W880) and Sony Ericsson W380 are among the expected announcements.
A quick glance at the expected specifications of the Sony Ericsson K660 shows a 262K color display with QVGA resolution and 32MB of internal memory. The memory is further expandable through the Memory Stick Micro card slot. Sony Ericsson K660 has support for all four GSM bands and features EDGE and 3G with HSDPA for fast data transfers. Unfortunately, the camera module is the same as the one on Sony Ericsson K630 - a two megapixel snapper with no autofocus. The final specs that are clear at this point are the USB slot and the Bluetooth with A2DP support. The features are packed in the rather compact dimensions of 104 x 47 x 15 mm, at a weight of 95 grams.
At this stage there is no information of the phone's availability or pricing but Sony Ericsson might shed some light on that tomorrow.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Samsung i560 and i780 smarties on focus

Word is out in the mobile community on the Symbian-based slider Samsung i560 and Samsung i780, a bar-shaped QWERTY smartphone, running on Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional OS. Both devices sport full HSDPA with video calls functionality. Let's also remind you of the recently announced Samsung i450, i550 and i620 - all of them offer outstanding functionality and cool design in the smart-line portfolio of Samsung.
So lately despite some official information for the brand new and upcoming Samsung i560 was found on Vodafone Christmas 2007 consumer offering, Samsung didn't revealed a thing about the new device, as usually. However, we managed to get our hands on the official photos and some scarce specifications on the Samsung i560. It's running on Symbian OS 9.2 Series 60 v3.1 operating system and sports a large 2.4" 262K color TFT display with a QVGA (320 x 240 pixels) resolution. Shutter bugs will be content with the 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus that the slider is equipped with. The integrated memory is not as large as in Samsung i620, but still at decent level of 150 MB and is further expandable through a microSD memory card slot. Connectivity features include Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP and USB v2.0 connectivity. Strangely enough, the Vodafone Christmas 2007 handset range states that the Samsung i560V will feature a built-in GPS receiver. Yet, GPS capability is not to be found on the scarce official Samsung fact sheet on Samsung i560 that we found, nor there is a hardware key on the front panel of the phone to indicate this. So for now it remains mystery whether Samsung i560 will be equipped with a GPS receiver.
Anyways, the other hot device, the bar-shaped Samsung i780 was first seen at Samsung stand at the GITEX Expo, again with no official announcement by the manufacturer. This PocketPC based on Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional OS is obviously made to impress. The Samsung i780 features a square 65K TFT touchscreen display with the unusual resolution of 320 x 320 pixels, HSDPA 3.6 Mbps and built-in GPS receiver. The 2 megapixel camera mounted on the handset sports autofocus and you can enjoy your pictures via the built-in TV out port. The i780 also sports Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, and slot for microSD card. Among the highly interesting features of the i780 is the ingenious navigation solution - an optical mouse pad which allows users to navigate a mouse cursor throughout the interface. Packing such a massive functionality, the mere thickness of 13.3 mm makes the Samsung i760 a true engineering feat. Unfortunately, the processor model and battery, but as we managed to find out it will have 180MB ROM and 128MB RAM.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Blackberry Pearl 8120 to boast Wi-Fi

It has been quite a while since RIM was last in the news and today the Blackberry Pearl 8120 popped up unexpectedly. The device comes to succeed the Blackberry Pearl 8100 and upgrades the original model in several areas. The first and most important change is the added Wi-Fi functionality, which was missing in the older model. There is an update in the Bluetooth department too, with A2DP support now available. It seems that RIM are trying to break away from the strictly business image of their handsets by enhancing multimedia capabilities. Besides Bluetooth, the camera has been boosted from 1.3 megapixel in the Blackberry Pearl 8100 to 2.0 megapixel in the newly announced device.
Blackberry Pearl 8120 also features video recording. Moreover, the playable video formats now include WMV in addition to the MPEG4 and H.263. Luckily, the added functionality has not resulted in any increase in dimensions and the new Pearl still stands at the compact 107 x 50 x 14 mm with only weight grown by 2 grams to a total of 91 (sounds reasonable).
The device is available through Telefonica in Spain but, as of now, there is no information regarding availability in other countries. (Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Nokia 7900 and 7500 Prism all about design

Nokia today officially unveiled the Prism collection, its latest range of fashionable mobile phones. The first two representatives of the Prism collection are the Nokia 7900 Prism and the Nokia 7500 Prism both running on Series 40 3rd Edition user interface. They come with some interesting light effects and feature a geometric pattern design that seems inspired by the exclusive Vertu series mobiles.
Photos of the Nokia 7900 Prism leaked more than a month ago, so it doesn't come as a big surprise, the detailed specifications published today however are more than welcome. The Nokia 7900 Prism sports a 2" QVGA OLED display supporting up to 16 million colors. The user can choose among 49 illumination colors both for the display and the keypad. In addition, the Nokia 7900 Prism features a "living" wallpaper, which changes dynamically taking into account the time of day, and the battery and signal strength status thus creating unique graphics for your home screen. Another distinguishable feature of the Nokia 7900 Prism is that according to the manufacturer it should be able to provide a total of 9 hours music playing time.
Nokia 7900 Prism
In terms of connectivity, Nokia 7900 Prism sports quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support plus dual-band UMTS. In addition to a 2 megapixel camera with flash, the Nokia 7900 Prism comes with 1GB of internal memory (no memory card slot available). As in other most recent Nokia phones, the 7900 Prism uses a microUSB port for data transfers, a less popular connectivity port as compared to the widely accepted miniUSB.
The Nokia 7900 will be available in the third quarter of 2007 with an estimated retail price of 400 EUR.
The tri-band Nokia 7500 Prism is not as feature-rich as its sibling, but is still distinguished with the same geometry-driven style and design. Worthy of mentioning are the 2 megapixel camera with flash, 16M colors QVGA TFT display, FM radio, microSD card slot, EDGE and GPRS connectivity. The Nokia 7500 Prism is surely not breaking news since it appeared in the Chinese Nokia website almost a month ago, and is already available in selected markets for around 210 EUR.(Source : www.gsmarena.com)

Sony Ericsson K630 unveiled

Sony Ericsson officially unveiled the Sony Ericsson K630 HSDPA-enabled bar. The handset gets announced along with news that the long-awaited Sony Ericsson W910 Walkman and Sony Ericsson K850 Cyber-shot will finally hit the market this October - just before the Christmas shopping frenzy begins.
The Sony Ericsson K630 is pretty much the successor of the Sony Ericsson K610, but doesn't bring any major upgrades of functionality. It's not real news either, since its twin the Sony Ericsson V640 was already announced by Vodafone.
Besides HSDPA with video calls, the Sony Ericsson K630 is equipped with a 2 megapixel camera and a 2" 262K color TFT display with a resolution of 176x220 pixels (come on, you could do better than that). Probably the most notable feature is that it features both 3G and EDGE in the same time. Sony Ericsson V640 for example doesn't have EDGE.
The tri-band Sony Ericsson K630 will come with full software support for MS Exchange ActiveSync for synchronizing your mobile with a PC (MS Outlook in particular). It will also have the so-called Desktop widgets - animated icons on the phone's Home screen that will give one press access to favorite websites (that's a first for Sony Ericsson, isn't it?). The K630 will also be equipped with stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) and a M2 memory card slot with support for capacities of up to 4GB (a 256MB card is included in the package). The device also has a dedicated music key and has the spanking new Sony Ericsson Media Browser which is an enhanced multimedia version of the file manager that we saw first in Sony Ericsson K850.
The Sony Ericsson K630 will hit the streets before the end of the year in Havana Gold and Quick Black colors.
The next good news is that you can finally have a go at either the Sony Ericsson W910 Walkman phone or the Sony Ericsson K850 Cyber-shot phone this very month since the handsets will be made commercially available really soon. The W910 will be available in either Hearty Red or Noble Black colors, while the K850 phone has a color choice of either Velvet Blue or Luminous Green. Both handsets will be available in selected markets from October 2007.
Today Sony Ericsson used the opportunity to pass along a news of a unique handset accessory that will be available really soon, too. The Sony Ericsson MBS-100 is a portable stereo Bluetooth speaker that you can take with you wherever you go. It's compact since it is only 100 mm in diameter and weighs 225 g but can deliver up to 5 hours of music thanks to the integrated 900 mAh Li-Ion battery. The Bluetooth speaker MBS-100 doesn't need any cables to connect to your handset since you can stream music to it from virtually every stereo Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone that you have handy. The MBS-100 has a power output of 1.5W and has its own carrying bag supplied in the retail package.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Sony Ericsson K770 Cyber-shot hits on

A new addition to the Cyber-shot family is already a fact - the new Sony Ericsson K770 was announced today. As you may have probably heard, today Sony Ericsson were expected to officially reveal several new handsets. We all waited impatiently, but so far only the Sony Ericsson K770 is out the door.
The tri-band GSM/GPRS Sony Ericsson K770, which is also 3G-enabled, has all the typical traits of the family - an autofocus 3.2 megapixel camera with an active integrated lens cover. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with our favorite xenon flash, but with a LED one only. Though, as the model ID suggests, the K770 won't be a high-end representative of the Cyber-shot gang.
Only 14.5 mm thick, the Sony Ericsson K770 sports a 1.9" 262K color TFT display with a QVGA (240 x 320) resolution. Its connectivity capabilities include Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support and USB. The music fans were also remembered - the K770 has an onboard FM radio with RDS and TrackID music service. The integrated memory is highly insufficient at only 16MB, but is expandable through the Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot. A 256MB card comes along in the retail package.
The Sony Ericsson K770 will be available in Truffle Brown and Ultra Violet and will hit selected markets in autumn 2007. However there is still no word on expected pricing.
We have found a couple of dozens intriguing live photos of Sony Ericsson K770 only a day after its official announcement, this time revealed by a user of planete-nokia forum. So here it goes, enjoy it!(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Weather-proof BenQ M7 expected

Obviously, BenQ are set on expanding their mobile handsets portfolio even if their collaboration with Siemens didn't turn out right. The BenQ M7 will be their latest handset once it's officially announced (expected in November). For now will have to rely on information and photos from mobile01.com and sogi.com.tw
The BenQ M7 builds upon the successful Siemens M-series that included handsets with increased weather resistance back in the day. The new handset features the same splash and dust resistant body and is 3G-enabled. It sports a 262K color TFT display with a QVGA resolution plus a 2 megapixel main camera and a secondary one for video calls. Among the other cool features of the compact M7 is the GPS receiver with support for the A-GPS service (Assisted GPS). There is also Bluetooth support and a microSD card slot.
The BenQ M7 is based on a new sleek interface that supports Flash-based themes and some nice Flash animations. No further specs are yet known, we'll have to wait until the handset is officially announced.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Nokia 3110 Evolve is not that evolved

At the Nokia World 2007 event held in Amsterdam Nokia announced today the Nokia 3110 Evolve handset. It's a rather strange ofering as it doesn't really offer any evolution as compared to the Nokia 3110 classic, which was announced back in February and is already available. It looks a lot like the Nokia 3500 classic and it offers the same hardware characteristics as the Nokia 3110 classic. The body panels of the new Nokia 3110 Evolve however are said to be produced from bio-sourced materials, which is a heads up to ecology-minded users.
The Nokia 3110 Evolve will be available in Q1 2008. No info on the expected price is yet available.
Editorial comment: We wish we could have been able to report to you with more details live from Amsterdam where the Nokia World event is held but unfortunately it seems that Nokia staff either doesn't find our website major enough to spare an invitation, or they simply give priority to Nokia- and Symbian-oriented fan sites. We went into a great deal of effort in order to obtain an invitation, but we were turned down by everyone we've contacted.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

GSM phone in wrist watch disguise

Ever wanted to know how it feels for a secret agent to blow their cover by talking on their wrist watch? Well, if you did, the guys over at thinkgeek.com seem to have the right little something for you. The GSM wrist watch is a fool-around cool GSM phone/gadget that comes loaded with features.
The 1.3" 65K color TFT touchscreen display is probably the first thing to fascinate you (the tiny stylus is tucked inside the body). The GSM wrist watch also has a music and video player (MP3 and MP4) - unfortunately all you have is 60MB of integrated memory that's not expandable in any way.
The GSM wrist watch has a tri-band GSM/GPRS support, a WAP browser, it supports MP3 and MIDI ringtones, and also has a sound recorder, calendar and a notes application with basic handwriting recognition. There is also e-book support, calculator, currency and unit converter, plus the little fellow can tell the time out loud.
Sound like a yummy offer - it does all the regular low end GSM mobile stuff right off your hand, plus you get that cloak-and-dagger form factor. The watch has USB interface for transferring data to and from a computer, charges via USB or using a wall socket.
The retail package includes a wireless Bluetooth headset (a wired one is also supplied) and two batteries. The best thing is this nifty gadget costs only USD 199.99.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

HTC TyTN II the Kaiser of PocketPCs

One of the hottest rumored PocketPCs by HTC, dubbed as HTC Kaiser, is now a step away from the mystery it was veiled with, as today HTC officially announced HTC TyTN II, a 3G-enabled device, running on Windows Mobile® 6 Professional OS.
HTC TyTN II sports GPS navigation, Wi-Fi, HSDPA 3.6 Mbps and the exclusive TouchFLO technology. It is time for Nokia N95 to tremble under the vast palette of communication and functional capabilities, housed in the HTC TyTN II body, which will probably become the next most successful HTC device after the original HTC TyTN.
HTC TyTN II: among the most awaited PocketPC
It is hard to highlight a major function in HTC TyTN II as it's feature-packed with all the latest technologies. Let us first mention the 65K color TFT touchscreen display with QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) resolution and handwriting recognition. It will certainly get you addicted to, especially with the provided HTC Home menu screen, allowing for fast one-touch access to messages, contacts, appointment and files. The available sliding hardware QWERTY keyboard makes messaging and browsing on the go as easy as it gets in combination with the tilted 2.8" TFT display.
Powered by a 400 MHz processor, HTC TyTN II will certainly handle the demanding tasks of utilizing the integrated GPS receiver, Wi-Fi functionality, video calling or multimedia streaming as fast as the full HSDPA (3.6 Mbps) will allow you to. Navigation through menus and applications is boosted with the proprietary HTC TouchFLO technology which allows a natural touch navigation. In its essence, TouchFLO Technology is a 3-dimensional interface that gives you quick access to messages, internet, multimedia and more.The HTC TyTN II is also equipped with a 3 megapixel autofocus camera, capable of video recording.
According to some information publshed by FCC, three different versions of the HTC Kaiser will be released after its announcement. The first one dubbed as KAIS110 has no camera and therefore will be primary for corporate users which are prohibited to use cameraphones. The second one is KAIS100 will have only one camera (primary) and finally the last one known as KAIS120 with two cameras (primary and secondary). So definately there will be enough of Kaiser for everyone to enjoy.
HTC TyTN II is planned to hit the shelves within next month, but there is no official information of the estimated price.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

LG KU990 5 megapixel HSDPA phone

Today LG officially unveiled the 3G-enabled quad-band LG KU990 Viewty. Stylishly reminescent of the glossy LG KE850 Prada phone, it features full touch-control interface and a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with xenon flash. This highly functional device with top-notch design traces out the LG efforts in manufacturing fashionable phones, which sport up-to-date functionality and cool applications.
The LG KU990 Viewty has a large 3" 262K color TFT touchscreen display with a 240 x 400 pixels resolution and boasts a 5 megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach optics, image stabilization and xenon flash, yet capable of shooting quality video clips with up to 120 fps. The realization of such high framerate leaves us wondering what video resolution would allow similar video capturing capabilities. Current compact digital camera hardly cope with QVGA resolution at 60 fps. It is up to a user to choose from shooting in auto focus or manual focus mode with ISO sensitivity of up to ISO 800. The LG KU990 is also equipped with a secondary VGA camera for making video calls as the LG KU990 features HSDPA 3.6 Mbps. Storing images, tracks, clips or files is easy with the onboard 100 MB memory, expandable up to 2GB through the microSD memory card slot. Music fans will enjoy the music player and FM radio, while in the same time you will be able to watch DivX videos on the large 3" display. The LG KU990 connectivity capabilities include Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP support and USB 2.0 High-speed.
The LG KU990 Viewty will be available in Black but there is still no word on expected pricing and availability.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Motorola U9 announced

Today Motorola announced an intriguing new device. The spotlight is on the music-oriented MOTO U9.
We already gave you the first info leaked on this phone but, as it turns out, MOTO U9 will formally belong to neither the ROKR nor the PEBL series. Avoiding family conflicts is a clever decision.
The stylish clamshell measures only 90mm x 48.6mm x 16.4mm with a volume of 57.8 cc, and weighs the mere 87.5 g. It has an internal 2" QVGA 262k display and an external 1.45" 65K-color OLED one with a resolution of 128 x 160. The latter does look borderless, as the manufacturer claims, and touch sensitive keys appear at its bottom when the music player is activated. It goes without saying that it supports Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP profile for listening to music on a stereo bluetooth headset, and a USB 2.0 port for fast data transfers. The camera of MOTO U9 is a 2 megapixel one, sporting video recording. The internal memory of the quad-band device is 25MB but that can be expanded through the microSD card slot, which supports cards with capacity of up to 4GB. Another added gain of the new MOTO is the CrystalTalk technology, which Motorola claims should ensure better talk clarity even in noisy environment.
Judging by the official photos, the unique feature of the PEBL U6 - the dual-hinge mechanism used for opening and closing has been abandoned, and is now replaced by a more traditional solution.
At this stage there is no information regarding the handset availability or pricing, but the release date is sure to be pretty near.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Samsung i550 and Giorgio Armani Mobile official

Samsung announced two new exciting additions to its mobile phone portfolio. Although they look very different, both are bound to earn themselves quite a lot of fans. One with the lure of Armani looks, the other with the functionality of a GPS-enabled smartphone.
It's been quite a while since news first broke of the collaboration between Samsung and Giorgio Armani in the development of a new mobile phone. It hardly comes as a surprise then to announce that the project has been completed. The phone was officially unveiled at a press briefing in Milan before Armani's Spring Summer 2008 Women's fashion show. Apparently the P520 working title has been dropped and now the phone is named Giorgio Armani-Samsung Mobile. Besides the looks, courtesy of one of the world's leading fashion and lifestyle design companies, the new device has got a whole bunch of features to be excited about too. The display stands at the splendid 2.6 inches and features 262K colors, QVGA resolution and touchscreen. Haptic feedback is enabled, light vibrations marking every touch of the icons on the display. The camera on the Giorgio Armani-Samsung Mobile will shoot in a 3 megapixel resolution, which is more than respectable pixel count for a fashion handset. Other features of the tri-band GPRS/EDGE enabled phone include Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP (which has become standard for the Samsung mobiles), USB 2.0 high-speed and microSD card slot for memory expansion. All of these niceties will be packed in a surprisingly small body at 87.5 x 54.5 x 10.5 mm, weighting the modest 85 grams.
Samsung's official announcement states that the retail package will include a specially designed Giorgio Armani leather carrying case. The new phone will be available at Armani flagship stores and selected mobile phone retailers in major European countries from November 2007. However, there is no word on pricing at this stage.
The other device to see its official release is the Samsung i550 - a Symbian smartphone with a built-in GPS receiver. As we already wrote a little while ago, the phone will be a high-end 3G-enabled device sporting most features you can think of. HSDPA and EDGE handle data transfer on the tri-band device, with Bluetooth (you guessed right - 2.0 with A2DP support) and USB 2.0. The phone will have a 2.6" 262K-color display with QVGA resolution. There is also a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash and an FM radio to enhance the multimedia image of the device. The OS, as expected, is Symbian 9.2 using the S60 v3.1 user interface. Finally a word on the memory capacity - Samsung i550 features 150MB of internal memory and a microSD card slot, should further expansion be necessary.
Samsung i550 will be released in November 2007 but no information about its pricing is yet disclosed.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Sony Ericsson K770 review Cyber-shot in the middle

A new addition to the Cyber-shot family is already a fact - the new Sony Ericsson K770 was announced today. As you may have probably heard, today Sony Ericsson were expected to officially reveal several new handsets. We all waited impatiently, but so far only the Sony Ericsson K770 is out the door.
The tri-band GSM/GPRS Sony Ericsson K770, which is also 3G-enabled, has all the typical traits of the family - an autofocus 3.2 megapixel camera with an active integrated lens cover. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with our favorite xenon flash, but with a LED one only. Though, as the model ID suggests, the K770 won't be a high-end representative of the Cyber-shot gang.
Sony Ericsson K770 Cyber-shot
Only 14.5 mm thick, the Sony Ericsson K770 sports a 1.9" 262K color TFT display with a QVGA (240 x 320) resolution. Its connectivity capabilities include Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support and USB. The music fans were also remembered - the K770 has an onboard FM radio with RDS and TrackID music service. The integrated memory is highly insufficient at only 16MB, but is expandable through the Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot. A 256MB card comes along in the retail package.
The Sony Ericsson K770 will be available in Truffle Brown and Ultra Violet and will hit selected markets in autumn 2007. However there is still no word on expected pricing.
We have found a couple of dozens intriguing live photos of Sony Ericsson K770 only a day after its official announcement, this time revealed by a user of planete-nokia forum. So here it goes, enjoy it!(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Sony Ericsson K530 review Evolved 3G ba

Sony Ericsson K530 is a decent looking mid-range handset. It will mostly be favored by those of conservative taste. The new addition to the K series offers 3G support video calling and good entertainment features.
Key featuresConservative design Good keyboard 3G Memory Stick Micro card slot 2 MP camera Blogging enabled Bluetooth with A2DP Music player and FM radio with RDS NetFront browser Weather forecast Java application Main disadvantagesLittle innovation compared to K610 QVGA resolution would've suited the display better Only 16 MB internal memory No memory card in the retail package The phone won't turn on without the SIM inserted No EDGE Rather basic camera settings, no LED Video in QCIF only No indication of missed calls Uncomfortable SIM card holder
(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Samsung i450 just around the corner

Word is out in the mobile community on the 3G-enabled ingenious Samsung i450, a dual slider running on Symbian OS - a reinforcer of the smart i-line of the company's portfolio. Let's remind you of the recently announced Samsung i620, powered by the Windows Mobile OS and sporting a sliding QWERTY keyboard. Both devices will meet the user demands for productivity as they differ only slightly from one another in features.
Samsung i450
Samsung i450 is running on Symbian OS 9.2 Series 60 v3.1 operating system - such a decision is probably dictated by the popularity of this OS, compared to Windows Mobile OS. The new slider has a 262K color TFT display with a QVGA (320 x 240 pixels) resolution, the same 2 megapixel camera as in Samsung i620, and a second VGA video calls camera. The integrated memory is as large as 1 GB and is further expandable through a microSD memory card slot. Multimedia features are also at a decent level - you can choose among the available MPEG4, WMA/MP3/AAC and Flash players.
Other features of the Samsung i450 include Bluetooth v2.0, USB support, 3G and HSDPA connectivity and a peculiar speaker, which gets revealed when you slide the phone down (much like Nokia N95), probably boosting the sound of the video/audio player. A certain drawback is the lack of Wi-Fi, a feature spotted in Samsung i620.
There is still no official information of pricing and availability of the device(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Nokia E90 review Heavyweight champion

Size doesn't bother you? Then get ready for the stars and the moon, for the communicator gives it all: internet, GPS, excellent camera and many others.
The Nokia E90 Communicator is the latest addition to the set of contemporary high-performance devices for executives. We had to wait three years since the last Nokia 9500 Communicator appeared. Our patience was duly rewarded at the 2007 3GSM Congress, when Nokia unveiled the ultimate no-compromise mobile communication device. It remains faithful to some of the family traditions, others it forsakes, but the outcome is downright worth it. Nokia E90 has the familiar body construction: a hefty handset, which opens up to reveal a wide landscape display.
Nokia E90 Communicator official pictures
Before the E90 appeared, communicators used to be a class on its own in the Nokia portfolio. They had their own UI, which brought forth a number of issues. Above all, every application had to be adapted to the uncommon S80 UI. Quite unaffordable and therefore rare, communicators were ostracized by software developers. That's exactly the flaw, which has been addressed in the new Nokia E90. The phone features a standard Symbian 9.2 and 3rd edition S60, working on a giant display and ensuring far greater compatibility.
First live photos from the 3GSM in Barcelona • also available in red
In closed position E90 looks like a traditional, though well oversized, Nokia bar. For the lack of a better reference point for size and weight, we compare it against the older Nokia 9500. The newer release has notably reduced size and still packs in near full contemporary functionality. The table below compares the essential features of the last two Communicator generations.
Nokia E90
Size is the first thing you'll have to put up with about the Nokia E90. And it may as well be the last. What you get is unmatched keypad space and display size.
E90 is a direct descendant of the Nokia 9500. Different age, different design
Nokia 9500 Nokia E90 Size 148 x 57 x 24 mm 132 x 57 x 20 mm Weight 230 g 210 g Outer display 128 x 128 pixels, 65K colors 240 x 320 pixels, 16M colors Inner display 640 x 200 pixels, 65K colors 800 x 352 pixels, 16M colors OS Symbian 7.0s Series 80 Symbian 9.2 S60 3rd Edition Memory 80 MB + MMC 128 MB + microSD Camera 0.31 MP 3.2 MP Connectivity GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, HSDPA, Wi-Fi
Key featuresFull-fledged keyboard Big and high-resolution display Integrated GPS Built-in maps and basic navigation without charge 128 MB memory 512 MB microSD in the standard package Integrated WLAN, HSDPA Quality e-mail client Office applications, document creation and editing enabled Seamless synchronization with computer (PC Suite) MiniUSB universal connector (Mass storage enabled) Built-in camera with autofocus Stereo FM radio and A2DP-enabled Bluetooth for wireless stereo headphones Quality loudspeakers VoIP support Elegant and presentable appearance Quality construction UI compatible with other Nokia phones System speed Main disadvantagesSize and weight Third party applications incompatible with the built-in GPS Charges for navigation capabilities Multitasking still not perfect Inadequate battery life No small-size charger like in the N95 No camera lens cover Wired headset with a 2.5mm jack, no volume control on the remote No USB Mass Storage for the phone memory Price (Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Nokia N95 8GB approved by FCC

With just a few days remaining to August 29th, the day when Nokia is going to announce its newest mobile phones, FCC brought joy to all fans of the high-end Nokia N95. Two new editions of the widely popular handset were approved today by the American Federal Communications Commission (FCC). One of them is only an US version of the currently known model, while the other is the exciting Nokia N95 8GB edition.
Nokia N95 8GB closed and opened * Nokia N95 8GB dismantled: this model is without a lens cover
The Nokia N95 8GB comes dressed in black and has undergone several changes. The main one of course is the thrilling memory capacity of 8GB. The screen has also grown up form the 2.6" of the original to the 2.8" in the new edition. Some rumors even go as far as saying that it is going to support VGA resolution but that seems improbable. Nokia N95 8GB is also supposed to be equipped with a 1200 mAh battery as opposed to the rather modest 950 mAh in the original Nokia N95, but that is still not officially confirmed. According to the mobile community, the battery life of the original Nokia N95 was its most serious flaw and it seems that now Nokia has found a solution. The higher capacity battery on the other side has resulted in removing the lens cover. Luckily, the GPS is still present, regardless of the expectations that it will be sacrificed in order to make room for the extra memory.
Nokia N95 USA edition
The other FCC approved version of Nokia N95 will be cheered by the North America consumers. Its differences with the original are quite smaller compared to the 8GB version. The main is that the UMTS now supports the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz frequencies instead of the 2100 MHz of its predecessor, which will make the 3G usable in the US (in the AT&T 3G cellular network, for example). The fact that this model also has no lens cover hints that it will probably also be equipped with the more powerful 1200 mAh battery. Unfortunately, no word on the availability and pricing of both models is available but we expect Nokia to provide some information on the matter on August 29th.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)

Nokia E51 puts Wi-Fi on the table

A new addition to the Nokia business devices portfolio was introduced today. The E-series welcome a new member in the face of Nokia E51. Featuring a classic metallic design, it has all the features you would expect in an E-series model, plus some extras on top. The phone will be quad-band GSM and will support GPRS and EDGE. In terms of third generation networks it is equipped with HSDPA, providing speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps. Other wireless connectivity includes Infrared, Bluetooth 2.0 and WLAN. Regarding wired connectivity Nokia E51 includes microUSB v2.0 full speed and a 2.5mm audio jack.
Nokia E51 will be available in three colors
It seems as if it doesn't have much in common with the Nokia E50 and when it comes to functionality it resembles more the Nokia E65. Regardless of the fact that the Nokia E51 is totally business-oriented, it is not completely deprived of multimedia capabilities. It has a 2 megapixel camera that is also able to record video. There is also an MP3 player and FM radio, as well as A2DP Bluetooth profile.
The display on Nokia E51 is a 2" 16M color one that supports QVGA resolution. In terms of internal memory - the phone is doing well with a good 130MB, which is further expandable through the microSD card slot that support memory cards with capacity of up to 4GB.
The new E-series family member will be globally available during Q4 2007 with a retail price of approximately EUR 350.(Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/)