Phone Mobile News

Mitsubishi's Symbian-powered D702iBCL for NTT DoCoMo

2006-07-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Mitsubishi's Symbian-powered D702iBCL for NTT DoCoMo
Fashion phones not your cup of tea? Looking for something a little more business oriented perhaps? NTT DoCoMo has you covered with their D702iBCL FOMA smartphone, brought to you by the good folks at Mitsubishi. The D702iBCL sports NTT's MOAP (Moblie Oriented Applications Platform) UI sitting atop Symbian 8.1 along with a QVGA display, all while coming in at a relatively sprightly 130 x 47 x 16.8mm and 97g. A camera is conspicuously missing, but being that this is a business phone, that's just as well.

O2 Atom Exec gets the full rundown

2006-07-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

O2 Atom Exec gets the full rundown
CNET has gone ahead and upgraded its preview of the O2 Atom Exec to a full review, and it appears they've come away with a very positive impression of the refreshed non-HTC -- yes, non-HTC -- Pocket PC. To refresh your melon, the Atom Exec is O2's Asia-only update of the Atom, adding an extra 64MB of ROM (for a total of 192MB), boosting the device's PXA272 core from 416 to 520MHz, and toning down the glossy finish to a more matte one. CNET concludes that the Exec is a great device thanks largely to its roomy ROM and snappy performance, but that it probably isn't worthy of an upgrade for owners of the original Atom. European Atom owners: feelin' any jealousy here?

Sony Ericsson's K750i comes in red

2006-07-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson's K750i comes in red
Sony Ericsson didn't really strike us as too huge on the whole re-release that device in a new color strategy, but starting, well, last Saturday it would appear our UK pals can snag a lipstick red K750i from Carphone Warehouse. As for the rest of us, we'll just have to live with what we've got now: the K750's far more advanced successor, the K800.

CKT's sporty yet boring 6689

2006-07-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

CKT's sporty yet boring 6689
It sure looks an awful lot like just about every other mid to low-end Samsung around, and the CKT 6689's specs aren't nearly as blistering as that fire engine red shade encasing its 2 megapixel camera, MP3 and MPEG-4 playback, and MicroSD slot. We really hope there isn't something you find to be positively irresistible about this phone, since it's dubious this thing will ever make it outside China.

Cingular to offer video sharing while talking

2006-07-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Cingular to offer video sharing while talking
Cingular's announced that it plans to launch a new service "within the next year" that'll let users share videos while talking on their cellphone, something that you may remember was being tested earlier this year. Assuming Cingular hasn't gone on a completely different route, the service will make use of what's known as the IP Multimedia Subsystem (or IMS), which is a UMTS implementation of (SIP). It's nifty to be sure, but we're guessing Cingular will have to make the service really affordable for most people to be able to justify adding yet another expense to their monthly bill.

The Mac phone. No, not really.

2006-07-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

The Mac phone. No, not really
Some people have quite a bit of spare time on their hands, some have an undying obsession with all things Apple, while others profess their appreciation of the customizability of Symbian devices. Apparently these all came to a head in the Mac phone, the resulting collision producing quite a little hack on the 6680 if we ever saw one. Ok, now who's gonna make us a Windows phone? Oh, wait.

ROK Player goes Windows Mobile

2006-07-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

ROK Player goes Windows Mobile
It's been a while since ROK and their ROK Player declared they were going after the mobile video market selling MMCs loaded with shows; they eventually came back claiming they were going to launch their BLCX SlingBox killer, which is certainly slightly more practical for getting your TV onto your wireless device -- but they missed that June 1 rollout date, too. What they do have, though, is a 2.5g streaming video solution for Symbian, which can now also count Windows Mobile users among those who have access to ROK TV content. While we're doubting any 2.5g connection in the world is going to provide video as demonstrated by ROK above, they do indeed have a decent enough little lineup going on if you were looking for a way to get some mobile video going on that EDGE-enabled HTC of yours.

China first to get Motorola ROKR E2

2006-06-24T03:37:00.000-07:00

China first to get Motorola ROKR E2
The ROKR E2, which has been fermenting in Motorola's labs for a good six months is finally ready for public consumption, it seems, and China is the lucky first country to be blessed / cursed with its presence. On sale now at GOME outlets across the country, the E2's specs (QVGA, USB 2.0, 3.5mm jack) soundly put the E1's to shame, but with the E3 already in the pipeline -- not to mention the countless music phones available now from other manufacturers -- it's anybody's guess whether savvy Chinese buyers will give a hoot.

Cingular beefs up the low end with Nokia's 6102i

2006-06-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

Cingular beefs up the low end with Nokia's 6102i
If you're looking for a virtually free clamshell on Cingular, you have an impressive selection to choose from, with entries from Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, Pantech, Motorola, and Nokia all in the mix. They've gone ahead and re-upped that selection just a bit by replacing the aging 6102 with the 6102i, which adds Bluetooth but otherwise sounds about the same as its predecessor: you get dual color displays, VGA camera, speakerphone, and EDGE support for next to nothing on contract (we show $9.99 after rebates in the Midwest). Now, how's about adding a couple Nokias on the high end while you're at it, Cingular?

Philips' S900 touchscreen candybar

2006-06-24T03:33:00.000-07:00

Philips' S900 touchscreen candybar
Philips got busy with a Korean touchscreen candybar, or so it would appear. Their new S900 probably isn't soon going to see the light of day outside select Asian markets, but it's got handwriting recognition, a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, MiniSD, mini USB, and an unfortunate QQVGA display. Just thought you'd like to know, ok?

Lenovo releases the Superman i750, Phone of Steel

2006-06-24T03:27:00.000-07:00

Lenovo releases the Superman i750, Phone of Steel
Much to our surprise, it looks like China will beat out US carriers on bringing a co-branded Superman phone to coincide with the upcoming release of Superman Returns. Lenovo is rolling out a special edition of its i750 candybar to mark the occasion, bundling the phone with a cornucopia of forgettable Superman-themed trinkets. Unfortunately, there's really nothing super about the phone itself -- just your average tri-band GSM piece with 220 x 176 display, 1.3 megapixel camera, and MiniSD slot, though the TV out is a bonus. If you happen to be in mainland China, you can pick up your own piece of Superman history starting the end of June for 1500 Yuan, which rings up just shy of $190 USD.

EA to bypass carriers, sell mobile games direct

2006-06-20T00:31:00.000-07:00

EA to bypass carriers, sell mobile games direct
Feel like you're getting held down by the man every time you check out your carrier's content portal and can't find the game you're looking for, simply because they chose not to carry it? EA feels your pain, too -- though more from the revenue-sharing perspective -- and they're looking to do something about it. Their Mobile division has announced they're hard at work designing a solution for buying mobile games (like Will Wright's upcoming "Spore") on your PC direct from EA and downloading the purchased binary to your phone from there. Obviously, they're looking to make the process as painless as possible; no amount of foolproofing could make a two-step process involving two devices as easy as downloading a game directly through your WAP browser, but hey, if this is what we have to do to get our Spore on, you'd best believe we'll be digging our cables out of the drawer.

ASUS adds a slider and flip

2006-06-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

ASUS adds a slider and flip
Personally, we have a softer spot in our hearts for ASUS' smartphone offerings, but they're doing their best to win us over on their, uh, less smart offerings with the J208 slider and M310 clamshell. The M310 offers the discerning consumer a scary, HAL-like camera lens sporting 2 megapixels of autofocus resolution, a QVGA internal display, and MicroSD slot in a music-oriented 90g chassis with external player controls. The more attractive of the pair, the J208 brings a 2.0 megapixel shooter (without the 2001 drama), 64MB of internal flash, a MicroSD slot, and a 220 x 176 display in a 17mm thick package; we would've liked to have seen QVGA, but we're not going to lose sleep over it since we're betting these tri-band GSM units are Asia-only.

Nokia adds low-end 3G 6151

2006-06-20T00:29:00.000-07:00

Nokia adds low-end 3G 6151
Not a week ago, we were talking about GSMA's "3G for all" project to bring UMTS to the world's poor, and although Nokia's new 6151 doesn't promise to hit the $30 unsubsidized mark, they are using the similar-sounding "3G for Everyone" tagline to hype the phone. The candybar 6151 joins NEC in the largely uncharted territory of low-end 3G action, filling the bill with a 1.3 megapixel shooter, 30MB of internal flash with MicroSD expansion, FM radio, PTT, and Bluetooth, all sitting atop S40. The phone looks to drop for about €240 unsubsidized, which works out to $300 -- not quite fit for developing countries yet. North America gets left out of the party with the phone's lack of UMTS 1900 and GSM 850, but the 6151 should start trickling into the hands of underprivileged phone aficionados across the remainder of the globe in the third quarter in your choice of black, pearl white, orange, light blue, or lime green.

Nokia announces 1110i for "first time users"

2006-06-20T00:28:00.000-07:00

Nokia announces 1110i for "first time users"
Apparently there exists a market somewhere for bargain-basement phones, devoid of even the most basic features, that look like they've been sitting in a warehouse somewhere since 1999. Wherever you folks are, Nokia's got you covered with their latest ultra low-end offering, the 1110i. A modest update for the similarly-designed 1110, the 1110i rocks a freshly updated version of S30, 96 x 68 1-bit display with green backlight, 20-tone polyphony with "MP3-grade tones," EGSM 900 / 1800 support, and that's about it. At just €45 ($57) unsubsidized, what's there not to love? Available starting Q3 in areas friendly to dual-band coverage.

Samsung's 9.9-millimeter SGH-D830 clamshell

2006-06-20T00:27:00.000-07:00

Samsung's 9.9-millimeter SGH-D830 clamshell
So Samsung's showing off a super-slim new flip phone at CommunicAsia 2006 in Singapore called the SGH-D830, but other than its RAZR-killing 9.9-millimeter thickness, they're declining to reveal any of the details that we so desperately need to know. Does it play music? We can't say. Is it i-mode compatible? Maybe, we see an "i" on there. How many megapixels is the camera? Again, you'll find no answers here. Shame, shame on you Samsung, for teasing us with a model so thin and yet so mysterious.

Hands-on with the Sidekick 3

2006-06-20T00:24:00.000-07:00

Hands-on with the Sidekick 3
Engadget Mobile has a bunch of hands-on shots with the new T-Mobile Sidekick 3.
As promised, our initial impressions of the new T-Mobile Sidekick 3...First off, the Sidekick 3 is really just an evolution and enhancement of its predecessor (just as the SKII was with the original Sidekick). It's about 20% smaller (it's definitely more pocketable), and finally has Bluetooth, a memory card slot, and a better camera,

Just as the Sidekick II was with the original Sidekick, the Sidekick is at heart just an evolution and enhancement of its predecessor. The big improvements? Bluetooth, a memory card slot, a better camera, more memory, a music player, and a trackball. There haven't been any major changes in the UI (mainly a few tweaks here and there), and you may or may not like the new keyboard (we liked it, but you'll just have to try it yourself and see), but the biggest disappointment is the display, which is still a paltry 240 x 160 pixels and still looks sorta washed out to our eyes.

When it rains, it pours: Telus gets some Nokia love, too

2006-06-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

When it rains, it pours: Telus gets some Nokia love, too
It seems Motorola isn't the only manufacturer spreading joy north of the border this week. Our colleagues at Engadget Chinese brought word of Nokia's new CDMA slider late last year: 24MB of shared flash, 2.0 megapixel camera, and QVGA display all sitting atop S40 3rd Edition, making the 6265i Nokia's flagship CDMA piece. Not bad for a company known far better for its GSM efforts, and at least Qualcomm won't get all bent out of shape when this one goes on sale. Available now for our friends on Telus for $99.99 with a 3-year (yikes!) contract.

[Thanks, Gerald and Bernie]

Qtopia dual-mode phone drops in France

2006-06-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

Qtopia dual-mode phone drops in France
We first told you about Wistron NeWeb's GW1 dual-mode candybar with tri-band GSM and VoIP over WiFi back in January when we caught wind of it at CES; now, it looks like they've picked up a launch partner. Rebranded as the "Twin" by French MVNO Neuf (that's "Nine" for you non-Francophones out there), the phone appears to be hit with the basically the same ugly stick that afflicted the GW1, but never mind that -- the big draw here is dual mode, which Neuf will offer at regular mobile rates through customer's Internet connections and its own hotspots. Also of note is that the Twin / GW1 runs Qtopia for folks looking to make an escape from more traditional smartphone platforms. The Twin is available unlocked and without contract for €200 or €1 when purchased with a Neuf Internet connection and phone plan.

Vodafone Germany takes the guesswork out of Orb setup

2006-06-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

Vodafone Germany takes the guesswork out of Orb setup
If you've been curious about Orb but you're sweating the installation process or you're worried that your carrier might frown upon your indulgent use of data, life just got a little easier -- if you're on Vodafone Germany's UMTS network, that is. Their new "Vodafone-Mein PC" service, which is in public trial through September, includes a PC installer that reportedly does just about everything for you -- just add content and you're ready to roll. The service communicates with Vodafone's Live! portal, which you then access via your compatible, UMTS-capable handset. If the service flops, Vodafone is reserving the right to drop it following the trial period, but if it takes off, they're reserving the right to charge a few euros, too. If Vodafone's bandwidth wasn't already saturated with streaming Knight Rider and Baywatch reruns, this might just do the trick.

OKWAP's WM2005 Smartphone slider

2006-06-14T02:54:00.000-07:00

OKWAP's WM2005 Smartphone slider
Despite the seemingly exponential popularity of sliders over the past couple years, Windows Mobile Smartphones have seen shockingly little action in the form factor (heck, even Pocket PCs have managed to join the party). Taiwan's OKWAP is looking to change all that, parading their adorable little K728 at this year's Computex. The tri-band GSM device (sorry, yanks) sports some unusual specs for a Smartphone, including a 400MHz Samsung core, generous 128MB of flash, 2.0 megapixel camera, MiniSD slot, AKU2 with all the trimmings (A2DP included), and a 220 x 176 touchscreen. Yes, that's right, a touchscreen -- Smartphone doesn't officially get down like that, so we're assuming OKWAP rolled their own touch support. Given the unusually healthy spec sheet, you might be led to believe this Smartphone is secretly aspiring to be a Pocket PC, but the K728's diminutive 93.5 x 46 x 24.5mm and 107.8g weight suggest otherwise. More not-for-US-release eye candy after the break.

Q fans, good news: it'll cost $50 and have UMTS by 2007

2006-06-14T02:52:00.000-07:00

Q fans, good news: it'll cost $50 and have UMTS by 2007
For those Q fans in the audience, we've got some good news (especially if you haven't made the jump yet because that $200 price point is still a little high, or because you just can't bear the thought of switching to Verizon). Apparently Ron Garriques, Moto's Executive Vice President, Mobile Devices Business, told Bear Sterns that the Q's sales performance can be compared to the steep, successful initial launch of the RAZR, and that they not only hope to drop the price to $50 after carrier subsidy by the end of 2006, but they'll be launching a UMTS version when Verizon's exclusivity contract on the device ends (as we've been expecting). Yeah, that'd be the same UMTS version that it was supposed to be around from the get go. Still, we're assuming that exclusivity will last a good half year (quite literally a gadget lifetime to wait for us), after which time the UMTS Q will head to some mysterious, unknown network. Guess Ron wasn't too firm a believer in Moto's supposedly newly adopted announce-when-you-ship methodology, eh?

Nokia's N92 DVB-H handset in World Cup trial

2006-06-14T02:51:00.000-07:00

Nokia's N92 DVB-H handset in World Cup trial
Although announced way back in November, Nokia's flagship N92 DVB-H phone still isn't shipping. Of course, that hasn't kept it from making the occasional appearance at DVB-H pilots across Europe. And with Germany (and the world) now fully consumed by the World Cup, yet another German DVB-H pilot project has launched with local operators E-Plus, O2, T-Mobile, and Vodaphone pumping out that mobile digital feed. The pilot consists of 14 television channels (and six radio) broadcasting live matches and other programming to "guests" using a variety of DVB-H handsets (presumably from LG, Samsung and maybe even BenQ-Siemens), including the N92. The pilot is being held in the largest German cities and will run until August 31st, except in Munich where it ends on July 31 allowing ample time to prepare for beer drinking season. And in case you're wondering, the N92 is expected to hit Europe mid-summer for an unsubsidized price of €600 ($758); beaucoup bucks for a service offering in trial-mode everywhere 'cept Finland and maybe Italy.

The M81: BenQ-Siemens gets in touch with its sporty side

2006-06-14T02:47:00.000-07:00

The M81: BenQ-Siemens gets in touch with its sporty side
Apparently, the folks at BenQ are looking to make a run on Nokia's "active lifestyle" category of phones, unleashing the shock / splash / dust-resistant M81 today in Munich. Besides the navigation (GPS module sold seperately) and weather clients, built-in flashlight, and relatively tough exterior clad in "high-quality synthetics and rubber," not much differentiates the device from your typical midrange candybar: 900 / 1800 / 1900 GSM with EDGE data, 176 x 132 display, 1.3 megapixel camera, music player, and MicroSD slot in your choice of Graphite Black or Steel Blue. The M81 starts shipping to joggers and snowboarders in August.

Samsung ZV50 now on Vodafone Germany's "UMTS Turbo"

2006-06-14T02:45:00.000-07:00

Samsung ZV50 now on Vodafone Germany's "UMTS Turbo"
Speed freaks, rejoice: another carrier's customers are ready to be comforted by HSDPA's warm embrace. The Samsung SGH-ZV50 has dropped on Vodafone Germany, and although we're seeing some mention of the term "UMTS Turbo," let's be honest with each other and take this phone for what it is -- Voda Germany's first HSDPA handset. Data rates, which can be piped to the device of your choosing via USB or Bluetooth, are claimed to top out at 1.8 simultaneous-voice-callin' megabits/sec. Other than the blazing data speeds, the 105-gram handset itself isn't anything too spectacular, serving up 30MB of internal flash, QVGA display, and a MicroSD slot with a 64MB card thrown in the box. Without contract, the ZV50 will run you a whopping €799.50 -- yes, a shade over one grand US -- but that comes down to €229.50 with a signup.

New budget slider from Alcatel

2006-06-11T02:36:00.000-07:00

New budget slider from Alcatel
We don't talk much about Alcatels on this side of the pond, but that doesn't mean they aren't holding down the low to mid range, with a full 14 cellphones in their current lineup. Latest among them is the OT E260, a GSM 900/1800 no-frills slider that lacks a camera (gasp!). For its lowly market segment, the E260 is a looker, sporting a simple glossy black face and weighing in at a svelte 90 grams. Besides a straight-outta-2002 102 x 80 color screen, you'll get 16-channel polyphonic ringtones, and that's about it.

Verizon's Chaperone offers invisible fence to parents

2006-06-11T02:32:00.000-07:00

Verizon's Chaperone offers invisible fence to parents
We're still trying to get used to the idea of 8 year-olds toting cellphones, but operators have embraced their new clientele, developing phones and services tailored to their needs and the needs of their parental units. Verizon's young'un offering, the GPS-enabled LG Migo, will be the first device to operate with their Chaperone service, which launches on Monday. For $10 a month, Chaperone lets a curious parent check on their child's location, and for $20, Verizon can send alerts when the child crosses pre-set boundaries. We're hoping the Migo doesn't deliver a shock when an unsuspecting kid moves past their boundary, but it does look a little like a stun gun, does it not?

Nvidia intros Windows Mobile multimedia platform

2006-06-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

Nvidia intros Windows Mobile multimedia platform
Nvidia has taken the wraps of its MobileMedia platform for Windows Mobile 5.0-based devices at Taiwan's big Computex trade show, promising to bring high-quality digital TV and video, 3D graphics, and high fidelity audio to PDAs and smartphones. At the heart of the MobileMedia platform is Nvidia's GeForce 5500 chip, which supposedly delivers "console-class 3D gaming," although they convienently don't specify which console -- we're guessing it falls somewhere below an Xbox 360 but above a Sega Genesis. As it turns out, we've actually already seen a couple of the smartphones based on the Nvidia platform, although no one was spilling deets at the time. Modeo's DVB-H smartphone (seen here) is just one of the devices already announced that has Nvidia tech on the inside, as is Samsung's i310 smartphone, as well as an unnamed device from ReignCom. Nvidia also announced that they've hooked up with Intel and Freescale to develop reference designs for Windows Mobile 5.0 devices currently in development that should be unveiled later this year.

Gigabyte debuts g-Smart i120 & i300 smartphones

2006-06-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Gigabyte debuts g-Smart i120 & i300 smartphones
Gigabyte is showing off two new Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphones at Computex in Taiwan this week, the g-Smart i120 and g-Smart i300. The i300 appears to be a slightly modified version of what was previously just known as the g-Smart i, a tri-band device (no EDGE, sadly), packing 64MB of RAM, 256MB of ROM, 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, a 2 megapixel camera, 2.4-inch QVGA screen, as well as a MiniSD slot and an FM tuner; what's not clear if it supports the same crazy rabbit ears for TV reception as the other g-Smart we saw a couple of months ago. The i120 takes a different approach, featuring a built-in keypad, but the specs are pretty similar otherwise, with tri-band GSM (900 / 1800 / 1900) and GPRS, 64MB RAM, 256MB ROM, 802.11g, Bluetooth (just 1.2 on this one), infrared, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera, and, it seems, a TV tuner in addition to the FM (no evidence of rabbit ears though). Check the read link below for some more pics courtesy of Phone Daily.

New display tech could make mobiles "glanceable

2006-06-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

New display tech could make mobiles "glanceable
We hesitate to bring up anything to do with the ongoing debacle that is SPOT, but the guys over at Microsoft's most left-of-center division helped popularize the concept of "glanceable" information -- ubiquitous, high-demand data (weather reports, for instance) that can be gleaned quickly and with little or no user input. Cellphones, despite the fact that they have ready access to such data, have been largely left out of the party; always-on displays are a backbone of the glanceable concept, and the dazzling, hi-res screens necessary to keep the modern consumer entertained drain far too much power to be left on when no one is interacting with the device. Manufacturers have taken baby steps to solving the power problem by introducing OLEDs, but more is needed. Qualcomm, when it's not busy filing lawsuits, has been working on its iMoD (short for Interferometric Modulator) technology, which uses an array of microscopic mirrors to stay highly visible in well-lit conditions. Meanwhile, Philips spin-off Liquavista is taking the electrowetting approach. Either way, we're all for always-on cellphone displays that afford us more than a few hours of standby, but both groups have yet to name any commercial devices in the pipeline. In the meantime, there's still a chance to jump on the glanceable bandwagon -- grab a handful of Ambient Orbs, turn down the lights, and soak in the psychadelic data.

Vodafone launches Nokia 6234

2006-06-09T04:49:00.000-07:00

Vodafone launches Nokia 6234
The news took a little while to cross the pond, but our trusty carrier pigeons bear exciting news for Vodafone Germany users -- Nokia's 3G 6234, announced last year, is now available. The well-equipped candybar, sporting a 2-megapixel camera, QVGA display, MicroSD slot, digital music player, stereo speakers, and Bluetooth, complements the Sharp 904SH and the Samsung SGH-ZV50 in Voda's growing UMTS stable. Expect music downloads and mobile TV via Vodafone live!, initially developed by Japan's J-Phone under the J-Sky brand.

Sanyo recalls whopping 500,000 phones

2006-06-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

Sanyo recalls whopping 500,000 phones
Sketchy batteries doing bad things to you and your phone are nothing new. Sanyo has set an interesting new precedent, however, turning a good battery bad with software. Some half million units of their W32SA clamshell for KDDI's network are being sent home for faulty software that can prevent the battery from fully charging. That, in itself, isn't too scary -- but here's the twilight-zone part of it: there have been documented cases where the batteries "have cracked and become deformed." From some faulty software, people, written by the US' favorite cellphone manufacturer, no less. Happily, afflicted handsets can be flashed at the local KDDI shop, but our paranoia is getting the best of us here; could rogue KDDI employees send bogus OTA firmware updates to grenade the phone in your pocket?

T-Mobile launches Motorola V195 and Samsung T209

2006-06-09T04:42:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile launches Motorola V195 and Samsung T209
T-Mobile's just introduced a pair of entry-level phones, the Motorola V195 and the Samsung T209. The Moto is the more capable of the two, with Bluetooth and quad-band capabilities, as well as a speakerphone and voice activated dialing -- no camera though. Talk time is promised to be up to eight hours, and it weighs in at 3.6 ounces. The Samsung is pretty barebones, with nothing much of note besides the speakerphone and instant messaging capabilites. But hey, it comes in your choice of red or blue, and it is pretty lightweight at 3.3 ounces. Talk time for it should be around five hours. The V195 runs $40 and the T209 a paltry $20, with a contract of course.

Sony Ericsson announces GC86 EDGE PC Card

2006-06-09T04:41:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson announces GC86 EDGE PC Card
Sony Ericsson has took off the wraps off its quad-band GC86 EDGE PC Card, which will replace their tri-band GC85 card. The card promises up to 247kpbs when connected to GSM / EDGE networks, although the quad-band capabilities mean it'll be all the easier to fall back on GPRS and stay connected -- no matter how slowly -- no matter where you are. While Sony Ericsson describes the GC86 as an "entry-level solution," they don't provide an actual cost, and as far as a launch date goes, Q3 is as definitive as Sony Ericsson's willing to get for the time being. The card is also both Mac and Windows compatible, assuming you Apple users have a Mac with a PC Card slot, that is (you know who you are).

BenQ-Siemens christens Q-fi line with EF51

2006-06-09T04:40:00.000-07:00

BenQ-Siemens christens Q-fi line with EF51
BenQ-Siemens has been looking to jump on the "Is it a phone? Is it a music player?" bandwagon with its Q-fi series of music-oriented devices, and although the EF51 isn't the first device announced in the series, it appears it'll be the first to ship. The EF51 is supposedly so music-oriented, in fact, that BenQ Mobile is calling it "a music device with an integrated mobile phone." It packs A2DP, which is all well and good, but what's the one thing you absolutely cannot live without in a music player, folks? That's right, memory, and BenQ has ominously left that aspect of the phone's specification off the press release. We've seen reports that the phone might be shipping with a scant 20MB, and if that's the case, the EF51 is dead in our eyes as a music device. As a phone, the EF51 holds its own on the low end with tri-band 900/1800/1900 GPRS, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a 128 x 128 display. A MiniSD slot is mercifully included, but in our opinion, a music player that can scarcely fit five MP3s without the aid of a memory card is not a music player at all. The EF51 drops this month in tri-band friendly parts of the globe.

Blackberry detox offered at Chicago-area hotel

2006-06-09T04:38:00.000-07:00

Blackberry detox offered at Chicago-area hotel
We've heard plenty about the negative effects of Blackberry dependence -- eye damage, thumb damage, the complete loss of interpersonal communication skills -- but Chicago hotel general manager Rick Ueno is helping his guests kick their high-tech habit. Upon check-in to the Sheraton Chicago, you can surrender your precious handheld -- we're assuming any type of life-stealing smartphone is eligible -- where a non-robotic clerk will keep it under lock and key until you break down and ask for it back. It was Ueno's own addiction that sparked the idea for the free program, so he understands how hard it is to go cold turkey, even if you're only out of touch from the time you check in until you fire up the in-room WiFi connection.

Phalanx of 34 new MVNOs on the way

2006-06-09T04:36:00.000-07:00

Phalanx of 34 new MVNOs on the way
If you haven't found an MVNO to suit your taste among the 213 now in operation worldwide, just wait a bit, 'cause it looks there's another 34 ready to launch soon, according to MVNODirectory.com. Among the new offerings include an MVNO from Ireland's Eircom, who decided to settle for MVNO after being turned downed for a spectrum license, as well as a couple that we've heard about already; Xero Mobile, for one, which hopes to snag some of that bored-but-poor student market (of course there's already at least one other MVNO targeting the same market), and Virgin Mobile, who are continuing to expand since being the first to launch an MVNO way back in 1999 -- they're poised to move into China and India next. If things keep going at this rate, there'll as many MVNOs as there were over-hyped, profitless dotcomsback in the day, and we all know how well that worked out.

Paperboy on your cell

2006-06-09T04:35:00.000-07:00

Paperboy on your cell
Break out your VHS copy of Goonies and tight roll your jeans, the Paperboy has jumped out of your, um emulator and onto your cellphone. Sega Mobile's release, now available through most major US carriers, has brought the popular title back into our hearts and pockets so you can spend those mind-numbing hours delivering the news (just like us!) -- even though we tend to break a lot fewer windows now than we did back in the day. Funny how twenty years later we're still wrestling with the cult question: does the paperboy have a bum arm, or are the people on the right side of the street just illiterate?

BlackBerry 7130 invading Europe

2006-06-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

BlackBerry 7130 invading Europe
RIM's latest piece of SureType goodness, the 7130, is starting to drop on European carriers. We've found it on Vodafone's UK site, and we have word (and pictures to back it up) via pinstack.com that we should be seeing it on O2 any minute now. US users drooling at the device's shapely form factor, EDGE, and Bluetooth 2.0 need not wait long -- Cingular and T-Mobile should be getting one flavor of the 7130 or another before too long. See a screen cap of the 7130 on Vodafone UK's e-shop after the break.

Has-beens, wannabes unite to launch LG CU500

2006-06-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Has-beens, wannabes unite to launch LG CU500
"Ms. Berkley, this is so-and-so with Cingular Wireless. We'd like to have you come down to Mr. Chow for a few minutes, pose with a new phone we're launching, smile, maybe answer a few questions about your illustrious career, and generally act like you give a crap. We'll snap a few photos and throw in a couple hundred bucks to make it worth your time. Whadya say?" We're guessing LG's CU500 HSDPA video-calling clamshell is getting ready to roll, now that Hollywood's B-list has come out in full force to promote it. We've never been so attracted to Elizabeth Berkley in our lives.

Sprint's mysterious SPH-M250 TV phone

2006-06-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Sprint's mysterious SPH-M250 TV phone
We hate to get our hopes up, since so far we haven't seen a lot of desire from US carriers to offer advanced services to their apparently podunk customers -- especially not something crazy as mobile TV -- but the FCC just unveiled what could be Sprint's big move into TV land. The phone is Samsung's SPH-M250, which looks to be a version of Sammy's SPH-B250, a DMB phone for Korea (2 megapixel camera, 128MB memory and Bluetooth if you're keeping track). The interesting thing about the phone is that it is only approved for the 1900MHz band, unlike other Sprint phones which are dual-band. So while it's possible that the phone is just for watching EV-DO movies in the comfort of that swivel screen, Phone Scoop thinks it more likely that there were antenna issues with Sprint's 2.5GHz mobile TV tech. They've already been running tests on TDtv technology, a method that uses 3G spectrum for live DMB-esque TV channels up to QVGA resolution, and this SPH-M250 could be for more testing, or to maybe even launch their TV service. We won't hold our breath.

Motorola dominates list of highest-radiation US phones

2006-06-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

Motorola dominates list of highest-radiation US phones
For anyone who puts much stock in those reports of cellphone radiation causing cancer, we recommend you set down your Moto and slowly back away. Turns out Motorola managed to score the top eight spots in a list by CNET of phones with the highest radiation levels -- as tested by the FCC. The phones are rated by SAR level, which measures the quantity of radio frequency energy asbsorbed by the body per kilogram of organic tissue. Of course, a lot of these phones are nearly a decade old, but the two-month-old C290 makes an appearance, and the list is headed by the SLVR L6 at a whopping SAR level of 1.58W/kg (1.6W/kg is the max allowed). This could have something to do with the light weight of a phone like the SLVR -- though Palm's much heftier 650 managed a 9 spot -- but we're cooking up a few conspiracy theories right now if that turns out not to be the case. In all fairness, the top ten lowest-radiation phone list had a couple Motorola appearances, with the Audiovox PPC66001 leading the group at a SAR level of 0.12. Now where did we put that tin foil hat...

Sidekick III launches July 10th

2006-06-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

Sidekick III launches July 10th
Alright Sidekick fans, here it is, the date you've been waiting for. Contrary to the many rumors floating around about the Sidekick III's release date, no, it's not June 5th, 9th, 20th, or the 26th. We obtained some very reliable inside information that T-Mobile is actually all set to introduce the latest Sidekick iteration on July 10th. Yep, that's right kids, it looks like we're still more than a month out from launch. Sorry to be the bearers of bad news.

Sagem vectroTEL X8 crypto phone

2006-05-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Sagem vectroTEL X8 crypto phone
Shh, keep this on the down-low, but there's a new crypto phone on the scene dubbed the vectroTEL X8 apparently manufactured by Sagem. It goes tri-band GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 and features a 240 x 320 pixel, 256k color display, Bluetooth, and 1.3 megapixel camera no self-respecting spy should be without. Clearly, the most important feature, however, is end-to-end call encryption via 1024-bit Diffie Hellman Key exchange and 128-bit AES encryption. Slap in a miniSD card / crypto module (with PIN activation) and you too can make "tamper proof" calls to uh, all the other nefarious peeps with vectroTEL handsets. So get to planning your conspiracy now kid, this game ain't for the shortsighted.

Palm Treo 700p approved by FCC

2006-05-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

Palm Treo 700p approved by FCC
As much as we'd like to blame other parties for the long wait for Palm's Treo 700p (and we will, we will), there's one source for at least some of the wait: the FCC. According to public filings, the smartphone just cleared the government agency, paving the way for its impending rollout. Of course, Palm did file a confidentiality request with the FCC, so we're not entirely clear exactly when this baby got the thumbs up, but the important thing is that it did, which means nothing (short of mobs at Sprint and Verizon's stores) should stand in your way if you're planning on picking one up very soon.

The million dollar cellphone

2006-05-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

The million dollar cellphone
How much would you pay for "the Bentley of cellphones"? $1,000? $10,000? Try a cool million bucks. This one-of-a-kind quad-band handset by Goldvish sports a blinding 120 carats worth of VVS-1 grade diamonds, according to designer Emmanuel Gueit, and as you'd expect from a seven-figure phone, features such amenities as Bluetooth, a camera with 8x digital zoom, MP3 playback, FM radio, included 2GB memory card and an EDGE connection (though curiously no 3G option or WiFi -- it seems a million bucks isn't what it used to be). For those of you not willing to drop such an obscene amount of money on a phone that even the designer likens to a boomerang, Goldvish also offers several other diamond-encrusted 18k gold models in your choice of rose, yellow, or white, starting at a much more reasonable $25,600.

Nokia's E50 business class quad-band cellphone

2006-05-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

Nokia's E50 business class quad-band cellphone

Nokia just dropped their new E50 candybar for business users on a tight budget, i.e., anyone not employed by Google. Billed as the thinnest (which isn't saying much) of the E-series quad-band phones, the E50 goes S60 3rd edition and features the usual support for mobile corporate email solutions like BlackBerry Connect, Visto Mobile, and the like as well as featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera good for a little corporate espionage work and an MP3 player which doubles as that "can't talk now, on a call" boss impresser. And since it's business focused, it's corporate PBX-ready if the infrastructure is in place and supoprts two numbers linked to personal or bidness use. And yeah, they use the word "phone" more than a dozen times in the press release which means there's a run on cod liver oil in Espoo right about now.

Sony Ericsson's W850 Walkman tri-band GSM/UMTS slider

2006-05-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson's W850 Walkman tri-band GSM/UMTS slider
Sony just announced their new W850 Walkman cellphone and this baby's hot. Available in black or white as designs tend to go these days, this tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 slider also delivers UMTS 2100. It comes pre-loaded with the latest Walkman 2.0 player 2.0 with TrackID allowing you to lookup and identify recorded music samples via the Gracenote Mobile MusicID service. Not only that, but it ships with a 1GB of Memory Strick PRO Duo'in storage (with up to 4GB supported) and features a horizontal mode 2 megapixel shooter with LED light. Rounding out the features are a 2-inch QVGA TFT 260k color display, RDS FM Stereo radio, and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP stereo audio. No price but we can expect these to ship sometime Q3 2006... in Europe. More pics after the break.

Microsoft blends platform lines with Live Anywhere

2006-05-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Microsoft blends platform lines with Live Anywhere
The latest ambitious endeavor by Microsoft might have "monopoly" written all over it, but we have a feeling they wouldn't want it any other way. Microsoft's new Live Anywhere that they announced at today's E3 keynote takes their Xbox Live concept and extends it to the PC, Windows Mobile and even Java-enabled phones. Whether you're at your PC or rocking a mobile, you'll be able to track your gamer tag, message friends, purchase content for that device or set it to download to another device, and of course compare rankings with your buddies on various gaming titles. Halo isn't going to run so well on your RAZR, so for actual cross platform titles, Microsoft is sticking with XBLA-esque games that can translate easily to different platform, such as Bejeweled. There will, however, be major games that can be played on your Vista PC and Xbox 360. Microsoft is banking heavily on third party support for Live Anywhere, in the form of mobile friendly value-adds for 360 games, and just straight up phone-friendly casual titles. In order to get more support, they're claiming to approach this from a "platform agnostic" (hah!) angle, and after supporting the 360, Windows Vista and Windows Mobile, will move on to Java, S60 and possibly even Palm if they deem it worth their while. Microsoft obviously has the muscle to launch a service like this, and the features they demoed look quite entertaining and welcome, but we'll still be (pleasantly) surprised if they actually manage to pull it off. Keep on reading for screenshots and impressions.

After the keynote we got a personal showing of prototype Live Anywhere functionality, mainly running off of a Windows Mobile device. Here's what we saw.
Teh Gamez. Once again, if you were hoping for some mobile version of Halo or even something like Geometry Wars, you'll be sorely disappointed. With that said, everything looked fairly snazzy, and there is definitely a difference between games supported by the more powerful Windows Mobile and those plain-jane Java phones.
In keeping with its XBLA roots, Live Anywhere allows for trials of games, which are suddenly terminated with a request for payment to purchase the full version. A bit janky, but at least they offer trial versions in the first place.
Be sure to bother MajorNelson with challenges to beat your high score, everybody else seems to.

That Gamercard is looking good.
There's enough platform support here already that it quickly seems like overkill.
Friends and what platform they're on.
Messaging isn't just email, it can include video, voice, or even game content
Java version doesn't look too different, but most of the games are different
Our friendly presenter.
They finished up with a bit of Gamercard trading, which works over IrDA between phones and syncs across all platforms. In this case they showed the Xbox 360 Dashboard show the request, ask for approval, and then update automatically once the request was approved with the other mobile phone. Pretty slick.

Nokia announces six games for N-Gage, N-series, S60 devices

2006-05-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Nokia announces six games for N-Gage, N-series, S60 devices
Just because you're a Mobile reader. doesn't mean you can't join in on the E3 fun. Nokia used the world's biggest gaming show to unveil several upcoming titles compatible with not only the N-Gage, but N-series and some S60 devices as well. Among the six games announced were three sequels to popular franchises, Space Impact, System Rush: Evolution, and ONE-Who's Next?, which improves upon the 2004 fighter with better graphics, frame rates, and support for landscape mode. The new titles also look rather promising, and include an Internet-enabled version of Texas Hold'em called Pocket Aces, which allows players to convert winnings into digital swag for their online avatars, and even allow those avatars to play in their stead. Rounding up the bunch are the N-Gage Arena-compatible Pro Series Golf and a fishing simulator called Creatures of the Deep that uses vibration feedback to enhance the otherwise boring activity of watching a fishing pole on your phone's tiny screen.

Pantech releases PG-6200 securityphone in Taiwan

2006-05-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

Pantech releases PG-6200 securityphone in Taiwan
Pantech has just released a new handset for the security-conscious Taiwanese citizen who also wants some pretty capable multimedia features in his/her cellphone. To keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands, the tri-band PG-6200 features a fingerprint scanner rather curiously placed right above the smudge-prone two megapixel camera lens, along with a music player that handles MP3 and AAC files from either the 20MB internal memory or a microSD card. Other nice touches include Bluetooth (no word on A2DP compatibility, though) and JAVA 2.0 so you can get your Opera Mini-on, along with the obligatory email, SMS, and MMS functionality.

Treo 700w coming to Sprint this summer

2006-05-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Treo 700w coming to Sprint this summer
By now pretty much everyone (at least everyone who cares) knows full well that Sprint is getting ready to intro Palm's new Treo 700p sometime later this month, but what's been a little less clear is when (if ever) Sprint was going to get the Treo 700w, the Windows Mobile-powered version which Verizon currently has an exclusive on. Well, we don't have an exact release date, but a highly reliable source has been able to confirm for us that Sprint will indeed be getting the Treo 700w and that they'll be launching it about four to eight weeks after they launch the Treo 700p.

P.S. - Yup, that's the Verizon version of the 700w pictured above; we have yet to see any images of the Sprint-branded version.

T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless not supplying data to NSA

2006-05-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless not supplying data to NSA
If you make most of your calls via cellphone, there's a good chance your call records aren't being provided to the National Security Agency -- if, that is, you're using Verizon Wireless or T-Mobile and most of your calls are between you and other cellphone users. Both companies say they haven't supplied data to the government, with T-Mob specifically stating that it was not involved "in any NSA program for warrant-less surveillance and acquisition of call records, and T-Mobile has not provided any such access to communications or customer records." If you're a Cingular or Sprint Nextel customer, well, it looks like you're in the same boat as the vast majority of landline users: those companies refused to deny participation in the NSA program.

SavaJe releases Jasper S20 Java phone

2006-05-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

SavaJe releases Jasper S20 Java phone
To call this new Jasper S20 from SavaJa much more than a Java phone would be doing it a disservice. It's basically a vehicle for introducing the SavaJe mobile Java platform to the world, with all sorts of developer functionality to allow for gaming, multimedia and other possibilities. As far as a phone goes, the S20 is a tri-band GSM unit, with a 2.2-inch 176 x 220 pixel screen, 1.3 megapixel camera, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 1.2, and miniSD expansion. There's only 4 hours of talk time and 200 hours of standby listed, and the phone is a bulky 0.8 inches thick, but if you're a Java developer or you just like dated tech running a relatively untested software platform, the Jasper S20 might be the phone for you.

Nokia and Digita Oy team-up to deliver DVB-H in Finland

2006-05-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

Nokia and Digita Oy team-up to deliver DVB-H in Finland
You've heard of Nokia's DVB-H handsets (N92 to right) for months, but did you know they're also a major player behind the scenes? Nokia just inked a deal in their native Finland to supply Digita Oy with their MBS 3.0 service management platform for DVB-H mobile TV services. Nokia's MBS delivers consumer necessities such as an interface for searching services, an EPG, and the ability to set alerts for upcoming programs in addition to packing-in industry faves like OMA DRM 2.0 to protect content which can be offered within flexible pricing schemes. Digita, which already purchased those precious broadcast frequencies earlier this year, will operate the network and offer-up broadcast services to the likes of cellphone operators. Mobile TV services are expected launch later this year reaching 29% of the Finnish population by the end of 2006. So next time you hear Nokia slaggin' off DMB or Qualcomm's technically superior FLO mobile TV standards, well, now you know why.