BlackBerry KickStart 8220 gets really early review

July 23, 2008

Filed under: ,


The Bold is still stealing the overwhelming majority of RIM's spotlight at the moment for a handful of pretty good reasons: one, it's actually been announced; two, it's 3G; and three, it falls in line with the traditional (and loved) BlackBerry form factor. Lurking in the shadows, though, is the KickStart, RIM's very first flip phone, and a device that could end up making a huge splash if it actually manages to launch at the sub-$50 price point that's been making the rounds on the rumor circuit. CrackBerry got a way-early peek at the 8220 version of the device, which follows RIM's typical naming convention by packing WiFi while an 8210 will hold up the GPS side of things (seriously, RIM, how hard can it be to do both?), and overall it seems that the R&D team did its homework from the quick impressions. The SureType keyboard is huge and apparently quite easy to use without making the phone excessively large, though the trackball rests deeper in the shell making it a bit trickier to operate -- you win some, you lose some. The QVGA display is said to be just shy of Bold quality (which is a compliment, considering the killer screen on the Bold), and it's always hard to argue with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Come on, T-Mobile, let's make this happen.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphones | Comments Off 

CSR demonstrates Bluetooth low energy transfer

July 23, 2008

Filed under: ,


We know you're not really down with digesting any more catchphrases, but the technology formerly known as Ultra Low Power Bluetooth / Wibree is now being dubbed Bluetooth low energy. Now that we're clear on nomenclature, you may be thrilled to know that CSR showcased its recently unveiled BlueCore7 dual mode (Bluetooth low energy and Bluetooth v2.1) chip at a Bluetooth SIG Medical Working Group meeting. According to onlookers, the handset was able to transfer data to another nearby mobile using just 3 frequencies rather than 32, resulting in an unquantifiable decrease in power consumption. Sounds like a winner on the surface, but we have this weird that mass adoption of this tech is like, years away.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphones | Comments Off 

Number port stats suggest curious trends in iPhone 3G launch

July 22, 2008

Filed under: ,

Sure, Apple alleges to have flipped over a million iPhone 3Gs at this point, but what does that mean? The devil's in the details, as always; yes, true, the first one took 74 days to reach that same milestone, but it was available in less than one-twentieth the number of countries and an even smaller fraction of carriers. Hell, the very definition of "sale" is under scrutiny here, with some suggesting that Apple's making reference to the number of phones it's sold to its carrier partners, not end users -- a metric that would make sense from Cupertino's perspective since Apple's payday technically ends there. We have some metrics on hand here that paint an interesting picture of the iPhone 3G launch that might be a little different than what you expect; head on over to Engadget Mobile for the scoop.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphones | Comments Off 

Conceptual baton phone does the twist

July 22, 2008

Filed under:


The tried-and-true Hamburger phone is still our fav (what, there a problem with that?), but Marc Schömann's baton-styled concept phone is very worthy of a look. Laden with LEDs and ready to be turned, users can dial up friends and family in painstakingly long procedures that involve all sorts of inefficient rotating maneuvers. Still, we can't help but adore the hat tip to yesteryear's rotary phones, though we have no doubts that this will never, ever see a retail shelf. Please, someone, prove us wrong.

[Via PhoneMag]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphones | Comments Off 

Sony Ericsson pushes out a trio of new Walkman phones, right on cue

July 22, 2008

Filed under: , , ,


Happy 3rd birthday mister Walkman phone. To celebrate, Sony Ericsson is getting official with its W902 "Patti" (pictured), W595 slider, and W302 candybar Walkman handsets. We knew the celebration was coming with the exception of Patti making a last minute substitution for Alicia. SE's quad-band GSM/EDGE W902 is the all-singing, all-media workhorse with UMTS/HSDPA 2100 data, 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of M2 memory, and 2.2-inch, 240 x 320 pixel display. It comes bundled with a pair of premium HPM-77 headphones and the promise of a clear audio, bass-thumpin' experience similar to that offered by SE's W980. The W595 shares the same radios but packs in stereo speakers, 2GB of M2 memory, a 3.2 megapixel camera, motion sensing Shake control, and a stereo Share jack to split the music with a friend. The quad-band GSM/EDGE W302 neglects 3G entirely in favor of a low price tag and dreams of mass adoption. As such, it offers a number of middling specs like a 2 megapixel camera, 512MB of M2 memory, FM radio, and stereo Bluetooth. All three Walkmans will hit select markets in Q4.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson pushes out a trio of new Walkman phones, right on cue

W302W302W595W595W902
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphones | Comments Off 

AT&T Navigator Goes Global

July 22, 2008

AT&T today announced the availability of AT&T Navigator Global Edition, its GPS-based service.

AT&T Navigator Global Edition can be used in 20 countries on AT&T smartphones featuring built-in GPS capabilities. Its coverage area includes most countries in western Europe, North America and the U.S. Caribbean as well as the six cities in China that will host Beijing Summer Olympics events. The new international navigation service is available in conjunction with the domestic AT&T Navigator solution on the AT&T Tilt, BlackBerry 8800, BlackBerry 8820, BlackBerry Curve 8310, BlackBerry Pearl 8110, BlackJack II and Motorola Q 9h global smartphones.

AT&T Navigator Global Edition provides users with spoken or text-based turn-by-turn directions - in English, German, Italian or Spanish.

It also features a local "business finder" service to find the locations of businesses by category or by specific name. The business finder database contains more than 19 million businesses and services located in the U.S. and abroad, including ATMs, hotels, restaurants, gas stations and airports.

AT&T customers will be able to use AT&T Navigator Global Edition in the six cities hosting Olympics events - Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Shenyang, Tianjin and Qinhuangdao.

AT&T Navigator Global Edition, which includes domestic service, is available through for $19.98 per month.


Related News Articles


©2002-2008 Mobiledia Corp. A Cell Phone Resource Site. All Rights Reserved. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only.

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphone News and Reviews | Comments Off 

Sony Ericsson W902i 5.0MP Walkman Phone Displayed

July 22, 2008

Sony Ericsson W902i 5.0MP Walkman Phone Displayed Photo 1

Photo: Sony Ericsson W902i 5.0MP Walkman Phone Displayed Photo 1

Sony Ericsson today displayed the its new W902i Walkman phone, a music phone that plays tunes, snaps photos, and displays video on a scratch-resistant 2.2-inch QVGA display.

The W902i delivers music through Sony Ericsson's clear audio experience. With crystal clear sound quality and a richer bass, together with Sony Ericsson premium headphones, HPM-77 included in-box, tracks sound better than ever.

It features retro music navigation keys to skip forward, back, play and pause with the push of a button. An integrated 5.0-megapixel camera snaps high-quality stills and videos. More than 8,000 songs can be stored on an 8GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) card.

"If you love music but don't want to compromise on imaging and video, we have used our expertise as music phone specialists to give users a truly multimedia experience with this latest phone," said Ben Padley, Head of the Music Category at Sony Ericsson. "The W902i is one of our most high-performing phones yet and perfect for those who want it all."

The Sony Ericsson W902i Walkman phone will be available in selected markets in Volcanic Black, Wine Red and Earth Green in Q4 of 2008.


Related News Articles


©2002-2008 Mobiledia Corp. A Cell Phone Resource Site. All Rights Reserved. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only.

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphone News and Reviews | Comments Off 

Sony Ericsson W595a 3.2MP Walkman Phone Announced

July 22, 2008

Sony Ericsson W595a 3.2MP Walkman Phone Announced Photo 1

Photo: Sony Ericsson W595a 3.2MP Walkman Phone Announced Photo 1

Sony Ericsson today announced the W595a Walkman phone, a music handset featuring innovations for music and media.

The W595a can store and play over 1900 tunes in the 2GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) or share sounds through the built in stereo speakers. Users can get up close and personal with the stereo Share jack, so a friend can listen in from an additional headset. It can make playlists that match any moods with SensMe and change the tune or raise the volume with a flick of a wrist using Shake control.

The W595a also comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera to snap photos and share with friends.

"With this latest range of phones and accessories, we are offering high quality sound and a rich feature set that cements our position as a leader in the music phone category," said Ben Padley, Head of the Music Category at Sony Ericsson. "We are pushing the boundaries of what people think is possible and are offering best-in-class sound quality and our most exciting Walkman phones to date."

The Sony Ericsson W595a Walkman phone will be available in selected markets in Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White, Jungle Grey and Lava Black in Q4 of 2008.


Related News Articles


©2002-2008 Mobiledia Corp. A Cell Phone Resource Site. All Rights Reserved. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only.

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphone News and Reviews | Comments Off 

Sony Ericsson W302i Walkman Phone Unveiled

July 22, 2008

Sony Ericsson W302i Walkman Phone Unveiled Photo 1

Photo: Sony Ericsson W302i Walkman Phone Unveiled Photo 1

Sony Ericsson today unveiled the W302i, an affordable 10.5mm slim, aluminium front handset with a 2.0-megapixel camera, FM radio, TrackID and 512MB Memory Stick Micro (M2).

Offering an integrated MP3 player, users can play songs randomly or create playlists. A built-in FM radio lets listeners tune in on the road. With TrackID music recognition, unknown tracks and artists can be found. The 2.0-megapixel camera sends picture messages to friends and upload images to a blog using the picture blogging function.

"Our new W302i phone is our most affordable Walkman phone to date, without compromising on the premium feel and stylish design that customers expect of Sony Ericsson," said Ben Padley, Head of the Music Category at Sony Ericsson.

The Sony Ericsson W302i Walkman phone will be available in Midnight Black and Sparkling White in Q4 2008.


Related News Articles


©2002-2008 Mobiledia Corp. A Cell Phone Resource Site. All Rights Reserved. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only.

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphone News and Reviews | Comments Off 

S60 Touch screen shots look like… S60 with touch

July 21, 2008

Filed under: ,


A heaping handful of fresh alleged screen shots of S60 Touch's user interface are floating around, apparently yoinked off the platform's PC-based theme editor -- not as cool as if they'd been lifted from a Tube, granted, but still good enough to give us some clutch insight into where Nokia's taking this thing. As revolutionary as the move to touch control might be for S60 as a platform, the UI looks shockingly evolutionary so far; in fact, to the untrained eye, there are portions that are virtually indistinguishable from S60 revs of yore. That's good news (we suppose) for S60 diehards who aren't interested in learning a new paradigm -- and we're all for the VGA support here -- but it's bad news for anyone who was planning on having their noodles positively baked by Espoo's engineering manpower and massive R&D budget. Let's all just hold off on the negativity until Nokia gives us something official to ogle; for the time being, though, our boring UI-dar is definitely on high alert.

[Via Symbian Freak, thanks Misha]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Posted by Syndicated Listing | Filed Under Cellphones | Comments Off 

Next Page »