Samsung A767

To round out T-Mobile Cell Phones and Calling Plans end-of-2008 blitz for textaholics, the Samsung A767 Propel is the cell phone carrier’s square quick-messaging slider with a full QWERTY keyboard and the crème de la crème of its entertainment features.
The Propel slides upward for access to its full keyboard. In addition to being a 3G phone for high-speed Internet access, the Propel also features an impressive battery with 5 hours of rated talk time.

All AT&T quick-messaging cell phones are compatible with the carrier’s messaging plans that offer 200, 1,500 and unlimited text, picture and video messaging for $5, $15 and $20 respectively.

Users of an AT&T FamilyTalk shared plan can purchase unlimited messaging for all lines for $30. See here for our full listing of all AT&T cell phone service plans.

Price

At $79.99, the Samsung Propel is priced around the same $100 range as AT&T’s three other quick-messaging cell phones (so long as you follow the cell phone carrier’s rules).

First, you must subscribe to a two-year AT&T service contract. If you don’t, add $150 to your Propel price for a no-commitment purchase. In addition, the $79.99 price assumes you’ve received your $50 AT&T mail-in rebate.

Feature List

# Full slide-out QWERTY keyboard
# 3G quad-band world phone for high-speed Internet access
# 1.3-megapixel camera with 4X zoom
# Live video capture and playback
# Music player
# MusicID to identify the songs you’re listening to
# Text messaging and instant messaging
# Video share with streaming video
# Mobile email
# Mobile Web
# Ringtones
# Graphics, wallpapers, backgrounds and custom menus and icons
# Calendar, alarm clock, personal organizer and address book
# Bluetooth short-range wireless (i.e. for a wireless headset)
# USB connectivity (i.e. for music transfers)
# Hands-free speakerphone
# 8 gigabytes of expandable microSD memory storage
# 2.2-inch screen with 172x220 resolution and 262,000 colors
# Predictive text for fast typing
# Backlit keys
# Available in red, green, blue and white with red
# One-year warranty if new or 90-day warranty if refurbished

Battery

While most cell phones today carry between 3 hours and 5 hours of rated talk time, the Samsung Propel sits at the top of that range with a 5-hour rated talk time. The Propel rates at up to 10 days of standby time when you’re not using your cell phone at all.

Size, Weight

The Propel measures 3.85 inches by 2.33 inches by 0.05 of an inch. Considering it features a full keyboard and meaty battery, the handset weighs in at a notably light 3.79 ounces.
Differentiation in the Marketplace

While there isn’t one feature in particular that stands out about the Samsung A767 Propel as a true market differentiator, its ultimate differentiation is in its total package and its ability to be a full-featured entertainment cell phone with a QWERTY keyboard priced under the $100 barrier.

Pantech Matrix C740 Profile: Unique Dual Slider

While the Pantech Duo has taken the smartphone route, the quick-messaging Pantech Matrix C740 is a cell phone that packs the same dual-sliding, double-keypad design.


AT&T complemented the release of the Matrix at the end of 2008 with three other text-friendly cell phones: the AT&T Quickfire, Pantech Slate C530 and Samsung A767 Propel.

Along with its dual-sliding uniqueness, the perk of being a 3G world phone with high-speed data access and an impressive battery, the Matrix’s top sell is as a quick-messaging phone especially for text messaging-heavy users.

Price

While the Matrix starts out at the not-so-affordable price of $279.99 from AT&T on no-commitment pricing, adding a two-year service contract knocks the price down to $129.99.

You can limbo lower with a $50 mail-in AT&T rebate card down to $79.99.

Feature List

# 3G world phone with high-speed data access
# Predictive text for fast typing
# Backlit keys
# 1.3-megapixel camera
# Live video capture and playback
# Music player with customizable equalizer
# XM Satellite Radio for streaming radio
# MusicID to identify the songs you’re listening to
# Text messaging and instant messaging
# Mobile email
# Web browser
# Video share to share live streaming video
# Ringtones, games, graphics and wallpapers
# Answer tones to have your friends hear your favorite song when they call you
# Calendar, alarm clock and address book
# USB connectivity to transfer data through a USB cable
# Hands-free speakerphone
# Voice dialing and voice commands
# Bluetooth for short-range wireless (i.e. a wireless headset)
# Up to 32 gigabytes of expandable memory storage in microSD format
# 65,000-color display with 1280x960 pixel resolution

Battery

The Pantech Matrix packs a healthy battery that’s rated at up to 5 hours of talk time and up to 16 days of standby time

Size, Weight

The Matrix measures in at 4.02 inches by 1.97 of an inch by 0.78 of an inch. The handset weighs a heavy 4.66 ounces.

Cell Phone Service Carrier

The Pantech Maxtrix C740 is sold by AT&T.

Differentiation in the Marketplace

This handset’s prime differentiation is its dual-sliding, double-keypad design along with a longer-lasting battery and ability to be a 3G phone for a price that doesn’t break the bank.

Pantech Slate C530

For some, cellphones are more for text messaging than talking. For those who subscribe to the textaholic camp, AT&T has a number of text messaging-friendly cell phones with the Pantech Slate C530 as one of its standouts.

AT&T claims that the Slate is the “world’s thinnest device”. AT&T complemented the release of the Pantech Slate at the end of 2008 with three other text-friendly cell phones: the AT&T Quickfire, Samsung A767 Propel and Pantech Matrix C740.
The Pantech Slate measures in at 0.39 of an inch thin.

The Sony Ericsson W350, by the way, claims to be the “thinnest flip phone available” today. By contrast, the Sony Ericsson W350 is 0.41 of an inch thin (or 10.5 millimeters).

As for the popularity of texting, studies say the majority of people have never texted before. For those who do, though, many are rabid texters.

A Nielsen study revealed that U.S. consumers now use their cell phones for text messaging more often than for talking. To make that statement, 50,000 people were queried who were thought to represent the average U.S. cell phone population.

The data, which was gathered in the second quarter of 2008, revealed that on average each user sends 357 texts a month versus 204 voice calls.

Price

Enter the Pantech Slate C530. Designed from the ground up to specifically target heavy textaholics, the price can come all the way down to a budget-priced $49.99 after a $50 AT&T mail-in rebate and a two-year service contract.

Without a two-year AT&T service contract or mail-in rebate, you’re looking at a not-so-affordable $249.99 at no-commitment pricing.

Feature List

Full QWERTY keyboard with predictive text for fast typing

1.3 megapixel camera with 2X zoom

Live video capture and playback

Text messaging and instant messaging

Mobile email

Web browser

Calendar, alarm clock and address book

Quad-band world phone

USB connectivity to transfer data through a USB cable

Hands-free speakerphone

20 megabytes of internal memory storage

Backlit keys

Available in black with royal blue

Bluetooth for short-range wireless (i.e. a wireless headset)

2.2-inch display with 260,000 colors and 176x220 pixel resolution

Battery

Beware the battery on the Pantech Slate C530. It only rates at up to 3 hours of talk time and up to 10 days of standby time (if you’re not using the handset at all).

Size, Weight

The Pantech Slate C530 measures in at 4.2 inches by 2.5 inches by a very thin 0.39 of an inch. The handset weighs 3.2 ounces.

Cell Phone Service Carrier

The Slate is sold by AT&T.

Differentiation in the Marketplace

This handset’s prime differentiation is its thinness and low price for a handset with a full keyboard.

Sony Ericsson G900

After a couple of days of using the Sony Ericsson G900, I’m completely blown away by the great features of this “smartphone in a not-so smarthphone form factor” mobile phone. Sony Ericsson hit the sweetest spot on making this mobile phone a special smartphone catering to mobile users who are in need of a not so complicated, simple and yet powerful smartphone. In fact, with a 5MP camera to boot, the Sony Ericsson G900 can be more aptly categorized as an “all-around multimedia smartphone”. So, here’s our full review of the Sony Ericsson G900 (Red).

Hardware Features, Design and Specs

The Sony Ericsson G900 sports a slim form factor which reminds you of older models such as the T310 and the T600. The unit I have is a red and black design with textured grey lining on the side which adds to the classic appeal of the phone. Examining the right side of the phone you’d find the camera button on the lower part, the screen lock key on the middle and the volume control on the top most part of the side. While at the top is the power button. On the other side of the phone, you’d find the stylus which is tucked firmly in its slot. And a little lower is the USB or FastPort which with a LED indicator below which lights up in green when the phone is charging and red when the phone’s battery is running low. In the inner side, if you take out the battery cover, you’d find the memory stick micro slot.

At the upper back portion of the phone, you’d find the 5MP main camera with the Flash above it which also serves as a Flash light. The Sony Ericsson G900 also has a secondary camera which is located above the LCD screen. This is used for video calls. Below the main camera is a speaker which you can use when playing ringtone. You’d also notice a slightly protruding ridge below the speaker which is used to let the sound out even if the phone is lying on its back.

Going back to the front of the phone, we go now to the phone’s numeric keypad. The Sony Ericsson G900’s keypad features your usual mobile phone keypad. Above it is your usual “back” button on the right side of the navigational wheel, while on the left side is your usual “C” button. The phone’s navigational wheel is used for controlling all the phone’s functions especially if you’re not fond of using the phone’s touchscreen features. Above these two buttons are quick keys for messaging and opening the notes function.

Software Features

The Sony Ericsson G900’s main screen consists of the usual icons at the top of the screen representing connectivity options, signal strength indicator, battery meter, and the task manager icon. Below the screen the three basic functions, Calls, Menu and More. Directly above it are 5 icons which you can choose which of the functions you want displayed. You can navigate through these icons using the navigational wheel or by tapping on the screen using your fingers or the stylus. As a default setting the five icons displayed are My Shortcuts, Alarm, Reminders, Messages, Main Menu and Favorite Contacts.

To go to the Main Menu, simply push the button at the center of the navigational wheel or tap on the “Menu” icon on the screen. At the upper corner of the screen you’d find a quick arrow key that would bring you back to the dekstop screen. Again, you can navigate through the Menu using the navigational wheel or by simply tapping on the screen.

The G900’s Main Menu features a 3×3 grid of icons which is pretty much what other Sony Ericsson UIQ-based mobile phone.

One main difference of the G900 with other Sony Ericsson phone’s which utilizes the UIQ platform is the minimized treatment to the Task Manager. Whereas before the Task Manager has its own screen, tapping on the Task Manager icon would only pop out a small window containing some of the tasks which you can access.

The Sony Ericsson despite not being included in the Walkman phone series of Sony Ericsson also functions as a Walkman player with its own multimedia player menu and interface similar to other W-series phones of Sony Ericsson.

Conclusion

After a few days of using the Sony Ericsson G900, I am totally blown away by the simplicity of its approach to the smartphone functionality. The G900 is your typical mobile phone with voice and calling features. But what makes it different from the rest of the mobile phone crowd is the fact that it has other “smart” functions such as PDF viewer, mobile internet browsing, geo-tagging of photos, GPS, Wi-Fi, RSS Feeds reader and more.

But the best part is the fact that the Sony Ericsson G900 has all these features and yet won’t cost you too much as compared to other smartphones. I got my wife’s unit for around $287 only. What phone could possibly give you all those features for such a price?

The Sony Ericsson G900 is definitely an under-rated mobile phone with great features.

BlackBerry Curve 8350i

Sprint has just launched the BlackBerry Curve 8350i smarthphone, RIM’s most advanced push-to-talk BlakcBerry smartphone to date. Utilizing the iDEN technology through the Nextel National Network, BlackBerry Curve 8350i users would have access to Nextel Direct Connect’s push-to-talk service with sub-second call set up. Combining push-to-talk capabilities and other advanced features, this phone would most likely appeal to both individual consumers and business customers which can also address the needs of other industries. The BlackBerry Curve 8350i is geared for customers who need instant convenient push-to-talk services in communicating with friends and family, fellow employees, customers and suppliers.

Among the key features of the BlackBerry Curve 8350i include, a built-in in Wi-Fi support for fast internet browsing and email attachment downloading, and a facility for setting up group conversations with up to 20 participants through Group Connect feature. The BlackBerry Curve 8350i also features a GPS-enabled solutions as well as access to thousands of other third party mobile applications, instant connections between users coming from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Pero through International Direct Connect, and the Talkgroup feature which connects groups of up to 200 people at once within the same local market in the same fleet.

Boasting of a slim and sleek black form factor and design, the BlackBerry Curve also features a full QWERTY keyboard, a convenient trackball with intuitive navigation and an internal antenna for a smooth, clean design.

Other details of its specs include, BlackBerry Device Software v4.6, push email, robust messagin capabilities, integrated GPS, media player, 2 megapixel camera with digital zoom, flash and video recording, DataViz documents to go for editing MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, speakerphone, expandable memory of up to 16GB using microSD/SDHC card slot, Bluetooth 2.0, stereo headset jack, and a removable/rechargeable 1400 mAH battery.

The BlackBerry Curve 8350i is available now online at Sprint.com for $149.99. It comes with a two-year service agreement, an $80 savings credit and a $100 mail-in rebate.

$149.99 with a two-year service agreement, an $80 instant savings credit and a $100 mail-in rebate. On January 11, it will be available in Sprint retail stores nationwide.

AT&T and Pantech Brings the C630 3G to the US Market

Black Friday and Monday maybe over but that doesn’t mean that the gadget shopping spree is over as well. For those who missed on buying a mobile phone during those shopping holidays in the U.S. and are not keen on getting the iPhone, G1 or the Sony Ericsson Xperia may one to consider the Pantech C630 phone instead. Up for release on Dec. 12 through AT&T, the Pantech C630 boasts of rich mobile phone features packed in a small handset package.

Featuring 3G connectivity, GPS, music, chat and video functionality, the Pantech C630 is a candybar phone that would allow users to stay mobile with style. The Pantech C630’s small form-factor did not hinder Pantech to sprinkle the C630 with great and useful features that you wouldn’t think that a phone of such tiny form factor can actually have.

The Pantech C630 boasts of popular mobile phone features such as text, IM multimedia messaging, advance navigation with aGPS which gives turn-by-turn directions using AT&T navigator of course, support for various digital music formats, and fast mobile web browsing through 3G.

Physically, the Pantech C630 has a rubberized back-panel which won’t crack even if the phone accidentally fell off the ground. Other features of the Pantech C630 include, a mirrored screen, a small joystick pad and of course the keypad.

Other features of the Pantech C630 include, microSD support, 1.3 MP camera, AT&T video share capabilities, AT&T Mobile Music.

If by reading those description made made want to have the Pantech C630, it will be available under an AT&T Contract costing $39.

BlackBerry Pearl 8120

Think of it as "Pearl 2.0". The new Pearl is small, super-light and sexy just like the original Pearl. The 8120, available on AT&T and T-Mobile adds several tweaks and improvements including WiFi, an easily accessible microSD card that's compatible with SDHC cards, a 2 megapixel camera that takes video and still shots, improved text prediction and a better web browser. Like all BlackBerry smartphones, the pearl 8120 does push email with aplomb and it features a SureType keyboard where two letters share a key. It's a quad band world GSM world phone with EDGE for data. The T-Mobile version supports their HotSpot @Home service.

Specs:

Display: 65K color color LCD, resolution: 240 x 260 pixels.

Battery: 900 mAh Lithium Ion rechargeable. Battery is user replaceable. Claimed talk time: 4 hours, claimed standby: up to 15 days. Battery model C-M2.

Performance: 312MHz XScale processor. 64 MB built-in flash ROM memory with ~17 megs free.

Size: 4.2” x 1.97” x 0.55”. Weight: 3.2 ounces.

Phone: GSM quad band world phone, 850/900/1800/1900MHz bands, locked to the carrier (you can use the phone anywhere in the world, but must use your carrier's SIM). EDGE for data. AT&T version supports PTT (Push to Talk).

Camera: 2.0MP camera with LED flash, can shoot still photos and video. Max photo resolution 1600 x 1200 pixels, with several smaller resolutions available. 5x digital zoom, full screen viewfinder. Can take video with audio at 240 x 180 and 176 x 144 with audio at ~15 fps (3GP format).

Audio: Built in speaker, mic and 3.5mm standard stereo headphone jack. Voice Recorder and Media player included for video/photo/music playback and ringtone management.

Networking: Integrated WiFi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP stereo, headset/handsfree and serial port profiles. T-Mobile version supports UMA calling over WiFi (HotSpot @Home service).

Software: System software 4.3. BlackBerry push email client. BlackBerry IM client. VoiceSignal voice dialing software, media player. PIM apps include contacts, calendar, tasks and memo. Also Alarm clock, voice recorder, calculator, Password Keeper and BrickBreaker. TeleNav, XM Radio (requires subscription) and Music ID (requires subscription). BlackBerry Desktop software for PC included for syncing, software installation and media conversion. Mac users can download PocketMac for BlackBerry at no charge. T-Mobile version adds My Faves software, pre-installed IM Client, RepliGo (office document viewer), Asphalt 3 and Golden Tee Golf Mobile.

Expansion: 1 microSD card slot, supporting SDHC high capacity cards over 2 gigs.

In the Box: Phone, battery, charger, USB cable, stereo headset, slip case with belt clip, software CD and documentation.

Conclusion :

A nice update to the wildly popular Pearl that should extend the line's life another year. RIM fixed the niggles we had with the first version-- namely moving the microSD card slot out from under the battery, tweaking SureType prediction, enhancing the web browser and adding WiFi. We'd have loved a GPS inside but given the Pearl's very small size, there may well be a limit to how many features RIM can squeeze in. For those who aren't wed to full QWERTY keyboards and prefer a small, sexy device for serious messaging, the new Pearl is an excellent choice. It's fast, stable and easy to use. The multimedia features are growing up, and the once all-business BlackBerry can now ID songs, play XM Radio, act as in iPod stand-in and take quite good photos.

Pro: Great looks, incredibly light and quite small. Responsive and stable. The usual excellent push email is compelling if you're an email addict or messaging type. Bright and sharp display, excellent sound quality in call and for music playback through wired and Bluetooth stereo headphones. Has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for music playback and the included headset is quite good too. Has WiFi, though the web browser isn't hugely faster when using WiFi (it probably helps XM Radio though). AT&T's BlackBerry Personal plan is reasonably priced at $35 for unlimited data and email.

Con: Battery life could be better. Media player doesn't handle higher quality encoded video easily. Still no 3G. SureType may be hard to adjust to if you've been a full-QWERTY keyboard phone user.

Price: $149 with 2 year contact after rebates from T-Mobile, $199 with 2 year contract after rebates from AT&T.

T-Mobile G1

There's been quite a buzz about the world's first Google Android powered phone, the T-Mobile G1. Android is an open source phone operating system developed by Google, and the OS runs on the Linux 2.6 kernel with Java applications on top. Since the platform is open and customizable by manufacturers and carriers, we expect to see a wide variety of Android phones running the gamut from feature phone to smartphone. The G1 isn't quite your standard smartphone-- it's more like the SideKick grown up. There are smartphone elements: a serious HTML web browser, syncing (limited) and the ability to install 3rd party applications. However, there's no Office suite, no syncing with Outlook or Exchange and no support for VPN or corporate email running on Exchange or BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Specs:

Display: Color TFT 3.2", 320 x 480 resolution capacitive touch screen that supports both portrait and landscape modes.

Battery: Lithium Ion rechargeable. Battery is user replaceable. 1150 mA. Claimed talk time: 5.8 hours on 3G and 6.76 hours on GSM.

Conclusion :

The T-Mobile is a good start for Google's first Android phone. While it might lack features like video recording, A2DP and a built-in video player, the core functions work well: phone, web and basic email. The G1 isn't a good fit for business users given its lack of desktop and Exchange syncing and its Gmail, POP3 and IMAP-only email support. But for the casual phone user who wants a good touch interface and more application expandability than a feature phone offers, the G1 is a good choice. It's not the multimedia maven that the iPhone is, but it does have copy and paste and you can add your own ringtones easily .

Pro: Responsive, easy to use, easy to download applications via the Android Market directly to the phone. Very good display, good camera photo quality and obviously excellent Gmail support.

Con: No 3.5mm headphone jack, can't shoot video, no A2DP, keyboard on brown model lacks contrast. On-board multimedia applications are weak other than the good mobile YouTube player. No desktop or Exchange syncing.

Price: $179 with 2 year contract

Performance: 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7201A processor. 192 MB built-in RAM. 256 MB Flash ROM.

Size: 4.60 x 2.16 x 0.62 inches. Weight: 5.6 ounces.

Phone: GSM quad band with EDGE, dual band 3G HSDPA on the 1700/2100MHz bands. Up to 7.2 Mbps download with support for 2.0 Mbps HSUPA uploads. Sold SIM locked to T-Mobile.

GPS: Yes, internal GPS and can use tower triangulation as well.

Camera: 3.2 MP with autofocus lens.

Audio: Built in speaker, mic and HTC ExtUSB stereo headphone jack. Music player included. Ringtone formats supported: AC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MIDI, MP3, WMA, WMV.

Networking: Integrated WiFi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR.

Software: Google Android operating system running on Linux 2.6 kernel (open source). Software included: alarm clock, calendar, contacts, g-mail application, e-mail application (POP3 and IMAP), music player, youtube player, web browser, Google Maps, Android Market, IM client, SMS client, MyFaves, Amazon MP3 store, calculator, voice dialing, photo viewer and settings.

Expansion: 1 microSD card slot, SDHC high capacity card compatible.

In the box: G1 phone, slip case, world charger, stereo earbud headset, strap, getting started

guide.

Nokia 5130 XpressMusic

What do you need to do to make your competition's life tougher than ever? Not much, really – launch an adequately priced phone that will push the bottom line of its price-bracket down, so that everyone will have to readjust and play your game. Over at Nokia they have definitely done the homework and learned a couple of invaluable lessons from the past – with the financial crisis raging across the street and most manufacturers changing their primary focus to profit margins (except for Samsung), Nokia is about to trip them up. When Sony Ericsson and Motorola publicly announce their new market strategies, they should always be ready to deal with the consequences, which come along in the form of Nokia’s decently spec’d solutions with very affordable price tags scheduled for Q4 of 2008 and early 2009.

The Nokia 5130 gives a start to their new music-minded range and at the same time poses a serious challenge to all other phone makers aiming at this segment. The 5130’s main strength is its 90 Euro price tag coupled with a pretty big memory card found in the box. Offerings like this used to retail for 150 Euro and more; however, Nokia chimes in with a new set of rules that everyone else will have to play by, or leave. And there is no third option. Furthermore, the launch of the Nokia 5130 has already disturbed the plans of many marketing departments and broken many short-sighted forecasts, simply because the vast majority of its potential rivals slotted for early 2009 were positioned at 120-130 Euro price point. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going to follow. Also, there is no use to deny that the cheapest XpressMusic handset to date is the second nail in Walkman’s coffin – as you probably remember, the Nokia 5800 was the first one. While offering superior music quality and comparable functionality, Nokia-branded solutions cost much less, which results in a huge competitive advantage.
The Nokia 5130 is positioned as a phone for those who are in the market for a decent music playing solution with an affordable price tag. All in all, it’s the cheapest solution of its kind to date with no alternatives whatsoever.

The Nokia 5130 comes in a choice of two colors, much like most other XpressMusic-branded phones – red and blue; although in either case the front fascia is decked out in black glossy plastic. The navigation button, along with the strip running along the sides, is color-keyed to the casing’s trim. The battery cover is another place where these two color schemes differ – it’s either dark blue or carmine respectively. To be frank, we were surprised by how well the 5130 XpressMusic was built – the back cover didn’t feel loose at all, and the casing didn’t squeak in the hand.

Sony Ericsson Z310i

Formally Sony Ericsson Z610i is the first representative of so called “emotional products” made by this company, while the Z310i can be pointed out as the runner-up here. According to this approach, we could say that affordable, yet eye-candy Sony Ericsson-branded phones aimed at the mass market have been around for a little time. But taking a glance back at the past proves us to be wrong. The whole range of products with Z index onboard clearly demonstrates that. This line-up includes models with reasonable price and quite appealing designs. Basically, it is quite difficult to find any distinctions in the concepts of the Z610i and Z310i. The main differences can be found in design elements and settings. It also should be mentioned, that the junior model is in inferior position to the senior one in terms of screen, memory and so on, but many tiny, seemingly insignificant details creating emotional perception of the product give the Z310i a considerable image boost over its siblingю

Glass-like surfaces are becoming the major hype generators of the 2006-2007 seasons, since they get only onto such expensive products as Motorala KRZR, Sony Ericsson Z610i but also on those which come in at very affordable prices (Samsung E790 or Sony Ericsson Z310i, for instance). Of course, it is hard to deny that such surfaces get soiled in an eye-blink and act as finger-print magnets, but on the other hand the effect achieved by its use leaves behind all the drawbacks. Sony Ericsson Z310i comes in three different trims - Jet Set Black, Blush Bronze and Lush Pink, which all look really smooth and stylish. There is no reason to conceal that the Z line-up mostly appeals to women, especially models with 2xx and 3xx indexes and this very phone is not an exception. Only black colour of shell can be used by the stronger sex, all the other colours are for women only, no about that. Each trim sports glass finishing only for the front plate and the battery cover, whereas other parts of shell are made of milk-white plastic.

This time around, Sony Ericsson has shown remarkable generosity and has not saved a coin on the plastic and its quality. The 2mm thickness of the sides is basically too much for a modern phone. You can go and see it for yourself by detaching the battery cover. Having equipped the model with such bulky layer of plastic the company is targeting to make the phone less vulnerable to the damages in the case of falling down.

KDDI W51T – a 3-megaixel camera and a rotating display

Here comes another product by the Japanese operator produced by Toshiba. KDDI W51T is a stylish clamshell with the rotating display, which enables you to snap and view photos more comfortably. Besides there is a 3-megapixel camera.

Its internal display has a 2.6” diagonal, QVGA resolution, 262K colors. The external OLED display is a monochrome one, 96x39 pixels, 0.8” diagonal. It is designed to display service info, for example, on the network signal level and incoming SMS. There is an expansion slot for microSD cards.

Measuring 51x103x21 mm it weighs 142 g. Battery life in CDMA 1X networks makes up about 290 hours standby and 220 minutes in the talk mode. The model is available in 3 color solutions.

Panasonic P703iμ – another slimmest 3G phone

Another FOMA phone of the 703-series has been introduced by NTT DoCoMo – the P703iμ by Panasonic. Like the N703iμ it is the slimmest W-CDMA clamshell phone (11.4 mm).

The filling of the P703iμ (screen savers, melodies, menu design) was designed by the London designer’s group TOMATO. The shell is made of stainless steel, so the phone looks luxurious.

The short technical specs of the FOMA P703iμ:

• Dimensions: 103x49x11.4 mm
• Weight: 98 g
• Main display: 2.2”, 240x320 pixels, TFT, 260K colors
• External display: some 0.4” diagonal, 56x12 pixels, monochrome (STN)
• External memory: microSD storage cards
• External camera: 1.3-megapixel, CMOS
• Internal camera: 110 kpixel, CMOS
• SD audio player.

KDDI A5523T- cellphone for kids

The Japanese operator KDDI has introduced a mobile phone designed for kids. Parents have the opportunity to control the moves and the current position of their kids. The A5523T produced by Toshiba is made in the clamshell form. The phone features less colorful design compared to other phones for the kids.

Technical specs of the A5523T :

• Dimensions: 50x97x20 mm
• Weight: 114 g.
• Main display: 2.4”, 240x320 pixels
• External display: 0.8”, 39x96 pixels
• Camera: 1.3-megapixel (effective)
• Memory for data: 30 MB, microSD cards
• Remote auto blocking
• IrDA port, remote control function for home electronics
• Sound: 128-tones polyphony
• EZ FM service (FM radio and alert on program start)

BlackBerry Pearl 8110 BLACK GREY WITH GPS(VODAPHONE/T-MOBILE/AT&T/ORANGE unlocked)

PRODUCT INFORMATION:

The BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8110 smartphone is designed to help you do everything you want with your life. It comes complete with advanced phone features, multimedia, digital camera, video recording, built-in GPS* and expandable memory.And it offers the full BlackBerry® experience—email, browser, text messaging (SMS and MMS), instant messaging, organizer applications and more. Small, smart and stylish.

COMPATIBILITY:

* AT&T Wireless (Cingular)
* Cingular
* T-Mobile
* Asian & European Carriers
* Cellular One
* Unionn Wireless
* NEP wireless
* Longline wireless
* iWireless
* Indigo wireless
* Farmers wireless
* Unicell
* Edge wireless
* Cincinnati bell wireless
* Quantum Wireless
* SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc
* Centennial Wireless
* Wireless Alliance

Spesification :

General	Bar Form
Camera	2+ Megapixel Camera
Memory	microSD (TransFlash)
Display	LCD (Color)
Ringtones	MP3 Ringtones
	Polyphonic Ringtones
Data	A2DP
	Bluetooth
	Data-Capable
	Slot for Memory Card
Features	Alarm
	Antenna Internal
	Calculator
	Calendar
	E-Mail Client
	Games
	GPS / Location
	High-Speed Data EGPRS (EDGE)
	High-Speed Data GPRS
	Java (J2ME)
	MP3 Player
	Picture ID
	Picture Messaging
	Vibrate
	Video Capture
	Voice Memo

Panasonic VS7 Unlocked

The VS series of handsets (the VS 7 and VS 3) are slim, stylish mobiles that have megapixel cameras and X-Changeable Covers with matching content. They share a lot of things in common such as the same slim design, clamshells which open with the mere press of a button. The VS 7 however has a higher end camera of 2 Megapixels and a display which is larger (2.5 inches) in this case. Its 2.5 inch display will have capability to show approximately 16 Million colors and Panasonic says that with the phone’s advanced LCD software processing, you can enjoy remarkably high resolution images. (Enhanced to approximately 16 million colours) Shades of human skin, for example, look strikingly real. The LCD software may as well be the only difference as the difference between 256,000 and 16 million is not going to make easily noticable.

Spesification :

General	Clamshell Form (Flip)		Yes
Camera	2+ Megapixel Camera		Yes
Display	LCD (Color)		Yes
Ringtones	MP3 Ringtones		No
	Polyphonic Ringtones		Yes
Data	A2DP		No
	Bluetooth		Yes
	Data-Capable		No
	Infrared (IR)		Yes
	Slot for Memory Card		No
	Wi-Fi		No
Features	Alarm		Yes
	Antenna Internal		Yes
	Antenna Stub		No
	Blackberry		No
	Calculator		Yes
	Calendar		Yes
	Changeable Faceplates		No
	E-Mail Client		No
	Extendable Antenna		No
	Face Detection		No
	Flashlight		No
	FM Radio		No
	Games		Yes
	GPS / Location		No
	High-Speed Data 1xRTT		No
	High-Speed Data EGPRS (EDGE)		No
	High-Speed Data Ev-Do		No
	High-Speed Data GPRS		Yes
	High-Speed Data WCDMA (UMTS)		No
	High-Speed Data WiDEN		No
	Java (J2ME)		Yes
	MP3 Player		Yes
	Picture ID		Yes
	Picture Messaging		Yes
	Platform Palm OS		No
	Platform Series (Symbian)		No
	Platform UIQ (Symbian)		No
	Platform Windows Mobile for Pocket PCs		No
	Platform Windows Mobile for Smartphones		No
	Push-To-Talk		No
	Speaker Phone		No
	Touch Screen		No
	Vibrate		Yes
	Video Calling		No
	Video Capture		Yes
	Voice Dialing		No
	Voice Memo		No
	XM Radio		No

Panasonic GD 88 Unlocked

Panasonic GD88 new line of Tri-Band GSM GPRS phones to hit the market. This phone incorporates a state of the art color TFT display and built-in digital camera. This phone is sure to turn heads and be the center of any conversation.

Product information :

General	Clamshell Form (Flip)
Camera	VGA Camera
	Polyphonic Ringtones
	Infrared (IR)
Features	Alarm
	Calculator
	Calendar
	Games
	High-Speed Data GPRS
	Speaker Phone
	Vibrate
	Voice Dialing
	Voice Memo

Nokia 5610 XpressMusic Phone (T-Mobile)

The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic comes ready to rock with an iconic Music Slider key making music easy to access with a flick of the thumb. Aluminum side panels accent the all-black high gloss finish and large 2.2-inch, 16 million color display of the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic. The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic offers crystal clear sound and up to 22 hours of music playback and memory with capacity for 3,000 songs on an optional 4 GB microSD card. More than just a phone and music player, the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic features a high-quality 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and dual LED flash. The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic uses 3G technology, making downloads, web-browsing and video calls faster and easier.

LG Chocolate 3 Phone (Verizon Wireless)

Released for Verizon Wireless, the LG Chocolate 3 trades in its slider form factor for a slim clamshell. Designed with a control wheel on the outside, the handheld provides an integrated music player and FM transmitter to play music through a car stereo. Consumers can listen through dual speakers or Bluetooth stereo headphones. An integrated 2.0-megapixel camera snaps photos and video. Download from over 3 million songs via VCAST Music through high-speed 3G connectivity. The Chocolate 3 has 1GB of storage space and the ability to expandable memory with 8GB microSD cards.

LG Chocolate 3 Features

• Built-in music player with dedicated music key and preset sound effect equalizer
• Integrated 2.0-megapixel camera and camcorder with Image editor to zoom, rotate and crop images, customizable brightness, white balance, shutter sound, night, photometry, self-timer and color effects: normal, negative, aqua, sepia, black and white
• VZ Navigator to get visual and audible directions to thousands of destinations, locate businesses and other points of interest

Motorola VE 240

This Motorolla CDMA Cellphone was announced by 14 Nov 2008 but nowadays could be your choice because the simple operation guide manual.

Specification :

Network Type CDMA (800/1700/1900 MHz)
Data CDMA2000 1xRTT
Size Dimensions 4.4 x 1.8 x 0.6 inches (112 x 45 x 15 mm)
Weight 3.3 oz (94 g)
Battery Type Li - Ion, 910 mAh
Talk 4.5 hours (270 mins) of Talk time

Motorola VE 240

Standby 345 hours (14 days) of Stand-by time
Main Display Resolution 128 x 128 pixels
Type 65 536 colors, CSTN
Multimedia Music Player MP3, AAC, AAC+, AMR, MIDI
Memory Memory Slot microSD
Built-in 25 MB
Connectivity USB miniUSB
Bluetooth 2.0, Stereo Bluetooth
Connectors HeadSet Jack (2.5mm)
Other Features PhoneBook Caller groups supported, 500 -names capacity, Multiple Numbers Per Contact, Picture ID, Ring ID
PIM Alarm, Calendar, Calculator, World Clock, Notepad
Voice Dialing, Commands, Recording, Speaker Phone
Email Yes
GPS Yes

Motorola i 776 Cellphone

Specification :

Network Type iDEN (800/900 MHz)
Size Dimensions 3.4 x 1.8 x 0.8 inches (86 x 46 x 20 mm) Size Compare
Weight 3.6 oz (101 g)
Battery Type Li - Ion, 1130 mAh
Talk 3.41 hours (205 mins) of Talk time

Standby 100 hours (4 days) of Stand-by time
Main Display Resolution 128 x 160 pixels
Type 65 536 colors, TFT
Additional Display Resolution
Type Color
Colors 65 536
Camera Resolution 0.3 megapixels VGA Resolution
Connectivity USB microUSB
Bluetooth 1.2
Connectors HeadSet Jack (2.5mm)
Other Features PhoneBook Caller groups supported, 600 -names capacity, Multiple Numbers Per Contact, Ring ID
PIM Calendar
Voice Dialing, Commands, Recording, Speaker Phone, Push-to-Talk
GPS Yes
FCC Approved Yes

Handphone Sony Ericsson SE Z555

Specification :

Announced Date 7 Jan 2008
Network Type GSM America bound phone, supporting both frequencies and one European/Asian for roaming (850/1800/1900 MHz)
Other version supports GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz
Data GPRS/EDGE
Size Dimensions 3.7 x 1.9 x 0.7 inches (95 x 49 x 17 mm) Size Compare
Weight 3.4 oz (95 g)
Battery Type Li - Ion, 920 mAh
Talk 9 hours (540 mins) of Talk time
Standby 307 hours (13 days) of Stand-by time
Main Display Resolution 176 x 220 pixels
Type 262 144 colors, TFT

Additional Display Resolution 128 x 36 pixels
Type Greyscale, OLED
Camera Resolution 1.3 megapixels Resolution
Video Yes
Features Digital zoom
Multimedia Video Playback Media Player
Music Player MP3, AAC
FM Radio FM Radio with RDS
Memory Memory Slot Memory Stick Micro (M2)
Built-in 12 MB
Input Predictive Text Input Yes
Connectivity Internet WAP 2.0, XHTML, Access NetFront 3.3 Browser; RSS Feeds
USB Yes
Bluetooth 2.0
Connectors Proprietary
Other Features PhoneBook Caller groups supported, Multiple Numbers Per Contact, Picture ID, Ring ID
PIM Alarm, Calendar, Calculator, TO-DO, Stopwatch, Timer, Notes
Voice Recording, Speaker Phone
Email IMAP/POP3/SMTP

Sony Ericson C902 Cyber Touch

Full steam into the megapixel chase, Sony Ericsson C902 is trying to show off its best before the 8 megapixel monsters start stealing the show. The Cyber-shot pedigree, touch-controlled camera and metal outfit are true predator stuff and now that we have a retail unit in our hands it's time to revisit our pre-release preview of the device and see if there are any chinks in its armor that may turn predator to prey.

Key features:

• 5 MP autofocus camera with unique active lens cover and touch controls
• Slim and stylish metal case
• Smile detection, image stabilizer, geo-tagging (via cell-ID)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSDPA (3.6 Mb)
• Media Center, Smart search, Manage Messages, extended TrackID
• Enhanced user interface
• Scratch resistant 2" TFT 256K colors display
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth (with A2DP)
• Basic multi-tasking support
• Smart dialing
• 160 MB built-in memory, M2 card support

Main disadvantages:

• Smallish screen
• Images suffer excessive sharpening and purple fringing
• Poor video recording capabilities
• Slide-up lens cover collects massive amounts of dust
• No office document viewer

Nokia N6220 Clasic

We can call the Nokia 6220 Clasic an attempt to regain some 5 megapixel ground. The compact smartphone carries some serious imaging power. Xenon flash, active lens cover, VGA video @ 30 fps and TV-out do sound exciting, don't they? It would've been all too easy but that's not all Nokia 6220 classic is about. One of the most compact bodies in the Symbian realm squeezes in GPS, HSDPA and Feature Pack 2 for a truly ornate UI. The new classic sure has a range of skills, now let's see if it has the guts for the job.


Key features

* 2.2" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution
* Symbian 9.3 OS, S60 3.2 UI
* ARM 11 369 MHz CPU and 128 MB of RAM
* 5 megapixel camera with active lens cover and xenon flash
* 3G with HSDPA support
* Quad-band GSM support
* Built-in GPS with A-GPS support
* Compact and lightweight body
* 120 MB user memory
* microSD card slot, up to 8GB cards supported
* FM radio with RDS
* TV-out
* Document viewer
* USB and Bluetooth v2.0
* More visual enhancements to the UI than any other S60 handset we've seen
* Nokia Maps comes with three months free turn-by-turn navigation license

Main disadvantages

* No Wi-Fi
* Xenon flash placed under the lens
* Uncomfortable shutter key
* Cheap-looking keypad, and we mean dirty cheap
* Display could have been bigger

Nokia 6220 classic is a Symbian all-rounder, which takes photography seriously. The xenon flash, the active lens cover and the best implementation of the S60 user interface are possibly its strongest selling points. The inexpensive price tag makes it really hard to compete with (around 260 euro or 380 US dollars at the time of writing).

Virtually no device with similar features is able to beat the 6220 classic offer. There is one weak spot though, so the competition isn't utterly disheartened: the lack of Wi-Fi can break a deal or two even if everything else seems perfect.

Samsung B2700

Samsung may be flying high on INNOV8 but they sure have at least a toe on the ground. Just recently they spilled the low-to-mid-end bag, so we don't forget a flagship is only as good as the fleet behind it. No handset in the handful they just recently dropped is likely to top the food chain but what a massive landing it was.




Key features:

* Shock, splash and dust resistant (IP54 certified)
* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone, UMTS 2100 MHz
* Very nice and responsive user interface
* 2 MP camera, secondary video call camera
* 1.9" 256K-color TFT display, 176 x 220 pixels
* Flashlight, Compass, Altimeter, Pedometer
* Good MP3 player, MPEG4/3gp video player
* FM radio with RDS
* SMS/MMS/E-mail/RSS Reader
* Bluetooth and USB v2.0
* 30 MB flash memory, microSD card slot
* Comfortable keypad, strong and even backlight
* Very loud speakerphone
* Li-Ion 1300 mAh battery

Main disadvantages:

* Display could've used a higher resolution
* No autofocus in camera
* Poor video recording

Nokia N79

The bar-shaped Nokia N79 has a bit more modest feature list but has better (or so it seems to us) looks and a more compact boy. It still supports all the four GSM bands but the 3G works only on the 900 and 2100 MHz bands. The display on the N79 is a 2.4" QVGA TFT unit, capable of showing up to 16M colors. Wi-Fi, GPS and a 5 megapixel camera are some of its other more important features.

Nokia N79 also sports FM radio and FM transmitter, allowing you to broadcast your favorite tracks within a short range over radio waves.

Nokia N79, much like the N85, features the touch sensitive Navi wheel navigation solution which we first came to know in the Nokia N81. The N79 also has a 3.5mm audio jack and will ship with a 4GB memory card.

A novel feature of the Nokia N79 is its easily customizable exterior (and interior). The handset will come with two extra Xpress-on covers in the retail package and additional ones can also be purchased. When you put a new back cover on, the N79 recognizes its color and can automatically change the interface theme color to match it.

Nokia N85

The Nokia N85 sports a dual slide design much like the Nokia N95, but the controversial design takes after the Nokia N81. The most novel feature seems the 2.6-inch 16M color OLED display - it's the biggest OLED display to be integrated in a mobile phone yet. Swapping the TFT technology has its pros and cons and will cover tem duly in a short while.

A multimedia device to the bone, the Nokia N85 packs dedicated multimedia keys, accelerometer for automatic screen rotation, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, TV-out, stereo FM radio with RDS and a FM transmitter. It will even ship with a 8GB microSD card to store your multimedia files. The multimedia keys also serve the double purpose of gaming keys in order to offer an excellent N-gage gaming experience.

A 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, dual-LED flash and autofocus assist light is mounted at the back of the device and that deserves attention too. It can manage the sweet VGA video recording at up to 30 fps.

Nokia N85 will be available in black and copper in October 2008 for an estimated retail price of 450 euro (660 US dollars) before taxes or subsides.