May 2008 Archives

We had a small notebooks day today here at MobileWhack with so many small laptops emerging from various manufacturers. The leader of the pack, the Eee inventor, Asus, will be launching soon the Eee 1000, which is a 10 inch notebook.

All this is bound to happen in a few days in Taipei at Computex 2008. The Eee PC 1000 is Asus' way of answering to feedback received from their customers. They are asking for a bigger display and a wider keyboard for a better Eee experience, and I couldn't agree more!

The Asus Eee 1000 will be available later this year and we hope we can count on some other hardwares upgrades besides the extra inch. Hopefully we will know more about this laptop in a few days. We're also curious about the official release date and of course the price. If you are in Taiwan, give us a hint once you find out more.

via Gear Diary

LG Electronics has very recently introduced L750ie HSDPA phone in Korea. This flip open type cell phone will reach in the markets in August month. Its titanium white color makes it look eye catchy. Equipping 1.3 MP Camera along with QVGA class 2.4 GSM, the cell phone has the capacity to support the speed of 3.6 Mbps. Weighing just 106g, L750ie cell phone measures about 100*51*17.3mm. One of the distinguishing features of this phone is the incorporation of 4 hot keys under the display.

As a followup to the much likable P6 we talked about last year, the P7 has several improvements but also stays a step behind when it comes to innovation. While its a good thing that the processor is bumped to Marvell PXA270 416 MHz from the 300 MHz found on the P6 with more real estate added in the form of a 2.8 inch touchscreen, it is sad to see that this lovely-looking cell phone is content with just GPRS/EDGE data support with no 3G. Otherwise, the specs are decent enough with WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, miniUSB, microSD, and a 2-megapixel camera, all running on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.

No price or availability accompanies these details, but we would expect this to land in Russia or thereabouts in the not so distant future.

If you are in the market for a new CDMA phone, Samsung has an option open for you. The new SPH-W4950 packs a lot in its slider form factor with support for CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Rev.A. Although it can't be called a media powerhouse, the W4950 has covered the bases with an mp3/video player and a 1.3-megapixel camera with a secondary VGA for video calling. In addition to the 40MB of internal memory, the W4950 has a microSD/TransFlash memory slot to store your favorite numbers or the pics of your loved ones. The phone can remain on standby for up to 165 hours and provide up to 4.5 hours of talktime.

There is no word on availability or pricing yet, but I don't think we will have to wait too long before we hear more.

Verizon Wireless has added one more cellphone to their big catalog, it comes from Motorola and is known as W755. It isn't one of those top notch cellphones that you'd expect, it is more of a "music cellphone", much like Nokia Xpress Music.

Since playing audio is its primary function, the Moto W755 has touch-sensitive controls placed its face, and supports the following formats: AAC, MP3, MIDI, and WMA V9. Thanks to the connectivity features of Windows Media Player 11, you can sync the cellphone with your PC.

The storage solution used in this case are microSD cards with a maximum capacity of 4GB. The Motorola W755 is priced at $70.

I'd like this rumor to be true for once. Why you ask? Because if Orange will do this, so will AT&T, T-Mobile, Vodafone or SingTel... but I am just speculating!

If you have already lost me, here's what I am talking about. Instead of you getting pissed off about the fact that you have just purchased an old iPhone without knowing what Apple will show up with at the WWDC, you will be able to simply take it back to an Orange dealership, pay an extra 50-60 Euros, which is about $70-80, and leave with the new iPhone2.

As I said, if this turns out to be true tomorrow morning, I am sure other carriers will follow. And if it seems to good to be true, I am sure the marketing department at Orange headquarters are devising ingenious plans to get your money back via calls and "unlimited" data plans.

via Engadget

Well this is something I'd be interested in doing. Having Earth at the tips of my fingers is interesting at least. Of course I would have expected this to be a Google Earth version for the iPhone. And I am both happy and sad to report it isn't.

Why happy? I like the fact others have approached this subject. Competing against Google is tough on every level, especially against their perfected Google Earth and especially in the mobile world.

Why sad? I am still counting on Google for any search I'd make, especially on Google Earth. I would assume they will bring an iPhone solution to the table.

This Earth version is in beta right now for Windows and Linux and there's no release date. Hopefully it's going to hit 3G iPhone users soon. The manufacturer Earthscape should be kept under observation. Who knows what similar solution they might come up with!

Samsung's latest phone SPH-W4450 discovered in the wild. This titanium pink colored slider phone is awesome. Here are a few features of the cellphone:

• MP3 Player


• USB 2.0 support


• Bluetooth


• Supported formats: MP3/VOD/MOD


• Digital Camera 2.0 MP


• Memory 1GB


• TFT LCD 240x320 resolution

It's picture day today. What better way to spend a Sunday glazing at the Nokia E90 Black Edition Pictures?

From what I can see, the design says elegance, responsibility and creativity. I'd go for a test drive on one at any time. At least until the 9th of June...

via Daily Mobile

Is it just me or did Apple start to ship in the 3G iPhone? Have they just started doing it or was this going on for a while now? Are they building stocks to make sure they meet the demand?

People are saying that they have spotter containers which were unloaded on American soil. What gave them away was the the tag used. "Electric Computers" was written all over those containers. For those of you who don't know what that is, well I'll tell you it's a new tag which must translate into 3G iPhone.

From the 188 counted containers, just 121 made it to the USA, with other to land somewhere else? In those 121 containers there could be up to 40,000 iPhones. Is this just the beginning?

via Blogs CNN

Finnish site, Verkkokauppa, has started selling the Nokia N78 in Finland online. This all-rounder will be available for 367 euros sans taxes (448 euros with taxes if you want to know). Customers will also get one year's worth of subscription to Nokia Maps for the Nordic region to go along with its integrated aGPS. I don't want to go over the specs again, but a 3.2 Carl Zeiss megapixel camera, HSDPA and WLAN are just the tip of a techberg. Go here for the complete specifications. Now that it's released in Finland, the wait won't be that long until the N78 finds its way into other markets.

We cannot say for sure if this is a ROKR E8 successor, but what is clear is that the Motorola EM30 follows the E8 closely in its form factor with the except of the omega wheel being dropped for the good old D-pad. The FCC has taken a close look at its small 2.2-inch screen, the 2.0 megapixel camera with nothing as snazzy as autofocus or flash, its stereo speakers, and its 2GB internal memory to store tracks that can be played on its mp3 player. Similar to the E8, the EM30 runs on Linux Montavista 2.6.1 and Symphony browser. Hmm...Now that I think about it, may be it is the E8 successor after all.

Via FCC

The FCC has given Nokia green signal to roll out the E65 successor, the Nokia E66. We see an official announcement being prepared from Nokia in the very near future. Not much is known about the E66 but assuming that rumors do come true, the E66 is a slider that will carry a 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, 128MB of internal memory, quad-band network support, and a QWERTY keypad with much more aplomb than your average business class phone. Again, we will have to wait till the official announcement for the release date and price, but if the slip-up this January is true, we are looking at a second quarter release and a $550 tag.

Via Fcc

Hisense has finally answered the 3G call with its new T68 cell phone, which has made its first appearance at the HITECH 2008 Fair in China. Along with 3G compatibility, the phone also supports the Chinese TD-SCDMA network. Although Hisense has made its name in China with its top of the class electronic appliances, it is yet to make a mark in the cell phone industry and if they assume that the T68 is the ticket, it definitely isn't. Other than 3G support, the T68 is pretty much any other candy bar out there with dual-band GSM capability, 2.4-inch TFT touchscreen display with handwriting recognition, music/video players, and microSD support. The camera of choice integrated is a 1.3 megapixeller with no information on the kind of flash included. The battery is a whopper though with 1300 mAh which can power the device up to 7.5 hours of talktime or a staggering 270 hours on standby.

As of now, the Hisense T68 is only available in China at a price of 1800 Yuan ($260), with no information of a future release date in other markets.

We first laid our eyes on the Samsung SGH-F480 and its new TouchWiz interface back in MWC 2008. We were promised a April/May release date and true to their word, Samsung has announced that the 5-megapixel shooter is now headed to Europe. No word on availability in US, but considering that it is triband GSM designed for Europe and Asia, the phone would pretty much be a dud here anyways. With the new TouchWiz UI comes support for widgets, which can be dragged on to the home screen, which wasn't available on its predecessor, the Croix 2.0 interface. Also available are 22 different vibrations which provide haptic feedback to the touch of a finger. Otherwise, the cell phone is basically the Samsung Armani with a 2.8-inch touchscreen, video messaging, email, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth connectivity, mobile blogging, and a 5-megapixel camera equipped with auto-focus as well as image stabilization.

The SGH-F480 will be released in the European market with a graduated release in other countries, most probably Asian.

LG recently announced the launch of its latest LG-CU920 cell phone. This model is expected to be carried on the AT & T network. It is equipped with a 3-inch screen adding to the slim profile of the phone. Belonging to LG Vu category, this seems to be another model lined up in the race of copying the iPhone. It has a PRADA look and Mobile TV options. No word on the price yet. Let us wait and watch the moves of LG. How many iPhone competitors it will launch?

Via: LG

T-Mobile have announced today that starting May 28th they will be offering the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Phone to all those who want more from their music while on the go.

Let's take a look at the Nokia 5310:

Asia's largest social network, Friendster, can now be accessed on cellphones, carrying over the experience that Friendster is famous for to the small screens. Now, users can gain access to almost all of the features that are available on Friendster including browsing photos, user profiles, checking messages, viewing birthdays, and so on by pointing their mobile browser to m.friendster.com.

The mobile version of Friendster is available only in English as of now with plans to add translation in multiple other languages. So head over to m.friendster.com and get connected on the go!

Via

My favorite US cell phone carrier (not!!) strikes again. I was merely telling you yesterday evening how AT&T will offer cell phone insurance for most phones from cheaper to more expensive for just $5 plan/month.

But before you dip your phone into some hot cocoa after your ran it over with your car first, you'll have to know there are some fine prints for this whole deal. First of all the plan is going to be available for all those customers buying a device now or for those that bought one no later than 30 days ago. Besides the monthly fee there's a two deductible fees, not one as I was announcing yesterday; $50 for most of the phones and $125 for expensive smartphones and PDAs.

But guess what, the marvelous, much awaited, greatly debated iPhone isn't covered. I guess Apple did a swell job with those iPhones. Why offer insurance, they must be indestructible!

What do I mean more? We showed you other pictures of the second generation Apple phone a while ago. Those were either Black or white, slimmer or rounder 3G iPhones.

Rumors you said? Yes indeed they were. But with all those rumors there has to be a seed of leaked truth out there. The pictures above show us a rounder iPhone with a thicker back. This version is Black over Graphite and comes via XSKN. If it's true or not it just makes us dream and wait anxiously for the WWDC. We'll see if Apple will confirm or infirm any of these skin shots.

Any Apple employees to leak some pictures over? Thought you wouldn't...

Mobiado continues the tradition of the iconic Professional Line - today unveils the thinnest luxury phone in the world at a thickness of only 10.6mm, the Professional 105 ZAF.

The Professional 105 ZAF redefines the luxury mobile phone to create an engineering masterpiece. The entire front and back of the phone has been crafted from large pieces of sapphire crystal, providing a modern minimalist look with a wear resistance second only to diamond. The Professional 105 ZAF utilizes a unique and hidden sliding battery cover mechanism (patent pending) with the battery cover being made entirely from one piece of sapphire crystal. The phone frame is precision CNC machined from aircraft aluminum to create a strong yet light body, polished, and then anodized it to produce a ceramic surface for the toughest of uses. The buttons and screws are beautifully machined and polished from stainless steel. The iconic Professional 105 ZAF is available in six designer colors (black, black satin, blue, grey, red, and silver). Once you hold one, you will never want to let it go.

The Professional 105 ZAF is unlocked, quad-band GSM/EGSM and dual-band WCDMA network operational. It works within North America, Europe, Africa, Asia- Pacific, and South America where GSM/EGSM 850/900/1800/1900 and WCDMA 850/2100 networks are available. It is equipped with a 2 megapixel camera and video camera, more than 1 GB internal memory, 2" display with up to 16 million colors, Bluetooth and micro USB connectivity, and a music player that supports AAC, eAAC+, and MP3 audio formats.

www.Mobiado.com

E-TEN X500+ ultra-thin VGA Pocket PC Phone is in fact the first pocket PC phone featuring 3.5G connectivity, Windows Mobile 6 and a VGA display. Offering up to four times the resolution of previous E-TEN handsets, this PC phone comes with more pixels to make the images and movies viewed sharper.

E-TEN's exclusive suite of in-house developed software comes preloaded on E-TEN X500+ ultra-thin VGA Pocket PC Phone. Moreover, it utilized the Namecard Manager to simplify the process of updating contacts. Based on the Windows Mobile 6 Professional platform, this cell phone makes use of the latest applications to let the users be more productive while working with documents, presentations and spreadsheets on the move.

Measuring 113.5 x 60.5 x 15.5 mm, this cell phone from E-TEN incorporates the OCR technology to identify and extract contact information. E-TEN X500+ ultra-thin VGA Pocket PC Phone is presently available in silver and black colors.

Via: Eten

We continue the iPhone news spree with Orange's addition to future iPhone carriers. Orange will sell iPhone plans in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Among the European markets Orange is going strong in, we counted Austria, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland. Other countries include the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan and other African countries. Last weeks Vodafone, Telecom Italia, SingTel, Optus and other carriers have already announced they plan to release Apple iPhone plans so it's really no surprise Orange announced it too.

One thing seems to be clear, Apple is not planning to sign individual partnership for any country. There will be multiple carriers selling the iPhone in more than one country. In the end Apple will benefit from all.

Let's see what carrier will enter tomorrow this race to offer the iPhone.

via press

Other than these two major factors, the LG KM501 falls into the low to mid-range criteria with a 2-inch 240x320 display, a 2-megapixel camera, and 42MB of internal memory with support for up to 4GB expansion by way of microSD. Of course, to live up to its musicphone status, the KM501 has dedicated music keys, equalizer settings, and a handy background mode, not to forget the FM radio.

The KM501 is available only in Taiwan as of now, with no info on pricing yet.

The Asus P560 is one of many more smartphones that will be released this year working on Windows Mobile 6.1 platform. It first made an appearance in CeBIT 2008 and is now scheduled for a launch next month.

Like most of the other Asus phones, the P560 is a feature-packed device powered by a TI2431 450 MHz processor, 256MB ROM, and 128MB RAM. The phone has a pretty big 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen display and like I said before, runs on WM 6.1. Along with 3G/HSDPA support, the P560 boasts of Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, GPS, and WiFi 802.11b/g. Storage can be expanded via the microSDHC slot and there's a 3.2-megapixel camera for all your imaging needs with a secondary front cam for video calling.

The Asus P560 will be available starting next month with an approximate $780 price tag.