It's been a while since we featured French manufacturer Sagem's cell phones. Well, it just so happens that their new phone, the Sagem my501H cell phone just got the nod from FCC. This flip phone features music control buttons on the side and has an external display.

The my501H phone is compatible with GPRS networks, and is equipped with a camera. The camera has a timer function that can take a photo after 5, 10 or 15-second delay. Of course, where there's a camera, there has to be MMS support too. Videos in 3GP format can also be taken with the phone.

Media can be stored on a microSD card. PC interface options on the Sagem my501H include Bluetooth and USB. Bluetooth hands-free kits can also be used, thanks to HSP and HFP profile compatibility. Thanks to its Java support, you can download a host of applications and games onto the phone. The included media player handles MP3/AAC/AMR formatted audio files.

No word on its pricing or availability in the US yet. Check these pages soon. Some more specs in the extended entry.

Vectronix, a Swiss company that makes military survey systems and night vision products, has a new cell phone in the offing (possibly made in partnership with Sagem), dubbed the Sagem vectroTEL X8, with a unique distinction from the other run-of-the-mill phones out there in the market today. This tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900MHz phone sports a QVGA hi-res 240x320 pixel resolution screen with 256k colors as well as a 1.3 mega-pixel camera.

Traditional GSM cell phones are prone to eavesdropping - which means your confidential conversations are, well, not so confidential anymore. To put an end to your security concerns, the vectroTEL X8 has a special crypto mode where calls made to another vectroTEL phone are encrypted and completely secure.

The phones use asymmetric key exchange method by Diffie-Hellman with 1024 bits, and 128-bit AES encryption scheme for a most secure environment when making your calls. What's more, keys are recalculated for each call and deleted immediately after the call is terminated, so that the keys cannot be reconstructed.

Making an encrypted phone call is simple enough: press the relevant soft-key on the phone to enter crypto mode and dial the number as usual. There will be a delay of about 30 seconds for the keys to be generated and exchanged with the recipient's phone - but that's a small price to pay for a secure channel. The crypto module is the same size as a miniSD card, making it discreet. The keypad design is not very becoming (I suspect they are too small for most people to use comfortably), but should be okay.

The phone's got Blue-tooth, Infrared and USB connectivity options as well. No pricing info yet, but more details are available from vectroTEL's dedicated website. Extended entry has a feature list.

(Via engadget)

Sagem Communication reveals their latest multimedia mobile phone Sagem my900C. It is a nice mobile having a combination of various functions which satisfies my needs down to a tea. To provide the best quality image display it contains 262,000-color QVGA display (320x240 pixels). Beside this it also has an original external 262,000-color TFT LCD display (96x64 pixels). SAGEM my900C is compact (90x45x23.5 mm), weighing 115g and music lovers can enjoy listening to the music while keeping the phone close using the command buttons which offer direct access to the music functions.

One of the excellent innovations of SAGEM is the combination of EDGE and UMTS technology. This technology allows users to utilize the most of the broadband features in anyplace and in any network. This regard we must convey thanks to phone’s 8-hour autonomy. In addition it has two cameras, out of which one is a VGA camera for video calls and another one is a 2 megapixel camera for taking high-resolution photos. These photos can be printed and can be exchanged with friends via MMS. Stay in touch with your family and friends using the various resources like Video telephony, MMS and email.

The SAGEM my900C will be available in the market during second semester 2006.

Via Slashphone

Sagem's my400X GSM cell phone, which looks like an updated model of the my400L has just been approved by the FCC - so you can look forward to this French phone in the United States. It's a neat little feature packed phone with Bluetooth and camera.

Flight mode, where you use the phone minus the SIM card - just like a PDA - is possible with Sagem my400X. The camera on this phone is placed to the left and not center as usually found in most mobiles. It also has a mirror so you can take your own images conveniently. Another thing about the camera is that it has a dedicated key on the side of the phone.

The phone supports GPRS for accessing the Internet using the integrated WAP 2.0 browser. J2ME games are available as well. Productivity apps include Calculator, Converter, Alarm, To Do and Timer.

No availability or pricing was available at the time of this writing. For details, head to Sagem's website. Specs in extended entry.

The FCC has granted its seal of approval to Sagem's My V-85 cell phone. The V-85 is a UMTS-capable phone compatible with GSM 900/1800/1900MHz networks. Not the sleekest of phones, the phone looks a bit bulky with 20mm thickness.

The V-85 features IrDA and Bluetooth, and support for microSD to expand the available memory on the phone. With 3G capability, you can also make/receive video calls on the phone. It also has an integrated media player, capable of playing MP3, AAC, AMR, WAV and MIDI formats. The screen is pretty good, offering 262k colors at 176x220 pixel resolution.

The included 1.3 megapixel camera is good for the occasional photo or even shooting videos with the phone. With Java MIDP 2.0 support, you also have access to a large array of cell phone games. Talktime is claimed at 4 hours, with up to 300 hour standby time.

For more info, check out Sagem's website for details. Expect it to hit the markets soon. It maybe carried by verizon in USA.