Top 10 phones, Krusell version

Krusell, the maker of carrying cases for portable electronics, has released its traditional top 10 of popular cell phones. The list is based on sales figures received over the month. This time Krusell has summed up the rating of August (the previous position in the brackets).

Krusell’s Top 10 in August:

1. (1) Nokia 6300
2. (2) Sony Ericsson K790i/K800i/K810i
3. (3) Nokia N95
4. (4) Nokia N73
5. (5) Sony Ericsson W880i
6. (-) Apple iPhone
7. (-) Sony Ericsson P1
8. (6) Blackberry RIM 8300 Curve
9. (-) Nokia E90
10. (8) Nokia 6233/6234

We see a newcomer in the list – Apple iPhone jumped to the 6 position at once. I’d note that the sales of the iPhone started late in June and exclusively from one operator in the territory of the US. Krusell makes its stats on the worldwide basis. However peculiar design of the iPhone unveils the necessity of a protective case. Let’s see which place the iPhone will have in a month then.

HP iPAQ 310 Travel Companion

The HP portfolio has been extended with another portable device called HP iPAQ 310 Travel Companion. It is designed to be any time at hand and assist travelers. The HP companion is a mixture of an ultra compact PC and a navigator equipped with a graphical accelerator (for 3D maps during GPS navigation).

The short technical specs of HP iPAQ 310 Travel Companion:

• CPU: Centrality Titan, 600 MHz
• Memory: 128 MB RAM, 2 GB ROM, microSDHC cards
• Display: widescreen 4.3” touch-sensitive TFT, 800x480 (WVGA), glare filter, 65K colors
• OS: Windows CE 5.0 with HP interface
• GPS navigation: navigation “engine”, voice tips, maps
• Entertainment: music player (Windows Media DRM), video player, photo viewer, games
• Sound: big speaker, integrated mic with echo compensation, 3.5-mm audio jack for stereo headphones
• Connectivity: Bluetooth: v2.0 + EDR Class II, USB (miniUSB connector)
• Dimensions: 86.8x110.2x18.2 mm
• Weight: 187 g

12” “leather” version of Lenovo ThinkPad X61

Here comes a new version of Lenovo notebook called Lenovo ThinkPad Reserve Edition. It is peculiar for natural leather coating. The company has even redesigned the ventilation system to make it. The rest of it makes the original Lenovo ThinkPad X61.

The technical specs of Lenovo ThinkPad Reserve Edition:

• CPU - Core 2 Duo L7300 (1.4 GHz)
• RAM - 1024 MB
• HDD - 120 GB
• Video system - Intel X3100 (256 MB)
• Display – 12.1” XGA TFT
• Operating system - Windows Vista Ultimate
• Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, modem
• Fingerprints sensor

Lenovo ThinkPad reserve Edition will be offered for $5000. The company reports that round the clock its trained staff will help the customers to transfer data from the old notebook and to tune the new one.

HP iPAQ 610 Business Navigator: up-to-date functions in one

The new series of Hewlett-Packard new products includes HP iPAQ 610 Business Navigator in two modifications: with a 3-megapixel camera and without one. The 600-series device is packed in a classical candy bar form-factor with a numeric keypad. HP iPAQ 610 Business Navigator stands out for control elements designed for single-handed operations. There is a sensor ring across the keypad and a scrolling wheel with 3 degrees of freedom. Functionally this is a complete analog of the iPAQ 910 and supports GPS navigation.

The main technical specs of HP iPAQ 610 Business Navigator:

• Networks: UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100 MHz, GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• CPU: Marvell PXA270, 520 MHz
• Memory: 128 MB SDRAM, 256 MB ROM, microSD cards
• Display: 2.8”, transmissive TFT, 240x320 pixel, 65K colors
• Camera: 3-megapixel, CMOS with video capture
• Operating system: Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Connectivity: WLAN IEEE 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR1, USB (miniUSB jack) with charging
• A-GPS (Assisted GPS) navigation
• Audio formats: WMA, WAV, MP3, MIDI, AAC-LC, HE-AAC
• Audio features: voice recorder, built-in speaker, connector for external mic/headphones
• Battery: 1590 mAh
• Dimensions: 117x60.3x17.5 mm
• Weight: 145 g

HP iPAQ 910 Business Messenger officially introduced

Hewlett-Packard has officially introduced its new PDA, smartphones and communicators on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 of the following series HP iPAQ 600, HP iPAQ 200 and HP iPAQ 100. The senior models in the lineup are the iPAQ 910 Business Messenger and iPAQ 910c Business Messenger, which differ from each other in the presence of a camera in the 910с and the absence of it in the 910. The camera version features 3-megapixel resolution. The communicator has a full keyboard and supports tri-band 3G networks (HSDPA up to 7.2 Mbps) in addition to GSM/GPRS/EDGE.

The main technical specs of HP iPAQ 910 Business Messenger:

• Networks: UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100 MHz, GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• CPU: Marvell PXA270, 520 MHz
• Memory: 128 MB SDRAM, 256 MB ROM, microSD cards
• Display: 2.46”, transmissive active TFT matrix, 320x240 pixels, 262K colors
• Camera: 3-megapixel, CMOS with video capture
• OS: Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Connectivity: WLAN IEEE 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR1, USB (miniUSB jack) with charging
• A-GPS (Assisted GPS) navigation
• Audio formats: WMA, MP3, MIDI, E/D AMRNB, AMRWB, AAC-LC, HE-AAC
• Audio features: voice recorder, built-in speaker, 2.5mm connector for external mic/headphones
• Battery: 1840 mAh
• Dimensions: 113x64x16 mm
• Weight: 146 g

iPod shuffle – new color solutions

In case with the updated iPod shuffle Apple hasn’t invented anything new, only added new color solutions. Now the user can choose among 5 colors: Grey, Green, Violet, Turquoise and Red. Remarkably, some of the income from iPod shuffle will go for charity.

I’d remind you that the shuffle has a special wear clip. Measuring 27.3x41.2x10.5 mm it weighs some 15 g. The 1GB shuffle will be offered for $80.

iPod classic in new shell

Popularity of iPod players gives Apple the chance to release new products based on the previous ones with minor changes, no doubt they will enjoy the success. iPod classic is such a product. Carrying 80 or 160 GB of memory onboard the new iPod classic can store up to 40000 music tracks or 200 hours of video.

The new iPod classic features Cover Flow function and slimmer metallic shell. It will be available in two color solutions – Grey and Black, with 80 or 160 GB HDD. Measuring 103.5x61.8x10.5 mm it weighs 140 g. Its 2.5” LCD has a LED backlight and a 320x240 pixel resolution. The new player supports all main audio and video formats.

The 80GB iPod comes with a less capacious battery than the 160GB model: 30 hours of audio and 5 hours of video against 40 and 7 hours respectively. The junior model will be available for $250, the senior will be expensive by $100.

New iPod nano – enhanced video

iPod nano has been ever very popular among users of different countries – packed in a compact casing it copes well with its main application, besides Apple brand adds something to the success. In addition to bipod touch Apple introduced an upgraded nano with a 2” landscape oriented screen.

As we see from the picture the developer focused on video functions. With its 320x240 pixels display it will be good for viewing video clips, and the battery will last for 5 hours in this mode. In music mode the device will work for 24 hours.

Being 6.5mm slim iPod nano is really compact one and weighs less than 50 g. The company speaks about an updated graphical interface, which should make it easier to work with the player. The price won’t be high: $150 for a 4GB version and $200 for 8GB one.

Verizon Wireless Coupe handset with simple menu and separate emergency call buttons.

The American mobile operator Verizon Wireless has announced another mobile handset for its networks. This clamshell got the name Verizon Wireless Coupe.

The phone looks stylish and slim and is designed for voice communication. The operator speaks about the Coupe as the perfect balance of functionality and simplicity in use.

The model is peculiar for:

• Separate buttons for emergency calls and a 911 button
• Simple and useful applications: calculator, alarm clock, calendar, world time, weather forecast viewer, bank statements viewer and other info services
• Small size and light weight: 96.5x45.7x20.3 mm and 93.6 g
• Advanced voice dialing: to make a call the user should just pronounce a name from the phonebook or a phone number
• Interface and control elements color identification: white stands for sound volume buttons, blue – headphones jack, red – charger connector

Verizon Wireless Coupe will be exclusively available from Verizon Wireless at $19.99 on a 2-years service plan.

Dell Precision M6300 work station for mobile professionals

Dell has unveiled a mobile work station Dell Precision M6300 aimed at engineers, developers and other professionals who prefer to work anywhere and any time. The notebook is based on 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo X7900 2.8GHz processor and NVIDIA Quadro FX1600M OpenGL graphical adapter.

Dell Precision M6300 is equipped with a 17” WXGA+ (1440x900 pixels) or WUXGA (1920x1200 pixels) display and wireless adapters Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and HSDPA (optionally). The new device carries up to 4 GB of RAM and up to 200 GB HDD onboard. Besides Dell expects to release soon a modification Precision M6300 with 32-GB SSD-drive by SanDisk. The work station also features DVD, DVD-RW or Blu-ray optical drive, Windows XP, Windows Vista or RedHat Linux OS. The company hasn’t yet provided the info on the price and release date of Dell Precision M6300.

Waiting for new Japanese edition SE phones

The announcement date getting closer gives rise to lots of rumors. This fall NTT DoCoMo, largest 3G service provider in Japan, is expected to introduce a new lineup of its top 900-series phones. Some Internet source posted a picture of a new phone, allegedly a Sony Ericsson model named SO905i:

The peculiar thing about the SO905i is its form-factor resembling of a two-way slider. Traditionally for such case there are no official comments to the picture – before the official announcement lots of things (including pictures) can get changed dramatically.

A-DATA unveils 16GB SDHC Class 6 flash card, amongst others

16GB SDHC cards aren't all that atypical these days, but A-DATA is claiming to have the "world's first 16GB SDHC Class 6" iteration ready to roll. Additionally, the firm is introducing an 8GB Super SDHC Duo (saywha?) card of the Class 4 variety, and for those still scouting a new CompactFlash card, it's cranking out a 32GB version for you. Regrettably, we've no idea how soon A-DATA plans to get these on the market (nor how much it plans to charge), but it shouldn't be long before we all find out.

Samsung YA-BH270 Bluetooth-headset introduced at IFA 2007

At the IFA 2007 show Samsung has introduced a new Bluetooth-headset YA-BH270. Taking into account the pictures, the manufacturer didn’t aspire to make its product a compact one: the earphones have ear bindings, they are not an insert earphone type.

The YA-BH270 gets connected to your mobile phone via wireless Bluetooth connection, accepts music stream from the phone and also let you picking up calls without removing the headset. The headset is equipped with a built-in mic and short cut player buttons. The charging runs via a USB-cable.

A successor to Nokia E50 smartphone soon?

Some Internet source has posted a photo of an unknown Nokia’s product. Supposedly, this might be an heir of the E50. It seems to be a picture of a prototype marked EXX. And no more details except for the photo are available so far. Besides the release date hasn’t been unveiled either.

Nokia E50 was introduced last May. It was positioned as the tiniest and smallest E-series model. This is a traditional candy bar shape designed for work and leisure. Nokia E50 features 70 MB of onboard memory, a microSD slot, a QVGA 262K color display, a 1.3-megapixel camera and Bluetooth 2.0 interface.

O2 XDA Denim communicator, details

The FCC site has posted the documents on a Gigabyte’s communicator – O2 XDA Denim. This time the info is quite detailed. The device is packed in a sliding shell, which reveals a numeric keyboard. It is powered by Windows Mobile 6 OS.

The specs of O2 XDA Denim:

• Networks - GSM/EDGE 900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS/HSDPA 2100 MHz
• CPU - Intel PXA270 520 MHz
• Display – 2.6” touchscreen, 240x320 pixels, 65K colors
• 256 MB ROM, 64 MB RAM
• Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
• Cameras - 2-Megapixel and 0.3-megapixel
• microSD-slot
• Battery – Li-Ion 1300 mAh
• Talk time – up to 4.5 hours
• Standby time – up to 150 hours
• Dimensions – 115x55.8x18.2 mm
• Weight - 150 g

MOTOROKR U9 new music clamshell

We’ve already mentioned Motorola’s plans to expand the ROKR line with a PEBL clamshell. Now there are some new details on the upcoming MOTOROKR U9. This is a clamshell phone equipped with an external display showing music player touch sensitive buttons and track name.

MOTOROKR U9 supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks and a QVGA 262K color display. The source mentions an external OLED-display (128x160 pixels, 65K colors). Other features of the new Motorola’s music clamshell are as follows: 25 MB of internal memory, a microSD-slot (up to 4 GB cards), Bluetooth A2DP interface and microUSB. Measuring 90x48.6x16.4 mm it weighs 87.5 g. However it’s not yet clear when the new phone will be introduced.

iPAQ 614c and 914c: pioneer communicators by HP

The Smartphonefrance.info has posted the info on the new products of the HP iPAQ 600 and 900 series. The iPAQ 614c and 914c are powered by Windows Mobile 6 Professional and equipped with an integrated GPS-receiver. At the same time, the iPAQ 614c comes with a numeric keypad with the navigation wheel like the iPod one, and the iPAQ 914c has a QWERTY-keyboard.

The rest specs are as follows (not yet officially confirmed):

HP iPAQ 614c:

• Operating system - Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Display – 2.8” touchscreen (240x320 pixels)
• Support for 3G and Wi-Fi
• Built-in GPS-receiver

HP iPAQ 914c:

• 3-megapixel camera
• Operating system - Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Display – 2.46” touchscreen (320x240 pixels)
• Support for 3G and Wi-Fi
• Built-in GPS-receiver
• 3-megapixel camera

iPAQ 614c and 914c: pioneer communicators by HP

The Smartphonefrance.info has posted the info on the new products of the HP iPAQ 600 and 900 series. The iPAQ 614c and 914c are powered by Windows Mobile 6 Professional and equipped with an integrated GPS-receiver. At the same time, the iPAQ 614c comes with a numeric keypad with the navigation wheel like the iPod one, and the iPAQ 914c has a QWERTY-keyboard.

The rest specs are as follows (not yet officially confirmed):

HP iPAQ 614c:

• Operating system - Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Display – 2.8” touchscreen (240x320 pixels)
• Support for 3G and Wi-Fi
• Built-in GPS-receiver

HP iPAQ 914c:

• 3-megapixel camera
• Operating system - Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Display – 2.46” touchscreen (320x240 pixels)
• Support for 3G and Wi-Fi
• Built-in GPS-receiver
• 3-megapixel camera

New Palm smartphone to be announced on September 12

Palm’s European site has launched a teaser page, on which citizens of the UK, Italy, Netherlands and Germany could leave e-mail to receive hot info on a new Palm smartphone. It will be introduced on September 12. Besides the subscribers will automatically participle in the lottery of 5 smartphones. The description on the page states, “the new Palm smartphone is great for email, mobile internet, instant messaging, text and – with a full keyboard – saying what you really mean”.

The new smartphone on the teaser page is likely to be known as Centro. Some images and specs have already leaked to the net. But it’s still unclear what OS version will be preinstalled: Palm OS or Windows Mobile or both? Anyway, let’s wait for September 12th.

Samsung SGH-i550 showcased at IFA 2007

At IFA 2007 show in Berlin Samsung introduced a smartphone called Samsung SGH-i550, which will be officially announced later on. The device is powered by Symbian S60 and supports 3G networks with up to 3.6 Mbps data transfer speed. It is peculiar for an integrated GPS-receiver and full integration with Google services: the search panel displayed in the main screen.

In addition there is a trackball and dedicated buttons to access Internet, music and navigation applications. However the buttons are quite small and might be inconvenient in use. The smartphone features a 2.6” display, a 3.2-megapixel camera with flash, 115x53x13.8 mm.

GPS-enabled PDA Mio P360 and P560 officially introduced

As it was expected Mio Technology introduced today navigation PDA P360 and P560, heirs of P350 and P550 at IFA show in Berlin. They are powered by Windows Mobile 6 running on 400 MHz processors. In addition both models carry SiRF III GPS-receivers onboard and support SD/SDHC cards capacious of up to 4GB. The senior PDA (P560) is equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless modules.

Both handhelds will be supplied with MioMap 3 navigation software. Mio P360 has a price tag of €249 without the program and €299 with MioMap 3. Mio P560 will be offered for €349 or €399 on the same conditions. The exact release date hasn’t been unveiled yet.

Samsung SGH-i620 smartphone officially introduced

During IFA press conference Samsung Electronics officially announced the SGH-i620 slider smartphone, an heir of the SGH-i600. We’ve mentioned this device in our news, even full specification was posted. However it has been somewhat corrected after the official announcement.

The SGH-i620 is powered by Windows Mobile 6 Standard in GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900/1800/1900 MHz) and UMTS/HSDPA (2100 MHz) networks and supports Bluetooth 2.0. Built-in Wi-Fi hasn’t been confirmed. The rest specs are as follows: a 2” QVGA 65K color display, a 2-megapixel camera, a frontal VGA-camera, 80 MB of onboard memory and a microSD slot. Measuring 95x59x16 mm it weighs 126 g. the start of sales in Germany is set for September.

Parrot DS1120 wireless stereo speakers

Parrot has announced the DS1120 wireless stereo speakers. They can reproduce music from a mobile phone or an MP3-player via Bluetooth interface (A2DP profile). The speakers are equipped with a digital amplifier class D. Output power makes up 30 Watt. The new product by Parrot will come to stores in October at $280.

Sony’s portable media players Walkman NWZ-A810 and NWZ-S610

Sony has announced new media player series Walkman NWZ-A810 and NWZ-S610. They can play video (30 fps) in addition to radio, have QVGA LCD, support WMA, AAC and MP3 audio, JPEG images, MPEG-4 and H.264/AVC. The NWZ-A810 ensures 8 hours of video playback, and the NWZ-S610 – 9.5 hours, both of them can play audio 33 hours long. They have 2” and 1.8” diagonals respectively. Besides the NWZ-S610 is equipped with an FM-tuner.

The sales of Sony media players start in the US in September. The Walkman NWZ-A810 will be available in White, Rose, Black, Blue and Silver colors and with 2, 4 and 8 GB of memory onboard. The modifications will cost $140, $180 and $230 respectively. In its turn the Walkman NWZ-S610 will come in Black, Rose, Red and Silver shell colors. The versions with 2, 4, 8 GB will be offered for $120, $160 and $210.

PlayStation – a SE phone by the Christmas?

Peter Ahnegard, head of SE game unit, reported that the company will release a game handset under PlayStation brand by the Christmas. However he sounded vague whether it would be this Christmas. Sony Ericsson has already launched Walkman music phones, Cyber-shot camera phones and Bravia TV-phones for Japan. Only game phones are still missing. That is why it is very likely the company will focus soon on this direction. Nevertheless the company’s spokesman declined to provide detailed info. A would-be PlayStation phone might look this way.

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NTT DoCoMo announced two WM6 smartphones for 3G Foma networks

The largest mobile service provider in Japan, NTT DoCoMo has unveiled its two new smartphones FOMA F1100 and FOMA HT1100 powered by Windows Mobile 6 (Japanese edition).

Both models are packed in the slider form, support HSDPA standard, have touchscreen LCD and come with the preinstalled McAfee antivirus. DoCoMo expects to launch commercial sales of FOMA F1100 and FOMA HT1100 in 1Q 2008.

FOMA F1100:

The main specs FOMA F1100:

• Dimensions: 112x51x16.9 mm
• Weight: 130 g
• Display: 2.6”, translucent TFT, 240x320 pixels, 65K colors
• microSD slot
• Camera: 1.3-megapixel, CMOS
• Bluetooth
• OS: Windows Mobile 6 Standard
• Main applications: Internet Explorer Mobile, Outlook Mobile, Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, Barcode Reader
• WLAN: IEEE802.11a/b/g (WEP, IEEE802. 1 x, WPA, WPA2), SIP, QoS (WMM, WMM-PS)
• Fingerprints sensor

FOMA HT1100:

The main specs of FOMA HT1100:

• Dimensions: 107x55x16.5 mm
• Weight: 120 g
• Display: 2.6”, TFT, 240x320 pixels, 65K colors
• microSD slot
• Main camera: 2-megapixel, CMOS
• Internal camera: 100 kilopixel, CMOS
• Bluetooth
• OS: Windows Mobile 6 professional
• Main applications: Internet Explorer Mobile, Outlook Mobile, Office Mobile, Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, Audio Manager, FM Radio, Streaming Media, HTC HOME
• Roaming in GSM/ GPRS/ W-CDMA networks
• 3D TouchFLO Touch Cube interface