Spy pics of Palm Centro for GSM

A web source has shared the picture of Palm Centro communicator for GSM networks. It is likely to support EDGE standard. Given the screen icons, it will be launched by AT&T operator. After the US release the new Centro might come to other regions.

I’d remind you that the announcement of the original Palm Centro designed for CDMA networks has taken place not long ago with the release set for October 14 from Sprint. Under the Palm contract the communicator will be exclusively sold by the operator during 90 days. Thus we can expect the GSM Palm Centro not earlier than January 2008.

Nokia patents eyes-free touchscreen controls

Nokia has patented an interesting way to use a touchscreen on a mobile device without looking at it. It deals with a lid to be placed above the touchscreen. There is a slot in it, certain spots of which can be felt by the finger giving the user eyes-free control of the interface. According to Nokia the device should support the special UI to recognize the control. Notice that the lid is a rotating one, which reveals the traditional touchscreen display.

Taking into account the plenty of touch-control devices (Apple iPhone, LG Prada, LG Viewty, HTC Touch/Slide, Samsung F700 and so on) Nokia’s idea might come in handy. By the way it might be good with portable players and other touch-sensitive devices. The pictures to the patent show the better way to apply it.

Samsung Juke, LG Venus and LG Voyager – new from Verizon Wireless

The American operator Verizon Wireless has announced 3 new mobile phones: Samsung Juke, LG Venus and LG Voyager. All of them will hit the stores in November. Samsung Juke is made in the rotator form-factor and designed for music fans. It holds 2 GB of onboard memory, a VGA-camera, Bluetooth support and a media player (MP3, WMA and AAC). There is a navigation wheel to operate the device. It will be available in Blue, Red and Green blue colors.

LG Venus represents a slider with two displays on the front side, the lower display is a touch-sensitive and designed to operate the phone. Besides there is a slide-out numeric keypad. The phone features a 2-megapixel camera with video capture, a music player and a microSD slot (up to 8 GB). It will come in Black and Rose shell colors.

LG Voyager is peculiar for its form: it is equipped with a big touch screen on the cover, when it opens it reveals a full QWERTY-keyboard and the second display. In addition there is a 2-megapixel camera, AAC/MP3/WMA player, Bluetooth and microSD-slot (up to 8 GB cards).

800000 HTC Touch sold over 3 months

HTC Touch shipments over 3 months from the launch have reached 800000 devices. This isn’t much for an Apple iPhone – however we should take into account that the device was sold on different markets from different operators. For a proper success estimate let’s wait for the launch of HTC Touch in the US and Apple iPhone in Europe.

At the same time HTC has recently announced the successor to HTC Touch – a 3G communicator slider HTC Touch Dual featuring TouchFLO interface based on finger input instead of stylus. Reportedly, finger-oriented TouchFLO interface will be applied in the new company’s products.

Krusell’s top 10 in September

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 September (the previous position in the brackets):

1. (2) Sony Ericsson K810i
2. (1) Nokia 6300
3. (3) Nokia N95
4. (7) Sony Ericsson P1
5. (4) Nokia N73
6. (5) Sony Ericsson W880i
7. (6) Apple iphone
8. (-) Nokia 3109/3110
9. (-) Sony Ericsson K610
10. (9) Nokia E90

The newcomers in September are Nokia 3109/3110 and Sony Ericsson K610. On the whole, the leaders keep their position, though 1st and 2nd ranks swapped places. I’d note that Apple iPhone, which entered the August top 10 with the rank 6, dropped to the rank 7. On the contrary, Sony Ericsson P1 jumped from the 7th to 4th position.

LG KH-1600 3G phone to work on every continent

Today LG Electronics introduced LG KH-1600 phone on the domestic market. Reportedly, it will work everywhere with the effective WCDMA and GSM coverage.

LG KH-1600 slider will be available from the South Korean operator KTF. Except for global roaming the new phone doesn’t feature anything special compared to other up-to-date devices:

• Dimensions: 97x47x16.9 mm
• Weight: 97 g
• Display: 5.08 cm diagonal, 240x320 pixels, 262K colors
• Sound: 64-tones polyphony
• Camera: 1.3-megapixel (main) / VGA (frontal)

E-ink phone proto

CEATEC 2007 in Japan unveiled a prototype of an unusual mobile phone. This clamshell comes with electronic-based alphanumeric keys. Thus the symbols displayed on the keys can get changed. It’s not yet clear whether the device would go for mass production or be comfortable to handle it. For sure is one thing, the device features lower power consumption compared to the models with the touch screen instead of the keyboard.

Pictures of Motorola H710 and H721 Bluetooth-headsets

The site of Motorola has posted pictures of two new Bluetooth-headsets H710 and H721 differing only in color solution: Motorola H710 features dark colors and H721 – silver. However we can’t talk about their technical specs before the official announcement, but still we can have a look at their design:

Motorola H710:

Motorola H721:

New Microsoft Zune players got official

Eventually Microsoft has announced the new and much speculated Zune players. The new lineup includes an 80GB HDD model in Black shell and more compact flash-players carrying 4 and 8 GB onboard. They are available in Black, Red, Rose and Green colors. The 80GB Zune measures 108.2x61.1x12.9 mm and holds a 3.2” display. The flash Zune features 91.5x41.4x8.5 mm and a 1.8” display. The new generation Zune players are equipped with the Zune Pad. It can be pressed from 4 sides and on the top, in addition it has a touch sensitive surface.

The new Zunes will go on sale in November. The 80GB Zune will cost $250, the 8GB will go for $200 and the 4GB – for $150.

Motorola MC70 – a hardy communicator with GPS

Motorola has unveiled a new version of its MC70 communicator with integrated GPS. The MC70 is designed for field-based employees first of all. It can withstand all-day everyday use in nearly every environment: moisture, dust, extreme temperatures, the fall to a concrete floor.

The MC70 communicator can work in GSM/EDGE networks running on Windows Mobile. The GPS-version is based on the SIRF III chip. In addition it features a barcode scanner, advanced data capture, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth. The GPS-version will hit the stores in 1Q 2008.

Parrot SK4000 wireless hands-free music kit for motorcyclists

Parrot has introduced the SK4000 hands-free music kit for motorcyclists. The motorcyclists can now operate music playback and answer calls through the easy clip-on wireless remote fixed to the bike’s left handlebar. The device supports Bluetooth with A2DP profile, FM-radio with RDS. The Parrot solution automatically recognizes the contact name (no need to record voice tags anymore) and makes the call. The unique Text To Speech feature reads contact names from the user’s phonebook through the earpiece and is also able to name radio stations to help the driver identify the correct station. Parrot SK4000 is compatible with most mobile phones with Bluetooth.

The specs of Parrot SK4000:

• Bluetooth (HFP, A2DP, AVRCP, OPP Sync, PBAP profiles)
• FM-radio with RDS
• DSP-processor: noise reduction and echo canceling
• Auto volume setting
• MiniUSB-connector
• Line-in
• Headphones - 32 mm speakers, 32 Ohms
• Built-in Li-Ion 1100 mAh battery
• 10 hours of talk time

Diamond-encrusted Nokia N95 by Amosu

Amosu, the designer of luxury mobile phones, players and accessories, has extended its elite device lineup. This time it introduced Nokia N95 with 18 carat white gold and 325 diamonds, with a total diamond weight of 3.3 carats. The company launched the limited edition with 10 diamond coated phones. The price tag for the diamond Nokia N95 is about $24000.

BenQ E72 Windows Mobile smartphone

BenQ has unveiled the E72 smartphone powered by windows Mobile 6 Standard. It is packed in a slim candy bar form. There is nothing revolutionary in its specs, it contains most essential functions. The device will come to several countries of Asia Pacific and Europe during 4Q.

The specs of BenQ E72:

• Networks - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• OS - Windows Mobile 6 Standard
• Diisplay – 2” 240x320 pixels, 65K colors
• 2-megapixel camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• Interface - Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0
• Java MIDP 2.0
• 128 MB ROM and 64 MB DDR RAM
• microSD-slot (up to 2 GB cards)
• Audio formats - MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, AAC+
• Video formats - MPEG4, WMV, H.264 , 3GP
• Battery - Li-Ion 900 mAh
• Talk time – up to 4 hours
• Standby time – up to 180 hours
• Dimensions – 108x46.3x13.8 mm
• Weight - 90 g

Serenata music phone by Samsung and Bang Olufsen

Samsung Electronics in cooperation with Bang Olufsen have announced the series production of a 3G music phone Samsung Serenata. The companies due to their design partnership managed to create a strange looking mobile device featuring small size, light weight and exclusive design. Samsung Serenata is positioned as a high-end music phone. It holds a slide-out stereophonic acoustic system, you can place it on the table and enjoy the music. The limited edition of Samsung Serenata will come to the Russian retail in late October – early November 2007.

The specs of Samsung Serenata:

• Standards - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS/HSDPA 2100 MHz, 1.8 Mbps
• Display - touchscreen 240x240 pixels, 260K colors
• Scroll wheel
• Built-in stereo speaker
• Interface - Bluetooth 1.2, USB 2.0
• WAP 2.0
• Formats - MPEG4, H.263, WMV, MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, MTP/WMDRM
• Brand functions of Bang Oufsen and Samsung – improved music library, Bang Olufsen ring tones, «Welcome Sequence» wizard
• 4 GB of onboard memory
• Dimensions – 109.5x63x19.7 mm

HTC Shift to be launched in November

HTC has reported it will launch HTC Shift Ultra mobile PC in 4Q 2007 together with the P6500 communicator and S730 smartphone. The device is powered by Windows Vista OS. It comes with a 7” touch-sensitive screen that slides out and tilts to a comfortable angle and a full QWERTY-keyboard. According to the company, HTC Shift has the optimal blend of portability and functionality. The SnapVUE always-on mode provides instant access to important info – e-mail, calendar events, SMS and contacts, even if the device is not switched on. The new product supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS/HSDPA networks and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connections. HTC shift will hit European stores in November.

The manufacturer highlights the following functions:

• Direct Push Outlook e-mail
• Incredibly long battery life, up to 2 days in standby mode
• Always-on access to critical information with HTC SnapVUE
• Revolutionary small form factor providing portability without compromising mobility
• Powerful enough device to run Windows Vista

HTC P6500 high-end processing communicator for business

HTC’ portfolio for 4Q includes the P6500 communicator. The company believes it is the right mobile partner for business, from logistics to warehousing and transportation. The device comes without a keyboard. It is powered by Windows Mobile 6 Professional and works in quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band WCDMA/HSDPA networks.

HTC P6500 is equipped with a 3.5” touch sensitive LCD, a 3-megapixel camera, a barcode reader, a fingerprints sensor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It also features a built-in GPS-receiver, 256 MB of RAM, a dual SD slot with SDIO interface. The communicator hits the European stores in November.

HTC S730 smartphone with two keypads in stores soon

HTC has unveiled HTC S730 smartphone. This is a successor of HTC S710 (Vox): it comes with the number pad on the front and the QWERTY slide-out keyboard. The S730 is powered by Windows Mobile 6 Standard. It will be available in Europe in October.

The specs of HTC S730:

• Networks - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800/1900 MHz and WCDMA/HSDPA 2100 MHz
• OS - Windows Mobile 6 Standard
• Chipset - Qualcomm MSM7200, 400 MHz
• Display – 2.4” 240x320 pixels
• 2-megapixel and frontal VGA- cameras
• 256 MB ROM and 64 MB RAM
• microSD-slot
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
• Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• HTC ExtUSB connector
• Li-Pol 1050 mAh battery
• Talk time - 210 minutes (WCDMA), 318 minutes (GSM)
• Standby time - 388 hours (WCDMA), 290 hours (GSM)
• Dimensions – 105.8x51x19.4 mm
• Weight - 150 g

HTC Touch Dual slider with TouchFLO interface

HTC has officially announced HTC Touch Dual slider, an heir of HTC Touch communicator. It’s the second device with TouchFLO screen technology for finger and stylus input. I’d note that its slide-out keyboard contains 12 (traditional numeric) or 20 buttons (two letters for each button) depending on the region and operator’s preferences. The European release of HTC Touch Dual will take place later this month.

The specs of HTC Touch Dual:

• Networks - GSM/EDGE 900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA/HSDPA 2100 MHz
• OS - Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Chipset - Qualcomm MSM7200, 400 MHz
• Display – 2.6” touch sensitive QVGA
• 2-megapixel camera, frontal camera for video calls
• 256 MB ROM, 128 MB RAM
• microSD-slot
• Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• HTC ExtUSBTM connector
• 1100 mAh battery
• Talk time – up to 240 minutes (WCDMA) and up to 360 minutes (GSM)
• Standby time – up to 150 hours (WCDMA) and up to 250 hours (GSM)
• Dimensions – 107x55x15.8 mm
• Weight - 120 g

Samsung SGH-i355: another GPS-smartphone?

The GPS-smartphone Samsung SGH-i550 hasn’t been launched yet, but the company is working on new models with similar functionality. Some info popped up on Samsung SGH-i780 and Samsung SGH-i560. This time a web source provides info on another GPS-smartphone – the SGH-i355. The IT168.com reports this is a slider phone based on Symbian 9.2/S60 platform. It is designed for GSM/GPRS and WCDMA/HSDPA networks.

Other features are as follows: 2.4” QVGA 262K color display, 3.2-megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom, media player, built-in GPS, Bluetooth and USB. Samsung SGH-i355 will come out in 4Q 2007 at about €415.

Asus R2E UMPC

Asus has introduced a new ultra mobile PC – the R2E. Unlike it predecessor working on Celeron this UMPC is based on Intel Ultra Mobile Platform 2007 (A110 800 MHz processor and 945GU chipset). The manufacturer says that the shift to the new platform will lower power consumption and increase productivity of the device.

Asus R2E comes with a 7” 800x480 pixels display, 1 GB DDR2, 80 GB HDD, Wi-Fi 802.11g and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR interface. In addition there are HSDPA-adapter, 1.3-megapixel web-camera and built-in GPS (optionally). The sales of Asus R2E will be launched next month at €1119.