Sony Ericsson G900 - jam-packed with features smartphone

Another newcomer to Sony Ericcson's line-up that has been revealed at 3GSM Congress. The G900 is a feature-packed smartphone coming in with a touch-sensitive display.

The G900 boasts a 5 Mpix camera with auto focus and image stabilizer, a 2.4-inch touchscreen powered by the Single Touch Control Menu, Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth (A2DP) and the ability to tap into UMTS (2100) and GSM/GPRS (900/1800/1900 (networks). The handset runs Sony Ericsson's standard smartphone OS - UIQ.

The Sony Ericsson G900 is expected to go on sale in Q2 2008 in a choice of two colors: dark-read and brown.

Technical specifications

• GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900, UMTS 2100 connectivity;
• Standby time: up to 380 hours;
• Talk time: GSM - 12 hours, UMTS – 4 hours;
• Display: 2.4", 240x320 pixels, 262 K colors, touch-sensitive
• Memory: 160 Mb onboard, M2 memory expansion slot;
• PlayNow, TrackID, FM-radio
• Push Email, Exchange, Active Sync, Handwriting recognition;
• Bluetooth (A2DP), WiFi;
• Camera: 5 Mpix with video recording capabilities and Photo Fix;
• Dimensions: 106 x 49 x 13 mm;
• Weight: 99 grams.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 goes live

Sony Ericsson's new X1 is a true multimedia powerhouse, employing an arc slider form-factor, sliding the phone upwards reveals a QWERTY keyboard, similar to HTC's Tytn II. The Xperia aims to do it all, in a not-so overly big size.

“This launch, and the announcement of the X1, further strengthens the overall Sony Ericsson brand and places us at the forefront of mobile convergence.”, said Dee Dutta, Head of Marketing, Sony Ericsson.

The Xperia is Sony Ericsson's first Windows Mobile-powered smartphone, running on Windows Mobile version 6. The Xperia will be great for web browsing, thanks to its 800x480 3”, bright touchscreen. The Xperia has several different input methods, you are not limited to just the touch screen, it supports: touch, full QWERTY keyboard, 4-way navigation key, and optical joystick navigation. The Xperia is expected to launch sometime in the second half of 2008.

Technical specifications of theSony Ericsson XPERIA X1:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 900/1700/1900/2100 MHz;
• OS: Windows Mobile 6;
• Display: 3", touch sensitive, 800х480, 65 K colors;
• Dimensions: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm;
• Weight: 145 grams;
  
• Camera: 3.2 Mpix, autofocus;
• Bluetooth (A2DP), Wi-Fi, GPS;
• FM-radio
• Bundled storage: up to 400 Mb
• microSD memory expansion slot

Palm Centro GSM version coming up

The Holland-based PDAshop has posted the info and pics of Palm Centro smartphone for GSM networks. The device has the tag “in stores soon” and the starting price €279. As for the current Palm Centro version it is available from Sprint in the US and meant for CDMA networks.

According to PDAshop.nl, the GSM-Centro will feature:

• Networks - GSM 850/900/1800/1900
• OS - Palm OS 5.4
• Camera – 1.3-megapixel
• 64 MB of onboard memory
• microSD slot for up to 4 GB cards
• Bluetooth 1.2
• Google Maps
• Touchscreen display and QWERTY-keyboard
• Compact size and light weight

Tune your wave with Sony Ericsson handsets

Sony Ericsson has announced two cell phones the R300 Radio and the R306 Radio meant for everyone who likes listening to the radio. The handsets support FM and AM bands. The Sony Ericsson R300 is a candy bar and the R306 – a clamshell, they are designed as a radio receiver with dedicated buttons on the front panel. They can record a piece of a track and set it as a ring tone. Besides there is support for TrackID, which is already par for the course for SE premium handsets: you can record several seconds of a song from an external source and by pushing the button get the info on the title, artist and album. The Sony Ericsson R300 and the R306 can also play music via headphones or built-in speakers, and with the Audio Enhancer button launch 3D sound optimization or increase sound volume.

The specs of Sony Ericsson R300 Radio:

• Networks - GSM/850/900/1800/1900
• Display – 128x160 pixels, 65K colors
• 8 MB of onboard memory
• Bluetooth connectivity
• VGA-camera
• Talk time - 9 hours
• Standby time - 410 hours
• Dimensions – 101x46x12 mm
• Weight - 75 g
• Color - "antique cooper" and "black steel"

The specs of Sony Ericsson R306 Radio:

• Networks - GSM/850/900/1800/1900
• Display – 128x160 pixels, 65K colors
• 5 MB of onboard memory
• Bluetooth connectivity
  
• VGA-camera
• Talk time - 9 hours
• Standby time - 410 hours
• Dimensions – 90x48x16 mm
• Weight - 93 g
• Color - "black coffee" and "white champagne"

Both models will hit the stores in 3Q 2008.

Official announcement of Sony Ericsson T280 and T270

Today Sony Ericsson introduced two inexpensive and stylish cell phones – the T280 and the T270 should meet the needs of different customers. The only difference betwee them is the 1,3 Mpix camera, installed on the T280. These two are meant for business and entertainment (FM-radio and Java games). Being 13 mm thick they are made of lightened metal and glass and offer premium class design for an affordable price.

The short technical specs of the T280/T270:

• Networks: GSM/GPRS 900/1800 (T270i/ T280i) or GSM/GPRS 850/1900 (T270а/ T280а)
• Dimensions: 100x45x13 mm
• Weight: 82 g
• Messages: SMS/MMS
• Camera: 1.3-megapixel (the T280)
• Memory: approx. 10 MB
• Sound: polyphonic ring tones, speaker phone, MP3/AAC support
• FM-radio
• Java
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, WAP 2.0 XHTML
• Misc: alarm clock, calculator, calendar, phone book, stopwatch, schedule, timer

Sony Ericsson T280/T270 will come out in 2Q 2008.

ASUS P550: GPS-communicator with big screen

ASUS has officially announced the P550 communicator. This is a candy bar model without a keyboard and a big 3.5” display. It is powered by Windows Mobile 6 Professional. According to the manufacturer, ASUS P550 is good for mobile professionals, users who need to work in move. They can be always connected and the big display enables convenient document handling.

The specs of ASUS P550:

• Standards - GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 2100 MHz
• OS - Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Display – 3.5” touchscreen (240x320 pixels, 65K colros)
• CPU - Marvel PXA270M, 520 MHz
• 256 MB ROM and 64 MB RAM
• miniSD-slot (SDHC)
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), USB 1.1, Bluetooth 2.0
• Built-in GPS-receiver (SiRF Star III), (TMC-module, optional)
• 2-mehgapixel camera
• Battery – Li-Ion 1530 mAh
• Standby time – up to 350 hours
• Talk time – up to 5 hours
• Dimensions – 121x70x16.5 mm
• Weight - 188 g
• Colors - silver

Tablet PC: Amtek iTablet T221

Amtek has introduced a Tablet PC – iTablet T221. It is equipped with a 12.1” touch-sensitive display and has no keyboard. The source emphasizes a tactile display feedback. The iTablet T221 is based on Intel Core Duo processor with lower power consumption and Windows Vista inside. The price tag is $2237.

The specs of Amtek iTablet T221:

• Operating system - Windows Vista
• CPU - Intel Core Duo U2500 1.2 GHz
• Chipset - Intel 945GM +ICH7-M
• Graphics - Intel GMA 950
• Display – 12.1” touchscreen, 1024x768 pixels
• Up to 2 GB DDR2 533/667 RAM
• 60-GB HDD
• Wi-Fi module Intel Pro/Wireless 3945 ABG
• Ethernet 10/100/1000

Bluebird Pidion BM-350 communicator

Bluebird soft has introduced Pidion BM-350 communicator powered by Windows Mobile 6 Professional. This is “all-in-one” device supporting 3G networks, GPS-navigation and wireless connectivity and packed in a compact shell. However there is no info on the price.

The specs of Bluebird Pidion BM-350:

• Cell standards - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS/HSDPA 2100 MHz
• CPU - Intel Bulverde PXA270 520 MHz
• OS - Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Display – 2.8” touchscreen 240x320 pixels
• 64/128 MB RAM, 128/256 MB ROM
• Built-in GPS-receiver on SiRF III
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth 2.0
• USB 2.0
• FM-radio
• Dimensions – 114x61x14.9 mm
• Weight - 120 g (with the battery)
• Standby time – up to 200 hours
• Talk time – up to 360 minutes

Nokia 6263 clamshell for American T-Mobile

Nokia has announced a new mobile phone Nokia 6263 for the American operator T-Mobile. This is a mid-range clamshell for 2G/3G networks. This August the device got the approval of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). However Nokia 6263 doesn’t support GPS, which is contradictory to the previous data. Currently the phone is available in T-Mobile stores and online.

The specs of Nokia 6263:

• Networks - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA 850/2100 Mhz
• Series 40 platform
• Main display – 2.2” (240x320 pixels, 16M colors)
• External display – 1.36” (128x160 pixels, 256K colors)
• Camera - 2-megapixel 8x digital zoom
• Frontal CIF-camera
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP (stereo profile)
• Mini-USB connector
• Built-in player (MP3, MP4, AAC, eAAC+, MS-Windows Media Audio)
• 30 MB onboard memory
• microSD-slot
• FM-radio
• Battery - 1020 mAh
• Talk time – up to 3.3 hours (WCDMA), up to 6.3 hours (GSM)
• Standby time – up to 11 days
• Dimensions – 94x48x23 mm
• Weight - 105 g

Samsung SGH-P180: new UMA handset

Samsung Electronics has expanded its portfolio with a clamshell phone supporting UMA technology. That is the phone can use operator’s services via Wi-Fi instead of traditional GSM/3G (and so on). Marked the SGH-P180 it will hit the stores in France, the local operator (Orange) has been already providing UMA services under UNIK mark.

The short technical specs of Samsung SGH-P180:

• Networks: GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz (EDGE/GPRS)
• Connectivity: UMA, Bluetooth 2.0 (stereo sound), USB 1.1
• Dimensions: 90x47x19.9 mm
• Weight: 93 g
• Battery: Li-Ion, 880 mAh
• Main display: 2” TFT, 128x160 pixels, 65K colors
• External display: 1” STN, 96x96 pixels, monochrome (4 grey-scale)
• Camera: VGA with video capture (160x120 pixels)
• Messages: SMS, MMS, E-Mail
• Sound: 64-tones polyphony, MP3 player (MP3 / AAC / AAC+ / e-AAC+ / WMA)
• Memory: 15 MB
• WAP browser
• JAVA MIDP 2.0

Sharp GX34 inexpensive clamshell for Europe

Sharp is preparing the European release of its GX34. This clamshell phone is the successor to the low-end Sharp GX33. The GX34 has enhanced capabilities, it can be related to the mid-range. The logo on the top cover gives us a hint that the phone will be available from Vodafone.

The specs of Sharp GX34:

• Networks - GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz (without EDGE)
• Single line external display
• Main display – 176x220 pixels, 262K colors
• 2-megapixel camera (video capture at 176x144 pixels)
• Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0
• microSD slot
• Talk time - 210 minutes
• Standby time - 250 hours
• Dimensions – 93x44.6x21 mm
• Weight - 87 g

HUAWEI C5330 CDMA phone: a successor to SE clone

It isn’t a big secret that many 3rd echelon mobile phone makers often copy design from big brands. The same story happened with the Chinese maker HUAWEI and its CDMA C5330 handset (today the FCC site posted the info about it).

If you are familiar with the SE lineup, it won’t be hard for you to see similar design features in HUAWEI C5330 and the Walkman phones. However SE phones are mainly designed for the GSM/UMTS market and CDMA models will hardly go outside Japan. That’s why CDMA phone makers (including HUAWEI) try to copy popular GSM models.

As for the technical part за HUAWEI C5330, it is as follows:

• SMS and MMS messaging
• microSD cards (hot swap)
• Media player supporting playlists and equalizer
• Video player
• Voice recorder
• Built-in games
• FM radio (87.5 MHz to 108 MHz)
• Built-in camera with video capture
• Misc: alarm clock, organizer, calculator, text notes, stopwatch, world time

Samsung SCH-U900 debuted on Verizon Wireless

The American operator Verizon Wireless has announced online sales of the FlipShot phone (Samsung SCH-U900). Packed in the clamshell form it has a 3-megapixel camera. The top cover can be revolved for a more convenient camera use. The device is already available at the operator’s site for $199.99 on a two-year service plan. The users can get the FlipShot in black color now and in red color later.

The specs of Verizon Wireless FlipShot:

• Main display – 240x320 pixels, 260K colors
• External display – 128x96 pixels
• 3-megapixel camera with auto focus and digital zoom
• Bluetooth (stereo)
• microSD-slot
• PictBridge support (direct print from the phone)
• Web 2.0
• Dimensions – 95.5x46.5x18.5 mm

ASUS P527 communicator for travel

ASUS has unveiled a GPS-enabled communicator P527. The manufacturer highlights wide capabilities and the support of both multimedia and business functionality. Being a candy bar device ASUS P527 is packed in a silver aluminum shell. The communicator is powered by Windows Mobile 6 Professional. One of the key features is the Travelog – the user can save and blog trip events: images, routes, points of interest and so on. The function is compatible with Google Earth. In addition there is GPS Catcher (quickly locates the user position and sets the route) and location Courier (user’s position is regularly sent to a specified phone book contact).

The specs of ASUS P527:

Networks - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

OS - Windows Mobile 6 Professional

CPU - TI OMAP 850 (200 MHz)

Display – 2.6” touchscreen, 240x320 pixels, 65K colors

128 MB flash-ROM, 64 MB SDRAM

MicroSD-slot (SDHC)

Built-in GPS-receiver on SiRF III

J2ME support

Camera - 2-megapixel with auto focus and business card recognition

Audio - MP3, WMA, AAC

Video - MPEG4, H.263

Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, USB 1.1, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR

Battery – Li-Ion 1300 mAh

Talk time - 4-5 hours

Standby time – up to 150-200 hours

Dimensions – 113x58x15.4 mm

Weight - 129 g

ASUS P750 GPS-communicator for business

ASUS has introduced a GPS-communicator P750, which started as a rumor in July. The new device is positioned as a business solution meant for corporate users, who need a mobile device with GPS-functionality. The P750 can work in 3G networks and has all the specs of an up-to-date communicator. The device is peculiar for Ur Time function – time in different cities and town on the Today screen. Besides there is an integrated camera, which helps recognizing business cards.

The specs of ASUS P750:

• Networks - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 2100 MHz (HSDPA 3.6 Mbps)
• OS - Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• CPU - Marvell PXA270M 520 MHz
• Display – 2.6” touchscreen, 240x320 pixels, 65K colors
• 256 MB flash-ROM, 64 MB SDRAM
• MicroSD-slot (SDHC)
• Built-in GPS-receiver on SiRF III
• J2ME (CLDC 1.1 + MIDP2.0)
• 3-megapixel camera with auto focus
• Frontal VGA-camera
• Audio - MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, 3GP
• Video - MPEG4, H.263
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, USB 1.1, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• Li-Ion 1300 mAh
• Talk time – up to 6 hours
• Standby time – up to 240 hours
• Dimensions – 113x58x17.4 mm
• Weight - 130 g

Nokia N82 smartphone officially introduced

Eventually a long-awaited Nokia N82 smartphone got official. The vendor positions the smartphone as a multimedia device optimized for photo capture, navigation and Internet browsing. The smartphone really has powerful features. To top it all the developer has implemented a new 3D multimedia menu in Nokia N82. There is the support of automatic screen orientation (switching between portrait and landscape). Naturally it supports Ovi services, including Nokia Music Store, N-Gage and Nokia Maps. The sales of Nokia N82 have already started on main world markets. The price makes up some €450.

The specs of Nokia N82:

• Networks - WCDMA 2100 MHz (HSDPA), EGSM 900, GSM 850/1800/1900 MHz (EGPRS)
• Platform - S60 3rd edition, Feature Pack 1
• Display – 2.4” 240x320 pixels, 16.7M colors
• Camera - 5-megapixel with Carl Zeiss (Tessar) lens, auto focus, xenon flash and video capture in MPEG-4 with VGA and up to 30 fps
• Frontal CIF-camera for video calls
• Built-in media player (MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA/M4A, OMA DRM 2.0/1.0 and WMDRM, MPEG4, AVC/H.264, H.264, H.263, RV)
• Stereo FM-radio (87.5-108 MHz)
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• A-GPS with preinstalled Nokia Maps and free maps download
• Java MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1
• 3.5-mm jack
• TV-out
• 100 MB of onboard memory
• microSD-slot
• Battery - 1050 mAh
• Talk time – up to 190 minutes (WCDMA), up to 260 minutes (GSM)
• Standby time – up to 210 hours (WCDMA), up to 225 hours (GSM)
• Video call time – up to 120 minutes
• Video time – up to 200 minutes (VGA, 30 fps)
• Music time – up to 10 hours
• Video capture – up to 110 minutes (VGA, 30 fps)
• Photo capture – up to 290 images (with flash)
• Dimensions – 112x50.2x17.3 mm
• Weight - 114 g

Two premium handsets of Nokia 8800 Arte

Nokia has introduced two mobile phones of the premium class – Nokia 8800 Arte and Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte. The first one is know as Nokia 8900: its molds were is online sale at eBay auction in September. Both handsets have attractive design: they are placed in a stylish slide shell of polished steel. Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte is decorated with sapphires and leather. They have a peculiar capability: the sound can be muffled by a single move: turn the handset screen down. In addition Nokia 8800 Arte and Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte come with exclusive content – audio and video tracks by Kruder & Dorfmeister.

The specs of Nokia 8800 Arte:

• Networks - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800/1900 MHz and WCDMA 2100 MHz
• Platform - Series 40 3rd Edition
• Display – 2” OLED 240x320 pixels, up to 16M colors
• Camera – 3.2-megapixel with 8x digital zoom
• 1 GB of onboard memory
• MicroUSB-connector
• Bluetooth interface
• Accelerator
• Battery – Li-Ion 1000 mAh
• Talk time – up to 3 hours
• Standby time – up to 12.5 days
• Dimensions – 109x45.6x14.6 mm
• Weight - 150 g

Nokia 8800 Arte is scheduled for 4Q 2007 with the price tag of some €1000. Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte will come out in 1Q 2008 at about €1150 (taxes and discounts excluded).

Sony Ericsson K660i Internet phone

Another SE product announced on November 6 is the K660i, an heir of the K610i. This stylish handset is packed in a candy bar form-factor and designed for the young people. The vendor notes that the K660i is optimized for Internet work. It can view web-pages in landscape mode, besides there are dedicated buttons for quick access to the function. There is the support of Google Maps for Mobile. The sales of Sony Ericsson K660i in some market is set for 1Q 2008. The device will be available in 2 bright color solutions: white with green and black with crimson.

The specs of Sony Ericsson K660:

• Networks - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and UMTS/HSDPA 2100 MHz
• Display – 240x320 pixels, 262K colors
• 32 MB of onboard memory
• Memory Stick Micro (M2) cards
• 2-megapixel camera
• Frontal camera for video calls
• Bluetooth (A2DP profile)
• FM-radio with RDS
• Dimensions – 104x47x14.7 mm
• Weight - 95 g

Sony Ericsson W54S – a multimedia phone from Japan

Sony Ericsson introduced today a new mobile phone for fall-winter season for KDDI operator.

The device got the name W54S. It comes with a widescreen 2.8 OLED display, a 3.24-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, digital terrestrial TV-programs support and new operator’s music services developed together with Sony.

The short technical specs of Sony Ericsson W54S:

• EV-DO Rev.A
• Dimensions: 50x106x19.1 mm
• Weight: 145 g
• Main display: widescreen 2.8”, OLED, 240x400 pixels
• Main display: LED, 7x7 matrix
• Camera: 3.24-megapixel with auto focus
• Connectivity: Bluetooth (stereo support), IrDA (IrSimple)
• Memory: 800 MB expandable with microSD cards
• 3D games

Samsung SPH-P9200: another UMPC

We’ve got our hands on new details about an ultra mobile PC Samsung SPH-P9200. This is an heir of Samsung SPH-P9000 released this spring on the Korean market. It is packed in a clamshell form with the QWERTY-keyboard, which can also fold up. The vendor hasn’t yet officially confirmed the specs of Samsung SPH-P9200. Besides there is no info on the release date and the price.

The specs of Samsung SPH-P9200:

• CPU - Via C7-M
• OS - Windows XP Home edition
• Display – 5” 800x480 pixels
• 512 MB RAM
• HDD – 30 GB
• Connectivity - Wi-Fi, Wibro and HSDPA
• Camera – 1.3-megapixel
• Slot for SIM
• 2 USB-ports, LAN, VGA
• Offline time on the standard battery - 2-2.5 hours
• Offline time on the enhanced battery – up to 5 hours