GIGA-BYTE has come to the Mobile World Congress 2008 with some new products, including GSmart MS800 and GSmart MS820. The first one was announced right before the show.
Both models feature slim housing, HSDPA support and an integrated GPS. Besides the MS820 incorporates a user friendly interface and a g-sensor to operate the device by motion. Unfortunately the company hasn’t shared more details about it so far.
GIGABYTE Communications is about to introduce at least two new communicators powered by Windows Mobile 6 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month. Traditionally for GIGABYTE its products are focused on mobile TV support (DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DMB). In addition the company will show the first such model with 3G and HSDPA. The second product will feature GPS-functionality with GeoTag.
The company hasn’t provided more details on the models. We only know it will show communicators at Mobile World Congress. Besides GIGABYTE plans to expand its share on the world mobile device market. Currently the company is marketing its models in Russia, Italy and Turkey.
Pantech has introduced its Romantic Wave Slim Phone (SKY IM-S300) in Korea. Its design features smooth curve lines. The device is packed in a slider form-factor with the numeric keyboard, equipped with a 2.2” display, a 1.3-megapixel camera, an integrated MP3-player and e-dictionary. SKY IM-S300 is already available in Korea at 400000 Won (about €297).
Vertu has introduced a new version of the Constellation phone called Mixed Metall. The shell is coated with stainless steel with golden parts. The navigation pad, side buttons, speaker grates and screws are made of 18-carat yellow gold. It comes with the ceramic keyboard and the rear panel covered with black leather. In addition Vertu released a Constellation version of satin steel and burgundy colored leather coat.
I’d remind you that Vertu Constellation handsets debuted in fall 2006. These are candy bar phones equipped with 208x208 pixel displays and sapphire glass. Vertu Constellation works in GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, supports Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0 interfaces, and lacks a camera.
Microsoft together with Goods has introduced Zune 8GB (8 GB flash ROM) and Zune 80GB (80GB HDD) in golden shell. They will be released in limited edition: only 10 devices. The ales start next Saturday in Seattle. We have no info on the price, but it will be definitely high – just 10 Zune players in gold.
I’d remind you that Zune players of the second generation debuted this November. The new lineup contains an 80GB HDD version (108.2x61.1x12.9 mm, 3.2” display), a 4 and 8 GB flash versions (91.5x41.4x8.5 mm, 1.8” display). The new Zunes are equipped with the Zune Pad.
As it was expected the iPhone has debuted in France available from Orange operator. Without the contract it costs €749 - €6490 is the price for the phone and €100 for unlocking services. I’d remind you that T-Mobile started sales of an unlocked iPhone in Germany a week ago, however the operator offered it for €999.
At the same time Orange subscribers can buy the iPhone traditionally with a 2-year service plan. In this case the phone will go for €399 and monthly fee will vary from €49 to €119 depending on the service plan. The iPhone is available at Orange stores and online. Currently the site has over 63000 orders.
Amazon has introduced an e-book reader called Kindle. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos noted that paper books remain the last analog fortress in the digital world affecting the shift to the new technologies. The online giant is aimed at altering the situation and expects that the device will enjoy the commercial success. The Kindle applies e-ink technology, the display is monochrome (the color version is currently under development). The product weighs about 290 g and has a pencil width. The Kindle can store up to 200 books and the SD slot enhances the storage capacity to 1000 books. It lasts for several days to a week on a single charge, the full charge takes 2 hours.
In addition Amazon has launched the Kindle Store online, which currently holds up to 90000 materials, including newspapers, magazines and popular blogs in future. The access to it is provided via EV-DO technology. Sprint is offering the service in the US without insisting on service plans and monthly fees. Besides the Kindle is shipped with the e-dictionary and the Wikipedia access, and will be available at $399.
Lenovo has introduced the i909 mobile phone for the Chinese market. It is meant for gamers. A peculiar thing about it is that you can plug a game-pad to the phone. In addition the device includes the emulator for the popular NES console.
Other features are quite standard: this is a candy bar with a numeric keypad and a 2.4” (QVGA, 262K colors) display, a 2-megapixel camera, a microSD slot and a media player. Lenovo i909 measures 11.4x50.2x15.5 mm. Currently the device is available in China only.
Reportedly, after 10 years Nokia is almost ready to introduce its new technology Haptikos. It provides more tactile sensation when you touch the screen, not just vibration. Thus while you type you feel the same as when you work with ordinary buttons.
Roope Takala, Senior Program Manager at Nokia’s research labs, has demonstrated the technology on Nokia N770 Internet tablet. He explained that the technology is simple enough, they inserted two small piezo sensor pads under the screen and engineered in a 0.1-mm movement in the screen itself. It took time to fine tune the movement and response to mimic exactly the sensation of pressing a real key. The source said the new Nokia’s smartphones with S60 Touch interface will support Haptikos.
Today Japan’s mobile service provider NTT DoCoMo introduced 23 models in 905i and 705i series, which will be available in a total of 70 colors.
The operator notes that the 905i series has upgraded value of the current models. In addition the 905i series is compatible with the new “Area mail” disaster information service aimed to provide people caught in disaster areas with vital information.
The 705i series includes 13 slim handsets with sophisticated design and array of full-spec functions. The series comprises the world’s slimmest clamshell and waterproof handsets and the slimmest “One-segment” models.
The D905i, F905i, N905i, P905i, SH905i, SO905i and N905iμ are scheduled for November 26, 2007. The operator will launch the Cyber-shot SO905iCS, AQUOS SH905iTV and D705iμ, N705iμ, P705iμ, D705i, F705i, L705i, N705i, P705i during January-February 2008. And the NM705i, SH705i, SO705i and PROSOLID μ (P705iCL) should start in February, and the VIERA P905iTV and L705iX – in February-March 2008.
Bogar Bence designer has introduced a concept of SE PXi mobile phone. The developer designed it for convenient use by both lefties and righties. The device is equipped with a 3.3” touchscreen display, which supports automatic screen orientation when rotating. You can control it with the stylus and fingers. In addition the SE PXi features a dual slot, a 5-megapixel Cybershot camera and stereo speakers. For now we have just a concept phone under the Sony Ericsson brand for left-handed users. It’s not clear whether the company plans to launch the device.
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:
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.
More and more manufacturers have been offering docking stations or cradles for portable devices, which can recharge batteries and play music via built-in speakers. One of them is iHome iHC5.
The new product supports some mobile phones and the iPod player family. With the Bluetooth-module it can communicate music from a mobile phone with A2DP to a cradle. There is an FM-tuner and alarm clock. Besides the cradle can work on batteries. The price tag for the iHC5 is $150.
At IDF event Asus introduced a Linux powered device – Asus R3. It’s not yet clear what it is: MID (mobile Internet device) or UMPC. Taking into account the OS it is likely to be a MID, but design resembles that of Asus R2H UMPC. Asus R3 features a 5.6” (other sources suggest 4.8”) 1024x600 pixels display, a web camera, a built-in GPS-receiver and a fingerprints scanner.
There is no info on other specs, the release date and approximate price.
The international mobile operator Vodafone has introduced its new phone lineup scheduled for the Christmas period. The list includes lots of phones, not yet announced by the vendors and which will be sold exclusively by Vodafone:
Vodafone 920 smartphone – made by HTC, powered by Microsoft Windows OS and 3G networks. This is a slider with a 2.4” display, a 2-megapixel camera and Windows Mobile services:
Vodafone 810 by Huawei. This is a slider with stylish design and 3G support, a 2.2” display and a 2-megapixel camera, all packed in a metallic shell:
Vodafone 720 by Huawei. It features a clamshell form, 3G networks, an “invisible” external display, a slim keyboard, a 1.3-megapixel camera. The phone will be available in Brown and Titan colors:
Sharp 880SH, which debuted at IFA 2007:
It supports 3G networks, a 2-megapixel camera and a 2.2” display. The photo reveals a slider form-factor:
Sony Ericsson V640i supports HSDPA technology, a 2-megapixel camera and a 2” display:
Sagem my411Cv, one of low-end phones without 3G support, with only a VGA camera and a 1.8” display and multi-color solution:
The Canada-based Opalux introduced its new e-paper technology. It is based on altering the color of the pixel instead of darkening color elements of the pixel, the technology applied earlier. The new display will pump out colors three times brighter than other displays, which is crucial for displays exposed to reflected light.
The technology is called P-Ink and based on photonic crystals made out of silica beads. The crystals can then be made to reflect varying wavelengths of light. The developers expect to see the P-Ink technology applied in commercial products in 2009, for example in advertising displays.
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.
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.
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.
