Nokia N70 Review
3G.co.uk has a review up of the N70 from Nokia, and in parts the compare it to the 6680, a similar unit in design and features.
Place the N70 next to the 6680 and you immediately spot the difference in craftsmanship. While the two handsets’ dimensions are identical, the N70 appears more streamlined due to wonderful design definition and high-grade materials. The N70’s keypad also looks reduced and cramped but in practice remains convenient to operate. One addition to the controls is a multimedia key that can be customised to activate any function. Our review sample also flaunted a fetching ‘ivory pearl and auberg’ colour scheme (that’s cream and brown to you and I), a pleasant change to the obligatory silver coat (although this is available).
In the end they give the N70 a respectable 89% say that the N70 is the Rolls Royce version of the 6680.
Playing around with Nokia’s N92 TV Phone
Mobile Burn got to play with the N92 from Nokia, a TV cell phone.
Last week in New York I had the chance to play around with Nokia’s new N92, their N90′ish DVB-H TV capable handset. The unit in the photos here was picking up a live signal from a transmitter in the hotel (photo on the next page). We were able to watch CNN and a number of other channels on it. The image quality was quite good.
The pre-production unit we were using had most of the basic functionality working, as you can see, but did have a few issues. The channel selection list didn’t show complete information, for one, and there were delays when switching from TV to camera mode. But overall, everything worked.
That is pretty neat, but is it only over-the-air channels that it can pick up, or are they going to be transmitting the info over cell towers to all those with the phone? Will people want to watch television on such a small screen? I think Apple already proved that they do.
Cingular Launches Enhanced Push to Talk Service
ATLANTA, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Cingular is enhancing the way businesses and consumers communicate as it introduces a next generation Push to Talk (PTT) service. The service will operate across the largest Push to Talk coverage area in America, and brings a host of new, unmatched features including:
- Availability - unique icons allow Cingular PTT users to see if other PTT customers are available before making a PTT call.
- Quick Group Calling - allows users to select individuals from their contacts and instantly place a group call. In addition to this impromptu group calling, customers can also pre-establish groups in their contact list (up to 30 groups) and call up to 20 people.
- Convert to Cellular - enables a PTT call to be converted to a regular wireless voice call. Calls with up to 20 participants can be converted effectively creating a mobile conference call.
“We’ve gone the extra mile to offer our customers an innovative service that truly combines the best features of wireless and PTT, and in doing so, set a new benchmark for the industry,” said David Christopher, vice president of consumer product development for Cingular. “The unique features and attractive pricing offer consumers an overall value unmatched by any other national PTT service.”
By integrating walkie-talkie and traditional cellular technology, Cingular provides a refined PTT service that can be used by families, executives or employees at job sites. With one click a PTT user can access their list of individuals and groups and see who is available and who is not. One more click and they are instantly speaking to the person or the whole group (up to 20 people). If a quick PTT call turns into a longer discussion, simply convert the call to cellular. In addition, the service offers:
- Call Waiting - gives customers the option to accept or decline a second incoming call whether currently on a PTT or regular cellular call.
- Contact Alerts - lets customers receive alerts when a contact becomes available.
- Voice Messaging - leave a voice message with one person or a group of people directly in their current cellular voicemail box.
- Call Me Alerts - allows a user to urgently let someone know they need to talk. A user receiving a “Call Me Alert” can instantly place a PTT call back by pressing the dedicated PTT key.
The service also uses a single phone number for both cellular and PTT service, eliminating the need to remember two numbers.
“Cingular is taking the walkie-talkie service that is so important to blue-collar workers and adding wireless features to make it just as valuable in the white-collar world,” said Joe Lueckenhoff, vice president of business services for Cingular. “The flexibility of converting a call to cellular, letting people know your availability and quickly conferencing groups together, gives business users a real alternative to how they currently use PTT.”
“Cingular took their time and got it right. The company recognizes that Push-to-talk is just the jumping off point for adding a series of value added voice services that will appeal to both existing PTT customers as well as an entirely new set of customers,” said Andrew Seybold, president of Outlook 4Mobility, a well-known consultancy firm. “Value added voice services, including PTT will provide them with a competitive edge across many different market segments. I expect that teens, who prefer to talk in groups, will quickly adopt this PTT service as their own form of voice instant messaging.”
Cingular offers unlimited PTT service features to meet the needs of consumers and businesses. These features offer unlimited minutes, national coverage and no hidden charges for group or national calls. Consumers on a Cingular Nation Plan can add service for $9.99 a month per line. Those on Family Plans can select a $19.99 feature that gives up to five family members on the account unlimited access to the service. Businesses can add a PTT service option to each line of service for $9.99 per month.
Cingular will launch the service with two handsets -the Samsung d357 and the LG F7200. Cingular customers who sign up for the PTT service can opt for the LG F7200 “slider” phone currently being promoted at buy one for $69.99 get the second free or the Samsung d357 currently being promoted at buy one for $99.99 get the second free. In addition to PTT features, the phones offer IM, SMS, MMS, personal organizer, large color screen and access to a variety of wireless data services. Additional phones and devices will be available in the near future.
Cingular Push to Talk, which is powered by the Kodiak Real-Time Exchange(TM) (RTX) System, is currently available over the Cingular ALLOVER(SM) network, which covers more than 270 million people. In addition to providing the broadest coverage of any PTT service, Cingular said it would begin offering International PTT in 2006.
For more information on Cingular services, including Push to Talk, customers can call 1-866-CINGULAR (1-866-246-4852), stop at any Cingular store or authorized dealer, speak with a business sales representative, or visit us online at www.cingular.com.
Verizon To Offer V3c RAZR Tomorrow
Verizon Wireless has announced that starting tomorrow they will begin offering the Motorola V3c on their website, and then as of December 12th you will see them in retail stores.
The phone was announced a couple of weeks ago, and the updates include the ability to connect to CDMA networks, and sports a 1.3 megapixel digital camera, 30MB of internal storage and Verizon’s EV-DO V CAST 3G network.
The Motorola V3c RAZR will be $199.99 after a $100 rebate only on a 2 year contract agreement.
Samsung Introduces New Motion Recognition Phone SPH-S4000
Samsung introduces the SPH-S4000, a new motion-recognition phone with health m onitoring and leisure functions.
The S4000 has an innovative motio n sensing capability which allows user to have full control of MP3 playback simply by moving the phone from side to side. The motion sensing capability also adds a new dimension to mobile games and introduces a variety of new entertainment features. The beat - box, music box and motion effects functions are easily controlled by a simple movement by users’ hand motion.
The S4000 in addition has a built-in pedometer that count s the number of steps taken by the user throughout the day. In addition, the S4000’s sophisticated sensors can monitor temperature, w hile an onboard compass is always ready for th ose user s that enjoy traveling, hiking or outdoor activities.
All of these features are packaged in a sophisticated design and elegant finishing materials . The external LCD has a unique circular shape that can be used as a viewfinder to take pictures while the phone remains closed. A sliding lens - cover has been added for protection.
The S4000 will first be available at the end of this month in Korea at around US$400.
Specifications
- Dimension 88mm long x 46mm wide x 28mm thick
- Weight 100g
- Display Main: 176 x 200 pixel, 1.76″ 262K-color TFT-LCD
- Sub: 96 x 96 pixel, 1.1″ 65K-color OLED
- Camera 1.3M-pixel CMOS
Worldwide Camera Phones Sales Nearly 300 Million in 2005
Gartner Says Worldwide Sales of Camera Phones Will Reach Nearly 300 Million in 2005
By 2009, over 70 percent of total phones sales will have an embedded camera
Egham, UK, 1 December 2005 - Worldwide sales of camera phones will reach 295.5 million in 2005, according to Gartner Inc. This represents 38 percent of total worldwide mobile phone sales, up from 14 percent in 2004.
“The trend for camera phones first took hold in Asian markets such as South Korea and Japan,” said Carolina Milanesi, principal analyst for mobile terminals research at Gartner. “It has quickly become a global phenomenon as mobile phone users around the world have been captivated by the idea of integrating two devices - a digital camera and a phone - in one.” According to Ms Milanesi, a key factor in future market growth will be the declining cost of integrating the technology into mobile phones. Gartner predicts that the cost of integrating a one-megapixel camera to a phone will more than halve over the next four years.
Gartner predicts that sales of camera phones in Western Europe will be close to 85 million by the end of 2005, more than 55 percent of total mobile terminal sales in the region. By 2009 this will rise to 143 million, representing nearly 90 percent of the Western European mobile market. North America also continues to experience significant growth, with the camera phone market driving overall growth in mobile sales. Camera phone sales are expected to reach over 70 million units in 2005, representing 47 percent of total device sales in 2005. In both regions, Gartner points to the healthy subsidies offered on camera phones as key to the future success of the market.
Camera phone sales in Asia Pacific will almost double in 2005 compared to the previous year, reaching 68 million units. Japan however, continues to lead the curve in camera phone penetration with sales of camera phones accounting for nearly 92 percent of total mobile sales.
Unsurprisingly, emerging markets such as Latin America and Africa, where low end phones tend to represent the majority of sales, have lower adoption rates. However, even in these regions, Gartner predicts that as pricing on integrated cameras decline, close to half the total camera phone sales in 2009 will be equipped with up to a one- megapixel camera.
The quality of photograph that can be taken with a camera phone continues to improve, with phones offering from less than one to seven megapixels. Unsurprisingly, the Japanese and South Korean markets lead the way in the megapixel race. In Japan where camera phones account for nearly 92 percent of total mobile phone sales, over 78 percent of models sold in 2005 will have one or two megapixels. Gartner estimates that by 2009, almost 50 percent of camera phones sold in Japan will have more than three megapixels.
Outside of these more advanced markets, Gartner believes that 1.3 megapixels is now the minimum standard that will be supplied with a high-end phone with two megapixel models starting to come into the market and becoming more widespread in 2006.
‘Forecast: Camera Phones, Worldwide, 2004-2009’ is a worldwide report offering detailed insight into the camera phone markets in Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Japan, Latin America, Middle East, North America and Western Europe.
Samsung SPH-V6800 Multimedia Wi-Fi Cellphone
Looks like the abilities of cell phones just keep on growing. Want a digital camera? It’s got that. Want MP3 playback? It’s got that. Want video abilities? It’s got that. Want Wi-Fi wireless? Yup, it has that too. The SPH-V6800 looks like a well featured cell phone.
According to Samsunghq.com, the CDMA2000 slider phone features a 2″ QVGA TFT display, 1.3MP digital camera, MPEG-4 video recording, MP3 / AAC audio playback, voice recognition, video-on-demand, TV-output, EV-DO, and built-in Wi-Fi wireless 802.11b LAN - all in a 96.8 x 47 x 24.5 mm form-factor.
hattip: Digital Tech News
Samsung D600 Mystery
Samsung in Scandinavia is having an interactive adventure game for users of the D600 phone.
Exploring the phone features, users are provided with tips to solve a mystery. The game is quite interesting to play, and surely does a good job in showcasing the phone’s characteristics.
In order to enter the weekly draw for prizes, players must find the 5 hidden clues on the site and write their own ending to the mystery story.
A nice twist to launch a phone.
Sony Ericsson W600 Review
So many cell phones are coming out with cameras, mp3 music abilities, and other crazy features, some of them are well designed as well, and I think the W600 is one of those phones. Mobiledia seems to agree with their review of the Sony Ericsson W600.
It seems much of the W600’s advantage is its swivel design. Allowing consumers to use horizontal and vertical implementations depending upon application, its versatility is something missing on other devices on the market.
Featuring a 1.3-megapixel camera, capable of taking high-quality printable photos, imaging could easily be mistaken as the W600’s main focus. The innovative design of the horizontal layout allows consumers to use the W600 much like a standalone digital camera. Bundled with a plethora of filters and effects, the W600’s robust photo capabilities are hard to beat.
Panasonic VS7 Review
It looks like the VS7 from Panasonic is a nice phone for the average person, but when compared to others in the same price range, it might not be one to pick up, as Mobile Burn reviewed it and had this to say:
Generally, I am quite pleased with the VS7. Being priced at the exact same level as the Sony Ericsson K750i, it will definitely cause some competition. The customizable faceplates, breath-taking screen, and the handset’s slimness will capture a lot of attention.
However, most of the VS7’s flaws are deal breakers. For example, sound quality over the earpiece is below average, there is no memory expansion, and the keypad is excessively small. There is no reason why Panasonic could not place a memory slot in the VS7, thickness is not an excuse because the technology is already there, as seen from their latest P902i announcement in Japan. The P902i manages to include an extra camera for video-conferencing, a W-CDMA chip and antenna, miniSD slot, and Felica electronic money antenna into the same thickness.
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