The BlackBerry Thunder was going to be RIM’s answer to the iPhone. With its large touch screen and seemingly sleek design, it could not go wrong. It's even undergone a name change. It's now called the BlackBerry 9530 Storm.
We already heard that LG was launching an upgrade to their LG KU990 Viewty and the handset was going to be called the KC910. This new ‘i-Killer’ from LG will come equipped with a whopping 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with a host of integrated features that will include geo-tagging since it’s equipped with internal GPS and of course a xenon flash.
Intex Technologies has debuted in the CDMA market with a dual SIM (GSM + CDMA) handset - IN 5050.
LG has announced yet another touch screen handset that could be their next iKiller. The KC910 will be going up against the other 8 megapixel camera phones out there like Samsung’s INNOV8 and of course SE’s C905 both of which happen to be sliders unlike the 910 which is simply a touch screen handset.
Vodafone, one of the two license holders for the latest Apple iPhone that went on sale at midnight Thursday in India, is looking at easy finance schemes to help sell the product in the country, a person familiar with the development said.
Spice Mobile has launched a new music phone - Spice S-820.
After the HTC Touch Diamond and the HTC Touch Pro which is merely an extension of the former with a QWERTY keypad, the company has now announced the introduction of the HTC S740. This handset appears to be another variation of the form factor of the Touch Pro. The difference is that the S740 has been designed to offer users the comfort of a normal 12-key phone design and a slide out QWERTY keyboard.
Idea Cellular, on Tuesday announced that it would offer an integrated suite of Idea services on a range of mid-to-high-end Nokia handsets.
 | Fast performance Easy to use Good form factor |  | Mediocre music player and camera Nothing really new in this phone No GPS |
It seems lately Nokia’s taken to rehashing its existing phone database, by simply stripping down the design and updating the software. At its price point the 3600 brings nothing new to the table, except perhaps Nokia Maps and a rather mediocre 3.2 MP camera.
The 3600 is a slider with dimensions of 97.8 x 47.2 x 14.5 mm, and weighs some 97g. I felt it was quite light, although it isn’t the slimmest phone available. As is the case with most Nokia phones, it looks good enough for the current generation. The slide action is smooth, although the spring could have been improved a bit.
The 2-inch TFT screen can display 16M colors, and is really nothing to boast about. It’s a fingerprint magnet, and not scratch-resistant in the least, so it has every chance of losing its sparkle after a while.
The keys are a wonder to use, including the 5-way nav-pad on the face of the phone as well as the keypad. The back is made of plastic, with a steel plate for the camera and the home logo.
Not having a rubberized back means it’s more susceptible to accidental falls, and the steel plate only makes matters worse. In fact, accidental drops can create dents on the plate, making it look really ugly.
I’ve been looking forward to 'seeing' what the first mobile phone with an integrated projector would be like ever since I first heard about this technology being in the works. Personally I didn’t expect it to be out so soon, but I'm not complaining. The handset in question is called the Epoq EGP-PP01.
This Tri-band GSM handset has the capability of projecting images as large as 30 inches (diagonal). The resolution of the projector is 640 x 480 pixels. Not only can it project images that are on the phone but DVD players or other media devices (including Laptops) with TV out features can be hooked up to the handset.
Motorola and KODAK's MOTOZINE ZN5 camera phone has finally made it to the Indian market. Sony Ericsson's Cyber-Shot series has got more competition now. With features that include Motorola's "ModeShift Technology" and KODAK's "Imaging Technology" this camera could just give the other mobiles in this segment a run for their pixels.
The ZN5 comes with a Xenon flash. It has a 2.4-inch TFT display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution and 256k colors. With regard to connectivity the handset supports Wi-Fi, EDGE, GPRS, Bluetooth with A2DP and USB v2.0. Memory can be expanded via microSD cards. It comes with a TV out feature and a 3.5mm earphone socket. The handset also features Motorola's CrystalTalk technology.
The latest scoop, according to reports says that Sony Ericsson’s elusive handset, the Xperia X1, as now been further delayed. This is getting rather annoying as the handset just doesn’t seem to be making any headway. This looks like it is some sort of gimmick the company has cooked up to flash the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional handset at as many events as possible without making a proper statement as to when it will officially launch. It was showcased at SE's booth at this year's IFA as well.
Sony Ericsson has unveiled their new Beta SDK for Windows Mobile 6.1 to enable developers to create Xperia Panels and applications for the Xperia X1 phone. Xperia Panels can be Native or Web (HTML) and the new SDK includes an X1 emulator, Microsoft Visual Studio IDE plug-in and templates, documents and sample code for the quick development, testing, debugging and deployment of these panels.
Sony Ericsson Developer World also offers Xperia Panels testing and signing information and a new Windows Mobile moderated discussion forum. Xperia Panels will also have a dedicated category in the upcoming Sony Ericsson Content Awards 2008.
Motorola has just added to the list of mobile handsets dedicated to fashion conscious consumers, with the MOTOJEWEL. The name pretty much speaks for itself. The phone, available in Midnight Quartz, has a 3D crystal-cut and mirror finish with a jewel-like design and a purple keypad.
The MOTOJEWEL comes with a mini clutch that’s designed to hold the phone as well as other items that might include a credit card, lipstick etc. It’s a light-weight handset with a borderless, touch-sensitive external display. Like the RAZR, the MOTOJEWEL also has touch-sensitive media keys for controlling the music player.
It’s getting to be quite a pain keeping track of the Xperia X1's launch. From the beginning of this year, to anytime in the fourth quarter, to December, or Jan of ’09, it’s been speculation after speculation.
Nokia has announced that the United Kingdom will be the first market in the world to launch the 'Comes With Music' service. This service gives people a year of unlimited access to the entire Nokia Music Store catalog along with the ability to keep all downloaded tracks even after the year is over.
Every now and then comes a mobile that has the potential to cater to everything you need, is glitch-proof, and also light on your wallet. As a bonus it might even look good. But the operative word here remains ‘potential’. The Intex IN3333 looks to be just such a handset, but does it deliver? Here are my findings on its functionality and performance.
Form Factor
The handset may look uncannily familiar, and why shouldn’t it? To jog your memory, take a look at the picture below...
Rest assured the handset is good-looking, It's perhaps a bit fatter than the original, but nevertheless looks nice. A large and supple keypad makes typing a cinch. It has a 2 inch TFT display, a 1.3 megapixel camera located in the rear, and three shortcut keys on the top. The first key can be used to activate the camera, the second the music player, and the third the FM radio. These can also be used to increase the call volume as well as the keypad tone.
A small all-in-one USB port is located on the bottom of the handset, so the phone can be charged and connected to the PC. Incidentally, it can also be charged via the PC. What put me off is the lack of a hot-swap slot for the microSD card. It’s tedious opening up the rear and removing the battery. The handset is comfy to use, however, and the candy-bar form does look stylish.
LG has launched a new model in its dynamite series – the LG KP199. According to LG, the handset will be able to offer a talk time of up to 11 hours and a standby time of upto 30 days. But that's what the company claims, we'll let you guys know how the phone fares soon enough when we get it for review.
This phone allows users to opt for FM radio as a wake-up alarm. Apart from this, the phone also comes with a music player, Bluetooth connectivity and Anti Theft Mobile Tracker. If the phone is lost or stolen and the finder tries to insert any other SIM, the phone automatically sends out messages on two pre-stored numbers, and the receivers will know the location and the number of the SIM inserted in the phone. Apart from this the phone sends the messages to the two numbers after every 12 hours or whenever the phone is used.
Commenting on the launch from LG, Anil Arora, Business Group Head, GSM, PCs and DAV, LGEIL said, "We at LG Mobiles thrive to offer the finest and most essential features to our consumers. Considering the importance and urge for communication, style and usability for the Indian consumer we have come out with some never before features in our mobile segment. KP199 is not just a product but a package deal with all the important aspects, technology and features which are sure to entice and satisfy our consumers. The KP199, a fully loaded phone with advanced multimedia functions and long battery life will definitely appeal to our customers."
The phone is available in the Indian market for Rs. 4390 (MOP).