Handphones

Garmin announces StreetPilot navigation for iPhone

2011-03-11T02:59:00.001-08:00

Garmin has so far kept its navigation package exclusive to its standalone GPS units and smartphones, but that's about to change. Garmin's StreetPilot iPhone navigation has already hit the AppStore.
Garmin has finally given up on the exclusivity and released its navigation package for the iPhone. The StreetPilot app offers everything you can get with the Garmin's standalone navigation devices - turn-by-turn voice navigation, real-time traffic updates, millions of POIs, address book, weather and forecast, speed limits warnings, etc.

SpeedPilot for iPhone
The SpeedPilot app can also access your music and play it during navigation. Multi-tasking is also supported - the app will continue to work in background and navigate you.
StreetPilot for iPhone is currently available only for USA and Canada and costs $40 in the AppStore.
Garmin has also announced a new tracking device - the GTU 10 - which can help you track any objects or people it's attached to. It works in conjunction with the Garmin Tracker app, which will be available soon in the Apple's AppStore and Android Market.
Another Garmin app that's about to hit the Android market is myMechanic. It uses Bluetooth to connect to the Garmin ecoRoute HD module (sold separately for about $100) and let's you know your car's specific performance metrics including horsepower, torque and G-force.
The final Garmin announcement for this year's CES is the My-Cast Lite Android app. It's free and provides radar images, current conditions, hourly and extended weather forecasts.

We get more pics of Vodafone 360 H2, Vodafone says it's canceled

2011-03-11T02:58:00.000-08:00

We just got some more photos of the LiMo OS powered Vodafone 360 H2 phone along with some confirmation of a few of the rumored specs. In the same time a Vodafone rep contacted us saying that the Vodafone H2 has been canceled since July 2010.
The successor to the Vodafone 360 H1 has been around in the rumor mill for a while now, but following the new leaked images from Sunday, Vodafone came up and confirmed that there will be no new Vodafone 360 handsets and that development of the H2 has been ceased since last summer.
We acknowledge these new bits of info and we hope Samsung will put the hardware to some nice use in another handset (Bada OS, maybe). We can't help but publish the new shots of this dead-end prototype as a wave goodbye.
So here it is compared to the iPhone 4 and a BlackBerry.

Vodafone 360 H2 spy shots
We guess this is the end of LiMo handsets altogether although that mobile OS was a hacker's dream. The small and dedicated community has already ported to it Android 2.2 Froyo, MeeGo and even Debian (a Linux distribution, many other distros are based on it).

Freescale hits with dual-core and quad-core mobile CPUs

2011-03-11T02:57:00.000-08:00

Smartphone and tablet processors are just about entering the dual-core stages of their evolution and Freescale wants to join the party. Not only this, the company is even willing to throw a quad-core CPU our way just for the fun of it.
Freescale just announced a trio of new mobile processors, suitable for use in Smartphones, Tablets and eReaders. The three versions of the i.MX 6 CPU are called Solo, Dual and Quad and come with one, two and four Cortex A9 cores respectively. Each of the cores can be clocked at up to 1.2 GHz. The level 2 cache isn't quoted for each of the CPUs but Freescale says it reaches 1 MB (presumably on the quad-core unit).

Still each and every of the i.MX 6 processors is said to allow full HD (as in 1080p) video decoding and encoding. There's also support for HDMI v1.4 and multiple USB 2.0 ports. The stereoscopic image sensor support allows for 3D imaging, provided that someone builds the right camera module for the task.
Freescale plans to start sampling the new CPUs later this year, which isn't nearly as specific as we hoped to get. Anyway we don't expect to be seeing one of those babies on an actual tablet or smartphone before the next holiday season.

Samsung sells a total of 10 million Galaxy S phones

2011-03-11T02:52:00.000-08:00

Samsung is doing more than well with the Galaxy S fella. The originally Android 2.1-running smartphone has entered the pockets of more than 10 million users around the world and is continuing to conquer even more market share.

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S
It is hardly a surprising number since we sat and watch as Samsung issued new press-releases for every new million or so.
North America is the region with most Galaxy S sold - more than four million - followed by Europe with 2.5 million. But then again - there are no less than three different variations of the smartphone deployed in the US only.
Samsung has the same big plans for the Galaxy Tab and its Bada-devices.
Let's wait for the MWC 2011 and see what else new has Samsung prepared for us.

HTC Thunderbolt 4G leaks again, flaunts GSM and HSDPA support

2011-03-11T02:49:00.000-08:00

While North America has set sight on CES in expectation of the HTC Thunderbolt 4G announcement, the rest of the world fears that it might be left out once again. Yet a newly leaked photo from a German online retailer's website suggests that we might just see a GSM-capable version of the Android beast.
According to the source the UMTS/LTE-packing Thunderbolt 4G will be available, somewhere in the middle of 2011 in the O2 and Vodafone networks.

However the screenshot lists many of the HTC Thunderbolt 4G specs that were so far unkown. The smartphone's Android version of choice is 2.3 Gingerbread and the CPU ticking inside is the 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8960 that just entered mass production.
What makes us quite suspicious is the mention of a microSD card slot that supports cards of up to 128 GB. As you probably know under the current microSD standards such high-capacitiy cards simply cannot exist, the maximum being 32 GB. The 5 megapixel front-facing camera also doesn't seem quite believable.
Still we are willing to give this rumor the benefit of the doubt and hope for an announcement at MWC in February (or even CES).

Super AMOLED-packing Vodafone 360 Samsung H2 leaks again

2011-03-11T02:47:00.001-08:00

Rest assured LiMo fans, the platform is not dead! We just got another photo of the Samsung-made Vodafone 360 H2 and chances are we might see it officially announced at CES or the MWC.
The Super AMOLED-packing Vodafone H2 was expected to be announced in Q3 2010, but that didn’t happen and rumors suggested that the platform was dead. Yet that new blurry shot we just received may suggest that Samsung and Vodafone are still not giving up on it and a follow up to the H1 will indeed appear.

The Vodafone i8330 or the nightmare of a name it has (Vodafone 360 H2 by Samsung) is said to come with a larger 3.7” screen and a better 8 megapixel camera, capable of recording 720p footage. The CPU speed has been upped to 1 GHz and the radios have been updated with Wi-Fi n support and Bluetooth 3.0.
There are only four days remaining to the start of CES, when we will possibly see the H2 make its first public appearance. Unless it's MWC 2011 in February anyway.

microUSB to become the standard charger plug in the EU next year

2011-03-11T02:46:00.000-08:00

As we say goodbye to 2010, the European Union says goodbye to un-standardized phone chargers. It's been over a year in the making, but microUSB will be the standard charger plug for European mobile phones starting next year.
The European Union first announced their plans in June last year and major phone manufacturers quickly signed the memorandum. A few others signed later on.
Currently the list includes: Nokia, Apple, Samsung, LG, RIM, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Huawei, Alcatel, NEC, Emblaze, and chip makers Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Atmel. This covers the majority of phones you'd care to buy.
Convenience is one thing to look forward to. No more carrying several chargers for each device - just one will do (or even a microUSB cable and a computer). The switch to the microUSB standard has environmental benefits as well, as each year 4,000 tons of old, incompatible accessories get thrown out after the user upgrades.
The first phones complying with the new standard are expected to come out early next year. Of course, many phones already use microUSB for charging but from now on, if you buy a new phone from one of the signatory manufacturers you'll be guaranteed that it will charge off microUSB.
In Europe anyway. But we're hoping that the phone makers will use the standard globally rather than create Europe-specific versions with microUSB.

Nokia N8 sales nearing 4 million units

2011-03-11T02:44:00.000-08:00

According to a Finland research company, Nokia has sold between 3.5 and 4 million N8 smartphones. The research also mentions that the N8 is a top-selling phone in Finland, India, Malaysia and UAE.
Nokia previously stated that the N8 cameraphone flagship is the company's most pre-ordered phone ever. Despite that impressive claim we were never given specific numbers.

Nokia N8
We still don't have any official confirmation, but if the Finland research company Inderes Oy is to be trusted, nearly 4 million users bought the N8. We suppose the popularity in the listed countries is expected, because Nokia is the biggest player on those markets by a country mile.
Those early sales are certainly encouraging, but we'll have to wait until the Holiday season shopping spree ends and Nokia publishes its Q4 results, before judging the N8 market success.

Skype video calls officially available for the iPhone

2011-03-11T02:43:00.000-08:00

Today Skype went official with the new version of its iPhone application that brings free video calling to all its subscribers. It works over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks the new Skype app even lets you have video calls with desktop users.
Obviously video-calling has enjoyed remarkable success this year, accounting for 40 percent of all Skype-to-Skype minutes for the first six months so bringing it to the mobile world seems like the smart thing to do. Plus, being completely free of charge (though data transfer rates do apply) and with no Facetime-like restrictions it might actually become the video service to use.
Also, with the rumored announcement of video-calling for other platforms you would be able to use it with a much larger number of people, which will drastically increase its usefulness.
Right now owners of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 4th generation with iOS 4.0 or later can go to the App Store and give the video-enabled version of Skype a try. Sharing your experience with us in the comments section below is encouraged.

First pics of Motorola CLIQ 2 break loose, to be announced at CES

2011-03-11T02:41:00.000-08:00

It seems Motorola is preparing a successor of its CLIQ and DEXT devices. A picture of Motorola CLIQ 2 for T-Mobile USA has leaked early today revealing a very interesting honeycomb-styled QWERTY keyboard.
Motorola CLIQ 2 (and perhaps DEXT 2 in Europe) is the next high-end smartphone in the Motorola lineup. It will pack big-enough capacitive touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, all-round connectivity and a unique QWERTY keyboard. Its design resembles the honeycomb pattern, which might be a clue the supposedly Android Froyo or Gingerbread inside will be upgradeable to 3.0 Honeycomb.

There is also a chance the CLIQ 2 will be HSPA+ capable.
Motorola CLIQ 2 is supposed to be announced at the upcoming CES 2011 and launched on 19 January.

Sony Ericsson X10 mini pro successor is a real beast

2011-03-11T02:38:00.000-08:00

The ultra compact smartphone niche has obviously brought enough cash to Sony Ericsson as it is just about to release a successor to their X10 mini pro. The new device is yet unnamed (though X12 mini pro seems like a reasonable guess), but seems to fix all there was to fix about its predecessor.
With a slightly larger 3" screen of higher resolution and far more computing power, the new tiny QWERTY-equipped device seems to be to the rumored X12, exactly what the X10 mini pro was to the X10. The keyboard is not actually visible on the leaked shots, but the Chinese source assures us that it's there.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini pro successor
The CPU ticking inside is said to be a 1GHz Snapdragon, confirmed by those impressive benchmark results. Even though it achieved over 1500 at Quadrant (significantly better than the Nexus One) you will notice that the CPU scores of the two are equal (the blue parts of the result bars).
The XPERIA X10 mini pro was announced at the Sony Ericsson press conference at the MWC 2010 so we will probably see the newly leaked device properly announced on 13th February just before the start of MWC 2011.

LTE-enabled HTC Incredible HD now teased as Thunderbolt 4G

2011-03-11T02:33:00.000-08:00

The veiled HTC is back with another teaser - the upcoming LTE-enabled HTC phone has changed its name since the last time we saw it and now goes by HTC Thunderbolt 4G (it used to be Incredible HD).

That's not the first name change for this phone - it first leaked as Mecha through the HTCSense website, then about a week ago it was teased as the first 4G phone for the umpteenth time (though the other first '4G' phones are HSPA+ or WiMAX enabled, neither of which is strictly speaking what 4G).
Anyway, the name seems to be HTC Thunderbolt 4G and according to the gossip, it is heading to Verizon's new LTE network. And there's a confirmation that the veil will be lifted on January 6 as part of CES 2011. You can sign up to receive email updates on the Thunderbolt 4G if you want.

HTC Desire HD gets Android 2.2.1 update, improved HD recording

2011-03-11T02:32:00.000-08:00

There's an update out for the HTC Desire HD but it's not the major update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread you might have hoped for. It's a tweak and bugfix update that bumps the Desire HD to Android 2.2.1, which reportedly brings improved performance too.
It's an Over The Air update weighing in at 40MB. It will update the HTC Desire HD to software version 1.72.405.3 and the Android version to 2.2.1, the latest available Froyo. Aside from fixing some bugs, the Desire HD is reported to run a little faster overall after the update.
The camera shows a much more noticeable improvement. It's now snappier and the HD recording has reportedly been improved as well.
There's not a peep from HTC about when the HTC Desire HD and their other droids will receive the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update though. That might take a while as HTC will have to port all sorts of custom goodies (including the extensive Sense UI, the fast boot magic, etc) to the latest version of Android OS.

HTC 7 Pro to hit O2 in January, Nokia E7 gets a pre-order price

2011-03-11T02:30:00.000-08:00

According to the German O2 website, HTC 7 Pro will launch right next month. Meanwhile Amazon is already offering the next Symbian^3 device on pre-order. Nokia Е7 is priced there at the hefty $680.
O2 Germany already has a teaser page for the HTC 7 Pro, which states the smartphone will hit the network in January. There is no price mentioned, but we guess it will be available on the carrier's standard deals with a two-year contract.

The next news comes straight from the US-based Amazon, which is offering the Symbian^3-running Nokia E7 on pre-order. The price is nearly insane - $680. Bear in mind that the European price is usually 20-30% higher, ouch!. For comparison, the Nokia N8 currently runs at about $470.

Our only hope is that this price is not accurate and will be adjusted sometime near the official Nokia E7 launch next year.

Samsung S8500 Wave all set for a Bada 1.2 update early next year

2011-03-11T02:28:00.000-08:00

Bada OS is barely a year old and it has already hit version 1.2. The latest version was available on newer phones but the original Samsung S8500 Wave will be getting it too starting early next year in Europe.
Version 1.2 of Bada brought important security improvements and bug fixes, along with some UI changes and the T9 Trace input method (a Swype competitor). The Bada SDK 1.2 came out earlier this month and added better graphic support for devs to play with plus things to make their life easier.

Samsung is almost done with preparing the v1.2 update for the original Samsung S8500 Wave and it will release it in early next year for unlocked European units. The rest of the S8500 Wave phones will get the update sometime in the first quarter of next year (the exact time depends on country and operator).
Details on Bada 2.0 showed up recently but there was teasingly little detail on the upgrade path. The Samsung S8500 Wave getting updated to Bada 1.2 is a good start but it's still not clear whether it will see the next major version of the OS it helped launch (here's hoping).

Sony Ericsson MT15 Hallon and LT15 Anzu leak

2011-03-11T02:27:00.000-08:00

We just spotted some new info, pictures and camera samples from a brand new Sony Ericsson smartphone - the MT15 codenamed Hallon plus the previously leaked LT15 Anzu a.k.a. XPERIA X12.
Sony Ericsson MT15 Hallon looks much like the XPERIA X12 Anzu, but has a beefier front-facing camera.

Sony Ericsson MT15 Hallon
The Hallon leaked via a Picasa album and is shot with a device called Sony Ericsson LT15. Rumor has it that the LT15 is the previously leaked XPERIA X12 Anzu and it's supposed to pack a 12 megapixel camera. The samples in the Picasa album are only 8 megapixel so it's not the full resolution of the camera or the LT15 could be a new unannounced device and not the 12 megapixel Anzu we are waiting for.
As you probably know Sony Ericsson has already reserved several new marketing names - the XPERIA Arc, the XPERIA Duo and the XPERIA Neo. Perhaps one of those will be how the LT15 will become known to the world. I guess we'll learn first-hand at the MWC 2011.
Anyway, here is the Sony Ericsson MT15 Hallon shot with the camera of the LT15:

Sony Ericsson MT15 Hallon shot with LT15 • another LT15 camera sample
And these are some camera samples from the MT15 Hallon itself:

Sony Ericsson MT15 Hallon camera sample
Both LT15 and MT15 are most probably running Android v2.3 Gingerbread.
There is one more thing. The long rumored Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone, codenamed Zeus, is supposed to go by the R800 model number so those two don't have anything to do with it even though they look similar.

Skype to announce video calls for the iPhone at CES 2011

2011-03-11T02:25:00.001-08:00

“A series of video-related announcements” already gave us a pretty good idea of what to expect from Skype at CES, but things just got way more specific. A leaked tutorial page from the company’s official website has revealed that video-calling will be coming to iOS.
Chances are other major platform will be getting video-calls too (hence the series of announcements). We have to remind you that Maemo and its sole smartphone representative – Nokia N900 already support video-calling through Skype.
Skype runs nicely on all the major mobile operating systems already and it would be pretty great if Skype enabled the new feature to all of them at once.
CES 2010 is only a couple of weeks away and the few remaining questions should receive their answers there.

New XPERIA phones at MWC 2011, possibly the XPERIA Play too

2010-12-26T12:05:00.000-08:00

Sony Ericsson has sent out the invites for ther Mobile World Congress event and they promise to introduce us to new members of the XPERIA family. While they don’t mention any names, the rumored PS Phone is a likely attendee.
The Mobile World Congress 2011 starts on 14 February but Sony Ericsson as usual will hold their event a day earlier to steal the spotlight.

The Sony Ericsson invite - click for full info
The talk around town is that the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play, the long-awaited PlayStation phone, will be announced during the MWC.
It’s likely we’ll see other phones announced too - looking back through recent Sony Ericsson rumors, the Sony Ericsson X12 (‘Anzu’) seems like a possibility. Unlike the XPERIA Play however, we haven’t heard any reliable rumors about when it will be announced.
Source (Site in Dutch)

Skype to announce video calls for the iPhone at CES 2011

2010-12-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

Dell Streak price falls to $400 in the US, ships on 11 Jan

2010-12-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

The price of the 5-inch Android-powered tablet Dell Streak in the US has just been seriously reduced. Froyo-loving Android-junkies can now purchase it without signing any contracts for as low as $400.
This is $180 lower than what Dell USA were previously charging for the 16GB version of the SIM-free Dell Streak. The bad news is shipping will take quite some time: the cheap Streaks won't be knocking on your door until 11 January 2011.
Interestingly, the 16GB version of the thing will arrive with the Android 1.6 a.k.a. Donut on board, but getting rid of it is as easy as pie thanks to the available update to update to Android 2.2 a.k.a. Froyo which comes Over-the-Air.
As for the 500-dollar 32GB version of the 5-incher, it will be serving Froyo out of the box.
As our review revealed, the Dell Streak isn't the ultimate Android-driven tablet or smartphone out there, but with the Froyo update that followed shortly after that and the new, lower price it seems like a much better deal.

Nokia N900 gets a Gingerbread port, Nexus One stares in disbelief

2010-12-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

Add the Nokia N900 to the short list of devices running the latest iteration of the Android OS – 2.3 Gingerbread. The last of the Maemo kind just got an unofficial ROM that, while not perfectly stable, proves that a relationship between those two is possible.
The Nokia N900 Gingerbread port comes courtesy of Alexey Roslyakov, a Russian coder, better known under the nickname DrunkDebbuger. He says a publicly available experimental release should come before the year's end, which means in less than a week. Of course it’s not completely functional at this stage, but cellular data, Wi-Fi and sound are a go and naturally support for the rest of the hardware is being added as we speak.
If being an alpha tester isn’t much to your liking, you can try the stable Android 2.2.1 Froyo release for your N900. Roslyakov says it should be available for Christmas.
The final bit of good news is that there will be some kind of Android release for the Nokia N900 in time for the old calendar Christmas (7 January).
It seems that all N900 owners have made Santa’s Good kid book this year.
Source

Dell Venue Android smartphone launches globally

2010-12-26T11:58:00.002-08:00

The Dell Venue droid is celebrating its official worldwide launch just a week after its Korea-only launch. The Snapdragon powered droid couples Android 2.2 Froyo and Dell's own Stage UI along with a 4.1" AMOLED screen.
The Dell Venue looks similar to the Venue Pro but it's only superficial - it dropped the keyboard and Microsoft OS in favor of a slimmer frame and Android. It uses the same Gorilla Glass protected 4.1" WVGA AMOLED screen and ups the camera resolution to 8MP.
The Dell Venue is available immediately in Hong Kong for HK$3,999 ($514 or €390, cheaper than in Korea) though there's no info on when it will hit the stores in other regions.

First OTA update for Google Nexus S, fixes some bugs

2010-12-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

If you are an early adopter of Google's latest gadget - the Nexus S - you will be happy to know there is an update for you. It's over-the-air and is quite small - only 1.9MB.
The update (build GRH78) brings the latest version of Google Maps and fixes some bugs. And while the other smartphones out there are still waiting for a 2.2 or 2.3 update the Nexus system info now shows 2.3.1.
If your Nexus S hasn't notified you of the pending update yet, you can dial *#*#checkin#*#* to get it.
The update comes only a few days after the Nexus S was launched. It's good to see the guys at Google are working on providing excellent support for their latest smartphone.

HTC teases first 4G phone, is it the LTE-enabled Incredible HD?

2010-12-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

The first to 4G - for the third time. Except of course it really is for the first time. But don't let carrier's aggressive marketing get in the way of the exciting tease from HTC - a new 4G phone to be announced on January 6 at CES.
Let's bust a few myths first - the "first 4G" phone for T-Mobile, the T-Mobile G2, is an HSPA phone (3.5G-3.75G depending on who you ask). The "first ever" 4G phone, the HTC Evo 4G, has WiMAX connectivity - a different type of radio altogether, but still not 4G.
So, what's under the veil? It's likely that it will be the HTC Incredible HD (a.k.a. Mecha), which should be headed to Verizon's shiny new LTE network (an actual 4G GSM network). We don't know much about the Incredible HD, except that it will run Android and a small pic that leaked a while ago, which is in all likelihood just a placeholder (it looks a lot like HTC Hero).
Also a mystery at the moment is what the 2mymob.com teaser site is about. Anyway, we'll find out more about the HTC Incredible HD once the New Year celebrations die down and CES starts.

Motorola did it again: the Froyo update for MILESTONE delayed

2010-12-26T11:55:00.000-08:00

The Christmas mood of all the Motorola MILESTONE owners will be gone after reading those lines. Motorola did it again: the company is postponing the release of MILESTONE's long awaited Froyo treatment for Q1 2011.

The Froyo update for the Motorola MILESTONE was said to arrive in Europe by the end of this year (Q4 2010) but as it turns out the company is being lazy yet again and won't release the software update until Q1 2011.
To refresh your memory, the MILESTONE was launched back in November 2009 and was promised to have a Flash-ready web browser. Well, the Adobe Flash Player 10.1 still isn't compatible with the MILESTONE (as the device isn't running the Android 2.2 a.k.a. Froyo or later).

This comes only a little while after another disturbing news involving Motorola's name hit the headlines. A month ago the company announced that the recently launched Motorola DEFY will taste the Froyo across Europe by the end of Q2 2011 while the Motorola MILESTONE XT720 is destined to serve Eclair for life.
And that's on top of the storm, which is already brewing over the supposedly numerous faulty Motorola DEFY units.

The powerful LG Optimus 2X coming to Europe next month

2010-12-26T11:52:00.000-08:00

The recently unveiled LG Optimus 2X is about to hit the stores across Europe quite soon and along with the dual-core Tegra2 processor it will also have some exclusive Ennio Morricone content on board.
The famous Italian composer and is known for the movie soundtracks he wrote and now he'll share part of them (including 15 LG-exclusive ringtones) with the future owners of the upcoming LG Optimus 2X. The best news todays is the handset will actually start selling in Europe in January 2011.

LG Optimus 2X
Among the 25 pieces composed by Morricone there will also be 10 of the composer's creations such as tracks from the movies Cinema Paradiso, The Mission, Love Affair. What's more Optimus 2X users will get access to free applications with Ennio Morricone images and video clips from the LG Application Store.
And here is a nice Christmas gift from LG to all LG and Ennio Morricone friends around the world: follow that link to download a short mix-up of maestro Morricone's master pieces.
By the way, the Optimus 2X isn't the only LG smartphone getting the Ennio Morricone treatment: the South Korea exclusive LG U3000 Optimus Mach will enjoy that too.
Source (PDF file)

The PlayStation Phone goes by XPERIA Play, launches in April

2010-12-26T11:50:00.001-08:00

The long rumored Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone won't be announced on CES next month, but on the MWC 11 in February. It will hit the stores in April under the name of XPERIA Play.
Quite some news, right? According to trust-worthy Pocket-Lint sources, the Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone will premiere on the Sunday's Sony Ericsson press conference during the MWC in February. It won't be released immediately, but will hit the shelves sometime in April.

Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone
The rest of the info just confirms the previously leaked specs and the dedicated gaming controls.
And while we were busy chasing whatever teasers we may find on the Sony Ericsson pages, more information has popped up.
It seems Sony Ericsson has registered the XPERIA Play trademark along with various XperiaPlay domains (.com, .net and .org). It's not the reliable info we've been waiting for, but after the rumors about the XPERIA name we are willing to put some fate on these.

It appears that the XPERIA Play will be the big Sony Ericsson announcement on the MWC next year, and you can bet we'll be there gathering as much info as possible about it for you.
PS phone source, trademark source

Google Nexus One getting Gingerbread in a few weeks

2010-12-26T11:49:00.001-08:00

It should come as no surprise that the Google Nexus One will be updated to Android 2.3 Gingerbread - it's one of the advantages of getting a Google-branded phone. We didn't know when to expect the update though.
A post from the Google Nexus phones official Twitter account confirmed that the Nexus One will receive an Over-The-Air update to 2.3 Gingerbread in the coming weeks. Check out what the latest version brings to the table.
NFC won't work obviously, but you still have a slight performance boost, better power management and text input improvements to look forward to.
When the Gingerbread update is available, your Nexus One should notify you - the update rollout will be gradual and probably won't appear in all regions simultaneously.
Source

The Sony Ericsson LiveView micro display picks up speed

2010-12-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

The Sony Ericsson LiveView micro display has been selling for a few weeks only, but the number of compatible plug-ins is higher than you might suspect.
So there's no reason to feel sorry for buying it - the touch sensitive accessory is getting more and more useful with each passing day. The list of apps compatible with the little thing is way larger than expected and new plug-ins show up over at the Android Market all the time.

As all the apps found at the Android Market, the LiveView compatible plug-ins vary from absolutely useless to pretty well thought as well. These include FakeCall for LiveView, LiveView ContactCall plug-in, LiveView Weather plug-in, LiveView PowerAMP, etc.
By the way, the Sony Ericsson LiveView can currently be had for €40, which is yet another reason to make you go for it. Just keep in mind that it will only work with devices running the Android 2.0 or later.
Oh, and one more thing: Sony Ericsson denied the rumors that the LiveView won't get any software updates. According to the company, the little fella is about to be updated in January 2011 but there is no word on what goodies the update will bring along.
Source

Swype for Andriod goes publicly available with its new beta

2010-12-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

Today Swype announced that they are releasing a new beta for Android and, unlike the previous one it’s publicly available for download. The input solution is as good as virtual QWERTY keyboards go, but has so far been unavailable to the general public.
With the first beta of Swype for Android you either had to have a handset that has it preinstalled or you needed to be lucky enough to get into the private beta program to test it. Yet now that the final release is nearing all you need to do is register on Swype website and you get to download the keyboard.
It takes less than a minute, but you do need to open the email through your phone and start the download from there as the app checks your hardware compatibility. Mind you, if your handset does come with Swype preinstalled, you shouldn’t try to install the beta – it won’t work.
This second Swype beta supports devices with HVGA (320 x 480 pixels), WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) and FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) screens. Those of you with QVGA displays will have to wait a while longer.
The new features brought by the update include Double-Tap-to-Edit, Cursor Restore, and Voice-to-Text (requires Google Voice Search be included in your system firmware).
So what are you waiting for? Give Swype a try by following the link and tell us how it went in the comment section below.
Source

Details for Bada 2.0 emerge, new UI and NFC in store

2010-12-26T11:42:00.001-08:00

Samsung allowed a quick glimpse at what's in store for the next generation of their own smartphone OS. Bada OS 2.0 will have an improved UI, NFC support, an ad gateway and other improvements, including plenty of work under the hood.
Changes to the user interface promise personalization, a "smart" homescreen, layout management (whatever that is) and animation effects. Multitasking and security will get upgrades in Bada 2.0 as well.

What Samsung has planned for Bada OS 2.0
By the looks of it, Samsung is positioning Bada to be a good alternative to Android - and iOS too. Third-part SNS integration and push notifications make the list as do text-to-speech and speech recognition.
Curiously, NFC (which is experiencing a resurgence with the Samsung-made Google Nexus S) is also included in the plans for the second major version of the self-titled smartphone for the masses.
Operating billing and ad gateway are major additions too. There are no details given, but "ad gateway" sounds like a Samsung-branded alternative to iAds and Google's Mobile Ads.
Bada is growing - more than 5 million Wave phones are expected to be sold by the end of the year and plans for next year include a much faster pace. Samsung's projections expect more than 10 million Bada phones to be sold in the first half of 2011.
Whether or not old devices will be updated to Bada OS 2.0 remains to be seen - the lines in the second slide certainly raise more questions than they answer.
Source

LG Optimus 2X goes live on preorder, priced at 550 euro

2010-12-26T11:41:00.001-08:00

When LG announced their Optimus 2X Android powerhouse last week they forgot to mention anything about its pricing. Luckily a Swedish website did the job for them and is even taking preorders for the dual-core smartphone.
It appears that at launch the price of the Tegra 2-packing LG Optimus 2X will be just over €550 (5000 SEK). At one point the site also listed a price of €340 that went with a 2-year contract, but for some reason that deal is no longer available.
So after LG themselves announced that Korea will be the first country to taste the Optimus 2X, could Sweden be the second one? There isn't a specific launch date mentioned just yet but the early start of the pre-orders seems like a good sign to us.
If you really do insist on being among the first LG Optimus 2X owners, you can place your order by following the source link below. As usual, when you're whipping out your credit card at an unknown online store, exercise your common sense and do some research ahead.
Source

Google Nexus S hits the UK market today, gets a price slash

2010-12-26T11:39:00.001-08:00

It was about time the Samsung Google Nexus S showed up on our side of the pond - in the UK, at least. But while we all knew the next-gen Nexus was coming today, nobody expected its price to drop to £430.
The first Gingerbread-powered smartphone, the Samsung-made Google Nexus S, has been selling since 16 December over in the USA and today it's scheduled to launch in Europe. The device should become available in the Carphone Warehouse UK any time now (currently, it's still out of stock).

The price in the UK was first said to be £550 (around €650) but apparently we weren't the only ones that thought it was quite steep so Google decided to cut it down to £430 (nearly €510). This sounds way more reasonable (even if its way higher than the US SIM-free price of the Nexus S, $529 or €400).
So, if you feel like buying (yourself) a nice high-tech gift, hit the source link and pre-order it. It should arrive by the end of December.
Update: Apparently, the Google Nexus S will be a bit late and will appear at Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy stores across the UK on 22 December 2010 instead of the previously scheduled date of 20 December. The reason for the delay is unknown.
Source

Android 2.3 code released, Gingerbread ported to Galaxy S

2010-12-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

The Android 2.3 a.k.a. Gingerbread source code has just been made available for everyone interested. Meanwhile the Google Nexus S Gingerbread has been ported to the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S.
Android 2.3 arrived a couple of weeks ago and as of 16 December the first Gingerbread-serving device, the Samsung-made Google Nexus S, is on the US market.
And as the tradition goes, right after that Google made the Android 2.3 source code publicly available, allowing device manufacturers to start the work on installing the Gingerbread on new and existing mobile phones and tablets.
All the enthusiasts keen on making and modifying ROMs are now invited to taste Gingerbread too. So, the first custom Android 2.3 ROMs should show up pretty soon.
Oh, and there is more exciting news about the Android 2.3 a.k.a. Gingerbread: it has just made it to the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S. Of course, it’s too soon to think of an official Gingerbread update, this is just an early unofficial port of the Nexus S software. Here is how is works on the Galaxy S:

The Samsung Galaxy S seems to enjoy having the Android 2.3 on board. It is snappy, transitions and animations are fluid. Well, at this early stage lots of things don’t work (for instance, currently there is no network) but fixes are on the way.
And here is another, slightly shorter video demonstrating the Gingerbread-running Galaxy S.

HTC Aria gets the Android 2.2 (Froyo) update OTA

2010-12-26T11:35:00.001-08:00

Rejoice Aria owners - HTC have just announced a firmware update for your precious smartphone that takes it to the latest but one Android version. Available as an Over The Air update you don't even need a computer at hand to get Froyo on your phone.
Of course, the update involves downloading a substantial amount of data so we suggest you listen to what HTC says and use a Wi-Fi connection or at least an unlimited internet plan for it. Also the update will erase all your personal information so a backup before applying it is highly recommended.
The update also includes improvements to the HTC home-backed Sense UI and not only to the underlying Android OS. After you apply it, you can go to MENU> Settings> About Phone> Software Information> Build number and check out if it was successful. The build number of the new release is 2.37.708.5.
The update for the carrier-locked versions isn't available just yet, but it should follow shortly.
Source

LG B is a maybe-official droid, with a Retina-beating display

2010-12-26T11:34:00.001-08:00

LG is on a roll - just a day after the LG Optimus 2X powerhouse went official, LG officially confirmed the existence of LG B. It's a super-thin droid with a screen that might turn out better than both Retina and SuperAMOLED.
The LG B first showed up in spy shots comparing it to the Apple iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S. Those are two of the thinnest, most popular smartphones with the best screens in the industry - and from the photos it seems that the LG B has them beat on their own turf.

Spy shots of the LG B
The 4" screen on the LG B seems brighter than both the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S screens - and according to some rumored specs it's very power efficient. The screen is supposedly an IPS LCD unit (same basic technology as Retina) and yet draws no power when showing a black screen - something that should only be possible with OLED and not LCD, so we're taking this with a pinch of salt.

B is the LG B, S is the Galaxy S and R should be for Retina (the iPhone 4 display)

The LG B is also reportedly super-thin - thinner than the 9.9mm Samsung Galaxy S and even the 9.3mm Apple iPhone 4. There's no info on how thin exactly it is though, but anything less than 9.3mm with a 4" screen would look incredibly thin (though maybe fragile too).
Anyway, the best news is that LG officially confirmed via Twitter that the LG B exists and we'll see it at CES 2011. The original tweet has been deleted (though there are other tweets referencing the LG B) and Twitter isn't always the most reliable of sources. We won't have to wait long to find out the truth though - CES starts January 6.
Source: Phandroid, Twitter

Google Nexus S starts selling, gets unboxed by ninjas right away

2010-12-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

Today is the day the first Gingerbread-powered smartphone starts shipping fellas. The Google Nexus S is already available for purchases in Best Buy brick-and-mortar locations and online store.
The 4-inch Contour display Android smartphone costs $529 off-contract in the US, while those willing to commit to T-Mobile US can get it for a penny under $200. In case you do go the online way and order through Best Buy's web site you also qualify for free shipping for your Google Nexus S.
If you are still wondering whether or not to get the Nexus S the retailer wants you to know that there will be a demo unit in each of its stores so you can try it in person before handing out the cash.
For those of you eager to get the handset on this side of the big pond Google reminds that Carphone Warehouse will start selling it in a few days - on the 20th December.
And just as the last time Google created a handset of their own, the Mountain View-based company has released a hilarious video of the unboxing of the device... by no other than our trusty ninjas. You can check it out by following this YouTube link.
Source

Dell Thunder released as the Venue name in Korea, costs $600

2010-12-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

Dell Thunder premieres in Korea under the Venue name. Dell Venue packs 4.1-inch AMOLED display covered with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass and runs on Android v2.2 Froyo.
We were waiting for the official announcement of Dell Thunder since its first leak back in April. But it's just now that the ex-Thunder becomes official. It's called Dell Venue and will be launched in Korea this month for about $600.
The name is rather interesting, since Dell already got a similar name for their Windows Phone 7-running and QWERTY-packing Venue Pro.
Dell Venue features 4.1-inch WVGA AMOLED capacitive display covered with the scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, 8 megapixel camera with HD recording and all-round connectivity. Dell was mum on the rest of the specs but we guess the long rumored specifications should be correct.
There is no info or any plans about an international premiere, but we guess it won't take long.
Source

FingerPiano v.2.1 iPhone and iPod Touch

2010-12-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

FingerPiano allows you to play the piano with just your finger. You don’t need any skill, scores or practice. You only need a motivation to play the music. Instead of reading the score, scrolling guides appear on the screen you iPhone. Just touching the keyboard with scrolling guides, that’s all you have to do. FingerPiano provides you with 88 pieces of famous music. The price is scheduled to increase because of an update in the future. There are 2 ways you can play. Play with one hand or both hands. These are all famous masterpieces, you might have listened to.

Download FingerPiano v.2.1 iPhone and iPod Touch or Here

Cyclemeter v3.0.2 For iPhone

2010-12-26T11:13:00.000-08:00

Cyclemeter turns your iPhone 3G or 3GS into a powerful GPS bike computer, giving you feedback and motivation to ride faster, go farther, and be healthier. “[Cyclemeter] is impressive in its ambition, focus, and polish, and strikes me as the best of these four apps for a fitness-oriented cyclist by a wide margin” — Adam Rice in his Survey of iPhone Bike-Computer Apps, 19 January 2010. Cyclemeter is iPhone-centric. No Web site logins, no monthly subscriptions, no uploading data, and no ads. Cyclemeter is a complete solution for tracking your rides on your iPhone 3G or 3GS. It can also be used for running, walking, skiing, and more.

Note: Does not support iPod touch or first-generation iPhone, which lack GPS capabilities.

TRACK:
Cyclemeter continually records your time, location, distance, elevation, and speed – years of rides only take up the space of a few songs. Stop and start recording on-screen or with your earphone remote.

VISUALIZE:
See your results on maps, graphs, and a calendar, and organized by routes and activities. Know how much distance you’ve ridden by day, week, month, year, and overall.

HEAR:
Monitor your progress with up to 20 configurable announcements including distance, time, speed, elevation, climb, and more. Announcements may be heard automatically at time or distance intervals, or on-demand with your earphone remote.

RACE:
Compete against your previous rides along a route. See your virtual competition on a map and in graphs. Each ride is ranked as best, better, median, worse, and worst
SHARE – Updated in 3.0!
Use Facebook, Twitter, and email to share Google Maps of your rides, automatically updated every 5 minutes. During your ride, hear replies from family, coaches, and friends spoken using text-to-speech technology. Have emails automatically sent as you ride to keep family and friends notified of your progress and location. Export rides in GPX, KML, and CSV. You can also export raw data for graphing your rides.

Download Cyclemeter v3.0.2 For iPhone

GSoundBox Music app for Windows Mobile

2010-12-26T11:11:00.000-08:00

GSoudBox is a new music app for windows mobile. Its the application for Windows Mobile phones with G-Sensor. It plays a wide variety of sounds. The sounds are triggered by shaking the phone using a variety of gestures.

Features :

Wide variety of instrument sounds.
Adjust the sensitivity of the G-Sensor.
Touch optimized interface.
Animated graphic

Compatibility:

Windows Mobile 6.x (PocketPC) with G-Sensor.
Screen resolution: VGA, WVGA.
Language: English.
Version: 1.0 BETA.
Released: Nov 20, 09.
Restriction: Free

Download GSoundBox Music app for Windows Mobile

Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite v3.0.0

2010-12-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

Quickoffice® Mobile Suite provides award-winning advanced Microsoft® Office editing functionality for iPhone and iPod touch devices. If you would also like to enjoy convenient access to content from remote cloud service providers such as Box.net, Dropbox, Google Docs and MobileMe, combined with an integrated mobile office suite, then purchase our Quickoffice Connect™ Mobile Suite application available in iTunes App Store Business category.

The Global Leader in Mobile Office Productivity Solutions:

Apple’s Best Selling Apps of 2009.
Editor’s Choice for Mobile Office Suite –- iPhone Life Magazine.
Best App for Editing Office Documents – O’Reilly App Smackdown.
Best Business Application – CTIA Wireless 2009.
Distributed in over 180 countries and over 200 million devices.
Over 10 years of developing mobile office solutions.

With Quickoffice Mobile Suite you can:

Create, Open & Edit Microsoft® Office Files (DOC, DOCX, XLS and XLSX)
Email, View & Access Attachments with Popular File Formats (PPT, PDF, iWork, HTML, PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, TIF, MP3, etc.)
Share Files via Email.
Manage and Transfer Files via WiFi.

Download Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite v3.0.0 for iPhone

Bolt Browser v2.0 SymbianOS9.4

2010-12-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

BOLT is a free downloadable browser that offers an uncompromisable browsing experience even on lower-end mobile phones. Rather than offering a simplified, mini version of the Internet, BOLT provides users with a fast, efficient, feature-rich way to enjoy full PC-style web pages and rich media applications on all levels of mobile devices.

Built on Bitstream’s ThunderHawk browsing technology, BOLT is the result of 5+ years experience developing mobile browsers that optimize usability, speed and performance on resource-constrained systems with limited memory, processing power and screen space.

Features:
LIGHTNING FAST MOBILE BROWSING:

Loads complete web pages in seconds.
Patented navigation and display technologies get you where you’re going faster

WATCH. CONNECT. SURF:

View streaming videos from sites like YouTube, MySpace and Google.
Enjoy full desktop PC-style Facebook and social media functionality.
BOLT Widgets beta allows streamlined access to web apps.
Tweet directly from BOLT while you browse.
Shop securely

UNCOMPROMISED WEB EXPERIENCE:

Full desktop PC-style browsing on all types of mobile phones.
Web content is never reformatted, re purposed, or removed.
Browse any site with the best page rendering available

CHANGE-LOG V.2.00:

Support for Tabbed browsing
Facebook integration – post messages, links or URLs from any page displayed in BOLT directly to your Facebook account without navigating away from the currently viewed page.
Support for Facebook chat and other web-based chat apps.

Download Bolt Browser v2.0 SymbianOS9.4 | Or Here

BTReceiver v1.01 for SymbianOS9x

2010-12-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

BTReceiver v1.01 SymbianOS9.x when you want to transfer anything through bluetooth jus open this application and not bluetooth icon. it will ask you to receive a file through bluetooth and when you will press yes it will ask you where to save the file ie: on C or E memory. jus save and enjoy.

Download BTReceiver v1.01 for SymbianOS9x

Speereo VoiceReader v1.0 s60v5

2010-12-26T10:57:00.000-08:00

Speereo Voice Reader is a mobile and PC application that takes your news reading a step further – now you do not have to read from the screen – our application will download all your RSS-feeds, mail or SMS messages and read them outloud. Utilizing Steereo text-to-speech mechanism Speereo Voice Reader will read all or some messages to you outloud. Internet connection is required only for feeds and messages download – everything else is working from within your device.

Speereo Voice Reader will read all English RSS-feeds, mail and SMS for you `on the fly`. Make sure you look for new versions of Speereo Voice Reader with Spanish and French languages. Application can update your messages and news automatically (daily or from time to time) and keeps a list of previously downloaded messages.

Via `Settings` menu you can set Speereo Voice Reader to read all your updated messages right after they are downloaded, or make application read just headers of what you have received. If you are an active person who`s always `on the run` or driving and has to take extra time to get your mail and news and read them – Speereo Voice Reader is for you!

At any time you can compose a new mail message and attach your voice message to it. Create and SMS message and send it to your friends. Moreover, with Speereo Speech Recognition System installed, you do not have to tap your screen in order to access certain RSS-feed or message – read its header and application will open it for you – true mobility and freedom.

Download Speereo VoiceReader v1.0 s60v5 | Or Here

Moove MP3 Player for S60v5

2010-12-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

Moove MP3 Player is a music app for Symbian S60 5th edition based touch screen mobile Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. The application lets you control “Moove” MP3 shuffler without touching your mobile! You need to simply place your hand over the mobile and let the music begin!

You can place your hand over the mobile again to pause. A hand gesture above the mobile will skip to the next song. wave again and skip to the next, and to the next… Pretty Simple! The application does not work with other S60 mobiles such as Nokia 5530 or Nokia N97. If you have any of these models, then you can skip this post. It will work only with Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

To add new tracks to playlist – press the sync icon on the player. Pressing the lock icon turns off the screen and locks the phone. To unlock press the keyguard switch on the side of your phone. Moove automatically searches the files in music and sound directories on your phone. The following video shows this app in action.

Download Moove MP3 Player for S60v5

MyLookout, Blackberry Anti Virus

2010-12-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

MyLookout is a security software designed for the Blackberry. It offers a wide range of features such as security checks during downloading and checks during installation of applications. There’s also scanning for malware in your phone and your memory card.
There’s also a backup feature to save all your data just in case you loose your phone. What made me really interested on MyLookout was its AntiTheft features such as the ability to track your phone’s location if its stolen, activation of an alarm even when its on silent mode and probably the most useful is the remote data wipe via a special sms message sent to your phone.

Download MyLookout Blackberry Anti Virus

QuickPull 4.0.3, Softreset Application on Blackberry

2010-12-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

QuickPull is a free tool that frees memory quickly by simulating a “battery pull” soft reset. Unlike the red power button on your phone which merely shuts down your device temporarily, QuickPull does a full reset that clears your devices caches and can significantly increase performance while keeping all of your e-mails, contacts, etc.

Features:

Simulates a “battery pull”
Monitors memory
Free support & upgrades
Schedule to run daily or weekly
Frees up memory & combats leaks
Set your a memory threshold to be prompted to QuickPull

Note: To find your BlackBerry OS version, navigate to the Options > About screen on your device.
Download QuickPull 4.0.3:

QuickPull 4.0.3 for OS 4.5 and 4.6 (v3.5.4) BlackBerry devices
QuickPull 4.0.3 for OS 5.0+ (v4.0.3) BlackBerry devices
QuickPull 4.0.3 for OS 4.7 (v3.7.2) BlackBerry devices

Blueshoot, Bluetooth Sms for Mobile Phones

2010-12-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Blueshoot is a mobile bluetooth messaging application which you can send messages to other mobile phones, PDA`s, laptops or desktop PC`s via Bluetooth. These don´t have to have Blueshoot installed, but Bluetooth must be turned on and must be activated in a visible mode!

Features:

Send a message to a phone in your neighborhood.
Automatically send your message to a predefined appliance.
In the Spy Mode you can wait for certain phone`s and can get yourself alarmed.
The Device Filter filters certain Bluetooth application according to name and type.

Download Blueshoot Sms for Mobile Phones

Music Junk 3.03 for Android

2010-12-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

Music Junk is an app that allows you to search for a song and download it onto your Android phone. With 3.03 version you can see sizes of each song in kilobytes before downloading. But this feature takes little long time and you can disable it if you have some problems with it. Also you can see “Expired links” and avoid downloading that songs.

Must have app for Android phones like Motorola Droid and Google Nexus One.

Download Music Junk 3.03

G-Alarm v2.5 for Windows Mobile

2010-12-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

G-Alarm is the best alarm app currently available for Windows mobile phone. The new version is faster and more easy to handle than the previous versions. All the settings for each alarm is in a single screen rather than several, which saves good amount of time in setting the alarm.

Download the official preview of G-Alarm v2.5 app from its developer site ageye. It still need to be translated in some languages.

Download G-Alarm v2.5 for Windows Mobile

LG Optimus 2X (Star) goes official, 1080p video recording confirmed

2010-12-21T03:14:00.001-08:00

LG is such a tease - it took a few leaks and a sort-of-official announcement, but it is finally confirming some of the specs for the LG Optimus 2X - dual-core Tegra 2 at 1GHz, 1080p video recording and Froyo are a go, but some other specs are still missing.
In Tuesday, while announcing the LG Optimus Mach LU3000, LG made a veiled mention of the LG Optimus 2X (formerly rumored as Star). Now, they have issued a proper press release confirming the most exciting parts of the rumored specs.

LG Optimus 2X official photos
The LG Optimus 2X will be the first Tegra2-powered GSM smartphone ever and the dual-core Cortex A9 really showed in early benchmarks. The NVIDIA SoC also enables Full HD (1080p) playback and recording via the 8MP primary camera.
The HDMI port on the Optimus 2X can output Full HD video (unlike current phones, which top out at 720p) and with DLNA support you can play video on a compliant TV without a cable or alternatively pull video from a home DLNA server.
Other confirmed specs include a 4" WVGA screen, a secondary 1.3MP video-call camera, some 8 gigs worth of storage, a microSD card slot and a 1,500mAh battery. Here's hoping that the Tegra 2 in the LG Optimus 2X is not twice as power-hungry as single-core CPUs.

A few more shots of the LG Optimus 2X
Finally, the OS has been confirmed as well - the Optimus 2X will launch with Android 2.2 Froyo and will eventually get updated to 2.3 Gingerbread. Phone dimensions, GSM bands and some other specs are yet to be announced.
The LG Optimus 2X will be launching next month in South Korea (as the LG SU660) and will be coming westward toward Asia and Europe after that (but no exact date was given). The Gingerbread update timeframe will be announced later too.

Vodafone UK puts a spell on HTC Magic, updates it to Froyo

2010-12-21T03:12:00.001-08:00

Continued support from manufacturers for old Android devices has been a hot topic lately. So HTC is bound to win some good karma - they are updating Vodafone UK's HTC Magic droids with Froyo, not so long after the T-Mobile myTouch 3G and 3G Slide started getting their updates.
The HTC Magic was one of the first Android phones and getting updated to Android 2.2.1 Froyo is a big deal as Android has come a long way since 1.5 Donut - new and improved Gmail and Market apps, installing apps on the microSD card, tethering support and enhanced Bluetooth and camera UI.
The HTC Magic will also get a speed improvement and wider support for some of the coolest apps in the Market (which require Android 2.0+). Don't bet on the other big selling point of Froyo though - the Flash 10.1 plug-in requires a newer CPU than the Magic has to offer.
Anyway, Vodafone UK is beginning a staged rollout of the update and users should get a notification in the coming weeks. Once you get the notification, you can update immediately or put it off for later - it's a big download so you might want to wait until you're in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.
We hope that updates for old phones become commonplace - though not all manufacturers are very enthusiastic about it. The idea that you have to buy a new phone just to get a few software updates is certainly putting off some potential Android buyers.

Skype for Android updated, becomes Galaxy S compatible

2010-12-21T03:11:00.001-08:00

The Android version of the popular Skype app was first launched only a couple of months ago and now we can welcome its first major update which makes Skype for Android fully compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S devices out there and allows you to store the app on the device's SD card.
The recently updated Skype app for Android-powered devices brings along only two improvements but those are definitely worth mentioning. First off, if your smartphone or tablet is based on the Froyo, you'll be able to store the app on your microSD memory card.
As for the other novelty brought by the refreshed Skype app, the version released back on 5 October had some issues with Samsung Galaxy S smartphones but those should now be done with.
Oh, of course, there is a tiny little catch: the latest version of the Android-loving Skype will only be compatible with your Galaxy S if it's running the Android 2.2 a.k.a. Froyo (or higher).
To get the new Skype app up and running on your device, just visit skype.com/m using its web browser or check the Android Market.

LG Star called Optimus 2X, may be getting to Europe too

2010-12-21T03:10:00.001-08:00

South Koreans just got their version of the LG Star officially announced. Dubbed LG SU660 Optimus 2X, the smartphone made its first official appearance on the Asian shores, but the even better news is that its worldwide availability is fast approaching.
Unfortunately LG kept their tradition and revealed next to none of the new handsets's specifications (not to mention the lack of an official photo). Good thing a preview surfaced the other day and did the job for them.
We did stumble upon a new video though, which showcases the Optimus 2X computing prowess. In case you’ve been wondering how much of an improvement the dual-core Tegra is over the current best CPUs, you should definitely check it out. The Hummingbird-powered Galaxy S gets a trashing it won’t be forgetting anytime soon. While one synthetic benchmark is not necessary too meaningful for the real-life performance, the SU660 Optimus 2X certainly possesses impressive computing skills.

LG had a pretty quiet 2010, but could it produce the smartphone to get in 2011? The good news is that LG Benelux has got itself a new domain - the LGOptimus2X.nl, so an European announcement might not be too far away.

O2 UK's Dell Streaks will be getting Froyo this week

2010-12-21T03:09:00.001-08:00

O2 UK is wrapping up a gift for Dell Streak owners - an update to Android 2.2 Froyo. The Streak, which launched in June running 1.6 Donut, has made the jump to 2.1 Eclair and now, it's getting ready for another update.
Unlocked Dell Streak tablet/phones have been running Froyo for almost a month now, but carrier-branded devices had to wait till December. And while munching on frozen treats are probably not the best you could do in the cold weather, we're sure Streak owners will enjoy Froyo and that new Stage UI that comes with it.
If you've missed it, the previous 2.1 Eclair update has added 720p video recording to the Dell Streak and it also brings compatibility for many apps, improved keyboard, pinch zooming and live wallpapers.
Anyway, the Froyo update for the Streak should come out this week and it will give apps a performance boost and enable Flash in the browser as well.

White color version of Samsung Galaxy S launched in Germany

2010-12-21T03:08:00.001-08:00

The white color version of the highly popular Samsung I9000 Galaxy S hit the Spanish and UK markets some time ago and now, right on time for Christmas, the white device is ready to start selling over in Germany as well.
The casing color put aside, this is actually the same Samsung Galaxy S we reviewed and compared to the iPhone 4 a while ago and you should know pretty well by now. It sports a gorgeous 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen and right underneath it there is the 1GHz Hummingbird processor accompanied by 512MB RAM, 2GB ROM and 8 or 16GB storage (user expandable, thanks to the inbuilt microSD card slot).

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S in white
It also features a 5MP autofocus camera with nice 720p HD video recording and all-you-can-eat connectivity options. Unlike the Gingerbread-powered Samsung-made Google Nexus S, the I9000 is still serving Froyo but there is still a chance for the Android 2.3 to come on board.
The white Samsung Galaxy S is already available in Spain, Germany and probably many other countries around the globe. Currently, the black Galaxy S 8GB is sold in Germany for around €415 while the white one costs some €40 more (around 455). In Spain the thing is priced at €490 and in the UK it can be had for good £415.

Gigabyte GSmart Rola is a Dual-SIM smartphone with Froyo

2010-12-21T03:07:00.001-08:00

Gigabyte is preparing to launch a dual-SIM smartphone running on Android v2.2 Froyo. It’s called GSmart Rola and it will launch on the bargain 175 euro in the beginning of 2011.
After the decent dual-SIM GSmart S1205 running on Windows Mobile 6.5, Gigabyte is ready to take their dual-SIM business over at the Android camp. The GSmart Rola runs Android v2.2 Froyo but packs barely decent specs – a 3.2-inch resistive WQVGA touchscreen, a 528MHz processor, 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM, a 3 megapixel fixed-focus snapper and a microSD slot.

The Rola’s connectivity however has everything covered – Wi-Fi, quad-band GSM, 3G with HSDPA support, GPS (with aGPS support and digital compass), Bluetooth and even FM radio. We suppose the 3G would be available only on one of the SIMs though.
Gigabyte GSmart Rola will launch in Q1 2011 in selected regions with an expected retail pricetag of 175 euro.

Powerful dual-core LG Star previewed ahead of launch

2010-12-21T03:06:00.001-08:00

The rumored LG Star droid equipped with a promising dual-core CPU hasn’t been made official yet but it’s just been reviewed and liked. The Tegra2-based smartphone specs turned out great not only on paper: the thing sure is pretty powerful too.

LG Star previewed ahead of launch • image source
But you already knew that from the previous leaks involving the LG P990 Star. Speaking of the LG Star features, most of them are no longer a mystery: the thin device has a Tegra2 processor (benchmark test caught on one of the videos below), packs an 8 megapixel sharpshooter with 1080p Full HD video recording and an HDMI port.

Up until now it was unclear how large the large-looking display is but thanks to that preview we now have the answer: the LG Star screen measures some healthy 4 inches and is of 800-by-480-pixel resolution. By the way, while the blacks aren’t AMOLED deep its viewing angles seem pretty good.

As seen before, the LG P990 Star is running Android 2.2 a.k.a. Froyo, but Gingerbread (Android 2.3) should come on board right on time for launch. The Android smartphone is expected to be announced at the next year’s CES, which is due in less than a month.

Google Nexus S up for pre-order in the UK, will set you back £550

2010-12-21T03:05:00.001-08:00

Brits can now pre-order the sophomore Google smartphone - the Google Nexus S. It will be the first ever phone to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Google has its eye on the future with this one with NFC built-in and a unique curved display.
The Google Nexus S starts off with an excellent technology base (the Samsung Galaxy S) and builds on top of that - the specs sound great on paper and it got positive nods in early previews.
But all that gadget power is sure heavy on the wallet - UK’s Carphone Warehouse offers a SIM-free Nexus S for £550 (€657, $870). Of course, you have the option to get it for free on a two-year contract for £35-a-month.
The Google Nexus S should ship by the end of December (the initial estimate was December 20) and it's available for all major UK operators with plenty of plans to choose from. The only little perk is that it's exclusively sold by Carphone Warehouse.
Still, the price seems a bit steep - as a comparison the Samsung Galaxy S costs £415 SIM-free and is very close feature-wise to the Nexus S. Samsung is still undecided on whether the Galaxy S will get a Gingerbread update but at least it has a proper microSD card slot and HD video recording, which the Nexus S strangely lacks.

Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone benchmarked on video

2010-12-21T03:04:00.001-08:00

The long rumored PlayStation Phone (or should we call it Zeus) just can't stay away from the news. This time it got benchmarked with the Qualcomm's Neocore, but it scores far less than the Google Nexus S.
The whole benchmark process was shot in a brief video. Here it is:

The Sony Ericsson gadget managed to score 24.4 fps on average. It doesn't look bad, but the recently announced Nexus S did 55.6 fps on the same benchmark.
Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone is still in the rumorland and it was not announced yesterday as it was supposed to. The benchmark score here can't be objective, since it's done on a prototype of an unannounced phone, with hardware and software nowhere near their final version.

LG Optimus One will get updated to Gingerbread after all

2010-12-21T03:03:00.001-08:00

Either someone made a mistake in that Facebook post or it was the public outcry, but the LG Optimus One P500 will be allowed to enter the Gingerbread house after all. The whole 1GHz processor speed requirement turned out to be a mistake.
Another day, another LG Optimus One news. Just a couple of days a go bad news came by way of the LG Mobile USA Facebook page - no Android 2.3 Gingerbread for the LG Optimus One, citing a "1GHz minimum" requirement by the new OS. It was quickly rebutted on Twitter by a member of the Android team and LG admitted the announcement was premature and said they are waiting on an official compatibility document.
Now, LG has issued an official Public Notice apologizing for the confusion and have confirmed that they will upgrade the LG Optimus One P500 to Gingerbread. They didn't give any specific target date for when this will happen but current and future Optimus One owners (including all its carrier-specific variations) can breathe a sigh of relief.
Presumably, the update will be available for the LG Optimus Chic E720, which has the same specs as the Optimus One (the ones that matter anyway).
Anyway, whatever caused the "misunderstanding" has been resolved, and the Optimus One has become an even better bargain than before.

Compact Froyo-powered Acer beTouch E140 officially unveiled

2010-12-21T03:02:00.001-08:00

The affordable Acer beTouch E140 first popped up a couple of weeks back but this time it's not yet another rumor involving its name that caught our attention but Acer itself who has just officially it.

As expected, the Acer beTouch E140 runs Android 2.2 a.k.a. Froyo (which isn't the latest Android version anymore) and comes in a tiny little plastic shell with a 2.8" resistive touchscreen of OVGA resolution on the front and a 3.2MP camera (it's not clear yet if it packs autofocus but there is no flash for sure).
The 200-euro smartphone also touts diverse connectivity options (including support for HSPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), sports an inbuilt GPS receiver and is powered by a 600MHz processor.
Sadly, Acer didn't say a thing about the E140 availabity.

Froyo-powered Huawei Ideos X5 and Ideos X6 announced

2010-12-21T03:01:00.001-08:00

The world leading networking equipment supplier Huawei has just announced a couple of new Android smartphones. Both Huwaei Ideos X5 and Ideos X6 are running on the Froyo edition of the Google OS, but rumor has it that they might see a Gingerbread update soon.
The Huawei Ideos X6 comes with a 4.1-inch capacitive LCD touchscreen of WVGA resolution. The smartphone is powered by a 1 GHz CPU and packs excellent all round connectivity. Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and 3G with HSPA up to 14.4Mbps are all supported and there's also an HDMI port on board.

The 5 megapixel snapper of the Huwei Ideos X6 is capable of recording HD videos. The list of highlights is completed by Dolby mobile surround sound.
The other new announcement, Huawei Ideos X5 is slightly more compact, coming with a 3.8 display. It also offers HSPA-supporting radios as well as Wi-Fi b/g/n and A-GPS. The Ideos X5 5 megapixel camera is accompanied by a LED flash.
Unfortunately there's still no information regarding the availability or pricing of either of the new Huawei smartphones.

UK gets a free Nokia Booklet 3G with every X3-02 Touch and Type

2010-12-21T03:00:00.002-08:00

You read it right – T-Mobile UK is giving away a free Nokia Booklet 3G when you buy a Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type on a pay monthly tariff. The Black gloss and Icy white colors are available for both the phone and the Booklet.
To get a free Nokia Booklet 3G with the X3-02 Touch and Type you must choose the £40/month tariff by T-Mobile UK when you check out from the Nokia UK online store. It offers 1200 minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB worth of data transfers.

Nokia Booklet 3G costs £589 contract-free. Quite a gift indeed!
We admit this offer is quite tempting. Perhaps the stock is limited and you should hurry up with your decision.

LG and Samsung yet to decide on the Gingerbread upgrade for Optimus One and Galaxy S

2010-12-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

Android v2.3 Gingerbread is out and the update mess has returned once again. LG was the first to confuse its users about the update, while Samsung is yet to decide the fate of the Galaxy S firmware. All this has already become quite irritating.
It was only yesterday when LG announced on its Facebook page that Optimus One won't be updated to Gingerbread. The reported reason was its lowly 600MHz processor.
Today LG posted a message on their official website that yesterday's info was premature and the fate of the Optimus series is yet to be decided. LG is waiting for the official Gingerbread Compatibility Definition Document and said they will announce their upgrade plans afterwards.

Samsung feels the same way about its best-selling Galaxy S lineup. The company will wait for the official requirements, will do some research how it will affect the overall performance and experience and then will decide to update or not.
In the same time, Samsung India posted a message on its official Twitter account that Galaxy S will get the Gingerbread update. Go figure!
As we said in the beginning - it's a mess - the same one as it was with the Froyo, may be even worse. The final outcome of that buzz is still unknown. But we find it hard to believer that LG and Samsung didn't get all the technical information and preliminary Gingerbread builds in advance. Especially Samsung - after all, it's the manufacturer of Nexus S.
LG statement • Samsung statement

HTC Legend Froyo update starts rolling out, Wildfire comes next

2010-12-21T02:58:00.001-08:00

HTC has just announced that the Android 2.2 Froyo update for the Legend is starting to roll out to customers around Europe. The Over-the-air update package is being pushed to owners of unlocked devices as we speak.
As usual in such cases availability for carrier-locked versions varies. The good news is (or at least for the UK subscribers) that this time it won't take too long. As a matter of fact Vodafone and Orange have already pushed the update to their subscribers.
HTC also reconfirmed that the low-end Wildfire will also be getting a Froyo update soon, but they didn't mention a specific date. Previously they've promised that the low-end device will be updated before the end of the year so let's hope they keep that promise.
Unfortunately, there's no mention if either of those devices (or any of the other HTC Android smartphones for that matter) will be getting to taste a Gingerbread update.

Skype arrives to Symbian^3, YouTube app gets updated

2010-12-21T02:54:00.001-08:00

Two key apps got an updated for Symbian^3 - Skype is now available for Nokia N8, C7 and C6-01 and YouTube has been revamped with better support for the bigger screens and you can now log in with your account.

The new Skype app for Symbian^3
It took a while but Skype for Symbian^3 is now available - it lets you talk and chat over either 3G or Wi-Fi with support for Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls. The app also supports the SILK codec, which allows it to adapt to changing network conditions and provides reportedly better audio quality (check out the samples).
The YouTube app got updated to version 2.4.10, which brings visual changes like better use of bigger screens and smoother transitions between the different screens of the app. Apparently, the video resolution has been increased as well, but there's no confirmation of that by Google (yet).

YouTube for Symbian v2.4.10
Grab the apps from www.skype.com/m and m.google.com respectively. You might have to use the phone's native browser so that the sites can properly recognize which phone you're using. Oh, and Symbian^1 users can also update their Skype to enjoy the SILKy voice quality.

Samsung's Bada OS turns 1, developers win $2.7 million

2010-12-21T02:53:00.002-08:00

Samsung's smartphone OS for the masses, a.k.a. Bada OS turned one - and Samsung threw quite a party to celebrate. The results of the Developer Challenge we're announced and $2.7 million dollars worth of prizes were handed out.
Introduced an year ago, the new OS is doing quite well - the first Bada phone, the Samsung S8500 Wave, passed the 1 million sales mark in just under four weeks. Since then quite a few new models have been released and Samsung expects Bada handsets to total 5 million by the end of this year.

The developer challenge, intended to kick start the Bada OS section of the Samsung Apps store, attracted 2,077 teams but only 34 winners we're selected. They will split a total of $2.7 million.
$300,000 of those will go to the top app - a game called Little Sailor (a 3D yacht racing game). Eight other apps - badaSports, Doogie, Bang, WAMO_Camera, TouchRetouch, Bling-Bling Reader and Parking - each earned $100 thousand for their developers.

Apps placed second and third in each of the 24 categories won $60K and $40K respectively, with yet more awards going to other developers - check out the full list of winners here.

Google Nexus S reviewed: liked, but D1 video confirmed

2010-12-21T02:53:00.000-08:00

The Google Nexus S was announced just two days ago and isn't even available just yet but its first review just surfaced. The first Gingerbread running smartphone made a very good first impression, but unfortunately the reviewer confirmed that it only records D1 videos.
The Google Nexus S looks just as attractive in those live shots as in the official press materials and its performance is obviously pretty great (not that we expected anything else). Despite the new platform it offers, the author claims that user experience doesn't differ all that much and Android users will feel right at home.

Google Nexus S live shots
Still, there are new transition effects and animations added, plus the support for NFC (Near Field Communication) and new video and audio codecs. The reviewer comments that the camera still image quality is dubbed equal to that of Galaxy S, but the video is worse even if you don't count the lower resolution. Ouch!

Android 2.3 Gingerbread screenshots
The contour curved display was found pretty comfortable to use and generally the Nexus S was a great handset to use even though it comes good 6 months after the Galaxy S.
On a side note, the review source has also shed some more light on the Nexus S version distribution. Reportedly, it will be Europe and Russia getting the short end of the stick with Super Clear LCDs, while the rest of the world will be able to enjoy Super AMOLEDs.

LG Optimus One P500 won't be getting Gingerbread update

2010-12-21T02:52:00.000-08:00

Bad news fellas - the LG Optimus One P500 is obviously going to be stuck to Froyo for the rest of its life. The device that is certainly one of the best bargains you can get for the holiday season, but despite being announced just a few weeks before Gingerbread was released, it won't get a chance to taste it.
It's not the first time a manufacturer has let down its users with OS updates. Besides it is probably more tolerable here, considering that the Optimus One is meant to rival high-end feature phones, rather than smartphone top-dogs. However what's most embarrassing is the way LG brought the news to its customers.
A post on the LG Facebook page states that the Optimus One P500 won't be updated because there's a 1GHz minimum requirement for Gingerbread. Makes total sense, right? They can't update it without fixing the hardware, which is impossible. Except that it's not true and there is no such Gingerbread requirement and that was confirmed by the Android guru Dan Morill.
We really hope it's a case of the guys maintaining the Facebook page being ill-informed or otherwise there's no explanation for the LG blatant lies.

Nokia X7-00 caught on camera again, is headed for a preview

2010-12-21T02:51:00.001-08:00

The Nokia X7-00 makes another appearance (with an AT&T badge this time). It's still not officially announced by Nokia but that won't stop the X7 getting an early preview. And those four speakers might turn out to be a sham.
So, someone got their hands on a Nokia X7-00 (codenamed Sushi) and posted a few new photos online. The AT&T logo on the phone means that it will launch in the US but rumor has it that it's going to be available in Europe as well.

More shots of the Nokia X7-00
Anyway, Eldar Murtazin of Mobile-Review.com (who isn't exactly on the best of terms with Nokia) said he's busy writing a preview of the X7 - and in another tweet he shares he's not a big fan of the device. It's the same story as with the N8 - the hardware of the Nokia X7-00 is good but Symbian^3 doesn't cut it (according to him, anyway).
From what we know about it, the X7-00 is like a C7 except for a bigger screen (possibly the same 4" AMOLED used in the Nokia E7) and the four speakers. But some new info has surfaced saying that there are only two loudspeakers despite the four grills in the corners of the Nokia X7-00 (which was the case with the Nokia X2).
As for the camera on the back of the Nokia X7-00, it seems to be the same as the one on the C6-01, C7 and E7 - that is 8MP fixed-focus with dual-LED flash.
Check out the first leak of the Nokia X7-00 for a few more shots and a short video.

Watch Windows Phone 7 do copy and paste on video

2010-12-21T02:50:00.000-08:00

The test WP7-driven Samsung Taylor has just made it to the headlines once again. And this time, while posing for the camera, it demonstrates the upcoming copy-and-paste functionality, which is supposed to ship as a first major Windows Phone 7 software update.

Microsoft promised to bring copy and paste to the Windows Phone 7 and according to the following images and the video below them the company sure knows how to keep its promise.

As you can see, the rumored Omnia HD-like Samsung Taylor with the WP7 build 7.0.7338.0 on board features copy and paste. And it works like a charm:

Rumor has it that the MASSIVE update of the Windows Phone 7 is arriving in January 2011 so you'll soon be able to get copy and paste (as well as multi-tasking, who knows) up and running on your WP7 handset.

Google Maps for Mobile 5 sports 3D view and offline mode

2010-12-21T02:48:00.001-08:00

Google Maps for Mobile 5 just got previewed on stage today and as it turns out, it will bring major changes to how GMaps looks and works on mobile devices. Some of the additions are 3D view, offline mode and new multitouch gestures.
The graphics engine inside Google Maps for Mobile 5 was reworked to use vector graphics, which accounts for many of the advantages. Maps are not pre-rendered images but are rendered on the device itself, making scaling and transitions seamless. Rendering 3D buildings is also supported (for over a hundred cities).

Google Maps for Mobile 5 goes 3D
Vector images are also more data efficient - they download faster and make caching easier. Speaking of the offline cache, it stores more than just the map, Google Maps Navigation will actually be able to reroute you if you stray from your course. To create a new route, you'd still need a data connection though.
The new multitouch gestures enhance the 3D mode by letting you tilt and rotate the view. For the feature to work, it'll need some additional hardware support that is not present in all multitouch-capable phones (e.g. it won't work on the Nexus One).

Google Maps for Mobile 5 features offline caching
The majority of Android phones should work with Google Maps for Mobile 5, though not all of them will support all the features. Here's the current list of droids that will fully support version 5 features:

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S
Motorola Droid
Motorola Droid X
Motorola Droid 2
HTC Droid Incredible
HTC Evo 4G
Nexus S
T-Mobile G2

The update to Google Maps for Mobile 5 should come soon, although no exact dates were given. Non-Android devices weren't mentioned, so it's unclear how many of these new features they will support.

Alexander Amosu introduces iPhone 4 Diamond Spider

2010-12-21T02:47:00.001-08:00

The iPhone 4 is an exquisite gadget indeed, but with its sales surpassing 20 million units it takes extra effort to get noticed when carrying one. Fortunately the famous British jeweler Alexander Amosu will give you the chance with its limited edition Diamond Spider - a diamond-encrusted iPhone 4 with some exclusive features.
The sides of the iPhone 4 Diamond Spider are covered by 846 brilliant-cut VVS1-grade F colour diamonds totaling 5.66 carats (we wonder if those are as effective as a bumper in solving the antenna issues). You are free to transfer those diamonds to another handset or just turn them into some kind of jewelry when you decide to switch phones.
You can also pick any color for the back of your Diamond Spider iPhone - black, white (there Apple, was that so hard?) or any other you may want.

Alexander Amosu iPhone 4 Diamond Spider
But as we told you - it doesn't end there. Every iPhone 4 Diamond Spider will come with a special golden number of your choice (the example given being 07XXX 111111). The price will also include a 24hr global concierge service, which promises to access the inaccessible for you.

And now for the pricing and availability - the iPhone 4 Diamond Spider costs £15000 and will be available in UK, Monaco, United Arab Emirates and… wait for it… Nigeria. Though, if you actually had the kind of cash to get one, we'd assume you'll be able to ship it to wherever else in the world necessary.

Samsung-made Google Nexus S is now official, 10 days to launch

2010-12-21T02:46:00.002-08:00

As expected the Google Gingerbread announcement was garnished with a new Google handset, dubbed Nexus S. The Samsung-made smartphone features the latest Android version and an unusual curved display that should be more comfortable to handle and hold next to the face.
Quite expectedly the Google Nexus S features almost the same specs as the Samsung's best-selling Galaxy S. The 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED screen returns, embedded within a curved glass and protected with anti-fingerprint coating.
Nexus S is powered by the 1GHz Hummingbird processor, packs 512MB RAM and 16GB internal memory, but there is no word about microSD slot. There camera department stays the same as on the Galaxy S - a 5 megapixel snapper with HD camcorder - but this time it comes with a LED flash. There is a secondary video-call camera too, but no FM radio.

Google Nexus S
Finally the connectivity is top-notch as usual - Wi-Fi b/g/n with DLNA support, GPS, quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G with HSPA, Bluetooth and even Near Field Communications capabilities.
Google Nexus S runs on the latest Android v2.3 Gingerbread and offers all Google goodies. If you want to know more about the new version of the Google OS, you may want to check this article.

The Nexus S will hit the US via T-Mobile and Best Buy on 16 December, while the European premiere will be on 20 December in UK at Carphone Warehouse. The unlocked price is €650, ouch!

Android 2.3 Gingerbread is here, brings a host of new goodies

2010-12-21T02:46:00.000-08:00

The Android dev team just made the latest version of the mobile platform official. Following Google's alphabetic-dessert naming convention Android 2.3 is called Gingerbread. The new version of the OS brings a host of cool new features as well as extended API support, improved performance and improved power management.
Android smartphones are frequently criticized for poor battery management so Google acted up and tried to fix that with Gingerbread. The system will now take a more active role in managing, closing them if appropriate to ensure better performance and maximum battery life.
Text selection has also been improved, making it easier for Android users to mark, copy and paste text when web browsing or texting. The standard organizer package has been updated too, though the dev team stays mum on the details.
Other end-user features supported by Android Gingerbread include Internet calling, through SIP, NFC (Near Field Communication) support and improved camera interface. The download manager has also been improved and there is now a single app that gives you an aggregated view of all your downloads (be they through email, web browser, or another app).
As usually there's also a bunch of new developers features that might not have instant effect but should lead to higher-quality apps arriving to the Android Market shortly. Enhancements are mainly connected with gaming (where better performance and sensor management, among other things are promised) and multimedia (with audio effect, extended codec support and access to the front-facing camera for third-party apps).

The first two handsets to run Android Gingerbread are the just announced Nexus S and the Nexus One, which should be updated in a few weeks time.
You can learn more about the new platform and download the Android 2.3 Gingerbread here.

Sony Ericsson working on Froyo for XPERIA X10, coming in Q2

2010-12-21T02:45:00.000-08:00

How about that, Sony Ericsson is secretively working on a Froyo update for their XPERIA X10. Unfortunately, this update won't come before Q2 2011. But you know what - it's actually sad cause at that time Google will probably be outing Android 3.0.
Reportedly, this new bit of info comes from a Sony Ericsson Turkish support representative. Their statement was the following (message in Turkish):

In other words, "Sony Ericsson is planning to release the Android 2.2 update in the second quarter of 2011".
It's hard to tell which company's software update policy one is worse: Sony Ericsson's or Motorola's. Anyway, it's still good to know that Sony Ericsson hasn't given up on its Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10.

White iPhone 4 spring'11 premiere confirmed

2010-12-21T02:44:00.001-08:00

It seems the white iPhone 4 is coming next spring after all. The information comes directly from Apple via iPhone 4 shop window ad in a Genius Bar.
So the wait continues. It makes you wonder when this thing comes out "in time", wouldn't be wiser to wait for the white iPhone 5 in June?

If you are one of those who didn't convert their black iPhone 4 with original panels and still wait for the official device, you'd probably have to wait for another five months.
Let's just hope Apple finally releases the problem-free device. We think it's more than enough time to fix all known and unknown issues that crippled the black lineup and were an obstacle for the white one.

Windows Phone 7 running Asus E600 passes FCC tests

2010-12-21T02:43:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since we first met the Asus E600 since but seeing it passing the FCC tests clearly shows that the first Asus-made smartphone based on the Windows Phone 7 platform is getting closer to its launch.

Actually, the Asus E600 (previously known as Garmin-Asus E600) was said to hit the stores on time for Christmas so its premiere might take place even sooner than expected. When we first met it (see the video above), we only got to take a look at its user interface but now, thanks to the numerous images found over at the FCC website (there is even an E600 manual), we also see how the E600 will look like.
The Asus E600 sure is handsome, with a nice, sleek design, and keeping in mind what the WP7 hardware requirements are, we can expect it to be just as smart, too. However, none of the E600 features has been revealed (save for the 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash exposed on one of the images below).

Asus E600
According to some of the documents on the FCC website, the Asus E600 supports 850/1900MHz HSPA. So, don't be surprised if you see it selling at the stores of AT&T USA or somewhere in Canada. By the way, there is no word on the device price yet.

Google Nexus S camera and video samples leak, look poor

2010-12-21T02:42:00.001-08:00

We’ve stumbled upon a bunch of camera and video samples of Samsung I9020 a.k.a. Nexus S and we’re quickly sharing them with you. Just don’t expect any miracles, the samples are rather uninspiring.
The camera samples were uploaded on Picasa and were shot in a Google bus, some building and in home environment.

Nexus S camera samples
If you want to see a few more, you may check out the full album at Picasa.
There’s also a video taken with the Nexus S camera that you can watch from YouTube:

But as the camera ones, we can’t draw any conclusions yet because they don't look promising.

Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone leaks in better videos

2010-12-21T02:41:00.001-08:00

After the blurry Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone spy vid from the other day we can now enjoy not one but two more videos of greater quality. Luckily, Mr. Blurrycam has nothing to do with both of them. Meanwhile, a few ZEUS Z1 camera sample images popped up as well.

Sony Ericsson ZEUS Z1 camera samples (downsized to 1600 x 1200 pixels by Picasa)
Speaking of camera samples, up until now there was no word on the Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone camera but these 2952-by-1944-pixel images spotted over at Picasa suggest that we can expect the Z1 to arrive with a 5 megapixel snapper on board. And the video below clearly shows that the thing also packs a tiny LED flash placed just next to the camera lens.

The handset codenamed ZEUS sure looks thick but we guess that’s the price you pay to get a phone with these sort of gaming capabilities. As you just might have noticed, the fatty runs the upcoming Android Gingerbread and as the next vid reveals there will also be some sort of pre-installed PlayStation software.

There is no information on the other Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone features save for the rumored ones that surfaced a little while back.

Antennagate 2: HTC responds to the HD7 antenna death grip

2010-12-21T02:40:00.001-08:00

The iPhone 4 isn't the only smartphone suffering from bad reception indeed. We already reported, that the HTC HD7 is among the other affected too. And here's what HTC has to say about the issue: "it's perfectly normal".
First it was Apple and its iPhone 4 who took part in an antennagate and now it's HTC HD7's turn to see how it feels to be a signal loser. As we reported in our recently published HD7 review, when held in a certain way, the WP7-running smartphone has some reception issues caused by its antenna design.
However, truth be told, things look way better that they sound. Even when wrapping our hands all over the HTC HD7 we couldn't make it completely lose the signal. We only managed to knock off two out of the five available bars.
Still, since it could happen even when you hold the device normally too, the death grip issues are something to watch out for in areas of poor network coverage.
Up until now HTC was mum on that matter but now the company has finally responded to the death grip claims (sort of):
"Quality in industrial design is of key importance to HTC. To ensure the best possible signal strength, antennas are placed in the area least likely to be covered by a person's face or hands while the phone is in use.
However, it is inevitable that a phone's signal strength will weaken a little when covered in its entirety by a user's palm or fingers. We test all of our phones extensively and are confident that under normal circumstances reception strength and performance will be more than sufficient for the operation of the phone when network coverage is also adequate."
Luckily, HTC didn't start blaming other companies, like you-know-who.

MeeGo tablet and smartphone leak on pictures

2010-12-21T02:39:00.002-08:00

Wondering lately about the MeeGo platform and devices? Well it seems there is some movement on the MeeGo front after all. An unknown tablet and a HI/LO Vibrant smartphone running the Nokia/Intel mobile OS showed up on some pictures.
The tablet looks much like an iPad, but there is no info on the display's size. The two things we know for sure from the picture are the MeeGo OS and the video-call camera.

The MeeGo tablet and smartphone
The HI/LO Vibrant smartphone is based on Intel Atom according to the rear sticker and also runs on MeeGo. It's supposed to pack a display with WVGA resolution, a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and a video-call camera.
The above pictures come from an Intel event in Russia, where the hardware manufacturer introduced some MeeGo devices on its partners.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread shows up on video, minor changes spotted

2010-12-21T02:39:00.000-08:00

Android 2.3 Gingerbread is not out yet despite the old rumors of a November launch. But it should be almost done - Google Hong Kong even used it in a video tutorial for Voice Search. The visible changes are quite underwhelming from what can be seen in the video - but the changes under the hood should prove more interesting.
The notification area color has been changed to black and the icons on it are new. The virtual menu key on the bottom of the screen has been placed on a black background and it's now flanked by two shortcuts. The final bit of UI polish in Android 2.3 Gingerbread is the restyled buttons in the settings menu.

Here are some screenshots from the videos compared to the old Android UI
The Android Market received some new tabs - inside the app information page, there are three new tabs, one of which allegedly reads "Related" (but we're no experts in Cantonese, so we can't confirm that).
Here's the video (scroll past the iPhone part in the beginning), shot on what might (or might not) be a Nexus One.

As for the under the hood changes, we've heard support for higher resolutions (so tablets will be officially supported), WebM video support (Google's own video format), NFC support and others.

Nokia C5-03 available now, yours for 290 US dollars

2010-12-21T02:38:00.000-08:00

Nokia has just released their latest touch-driven handset - the C5-03. Packing a distinctly youthful design, the Nokia C5-03 is yet another budget-minded smartphone by the Finnish manufacturer. It also packs great all round connectivity.
Unfortunately, it runs on Symbian S60 5th edition, rather than the newer Symbian^3 OS. It's also looking a bit off the current trends with its resistive touchscreen.
When it was announced, Nokia promised a retail price of 225 US dollars (170 euro) before taxes for the C5-03, while current online offers go at about 290 US dollars. We are assuming that retailers are just charging an early adopters' fee and those prices will go down in time for Christmas, though.
At that point you will be left with an affordable handset with access to the Ovi store and free lifetime voice-guided navigation. Not to mention the wide range of available bright colors, which will be appreciated by the younger crowd.
This is all fine and dandy, but the Nokia device that everyone wants to see released before Christmas is the E7. Let's hope the Finns won't let us down.

Homebrew apps coming officially to WP7... at some point

2010-12-21T02:37:00.001-08:00

The team standing behind the ChevronWP7 jailbreak tool for WP7 announced that after a meeting with Microsoft they decided to discontinue the unlocking tool effective immediately.

In return Brandon Watson, the Windows Phone 7 Director of Developer Experience, agreed to "open the Windows Phone 7 platform for broader access to developers and users". In other words, it's only a matter of time for home made apps to come to the Windows Phone 7 (as opposed to apps delivered via the Marketplace).
That sure sounds exciting but we won't believe it until we see it. Until that happens we'll miss the ChevronWP7 jailbreak tool.

Over 43 percent of the Android devices out there run Froyo now

2010-12-21T02:36:00.001-08:00

It's been a month since Google's last report on the Android versions usage and here comes the next one. It is based on data collected during the two weeks ending on 1 December and reveals that the Froyo finally managed to take the lead.
According to the information published by Google, 43.4 percent of the Android devices out there are powered by Froyo and two out of every five (39.6 percent) rely on the Android 2.1 a.k.a. Eclair.

The Android 1.6 (Donut) share stands at 10.6 percent while the Android 1.5 (Cupcake) runs on only 6.3 percent of the Android-driven smartphones and tablets. The rest 0.1 percent of the devices are based on obsolete versions.
By the way, the last month's share growth of Froyo was some 2.9 percent while now it reaches 7.2 percent, jumping from 36.2 to 43.4 percent. As for the Eclair, it lost on popularity (1.2 percent).

The number of Donut and Cupcake serving handheld devices continues to shrink so that today only 17 percent of the Android smartphones and tablets are running an Android version lower than 2.1.
So, the invasion of Froyo and Eclair is unstoppable. It took those two only a month to add another 6 percent to their common share, jumping from 77 to 83 percent. And if this trend continues, they could easily make it to over 90 percent before this year's end.

Dell Venue Pro hits it off in the US, sells for 100 bucks on contract

2010-12-21T02:35:00.002-08:00

Today, several weeks later than expected, Dell finally launched its first smartphone based on the Windows Phone 7 platform. The Dell Venue Pro is one of the few WP7 handsets equipped with a hardware QWERTY keyboard - and what an unusual keyboard it is.
The Dell Venue Pro was first said to start selling on 8 November but, apparently, it took the company a bit longer to launch it. Anyway, what really counts is the phone is already available, at least in the US, and can be had for 450 US dollars without a contract or for 100 US dollars with a new 2-year contract with T-Mobile.

Dell Venue Pro
Apart from packing a full QWERTY the Venue Pro also sports a zippy 1GHz Snapdragon processor, multiple connectivity options (including Bluetooth, however, Bluetooth file transfer isn't supported), and a 5MP autofocus camera with HD video recording.
By the way, the Dell Venue Pro also comes with a Gorilla glass covering the 4.1" capacitive AMOLED touchscreen. As the other WP7-powered devices, the Venue Pro doesn't have a microSD card slot so you'll have to rely only on its built-in 8GB storage.

The Sony Ericsson Z1 PlayStation Phone caught on a blurry video

2010-12-21T02:35:00.000-08:00

Good news is the highly rumored Sony Ericsson Z1 PlayStation Phone has finally showed up on video. As for the bad news, the video is made by Mr. Blurrycam. Actually, its image quality is so low that we can nominate it for the blurriest spy video of the year.
OK, according to the video below (of course, only if the thing caught on it is the Sony Ericsson Z1 PlayStation Phone indeed), the PSP is fairly large and packs a quite big touchscreen.
You should already know that the Z1 is expected to pack a Retina-like high-res 4.1" (or maybe a 3.7") touchscreen, to be powered by a fast 1GHz Qualcomm processor and to feature 512MB RAM, 1GB ROM and a microSD card slot.
Anyway, it's always good to have the opportunity to take a look at a spy video, even if it's that blurry:

Oh, and the smartphone-slash-portable-video-game-console should be running the upcoming Android 2.3 a.k.a. Gingerbread. Word is the thing is about to be introduced on 9 December and launched in February 2011. Its rumored price tag is 500 US dollars with 5 games included (additional games should cost around 10 US dollars).
Unfortunately, it's not 100 percent sure that this is indeed the Playstation phone, but it sure looks like a big-screen Android phone by Sony Ericsson. Did somebody say XPERIA X12?

Samsung announces next-gen LCD screens, LG works on QLED

2010-12-21T02:34:00.000-08:00

It appears that the display wars are not going to end anytime soon. Both Samsung and LG announced new generation display technologies, which as you can imagine, promise to be better than anything you may have seen so far.
First off it was Samsung's Mobile Display division that showcased a working prototype of the Super PLS LCD. It is said to offer 100% wider viewing angles and 10% higher brightness than conventional IPS LCD screens (as the one found on the iPhone 4 and iPad). Just don't get misled by the word "conventional" - the IPS LCD unit on the iPhone 4 is among the best we've seen.

Samsung Super PLS LCD prototype
Now we can imagine 10% brightness boost can be achieved, but doubling of the viewing angles seems a rather long shot - IPS LCD just cannot be improved that much in this aspect. After all, those are already unbelievably good.
The Super PLS displays will support resolution up to to WXGA resolution (1280 x 768 pixels) and should cost about 15 percent less to manufacture. Mass production starts early next year so we will hopefully get to see them in action pretty soon - perhaps some time around the MWC 2011 the upcoming February.
On the other side of the camp, LG doesn't have a working prototype to show just yet but it has announced that it has teamed up with QD Vision for the development of Quantum Dot LED (QLED) display units. Dubbed "ultimate solution for displays" QLED should give unmatched power efficiency, providing more brightness, while consuming less power than any currently available OLED technology. Can't wait to see those too.

QLED displays should also offer more accurate colors and be cheaper to manufacture. You can find out more about them at QD Vision's website. The bad news is that QLED technology is still in development and there's no saying when it might be mounted on an actual device.

BlackBerry Curve 8980 escapes via FCC, switches to trackpad

2010-12-21T02:33:00.001-08:00

It seems the aging BlackBerry Curve 8900 is finally getting a successor. The Curve 8980 features almost the same specs, but has picked up WirelessN connectivity and an optical trackpad instead of a regular trackball.
The rest of the specs are quite familiar - 2.4-inch display, QWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel snapper, GPS, Bluetooth and microSD card slot. Similar to its predecessor, the new Curve 8980 also lacks 3G connectivity.

BlackBerry Curve 8980
There is no info on the processor or the amount of RAM yet, but the OS should be BlackBerry OS 5. But don't worry, there will be upgrade to OS 6 for sure.
We guess the official announcement should take place soon.

Motorola Olympus Tegra 2 droid reappears, stars in photoshoot

2010-12-21T02:32:00.001-08:00

Tegra 2 phones can't keep out of the stoplight it seems - the Motorola Olympus has reappeared and got thoroughly photographed. It sports Android 2.2 Froyo, HDMI port and, of course, dual-core Tegra 2 setup (at least according to the unconfirmed rumors).
The Motorola Olympus (model number MB860) was bought by someone at a market of all places and to their surprise it was a working unit. What the photos show is an HDMI port (like we saw on the Tegra 2 phone from LG), two cameras (of unknown resolution) and LED flash.

The Motorola MB860 Olympus runs Android Froyo, is headed to AT&T
The Tegra 2 chipset hasn't been confirmed yet, but it's what the rumors right now are saying. There's also talk that the Motorola MB860 Olympus will record Full HD (1080p) video but there's nothing solid on that either. As far as size goes, it's said to be bigger than the Motorola Defy (both phones look very similar), so we can expect a screen bigger than 3.7".
Anyway, the screenshots reveal that the Olympus is running Android 2.2 Froyo with MOTOBLUR and this particular model is bound for AT&T. The first leak however said that there's another Motorola Olympus in the works.

Front and back camera • microUSB and miniHDMI ports
The launch date is rumored for January - by that time Android 2.3 Gingerbread would be out and we might see the Olympus jump to the newer OS before launching (as the LG Star is expected to do).

Gresso Luxor is a cheaper Luxor Las Vegas Jackpot alternative

2010-12-21T02:31:00.002-08:00

Back in August Gresso launched its extremely overpriced Luxor Las Vegas Jackpot luxury phone priced at 1 million US dollars and now the company is announcing its way more affordable alternative, the Luxor.
The newly introduced Gresso Luxor misses Luxor Las Vegas Jackpot's wow factor but it's also considerably cheaper. The luxury handset is said to cost 4000 US dollars, which is some 250 times less than the 1-million-dollar phone price.

Gresso Luxor
The Luxor is made of African blackwood, ceramics and sapphire. So, no black diamonds and gold this time. Instead, the case is made of titanium alloy coated with ceramics (a technique reportedly used by Egyptian jewelers).
The back is covered with 200-year old African blackwood and on the front you'll find a 42-carat sapphire crystal covering the display. As for the keypad, it's made of sapphire again and each key is manually polished and laser etched.

LG Star Tegra-powered droid reappears, has HDMI port

2010-12-21T02:31:00.000-08:00

The Tegra 2-powered LG Star has reappeared in a new spy photo shoot. The device runs Android 2.2 Froyo instead of the expected 2.3 Gingerbread but still managed to outperform the Nexus One.
One of the screenshots shows the model number, so the phone is formally known as the LG P990 Star. The Star moniker might change but the model number will probably stay the same.

The LG P990 Star is running customized Android 2.2 Froyo (for now)
The Star is running a customized UI on top of Android Froyo. Word is, however, that Gingerbread will take its place by the time the device launches. There's not much on the Tegra 2 specs, like CPU clock speed, but it did beat the Nexus One with Froyo at the Quadrant benchmark.
The 8MP camera on the back has an LED flash - we wish we got some confirmation of the Full HD (1080p) video recording that it is supposed to be capable of. Anyway, there's an HDMI port on the top of the LG P990 Star, most likely of the mini variety.

The HDMI port • Even with Froyo, Tegra is very fast
One more bit of good news - the "No SIM" warning means that the LG P990 Star is a GSM device (the first purported Star that we saw was a CDMA phone).
The LG U3000 we saw yesterday also runs Froyo, records 1080p and has an LED flash. LG is really pushing hard for a place in the smartphone market, and with phones like the U3000 and P990 Star they have a good shot at the top.

HTC Gratia, the European Aria, delayed, still coming soon

2010-12-21T02:30:00.001-08:00

The HTC Gratia was expected to hit the stores across Europe some time in November 2010 but even today, a few hours before November's end, we're still waiting for Gratia's market launch. However, according to HTC the phone is coming. Soon.

The HTC Gratia official photos
First came the HTC Aria and then we welcomed the HTC Gratia. And while the Eclair-powered Aria has been selling around the globe for a while, its European version, the Froyo-based Gratia, hasn't quite made it to all stores throughout Europe yet.
Concerning the UK availability, the guys over at Unwired View contacted HTC and asked when we can expect the Gratia to become available and here's what HTC answered:
"In regards to the HTC Gratia,
Yes, this device is due to be released in the United Kingdom soon. We do not have exact dates as of yet, this is to be confirmed." So, the company is mum on the reasons for the delayed launch but the Gratia is coming this holiday season for sure - it's already available at some places.

The Froyo-running LG LU3000 packs quite a punch

2010-12-21T02:29:00.001-08:00

The latest LG LU3000 is another Korea-only smartphone that we hope someday will make its way to the rest of the world. The Froyo running LU3000 packs a 3.8-inch IPS WVGA display and is capable of 1080p video recording.
The rest of the specs are pretty much standard for a high-end gadget - 1GHz TI OMAP 360 processor, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and HDMI port. The OS ticking inside is Android v2.2 Froyo.

The videos below show that the TI OMAP 360 processor of the LU3000 is quite a performer and may outrun Samsung Galaxy S or iPhone 4 in some cases.

It would be really smart for LG to launch LU3000 in Europe and USA. It seems it has everything to be an excellent competitor on the market.

Froyo-running Acer beTouch E140 on the way, priced at 199 euro

2010-12-21T02:28:00.001-08:00

Yet another rumored Acer device has just surfaced on an Italian website. We can welcome, unofficially, the Froyo-serving Acer beTouch E140, which is said to show up soon and to be quite affordable.

Acer beTouch E140
Word is the upcoming Acer beTouch E140 is based on the Android 2.2 a.k.a. Froyo and should arrive at the stores on time for Christmas. It is expected to feature a 2.8" QVGA display, a 600MHz processor and multiple connectivity options including support for HSPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
By the way, rumor is the inexpensive thing will also pack an infrared port but we guess it's a mistake. Also on board there will be a 3.2MP flash-less camera as well as an FM radio.
The Acer beTouch E140 should start selling soon for 199 euro.

HTC Desire Z and Nokia C7 now available at Vodafone UK

2010-12-21T02:27:00.002-08:00

The highly popular QWERTY-fied HTC Desire Z and the 8MP fixed-focus Nokia C7 cameraphone have just arrived at the Vodafone stores across the UK. Both can be had for free, of course, only after signing a contract with the carrier.

The HTC Desire Z is among the still few droids out there to serve Froyo. But what helps it to really stand out from the crowd of Android-driven devices is its QWERTY keyboard. By the way, the messenger is named after the unusual Z hinge of the side-slide keyboard.
The Desire Z, which we reviewed a short while back, is also equipped with a nice (though not AMOLED-nice) 3.7” S-LCD capacitive touchscreen, a good enough 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM and a 5 megapixel autofocus camera capable of shooting 720p HD videos.
If you go for a 25GBP/month 2-year contract with Vodafone UK, you get the HTC Desire Z for 199GBP. And if you can afford to pay 10GBP more a month and sign a 35GBP/month 2-year subscription, Vodafone gives you the smartphone for free.
If that sounds a bit too much to you, you could check out the Nokia C7, which has just made it to Vodafone UK and is more affordable – it comes for free with a new 25GBP/month 2-year agreement or for 99GBP with a 20GBP/month 2-year contract.
The C7 runs the still fresh Symbian^3 and is among the first Nokia handsets featuring an AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (a good one by the way). It packs diverse connectivity options and its fixed-focus snapper can take 8MP stills and 720p HD videos.

Sony Ericsson feeds Eclair to XPERIA X8, it grows new features

2010-12-21T02:27:00.000-08:00

XPERIA junior - the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 - has joined the X10 party and getting the Android 2.1 Eclair update. Just like the X10 minis, there are some additional improvements to the X8 software.

The Eclair update for Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 is rolling out (image source)

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 uses pretty much the same software package as the XPERIA X10 and X10 mini, so when they get updated, the update for X8 is close behind (and bringing the same improvements).
Here’s a reminder of what those extras are:

Improved Bluetooth functionality with support for sending and receiving pictures, contacts and more
New back up and restore application, with extended content back up
Automatic synchronization of your contact pictures between Facebook and your phone book
Improved ways of handling pictures, audio, text and numbers in your messages
Improved web browser

The update is happening gradually - to see if the update for your Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 is out, check it SI-number (found on the back of the phone) and look it up in the list on the Sony Ericsson Product Blog page.