HTC S740 - Dual Keypad Smartphone

HTC has come out with a design which others have not dared to try. A dual keypad one with a normal keypad on the top like any ordinary phones and the slider opening up to unveil a full scale QWERTY keypad.

The only awkward thing we notice in the phone is the screen when used with the full-scale keypad. It just doesn't fit. When using a QWERTY keypad you need a complete display to view emails and other things but due to the 12-keypad on the front this is not possible.

The data connectivity offered by the HTC S740 is faster than 3G coming up to over 7MBPS. The phone weighs around 140 grams and measures 116.3 x 43.4 x 16.3 mm with a 2.4 inch QVGA display. Normally we would expect a VGA display but due to the small scren size we will have to settle for QVGA. Other features like Wi-Fi which has become customary in all new phones along with 256MB of inbuilt memory, 3.5mm audio jack, and Usb 2.0 port.

The S740 comes with a Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system running on Qualcom MSM7225 , 528 Mhz processor. The phone is WCDMA compatible along with HSDPA and GSM capable. There is GPS and AGPS navigation along with a FM radio built-in.

This HTC smartphone is scheduled to be released in mid September 2008 and could retail for $550 without carrier subsidy

iPhone to be launched in September in India

Confirmed reports from plenty of sources that the 8GB iPhone from Apple is going to come to India (officially) in September. We have seen plenty of iPhones here on the streets of Bombay purchased from gray markets at a good price. The prices floating around for an iPhone in Mumbai are around Rs. 20,000 to 22,000, depending on your source.

The 8GB version will be officially launched in September this year for a price of Rs. 28,000, much more than the price in the US.

The phone will be launched with Vodafone and finally there will be a "legal" way to get your hands on this. Although we doubt many users would go this way :

3G iPhone is finally official!

The 3G iPhone was announced yesterday by Steve Jobs at the Apple Developers Conference in San Franciso. The new iPhone is actually a little thicker than the old one, but you really don't notice it - thats what the hands-on reviewers at Gizmodo say.

The phone comes with 3G, GSM, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as connectivity options. The back of the iPhone has been the main change 'appearance wise'. It now has a black plastic cover with a camera on the top right.

The new 3G iPhone also provides better audio clarity and the person at the other end can also hear ou better. All in all, at a reduced price of $199 bucks this is surely a good deal. The phone will now be available with over 40 carriers. They are listed below for your reference.

• México: América Móvil
• United States: AT&T
• India: Bharti Airtel
• Philippines: Globe Telecom
• Hong Kong: Hutchison Telecom
• UK & Ireland: O2
• Portugal: Orange and Vodafone
• Austria: Orange and T-Mobile
• France: Orange
• Switzerland: Orange and Swisscom
• Canada: Rogers (wheeeeeee) and Fido (le wheeeeee)
• Singapore: SingTel
• Japan: Softbank
• Italy: Telecom Italia and Vodafone
• Spain: Telefónica
• Denmark: TeliaSonera
• Finland: TeliaSonera
• Norway: TeliaSonera
• Sweden: TeliaSonera
• Germany: T-Mobile
• Netherlands: T-Mobile
• Australia: Vodafone and Optus
• New Zealand: Vodafone

Launching in India before the turn of the year, so wait up before you go shopping for a new phone. Officially out on sale in the USA around July.

War - Nokia N96 vs Apple iPhone

We realise that we have been going on and on about the iPhone and the Nokia N96, but thats all what we can do since this is our job and specially when the two iconic phones launched together in the same week in India.

Price Comparision:
The Nokia N96 will cost you around Rs. 36,000 while the Apple iPhone 3G with 8GB memory will cost Rs. 31000 and 16GB about Rs. 36,100. On price points even though they are hugely expensive we give them equal rank.

SMS Forwarding, FM Radio:
These two features are the darling of any mobile phone user in India. Since Texting messaging is really cheap in this part of the world forwarding SMSes is a very normal thing for all users. FM Radio is the life of people whilst traveling this is your one source of entertainment on the roads of the Indian metro cities. The lack of both these features on the iPhone is a big minus as far as its Indian market is concerned.

Battery Life:
Nokia N96 wins on this hands down. There have been lots of problems with the battery drainage of the Apple iPhone and these don't seem to stop. You will have to charge your phone everyday or twice a day for that matter if you are a heavy user.

GPS:
This is not a huge factor for the Indian market, but still a talking point. On the GPS front Nokia again wins this pretty easily.

Video Calling:
Video calling is not possible on the iPhone and the Nokia N96 is pretty good at it.

Data Transfer and Bluetooth usage:
A major , major talking point regarding the iPhone. The bluetooth on the iPhone can only be used for hands-free calling. No data transfer allowed between handsets or even with a computer with bluetooth enabled.

Storage:
You thought the storage factor will play in for the iPhone ? That isn't true. The Nokia N96 comes with 16GB of internal storage plus you have the luxury of adding a 8GB memory card giving you a whopping storage of 24GB. The iPhone again loses here.

Design:
There is no beating the iPhone, as simple as that!

All in all, if you are looking for more bang for the buck, go for the Nokia N96. Lookwise and as a fashion symbol, we still say there is no beating the iPhone!

Nokia 6600i unleashed in India

The Nokia 6600i has just been launched in India and it establishes itself as the smallest 5-megapixel phone in the market. The 6600i has a slider form factor with an extremely impressive design and style.

The camera being the phones USP promises to deliver crystal clear imaging with its 8x zoom and auto focus functionality. It also comes with a dual LED flash for enhancing image quality.

Other features include FM radio, playback for all kinds of media files/formats, stereo headsets and bluetooth v2.0. A microSD card slot capable of holding a 16GB card fits perfect for this phone.

Samsung Omnia HD Comes to India

Features a huge 3.7 inch AMOLED screen sporting a 360 x 640 pixel resolution


Samsung has announced the launch of its first Series 60 Fifth Edition handset, the Omnia i8910 HD in India. The power packed cellphone boasts of a host of new features, most notably, its 8 megapixel camera and HD video recording (720p @ 30fps) ability.
The Omnia HD features a huge 3.7 inch AMOLED screen sporting a 360 x 640 pixel resolution. This should make your Video and image watching experience simply amazing. The Omnia HD also features an ARM Cortex A8 processor running at 600 MHz. There seems to be conflicting reports regarding the processor with some reports talking about the processor being a 1Ghz one! If that was not all there's a s separate 3D Graphics HW Accelerator thrown in as well. The Omnia HD also features a 3.5 mm audio jack, DNSe 2.0 (Digital Natural Sound Engine) and Virtual 5.1 channel Dolby surround sound.



The phone runs Samsungs proprietary Touchwiz UI over the S60 Fifth Edition interface. Overall, the look and feel of the device is classier than that of the N97. The only advantage Nokia has over the Samsung now seems to be the physical QWERTY keyboard.
The Omnia HD has been priced at Rs 33,990 which pits it directly against the N97 and it looks like N97 no longer looks THAT appealing anymore!

Next-Gen Walkman S-Series Details Leaked

Alleged details about Sony's next-gen Walkman, S-Series, have been leaked by a French gadget Website that reports the upcoming model will support 42 hours of music play, FM tuner, video capability, drag-and-drop file transfer and a built-in speaker. The site, Materiel.net, says the new Walkman will be available in 8GB (NWZ-S544) and 16GB (NWZ-S545) capacity with both having a 2.4-inch LCD screen with QVGA display.


Image is from Materiel.net


The French site lists the S-Series pricing as 129 ($183) for the 8GB and 149 ($211) for the 16GB. There's no word on U.S. pricing, but Sony's current 16 GB S-Series Walkman sells for about $160. It's likely the newer models will stay around the same price point as current S-Series devices. On the down side, it doesn't look like the refreshed Walkman will come with Wi-Fi capability like the new X-Series does, and Materiel lists black as the only available color for the new models.

If Materiel's specs are correct then the new devices are just a minor tweak from the current S-series. Compared to the 16GB S-Series on store shelves today, the new device gets a playing time boost of two hours from 40 hours to 42 hours, the screen goes from 1.75-inches to 2.4-inches, and the built-in speaker is new. The new S-Series also gets a more compact, Mickey Mouse-style button layout than its predecessors. There's no word on a release date yet, but we'll keep you posted once we hear something.

LG VIEWTY SMART (LG-GC900) IN INDIA

LG Electronics India has launched its much awaited mobile handset LG-GC900 for Indian Consumers .

LG GC900 comes with a 8MegaPixel camera the company claims GC900 is packed with intelligent sot mode that makes it easier to take great photos by automatically analyzing scenes and adjusting camera settings accordingly .

Extremely pocketable, Viewty Smart is just 12.4 mm deep, making it the slimmest 8 megapixel camera phone available as of now in Indian market.

Mr. Anil Arora, Business Group Marketing Head, Mobile Communications, LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd quoted Viewty Smart is a real digital camera in a really stylish phone.

Perfect for those dedicated to fashion and who like to be one step ahead of the technology crowd, LG GC 900 allows you to take your best shot and share your photos with friends and family quickly and simply. The Viewty Smart has a gorgeous display and best-of-class user interface. It has the potential of becoming a bestseller as it takes the pleasure of taking pictures to newer horizons.

The phone comes for a price tag of Rs 27,500.

Chinese Mobiles: The Flip-flop Continues

Mobile operators on a mission to 'legalize' unbranded Chinese handsets.
By now, we have seen numerous flip-flops regarding Chinese phones, sometimes from the government, the other times from the operators. It was only in June that the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade ordered that mobile handsets without an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number cannot be imported anymore. Looks like its time for (yet another) operator flip-flop.
So, after a status quo, Chinese handsets are set to make a comeback (not really a comeback, because sales of such handsets apparently had not been affected even after the so called ban on them). So, while we might have had seen many changes in the government and the mobile operators' stance, one thing that has not changed is the sale of such handsets, which continues till date. Unabated.


In the latest move, mobile operators seem to be the ones who are on a mission to "legalize" unbranded Chinese handsets by assigning them new IMEI numbers. This move is similar to the one that was "directed" by the government a few months ago. The cellcos will assign extra, six digit suffixes to existing handsets that share the same IMEI number. Technically (and legally), no two handsets should share an IMEI number. That, however, is not true in case of unbranded Chinese handsets. While some do not come with an IMEI number at all, others have spoofed IMEIs with thousands of handsets sharing the same IMEI number. Now, this causes huge issues for the cellcos because they are the ones that are obliged to keep a watch on who uses their networks. In the past, with legal handsets, it was not a difficult task to track down the mobile phone using which a certain call was made. With spoofed IMEIs, thousands of phones share the same IMEI resulting a loophole for criminals and other such entities to escape from the police. It is this loophole that the cellcos want to block by assigning modified IMEIs.

Nice. It looks quite rosy on paper. However, what has been lacking is the implementation part of this. Chinese handsets have proliferated so deeply into the market that it is virtually impossible to quarantine each and every handset out there. The operators also seem reluctant to "cut off" access to such handsets as that would affect revenues. If that was not all, people who had purchased such handsets would find their handsets unusable one fine day. That's unfair for them because they have paid money to purchase these handsets. Now, what the operators are doing here is "walking the tight rope" and toeing a middle line. Its success, however, will only be seen if the implementation part of it goes well. This, sadly, has not been the case, at least from the experience we had in the past few months.

Nokia's New 5800i XpressMusic Soon

This might actually skip Wi-Fi!


The U.S. FCC website seems to be the best place to look for future product launches and scourge for "leaks". In yet another example of such a leak, sharp-eyed folks have found out that a cousin to the 5800 XpressMusic is awaiting approval from the FCC. The new product goes by the name 5800i. Now, contrary to your assumption, the 5800i will not be an upgrade over the original 5800 Xpressmusic. In fact, from what we know, this one would actually skip Wi-Fi!


To make things more confusing, the camera on this one seems to be marginally better than the one on the 5800. The 3 megapixel camera boasts of a longer focus distance - 4.6mm as opposed to 3.7mm. Nokia seems to think that users would prefer a better camera than Wi-Fi. We cannot think of any other reason why Wi-Fi was dropped from the features list. It would only make sense if this one was priced well below where the 5800 now retails.




In any case, there seems to be quite some time before this one sees its launch. In the meantime, Nokia might just clear up the rough edges and this one should actually make a good 5800 successor/replacement.

Apple pushes iDisk app for iPhone

Free iDisk allows accessing, sharing, uploading and viewing iDisk account files on iPhones.
Apple has quietly pushed out iDisk App for iPhone OS devices on iPhone 3.0 firmware. MobileMe, Apple's subscription-based online services
has iDisk service that allows storing, accessing, sharing and back up of files online on the cloud servers. Earlier, MobileMe subscribers had to use web browser on Mac or PC for accessing their iDisk files. But now, the free iDisk app can be used on iPhone or iPod Touch to access the files stored in iDisk account.Apple's this app that will allow MobileMe subscribers to access their iDisk content on their iPhone or iPod Touch albeit working on iPhone OS 3.0 update. Apparently, this app outrights the number of apps like App Sharing Pro, OneDisk or Mobile Disk that already exist in App Store on grounds of iDisk support.
This iDisk app also allows users to login to the MobileMe account, upload files and share files via email over the WiFi, 3G/EDGE or GPRS network. User also gets an option to make the shared files link password protected and also limit the number of days that the link would remain active. The app also supports viewing iWork, Office, QuickTime, PDF, and other file types.
However, the iDisk app doesn't allow download files, rename or move files to another folder. However, users can delete files and folders so be careful with it. In case you are looking beyond the features that iDisk app offers, you can always buy App Sharing Pro or OneDisk for the unique features they offer.

iPhone's Vulnerable to SMS Hack

This could also be used to "infect" the iPhone with malicious code.
Two security
experts, Charlie Miller and Colin Mulliner, have demonstrated, at a Black Hat presentation, how hackers could possibly "hack" into an Apple iPhone
and wreck havoc. The two analysts also showcased how competing Mobile OS's Android and Windows Mobile too isn't safe from such an attack.
Charlie Miller, who is an Independent Security Evaluators researcher clarifies that the hack takes advantage of the way in which the iPhone handles the SMS protocol. He adds that using this hack a possible hacker can even launch a Denial of Service (DOS) attack. Now, what this brings to our notice is the recent claim by Apple about its fears regarding jailbroken iPhones being susceptible to security breaches. While Apple's version of the story claims jailbroken iPhone can be used to bring down cellular towers, this hack mentions nothing of that sort. However, other things like the hacker being able to intercept text messages and vulnerability to malware remain. Now, we are not sure if the "hacks" are related, but both do sound simila
As for what all can be done, the hacker could flood a user with spam text messages, shut the phone, deface text or even reconfigure keys. Another facet of this attack is that this could also be used to "infect" the iPhone with malicious code without any user intervention. This means, the user doesn't need to click on any malicious link to get his phone infected. In a worst case scenario, the infected iPhone would scourge the user's contacts list and send spam messages to everyone in the list, thereby infecting more phones in the process. According to F-Secure's chief research officer, Mikko Hypponen, trojans designed for the iPhone could be used to steal data and can also turn the phone to a remote spying device.

Nokia Surge gets official, prettier than before

Nokia have finally announced the Nokia Surge full-QWERTY equipped side-slider. Packing an extraordinary design the new handset runs on the S60 and packs advanced messaging features and a distinct youthful appeal. We have to admit that the handset looks a lot better on the official photos than it usedto on those leaked shots.
Nokia Surgepacks a 2.4" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution. Quad-bandGSM/GPRS/EDGE and dual-band UMTS with HSDPA 3.6Mbps support provide thenetwork data transfers, while Bluetooth, USB and a 2.5 mm audio jackcover the local connectivity.



Nokia surge
It's worth noting that the Nokia Surge sports the huge 1500 mAh battery that managed to impress us on Nokia E71.The list of interesting features of the device is completed by 128 MBof internal memory, expandable by up to 8GB through the microSD cardslot, as well as FM radio, A-GPS and a 2 megapixel camera.
The AT&T-exclusive Nokia Surge also comes complete with a hostof carrier-related services, including AT&T Navigator,Yellowpages.com, Where, AT&T Music, Mobi TV, Video Share,JuiceCaster and Nokia Surge will be available through AT&T stores and at its online shop before the end of the month. It will set you back 79.99 USD with a two-year service agreement and after a mail-in rebate.

Samsung Haptic AMOLED touchscreen 3G phone

Samsung has announced the Haptic AMOLED for the Korean market. The phone comes with a high-resolution 3.5 inch AMOLED display (something which the iPhone 3GS lacks), 5 Megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth and the Korean favorite T-DMB. The Haptic AMOLED features 'One-finger Zoom' function, Divx, Haptic UI 2.0 version and support for popular video formats like H.264, MPEG4, and AC-3. The phone will be available in Korea for 800,000 KRW ($ 550).

NOKIA 6760 IN INDIA

Nokia India announced the launch of a new mobile phone Nokia 6760. The latest Mobile Phone Nokia 6760 which has been on sale already in the international markets now it will be available in India.

Nokia 6760 features a 2.4 inches QVGA (320X240) Display and a QWERTY keyboard. This makes the device perfect for SMS and even using all social web services.

Nokia mobile phones have always been renowned handsets market with unique features. Nokia 6760 slide is a great multi-tasker you can tweet, email, IM, share online, browse the web, listen to music, it makes phone calls too, all at the same time and.



Nokia 6760 is one of the most powerful mobile phone which will win the trust and hearts of its user.

The new mobile device will ideal for individuals who want to stay connected when they are out and about, the Nokia 6760 slide offers very fast and easy access to favourite social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, MySpace or Twitter as well as email accounts from Ovi Mail, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Windows Live Hotmail and thousands of other email providers. Setting up an existing Email on the Nokia 6760 slide is simple. Only the Email address and password are required. Push email is available through Nokia Messaging.

Instant Messaging no longer needs to be confined to a computer as the Nokia 6760 slide also offers access to instant messaging solutions from Google Talk and Windows Live Messenger.In addition to great messaging options, features like the inbuilt A-GPS module together with the 3D landmarks and the terrain maps give a greater dimension to the Nokia 6760 slide.

The phone also comes loaded with a decent 3.2 Mega-pixels camera along with GPS with A-GPS Support, Bluetooth with A2DP, audio 3.5mm jack. The mobile supports 2G and 3G-HSDPA 2100 both Network, Wi-Fi, micro USB port, GPS and A-GPS for better map dimensions. It is pre-installed with Quick office and PDF reader.Nokia 6760, having 1500mAh battery with a standby time of around 20 days

Nokia is selling this device for a price of around Rs. 14,000. It is available in three colors- Black, Red and White. Its will be available in all Nokia stores in by Sept-Otc-2009.

Samsung APPILICATION store

Samsung will be launching the developer's backend of their Application Store tomorrow. By using the new Application Seller website, developers will be able to publish apps or content to Samsung Application store (Symbian, Windows Mobile and Java) as well as track sales records, revenue and even rankings. Billing and payment are also handled online through the new Application Seller website.TheSamsung Seller Site(not up yet) is the next step in the Samsung efforts in streamlining the apps and content delivery to end users. The Samsung Mobile Innovator has been up for more than half an year supporting developer's efforts. Samsung even launched a beta version of theirApplication Storein English and German earlier this year. The fully-fledged Samsung App store however will start spawning in regional versions across Europe in Q3 this year.Registering on the new website is available after a basic entry fee of only one US dollar. The Seller Site members will be able to purchase a sales contract online and check the certification status in real-time.These days almost every major manufacturer has an App Store running. There are so many, that having one will no longer give any manufacturer an edge but it will sure bring them up to the standard set by the competition.

The Apple AppStore has been faring quite well and the massive amounts of new apps and games surely make the Apple iPhone quite an attractive platform despite its flaws.In Samsung's case they've waited quite some time before they started their own apps distribution initiative probably to stay away of what has traditionally been a network carriers business. And as you probably know, network carriers are the largest customers of mobile phone manufacturers. But times are changing and so are the rules of the game obviously.

Pics of Nokia N97 Mini leak, Symbian world holds its breath

Pics of Nokia N97 Mini leak, Symbian world holds its breath
The available info doesn'tget any further than a spy shot or two, but we're talking the real dealhere. The most popular handset in our database for several weeks in arow - Nokia N97 is to have a baby brother soon.
Rumors of a more compact version of the Nokia N97 have been around for quite a while now but that does look rather morebelievable. The possibility that this might be a nicely done fake unitstill remains of course.

The Nokia N97 mini next to the original model
With the entry-level 5530 XpressMusic just around the corner, Nokia needs an upper-midrange model to fill the gap between the N97 and the 5800 XpressMusicso it can have a complete range of touchscreen devices. We aren't quitesure if a QWERTY side-slider is the best choice, but the N97 was prettywell received so what do we know. A more affordable version of theSymbian-fans dream device might be just what's needed to have them makethe switch to the Symbian touchscreen world.

iPhone OS 3.1 beta 3

Brings video copy-paste in emails and data tether counters.
Apple has released third beta of iPhone
OS 3.1 SDK update to the iPhone App Developers. This beta update brings feature to copy/paste videos in emails like we do for pictures and data tethering counter. On July 14, the iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 was released that allowed developers to test their applications
over WiFi and changed bit of text for video trimming options. The second beta of iPhone OS 3.1 will expire today.



The iPhone OS 3.1 SDK and firmware build 7C116a has few features that have been mentioned so far by When Will Apple blog. The third beta so far features that videos can be copied and pasted in the emails. Also, the Usage option in the settings now show Cellular Network Data and Tethering Data counters. The iPhone no longer vibrates when app icons are moved around.


There isn't any word on the augmented reality thing in the iPhone OS 3.1 SDK beta updates yet. Hopefully, any of the future beta updates would bring that functionality for developers.

Google Latitude Arrives for iPhone

However, it's in the form of a Web app and not a native app


Almost six months after introducing Google Latitude, current location broadcasting service for users, Google has finally rolled out Latitude for iPhone
OS based devices.



Google's Latitude service has been made available for download to iPhone and iPod Touch owners in the form of a web app and not a native app. On heading to google.com/latitude though the Safari browser, the iPhone or iPod Touch owner will get the Latitude will show up. Note that Latitude is different from the My Location feature recently added to Google for iPhone users.

Mat Balez, product manager of the Google Mobile team, noted in the blog post at Google Mobile Blog that Apple requested them to release Latitude as a web application in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone which uses Google to serve maps tiles. As noted in past, iPhone OS 3.0 software update would bring Geolocation support in the Safari browser. That might be the reason why Google held up Latitude for iPhone.
Users can add Latitude to their iPhone or iPod Touch home screen by clicking on the + sign at the bottom of Safari browser window and select 'Add to Home Screen' option. Latitude on iPhone being a web app won't work in the background unlike for other mobile platforms like Symbian, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile
. For saving battery life, Google Latitude uses Wi-Fi triangulation or Cellular Tower location instead of GPS.






In case you're worried about privacy, it is being taken care as the user can restrict Safari from using current location. Also under the 'Floaty Bar', users can choose either to Set their location, Detect their location or totally Hide their location from others.
It is hoped many iPhone and iPod Touch owners would be happy to see Latitude on their devices. If in future Apple allows background process on iPhone OS based devices then update on Latitude might include it to native Google Maps app or Google Mobile app from App Store.

Samsung's Watch Phone is Slim, Expensive

A direct competitor to arch rival LG's GD910


Samsung has announced a new watch phone, the S9110. At 11.98 mm, it happens to be the slimmest watch phone money can buy now. The S9110 is a direct competitor to arch rival LG's GD910 watch phone that the world came to know about not long ago. Samsung seems to have pipped LG to announce and launch this phone before the GD910 is seen in stores.



The S9110 has it all to make you drool over it. From 1.7-inch touchscreen display to voice recognition, the phone oozes style and might turn out to be one gadget you'd like to flaunt. It comes with a leather strap and a stainless steel body. It is not low on features as well, thanks to a decent music player and an e-mail client. There is Bluetooth as well for those looking for wireless freedom. Thanks to A2DP support, you won't look like Michael Knight calling K.I.T.T for help whenever you answer a phone call.

So, folks over at Samsung have priced this beauty (depends on which side of the design divide you stand) at 450 Euros (Rs. 31,000 approx.), which, mind you, is quite a decent amount of money if you are talking in cellphone terms. If you are an 80's kid who had always yearned for those "cool" watch phones, you now can finally own one