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As RIM moves ever more into the consumer spectrum of wireless handsets, it's gotta have media software for the desktop to help manage all that content. BlackBerry Desktop Media Manager (BBDMM) is supposed to solve that problem, seeing as songs, videos and pictures can be managed in a single place. So, if you're not happy with all the other media management software packages out there, RIM may have your ticket. Well, at least the ticket that allows content drag-and-drop to your BlackBerry, that is. The newest version of BlackBerry Desktop Media Manager requires BlackBerry Desktop software v4.2, Service Pack 2.
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Sony Ericsson, the manufacturer that pioneered the development of smartphones, unveils the P1 as the latest addition to its P-series range. “In one sense the Sony Ericsson P1 phone is an evolution of our P-series smartphones, as it pushes forward the best attributes of its predecessors,” says Steve Walker, Head of Product Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “At the same time there are also significant improvements in design, speed and battery performance.” Building on the feature set of earlier models, the Sony Ericsson P1 smartphone supports a wide range of push email solutions and Web browsing applications, plus connectivity via hi-speed UMTS and Wireless LAN (WiFi).
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In multimedia terms, what in tarnation is the F500 Ultra Video lacking? Ooh, that's right: live television. Enter the SCH-B640 "Ultra Mobile TV," a device that shares most of the F500's physical attributes but adds in a little S-DMB action for pulling down the satellite feeds South Koreans so enviably receive. Like the F500, the B640 gets a 2 megapixel cam, a self-supporting swivel stand, and the nifty dual-personality concept with a dedicated phone on one side and multimedia features on the other.
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Sony Ericsson launched what might be considered the spiritual successor to the company's popular T610, the new stainless steel finished T650. The new T650 gets a host of updates that set it apart from the T610, bringing the device squarely into modern times. For starters, the T650 supports 3G UMTS on the 2100MHz band as well as tri-band GSM/GPRS support. The T610's lowly .1 megapixel camera has been replaced by a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus unit. It seems that much can change in 4 years.
Other features of note on the T650 include Bluetooth 2.0 stereo support, a 262k color QVGA display, and a Memory Stick Micro card slot for expansion. The T650 weighs around 95g (3.3oz) and is pretty thin in profile at 12.5mm thick. A new feature on the T650 is the illumination effects system that controls the keypad backlighting and the lights on the sides of the phone: the lights interact with on-screen animations to add to the phone's entertainment value.
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The glofiish X500+ takes the original X500's thin formula and packs in a glorious VGA display. Now, the bad: 3G data is still nowhere to be found. We suppose we'll have to wait for the upcoming X800 to sup the sweet nectar of HSDPA from an E-TEN device, but in the meantime, it seems the X500+ is a worthy upgrade its predecessor thanks to a stylish new black casing, Windows Mobile 6 Professional, and, of course, the aforementioned 640 x 480 touchscreen. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but we can probably guess "a lot" and "not here."
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Alcatel's upmarket phone, the OT-C701A, was recently approved by the FCC. The handset, available in orange, black, and light blue, features a VGA camera, a 128x160 pixel 65k color display, A2DP stereo bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion slot with support for up to 1GB for more storage. The onboard music player supports MP3, M4a, AAC and AAC+ audio formats.
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The g-Smart i300 is now slated to get an upgrade from Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone Edition to Windows Mobile 6 Professional, though the translated press release doesn't seem to offer details on exactly how or when the upgrade will go down. Forgetting for a moment the sickly GPRS data speeds, the i300 offers up decent specs with a 520MHz PXA270 core, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, GPS, and a full 256MB of internal Flash with miniSD expansion. Look for the Windows Mobile 6-enabled version of the i300 to launch first in Taiwan with a follow-on launch in Turkey, of all places.
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Nokia recently unveiled its newest CDMA fold-style phone in the form of the Nokia 2505. The handset features sms, speaker phone, calendar, preloaded games, 300-contact phonebook, personalized voice reminder and alarm clock. It also possesses an FM radio and flashlight. This new clamshell is expected to make landfall in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East, Africa, China and Latin American markets sometime in the 2nd quarter of this year.
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Sales records typically don't stand for too long without being overtaken by the next best thing, but somehow, Nokia's el cheapo 1100 handset has reportedly racked up "over 200 million sales" since it launched in 2003. You heard right, this low-end candybar has put the 100 million iPods, 50 million RAZRs, 10 million Chocolates, and 115 million PlayStation 2 consoles to shame in terms of sheer units moved. Interestingly enough, the design team that conjured up this cash cow originally dubbed it "Penny," and the stripped down, dust-proof mobile purportedly entered the market at precisely the right time to catch the booming overseas growth as folks worldwide began snapping up their own cellphone.
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Alltel Wireless has recently announced the availability of one of the sleekest, thinnest phones available to the US market: Samsung's Wafer SCH-R510. The handset is a quarter of an inch thick and weighs 2.7oz and possesses a 1.3 megapixel camera with video capabilities, a built-in MP3 player, XM mobile Radio, Axcess TV and Axcess Mobile Guide. The R510 also features expandable memory, stereo bluetooth connectivity and access to Alltel's Celltop technology. The Wafer is available at Alltel Wireless stores and at shopalltel.com for $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and bundled with a 2 year contract service agreemen
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Nokia introduced a range of seven new handsets specifically made for the needs of consumers in emerging markets. Nokia continuosly works to understand the needs and aspirations of consumers all over the world. This understanding is put into practice by developing products and applications that are attractive, relevant and easy-to-use. Features like phone-sharing, cost monitoring and flashlight are becoming increasingly relevant to consumers in entry markets.
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While Motorola suffers through some financial losses, it still plans on global wireless domination through strategic retail locations. Well, sort of. The company's flagship retail locations worldwide (like Nokia's in Chicago) have been joined by a new flagship store in New Delhi, India. The new location is smack dab in the middle of that city's National Capital Region (NCR) and joins other "Flagship" Motorola locations in Shanghai, China and Moscow, Russia. Moto's new theme with these locations features a consumer-focused, interactive wireless phone experience along with laser etching and customized Motorola "phone tattoos."
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This concept phone is, to say the least, pretty, as well as pretty interesting. The designer shied away from
convention by not making this phone into any familiar and currently available form factor. The design shows a square LCD display on top of a second layer which reveals itself as the keypad when the user flicks the phone open. Not much information is available on the phone, and whether or not the design catches on, only time will tell.
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Picture an 8800 with its tie loosened and a couple buttons undone, and this here is pretty much what you'd get. Hot on the heels of the aforementioned 8800, RIM has officially taken the wraps off its hotly anticipated (and well scooped) 8300 "Curve," a device that takes the standard QWERTY BlackBerry formula and throws in a handful of consumer-friendly features for good measure. Clearly at the top of the list is a 2 megapixel cam with integrated flash -- but other goodies include comprehensive media support (WMA, WMV, and H.263 all make the cut), stereo Bluetooth, a true 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD expansion for when you exhaust (quickly) your 64MB of internal ROM, and a 15.5mm thick shell that's pretty stylish by RIM standards.
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While minor gimmicks are fairly commonplace on humdrum overseas handsets, a mysterious Hong Kong-derived smartphone (another snap after the jump) purports to rock 7.1 audio right on the device itself, and by the looks of things, it's not lying. Of course, there will be absolutely no separation of channels with this thing, and we've got to believe that there's a few wires crossed within giving off a more matrixed wall of sound in reality. The rest of the specs (if they're to be trusted) include a 3.5-inch QVGA touchscreen, Bluetooth, two-megapixel camera, a microSD slot, and a transparent protective lid.
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