Nokia 6208 Classic full review

Addicted to S40 devices but still want to get the touch screen feature, but sadly there was no touch screen phone in the S40 series till Nokia 6208 Classic launched. Yes, that’s right; Nokia 6208 Classic is the first touch screen phone to be featured in the S40 series. The phone ranges in a reasonably comfortable price tag range and will be going to cost around 13K.

Some may feel that it’s a bit too costly but keeping an eye on all the features and phone specifications, the price is just right. Moreover it’s the launch price which is bound to get low in a month or so. May be that’s the right time to buy the phone if you think it’s costly right now. The looks of the phone are so stunning that you just can’t pass unnoticed. The glazing silver metallic finish, especially the back panel and the camera borders are just so cool.

Alright it’s a touch screen but still it also has a alphanumeric keyboard. Was there actually a need for this, why waste so much space. I could spot 2 basic reasons for this. May be they wanted the users to give more ease in typing as they are used to it or if they you would have increased the screen size and removed the keypad, it would have been a costly option and the price tag would have shifted from mid range to high range.

Let’s have a look at the phone specifications:

• 2.4-inch QVGA display (320 x 240) with Up to 16.7 million colours

• Supports Email and Web browsing

• 3.2-megapixel camera with Dual LED flash and 8x digital zoom

• TCP/IP support including EDGE and GPRS

• microSD memory card slot, hot swap, max. 8 GB

• Play music using the 3.5mm jack

• Handy stylus glued at the back of phone

• USB 2.0 or Bluetooth Connection

Nokia 6790 Mako Hands On!

So check it… We just got our hands on Nokia’s 6790 (codenamed Mako) device — the freaky 3G sliding QWERTY headed for AT&T. There have been no live pictures of this bad boy so we went ahead and took a bunch. The phone itself is drastically different from what we’d expect from Nokia (just based on their design heritage) yet ridiculously lackluster. While most of you (us included) thought this would be a high-end device, our quick perusal dictates otherwise. It feels like it would fit right in with the Samsung Propels, LG Xenons and Pantec Matrixs of the world. That’s not to say this is anything final, the unit we have is obviously not a retail unit nor is the software it’s running finished either, but these are just the first impressions we’re getting.

The screen is pretty low-res and low quality as well. We’re not feeling the keyboard (the fact Nokia still doesn’t move the letter Z one space over is hilarious) and the unit itself screams low-end to be perfectly honest. Kind of a let down. Check out our photos of this mythical beast in our gallery, leave us any questions in the comments, and stay tuned for a review of this unit pretty soon!

HTC Touch Pro 2 release date ?

Expansys UK has updated their preorder page for the HTC Touch Pro 2 with a ballpark launch date: June 12th. This falls in line with expectations for the T-Mobile Germany release , but if you’re worried that it will just available in Europe, don’t worry, we’re pretty sure that the Touch Pro 2 will be coming to the U.S. as well due to a leaked Windows Mobile 6.5 ROM. So far, the Touch Pro 2 is looking like a worthy successor to the original, having a 3.6″ 480 X 800 WVGA touchscreen, 3.2 megapixel camera with secondary VGA video conferencing camera, GPS, and a tilting screen that makes for easier viewing. If you’re in the market for a Windows Mobile messaging phone, mark your calendars for this one.

Nokia N97 vs. LG Viewty Smart: Side By Side Comparison

The Nokia N97 has been confirmed for a June release, but just today LG has announced their flagship handset for the Summer, the Viewty Smart.

Boasting an 8 megapixel camera, amazing video recording and a 3" touchscreen, the Viewty Smart certainly has the credentials to be a genuine contender. But which is better?

This table compares their specs side by side I'll leave you guys to draw your own conclusions...

The S-Class User Interface vs. Symbian S60 v5 for the touchscreens, 5MP Carl Zeiss or 8MP Schneider-Kreuznach, Nokia Maps or Google Maps for GPS...what do you think?

Me? Love the look of the N97, it just exudes luxury whilst the Viewty Smart smacks of LG Arena v2.0, but I'm trying to keep out of this one!
LG Viewty Smart GC900 Vs. Nokia N97

HTC Touch Diamond2 Video tour

Well sure, you've seen the Diamond2 being unboxed elsewhere, but deep down we know you long for our wobble-cam videos. Here's our HTC Touch Diamond2 overview video which takes a tour around the handset and some of the bits you get inside the box. We also have a look at the new HTC TouchFLO 3D interface which now integrates even more deeply into the operating system - something we've personally wanted for several months now.

BlackBerry Storm 2 gets pictured early

We knew it was coming, and just like its relatives the Onyx and the Gemini, yet another unreleased model has managed to escape the confines of RIM's Waterloo headquarters. This time, however, it's the Storm 2, which we've heard has been internally codenamed "Oden." We've also caught wind that this model pictured is of the GSM flavor, and yes, it's indeed packing WiFi in addition to GPS according to one of our sources. As far as that rumored "new approach to text entry," it sounds like the keyboard has been tweaked but isn't a radical departure from the first generation. From the photos, it seems that RIM has advanced in the war on buttons and axed the bottom four in favor of some touch-sensitive controls. The real improvements, however, appear to be under the hood, as the whole device reportedly runs much faster and smoother than the current model. We can't confirm these specs, but with the Tour coming this summer, and the Storm 2 hopefully making an appearance before the holiday shopping season, looks like you Verizon BlackBerry fans might not have to be that jealous of your GSM brethren after all. One more pic after the break.Source...

HTC Willow for Sprint First hands-on Photos

Listed on the leaked Sprint mobile devices roadmap, the Windows Mobile powered HTC Willow smartphone is available with few first spy photos. The smartphone is running Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard edition, should be an affordable solution for your business needs. Powered by a 528MHz processor, the smartphone has a 2 megapixel camera, 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM, QWERTY keyboard and the Inner Circle feature. According to the source it should be available in June with a price of $149. Check out a few more photos inside.

HTC Rhodium Visits FCC

It looks like HTC’s Rhodium has gotten the FCC’s nod of approval. This variant of HTC’s Touch Pro2 should be available from T-Mobile, as the FCC’s documentation indicates a device that supports T-Mobile’s 1700MHz 3G band, as well as EDGE and GSM. The device should be available late spring, and will feature a revamped design, tilting keyboard and 3.6-inch display with 480 x 800 resolution. Other features of the Rhodium include Windows Mobile 6.1, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

Nokia 5800 Star Trek Edition

Did you think that Nokia’s 5800 deserved to be mentioned in the same breath as other shows, aside from The Dark Knight? Well, Nokia has just revealed that it will be releasing a special Star Trek edition of the device. Even better news is that the device will be available for free on contract with Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and O2. The Star Trek version will feature animated screen savers, wallpapers, eight exclusive Star Trek ringtones, and is completed by a phazer application. This Star Trek edition of the Nokia 5800 will certainly be the phone to bring to the next Star Trek convention.

HTC Touch Diamond2 unboxing video

Our HTC Touch Diamond2 has arrived and we have just done a quick unboxing video and a look around the device, nothing too in-depth at this stage but it should be worth a watch if your interested in this phone. First impressions are the screen is beautiful and the most sensitive of any Windows Mobile device to date, nice and responsive to use. The phone is small in the hand and no longer has the diamond shaped rear panel which is a big improvement.Source...

How to speed up your windows mobile phone

Haven’t tried this software personally but spotted this over at msmobiles and it looks very interesting. This is how the developer describes the software.
Speedbooster helps you get maximum performance out of your mobile device. We’ve designed it to be completely safe for your hardware, and easy to use. The built in Benchmark module will easily show your performance gain.
SpeedBooster 2.0 is composed of 6 parts, built to work together to make your device faster and more powerful. In simple terms, we could say that SpeedBooster is "SAFE overclocking", since it allows you to focus the CPU power to various programs running on your device, without stressing the hardware. Besides this, a large number of tweaks have been added to control the functionality and performance of the Memory, Video and Storage!
There are a couple of video demos of the software after the break, if you have used it let us know in the comments.

Demo #1
This introductory movie shows the Speedbooster installation process, and the most important application and interface components.

A truly amazing video showing the exact steps to follow to boost the performance of your mobile device. Imagine using all that speed gain with your favourite applications, GPS navigation software or games, or other tasks requiring more power!
You can find out more and download a 5 day trial at Teksoft. Source...

Nokia N97 release date

I've been watching this one closely. From the moment Nokia announced the Nokia N97 I've been eager to get my hands on one. The spec got me salivating. Check this out:

5.0 Megapixel Digital Camera with Carl Zeis lens and duel LED flash.

32GB Onboard Memory!!!

Wi-Fi Connectivity.

Assisted GPS.

HSDPA.

PUSH Email

TV-output, Video Player, and Video Recorder.

Full-Size slide out QWERTY Keyboard.

32GB onboard memory, that's amazing, even twice the size of the largest iPhone available. Apparently it will also be capable of accepting a 32GB MicroSD card too. Though initially only 16GB cards will be available.

One small gripe I have, is that Nokia have opted to use a resistive screen rather than a capacitive screen. For such a high end phone, it seems a silly decision, as it's sure to seem sluggish when compared with the iPhone.

It appears the N97 isn't going to hit our shores though until June. Carphonewarehouse and other sources are giving the date of June 23rd as the expected release date, but who know's what could happen between now and then?

I'm really keen to learn from anybody who's got a pre-production Nokia N97.

HTC Touch 3G shows up on Orange website

Following on from our earlier story the HTC Touch 3G is now showing as "Coming Soon" on the Orange website.

The Touch 3G builds on the huge success of the original HTC Touch but there's an improved specification including 3G, which was missing on the original device. There's also a 3.2 megapixel camera, WiFi, YouTube on board, GPS and the Opera web browser with a finger-friendly HTC TouchFLO interface.

Read our full review here. You can already get the unlocked version from devicewire.com or pop down to your local Orange store to see if they've arrived on contract. Source...

HTC Maple smartphone on radar again

A few months ago a pipe burst somewhere and a whole load of upcoming HTC handsets appeared. One of them was the HTC Maple, which a lot of people have been waiting for. Remember the HTC S620 (Excalibur) ? Yep, many do and many have been waiting for a newer version. Sure, there's been an attempt at a QWERTY Smartphone from Palm but it just didn't hit the spot for us.

The thin Smartphone has a 2 megapixel camera and some nice easy-to-find keys up front with an offset QWERTY. There's the sliding panels interface and ... oh .. can we buy it yet please? Yay! A QWERTY messaging Windows Mobile Smartphone at last! Source...

HTC Touch Diamond2 video demo

Those lucky beggers at mobilechoice managed to get a hands-on with the HTC Touch Diamond2 at the Mobile World Congress last month. Unlike most videos we've seen this is a sedate, smooth and clear video which shows the handset along with the new TouchFLO 3D, new contact interface and camera.Source...

Touch Diamond 2 in action running Windows Mobile 6.5

Windows Mobile 6.5. You've probably heard a lot about it already and it should be appearing later on this year. There's already surprise that Windows Mobile 7 will be arriving next year and we've not really seen much of the promised Windows Marketplace apart from the announcement itself.

Win Mo 6.5 is rapidly on it's way though and, apart from the leaked ROM's appearing on the net, very few people have actually used it. areamobile.de have a great video of it running on the Touch Diamond 2. It's in German but the pictures speak for themselves on this one. Take a look here.
Source...

Samsung Louvre now available: Buy via extra Retailer

Holland’s Phone House, has posted a rather brief product page for the so-called B7610 Louvre. Rumors about the model have been bouncing about for a while now.

According to The Phone House, the code-name for the model is “Louvre” not “Louve”. The official product name will be most likely “B7610″. Information is limited through the website with much of the specifications of the model missing.

The phone is referenced to feature a slide-out full QWERTY-keyboard, it’s expected that the B7610 is featuring a tilting screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera and it’s said to run Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, while the customized UI was said to be similar to Samsung SGH-i900 Omnia TouchWIZ UI.Source...

Nokia N97 Loaded with Skype

Internet calling company Skype has secured a deal with Nokia under which the world’s biggest phone maker will preload Skype software into some of its new smartphones starting from the third quarter of this year. Nokia is pre-installing a Skype client on the flagship N97 handset, being launched in June, allowing users to make VoIP calls without paying a penny to the network operator who is still expected to subsidise the cost of the phone

It will also let people use Skype’s instant-messaging client. Most importantly, N97 users will be able to make free and low-cost phone calls over the Internet whether they are on a 3G cellular network or a Wi-Fi network. The Skype-to-Skype voice calls are free. And the SkypeOut service, which allows calls from Skype to landlines and mobile devices, offers low rates.

Latest Samsung eco friendly phone

Samsung has announced its solar powered full touchscreen phone, Blue Earth, which has been developed with the aim of ensuring a sustainable environment. In keeping with Samsung’s commitment towards making eco-friendly devices, the solar powered phone has been designed from recycled plastic and has a solar panel fit on the back to charge the phone. The phone supports a special ‘eco mode’ that adjusts and sets the screen brightness, backlight duration and Bluetooth to lowest energy consumption mode. The phone supports a pedometer application called ‘eco walk’ that counts the numbers of steps taken by the user and calculates as to how much CO2 emissions have been reduced by walking and also telling the number of trees saved by the user’s decision to walk rather than use any automobile.

Motorola Raspberry QA30 now officially called Moto Hint

Remember the Moto Raspberry QA30 that we told ya about way back in September? Well, Moto's finally announced it as the Moto Hint. The press release calls it a 'social messaging slider' that comes with a QWERTY keyboard and threaded messaging. It comes with a 3.5 mm audio jack and a 2 MP snapper. As we had mentioned earlier, this one's gonna be restricted to North America only (naah, we ain't whining...).

Technical specifications:

Motorola Hint™ QA30
Talk/Standby time	Up to 4.5 hours talk time / up to 15 days standby³
Bands/Modes	CDMA 1700/2100/800/1900, CDMA 1xEVDo Release 0¹
Weight	120.0g
Dimensions	82 x 61.6 x 17 mm
Battery	940 mAH
Connectivity	USB 2.0 HS, Stereo Bluetooth Class 1.5², 3.5mm headset jack, FOTA, Mobile Phone Tools, Motosync, OMA DM, OTA
Display	2.5” QVGA 320x240 K  65kTFT
Messaging	SMS, EMS, MMS, email (brew app, MotoSync™, POP3/IMAP4 embedded), IM (brew download)
Audio	MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, AAC+ Enhanced, WMA v9,
Video	Capture, Playback, Streaming, H.263, MPEG4, WMV v9
Memory	256MB ROM, 128MB RAM, Micro-SD up to 8GB