Mobile Digest

Motorola Purple MOTORAZR V3i

Looks like purple is the new black, or is it the new pink? Whichever way, Motorola has put out a MOTORAZR V3i in striking mauve livery just in time Mother's Day in the US (May 13 in case you were wondering). And what mother doesn't want a bright purple phone?

The handset will be available exclusively through Motorola's online store without contract for a tidy $239.99 - although bag two at the same time (one phone is never enough) and you'll get a 20 percent discount. There's no word on UK availability just yet.

The MOTORAZR V3i is quad band with Bluetooth for wireless transfers. It has a large internal colour display and integrated 1.23 megapixel camera. More from Motorola's store.

Orange and Vodafone block Skype and other VoIP services

Red Herring has reported that Vodafone and Orange has blocked customers from using Internet telephony services such as Skype over their networks.

Phones are being shipped that have specifically had their VoIP capabilities disabled.

One such phone is the Nokia N95, an expensive mobile multimedia computer that's received great reviews, but which is now having features stripped out by frightened mobile operators.

According to Truphone, a VoIP service that has been blocked, users who try to restore VoIP functionality could be voiding their warranty, breaching their network contract, and possibly breaking the law.

It's hardly surprising that mobile operators want to keep tight control on how their customers are using phones on their networks, and ensure that as much revenue as possible continues to funnel into them.

This issue isn't going to go away, though. Will there be a backlash from tech-savvy customers irate at having their new phones messed up, and being tethered to overpriced call plans?

Motorola V3i phone packed with gold and diamonds

If those high-priced Vertu handsets don't offer enough glitz, you could go for something just a little more obvious - the Peter Aloisson-designed Motorola V3i phone, made from gold-covered stainless steel and encrusted with 855 small diamonds.

Ideal for the average footballer's wife, it has a typical V3i specification (which is approaching two years old) of a 1.3 megapixel camera, media player and not much else.

And the price of this glamour? Around £5,000. Although if you can do without the gold, you can have one for £2,000.

Motorola website

Via Gizmodo

Review: Nokia N95 - feature packed multimedia mobile

The propaganda

Nokia is touting the N95 as a multimedia computer, rather than just a simple old phone. While that might be pushing it slightly, it's certainly a feature packed handset.

It supports 3G, HSDPA, GPRS, GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and infrared - basically every wireless connection you can think of and there's built in GPS, so you'll always know where you are.

It's got strong multimedia credentials too, with a 5 megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss lens and, according to Nokia, DVD-like quality video clips.

The good

It's a neat design - the large 2.6in 240x320 screen occupies the majority of the front of the unit with navigation buttons below. Sliding the screen up reveals the numeric keypad, while sliding it the other way exposes four media playback keys.

The GPS receiver works with the included mapping application, which doesn't store the map data on the device but downloads it as needed from the internet.

Snaps from the camera were very good for a cameraphone, with maximum resolution images measuring 2,592x1,944 pixels. Video clips can be recorded at a maximum resolution of 640x480 - not quite PAL resolution, but close.

The bad

The interface can take a bit of getting used to, due to the large number of features available. It can also be slow to respond at times - press the button to bring up the animated multimedia menu and it can be up to three seconds before it appears, making it feel a bit sluggish.

As the mapping application needs an active internet connection to download map information it could end up costing a fair amount of money unless you've got an unlimited use data account.

It's also a bit on the large size, measuring 53x99x21mm and weighing in at 120g.

Geek Sheet

Connectivity: 3G, HSDPA, 850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, infrared, GPS

Memory: up to 160MB, expandable via MicroSD card

Display: 2.6in, 240x320 pixels

Camera: 5.0 megapixel

POP3 email client

Battery: 4 hours talk time, 225 hours standby

Dimensions: 53x99x21 mm

Overview

While it's certainly no match for a full computer, the N95 is feature packed.

The integrated GPS and map application means you'll always know where you are, although it could run up extra data costs.

Snaps are very good quality for a cameraphone and video footage is decent, if not quite up to DVD standard.

If you're happy with a larger than average handset, you can pick it up from free with a new contract.

Related sites: Nokia N95

Video review: Nokia N95

Ashley and Shiny Shiny's Susi put the Nokia N95 through its paces.

Nokia

Nokia introduces 6120 with HSDPA connectivity

Nokia has launched the Nokia 6120 - which looks like any other candybar handset, but actually packs HSDPA connectivity for high-speed downloading.

There's also a media player, plus two cameras, one for video calls and a second two megapixel camera with 4x zoom for your snaps. And it promises easy set-up, so you can quickly take advantage of your fast connection for downloading emails and web browsing. Based on S60 software, you can also personalise your handset with the additional applications available for download.

"Mobile phones have taken on a much larger role in our busy lives," said Peter Ropke, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "We recognize that having the capability to utilize the mobile phone in many ways gives consumers a better balance between work and play. With the HSDPA technology, S60 operating system and the wide range of features of the Nokia 6120 classic, consumers will be able to make their daily lives more manageable."

The Nokia 6120 classic is expected to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2007, sim-free for around 260 Euros.

Nokia website

Review: Sony Ericsson W880i - super thin 3G phone

The propaganda

If your image of 3G phones is super bulky handsets, then Sony Ericsson's W880i will make you think again. It measures just a tiny 9.4mm thick - thin enough to fit inside a CD case according to the accompanying blurb.

Despite its small size, it's still feature packed with a built in 2 megapixel camera, Walkman music player, a 1GB MemoryStick Micro for storing tunes and photos, Bluetooth and a nifty utility called TrackID that tries to recognise any music you play it by sending a sample to the internet and bringing back the results.

The good

Design-wise it's a stylish looking handset, finished off in brushed metal effect plastic - orange at the back, carbon black at the front.

The menu system is the standard Sony Ericsson fair, so whether you're a seasoned user or newcomer you shouldn't have any problems finding your way around. The layout is logical, with most items where you'd expect to find them.

Image quality from the camera is passable, with snaps good enough for sending to friends or emailing around.

The bundled earphones are noise isolation style ear buds that block out all external sound, creating decent bass. If you find them a bit intrusive, then you can attach your own to the 3.5mm socket on the hands free kit, which sensibly attaches at the side, rather than bottom, of the unit so you can leave it plugged in your pocket.

The bad

Sleek design is one thing, but it seems that some usability aspects have suffered to accommodate the W880i's good looks.

First up is the keyboard - the main keypad buttons have been replaced by thin horizontal strips, rather than full keys, making them awkward to use. The four-way navigation pad is fine for moving around, but to select an item you need to push straight down, which can be difficult at times.

The main camera lens on the rear of the unit is also positioned too close to the left hand edge when you're using the phone horizontally, making it tricky to take snaps without your fingers in and hold the camera at the same time.

Geek Sheet

Connectivity: 3G, 900/1800/1900MHz GSM, Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB

Internal memory: 16MB, 1GB MemoryStick Micro

Display: 1.8in, 240x320 pixels

Camera: 2.0 megapixel

POP3 email client

Battery: 6 hours 30 minutes talk time, 425 hours standby

Dimensions: 46.5x103x9.4 mm

Overview

The W880i is a sleek, small 3G handset but what it makes up for on style it loses in usability. It's not that it's impossible to use, just that it'll take some time to get used to before you're fully up to speed.

It's got decent multimedia credentials and surprisingly good sound from the bundled headset. The TrackID music recognition utility is a nifty add-on, though you're unlikely to use it that much once the novelty wears off.

If you can live with its input idiosyncrasies, though, with prices starting from free with contact it's a good looking, feature packed multimedia mobile.

Related sites: Sony Ericsson W880i

LG launches 3G Shine handset

LG's Shine phone has made quite a stir since its arrival at the start of the year - not least, picking up the Best Fashion Mobile award at this year's Shiny Awards. Check out our video review for various favourable noises - and if that impresses you, here's some good news - LG has just launched a Shine phone with 3G connectivity.

It's still a looker, with the same stainless steel finish and large LCD screen. And there's all the features you would expect - two megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach lens and continuous shooting mode, easy navigation via the scroll wheel and music/video playback using multiple formats.

There's also Bluetooth, a document viewer and storage via microSD card. No news on price as yet, but it's likely to be dependent on your contract - probably free if you sign up for enough talk time.

LG product page

Video review: Sony Ericsson W880i walkman phone

Sony Ericsson's new W880i is the latest Walkman phone, and it's pretty damn slinky. It's the slimmest music phone they've released yet, has a lovely big memory card bundled with it, and features the company's own Track ID service to identify tunes.

Susi's been playing with the phone, seeing how good it is, and whether she can stump the Track ID with a cunning blend of Johnny Cash, Morrissey and Gretchen Wilson. Does she succeed? Click below to watch and find out.

Nokia 5700 XpressMusic 3G smartphone

Nokia has announced the arrival of its 5700 XpressMusic 3G smartphone, which benefits from a dedicated audio chip to boost music performance and a twist design for switching between four modes - music player, 2 Megapixel camera, video call and smartphone.

Main storage is via microSD card, with up to 1500 tracks possible on a 2GB card. And once they're on, you can listen wirelessly via Bluetooth stereo headphones or compatible speakers via Bluetooth streaming. Formats supported include WMA, MP3 and AAC, as well as eAAC+ and MP4. There's also DRM support and a music player that supports album art and playlists and includes a 5-band equaliser and audio visualisations.

Also included is a colour screen supporting up to 16 million colours, 3G connectivity, video calling, two megapixel camera and all the features of the Symbian S60 operating system. Expect it in a couple of months, priced around 350 Euros, but expect a hefty subsidy if you take out a contract.

Nokia website

Review: LG U830

The propaganda

The LG U830 is one of the more recent additions to the monstrously successful Chocolate and Black Label range, and it is the clamshell answer to the KG800’s (aka Chocolate) sliding action. It also happens to be one of the first HSPDA enabled handsets in the UK and 3 customers will be able to enjoy the full advantage of the high speed data transfer that it enables. That means better, faster web browsing, mobile email options and mobile TV.

Other features are a bit more standard: there’s a 2.0 megapixel camera, 185MB onboard memory, battery life offering 200 hours of standby time, A2DP Bluetooth and a 2.2” 262k colour screen. Adorning the outer edge are touch sensitive multimedia controls, glowing red on black, which makes it immediately recognisable as coming from Chocolate camp.

The good

HSDPA connectivity is undoubtedly going to be a big lure but arguably one more suited to PDAs which have better options for web browsing, etc. Actually, the U830 turns out to have a fairly decent array of internet applications, including 3’s MSN messenger, that can take advantage of the service once it rolls out across the UK.

Call quality is one of the U830’s strongest features and I can honestly say I haven’t used a handset that has offered such a decent call quality as this. During our tests we found that incoming calls enjoyed a wide range of crisp sound, with no evidence of popping or hiss in the background. Outgoing calls were reported to be of good quality too.

The bad

The U830 has a really stylish design, as you’d expect from LG, and there is no arguing that it makes for a more than adequate fashion accessory. The problem with the design though, isn’t so much to do with the looks, but the sheer number of buttons on the keypad.

This reminds me very much of LG’s older phone designs and perhaps the fact that the U830 is basically a revamped KG810 is to blame.The U830 not only has media controls on the outside, it also has a full numeric keypad (12 buttons), soft keys (two buttons), a direction pad (five buttons), call control keys (2 buttons), a menu key (1 button), a music key AND a video call key. Phew. Couple that with the volume keys, camera shortcut and music controls and I think it is safe to say we’re on a bit of a key overload here.

There was only one glaring omission that threatens to let the phone down. We have: media control buttons, MP3, AAC, AAC+, AAC++ and WMA format support, and a 3.5mm headphone adaptor. But wait a minute, where’s the memory card slot?! Unfortunately there isn’t one, which is a bit useless if you want to use you handset as a serious alternative to standalone MP3 player.

Geek Sheet

Dimensions: 98x49x14.8mm

Connectivity: 3G, HSDPA, Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB, Infrared

Internal memory: 185 MB

Displays: External 1.3”, 128x160 pixels, internal 2.2”, 320x240 pixels

Cameras: External 2.0 megapixel, internal VGA.

POP3 email client

Battery: 200 hours standby

Overview

Although there are complaints to be made, these are not so great as to tarnish the overall experience of the handset. It is definitely a bit more ‘blokey’ than the Chocolate, but still looks stylish enough, and where it counts – call quality, mobile internet functionality, etc – its performance is well up to the task and is an worthy improvement over its predecessor, the KG810.

Related stories: Jajah mobile application to feature on LG Prada handset | LG Chocolate Phone Review| LG's KE850 Prada phone gets official unveiling - and imminent European launch | More Mobile Phones...

Related sites: LG

Nokia N95 hits the UK (six months after its launch)

The Nokia N95 was officially launched way back in September, but it's taken six months to finally get a UK  launch.

Sadly for Nokia, the mobile landscape has change somewhat in that time, with the launch of so many new handsets, most notably the iPhone and the LG Prada model. But the N95 still has plenty to offer. For a start, this two-way sliding "multimedia computer" has HSDPA connectivity, as well as EDGE and Wi-Fi, a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and GPS functionality.

There's also a fully-featured media player, built-in stereo speakers, and web browsing, plus expandable memory via microSD card. If you want one, check out your network of choice from today. Price based on your contract.

Nokia website

T-Mobile launches UMPC-like Ameo from £120

First mentioned in January and officially launched at the 3GSM 2007 was HTC's Advantage (X7500). It's now on sale in the UK as the T-Mobile Ameo.

The UMPC-like device has 3G UMTS/HSDPA connectivity, a QWERTY keyboard, 5-inch, 640 x 480, 65,536-colour screen, 8GB hard drive, 128MB of memory, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and an SDHC-compatible memory card slot. The operating system is Windows Mobile 5. Talk time is around 6.5 hours, with 300 hours of standby.

Depending on your contract, you can pick one up fairly reasonably - prices start at £120, rising to £430. If you don't want to be tied, HTC is expected to launch the device under the Advantage (X7500) label, but at a higher price point.

T-Mobile website

Via The Register

Orange launches SPV M700 smartphone with sat nav and HTC S310 Pay As You Go smartphone

Orange has announced the availability of the SPV M700, a Windows Mobile 5.0-based device, which also incorporates a satellite navigation application.

The SPV M700 offers 3G connectivity, with speeds of up to 1.8Mbps where network support is available. There's also EDGE support, Wi-Fi connectivity and a 2 megapixel camera. Sat nav is available at an extra cost, but you can try it out with a free trial. The major Microsoft Office applications (including Excel, Word and PowerPoint) are all available, as is push email.

The company has also announced the HTC S310, the first Orange Pay As You Go smartphone, also with Windows Mobile 5.0, along with 1.3 mega-pixel camera, 2-inch LCD screen and media player.

The SPV M700 is available from Orange stores and is free on contracts over £35. The HTC S310 is also available from Orange shops, retailing for £249.99

Orange website

30 things we learned at 3GSM 2007

Phew. As ever, 3GSM was tiring both physically and mentally, with a barrage of new products and companies, plus an enormous venue to walk around. Honestly, if we believed in wearing pedometers, they'd have exploded by Tuesday.

So now the Shiny team is back in Blighty, what did we learn from this year's 3GSM? It's a chance to spot the hottest new mobile phones and technology, as well as suss out the most important mobile trends for the next 12 months. Here's our main thoughts.

1. There was no big theme this year

3GSM 2006 saw immense hype around mobile TV, with companies queuing up to proclaim it the Next Big Thing in mobile entertainment. The fact that it's since disappointed means that the lack of a single big hype this year isn't necessarily a bad thing. There was lots of buzz, but spread around a bunch of subjects, which is a healthier state of affairs.

2. Mobile social networking is a hot topic

There were lots of companies - many of them startups - promising to create MySpace-like communities for mobile. Meanwhile, the big players - the actual MySpaces, Bebos and so on - were undoubtedly at 3GSM, even if they weren't talking about their plans.

From our chats with companies like Cerkle, FunkySexyCool, Clicmobile and others, it's clear how new an area this is. People aren't sure if mobile-only social networks will succeed, for example, or whether mobile is just an add-on to existing web communities. 2007 should give some clues.

3. LG's Prada phone is better than you'd think

Don't take this the wrong way. We weren't expecting the Prada phone (right) to be awful. Just a bit gimmicky. Yet as Susi's video verdict makes clear, it looks and feels like Prada's been involved from the start. And that touch-screen is mighty purdy.

4. Mobile music is a bit rubbish

It seems us mobile users aren't as keen on downloading full tracks to our phones as the music industry would like us to be. Warner Music head honcho Edgar Bronfman Jr told 3GSM attendees that "it's expensive, it's complicated and it's slow", saying the iPhone will hopefully force operators and manufacturers to up their game.

Meanwhile, mobile firm Omnifone was trying to do just that, unveiling what it reckons is a truly mobile iTunes-beater, which it'll be running for operators around the world.

Meanwhile, the music industry continues to rumble about whether it should scrap copyright protection for digital music - if it does, it would certainly have a positive impact on the number of people downloading tunes directly to their phones.

5. Cool new handset designs

Motorola's new Z8 phone has a 'kick slider' design, which is the first handset type to sound like it should be a trick in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. We're looking forward to Nokia launching a triple-back-kick olley grinder phone at 3GSM 2008...

6. Bring on the five-megapixel camera phones

By and large, we tried to steer clear of the really techy companies at 3GSM. After all, the chips and servers they make are only interesting to the likes of us once they're actually in products we can buy.

But a firm called OmniVision announced a five-megapixel auto-focus camera module, which it'll be flogging to handset manufacturers, and which it says is affordable enough to be put into mass-market mobile phones. We can't wait.

7. Don't hold your breath for a roll-up mobile display that can play video

Philips spin-off Polymer Vision got plenty of deserved buzz at 3GSM for its Readius roll-up display for reading e-books and RSS feeds (left). Both Susi (video) and I (interview) were impressed, although the company's goal of putting one in every mobile phone seems ambitious, given they're not expecting the screens to be capable of video for a good five years.

8. We should start getting a bit worried about mobile viruses

Worried you'll look like a n00b if your phone gets hax0red? You should be. Bubbling under the surface at 3GSM was growing concern about the possible impact of viruses in the mobile space - even if some of it was fuelled by the companies looking to flog technology to protect against them.

McAfee claimed at the show that there are now around 350 mobile viruses, worms or other malware, and also said that 83% of mobile operators have been hit by mobile infections.

9. Next-generation phone interfaces will look amazing

We swung by the NVIDIA stand to check out some of the demos running on the company's new mobile chipsets, which will be making their way into millions of handsets in the next couple of years.

One demo featured a user interface for phones that included multi-tasking windows, a 3D interface with snazzy transition effects, and 'fully accelerated translucent window compositing'. Want to know what that is? Watch our video.

10. The operators need to sort out their data-tariffs

If we're all going to be downloading music, video and games onto our phones from sources other than the operator's own portals, we don't want to be paying through the nose in data charges. Yet although T-Mobile and 3 have launched 'flat-rate' tariffs in the shape of Web'n'Walk and X-Series, the other operators are dragging their heels a bit.

Who wants to download a music track if it's going to cost you an extra £3 in data charges? Or, as Yospace CTO David Springall pointed out to us, who's going to upload their cool cameraphone video to YouTube if it costs them £12 to do it? Even Nokia and Sony Ericsson united to criticise the operators' complex tariffs at 3GSM this year.

11. Transformers RAWK!

The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift might be the best mobile game of 2006, according to 3GSM's Global Mobile Awards judges, but I'm more excited about the chance to play as Optimus Prime in the upcoming Transformers mobile game. Even if it is a bit unwise to turn into a truck midway through a platform game.

Mobile games were a bit quiet at 3GSM, with only a few publishers booking their own stands to show off new stuff. However, there's a quiet momentum building behind smartphone games - for example with a new Symbian version of Project Gotham Racing.

12. We still can't tell the difference between all the mobile VoIP companies

There are loads of startups aiming to be the mobile Skype. And speaking as a consumer, it's hard to a.) tell them apart, and b.) figure out why we shouldn't just wait for Skype to roll out a mobile application that provides ALL the features you get on the desktop version.

Rest assured, Tech Digest is going to be looking at this whole area very soon, to figure out who's who and what it's all about. For now, we remain confused. Which is why we haven't raced to sign up to any service.

13. Mobile TV is still underwhelming

Research firm M:Metrics surveyed 22,000 European mobile users before the show, and found that former mobile TV viewers now outnumber current mobile TV users. 45% of the people who've turned off say pricing issues were a factor, while 24% cite concerns over service quality and reliability.

From the technical demos we saw at 3GSM, mobile TV will be great. One day. But for now, it's provoking a lot of people who are interested in watching programmes on their phones to switch off.

14. Mobile blogging is growing, with photos and videos the focus

The problem with moblogging was always the assumption that people would type posts on their mobile keypad to upload. However ninja your texting skills are, it's not very appealing.

However, talking to a couple of blogging tech providers at 3GSM (including Motorola), people have twigged that moblogging is more about instant posting of photos and videos as (or just after) you capture them. Which when you think about it, makes way more sense.

That said, the Shiny massive are also converts to SpinVox's Spin-my-Blog technology, which converts your voice blatherings into proper text posts. So wordy moblogging could make a comeback soon.

15. If you want a phone with a full keyboard, you're spoilt for choice

All the manufacturers had the QWERTY bug at this year's 3GSM, including the usual suspecs (HTC), but also the likes of Nokia, Motorola and Toshiba. We blame the rise of mobile email.

16. It's quite seedy to hang around a stand leching on Russian booth babes

Although, yes, it's probably even worse to film them. Sorry about that.

17. YouTube and MySpace have work to do on mobile

The two biggest Web 2.0 brands clearly see mobile as an important part of their future, but mobile types aren't convinced they've got their strategy right just yet. YouTube has signed deals with Nokia and Vodafone, but mobile video-sharing site Yospace reckons it still sees mobile as simply a case of shoving its web vids onto phones.

Meanwhile, social networking firm Clicmobile warned MySpace that it needs to get mobile right, or it could die! The fact that these two companies' are in some form rivals to MySpace and YouTube doesn't mean their views should be written off, either. Figuring out what will make a great MySpace or YouTube mobile service will be one of the biggest challenges in 2007. We're sure it's possible.

18. Don't spunk all your new product announcements the week before 3GSM.

It might mean Susi can shoot videos on your stand without being jostled by 717 men in suits, but it doesn't give her much to talk about...

19. Thin is in

The fashion industry may be (reluctantly) booting underweight models off the catwalk, but Size Zero phones go from strength to strength. Top dog at 3GSM in the 'looks really cool even though you have a nagging suspicion you might end up accidentally snapping it in your back pocket' stakes was Samsung's U100 (left).

20. Us Brits like a night at the movies

And we use our phones to do it too. M-Spatial chose 3GSM to release its latest research on what local services UK mobile users search for using their phones. Cinema was the most popular category, followed by Fast Food, Drinking and Taxi. No, Museums, Opera and Bowling Greens didn't make the Top 10...

21. Mobile GPS navigation is buzzing

Also in evidence at the show was mobile navigation technology, whether applications for phones from the likes of Telmap, TeleNav and ALK Technologies, or GPS-enabled devices from Garmin, BlackBerry and Nokia.

Right now, it's mainly about providing the sort of turn-by-turn driving directions that you'd get in a regular satnav device, but the real potential is in using your mobile's data connection to provide live traffic info and updates, or at some point in the future, tying into mobile social networks (companies like Clicmobile and CityNeo are already looking to do this).

22. Techy mobile companies have a keen sense of irony

At least, I hope that's the case. How they come up with stand slogans like 'Shattering Tomorrow's Boundaries of Mobile Antenna Specification Solutions, Today!' if they're not having a laugh is beyond me.

23. Windows Mobile is gearing up for another big push

Microsoft launched Windows Mobile 6.0 at 3GSM, with all manner of on-stand demos showing off its new features, which we'll be looking at in more detail in the weeks ahead.

But equally importantly, Microsoft has signed up the likes of LG, Toshiba and HP to make Windows Mobile phones, with the first handsets using the new OS set to appear in the second half of this year, including some from previous licensors like HTC.

24. Creating your own mobile TV channel is more fun than watching what the operators are serving up

If mobile is such a personal device, why do I have to just watch simulcasts of terrestrial or digital channels, hmm? Some companies are exploring DIY TV, where you create a channel of video content to watch on your phone. One example is Vpod.tv, who'll have an interview going up on Tech Digest early next week.

Meanwhile, Dutch firm TNO unveiled a new tech called Farcast which works the other way around, taking video from your phone and turning it into a web-based TV channel.

25. DVB-H mobile TV is still frustratingly far away in the UK

We want it. We want it now. But despite the announcement of cool DVB-H handsets like Nokia's N77, don't expect to see them on sale here unless the powers-that-be in the UK broadcasting and mobile industries figure out how and when to roll the technology out here. Bah.

26. You can finally get Flash Lite content on your phone

You know Flash - it's ubiquitous on the Web. Adobe has had the Flash Lite tool for mobile phones for some time, which can be used for rich games and applications. Trouble was, nobody was really selling them, so you had to frequent developer forums to find stuff to actually put on your phone.

That's changing. At 3GSM, Adobe signed a deal with website Handango, which will be one of the first to sell Flash Lite content to mobile users. Hopefully more will follow.

27. Short films on your phone are cool

At 3GSM, the people behind the Sundance Film Festival unveiled five short films shot especially for mobile, which were immediately made available for download to mobile users.

You can have a gander by texting FILM to 07624 807 811, to get sent a link to their WAP site. Better still, you can freely share them with friends via Bluetooth. The idea of sitting down for three hours to watch King Kong on a phone is horrendous, but short, arty movies like this should find a healthy audience.

28. We quite fancy a simple mobile phone

All these cutting-edge whizzy multimedia handsets can get a bit much at times. Remember the old days, when your phone could make voice calls, send texts and.. well, that was it. Those days don't have to be in the past.

The mobile industry is putting lots of effort into low-cost handsets too, albeit mainly for countries such as India and China, which are expected to provide explosive mobile growth in the coming years. Motorola's F3 won an award at the show for being the 'Best Ultra Low Cost Handset', for example.

If you're thinking of going retro, Tech Digest's recommendation is the newly-announced Nokia 3110 Classic, which is a replacement for the classic 6310i. Ashley liked the big buttons. "If your dad wants a phone..."

29. Touch-screen phones are easy to use

Not sure about how you'd get on without a keypad? Soon you'll have the opportunity to find out. Besides the LG Prada phone, and of course Apple's iPhone, 3GSM also saw the debut of Samsung's F700, which admittedly also has a slide-out keyboard for messaging. But it's the screen that caught Ashley's attention, even from behind a glass screen.

Touch-screen phones aren't just about slinkiness. As mobiles try to be all things to all people - music player, TV, web surfing device etc - the traditional keypad interface is struggling to keep up. Touch-screens mean more flexible user interfaces able to adapt to whatever you're doing on the phone at the time.

30. Everyone thinks mobile advertising will be big. Nobody knows quite how it'll work

The advertising industry loves the thought of putting ads on phones. Not least because the young cool hipsters it likes to target aren't as susceptible to TV and print ads. Along with online advertising, mobile is the new buzz area. Trouble is, nobody's quite sure what kind of mobile advertising will work well, and what us users will put up with.

The mobile phone's a personal device, so any unwanted ads will feel doubly intrusive. Yet at the same time, the mobile industry sees adverts as a way to make mobile entertainment cheaper - or even free - to make more of us use it. Which would certainly solve those worries over mobile TV pricing (see earlier).

At 3GSM, there was lots of talk about mobile ads, but not that much action yet. 2007 will see a big growth in the sector though, whether it's free mobile games with ads on the loading screens, banner ads on your operator portal, or the Crazy Frog bursting into your voice calls every three minutes singing his latest ringtone. Okay, not that last one. Well, I hope not...

3GSM 2007: Sony Ericsson's K800 Cyber-shot awarded Best 3GSM Mobile Handset 2007

I've just been working my way through the Tech Digest mobile phone archives and realised that the Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot K800 camera phone was unveiled on 28th February 2006. And with mobile handsets coming and going so fast, it's surprising to see the K800 voted Best 3GSM Handset at the GSM Association's Global Mobile Awards 2007. 

Launched last year, the K800 was the first Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot camera phone, featuring a 3.2 megapixel camera on a 3G mobile handset. See our preview of the handset for the full specifications. Since launch, it's shifted 4.5 million units, as well as being used by James Bond in the Casino Royale movie.

Anders Runevad, Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of Sales, Sony Ericsson said: "Our Cyber-shot portfolio has made true mobile imaging a reality for millions of people and we are very proud that the industry has endorsed our achievements with such a prestigious accolade."

Sony Ericsson website

3GSM 2007: HTC’s Advantage has a magnetic personality

This is the extremely smart, ultra-mobile, HTC Advantage – not to be mistaken with a UMPC because, y’know, it actually has a keyboard. It also has Wi-Fi and HSPDA connectivity and will be selling for around a thousand Euros when it launches in Q2. Susi tells us all about it:

3GSM: our top five phones (LG, Samsung, Motorola and HTC)

Well, there's another hour or so of the majority of the Shiny Massive's (Susi, Ashley and Stu) time here at 3GSM (although Hard Core Stu is staying on for more mobile fun); just time enough for a quick reflection on our own personal Top Five Best Things What We've Seen. There's a noteable absence of certain big players, but we've looked deep into our souls and decided that's just the way it is.

1. LG Prada
Susi was very over-excited to get herhands on the LG Prada phone yesterday, and was not only not disappointed, but positively surprised at just how luxurious it was. The touch screen is a sleek black and white, and navigating it is a doddle. In actual life, I'll be interested to see how easy it is to text, but as an aspirational handset, it's a winner. Check out the video here.

2. Samsung F500
Samsung have brought out a couple of handsets with a screen on each side - one for the phone stuff and one for the media stuff. The F500 is their multimedia device, and boasts a swivelling screen so you can prop it up and indulge in some Brad Pitt on the move. The video is here.

3. Motorola Z8
Motorola had *a lot* of new handsets, and since they were one of the first people we saw, it's proving rather difficult to remember just what they were all about. The RIZR Z8 stuck in my mind though, for its ergonomic design and its rather lovely video playback capabilities. Watch the video here.

4. Samsung F700
It's a small miracle that a phone that we only saw from behind an electrified fence glass has made it into our Top Five, but it just goes to show its class. It's a touchscreening, QWERTY keyboard toting, five megapixel sporting piece of Samsung goodness. Ashley gets all excited on this 'ere video.

5. HTC S710
HTC make a late entry to the list with their new smartphone, the S710. It's slipped in a QWERTY keyboard in, as well as a 2 megapixel camera, WiFi and best of all it's going to run the new Windows Mobile 6 platform, full of IMing goodness. I took a look at it (as well as their new music friendly device) here.

3GSM - Samsung's phone line up - Ultra Edition II, card phones and more

One of the best, although some cynical bloggers would also say one of the worst, things about Samsung is they always launch so many phones. 3GSM has been no different with around a dozen or so new handsets taking their bow. The downside of this is that some times some phones get lost in the rush.

So to keep things simple here’s a quick trawl through the best of the new Samsung breed, along with our comments and, when appropriate, links to videos.

Samsung F700 - In our books this the one to watch for. Samsung has delivered a large touch screen phone (it has a 2.78 inch display) with its own pull out QWERTY keypad for when you need to do some proper work. Other than its screen it has very impressive looking five mega pixel camera, complete with auto focus, a decent looking web browser and the souped up version of HSDPA which in theory can run up to seven Mbps. The only downside is that you’ll have to wait until Q3 before you can get your mitts on one.

Watch video here

Samsung F500 - Now this is clever. It is one of Samsung’s split screen handsets, see also the F300 music phone, which has the phone on one side and a large multimedia ready display on the other. It also has a top that twists enabling the user to set it up as a stand to make watching vids easier. It is also compatible with a range of video formats including, for the first time on mobile apparently, DiVX. It also has plenty of storage on board (410MB) and is HSDPA compatible. Video here.

Samsung F300 - This is also very clever. Its another split phone with one side looking like a Samsung MP3 player from a year or so ago, and the other side housing all the essential phone gubbins such as the key pad. It is also A2DP compatible, so you can listen to music wirelessly via your Bluetooth earphones, and it has an on board FM radio. I am slightly disappointed with the storage (just 100MB which of course can be uprated via a MicroSD card) and the lack of 3G/HSDPA. Video here.

Samsung U100 - Now this is bonkers, it is the size 0 of mobiles and is just 5.9 mm thick. It is also not the most feature filled mobile, but it does had a 3 mega pixel camera, music player, 70MB of storage and a TV out socket. Video here.

Samsung P310 - Yep the card phone is back. The P310 is skinny, comes with its leathery-type carry case and, in our eyes anyhow, is rather cool. Unfortunately it is not as retro-looking as its predecessor the P300 and it is GPRS rather than 3G. Nevertheless with its bonus battery (built into the case) and striking design it is still one of our 3GSM highlights, It goes on sale via Vodafone in a couple of months time.

Samsung U700 - This has biz phone written all over it. It is a stylish slider with HSDPA, a 3 mega pixel camera and decent web browser on board. Like all phones in Samsung’s Ultra Edition II series it is very skinny.

Samsung I-520 - And last, but by no means least, is this Symbian powered smart phone. It is super slim, HSDPA friendly and stacked out with smartphone style facilities. It comes out in April.

3GSM 2007: HTC launches Advantage (X7500) and P3350 mobile devices

Alongside the Vox, HTC has two other new devices on display - the Advantage (X7500) and P3350.

The HTC Advantage (X7500) is like a miniaturised PC, powered by a 624MHz XScale processor and Windows Mobile 5. It also features an 8GB hard drive, along with tri-band UMTS with HSDPA, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, QWERTY keyboard, 5-inch VGA touchscreen, 3 megapixel camera and built-in GPS. Battery life is good too - up to 8 hours between charges. Expect to see it in the UK as the T-Mobile Ameo next month.

The P3350 is the previously-announced P3300 without GPS functionality. The quad-band/EDGE handset uses Windows Mobile 5.0 and features a 2.8-inch screen, 256MB of internal memory, microSD support, FM radio and stereo Bluetooth. No news on network availability for this, but the company says it will be available from March.

HTC website

More from 3GSM 2007

3GSM 2007: Toshiba launches G900 and E01 smartphones

Toshiba is muscling in on the smartphone market, showing off two devices at 3GSM - the G900 and the E01.

Attracting most of the attention is the G900, a horizontally-sliding handset, not unlike the popular HTC models. Like a good number of this year's new models, there's HSDPA connectivity, along with features including a 3-inch WVGA screen, 2 megapixel camera and front-facing video camera, 64MB internal memory (expandable by miniSD card), rear biometric scanner, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB On-The-Go and the newly-launched Windows Mobile 6 operating system. No news on price or network availability as yet.

Also on display from Toshiba is the E01 smartphone. It also features HSDPA, along with a 65k colour display, 2 megapixel camera and A2DP Bluetooth. Again, no news if this is coming to the UK. We'll keep you posted on both.

Toshiba website

More from 3GSM 2007

3GSM 2007: HTC launches Vox/S710 - smartphone with full QWERTY keyboard

HTC has finally launched its much-rumoured Vox device (or S710 if you prefer) - a smartphone with slide-out full QWERTY keyboard.

Slide-out keyboards are nothing new for HTC, most of their top sellers feature one. But this time the sliding keys are as part of a smartphone rather than a more bulky PDA. Other features are what you would expect from a smartphone - 2.4-inch QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, 128MB of Flash memory, 64MB RAM and microSD support.

And like all new smartphones, there's Windows Mobile 6 on-board. As yet, there's no detail of which network will take it, but there's a good chance of re-branded version coming to a network in the coming weeks/months.

Stop press: Orange has now announced it will be launching this device on its network during the first half of 2007.

HTC website

More from 3GSM 2007

3GSM 2007: Nokia N77 mobile TV phone

Nokia unveiled their N77 multimedia TV mobile phone at 3GSM. It features DVB-H technology, a dedicated TV key, and a powerful internal antenna to allow a digital TV signal to be received whilst on the move.

Nokia say it offers much of the functionality of the N92 (which we reviewed here) but in a more compact body.

The N77 offers a 2.4inch wide screen capable of displaying 16 million colours, built-in interactive TV functionality, the ability to pause live TV for up to 30 seconds, 2GB of memory, integrated stereo speakers, and a 2 megapixel camera.

It's 3G, and runs Symbian OS with S60 3rd Edition software. It will retail for around €370 (unsubsidised) and be released in the summer. It won't be much use in the UK at present, though, as we don't use the DVB-H digital TV standard.

More news from 3GSM 2007

3GSM: Motorola KRZR K3

Shiny Susi takes a look at the KRZR K3 from Motorola, which features HSDPA for instant media downloads. It's a clamshell in the style of the previous KRZR, but packs in more techy stuff, for no more millimetres. .

3GSM 2007: Nokia launches three new Eseries models - E90 Communicator, Nokia E65, and Nokia E61i

Nokia has launched its second wave of Eseries business devices with three new handsets on show - the E90 Communicator, Nokia E65, and Nokia E61i.

All devices are quad-band GSM and 3G friendly as well as having Wi-Fi connectivity, with the E90 Communicator also HSDPA-enabled. All devices also use Nokia's newly-launched Intellisync Mobile Suite 8.0 platform. The Nokia claims the E90 Communicator offers an "uncompromised mobile office experience". Based on the S60 platform, it also features an integrated GPS and Nokia Maps application, an FM radio, a music player, a video player and two cameras - a 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera with flash and a second camera for video conferencing.

The Nokia E65 is a slim slider, but with all the mobile business capabilities of a Nokia Eseries device. Most-used applications can be accessed via One Touch keys on the front cover, including the ability to make conference calls, access your contacts database, mute and un-mute calls, and access an application of choice through the 'My Own' key. The E65 also supports the most used corporate and consumer email systems.

The Nokia E61i is designed specifically for extensive mobile email usage, offering advanced attachment handling with on-the-device document editing. There's a new full keyboard design, and along with Navi and One Touch keys, should make catching up with your inbox much faster. It supports corporate mobile email solutions such as Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email, Good Mobile Messaging, Mail for Exchange, Seven Mobile Mail, and BlackBerry Connect and most popular consumer email solutions. There's also a 2 megapixel camera, a music player and a video player.

The Nokia E65 is already available in selected markets, with wider availability building during the first quarter of 2007. The Nokia E61i will be available during the second quarter of 2007 and the Nokia E90 Communicator is provisionally slated for the second quarter of 2007.

Nokia website

More from 3GSM 2007

3GSM 2007: Motorola launches MOTOKRZR K3 - slim HSDPA clamshell handset

The 3GSM is underway in Barcelona and Motorola has wasted no time in lauching a new range of handsets - the first of which is the MOTOKRZR K3 - a stylish clamshell with HSDPA connectivity.

HSDPA means faster downloads, so faster browsing and potential for over-the-air downloads. The MOTOKRZR K3 also includes two integrated digital cameras - an internal VGA camera for video calls and a 2MP digital camera with 8x digital zoom for snaps. Also comes with USB 2.0 connectivity, 64MB of onboard memory, a microSD slot and stereo Bluetooth wireless technology.

According to Ron Garriques, president of Motorola Mobile Devices: "Whether you're looking for brilliant multimedia recording and sharing, premium sound with a state-of-the art interface or fast over-the-air downloads, MOTOKRZR K3 unites must-have design and must-do experiences."

The MOTOKRZR K3 is expected to be available in the coming weeks. Pricing to be confirmed.

Find out more

More from 3GSM 2007

HSDPA will dominate mobile broadband, WiMax to go niche

Broadband on mobile phones will continue to grow in popularity as coverage and speed improve. A new study by Arthur D Little suggests that HSDPA will become the dominant method of delivering high-speed Net access to mobile devices, receiving the most investment over the next 5 years. WiMax, on the other hand, will be a niche player.

HSDPA is seen as a natural progression from GSM and UMTS for those operators already running 3G networks. It is a less risky and better understood method of achieving mobile broadband speeds close to that of first-generation fixed broadband services.

Michael Natusch, head of Arthur D. Little's UK TIME (Telecoms, IT, Media and Electronics) practice, said: "The momentum in HSDPA deployments has been stimulated by competition from other broadband wireless technologies and by the prospect of competition from mobile WiMax. However, there is as yet no convincing real-world evidence of the actual relative performances of these technologies in large scale deployments. Nevertheless, it is likely that these two technologies will achieve comparable levels of performance in typical real-world situations, contrary to the notion that mobile WiMax should be regarded as a "Killer" technology."

The survey shows that WiMax could achieve a greater theoretical peak in data transfer rates than current HSDPA technology can - maybe 4 to 5 times as much. However, WiMax coverage from a single base station is lower than that of HSDPA.

The study claims to assess all the factors, strategic, competitive, commercial, regulatory and political as well as technological that influence operators' choices of wireless network technology. Whilst other articles have concluded that WiMax will wipe the floor with HSDPA, this study suggests that HSDPA is more likely to gain widespread adoption.

(Via Cellular News)

Sony Ericsson's W880 and K810: too much evolution, not enough revolution?

It's probably not Sony Ericsson's fault that I came out of this morning's press launch feeling a bit underwhelmed. The company announced several new phones, with the two most interesting being the W880 Walkman music phone and the K810 Cyber-shot camera phone.

But there were also some nifty Bluetooth accessories, and four other phones that while basic, are just what a significant amount of mobile users are looking for, rather than all the bells and whistles.

The fact remains that it was very much evolution rather than revolution, at a time when some of Sony Ericsson's rivals (traditional and new) are unveiling all manner of breakthrough products. Take the K810, which is Sony Ericsson's flagship camera phone, but only has a 3.2 megapixel camera. Isn't that a bit puny next to the latest LG and Samsung camphones? Sony Ericsson says not.

"For the majority of consumers, 3.2 megapixels is probably more than enough quality, especially when you see the way we optimise those photos," said Steve Walker, head of product marketing at Sony Ericsson.

"Yes, megapixel increases are on our technology roadmap, but when we look at the research we do within Sony on the camera market, for many consumers 3 megapixels is more than good enough. And of course, as megapixels increase, so storage needs increase too."

It kind of makes sense, but when during the same event Walker also talked about Sony Ericsson's history as a camphone leader – launching the first integrated camera phone, and the first megapixel model - shouldn't it be releasing phones that aren't just good enough for what consumers do now, but for what they'll want to do a few months down the line?

The W880 has some strong positives, specifically its super-sleek design, and the fact that it comes with a camera (a shocking omission from the otherwise-marvellous W950i). But some niggles remain. Why no 3.5mm headphone jack so you can plug your own phones in? Nokia has said it'll have one in every Nseries handset going forward, after all.

Walker said that the company's solution – putting the 3.5mm jack into the headphone cable - removes the problem. One journo pointed out that this falls down if the user loses that cable. "Well, try not to lose it is the best advice I can give you," he said. Thanks for that.

The elephant in the room at any music-focused mobile launch this year is, of course, Apple's iPhone. I should stress, I'm not an iPhone evangelist - it's got a bunch of flaws of its own to sort out - but you'd expect Sony Ericsson to be able to give a convincing argument of why people should buy its Walkman phones now, rather than waiting for the iPhone.

Walker did make some implicit comparisons when asked. "We have a range of products across a range of price points, including some at a price point of less than 100 Euros," he said.

"It's a slim, compact phone that's not compromising on the phone capabilities, but with everything in the package to let you listen to music on the move. It works, we know it works, we have a lot of consumer feedback from people, and they like the accessories. I can't really comment on iPhone and what Apple's doing. We're proud of what the Walkman's doing."

I really wish Sony Ericsson, Nokia and any other mobile manufacturer targeting the music market would comment on the iPhone. It's huge competition for them going forward, so shouldn't they be coming out now and saying 'Look, the iPhone's far too expensive, you won't be able to download songs over the air, it's too big and you'll be tied into Apple's ecosystem'? Aren't these people up for a scrap, in other words?

This has been a bit of a rant so far. There's a bunch of good things to report. Sony Ericsson has a new focus on FM radio, which by all accounts - Nokia reported this too - is a hugely popular feature with mobile users.

Sony Ericsson's Track ID technology, which has been developed in partnership with Gracenote, lets you 'tag' a song playing on the radio and have it identified, while also offering the same thing for any music you hear while out and about. The latter is nothing that Shazam didn't do a few years ago, but tying it into the radio is great.

But again, where does this lead? How about DAB chips in Sony Ericsson phones, or interactive features around the FM radio like Nokia's Visual Radio? Something's cooking, but Walker couldn't say what. "The expansion of that capability is an interesting one for the consumer. We have some things that we're working on, but nothing we can say today."

The same is true of questions over whether Sony Ericsson's Bravia TV phone, so far released only in Japan, will come over here. Not anytime soon, judging by the comments today. "Japan is a very high-end market, so we can offer a phone there that delivers a mobile TV experience that lives up to the Bravia name," said Walker. "It's limited to Japan now, but that's not to say we won't see that capability coming into other parts of our product range in the future."

Finally, what about full-track downloads? iPhone will, obviously, work closely with Apple's iTunes Music Store and iTunes application. Nokia is planning to launch some form of music download service this year. Does Sony Ericsson need to do the same? Seemingly not.

"Consumers don't want to be limited," said Walker. "The internet world has taught us that choice is what makes these things come alive. We want to make sure that we have the enablers - the right way of playing and protecting music - but it's not our business to be predominantly in the music services world."

Sony Ericsson does have its M-Buzz service, which sells ringtones and full-track downloads of new bands, but Walker said that's more a "stimulus" for the market. "What we do is work with our major operator customers to work out how their music services can be integrated into our Walkman phones," he said. "We do that with Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and many more besides."

Video Sneak Preview: Sony Ericsson K810 Cyber-shot camera phone

Also unveiled this morning was Sony Ericsson's new K810 Cyber-shot phone, which is the company's new flagship camera phone. It's 3G, and has a 3.2 megapixel camera, auto focus, Xenon flash and the Photo Fix feature to sort out dodgy images. How good is it? Check out Susi's verdict below.

Video Sneak Preview: Sony Ericsson W880 Walkman mobile

As you'll have read in our earlier story, Sony Ericsson has a new flagship Walkman phone, the W880. And praise be, it has a camera, unlike the W950i. Plus it's slim, stylish and eminently desirable. Don't believe me? Susi got hands on with the phone this morning at Sony Ericsson's product launch. Click below to watch her verdict.

Sony Ericsson’s new Walkman handsets – hands on impressions

This morning, Sony Ericsson officially unveiled its latest additions to the Walkman line up – the W880i and W610i. After the press conference we manage to get a quick hands on with both new handsets and we’re pretty impressed. Check out our video coverage too here.

In both handsets, Sony has clearly been determined to cut down on the some of the bulk that earlier Walkman phones suffered from. The W610i is only 14mm thick – a good half a centimetre thinner than the popular W810i. The W880i is even more impressive at only 9.4mm, the slimmest Sony Ericsson handset yet, which we’re reliably informed is thinner than a CD case. And it’s 3G too – proof that 3G phones are rapidly catching up with their 2G and 2.5G counterparts in terms of compact design.

With the W880i in hand, I noticed that it was a little bit wider than it seems in the pics, but still a heck of a long way from being a brick. Unlike other handsets, the camera on the rear is now better integrated so that it forms a flat surface rather than having the lens in a raised section.

All the new handsets on show have adopted smaller, stubbier button designs. The W880i uses rectangular buttons with rounded ends very much like what we’ve seen before, only smaller and raised a little further off the phone’s surface. I couldn’t really form a definite opinion in the short time I had with each phone, but it seems likely that this new design will mean that people with shorter, wider fingertips will have a better time operating it.

Once again, there’s no 3.5mm jack on the phone itself, so you need to rely on the headphone attachment, which does mean there’s a mic around for handsfree calls, but it does also add a bit more cable into the equation. A2DP is now standard on both handsets but Sony Ericsson is going to package a stereo Bluetooth headset (the HBH-DS970) along with the W880i. W610i users will still have to buy their own. And speaking of generous extras, the W880i also comes with a 1GB M2 memory card, which should be good for around 900 songs as well as being removable and expandable.

Another new feature on each handset is the TrackID system. You can use this to record snippets of any song you hear, as well as anything on the radio. It then transmits the recorded information out to a service developed in conjunction with Gracenote and will then feedback the track information, including song name artist and album information. In its current status, there is going to be little else you can do from there, but Sony Ericsson plans to build up relationships with music download services to offer you the chance to buy tracks that you have identified, or get suggestions on similar music to buy.

Sony Ericsson's new Cyber-shot handsets - K810/K818 and K550/K550im

More new handsets from Sony Ericsson. Following on from the new Walkman models comes two new Cyber-shot handsets - the K810/K818 and K550/K550im.

The 3G K810/K818 Cyber-shot phone features a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus, Xenon flash and red eye reduction. Other camera-related features include Photo Fix, which can correct images after they have been taken and Illuminated Camera Icons to the side of the main keypad, which light up when in camera mode, allow you to access camera menu options at the touch of a button. There's also BestPic - shoot a number of images in succession, then pick the best one to keep.

Other general features include a 2.0-inch QVGA 262k TFT screen, video calling, photo blogging, Bluetooth, music/video playback and HTML browsing. Talk time is up to 10 hours. The K810/818 Cyber-shot phone should be available in the second quarter of 2007 in Noble Blue and Golden Ivory.

The slimline (14mm thick) K550 Cyber-shot phone is a quad-band EDGE device with 1.9-inch 262K TFD LCD screen, equipped with a disappointing 2 megapixel camera, along with auto focus, LED photo light and active lens cover. Also featured is Bluetooth, picture blogging, music/video player, FM radio with RDS, HTML browsing, Push Email and instant messaging support. Talk time is up to 7 hours.

The K550im variant is the first Cyber-shot phone to support O2's i-mode service. Both models will be available in Jet Black or Pearl White and should be in stores in the coming weeks.

Sony Ericsson website

Sony Ericsson launches W880/W888 and W610 Walkman phones

A big day for Sony Ericsson today, with a glut of new phones and accessories being aired for the first time, kicking off with two additions to the Walkman phone range - the W880/W888 and W610 Walkman phones.

At just 9.4mm thin, the W880/W888 is the slimmest Sony Ericsson phone yet. Available in brushed steel, silver or black and with a 1.8-inch QVGA 262k TFT display, it has a 1GB Memory Stick Micro included, enough for around 900 full length tracks. Also featured is Bluetooth audio streaming, a 2 megapixel camera, video recording and playback, picture blogging, full HTML browsing with RSS feeds and a strong battery life - up to 18 hours music playback. It should be available in the coming weeks, pricing to be confirmed.

The W610 with 1.9-inch 262K TFT LCD display, stores up to 470 full-length music tracks on the 512MB Memory Stick Micro provided. It uses the TrackID music recognition application, which lets you record a clip of an unknown music track onto your phone and immediately receive a notification of the track name, artist and album. Like the W880/W888, there's a 2 megapixel camera on-board, video recording/playback and picture blogging. Available in Plush Orange or Satin Black, it also includes an RDS FM radio, Bluetooth audio streaming, HTML browsing, Push Email and again, a long music playback of 25 hours or 7 hours of talk time.

Expect it in the second quarter of 2007.

Sony Ericsson website

Bag a Sony Ericsson W880i Walkman phone in a weekend treasure hunt

We had the teaser images, then we had the unofficial images of Sony's much-hyped Sony Ericsson W880i Walkman phone. But if you want to get your hands on one, you'll have to do a spot of treasure hunting.

You need to visit www.iwantmyw880.com, entering your current phone's details. Then this Saturday (February 3rd), you will be contacted via text message informing you that the first clue has gone live online. Once logged on, you have to solve the clues, before being given the location of the Sony Ericsson vault containing five W880i Walkman® handsets. Once you have this, drop everything and run!

If you can't spare the time this Saturday, there will be an online version running next week - so it's worth registering if you are interested.

Find the Sony Ericsson W880i Walkman phone

Sony Ericsson's new super-slim W880i handset - images online

Sony Ericsson sent out some intriguing images of the forthcoming W88i handset a few weeks back, without actually showing the super-slim phone itself. Well, Engadget has got hold of some images before the presumed launch date of 6th February - including the one above.

Details are still quite scarce about the actual specification (except that it features a 2 megapixel camera and all the expected music features), but it certainly lives up to the hype as a very thin and indeed very stylish handset. Sony Ericsson has a press conference on 6th February, so we'll hopefully have full details from there. In the meantime, check out the Engadget site for more images of the W880i.

More mobile phones

One Minute Video Review: Samsung Z560 mobile phone

Susi's been playing with Samsung's Z560, which is the company's new HSDPA phone. It's available on T-Mobile here in the UK, and promises faster Web-surfing on the go, including if you use it as a modem for your laptop. How does it measure up, and perhaps more importantly, can you surf Popbitch using it? Click below to find out.

CES 2007: Nokia N93i video preview

I went off to the Nokia press event today to take a look at the new handsets and the N800. Here's a quick vid I shot of the N93i. Nokia fans will remember that the N93 was a cracking phone, but a little on the tubby side. So with the N93i Nokia has hit us with a smaller and lighter handset. There are also some design tweaks too. Anyhow here's the vid. Check out the rest of our CES coverage.

CES 2007: Nokia revamps the N93 - calls it the N93i

Personally I am a huge fan of the Nokia N93. I love its fabulous screen, wealth of features, cool web browser, flip open and morph into a mini laptop design and most of all its amazing camcorder.

What I am not so keen on though is its rather chunky design. Let’s just say that it become known in Shiny Towers as the phone that ate all the pies.

So today I am hugely excited to find that Nokia has updated the Nokia N93 and shed a bit of its ahem, girth. The new N93i is apparently slimmer and more compact - how compact well I’ll find out this afternoon.

Features include

MPEG-4 VGA video capture at up to 30 frames per second
3.2 megapixel (2048 x 1536 pixels) camera with Carl Zeiss optics, 3x optical zoom, autofocus and close-up mode
1 GB miniSD card
2.4inch display
Wi-Fi
MP3 player

Nokia has also tweaked the design a little so the reborn phone has a new metallic finish keymat and a mirror effect cover.

It also has Vox blogging software built it as we mentioned earlier today.

Check out the rest of our CES coverage.

One Minute Review - 3's X-Series Nokia N73 mobile

So is 3's X-Series a cynical marketing ploy to tempt gadget lovers into subscribing to its network? Or is it how the mobile internet should be. Check out the video and then you tell us. More Apple iPhone goss X-Series launch Nokia's future of mobiles

Review: Sony Ericsson M600i

The propaganda

The business phone market has recently become a hard fought battleground for mobile phone manufacturers and the M600i is currently competing with several strong contenders such as the BlackBerry Pearl, the Samsung i320 and the Nokia E61. It has the now ubiquitous push email solution as well as a scroll wheel navigator on the side – another lesson learnt from BlackBerry.

For a 3G candybar handset, it is remarkably skinny at 105 x 15 x 54 mm. It also has things like a media player, document and spreadsheet editors, and A2DP standard Bluetooth connectivity.

The good

Visually, the M600i does itself proud. The absence of any major navigation buttons or joystick on the front gives it a very pleasing minimalist style. It is also available in either black or white – both of which looks extremely smart. The new Symbian OS is similarly effective and I find it is a lot less cluttered than some Windows Mobile powered systems.

Surprisingly – for a Sony Ericsson anyway – the battery life is pretty strong. Having owned SE phones almost exclusively for the last five or six years, I’m used to some weak battery performance, but the M600i is good for around 5 hours of talk time or over 300 hours of stand-by time. Compared to other business phones out there, that is pretty decent and should realistically allow you to go for a couple of days with out desperately hunting down a phone charger.

The bad

There are few things missing from this phone. The most obvious is the lack of camera. More and more companies are beginning to frown on the sheer number of espionage-friendly camera-equipped handsets out there, but I still think that this must constitute a pretty small market sector. And even if you rarely use your phone camera, it’s always nice to have something as a backup. Further more, the higher end P990i has an incredibly neat business card scanner function that equips its camera and this would have been a worthwhile addition to the M600i’s feature set.

Wi-Fi is also absent. That’s not a huge shock in such a small handset but it would have been nice, especially if you’re wanting to indulge in some extensive mobile internet use without racking up a big 3G data fee.

Lastly, the M600i has lost the full QWERTY keyboard in favour of the unique two-way rocker keypad. This is definitely one of those love it or hate it features – I know people who do swear by it, but I struggled to get my head round it. I’m sure that with a bit more practise it could quickly become much easier to use, but that doesn’t necessarily make it better than having smaller individual keys. The lack of navigation buttons on the front makes one handed control of the menus a little tricky too.

Geek Sheet

Dimensions: 105 x 15 x 54 mm

Weight: 112 g

Screen: 262,144-colour TFT, 240x320 pixel

Input: QWERTY, Touch screen, Handwriting recognition

Symbian OS

Connectivity: 3G, GPRS, Bluetooth (A2DP), USB, Infrared

Memory: 60MB internal, Memory Stick Micro (M2) compatible

Opera 8

Overview

The M600i is a very slick business phone and it benefits greatly from keeping its bulk to a minimum. Although it occasionally feels a little too stripped down, it has a core set of good features that should let it compete admirably with its rivals. The price tag of between £250 and £300 is also about spot on too.

T-Mobile introduce Sony Ericsson M600i

T-Mobile have announced that they've added the Sony Ericsson M600i to their business portfolio (yes that does sound a bit grand).

The M600i supports MS Direct Push email and Blackberry Connect. It comes with 80MB of memory and a 'full' QWERTY keyboard (of sorts, take a look at the picture). It also features an email setup wizard that allows for fast synching with Gmail, Yahoo, BT or AOL email accounts.

The unit is Web 'n' Walk enabled, giving users open access to the Net via T-Mobile's 3G network.

There's a voice service, MP3 player, and pre-loaded games, plus stereo Bluetooth for listening to music on an optional wireless headset. It comes with an expandable 64MB memory card.

The Sony Ericsson M600i is the latest addition to T-Mobile’s range of business devices which supports CoPilot Live, satellite navigation software that transforms the handset into an advanced communications-enabled and route planning system, offering accurate door-to-door guidance.

It's available now, costing up to £230 depending upon the mobile plan chosen.

T-Mobile

Related stories: T-Mobile MDA Vario and O2 xda Mini S go on sale | T-Mobile MDA Pro/O2 XDA Exec review | We want more Wi-Fi claims T-Mobile/You Gov survey

LG Chocolate U830 folder phone with HSDPA connectivity

LG has a new Chocolate phone on the market, just in time for Christmas. The new handset is the LG Chocolate U830, a 3G folder (or clamshell) phone that's HSDPA-friendly and at 14.8mm, one of the slimmest 3G handsets around.

It features the same touch-sensitive technology and styling that made the original so appealing, along with 185MB of on-board memory, a 2 megapixel camera and MP3/AAC music player (including stereo Bluetooth for wireless music) and a video player. There's also a 2.2-inch TFT screen inside, along with an outer 1.3-inch screen and a POP3 email client.

The U830 comes in a presentation box with a pair of stereo headphones, two batteries and a USB lead as standard. Initially, it's exclusively available from 3, with pricing dependent on contract.

3 website

More Chocolate phones:
LG KG800 Chocolate phone reviewed
LG KG810 - aka the Chocolate clamshell

Motorola launches red MOTORAZR V3i - fighting AIDS in Africa

More technology that helps in the fight against AIDS in Africa - following on from the red iPod nano comes the red MOTORAZR V3i, which again aims to raise money for the (PRODUCT) RED initiative, with £10 from the handset cost and 5% of the monthly phone bill being donated to the global fund.

The handset is available exclusively at The Carphone Warehouse. It's still very much the fashion phone, with the looks and slim design, but a fairly average specification, including 1.23 megapixel camera, 10MB of memory (which can be boosted by microSD card), MP3 player and MP3 ringtones.

But this particular version of the handset will be doing some good, as well as making you look stylish. Motorola and Carphone Warehouse is donating £10 from every red handset purchase, with 5% of the phones revenue also heading out to Africa. Motorola says the proceeds of selling just three handsets can provide a year’s worth of school materials and daily hot meals for a child orphaned by AIDS, while 5% of the average yearly phone bill can provide 180 treatments to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

The handset is available now.

Carphone Warehouse website

Nokia promises WiMAX handsets in 2008

Nokia's president and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo is just doing his keynote speech at Nokia World, and he's just said that the company will bring out WiMAX-enabled handsets in 2008, which would be able to hook into citywide Wi-Fi networks using the technology.

Also, the company predicts that this year alone, 970 million mobiles will be sold globally – this is from all manufacturers, not just Nokia – and that 65% of these are people upgrading to new handsets. Kallasvuo also said that Nokia reckons the number of people with a mobile phone will break the 3 billion mark sometime next year, and will pass 4 billion in 2010.

Other than that, he basically gave an overview of what Nokia is up to, which covered existing announcements (e.g. working with Flickr and the new Music Recommenders community), and an interesting snippet about Mastercard running a trial with Nokia to let people pay for stuff in 32,000 shops by touching their phones to a reader. Oh, and he also said Nokia is seeing the first opportunities to use GPS for photo-sharing, gaming and messaging applications.

Vodafone's exclusive Motorola V1100 coming for Christmas

One of the exclusive mobile phones Vodafone is launching in time for Christmas this year is the Motorola V1100, a 3G clamshell phone that claims a 'sporty design' (whatever that means). It'll come with mobile TV, Vodafone Radio DJ, and a 1.3 megapixel camera.

There's not a whole lot more information on the handset yet - no release date, pricing/contract details or other specs, so we'll just have to be content with the pic for now. More details when we get them.

Sagem launches the 600v 3G phone through Vodafone

Sagem is introducing its first 3G handset in the UK - the 600v, which will be exclusive to Vodafone.

Looks-wise, it looks like a fairly innocuous candybar handset, but there's plenty of features to make it worth a second glance if you're looking for a lower-priced phone, including a music player (mp3, AAC AAC+ formats), a good quality (262,144 colours) screen, integrated camera, Bluetooth and SyncML for switching/sharing files, Java games, 16MB of on-board memory (can be upgraded via miniSD card) and 4 hours of talk time, plus 400 hours on standby.

Available exclusively from Vodafone from Monday 23rd October, retailing for £69.99

Sagem website

Samsung launches Symbian SGH-i520 HSDPA handset

As we mentioned yesterday, Samsung has announced the SGH-i-520 smartphone, based on the Symbian operating system and Nokia's Series 60 (S60) user interface and offering HSDPA (super 3G connectivity).

HSDPA should mean internet downloads up to five times faster than standard smartphones. It's a slider and features a 2MP and VGA camera, 2.3-inch QVGA TFT screen, music playback for MP3/AAC/AAC+/AAC+e/Real/WMA files, video playback in MPEG4/H.263/Real/H.264/WMV formats, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, full HTML browsing, mobile printing and 45MB on on-board memory, which can be boosted to 2GB via microSD card.

Still no news of a launch date, we'll keep you posted.

Samsung website

Vodafone unveils 3G Christmas mobile line-up

Vodafone has unveiled a large range of 3G handsets in time for the busy Christmas season. 10 of the mobile phones are made exclusively for Vodafone include 6 HSDPA phones from Motorola and Samsung for accessing the web at broadband speeds.

Vodafone have said that 5 of the 10 exclusive phones sourced from Europe, US and Asia will be priced at entry-level.

14 of its handsets will include Vodafone's Radio DJ service, whilst all the 3G handsets will have Vodafone live! for mobile TV services.

The range will also include two 3G phones from LG including the LG KU800 slider phone (pictured) and the LG L600V.

Vodafone will offer:
Nokia 6234
Motorola V1100
Motorola MOTORAZR maxx V6
Motorola MOTORAZR V3xx
Samsung ZV40
Samsung ZV50
Samsung Z560V
Samsung Z720V
Sony Ericsson V630i,
Sagem my600V
Sagem my800V
Sharp 770SH
Sharp GX29
Vodafone 710

More details on all of these over the coming days.

Vodafone

Samsung to launch slim Symbian SGH-i520 HSDPA smartphone in Europe?

According to various online rumours, Samsung is set to launch the SGH-i520 HSDPA (super 3G) smartphone in Europe this week - more specifically, at the Symbian Smartphone Show, which opens tomorrow (Tuesday) in London.

The  SGH-i520 is based on the Symbian operating system and Nokia's Series 60 (S60) user interface. The slider handset is just 1.8cm-thick and is expected to feature full PDA functionality, a 2.3in display, Bluetooth 2.0 on board and a two megapixel camera.

We'll hopefully have more details after the official launch - along with a shipping date for the UK and Europe.

Samsung website

Via The Register

One Minute Preview: Nokia N75

Next up we have the Nokia N75, the handset that's being launched in the US. I really like the look of this phone multimedia device - very nice slim design with a smart matte black finish. In fact, I wouldn't mind it if they launched it over here so I could have a proper go with it. I'm reliably informed that if the demand is high enough, they will consider launching it in the UK and Europe.

One Minute Preview: Nokia N95

So here it is, the new Nokia N95, which I've been checking out over her in New York. The video is a bit dark and noisy, but that's about par for the course at these launch events. The GPS features weren't working since the building was restricting the signal and no one was allowed to step out into the sunlight with one of the multimedia devices for fear it would burst into flames presumably (NB: it's not a phone - they get uppity if you call it a phone). All in all, I was pretty impressed, but I'd like to find a quieter spot to actually try out those stereo speakers (which sounded crap to me). Not sure how many people would use the GPS, but I know I could do with it since I spend most of my life lost and looking for press launches. Oh, and I think the two-way slider design is a really nice feature - especially as it launches all the apps automatically for you.

Nokia N75 'smallest multimedia computer'

Nokia have unveiled their N75 'multimedia computer' mobile phone, which offers music, camera, phone and Internet in one thin silver clamshell package.

Optimised for music, when the phone is closed the 1.36 inch colour cover display acts as a music guide, with controls on the cover. Naturally it syncs to PC for up to 1500 tracks worth of music. There's a built in FM radio as well. The camera is 2 megapixels with 16x digital zoom and integrated LED flash.

The built-in screen can be used to display downloaded videos, and the camera will capture MPEG-4 video with audio. The phone is Internet-ready (3G), and features Nokia's web browser which includes an RSS feed reader.

It's due out in the US later this year - we'll keep an eye on when it appears here.

Nokia

Nokia N95 HSDPA mobile announced

Nokia have just announced their innovative N95 mobile phone, boasting a shed load of features. We'll have a hands-on review very shortly courtesy of Katie who's at the New York launch, but in the meantime here's a quick rundown of some of its features:

* Double-slide design with multimedia controls
* Nokia's first HSDPA phone
* Wi-fi, WCDMA, quad-band GSM, Bluetooth
* 5 megapixel camera with Carl-Zeiss lens
* Video capture at 'near DVD quality'
* GPS
* Music player
* v2 of Nokia web browser

Reading first description and seeing the snaps at All About Symbian (pic from AAS) it looks like a highly capable phone with lots of juicy features to drool over. Availability from early 2007 at unsubsidised price of €550.

Hands on with the Sony Ericsson P990i, M600i and W950i

Last night I went along to the Sony Ericsson Indian Summer Party and I had the chance to play with the latest and greatest handsets in the 2006 line-up. First I had a long look at the new 3G smartphone, the P990i, designed for business users and to act as a complete mobile office.

It is powered by the new Symbian OS 9.1 and features the all-important push email service to try and lure in crackberry users, plus there are the usual office applications, internet browsing facilities and the handy RSS reader. It also has a really clever business card scanner that allows you to take a snapshot of any business card using the phone’s 2 megapixel camera and will read the details and add them to your contacts list.

The phone has a flip-down keypad on the front that masks the full QWERTY key set below the screen. Interestingly, inside the pack you’ll get the tools to remove the outer keypad entirely so you can just work with the QWERTY setup and the touch-screen interface. This isn’t going to work so well for people who have to dial in a lot of their numbers but when you have most numbers stored in your contacts, this does make a lot of sense and the phone does look a whole lot better without it.

One problem I spotted, however, is that by squeezing all 35 individual keys onto the front of the handset, they have become absolutely tiny. To be fair, I didn’t actually have a lot of trouble using them and rapidly got the hang of typing text, but if you’re not blessed with long spindly fingers like me, you could have more trouble.

The web browsing facilities were benefiting the most from the 3G connectivity – a marked improvement over the old GPRS enabled P910i – and the large screen means that you can still see what you’re doing without squinting at the text. One other bonus is that there’s also a WLAN 802.11b connection included now, but I don’t have any word on the potential for VoIP calling yet.

Next up was the M600i, which has just recently hit the shelves in the UK. This phone is, if possible, aimed even more at the business user and feels like a cut down version of the P990i that hasn’t actually lost too many important features. It even comes without a camera to appeal to those working under tighter security policies. Again, it is 3G enabled and has a touch-screen interface, internet access and push email – sadly no Wi-Fi though.

Instead of a full keypad, each button is a two-way rocker containing two alphabet keys set out in a QWERTY configuration. This definitely took a bit of getting used and in the end I gave up and resorted to the handwriting recognition system, which is one further benefit of the touch-screen.  Even with the two letters per button compromise, the keys were still pretty fiddly in my opinion, but there are people who swear by this design so I won’t write it off just yet.

Finally, I had a look at the W950i, which particularly appeals to me as I am a big fan of the Walkman handsets. This phone comes in the same chassis as the M600i and is therefore quite a lot bulkier than the W800i and W810i. However, there are benefits to this such as 3G, the touch-screen interface and the scroll wheel on the side, plus this handset uses an ordinary keypad so those with larger fingers will still be able to use it. Unsurprisingly, the memory capacity has taken a leap to keep up with other music phones on the market and is offering 4GB of storage space.

There have been some software improvements too; on the phone itself, you now have the Opera 8.0 web browser, which along with the large screen should make using 3G for internet access a lot more practical. The Disc2Phone computer software has been upgraded so that now it will transfer album art along with your tunes – I’m not sure how well this feature will be supported by the various networks’ digital music stores though.

The W950i includes support for the latest A2DP Bluetooth standard so there’s a new wireless headset to go along with it. Well I say wireless, but actually there’s still a fair bit of wiring involved, just not tethered to the phone. On the whole though, this looked pretty good and had a neat little LCD to display track information, incoming calls, etc.

Sony Ericsson website.

Nokia launches 6288 3G slider phone

  Nokia's got a new slider phone on the market, under the name of the Nokia 6288, a 3G phone in black or white that sells itself on its video capabilities - and not much else.

The 6288 features a bright QVGA, 262,144 color display for video playback, video ringtones, video editing plus a two megapixel and VGA camera. There's also decicated camera and zoom buttons, Bluetooth and a 512MB memory card included.

The phone should be available sometime in the autumn - UK pricing to be comfirmed nearer launch date, although a price of 325 Euros has been quoted for the European market.

Nokia website

IFA 2006: LG unveils super 3G U830 clamshell handset

With some of the HSDPA networks in place already and the rest to follow in the next few months, it's no suprise to see the super 3G phones making their mark at IFA, including the U830 from LG.

It's a slimline clamshell phone that may ship under LG's "Chocolate" banner, though this isn't as yet comfirmed. What is confirmed is that the phone will be available on the 3 network and it will feature a two megapixel camera, an impressive 200MB of storage space, Bluetooth connectivity and support for various audio formats, including  MP3, AAC and WMA.

No news on price or specific release date - more when we have it.

LG website

More HSDPA:
Orange announces SPV M3100 with HSDPA connectivity
T-Mobile launches MDA Vario II with HSDPA connectivity

Sony Ericsson unleashes the Z610 3G clamshell mirrored handset

  Another handset for the fashion conscious, this time from Sony Ericsson, which has introduced the colourful Z610 3G clamshell handset with mirrored finish and a hidden OLED display that can only be seen when in use.

The 128 x 36 pixel OLED display is a nice touch - you can impress your friends with information floating on the surface of your shiny coloured mobile. In addition to the hidden screen, the 3G Z610 also features a 2 megapixel camera, with an interesting sounding Picture Blog application, which allows you to share photographs via an online site with just a few clicks.

Inside, there's a 2-inch, 262k colour screen, support for push email and RSS feeds, Bluetooth, USB connectivity and a 64MB Memory Stick Micro for storage (which you can replace up to 1GB). And of course, a choice of colour between "Luster Black", "Rose Pink" and "Airy Blue".

The Z610 will be available in selected markets in the last quarter of this year. We'll keep you posted when we hear more.

Sony website

More mobiles:
Sagem's my501C clamshell handset
Samsung's swinging X830 music phone heads to Europe

One Minute Video Review: T-Mobile's MDA Vario II the first HSDPA phone to go on sale in the UK

We have waited a very long time for HSDPA phones, but now they seem to be coming in droves. T-Mobile looks like it will win the race to be first to market with its MDA Vario II, which goes on sale next week.

Here's a vid and a mini review

The phone is pretty similar to the Vario I but with the following key differences.

1 HSDPA - Yep it will be able to run at speeds of up to 1.8Mbps - four times faster than standard 3G. T-Mobile claims to have HSDPA across most of the major UK cities, which is far more developed than say Orange. Ultimately the speed of HSDPA does improve the web browsing experience on the phone - pictures certainly load much more quickly. The other key use for the phone in this space will be as a modem for laptops, though if you plan to use it in this capacity check out T-Mobile's data fair usage rules.

2 Better camera - It now has a two mega pixel snapper and the video shooting quality has been updated.

3 Different styling - it looks a little tidier now. Another tweak is that the keyboard apparently glows red in the dark - nice.

4 The device now has a BlackBerry style track wheel for speeding up access to applications.

Overall - the Vario I was a big hit in the Shiny offices, so there's sure to be a lot of interest in the second version. The HSDPA facility certainly worked well in central London

T-Mobile launches MDA Vario II with HSDPA connectivity

Just a week after Orange launched the SPV M3100 with HSDPA connectivity, T-Mobile has launched its own super 3G device - the MDA Vario II. There's one big difference though - T-Mobile has an HSDPA network in operation.

T-Mobile claims the MDA Vario II will provide users with connection speeds of up to 1.8 megabits per second - four times faster than previously available with 3G. If you move into an area that isn't yet covered (HSDPA appararently covers the same area as T-Mobile's 3G network), the Vario II will automatically connect via Wi-Fi and GPRS, so you're always connected at the fastest possible speed. It's also Web‘n’Walk-enabled, pre-installed with a web browser so you can browse the net the way you'd browse it on your home PC.

The MDA Vario II features a sliding QWERTY keyboard, which which illuminates in low light, an integrated 2 megapixel camera with LED flash, VGA camera (for video calling) and Bluetooth connectivity. It's based on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 and comes with Microsoft Office installed, so you can use Outlook and view and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. Push email is also available for business users running Microsoft Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2.

The Vario II is available now in a limited edition red, silver and black casing. Prices differ dependent on your contract, with a maximum price of £299.

T-Mobile website

More HSDPA:
Orange announces SPV M3100 with HSDPA connectivity
Vodafone to launch v1605 HSDPA/super 3G handset

Vodafone to launch v1605 HSDPA/super 3G handset

Just days after Orange announced a HSDPA (super 3G) handset in the form of the SPV M3100, Vodafone is set to follow, with an own-brand version of the HTC TyTN Windows Mobile-based handset, dubbed the v1605.

Details are scarce at present with regards to the specification, but as it's the TyTN, it should feature a 2.8-inch, 240 x 320 touchscreen display, Wi-Fi wireless networking, tri-band GSM/GPRS, along with 3G and HSDPA. There's also a two megapixel camera on the back. It should also feature a 400MHz processor, 64MB of RAM and a Micro SD slot for boosting your storage.

You can order it now from Vodafone's website as a business customer, with price based on number ordered and contract - but prices range up to £250. There's no confirmed shipping date.

Vodafone website

Via The Register

More HSDPA:
Orange announces SPV M3100 with HSDPA connectivity
LG unveils HSDPA two-way slider phone

Orange announces SPV M3100 with HSDPA connectivity

  Orange has expanded its Signature devices for business range with the SPV M3100 PDA with 3G, GPRS, EDGE, WiFi and most interestingly,  HSDPA connectivity for the first time. But there's one drawback - Orange is unlikely to have an HSDPA network for sometime yet.

HSDPA (or 3G broadband) is the next major leap in mobile connectivity - offering data transfer well in excess of current 3G speeds - over three times faster than current 3G and over 40 times faster than GPRS. Both Vodafone and T-Mobile have a network in place - Orange is still testing theirs, with a launch date currently estimated as an undetermined date in 2007. Still, I guess you're future-proof if you pick one of these devices up - and you've plenty of other connectivity options in the meantime.

The M3100 with QVGA 320x240 pixel touch screen is powered by Windows Mobile 5.0, which means access to all the Microsoft business software (Outlook, Word, Excel), along with push email. It also features a full sliding qwerty keyboard, Bluetooth, USB and infrared connectivity, 128MB internal memory and entertainment options including Windows Media Player, a 2.3MP camera and video recorder. Talk time is up to 4 hours or 3 hours for 3G. Standby time is up to 6 days.

The SPV M3100 is available now to UK business customers for £315 (ex VAT) or from free, depending on your contract.

Orange website

More HSDPA:
Vodafone first to offer 3G broadband in the UK
LG unveils HSDPA two-way slider phone

Nokia's N73 3G handset hits the stores

You may remember we were suitably impressed with Nokia's 3G N73 handset when it was launched back in April. Well, we're pleased to report that you can now get your hands on one, as the N73 hits the shops this week.

If you need your memory jogging, the N73 was pitched as all-round multimedia machine, with an impressive 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, along with with auto focus and support to upload your images to Flickr.com. And for music lovers, there's integrated stereo speakers with 3D sound and an FM radio, along with 42MB internal memory, which can be expanded via miniSD. And if you need to do some work or just fancy a look round the web, the large QVGA display should make for good browsing and should improve viewing of Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF files. The N73 is based on S60 3rd Edition software on Symbian OS.

As ever with these things, prices are almost impossible to quote - check out your local mobile dealer to see what kind of package they're offering.

Nokia website

More Nokia:
Nokia launches UK online shop
Nokia's N93 camcorder phone

3 adds K610i and K800i Cyber-shot phones to its range

3 has announced the addition of two new 3G handsets to its range - the Sony Ericsson K610i and K800i, both featuring the 3 Instant Viewer, which offers up-to-the minute access to the latest news, music, TV, games, videos and other media services.       

In addition, the K800i, which we previewed some weeks ago,  is the first Cyber-Shot phone with a 3.2 megapixel main camera, along with Xenon flash, auto-focus and imaging software. It also employs 'BestPic' technology allowing you to take 9 high resolution photos in a second, along with an image stabiliser.  The K800i also features Bluetooth stereo streaming, allowing you to play your music wirelessly in stereo. 

The K610i, which we got hands-on with as this year's 3GSM, is an upgrade for the K608i model, but 20 per cent smaller than its predecessor at 17mm in depth. It does still pack in the features, including a 2 megapixel camera and Bluetooth stereo streaming.   

The phones are available now - prices are dependent on contract.

3 website

More from 3:
MSN Messenger on your 3 mobile
3 pays punters to receive voice calls and text messages

Tech Digest One Minute Reviews: Nokia 6233 3G Phone

We've been doing some quick one minute video reviews of gadgets recently. Here's Ashley telling me all about the Nokia 6233. 

Related: Nokia 6233 product info | Samsung E870 One Minute Review

New LG U400 phone for turntable junkies

LG has woken up to the fact that everyone but them has a music-focused phone, announcing the U400 this week. But whilst its contemporaries (Sony Ericsson W850i, Nokia 3250) went for music generally, LG have focused this firmly at would-be-DJs .

You'll notice the scrollwheel on the left, which acts in a similar way to that on an iPod. The menu is arranged in a circle, to optimise this. It also allows you to make silly scratching noises over any track you play on the inbuilt MP3 player, just one of the 'proper DJ' effects you can mess around with.

LG have partnered with DMC, who are best known for compiling music charts but also run the major DJ events, such as the World DJ Championships. They've provided several remixes from award-winning DJs which are preloaded as MP3 files and available as ringtones. Expect lots of LG promotion at the DJ tournaments this year, as this is going to be a big focus for them.

The phone also features a 2 megapixel camera, and a miniSD slot for expanding the memory. There are headphones provided, but the in-line remote can be disconnected from the headphones supplied so you can use your own, highly superior, ones (you being a DJ and all). It also features Stereo Bluetooth, which means you can stream music to wireless headphones or adapted speakers.

Obviously being exclusively on 3, it's a 3G phone, so will allow you to make video calls, as well as use their own 3G music services, such as the 3 player. It will be available free on many contracts from the end of July.

LG unveils HSDPA two-way slider phone

LG has unveiled a new HSDPA (or super 3G) handset in Korea, with the big selling point being the ability to make video calls in widescreen or indeed for video playback in landscape.

The phone, which is Cyon-branded, goes under the name of either the LG-SGH100 or the LG-KH1000, dependent on the specification. It's a slider, but not just a regular slider, it also slides sideways for the widescreen effect. The phone features a 2.2-inch, 240 x 320 (or 320 x 240 if you hold it the other way round) display capable of showing 262,144 colours. There's a 1.3mp camera, a VGA video call cam and 2GB of Flash and 1GB of SDRAM, or 512MB of Flash and 256MB of SDRAM, depending on your choice of model.

No news of a UK launch for this, but it's due on sale in Korea for the equivalent of £464.

LG website

Via The Register

More mobiles:
BenQ-Siemens EL71 ultra-slim slider phone
Samsung unveils black E900 slider phone with 2mp camera

Sony Ericsson unveils K610im - the i-mode 3G phone

You may recall we got "hands on" with the Sony Ericsson K610 3G phone during this year's 3GSM - and were suitably impressed. Well, a slight variation on the theme is about to launch in the UK - the K610im, Sony Ericsson's first phone to support the i-mode service, offered in the UK by O2.

Packed very neatly into a Carbon Black casing with a 1.9-inch QVGA TFT 260k, the K610im features a 2MP camera with 2.5x digital zoom and a VGA camera for video calling. Storage is via the supplied 64MB Memory Stick, which can be expanded to 1GB if you want to pack it with music, which you can transfer over via the supplied USB cable and software. The phone also supports over-the-air downloads and features the usual audio and video playback, along with games, plus Bluetooth and push email.

In addition, with the i-mode service, you get access to the enhanced mobile applications, including email, web browsing and MMS, faster downloads, plus access to over 150 i-mode sites currently available in the UK through O2. The K610im will be available from O2 in the final quarter of 2006 - price to be confirmed.

Sony Ericsson website

More i-mode:
eBay joins i-mode service
Sat nav for pedestrians with i-mode

Nokia 6151 - the budget 3G mobile phone

Nokia has introduced the 6151 -  a mobile phone that makes 3G affordable to the mass market. The company reckons it well sell for around £164 sim-free when it becomes available to retailers later this year.

One thing the 6151 can't do is video calling - there's no front-mounted camera on the phone. But apart from that, it pretty much covers everything else adequately. Features include a rear-mounted 1.3MP camera with 4x digital zoom and video capture ability, music and video playback, an FM radio with Nokia's Visual Radio technology, Bluetooth ships as standard and push-to-talk for networks that support it.

There's 30MB of internal memory, which can be boosted by MicroSD card, while the battery provides 4.5 hours of GSM talk time, 3.5 hours of 3G connectivity and up to 10 days in standby. Expect it in the third quarter of this year in a choice of black, pearl white, orange, light blue and lime green for your £164 (or less with a contract).

Nokia website

Via The Register

More Nokia:
Nokia and Central Saint Martins design mobile phone of the future
T-Mobile offers World Cup Nokia N70 with CoPilot Live

Sony Ericsson reveals W850i, new 3G WALKMAN phone

The WALKMAN brand has served Sony and especially its mobile division Sony Ericcsson incredibly well recently. Now there’s a new WALKMAN branded handset to gaze at: the W850i. Most of previous offerings have been candy bar designs but this time around, Sony Ericsson is trying its hand at a slider.

The W850i is available in either iPod-esque white or smart black. This new model doesn’t make much of a leap technologically speaking;  it really only offers a sliding version of the existing W810i and with added UMTS (aka 3G) support. Memory capacity is still under the charge of the Memory Stick PRO Duo which now has the capacity to go up to 4GB, although that luxury will still cost you a further £100+.

Other features of the phone include the unique full horizontal camera mode intended to make it feel more like a real camera. It is still the same 2 megapixel, 4x digital zoom camera in there as many current handsets. More interesting is the new Gracenote Mobile MusicID service that allows you to record just a few seconds of a tune – either through the microphone or integrated FM radio – and send it off to the database to have it identified.

It looks like it’s still worth holding out for the W950i hard disk phone if you want a serious mobile phone alternative to a dedicated MP3 player, but this is definitely one great looking handset and one that’s making me reconsider my W810i.

Find out more

More mobiles:
Sagem’s special edition My700x Roland-Garros handset
Nokia 5500 Sport - the jogger friendly mobile phone

Nokia's N73 multimedia handset

Another new product unveiled by Nokia at the Open Studio even is the 3G N73 handset - which seems to tick most of the boxes as an all-round multimedia machine

The N73 features a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, with auto focus and support to upload your images to Flickr.com. But there's also integrated stereo speakers with 3D sound for playing back your music, along with 42MB internal memory, which can be expanded via miniSD.

The large QVGA display should make for good web browsing easy and should improve viewing of Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF files. The N73 also features Bluetooth and Infrared for connectivity.

The Nokia N73, like the Nokia N93, is based on S60 3rd Edition software on Symbian OS and should be in the shops around July 2006.

Find out more at the Nokia website

More Nokia:
Nokia launches UK online shop
Nokia AD-42W Wireless Audio Gateway

LG unveils U890 3G clamshell

LG has unveiled the U890, a 3G clamshell phone and successor to the U880. But before you rush out to upgrade, it's worth noting that the specification seems very similar to the previous model.

It's 18.5mm thin, but with an increased screen size of 2.2 inches, there's also a  new keypad and improvements in camera flashlight technology for brighter images, but it still only features a 1.3MP camera.

The music player features 3Player technology, which allows music playlists to be created or songs to be listed by artist, genre and song title. There's also external buttons to access music without opening the handset, around 75MB of storage and external Transflash (Micro SD).

The phone also features Bluetooth and with A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), you can stream your tunes through to wireless headphones.

It's available now in silver with a range of new colour trims, price dependent on contract.

Find out more

More 3G:
How do you use your 3G phone?
LG U880 reviewed

3G BlackBerry set for the UK?

Research in Motion (RIM) looks set to introduce a 3G version of the BlackBerry to the UK in the shape of the 8707v. Whether there's any great benefit to a 3G BlackBerry is open to question - with flash storage remaining at 64MB, there's nowhere to keep your large downloads anyway. We don't know yet either whether users will be able to harness the 3G modem in the device to surf the web on ther laptops.

The 8707v is based on a 312MHz Intel PXA901 processor with 16MB of SRAM. In addition to 3G connectivity, the handset offers quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) GSM/GPRS operation - it's not yet clear if there is EDGE support. The 3G modem seems to be used exclusively for data. There is also a 320 x 240, 65,635-colour display, Bluetooth 2.0 on board and a battery which offers up to five hours' talk time.

According to a report on The Register,the 8707v is likely to feature on the Vodafone network first, though we're guessing that T-Mobile might just beat them to it.

RIM website

Via The Register

More BlackBerry:
BlackBerry 8700g
BlackBerry is cool - official

3GSM 2006: CoPilot brings sat nav to Symbian mobiles

ALK used the 3GSM to announce that CoPilot® Live is now available for Symbian Series 60 phones. The first model to benefit will be the Nokia N70.

CoPilot® Live 6 turns a Symbian Series 60 phone into an easy-to-use satellite navigation system complete with door-to-door route calculation, turn-by-turn voice instructions and detailed street maps. Enter your destination by house number, street, town, point of interest or even a full UK post code, then select 'start driving' for your route. Advanced features include a choice of map views, planning mode to calculate trips in advance and a walking mode for finding the way on foot using your mobile. Live traffic information and over-the-air downloads of camera locations are available as an added subscription.

CoPilot® Live 6 Symbian will initially be available with the Nokia N70 through T-Mobile in the UK. The complete package is available from free when purchased with a monthly contract.

More mobile news:
Samsung P300 'calculator phone' arrives in UK in March
3GSM 2006: HTC and Orange launch the SPV M600

3GSM 2006: hands on with the Nokia 6136

Nokia's first phone to feature UMA support, which means it can seamlessly move between 3G and Wi-Fi connections without dropping a call, is a bit of a curious one. You would have thought that Nokia would have pulled out all the stops and offered a high-end Series 60 phone for us techies. But nope the 6136 is a lower-end Series 40 model aimed at more causal users.

The underlying technology is great, especially given the announcement by Rabbit yesterday that it is to offer a two cents call via Wi-Fi to anywhere in the world.

There are also whispers of Nokia deal with Skype which will probably go down like a lead balloon with the networks. The phone itself is a bit of an oddity though. It is a ok clamshell with a quality OLED screen on its facia. Flip it open and there are huge buttons which should make texting and sending emails at a brisk pace fairly simple. Everything else is fairly basic stuff with the handset offering the usual mid-range phone niceties, but nothing to excite the techies. I really can't see why Nokia's first UMA phone wasn’t a top-end model. After all a decent smartphone that can easily toggle between 3G and Wi-Fi would be s superb addition to its product range, Maybe Nokia is protecting its own interests and ensuring its keeps space free for its 770 web tablet and Communicators. But then maybe it is saving a UMA big gun for the upcoming CeBIT exhibition.

BenQ-Siemens announces first HSDPA mobile to market

Having taken over Siemens and produced some rather nice looking mobiles, BenQ is really starting to warm up with three more releases. The EF91 (pictured) is going to be the first HSDPA mobile phone to reach the market. This is a miracle in itself, since Siemens was well-known for taking its own sweet time to respond to new technologies. T-Mobile and Vodafone have apparently already agreed to take it.

The S81 is one of the slimmest 3G phones around at 13mm, while the EF51 is music-focused mobile with a music player control pad that flips down to reveal the normal keypad.

The clamshell EF91 comes with an impressive 3.2-megapixel camera. 262K resolution screen, MicroSD card slot, MP3 player and Bluetooth. It'll be out this summer in a variety of colours.

The candy bar S81 3G phone has support for Bluetooth, MP3 music playback (and AAC+ and WMA), 1.3 megapixel camera on the back and VGA camera on the front for video calling and a MicroSD slot which bumps up the 30MB internal memory. It'll be out in black and silver in the second quarter of this year.

Finally, the EF51 has a high res, 262K colour screen, FM radio support for MP3, WMA, AAC and AAC+ formats and something called Speech-to-Music which means you can tell your phone which song you want it to play. It will also display the lyrics of your chosen tunes on the screen.

Came straight to this page? Visit www.TechDigest.tv for all the latest news.

3GSM 2006: hands on with the Sony Ericsson K610

The first big handset out of the blocks at 3GSM proved to be the K610 from Sony Ericsson. You can check out the basic spec here, however we did pop over to the stand and managed to grab a few minutes with it.

First up it is as billed, very slight for a 3G phone. The chocolate bar style handset is skinny and very light, though still significantly chunkier than say Moto’s SLVR. The trade off in size means that the keys are small and a little fiddly especially the menu buttons at the top. The 262k screen is as you’d expect top notch and the images stored on the phone looked superb. The phone also sports an RSS reader integrated into its messaging section. No one at the SE stand knew a great deal about how this works, but loading RSS feeds appears a pretty simple process of just inputting an URL and grabbing the feed.

No one knew how many RSS feeds you can actually load. The phone is also compatible with push email with the option of the specific system apparently left to the operator, and it also has what SE bills as a mobile blogging solution built in. I wasn’t blown away by it as I was by the M600 last week, but this is solid mid market 3G fare and should do well for the company. I expect it will be grabbed by most UK networks.

3GSM 2006: Sony Ericsson's K610 and J100 phones

Two new phones fresh out from the Sony Ericsson camp today: the K610 and the J100. First up, the K610 (pictured) is a very small 3G handset that's closer in size to a non-3G handset than most 3G phones out there. It's got a 2-megapixel camera as well as a standard VGA one on the front for making video calls. It's also got an HTML browser with RSS feeds included, while the Memory Stick Micro card slot allows you to bump up the storage space when you're using the media player.

The altogether less exciting J100 is a basic budget phone by the sounds of things. Not much to talk about by way of features, this one's stictly for budget watchers and people who don't want any fancy extras.

K610 press info
J100 press info
Sony Ericsson 3GSM flash site

Ministry of Sound 3G mobile

I think there was a time in the nineties when the Ministry of Sound could have passed for "cool", but that was then and this is now. Don't tell that to Three though, they've teamed up with the clubbing giant to bring you the MOS-1 3G mobile.

The phone itself is a smart looking black clamshell handset with the Ministry of Sound logo and a Ministry of Sound key for fast access to music. It also features a high resolution colour display for video viewing and an independently rotating 1.3 Megapixel camera. In addition, you 'll get free stereo headphones, a couple of Ibiza club hits to watch and all the 3G features you'd expect.

You can pick up the MOS-1 via threePay.

Find out more

More mobiles:
Orange launch the snow-mobile
Are you ready for VibeTonz?

Sony Live 2006: Sony Ericsson to debut Location Free TV compatible phone

In Lisbon Sony also made some big announcements about its TV on the move system Location Free TV. It confirmed a UK launch for the service for PSPs and laptop PCs which the company says will be before the summer. A Sony rep also said that Sony Ericsson is about to deliver a phone that will be compatible with the Location Free TV system. Presumably the phone will include Wi-Fi which makes it most likely to be the next generation of the SE smartphone the P990 which goes on sale next month. However given that the data speeds of 3G are fast enough to support TV streaming it may be a different 3G-only non Wi-Fi handset.

Launched in the US in December Location Free TV enables PSP owners to watch remotely via Wi-Fi whatever is showing on their home TV. The system consists of a decoder box, which sells in the US for $350 that plugs into any video device and a broadband connection. The box then takes the video output and then streams it over the web to the PSP. So you can hook it up to your Sky box and wirelessly stream a live football game across continents if you wish.

The system also enables the users to remote control the TV or its decoder box. The Sony rep showed how the system could pause and fast forward the footage on a Sony hard disk video system remotely as well as programme it to make timed recordings. If the system can also operate the Sky+ box enabling the user to set up timed recordings on the hoof it we’ll be first in the queue. You’ll have to wait for nearer the launch date for confirmation of this though.

Sky has however intimated in the past that it was looking into system that can remotely control the on screen programming systems of its decoders. Sony expects Location Free TV to be a hit with the millions of Brits who now own holiday homes. The PSP version could also prove to be the must-have gadget for footy fans during the 2006 World Cup.

CES 2006: Samsung's HSDPA mobile

At last year's CES by far the most impressive stand belonged to Samsung who delivered a huge array of innovative and exciting gadgets. It looks like it’ll be the same again this year and one of the devices we are most looking forward to seeing is the first ever phone with on board HSDPA.

If you are up to speed with your telecoms acronyms you’ll know that HSDPA or (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) is a variant of 3G which offers data download speeds way beyond the 384Kbps we have in the UK at the moment. Several companies are trialling HSDPA, but they have been using HSDPA cards for laptops. At CES Samsung will deliver the first HSDPA phone which it is apparently earmarked for Vodafone. It’ll offer download speeds of 1.6Mbps which should be more than enough for instant music downloading and quality video streaming. Ironically given that the US is normally pretty slow at new telecoms innovations, the first HSDPA system in the world was launched by Cingular last month. Americans can surf the web at speeds of up to 700Kbps via a HSDPA laptop card. More here.

Best of 2005: Nokia N70

The top-end camera phone the N90 and hard disk music playing N91 might have grabbed the headlines, but as innovative as they are both phones are a little too chunky for our tastes. Nokia did however get it spot on with the N70, a classic chocolate bar style handset complete with 3G facilities.

It has plenty of excellent features including a two mega pixel camera, solid web browser etc and images from Sky and Voda's TV service looks great on its fabulous screen. It is available on pretty much every 3G network too. If you don’t fancy the Sharp 903 this is the phone to buy.

Nokia's 'business style' 3G phone

What with all the excitement of our awards last week we were busy nursing hangovers when we should have been delivering the scoop on Nokia's new 3G business phone the 6233. Due to launch in spring 2006 the 6233 (Voda subscribers get their own version in the guise of the 6234) is a light choccy bar style handset complete with a two mega pixel snapper, 320 x 240 QVGA colour screen, digital music player and stereo speakers.

It has one of those stainless steel finishes that Nokia does so well and is obviously compatible the usual slew of 3G video downloads and streaming options, though funnily enough not person to person video calling (is there anyone still doing this anyhow?)

Although Nokia apparently has the business market in mind, the phone is clearly aimed more at those who aren't too concerned about fancy frills as it runs Nokia Series 40 interface rather than Nokia’s smartphone Series 60 front end.

Nokia-ing
Nokia's TV to go phone
Nokia's iPod rival

Samsung's credit card thin SGH-P300 lands in UK

Yesterday it was Motorola, today it is Samsung’s turn to grab the mobile spotlight. It has launched no fewer than five mobiles for the European market two of which are 3G models. The one likely to get all the attention is the SGH-P300, which is basically Samsung's attempt to out skinny the Moto RAZR. It is 8.9mm thick, or is that thin? Yet Samsung has managed to pack a 1.3 mega pixel camera with flash, music player and video recording capabilities. Looks a bit like a calculator though...

The 3G-ers, the SGH-Z510 and SGH-Z540 look pretty decent too mixing small (for 3G handsets) frames with the usual full whack of features. Both tout a 1.3 mega pixel camera and 4x digital zoom, video telephony, real-time video streaming and video messaging.

The SGH-Z510 has a very cool looking 2.2-inch QVGA screen display and includes MP3 playback, while the SGH-Z540 is aimed at the fashion conscious buyer (aren’t we all?) and sports a similar set of features as well as Bluetooth and storage of a pretty impressive  150MB.

Samsung also debuted the SGH-D800, a 14.9mm slim slide-up phone with a 1.3 mega pixel camera, document viewer, Bluetooth, PictBridge, and TV-out, and the slightly chubbier SGH-D820, another slide-up phone. It features a wide (2.12-inch) and high resolution (QVGA) LCD screen and 1.3 mega pixel camera. All will be available in European stores before the end of the year.

More Skinny phones
Moto's new RAZR
NEC's ultra thin mobile

Nokia's N71 and N80

In Barcelona Nokia also unveiled two other N series phones. Also set to launch in Q2, the N71 features the N series signature facilities of 3G connectivity, web browsing and PDA-style applications. Its headline feature is a unique web browser that Nokia calls minimap. This delivers two screens on the device, the main close-up screen and a second transparent navigation screen that provides a snapshot of the entire page the user is seeing. This lets you quickly access and scroll around various parts of the page. The browser is also compatible RSS and XML feeds and has up to two Gigabytes of storage via a miniSD card.

Completing the line up is the Nokia N80, a slider handset and the first mobile phone to feature Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) so that it can network wirelessly with any device in the home. For example, users will be able to stream MP3 tracks wirelessly from the handset to a hi-fi system. The phone is also the first quad band phone with dual band 3G. Nokia's CEO Jorma Ollia also predicted an explosion in sales of convergence phones during 2006 forecasting that over 100 million devices would be sold.

Motorola's new 3G handsets

You know all about Moto’s 3G RAZR, the 3x, because we told you how 3 had snaffled them up the other day. Motorola does however have another pair of 3G phones which it intends to launch in the UK and Europe in the next month or so.

The one you’ll probably be seeing most of is the Motorola E1070 which should be available from 02 and Orange. Its is a compact clamshell with a 1.3-megapixel camera with digital zoom, Bluetooth, Transflash/Micro SDmemory card, a QVGA display and video. There’s also the Vodafone only Motorola E770v, a chocolate bar style handset which has video calling and access to the Vodafone Live! 3G portal. Also on board is 176x220 pixel display in 262,000 colours, VGA resolution camera with 4X digital zoom, Bluetooth, video calling, MP3 and video playback, stereo output via plug-in headphones, email client and web browser.

Sony Ericsson's W900 Walkman phone

So here it is – Sony Ericsson's Walkman phone take 2 (take 1 is here) and let's just say that it eats the Motorola ROKR iTunes phone for breakfast. Not that the W900 is the ultimate music phone though. Sony Ericsson hasn’t still solved the thorny issue of storage, but it has improved things a little in that area. The phone packs 470MB of internal memory which of course can be supplemented by a Memory Stick Pro Duo card. There’s no news on whether one will be bundled with the one, but if SE is generous you could have nearly an Gig storage. Or more if you are feeling rich.

It has also added 3G connectivity to its list of features which is good news for networks who want to use the phone to offer over the air downloads. They almost certainly will too as the phone is compatible with the AAC+ format as well as AAC, WMA and MP3 ones. There’s still no sign of support for Sony's own ATRAC format, which makes us believe that Sony isn’t exactly pushing the format. Other features include a two mega pixel camera, a 2.2 inch QVGA 262K TFT screen, video capture at 30 frames per second and of course dedicated music playing buttons. It will be available in black or white and should be in the stores before the end of 2005. Our top music phone? Well it is still this one…

3 gets the 3G Motorola RAZR

There's a huge announcement from the UK phone network 3 tomorrow, but as a taster for what might becoming, today it gave details of a quartet of new handsets it is to offer to its subscribers – and there are some goodies.

Undoubtedly top of the 3’s customers’ shopping list this Christmas will be the 3G version of Motorola’s iconic, and some might say Chav-tastic, RAZR phone. The RAZR3x is a sizeable leap from the original models, for in addition to offering video calling and video download via 3G it also packs a two mega pixel camera (the original was a paltry VGA one).

3 has also snapped up Nokia's 3G biggie the Nokia 6280 as well as the company's just launched high-end series phone the N70. Completing the range is the latest handset from LG the U880. Its USP is that it is apparently the thinnest 3G clamshell to reach the UK so far. It has a 1.3 mega pixel camera, Bluetooth, an expandable internal memory of 80 MB and, this is an important one for LG, an internal aerial. All four models will be in the stores between now and Xmas.

Nokia does a BlackBerry

Maybe it’s a sign of the times, but it appears that for one of its latest smartphones announced today Nokia is taking its design cues from (ulp) BlackBerry. The new Nokia E61, all three phones are the first in the company's E series of smartphones, is a deadringer for the BlackBerry with its large-ish monitor and so large even chubby fingered business blokes can use it QWERTY keyboard. This being Nokia though the handset is pretty slim, has a good quality screen and is compatible with all manner of mobile email clients like BlackBerry Connect, GoodLink, Nokia Business Center, Seven Mobile Mail, Seven Always-On Mail and Visto Mobile. Like both other phones in the E series it also feature packed boasting the Series 60 Nokia interface (which means at least it is compatible with the excellent Opera web browser), and comes with Bluetooth, 3G facilities, IP telephony and push to talk.

Nokia is on more familiar ground with the E60 which is in the chocolate bar format and is without a keyboard. It does however boast many of the facilities of the E61, though isn’t quite as well endowed on the email front.

Finally there's the latest in Nokia's pull open messaging device series the E70. It sports the company's twist out mobile keyboard, has plenty of email support and its Series 60 interface means that you can gadget-ise it to your heart’s content. All three phones will launch in early 2006.

These are important handsets for Nokia. Sales of Blackberry devices, as opposed to devices that are compatible with BlackBerry, are likely to decline and Nokia wants to be the company with the hardware that corporates aspire to. In the E61 it has a similar product with arguably a superior design and better line up of features. The fact that it is compatible with a wide range of push email clients helps its appeal too. Interesting stuff.

Sony Ericsson unveils P990 adds 3G and Wi-Fi

Sony Ericsson has unveiled the latest upgrade of its long standing series of smartphones. The latest model, the P990 keeps the basic form factor of its predecessor in that it sports a large screen and has a flip open tab with the keys on it, but has several key amendments. The biggie is that it now boasts on board Wi-Fi, which is also apparently compatible with VoiP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls. Sony Ericsson has also improved the display so the new model sports a 320x240 resolution screen and added Blackberry Connect support.

The most controversial change is the adjustment of the size of the screen to accommodate a larger QWERTY keyboard. The 910 was criticised for having a keyboard than was small and unusable. The amendment at least brings the keyboard size in line with other smartphones like the Treo and the HP Mobile Messenger.

Unlike previous Sony Ericsson smartphones this one is also 3G compatible which makes it a smaller rival to the recently launched HTC Universal, which is available in the UK as the T-Mobile MDA pro and Orange M5000. It also has a two mega pixel camera, will offer video calling and features the Opera 8 web browser. It goes on sale early next year.

Mobile Choice Awards: Samsung wins Phone of the Year

I was at the glitzy Mobile Choice Awards last night in Old Billingsgate Market. The lovely Bill Bailey was on hand to present the awards. He did a great job and took delight in mocking us ("right, better get on. After all, for some of you, this will be the best night of your life").

Sony Ericsson were the night's big winners, scooping up three awards for Best 3G Phone (the V800), Best Music Phone (the Walkman W800i), and Manufacturer of the Year. Best network went to Orange, though Virgin once again took the prize for best Customer Service, while 3 walked away with best 3G network and Best Prepay Package ("for people without an address" according to Bill). Our jocund host renamed the Readers' Dream Phone award the "Muggers' Choice" award, which went, of course, to the Motorola V3 RAZR. Motorola also took the award for Best Fashion Phone thanks to the lovely V6 PEBL. Phone of the Year was the one voted for by the charming, talented and erudite panel of judges (yes, I was one of them). We spent a day locked away deliberating over a stack of phones that included the Sony Ericssons W800i and V800, the Sharp 902 and the Moto V6 PEBL. But ultimately, the prize went to the excellent Samsung D600. A great night all round, which is why I'm off for a little lie down now. For the full list of winners and nominees, check out the next issue of Mobile Choice magazine. [Katie Lee]

Vodafone's Christmas 3G line up

Vodafone has announced a host of exclusive 3G handsets for Christmas.  We already know about the superb three mega pixel camera phone the Sharp 903 but here are the others. The Samsung ZV30 is a compact 3G-er which weighs in at just 110 grams. It has a display with 262,144 TFT colours and a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels, includes a 1.3 mega pixel camera, Bluetooth and a large 40 MB internal memory which can be extended to up to 256 MB with Trans-Flash cards.

Then there’s the Motorola E77V which has access to mobile TV, video telephony, an MP3 player and Vodafone Music Downloads. It also features a digital camera and a Bluetooth interface for use with a wireless headset.

Designed as a 3G starter phone the Sagem my V-85 has a large display with 26 2,144 colours for mobile video telephony and TV. Also on board is a 1.3 mega pixel digital camera and synchronisation via infrared interface, USB or Bluetooth. Vodafone is also adding the Motorola V3x, Nokia 6280, Nokia N70 and Vodafone VPA IV (which is its version of the HTC Universal) though these handsets are mostly Voda exclusives, Pre-paid 3G phones include Motorola C980, Motorola V980, Samsung Z140V, Sony Ericsson V600i.

Vodafone and Toshiba's 3G music phone

In case you were wondering why Vodafone had decided to pass on the Apple Motorola iTunes ROKR music phone, here it is. Due to go on sale in the UK shortly is Voda’s own music phone, the Toshiba 803. Nicknamed by the company the UMTS (3G) jukebox it is a clamshell handset with MP3 playback and integrated music playing control buttons. In typical style though it is very short on memory. It comes with 20MB built in which can be supplemented by a mini-SD card. Though if previous form is anything to go by it is likely to be 64MB. Suddenly those 512MB cards bundled with the Moto and Sony Ericsson phones look pretty generous. Also on board is 2.3 mega pixel camera with 20 x digital zoom (which is previous Tosh cameras on phones are anything to go by should be cracking), a display with 262,144 colours and Bluetooth.

Alas the Tosh 903, which includes most of the above and integrated GPS is only going to be on sale in Japan.

T-Mobile MDA Pro/O2 XDA Exec review

Is this the smartphone you have all been waiting for? HTC's Universal finally arrives in the UK this month in at least two different guises. T-Mobile claims to have got the device first offering it as the MDA Pro. Not to be outdone O2 is also offering the phone this time calling it the XDA Exec. Vodafone and Orange will have their own version shsortly. So why all the excitement? Well the Universal is certainly a special phone and it likely to be a huge hit with both corporates and high-end prosumers. Its big story is that it is the first top-end Windows Mobile powered handset to offer 3G connection, so users can download large files to it or surf the web at broadband-like (or maybe that’s broadband-lite) speeds. It also has Wi-Fi for when a person is in range of a hot spot and GPRS as a fall back.

The device is also the first to offer the latest version of the Microsoft operating system for mobiles – Windows Mobile 5.0. The big news here is that it now features persistent memory, so when the phone battery dies you don’t lose all the data you had on it -  a major weakness of previous MS phones. There’s also enhanced push email facilities and a few other minor tweaks. And of course the cut down version of Excel, Word, etc are sure to be a hit with IT departments who want to play safe and keep all their PCs and devices on the same platform.

The clamshell type device – it has a touch of the Psion Series 5 about it or even a Nokia Communicator, also features a large and very usable keyboard which is light years away for the thumbapad offered by its rivals. I had a reasonably long play with the MDA pro and to be honest I can’t see why any mobile worker wouldn’t want one. Its only real weakness is its bulky size, but hey it is still much smaller and more pocketable than a laptop.

3 allows subscribers to check out the web - well sort of

Well, here’s a day I never thought I’d see. It appears that 3, which has always been the mobile network most committed to ensuring that its customers don’t use their phones to surf the web, has finally caved in and gone net crazy. From mid-September it is to offer a pair of services which will enable user to escape 3’s walled garden of sites and trawl the real web. And get this, even use their handset as a 3G modem to enable their laptop to grab a bit of those 3G speeds.

The basic Mobile Web services, costs £2.50 per month enabling customers with a contract on 3 to download up to 5 MegaBytes of content, or an average of 500 pages each month from the 'Mobile Web.’ This being 3 though there has to be a bit of a get out clause and this time users can only access pages that have been ‘optimised’ for mobile. So while you should be able to peek at the BBC and Amazon, don't expect to be able to check out pigbreedersfortonyblair.com just yet.

Gareth Jones, COO of 3, said: ‘We are about offering the best of the web on mobile and ensuring the customer experience. Currently only a fraction of the internet works well on mobile - but the good news is that many of the UK's most popular sites, including the BBC, eBay and Amazon have now been optimised. We are committed to extending the choice of high-quality video mobile services - this service means the best of internet is now available to our customers over their mobiles.‘

Perhaps more exciting is the Wireless Web option, which provides internet access for laptops via the phones at a flat rate of £45 per month. Again there’s a limit of 512MB of data, so no cheeky MP3 or video files. To be fair I cant see massive take up on either service, but at least 3 has knocked a couple of bricks out of its walled garden.

Samsung's lightest 3G phone so far

We can't say for certain who has the smallest and lightest 3G phone so far, but one of the contenders has to be the SGH-Z500 from Samsung which has just gone on sale in the UK via Vodafone and O2. The clamshell phone is just 95g which these days isn’t a great deal more than most standard GPRS models. The trade off though is the rather paltry battery life of just 260 hours standby and three hours talk time. Nevertheless it has plenty of features including a pair of cameras (one VGA and one 1.3 mega pixel) that enables users to capture still and moving images and make video calls, a high quality 176 x 220 pixel TFT 256K display, Bluetooth, MP3 playback and Java. The phone has 50MB of internal storage which can be supplemented via its TransFlash card slot.

Nokia's 3G slider

It has been a busy week for Nokia who launched seven new phones, four of which are heading for these shores. The big story is the 6280 which the company is billing as its most sophisticated 3G handset to date. Aimed at gadget lovers the high-end mobi boasts video calling facilities (still unusual for a Nokia phone), a two mega pixel still camera, Bluetooth and MP3/AAC music playback. The phone is a sliding style and runs using the Series 40 interface. It also features a removable mini-SD card and a radio.

The 6270 is a pretty similar handset but is GPRS rather than 3G. It has a two mega pixel camera, music playback and stereo speakers. It also has the same 320 x 240 pixel screen, and built-in FM radio as the 6280 but is a tad smaller and lighter.

Nokia also launched a basic slider in the 6111 which nevertheless boasts a one mega pixel camera and a 128 x 160 screen. Completing the range is Nokia’s take on the noddy phone as pioneered by Vodafone/Sagem/LG etc. The 6060 is a very basic clamshell with a 65k colour screen All the phones will be on sale in late 2005.

Orange first with TV on your mobile

Well, they've all been talking about it for ages, but Orange has just become the first of the 3G networks to offer television on its mobiles. Orange TV will initially feature 9 channels (amongst them, ITN News, CNN, Cartoon Network, and a dedicated channel for both Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island - only the highest quality shows, in short) and it launches next week for a £10 monthly subscription. It's only available on the Nokia 6680 at present, but more handsets will be added throughout the year and you'll just need to download the free TV application from Orange World to get going. No mention of how much this will rinse the battery life, but we're guessing it's not going to give you a huge amount of time to gawp at self-regarding media-wannabe scrotes on the Big Brother channel before your enjoyment is cut short by power failure. A couple of the TD team have witnessed the delights of mobile phone television in Japan and they tell me it's a most enjoyable experience.

Orange

Vodafone's digital TV phone

It is not just us Brits who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of digital TV via a mobile. Over in Japan Vodafone, Sharp and NHK have just taken the wraps off a phone that can receive digital TV transmissions. Phones that tune into analogue TV, along with media player style device that access satellite telly, are big news among Japan’s millions of commuters, so the slightly beleaguered Voda network has high hopes for the new handset.

As well as TV programmes users can access interactive games and quizzes, etc. One really cool facility is that it has a multi-sectioned screen, allowing the user to watch TV as they write e-mail or use the web. Battery life for the clamshell style handset is rated at about two hours of users are tuning into the TV. There’s no news on a launch yet.

Bearing in mind that Sharp is Voda's key partner for UK phones you wouldn't bet against the first TV phones from the network - rumoured to be launching in late 2005 - looking a lot like this.

O2 X4 review

You know how 3G phones are always big, bulky beasts with huge batteries. Well O2 has attempted to buck the trend with this, the smallest and most pocketable 3G phone so far. In spite of its diddy dimensions the O2 X4 is a somewhat masculine mobile, following the now-standard ‘big screen inside, little screen outside’ clamshell form factor. It’s no surprise that the X4 is essentially an updated X3, a ‘phone which met with a somewhat mixed reaction from users. The main difference lies in the addition of 3G services, which are lovely assuming that (a) you want them and (b) you can get them: coverage is still pretty much confined to the major conurbations and I was recently shocked to discover that there are some people living outside London. The other features are pretty much what you would expect; Currency converter for inveterate roamers, Java games for bored commuters, alarm for chronic oversleepers, and a respectable 1.3 megapixel camera for Charlotte Church.  There's only one camera, so if you want to indulge in a bit of video calling - tough.

<p>The big news is the provision of a Mini-SD card slot allowing users to upgrade the storage capacity very easily. If you have a card slot on your PC, it’s also your simplest method of feeding the built-in MP3 player, as O2 has inexplicably omitted Bluetooth connectivity. That’s something of a disappointment, as GPRS is all very well, but remembering the USB cable everywhere you go is slightly too much bother for most people and there’s nothing so handy as short-range wireless for syncing your calendars. In fairness, there is infra-red for all you old-school infra-red fans. </p>

<p>I also found text input a trifle fiddly, although teenagers will doubtless master it in minutes.

The MP3 playback, especially with a larger-capacity SD card is a pleasing bonus, the camera is pretty decent (although I couldn’t persuade the flash to flash) and the basic telephony is fine. I can’t help thinking, though, that the missing Bluetooth is something of an oversight and all in all the X4 suffers in comparison with similar offerings currently available.
</p>

3G to help stargazers

Orange tells us that its 3G Mobile Office card is being put to unusual use by scientists in the UK. Researchers over here are using the cards to let them access and control one of the largest fully robotic telescopes in the world based over in Hawaii. They can access the internet from their laptops to connect to the Faulkes Telescope, allowing them to check out and download images received from the star gazer wherever they may be. Great PR story for Orange, and one that certainly sparked our interest.

Nokia's 3 new handsets

Nokia has announced three new handsets. The 6680 is the a 3G smartphone; the 6681 an EDGE 2G version for ; while the 6101 is to be the company's latest budget offering. The 6680 comes with two integrated cameras, one of which is 1.3-megapixels, a flash light and a 262k colour high resolution screen. The 6681 doesn't have the front camera, but retains the high res camera on the back. The Series 60 6680 will be available next month. The budget clamshell 6101 is a compact handset with built in VGA camera. Its will be out later this year.

Nokia

3G phones take 20% of the market

Some good news for 3, Vodafone and anyone else mulling over whether to launch a 3G network for consumers. Apparently 3G handsets are big hit with the buyers down at the Carphone Warehouse.

Responding to a report published today by Netonomy which suggested that only 4% of mobile owners were thinking of upgrading to 3G Dunstone said the following…

"In the last quarter, 20% of our sales were 3G phones. We expect that competition will really take off by the middle of this year, when all the networks will have fully launched their services. Next Christmas will be the big 3G Christmas. 3G is really starting to accelerate now and for the first time, our customers have the choice of four of the main networks; Vodafone, 3, Orange and O2. Once you're comfortable with the technology, it's hard to imagine why anyone would choose 2.5G."

Traditionally Carphone has done pretty well out of 3G. It managed to scoop quite a chunk of 3 subscribers when the network launched in early 2003 and since then even offered its own 3G phone, the Nokia 7600 (which 3 had passed on) which proved to be a huge hit.

T-Mobile debuts Microsoft 3G smartphone

It won’t come as a massive surprise to TD regulars as we mentioned it a few months back, but HTC, makers of Microsoft Windows Mobile phones, has officially taken the wraps off its first 3G device.

We say HTC, but actually T-Mobile Germany got there first in not only parading the phone, but also giving it a name – the MDA IV. Seeing as just out every UK network has taken the model's predecessor you’re bound to be seeing a lot of it come this summer when it launches.

Anyhow the details are this. The MDA IV apes previous phones from HTC – like the O2 XDA2 in that it is large and horizontal. However the key difference is that it now split in half so that the top of the device is a very large VGA touch screen while the bottom features a full QWERTY keyboard. In many ways it is like a larger version of Motorola’s MPX.

It boasts a huge range of facilities including two cameras to enable video calling, 3G, GPRAS and Wi-Fi compatibility and a 520 MHz Intel processor. And not surprisingly it features all the usual Microsoft applications such as Pocket Explorer, Outlook, and Windows Media player on board.

There are no details yet on the storage, but presumably if you are using 3G to download large files you are going to need plenty of it.

O2 unveils 3G handsets

At a not especially glitzy bash O2 this morning confirmed its 3G launch for consumers, announcing a February 1st roll out date for the handsets and services.

The company seemed keen to stress that 3G was an evolution rather than a revolution and this was reflected in its choice of handsets. Some we have seen before, notably the Nokia 6630 (available through Orange and Vodafone and without a video calling facility, the Samsung Z107 (another Voda handset) and the Sony Ericsson SE V800 (Voda’s lead 3G handset). Others, like the Nokia 6680, are new.

Yet O2 has chosen to launch 3G to its consumers with an own-branded handset that bizarrely doesn’t feature video calling facilities. Available from February 1st and retailing for either £30 or nothing, depending on which contract you choose, is the X4. A deadringer for the O2 X3, although it is a little bulkier, the X4 features a 262K colour screen, a 1.3 mega pixel camera with 8x digital zoom, an MP3 player and video downloading and streaming facilities via O2’s newly launched 3G O2 Active site.

The handset which like the X3 is made by Taiwanese manufacturer BenQ has 10MB of storage, though this can be upgraded via a memory card.

O2 confirms Nokia 3G phone - before Nokia

Allright so we haven’t actually seen one and Nokia still isn’t acknowledging that it exists, but O2 in the UK today announced it would be first network to sell the new Nokia 3G handset, the 6680.

The company promised that the model, Nokia's first to boast two cameras and therefore offer full video calling facilities, would be in the stores soon after it launches its 3G consumer service on February 1st. Naturally we don’t believe O2, especially after the press office failed to furnish us with a pic.

Nevertheless we have a very good experience with the Nokia 6630 3G phone on Vodafone, and like the look of the 6680. Still can’t see us making any video calls though. The only other stuff we know about the 6680 is that it has Series 60 interface like the 6630, features a 1.3 mega pixel camera and, rumour has it, a 3D menu system.

Stupidly Cheap 3G handset

Vodafone may have some rather nice handsets in its 3G portfolio, but since you'll have to fork out around £200 for them on pay-as-you-go they're suddenly looking rather less appealing. Good job 3's on hand to offer you a deal you can't refuse, then. The company's already gained a reputation for its splendid value tariffs and now it's got a deal going with The Carphone Warehouse that means you can get hold of a Pay As You Go 3G Motorola C975 for £29.99. To get the deal you just need to purchase £15 of airtime with the handset, so it's still only costing you £44.99.

The phone itself is a pretty basic one, but it's got all the stuff you need - VGA camera with digital zoom, MP3 player, video streaming capabilities and speakerphone. Full marks to 3 for this one.

The Carphone Warehouse

Orange's 3G handsets

Well the rumours turned out to be true. Orange is set to announce its 3G offering for consumers on Monday when it will give journos a quick spin with its new handsets.

Some of us have already been there and done that with Orange’s lead 3G mobile – the Sanyo S750.

Orange has also lined up Nokia’s key 3G phone the 6630. There’s no word yet if web browsing beyond the Orange portal will be included in Orange’s 3G tariffs. If surfing is included the Nokia 6630 will be a very attractive option for web obsessives - we should know because we have been using it on the Vodafone 3G network all week. Also on board is LG with the 8150, a slightly different take on the handset that has been doing great business for UK 3G network 3. Completing the range are the rather podgy Sony Ericsson Z1010 and Samsung’s Z107.

As for the network Orange is now claiming that it 3G coverage will be available to 66% of the population – slightly more than Vodafone but still a long way behind 3.

Why Which? is wrong about 3G

If you're looking to buy a 3G phone this Christmas, Which? would advise you otherwise. The company has pronounced 3G not suitable for human consumption since there are too many problems with network coverage. The bulkiness of 3G handsets was also given as a reason to ignore 3G and stick to smaller, more reliable 2G handsets.

Thing is, it doesn't sound like they've tested any of the newer 3G handsets, which are far smaller. Considering the extra stuff they can do, we've been more than happy to carry round handsets like the Sony Ericsson V800, the LG U8120 and the Nokia 6630. Our experience of the 3G networks in recent months has been really good, with both 3 and Vodafone providing reliable service. Granted, we all live in London, which makes things a lot easier, and if you live in the deepest darkest countryside you might have trouble making video calls. But if you're a city dweller and you want a 3G phone for Christmas, don't let Which? put you off. One thing to bear in mind, though, is that the tariffs and phone prices will inevitably go down in the new year. We also don't really rate the phones they do reccomend. There's no mention of the Nokia 7610, the Orange SPV-C500 or Motorola RAZR V3 handsets - in our book the best trio out there.

Read

Orange makes UK debut with Orange 3G

There's still no official launch date for Orange's 3G service in the UK. But with the mobile phone operator having slated a pre-Christmas roll-out, and with manufacturers announcing new 3G handsets, it can only be a matter of days.

Latest to join Orange's 3G camp is Sanyo. Though a newcomer to the UK mobile phone market, the company has actually been producing handsets in Japan in exclusive partnerships with operators since 1994 and in the US for several years. At a press conference, all of Sanyo's top brass were wheeled out to tell us that they now plan to break into Europe.

But while the talk was confident - bordering on aggressive - the product announcement was decidedly modest. Just a single, lightweight slider style phone dubbed the S750. First impressions are generally positive. It's not going to rock the design world but the 2.4inch 262K colour screen and 1.3 Megapixel camera with 4x zoom seemed quite good. So too did the user interface which was particularly easy to navigate around.

Sanyo

Key features:
* 2.4 inch QVGA screen
* Dual camera: 1.3Mb with flash, 310K pixel CCD
* 72 polyphonic ringtones
* Bluetooth, infra red, USB, Pictbridge
* Talk time: 170 mins (UMTS), 190 mins (GSM)

Vodafone Vs 3 - Head to Head

Our very own Ashley Norris has been hard at work fiddling about with 3G handsets to bring you a head-to-head comparison of the two UK 3G services currently available. Vodafone and 3 are pretty even when it comes to handsets - Voda may have the natty Sony Ericsson V800 and the impressive Sharp V902, but not all the range is available yet, and 3 does a pretty good line in LG handsets as well as the tiny new NEC e338 and the Moto A1000. Tariffs are cheaper from 3, but there's more limits on them - 3's better for pay-as-you-go though as Voda's handsets are too pricey. Content's pretty comparable and network coverage difference will be negligible this time next year. So, it's pretty much down to which advertising campaign you prefer.

Read the full article on the Guardian

Voda's 3G Announcement in

Looking at the press release for Vodafone's 3G service, there's no surprises or exciting new revelations. The 6 phones that we reported on last month are all set to be part of the 3G launch: Motorola V980, Motorola E1000, Nokia 6630, Samsung Z107, Sharp 902 and the Sony Ericsson V... well, Vodafone's called it the V980 in the release, but the picture's the same as the V800, so we're guessing they've made a mistake on that one.

According to the release, four of them will be available immediately, though it doesn't actually specify which ones. All of them, however, will be out by Christmas. The line up includes the 2-megapixel Sharp 902, which is excellent news. Out of the handsets on offer, we've had a chance to review early samples of the Motorola E1000 and the Sony Ericsson V800 (V980, whatever). The Moto's nice and small, although it's not the prettiest handset out there. The SE V800 is a very nice looking handset, however. Lightweight, easy to use, excellent camera and flash light. We want one.

Full press release (along with pricing plans).

3 nabs NEC's smallest ever 3G phone

Alas it seems that the days of gargantuan 3G phones with their huge batteries and chunky clams are gone forever. For even low-end 3G handsets are getting smaller. 3 has just announced the imminent launch of the NEC e338 clamshell, which it claims is the smallest 3G phone on sale anywhere.

Aimed at the lower-end of the market and sold ostensibly to pre-pay customers, the e338 is actually pretty much the same phone as the current NEC low-ender, the e616v, yet shoehorned into a neat clamshell.

The handset does all the usual 3G tricks; person to person video calling, access to 3’s portal with all those cool music and footy downloads, MP3, AAC and even WMA playback, and it even allows users to check out POP3 email.

It is wrapped in a stylish shell and crucially boasts battery life of 180 hours standby and 2 hours and 30 minutes talk time.

We think it could give 3’s champion handset the LGs a run for their money.

Panasonic 3G handset

Panasonic's Z800 3G handset has just been announced over in Asia. The phone has a 1.3-megapixel outer camera (no mention of the internal camera's resolution) with auto-focusing and Panasonic's proprietary AV technology. The 2-inch internal screen is only 65K colour unfortunately, while the outer colour screen display 56K colours. There's a miniSD slot, Bluetooth, MMS, USB 2.0 and infrared. No mention of a UK launch, but we're not bothered: the Sony Ericsson V800 will be here soon. We've had a go with it and first impressions are that it's fantastic - and it beats the Panasonic for specs as well with 262k colour internal screen, 65K external screen, 1.3-megapixel camera that rotates so you don't lose quality by using an inferior internal camera and blindingly bright and effective flash light.

Press release

Sony Ericsson's clamshell 3G handset

More Vodafone 3G handsets. This time it's Sony Ericsson's turn. The V800 has a rotating 1.3-megapixel camera with an integrated flash for taking night shots. (It's not clear if you can also use it for shedding some light on night time video calls, however.)The clamshell design is slimmer that Sony Ericsson's previous 3G behemoth, the red Z1010. We're quite partial to that nice flared bottom, which helps to make the big barrel camera look less ungainly. It's got a small external colour screen, Bluetooth and Sony's Memory Stick Duo expansion card slot. We're hoping that, like the Japanese, we get the choice of three different colours as well, but we're not holding our breath.

Product Page (Japanese)

Motorola's 3G Vodafone handsets

Motorola's contribution to Vodafone's newly-announced 3G service may look familiar to regular readers, since the company announced a range of 3G handsets back in February. First the E1000, which which we ran a story on after the Cannes launch in Feb(read). The phone's one of the smallest 3G handsets you're likely to see for a while. It's candy bar style with a 1.2-megapixel camera and Bluetooth. There's also an MP3 player and integrated AGPS services for mobile location.

The V980 has a clamshell design with a colour external LCD and is supposedly an entry-level handset aimed to attract more customers to 3G services. Finally, the C980 candy bar phone looks about as compact as the E1000 and, judging by the picture of the girl with bubblegum, we're guessing it's also aimed at the entry-level market.

E1000 press release

First 2-megapixel cameraphone for the UK

Vodafone is fairly slim on the details when it comes to what features its new 3G handsets will include. However, from what we can gather there will be at least one 2-megapixel cameraphone in the group. Sharp's V902sh handset includes a 2.02-megapixel digital camera, which makes it the first to be launched in the UK. The inclusion on an optical zoom means you'll actually be able to take proper close up images without the usual crappy blown-up pixel effect you get on the digital zoom cameras. We're also pretty sure that it's got a swivel screen, so you'll be able to use it like a proper LCD preview screen. Somewhat unusually for a modern clamshell, the V902 has no external LCD screen for caller ID info. Looking at the design, Sharp seems to have gone down the Sony Ericsson route of making the phone look like a camera on the back. The idea being that you hold the phone in landscape rather than the usual portrait when taking shots. It's also got an SD card slot on the side of the casing.

The V802sh handset joins the increasingly growing lineup of 1.3-megapixel handsets on the UK market. From the shots it looks like the 802 will share the 902's swivel screen design - although there's no sign of an optical zoom lens. Again, there's no external LCD. Both handsets will include Bluetooth.

[UPDATE: Looks like the 902 does have an outer screen after all - the camera is on the front of the handset along with a tiny LCD screen, although it's unclear if it'll give much more info than the time and signal strength.

Click on the link for more images.

902 Front Image

802

Orange 3G card test

There's the first UK test of the new Orange 3G card for laptops at The Guardian. Orange has more developed 3G network than its main rivals, but as the reviewer discovers that network is still very much a work in progress.

Read it here

Sony Ericsson 3G phone's August launch

Carphone Warehouse has announced it is to begin selling Sony Ericsson's first 3G phone, the Z1010, next month. Yet it is still not entirely sure which 3G network it will be paired with. With Orange announcing that its consumer 3G launch details won't be before September, Vodafone or Three are the obvious choices.

The Z1010, which features person-to-person video calling, video download and playback, an MP3 player and Bluetooth, is likely to partner Samsung's Z105 as Vodafone’s launch 3G phone in the UK.

A recent sample of the phone sent to What Cellphone magazine featured access to Vodafone's 3G version of its Live! portal.

The Z1010 may also be available via Three too. Yet why the rush of interest in a phone that is been around for a year and a half beats us.

More from Carphone

Nokia's 3G take three

The 6630 is also Nokia’s first 3G handset to feature the video calling facility so beloved of both Three and Vodafone. Other facilities include a 1.3 mega pixel camera, Symbian OS with Series 60 smartphone interface including e-mail, 74Mb storage, MP3 player, Realone video player and Bluetooth.

Annoyingly the phone features an MMC, rather than SD card slot.

Our first impression is that the handset’s screen looks great, but we aren’t entirely convinced by either the design or the small-ish odd shaped keypad.

It is probably best seen as a 3G upgrade to the Nokia 6600 another phone with a design we weren’t especially impressed by.

Nokia launched four other phones and you’ll find details of them here later. In the meantime here’s the release.

Helsinki, Finland - Mid-range clamshells and products for new growth markets took center-stage today, as Nokia revealed the latest additions to its product portfolio at the annual Nokia Connection conference. Held simultaneously in Singapore and Helsinki, the conference also witnessed the launch of the world's smallest 3G GSM/WCDMA phone.

Chairman and CEO Jorma Ollila launched the products, including three clamshell phones and a 3G WCDMA smartphone aimed at bringing 3G to the broader market. Introducing the products, he said, "We have now sharpened our product portfolio in key areas, bringing new phones to the market in the mid-range, and adding more clamshells to our offering." Nokia's ongoing commitment to growth markets was also evident, with the launch of two new color-screen phones tailored for these areas.

Nokia's newest 3G phone, the Nokia 6630 featured prominently at the conference, combining the benefits of 3G, EDGE and Series 60, the world's leading smartphone platform. The Nokia 6630 boosts personal information management in 3G WCDMA networks with secure access to corporate Intranet and email at mobile broadband speeds. Uniquely, the Nokia 6630 is the first dual-mode, tri-band handset designed to work on 3G (WCDMA), EDGE and 2G networks in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Combined with the power of customization enabled by Series 60, operators will be able to deploy successful services across different networks and across the world.
Read more about the Nokia 6630 at http://press.nokia.com/PR/200406/948877_5.html

Nokia also launched the Nokia 6260 phone, a high-performance business phone designed for mobile professionals. It offers the latest mobile technology features and applications, including push to talk, email, Bluetooth connectivity and a VGA camera in an innovative fold design. The tri-band Nokia 6260 smartphone is based on the Symbian operating system and Series 60, the world's leading smartphone platform. As for the design: it is more than just a clamshell, it's a fold with a twist!
Read more about the Nokia 6260 http://press.nokia.com/PR/200406/948876_5.html

In the mid-range, the Nokia 6170 is an attractive, clamshell camera phone that combines modern, stainless steel design with a feature set that emphasizes quality of life. The strength of this phone is its flexible messaging options: e-mail, instant messaging, MMS and push to talk all in one handset. Push to talk brings GSM subscribers a totally new way of using mobile phone for one-on-one and group communications. Several operators around the world are likely to launch push to talk services this year, introducing an enticing option for operators, business users and consumers.
Read more about the Nokia 6170 at http://press.nokia.com/PR/200406/948875_5.html

The remaining two phones announced today enhance Nokia's product offering towards mobile subscribers in growing markets. The Nokia 2650 is an affordable, small and stylish clamshell phone with a color display and balanced functionality. It is Nokia's first color display phone in the entry category. The Nokia 2600 is a classically designed and easy-to-use phone which is ideal for small business owners and professionals. Of particular interest is the spreadsheet application for bookkeeping and customizable converter. Together, the Nokia 2600 and Nokia 2650 bring color displays to new price points. Color is now reaching entry-level phones.

Read more about the Nokia 2650 and the Nokia 2600 at http://press.nokia.com/PR/200406/948871_5.html
In addition to the phones, Nokia launched a foldable keyboard with wireless Bluetooth connection. It serves an an extension to Series 60 phones like the Nokia 6260 and Nokia 6630, enabling easy text input to phone applications, including e-mail. The wireless keyboard is compatible with Series 60 phones with Bluetooth support, and is addressed towards business users.
Read more about the Nokia Wireless Keyboard at http://press.nokia.com/PR/200406/948873_5.html

In summarizing the new releases, Ollila also touched on Nokia's plans to strengthen the focus on R&D and renew its product portfolio: "Earlier this year we said we would renew our product portfolio by introducing a range of new products. This has not changed. During the spring, we have conducted a thorough analysis of our roadmaps; we have reviewed the timings and pruned our portfolio, adding some new products and accelerating others - and during this process, we have even killed some product plans. As a result of this work, I feel that we will have a much sharper and competitive product range to meet the expectations of both consumers and operators. All in all, we expect to launch a total of approximately 35 products globally this year."

Three's dinky LG 3G phone

Last night 3G network Three finally confirmed the worst kept secret in the mobile phone industry that it is to offer LG phones on its network.

As regular TD readers will know we are huge fans of the first mobile it will offer the LG U8110.

The handset which features all Three’s headline facilities like person to person video calling and video downloads is one of the most compact 3G handset so far. It is significantly smaller and lighter than all the other models in Three’s portfolio bar the non-video calling Nokia 7600 handset and looks and feels much more like a GPRS phone than a 3G one.

It is available from £49.

There will be a full review of the phone in The Guardian and here next week. Until then suffice to say that with the LG phone and the excellent Nokia 7600, it seems at last that Three has finally overcome its handset issues.

Now how about offering POP3 e-mail on the phones?

Incidentally Sony Ericsson has told a TD regular that it will debut its Z1010 3G phone in the UK in June. There’s no word yet about which network, but we know that Three has been trialling the phone for some time. Then again it could be available via Vodafone whose 3G service is expected to begin the next month.

More from here

Voda's 3G phone reviewed

We recently got the chance to play with the Samsung Z105, which is being groomed by Vodafone to feature as its launch phone for its consumer 3G service that’s expected to be announced at the start of May.

Overall we were impressed by some aspects of the phone but a little cool on others.

The good stuff

Size – Well the clamshell phone is about average for 3G phones. It is roughly the same size as the NEC e616 (available via Three) and slightly larger than LG’s upcoming U8100.

Design – It is very simple to use. The buttons are kind of half Samsung and half Vodafone (the lay out is a little reminiscent of Voda’s Sharp phones). The interface is fairly simple to use and access to Vodafone Live! service is a one-button press.

Battery – At 240 minutes talktime and 110 standby time, it is good for a 3G mobile.

Video Calling – This is the phone’s strong point in that it sports an excellent 256k colour screen, which delivers top quality moving images. It does seem a bit bizarre though that Vodafone appears to be majoring on person-to-person video calling when it has been a comparative flop for Three.

The bad stuff

No features – There’s no Bluetooth, POP3 e-mail or MP3 playback. The LG U8100 has all three.

Headset - To make video calls you have to don a headset, which is highly annoying as you have to carry it around with you everywhere.

Storage – There’s only 3MB and no expansion card slot. I imagine that the 3MB will fill up very quickly with videos and images.

Overall

This isn’t a bad phone. The screen and the video quality are great. However I think it will have sand kicked in its face by upcoming handsets from LG and Motorola. If you are Vodafone customers and are thinking about upgrading to 3G it might be good to hang on a while until other handsets are available.

Incidentally we have taken Vodafone's 3G Mobile Connect Card to several areas of the UK. We had a great 3G signal in both north and south London, but strangely not in the centre of town.

There was no 3G signal at all in Yorkshire, North Lancashire, Derbyshire and Sussex.

Vodafone's 3G service

Over at The Guardian they are getting rather excited about Vodafone’s 3G package for consumers.

Not that Vodafone in the UK has announced anything yet, but if it mirrors what is available in Germany it will be very cool.

Vodafone Germany has chose the Samsung Z105 phone - a clamshell model that looks quite similar to Sharp/Vodafone’s GX20/30 and even has its buttons in very similar places. It sports a 262k colour screen, features person to person video calling and video downloads.

The demo for accessing Vodafone Live! service with 3G input was apparently very cool.

Three's hit phone is a Nokia

Well it looks like UK 3G phone network Three has a hit handset on its hands – but ironically it is not one wearing the badge of its partners NEC or Motorola.

According to the Carphone Warehouse, which kind of has an exclusive on the phone, the Nokia 7600 has been disappearing out of its stores at the rate of 7-10,000 handsets a week.

TD regulars will know that the handset runs using the Three network, taking advantage of its ultra cheap voice calls. However it has only limited 3G features and for example can’t access Three’s premium video download/stream content such as MTV videos and Premiership footy goals. Also it doesn’t boast Three’s signature feature - person-to-person video calling.

One can only wonder how many more subscriptions Three would have sold had it took more stock of the 7600 from Nokia and promoted it as its key phone for early 2004.

Trio from Three

First it announces a pay as you go service (3Pay), now 3 - the UK's 3G operator - has unveiled a new phone line-up with (of course) three new models. All offer person-to-person video calling and video downloading/streaming.

Setting you back up to £199.99 with a contract, the NEC 616 is a replacement for the 606. It's a clamshell design with all the facilities of its predecessor plus Bluetooth and GPS. An update of the Motorola A920, the £199 A925 incorporates the Symbian operating platform and a slightly more attractive design than the A920.

Aimed at the pay as you go market, the NEC e313 is a candy bar style handset with far fewer facilities than previous 3 phones. It is expected to retail for £99.

Moto's 3G handsets

Late last year Moto execs promised journalists that the 2004 range of 3G phones would look more like GPRS handsets than the 3G handsets currently on sale.

Well judging by the Motorola 3G handsets launched this week - to say nothing of the upcoming NEC e616 and LG U8100/8150 - they were half right.

While the phones, the A925, A1000 and E1000 (above) have clearly shrunk in size it is clearly not going to be until 2005 before the difference between 3G and GPRS handsets is marginal.

Our first impression of the Motorola A925 is why bother? Essentially its a funkier version of the Symbian OS based A920 the brick-like 3G phone that Moto/Three debuted at the end of 2003. There are a couple of differences - it has a faster processor which did speed up accessing the handset's many features, also it apparently has working Bluetooth a feature denied owners of the A920.

However it is likely to be subject to the odd restrictions of Three in the UK - so many of its best features - downloading large POP3 e-mail files/attachments, browsing the web at lightning speeds, taking advantage of 3G to surf the web on a laptop, will be nobbled.

Sure the phone delivers great quality video and its GPS features are very impressive, but there are not enough 'activated' features for us to find pocket space for it.

Debuted for the first time in Cannes this week the A1000 is a close relative of the 920/925. Once again it has the same operating system (Symbian) and the same awesome line up of applications. The form factor is slightly different as the screen appears larger and the size of the handset significantly smaller. Another plus is that it also includes a 1.2 mega pixel camera.

Hopefully by the time it launches in autumn 2004 it will be available on several networks (Orange seems a good bet) where all its cool features will be enabled.

Perhaps the best phone Moto launched in Cannes is the E1000. Easily the cutest, and quite possibly the smallest 3G handset unveiled so far (with video calling) it is a candy bar style phone that looks like a slightly larger version of the Sony Ericsson T610. The features line up is similar to the existing A835 with the addition of a 1.2-mega-pixel camera. It should do well when it debuts in the autumn.

Finally some good news for Moto about the A835. Apparently it has been chosen by Orange as the launch phone for its 3G service when it debuts in the summer. Also, accordiong to Moto, the A835 was also the best selling contract phone on any network, in the first month of 2004. How many of those buyers who bought the phone to take advantage of Three’s ultra cheap voice calls, use its sophisticated line up of messaging and video facilities remains to be seen.

You will probably be seeing a whole lot more A835s in our neighbourhood soon as the phone has been chosen as the handset to launch Three’s incredibly cheap pay as you go service.

Orange fancies pre-pay 3G too

It appears it isn’t just Three who has an eye on tempting punters to upgrade to 3G phones via cheap voice calls on pre-pay cards. Orange has plans in this area too.

Aware of the fact that 3G data features (like video downloads and video calls) don’t appear too popular with phone buyers’ Orange’s Chief Operating Officer Sanjiv Ahuja told Reuters that would look at it (a prepay service)" as part of a long-delayed range of high-speed, third-generation (3G) multimedia phones it plans to start selling in the second half of the year.

Motorola 3G duo

Motorola added a bit of spice to another wise fairly dull 3GSM show with the unveiling of a pair of 3G handsets.

Scheduled for a launch in autumn are the A1000 and E1000.

Probably the more interesting of the pair is the A1000 - a 3G smart phone with a huge screen. It is also the 1st Moto phone to feature a 1.2 mega pixel camera. Other facilities include video calling, compatibility with a host of Microsoft apps inc Word, Excel etc, Bluetooth and a full html web browser.

Expect to see it wearing Orange and Three colours in November.

Moto's other 3G handset is the E100 a phone it is aiming at gadget-loving consumers. A kind of smaller version of the existing 3G phone the A835, the handset boasts audio and video features, a 1.2 mega pixel camera, Bluetooth and push to talk functionality.

LG 3G phone for Orange

A quick postscript to the Orange 3G announcement. The network confirmed that for its 3G trials it will use Motorola and LG handsets. The Motorola deal is no surprise, but as for LG it is a huge shot in the arm as the Korean company which has only had a presence in the European market for a couple of months.

Orange will use the U810 handset which has been a firm favourite here at TD since we had our first glimpse of it during summer 2003. The clamshell phone is one of the best 3G handset we have seen so far.

Orange has said it will work with other handset partners, but , like Three, it has said nothing about taking Nokia 3G phones.

3 launches pay as you go

Struggling 3G outfit 3 has announced it is to enter the pay as you go arena with its own extremely competitively priced PAYG service.

With pay as you go now accounting for around 70 per cent of the mobile phone market it is no surprise that 3 has taken the decision in order to boost customer numbers. But what's perhaps more surprising is that the operator has decided to focus so heavily on value for money rather than emphasising the strong points of the technology such as video calling.

ThreePay customers can chose from three top-up vouchers with calls exactly the same price regardless of the mobile network/landline being called. Importantly because customers pay for the number of minutes, they know exactly how long they are going to get before they need to buy a new top up voucher.

3 claims that anyone currently spending more than £15 a month with another network operator will save money with its service. However, the downside is that vouchers have to be used up within 30 days of activation.

Here are the three vouchers:
£15 voucher = 100 minutes
£25 voucher = 500 minutes
£35 voucher = 750 minutes

Bob Fuller, Chief Executive of 3, said: "3's challenge as the new-entrant is to shake up a stale and unimaginative market; to find ways of delivering better value to consumers. We have put an end to the Pay-As-You-Go practice of charging punitive prices for cross-network, peak-time calls. Our offer is fair, simple and excellent value. The calls cost the same no matter what time it is, or which network you're calling. What's more, we are not punishing customers for paying up front; we are offering them the same value available to our contract customers."

ThreePay will initially be available with the Motorola A835 mobile phone.

3G phones imminent

No official news yet, but 3G websites are predicting that the next couple of weeks will be busy for UK network Three.

Apparently the long-promised NEC e616 and Motorola A925 handsets are imminent and they may even be accompanied soon after by the Sony Ericsson Z1010.

The web is also thick with rumours that Three is set to launch a pay as you go service that will significantly undercut similar offerings from its non-3G rivals.

Depending on who you believe Three is also apparently on the verge of unveiling a business service with users able to connect their mobile phone to laptops to surf wirelessly at fast speeds on their PCs, is set to offer full web browsing on its handsets and will enable users to access pop3 e-mail without having to use a handset’s web server.

While the pay as you go service seems like a logical move we'll wait and see on the other points. Launching a business service would mean announcing new tariffs for data transfer.

Three’s business service though surely can’t be too far especially as rival Vodafone has announced trials of its 3G business system via PC cards.

Watch this space.

Nokia's 3G phone reaches the UK

It doesn’t just look weird. The story surrounding the launch of Nokia's first 3G phone for the UK is quite bizarre too.

On the plus side the 7600, with its tear-shaped design is certainly one of Nokia's most iconic phones. It is also massively smaller than most of the 3G phone currently on sale. It should then be a no brainer for 3G network, Three, especially as the company is rumoured to be short of handsets.

As it doesn’t however feature Three's signature feature, video calling, Three has passed on it. Well sort of it. Instead the 7600 is available from next month exclusively via Carphone Warehouse with a Three 3G contract. However which 3G features it actually boasts is open to question. According to the press release users will be able to watch some video content, like the news and the weather, but not see Three's premium stuff like Premiership football and MTV music.

Fine, but there appears to be confusion as to what else the phone is able to do. Can it access POP3 e-mail? You can’t on Three’s other phones? What about WAP or even HTML sites? Again Three limits this to a small group of sites. Most important of all can users harness the 3G network to use the phone as a modem to power their laptops delivering broadband to go? Who knows?

So far the Carphone Warehouse has kept quiet. We think it hasn’t even made a decision on some of these points yet. Anyway we hope to have answers next week. There will also be a full review in The Guardian too.

Incidentally the 7600 is very light at 123g, has a 65k colour screen, MP3/AAC player, video camera (capable of capturing and sending clips of up to 2.5 minutes), video download, XHTML web browser, Bluetooth, and Java.

More 3G handsets from Three

Earlier this week we had a chat with several members of the Three team who are responsible for handsets. They put us straight on a couple of issues.

Although the company hasn’t made any official announcements they were able to confirm the forthcoming arrival of a few new handsets. They also told us what their technical team have been playing with in the labs.

Read on for an update

Definitely coming to Three

Motorola A835 – Should be in the stores by the time you read this. Look out for an upcoming review.

NEC 616 – This clamshell model is definitely coming in the next month or so.

Motorola A925 – The next step on from the A920 is slightly smaller than its predecessor and has a few extra features. There’s no confirmation from Three, but Motorola execs insist it will be in the stores by Xmas.

Might be coming to Three

LG U8100 – The Korean company insists a version of this phone will launch in the UK in the Spring. Three hasn’t confirmed this though.

Not coming to Three

Siemens U15 – This handset maker claims this slightly different take on the Motorola A835 is coming to the UK In November. Not so says Three.

Sony Ericsson Z1010 – It seems as if Three might pass on this phone and wait or the company’s next gen 3G handset.

Nokia 7660 – Cool-looking handset, but no video calling facilities means it is unlikely to wear a Three badge.

btw if you have a spare minute or two drop in here. It's an online petition calling on Three to offer proper e-mail access and the Internet on the Motorola A920 and its other phones. Nice work whoever is behind it.

3G phone reviews

Just as we predicted Motorola’s latest 3G phone available via the Three network, the A920, is selling like hotcakes. The phone itself has plenty going for it – superb screen, excellent video facilities, AGPS restaurant/shop finder service – but it is still probably a little too large for the mainstream handset buyer.

So how about all of those features in a smaller phone? Well there’s good news as Three has some pretty cool –looking handsets lined up for the coming months including a handset that has all the functionality of the A920 but less of its bulk.

Read on to discover which 3G phones are coming to the UK in the coming months.

Before we delve into the handsets a quick update from Three in the UK. A company spokesperson confirmed today that…

1 It is policy for its handsets to offer just a walled garden of Internet sites rather than full HTML web browsing. This is however being constantly reviewed.

2 A service that will allow users to take advantage of the fast speeds of Three phones by using them as a modem for a laptop PC, will be arriving very shortly. No news on which handsets it will be though.

Motorola A925

You know we said that the A920 was the 3G phone you were waiting for. Well we actually meant this handset. It has all the killer features of the A920 including its 24 frames per second video playback, and it also runs the Symbian 7.0 operating system. Yet all this has been shoehorned into a smaller device. We expect to see it available in the UK through Three by Christmas.

Motorola A835

The successor to the A830 is a massive improvement on the original. Unlike its predecessor it boasts an integrated digital camera, internal antenna and is compatible with Three’s Video Calling service. Other facilities include MP3 playback, Java and video downloads. It also POP3 e-mail and a full web browser - although whether they will work with the Three network in the UK remains to be seen. The A835 is on sale very shortly. Look for a full review in early October.

NEC e616

Due in the stores in November is the successor to the most popular Three phone so far - the NEC e606. The e616 is pretty much the same phone with a few notable exceptions. Firstly it has GPRS as well as 3G, so in theory applications like e-mail and web browsing should be available outside of Three’s video coverage areas. Secondly it is smaller and more compact than the 606. Finally NEC has improved the battery life.

Sony Ericsson Z1010

First seen at the GSM Expo in Cannes in February, the Z1010 is rumoured to be available via Three in early next year. It is a clamshell model with a 65K colour display, MMS, and Bluetooth. It boasts Three's key Video Calling facility courtesy of a pair of integrated cameras. Other features include MPEG4 (video) and MP3 (audio) playback.

LG U8100

Due to arrive in Europe shortly, though not necessarily in the UK, this clamshell-design handset supports video calling and video capture facilities, which it displays on its 128 x 160 pixel screen. Also included is Java, Bluetooth, an MP3/AAC player and 64MB of storage. Other facilities include a music editor, voice recorder, SMS and MMS messaging, and a speakerphone. We reckon it is a dead cert to be one of the first phones Orange offers when it launches its 3G network next year.

Motorola V1000

The first 3G phone in Motorola’s clamshell V series features a futuristic design, two cameras, a front display, an internal antenna and a full web browser. It is considerably less bulky too than existing 3G clamshells like the NEC e606. You can see an image here