Mobile Digest

Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold - handset with 18-carat gold plating

I was looking at the millionaire-friendly Vertu handsets at the weekend, which might impress people in the know, but to most people, probably just look like any other handset. That's not the case with the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold.

That's because it dispenses with all subtlety - coming encased in an 18-carat gold plating. And that's not all, there's also white gold accents and a sapphire-coated, scratch-resistant glass display - put together, according to Nokia, with the techniques of watchmakers and jewellers.

Oh yes, there is a specification - and one that could never live up to the outer appearance. You get a a sliding mechanism that reveals a two megapixel camera, ergonomic keypad, 262k colour screen, Bluetooth and a co-ordinating Bluetooth headset and desk stand.

So essentially, it's all about the looks. If you want one, Nokia is quoting a price of around 1,000 Euros. It's unlikely to appear as a freebie from your network operator.

Nokia website

Samsung and Nokia work together on DVB-H technology

Will DVB-H technology ever make it to the UK? Who knows - it's been talked about for years and numerous handsets have shown off its TV-playing capabilities. Samsung and Nokia are certainly keen - announcing today that they have signed an agreement to work together to accelerate the technology to market.

The two companies will work together on DVB-H-enabled mobile devices and the open standards based Nokia network services system. The handset manufacturers will work together to support solutions based on the open OMA BCAST standard.

"Nokia warmly welcomes the collaboration in accelerating the adoption of DVB-H based mobile TV services to the market. We see that the OMA BCAST standard is essential in launching mobile TV services on a global scale," says Harri Männistö, Director, Multimedia, Nokia. "Further, the well-defined service and content protection profiles within the OMA BCAST standard such as the already now available OMA DRM, provides the ideal path towards standardized solutions enabling a coherent and open market for successful worldwide mobile TV deployments."

DVB-H technology offers high quality mobile TV broadcasts, but with low battery consumption and with the option to to simultaneously receive broadcasts while using other mobile services such as telephony and internet access on their device.

Nokia website
Samsung website

Londoners: Donate your old IT equipment to help others and stay green

Next weekend, 21-22 April, Maxitech.biz is encouraging London residents to donate their unwanted computer equipment and other technology, helping children, cash-strapped organisations, and being green - all at once.

In recognition of this year's International Earth Day, Londoners can drop off their old PCs, mobile phones, monitors, printers, digital cameras, and scanners at Maxitech's premises - 5 Clarendon Road, Haringey,
North London N22 - between 10am and 6pm on Saturday or Sunday.

The IT equipment will be professionally refurbished, with some being given to the NCH (National Children's Home), some being resold at low cost to UK-based organisations unable to afford brand-new computers, and those items which cannot be reused being recycled by a specialised recycling plant.

Proceeds from reselling the IT equipment will go towards Maxitech.biz's Edge Employer IT hardware training programme, which helps disadvantaged people
gain nationally recognized qualifications leading to jobs in IT.

The scheme is being supported by HP, and Dr Kirstie McIntyre, who heads up IT recycling and reuse programmes for HP in the UK, said, "“Refurbishing computer equipment and making IT accessible to the wider community is one of the most effective ways of reducing the impact of IT waste on the environment. It’'s something HP has been doing for many years, so we'’re really proud to be supporting Maxitech.biz in this initiative and hope that this will be the first of a series of events in the UK.”"

Related stories:
Green Phones recycles for fund raisers
There's gold in them there recycled mobiles (sorry)
Single-use cameras are environmentally friendly, Photo Imaging Council say
School computers are environmentally unfriendly and too powerful
Consumer electronics companies look to more environmentally friendly products

More on being an ethical consumer over at Hippy Shopper

OS X Leopard release slips 4 months thanks to iPhone

Last month we tried to stifle the rumours of an OS X Leopard delay, but now in an official statement, Apple has stated that its next generation operating system will indeed not ship until October.

The rumoured reason for the delay was to improve support for users wanting to use Vista, but the official reason cited by Apple yesterday is the iPhone.

Read on for Apple's official statement:

We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is. However, iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price — we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS® X team, and as a result we will not be able to release Leopard at our Worldwide Developers Conference in early June as planned. While Leopard's features will be complete by then, we cannot deliver the quality release that we and our customers expect from us. We now plan to show our developers a near final version of Leopard at the conference, give them a beta copy to take home so they can do their final testing, and ship Leopard in October.

Given the iPhone has a version of OS X on board, it makes sense that Leopard will almost be ready by then, as I presume many of its features will be available on the handset.

Though it's disappointing that Apple's next operating system won't be around until the autumn, and I can imagine Microsoft firing back a few shots after the hard time Apple gave them about OS delays, it's understandable. With all the hype, and potential revenue, behind the iPhone, Apple need to throw all of their resources at the launch.

LG unveils KE770 candybar Shine phone

Following on from the 3G Shine phone, LG has launched yet another variation of the phone - the KE770 candybar Shine phone.

It's just 9.9mm thick, compared to the original's 14mm. And apart from the new shape, that's about the only obvious development. So expect a 262,144-colour, 240 x 320 display, two megapixel camera with auto-focus, Bluetooth, 50MB of memory and a Micro SD slot for up to 2GB of add-on storage space.

It was launched in Russia this week, but as yet, it's not clear if this will make it to the rest of Europe. You'll be the first to know if it does.

LG website

Via The Register

O2 offer limited edition Ice Black candy bar mobile

O2 has announced a limited edition Ice Black mobile phone.

It's a candy bar style design, fully 3G, with inbuilt MP3 player, 1.3 megapixel camera with zoom, Bluetooth, 32MB of internal memory, and a microSD card slot.

Available for £59.99 on prepay from O2 shops, it's not the most advanced phone around, but it probably won't break the bank and could add a little bit of shiny black style to your summer.

O2 Online

T-Mobile and RIM offer exclusive white BlackBerry Pearl

T-Mobile and RIM have announced the availability of the white BlackBerry Pearl smartphone, exclusively to T-Mobile subscribers and available within its stores across the UK. It follows a similar deal introduced to the US earlier in the year.

Feature-wise, it offers the same key features of the original BlackBerry, including Internet access, email, smart dialling, conference calling, speakerphone, speed dial, and call forwarding, plus quad-band network support. It also uses T-Mobile's Web'n'Walk service.

The handset features polyphonic and MP3 ringtones, Bluetooth support, and an enhanced version of RIM's SureType QWERTY keypad technology designed to make typing messages or making phone calls quick and easy.

The handset will be available free with appropriate price plans.

T-Mobile

Orange to bring Samsung i600 smart phone to UK say reports

I'm sure the official announcement will follow in due course, but details of the Samsung i600 smart phone on the Orange network are already out in the wild.

The details of the Windows Mobile-based device aren't linked from the Orange site, but are listed on an Orange web page, spotted by Coolsmartphone.com, with a launch date of later this month a strong possibility.

But we do know what the device will offer - 3G connectivity, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, QWERTY keyboard, 320 x 240 display, Micro SD card storage, a 1.3 megapixel camera with 2x digital zoom, and a 0.3 megapixel camera for video calling.

We'll keep you posted on it.

Orange website

Via The Register

Butterfly cell phone - designed by a 15 year old

I made my first documentary when I was 13, so I'm not entirely shocked by the idea that the Butterfly mobile phone concept was designed by a 15 year old - and looks better and has more sensible design principles than most stuff coming out nowadays. Using existing tech such as Bluetooth and touchscreens (unlike many concepts which are doomed to remain concepts for lack of tech) and sporting an impressively polished interface, this is definitely my favourite non-existent phone to date. [GT]

Butterfly: A Social Networking Solution [via Slashgear]

Vodafone uses Sagem for own-brand handsets

Sagem annouced a couple of weeks back that it was designing entry-level handsets for Sony Ericsson. Now it has announced another deal - producing own-brand handsets for Vodafone.

Jens Schulte-Bockum, global director of terminals at Vodafone, said: "[Vodafone's] strategy is intended to use Vodafone's size and purchasing power to engage with the best white label handset makers and then use the power of the Vodafone brand to bring their products to market."

The first of the Sagem handsets, scheduled to be launched in June this year, features a slim case and 65K colours - and that's about all we know. But with such a quick turnaround, chances are that it's an existing model with a Vodafone badge.

Sagem website

Via The Register

LG to upgrade the Prada phone to the LG KS20?

Interesting story over on Shiny Shiny concerning LG's Prada handset. It's only just gone on sale in the Uk, but of rumours are to be believed, the phone is set for an upgrade - boosting the specification, but dropping the Prada affiliation.

The new KS20 keeps the style (or rather, the touch screen), but adds in Windows Mobile 6.0, two megapixel camera, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Whether this is all true - and indeed if it's about to appear sooner rather than later, we don't know.

But it does make you think twice about signing up for the original.

Read the full story at Shiny Shiny

Glasgow tops mobile phone theft league

Taking your mobile phone out tonight? Well, if your big night is in Glasgow, Belfast or Liverpool, I'd keep a tight hold of your mobile phone.

According to CPP Phonesafe figures, the three cities top the mobile theft league - but it's not exclusively there - across the UK, one in five people have had their phones taken, with half of those questioned knowing a victim of mobile theft. And the most vulnerable location? That's the pub, with 22 per cent suffering on a night out. And the worst times of the year are early May and late July.

Does your city make the top 10? Read on after the turn for the full listing.

Top 10 Cities for mobile phone theft

1. Glasgow
2. Belfast
3. Liverpool
4. Chelmsford
5. London
6. Bristol
7. Manchester
8. Leeds
9. Sheffield
10. Cambridge

CPP Phonesafe website

Vertu offers limited edition Ferrari mobile handset

Remember Vertu? Its the company that offers high-end, high status mobile handsets for filthy rich. A market where looks are much more important than specification. Probably summed up by this Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition - celebrating 60 years of Ferrari.

To match the year, there's 1947 of the phones being made - each with very little to offer technically beyond Bluetooth, limited memory, four hours of talk time and 270 hours on standby.

But that's not why you're buying it - it's the little things that tell the world you have cash to burn - like the sapphire-crystal display, stainless steel keys with jewelled bearings, the red and black leather, Ferrari Prancing Horse logo and a scaled-down, high-grade aluminium, Ferrari brake pedal on the back.

No price yet - but if you're a contender for one, price really shouldn't matter.

Vertu website

Via Stuff

LG Prada phone now available on the UK high street

The LG Prada phone - I bet you are sick of hearing about it. It's been on everyone's lips for a good four months, but not on our shelves. Well, until now that is.

Yes, LG has finally unleashed the fashionista phone onto our shelves and the more stylish British public. Which means you'll be able to spend your easter weekend impressing your friends and dodging muggers.

If you're after one, it's now available via Carphone Warehouse, Phones4U, Orange, 02 and T-Mobile stores. If you want to know more about it, check out our preview from January.

The price, as you would expect, is dependent on your choice of contract.

LG website

Smoker's mobile phone - with real cigarettes

Smoking might be on the run in the UK, but in China, there's still billions of keen participants. So many that it's viable to produce a mobile phone specifically for the smoking community.

Yes, it looks just like a packet of cigarettes - that's because it's essentially a hi-tech cigarette packet, same size and even carrying the health warning labels. But unlike your normal disposable pack, this one is a mobile phone with MP3 player, VGA camera and microSD slot for storage. There's even a colour screen.

It retails for the equivalent of around £90 - for that you get the phone, a packet of branded cigarettes and a lighter. Has their eve been a more unhealthy gadget?

Via Gearfuse

Nokia announces the "fun and function" 5070

Nokia has unveiled a new budget handset - the Nokia 5070 - which is aimed very much at "young consumer". By that, I think they mean it's a music phone that's good for texts.

Available in red or blue finish, the 5070, Nokia promises fast messaging - contacts found and messages posted in just a couple of clicks - along with fast voice messaging via Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging. There's also a camera on-board for picture messaging, but they're not specific over the pixel count, so we'll presume it's not high.

Other features include an integrated FM radio, MP3 player, stereo headset, java games, web browser, MP3 ringtones and a talk time up to 3.5 hours, along with a standby time of up to 12 days.

Expect to see the handset in the coming weeks, priced around 100 Euros.

Nokia website

Palm announces update to Windows Mobile 6 for Treo 750 smartphone

Still pondering the Palm Treo 750 smartphone six months after its launch? Well, here's something that might sway you - the company is updating the software to Windows Mobile 6.

Although details of networks offering it will only available later this week, it's fair to say it should be offered all who currently offer the smartphone. On some US networks, there will also be HSDPA connectivity. Again, we'll have to wait and see if that's the case here. Windows Mobile 6 paired with Exchange Server 2007 will offer email enhancements such as HTML-formatted email messages, the ability to set an out-of-office message remotely, and live links to Microsoft SharePoint documents. There's also newly-updated versions of Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

The device itself offers a touch screen, full QWERTY keyboard, mini SD slot, 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth and media player. Check with your network of choice for availability - but maybe leave it until the weekend.

Palm website

Sony Ericsson launches W580 Walkman phone

Yet another addition to the ever-increasing Sony Ericsson Walkman phone family - this time the W580 "lifestyle" handset.

It's a slimline, quad-band slider phone (just 14mm thickness) with EDGE support, a 2-inch screen, enough memory to store 470 music tracks and a 2 megapixel camera that doubles up as a training partner for all you fitness fanatics.

According to Steve Walker, Head of Product Marketing at Sony Ericsson: “As well as letting you have your latest music with you at all times, the W580 steps in as your portable photo album and pocket gaming device. It will even serve as your training partner thanks to built-in sports applications that track running speed and distance.”

Specifics on date and price are still unclear, but expect to see it in the UK at some point later in the year - with more details of these "sports applications" too.

Sony Ericsson website

ZyXEL launches V660 VoIP-enabled smartphone

ZyXEL has unveiled the V660 - a converged quad-band smartphone that offers VoIP calling over your Wi-Fi network, along with all the mobile functionality you'd expect.

It's powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile Edition 5.0, so expect all the mobile Office functionality (Excel, Word, Powerpoint, pocket MSN and Outlook), along with Push email. And there's a 1.9-inch screen, 2 megapixel camera, video and MP3 player, 64MB of on-board memory, microSD slot for added storage and Skype software pre-installed for those internet calls.

“The growing army of mobile workers is placing businesses under increasing pressure to provide a single device to replace the many that currently occupy our bags and pockets,” said Rob Mackinnon, VoIP product manager ZyXEL. “Whilst most technical innovation creates as many problems as it solves, the V660 combines a myriad of devices and ensures that SMBs and consumers alike always have instant access to the world’s sources of information and entertainment.”

Availability will be announced in the latter half of 2007.

ZyXEL website

Sony Ericsson to license Sagem handsets for entry-level range

The problem with being at the cutting edge of technology is that you need to be constantly pushing those boundaries to stay ahead of the pack. And to help Sony Ericsson to keep doing that, the company has decided to sub-contract entry-level models to budget specialist Sagem.

Yes, Sony Ericsson and Sagem have signed licensing and ODM (Original Developer Manufacturer) agreements concerning entry-level GSM, GPRS & EDGE mobile phones. As part of the deal, Sagem Communication will license certain hardware and software technologies to Sony Ericsson and provide Sony Ericsson with a number of Sony Ericsson branded mobile phones.

"We chose Sagem Communication because their software platforms are mature, scaleable and flexible. In addition we were impressed with the quality and performance of their phones, which have been developed by a skilled workforce. Our co-operation with Sagem Communication will allow us to offer a mature range of phones right from the start," said Howard Lewis, Vice President and Head of PBU (Product Business Unit) Entry at Sony Ericsson.

Sony Ericsson also plans to establish a development unit for entry-level mobile phones near Sagem's premises in Cergy, France.

Sony Ericsson website

Want an iPhone? Get one on eBay

Well, sort of - if you're up for a punt. Computerworld managed to track one down on the auction site, but as soon as it notified eBay the listing was pulled.

The magazine managed to trace the highest bidder - whpub - though, who was quite happy to slap down $1,125 on the as yet unreleased mecha-must have.

The buyer reckoned the bid was low risk, high reward. "EBay insures up to $200 and PayPal up to $2,000 if the seller does not deliver," whpub told Computerworld. "Besides, there are rumors of iPhones being shipped as early as early April, and there's always a chance this seller managed to get one somehow."

EBay took it less philosophically. When asked for comment it said: "Thanks ... for informing us of the Apple iPhone listings. As we understand, the Apple iPhone will not be commercially available until June. Any such listings claiming to be selling the Apple iPhone are in violation of eBay's pre-sale policy which require sellers to guarantee shipment of the item listed within 30 days from the date of purchase. As such, all postings violating eBay's pre-sale policy will be removed."

Elusive iPhone is sold on eBay

** More iPhone news on our iPhone blog iPhonic

Sagem launches my215x handset with Vodafone

Another handset for the budget-conscious from Sagem - the my215x.

It's being billed as a low-price music phone, offering 256MB of storage for your tunes, with music-friendly controls built into the handset for adjusting the volume, skipping tracks and pausing. It's also got a strong battery life, with neatly four hours of talk time and around 255 hours of standby.

And apart from that - not a lot beyond the mobile phone basics. But at £40 from Vodafone, it's not a bad price for a music phone. If only it had an expansion slot - then it really would be great value.

Sagem website

Sagem introduces my401c clamshell handset

Another budget handset on its way from Sagem, this time the my401c - a clamshell handset available in a silver/black or silver/pink finish.

It's probably what you would call a "solid" handset, with all the essentials in place, but nothing to make it stand out. The features on the tri-band phone include an exterior and 128x160-pixel, 65K-colour interior screen with white-on-black text, VGA camera with 4x digital zoom, music player for multimedia, SMS and MMS, Bluetooth and Wap 2.0.

There's 1.5MB of storage, which can be extended with a microSD card, over three hours of talk time and 250 hours on standby. It's available from April on T-Mobile and Vodafone for around £49.99.

Sagem website

Orange offers Samsung's D840 with bonus travel guides

We previewed the Samsung D840 back at the 3GSM. If it caught your eye, then you'll be interested to know that Orange are now offering it exclusively in the UK, with some bonus Euro travel guides thrown in as part of the deal.

The slim and chrome tri-band handset features a two megapixel camera with digital zoom, video recording (up to an hour in high resolution), automatic slide, 80MB of storage (expandable via microSD card), media player and Bluetooth connectivity.

And as an added sweetener, Orange are throwing in four Time Out City Guides (Rome, Paris, Barcelona and Prague), a gift box and a chance to win a city break to one of the cities.

Price varies according to your contract, but is free on contracts over £30.

Orange website

Sony Ericsson W660 Walkman phone with snap-on speakers

Sony Ericsson has a new 3G phone on the market - the W660 Walkman phone, compatible with Sony's new snap-on phone speakers.

Available in a choice of Record Black and Rose Red, it features TrackID, which can identify a piece of music when you're out and about via the Gracenote Mobile MusicID database, storage for up to 470 tunes on the supplied Memory Stick Micro, album art support for the media player, FM radio, two megapixel camera, two-inch TFT display, picture blogging and RSS feeds that can be sent directly to your phone's "desktop".

It can also be used with Sony Ericsson's new MPS-75 snap-on speakers - a small plug-in speaker unit powered by your phone. or you can stream your music via Bluetooth.

The W660 Walkman phone will be available fro the middle of 2007, with the snap-on speakers released around the same time.

Sony Ericsson website

Currys to sell mobile phones in store

DSG, owner of Currys and Currys.Digital (formerly Dixons) stores, has said that it plans to sell mobile phones in up to 500 of its stores, with a major mobile presence already planned for its Manchester White City and Bournemouth Currys superstores.

According to Mobile Today, it plans to play on its strengths in the home entertainment market by selling combined entertainment, broadband and communications deals for companies like Sky and Virgin Media.

John Lyngra, head of communications trading at Currys, said "Customers tell us they want clarity and value, and they do not trust the complexities and stealth pricing of most communications tariffs. We have designed our tariff guides to be ultra-transparent and fair, with a range of options to suit any customer."

Sony Ericsson K510i gets a Julien MacDonald makeover

Well, if you can't shift a handset the first time round, you can always give it a makeover to appeal to the fashion market, as is the case with this Sony Ericsson K510i, featuring a Julien MacDonald design.

The handset itself is around a year old, featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera with digital zoom, Bluetooth and an MP3 player. Except this time it casts off the dull exterior, replacing it with something altogether more colourful.

"The print I decided to use for the SonyEricsson K51Oi was taken from my spring summer 07 collection," says Mr MacDonald. "The print was inspired by exotic flowers, Orchids in particular, so thought it would be perfect for the spring launch of this handset."

And if you also think it perfect, you can pick one up for £50 from your nearest Orange store.

Orange website

Gucci to follow Prada in making a fashion phone?

Relax, fashionistas. It's still just an internetweb rumour based on nothing more than a couple of photos on Flickr, which may well be mockups. Still, with Prada having already teamed up with LG for a mobile phone, it wouldn't be entirely surprising if Gucci followed suit.

Where will it all end though? Surely it's only a matter of time before Armani, Chanel and Dior throw their hats into the ring too, while Kate Moss is presumably set to unleash her dazzling clamshell (not a euphemism) on the world at the same time as her much-anticipated Top Shop fashion range.

Hey, Naomi Campbell could put her name to a handset with a specially-moulded throwing grip, for those troublesome PAs...

(via Engadget Mobile)

O2 launches XDA Graphite smartphone

O2 is now offering its XDA Graphite smartphone, a Windows Mobile 5.0 device with all the usual add-ons.

Windows Mobile 5.0 means push email, MSN Messenger, the ability to view and edit documents plus music via Windows Media Player. In addition, there's a 2 megapixel camera, 2.2-inch screen and Bluetooth 2.0.

There's also video calling on 3G networks and a battery that offers around fours hours of talk time. You can pick one up in O2 stores now, price dependent on your contract.

O2 website

Video Review: Can the LG Prada phone beat iPhone at its own game?

Fashionistas are already getting themselves into a tizzy over LG's Prada handset, but those of us who don't change our wardrobes every season have got reason to follow its progress closely too. Can its tactile touch-screen interface rival Apple's iPhone? ShinyShiny's Susi takes a detailed look at LG's stylish new handset below.

Review: LG KE850 Prada phone

In certain quarters, it's the most hyped phone since the last hyped phone. And is likely to be, til the next hyped phone. So, having managed to check it out briefly at 3GSM, leaving Kat to manage in Milan, I was thrilled to have it in my hands for a full 24 hours in my care, to get a real idea of what it was like.

I found it an interesting experience. Disappointing in the same way that Christmas Day is never as good as you think it's going to be on Christmas Eve, but interesting nonetheless.

My initial reaction on getting it out of the box was the predictable 'ooh, it's so pretty, it's so shiny, it's so Versace. I mean Galliano. I mean Prada. Oh god, I wasn't born for all these gadget collaborations'. And they certainly have packaged it nicely, in a beautiful black box, which just cries out for an unveiling in the way few other phones do (although LG do seem to have the monopoly on those currently).

When you turn it on, it defaults to the black and white screen that Prada were so keen on, although there are several other coloured wallpapers available. It also defaults to the clock which floats around the screen, unless it's being dragged in another direction by your finger (it's a touchscreen, remember?). The bulk of the screen is used to display the clock and wallpaper, with the option for messaging, calling and settings laid out across the bottom.

There's also another option for your wallpaper, which involves a fish following your finger, although that wasn't working on the preproduction model I had.

The messaging was what I was most interested to try out, since no one I know has been overly keen on the thought of entirely doing away with a keypad when it came to SMSing. The results were mixed. Whilst concentrating, I found the touchscreen just as easy as a normal keypad - it's laid out in exactly the same way, with 2 representing abc, 0 being a space, in accordance with your normal T9 language. However, after a period of time, I forgot to be so exact, and found that I was frequently misspelling things. I don't need to tell you how annoying it is to have to go and retype texts two or three times over...

Apart from the texting, the touchscreen worked better than I thought it would. I didn't feel any particular lag, between hitting the buttons and the phone reacting, although there were several times where I had to tap something several times in order to get a response.

The menu icons were spaced far enough apart so that you didn't accidentally end up with your MP3s when you tried to turn on Bluetooth. Plus, several of the functions have external buttons on the handset itself, such as the MP3 player, camera and the screen lock.

The camera itself is an adequate two megapixels, and has a light. The size of the screen meant that the photos looked clear and bright, as well.

The build quality overall was impressive, as it's not only small and lightweight, but is only a few millimetres thick. One niggle I did have was how dirty the back of the phone got, which suffered the same fate as pretty much every 'Piano black' finished product ever - fingerprints everywhere. The button you pressed in at the bottom of the phone to release the back cover was also easily chipped, revealing that it wasn't metal, but a cheap spray job on a cheaper material.

And as for the inevitable iPhone comparison? Forget it. Yes. it's got a touchscreen, but that's where the similarity ends. This is a phone. And it's really nothing more than a phone. It's not aimed at people who want constant access to their emails, to be able to access their Outlook calendar, or to download at high speed (there is a simple browser included, and yes, I know the iPhone isn't going to have 3G). It's for those that are all about appearances. And there's nothing wrong with that.

It's slated to appear in select shops (including Prada... and Carphone Warehouse) from the end of March. SIM free it's expected to retail for 600 Euros (about £400), and pricing on contracts has yet to be released. They have said that it will be exclusively for 18 month contracts though.

The single best mobile phone review EVER printed

Sorry Samsung, it's your E900 that's getting a right royal kicking from Guardian columnist Charlie Brooker in a piece titled 'My new mobile is lumbered with a bewildering array of unnecessary features aimed at idiots'. That kinda gives you the general flavour.

"The whole thing is the visual equivalent of a moronic clip-art jumble sale poster designed in the dark by a myopic divorcee experiencing a freak biorhythmic high," he says, before going on to suggest that "the government is offloading these twittering handheld crapstones on to as many people as possible in a bid to whip us all into a state of perpetual, simmering anger in readiness for some kind of bare-knuckle street war."

Oof! Given Charlie's previous explanation of why he hates Macs, if the Guardian has any sense, it'll clear four pages for his iPhone review later this year...

Alcatel OT-C635 mobile phone launches

Who wants a purple mobile phone? Prince, maybe. But Alcatel is clearly hoping the market for its new OT-C635 mobile is bigger than one diminutive pop pixie.

Yes, it's purple, which is apparently one of this season's hottest colours (although those who take their fashion advice from the glossy women's mags rather than technology press releases can probably confirm or deny that).

Anyway, the OT-C635 is a clamshell handset, which offers fashionista looks over features – it doesn't have a camera, isn't 3G, and can't do video or music. Still, at £39.99 on Virgin Mobile and with a whopping battery life, it's got other things in its favour.

Alcatel website

O2 latest to offer BlackBerry 8800

Previously limited to Vodafone customers, RIM's BlackBerry 8800 is now available through the O2 network, the company has announced.

We previewed the BlackBerry 8800 at the 3GSM earlier this year. It features a full QWERTY keyboard, built-in GPS along with BlackBerry maps, media player and an expandable memory slot. There's also a high resolution screen with automatic light sensing technology for outdoor users and a trackball to speed up navigation.

It's available to purchase now for business customers. And as you would expect, pricing depends on your choice of contract, starting from free.

O2 website

Is the iPhone the only gadget launch that matters this year?

There are some folk round here who reckon that the only gadget launch that really matters this year is, you guessed it, the Apple iPhone.

So we have decided to give them their own blog. Over at iPhonic, Apple die-hard Andy Merrett will be waxing lyrical about Apple’s forthcoming phone. He'll be

* Highlighting its killer features (and, in the interest of fair play, its odd weakness)
* Focusing on its technology
* Gauging how much impact it will have on the mobile phone world on both sides of the Atlantic
* Checking out all the rumours and gossip
* Making predictions as to where Apple will take the iPhone

iPhonic will also keeps tabs on the iPhone’s rival handsets (Nokia N95, LG Prada etc) and also the mobile services that are set to take on iTunes.

All this and more on iPhonic

Does the Walkman brand still hit the right notes with consumers?

Stuart Dredge writes...

Once upon a time, Sony's Walkman was the most powerful music technology brand in the world. Everyone knew what a Walkman was, it was one of the most desirable and fashionable devices around, and it arguably changed the way we listen to music while it was at it.

Well, it saved millions of music fans from debilitating ghettoblaster-related shoulder pains in later life, anyway.

But isn't the Walkman old hat now? Apple's iPod is surely the biggest music brand of the 21st century, after all, having successfully fended off Napster, MySpace and The Cheeky Girls to secure its vaunted status.

Nevertheless, Sony thinks the Walkman still punches its weight, having just announced its new Walkman NW-A800 Video MP3 player, while Sony Ericsson has been pushing its brand of Walkman music phones.

Is Walkman still a powerful brand in the post-iPod world? I'd argue yes: here's why.

Let's start with those mobile phones. If you want evidence that Sony has successfully rehabilitated the Walkman, how does more than 20 million handset sales strike you? What's important is that many of those will be to people too young to have ever owned an original Walkman - or even remember the days when you could buy music on tape cassettes.

And that's the thing. If Walkman's going to mean anything to consumers today, it's got to be for what it is NOW, rather than what it was back in the 1980s. You can certainly argue that Sony Ericsson has succeeded in that goal, associating the Walkman brand with 'mobile music' in a way that no other manufacturer has yet managed.

Sony's efforts in other consumer electronics areas haven't been as successful. Sony has been branding various MP3 players as Walkmans for a while now, but a quick straw poll of gadgety friends brought the common responses of 'they're overpriced' and 'they're not easy to use' - the latter most likely because of Sony's earlier strategy of forcing people to convert their MP3s into the proprietary ATRAC format before they could be transferred to the firm's digital music players.

In that respect, the Walkman brand ended up looking like an embarrassing dad on the dancefloor - trying to get down to this new-fangled MP3 lark, but getting it wrong. Thankfully, Sony has since shifted its strategy to something more sensible, with recent Walkman devices much more desirable as a result. But it proved that a once-all-conquering brand is no use if the modern products badged with it aren't much cop.

So to the new NW-A800 Video MP3 player. Is the Walkman brand a help, or a hindrance? The sort of people buying video players may have warm memories of Walkmans the first time round, but does this make them any more likely to buy a handheld video player now?

To make Walkman truly relevant in this particular field, Sony'll have to convince people that the NW-A800 is better than similar devices from Archos and Creative. So rather than its brand, the NW-A800's success will rest on features like its battery life (eight hours for video), the quality of its screen, less than 1cm-thickness, and whether people really want to buy stuff from the Sony Connect music download store.

As strong as the Walkman brand was back in the day, you can't live on past glories alone in the modern gadget world. Sony's first MP3 players proved that, while Sony Ericsson's music phones have shown that you can reinvent yourself for a new market. We'll have to wait and see which category Sony's new video player falls into.

Motorola revives StarTAC for retro-obsessed Korean market

Can you really get nostalgic for an old mobile phone? Apparently so - well, at least in Korea, where Motorola has re-launched the StarTAC brand with the StarTAC III MS900 clamshell.

Except, it's not got a lot on common with the original in either looks or specification. It features an MP3 player, 2-inch 320 x 240 display and GPS on board. But don't despair, it does have the "distinctive StarTAC opening chime".

Mind you, the whole campaign is all over the place. According to the head of Motorola's marketing team: "Retro is the cultural movement of the 1960s, embodied by such celebrities as The Beatles and Twiggy. In a similar manner, Motorola’s StarTAC is being revived to become the timeless accessory in Korea.”

Perhaps someone should tell them that the StarTAC was released in 1996, not 1966.

Motorola website

Via The Register

Will Dell create the first modular mobile phone?

There's an intriguing bit of speculation over on Telecoms.com, suggesting that Dell may be looking to produce its own mobile phone. It's partly spurred by the news that Dell has recruited the former head of Motorola's mobile devices division, Ron Garriques, to take charge of Dell's new consumer products group.

It's also logical to assume that Dell might want to start making mobile phones – given that the company makes laptops and PDAs, it's not a huge leap to come out with a Windows Mobile smartphone.

The question is whether the way Dell traditionally does business – selling products directly to consumers, who can add and remove individual hardware and features on the firm's website - will suit the mobile industry, which has tended to be more focused around mobile operators.

Telecoms.com thinks that's not a problem, predicting that the number of phones sold directly through retailers or from manufacturers' own websites is going to increase rapidly.

I'll be blunt: few consumers would be excited by a Dell smartphone – it'd be no iPhone. But think about all those business users. It's also not a great leap to imagine Dell bundling an own-brand mobile phone with its PCs and laptops, in much the same way it treated MP3 players in the past.

Could its modular approach work with phones, though? Imagine going on the Dell website and selecting from a bunch of drop-down menus the features you want. Two or three-megapixel camera? 128MB or 256MB memory card? Built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, or both? I don't have the technical knowledge to judge if this is a pipedream, but if possible, that kind of customisation could help Dell make a mighty splash in the mobile market.

3G iPhone could come in early 2008

According to Apple Insider, they have it on good authority that a Swedish firm has been assured that they'll get their hands on a 3G version of th iPhone as early as January 2008.

Whether it will be the first model that those outside the US get their hands on, or not, remains to be seen. Will there be two iPhones, one with and one without 3G? After all, not everyone (so I've heard) is so bothered about 3G if they have decent wi-fi, and are more concerned about the entertainment potential of their mobile.

Apple Insider reports:

Apple's choice of cellphone networks would obligate it to use a particular form of 3G known as High-Speed Download Packet Access (HSDPA) [which] happens to represent Apple's best shot at selling the iPhone beyond American borders. In Europe, cheaper data rates and widespread 3G networks encourage Internet access from smartphones to the extent that many cellphone giants lavish more attention on their phone lineups for that continent than anywhere else. Nokia's range toppers, for example, are often badged as "multimedia computers" rather than cellphones.

Seems fair enough to me. Apple don't like to be left behind, and a second-generation, export version of the iPhone sporting 3G seems entirely plausible.

The inside story on the LG Prada KE850 mobile phone - from Milan!

If you're a secret fashionista you probably know by now that I was lucky enough to attend the Prada fashion show for Milan Fashion Week just last week. But, it wasn't just the sight of expensive designer frocks which rocked my boat, oh no, it was getting hands-on with the eagerly awaited mobile from the collaboration between LG and Prada which did it for me. Gosh, I'm such a geek. This was the first time I'd seen it in the wild, and wow, it was better than I could've ever expected. Your first time is always special, sigh. Read on below for my thoughts on the first-ever completely touch-screen mobile phone, information about the collaboration between the popular phone company and legendary fashion house, and just what LG think about the phone being touted as an 'iPhone killer'. Otherwise take a look at the quick video I shot with the phone in the hotel bar above, hopefully it can sate your appetite before this tasty piece of tech drops on March 18th!

There's no point in rehashing the specs about the mobile - everyone else on Shiny Shiny has told you all the 'deets, so let's discuss some of the things you probably haven't heard about this must-have mobile yet. As explained in the video above, Prada were simply not content with having their logo welded onto the casing of a random mobile, (case in point - Motorola's Dolce & Gabbana Razr), they actually wanted to have input with the design process, to ensure it was worthy of being a Prada product.

According to the several LG representatives I spoke to last week, Prada had been approached numerous times by "several big players" in the mobile phone industry, but up until they met with LG, they felt that none of the companies shared similar aims in producing a fashion mobile. Plus, all the other companies were only offering limited input in the design process - Prada were quite keen to contribute to the interface, wallpapers, ringtones and everything else that defines a fashion mobile phone. Perhaps a little too much for LG's liking, if the story I heard was correct!

The story goes that in May 2006, LG approached Miuccia and co at the house of Prada, and presented them with their ideas, as well as the then-recently released LG Chocolate. Miuccia was apparently quite impressed with the Chocolate, as well as LG's idea for a revolutionary (read: completely touch-screen) mobile, that they decided then and there to do business with the electronics company which was "once best known for its washing machines".

From the lengthy play I had with it, Prada have definitely injected some of their high-end opulence into the mobile, right down to the ringtones. I was quite surprised by how industrial the eight ringtones were, they were almost sci-fi, and not the bubbly, almost euro-dance tunes I was expecting. After seeing the Prada fashion show that night however, I understood their choice of music for the phone, for they matched the 'choons played as the models sauntered down the catwalk. According to Style.com's runway review from that night, the music was 'a soundtrack of some very angry girls, chanting lines like "poke his eyes out"', all the more reinforcing something Miuccia Prada herself said about an earlier collection once, "I'm tired of being so sweet...we women should go back to strength - and the sober side. Stop trying to appeal to everyone, and go out into the world". As rumoured, the interface was monochrome, perhaps a little dull for my liking, but it certainly ties in nicely with the Prada image. Other themes include 'butterfly', a yellow and purple mixture containing a cute butterfly you could control on the screen with your finger, and my personal favourite, 'fish', which was light blue, and you could similarly guide an orange fish around with the touch of your finger.

You wouldn't be out of order to assume that the phone was only capable of displaying black and white images, due to the default themes, but thank goodness, that's not the case. The short trailer I watched on the screen, of Casino Royale, was spot-on, and much better than anything the iPod Video could ever hope to show! Once you select the video to watch, it displays the images horizontally, making the most of the capacious LCD screen. One thing I was keen to test was the camera, and suffice to say, it lived up to my high expectations. Containing a 2-megapixel camera, with an LED flash, the few photos I took in the hotel bar were very impressive.

Other multimedia features include an MP3 player, handy when used with the free headphones they supply you with, or simply when using the stereo speakers located on the phone - great news for those kids on the train busting out their grime and hip hop, bad news for those of us with taste. You won't be able to store much music on the phone mind, the internal memory is only 8MB, and whilst they do supply you with a 256MB memory card, the slot is only capable of receiving Micro SD cards, and as they're currently available with a maximum of 2GB, it's sadly not enough potential albums to store for my liking. But then, I'm not content with a 30GB iPod, so maybe I'm a little more fussy than most!

Obviously I couldn't refrain from asking the all important question, of what LG thought about the Prada phone being branded an 'iPhone killer', due to its completely touch-screen capabilities and levels of ultra-desirability. Yvan Juget, the Communications Manager for LG, was very flattered by the comparisons the general public have made between the two phones, and that they could ever be pitted against "the world's audio leaders". He did admit however that the Prada mobile was aimed at an entirely different market to that of the iPhone, those who demand not only a mobile phone, but also that of an exclusive fashion accessory.

It appears that LG are quite keen to stress the exclusivity of the mobile, with Yvan commenting that Prada were worried "it would be found in really small phone stores in Sicily", which I presume would be a major faux pas for the fashion house. Perhaps the equivalent of being found in an Argos in Hounslow? For those after the mobile, you'll have to visit a Prada store, or if you're a Blighty dweller, Phones 4 U, Carphone Warehouse, Orange, or O2, which, according to Yvan, all had proven track records and were capable of delivering such an exclusive product to the right market. No Tesco, then!

When it appears in late March across Europe - the 18th I believe, it should be retailing for approximately €600 sim-free, otherwise on 18 month contracts with a certain amount required upfront. As we've seen with previous LG phones, it's not unusual for them to whip out several differently coloured versions later down the track, and when asked about the possibility of the Prada phone dipping its toe into the paintbox, the answer wasn't a definite 'no', you'll be pleased to hear. The general consensus was that once LG monitored the sales of the initial black version, they may consider releasing some colours "at the end of the year". I put in my two-pence worth and requested a silver one, fingers crossed.

Unfortunately I didn't get to lay eyes on the all-important packaging, but from what I heard, it's bound to be a crowd pleaser. According to the aforementioned Yvan, "everyone gasps at the packaging", commenting that they've "never seen such nice packaging before". Prada chose the box apparently, and it's all black, made from "nice" paper. Prada are also controlling all the advertising, with previously used models in their handbag (female) and cologne (male) ranges being used again. Being a Milanese fashion house, they're hoping "it'll be a hit in Italy", and that those familiar with the brand will embrace this new business venture with credit card in hand. From what I heard, it sounds like it's already a successful collaboration, as they've already taken more pre-orders for the Prada phone than for the Shine in France, if that's anything to go by.

As mentioned previously, the mobile is not 3G or HSDPA, something I find is most probably the only flaw in the design. According to Yvan, it was discussed, however "Prada liked the thinness of it", so form won over function in this case - sob! When pressed for details about further collaborations with the fashion house, he was close-lipped, but did let slip that LG would certainly be open to any new ideas Prada ever brought to them. A Prada-branded washing machine, perhaps?

Long-term readers of Shiny Shiny might remember a list I created back in January of the top ten mobile phones of 2007 to look forward to, where the Prada phone was listed at a healthy number 6. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you after reading the aforementioned sickly-sweet review of the KE850 that it' been bumped up a fair few places after my hands-on review - iPhone killer, indeed!

LG electronics
Prada

Cisco and Apple finally agree that both can use the iPhone name

In a move that is probably of greater benefit to Apple, Cisco have agreed to drop their iPhone trademark lawsuit, allowing both companies to use the name for their intended purposes.

Both companies agree to drop any pending actions over the trademark, and the joint statement issued also alludes to 'exploring opportunities for interoperability', whatever that might mean. Though some commentators think that CIsco have got a raw deal, if Apple ever wanted to go into VoIP services using the iPhone, they might need to explore that avenue.

The rest of the agreement is confidential, so we'll never officially know whether money was involved, or what other terms and conditions have been put in place.

The best news for Apple and its fans, though, has to be that the name won't have to change. It's iPhone, and that's a fact.

Shiny awards 2007: WAG gadget - that'll be the LG Chocolate phone then

Well England's football team might have had a dismal World Cup, but at least the WAGs did the nation proud by epitomising the qualities that make us superior to every other nation on Earth - namely binge drinking, handbag shopping and hamming it up for the paps.

So to salute that fine squad of young women we institiuted the WAG gadget award. Trouble is there could only be one winner - LG's Chocolate phone. It started in the hands of the very definition of a WAG, before making its way into the ha