The all new Sony Ericsson W760 Walkman™ phone is a tri-band HSDPA, quad-band EDGE slider handset which comes with tons of new features. It has a shake control and built-in motion sensor. This new device is equipped with GPS so that you can find your way. One can choose between GoogleTM Maps Mobile or WayfinderTM Navigator.

For internet users, the W760 mobile phone has WAP 2.0 and XHTML using the Access NetFrontTM v3.4 mobile browser. It messaging features support EMS, SMS, MMS, Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync and Email (POP3 and IMAP4).

It also supports multiple media formats such as MP4 (AAC, AAC+, E-AAC+), MP3, M4A, 3GPPTM, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WAV, G-MIDI 1, SP-MIDI, RealAudio® 8, iMelody, XMF, WMA, 3GPP (H.263, H.264), MP4, RealVideo 8, WMV, GIF, JPEG, BMP, WBMP, PNG, SVG Tiny 1.2, Adobe® Flash liteTM 2.0 and RTSP according to 3GPP. With its 3.2 Megapixel camera with 2.5x digital zoom, taking photos and video recording are made easy with quality output. It has a 262K color capable 320×240 pixel display screen for watching videos.

Play games is so much fun when using the Sony Ericsson W760 with the use of its motion sensor and can play the games in horizontal or vertical mode.

Specifications:

Key Features:

• 3.2 megapixel camera
• Photo fix
• Photo blogging
• Bluetooth™
• PlayNow™
• WAP 2.0 and XHTML using the Access NetFrontTM v3.4 mobile browser
• GPS
• Shake Control
• Built-in motion sensor with accelerometer for tilt gaming
• Integrated stereo speakers

GPS capabilities that will not only tell you where you are, but it will also geo-tag your photos. With its single-handed camera use, one can take a picture with ease with its 3.2 megapixel image resolution.

The Sony Ericsson C702 can also help users navigate using Google Maps for Mobile and with its wayfinder application.

This phone is soon to be released in the second quarter of this year.

Specifications:

• Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900,
• Screen: TFT, 256K colors, 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
• Memory: 160 MB internal memory, Memory Stick Micro (M2)
• Form factor: Bar
• Size: 106 x 48 x 15.5 mm
• Weight: 105 g

Key Features:

• Splash and dust resistant
• WAP 2.0/HTML (NetFront), RSS reader
• Built-in GPS receiver
• 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, autofocus, video, flash; secondary QCIF video call camera
• MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player
• Face detection and geotagging, fast autofocus
• Fingerprint resistant case
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth (with A2DP)
• Tracker sports application
• Memory card support to 8GB M2 cards supported)

An updated version of Samsung A990 model, Samsung U900 can be considered as one of the best mobile phone with 5MP digital camera. Its imaging capabilities includes optical zoom lens, features auto-focus, TV output, Flash, and Pictbridge. It can record video for up to one hour and can be connected to a television for viewing.

This phone supports hands-free capabilities via Bluetooth technology (A2DP) making it possible to stream stereo music to and from compatible Bluetooth devices. It also offers streaming multimedia support such as On-demand TV and V CAST VPAK add on plan. Its built-in music player allows music to be downloaded directly from a VCAS music service. Printing on the go is made possible via Bluetooth Basic Printing Profile compatible printers.

Need help navigating, the GPS Services Support feature of the Samsung U900 mobile phone is all you need. Its voice-driven menus is easy to set-up without the need to any type of specialized pre-training, it’s simple, isn’t it?

The phone is expected to be released this April of 2008.

Specifications:

• Networks: GSM 900/1800/1900, HSDPA 2100
• Screen: 2.2 inches, TFT, 16M colors, 240 x 320 pixels,
• Memory: 128 MB shared memory, microSD (TransFlash)
• Form factor: Slide
• Size: 105 x 49.5 x 12.9 mm
• Weight: 3.9 oz.
• Color: Black, Champagne

Key Features:

Nokia unveiled the all new Nokia N96 in the 2008 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The new mobile device is a descendant of Nokia N96. It does refresh the form, and add beauty to N95. The N96 is build with quality materials, it is actually looks and feels like a high end device. Truly, a multimedia device optimized for internet, video and TV.

The phone comes with 2.8 inches screen, a 16 gigabytes of internal memory-ideal for storing movies in wide range of formats. A 5 megapixel camera, with Carl Zeiss optics, flash and video ligh is ideal for taking high quality images. It supports A-GPS, WLAN, HSDPA, and Bluetooth. Its estimated sales price of approximately 550 euros, before subsidies or taxes, which will be available this coming third quarter of 2008.

Specifications:

• Networks: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 850 / 2100
• OS: Symbian OS, S60 rel. 3.2
• Screen: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inchesTFT, 16M colors
• Memory: 16 GB internal memory, 128MB RAM, 256MB system memory, microSD (TransFlash)
• Form factor: Slider
• Size: 103 x 55 x 18 mm
• Weight: 125 g
• Color: Black

Key Features:

• 5 MP Camera, 2592×1944 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics autofocus, video(VGA 30fps) with flash
• Secondary VGA videocall camera
• SMS
• MMS
• Email
• Instant Messaging
• WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
• RSS reader
• GPRS
• HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
• HSCSD
• EDGE
• WLAN
• DVB-H TV broadcast receiver
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• Bluetooth
• USB Support
• A-GPS

Read Nokia N96 press release here.

The XPERIA X1 is among the latest models of phones from Sony Ericsson. It has a full QWERTY on its “arc slider” form, and it runs on Windows Mobile 6 operating system. The touch screen is 3-inch wide VGA (800 x 480), 3.2 megapixel camera (with photo light), A2DP Bluetooth, aGPS, WiFi, and microSD with 400MB of internal memory. This new phone is mainly for multimedia and mobile web communication users.

The phone was recently announced to the press before the start of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It is expected to hit the stores in the second half of 2008.

Specifications:

• Networks: GSM/EDGE 900/1700/1900/2100MHz and UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA
• OS: Windows Mobile Professional
• Screen: 3″ wide VGA (800 x 480) touchscreen display
• Memory: Internal memory of 400 MB, microSD support
• Form factor: Slider
• Size: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
• Weight: 145 grams
• Color: Black/Silver

Key Features:

• 3.2 megapixel camera, auto focus with photo light
• Video recording Music
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Media player
• Music tones
• PlayNow™
• Windows Media Player Mobile
• 3D games
• FM radio
• Java

• Video streaming
• Internet Explorer® Mobile
• RSS feeds
• Video calling
• Email
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Text messaging (SMS)
• aGPS
• Bluetooth™ technology
• Modem
• Synchronization
• USB support
• WLAN
• Document editors
• Document readers
• Flight mode
• Handwriting recognition
• Notes
• Phone book
• Tasks
• Touchscreen
• Microsoft® Outlook Mobile: email, contacts, calendar, tasks
• Microsoft® Office Mobile: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Internet Explorer® Mobile
• Windows Media™ Player Mobile
• Windows Live™
• Exchange ActiveSync®
• Voice control

The all new Motorola W270 comes with dual-band GSM (900/1800 or available in 850/1900 MHz for US versions) and a GPRS data connectivity. There is a WAP browser, and can be connected to a PC with a USB cable. It supports many languages, mostly from Africa and/or South Asia. However, it does not support Bluetooth technology.

The device has MP3 player, FM radio, and supports up to 2 GB of external memory. This is quite an interesting phone - basic mobile device with strong music capabilities.

Specifications:

• Networks: GSM 900/1800, GSM 850/1900-US version
• Screen: CSTN, 65K colors, 128 x 128 pixels, 1.6 inches
• Memory: microSD (TransFlash), up to 2 GB supported
• Form factor: Clamshell
• Size: 95 x 45 x 17 mm
• Weight: 94 g
• Color: Lustrous silver, dark titanium gray

Key Features:

• GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32-48 kbps
• WAP 2.0/xHTM
• SMS, EMS, MMS
• MP3 player (iMelody,MIDI,MP3,AMR formats)
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• FM recorder for alarm signal only

The makers of Blackberry tossed its keychain into the touch-screen fishbowl this week. As it dives into the same market as iPhone, RIM hopes to attract some crossover Apple unfaithful. But is the Waterloo tech firm taking a risk introducing the new Blackberry Storm in the midst of a financial world-storm?

The new Blackberry Storm was just announced this week and it’s the first PDA from RIM to do away with the type pad and trackball that made the so-called Crackberry an institution for years. As the company claws after Apple’s action with enhanced media-phone capabilities, its touch-screen completes the iPhone synthesis.

RIM, the revolutionary tech company out of (my own home-town) Waterloo Ontario wasn’t satisfied to simply slap together yet another touch-screen Smartphone. We’ve seen imitators from the likes of HTC, Samsung and now Nokia. The Blackberry difference is its new “clickable” touch screen design. It’s designed to provide resistance to your fingertips giving users the feel of pressing real keys. The screen is also designed to use multi-touch, taps, finger slides and other gestures to manipulate its 3.25-inch (480 x 360 pixel) screen.

The device comes with a built-in 3.2 megapixel camera with a variable zoom. Huge for a cell phone!

It’s also got a built in GPS, 1 GB of built-in storage with a microSD/SDHD memory card slot. The powerful media player is capable of music, movies and photos. Video can be played back through a variety of formats including: Windows Media Video (WMV), Mpeg 4, H.264 and standard 3GP mobile phone video. Backing up this media blitz is the same powerful 624 MHz processor and 128MB RAM as the Bold.

The biggest oversight in this phone is the lack of Wi-Fi. Yeah, it has GPS but lack of Wi-Fi harkens back to the earlier Blackberry models (eg Pearl) that always seemed to omit one key feature. Only to be added later to an updated model that would leave out an important feature included earlier. At this rate you can expect a new Storm to come out next year that has Wi-Fi but no GPS.

Blackberry Storm For Free

The Blackberry Storm is expected to make an appearance across North America just in time for the Christmas season. It’ll be available in the US on Verizon and in Canada on Bell/Telus networks. No pricing has been announced yet but at least one news source is already speculating the phone might be free (in the US), with a hefty contract of course.

The free-with-contract idea might make sense if RIM is serious about usurping Apple in the handset market. The iPhone 3G had a reasonable price with stiff contract that seemed popular among consumers. Storm’s US wireless carrier Verizon didn’t mention a price yet. Storm is being marketed in the UK by Vodafone which PC World says is available at no initial cost after you sign an 18-month contract at US $70 per-month. This compares favorably to the iPhone which is $65 dollars a month after an initial $200 investment.

Co-chief of RIM, Jim Balsillie is said to have shrugged off criticisms that his company’s new tech-toy is preparing for release during a veritable financial melt-down. Considering RIM’s own stock has taken a 30% decapitation recently - the company might as well stay-the-course. In fairness to RIM, the product’s roadmap is likely following a course laid out long before any of the recent world market-financial troubles.

Waterloo (ON) – Research in Motion (RIM) today unveiled its “clickable” touchscreen smartphone “Storm”. It is yet another iPhone-class cellphone that adapts the iPhone most successful features – in this case even multi-tap – and adds a few distinct and unique highlights. Is this the iPhone for businesses?There is also an accelerometer that switches the phone between vertical and horizontal screen layouts; a 3.2 megapixel camera; a media player; a 3.5 mm headset jack and a GPS chip that supports location-based applications and services, as well as geotagging of photos. In the U.S. the BlackBerry Storm 9530 will be available through Verizon Wireless with 3G EV-DO Rev. A/CDMA technology and (2100 MHz) UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM for global use.

An old weakness of the old Blackberries remains with the Storm as well: There is not much memory (1GB) – more memory capacity has to be purchased extra (up to 16 GB through microSDHD cards). Also, we have not heard too much about the interface, which, however, seems to have improved dramatically, according to the first pictures released. We hope that RIM also worked on the application speed, which has been a clear problem in previous devices – especially in the Blackberry Pearl series.

We have to wait for a judgment on this phone until we can actually take it for a spin, but it appears that Blackberry has come up with a nice phone just in time. Apple was trying to make its way into businesses, but has not made much progress yet. The Storm could be considered the iPhone for businesses, as far as the first pictures indicate. However, it seems to be a much more specialized device that does not provide the same level of entertainment as the iPhone does.

However, the Storm is building a very convincing case for users with a focus on business applications.

Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Bold 9000 boasts a stylish design with a 480-by-320-pixel, 65,000-plus-color display upfront. (ttwice the BlackBerry Curve’s resolution). The phone features a range of connectivity options, including tri-band HSDPA, quad-band EDGE, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi and stereo Bluetooth. This model also has a 2-megapixel camera, and assisted and autonomous GPS (with BlackBerry Maps). Like the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 Flip, this model supports BlackBerry Media Sync for importing music from iTunes on your PC.

The BlackBerry Bold will be available exclusively on AT&T in October. (Research in Motion Inc.)

LG will be bringing an affordable yet stylish full touch mobile phone, by introducing their latest LG KP500. It has a close similarity in terms of design from the LG Renoir, the LG KP500 uses the latest reincarnation of the proprietary LG Flash-based UI. The user interface is thumb-optimized, but a stylus is tucked into the body of the handset itself-is also provided to assist handwriting recognition.

The LG KP500 may not be a high-end device, yet it is packed with great features optimized for affordability. It has a quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE for a true world-wide use (but does not have a 3G network support), 3-inch TFT touchscreen, document viewer, organizer and more.

Specifications:

• Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900
• Screen: 3-inch TFT touchscreen, 256K colors, 240 x 400 pixels

-Flash UI
-Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
-Handwriting recognition

• Memory: 48 MB internal memory, microSD (TransFlash), up to 8GB
• Form factor: Bar
• Size: 106.5 x 55.4 x 11.9 mm
• Weight: 89 g
• Colors: Black, Vandyke brown, Anodizing silver, Elegant gold

Key Features:

• 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, video (12fps)
• WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
• FM radio with RDS
• Java MIDP 2.0
• Media player (MP3/WMA/AAC player, MPEG4/3gp
• Organiser
• Document viewer (DOC, XLS, PDF)
• Voice memo
• Built-in handsfree
• T9
• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
• USB v2.0