Mobile Phone Shop

Nokia unveils new unlicensed mobile access phone

Nokia (NOK1V.HE: Quote, Profile , Research), the world's top cellphone maker, unveiled on Thursday its new mobile phone model 6301, which features unlicensed mobile access (UMA) technology.

Nokia said the new model would begin shipping in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2007 at an estimated retail price of 230 euros ($322), before subsidies and taxes.

UMA handset users can make calls over the Internet when they are in range of an unlicensed wireless network, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. When they move out of range, the connection will automatically revert to a GSM, GPRS or UMTS mobile phone network.

Nokia started its first tests on UMA technology in July last year and it has already launched its 6086 UMA phone.

Source:http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news/

Sony Ericsson W660i

The Sony Ericsson W660i belongs to the company's Walkman lineup, though the handset focuses a little more on design compared with its siblings. The phone is currently available in Record Black and Rose Red. One thing to note is that the actual color of the latter is about two shades lighter than what it looks like from the picture.

Design
This is where the W660i aces the first lesson on design: To build a phone that's usable. It's that simple, but increasingly rare today when manufacturers try to cram all the latest features into every nook and cranny of the handset. You won't find any frills on this Sony Ericsson. There's none of the fancy swiveling tricks or groovy sliders you see on other mobile devices. But that's also why we really like this handset.

The top half on the back of the phone also has some motifs etched onto it.


The numeric keypad is very similar to the Cyber-shot K800i, albeit with more groove which makes it easier to type on. There's a saying that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Although the Swedish-Japanese company has produced handsets like this with a user-friendly keypad, it's bewildering to find it heading the other direction with tiny pegs as buttons on the K810i and the upcoming K850i. Whatever was Sony Ericsson thinking?

Like the W610i, the main controls on the W660i are laid out in three circles, each with a center button that's disjoined from the disc. Although it may seem congested at first, the keys are actually very usable and thumb-friendly. We had one problem initially and that's mistaking the center play/stop button as a joystick.

The W660i is also a little flashier compared with its siblings. While we like the pastel gold lining running the circumference of the handset, some of our friends didn't share the same sentiments. The top half on the back of the phone also has some motifs etched onto it. There's no practical aspect to it and it doesn't interfere with the use of the unit in any way, but it's nice to look at.

Our review unit was the red version and, like we mentioned earlier, the color of the actual unit is about two shades lighter than what is on the picture. So don't be alarmed if you can't find the dark mahogany-red version of the W660i in stores.

Features
Let's get the basic specs out of the way. The W660i has a triband radio and it comes with 3G on the 2100MHz UMTS band. There's also Bluetooth with support for A2DP, FM radio with RDS, an external Memory Stick Micro card slot (you'll need this because there's only 16MB of onboard memory, barely enough for anything) and Sony Ericsson's proprietary port for cabled connection to the PC and earphones. A 512MB card is bundled with the commercial retail unit.

The W660i comes from the Walkman family so it has to meet those expectations on the music front. It supports a broad range of formats, including MP3 and AAC. There are two ways to listen to tunes on this Sony Ericsson: One is via the play/stop button on the left edge of the phone and the other is from the Walkman button on the front fascia. The first works like a shortcut so we could continue where we left off from our songs. The latter calls up the music player for additional playback options.

Source:http://www.bangkokpost.com/

RIM Announces the BlackBerry 8820 Smartphone

RIM Announces the BlackBerry 8820 Smartphone

Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq:RIMM; TSX:RIM) today announced the BlackBerry 8820 smartphone. Featuring RIM’s thinnest smartphone design with a full and highly tactile QWERTY* keyboard, large and bright display (320 x 240), user-friendly trackball navigation system and best-in-class voice and data functionality, the BlackBerry 8820 also includes built-in GPS (Global Positioning System), RIM’s latest media player enhancements, and a microSD / microSDHC (microSD High Capacity) expandable memory slot that can support current and future generations of microSD memory cards up to 32GB. The BlackBerry 8820 is the first dual-mode BlackBerry handset, combining EDGE/GPRS/GSM cellular and Wi-Fi® connectivity for data access and voice support through UMA (unlicensed mobile access) for fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) service offerings from various wireless carriers around the world.

“The BlackBerry 8820 is an extraordinary business phone for people who really care about mobile communications and productivity. It features all the renowned power and usability of the BlackBerry platform with executive class styling and unprecedented connectivity features, including cellular, Wi-Fi and built-in GPS,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM. “The BlackBerry 8820 complements our carrier partners’ cellular networks with the added ability to stay connected via Wi-Fi at home, through hotspots and corporate campuses.”

Wi-Fi Connectivity: The BlackBerry 8820 smartphone supports the 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi standards to enable data access over Wi-Fi connections in the enterprise, as well as through public hotspots and wireless home networks. The smartphone works in conjunction with both BlackBerry® Enterprise Server and BlackBerry® Internet Service and can seamlessly switch between cellular networks and a Wi-Fi network to allow users to access email, Instant Messaging, organizer, web browsing and other mobile data applications.

Source:http://press-releases.techwhack.com/11312/rim-7/

LG Shows Latest HSDPA Handsets

LG unveiled several cell phones on Wednesday that support HSDPA wireless data connections.

LG Electronics Inc. unveiled several cell phones on Wednesday that support HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) wireless data connections.

The phones, displayed at the SEK exhibition in Seoul, attracted a steady flow of visitors, all of whom seemed eager to try out the handsets.

HSDPA is being deployed on WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access) networks, of which there are two in South Korea. The version of the technology in use in the country allows a maximum theoretical download of 3.6M bps (bits per second) although actual speeds are likely to be slower.

The LG-KH1400 marries the HSDPA networking with reception of digital mobile television. The phone's display can be twisted into a horizontal orientation so TV programs can be better enjoyed and there's also a video output socket so an even bigger screen can be fed with the picture. The handset also has a 2-megapixel camera.

Alongside it in the LG Electronics booth sat the LG-SH130. This handset is a more basic slider model that brings fast data and global roaming without all the bells and whistles of the other phone.

Global roaming is still a fairly new concept to most South Koreans due to the reliance of all cell phone carriers on CDMA (code division multiple access), which is only used in a handful of countries, so the ability to use a single phone worldwide is still something of a novelty.

Samsung mobile phone was showing a global-roaming WCDMA phone, the SPH-M6200, that didn't offer fast networking.

The Windows Mobile 5.0-based phone packs tri-band GSM (global system for mobile communications) with WCDMA and offers 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0. Under the 2.3-inch, QVGA (240 pixels by 320 pixels) resolution screen is a QWERTY keyboard. The phone also includes a browser for the conventional Internet and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

Source:http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,133180-c,cellphones/article.html 

Mobiles lose their magic as calls fall for the first time

The number of calls made on mobile phones has fallen for the first time, according to new research.

The figures suggest that the novelty of constantly being in touch is finally starting to fade.

It will also be good news for those tired of having train journeys, visits to the cinema and restaurant meals disrupted by idle chat.

The research shows the average number of calls made by pre-pay customers each week has fallen from 14 in 2006 to ten this year - a drop of 28.5 per cent.

The figure for contract phone owners has dipped from 35 to 27 - a drop of 23 per cent.

It is the first time the number of calls has fallen since JD Power started the survey ten years ago.

The industry analysts found that text messages and emails - which can be sent from some newer phones - are becoming more popular, possibly because they are cheap.

The average number of texts sent by contract customers rose from 32 a week to 46.

Lower call volumes have brought about a sharp fall in mobile phone bills. Monthly prepay costs have plunged from £19.29 in 2006 to £12.35 this year - a drop of 36 per cent.

Contract mobile phone customers are spending 20 per cent less, £32.45 a month rather than £40.44.

JD Power's Caspar Tearle said: "Mobile phones have lost their position as a status symbol. At one time, people seemed to feel the need to justify the money spent on a mobile phone by using it all the time. But that has gone.

"People apparently no longer feel the need to wave them around and make calls in a 'look at me' kind of way. They have taken on board the message that making calls can be seen as a nuisance and quite rude.

"As a result, many have switched to alternative silent ways of communication, such as text and email.

"Once texting was reserved for the young, now everyone is far more comfortable with it." He added: "People are also more conscious of making them selves a target for thieves and muggers by using their handsets to make calls without good reason."

Youngsters also seem to be less interested in mobile phones than in other gadgets such as MP3 music players, games consoles such as the Sony PlayStation and laptop computers which can play DVDs.

It is also possible that the latest handsets have so many functions, including mobile television and music videos, that their owners have little time left to make calls.

The most advanced gadgets also double as personal organisers and Internet browsers, allowing users to log into their work emails.

The research, which was based on a survey of more than 2,000 people, ranked the major mobile networks in terms of customer satisfaction.

Virgin came out top for pre-pay phones ahead of O2 and Tesco. On contract phones, Virgin was again first, ahead of O2 and T-mobile .

The companies were assessed under six headings: image, offerings and promotions, call quality and network coverage, cost, range of handsets and customer service.

Networks have come under fire in recent months over the high cost of using handsets overseas.

The European Commission and MEPs have outlined plans to cap the charges which can be as high as £1.50 a minute. A decision will be taken in the summer.

Source:http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23394823-details/Mobiles+lose+their+magic+as+calls+fall+for+the+first+time/article.do