Nokia has a new mobile range on the market known as Supernova, aimed very much at the fashion end of the market, but with enough features to keep most people happy.
The Nokia 7610 Supernova has changeable covers, a Theme Colorizer (s your screen matches in), 3.2MP camera with 8x zoom, TV out, dedicated music key, MP3 player, FM radio and access to the Nokia Music Store.
Continue reading "Nokia launches Supernova range of mobile handsets" »
For all its merits, the iPhone lacks one important thing - a keyboard. That's not the case with HTC Touch Pro, which offers both a touchscreen and a slide out full QWERTY keyboard.
Other features of this sleek black handset include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 2.8-inch VGA display, Windows Mobile 6.1 and a 3.2 megapixel camera.
It's heading to Europe first, later in the summer, with the rest of the world to follow. Price likely to depend on your contract.
If your mobile phone isn't floral enough, you might want to check out the newly-launched Sony Ericsson S500i Flowers handset, available exclusively from The Carphone Warehouse from 3rd June 2008.
The design isn't a million miles away from Cath Kidston - but isn't actually one of hers. In fact, there isn't a named designer attached to the phone. But if you simply like the floral look, the sliding handset also offers a 2 megapixel camera, web browser, media player, LED 'mood lighting' and a selection of limited edition Jemma Kidd Make Up School bits and pieces for nails and lips worth £16.
No details of phone price - probably depends on the contract you sign up for.
Looking for a mobile phone you'll not mind losing on a night out? The Hop 1800 from Hop-On could be for you.
Retailing for $10/£5, the phone takes most sim cards, has polyphonic ringtones and a talk time of four hours. It's even eco-friendly, with a $5 rebate for anyone giving the phone back at a later date for recycling.
The only downside is a lack of display. If that's not a problem, look out for it in the coming weeks.
Hop-On website
New in Japan next month is a new mobile phone from Sharp in conjunction with Walt Disney - the DMS002SH Cinderella mobile phone.
It's all about the shiny diamond-like looks in a choice of crystal, brown or pink - and all with matching interiors. On the technical side, there's an external 0.5-inch OLED screen, 2.6-inch internal display, 50MB of internal storage, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth and a TV tuner.
No news of it heading to Europe as yet - but if you happen to be in Japan, you can grab this from 7th June.
RIM has launched the BlackBerry Bold smartphone, complete with a brand new interface and slimline form.
The chrome-framed phone has high-speed conectivity (HSDPA) for high-speed email and net browsing, along with a colour LCD scree, sat nav, Wi-Fi, full QWERTY keyboard, 1GB of on-board storage, a microSD/SDHC memory card slot, 2MP camera with 5x digital zoom, media player, stereo speakers, Bluetooth and a battery with a talk time of approximately 5 hours, plus 13 days standby time.
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone is scheduled to be available from various providers from summer, price dependent on contract.
Mobile phones that offer TV have traditionally been pretty hit and miss affairs - but that could change with the arrival of the Samsung P960 in Europe.
The P960 is also the world's first DVB-H mobile TV phone that supports both of European mobile TV standards, offering optimised viewing via uts large 2.6-inch QVGA TFT screen and programme searching with the Electronic Service Guide (ESG), as well as Picture in Picture (PIP), Time-Shifting (should you get a call through) and Bang & Olufsen ICEPower technology for professional quality audio.
Other features include a 3 megapixel camera with power LED, a music player with Music Library feature and an FM radio with RDS. No news on price or networks right now.
Samsung website
Got money to burn? You can set light to a serious amount by buying the Nokia Arte - Diamond Edition.
It features 24 carat gold accents on the front, with five bright white diamonds embedded in the back. And it's a phone too, with a 3 megapixel camera, 1GB of storage, 3G connectivity and Bluetooth.
If you have £1,195 spare (or you are a footballer), you can pick one up now from Goldstriker.
If you like to check your email and do a spot of internet browsing on the go, Sony Ericsson has two newly-launched handsets that might be of interest - the Z780 and G502.
The clamshell Z780 offers high-speed HSDPA connectivity, as well as built-in GPS, Google Maps, push email, web browsing with RSS feed, 2 megapixel camera, media player and Bluetooth. The G502 also features Google Maps, push email, web/RSS, 2MP camera, media player, Bluetooth and everything else you might expect from a basic handset.
The Z780 will be available in Grand Onyx and Amethyst Silver, while the G502 will be available in Champagne Black and Brilliant Hazel - expect both in the next few weeks.
Available in the next few weeks in the UK, the LG KF700 mobile phone offers three methods of control and full web browsing.
Those three methods are a 3-inch touchscreen, a keypad and a shortcut dial for your favourites.. Also included is a widescreen for watching movies and viewing the web (including YouTube), high speed (HSDPA) connectivity, MP3 player, video player, 3 megapixel camera and Bluetooth.
Sold in black or silver, no price is listed as yet - although it's likely to be free should you have a contract.
LG website
Not the cheapest mobile phone on the market, but the Mobiado Stealth is one of the more exclusive.
Inspired by military aircraft, the Stealth is machined from a single piece of aircraft aluminium with a sapphire screen and buttons of sapphire crystal and stainless steel. Use it on any network, with features including 3G connectivity, 2 megapixel camera, 2GB of storage (using microSD card), surround sound, media player (audio/video) and Bluetooth.
Just 1,200 being made, selling for £1,495.
Find out more at the Mobiado website
The same people who brought us the Levi's phone now have another themed handset on the market - the ModeLabs MTV3.3 mobile phone.
Launched initially in France (via SFR), the red sliding handset offers 3G connectivity, a 2.2-inch screen, 2MP camera, video/audio player, Bluetooth connectivity and embedded MTV content, including videos and wallpaper, ringtones and the MTV Cribs mobile game.
Expect it from April 23rd (if you happen to be in France), priced at the equivalent of around £40.
If you've had your eye on an Apple iPhone, but thought it a bit pricey, you'll be pleased to know it is now being offered by O2 with a heavy discount.
The 8GB model is now £100 less - at £169 - although you will have to pay out for a contract on top of that. The deal lasts until June, which could be significant as there are rumours of a new (faster) model appearing this year.
Then again, there might not be a new model - you'll just have to take that risk if you really want one at the cheaper price!
Here's a phone you'll not mind leaving in the pub - the Hop-On disposable mobile phone.
It's designed to be thrown away, offering you basic phone functionality and a 'cool' design, but without the screen and sim card with all your details on. Which makes it ideal for anyone planning harassment or who wants to cover their tracks.
More seriously, it could slip in your pocket or bag in emergencies and at around £10, isn't going to cost the earth. Around 10,000 will hit Europe as a trial run - no details of retailers as yet.
Sony Ericsson has gone bling, teaming up with the Def Jam label to offer a limited edition W910i Walkman mobile phone.
Available in limited numbers and exclusively available from Carphone Warehouse, this white and gold handset has matching MPS 75 speakers in black and go. As a phone it features a media player, high-speed web browsing, an FM radio, 2MP camera and all your other mobile basics, supplemented by exclusive Def Jam content (see over the page for full details) and the chance to win a one-off customised handset designed by Def Jam.
You can pick one up from the Carphone Warehouse as of tomorrow, no price available as yet - I suggest you give them a call or fire over an email.
Forget the iPhone, Prad phone or any other fashion handset - if you want real exclusivity, you need to get your hands on the Levi's ultra limited edition Red Tab mobile phone. There's just 100 available to order - and we know where they are.
They are being sold online via cool Parisian retailer Colette - we've just checked the Levi's mobile site and there's not even a mention of this model there, so we're guessing this is retailer specific.
Looks-wise, it has that famous red tab on the top, while feature-wise it has an MP3 player, stereo Bluetooth and a two megapixel camera with flash. Extras include a 'premium' presentation box, a case for the handset, stereo handsfree kit, a metal chain and if you like, customisation with your name (up to 13 letters).
Not cheap obviously - yours for 549 Euros. But with just 100 available, it's unlikely to be around for long.
High-end mobile phone retailer Vertu is 10 years old - and to celebrate, the company has launched the Constellation Monogram Collection.
Like all Vertu handsets, the phones in the new collection are about looking good rather than being at the cutting edge of technology, each featuring a special fine grain leather which is monogrammed with the Vertu V. The process takes four hours to finish, before being covered in a special protective layer.
Five colours are available - Pewter, Green, Red, Skye Blue or Cerise - with all available from 1st April. if you need to ask about price, you probably shouldn't be buying one.
Via Sybarites
Still struggling to lose those post-Christmas pounds? Well, help could be at hand with the Samsung miCoach phone, made in association with Adidas.
The runner-friendly phone will be available later this month, offering a stride sensor, heart rate monitor and a 2-inch LCD screen showing information on speed/calories burnt. Also featured are training tips and time updates, including an option to get messages from a personal coach (if you want your mobile phone shouting at you as you run down the street).
Oh yes - it's a phone too, with all the basic features, including a music player (that plays tunes to fit with your movement), a 2 megapixel camera and 1GB of memory. Available in colour choices of Dark Gray, Tech Silver, Pink Red, Cool Gray, Sapphire Blue, Misty Blue and Sweet Pink, we're still awaiting a price.
Want to take your online life around with you? The pocket-sized Palm Centro could do the job - and it's available in the UK from today.
It packs just about everything you might need into a very small space - a full keyboard, touchscreen, a full-functioning phone, a variety of messaging, personal and work email access, web browsing, a media player for music, video and audiobooks, a built-in video/stills camera, 64MB of storage, more storage via a microSD card slot and an endless amount of built-in Palm software.
All of that will cost you £199, although you might find a mobile retailer doing it for free if you sign up for a contract.
It might stand just 9cm high, but the glossy black Liscio handset from Onyx packs an awful lot into that very small case.
The Liscio is being pitched as a stylish phone for anyone who wants to be contract-free, with the tri-band handset packing in a full-screen 1.1-inch OLED display, 128MB of storage (which can be expanded by microSD card), Bluetooth, MP3 ringtones, MP3 player, FM radio, equaliser, 11 hours of music playback and three hours of talk time.
It's being sold without a contract for £129.99. I've got one in my possession right now, so expect a hands-on later this week - if I don't lose it.
Want to show off your wealth at the next board meeting? Then the gold and diamond-encrusted Blackberry Pearl from Amosu could be for you.
In fact, there are three models available - the Amosu Blackberry Pearl Gold Edition (in solid white gold, yellow gold or platinum), the Amosu Blackberry Pearlific (made from solid gold with diamonds) and the limited edition Amosu Blackberry Pearl Diamond, modelled in solid gold and hand cut diamonds.
Each one is custom-made and recyclable. That's right - when your phone goes out of date, the diamonds can be removed from one handset and fixed onto another. Prices start at...wait for it...£12,000, but that does include membership to a bespoke concierge service, with Amosu promising you everything from front row seats to fashion shows to a fully chartered private yacht at the press of a button.
Another day, another high-profile mobile phone - this time from Sony Ericsson with the Xperia X1.
It's an 'arc' slider phone with a metal finish, with a full QWERTY keyboard 'arcing' out of the handset, making it easy to type those emails, texts and website addresses. There's also a 3-inch touch screen, Windows Mobile software, a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus and photo light, Bluetooth music streaming, Wi-Fi, satellite navigation and 400MB of storage (extendable via microSD card).
According to Sony Ericsson, this will be available in the middle of 2008, price dependent on the contract you sign.
More mobile phones, this time from Samsung, which has launched a glut of handsets, most notably the U900 Soul and the F400, the latter in association with Bang & Olufsen.
The metallic U900 Soul (on the right) has 'magic touch' controls, which means it only shows suitable icons (music when you're in music mode etc), a 5 megapixel camera with features you would expect on a standalone camera (face detection and image stabiliser for example), high-speed web browsing, mobile blogging and a media player.
The Bang & Olufsen-driven F400 is two-way slider handset - one way to show the keypad, the other way showing the Bang & Olufsen speakers. Also on board is a 2.2-inch screen, 3G speeds, FM radio, media player and storage via a microSD card.
Both phones on their way in the coming weeks, prices to be confirmed.
Find out more at the Samsung website
This week is the Mobile World Congress - a time when every mobile manufacturer shows off the phones you'll be using in the second half of 2008. So apologies if we have a lot of mobile phones on show this week, although we will skip all the also-rans and feature just the stylish end of the market. Which means kicking off with the Nokia N96.
Replacing the huge-selling N95, the Nokia N96 is a slider handset with a glut of features including 16GB of storage (which can be extended by microSD card), 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens, integrated digital TV tuner, Bluetooth music streaming and stereo speakers, Wi-Fi, sat nav and built-in gaming. And of course all the phone, text, email and high-speed web browsing you can handle.
Expect it around August/September, price depending on the contract you for/don't sign.
Find out more at the Nokia website
Apple has today added new models of the iPhone and iPod touch which have double the memory - which means a doubling the amount of music, photos and videos you can carry.
Aside from that, we're not talking much difference - both the 16GB iPhone and 32GB iPod touch still use the Multi-Touch user interface, which means you'll still have those mucky fingerprints all over the screen. And both have latest software enhancements announced last month including the ability to automatically find your location using the new Maps application, create Web Clips for your favourite websites, customise your home screen and watch movies from the new iTunes Movie Rentals.
The new 16GB iPhone is available immediately for £329. The 32GB iPod touch is also available now, priced once more at £329.
Find out more at the Apple website
Nokia's latest addition to its Prism Collection is the Nokia 7900 Crystal Prism, created in association with designer Frédérique Daubal.
The handset features a diamond-cut design, crystal centre key and an aluminium back plate, along with ' intriguing light effects', which promises to make each handset unique. Other features include a large OLED display with modern digital art wallpapers, 2 megapixel camera, 3G connectivity, 1GB of internal memory and a music player with matching headset.
The Nokia 7900 Crystal Prism will be available in the first quarter of 2008 with an estimated retail price of 375 Euros.
Not the most feature-packed handset on the market, nor is it the most expensive, but the Sagem my511X is certainly one of the slimmest.
In terms of both looks and features, it isn't bad at all. Sized at 106.9 x 46.3 x 10.9mm and weighing just 81g, the my511X has a mirror back front, 'flat' blacklit buttons, 1.3 megapixel camera with 4x zoom, media player, Bluetooth and WAP for surfing the net.
There's also 13MB of storage and a slot for a microSD card. Available now, it retails from £49.99.
Find out more at the Sagem website
While everyone was seemingly getting excited about the iPhone, LG has been quietly going about its business, selling 550,000 of its original black LG Viewty handset. And with such appeal, it's no surprise to see LG introducing a new model - the LG Viewty in dark silver.
Aside from the new colour (above), there's not a lot new here, with the exception of a small tweak to the controls. Which means you still get a 5 megapixel camera, 3-inch touchscreen, 120 frames-per-second video camera (which plays back on your TV), high-speed internet browsing (HSDPA), 170MB of internal memory, media player and a slot for your MicroSD card.
If all that sounds interesting, you can pick one up from the end of January 2008, price dependent on your contract.
Find out more at the LG website
Old fashion phones don't go away, they just come back out in a different colour - in this case, the LG Prada Phone, which is relaunched in 2008 in silver.
It's not a million miles away from the original (in black), with LG adding a QWERTY keyboard for easy typing and a range of silver Prada accessories - including a case and earphones. There's still a 2 megapixel camera, media player, document viewer and memory card slot.
Expect to see it across Europe from this month, price depending on your contract.
There's nothing like standing out from the crowd - and that would have been you if you snapped up an iPhone on the day of launch. But after a busy Christmas, they're everywhere, so it's time to take a step up - with the diamond-encrusted Apple iPhone by Amosu.
Amosu was founded by Alexander Amosu, with the idea of creating high-end bespoke items with gold, white gold and various colours of diamonds. And the order book is already full of actors, celebrities and footballers - in fact, anyone who likes to show off their wealth. So what do you get for your money? Well, with the iPhone, you get a bespoke handset, finished with ethically-sourced diamonds. You can re-use the diamonds too, should you want to upgrade.
You also get Amosu's Concierge Service, which offers to get you just about anything 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you want front-row seats and have the cash, you'll get them. And if you have bought the Amosu iPhone, chances are that you do have the money - the handset retails for £20,000.
Looking for a new mobile phone? Sony Ericsson has three new models on the market - the W350 and W760 Walkman phones and the Z555 fashion phone (the one in the middle).
What's the difference? Well, apart from looks, the W350 is a slimline 'flip' phone with music controls on the outside (so you can use it just as a music player), TrackID so you can work out what track is playing in a shop or bar, a 1.3 megapixel camera and enough storage for 470 tunes.
