Mobile Phone Deals - Advantageous and the Best

In this contemporary world, the mobile phones are well-known for advanced technologies and hi-end applications. The latest mobile phones facilitate the users to enjoy various features pertaining to communication, entertainment and multimedia. Therefore, these feature-packed gadgets are generally costly and unaffordable for many people.

Considering this point, the online and offline mobile shops have come up with amazing mobile phone deals. These deals make the buying of luxurious or high-end handsets possible at a comparatively cheaper rates. With the help of such offers, the communication devices are within the reach of all classes of people.
There are number of mobile offers in the competitive market. These mobile offers help the users to get spontaneous communication at the most subsidised prices. The contract mobile phone, pay as you go and pay monthly mobile phone are some of the highly beneficial mobile phone deals in the market.The contract mobile phone deal is very popular among the mobile users.

Under this deal, the users can avail high-end handset at comparatively lower rates. As a matter of fact, one just has to simply subscribe to these deals and get entitled to 12 months free line rental to 18 months free line rental. While, in the pay as you go deal, the users do not have to sign up any contract with the providers, as they just have to buy the talktime card with the up-front minutes. This type of deal is very popular among the teenagers.

These deals have been tying up with Orange, Vodafone, 3Mobile, T-Mobile and many more network providers. Most of the plans and tariff structure under these mobile phones offer are cost effective. These mobile phone deals are available with the leading manufactures of mobiles including Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG etc. These handsets are loaded with megapixel cameras, music players, Bluetooth, USB, Infrared, WAP, GPRS, EDGE, Java technology and XHTML to make communication spontaneous.

source : http://ezinearticles.com/

Nokia N95 8GB

The Nokia N95 8GB measures 3.9by 2.1 by 0.8 inch (HWD) and weighs 4.6 ounces. While the casing has changed color, the handset retains the original model's rubber side and rear grip. The shiny chrome ring around the camera lens on the back is now a classier gunmetal gray. It does look decidedly sharp, even if the whole effect is a bit flimsy for a $750 phone. The new TFT LCD screen is larger than before, at 2.8 inches—a 0.2-inch improvement—though it retains the same QVGA (240-by-320-pixel) resolution.

I like the form factor: Slide vertically to expose the roomy numeric keypad, or turn the phone sideways and slide it the opposite way to reveal its small bank of multimedia controls. Button layout is virtually the same as on the previous version. The only difference—and it's a step backward—is the lack of a microSD card slot on the left-hand side of the phone. While 8GB of internal storage is generous, the lack of a card slot limits media transfers, since now you're forced to synchronize the handset with a PC.

An unlocked, quad band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) device, the N95 8GB works on both GSM and HSDPA networks. That puts it ahead of the otherwise stellar Nokia N82, which can't connect to AT&T's 3G network here in the U.S. Meanwhile, the N95 8GB's Wi-Fi radio also connects to WPA2-encrypted 802.11g networks—it found mine on the first try and locked on without a hitch—and it automatically picks up cellular Internet settings the same way the N82 does. The handset can also be used as a high-speed modem for a laptop; expect speeds in the 400-to-700-kilobit-per-second range.

Voice quality was decent overall. Callers thought I sounded good, and the phone doggedly held onto an AT&T GSM signal even in more remote areas 25 miles outside of Boston. But on my end, the earpiece sounded a little distorted and scratchy, no matter where I set the volume level. Audio quality improved noticeably on my end when I used a Samsung WEP700 Bluetooth headset, but the speakerphone was weak and brittle sounding.

Built-in GPS works with Nokia Maps and looks like a miniature version of Google Earth, with 2D and 3D map views along with nearby points of interest. The bundled Quickoffice app only views Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents; it doesn't create or edit them. The Web browser is one of the better ones around, offering slick page rendering and fast scrolling, although it can't display Adobe Flash or Java. The e-mail client works with POP and IMAP accounts, and also supports push synchronization with Microsoft Exchange 2003 and 2007 servers. Without a QWERTY keyboard, you won't want to do much typing, though.

Like all Symbian Series 60 3rd Edition phones, the N95 8GB can run thousands of third-party applications. It feels snappy in most tasks (with the exception of the camera—see below), due to its 332-MHz ARM11 CPU and hardware 3G graphics acceleration. There's 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM—a boost from the original N95's 64MB RAM—which leaves a generous 90MB available for user programs. The N95 8GB also supports Nokia 's new N-Gage gaming platform. The phone's built-in 3D accelerator chip excelled on the included FIFA 07 demo, delivering ultrasmooth animation and brilliant color.

For video playback, the handset handles MPEG-4, H.264, and RealPlayer files; in action shots, videos looked smooth, sharp, and clear in both portrait and landscape mode. Nokia's free PC Suite desktop software can transcode files in other formats. In the box you get a composite video out cable, which can display the phone's interface as well as media files on any standard-definition TV.

The 5-megapixel autofocus camera features a Carl Zeiss lens and a somewhat usable LED flash. There's still no optical zoom, however, and it lacks the N82's stellar Xenon flash. My test handset took sharp, detailed, colorful pictures in broad daylight, but disappointed indoors with typical cameraphone graininess and blurred images (flash or no flash). The phone records 640-by-480-pixel, 30-frame-per-second video with a touch of noise but good overall quality. There are plenty of user-configurable options for the camera and video recorder, too. (Skip the video stabilization mode; it adds a wobbly, seasick effect in recorded videos that makes them impossible to watch.) The phone's response slowed noticeably in its various photo and video modes, which was frustrating.

AAC, MP3, and WMA files are accepted by the music player; like all non-Apple devices, the N95 8GB can't play tunes purchased in the iTunes Store unless they're unprotected iTunes Plus files. The bundled earbuds sounded horrible, but when I plugged in a set of Creative Zen Aurvana earbuds, I was treated to sonic bliss. (The N95 8GB features a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack.) A paired set of Bluetooth stereo Etymotic Ety8s fit somewhere in the middle, with decent bass but a muddy and indistinct stereo image. There's also a built-in FM radio that works with the included wired remote.

Battery life was average for a GSM phone at 8 hours 58 minutes of talk time (with Wi-Fi turned off)—this despite a 1,200-mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the N95's. So the battery was a bit of a disappointment.

With the introduction of the Nokia N95 8GB at $750 direct, the original has now been marked down to $582 on the Nokia site (nokiausa.com), making it a good deal for those who don't need the internal storage. And when you compare the 8G version with our Editors' Choice N82, the new N95 includes HSDPA compatibility and the storage but lacks a media card slot and the Xenon flash. What's more, it costs almost $200 more, so the N82 keeps its Editors' Choice award. In the final analysis, however, as long as you have the cash and you don't need a QWERTY keyboard, it's tough to go wrong with either one of these powerful devices.

source : http://www.pcmag.com/

Sony Ericsson unveils Maria Sharapova Design Collection

Maria Sharapova is no stranger to the world of consumer electronics. She endorsed plenty of Motorola products for some time, and was one of the first celebrities to own the now famous pink RAZR before anyone else did. Now the beautiful tennis star is switching teams, and working with Sony Ericsson as a global ambassador.

Her first big assignment was to design a collection of mobile phone accessories for women. This resulted in the Maria Sharapova Design Collection which includes four extremely cute bags: Courtside Case, Exercise Case, Party Bag, and Travel Wallet. All four designs were unveiled at an exclusive fashion show in London according to Crave, and expected to be released in the third quarter of 2008. No pricing has been announced yet, but I'm sure they'll be completely affordable.

source : http://tech.yahoo.com/

Hands-on with Sony Ericsson's flip Walkman

How long has it been since we heard about Sony Ericsson's retro-looking W350i? A while, that's how long. Months. The wait's over though, because we've snagged one of our very own.

It's an unusual, but slim, Walkman handset--technically not a slider, technically not a clamshell, but not a traditional candybar, either. It's got a fold-out flap, like the old-school Ericsson T28 of the early 2000s, which covers the main keypad when not in use.

While this flap is closed, however, you can use some dedicated MP3 player controls that sit on its exterior. The phone's Walkman application is shown while the flap is closed, so you needn't navigate through any menus with these dedicated buttons.

Despite being a fairly low-end Walkman handset (it's only 2.5G, not the speedier 3G), it's very pleasant to use. The keypad is glossy, with large, easy to depress buttons, and the attractive Sony Ericsson GUI makes navigating through features simple.

Inside is only 14MB of memory, but music can be stored on removable Sony Memory Stick Micro cards, and there's a 512MB card in the box. There's also a 1.3-megapixel camera, a 176x220-pixel screen, FM radio, stereo Bluetooth, e-mail, and RSS support, but sadly no 3.5mm headphone socket--you'll have to use the supplied adaptor for plugging in your headphones. For shame, Sony Ericsson.

Music formats supported include MP3 and AAC, but there's no love shown for any subscription services. Naturally you can expect our smashing in-depth review to tell you everything you need to know about its music functionality, and you can expect that very soon, so do check back.

source : http://crave.cnet.com/

Sony Ericsson C902: Slidy snapshooter

Recently we got a peek at Sony Ericsson's souped-up 8-megapixel camera phone, the Sony Ericsson C905, but that's not going to come out for some time yet. In the meantime, the Sony Ericsson C902 is available right now for free on a monthly contract.

While it's not as feature-packed as the C905, it does come with its fair share of goodness. For starters there's HSDPA, which means high-speed Internet browsing on the go. Its design is pretty smart too.But high-speed Internet and good looks aren't what this phone is all about -- the C902 is a fully fledged camera phone. Slide open its clever camera cover and out pops a 5-megapixel camera with an LED photo light. Le sigh: we wish it was a xenon flash.

What's really clever about the C902 is that when you do slide out the camera, the screen is suddenly surrounded by little camera icons, which you can press to select different options. It's hardly magic, but it is a handy trick. Click through for more information and pics.

source : http://crave.cnet.co.uk/

Wii + Phone = Sony Ericsson F305

Sony Ericsson is putting gaming at the heart of its latest phone release. Targeted firmly at a youth audience, the F305 with Motion Gaming lets users control games with the flick of a wrist or the swing of an arm, and then see the results straightaway on the screen. Using advanced motion sensor technology, the phone can, for example, follow your actions to imitate bowling or casting a fishing line.

With the F305, your favorite game is only one click away. Enjoy the full gaming experience with stereo speakers, which also come in handy for sharing the latest track on the media player. Add a 2.0-inch screen into this pocket-sized slider phone, and the F305 takes playing games on your mobile to a whole new level.

"Gaming is no longer something you do on your own. It's about having fun with your friends and interacting with the game." said Sven Totté, head of Product Marketing at Sony Ericsson. "We have used motion sensor technology before in our phones and integrating it into gameplay is a natural progression."

To complement the F305, there is also now a handy new accessory available for the serious gamer. Although the F305 gives you up to 8 hours of gameplay, there is now a backup with the Power Pack CPP-100. Attach it to your keyring and, when you need it, simply plug it into the phone to receive an instant battery power boost.

The F305 is about more than just gaming. Slide it open and find it packed with the latest Sony Ericsson features. Never miss a fun or unexpected moment with the phone's 2-megapixel camera. Share your photos or music with friends via Bluetooth or Memory Stick Micro (M2). It will also be possible to change the look of your phone with Style-up covers--two covers to choose from in the box.

The new F305 with Motion Gaming fun and entertainment on the move
• Motion Gaming with three preloaded motion games Bowling, Bass fishing and Jockey--encounter gaming in a completely new way.
• Additional motion games developed by Gameloft plus 50 more 2D and 3D games available for download at PlayNow.
• Loud stereo speakers–-enhance your gaming experience or share the latest music with friends.
• Horizontal gameplay and dedicated gaming keys--play games the way you want.
• 2-megapixel camera and Bluetooth--a complete media experience.
• Expandable memory--Memory Stick Micro (M2) slot.

The F305 with Motion Gaming will be available in Polar White and Mystic Black in selected markets from Q3 2008. It will be a quad-band EDGE phone supporting 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 frequency bands.

source : http://asia.cnet.com/

Samsung Soul and L700 Mobile Phones Unveiled

Samsung has released two new premium bar type mobile phone, namely Soul and L700 handsets. Both the phones combine impeccable style and outstanding features for high-end users. Just a reminder, this latest Soul is the not first Soul. In fact it is the renowned “Sprit of Ultra” (Soul) in a bar form factor.

Samsung Soul phone comes in a sleek silhouette and metallic body with an elegant hairline pattern. It shines in five luscious colors, including Soul Grey, Platinum Silver, Metallic Black, Soul Pink, Amethyst Violet and Red. The features of the stylish phone integrates an 3-megapixel camera with Power LED, 2.0” QVGA 16M Color TFT display, office document viewer, high-speed HSDPA for web surfing, and Bluetooth functionality. In addition, it also carries a music player, video editor and recorder, FM radio (RDS) and 1GB internal memory.

The device is compatible with MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, RA file formats and is equipped with 3.5 mm kennel stereo earphone + 3.5 mm gender.

Housed in a metal pressing body, the L700 comes bundled with 2.1” 262K TFT screen, 2-megapixel camera with Flash LED, Office document viewer, Music Player with video playing capabilities, FM Radio, Bluetooth. It is 3G (WEDGE) network compliant and for full internet browsing and has 30MB internal memory + Micro SD. It supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, RA file formats.

Expected to launch in most of the European, African, Asian and South American regions, the Soul is already available in Germany. The Samsung L700 phone is slated to hit Eastern Europe in July, followed by Europe, Middle East, Southwest Asia and Southeast Asia. Price is yet to be announced.

source : http://www.mobiletor.com/

The Sony Ericsson K330, J132 offer simplicity and value for money

Although these two basic mobile handsets were never part of the Sony Ericsson mobile phone leaks which have haunted all of us the past couple of days, their simplicity might actually pull one off the more advanced Sony Ericsson phones announced today. We’re talking here of the candy-bar phones J132 and K330.

The J132 is your basic talk and text mobile phone with added entertainment feature such as an FM radio and a stereo hands free kit. Sony Ericsson gives this handset’s keypad a solid feel as well as a dust-resistant feature to withstand heavy text usage. It has a clear and bright screen that features one-click shortcuts and easy-to-use navigation keys. With a simple phone such as this one, the most important feature that we should look for is its talk time and standby time, which the J132 answers with 9 hours and 450 hours respectively.

The other simple mobile phone that Sony Ericsson announced together with the J132 is the K330. This one delivers a bit more than what the J132 can offer. This basic VGA camera phone captures videos and photos which can be shared via Bluetooth with another Bluetooth-enabled phone. It can also store up to 250 photos or 12 minutes of video, aside from storing up to 1000 contacts and 450 text messages. Other features of the K330 include; 1.7-inch display, FM Radio, Health mate calorie counter and health plan manager, and a torch function for its luminous screen.

The K330 is slated for an early Q3 release in Gold on Black and Green on Black design, while the J132 will be available sometime in Q4 in Black or Blue design.

source : http://www.gadgetell.com/

Buy Mobile Phones And Spice Up Your Life

In the present hectic world, mobile phone has become a necessity rather than a luxury. This was not the case some years back and usage of mobile phones was limited to a few. The reason for this can be that mobile phones have come a long way from the time, when these were merely used for chatting or exchanging messages. The users can do much more than with a mobile phone handset. Most of the leading mobile phone manufacturers have introduced sleek, slim yet potent mobile phone handsets. Some of the handsets are even endowed with touch screen, stainless steel looks and what not. Apart from stunning looks, you will find cutting edge technology to make your life simpler. But, there are some things that you must keep in mind while buying any mobile phone handset. Mobile Phones UK is a reputed online retailer, which caters its customers with latest gadgets at competitive rates. Here, we will delve in to deeper details regarding what all should we keep in mind, while buying a mobile phone handset.

Today, most of the mobile phone manufacturers are producing mobile phone devices, which are an epitome of the art technology and features to make your life smoother. Some of the key features that a mobile phone user can expect in the present mobile phone handsets are durability, reliability, multifold features, improved technology, seamless connectivity and many more. The best part is that the user can buy these mobile phone handsets at pocket soothing rates, because of the ruthless competition existing among the mobile phone manufacturers. Some of the leading players in the industry are Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG, Apple and many more.

Never ever go for a handset just for its price or looks while buying a mobile phone. Firstly, you should be well acquainted with your needs for why you need a mobile phone handset. Then, you can simply choose a handset which is in most confirmation with your needs. The best way is to carry out rigorous research; you can collect quotes from various mobile phone dealers and opt for the one most suitable to your needs.

source : http://www.free-articles-zone.com/

Nokia N76 And Nokia N81

Every time Nokia introduces something it is highly anticipated. Similarly, when the company introduced its N series models, Nokia N 76 and Nokia N 81 with their sophisticated functionalities, they became extremely successfully. Let's look at these wonderful mobile phones.

The Nokia N81 is one of the company's most popular and successful N- Series mobile phones ever. The phone has a slider opening mechanism. Another wonderful feature of the Nokia N81 is the 2.4 inches QVGA screen that can display 16 million colours. It has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.

The Nokia N81 also has a built-in 2 mega pixel camera with integrated flash. The camera also has a 20 x digital zoom. The phone also has an integrated music player that can support a variety of formats. The music player can play MP3 (VBR), eAAC+, M4A, WAV, AAC, AAC+ and WMA.

The Nokia N81 also has an integrated FM radio and visual radio. For music lovers it also has a 5 band equalizer and Bluetooth stereo. It is also capable of music streaming, pod casting and voice recording.
The phone also has a push-to-talk facility, a hands free speaker, Bluetooth, Edge and USB connectivity. It also offers a Quad Band support. A special model of the Nokia N81 comes with a memory of 8GB.

The Nokia N76 on the other hand has a sexy casing and offers a highly advanced 3G connectivity. It also has a 2.4 inch QVGA TFT screen that displays 16 million with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels.

Then the Nokia N76 has an integrated 2 mega pixel camera that has a LED flash. It also has a digital zoom that goes up to 20 x. also it has a secondary camera that makes video calling possible.

Other distinguishing features of the Nokia N76 are the Real Media Player, a music player that plays almost every sound type. There also is a FM radio and integrated java applications that include games and other features. The phone also has a 26MB shared memory which can be extended to 2GB with a Mini SD memory card.

source : http://ezinearticles.com/

Sony Ericsson launches new phones in Singapore

Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson launched several new handsets in Singapore on Tuesday.

Targeted at a youthful audience, the F305 with Motion Gaming lets users control games with the flick of a wrist or the swing ofan arm, and then see the results straightaway on the screen, said Sony Ericsson in a statement.

Using advanced motion sensor technology, the phone can follow users actions to imitate bowling or casting a fishing line.

The new C905 Cyber-shot and S302 Snapshot camera phones allow consumers to capture and share vivid photos whatever their needs, photography skills or budget.

Sony Ericsson also unveiled its first USB modems kind of handsets, the MD400 and MD400g. The modems not only provide high speed broadband, also combine a M2 Memory Stick Micro and a microSD slot together.

The MD400g also has an in-built global position system (GPS) receiver which automatically shows users' current location.

Sony Ericsson also announced two new entry-level phones, the J132 and K330, designed for "lasting communication".


source : http://news.xinhuanet.com/

Nokia E66 - new feature packed Eseries slider

Nokia today officially unveiled the E66 enterprise focused smartphone. It has a slider form factor and is a follow up to the Nokia E65. It has the usual array of connectivity options: quad band GSM, dual band WCDMA (900/2100), WiFi and Bluetooth. There is also an integrated GPS, a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera, microSD card slot, accelerometer, FM radio, 2.5mm audio jack and IrDA, USB and Bluetooth for local connectivity. Read on for pictures and the full details.

The E66 is positioned as a voice-centric device, but also has strong personal information management features and is no slouch in the multimedia department - reasonable camera and decent multimedia software support (H.264, WMA). There's full support for VoIP via the SIP backed Internet Telephone application for both independent services and corporate PBXs.
The E66's enterprise leanings come primarily through its on board software. There is support for a number of push email solutions including Nokia's Intellisync and Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync; device provisioning and management (remote lock / remote wipe) is also catered for through these solutions. On board software includes the usual Quickoffice, Zip Manager, PDF Reader and Active Notes. New is Encryption which allows you to encrypt both the internal and external memory.

There is also the ability to extensively customise the idle screen (home sreen) thanks to a variety of plug-ins (e.g. email, to-do's, music, WiFi, Internet telephony) and the Switch Mode application. The Switch Mode application allows you to have a number of pre-configured idle screens (shortcuts, plug-ins and theme) that you can switch between depending on what you are doing (the basic concept is to have one for work and one for personal usage). You can read more about this and other new Eseries features in our review of the Nokia E71 (we'll have a review of the E66 shortly).

In common with other recent Eseries devices (starting with the E65) there are One Touch keys to access the key functions of the phone. These default to Contacts, Calendar and Messaging but are user configurable (both single press and long press).

Key points about the phone

* It has a slider form factor, and has dimensions of of 108 x 50 x 14 mm and weighs 121g. That compares to the E65 at 105 x 49 15.5mm and 115g. It is notable bigger than the E51 at 115 x 47 x 12 mm and 100g.

* On the rear of the device there's a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera with accompanying LED flash. There's the usual VGA camera on the fron right for video calls.

* The E66 is equipped with an accelerometer and supports (optionally) automatic screen rotation when you turn the device.

* Integrated GPS with support for Assisted GPS. The phone ships with Nokia Maps 2.0 for car and pedestrian navigation.

* There is an integrated FM Radio.

* As well as Wi-Fi, the E66 is a quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900), dual band WCDMA (900/2100) with HSDPA (3.5G) phone. Its Bluetooth profiles include support for stereo headsets. It also has a microUSB port, an infrared port and a 2.5mm headset jack.

* An icon of a house is used in place of the S60 swirl to access the home screen (idle screen) and application screen. This change was first seen on the E51 and is also found on the E71.

* It runs Symbian S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1, also known as S60 3.1.

* The E66 will ship with the full Eseries software suite. This includes Search, Quickoffice (4.1), PDF reader, Zip manager, File manager and Active Notes.

* The internal and external memory can be encrypted to protect sensitive data using the in-built encryption application.

* In the box it will ship with a 2GB Memory card, AC5 charger, CA-101 USB cable, HS-47 stereo headset, a wrist strap and cover pouch.

* A US version, the E66-2, has passed through the FCC. It supports the US WCDMA bands - 850/1900 Mhz.

* The E66 is shipping immediately. In practise this means you should be able to find it in the shops easily in the next 2-4 weeks. It likely to be available online, from the usual retailers, in the next 10 days. The E66 will be available in two colour variants: white and black.

The E65 was something of a surprise success for the first generation of Eseries devices. The E66 retains the familiar form factor and manages to thin down while adding a raft of new hardware (GPS, HSDPA, improved camera, FM radio) and software (S60 3.1 - improved performance and stability, better multimedia, more mature enterprise software suite) features which should make it attractive to both those looking to upgrade and to new users.

source : http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/

Nokia launches new phones, vows to stay number one

Finnish telecom giant Nokia has launched two new email-capable handsets for business users and vowed to defend its position as the world's leading mobile phone maker.

Nokia said the E71 and E66 were pre-loaded with Microsoft's popular email programme and would cater to business professionals who wanted easy and instant access to their messages.

"With the E series, we want to serve people who are passionate about their work," said Chris Carr, Nokia's vice president for regional sales, at a launch in Singapore late Monday.

The two phones would be available in July and support email accounts from key Internet service providers such Yahoo! and Google's Gmail, the firm said.

It said there were an estimated 1.5 billion email users globally and that there were set to be four billion mobile users by the end of 2009.

"We have grown our share with the broadest portfolio of devices in the industry... Nokia remains the undisputed leader and it is a leadership mantle we will not relinquish," Carr said.

The business mobile sector is currently dominated by Canada's Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry smart phone combining a mobile phone and personal digital assistant (PDA).

The BlackBerry allows users to browse the Internet, use e-mail and make calls and has proven a big hit with business executives worldwide.

Apple is also taking aim at the corporate market with the launch of its touch-screen-activated 3G iPhone, which will come with faster Internet access and more features for business users than its initial iPhone.

South Korea's Samsung on Monday unveiled its latest smart phone, a touch-screen model to be commercially launched in Southeast Asia this week.

The Samsung and Nokia launches came on the eve of CommunicAsia. The event is billed as the region's leading information and communications technology conference and exhibition and began Tuesday in Singapore.

source : http://afp.google.com/

Mobile phone users may pay to receive calls

Mobile phone customers could pay to receive calls as companies seek to protect their profits after being forced to cut other charges.

The European Commission has promised to bring down controversial termination charges – the fee that mobile phone companies charge each other as well as landline companies for connecting calls to their networks.

The charges, on average about 7p for each call, total an estimated £1 billion every year in the UK.

Viviane Reding , the European telecoms commissioner, is due later this month to unveil how she intends to slash these charges to about 1p – a move that has incensed some of the mobile phone giants, who believe her policies are a major threat to their profits.

Ms Reding last year forced mobile phone companies to lower the charges they levied on holidaymakers when they made calls abroad.

They have warned her – in private meetings with the Commissioner – that they could charge customers to receive calls, if termination charges were cut.

The prospect of being charged to receive calls will shock UK consumers but it is the norm in the USA.

Ms Reding said there were no laws stopping companies doing this. In an interview she said: "I think the business models are not for the European commissioner to decide. Business models are for the operators to decide."

Her spokesman, Martin Selmayr, later sought to clarify her statement, saying, "This is all part of the Commissioner pledging to drastically reduce the costs to call mobile phone companies.

"Companies could introduce tariffs that made you pay to receive calls, but most consumers will not tolerate this. They will go elsewhere. This is an empty threat from the mobile phone companies."

The Commissioner has promised that whatever changes she introduces, mobile phone costs will fall overall.

British customers currently pay 40 per cent more to use their phones than their American peers – even though most American phone companies charge you to receive calls.

Smaller mobile phone companies – which argue they unfairly subsidise termination charges of the larger players – have backed Ms Reding's proposals.

Kevin Russell, the UK chief executive of 3, said bigger networks were introducing a "scaremongering campaign to try and frighten people."

He added: "Any change would undoubtedly make the market more competitive, giving consumers much better deals than they can get today."

source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Sony Ericsson W890i

Following the slim and trendy W880i Walkman mobile phone, Sony Ericsson follows up this slim gem with the W890i – a stylish new upgrade of its predecessor that promises to offer more while retaining its sexy, thin, nano-like figure.

The W890i features a more rounded edge than the W880i. The mobile now features a 3.2 megapixel camera with adequate quality to be printed on an A4-sized paper. It also features the new Walkman 3.0 player, which now resembles the Cross Media Bar (XMD) navigation menu reminiscent of the PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation 3, which organises all your media into a set of icon-driven menus that you scroll using the keypad.

Compared to the W880i, the W890i now has a wider set of keypads, making it easier to push those numbers even with big fingers. The menu keys have also been redesigned, with three keys instead of the usual two to navigate the phone. The phone also has a brushed metal design, which nearly covers the phone’s entire surface. This in turn gives the device a firm grip when holding it without the phone getting some nasty fingerprints and smudges on it.

Aside from quad band and 3G capability, the W890i also features HSDPA support, which today is one of the fastest means of connecting your mobile to the information superhighway. Video calls are also possible through the video call camera located at the front of the phone. An easy accessible Walkman button on the side of the phone enables you to enjoy your music at a single touch of a button.

Navigating the W890i will be easy for Sony Ericsson mobile phone users since it still follows the same design as the other phones. The built-in 3.2 megapixel camera takes the best pictures, though it does not have autofocus or even a photo light when taking snaps in a dark environment. However, when compared with shots taken from a K800i (also at 3.2 megapixels), the K800i still produces the best images. The new Walkman 3.0 player is one of the W890’s best features. You can easily load up the phone with music on the included 2GB Memory Stick Micro card, which can hold up to 1000 songs. You can either choose to hear the music through the phone’s included in-ear headphones or through the external loudspeaker or even wirelessly via a connected stereo Bluetooth device.

Phone features are very good, and calls made and answered through the phone were crisp without any noticeable distortions. Even in video calling, the images were sharp and the voices were good. Standby time was claimed to be at 360 hours, which in turn lasted about a week after a full charge when we were using it. Talk time was about nine and a half hours.

Truly, with a new set of features and a slim trendy design, the W890i is another hit from Sony Ericsson that will definitely top the charts. Included in the package are English and Arabic manuals, along with the Sony Ericsson PC Suite, Disc2Phone software and connecting cables.

source : http://www.pcmag-mideast.com/

Sony Ericsson F305 Has Wiimote-Like Motion Gaming, May Be PSP Phone?

This leaked Sony Ericsson's F305 phone is notable for a couple reasons. One, it's their first motion gaming phone under the F-line (there've been one or two here and there for various other phones), which makes us and The Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog think that it the series stands for "Fun". Two, it's got PlayStation buttons on there, namely the O and the X, giving users an NES-level of complexity to the games.

Other details are slightly less impressive. It's quad-band GSM with only EDGE, has a Power Pack CCP-100 purchasable accessory for backup battery capabilities, stereo rear speakers, Bluetooth connectivity to other phones for multiplayer, Memory Stick Micro slot, built-in FM, TrackID track recognition, and a "selected market" release in Q3 of this year. Se-nse says it'll be formally announced on Tuesday.

source : http://gizmodo.com/

Samsung Unveils Environment-Friendly Mobile Phones

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced two environment-friendly mobile handsets, W510 and F268 at World IT Show in Seoul.

W510 is Samsung's first mobile phone with 'bio-plastic' made from natural material extracted from corns. Samsung has been making an effort to develop more renewable and eco-friendly material compared with common plastic produced from petroleum.

Moreover, when producing W510, Samsung did not use any heavy metals, such as Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium, and applied water-soluble coating.

Samsung F268 with all the accessories including charger and headset does not contain BFRs(Brominated Flame Retardant) or PVC.

In addition, Samsung F268 has an alarm function to encourage users to unplug their charger when the devices are fully charged. The product also is following the Energy Star requirements as well, which is strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy.

Both W510 for the Korean market and F268 for the Chinese market will be launched in June.

“Samsung is striving to continue to be a strong corporate citizen that contributes to environmental sustainability," said Geesung Choi, President of Samsung’s Telecommunication Business. “Now we are trying not only to launch more environmentally-conscious products with more renewable material and less energy consuming, but also to expand proactively set up a phone recycling system"

source : http://www.zdnet.co.kr/