Video: Samsung Instnct Unboxing and Feature Walkthrough

Samsung knows a thing or two about making some rather attractive products, more often than not featuring a piano black finish. While everyone else seems to be clamoring over a certain phone from Cupertino, the Sammy crew says that they have quite the fantastic touchscreen mobile phone of their own.

I just got my hands on the new Samsung Instinct, available through Sprint in the United States, so I thought it would only be apt that I provide you guys with a proper unboxing and feature walkthrough. As you know, this is the Sprint version of the phone, but I think that the versions of the Samsung Instinct sold by Telus and Bell in Canada are much the same.

In terms of first impressions, I like the overall look of the Samsung Instinct. They've kept the phone remarkably thin and it's not that much bigger than a regular phone. Despite its reasonable proportions, the Instinct is heavier than I thought it would be. It's about the same weight as my HTC Wizard, which I already thought was pretty heavy.

Taking a look inside the box, you'll find the Instinct itself, an installation CD for desktop software, quick start guide, user manual, product registration, AC adapter, USB sync cable, microSD card adapter (2GB card pre-installed in phone), leather carrying pouch, stereo headset, extra battery, portable battery charger, and a bag for recycling your old phone.

source : http://www.mobilemag.com/

10 Designer Mobile Phones That Will Make You Cooler

Did you think it was bad when you found out that your girlfriend was spending $300 on each pair of jeans that she wears? Do you still argue with her about the fact that she thinks she needs $400 designer brand shoes and $1000 designer name handbags? Well, you can add another accessory to the list of items that you’re going to be footing a fortune for if you ever end up having to support the lady love of your life: the designer name cell phone. From Levi’s to Prada, designer mobile phones are making their way from the runway to the must-have category of every woman’s life. And you know what the worst part is? You’re probably going to actually like this expensive accessory.

Here are ten of the top designer brand mobile phones interesting consumers today:

1. Prada KE850.
This designer phone has gotten a lot of attention in the fashion world but has gained even more sidelong glances from the tech world. That’s because it is strikingly similar to the oh-so-popular iPhone and it was released around the same time last year. A touch-screen phone put out by LG, it is popular with European fashionistas. It was originally not-too-hot among tech fiends because it offered much the same experience as the iPhone at double the cost but now that prices are down, it’s considered a designer alternative that could work for trendy techies.


2. Levi’s Cell Phones.
The first Levi’s brand cell phone was released last year and tended to fall short of most reviewers’ expectations. Although it looked good, it lacked a lot of the advanced function that you would want from your primary mobile phone. Not to be discouraged, Levi’s is back again with a brand-new phone that seems to be a better alternative than the original. It’s a 3G slider phone that’s being sold in France through Orange and it seems to combine both style and function which is the major goal of a designer brand phone. Levi’s also has a new limited-availability diamond-encrusted designer phone for the rich called Red Tab.

3. Dolce and Gabbana Razr V3i.
If you’re dating a gal that has got to have only the best, then she’s bound to have at least eyed this phone. Considering that only 1,000 of these pricey babies were made and released into boutiques, it’s not too likely that she got her hands on one unless she happens to be Sharon Stone. If you really want to wow her, there are some unlocked versions floating around the market for around $400 each.


4. Georgio Armani Samsung.
This is considered to be the most stylish of the fashion cell phones. It’s also the one that is most suitable for men so if you’re a guy that’s looking to invest some money in a phone with a brand name attached to it, this is probably the phone for you. The drawbacks are that it’s a slow phone which lacks 3G capabilities but other than that it’s a highly functional phone that both genders are in love with.

5. Beyonce Upstage.
Beyonce isn’t a fashion designer but women are always eyeing what she’s wearing on the red carpet so it’s no surprise that they took an interest in the designer phone branded after her. Released late last year, this phone is primarily a music phone put out by Samsung that has some special features such as coming pre-loaded with Beyonce content. Leave this one to the girls!

6. MOTORAZR V6 Ferrari phone.
High-end fashion designers aren’t the only designers who have set mobile phone trends in the past. Car designers also raced to get in on the name brand phone action. Aston Martin and Lamborghini both came out with phones in 2006 but it was the Ferrari phone that really seemed to succeed at marrying style and function in a relatively affordable fashion. Released about a year ago in limited edition format, this phone can be found in the online market today for between $500 and $600. If you can’t have the car, you might as well have the phone.


7. Juicy Couture Sidekick II.
This was one of the very first fashion phones to hit the market back in 2005. It’s a really simple phone in terms of designer branding; it’s just got the Juicy Couture name all over the front screen. However it remains a popular choice in the United States as an affordable designer brand phone selling for between $100 and $200 online.


8. My411C LuluCastagnate Phone.
Here is something that’s truly different in the market. It is a designer phone for kids (primarily girls) created by a French fashion-and-more designer to provide youth with a phone that really stands out. Lulu Castagnette, the artist that designed the phone’s exterior look, is a fashion designer for women and children who has also designed everything from textiles to home accessories. The phone itself is simple but fashion-forward kids don’t really need function so much as looks.

9. Chanel Concept Phone.
The Chancel Choco phone isn’t actually available yet but people are impressed with the technological concept behind this mobile phone design. This super-slim, minimalist cell phone is intended to incorporate fiber optic technology that will reveal your keypad beneath two thin glass sheets. It’s something that’s still being worked on – and it will be expensive when it finally hits the shelves – but it’s something that Coco herself would wear if she was accessorizing in the twenty-first century.

10. Tommy Hilfiger / Ristomatti Ratia phone.
Falling into the category of well-kept secrets is a rumor about a Nokia phone designed in combination by Tommy Hilfiger and Finnish fashion designer Ristomatti Ratia. There is still no official press release about this phone but the rumors have been circulating for a few months and there seem to be regular hints here and there that the phone is indeed in the works. In terms of designer name phones that are producing curiosity, this one tops the list.

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

New Phone Coaches, Monitors Heart Rate

Adidas and Samsung have teamed up for a new twist in training — a mobile phone that can coach.
The companies announced Thursday a mobile phone that works with Adidas shoes and apparel to plan, track and motivate users in training.

The device directs and motivates users during workouts by combining a mobile phone, heart rate monitor, stride sensor, MP3 player and the voice of an electronic "personal coach."

MiCoach hits retail stores in Europe this month and will roll out in the United States in 2009. It will cost $304 to $608 in Europe, depending on the service plan users select. U.S. pricing has not been set.

"This is the most advanced coaching system that is out there," said Andrea Corso, spokeswoman for Portland-based Adidas U.S.

The new Adidas-Samsung collaboration is the latest of several tech-sport partnerships. Most comparable is Nike Inc. and Apple Inc.'s Nike+, a wireless system that allows Nike running shoes embedded with a sensor to communicate with Apple's iPod Nano. An update this week allows users to plug their iPods into gym equipment and track their training there as well.

MiCoach is a bit more expansive because it includes a mobile phone and a camera. It also helps runners set goals and then reach them by monitoring their heart rates and telling them when to slow down or speed up to meet a goal for distance, fitness or calorie burn.

"This about getting to the next level, whether that is running a mile or running a marathon," Corso said.

Adidas will offer equipment and clothing for runners to attach miCoach and the heart monitor to themselves. The sensor can be attached to any shoe.

Source : http://ap.google.com/

Global mobile phone sales increased by 16% in 2007 - Gartner

Worldwide sales of mobile phones to end-users surpassed 1,15bn units in 2007, a 16% increase from 2006 sales of 990,9m, according to Gartner. Mobile phone sales at the end of the year were consistent with the yearly trend, as fourth quarter sales reached 330m units.

"Emerging markets, especially China and India, provided much of the growth as many people bought their first phone," says Carolina Milanesi, research director for mobile devices at Gartner, based in Egham, UK. "In mature markets, such as Japan and Western Europe, consumers’ appetite for feature-laden phones was met with new models packed with TV tuners, global positioning satellite (GPS) functions, touch screens and high-resolution cameras."

"After another strong year, we expect the growth in sales of mobile devices to end-users will decelerate in 2008 and fall to about 10% growth as mature markets become more saturated," adds Milanesi. "However, the global mobile devices market will remain relatively immune to a recession in the US and Western European economies as the majority of growth in 2008 will come from emerging markets. The mature Western Europe and North America markets are driven by operator contract terms and replacement cycles and will account for just 30% of the global mobile devices market in 2008."

Nokia achieved its long-term target of 40% market share in the fourth quarter of 2007 when it sold slightly more than 133m phones across the world. Despite some component shortages, Nokia increased its market share sequentially in all regions except North America, which remains a challenging market for the vendor. In emerging markets, products such as the 1110, the 1600 and the 2630 were in demand by consumers, while in mature markets such as Western Europe high-end phones like the N95, N82 and N73 were sought-after devices. In 2008, Nokia will need to continue to improve its portfolio, offering not only more applications and functions, but also novel designs and improved user interfaces.

In the fourth quarter of 2007, Samsung maintained second position, and, although its market share slipped slightly, the gap widened between it and third-placed Motorola. Its success relied on its Ultra and Ultra II family of products. In 2008, Samsung needs to diversify its portfolio further with more form factors and colours so that single products stand out from the overall line-up.

The problems that beset Motorola in the third quarter of 2007 continued through the fourth quarter, and it recorded sales of 39m phones across the world, taking 11,9% of the market. It retained second place in terms of annual sales to end-users in 2007, largely thanks to the inventory it disposed of in the first half of the year. Nevertheless, the extent of Motorola’s troubles can be seen in the 9,7 percentage-points market-share drop in its fourth quarter of 2007 result from the same period in 2006.

Sony Ericsson ended 2007 with another positive performance, growing its market share on a quarterly basis to 9% from 8,7%. Its Cyber-shot and Walkman products, such as the K850i, K610i, W910i, K550i and W300i, remained popular among consumers around the world. As Sony Ericsson widens its reach, adding features such as Wi-Fi and GPS, as well as more low-tier products, it will stay competitive in the coming quarters.

LG’s mobile phone sales totalled 23,5m units in the fourth quarter of 2007, maintaining its 7,1% market share despite the increase of more than three million in sales volumes. The success of the Viewty, the Venus and the Voyager helped LG gain brand awareness across the world as well as improve its margins. Milanesi comments: "In 2008, LG will need to continue strengthening its high-end portfolio for mature markets as well as its mid tier. In the low tier, LG will increasingly be challenged by vendors such as ZTE, which has already been eroding its market share in key markets such as India."

The market saw three new entrants into the top ten in the fourth quarter of 2007. These vendors included Research In Motion (RIM), ZTE and Apple. "On one hand, we have aggressive pricing and a focus on emerging markets (ZTE), and on the other, RIM with targeted functions and Apple with brand and design," says Milanesi.

"Phone manufacturers need to continuously adapt their portfolios to respond to operators’ demands for open platforms, lower pricing and more personalisation," recommends Milanesi. "They should also try to meet consumers’ desires for fashionable, easy-to-use phones."

Source: http://www.computingsa.co.za/