The
Keepin' It Real Fake industry has become so good, so fast, so well-tuned to market trends that we knew it was just a matter of time before it'd be consistently beating the real phones to market. What we
didn't expect, necessarily, was for Nokia to start making its own fakes. We can't tell what's going on exactly, but it appears that the twisty
E81 that we saw a while back could've very well been a genuine article -- either that, or it was scooped up well ahead of release in China and cloned ages before Nokia had intended the phone to be announced. Anyhow, this thing is launching as the Twist for Nokia, the bizarre swivel phone that's been
rumored for a while now. Alongside the
Surge, the Twist proves that Espoo's committed to releasing totally customized gear for US carriers, and we'll be especially curious to see how well the swivel works in practice here. It'll run $149.99 on a two-year deal before rebate, featuring a 3 megapixel autofocus cam with flash, full HTML browser, so-called "Habitat Mode" (like the
Intrigue before it), EV-DO Rev. 0, and a full QWERTY keyboard that swivels away to turn the phone into a near-perfect square. It also features replaceable faceplates and is said to have some sort of lighting arrangement around the swivel ring that's user-customizable -- perfect for your next fog-filled rave. The interwebs and "select NYC locations" all get it on September 13 with everyone else following on come the 21st, so go ahead and make some square-shaped room in your pocket right now, why don't you?
posted Sep 4th 2009 12:02PM
"Select NYC locations" = Harlem and Brooklyn
What's that suppossed to mean?
Most Harlem/Brooklynytes are upstanding iPhone owners. They wouldn't look twice at this piece of junk.
@Quantum,
This so called piece of junk has features of a smartphone and its not easy to design phones like this, unlike iphone or other touchscreen
phones, where mechanical design is minimal.
The gallery image shows that this has GPS, and corporate email capable.(don't know what exactly that means).
But it has abundant features and will be free with contracts.
You should write for Gossip girl I think that joke would fit in.
WTFugly phone is this???
Is that really a hole in the corner of this phone?
Weird.
No, thats not a hole in the corner. I guess, you looked at the NokLA (fake) phone, which has a hole in the corner.
This one is not a hole, but it is a button which will light up for some notifications, seems so.
Sorry man. Looks like a hole to me.
If that's a button, it's a huge one.
@hary536
I think you're misunderstanding the text here.
I think that is a hole, and the ring around the hole lights up.
If that is a hold, then i don't know what the bright white color means in that circle? As if it was a hole, then you would be
able to see through?
yes, and it just so happens the background in the picture is white, so you are seeing through.
it's a hole. you put a lanyard in it.
I guess I'm not seeing any bright color. I'm seeing white, like the background of the document.
Ok, it will be interesting to see the design in our hands, sometimes things look better than in pics.
HOLY CRAP AN HTML BROWSER!
Which means that people that would like something like this on VZ Prepaid will be told to shove off, since "it has an HTML browser and therefore uses too much data" for the prepaid network.
Hideous
TP2 or Omnia II?
To answer my own question... BGR is saying 9/11 for only $199
I really need to see this one in action, at least on video, before I can make up my mind what to think of this oddball...
strange form factor....interchangable faceplates, along with a unique "twist" slider.
tweens/teens will clamor for it.
I even found the kirf model interesting... if reviews are positive, vzw could have a worthy wow phone for the younger set...including the honda element/nissan cube/kia soul owner types.
...or teens will just think the form factor is weird and not buy it.
Boy, I'd hate to sell products to such a finicky group of people.
btw, the gallery image says that it will be available for $50 from BJ's and i assume that it will easily be available for free from
thrid party online retailers and third party stores.
So you have to give a BJ for one? That is a steep price to pay for a hetrosexual.
Love it, great to see someone moving away from the iPhone styled design, after all, the iPhone is sooooooooo 2007. Get with the times people. Evolve.
It's so 2007 that it's still kicking the entire market's ass.
What are you, living in a cave? Again: OMG IT HAS AN HTML BROWSER. If people are going to evolve, it's not going to be with this piece of crap.
wtf, how did the KIRFers clone it before it was even announced?
You think maybe it had been in R&D prior to announcement? Or did they start that when they announced it? ;-)
Or Nokia saw the fake and thought "Hey, that's a good idea"
we knew the design for a while because of the fcc
$149 for that piece of crap? It looks hideous and incredibly uncomfortable to use.
It will be free with or without rebate from many online store, at some store, you might be able to make money also after rebate.
$149 for this piece of crap? It looks both hideous and uncomfortable to use.
Bah. Stupid double post.
bah. stupid post in the first place
Relax, guys. It's not a real Nokia. Doesn't even run S40.
Yeah, looks to me like Nokia might've just OEMed something. My parents had alleged Nokia phones on Verizon 2-3 years ago, and they weren't real Nokias at all. (Most obvious symptom: they didn't use Nokia-style chargers.)
The interface looks like it is S40. The keyboard is new. The design is new. Thumbs up to Nokia for trying new things so far from the mainstream. I will definetely consider it for my daughter, since it will be free after rebate with the contract...
I've testet this, and it actually feels pretty great using. But internally in Nokia they don't agree if this has been made public or not (at least in Nokia-Denmark).
Though the phone feels great while using, it is not for me, since it has a mirror backside, and I think it is kind of girly.
Just one more thing - the hole is real (but works for this phone).
If this actually is true, I'd like to make a couple of points..
Can someone please explain to me why on earth do the American carriers want phones like this? Nokia has a ton of attractive, durable, inexpensive feature packed low and midrange phones to choose from. And when the carriers get to influence the design, they come up with these? I can't see a Nokia logo on it either but that must be intentional given it's overall apperance. What the hell is happening on the screen anyway? :D
Also, Verizon seems to have invented the concept of "upsidies". Instead of actually subsidising, offering the handset at a seemingly lower price with a contract attached Verizon actually offers the handset at a higher price with a contract. :) I mean, there's no way in f*in hell these cost even 150$ a piece for Verizon. You can get an E63 for $200 unlocked and unbranded(not for Verizon though, afaik), and this costs $149 _on contract_.
Ugliest.
Phone.
Ever.
Talking.
Like.
This.
Is.
Not.
Cool.
Well.
Kinda.
One will need to go to BJ's to get this phone free after MIR. This phone will probably be marketed for girls. I don't know any men that would find that mirror on the back useful. We need an opinion of a homosexual...
And here comes Engadget with their favorite "Espoo" reference, again!!!