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Porsche Design working hard for the money, brings back P'9522 in black
More than a year after releasing the P'9522, you'd think that Porsche Design would have something a little more... well, Porsche up its sleeve than just another color, but make no mistake: this latest incarnation of the pricey candybar is nothing more than a repainted version of the original. As a refresher, it's got a 5 megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, microSD expansion, a 2.8-inch display (they make it look bigger than that in the press shot, don't they?) and a fingerprint scanner up front to make sure the baddies don't get all up in your business should the phone get stolen. For a company so steeped in the tradition of speed, you'd think they'd at least have taken the opportunity to add in 3G, but alas, this handset's fast in name only. Anyhow, you should be able to pick up this remixed version now in overpriced boutiques around the globe.
Samsung Shark series puts weight on social networks, reasonable price
Given that the terms "AMOLED" and "Kevlar" both appear in Samsung's press release for the new Shark line of phones, we were intrigued right from the get-go; a deeper look proves that they're nothing incredible, but all three models in the range seem to bring it strong considering their low-end aspirations. Starting on the left, we've got the candybar known simply as S5350 Shark -- it's just 11.9mm thick, has a 3.2 megapixel camera, and supports 3.6Mbps HSDPA 900 / 2100. In the middle lies the S5550 Shark 2 slider -- an unusual name, considering this isn't a successor to the S5350 -- with a beefy 5 megapixel AF cam, LED flash, 900 / 2100MHz 3G, and a QVGA AMOLED (allegedly, this model is where the Kevlar comes into play, too). Finally, the lower-end S3550 Shark 3 slider strips out the 3G support and steps down to a 2 megapixel cam. All three models have a good deal of social networking support built-in with direct links to Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Twitter, and more; look for them to launch this month in select markets.
Samsung Stunt for MetroPCS performs surprisingly few stunts
MetroPCS' bread and butter rests in the low- to mid-end of the handset spectrum since it offers its devices on a pricey contract-free basis, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that the freshly-announced Stunt from Samsung doesn't mess with the time-tested formula. The candybar trudges along with a 160 x 128 display, Bluetooth, AWS CDMA (like all MetroPCS handsets these days), and a shell utterly devoid of meaningful industrial design -- that's it. No more, no less. And sometimes, simplicity is a beautiful thing, right? It's not showing up on the carrier's site just yet, but the Stunt should be available today.
Sony Ericsson Elm, Hazel, and VH700 stereo Bluetooth buds beef up vegan GreenHeart line
Who says tree-hugging has to be boring? Actually, Sony Ericsson's latest sets to join the eco-friendly GreenHeart line aren't anything special, but at least they don't slouch in the specs department -- both the Hazel slider and Elm candybar announced today feature 5 megapixel cams, GPS with geotagging, LED flashes, and dual-band HSPA on top of quadband EDGE. The real news, though, might be the introduction of SE's very first GreenHeart accessory -- the VH700 stereo Bluetooth headset -- which ponies up dual mics for improved call quality and micro-USB recharging. It'll hit in the first quarter of the year along with the Elm; the Hazel follows on in the second quarter.
Nokia 5235 Comes With Music and a low price in Q1 2010
The 5230 has only recently made its way out to stores, but that hasn't stopped Nokia from fashioning a KIRFy sort of successor for it. Meet the Nokia 5235, a spec for spec copy of its elder brother, including the same 3.2-inch touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera, and Symbian S60 5th edition. We thought we could spot a tiny difference in the materials being used, but otherwise you really are looking at the exact same handset. Your wallet would tell the difference, though, as the 5235 has a pre-tax and pre-subsidy price of €145 ($214), which is more than €100 cheaper than the previously noted 5230 CWM variant -- in other words, Nokia is renaming its CWM model and chopping the price nicely. Why, we don't know, but when is the first quarter of 2010.
Sony Ericsson J10 coming to the GreenHeart range?
As a general rule of thumb, we'd say that whenever you hear rumors of an Android-powered candybar with a numeric keypad, it's probably going to end in tears. Such might be the case with Sony Ericsson's codename "Susan," a device originally thought to accompany the X10 in the company's brand-spanking-new Android line but now apparently thought to be a simpler QVGA dumbphone coming to market as the J10 with WiFi and a 5 megapixel cam with flash. Not as exciting, no -- but the good news is that the phone should come in as a member of the GreenHeart line, meaning that it'll probably be made of eco-friendly materials and get packed in with an ultra-low or zero-power draw charger (when there's no phone attached, anyway). No word on pricing or release just yet. [Image via androidin.net]
Nokia 6700 Classic Gold Edition is expensive, gold plated
If we know you (and we think we do), your idea of class isn't a modest candybar dipped in gold -- no, it's a modest candybar made from hand-cut and polished solid gold. But just in case you feel like slummin' it, the Nokia 6700 Classic Gold Edition is, as the name suggests, a 6700 Classic handset with a limited edition 18-carat finish, some special wallpaper (to compliment the phone's Fort Knox-esque new look), and a €370 (roughly $550) price tag. Tempted? You have until Q1 2010 to come to your senses.
Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition navigates, stays cheap
Unless you're talking about a carrier-branded solution like VZ Navigator, turn-by-turn nav is still a pretty rare offering on featurephones -- let alone low-end ones -- which makes Nokia's new 2710 Navigation Edition an interesting announcement. Billed as Espoo's "most affordable navigation device ever," the simple candybar features a digital compass, 2.2-inch display, 2 megapixel cam, FM radio, and the all-important 3.5mm headphone jack for those times when you're not blaring voice guidance over the loudspeaker. The company says we can expect to see this one launch both in developing and developed markets, one of the first times we've seen a nav-centric device cross over like that -- and at €110 ($163) unsubsidized, we can see the appeal. Look for it to ship in the second quarter of next year. Follow the break for Nokia's promo video.
Dell Mini 3i OPhone detailed ahead of this week's China Mobile launch
After so much speculation and rumor, it's hard to believe that Dell's first modern cellphone is ready to launch. And while we've already seen the official press release announcing the Mini 3 for Brazil and China, today we get a followup release with a bit more detail. As expected, the Chinese Mini 3i variant is quadband GSM/EDGE only (no 3G) and packs a 3.5-inch nHD, 640x360 touchscreen display just like that found on Nokia's N97. The 58.35 x 122 x 11.7-mm OPhone will ship in "Red Passion" and "Oiled Bronze" colors packing Bluetooth, a 3 megapixel auto-focus camera with flash and video capture mode, microSD slot, and GPS with pre-loaded maps. And in case you're wondering why China first, that's easy: Dell's going after China Mobile's 500 million subscriber base when its first handset hits authorized stores later this week.
BlackBerry Pearl 9100 revealed, has lost its gemstone but not its luster
The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 was, and still is, a lovely little phone, QWERTYfied, pocketable, and rocking that little milky trackball that gave it its name. There's finally a true successor coming down the pipeline (the flippy 8230 not really counting) though it ditches the iconic pearl for a now-standard (and hopefully more reliable) touchpad. There's a similarly swoopy SureType keyboard and the overall dimensions look very much the same, meaning this should fill the tiny BlackBerry void once again -- whenever it ships. Update: But of course the original 8100 also had SureType, not QWERTY. [Thanks, Alex T]
Nokia intros CDMA trifecta for China
Nokia's newfound commitment to CDMA isn't just a US effort -- it's a big deal in China, too, where a beefy percentage of the world's CDMA users reside. On that note, the company has introduced the Asian market to three new models today spanning the low end to the midrange, but if you're outside China, we wouldn't get our hopes up for a launch in your neck of the woods. Starting at the bottom we've got the 1506, an ultra-basic candybar with an integrated voice recorder and speakerphone; it's being billed as Nokia's cheapest CDMA device yet. Next is the 3806, which steps up to a QVGA display, Bluetooth 2.1 support, and support for external storage up to 4GB -- but maybe the most notable feature here is the inclusion of a "Health Assistant" app that allows "you to stay healthy, which ultimately, allows you to stay happy." We're all for phones that keep us happy around here. Finally, the 6316s slider is the beast of the bunch with GPS and EV-DO for China Telecom's 3G network plus a 2 megapixel camera, but you'll be waiting a while -- it and the 3806 won't be hitting until the first quarter of next year, while the 1506 comes into play by the end of '09.
Nokia 5230 coming to T-Mobile?
With the N900 getting AWS support, there's every reason to believe that T-Mobile USA and Nokia want to make beautiful music together -- but in order to do that, they're going to need some quality hardware in the mix. Whether the S60 5th Edition-based 5230 qualifies as "quality hardware" is strictly a matter of personal opinion, but for what it's worth, Cell Phone Signal has raised some very good points about a recent FCC filing suggesting that the model is inbound. First off -- and most importantly -- the SAR report for model code RM-593 indicates that AWS 3G is supported, and overlaying the back of a 5230 with the filing's label document lines up perfectly. A slam dunk? No, it's not -- but considering how long it's been since T-Mobile's sold an S60-based device, the time might be right to get back into the game. [Via Cell Phone Signal]
Mobiado keeps going with the analog clock meme, intros Professional 105GMT Stealth and Antique
When you hear "ability to see 3 time zones simultaneously" quoted as a feature on a phone, you generally don't expect two of those three to be expressed as analog Swiss movements -- unless you own Mobiado's absurd Professional 105GMT, of course, which features two old-fashioned clocks directly below the keypad. Weird, yes; excessive, most definitely, but excess is what luxury phones tend to be all about these days, and in that regard, the 105GMT definitely fits the bill. To that end, Mobiado has just introduced two new versions of the model, the Antique -- with watch faces crafted in rare Cocobolo wood -- and the Stealth, which is as "murdered out" as a phone gets (as the kids would say) thanks to gunmetal black treatment everywhere you look. Both phones are hard to find and even harder to pay for with stickers that run into the thousands of dollars, but the good news is that if you're weird enough to drop that kind of coin on a phone, we bet you probably don't care that it's only got a 2 megapixel camera. [Via mobile-review] Read - Professional 105GMT Antique Read - Professional 105GMT Stealth
Nokia's latest batch for emerging markets includes its cheapest phone ever
We spend most of our time talking about Espoo's Maemo- and Symbian-based lineup, which makes it easy to forget that the company has a vibrant business taking care of the very lowest rungs of the wireless industry -- devices that shatter price barriers and take service to entire new market segments in the furthest reaches of the world. Last year, it was the 1202 raising eyebrows with a €25 price tag, and this week, Nokia's beaten its own mark by coming out with the 1280 (pictured) at just €20 unsubsidized. The phone comes as part of a new five-pack of emerging market devices Nokia has shown this time around, including candybars ranging from the monochrome 1280 to the 1616 and 1800 with color displays for just €4 and €6 more, respectively; we've also got a 2220 slider and 2690 candybar that move a little upmarket at €45 and €54. All of the handsets feature FM radios (particularly critical in some of the markets where these phones will be sold) and feature killer battery life, perfect when power outlets can be hard to come by for days at a time. Indonesia will be the first to get these bad boys in early December, but we imagine they'll find their way to other regions shortly.
Nokia's Illuvial Collection is pretty in pink
We're not sure why the color pink tends to spawn special editions with greater frequency than other colors, but for pink lovers, it works out pretty nicely because you end up getting all sorts of free crap bundled with your phone simply for buying your favorite shade. Take Nokia's new Illuvial Collection, for example, which has taken the 5530, 6303, and 6700, dressed them up in a very hot shade of pink, and stuffed 'em in boxes with custom leather cases and straps. The pinkfest doesn't stop there, though: the phones also include custom themes which are dominated by -- you guessed it -- pink. It looks like all three models are already available from the UK's mobiles.co.uk, and other markets throughout Europe should be getting hooked up with at least some of these in the coming weeks. [Via mobil.cz] Read - 5530 Read - 6303 Read - 6700
Nokia's 5230 inches closer to release, gets spied along the way
Nokia's 5230 isn't apt to blow any minds with the likes of the HD2, Droid and XPERIA X3 on the horizon, but for those perfectly content with a touchscreen-based Symbian S60 5th Edition handset, this one sure looks purty. After dipping its toes in the FCC's expansive database just last month, a crop of new in the wild shots have surfaced to show off its 3.2-inch display (640 x 360), 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR module and variety of colorful backs. Hit the read link for more pixels if you're so inclined, and feel free to take the "January 2010" release date in with a dose of NaCl.[Thanks, Daniel]
Sonim's XP2 strong-arms its way through the FCC
No one's going to mistake this for a fashion phone, but we're thinking that's just fine with Sonim, the company well-known for its ultra-rugged XP3 that's just passed a new XP2 model through the FCC's barrage of testing. Dubbed "Spirit," the XP2 appears to be Sonim's first phone with 3G on board -- though the tiny display will probably make it useful more for tethering than anything else -- and that insane-looking octagonal shell has us believing that they're going to be able to make some truly wild claims about its survivability. UMTS while spot-welding the phone in 30 feet of water? Probably not, but if any phone could do it, we suspect it'd be this bad boy. No word on pricing, availability, or even an announcement, but we'll keep you updated.
Gresso's Grand Monaco gets wrapped in leather, credit card debt
Here's the problem with carbon fiber phones: they're not for everyone, especially those who aren't interesting in dropping over two grand on a midrange candybar. Don't sweat it, though, because Gresso's back at it again with a leather-clad version of its Grand Monaco called the Grand Monaco LE -- "LE" apparently stands for "Limited Edition," if the badging on the back of the phone is any indication -- available in your choice of red and black. Otherwise, you've got the same pricey materials found on the basic Grand Monaco like machined titanium and sapphire (plus a few not-so-pricey materials like a 2 megapixel camera) which somehow ultimately collaborate to produce an $1,800 price tag.
LG's New Chocolate BL20 spotted in the wild
Calling LG's New Chocolate BL20 half of the BL40 would probably be classified as logorrhea, but there's no doubt that this slider is handsome. So handsome, in fact, that LG has seen fit to showcase it over in the company's new building in Amstelveen, Holland. GSMArena was able to snap a few pics of the installation while also gathering that it'll boast a non-touch edition of the S-Class UI.Hit the read link for a few more looks -- it ought to make waiting for LG to actually announce this thing a lot easier.[Via slashphone]
Nokia 5130 XpressMusic comes to T-Mobile
T-Mobile subscribers looking to get in on the whole musicphone craze at a bare minimum of expense need look no further than the just-announced Nokia 5130 XpressMusic, a colorful candybar previously announced for other parts of the world that features a 2 megapixel cam, 2-inch QVGA display, integrated FM radio, and -- most importantly -- a 3.5mm headphone jack. Considering that there's no 3G, we're not necessarily sure why you'd pick this over the stylish 5310 -- especially considering that it's now free on contract -- but if you're digging the new model in either its Black / Red or White / Aqua color schemes, you're welcome to grab it now for $29.99 on a two-year deal after discount and rebate.
