3Megapixel
Latest
LG Optimus L3 appears in Sweden, packs entry-level style
It's not every day that we come across an entry-level Android smartphone from LG, especially one that packs this much style. The LG Optimus L3 (aka E400) recently popped up on Swedish retailer CDON's website and appears to be slotted right below the Optimus Hub (successor to the highly popular Optimus One). Specs include Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with LG's Optimus UI, a 3.2-inch QVGA (that's 320x240 pixels, ouch) capacitive touchscreen, a three megapixel camera, dual-band (2100 / 900MHz) HSDPA 3.6Mbps and quadband EDGE connectivity, WiFi / Bluetooth / GPS / FM radios and a microSD card slot. While there's no word yet on what kind of processor powers the handset, we're guessing it's likely the same 800MHz CPU found in the Optimus Hub. Availability remains a mystery, but the Optimus L3 lists for 1290SEK (about $192) contract-free. See, style doesn't always have to cost a fortune.
Samsung Galaxy Gio heads to Canada August 8th, $150 off-contract
Looks like the Samsung Galaxy Gio -- the poor man's Nexus S -- is headed for an August 8th launch in our neighbor to the north's backyard. The budget entry Android phone has seen an OS bump to 2.3 since its debut at Mobile World Congress but, alas, is still riddled with same old, mid-grade 800MHz processor and 3 megapixel camera. Slated to hit Bell Mobility and Virgin Mobile on Monday, expect to snag this Galaxy handset for $150 outright, or free on a three-year contract -- but why do something crazy like that?
FlipStart mini PC gains sight with Snap Camera
If you've coughed up ~two grand for one of FlipStart Labs' tiny clamshell PCs, we'll wager that you've already got a pretty decent compact digicam in your arsenal, but in case you've been cursed -- as many us have -- with convergencitis, you can now pick up an accessory that turns your FlipStart into a pretty bulky three megapixel camera. As its name suggests, the $150 Snap Camera clips securely onto the unit's lid, immediately ready to capture up to five megapixel stills via interpolation or VGA video at 30fps complete with sound. Downsides include the lack of an optical zoom and the obvious physical protrusion, but we're sure such trifles have never stopped you before.
Pantech's feature-packed IM-U140 multimedia phone
If for some reason we lived in a world without highly-configurable, QWERTY-fied smartphones, our next choice on the cellphone tip would be a feature-packed multimedia handset, and Pantech has delivered just that with its new IM-U140. The most prominent feature of this new model is its SideKick-like form factor, although the U140 eschews the swivel screen for one that slides up to a 30-degree angle at the touch of a button -- all the better to watch programs from its integrated satellite DMB receiver (complete with TV-OUT). At 2.6-inches wide and 262,000 colors, the QVGA touchscreen is no slouch, either, and even throws in a vibrating function so you know that your every command has been acknowledged and received. Other goodies here include a three megapixel camera (a nice bump over the two megapixel shooters found on the IM-R100 and IM U-MU110), PictBridge support for PC-less printing, MP3 playback enhanced by four-channel stereo speakers and an FM transmitter, plus that popular Korean add-on, the electronic dictionary. Curiously absent from the spec sheet are any mention of Bluetooth or memory card support, but with the music and imaging functions, we imagine that there's at least a microSD slot tucked away in there somewhere. Expect the U140 to land in Korea sometime this month, although the presumably hefty pricetag has yet to be announced. To get the full overview of what you'd be stuffing in your pocket everyday, keep on readin' to peep this rather chunky number from the side...
Hitachi's Wooo DZ-HS303 DVD camcorder with HDD
T'is the season for DVD camcorders: following the 3CCD VDR-D400 from Panasonic and the iVIS DC22 from Canon that we just spotted comes a model from Hitachi called the Wooo DZ-HS303 (yes, you read that right); unlike these other devices, though, the Hitachi -- dropping August 30th -- also lets your capture video to an 8GB MicroDrive. Billed as the world's first camcorder to sport both a DVD and hard drive, the HS303 features a 10x optical zoom, standard 2.7-inch LCD, and three megapixel CCD, all in a 560-gram package. All-in-all a pretty decent feature set for 130,000 yen ($1,132), but as Digital World Tokyo points out, Canon will give you HD capabilities for only a few bucks more. [Via Digital World Tokyo]
