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Supreme's 'burner' phone is built for hypebeasts
How important is it that your phone have a Supreme label on it? Important enough that you'd be willing to take big step back in technology? If so, you're in luck. Supreme has unveiled its catalog for fall and winter 2019, and in amidst the usual eccentricities (including champagne flutes and gold-plated dumbbells) is a branded BLU "Burner Phone." It appears to be a gussied-up Zoey 2.4, making it a pretty basic candybar device with a 2.4-inch screen, 3G data, a VGA camera and 128MB of (thankfully expandable) storage -- its biggest feature is the inclusion of a web browser. You really are paying primarily for that "Supreme" badge, although the company is thoughtful enough to include a 16GB microSD card in the box.
Nokia 105 and 301 candybar phones announced at MWC, offer simplicity on the cheap
Think Nokia's all about Lumias these days? While the Windows Phone brand is still the company's primary point of focus, it doesn't mean Nokia isn't still cranking out millions of basic phones for emerging markets around the globe. With that in mind, the Finnish phone giant has outed two such handsets at its event at Mobile World Congress. Sure, they aren't much to look at, but Nokia feels it's still an important element of its strategy to dominate the lower-end market segment. The first cellular telephone unveiled at this morning's event is the Nokia 105, which is about as simple as they come these days. Once it arrives on the market this quarter, you'll be able to grab one for €15 ($20) in either cyan or black. It contains such features as a flashlight and FM radio, and the noteworthy bullet point is its month-long battery life (standby time). The second half of the pair is the 301 (pictured above), which is a bit more fancy at €65 ($85). It will come with a 3.2MP camera with panorama mode, sequential shots and a clever little self-portrait mode that audibly prepares you for your next glamour selfie. Additionally, the 301 lets you take advantage of Mail for exchange, Nokia Xpress internet (which compresses data down by about 90 percent) and HSPA connectivity with video sharing. Dual and single-SIM options will be available in Q2 of this year.
Panic's Candy Bar is now free, goes to Iconfactory
Panic has updated icon customization app CandyBar for compatibility with OS X 10.8, changed the price to free and handed it over to The Iconfactory. As the 'Factory workers point out, changes Apple has recently made to OS X security have hindered the app significantly. For that reason, it's no longer supported. Mac users have long enjoyed the ability to customize the look of their operating system. Who remembers Kaleidoscope from the pre-OS X days? We sure do. Unfortunately, OS X rendered Kaleidoscope obsolete, and now Mountain Lion is looking to do the same to CandyBar. For example, Apple's latest OS prevents customization of Dock icons (though the indicator light can be changed). Also, a custom icon on a signed app could cause the App Store to fail to recognize an available update. Anyone who purchased CandyBar during July, 2012 can receive a refund (see details here). Panic indicates that The Iconfactory has plans for the app's future, but we'll have to wait and see what those will be.
Alcatel OT-915 with QWERTY keyboard, Gingerbread said to be launching at MWC
How do you improve on the phone we described as "one of the cheesiest Android devices we've ever handled"? If you're Alcatel, you switch from a sliding to candybar form factor, ditch the large, candy-colored buttons and add a touchscreen. That about sums up the OT-915, a budget handset that's slated to make its official debut at Mobile World Congress later this month, but whose existence Electricpig claims to have confirmed weeks in advance. That press shot up there, if accurate, speaks for itself: what we have here is a full QWERTY device whose button layout and style borders on BlackBerry KIRF. Other specs include a 2.8-inch, 240 x 320 touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera, WiFI, FM radio, 11.9mm-thick profile and Android 2.3 as an OS. Electricpig, based in the UK, reports the phone is headed to Blighty at some unspecified date, though it's unclear what other (typically non-US) markets it'll reach. For now, we leave you with that one photo up there, but you know if we see this thing on the show floor at Barcelona we'll hit you back with more details and the requisite hands-on treatment.
LG's triple SIM A290: the phone every Russian Casanova needs
Dual-SIM phones are perfect for when the carriers are desperate for your business, keeping your work life separate, or to mask your philandering -- but what if two isn't enough? LG (stands for Lucky Goldstar, now you know) is producing a phone with a third SIM slot, only one less than the ridiculously equipped OTECH F1. The A290 candy-bar throwback sports a 176 x 220, 2.2-inch display, 1.3 megapixel camera, LED flashlight and a 1500 mAh battery. Russians (for it's exclusive to the nation) looking to swell their SIM collection can do so from next month at the cost of €75 ($100).
EmporiaSOLIDplus at CES 2012 hands-on (video)
Emporia Telecom is looking to come to the Americas this Spring, and it's bringing a rugged beauty with it -- as long as you're not dead set on getting yourself one of them fancy smartphones. If so, keep on lookin', as Emporia's focusing on winning the hearts of basic / budget phone users all over. One of its first phones the company's bringing overseas with it is the EmporiaSOLIDplus, an IP67-certified candybar that can handle most things you throw at it -- heck, it could probably handle it when you're throwing the phone itself, though we certainly don't recommend you give it a test run anytime soon. The basic device is capable of calling, sending messages and that's ultimately about it. The phone will come as an unlocked GSM phone and is going to be available this Spring for an undetermined price. Pictures and video? Yeah, we have 'em below.
Samsung Galaxy Pro review
In a world of smartphones with ever-increasing screen sizes and disappearing physical keyboards, the candybar form factor is becoming rarer and rarer. There are only a handful of Android devices with a physical keyboard, like the Droid Pro, Samsung Replenish, and Motorola Charm. Samsung has looked to fill in this under-saturated market segment with the Galaxy Pro, a QWERTY device that not only mimics the classic BlackBerry form factor, but throws in Froyo and a 2.8-inch touchscreen for kicks. It's not available in the US just yet, but we still took the UK version for a spin to determine if the Galaxy Pro was finally worth ditching the BlackBerry. How manageable is Android on such a small screen with landscape orientation? Read on past the break and find out. %Gallery-124549%
Spice Mobile's Popkorn handset touts built-in projector, 1080p unlikely
We're big fans of new kit splashing down close to home, but there's a certain intrigue attached to handsets hailing from faraway locales. So when a loyal reader tipped us off to Spice Mobile's M-9000 Popkorn, a candybar phone from India featuring a built-in projector, we understandably took notice. Originating from the land of saffron for 6,900 rupees (approximately $158), its showcase feature allows users to project broadcast television onto the wall -- not exactly an ideal TV replacement, but it'd do in a pinch. Additionally, designers integrated live and scheduled recording of FM radio for those who'd rather listen in. Conversely, the M-9000 is a woefully dated phone, held back in the ages of analog TV, GPRS and Edge networks. No specs were noted on the projector's resolution, though given an internal 2.4-inch display at 320 x 240, we speculate its splay is one only Mr. Blurrycam could appreciate. Much like India itself, the Popkorn is an apt representation of the past and future, held together as one. Perhaps that's why we feel such fond sentiment for this little guy -- check out Spice's entire portfolio at the source. [Thanks, Akash]
Nokia X1-00 is ultra cheap, ultra loud
Nokia's just-announced X1-00 candybar has exactly two claims to fame: first, at €34 ($47) unsubsidized, it's one of the cheapest phones that the company has ever offered. Second, it's got a gigantic loudspeaker mounted on the back that promises 105 phon of perceived loudness (no, we didn't know that was a unit of measurement, either) -- apparently enough to rattle glass without distortion. As with many other devices targeted at emerging markets, the X1-00 featured an integrated LED flashlight, FM radio, and five distinct contact lists, good for sharing the phone among multiple members of the family. It's also got a microSD slot good for up to 16GB of expansion, a color display, and Nokia's entry-level Series 30 operating system. Look for it in April in your choice of flashy colors.
Samsung Galaxy Pro combines 2.8-inch touchscreen with a portrait QWERTY keyboard, modest specs
Samsung has just taken the veils off yet another Android handset in its rapidly expanding portfolio, this one targeting those BlackBerry-addicted portrait QWERTY keyboard lovers. The Galaxy Pro squeezes a four-row button array beneath a set of Android keys and a 2.8-inch touchscreen, while its insides are filled with an 800MHz processor of an unspecified variety and a 3 megapixel cam with autofocus skills. UK carrier Three has already confirmed it'll be offering this Froyo handset -- via an unlisted YouTube video we've embedded for you after the break -- and others should soon be coming out with their own announcements and, eventually, pricing. Update: Samsung has sent along its official press release and a full spec sheet. See them after the break. [Thanks, GeForce]
Sonim XP3300 Force claims insane ruggedness, longest talk time in the world
Sonim, purveyors of insanely overbuilt handsets that are virtually guaranteed to survive far longer than you, is back at it again at MWC this year with the XP3300 Force. Though it looks a lot like the models that have come before it, the Force has a unique claim: it alleges to offer the longest talk time of any cellphone in the world at 20 to 24 hours, which can be traded in for 20 to 24 hours of continuous GPS tracking, along with 800 hours of standby. Sonim hangs on to its ruggedness chops by casting the Force in a fiberglass shell with 1.5 millimeters of Gorilla Glass over the display, all adding up to an IP-68-rated device that can withstand a two-meter drop onto concrete, two meters of submersion in wastewater (yes, not water, but wastewater), and temperatures ranging from 20 below zero to 55 degrees Celsius (-4 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit). Pricing and availability are yet to be announced; follow the break for the full press release.
Motorola Pro: the Droid Pro takes a European vacation
You do realize that Mobile World Congress is underway in Barcelona, right? To celebrate, Motorola just announced a Eurofied Droid Pro under the more succinct Motorola Pro moniker. The portrait QWERTY candybar features Android 2.2 running on a 1GHz processor and 3.1-inch HGVA touchscreen display. But this pup's all business with the ability to remote wipe the device and SD card and integrated VPN, Quickoffice, and complex password support. See it in action after the break.
Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari is a celebration of extreme self-indulgence
International jet-set elite, your new phone is here! That's right, Vertu and Ferrari have teamed up yet again to produce the phone that serves two important purposes: showing the world that you own a Ferrari, and showing the world that you don't need a phone that does much besides receiving calls from your accountant. Essentially the recently announced Ascent refresh, this bad boy features a 2-inch QVGA sapphire crystal display and quadband 3G. The case itself is constructed from forged titanium with a matte black PVD finish and the same hand stitched leather as the interior of the car it's inspired by. But you better be fast! Only 2,011 will be made. (Get it?) Hit the source link to order three or four for yourself. [Thanks, James]
Nokia 3700 Classic: the curved Series 40 candybar that never was?
Samsung's Nexus S might be the phone that helps take the convex style mainstream, but it's hardly the first -- take Motorola's crazy UIQ-equipped Z8 and Z10 "banana phones," for example. Looks like Nokia had at one time planned to introduce a slick curved candybar to the market, too -- the so-called 3700 Classic -- thanks to a video posted on Vimeo that has all the trappings of a professionally-produced teaser ad. The operating system appears to be Series 40, slotting it below the company's Symbian fare and putting it in dumbphone territory. Word on the street is that this thing was probably canceled -- and though we can't get too excited about a Series 40 candybar, this could've been the pinnacle of Espoo's Series 40 line had it actually made it to market. Follow the break for the full video.
Nokia 1616 coming to T-Mobile USA prepaid?
Now, we know what you're thinking: "this FCC filing is probably just for the preexisting Nokia 1616 that's already launched on T-Mobile UK." Actually, what you're really thinking is "I couldn't possibly care less what this is." Be that as it may, we have reason to believe that Espoo's ultra low-end candybar -- announced late last year -- is on its way to T-Mobile USA this time featuring a 2G-only radio and... well, little else. The cheapest prepaid phone presently in Big Magenta's lineup is $30, so if they could bring this in at, say, $15 or $20, they'd set a new bar. Considering the specs (or lack thereof), that price point seems totally doable.
Videocon's Ducati-branded V6200 handset probably isn't as awesome as the real thing
Can't afford to put the primal growl of a Ducati 1198R Corse superbike in your garage? Well, consider this the consolation prize: the Italian motorcycle firm has teamed up with Videocon in India to release the V6200 candybar, a rather rugged-looking little beast that features an integrated compass, thermometer, barometer, altimeter, pedometer (thanks to an accelerometer, naturally), GPS, and a UV meter -- in other words, every kind of sensor you could possibly want, and then some. It's got a 2 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and comes bundled with a 4GB memory card, perfect for storing shots of your epic motorbike adventure from Mumbai to New Delhi. If you happen to be in the country, you can apparently find it for around Rs. 9,000 -- roughly $200 -- which is a good deal (okay, a great deal) less than an actual Ducati. Follow the break for the press release. [Thanks, Manav]
Mobiado's 712 Mokume Gane: because your Galaxy S lacks ancient Japanese metallurgical craftsmanship
Is there any way to sensibly justify Mobiado's colossally overpriced, underspec'd handsets? Not as far as we can tell -- but Mobiado seems to be eminently aware of (and okay with) that, diving yet deeper into the bottomless pit of conspicuous consumption this week with the announcement of the 712 Mokume Gane candybar. What's "Mokume Gane" mean, you ask? Well, turns out it refers to an ancient Japanese metalworking technique used to craft decorative weapons in which several types of metals are folded into one another to create a wood grain look. Oh, and if you're wondering why they don't just simply things a bit and use real wood, the short answer is that Mobiado already does that -- see the 712EM model -- so this would be for people looking for a little more heft (and presumably, cost). As with most of Mobiado's models, this is a situation where you're going to have to hit up a retailer to find out how close to bankruptcy the phone is going to push you.
Mobiado 105 Damascus handled on video, which is the closest you'll ever get to one
Mobiado's 105 series of Series 40-based luxury candybars is nothing new -- in fact, it's quite old -- but as Vertu has discovered over the years, customers that are looking to spend four or five figures on a phone are apparently often uninterested in smartphone capability for some reason. On that note, the 105 rolls on with the recent introduction of the 105 Damascus, coated in hand-forged Damascus steel from Sweden with sandblasted (or rather, glass bead-blasted) steel buttons and screws to match. That's neat, but you know what isn't neat? The 2 megapixel camera, the 2-inch display, or the "more than" 1GB of memory available. Anyhow, enough venting -- point is, the recently-announced device has gotten a little hands-on time courtesy of Vietnamese site MaiNguyen, and though the steel edges are admittedly pretty beautiful, they wouldn't seem to come anywhere near justifying the phone's heart-stopping $4,500 asking price. Judge for yourself in the video (paired with a hands-on of some neat Damascus steel pen) after the break.
Nokia C3 Touch and Type hands-on
Nokia continued the precedent set by the X3-02 at Nokia World last week by rolling out the C3 Touch and Type, its second Series 40-based handset to make use of that pretty unusual touchscreen / numeric keypad combo. Unlike the X3-02, the new C3 variant features a more traditional keypad layout by dropping the *0# row down below the 789 row, but since T9 only makes use of the first three rows to do its thing, it shouldn't make much of a different in practice for typing usability. Besides a 2.4-inch QVGA display, you get a 5 megapixel camera, full HSPA, microSD support up to 32GB, and 802.11n (yes, n!) WiFi, making it a surprisingly well-equipped device considering that it falls toward the bottom end of Nokia's budget-themed Cseries. We played a bit with the diminutive candybar at Nokia World, and though you can't really tell from the pictures, we know where Nokia's saving the money on this one: the build. Put simply, it feels like a pretty cheap phone all the way around with flimsy plastic, a so-so display, and a resistive touch layer with plenty of give. Trust us when we say that's not a knock -- at €145 ($189) fully unlocked and subsidy-free, you're getting a lot of capability -- but would-be buyers should be warned that this doesn't have anywhere near the premium feel of the N8. That said, it's extremely thin, light, and small -- and the on-screen controls are all plenty large for fat-fingering your way through the UI -- so we could see it making a serviceable backup phone even in the developed markets where Nokia doesn't plan to push a lot of these. Check out the gallery!
ZTE intros Agent for MetroPCS -- and yes, Uno is built-in
When our favorite feature of a phone is that Uno is included in firmware, that should give you a pretty good idea of the kind of device we're talking about -- but regardless, the fact that the ZTE Agent sells for $69 commitment-free from MetroPCS makes it notable, we suppose. The candybar features a 1.3 megapixel cam with video capture, stereo Bluetooth support and a 3.5mm headphone jack (which means you've got a music player on board, naturally), microSD expansion, and a 2.4-inch QVGA display. It's available now, which means that if you're close to a MetroPCS store, you're mere minutes away from delivering a brutal Wild Draw Four on your unsuspecting opponents.
