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Sanyo's QWERTY-packin' SCP-2700 lands on Sprint
Not that we're blindsided by its official introduction or anything, but it's still good to see Sanyo's SCP-2700 in one clear, crisp, cohesive press photo. Available exclusively on Sprint, the QWERTY-equipped handset boasts a 1.3 megapixel camera, Sprint Navigation, threaded text messaging support and Bluetooth. Prospective buyers will need to choose between Impulsive Pink (with a subtle floral overlay) and Deep Blue (which has a tactile square designer pattern on its back), but considering that you've got until May 10th to decide, we'd say there's no real hurry. Oh, and pricing? $29.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and signing away your cellular soul for two long, painful years.
Emgeton pops out dual-SIM Enzo candybar
Can't say we've ever heard of Emgeton, but we're liking what we're seeing here. Admittedly, the Enzo candybar takes a swipe (or two... or three) from Sony Ericsson, but this dual-SIM wonder still packs enough personality to keep things interesting. Said handset reportedly boasts 3G capabilities, a 2.2-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, Bluetooth, 0.3 megapixel camera, a rechargeable Li-ion and a multimedia player. 'Course, only 50MB of internal memory is provided, but the microSD slot does enable users to carry around a few extra LCD Soundsystem tracks should they choose. The only problems? That $388 price tag and the unlikelihood of this thing ever escaping the Czech Republic.
Dolby-powered LG GM200 probably sounds better than it looks
Dolby's been making a strong push into the mobile market in the past couple years, and the company's licensing tie-up with LG is starting to pay dividends in the form of this little block of plastic, GSM, and grit, the GM200. The black candybar's claim to fame is that you can use the FM radio without headphones plugged in -- most handsets with radios require the factory headset as an external antenna -- and you've got a supposedly-decent set of stereo speakers to blast the tunes. Similar to Motorola's CrystalTalk, the GM200 will automatically regulate earpiece volume depending on ambient noise, a trick feature that LG probably attributes to its work with Dolby. Otherwise, you've got a 2 megapixel cam, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, EDGE, and the envy of Dolby fanboys everywhere. Oh, what, don't look around you, you know who you are. [Via IntoMobile and Unwired View]
TAG Heuer launches official Meridiist site, still not on sale
Most of us aren't itching to pay over five grand for the privilege of putting TAG Heuer's first cellphone in our pockets -- or, rather, we simply don't have five grand to blow on such a lustworthy extravagance -- but the small handful of you still sitting there, tapping your fingers on the table with credit card outstretched are probably wondering where the hell you buy this thing. Turns out the Meridiist isn't really "on sale" yet, per se, but at least the company has finally done us the favor of whipping up a site where we can all ogle the luxury candybar at our leisure -- and, more importantly, place a pre-order. The timing of the site is no coincidence; watch show Baselworld starts this week, and the company (along with manufacturer partner Modelabs) wanted to be ready with some new action. It's not as cool as, say... a launch, but we suppose it's better than nothing. Update: It seems some retailers (even in the States) are stocking these, so we're not sure why TAG Heuer hasn't bothered to let site visitors know that their "pre-order" is more of an "actual order." Thanks, everyone!
Philips goes touchscreen with Xenium X810
While the recent flood of Xenium handsets aren't apt to hit American shores anytime soon, we may actually hop a flight to toy with the Xenium X810. Unlike most of its siblings, this here device is actually intriguing, boasting a 400 x 240 resolution touchscreen display, 3.2 megapixel camera, FM radio, 45MB of built-in memory, a microSDHC card slot, Bluetooth, quad-band GSM connectivity and a USB port. As with all Xeniums, this one also goes for days and days without a recharge; in fact, it should last up to a solid month in standby mode. So, has anyone else wondered why no other major cellphone maker is utilizing these miracle-working batteries?[Via UnwiredView]
iWOW's i976 to make a non-Motorola splash with iDEN and GSM
Quick: how many non-Motorola iDEN devices can you name? Besides the odd BlackBerry here and there, the list is indeed very short -- and that's where iWOW comes into play. It seems the Singaporean firm is responding to the IiOF's request (that's the International iDEN Operator's Forum, by the bye) for a dual-mode iDEN / GSM handset, and early versions of the fruit of their labor -- the i976 candybar -- are starting to circulate. The device will feature a 2 megapixel cam, Bluetooth, and a hard switch for manually cycling between GSM and iDEN networks. If you were somehow thinking you might nab this on Sprint Nextel in the US on account of that logo up top, though, think again -- as of now, only Nextel's international operations have an eye on it. Just a little better looking than that dual-mode i930 Moto was selling a while back, eh?
Samsung mil-spec Xplorer B2100 is tough on everything but data
Following on its beefy-but-miserably-unattractive B2700 of last year, Samsung has introduced its rugged B2100 candybar under the Xplorer name. With quadband EDGE data and a 160 x 128 display, don't count on doing much browsing -- but if you throw the phone against a brick wall in a fit of rage over the slow downloads, at least it'll probably survive. It rocks mil-spec 810F compliance for rain, salt, ambient moisture, and extreme temperatures, plus an FM radio, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, microSD expansion, and a 1.3 megapixel camera with video recording, making it a low-end sidearm capable of taking some of the worst abuse mankind can give it. Look for it around Europe starting next month.
Venezuela shows off locally-produced El Vergatario phone
There are already cheap phones in the world, yes -- but very few can claim to run under $14, and even fewer can claim to be made in Venezuela. In fact, the C366 "El Vergatario" -- introduced by none other than Hugo Chavez himself -- will be the very first phone ever produced on Venezuelan soil, a partnership between the government and minority outside investors including Chinese manufacturer ZTE. It'll cost 30,000 bolivar when it goes on sale, and plans are already in place to offer it throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (to anyone not expecting fanciness like cameras or media players, anyhow).
Nokia XpressMusic 5030, 5330, and 5370 get handled on video
Nokia has posted feature run-through videos of all three of its newly-introduced XpressMusic devices, and they're just raw enough to stave off that over-polished marketing material feel. The musical accompaniment in all three videos is pretty amazing, but the 5730's is worth the price of admission all on its own -- so click through to all three to learn everything you need to know before pulling out the ol' coin purse. Read - 5030 Read - 5330 Read - 5730
Nokia introducing 5030, 5330, and 5730 XpressMusics at tomorrow's event?
We know that the shindig Nokia's putting on tomorrow has something to do with music, so it's certainly within the realm of possibility that we'd see some new XpressMusic handsets there, and indeed, All About Phones seems to have scooped the goods. It looks like we'll be treated to no fewer than three models -- all Xpress-branded, naturally -- starting on the low end with the 5030 candybar. This one eschews XpressMusic for the less audiophile-sounding "XpressRadio" name, pimping its in-built FM radio support and a large, squarish speaker around back at a crazy low price of €40 ($51) unsubsidized. Moving one rung up the range is the 5330 XpressMusic slider, packing a 3.5mm jack, some sort of special light effects for the ravers in the audience, and 24 hours of listening time; it'll be available in the third quarter for €160 ($204). Finally, we have the rumored 5730 (pictured) -- the only of the three to run S60 and lay claim to a genuine smartphone title. This one follows in the E75's footsteps by packing both a numeric and a landscape QWERTY slide, WiFi, a 3.2 megapixel cam, HSDPA, and GPS, but the most interesting new feature here might be the "Xpress Home Screen" which exposes your loaded media right from the phone's -- you guessed it -- home screen. This one should hit in the second quarter for €280 ($357) and will be offered in a Comes With Music version in some countries. How's about killing off DRM while you're at it, Nokia?Update: iDNES.cz points out that the 5030 has already been on sale in Pakistan since November, so it's conceivable that Nokia will be using the event to present the low-end phone to a broader audience -- or that it won't be shown at all.
The SBMP-N90 phone isn't quite as cool as the Burj Al Arab it apes
Call it a KIRF Burj Al Arab, if you will, but no one's going to be fooled -- in fact, unless you tell 'em, we're willing to bet that most folks won't even realize that the dual-SIM SBMP-N90 in your pocket has anything to do with the famous Dubai structure. That said, the blue and metallic candybar does include a pretty cool stand, so if you're willing to deal with the lack of 3G or EDGE and the mere 1.3 megapixel cam -- and you're willing to take some time to explain how the thing has any relationship whatsoever to a building halfway around the world -- the phone might be for you. See it in glorious video action after the break.
Cricket rolls out Samsung r211 candybar
The "ultra-simple CDMA set with AWS support" category is getting pretty well-stocked the past few months courtesy of carriers like MetroPCS, and Samsung's helping to fill the shelves with another one on Cricket today. The SCH-r211 offers little more than what you can gather from the product shot -- it'll do data sans 3G, and that 128 x 128 display isn't helping matters either -- but more importantly, it runs just $89.99 contract-free, and it's available this very second.
Dead phone walking: meet the UIQ-based Motorola ROKR E10
Sony Ericsson's Paris wasn't the only perfectly good handset to go down with the sinking UIQ ship, it seems. Remember that TEXEL from back in the day? Yeah, well, it's reemerged more than a year later -- a year too late, may we add -- supposedly branded the ROKR E10, which would fall in line with the company's recent ROKR branding. Looks like the thing has undergone a bit of a metamorphosis over the course of its development (as all phones do), but let's not spend too long analyzing it -- it's based on UIQ, after all, which means that very likely been thoroughly wiped clean of Moto's launch schedule. Doesn't look half bad, but then again, what would this have that the Sony Ericsson W950 didn't have three years ago?
Samsung's S7220 and S7350 get real
Samsung's S7220 and S7350 are but the sideshows here at Mobile World Congress, but did you really expect anything different when it's up against the 8 megapixel Memoir and the 720p-capable OmniaHD? The Ultra S7220, once known as the Eltz, boasts a 2.2-inch AMOLED display, a 5 megapixel camera (with AutoFocus and LED flash), an accelerometer, FM radio tuner, Bluetooth 2.0 and HSDPA 7.2Mbps support. The Ultra S7350 ups the ante with a 2.6-inch WQVGA LCD, GPS and video recording. No word on pricing or availability on either, but we'll keep our eyes peeled.
Digicel launching ZTE's Coral-200-Solar phone in emerging markets
It may not have the glam or the flash of the Samsung Blue Earth, but ZTE's Coral-200-Solar takes solar power to a side of the market that needs it far, far more urgently -- the side without power outlets. The Chinese manufacturer is teaming up with Jamaica's Digicel Group to roll out one of the world's first mass-market solar cellphones to folks with "limited or no access to the power grid," which represents some 2 billion people around the globe. The phone gets its juice via an integrated solar charger -- that is, there's still a battery lurking in there, you just don't need an outlet to charge it -- and should be available by June of this year. Pretty amazing world we live in where people have mobiles before they have power, isn't it?
Mobiado's 105GMT in white: still accidentally steampunk
"Clocks in a phone." It sounds like the name of an unfinished Kubrick joint, the punchline to a really bad joke, or the incoherent rambling of a luddite trying to make sense of cellular technology -- but unfortunately, it's none of these. Instead it's just Mobiado's 105GMT all over again, this time in white. This monstrosity sits squarely at the intersection of "hideous" and "trust fund," which is a territory we're sorry to say we'll never have the pleasure of experiencing ourselves -- but to those who need a gaudier way to run a billion-dollar Ponzi scheme on the road, your weapon of choice has clearly arrived.[Via Unwired View]
Alcatel assembling a Lego (or Lego-esque) phone?
Can you guess what Alcatel's trying to do with this one? Yeah, Lego's products are some of the most recognizable in the world -- and while we can't tell if there's any official Lego brand tie-in here, we certainly wouldn't be surprised if there was in light of Lego's recent foray into the bleeding-edge frontier of consumer electronics. What we're looking at seems to be a render of a device Alcatel hopes to introduce in 2009, borrowing heavily from Denmark's favorite export to provide snap-on faceplates sure to bring a smile to any 6-year-old's face. We don't have any information beyond the screen cap, but there's no compelling reason to believe it's not real -- other than the fact that Legos don't make for the best phone ergonomics, we suppose. Theme devices like this tend to be more Modelabs' territory, but that's not to say Alcatel isn't perfectly capable of pulling this off, either. Next up: a Duplo-based DynaTAC, perhaps?
Samsung "Eltz" S7220 and "Marcel" leaked, brand-pocalypse now upon us
Eltz? Seriously, Samsung... Eltz? Whatever; we can hope that this'll have a better name by the time it's officially unveiled at MWC -- the Loches became the Ultra Touch S8300, after all -- but in the meantime, let's focus our attention on the claimed 2.4-inch AMOLED display, GPS, 5 megapixel cam, and expandable memory. Amazingly, we suspect this sucker's going to be positioned in the midrange, a thought bolstered by the S8300's incredible specs -- so for anyone hoping to score some decent shooting power without breaking the bank this year, this might just do the trick (assuming you haven't already bought a ZN5, that is). Moving downrange, the rumored Marcel is said to feature a 2 megapixel cam and a less-impressive 2.2-inch display, and should replace the J700 slider -- introduced at MWC last year, coincidentally.
LG introduces simple, utterly forgettable KM330 candybar
LG's got the low-end handset beat down pat, as evidenced by its nearly continuous flow of simplistic handsets aimed at overseas markets. The KM330 is actually fairly stylish for what it is, which is a tri-band GSM mobile with a three megapixel camera, FM radio module, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD card slot, a 2-inch 340 x 320 display, MP3 player and stereo speakers. If you've managed to stay awake this far, you may be interested in knowing that it'll ship next month in the Ukraine. Huzzah?[Via UnwiredView]
Motorola Renew now available from T-Mobile
If you're interested in doing your little part to save the environment from the scourge of non-recyclable cellphones, take note: your knight in shining armor has arrived. Motorola's W233 Renew candybar for T-Mobile isn't going to blow anyone away with its spec sheet, but it might just blow away a few Cal Berkeley tree sitters with its plastics recovered from recycled water bottles, carbon neutral rating, 100 percent recyclable materials, and manufacturing process that requires 20 percent less energy than your average mobile. It features Moto's CrystalTalk noise reduction tech, support for microSD expansion up to 2GB, 128 x 128 display, and an impressive 9 hours of talk time, but maybe the most impressive part is the price: $9.99 on contract. The Renew is available direct from T-Mobile starting today.
