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Gigabyte's g-Smart t600 and q60 phones
Taiwan's Gigabyte is a bit of a darkhorse in the Windows Mobile game around these parts, but it's been in the game for a while now and its latest round of devices -- getting passed around this week at 3GSM -- shows some R&D savvy. First up, the q60 looks sorta like a Nokia E61 on performance-enhancing substances, bringing tri-band GSM / EDGE plus HSDPA 2100, GPS, WiFi, and a DAB receiver atop a 520MHz XScale core. Next, the t600 tops out with GPRS data, but rocks DVB-H and a gorgeous (well, we can only imagine it's gorgeous) VGA display in addition to the usual spoils like WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0. Expect both to be very hard to come by stateside, but we're sure it's nothing a determined importer can't overcome. See a big shot of the t600 after the break.Read - Gigabyte g-Smart t600Read - Gigabyte g-Smart q60
Nokia's N77 with DVB-H mobile TV
If Nokia's high-end N-Series multimedia phones computers are just a tad too beaucoup for you and yours, then check their newly launched 3G N77 handset. This N is supposed to bung right smack in the middle of mobile TV devices. Like any good Nokia it packs DVB-H mobile broadcast technology and runs S60 3rd Edition beneath that 2.4-inch, 16 million color display. It packs a 2 megapixel camera, integrated stereo speakers and standard 3.5-mm headphone jack, visual radio, and support for MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA media. This tri-band GSM / EDGE with UMTS 2100 MHz handset starts shipping in Q2 to "countries were DVB-H services are available" for a pre-tax, unsubsidized price of about €370 / $481. One more picture after the break.
Nokia prepping new N77 TV phone for 3GSM?
Word has it Nokia might be ready to add a lower-cost alternative to its beast of a DVB-H phone, the N92, at 3GSM next week. With the proliferation of DVB-H in Europe and globally, it stands to reason that the company could use another mobile TV capable model or two, though there aren't any details on what exactly the rumored device -- the N77 -- might entail. Any way we look at it, we'd bet dollars to donuts that this thing, being passed around the 'nets as the new model in the flesh, just ain't it. Ring bells for anyone?
Sony Ericsson's SO903iTV Bravia mobile gets real
Don't you love it when the rumor mill actually produces some realizable results? While just about everyone had their doubts about the so-called "Bravia phone" that was supposedly coming down the pike, it looks like Sony, er, Sony Ericsson's SO903iTV will be the first handset to get the proper Bravia treatment. Aside from sporting a stylish red shell, landscape orientation, 3-inch widescreen display, and about every Sony-owned logo you can imagine, this mobile also gets a built-in TV tuner with "time-shift video recording." You'll also find a two-megapixel CMOS camera and a microSD card for loading up your media, but unfortunately for most of the world, we'll never get to touch it. Currently, the phone is set to launch solely on Japan's NTT DoCoMo, but given enough time, Sony might warm up to other markets in the future. Click on through for another shot.
DiBcom and CyberLink debut DVB-T and DVB-H combo tuner
If you aren't still stuck in the technologically backward US and A once CES wraps up, you might be pleased to learn that DiBcom has been prepping a DVB-T and DVB-H combo tuner for laptops that should help Europe / Asia travelers get the most TV in the most places with just one card. Dual tuners, at least in chip form, aren't a completely new idea, but we can't say we've spotted any of these before in a completed widget. With DiBcom rocking the indoor and outdoor coverage with its tuner card, CyberLink holds up the software end of the deal with its PowerCinema playback and time-shift software. No word on price or availability -- we don't even have a pic of the dang thing -- but where would the fun in that be?
Modeo launches mobile TV beta service in NYC
After a delay and a promise, Modeo has finally come through with the planned beta launch of its DVB-H mobile TV service in New York City, with the company also showing off the technology to those in attendance at CES. As we knew before, the NYC trial will be limited to just a few hundred users during its beta stage, each of who will get to test out the service with a shiny new HTC Foreseer handset. In addition performing the usual smartphoning duties, it'll let the lucky beta testers pick up mobile TV from the likes of Fox News and the Discovery Channel, as well as streaming audio courtesy of Music Choice. What's not so clear are any firm details on Modeo's plans beyond the NYC trial, with the company only saying that the beta will continue throughout the first quarter of 2007 and that they plan to use feedback from it to "evaluate network distribution options with wireless carriers." In other words, convince 'em to sign up before they go somewhere else.
Modeo announcing NYC trial next week
See, that wasn't so bad, now was it? We're guessing a few DVB-H fanboys and girls this side of the Atlantic were miffed at the news Modeo had slipped the go-live date for their trial (or "commercial beta," as they're calling it) in New York City -- but just two short weeks later, everything's ready to rock. A few hundred lucky participants will get hooked up with HTC Foreseers to experience music and video services powered by Modeo's DVB-H network, which GigaOM reports will be officially blessed next week at CES. Without any carriers yet signed to their platform, the folks at Modeo have got to be sweating bullets at this point, especially in light of the fact that Verizon and Sprint have both hopped aboard the MediaFLO bandwagon. Cingular and T-Mobile have yet to finalize their plans for mobile TV, but we'd imagine they'll be keeping a keen eye on Gotham for the next few months.
Sony Ericsson's first Bravia DVB-H phone, or bad fake?
It's been suggested that a couple Bravia-branded phones packing DVB-H tuners are in the works from the folks at Sony Ericsson, and a blurry picture floating around the 'nets the last couple days seems to back that up. After the introduction of the W44S on Sony's native soil, it seems like it'd make sense to expand the Bravia line, but hold the phones -- why does the top of the device look so heavily retouched? And don't the buttons look a little fakey? It's been suggested that this could be an official non-functional mockup of what such a handset might look like, but can't Sony Ericsson, with their fancy engineers, computers, and machinery, make something a little more realistic than this? If it's legit, we should hear more in early '07; if not, we suspect mobile TV fans of the world will be shedding a few tears.[Via gearfuse]
Modeo slips date for New York trial
The wait for DVB-H-based mobile TV this side of the pond may have just gotten a little longer. A management shakeup at Modeo -- patron saint (along with Hiwire) of American DVB-H -- has hit the company as their search for a carrier partner continues, and its commercial-grade service trial in New York City using HTC's Foreseer appears to be a casualty. Originally scheduled for a Q4 2006 launch, the trial will now begin (knock on wood) in early '07. Between Hiwire and various MediaFLO-based efforts coming down the pike, Modeo's drama may not ultimately mean much to mobile TV's outlook in these parts, but it'd be tragic nonetheless to see one of these guys bite the dust before they even get out of the gate, would it not?[Via Phone Scoop]
Sony Ericsson rumors aplenty
Member shaliron over at Esato appears to have done some serious homework compiling a list of all known Sony Ericsson handsets in the pipeline, complete with nifty color coding to indicate verified, debunked, and new intelligence. We encourage Sony Ericsson fans and non-fans alike to go check out the real deal, but in the meanwhile, we've put together a Reader's Digest peek here at some of the highlights. First up, the music-oriented Walkman series could be growing by a solid six devices in the coming months, topped off by a successor to the UIQ-based W950 codenamed "Maria," a (possibly UIQ-based) clamshell dubbed W910, and the oft-discussed Ai. The camera-focused (no pun inteded) Cyber-shot series will be enjoying a bumper crop itself: a successor to the K800 is allegedly already in the works, "Sofia," packing a 5 megapixel shooter, UMTS, and QVGA recording, while a possible Handycam-branded M600 variant would obviously reign supreme for its video capabilities. Other highlights include a promise that HSDPA will factor into the company's 2007 plans, a wide-scale migration of the FastPort connector to the sides of the handsets, and a shortening of the span from announcement to release of UIQ-based models (a move we applaud). As we said, there's plenty more juicy tidbits to digest over at Esato -- but even with what we've presented here, it's safe to say Sony Ericsson's shaping up for a killer '07. Any UIQ or 3G love for the US of A, folks?
Samsung delivers P930 TV swivel phone for Italy
Fresh out of Samsung's gates comes the do-it-all SGH-P930 swivel phone, a handset that rocks pretty much every acronym we care about: HSDPA and DVB-H, just to name a couple. The 20-millimeter thick phone presumably locks into the 90-degree orientation or swivels fully open at the user's discretion, making for a more pleasant viewing experience when vegging out with that mobile TV they've got goin' on over in Europe these days. Italy's TIM will be the first carrier to take delivery of the P930, which also packs in a 2 megapixel cam, VGA front cam for video calling, picture-in-picture (as if the 2.3-inch display is even big enough for a single channel), and microSD expansion. Grab it on TIM now for a stiff €529 (about $700), which we sincerely hope is a contract-free price.[Via Tech-On!]
LG KU950 does DVB-H for Vodafone
Vodafone already has a partnership with the UK's Sky TV to bring live television to handsets via 3G data; it must be going pretty well, seeing how this here LG KU950 will apparently be one of the first handsets to bring Sky to Voda customers via DVB-H. Unlike UMTS, DVB-H is a downlink-only technology, suggesting that Vodafone might be a bit... shall we say, concerned at the long-term implications of customers getting their TV fix via the traditional data pipes. We don't have any solid details on the KU950, but the pivoting slider features a front-facing cam (meaning 3G is a sure thing), the screen apparently clocks in at a TV-friendly 2.4 inches, and it'll apparently run €99 when it hits next year -- not a bad first foray into the brave new world of digital mobile TV for Vodafone, if we do say so ourselves.[Thanks, Tony]
T-Mobile joins Hiwire for mobile TV test
T-Mobile may be playing catch-up in the 3G game, but it looks like they want to come rearing out of the gate on mobile TV. Hiwire, rife with nationwide spectrum in the 700MHz band, is gearing up to launch its DVB-H trial this December in the Las Vegas area; T-Mobile decided early on that it wanted in on the action, reportedly hooking up with Hiwire within 60 days of its formation. Ultimately, the carrier has not signed any agreements to join forces with Hiwire for a full-scale launch, but we can presume that a successful test in Vegas could lead to a long-term partnership. The trial looks to roll deep with as many as four handset models, thanks mainly to the availability of existing DVB-H phones that operate elsewhere on the same band.[Via Phone Scoop]
Gigabyte's dual-tuner g-Smart i200
Though Gigabyte's not much of a mobile presence here in the US, folks in Asian countries might want to listen up: the spec sheet on their g-Smart i200 Pocket PC phone makes it sound like the best thing since... well, the i120 and i300. The 512MB of internal storage is hot, the promise of Crossbow (if it's available by the device's launch in Q1 '07) is pure gold -- but what's really got us all fired up are the integrated dual tuners (DVB-H and DVB-T) and 2.69-inch VGA display. Yep, we said it: VGA. Everyone waiting for the promise of compromise-free mobile web browsing and remote desktop connections can come out of hiding, because this bad boy could very well be the phone you've been waiting for. The TV-out and DVR functionality don't hurt, either. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to book our flights to Taiwan.[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Nokia, Motorola to play nice on mobile TV
Mobile TV may not be off to the blazing start some had hoped, but it seems like only good things can happen when the world's #1 and #2 handset manufacturers get together to push it. Nokia and Motorola have announced an agreement to collaborate on DVB-H interoperability, lessening the burden on carriers trying to take mobile TV networks live and (hopefully) hastening wide-scale adaptation. The agreement may be seen as a blow for Qualcomm, which peddles the rival MediaFLO tech, but even they've managed to hedge their bets in the event the tide turns solidly against them. Either way, this all means nothing until devices are in consumers' hands and the market is sustainable; Modeo, we await your move.
FCC shows Nokia N92 some approval love
Nokia's DVB-H capable N92 may not support GSM 850 or a UMTS band that's useful to us here in the States -- never mind the fact that we don't have any DVB broadcasts to tune in to -- but that doesn't mean we can't lust after the dual-pivot clamshell with its gorgeous 2.8-inch display. Happily, it looks like we can now satisfy our desires without ruffling the feathers of the, uh, FCC police. Of course, that still means we'd have to find some stock; despite getting announced alongside the N80 last year, the N92 hasn't yet become available in significant quantity, though Nokia's promising that we should start to see 'em here in the second half of the year.[Via Mobilewhack]
Hands-on with the HTC Monet (Trilogy)
Typically, we believe there are no excuses for smartphones to sport giant, unbecoming humps, but we do have at least two exceptions to the rule: in-built WiFi, and support for one mobile TV standard or another. The Monet certainly falls into the latter category, and it may fall into both since its guts are Faraday-based, and indeed, the tumor on the Monet's side is monstrous. The phone should be dropping on Virgin Mobile's UK network any time now, but meanwhile, Sogi has taken an up-close look at the Monet in Dopod trim. After going through the Babelfish wringer, the review itself doesn't mean much, but golly, the pictures sure are purty. The Monet -- as we said, basically a repackaged Faraday plus mobile TV -- packs a 2.2-inch QVGA display, MicroSD slot, and Windows Mobile 5.0. See more after the break.[Via Smartphone Thoughts]
Nokia's N92 DVB-H handset in World Cup trial
Although announced way back in November, Nokia's flagship N92 DVB-H phone still isn't shipping. Of course, that hasn't kept it from making the occasional appearance at DVB-H pilots across Europe. And with Germany (and the world) now fully consumed by the World Cup, yet another German DVB-H pilot project has launched with local operators E-Plus, O2, T-Mobile, and Vodaphone pumping out that mobile digital feed. The pilot consists of 14 television channels (and six radio) broadcasting live matches and other programming to "guests" using a variety of DVB-H handsets (presumably from LG, Samsung and maybe even BenQ-Siemens), including the N92. The pilot is being held in the largest German cities and will run until August 31st, except in Munich where it ends on July 31 allowing ample time to prepare for beer drinking season. And in case you're wondering, the N92 is expected to hit Europe mid-summer for an unsubsidized price of €600 ($758); beaucoup bucks for a service offering in trial-mode everywhere 'cept Finland and maybe Italy. [Via Mobiledia]
Qualcomm wrangles three mobile TV standards into one chipset
Qualcomm has announced its Universal Broadcast Modem, a mobile TV chipset supporting DVB-H, ISDB-T, and Qualcomm's own FLO technology alike. The UBM, as it's known, is not dependent on a Qualcomm device chipset, which should help ease adoption. Sadly, samples won't be available to manufacturers until 2007, meaning we have a long haul ahead of us before we see devices using the technology. Although we think it's awfully big of Qualcomm to swallow its pride and bundle support for competing technologies with FLO, we'd rather see more standardization instead -- heck, we don't even have any one of these three available to consumers in the States yet. [Via Phone Scoop]
Nokia and Digita Oy team-up to deliver DVB-H in Finland
You've heard of Nokia's DVB-H handsets (N92 to right) for months, but did you know they're also a major player behind the scenes? Nokia just inked a deal in their native Finland to supply Digita Oy with their MBS 3.0 service management platform for DVB-H mobile TV services. Nokia's MBS delivers consumer necessities such as an interface for searching services, an EPG, and the ability to set alerts for upcoming programs in addition to packing-in industry faves like OMA DRM 2.0 to protect content which can be offered within flexible pricing schemes. Digita, which already purchased those precious broadcast frequencies earlier this year, will operate the network and offer-up broadcast services to the likes of cellphone operators. Mobile TV services are expected launch later this year reaching 29% of the Finnish population by the end of 2006. So next time you hear Nokia slaggin' off DMB or Qualcomm's technically superior FLO mobile TV standards, well, now you know why. [Via Textually.org]
