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Mystery Nokia flip for AT&T turns out to be 6350
Remember that nameless midrange flip from Nokia that the FCC outed complete with AT&T branding not long ago? Well, we've now got a name to put with the face: 6350. The good folks at the Bluetooth SIG have come through once again, revealing a picture -- admittedly a small one -- of the phone that we can safely identify as the same thing we'd seen getting FCC approval a little while back. We don't have a launch date yet, but the SIG confirms that it's an HSDPA-equipped piece with a 2 megapixel camera -- in other words, nothing that's going to knock your socks off, unless your socks are mysteriously knocked off by 2 megapixel cameras, in which case you need to check your socks. [Via Unwired View]
Ask Engadget: Best pocket-sized camcorder out there?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Lulu, who can't seem to select a camcorder worthy of being carried around in her Fifth Pocket™. "I need help! I want a small pocket camcorder but I'm not sure which one to get. I don't want to fall into the hype of the Flip because I worry two hours won't be enough. What should I be looking for when considering a small camcorder and where can I get a good quality one with expandable memory? Thanks!" The pocket camcorder arena has blossomed into something of a small giant here recently, with entries from Sony, Samsung, Kodak and Creative flowing in to compete with the Ultra HD. For those of you who've laid down the cheddar, why not share your experiences here in order to direct Lulu to making the right choice? Surely you won't pass on an opportunity to help a fellow nerd. Surely.
Sony Ericsson's W508 coming in stunning Bob Sinclar bundle
If you celebrate French DJ and producer Bob Sinclar's entire catalog (and who doesn't?), we'd like to direct your attention to a very special version of Sony Ericsson's W508 Walkman clamshell that's launching in "select European markets" this quarter. The aptly-named W508 Bob Sinclar Edition has the usual array of pack-ins that you expect from any self-respecting special edition -- wallpapers, ringtones, themes, and a unique mega-colorful cover -- but it also includes a copy of Sinclar's latest album, Born In 69, right in the box. Of course, you'll need to be cool with a QVGA display and 3.2 megapixel cam, but really, who needs 8 megapixels when you're in the VIP section of a basically unlit club with French house music permeating your very core?
iPhone 3GS video vs. Flip Mino HD
It was an inevitable face off. The iPhone 3GS and the Flip Mino HD. One of our readers, Adrienne, did just such a test at the Dayton airshow July 18-19, and held the two cameras together to see how they compared. Turns out both do well, with the Mino having higher resolution, of course, and the iPhone getting smoother video with less pixels to push around. I've had similar results in comparing both cameras. The video from both is a bit shaky, and neither camera hosts an image stabilizer, but iMovie can fix that if you want to take the extra time. I think the 3GS video is quite good, and for someone who wants to carry one device, it fills the bill. There's no question that the Mino will give you more detail, and it is wrapped up in a seductively small and easy to use package. Follow this link to an explanation of how the test was run, and the video. Thanks Adrienne.
Nokia 6750 Mural for AT&T still exists, because the Bluetooth SIG says so
We haven't heard a peep about the so-called Nokia Mural flip since May -- basically an eternity (as opposed to an Eternity) by mobile standards. Was it canceled? Did AT&T get distracted playing Call of Duty 4 and forget to release it? It's possible -- crazier things have happened -- but we're taking some comfort this week in the knowledge that the Bluetooth SIG hasn't forgotten about the darn thing anyway. What's more, they're showing it with the AT&T logo up front, the first time we've actually seen it there; the FCC docs where we first learned of the phone had it blurred out (though there was plenty of other evidence to gather that AT&T was the destination from day one). Given that the Mural doesn't seem to be running S60, we're having a hard time getting too worked up about the fact that it hasn't launched -- but we're sure they'd manage to sell a few if it was actually on a shelf somewhere.[Via Unwired View]
LG KG376's most fascinating feature is its color
Style is commonly considered a luxury; form follows function, as they say. The commoditization of phones over the past fifteen years has done weird things to economics, though, which leads directly to phones like LG's KG376. You won't find a single item on the flip's spec sheet that even begins to interest you (unless you're really, really into 128 x 128 displays), but it seems that LG intends to market the phone directly at women with an eye for style on account of its purple case with pink accents. It's got an integrated FM radio and an external light (where you'd normally expect a secondary display to be) that'll go all blinky on you to indicate messages and the like, but don't get too excited -- it seems pricing and availability are still on the downlow.
Hitachi's 720p Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo now shipping in Japan
If you're more concerned about your ability to record stunning high-definition video on the road than you are about your ability to comfortably and conveniently say the name of your phone, look no further than the latest model in Hitachi's Wooo series over in Japan. Announced earlier in the year, the Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo stands starkly as one of the longest, most unfortunate model names in phone history, but we suspect that the presence of 30fps 720p recording will quickly allay any disappointment you may have with branding. Anyhow, it's finally available now on KDDI au, the country's big CDMA provider -- so go on, show us what sort of Oscar-caliber stuff you can cook up.
LG Whistle is so named for reasons unknown
Is this phone capable of putting its lips together and blowing air so as to create a high-pitched tone of some sort? Doesn't seem like it -- phones don't typically have lips or breath -- but that doesn't explain why LG decided to christen its latest clamshell for the domestic Korean market the "Whistle." No matter; the LV7500's still pretty cool, owing in no small part to its front-facing array of some 115 LEDs that can be user-customized, presumably to flash messages such as "KEEPIN IT REAL" and "LG 4 LYFE" -- not a totally unique feature, but something we don't see much of around these parts. It'll roam in just 18 countries, which suggests to us that CDMA figures prominently in its radio circuitry; look for it now in three colors for around 400,000 won (about $325) on LG Telecom. If you're in Seoul, that is.
Some new Nokia flip gets FCC approval for AT&T
So close, guys, but no cigar! Last time Nokia ran an unannounced model for AT&T through the FCC -- the yet-to-be-released 6750 Mural -- it remembered to blot out the carrier's silkscreened logos but not the giveaway CV logo on the keypad. This time, it remembered to blot out both the keypad and the logos in the external photo documentation, but not in the SAR setup files (pictured above). Of course, with 3G on the 850 and 1900MHz bands, we pretty much could've gathered that AT&T was a likely target with or without the visual confirmation -- but still, amateur mistake. Beyond the carrier, we don't know much about the phone -- but it's definitely not S60-based, it's got some form of four-digit number assigned to it (it's identified as "XXXX" in the manual), and a dedicated Telenav button guarantees that GPS will factor prominently into its selling points.[Via Phone Scoop]
Original Motorola RAZR refuses to die, spawns new LuK Hot Pink version in Korea
There aren't many products in the world that have been produce for so long that they bridged right from the "modern" to "ho-hum" to "retro chic" categories without ever pausing production (actually, the hula hoop is the only one that comes immediately to mind). A year ago, it was cool to hate on the debilitating age Motorola's original RAZR V3 and the fact that it was still being sold in countless shops and by countless carriers around the world; now, though, it's gone on so long that we've got to wonder whether there's some magical, hidden force at play here that will keep this phone on shelves and in hearts until the very end of time. Evidence of that certainly exists in the freshly-launched LuK Hot Pink edition, an apparent follow-on to the LuK launched back in February of this year with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, video call capability, Bluetooth, and that's about it. At a price under 500,000 won (about $400) on carrier SKT, it doesn't seem like a particularly good deal -- but then again, if you look at it as a perfect replica of a vintage collectible device, maybe it's a downright steal.
STARMAC learns the loop de loop, puts on brave face despite Scoble's continued existence
Last time we checked in on STARMAC, the autonomous hover bot was fuming over his near-miss in a desperate bid to assassinate Robert Scoble. Recently paroled, the bot has turned his energies to more constructive pursuits, like performing a controlled flip and selling drugs to kids. Still, do we detect a hint of brooding in these acrobatics? Video is after the break.
Samsung Comeback, Gravity 2 carry on the QWERTY legacy on T-Mobile
There aren't any surprises in this particular batch of announcements, but we're sure Samsung's new Comeback and Gravity 2 will sell like gangbusters for T-Mobile considering the overwhelming popularity of the text-savvy segment. First up, the Comeback flips to the side to reveal its inner goodness, featuring a 2 megapixel camera, microSD support up to 16GB, and a pair of displays -- one 128 x 128, one wide QVGA. Next up, the Gravity 2 succeeds -- you guessed it, the Gravity, with a more traditional side-slide QWERTY layout; like the Comeback, it features a 2 megapixel sensor and 3G. The Comeback drops today for $129.99 on contract with the Gravity 2 following on in August for a to-be-announced price.
VeryKool i300 and i410 come to the Americas
If you're looking for a VeryKool in your local Helio shop... well, we've got some really bad news, but we don't have the heart to break it to you at the moment. Instead, just know that you won't see these particular models -- the new i300 and i410 (pictured) -- in any US shops that we're aware of. Instead, distributor InfoSonics is looking to rock Central and South America with these bad boys, offering flip form factors, microSD slots, and music players. The i410 adds nifty features like a camera that turns into a webcam when you cable it up to your PC, and seeing how these are both 2G-only units, we bet you'll be able to find 'em for peanuts in the countries that are lucky enough to get stock. They're now shipping, so they should be showing up somewhere soon.
Alcatel's Miss Sixty flip is so wrong, yet so right
Actually, on second thought, there might not be anything right about Alcatel's unusual entry to the FCC, a phone that's apparently supposed to match up with the fashion collection of the same name. That's all well and good, but we're struggling to associate the word "fashion" with a red plastic flip trimmed with faux antique brass highlights -- especially when said phone is nothing more than a rebadge of the mega low-end OT-660a. If GPRS and weird, out-of-place gold trim is your cup of tea... well, your phone has arrived, but otherwise, we plan on steering well clear of whatever retailer plans on offering this little gem.
NTT DoCoMo succumbs to the solar trend, announces Sharp's SH-08A
For Sharp's domestic carrier partners, solar power is all the rage right now, and now NTT DoCoMo is hopping up on the exceptionally eco-friendly bandwagon with the SH-08A. Bearing the same SOLAR HYBRID badging as its sister device on SoftBank, the 936SH, the SH-08A flip features IPX5 / IPX7 compliance for splashes and submersion up to a meter, an 8 megapixel camera, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, and -- of course -- a wide VGA display. You'll get one minute of talk time for every 10 minutes of time spent baking in the sun, which certainly isn't bad when you're in a pinch and there's not a wall outlet for miles. The SH-08A will go on display at Wireless Japan this month with sales following on in September.
Nokia 7020 garners FCC approval
Here's one we know you've been waiting for with bated breath: the lowly Nokia 7020 clamshell has earned its FCC wings on its way to a Q4 release. The phone was always designed as a quadband EDGE device, so it's not clear whether the FCC filing is indicative of an intention on Nokia's part to actually offer the phone in the States -- there isn't any carrier branding and there aren't any carrier-customized buttons on the keypad, so this might just be a formality. Then again, it could make a respectable backup phone or a cheapo to take overseas if they do decide to offer it direct or through the flagship stores -- who doesn't like concealed displays and 2 megapixel cameras, after all?
Samsung's folding keyboard brings a little starfighter to the cellphone
Looks like Samsung's elves have been busy thinking up new ways to cram a QWERTY onto all those touchscreen phones they've been selling lately: check out this patent application for a side-mounted flip-down keyboard. We're not sure if this would be comfortable, usable, or even stable, but we do know that we support any design decision that makes our phones look more like super-awesome space planes from the future. Carry on, Sammy.[Via PhoneArena]
Sony Ericsson "Bao" bows in lame spy shot form
If you allows us to transport you back for a moment -- way back -- to the world of QVGA cameras and parachute pants, you'll be in the right mindset for these awfully low-res shots of an alleged Sony Ericsson "Bao" flip that seriously turns the geometry dial up to 11. Little is known about the phone -- it could be a long-canceled project, for all we know -- but it definitely diverges significantly from the usual SE industrial design cues. Whether that divergence is for the better for worse is a matter of personal taste -- but in terms of market success, maybe these guys should hit up Nokia for some pointers.[Via PhoneArena and mobile-review]
Sony Ericsson "Twiggy" seems to leak into the wild
Sony Ericsson has a world-renowned reputation for being unable to keep a lid on its stuff, and the trend appears to be continuing with the "Twiggy" -- a phone that seems destined to replace the aging W350. This bad boy was actually first spotted way back in March -- curiously leaked in Sony Ericsson's own marketing materials, no less -- but this time around it looks like we have a unit somewhere out there in the real wild ("IRL" as those particularly internet-savvy folks out there might say). No word on specs just yet; regardless, though, we're just pleased to see that the company appears to still be committed to this niche form factor most manufacturers won't touch with a ten-foot pole.[Via Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]
TracFone's $45 Straight Talk unlimited plan punishes you with brutal hardware
They say "there's no such thing as a free lunch." They also say "there's no such thing as an unlimited contract-free $45 monthly unlimited plan that offers awesome phones," so we're not terribly surprised to see that TracFone's new blowout offering -- dubbed Straight Talk -- is rife with ancient Motorolas (with a RAZR V3a thrown in for good measure, of course) and an LG flip that we're pretty sure we saw McClane use in the first Die Hard. Then again, the plan becomes the one of the cheapest for unlimited voice and text anywhere -- and if you're less heavy on the minutes you can even step down to 1,000 minutes and 1,000 texts for $30 -- so we'll let it slide. But seriously, TracFone, we expect a V9 by 2012.[Via Phone Scoop]
