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Sharp AQUOS SHOT 933SH offers 10 megapixels on a silver cellular platter
Is it a phone? Is it a camera? Does it really matter anymore? If neither the mirumo 934SH nor the Solar Hybrid 936SH are quite to your liking, feast your eyes on this other wonder from Sharp that's hitting SoftBank Mobile in Japan this summer, the AQUOS SHOT 933SH. The headlining feature on this sucker would be the massive optics combined with a 10 megapixel low-noise CCD sensor, which is made infinitely easier to use as an actual camera thanks to a rotating touchscreen display -- just flip it around, snap it facing outwards, and voilà, your old point-and-shoot is on notice. Otherwise, you've got a 3.3-inch WVGA display (perfect for viewing one-seg television) and global roaming capability, so don't be surprised if we try to smuggle one of these stateside when it launches in late May, alright?
Sharp's solar 936SH and 934SH with "memory LCD" headline latest SoftBank lineup
As you might expect, Japanese carrier SoftBank's summer 2009 lineup contains the usual science-fiction array of ridiculously well-equipped handsets -- plus 3G photo frames and a Lenovo IdeaPad S10 with embedded WWAN -- but the real news here might be a pair of lovelies from Sharp. The mirumo 934SH (pictured left) features a 3-inch external display that can display time, date, weather, news, and other information without consuming any power between changes; sounds like E-Ink, though Sharp describes it simply as a "memory LCD." You've also got an 8 megapixel camera, a waterproof shell, and a UV sensor that can help you determine just how quickly you need to slather on the SPF 30. Next up is the Solar Hybrid 936SH, a phone suspiciously similar in concept to the device Sharp is working on for SoftBank competitor KDDI au. Clearly the big draw here is the big solar array up front that'll give you one minute of call time or two hours of standby per 10 minutes of charging, but you've still got IPX7 water resistance, an 8 megapixel camera, and a full wide VGA display at your disposal. Look for the 934SH in June and the 936SH in August -- if you happen to be in Japan, anyhow.
Nokia rolls out 2720, 2730, and 7020 on the low end
Nokia has a tendency to roll out its low-end fare in big batches -- you might think of it as the polar opposite of, say, an NTT DoCoMo launch -- and the trend continues with today's announcement of the 2720, 2730, and 7020 (try saying that three times fast). The theme here is bringing internet capabilities to the very bottom-most reaches of the market, and indeed, all three devices offer email and basic web access. Starting with the 2720, you've got a super-basic clamshell with a mirrored finish that'll retail for €55 (about $74) in the third quarter. The 2730 switches over to the candybar form factor and becomes Nokia's cheapest 3G phone at just €80 (about $108) in the third quarter, while the 7020 follows in the fourth quarter with a concealed external display and 2 megapixel cam.
Casio Exilim C721 dummy gets handled, still no sign of an announcement
Now that we know just how seriously Verizon takes validation, there's no telling when (or if) the C721 will see the light of day, but in the meantime, we've got another view of the phone -- this time with way, way less sexual innuendo. PhoneArena has managed to score a C721 dummy unit, noting that the phone is roughly the same size as the Alias 2 (though it trades the second hinge for a pivot). Happily, they report that the keypad and nav controls are a pleasure to use, but here's the thing: a 5 megapixel cam is becoming less impressive by the day, which means the Exilim isn't getting any more logical. Let's try to push this one on the double, eh, Verizon?
Nokia 6750 "Mural" gets FCC-style unveiling for AT&T
Sure, there's a silly little white bar over the AT&T logo on this shiny flip's chin -- but here's the thing: if you're going to scrub the carrier branding from the FCC filing, you've got to be thorough about it, you know? You can clearly see AT&T's "CV" logo on a button for Cellular Video here, not to mention numerous references in the manual -- so yeah, we're pretty confident this thing has a date with destiny on AT&T, assuming it passes the carrier's testing. The 6750 "Mural" is a shiny, fairly attractive flip with external music controls, and if we had to guess, it's going to be running Series 40 since there's no Menu button like an S60 device would need. Kinda funny that it'd have a higher model number than AT&T's 6650 which is S60-based, but whatever -- at least we're getting another decent-looking Nokia around these parts, eh?[Via Phone Scoop]
Samsung Alias 2 launching on May 11, E Ink confirmed?
We're hearing that the Alias 2 is on track for a release in less than two weeks from now -- May 11, to be exact -- which would mean that we're just a few short days away from seeing the very first E Ink handset launch in the States. Yes, that's right, we said it -- after all the heated debate over the technology powering the Alias 2's configurable keypad, our tipster tells us that new information floating down from corporate confirms that the device is using E Ink, which would explain why it's able to maintain state even with the power off. We still think it's one awfully ugly phone, but this might be one of those all-too-frequent cases where cool tech ends up winning our hearts anyway. As for pricing, the tipster thinks it may come in at $79, which seems improbable even with deep contract discounting and a big mail-in rebate -- but if by some miracle it does end up being accurate, they're going to be selling tons of these to text-heavy geeks like ourselves. [Image via PhoneArena, thanks ehjun]
Verizon calling BlackBerry 8230 Pearl Flip the "Apex"?
We've even mentioned it on the podcast -- RIM's naming convention is starting to get confusing, especially in the crowded 8000 range where you've got both an 8230 and an 8320 to worry about (and they're very different phones). TheStreet is claiming that RIM will introduce both the 9630 Tour and a flip phone -- the Apex -- at the company's WES conference next week; we have a very, very hard time believing that Verizon would launch multiple flip BlackBerrys in a short span of time, so that leads us to the logical deduction that the rumored 8230 Pearl Flip will come to be known as the Apex. Makes you wonder how Alltel, Bell, and Telus feel about that, doesn't it?[Via Unwired View]
Sony Ericsson W518a for AT&T gets FCC blessing
Yep, that rumored W508a remix with AGPS is real -- the FCC says so. No word on pricing or availability for the W518a, of course, but we're heartened to see that another decent midrange Sony Ericsson with HSDPA is on its way to AT&T; now all we need is the C905 and we'll be all set. Expect a 3.2 megapixel cam, the full range of Bluetooth profiles, external music controls, and if we had to guess, a pretty hot sticker price on contract.
Flip Video Ultra HD video review
What better way to give you a look at Flip Video's new Ultra HD camcorder than by reviewing it on video... shot with the Ultra HD. The specs are simple: 720p / 30 FPS, 8GB of storage on-board, HDMI out, and pretty much nothing else. Still, a camera this cheap ($199.99) and this small definitely has its uses. Of course, you'll probably be distracted (like we were) by the bad, bad image stabilization issues. But don't just read about it -- take a look at the gallery below to scope out what the thing looks like, then watch the videos after the break to hear (and see) our thoughts, and catch the cam in some heavier -- shakier -- action. Needless to say, both videos are available in HD.
MetroPCS nabs the Samsung Tint
If you're looking for 3G, well, you can keep on looking, but the new Tint flip from Samsung has a few things going for it. MetroPCS' latest AWS-enabled piece does GPS, support for the carrier's ChatLINK "push-to-talk social networking tool," voice recognition, and changeable faceplates -- and what's more, you've got both pink and grey included in the box. If neither of those colors suit your fancy, you've got more options available to you a la carte -- and you can use the Tint's Bluetooth support to make it happen, if you're so inclined. We haven't seen the Tint go live on MetroPCS' site just yet, but it should be available now.
Flip Video Ultra HD makes its unofficial debut, gets unboxed
Thanks Best Buy, we owe you (another) one. Yet again, the big box retailer everyone loves to hate has provided the world with a glimpse of a heretofore unannounced product, and this one's got our mouths all kinds of damp. Barely a month after Cisco picked up Pure Digital for a small fortune, the Flip Video Ultra HD -- which seems to be the natural successor to the standard Ultra -- has already begun to hit select store shelves in America. Notable niceties include an HDMI output, 120 minutes of record time (up from 60 minutes), a removable / rechargeable battery and support for AA cells in a pinch. We're still waiting for the full rundown of specifications (and the price, too), but feel free to tap the read link for a stellar unboxing in the meanwhile.Update: Looks like it's going for $199.99. Thanks Matthies!
Motorola's V10 for South Korea has a little V9 in it
At the time of their announcement a couple years back, Motorola seemed like it was trying to go for the upper end of the feature phone market with its RAZR 2 V8 and V9 models -- but somehow, that doesn't seem to have translated to the new V10 over in Korea. Visually, there's definitely some new design language here, but the basic concept is the same -- it's a clamshell with a giant secondary touchscreen up front -- and the specs seem mostly un-bumped with a 2 megapixel cam, 2GB cap on microSD expansion, and EV-DO. It'll be on Korean shelves in the next few weeks -- we're just thinking Moto should've come to the table with something a little more technically distinctive to earn a +1 bump in the model designation over the V9, no? [Via Unwired View]
World's first waterproof solar cellphone from Sharp makes Somalian pirates say arggg!
In continuation of a recent trend of major manufacturers announcing a new-found interest in making a buck off developing nations solar-powered cellphones, AU (KDDI) and Sharp have announced the June launch of this unnamed solar handset. Besides being the world's first waterproof solar handset, it charges to a minute of talk or 2-hours of standby after just 10 minutes in the sun. No other specs were announced though we seriously doubt it'll be a power-sucking feature- or smart-phone. Naturally, it'll still be a boon to people where electricity is scarce but what about the industrious guy who owns the village car battery?[Via Akihabara News]
The LG Suit is for -- you guessed it -- suits
We can't think of any better way to imply that a phone's boring than by calling it the "Suit" -- and indeed, that's probably a pretty appropriate description for LG's latest domestic market model. The SV710 Suit is apparently designed specifically with the needs of the average businessman in mind, featuring built-in expense and travel reporting apps, an LED clock up front, and all the stuffy corporate politicking you can cram into a 14.7mm-thick shell. You'll also get a 3 megapixel camera with video recording, five totally awesome games (for those rare moments when you're not crunching numbers or packing your briefcase), and the distinct privilege of paying somewhere between 400,000 and 500,000 won (about $300 to $375).
Tracfone intros three-pack of Samsung models
Motorola and LG fans have had no trouble getting their fix on Tracfone -- and Nokia's had its 15 minutes of fame, too -- but Samsung lovers have been out of luck until now. The GSM prepaid carrier has suddenly rolled deep with its Sammy offerings this month, brining the T101G candybar, T201G flip, and T301G slider to the table; all three are dual-band 850 / 1900 offerings, and while none of them are going to be mistaken for INNOV8s, the T301G starts to dive into some semi-modern goodies like Bluetooth, a VGA camera, and downloadable sports scores and weather data using airtime minutes. The trio range in price from $15 up to $50, though the T201G isn't listed for sale just yet. [Via Phone Scoop] Read - Samsung T101G Read - Samsung T301G
Verizon's Casio Exilim C721 confirmed in the middle of a steamy shower scene
Wanted our attention, Casio? Well, good, because you've definitely got it. This isn't necessarily full disclosure of the phone's existence, but for all practical purposes, this... uh, "promotional video" finally fesses up that the Exilim C721 is coming to Verizon (you can catch a glimpse of the carrier's logo if you look closely -- no, not that closely, you sicko). As you might have gathered, our ladyfriend here is using the phone's 5 megapixel cam to snap some naughty shots for her sweetheart, all from the comfort of a warm shower -- thanks in no small part to the phone's water-resistant characteristics. Still no word on pricing, availability, or a full rundown of specs, so in the meantime we're going to be... you know, looping this looking for details. Catch the video after the break. [Via Gearlog]
Verizon's Exilim C721 pictured once again, still not official
We'd totally expected the long-rumored C721 to bow at CTIA last week (come to think of it, those guys had a pretty weak show all told), but alas, we're still waiting for some sort of confirmation that the thing even exists. The 5 megapixel cameraphone -- which gets blessed with Casio's Exilim branding on account of its relatively serious shooting power -- has now popped up over at BuyWirelessNow under the PCD heading, suggesting that the company will be brokering the deal between Casio and Verizon for the new model as it has done in the past. It's a slightly clearer picture of the phone than we've managed to see in the past, but seriously, it's just five megapixels, guys -- let's get this one out before eight becomes the norm, yeah? [Via Phone Arena]
Sprint's LG Lotus back for round three in red
It's not available just yet, but Sprint has released a fact sheet for a third color of its unusual Lotus clamshell -- this time in red. Like the purple version, this one features a stylized cover (less flashy folk might consider sticking with the unstyled matte black model), but otherwise, all the specs carry over. If our leaks on this one have been accurate, we can expect this bad boy mid-April -- likely for the same price on contract after rebate as its siblings, which would peg it for $99.99. [Via Phone Arena]
Alltel gets official with Motorola VE465
We'd already known it was coming, but Alltel has now dropped full details on the VE465 flip from Motorola. The relatively low end handset features a 1.3 megapixel cam, microSD slot supporting up to 4GB of data, stereo Bluetooth, and -- in support of that media capability -- an interesting "call" / "media" mode-switching capability that changes the keypad lighting depending on what you're trying to do (you can kinda think of it as ModeShift "lite"). This sucker's available right now for $50 on contract after an instant rebate.
LG GM630 does mobile TV of some sort
These days, there are seemingly dozens of TV technologies a phone can choose to support -- take the glofiish V900, for example, which goes the standards-agnostic route and packs frickin' four of them -- so it's difficult to deduce what sort of circuitry a heretofore-unknown LG with a "TV" button placed prominently below the display might include. That being said, this brightly-colored GM630 flip with a landscape display has leaked on a Brazilian site -- one of the few countries where one-seg is in use -- so we wouldn't be surprised if that's what was going on here. Otherwise, CelularCafe reports that the phone will have an FM radio, Bluetooth, EDGE data, and a 2 megapixel cam; something tells us those specs aren't good enough to get a US release, and given that the US has as many functional one-seg networks as it has DAB broadcasts, that's just fine by us. [Via Unwired View]
