w760
Latest
Samsung's SCH-W760 with infrared video conferencing is ready for your parole hearing
We get it. Sometimes, not often, but sometimes when you're staring into the sad abyss of an empty Tennessee fifth, the idea of initiating an impromptu video conference in total darkness seems mighty compelling. That's where Samsung's SCH-W760 with 7.2Mbps HSDPA and front-facing infrared camera can help. It's available now in Korea and could be the difference between making a solo bed-spin performance or 3- to 6-months served at county for violating your restraining order. The choice is yours for KRW580,000 or about 445 of the green stuff.
Samsung's SCH-W760 features night vision cam for Blair Witch-style video calls
On the surface, the new SCH-W760 looks like a totally typical midrange Korean domestic market slider: 3 megapixel camera, DMB reception, Bluetooth, and a semi-notable 2.8-inch AMOLED display. You know, the usual. A closer look reveals one very interesting feature, though -- it features a front cam sensitive to infrared spectrum so that you can hold grayscale video calls in complete darkness. Beyond scaring the poo out of friends with your spooky, grainy, low-res visage and holding the occasional video conference from the confines of an unlit closet, we have absolutely no idea what practical value this offers -- but look, ridiculous features are what exotic new handsets are all about. Well played, Samsung. The W760 hasn't yet been officially announced, though it'll apparently be coming to SKT, so keep an eye peeled (and bring a flashlight).
Sony Ericsson's W760a 3G Walkman now available on AT&T
It's been a long time coming (isn't it always with Sony Ericsson and AT&T?), but the January-announced W760 Walkman slider is finally hitting the US on contract. Announced today, the shakeable W760a will be available in AT&T locations, bringing with it 3G support, a 3.2-megapixel camera, AT&T Navigator and "full HTML web browsing." In case you haven't seen already, it'll be available in red, black and silver motifs, with the latter hue being exclusive to RadioShack for a limited time. Check it as early as today for $129.99 (with a 2-year agreement) after mail-in rebate.
Upcoming AT&T phones get priced
It's always a good sign when rumored handsets get slapped with price tags, because that means that releases are right around the corner, too -- usually, anyhow. To that end, AT&T's latest stock information indicates that the S60-powered Nokia 6650 will run $129.99 in your choice of red or silver, as will the Sony Ericsson W760a; the Samsung a637 will be coming in for $49.99, so we're expecting some pretty low-end stuff there; the Pantech C740 "Matrix" is priced at $79.99, and finally, the Motorola V9x we found out about way back in early July is checking in at a princely $199.99. All prices are after rebate, too, so we wouldn't expect any miraculous deals on these -- at least for the first few weeks.[Thanks, Kal]
Sony Ericsson launches Zeemote's JS1 Controller bundle for the W760
Tilt controls might be getting all the fanfare, what with the iPhone and Sony Ericsson's own W760 featuring tilt gaming, but the analog stick still reigns supreme when it comes to getting some actual fragging done. We spotted Zeemote's promising JS1 mobile joystick back at MWC this year, featuring four trigger buttons and an analog nub, but the little Bluetooth controller is finally getting a release. In fact, Sony Ericsson is giving this thing away in the Netherlands, with the purchase of a W760. Sadly, folks who already own a W760, don't live in the Netherlands, or just want a stand-alone JS1 for throwing at people or wedging in small crevices are still out of luck -- still no word on price or release of the thing outside this deal.
Sony Ericsson's C905, Z780 and X1 hands-on
We got our grubby mitts all over the latest and greatest from Sony Ericsson, including that new C905 8 megapixel monstrosity, and, of course, the Xperia X1. The C905 is certainly no slouch in the camera department, with that for-serious Xenon flash and dedicated camera keys, but you'll pay for it in thickness -- the C905 is a good deal thicker than its Walkman counterparts, though that does leave room for a nicely formed slide-out keypad. The C905 is capable of geotagging pictures, but can't upload on the fly to photo services just yet like Nokia's new phones, though such capability is in the works. While the C905 seems finely honed for a specific purpose, the Z780 flip phone seems much more plain jane in comparison, with a rather large size despite its "slim proportions" and a lack of detailing in styling to make it really pop. But, of course, who needs all that featurephone nonsense when you've got the X1 staring 'em all down? We got to twiddle around with an out-of-battery Xperia for a minute, and it's certainly one of the thickest and heaviest phones headed for the market in the near future -- though the upside of that is some glorious build quality, an immense WVGA screen and an expansive, highly touchable keyboard. SE certainly does seem to have something for everybody, but with Moto apparently working on an 8 megapixel camera of its own, and touchscreen rivals to the X1 hogging all the spotlight, SE's isn't looking at an easy road to bumping back that profitability. Oh, and in case you were interested, the gallery below also includes the W760 sporting a black finish, a pink-ish red-ish W580 and the wonderfully tiny W350i.%Gallery-26014%
A look at AT&T's pipeline, early March 2008 edition
We've already mentioned that the LG Vu is looking solid for a late March release after being held up (or so they say, anyway) to work through a few MediaFLO issues; we've now received independent confirmation that it's true -- assuming no more issues arise, of course -- but that's not all. No, far from it, in fact. The Sony Ericsson Z750 is apparently inbound for a release within two weeks, and along with the rugged Motorola W760 "Hurricane" (pictured), that should close out AT&T's March docket.Moving on to April and beyond, the Pantech "Breeze" is expected some time next month, but don't get too excited -- it's an entry level flip that should move out the door free on contract. The Motorola Z9 slider should lackadaisically stroll into stores in late April, and finally, we've heard that the Nokia N95 has been approved by the carrier's powers that be (!!!) and should be available in the second quarter; no word on whether it's the standard N95 or the N95 8GB, though. How about an N96 with MediaFLO while you're at it, guys?[Thanks, Kal]Update: We've just heard from another tipster that the N95 in question is the original for the North American market, the N95-3. It apparently just started going through the arduous approval process last week, a testing marathon that takes roughly 400 hours -- four to six months -- to complete. By then, we'll all have 4G radios embedded directly within our brains and be living in terraformed colonies on Mars, but it was a nice thought on AT&T's part nonetheless.
Hands-on with Sony Ericsson's W760
Of Sony Ericsson's three handsets launches today, the Walkman-branded W760 holds the most promise of landing over here thanks to its healthy dose of HSDPA in all the flavors we love. This slider is definitely well put together and felt rather hefty -- in an altogether pleasant way -- while we played with it during our brief visit this afternoon, though we could definitely find some room for improvement for the keys on the front. Nothing mind blowing, but we like the addition of GPS, the slider keypad is top notch, and being able to control the preloaded racing game by just rocking the phone, well, rawked. We're hoping we'll have some provider news in the near future, but until then, enjoy the gallery.%Gallery-12852%
Sony Ericsson announces W760 Walkman slider
Though Sony Ericsson already has a couple phones out with support for North American 3G, you're feasting your eyes on the first and only Walkman branded handset to feature the sacred 850 and 1900MHz bands of HSDPA action. The W760 slider features quadband EDGE plus triband HSDPA, integrated GPS, FM radio, 3.2 megapixel camera, Memory Stick expansion, stereo speakers, and support for the "SensMe" technology recent handsets from the company have been rocking, allowing users to simply shake the phone to control music playback. No word on pricing, but it should launch in the second quarter of the year.
