Samsung Announces New Instinct for Sprint

Samsung today announced the Instinct S30, a successor to the Instinct. The Instinct S30 (model number SPH-M810) is more streamlined than the orginal, and will be available in two colors: “Cobalt Metal” and “Touch of Copper”. The S30 will come with Opera Mini 4.2, calendar sync, IM, and an upgraded memory card slot supporting 32 GB cards. For data, the S30 has EVDO Rel. 0. Otherwise, the S30 is similar in size and specs to the original Instinct, including a 2-megapixel camera and threaded messaging. The S30 will also sport more advanced APIs for developers to create advanced Java applications, including APIs for multimedia, messaging, Bluetooth, Contacts, Calendar, and the filesystem. All of these APIs will be available on all future Sprint Java phones. The Instinct S30 will be availble April 19 for $129.99, with a 2-year contract, after $70 instant savings and $100 mail-in rebate.

Samsung B7300 specs show up

We told you a while ago that Samsung B7300 Windows Mobile touchscreen handset is on the way.
But, except for the good looks, we didn’t know very much about it then. Well, today we learned the key specs of Samsung B7300 and they are nothing much to write about.

The best thing we can say about Samsung B7300 now, is that it will most likely be a pretty cheap full touch smartphone.

samsung-b7300-specs

The specs of upcoming Samsung B7300 include:

* Quad-band GSM, GPRS, Edge connectivity
* Windows Mobile OS, TouchWiz UI
* 3.2” 320×400px TFT LCD touchsreen
* 3.2 megapixel camera
* FM Radio
* built-in GPS
* Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 (microUSB)
* Dimensions: 107,9 x 51,8 x 12,98 mm
* Weight: 100gr

Unfortunately, even if it kept the good looks of Samsung UltraTouch S8300 and is a smartphone, B7300 lost too many good parts to make me happy. You know, things like slide-out keypad, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.

Still, it will probably be a rather cheap device for a full touch smartphone. And if it manages to get into below 200 EUR price range, it might become quite a seller for Samsung.

Concept – iPhone killer by Sony Ericsson

An Esato forum member known as beta-tester has posted his version of a new Sony Ericsson’s smartphone P3i. The idea is that the device works on new interface for UIQ platform (finger-oriented input). We’ve recently written about leaked pictures from the closed presentation probably demonstrating the interface. Sony Ericsson hasn’t made any official confirmation and its fans are creating the iPhone-style concepts.

Sony Ericsson P3i is equipped with a big touchscreen and has no buttons. In addition the device combines advantages of Cyber-shot cameraphones (5-megapixel camera) and Walkman handsets. But I’d remind you this is just a concept. So time will show what will be the real iPhone killer by Sony Ericsson (if exists).

Pictures of new Sony Ericsson W44S super-flip Bravia phone

Sony Ericsson have announced a new mobile phone with an exotic looking super-flip form factor. Instead of opening vertically, like a traditional clamshell, the new Sony Ericsson W44S Bravia phone flips open on it side, revealing a huge screen that's perfect for viewing movies and mobile TV on.

Mobile TV? Yup, this Sony Ericsson's got the lot.

More details and koads more pictures of the Sony Ericsson W44S Bravia phone after the jump.

The specs for the W44S are pretty impressive (which is what you'd expect for a Japanese phone):

• one-seg digital TV broadcast reception
• digital radio reception
• CDMA EVDO
• felica electronic money
• 3" (240×432 16:9) wide screen with Bravia RealityMAXtechnology
• 3.2MP CMOS camera with AutoFocus
• dual 16mm diameter stereo speakers for 128voices polyphonic ringtone
• MS Pro Duo slot built in 115Mb flash

Ironically, this has got me pretty annoyed! This is a superb mobile phone, and can clearly take on Nokia's latest N-Series multimedia computers, but Sony Ericsson have chosen to make it a Japanese-only model (destined for AU KDDI, if you're interested!). This means those of us outside of Japan have to put up with Sony Ericsson's less technologically-impressive mobile phones, which, although great mobile phones, don't come anywhere near what Nokia has planned with the Nokia N95.

This presumably is part of Sony Ericsson's strategy - release stunning tour de force phones in its home Japanese market, while leaving other territories with good, but inferior, phones. This is a similar strategy that Samsung and LG follow, and it's fair enough to a degree, as the Japanese and Korean markets expect higher levels of technology than we do in the UK and elsewhere. But it's still annoying for those of us thirsting for a Sony Ericsson mobile TV phone that can take on Nokia at its game (and generally with better styling).

However, this strategy leaves Nokia blazing the trail for top-end mobile phones, and risks demoting Sony Ericsson in the eyes of the consumer as a maker of good but not market-leading mobile phones. Although this strategy hasn't hurt Motorola yet (whose technology is seamingly years behind the others), Motorola struck lucky with the designer looks of the RAZR, and that's a fad that may be coming to an end (or at least being taken up by LG with the LG Chocolate and LG Shine ranges).

Given that Sony Ericsson have traditionally been known for their high-end high-tech phones, this presumed change of focus may not be the best marketing strategy for the company.

Which is just a long winded way of me saying "come on Sony Ericsson, we want more!" :)

Sony Ericsson P5i

The rumored specs for Sony Ericsson P5i are:

• 360 MHz CPU
• Symbian 9.3 OS, UIQ 3.2, new Touchscreen UI
• HSDPA&HSUPA connectivity
• 2.8″ VGA (!) touchscreen
• 5 megapixel camera with Auto Focus and flash
• Built-in GPS&Wi-Fi b/g
• 160 MB ROM and 128 MB SDRAM
• MicroSD/Memory Stick M2 card slot
• Weight: 125 gr

SE P5i is expected to be announced this month, probably even next week, and should start shipping in May/June 2008.

While these reports about upcoming Sony Ericsson P5i are just rumors from Esato board so far, I’m inclined to believe them. They are confirmed by the Esato posters that claim to be a SE phone beta-testers, who have the phone and a history of quality news/posts to prove it.

Nokia Strapup Phone Bracelet Is Ideal for Clubbers

Nokia Strapup is the ideal tool for party people and it’s not quite a phone, in the proper meaning of the word. The bracelet-shaped device sends predefined messages to your friends, which are triggered by your movements, while dancing. No typing, no fuss… Just dance and your friends will find out where you are and what’re you doing, having a good time that is.

Nokia claims that it doesn’t plan to manufacture this bracelet phone too soon…