Mobile Phone News

Filed under: Handsets, ASUS, O2, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE

We couldn’t deny that the ASUS-built O2 Xda Zest was a real, live, breathing mobile, but at long last the carrier has made the phone available for purchase. Hailed as the first O2 Xda to be offered on a Pay&Go prepaid plan (as well as a traditional postpaid plan), the Windows Mobile 6.1-based unit can be acquired on November 17th for £249.99 (2) with the Pay&Go option or as low as free on certain Pay Monthly contracts. As a refresher, this one brings a 2.8-inch display, a free fortnight of the CoPilot Sat Nav software, a 3-megapixel camera, multimedia player, WiFi and HSDPA.

O2 Xda Zest is first Xda on Pay&Go, on sale November 17th originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Symbian, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

Details are in, Nokia has a new flagship phone. The N97 packs a 3.5-inch, 640 x 360 pixel (that’s a 16:9 aspect ratio) resistive touchscreen display with tactile feedback and QWERTY keyboard into this sliding communicator with an “continuously open” window to favorite internet or social networking sites. Nokia calls it the “world’s most advanced mobile computer.” To back up the claim they’ve dropped in HSDPA, WiFi, and Bluetooth radios, A-GPS, a 3.5-mm headjack, 32GB of onboard memory with microSD expansion (for up to 48GB total capacity), and a battery capable of up to 1.5 days of continuous audio playback or 4.5-hours video. 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss glass and “DVD quality” video capture at 30fps, too. The specs are certainly impressive, let’s see if the S60 5th Edition OS can support it. The N97 will launch with a retail price set at around €550 ($693) excluding subsidies and taxes, phone to ship in H1 2009.

Update: Hah, Nokia just boasted on stage at Nokia World that the N97 was the scoop “Engadget didn’t get.” O RLY??? Sure looks like the device codenamed Eitri that we broke to the world last month.

Update 2: Video demonstration after the break.

Read — Press Release
Read — A bit more detail

Continue reading Nokia unveils flagship N97 phone [update: video!]

Nokia unveils flagship N97 phone [update: video!] originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile, EV-DO, CDMA

If it’s a 5-megapixel cameraphone you’re looking for, there are definitely inexpensive entries on the market — but if only a 5-megapixel WinMo Professional set will do, the Omnia’s just about the best (read: only) deal you’ll find on an American carrier these days. The CDMA translation of the smartphone that Samsung’s been selling in other parts of the world for much of 2008 in GSM form carries over most of its key features, namely Windows Mobile 6.1 with TouchWiz, WiFi, DivX certification, the love-it-or-hate-it optical directional pad, and that beefy cam with flash and autofocus. It also nabs VZ Navigator support, stereo Bluetooth, a 3.2-inch 400 x 240 display, and 8GB of internal memory. Gives pause to that imminent Touch Pro purchase, doesn’t it? Look for it to be available for order this week — a full retail launch is expected come December 8 — for $249.99 after rebate on a two-year contract.

Verizon declare Samsung Omnia for $249.99 originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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