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Nokia to use Microsoft Zune software for iPhone battle

It seems that Microsoft has to team up with Nokia to try and take the fight to Apple with their iPhone. As we know Nokia is losing the battle when it comes to sales of handsets against the iPhone, the reason behind this is how good the software is on the all in one handset.

One of the greatest features of the iPhone is how you are able to use iTunes to access your music on the phone like an iPod. It is that feature where Nokia does not have an answer for.

Well there might be some hope for the phone maker, as they are getting together with Microsoft to integrate the Zune software on to Nokia phones. This news has come as a bit of a shock, considering Nokia support every operating system except Windows.

Microsoft knows that they are taking a beating from Apple, which is why they have to support more than one platform now.

Many had expected Microsoft to launch their own phone to rival Apple’s iPhone, but it does make sense to partner Nokia who is the largest cell phone provider in the world.

So could Nokia and Zune be enough to kick the iPhone of its throne?

Source

BlackBerry Bold goes to Movistar Chile first

Many would have thought that one of the big North American carriers would have been first to get the BlackBerry Bold, but it seems that the new Research In Motion handset is heading to Chile first on the Moviestar network.

It seems that Moviestar feel that they have pulled something truly amazing, which is why they are shouting from the rooftops that they are the first carrier to launch the new RIM Blackberry Bold.

I still have a hard time wondering how Moviestar managed to pull off such a coup; Chile is not exactly the greatest market in the world to launch a new phone.

The Blackberry Bold is not a cheap handset; in Chile the new RIM cell will cost 299,990 Chilean pesos about $588. It seems that being one of the first to own a Blackberry Bold comes at a high price.

Source

Seven new LiMo open-source phones launched

Things are beginning to heat up in the world of open-source mobile systems, as a number of companies have launched seven more cell phones which are based on the LiMo (Linux for Mobile) software platform.

With these seven new phones, the total number of LiMo phones now stands at 21.

The new phones have been launched by Motorola, NEC and Panasonic, with NEC launching the most. Firstly there is the Motorola Motozine ZN5, then we have Panasonic Forma P906i and P706iμ and finally the NEC Forma N906i, N906iμ, N906iL and N706i.

A few of these cell phones feature the forthcoming 2.0 release of the Linux-based mobile platform, this gives you higher resolution displays along with 3G/High-speed downlink packet access. Other features include mobile TV, GPS as well as advanced video streaming.

LiMo is one of many Linux-based mobile alternatives to the forthcoming Google Android.

Source

Apple iPhone Nano: Is a smaller form factor needed?

Today is not the first time we have heard about the Apple iPhone Nano, although it is the first time we have had this rumored device confirmed by a major newspaper for the UK market.

While this seems a solid rumor, do we really need the iPhone in a smaller form factor?

The large screen, big storage, 3G and other features on the latest iPhone is very handy. The iPod Nano was needed to fill a gap in the portable media player market but I am not so sure about the iPhone.

We have a massive range for phones available from all sorts of brands; the iPhone is one of our favourites. Stripping this device down and having a smaller less featured device would not be needed in our view.

Would you want a Nano version of the iPhone that’s also less featured?

The Daily Mail reports from their inside sources that the UK is getting an iPhone Nano in Christmas 2008. The device will appeal to phone users that want PAYG for the cheap price of £150 and not the dearer price of a PAYG iPhone 3G.

How would you feel if Santa put an iPhone Nano under your tree this year?

Read more iPhone Nano news.

The Apple iPhone Story: 1999 to 2008

This is the iPhone story that started thanks to the man himself, Steve Jobs, who was born in 1955 and started to plan the future of technology.

In 1999 Apple registered the domain www.iphone.org, then in 2002 the first real rumors of an iPhone appear. The Apple iPhone trademark was registered in 2003.

2005 saw Apple announce the iTunes phone – Motorola ROKR E1 and a year later we saw Cisco cheekily launch the iPhone VOIP phone.

On the 9th of January 2007, Jobs announced the iPhone and come May 25th of the same year the first Chinese clone arrived (many more have followed). The US launched the iPhone on June 29th and the UK followed on November 9th.

Before the iPhone even reached the UK hackers had broken the iPhone software on August 23rd. The following year we saw a 16GB iPhone launched, the date was February 5th, 2008.

This was followed with a £100 price drop on April 15th and the iPhone 3G rumors were confirmed on June 9th. Lastly, last month on July 11th the iPhone 3G was launched in 22 countries around the world.

Now what should we expect in 2009 from Apple and their iPhone?

View the latest iPhone 3G news here.

Nokia N96 UK Release October 1

We have known for a while now that the Nokia N96 was coming, but we did not know the exact UK release date. Well now we do, the handset is due for UK release on October 1.

Nokia have kept the launch of this phone back, as they wanted to make sure that the N96 was up to scratch. Nokia are hoping that this mobile phone will become the next best selling phone since the iPhone from Apple, that’s going to be a tall order.

The advantage that the Nokia N96 has over the iPhone is the fact that it will be available on all the major UK phone networks. From 3, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

Some of the main features of the Nokia N96 are 16GB of external memory, a TV tuner as well as a 5 megapixel camera and 3G speeds.

You have to wonder if the Nokia N96 will be able to topple the iPhone, judging by some of the features of the phone; it does have a very good chance.

For all the Specs on the Nokia N96 visit: Phones Review

Sidekick 2008 from T-Mobile

After all the hassle that has surrounded T-Mobile over what to call their latest Danger device, looks as though they have kept things simple and called it Sidekick 2008.

Sometime it is easier to keep things simple and that is just what T-Mobile has done. Do not mistake the Sidekick for something that your dad used to use a few years back.

The Sidekick 2008 is truly the real deal, thanks to a 400 x 240 WQVGA display and a 2 megapixel camera and video recorder. This cell phone also comes with Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP; extra storage is available thanks to a microSD slot.

T-Mobile has said that the Sidekick 2008 is the successor to the iD spiritual however; it looks as though it could be closer to the LX.

The Sidekick 2008 should be able to shift a good number of units; the $149.99 asking price on a two-year contract will help to do that.

Source - Engadget via Phones Review

Motorola MOTO U9: The Stylish Side of Music

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced that the stylish MOTO U9 is now available unlocked for GSM networks in the U.S. exclusively through MOTOSTORE. In addition to its curvaceous, graceful design, the U9 features an abundance of mobile entertainment features.

“MOTO U9 is a stylish phone, designed for trendsetters seeking to make a fashion statement,” said Pete Peterson, general manager, global ecommerce, Motorola Mobile Devices. “In addition, U9 delivers a dynamic music experience, allowing consumers to carry the music that moves them anywhere they go.” Read more

Hands-on: Samsung BlackJack II 3G on AT&T

This is the Samsung BlackJack II 3G on AT&T and Phones Review have given it a full hands-on review in the best possible way.

They have looked in detail at the Samsung BlackJack 2 and took a closer look at the software, given readers international travel tips, full Specifications and tons of photos.

This is the first part of their review (Read Here). They have taken many photos showing all angles of the cell phone, packaging and more. The next review post will cover the features, the keypad and functions.

The Samsung BlackJack II’s main features include: a 2.4-inch TFT Display, QWERTY Keyboard, Dual Core ARM 9 (260 MHz) processor, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB v2.0, 2 MP Camera - 1600×1200 pixels & video, Built-in GPS receiver, Mobile TV receiver, microSD, 3G HSDPA, measures 114 x 61 x 13 mm, has 7 hours talk time and 330 hours standby.

Read the full review on Phones Review or read other Samsung news here.

Rumor: iPhone 3G coming to Orange UK in October

We all know O2 have the exclusive rights to the iPhone 3G in the UK, although it looks like that will be short lived. We are hearing a rumor that Orange UK is to get the iPhone and it could be as soon as October.

The latest news on iPhone colors was Red. This was a new color coming to the design of the iPhone 3G. Things now look to be kind of Orange and this is said to be from a very credible source on the inside.

The blog on Omio claims that O2 will keep selling the iPhone and Orange will become the UK’s second carrier.

We know how experienced Orange is already with the iPhone. They are selling the Apple phone in France and a few other countries.

How can Apple let Orange sell the iPhone 3G when it’s meant to be exclusive with O2? It’s been rumored for some time that the exclusivity deal with O2 was a three-year agreement.

Do you think more networks for the iPhone is better for the user?

Source: Read | View more iPhone 3G news here.

Samsung Anycall Haptic beats the LG Viewty

We all love the Apple iPhone, but if you are a Samsung lover then back in March they launched the Anycall Haptic which has a large touch-screen, much like the iPhone. There is one thing that this phone has that the Apple iPhone does not a Haptic Pad, so you are able to feel the clicks.

I have an iPhone and I hate not being able to feel what I am doing on the phone, this is something that the LG Viewty has had for a while now, so it was about time Samsung come up with their own phone with a Haptic Pad.

The Samsung Anycall Haptic goes one better than the LG Viewty as there are 22 kinds of touch sensations, so you can control how much sensation you want to feel in your fingers.

Haptic is from the Greek “haptesthai,” which means touch. The plural form haptics means science and physiology of the sense of touch.

Scientists have studied the haptic technology for years, so by the time Samsung wanted to apply it to their Samsung Anycall Haptic, they knew a lot about the biology of touch.

Source

Samsung Tocco vs Apple iPhone 3G: Price, features & performance

Nearly every phone that is in the top end of the market always gets compared to the iPhone these days and now we get to have a closer look at the Samsung Tocco vs. the Apple iPhone 3G.

The Samsung Tocco is an impressive phone but is it good enough to take down the Apple device. T3 take a look at the two phones and compare the price, features and performance.

On price they found the Samsung Tocco to be the winner with availability on any network. O2 will give the Tocco away for free when you choose the £35 a month plan, which comes with 400 free texts and 400 anytime minutes.

The performance comparison went to the iPhone and the features test was won by the Samsung Tocco. The Tocco has a 5MP camera with a Xenon flash and you can create and edit videos on the phone.

View the full details of the comparisons on T3. You can also read news about the iPhone 3G here.

New Photos of Nokia 5800 Tube

This is the Nokia 5800 Tube in the wild and it was also shown briefly in the Dark Knight movie. The Nokia 5800 touchscreen phone features: a 3.2 megapixel Carl Zeiss optical lens with autofocus and dual LED flash, Fifth edition of Symbian S60, 16:9 display mode and a 640 × 360 pixel resolution.

If your familiar with the S60 menu and want a Nokia phone sporting some of the latest technology, then you’re looking at it. You can view more photos via the Nokia Blog (see link below this post).

Other specifications of the Nokia 5800 Tube include: a BL-5J 1150mah Battery, TV-out interface, 3.5 mm Headset interface, weighs only 104 grams and measures 111×52×14.5mm, 140 MB RAM, Built-in GPS, GSM / GPRS / EDGE / WCDMA / HSDPA / WLAN and Bluetooth.

You will love the finger touch operation on the 16 million color TFT LCD. This also provides vibration feedback when using.

Currently we have no idea of pricing or when the 5800 Tube will be released.

Read other Nokia news | Found via The Nokia Blog

Experiences with Apple and O2: White iPhone 3G in the UK

While the white Apple iPhone 3G was not available on the launch day in the UK and we have no idea if and when it will be coming, one user is getting upset.

On the Apple Discussions section of their site, one use claims that MOD’s keep removing posts about unhappy customers who can’t upgrade to the White iPhone 3G within the UK.

Why do the mod’s keep removing posts about unhappy customers within the UK who can’t upgrade to the White iPhone 3G?

This is a user forum Correct?

So why are we not being aloud to talk openly about our experiences with Apple and o2 over obtaining (or not obtaining, as the case maybe) this phone?

Until Apple releases something official to us existing o2 iPhone customers to confirm why we cannot get the white model, can you please stop removing these posts.

This is our only means of communicating the difficulties we are having.

No one here is saying anything detrimental towards Apple or o2; we are simply passing on information we are being told by both these parties. Information that other users should be aware of.

What has your experiences been with Apple and O2, when you try and find out about obtaining the white iPhone 3G in the UK?

Do you think they are trying to keep a lid on things or is this user just extra paranoid? Read other iPhone 3G news.

Hands on: LG KF750 Secret Mobile Phone & Game Video

Over the past two weeks I have been reviewing the LG KF750 Mobile Phone that has been designed to perform to the highest standard and look great which I can reveal it does just that. The LG KF750 combines its stylish design with a very clear LCD. The LCD gives you an interactive experience that I am sure you will be very happy with.

My first impression of the KF750 was that it has a great design and is a similar size to my old phone which was the LG KF600 (101.2×50.7×14.1mm), now I thought that phone was great apart from the mirror screen that made it hard to see outside. Despite the fact that the LG KF750 still has a kind of mirror screen you can still see it outside which is great Read more

Sony Ericsson Walkman’s: W902 and W595

It’s hot outside, summer and music go together so well, and this is just what Sony wants with their new Sony Ericsson Walkman’s. The W902 and W595 want your music.

The Sony Ericsson W902 is the first photo on this page and it features retro style music navigation keys, a 240 x 320 and 2.2in scratch-resistant screen, supports MP3- and AAC-format audio tracks, includes a five-megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom and a free 8GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) memory card.

The other music phone from Sony Ericsson is the new W595 slider, it features a 2.2in display that does not include scratch protection (well it does not say it includes it), a 3.2-megapixel camera with 2.5x digital zoom, a free 2GB M2 card, support for MP3- and AAC-format audio tracks.

Both phones can be shaken to change the audio volume or music track, support 3G connections over HSDPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/Edge.

Both phones will be coming later this year, we have no price information but we do know they can be chosen in a range of colours.

You can read the full specs on Phones Review, Sony Ericsson W595 or W902 and read more Sony Ericsson news here. Also see Reg Hardware’s take on these phones.

Verizon Wireless and Motorola announce Motorola Adventure V750

Verizon Wireless and Motorola, Inc. announced that the Motorola Adventure V750, a rugged Push to Talk phone designed for the most extreme conditions, will be available beginning today through business sales channels and online at verizonwireless.com.

Ideal for the highly-mobile and active individual, the feature-rich V750 offers a durable and reliable solution for Verizon Wireless Push to Talk customers and leverages the high-speeds of the Verizon Wireless Evolution-Data Optimized Read more

iPhone 3G Software 2.0 Fix in 3 Weeks

The Apple iPhone 2.0 software has been a nightmare for thousands of phone users since the day they updated, with many problems including the extreme lag that we have had, friends, Product Reviews readers have had and hundreds on the Apple official forum.

While we all want our problems to go away from the nice new iPhone 3G or first generation iPhones that got the 2.0 update, it is not that simple.

When will we see another firmware update to fix the many reported problems and complete slow down of the iPhone?

Today one Product Reviews reader claims to have been told that an update is coming in 3 weeks:

My iPhone 3g is much slower than my wife’s iPhone 1. It also fails to make calls and when I switch from wireless to Edge or 3G I have to reboot in order to get any eMail to work.

I went to Apple and they have heard all this before and say a new update should be available in 3 weeks. I’m not holding my breath.

Lets hope it comes in no longer than 3 weeks, although personally many iPhone owners want the next firmware now. If you have an update from Apple, please let us know in the comments or view more iPhone 3G news here.

iPhone 3G: from $200 to $177,300

Apple was very clever by reducing the cost of the iPhone 3G to only $200, and as they say you get twice the speed for half the price.

Now what does it take to get the price of the iPhone 3G from $200 to $177,300, the answer would be the Amosu Ultimo Diamond that is also the world’s most expensive iPhone.

The iPhone 3G has an extra $177,100 put on the price thanks to Amosu putting 1179 dazzling 16.18 carat diamonds on the exterior that’s handcrafted by skilled craftsmen.

The rear of the phone is certainly not plastic, this iPhones bottom is made from 18-carat solid white gold encrusted with 660 diamonds and the front features 458 diamonds.

The Apple logo always looks stylish on Apple products and this iPhone takes it a step further with 61 diamonds making up the famous Apple symbol.

Born Rich explain about some extras you get when you buy the worlds most expernsive iPhone 3G, you can expect some cool extras if you have got $177,300 to spend.

And when you cough up that much sum for just blinged communication device, than you can certainly look forward for some more grand perks. Like the owner of the Amosu Ultimo Diamond IPhone will receive one year’s complimentary VIP International Concierge Service, focused on ‘accessing the inaccessible’. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the service will save the Amosu Luxury customer time, hassle and money. From front row seats at fashion shows and spur-of-the-moment chartered yachts, the VIP Concierge will make it happen.

While I love my iPhone, imagining paying $177,300 for one seems a little crazy. Visit Amosu or view other iPhone 3G news.

iPhone 3G Lag is intolerable! Video example

We reported yesterday about the major iPhone software problems that affect the first generation device and the newer iPhone 3G, it was first seen by us on our iPhone and then later confirmed by our readers and the Apple site.

Today we see how big the problem really is, there is a post on Apple forums titled “iPhone 3G Lag is intolerable” and they show some links to YouTube videos, you can see one of the videos below this post.

The video below shows you clearly just how slow the iPhone has become after upgrading to the iPhone 2.0 software, although you can reboot the iPhone every few hours to speed things up, we really need another firmware update to correct this problem

The person who posted on Apple Discussions has had over 6,000 views to that post, this is what they said:

We are a couple of Swedish guys that have been talking about the IPhone 3G since we bought it and then we started to compare the old phone and the new and everyone had extreme problems in lag in the interface on the IPhone 3G compared to the 1st Gen IPhone. So we decided to make a video so people can really see and compare.

This lag that people are having is not the only problem but is followed by Applications crashing, OS is freezing, safari going haywire. Touch not responding.

Also ive gotten info that upgraded 1st Gen IPhones that have updated to 2.0 is getting the same lag.

Apple has stayed very quiet so far on this issue; we are waiting to hear of a fix and when it will become available.