As mobile phones have shrunk in size, so one boffin or another has invariably thought "at last, it's small enough to strap onto someone's wrist and call the thing a watch phone!" The result has invariably been a frankenstein-esque device that looks remarkably like a mobile phone bolted onto a watch strap - in other words, more phone than watch, and not at all what you want hanging on your wrist.
Finally, though, all that's set to change as mobile phone technology has at last reached the size where it can be incorporated into the dimensions of a watch and so actually look like one. The proof is this, the SMS Watchfone M500, from Australian company SMS Technology.
More details and pics after the jump.
Posted on Thursday, May 31st, 2007 at 12:30 am by Mike Evans
Filed under
News,
Phones
Posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 12:21 am by Mike Evans
Filed under
Rumours
More rumours, this time for version 2 of the Apple iPhone. Apparently, Quanta Computer may be developing a second version of the Apple iPhone that will be sold in different markets from the original iPhone.
According to Quanta, "Quanta and Apple are building a tighter than ever relationships. Quanta not only manufactures NB and iPod for Apple, but also may have receive the order to make the second generation of the Apple iPhone. iPhone is a smartphone based mobile, and the second generation model shipment is expected in September 2007 with forecast of 5 million units in 2008."
EngadgetMobile speculates that the Quant-built version of the iPhone will come with 3G and/or HSDPA for the European market, which is a fair bet, as the iPhone will need at least 3G if it's to compete effectively with equivalent phones from the likes of Nokia, Samsung and co. 3G is much more widespread in Europe than it is in the States, and it's difficult to see how a phone billed as an "Internet Appliance" can use the Internet effectively using slow GPRS data rates.
[Source: ITWire, via EngadgetMobile]
Posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 12:14 am by Mike Evans
Filed under
Rumours
A rumour has reached us regarding a novel feature of a forthcoming Sony Ericsson phone. The feature in question is the ability to shake the phone to change music track. Shake it forward, and the phone will start playing the next track - shake it backwards, and it'll play the previous track. Shake the phone form side to side and you get a random tune.
Apparently the new shaker phone will be part of Sony Ericsson's new S-series, and could even be in the forthcoming S500 recently announced. More details when we get them.
[Source: Esato]
Posted on Monday, May 28th, 2007 at 1:23 am by Mike Evans
Filed under
News,
Technology
Mobile phones have come in all manner of different shapes and sizes over the years. Standard candy bars, clamshells, sliders, swivel designs - even odd origami-like multi-twisty phones. One thing all these different phone types have in common, though, is flatness. The fascia of the phone is always completely flat, largely because the screen itself has to be flat.
All that may be about to change, though, as Sony have been showing off a brand new flexible LED screen.
The Samsung U600 is the latest super-slim phone from Samsung.
In fact, it's currently the world's slimmest slider at only 10.9mm.
Better still, despite being super thin, it offers features that actually work: a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, for example, and a great sounding MP3 player with amplifier developed by Bang and Olufsen.
The U600 takes over from the old Samsung D900, but does it all with so much extra style.
Looking more stylish and less business-like than the D900, the U600 offers features that put other, more tubbier mobile phones to shame.
We've got all the details on this great-looking new phone, plus sample pictures taken by its camera, in our comprehensive
Samsung U600 review.
Sony Ericsson are working on another Walkman phone, currently codenamed the Shinobu. The new phone looks set to come with a large 2.4" QVGA screen, 2 megapixel camera, Walkman MP3 player (naturally), slider form factor and dedicated gaming keys.
Rumours also speculate that the Shinobu's screen will be capable of displaying 16 million colours, and will branded with Sony's Bravia TV brand.
No news yet on expected release date, but looking at these pics, it won't be too long, as the phone seems virtually finished.
More pics of the Sony Ericsson Shinobu after the jump
Posted on Thursday, May 24th, 2007 at 12:23 am by Mike Evans
Filed under
News
This is a new Sony PS3 mobile phone...that plays Nintendo's Super Mario Bros...and which uses Microsoft's PS3 operating system - no, wait, that's not right. Hang on it's made in Koera - where the hell's Koera?!
Yes, what we have here is the mother of all clone phones. It's a Chinese phone (naturally!), and its makers have decided that imitation is most definitely the sincerest form of flattery. As such, they've named it the Amycoll PS3 phone, which, er, "flatters" both Samsung, with its Korean Anycall brand, and also Sony, with its PS3. They've even added PlayStation buttons on the keypad, just for good measure!
Loads more pictures of the funniest mobile phone yet created, after the jump!
Posted on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007 at 11:52 pm by Mike Evans
Filed under
Korean Phones,
News
Just when you thought you'd seen every mobile phone feature possible, Korean mobile networks have come up with some bizarre new services for their mobile phone subscribers.
The first is a mobile fish finder.
Yes, you read correctly - a fish finder! It's a float-shaped ultrasonic transmitter that you attach to your mobile phone and to your fishing line. You can then use your mobile phone to see the location of any fish and also the depth and temperature of the water!
Not crazy enough for you? How about a mobile phone that also repels mosquitoes!
Posted on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007 at 12:51 am by Mike Evans
Filed under
Motorola,
News
Kodak have announced that they are working on a new 5 megapixel CMOS sensor that will find its way into new Motorola camera-phones at the end of the year.
The new phones will likely be branded Motorola-Kodak phones, and will be designed to enable Motorola to compete on a more equal footing with the more technologically superior phones of its competitors.
Whereas other mobile phone manufacturers such as Nokia and LG have relied on incorporating superior lens technology from Carl Zeiss and Schneider-Kreuznach repsectively, none have been able to match the brand power of Sony Ericsson's CyberShot phones, which don't just draw on Sony's famed CyberShot range of cameras, they also offer superior photo quality to their competitors.
Posted on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007 at 12:14 am by Mike Evans
Filed under
Japanese Phones
Casio have fired a shot across Sony Ericsson's bows by launching its new Casio W53CA Exilim mobile phone. Up until now, Sony Ericsson has pretty much had the high-end camera-phone market to itself. Sure, other mobile manufacturers have released phones with more megapixellage (such as the 5 megapixel Nokia N95), but none can match either the quality or the sheer brand presence of the Sony Cybershot name.
With Casio, however, it's different. Casio's Exilim super-slim cameras compete head on with Sony's Cybershots, and the brand is just as well known and just as high in quality. Now that Casio have released a camera phone with the Exilim brand, Sony Ericsson have some real competition on their hands.
More pictures and details of the Casio W53CA Exilim phone after the jump.
