Samsung has officially announced the M600 Windows Mobile smartphone featuring a 3 GB hard disk.

The Samsung SCH-M600 with Windows Mobile and a 3 GB hard disk would make it an applealing combination for PDA phone users who still rely on expansion cards to satisfy their memory needs. The device would feature support for EVDO and Bluetooth, and in addition to running on a 520 Mhz XScale processor, it also has a 240×320 pixel screen and a 2 MP digital camera. The phone features a slider form factor that is very similar to the SCH-i730 which is available to Verizon Wireless customers in the US. The announcements states that the device would run on the Windows Mobile 2003 version and would also have MP3 playback and TTS (text to speech) capabilities.

Specifications:

• Network: cdma2000 1x EV-DO (800MHz)
• OS : Windows Mobile 2003 SE
• CPU: Intel Bulverde PXA272 (520Mhz)
• Size : 102 x 52 x 25.4mm
• Weight : 167g
• Display : 262k Color TFT (240×320)
• Camera module : 2 Megapixel w/flash
• Dual Speaker / SRS WOW
• Voice Recognition / TTS
• Bluetooth, IrDA, Remote control
• External Memory : miniSD

Tags: Samsung, SCH-M600

LG Electronics has announced that they will begin shipping their ultra-slim 18.2mm 3G WCDMA cell phone, the LG-U880 to the “3″ network in the UK, Italy, Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, Sweden and Denmark. This is the thinnest WCDMA cell phone ever to be released, almost as slim as the famous Motorola RAZR.

The LG-U880 will be available in a variety of color choices including glossy black, matt black, silver, and pink. It comes with embedded 75MB of memory and supports Transflash external memory and Bluetooth.

Features of the LG U880 include:

• Dimensions: 98.8mm x 49mm x 18.2mm
• 176×220 screen with 262K colors
• 75MB built-in memory plus microSD (TransFlash) card slot
• Music and video player, MP3, AAC, MPEG4
• Dual stereo speakers
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• Bluetooth

Tags: LG U880, LG

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and its eight regional subsidiaries announced today the development of the new 902i series of 3G FOMA® handsets. The series includes: D902i, F902i, N902i, P902i, SH902i, SO902i.

The 902i series is equipped for several new DoCoMo services, including the PushTalk™ walkie-talkie-style communication service (a DoCoMo first), the ToruCa™ information capture service, and the i-channel™ information update service. The series is also compatible with several newly enhanced DoCoMo services/functions, including Deco-mail® e-mail decoration, videophone with default speakerphone setting from the time the user places or answers a call, G-Guide® for TV programs including terrestrial digital broadcasts, and security scan automatic updates of phone software.

The series will be compatible with DoCoMo’s new Multi number™ service, which will enable up to three phone numbers to be assigned to the same handset (starts in mid-November).

PushTalk
The new PushTalk service on the FOMA packet-communications network will allow phones to be used like walkie-talkies for simultaneous, one-way communication from one 902i user to as many as four other 902i users. The service will be launched concurrently with the 902i series. As a marketing campaign, DoCoMo is planning to waive communications charges (5.25 yen for each one-way communication) until the end of December 2005.

The caller pushes the Talk button to display a directory of other users. After selecting one or more people, the caller presses the Talk button again for immediate, simultaneous connection to the other users. The caller holds down the Talk button while speaking, then releases it to let someone else speak (while the Talk button is pressed, the speaker cannot hear others talk). One person can talk up to 30 seconds at a time. If nobody speaks for 30 seconds, the connection is automatically cut.

PushTalk plus™, tentatively scheduled for January 2006, allows the speaker to speak simultaneously to as many as 19 other users. A specific group of people (such as a project team, work crew, etc.) can be registered in the user directory under a single group entry. While connected, each user’s screen lists all participating members of the group and the current speaker. The directory holds up to 200 groups and 1,000 people. For each entry, an icon indicates their current status (”standing by,” “in meeting,” etc.).

ToruCa
The new ToruCa service will enable users to obtain information by simply waving their phones in front of dedicated reader/writers installed at restaurants, theaters, music stores, arcades and other establishments. For example, when a user buys a CD at a store using DoCoMo’s “Osaifu-Keitai” mobile phone with wallet functions, they can wave their DoCoMo phone in front of a reader/writer to receive information about the CD, the artist, any promotional coupons offered by the artist’s recording label, and more.

i-channel
Subscribers to DoCoMo’s i-channel information update service can request to automatically receive updates covering news, weather, entertainment, sports, horoscopes and more. The information is delivered automatically to the phone’s standby screen as telop text.

For a full press release and specification of each of the handsets visit this page.

Tags: NTT DoCoMo, 902i, FOMA, PushTalk

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – 18 October 2005 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a global leader in wireless communications, today unveiled its next generation of 3G/UMTS mobile handsets, which are launching first with operators in Europe and Asia. The Motorola RAZR V3x, the E770v and the E1070 underscore Motorola’s commitment to 3G/UMTS by providing the very latest technology coupled with industry-leading design innovation.

The introduction of the RAZR V3x unites the power of 3G/UMTS technology with the world acclaimed RAZR clamshell design. The ultra-slim RAZR V3x is available in three colors: liquorice black exclusively through 3, ash silver exclusively through Vodafone, and cosmic blue available through other wireless operators.

In addition, Motorola announced the compact E1070 clamshell with the very latest multimedia capabilities and as the small yet powerful E770v candy bar, which is available exclusively at Vodafone.

“The E1070 and the E770v enrich the Motorola UMTS line-up with more ‘must have’ designs and ‘must do’ experiences,” said Ron Garriques, president of Motorola Mobile Devices. “We’re thrilled to be working with the world’s leading UMTS operators to deliver the promise and power of 3G to everyone. And we’re especially excited to deliver the RAZR V3x, which puts the ‘wickedly cool’ in UMTS.”

Motorola RAZR V3x
Weighing less than 130g, the Motorola RAZR V3x is an ultra-slim clamshell model that delivers an extensive range of impressive multimedia tools, including a 2-megapixel camera, real-time two-way video calling, still and moving image capture, and all in hugely popular RAZR design language.

Bluetooth® wireless technology, which supports wireless stereo sound through Motorola’s Bluetooth Stereo Headset, and an externally accessible Transflash/Micro SD memory card enhance users’ mobile entertainment experience.

Motorola E1070
The sleek and stylish Motorola E1070 combines amazing audio-visual quality with extensive multimedia capabilities to pack a powerful punch. Inside its compact clamshell form, the E1070 provides a 1.3-megapixel camera with digital zoom, enhanced Bluetooth support, externally accessible Transflash/Micro SD memory card and high-quality QVGA display and video.

The Motorola E1070 will be available through several operators, including TIM, Telefonica Moviles, Orange and O2.

Motorola E770v
The Vodafone exclusive E770v is a small and powerful 3G device which is both effortless and fun. Featuring video calling and a powerful multimedia engine, the Motorola E770v provides affordable access to the latest Vodafone live! Service, including up-to-the-minute news full-track music downloads, an increasing range of mobile TV services and content, as well as sports and other entertainment.

All three handsets will be available in Q4 2005. For pricing and local-market availability, please contact your local Motorola representative.

Tags: Motorola, Motorola RAZR, RAZR V3x, E1070, E770v

Sony Ericsson today adds its first UMTS handset to the Walkman range of music phones. The W900 is a high quality fully specified music player, phone and imaging device capable of super-fast downloads of all types of multimedia – music, video and graphics. It follows the highly successful global market launch of the W800.

As a music player, the W900 makes it easy to import, transfer, manage and play music from operators’ over-the-air (OTA) music download services, allowing tracks to be downloaded directly to the phone while on the move and, from a PC when tracks have been copied from the owner’s CD collection.

“In our first UMTS Walkman phone we have combined fast download speeds with superb sound quality and crystal clear 30 frames a second video recording and play-back in a really simple and easy to use device. The W900 will not only appeal as a music phone. The superb communications, multimedia and imaging functionality will appeal to all those wanting a true multi-media capable device.”

Music transfer and download
One of the most appealing features of the W900 is how easy it is to import, transfer, play and manage music files. Tracks can be imported from a variety of sources, either over-the-air direct to the phone if it supports an available operator music download service, or via a PC.

Transferring digital music files from a PC to the phone is a simple ‘drag and drop’ and the W900 is also fully compatible with user-copied content from all leading music management software packages. This is particularly useful for consumers already owning another type of digital music player who want to transfer tracks that originate from their CD collection on to the W900.

The supplied Disc2Phone PC software allows the user to easily transfer music to the phone from audio CDs and a PC music collection. Disc2Phone can transfer music based on playlists and has a fun and easy-to-use shuffle functionality. The W900’s large internal 470MB user free memory provides space for between 120 and 240 songs. The storage capacity is easily increased however by inserting a Memory Stick PRO Duo, currently available in retail outlets at up to 2GB, giving space for up to 1,000 tracks. Music files can be stored in all the key formats: MP3, AAC or AAC+, MIDI, WAV and XMF.

Functionality and design
The versatile swivel design makes it easy to multitask between the W900’s many functions, a feature which gives the phone an advantage over dedicated music players. The direct music buttons get the user swiftly into the Walkman player where it is possible to scroll through play lists, artists or individual songs. Users fed up with missing calls because they are listening to music will love the fact that the phone’s ringtone cuts into the audio and pauses the track while the user takes the call.

The phone swivels open automatically with the lightest of touches, revealing a large keypad. Virtually all functions can be performed with the phone closed, and users can read messages or search through their music library without opening the phone.

Imaging and multimedia
More than a fully featured music player, the W900 is a highly advanced imaging and multimedia device with broadband-fast download speeds, smooth, responsive browse capabilities and a large, 2.2 inch QVGA 262K TFT screen, one of the brightest ever seen on a mobile phone.

The 2 Megapixel, autofocus camera with LED flash- or picture-light is perfect for capturing priceless moments and, thanks to the Sony Ericsson dual fronted design, is operated with both hands in a horizontal position for maximum stability. The camera also shoots video at up to 30fps (frames per second), double the speed of most conventional imaging phones and the playback quality threshold for television.

With the supplied Adobe PC software, pictures and videos can be easily imported to a PC as soon as the phone is connected using the fast USB connection. They can then be edited, printed and shared using the easy-to-use and powerful Adobe software, and videos can be played back using Apple QuickTime Player.

As an entertainment device the W900 exploits the UMTS-delivered capabilities to the full, delivering fast and smooth download and browsing of video, games, sound and graphics. The high performance 3D Java gaming engine is put to the test with the embedded Asphalt Urban GT 3D from Gameloft, where users can experience the thrills of extreme racing at the wheel of the ultimate sports cars.

Accessories
The W900 is the first Sony Ericsson phone to be supplied with a Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-80 with remote control, that allows the user to operate the Walkman player without removing it from their pocket. A USB cable and Disc2Phone PC software for transfer and management of music files are also included in the box.

W900 Availability
The W900 UMTS Walkman phone is available in black or white and will be commercially available end Q4 2005. The variants will be:

• W900i - Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) - GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa
• W900c - Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) - GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Mainland China. Launch for mainland China dependant on availability of 3G services

Tags: Sony Ericsson, W900, W900i, Walkman Phone

Motorola today received FCC approval for a second 3G phone based on what is now called the V3x. The E1070 is a relatively slim clamshell with GMS/GPRS 900/1800/1900 and UMTS 2100. It includes many of the same features as the V3x such as dual color displays, Bluetooth (including advanced audio and printing profiles), a MicroSD (TransFlash) slot, audio player, Motorola’s new Linux / Java OS and dual cameras. However the E1070 only has a 1.3 Megapixel external camera. Motorola has not yet announced the E1070, so availability is not yet known.

Via Phonescoop

At first glance, the Nokia E70 looks like a modern smartphone. Open it up and find a full messaging keyboard for fast and easy thumb typing, a generous color screen for viewing emails, plus attachments (document, spreadsheet, presentation, PDF viewer and ZIP manager) and an editing function (document, spreadsheet, presentation) for staying up-to-date with the inbox. Like the Nokia E60 and Nokia E61, the Nokia E70 supports a common set of applications like advanced voice and email. Nokia will offer two versions of the Nokia E70 - one optimized for mobile networks in Europe and Asia (GSM900/1800/1900/WCDMA 2100) and one optimized for mobile networks in the Americas (GSM850/1800/1900), yet both versions are able to roam in GSM networks across regions.

Main features:

• Full keyboard and wide, high-resolution color screen
• Native email client (POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP)
• Text messaging (SMS and MMS)
• Instant messaging
• Email attachment viewers (documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs and .ZIP manager) and editors (documents, spreadsheets, presentations)
• 2.0 megapixel camera benefits businesses and industries by providing innovative ways to incorporate images into the everyday workflow

Tags: Nokia, E70