British users are not interested in third generation (3G) mobile phones and find interactive services difficult to use, according to a survey conducted by YouGov for Netonomy. These are the disturbing stats:

Probably more worrying for network operators, who have invested billions in 3G licences and technology, is the small number of consumers planning to upgrade. Only eight per cent of respondents told Netonomy that they were thinking of moving to 3G, although the number had doubled on the year before.

‘While there has been an increase since we asked the same question a year ago, real consumer demand for 3G is still low.’ However, the number of people who believe 3G is easy to use increased on the year before - rising from 45 to 47 per cent.

Check the complete results

Specifications:

• GSM Triband 900 / 1800 / 1900 UTMS
• Bluetooth
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• 99.5 x 49.8 x 17.5 mm
• 262k colors screen (176 x 220)
• 65k colors external screen (96 x 96)
• 64MB internal memory
• MicroSD Slot
• Music player

Via SlashPhone

The new Pocket LOOX T Series is the first all integrated handheld from Fujitsu Siemens Computers. It combines an excellent GSM/UMTS mobile phone with an innovative and powerful handheld and a complete navigation system. Now you get all you need for your mobile business in one handheld – WLAN, Bluetooth, and more. Enjoy the brilliant TFT display, the excellent QWERTY keyboard and the outstanding Email push and messaging solution.

Use a wide range of standard office applications, courtesy of Microsoft® Windows Mobile™ 5.0 Phone Edition. And that’s not all. The integrated SiRFstar III GPS module will bring you to every destination – stress free. Smart people on the move will appreciate the integrated VGA camera for video telephony and the 2 Megapixel camera with auto focus for impressive pictures.

E-mail push ensures an instant, effortless messaging experience. Combine this with a brilliant TFT display and the efficiency of a QWERTY keyboard — and you have a device that will support you wherever your business takes you. Furthermore, with its integrated GPS, it will get you there in no time.

Technical specification

The Samsung SGH-Z510 is a Motorola RAZR lookalike that comes with a QVGA TFT LCD internal display capable of displaying 262k colors, and a 65k color external display. This UMTS handset includes a 1.3 megapixel camera and a MP3/AAC/AAC+/e-AAC+/WMA compatible music player. Although there is no memory expansion slot included in the handset, it does come with 138MB of internal memory, which should be enough for a few pictures and a handful of your favorite tunes. Setting it slightly apart from the RAZR family is the music control keys on the front, though this would probably be more useful in a handset with more storage space. Weighing 98 g, the 97 x 52 x 14.9 mm handset also features a built-in document viewer and an e-mail client.

Tags: RAZR

W950 ultra-stylish UMTS WALKMAN® phone is a dream for mobile music lovers.

The W950 is an ultra-slim, ultra-stylish, UMTS-enabled device with 4GB of onboard storage complete with touch screen for simple navigation through music genres, playlists, individual songs or music albums.

More than a music phone, broadband-fast email and Web browsing plus a suite of high performance entertainment applications add to its capabilities, making it one of the most highly specified phones in the Sony Ericsson portfolio.

The W950’s design will turn the heads of the most avid style aficionados. Its thin, sleek and compact form is finished in Mystic Purple, fingerprint-proof matt with orange accents. The purity of its design is strengthened by the keypad being flush with the surface, and orange backlighting that brings the music keys to life in a stunning, practical way.

The music player within the W950 has the functionality and sound quality of an equivalent standalone device. Its 4GB storage can take up to 4,000 songs and the sound quality, delivered on high quality headphones, makes listening to music a real pleasure. A new graphic-rich interface on the Walkman® player makes it easy to navigate around the music library by song, artist or playlist and now it’s possible to search visually by browsing through album covers using the stylus and touch screen. The W950 has all the benefits of a combined phone and music player, enabling multitasking between listening to music, SMS texting, emailing and browsing the Internet.

Getting music into the W950 is fast and simple and can be done in a number of ways. The supplied Disc2Phone music management software is an intuitive package that handles transfer to the phone of music stored in the user’s PC. UMTS capability also makes the W950 ready for fast direct-to-phone transfers from available operators’ download services.

Beyond music, the W950 is a complete mobile entertainment centre that delivers great speed and exceptional quality sound and vision. Users can now enjoy the complete spectrum of mobile multimedia applications, from web browsing, push email and video streaming to 3D gaming and store-and-share of media files. Besides music, 4GB is enough storage for a wealth of photos, video’s or email attachments in the phone.

Stereo sound through wireless headphones is now possible as the W950 support Bluetooth streaming in stereo. The Bluetooth Stereo Headset HBH-DS970 also announced today and available as an accessory delivers high quality stereo sound through stylish, comfortable headphones.

W950 is the 3rd Sony Ericsson phone based on the new Symbian v9.1 and UIQ 3.0 platform, benefiting from a growing multitude of third party applications. All of these applications are available to download from the Sony Ericsson Application Shop, an online catalogue that is stocked directly by third party developers.

The Sony Ericsson W950 is a Dual Mode UMTS Walkman phone starts shipping during Q3 2006. Regional variations are:

W950i - Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) - GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Europe, Asia Pacific,Middle East, Africa
W950c - Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) - GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Mainland China (launch for mainland China dependent on availability of 3G services.)

For full technical specs check the Press Release

Tags: W950, W950i

Enjoy music and movies in real time: The BenQ-Siemens EF91 is the world’s first mobile with HSDPA cellular phone technology

The BenQ-Siemens EF91, a new fascinating camera phone, provides high-speed data transfer and downloads via HSDPA, also offering a 3.2 megapixel camera and a brilliant color display.

BenQ Mobile, the business division of the BenQ Corporation, has just crossed a milestone in mobile devices with the launch of the EF91, the world’s first mobile to carry HSDPA technology. HSDPA stands for “High Speed Downlink Packet Access,” which describes a technology that enables a data transfer speed in the UMTS network that is several times faster than the conventional standard. Now live television, video downloads and mobile Internet surfing can become a high-speed experience on the mobile phone. Thanks to HSDPA, shaky pictures seen during video calls are also a thing of the past.
Using modern multimedia technology, the BenQ-Siemens EF91 brings fun and entertainment to day-to-day communication with friends, family and colleagues. This clamshell mobile combines a high-resolution digital camera and modern mobile phone in one compact device. Precious moments can be captured spontaneously in pictures whilst on the move at any time with the aid of the integrated 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, digital zoom, photolight and camcorder function. Sharing pictures with friends is now easier via the mobile data transfer.

Apart from viewing personal photo and video shots in brilliant quality on the large, 2-inch TFT mobile display (240 x 320 pixels, 262,000 colors), the latest news and stock market prices can also be read conveniently on the Internet whilst on the move. Music and video clips can be downloaded directly from the Internet onto the EF91 equally effortlessly via HSDPA technology. All multimedia content can be stored on microSD cards, which can simply be plugged into the slot provided on the mobile phone. The built-in MP3 music player boasts novel 3D surround sound that makes for realistic sound effects. Various Bluetooth® headsets provide wireless listening enjoyment in stereo sound quality. These include the Headset Bluetooth ® Stereo (EU/UK) HHB-180/181 with remote control functions for the EF91. Moreover, hands-free calls can be made using the light and modern Headset Bluetooth® Clip (EU/UK) 130/131. The cutting-edge technology in the EF91 is also reflected in the top-notch Car Kit Bluetooth® SIM HKW-720.

Exquisite design provides the optical counterpart to the technological capabilities of this innovative luxury class mobile. Its compact, curved shape and shimmering metallic surface visualize the perfect interplay of design and functionality.

The BenQ-Siemens EF91 will be available in summer 2006 in different color variants. Prices will be determined locally.

Press Releases

BenQ-Siemens presents the S81: one of the slimmest 3G phones in the market with full UMTS performance in an award-winning design

Ultra-slim and fully equipped UMTS phone: Captivating because of its classic elegance, the BenQ-Siemens S81 makes mobile telephony even more diverse. At only a slender 13 mm, it is one of the world’s slimmest UMTS-mobiles to offer complete UMTS functionality. It looks so elegant and valuable that it won the 2006 international iF Design Award. The S81 is the ideal mobile phone for discovering the diverse possibilities of mobile communication. A video call function enables calls to be made face to face with friends and colleagues. After all, a look says more than a thousand words.

The special video telephony VGA camera at the front of the mobile phone ensures video calls in brilliant quality. Music in MP3, AAC, AAC+, AMR and WMA formats as well as video clips can be loaded onto the mobile directly via high-quality, UMTS-supported streaming and downloading and subsequently played anywhere and anytime in stereo quality on the integrated media player. The high-quality stereo headset supplied with the mobile offers excellent audio performance. To make multimedia experiences more personal, photos and videos can be taken whilst on the move. Its 1.3 megapixel, camcorder function, 10x digital zoom and LED photolight make the S81 an ideal camera for capturing spontaneous impressions. Pictures and movies are a sight to behold on the brilliant 2-inch TFT display (262,144 colors). All data have sufficient space in the phone’s internal memory or on a plug-in microSD™ card – and can be synchronized with a PC in an instant via the USB DCA-150 data cable.

However, the elegant S81 does not only offer multimedia enjoyment, but is also a trusted companion in daily business life. Via the built-in organizer function, key information can be synchronized easily with an office PC. The S81 enables instantaneous access to current appointments, address data, personal memos and e-mails. The Headset Bluetooth® Comfort (EU/UK) HHB-160/161 (available as an accessory) is particularly convenient for making calls whilst on the move.

The BenQ-Siemens S81 will be available in Q2/2006 in a Black/Silver color variant. Prices will be determined locally.

Tags: S81