Sagem launch new 3G handset - my855C

The Sagem my855C is a well specified flip phone that contains a 2 megapixel camera offering a 5x digital zoom in addition to a VGA camera and HSDPA for video calls.
The my855C contains a 54MB memory with expansion possible through a microSD card, an MP3 player and Bluetooth connectivity. The handset only weighs 95g, which is impressive for a 3G handset and it offers up to 4 hours talk time from the battery.
The Sagem my855C is expected to launch in April.

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Gameloft Launches Mobile Games for Touch Screen Handsets

Gameloft has announced the launch of a range of games designed especially for touch screen mobile handsets.
Using expertise gained in developing stylus-based games for the Nintendo DS, Gameloft sought out ways to best utilize the touch screens, which transform gameplay into a more intuitive experience and remove the limitation of small keyboards.

Gameloft has more than 15 touch screen games in its catalogue already. These games were developed for the first touch screen mobile phones available on the market, including the LG Viewty, LG KS20, the HTC touch screen line, and the Samsung SGH-F700. Gameloft's touch screen games were initially developed in Java, though some will also be developed on the Windows Mobile platform.

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Nokia N96 due for June UK release

The much hyped Nokia N96 will be available to buy in June according to Mobile Choice magazine. Boasting even more features than the Nokia N95, not least of which is the 16GB of memory, the N96 will also be joined by the Sony Ericsson C902 - a 5 megapixel Cyber-shot phone due to be available the same month.

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Unlocked iPhone is popular in China

The largest chinese mobile network operator China Mobile has confirmed over 400,000 Apple iPhones are being used on its network. This makes up more than 10% of the 3.7 million Apple iPhones sold last year.
This is mixed news for Apple as it has revenue sharing agreements in place with official partners such as AT&T in the US and O2 in the UK, which it is not benefitting from in China, but Apple are obviously able to make a profit on every iPhone sold.

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Kinetic energy mobile phone

The Atlas Kinetic cell phone is a concept which looks to eradicate the need for re-charging by having a power source generated by movement, similar to some watches. It works by means of an oscillating weight that powers a mainspring and "if power runs out because it was sitting still for too long, just give it a few upside down turns to get the kinetic rotors going again."
As a result, you'll never have to worry about batteries or battery life again if you were to own this striking mobile. Unfortunately, it's just a designers idea at this point, so there's no saying when and if it'll ever make it to production.

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Sony Ericsson W910i awarded GSM Association Best Handset

Sony Ericsson's W910i Walkman phone has been awarded Best Handset at the GSM Association's 13th Global Mobile Awards 2008. Launched last year, the W910i Walkman phone is designed for entertainment; whether that be music, games, video, or high-speed web access.
The judges believed Sony Ericsson W910 deserved the Best Mobile Handset or Device title for being "… a superb all-rounder. A compelling, easy to use design that has captured the imagination of consumers around the world in 2007."

Readius to release phone with e-paper display

Dutch company Polymer Vision is working towards a mid-year launch for its mobile phone with e-paper display, named Readius. The 3G enabled device features a 13cm pull out black and white display and boasts a 30 hour battery life. The e-paper screen can be used for web browsing as well as e-books and the phone will support email, RSS feeds and audio books via MP3.

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Samsung and LG launch new handsets

Samsung showcased the U900 Soul as part of its new model line up at Mobile World Congress. The Soul is the final phone in the 'Ultra Edition' series and is a fully featured slide phone with HSDPA, 5 megapixel camera and music amplifier by ICEpower® technology by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, all packed in a full metal body just 12.9mm thin.

Samsung also have a Symbian powered update-version of the G800 on display, called the Samsung G810. It is a 5 megapixel camera phone with the same 3x optical zoom as the G800 and some great additions like GPS and Wi-Fi.
Other models launched include the Samsung P960, a multimedia 3G slide phone and the F480, a slim touch screen device with slow motion and video editing amongst its features.

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LG used this 3GSM conference to highlight three new slider phones that make up the new KF range. The top spec phone is the KF700 which contains 3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, microSD memory card slot and detailed web browser integrating Google Search, Blogs, Gmail, Maps and Youtube all viewable on its 3 inch touch display.
Two other models make up the KF range at present, the KF600 offering a 3 megapixel camera and 2 inch display, and the KF510 again with 3 megapixel camera and unique interactive touch lighting.

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Nokia and Sony Ericsson launch new handsets

Mobile World Congress takes place this week so expect a number of updates regarding new handsets.

First up is Nokia with details of the N96, a multimedia device with sliding front similar to the N95. The Nokia N96 boasts a 2.8 inch screen, 16GB of memory and 30 frames per second video capture in addition to many of the options found on the N95, such as A-GPS, 5 megapixel camera and HSDPA 3G network connectivity.

Nokia also released details today of the N78, another multimedia device set to benefit from Ovi, Nokia Maps and the Nokia Music Store. It contains a 3.2 megapixel camera, A-GPS, Wi-Fi and microSD memory expansion slot.

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Sony Ericsson also launched some impressive new handsets today. These included a new smartphone named the XPERIA X1, an arced sliding QWERTY keyboard device containing Windows Mobile 6.0 operating system and 3 inch VGA resolution display.

Further devices include the Sony Ericsson W980i Walkman phone and C702 and C902 Cyber-shot phones.

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Modu launches revolutionary mobile phone concept

Modu have crated a concept mobile phone that looks to revolutionise the way we integrate mobile phones in to our lives. The modu is the worlds first modular mobile phone. The tiny device is part of a modu ecosystem where the phone can be slipped into a wide variety of modu jackets - stylishly designed phone enclosures - and modu mates -- modu-enabled consumer electronics devices.
modu's ecosystem offers boundless possibilities in a simple and affordable way and already boasts mainstream consumer electronics manufacturers who have signed up to develop modu mates such as MP4 players, digital photo frames, cameras and DECT phones. One of the first such partners is car multimedia and navigation leader Blaupunkt.

Modu was set up in 2007 by leading technology innovator and entrepreneur Dov Moran, the inventor of the USB Flash Drive and other ground breaking personal storage solutions. modu is already attracting widespread support from leading players in the mobile and consumer electronics markets.

A concept video can be viewed at modumobile.com

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EyeVibe = O2's LookatMe + 3's SeeMeTV

EyeVibe is a user generated content site formed from the amalgamation of network O2's LookatMe service and 3's SeeMeTV. It forms a service boasting over 60,000 videos uploaded by users of both networks. As well as being an online gallery for video content, the creators of clips also earn 10% from the fee of another user downloading it. The two networks claim to have paid out over £800,000 to users who have submitted clips.

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More new phones for Mobile World Congress

This time Sony Ericsson are rumored to announce a new range of touch screen phones under the G-series name at 3GSM next week. The Sony Ericsson G900i is enabled with Wi-Fi and a 5 megapixel camera. The Sony Ericsson G700i a lesser featured model with 3.2 megapixel camera and no Wi-Fi connection. More details as we get them.

Enhanced You Tube for 3

3 has announced it will soon launch the new enhanced version of YouTube for Mobile in the UK.

YouTube for Mobile claims to be the largest mobile video catalogue available and now boasts new features including local UK content and improved video streaming.

YouTube account holders can now sign into their YouTube accounts to retrieve favourite videos, comment, share, add and rate videos directly through a 3 mobile.

YouTube can be accessed directly from the "3 Launcher" on most 3 Handsets or via Planet 3.

Apple iPhone 16GB drops in

The Apple iPhone is now available with 16GB memory. Price in the UK will be £329 when it goes on sale today on the O2 network.

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N-Gage finally goes live - N81 only for now

After a protracted launch the Nokia N-Gage service is now available, all be it only on the Nokia N81 handset at present. Available titles include FIFA 08, Asphalt 3, World Series of Poker, and Midnight Pool 3D. Nokia plan on rolling out the N-Gage service to a wider range of S60 devices at some point in the future.

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Kodak world first for CMOS chip

Kodak has unveiled what it claims to be the world's first 1.4 Micron, 5 megapixel, high ISO CMOS sensor.
The new sensor sees Kodak combining its Color Filter Pattern technology with a new CMOS pixel to create the KODAK KAC-05020 Image Sensor.

The sensor is expected to be built into "mass-consumer camera applications" including mobile phones.
The KAC-05020 enables imagery up to ISO 3200 and support for full 720p video at 30 fps. It should be available before the middle of the year for integration in to new devices.

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LG KF510 "Touch Lighting Phone"

Another handset to launch at the Mobile World Congress next week is this, the LG KF510. This slim slide phone is just 10.9mm in depth and packs a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus within the smooth metal frame. The KF510 is operated by a touch sensitive keypad which controls an animated user interface with "Interactive Touch Lighting" for the keys below the screen.

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Motorola considers selling off its handset business

After continued profit warnings and falling market share Motorola is considering the option of selling off its mobile handset business. Motorola have struggled to create a replacement to the ground breaking RAZR V3 handset and is now focusing all efforts on profitable business rather than growing market share. Recently Motorola told investors it was going to take longer than expected to turn things around, and this week a press release confirms that they are evaluating 'spinning off' the business.
Who the potential buyer could be remains to be seen but Chinese manufacturer ZTE has been touted along with Samsung and LG.

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