Google’s $199 phone to compete with the iPhone

By Yi-Wyn Yen and Michal Lev-Ram

The Google-powered cell phone is coming soon, and it will retail for $199, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The price of the new Google smart phone would put the device head-to-head with Apple’s $199 iPhone . The Google phone, which features a touchscreen and is made by Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, faces some stiff competition. The iPhone 3G has generated significant interest among consumers for redefining touch-screen technology, popularizing mobile applications and significantly improving Web navigation on cell phones.

T-Mobile, the first carrier that will run Google’s Android mobile software, will show off the new phone to analysts and reporters on Tuesday in Manhattan. It is expected to hit stores later this fall.

Representatives from Google, HTC and T-Mobile would not comment on the Journal’s report.

Google unveiled features of the Android operating system on an unidentified black HTC handset at a developers conference in London on Wednesday.

The HTC phone is just the first of many Google-powered phones, according to the search giant. For Google to reach its ultimate goal - driving mobile Internet use and, in turn, ads - it will need to get multiple devices in the hands of mainstream consumers. The price will also need to be right, given that companies like Palm and Samsung already offer entry-level smartphones for $100.

[via cnn.com]

Spy photos of new Sony Ericsson Walkman-phone

After information leak about new Sony Ericsson phone in Cybershot series, kind insiders give us some new photos of another model of the same manufacturer. Now we have opportunity to see new clamshell phone which will be part of Sony Ericsson's successful Walkman series. There's nothing special in this model. It's almost the same W890i with insignificant changes.

Main aim of that model is to establish emotional link with user. Developers cram with colorful menues, beautiful animations etc. For example, without reference to your location you can see animation on the screen showing weater in the region. Specifications are unknown yet.

Apple forgot to place Greenland on iPhone 3G sales map

Today Apple's WWDC'08 was held. New 3G iPhone was introduced at last. But there's some strange thing, that you can see on the iPhone-2 map: Apple decided to remove Greenland from there. What is it? Mistake or maybe Apple's gods know something about global warming etc? :)

Light sensor smartphone Samsung i780

Samsung Electronics has begun production of light smartphone i780. This particular device has optical joystick, 2,55 '' sensor screen (320x320 pixels), built-in GPS unit. It's width less then 13 mm.

Most interesting element of this phone is optical joystick. You can easily gain access to any function or menu. Standard QWERTY-keyboard is also an excellent addition to i780. This device is very convenient to use because of sensor screen able to identify touch of finger or stylus.

Supports HSDPA, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, Bluetooth v2.0. Operating system of this novelty is Windows Mobile 6.0. You also gain a Office Mobile package: Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook.

Media: 2 Mpixel camera (2x digital zoom), VGA camera for video-conferences, player (AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, OGG, AMR, MPEG 4, H.263 and H.265).

Data storage: 150 Mb + microSD.

[via 3dnews.ru]

Technorati Tags: Camera phone,GPS,Korea,Samsung,Smartphone,Touch Screen,Windows Mobile

Spice's "Popular phone": $20 today, $10 tomorrow

India already manifested itself as manufacturer of cheap car Tata Nano ($2500). Indian holding company Spice released "popular phone" priced about $20. This phone does not have any display. "This is just a phone" - so says director of Spice.

There were few unsuccessful attempts of producing displayless phones in 90's. Those phones where unpopular. Specialists think that main advantage of this new model is its price.

Spice plans to sell billion of phones to people of developing countries in Southern America, Africa and Asia in next 3 years.

They also assure that in next year price will reduce below $10.

Nokia has also begun development and manufacturing of cheap phones, but their price is $34-$50.

Spice is cheapest phone at current moment and in closest perspective, says head of Spice, Mr. Mody.

[via thg.ru]

Technorati Tags: Spice,mobile phones,cheap

10 Best Selling Cell Phones of February 2008

Sweden company Krusell, one of the biggest manufacturer of cell phone covers, released list of best selling cell phones of February. Because of Krusell business this list is based on cell phone covers sells.

In February the leader was Nokia 6300 again. This cell phone hold top position for several months in a row. Nokia 3109/3110 climbed to postition 2 and dropped Sony Ericsson k810i to third place. Apple iPhone left the list in February.

Here is the list(last month position in brackets):

1. (1) Nokia 6300
2. (3) Nokia 3109/3110
3. (2) Sony Ericsson K810i
4. (7) Nokia E51
5. (5) Sony Ericsson K850i
6. (4) Nokia N95 8GB
7. (6) Nokia 6500
8. (10) Sony Ericsson K530i
9. (9) Nokia N95
10. (-) Nokia N73

Technorati Tags: Nokia,Chart,Sony Ericsson,Krusell,February,iPhone

Sony Ericsson will change naming policy

Marketers of of cell phones manufacturer decided to improve naming rules. Some latest devices of Sony Ericsson has rather funny names for consumers' taste. New scheme removes "i" letter from the end of devices' names. First cell phones which will have names according new scheme are R300 and R306. But actually this naming model isn't something absolutely new.  Similar schemes are used by Japan producers.

Already existed series will have subcategories. G-Series(Generation Web, smartphones) for XPERIA, S-Series(Snapshot, less expensive Cyber-shot models) for Cyber-Shot and R-Series(Radio, lower-end Walkman models)

Technorati Tags: Sony Ericsson,Names,S-Series,G-Series,R-Series