Mobile Phone News

HTC Bravo On Orange Mocked Up, Stock Report Confirms March 2010 Release

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (1326)

The facts of an imminent release are stacking up in the HTC Bravo’s favour, as a leaked file appearing on Coolsmartphone seems to confirm the handset’s appearance on Orange.

Despite being a terrible Photoshop job, the internal image does show some of the preliminary stats of the rejigged Nexus One, down to the 3.7-inch touch display and speedy 1Ghz processor. Although it is a little light at a weight of 0.0 grams…

Well, we confirmed in January that the HTC Bravo on T-Mobile was due to make an appearance in March, and a quarterly stock update we received from Orange this morning (above) confirmed the rumours of a release in a similar time frame, as well as revealing that a black model of the HD-snapping Sony Ericsson Vivaz and music-loving Nokia X6 will be making a debut on the network.

The Bravo is also noted in the document as the ‘Android device which will eventually replace the HTC Hero‘…ominous, no? Also note that the phone is still being referred to as the Bravo, leading us to believe that the handset will in fact be taking that name to market.

However, with the Hero earmarked to make the leap to the latest and greatest versions of Android intact, there’s no reason that both phones can’t continue to exist in pay monthly harmony.

With even the T-Mobile G1 yet to make the leap into prepay waters, canny shoppers will still have to wait some time before they can snag an Android phone on the cheap.

HTC ‘Incredible’ Spotted with a Wonky Backside

By Jon RustcloseAuthor: Jon Rust Name: Jon Rust
Email: jonathan.rust@trafficbroker.co.uk
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: See Authors Posts (51)

Here’s a sneak peak of the HTC ‘Incredible’ taken by the guys at Pocket Now.

Already the terracotta-coloured backplate has been described online as  ‘a robo-turd’, ‘wonky’ and ‘horrid’ but it is highly likely that the off-kilter styling is just camouflage to hide the finished product.

There are some specs to go along with the leak however, namely an Android 2.1 OS with HTC Sense, powered by a Snapdragon CPU, a rumoured 256MB of RAM, a roughly 3.7″ WVGA screen and dual LED flashes aside the camera.

Similarities to the HTC Bravo are apparent, which leads us to question whether the Incredible is the US version of the Bravo?

We shouldn’t have to wait long to find out though- the Bravo is set for a Spring release in the UK.

LG GD880 And Panoramic LG GW990 To Get Exclusive European Airing At MWC

By Jon RustcloseAuthor: Jon Rust Name: Jon Rust
Email: jonathan.rust@trafficbroker.co.uk
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: See Authors Posts (51)

Omio has just received an invitation from LG’s president (via his PR agency, of course) for an exclusive European viewing of both the LG GW990 and LG GD880 at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and we are excited!

Ok, so it may not sound that special at first, but the GW990 is a Nokia N900-battling mobile internet device boasting a 4.8-inch panoramic screen that looks like an iPhone / LG Chocolate mashup.

Understandably the handset has already attracted a lot of hype, the crowds were wowed at CES when the Korean manufacturer first revealed the GW990, a phone that is as much compact computer as communications device.

Specs-wise, it comes with a powerful Intel Moorestown processor (a world first!), 16GB of built in flash memory and 512MB RAM, plus a crisp 1020 x 480 screen resolution display. It is safe to say that the GW990 is sporting some serious horsepower, let’s hope there are games and applications in the pipeline to make the most of it.

Meanwhile the LG GD880 – dubbed the Mini – packs a 3.2-inch 480 x 854 screen, 5 mega-pixel camera and WiFi. The user interface is standard S-Class stuff, and while the internal memory is paltry (100MB) this can easily be upped via microSD support.

One thing the GD880 can do is turn heads, we think it’s quite a looker! The right price point and the GD880 could clean up in the contentious feature phone market.

Expect full reports just as soon as we get our mitts on the dynamic duo at Mobile World Congress, early next Tuesday!

Motorola Devour Caught Bathing With Megan Fox

By Jon RustcloseAuthor: Jon Rust Name: Jon Rust
Email: jonathan.rust@trafficbroker.co.uk
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: See Authors Posts (51)

The Superbowl – Ever since Jackson / Timberlake ‘Boobgate’ the half-time entertainment has become as much of an event as the game itself.

Now it seems even the commercial breaks are media events in their own right:

If you caught Sunday’s game you would have been treated to the sight of Megan Fox promoting the delights of the carnally dubbed Motorola Devour from the comfort of her hot tub.

The Motorola Devour is currently only available in the US as a Verizon exclusive, but after after enjoying the feel of the Motoblur UI on the Motorola Dext, we’re definitely keeping a keen ear to the ground for a UK release.

For those who missed Ms Fox’s performance, here it is…

Android vs. iPhone: Homerun Battle 3D Brings Cross Platform Multiplayer!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (1326)

The Motorola DROID actually seems like an impressive gaming machine judging by this vid, taking the iPhone title Homerun Battle 3D and running it more than a little nicely.

Not only that, but the iPhone and DROID can in fact talk to each other, enabling cross-platform multiplayer between Android fans and Apple gamers for the first time!

Another example of phones leading the way when you might have expected fuly-fledged consoles or handhelds to work together first.

Imagine bringing PC, PS3 and XBox players together and shooting one another in the face in perfect harmony…

Pink LG Pop Appears On Prepay: Stylish And Affordable Handset For Fashionistas

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (1326)

Fans of the sleek, affordable frame of the LG GD510 ‘Pop’ can enjoy it in another colour now, as a pink model makes it onto shelves (virtual ones, anyway) on prepay from today.

A mashup of the LG Arena’s appealing looks and the entry-level pleasures offered by the KP501 Cookie, the pink LG GD510 Pop is geared entirely towards courting the normal consumer. With a simple design, 3-inch touch display and 3.15 megapixel camera, the Pop might be overlooked by tech geeks only to be taken to the bosom of those looking for an affordable, yet sexy device.

Bear in mind that this phone opts out of both wi-fi and 3G connectivity to keep costs at ground level, so don’t let the gorgeous form factor and slick S-Class user interface fool you into thinking the Pop is a fully-fledged smartphone.

Nokia Present First Ever Music Video Shot Entirely by Fans with Mobile Phones

By Jon RustcloseAuthor: Jon Rust Name: Jon Rust
Email: jonathan.rust@trafficbroker.co.uk
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: See Authors Posts (51)

Nokia have teamed up with one-time punk band, now popsters Noisettes and ad agency JWT to create a video shot entirely on mobile phones.

While it certainly isn’t the first music video to be filmed entirely on mobile camera phones, it is the first music video shot entirely by fans armed with handsets.

Noisettes fans were invited onto the set to dance and interact with the band as they performed their new track ‘Saturday’.

Using a mixture of Nokia N95, N86 and Nokia 5800 handsets, Director Kim Gehrig said she was pleasantly surprised by the results they achieved, adding that in the future she would even consider shooting a feature using mobile phone cameras.

Each of the Nokia handsets used boasts a Carl Zeiss Tessar lense.

Not content with just crowd sourcing fans for camera duties though, Gehrig and her team have now released the 140+ hours of footage from the shoot to a website where fans can cut their own edit of the video:

http://www.shotbyfans.com/

Check it out!

Facebook Passes 400 Million User Mark, Rules Mobile Web Usage

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (1326)

Passing the 400 million user mark seems like the best birthday present ever for social networking site Facebook, celebrating its inception 6 years ago by announcing that they have reached this incredible milestone.

Considering the site had 350 million active users a mere two months ago, and under 200 million ten months before that, it seems like the leading online networking (and soon to be gaming) hub shows no sign of losing popularity.

Ever more glaring is the adoption and prolonged usage of Facebook on the move, with a recent report from the GSMA stating over 50% of total UK mobile web browsing is people updating their status or poking a friend in the face.

Considering that their findings are still a work in progress with only 3 of the 5 major networks included in this data, the final figure is set to be even higher.

Of the 4.8 billion minutes users spent online with their phones in December 2009, 2.2bn of them were spent on Facebook whilst a relatively paltry 395 million minutes were taken up surfing Google sites, whilst only 104 million minutes were used coveting the new iPad and checking out apps on Apple sites.

With new handsets like the INQ Mini 3G and Sony Ericsson Yari providing greater Facebook integration than ever seen before on mid-range devices, and a forthcoming revamp of the site with a greater focus on chatting and interaction, expect to see the crest of a new wave of social networking savvy devices very soon.

May Farmville have mercy on us all…

Source: BBC

Plantronics Headsets Land Starring Role In New Season Of 24

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (1326)

Who says bluetooth headsets aren’t sexy? Okay, we did.

Still, Plantronics continue to prove us wrong with their ear gear taking centre stage in the latest explosive adventures of the world’s hardest grandad, Jack Bauer.

The action might have moved to New York for the eighth season, but 24’s five-minutes-in-the-future terror threat storylines remain, with the Big Apple branch of CTU dressed up to the nines in high-tech gadgetry.

We couldn’t help but spot the lingering shots of new recruit Dana Walsh’s ear filled with the sleek new Discovery 975, whilst annoying drone pilot Arlo Glass sports the retro-chic Voyager Pro.

With Kiefer himself an unashamed Apple fanboy, going as far as trying to crowbar an iPad into future episodes (to batter a suspect during interrogation, perhaps?), it’s no surprise to see some of the best premium headsets in the business playing their part in saving the world.

Check out the new season of 24 on Sky every Sunday at 9pm, and don’t let the wooden visage of “She’s All That” and “Wing Commander” star Freddy Prinze Jr. put you off…it’s pretty good!

Check out our Plantronics Voyager Pro review as part of our Bluetooth headset round-up here, whilst we waxed lyrical about combining form and function in our Discovery 975 review.

Nokia 6303i Classic: If It Ain’t Broke, Rerelease It

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (1326)

Phones like the new Nokia 6303i Classic are why the Finnish phone maker’s balance books will always stack up pretty nicely by the end of each quarter.

No extraneous frills, no Snazz-E user interface (TM), just a great looking and simple handset that is guaranteed to sell by the bucketload.

An upgrade to the Nokia 6303 Classic, this model brings in extra memory both on-board and support for bigger SD cards, as well as a variety of new colourways to enhance the stainless steel frame, including black and an opulent khaki / gold blend.

Otherwise, it’s business as usual as the 6303i over delivers on an entry level device with a 3.2-megapixel camera sporting an dual-LED flash, 3.5mm audio jack and a 2GB memory card out of the box, whilst e-mail and IM are provided with Nokia messaging service.

Battery life also impresses with a reported 8 hours of talktime and over 500 hours standby.

The Nokia 6303i Classic has an estimated retail price of €105 (£91), and is destined to grace car glove boxes and purses across the land from Q1 2010.