Samsung has only just introduced the T*Omnia in its home country but may already be enroute to the US within a matter of weeks, a claim from BusinessWeek. The company is reportedly in talks to bring the Windows Mobile touchscreen phone with an unspecified US carrier by the end of November, though whether it represents the fully-upgraded T*Omnia or its lower-resolution, lower-capacity ancestor is unknown. Recent leaks have suggested that versions of the Omnia may ultimately be available for two carriers, with both CDMA and GSM/WCDMA versions passing through the FCC. The GSM version has been listed as the i907, or an upgraded version of the original i900, and so points to the possibility of the T*Omnia being a candidate for AT&T. Samsung's newest model should support 3G on the American provider's network up to 7.2Mbps downstream. The CDMA version, however, is effectively unique to the US and combined with the apparent magazine leak would support claims of a Verizon Omnia due this month. The T*Omnia supports either 4GB or 16GB of storage and supplies a five-megapixel camera, GPS and Wi-Fi, making it a flagship device for any carrier that would pick it...

  Mobile Phone Helpdesk already wrote an article about the announcement Sony Ericsson will make tomorrow. In this message we reported about a new flagship modern that will get its official twist tomorrow, but we actually didn't think of the Sony Ericsson Rika. Not because the Sony Ericsson Rika, aka W705, is not special, but more because we had expected some more spectacular specifications. But well, that may not spoil the fun for tomorrow. A couple of official photos, of an early developing stadium of the devices, and a couple of official specifications ended up in our mailbox this morning. The Sony Ericsson W705 is already warming up for tomorrow. The website Cellphone Sail today published the first pictures of the Sony Ericsson W705. A juicy detail of the Sony Ericsson W705 is that it will become the first Walkman Phone with a 3.5 mm audio port. It will finally be possible to connect your own headphone to a true Walkman Phone! The newest Walkman Player software will be present to give your beats and bass a good view and userfriendliness and the same clear speakers as used in the Sony Ericsson W980 will be present. Information about the amount of internal memory is something we don't have yet, but we can say that Sony Ericsson delivers a 4 GB...

  Myvu today announced that Myvu Crystal is now fully compatible with Apple’s revolutionary iPhone, in addition to existing compatibility with all Apple iPod. Myvu Crystal includes a rechargeable battery, a USB charging cable and noise-cancelling earphones from Ultimate Ears. Available in black or amber, Myvu Crystal will be sold on Myvu website for $299.95 MSRP. The eyewear has built-in rechargable battery, at one full battery charge you can use the Myvu Crystal up to 4 hours. Myvu Crystal is compatible with all iPod with video models, iPhone and iPhone 3G, other portable media players and mobile phones (including Microsoft Zune, Nokia N95 and select Samsung models), portable DVD players and various game consoles.

  In its ongoing effort to bridge the digital divide, Nokia today introduced a range of affordable mobile devices and innovative new services specifically for people in emerging markets. In addition to Nokia's lowest cost handset to date, as well as its first handset for emerging markets with an integrated digital music player, Nokia unveiled a range of services that leverage the power of the Internet. Estimated retail prices of the new devices range from 25 to 90 EUR, with several models expected to begin shipping in 2008. Nokia's suite of Internet services for emerging markets will be available beginning in 2009. The first services Nokia will offer in emerging markets will focus on email, agriculture and education, which based on consumer feedback, present the strongest demand in emerging markets. Mail on Ovi, which is enabled on Nokia Series 40 devices, offers the possibility to create an email account directly on the mobile phone without having to use a personal computer, giving millions of users the possibility to create their first internet identity and communicate in new ways. Mail on Ovi is easy to find, set-up and use, for immediate email access from your mobile phone. A trial of Mail on Ovi will launch in a few select markets by the end of...

  A weekend report reveals a Japanese newspaper and news agency are reporting electronics maker Panasonic may buy majority stake in Sanyo Electric before 2009. While the news is unofficial, Sanyo has made a statement saying it is considering options of selling its preferred stock shares but is yet to make a decision. Panasonic's press release, meanwhile, simply reads the company has not made such an announcement, but nothing was yet decided in regards to the rumored purchase, confirming the two companies are in talks. This year's fall in stock prices would mean Panasonic would buy Sanyo shares for a third less than they cost as early back as July. If the deal goes through, it would let Panasonic add Sanyo's extensive battery business to its own, along with giving the giant access to Sanyo's solar panel business and enter that industry. Panasonic would need to deal with Sanyo's majority shareholders Goldman Sachs, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Daiwa Securities SMBC, which made a saving 300 billion yen ($3 billion) investment in Sanyo back in 2006. The rumors regarding the sale were reported by Japan's biggest business daily, the Nikkei, along with the Kyodo News agency. Struggling Sanyo was rescued in 2006 with by Goldman Sachs, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking...

  AlleyInsider reports on a new analyst report from Friedman Billings Ramsey which claims that Apple's iPhone production could fall "more than 40%" in the 4th Quarter of 2008. AlleyInsider points out this may simply represent a surplus of iPhone production from Q3 2008 and the decrease in Q4 is to adjust inventory to match demand. Another contributing factor is believed to be the recent economic downturn: That the firm's iPhone production plans are being revised lower suggests that the global macroecomomic weakness is impacting even high-end consumers, those that are more likely to buy Apple's expensive gadgets, and that no market segment will be spared in this global downturn. This is a negative signal for global demand, in our view. The analyst bases his findings on "recent checks" on the chip industry which supplies parts for Apple's iPhone. The news comes shortly after Apple reported record iPhone earnings capturing 2.3% of the mobile phone market. Source

  Can any company force you to forego your natural right to sell your used mobile phones through second-hand channels like eBay? Word on the street has it that Motorola might be trying to do just that with their Motorola AURA. A “source close to [Motorola]” has apparently told Register Hardware that Motorola will require any Motorola AURA buyer to sign a contract that prevents them from hocking their luxury handset on the secondary market. The contract makes provisions for selling the unwanted handset back to Motorola directly, but it’s unclear how much Moto will pony up for a used Motorola AURA. The move to lock down the Motorola AURA strictly to retail channels is said to be an effort to preserve the Motorola AURA’s air of exclusivity. The luxury handset market is a fiercely competitive market ripe options. Forcing customer to pay the expected retail price of $2,000 for the handset ensures that the AURA projects an image of wealth and privilege. We’re not sure how Motorola would prevent eBay sales or how Moto would enforce such a contract. But, if true, this could set a precedent for contract-tied handsets that goes beyond the multi-year wireless contracts we already have to deal with. The Motorola AURA isn’t...

  Branding gadgets with speed monsters is a practice soon becoming a publicity gimmik. Why else would Vertu and Ferrari team up again after the Ascent Ferrari 1947-product line? Here is what the latest uber-luxury phone will offer the indulgent folks. The line up comes as one limited edition phone, the Nero, and two special edition phones, the Rosso and Giallo. The Nero boasts of a titanium body with crystal sapphire pillows, and is coated with scratchproof PVD. The Rosso and Giallo feature PVD-coated keyboards and battery covers, as well as ceramic pillows. The specs include Quad-band GSM/EDGE with WCDMA 2100, Stainless steel keys and sapphire crystal screen, Bluetooth, 3 MP camera with autofocus and flash, 4 GB user memory and Ferrari-inspired themes and ringtones. The phones will weigh 160 grams each and will support 5 hours talk time and 300 hours standby. They sync with Macs and PCs. Apparently only 2,009 limited edition Neros will surface. Since it's a Vertu it's pointless talking about the pricing. Availability is not yet known.

  Samsung Korea announced this Morning the T*OMNIA, the OMNIA’s big brother. If basically both the OMNIA and T*OMNIA are similar, the Korean version has however 4 improved features, with : - A slightly larger Screen 3.3” (Regular OMNIA has only a 3.22”)- A Higher Screen Resolution of 480 x 800 (Regular OMNIA has only a 240 x 400 screen resolution)- A DMB TV Tuner (Digital TV Tuner) Except the above mentioned differences and a larger size (115.2 x 58.1 x 13.65 mm), the T*OMNIA received the same features than its little bother.It is interesting to underline here that this T*OMNIA is using the same hardware (Digital TV tuner, Screen Size and Resolution) has the Japanese OMNIA, the 930SC, that we had the chance to play with a couple of days ago, with the exception of having on the Korean Version a Windows Mobile 6.1 OS.

  Fans of soccer currently have three ways of staying updated on an ongoing match via their cell phones: text messages, audio content, or mobile TV – for those who have compatible phones and live in countries where this service is available. All these not only that require a lot of your attention, but might also disturb people around you. So a new way of alerting fans about the events during a soccer game might appear: a vibrating way. Literally. Swedish researchers from Umeå University, together with Jiong Sun from Ericsson Research, are working on a new technology that could send in-game info via cell phone vibrations. Phones should be somehow synchronized with the ball the game is actually played with. This can be done via video, since there are lots of TV cameras that constantly follow the ball’s movement on the field. So, whenever someone kicks the ball, your phone should vibrate. The vibrations should be of different frequencies and lengths, according to the area where the ball is located. If it’s in midfield, for example, the phone should produce a weak, short-time vibration. When someone scores a goal, the vibration could be long and more...

  To promote its new 8 megapixel camera phone, Sony Ericsson C905, the company has worked together with Bauer Media to create a magazine advertisement with photoshot from the camera phone. The full page advertisement will be printed in December 2008 issue of FHM magazine.

  It’s not that often that we hear about some new Alcatel phone. The French company seems to have almost abondend its handset business, hence the device we’re showing you today, Alcatel OT-I650, is manufactured by China-based TCL Communication Technology. Anyway, the candybar-shaped device is made for those that don’t want a smartphone with its complicated mambo-jumbos. Rather the individuals Alcatels is targeting want a simple and easy to use phone that fits their active lifestyle. That being said, the Alcatel OT-I650 does go beyond “classic” low-end phones we’re seeing thanks to the built in G-sensor (accelerometer), which allows users to switch between apps by shaking the phone. In that sense, this device reminds us such handsets as Nokia 5500 or Sony Ericsson W580, though the mentioned two are way more capable than Alcatel’s baby. In addition to G-sensor, the OT-I650 also comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera, FM radio, Bluetooth, as well as several sport apps pre-installed like pedometer. The Alcatel OT-I650 will first be available in Russia in two colors (black and orange) for 3,190 rubles, which is about...

  ComScore, Inc. reports for the first time the demographics of iPhone owners and reveals that while 43 percent of iPhone owners earn in excess of $100,000 annually, the strongest growth in users is coming from those earning less than the median household income, particularly since the launch of the iPhone 3G. According to a new comScore report, “All about iPhone,” iPhone adoption since June 2008 rose 48 percent among those earning between $25,000 and $50,000 per year and by 46 percent among those earning between $25,000 and $75,000. These growth rates are three times that of those earning more than $100,000 per year. Overall, iPhone penetration grew 21 percent. While the number of consumers in the $25,000 to $50,000 income demographic declined marginally from June to August 2008, their ranks among smartphone owners and mobile content users grew, in most cases above the rate of the overall market. According to comScore Mobile, the number of people earning between $25,000 and $50,000 accessing news and information via their mobile browser grew by five percent since June, while the market overall grew by three percent. comScore also reported seven percent growth in mobile e-mail usage and five percent growth in mobile music consumption among...