Simplicity is the priority for handset owners, a conference discussing the future of the mobile phone has concluded. Industry leaders in digital technology met earlier this week to discuss the commercial opportunities surrounding the services and devices which support new mobile internet technology platforms such as Apple's iPhone, Android from Google and Nokia's Symbian. The event was organised by mashup*, a membership-based organisation of executives, entrepreneurs and investors affected by and working within the commercial application of digital technology, products and services. Tom Hume, managing director of Future Platforms, a software company that specialises in mobile product development for the likes of Nokia, Orange, Channel 4 and the BBC, was one of the guest speakers to address the gathering. He said: "For all the talk of Google, Apple or others stepping in to fix the fragmentation which afflicts the mobile industry, the problem is getting worse, not better. "Mobile isn't a single medium: it's a bewildering range of opportunities: SMS, MMS, mobile web, J2ME, Symbian, Flash, Silverlight, Android, iPhone. How can we cope with this increasing complexity?" Tony Fish, co-founder of mashup* and an author of the book Mobile Web 2.0, thinks...

  Sony Ericsson has released a special edition of its W350i Walkman phone for the modern ladies. The Sony Ericsson W350i Sex and the City edition is coated in Ivory White and will certainly find its fans among the fans of the popular TV series. Specs wise, the special edition handset is same as the original device, with the only difference being in a Memory Stick, which for this occasion contains the movie’s Original Soundtrack, three wallpapers and the official video of the single “Labels or Love” by Fergie. We’re not sure what’s the pricing of this baby, but I guess it’s about the same as the original W350i. In addition, we’re also not sure where you can grab the Sex and the City inspired W350i. eBay could provide some answers.

  Samsung Mobile boss Mark Mitchinson says the Apple/Nokia approach is not for Samsung Samsung is very clear on where it’s taking its mobile device strategy in the upcoming year. The manufacturer is adamant it won’t pull a Nokia or Apple and attempt to corner the content and services market; making mobile phones comes first – albeit mobile phones open to delivering a network’s services. Samsung’s stance remains device-centric – a complete juxtaposition of Nokia’s “devices are no longer enough” mantra. But there appears little bitterness towards its rival, which could be seen to have beaten it to a crucial game point; instead it holds up some sound market logic on why devices are in fact more than enough when paired appropriately with a network service. The Samsung UK and Ireland “dream team” was reigned in this year to execute this strategy. Vice president of mobile Mark Mitchinson (pictured) is supported now by team members including new general manager for product management, marketing, training and content Derek Williamson and general manager for sales Jon French. “Manufacturing is what we do; we see ourselves as a manufacturer first and foremost,” says Mitchinson,...

  In the battle of mobile phone operating systems, Windows Mobile and Linux score another. ZTE, the sixth largest handset manufacturer in the world, is starting to inch its way up to higher-end handsets, after making a mark in lower-end operator-branded phones. And, so far, it’s anticipated that it will focus its vast resources on producing Windows Mobile and Linux phones, according to research firm Ovum (via DigiTimes). The company is on a growth spurt, having only shipped 15 million units in 2006, jumping to 50 million units this year. However, when it comes to 3G, so far its focus outside of China has been on making USB modems for laptops, which it expects to sell more than six million by the end of the year. For future growth, it is looking at high-end 3G handsets that can be sold around the world. ZTE will begin shipping Windows-Mobile-powered devices with Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) next year and there are signs of other such deals, Ovum reports. ZTE also has confirmed that it will support Linux, although it’s unclear which variant. ZTE said it’s not interested in Symbian because even though it is moving towards open-source, it’s still predominantly used by...

  Powered by Windows Mobile, the T-Mobile Shadow is made by HTC as an affordable smartphone. It has a sleek design with a rounded edges. The slider phone will support T-Mobile MyFaves and Hotspot@ Home services. Not sure whether this device will support 3G connectivity (yeah, let’s hope). According to BGR, this device is slated for an October 15 release on T-Mobile and will likely be $149.99 with new contract and mail-in rebate.

  It's a beautiful autumn day, and you're out in the wooded path beyond the railroad tracks just taking it all in and killing some time. Hey, what's that? Why, it's the cutest bunny rabbit you've ever seen! Time to pull out that 8-megapixel C905 and... oh, this sucks, you actually have to press a button to zoom in and out! Screw this noise -- you're a visionary photographer, not a manual laborer. Happily, Sony Ericsson feels your pain, and a new patent application reveals that they're hard at work on a system to control your cameraphone's zoom level simply by moving it back and forth. Just get the phone closer to the subject, and boom, welcome to telephoto city, population one. We're still totally cool with the old-fashioned way of capturing Pulitzer-winning shots, but we're happy that someone's thinking of this type of stuff so we don't have to -- that'd be work.

When I first saw these pictures, I thought "blimey, now that really is a camera phone." Actually, what I was really thinking was "is that a phone, or just a camera?!" I then noticed the word "Cyber-Shot" emblazoned on it, and the title "Sony T700", and I got all excited. A new Sony Ericsson CyberShot phone that's never been seen before? Better still, a new Sony Cyber-Shot phone, sans Ericsson?Alas, no, it's none of these things. It's another fake Chinese phone, and this one isn't even sure of what it is either. It's a camera phone alright, it's just that it doesn't quite know how good a camera phone it is.On the side of the phone it proudly says "8.0 megapixels", while the sticker on the back claims it's just 5 megapixels. Worse, closer inspection reveals it's actually just a VGA camera - just 0.3 megapixels!Well who said a fake phone couldn't have a fake spec as well?!Still, you have to hand it to them, if you didn't know any better, you'd swear this was a Sony Ericsson CyberShot phone. Indeed, if it wasn't for me shoving the Chinese text into Babelfish, I'd be raving about this phone actually being a new CyberShot...

  Toshiba continues to tease us with its prototype liquid fuel cell-powered gadgets: last year it was a Gigabeat media player, and at this year's CEATEC you can check out a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) that's been crammed inside a cell phone, lending it a robust six hours of talk time (compared to the paltry three or four hours of a traditional battery). Toshiba won't reveal the capacity of the DMFC, but they have said that a 50ml cartridge is good for about 15 refills. No release date yet, but the phone "might" be available "as early as next year." In the meantime, enjoy this picture of a woman holding a flip phone with "DMFC" clearly visible on the display.

  All eyes are on Google and their first mobile phone. HTC, the company that actually makes these babies, is expecting to produce 2 million T-Mobile G1 units. Of that number, between 400,000 and 500,000 G1s are expected to be sold within the Q4 2008 alone. In money terms, producing that many devices would make the Taiwan-based phone maker NT$7 billion richer in Q4 2008, and NT$18 billion next year. Let’s put the numbers in a perspective, shall we. Two million units doesn’t seem much when compared with Apple’s original plans to sell 10 million iPhones. However, it is important to note that the G1 is the first Android-powered phone on the market and something tells us we’ll see more smartphones powered by Google’s mobile OS released in the coming months. In the meantime, by selling the G1 for $179, I’ve no doubts T-Mobile will reach its sales objectives…

  Remember that scene in 'The Dark Knight' where (spoiler alert!) Batman uses the city's cell-phones to look through walls and find the bad guys? Totally awesome, right!? A group of scientists at KDDI apparently thought so too, creating a prototype they say could do something similar. Using geomagnetic sensors, accelerometers, and GPS, the device is able to determine its position and render its surroundings on the screen in OpenGL, including areas that are currently out of sight. We're guessing you must have already scanned those areas with the phone and that it can't actually see through walls, but we'd be happy to be proven wrong -- whenever they actually have something to show us. Like the group's funky concept phones we brought to you earlier, this one doesn't actually work. Yet.

  CHIBA, Japan--If the concepts on display at Ceatec are any indication, completely deconstructing the traditional form factor of the mobile phone is one of the next major phases of design and development research. Japan has one of the most robust mobile phone cultures anywhere, and it shows here on the second day of the show. Sharp, Fujitsu, NTT DoCoMo, and KDDI each had intriguing takes on the next form factor for devices used not just for mobile communication, but watching videos, playing games, and performing mobile navigation. Take the necklace on the right. It alerts the wearer when there's a call or a message incoming. It's made by Fujitsu and, while it isn't an actual product, is indicative of how cell phones are thought of here: not just communication devices, but accessories made to fit neatly and inconspicuously into the daily routine. Then there were a host of phones whose screens and keyboards pull apart to be used separately. The Fujitsu version shown below uses magnets to connect the two pieces in the desired configuration. NTT DoCoMo was demonstrating a similar concept. But as far as futuristic, elegant design goes, KDDI was far and away the winner. The wireless company showed off beautiful designs, which are nowhere close to being...