Actually, Nokia N97 is a true mobile computer. It has a large 3.5" 16:9 widescreen tilting touch display and QWERTY keyboard. The size of on-board memory is 32 GB and can be extended by 16 GB with a microSD card. Designed for active Internet users, the Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving approved friends the ability to update their 'status'. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics. The smartphone is expected to begin shipping in the first half of 2009 at an estimated retail price of EUR 550 before taxes or subsidies.    

In this review we are going to talk about Mobiado Classic Line collection cell phones: Luminoso, Stealth and Lucido. Engineering and technical aspects will be frequently touched upon and will represent the most important part of the review because materials Mobiado uses in their phones always deserve a lot of attention being the strongest point of the company. Actually all Mobiado phones can be called masterpieces and resemble jewelry – so precisely engineered they are. And their clear-cut shape and solidity of body make them inimitable in their beauty. There is a very simple way to completely realize the power of combination of the refined design and a great engineer’s idea together with valuable materials – you should just imagine for a second that Mobiado cell phones are not for a museum collection but for the hands and pockets of their owners that use them day by day… Appearance   The entire Classic Line family is presented by bar cell phones with rounded upper and lower sides. The manufacturer did not try to hide screws and made them contribute to the design of the phones. The stainless steel screws and especially their size tell us about the strength of the material the body of devices is made of. We are talking about

  Today Nokia introduces the Nokia 6260 slide that comes with the latest 3G technology, high speed uploads (HSUPA) and downloads (HSDPA), a great 5Mpix Carl Zeiss camera with flash. In addition to this, Nokia Maps and the assisted GPS provide a great navigation experience. The Nokia 6260 slide brings GPS into the Series 40 software platform for the first time. The Nokia 6260 slide is expected to begin shipping at the beginning of 2009 for an estimated retail price of EUR 299, before taxes and subsidies.  

  Today's release of the Series 40 6th Edition SDK coincides with Nokia's announcement of the new Nokia 6260 slide, the latest device based on the Series 40 6th Edition platform. New SDK release provides support for Java-based location API (JSR-179), WebKit Open Source Browser and Adobe Flash Lite 3.0. Releasing the new software development kit (SDK) for its Series 40 6th Edition mass-market mobile devices, Nokia provides application developers and network operators with new tools to create unique applications and services for the high-volume feature phone market worldwide.  

  It’s good to see that smartphones are steadily gaining momentum in China. To put this into numbers, volume sales of smartphones in the world’s fastest growing economy grew 12.2% on year to reach 2.53 million units in September 2008. According to CCID Consulting, Nokia, Motorola and Dopod China benefited the most out of this trend. With 70% of the market, The Finnish giant ruled the Chinese smartphone sales in September, followed by Motorola with 18.9%, Dopod with 5.2%, Samsung with 2.6%, and Sony Ericsson with 1% share. China-based Coolpad ranked sixth with a 0.8% share, whereas other domestic branded vendors were unable to make significant gains in the segment.

  ClarityLife C900, one of the few mobile phones especially built and designed for senior users, is now available for purchase in the US. The handset is manufactured by Clarity, a division of Plantronics, and it’s sold unlocked for $269.99. Unfortunately, there is only a GSM version of the phone (to use with AT&T or T-Mobile), so you won’t be able to use it on a CDMA network. Being targeted to seniors, ClarityLife C900 is obviously a simple phone packed with features that can make communication much easier for this categoy of mobile users. Among the features of C900, we must mention: *Amplification – seniors with hearing loss can hear incoming sound amplified up to 20 dB (decibels)*Four large buttons that provide an easy navigation*A one-touch emergency help button on the back, for instant contact with the loved ones*A large backlit screen that displays oversized text for convenient reading*Text messaging*Flashing orange LED for incoming calls*Incorporated flashlight

  According to a cost estimate by iSuppli, Google's first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, has an estimated bill-of-materials (BOM) of $143.89. For those of you keeping score, that puts it at $30.44 under the BOM cost of the iPhone. The most costly part of the G1 comes from the baseband with its combination of ARM11 and ARM7 microprocessors, which account for $28.49 of the total cost. The G1's 3.2 inch touch screen comes in second for cost at $19.67, with the camera and radio frequency/power amplifier following as the third and fourth most expensive components. iSuppli does state that the estimate is based purely on the cost of the components in the device, and not the software or manufacturing costs that go into it. Since the G1's major draw is the Android software, it would be interesting to see the rundown of software cost analysis at some point.

  After teasing us with a touchscreen phone way back at CES this January, iriver has been decidedly mum on the subject ever since, calling what we saw more of a "proof of concept" than a ready-for-market product. Well, that veil has been lifted and we're finally staring at the iriver wave, a touchphone that iriver plans to start shipping in Korea on March 9th of next year with KT, and with other major carriers to follow. Other than a touchscreen, the phone packs WiFi and the traditional kitchen sink approach of Korean PMPs, with multimedia playback, FM radio, e-books and an electronic dictionary. There's miniSD expansion, access to the Bugs Music Service for online music and we're sure a few other perks hidden under layers of Korean spec sheets. Overall the physical design hasn't really changed much from what we saw at the start of the year (looks like that 3-inch, 480 x 272 touchscreen is quite intact), but the software has certainly been refined, and is devoid of many of its original, erm, iPhone-inspired

  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.

  Meizu's shadow to the iPhone, the M8, should be available in at least a limited form before the end of the month, according to a post by company head J. Wong. While already tentatively slated for November, the touchscreen phone should be launched in Meizu's native China no later than November 30th. The company is waiting for a government license for the phone but will release a test version to users even if the license isn't granted by the end of the month, Wong explains. The news is accompanied by plans for the launch that will stagger the release: both the Chinese and Indian versions will be available first, with the Chinese version's Wi-Fi disabled to meet local laws. Exports to Europe, Hong Kong and the US may also be ready by Christmas Eve with Wi-Fi intact. Meizu's device is based on a heavily modified Windows Mobile interface with numerous references to Apple's cellphone, including a Safari-like web browser front end, an iPod-like media player, and a similar overall look. However, the Chinese device also carries extras like a three-megapixel camera and FM radio at the expense of 3G data, using EDGE instead when away from Wi-Fi. The M8 is tentatively priced at the equivalent of about $348 for an 8GB version without subsidies and $421 for a

  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

  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.

  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

  Asustek Computer plans to launch its first Android-based Google phone in the first half of 2009, according to company sources. Asustek may initially sell the Android-powered handsets under its own brand in the Taiwan market before also launching customized models for overseas clients, said market sources close to the company. In other news, the company sources also noted that Asustek plans to gradually phase out EMP-based handsets and instead will switch to handset platforms from Qualcomm and Marvell. While launching its 3.5G P552w PDA phone in the Taiwan market on October 28, Asustek plans to launch one 3G handset model built using Qualcomm's dual-core solutions in the first quarter of next year, the sources noted. Asustek's shipments of smartphones in the Taiwan market totaled 30,000 units in the first nine months of this year, and the company expects the annual shipment volumes to reach 40,000 units by year-end.

  We haven’t been hearing much from HP recently, but apparently, the company’s been working very quietly on two new iPAQs, which have just been unveiled as the HP iPAQ Data Messenger and HP iPAQ Voice Messenger. One of these devices features a touchscreen display, while the other has a QWERTY keyboard fitted into an alphanumeric keypad. But what other goodies does each new iPAQ hold? Read on to find out. The first iPAQ we’re going to be discussing is the new HP iPAQ Data Messenger. It’s the one pictured on the left, and has a 2.8-inch touchscreen display, with LED backlight and 320 x 240 pixels. What’s not seen at first glance is its built-in slide-out alphanumeric QWERTY keyboard, and it runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. The HP iPAQ Data Messenger also has GPS (It comes with a 30 Day Trial for Turn-by-Turn Navigation with Google Maps for Mobile), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 3G/HSDPA and a 3 megapixel camera with LED flash. Desktop syncing is done via its microUSB port and it’s powered by a removable and rechargeable 1140 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery. Memory is taken care of with 128 MB SDRAM for applications, 256 MB flash ROM, and a microSD card slot. On the other hand, the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger only has a