T-Mobile seems to be poised to update the HTC Desire handsets for its UK customers. HTC Desire on Android 2.1 has been one of the hottest things that happened to the Smartphone segment this year.
The announcement was out last month from T-Mobile about upgrading Desire users from Eclair to Froyo in September and it seems that all is set except for some final approvals.
A recent post on Eurodroid also suggested that the service provider is awaiting some approvals from Google and the official date should be out very soon.
Similar to the case of HTC Hero, the unlocked HTC Desire handsets started to receive the Android 2.2 updates last month while the operator specific flavours of the handset are yet to receive the updates.
Various service providers in the UK committed to provide the Froyo upgrade for HTC Desire and T-Mobile is in no mood to disappoint its customers. Vodafone has already release the updates for Android 2.2 to its Desire customers and Orange is on its way too.
With the Froyo update, the customers can experience improved performance, a faster browser along with better Android Market that includes a handy bug reporting feature. Adobe Flash player 10.1 is one of the important things in the Froyo which enables faster web browsing.
Motorola has come up with the upgraded version of its popular Milestone handset, the Motorola XT720, a couple of months ago. This is the first Google Android 2.1 phone with an 8MP, Xenon flash camera. Milestone XT720 is said to be one of the most powerful devices in Motorola’s current smartphone portfolio.
The interesting news is that Motorola is all set to come up with an update for its powerful device which will increase the speed of the smartphone. Motorola is said to increase the handset’s processor speed from 550MHz to 720MHz.
The Milestone XT720 is said to run faster and smoother with this increase in processor speed. The update will also add few other features including DLNA compatibility.
The smartphone possesses a Qualcomm ARM-based processor along with the Android 2.1 Éclair OS. The handset also offers 10x digital zoom, a 720p HD camcorder and smart image capture. It also comes with a capacitive touchscreen WVGA display of 3.7 inch.
The handset which was formerly known as the Motoroi is bundled with a HDMI port, integrated WiFi and a memory card of 8GB. It features better connectivity and multimedia features. You can even connect the XT720 to your HD TV using the built in HDMI port provided and enjoy your HD videos on the big screen.
The Android 2.2 powered SmartPhone, HTC Desire Z is expected to be shipped to users from October 6. Despite the initial reports that the Desire Z will be a Vodafone exclusive, the handset is all set to be available on O2 and T-Mobile.
Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC Corporation unveiled its Desire HD and Z smartphone models this week. The handset now is available via mobilephones.direct.co.uk as is mentioned by HTC’s official website.
The Desire Z will feature a 3.7-inch touchscreen display; however it would not have the boastful AMOLED screen that its super-hit predecessor had because of some manufacturing issues HTC faced earlier.
The hinged display screen of the Desire Z helps to get a full QWERTY keypad with clearly defined programmable buttons which can act as shortcuts for an array of apps, and menus on the handset.
A 5MP camera with flash equipped with a 720p HD Video capabilities jazz it up on the back. The HTC Desire Z will run on the Froyo OS with the HTC Sense UI powered by an 800MHz Qualcomm processor.
For £30 to £40 a month contracts, one can get the handset from T-Mobile. Users get 900 monthly minutes, 500 texts, unlimited web surfing, and 3 months insurance for the £30 per month contract. O2 on the other hand offers the Desire Z for monthly contracts between £30 and £45. Users get 300 minutes a month, unlimited texts and unlimited mobile web for £30 a month.
The website asks for 17 days of delivery time though and expects to provide the handset dispatch on October 6th.
Feeling left out of the Smartphone segment due to their unusually high prices? The good news is that there are companies like Alcatel who make things for the common man and that they are on their job. Alcatel will make the OT-980 available to customers via Carphone Warehouse, priced at just £99.95 on PayG contract.
Alcatel has for long championed the cause of price-worthy handsets and provided us with cheap and useful phones.
Alcatel phones are no lesser to counterparts from its competitors when it comes to functionality. The company looks forward to providing suave mobile phones which do not leave a big hole in your pocket. The handsets should however be able to help you in social networking, texting, MMS, and Image capture.
Come October, Alcatel will launch its first Android powered Smartphone in the UK christened as Alcatel OT-980.
The QWERTY handset, powered by Android 2.1 will have a 2.8-inch TouchScreen display, a 2 Megapixel camera, an MP£ player, and a Multi IM client. Wi-Fi, HSPA, and E-Compass are the options to connect to the web using the OT-980.
The uber stylish 3G mobile phone will enable users to access Social networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Bebo. Apps for shopping, music, and games will jazz up the phone too.
After launching its first Android based Smartphone at the end of 2009, Sony-Ericsson seems to be on the track to upgrade the handset to run on the Eclair flavour i.e. Android 2.1 as seen on a video. Some people out there might see the Eclair as an old plarform, but it is a happy sign for all the Xperia X10 users.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 got launched on Android 1.6 OS and has not yet received any updates so far. Sony Ericsson promised an upgrade to Android 2.1 by Q3 2010 and it seems that things are on track for September when Sony Ericsson is expected up update the Xperia X10 Mini and X10 Pro also.
A recent article on Androinica suggested the video to have been shot during the IFA tech event in Berlin. It also suggested that the handset manufacturer is on the verge of releasing the updates.
With a lot of handsets already boasting Froyo aka Andraoid 2.2 this upgrade might sound a little too late but Xperia users will be all the more happy to receive the Eclair version of Android.
Microsoft has released the final version of its developers’ toolkit and thus launched another campaign to drum up support for its forthcoming Smartphone platform, Windows Phone 7.
Windows Phone 7 was released to mobile phone makers earlier this month and now it hopes to pull developers to its side so that they create all sorts of apps and help the platform become all the more popular.
Windows Phone Emulator, Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone, XNA Game Studio 4.0, and Expression Blend 4 for Windows Phone are a part of the toolkit. As is the buzz on the marketplace, the software giant is desperate to get all kinds of publicity for its much touted mobile platform, the Windows Phone 7.
Despite the fact that the Windows Phone 7 seems to have the capability and worth, Microsoft has a herculean task at hand as it tries to regain the lost market share. RIM announced this week that it has had an exceptional quarter and Comscore provided numbers that Android’s Smartphone share is on the rise.
Microsoft has shown its desperation in making statements about the alleged cost of Android. Microsoft opines that Android just looks free, but is tied by patents and other secondary costs to be borne by mobile phone manufacturers whereas it charges license fees upfront. Microsoft could rather focus on building software that delivers value for money and leave the rest to the public.
The latest and arguably the most important platform in the last decade is all set to go live on some phones next month and if it fails to impress the world and reverse the current trends, Microsoft is going to be in real trouble.
The Android 2.2 powered Smartphone, HTC Desire Z will be made available from October 11th for £429.99 as per the information published on Amazon.co.uk.
Despite the fact that Taiwanese major HTC unveiled both HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z at its conference in UK this week, there was no clarity about the pricing or the launch dates of the handsets till Amazon site leaked the information.
Amazon has offered to provide the handset for around £499 but claimed that it would cost around £499 in retail. There is no official word yet from the manufacturer about the release date or the price.
The Samsung Galaxy tab, a rival to the Apple iPad, is already on its way to land the UK market this quarter. Amazon UK is now offering the world’s largest smartphone on its airwaves for £799. This price seems to be quite higher than £608 for which another carrier is said to offer the device.
However, it is not yet confirmed if this is going to be the actual price of the much hyped device. Moreover, this comes as a dampener as the 16GB Wi-Fi version of Apple iPad can be grabbed at a cheaper price of just £429.
As such, this sky-high cost of the tablet would also bring down the volume of its much awaited users looking ahead to buy the device. Moreover, the Galaxy Tab costs twice to that of the Android tablet, Toshiba Folio 100, even at a price of £600. This also seems to be Samsung’s strategy of attracting customers by offering the device on contracts during its launch.
The display of the Galaxy tab is said to be limited to 480 x 800 which indicates that iPad is a step ahead in this regard. It will be sporting a 3.2 megapixel camera to its rear with a 240 x 320 resolution camera on its front. It will be powered by a 1GHz ARM11 chip and also possess a new Swype keyboard.
The UK release details for the LG Optimus One and Optimus Chic have been officially revealed by LG. Both the devices will be packing Google’s Froyo OS.LG is looking forward to sell more than 10 million units of Optimus One and Chic.
The entry level Android Smartphone from LG, Optimus One is all set to splash into the market on T-Mobile network and the service provider is giving a few motor car freebies.
T-Mobile announced an Optimus One Navigation edition handset using which the provider claims to be able to provide satellite based navigation with Google maps. It is offering a cradle dock and a free in-the-car charger.
The LG Optimus One is bundled with a 3.2 inch wide HVGA capacitive touchscreen, a 3MP camera, a 600MHz processor, a microSD card slot up to 32GB and a long lasting battery supporting up to 450 minutes of talk time.
Google Voice Actions, Google Goggles and Google Voice Search are compatible with both the Smartphones, thanks to the Android 2.2 OS which the handsets pack. Also, the devices will act as portable Wi-Fi hotspots.
Coming to the Optimus Chic which has a snazzy look also packs a 600MHz processor, a 3.2 inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen and a microSD card slot up to 32GB. The device also features a 5MP camera, video recording at 30fps as well as DLNA connectivity and LG Air Sync.
Nokia World saw the unveiling of its C3 Touch and Type handset on the second day thus creating more choice for Touch and Type users.
The Nokia Series 40 phone has a rare combination of traditional keypad along with touchscreen. The C3 comes equipped with a 5MP camera with flash, FM Radio, music player and a 32 GB memory card. For connectivity, the handset supports WLAN and 3G.
The C3 Touch and Type is expected to be out in the fourth quarter with a price around €145, exclusive of taxes and subsidies. The handset was however shown to the world during the Nokia World on second day.
Analysts at the The INQUIRER however were not able to understand how people can afford to buy a mobile phone for €145 when many people in the emerging economies have a $1 per day income.
Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC Corporation unveils its Desire HD and Z smartphone models today which have been spotted on the web for quite some time.
Customers are likely to place their hands on the Desire HD from mid-October which would be available on all networks except O2. The handset will not be costing more than £35 a month on contracts. The Desire Z would be available via Vodafone, Phones4U, Carphone Warehouse and other retailers.
The 164g weighing Desire HD handset sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255 1GHz processor, a 264K colour LCD display of 4.3 inch, 768MB of RAM and 8MP camera. It also allows the users to wirelessly transfer video to other device.
Coming to the 180g weighing Z model specs, it boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7230 800MHz processor, a Super LCD 3.7-inch display, 512MB RAM, a QWERTY keyboard and a 5MP camera.
Both the handsets features Android 2.2 Froyo, CDMA, GSM, HSPA, EDGE, GPRS, BT 2.1 & WiFi 802.11b/g/n connectivity, 1.5GB of storage along with a microSD slot, a micro USB slot, a 3.5mm earjack socket, motion and proximity sensors, 720p video recording and WVGA touchscreen displays.
Both the models also come with an updated Sense UI overlaid on Android 2.2. Other HTC devices can also get the new Sense UI in the future provided they feature Android 2.2 OS.
Taiwanese giant Acer is all set to come up with three Android-based tablet PC models in the Q1 of 2011. All the three tablets will run on Android OS 3.0(Gingerbread). The three tablets are said to sport a 5-inch panel, a 7-inch panel and a 10-inch panel.
Acer is looking ahead to build its tablet PCs by joining hands with Quanta Computer or Compal Electronics, which are said to be two of the major ODM/OEMs in Taiwan. However, it is yet to be decided as to Acer will go with which player to place its order.
Acer which has geared up to go with an ARM-based solution is still evaluating between Nvidia Tegra 2 and an unnamed Qualcomm Cortex A9 solution to adopt in its Android tablet.
However, the Taiwanese company is also expected to come up with a small volume of Wintel tablet PCs. The tablets which will be developed by Compal Electronics will be based on Windows 7 OS and using an Atom processor.
The 5-inch tablet from Acer is expected to come as a hybrid device allowing customers to experience both smartphone and tablet PC functionality. As such, the device can be expected to possess built-in 3G capabilities.
Leading UK network providers O2, Vodafone and T-Mobile are geared up to offer the Nokia N8 smartphone for free on a two year contract by charging £35 per month. The latest model designed from the mobile phone giant, Nokia would hit the market later this month.
The N8 handset will be available from all the three carriers on similar two year packages. The package will be bundled with unlimited browsing, unlimited text messages as well as a free mini HDMI TV cable by which the N8 users can experience HD recording capabilities from a large screen.
However, the call minutes varies for the packages from three networks. T-Mobile is offering the handset with 900 anytime monthly minutes for £35 per month whereas both O2 and Vodafone are offering the device with 600 minutes.
N8 is the first and last N-series smartphone from Nokia based on Symbian ^3 operating system. Nokia N8, which comes in five colours, is bundled with a 3.5 inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display, a 12-megapixel camera with Xenon flash, 720p HD video recording, a mini HDMI slot, Ovi Maps, Dolby Digital Plus technology along with 16GB memory.
The UK launch of the LG Optimus One would be in October whereas that of the Optimus Chic would be in November. More details regarding the network providers and all are yet to be decided.
Have you been on the lookout for a Walkman-branded budget handset in the market on PAYG? If you are indeed looking for one and if you love the white and green combination, then you can jump in joy because Virgin media is offering the Sony Ericsson Spiro in spring green on PAYG for just £59.99.
The Spiro is up for grabs in a variety of colours viz., contrast black, sunset pink, and stealth black; however it is only Virgin Media which offers the green coloured handset.
Powered by Sony Ericsson’s Walkman branding, Spiro has FM Radio in-built along with an MP3 player. The handset comes with a free 2GB memory card which can easily be expanded to 16GB enabling you to save an array of multimedia files.
The Spiro has got a full set of dedicated music keys on the front side and a numerical keyboard behind the screen on the slide-down. The Spiro is all about music. As an example, it comes powered by TrackId to find details of the song from a recorded snippet, a 3.5 mm connector and access to PlayNow store.
The low-priced handset weighing just 90g comes spruced up with an impressive 2 megapixel camera, and pre-loaded apps for Twitter and Facebook so that you can keep up with all near and dear. Spiro can be lapped up through other providers like Vodafone and Orange on PAYG. O2, Vodafone, and Orange provide monthly deals for Spiro as well.
Here comes some great news for those who have been waiting to own the white iPhone 4. Carphone Warehouse is all set to offer the white HTC Desire and that can turn people waiting for the white iPhone 4 to its side.
The amazing version of the HTC Desire which holds second place in T3’s Hot 100 will now be featuring the Super LCD display. Latest set of Desire handsets have been chosen by the company to sport the LCD displays as the availability of AMOLED displays have been delayed.
Apart from this, rest all features of the latest HTC Desire will be as usual as that of the current Desire. The handset will feature a 3.7 inch display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera coupled with LED flash, Android 2.2 OS and much more.
No further details regarding the availability and pricing of the handset have been revealed yet. However, the device is likely to land the UK market during Christmas time.
Moreover, the HTC Desire HD and the HTC Desire Z are expected to be out during the HTC event happening next week. Also, few other devices are expected to be out from HTC in the weeks ahead.
Mobile service provider, Virgin Media has got a new low-priced mobile phone up its sleeve in the form of the Sony Ericsson Walkman series phone, Spiro. The Sony Ericsson Spiro is being touted as the perfect phone for music lovers by Virgin.
Spiro can be picked up for £49.99 if bought with a £10 credit on Pay As You Go. Powered by Sony Ericsson’s Walkman branding, Spiro has FM Radio in-built along with an MP3 player.
The handset comes with a free 2GB memory card which can easily be expanded to 16GB enabling you to save an array of multimedia files.
The low-priced handset comes spruced up with an impressive 2 megapixel camera, and pre-loaded apps for Twitter and Facebook so that you can keep up with all near and dear.
It has been around 5 months that Sony Ericsson unveiled the Spiro and it noted that its Walkman range of mobile phones had clocked sales of 130 million across the globe since its 2005 launch.
Were you one amongst the gizmo freaks who expected to have a Smartphone powered by a 1.5GHz processor at the start of next year? In that case, we have got bad news for you as Qualcomm CEO apparently gave away wrong information when he claimed that it would be offering a 1.5GHz processor in Q1 2011.
The CEO’s statement claiming that the 1.5GHz processor would be on the shelves starting Q1 2011 has since been corrected by the PR team to end of 2011.
It might have been a slip of the tongue given the fact that 1.2GHz dual-core chips from Qualcomm have already been despatched to mobile phone manufacturers so that the same can be inserted into mobiles.
The stock prices saw a sharp rise because of the misquoted information and hence someone in the hierarchy should face the wrath.
Dual core chips are not from reality as well and given the chance that we will get to see them next year, Smartphones will be able to handle snazzier applications very soon.
Reports across the market seem to suggest the arrival of the much-awaited Windows Phone 7 this October.
News blog, Pocket Lint reported that an event on October 11 will mark the formal launch of the Mobile platform quoting anonymous sources. CNET followed suit to confirm the news.
The release date of 11 October will be five weeks from the day Microsoft announced that the Operating System has been shipped to mobile phone makers.
The Windows Phone 7 platform has been touted as the complete makeover of its Smartphone operating system by Microsoft. It has been marked as a giant leap from its existing Windows Mobile Platform. Social networking and user interface are features which have been highlighted by the Software giant.
As per analysts, Microsoft will however find itself on a sticky note on its re-entry into the Smartphone market thanks to the exemplary rise of the other competing platforms viz., the BlackBerry, Android and the iOS platforms.
The Samsung Galaxy tab, a rival to the Apple iPad, is already on its way to land the UK market this quarter. 3 UK is geared up to sell the world’s largest smartphone on its airwaves. However, it did not reveal much details regarding the availability and pricing of the tablet.
3 UK will be offering the SIM-only voice as well as data packages for the Galaxy Tab. You need to shell out £10 to go with the cheapest offer from 3 mobile which will provide you with 100 any network minutes, 3000 texts, 2000 3-to-3 minutes along with 1GB data allowance. An additional fiver will triple your call minutes.
Users can also go with the data packages which cost £7.5 per month for 1GB and just £15 for 5GB if they want to use the Galaxy Tab just as a tablet but not as a smartphone.
However, it is yet to be decided if the Galaxy Tab will be sold by 3 UK as a PAYG model or if it will be offered on contract basis in the days ahead.
Also, as per press release from 3 UK, the tablet would sport a 1.2GHz processor instead of 1GHz as specified earlier by Samsung. The tablet however seems to cost quite a fortune with the SIM-Free unlocked version priced at £608. This comes as a dampener as Apple iPad has got things at a cheaper price.
