Engadget Mobile

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLIV: Zoho's E72 is made in China, has Finland doing a double-take

posted Nov 28th 2009 at 1:17PM

Having trouble getting your hands on that Nokia E72? Perhaps you favor a handset with a TV tuner? Zoho's KIRF E72 features the aforementioned tuner, dual sim, QWERTY keypad, WiFi, JAVA, FM tuner, and both rear and front-facing 1.3MP cameras. Rest assured, the UI looks nothing like what you'd get with from Finland. But did we mention that you could watch TV on the thing? Video after the break.

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QiGi's Smartbook is more like a WinMo 6.5-powered MID

By Darren Murph

posted Nov 28th 2009 at 9:16AM

We're going on the assumption here that the lads and ladies over at QiGi haven't actually heard that "smartbooks" have a vaguely defined look and feel, as the outfit's latest handheld definitely looks nothing like the smartbooks that we've seen emerge over the past few months. In fact, the Windows Mobile 6.5-equipped device looks more like a MID than anything else, boasting a 5-inch 800 x 480 display, only a few face-mounted buttons and 1GB of memory. Hit the read link if you're interested in a poorly translated review, and good luck finding one of these in the open market (at least with an English-language operating system).

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FCC Fridays, Saturday Edition

By Chris Ziegler

posted Nov 28th 2009 at 8:02AM

Feature

Every so often, technical difficulties stop us from delivering FCC Fridays on time, but the way we see it, it's not Friday until we say it is. So on that note, this ain't FCC Saturdays -- it's just FCC Fridays, Saturday edition. As always, enjoy!

Phones
Read - Samsung SCH-R330
Read - Samsung SCH-F219
Read - Samsung S7070
Read - Sagem OT 8x0
Read - LG GU295
Read - LG L-03B
Read - Huawei C2828
Read - Huawei G2157
Read - Haier M560C
Read - Alcatel OT-305A / OT-508A

Peripherals
Read - Samsung HM1500

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Nissan's Scratch Shield paint coming to cellphones, invisibleSHIELD feels threatened

By Darren Murph

posted Nov 28th 2009 at 3:56AM

Remember Nissan's Scratch Shield paint technology? You know, that stuff we first heard about some four years back? According to a release straight out of Yokohama, the automaker has agreed to license that very tech to Japan's own NTT DoCoMo for "mobile phone application." In theory, at least, the flexible clearcoat will enable certain light scratches to actually heal themselves over time, and the paint itself is tougher to scratch to begin with. There's no specific mention of the who's and when's involved, but we're hoping to see this idea spread to other portable devices in the near future. After all -- who isn't sick of shelling out for some clear skin to protect each and every handheld they own?

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Magellan's GPS Car Kit for iPhone and iPod Touch: $130, coming next month

By Darren Murph

posted Nov 28th 2009 at 1:28AM

We heard earlier this month that Magellan was looking to one-up TomTom by outing an iPod touch / iPhone GPS car kit of its very own, but a few critical details were missing: namely, a price and a release date. Thanks to a new product listing on Amazon (capped after the break), we at least have a clue as to when this thing will be shipping stateside and for how much. If you'll recall, this one's compatible with the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod touch as well as the iPhone 3G and 3GS, and aside from providing a built-in speaker, charging capabilities and a noise-canceling handsfree speakerphone, it'll also work with any navigation or location-based app -- not just Magellan's own $79.99 RoadMate program. The unfortunate part here is that Magellan has somehow managed to produce a cradle that's actually more expensive that the ludicrously overpriced TomTom variant, but those willing to part with $129.99 can place their order now and look for a December 11th ship date.

[Thanks, Mark]

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LG IQ (Monaco) demoed on video, coming to Telus 'this holiday season'

By Ross Miller

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 10:36PM

Clocking in at 1:48, this glimpse at LG's IQ (a.k.a. Monaco) is indeed very brief and not much is said. It's got a fingerprint sensor lock, S-class UI (which we knew), and that backing is definitely Windows Mobile 6.5, but for everything else we'll have to refer to the previous specs we've seen leaked. As noted twice by the voice behind the on-screen hand, it's coming "this holiday season" and will be exclusive to Telus, so all the fine print should be revealed soon. Video after the break.

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HTC HD2 capacitive stylus just around the bend?

By Darren Murph

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 6:56PM

Ah, ha! Remember that curious patent application that popped up from HTC back in mid-August? You know, the one dealing specifically with a "capacitive stylus?" If UK e-tailer Clove is to be believed, one of those very devices will soon be shipping for the wide-faced HD2, though little else about the product is known. In fact, we're told that "price, specification and availability" are still being confirmed, although a preliminary asking price of £15 ($25) is posted. So, anyone already getting hot and bothered just waiting for this, or what?

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Acer to unveil 8 to 10 phones next year, show more love to Android

By Darren Murph

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 5:58PM

Acer's far from being a major player in the smartphone space, but to call it irrelevant would be grossly inaccurate. Up until now, however, the outfit has relied largely on Microsoft's mobile OS to power its phones, though even it seems shocked by the warm reception the Android-powered Liquid has received. According to the company's own Aymar de Lencquesaing, Acer recognizes that "there is definitely momentum behind Android," and he continued by stating that "the pace is faster than most would have anticipated one year ago." He went on to proclaim that the company was apt to pump out 8 to 10 phones in 2010, with next year's lineup being "much more balanced" in terms of the amount of Windows Mobile vs. Android handsets. Look out, world -- Google just might take over another huge portion of your life while you're fixated on the next great Black Friday deal.

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SoftBank prepping bid for Willcom?

By Chris Ziegler

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 5:52PM

PHS is in a bit of a pickle right now -- the niche wireless standard has no path for technological growth, has just a handful of supporting carriers around the world, and frankly, was never intended for wide-area deployment to boot. That leaves Japan's PHS-powered network, Willcom, in the lurch, which explains why they've recently hooked up with HSPA giant NTT DoCoMo to launch modern data devices. Mooching off someone else's network isn't a long-term strategy for survival, though, so what's next? Reports are flying in Japan today that rival SoftBank may look at scooping up Willcom's assets in exchange for its debtors waiving some percentage of its $1 billion in IOUs; what SoftBank would ultimately do with that extra spectrum is unclear, but presumably they'd continue to run PHS for some predetermined period of time before transitioning it to HSPA or LTE. Of course, Willcom has a rep for releasing wild devices that avoid the beaten path set by its larger rivals, so here's a preliminary word to the wise, SoftBank: if you make this happen, keep the product people on board.

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Droid Eris available for $30, shuns Black Friday theatrics

By Paul Miller

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 4:00PM

From everything we can tell, this new Droid Eris deal has nothing to do with the day after Thanksgiving and everything to do with the pure insanity of Walmart Wireless / LetsTalk.com. The same people that brought us the $30 Pixi have slashed the $99 Eris down to $30, which does wonders for removing the Eris from regular Droid comparisons. Judged purely on its own merits, $30 is a pretty smashing price for this handset, but in two years when that hefty Verizon contract is up it's probably going to seem even more outdated by new versions of Android and faster processors than it does now.

[Thanks, Jeff]

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Engadget's Black Friday giveaway, part six: win an HTC HD2!

By Laura June

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 2:30PM

Contest

Black Friday is one of those days you wish you could skip right over sometimes. The long lines, the disappointing deals, the stampedes and the arguments over Cabbage Patch Kids. We can sympathize. That's why we're hanging out here all day, with you! And we decided to pull out some things we stocked up on just to give away to you, our devoted readers. Read the full rules after the break and get commenting to win. Up now we have an HTC HD2 to give away. Just admit it: you want one!

Keep checking back -- we're going to step it up here and do one every hour or so, and we have a bunch of great stuff to hand out! Good luck!

Special thanks to HTC for providing the HD2!

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Wronged i8910 HD buyer prepares doctoral-quality thesis on issues

By Chris Ziegler

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 1:16PM

What do you do when you're unhappy with a product you've bought? Return it? Complain on an online forum? Write to the company? Well, for one Mr. Panashe Ngwerume, the answer's a little more complicated than that. You see, this particular gentleman was so incensed by the Samsung i8910 HD's problems and lack of continued development that he felt compelled to write a 25-page -- yes, 25-page -- report detailing the issues and proposed solutions. Unfortunately for Ngwerume and other i8910 HD buyers, Samsung seems to have effectively abandoned Symbian in favor of Android, Windows Mobile, and the company's own bada, but the report suggests that Samsung throw the phone and its firmware to the hacker community for further development, possibly on Maemo or bada. Knowing what we know of giant, global firms like Samsung, the blood, sweat, and tears that went into this Nobel-worthy work were probably for naught, but it makes for a riveting read and a great rallying point for i8910 owners around the world.

Samsung i8910 / Omnia HD Report (PDF)

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Engadget's Black Friday giveaway, part three: win an Aliph Jawbone prime!

By Laura June

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 11:30AM

Contest

Black Friday is one of those days you wish you could skip right over sometimes. The long lines, the disappointing deals, the stampedes and the arguments over Cabbage Patch Kids. We can sympathize. That's why we're hanging out here all day, with you! And we decided to pull out some things we stocked up on just to give away to you, our devoted readers. Read the full rules after the break and get commenting to win. Now we've got an Aliph Jawbone Prime. Just admit it: you want this.

Keep checking back all day -- we're going to do one giveaway every hour or so, and we have some great stuff to hand out, including an HP Envy 15!

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Lenovo begins $200M buyback of Lenovo Mobile

By Thomas Ricker

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 7:27AM

Of the many trends in consumer electronics, today's announcement by Lenovo highlights two of the biggest: 1) PC makers are desperate to get in on that handheld smartphone action, and 2) China is the place to do it with its 700 million mobile subscribers. That's why Lenovo is putting up $200 million in cash and stock to reacquire its former mobile business sold to a group of investors last year; a move made possible by Lenovo's recent return to profitability. Although Lenovo says its focus will be on the Chinese market, don't be surprised when you see Lenovo branded handsets headed to downtown stores or your favorite high-street shops -- assuming the deal passes shareholder approval, of course.

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iPhone 3GS Supreme is diamond encrusted, spectacularly expensive

By Vladislav Savov

posted Nov 27th 2009 at 3:53AM

Seeing as how the iPhone's exclusivity status has been slipping, it was inevitable that the bourgeoisie would invent a new way to distinguish themselves from the lowly masses. Enter a designer by the name of Stuart Hughes, already expertly familiar with slapping precious metals onto slightly less precious mobile phones. He classes up a 3GS handset with a 22 carat solid gold body, which he then sprinkles with no less than 190 diamonds. And just to make sure none of the riff raff can get their hands on it, this creation is priced at £1.92 million ($3.2 million), which places it precisely £1.92 million outside our budget. Completing the, erm, value proposition is a storage chest cut from a single block of granite, which you may peep after the break.

Phone Arena, Tech Ed Blog

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LG / Cyon SU630 caught in the wilds of South Korea

By Joseph L. Flatley

posted Nov 26th 2009 at 10:49PM

Were you shocked and surprised when LG put out a Christmas Edition of its Korea-only LG-SU630? Neither were we -- but we are mighty amused that a certain reader named James Roberson was cool enough to take us up on our (joking) plea for pictures of the handset when he came across one at the electronics market in Seoul recently. This isn't the Christmas edition, but it's all LG-SU630 -- as indicated by the Cyon logo and 8 megapixel camera 'round back. Get a closer look in the gallery below. And for our next request, do you think you could send us a Sciphone Dream G2? We hear they're pretty amazing. kkthanksbye.

LG / Cyon LG-SU630 caught in the wilds of South Korea

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Sony Ericsson acknowledges touchscreen issues on Aino

By Chris Ziegler

posted Nov 26th 2009 at 6:19PM

As if the Aino's odd name wasn't handicap enough, Sony Ericsson's taking another hit on its high-end Remote Play-capable full-touch (but Symbian-free) phone today with news that it's got a dodgy touchscreen. It's unclear exactly what's wrong or how it's ultimately going to get resolved, but several British retailers -- most notably behemoth Carphone Warehouse -- have elected to yank it from shelves until they've gotten confirmation that the mothership has fixed the problem. A company spokesman notes that "Aino has sold in limited numbers in the UK, so this issue affects only a very small number of customers," which is a backhanded way of saying "for once, we're incredibly lucky no one wants this thing" -- though considering that the Satio's on hold now, too, "lucky" might not be the right word for it. For what it's worth, Sony's US SonyStyle store is still hawking Ainos for $600, so part with that six-pack of Benjamins at your own risk.

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Windows Mobile 6.5 'second edition' bringing slightly revamped UI?

By Donald Melanson

posted Nov 26th 2009 at 4:38PM

We've already gotten a glimpse of an updated on-screen keyboard seemingly set for inclusion in the next update to Windows Mobile 6.5, and it now looks like Microsoft might have even more changes on tap to keep folks satisfied in the buildup to Windows Mobile 7. Apparently, something that may or may not be called Windows Mobile 6.5 'second edition' adds a number of UI updates that are supposedly designed to make it more usable with capacitive touchscreens. The biggest of those changes, it seems, is that the clickable buttons from the top bar have been removed in favor of a larger, more finger-friendly bar at the bottom -- which, judging from appearances, is not quite ready for prime time. Of course, of all this is still just based on what's been turned up in an early build of the OS, but at least one unnamed Microsoft representative has reportedly confirmed that the updated UI does indeed come from Microsoft, but he apparently wouldn't confirm much else.

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Navigon announces nav app for Android, Google threat looms

By Chris Ziegler

posted Nov 26th 2009 at 11:14AM

Google has taken much of the wind out of the turn-by-turn navigation industry's sails this Fall thanks to the introduction of fee-free Google Maps Navigation, but it's got a fatal flaw for the moment: it's only available in the States. Navigon must be banking on the fact that Mountain View is going to take its sweet time spreading the love around the world, because it has announced at iCE Amsterdam today that it'll be releasing its own app for Android on December 10. Pricing hasn't been revealed, but for comparison, Navigon's European solution for the iPhone runs a stout $140 -- and as long as Google doesn't tell everyone that European navigation is no longer a valid business model as they've done in the US, that could very well be the number we can expect on the Android side. It'll be compatible with devices running anything from 1.5 to 2.0, so Dreams and Milestones alike should be welcome to apply.

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Nokia X6 Comes with Music and capacitive touchscreen: shipping now

By Thomas Ricker

posted Nov 26th 2009 at 8:05AM

What are you thankful for today? If you live in Finland or the UK and pre-ordered a X6 then you might be obliged to Nokia for having just set your new handset free. That's right pilgrims, Nokia's new flagship Comes with Music handset is now shipping. The X6 you'll recall, introduces S60 5th to a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen riding 32GB of storage, a 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, TV-out, and tweaked homescreen with a media/social-centric layout. The X6 lists for €450 (pre-tax and pre-carrier subsidies) -- a price that ultimately includes the cost of Nokia's struggling "all-you-can-eat" music service. Perhaps this is the device that finally gives the service legs? Maybe, but we'd start by following through on plans to strip the DRM.

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