Been holding out getting a new smartphone while waiting for a Windows Phone 7 handset to come out? Well, your wait just got shorter. Microsoft has rolled out the release to manufacturing (RTM) version of their latest mobile effort, bringing the new OS all that much closer to hitting store shelves.
While it will still take a bit of time to integrate with their partners' hardware, software and mobile networks, there's still a solid four months before the end of the year. That means, there's a good likelihood that a Windows Phone 7 device will come to market right in time for the year-end holidays.
According to Microsoft, the OS has been their "most thoroughly tested mobile platform" to date. Based on early impressions, it easily sounds like it could be the ace up their sleeve too, sending them right back into contention in the now-crowded smartphone space.
From what we remember, the new platform allows little space for firmware customization. If that still holds true, then there shouldn't be much tweaks necessary (at least, for the OS itself) on the manufacturer's end, hopefully speeding up the integration process.
We know we're not alone in looking forward to Windows Phone 7 hitting the scene, so this is definitely big news. Check out the announcement from the WP7 team at the link below.
[Windows Team Blog]
We're not sure how rugged a slim and sleek smartphone can be, but Motorola claims their latest device "has been designed to handle everything that life throws your way." Called the Motorola Defy, it's a semi-rugged Android phone with a specs list you typically don't see in handsets marketed for their durability.
While the pleasant 59 x 107 x 13.4 mm frame isn't rugged enough to survive hard drops onto concrete, it claims dust-proof and water-resistant qualities. The screen is scratch-proof, as well, so typical clumsy handling (read: your regular use) should leave it unscathed.
Details of the Defy include a 3.7-inch touchscreen (480 x 800 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module with LED flash, aGPS, 3G (7.2Mbps HSDPA), WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, DLNA support, microSD card expansion (up to 32GB) and a 1540 mAh battery (rated at over 6.5 hours of talk time). It comes with Motorola's CrystalTalk Plus, which uses dual microphones to better drown out background noise. There's no word on the CPU, but it gets 512MB of RAM and a hefty 2GB of ROM.
It's running Android 2.1 (so, no full Flash for you), but it will feature Motoblur 1.5 on top. You'll get all the usual Android fare, including robust messaging, Google's suite of services and support for third-party apps. Honestly, this sounds pretty good, especially when you factor in the water resistance.
The Motorola Defy will debut in Europe sometime in the fourth quarter. No word on carrier, specific markets or pricing has been given.
[Motorola via Gizmodo]
Sony Ericsson announced its first TD-SCDMA smartphone, specifically directed at the Chinese market. Called the Sony Ericsson A8i, the handset will be running China Mobile's Open Mobile System 2.0, a proprietary platform based on Android.
A quick look at the handset reveals a design aesthetic that's similar to what the company has done with both the Xperia X10 and X8. It sports 117 x 59 x 14 mm dimensions and weighs 136 grams.
Details of the Sony Ericsson A8i include a 3.5-inch touchscreen display (854 x 480 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera, aGPS, 3G, WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, a 3.5mm jack, microSD card expansion (up to 32GB). Battery is rated at 5 hours of talk time, with 260 hours of standby.
We haven't played with OMS 2.0 first hand, so we're not sure what it's all about. From the sound of it, though, it inherits most of Android's messaging and overall smartphone capabilities, sans the bundled Google suite of apps. Since it's a Sony Ericsson device, it comes with their usual set of multimedia software, paired with China Mobile's custom offerings. There's also CNMB mobile TV on board.
The Sony Ericsson A8i is strictly for release in China. It will be available in two colors (black and white) sometime in the fourth quarter.
[Sony Ericsson]
If there's anything we learned from the App Store, it's that there are innumerable ways to enjoy a zombie infestation. Joining the iPhone's endless stream of undead treatments is Zombie Highway, a violently-amusing driving game with zombies galore.
You spend the game driving around post-apocalypse America in a car. Instead of racing other drivers or avoiding obstacles, though, your goal is to just step on the gas, while zombies pop up from all over trying to stop you.
In Zombie Highway, you get seven varieties of the undead - from the skinny, underpowered ones to health-generating hulking types. Evading them is easier said than done, as the mutants will literally work their asses off, trying to tip your car over. They'll cling on to your vehicle, pilling in numbers, until you either manage to get them off or your car eventually topples to the side.
You can get rid of zombies by sideswiping them onto the many wrecked cars that litter the highway. It takes more than one hit, though, as each zombie has its own health bar. Fortunately, you've got an arms dealer friend riding with you, so you can use his stash of weapons to further damage your assailants. New weapons are gradually unlocked the more you play.
Three things really stand out in the game: brilliant driving physics, aggressive zombie enemies and very crisp 3D graphics. On the downside, sound effects are nearly non-existent - you'll likely just have as much enjoyment if you mute the damn game.
Overall, Zombie Highway makes for an addicting experience. There's not much beyond the simple premise, but the execution is really engaging. You can get it from the App Store for 99 cents.
[Render Paz Studios]
As the year goes forward, the line between tablets and smartphones is only bound to get even more muddled, with size likely playing the biggest difference between the two categories. Take this just-announced ViewSonic ViewPad 7, a 7-inch Android tablet, fitted with complete phone functionalities.
While ViewSonic is mainly associated with LCD and plasma displays, the company has long been rumored to be at work on their own smartphone. We guess the tablet is a logical first foray into mobile electronics, as it's a considerably less mature market than the now-crowded smartphone space.
Details of the ViewPad 7 include a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen (800 x 480 resolution), a rear-facing 3.0 megapixel camera module, a front-facing VGA webcam, onboard gyro-sensor, WiFi, 3G (both for phone and data) and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB). Hopefully, there's a way you can put this up to your face when making calls just like a real phone - that would be entertaining.
No word has been given about the tablet's innards (e.g. processor, RAM), so we'll have to see what kind of hardware it's packing under the case. It's running Android 2.2 Froyo, along with the usual Google suite and a few pre-installed apps (such as an ebook reader). Full phone features include standard voice calling, SMS, MMS and VOIP.
The ViewSonic ViewPad 7 will be part of the company's exhibit at the IFA 2010 in Berlin, which is slated to begin this coming September 3rd. Review units will be available starting October, with UK pricing expected to be no more than £350 (around $540), including VAT.
[via Engadget]
