Nokia announced two smartphones yesterday, both running Windows Phone OS.  Billed as the Nokia Lumia 800 and the Nokia Lumia 710, the two handsets will be the first two releases from the Finnish manufacturer to run Microsoft's mobile platform.

Nokia Lumia 800

Remember how folks salivated at how awesome the N9 looked, but balked at the fact that it still ran Symbian?  Well, those folks are likely to give this one a consideration, since it's practically an N9 clone, except with Windows Phone running at the helm.

Details of the Nokia Lumia 800 include a 3.7-inch Clear Black AMOLED touchscreen (480 × 800 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel autofocus Carl Zeiss camera (with LED flash and 720p HD video recording), aGPS, 14.4 Mbps HSDPA, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth, 16 GB of built-in storage and a 1,450 mAh battery.  Muscle is provided by a 1.4 GHz processor, paired with 512MB of RAM.  Phone dimensions are 116.5 × 61.2 × 12.1 mm, with a weight of 142g.

Pre-orders for the Nokia Lumia 800 have already started at Nokia's website.  It will drop at various European countries (UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands) beginning November and in the US during early 2012.  Price is €420 before taxes and subsidies.

Nokia Lumia 710

A mid-range offering, the Nokia Lumia 710 measures 119 x 62.4 x 12.5 mm and weighs 126g.  Details include a 3.7-inch ClearBlack LCD touchscreen (480 × 800 resolution), a 5 .0 megapixel camera module (with LED flash and 720p HD video recording), 14.4 Mbps HSDPA, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA, Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, 8 GB of built-in storage,  and a 1,300 mAh battery.  Processing is handled by a 1.4GHz CPU, paired with 512MB of RAM.

It will launch in various Asian countries before year end, with other markets following suit in 2012.  Price is €270 before taxes and subsidies.

[Lumia 800, Lumia 710]



To the surprise of most, the current gen iPhone didn't hit the market as the best hardware in  its category.  If anything, though, Apple has made a fortune in proving that the "biggest, fastest and most powerful" hardware doesn't always make for the most compelling product.  Does the iPhone 4S continue that trend?

Physically, it's indistinguishable from its predecessor.  As such, it's smaller in dimensions and bulkier than today's crop of premium handsets.    That means, it retains the 3.5-inch display size that the iPhone has had since 2007 -- a far smaller screen than the seemingly standard 4 inches of today's high-end smartphones.  To me, that's the biggest gripe.  While the Retina Display remains stunning, so do those Super AMOLED Plus on Samsung's new phones and they're on much larger  panels, too.  Oh yeah, the design now incorporates two antennas, so even if your hands are blocking one (as with the iPhone 4), the other antenna can pick up the slack.

As a phone, the iPhone 4S makes for great calls (tests done on the Sprint network), with excellent quality and volume.  There is occasional buzzing in the background, but it's hardly noticeable.  Those on the other end reported equally good call performance.  Speakerphone is good with plenty of volume, although you'll have to stand a bit close when taking calls in loud places or the mic will struggle to pick you up clearly.  Battery is rated at up to 8 hours of talk time.

There are several notable new features in this next-gen upgrade.  One is the faster, dual-core chipset, which makes for notable bumps in speed performance compared to the iPhone 4.  Next is the 8.0 megapixel optics, which doesn't just bring sharper resolution, but pumps out noticeably better photos, too.  Overall, shots showed brighter colors, sharper focus and better performance even in low light.   And, of course, there is Siri, the electronic voice assistant that's both useful and amusing.

The 4S, of course, brings all the standard features of the previous model, from robust messaging to a wide range of connectivity options.  Bluetooth has been upgraded to 4.0, although Apple still chose to do with neither 4G nor NFC.  And there's still no HDMI port.    You can check our iOS 5 review for the phone's software-centric features.

Everything Android fanboys say about the iPhone 4S is true -- it's no longer the most drool-worthy hardware in the market.  Despite that, we doubt sales will slack and we doubt folks will feel any less satisfied using it.  The phone is available now from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, with prices starting at $199.99 for the 16GB model.

If you were expecting iOS 5 to bring a visual overhaul to the platform, you will be disappointed.  Despite minor changes, the general aesthetic remains the same iOS you've been using the past half decade.

Know what won't disappoint you, though?  The arrival of new features, most of which we summarize below.

Siri. A proper digital assistant, this feature takes voice commands and answers your requests for information.  The results are better than I expected, although it remains prone to mistakes the same way other AI efforts have been in the past.  Can't help but be optimistic about this app's prospects for the future, though, especially once full hands-free use and car integration is in place.

Notifications. This one borrows from Android's style of providing notifications, via a panel you can swipe down from the top of the screen.  Tapping on a line lets you jump directly to the related feature.  It ain't original, but it sure is useful.

Camera. The user experience for the camera app is almost the shame, although there are a few new options for shooting (HDR, gridlines) and editing that, more than ever, makes it feel like a proper point-and-shoot.

Newsstand. The concept is similar to iBooks, except for magazine subscriptions, automating the delivery for new issues in the background.

Messaging. The new iMessage app allows you to step around messaging fees if the recipient has a phone or email registered with Apple, sending it there via data lines instead.  Goodbye third-party apps.  Think BBM, except you don't have to use a Blackberry.  Tee-hee.

PC Free and iCloud. iPhone users can now get OTA updates via PC Free, instead of having to plug in to their computers.  iCloud is the free, revamped version of MobileMe, with beefed-up support for apps.  Basically, expect that cloud storage to be integrated in many future apps.  Free storage is just 5GB, though, so you might want to be picky about what you sync.

Safari. The mobile version of Apple's browser now features the Reader option, allowing you streamline multi-page content into a more reader-friendly view, so you can screw the websites trying to blow up their page views.  Yay.

Others. There are many other notable changes here, including Twitter integration, a better Mail app, Reminders, Find My Friends (viewing locations in a real-time map) and Dictations.

Sprint has officially announced a new QWERTY candybar Android smartphone.  Called the Motorola Admiral, it's the carrier's first smartphone to feature Sprint Direct Connect.  Yep, it surprisingly took them this long.

To the uninitiated, Sprint Direct Connect is the name given to the company's range of push-to-talk services for enterprise and in-field users.  Aside from the obvious one-to-one PTT calling over the network, this includes call alerts via text, Group Connect (talk with up to 20 people), TeamDC (talk with up to 200 people) and NextMail (audio messages via email).

Phone details include a 3.1-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen display (640 x 480 resolution),  a full QWERTY keyboard, 5.0 megapixel camera module (with 720p video capture and LED flash), 3G, WiFi with mobile hotspot (up to five devices), Bluetooth, 4GB internal storage and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB).  Processing power is provided by a single-core 1.2GHz CPU.

Since this will be heavily used in the field, the Admiral comes with rugged construction that meets military standard 810G for  dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, low pressure and extreme temperatures.  No waterproofing, though, so take note if that's an important feature. Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, it bundles the platform's robust enterprise messaging features, reinforced with enhanced in-phone security features and data encryption.

The Motorola Admiral sports a decidedly industrial look, which we guess is just appropriate for the likely enterprise target market. Sprint will be offering the phone online exclusively starting October 23 for $99.99 on a new two-year contract.  It will roll out to stores November 13.

[Sprint]

Sprint just announced a new Android smartphone that combines sleek design, nice specs and mid-range pricing.  Called the HTC Evo Design 4G, it's also the first EVO-branded device to come with world phone capabilities.

While no powerhouse next to current market releases, it does seem like one of the more attractive mid-range options out there.  It looks premium, too, with its aluminum unibody construction and very streamlined profile.

Details of the HTC Evo Design 4G include a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen display (960 x 540 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module (with LED flash and 720p video recording), a 1.3 megapixel front-facing video cam, aGPS, 3G, 4G, WiFi with mobile hotspot support for up to 8 devices, Bluetooth and microSD card support (up to 32GB).  Processing muscle comes courtesy of a single-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm CPU, paired with 768MB of RAM.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread runs at the helm, along with the usual Google Mobile Services and HTC Sense UI.  No word on preloaded apps, but we're guessing there has to be some global messaging tools in there, along with various entertainment options (as with previous EVOs).

The HTC Evo Design 4G will show up online and in-stores by October 23.  Price is $99.99 with a new two-year plan from Sprint.

[Sprint]

The newest iteration of Google's Nexus line is finally official.  As last time, Samsung gets dibs on producing this one.  Called the Galaxy Nexus, it will be Google's showcase phone for their latest version of Android, the unified tablet and smartphone platform 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Phone dimensions are 135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94 mm, with a weight of 135 grams.  Following the lead of the Nexus S' "contour display," the handset comes with a slightly rounded shape that "fits perfectly within your palm or to your face for phone calling."   It also has a hyper-skin backing on the rear to make it more slip-resistant.

Details of the Galaxy Nexus include a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (1280 x 720 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module (with LED flash and zero shutter lag), a 1.3 megapixel front-facing video camera, aGPS, HSPA+ (with an LTE version on the way), WiFi with mobile hotspot, Bluetooth 3.0, NFC, two built-in storage options (16GB and 32GB) and a 1,750 mAh battery.  Muscle is provided by a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, paired with 1GB of RAM.

The big news, of course, is that it runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which revamps the platform with an entirely new look and feel.  Notable new features include People (which integrates browsing photographs with Google+ status updates), Face Unlock (which uses face recognition to unlock the phone) and Android Beam (which lets you share various content over NFC).

No word on which carriers will release the Galaxy Nexus, but it should roll out in the U.S., Europe, and Asia beginning November.

[Samsung]

To this day, the RAZR remains as Motorola's most familiar cellphone product name.  As such, it isn't a surprise they're reviving it on a smartphone.  And like its namesake, the Motorola Droid RAZR comes with a very notable design element: it's hella thin.

The latest addition to Verizon's Droid lineup measures a skinny 7.1mm on the edges, easily making it the new world's thinnest phone.  Yes, until somebody else makes something skinnier.  Which will probably be next month or some other time in the immediate future.

Details of the Motorola Droid RAZR include a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (960 x 540 resolution),  an 8.0 megapixel camera module (with 1080p video recording and image stabilization), a front-facing video cam, aGPS, 4G LTE, 3G, WiFi with mobile hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, 16GB onboard storage, microSD card expansion (16GB preloaded, up to 32GB supported) and a 1780 mAh battery.  A 1.2 GHz dual core CPU provides processing muscle, paired with 1GB of RAM.

Aside from protective Gorilla Glass, the phone boasts a water-repellent nanocoating that should keep spills from damaging the device.  Power users should also appreciate its compatibility with Motorola's Lapdocks (both 100 and 500).  Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread runs at the helm, along with the usual Google Mobile Services.  Onboard software include QuickOffice, various enterprise security capabilities, SmartActions (to conserve battery life), NetFlix, NFL Mobile and MotoCast (the company's proprietary PC-to-phone media streaming app).

The Motorola Droid RAZR will be available in early November from Verizon Wireless.  Price is $299.99 with a new two-year agreement.

[via UnwiredView]

We have no idea whether the LG DoublePlay's dual-screen innovation is a good thing or a bad thing.  It is pretty funky, though, and I'd definitely try one out as soon as I see it at a store.

This curiosity-inducing handset comes with a unique form factor that features a slide-out landscape panel.  Instead of just exposing a QWERTY keyboard, though, as most handsets, the slide-out slab contains QWERTY keys split down the middle by a small touchscreen display.  According to the press release, you can use the secondary screen independently or in tandem with the other, allowing for new customizations in the way you use your smartphone.

Details of the LG DoublePlay include a 3.5-inch main capacitive touchscreen (a disappointing 320 x 480 resolution), a 2-inch secondary capacitive touchscreen, a 5.0 megapixel rear camera (with LED flash and 720p video recording), aGPS, 3G with HSPA, WiFi (with mobile hotspot), Bluetooth and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB).  A 1GHz Snapdragon CPU delivers the processing muscle.  Android 2.3 Gingerbread runs at the helm, along with the usual Google Mobile Services.

Just in case you're a fan of texting, this handset is going to be the official phone of the 2011 LG U.S. National Texting Championship.  While we're not sure if the split keyboard makes for the most user-friendly layout, we're guessing you can play along with the contestants if you've got one of these in tow.  And, yes, you will probably need to get a life after that.

No exact release date or pricing was announced, but we're guessing the LG DoublePlay will roll out around the time of the texting competition, which is set to go down on October 26.

[via PRNewsWire]

There are tons of aggregated chat messengers on the iPhone.  Among the lot, Talkroom is one of the newly-discovered gems I really liked.

Billed as a "7-in-1 instant messenger," the app lets you house your Facebook, MSN, Google Talk, AIM, YM, Jabber and ICQ accounts all under one roof.  As a result, you get a unified chat interface with full access to all of your contacts on each account.  You can even set custom status for each one, so you can be "happy" on AIM, "depressed" on Facebook, and "idle" on Google Talk.  Hey, that could be useful.

TalkRoom's chat interface is clean and uncluttered, making for a convenient messaging space.   Would have liked more emoticons, though, for those of us who prefer communicating in tiny yellow heads.  All ongoing conversations can be easily swiped through from the Chats section until you close them.  The big  feature for me, however, is the integration of a built-in web browser.  Having to leave the chat interface to open a browser window when someone sends a link (that ends up being a pointless waste of time) has always been one of my pet peeves.  With this app, I can quickly check without ever having to leave.

The app also has push and local notifications for all the seven services , although they'll only appear in the app itself.  Sadly, it doesn't take advantage of IOS 5's notification center, although that could be an easy addition for a future update.

While I haven't really scoured the lot of the App Store's chat messaging options, TalkRoom is likely going to stay as my go-to chat app for a while.  At least, until I chance upon something better that also has a decent built-in browser.  Price is a little steep, though, at $3.99.

[Talkroom]

Marketed as a "fashion phone," the LG Marquee didn't get its introduction at a tech show.  Instead, we got our first look at the handset during New York Fashion Week.  Is it all beauty, though, or does it bring enough brawns to make an excellent option for an Android smartphone?

Physically, it's one of the thinnest and lightest phones available.  The shell's all plastic, which makes it pretty but not so premium in feel.  The 4-inch Nova display (840 x 480 resolution), however, is what really brings out the character here.  It's arguably the brightest and clearest display in the market (at least, on paper), although not quite as sharp as the iPhone's Retina or Samsung's latest-gen SuperAMOLED Plus.  It is a beauty to look at, though, with really deep contrast and popping graphics.

As a phone, the LG Marquee made for great calls, with excellent clarity and very little distortion.  Those on the other end reported the same pleasant experience.  Speakerphone was decent, but voices came with a lot of echo. Battery is rated at 5.5 hours of talk time.

All the usual Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread smartphone features come on board, including numerous voice options, robust messaging (including Exchange ActiveSync), tight social network integration and a full list of wireless connectivity options (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, DLNA).  It ships with just a 2GB microSD card for storage, though, so you'll probably want to expand that.  Preloaded software include Polaris Office, SmartShare (for sharing via DLNA) and some of Sprint's services.

For media playback, it comes with just stock Android.  Watching movies on the gorgeous display is quite the experience, though -- just don't expect the 1GHz processor to perform all that admirably with very high-res videos.   The 5.0 megapixel camera  comes with a good selection of settings and manages above average photo quality.  It also snapped decent 720p videos.

Overall, the LG Marquee is a good-looking phone with a stunning display and a nice selection of features.   The lack of 4G, however, may be the only reason to stay away -- everything else is executed well.  It's available now, priced at $99.99 on a new two-year contract with Sprint.