Despite smartphones gaining more market share than ever, Nokia remains a strong entity in the feature phone department.  And their latest, the Nokia X2-02, likely makes that position stronger.

Coming under the music-minded X series, the handset comes with dedicated music keys, special sound processing that boasts "the clearest sound you’ll find at this price" and Play via Radio.  If you're not familiar with that last one, it's a feature that lets users record songs directly from the radio, as well as share playlists with your home system, car stereo or other phones.

A dual SIM phone, the X2-02 supports two active networks at any time.  Even better, it  allows you to swap SIMs without having to turn off your phone, with the handset switching to the new SIM's stored profiles automatically (it can store up to five profiles).  Hardware details include a 2.2-inch display (320 x 240 resolution), a 2.0 megapixel camera module, an FM tuner and microSD card support (up to 32GB).  Onboard battery is rated at up to 9.7 hours of talk time.

The traditional candybar handset measures 113 x 50 x 15 mm and weighs 93g.  It runs the familiar Nokia feature phone OS, so don't expect much in terms of software niceties.  There's also no 3G or WiFi support.

The Nokia X2-02 will be released in five colorways: Bright Red, Orange, Violet, Ocean Blue and Dark Silver.  Likely headed to emerging markets, there are no exact dates for release, but pricing is set at €60 before taxes and subsidies.

[Nokia]

LG just wrapped up launch of a new music phone in Brazil. Called the LG GB280, the handset tries to make a dent in the mid-range music phone market by shipping with a Lady Gaga tie-in.

Despite the link-up with pop music's resident fashion outrage, the handset doesn't quite carry itself with the same scandalous charms. In fact, it looks more like what you'd normally expect out of a music-centric phone - from the compact size down to  the slider form factor.

The LG GB280 comes with dedicated music buttons, allowing you to use the music player  without exposing the T9-style keys. Details include a 176 x 220 pixel display, a 2.0 megapixel camera module, stereo Bluetooth, an FM tuner, web email and a wireless web browser. Ensuring capable audio performance, it comes with Dolby Mobile audio processing. Connectivity is strictly GSM/EDGE.

It comes with a slew of content themed around Lady Gaga, including several wallpapers, ringtones and full songs (Paparazzi, Dance in the Dark and Bad Romance). We're not sure how well themed music phones actually sell compared to ones laid bare in Brazil, but this one goes for quite a handsome price - 499 Reais (about $280), unlocked. Sounds pretty expensive for the feature set, so hopefully, the exclusive content is worth it.

[via Phone Arena]

Need a music phone with a price that's music to your ears? Try the Samsung Trill, a stylish, well-built handset sporting a music player with Bang & Olufsen technology.

Physically, it features slim lines and a curvaceous design. We don't know if you'll love the look (you can judge for yourself in the pic), though I find it a bit too cheap-looking for my tastes. Do note we're talking about the one with the gray and blue color scheme, though - the black version actually looks much better. Overall aesthetic is very similar to the Samsung Trance.

It comes with a 2.1-inch screen, with a 176 x 229 resolution. While small, the display is great with gorgeous-looking color. The slider keypad is a little flat to the touch, but it's well-spaced and comfortable.

As a phone, the Trill manages impressive call quality, with clear calls that are completely void of static. Speakerphone was decent, although voices didn't sound very natural. On the other end, callers reported a slight distortion, but generally good quality. Battery life lasts for around 4 hours of non-stop calls.

Highly-deserving of being called a music phone, it leverages Bang & Olufsen's ICEPower technology to produce exceptional audio quality. With a strong bass and stellar surround sound, it's a worthy replacement for a dedicated MP3 player. The music player is a notch above what you can find in regular handsets, with handy controls, equalizer options, 3D sound and an attractive appearance.

The rest of the feature set is mostly low- to mid-range. There's a 1,000-entry phonebook, basic messaging (SMS and MMS; no email), stereo Bluetooth and GPS. It also comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera module that produces average shots.

Overall, the Samsung Trill is an excellent music phone. If you're looking for a replacement to a dedicated MP3 player and don't mind working with mostly basic features, it can prove to be a great value. US Cellular has it for only $19.99 on contract.

Low-end music phones are among the most popular market segments, as they combine the two features most people would bother carrying a handheld for - phone calls and mobile tunes.  The LG GM205 candybar fits squarely in that niche, bringing just enough looks and features to make it of interest to younger users on a budget.

Physically, it does nothing to set itself apart from other affordable music phones.  The colorful back panel adds some flair, but it's just a straight up plain candybar otherwise.   Build seems sturdy, although  the plastic protector along the edges seems a little too loose for comfort.  The 2-inch screen only has a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels.  Colors are bright, but sharpness is naturally affected.  It's pretty much unusable under sunlight.

As a phone, the LG GM205 makes for good calls.  There's some sharpness, but it's generally clear with plenty of volume.   Those on the other end report excellent sound.   Battery life is rated at 8.5 hours, which translates to roughly four days of casual use.

On the features end, it keeps everything else basic while throwing a crown around the music capabilities.  While the music player isn't particularly special, the phone does manage better-then-average audio, especially with Dolby Mobile and LG Equalizer processing.  The 2.1-channel speaker is a surprise, belting out excellent sound quality - lots of power and no crackling even at maximum loudness.   There's also an FM radio on board.

Like all phones, it can handle the basics: standard messaging (SMS, MMS and email), stereo Bluetooth and some productivity tools.  There's also a 2-megapixel camera.  Editing options are lacking, but photo quality is about on par with similar modules.

While it bears largely unexciting looks, the music features on the LG GM205 are enough to make this a very worthy purchase.  The 2.1 channel stereo makes for good quality listening even without headphones and there's enough extra features thrown in to let you do just a little bit more.

The Nokia X3 is one of the two pioneering handsets in the Xseries line, the company's new music-centric brand.  We've already looked at the first of those phones, the S60-powered Nokia X6.  This time, we check out the lower-end model, which runs on the company's S40 operating system.

Physically, the X3 is a noticeable departure from the sleek curves of XpressMusic handsets.  Sporting a slider form factor, it is marked by sharp, angular lines.  While overall construction seems good, the sliding mechanism doesn't feel very sturdy.

The screen is a bit small at 2.2-inches, especially since the phone is rather big.  Actually, it's probably the most disappointing part of the handset as the LCD's quality simply isn't up to par with what Nokia has been putting out as of late.  The keypad and the navigation array, however, are well done.

As a phone, the X3 makes for an excellent handset.  Voices sound clear with almost no traces of interference.  Volume is a bit lacking, though, so you might have a hard time when making calls in noisy, crowded places.  The speakerphone, on the other hand, works the opposite way - decent volume but below average quality.  Battery life is rated at 7.5 hours, which should be good for several days in between charges.

Music is, of course, its best feature, coming with stereo speakers, an excellent music player and a fair amount of supported formats.  Audio is good whether you're listening via the 3.5mm port or using the onboard pipes.  Nokia does seem to limit the volume a little too low, though,  especially if you intend to listen using the excellent-sounding speakers.

The X3's 3.2 megapixel camera is commendable, easily pitting itself as one of the best we've seen in this category of feature phones.  It comes with limited editing options, no autofocus and no flash, but the resulting image quality is definitely something to appreciate.

Nokia updates the S40 a bit here, putting the beginning of what we expect to be their multitasking implementation for future iterations.  The entry-level OS can now do web-related background tasks (such as check your mail server) while you work on the foreground.  The browser can also stay running while you do a few limited things, such as make calls or read messages.

Like other S40 handsets, the X3 comes with a full messaging suite and a good selection of apps (from PIM tools to games).  Other features include stereo Bluetooth, microSD expansion and a full HTML Webkit browser (although it doesn't support 3G connectivity).

Overall, the Nokia X3 is an excellent music phone, especially at the low price (between $180 to $200 unlocked, depending on where you buy).   Sure, the affordability comes with some sacrifices, but it remains a great value nonetheless.

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LG has announced a new entry-level phone with some music-centric features that might appeal to younger crowds.  Called the LG GS200, the black and red candybar handset holds back on most features, but throws in enough musical niceties to make it worthwhile to a very specific consumer segment.

Those in the market for a music phone should find plenty to like here - a full-featured music player, FM radio, FM recording and stereo speakers that allow it to deliver "rich and loud" sound.   Like every self-respecting musical device, it sports a 3.5mm audio jack, stereo Bluetooth and offers microSD card support (up to 8GB) to load a slew of your favorite tunes.

Unfortunately, that's where the party ends, as the rest of the feature set is decidedly basic.  Details of the GS200 include a 2-inch TFT display (176 x 220 pixels), a 1.3 megapixel camera module and USB connectivity.  It comes with an 1100 mAh battery, that's rated at six hours of talk time, 14 hours of music playback and 55 hours of standby.  There's no 3G or Wi-Fi support.

The LG GS200 is now out in Russia, woth a price of 3,990 rubles (approximately $130).  Though it hasn't been officially announced for other markets, you should expect it to roll out across Europe and Asia soon too.

[via Unwired View]

The Nokia X6 is one of the more interesting music phones released by the Finnish company. It's a bit of a mixed bag in performance, though, compared to the company's popular 5800 XpressMusic.

Physically, it's a very attractive device - slim lines, sleek angles and overall good-looking profile. Build is quite sturdy too, with a good feel in the hand. Instead of using resistive panel (as has been Nokia's habit), it comes with a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen (360 x 640 resolution), making it more responsive and easier to use.

As a phone, we found the call quality to be a bit disappointing. We've grown accustomed to excellent voice performance from Nokia handsets - this one, however, made for unnatural sounding voices. Overall navigation and operation works well, although it can be sluggish at times. Battery life is rated at 6 hours of talk time, making it good for around a day and a half of non-stop music (and more for regular use).

On the features end, the X6 shines in some areas. It comes with the Symbian S60, which means excellent messaging support and a host of smartphone capabilities. Since it's a Comes With Music phone, memory is very generous at 32GB, allowing for plenty of space to store all those songs you download from the service. The onboard 5.0 megapixel camera is a joy to handle, with its above-average capture quality and exceptionally fast shutter speed. In daylight settings, I wouldn't mind using this to take photos I intend to keep for posterity.

While it's a music phone, it bears noting that the X6 is not XpressMusic-branded. As such, audio is not as good as devices under that line, which makes the idea of downloading DRM-infested (i.e. you can't play them anywhere else) songs onto it a tad less appealing. Other features include aGPS, stereo Bluetooth and 3.6Mbps HSDPA support.

If you're shopping for a music phone, the Nokia X6 is definitely a handset to consider. With a capacitive touchscreen, massive storage and the Comes With Music service behind it, it's easily a viable choice among the current crop of models going after music fans. Available unlocked for around $650 (with a full year of free music downloads from an extensive catalog), it's a bit expensive, though.

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LG introduced two new Chocolate-branded phones this year.  We've already looked at the ultra-widescreen Chocolate BL40, which has been released strictly for European and Asian markets.  American users, on the other hand, get to ply their fingers on the Chocolate Touch, a new touchscreen phone with some impressive music features.

While slim and lightweight, the new handset doesn't bring plenty of new things in terms of appearance.  The enclosure along the edges is extremely reflective that you can use it as a mirror.  Needless to say, it's a magnet for fingerprint smudges.  The 3-inch screen is vibrant and colorful, with a relatively acceptable 400 x 240 resolution.  Touch UI is extremely responsive, topped off by an excellent onscreen QWERTY keyboard.

As a phone, the LG Chocolate Touch manages decent voice calls.  Reception is excellent, but those on the other end report that voices sounds harsh.  Speakerphone was also good, despite adding a slight echo to the conversations.  The phone's 3G performance was sufficiently fast, although streaming video looked mediocre (with occasional lags).  Battery life was good for over five hours of talk time.

It has all the basics covered - a 1,000-entry phone book, a variety of Bluetooth profiles and a full messaging suite.  I also enjoyed the special social networking screen, which lets you update various social profiles via SMS and MMS.  LG also threw in an onboard GPS, a full HTML browser (not as full featured as we would have liked) and a 3.2 megapixel camera (above average photo quality with a small range of options).

The phone's primary feature is the music player, which LG seemed to customize specially for this device.  It comes with Dolby Mobile equalizer, an excellent UI and a good amount of extras.  My favorite is a "Join the Band" option that brings up either a virtual drum kit or a scrolling 88-key keyboard so you can play along with the songs.

Overall, the LG Chocolate Touch is an excellent music phone, especially at Verizon's $79.99 price (with a two-year contract).  It doesn't bring the best all-around features, but the music capabilities make it worth the purchase.

The Nokia XpressMusic 5130 just might be at the bottom of the pack for the XpressMusic line.  That doesn't mean it's a bad phone, though - just that it goes easy on the feature set.

Bearing the XpressMusic brand, it's only natural to expect a bare minimum decent music performance out of this phone.  That's exactly what it delivers, with Nokia's excellent music player interface and above average audio quality.  It supports a wide variety of file types, apart from including a good range of options, including stereo widening and an airplane mode.

Physically, the 5130 sports a rather pedestrian candy bar form factor, with a cheap-looking plastic build.  Navigation set and keypad works great, albeit a little small; same with the two-inch LCD screen.  It manages a good 320x240 pixels, though lacks better sharpness.

As a phone, it comes with excellent voice calls, managing loud, clear and static-free conversations.  There's a bit of an echo at the highest volume levels, but  it's great, otherwise.  Speakerphone performance was fine, but the volume is a bit lacking.  Battery is rated at six hours of talk time, making for plenty of use before requiring a recharge.

It comes with the usual set of basic phone features, including stereo Bluetooth, a few simple apps and messaging (SMS, MMS, IM and Web-based mail).  A 2.0 megapixel camera is also onboard, with a number of editing options and average photo quality (good detail, but washed-out colors).  There's also a wireless Web browser thrown in.

Overall, the Nokia XpressMusic 5130 is an ideal choice for a budget music phone.  There's not much to rave about, but it does the basics well and plays songs rather nicely.

We once said that the Samsung Beat DJ M7600 could be the music phone to end all music phones.  As with many things that look good on paper, of course, we'll never really know if Samsung lived up to our expectations until we play around with the actual device.

Right off the bat, the Beat DJ's silly gimmick is what immediately leaps at users: you can mix and spin tunes directly from it.  If you've been looking for a phone that offer a portable DJ instrument, this could prove an interesting option.  However, iPhone apps that offer similar functionality are easily available and it comes with a whole plethora of features that could very well outdo the Beat DJ in many other areas.

The DJ feature of the phone is immensely fun and easy to use.  Making it sound good, however, is not that easy.  I wish I could have seen an actual professional handle it to get a better idea of just how complete of a musical styling it can manage.  As it is, though, I'd say it's on even terms with iPhone apps like Surface DJ, though I won't recommend buying this phone for the music-making capabilities alone.

Physically, the Beat DJ is an interesting-looking handset.  You can see the picture for yourself above.  I personally don't care for the form factor, but your own mileage may vary.  Build is great overall and the sliding mechanism feels particularly sturdy.

As a phone, it offers average-sounding voice calls and a good messaging suite.  Interface looks much more attractive than your standard Symbian fare, with a very responsive touchscreen.  Problems begin when you navigate from one feature to another, as the phone behaves very inconsistently.  It seems like design decisions for the UI were divided among different teams, with each one doing their own thing with little coordination (e.g. a lot of the apps don't switch between portrait and landscape modes).

Music quality is something we expected to be sublime for this handset, as it is a music phone fitted with a Bang & Olufsen audio system (complete with 5.1-channel surround) inside.  General performance was above average, but hardly enough to threaten the better of Sony's Walkman and Nokia's XpressMusic phones.  The music interface is plenty entertaining, with an awesome look and good controls to boot.

The 2.8-inch AMOLED screen is a highlight of the phone, as it's especially bright and clear.  As such, videos and photos (Samsung has wide format support) look gorgeous.   The 3-megapixel camera only manages average-looking stills, though, with a considerably long lag.  Phone supports 3G connectivity, but does without Wi-Fi and GPS.

Overall, we can't say we're huge fans of the Samsung Beat DJ M7600.  It's a nice-enough phone with good music features, but so are other handsets out there.  Retailing for $399, though, it's adequately-priced for what it brings to the table.

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