What tastes better than a cookie? A freshly-baked chip, of course. Maybe that's what LG was thinking with their brand new touchscreen based off of the popular Cookie (over 12 million units sold). Billed as the LG Cookie Fresh GS290, the phone just received its official stamp today.
The handset sports a largely youthful form factor and appears to be angling for the entry-level slice of the market. It sports a 3-inch TFT resistive touchscreen with 240 x 400 resolution, an accelerometer for auto-rotate and a "cartoon UI," as with the Cookie Plus.
Details of the Fresh GS290 include a 2.0 megapixel camera module, stereo Bluetooth, complete messaging capabilities (SMS, EMS, MMS, email), social networking integration, FM radio with RDS, a 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card expansion (up to 8GB). There's no 3G or WiFi, though, so you're stuck with GPRS/EDGE for connectivity.
The LG Cookie Fresh GS290 is slated for a European launch sometime this month and the rest of the world later in the year. It is expected to be released alongside the slightly more feature-rich Cookie Plus, although no pricing details have been announced yet.
On a side note, this battle of the Korean cheap-ass touchscreen phones between Samsung's ever-growing Corby line versus LG's similarly-multiplying Cookie probably won't end soon, would it?
[via Unwired View]
Nokia just put an official stamp on the new Cseries, with the first phone rolling out of the gate being the Nokia C5. Unlike most new smartphones, there's no touchscreen and no QWERTY keypad here - just a regular candybar with a T9 keyboard layout.
At first glance, it looks nothing more than one of the Finnish manufacturer's seemingly-endless inventory of basic feature phones. Begin using it, though, and you'll be surprised to find that it's running Symbian S60 3rd Edition. Yep, it's a full-fledged smartphone for people who prefer a more traditional aesthetic.
Details of the C5 include a 2.2-inch LCD with QVGA resolution, a 3.2 megapixel camera module (with autofocus), aGPS (with Ovi Maps 3.0), a 3.5 mm audio jack, microSD card expansion (up to 16GB), stereo speakers and an FM radio. It comes with HSDPA connectivity, but drops WiFi.
Since it keeps the hardware simple, the device has managed to remain both slim at 12.3mm and light at only 89 grams. It's looks like one sturdy piece of work, too, with a body built out of mostly steel parts. Battery life is very generous, as well, with a rated talk time of 12 hours. Other features include Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger and a new phonebook with Facebook integration.
Along with the release, Nokia has announced a new naming convention for their phone models - one letter and one number. The letter will indicate the type of phone (music-centric, camera-centric, etc.) while the number will refer to the market class it's aimed at. Sounds like a long overdue change.
Intended as an entry-level smartphone, the Nokia C5 will be available for €135 (minus tax and subsidies). Release is slated for the second quarter of the year.
[Nokia Conversations]
Samsung, who apparently can't wait for Mobile World Congress, just went ahead and put an official stamp on the Samsung S5620 Monte. With plenty of spy shots and rumors about it since late January, it may have been the prudent thing to do anyway.
A mid-range touchscreen candybar, the handset boasts a strong range of social features, TouchWiz 2.0 Plus and tight Google integration, all for what should be a reasonable price. It's strictly a feature phone, though, so don't expect brilliant extensibility. The amount of capabilities they crammed in, however, make it sound "smarter" than usual.
Details include a 3-inch WQVGA display, a 3.2 megapixel camera module, aGPS, stereo Bluetooth, FM radio with RDS, 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB). Phone dimensions are 108.8 mm x 53.7 mm x 12.44 mm.
Connectivity is provided by 3.6Mbps HSDPA (only 900 and 2100 Mhz bands - no US support, apparently) and Wi-Fi. Handy features include Exchange ActiveSync, Smart Unlock, Google Sync and various social capabilities (including Samsung's Social Networking Service and the stalker-friendly Google Latitude app).
Pricing and release dates aren't out yet, so you'll have to wait for MWC 2010 next week to find out. Expect this to hit Europe soon, though, at a mid-range retail price.
[via Samsung Hub]
Samsung S5620 Monte Made Official, Features TouchWiz 2.0 Plus And Tight Google Integrationunratednoel2010-02-09 12:48:06
NewsSamsung S5620 Monte Made Official, Features TouchWiz 2.0 Plus And Tight Google Integration
LG just unveiled a new feature phone that touts a lighter, more compact frame than regular touch-based handsets. Called the LG Mini GD880, they bill it as “the smallest and slimmest 3.2-inch full touchscreen phone on the market today.”
Physically, it resembles the similarly-compact LG Pop, with its general shape and textured accents. The button-free face probably helped reduce the overall dimensions too. Despite the size, it doesn't hold back on the capabilities, rattling off a specs sheet that sounds much like any full-featured touchscreen device in the market today.
The LG Mini GD880 comes with a 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen, a 5.0 megapixel camera module, aGPS and FM radio. It supports both 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and Wi-Fi, ensuring fast broadband access availability majority of the time. Other features detailed during the announcement include LG's Social Network Connect (a social networking app), Social Network Feed (which aggregates social-based updates to the home screen) and a Social Address Book (which syncs with contacts in your online profiles).
For the most part, LG has done great things with their feature phones. As such, there's every reason to expect the same here. The main selling point, however, remains the lack of size and bulk, which has plagued most touchscreen phones with a feature set matching what this device has on offer.
Expect the LG Mini GD880 in European stores this coming March. No pricing yet, but it will likely be very competitive.
[via Phone Arena]
LG Mini GD880 Touts Being The Smallest 3.2-Inch Touchscreen Phone On The Marketunratednoel2010-02-09 10:45:42
NewsLG Mini GD880 Touts Being The Smallest 3.2-Inch Touchscreen Phone On The Market
Cell phone form factors haven't really changed all that much the past few years. That's why the Fujitsu F-04B (also called the Separate Keitai) is bound to get people to notice. Instead of flipping or sliding the phone to get to the keyboard, you're supposed to pull it out of its hiding place (your pocket, purse, bag or...oh crap...you dropped it in the aquarium) and attach it to the body.
It comes with two main parts, a touchscreen slate that can be used independently and a keyboard unit. The former sports a 3.4-inch display, a 12.2 megapixel camera (which is, apparently, a standard for high-end phones in Japan), built-in accelerator, Blu-ray recorder connectivity and dual TV tuners. We're not sure if it comes bundled with two keyboard units (there's one numeric and one QWERTY on the product photos) or if you have to choose one.
No magical tech is employed for the connection between the modules. They use Bluetooth to communicate with each other and magnets to physically lock the parts. The keyboards comes with an earpiece and a mic, allowing you to use it during calls, instead of the touchscreen slate. Battery life is rated at 8.3 hours of talk time.
Will this hit it big in Japan? We're not sure. As far as we know, clamshells are still the preferred form factor of the consumer market over there. I have to admit, though, detachable physical keyboards do sound neat for a touchscreen handset.
First shown off as a concept at the CEATEC exhibition in 2008, the Fujitsu F-04B has not only been manufactured, it's been priced (around $660) and slated for release (either March or April). It will come under wireless carrier NTT Docomo.
[via Mobile Crunch]
Dual-Module Fujitsu F-04B (Separate Ketai) Announced For Availability In Japanunratednoel2010-02-06 11:02:09
NewsDual-Module Fujitsu F-04B (Separate Ketai) Announced For Availability In Japan
