Filed under: Handsets, Sanyo, Sprint-Nextel, CDMA

Filed under: Handsets, NEC, GSM, UMTS

As we all know, FCC approval means virtually nothing for a phone’s chances of seeing a US release, but we can dare to dream. The 900/1800/1900 tri-band NEC e373, just released on Italian carrier TIM, treads some moderately uncharted territory as a truly low-end UMTS clamshell, lacking an external display and expansion slot. To boot, the useless-for-anything-but-video-calling VGA camera and 32MB of internal memory make the phone all but useless as a multimedia device, but yeah, we have a soft spot in our hearts for hot-looking 3G clamshells, so we’re going to give the e373 a mulligan this time.

[Via Mobile Magazine]

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Filed under: Culture, Studies

J.D. Power’s 2006 U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study (whew) has dropped, giving us a glimpse into the mind of the average cellphone-enabled American. What have we learned? In a nutshell, we apparently love us some cheap Sanyo clamshells. Allow us to clarify: from 2004 to 2006, the average handset purchase fell from $99 to $86. Since 2002, candybars accounted for some 70% of phones sold; that’s dropped to 39% in 2006 while clamshells have skyrocketed from 7% to 58%. To a certain extent, we have the chicken-and-egg phenomenon in effect here — flip ownership has naturally risen signifcantly as attractive models (read: RAZRs) have come on the scene. Perhaps most surprising is that dark horse Sanyo ran away with the “overall customer satisfaction” title, with LG in a distant second. Satisfaction in the “phone operation” category — that is, ease of use — rose a whopping 5% across the board from last year, indicating that phones are getting simpler or users are getting smarter. Either way, we’re all for it, as long as it doesn’t lead to more people choosing ringtones in restaurants. [Warning: PDF link]

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Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Samsung, EV-DO, CDMA

Fancy that, a cellphone with a built-in camera! We're just playin', Samsung. We know your SCH-B490 does much more than that. Besides the usual category-bending 3.2 megapixel shooter and DMB -- which is becoming downright ho-hum in Korea these days -- the EV-DO twist clamshell throws down internal stereo speakers and a QVGA screen that can be closed facing up or down. It only comes with 67MB flash onboard, but fret not shutterbugs, the MicroSD slot has you covered. We're assuming this bad boy is Korea-only, but if Sprint or Verizon have a secret DMB deal they're not telling us about, sign us up.

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung

Just when you thought that cellphone form factors had been pushed to the very limit of reality and pocket bulge, Samsung pushes it a little bit further. They’ve just been rewarded a patent for a “sliding-clamshell” design, claiming to beat the respective limits of clamshells (small screens), and sliders (size and screen damage). To us it looks like they’ve managed to adopt all the bulk of a slider and then wrapped a chunky clamshell around it, but we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. When open the device can serve as a gaming device or just a big ass handset, and when closed the corrugated hing wraps around the bulky screen to keep it safe and warm. With as much crap as we give this thing, we’d still love to see it in action, but we’re not quite ready to buy a man purse or two just to carry it around.

[Thanks, Allen]

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Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Pantech, Verizon Wireless, 1xRTT, EV-DO, CDMA

It looks like Pantech and Nokia have been hanging out again, but this time Nokia will be the one dropping the rebranded handset, an EV-DO-sporting model for Verizon known as the 6315i (and formerly known as the PN-E330). Phone Scoop discovered this recent approval while enjoying the FCC website, and reports back that it features a 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD slot, and Bluetooth, along with dedicated external music controls. We'll let you know when we find out a release date and some pricing info for this fairly feature-filled flip phone.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Pantech, EV-DO, CDMA

What do we know about Pantech & Curitel’s new SKY IM U-MU110 clamshell (besides the fact that it has a tongue-twister of a model number)? Not much, unfortunately, as AVING is heavy on the images but light on the deets, so all that we can discern about this model — two megapixel camera, 1GB of memory, EV-DO, external music controls — comes from pics of the so-called “Jukebox” phone. Besides snapping photos and rocking tunes, pictures seem to indicate that the IM U-MU110 also makes voice calls. No word on such trifles as pricing or release dates/locations, but keep reading for another hot pic…

[Via MobileMag]

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Filed under: Handsets, ASUS

While we're all for cellphone manufacturers giving their handsets "regular" names along with those annoying model numbers (Chocolate, RAZR, everything HTC makes), we're sure that there are still enough good words left that ASUS didn't need to resort to naming their latest cameraphone after a common waterbird. Besides its rather clunky pseudonym, "the Goose" sports a pretty attractive set of feathers features, including a two megapixel camera, music playback via the built-in MP3 player or FM radio, Bluetooth, PictBridge support, 64MB of RAM plus a microSD slot, voice recognition capabilities, and perhaps the ability to to use it as a webcam. No word on when a gaggle of these Geese will be touching down (probably just in Korea), nor for how much, but we've already moved on to wondering about that "Superman" phone that seems to be referenced in the background of this pic...

[Via MobileMag]

Filed under: Handsets, LG, EV-DO, CDMA

Nothing too exciting, but it looks like the US might be getting a couple more handsets from LG: the VX8400 and VX8500. The VX8500 (pictured right) is a bit camera shy, and we’re otherwise short on deets, but we can tell it least has a camera, and it could be a slider — or something. As for the VX8400 clamshell (pictured left), the FCC was kind enough to share the manual, so we know it’s a musicphone with 128MB of storage, Bluetooth, a 2.2-inch 176 x 220 pixel screen, external color display and a 1.3 megapixel camera. The EV-DO phone also promises to have a 3D graphics GUI, so that should be exciting. Phone Scoop is predicting Verizon on this one, but no word on price or availability of either handset.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Read – LG VX8400
Read – LG VX8500

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Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, T-Mobile, GSM

Customers looking for a no-nonsense clamshell that does Bluetooth on the cheap now have a new option from T-Mobile in the form of Nokia’s dual display-packin’ 6103. This tri-band flip phone, which is a followup to the company’s 6101 “Buttons for Humans” model, doesn’t offer much in the way of features — besides Bluetooth, all that’s notable here are the FM radio and VGA camera — but you can pick one up for the low low price of $70 after rebates.

[Thanks, supes]

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Filed under: Handsets, Pantech, GSM

Pantech has just released a new handset for the security-conscious Taiwanese citizen who also wants some pretty capable multimedia features in his/her cellphone. To keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands, the tri-band PG-6200 features a fingerprint scanner rather curiously placed right above the smudge-prone two megapixel camera lens, along with a music player that handles MP3 and AAC files from either the 20MB internal memory or a microSD card. Other nice touches include Bluetooth (no word on A2DP compatibility, though) and JAVA 2.0 so you can get your Opera Mini-on, along with the obligatory email, SMS, and MMS functionality.

[Via textually]

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Filed under: Handsets, Samsung

You can pretty much tell a phone doesn’t have great features when the manufacturer not only lavishes all its attention on the handset’s design, but actually neglects to publicize the specs altogether. Therefore, all we can tell you about Samsung’s upcoming E500 fashionphone is that it contains a camera of some unknown resolution in a leather-clad clamshell design, which is decorated with artwork said to be inspired by Botticelli’s painting, The Birth of Venus. We also know that this model is headed straight for Russia, where capitalism has apparently brought them the same appreciation for tacky design so prevalent elsewhere in the world

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Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Samsung, Vodafone, GSM, HSDPA, UMTS

Slashphone’s got the inside dirt on a new feature-filled Samsung clamshell coming to Vodaphone Germany, whose claim to fame is surely its ability to hop on Voda’s high-speed HSDPA network. You get more than zippy web browsing with the SGH-ZV50 — which gets its design from another Sammy handset, the V7400 — however, as this clamshell also sports a two megapixel camera, 40MB of internal memory plus microSD slot, and a set of dedicated music controls on the front of the flip. Exclusively available to Vodafone customers, the ZV50 will probably be most popular in Hanover, Dorf, Munich, and Frankfort, which is where the company currently offers 5GB of HSDPA usage per month for what appears to be 49 euros. No pricing or launch date for the handset itself, but Slashphone tells us that it will be in stores “very soon.”

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Filed under: Handsets, Pantech, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile, 1xRTT, CDMA

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Filed under: Handsets, Pantech, Verizon Wireless, CDMA

Forgoing the traditional methods of actually announcing their products, Pantech is content to let the FCC do their PR for them, with the latest example being the PN-320 clamshell. It's not going for the world record or anything, but the 0.9-inch thick PN-320 is still fairly slim for a flip phone, and it's not too hard on the eyes neither. Otherwise, the CDMA phone is pretty lame, with a mere VGA camera and 262k color LCD, ala its PN-315 sibling. There's no branding visible, but the phone looks to be headed for Verizon like the PN-315, thanks to some Verizon-specific wording in the manual. We just hope Verizon users can contain themselves for joy, and the FCC is getting reimbursed somehow.

[Via phoneArena]

Filed under: Handsets, Sony Ericsson

We have a sneaking suspicion that it won't actually be called the SE123, but for those waiting for a decently specced Sony Ericsson clamshell (no, the P-series doesn't count), your wait may (or may not) soon come to an end. We don't know much of anything about the device itself outside the fact that it 123 could (should?) have a 1.3 megapixel camera, and that it appeared on Chinese site PConline, which claims SE could (should?) be having some product launches next month on the 11th and 18th. We'll have to wait and see, but in the mean time try not to get your hopes up too much, eh?

Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, 1xRTT, Kyocera, CDMA

src="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2006/04/k822.jpg" />

With the flurry of phone and mobile
industry announcements this past week (Engadget Mobile even outposted the original once or twice), you’ll have to
forgive us if we didn’t catch some of the more, um, run-of-the-mill handsets revealed at href="http://engadgetmobile.com/search/?q=ctia">CTIA, but hey, that’s what the weekends are for. Truthfully, the
Kyocera K822 isn’t really all that ho-hum, as it sports both a 1.3 megapixel camera and 30MB of memory complemented by
a microSD slot for pics and tunes (MP3/AAC/WMDRM), packed into a clamshell design with dual color displays. Other
niceties on this tri-mode CDMA model include Bluetooth 1.2 with href="http://engadgetmobile.com/search/?q=a2dp">A2DP, FM radio, and external media controls, as well as a pretty
attractive $140-after-subsidies price tag.

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Sprint-Nextel

If push-to-talk isn’t too sissy for you now that those href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/02/cingular-goes-live-with-push-to-talk/">Cingular kids can do it, Motorola
is prepping a rugged version of their href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/10/31/motos-i870-antibacterial-widen-phone/">i870 iDEN phone, the i580. The
phone has the same WiDEN connectivity, PTT (of course), Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera, and dual displays of the i870,
though the external display on the i580 is a smaller grayscale one. The phone does lose the external MP3 controls,
though it can still play your tunes off of the internal microSD slot. Of course, the main addition is the rubberized
shell and military grade resistance to rain, dust, shock, and vibration that the new handset includes. The i580 should
be available in Q2 of this year for an undetermined price.

[Thanks, Allen]

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Sprint-Nextel, CDMA

US carriers never cease to amaze with low-end phones, and while the new C290 might be Motorola's first phone to support Sprint PCS Vision content, it's also an incredibly no-frills clamshell. We guess the main feature here is price, which should be $30 after rebates, but couldn't they at least toss in Bluetooth or a few York Peppermint Patties? We guess not. All we're left with is WAP 2.0, a 65k color screen, Java support, a speakerphone, and voice recording -- oh, and a nice big antenna to get snagged on stuff.

[phoneArena]

Filed under: Handsets, LG, Alltel, 1xRTT, CDMA

We’ve finally reached a stage where we’re comfortable throwing the term “low-end” at a phone with Bluetooth — and as such, we give you LG’s AX355 for Alltel. The modest flip lacks EV-DO, but offers a speakerphone, 1.3-megapixel camera, and a black & white external display for $69.99 on a 2-year contract. Joining the AX355 is the AX390, another LG handset that also lacks EV-DO. The 390 drops the camera but shaves 10 bucks off the out-the-door price, coming in at $59.99 with contract. Both phones support Alltel’s “Touch2Talk” PTT service and are available immediately.

[Via phoneArena and Mobilewhack]

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Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Samsung, Sprint-Nextel, T-Mobile, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, CDMA

Quick: what’s the diff between the two flips on the left? Very good, one’s branded T-Mobile and the other wears a Sprint badge. The SPH-M500 for Sprint (pictured left) and SGH-T619 for T-Mob (center) are virtual dead ringers for one another, the only obvious difference being that the T619 sports GSM with EDGE data, while the M500 is a CDMA piece with EV-DO. Other notable specs include dual color displays, 1.3-megapixel shooter (“notable” might be a stretch there), and a microSD slot. Moving to moderately more interesting Sprint equipment, we told ya about the A720 a while back — and thanks to our pals at the FCC, we no longer need to go cross-eyed looking at shoddy cameraphone pics of this thing. The squarish clamshell is clearly music-oriented thanks to external controls (touch-sensitive, no less) and A2DP — a viable alternative for folks turned off by the name of LG’s Fusic.

Read – SGH-T619 for T-Mobile and SPH-M500 for Sprint
Read – SPH-A720 for Sprint

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Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS

In the event 6.9, 9.9, and 12.9mm choices aren’t enough for you in Samsung’s fashion- and feature-conscious “Ultra Edition” lineup, fear not: a pair of new 3G choices add some beef that might be more to your liking. First up is the Ultra Edition 11.8 (alias “Z620″), a bright magnesium-clad flip that offers a 2-megapixel camera, 138MB of internal memory plus microSD expansion, and a QVGA display. If sliders are your cup of tea, the Ultra Edition 13.5 re-ups the cam to 3 megapixels, adds another 12MB of memory for a total of 150MB and retains the 11.8′s expansion slot. Look for both models to drop in December.

[Via Slashphone]

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Filed under: Handsets, Sony Ericsson, GSM, GPRS, EDGE

Hot off the FCC press are these here W712a and Z712a clamshells from Sony Ericsson; astute readers may notice a striking similarity to the W710 and Z710 models announced a couple months back, save for a couple of odd changes. First, and perhaps most depressing, you’ll notice that the 712s feature brutally unattractive black stub antennas, whereas the 710s do not. Secondly, the draft manuals and test reports published for these new pieces list them as dual-band GSM 850 / 1900 (read: North American) handsets. So the obvious question is: what the heck? If your W710i and Z710i are already quad-band and lack the ugly-ass external antennas, why reinvent the wheel? Are we missing something here, folks?

Update: Several folks have pointed out the “HAC” sticker, indicating that these handsets are hearing aid-compliant. What exactly that has to do with the external antennas and the removal of two perfectly good GSM bands, however, remains a mystery.

Read – W712a
Read – Z712a

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Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, LG, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA

The finer visual details of the VX8500′s hinged sibling might remain unclear with these blur-tastic shots, but we think we can see enough here to question whether Verizon and LG are taking the “Chocolate” theme a smidge far. Its glossy exterior is presumably graced with the trademark touch-sensitive, disappearing music controls, but is this not a rather plain looking phone when you pop ‘er open? Gone is the spiffy checkerboard that graced its international cousin, the KG810, leaving a perfectly typical midrange-looking handset in its place. Our hats remain off to Verizon for bringing the Chocolate series stateside, but somehow, something appears to have been lost in the translation.

[Via phoneArena]

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Filed under: Handsets, Sharp, Vodafone, GSM, UMTS

Apparently Sharp likes its 705SH for Softbank Mobile enough to export the thin clamshell, though not before getting a name change. Apart from some minor cosmetic changes, the tri-band SX633 is a dead ringer for its Japanese cousin, ready to bring joy to the hearts of SmartTone-Vodafone customers willing to shed the asking price of $4,180 HKD — a bit north of $500 USD. For the money, you get a 17mm-thick 3G clamshell with 2.2-inch QVGA internal and 72 x 12 external displays, and microSD support for when you fill that 20MB of internal memory to the brim, all in your choice of Black Opal, Pink Champagne, or Silver McIntyre. Doesn’t quite seem to justify the coin; we’ll pass. Er, we would if we were in Hong Kong, that is.

[Via Ministry of Tech]

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