Samsung I7500 - the first Korean Android phone, now official

It’s now official folks – the first Android handset by Samsung got confirmed only several hours after it leaked. Named Samsung I7500, the handset features rich connectivity, a slim 11.9mm waistline and the latest reincarnation of the Android OS.

Samsung I7500 is equipped with a 3.2-inch AMOLED screen of HVGA resolution. The device runs on the latest 1.5 version of the Andorid OS and is equipped with a 5 megapixel autofocus camera

The Samsung I7500 also features all the connectivity features one might expect in a 2009 flagship phone. Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G with HSDPA and HSUPA, Bluetooth – it’s all onboard. The wired connectivity is also taken care of with a 3.5mm standard audio jack and a microUSB port. The internal memory of the I7500 is as large as 8GB and is further expandable through the built-in microSD card slot.

The Samsung i7500 will become available in the major European countries from June but price isn't yet officially announced. Rumor has it that it will be in the region of 300 euro before taxes and subsides.

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com

Nokia 5130 XpressMusic

At a certain point everyone finds themselves in the situation where all they need is a no-nonsense phone that looks good and doesn't cost a fortune. The Nokia 5130 XpressMusic is exactly the kind - one of the sleekest, most affordable handsets by the Finnish manufacturer that has ever set foot in our door.

With a distinctly youthful charm, the Nokia 5130 XpressMusic certainly won't replace your laptop but will give you all a mobile phone should. Offering the bare minimum might not be what your average geek expects from a phone but it is exactly what the market wants. The fact that the Nokia 5310 sold more than 13 million units is clear enough evidence of this.

After all, not everyone can afford an N97 nor does everyone need it. What everyone does need however is good performance from their handset, even more so if reliability can be offered at a low price point. So we felt a thorough review of the Nokia 5130 XpressMusic was in order to check out this theory.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com

Nokia E63

The Nokia E63 looks like a near carbon copy of the incredibly popular Nokia E71 QWERTY smartphone. It has nearly the same dimensions, keyboard and overall design, with a few features removed to bring it into serious budget-saving territory. What's different from the E71? The E63 has a plastic casing rather than metal, it has US 3G for AT&T but the slower WCDMA flavor rather than HSDPA, a 2 rather than 3 megapixel camera and there's no GPS. This is an unlocked GSM phone that requires no contract, so there's no carrier subsidy. That means it's not as cheap as most carrier phones with contract, but at $279 with no commitment it's a bargain and about $80 cheaper than the E71. The E63 is an unlocked GSM phone that can be used with any GSM carrier (that's AT&T and T-Mobile in the US).
Torn between the unlocked E71 and the E63? If your budget is really tight, the E63 has a distinct advantage since it costs approximately 25% less. It's particularly appealing if you don't need a GPS and don't intend to tether your phone to a laptop for data (WCDMA tops out at 384k while HSDPA offers a theoretical 3.6Mbps with real world 700kbps on AT&T) or are on T-Mobile where the phone works only on EDGE anyway. Conversely, if your budget isn't tight, the $80 gets you a lot. E71's metal casing is attractive, slimmer and sturdy, the GPS is there along with HSDPA, and the camera is a bit better. As a final consideration, if you're an AT&T customer and don't mind extending your contract (or switching to AT&T from another carrier), the Nokia E71x will be out on AT&T by May 2009 for $99 with contract.




Source : http://www.mobiletechreview.com

Samsung Beat DJ (M7600)

Handset
960 mAh Li-Ion battery
4 Gb microSD memory card (size varies by region)
Charger
Wired stereo-headset with a 3.5mm socket
User Guide

While this article is more of a preview of the Samsung Beat DJ, it’s safe to say that it won’t change much by the time it hits the shelves.
Positioning

As it stands today, Samsung’s portfolio has three flagship phones – the S8300 Ultra Touch, Beat DJ and Omnia HD. It’s pretty clear what role each phone plays – the S8300 offers all state-of-the-art technologies in the slider-type design and is more or less aimed at the mass market, the Beat DJ is a true jukebox and a reaction to the latest efforts of Nokia and Sony Ericsson on this field, while the latter is the ultimate imaging-centric device. Interestingly, there are worlds of difference between these three handsets in terms of style, pricing, positioning and other characteristics, so there is no point in assessing the extent to which they will interact on the market. However when it comes to hardware, things don’t seem to be as simple – the S8300 and M7600 are based on the same platform, and what’s more their technical specifications are nearly identical, bar the latter’s music department. So, having thrown in an enhanced music player, along with a pair of top-notch speakers and unconventional forms, Samsung have come up with one of the finest music-playing phones out there. But while its sound quality is superb, the question is whether it will be enough to win over the average consumer’s heart. Samsung already have vast experience with phones of this type and caliber, nevertheless one after another these offerings failed to conquer the market. The reason was that consumers saw no connection between “Samsung” and “top-quality sonic experience”, thus most of their music-minded solutions were welcomed mainly by people in the know. Unfortunately, the same will hold true for the Beat DJ.

One thing of note about the M7600 is that it’s set to hit the market along with another music-focused phone, the M6710, also known as the Beat Disc that comes in a different casing and with a couple of downgrades, plus it won’t be available on most markets. I suppose this review will cover both devices, since the only major difference between them lies in design.



Source : http://www.mobile-review.com

Nokia 5730 XpressMusic

Handset
Li-Ion battery (BL-4U)
Charger (AC-8_
8 Gb microSD memory card (availability varies by region)
Wired stereo-headset (HS-45) with a remote control (AD-57)
USB data cable
User Guide
CD-ROM
Positioning

In 2009 Nokia will be trying to consolidate the success of the Nokia E71 and bring QWERTY-enabled devices into the mainstream with a wide array of offerings. While none of these phones will enjoy particularly good sales, it’s not their main goal – the key here will be to make the very idea of an affordable QWERTY-smartphone root on the market. And, naturally, this move will come as the most unwelcome present to Nokia’s competition, as it will take a good bit of their audiences, especially those of Windows Mobile phones that suddenly get much less attractive in terms of price/quality, retailing for almost twice as much. Although, the market of Windows Mobile solutions let the concept of QWERTY-enabled side-sliders die off a long time ago and that was largely due to how the phone makers themselves viewed these devices. Long story short, they thought that this form-factor had to be the attribute of the most expensive part of their portfolios, and that’s how they got the reputation of overpriced offerings that only few could afford. Needless to say, Nokia will have a hard time trying to change this stereotype, furthermore, most Windows Mobile aficionados have already bought themselves better priced alternatives running on this OS; so why would Nokia venture into these waters?

Being the market’s largest company with a 40 percent share, Nokia is challenged not only to maintain its sales on the same level but also increase them. Essentially this need pushes them into certain niches, which is quite an unseemly proposition from the R&D standpoint. So, instead they have opted to turn narrow niches into relatively wide market segments through aggressive marketing campaigns. And as you have already guessed, that’s exactly what they are going to pull off with the QWERTY-enabled side-sliders. What’s more they won’t have to pioneer this market – like we said, this field is already full of Windows Mobile offerings, but they won’t pose much of a threat to the 5730 XpressMusic and the likes in view of their overly hefty price tags. So, the idea is simple: Nokia have adopted a concept that some users are already familiar with and will render it sustainable (in other words – make these phones relatively popular). I, for one, can’t wait to see how this affair will turn out. On a side note, they will roll out some more offerings down the line, including the Nokia E75 that hasn’t been announced as yet, but is already well-known around the Web. By the way, it won’t be much different from the phone we are reviewing today, however it’ll be braded as an Eseries solution.




Source : http://www.mobile-review.com

Alcatel One Touch C-825

Handset
750 mAh Li-Ion battery
User guide
Charger
MicroSD memory card (varies by region)
MiniUSB data cable
Wired stereo-headset

The handset comes in a variety of trims, but regardless of the variation you can see a band edging the middle of the casing. What makes it look offbeat is that on the right side it is much thicker than on the beveled ends. It may seem to be a tiny detail, yet this part of the design is worth some special attention as it puts a finishing touch on the handset, making it stylish enough. The device measures in at 95x50x18 mm and weighs in at 99 grams. The C-825 is in fact a tri-band handset.

The quality of materials used is something positive we’d like to dwell upon, since it has become an attribute of latest Alcatel-branded models, which in fact look much more luxurious than they cost, or, better to say, stand out against the backdrop of other solutions within the same price-bracket. The leather-like surface of the back cover’s plastic of our unit was finished in brown as well. The display is edged by a glossy rim, similar to the inset put on the back panel that is scratch-resistant among all other things. The design of the handset feels one-piece, lending it an expensive and quality looks. The block of functional keys made of standard matte plastic is a bit out tune with the rest of the casing, though. But this is the thing you won’t notice unless you give the phone a close-up.


Source : http://www.mobile-review.com

Nokia 7510 Supernova

Handset
870 mAh Li-Ion battery (BL-5BT)
Charger (AC-3)
Wired stereo-headset (HS-47)
Memory card (microSD 512 Mb)
Two Xpress-onTM panels
User Guide
Positioning

The Nokia 7510 occupies a special spot in the Supernova line-up, since it’s the only clamshell in the range to date and also the second best offering in it – it’s topped by the 7610, which is the most expensive of the four. Although I don’t think many will face the dilemma of choosing between the 7510 and 7610, because they are so far apart and just happen to coexist within one product line-up.

Another thing of note about the sliding 7610 Supernova is that it’s the only phone in the series that looks to appeal to both men and women. At the end of the day it should see the ratio of 50 to 50 or, say, 60 to 40 in favor of women. Clearly, it’s the most male-tailored device in the range.

However, designing this handset, Nokia went for a witty trick and armed the 7510 with a slew of applications, but cuts its specs a bit. All this clearly defines its target audience as the youth, since these consumers usually demand entertainment, player, radio, browser and a whole lot of other things from their phones. And the 7510 Supernova just happens to have it all in an attractive package with a reasonable price tag.

The 7510 also indicates that S60 continues rolling down to lower price brackets, since feature-rich S40-based handsets are getting cheaper by the minute. Can you actually recall some other instance when the 7000 series phones went for less than 400 USD? With all due confidence I must say that they have never been this cheap from the beginning. While it’s all good for consumers, on the other hand, it denies the company's established nomenclature and brings in some confusion. Remember the Nokia 7070 Prism and its 50 Euro price tag? Times are changing indeed.


Source : http://www.mobile-review.com

Samsung F330

Handset
Battery
Wired stereo-headset
USB data cable
Software CD
microSD memory card (1Gb, size and availability vary by region)
User Guide
Positioning

The second device in the BeatZ line-up, unlike the Samsung i450, makes use of a standard hardware platform and Suwon’s software for 3G terminals. In fact, this is the good old Samsung G800 yet coming in a different wrapping and with a new camera. Also stemming from this is the fact that the F330’s sound quality is no different from the G800 or the U600, for it employs the same hardware solution, so you won’t hear much of a difference when using one and the same pair of earphones with these handsets.
The only reason why the F330 saw release is that they needed to start the new music-heavy line-up with something. This way, over at Samsung they thought a mid-range phone with a knack for playing music should be pretty much standard, and so they didn’t put much effort into it. And the line taken by the manufacturer is rather straightforward – if music is the main focus, then the phone should come in a white iPod-esque casing and with a pair of decent earphones in the box. However what they rolled is in fact neither fish nor fowl.

While it packs all the traits of the U-series, it also retains a youth-aimed design, putting it in one league with less expensive offerings. The handset’s positioning is centered on music alone and the range of music-savvy devices. But does this range really exist, or it hasn’t gone beyond the company’s roadmap? Essentially, three members of the line-up are way too different to suppose that someone will actually be making a choice between them. The future sales of the F330 don’t look promising at all either. Its predecessors housed in the same form-factor have already proven this point – being not a fashion-savvy phone, the Samsung F330 can’t withstand the competition of Samsung’s own solutions. And those consumers looking to get a top-notch sonic experience are very likely to go for the Samsung i450.

All this means the only purpose of the F330’s release is to create an illusion of choice – nobody expects this model to do summersaults, hence it has only one available color scheme (white).

Source : http://www.mobile-review.com

Sony Ericsson C510

Handset
Charger
Battery (BST-38)
1Gb M2 memory card (size may vary)
USB data cable
Wired stereo-headset
User Guide
Positioning

In the framework of “CyberShot” line-up, the C510 is supposed to be the most affordable solution in there, in other words, a true imaging-savvy phone for the mass-market. And it does have all the makings of one – user interface centered on the phone’s camera, lens cover and other useful amenities. To keep it in line with the rest of the portfolio, they’ve given it the looks of one of the most sought-after CyberShot branded phones to date, the C902; although, obviously, the cheaper model sports the least sophisticated materials and it does feel inferior to the latter in terms of plastic quality (although still looks very similar to the C902).


Source : http://www.mobile-review.com

Sony Ericsson W508

Handset
920 mAh Li-Ion Battery (BST-39)
Charger
1 Gb M2 memory card
Wired stereo-headset (HPM-64)
Software CD
Interchangeable front cover
Positioning

The Sony Ericsson W508 is meant to offer those who are looking for a music-minded folder-type phone with a relatively no-frills design exactly what they need – in other words, it’s not tailored for the youth, who normally go for models such as the Sony Ericsson W380, although some even go as far as claiming that the W508 comes in to replace the latter. However in reality there are no similarities between them, neither in terms of positioning, nor feature pack. So, perhaps this newcomer is supposed to carry some other phone’s heritage? As it turns out, the W508 is a stand-alone offering that was originally designed with one goal in mind – to beef up the phone maker’s portfolio, and its purpose hasn’t changed much since then. They opted not to cancel it, but the time frame they picked for its launch has led to some interesting consequences.

Source : http://www.mobile-review.com

Sony Ericsson C902

Handset
Charger
Stereo-headset
Software CD
User Guide
Positioning

No matter how you look at it, the Sony Ericsson C902 will always be compared to the Sony Ericsson K850i. Both are positioned as imaging-savvy solutions, and both come armed with 5 Mpix cameras. On the face of it, they don’t seem all that different, and the C902’s skinnier profile is entirely due to new technologies and hardware that don’t affect its image quality. That’s the train of thought of most consumers, basing on common sense. But nothing is further from the truth. Let’s run a quick question-answer game. For instance, does the presence of “Cyber Shot” mean the manufacturer’s ultimate goal is to elevate the image quality on its handsets? Obviously not. What they want to do is make it as comfortable as possible to take snaps, which is quite a difference. The same paradigm is ruling the market of compact cameras that are designed with the “point and shoot” principle in mind, with all modes that the user might need available via shortcut buttons. But, at the same time, having the same megapixel count as, say, a cheap reflex camera doesn’t automatically put some compact in line with professional cameras quality-wise. Nevertheless, the Average Joe feels better about digital compacts, since they are pretty straightforward, intuitive and take reasonably good shots without making the owner puzzle himself over settings. Furthermore, having swapped their compact cameras for more professional tools, many spend a lot of time before they start getting the hang of it and taking more or less acceptable pictures. Do they really need it? Is it worth the money and time? For perfectionists the answer is as clear-cut as it can only be, but on the other hand, most people don’t crave for better quality than that put up by digital compacts, all they need is ease of use. Basically, that’s the audience the C902 and the likes have been brought about for. This approach is nothing new – Sony Ericsson’s Walkman line-up has enjoyed it as well, where pretty mediocre sound performance gets outshined by one of the most user-friendly player interfaces and music-centric extra applications. Add a pinch of fashion to all this you will get a typical high-end offering from Sony Ericsson.

Source : http://www.mobile-review.com

Alcatel One Touch C-825

Handset
750 mAh Li-Ion battery
User guide
Charger
MicroSD memory card (varies by region)
MiniUSB data cable
Wired stereo-headset

The handset comes in a variety of trims, but regardless of the variation you can see a band edging the middle of the casing. What makes it look offbeat is that on the right side it is much thicker than on the beveled ends. It may seem to be a tiny detail, yet this part of the design is worth some special attention as it puts a finishing touch on the handset, making it stylish enough. The device measures in at 95x50x18 mm and weighs in at 99 grams. The C-825 is in fact a tri-band handset.

The quality of materials used is something positive we’d like to dwell upon, since it has become an attribute of latest Alcatel-branded models, which in fact look much more luxurious than they cost, or, better to say, stand out against the backdrop of other solutions within the same price-bracket. The leather-like surface of the back cover’s plastic of our unit was finished in brown as well. The display is edged by a glossy rim, similar to the inset put on the back panel that is scratch-resistant among all other things. The design of the handset feels one-piece, lending it an expensive and quality looks. The block of functional keys made of standard matte plastic is a bit out tune with the rest of the casing, though. But this is the thing you won’t notice unless you give the phone a close-up.

Source : http://www.mobile-review.com

Sony Ericsson C510

Sales package

• Handset
• Charger
• Battery (BST-38)
• 1Gb M2 memory card (size may vary)
• USB data cable
• Wired stereo-headset
• User Guide

Positioning

In the framework of “CyberShot” line-up, the C510 is supposed to be the most affordable solution in there, in other words, a true imaging-savvy phone for the mass-market. And it does have all the makings of one – user interface centered on the phone’s camera, lens cover and other useful amenities. To keep it in line with the rest of the portfolio, they’ve given it the looks of one of the most sought-after CyberShot branded phones to date, the C902; although, obviously, the cheaper model sports the least sophisticated materials and it does feel inferior to the latter in terms of plastic quality (although still looks very similar to the C902).

Sony Ericsson C510:

Deliberately or not, many tend to overlook the phone the C510 really comes to replace – the Sony Ericsson K770i, whose performance on the market early on was hampered by the availability of Sony Ericsson K800i and K810, although as it went though a number of price drops, it became one of the most appealing offerings in its segment, furthermore, as far as imaging-centric phones were concerned, the K770i turned into one of the most successful solutions of that time. So, in reality, bearing a very similar price tag, the Sony Ericsson C510 is a skin-deep update of the K770i – the software hasn’t changed much, nor has its positioning or camera. Normally new phones go for a tad more than the models they are designed to replace, but that’s not the case with these two, which should make the C510 quite affordable from the get go and also let Sony Ericsson maintain the momentum they gathered with the K770i. Although in all fairness its price tag should be even lighter given the current market tendencies, Sony Ericsson are going after higher margins, so they aren’t aiming to flood the market with it, however with time it will become one of the key offerings in their portfolio.