Mobility Watch

Reminisce the days when everything you played around with had a joystick.

Now, there is a new mobile phone with a joystick. Yes, Samsung has launched a mobile phone which you can use with a joystick as an option. Nice one?

They call the new mobile phone the Samsung SCH-V960. Samsung did say that they had created the mobile phone to be such so that users of the mobile phone could be able to navigate the mobile phone easily. The company does continue to say that it would be just like navigating your computer’s mouse.

The Samsung SCH-V960 also has a ‘Smart Lighting’ feature and this one actually helps out control the brightness of the phone’s LCD screen. You would also be able to find a 2.0 megapixel camera with this one plus GPS and Bluetooth. This phone also does support microSD external memory.

This one sure does sound good enough for me.

[Via TechWhack News]

[Image from Gizmodo]

Giant Samsung has just most recently announced that it has created yet another remarkable mobile phone. The fact that this one comes as a two-sided mobile phone makes this one quite interesting. They call this new one the Samsung F300 and it can be used not only as a mobile phone but also as a means of entertainment.

So why did Samsung claim that there are two sides to this F300?

Well, one side of the mobile phone has been created as a mobile phone entirely while the other side has been built just for music playing purposes. The one for music has got a 262,000 color display screen as well as a navigation keypad. It can be used to play various music types. On the other hand, the one for music has a keypad and a smaller screen. It can be used with Bluetooth, GRPS, and for triband purposes.

[Via One Compare]

[Image from OKOS Telefon]

Hybrid CDMA/GSM phones for international use are nothing new.  The Samsung a790 was introduced some time ago, and both Sprint and Verizon Wireless have offered it at one time or another.  Samsung is now updating the technology with its new W531, headed for Sprint (and also probably Verizon Wireless).

These combo phones operate with CDMA technology in the U.S., on the home networks of Sprint or Verizon.  Then when you travel to places like Asia or Europe where GSM wireless technology prevails, these hybrid phones are set up to use it, by roaming on local carriers.  These phones come bundled with flat rate roaming plans for use abroad.   This is not as cheap as buying a prepaid SIM card and putting it in an unlocked GSM phone, but it’s a lot more convenient.  And for busy international business travelers, convenience means a lot.

In spite of rumors that this phone might support the Sprint Music Store, we’re led to believe this will NOT be a multimedia phone (no memory card slot or dedicated media controls, etc.).  But it is much more stylish and compact than previous “world” phones. 

And if you have any ideas about using this phone to access GSM carriers in the U.S. like T-Mobile or Cingular, forget it.  This phone is NOT expected to support GSM frequences in the States.

No idea what the price will be, but based on previous experience with similar models expect it to cost at least several hundred dollars.

Sprint, Samsung, W531, Verizon Wireless, a790, GSM, CDMA

[via Geekzone, PCS Intel]

What are the chances that you, an educated wireless consumer, might walk into a Cingular store to buy a BlackBerry, and out of sheer confusion, walk out with a Samsung Blackjack instead?

RIM, which makes the BlackBerry, figures its customers are just soooo busy making multi-gazillion dollar deals that they’re not paying enough attention to know the difference.  RIM has filed an infringement lawsuit against Samsung in federal court in Los Angeles, claiming that Blackjack is just too close to BlackBerry.

Now wait just a minute.  It seems to me that if anyone ought to be upset here, it’s the blackberry farmers.  Talk about confusion - you could go shopping for sweet, luscious blackberries and if you’re not paying attention, wind up buying a sackful of wireless electronic devices.  The RIM people are clearly infringing on the blackberry farmers’ rights, and appropriating that venerable fruit’s reputation, without just compensation.

It’s time for an enterprising lawyer to contact the Blackberry Commission and settle the score here. 

BlackBerry, RIM, Samsung, Blackjack, Cingular, lawyers

[via Tech2]

While phones that depend on touchscreens for user inputs (with no keypads) are not for everyone, they do very well in places like China, where smartphones depend on handwriting recognition.

So Samsung’s new SGH-i718 introduced at the ITU World Expo in Hong Kong this week is, not surprisingly, being introduced first in China.  And it’s fitted out for serious business, with features like a business card reader and running Windows Mobile software, with Office view and edit capabilities. 

It’s also a well-equipped multimedia phone, set up for MPEG and Windows Media audio and video files, with microSD memory to store everything.  And they’ve thrown in a 2.0 megapixel camera with autofocus.

Leaving off the keypad does allow the designers to keep it very small, very sleek for such a capable smartphone.

And did I mention, it’s orange?

While there are no announced plans to market this quadband EDGE-equipped GSM phone in North America, it is already FCC-approved. 

So don’t be surprised if it pops up on some North American carrier’s handset lineup sometime soon.

Samsung, SGH-i718, smartphone, Windows Mobile

[via Electronista]

Samsung wants to have a piece of the action and its target are the gamers in Korea, yes you heard it right it is only available there. The Samsung SCH-B550 is primarily made for video games, it has all the features of a standard game controller including those for mobile games. It also has a TV output, supports 3D Graphics and GXG support in Korea.

Aside from the game features of this product, it is fully packed in its mobile phone features such as the DMB Mobile TV, Bluetooth, a 2 Megapixel Camera and MP3 Player. Now that is really cool, since you don’t have to have a separate game console and mobile phone, it’s all there.

Samsung, video game phone, cell phone, SCH-B550

[via akihabaranews.com]

This new soon to be released Samsung Ultra Video F500 is the new kid on the block. Capable of playing DivX, MPEG4, H.264, and windows media video, this candy bar-shaped handset has a TFT LCD screen that offers 262,000 colors and resolution of 240 pixels by 320 pixels. You can now load your favorite DivX movies and watch them on the go. The drawback however is that the internal memory is only 400MB. But of course there is a microSD slot so you can plug-in more memory and load more files.

If the F500 can play video, of course it also plays audio. The Ultra Video F500 supports several digital music formats namely WMA, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), AAC+, e-AAC+, and of course MP3. It can also be used with music download services that support WMA digital rights management.

Basic Features:

Phone type: Quadband
Networks: GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900
Connectivity options: 3G, EDGE, Bluetooth, USB

[via pcworld ]

This quotable quote comes from Kitae Lee, an executive with Samsung.

We would certainly agree.  Obviously, if you could live without a mobile device, you could also live without this blog.  Unthinkable.

Speaking at ITU Telecom World 2006 in Hong Kong, Lee goes on to say that mobile handsets “will become the hub of communications, and allow consumers access to services including health care, banking and accounting, Internet access, personal identification and various entertainment activities.”

Heck, Paris Hilton said pretty much the same thing, when she lost her SideKick with her entire phonebook (and her celebrity friends’ phone numbers) loaded in its memory.

But I digress.  Samsung made these grandiose pronouncements about mobile devices as it rolled out more hot new cutting edge can’t-live-without-’em products: these two-faced Samsung Ultra phones.  The Ultra Music comes with 100MB of memory and an FM radio for, you guessed it, music.  The Ultra Video adds to that 400 MB of memory, QVGA screen (hinged for desktop viewing) and MP4 and DIVX playback capabilities.

Both phones have a screen and ordinary phone keypad on one side, and a large screen and media controls on the other side.  Neither one of them is available anywhere yet, nor are there any plans to do so that I can share with you.

Samsung’s even more grandiose announcements, including development of fourth-generation (4G) data technology, with even speedier HSUPA downloads, promise that, among other things, you’ll be able to drive down the freeway at 70 miles an hour and respond to this blog with your handheld device, while recording and uploading a video podcast at the same time.

I can’t wait.

Samsung, Ultra Video, Ultra Music, 4G, HSUPA, Paris Hilton

[via Phone Scoop]

It’s as if Samsung was listening to every word we said.  Back in November when Cingular rolled out Samsung’s Blackjack, we wondered why they’d forgotten to include WiFi in a smartphone that seemed to have almost everything else going for it.

Today at ITU Telecom World 2006 in Hong Kong Samsung launched its Ultra Messaging i600 and this time, they didn’t forget the WiFi.  Add that to the 3G high speed (HSPDA) data and it’s just about the most up-to-date little Windows Mobile smartphone you could want.  There’s even an RSS feed and podcast download tool.

At less than half an inch thick, Samsung’s calling it the “world’s thinnest QWERTY smartphone”.  Like the Blackjack it’s a GSM phone, so it’s a candidate for Cingular or T-Mobile in the U.S.  But we North Americans will have to be patient - Europe and the Asian Pacific region will get it first, probably first quarter of next year.

Samsung, i600, Ultra Messaging, Blackjack, HSPDA, Cingular, ITU Telecom World 

[via Daily Tech]

Here’s a feature that the cell phone manufacturers didn’t tell us about - remote activation of a cell phone’s microphone by federal authorities, to listen in on conversations.  It can be done - in fact, it has apparently been done by the FBI, to listen in on conversations by two alleged mobsters. 

And a federal judge says it’s quite legal under federal wiretap laws.

The phones involved were two Nextel phones, owned by John Ardito and his attorney Peter Peluso, alleged to be tied to the Genovese crime family in New York.  The surveillance was revealed in an opinion written by federal district judge Lewis Kaplan.  In Kaplan’s view, federal wiretap law is broad enough to allow this.

And get this - the opinion seems to indicate that this surveillance technique works even if the phone is powered off!  It turns out that unless the battery is removed, many phones maintain power to some functions - including, apparently, operation of its microphone for surveillance.

Nextel handsets, as well as handsets by Samsung and the Motorola RAZR are said to be especially vulnerable to software downloads that make this surveillance possible.

Presented with the written opinion, different experts say they’re not totally sure how the surveillance took place - whether it was a software download or an old fashioned electronic bug that was physically placed in the handsets.  For its part, a Nextel spokesman says it was not involved in the investigation.

electronic surveillance, cell phones, listening devices, Nextel, Samsung, Motorola, FBI

[via ZDNet, The Liberty Papers]

We’ve heard all about exploding or flaming batteries in laptops, and the recalls connected with them.  Although we don’t hear much about these problems with lithium ion batteries in cell phones, there have been a few.

The next wave of portable power technology for cell phones appears to be fuel cells.  These cells use methanol cartridges (flammable!) to generate power that can be used to recharge your existing lithium ion batteries in cell phones and PDAs.

I’m not sure I feel better about methanol cartridges in my pocket, versus lithium ion batteries.  (Yeah, I realize millions of Americans still keep cigarette lighters in their pockets.  But - face it - smokers have a death wish; for them, lung cancer will get them before their Zippos explode.)

But seriously, SAIT and Samsung have been working on pocket fuel cells - this one is 5mm thick and weighs 5.3 ounces.  It’s been successfully tested for 200 recharge cycles.  Models like this are, we’re told, within a few years of being commercially available.

Toshiba says it’s working to extend the technology to laptops and portable media players, too.

cell phones, lithium ion battery, fuel cell, Samsung, SAIT

[via Daily Tech] 

Yes, the United Kingdom has already met the very first mobile phone in their area that has the capacity to let its user access and use broadband internet speeds.

The new mobile phone is the Samsung Z560 and it has been released exclusively under the T-Mobile service provider. What makes this Samsung S560 different from the rest of gadgets that offer the same type of capability is that this mobile phone has been created not to be like a PDA or a business device.

Owners of this mobile phone can connect to the T-Mobile 3G network through HSDPA technology. Compared to other 3G services, the Samsung Z560 allows users to surf through the internet with connection and access of 1.8 megabits per second - and that is four times faster.

If you are done using this phone, maybe you could also opt to use it as a modem. All you need is to connect it to your computer and you are all set.

[Via One Compare]
[Image from Itua]

Today’s unsubstantiated claim is:  thinnest clamshell phone in the U.S.

We won’t argue as the Samsung m610 rolls out on Sprint’s website.  At half an inch thick, this puppy crams in a 2 megapixel camera/video recorder, QVGA internal display, stereo Bluetooth, and space for a microSD memory card.  PCS Power Vision capability gives you quick music downloads, live TV feeds or online gaming. 

Until recently Sprint’s handset lineup hasn’t been what you’d call ’stylish’.  But this new m610, along with MOTORAZR and MOTOKRZR models, are giving Sprint’s lineup the hardware equivalent of a Botox injection.

At $179.99 with a 2 year deal and the usual incentives the m610 will help “thin out” your pocket and your wallet at the same time.

[via Mobile Guerilla]

There are a number of simplified cell phones designed for very young kids to use.  Of course, kids get so technologically savvy so young these days, they can handle texting, emailing and all the other features of today’s phones as well or better than adults.

Jitterbug is a simplified cell phone service designed for the other end of the age spectrum.  There are two different Samsung handsets - one with a normal key pad, the other with just three big buttons, to reach 911, a relative or friend, and the operator.  These handsets try hard to make seniors comfortable with the technology - they even provide dial tones.

For $10 a month you get zero included minutes.  If you make a call, it’s 35 cents a minute.  If you must have a few included minutes, you can the $15 a month plan with 30 anytime minutes.  There are plans with more minutes, but this is clearly not a service for cellular junkies.  It’s a have-a-phone-for-emergencies-or-occasional-use service.  Operator-assisted calls subtract five minutes off your monthly allotment.  Jitterbug doesn’t subsidize the cost of the handsets - they’re $147 each.  There’s a one-time setup charge of $35.

Are there less costly alternatives, like prepaid phones?  Yep.  But the learning curve might keep seniors from learning how to use them.  Jitterbug is counting on simplicity and an aggressive marketing plan to reach the AARP crowd - particularly those who haven’t learned how to use a cell phone yet. 

[Also see Consumer Affairs.com]

New handsets never seem to materialize as fast as we think they will.  Certainly not as fast as we want them to.

Back in September we were wishin’ and hopin’ and expectin’ the new Samsung BlackJack from Cingular.  Two months later, we’re finally going to get it.  It’s rolling out on the 16th.

We were hoping it’d be smaller than the Motorola Q, and it is - thinner, and narrower.  We were hoping that, unlike the Q, the BlackJack would have WiFi.  It doesn’t.  But it does have HSPDA 3G capability, which gives you superfast data.  That is, when you’re in a location where Cingular has already upgraded its data service for 3G.

Its Windows Mobile 5.9 with Direct Push email gives you a BlackBerry-ish experience.  Not BlackBerryish at all is its Cingular Music capability, including XM music channels.  For $199.99 BlackJack is $100 more than Q, but it packs a lot in its slimmer package.

If you can’t live without the WiFi you might want to hit up the T-Mobile store down the street for a Dash. 

[via ZDNet]