Mobility Watch

HTC Magic

As many of you might already know, the first Google Android-based handset, dubbed G1, was launched on the market last year on T-Mobile. The device, which was supposed to go against Apple’s iPhone, has failed to do so, although it registered great success with the public. The smartphone market remains under the Apple and Research in Motion’s dominance.

“The HTC Magic embodies the compact style and sophistication for which HTC has come to be known, with the powerful and intuitive internet experience for which the Android platform was designed,” Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corporation, adds. “We are proud of our partnership with Vodafone and excited about making the Android-powered HTC Magic available to Vodafone customers in Europe.”

The new Android handset includes a 3.2-megapixel camera, HSPA, WiFi connectivity, as well as a built-in GPS receiver, support for Google Mail, POP3, IMAP, and Google Talk for instant messaging. The HTC Dream (G1) is the only mobile phone running under the Google platform to have made it to the market until now, although other handset manufacturers like Nokia, LG and Samsung, have also announced plans to unveil such devices.

The new device will come exclusively to Vodafone in the UK, Spain, Germany and France (SFR) and will also be available on a non-exclusive basis in Italy. Those interested in the device will have to register their interest on their local Vodafone website starting from today. The handset will become available for purchase in spring.

Looking for some of the newest mobile phones in the market? Here are some very interesting updates:

Nokia N95

Yes, the much popularized Nokia N95 mobile phone would already be released and available in the UK market. But not starting tomorrow though. It would be arriving sometime in March but at least that’s something to look forward to.

Motorola’s Line Up

Rumors are going on in the industry that Motorola is going to send out a new range of mobile phone handsets this 2007. According to the source, the list of new mobile phones would include the Moto KRZR K3, Moto Q GSM/EDGE, Moto RIZR Z8, and the Moto Q2 HSDPA. There would also be another set of not-so-expensive mobile phones that would bear these names: W205, W360, W395, and W510. Another thing to look forward to, right?

And last on my list…

Vodafone’s Speedy Line

Sure, these phones are going to zoom through sales. After all, these special edition Vodafone units have been created with McLaren Mercedes in mind. There’s the McLaren Mercedes GX29, the 770SH, and the SGH-Z729M.

[Via Dial A Phone Blog]

[Image from Gizmodo]

How many old mobile phones have you got lying around your home? Did you know that if you do turn them over to Vodafone you actually do get to help raise money for the National Autistic Society?

According to Vodafone, they have decided to go about with such a scheme because they have learned, through a thorough research, that most of the British mobile phone owners have yet to take part in mobile phone recycling. You see, the statistics also do say that most of these owners do know about recycling schemes and these owners also do have old mobile phones lying around.

Stephen Noakes, the head officer for Vodafone UK’s marketing department, says, “With the Stern Review highlighting our ever increasing need to tackle climate change, and Britain’s recycling record the worst in Europe, we need to take advantage of the small actions we can to make a difference.�? He also does add, “By recycling your phone, it will prevent handsets piling up in landfill sites and clearly help the environment.�?

[Via IT Week]

[Image from Epson Downs RaceCource]

The list of mobile phone service providers which give their clients easy access to purchasing tickets has certainly added up. In fact, in the United Kingdom, mobile phone service provider Vodafone has just been one of the most recent ones to add to the mentioned list.

Vodafone users and subscribers can now make various transactions over their mobile phones. They can purchase their train tickets, they can check out what needs to be paid, and they can also find out the amount of their various bills. It was not cleared, though, if users can also pay their bills through their mobile phones. But I do guess that such can be done. After all, the move towards enabling Vodafone users and subscribers to do such things gives them the chance to use their mobile phones not only as a mobile phone per se but also as a wallet.

I wonder who’s joining next.

[Via PC Advisor]
[Image from Japan’s Cell Phone Edge]

If you have one of those Centrino laptops, then brace yourself for another leap in mobility. Vodafone and Dell have announced the availability of Dell Latitude D620 and D820 with built in vodaphone 3G broadband technology.

The 3G broadband solution is based on based on HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. Vodafone’s faster 3G broadband network will not be widely available until later this year however. In the meantime, users can access data via established 3G networks.

Using this integrated solution, Dell users would be able to have a faster internet access. As long as you have a 3G signal, you would be able to access the internet unlike Wi-Fi which has a very limited range.

The new Dell notebooks will ship with the Vodafone SIM installed and pre-loaded with Dell Connection Manager software.

[via computerweekly ]