Nokia E66 review: Clean-cut business tool

Nokia Eseries is almost a default name that comes to mind. Following a comprehensive review of Nokia E71, we are set to explore the other hot Eseries gadget. It's Nokia E66 with a priority appointment in our office. Refreshments served upon conclusion.

Key features:
Quad-band GSM support 
3G with HSDPA 3.6Mbps 
2.4" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution 
Shortcut keys mean business 
Symbian 9.2 OS, S60 UI with FP1 (topped with some FP2 goodies) 
Accelerometer sensor for screen auto-rotation 
369 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB of SDRAM 
Wi-Fi 
Built-in GPS receiver, A-GPS 
3 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash 
110 MB of internal memory, microSD expansion, ships with a 2GB card 
Comfortable keypad 
Compact body (62.6cc only) 
Stainless steel casing 
Standard 2.5mm audio jack 
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP 
microUSB v2.0 
FM radio 
Infrared port 
Great battery life 
Good retail package 
Nokia Maps comes with three months free turn-by-turn navigation license

Main disadvantages:
Average camera performance 
Video recording maxes out at QVGA@15fps 
No camera geotagging 
Cheap-looking power key 
Office document editing not available 
No RDS in radio

PRICE : Rs.20,400/-

Nokia 5320 review: Teensmart

Key features
2" 262K-color display of QVGA resolution 
Symbian 9.3 OS with S60 3.2 UI 
ARM 11 369 MHz CPU and 128MB of RAM 
140 MB of user memory 
microSD slot with support for up to 8GB, 512MB or 1GB card in the retail package 
3G with HSDPA support 
Bluetooth and USB v2.0 
2 megapixel fixed-focus camera 
3.5 mm standard audio jack 
Stereo FM radio with RDS 
Dedicated music controls 
Music-centric Active Standby plug-in 
Very good loudspeaker performance 

Compact body and light weight

Cool handsfree set in the retail package 

Main disadvantages
Mediocre camera 
QVGA at 15fps video recording max 
Poor battery life 
Smallish display 
No Wi-Fi 
N-gage gaming support is still in the works 
Audio quality is good but not great

Samsung i8510 INNOV8 preview: First look

When you take the Samsung i8510 INNOV8 in your hands you somehow feel you are looking at the forefront of mobile technology. And it makes you think - if they give those to ordinary people like us, what are they really holding up back in their neat labs? But we digress.

We rarely see mobile phones that truly impress us and the Samsung i8510 INNOV8 is among those few. We are in the process of making a full review however we couldn't help but post a quick preview for all of you to enjoy.

Samsung i8510 INNOV8 at a glance:
General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, GPRS/EDGE class 10, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps 
Dimensions: 106.5 x 53.9 x 17.2 mm, 140 g 
Display: 2.8-inch 16M color TFT, QVGA resolution (240 x 320 pixels) 
Memory: 128 MB RAM, 8/16GB flash storage, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
OS: Symbian 9.3, S60 3rd edition UI, Feature Pack 2
Still camera: 8 megapixel autofocus, mechanical shutter, automatic lens cover, dual Power LED flash, digital image stabilizer, geotagging, auto panorama shot, face detection, smile detection, blink detection
Video camera: MPEG4 VGA@30fps, QVGA@120fps high-speed recording
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, Wi-Fi with DLNA certification, 3.5mm audio jack, TV-out, universal microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS
Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Optical touchpad, 3D hardware accelerator, DivX support, stereo speakers, DSP audio technology, FM radio with RDS
Battery: Li-Ion 1200 mAh, Talk time: 8 h 30 min, Standby: 310 h 
Expected release date: August 2008
Expected retail price: 750 euro (1170 US dollars)

A gamer's dream come true : Spice X-1

Spice Mobiles is launching the Spice X-1, its mobile gaming phone, that comes with a dedicated gaming console and comes pre-loaded with a variety of games.

Users can either connect the gaming console to the phone to play or use the phone's dedicated gaming keys. The 2.4-inch display has auto rotate feature, and the phone features a 2-GB expandable memory card slot.

The phone is equipped with Yamaha-amplified 3-D surround-sound, a 2-MP camera, FM radio with record-and-play feature and stereo Bluetooth.

The Spice X-1 comes pre-loaded with an Opera mini-web browser and WAP/MMS/GPRS features and will cost Rs 8,899.

Ultra-slim camera-phone from Sony Ericsson : T700

Sony Ericsson has unveiled an ultra-slim phone, the T700.

The T700 is only 10-mm thick and comes equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera, self-portrait mirror, stereo speakers, Bluetooth, and a 2-inch TFT display. The phone comes bundled with a matching headset and a 512-MB memory card.

"Become a real head turner with the T700", said Sven Totté, Head of Marketing for the design category at Sony Ericsson. "Sleek and shiny, the slim elegance of the T700 gives users a premium experience at a mid-range price point - perfect for the design conscious. Everyone who bought and adored the iconic T610 will be keen to get their hands on the new T700."

The T700 is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS/HSDPA 2100 phone that will be available in selected markets in the colors black on silver, black on red and shining silver from early Q4 of 2008.

No price has been attached to the T700 as yet.

Olympic edition USB drives

Lenovo, in its capacity as an official sponsor of the Olympic Games has released a couple of limited edition USB drives. These drives have been released under the Mascot series and are priced at $29(Rs.1160 approx) for 4 GB. In all, six drives have been released with their front side printed with a Fuwa image. Apart from this, the company is offering a 1 GB titanium limited edition drive that comes with a swiveling USB plug in a special mahogany box.

Considering the amount, the company has probably already had to spend, one could venture a guess that we just might see an Olympic branded laptop sooner or later.

LG KC550 review: No thrills, all camera

A line of multimedia-oriented handsets has secured LG a strong foothold in the cameraphone kingdom. LG KC550 is probably the first to join the club with only imaging in mind. A mid-range handset with top-of-the-shelf photo and video capabilities is probably what describes best the compact slider.

The LG KC550 sure lacks the Viewty power and Secret's Black Label charisma. OK, it's unassuming, but not without a talent of its own. The 5 megapixel slider strives to be the most affordable cameraphone out there with a WVGA@30fps video recording topping.

Those qualities have set many shutterbugs a foot with excitement as they are finally promised uncompromising cameraphone capabilities at a moderate price tag that's fit for the masses. But please, don't go throwing your digital camera just yet - let's first see what LG have for us this time.

Key features:

2.4" 262K-color display of QVGA resolution

Auto screen rotation in image gallery and video player (built-in accelerometer)

5 megapixel autofocus camera with active lens cover and Power LED flash
WVGA video recording at 30 fps (VGA@30fps is also an option)
USB and stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) connectivity
Hot-swappable microSD card slot (capacities up to 4GB)
Office document viewer
FM radio
TV-out port
Six games, which make use of the accelerometer and vibration feedback

Google Search and Mail come pre-installed

Main disadvantages:

Video recording is a great disappointment
Only 12MB of internal memory
Poor sunlight legibility
Really awkward file manager
No UMTS support
Only tri-band GSM support
Glossy front panel is a fingerprint magnet
No SSL support in the native email client
FM radio lacks RDS and cannot run in the background

Samsung i900 Omnia review: The whole nine yards

Samsung i900 Omnia boasts loads of character and personality it's no wonder it holds the crowd hooked ever since it was announced. The first five megapixel Windows Mobile cameraphone has inspired quite a following and now that it's already market available in Europe we are more than happy to welcome the Omnia back after a well deserved breather. Well then, we've seen it race, let's watch it cruise.

Key features:
Quad-band GSM support
3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS
624MHz Marvell PXA312 CPU and 128 MB RAM
3.2" 65K-color touchscreen with resolution of 240 x 400 pixels
5 megapixel autofocus camera with wide dynamic range mode, face tracking, smile detection, geotagging
8 to 16 GB of storage memory, microSD expansion
Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS
Wi-Fi
Stereo Bluetooth and USB connectivity
FM radio with RDS
Optical joystick with virtual mouse functionality
Built-in accelerometer for auto screen rotation and call muting
TV-out
Solid build and great finish
Slick design and slim body
Nice battery life
Fast response and performance
Excellent thumb-optimized software package
Thumbable virtual QWERTY keyboard with optional landscape mode
TouchWiz UI
DivX video support right out of the box
Above average audio quality
Headset comes with a 3.5mm audio jack

Main disadvantages:
No stylus slot
Poor sunlight legibility
Memory card not hot-swappable
Non-standard display resolution
No dedicated 3D accelerator
Non-standard USB port
Web browser lacks real Flash support