Mobile News and Mobile Info

Remember the Nokia E71-look-alike LG GW550, which we initially saw back in June. Well, it has just been released in South America and Asia. Brazil and Argentina are the first to get the device, with other 20 countries in the two regions to follow shortly.

The Windows Mobile smartphone definitely looks appealing, especially for many candybar QWERTY phone fans (i.e. BlackBerry and Nokia E71 users), and in that sense I’m not sure why LG doesn’t push it to Europe and the U.S.

Specs wise, the 12mm thin handset comes with a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, HSPA, whereas Windows Mobile 6.5 is running the show. The price was not unveiled, and that’s probably due the fact that it depends on the country you buy it from…

DVB-H, the technology that provides television broadcasts for mobile phones, has reached a new price point today with the launch of the Nokia 5330 TV Edition. For 155 EUR ($230) you get a 114 gram slider that measures 101.2 mm x 48.5 mm x 14.25 mm, has a 3.2 megapixel camera, 3G, and a 1000 mAh battery good for about 6 hours or soul crushing, mind numbing, corporate sponsored programming. The screen measures only 2.4 inches across and has a resolution of 320 x 240, so try not to stare at it for too long, or else your eyes will go bad and you’ll wish you actually did something more meaningful with your life than attempt to sit through an entire “My Super Sweet 16″ marathon on MTV.

Erik Sylvestersson, Vice President Sales & Marketing at DNA Finland said: “Live digital TV broadcasts over DVB-H networks is becoming more accessible to more people. In Finland, we have found that sport and news are the key drivers for broadcast mobile TV consumption among consumers. People want to be able to watch the action as it happens – rather than settle for highlight shows once they get home. Consumers expect an exceptional on-the-move TV experience at an affordable price, something the Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition is fully equipped to deliver.”

Erik has obviously never been to a sports bar during a Formula 1 race, or saw a Finland vs. Sweden hockey match. The people of Finland watch sports outside of their home as an excuse to get away from their wives, meet their friends, and pound back some beers while staring at a 60 inch HDTV and stuffing their faces with hot wings.

I don’t know why Samsung has this habit of releasing devices first in Korea or rather a device that will only cater to the country, but they should think that these devices are so much interesting that it will surely get more attention and sales if it is released outside their country.

This Samsung SCH-W920 is indeed another Korea-first device. And that said, it is not surprising if this also comes as another of their DMB phones, which has the S-DMB Mobile TV receiver function. This is actually a slider device, which also features 3-megapixel camera, front camera for video calls, Bluetooth, media player, SOS alarm function, and English dictionary with TOEIC/TOEFL test applications for learning English anytime and anyewhere.

This Samsung SCH-W920 is available in white and black color versions and retails for 500,000 won or about $425.

We haven’t heard about Bellperre for quite some time now. The luxury phone maker hasn’t slept, though, and has just announced a whole new series of luxury handsets called Finest Woods Bellperre, made out of “the very finest authentic materials” including hand-crafted wood (Walnut, Elm, Zebrano or Wenge). In addition to wood, each Bellperre’s handset can be customized with hand-polished steel, gold (Yellow/Rosé) or Platinum; 110 types of genuine exotic leathers (shark, lizard, alligator, buffalo, etc); as well as good ol’ diamonds and gemstones; and/or initials, logos and personal messages.

Feature wise, we’re talking about non-3G devices, providing connectivity over 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM bands. Rest of the specs includes a 2-inch Sapphire Crystal scratch-resistant screen, Bluetooth, whereas Windows Mobile is running the show. Size wise, the Finest Woods Bellperre phones measure 100×44×15.3 mm and have a weight of 120 grams, though we believe that could vary depending on the materials used.

Pricing was not unveiled and I presume you can get the quote on demand. Expect to pay a premium, of course, and be listed on Greenpeace’s “we hate” list.

Samsung is preparing another low-end device for the Chinese market – S359. The device, which won’t impress many with its specs sheet, works on a CDMA 1X 800MHz band, featuring a 2-inch 65k-color screen, VGA camera, music player, FM radio, and a microSD expansion slot (cards of up to 8GB are supported). In addition, the phone comes with 500 SMS storing capacity and WAP 2.0 browser. No word on pricing nor exact release date…

MetroPCS will be adding (in Q4) a new rugged handset in its offering – the Motorola Quantico, which BTW is already available on other smaller carrier – US Cellular. The mil-spec 810F compliance that’s included in-box means Moto’s baby can resist water dunks, heat and dust, all while providing users with a 3G connectivity (EV-DO) over 800 and 1900 MHz frequencies. Rest of the specs (aside from the mentioned 3G radio) includes a low-end 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity support, GPS and a microSD memory card slot.

In a nutshell, nothing too exciting, except in case you’re looking for a super dependable yet kinda dumb-ish clamshell. Otherwise, keep looking…

In case you’re one of not-that-many people who own the Garmin-Asus nuvifone M20, here’s a piece of good news for you. The company (or that’s two companies) released the official Windows Mobile 6.5 updated for your navigation-friendly device.

The update is already available in some countries whereas others will get it by the end of the year. We strongly suggest you to visit Garmin-Asus’ website and search for the latest firmware. Prior to pushing any “Update” buttons, make sure to backup your data. Once that is cleared, get set for the revamped UI that comes with latest version of Microsoft’s mobile OS, along with improved Pocket Internet Explorer, and access to Microsoft MyPhone and Windows Marketplace.

As a reminder, the nuvifone M20 comes with a VGA touchscreen, HSDPA connectivity, GPS, WiFi, 3.2-megapixel camera, and so on.