MWg releases the Zinc II with full slide-out QWERTY keyboard

Today MWg announced the market availability of their full slide-out QWERTY Windows Mobile-based Zinc II. The device was announced back in May 2008 but it's only now that this high-end device will see daylight at a shop window (or at an online store front for that matter).

Despite being relatively unknown on certain markets MWg did manage to produce a handset that's maybe worth your while reading.

MWg Zinc II has quad-band GSM support as well as 3G (with HSDPA) to ensure quick network data transfers. The Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional-powered device also features a 2.8-inch QVGA screen and runs on a 500 MHz Samsung CPU. The built-in RAM memory is 64 MB.

MWg Zinc II also boasts Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and a 2 megapixel snapper. There is also an integrated GPS receiver with the SiRFStar III chipset. A microSD card slot is also built-in to allow extension of the internal memory. The nice feature pack and the rather powerful 1530 mAh Li-Po battery haven't been too merciful on the Zinc's waistline - it weighs 185 g.

Currently, the MWg Zinc II can be found online at about the same price as the HTC TyTN II - a bit under 900 US dollars (about 715 euro). Now if you ask us, it sounds a bit overpriced and if we were you (which sounds like an obvious case of schizophrenia), we would definitely wait up for the HTC Touch Pro to come out before we make a buying decision.

source gsmarena

Samsung i900 Omnia announcedSamsung i900 Omnia announced, live pics inside, live pics inside

The highly rumored Samsung i900 is finally unveiled by Samsung. Called Samsung i900 Omnia, this Windows Mobile PocketPC seems as a strong competitor of the rumored 3G iPhone, which should be announced today too. Of course, the feature set puts it head-to-head with HTC Touch Diamond too. However we have the feeling that the HTC TouchFLO 3D might be a bit more spectacular than what the Samsung i900 offers.

Samsung i900 Omnia will be first displayed at the CommunicAsia expo held in Singapore from June 17 to 20 but all details about its specifications are already made public.

Based on Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, the Samsung i900 offers a 3.2-inch WideQVGA display (240 x 400 pixels) and an optical mouse much like the one found in the Samsung i780. Camera-wise the Samsung i900 Omnia is one helluva amibitious handset - offering a 5 megapixel auto focus snapper with face and smile detection plus auto-panorama shot. Geotagging is also among the camera features since the i900 also packs a built-in GPS receiver.

As style has it, the Samsung i900 Omnia waistline is only 12.5mm and the brushed metal back certainly adds to its refined looks. That figure along with the other dimensions makes it rather identical to the Apple iPhone. Most importantly the i900 shares with the iPhone the same massive internal memory - both an 8GB and a 16GB i900 versions will be available with the microSD still present for further expanding those with up to 16 gigs worth of storage.

Samsung i900 Omnia official photos

The specs sheet of the Samsung i900 is then boosted by the quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support plus HSDPA 7.2Mbps. Thanks to the built-in accelerometer, the UI automatically rotates to follow the handset's current orientation. Wi-Fi support is also on board to make the i900 sound even juicier.

The USB port, FM radio with RDS and stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) are among the final touches to this loaded PocketPC.

And since touch-optimization is of critical importance when you strive to compete with Apple's iPhone, Samsung have also ported their TouchWiz user interface for use on Windows Mobile. We saw that Touch UI for the first time on the Samsung F480 and we surely enjoyed it.

The Samsung i900 Omnia will be market available from June 2008 (Europe - July 2008), which also coincides with the projected availability of the new 3G iPhone.

Since we had the opportunity to spend some time with the Samsung i900 Omnia before its official release, we can gladly provide you with some more detailed real-life shots as well as a 3D view of Samsung i900 Omnia. Enjoy!

source gsmarena

HTC Raphael hailed as Touch Pro

HTC have finally unveiled their commercial incarnation of the HTC Raphael platform - we welcome the HTC Touch Pro. Based on the appealing Touch Diamond design, the HTC Touch Pro throws in a full QWERTY keyboard to the equation and really impresses with its specs sheet.

Based on Windows Mobile 6.1, the HTC Touch Pro delivers 7.2 Mbps HSDPA, 512MB internal storage, 288MB RAM, a microSD slot, a 2.8-inch VGA screen, 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera, GPS receiver, and a 1350 mAh battery that is tounted to provide up to 8 hours of talk time (as opposed to the 900 mAh battery in the Touch Diamond).

The HTC Touch Pro is a worthy successor of the HTC TyTN II. HTC should have started producing VGA-resolution devices a long time ago. The HTC Touch Pro is shorter, narrower and most importantly lighter than the HTC TyTN II - the latter PocketPC could hardly be called pocketable (pun intended!).

The HTC Touch Pro features a newly designed 5-row QWERTY keyboard (as opposed to 4 rows in the HTC TyTN II) - and it's with a QWERTY keyboard that Windows Mobile Pro really shines. So choosing between the HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro will be a touch choice for fans of the extra smart Windows devices.

Among the other highlights of the Touch Pro is the latest TouchFLO 3D user interface that allows intuitive finger-based operation. The new Opera 9.5 is also part of the pre-installed package which offers unsurpassed web browsing experience on the Windows Mobile platform. A HTC-developed YouTube client will also allow users to watch online videos.

The HTC Touch Pro will be available in Europe, Asia and the Middle East in late summer. The North American and Latin American versions of Touch Pro will be available later in 2008.

source gsmarena

VX6900 Rolls Into Verizon Wireless Stores on April 30th

As of April 30th the HTC Touch—dubbed the XV6900 by Verizon Wireless—will be available on store shelves. We originally heard that the white touch-screen smart phone would be available when we were at CTIA in Las Vegas, but we wanted to refresh you on the specs:

Windows Mobile 6 Professional with custom HTC UI
EV-DO data connection
Bluetooth v2.0 with stereo support
microSD slot for up to 8GB of additional storage
256MB ROM/128MB RAM
2.8” TFT-LCD touch-screen with LED Backlight, 240 x 320 resolution
3.98 x 2.34 x 0.56 inches
Talk time/Standby: 210/250

As you can see, the phone is nearly identical to Sprint’s HTC Touch, but this time around it has a white paint job. You can grab it for $349 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Verizon Wireless says that an additional $100 will be applied toward the XV6900 if you qualify for a voice and data plan.

Not only is the Touch late to the party, it doesn’t rock Windows Mobile 6.1, and unlike the identically priced Sprint version, this device doesn’t support video streaming or over-the-air music downloads. Personally, I’m more keen on the unlocked HTC Touch Dual, which should be coming soon.

source www.laptopmag.com