Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.
How established mobile industry wants to fight iPhone revolution? With apps! Yes, the main battleground of smartphone wars is moving to apps and the main players are iPhone (of course) and Android…
Nokia made official the X6 16GB via its blog today, availability should start on the 24th February and excludes Come With Music.
Today sees the Nokia X6 get its very own baby brother in the form of a new 16GB model. Unlike its 32GB sibling, the 16GB version doesn’t Come with Music but its sizable on board storage still boasts enough space for 5,500 tracks. Outside that substantial storage sits a lush 3.2-inch widescreen capacitive touchscreen and four new finishes: all black, all white, white with pink highlights and white with yellow highlights.
Typical specifications from a high end Nokia smartphone are all there: 3G, GPS, WiFi, 5 megapixel camera, and TV out, but what’s nice is that the X6 will come bundled with Spore by EA, and Asphalt4 and DJ Mix Tour, both by Gameloft.
Price should range around the £300 mark and will no doubt be free on contract.
The Beeb is coming to your blower — the BBC has announced three mobile phone apps, to be launched this year. Like Sky, the BBC will offer separate news and sport apps. It will also serve up a dedicated iPlayer app.
The apps will be available on assorted mobile platforms: iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Symbian and Palm’s webOS were all mentioned. More apps will follow the initial three, perhaps offering access to niche BBC content such as its education services, or Bargain Hunt. We reckon big-name brands such as EastEnders or Doctor Who could even have their own apps.
It’s not yet clear whether these will be paid apps or whether the BBC’s licence fee-funded nature will make them free, or what the international licensing issues will be for overseas users.
Eric Huggers, Auntie’s director of future media and technology, delivered the news in a keynote speech at Mobile World Congress. He shared the stage with Spotify boss Daniel Ek, although there was no comparable announcement from the music-streaming service.
The apps serve up BBC content with thumbnails that are scrolled sideways, rather than the vertical scrolling favoured by most iPhone apps — as in our mockup image above. The first BBC app will be the news, arriving in the iPhone App Store in April. Further apps and versions for other phones won’t be far behind.
Sony Ericcson have pulled out a few devices from their back pockets. Lets take a look at them:
Finally a phone with a slide out Qwerty keyboard that does not contain the word Pro in the title. Appearing beside the TG02 The K01 has the same 4.1” Capacitive screen and runs Windows Mobile 6.5.3, however more importantly the K01 has a OLED screen and the difference in the screen clarity is notable. They also had the TG01 on display and it was nice to see the linage of Toshiba’s recent models altogether. Couple of pictures after the break:
Shown off by HTC at an invite only press conference HTC announced three new phones that will hit stores in April. The HTC Legend and HTC Desire both running Android and HTC HD Mini running Windows Mobile. CEO Peter Chou mentioned they are currently working closely with Microsoft creating some Windows Phone Series 7 … um phones. However lets have a look at what they unveiled. I will be posting a video from the conference on my return to Blighty.
Sky Mobile TV is now usable over 3G, with Apple allowing the change to the app and giving users the option to stream television shows and live sports over the mobile phone networks.
Sky’s subscription mobile offering launched on the iPhone back in November – offering streaming television channels like Sky Sports News, Sky News and live sports channels over Wi-Fi.
Now, for the £6 a month fee, Sky’s channels will be available over 3G networks as well as Wi-Fi.
Available on 3G
"The UK’s largest Mobile TV service is now available on 3G for all iPhone users," Sky told TechRadar.
The Sky Mobile TV app launched in November last year and offers the best in live TV on the move initially allowing users to stream content over Wi-Fi from Sky Sports, Sky Sports News, Sky News, ESPN and At The Races.
Sports fans will be able to watch all live televised Barclays Premier League, Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premiere League and Coca Cola Football Leagues on 3G as well as live coverage of international and domestic cricket, PGA European Tour Golf, Guinness Premiership Rugby and a range of other sports.
Customers who already have the app will have received an update to advise them that the service is now available on 3G. New customers will need to download the app from the App store or at www.itunes.com/appstore and subscribe to the Sky Mobile TV service for £6 a month and register for a Sky customer ID.
Well received
The app has been well received, with MacFormat‘s Chris Phin commenting on a Sky Mobile TV review published on TechRadar that the ‘quality was incredible’.
But will the 3G networks be able to cope with it? A spokesman for O2 was kind enough to tell TechRadar that the company was aware of the application.
"Yes, I can confirm that the Sky Sports will work over our 3G network," said O2.
Not to be outdone, LG chose MWC to show off its Mini GD880, a svelte piece built from brushed aluminum in both black and silver. Build quality is striking here — jaw-droppingly so — with fit and finish on all corners, seams, and around the various ports looking spot on.
This device also has heft for its diminutive size — sure, it’s only 99g, but that feels like so much for a device of this size — but it only adds character and, well, it feels like money for lack of a better word. Running LG’s S-Class UI, the touchscreen sadly isn’t really up to snuff, we had to really poke at the screen to get it to register a touch, and there was lag and delay between key press and action.
Of course, this isn’t shipping today, but rather launches in Europe in March — for some unknown price — and then on to other markets. So here’s hoping there is still a tweak or two in the GD880’s future, it’d be a shame to let something as glorious as it looks not deliver an experience to match.
Mobilecrunch paws the oh so shinny HTC Legend which was announced today and is made with an aluminum uni-body, bit like the Mac and Nexus One.
First Impressions:
Expansys it hot out of the gates on the new announcements from HTC at Mobile World Congress and already taking pre-orders for those that can’t wait for the new Nexus one and Hero replacements to land.
UK shoppers looking to get an unlocked handset will be able to buy the HTC Legend for £399.99 while would be HTC Desire owners will have to pay £449.99.
HTC HD Mini owners looking for some Windows Mobile 6.5.3 until Windows Phone 7 comes out (it won’t be upgradable) can get in cheap for £349.99.
No word from Expansys on when the new handsets will be hitting the shop, but with HTC public suggesting an end of March / Early April launch window it won’t be long now.
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