Bouygues Telecom Launches Sierra Wireless PC Card in France

Sierra Wireless and Bouygues Telecom announced the launch of a new Sierra Wireless PC card on Bouygues' network in France.

The Bouygues Telecom "Carte Internet haut debit mobile," also known as the Sierra Wireless AirCard 850 wireless wide area network card, is now available through Bouygues retail locations, business sales channels, and online. Bouygues Telecom and Sierra Wireless previously collaborated to offer mobile data customers the AirCard 775 card for EDGE networks.

"Mobile data cards offer the opportunity to manage work more effectively while away from the office, and are increasingly valued by professionals as a tool that provides easy access to the information they need," said Jim Lahey, Vice President, EMEA for Sierra Wireless. "We welcome the opportunity to continue to support Bouygues customers with high-quality, reliable connectivity wherever they need it."

The Sierra Wireless AirCard 850 is a 3G wireless WAN Type II PC Card with a slim design that allows users to conveniently store the card inside the laptop. Compatible with HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, and GPRS networks, the card utilizes the 2100 MHz UMTS frequency band widely used in Europe, offering average data rates of 500 to 800 kbps, with bursts over 1 Mbps on HSDPA networks. In areas where HSDPA or UMTS network coverage is not available, the card will connect to EDGE and GSM/GPRS networks and enable international roaming on all four frequency bands (850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz) used worldwide.

Nokia Supports the Launch of Polkomtel's HSDPA Network in Poland

Nokia has supported Polish mobile operator Polkomtel in launching its commercial HSDPA network in the Warsaw area.
Using Nokia's HSDPA solution, Polkomtel offers its customers mobile data services at speeds of up to five times faster than its current WCDMA speed.

"We at Polkomtel take pride in offering our customers the best quality and the most advanced services, so upgrading our 3G network to HSDPA was a natural step," said Thomas Eberle, Chief Technical Officer, Polkomtel. "Rapid rollout capability and technical expertise are extremely valuable when introducing new services to our customers. We have the Nokia WCDMA 3G network, so upgrade to HSDPA only required new software, which allowed us to launch HSDPA services extremely easily and fast."

Polkomtel and Nokia have been working together since 1996. Nokia supplies the HSDPA under extension of the existing agreement for GSM/EDGE and WCDMA 3G, signed in 2005.

In WCDMA 3G, Nokia has 63 customers to date. Nokia HSPA is a software upgrade to Nokia WCDMA networks, thus enabling a fast and cost-effective rollout. Nokia HSPA is made up of two technologies, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), allowing data transfer speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps in the downlink and up to 5.8 Mbps in the uplink.

LG Will Mass Produce 71-inch Plasma

Until now large plasmas have only been produced in limited edition. And that’s not much of a surprise since plasmas larger than 60” generally cost more
than $50,000. But that’s all going to change, at least according to LG.

LG Electronics have broadened the production line of 71” LCDs and they will mass produce the immense plasma offering it first on the European and USA markets. Projected price will be almost $70,000 but since the plasma will enter mass production, the price is expected to drop to $15,000 depending on the region.

LG currently produces about 350,000 plasma TVs per month and will probably become the Nr. 1 company in the plasma business with a projected increase of 40% when compared to 2006. Nice idea especially since they have sold almost 3,500,000 units this year alone.

As for the 71” behemoth, there are not many things to be said. Offering a contrast rate of 3000:1 and a panel luminance of1000 cd/m², the TV will probably fit perfectly in your large living room. Provided you have the money for it and a healthy amount of patience since it won’t be available in large quantities at first.

Buffalo Presents The New WSKP-G Skype Phone

Are you ready for a new Skype phone? More and more Skype phones have been released lately, and Buffalo joins in by releasing yet another one.

After releasing the Skype USB keyboard and handset, Buffalo is now presenting WSKP-G, a Skype device that, unlike some VoIP handset can work from any WiFi hot spot, without requiring a host computer with Skype software. WSKP-G has an average of 2.5 hours of continuous talk time and can be recharged directly through either an AC adapter or a computer's USB port.

Buffalo's AOSS (AirStation One-Touch Secure System), handles WEP, WPA and WPA2 support enable secure syncronization of the device. The WSKP-G should become available in Japan at the middle of the following month and will have an estimated price of ¥ 24,100 ($204).

Since Japan and Koreea usually get to keep all the 'goodies', a release in other parts of the world has not been discussed yet and it wouldn't come as a surprise if it remained Japan-exclusive for a while.

O2 Wants 3G/GSM Instead of Wi-Fi

The O2 mobile phone operator is going to focus on the 3G/GSM technology instead of Wi-Fi that is the main objective for their rivals. Not only have they rejected Wi-Fi, but they have also made comments about disliking the WiMax technology at the O2 London strategy briefing from November 15th.

Dave Williams, the chief technology officer of O2, after presenting the audience a low-power GSM picocell box that will be a part of the fixed mobile convergence strategy of its company, an indoor Ericsson-built base-station using the O2 user's DSL to connect to the mobile network, has declared that they “can take ADSL and build out to a cell site, or else put the radio into the home or office. Long term, we’re looking at building in 3G/GSM rather than Wi-Fi”.

Richard Webb, directing analyst for wireless at Infonetics Research, has said on this subject that “the point is, users feel comfortable using their existing 2G phones, so using those with a PBX extension could be the sweet, simple solution right under our noses without any of the complexity of having a WLAN, and at a relatively lower [deployment] cost.”

As a mobile phone company, O2 sees the HSPDA version of the 3G technology as the best solution for mobile internet and data access, in direct opposition to carriers such as Vodafone, T-Mobile and Orange that have made huge investments in Wi-Fi hotspots, and this decision comes as a direct consequence to what Matthew Key, the chief executive of O2 UK, has said: “we've watched the market for free broadband, and customers realize that there is a scam in it”.

The O2 plan is to have its coverage go wherever the customers need it, but Dave Williams has declared that this situation will take place almost two years in advance of the HSPDA availability.

Ericsson to Provide Mobile TV Solution to Proximus in Belgium

Ericsson announced it has been awarded a contract by Belgian operator Proximus for an end-to-end mobile TV solution, including Ericsson's Channel Selector. As part of the contract, Ericsson will provide the implementation, system integration and system support.

Ericsson will provide Proximus with the fastest channel selector solution, making mobile TV channel surfing more convenient - changing from one channel to another needs just one click on the mobile handset. This saves time and brings the mobile TV experience closer to that of a home TV experience. The launch of the solution is planned for 2007.

"We see mobile TV as a strategic and logical evolution of the mobile services we offer to our customers and we will be very happy to offer them the advanced and easy to use solution from Ericsson," said Michel Georgis, CEO of Proximus.

"We are proud that Proximus has chosen Ericsson as a partner in such a strategic area," stated Jean-Marc Engels, President of Ericsson Belgium and Luxembourg. "Mobile media is a growing area for both Proximus and Ericsson. With this partnership, we will assist Proximus to provide a first-class consumer experience to its customers."

Proximus already offers its mobile TV service on the Vodafone live! portal, featuring 25 live local and international channels as well as video on demand clips.

Pantech U-4000

Pantech U-4000 CHARACTERISTICS
General
Network : GSM900 / GSM1800 / GSM1900 / UMTS
Introduced : 2006 Q4
Status : Coming soon
Form factor : Flip
Antenna : Internal

Size
Weight : 92 g (including battery)
Dimensions : 95 x 43 x 16.5 mm
Display : Type Graphical
Colours : TFT, 260K colors
Size : 176 x 220 pixels

Memory
Outgoing Calls : 20
Received Calls : 20
Lost Calls : 20
Shared Memory : 30 MB
- microSD (TransFlash)
Ringtones
Polyphonic : Yes, 72 voices
- MP3

Networking
GPRS : Yes
3G : Yes, 384 kbps
USB : Yes, 2.0
Bluetooth : Yes
Browser : Yes, WAP 2.0/xHTML
Email Client : Yes
- Instant Messaging

Features
Vibration : Yes
SMS : Send / Receive
MMS : Send / Receive
Camera : Yes, 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video; secondary VGA video call camera
Java : Yes
Clock : Yes
Alarm : Yes
Calculator : Yes
T9 : Yes

Sirocco 8800 Diamond as Good as Gold

If you want a fashion phone that makes you stand out in the crowd and want to know for sure that few other people are going to have a similar handset, then the new
Nokia Sirocco 8800 Diamond edition should be just what you are looking for.

It is designed by Sayn Designs in Germany and only 1000 units of this limited edition will be produced. The cover is made of high-quality steel and gold-plated (24 carat hardgilds, 999er Feingold, high-gloss) and - to make sure that the phone is special both inside and out - they have also included unique backgrounds and themes. Sirocco 8800 Diamond edition features a 2 megapixel camera, 100MB of internal memory, a 256k color display and Bluetooth for connectivity.

It weighs 139g and measures 107 x 45 x 16.5 mm. The phone is being sold on Ebay and its price tag is no more no less than $3450. It's solely up to you to decide whether this device is worth the money.

Ericsson to expand ties with Sony to mobile TV: official

Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson (ERICb.ST) and Japan's electronics giant Sony (6758.T) will expand their cooperation beyond cell phones to mobile and broadband TV, an Ericsson official said on Thursday.

Per Nordlof, Ericsson's director of product strategy and portfolio management, said the companies will together develop software to link their products through wireless networks.

"There is a strong confidence between Ericsson and Sony after the success of the handset business and we will work to develop software that connects the gadgets in the homes with the outer world," he told journalists at a news conference.

"We see a mass market for mobile TV within two years," said Nordlof, who defined a mass market as 30 percent of users regularly watching television on their cell phones.

Ericsson believes telecom operators will also have to offer television through their broadband networks.

"Broadband TV will be an important factor. Most telecom operators realize they will have to offer TV in order not to lose customers," Nordlof said.

Sony and Ericsson formed a mobile telephone joint venture in October 2001 which has since become the world's fourth-largest handset maker.

Ericsson, Sony Join on Mobile TV Push

Swedish telecom equipment giant Ericsson and Japanese electronics maker Sony are moving their business relationship well beyond cell phones into the mobile and broadband TV space.

Per Nordlof, Ericsson's director of product strategy, said the latest collaboration between the firms will begin focusing on software to link their products through wireless networks. The duo initially formed a mobile phone joint venture, called Sony Ericsson, in October 2001. That company has since become the world's fourth-largest handset maker.

"There is a strong confidence between Ericsson and Sony after the success of the handset business and we will work to develop software that connects the gadgets in the homes with the outer world," Nordlof said at a news conference in Stockholm.

Expanding Market

Ericsson and Sony already have developed a series of technologies based on the Digital Living Network Alliance standard to allow users to move movies and pictures between handsets and regular televisions.

But the new partnership aims to capitalize on what Ericsson expects will be a massive market for mobile TV. The company predicts that one-third of the world's mobile phone users will regularly watch TV broadcasts on their handsets, especially as more and more telecom operators offer television through their broadband networks.

According to a recent study released by research firm IDC, as the number of mobile phones worldwide hits the one-billion mark this year, the mobile markets are maturing, creating demand for newer handsets with more-advanced features.

"Most telecom operators realize they will have to offer TV in order not to lose customers," Nordlof said at the news conference. "Broadband TV will be an important factor."

Other Initiatives

In September, Ericsson announced a broad restructuring into three customer-oriented units: Networks, Global Services, and Multimedia.

Ericsson also recently announced a contract with Belgian phone operator Proximus to provide an end-to-end solution for mobile TV broadcasts.

The service includes what Ericsson calls the "world's fastest channel selector solution" for mobile TV, and allows users to move between channels simply by pressing a number key on the handset.

Sanyo Elec now sees annual loss, unveils job cuts

Struggling Japanese electronics maker Sanyo Electric Co. said on Friday it now expects to fall into the red this business year as it unveiled more job cuts amid weak sales of digital cameras and mobile phones.

The layoffs are part of the latest in a string of restructuring moves by Sanyo, which has already cut 15 percent of its workforce and issued $2.6 billion worth of shares to three banks at a deep discount to shore up its wobbly finances.

Sanyo said the new reform measures would cost it about 40 billion yen ($344 million), which along with tumbling prices of mobile phones and digital cameras forced it to revise down its forecast for the year to March to a loss of 50 billion yen.

The new forecast marks a sharp reversal from its prior estimate for a 20 billion yen profit and would bring its combined losses over the past three years to about $3.7 billion. It cut its annual sales estimate by 8 percent to 2.2 trillion yen.

Given the dire conditions, some investors were looking for more drastic measures such as pulling out of businesses. Sanyo denied a newspaper report that it was looking to spin off its cellphone division and sell most of it to a competitor.

"If management is not willing to be daring, the company will not be able to survive," said Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management.

For the six months ended September 30, Sanyo reported a group net loss of 3.62 billion yen, beating its own forecast by about 4 billion yen and a big improvement on the 142.53 billion yen loss a year earlier when restructuring costs battered its bottom line.

On an operating level, Sanyo was able to return to profitability thanks in large part to cost cuts in its semiconductor unit as well as strong sales of commercial products such as showcase refrigerators.

But it has been hit by fierce price competition in the digital camera market from low-cost Taiwanese makers and was beaten to the market by Motorola Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. in launching an ultra-slim mobile phone.

The downturn in mobile phones and cameras is particularly worrisome for Sanyo because they have been positioned as core businesses indispensable to its recovery, along with rechargeable batteries and solar cells.

"We were late to adapt to rapid changes in the mobile phone market," Sanyo Vice President Koichi Maeda told a news conference.

BROKEN PROMISES

Sanyo has already suffered a series of setbacks this year.

In June,
Nokia scrapped a plan to jointly make mobile phones with Sanyo. And in August Sanyo announced that an alliance with Quanta Computer Inc. in the TV business would be much narrower than initially hoped.

The 2,200 job cuts are equal to about 2 percent of Sanyo's global workforce of 105,000. It also plans to shift more production of mobile phones overseas and reduce the number of its affiliates by 100 from 300 over the next three years.

Those measures will come on top of a restructuring plan last year under which it eliminated 14,000 jobs, spun off its loss-making chip division and sold a stake in debt-laden Sanyo Electric Credit Co. to reduce its debt burden.

"Making sure the company is on course for profitability next year is my responsibility," Iue said, indicating that he would not resign over this year's loss. "We will accelerate restructuring and finish it all this year."

Investors have heard that before.

At a general shareholders' meeting on February 24, Iue asked for "one more chance" in seeking approval for a 300 billion yen issue of preferred shares that will lead to a massive dilution of existing share value.

Since that day Sanyo's shares have lost about 40 percent of their value and earlier this week hit a 31-year low. The stock closed Friday down 1.64 percent at 180 yen, against a 1.13 percent fall in the benchmark Nikkei average

Because the preferred shares are convertible to common stock at 70 yen, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Daiwa Securities SMBC and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. still stand to make a tidy profit if they were to convert their shares at current levels.

But the banks are expected to step up the pressure on Sanyo to take bolder restructuring steps. In addition to selling the cellphone business, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported this week that Sanyo would look to unload its chip operations as well.

In light of this year's downturn, Sanyo cut its net profit forecast for the next business year to March 2008 to 20 billion yen from a previous target of 62 billion yen. It cut its 2007/08 operating profit forecast roughly in half to 50 billion yen.

888 to sign mobile phone gaming deals: source

Online gaming group 888 Plc (888.L) is close to signing deals with some of Europe's bigger mobile phone operators to offer their customers gambling over their handsets, a source close to the company said on Thursday.

"Some of the European mobile operators are looking to incorporate 888 mobile into their offering," the source told Reuters. "It's in the final stages of negotiation."

The source said mobile gaming was important to 888 as a means of acquiring new customers and helping them play wherever and whenever they wanted.

Nokia emerges as mobile phone leader

The Finnish group Nokia was the world's leading provider of mobile telephones in the third quarter, capturing 35.1 percent of the market after 32.5 percent in the same period last year, a study by the Gartner institute has revealed.

The US firm Motorola was in second place, with market share of 20.6 percent, up from 18.7 percent a year earlier.

Samsung of South Korea saw its share of the world market fall to 12.2 percent from 12.5 in third quarter 2005.

Overall, worldwide sales of mobile phones rose 21.5 percent to 251 million units in the third quarter. Gartner foresaw total sales this year of 986 million units.

The most dynamic region in the third quarter was Asia-Pacific, with sales of 80.8 million units, a 54.7 percent increase, and notably in emerging market countries such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

But in Japan mobile sales fell 4.7 percent to 10.7 million units.

Siemens fails to find buyer for Enterprise Networks division: report

German electronics giant Siemens has failed to find a buyer for its loss-making Enterprise Networks division, with observers directly blaming the debacle surrounding the collapse of mobile phone maker BenQ Mobile, the Financial Times Deutschland reported.

Siemens had had to admit failure after the last remaining serious bidder -- a consortium of financial investors Permira and Apollo Management -- threw in the towel following months of negotiations, FT Deutschland quoted sources close to the talks as saying.

The decision to pull the plug on talks is a direct result of the BenQ collapse, the newspaper continued.

Siemens makes telecommunications equipment and Enterprise Networks offers equipment, telecommunications and services to businesses.

Siemens had sold its mobile handset business to Taiwan-based BenQ last year. But the division filed for insolvency earlier this year after the Taiwan parent cut off further financing. And Siemens came under heavy fire for its role in the affair.

Siemens chief Klaus Kleinfeld did not want to risk further discussion over the group's social responsibility in the case of the Enterprise Networks division, FT Deutschland said.

Furthermore, the division has been hit by a corruption and bribery scandal, it added.

CRTC Allows Telus and Bell Canada to Set Free Market Local Phone Rates

Canada’s biggest telephone providers, BCE Inc. and Telus Corp., have won the right to set their own prices on some fixed-line phone services, provided that they fall within a range approved by the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission.

The phone companies have been lobbying the CRTC for the ability to compete on a fair market basis with cable carriers like Rogers and Shaw, who have started offering VoIP digital phone services at lower-than-normal market rates. Canadian telephone companies will lose a projected 8% of their residential subscribers over the course of 2006, as users switch to VoIP and cell phones.

A free market pricing system will allow Vancouver-based Telus and Montreal-based BCE to lower prices and offer more competitive services to consumers across Canada.

Google slams mobile operators that block its content

A Google senior executive has laid into mobile operators around the world, accusing some of them of blocking access to certain Internet applications (yes, including Google's own)

Chris Sacca, head of special initiatives at Google, said on Monday that certain mobile operators had lobbied the search giant, asking it to stop people accessing Google Mobile Maps. Oh yeah, that's going to happen.

"They're inserting themselves in between you and an application that you want. I think that has scary, scary implications," said Sacca.

He also hit out at operators claiming to provide unlimited Net access but then blocking hungry applications like VoIP and streaming video. I'm sure they'll just claim some 'fair use' policy.

"VoIP is not a service. It's a technology which provides only one thing — cheaper calls — and we can provide cheaper calls very easily by cutting prices,” Bobby Rao, Vodafone corporate strategy director, told journalists and analysts on Wednesday.“We think the best way to offer people cheaper calling plans is to offer them cheaper calling plans... The value customers are looking for is not VoIP,” Rao added.

Yep, I think you're missing some of the point, here, Bobby.

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Secure caller ID for VOIP

Session Initiation Protocol explained

Session Initiation Protocol is used widely for the setup, teardown and management of VOIP calls. Much of its functionality is related to the setup of calls, as its name implies. Part of this setup involves the delivery of the caller's identity so that the called party can decide how to treat the call -- what is, essentially, Internet caller ID.

The basic mechanism for caller ID in the core SIP specification (RFC 3261) works much as it does in e-mail. The caller information has a From header field, including the address. That mechanism worked well enough in an Internet that was largely free of malicious users, but it quickly became clear that the technique could be abused, as it has been in e-mail. It is possible to spoof "From" VOIP headers and hide the sender's true identity.

These problems were remedied by a specification known as P-Asserted-ID (RFC 3325), published in November 2002 by the IETF. With P-Asserted-ID, a single network or a small federation of networks can provide network-verified caller ID services.

P-Asserted-ID was a big step forward, and it has seen widespread use with SIP networks. However, even at the time of publication it was known to be a stopgap solution. The primary problem is that it works only for single provider networks or with small federations of tightly coupled providers enjoying strong mutual trust. To date, this is exactly the kind of VOIP network that has been deployed. Most VOIP networks don't connect with each other over IP and instead rely on the public switched telephone network.

However, it is becoming apparent to many providers that IP is a better form of network interconnection. IP can cost less; enable voice, video and multimedia; provide high-value services such as presence and instant messaging; and enable high-quality wideband speech.

P-Asserted-ID falls apart in larger IP interconnected environments because its assertions of identity are not cryptographic. There is no way to securely verify that the domain of the caller is the one that asserted the identity present in the message. Thus, in a large interconnected group of networks, the value of P-Asserted-ID is equal to the trustworthiness of the least trustworthy network in the group.

Fortunately, specifications have just been completed for a technique known as SIP Identity. These specifications (RFC 4474) were published in August 2006 and provide a giant leap forward in terms of secure caller ID.

The basic mechanism is shown in the above graphic. The caller, Joe, has a SIP uniform resource indicator of sip:joe@example.com, which Joe's phone places into the From header field of its SIP messages. When Joe makes a call, Joe's phone emits a SIP INVITE (step 1) and sends this to the server for example.com. This server challenges the message, asking Joe's phone to provide credentials (step 2). Joe's phone obliges, retrying the INVITE with appropriate credentials (step 3).

These credentials verify that the caller is indeed Joe and that the From field is accurate. The example.com server applies a cryptographic signature over portions of the message and includes that signature, along with an HTTP URL for getting its certificate, into the SIP message (step 4). The called party retrieves this certificate (step 5) and checks the signature. If it is validated, it provides strong assurance that the caller really is in the domain example.com.

SIP Identity is also the cornerstone of many of the techniques that can be applied to prevent VOIP spam, also known as spam over Internet telephony, or SPIT. Because of its importance for interconnections and for blocking spam, SIP Identity will play an increasingly important role in future VOIP networks.

Rosenberg is a Cisco Fellow with Cisco. He can be reached at jdrosen@cisco.com.

Samsung Z560 mobile phone released by T-Mobile with broadband internet

T-Mobile is exclusively releasing the Samsung Z560 which will be the first non PDA/business device mobile phone available in the UK with broadband internet speeds. It does this by connecting to T-Mobiles 3G network using HSDPA technology, giving users 4 times faster connection speeds than traditional 3G services – that’s 1.8 megabits per second connection speeds!

The mobile can also be connected to your computer and be used as a modem; this allows you to take advantage of instant messaging and voice over IP (VoIP) services. T-Mobile is the first to market a standard mobile phone that allows people to view the entire internet at broadband speed.

The Samsung Z560 is a light weight handset weighing in at 98g with MP3 player, video recorder, 2 megapixel camera and 30MB internal memory. It is available from free up to £139.99 and is available on a range of Web n Walk plans which allow unlimited web browsing for a set fee per month.

There is also Web n Walk Plus which also gives you unlimited internet on your laptop with instant messenger, and Web n Walk Max which gives you unlimited internet on your laptop with VoIP.

The announcement of the release of the Samsung Z560 adds more fuel to the fire of the burgeoning Three X Series (released on 1st December) vs. Web n Walk war. With broadband internet being available on more popular standard mobile phone styles it will certainly be a boost to T-Mobile’s cause.

Samsung Blackjack (i607) Review - PhoneScoop

PhoneScoop reviews the Samsung Blackjack and writes, "On the back of the unit, the camera and loud speaker bulge out slightly at the top, which seems unnecessary for a simple 1.3 Megapixel shooter. However this doesn't seem to hamper how the BlackJack slides in and out of a pocket - even in tight pants. ... After our experience with the Dash, we expected more from the BlackJack's battery life. With normal use, each charge only last about one and a half days. This is better than the performance of the Motorola Q, in that you can at least use your phone for a full day without having to recharge it, however you still can't leave home, even for just an overnight trip, without your charger."

Read more about the Samsung Blackjack (Samsung i607).

Mobile VoIP could cost users their contracts

Using their mobile phone's data capability for voice over IP (VoIP) calls could cost users an arm and a leg and may even result in their contract being cancelled.

This is according to the fine print included in the usage terms and conditions for some of the mobile phone operators.

Using VoIP on MTN's network, for example, could see users having their contracts canceled and being retrospectively charged R25 for each megabyte of VoIP traffic. Vodacom doesn't specify a charge for VoIP traffic in its terms and conditions but the company did lodge a tarrif of R10 a megabyte for VoIP traffic when VoIP was legalised in 2004. Tucked away at the very bottom of MTN's terms and conditions for data offerings is a clause that reads:

"In terms of the current regulatory regime in South Africa, please note that these tariffs and the MTN GPRS, GPRS+, EDGE or 3G technologies may not be used to transfer or generate Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic. Should it be found that VoIP traffic was carried over the MTN network using these tariffs or technologies, MTN reserves the right to cancel the agreement that you have with MTN, with immediate effect. You will also be charged retrospectively at R21.93 per Megabyte (VAT excluded) for any VoIP traffic transferred by such means."

With this ruling, if someone who had been using VoIP over MTN's 3G service at a cost of R2 per megabyte (or cheaper for bundles) for a month and had used 100 megs, they would be charged an additional R2500 as opposed to R200.

Storm's Dave Gale says "This is laughable. How are they going to do it?" He believes the reason that this is happening is that they are frightened of how this will cut into revenue stream.

As the provider of a service, it is their right to determine the terms and conditions as they see fit. What is interesting though, is their reference to the "current regulatory regime in South Africa".

Gale says that there is no such legislation and that when VoIP was made legal in February of 2004 there was nothing to specify that voice could not be run over a data connection. This was confirmed by legal experts in the field.

When Tectonic pointed this out to MTN's PR department and asked which "regulatory regime" the clause referred to, they responded: " 'In terms of a tariff plan as approved by ICASA' is the meaning and the legalisation of VoIP relates only to VANS as they were then defined."

Michael Silber, consultant at Michalson's ICT Attorneys indicated, "There is no requirement, either in the initial mobile cellular licence or the subsequent 3G spectrum allocation, that prohibits Voice over Internet Protocol, or treats it differently from any other service."

He added, "I cannot understand the basis of the assertion that the VoIP entitlement only applies to holders of VANS licences and not mobile cellular operators, when MTN itself holds two VANS licences, one in its own name and one in the name of its subsidiary MTN Network Solutions."

Silber concluded, "What does concern me is MTN's assertion that it can terminate a service if a customer uses its data connections for VoIP. I cannot find any basis for this in the licence or the 1996 Telecommunications Act. If MTN lodged a tariff for VoIP it cannot now argue that this service is unlawful."

Gale says he had raised the issue with MTN and was under the impression that changes had been made to the terms and conditions. "I contacted them in September, but I got no response after my mail was forwarded to the MTN regulatory head. They are just hoping that we will go away."

Gale describes the cell operators' tactic as a "controlled retreat" in the face of new competing technologies, adding that they are "reverting to the games that Telkom used to play".

Despite his annoyance at the situation, Gale is not particularly concerned. He sees that clause as a bluff, arguing that in many cases, such as someone using a VPN, it would be impossible for them to actually pick up if someone is using VoIP. While it might be possible to pick up if the channel is less secure, it would be highly impractical to actually monitor.

MTN said that they have not enforced this clause, but added "MTN has the technology to detect different types IP traffic (including VoIP) being transported over the MTN network and the issue of enforcement remains to be determined on a business case basis. MTN reserves its rights."

Vodacom have taken a more lenient approach, yet they reserve the right to charge clients R10 for each megabyte of VoIP traffic.

In a statement to Tectonic Vodacom said: "Vodacom's VoIP tariffs were lodged approximately two years ago when VoIP was just legalised and before the 3G service was launched. At that time Vodacom lodged a R10 per Meg rate and MTN followed with a R25 per Meg rate. However, although these are the tariffs which are lodged, Vodacom has never charged, nor is it currently charging these rates.

"Vodacom customers making voice calls over Vodacom's 3G or 3G HSDPA network are charged according to the data package they subscribe to, or the out-of-bundle data tariff. Vodacom does not block voice-over-IP calls over its network, and will formally advise customers should this position change."

Tectonic was unable to obtain any comment from ICASA.

Japan's Sanyo warns of full-year loss, slashes jobs

Japan's ailing Sanyo Electric Co. has torn up its forecast for a return to the black this year as it axed 2,200 more jobs and flagged a possible sale of its cellphone business amid fierce competition.

Sanyo predicted net losses of 50 billion yen (430 million dollars) for the fiscal year to March 2007, reversing its July forecast for a net profit of 20 billion yen and after the previous year's 205.7-billion-yen loss.

Prices of products such as mobile telephones and digital cameras declined in the face of a growing price war, the company said Friday.

"Because of falling income in the cellphone and digital camera businesses, total sales and operating income are going to fall short of expectations," Sanyo president Toshimasa Iue told reporters.

The profit warning overshadowed a better interim performance. Sanyo reported reduced net losses of 3.62 billion yen for the six months to September, down from 142.53 billion yen a year earlier.

The group made an operating profit of 15.84 billion yen in the period against a year earlier loss of 28.37 billion yen while revenues fell 7.1 percent to 1.096 trillion yen.

"Since the beginning of the fiscal year the company has actually seen better performances in the businesses which it said it would strengthen," said Iue.

"There seems to be a view that the company's domestic sales will shrink but that won't be the case."

The company has been accelerating its restructuring and said in May it had managed to complete planned 14,000 job cuts two years ahead of schedule as part of efforts to revive its flagging fortunes.

The group's main semiconductor plant was seriously damaged in Japan's worst earthquake in a decade in October 2004 and the company has struggled to win over consumers faced with a vast array of hi-tech new products on the shelves.

Sanyo said Friday that it would cut 2,200 more jobs in the year to March 2007 -- 1,500 in Japan -- and incur restructuring costs of 40 billion yen.

The group aims to reduce its number of global affiliates by about one third from around 300 at present over the next three years and indicated that its cellphone and semiconductor operations could face the chop.

"We will take any measures possible in the cellphone and digital camera business," executive vice president Koichi Maeda said.

Earlier a business daily reported that Sanyo would end domestic cell phone production at its Daito plant in Osaka Prefecture, spin off the operations next fiscal year and sell the bulk of the new company's shares to a competitor.

Sanyo also intends to sell off the rest of its semiconductor business, which was spun off in July, and transfer digital camera production to Vietnam, Indonesia and China, the Nihon Keizai said in an unsourced report.

Maeda said the second half of the fiscal year would be crucial if the group is to meet its targets but added that the projections were by no means impossible. "Rather I see them as conservative."

Sanyo's troubles contrast sharply with profit gains at rivals such as Sharp and Panasonic brand-maker Matsushita Electric Industrial who are riding high on booming sales of flat-panel TVs.

The electronics maker, which began in 1947 making bicycle lamps in Osaka, brought in Tomoyo Nonaka, a former television anchorwoman with no experience in corporate management or electronics, to become its new chairwoman and chief executive officer last year.

Sanyo Electric shares closed down three yen or 1.6 percent to 180 ahead of the results while the benchmark Nikkei index dropped 1.13 percent.

Motorola SLVR L7e Review - CNET

CNET reviews the Motorola SLVR L7e and writes about the phone's camera: "The Slvr L7e's 1.3-megapixel camera is a marked improvement over the Slvr L7's VGA shooter. There's 8x digital zoom and you can take pictures with four resolutions (1280x960, 640x480, and 320x240, 160x120), three quality settings, six lighting conditions, five exposure settings, the choice of four shutter sounds as well as a silent option, and a self-timer. As for the MPEG-4 video recorder, you can only record with two resolutions (128x96 and 176x144), three quality settings, two recording lengths (one for multimedia messaging and another for a full-length recording), and the ability to toggle the sound recording on or off. Photo quality was actually pretty good, though as with most camera phones, pictures tended to suffer in low-light situations. Videos were quite fuzzy and pixelated, though not unexpected for a camera phone."

Read more about the Motorola SLVR L7e.

LG KG810 Review - MobileBurn

MobileBurn reviews the LG KG810 and writes, "Similar to the recently reviewed KG320, the camera takes around three seconds to activate, and the shutter lag is a terrible three seconds as well, which completely destroys any notion of using the camera as a way to capture candid moments. ... I wasn't impressed at all with the quality of the photos taken by the KG810. Everything looked out of focus and pictures appeared to be smudged all over. It is only good for taking the odd shot in bright light, and without a macro mode, the camera is pretty much worthless when it comes to taking close-ups."

Read more about the LG KG810.

Sony Ericsson K800i Review - Lordpercy

Lordpercy reviews the Sony Ericsson K800i and writes about the phone's camera: " Featuring the iconic CyberShot brand, the Sony Ericsson K800i has a camera that is simply extraordinary. Never before has anything like this been seen on a mobile phone. Although Nokia were the first to break the 3 megapixel barrier with the N80, the camera quality wasn’t quite as good as Sony’s effort. With the inclusion of BestPic, users are guaranteed the best quality photo every time. ... Also, with an image stabilizer and Xenon flash included too, there’s no excuse not to get a perfect photo every time. The phone also has 64MB of onboard memory, meaning that there is loads of room to house your high-quality snaps. If this wasn’t enough, you can also blog from the handset using blogger.com. The phone has an extra option under ‘send’ which enables you to effortlessly create a blog from scratch and update it on the move."

LG L600v

General
Network : GSM900 / GSM1800 / GSM1900 / UMTS
Introduced : 2006 Q4
Status : Coming soon
Form factor : Clamshell
Antenna : Internal

Size
Weight : 95g (including battery)
Dimensions : 93.7 x 49 x 18.8 mm

Display
Type : Graphical
Colours : TFT, 256K
2nd Display : Present, coloured.
: Second external 65K colors, OLED display

Memory
Numbers : 500
Outgoing : Calls 40
Received Calls : 40
Lost Calls : 40
Shared Memory : 7 MB - Photo call
- microSD (TransFlash)

Ringtones
Polyphonic : Yes, 72 voices
External music keys

Networking
GPRS : Yes
Modem : Yes,
EDGE3G : Yes, 384 kbps
USB : Yes
Bluetooth : Yes
Browser : Yes, WAP 2.0/xHTML
Email Client : Yes - Instant Messaging

Features
Vibration : Yes
SMS : Send / Receive
MMS : Send / Receive
Camera : Yes, 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video
Java : Yes
Changeable Games : Yes
Games : Yes
Clock : Yes
Alarm : Yes
Calculator :Yes
Voice Memo : Yes
T9 : Yes
Handsfree : Yes - Streaming TV, video telephony
- MP3/AAC/AAC+ player
- Image editor
- Organiser

Standard Battery
Type : Li-Ion
Amperage : 800 mAh
Standby Time : 200 hours
Talk Time : 4 hours

LG KE800

General
Network : GSM900 / GSM1800 / GSM1900
Introduced : 2006 Q4
Status :Coming soon
Form factor FlipAntenna Internal

Size
Weight : 73 g (including battery)
Dimensions : 95 x 52 x 9.9 mm

Display
Type : Graphical
Colours : TFT, 256K colors
Size : 240 x 320 pixels
Touch-sensitive navigation keys with backlights
Downloadable wallpapers


Memory
Numbers : 1000
Outgoing Calls :40
Received Calls : 40
Lost Calls : 40
Shared Memory : 256 MB
microSD (TransFlash)
Photocall
Ringtones
Polyphonic : Yes, MP3, Composer, Download

Networking
GPRS : Yes, Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
USB : Yes
Bluetooth : Yes
Browser : Yes, WAP 2.0/xHTML
Email Client : Yes

Features
Vibration : Yes
SMS : Send / Receive
MMS : Send / Receive
Camera : Yes, 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, autofocus, video, flash
Java : Yes
Changeable Games : Yes
Games : Yes
Clock : Yes
Alarm : Yes
Calculator : Yes
Voice Memo : Yes
T9 : Yes
FM Radio : Yes - MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player
- Organiser

Standard Battery
Type : Li-Ion
Amperage : 750 mAh
Standby Time : 270 hours
Talk Time : 6 hours

LG KU800

General
Network : GSM900 / GSM1800 / GSM1900 / UMTS
Introduced : 2006 Q3
Status : Coming soon
Form factor : FlipAntenna Internal

Size
Weight : 98 g (including battery)
Dimensions : 94.6 x 45.6 x 17 mm

Display
Type : Graphical
Colours : TFT, 65K
Size : 176 x 220 pixels
Touch-sensitive navigation keys with backlights
Downloadable wallpapers
Memory
Numbers : 500
Outgoing Calls : 40
Received Calls : 40
Lost Calls : 40
Shared Memory : 64 MB - microSD (TransFlash)

Ringtones
Polyphonic : Yes, 72 voices
MP3, AAC

Networking
GPRS : Yes, Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32-48 kbps
3G : Yes, 384 kbps
USB : Yes
Bluetooth : Yes
Email Client : Yes

Features
Vibration : Yes
SMS : Send / Receive
MMS : Send / Receive
Camera : Yes, 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, flash; secondary video call
Camera Java : Yes
Changeable Games : Yes
Games : Yes
Clock : Yes
Alarm : Yes
Calculator : Yes
Voice Memo : Yes
T9 : Yes
Handsfree : Yes
: Streaming TV, video telephony
Organiser
MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player

Standard Battery
Type Li-Ion
Amperage : 1050 mAh
Standby Time : 200 hours
Talk Time : 4 hours

LG C2000

* East-to-use slider QWERTY keyboard
* Mobile instant messaging, text messaging, and MMS (multimedia messaging service) capable
* 5-way navigation joystick
* Download ring tones, screensavers, wallpapers and more
* Cingular customers can opt-in to the American Idol TXT-n-Win Sweepstakes for a chance to win $50,000, a trip to the American Idol finals, or a free ring tone!

* Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 1.9 x 1.0 inches ; 3.4 pounds
* Shipping Weight: 1.00 pounds
* Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
* ASIN: B000A1168E
* Item model number: L1400

This tri-band phone has all the bells and whistles to keep you connected via voice or the wireless Internet. Plus, it’s got a VGA camera for snapping photos on the go, as well as support for voice dialing. Top it all off with dual displays and you have the perfect companion to Cingular wireless service.

Design
The C2000 sports a clamshell design with a large, 128 x 160 color display. The outside cover of the handset features a supplementary monochrome display that can display picture IDs, time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The phone’s VGA (640 x 480) camera is placed just above this display, while up and down buttons for volume control are placed on the left side. Most of the phone’s features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset’s control pad. There’s also a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets.

Calling Features
The C2000’s built-in address book can store up to 255 contacts for quick access to all your friends and associates. The phone also supports polyphonic ringtones, as well as ringtones in the MIDI, SMAF, MP3, AAC formats. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Cingular’s MEdia service. With the picture ID function, you can assign pictures to your most common callers. And for times when you want to be discreet, there’s also a vibrate ringer mode. Lastly, the built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk hands-free.

Messaging, Internet and Tools
The C2000 has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging and Internet connectivity. In addition to basic text messaging, you can send pictures and sounds via the multimedia messaging service (Cingular messaging charges apply). There’s also an IM chat client for AOL, Yahoo! and ICQ instant messaging, as well as a built-in web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular’s MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit– a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the C2000 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator with unit converter, a memo pad, a calendar and an alarm/world clock.

Imaging and Entertainment
The C2000’s VGA camera features a zoom mode and a 9-shot multi-shot mode for capturing action scenes. Brightness and white balance adjustments are available, as are image enhancements such as a sepia effect. The phone also lets you set screensavers, themes and wallpapers to your tastes. And because it is Java enabled, the C2000 supports games written on the Java platform. Games are available via the Cingular MEdia service.

Vital Statistics
The LG C2000 weighs 3.40 ounces and measures 3.49 x 1.81 x .96 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 2.5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 240 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What’s in the Box
LG C2000 handset, hands-free headset, lithium-ion battery, AC charger, user’s manual.

Samsung D807

This feature-packed quad-band phone from Samsung combines a super-slim slider design with the latest technologies, making it a must-have tool for those who demand the best. Goodies include Bluetooth, support for EDGE high-speed data, a 1.3 megapixel camera, a music playwer, and a microSD memory card slot. The Samsung D807 is the perfect way to take advantage of all that Cingular service has to offer.Design
The D807’s sliding design hides the phone’s number pad under the display until you need to make a call. The big 176 x 220 display supports up to 262,000 colors — plenty of resolution and color depth for your videos and photos. A five-way center control button is positioned below the display, as are shortcut and selection keys. The phone’s 1.3 megapixel camera is housed behind the screen. There’s also a connector for a stereo 2.5 mm headset.

Calling Features
With 18 MB of internal memory, the D807 is designed to hold all the contacts, phone numbers and addresses you can throw at it. A call list remembers your most recent missed, received and dialed calls, and in addition to a vibrating alert, the D807 supports polyphonic ringtones and MP3-based music ringtones. You can also download additional MP3 music ringtones from Cingular’s MEdia Net service. A speakerphone lets you talk hands-free while you’re doing other things, and picture caller ID lets you assign a photo to specific callers. Similarly, a ringer ID lets you assign ringtones to callers. Speaker independent voice dialing makes it easy to speak the name of a contact and dial it instantly. And lastly, the phone’s Bluetooth connectivity means that your favorite Bluetooth headset is fully compatible.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The D807 has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging. Support is built in for sending and receiving text, video, graphics and sound via messages. When used in combination with the phone’s built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Messaging clients for AOL, MSN, Yahoo!, and ICQ are included. Meanwhile, the phone’s email client lets you stay on top of your emails when you’re on the go.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the D807, too. It supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the high speed EDGE data protocol. When used with a Cingular data plan and the phone’s Bluetooth data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs. There’s also a built-in browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile Web browsing. Cingular’s MEdia Net service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit– a plus for mobile text messaging users.

A number of handy productivity tools are bundled with the D807 including a voice memo recorder, an alarm clock, a calculator with unit and currency converters, a calendar, and a to-do list.

Imaging and Entertainment
The D807’s built-in 1.3 megapixel camera captures stills and video to the phone’s internal memory, or to an optional microSD memory card. The still camera features white balance and brightness controls, as well as a multi-shot mode and a self timer.

Into music? You’re in luck with the D807. Store your favorite MP3-based music on a memory card and listen whenever the feeling strikes you. And if you want to dress up the D807, picture effects, custom screensavers, backgrounds, and themes can be set to fit your personality.

Java support is built into the D807, making it a powerful gaming companion. Games are downloadable via the MEdia Net service.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung SGH-D807 weighs 3.46 ounces and measures 3.82 x 2.05 x .61 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 10 days of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Product Description
The Samsung D807 is a great device for people looking for a multimedia rich phone with great style and form factor.

Samsung D600

With its unique sliding design, powerful 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, TV output (yes, TV output!), microSD expansion, and a whole lot more, the Samsung SGH-D600 is a serious contender for gadget nirvana. If you have GSM service, this quad band wonder deserves a serious look.

Design
The D600’s sliding design features a hidden dialpad that slides out when you need to dial a number. Vital phone functions are controlled by the button pad below the screen. The massive, 240 x 320 display supports up to 262,000 colors — plenty of resolution and color depth for your videos and photos. The phone’s 2-megapixel camera is housed on the rear of the phone and there’s also an LED flash. A USB data port is provided, as is a connector for a stereo 2.5 mm headset. Plus, there’s a microSD slot for storing photos, video, and other media.

Calling Features
The D600’s generous 81 MB of built-in memory can hold up to 1000 contacts. A call list remembers your most recent missed, received and dialed calls, and in addition to a vibrating alert, the D600 supports 64-chord polyphonic ringtones. A speakerphone lets you talk hands-free while you’re doing other things, and picture caller ID lets you assign a photo to specific callers. Similarly, a ringer ID lets you assign ringtones to callers.

The D600’s Bluetooth wireless technology lets talk freely on a wireless headset or sync up seamlessly with your PC and other compatible Bluetooth devices. You can even use it with wireless stereo headphones.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The D600 has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging. Support is built in for sending and receiving text, video, graphics and sound via messages. When used in combination with the phone’s built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. A built-in email client supports POP3, IMAP4, SMTP, SSL, and TLS protocols.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the D600, too. It supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the new, high speed EDGE data protocol. When used with your carrier’s data service and the phone’s USB or Bluetooth data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs. There’s also a built-in browser for downloads and mobile Web browsing. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit– a plus for mobile text messaging users.

A number of handy productivity tools are bundled with the D600 including a voice memo recorder, an alarm clock, a calculator with currency converter, a calendar, and a to-do list. And because the D600 supports the SyncML synchronization standard, you can easily sync your PC-based contacts.

Imaging and Entertainment
The D600’s built-in 2-megapixel camera captures stills and video to the phone’s internal memory, or to an optional microSD memory card. You can use the phone’s TV output to display your photos and videos on a TV screen — pretty cool.

Into music? You’re in luck with the D600. Store your favorite MP3, AAC, or AAC+ -based music on the D600 and listen whenever the feeling strikes you on the built-in stereo speakers. When you want to jam out in private you can hook up a Bluetooth wireless stereo headset. Lastly, if you want to dress up the D600, picture effects, custom screensavers, backgrounds, and themes can be set to fit your personality.

Java support is built into the D600, making it a powerful gaming companion. You can also use the handset’s USB data connection to load more games and files onto the phone.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung SGH-D600 weighs 3.49 ounces and measures 3.78 x 1.83 x 0.85 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7 hours of digital talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Product Description
A logical progression to the popular and well-liked D500, the SGH-D600 increases the resolution of the digital camera to two megapixels, and boosts the display to an impressive 240×320 pixel TFT panel in 262,000 colours. Memory on the D600 is expandable using TransFlash memory cards, which is handy because it also plays back MP3, AAC, AAC+ and MPEG4 media files, in addition to stills photographs and video clips - the D600 has integrated stereo speakers too. As with almost all recent higher-end Samsungs, the SGH-D600 comes with Bluetooth, a web browser and email client. It’s a tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 phone with GPRS, so that’s a definite improvement over some of the dual-band Samsungs being produced recently. PC synchronisation on the D600 can be done through SyncML, and in addition to Bluetooth connectivity, you can also use a Bluetooth cable. It’s not a particularly big phone - at 99 grams it sits comfortable in the mid-range of sizes.

Kyocera Oystr Prepaid Phone (Virgin Mobile)

The Kyocera Oystr Prepaid Phone offers a full-color screen, text messaging, two-way speakerphone, Virgin’s Superphonic ringtones and web browsing capabilities. On top of all that, the Oystr has a stylish look, making it an ideal first handset for anyone who wants to make a statement as they talk.

Design
This black and white beauty offers a traditional clamshell design with a 65,000-color display and 128 x 128 pixel resolution. Most and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset’s control pad. Meanwhile, the top right side of the unit houses an extendable antenna while data and charging ports are housed on the unit’s bottom edge. Up and down keys for volume control are provided on the left side of the phone.

Calling Features
The Oystr’s built-in address book offers quick and easy management of your contacts. The phone comes with built-in Virgin Mobile “superphonic” ringtones plus a vibrating alert. Superphonic ringtones feature real music tracks and more are available via Virgin Mobile’s download service. Voice dialing of up to ten contacts is supported, as are voice commands, so you can both dial numbers and control certain functions of the phone without ever touching it.

Messaging, Internet and Tools
The Oystr covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving text and picture messages easily and quickly (Virgin Mobile text messaging charges apply). eZitext text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit– a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The phone fully supports Virgin Mobile’s enhanced wireless content service, VirginXL. Use the pay-per-use service to download superphonic ringtones, animations and voices from MTV, Comedy central and the hottest recording artists. Get content and vote in TV-based polls via the MTV area of your phone, or get jokes and updates from Comedy Central. Pick a celebrity voice to answer your voicemail, or get a Sponge Bob thought of the day. The Oystr also supports mobile instant messaging via AIM.

The Oyster ships with a number of handy tools including a calendar, a calculator with a tip calculator, an alarm clock, and a voice memo recorder.

Entertainment
The phone boasts custom Virgin Mobile graphics– screen savers, wallpaper and menu icons– that let you dress up your phone to suit your personality. More graphics, wallpapers and screensavers are available from the VirginXL service. The Oystr supports gaming, too, and a big selection of games can be downloaded from the VirginXL service.

Vital Statistics
The Kyocera Oystr weighs 3.5 ounces and measures 4.46 x 1.88 x .98 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 175 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 1900 frequency. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Product Description
A full color handset with palm-friendly design and rubberized grip makes the Virgin Mobile Kyocera Oystra phone to behold. Two-way text messaging, one-touch dialing, real music ringtones and mobile web browsing are just some of the additional features that can be found on the Oystr.

Sony Ericsson K790a

The groundbreaking K790a from Sony Ericsson combines a Cyber-shot digital camera and a small and sophisticated mobile phone that supports EDGE high speed data networks. But the real story here is the K790i’s amazing a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, a built-in xenon flash and image and video stabilizer functions that keep you ready for any moment, anytime. Other features include Bluetooth, a gorgeous color screen, an FM radio, an advanced mobile Web browser, and PictBridge-compliant printing.

Design
The K790a follows a long tradition of beautifully designed and crafted phones from Sony Ericsson. The same candy-bar style that graces other high-end Sony Ericsson phones is here, as is the horizontally-oriented camera unit on the back of the phone, allowing you to hold the phone just as you would a camera when you’re taking pictures. The K790a’s two-inch screen sports a whopping 240×320 pixel resolution with support for 262,000 colors. Quick access buttons below the screen make it easy to control the phone’s most important features, while a five-way center button controls most of the phone’s menus and features. There’s also a port for the phone’s included stereo headset, and USB and infrared data ports are provided, as well. The phone supports USB mass storage so you can simply plug the phone into your computer and drag and drop music files into the phone’s memory using the included Disc2Phone PC application. Moving your photos is easy, too, thanks to high-speed USB. The K790a contains 64 MB of embedded memory and a Memory Stick Micro slot is provided, giving you the big storage capacity you need for photos, music, and more.

Calling Features
The K790a’s phone book can hold all your important contacts with multiple entries per contact. A call list remembers your most recent missed, received and dialed calls, and the phone’s voice activated dialing makes calling your contacts as easy as saying their names. Meanwhile, a built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Polyphonic ringtones are included and you can also use MP3 and AAC music files as ringtones. A cool application called Music DJ even lets you mix your own ringtones. Picture caller ID lets you assign a photo to specific callers. Similarly, a ringer ID lets you assign ringtones to callers. For those times you want to keep things discreet, there’s a vibrate ringer mode. And because the K790a is Bluetooth-enabled, you can use a variety of headsets and handsfree kits for total wireless freedom when you’re on the go. The phone even supports stereo Bluetooth headsets.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
If you’re looking for a mobile productivity partner, the K790a has you covered. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, and sound via MMS messages. When used in combination with the phone’s built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging possibilities. You can even edit up your video clips with the included VideoDJ application. The phone also ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols, while the included Access NetFront Web Browser allows you to surf full HTML web sites. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit– a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the K790a, as it supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the high speed EDGE data protocol. When used with your carrier data plan and the phone’s Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the K790a, including a voice memo recorder, a to-do list, a calculator, a calendar and an alarm clock. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard, which lets you synchronize your PC-based calendar, contacts, notes and tasks with your K790a.

Imaging and Entertainment
The big story about this phone is, of course, the camera. At 3.2 megapixels, it can produce incredible images, but the real advantage comes from the camera’s autofocus, which allows you to take crisp pictures at varying distances from your subjects. The camera also features an image and video stabilizer compensates for any small movement of your hand when you’re taking a picture and shooting video. Meanwhile, a built-in Xenon flash helps you get great results in all kinds of lighting situations.

There’s also a unique feature called BestPic that lets you capture several images in quick succession with one press of the camera key. BestPic lets you pick the best and delete the rest. Dedicated controls on the side of the device will make you forget you’re holding a phone in your hand, and when you’re ready to share your gorgeous images, you can print them wirelessly via Bluetooth, or via USB, on a PictBridge-capable printer. Sony Ericsson also provides a free picture blogging feature, which allows you to upload pictures from your phone to a place where all your friends and family can view them online.

The K790a is also a great music phone. Load up your favorite songs in MP3 or AAC format on a memory card and listen to your heart’s content. The user-friendly music player application makes it easy to organize and enjoy your tunes. There’s even an FM radio for catching the big game or your favorite stations.

And what about gaming? This phone is definitely geared for the mobile fun fanatic, as it supports widescreen and 3D games. The K790a comes preloaded with several games and more are downloadable from Sony Ericsson.

Vital Statistics
The Sony Ericsson K790a weighs 4.1 ounces and measures 4.1 x 1.8 x .9 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7 hours of digital talk time, and up to 350 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/1800/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Product Description
It’s here. A Cyber-shot™ digital camera and a small and sophisticated feature-packed EDGE phone all in one. Bring the K790a with you and you have a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, image and video stabilizer and built-in Xenon flash ready for any moment, anytime. BestPic™ technology lets you capture several images in quick succession with one press of the camera key. Pick the best. Delete the rest. A camera stabilizer function compensates any small movement of your hand when you’re taking a picture and shooting video. When you’ve taken a photo, you can share it straight away using Bluetooth™, multimedia messaging or blog it.

Samsung t619 Phone (T-Mobile)

A full-featured, quad-band phone with a 1.3 megapixel VGA camera, advanced voice dialing and speech recognition, and much more, the Samsung t619 makes a powerful, yet affordable, mobile companion. Additionally, with MMS messaging capabilities, Bluetooth, EDGE data, a speakerphone, and wireless Web capabilities, the t619 is the perfect complement to T-Mobile service.

Design
Inside the t619’s sleek clamshell you’ll find a large, yet crisp and clear 176 x 220 color LCD display with support for over 262,000 colors. The outside cover of the handset sports a supplementary monochrome (white on black) LCD display that can display time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. Up and down buttons for volume control are placed on the left side, and camera controls are included on the right side of the phone, while most of the phone’s features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset’s control pad. The phone includes 21 MB of internal memory, and because the t619 has an internal antenna, there’s nothing to snag or break off.

Calling Features
The t619’s phone book can handle up to 1,000 of your contacts, and you can store up to five numbers per entry, plus an e-mail address, and a note. In addition to having a discreet vibrating alert, the t619 supports both 40-chord polyphonic ringtones, which means you can really jazz up your incoming calls with cool tunes. Custom ringtones in MP3 format are also supported. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone, and more ringtones can be downloaded from T-Mobile’s t-zones service. You can also assign ringer IDs and picture IDs to your favorite callers, while the voice dialing feature allows for quick, voice activated calling of pre-programmed contacts. Like all T-Mobile phones, the t619 supports voice mail, caller ID, conference calling, call forwarding, call waiting, call hold, built-in paging, and access to T-Mobile’s 411 service.

This phone is fully compatible with T-Mobile’s My Faves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network–without using any of your minutes. Additionally, the t619 is Bluetooth-enabled, allowing you to use a variety of headsets and hands-free kits for total wireless freedom when you’re on the go.

Messaging, Internet and Tools
When it comes to messaging and Internet connectivity, the t619 has you covered. The phone features support for Yahoo! and AOL instant messaging applications (T-Mobile messaging charges apply). There’s also a built-in WAP 2.0 Web browser for t-zones downloads and mobile Web browsing. T-Mobile’s t-zones service lets you receive and send e-mails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. Traditional text messaging, as well as picture and sound messaging, are also supported by the phone. T9 text entry, which is a predictive text entry technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit–a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the t619, including a voice memo recorder that allows up to a minute of recording time per memo, a calculator with unit converter, a to-do list, a calendar, and an alarm clock.

Imaging and Entertainment
The t619 is easily customized to suit your style. Screen savers, themes, and wallpapers can be set to your tastes, and you can even browse and download more wallpapers from the t-zones service. The t619 is Java-enabled, meaning it supports games and application downloads written on the Java platform. Games are available via the T-Mobile t-zones service.

The t619 also sports a flight mode feature, which allows the user to safely use the non-wireless functions of a phone (such as music, games or organizer functions) on an airplane during flight.

As mentioned, the phone sports a powerful 1.3 megapixel camera. The camera also features support for video capture. You can capture and play back short video clips, and store as many videos as you like, as long as there is available memory.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung t619 weighs 2.80 ounces and measures 3.70 x 1.80 x 0.66 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of digital talk time, and up to 8 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Product Description
The Samsung t619 is one sexy clamshell. From its smooth, sculptured form to its contoured profile, this Samsung’s good looks are matched only by its beautiful performance. You get Bluetooth® Wireless Technology, a 1.3 megapixel camera, instant messaging and T-Mobile’s new myFaves service. If you want good looks plus substance, you want the t619.

Nokia 6170

Nokia’s sleekest clamshell to date, the 6170 offers style and power in a sexy package. With dual color displays, support for EDGE high speed data, a VGA camera with video capture, a speakerphone, and more, this classy companion is sure to please the discriminating cell phone aficionado.

Design
Besides looking good, the 6170’s stainless steel case is durable, making this phone ready for a rough and tumble world. The outside cover houses a 95 x 65 color LCD that displays pictures, call information, signal strength, the time, and more. The VGA camera and speakerphone speaker are housed below this display. Inside the clamshell, you’ll find a large 128 x 160 display that supports 65,000 colors. The phone’s antenna is internal, so there’s nothing to snag in your pocket. A five-way center button above the handset’s dial pad controls most of the phone’s functions. Meanwhile, a USB port for data synchronization and wireless modem functionality is provided on the bottom of the unit.

Calling Features
The 6170’s phone book can hold up to 500 contacts with multiple entries per contact. As mentioned, it also features a speakerphone for easy handsfree talking. Pictures of your friends can be used as caller ID alerts and the phone features many built-in polyphonic ringtones. Of course, custom ringtones can be uploaded to the phone via its USB data port. Plus, for those times you want to keep things discreet, there’s also a vibrate ringer mode. And for the ultimate in calling ease, the 6170 supports voice dialing and voice commands, so you can call your contacts and operate various phone functions without ever touching it.

Lastly, the 6170 supports push-to-talk, which allows you to speak with other push-to-talk users as if you’re both on a two way radio. Note that your GSM wireless provider must support this service.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The 6170 has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging. Support is built in for sending and receiving text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone’s built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is supported and the phone also ships with a built-in email client. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit– a plus for mobile email and text messaging users. Getting on the Internet is easy with the 6170, too. It supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the newer, high speed EDGE data protocol.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the 6170, including a voice memo recorder, a calculator (with currency converter), a calendar, an alarm clock, and a to-do list. Via download on its Web site, Nokia offers a free application called PC Suite that facilitates easy synchronization of contacts, calendar events and other data between the phone and your PC.

Imaging and Entertainment
The 6170 shines in the entertainment department. The phone’s VGA camera can capture stills and video, both of which can be sent to your friends via MMS messaging or email, or to your PC via USB. The phone can also playback streaming video files in the 3GPP or MPEG4 formats. Java support is built into the 6170, making it a powerful gaming companion.

Vital Statistics
The Nokia 6170 weighs 4.34 ounces and measures 3.46 x 1.81 x 0.94 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of digital talk time, and up to 270 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS 850/1800/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What’s in the Box
Nokia 6170 handset, battery charger, lithium-ion battery, and user’s manual.

Product Description
The Nokia 6170 with stainless steel covers has the feel of genuine materials - inspiring, authentic, sleek. Features include VGA camera, easy to press keys, MP3 ringtones, plus internal and external full color screens.

Sony Ericsson W600i

* 1.8” color screen for best possible video viewing and gaming experience
* FM radio and advanced digital music player
* 1.3 megapixel camera with video recording and digital camera menus
* Dedicated gaming buttons for fast and action-packed 3D gaming on the go
* Stereo headset, USB cable and Applications Suite supplied

* Shipping Weight: 1.25 pounds
* Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
* ASIN: B000C1CHVC
* Item model number: w600

What if one phone could play your tunes, browse the mobile Internet at high speed, take high-resolution pictures, and allow you to play games till your thumbs were numb? What if it came in a stylish, swiveling package? Well, that’s what you get with the feature-packed Sony Ericsson W600 Walkman phone. With 256 MB of internal memory, Bluetooth, an FM radio, and much more, the quad-band W600 might be the affordable do-it-all device you’ve been looking for.

Design
The W600’s swiveling design means that the keypad is only revealed when you need it. The phone’s large 176 x 220 display supports a whopping 262,000 colors–great for displaying color-rich photos taken on the W600’s 1.3-megapixel camera, which is housed on the rear of the device. Most of the phone’s functions can be controlled via a five-way control pad just below the display, but there are also extra buttons provided above the screen for landscape-mode gaming. Shortcut buttons are provided for Walkman and mobile Web functions as well. The phone’s antenna is contained in a loop-style housing on top of the phone. There’s also a port for the phone’s included stereo headset. USB and infrared data ports are provided, and the phone supports USB mass storage so you can simply plug the phone into your computer and drag and drop files into the phone’s memory. To top it all off, you can swap faceplates to make the W600 suit your style.

Calling Features
The W600’s phone book can hold up to 1,000 contacts with multiple entries per contact. A call list remembers your most recent missed, received, and dialed calls. The phone’s voice activated dialing makes calling up to 30 of your contacts as easy as saying their names, while the built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Polyphonic ringtones are included and there’s even a bundled application that lets you mix your own ringtones. Picture caller ID lets you assign a photo to specific callers, and a ringer ID lets you assign ringtones to callers. For those times you want to keep things discreet, there’s a vibrate ringer mode. And because the W600 is Bluetooth-enabled, you can use a variety of headsets and hands-free kits for total wireless freedom when you’re on the go.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
If you’re looking for a mobile productivity partner, the W600 has you covered. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via SMS or MMS messages. When used in combination with the phone’s built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging possibilities. Instant messaging is also supported, and the phone ships with a built-in e-mail client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols (Cingular messaging charges apply). There’s also a built-in Web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile Web browsing. Cingular’s MEdia service lets you receive and send e-mails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit–a plus for mobile e-mail and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the W600, as it supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the new, high-speed EDGE data protocol. When used with a Cingular data plan and the phone’s Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs. Enjoy broadband speeds in EDGE-enabled service areas.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the W600, including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, a calendar, and an alarm clock. Use the W600’s Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth accessory or connect to a computer or handheld device to exchange and synchronize data. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard. This means the phone can be used with the included Sony Ericsson Sync Station software, which lets you synchronize your Microsoft Outlook calendar, contacts, notes and tasks with your W600.

Imaging and Entertainment
The W600 is a Walkman phone, and that means it offers a great mobile music experience. The phone’s 256 MB of built-in flash memory can hold your favorite tunes in MP3 or AAC format. An included stereo headset combines with Digital Mega Bass and stereo widening to enhance your listening experience. There’s even an FM radio for catching the big game or your favorite stations.

And what about gaming? This phone is definitely geared for the mobile fun fanatic, as it supports widescreen and 3-D games. The W600 comes preloaded with several games, and more are downloadable from both Sony Ericsson and Cingular’s MEdia service.

As mentioned, the W600 also features a powerful 1.3-megapixel camera and an LED flash. The camera also supports up to one minute of video capture.

Vital Statistics
The Sony Ericsson W600 weighs 4.2 ounces and measures 3.66 by 1.83 by .89 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 8.5 hours of digital talk time and up to 400 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one-year limited warranty.

What’s in the Box
W600 handset, stereo headset, USB cable, lithium-ion battery, travel charger, user’s manual, and application software.

Product Description
W600 Walkman™ is a mobile phone for music lovers. FM radio, an advanced digital music player inside and everything you need to enjoy your music on the move. CD ripping software is included in the kit to get your favorite songs into your phone. Drag and drop using Disc2Phone™. Swivel-action W600 has a 1.8” color screen for best possible video viewing and gaming experience and dedicated gaming buttons for fast and action-packed 3D gaming on the go. When you want to catch some action, W600 is also an impressive 1.3 megapixel camera with video recording and digital camera menus.

LG C1500

* East-to-use slider QWERTY keyboard
* Mobile instant messaging, text messaging, and MMS (multimedia messaging service) capable
* 5-way navigation joystick
* Download ring tones, screensavers, wallpapers and more
* Cingular customers can opt-in to the American Idol TXT-n-Win Sweepstakes for a chance to win $50,000, a trip to the American Idol finals, or a free ring tone!

* Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 1.9 x 1.0 inches ; 3.4 pounds
* Shipping Weight: 15.20 ounces
* Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
* Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
* ASIN: B000A116AM
* Item model number: L1400.


While this little companion may be billed as an entry-level phone, it’s got plenty of features for folks who want to get the most from Cingular wireless service. With a speakerphone, support for MMS messaging, and MP3 music ringtones, the C1500 is the perfect blend of simplicity and functionality.Design
The C1500 sports a clamshell design with a 128 x 128 color display. The outside cover of the handset features a 96 x 64 supplementary monochrome display that can display time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. Meanwhile, up and down buttons for volume control are placed on the left side. Most of the phone’s features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset’s control pad.

Calling Features
The C1500’s built-in address book can store up to 255 contacts for quick access to all your friends and associates. The phone also supports polyphonic ringtones, as well as ringtones in the MIDI, SMAF, MP3, AAC formats. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Cingular’s MEdia service. And for times when you want to be discreet, there’s also a vibrate ringer mode. Voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names, and the built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk hands-free.

Messaging, Internet and Tools
When it comes to messaging and Internet connectivity, the C1500 is ready to keep you in touch with the latest technology. In addition to basic text messaging, you can send pictures and sounds via the multimedia messaging service (Cingular messaging charges apply). There’s also a built-in web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular’s MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit– a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the C1500 including a calculator with unit converter, a calendar and an alarm clock.

Imaging and Entertainment
Because the C1500 is Java enabled, it supports games written on the Java platform. Games are available via the Cingular MEdia service. You can also customize the phone’s wallpapers and screensavers to suit your tastes.

Vital Statistics
The LG C1500 weighs 3.00 ounces and measures 3.28 x 1.71 x .89 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 2.5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 216 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What’s in the Box
LG C1500 handset, lithium-ion battery, AC charger, user’s manual.

Nokia 6215i

With a VGA camera, a speakerphone, voice dialing, and support for Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Web 2.0 services, the Nokia 6215i makes a great companion for calling, texting, and catching up on the latest news and weather. But the really big news about this phone is that it sports dual OLED screens, one on the outside and one on the inside. OLED screens are brighter and less power hungry than traditional LCD screens, giving you greater performance and battery life while you’re out and about.

Design
The phone features a traditional clamshell design with a vibrant 128 x 128 color display with 262,000 colors. A supplementary 65,000-color 96 x 64 external screen displays call information, signal strength, and more. Most of the phone’s features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset’s control pad. The top right side of the unit houses an antenna while the USB-capable data and charging port is housed on the unit’s bottom edge. There’s also a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets. An integrated VGA camera with an LED flash is housed on the front cover of the phone.

Calling Features
The 6215i’s built-in address book can store up to 500 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and email addresses. The phone also comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones plus a vibrating alert. Voice dialing allows you to make calls without ever touching the device, and a built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Plus, picture ID and ringer ID functionality lets you assign photos or other images to callers. A flight mode lets you to shut off the phone’s calling functions so you can play games or use the 6215’s organizer functions. And lastly, the phone’s GPS location technology pinpoints your location when you dial 911.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The 6215i covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving text, pictures and sound. The phone also supports mobile instant messaging. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit — a plus for mobile text messaging users. Getting on the Internet anywhere is easy with the 6215i, as well. Verizon’s optional Mobile Web 2.0 package allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. You can also trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings, and find directions to the theater.

The phone’s software includes a personal organizer that features a calendar, alarm clock, and calculator. Meanwhile, the phone’s voice memo recorder can store important notes as you make your way through the day.

Imaging and Entertainment
The fun really starts with the 6215’s built-in VGA (640×480) camera and flash, which features a self-timer. And if you want to make your 6215i reflect your personality, it features customizable theme colors, screen backgrounds, and caller ID graphics and pictures. Gaming is supported, too.

Vital Statistics
The Nokia 6215i weighs 3 ounces and measures 3.35 x 1.81 x 0.75 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.92 hours of digital talk time, and up to 240 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 850/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Product Description
The Nokia 6215i is exactly what you need, with more of what you want. So sleek and lightweight it goes where you go, and with easy to use features, you will actually use it more often.