New video recording on iPhone 2009

The iPhone inabilities have been a matter of discussion at least as much as its virtues. Unfortunately, video recording (or better yet the lack of it) has often been a subject of criticism. But that will surely become a thing of the past since the developer's beta of iPhone OS 3.0 is supposedly sprinkled with clues that video recording will definitely be coming to the upcoming iPhone 2009.

It's this time of the year again, and with Apple's next announcement in June nearing, not a day goes by without some new iPhone rumors surfacing. Rumors are always to be taken with a pinch of salt, but this one seems as solid as a rock.

The iPhone 2009 is rumored to have a better 3.2 megapixel camera in store for us but no matter the megapixel count, it will almost certainly support video recording as the following camera screenshot reveals. Video recording has never been a part of the originally announced iPhone OS 3.0 new features, so it's highly possible that iPhone 2G and 3G will most probably be left out in the cold.

Review of Sony Ericsson W995

Convergence is the buzzword and the Cyber-shot Walkman affair-turned-marriage is busy producing offspring. And hey, the young Sony Ericsson W995 sure makes the first-born W902 look like a helpless orphan.

Easily the best equipped feature phone of the house, Sony Ericsson W995, still more popular as Hikaru, packs in all there is to find at the top of the company portfolio. The full set of connectivity options, the biggest screen on a Sony Ericsson feature phone to date, GPS, Wi-Fi and the great user interface make a sweet enough package on their own.

But in the case of W995 they're just the perfect background for the unprecedented blend of music and imaging. The Cyber-shot line is graciously lending its 8 megapixel triumph, while the music dowry includes the latest Walkman 4.0 player, with all the bare Walkman necessities such as Shake control and SensMe. And there's more to make it even sweeter. We called it a marriage and Sony Ericsson have taken due care of the wedding presents. We don't know what else to call the kickstand and the on-board 3.5 mm audio jack.

So Sony Ericsson W995 has it all, doesn't it? Now let's see if it gives it all.

Sony Ericsson W995 official photos

Key Features:

• Brushed metal body parts
• Quad-band GSM, dual-band HSDPA
• 2.6" 256K-color TFT display of QVGA resolution
• 8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, face detection
• WQVGA video recording at 30fps
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality
• Wi-Fi with DLNA support
• Bluetooth (with A2DP) and USB v2.0
• Accelerometer sensor
• 118MB of internal memory and M2 memory expansion (8GB card included)
• Stereo speakers
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Kickstand
• Walkman 4.0 music player with Shake control and SensMe
• FM radio with RDS
• Multi-tasking support
• Smart dialing
• Comfortable keypad, nice sliding mechanism

Key features of BlackBerry Bold 9000

There we go folks, it's a BlackBerry grand slam at the arena and we're set for another ride with RIM's finest. We guess this here Berry is neither Curve-hot nor Storm-inventive but it's Bold enough to say little and do much. Even without being the latest or greatest of RIM devices, the Bold 9000 is clearly the pinnacle of what BlackBerry stands for.

BlackBerry Bold 9000 official photos

Moreover, the Bold 9000 is hardly a groundbreaking device outside the BlackBerry world but to Berry buffs it may be about as good as a mobile phone gets. Sporting flawless connectivity, a magnificent screen and one of the most comfortable QWERTY keyboards we have seen, the Bold 9000 is at the very least a great business gadget. Well then, it's business as usual on our end too so the BlackBerry Bold better get ready for one of our out-and-out reviews.

Key features:

• 2.6" 65K-color TFT landscape display with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels
• Comfortable four-row full QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM support and tri-band 3G with HSDPA
• Wi-Fi and built-in GPS and BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 2 megapixel camera, LED flash
• 624 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM
• BlackBerry OS v4.6
• Responsive trackball navigation
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 8GB)
• Excellent build quality
• DivX and XviD video support
• Good web browser
• Office document editor
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Nice audio quality
• Smart dialing

Key features of Sony Ericsson T707

Sony Ericsson T707 is a new addition to the T-series but it's nothing like the T-series as you know them. Not only is it the first flip in the bunch, it also has a different brief than virtually any other T-series handset. Codenamed Elle, Sony Ericsson T707 will be trying to please the ladies but maybe it's not as simple as just sticking that less a gadget, more an accessory label.

As one of the product designers claims, the Sony Ericsson T707 was inspired by rainbows and the array of paintjobs it will be released in will make sure it won't go unnoticed. The light effects, the stealthy external screen and the ripple-and-circle patterns inside give this otherwise modest mid-ranger a distinct personality and visual appeal.

Sony Ericsson T707 official shots

Key features:

• Quad-band GSM and 3G with HSDPA support
• 3.15 megapixel camera with Cell-ID geotagging
• 2.2" 256K-color TFT display with 240 x 320 pixels resolution
• Scratch resistant secondary monochrome external display (36 x 128 pixels)
• 100 MB internal memory
• Bluetooth with A2DP
• Hot-swappable M2 card slot (up to 16 GB)
• FM radio with RDS
• Basic multi-tasking support
• Gesture control
• Light effects with 5 colors, assignable to contacts
• Smart dialing
• Threaded messaging

new Nokia 5800 XpressMusic review with its key features

It's touchscreen o'clock for Nokia and the stage is set for the 5800 XpressMusic. Go ahead and touch it. We did and we've got a story to tell.

Now, it's technically not the first time Nokia get their hands dirty with touch screens, but it sure feels they really mean business this time. For Nokia 5800 is not the only story here. The smart platform with the most influential touch receives its first trial by touch. Being the first device running Series 60 5th alone is enough for the 5800 to be remembered by.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic official photos

It's a first try and proceeding with caution is only fair. Nokia 5800 is unthreateningly and unobtrusively positioned in the mid-range and the XpressMusic branding helps share some of that first-S60-touchscreen weight. Still, it's way more than an affordable music-centered handset. The 5800 has a strong and unmistakable Nokia identity and delivers multimedia prowess. So, let's touch, shall we?

Key features:

• 3.2" 16M-color TFT LCD 16:9 touchscreen display (360 x 640 pixels)
• Symbian S60 5th edition
• ARM 11 369 MHz CPU, 128 MB of SDRAM memory
• 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash
• VGA video recording at 30fps
• Dual-band 3G with HSDPA support
• Quad-band GSM support
• Wi-Fi
• Capable GPS receiver and Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch
• microSD card memory expansion, ships with an 8GB card
• TV out
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth and USB v2.0
• 3.5mm standard audio jack
• Excellent audio quality
• Landscape on-screen virtual QWERTY keyboard
• Proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off
• Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation and motion-based gaming
• Rich retail package
• Affordable price
• Office document viewer
• OVI and MySpace integration (direct image and video uploads)

Main disadvantages:

• Limited 3rd party software availability
• UI is still immature with somewhat dodgy user experience
• Touchscreen sensitivity not the best in the class
• No smart dialing
• Poor image quality and no GPS geotagging (geotagging is now added via firmware update)
• Touch web browser not quite polished
• No voice-guided navigation license
• No office document editing out-of-the-box
• Doesn't charge off microUSB

New Sony Ericsson W995

Convergence is the buzzword and the Cyber-shot Walkman affair-turned-marriage is busy producing offspring. And hey, the young Sony Ericsson W995 sure makes the first-born W902 look like a helpless orphan.

Easily the best equipped feature phone of the house, Sony Ericsson W995, still more popular as Hikaru, packs in all there is to find at the top of the company portfolio. The full set of connectivity options, the biggest screen on a Sony Ericsson feature phone to date, GPS, Wi-Fi and the great user interface make a sweet enough package on their own.

But in the case of W995 they're just the perfect background for the unprecedented blend of music and imaging. The Cyber-shot line is graciously lending its 8 megapixel triumph, while the music dowry includes the latest Walkman 4.0 player, with all the bare Walkman necessities such as Shake control and SensMe. And there's more to make it even sweeter. We called it a marriage and Sony Ericsson have taken due care of the wedding presents. We don't know what else to call the kickstand and the on-board 3.5 mm audio jack.

So Sony Ericsson W995 has it all, doesn't it? Now let's see if it gives it all.

Key Features:

• Brushed metal body parts
• Quad-band GSM, dual-band HSDPA
• 2.6" 256K-color TFT display of QVGA resolution
• 8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, face detection
• WQVGA video recording at 30fps
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality
• Wi-Fi with DLNA support
• Bluetooth (with A2DP) and USB v2.0
• Accelerometer sensor
• 118MB of internal memory and M2 memory expansion (8GB card included)
• Stereo speakers
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Kickstand
• Walkman 4.0 music player with Shake control and SensMe
• FM radio with RDS
• Multi-tasking support
• Smart dialing
• Comfortable keypad, nice sliding mechanism

Main disadvantages:

• Video recording limited to WQVGA
• No lens protection
• No DivX/XviD video support (though it's touted as a video-centric phone)
• Kickstand construction could've been more reliable
• No office document viewer

New T-Mobile G1

The T-Mobile G1 is the Googlephone. Did we really need to say that? Well, there's more Google in this story than there is phone, so we guess we did. We've got a new contender on the race track but we're talking no rookie here. If you thought Apple made the phone game breathtaking, think of where it's all heading with Google keen to play along. Unlike the iPhone Mac OS X, the Android is the joint effort of the whole Open Handset Alliance, which brings together makers that sure know the drill. So much for the rookie, as long as Google is siding with Asus, HTC, LG, Garmin, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba.

But well, that's the bigger story. We have the first chapter right here, and it's called the T-Mobile G1 or HTC Dream if you prefer. The first impression sure is important. So, there we go.

Key features:

• Android OS
• 3.2" capacitive touchscreen display of HVGA resolution
• Slide-out five-row full QWERTY keyboard
• Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528 MHz CPU, 192 MB RAM
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
• 3.15 megapixel autofocus camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• GPS
• Trackball
• Accelerometer sensor
• Digital compass

Main disadvantages:

• Quite unassuming looks
• Pretty bulky and heavy
• The slider mechanism rattles
• No secondary videocall camera
• No video recording
• No flash support in the web browser
• No file transfers or A2DP over Bluetooth
• No FM radio
• No screen auto rotation
• No smart dialing