The new touchscreen based LG KS660 supports two SIM cards simultaneously, while the extravagant GD910 mobile phone takes the shape of a wristwatch and shines with 3G support for video calls.
LG KS660 is a dual-SIM phone supporting tri-band GSM connectivity. It has a 3-inch TFT touchscreen display with WQVGA resolution (400x240), 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and video recording at 720x480@15fps. Additional specs include 50MB internal storage, microSD expansion slot (up to 4GB), Bluetooth and USB capabilities.
The unfortunate absentees are 3G and Wi-Fi. The first LG handset featuring two SIM cards will likely aim at the Asian and Eastern European markets, much like the Dual SIM lineup by Samsung.
The second mobile phone is LG GD910 and it comes in the unusual wristwatch form factor. Perhaps you remember the wristwatch prototype by LG that was displayed at the MWC 2008. Well, they've made it real this time and it would be first showcased at the CES 2009 next month.
LG GD910 is 13.9 mm thick and sports a 1.43-inch touch LCD screen. The main selling point of the device is 3G video calls thanks to the front-facing camera.
Anyway, behind the watch disguise you will also find HSDPA and Bluetooth connectivity, voice dialing and speech recognition, text-to-speech feature and a music player.
The Sony Ericsson C510 is a bar-shaped mid-range Cyber-shot that should hit the shelves in two months. Previously known in Rumor land as the Sony Ericsson Kate, we now finally have it's model number, a nice photo and the full specifications. Recently there has been a lot of confusion over leaked photos of two Sony Ericsson handsets that will look almost identical - the Sony Ericsson Kate (now C510) and the Sony Ericsson Phillipa. We posted pics of the 5 megapixel Phillipa not long ago, taking it mistakingly for Kate. But now the confusion is over. The Sony Ericsson C510 is armed with a 3-megapixel sharpshooter with auto focus and goodies such as face and smile detection. Unfortunately it only has a LED flash, as the xenon unit is reserved to the Sony Ericsson Phillipa. Traditionally for Cyber-shots, the C510 also has an active lens cover and camera shortcuts that light up when you need them. The 120 MB of built-in memory is expandable with an M2 card, while the 2.2-inch QVGA display rounds off the specs. Unfortunately, there's no word on pricing or planned availability. Tags: Sony Ericsson
N85 is the latest Nseries signing and a bulletproof spec sheet sets it right in the thick of all-in-one action. Full-house connectivity and multimedia prowess topped with a massive OLED screen to die for, Nokia N85 gives the lineup a great edge and comes out as the definitive brand-loyal upgrade. No, it will never rule the Nseries but sure has what it takes to make them tick. With the echo of the not so glorious N96 entry still lingering, we are about to see what Nokia N85 can do for the Nseries morale. With N85 the free slots between N70 and N96 seem to be quickly running up. But that will be a minor issue for Nokia - the much bigger challenge after N85 will be finding some new tricks to upgrade the lineup with. We've been over and over the Nokia N85 spec sheet and we can hardly find something the phone lacks. The stunning 2.6" OLED screen is of course the first thing to note and, what's more, it brings us directly to pretty much the closest competitor N85 will be dealing with. But more on competition a little later. All-in-one Symbian devices with a high stake on imaging (5MP and above) are not so many. That, and the N-gage flavor, more or less set the N85 against its own. One thing we need to give Nokia N85 is that on paper it delivers nearly the same as the Nseries top dog, and beats it on looks. The pricing seems less extreme this time, so we may as well call it a nice start. The best thing about the N85 though is its undoubted appeal as an upgrader's choice. It seems to be the direct successor of N81 - and does a great job at that - with definitely improved handling and looks, and boosted up specs. Nikoa N78 owners might also cheer the N85 for topping pretty much everything there is to top, and keeping the FM transmitter. The smaller brother - Nokia N79 - might snatch some customers with distinct styling and more affordable price. The 50 euro saving implies a smaller and inferior display. Other than that, the differences between are minor. Undoubtedly the true rival will be Samsung i7110. Despite coming in a different form factor, the i7110 has basically the same spec sheet and uses the very same edition of the UI. While the price of the i7110 is yet unknown, we don't believe it will be much different from the N85. However the Finn has a head start on release. In addition, having already previewed Samsung i7110, we have to admit that the Nokia ergonomics are a whole lot better. And Nokia has worked hard on not only delivering a mere handset, but a whole suite of services, that you can enjoy given that you have one of theirs - Nokia Maps, Ovi or N-gage are some of the things that come to mind. Well that is the market as it stands now. Luckily we have reviews of most of the mentioned models so if you have questions about them, feel free to pay them a visit. But first stay tuned for the actual test of Nokia N85. Join us on the next page to see what the retail box hold in store. Tags: Nokia
Nokia N85Key features:
Main disadvantages:
Nokia N85
Nokia N78 • Nokia N81
Nokia N79
Samsung i7110
More of Nokia N85
Samsung INNOV8 is back to our shop and quite ready to strut its stuff again. Not so long ago we saw it in heavy duty cameraphone action, it's now time to explore the whole package. And there's a lot. The ample TFT display, abundant storage space, latest Symbian OS and the 8 megapixel camera all promise a nice ride. Multimedia and entertainment won't go unnoticed either, to make it as fun as it gets. The INNOV8 has already got a star on the 8 megapixel boulevard and might as well be eyeing Symbian domination. Here it goes, but watch out 'cause this thing rides fast. A few 8 megapixel cameraphones are already cornering the market and you should be well on top of things if you keep track. Samsung i8510, better known by its stage name INNOV8, was first to hit the shelves and still the only one to run on Symbian. A powerful OS for a powerful handset, we should add. You can tell we are struck by the INNOV8 charisma, but don't worry, you will soon be too. Samsung INNOV8 boasts one of the most capable 8 megapixel cameras and so rightfully earned the most feature balanced cameraphone recommendation in our recent 8 megapixel camera shootout. We're now about to have a closer look though at another two contenders, which share INNOV8's form factor. Sony Ericsson C905 is a monster of a feature phone, which has GPS and Wi-Fi too, but fails to keep up in terms of multimedia features and screen size, let alone video recording. The price margin between C905 and the 8GB version of the INNOV8 is so slim it makes the Samsung INNOV8 a dead easy pick for your multimedia needs. The KC780 by LG is another 8 megapixel slider but stakes are this time on affordability. Just made available, we are yet to see what it's made of. Imaging prowess aside, there seem to be hardly any chinks in the INNOV8 armor its rivals can take advantage of and close the gap on Samsung's finest. The few weak spots are sheer size, price tag and probably the lack of an FM transmitter. Frankly, we can't think of a real alternative in terms of size, as none of the more compact Symbians has a feature pack comparable to INNOV8's. Still, Nokia N79 and Nokia N85 might be considered, with bodies fitting every hand and specs to please most tastes. Samsung's very own i7110 might also come into play here. All of those have FM transmitters but none of them is a match for INNOV8's 8 megapixel monster. We're talking Samsung's supreme Symbian device so we guess we can't do without a respectful nod to the Nseries top brass. Nokia N96 is trying to offset the lower-res camera with DVB-H support in what are otherwise identical spec sheets, give or take. N96 though is so steeply priced it loses some competitive edge. From a budget standpoint Nokia N95 8GB is the more likely alternative. It's more compact, it packs the same screen as the INNOV8 and covers most of the functionality, save for the optical trackpad and the 8 megapixel shooter. At this point though N95 8GB saves you a good 100 euro (125 US dollars). Tags: Samsung, Symbian S60
Official photos of Samsung i8510 INNOV8Key features:
Main disadvantages:
Samsung i8510 INNOV8
Sony Ericsson C905
LG KC780
Nokia N79 • Nokia N85 • Samsung i7110
Nokia N96 • Nokia N95 8GB
We bet you saw that coming. The shootout sequel is up the 8 megapixel notch. Starring Sony Ericsson C905, Samsung i8510 INNOV8, Samsung M8800 Pixon and LG KC910 Renoir, this dedicated article takes phone'n'shoot closer than ever before to point'n'shoot. In the world of GSM phones there are hardly any handsets to pack more punch than our contenders here. The sophisticated imaging devices deliver on all fronts of multimedia, leaving little (if anything) to wish for. So, careful what you wish? Only if what you wish is a digicam. The latest and greatest cameraphones are head-to-head and pure camera performance is the weapon of choice. There's plenty of ammo so we're in for one exciting shooting challenge. While we roll up our sleeves, just a few quick points so you can read our test right and hopefully… enjoy it. Let's start with what shootouts are all about. There are several important factors to camera image quality and we structure our articles accordingly. Breaking down the image quality we look for resolved detail, dynamic range, color accuracy, internal image processing and lens quality. But there's more to a camera than image quality. It's really important how the camera software handles exposure, auto focus, low light scenes, and close-ups. Some extra goodies also get tested in our shootout such as the value-adding features (geotagging, smile detection, etc), flash performance and sheer shot-to-shot speed. And since we do more with a cameraphone than just take pictures, we also compare the video recording skills and image galleries of our contenders. And finally, we should also note that our tests are conducted with all camera settings on auto (unless stated otherwise) with the highest available resolution and quality. We think it's how most users shoot with their phones. Tags: Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson C905 • Samsung i8510 INNOV8 • Samsung M8800 Pixon • LG KC910 Renoir
The stars of the show
One of a kind is the last thing to call Sony Ericsson G705 upon as much as a glimpse. But conceited scoffs may be bitterly regretted. Wi-Fi, GPS and lightning fast data are likely to turn the snooty sneer into an embarrassed smirk. Now, one of a kind may be not precisely right but the G705 is pretty darn close. The handset is only the second feature phone in the Sony Ericsson Generation Web lineup. To narrow it down even further, the G705 is only the company's second feature phone to sport both WLAN and GPS. And since the other one is proudly perched at the top of the Cybershot tree, the G705 has the midrange all to itself. What a cheeky chap!. A feature phone with no gaps in the spec sheet, Sony Ericsson G705 finds itself in quite a predicament. One, it's good enough to mess with the big boys (yep, that's smartphones), but second, it's cocky enough for the big boys to start messing with it. At this point, the G705 has virtually no competition among non-OS phones. Check out our comparative table below for the kind of smartphone track the G705 will be running on. A couple of Symbian-powered Nokia devices are there for a taster of what our Sony Ericsson handset is up against. Tags: Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericcson G705 official photosKey features:
Main disadvantages:
Sony Ericsson G705
More Sony Ericsson G705 photos
