Nokia Launches 5 New Phones

Nokia Launches 5 New Phones

Nokia is launching 5 new phones at their GoPlay event in London. They aren’t all new models to be precise, but a few are simply re-hashed and upgraded versions of older designs. We don’t have the information yet as to when they’ll be hitting our stores, but I can only hope soon, considering India is Nokia’s second largest market for their devices.

Nokia N95 8GB Edition




First off is the new version of their ‘Super-Phone’ the N95. This new model is totally black to begin with and now comes with a whopping 8GB of internal memory. It’s also going to have a 1200 mAh battery (950 mAh - original). Another major redesign feature is that the screen size has been upped to 2.8 inches (2.6 inches – original).


Nokia N81




The next Symbian smartphone from Nokia is the N81 which will have a 2.4 inch TFT display with QVGA resolution. It will also be equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities, is EDGE/HSDPA-enabled and will also support Bluetooth with A2DP compatibility as well. The N81 will also have dedicated gaming keys and 8GB of internal memory. The main camera is 2 megapixels and there’s also a secondary CIF camera for video calls.


Nokia XpressMusic Series
5700



Nokia is also adding 2 more phones to their XpressMusic series and has given their new 5700 model a makeover. The latest 5700 will have a Black coat with a Blue or Red trim. But there’s no confirmation on if there will be any other significant differences.

5310



This smartphone is going to run off the series 40 platform. It has a QVGA TFT display and has a 2 megapixel camera. Like it’s predecessor the 5300, this model will also support Bluetooth with A2DP compatibility and also support external memory with microSD cards.

5610





The second XpressMusic phone to be released is the 5610 which has a slider design and will also run on the series 40 platform.

VIA GSM ARENA

Motorola RAZR2 V8

Motorola RAZR2 V8

Phone Model: Motorola RAZR2 V8
Brand: Motorola
Camera: 2 MP
Network: GSM 850 / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
Released Date:
Size: 103 x 53 x 11.9 mm
Weight: 117g
Diplay: TFT, 256K colors, 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
Battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 950 mAh
Internal Memory: 420 MB or 2 GB
Function: GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth v2.0, USB v2.0, MP3/AAC/AAC+ player



Motorola RAZR2 features almost the same performance as Motorola RAZR2 V9. They are all rich with great clear colour screen and cool lookin for the on-screen touch controls. Anyway, there is some differences between them too (or esle they wouldn’t have the different name). V8 features a slick new interface thanks to a Linux/Java platform whereas V9 still contain the same boring Moto interface. Some messaging functions only available on the V8’s external display. For the memory storage, although V8 does not have expandable memory, it comes with 420 MB or 2 GB internal user memory while V9 only has 45MB of internal storage. Even though you don’t like its performance, the device’s slim 11.9mm body may catch your attention. And the last thing, don’t forget, V8 does not have 3G function as V9. It would have dissapointed some people. However, if you think in positve way, you might save a great amount of money since you won’t pay for any 3G connection fees.

iPhone: The Unlock Heard 'Round the World

iPhone: The Unlock Heard 'Round the World

No one ever doubted that the iPhone would be unlocked. It was only a matter of time before someone figured out how to crack the armor that heretofore has kept iPhone users from popping in a SIM card other than the iPhone-specific one that AT&T Wireless supplies with every new iPhone.

It seems that the team of someones at iPhoneSimFree.com are the first to successfully pull off this feat. The group says it has unlocked the phone, and will be releasing its software for sale starting next week.

Unlocking the iPhone dramatically widens the phone's appeal. For one, it means that you won't be tied to AT&T Wireless' services and network; you can use whatever local GSM network operates best for your needs--and potentially save money while doing so. Once it's been unlocked, you can take the phone with you anywhere, and pop in the SIM card of choice. For me, that would mean sticking with T-Mobile, where I already have a family plan and a service I don't want to change. For others, that may mean inserting a SIM purchased locally while traveling in Italy.

While we haven't tried this unlock yet ourselves, technology blog Engadget has given it a try, and found that the unlock works as advertised. Notably, Engadget says that at the moment, the hack appears "restore-resistant"--meaning you won't have to re-hack your phone after you apply an iPhone update. This is key to the success of any iPhone unlock process; Apple appears well on its way towards having multiple iPhone updates over time, and each software update so far has managed to undo any existing hacks on the iPhone.

I'll be interested to see what the response will be from Apple and AT&T Wireless. Considering you still have to buy the iPhone with a two-year AT&T Wireless contract, I'm not clear on how much of an advantage the iPhone unlock will be to the average consumer. You'll still have to pay to get out of your AT&T contract--which in turn will raise your overall cost-of-ownership on the iPhone.

Another consideration--if you plan to use the iPhone's Internet access over the cellular network--you'll want to pay for an unlimited data plan. The iPhone's Safari browser delivers the real, graphical Internet--which translates into lots of megabytes of data being transferred via the network. If you don't have unlimited data access, I'd shudder to think about the overage charges.

Addendum: More iPhone unlocks are surfacing now. One is from Rochester Institute of Technology-bound teenager from New Jersey came up with this solution, as documented on his blog.

Comments

Great for Apple; not that great for AT&T. There will be two groups of users for this software.

First group - buy the iPhone, sign up with AT&T; unlock the phone and use other SIMs when it's cheaper than roaming with AT&T (abroad); neither Apple, nor AT&T can legally do anything about it.

Second group - buy the iPhone, activate it with fake activation software; then unlock and use SIM of your choice. This could create problems, since Apple would be able to refuse updating such a phone or providing support.

According to the recent rulemaking with respect to the DMCA, unlocking SIM lock on phones is perfectly legal. Very few people know about the locking features and its implications in the first place, let alone the legalities of it, though. This will be a very low profile issue for both Apple, and AT&T.