What's Next in Mobile Phones

Rugged G'zOne Phone Goes QWERTY

2009-11-05T21:02:00.003-06:00

When rugged meets QWERTY, chalk one up for G'zOne Brigade, Casio's latest military-tough mobile phone. Brigade will be the first in the G'zOne series of rugged phones to feature a full QWERTY keyboard. The push-to-talk Brigade phone joins the growing trend of keyboard cell phones, in addition to offering the usual complement of G'zOne all-terrain features.

Blockbuster Goes Mobile On Moto Phones

2009-08-30T22:51:00.003-05:00

Blockbuster OnDemand movies are coming to a Motorola mobile phone near you. An exclusive application on select cell phones by Motorola will soon provide on-the-go download access to Blockbuster's digital library of movies. Said Kevin Lewis, senior VP of Digital Entertainment for Blockbuster: "People are increasingly relying on their mobile phones to stay connected to the things they love the most - including their favorite movies and TV shows."

Touch Pro2 Smartphone Comes To America

2009-07-31T23:22:00.006-05:00

With a touchscreen that slides back and tilts up to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, the HTC Touch Pro2 smartphone is set to launch on the T-Mobile high-speed 3G network. The new stylish device in a mocha finish will make its U.S. debut in August. The HTC Touch Pro2 sports a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus and is stereo Bluetooth capable. The new touchscreen phone features Straight Talk technology, an integrated e-mail, voice and speakerphone experience, plus HTC’s latest TouchFLO 3D interface integrated into a customized version of Windows Mobile.

Nokia E71x Mixes Thin With Smart

2009-04-01T20:00:00.003-05:00

In a few weeks, Nokia is releasing the E71x which it describes as the thinnest QWERTY smartphone on the U.S. market. Exclusive to AT&T, the stylish, black steel-colored Nokia E71x comes as a thin phone package, with high-speed 3G connectivity and WiFi, and features a built-in mobile music player and a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera. "The E71x is a lean, mean multimedia machine for busy people who want Internet-on-the-go capabilities in the palm of their hands," said Nokia President Mark Louison.

Motorola Evoke Eyes Social Circles

2009-03-30T19:30:00.004-05:00

With messaging, a touch-screen QWERTY keyboard, and a regular slide-out keypad, Motorola is loading up the Evoke QA4 mobile phone for release in the second quarter of this year. Add integrated widgets, personalized RSS feeds and a full HTML browser, and the new Motorola Evoke QA4 should keep you well connected with your social networks.

Motorola Stature i9: Thinnest iDEN Flip Phone

2009-02-03T23:51:00.004-06:00

Motorola, Sprint and Boost Mobile are taking the wraps off the thinnest flip phone in the Nextel Direct Connect lineup. The Motorola i9 phone debuts at Boost Mobile in late February, followed by Sprint. A stylish multimedia powerhouse, Motorola Stature i9 features external keys for quick access to iDEN-based Nextel Direct Connect, Sprint's push-to-talk service.

Motorola's ModeShift technology allows the exterior keys to change and illuminate based on the user's current application, such as camera operation or the media player. Other Stature i9 mobile phone features include two large screens, GPS, Bluetooth and up to 8GB of storage.

Nokia 6700 Phone: Blast From The Past

2009-01-31T17:20:00.009-06:00

Modeled after the Nokia 6300, which first made waves back in 2006, the Nokia 6700 is headlining a trio of new Nokia phones expected in the second quarter of 2009. The 6700 classic is joined by the Nokia 6303 and the Nokia 2700.

The Nokia 6700 mobile phone comes with a 5 megapixel camera, GPS navigation with Nokia Maps, and high speed data access for fast video. The Nokia 6303 includes a 3.2 megapixel camera, a large 2.2 inch screen and pre-loaded Nokia Maps. The Nokia 2700 offers up to 2GB of storage, an integrated digital music player and a 2.0 megapixel camera.

Bejeweled Twist Game Slated For Mobile

2008-12-09T22:49:00.005-06:00

PopCap Games is prepping the mobile version of its highly acclaimed Bejeweled Twist puzzle game for release in the second quarter of 2009. Bejeweled Twist will be PopCap's fourth in-house title in its series of games for cell phones.

"Gamers anxiously awaited the launch of Bejeweled Twist on the PC, and it has more than lived up to players' expectations, which is why we're thrilled to bring an amazingly accurate translation to the mobile market, featuring all the same game modes and challenges as the original," said Andrew Stein at PopCap.

"The mobile version is well suited for gaming on-the-go, offering four distinct ways to play from fast-paced action and strategy to a stress-busting, Zen-like experience."

Bejeweled Twist Mobile is expected to support touch screen phones.

ROKR EM35 Ups The Sound Of Music And Talk

2008-12-07T20:11:00.003-06:00

Combining its CrystalTalk technology with virtual surround sound, Motorola is putting finishing touches to the MOTOROKR EM35 mobile phone and music player. This latest addition to the ROKR family tackles the challenge of taking phone conversations in a noisy environment. Using a two-microphone design, the ROKR EM35 helps eliminate background noise. Add built-in dual speakers, stereo Bluetooth wireless technology plus a suite of dedicated music control keys, this latest ROKR mobile device sounds like it rocks.

Latest Keyboard Cell Phones

2007-10-31T20:31:00.000-05:00

With text messaging quickly becoming a way of life, keyboard cell phones are becoming a must-have. What are some of the latest mobile phones with full QWERTY keyboards? Look up Virgin Mobile's Wild Card phone by Kyocera. Or if you are up for a Windows Mobile smartphone, check out the Samsung SCH-i760. And if you prefer a double-keyboard design, the Pantech Duo just kicked off that trend.

Football Fantasy In A Mobile Snap

2007-08-31T09:15:00.000-05:00

Football season is coming up and so is some help with football fantasy updates via cell phone. Mobile search and live mobile audio entertainment service UpSNAP, teamed up with Xtreme Fantasy Football.com, is providing "Fast Five Minutes" podcasts for your mobile phone.

The five-minute fantasy football updates are produced daily Monday through Friday. Said UpSNAP CEO Tony Philipp: "With a simple text message and no complicated downloads, mobile users will find getting the latest fantasy football information is a snap."

From your cell phone, text "Pod ffootball" to UpSNAP's shortcode – 27627 (2SNAP) to get this free service.

Space Wars Mobile Game Launches

2007-08-08T17:58:00.000-05:00

Can your cell phone control the galaxy? It just might, if you are playing Space Wars - the latest of Cellufun's free games for cell phones. In Space Wars, you compete real-time against up to 120 other players for control of a virtual galaxy.

"The Space Wars experience is far-reaching and long-lasting because it offers interactive features not normally seen in multiplayer battles," says Cellufun CEO Arthur Goikhman. "We’ve seen our beta testers take unprecedented and creative approaches to the game, such as launching coordinated attacks in waves."

An advertising-supported massively multiplayer mobile game (MMMG), Space Wars joins Cellufun's other free mobile entertainment content, such as MobilePets, Sudoku, The Battle for Orion's Belt, Why Chicken Why? and Chess.>>>MORE ...

Phonecasting Goes Live

2007-06-30T10:12:00.000-05:00

Call from your mobile phone - or any phone, record your own episode content, create a channel phone number, offer it to 3.5 billion cell phone subscribers worldwide, and you're phonecasting.>>>MORE ...

Who Is Watching Mobile TV?

2007-04-30T10:43:00.000-05:00

If you are male and young, you are more likely watching TV on cell phones. That's according to a survey of more than 2,000 mobile phone users. Two of every three mobile TV subscribers are male and nearly half are under 35, and they prefer to watch traditional-style mobile TV content - the "entire TV show" not a condensed version.

"While the use of mobile TV is a growing trend among mobile phone users, its current devotees appear to be the early adopters of new technologies," said Serge Matta, senior vice president of comScore Telecom Solutions, which conducted the study. >>>MORE ...

Mobile Infotainment Gets Wild

2007-02-27T23:31:00.000-06:00

The plight of rare and endangered wildlife is serious business for environmentalists. Now the Center for Biological Diversity has found a cool way to get the message out - through mobile infotainment. It's collection of free wildlife ringtones is both informative and entertaining. The national non-profit organization is hoping the cell phone ringtones from the wild will produce a ringing endorsement for the green cause.

Cell Phone Meets Wrist Watch

2007-01-29T23:45:00.000-06:00

Cell phones are not just for talking anymore, and wrist watches are not just for telling time anymore. What else is new? Cell phones and wrist watches are cozying up.

Thanks to Bluetooth wireless technology, you can check your wrist watch for the caller ID of your incoming mobile phone call - if you are wearing a Fossil Bluetooth Caller ID Watch. Instead of reaching for your phone in your pocket to see who is calling, just glance at the display on your watch.

The new link between cell phone and wrist watch is just what the doctor ordered for those times when you need to be at your cell-phone-etiquette best. This is a cell phone trend to watch; pun intended.

New Music Video Shot By Cell Phone

2006-11-11T16:25:00.000-06:00

When Italian filmmakers earlier this year shot an entire 93-minute documentary using a Nokia N90 cell phone, it was only the beginning of a trend. Now Rob Dickinson's new music video - "Oceans" - takes the nSeries phones to the next level.

"Oceans" is the second single from Dickinson's debut solo album, Fresh Wine for the Horses. The new music video was shot on the Nokia N93, a 3.2 megapixel cameraphone with DVD-quality video and Carl Zeiss optics.

"The great thing about the Nokia N93 cameraphone is that we were able to go anywhere with it. We didn't have to lug a camera crew around thanks to the luxury of such a compact and versatile device," said Mike Hodgkinson, director of the music video.

"We were able to get some very creative shots with it, even underwater and we also created an aerial shot with a bunch of helium balloons - we really pushed the Nokia N93 to its limits, and it responded fantastically."

The Nokia N93 connects directly to your TV for a widescreen movie experience and you can upload your images and video to online albums or blogs. You can also create and burn home movies to DVD using the Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 software bundled with the Nokia N93.

Speak Your Mobile Text Message - Soon?

2006-10-31T13:00:00.000-06:00

If you like sending text messages but don't like typing or "thumbing" them on that tiny cell phone keypad, you are not alone. And if Nuance Communications has its way you may be dictating your text messages soon.

To showcase its Mobile Dictation solution last week, Nuance challenged Guinness Book world champion texter, teenager Ben Cook, to a public man-versus-machine duel. The speech solution prevailed handily, completing a 160-character standardized message in 16.32 seconds. Cook's time was 42.22 seconds.

But hold your horses; this technology is still in trials with the phone companies. So until you can speak your text message, try using a QWERTY keyboard cell phone, or brush up on your text message shorthand.

Let The Free Mobile Games Begin

2006-09-30T16:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the ad-supported mobile games program by Greystripe, you'll likely be playing more free games on your cell phone. If that's got you jumping for joy, then look for mobile game collections like Greystripe's GameJump.com to open up a strong new trend in free games for cell phones.

The more than 150 free games at GameJump include titles by Ozura Mobile. Said H.E. Mah, vice president of marketing for Ozura: "Greystripe has figured out a business model that is beneficial to game developers, advertisers and people who enjoy playing mobile games."

Now that's a win-win game play.>>>MORE Games For Cell Phones ...

Wanted - Frequent Mobile Game Players

2006-08-31T21:28:00.000-05:00

There's a new, up-and-coming trend in cell phones - mobile loyalty programs that reward you with some bling for your gaming skills. Case in point is Sennari's PrizePlay mobile games service. You get skill-based pay-per-play mobile games and redeem prizes right on your cell phone.>>>MORE ...

Webster Defines Ringtone

2006-07-07T07:42:00.000-05:00

The trendy word "Ringtone" is here to stay. It has just been added to Merriam-Webster's latest update of its Collegiate Dictionary. As defined by Webster, a ringtone is the sound made by a cell phone to signal an incoming call. Now it's official.>>>MORE ...

Mobile, Vision, Sound Meet At Moviso

2006-06-30T13:18:00.000-05:00

What happens when you bring mobile, vision and sound together? You get Moviso. Get it? Moviso is Infospace's creative mix for its brand new mobile entertainment online superstore.>>>MORE ...

Nokia 8800 Cell Phone Gets A Red Dot

2006-06-26T15:44:00.000-05:00

With cell phones fast becoming fashion symbols, design matters as much as technology. So which phone is top dog in design? The Nokia 8800 mobile phone has just filled that slot by winning the presitgious Red Dot award at the world's largest design competition.>>>MORE ...

Disney's Gone Mobile

2006-06-22T07:20:00.000-05:00

Just in time for summer, Disney has gone mobile and there's "magic" in it for all in the family - tweens, teens and adults alike. Disney Mobile is offering stylish cell phones with wireless voice service, text and picture messaging, and a broad range of entertainment and content.>>>MORE ...

qtags Kicks Mobile Advertising Up A Notch

2006-06-14T18:44:00.000-05:00

Be sure to hang on to your cell phone. Sooner than later, if not already, your all-purpose mobile phone will be your ultimate ticket or your discount coupon. So what else is new? Well add another advertising program to the growing cast of mobile ticketing and coupon services. This one's called qtags.>>>MORE ...