Huawei just officially announced the Huawei Ideos, a smartphone that follows in the company’s tradition of affordable devices. Uncharacteristically, though, this one’s shipping with Android 2.2 Froyo, the latest iteration of Google’s mobile OS.
Being a budget smartphone, specs are a tad on the underwhelming end. However, you do get the full Android experience with Froyo, which adds full Flash compatibility and WiFi hotspot capability, among other features you’ll rarely find in the lower range of mobile devices.
Details of the Huawei Ideos include a 2.8-inch touchscreen display (240 x 320 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, aGPS, stereo Bluetooth, 3G with HSDPA, WiFi and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB). Processor is a paltry 528MHz, though, so we’re really not sure about the prospects of Flash on the browser, even if it is available.
It will be a raw Android device, meaning it won’t come with any tweaks or UI overlay. At the entry-level prices they’re looking at (Huawei says it should be well under $200, without a contract), I don’t think there’s really much to complain about. This actually sounds like a sweet deal.
Available in four colors (yellow, blue, black and purple),the Huawei Ideos should begin appearing in some markets within the next two weeks.
Although mobile phone viruses are uncommon, it’s still better to be safe than sorry right? After all, every one has mobile phones nowadays and most of us keep our personal information on our mobile phones, some of us even browse secure websites with smartphones so naturally, hackers are looking into mobile phone viruses to scour for personal information.
One of the biggest tablets of the year is bound to come with a price tag that would lighten any wallet, and though Samsung hasn’t revealed how much a Samsung Galaxy Tab will set you back or a solid release date yet, online retailers around Europe may have beat them to it.
UK store Expanseys has the tablet up for sale at £679.99 with an availability date of October 11th. It’s in the same price range as the iPad, except you’ll be paying for a 16GB Galaxy Tab in this case, whereas a 64GB version of Apple’s tablet will cost you £699.99. If these figures turn out to be true, the iPad might not have so much to worry about anymore!
Prices for the tablet have appeared across the channel too. It has been reported that an unlocked version of the Galaxy Tab will cost 9,000 Swedish Kronor, which works out to be a rather hefty £806. In France and Germany, rumoured prices are €599 and €699, which we’re assuming is for a 16GB and 32GB Samsung Tab respectively. However, O2’s official German Twitter did unveil a data plan for said device, with buyers having to put a €99 deposit down and then paying €27.50 a month for two years, which works out to be £632 overall, which sounds a little easier on the bank balance.
Engadget are reporting that Samsung are still sticking to their word at IFA saying that no prices have been announced and that any figures floating around are purely speculation. However, with some official word on the matter from other sources, we’re not sure who we should believe right now!
All UK networks are expected to offer the Samsung Galaxy Tab and hopefully 3G data plans will be available too. Samsung’s Tom Richter also added that providers might be offering a “two SIM option” so users can run the tablet and a mobile phone from the same number. Looks like we’d best start saving up!
Samsung have confirmed that they will be bringing a slide out QWERTY device to the UK later this year. TechRadar broke the news after the handset, which is thought to be the Samsung 15510 that Vodafone have been showing off recently, was spotted at IFA yesterday.
Carey McGregor, the Senior Project Manager at the company, revealed that it would be a mid-range Galaxy phone and true to their word about prioritising Android, the new handset was seen sporting Froyo at the Berlin convention.
The specs are unconfirmed at the moment, but it seems to be a Galaxy S with a smaller processor and LCD screen instead of an AMOLED one. It also has:
TouchWiz layer
600MHz processor
5 megapixel camera
3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3
This isn’t the first time a QWERTY Galaxy handset has caught the public’s eye, but the slightly lower-tech specs suggest that the device isn’t the Samsung Galaxy Q or Galaxy Pro. Fans may be disappointed to find out that the Epic 4G lookalike isn’t the UK equivalent of the second 4G handset to hit US shores however, the rumoured £200 price tag may be a welcome alternative for users who aren’t quite so keen on trading up to a full touchscreen device just yet.
Enjoy our roundup of some of the best mobile phone stories you may have missed this week:
1. Google Fights Back Against Jobs’ Claims.
At the Apple special event earlier this week, Steve Jobs claimed that they were activating 230,000 new iOS devices everyday, and wondered if their ‘friends’ were adding in upgrades to make up their numbers. He was of course, referring to Google’s 200,000 daily Android activations. However, Google have responded by saying that upgrades are not included and that their figures only include those with Google Services, meaning the actual figure may be even higher.
2. Download Swype for Symbian.
The alternative keyboard that lets you type without lifting your finger from the display is now available for Symbian S60 via the Nokia Beta Labs site. After a few tries, Swype feels much more natural that you may expect and it’s well worth trying out. Enjoy the video of Swype in action on a Nokia X6 and download the keyboard app here.
3. Nokia Closes Ovi Files.
After the recent demise of Nokia’s Messaging for Social Networks, Ovi Files has followed it to the grave. Nokia’s cloud storage solution will be gone in a month, so if you’ve got files stored there, you need to back them up soon.
4. Nokia Dual-SIM Phones Released for Indian Market.
Dual-SIM phones are popular in many developing markets, where different networks often offer special deals for certain numbers, so these two new devices could prove popular. The C1-00 and C2 are basic entry-level phones, although the C2 will use the S40 UI and have a 3.5mm headphone socket, a microSD card slot and an FM radio. The C1-00 should be out now, with the C2 following later in the year.
5. Samsung to Focus on Android and Bada.
The news that Samsung are to concentrate their efforts on producing phones running their own bada operating system and the ever-popular Android system isn’t surprising, but it doesn’t bode well for Microsoft and Windows Phone 7 or Symbian. Samsung say they will introduce a Windows Phone 7 device later in the year, but see no ‘visible demand for Symbian’.
6. HTC Smart2 Render.
A render showing the HTC Smart2 has appeared and it looks very shiny indeed! The Smart2 could be running the BREW platform, previously seen on mobiles including INQ’s Skype Phone, and will feature an Office suite of apps and Wi-Fi.
7. Apple Provide iOS and iTunes Stats.
An Apple event just wouldn’t feel right without lots of stats, and we weren’t disappointed this week! Amongst other things, Steve Jobs let on that 120 million iOS devices have been shipped since its launch, while inside the App Store there are 200 apps downloaded every second, bringing the running total up to 6.5 billion downloads! There are 250,000 apps to choose from, with 25,000 being specifically for the iPad.
8. HTC 7 Trophy Coming to Europe?
Although there are no official pictures of the Trophy yet, this could be a potential Windows Phone 7 handset which was originally conceived to run WinMo 6.5. Don’t be put off though, as the Trophy could be one of the few big-screen QWERTY phones on the market, boasting a 3″ capacitive touchscreen as well as 3G/HSDPA.
9. Skyfire Browser Submitted to Apple.
It wasn’t long ago when we were campaigning for the approval of Opera Mini for the iPhone, and now we have a new cause, Skyfire. Any Symbian or WinMo users may well have some experience with this great mobile browser – famed for its video capabilities and similar compression techniques to Opera – so it’s with baited breath that we wait for Apple’s decision.
10. Hamster Power for your N8.
Battery chargers are a thing of the past, and the universal charger is already obsolete, as now, your mobile phone can be powered by a hamster. What could be more eco-friendly than that?!
Today’s top smartphones let us live our lives on the go and it’s no different for TV fanatics who can watch live TV on their phones, catch up with their favourite programmes and decide what they want to watch tonight, all with a few quick taps! Here are our top ten picks for TV fans.
Best TV Guide: TV-Guide UK
If you’re looking for a quick and easy guide to see what’s on TV then you can’t go far wrong with TV-Guide UK. You can have a sneaky peek at the overview of what’s on right now – filtered into different categories like ‘Sky Channels’ or ‘Terrestrial’, or take a look at what you want to watch later. Make a list of your favourites and set reminders for those must-watch shows.
Best TV Streaming: TV Catchup
Ok, so not strictly an app but this is an iPhone site that gives you the chance to stream live TV from all the major freeview channels in the UK – so you can watch your favourite shows on the go from the likes of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 as well as freebie channels like E4 and Film4.
Best TV News: BBC World News Live
Want to get the latest news, streamed live on your phone? The BBC World News Live app has it covered. Keep on top on breaking news stories from around the globe.
Best TV Sports: Sky Mobile TV News & Sports
If live sport is what you want to be watching on your phone, then Sky have definitely delivered with their Sky Mobile app. Yes, it is £6 a month, but it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than subscribing to Sky Sports. You can watch a wide range of Sky’s sports channels, as long as you are in range of a Wi-Fi network, including Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, Xtra, News and ESPN. Get all the live games from the Premiership, Football League, La Liga, US Open and plenty more.
Just for Fun: Glee
The makers of I Am T-Pain strike again and they don’t disappoint. Glee has become a huge TV sensation, so gleeks will love this fun app that lets you sing hit songs from the show and your voice will be auto tuned to become lovely and harmonious, and then is uploaded for the world to hear. You can even join your Glee club with users from around the world!
Camp Cupertino may have breathed a heavy sigh of relief when their free iPhone 4 case program was launched in July following the infamous Antennagate saga. As with all good things though, it’s due to come to an end on September 30th. Steve Jobs explained at the time that the program was a temporary measure to allow the company to further investigate the iPhone 4’s antenna problems and come up with a more permanent solution if necessary.
Now, word from Mexican provider, Telcol is suggesting that the manufacturer has come up with a solution and plan to release a redesigned iPhone 4 at the end of this month. The comments were made by Marco Quartorze, the director of Value Added Services at the company, who exclusively carry the iPhone in the country. Telcol believe that the original problem with the handset was a hardware issue and have said that the design of the revised iPhone 4 has solved this.
Right now, we’re taking the news with a pinch of salt. With there being no mention of the handset being re-released at Apple’s music event on Wednesday, we can’t imagine they would spring it upon the world at such short notice, but you never know! Reports have also suggested that Quartorze may have misunderstood the reasons behind the free case program ending, and if this rumour does turn out to be true, will unhappy iPhone 4 users be able to get hold of a new handset without having to pay the full whack for it?
With the free case program due to end in a few weeks time, if the manufacturer really has come up with a solution, it probably won’t be too long until we find out.
Major mobile phone service providers have decided to ignore small farming villages in Wales saying that it isn’t financially smart for them to invest in building mobile phone masts there. Frustrated at the lack of available coverage, the villagers have taken it upon themselves to build their own phone masts instead.
Benefits to the community
It’s not cheap for a group of villagers to build their own mobile phone masts however, doing so will bring numerous benefits to the residents and businesses of the area. Some of these include:
They’ll finally be able to use their phones. Many of these people actually own mobiles that don’t work because there are no masts in the area. The simple convenience of having this service is the major benefit of the project.
It will increase safety for many people in the area. There are parts of these villages, especially on local trails, where landlines are not viable, eaving people without any connection to the emergency services if they are needed. Mobile masts will give people in these areas access to this vital service..
Local businesses will have the potential to profit. Many businesses in the area are actually losing trade because they can’t offer high-speed mobile broadband due to the lack of coverage in the villages. Festivals and fairs that might bring a boost to the economy avoid coming to the area because attendees complain about the lack of phone signal. And of course farmers who have access to mobile information can improve their crops to increase profits.
How the project will be funded
The project to build mobile phone masts is being completed by a local community group in Tregaron. The group is applying for a grant of £150,000 to fund the initial stages of the project and has already received a £4,300 grant from the Communities First Trust Fund, which gives aid to the most economically deprived areas in Wales. The masts will be owned by a non-profit company who will lease the masts back to the service providers after they are built. Phone companies have indicated that this would be financially feasible for them even though the actual building of the masts is not. The leases would cover day-to-day costs and maintenance of the masts once they are built.
Where mobile masts will be built
All the villages concerned are within the county of Ceredigion. There are three villages in particular that will be moving forward with plans to build their own mobile masts: Ystrad Meurig, Llanddewi-Brefi, and Tregaron. The first mast will go up in Ystrad Meurig and is expected to be in operation by the end of 2011 withthe other two masts set to be up and running within three to five years.
Samsung may be one of the manufacturers set to appear in the first Windows Phone 7 line up, but it looks like the company’s relationship with the platform could be short lived. In an interview with Reuters at IFA, YH Lee, Head of Marketing at Samsung Mobile revealed that the manufacturer is “prioritising the Android platform” due to consumer demands and the flexibility of the OS.
The company may have hit the nail on the head with this move considering the huge success of their first Android powered smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S, which sold more than one million units in the USA alone during its first month on the market. The Google platform is also powering their newly announced Samsung Galaxy Tab which is one of the biggest stories to come out of this year’s IFA so far.
Android itself is no stranger to success being the third largest software platform with only Symbian and BlackBerry’s OS beating it to the top spot. Samsung’s own software platform, bada is also high on the agenda according to Lee who revealed that more handsets running the OS will be launched in the coming quarters. The manufacturer also unveiled their second bada handset, the Wave 723 at IFA.
The most interesting revelation to come from this interview was about Windows Phone 7. Lee did confirm that the company are introducing a smartphone powered by the Microsoft platform later this year (our money’s on the Samsung Cetus), but added that there is “some professional, specialised demand” for it. That must have hurt! While we’re on the subject, Samsung aren’t seeing a “visible demand” for Symbian either.
Well, we guess this might narrow down our options whenever we see a Samsung leak from now on! Do you think that Android is the best way forward for future Samsung devices? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
We heard that Huawei were expected to launch an Android mobile phone on the 2nd of September and here it is, the Huawei Ideos. It has been developed in conjunction with Google, so it has the logo on the battery cover, and is designed to be sold throughout Europe, Asia and America, providing Huawei with a great chance to gain more recognition in these markets.
The Ideos is a touchscreen phone with a similar look to the HTC Tattoo and Huawei’s own T-Mobile Pulse, and has been priced with PAYG in mind at around £100-£129. However this price point doesn’t mean it has a poor spec, in fact it’s quite good. Huawei themselves say this is the only Android 2.2 phone currently available at a ‘competitive price point’.
In addition to Android 2.2, the Ideos has a 2.8″ capacitive touchscreen3G and HSDPA, 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, a microSD card slot and a 3.2 megapixel camera. The phone has 256MB RAM and 512MB of ROM, while the processor is a 528MHz chip.
Huawei want to build the Ideos name – which stands for ‘Industrial design, evolution and operating system’ apparently – into a brand for all its future smartphones, and this initial model will be on sale during October.
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Samsung may be one of the manufacturers set to appear in the first Windows Phone 7 line up, but it looks like the company’s relationship with the platform could be short lived. In an interview with Reuters at IFA, YH Lee, Head of Marketing at Samsung Mobile revealed that the manufacturer is “prioritising the Android platform” due to consumer demands and the flexibility of the OS.