News mobile phones

Samsung r310

Samsung launched its new SCH-r310 Byline on MetroPCS today, with support for MetroPCS' ChatLINK PTT (Push-to-Talk) walkie-talkie service. This entry-level clamshell also features a built-in speakerphone and web browser for on-the-go connectivity.

As it lacks a camera, the SCH-r310 Byline could be a good choice for users in high-security jobs, and the built-in Bluetooth makes it easy to use a wireless handsfree headset. The Samsung SCH-r310 Byline is available today online in a striking red color scheme, and will be available in stores on Monday. The phone is priced at US$99.00.

Motorola QA30

The Motorola QA30 Hint was officially announced today. This new messaging phone sports a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and 2.5" landscape oriented QVGA (320x240 pixel) resolution display. The Hint also features EV-DO support for high-speed data transfers and a built-in GPS receiver for navigation.

The Motorola Hint's 2 megapixel camera allows you to snap a quick photo or video, and there is a microSD card slot for extra storage. Bluetooth is also on board, including A2DP support for stereo headphones, as well as a standard 3.5mm audio port for easy music enjoyment.

The Motorola QA30 Hint is set to be available through Alltel on November 28th (Black Friday) for US$99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Samsung SCH-i770

Verizon has officially announced the Samsung SCH-i770 Saga, a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional-powered block shaped smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard. The Saga's 2.6" QVGA (240x320 pixels) touchscreen display should make it easy to interact with.

The Samsung Saga also packs a punch in connectivity with its dual-band CDMA (800/1900MHz) support, as well as quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) support for world travelers. WiFi is also on board for high-speed data transfers. The Samsung Saga's 2 megapixel camera includes NightShot technology for enhanced performance in low-light situations. A microSD card slot is also on-board for extra storage options.

The Samsung SCH-i770 Saga smartphone is set to be available in Verizon Wireless stores on December 1st, priced at $199.99 with a 2-year commitment and after a mail-in rebate.

Samsung SCH-i910 Omnia

Today Samsung launched the SCH-i910 Omnia for Verizon Wireless. This new Omnia is basically a CDMA version of the original i900 that has received a few additional tweaks when it comes to the user interface. The new Omnia supports both WiFi and EV-DO Rev A^(INFO) high-speed 3G data for fast web browsing and downloads.

In terms of updates, the Omnia features the same widget based TouchWiz home screen as the original, but instead offers a different alternative Today screen layout that we find much more usable than the widget version. The biggest UI change, though, is the addition of finger scrolling to the base level Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional user experience. This means that there is even less of a reason to use a stylus than before, since there's no need to grab narrow scroll bars to navigate through lists of email messages or programs.

A number of Verizon specific features have been added to the new i910 Omnia as well. The i910 Omnia works with Verizon's VZ Navigator GPS navigation app as well as with the company's Visual Voicemail offering. The new Omnia also ships with an integrated AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! instant messaging client. The included VZAppZone application makes it easy for users to buy new graphics, ringers, and applications, too.

Holdover features from the original Omnia include the 5 megapixel autofocus camera with face detection and smile detection modes, and the 3.2" 400x240 pixel touchscreen display (which has improved haptic feedback over the original). Automatic screen rotation is still on the device, but now features a number of different screen transition effects that can be used. For those that prefer their mobile movies to be viewed in the best quality possible, the Omnia's DivX video support is going to be key.

In general we like the updates and added features, making the i910 Omnia for Verizon even better than the original - a device we liked very much. It weighs 118.2g (4.2oz) and measures up at 112mm x 61mm x 13mm (4.4" x 2.4" x .5") in size. Samsung claims that the i910 Omnia's battery is capable of over 5.5 hours of talk time or about 19 days of standby time. While real world use can vary greatly, we've found the battery in the Omnia to be pretty solid all around.

Verizon is offering the Omnia for US$199.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate when purchased with a new service contract.

Samsung S3030 Tobi

Today Samsung introduced the S3030 Tobi, a new phone for pre-teens and the young at heart with a focus on fun and safety. The new Tobi features a graphical user interface that Samsung says the likes of which have never been used on a phone before. The company doesn't go into much detail, but does say that the phones make use of animated on-screen characters from one of three built-in themes: monster, snowman, ocean.

In terms of safety features, the Tobi features SOS call, SOS message, and fake call functions. In attempting to be safe for the environment, the Tobi is made of recycled materials and bio-plastics and makes use of non-toxic paints and non-allergenic materials.

Adding to the fun are the user changeable rear covers and a special clear rear cover sleeve that let's users customize the phone with their own photos. The S3030 Tobi will be available in 6 colors and will launch initially in the UK and Italy this month, with the rest of Europe as well as the CIS and China seeing the device within a year.

No word yet on pricing. Samsung will be launching a website dedicated to the Tobi in the near future at tobi.samsungmobile.com. The site was not yet live as of the time this story was written.

Samsung SGH-a867 Eternity

AT&T and Samsung look to forever with the SGH-a867 Eternity, a candybar cell phone with a large 3.2" touchscreen display and Samsung's TouchWiz user interface. TouchWiz allows the user to customize the homescreen by dragging and dropping icons wherever they please, for the ultimate in personalization.

The Samsung Eternity sports quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) support paired with dual-band UMTS (850/1900MHz) support for AT&T's high-speed 3G network. The Eternity also features AT&T's MediaFLO-powered Mobile TV in addition to Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support for stereo headsets.

The Samsung Eternity's 3 megapixel camera is paired with a microSD card slot, so you'll have plenty of options for extra storage, and the camera can also record video clips.

The Samsung SGH-a867 Eternity is available now from AT&T, priced at $149.99 after a 2-year commitment and mail-in rebate.

Samsung SCH-u810 Reknown

Verizon has launched the Samsung SCH-u810 Renown, which features not only EV-DO support on its 800/1900MHz CDMA network, but also includes quad-band GSM support for world travelling abilities. This stylish clamshell cell phone also features visual voicemail support, which lets users easily browse through voicemail messages on the Renown's display.

The Samsung Renown packs a 2 megapixel camera with NightShot for improved quality in low-light situations. Bluetooth with A2DP support for stereo headsets is also on board, in addition to a microSD card slot for extra storage.

The Samsung SCH-u810 Renown is planned to be available from Verizon Wireless's online shop and telesales on November 19th, and in stores on December 1st. The Renown will be priced at $179.99 after a 2-year commitment and mail-in rebate.

Samsung SGH-A777

AT&T has quietly added the Samsung SGH-A777 to its lineup, sporting a 1.3 megapixel camera and microSD card slot. This stylish slider also packs quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) support, in addition to dual-band UMTS (850/1900MHz) with HSDPA for high-speed data transfers.

The Samsung SGH-A777 for AT&T offers support for AT&T's Video Share feature, which allows callers to share live video while on a phone call. The small 880mAh battery is estimated to offer up to 3 hours of talk time, and over 10 days of standby time.

The Samsung SGH-A777 is available now from AT&T, priced at $79.99 after a 2-year commitment and $50 mail-in rebate. This slider is available in your choice of red or blue color schemes.

Samsung Gravity

Today T-Mobile announced the Samsung Gravity, a candybar cell phone with a convenient slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The Gravity also sports a microSD card slot for storage expansion and Bluetooth with A2DP support for stereo headsets, which should add up to a decent portable music experience.

The Samsung Gravity's 1.3 megapixel camera also records video, which should allow it to capture plenty of great moments, while support for T-Mobile's MyFaves service helps you keep in touch with your friends and family.

The Samsung Gravity is expected to be available on November 17th, priced at $49.99 with a new 2-year commitment. Two color schemes, white with aqua accents and grey with lime accents, will be available.

Samsung T919 Behold

T-Mobile and Samsung today announced the Samsung SGH-T919 Behold, a full-touchscreen cell phone that uses Samsung's TouchWiz user interface. TouchWiz allows users to drag-and-drop applications to the home screen of their cell phone, for a perfectly customized experience.

The Samsung Behold also packs a punch with its 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and video record. A built-in GPS receiver works with TeleNav GPS Navigator and the built-in accelerometer allows the phone to intelligently switch between portrait and landscape modes. Quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) support in addition to WiFi and dual-band UMTS (1700/2100MHz) support will offer super-fast data transfer speeds, too.

The Samsung Behold features an on-screen QWERTY keyboard with haptic feedback for convenient text input, and will be available on November 10th in your choice of brushed espresso or light rose finish. Pricing is expected to be $149.99 with a 2-year commitment.

Samsung SCH-r800 Delve

Samsung and Alltel have announced the Samsung SCH-r800 Delve, a new full touchscreen cell phone with a 2 megapixel camera. The Delve uses Samsung's TouchWiz user interface on its 3" 240x400 pixel resolution touchscreen to offer a friendly user experience. The TouchWiz user interface allows users to drag-and-drop widgets onto a special home screen, for the ultimate in personalization.

The Samsung Delve features a standard 3.5mm headset port in addition to Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support for stereo headsets. The music features are enhanced with a microSD card slot, so you can store hundreds of MP3s for mobile entertainment.

The Samsung Delve supports Alltel's high-speed EV-DO network, for super-fast data speeds, but the svelte 12.7mm (.5") thick phone should still slip easily into your pocket. The Samsung SCH-r800 Delve is available today for pre-order, priced at $199.99 after a 2-year commitment and $100 mail-in rebate. The phone is set to be available in stores and online on November 7th.

Samsung SGH-a767 Propel

AT&T and Samsung announced the Propel today, a slender QWERTY slider cell phone with plenty of great features. The Samsung Propel's 2.2" display is set in landscape mode, which should make web browsing and snapping photos a great user experience.

The Samsung Propel features a 1.3 megapixel camera with video recording and a microSD card slot for holding onto all of your photos. Bluetooth 2.0 is on board, with A2DP support for wireless stereo headsets. The phone supports AT&T Mobile Music, which allows users to download tracks from Napster ToGo or eMusic directly to the handset.

AT&T's Samsung Propel is planned to be available in late October in blue, green, red, or white with red accents. Pricing is set at US$79.99, with a 2-year commitment and mail-in rebate.

Samsung SGH-i907 Epix

Today Samsung and AT&T officially announced the SGH-i907 Epix, a QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen equipped smartphone running the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system. The Epix is based very heavily on the SGH-i780 that is available in other parts of the world, and features the same optical joystick controller that is found on that device as well as on the i900 Omnia.

The Epix is a true world traveller of a smartphone thanks to its 850, 1900, and 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA high-speed 3G support, which is backed up by quad-band GSM/EDGE support for non-3G markets. The Epix features a 320x320 pixel touchscreen display that is flush mounted with the front of the phone. It measures 2.5" across diagonally. The Epix also packs a 1800mAh battery into its half inch thick body.

Other features on the business oriented Epix include a 2 megapixel camera, AT&T Video Share support, WiFi, and a built-in MobiTV client. Bluetooth 2.0 is also available, and the built-in aGPS module means that AT&T Navigator can be used for navigational chores. Like other Windows Mobile 6.1 devices, the Epix supports push email, over the air synchronization of contacts, calendar appointments, and tasks, as well as threaded SMS.

The i907 Epix comes with 256MB of internal storage, which can be augmented with a microSDHC card of up to 32GB in size. There is also about 150MB of RAM for internal applications to run in. The Epix measures 117mm x 61mm x 13mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 0.5") and weighs a reasonable 129g (4.4oz). Its battery should be good for up to 7 hours of talk time or 14 days of standby time.

The Epix is available starting today for US$99.99 after rebate when purchased with a new two year agreement.

Samsung SCH-u650

Today Samsung and Verizon announced the availability of the Samsung SCH-u650 Sway on Verizon's network. The Sway is a slim silver slider style handset with a 2.2" 262k color display, and it features a 2 megapixel digital camera as well as a music player that is compatible with regular MP3 files and Verizon's V CAST Music with Rhapsody service (which requires a PC for loading music).

Other features of note on the Samsung Sway include mobile instant messaging support, the ability to send both text and picture messages, and Bluetooth wireless capability. The Bluetooth system includes the A2DP stereo profile, which means that users can enjoy the music they have loaded on the Sway without the normal tangle of wires by using a set of Bluetooth headphones (not included). Lastly, the Sway supports microSD memory cards for additional storage room. Verizon claims that the device is compatible with cards as large as 8GB in capacity.

The u650 Sway measures up at 105.4mm x 49.8mm x 12.0mm (4.15" x 1.96" x 0.47") in size and weighs 101g (3.6oz). Samsung claims that the Sway's battery should be good for up to 4.5 hours of talk time or 13 days of standby time.

The Samsung SCH-u650 Sway is available online from Verizon Wireless today for US$69.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, when purchased with a two-year agreement. It will be available in Verizon Wireless retail stores on October 14th.

Samsung has announced its first MediaFLO TV compatible GSM phone for AT&T, the Samsung SGH-a827 Access. The Access will be one of two devices that will be part of AT&T's Mobile TV launch in May of this year.

Unlike most candybar feature phones on the market, the Access sports a landscape oriented, 2.3" screen to better suit the television programming that it is intended to display. On top of that, Samsung claims that the Access will offer 'exceptional' Mobile TV reception without the need for an external whip antenna. Even Samsung's own SCH-u620 MediaFLO handset for Verizon Wireless requires an external antenna.

On top of the Mobile TV functionality, the SGH-a827 Access will also offer users typical functionality like Bluetooth stereo wireless support, stereo speakers, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. A microSD card slot is on-board for additional storage, and the Access will support features such as Video Share as well as IM and mobile email.

The Samsung Access is a world capable cell phone thanks to its quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) GSM support and 850/1900MHz 3G capability. The Samsung Access goes on sale in May, though no pricing information has been released yet.