Mobile Phone Reviews

The Samsung Reclaim, exclusively from Sprint, is a joint initiative between Sprint and Samsung to design a mobile handset that is both eco-friendly and a feature-rich messaging phone. Reclaim’s hardware is made from bio-plastic materials extracted from corn, making 80 percent of the phone recyclable. Reclaim’s eco-friendly features extends to its packaging and support materials, which include a link to an online user manual in lieu of a print version, use of soy-based ink on enclosed printed materials, a phone box and phone tray made from recycled materials, and an Energy-Star approved phone charger.

• Full slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• Text messaging (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging (MMS) support
• Sprint Navigation with GPS-enabled, turn-by-turn driving directions, traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings
• Web browser capabilities
• Automatic speech recognition
• 2.0 megapixel camera with 3x digital zoom and video camcorder
• Advanced Stereo Bluetooth® Wireless Technology
• Access to Corporate and POP3 email including AOL, Gmail and Yahoo!
• External memory storage (MicroSD) up to 32GB
• Dimensions: 3.87 x 2.32 x 0.61 inches; 3.5 ounces 
• Display: 2.4” TFT (320 x 240 pixels and 260k vibrant colors)
• Standard Lithium (LiIon) battery: up to 6 hours continuous talk time

The Sprint Samsung Reclaim comes in two color choices: Earth Green and Graphite Grey.

Related posts:

1. Bell Mobility launches the eco-friendly Samsung Reclaim
2. LG Lotus Elite vs LG Lotus Specs
3. Sprint Samsung Moment set to release Nov 1 for $179.99

The number two device vendor, Samsung, has unveiled it’s first smartphone based on the bada OS – the Samsung Wave.  The Wave will be released this April with what the Korean vendor claims to be the world’s first Super AMOLED display.  A 5-megapixel camera, HSPA support, internally-developed 1GHz processor and Samsung’s TouchWiz 3.0 UI will be included.  To say that Samsung has a lot riding on their bada OS is an understatement – while other vendors have focused on the success of Android, Samsung has not completely adopted the OS and believes their own Operating System will rival both Symbian and Android.  The Samsung Wave will retail for around EUR330 and is being marketed as a mid-high tier product.  Here’s a little bit more info on the Super AMOLED display

The Super AMOLED offers much brighter, clearer, and less reflective AMOLED OnCell display, featuring a high resolution WVGA (800×480 pixels) screen with mDNIe (mobile Digital Natural Image engine) technology. DNIe technology is proven display technology which incorporated to Samsung’s LCD TV and LED TV lineups. With a free viewing angle and super fast response, the Samsung Wave display provides superb image quality for viewing both videos and photos.

Whether or not the Bada OS will last is anyone’s guess right now, but to help motivate developers Samsung is launching a bada Developer Challenge with a total prize fund of $2.7 million.  They also confirmed that the new bada platform aims to complement their existing mobile application store, which will be available in more than 50 countries across the world this year. As far as Samsung’s future is concerned they announced plans to increase device shipments from 227 million in 2009 to 270 million in 2010.  There’s little doubt that 2010 will be the year of the smartphone, fasten your seat belts.

[via]

Related posts:

1. Samsung unveils new smartphone platform “bada” to the world
2. Samsung Galaxy 2 and S8200 will feature Snapdragon
3. Samsung Galaxy 2 Specs Revealed

Late this January the Samsung C3510 will be landing in Russia.  The C3510 is design for the active lifestyle with a focus on social networking and music.  With a convenient browser, widgets, instant messaging and a DNSe processor, the C3510 is focused on producing clear sound.  The phone features a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM-radio with RDS support, 1.3-megapixel camera with video and microSD support for up to 8GB cards.  The Samsung C3510 is expected to reach the Russian market in late January for a retail price of 5990 Rubles.

[View with PicLens]

[via Samsung Russia]

Related posts:

1. Samsung announces the Shark S5350, S5550 and S3550
2. Samsung follows up the Pixon12 with the AMOLED 12M (SCH-W880)
3. T-mobile releases the Samsung Scarlet T659

If you are ready to fix that dreaded call dropping issue on your Verizon Wireless Samsung Omnia II (2) we’ve got some good news.  Verizon has just released a ROM Update for the Omnia 2 which addresses this issue in their “Maintenance Release 1 (CK24) containing Qualcomm 1x/EVDO Call Drop Patch”.  The update can only be installed via Windows XP or Vista and is available from Samsung here.

In other Samsung news, rumors hint that Samsung will unveil their Bada phones at Mobile World Congress 2010. Samsung’s CES showcase was more of televisions (including 3D), displays, cameras and netbooks. But MWC is a mobile-centric event and since JK Shin, the President and Head of Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics will be addressing the media prior to MWC to outline Samsung Mobile’s future prospects, there’s a very high probability that bada phone will make its presence felt.

[via WMpoweruser, Samsung Hub]

Today Samsung introduced three new phones are part of their Shark lineup- the Shark S5350, S5550 and S3550.  The first device, the Shark S5350 (Shark 1), is a SNS-enabled sleek metal candybar with an assymetirc design and curved line for better grip.  The phone measures just 11.9mm thick, features a 3.2-megapixel camera with video recording an a redsigned GUI.  Standard messaging services such as GTalk, AIM and Palringo chat client services are included along with social network support for Twitter and Facebook.

Next up is the Shark S5550 (Shark 2), a futurist fluid slider with Kevlar coating, AMOLED screen and 5-megapixel camera.  The S5550 features 110MB of internal memory, microSD card support for up to 8GB, Bluetooth, USB and just like the Shark S5350 it offers GTalk, AIM and Palringo chat client services along with social network support for Twitter and Facebook.

The last of the three phones, the Shark S3550 (Shark 3), is a compact budget slider phone with a 2-megapixel camera, 40MB of internal memory and a microSD slot that support up to 8GB cards.  Like the other two Shark phones it offers GTalk, AIM and Palringo chat client services along with social network support for Twitter and Facebook.

All three devices are expected to be available this month, January 2010, but no pricing information is available at this time.

[via Akihabaranews]

Samsung will be going head-to-head with Google’s Nexus One very soon.  Industry insiders have confirmed that Samsung will be using the Qualcomm 1GHz Snagdraon processor in both the Galaxy 2 and S8200.  The Samsung S8200 will also feature a 3.7-inch touchscreen like the Nexus One, but instead of Android it will debut the Samsung Bada Operating System.  On the other hands the Samsung Galaxy 2 will run Android, while both the Galaxy 2 and S8200 will feature 3G connectivity, GPS and 5-megapixel autofocus cameras.

Samsung’s Bada OS seems like a risky move to most in the industry but the promise of full Flash support and sensor driven context aware applications does have our interest.  The Samsung S8200 will really be the proving ground if Samsung hopes to continue developing the Operating System for mainstream acceptance.  Personally I see Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Maemo as our future.  Unless the updates to Symbian and Windows Mobile match those operating systems I see their market share declining over the next few years.

[via FoneHome]

It’s that time again and in today’s Morning Mobile Minute the big focus at CES thus far has been LTE.  At Booth #8205 LG Electronics has been demonstrating the advanced capabilities of Long Term Evolution with the world’s first 100Mbps LTE download.  By connecting to the LD 100U, LG completed real-time demonstrations of full HD video downloads, video conferences and web surfing speeds of 100 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload.  Also included in their presentation was the unveiling of the “Handover” technology which enables seamless network conversion between LTE and CDMA networks.

Also on-hand at CES to affirm their commitment to LTE was Samsung Mobile (Samsung Telecommunications America).  Samsung Mobile is collaborating with Verizon Wireless to help deliver powerful user experiences throught LTE and showcased new and emerging products, including digital picture frames, Mobile Internet Devices (MID) and digital cameras, which utilize practical applications through a connected multimedia ecosystem. Samsung showed off a digital camera capable of HD 720p quality video at 30 frames per second with a large touch screen LCD display. Through an LTE-connected multimedia ecosystem, users would simply upload the pictures and videos over the LTE network to the picture frame or online social networking sites. Real-time live wireless video streaming from a mobile device to the LTE media frame would also be possible.

Last up this morning was an announcement from Lenovo who confirmed the LePhone (pictured above) for the Chinese WCDMA market.  The LePhone will be released in May of this year and features a 3.7-inch 800 x 400 pixel capacitive touchscreen, 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, Android 1.6 OS, 3.5mm headphone jack, an app store (Android Market) and a proprietary 9-pin charging socket.  No prices or carriers were announced at their event, but there’s still plenty of time at CES to release those details.

As always there are plenty ways to stay ontop of the Cellfanatic news and reviews: follow us on Twitter, subscribe by Email, subscribe to RSS, watch our videos on YouTube or simply check out the Morning Mobile Minute or This Week in Cell Phone News summaries.

Sometimes it pays to follow mobile manufacturers on Facebook.  Over on Samsung’s Facebook page, they confirmed they are working on a firmware update for the Omnia HD (i8910 HD).  This firmware update will include the much needed kinetic scrolling and will be released in Q1 2010.  Samsung also provided secondary confirmation to Sprint’s claim that the Samsung Moment would be getting the Android 2.1 update in H1 2010 and not Android v2.0.1 as we previously suspected.  This is just good news all around for Samsung Omnia HD and Moment owners.

Samsung has followed up their Facebook post with an official press release outlining the update Press Release

The new firmware improves the user experience by delivering faster Web browsing, an improved graphics engine and enhanced full-touch screen experience:

• Webkit update: A faster user-interface when online, for swift navigation of your favourite websites
• Graphic engine: An improved graphic engine, increasing the speed to access the multimedia content
• Kinetic scrolling: The addition of a kinetic scrolling system provides a superior full-touch experience

The firmware update will be available from January 2010 in the UK and gradually rolled out to other European markets, Southeast Asia, the Middle East Asia, Africa and rest of the world. “

[via Facebook]

Developing a faster way to type text on a touchscreen is the main forte of Software Developer, Swype.  The company is reporting that it has secured $5.6 million in Series B financing lead by Nokia Growth Partners and Samsung Ventures.  The funding will go directly towards integrating Swype technology into more mobile handsets and possibly even to other touch and remote screen devices.

The level of confidence shown by investors in our Series B, especially coming from two of the largest device manufacturers in the world and a returning investor, demonstrates the viability of our product and the known added value it can bring to mobile devices,” said Mike McSherry, CEO of Swype. “We’re thrilled with these strategic partners and look forward to launching Swype on a number of new devices and platforms.

Swype is designed to work across a variety of operating systems and devices including mobile phones, tablets, game consoles, kiosks and even televisions.  The first consumer device to feature the patented technology was the Samsung Omnia II.

[via Cellular News]

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today unveils its new smartphone platform, Samsung bada. At this unveiling, Samsung showcases the bada SDK (Software Development Kit) for partners and presents the unique benefits and unprecedented opportunities that the bada platform will bring to developers, mobile operators and consumers.

Samsung bada is a driving force in accomplishing Samsung’s vision of a ‘smartphone for everyone.’ To achieve this vision, Samsung bada offers a feature-rich platform for enhanced mobile experiences for consumers, and a complete mobile ecosystem through a developer support program that both the application store and consumers will benefit from. Based on Samsung’s accumulated expertise in developing advanced mobile phones, the company will allow its users to enjoy ultimate mobile experience through superb features.

Dr Hosoo Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Media Solution Center at Samsung Electronics said, “In providing Samsung bada, I believe that Samsung will become a true leader in the mobile industry; offering a wider range of smartphone choices for consumers.” He added, “At the same time, Samsung bada presents a powerful opportunity for developers to get their applications onto an unprecedented number of Samsung devices across the world”.

Samsung bada, meaning Ocean in Korean, possesses the following key characteristics:

User-interactive
Based on Samsung’s signature TouchWiz User Interface, Samsung bada platform provides an easy, simple, and intuitive UI without compromising efficiency. To enhance creativity and user interactivity, Samsung bada provides flash control, web control, motion sensing, fine-tuned vibration control, and face detection. Also, it supports sensor-based, context-aware applications. By using various sensors such as accelerometers, tilt, weather, proximity, and activity sensors, application developers can easily implement context-aware interactive applications.

Service-oriented
Samsung bada differentiates its position by supporting various service-centric features such as social networking, device synchronization, content management, location-based services, and commerce services – all supported by back-end bada servers. These ground-breaking developer-friendly features support developers to implement various services without additional effort.

Open and configurable
Samsung bada enables developers to take full advantage of mobile device capabilities to create compelling applications with ease. Applications can use device functions to make phone calls, send messages, or access the contact list. Also, various service applications can share information such as personal profiles, social relations, schedules, or contents with a simple user confirmation in order to provide services with greater personal relevance and cooperative service extension. The flexibility of the bada platform makes it applicable to a wide range of devices than any other mobile operating system.

Attendees at today’s launch event will also be introduced to the new Samsung bada Developer Challenge. The Challenge is the first chance for developers to win a share of a US$2,700,000 prize fund, simply by using the features of the new bada platform to build a wide variety of applications for bada devices. The competition is one of the largest ever for developers of mobile software and is testament to Samsung’s commitment to the new bada platform.

Samsung is also set to announce a series of Developer Days to take place across the world during 2010. Open to all developers, the initial events will be held in Seoul, London and San Francisco, with more events following as the year progresses.

The event will also feature insights from current bada development partners including micro blogging service Twitter, movies and games rental outlet Blockbuster, Video and iconic games developers CAPCOM, EA Mobile, and Gameloft . Each partner outlined their vision for the future of mobile apps and how they believe that bada will play a key role in the advance of app services to a wider audience in years to come.

“Our heritage is games machines and arcade machines but we’re eagerly branching out to make the most of mobile,” said General Manager of Online Business Division, Yasuhiro Sumida from CAPCOM. “We recognise our customers aren’t all about games in their homes but want them when they’re out and about, in the palm of their hand. To help us make this move into mobile we want to make sure we are working with the right partner. bada is accessible, open to all and very easy to use.”

“Congratulations to Samsung on the launch of bada. It is great to see one of the world’s leading handset manufacturers embrace software and services on mobile devices so wholeheartedly and wish them all the best,” said Luca Pagano, Vice President, EMEA Publishing, EA Mobile. “The marriage of great games on the right devices is something we take very seriously at EA Mobile and we are excited to light up the upcoming handsets with our high quality games in 2010.”

“We are pleased to once again collaborate with Samsung and launch our games on the bada mobile platform,” said Michel Guillemot, chairman and CEO, Gameloft. “With nearly 100 million Gameloft games downloaded by Samsung users worldwide, it is quite clear that our games on these devices have made significant impact with consumers over the years. Utilizing the new generation device’s technological capabilities we plan to enrich the consumer gaming experience. Samsung bada offers a new and exciting digital distribution channel for Gameloft titles, as well as an additional outlet for users searching for high quality entertainment.”

For further information please visit the bada website (http://developer.bada.com)