To say that LG began its touch-screen evolution of handsets with the Prada Phone is entirely inaccurate. But, instead, it was the one which followed some time after - the 'Viewty', or also known as the KU990. This latter model attracted great interest amongst the many different facet of mobile users, given the extended features list that it has.

But for its maker, I believe they saw a great future for their newly-developed UI - seeing just how Apple's iPhone touch-based interface took off like a rocket! Granted that LG's creation doesn't even come close in providing the same look-and-feel, but it has done enough to make things interesting enough for their upcoming products.

Enter the KF600 and KF700, each with their own set of special qualities - but based on a similar idea of further extending the handset's overall usability though the mix-and-match of both physical and virtual interfaces.

Starting with the former, the KF600 (product site | photos) takes on a typical silder phone design - display on the top / front section, and the physical keypad on the lower / bottom portion. So far, nothing really rings any bells. But when you take a closer look at the small rectangular panel beneath the main display, you will find that it is a touch-sensitive area that's serves as a virtual keypad - called the 'InteractPad' - one that changes consistently with the currently-active phone function. You can see a few photo samples of this in the slideshow here.

What makes this great is that overall usability isn't compromised because of the employment of a touch-sensitive UI. The key here was to retain a physical setup for the 12-button numerical keypad, being the primary input device when it comes to those many mobile phone operations (e.g. number dialling, name entries, and - most importantly - messaging). When moving to secondary operations, those that do not require as much thumb- or finger-work, it is actually quite alright to go for something slightly fancy - and in the case of the KF600, LG has performed this miracle rather spectacularly.

Not only is this small display area used for input - but it can also work in sync with the primary display when the screen saver is activated. The effect of this is actually quite intriguing at first sight, and it doesn't lose its charm even after having seen it many times over. Again, I still find the whole idea as being simply quite amazing.

The KF600 is a tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900) only phone (no 3G yet, sad to say), and will be offered in four different colours upon their availability. I've also included an official video for this model, which demonstrates some of its features plus the usability benefits of the added InteractPad area.




Moving on, the KF700 (photos) is - to simply put it - an upgraded version of the current KU990 / 'Viewty' model, with the exception that it doesn't offer the same 5-megapixel camera (instead, a generic 3-megapixel one has been fitted). From the physical interface, which now adds a slide-out numerical keypad and a "shortcut dial" (or jog-dial-like) device for a greater choice in device input, to the on-board features that matter (HSDPA upgraded to the higher-speed 7.2 Mbps, and an improvement to the general UI's firmware), it makes it an even-easier decision for anyone wanting a device with so much choice to start with.

And considering that the KF700 retains the same 3-inch display as what the 'Viewty' got, and the fact that a physical keypad is now available on demand, compromise no longer seems an issue for a device of such. Of course, LG isn't the first in the market with such a product - but they do seem to be the pioneer when you look at it from a phone-only device perspective. Boasting that the KF700 is the world's first phone with three input methods isn't a statement that's casually put in black-and-white.

Expected availability of the KF700 is for mid-March (Europe), with other markets in the months to follow.

Products also touched on were the KF510 (photos), a fashion-orientated slider phone consisting of an extra-slim body and "dynamic touchpad with interactive touch lighting and emotional animation" (what a mouthful!) It will come in two different colours, "Stardust Dark Grey" and "Sunset Red" - and the phone's front display and touchpad areas will be enclosed by a sheet of tempered glass, giving it a more-elegant look plus increased durability.

A Windows Mobile enabled model, the KS-20 (product site) was also mentioned - which takes on a very simiar look to Samsung's F480. This 3G-enabled model will be running the Professional version of WM6 (touch-screen enabled), and features a 2.8-inch QVGA display along with a dual-camera setup (2-megapixel primary, VGA as secondary). The KS-20 is HSDPA-enabled (supports downlink speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps), and utilises microSD cards for memory expansion.

When it comes to Samsung, the number of different models they show-off - at shows like MWC and (previously) CeBIT - is just pure inundation. For those familar, you'd probably notice a trend whereby a greater portion of those announced at shows don't actually see the day of light - which I find rather annoying. Anyway...

At 2008's Mobile World Congress, Samsung focused on one single product in their city (Barcelona) wide marketing campaign - the 'Soul', also known as the U900. The Korean electronics maker refers to it as "the completion of the Ultra Edition" (which simply means that the sub-brand is a no-more henceforth), and is a model that supposedly brings the ultimate in design, technology and usability to a handset.

The U900 is a well-sized slider, finished with a metal body, and offers numerous features that will possibly interest a very wide audience. Headlines include a 5-megapixel AF camera gifted with an image stabiliser and face detection capabilities, a dynamic navigation pad that changes functionality depending on the current menu or function, specialised audio technology ('ICEpower' by B&O) to enhance the music experience, an RDS-enabled stereo FM radio, native Google Mail / search apps, and support for mobile blogging and RSS feeds.

For those more-technical capabilities, the U900 is a tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900) + UMTS 2100 handset, supports the higher-speed version of HSDPA (7.2 Mbps, up from 3.6), and use microSD cards to expand available memory for multimedia storage. For such a design, and with a thickness of just 12.9mm, it is truly hard to find another candidate that comes close to it - for now. But whether or not this handset will live up to its rather-high expectations is yet to be seen at this point.

At the press conference, the speaker also touched on a few other models, which I will make a very brief mention here (but with pictures):


F480 and F490:
Both are full touch-screen models, but differing in various ways.

The F480 falls under the "Style" category, and has been designed somewhat to challenge the powers that LG's 'Viewty' has on the market currently. The 2.8-inch display offers ample screen real estate for Samsung to properly improvise the phone's UI, and includes experience-enrichment features such as video manipulation software, mobile blogging, and a built-in stereo FM radio with RDS.

Its sister model, the F490, belonging to the "Multimedia" camp, has a slightly-wider screen (resulting in a 3.2-inch viewable diagonal) that's designed for the playback of video clips at the 16:9 video standard. A 3.5mm audio jack socket is also available, making the overall multimedia experience very straight-forward.

Common features include a 5-megapixel AF camera with stabilisation capability, are tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900) + UMTS 2100 compatible, HSDPA data-friendly (F480 supports up to 7.2 Mbps, F490 only at up to 3.6 Mbps only), and have a physical thickness of just under 12mm.


G810:
Most would've heard good things about Samsung's more-recent G-series models, ones that specialises in high-quality imaging. The G600 and G800 are prime examples of just how far Samsung is willing to go to get a top product out there and go loggerheads with two of Nokia's higher-end devices - the N82 and N95 8GB Nseries models, both of which do outstanding work in the digital photography department (for mobiles, obviously).

And wasting no time, Samsung showed off the G810 model on the MWC show floor. It is similarly a 5-megapixel AF camera with optical zoom lens, as that of the current G800 model - but with one major difference: it runs the most current S60 platform available (S60 Third Edition with FP1). What this means for the user is a more powerful device than what was previously made available, plus the fact that it now shares exactly the same OS and platform as its competitors - albeit Nokia is the owner and creator of S60.

But... because the design of the G-series models revolve around "high-quality imaging" theme, Samsung needed to do something to differentiate. In addition to making this smart-camera-phone more powerful, the G810 comes with more detailed functions when it comes to controlling the shoot - much more than what Nokia has to offer on either N82 or N95 8GB (refer to the screenshots provided for more info on the camera functions that are available).

Plus, the G810 will also come with Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and HSDPA (3.6), a built-in GPS module, support YouTube streaming video, and a 3.5mm headset jack socket for direct connection of standard audio headphone devices.


i780:
Being the latest successor model in the 'Business' category of smartphones, it is the first model to offer a touch-sensitive screen for its Windows Mobile based products (which also means it is running the "Professional" version of WM6). This stylus-friendly model, along with the added QWERTY thumbboard, will surely gain a greater sense of appeal amongst users - being the unique device design it is now. The i780 also comes with an optical mouse that is controlled with the centre D-pad area - a bit difficult to get the hang of at first, but practice could make perfect. Great for situations when navigating with a pointer (rather than a poke-here-poke-there stylus) is more appropriate.

Navigation is also a new thing on this latest i-series release, where it utilises the Garmin Navigation Package as the front-end for the smartphone's GPS facility. Its larger 2.55-inch display is very much appropriate for the job at hand, given its higher level of multi-functionality. Wi-Fi is also available on the i780, in addition to HSDPA (3.6) network data support - which makes this model a very interesting one to keep a close eye on!


No official word on release dates for the above models - being very typical Samsung style! But we can expect models like the U900 to materialise very soon, with those others to follow suit shortly after (possibly).

Also announced at Nokia's product launch in Barcelona were the 6220 classic and 6210 Navigator models, both being smartphones and having their own unique specialty.

Starting off with the 6220 classic (product site | tech specs), you may be wondering just what is so unique about a very-typical "classic" model. Then how does 5-megapixel + Carl Zeiss + Xenon flash sound to you?

I believe what Nokia is trying to do with this particular product is to (try and) bring high-quality imaging to the masses, one that doesn't involve any specialised sub-branding of sorts, and a device that is seen as affordable given the specs that it upholds. Plus, the fact that the 6220 classic also gets both GPS and A-GPS facilities will give it an even more attractive value proposition than what one would expect from a typical Nokia device.

Also, it'll be running the latest iteration of the S60 smartphone platform, being one of the few devices to feature this upon its release to market. From what I've seen of Third Edition Feature Pack 2, all I can say is nothing but good words about it...

The 6220 classic will also feature a 2.2-inch QVGA display, support microSD memory cards (of up to 8GB thus far), and be able to access the Internet via HSDPA. For GPS-based applications, the Nokia Maps software will also be included, and users will also be able to "geo-tag" any of the photos taken with the smartphone, allowing those viewing a picture to see where exactly it was shot or taken.

For the 6210 Navigator (product site | tech specs) product, this will be an upgrade to the now-current 6110 Navigator product (aka the first Nokia product to specialise in mobile navigation). As for any product upgrade, there are of course significant changes - and these include:

• a built-in accelerometer that can measure changes in direction and orientation, which in turn offers digital compass capabilities;
• added support for pedestrian-based guidance (achieved through the use of the digital compass feature);
• a new version of Nokia Maps (v2.0) to support full voice and visual turn-by-turn guidance;
• a slightly-larger display (2.4" - up from 2.2"); and
• a 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera.

And, of course, given that it's also a S60 smartphone, the 6210 Navigator will also include a number of complements - including a music player, stereo FM radio, and a message reader for text (SMS) and email-based messages.

Both handsets are quad-band GSM and dual-band UMTS (900/2100) compatible, and are slated for release-to-market in Q3.

Nokia today refreshed their Nseries line of handsets with two new models - ones which, I believe, are destined to lead an exciting and productive life...


Nokia N96
Based on the very-successful N95 models thus far, this latest creation has been designed with the exact winning form factor - but also taking many of the design elements from the current N81 model. From simply looking at the N96's picture on the right, you'll know exactly what I'm getting at! However, in more detail, some of the things worth noting would be the dynamic lighting used for the different keypad buttons - all of which turn on or off depending on the currently-active function.

You might just be able to see examples of this in some of the pictures I've included in the gallery (simply click on the N96's picture on the right to access).

On top of the already-hefty list of features and functions, Nokia has again made upgrades on the various aspects of this smartphone, including:

• A 16GB internal memory area (doubled from that of the N95 8GB), plus the ability to further expand this via microSD cards (SDHC-compatible);
• True, high-speed USB 2.0 support for the transferring of data between smartphone and other computing devices;
• Full support for Flash-based (FLV) videos via the 'Nokia Video Center', which makes the N96 compatible with video clips offered by services like YouTube, Reuters, and Sony Pictures;
• An integrated DVB-H receiver offering live TV broadcasts, plus an automatically-updating program guide (not available on all versions of the N96);
• A 'kickstand' on the phone's back cover, allowing for convenient hands-free video playback;
• Added RDS support for the Stereo FM radio application;
• A double-LED photo and video light provides illumination where required (but I would've still preferred a Xenon flash here);
• Full compatibility with the upcoming Nokia 'Ovi' services, which should be fully available by the N96's commercial release;
• Running S60 Third Edition, Feature Pack 2 platform (upgraded from FP1).

I had a brief play of the N96 on the show floor yesterday. The phone looks and feels very much like a relatively-larger sized version of the N81, with the exception that it slides both ways. I quite liked the setup of the new media buttons (those surrounding the D-pad), and the fact that proper buttons for the ANSWER and END are being used instead. Plus, the new Navi wheel that can make scrolling a far less strenuous task.

But having said all that, I still very much prefer the front panel navigation set of keys on the N95 8GB. For example, the "menu" and "clear" buttons are far easier to press than those on the new N96 - being located near the bottom two corners, which can make it difficult for the casual user to properly target and depress. The same goes for the numeric keypad on the N96 - it might look stunning, but not as ergonomic as I would've liked it to be.

People waiting out for the N96 can expect it to arrive sometime in the third quarter of this year.

Resources: N96 - technical specifications (Nokia.com)


Nokia N78
As the official successor to the N73 (I thought it would've been the N82 - but anyway), which Nokia has mentioned as being one of the most successful Nseries products to date, this was clearly another model that required a level of attention by its makers.

Again, taking on a similar design genre as the N81 and N96, this candy bar utilises the same dynamic lighting for the numpad and the standby indicator (an LED light surrounding the D-pad and pulsates whenever the N78 enters sleep mode). For its keypad, Nokia has retained a similar keypad area design as the N73, but have improvised on this so it goes along with the current design. The result: a clean, button-less number pad with slight horizontal protrusions indicating the different rows of the input area. However, my short, hands-on experience with the N78 has told me what I had expected - such a keypad design is more for show than it is practical...

Moving on, some of the new, more interesting features of the N78 include:

• Dual-band UMTS (850/2100) and quad-band GSM (850/900/18001900);
• High-speed data: supports HSDPA-enabled 3G networks;
• Wireless LAN (802.11b/g) and UPnP support;
• Integrated A-GPS, plus support for the geo-tagging of photos taken with the N78's 3.2-megapixel camera (Carl Zeiss optics);
• 2.4-inch TFT display at QVGA resolution, supporting up to 16 million colours;
• 3.5mm AV connector;
• Stereo FM radio with support for RDS, Visual Radio and offline playback support;
• Integrated FM transmitter: play back music on the N78 through the car stereo;
• Nokia Mini-map Browser with RSS support;
• Nokia Maps pre-installed; and
• Running S60 Third Edition, Feature Pack 2 platform (upgraded from FP1).

My initial impressions of the N78 were mostly positive, as it is truly an improvement (not hugely) over the N73 predecessor. I am quite fond of its physical design, on a macro level. But I wouldn't go as far as to say it is a charm of a phone to hold and use - not yet anyway (that is, until I get the real deal to take a good look at).

And that should be sometime during Q2.

Resources: N78 - technical specification (Nokia.com)

Who would've thought...

Yes, it's official! Sony Ericsson has joined the Windows Mobile (WM) camp, and has firmly rubber-stamped this by christening their newest flagship product, which will also represent a new sub-brand of handsets offering a full-on, "premium" experience for the very demanding individual.

The XPERIA brand will (attempt) to bring the best of all worlds to its user, through the many aspects that can make a mobile phone a truly wondrous device to own and operate. In Sony Ericsson's eyes, the XPERIA X1 - being the christening model - will offer a "convergence of multimedia entertainment and mobile Web communication" through the provision of various on-board features, including:

• A unique arc slider design with a wide pitch, easy-to-use QWERTY thumbboard;
• The XPERIA panel interface: arrange different panels (or screens) for use to your convenience;
• Multiple navigation methods: the XPERIA X1 allows users to navigate the device via touch, full QWERTY keyboard, 4-way key, and optical joystick navigation;
• An 800-by-480-pixel (WVGA) widescreen with a viewable diagonal of three inches, offering the ultimate viewing experience;
• Quad-band UMTS (850/1700/1900/2100 or 900/1700/1900/2100) plus quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900) mobile network support;
• True HSPA (HSDPA + HSUPA) data support when in 3G, and EDGE whilst under GSM; and
• A-GPS, Bluetooth, WLAN and 3.2-megapixel camera built-in.

Of course, the XPERIA X1 will too benefit from all the goodness that Windows Mobile has to offer - but only after Sony Ericsson has made all the necessary customisations and modifications to bring it in line with its UI standards. I will be very interested to see just how well Sony Ericsson does this in the coming months, and present us with a product that we can be truly proud to own.

The XPERIA X1 is expected to arrive sometime during the second half of 2008, which gives them quite a bit of time to come up with something truly worthwhile.

Resources: XPERIA X1 - product site | XPERIA X1 - technical specifications

Prior to their press announcement earlier tonight, Sony Ericsson - in my opinion - possessed a pretty average product portfolio only. An inundation of Walkman phone models, a disappointing Cyber-shot successor, and the lack of a viable smartphones wasn't exactly what I had hoped for from a phone maker who was clearly coming up in the ranks.

But what they showed off tonight at their launch event, a day prior to the official opening of the GSMA's Mobile World Congress 2008 show in Barcelona, will put an ease to my worries, and possibly my rather negative attitude (of late), towards the phone maker. Seven new, and interesting, models were introduced, with six of which I am about to go into briefly:


Sony Ericsson W980i

Bringing Walkman power to the A300 phone platform, the new, very sleek-looking W980i` clamshell is finished in a shiny layer of gloss (similar to that of the W960i) and brings along a number of eye-catching features. For starters, it comes with a 8-gigabyte internal memory for the storage of music and other multimedia content - which can be ample for most, but well-sufficient for us demanding types. A built-in FM transmitter feature allows the broadcasting of its on-board music to a compatible radio device, such as the car's FM stereo system.

And because it's a clamshell, Sony Ericsson has added a high-res sub-display to keep things interesting during its closed state, as well as a set of touch-sensitive buttons for controlling the on-board Walkman functionality. Plus, there are those pretty orange lights and blink on and off whenever the player is actively playing your collection.

Other complements to be founded include the top-of-the-line Walkman technologies (SensMe and Shake Control), A2DP wireless stereo support, a 3.2-megapixel camera with all the bells and whistles (Photo Fix, picture blogging, auto-rotate on reviewing), and an RDS-compatible FM radio.


Sony Ericsson G700 and G900

Smartphones, as "smart" as they are sometimes, can be quite an overwhelming piece of technology for the average joe. Even for those who prepare themselves for the challenge, the ultimate result may end up being a devastating one - which has been the case for many who've been burnt by the ill-performing UIQ platform of late.

However, this time round, it looks as though Sony Ericsson may have finally gotten the formula right, with the release of the G700 and G900 models. The one thing differentiating them with those that have come and gone is the handset's physical design. Instead of taking up a sophisticated set of input keys, with the initial aim of increasing user productivity (which, in most cases, results in the opposite effect), a typical numpad and nav key design genre has instead been retained.

In short, what this means is that users won't need to relearn the basics of using a mobile phone, and instead extend their practicality through the use of the touchscreen interface. Whether it's the tap of the finger or the included stylus, getting one's head around doing so has become more intuitive than it is a head-scratcher!

So what sets these two models apart? Well, starting with the G700, it is a 3G-based handset with an in-built 3.2-megapixel camera and a set of music playback features (A2DP, Mega Bass, TrackID). On the G900, the camera is upgraded to 5 megapixels, and WLAN becomes standard issue.


Sony Ericsson C702 and C902

Next, we have two new Cyber-shot models - one targeted towards those with active lifestyles (C702), and a 12-millimetre thin design appealing to those who have a thing for slimline designs (C902).

Starting with the C702, this 3.2-megapixel AF-enabled model has a very unique design proposition - its exterior shell is designed to be splash and dust resistant, making it one of the first camera-orientated models to earn these special abilities - plus more, such as the geo-tagging of pictures (or placing GPS-based location markers on pictures as they are taken). No longer should the user be worried of bringing a true camera phone to the beach or outing, where reluctance sets in upon such a thought. And even if shooting pics isn't your forte, the C702's other features - such as its A-GPS facility (backed by the native Google Maps and Wayfinder apps) and those taken-for-granted music applications - should be reason enough for you to consider this rather unique entrant.

On an alternate front, the C902 is a model targeted towards the style-conscious, with its thin and sliding-camera form factor. Functionality-wise, it possesses a 5-megapixel AF camera with an almost-full list of complements (BestPic, image stabiliser, photo fix, picture blogging, video recording with stabiliser) - plus a new 'face detection' feature, which you can probably guess its designated purpose. Sadly, it only gets a photo light as opposed to a proper Xenon flash, which would've made things real nice (but we all know that no phone maker wouldn't make such an un-profitable move). For other things, the C902 emulates its aforementioned cousin - but less the elements-resistant design.


Sony Ericsson Z770i

Being possibly the least stunning model of those announced today, Sony Ericsson has positioned this particular clamshell model towards users looking for a near-full-on web (online) experience on their mobile phone. Its clean and compact folder design can be appealing to some, not just on its aesthetics but also those practical implications too. The availability of HSDPA (3.5G), A-GPS (supported by Google Maps), plus the broad email support for popular web-based services (as well as Exchanged-based mail) makes it a device that some of us might not be able to do without for even a second!

Again, we should see all of the above models on or before this coming June.

Also on the agenda this past week was Sony Ericsson's unveiling of two different handset themes - and each consisting of two different models.

Starting off with the more-interesting, the new R300i Radio and R306i Radio models will be one of the first mobile phones on the market to support both FM and AM radio broadcasts - a feature that will spark great interest amongst radio go-ers. With "radio" being the central design theme here, Sony Ericsson has equipped both models with loudspeakers (mono output on the R300i candy bar, and stereo on the R306i clamshell's dual-setup), quick access buttons for station presets and sound control, the ability to record a portion of a broadcast, and even have the radio set up as your alarm clock!

Other on-the-side features include a 3D audio enhancement option, volume boost option for listeners in noisy environments, TrackID, Bluetooth, and a built-in camera (VGA on the R300i, 1.3 megapixels on the R306i). These tri-band models will come in two different flavours - one for the general world market (GSM 900/1800/1900), and the other for the Americas (GSM 850/1800/1900).

Moving on, the T270i and T280i pair are models that share almost-identical physical characteristics and feature sets, with the minor exception that the latter feautres an additional 1.3-megapixel camera only. Both iterations will come packed with those pretty-much-expected phone features, plus support for Bluetooth and musical capabilities (FM radio and MP3 audio playback). And to top it off, Sony Ericsson has kept things simple by making them GSM Dual Band only - which means 900/1800 support for general world markets, and 850/1900 for the Americas.

Release of the latter T-series set will take place sometime this quarter, while the R300i and R306i should follow sometime in Q2 and Q3 respectively.

Resources: R300i Radio - general product pages | R306i Radio - general product pages | T270i - general product pages | T280i - general product pages

This week, Nokia brought us three new phone products - one based on an existing model, and two new ones targeted at the "emerging markets" segment.

The 7900 Crystal Prism brings even greater aesthetics to its owner, with its laser-etched graphic designs and (most importantly) the crystal centre key. What the 7900 Prism wasn't is now found in this subsequent, latest release - and, in my opinion, is definitely a good move by Nokia.

While on the emerging markets front, the 2600 Classic and 1209 models have been created to offer greater practicality. For the former, exchangeable Xpress-on covers allow its user to stylise their phone to a preferred look-and-feel, while the FM radio and VGA camera complements bring along a new level of entertainment value. On the even-more-budgetry Nokia 1209 model, it offers several innovative facilities - including a pre-paid tracker, a cost-tracking application, and a multiple phonebook supporting up to 200 numbers in total - all of which can cater for the need to share a single handset amongst multiple users.

(Apparently, the basis of this comes from research done by Nokia in such emerging markets, with a greater proportion of respondents agreeing to the fact that "phone sharing" is the way to go - specifically, with family and friends).

And availability for the above is as follows: 2600 Classic has just shipped, the 7900 Crystal Prism will be sometime this quarter (Q1), and the 1209 in Q2.

Resources: 7900 Crystal Prism - general product pages | 2600 Classic - general product pages | 1209 - general product pages

Apart from the fact that they didn't send us the press releases, I wasn't actually expecting Sony Ericsson to show off new products at CES. But then again, times are a changing, are they not?

Three new phones kick off SE's 2008 product portfolio. While they may not be the spectacular ones, which I would expect to see at the Mobile World Congress in early February, these models should appeal to those of us in search of greater practicality from their phones:

Sony Ericsson W350i

Labelled as "simple to use, stylish to carry", the W350i seems just that in the specs and numerous pictures provided. With a depth of just slightly over one centimetre (or 15 millimetres, to be more precise), it becomes one of the thinnest folder-based phone designs made available by Sony Ericsson. This is achieved by utilising a thin "flap" panel enclosing the main keypad area - while, at the same time, also offering three audio control buttons on its exterior for a seamless music-listening experience.

A 1.3-megapixel camera is also included for taking those candid shots, along with those other basic-but-useful Sony Ericsson phone features and functions - including basic Bluetooth data and stereo audio, USB (mass storage, data connectivity), picture blogging via Blogger, and support for "offline" (flight) mode should it become a necessity.

The W350i comes with a tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900) radio, will support both GPRS and EDGE data connections, and include a 512MB Memory Stick Micro (M2) card right out of the box. For people in the Americas, the W350a model will be GSM 850/1800/1900 compatible instead.

Commercial release of this model is expected for sometime during Q2 of 2008.

Resources: W350i - technical specifications

Sony Ericsson W760i

The W760i may look like a model already on SE's current portfolio (W910i?) - but you might think otherwise of it once being told of its more-superior features.

But from the list of features, the one making the most noise would be its in-built GPS module. Out-of-the-box, the W760i is also preloaded with a choice of two different mapping software apps: Wayfinder Navigator and Google Maps. Both of these will require users to connect to the Internet (via the phone's data support) for use, with the former requiring an active subscription for its use.

On other fronts, the W760i learns most of its tricks from the existing K850i Cyber-shot model. Except for the 5-megapixel imaging, numerous crucial features - like the 7-band (UMTS 850/1900/2100 plus GSM 850/900/1800/1900) network support, built-in motion sensing for gaming and auto display reorientation, and the ability to utilise the various data methods available (GPRS, EDGE, W-CDMA, HSDPA) - bring this latest Walkman model to the front line.

And finally, but not least, all of the basic Walkman features - along with the new SensMe technology - will be available with the W760i. At the end of the day, it's still a model branded as a music-concentric telephony device.

Release for this model is slated for sometime during Q2 of 2008.

Resources: W760i - technical specifications

Sony Ericsson Z555i

And for the grand finale, Sony Ericsson has gone for an aesthetically-focused design.

The Z555i, with its unique diamond reflective finishing and sophisticated details, is a tri-band GSM handset offering the phone basics of today in an elegant-looking design. Upon release, it will be available in two different colour schemes - Diamond Black and Dusted Rose.

Basic features include support for gesture control (for muting incoming calls or snoozing an alarm), an LED-based external display that's discreetly hidden beneath the glimmering panel, and - of course - the typical features found on most current Sony Ericsson handsets of similar calibre (refer to the official web site here for more details).

Again, this is a handset for those that place styling over functionality. Availability of the Z555i is expected for sometime during January, and Sony Ericsson has also created a "Design Collection" of four leather bags that offer "unique and creative carrying solutions" to complement its unique styling.

Resources: Z555i - technical specifications

In the hopes of creating a more positive outlook for their 2008 product portfolio, Motorola has introduced a host of new products and accessories at the 2008 CES International in Las Vegas - with two phone products, in particular, taking centre stage.

First up is the ROKR E8, a device that virtually shape-shifts between a mobile phone and dedicated MP3 player - simply by a press of a single button. This is made possible through its unique aesthetics - specifically, the keypad-less design which opens up those greater possibilities of widening its practicality and usability amongst its users. But having said that, it's still up to Motorola to get the design elements right - no matter how good the product looks in the flesh...

And with all devices that come with "virtual" keypads, there is the issue of nil-response from user keystrokes. But not on the ROKR E8, where Motorola has included their haptics technology - providing tactile feedback each and every time a drawn-out key is pressed. While this emulation of response may not seem (or feel) identical to what you'd expect from a physical interface, it unquestionably beats having no response at all!

The ROKR E8 is a quad-band GSM handset supporting high-speed GPRS/EDGE data networks, comes with 2GB worth of internal memory plus support for microSD cards of up to 4GB each, and is compatible with Windows Media Player 11 (for the purpose of transferring music to the phone via USB 2.0 connectivity). In the phone department, Motorola's CrystalTalk technology of