Mobile Phones

The Samsung i8510 INNOV8 (previously rumored as Samsung Primera) has a name that seems really hard to pronounce, but in fact it's the word INNOVATE with some untraditional spelling. The device was announced only recently and it seems it will hit the market even sooner while other top-of-the-shelf devices such as Nokia N96 are still holding back for late autumn.

Samsung i8510 INNOV8 at a glance

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, GPRS/EDGE class 10, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
  
• Dimensions: 106.5 x 53.9 x 17.2 mm, 140 g
  
• Display: 2.8-inch 16M color TFT, QVGA resolution (240 x 320 pixels)
  
• Memory: 128 MB RAM, 8/16GB flash storage, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
  
• OS: Symbian 9.3, S60 3rd edition UI, Feature Pack 2
  
• Still camera: 8 megapixel autofocus, mechanical shutter, automatic lens cover, dual Power LED flash, digital image stabilizer, geotagging, auto panorama
• shot, face detection, smile detection, blink detection
  
• Video camera: MPEG4 VGA@30fps, QVGA@120fps high-speed recording
  
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, Wi-Fi with DLNA certification, 3.5mm audio jack, TV-out, universal microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS
  
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Optical touchpad, 3D hardware accelerator, DivX support, stereo speakers, DSP audio technology, FM radio
• with RDS
  
• Battery: Li-Ion 1200 mAh, Talk time: 8 h 30 min, Standby: 310 h
  
• Expected release date: August 2008
  
• Expected retail price: 750 euro (1170 US dollars)

Resembling a fashionable dog tag rather than a Bluetooth stereo remote and handsfree device, Jabra's BT3030 certainly lays claim to the mobile phone market appealing to the fashion oriented.

The BT3030 is a device that wirelessly handles both your calls and music playback using Bluetooth. The design is a small pendant shape, consisting of an etched silver front and rear with black, rubber edging. A beaded-style stainless steel necklace means the BT3030 can be worn around your neck.

Pairing the unit to your phone is a simple process; the BT3030 automatically enters pairing mode when it is powered on by pressing the call handling button. Operation is very straightforward; a play/pause button and previous/next track keys handle your music and any incoming calls can be answered by pressing the call button. If an incoming call is made while you are listening to music, the BT3030 automatically pauses the current track and then resumes once the call is ended. There is a few seconds delay in this regard though -- both when answering and ending any calls.

Call quality is notable but not outstanding, though volume is more than loud enough at its highest setting.

The O2 Xda Atom Exec is an upgrade to the original XDA Atom. The improvements may be minor, but the Atom Exec addresses the biggest failings of its predecessor - speed and performance - ensuring this is an impressive and compact smart phone.

Improvements

The Atom Exec updates are on the whole fairly minor, but nonetheless very important. The Exec, just like the original XDA Atom, runs on the Windows Mobile 5 operating system with the added benefit of the messaging and security feature pack - this includes a feature called 'push email' which adds to an already robust features list. Push email delivers any new email messages to the phone just like a normal SMS message, without the need for repeatedly logging on. This means you are able to receive emails wherever you are. The push email system is identical to that previously seen on the HP iPAQ rw6828.

Owners of the original XDA Atom can download and install the messaging and security feature pack. What might entice you to update however are the internal improvements - the Atom Exec is powered by a 520MHz Intel Xscale processor and 192MB of ROM, a far cry from the previous 416MHz processor and 128MB ROM. Where the previous Atom was slow, sluggish and struggled with switching between multiple applications, the Exec is much quicker. It still isn't the speediest smart phone on the market, but it's not slow by any means.

Motorola's famous RAZR has returned in yet another iteration. Telstra's new Next-G network is the latest beneficiary of the thin, clamshell design for the MOTORAZR maxx V6. Sporting a 2 megapixel camera, microSD memory card support, touch sensitive front multimedia keys and Bluetooth, the maxx V6 is packed with features.

The maxx V6 is an upgrade to Motorola's previous 3G phone, the RAZR V3x.

The maxx V6 includes standard SMS, MMS and email messaging with POP3, IMAP, and SMTP protocols supported. Once again, Motorola has used the iTap predictive text method for text entry, rather than more common T9 method. The V6 can synchronise your messages and address book with Microsoft Outlook using the included USB cable.

The maxx V6 is one of a new generation of Next-G phones, so it is capable of high data speeds. When in a HSDPA coverage area, the V6 maxx displays a 3G+ icon on its screen. As users move out of coverage it reverts to standard 3G, then GSM where there is no 3G coverage available. For connectivity, the maxx V6 offers Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0. A USB data cable is included in the package, which means users can synchronise data between the phone and their PC straight out of the box.

At a bargain basement price on a pre-paid plan, LG's KG270 is one of the cheapest mobile phones on the market. This light and slim candy-bar handset does a fine job considering the asking price, though some may become quickly disillusioned with the hard to press keypad.

The KG270's design is as simple as they come. It's a straightforward candy bar, constructed entirely of black matte plastic and featuring a small display and straightforward controls. The KG270 doesn't even include a volume control button - instead, you'll need to use the four-way navigational pad to adjust in-call volume.

The controls are straightforward, with the bulk of the work performed by the four-way navigational pad and two selection buttons. There are also answer and end call keys just below. The keypad is a bit hit and miss - on one hand the keys are reasonably large and well laid out, but pressing them requires a firmed touch. Conveniently, each key press is accompanied by a rather loud clicking noise, meaning tactility is fair.

The KG270's interface is naturally as bare as they come, but it's intuitive and easy to use. The main menu features eight icons, while the submenus use a simple list format. Conveniently, if you enter a menu you can move into a completely different menu by simply using the left and right directional arrows, negating the need to go back into the main menu.