Hasta La Gadget!

Sure, their watch phone gets all the buzz, but Kempler & Strauss appears to be trying to come out of nowhere to become a major player in the high-end phone world. Today, on their Web site, they debuted the “Billionair 6” and “Billionair 7,” two relatively powerful yet bland Windows Mobile phones that look like something from MWg or another midrange Asian manufacturer.

I say “bland,” but their design just might appeal to the Bang & Olufsen crowd. In any case, the Billionair 6 (shown at left) is a 624 Mhz Windows phone with a touch screen, accelerometer, 3.2-megapixel camera and a rather sad little 320×240 screen; the Billionair 7 has both a touch screen and QWERTY keyboard in a BlackBerry-like form factor, but also still only sports a 320×240 screen. The phones appear to work on AT&T’s network and will cost $260 and $275 respectively. Kempler’s press releases didn’t say whether the phones run Windows Mobile 6.1 or 6.5, so I’ll ask them this week.

Who the heck are Kempler & Strauss, anyway? According to their press information, they’re “a subsidiary of San Diego, Calif., based VNA Group, a conglomerate of companies that include transportation vehicles, fitness equipment, entertainment technology, and consumer products.” You don’t say. I’m going to meet these folks here at the CTIA Wireless IT trade show and try to suss them out.

Mobile phone and game device owners could soon be enjoying 3D images with no glasses required, according to an announcement from 3M. The Scotch Tape giant has created a sequential 3D optical film that allows for true auto stereoscopic 3D images on mobile phones, gaming products, and other handheld devices.

The film is integrated into the backlight module and requires only one LCD at a 120-Hz refresh rate. Integration is simple for device makers, with the standard optical film stack being replaced by reflective film, a custom light guide, and 3D film. The result is that left and right images are focused sequentially into the viewer’s eyes, enabling a full-resolution display.

This 3D technology will be on display at the Korea Electronics show, October 13 to 16.

Kempler & Strauss has launched the W PhoneWatch, which it claims is the world’s smallest GSM quad-band cell phone watch, along with the Communicator, a Bluetooth hands-free device.

Like just about everything these days, Kempler & Strauss bills the W PhoneWatch “ideal for individuals with an active lifestyle.” In K&S speak, that means a 1.5-inch, 128-by-128-pixel touch screen, a camera, a video recorder, an MP3 player, Bluetooth, and a microSD slot that works with 4GB cards.

The W PhoneWatch also includes a bevy of PIM apps, including a calendar, address book, a calculator, and stopwatch, plus the usual SMS, voice mail, speed dial, and a vibration mode that must feel great on your arm.

The Communicator, meanwhile, sports a suspiciously short range of 16 feet (most Bluetooth devices list 33 feet these days). It also works with MP3 files–could be great for wireless podcast listening–and features a noise-canceling mic and internal windscreen. The W PhoneWatch lists for $199 and is available via K&S dealers nationwide; no word yet on a release date or a price for the Communicator.

AT&T and HTC have unveiled the HTC Tilt 2 and the HTC Pure, two Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphones that could potentially signal a comeback for Microsoft’s eroding market share in the wireless industry.

The HTC Pure is essentially a successor to the Touch Diamond, but with a larger, higher-resolution (480-by-800-pixel) screen and a 5-megapixel camera. The Tilt 2, meanwhile, is a spiritual successor to the popular, two-generations-old QWERTY-equipped AT&T Tilt–which HTC had also built, although it wasn’t branded as such, along with last year’s Fuze. The Tilt 2 now includes a 3.6-inch touch screen and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

Both devices feature HTC’s TouchFLO 3D interface, which offers a smooth interface for basic tasks like browsing the Web, managing contacts, and listening to music. Windows Mobile 6.5 itself is a significant update, with direct access to the new Windows Marketplace for Mobile app store and Microsoft’s My Phone service. Its refreshed interface is largely irrelevant with these two devices, though, since HTC grafted TouchFLO 3D on top.

The HTC Pure will be available online today and in AT&T stores for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a two-year contract. The Tilt 2 will cost $299.99 after mail-in rebate and with contract when it arrives in the next several weeks.

In addition to the HTC Imagio, Verizon rolled out four other devices today. The Nokia 2705 Shade is a tiny flip phone that’s designed to fit in a purse or pocket, and comes in camera and camera-less versions. Despite its small size, it features VZ Navigator compatibility for turn-by-turn GPS directions, switchable covers, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and Bluetooth; it will list for $29.99 with a new two-year agreement beginning October 6th.

Next up is the military-spec Motorola Barrage (pictured), a rugged cell phone that can stay under several feet of water for 30 minutes. It features Push-to-Talk, a 2-megapixel camera, and support for various optional VZW media services. It costs $129.99 after a $50 rebate and with a two-year agreement. This one hits November 16th; a non-camera version will be available for order on October 21st.

The Verizon Wireless Razzle features a tilt-and-swivel design for messaging fans. It also includes a music player, support for V CAST Music with Rhapsody, a 1GB microSD card, a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a 2.2-inch LCD. This one will check in at $69.99 with a two-year agreement sometime later in October.