Fujitsu Toshiba announces au IS12T, the world’s first Mango phone (hands-on!)

Well, we can’t say we didn’t see this one coming. Fujitsu Toshiba mobile communications — now there’s a mouthful — just unveiled the IS12T: Japan’s first Windows Phone 7 device, and according to Microsoft prez Yasuyuki Higuchi, the world’s first Mango handset. The sexy and IPX5 waterproof (!) 3.7-inch WVGA slate is powered by Qualcomm’s MSM8655 CPU of undisclosed clock speed (which we’ve seen running at 1GHz in the Incredible 2 and Thunderbolt), and goes on sale in “September or beyond” on KDDI’s au network. The pink gizmo packs a 13.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and has a plentiful 32GB of flash storage for housing whatever content you’d fancy toting around. The usual Bluetooth (2.1 + EDR) and WiFi (802.11b/g/n) suspects are also onboard. Interest piqued? Peruse the gallery our Engadget Japanese brethren have handily tossed our way.

Update: In addition to pink, it’ll reportedly also come in a yellowish / greenish hue, as well as jet black.

Fujitsu Toshiba announces au IS12T, the world’s first Mango phone (hands-on!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceEngadget Japanese, KDDI  | Email this | Comments

Fujitsu Toshiba announces au IS12T, the world’s first Mango phone

Well, you can’t say you didn’t see this one coming. Fujitsu Toshiba mobile communications — now there’s a mouthful — just unveiled the IS12T: Japan’s first Windows Phone 7 device, and according to Microsoft prez Yasuyuki Higuchi, the world’s first Mango one. The sexy and waterproof (!) 3.7-inch WVGA slate is powered by a MSM8655 CPU of undisclosed clock speed, and goes on sale in “September or beyond” on KDDI’s au network. The pink gizmo packs a 13.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and has a plentiful 32GB of flash storage to keep all those snaps. The usual Bluetooth (2.1 + EDR) and WiFi (802.11b/g/n) are also on board. Interest piqued? Peruse the gallery our Engadget Japanese brethren have handily tossed our way.

Fujitsu Toshiba announces au IS12T, the world’s first Mango phone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceEngadget Japanese  | Email this | Comments

Mysterious Samsung shows up in dev center sporting Gingerbread and 1280 x 768 screen

SHV-E120S

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Mystery Cellphone Theater. This week’s enigma comes to us courtesy of T Store, a Korean app market, where the Developer Center lists an unannounced Samsung device with the model number SHV-E120S. Now, we can’t tell you much about the E120S, only that it reports to sport a WXGA screen (that’s 1280 x 768), Gingerbread, and a single-core MSM8250 Snapdragon. Sammy has a Korea-only handset with the SHV-E110S tag and a more standard 800 x 480 screen, and the company has made no secret about its desire to push pixel density well beyond the 300ppi mark — still, there’s no guarantee this is in fact a phone. It very well may be a tablet, or just a strange report from an emulator. Regardless, we’re intrigued, and keeping our fingers crossed for 4.3-inch HD display.

Mysterious Samsung shows up in dev center sporting Gingerbread and 1280 x 768 screen originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CareAce  |  sourceT Store Developer Center  | Email this | Comments

Ask Engadget: best dumbphone on the market?

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Jibben, who isn’t exactly hip with shelling out each month for a tiered data plan. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“My upgrade on AT&T is coming up soon, and I only want a new phone if it is something that can best my Samsung Impression. You guys talk a whole lot about smartphones and such, but I just don’t have enough money to swing a data plan. I want my phone to have a full keyboard and a touchscreen. So what would you recommend for a dumbphone?”

Man, the simpler days. We know this fellow isn’t the only one looking to stay disconnected from their email on the go, so what’s the landscape looking like these days? And is there really a reason to stick with AT&T if you don’t have a smartphone in mind?

Ask Engadget: best dumbphone on the market? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 22:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cellphones are dangerous / not dangerous: Danish chatterbox edition

Concerned that a decade and a half of regular cellphone will have a long-term effect on your health? Hopefully the latest study conducted by members of the World Health Organization (WHO) will put your mind at ease. The examination followed nearly 3 million Danish adults, studying links between phone use and the formation of acoustic neuromas — non-cancerous, slow-growing brain tumors that form on the main nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain. The study concluded that people who’ve used a handset for 11-15 years weren’t any more likely to develop a tumor than those who don’t use cellphones at all, though scientists are unsure that this is a long enough period of time to determine a significant correlation (or lack thereof). Still, this comes as refreshing news two months after the WHO released a study revealing that RF waves coming from phones are “potentially carcinogenic,” due to a limited link to glioma and acoustic neuroma. Of course, none of these reports can actually conclude that cellphones cause cancer — only that the two may be correlated. So, what does this latest study really do? It legitimizes the need to conduct more studies.

Cellphones are dangerous / not dangerous: Danish chatterbox edition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Line2 brings phone functionality to iPad for 10 bucks a month (video)


Remember that ridiculous Steven Slater rap video promoting Line2’s in-flight texting app? Well, the VoIP company just dusted off the point-and-shoot and hopped back over to YouTube, this time peddling a complete telephony solution for iPad. Launching July 28th, the service will let you place phone calls using a wired headset or the built-in speaker and mic, listen to voicemail, and send texts from a single HD interface. After a one-week trial, you’ll pay $10 per month (or $100 per year) for the privilege, though with free number porting and unlimited domestic calling that’s a fairly solid deal. Many of us barely use our cell phones to place phone calls anymore, but if you’re looking to extend that little-used functionality to your tablet, then Line2 for iPad may be ringing. We haven’t had a chance to go hands-on just yet, but click past the break for a comprehensive video demo, complete with in-app email and an iTunes-like contacts carousel.

Update: Line2 says the app also supports Bluetooth calling on the iPad 2 with any device that features HFP 1.5. Apple restricts functionality, however, so you’ll only be able to use the headset for audio — you’ll still need to place and receive calls directly on the iPad.

Continue reading Line2 brings phone functionality to iPad for 10 bucks a month (video)

Line2 brings phone functionality to iPad for 10 bucks a month (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia prepping $120 million ad campaign ahead of Windows Phone launch?

With the dust from its Microsoft partnership having somewhat settled, Nokia is reportedly looking to kick off its forthcoming line of Windows Phones with a major marketing campaign. According to Marketing Magazine, Elop & Co. have already devoted some £80 million (about $127 million) to the six-month ad endeavor, which is expected to launch in October. Considering all the job cuts and downwardly revised corporate forecasts, an advertising refresh would seem like a logical way for Nokia to embark on a new era. But the company is remaining rather mum on the subject, saying, “We are excited about the Nokia with Windows phone, but it’s not our policy to comment on specific campaigns for unannounced products.” Awkwardly executed “leaks,” on the other hand, are an entirely different matter.

[Thanks, John]

Nokia prepping $120 million ad campaign ahead of Windows Phone launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Next Web  |  sourceMarketing Magazine  | Email this | Comments

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro won’t ship until ‘late September’ in the UK

When the Xperia Pro first went up for pre-order back in June, we thought it would be available relatively soon. According to Sony Ericsson’s page, however, the handset won’t start shipping to UK customers until “late September.” A couple of friendly tipsters notified us about the change, though the SIM-free price, as you’ll notice, remains fixed at £349.99 (or about $558). We have yet to hear an explanation for the delay, but in the meantime, you can tide yourself over with our hands-on.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro won’t ship until ‘late September’ in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 05:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pew: Smartphone owners increasingly ignoring other devices to get online

Some more fun phone facts from the folks at Pew: 83 percent of American adults own a cellphone, 35 percent have a smartphone, and 87 of percent smartphone owners use their handset to browse the internet and read email, apparently having decided that the things are good for more than just making phone calls and keeping papers from blowing away. Also of interest is the fact that 28 percent of the 2,277 people surveyed actually use their small screen devices as their primary method for accessing the internet. It’s worth noting that it’s not a huge sample size we’re working with here, so maybe hold off on declaring the PC dead — still, it may be a sign of lots of squinting to come.

Pew: Smartphone owners increasingly ignoring other devices to get online originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Ars Technica  |  sourcePew  | Email this | Comments

LG Optimus 3D now available SIM-free for £500 at Carphone Warehouse

LG Optimus 3D now available SIM-free for £500 at Carphone Warehouse

It’s been mere weeks since we got the full specs on LG’s Optimus 3D (also known as the Thrill 4G for AT&T), and here it is, as promised, popping up across the pond. Yup, everyone’s favorite misnomered online retailer, Carphone Warehouse, has the glassesless Froyo phone going for a cool £500, SIM-free. You can also get 3D on your dual-core LG for £35 per month from O2, Orange, T-Mobile, or Vodafone. For those of you US patriots looking to get your hands on the thing in time for the Fourth of July, however, you’ll have to find another way to capture the weenie roast in all three dimensions — there’s still no word on when the Optimus 3D will land stateside.

LG Optimus 3D now available SIM-free for £500 at Carphone Warehouse originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink T3  |  sourceCarphone Warehouse  | Email this | Comments