Hasta La Gadget!

Vertu’s first foray into the heady modern world of touchscreen phones has arrived, and it still looks KIRF-ably premium. But what’s surprising is that the Constellation’s feature ensemble is actually half-decent — at least relative to its predecessors. Wearing an exclusive 3.5-inch AMOLED screen coated entirely in sapphire crystal, the Constellation completes the look with a “ceramic pillow” (we’d call it an ‘earpiece’) and a black alligator skin back cover. Last seen skulking around Bluetooth product listings, it’s now back in the public spotlight with a confirmed eight megapixel camera, flanked by a twin LED flash and HSPA+ connections. There’s no word on what OS this starlet is working with, though it’s likely to be Symbian — appropriate for all those oil barons, F1 drivers and other anachronistic rich types who can (send staff to) pick up their new Vertu from stores now.

Vertu Constellation packs gaudy brilliance, and we don’t mean the AMOLED originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rich people in poor countries have had to make some terrible sacrifices when choosing a gem-encrusted handset. They’ve generally shopped at Vertu, the Nokia-owned go-to company for such ostentatious purchases, but its range of models has lacked even the most basic smartphone functionality. Now though, a Vertu Constellation T has cropped up at the Bluetooth SIG with distinctly forward-looking specs: a 3.5-inch 640 x 360 AMOLED touchscreen, eight megapixel shooter with twin LED flash, 32GB of onboard storage and an HSPA+ modem. You’ll find some low-res pics after the break, but we fear they might not look expensive enough — bear in mind that Vertu devices fetch an average of $7,000, rising to $27,000 for the ultimate provocation of the masses.

Continue reading Luxury Vertu Constellation T smartphone now packs post-feudal technology

Luxury Vertu Constellation T smartphone now packs post-feudal technology originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 07:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For the eight millionaires who’ve been watching the pre-release of Killer Elite on their in-home Christie CP2230, we’ve got exemplary news for you: your already-amazing image quality is about to get even better. The same projector that was chosen to reside in the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City — and the same one that remains mysteriously devoid of an MSRP across the world wide web — now has a similarly sticker-less upgrade kit to consider. The Christie 4K upgrade package includes an entire 4K light engine assembly (replete with a trio of 1.38-inch TI 4K DMDs), an integrator rod assembly and an upgrade label. Yeah, a label. It’s like that. Hit the source links for the requisite phone numbers, or better yet, just forward the whole thing to your butler.

Continue reading Christie offers 4K upgrade kit for 2K projector that you couldn’t afford to begin with

Christie offers 4K upgrade kit for 2K projector that you couldn’t afford to begin with originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fisker Nina — sounds more like a Bolshoi ballerina to us, but these codenamed, future EVs are now on course for a German heart and soul infusion. BMW has recently inked a deal that will see its four-cylinder turbocharged engine and additional components included in 2012 production models of the American auto maker’s mid-sized sedans. The line of electric cars are currently slated for an early 2013 debut, but we’d sprinkle a cup of salt on that date considering the Karma’s long road to launch. Skip on past the break for the company’s official eco-meets-luxury handshake announcement.

Continue reading Fisker inks BMW deal, Nina EVs gain Ultimate Driving Machine DNA

Fisker inks BMW deal, Nina EVs gain Ultimate Driving Machine DNA originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 15, 2011:

• Vodafone’s very own budget-friendly Facebook Phone, the Vodafone 555, is now on sale. £62.50 is all it will take to get the non-touchscreen featurephone in your fingertips. [via SlashGear]
• A spec sheet and screenshots of the Sony Ericsson Nozumi leaked this week. The handset will likely feature a 1.4GHz single-core Qualcomm S2 CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, and 4.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution. Interestingly enough, the phone is rumored to require a micro SIM, much like the iPhone 4. [via XperiaBlog]
• US Cellular launched two new Android devices for its prepaid lineup, the Samsung Gem and HTC Merge. The Gem offers a 3.2-inch WVGA display, 800MHz CPU, and Android 2.2 for $140, while the Merge is a global-capable QWERTY slider with a 3.8-inch display, Android 2.2, and more for $300. [via US Cellular]
• Immediately following Google’s acquisition of Motorola, discussion centered around the possibility of the latter company becoming the preferred OEM for Android — a privilege that would, in theory, include designing and producing the next Nexus. Andy Rubin, the head honcho for the open-source OS, put such rumors to bed by offering more insight on the approval process for upcoming Nexus phones, and insisted that HelloMoto will continue to be treated the same as every other OEM; it will have to bid for the job just like every other company does. [via AndroidCentral]
• The Huawei Blaze, a budget Android handset that runs on Gingerbread, may arrive in the UK as early as September. The Blaze would mark the first time we’ve seen the company offer a phone under its own branding in the UK. [via CNet]
• Shocked to hear the Kyocera Echo isn’t selling as well as the company had hoped? Yeah, neither are we. Nonetheless, in the hopes of sparking sales, it’s started offering twelve premium games for free to the first 10,000 downloads as part of its “summer of free apps” campaign. Good luck with that. [via Electronista]
• With all of the buzz rightfully centered around Nokia and its quest for Windows Phone dominance, how bright does Vertu’s future look? If Eldar Murtazin is to believed, Espoo’s luxury phone branch will also be on the receiving end of WP7 devices. The main difference with Vertu’s version compared to the rest of Nokia’s lineup? It’ll most likely be covered with gold and diamonds. [via WMPowerUser]
• The Samsung Galaxy Q, another name for the Gravity Smart, is now available on Rogers. The device is geared toward the lower end, so it may not be the most lustworthy letter in the Samsung Galaxy alphabet. [via MobileSyrup]

Mobile Miscellany: week of August 15, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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