Garmin Asus A10 comes with a focus on pedestrian navigation

The Garmin Asus joint venture unveiled a new addition to their lineup of navigation-centered mobile phones. The Garmin Asus A10 is a full-touch phone running on the Android OS platform but with a focus on pedestrian navigation in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Built around a 3.2" HVGA display, the Garmin Asus A10 lists an electronic compass and long-lasting 1500mAh battery as its key features. It will come with detailed maps preloaded so internet connection on the go isn't required.
In-car navigation is also well covered with the Garmin Asus A10 as it will come with a dashboard mount in the retail package. The mount will be able to magnify the the volume of the device's voice commands.
Garmin Asus still haven't revealed the full specs of the A10, but a 5 megapixel camera gets mentioned in the press release.
The Garmin Asus A10 is expected to be available in mid-2010 in Europe and Asia-Pacific. No word of pricing has been dropped just yet.
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The Nokia E72 gets a firmware update and a sexy White Edition

It wasn't that long ago when Nokia introduced the Amethyst Purple color version of the E72 and now we can officially welcome the Nokia E72 White Edition. On top of that, the company has also released an E72 software update.
As its name reveals, the newest version of the device is all white. There is a dedicated white theme as well and in the retail box you should also find some matching accessories, such as the Nokia BH-216 Bluetooth headset and the Nokia CP-313 "jewelery".

Nokia E72 White Edition
And as far as the software update is concerned, the white Nokia E72 will ship with it, but if you already have E72 , you can update its software through the Nokia Software Updater.
This update is expected to bring along the latest version of the Ovi Maps (with free voice guided navigation), improved overall performance and stability of the Email, Calandar, Contacts and Browser applications. E72 owners will also be able to listen to Internet radio.
There is no word when exactly we can expect the Nokia E7 White Edition but so far it's only listed on the Asian Nokia websites so perhaps availability in Europe will take a while.
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Fennec, the Firefox for Android, ready to roll out, kind of

We expected the Fennec (a.k.a. Firefox for Android) to show up a few months ago but it didn't. While you're waiting for the final version of the app to be unveiled you can try out its pre-beta release which is now available for download.
The Fennec was supposed to see daylight for the first time earlier this year, in February. Then, back in March, some kind of a beta version appeared but it wasn't developed by the Mozilla team.

The Fennec in action
Well, now you can taste what the real Fennec will be like. What we are speaking of is actually a very early build (as its developers, say it's even earlier than per-alpha). However, it should give you and idea what you can expect from the final version of the application.
This build has been tested on Motorola Droid and Google Nexus One and as you might guess it's not bug-free. For example, your phone might freeze and need to be rebooted. Memory usage should be optimized in the future as well.
To get the pre-alpha version of the Fennec, open that link using your phone's current web browser. Note that you need a phone running Android OS v2.0 or higher and having enough memory left since the Fennec must be installed to the internal memory.
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Android-running Samsung Galaxy A announced, but for Korea only

The Samsung Galaxy family welcomes a new member - the Samsung M100S Galaxy A. Like its siblings, it's an Android handset with OLED screen but also brings DivX, DMB-T and more to the table and access to no less than three app stores.
Now, before you get overexcited, we have to tell you the bad news - the Samsung Galaxy A is for the Korean market only. It does have HSDPA/HSPA 3G connectivity, but instead of plotting how to smuggle it out, you might have to "settle" for the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S.

Samsung Galaxy A official photos
The Samsung Galaxy A has a 3.7" OLED screen (though not SuperAMOLED) with WVGA resolution. There's support for 720p video playback (sadly though, not recording), DivX/XviD and DMB-T, which makes the Galaxy A a wiz at playing video.
The Samsung Galaxy A runs Android 2.1 on a 720MHz CPU and doesn't have much internal memory - however it does come with an 8GB microSD card in the box, which is the next best thing.
Other items on the spec sheet include a 5MP camera, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, a 1500mAh battery and access to Samsung's application store and SK Telecom's T-Store (and the Android Market too, of course). Samsung promises 100 apps customized for Korea to be in the Samsung Apps store by May, with more to come later.
The Samsung M100S Galaxy A will be available in Korea by the end of this month.

Nokia teases us with some full-res N8 camera samples, we drool

There are so many things going around Nokia N8. In quite an unusual marketing move Nokia just published some "untouched" camera samples. Whoa! The camera on that thing is definitely a nice bit of kit. That should certainly help lift up some of that bad rep it has gotten from early reviewers recently, which by the way has not escaped the attention of somebody at Nokia (iPhone 4G style).
But enough talking, here are the camera samples. All six of them.


Nokia N8 camera samples
By the way, the impressive image quality and Nokia's statement that the N8 comes with a "large" camera sensor made us dig things further and investigate how large it really is.
To see some of our surprising findings, just check out our blog post. Nokia N8 may as well have the largest camera sensor on a GSM cameraphone ever.
Image source

Stats on iPhone and Android show device and OS distributions

Stats time again - this time we'll look at how Android OS versions are distributed as well as the iPhone OS. What do you think is more popular - iPhone 3G or 2nd-gen iPod touch? Which version of Android generates the most mobile Internet traffic? The answers are a little surprising.
Android is being criticized for getting very fragmented - and as far as mobile web traffic is concerned, the three most popular versions right now (1.5 Cupcake, 1.6 Donut and 2.x Eclair) have almost equal shares.

Android stats: traffic by handset • by OS version
In September 2009, when Donut was released, there was a sharp drop in the traffic v1.5 generated and v1.6 rose quite quickly. However, in October when Eclair came out, the v1.6 decline was smoother. It's also odd that Cupcake currently holds the top spot in mobile Internet traffic generated by Android.
The Motorola Droid holds the top spot in the per-phone breakdown of the traffic shares - it also gave quite a boost to Eclair when it launched in November 2009, followed by the HTC Hero. Google's Nexus One doesn't seem to be doing quite hot - just 2%, but it's not widely available outside the US and the UK.
Moving on to Apple's flock of devices, the iPhone 3GS is the most popular device from Cupertino - it accounts for 39% of all Apple devices, followed by the second-gen iPod touch - 25%, and the iPhone 3G comes in third with 20%. Unlike the iPhones, the iPod touch distribution is in favor of the 2nd-gen device (the 3rd-gen iPod touch is at 12% share).

iPhone and iPod stats: traffic by device • by OS version
The first incarnations of both the iPhone and the iPod touch are all but forgotten - they both sit at about 2%. The vast majority uses the two most recent versions of the iPhone OS - 3.1.2 gets 42% and 3.1.3 leads with 44%. The rest are running older versions, probably never having bothered with the whole "firmware update" black magic.
The iPhone OS 3.1.3 is harder to jailbreak than 3.1.2 - can this account for the popularity of the slightly older version? It very well could, but 3.1.3 came out recently so a lot of those 42% percent probably just haven't gotten to updating yet.
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BlackBerry OS 6 now official and there's a cool demo video

BlackBerry OS6 is now official. A new web browser, multi-touch support and re-skinned user interface are just part of the new goodies.
Today at the Wireless Enterprise Symposium, RIM's CEO Mike Lazaridis went ahead and lifted the curtains on the BlackBerry OS 6.0.
After the quiet unveiling of the new Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G, RIM have now prepared an energetic video ad for their new BlackBerry OS version.
Here is the official video ad itself:

There is still no detailed feature lists, but thanks to the leaked info we already know the major improvements - a new homescreen, pop-up menus, fluid transitions, a new WebKit-based HTML5-capable web browser, re-skinned media interface, multi-touch support and all-in-all better thumbability.
The new BlackBerry OS6 will be out sometime in Q3 this year and some older devices will be capable of upgrade. Still there is no info on the supported devices or the features package.
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Nokia N8 goes official with 12MP camera and HD video

It's official - Nokia unveiled their new flagship, the Nokia N8. With 12MP camera and 720p video recording, the latest handset from the Finnish company is on track to becoming the new imaging champ in the mobile phone world.
The 28mm wide angle camera on the Nokia N8 is equipped with Carl Zeiss optics and a xenon flash. Nokia says that the image sensor "rivals those found in compact digital cameras". The camera can also capture 720p HD video at 25 frames per second and offers built-in video editing tools.

Nokia N8 official photos
The Nokia N8 also features two different TV-out interfaces - the standard 3.5mm audio jack and a mini-HDMI port (a first for the GSM world). The Nokia N8 also features Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound over the HDMI link.
The Nokia N8 offers up to 3 hours and 20 minutes of video capture or 7 hours of video playback (6 over HDMI) thanks to the 1200mAh battery. The talk time is impressive too - 12 hours, and the battery will last for 50 hours of music playback.

More Nokia N8 photos
There's plenty of storage to store the videos - the Nokia N8 has 16GB of built-in memory and supports microSD cards up to 32GB. As for viewing things on the phones itself, the N8 comes with a 3.5" capacitive touchscreen with 16:9 aspect ratio with nHD resolution (360 x 640 pixels).
The Nokia N8 is connectivity champ - it is a true globetrotter with quad-band GSM/EDGE and five-band 3G. Yep, five bands - 850/900/1700/1900/2100. It has Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS with A-GPS (plus other positioning methods), microUSB with USB On-the-go and a built-in FM transmitter. Having mentioned GPS, the N8 will of course come with Ovi Maps for free voice-guided navigation.

Nokia N8 lifestyle shots
The N8 is the first device that runs Symbian^3 and it also has support for the Qt cross-platform apps and UI framework that should allow development of apps that run on Symbian and MeeGo. It has multiple homescreens and is proficient in social networking. It also offers improved application and graphics performance.
Here's a promo video of the Nokia N8:

The Nokia N8 is expected to become available in the third quarter with an estimated retail price of 370 euro (500 US dollars). It will be available in Dark Grey, Silver White, Green, Blue, Orange.

Motorola MT820 appears again, has Chinese 3G

A week ago, two China-bound Motorolas popped up in spy shots - now, one of them reappeared in much better shots and revealed some specs. The Motorola MT820 continues the MOTOMING form factor of a transparent flap over the touchscreen.
Other than confirming our suspicions that the Motorola MT820 (and the other one, which we now know is the Motorola ZN4) will have Chinese 3G (TD-SCDMA), this post doesn't give us much more info.

Better shots of the Motorola MT820
The Motorola MT820 will run Android (2.1 Eclair by the looks of it) with MOTOBLUR on top. It will have a microSD card slot, a secondary video call camera and a 1140mAh Li-Ion BN70 battery.

More photos of the Motorola MT820
The design in this photo is slightly different than the one in the photos from last week - so it's either a newer prototype or a version for another region.
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Apple strikes back - the police searches Gizmodo editor's house

We are sure all of you are already familiar with the tale of the lost and found iPhone 4G prototype. It seems Apple won't give up until "justice" is served to all, whose hands touched the device, despite the fact that they received their device back.
The San Mateo police investigation reached the front door of Gizmodo's editor Jason Chen (author of the articles about the new iPhone)…and blasted through it. California's REACT unit (Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team) acquired a search warrant for Chen's home as part of the investigation of the lost iPhone 4G. They are now involved since obviously Apple have declared the prototype as stolen.
Last Friday Jason Chen wasn't at home, so the search team broke his front door in order to gain access to his home. It appears the invasion in Chen's house continued for several hours, but thankfully the REACT guys didn't break anything else.

At the end of the day the police took three MacBooks, one iPad, one iPhone, three external USB drives, Motorola A855, IBM ThinkPad, two Dell desktop PCs, HP MediaSmart server, two digital cameras, three USB sticks and more.
According to Gawker Media the search warrant is invalid, because the Californian law protects the journalist's source. But we guess the police is jumping on the only possible lead they've got to find the guy who found the prototype and sold it to Gizmodo. Yup, the same guy who reached Apple personally to offer to return the lost iPhone, only to get laughed at.
Currently the investigation is on hold, because of the source protection law and it's up to the District Attorney to decide what happens next.
Whatever the truth turns out to be, the story is already becoming too ugly. The raid on Chen's home and every similar action in this investigation will do little more but throw mud in Apple's face.
Grey Powell might be the guy that lost the prototype, but Apple screwed up big time by dismissing the anonymous person who tried to return it. The company is bearing the fruits of their own arrogance and they better give up on this case before they make complete fools out of themselves.
Plus the fact that such an attack is directed at one of the most pro-Apple online medias is disturbing enough on its own.
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Android 2.2 (Froyo) to support automatic application updates

Froyo, the next version of the Android OS, is already in the testing and chances are it will be seeded to end-users in a few months time. And as it turns out this might very well be a thing to look forward to, as it will bring some new features. The first one we're hearing of is automatic application updates.
Unlike Android 2.1, which brought extended API support, but little in terms of new features, Android 2.2 (a.k.a. Froyo) will at least have one key new feature. Users that have a large number of preinstalled apps will certainly appreciate the fact that they will be able to automatically update themselves, instead of being updated manually.
Each app will prompt you to enable automatic updates when you install it, so you can forbid some of them to do so. There are suspicions that developers will make use of the newly added feature to turn completely free apps into ad supported ones but we doubt that will become a wide-spread practice.
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Nokia N8 previewed before announcement, shown no love

The Nokia's first Symbian^3 device and next smartphone flagship N8 just got its first short preview. The handset is now confirmed to capture 720p video and 12 megapixel stills, but apparently the new UI wasn't much to the liking of the reviewer.

Nokia N8 live shots
While there are no samples to prove it, the image quality of the still camera is said to be similar to the Sony Ericsson Satio 12 megapixel shooter. Which combined with the 720p video recording and the HDMI port doesn't sound like too bad a package to us, but apparently the author believes this is the device that might single-handedly take down Nokia.

Focusing on the HDMI port and the 12MP camera
The user interface improvements also fail to impress and Symbian^3 feels more like evolution rather than a much needed revolution for the platform's touch UI. The Nokia N8 is apparently running fast but once its memory gets filled up it starts to lag.

The camera user interface
Those are of course impressions based on an early pre-release sample of the Nokia N8 and we're likely to see improvements before the handset hits the shelves in the second half of the year.
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Vodafone UK to start shipping the Google Nexus One on 30 April

Vodafone UK announced that their customers who have pre-ordered the Google Nexus One will be getting it as soon as 30 April, which is just in four days.
If you're waiting for in-store availability, that will probably take up to the 5 of May. Pre-orders are still open though.


If you remember, we told you that it's going to happen that way. However, to purchase the Nexus One you don't have to go to google.com/phone. Instead, you can visit Vodafone UK's website.
Of course, you'll also have to sign an 18- or 24-month contract with the operator. Tariffs start from 25 GBP (around 29 euro). And if you go for a 35 GBP monthly price plan you'll get the Nexus One for free (a 2-year contract is required in this case).
As any other phones in the UK based on Android OS v1.6 or higher, the Google Nexus One will come with the free Google Maps Navigation app on board.
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RIM announces BlackBerry Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G, sort of

Two new BlackBerry smartphones are coming right next month. The candybar duo Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G leaves the old-fashioned trackball in favor of the fancy trackpad.
BlackBerry Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G share common specs - hi-res screen, 3.2 megapixel camera, microSD card slot and the full connectivity package - Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G and Bluetooth.

BlackBerry Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G
The Pearl 3G supports the latest Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n standard, while the Bold 9650 relies on the previous b/g one. Still, the new Bold will be released in both GSM and CDMA versions, but the Pearl 3G won't be available for the CDMA users.
BlackBerry Bold 9650 (in CDMA obviously) will be available from Sprint USA starting next month. The Pearl 3G will hit Canada through Bell, TELUS and Rogers most probably the same time. Other market availability and pricing are yet to be announced.
As of now, RIM still don't have any official press info on both devices. Looking forward to it, we hope it's not some leak.
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