Philippine Cell Phones

The touch screen responds very well to the fingers though the stylus does not work properly in most cases. The front panel of the S5603 has earpiece just above the screen as in most of the mobile phones and the light sensor and the secondary video call camera on the right. The calling keys, the back button and the power buttons are properly placed below the screen. The back button looks like a D-pad and can be mistaken as navigation key. Since the S5603 does not has a navigation key so the users need to manually browse through the menu with their fingers.

There is an all in one jack for the USB connection, charging and the hands free which is a big disadvantage since nothing else can be used while the phone is getting charged. The left side of the phone has got the volume rocker which doubles up as zooming rocker for the text and the camera. On the right side of the phone is placed the screen-lock key and below that the camera key. The back has got a 3.0 megapixel camera with LED flash and speakers at the bottom left. The S5603 has got a slot for the MicroSD card (expandable upto 16 GB) behind the battery. In addition to that there is an Internal storage of 80 MB.

The menu is simple and user friendly and quite easy to recognise which menu clubs with other sub-menus. The quick menu on the right of the screen gives users quick access to the common menus. The quick menu can be dragged and dropped to the main screen/home screen. The photo gallery is a lot of fun as the phone recognises which side it is tilted when viewing in landscape mode. The absense of QWERTY Keyboard is a little disappointing.

Specification: A GPS Navigation3 Megapixel Camera with LED FlashVideo Player (MPEG4, WMV, H263 & H264)2.8 Inch 16 Million Colour Touch Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)Stereo FM Radio RDS3G HSDPA Technology3G Video CallingBluetooth® with A2DPUSB, GPRS, EDGEQuad Band (GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)WAP 2.0XHTML, HTML80 Mbytes Memory Plus MicroSD™ Memory Card Support Up To 16

3.0 Megapixel Camera with Smile Detection
3G/ EDGE/ GPRS/ HSDPA
2.8 inch Touch Screen
TouchWiz User Interface

S5603 Camera Performance
The 3.0 megapixel camera is pretty standard, though the viewfinder quality is quite nice and clear. It can shoot 9 consecutive shots with a single click. The Paranorma feature can stitch upto 6 frames. The Smile Detection feature also comes in handy. There are 6 scene modes including text mode, where users can capture pictures of mewspapers and magazines for a clearer view of the text. The max resolution can be set to 2048×1536. Videos can be shot at 15 frames per second with a 320×240 resolution. Pictures can be added to the phonebook for photo contacts.

Overall, the camera’s performance is one the best among all the 3.0 megapixel camera phones. Sometimes though the LED flash spoils the image due to over exposure, but it also comes less battery as compared to the Xenon Flash.

Entertainment Features
The Samsung Star 3G S5603 is a full fledged media box with enough storage due to the expandable MicroSD card. Its FM reception is pretty good, though at higher frequencies sometimes there is are a lot of disturbances. The voice recording is also quite good.

For the game lovers, the phone is loaded with games like Tumbling Dice, Party Bubble Popper, Crazy Penguine, Pyramidbloxx and Monopoly World. These games are entirely based on motion and touch detection. Though most of the games are only trial versions. I really think big mobile manufacturing companies should load their phone with full version games.

Making Connections
The Samsung S5603 has nice connectivity features. Its Bluetooth pairing with other devices is exceptionally fast. The GPRS, HSDPA and EDGE features give the device an advantage over many other phones in the same range. The FM receiver as we mentioned is very good at lower frequencies and quite good at higher. The 3G enabled tag is an added advantage, however, the absense of Wi-Fi is a big drawback. One other thing which we checked was how the Google Maps work on it, and it was just about perfect.

Overall we can say that the Samsung Star 3G S5603 is a feature packed phone alongwith with sleek  looks and performance. The talktime backup battery time might be a disadvantage but at around Rs. 14000 ($290) its a good buy. It would get good competition from the likes of HTC Touch Viva and the LG’s Cookie.

The Samsung i8000 Omnia II with Windows Mobile 6.1 architecture and TouchWiz 2.0 UI -  A mobile smartphone encased in a 3.7 inch Display packing a 64K-color AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) WQVGA touchscreen at 480 x 800 pixels. On top of that the Omnia II also sports 3G, HSDPA/HSUPA 7.2/5.76 Mbps, WiFi and a 5 megapixel camera with video capture and comes in 2GB, 8GB and 16GB Internal storage versions.

From initial feedback obtained thus far, its been suggested the Samsung has not only improved features and technology, moreover it appears that the manufacturer has gone one step further by redeveloping many of the original Omnia features that made the handset so appealing to commence with. The usual smorgasbord of connectivity options have been included such as WiFI, HSDPA/HSUPA, Bluetooth with A2DP, microUSB and a GPS reciever with A-GPS support, but the real winner and surprise lays within the WinMO operating system that doesn’t even feel like such.

Samsung I8000 Omnia II Specifications:
General
2G Network     GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network     HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
Announced     2009, June
Status             Coming soon. Exp. release 2009, Q3

Size
Dimensions     118 x 59.6 x 11.9 mm
Weight           117 g

Display
Type     AMOLED resistive touchscreen, 16M colors (65K effective)
Size      480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches
- TouchWiz 2.0 UI
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and Motion UI
- Handwriting recognition

Sound
Alert types        Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Speakerphone   Yes
- 3.5 mm audio jack

Memory
Phonebook      Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records    Practically unlimited
Internal           2/8/16 GB storage
Card slot         microSD (TransFlash), up to 32 GB

Data
GPRS     Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD   Yes
EDGE     Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G          HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
WLAN    Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth   Yes, v2.0
Infrared port    No
USB     Yes,
microUSB   v2.0

Camera
Primary     5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, Dual Power LED flash
Features    Geo-tagging, face and smile detection, mobile blogging
Video         Yes, 720×480@30fps
Secondary  VGA videocall camera

Features
OS     Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
CPU   800MHz
Messaging   SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, IM
Browser     HTML, Opera Browser v9.5
Radio     No
Games   Yes, 3D interactive games
Colors    Black
GPS        Yes, with A-GPS support, 3D map
Java       Yes, MIDP 2.0
- Photo editor, video editor
- DixX / XviD / MPEG4/ H.263/ H.264/ WMV player
- MP3/ e-AAC+/ WMA / WMDRM / OMA DRM 2.1 player
- Find Music service
- Media Gate 3D

Gadget geeks and tech enthusiasts alike will love all the little new and existing goodies that come with the Omnia 2. For example, take the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS (upgradeable to 6.5 when released) and new TouchWiz 2.0 interface. The UI includes a 3D Cube multimedia feature which allows for auto rotation and motion via the accelerometer sensor.

The Samsung i8000 Omnia II is obviously equipped with a lot more features than we can cover today, but one things for sure, on the surface it’s got the making of a PocketPC that we’re dying to get our hands on!

Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and other leading providers have expressed their interest to stock the WinMO smartphone. At this stage there is no indication of a release date except to say that it’s expected in Q3 2009 at some stage.

The Samsung SCH-u750 Alias 2 from Verizon is a dual-mode clamshell cell phone, built of sturdy plastic with a professional-looking grey and silver exterior. The phone feels solid in your hand, though unfortunately the hinge has quite a bit of give, and does not inspire much confidence in its ability to last through excessive use. The Alias 2 is quite a large handset, measuring a full 102mm x 51mm x 18mm (4in x 2in x 0.7in), but weighs only 122g (4.3 ounces). The phone can be opened top to bottom in portrait mode, like a normal clamshell phone, or side to side in landscape mode, more like a miniature laptop.
vibrant media

On the outer panel of the Samsung SCH-u750 Alias 2, there is a 2 megapixel camera for taking snapshots or video clips. Below this is the external display, a small square 1.3-inch unit with 128 x 128 pixel resolution. Immediately below this display are three touch-sensitive music playback buttons that are also used to navigate through the crude menu that’s available on the external display. On the left hinge of the phone you’ll find a 2.5mm audio port that is protected by an attached door to keep debris out. Further down along the left edge of the phone you’ll find the proprietary Samsung power port, also protected by a door, as well as the volume rocker and a dedicated voice control button. A covered microSD card slot is on the right edge, as is a Hold button for the music player and a dedicated power button below. Noticeably missing is a dedicated camera button.

Features
The Alias 2 has a 1,000-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers, two e-mail addresses, a street address, and notes. You also can save a dedicated emergency number. For further personalization, you can save callers to groups, pair them with a photo and assign one of 20 polyphonic ringtones.

Other essentials include a vibrate mode, a calculator, a calendar, an alarm clock, a stopwatch, a world clock, a unit and currency converter, and a tip calculator. Though the Alias 2 isn’t a true smartphone, you’ll find a few higher-end options, as well. It offers stereo Bluetooth, speaker independent voice dialing and commands, USB mass storage, and a file manager. Wi-Fi, which would be useful on a messaging phone, is not an option.

As an EV-DO phone, the Alias 2 supports the full range of Verizon’s 3G services, including V Cast streaming video content, and the V Cast Music with Rhapsody. Both the V Cast menu and music store interface are pretty much unchanged from other Verizon phones. Player options include the usual limited shuffle and repeat modes, but V Cast Music also will recommend other songs based on your playlist. The Alias 2 includes an airplane mode for listening to your tunes while aloft.

The Alias 2 has a 2-megapixel camera. You can take pictures in five resolutions from 1,600×1,200 pixels down to 160×120, and you can choose from three quality settings. Other options are plentiful and include a self-timer, a multishot mode, five color tones, four white-balance effects, an adjustable ISO, spot metering, a brightness control, and three shutter sounds (plus a silent option). There’s also a 10x digital zoom, though it’s unusable at the highest resolution. The Alias 2 doesn’t offer a flash, which we expect on a 2-megapixel phone. Camera quality was quite good, however, with bright colors and little image noise.

Specifications:
* The 2.6-inch display features a 240 x 320 pixel resolution with 262k colors.
* External: 1.3-inch 128 x 128 pixel LCD display.
* Measures 102 x 52 x 17mm and weighs 123g.
* 2 megapixel camera with 15fps QCIF video.
* Internal memory of 80MB and expandable via microSD card slot.
* Battery life: Up to 5 hours talk time and 336 hours stand-by.
* Bluetooth: version 2.0.

Performance
As mentioned, the Alias 2 also supports EV-DO, though it is not a Rev. A device. Call quality was quite good on the whole. Conversations were clear, the volume was loud, and the consistently strong signal didn’t suffer from interference or static. What’s more, we were able to talk in most environments without any problems. On the downside, the sound tended to be somewhat harsh and even robotic at times. It was a minor issue, though, and it didn’t distract from our experience.

On their end, callers were mostly positive. In fact, a few couldn’t tell that we were using a cell phone. We made calls in noisy environments and in a quiet room. Callers noticed few changes between the two areas. However, some reported that background noise increased when we were outside; it wasn’t significant, they said, and it’s hardly an unusual occurrence on a cell phone. Automated calling systems could understand us, but it was best if we were in a quiet room. Speakerphone calls were fine for the most part. The sound quality diminished somewhat, but the volume was loud. Also, we could speak a few feet away from the phone and still be heard.

Streaming video quality was fine, though we’ve seen better on other Verizon phones. Videos downloaded quickly thanks to the strong EV-DO connection and only one clip paused to buffer midway through playing. There was some visible pixelation, but most onscreen action was pretty smooth. Also, the sound was in sync with the action on the display. It’s most comfortable to watch the videos in landscape mode, even though the frame takes up only half of the screen.

Its music quality was satisfying. The audio isn’t especially rich, and like many music phones there was an audible tinny effect, but it is fine for short stints of listening. Headphones will provide a better experience, though we wouldn’t use the Alias 2 as our sole music device. Songs downloaded quickly from V Cast Music, and we added a 3.7MB song in about a minute. The Alias 2 has a rated battery life of 5 hours talk time and 16 days standby time. According to the FCC, the Alias 2 has a digital SAR of 0.541 watts per kilogram.

The phones feature the Samsung’s TouchWiz User Interface along with Mobile Widgets which lets users enjoy their mobile content easily and intuitively. In addition to this, these phones incorporate a unique Gesture Control feature which will allow users to give gesture commands in order to run an application or unlock the touch screen.

Specifications:

General
Dimensions (W x D x H)
104 x 53 x 11.9 mm

Built-in memory
50 MB

Expansion slot(s)
microSDHC, TransFlash / microSD

Available colours
Noble Black, Sweet Pink
Connectivity
GSM frequency bands
Quadband

Network type(s)
GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900

Connectivity options
EDGE, Bluetooth, USB
Display and Text Input
LCD display size
3-inch

Color LCD?
Yes

Secondary display resolution
x pixels
Pending delete
Input method(s)
Touch screen
Multimedia
Built-in digital camera?
Yes

Maximum camera resolution
3.2 megapixels

The Samsung Star phone sports a 7.63cm WQVGA full touchscreen display and a 3.2 megapixel camera. The Photo Contact feature enables a user to call a contact by simply touching an appointed image. Additionally, the Samsung Star packs in various other features such as Shazam’s Find Music service, accelerometer, Google search, Google Maps, Gmail, online widgets, virtual QWERTY keyboard, 50MB internal memory and expansion supported upto 8GB.

It’s gonna be very affordable touchscreen phone. Expecting it to be around Php10k to Php15k, but thats only my expectations. Lets just see how its gonna entise our Samsung phone fanatics.

It is a candy bar phone, so the back is a solid black shell, the front a silver and charcoal frame around a 3.2 inch touchscreen. There are only three buttons on the front. The first two, shaped like a filled box and an empty box, are menu open and menu close buttons, the equivalent of what would be usually a green and a red button on a traditional phone. (It’s not clear why Samsung, other than for style reasons, would change this standard.) The final button – in the bottom middle of the front – isn’t so much a button as it is a very small touchpad. Run your finger over it and it will scroll the current item or menu in the desired direction. The phone will vibrate slightly when you do, like the phone rang briefly, with a low-pitch, accompanying “thud” sound. The pad itself was smaller than my pinky.

Atop the phone are the reset and power buttons. On the right side are the quick keys for the main menu, the volume control and the camera/camcorder switch. On the left side is an all-purpose port for power and data transfer cords. Finally, there is a small camera lens on the back tucked behind a plastic cover.

The Samsung Omnia is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone, tri-band 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz, and is available in America through Verizon. The Internet browsing was rather creaky through traditional cell towers, but the Omnia can also use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Specifications

Dimensions: 4.4″ (H) x 2.24″ (W) x 0.52″ (D)
Weight: 4.34 oz
Processor: MSM6800A
Standard Battery – 1440 mAh
Usage: Up to 346 minutes OR
Standby: Up to 464 hours
SAR information: Head: 1.31 W/kg; Body: 1.11 W/kg
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4

Features

Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
Rev. A Capable
Microsoft® Office Word Mobile, Excel® Mobile, and PowerPoint® Mobile; Adobe® Reader® LE PDF viewer
View, edit, create Word and Excel files; view only PowerPoint and PDF files; view, extract, create ZIP files
Opera™ Mobile browser
Wi–Fi Capable
Windows Media® Player Mobile
Memory: 256MB Flash/128MB RAM
(+ 8GB of additional internal memory)
Bluetooth® Wireless Technology (v2.0) including A2DP for Stereo
3.2″ Display: 240×400 pixel; 64K color TFT
Optical Mouse Navigation
Advanced touch screen with customizable Widgets
5.0 megapixel camera w/auto–focus, zoom and video capture
microSD™ memory support (up to 16GB)
Voice command capable
Speakerphone
Business Card Reader
Security locking features
Text, Picture and Video messaging (MMS)
Wireless Sync capable
ActiveSync® (v4.5) and Windows Mobile Device Center®
BroadbandAccess Connect capable

The Samsung Omnia uses Windows Media 6.1, so Microsoft Outlook and other products are built in. They are on par with similar devices. Microsoft ActiveSync – a quick installation – will match your calendar, email and so on.

Less smooth is the “keyboard,” which actually uses an archaic multikey format. For example, going on the Internet to visit Yahoo! required tapping the virtual “w” key, then tapping on a series of likely letter combinations to find “ww,” again to find “www.,” and then starting the process over again to spell yahoo and the final com. It doesn’t help that the web seems to creep along – even on uber-popular sites like Yahoo! – unless you are in Wi-Fi range.

The multimedia visuals and speakers look and sound great – no weak screen and speakers here. Less impressive is the synchronization. To play your multimedia, you must find the search for files option under the menu and wait for the phone to find your goodies. It is a small detail, but the additional step makes absolutely no sense. Why not make it automatic, since there is no logical reason why someone would download multimedia from their computer onto the phone unless it was going to be used?

The 5.0-megapixel camera is as lush as it sounds. Though packed with icons, the camera setup is smooth and intuitive – you can go as deep as you like. Held horizontally, the options line either side of the screen while the middle gives a view of the action. Tap the touchpad and it takes a quick flick which can be trashed, emailed as an attachment or just saved. The only thing missing is a flash, but in most cases it seemed unnecessary.

Via i4u

This is said to be released at july this year, let us hope for the best and see this mobile for our own eyes this july.

This is the Samsung S30 which is an updated version of the Instinct with included features such as customizable menus, voice control, a 2-megapixel camera with video capture and a microSD card slot supporting up to 32GB.

Measuring 4.6 by 2.1 by 0.5 inches, the S30 is only slightly slimmer than the original. The S30, however, has smoother corners and a slicker design, and it feels quite comfortable in the hand. It is also a hair lighter, weighing 3.9 ounces. It comes in two attractive colors, Cobalt Metal and Copper.

Among other important upgrades are a few new preinstalled apps (such as the Opera Mini 4.2 browser), added internal memory (from 16GB to 32GB), and instant messaging, calendar, and contact-syncing capabilities.

At CTIA 2009, when the S30 debuted, Samsung said that developers would have more access to core Java APIs (application programming interfaces), including messaging, multimedia, and Bluetooth. Sprint is forming an Application Developer Program to provide developers with free resources and a kit containing Instinct programming templates and device emulation.

You can see more of the S30 specs below.

* The 3.2-inch touch screen features a 240 x 432 pixel resolution with 262,144 colors.
* Measures 117 x 55 x 13.2mm and weighs 110g.
* 2 megapixel camera with video capture.
* Internal memory of 32MB and expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot.
* Battery life: Up to 4.6 hours talk time.
* Bluetooth: version 2.0.

The S30, like the original Instinct, has three touch-sensitive icons embedded in the hardware underneath the display that light up when you start up the device. The Home icon at the center always brings you to applications. If you want to make a phone call, you press the Phone icon to the right, which brings up the speed-dial menu. The third icon, a left-pointing arrow on the left side, lets you step back to the previously active screen. Call quality on the Instinct was good. Voices sounded decent over Sprint’s 3G network, and call recipients said my voice sounded clear with ample volume. The contacts display is large and readable; tapping a contact number to initiate a call is easy.

With the original Instinct, Samsung included not only a spare battery but also a small charging case for it, so you could charge the spare while you’re using the phone. We thought that case was one of the best features of that package, but unfortunately the S30’s package does not include a charging case.

The Instinct S30 has a good music player, in part due to Sprint’s helpful media-management software, which not only locates tracks on your PC but also tells you whether DRM protection will make playing them on the device problematic. Video isn’t as good, however, as it suffers from noticeable pixelation and frequent pauses.

One thing that did let me down: Samsung didn’t bother to touch the Instinct’s mediocre camera. The S30’s lens offers only 2 megapixels, and the camera comes with no flash and no photo editing software. Though it captured decent images in good light, it was prone to fuzzy-picture alerts in low-light conditions. You can capture video, too, as much of it as your storage card can hold–but you can upload only as much as 2MB over the air. The phone can upload directly to a MySpace or Photobucket account. If you’re out for a night on the town, though, the only images you’ll get are shadowy black blobs.

Via PCworld

Full Specifications
Whether you spell it Lite or Light the fact remains the same that the Samsung S5230 will soon be available and not just in a plain old black colour scheme either but with the additional choice of a Pink variation.

The Samsung S5230 Tocco Lite, which was originally announced for release under its model name as the Samsung S5230, is due to be hitting the UK shelves on the 15th of May of this year with the Pink version following in quick succession.

Not as heavily featured as the Samsung S5600 the Samsung S5230 is nonetheless packed with features that make it ideal for hardened social networkers, photographic enthusiasts and dedicated music lovers.

Top of its list of features for the Samsung Tocco Lite Pink is the 3 inch full touchscreen display with WQVGA resolution, built-in accelerometer sensor, gesture lock and handwriting recognition support as well as Samsung’s famous TouchWiz user interface and essential mobile widgets.

Specifications:

*Dimensions
104 x 53 x 11.9 mm
*Weight
93.5 g
*Main Display
TFT touchscreen, 256K colours
240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches
*Digital Camera
3.15 Megapixel
2048 x 1536 pixels
Smile Detection
*Memory
50 MB internal memory
microSD (TransFlash)

*Features
Bluetooth v2.1
WAP 2.0 / XHTML
Quad band
GPRS
Java
MMS
E-mail
FM radio
MP3 Music Player
MP3 ringtones
Organiser
Handwriting recognition
Video capture

Next on the list has to be the 3.15 mega pixel camera with smile detection which may not be as big as with some of the other camera phones which are on offer nowadays but it offers superb quality and some extra features that will turn you into a professional photographer in no time at all and have everyone in the family wanting you to take their portrait before long.

Other features of the Pink Samsung Tocco Lite definitely worth a mention include the more than adequately equipped MP3 music player which is accompanied by an MPEG4 player and stereo FM radio that comes with the addition of RDS support.

Then you’ve also got the microSD memory card expansion slot that will support up to 16GB of external memory, Shazam Find Music service application, Email, downloadable games and stereo Bluetooth to name but a few more. But on the downside though there’s no 3G or WiFi for that matter.

Like most touch-screen phones, the Finesse is one big slab of a phone with a large touch-screen display dominating its entire front surface. Measuring 4.6 inches long by 2.3 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick, the Finesse is almost a dead ringer for the Delve, with its silver and black color scheme, rounded corners, and mirror finish on the front. It does have a few differences however–the three physical keys underneath the display are not as flat, and the power button, which also doubles as the screen lock key, is on the top. Those three keys under the display correspond to the Talk, Back, and End keys respectively.

We rather like the Finesse’s 3.2-inch display. Though it’s not as wide as the 3.5-incher on the Apple iPhone, it’s marginally bigger than the 3-inch one on the Delve. The 262,000-color screen is bright and vibrant, and we like the colorful animated icons. You can change the brightness, the backlight time, the banner on the home screen, and the main menu style. The touch-screen interface has a vibration feedback, but if you don’t like it, you can turn it off. You can also adjust the vibration’s intensity.

Specifications:

Battery - Standard Battery 1000mAh Lithion Ion offering up to 300 hours standby time and up to 3.5 hours talk time

Camera - 2.0 Megapixel Camera and Camcorder, MP4, H.263, H.264, PMD video recording,

Data Features -

Display - 3.2-inch WQVGA TFT, 262k Color, 1.9″x3.19″ touchscreen

Size and Weight - 2.29″x4.56″x.488 and weighs 3.63 Ounces

Networks - CDMA 1x 800/1900MHz; AWS Band 1700/2100 MHz

Memory Features - Up to 150MB of Internal Memory plus Up to 16GB microSD thanks to card slot

Sound - MIDI, AAC, AAC+, MP3, MMF Music Player plus Speakerphone, MP3 ringtones

Other Features

* Calendar
* Clock
* Worldtime
* Alarm
* Calculator
* Bluetooth
* Internet HTML Browser
* AGPS
* Dialled/missed/received calls

The menu interface is very similar to the Delve’s. It features Samsung’s TouchWiz interface, which has an extendable tray of 10 drag-and-drop widgets that you can place on the home screen. The widgets range from clocks and calendars to a music player interface from which you can control your tunes without digging into the player. On the top of the home screen display is a collapsible shortcut bar for messaging, the Web browser, the music player, and the Bluetooth menu. Along the bottom of the display are shortcuts for the phone dialer, the contacts menu, the messaging menu, and the main menu.

Images looked sharp and the colors are bright and vibrant. The 2.0-megapixel camera takes pictures in six resolutions (1,600×1,200, 1,280×960, 1,024×768, 640×480, 320×240, plus a Picture ID size) and four quality settings. Other camera settings include exposure metering, ISO settings, a self-timer, autofocus, brightness, white balance, five color effects, multishot modes, mosaic shots, night mode, and three shutter sounds, with a silent option. There is no flash, however. The Finesse also has a built-in camcorder that can record video in either 320×240 or 176×144 resolution. You can record video for as long as 10 minutes in standard mode.

AT&T and Samsung have announced the Samsung SGH-a657, a rugged push-to-talk candybar phone. This quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) device also supports UMTS (850/1900MHz) with HSDPA for high-speed data connectivity.

Certified to meet military specifications for dust, shock, vibration, altitude and temperature extremes, along with strong weather conditions like rain and humidity, the SGH-a657 can take a beating. Its rubberized handle makes the device easy to grip and a built-in flashlight will keep things illuminated in the dark.

With 128MB of internal memory, and expandable microSD card support, users can bring their favorite songs along with them and listen with Bluetooth A2DP-supported stereo headsets. The SGH-a657 also comes packaged with AT&T Navigator for on-the-go directions and AT&T Mobile Music for music lovers. Users can also send e-mail, text messages and instant messages.

The Samsung SGH-a657 will be available soon from AT&T, but pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

Via Mobileburn

Images purporting to be of a new touchscreen handset, the Samsung Acme i8910, have leaked, together with word that the device is set for launch at Mobile World Congress later this month.  The Acme i8910 is believed to be an 8-megapixel cameraphone with specifications similar to those of the Samsung Omnia, together with either 8GB or 16GB of storage, GPS and DivX playback.

Other rumored specifications include an HDMI output, WiFi connectivity (which we’d assume would go along with 3G), a 3.5mm headphone socket and is DLNA compatibility.  Going from the pictures, there looks to be a front-facing camera for video calling, too, plus volume controls on the left-hand side.

What we don’t know, so far, is what OS the Samsung Acme i8910 runs.  Obviously the Omnia i900 uses Windows Mobile 6.1, but Samsung have also discussed releasing an Android-based device in Q2 2009, with some expecting it to be announced at MWC.  There would potentially need to be some button changes, though, from the three front-panel softkeys shown in these images.

Via Slashgear