Camera Phones Plaza

HTC is going through a very good phase in the past couple of weeks, as many of the company’s devices are being announced and launched in markets from all over the world. As many of you, our readers, expected, HTC has just come up with a new cell phone running on the Android platform. It’s called HTC Hero, and we have had the chance to see it a couple of times before.

The Hero is official right now and what we see in the pictures can be considered a mixture between the two Android handsets that HTC released in the past, the G1 and the Magic. Even if the Hero doesn’t come with a hardware keyboard, you should worry no more, because, due to the Android 1.5 operating system, there is a software QWERTY keyboard.



The list of features consists of the following elements: a 3.2 inches touch sensitive display with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels and resistance to fingerprints, a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus (there’s no Flash involved), GSM and HSDPA connectivity, an accelerometer, Wi-Fi and GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, many Google applications and services such as Google Maps and Google StreetView and microSDHC card slot for expandable memory.



It seems that the HTC Hero will be available in a white version and rumors say it is made of Teflon, which means you will be able to use it very easily.

In addition, HTC has announced what is supposed to be the substitute of the TouchFLO 3D user interface. I’m talking about a new software interface which will be known under the name of HTC Sense. The same rumors say that the Sense will be available on the future HTC smartphones, irrespective of the platform they’ll be running on (Android or Windows Mobile). The HTC Sense has a nickname, Rosie, and comes with three layers: “Discover the Unexpected”, “Make it Mine” and “Stay Close”.

You will be able to find the Hero in the market, equipped with the Sense user interface, starting next month, under a price that is unknown for the moment.



(Source: UnwiredView)

LG is preparing these days to enter the Chinese market of 3G, and they will do this by launching two new devices that are aimed at two important companies: China Mobile and China Telecom. The two new LG phones will be known under the name of LG KT878 and LG KV920. The first phone is targeted at China Mobile, while the second is aimed at China Telecom.

The KT878 is a TD-SCDMA smartphone compatible with the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system and comes with a list of features that includes: a 3 inches WVGA touch sensitive display, a 5 megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity, music player, FM radio and a microSD card slot for expandable memory.



The second cell phone, the LG KV920, is a CDMA2000 device and will be sold to the Chinese people via China Telecom, which is the third carrier of the country. This is the Chinese version of the LG Voyager, which is currently available in the United States, sold by Verizon Wireless. The phone comes equipped with a WQVGA display, a QWERTY keyboard, a 3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity and music player.



The company didn’t announce the release dates for the two new LG phones, nor the prices, but I’m sure they will become available in the sometime in the near future.

(Source: UnwiredView)

Social networking websites are all the rage in this new era we’ve all been blessed to live in, becoming more and more popular with every day that passes by. Sprint, one of the most important American providers seems to be aware of this fact, so it has just launched two new devices that are designed to enhance the social networking experience of the customer.

This way, users can always stay connected with their friends, family and colleagues, wherever they are, whenever they like. The two cell phones are the HTC Snap and the Samsung Exclaim.

We have already covered the HTC Snap, so let’s focus our attention on the Samsung Exclaim. The phone is a message-centric one, being a dual-slider that comes with features like a numeric keypad and a full QWERTY keyboard, dedicated tiles to Facebook and MySpace, placed on the home screen, along with Twitter, that can all be accessed using the One Click feature, a 2.6 inches QVGA display, a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth, and a microSD card slot for expandable memory.



“Social networking is a powerful tool that helps people stay connected whenever and wherever they want”, said Kevin Packingham, the Senior Vice President of Product Development for Sprint. “HTC Snap and Samsung Exclaim are designed with social networking in mind, and they leverage America’s most dependable 3G network to deliver the promise of staying in touch with those who matter most; and Sprint’s Ready Now retail experience offers the perfect opportunity for customers to learn all about the key features and functionality of these new devices”.



The Samsung Exclaim is already available (starting June 21st) in the Sprint retail channels and online, for a price of $79.99 (the taxes are not included), after a $50 mail-in rebate. The condition is to sign a new service agreement for two years.

(Source: Press Release)

I’m aware of the fact that people’s mind goes to one direction and one direction only when they hear the word “karma”. According to Wikipedia, “Karma is the concept of ‘action’ or ‘deed’ in Indian religions understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e. the cycle called saṃsāra) originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist philosophies”.

No one would blame you for not thinking about the new Motorola device that has just been announced by the company, in collaboration with AT&T. Those who are interested in cell phones more than they are in Indian religion should know that the Karma QA1 first appeared in the spotlight at the beginning of this year, back in February.



According to the company, the phone is aimed at teenagers and young adults, being a quick messaging and social networking device. The features of the Karma QA1 include text messaging, instant messaging, easy access, directly from the homescreen, to Facebook and MySpace, a QWERTY keyboard that slides out, a display with high resolution and access to AT&T’s 3G network, the CrystalTalk technology, for a better sound without the background noise, a 2.0 megapixel camera, JuiceCaster support, a service gives the user the chance to connect with friends and share all sorts of pictures and videos with them, 3.5mm headphone jack.



“Unique visitors to Facebook from AT&T’s MEdia Net portal grew over 100% in 2008”, said Michael Woodward, the Vice President of Mobile Phone Portofolio, at AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Karma’s one-click access to Facebook and MySpace will resonate with customers who are committed to keeping up with social networking sites on the go”.

If you are interested in this new karma definition, then you should know that the Motorola phone is expected to become available starting June 28th in select AT&T stores or online, for a price of $79.99 after a mail-in rebate as long as you’re willing to sign a contract agreement for two years.

(Source: Press release)

The Indian customers should be very happy these days, as one of the most important integrated telecom services provider, Bharti Airtel, has just announced a HTC Magic launch party that is to be held in their country. And everyone is invited, of course.

It’s obviously just a manner of speaking, but Indian people have many reasons to be very happy, as they will have a HTC cell phone at their disposal, on one hand, and an Android-based device, on the other hand, which is actually the first such device to be sold in India.

It’s a very smart move for HTC, as the Indian mobile market is the second in the world, which means the success is guaranteed.

“Airtel has been at the forefront of innovation and customer delight in the Indian telecom sector. Being the first to bring the Android powered HTC Magic to India further underscores our commitment to enrich the communication experience of all Airtel users”, said Raghunath Mandava, Chief Marketing Officer, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel. “The HTC Magic presents a powerful mobile internet and multimedia experience that should drive the uptake of accessing the internet over mobile amongst Airtel users.”



The customers of Bharti Airtel will be able to enjoy applications like Hello Tune Manager, In-mobile search and City Search, Mobshare, Portofolio Manager, and Weather Channel on their HTC Magic. As for the features, the Indian version of the HTC Magic will include the Android 1.5 operating system, a 3.2 inches HVGA touch sensitive display, a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and video recording capabilities, 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS functionalities, G-sensor, web browser and email.

The phone is available in a red and black version at the Airtel Relationship Centers and at the authorized HTC resellers from the 17 most important cities of India. It is expected to sell for a price of 29,900 (approximately $616).

(Source: UnwiredView)