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While endearingly janky devices like the Nokla E97 aren’t usually to be found on Western shelves, that could change thanks to a key High Court ruling in the UK. The case had been brought by Nokia, who alleged that Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the UK had acted unfairly when allowing a shipment of counterfeit goods bearing Nokia’s trademarks free passage through the country after discovering they were not intended for sale there.

In fact, HMRC decided that, since a UK trademark would require an intention of trading, items not headed for UK shelves could not be seized. The shipment was allowed to continue on its way to Columbia, and Nokia brought the case before the High Court arguing that HMRC had interpreted the Counterfeit Goods Regulations in an “unduly restrictive” manner.

The courts decision in favor of HMRC was tempered by the judge’s admission that the situation took advantage of a legal loophole, and that he hoped it would be closed as soon as possible.

Is this a photo of the new iPhone? It’s a question we’ve asked surprisingly few times over the past couple of weeks, given the proximity to Apple’s WWDC on Monday (which SlashGear will be live-blogging at http://live.slashgear.com/) and the spate of rumors throughout May. Now, a Spanish site has released what are claimed to be shots of the upcoming model, complete with shifted ports, new controls and a tweaked chassis.


As well as a different shape to the casing, and an apparent matte finish as has been rumored, the “leaked” photos also show a fascia redesign with two slots at the top of the handset. There’s also a discrete LED indicator embedded in the front panel.

The headphone socket has also seemingly moved, from the top edge of the handset down to the bottom as on the iPod touch, and there appears to be a button on the lower right-side edge of the handset that, given similar controls on other cellphones, could be a camera button. The lower slot on the fascia could be front-facing camera, its been suggested, with the LED an indicator as on the iSight webcam embedded into MacBook notebook displays.

LG have announced that their GD910 watch phone will begin shipping in Europe come July, initially on carrier Orange, before spreading to unnamed carriers in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Latin America. The LG GD910 has a 1.43-inch touchscreen LCD and supports 7.2Mbps HSDPA, video calls and media playback.

At 13.9mm thick it’s perhaps straining how chunky you might want a watch to be, but it’s good for a cellphone. Since there’s Bluetooth inside you could also tether the GD910 to your MID, netbook or laptop for wireless data access; not quite as usable as a MiFi but a whole lot cooler.

Pricing will vary by region, but is likely to be on the high side. Still, we reckon there’ll be a core group of Dick Tracy fans who won’t be able to resist.

Intel have been talking about their upcoming Moorestown platform, and demonstrating it with this Inventec MediaPhone. The device - a voice-enabled MID with touchscreen interface - runs a customized version of Moblin v.2; the bad news is this won’t be appearing on shelves any time soon.



Full specifications of the device are unclear, but according to Intel’s launch (which you can see in the video below) there’ll be pinch-zoom functionality, which suggests a capacitive rather than resistive touchscreen. There’s also a camera on the back, which looks to have a flash.

Much of Moorestown’s hardware will be the same as is used in netbooks; what will differentiate the two will be the UI, and Intel are working on a “ground up” new design. Moorestown is expected in 2010, so don’t expect to see a MID-phone like this until well into next year.

Sony Ericsson handsets are still relatively rare in the US market, and so Sony Electronics are stepping in as the official unlocked handset reseller for their cellular cousins. One of the first offerings is the W995a, a SIM-unlocked multimedia phone featuring an 8.1-megapixel camera and Walkman mediaplayer; it’s available for pre-order starting today at SonyStyle.com and will be available in stores on July 6 for around $600. Sony sent one over for SlashGear to check out.


The W995a is a 3G-enabled phone (850/1900/2100MHz UMTS/HSPA) that’s geared towards folks seeking a premium multimedia experience. Primary functionality includes snapping photos and video, playing music and videos, or accessing the internet, and our first-impressions of the W995a is that it’s a high-quality, compact way of doing all that.

The W995a is also equipped for WiFi access, and includes stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) support for use with wireless headphones. Bundled with the W995a there’s a set of “premium” 3.5mm headphones, an 8GB Memory Stick Micro card (which wasn’t provided in our review unit) and a USB connector cable.

The 2.6-inch QVGA display is gorgeous, even though it’s LCD and not AMOLED like Sony’s recent Walkman PMP, and there’s plenty of sturdy and tactile metal used in building the casing and the buttons.

Sony Ericsson created the W995a for those who are up on the latest in mobile phone design, technology and feature sets and typically purchase unlocked phones for their added features and flexibility to switch phones whenever the latest and greatest is available. Doing so through Sony themselves mean you’re also getting a warranty and access to their Sony Ericsson partner network, just in case something goes wrong with the handset.

After being available in the other market for quite some time, Nokia has announced to sell the 6208 Classic in the Indian region. 6208 Classic is Nokia’s first touchscreen attempt on Series 40 platform and features a 3.2MP sensor with dual LED flash, 2.4-inch QVGA touchscreen display, handwriting recognition, music player, FM Radio and microSD card slot expandable up to 8GB.

The phone is priced at Rs. 13,259 which makes me think why would one go for this one when they can get a better phone in the form of LG Cookie or Samsung Star?

Samsung and CPSC have initiated a recall of the a110 and a120 Jitterbug phones. The reason for the recall is that the phones are equipped with BB14 software and cannot connect to emergency 911 services when it’s in a no-service area. The recall affects Jitterbug phones sold from March 2008 through May 2009 and are eligible for a free software upgrade.

LG will be wooing Korean businessmen with its new KU4000. The 3G phone will come to KTF and brings in various features like 60 types of LED illumination, Mobile Planner, documents viewer and accelerometer for various games like fishing, darts and baseball.

Specifications:

- WCDMA HSDPA 7.2 support
- Size and Weight: 105.9×51.5×15.3mm / 111g (Battery included)
- Internal Display: 2.8-inch WQVGA (240×400 pixels)
- External Display: 5×23 LED Matrix (Red)
- Memory: microSD slot (up to 8GB supported)
- T-DMB
- 2MP camera + video camera
- More than 160 countries with global roaming
- File Viewer (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, pdf, text) / Outlook Sync Support
- MP3 capability, motion sensor (photo switch, games, etc.), a removable disk, noise removal
- Battery: 800mAh
- Continuous currency: about 140 minutes or more / video calls over 80 minutes
- Continuous Standby: 160 hours
- Color: Black, Wine Red, White (additional colors planned)

T-Mobile’s leaked Android roadmap is the culprit again. It has now revealed Motorola’s sliding QWERTY Morrison that is expected to launch in the holiday season. No details whatsoever but with Morrison, T-Mobile will take its upcoming Androids count to 5 with Houdini, G2, BigFoot, Morrison and Huawei’s touchscreen phone. On Motorola’s side, this will be the third Android after Calgary and Ironman. Boy, the days ahead will be full of Androids.

Yup, it’s official now. Sprint will be selling Palm Pre from June 6, that’s two days before Apple’s WWDC event starts. Besides trying to steal some thunder off WWDC, they have pegged the price same as the current iPhone 3G. It will go for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a two year contract. Customers will also be able to buy Palm’s Touchstone inductive charging solution for $69.99.

Nokia has announced 6600i Slide that will take over the reigns from the original 6600 Slide. The phone ups from 6600 Slide in many departments like the brushed steel cover, chrome center key and a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash. 6600i Slide also integrates an accelerometer which helps to the screen take tap commands for rejecting or silencing the call or to snooze the alarm. Other things include 3G support, 2.2-inch display, microSD card slot which can expanded up to 16GB.

The phone will make its way to the retail market in the third quarter this year at a 200 Euros ($273) price tag.

It looks like Sprint has spilled the beans on the Pre release date. Notebooks.com managed to take a screenshot of the countdown timer which reveals the day to June 6. The official confirmation is expected today but this date seems to be legit as the site has now taken down the post.

NTT DOCOMO unveiled 18 new handsets that will be a part of Docomo’s STYLE, PRIME, PRO and Evangelion series. All the phones are FOMA 3G enabled and brings in a lot of power packed features that will be released from this month till July.

The docomo STYLE series includes F-08A, L-04A, N-08A, P-08A, P-10A and SH-05A. Off all the new phones in this series, N-08A, P-08A and SH-05A are the most interesting ones that features an 8-megapixel camera along with screens larger than 3-inches. For full specifications.

The docomo PRIME series goes for the audience that does a bit of gaming and enjoys videos and music. The series includes F-09A, L-06A, N-06A, N07A, P-07A, SH-06A. While all the phones does not give less than 3-inches of screen estate, SH-06A is impressive in this lot because of a 10MP sensor with face detection and autofocus features. For full specifications.

Docomo’s SMART series goes for the business class crowd and gives them a selection of two phones, the N-09A and P-09A. The spec list is almost head to head but N-09A features an 8 megapixel camera while only 3.2 megapixel for P-09A. For full specifications.

The PRO series is targeted at technology hungry users and offers HTC’s Magic, known as HT-03A, Toshiba’s 1GHz phone, T-01A and Sharps AQUOS’ SH-07A that comes with 10MP camera, receives two mobile TV channels simultaneously and can be easily attached Blu-ray recorders. For full specifications.

Finally, the NERV phone that will appear in Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance film will also hit the retail shelves. The phone boasts a 3.3-inch screen and a 10MP camera. For full specifications.

Nokia has announced three budget phones that boasts internet connectivity at a very affordable price. The 2730 Classic is Nokia’s cheapest 3G phone and brings in a decent amount of features for its 80 Euros ($108) price tag. The phone features a 2-inch QVGA screen, 2MP camera, Bluetooth, FM Radio, Nokia Life Tools, Ovi Mail and a talk time of 3.3 hours and 17 days of standby time.

Next up is 6600 Fold’s lookalike, the 2720 Fold. Running on Series 40 software, the phone touts a simple 3 step process for emails via Ovi Mail and comes with Nokia Life Tools, Bluetooth, FM Radio, FM recording, MMS and a talk time of around 5 hours and standby time of up to 18 days. The phone will hit the retail shelves in third quarter for a cheap 55 Euros ($74).

Lastly, the 7020 clamshell is targeted towards fashionistas with its design, color and metal finishes. The phone has a 2.2-inch display, 2MP camera, FM Radio, MP3 Player and microSD card slot supporting up to 16GB. On the software front, the phone is loaded with Nokia Life Tools, Ovi Share, Ovi Store, Nokia Messaging, Opera Mini browser, Nokia Maps and pre-bookmarked addresses of social networking sites. It has a 4.5 hours of talk time, 15 days of standby time and will arrive in the last quarter of this year for 90 Euros ($122).

B7300 which showed its face in March has added few more details to its name. Destined to come on China Mobile, this quad-band GSM phone does not support 3G or Wi-Fi. It operates on Windows Mobile 6.1 and has a touchscreen display (320×400) with TouchWiz UI. The phone is also expected to reach the European market in the coming months.

Remember the Nokia 5800XM getting capacitive touchscreen rumor which eventually got debunked? Apparently, Nokia spoke the truth because a new report surfaced today claims that a Taiwanese company has been given the mantle to provide them with capacitive touch panels for ‘another’ Nokia phone. Wintek, the current provider for 5800XM resistive touch panels will supply them with capacitive ones.

There are no details available regarding the phone but if we were to make a guess, it could be something to beat Samsung’s i8910 HD since it enables the user to use the same OS on a capacitive screen. We are not sure about the HD part though.

Samsung is planning to launch a new phone in Korea that will enable a clear, well-lit video calls when the users initiates it in a dark environment. The exact functioning is still a mystery but the infrared rays are said to play the important role in the darkness.

The slider phone will come on SK Telecom and features a 2.8-inch AMOLED screen, DMB, 3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, music player, e-dictionary, PictBridge and flashlight.

Acer’s DX900 and X960 have hit the retail shelves in many countries across Europe, Middle East and Asia. Both the phones are not a looker but they manage to compete with other WinMo offerings. DX900 is touted as the world’s first dual-SIM smartphone that supports 3G and 2G connections. It also features a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3 megapixel camera, microSD card slot and gravity/light sensors.

X960 is similar to DX900 but takes away the dual-SIM advantage and adds camera functionality with a 3.2 megapixel sensor and flashlight.

Samsung will be bringing a new phone to the Russian market that specifically targets old age users. The C3060R boasts a simple menu, large fonts, large keys and SOS call function. The SOS function can be activated by pressing the red button placed on the side of the phone which reveals five different numbers that can be called during an emergency.

C3060R has a 2.2-inch screen, 1.3MP camera, FM Radio and a WAP browser. It will reach the retail market in June at a price of 6,000 rubles (US$187).

Note: This post has been republished from Samsung Hub. For more Samsung news, head over to Samsung Hub.