Google-owned AdMob has revealed that the Apple iPhone is far and away the biggest player in the world's mobile internet market, if October's online activity is considered.

AdMob has released its statistics for October that look at how many "requests" each of the major mobile phone operating systems made. Apple's iPhone, with full fat Safari browsers and data bundles in many countries, dominates in the smartphone market.

During October, in terms of global smartphone traffic, the iPhone weighs in at 50%. In the States, the figure rises to 55% (with HTC second at 22%), while here in the UK the iPhone commands a whopping 74% of all smartphone traffic.

In the UK, the next biggest player is Nokia, at 10%, lagging an astonishing 64% behind the market leader. HTC, also at 10% follows with Android nabbing the same percentile as far as OSes go.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry AdMob Statistics iPhone Online Apple Nokia Biz

iPhone accounts for three quarters of mobile internet use in the UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:55:22 +0000

Spotify's new Symbian app gets a video demo here with a quick look at the features the mobile phone application will offer.?

To get Spotify's Symbian application, users must be paid-up premium subscribers. They can then either download it directly to their phones by visiting m.spotify.com through their mobile web browser, or by entering their phone number on the new Symbian information page to receive instructions via an SMS.

Hit play to see the walk-through now and we'll keep you posted with all things Spotify.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Spotify Symbian Video Nokia

VIDEO: Spotify's Symbian app shown off originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:46:25 +0000

Nokia has announced that its latest music handset, the X6, is now shipping in some markets. The company is calling the handset, which comes bundled with the Comes with Music package, an "all-you-can-eat music powerhouse".

As previously reported, the phone has 32GB of onboard memory, supports all "main" digital music formats, sports a 3.2-inch touchscreen display and has a 5-megapixel camera. It comes bundled with three games too, Spore, Asphalt4 and DJ Mix Tour.

If you want to get your hands on one, then it'll cost 450 euros before taxes. That means it'll be about ??470 in the UK when VAT is added. It's available from the Nokia Online Store, but only if you live in Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East and Africa where the device is being initially made available.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia X6 Comes with music

Nokia X6 is now shipping originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:53:55 +0000

Fring, the combined messaging service for mobile phone platforms from the iPhone to Android, has launched a new version of its software that allows users to make video calls from their phone.

Fring users can now make and receive internet video calls from mobile devices (for free), picking up their fring and Skype video calls from the road, and seeing the person they’re talking to from their mobile phone.

Fring video is currently only available on?Nokia?touch devices such as the?Nokia X6, N97mini, N97, 5800, N95, N95 8G and N82, however is promised for the iPhone, and Android handsets. Strange considering the iPhone doesn't sport a forward facing camera, and nor does any of the mainstream Android handsets like the HTC Hero or G1.

Currently the software, which is available for most mobile platforms, only allows you to text chat and talk with other contacts.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Fring Skype Symbian Nokia iPhone

Skype video calling comes to Nokia phones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:20:05 +0000

The?Nokia X6, the Finnish company's latest flagship model, will be hitting the UK on Friday 27 November according to the chaps at Nokia. The new handset will be a "Comes with Music" offering and be exclusively available through?Phones4U.

Free, as the Brits do best, it will cost you ?35 a month on Orange for the length of the contract. Hoping to lure in current Nokia upgraders you'll be able to get it for ?25 a month if you hand in a Nseries phone.

It is also available today to pre-order from www.shop.nokia.co.uk at ?449 SIM free.
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The X6, first debuted at Nokia World in September, will offer 32GB of on-board memory, a 3.2-inch, 16:9 ratio capacitive touchscreen and a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Comes with music Nokia X6 Phones4U

Nokia X6 hits UK Friday originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:05:33 +0000

Nokia has announced two new 3G slider phones, the Nokia 6700 slide and Nokia 7230, said to be "made for the design-conscious consumer and optimised for socialising and sharing with those closest to you".
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Available in a range of colours the Nokia 6700 slide and Nokia 7230 are clearly aimed at the mid-market.
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Possibly the most colourful Nokia release yet, the Symbian S60 6700 slide will go on sale in a choice of six vivid colours - pink, red, blue, aluminium, lime and purple.

With a compact, modern design and an aluminium finish, the handset boasts a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, the ability to edit and upload pics on the go.

Other specs include a 2.2-inch display, FM radio and music player, and support for up to 16GB microSD memory cards.
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The Nokia 7230 gets a 3.2-megapixel camera, 2.4-inch display and what's said to be quick access to email, instant messaging and social networks on the go. It will be available in graphite and pink.

Both devices are due in first quarter of 2010, with pricing set at 160 euros for the Nokia 6700 slide, and 100 euros for the Nokia 7230, almost certainly meaning they will be free on contracts when they get picked up by operators.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia 6700 slide Nokia 7230

Nokia announces 6700 slide and Nokia 7230 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:18:32 +0000

Spotify has expanded its mobile reach with a launch onto the Symbian platform - a potentially huge new audience spanning around half of the global smartphone market.

As well as a large range of Nokia handsets, the app will also run on a selection of Sony Ericsson and Samsung smartphones running the Symbian platform, such as the Samsung GT-I8910 Omnia HD and Sony Ericsson Satio.

To get Spotify's Symbian application, users can either download it directly to their phones by visiting m.spotify.com through their mobile web browser, or by entering their phone number on the new Symbian information page to receive instructions via an SMS.

As with the other iPhone and Android Spotify offerings, the Symbian app is only available to those who are Premium, i.e., paid-up members of the service.

Tags: Phones Audio Nokia Spotify Symbian

Spotify announces Symbian app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:56:10 +0000

Windows Live Messenger is now available via the Nokia Messaging Chat application straight from compatible phone's homescreens.

This first instalment of Windows Live Messenger for Nokia Messaging includes tabbed chat windows, the ability to call directly from the buddy list, and notifications of new messages that pop up while the application is in the background.

Features include an appear offline login option while grouped contacts, emoticons and sounds are also available. ?

The Nokia E72 is the first device that comes with support for Windows Live Messenger, but the Nokia E63, Nokia E71 and Nokia E75 are also good to go after a download of "Nokia Messaging for IM" from the Ovi Store.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Nokia Instant messaging Windows Live Messenger Ovi Store

Windows Live Messenger hits Nokia Messaging originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:32:43 +0000

The?Nokia N900?has gone on sale in the US on Wednesday for a $649 unsubsidised after the mobile phone manufacturer failed to find a carrier to offer the handset.?

Not deterred by the lack of interest from the likes of Verizon or AT&T, Nokia has opted to go it alone:

"Consumers from every segment of the population are looking for more out of their mobile device - more power, more ability, more connectivity", said Alessandro Lamanna, vice president, Retail Sales, Nokia - hoping people would quickly jump at the opportunity to buy the new handset.

The Nokia N900, which is the first from the Finnish company to sport the new?Maemo?operating system, is available in a black finish and will retail for ?649 through Nokia flagship stores in New York and Chicago, nokiausa.com and various independent retailers and e-tailers including Amazon.com.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N900

Nokia N900 goes on sale in US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:06:57 +0000

Nokia appears to be preparing to lose the Symbian operating system on its N-series range of top-end smartphones. ?In its place will be Maemo - the Linux-based operating system that powers the forthcoming N900 handset.

The claim was made by Maemo's marketing team during a London-based N900 event. If correct, it would see the company phase Symbian out gradually - some devices that use it are currently in development and they'll be released as planned. However, no new devices with Symbian on will be created.

Nokia was apparently "surprised" at the level of enthusiasm shown towards the N900 and Maemo by the development community. Symbian won't be dumped entirely - it'll still be used on the X-series and E-series range of devices. However Nokia has no doubt been stung by the fact that many reviewers, including Pocket-lint, criticised Nokia's current flagship handset - the N97 - for its interface and software.

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Tags: Mobile phones Nokia Symbian Maemo Nokia N900 Software Operating Systems Rumours

Nokia to dump Symbian from N-series? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:36:35 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Mobile Phone in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best phones on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

HTC Hero

iPhone 3GS

Palm Pre

BlackBerry Bold 9700

HTC HD2

A notable commendation should also go to the Sony Ericsson W995 and the Nokia N900.

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

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Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Apple Palm BlackBerry Sony Ericsson Nokia

Best Mobile Phone 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Nokia has unveiled a new version of its 5330 handset - the Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition, described as "an entertainment hub" that combines the EU's preferred brand of mobile TV - DVB-H, social networking, music and gaming "in one compact 3G device".

With a QVGA 2.4-inch screen, the phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack as well as built-in speakers and boasts Nokia's Electronic Program Guide and a battery life for watching TV for 6 hours.

Nokia vice president Mark Selby says: "The introduction of the Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition responds to the arrival of DVB-H broadcast mobile TV networks in new markets and offers an affordable device for new and existing customers alike".

DVB-H mobile TV services are currently available in Austria, Finland, Ghana, Kenya, India, Italy, Namibia, Nigeria, Netherlands, Philippines and Switzerland. Nokia says "additional commercial launches can be expected during the next 12-18 months in more than 20 countries".

The Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition will cost 155 euros before taxes and subsidies.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition DVB-H Mobile TV

Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:44:27 +0000

A recent study by Nokia and Kings' College London Department of Twin Research has examined the music taste of nearly 4000 twins.

The results boil down to suggest up to 50% of music taste has already been decided by our genes, although "on the whole, musical taste is determined just as much by nature as it is by specific individual experiences".

"As much as 50% of our musical taste being predetermined, it appears there is a strong argument for the existence of 'music genes'", says Adrian North, professor of psychology at Heriot Watt University. ?

Nature's influence is said to be strongest on the appreciation of pop, classical and hip-hop music,? and weakest when it comes to country, hit play on the video above for more.

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Tags: Audio Nokia Phones Video Music

VIDEO: Nokia reveals twins' music taste study results originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:51:57 +0000

Nokia has released a video based on what it believes the future will be for mobile phone users.?

The video, which has come out of a future vision conference in Helskini, unsurprisingly sees future users using tablet looking phones like the?Nokia N900, that just so happens to be shipping in the UK.?

As you also might expect, Nokia like everyone else believes augmented reality and social networking to be at the heart of the mobile phone in 2015.?

Press play to see the "concepts" in action.?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Concepts Nokia N900 Video

VIDEO: Nokia outlines phone of the future originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:03:02 +0000

The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Best Mobile Phone nominations are probably the ones we've all been waiting for. The smartphone industry is ablaze and every year we see more and more impressive handsets as the mobile becomes so much more than simply the telephone it once started out as. They are our pocket computers, our access terminals, our windows on the world and it's time to let us know which ones deserve that extra special praise for their impact in 2009. Which one gets your vote?

Android phones

After a very slow start Android is all the rage right now. Until a matter of months ago, HTC dominated with last year's G1, as well as the Magic - which is likely to be in the running - and the HTC Hero, on which it's very hard not to place a heavy bet for the winner of this award. That said, of late we've seen some really impressive contenders with an awesome come back from Motorola with the QWERTY based DEXT and the pure touch Droid.

Never ones to miss the boat, Samsung brought out the Galaxy i7500 and the imminent arrival of the LG GW620 brings the other Korean giant in on the action as well. The T-Mobile Pulse aka Huwaei's Android effort and the HTCs Eris and Tattoo have also shown that consumers can get a piece of Google's mobile OS at a reasonable price, while the launch of the impressive looking Rachael, or Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, makes Nokia's absence look all the more obvious.

Palm & Apple

The shotgun method is not something you'd associate with these manufacturers' approaches to the mobile phone industry in 2009. Nonetheless, between them they've had arguably the biggest impact of all. We were blown away by the Palm Pre at CES in January with its new OS, slideout QWERTY and beautiful touchscreen - even if we did have to wait the best part of a year for the thing to turn up in the UK - and the Apple iPhone 3GS - once Stevie J and friends had decided how to spell it - did just enough to keep itself on top.

More recently, the Palm Pixi has arrived as the lite version of the Pre and doubtless we'll see more webOS devices in the future. So, will Apple be following suit with an iPhone mini all of its own? One for 2010, perhaps.

BlackBerry

The other mobile cult all of its own is the church of RIM and its beloved BlackBerrys. The company has seen an impressive rise in market share and profits in 2009 with its more consumer facing approach. Handsets like the Curve 8520 and the Bold 9700 have proved as popular as their family heritage would suggest and even the second installment of the BlackBerry Storm seems finally to be going down as its name would have us believe. The only question is whether these recent announcements have left it too late for us all to rave about.

Other QWERTYs

If the OS and the touchscreen have been the biggest mobile trends of late, then the move to QWERTY keyboards has to be the next one down. While they used to be the preserve of RIM and a select few business models, the rise of the smartphone with e-mailing, browsing and IM needs has caused a greater desire for ease and speed of typing on our handsets. Most of the mobile makers have caught onto it and you can now buy the things on PAYG or just cheap contracts with basic phones.

The youth messenger market can now get hold of finger tappers like the LG GW300, the pink Samsung B3310 and Samsung Genio/Corby TXT if you're not man enough for the colour scheme on the other model. Go one step up and there's the slightly more mature LG GW520, the Nokia Surge/6760 and the Nokia E72 - the upgrade to the hugely popular business model of 2008. Last of all, there's the QWERTY to end all QWERTYs with the recent launch in the States of the TwitterPeek handset with the kind of keyboard that'll give your desktop a good run for its money.

Windows Mobile

With Android the rising star of 2009, it's easy to forget that Microsoft launched a new version of its mobile OS as well. Windows Mobile 6.5, or Windows Phone, may not necessarily be the choice of the consumer but the manufacturers can't get enough of it and, to give it its dues, it is getting better. HTC is one of the platform's largest supporters, despite the affiliation with Android, and both the HTC HD2 and the HTC Touch Diamond 2 have turned out to be very impressive implementations of the system.

Both the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 and Toshiba TG01 have taken the custom UI approach to Windows Phone and come up with a couple of handsets to make the consumer's choice that much harder, while Samsung launched an entire update to the OMNIA family with four whole models, each suited to a particular user.

Until the last few weeks, Acer has been solely focused on the Microsoft mobile OS as well with a mass of interesting, if not entirely refined, set of phones and, of course, the LG GM750 is a quick toe in the water for the Korean company while it makes up its mind which way to jump from its own S-Class interface - indeed if it intends to jump at all.

Nokia

It's not been the best of times for the company that still remains the number one in the mobile phone market. Yes, its presence in the developing world is incredible but the Finnish giant's grip on the West has slipped. With Symbian OS the platform of choice, there's still be some noteworthy releases including the headline N97 and N97 mini as well as the super snapper that is the N86.

The business E range is probably one of the strongest and certainly most interesting sectors beyond that, and we've had the pleasure of upgrades like the E52 and the E72 to enjoy over 2009, as well as the intro of the E55 candybar as well.

The classic series has been as well designed as ever with perhaps the Nokia 6700 classic the pick of the lot. Otherwise its all been about the much debated Comes with Music push and the Xpress Music handsets in the shape of the 5530 and the more premium touchscreen X3 and X6 devices, that could well find themselves doing better than some might think in the overall rankings.

Finally, Nokia wouldn't be Nokia if it wasn't trying something crazy and this year it's been the Nokia 7705 Twist. We'll let you judge that one for yourselves.

LG

With grit like determination to be the number two handset provider in the world, LG has been pushing, showing and innovating its heart out over 2009. While the Cookie continues to be its standout success, the likes of the LG Arena and new versions of both the Chocolate and Viewty in the LG BL40 and Viewty Smart have shown some serious intent, if lacking that final touch of class.

More recently, the LG BL20, or even newer Chocolate, looks to make its Black Label sibling that little bit more affordable along with the launch of the GD510 Pop, but the big design oohs and ahhs were saved for the LG GD900 see through phone and the LG Watchphone. Seen anybody actually wearing one yet?

Samsung

As well as being early on both the Windows Phone and Android markets, Samsung has been on a steep learning curve in all mobile departments throughout 2009. The company has been the first to test out the Vodafone 360 platform with the touchscreen H1 as well as briefly holding the record for the fastest phone in the west with the Samsung Jet.

Having finally perfected the touchscreen, the company has brought out more in the Tocco range for all levels if customer to play with and even gone AMOLED with superb handsets like the HD video shooting Samsung i8910. Beyond that, Samsung was the first to reach the 12-megapixel cameraphone mark with the Samsung Pixon12 and has added a couple of impressive innovations like the Beat DJ for the music obsessive and the solar panelled E1107. Generally a very good year for Samsung.

Sony Ericsson

There was a very long tease for Sony Ericsson fans this year. With the Satio and Aino shown off what seems like decades ago, news of the update to the Xperia back in March and Rachael round the corner since back in the summer, we're all just pleased that they made it in time for the 16th November Pocket-lint awards cut off.

Mercifully, while we were waiting for the big guns we had the pleasure of Maria Sharapova's company in the sale of the Sony Ericsson T707 plus, the eco-friendly Sony Ericsson Naite and the T715 more recently to pick up some native Twitter access. It wasn't a prolific year for the Japanese mobile maker but perhaps its biggest unsung hero was the continuation of the Walkman range with the likes of the Sony Ericsson W995 - one of the most complete mid-range handsets a person could buy. Well worth a shout.

The rest

Naturally, the last 12 months has come with its range insanely expensive luxury designer phones for equally insane people with obscenely insanely large wallets. See the Mobiadio Grand Pioneer, gold Nokia Carbon Arte, Motorola Aura Diamond and Tag Heuer Lamborghini handsets for just four of such examples. We wouldn't presume to deny yourselves and the panel of judges the chance to name any of them mobile phone of the year, but if you'd rather something more sensible, then spare a brief thought for the Land Rover S1 from Sonim and a good hour of pondering whether INQ really has cracked it this time with the INQ mini 3G.

What do you think?

But these are just some of the fantastic choices our readers have had in 2009. What would you like to see held aloft as the winner of Pocket-lint Best Mobile Phone 2009? What have we missed out? Which are your unsung heroes and of those we've already mentioned, which would get your vote? Let us know in the comments below and you can help our panel decide which make the shortlist of nominees to be announced here on Pocket-lint on 16 November. We'll have all out coverage of the Vodafone Pocket-lint awards 2009 right here. Don't miss a minute of it.

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Related links:

• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - home cinema device
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - gaming hardware
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - games

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards Features LG Nokia Android HTC iPhone 3GS Sony Ericsson Samsung

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - mobile phones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:49:23 +0000

Nokia has gone down the rather bizarre and twisted route for its teaser campaign for the new Nokia N900, following in the footsteps of Verzion's Droid sci-fi launch.?

The phone-come-tablet started shipping today and is the company's latest hope in holding off poor performance and a growing unrest for its Symbian OS.

Although the Verizon Droid and N900 aren't connected, the Nokia video, currently playing out on YouTube, features a Cloverfield style shoot of a group of men talking about a new mobile phone in what looks like an interrogation room.?

You probably won't expect what happens next.?

"I am the medium, I am the message, I am the one"

Hit play to find out more.?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N900 Video

VIDEO: Nokia N900 pitches to the dark side of your mobile phone psyche originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:16:04 +0000

Nokia has issued a product recall for certain Nokia-branded chargers made by third-party manufacturer BYD, offering free replacements to consumers affected.

The charger exchange program encompasses the AC-3E and AC-3U models, manufactured between June 15 2009 and August 9 2009 and the AC-4U model, manufactured between April 13 2009 and October 25 2009.
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Nokia says it has "identified a potential product quality issue" as the "plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger's internal components and potentially posing an electrical shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket".

Nokia says it is not aware of any related injuries or incidents, but consumers who have one of the models listed above should visit http://chargerexchange.nokia.com to arrange a free replacement.

UPDATE: Nokia has got in touch with the following: "Nokia today initiated a charger exchange program in some markets. This program does NOT impact the United Kingdom.? None of the specific models of chargers within the scope of this program have been sold domestically in the United Kingdom".

Related links:

• Link - Nokia charger exchange programme

Tags: Phones Nokia Chargers Recalls Gadgets BYD

Nokia issues charger recall originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:17:33 +0000

Mobile phone retailer Phones 4U is exclusively offering the Nokia N97 Mini in white to customers from 6 November 2009. ?

Phones 4U also enjoyed an 8-week exclusive on the white version of the original N97 starting back in June this year.

Said to be "one of Phones 4U's most successful handset launches to date", the retailer is hoping the white model of the mini-me handset will prove simialarly popular.

With stainless steel cues and sleek white casing, the white Nokia N97 Mini is available now free on a ?35 a month contract on Orange or Vodafone.

Those that trade in their existing Nseries handset however, can get the new phone for free on a ?25 a month contract.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N97 Mini Phones4U

Nokia N97 Mini available in white from Phones 4U originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:24:59 +0000

Rihanna will show off songs from her forthcoming album "Rated R" exclusively to a Nokia audience via a globally streamed live performance on 16 November.

Due to be performed live from "a secret London location", fans can sign up to watch the live stream now while those that are really excited about it can download a web widget counting down to the live performance.
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Nokia is also touting "an exclusive Rihanna mobile application" available from its Ovi Store while it will also offer of an exclusive version of the new Rated R album via the Nokia Music Store.
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Rihanna is quoted as saying: "I am so excited to partner up with Nokia. They are doing some really revolutionary things with this album, enabling me to reach more fans than ever before".
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The Rihanna event and content is as a result of "groundbreaking new global music partnership", "Nokia Play 2010" with the Island Def Jam Music Group and Universal Music Group International.

Those interested in the live stream can register at www.nokia.com/rihanna.

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Tags: Phones Nokia Audio Rihanna Media streaming Music downloads

Nokia announces Rihanna live stream event originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:35:14 +0000

The Nokia Foundation has announced that it has granted its 10,000 euro 2009 award to Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia.

Nokia says Wales was awarded "for his contributions to the evolution of the World Wide Web as a participatory and truly democratic platform".
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"It's a great honor to present this award on behalf of the Board of the Nokia Foundation to an individual who we believe has made a unique contribution to accelerating online collaboration and interaction for millions of people around the world, and effectively democratizing information sharing", said Henry Tirri, head of Nokia Research Center and chairman of the Nokia Foundation.
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Wikipedia was created in 2001, gets more than 330 million monthly visitors and boasts 14,000,000 articles in more than 260 languages.

Tags: Software Wikipedia Nokia Phones Biz Jimmy Wales The Nokia Foundation

The Nokia Foundation award goes to Jimmy Wales originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:48:26 +0000

Since we brought you news of the new Nokia Illuvial range it's been announced that Pixie Lott will be "the face" for the new series.

A Carphone Warehouse exclusive, the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Illuvial, Nokia 6700 Illuvial and the Nokia 6303 Illuvial are being flung into the Christmas market.

Pixie Lott is quoted as saying: "I spend loads of time on my mobile, so it's important to me that it looks good. The phones in the range all look fab – they're stylish and yet still girlie".

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Illuvial is due to be available on a PAYG basis from ?99.95, pay monthly from ?15 a month.

The Nokia 6700 Illuvial will cost ?179.95 on PAYG and is available on a pay monthly basis from ?20 a month, while the Nokia 6303 Illuvial gets a PAYG price tag of from ?79.95, and pay monthly from ?10 a month.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia Illuvial Carphone Warehouse Pixie Lott

Pixie Lott to be the "face" of Nokia's Illuvial range originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:56 +0000

The N900 isn't far away now - it's due on 16 November. As a result, we're due some pricing information and, lo and behold, here it is courtesy of mobile comparison site Omio.

It's possible to get the handset on a 24-month contract for as little as ?20 per month from Orange, though that'll only give you 200 minutes and you'll have to shell out ?170 for the handset. A similar 24-month deal from O2 for ?30 per month will net you 600 minutes, and the phone itself will only cost ?10.

If you're determined to get the handset free, then a 24-month deal from Orange will set you back ?35 per month with 900 minutes. The cheapest 18-month contact is ?25 per month, again from Orange, with 600 minutes and ?220 upfront phone cost.

Are you itching to get your hands on the N900? Tell us why, and which pricing option you reckon you'll go for, in the comments.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N900 Tariffs

Nokia N900 gets Pay Monthly pricing originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:20:11 +0000

Nokia has announced the launch of five new mobile phones designed for consumers in emerging markets.
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The Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616, Nokia 1800, Nokia 2220 slide and Nokia 2690 - support Nokia Life Tools and boast ease of use and affordability.
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Priced at 20, 24 and 26 euros the Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616 and Nokia 1800 offer an FM radio, a torch, an anti-scratch cover and a dust-resistant keymat.

The long battery life, with up to 22 days of standby time, is described as "vital" for people in areas where access to electricity is limited.

The Nokia 2220 slide and the Nokia 2690, at 45 and 54 euros, also support Ovi Mail with accounts that be can be created on the device for PC-free emailing.

Other device features include FM radio, VGA camera, GPRS and MMS support, phone books for up to 1000 contacts, and Bluetooth.
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The new phones are due to be available in Indonesia this year and next, along with Nokia's Life Tools service, providing agricultural, educational and entertainment info and services.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia

Nokia launches five new phones for emerging markets originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:17:59 +0000

Google has announced its search by voice service is available as a free download for Nokia S60 phones such as Nseries or Eseries handsets.

Google explains: "The new version of Google Mobile App places a shortcut to Google search on your Nokia phone's home screen, allowing you to search using your voice or by typing. You can search for anything - from "movie times", to "fish 'n chips", to "masala dosa." It doesn't matter if you're in London or Bangalore: we'll use your location to give you nearby results. And Google Mobile App shows search results in the application, so you don't have to wait for a web browser to launch to get an answer".

The new version of Google Mobile App for Nokia S60 devices works for Mandarin speakers too, with support for Mandarin speech recognition such as Android and iPhone in the works.

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Related links:

• Link - Google

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Google Nokia Search engines

VIDEO: Google search by voice launches for Nokia S60 phones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:36:22 +0000

Nokia has revealed that it is to close the doors on its N-Gage platform next year, in favour of offering all its gaming through its Ovi Store content portal.

Nokia's N-Gage launched as hardware back in 2003 with a "taco-shaped" gaming phone, which although now arguably a cult device, had design flaws which made it ripe for ridicule.

A few years later and Nokia rolled out N-Gage gaming abilities to its higher-end mobiles, with the more recent N81 angled as a gaming phone, making N-Gage into a mobile gaming platform available across a range of handsets.

"We are not releasing any more games on N-Gage, although the store - the ability to buy N-Gage games - will remain open until at least September 2010, and the N-Gage service will run through to the end of 2010", Mark Ollila, director of X-Media solutions, media and games at Nokia, explained to ME.

"The message is that Ovi Store is the place to find and purchase mobile games. It's our one-stop shop for games".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone games Nokia N-Gage Ovi Store

Nokia to axe N-Gage originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:36:02 +0000

Nokia is planning a fresh attack on the US mobile phone market, teaming up with AT&T on a new Symbian phone, a new report suggests.

The device will be developed along with Snapdragon-maker Qualcomm, who has recently joined the Symbian Foundation board.

Although the news that Nokia and Qualcomm had put past differences aside and are planning "advanced mobile devices" was announced officially in February of this year, adding iPhone operator AT&T into the mix is news.

VentureBeat says it "has heard from sources close to Nokia that the company has ... agreed to launch a phone in the US market with AT&T using a Qualcomm chip".

Back in Feb, Nokia and Qualcomm said the Symbian device they were teaming up on would offer "cutting-edge processing performance and ubiquitous mobile broadband capabilities".

Nokia has a low market share in America of around 5%, a big difference from its 38% share globally, and was caught on film recently trying to persuade consumers to opt for unlocked Nokia handsets in an attempt to up its US success.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Qualcomm AT and T Rumours Symbian Foundation

Nokia and Qualcomm working on new Symbian phone for AT&T originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:24:41 +0000

As expected, Nokia has released a new Nokia N97 software update, version 2.0 that claims to add "new user experience elements and functionalities to the device".

The standard version of the update is available now, via user's PCs at www.nokia.com/softwareupdate, and will be followed by a range of country and operator versions over the coming weeks, as well, Nokia says, as the possibility to do the update over-the-air. ?

The 2.0 software update adds "flip scrolling", shortcuts to personalised homescreen, Ovi Maps 3.1 with 3D maps, Nokia e-mail, Ovi Contacts and the Ovi Store.
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While N97 users are busy trying to update their handsets, the Nokia N97 mini makes its debut in stores, priced at ?429.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N97 Nokia N97 Mini Software updates

Nokia N97 gets update as N97 Mini goes on sale originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:36:34 +0000

T-Mobile and Nokia have announced the launch of a "Comes with Music" handset with the introduction of a special chrome version of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

Angled as perfect for music-lovers, the Nokia 5800 Comes with Music lets customers download unlimited music for free from the 6-million track strong Nokia Music Store.

In the UK 3 and Orange offer Nokia Comes with Music handsets, but a recent report has suggested UK up-take for the service stands at just 32,728 customers since its launch in October 2008.

The Nokia 5800 Comes With Music will be available from 1 November for free on T-Mobile's Combi 24-month price plans at ?30 per month, which include unlimited mobile internet and unlimited texts.

The comes without music Nokia 5800 is available on T-Mobile for ?15 a month (with less texts, etc) suggesting a fair old premium for the music service - on a handset announced back in 2008.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones T-Mobile Nokia Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Comes with music

T-Mobile to offer Comes with Music Nokia 5800 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:41:02 +0000

We're not all made of money. Some of us might just be after a cheap phone that works - maybe a second handset or perhaps something to buy as a present. Whatever your need, if it's budget you're after then that's exactly what we're bringing you today from Pocket-lint with the very best in PAYG mobile phones for under ?50.

5) Nokia 6300

It may be as old as the hills but the Nokia 6300 is a a mobile with class. Just a 2-inch QVGA screen on it and a 2-megapixel camera for trickery but it will shoot video and support up to 4GB of memory through a microSD card. The best thing about the 6300 though is the plain look and feel of the thing. It's got a lovely metal casing which not only makes it stylish but also gives it a wealth of protection. You can throw the thing on the floor as many times as you like and it's not going to break. It'd be nice if it had a 3.5mm jack or something to really call you to the handset, but you'll find all those additions at the more expensive end of the Classic range. This is the best from Nokia within the budget and just sneaks in at ?49.95.

4) Samsung B3310

Let's not beat around the bush here. There's nothing special about this phone apart from the QWERTY keyboard, but the fact is that you just don't get these things on phones under ?50 anywhere else. The whole handset is designed as a written communicator for SMS, e-mail and even built-in access to Facebook, MySpace and Photobucket. Elsewhere, there's a 2-inch LCD display, FM radio, and a 2-megapixel camera. The downside is that the only colour it comes in is pink. ?49.90.

3) Samsung U600

You have to look for small mercies in the budget phone department. Comparatively speaking the U600 is an imaging handset and otherwise it's its lack of glaring mistakes that raises it above the rest. It's got a 3.2-megapixel camera with flash that will shoot video and a fairly bog standard 2.2-inch QVGA to view your snaps on. That said, get them off the phone and you'll have something worth looking at. There's no 3G - not that you could really use it to much effect on this phone - nor is there a 3.5mm jack, which you could, but it's quad-band, stylish and certainly offers bang for one's buck. ?34.95 and not a hint of regret.

2) Skype Phone S2

Sexy this handset ain't, but beneath the plain Jane exterior lies just about the best budget phone you'll find. It measures in at 103 x 45 x 14mm, has a 2.2-inch QVGA screen, a 1150mAh battery, 50MB of on-board memory backed up by a microSD card slot that supports up to 4GB and both HSDPA speeds of up to 3.6Mbps and a mighty 3.2-megapixel camera. The real selling point of the S2 though is that it gives you free Skype to Skype voice calls and chat forever. As in, life. At no data cost at all. Know enough people on Skype, make a lot of calls overseas and this one will pay for itself in a matter of weeks. ?49.99

1) LG Cookie KP500

5 million consumers world wide can't be wrong, or at least if they are you'll have a very large support network. The Cookie has offered touchscreen technology to the masses with the KP500 and a nice chunky 3-inch display to watch videos on too. At 13.9mm slim, this 89 gram handset has an "intuitive" Active Flash user interface with haptic feedback and comes with a built-in stylus. The UI gives you widget control plus there's also a 3-megapixel camera, a MP3 player, FM radio, calendar, clock and motion sensing games too. What keeps it different to the big boys is that there's no Wi-Fi, no push e-mail, no 3.5mm jack and no GPS. Otherwise, it's about as smart as a feature phone can get. Very good indeed for ?49.90.

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Related links:

• Buy - Skype phone S2
• Buy - Nokia 6300
• Buy - Samsung B3310
• Buy - Samsung U600
• Buy - LG KP500 Cookie

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Samsung 3G Photos Cameraphones PAYG Samsung U600 LG KP500 Cookie Skype Skypephone S2 3 Nokia Samsung B3310 Nokia 6300 Features

Top 5 PAYG phones for under £50 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:24:37 +0000

Nokia appears to be looking into 3D multitouch systems, if a patent filing is representative of its current research interests. The Finnish phone giant has applied for a patent for a 3D multitouch interface that would record pressure as well as two dimensions of location info.

The system is built with a combination of a capacitive touchscreen and a few force sensors that measure the strength of your pushes. The direction of that force is also able to be recorded, so strokes can be accurately represented on such a screen.

It's not clear when the technology might make its way into commercially available gadgets - it's likely to be some time. However, when combined with some of the haptic touchscreen prototypes that the company also has in its labs, we could end up with a phone screen that you can push, but can push you back!

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Patents

Nokia patents 3D multitouch originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:59:07 +0000

Three new Nokia mobile phones have appeared over on mobile phone comparison site Omio with a pink twist on some popular handsets.

The Nokia 5530 XpressMusic, Nokia 6700 Classic and the Nokia 6303 are all available as what looks like special edition handsets under the "Illuvial" moniker.

Not wanting to be presumptuous, we're assuming the Illuvial editions are aimed at the female market, coming as they do in shades of purple and pink, with themed wallpapers, "floral accenting on the rear" and a violet LED backlight for the keypad.

Available soon in the UK and Germany on pay monthly, there's more info over on Omio of contracts for the new range.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Omio Nokia Illuvial

Nokia in the pink with "Illuvial" special editions originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:15:20 +0000

Nokia has announced that it has filed a complaint against Apple with the Federal District Court in Delaware, alleging that Apple's iPhone infringes Nokia patents for GSM, UMTS and wireless LAN standards.
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Nokia is naming ten patents in the suit that relate to technologies "fundamental to making devices which are compatible with one or more of the GSM, UMTS (3G WCDMA) and wireless LAN standards".

The patents cover wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption and have apparently all been infringed by all Apple iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007.

Nokia says it has spent over 40 billion euros over the last 20 years on various patents, some of which have made it to being the industry standard. While almost all the major mobile manufacturers pay Nokia for licence agreements to use the tech covered by the patents, it appears Apple has refused to do so.

"The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for", said Ilkka Rahnasto, vice president, legal & intellectual property at Nokia.

"Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation".

Tags: Phones Nokia Apple Lawsuits iPhone Patents Biz

Nokia sues Apple over alleged iPhone patent infringements originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:43:18 +0100

Vodafone has finally announced its pricing for the Nokia N97 Mini. It's gone up for pre-order too, so if you're dying to get your hands on the dinky younger brother of Nokia's flagship smartphone then you can be one of the first who'll be able to do so.

The handset will be free on 2-year Pay Monthly tariffs from ?35 per month. That'll get you 900 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited internet. Alternately there's a ?40 per month option, still for 2 years, that gives you 1200 minutes.

As previously reported, the N97 Mini has 8GB of onboard storage, a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and a full QWERTY keyboard. It has all of the same widgety goodness as its older brother too, but still runs the Symbian operating system that we weren't a fan of in the N97.

The handset can be pre-ordered now, and will be released on 23 October.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia N97 Mini Vodafone Tariffs Nokia

N97 Mini priced on Vodafone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:02:59 +0100

There's nothing particularly amazing about this new video from Nokia's in house comms team - unless you want to read something into the fact the device is running on T-Mobile, of course - but what it is, is 3 minutes of N900 porn to gawp at on a Friday afternoon.

Taking you through the set-up process, that we would go as far as to say even looks fun on the N900's interface and touchscreen, there's also a look at the on-board "getting started" demo for those that just can't get enough of the new Maemo handset.

When exactly anyone can indeed get started with a N900 is still to be revealed, although the Nokia online shop now shows a "tentative delivery date" of November...

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N900 Internet tablets Video

VIDEO: Nokia releases "getting started" N900 promo originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:24:33 +0100

If Nokia wasn't already reeling from a poor Q3 earnings report, then news leaked out to Music Ally probably won't help lift their mood either.

According to documents shown to the music industry website, Nokia has managed to sign up just 107,000 customers to its Comes with Music offering.

Broken down further and the UK takes the lion's share with 32,728 customers since its launch in October 2008.

Nokia, who has spent big to promote the service that gives users access to unlimited music, will no doubt have hoped for better performance.

"While the offering is a great one, trying to explain it to consumers is a tough sell. What do you get? What happens to the tracks? Do you have to keep paying?" an industry expert told us. "It's been the core problem."?

Nokia, according to the site, wouldn't be drawn on the numbers.

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Tags: Phones Nokia Comes with music Audio

Nokia Comes with Music struggling to gain users originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:16:18 +0100

A spy pic and a few muttered specs for the Nokia N920 - the follow-up to the recently revealed N900 - have hit the Internet.

Although the Nokia N900 is yet to hit shop shelves, the N920 is being currently talked up in the web's version of Chinese whispers, complete with the necessary spy shot to boot.

It's not really a surprise that behind closed corporate doors a phone manufacturer is already working on next-gen versions of just-announced products, but it's getting attention from the blogosphere.

Supposedly an early prototype, it's rumoured for launch with Maemo 6 on board sometime next year. Losing the QWERTY keyboard, the N920 is said to get a 4.13-inch capacitive, multi-touch screen.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N900 Nokia N920 Rumours

Spy pic of Nokia N920 prototype revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:16:41 +0100

Nokia has reported a loss in its third quarter results, revealing an operating loss of 426 million euros with sales dropping 20%.

This compares dramatically to the same period in 2008, when the Finnish phone manufacturer saw a profit of 1.5 billion euros.

The reasonably good news comes in with Nokia's mobile device market share for the third quarter this year at 38%, not a percentage less than it was a year ago, and stable compared to the second quarter of this year. Device sales were up 5% from the previous quarter.

As far as phones go, Nokia shipped 4.5 million Nseries and 4.4 million Eseries devices during the third quarter - sounds a fair whack - but this is down from the combined 9.3 million Nseries and Eseries devices shipped in Q2.

"The demand for mobile devices improved in many markets during Q3. With the average selling price of our devices holding firm quarter-on-quarter, our higher device volumes translated into increased net sales in our Devices & Services business", said Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo.

"Our volumes and net sales were, however, somewhat constrained by component shortages we encountered across the portfolio".

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Tags: Phones Nokia Results Biz

Nokia reports loss for third quarter originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:38:39 +0100

3 has been announced as the first UK mobile operator partner for Spotify, following negotiations earlier in the year, and will be pushing out the music subscription service bundled with handsets before Christmas. The HTC Hero will be the first phone to come with the app pre-installed, and it'll be followed by three further handsets.

It's already possible to get Spotify on the HTC Hero (and other Android handsets) from other operators, as well as on the iPhone, but this will be the first time in the UK that the subscription service will be bundled in with your monthly mobile phone bill. It's unclear so far how much it'll cost - we reckon it won't be the full ?10 that the subscription normally costs.

The move puts Spotify in an interesting position - directly competing with fellow Scandinavians Nokia and its much-derided Comes with Music service. It'll also help Spotify break out of early-adopter circles and into less tech-savvy markets, making it more mainstream.

It's unclear yet what the other handsets on offer will be, though the lineup will almost certainly include the not-yet-detailed Spotify handset from INQ. We'll bring you more on this story as we hear it.

UPDATE: A 3 spokesperson has told Pocket-lint to "watch this space". Sounds like there'll be more news shortly.

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Tags: Phones Audio 3 Spotify HTC Hero Inq Nokia Comes with music

3 to launch Spotify phones in the UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:18:31 +0100

Nokia has suggested the reason for the new Nokia Booklet 3G only being available in Best Buy in the US this side of the Holidays is because AT&T isn't geared to sell laptops.

Talking to David Petts, who is responsible for the AT&T account at Nokia, Petts told Pocket-lint that while AT&T stores where able to sell the product, it was a "no brainer" to give it to Best Buy and its selling capabilities to do the job on launch day.

And you can see why? According to the company, Best Buy now accounts for a third of all laptop sales in the US, presumably helped by those Windows adverts throughout the year and the closure of Circuit City at the beginning.

Asked when the Nokia Booklet 3G, which is priced at $299 with contract and available from the 22 October, would be available elsewhere Petts didn't have an answer, but did suggest it would be likely to be rolled out elsewhere once the Holidays were over.

Petts did confirm, however, earlier confirmations that Nokia is likely to be making more booklets if this one was successful.

We will keep you posted.

Tags: Hardware Biz Laptops Nokia Nokia Booklet 3G Best Buy

Best Buy sells a third of all US laptops originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:31:25 +0100

Nokia has confirmed the launch of its Booklet 3G netbook in the US on Tuesday.

"We are going to sell a lot of these", Nokia's US head honcho said at the New York launch event.

The mini-laptop, which we saw at Nokia World earlier in the year, as Nokia is pushing it, will be $299 with a 2-year contract, exclusive to Best Buy for "The Holidays". Users will then be expected to pay $60 a month for AT&T's 5GB plan, however, AT&T has confirmed there will be other plans available nearer Christmas.

Those looking to get the?Nokia Booklet 3G?without any on-going costs will be able to pay $599 without the AT&T data package.

Launching on 22 October in time for the Windows 7, specs include Windows 7, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, a 120GB hard disk, 1GB of RAM, Wi-Fi is n-compatible, a 720p screen, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and the promise of 12 hours of battery life, although Nokia failed to be able to clarify whether that 12 hours of battery was with Wi-Fi and 3G turned on.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Netbooks Nokia Nokia Booklet 3G

Nokia Booklet 3G hits the US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:56:55 +0100

If you're itching to get your hands on Nokia's new N97 Mini then you'll be interested to hear that mobile phone comparison site Omio has some early Orange deals live now.

There's a wide variety of options to choose from, but all mean splashing out cold, hard cash on the new handset with, as an example, a handset price of ?97.50 and ?34.25 per month getting the N97 Mini on a 24-month deal of 1200 minutes and unlimited texts.

Nokia's new Nseries device is due to be officially released on 23 October and will also be offered by Vodafone, who is yet to reveal pricing. Nokia will also offer the device SIM-free for ?429.

However, unless you're totally desperate to grab the new phone in the next few days, then we'd suggest hanging on to see all the deals from Vodafone and Orange as we'd hope there may be some more competitive pricing.

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Tags: Phones Nokia Nokia N97 Mini Omio Orange Tariffs

Nokia N97 Mini available now via Omio originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:00:16 +0100

With news from Sony Ericsson officially announcing the retail availability of the company's high spec, mulitmedia mobile, autumn double whammy due soon; we thought we'd take a look at the more specialised end of the smartphone market.

While the Aino is all about integration with the PS3, it's the 12-megapixel marriage of the Cyber-Shot and Walkman brands that's got the universal appeal for the cameraphone loving public. However, the SE way of doing things isn't quite everyone's cup of tea, so here are five other great megapixel monsters to look out for that might also tickle your fancy or leave a little more left in your wallet.

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Samsung Pixon12

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Resolution

12 megapixels

Flash

Xenon

Lens

28mm wide-angle

Price

Free from ?35/month

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The Pixon12, or M8910, was the world's first 12-meggy monster and still the equal biggest. It's got a 3.1-inch AMOLED screen with 10,000:1 contrast ratio, a 28mm wide angle lens and can snap a pic every 2 seconds. There's a dedicated "Camera Power Key" for one-touch access to the camera function and a nice Xenon flash too. One of the best features though is the touchscreen controlled auto-focus tracking, where users can select a focus point with the touch of a finger and the AF function will automatically follow the object, while the Smart Auto feature changes the scene and mode based on its object, background and lighting. Other specs for the quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone include HSUPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, an FM radio, 720 x 480 video capture at 30fps and up to 16GB memory via MicroSD for storing all your high res snaps.

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LG Louvre

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Resolution

12 megapixels

Flash

Xenon

Lens

Schneider-Kruznach

Price

unavailable

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LG showed off a concept 12-megapixel camera phone called the GC990 Louvre at the Korea Products Exhibition in Warsaw a few months back and although it's not yet on the scene, it's the only other competitor to the Pixon12 and Satio in pure resolution stakes. It has autofocus and touch-focus, the ability to record 720p HD video at 30fps and an ISO up to 3200. There's also automatic geo-tagging and LG claims there'll be zero shutter lag. POIDH. Away from the camera, there's Wi-Fi, TV-Out, GPS, a 3.2-inch touchscreen 16:9 display, an accelerometer, Bluetooth, and support for DivX and Xvid video formats as seemingly standard for LG these days. Sadly, it's only a concept model and there are no official plans to bring it to market. Perhaps LG has decided that the megapixel race is very 2008.

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Sharp Aquos Shot 933SH

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Resolution

10 megapixels

Flash

Xenon

Lens

28mm wide-angle

Price

Japan only

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The 10-megapixel mark hasn't been hugely popular for mobile manufacturers but a certain phone maker which has been very quiet over here has been busy with this stunner in the East. It has a 3.3-inch WVGA display which has a rotating touchscreen that brings incredibly compact camera-esque control to your mobile device. It's packet with picture taking features and scene modes and, as the name suggests, houses some of the LCD technology found in the Sharp AV units. Very nice for watching TV on the go. Yes, they do that out there.

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Nokia N86 8MP

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Resolution

8 megapixels

Flash

dual LEDs

Lens

28mm wide-angle Carl Zeiss Tessar

Price

Free from ?20/month

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Going with the headline "Imaging at its very best..." Nokia has designed the N86 to take the big boys as well as other 8-megapixel offerings. It's got wide-angle Carl Zeiss Tessar optics lens with a mechanical shutter, up to 1/1000 shutter speed and an f-stop range of 2.4-4.8 to suit low light conditions. It also supports geo-tagging capabilities and comes with a 3rd generation dual LED camera flash rather than a Xenon, which Nokia believes to be superior. There's 8GB of internal memory for your snaps for around 4000 images plus A-GPS, a 2.6-inch QVGA 230 x 320 screen, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0. It's also got a scratch-resistant AMOLED display.

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Sony Ericsson W995

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Resolution

8.1 megapixels

Flash

Photo Flash

Lens

standard

Price

Free from ?20/month

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The other option, of course, is just an older, slightly lower spec Sony Ericsson model - the W995. It features Media Go access for all your gaming an entertainment needs and offers a 2.6-inch screen, a built-in stand, built-in stereo speakers, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm headphone jack and all the Walkman features like SensMe and TrackID as well. As for the camera, there's not a lot to get excited about aside AF, face tracking and geo-tagging and the large sensor but then, none of the others on the list come bundled with headphones as well as an 8GB memory stick.

Related links:

• News - Satio, Aino and Yari confirmed

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson W995 Samsung Pixon12 Samsung Nokia Nokia N86 LG LG Louvre Sharp Sharp Aquos Shot 933SH Features

Five mobile phone megapixel monsters originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:19:25 +0100

Nokia has revealed its latest Eseries device, the Nokia E72, is now available to pre-order. Nokia will be offering the phone direct, on a SIM-free basis, and exclusive in black online priced at ?359.

The full QWERTY smartphone offers a wide variety of email and messaging options, and improves on its predecessor, the E71 with a new optical navigation key for more intuitive scrolling, a 5-megapixel camera and a standard 3.5mm audio jack.

There's also A-GPS and compass with integrated Nokia Maps, active noise cancellation, and a torch function that can be activated with a press of the spacebar key.

A sales start date and operator availability in the UK is due be announced soon, while pre-orders are live over at the Nokia online shop.

Related links:

• PHOTOS - Nokia E72 mobile phone

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia E72 Eseries

Nokia E72 goes up for pre-order originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:59:29 +0100

Nokia has revealed, via its Twitter feed for its flagship retail store, the official date that the Nokia N97 Mini will hit shop shelves.

"N97 Mini to be sold in store from 23rd October!" proclaims Nokia, who has set the price of the new handset, SIM-free, at ?429 via its own online store.

Vodafone is to offer the handset on contract in the UK but so far only states it is coming soon in October, so we'd expect more info - including pricing - from the operator soon.

The N97 Mini is described as "a smaller mobile computer with stylish stainless steel cues, featuring a tilting 3.2-inch touch display, QWERTY keyboard and fully customisable homescreen that makes each Nokia N97 mini as unique as a fingerprint".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N97 Mini Vodafone

Nokia N97 Mini due 23 October originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:42:18 +0100

Nokia has added a new feature to its Ovi Maps service that will allow users to find points of interest, but also to make contributions themselves. It's called "Good Things".

The idea is that locals know an area best, and allowing them to recommend great restaurants, hidden-away locations and other nifty little things that people who "aren't from round 'ere" might not know.

Earlier in the year, Nokia Interactive's head of sales - John Stoneman - laid the philosophical groundwork for the move, explaining how to monetise such an application:

"If users are just trying to find a route from A to B then advertisers will have to be fairly serendipitous to be able to guess what will interest them as they pass, or they're going to have to bombard them with so many ads that they will become frustrated - which will result in a bad user experience".

Good Things will be available in 25 countries, and should be launched on mobile handsets and on the Web imminently.

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Related links:

• News - Nokia updates Ovi Maps with 3D vector graphics and an API
• Link - Ovi Maps - Good Things

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Websites Nokia Ovi Google

Good Things added to Nokia's Ovi Maps originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:12:25 +0100

Nokia has announced the launch of the new Nokia 2705 Shade on Verizon Wireless in the US.

The 2705 Shade is described as a compact flip phone with "a large display on one of the smallest devices available at Verizon Wireless".

The handset is due to be available initially as an online exclusive and customers will have the option of purchasing the phone with or without a 1.3-megapixel camera.

Specs we know about include Bluetooth, text, picture and voice messaging capabilities, up to 300 minutes talktime, Verizon's VZ Navigator-capabilities with Xpress-On covers available as an extra.

The Nokia Shade (with camera) will be available online from 6 October for $29.99 with a new 2-year customer agreement.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia 2705 Shade Verizon

Nokia 2705 Shade offered with or without camera originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:16:53 +0100

It seems Nokia is looking at new wireless charging technologies as it's been announced the phone manufacturer has joined the Wireless Power Consortium.

Members already include Duracell, Olympus, Philips, Samsung and Sanyo who have signed up to the Consortium's Qi universal standard that will offer "easy, convenient wireless power charging everywhere".

Rival Palm's Pre currently offers a wireless charger - the TouchStone - as does Dell's new Latitude Z notebook.

"Wireless charging technology carries significant potential to enhance consumer experience of battery charging", said Markku Verkama, director of devices R&D at Nokia.

"Consumers expect ease of use and general compatibility of mobile devices. By joining the Wireless Power Consortium, Nokia continues to support the open standards approach that aims to meet these consumer expectations. Wireless Power Consortium is the first serious effort by the leading companies to harmonize the wireless charging technologies".

Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Nokia Wireless Power Consortium Wireless

Nokia working on wireless charging solutions originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:26:15 +0100

Nokia's N97 handset had a difficult birth, with reviewers criticising the phone for failing to adapt Symbian to a touchscreen, and a lack of flair in general when it came to software on the handset. However, Pocket-lint has learnt that Nokia is now weeks away from delivering a software update to rectify the issues.

The v2.0 firmware is slated to arrive in mid-to-late October and includes a number of updates that should make the phone considerably more usable. The headline addition is that of kinetic scrolling, which allows the user to stroke down a list to view more options, rather than resorting to a fiddly scroll bar at the edge.

There's plenty of performance improvements promised, as well as more widgets, bug fixes and the ability to make alternate keyboard characters available with a long press of the appropriate key. Impressively, Nokia has managed to do all that and leave more memory available than previously, which does make you wonder how bad the coding was on release.

The update will be going live within the next few weeks. We're pressing Nokia for a more specific date and will update this post when that arrives.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Software updates Nokia N97 Video

VIDEO: Nokia N97 v2.0 firmware nears release originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:55:08 +0100

Nokia is offering its slim Eseries smartphone, the E55, direct to customers in the UK on a SIM-free, handset-only basis.

The device is now available at www.nokia.co.uk/shop for ?299, including VAT but excluding delivery.

At launch, Nokia claimed the E55 was the world's most compact and thinnest smartphone available on the market.

Promising a standby time of a month, the compact QWERTY keyboard features two letters per key on its 20-key keypad.

The E55 also offers full Nokia Maps, assisted GPS, a 3.2-megapixel camera and memory expandable up to 16GB.

Related links:

• Shop - Nokia

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia E55

Nokia offers E55 SIM-free for £299 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:02:24 +0100

Top consumer electronics companies have revealed they are teaming up to effectively create a mobile, or mini, version of the HDMI port for portable devices and phones.

Nokia, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba have all announced they are working with Silicon Image to form the Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group.

The group will go on to create an industry standard for an audio/video interface to connect mobile phones or other portable devices directly to high-definition televisions and displays.

The new standard will be based on Silicon Image's "Mobile High-Definition Link" tech and will be offered as an industry standard open to all companies. The aim is for the standard to be easy and cost effective for manufacturers and simple and reliable for consumers.

Silicon Image says "a single-cable with a low pin count interface will be able to support up to 1080p high-definition digital video and HD audio in addition to delivering power to a portable device".

You can be sure it will be a while before anything is finalised, but we will keep you posted.

Tags: Phones Audio Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group Nokia Samsung Sony Toshiba Silicon Image Cables Biz HDMI

Nokia, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba team up on mobile HDMI originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:27:56 +0100

Vlingo has created a mobile app that will let you speak to your Nokia handset. The company behind it claims that you can say whatever you want into your handset and the phone will respond and perform, implying that there's semantic technology in there, too.

The technology works on the N95, N95 8GB, E51, E71, E75, 5530 XpressMusic, and 5800 XpressMusic, and can be used to send texts, emails, search the web, or check Facebook. It has the capability to learn an individual's voice, too, and pick it out of a loud room.

To configure the app, you can select your language and accent in the Vlingo settings menu, and the company recommends that you speak realistic phrases into the handset, as the recongition is tuned to certain tasks.

In our brief testing, it coped with a fairly regular British accent well. We had to speak slowly and carefully for it to understand us, but it worked out relatively lengthy sentences like "google chinese takeaways in finsbury park" without too much trouble.

The free version's only limit is that you can only send five messages a day, so if you're a Nokia user you might want to check it out. Also, if you're lucky enough to have a strong accent, we'd love to hear how it copes. Let us know in the comments.

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Tags: Phones Vlingo Mobile phone apps Nokia

VIDEO: Vlingo offers voice recognition mobile app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:14:57 +0100