The Samsung Genio QWERTY (known as the Corby TXT outside of the United Kingdom) is a messaging based mobile phone that trades off a touch screen for a full QWERTY keyboard. The phone is portrait oriented and can be operated with just one hand if you have to. The only catch is the very flat keyboard layout that totally makes high-speed typing difficult unless you really get used to the keyboard layout.

Another problem with the slightly flat keys (they are raised a little) is that users with large thumbs will definitely keep getting a lot of typos. Despite lacking any other features outside of messaging and media playback functions, the Genio QWERTY makes up for its budget friendly price. This review of the Genio QWERTY goes further into the details.

QWERTY Features

Aside from the keyboard, this groovy little messaging phone offers users with a choice of colors and designs with the interchangeable covers.  It’s a nice touch that adds to the appeal of the Genio to the younger mobile market.

This mobile phone comes with a 2.2 inch TFT LCD screen with a display resolution of 176 x 144 pixels. It can show up to 262K colors and at 144 lines, the fonts are easy to read without squinting.

The 2 mega pixel may leave some people wanting, but that’s decent compared to the lack of WiFi and 3G, this device will definitely not see much smart phone users switching. Still, it’s a good package for GSM folks. The phone has EDGE for internet instead.

On Contract

There are plenty of great QWERTY deals on Vodafone, T-Mobile and on Orange Mobile. The device is available for free on some plans and for a good price on various pay as you go deals (for anyone who does not like having a monthly tariff).

Fring is known to be the award-wining mobile application that enables users to communicate and share their experiences over their mobile phones. Fring recently announced the release of an updated version for selected Symbian devices. The company stated that the new version comes as the first implementation of Skype video calls on a mobile phone, which can be enjoyed through 3G or a Wi-Fi connection.

The companies co-founder & CEO of Fring, remarked on the company’s new achievement saying “As the mobile VOIP trail blazers since this industry’s inception, we have a responsibility to continue breaking the mobile-internet barriers, and bringing users all the choices, richness and always-on connectivity that internet communications on mobile can deliver”.

Fring with video calls has been launched for Nokia mobile phones that run under the Symbian platform. This makes Nokia devices like Nokia X6, N97 mini, N97, 5800, N95 8G and the N95 devices. Also note that Fring supports some other various mobile operating systems, including S60, iPhone / iPod touch, Android, windows mobile and Linux.

The new Fring video features come with application that offers users the ability to make and receive free voice calls to other Fring users, Gtalk buddies and Skype through a regular phone line through Skype-Out and other Popular SIP services. Fring users can interact on social networks like Facebook, MySpace and others, live chatting, share files, update profiles, and talk with friends through series of Instant Messaging Services, including MSN, Space, Yahoo, GTalk, AIM and Skype.

Here are the main features:

• High Quality Fring Skype video calls
• Free fring – mobile or Free Pc to phone video calls
• Two way video feature
• No charges at all

Fring is the only service that offers the above listed features on the Video-over-internet-protocol.

In a quick response to water down recent speculations, Gameloft have issued a press release detailing plans to unveil High Definition gaming on Android phones of the future including the Motorola Droid/Milestone and Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. They also showcased their support for on-going developments of Google-powered mobile devices.

Gameloft’s finance director, Alexandre de Rochefort spoke on towering up investment for the thriving platform earlier this week. He cited iPhone sales as being considerable higher than any other in the Android market. He said they were 400 times higher than others in the market and attributed it to the lack of support from Google in promotion of these titles.

Although the press release emphasized a great deal on ‘2^nd generation’ of Android phones, nevertheless, there are indications that Gameloft are trying to clarify their intentions as showcasing their presence in the Operating systems of this age and even those of the future.

So is it right for us to say that Gameloft should stay clear off Android investment or not?

This latest release has done nothing but attenuate the rumour that Gameloft may try to focus more on iPhone apps than any other platform in the nearest future, so as to solidify the development on Android especially if the platform grows to hold a larger chunk of the smart phone market and a larger range of mobile phones available to users.

The next WebOS device lives up to expectations. After the Palm Pre, people knew that the mobile phone manufacturer is capable of delivering what the world needs. The Web OS is amazing and the Pre itself is a great little phone to have. Now, eyes are set on the Palm Pixi, and it is not just because of expectations too.

The Palm Pixi is a truly eye-ctaching device. Its small, compact yet incredibly, undeniably stylish; the sleek curves and the overall form of the device makes it quite the intriguing mobile phone. From the touch screen to the keyboard on the face of the device and the soft back finish, every detail in the design of the Pixi was made to delight the eyes.

The Keyboard Run Down

Most Pixi reviews will tell you that the best part of the Pixi is the most noticeable one, the keyboard. A full QWERTY keyboard sits right below the screen and while it looks impeccably well made, it makes you wonder if it actually works well when used.

Surprisingly, it does. In fact, some might even say that it feels better than using the slide out landscape keyboards on other devices. It is no wonder that Palm has high hopes for the Pixi; they really put a lot of thought in to making this phone a great one.

More Hardware

The wonder does not stop with the keyboard. As many have seen with the Pre, the WebOS is a truly remarkable system; it is easy to navigate, intuitive and fast. It has been noted that the WebOS on the Pixi loads a whole lot slower at times. This is probably due to the fact that the processor (Qualcomm MSM7627) is only 600MHz.

The Palm Pixi also has a 2 mega pixel camera and LED flash. These days, it should be a standard that phone cameras be equipped with LED flash as bad lighting conditions are more common.

15 free Window mobile apps are now available to Pocket PC users. Great apps such as Twitter, Facebook and even RSS feeds have now been made available.

The initial smart phone Operating system was Windows Mobile in which it acquired years of applications from the Pocket PC.

Mobile operators and Phone manufacturers have made a couple of apps on this new device available to users even though there are also a handful of other Windows Mobile apps out there.

In buttressing that point, it is no longer news that the best navigation app from the iPhone had been on the Windows Mobile Operating System for ages.

Now one major drawback is that there is no specific place to seek apps; as well as the new Windows Marketplace for Mobile and even the Handago store, there are now a couple of mobile software developers offering mind blowing apps right from their own websites.

Sky Fire

This is arguably the best mobile browser yet designed. It displays efficiently complete web pages regardless of the presence of flash, Javascript, Silverlight, CSS and even pdf. So it is compatible with a couple of video sites such a Youtube and even BBC iPlayer and Google docs and hotmail. There is no difference between its operation and that of a real PC browser.

I hope you will not all be surprised if I say it is actually a real PC browser, it utilizes Gecko rendering engine from Firefox, and working on servers in the skies. A compressed version of the webpage is then displayed.

Double click on the webpage if you do not possess a touch-screen and even if you do you can double-tap the page to observe it zoom brilliantly to display the picture, sidebar or paragraph you desire. More importantly Facebook, Twitter and RSS updates can be got from the start page. Definitely worth utilizing Windows Mobile for!

The BlackBerry Storm 2 is more than just a 3G device; it is the saving grace for the Touch Screen development team of BlackBerry. There was no news about any heads rolling following the release of the original Storm, but the folks at RIM know they had to make a better device for Storm 2 –and they did.

The new Storm brings back the infamous SurePress technology. It may seem like a stubborn move, but they have truly improved the transmissive screen technology to be able to detect multi touch and tapping accurately. The only flaw now is when pressing two keys close together on the screen keyboard.

Improvements

A quick Storm 2 hands on will show you that this is not the same phone they released before. It looks only a little different. The slight superficial changes will tell you which phone is which, but side by side, the two Storms really look like each other. But that is where the similarity ends. Where the Storm was weak, the Storm 2 brought improvements. Aside from the screen, other notable improvements in the new Storm was an improved casing design, better manufacturing quality (no more gaps), improved keys (the button is now made of a different rubber than the old one) and the fact that the touch screen would now shut off when the phone is held to the ear.

This 3.25 inch screened little touch screen wonder is a decent mobile phone and would have been great were it not for the lack of a decent messaging input option (a typical strong point for other BlackBerry devices).

Storm in Vodafone

Mobile carrier Vodafone UK currently has BlackBerry Storm 2 9520 deals, with individual packages for 35 Pounds a month (free Storm 2!) and a different rate for business packages.

Fans of the BlackBerry (and mobile messaging enthusiasts), are rejoicing the arrival of the Bold 9700, this impressive little 3G wonder brings together high speed internet and ergonomic for the ultimate experience of messaging on-the-go.

Succeeding the Bold 9000 and the Curve, this mobile phone brings the best features of both with a few extra improvements. The most noticeable trait for BlackBerry fans would be the use of the BlackBerry track pad. While many have become attached to the then-successful track ball, BlackBerry has, without a doubt, delivered a much better input system in the form of the track pad.

Bold New Features

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 features a full QWERTY keyboard on the face of the phone. This cramps the screen up a little, but the layout of the phone looks very relaxed and well put together. Thanks to the tapered lines and the form of the device, it not only looks good in the hand, but it feels good as well. The key are nicely spaced apart and typing fast on this device takes only a few seconds to get the hang of.

Users will like the small yet high resolution 2.44 inch screen with its 480 x 360 pixels of resolution and 65 thousand colour display capability. Images and videos taken with the 3.2 mega pixel camera appear nicely on the screen.

Media playback on this phone is a joy, on a full charge, the device can play music for up to 35 hours. While the 256MB of internal storage will not hold much music, a microSD card slot will allow you to store more files.

Out Now

The Bold 9700 is already available as of the time of writing; with T-Mobile and Vodafone already allowing customers to avail of the device for free on certain plans. Orange Mobile has announced that they too would have the phone but have not confirmed as to when the device will be available through their carrier.

Nokia has today confirmed the availability of Nokia N900 in the United States following the official announcement that Nokia N900 is available for dispatch since last week. For those hoping that the Nokia N900 is going to be subsidized, I have bad news as it is confirmed that the mobile device will not be subsidized regardless of whether it is locked to a major carrier but instead will be sold independently SIM-free.

Following the specification made available to us, the Nokia N900 is furnished with full quad-band GSM support and 1700/2100/900/UMTS/HSDPA support regardless of which Region is being targeted. So our United States users should be getting 3G connection with T-Mobile USA, whereas AT&T subscribers will be only be able to use the EDGE network.

Alessandro Lamanna, Vice president, Retail Sales, Nokia confirmed during the press release, “Consumers from every segment of the population are looking for more out of their mobile device – more power, more ability, more connectivity. The Nokia N900 ushers in a new era with a very powerful mobile computer,” He also added “With an open source operating system, incorporated technology like an OMAP processor, and real time web widgets, the Nokia N900 delivers the experience of a pocket able computer that has the information you’re looking for right there waiting for you thanks to the ability to be connected just about anywhere.”

The Nokia N900 is already been dispatched to users who pre-ordered the device. For our United States users, Nokia N900 will be available very soon in New York and Chicago Nokia Flagship stores, Nokia USA stores, Various Independent retailer and e-tailers for a sultry sum of $649.

Vodafone’s new mobile phones consists of a Windows Mobile 6.5, and Android 1.6 Donut and a Symbian S60. The LG GM750 will be sharing its Vodafone limelight with a couple of other mid-tier smarts phones from other manufacturers sporting different operating systems. If that was not competition enough for LG, HTC has also brought out the HTC HD2, which is a Snapdragon powered WinMo 6.5 device.

Considering the competition, anyone willing to shell out loads of money for a WinMo 6.5 phone would do well to pass on the more practical LG GM750. As said, the GM750 is a practical device meant more for those in need of a decent Windows touch screen phone.

LG’s Windows Mobile 6.5

Unlike its predecessor, the GM730, the LG GM750 sports the latest Windows Mobile OS, version 6.5. This new version supports the recently launched application store, the Marketplace. The Marketplace has been up for a month now and has already received a few updates –such as compatibility for desktop computers, WinMo versions 6.0 and 6.1, as well as the inclusion of new anti-piracy measures.

Windows Mobile brings a lot of familiar yet updated features. Among the most useful WinMo applications is the Office for Mobile, which is used to handling Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and viewing PDF files. The Windows Media Player 10 provides excellent media playback capabilities as it handles many different audio and video file formats.

For those who are not too fond of the Windows Mobile operating system’s interface, LG has put in the S-Class user interface to make navigating the device a whole lot easier.

Vodafone Exclusive

The LG GM750 deals that Vodafone is offering will be the only carrier deals you will find for the LG GM750 until December. The device is available for free on certain plans. Other carriers have not confirmed the prices at which they will be offering the device when they finally launch it.

If having to check your tweets manually is a hassle on your mobile phone, then perhaps you would enjoy receiving the latest tweets from your friends via text. This is the new feature being offered by Orange Mobile UK to its subscribers. The feature will allow users to receive tweets on a real time basis in order to keep up to date with their accounts.

Orange UK and Twitter has also made it possible to control the flow of incoming tweets through scheduled Tweet download times (if you so prefer) and through filtering which Twitter contacts’ Tweets would make it to your mobile phone. These features are particularly useful for people who receive hundreds of Tweets each day. Aside from receiving Tweets, users can also send their own Tweets via text as well uploading images on their mobile phone.

This tie up is based on linking a user’s account on Orange World. To access this service, Orange Mobile subscribers simply need to open Orange World on their handsets. Orange World is a unique service that connects MySpace, Twitter, Facebook and other social networking accounts to your mobile phone account. Orange World creates customized feeds that allow users to instantly see the latest highlights and updates from their contacts on different networks without having to manually sign in to each account.

Twitter is a major social networking site that uses micro blogging –short 140 character posts. Members of Twitter can easily make and send Tweets to all their friends and contacts online with short one or two liners that allows for a quick and casual conversation. Twitter is currently among the top 50 most accessed websites in the world. As of the time of writing, Twitter has “raised over 57 Million US Dollars from venture capitalists” –according to Wikipedia. Modern usage of Twitter has a broad range as it has been used for communication, campaigns, awareness programs, propaganda and more.