Psst. Is yours real?

Ever wondered if the phone you're using is the real thang? Of course, no one wants to be a victim of an exploding counterfeit charger or at the receiving end of embarrassing jokes from brutally honest friends. So how can undiscerning consumers tell the real from a stash of fakes? Here's what some of the vendors advise and we encourage our readers to note the following points when purchasing a new handset.
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More leaked shots of the HTC Juno

We've seen a version of this PDA-phone in the form of the Dopod C750 meant for China. Now, gadget blog Gizmodo has more blurry images of this handheld also known as the HTC Juno or T-Mobile Shadow as it will be known in the US.

The pictures show the device having a keypad very similar to the QWERTY version of the HTC Touch Dual. Put beside a BlackBerry Pearl, the Juno seems quite compact for a touchscreen PDA-phone. It is supposed to have 128MB RAM for running applications, support for microSD cards up to 4GB and stereo Bluetooth.

We were not able to get in touch with HTC at press time for further information. But seeing how prolific the manufacturer has been of late, we won't be surprised if official information becomes available soon.

Via Gizmodo

E-Ten glofiish M800 leaked

We have heard rumblings about a QWERTY-enabled E-Ten handheld with specifications similar to the glofiish X800 for some time now, but just haven't seen anything concrete. Now, Dutch site Pocketinfo has an image and details of the new M800, a handheld with all the features of the X800 plus a slide-out keyboard. This means it will come with HSDPA connectivity, a SiRFstar III GPS chip and a 500MHz Samsung processor.

Looking at the image, it appears the keyboard design is very similar to its predecessor, the M700. The main difference is the inclusion of LEDs which indicates when the Caps and Fn keys are pressed, similar to those found on the HTC TyTN II. Feature for feature, the M800 will compare very well to the TyTN II with the added advantage of having a VGA screen.

According to Pocketinfo, the M800 will be available in Europe in November with an expected price of between 599 (US$839.90) and 629 euros (US$881.96). We have contacted E-Ten about its Asian availability and are awaiting a response.

Via Engadget

The TyTN II arrives

After its initial launch announcement a couple of weeks back, the much-anticipated HTC TyTN II will finally be available in Asia Pacific, well, at least in Singapore.

Singapore-based operator SingTel will be the first with the goods for the island-state. From tomorrow, it will start selling the TyTN II from as low as S$388 (US$263.06) after a S$200 phone trade-in and contract subscription to both a high-end mobile plan and data plan (other terms and conditions apply). According to the SingTel flyer, the usual price of the TyTN II with a two-year mobile plan is priced at S$988 (US$670).

In Singapore, this will remain a SingTel exclusive for two weeks, after which retailers will start to offer the device at various outlets. Across Asia, the TyTN II will be rolled out over the next two weeks. If you are looking forward to buying this PDA-phone, check with your local mobile carrier or distributor for specific availability dates.

OneSIM card for use in Singapore and Indonesia

For those who travel frequently between Singapore and Indonesia, here's a piece of good news. Singapore-based mobile carrier StarHub has introduced the OneSIM Indosat, a service collaboration with Indonesian service operator Indosat that combines two SIM cards (one from Singapore and one from Indonesia) into one.

What this means is mobile users who travel between the two countries will now need only one phone and one SIM card to keep both a Singapore and an Indonesian number active for receiving calls and SMSes. Naturally, standard roaming rates apply in Indonesia for those based in Singapore and vice versa, but StarHub has added a carrot to the deal by offering a 20 percent discount on roaming rates.

The OneSIM Indosat is targeted mainly at business travelers and comes with a S$5 monthly subscription charge. The upgrade of the new SIM card is free. A StarHub representative told CNET Asia that this is the first time the company is offering such a service with an overseas partner. Depending on how this performs, StarHub is planning to introduce similar services with operators in other top business destinations in the region.

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