Amoi to debut sub-US$250 smart phone

The Amoi E72, which is expected to be commercially available in China before the end of January 2007, will be priced at less than US$250, according to a joint press release from the Chinese manufacturer, Microsoft and Texas Instrument.

Together with the Amoi E75, E76 and E78 smart phones, all four handhelds will be powered by the Texas Instrument OMAP-Vox platform which promises to deliver performance and low power consumption at an affordable price. Noteworthy features on all four handsets include stereo Bluetooth, EDGE, Windows Mobile 5.0 OS with Direct Push Technology and integrated digital cameras.

Click here for more information on the new Amoi smart phones.

TV-enabled Samsung Ultra Video out in Q2 2007

What's better than the Ultra Video phone? A TV version naturally, according to the Korean company's books. According to a Samsung spokesperson, the new handset will be branded under the F500 series and is slated to launch in Q2 next year, dependent, of course, on local cellular operators offering the service.

Currently, there isn't much information on the type of TV broadcast signals supported on the Ultra Video phone. However, we are expecting it to come with DVB-H compatibility. And based on the specifications given for the TV-less version of the Ultra Video F500, the triband handset should also feature a 2.4-inch QVGA display, 2-megapixel camera, DivX codec support, A2DP Bluetooth stereo profile, 400MB onboard memory and a microSD expansion slot.

Get on information on Samsung's new phones with our ITU Telecom World 2006 coverage here.

SGH-E890: Touch me one more time

The SGH-E890 may not be a PDA, but it has a touchscreen all the same. A stylus is included for you to play pokey with its 2.3-inch TFT screen, and if you are stylus-averse, Samsung encourages you to let your fingers do the walking instead. We wouldn’t recommend it, though, unless finger smudges happen to be your wallpaper theme. But that's probably the price paid for a 14.6mm skinny wonder that drops the heft in exchange for a 82g frame. The onboard 1.3-megapixel camera is not impressive, but the pen memo Bluetooth messaging feature and touchscreen games are. Available now at S$568 (US$404.27) without contract and S$468 (US$333.10) with a two-year mobile plan in Singapore.

New Samsung Bluetooth headset is a boneful

We hear yer, Samsung, loud and clear, even though it's chaos here at ITU Telecom World in Hong Kong, thanks to your new Bluetooth headset equipped with Bone Conduction Microphone technology.

We use our ears for hearing and that's a given fact. But did you know that sound is transmitted not just through air? Our bones and skin can transmit the vibrations of our voice, too, so we can hear ourselves talk even with our ears covered.

Samsung claims to be the first out with its Bluetooth headset--the WEP400--which features Bone Conduction Microphone technology, but we've see similar devices. Sound is transmitted via the vibrations in the user's jaw bone, which in turn generates vibrations in the ear drums. With the new headset, sounds will not be lost through the air and users can hear clearly even at noisy locations, according to the company.

Hopefully, obnoxious users shouting inconsiderately into their mobile phones will be a thing of the past. And that surely calls for a celebration. The WEP400 will be launched commercially in the first quarter of 2007 though Asian availability is still anyone's guess.

Related stories:
Samsung's Ultra mobiles go multimedia
Ear finger

Singapore gets free Wi-Fi in 2007

Editors' note : The free wireless broadband service has been extended to three years and is available from today. To enjoy the service, users can sign up with any of the three Wireless@SG network operators for the basic-tier subscription with surfing speeds of up to 512Kbps.

According to Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singaporeans can expect to enjoy free Wi-Fi access in selected areas of the island by January 2007. Three operators, iCELL network, QMax Communications and SingTel, are appointed to provide the infrastructure.

Coined Wireless@SG, high-traffic regions in the central business district and shopping areas will be the first to offer free wireless broadband up to 512kbps, with premium plans and faster access speeds requiring a fee. By September, it will spread to cover other public spaces like major town centers and recreational areas.

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