cellrater

Ok seriously, I know that there were lots of phones with touch screens before the iPhone, but I think that’s what has really started the trend with some of these manufactures to add more touch screen features to their cellphones. Now Pantech has decided to create a slider but leave off the bottom/under buttons and replace them with a Second touchscreen. I guess it’s a whole lot like a Nintendo DS in that aspect. You can check out some interesting features over at akihabaranews

Popularity: 64% [?]

I just mentioned the other day that I don’t really care to watch TV on my cell phone but apparently manufacturers are thinking differently. Check out this Bravia TV Phone, with its sexy red accents and huge 240×432 LCD screen (16:9). Supposedly there is GPS, a 2mp camera, video recorder, Micro SD slot… Seriously what more could you ask for. Hopefully this thing will hit shores eventually, I would gladly throw down 700 bucks for something like this.

Popularity: 74% [?]

Never one to sit on the backburner of emerging technologies, Samsung Korea announces its SPH-G5800 supporting T-DMB services and TPEG functions. TPEG stands for Transport Protocol Experts Group which basically means it provides information on traffic jams. Also included in the little slider is a 2mp camera, mp3 player, e-dictionary, photo/video editor, T-DMB module, document viewer and a 1.98” display.

Popularity: 65% [?]

I usually stick to the big brands when purchasing cell phones (Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, even LG) but every once in a while a phone manufacturer will produce something that I have to admire even if I am not familiar with their products. This is the case with the Haier Elegance. This Tri-Band GSM phone features an integrated MP3 player, FM tuner, and a voice recorder in a tiny capsule shaped shell. I have seen photos of how small this thing is and I have to say I am jealous, I was on the Haier website earlier but couldn’t find a way to buy it (probably a good thing – my bank account could use a break!). With a supposed $299 price tag, this unlocked phone comes in a 900/1800/1900 Mhz and 850/1900 Mhz setups and despite missing a camera its small size and shininess make it something to keep an eye on.

Popularity: 69% [?]

Samsung has always done a great job of making quality handsets in sleek small frames. The latest addition to the Samsung line is the Samsung SGH-P940 which makes its claim to fame by sporting the ability to display mobile TV via the DVB-H support and swivel screen. I have been seeing more and more of these swiveling screens and really have to ask if we really need such a feature, I mean sure I guess it looks cool but have we really become so lazy we don’t want to turn the phone on its side?

Either way, this triband phone contains a 2.15″ TFT display and also features a 2mp camera, mp3 playback, video, and HDSPA

Popularity: 29% [?]

Even before Apple announced the iPhone, rumors had been swirling around the tech blogs about the infamous new mobile handset. While the phone is about to drop for the first time in the next few weeks, there are already rumors from Microsoft, Yahoo, and even Google about handsets of their own. Now I have seen screen shots and have been hearing rumors for months about the Google Phone but up until now there hasn’t been any word from Google concerning this nor any reliable source writing an article about the phone… yes, up until now.

The NY Times recently wrote an article titled Big Money in Little Screens where they state that Google isn’t just considering the cellphone market, but they have “gone so far as to build a prototype phone with its own software inside.” The source, according to the NY Times is a supposed insider who “has seen it.”

Typically I wouldn’t argue with the NY times, but if Google is so far into the market that they are already running and testing a prototype then why wouldn’t they announce it and build up some more hype? Maybe articles like this build more hype over time than an announcement a year or two before they are ready to show something? I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Popularity: 39% [?]

So yes we have all seen the iPhone and sure, its a beautiful looking handset; but will people throw down their hard earned cash for some flashy looks and mediocre new features? Well, I think the answer is yes and no. I mean, sure you are going to have your hardcore fanboys, and then you will have your upper class individuals who just want something flashy, you may get the occasional teen who saved up all his lunch money for the past year and a half since it was announced, and probably trick a few business professionals who want a blackberry alternative…

So that makes for a pretty decent spectrum of people but will the phone continue to bring in sales over time once the “hype” has worn out. Once the phone has been in the market and the business professionals realize that the touch screen is no alternative to blackberry’s tactile keyboard and push emails, Once the holy wood trendiness has worn off and people start buying a different phone just to be different, and once the high school kids realize they could have bought a lesser phone with similar features AND a Nintendo wii for the same price.

As you can tell I think that the phone is nice but ultimately not “all that” but to give an unbiased opinion and some real stats Markitecture did a national survey with a sample of 1,300 “responsible” cell phone owners. Statistics showed 77% of people were familiar with the iPhone (thats promising!) and moreso 83% of the people actually stated that they were VERY familiar with the phone AND had an overall excellent impression with the product (Even better news for apple!). When the surveyors were asked their likelihood of purchasing the product in the next year the numbers dropped to 6% with 2/3 of people in the survey giving a Zero percent chance of purchasing the iPhone.

The biggest reason to their decision? Pricing. Coming in a close second was Carrier issues and contracts.

So its not that people don’t want the phone, I think we can all agree apple has done an amazing job creating this product but the price and fact that people are stuck with Cingular/AT&T that is holding them back. I think that I was disappointed to know that I couldn’t just order one off APPLE.com in an unlocked format. As far as the price goes, I read somewhere a while back that apple will be making a 50% profit on these 500 dollar phones. Now I cant really vouch for that being true, some kid in his moms basement probably made that number up but if it is true then why did Apple team up with Cingular and why isn’t there more of a price drop? Is Apple just being greedy? What do you guys think?

Popularity: 36% [?]

Looks like Alltel is looking to beef up its line of phones, this time with a thin little handset from Samsung called the Wafer. Basically the Samsung SCH-R510 is almost identical to the T-Mobile trace only instead of GSM, this one is naturally CDMA. The wafer weighs in at a measly 2.7 ounces and a decent looking black finish. Lets not forget the 1.3mp camera, Axcess TV, Axcess Mobile Guide, XM Radio Mobile and celltop widget setup all for $49 bucks. Not a bad deal for small sleek low end phone.

Popularity: 28% [?]

You know, I am not a big fan of low end phones; if thats what you are looking for then this website is probably not the best place for news but I will occasionally mention some that I feel warrant some attention; this is the case for the Nokia 2630. Now in case you cant tell from my posts, I am a bit of a Nokia fan but theres a reason that these guys are the biggest cellphone maker in the world and that is QUANTITY and Variation. You can get a high end N-series or a low end budget phone like this 2630 which coincidently is Nokia’s thinnest phone ever at just 9.9mm

Of course Nokia didn’t skimp on the features to slim the phone down, the handset still comes with bluetooth, camera, FM radio, MP3 player and all for a price of around $120 bucks. Not to shabby at all Nokia, now lets make something prettier to compete with the Wafer/Trace and the MotoSlvr.

Popularity: 44% [?]

I don’t know about you guys but I have never really been bit by the BlackBerry bug. Their phones have never REALLY appealed to me, unfortunately this means that I have never really tested one out so I cant really say anything bad about their phones. They must be doing something right because their phones have always been a hit with business professionals and now I am starting to see them trickle down to the mainstream audience in people looking for a nice qwerty keyboard and flashy features.

Well, the Pearl was one of BlackBerry’s first phones that I ever really liked and now as a follow up the company has released the Pearl’s bigger brother named the Curve. From the photos I have seen it looks like a sleeker version of their older models but still a little bigger than I would like to carry in my pocket.

Ok so obviously BlackBerry users are enticed by more than just a curvy silver finish so what does this bad-boy have under the hood? How about a 2mp Camera, music and video playback, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD slot, Web Browser for surfing via EDGE, and Push-to-Talk capabilities. Of course you can still setup all of your email accounts, this is still a Blackberry at heart. Strangely enough though there is no 3G support so that may be a deal breaker for some buyers. Overall a pretty hefty phone. What do you guys think? Cool phone or not for you?

Popularity: 34% [?]