12MP Samsung W880

It's not every day we write about CDMA phones, but monsters like W880 are something we just can't miss. It's the world's first 12 megapixel cameraphone with 3x optical zoom, xenon flash and HD video recording at 30 frames. But even with the GSM capabilities, what is meant for South Korea stays in South Korea.

You probably remember the Samsung M8920, which leaked several months ago. While it's still in Rumorlandia, Samsung have just announced its Korean counterpart - the SCH-W880 or Anycall AMOLED 12M as its mundane name goes. Yes, it's a silly name, we know, but South Korea is a market that's entirely different from Europe or the Americas.

The W880 AMOLED 12M is the world's first 12 megapixel cameraphone with 3x optical zoom. Despite being mainly a CDMA mobile phone, the W880 will sport tri-band GSM connectivity and 3G connectivity (WCDMA 2100). But don't just open champagne yet as the W880 will remain exclusive for the South Korean market and the GSM radio will be used for roaming purposes only.

Samsung SCH-W880 AMOLED 12M official photos

The Anycall (Samsung) W880 is not a smartphone, but boasts a 3.3-inch WVGA AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 4GB internal memory, 12 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and variable aperture, xenon and power LED flashes, 720p@30fps video recording, T-DMB TV tuner, Bluetooth, microSD card slot, microUSB connectivity and 1100mAh Li-Ion battery.

We know for sure that the long-awaited European version (M8920) will swap the T-DMB TV tuner for the more practical Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity. Check out that shot for reference.

Another nice surprise we have for you today, is that we managed to grab a pre-release sample of the S. Korean W880 and we are seriously impressed by its imaging prowess.

Samsung SCH-W880 AMOLED 12M in our office

As you will see the W880 AMOLED 12M is very impressive, capable and promising cameraphone, which really deserves a lot of attention. Here are three sample photos and a sample video to enjoy, while waiting for our live preview article later on today.

Samsung SCH-W880 AMOLED 12M camera samples - normal, zoom, macro

Having 720p HD video recording at 30fps on a mobile phone is a world's first as well. After all, the Omnia HD went only as high as 24 fps. The following sample will show you the excellent color rendering and the impressive detail the W880 provides even at this early stage.

LG BL40 New Chocolate

The Orange customers will be able to get the LG BL40 New Chocolate for free if they are willing to sign a 2 year 30 GBP/month contract. The ones unwilling to commit to the carrier for as long will have the option of signing only a 12 month contract but will have to pay 130 GBP (140 euro) for the handset itself.

LG BL40 "New Chocolate"

The terms offered by O2 are pretty similar, with a 24 month 30 GBP/month contract securing you a shiny new LG BL40 New Chocolate for free. The shortest option available here is 18 months, which brings the price up to 50 pounds (55 euro). We will have to wait a while longer to see what the new S-class flagship will be worth contract-free as none of the carriers offers that kind of deal yet.

The ones that are more into the BL20 New Chocolate, rather than its higher-end sibling also got some good news over the weekend. The handset has been around for so long now, that we are almost wondering how LG haven’t got around to officially announcing it. The fact that an officially looking promo video of the handset has just leaked, however, suggests that the moment for lifting the curtain can’t be too far away now.

The video reveals some more bits of the sleek slider specs sheet and makes it even more attractive, at least as far as we are concerned. Being a debut for the S-class interface on a non-touch handset, the LG BL20 will sport touch-sensitive keys under the display, much like the original LG Chocolate. It will also pack a 5 megapixel camera with a LED flash, 3G connectivity and some new text scan feature, that we are hoping is good enough to deserve its spot in the ad video.

And here goes the video in question for you to enjoy.

HTC Pro

We've just spotted some new images of the getting more and more popular HTC Pro Three (also known as Leo). Even if most of its specs are known since July the device is still waiting for its official announcement.

HTC Pro Three looks damn hot

The news is that Pro Three is expected to be the first WinMo based device to pack a capacitive touchscreen (measuring 4.3 inches, with multi-touch support including while watching video). That makes the Pro Three the first capacitive WinMo handset ever. The phone will also sport the latest reincarnation of company's proprietary TouchFLO 3D user interface which was already previewed a while ago.

The latest reincarnation of HTC TouchFLO 3D

The smooth operation of the Pro Three is guaranteed by its super zippy 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. Standing at the formidable 121 x 67 x 11 mm, it will also sport 320MB of RAM, 512MB ROM as well as HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.

At the bottom of the specs list we find the microSD card slot, integrated GPS receiver with A-GPS support, on-device 3.5mm audio output jack, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera and the 1230 mAh battery.

Pro Three compared to HTC Touch Diamond2 • Closer look at the Pro Three

Well, the HTC Pro Three seems quite promising. Looks great, works fast and has something the other WinMo powered smartphones can only dream of - a capacitive touchscreen. Come on, HTC, hurry up and clear out the rest of the unknowns. Some pricing info and released date would be a good start if we are to be asked.

ITG xpPhone runs Windows XP

Granted, the xpPhone look more like a tablet than a mobile phone, but the cellular call feature is all there and that makes it a phone all right. Huge 4.8 touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, AMD processor, 512MB or 1GB RAM and both SSD and HDD storage are the best bits of its hardware.

Investment Technology Group or ITG is the China-based manufacturer that stands behind the xpPhone. Well, it may sound like another iPhone wannabe, but it is definitely not. The xpPhone is way more powerful than a smartphone. It's more like a netbook with phone capabilities.

As a beginning let's see what's inside this gadget - AMD Super Mobile processor, 512MB or 1GB RAM, from 8 to 64GB SSD plus from 30 to 120GB HDD (yes both included), 1.3 megapixel camera and various ports - VGA, USB, earphone, microphone, dock connector and SIM slot.

The ITG xpPhone

Controlling the xpPhone will be more than easy thanks to the 4.8-inch WVGA TFT touchscreen and the sliding-out QWERTY keyboard, accompanied with D-pad on the left and numpad on the right side. Right in between there is also a small touchpad, while the two mouse buttons are right next to the D-pad.

Full pack connectivity is also onboard - Wi-Fi, quad-band GSM or CDMA, HSDPA/HSUPA thanks to the built-in 3G modem, Bluetooth, GPS and optional WiMax. The bands and frequencies will vary for the different countries and carriers (currently listed for AT&T, Vodafone and Orange).

Considering the fact this fellow runs Windows XP (we think it might be good idea to test it with the new Windows 7 too), the battery life seems strong enough - 5 hours talk time or 5 days of standby, while using it as a regular netbook gives you 7 to 12 hours of power autonomy.

Update: ITG didn't publish the physical dimensions of the device so we used the official photos to calculate them, based on the screen size. It turns out that the xpPhone will measure about 158 x 75 x 16 mm. Added to the weight of 400 grams it's certainly one of the largest phones we have ever seen.

Nokia E72

The only reports of Nokia E72 getting a market release so far suggested October availability, however we got word of a special pre-release event to be held in Jakarta where some 72 units of Nokia E72 will be sold exclusively.

The Grand Ballroom of Ritz-Carlton Jakarta is where the Nokia E72 spin-off event will be held - a world's first public appearance for this device. Details are a bit scarce, but as the magazine ad testifies 72 units of the yet unreleased Nokia E72 will be on pre-sale that day. Boy, we can't imagine what the price will be.Update: As one of our readers explains, you have to be an E-series device owner to attend - that and a VIP pass perhaps?

The Nokia E72 was initially announced with an estimated price of around 350 euro or 500 US dollars (much like Nokia E71 last year), and current online pre-orders seem to confirm that price tag.

Still, the Nokia E72 is nowhere near ready for hitting the market en masse as the earliest availability rumors claim October launch (such as on Vodafone in the UK).

In case you've missed all the hype, the Nokia E72 is the successor of the highly popular Nokia E71. The Nokia E72 extends the functionality of its forerunner with a 5 megapixel camera, HSUPA (up to 2Mbps) and faster HSDPA (Up to 10Mbps). The UMTS support has upgraded and now the E72 will come with two tri-band versions (850/1900/2100 Mhz and 900/1900/2100 Mhz). The best part is that the Nokia E72 has managed to maintain the slim 10mm waistline of its predecessor, despite the added goodies.

Among the other goodies on board the new Nokia E72 is the new optical Navi key, which serves as an optical trackpad for going through menus and applications and the electronic compass that enhances the GPS navigation experience.

The rest of the Nokia E72 features are pretty much on par with the E71 - S60 3rd edition UI, a 2.4" QVGA landscape screen, microSD card slot and FM radio. On the connectivity end we've got WLAN, A-GPS, FM radio and quad-band GSM. There's also a 3.5mm standard audio jack, Bluetooh and USB onboard.

Samsung B7330 OmniaPRO

Samsung has been playing around with the "Upgrade" magic wand - the new Samsung B7330 OmniaPRO is an upgrade of the B7320 OmniaPRO. Also, the proud owners of the Windows Mobile side of the current Omnia lineup rejoice - you're getting the update to WinMo 6.5.

The new Samsung B7330 OmniaPRO brings a slightly bigger, square-shaped screen with 320 x 320 resolution (B7320 OmniaPROhas a QVGA screen). The 3G capabilities have also been updated with the addition of HSUPA 2Mbps and faster HSDPA at 7.2Mbps (versus the 3.2 of the B7320).

The rest of the Omnia lineup will be re-launched, with the "new" devices running Windows Mobile 6.5 out of the box. Sounds like an excuse to throw a party, but it's also a good way to promote your products.

The Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO is the premium device in the OmniaPRO series, with B7320 and B7330 serving as the mid-range. The upcoming Samsung B7300 OmniaLITE will be the entry-level Omnia device though don't underestimate it. In short it offers- WinMo 6.5, 667MHz CPU, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, VGA@30 fps video recording and then some.

The B7330 is coming in October along with the Samsung B7300 OmniaLITE and as for the update to Windows Mobile for current owners of an Omnia handset - Samsung was a little vague, saying just that it will be after the release of 6.5

Motorola DEXT

Motorola finally officially revealed their first device that runs on the latest Android OS dubbed Motorola DEXT internationally, except for the USA where it will be sold as CLIQ. This smartphone is the first high-end device coming out of Motorola labs for quite some time.

Moto DEXT has a sliding hardware QWERTY keyboard and large 3.1" capacitive touchscreen display of HVGA resolution (320 x 480 pixels). The capacitive nature of the display also promises multitouch functionality, yet we don't have an official confirmation of that.

The DEXT gears up most of the latest technologies such as GPS enhanced with a digital compass, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm jack, a 5MP autofocus camera with geo-tagging and video recording in HVGA@24fps resolution. There's also quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity and tri-band HSDPA at 7.2 Mbps.

Motorola DEXT

Motorola CLIQ runs the latest Android OS v1.5 (Cupcake) and is powered by a Qualcomm MSM7201A platform with a 528MHz processor. The new Moto has 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM and 1GB of user storage supports up to 32 GB microSD cards.

The Motorola DEXT boasts some top-notch modern features not to mention Motorola's latest social networking oriented custom homescreen UI called MOTOBLUR that will run on top of the vanilla Android OS.

MOTOBLUR syncs via push with Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, MySpace, Yahoo, Last.fm and other services and similarly to Palm's Synergy and HTC Sense UI, Blur aggregates all your contacts from these communities into a single phonebook. MOTOBLUR also offers a remote wipe feature and GPS tracking of the phone from a desktop computer similarly to Apple's MobileMe.

HTC Tattoo

After several leaks over the past couple of months it now came time for the HTC Click to make its first official appearance. Its final name is HTC Tattoo, which goes to emphasize its youthful targeting. Packing an attractive design and relatively low price tag, the Tattoo looks set to introduce the Android platform to a much wider (and younger) audience.

The compact HTC Tattoo is the first Android handset by a major manufacturer to sport a QVGA display, instead of higher-res HVGA units we are used to seeing on those devices. Running on a 528 MHz Qualcomm CPU and coming with 256MB of RAM it does promise some nice performance on par with its more expensive siblings.

The highlight features of the HTC Tattoo include 3G with HSPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera. There is also an FM radio, an accelerometer sensor and a digital compass onboard. A microSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and a miniUSB port complete the specs sheet of the new handset.

HTC Tattoo is the second handset that will come with the company's proprietary Sense UI, after the HTC Hero. In addition HTC will allow the customers to design and purchase their own unique back panels for the Tattoo, making it really easy to personalize the handset.

The HTC Tattoo will be available in Europe at the beginning of October, and will roll out in markets around the world in the months after. There is no official information about the pricing of the handset yet, but rumor has it that it will cost about 200 euro (300 US dollars).

LG GD900 Crystal

When talking about good design it's usually all about placing the right elements in the right places. And in the rare cases when an R&D team actually comes up with something innovative, they usually reserve it for a 2000 buck handset like the Motorola Aura. The LG GD900 Crystal and its see-through keypad, however, prefers walking among the mortals to sitting on mount Olympus and drinking ambrosia.

LG GD900 Crystal official photos

And luckily the sleek handset is much more than a pretty face. The rich feature set of the GD900 Crystal places it only a short step away from LG's multimedia flagships. However the lack of GPS is easily made up for with cool features like gesture shortcuts and multi-touch input. Sure, these may seem like fancy additions rather than key features, but sometimes it's all about winning the hearts of the users rather than their minds. And the Crystal seems pretty well designed to do that.

Key features

• Unique see-through alphanumeric touch-sensitive keypad
• 3" 16M color capacitive TFT touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• S-Class Touch UI
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA (7.2 Mbps)
• Wi-Fi
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera, LED flash, manual focus, geotagging, image stabilization, multi face detection (up to 3), smile detection
• D1 (720x480 pixels)@30fps, VGA@30fps, QVGA time-lapse and slow-mo video recording
• 1.5GB storage memory
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot(up to 32GB)
• microUSB v2.0, mass storage mode
• TV-out port
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• Gesture shortcuts
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotate
• Multi-touch input
• DivX and XviD support
• FM radio with RDS
• Dolby for Mobile audio enhancement
• Office document viewer
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages:

• Poor screen sunlight legibility
• Below average camera image quality
• No built-in GPS receiver
• No standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Records video in 3GP format
• Email attachment size limit is 1MB (both ways)
• Limited DivX/XviD video support
• All-plastic build

So what we have on our hands here is a handset that's dressed to impress and with a mind bright enough to keep your attention. We really like it when there's something new thrown at us and a see-through touch-sensitive keypad is certainly a first in the mobile world.

LG GD900 Crystal live shots

The novelty factor is certainly there, we only need t to check if the delicate LG Crystal will pass our tests with flying colors. The ergonomics inspection is due right after the jump.