The most awaited phones of 2009

2008 was an exciting year for mobile phone fans. We saw some pretty good handsets being launched. The Apple iPhone, which started the trend of full touch screen devices, got updated to iPhone 3G and also inspired several others, like the Samsung Omnia, HTC Touch Diamond and Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1. 

 

Nokia launched the successor to the super hit Nokia N95 in the form of Nokia N96 and Nokia N85, whereas the N73 got successors in the form of N78 and N79, and two awesome business phones in the form of E71 and E66, among others. Motorola may have been down but not out, and to prove that point they launched the ZINE ZN5, ROKR E8 and EM30. Most importantly, we finally experienced the launch of 8 megapixel camera phones in the form of Samsung INNOV8 and Sony Ericsson C905.

 

So what to expect in 2009? Well, we'll for sure see more of full touch screen devices, more 8 megapixel camera phones, business phones etc. Some will just be a rehash of what came last year but some will definitely go ahead and try to stretch those boundaries to give you more than what you can imagine is possible on a mobile phone.

 

In this article we'll try and give a general idea of what to expect in the coming year. These are the phones that have been announced and eagerly awaited phones.

 

Nokia:

 

Nokia N97

 

 

 

 

This was Nokia's answer to Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1. The N97 is one heck of a device with an impressive spec sheet. For starters, there is a 3.5" full touch screen with a resolution of 360 x 640, which has been designed with finger inputs in mind. However, it also works with the stylus. Sliding the display reveals a full QWERTY keypad underneath. The phone runs on the Symbian S60 5th Edition and is the only other phone apart from Nokia 5800 XpressMusic to use this OS.

Under the hood the N97 is a Quad band GSM handset that also supports HSDPA. There is also a mammoth 32 GB of built-in memory, the highest yet, with the support for further expansion up to 16 GB. Then there is an accelerometer and a proximity sensor that turns off the display during a call. Then there is a 5 megapixel camera with Carl-Zeiss lens, auto-focus and flash, Bluetooth, Wi-fi, A-GPS, FM transmitter and TV out support.

 

Overall the N97 is a very feature packed device and definitely worth looking forward to.

continues : http://www.techtree.com/

Nintendo to launch 'Wii TV'

It will deliver video-on-demand to millions of households that have the device and an internet connection.

The plan is to generate more of its revenues from content - and the advertising that goes with it.

The service will be begin in Japan this spring but could be rolled out globally by the end of the year.

Some 40 million households throughout the world have a Wii and almost half (18m) are connected to the internet.

Broadcasts will be made exclusively for the Nintendo channel and will include cartoons, cookery programmes, brain-training quizzes and lifestyle shows.

Most of the content will be free but Nintendo could make some programmes pay-per-view.

Customers would be able to pay through the existing Wii Point payment system, that can already be used to pay for access to some games.

Japanese television executives are thought to be worried about the possibility of the Wii becoming, as one called it, "the centre-piece of the living room".

Such a development would be "the stuff of television producers' nightmares", an executive at Fuji Television, Japan's biggest commercial broadcaster, told The Times.

About 3.5m of the £180 Wii units have been sold in Britain, making it one of the most popular games consoles on the market.

Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Coming to a living room near you: Nintendo to launch Wii TV

Nintendo are to launch a television channel that will be exclusive to Wii console users.

The game maker is eager to capitalise on the worldwide success of their family-friendly device, which has sold 34.6million copies since its launch in 2006.

The Wiinoma channel will deliver video-on-demand to households that have the console and an internet connection.

Cartoons, quizzes and educational shows will be produced exclusively for the channel by the Japanese advertising agency Dentsu.

Although most programmes will be offered for free and accompanied by Dentsu adverts, some of the content will be pay-per-view.

Customers would be able to pay through the existing Wii Point payment system used to currently pay for some games.

The service will first be offered in Japan next year and if a success a global roll-out if expected to follow.

TV executives fear the new channel will help the Wii become the 'centrepiece of the living room'.

This would be 'the stuff of television producers' nightmares', an executive at Fuji Television, Japan's biggest commercial broadcaster, told The Times.

Promoted as a console for all the family, the Wii uses infrared sensors and a unique special remote that picks up physical gestures. It is used to simulate active games such as Wii Ski and Wii Tennis.

The Wii TV will join a small collection of 'channels' already offered on the console. These include  the News channel with headlines and current events taken from the internet and the Everybody Votes channel, where uses can pose questions of answer one of the opinion polls.

The Wii console can already be used to watch BBC iPlayer shows but this will be the first time that programmes have been created exclusively for a games console channel.

Source : http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/