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HTC Gold with Windows Phone 7 in November, and more from a rumored UK roadmap leak
O, to see what Omio sees. The outlet has obtained what it claims to be "a huge UK mobile phone release schedule for the rest of the year... [from] all the manufacturers" (emphasis its own). So, from where would such an all-encompassing roadmap hail? We don't know, nor can we corroborate any of this, but the details are numerous so let's go through it -- albeit with cautious optimism and a few grains of salt. The biggest phone we can see of this baker's dozen of a lineup is the HTC Gold (sound familiar?), due in November and loaded with Microsoft's mobile OS newcomer Windows Phone 7. Unfortunately, that's all the information provided, but it's certainly enough to entice us. Also in November, we've got Samsung i8700 and Nokia E7 -- the latter being possibly a N8-esque QWERTY slider with AMOLED display and Symbian^3, and the former being a mystery (although Omio takes a gander that its aquatic Greek mythology might suggest a Bada-powered existence). Going up the list Memento style, October purportedly brings across the pond-ers HTC Vision, the virtually unknown HTC Ace, Nokia N8, and Sony Ericsson's Xperia X8 and Yendo. September's a bit of a yawner -- SE Hazel and a Nokia X2 candybar -- as is August with the X6 8GB and BlackBerry Curve 9300. And July? Nokia E5-00, Sony Ericsson W20, and Samsung i5500. As is usually the case, the more you can wait, the better your options. Now, let's see if this supposed roadmap stays on course.
Nexus One, Nokia X6 coming to South Korea in June
Like Japan, South Korea has a wireless industry that's typically leaps and bounds ahead of just about everywhere else in the world -- but the country has never been a Symbian or Android stronghold, so it's actually not much of a surprise that two big recent releases are just now heading over there this Summer. From Nokia, the X6 will be hitting KT in June for 595,000 won, which works out to $495; Google, meanwhile, will be contributing the Nexus One by way of rival operator SKT toward the end of June for an undisclosed price. Don't say you weren't warned, MOTOROI.
Nokia's all you can download Comes with Music service is finally DRM free... in China (updated)
We've been browbeating Nokia for using DRM to "protect" its Comes with Music offering ever since the service launched back in December of 2007 -- a time when the industry was just beginning to shed its DRM shackles. Now get this, the idle talk is over, Nokia just launched its all-you-can-eat (for 12, 18, or 24 months, typically) Comes with Music service in China without any DRM at all. India is on deck as Nokia looks to hook more emerging markets on the (kind of) free music drug. That means you no longer have to strip the DRM illegally to play your downloaded content on devices other than your main PC and Nokia Comes with Music handset. And yes, you can keep the tracks for life after your CWM subscription expires. At launch, Chinese consumers will have a choice of eight (ok, seven really) CWM handsets (X6 32GB and X6 16GB, 5230, 5330, 5800w, 6700s, E52 and E72i) with prices starting at a local equivalent of €140 (the CWM service fee is baked in to the cost, mind you) excluding taxes and subsidies. Suspiciously, Nokia's not making the usual boast about the millions of tracks available in the CWM catalog. It is, however, reassuringly supported by all the Big 4 music labels in addition to some Chinese indies, as you'd expect. Sorry, no word on when they'll strip the DRM from its European CWM stores and we're still not clear when CWM will finally see a US launch. Hopefully soon as a service like this could go over very, very well Stateside -- a market that Nokia is desperate to crack. Get on to the other side of the break for the full press release. Update: We met with Jyrki Rosenberg, Director of Music at Nokia, who shed a bit more light on the offering. Unfortunately, while DRM-free music aligns with Nokia's global vision, he had nothing to announce for the US or Europe today. And as you might expect, the onus to go DRM-free in China was in part driven by rampant, local piracy concerns -- recovery of any revenue was better than nothing at all in the eyes of the Big Four. Jyrki also told us that Chinese CWM subscriptions will be 1 year in length but the terms of renewal are still being hammered out. We also know that the music catalog numbers in the "hundreds of thousands" at launch (comparable to competing services in the region, according to Jyrki) and is growing every day. Privacy advocates will be happy to hear that the 256kbps MP3 files are "clean" -- in other words, no user data is embedded in the files unlike the practices of Apple and Walmart, among others.
Nokia serves North American X6 up for pre-order: $455 unlocked
Nokia's downright seductive X6 just started shipping to those across the pond, and shortly after the company announced a Comes Without Music edition, along comes this: a NAM version for those who call North America home, sweet home. The pre-order page (which is live this very moment, by the way) makes no mention of a Comes With Music requirement, giving you complete freedom to shove whatever you darn well please onto what's left of that 16GB after the OS install and a hidden 'thank you' note from Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. So, is that $455 peeking out of your Fifth Pocket really that important to you?
Nokia X6 16GB announced, Comes Without Music
Nokia's just announced a 16GB version of its crowd pleasing, capacitive touchscreen X6 to compliment the current 32GB model. As expected, the new handset offers many similarities to its sibling, including a 3.2-inch widescreen capacitive display and 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a dual LED flash. Unfortunately, this device is Comes with Music-deficient, meaning that you'll have to load tunes onto the device the old fashioned way (though it's not like that ever seemed like a big deal to begin with). In addition to EA's Spore, this bad boy includes Asphalt4 and DJ Mix Tour by Gameloft and an all-new Ovi Maps (with free walk and drive navigation, Michelin and Lonely Planet guides). Available in four colors, including black, white, white with yellow highlights, and white with pink highlights. Expect to see this one roll out sometime this quarter for a price to be announced.
Nokia asks own blog readers what their favorite part of the X6 is, gets funny answer
It's odd, because we were under the impression that Nokia was doing just fine shunning capacitive touch all these years, but apparently one in three readers of Nokia Conversations find the capacitive touchscreen to be the number one feature of the new X6 handset. Sure, Nokia uses some of the greatest resistive screens in the business, but we've always maintained that capacitive is simply the best when it comes to a finger-based touchscreen interface, and hopefully the Nokia X6 can usher in a new era of peace, understanding and higher-than-average WPM scores for all mankind. Oh, and perhaps some proper it's / its differentiation.
Nokia X6 Comes with Music and capacitive touchscreen: shipping now
What are you thankful for today? If you live in Finland or the UK and pre-ordered a X6 then you might be obliged to Nokia for having just set your new handset free. That's right pilgrims, Nokia's new flagship Comes with Music handset is now shipping. The X6 you'll recall, introduces S60 5th to a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen riding 32GB of storage, a 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, TV-out, and tweaked homescreen with a media/social-centric layout. The X6 lists for €450 (pre-tax and pre-carrier subsidies) -- a price that ultimately includes the cost of Nokia's struggling "all-you-can-eat" music service. Perhaps this is the device that finally gives the service legs? Maybe, but we'd start by following through on plans to strip the DRM.
Nokia X6 coming to Finland and the UK this Friday, other countries soon
Nokia's just confirmed on its official blog that the X6 will hit shelves in Finland and the UK starting next week, with other countries to follow soon after. After hearing a while back that the touchscreen, Comes With Music-lover would be shipping around November 12th -- well, we didn't want to falsely get anyone's hopes up again. But now that the word is official, we can all sit back and behold the beauty that is the X6 -- with its 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, and 32GB of onboard memory. The S60 (that's the 5th edition) device will be available in Nokia stores this Friday, retailing for £449 (about $742) free of contract.
Nokia's X6 to ship next week, maybe sooner if you're lucky
It's been a few months since Nokia's X6 hit the scene, but the touchscreen-based, S60-lovin' smartphone is just about ready to ship out to those who've managed to avoid all of the other stellar options that have launched since early September. It seems as if Nokia is gearing up to ship the phone in at least some parts of the world exactly a week from today in concert with a Rihanna release party. And if Expansys is correct, folks in the UK will see their orders ship out on November 12th. Too bad that £529.99 ($891) price tag is darn near debilitating, but hey, awesomeness has its price. [Via Brighthand] Read - Rihanna / Nokia shindig Read - Expansys order page
Nokia X6 gets set up for FCC testing, torn down for kicks
You've seen what the Nokia X6 looks like in glamorous press shots and some impromptu hands-on snaps to boot. Now it's time for the FCC to have its way with the thing, bringing its special flavor of "celebrity caught at 7:00am without her makeup on" style of photography. The 32GB smartphone sports a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen and is slated to ship sometime before the end of the year for 459 Euros ($650). With FCC certification out of the way, Nokia should have no problem getting this into American pockets before we run out of months.
Nokia X6 video hands-on: proof that capacitive touchscreens are better
While Nokia wouldn't invite us to Nokia World this year, we were fortunate enough to discover a pair of its new X6 handsets on the IFA floor here in Berlin. On hand were two engineering prototypes, one of which was peeling away from its plastic shell while the other seemed less responsive to our finger-taps. Still, it's clear that the capacitive touchscreen is far more responsive to human touch than the resistive screens found on its N97, or the 5800 XpressMusic especially. This was made abundantly clear when using the on-screen keyboard although some of our swiping gestures were inexplicably ignored in other elements of the interface. But given the choice of the screen being awesome or super-awesome (remember, we're comparing it to Nokia's resistive touchscreen legacy), we'll have to settle on the former for now. Of course, underneath you've still got S60 5th, for better or worse, pumping away inside a chubby little candybar -- no screen tech can change that. See the action in the video after the break then jump into the gallery to see it sized up with a few of its S60 cousins five times removed.
Video: Nokia's N900, N97 mini, X3, X6 and Booklet 3G hands-on roundup
Just in case you missed it, you should probably be informed that Nokia had quite the morning yesterday as Nokia World 2009 kicked off in Stuttgart. Not only was the N97 mini made official, but the company's Booklet 3G was fully detailed and the first two handsets in the newfangled X series were also unveiled. Naturally, a slew of cameras descended upon the new gear just as soon as the suits left the stage, and we've rounded up the best of the best below for your perusal and enjoyment. If you're looking for the actual news on these very devices, have a look right here, and feel free to hop on past the break for a few videos from the show floor.Read - Booklet 3G hands-on photos (more angles)Read - Booklet 3G hands-on video (another take)Read - Nokia X3 and X6 hands-on videoRead - Nokia N900 hands-on videoRead - N97 mini hands-on video
Nokia X6 confirmed to sport a capacitive display, we can finally exhale
Ladies and gentlemen, our long, global nightmare is over. Alright, that's a significant overstatement -- but Nokia's lack of capacitive adoption has unquestionably hurt opinion of its 5800 and N97 models, the first to use its touch-ready S60 5th Edition platform. Happily, afterdawn.com is reporting -- and we've been able to independently confirm -- that the X6 will indeed be using a capacitive display, something that we suspect will significantly improve usability if you're not interested in using a stylus (or plectrum, as the case may be) to navigate your way through the interface. For the record, Samsung's already proven that S60 5th is totally doable with capacitive tech on its i8910 HD, so we're sure Nokia's going to be able to pull this off with aplomb -- the real question might be whether this signals a wholesale abandonment of resistive across the range. Since resistive's cheaper, we wouldn't be surprised to see it continue to hang around on the low end for some time to come, but at least we've now got the choice. Sadly, it's too late to save the N900's screen -- but now that Maemo's made the bold leap into GSM telephony, maybe we'll see some worthy capacitive action the next time around.
Nokia's X6 follows the 5800's footsteps, while the X3 brings Ovi Store to Series 40
We'd be tempted to use the word "featurephone" on the X6 (pictured) if it wasn't Nokia behind the handset, pumping the relatively chubby 0.55-inch thick form factor with 32GB of storage, a 5 megapixel camera, a dual LED flash, TV-out, and a 3.2-inch touchscreen. The phone is also a Comes with Music only handset, so don't expect to get all boring and old with this phone in your pocket -- or to pay for a voice plan that doesn't include the service. Otherwise, the phone seems to be a slightly slimmed down Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, sporting the same OS, A-GPS (with Ovi Maps), and we suppose a similar resistive touchscreen. Nokia was kind enough to include a free copy of Spore along with the Ovi Store, and plans to ship the handset in Q4 2009 for 459 Euros (about $652 US) before subsidy. The X3 is a much tamer affair than the X6, offering a 2.2 non-touchscreen, a slide-out keypad, and Series 40 for an OS. There's a 3.2 megapixel camera, but you'll have to spring for a microSD card if you need significant onboard storage. What's new is that the X3 is the first Series 40 handset to include the Ovi Store, which should help it edge out the competition when it comes to functionality. The price isn't bad either, at 115 Euros (about $163 US) before subsidy. It'll be out in Q4 as well. Update: We've added a brief video after the break. Read - Nokia X6 Read - Nokia X3
Microsoft intros SideWinder X6 keyboard and X5 mouse
We had a hunch that Microsoft would be launching a SideWinder-branded keyboard this fall, and sure enough, the suits in Redmond are keeping the revitalized name alive with an all new September-bound input peripheral combo. The SideWinder X6 is hailed as the "first gaming keyboard created by Microsoft from the ground up, and the only gaming keyboard on the market with a switchable key pad." When not in gaming mode, the key pad transforms into a full-programmable macro pad. You'll also find two-color adjustable backlighting, mode switching and a $79.95 price tag. As for the X5 mouse, this critter packs nine buttons (five of which are customizable), a 2,000DPI laser tracking engine, six DPI settings (adjustable on the fly) and a $59.95 sticker. Full release is just after the break. %Gallery-30015%
The Easy-Glider is your personal one-wheeled electric chariot
You think you look geeky with your Bluetooth headset in your ear, and a Segway beneath your feet? Think again, as a newer, wackier mode of personal transport has appeared in the form of the Easy-Glider. This one-wheeled electric chariot won the ispo BrandNew Award -- what can do more for a gadget's geek cred than an award with a metaname like that? -- and is soon to be displayed on the podium at the ispo Sport & Style 2007 in Munich, Germany. The X6 Easy-Glider has a top speed of around 12 MPH, a range of around 9 to 16 miles depending on surface conditions, and takes between six to eight hours to recharge. On top of that the Easy-Glider currently requires approval for use in Switzerland -- no deets on usage in other countries -- and a license plate (!) if you want to take on traffic. Yep, like the Segway, it's totally impractical and will probably be priced way out of our non-existent budget. But we still want one.[Via Core77]
Haier's speedy X6 UMPC touts 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo processor
Nah, Haier's X6 UMPC won't turn any heads in the design department, but we must say we're glad it gave a bit more attention to the internals and left the enclosure to the OEMs. Beneath the perfectly average exterior lies a full QWERTY keyboard, Intel's 945GU chipset (you know, from the Ultra Mobile Platform), a 6.5-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 30GB 5,400RPM hard drive, webcam, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, and a GPS receiver to top things off. The standout feature, however, is the choice of processors available on this rig, as power users should adore the 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo L2500 or 1.66GHz L2400. Notably, El Reg suggests that the 720-gram unit sports a battery that provides "four to five hours" of continuous juice, but we imagine taxing that speedy CPU could slice into those number fairly quickly. Still, the Vista-equipped machine packs quite a punch for being so nimble, and while a release date wasn't disclosed, it should start around £580 ($1,165) whenever it lands.[Via Electronista]
