N96 Kicks Butt With Bruce Lee Edition

The Nokia N96 is apparently faring quite well in Hong Kong, in fact it seems to be doing so well that the company has launched an exclusive Bruce Lee edition of the all-in-one handset.

There are no dramatic changes in the handset’s design but the rear panel does come with an image and signature of the martial arts superstar. The handset will also come with preloaded content in the form of rare images of the legend (I would have settled for the full length movie of Game of Death) and some extremely cool accessories like an Enterbay Action figure of the actor in his famous yellow jumpsuit (GIMME!!!).

I’ll be honest with you. Being a fan from way back, even though I wasn’t all to thrilled with the handset after the review, I’d still get me one of these if it were launched here.

The handset is priced at approximately Rs. 64,000 (8,788 Chinese Yuan). The features remain unchanged – 16GB of internal memory with a microSD card slot for extension, 5MP camera with flash, Wi-Fi and GPS

Motorola Reveals New 5MP Cam Phone With Widgets

Motorola, Inc. has announced the arrival of MOTO VE66 with enhanced CrystalTalk audio technology. The sleek, slider device also boasts the first widgets integration on a Motorola mobile device, which means users would be able to receive easier, more seamless access to what matters most – whether you crave sports scores, stock tickers or RSS feeds from your favorite blogs.

“The MOTO VE66 delivers on consumer’s demand for more personalized listening and imaging experiences on a mobile phone,” said Tracey Koziol, corporate vice president, Mobile Devices, Motorola. “With a diverse multi-media experience, the VE66 truly enables you to make a statement and express yourself on your terms.”

MOTO VE66 amplifies your conversations and helps reduce background noise with enhanced CrystalTalk technology. From more superior voice quality to personalized noise adaptation, CrystalTalk makes a noticeable difference in the clarity and intelligibility of conversations while in a noisy environment. VE66 further enhances the audio quality with the addition of a second microphone, which helps eliminate more ambient background noise from the call.

The VE66 contains a number of features that you might expect to find on a dedicated digital camera. Its 5MP auto focus camera comes with an LED flash and automatic color saturation will try to deliver better whites and crisper blacks.

The handset also comes with a FastScroll one-touch navigation wheel for maneuvering through menus, an MP3 player with USB 2.0 access to data and downloads on your PC and Wi-Fi connectivity. There’s also an integrated FM radio with RDS and Stereo Bluetooth support.

MOTO VE66 is expected to be available Q4 2008 and there’s no pricing revealed yet.

Virgin Mobile Launches Low-priced 1.3MP Cam Phone

Virgin Mobile has unveiled its vKewl mobile phone with Video Recording capability. The handset is, according to the company the only handset in its price range with a 1.3 mega pixel camera that comes with video recording capability, lifetime incoming validity and a prepaid connection. Other features also include an MP3 player and an FM Radio

M. A. Madhusudan, Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Mobile India said, "The mobile phone is a lifestyle device for youth and has become an extension of their personality and entertainment requirements. Keeping this in mind, we have now made facilities such as video recording and a 1.3 mega pixel camera more affordable for youth so that they can capture and share impromptu moments spent with their friends and family without hurting their pockets".

The handset comes equipped with a 1.8-inch TFT LCD sporting a 176 x 220 pixel resolution display with 262k colors. It comes with preloaded games, a microSD card slot for memory expansion, WAP and can also be used as a modem.

The vKewl handset is priced at Rs. 3, 499.

Luxury Edition MING With Cartier Biz Card Holder Announced

The latest MOTO MING from Motorola, the A1600 packed with GPS capabilities, was launched in India last month. For some inane reason though, apparently not taking into considering the current state of the world’s economy, the company has recently unveiled a new version of the A1600, a Luxury Edition in Gold that, according to reports, comes with a Cartier business card holder.

The handset, that I’d like to call the Ming with Bling is available in Taiwan for an outrageous price of Rs. 42,995 ($867). I’m wondering if mobile manufacturers really get the word 'recession' with handsets like the INNOV8 and HTC Touch PRO being launched in the country.

Since we have the MING A1600 sitting pretty in our labs, stay tuned to Tech2.com for the review that should be out real soon.

Spice Mobiles Launches D-88 Gold

Spice Mobiles has announced the launch of the Spice D-88 Gold handset.

The dual-SIM facility enables dual SIM usage and simultaneous calls and messages on both the CDMA and GSM SIMs. This also allows calls to be put on hold and swapped simultaneously between the GSM and CDMAs connection without re-starting the phone.

The Spice D-88 Gold comprises of FM recording and  playback together with an expandable memory support up to 2 GB and 1.3 MP camera with multi–shot photo mode.

This gold-finished handset also features stereo-Bluetooth, JAVA support and Remote Control Application that lets users run through their business presentations via Bluetooth. This phone can also be used as a modem and has the Opera Mini web browser.

The sales pack comes with a 512MB memory card free and preloaded songs of the movie Dostana.

The Spice D-88 Gold is available at an MRP of Rs 8,999.