Check it -- Gigabyte has just revealed details about a swank new user interface for its GSmart mobiles, and it has been coined Smart Touch. Sadly, multi-touch gestures aren't supported, but it does handle dragging / dropping and gives users oodles of customization options. Comically enough, the note on the new UI actually admits that it "works like [the interface on the] iPhone," but it claims to be superior due to its tight-knit integration and more "useful and interesting features." Sure, alrighty. We'll let you be the judge on this one -- jump on past the break for an excruciatingly long demonstration vid.

[Via the::unwired]

Germany's been one of the European countries protesting the hardest against the EU's selection of DVB-H as the union's mobile TV standard of choice -- and for good reason, seeing how it already had a nice little chunk of cash sunk into T-DMB. We're not sure if this is Germany's version of passive-aggressive civil disobedience or if this is just how they plan on rolling for the time being, but Vodafone Germany is actually looking at rolling out a pair of phones next month that simply pull down plain ol' DVB-T signals -- the kind generally destined for home televisions, not pockets. This obviously gives the service a far larger footprint and content profile right off the bat, but the tradeoff is that DVB-T was never designed for the small screen and suffers from a greater power draw than either DVB-H or T-DMB. Anyhoo, the phones in question are the Windows Mobile-powered g-Smart t600 from Gigabyte alongside LG's HB620T clamshell. Both are expected to go out the door for about €100 ($159) on contract, apparently, which is just as well seeing how the t600 lacked 3G data last time we checked in on it. Who'd really trade fast data for television that's going to drain your battery faster than you can say "David Hasselhoff," anyway?

[Via the::unwired]

As expected (sort of), Gigabyte's GSmart division came packing at MWC this year with a small army of WinMo handsets ready to battle -- and this time, they're taking the war to Europe. The headliner is the MS808, featuring HSDPA and GPS alongside support for a healthy majority of the world's digital TV standards: DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DMB, and ISDB-T. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually feature the cool skeleton view currently showing up on GSmart's website, but you get the idea. Also being shown are the MS800, MS820, and MS804 -- the last of which looks suspiciously like the O2 Xda Denim -- all with the same integrated HSDPA and GPS as the MS808, but lacking the television tunerfest. Separately, Gigabyte announced that its phalanx of new handsets will feature Garmin's Mobile XT software and are all cocked and loaded to be unleashed on an unsuspecting (or at this point, suspecting, we suppose) European market in the near future, leaving the glut of Windows Mobile Professional hardware packed with more choice, more confusion, and arguably less differentiation than ever. There are worse problems to have, we suppose.

Read - GSmart Unveils 3.5G Mobile TV and GPS PDA Phones at Mobile World Congress 2008
Read - GSmart introduces 3.5G GPS PDA phones with GARMIN Mobile XT to European market

Not to be outdone by E-TEN, Gigabyte's ready to pull some aces out of its sleeve for Mobile World Congress, too. If you can really call these "aces," that is. According to Russian site MyBestPDA, the g-Smart MW700 and MS800 are getting all geared up for MWC debuts with Windows Mobile 6 (possibly 6.1), 256MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated FM tuner, and in the MS800's case, 3G data. Physically, both devices look the same -- which is to say very, very bland -- but then again, that's exactly how some Windows Mobile users like it. More on these devices, we presume, in a couple weeks from Barcelona.

[Via Unwired View]

Though it doesn't even operate any networks of its own in the region, O2's Asia Pacific outpost has been known to release (or tease us with) some of the more lustworthy Windows Mobile devices out there. They apparently aren't lustworthy enough, though, with DigiTimes reporting that O2 is looking to reduce its footprint in that part of the world or -- horror of horrors -- withdraw altogether. The company has apparently stopped placing orders and taking delivery of existing ones from its Asian ODMs -- Quanta, Gigabyte, and Arima -- a pretty solid reversal from its recent trumpeting of four new Windows Mobile-based models for the second half of the year. O2 naturally claims that it's simply "adjusting its product strategy" and has no plans to withdraw, but with no new hardware in the pipe, what else could it possibly mean?

[Via the::unwired]

Shown recently at Taiwan's Computex shindig, the g-Smart i350 appears to be the most incremental of upgrades to its i300 predecessor, especially in light of the fact that the i300's been signed up to get a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade. Both rock a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g, and integrated GPS, so it seems like the biggest boost for the i350 might be the move from a 2.4 inch QVGA to 2.6 inch VGA display (okay, we admit, that's a pretty big difference) and the addition of a fourth band of GSM support. We're not sure we're feeling the handset's sparkly white exterior, but we suspect it's one of those things you have to see in person before passing judgment.

[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]

Not to suggest many among our readership have one of these suckers, but for the few (and proud) who do, rejoice. The g-Smart i300 is now slated to get an upgrade from Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone Edition to Windows Mobile 6 Professional, though the translated press release doesn't seem to offer details on exactly how or when the upgrade will go down. Forgetting for a moment the sickly GPRS data speeds, the i300 offers up decent specs with a 520MHz PXA270 core, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, GPS, and a full 256MB of internal Flash with miniSD expansion. Look for the Windows Mobile 6-enabled version of the i300 to launch first in Taiwan with a follow-on launch in Turkey, of all places.

[Via the::unwired]

On the heels of several other handset announcements from Taiwanese manufacturer Gigabyte comes the g-Smart i+ slated to launch this month. This slick 130 gram handset comes in a stylish piano-black finish -- which we are loving, by the by -- but appears to be mostly a refresh on last year's g-Smart i. Refreshes can be grand, but in this case, HSDPA was left out as was Windows Mobile 6. New features packed into this slightly smaller and lighter device include: triple-band 900 / 1800 / 1900 EDGE data, 192MB ROM -- up from 64MB on the last outing -- for storage, a built-in 12 button keypad -- no need for keys as baby has a touchscreen -- and support for 802.11g. Surprisingly, the battery has gone from 1300 mAh to a potentially measly 900 mAh -- we say "potentially" as there is no word on battery life. Also missing in action is infrared, but that isn't likely going to be sorely missed.

Taiwan's Gigabyte is a bit of a darkhorse in the Windows Mobile game around these parts, but it's been in the game for a while now and its latest round of devices -- getting passed around this week at 3GSM -- shows some R&D savvy. First up, the q60 looks sorta like a Nokia E61 on performance-enhancing substances, bringing tri-band GSM / EDGE plus HSDPA 2100, GPS, WiFi, and a DAB receiver atop a 520MHz XScale core. Next, the t600 tops out with GPRS data, but rocks DVB-H and a gorgeous (well, we can only imagine it's gorgeous) VGA display in addition to the usual spoils like WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0. Expect both to be very hard to come by stateside, but we're sure it's nothing a determined importer can't overcome. See a big shot of the t600 after the break.

Read - Gigabyte g-Smart t600
Read - Gigabyte g-Smart q60

You may not have heard of the Little Twin Stars -- two characters from the same guys that created Hello Kitty -- but for fans of "Kiki" and "Lala", this phone is a must have. However, considering that the popularity of the Little Twin Stars peaked in the early-80s, we have to question Gigabyte's logic in targeting this specific demographic. That said, we've never been able to rationalize the tendency of phone manufacturers to place strange murals on their devices. It's not like we're blown away by the Little Twin Star mobile's specifications either, with the 2-inch 176 x 220 LCD and 2-megapixel cam having average stamped all over them, and the string of obsolete connections standards -- GPRS and USB 1.1 -- packaged alongside them feeling decidedly out of place in 2007. In summary: if you like the Little Twin Stars, then you might consider buying this phone. Otherwise, move along.

Last time we touched base with the g-Smart i120, the Windows Mobile 5 candybar was making waves over at Taiwan's Computex shindig; this time around, the news is of a slightly more official nature, with Gigabyte triumphantly announcing the TV-friendly Pocket PC in a press release. Though we'd have to put that tricky keypad through its paces ourselves before signing off on its goodness, the specs don't lie: you get a 2.1 megapixel cam, 256MB of ROM with miniSD expansion, Bluetooth, FM radio, 64MB of RAM, 802.11b / g (for when the GPRS data speeds don't quite cut it) -- and perhaps most notably, a TV tuner capable of pulling in NTSC, PAL, and SECAM with recording capability. As is too often the case, North America is left in the lurch without GSM 850 (come on, Gigabyte!) but we're counting on our global readers to let us know how that offset keypad pans out, y'hear?

Though Gigabyte's not much of a mobile presence here in the US, folks in Asian countries might want to listen up: the spec sheet on their g-Smart i200 Pocket PC phone makes it sound like the best thing since... well, the i120 and i300. The 512MB of internal storage is hot, the promise of Crossbow (if it's available by the device's launch in Q1 '07) is pure gold -- but what's really got us all fired up are the integrated dual tuners (DVB-H and DVB-T) and 2.69-inch VGA display. Yep, we said it: VGA. Everyone waiting for the promise of compromise-free mobile web browsing and remote desktop connections can come out of hiding, because this bad boy could very well be the phone you've been waiting for. The TV-out and DVR functionality don't hurt, either. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to book our flights to Taiwan.

[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]

We're still smarting from the thought that O2's sexy little Pocket PC slider has virtually no shot of ever gracing US shores, but that doesn't stop us from torturing ourselves with an endless onslaught of fabulous visual stimuli. PhoneDaily's quick take on the Gigabyte-manufactured Xda Stealth is a bit tricky to translate (we suggest spoon-feeding paragraphs into Google Translate one at a time), but let's be honest -- pics are what we're all here for. As a reminder, the diminutive Windows Mobile device packs 802.11g and a healthy 192MB of ROM on board, which'll come in handy when you're making use of the 2-megapixel cam. If you're capable of subjecting yourself to photo after beautiful photo of a great-looking device that'll never find its way here, click through for the full spread.

[Thanks, Dida]

While Sanyo's phones are known for their tendency to leave customers delighted here in the US, one thing they're typically not known for is keen industrial design -- with the possible exception of the Katana released earlier this year. The Katana's proven to be a decent low- to midrange piece, but now it looks like the Japanese manufacturer is gearing up to take on the SCH-A990s and Blades of the world with the rather attractive (as best as we can make out from the smallish picture) M1 clamshell. As music phones go, the rumored specs leave almost nothing to be desired, with a QVGA display, 2-megapixel cam, external controls, Bluetooth with A2DP, microSD expansion, and an impressive 1GB of storage on board. We don't quite know what to make of the circle on the phone's front, which we're guessing plays into the external music controls somehow -- but if its a scroll wheel, get out of our way, people; we've got a Sprint store to get to.

[Via phoneArena]