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LG's GB210 makes phone calls, looks okay, promises nothing

by Darren Murph posted Mar 31st 2009 @ 11:29PM

Nah, this one won't make your eyes quite literally pop out of your head, but it'll handle the basics just fine. LG's GB210 sports a candybar frame, 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, microSD card slot, built-in FM radio, MP3 player and a 1.77-inch display that greatly assists Earthlings in making phone calls. You probably won't find this one wandering too far from its home market of Ukraine, but folks in the region shouldn't have to pay more than 950 UAH (around $118).

[Via UnwiredView]

Qualcomm makes a play for the sub-$150 smartphone market with new chipset

by Joshua Topolsky posted Feb 14th 2009 @ 9:03PM

In a press release recently issued by Qualcomm, the company states that it's taking direct aim at the sub-$150 smartphone market with a new chipset on offer. The platform -- known as the MSM7227 -- is apparently designed with higher-power, lower-cost handsets in mind, offering HSDPA / HSUPA radios, a 600MHz CPU, 320MHz application DSP, 400MHz modem processor, hardware-accelerated 3D graphics, Bluetooth 2.1, and GPS support integrated in a 12mm x 12mm chipset. The MSM7227 can also supposedly handle 8 megapixel camera and 30 FPS WVGA encoding / decoding with ease, and is capable of supporting Android, S60, Windows Mobile, and BREW platforms. Given the company's recent foray into Snapdragon and other pricier options, it's interesting to see them taking a shine to the low end of the market. We know that ASUS are planning on launching a cheaper Eee phone sometime soon, and they're currently snuggling up to Qualcomm for chip duty on an Android device. Is this the year we'll see the rise of the smartphone version of the netbook (cheap, plentiful, almost disposable)? Only MWC knows for sure.

[Via The Inquirer]

Samsung outs another low-end candybar overseas with the E1070

by Darren Murph posted Jan 23rd 2009 @ 4:43AM

If the E1110 / E2510 handsets from Samsung were just too vivacious for your tastes, why not simmer on the freshly unveiled E1070 for awhile? Expected to launch later this month in Eastern Europe (along with other less developed markets, we presume), this simplistic mobile does little more than make and receive calls. It ~~features~~ includes a 128 x 128 resolution display, send / end buttons, a number pad, a battery and all the correct internals necessary to handle cellular communications. Niceties like a camera and multimedia player are nowhere to be found, but for just 650 CZK ($30), we'll let it slide.

AT&T letting go of 8GB refurb iPhone 3Gs for $99 on contract

by Darren Murph posted Dec 26th 2008 @ 2:43PM

Ha, you or someone you love just paid full retail for an iPhone 3G a few days ago, didn't you? We've always heard that the best deals come after Christmas, but people just never learn. All smack talk aside, those who didn't get a new cellie under the tree, but did acquire a Benjamin or so courtesy of cash-stuffed holiday cards, can certainly score a big deal today. AT&T is now offering the 8GB iPhone 3G in refurbished form for just $99 with a two-year agreement, while the 16GB refurb is $199 on contract in either black or white. Call us crazy, but we don't foresee these hanging around in stock for too awfully long.

[Thanks, Brenson]

Pantech PN-820 smartphone returns to Verizon for $9.99

by Darren Murph posted Dec 24th 2008 @ 7:02PM

Desperately in need of a "new" (in terms of a never broken seal only) smartphone? Don't mind tinkering with the last version of Windows Mobile? No need for a QWERTY keyboard? If you were miraculously able to answer "yes" to the aforesaid questions, you're in luck! Verizon Wireless has finally accepted that no one in their right mind wants to pay a decent price for a Pantech PN-820 smartphone that's rockin' WinMo 5.0 and a design that's straight out of 2007 (literally), so instead of just lighting the remaining inventory on fire, it's doing the next best thing: offering it up for $9.99 on contract. The sad part is that this thing isn't even worth ten bucks with that hundred pound agreement tied to it, but we're sure a few suckers will bite. They're born everyday, you know.

[Via RCRWireless]

Samsung offers up simplistic E1110 / E2510 handsets

by Darren Murph posted Nov 9th 2008 @ 3:57AM

If you can't appreciate the low-end with the elite, you'll probably find it impossible to respect Samsung's latest duo. The "classic" E1110 keeps it real simple with a 1.3-inch 128 x 128 resolution display, GSM 900 / 1,800 support, a 500 number contact book, MP3 ringtone compatibility, Bluetooth, 1.5MB of internal memory, USB 2.0 and a battery good for 8-hours of talk time (or 20 days in standby). Up next is the E2510 clamshell, which actually doesn't look too drab for a basic cellie. Features wise, it's rockin' a 1.9-inch 160 x 128 internal display, quad-band GSM support, Bluetooth / USB 2.0, 15MB of memory, a microSD card slot, FM tuner and talk time of 7-hours. There's no mention of price or global availability, so we'll just toss you a "good luck" on your hunt to find your next backup.

Philips intros low-end E100 for bargain-minded music lovers

by Darren Murph posted Oct 17th 2008 @ 1:58PM

Hot on the heels of the Xenium X500 comes another low-ender from Philips, this one christened the E100. The budget-minded handset boasts a simplistic 1.8-inch 160 x 128 resolution display, GSM / GPRS support, inbuilt FM radio, a whopping 2MB (yes, megabytes) of integrated memory, a microSD card slot and a weight of just 75-grams (2.64-ounces). The brightest news here is the $60-ish price tag, though it's pretty likely that this one won't ever see a stateside release. Ah well, we'll just convince ourselves we didn't really want one in the first place (and we didn't, so there).

Hop-on's $13.99 HOP1811 makes calls faster than any other handset in the world

by Darren Murph posted Oct 12th 2008 @ 11:04AM

Aw, snap! Just what we've been waiting for! Forget that BlackBerry Storm. Overlook the Touch HD. The real iPhone killer has finally arrived in the Hop-on HOP1811. Taking off where the HOP1800 left off, this revamped "anti-iPhone" packs GSM connectivity, a Graffiti Wireless Airtime Plan, 4-hours of talk time (150-hours in standby), support for polyphonic ring tones and an almost unbelievable $13.99 price tag. And check out the bold words passed on by the outfit's CEO: "I challenge anyone to make a call faster than on the HOP1811." You hear that? That's a dare, son.

[Via Slashphone]

Samsung's remarkably low-end T109 now on T-Mobile

by Darren Murph posted Oct 11th 2008 @ 8:34AM

Samsung's SGH-T109 waltzed on through the FCC's database in mid-summer, and now it's available on T-Mobile for those looking for the bare necessities. Selling for the low, low price of $0.00 on contract, this green / black clamshell arrives with no camera, no Bluetooth and no real fun to speak of. It's a step or two above the Jitterbug, but don't buy this one expecting to show it off. Oh, and it makes / receives calls, so that's a plus.

[Via CellphoneSignal]

Is the BlackBerry KickStart getting a $50 price tag on T-Mobile?

by Darren Murph posted Jul 3rd 2008 @ 5:47PM

We could tell by looking that RIM wouldn't think of charging too many hundies for its still unannounced BlackBerry KickStart, but $49.99? CrackBerry has it that said flip phone will be selling at T-Mobile for a penny under $50 on a two-year contract, which certainly seems smart given the competition. 'Course, we've nothing to substantiate this with just yet, but take one more look at that chubby side and tell us this thing deserves a triple digit price tag. That's right, you can't.

Samsung Anycall CC03 gets way back to basics

by Darren Murph posted Apr 27th 2008 @ 4:41AM

It's not like Samsung hasn't simplified a good number of its handsets before, but the Anycall CC03 hearkens back to the days when text-messaging was but a dream and haptics weren't even mentioned in the same paragraph as cellular telephones (okay, so maybe that's a stretch). Still, we can definitely appreciate the lo-fi approach given the $65 sticker, and considering that it measures in at just 4.07- x 1.73- x 0.58-inches, we can certainly see quite a few folks picking one up to handle calling, and well, more calling. You'll find dual-band GSM support, speakerphone / SMS functionality and a battery that'll provide around 2.8-hours of talk time. No word on a price just yet, but word on street has this phone available as we speak in Hong Kong.

MP7 phone makes MP3 feel totally insignificant

by Darren Murph posted Mar 10th 2008 @ 6:01AM

We've seen phones that push the boundaries of chintziness, but this newfangled MP7 phone really shows what humans are capable of when they've no motivation to assemble a decent product. Granted, most everything here is lost in translation, but the blatant "Blue tooth" logo on the front pretty much sets it up for disaster. Nevertheless, this GSM handset reportedly comes in silver or black and features a 320 x 240 touchscreen display, a 1.3-megapixel camera, built-in FM tuner and support for some form of mobile TV along with the elusive "MP7" format. Best of all, this marvelous gem of handset engineering can be had for $599.90 (or a dozen easy payments of $59.99) -- we can hear the N95 cowering from here (or is that laughter?).

[Via Saporra]

Select AT&T stores selling refurbished iPhones?

by Darren Murph posted Mar 1st 2008 @ 6:12PM

Oh sure, Apple's been offering up a couple of refurbished iPhones on its own web store for some time now, but actually finding one in stock has proven to be quite a challenge. Nevertheless, a purported internal memo has explained that select AT&T stores in the New England region (sorry, rest of the solar system) will be stocking refurbished iPhones for $199 (4GB) and $249 (8GB) -- of course, the deal only applies to new activations. Has anyone actually seen this go down first hand? We wonder how quickly it'll be before this offer bleeds out from the Northeast.

Nokia's 1100 handset: over 200 million served

by Darren Murph posted May 7th 2007 @ 2:20PM

Sales records typically don't stand for too long without being overtaken by the next best thing, but somehow, Nokia's el cheapo 1100 handset has reportedly racked up "over 200 million sales" since it launched in 2003. You heard right, this low-end candybar has put the 100 million iPods, 50 million RAZRs, 10 million Chocolates, and 115 million PlayStation 2 consoles to shame in terms of sheer units moved. Interestingly enough, the design team that conjured up this cash cow originally dubbed it "Penny," and the stripped down, dust-proof mobile purportedly entered the market at precisely the right time to catch the booming overseas growth as folks worldwide began snapping up their own cellphone. Of course, such a basic, uninspiring phone isn't for everyone, but considering the 200 million strong that owned one sometime during their life, we'd say Nokia found a winner.

[Via Celularis, thanks Mariano]

$10 cellphone may be coming in two years

by Brian White posted Apr 13th 2007 @ 5:33AM

With Motorola not making a heckuva lot of profit these days, can it and the other handset makers really get a $10 handset to market? Some at UC Berkeley's Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) say that it may be possible to get a $10 cellphone -- likely targeted at emerging markets -- on the streets. Still, can it be done from a cost and logistics perspective? CITRIS in California (no pun intended) believes such a handset could be on the global market within a few years if any Taiwanese contract manufacturers care to sign up to the vision. With Taiwan's Quanta being the top maker of the $100 OLPC laptop computer system that is shipping, perhaps a $10 cellphone can, in fact, be done. After all, the MOTOFONE ain't that far away.