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Casio G'zOne Brigade brings whole new level of rugged insanity to the QWERTY clamshell

by Paul Miller posted Nov 5th 2009 @ 11:21AM

We've seen some crazy phones in our day, many of them from Casio, as it turns out, but the G'zOne Brigade really pushes the envelope. It's a ruggedized, weatherproof, Push to Talk QWERTY clamshell, with some of the odder physical protrusions we've seen on a handset this decade. Unfortunately, the QWERTY keyboard, which is populated with large and very clickable keys, is arranged in possibly one of the least sensible layouts conceivable. Software-wise the handset runs the full gamut of V CAST apps and also includes a document viewer for opening Microsoft Office files and PDFs. Price and availability info will be revealed "closer to launch."

Gallery: Casio G'zOne Brigade hands-on

Casio's G'zOne Rock C731 for Verizon oozes tough

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 22nd 2009 @ 8:54AM

We've been hearing about Casio's next US-bound G'zOne for a while now, but the Rock's been taking its sweet time getting to market -- not unlike the EXILIM before it, we suppose. We still don't have a release here, but PhoneArena appears to have nabbed solid shots of the C731 in the wild, showing totally typical G'zOne styling cues with the pointy tips, textured components, and a total disregard for beauty (at least in the traditional sense of the word). They still haven't managed to scrounge up a possible release date -- but really, you could argue that the Boulder still has some life in it, so we wouldn't be surprised if this didn't hit until closer to the holidays at the earliest.

Oh, by the way: August 4, 2009

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 5th 2009 @ 2:30AM

Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of mobile for Tuesday, August 4th, 2009:

Following the G'zOne C731 Rock, Casio's C741 Brigade for Verizon has nabbed FCC clearance. Not much is known about the phone -- we can assume it'll be ruggedized to one degree or another -- but one interesting tidbit is the inclusion of VCAST TV support, something Verizon's been getting lax on as of late. [Via PhoneArena]
Have you seen a white / silver Samsung i7500 Galaxy? Now you have. [Thanks, Ruben W.]
China's regulatory peeps have had the good fortune of seeing a couple new Philips Xeniums in their midst, a K700 full touch model and an X501 candybar. Philips has yet to announce either unit, but you can bet they'll last until the next ice age on a single charge. [Via Unwired View]
Microsoft's MSDN -- its official developer network -- has published a case study on porting an iPhone app to Windows Mobile. A year ago, you'd have been more likely to see case studies going in the other direction, but, you know, times are changing. [Via Tweakers.net]
Digia put together a nice little web browser for UIQ called @Web, but then UIQ sorta went away -- so they're back at it again, this time on S60 5th Edition in beta form. S60 does a decent job browsing out of the gate, but @Web's got some interesting UI elements that might make it worth a look. [Via All About Symbian]
We don't see much of it in the States, but Samsung's got a whole brand -- DuoS -- for dual-SIM capable handsets. Mobil.cz has dug up a new model in the series, a low-end candybar dubbed C3212 that'll run the equivalent of around $195 and go on sale in Russia later this summer before expanding to other European markets. [Via Mobile Phone Helpdesk]
Value brand Cricket is adding yet more value to its unlimited voice plans that start at a bargain-basement $40. The $40 price point now includes web access; $45 gets you unlimited email, backup, and 30 roaming minutes a month, and $55 ups the roaming to 200 minutes.

FCC approves Casio's G'zOne Rock, probably Verizon-bound

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 8th 2009 @ 8:41PM

Casio has developed a well-entrenched reputation on Verizon for bringing mercilessly rugged phones to market -- a strange reputation, considering how few phones Casio sells in North America in general -- but at any rate, it looks like that trend's probably going to continue with the new "G'zOne Rock" that just garnered FCC certification. It's a CDMA set with EV-DO and Bluetooth (what else), and from the ID label document's outline, we get the sense that this is a flip that doesn't diverge too far from the edgy design cues set forth by the Boulder before it. No word on when this one will be available, but we bet this FCC lab is having a blast "torture testing" it in the meantime.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Verizon's G'zOne Boulder now shipping with front speaker

by Darren Murph posted Dec 16th 2008 @ 3:39PM

Yeah, you read that correctly. Now shipping with a front speaker. If you'll have a look at the original version (after the break) and compare the front to the image you see above, it's easy to spot the difference. With no rhyme, reason or official announcement, Casio has apparently started shipping VZW a refreshed version of the rough and tough G'zOne Boulder. According to the owner of this here mobile, the model number now sits at C711ORXB, though the significance of that is anyone's guess. We know, your "old" Boulder now feels totally inadequate -- shame a simple software update can't bring it up to speed.

[Via phoneArena]

Continue reading Verizon's G'zOne Boulder now shipping with front speaker

Verizon G'zOne Boulder gets torture tested, er, "reviewed"

by Darren Murph posted Aug 17th 2008 @ 1:47AM

Casio's G'zOne Boulder doesn't do much, but what it does do, it does anywhere, anytime and under (almost) any circumstances. After launching a few weeks back on Verizon, the ultra-rugged handset has been reviewed over at CNET, and needless to say, it managed to handle a few dips in the pool and a couple close encounters with a wall with nary an issue. Unfortunately, the phone faltered at handling its most important task: making calls. Call quality in San Francisco was said to be "hugely disappointing," with most calls sounding "crackly" with a dash of "static and echo" for good measure. The extra features (camera, multimedia player, V Cast, etc.) were all decent, but nothing truly stood out as phenomenal. Overall, the Boulder is probably only a safe bet if you're dead set on the design and toughness, but even still, we'd try out a few other hardcore handsets before settling on one with lackluster call quality.

E Ink fits Vizplex displays into Casio, Hitachi handsets

by Darren Murph posted Aug 3rd 2008 @ 1:17PM

For those still thinking that flexible displays are far from being widely accessible, think again. E Ink has just announced that its Vizplex Imaging Film-based displays will be used in handsets by Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications. For starters, the Hitachi W61H (already available) boasts a 2.7-inch E Ink display that can scroll through 96 different images whenever a call is received or the clamshell is cracked open; the Casio G'zOne (shown after the jump) will feature the same technology on its secondary "silhouette display." Details beyond that are pretty scant, but the real news here is that these displays are finally making their way into reasonably affordable handsets. Open up the flood gates, we say.

[Via SlashPhone]

Continue reading E Ink fits Vizplex displays into Casio, Hitachi handsets

Casio's G'zOne Boulder launches today on Verizon

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 28th 2008 @ 11:54AM

The second piece in Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A push-to-talk puzzle is getting pushed out the door today -- so if you weren't feeling last week's Motorola Adventure V750 launch, you've got another option to check out. The rugged G'zOne Boulder from Casio brings an integrated compass, 1.3 megapixel cam, VZ Navigator support, and a microSD slot; it's available both in orange / black and black / silver, but at launch, only the silver version will be optionally available without a camera. Look for it to start trickling through the standard retail channels today for $179.99 before a $50 rebate on a new two-year contract.

Gallery: Casio's G'zOne Boulder launches today on Verizon

Verizon's new PTT: presence support, more contacts

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 23rd 2008 @ 10:40AM

Training materials from Verizon break down the nitty gritty on just what makes its new EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk network better than the outgoing 1xRTT-based system, and apart from a totally unnecessary cameo by the "Can you hear me now?" guy, it's pretty enlightening. First, we learn that users will now be able to rock 500 individual contacts, 100 group contacts, and 50 contacts per group, up from 150, 50, and 20, respectively. As we've known, it'll also support presence, meaning callers will know whether you're available to annoy everyone around you before they hit the button. The slides on the two launch devices -- the Motorola V750 Adventure and Casio G'zOne Boulder -- don't reveal much new information, but we do see here that the black / silver version of the Boulder will be available with or without a camera for companies that like to clamp down on those sorts of things. See the rest after the break.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Continue reading Verizon's new PTT: presence support, more contacts

Verizon's G'zOne Boulder: black or shockingly orange, your choice

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 19th 2008 @ 1:08PM

Alright, so here's one more picture we dug up -- turns out black won't be the only color available for Casio's latest piece of Verizon kit, the Boulder. Multiple color options for a G'zOne aren't unprecedented, but what is unprecedented is for the second color option to be straight-up wild, and in the Boulder's case, we'd say that this shade of orange certainly qualifies as "wild." We've also learned that the phone clocks in at 2.02 x 3.94 x 0.91 inches, making it close to a quarter-inch thinner than the Type-S it replaces. It'll feature a 1.3 megapixel camera -- a modest spec bump -- and, of course, EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk services. Shouldn't be but a few more weeks, months, or years before we can start dropping these into pools and throwing them against brick walls ourselves.

G'zOne Boulder materials leak out piecemeal

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 19th 2008 @ 8:53AM

Verizon's G'zOne devices from Casio seems to attract a small but fiercely loyal following, mainly on account of their everything-proof shells (let's be honest, we don't think it's the VGA camera that's been drawing 'em in). Rugged and PTT go hand-in-hand -- just ask Nextel -- so it's great news that the next G'zOne will be supporting Verizon's new EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk infrastructure out of the box. We've managed to score a couple pieces of miscellany pertaining to the so-called Boulder, most importantly a diagram pointing out some of the phone's distinctive features. Just how distinctive are we talking about here? Well, if you look for another phone in Verizon's lineup with a screw-lock battery cover and charging contacts outside of the G'zOne series, we guarantee you're not going to find one. One difference between the Boulder and its Casio brethren, though, is that we're told this one looks "significantly slimmer." Another shot shows the back of the real, actual phone; no renders this time, we promise -- check it out after the break.

Continue reading G'zOne Boulder materials leak out piecemeal

KDDI au announces Summer 2008 collection

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 8th 2008 @ 2:14PM

In Japan, carriers tend to release new models in giant, blockbuster batches -- seasonal "collections" that leave the rest of the world green with envy. KDDI au is no exception, having just announced its predictably spectacular Summer 2008 lineup with entrants from Kyocera, Sony Ericsson, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba, Casio, and Korea's Pantech. Here's the rundown:

Hitachi Wooo W62H. KDDI is emphasizing this one's video and 3D gaming capabilities, both of which are assisted by the presence of a 2-way hinge for flipping out the screen in a landscape orientation. Comes in blue, silver, and black.
Sharp W62SH. The FM transmitter's kinda cool, and the three-inch WVGA screen should be perfect for watching Spiderman 2, which comes bundled with the phone. Purple, white, and gold are the color choices.
Sanyo W63SA. Global CDMA roaming and an integrated English-Japanese dictionary makes this one a solid choice for world travelers. Get this one in red, silver, or black.
Toshiba Sportio. As the name implies, this one's all about burnin' those calories with an integrated calorie counter. The candybar form factor is a refreshing change of pace in the lineup, but too bad about that QVGA display! Five colors to choose from here: orange, black, white, green, and red.
Casio G'zOne W62CA. Like its counterparts on Verizon, the W62CA is designed to take a beating without falling apart. It's impact resistant and waterproof, features a compass, thermometer, and GPS, and naturally, one-seg TV. Get it in green, black, or white.
Sanyo W64SA. This fashionable flip has some crazy light effects to go along with its crazy selection of colors, but other than that, it seems pretty pedestrian. If you can call a 2.8-inch WVGA display "pedestrian." It's available in pink, white, yellow, and black.
Sony Ericsson Full Change re. The WQVGA display is one metric ton of weak sauce, but as the "Full Change" name suggests, five individual pieces can be removed from the front, back, and top of the phone to create a totally customized handset. Shell choices include white, pink, green, orange, and silver.
Toshiba W62T. Seriously, what's up with all this WQVGA garbage? The W62T appears destined for the midrange, though the 3.2 megapixel camera ain't bad. Colors for this one are gold, pink, and black.
Kyocera W64K. Possibly leading up the bottom end of the collection, the W64K rocks a WQVGA display and a weak 2 megapixel cam. We see "basic capabilities" mentioned a couple times in the translated description for it, so that says pretty much all we need to know. Pink and gold are the only color options here.
Kyocera W62K. Whoa, and we thought the W64K was low end! 1.3 megapixel cam, QVGA (yeah, that's right, QVGA, not WQVGA) display. 'Nuff said. Beige, blue, and black are the choices here.
Kyocera W63K. The W63K candybar is just 10.8mm thick, but we're still not sure that we can forgive it for a meager 1.3 megapixel camera. Kyocera's seriously dragging here, in case you haven't noticed the trend. Black, burgundy, and beige.
Pantech W62PT. The only phone in the lineup sourced from a non-Japanese manufacturer, the Pantech's nothing to get too excited about with a QVGA display, but the presence of quick dial buttons directly below the screen indicates that this one's designed for folks that are looking for a simple, easy-to-use phone that's just enough to make voice calls -- and ironically, it's still better than a good percentage of the phones you'll find elsewhere in the world. It'll come in silver, gold, and pink.

Not a bad showing, especially considering that KDDI au stands out as Japan's major CDMA carrier in a country dominated by FOMA. Get 'em while they're hot, folks -- you know it's just a few months before the next collection debuts!

New Casio G'zOne "Boulder" hits FCC, likely for Verizon's new PTT

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 25th 2008 @ 4:43PM

The FCC has mercifully approved a new rugged G'zOne model from Casio named "Boulder," bearing a dual-band CDMA radio with EV-DO. If we had to wager a guess, we'd have to say the flip is likely the c711 we heard about a few days back, meaning that it'll be one of the very first devices to support Verizon's new EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk service -- which as we learned, is most definitely not QChat. Little else is known about the device from the FCC filing, but we imagine we'll be hearing about it straight from Big Red in the not-too-distant future.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Details emerge on Verizon's PTT entrants from Motorola and Casio

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 21st 2008 @ 11:47AM

Remember how we said Verizon was prepping a next-gen PTT launch right behind Sprint? It's still on, and we're starting to get a trickle of intel on at least two devices that'll spearhead the festivities. The first is going to be -- yep, you guess it -- a Motorola, the V750 flip to be exact. The other is going to be the next episode in Casio's G'zOne series of niche-but-popular outdoorsy handsets, which will be known as the c711. Both feature EV-DO (including tethering capability), GPS, Bluetooth, cameras, media capability, and a fat ton of onboard memory, while the G'zOne adds a compass and "rugged styling," which we think is code for "it's not as tough as it looks." We're not sure whether these are still on track for a May launch, but that V750 we saw sure looked ready for prime time, didn't it?

Verizon's G'zOne Type-S, now in black and silver

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 27th 2008 @ 6:44PM

Verizon's Casio-sourced G'zOne Type-S ruggedized clamshell is now available in black and silver, a color combo seemingly befitting the phone's sporty image. This particular version happens to be among the G'zOnes that support push-to-talk, too, so if you can overlook the VGA cam or you just really need a phone that can tolerate absolutely every shred of abuse you can throw at it, well, here you go. Grab it now for a shade under $80 on contract after rebates.

[Thanks, Brian A.]