Low End -- Engadget Mobile

low-end posts

LG looks to boost market share to 10 percent with low-end phones

by Darren Murph posted Feb 18th 2009 @ 5:39PM

Here's a concept: sell cheap, low-margin phones while the economy is in the dumps in order to grow market share. Brilliant, right? Believe it or not, that's the idea that's being pushed around at LG headquarters, as the company has revealed a goal of increasing its global handset market share to at least 10 percent during this year. The company does expect profits to shrink over the course of 2009, but it's still hoping for a high single-digit percent profit margin on mobiles, against 11 percent in 2008. According to Skott Ahn, President and CEO of Mobile Communications at LG: "Developed markets will definitely suffer some contraction, but there's a chance for growth in first-time buyers in emerging markets." So, what does LG really have to do to hit 10 percent? Maintain its sales volume at 2008's level, which was moving some 100.7 million across the globe.

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.

LG's GB110 and GB106 candybars keep it real, real simple

by Darren Murph posted Jan 16th 2009 @ 5:10AM

Make no mistake -- LG isn't hoping to earn too many dollars (or too many of any other currency, actually) with the GB110 and GB106, but as Nokia has shown, there are solid deals to be made even at the low-end. The GB106 checks in with a 1.5-inch LCD, FM radio module, speaker, a calculator, stopwatch and a battery good for around four hours of yappin'. As for the GB110, you'll find most of the same specs in a slightly tweaked body, though the inclusion of a VGA camera and support for downloadable ring tones just might sway you over its scantily-featured sibling. There's no mention of pricing / availability at the present time, but we're guessing these are destined for emerging markets first and foremost.

[Via UnwiredView]

Read - LG GB106
Read - LG GB110

Samsung's low-end E1410 candybar goes 22 days strong

by Darren Murph posted Dec 16th 2008 @ 2:06PM

It still can't hold a candle to Philips' Xenium 9@9 line, but 22 days ain't nothing to scoff at. Reportedly, Samsung is prepping a low-end E1410 candybar that'll last up to 22 days on standby, and better still, it can support up to 11.5 continuous hours of yappin' before calling it a night. The stout battery life is joined by a lackluster 128 x 128 display (1.63-inches), a simple phonebook, GSM connectivity and 4MB of inbuilt memory. Clearly Sammy's not kidding around with "low-end."

Pantech gets official with C630 candybar: $40 on contract at AT&T

by Darren Murph posted Dec 11th 2008 @ 8:30AM

Ah, there you are! We've been expecting you! Yes, Pantech has finally come clean with the official US launch of the totally low-key C630. The simplistic candybar includes a few niceties, however, such as 3G (HSDPA) support, aGPS / AT&T Navigator, Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, 1.3-megapixel camera and AT&T Video Share / Mobile Music capabilities. You'll also find a music player for handling those MP3, MIDI (seriously?), WAV and AAC+ files, not to mention a quad-band GSM radio and a battery good for five hours of talk time (over two weeks on standby). If this packs all you need, you can catch it on AT&T tomorrow for $39.99 on a two-year agreement; full release and specifications are after the break.

Continue reading Pantech gets official with C630 candybar: $40 on contract at AT&T

Low-end Kyocera S1300 candybar survives the FCC

by Darren Murph posted Dec 11th 2008 @ 2:13AM

And by "survive," we mean "survives the awful FCC photography clinic." All kidding aside, the photos this time didn't turn out too bad, but maybe that's because this phone is about as plain as plain can get. In fact, we'd suggest this here candybar is just marginally more sophisticated that those incredibly simplistic senior phones, though it does include a tri-band CDMA radio, GPS, speakerphone and a presumably putrid web browser. It's practically a lock for someone like MetroPCS, but we suppose only time will tell.

[Via phonescoop]

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.

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]

UTStarcom shows its low-end cards

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 2nd 2007 @ 12:25PM

They may not turn any heads, but UTStarcom's new low-end fleet led the company's somewhat quiet presence at CTIA last week. The CDM7026 and CDM7076 flips are nearly dead ringers for one another, though the 7076 ups the ante with a black and white external display, TFT primary display (as opposed to the 7026's CSTN), and a VGA cam; features common to both models include 8MB of RAM, 32MB of Flash, MP3 ringtones, and a 3.7 x 1.9 x 0.7-inch outline. Next up, the presently-unnamed "Ultra-Thin, Bar-Style Camera Phone" here comes equipped with Virgin Mobile branding, suggesting it'll follow up the Slice. At just over 10 millimeters thick, the candybar is reasonably well-equipped with 64MB of onboard storage, Bluetooth, speakerphone, voice dialing, and a VGA cam. No word on a release (or what carriers will get the flips, for that matter), but we reckon Virgin and UTStarcom have to look into naming this one before they can be thinking about dropping it.

Sony Ericsson hooks up with Sagem for low-end lineup

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 27th 2007 @ 4:33AM

We know that the cellphone makin' game can be rough, Sony Ericsson; we really do. Sometimes you've just gotta take a load off. Heck, your fellow European in the Big Five, Nokia, washed its hands of much of its CDMA responsibilities through a deal with Korea's Pantech, so we can totally understand wanting to offload your low-end R&D and manufacturing duties to SAFRAN Group's Sagem. Of course, Sagem is a little closer to home -- France, to be exact -- than those Korean folks, so you should have a pretty easy go of it keeping your rebranded stuff in check. In fact, you're so uptight about it that you've decided to open a new office right in Sagem's hometown of Cergy, France, dedicated to the low-end segment. We look forward to seeing what y'all come up with -- let's just try to make them a little more believable than the "Nokia" 6315i, mkay?

Samsung freshens low end with C140

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 26th 2007 @ 7:00PM

Once in a great while, it's refreshing to take a step back from the madness of modern phone tech and take a look at the simpler side of mobility -- a segment of the industry where the ability to reliably place and receive calls is the priority, not which mobile TV standard or memory expansion format such-and-such device is supporting. Such is the Samsung C140: a candybar with no camera, no QVGA display (128 x 128 suffices here), and no "world's firsts," just a GSM 900 / 1800 radio with 700KB of memory, MMS, a WAP browser, Java support, and an unwavering desire to be sold contract-free for peanuts. Looks like it's already available in some parts of the world for under €50 (about $65) unsubsidized, which squarely pits this thing against the MOTOFONE. Small color display or e-ink? Decisions, decisions...

[Via Unwired View, thanks Staska]

"Eclipse" concept phone keeps it simple

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 29th 2006 @ 1:16AM

Never mind the MOTOFONE -- this is how you do simplicity in style. "Eclipse," a concept for an ultra-basic handset shown on Product Design Forums, would stand 9 centimeters tall when open and collapse down to an eminently pocketable 5.5 centimeters. Besides SMS support and a phone book, the trick display -- which relies on a pair of side buttons to triggers its pop-up action -- is the only "feature" to speak of. Package these suckers for prepaid accounts at $10 a pop (aw, what the heck... $15, even) and we think they've got some takers.

[Via textually.org]

Nokia unveils low-end 1325 / 1265 handsets for international markets

by Darren Murph posted Dec 10th 2006 @ 11:23AM

Nokia seems to be on its own campaign trail, releasing a few new phones each time it makes a stop in a new country. Not too long after taking the wraps off four new handsets over in Amsterdam, the firm is unveiling two new low-end handsets that are getting ready to hit the international front. At the 3G World Congress in Hong Kong, Nokia announced the forthcoming availability of two new candybar-styled CDMA mobiles, stripped down and ready to rock. The 2.5-ounce 1325 features a 64k color screen, wallpaper / ringtone customization, speakerphone, 90-second voice recorder, 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 6.5 days of standby time. The 1265 goes way back, by offering up a monochrome screen, 60-second voice recorder, predictive text software, speakerphone, alarm clock, and the same battery life on both fronts as the slightly more luxurious 1325. Both of this units are slated to hit "select markets" within China, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East Africa and Latin America during "Q1 2007," but the presumably low prices still remain a mystery.

[Via I4U]

Samsung abandoning low-end market in India?

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 20th 2006 @ 12:23AM

In a move that has to have the MOTOFONE's product manager grinning from ear to ear, it seems Samsung has decided that the fight for India's low- and ultra-low-end market isn't worth fighting anymore. If Telecom Korea's unnamed sources are to be trusted, the increasing introduction of smartphones to the country (combined with ever-increasing demand for them) is apparently pushing prices on basic handsets down to the point where the Korean company is ready to take its ball and go home. Don't worry, though, India; Samsung's not leaving you -- not by a long shot. Besides the recent introduction of the SGH-P310 credit card phone there, the company apparently intends to continue launching "color and camera phones" to satisfy Indians' rising demand for upscale products.

[Via Mobile Magazine]

Nokia 6030 hits T-Mobile

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 27th 2006 @ 1:31PM

It took a good while, but Nokia's bottom-of-the-barrel 6030 candybar has finally found its way onto T-Mobile. We don't have much to say about the simple handset; T-Mobile's offering it on contract for a big, round goose egg, but by modern standards, we almost feel like "free" is too much to pay for a phone whose banner feature is its speakerphone. Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to go back to staring in awe at the N95's spec sheet.

[Thanks, Steve T.]