Olympics -- Engadget Mobile

olympics posts

Olympics Water Cube-themed cellphone hits China

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 3rd 2008 @ 11:45AM

The Olympics may be over, but it looks like the tie-in products (official and otherwise) are still going strong in China, where this Water Cube-themed cellphone recently made its debut. Of course, apart from that eye-catching design (and slightly unusual keypad), there's nothing too stand-out with this one, with it boasting tri-band GSM connectivity, a 2.4-inch LCD, dual cameras, all the usual media-playing features and, apparently, a "3D interface" of some sort. From the looks of it, the phone is only available from wholesaler Sourcing Gate at the moment but, if you've really got to have one for your Olympics collection, you can order a sample for $175.

[Via textually.org]

AT&T lands exclusive Olympics channel for Mobile TV

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 18th 2008 @ 3:24AM

We wouldn't say they're necessarily crying foul, but Verizon is quick to point out that AT&T used its clout as an Olympic sponsor to secure an exclusive on an Olympic coverage channel for its MediaFLO-based mobile TV network. It's a big deal for Verizon simply because it and AT&T are the only two US carriers to offer such a feature at this point -- but there's probably no use crying over spilled milk, and sure enough, Verizon's busy setting up a video series on its VCAST content deck that'll offer highlights of the Olympic action out of Beijing. AT&T, meanwhile, picks up an exclusive through NBC Olympics 2Go -- so we hope you Vu and Access owners are medley swimming fans.

Samsung m530 coming to Bell in Canadian Olympic Team livery

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 1st 2008 @ 9:01PM

Hey Canadians: looking for a quick, easy, cheap (well, sort of cheap) way to show some national pride? We think we've got just the ticket, and so does Bell. Turns out they'll be launching the m530 music flip with Canadian Olympic Team branding next month for $99.95 CAD (about $99) on a three-year plan or $299.95 CAD (about $298) prepaid. You're not going to blow anyone away with the features, though -- unless your friends and family are blown away by barn-burners like 1.3 megapixel cameras, stereo Bluetooth, and somewhat unattractive external music controls.

[Via Mobile In Canada]

China Mobile firing up TD-SCDMA trials this April

by Darren Murph posted Mar 28th 2008 @ 10:40AM

We've been hearing that China Mobile would have its act together and get TD-SCDMA ready well in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics since last November, and with merely months to spare, it seems things just may work out. Reportedly, the carrier is all set to begin commercial trials of the home cooked 3G standard on April 1st, where it will be tested in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Qinhuangdao and of course, Beijing. Initially, China Mobile Group will provide 20,000 lucky souls with free TD-SCDMA phones and subsidies of 800 yuan per month, while folks outside of that group can also walk into retail outlets and pick up discounted handsets on a whim. Maybe it's just us, but we'd probably hold off until those guinea pigs gave everyone else a heads-up of the network quality before we went dropping our own change on it.

[Via mocoNews]

China's TD-SCDMA deployment may be ready in time for Olympics

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 19th 2007 @ 6:19PM

While most of the world plods along with WCDMA and EV-DO based networks to serve up 3G, China likes to do things its own way -- largely to avoid licensing fees -- by cookin' up TD-SCDMA. TD-SCDMA isn't commercial yet, which explains why the overwhelming majority of handsets targeted at the billion-strong Chinese market continue to this day to top out with 2G data. Unfortunately, launch dates have been pushed back time and time again; a full-scale launch isn't expected in 2007 at this point, though China Mobile reports that it's on target to complete networks in eight cities by year's end. That is good news, since it means that there's still hope for China to be able to showcase its shiny, new, royalty-unburdened technology by the time the Summer Olympics roll into Beijing next summer. ZTE and other domestic manufacturers (and some foreign ones, too) seem at the ready to deliver equipment into consumers' hands, so it's up to the carriers to get those towers up and running on the double. In other words: if you work for China Mobile, we think you have better things to be doing right now, don't you?

[Via mocoNews]

Samsung intros 18K Golden Edition E848 handset

by Darren Murph posted Oct 13th 2007 @ 4:30PM

Releasing gizmos to commemorate the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is becoming somewhat of a recurring theme, and the Samsung Anycall 18K Golden Edition E848 is keepin' the trend alive. Reportedly, the handset features an 18K golden reflective surface to compliment the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games logo imprinted on the back. Additionally, it boasts a 2.2-inch 320 x 240 resolution LCD, integrated media player, support for H.263 / MP3 / AAC / WMA / MPEG4 formats, quad-band connectivity, 70MB of internal memory, a microSD expansion slot, Bluetooth 2.0, A2DP, USB 2.0 and a talk time of around five hours. Mum's the word on an actual release date, but you can purportedly expect it to ring up for HK$2,780 ($359) whenever it lands. Check out a couple more shots after the jump.

Continue reading Samsung intros 18K Golden Edition E848 handset

2008 Olympics inspired phone ready to scare children

by Michael Caputo posted Sep 20th 2007 @ 11:29AM

At first glance, we're not sure whether CECT designed its cell phone around an Olympic mascot or some sort of cellular voodoo doll. Apparently inspired by 2008 Beijing Olympics mascot Fuwa Huanhuan, the kid-friendly candybar rocks a 1.5 inch screen, 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD expandable memory with a 256MB card, media player, and the requisite assortment of Olympic ringtones, wallpaper, and screen savers. The device will be a Chinese market exclusive, so we can see it being branded as an Olympic collectible and ending up on eBay for enormous amounts of money -- or peanuts. Hard to say.

[Via Newlaunches]

Samsung P318+ sports gold for Olympics

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 9th 2007 @ 11:29PM

Samsung's P310 -- the so-called "credit card phone" -- is still enough to turn heads in these parts, but the Korean manufacturer is busting out some considerably fancier units to celebrate Beijing's 2008 Olympics. China Mobile will be picking up the P318+ (or that's our guess, anyway, on account of the carrier's logo on back), offering the same diminutive case as its forebear but replacing the downright normal chrome and brushed aluminum accents with 18 karat gold. It's unclear whether the gold is solid or plated, but if solid, expect to pay Vertu-like prices for this one, which will also feature an array of Olympics-themed ringtones and graphics. So where are the silver and bronze versions, Samsung?

China delays 3G licensing until after the Olympics

by Darren Murph posted Jul 5th 2007 @ 5:24AM

Talk about a delay -- China, which was expected to issue 3G licenses to its "top four" telecom operators, has now announced that the move will have to wait until they "come out of restructuring." As it currently stands, it will likely be after the 2008 Olympics before the licensing will ensue. Interestingly enough, information industry minister Wang Xudong has reportedly stated that "3G mobile phone services will be offered in the mainland in 2008 in time for the Beijing Olympics," but wouldn't that require issuance to take place before... beforehand? We'll keep you posted.

[Via monoNews, image courtesy of 3G]