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Philips' Xenium K700 doesn't look much like a phone

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 24th 2009 @ 2:29PM

We can't put our finger on it, but for some reason, this Xenium K700 from Philips -- rumored last month and pictured here in clean press shots for the first time -- doesn't really scream "phone" to us. PMP we could see, possibly a low-end point and shoot camera, but not so much "I'm planning on holding this to my face and talking." Maybe it's the recessed lip below the screen? Anyhow, this should be an interesting one for anybody looking to eke a month of standby out of a full touchscreen phone, and the WQVGA resolution, 3.2 megapixel cam, and dedicated GPU are all pretty nice, too. What's amazing is that the incredible power management (a Xenium hallmark) comes from a mere 1,000mAh battery, but part of the explanation comes from the weaksauce triband EDGE radio. When are you gonna do up some global HSPA phones, guys?

[Thanks, Vlad]

Philips' Android-powered V900 for China Mobile shown off as OMS launch draws near

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 18th 2009 @ 11:21AM

In China, excited about Android, and finding yourself a bit let down by Dell's first smartphone outing? Chin up, kid -- maybe Philips has your number. The company already has an established Asian phone business with its Xenium line of ridiculously energy-efficient handsets, and as suspected, it turns out it'll be one of China Mobile's launch partners as it kicks off its Android-based Open Mobile System next month alongside Lenovo, Dell, and HTC subsidiary Dopod. What you're looking at here is the V900, and like all OMS devices, it runs a highly customized Android build that's taken on a vaguely iPhone-esque appearance; other features include WiFi, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and -- if you squint really hard -- the momentary believe that you're actually holding a Touch Diamond2. Looks-wise, we think we prefer every other OMS launch phone, but it's good to see that there'll be plenty of options on the shelves.

[Via HTC Phones, thanks Micah]

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.

Philips V808 smartphone to run Android-based OPhone OS on China Mobile

by Darren Murph posted Jul 29th 2009 @ 6:13AM


Well, at least some of the mystery is solved. If a machine translated source is to be believed -- not to mention a healthy gathering of screengrabs -- Philips' elusive V808 smartphone will be a China Mobile exclusive. As with other Android-based phones on the operator, it'll be the reworked OPhone OS handling the dirty work, which basically means a carrier-customized app market and a few other tweaks that seem to be frowned upon in the Chinese community. We're also told that the phone will lack support for 3G, WiFi and multitouch, leaving us grieved, lugubrious and lachrymose. C'mon guys -- why hamstring a good thing?

[Via Cloned In China]

Philips' first Android endeavor, the V808, caught on camera?

by Laura June posted Jul 27th 2009 @ 3:24PM


Not a ton of details to be found here, but the first shots of what certainly appears to be Philips' first Android handset have emerged from China. The V808, as it's called, certainly looks Androidy enough, with a 3.2-inch, HVGA display, and it will supposedly boast a 3.2 megapixel camera and video recording. In Philips fashion, we can probably expect to see it Xenium branded, but as yet, we have no other details on specs, pricing, or availability, and sadly the phone isn't powered on in any of the photos. There are two more images after the break -- hit the read link for the whole set.

[Via Cloned in China]

Continue reading Philips' first Android endeavor, the V808, caught on camera?

Philips new Xenium X550 and X810 are, as usual, battery champions

by Chris Ziegler posted May 18th 2009 @ 9:57PM

You might remember that reasonably attractive -- but EDGE-impaired -- Xenium X800 full touchscreen phone out of Philips last year, and it looks like they've got a successor lined up nearly a year later. The X810 (pictured top) looks a whole lot fresher than the model it replaces and adds a sliding numeric keypad, EDGE (we would've preferred 3G, admittedly), and is said to feature a 3.2 megapixel camera and WQVGA display. Like all Xeniums, it takes battery performance to the extreme with a claimed one month of standby time. Moving downmarket, the X550 candybar shares some of the X810's styling cues and also features the 3.2 megapixel cam, but loses the touchscreen for a standard QVGA unit; like its big brother, it'll allegedly go for a month on a charge. It seems the X550 can be yours with a quick trip to China, while you'll find the beefier X810 hanging out in Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. Book your flights, folks.

Read - Xenium X550
Read - Xenium X810

Philips goes touchscreen with Xenium X810

by Darren Murph posted Mar 20th 2009 @ 7:02AM


While the recent flood of Xenium handsets aren't apt to hit American shores anytime soon, we may actually hop a flight to toy with the Xenium X810. Unlike most of its siblings, this here device is actually intriguing, boasting a 400 x 240 resolution touchscreen display, 3.2 megapixel camera, FM radio, 45MB of built-in memory, a microSDHC card slot, Bluetooth, quad-band GSM connectivity and a USB port. As with all Xeniums, this one also goes for days and days without a recharge; in fact, it should last up to a solid month in standby mode. So, has anyone else wondered why no other major cellphone maker is utilizing these miracle-working batteries?

[Via UnwiredView]

Philips Xenium X700 ain't too fond of its AC adapter

by Darren Murph posted Mar 19th 2009 @ 9:22PM


The word Xenium immediately sets off thoughts of frolicking in Dutch fields for days without nary a care in the world with respect to battery life, and the cute little X700 aligns perfectly with those whimsical thoughts. The latest flip phone in Philips's growing arsenal of longevous devices can reportedly last a full month in standby on a single charge, and furthermore, it boasts a 2.4-inch QVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera, FM radio, microSDHC card slot, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 and quad-band GSM connectivity. Of course, the call time is just 450 minutes, but hey, all the more reason to just hit "silent" time after time.

Philips' Xenium X530 treats batteries with kid gloves

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 11th 2009 @ 4:42PM


We're not sure what's up with Philips' aversion to 3G, but the EDGE trend apparently continues with its latest, the Xenium X530 flip. Per usual for the Xenium series of phones, the X530 features gorilla-like battery endurance that'll supposedly give you some 850 hours of standby time and 8 hours of talk time -- and otherwise, the specs are all as good or better than what we're used to seeing out of Philips including an honest-to-goodness QVGA display, a 1-inch OLED on the outside, Bluetooth 2.0, FM radio with RDS, and microSD expansion. No word on a release date, but considering the lack of GSM 850, North Americans can just go back to their battery-destroying smartphones and their stupid wall outlets.

[Via Unwired View]

Philips Tapster stereo Bluetooth headset loves your voice, needs your touch

by Tim Stevens posted Feb 20th 2009 @ 10:26AM

Philips Tapster stereo Bluetooth headset loves your voice, needs your touch
While they may not have an particularly desirable impact on your image, wireless Bluetooth headsets are convenient, and their continually dwindling size gives us the hope that some day you could wear one without anyone noticing. But, smaller size equals smaller buttons, an issue Philips is looking to dodge entirely with its latest stereo Bluetooth headset, the Tapster. It relies on touch inputs, not moving ones (other than a wee power button), meaning you'll be able to administer a gentle stroke to adjust volume or a light tap to answer a call. It all sounds quite intuitive and convenient -- providing of course the thing doesn't start dialing when someone bumps into you on the subway. No word on price, but if all goes well you could be pairing these over Bluetooth 2.1+EDR A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, and HFP by the end of the year.

[Via Shiny Shiny]

Gallery: Philips Tapster

Philips' Xenium X710 swallows 1900mAh battery whole

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 29th 2008 @ 1:59PM


If there's one thing Philips' Xenium line is really good at, it's ridiculously long claimed talk and standby times; and if there's one thing it's really bad at, it's 3G. Personally, we'd rather recharge an HSPA phone once a day than an EDGE phone once a week, but for those who don't share our love of high-speed data -- particularly those in Russia -- we give you the Xenium X710, complete with dual SIM slots and a respectable 3 megapixels of autofocus power. It's got Bluetooth, an integrated FM radio, and microSD expansion, too, not to mention an unabashedly clean, simple look that does a pretty good job projecting its low-end aspirations.

[Via Unwired View]

Philips intros snazzy Xenium 9@9q Dragon / Phoenix handsets

by Darren Murph posted Dec 29th 2008 @ 12:03AM


Philips' Xenium line is known for being able to last an incredibly long time without a recharge, and the outfit's newest duo continue the trend. The special edition Xenium 9@9q mobiles -- dubbed Dragon and Phoenix -- both feature rather snazzy designs and can reportedly last up to a month in standby mode. The most fantastic aspect is probably the subtle light-up indicators on the outside of the clamshell, and yes, we're serious. Still, a phone with such longevity might actually be worth 4,999 rubles ($172), but only if you place an inordinately high amount of value on the aforesaid indicators.

[Via UnwiredView]

Philips Xenium X620 is ready for those late night break-up calls

by Darren Murph posted Dec 28th 2008 @ 1:28AM


No one ever said you had to be awesome at everything, and hardly anyone understands this better than Philips. Seriously, the only thing even remotely stellar about the company's family of Xenium handsets is the marvelous battery life, and even though the X620's 2.4-inch display is only QVGA and the USB is only 1.1, how can you possibly argue with a talk time of 12 hours? As in, half a day. Other specifications include a 3.2-megapixel camera, a video record mode, MP3 / WMA player, a microSDHC slot, Bluetooth, quad-band GSM connectivity and EDGE data. As these handsets usually do, this one isn't apt to leave the borders of Russia and China, though there's no mention of price for either of those markets.

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).

Philips offers up Xenium X500, new name, same face

by Sean Cooper posted Sep 25th 2008 @ 8:10PM


If you happened to catch the oddly -named 9@9k about a year ago, you'll likely notice that the "new" X500 seems like a twin with a minor bit of cosmetic work. The X500 features two-month standby and 16 hour talk time, tri-band EDGE, 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD expansion, and an FM radio with RDS support. The only bit of cool we see going on here is the nifty "Up to 2 months standby" written on the screen, and we expect that's not a feature the phone actually has. The Philips Xenium X500 is set to ship to Russia, Turkey, and Romania, at some point in the future, and honestly, with the care-o-meter registering about zero on this set, we may just never find out.




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