Loving my Storm Trooper....

Ok here it is! My Storm Trooper Bobble Head. (What did you think it was, a new mobile??). I was in Singapore over the weekend, browsing around with my mate TGIF for a conference. During our free time, we stumbled across this toy shop at Suntec City Mall. Having a secret passion for toys & such (esp star wars and such...), I was thrilled when the shop had all the bits and bobs of all things Star Wars (and tons of other stuff)... but I jumped when I saw this. Hmm, this could be a start of a new collection...

Oh yeah, the pics above were taken with my other Storm Trooper, the iPhone 3G S WHITE. Its finally here too.

Sneak preview: My Darth N97

Thoroughly enjoying the N97 since I got it.... More to come....

Nokia N97 finally starts shipping.... (Yes, I'm alive)

Image courtesy of www.symbian-guru.com

Its official. The Nokia N97 has begun shipping today. To 75 countries worldwide, uncommon of Nokia given that they usually release new products in spurts to selected countries. Hopefully, Brunei is one of those 75 lucky countries.

There are so many good (p)reviews of the N97 already flying around the world wide web. Many claim that this is THE Nokia flagship to wait for. Reading so many, I can only say the only way to know is to try it.

But dang, it looks good.

I've been so held up with my daytime job lately, that I have not been able to post a decent phone review. I just realised, I haven't done one since my last Nokia E63 review. This sucks.

Thing is, I still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel just yet....

Nokia - New releases for Eseries and Nseries

The year is beginning to have a bright outlook for Nokia. In Barcelona recently, there were a few key updates which promises to take the world by storm yet again. Not surprising really, considering they were not very-well-kept secrets.

We've all known and loved each of their Eseries models from popular best sellers like the E61's to E61i's to E51's to E90's and especially the current E71's that have flooded out markets, Nokia's hold on the business segment continues to remain strong.

Let me introduce to you.... the Nokia E55, Nokia E75 and the Nokia N86.

Nokia E55

Specs for the E55

• Touted to be the upgrade for the ever-popular E51
  
• Most prominent feature, the QW-ER-TY keyboard (very reminiscent of the Sony Ericsson P1)
• Quad band GSM/GPRS./EDGE with (tri-band) HSDPA 10.2Mbps speeds
• Very stable and well known S60 3rd edition OS with FP2
• 2.4" QVGA TFT 16M display with 240 x 320 pixel resolution.
• 60MB onboard storage with a shipped 2Gb micro SD card inbox.
• Available in Black and white aluminium
• Some sites report a one month standby time (???!!!)(I've yet to believe that)
  

Nokia E75
Specs for the E75

• Expected to be the forefront for the Eseries range
• Full slide out QWERTY keyboard and a regular alphanumeric keypad (Both existing E71 AND E51 would probably find this appealing)
• Most complete Messaging device to date from Nokia.
  
• Connectivity features - Wifi 802.11 b/g, A-GPS support with Nokia Maps
• 3.2megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE with tr-band HSDPA (3.6Mbps)
• Very stable and well known S60 3rd edition OS with FP2
• 2.4" QVGA TFT 16M display with 240 x 320 pixel resolution.
• 50MB onboard storage with a shipped 4Gb micro SD card inbox.
• Available in Silver Black, Red and Copper Yellow colours.
  

Nokia N86

Specs for the N86

• Very similar to what the existing N85 already offers
• Most outstanding feature - the first 8 megapixel camera which possesses shutter speeds of up to 1/1000 of a second, f-stop range of 2.4-4.8 and a 28mm wide-angle lens that Nokia claims is equal to that of a wide-angle 35mm SLR! It also sports a 3rd generation dual LED flash which should work at distances of up to 3.5m. (Shutterbugs might drool at this)
• Quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA support
• Very stable and well known S60 3rd edition OS with FP2
• 2.6" AMOLED QVGA display (also present in the N85)
  
• 8GB internal storage
• A 3.5mm audio jack and TV out
• Available in black and white
  

All 3 phones should start shipping by 2Q09.

So, if any of you are keen for an upgrade (even for those who own E71's), these new releases could very well stroke your interest.

Sexier E71's and a Pre.

For those of you who loved the white edition of the hugely popular Nokia E71 and thought nothing could ever be sexier.... hold on to your breath.... Nokia's just made it EVEN more sexier, releasing new colours, in BLACK and RED. Click here to view them on Nokia's site.

There's no news (yet) on the release, but you can be sure I'm trying to find out! Especially on release for Brunei. More updates once I hear about it.

And then, there's the Palm Pre. More and more reviews are surfacing on the web and more and more of them reveal that Palm is now giving Apple a fight. (Finally). Anyway, read here at treonauts for lowdown on "Top 10 reasons to love the Palm Pre". Well, I certainly don't need convincing.

A busy new year, and then, there's the new Palm Pre...

Since the new year has kicked in, its almost hard to believe its already the 8th of Jan! Its been somewhat of a busy start for me, workwise... but thats a good thing isn't it?

Close to a year and a bit now of running my blog, I have to say its been amazing. So many opportunities have arisen from it, and all I can say is, its going to be a great year of mobiles, mobiles and more mobiles..... oh yeah, more reviews too for d3xlabs.blogspot.com. Thanks to all my readers and friends for always "dropping by". Its really just my simple blog about Everything mobile.

What I have been looking forward to since the start has been the CES event in Las Vegas on 09Jan09. Its meant to be one of THE tech events to watch out for on a calendar. And boy did this year's launch prove to be worth the wait! Its no secret that the longest ever mobile that I've used so far is the Palm Treo 680. Love the Palm OS, always have, always will. But their OS has been showing signs of ageing lately, with the likes of iPhone taking the world by storm (and now, everyone else seems to have followed their footsteps). Treos didn't even have wifi or 3G! So sadly, it was time to move on...

Until now...

The newly announced PALM PRE. I've been watching hands-on videos on it all over the web. It looks very very intriguing. Of course, patience is the key as the time it will take to reach this side of the world would be around 6-8 months. That already feels like forever... Anyway, here are some teaser pictures and specs:
Specs:

• High speed wireless (HSDPA)
• Wifi
• 3.1 inch 24 bit colour 480 x 320 display
• slide out portrait QWERTY keyboard
  
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 3 mp camera with LED flash and extended depth of field
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 8Gb of internal memory
• Palm trademark - Ringer mute switch

Just look at that! Ladies and Gentlemen, Palm is back in the building....
(now, the wait...)

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic starts being shipped!

Photo courtesy of GSMarena

For those waiting for this Nokia revolution, GSMarena has just reported that its started shipping! I for one have received numerous queries about this phone, but all I can say is let's wait and see what it feels like in hand.

A little reminder what is so special about the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic:

• 1st ever S60 Nokia device with widescreen 640 x 320 pixels display.
  
• 3.2 mp autofocus camera with 30fps video capability
• 3G with HSDPA
• 3.5mm audio jack (its supposed to be a music centric phone remember?)
• microSD support (reputed to come with 8GB SD card?)
• Estimated to be around USD900 i.e. BND1,100?

Using an iPhone now, this could be interesting. But, its been long awaited for Nokia to enter the touchscreen arena. Let the games begin!

Will update once it actually reaches our shores here in Brunei.

Sneak peak: Sony Ericsson X1

Full review up next!

Resistance is futile: the Apple iPhone 3G

It wasn't long ago that gave in to the phenomenon of the world and decided to try out the first gen Apple iPhone, but not wanting the hassle of not-being-able-to-upgrade the "unlocked" iPhone, and the (many) limitations of it (then), I gave up after a while, vowing to never want to use it again.

Even when I heard about the new launch of the 3G version upgrade, or even the "ease" of upgrading the firmwares for all iPhones now, I didn't really flinch much. I had, afterall, decided not to use it again.

Until, after messing a a friend's iPhone, and seeing what it could NOW do, with the (endless) possibilities of the "officially unlocked" sets that Apple had unleashed to the world, on 11JUL08, I thought, why not give it another go?

Sourcing it from Singapore, I managed to get my hands on one without much hassle (through a friend returning from a short trip there). I didn't want to get one locally as the prices charged here were a bit exhuberant for my taste.

Its been a week of use so far, and my 1st (or 2nd, whichever you prefer) impressions?

I love it.

The Apple iPhone 3G.

There, I said it....

Here are some pictures I snapped of my Black, 16Gb version. Sexy.

Its been a while since I've done a proper review. (Blame my day-time job, whatever...)
But watch out for it.... this weekend. Same time, same blog...

Updates and a Treo Resurrection: New Treo Pro

Hi everyone. I am still very much alive. Been a bit held up over the past month which has kept me from completing my review and updating my site. Well, I'm back.... again.

I have still been keeping up to date with the new releases from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, Motorola (the list is endless), Apple (yes the 3G has been set loose into the world!) and a even brand that's close to my heart, the Palm Treo.

This quarter's updates:

1. Nokia's released the 8800 Carbon Arte, N85 and N79 (N96 I just heard has started shipping for those of you who are waiting).
2. Sony Ericsson's released W902, W595 and the W302.
   
3. Samsung's released the highly acclaimed Samsung Omnia (I've actually had the chance to play with one up close. Its impressive). In black AND white variations too!
   
4. LG's released the successor to the Viewty, the KC910
5. Motorola's released a model called MOTOJEWEL. No prizes for guessing its targeted at the ladies.
   
6. Last but not least, a surprise by many, Palm has just released the new Treo update which is bound to take the (treo) world by storm; the Palm Treo Pro.

Treo Pro Specs

• Size: 114 x 60 x 13.5mm and 133g in weight.
  
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• 256MB (100MB user available), 128MB RAM program memory
• Micro SD compatible
• 320 x 320 pixel (a FIRST in WinOS devices!) although 65k colours
  
• Touchscreen
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Comes in black

But just look at it. Its gorgeous.

Apple, another worth while mention, has launched the 3G variant of their take-the-world-by-storm iPhone. Available in 8Gb and 16Gb, black or white, this upgrade has caused queues and overnight sleepovers just like its predecessor did.

Decisions, desicions... with Christmas not long away, or Raya (however you see it) its time to carefully plan your next gadget of choice.

Sneak peek: My new Nokia E71

Its been a truly exciting past few weeks. Since my last post, I've been tracking numerous forums in the region about the release of the (ultimate) Nokia E71. I was quite settled in accepting that Nokia would only release it on 11July08 in Singapore, and probably in Brunei a week or so later. (THEN, I thought, I'd be the first to line up at Incomm to get it!)

Until...

A friend called me at 9.30pm on 29Jun08.

He had just bought one.... from DeeJay.

My heart stopped. I was beaten to it.

Nevermind I thought, I'd still surely be the first to get one from Incomm then, when they release it. Needless to say, like an excited schoolboy, I went to meet my friend at close to midnight just to have a "feel" of the precious E71. All this time, just reading about it online, and there it was, in my friend's possession! It just made me more impatient to get it.

Then, the next morning, I received a call from my sources; Incomm had launched it! So, at 9.30am in the morning, thinking I'd SURELY be the first then to buy one from Incomm, I booked one and zoomed over immediately. But, as it turned out, a few others had beaten me to it already. Ah well.... at least I have it now.

Since that fateful day, I've been falling more and more in love with the E71. Using it for over a week now, it truly is a joy to use. So many worthwhile upgrades compared to the E61i. So many neat add-ons, so many reasons to love it.

I'm currently working on a in-depth review for all my readers, but in the meantime, here are some shots I've taken with my E71, and a few with an iPhone, just to show you the size and form factor. Enjoy!

So far, I have to add (without giving away what final rating I would usually add at the end of a review), this is arguably Nokia's best smartphone to date. In just two days, all stocks in Incomm were sold out, and from what I hear from other shops, the story's the same everywhere. That says it all doesn't it? So if you're one of the elite few to have bought one in the first few days of launch, consider yourself lucky!

Anyway, do watch out soon for my in-depth review, in my next post!

(I was supposed to review the Sony Ericsson G700 and G900, but the E71 was launched! Don't worry, SE lovers, it will come right after my E71 review)

The Nokia E71 is now available in Incomm at a retail price of BND728-00.
Pls make sure you use your DST privilege card for better discounts.

Is your heart racing? E71 and E66 officially launched!

Its been a while since my heart's been racing... for a mobile. So, when it does skip a beat, you KNOW its the ONE.

Imagine my moment of love-at-first-sight when I clicked here, here and here! Its official! The rumours we've seen are true. Its shipping out together with the other ultimate-do-it-all, the Nokia N96.

I've been watching the E71 product presentation on the Nokia Europe site over and over. My heart races for sure.

Images courtesy of GSMarena.com

Some (other) official details:

• Both the E66 and E71 will retail at EUR350 (USD538) roughly. Not a bad price at all.
• Both will come in white and grey steel colour variations with materials similar to the Nokia E51 already in the markets today.
  
• Both come with 3.2megapixel (autofocus!!) cameras, HSDPA, GPS, Wifi connectivity and microSD card support.
  
• E66 - Also features a sport built-in accelerator which allows auto screen rotation AND, as introduced on the Nokia 8800 Arte, the silencing of incoming calls when the device is turned over.
• E71 - Has calendar features that auto scroll and there is also predictive text now, a Nokia-first for this QWERTY device.

Ok, now the other difficult part. The wait.

More leaked news: Nokia E66, E71 & a SE P5.

Just browsing around my usual sites of choice, I bumped into this very interesting piece of info. More indications that the Eseries - E65 and E61i upgrades will be released this year. At this point, specs wise, its not confirmed yet, but here are some pictures as teasers, courtesy of here and here.

Nokia E66

Nokia E71

Elsewhere in the mobile world, Sony Ericsson is also rumoured to release a Sony Ericsson P5. Looking at the photos, it seems that its an integration between the W910i and the M600. This should be interesting.


And suddenly, there are new goals and visions to look forward to again. I don't know about you, but I'm definitely gunning for the E71. Tick tock, tick tock....