MoBile MaNia

Nokia’s latest handset, the Surge (nice name), doesn’t look like it’ll be heading our way and that was the story when I first heard about it as it’s tied in to AT&T as of now. This cross between a mini MID and mobile handset is what Nokia is calling ‘a socially supercharged smartphone’ that’s designed to be the next best thing in mobile social networking with advanced messaging features and connectivity to social networking sites etc.

With a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard in a slim, stylish design and Symbian S60 multi-tasking capabilities, the Nokia Surge also intends to offer a powerful browsing experience, with Flash support to view most sites in full HTML or watch YouTube videos. Nokia Surge allows users to post messages, images, videos, and comments to web sites like Facebook on-the-go with the pre-installed JuiceCaster application.

 The Nokia Surge offers multimedia and entertainment features, including:

• 2.4-inch TFT LCD with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution
• 2.5mm earphone socket
• 2.0 megapixel camera
• 3G with HSDPA, EDGE/GPRS
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth with A2DP
• FM Radio
• MicroSD card support

There’s no way of knowing the handset’s exact pricing as it’s tied in with an AT&T two-year service agreement and a cost of about Rs. 3,913 ($79.99). To be honest it seems like it could do pretty well here as well considering social networking is the ‘IN’ thing these days with the Indian community as well. Perhaps Nokia would consider it. Your thoughts readers...

Just a little while ago information about a Sony Ericsson Android handset made the scene. The handset was being called the Rachael and bore an Xperia logo according to the images that were apparently leaked. According to new reports the handset has now been confirmed. A set of new images have also made it out and this time a white handset is being showcased.

Good audio player Good camera Plenty of multimedia features Smooth slide

Slightly bulky and heavy design No free games included

Nokia has taken its time getting into the 8 megapixel camera market and this, their N86 is the entry. It has a lot of catching up to do and the big questions are – will this one be worth the price? And will it have enough features to make you want to buy it? Take a look, here’s my opinion.

Form Factor
Nokia’s designs tend to be rather generic these days. The N86 doesn’t deviate from that too much. But the company is going to have to try damn hard to beat the likes the super slim ultra Touch. The N86 is a slightly bulky and quite a weighty device. The Indigo Black is definitely the way to go if you still want to buy the handset. The 2.6-inch AMOLED display is crisp and colors look really good on the same. The button system under it is well organized with a five way nav-pad and a dedicated menu key like with the N97. It has a micro USB port for charging and connectivity on top beside a 3.5mm earphone socket.

 A lens cover can be slid down to reveal the camera. It has dual LEDs for the flash. Around the camera is a small kick stand that can also be used to activate certain specific features when opened. It props up the handset rather neatly.

Features and Performance
Interface
I don’t need to go into detail about the UI. The n86 runs on a Symbian OS (v9.3) with a S60 UI. That coupled with an ARM 11 434 MHz processor makes it a speedy handset even while multitasking. It has an accelerometer that smoothly changes screen orientation irrespective of what feature is running. It does tend to be a little too sensitive sometimes though. The only time the display doesn’t change is when you’re viewing Nokia Maps and this I found a little strange. The digital watch that shows up as the screen saver gives the handset a rather edgy look.

The 'Samsung Marine' (B2100), Samsung's first outdoor phone has been launched in the Indian market.

"Samsung Marine is the perfect companion for consumers who enjoy active outdoor activities," said Mr Sunil Dutt , Country Head ,submersible mobile Division. Encased in anti-shock urethane material, the 'Samsung Marine' is built to withstand the bumps, bangs, scrapes and even withstand dust and water. Featuring the IP57 certification, the phone provides perfect outdoor mobile experiences while supporting dust protection and water protection (under up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes). 'Samsung Marine' is adaptable for even the toughest environment – including rain, fog, humidity, sand and extremely hot and cold temperatures, etc. – and is tested under specifications defined by the US Department of Defence with Military Standard 810F (MIL-STD-810F).

Samsung 'Marine' is equipped with external speakers, noise cancellation, a flash light, built-in camera, camcorder, FM radio, a music player and expandable memory (up to 8GB). The Samsung Marine is available in a choice of red and green colors and is priced at Rs. 7,030.