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Nokia’s XpressMusic mobiles are known for their funky design and (obviously) for their musical capability. Of course, music isn’t everything when you’re considering buying a mobile phone; there are other features that should be given due importance. Does the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic measure up? Here are my findings. The 5310 is a well-designed mobile. It’s chic, slim, lightweight, and very easy to carry around and use. So much so that I had to keep checking my pockets to make sure it was still there. It has a 3.5mm earphone socket, a microUSB port, and the power key on the top. On one side is the charging port and on the other you’ll find the volume/zoom keys. Display is handled by a 2 inch TFT screen with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and 16 million colors.

On one side of the screen are three ‘quick keys’ to activate the music player. I really liked the keypad. Like most Nokia keypads, it’s easy to use and the smooth 5-way nav pad makes navigation a breeze. There’s a 2 megapixel camera at the back of the camera. As with the 6300, the 5310 too has a microSD slot on the side, only it’s under the rear panel. One thing I’d have appreciated was a dedicated ‘C’ key for deleting characters while composing an SMS. Since you have to use the key above the Call End button, you often end up closing the message.

Those of you who are also into audio will have surely heard of a big name in the biz – Mark Levinson. This audio equipment manufacturing company has teamed with LG mobiles and developed what they call the LG: the Rhapsody in Music. So it’s a long and odd name for a mobile phone, but according to the company it should speak for itself.

The most obvious fact about this device is that it of course should have a Kick-Ass music player. Other specs include Bluetooth (possible with A2DP) 1GB of internal memory and external memory support and a 2 megapixel camera. This LG slider also has a navigation wheel under its screen, so following in the footsteps of the and yes, the ever popular Apple iPod.

Sony Ericsson has launched the 8 GB touch screen W960i Walkman phone. With room for up to 8,000 songs and finger-touch navigation around playlists, the phone also has a 2.6″ display and a 3.2 megapixel camera. It can be hooked up to the Web using the 3G network or via a Wi-Fi access point. The W960i Walkman phone features a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus within its 16mm frame, and allows picture messaging, email or picture blogging.

It incorporates Sony Ericsson’s TrackID music recognition software, that lets users record a clip of a song on their phone and find out instantly the name of the artist, track and album. The W960i Walkman phone comes bundled with a stereo portable handsfree, is UMTS 2100-GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 and will be available in Vinyl Black for Rs. 28995

It would seem more and more mobiles are being designed for the common man with little luxuries such as color screens and integrated FM radios. Intex made an appearance in the mobile scene in a big way only recently, with devices that range from simple to loaded. The Flair is one of their base-model FM radio mobiles, and here’s what I found when I reviewed the device. This candybar mobile is simple in design and has a certain feel-good factor. The keys are really large and easy to use. The only problem I had was with the two top keys for the Menu and Phone Book – they seemed unusually hard and unresponsive at times. Then again, it could be a problem with just this particular handset.

The 1.5 inch CSTN display, which sports a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels and 65K colors, is decently clear and easy to read. The navigation joystick is not ergonomic – it’s a bit too embedded into the phone. Ideally I would have preferred a navigation pad. The 2.5mm earphone socket is located on one side, just above the volume control keys. On the other side is a key that appears to be a camera key – but the I-1107 has no camera! So it activates an LED bulb located at the rear of the handset, and acts as a torch. I can’t say the light is too bright, but in pitch darkness it’s definitely handy. I have to admit that having a dedicated key to activate the torch is a great idea. The charging port is located at the bottom.

At music business fair Midem, mobile phone manufacturer Sony Ericsson has announced partnerships with music labels for its PlayNow mobile download platform. According to a press release, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, EMI, The Orchard, IODA, The PocketGroup, Hungama, X5 Music, Bonnier Amigo and VidZone will together contribute a pool of around 5 million songs. PlayNow was launched in February 2004 as a platform for ringtone downloads. It has since been expanded and aims to launch as a comprehensive mobile music download station, PlayNow Arena, in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland in May of this year.

Further European countries are to follow later in the year. By the end of 2008, Sony Ericsson hopes to have the new service available in around 30 countries. Finnish competitor Nokia already has a mobile music download platform, currently available in the UK only. It is currently looking for further partners from the music industry and hopes to extend its services to other European countries in the coming months.

On Sunday, the world’s fourth mobile phone maker, Sony Ericsson, revealed a new smart cell phone, which uses motion control technology. Z555 can be silenced by a single wave of hand. And this is only one of the new mobile phone’s cool capabilities! For example, the motion control technology also allows users to activate the snooze function of their phone by waving across the device. Sony Ericsson launched Z555 and two other impressive cell phones with the occasion of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show’s news conference from Las Vegas. Excepting the tri-band Z555 model, which features also a music player, FM radio and a 1.3-megapixel camera, Sony Ericsson unveiled two new models for its Walkman music phone handset line-up, including the Walkman W760 model. The W760 mobile phone features satellite positioning technology, as well as mapping software from Google, which allows people to follow step by step directions to their different destinations.

Sony Ericsson announced that the Z555 flip cover mobile phone will be available in the first quarter of 2008; for the Walkman W760 model people will have to wait a little longer, until the second quarter of the year. Sony Ericsson’s Walkman branded music phones have been quite successful in the recent period. However, despite this fact, Sony Ericsson still trails Nokia, Samsung Electronics and Motorola in the global market for cell phones.

Samsung Electronics showcases its stylish line of high-fashion mobile phones at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show. These phones combine chic, sophisticated design with Samsung’s innovative mobile phone engineering to suit consumers who desire a phone that offers both style and the latest in advanced technology.

The Giorgio Armani-Samsung phone meets the needs of those who aspire to own technologically advanced device with which to communicate, as well as complete their lifestyle. Samsung, a market leader in consumer electronics, and Giorgio Armani, one of the world’s leading fashion and lifestyle companies, have come together to develop a mobile device that provides both elegant design and cutting edge technology. The size of a credit card and a mere 10.5 mm in thickness, the Giorgio Armani-Samsung phone is available in selected mobile phone stores and Giorgio Armani boutiques in major European countries, with plans for expansion to other markets in 2008.Giorgio Armani-Samsung Mobile Specifications Standard GPRS/Camera 3 Megapixel Camera Display 2.6″ QVGA TFT LCD (262K Colors) Multimedia H.263, AAC+/MP3/WMA, MPEG4, AAC, e-AAC+ Features Bluetooth(R) 2.0 / USB 2.0 high-speed/ MTP 2.0 Mobile Printing (BPP, PictBridge) micro SD(TM) external memory slot Bluetooth(R) Headset (A2DP) Full Touch Screen & Touch UI Size 87.5 x 54.5 x 10.5 mm.

 Anthropics, a British developer of visual messaging services, has announced that it is trialing its FacePlayer technology with network operators.FacePlayer enables users to send and receive realistic talking head animations as multimedia messages (MMS). The system uses advanced lip synchronisation technology to animate a face and have it speak aloud a string of text.Users will be able to download FacePlayer to a Nokia 7650 device and start sending messages immediately. Anthropics is working with a number of operators to have the capabilities installed as standard on smartphones.In a statement the company said: “FaceWave messaging is set to transform the way we communicate today - providing substantial new revenue opportunities for operators, advertisers, music and entertainment businesses, news and information services worldwide. Unlike other multimedia messaging applications, Anthropics’ FaceWave service produces perfect lip-synching, photo-realistic 2D characters, over low bandwidth and using low processing power. The Nokia 7650 trials reinforce Anthropics’ strategy to reach mass market on GSM, GPRS and 3G ’smart’ phones during the next six months.”

Some people don’t do much talking on their wireless telephones these days.”I text message probably more than I talk on the phone,” said Manalapan teenager Melanie Krutzel, 17, a senior at Communications High School in Wall. “I guess it is something I can do while I am doing a lot of other things.”Ocean Grove teen Jordan Whilden, 17, uses his cell phone to send text and picture messages to friends. “That is definitely, like, my main form of communication rather than calling people,” Whilden said. “You can just send it and be done.”Wireless carriers have noticed, putting out banks of phones for more than just talking. The ability to send a text is as standard as being able to dial a number.

Most phones also have some sort of Web browser. Now companies are plugging multimedia capabilities in their phones, such as listening to music, downloading videos or watching TV.”We have devices that can handle live television and movies and a variety of features, taking pictures, taking videos and sending them over the Internet,” said Jeff Kagan, an Atlanta-based telecommunications analyst. “We don’t see them talking about the quality of the call. The customers just assume there is an excellent quality call.”Now the customers are looking at all the other features.”Forget simple telephone dial pads.

This holiday season, Apple Inc. is putting its marketing behind the hot iPhone, which came out this summer and is offered through AT&T Inc. The now-iconic handset combines an iPod with a touch-screen cell phone capable of surfing the Web. Other wireless carriers followed. Recently, Verizon Wireless unveiled the Voyager by LG, a touch-screen phone with a full keyboard inside. A user can watch television on the phone, although the service is not available at the Jersey Shore.

Most consumers know that if they lose their wallet or purse, they should immediately cancel all their credit cards. But what do you do if your cell phone is lost or misplaced? Not acting quickly can cost thousands of dollars. KXAS-TV in Dallas reports an airline passenger who left his phone on the plane ended up with a bill for nearly $8,000 after the person who found his phone used it to download ringtones, music and other products.

The consumer didn’t report his lost phone because he received a call from someone who said they were with the airline, telling him it had been turned into lost and found. However, it turns out that call was not from the airline but from the person who found the phone and decided to keep it. The call was obviously designed as a stalling tactic.