Mobile Phone Deals, Latest Mobile Phone News and Reviews

The ROKR E8 is the latest mobile phone/media player from Motorola and ticks all the right boxes when it comes to media playback on a mobile phone.

The candy bar shaped ROKR E8 comes with ModeShift technology that switches the device from a phone to a media player and to a camera with a touch of a button. The phone also features a navigation wheel for scrolling through your music, contacts and images effortlessly.

The ROKR E8 includes 2GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot to add an additional 4GB if required. The media player supports the usual audio formats like MP3, AAC, WAV and WMA and has a 3.5mm headphone jack and A2DP stereo Bluetooth for connecting to wireless speakers.

Being a small device, the ROKR E8 has a 2 inch QVGA screen and only weights 100 grams.

Probably the biggest drawbacks of the phone are that it only has a 2 megapixel camera with no flash and the phone lacks Wi-Fi and 3G, which is becoming more and more popular with other manufacturers.

The Motorola ROKR E8 is out now and contracts and prices vary.

A recent survey into how much mobile phone user’s pay has reported the users are overpaying by a whopping £8 billion a year. This is due to people not checking the terms and conditions of their packages and not shopping around for the best deal to suit their needs.

There are a number of ways that you can cut the cost of your phone bills, and the first thing to do is look at how often you use your phone and for what e.g. calls, texts or internet. Once you have figured out how often you use your phone you can then decide whether to have a pay as you go mobile or a monthly contract.

There are advantages and disadvantages of both agreements. The advantages of pay as you go are that you only pay for what you use, and you are not fixed to a contract. The disadvantages are that the minutes and texts you use can be more expensive than a monthly contract, you have to top up the credit when you run out and a handset is not provided so you have to buy one yourself.

The plus points of having a pay monthly contract are that you get minutes and texts bundled in, you will always be able to use your phone as the credit never runs out and the handset is heavily subsidised or free. There are some disadvantages though; you have a fixed contract for 12 or 18 months and minutes and texts that you don’t use, you still paid for.

Searching around is still the best way of finding the deal to suit you, as different networks offer totally different packages.

The new Samsung Innov8 smartphone is one of the most advanced phones that Samsung has ever made and sports a huge 8 megapixel camera. This Symbian based smartphone also features Wi-Fi and GPS, as well as an advanced media player, with a host of other features designed to rival the Nokia N96 and N95.

The Innov8 phone has an 8 megapixel camera with a host of features lifted straight out of Samsung’s digital camera range like, autofocus and dual LED flash, face recognition and image stabiliser with built in image editing software.

The screen is a 2.8 inch QVGA display capable of displaying up to 16 million colours and supports Divx, WMV, H.263 and H.264 video files and MP3, ACC and WMA audio playback. Internal memory is rumoured to be either 8GB or 16GB depending on the version and can be upgraded with the microSD card slot by another 16GB.

Controlling the Innov8 is the Symbian S60 operating system, offering lots of applications and customisation and the phone also has Bluetooth and USB 2.0 connectivity.

The Samsung Innov8 is due for release in August; no price or network information yet, but expect it to have a similar price and contract as the Nokia N96.

The W902 is Sony Ericsson’s newest phone in the hugely popular Walkman mobile phone range. The internal memory is only 25MB but can be upgraded to 8GB through the Memory Stick Micro card slot so you can store up to 8000 of your favourite songs.

The W902 also features a 2.2 inch display and a 5 megapixel camera, which is ideal for taking pictures on the move. The W902 features the same audio system as the W980 which includes, track recognition, mood based playlists, shake control and an eight band graphic equaliser.

This quad-band phone has HSDPA support for high speed 3.5G downloads and all this in a device that only weights 100 grams. The phone will be available in three colours black, wine red and earth green but this may depend on which market and network you are on.

The W902 is bundled with Sony’s HPM-77 headphones so you can have quality music on the move.

The Sony Ericsson W902 is due out in the last quarter of 2008, prices and networks are yet to be confirmed.

Budget airline company Ryanair are set to trail a system that would allow mobile phones to be used on their flights. The announcement comes despite a strong public opinion against the use of mobile phones on aeroplanes.

During recent surveys a staggering 86% of British travellers were against the introduction of mobile phone use during flights, in spite of this the airline is still planning the trail. Ryanair are not alone in looking at mobile phone use on aircraft with Emirates, BMI, Air France and SAS also contemplating their own systems.

The trail is set to begin in the middle of August, and if successful Ryanair plan to have all their aircraft fitted with the system within six months. The European Commission and Ofcom have both approved the system, while American Authorities are blocking the idea.

Nokia have announced that the eagerly awaited N96 smart phone will be available in the UK from August. This will be Nokia’s flagship phone and boasts a host of features to rival Apple and Sony Ericsson’s new offerings.

The N96 has a 2.8 inch QVGA screen able to display up to 16 million colours, 16GB internal memory with microSD card slot that can take up to another 16GB (with both installed that’s an impressive 32GB!) and features a built in DVB-H TV receiver.

The Nokia N96 has Symbian’s new operating system S60 at the helm and features HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity for web browsing and EGPRS and GPRS for fast data transmission. Also included are Bluetooth capabilities, USB cable for transferring data, a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and a second front mounted camera for video calling.

Available from August; networks and price are to be confirmed.

Mobile phone dealers are condemning network operator Orange over its conduct towards customers when they try to leave the network.

The dealers claim that they have had a number of complaints from customers who have waited up to a month to be given their PAC code; the code is used to transfer your mobile number to another network. This means that the customer will have to pay for an extra month with Orange.

Customers have also complained that when they ask for their PAC code they receive additional calls from Orange sales staff, who try to hound them into staying with the network.

Orange have stated that they try to issue PAC codes within two days, which the dealers dismiss as more and more customers are being frustrated at having to wait for long periods of time.

A recent survey found that Vodafone and O2 typically send out their PAC codes in four or five days, whereas T-mobile and 3 issue them right away.

LG have announced the UK launch of the KS360 is to be in August on the O2 and Orange networks. The LG KS360 will be available in three colours, titanium and light blue, white and soft pink and black and red.

The Ks360 is predominantly designed for a younger audience with its biggest selling point being ‘messaging on the move’. The KS360 has a sliding QWERTY keyboard and users can either send SMS, IM or emails together with the ability to access social networking websites.

The 2.4 inch QVGA screen is touch sensitive and can be used to dial numbers instead of using the keyboard. The KS360 also sports a 2 megapixel camera and plays audio and video files; a MicroSD card slot is also included which can take up to 4GB. Bluetooth and USB connections are also included. The device is just 16.8mm thick, so it will easily fit into a pocket or handbag.

The KS360 will be available in August on pay monthly contracts from O2 and Orange.

We’ve all heard about sleepwalking, sleep driving and even sleep eating but there is a new phenomenon sweeping through the younger generation – sleep texting. Mobile phone users are reporting on message boards and blogs worldwide, that they are texting friends and family when they are asleep.

Some sleep experts believe this phenomenon is a sign of the times, with the younger generation relying on text messages more and more for communication. Some disagree on whether the individuals are theoretically asleep when they send the message, with many experts having never heard of the condition.

Dr. Ron Kramer, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine believes it is perfectly plausible, stating that “texting for the younger generation is probably as ingrained as driving is for older people.”

An independent survey examined technology use between three age groups, and found that the under 30’s spent an average of 2 hours a day texting. Nearly 25% of teenagers that are in a relationship text message their partner between midnight and 5 a.m. on a regular basis according to a survey by Teenage Research Unlimited.

The jury is still out as to whether ‘sleep texting’ will become a recognised condition like sleepwalking, but it’s a great excuse to use if you ever send some dodgy late night text messages.

Sony Ericsson is set to release their first Cyber-shot slider and the most advanced mobile phone camera to date. The C905 has an 8.1 megapixel camera and Xenon flash and delivers the picture quality that rivals a standalone digital camera. The C905’ camera also features face detection, auto-focus and a contrast and image stabilizer.

This is a powerhouse of a phone featuring HSDPA and Wi-Fi for broadband-like internet speed, built in A-GPS for finding your way around and has DLNA support, allowing the phone to be connected wirelessly to other devices.

The Sony Ericsson C905 has 160MB of internal memory and a Memory Stick Micro card slot which can take up to 8GB. The Sony Ericsson website states that a 2GB memory card will come as standard with the headset.

The C905 also has all the features you would expect from a new mobile phone like an audio and video player supporting a range of different formats, USB lead for fast transfer of files and various quick keys for switching to camera mode and for playing audio and video files.

No word on release date or price yet, but expect the C905 to hit the shops sometime in Q4 of this year.