The Android G2 meets the world - this time for real

Today two real pictures of the Android-powered G2 leaked online. It seems that the upcoming handset will be thinner and with no physical keyboard. It's not quite sure if it will be branded by T-Mobile, but the HTC involvement is without a doubt.

It looks like the G2 features pretty much the same display and camera as the G1.

Update: The rumored G2 on those images is most clearly the HTC Sapphire as presented at the bottom of the previously leaked HTC 2009 roadmap. So as it's evident, it will be available through both T-Mobile and Vodafone.

T-Mobile G2

The Android G2 is a lot thinner thanks to the removed physical keyboard. The design reminds more of Touch 3G and Touch Viva than its predecessor - T-Mobile G1.

The rumors point May 2009 as the launch time but if you are into QWERTY, you have a go at the G1, which should be available in many European countries by the end of the month.

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Nokia 5730 XpressMusic leaks, QWERTY meets the music familyNokia 5730 XpressMusic leaks, QWERTY meets the music family

Photos of a new member of the music-minded family of Nokia handsets leaked today. The yet unannounced Nokia 5730 XpressMusic comes in the side-slide form factor which seems to be gaining popularity in Nokia's portfolio quite quickly. The specs sheet on the device spells mid-range all over but a QWERTY-enabled XpressMusic handset isn't something we see everyday.

True to its XpressMusic nature, the Nokia 5730 will try to attract its customers with an affordable price tag and distinct youthful design rather than some out-of-this-world functionality. Running on the Symbian S60 UI the handset will use its non-touch-enabled 3rd edition rather than the latest reincarnation we saw on the 5800 XpressMusic.

In addition to the four row slide-out full QWERTY keyboard the Nokia 5730 XpressMusic will feature a 2" 16M color QVGA display, built-in GPS receiver, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Some of the other extras include FM radio, a 3.2 Megapixel snapper with Carl Zeiss lens and 3G with video-call support.

Nokia 5730 XpressMusic

The Nokia 5730 XpressMusic will have 128 MB of RAM and up to 140 MB of internal storage memory but there is yet no information of its CPU. There will also be an 8GB memory card included in the retail package.

According to Mobile-review.com, who actually got the phone for a preview, Nokia 5730 XpressMusic is expected to hit the shelves in April with an estimated retail price of 220 euro.

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After the N79 Active here comes the N79 Eco. What’s next?

The nice looking Petrol Black version of Nokia N79 appeared today on the Nokia UK store web page. It's available in a so-called Nokia N79 Eco pack. What makes it “Eco” is the lack of a charger. While that sounds like a strange lind of eco-friendly initiative, it actually isn't.

When there's no charger in the box the package can be much smaller. That means less paper and water wasted, fewer trucks for all Nokia products to be delivered worldwide needed and millions of euro saved (of course there's an economical side of the ecology). Plus re-using your older Nokia charger, saves some recycling expenses.

Nokia stated that in nearly two years they have sold 250 million phones in small packages (all lower to midrange ones) and saved 15 000 tones of packaging material, 100 000 cubic meters of water and avoided 5000 truck journeys as more phones fitted in each truck.

Check out those articles (here and there). They are quite a read.

In fact, there's something else and it is important, too. The sum of 4 GBP (around 4.5 euro or 6 USD) of the 319 GBP paid for every Nokia N79 Eco will be donated to the WWF.

The price of the eco-friendly N79 is not much different from that of the regular Nokia N79, but the extra cool Petrol Black color is pretty much worth it by our books plus there's a nice eco campaign involved. Who needs another charger anyway?

The Nokia N79 Eco is now available (for online pre-order, though).

HTC Touch HD

The Touch HD is a wonderful looking 3G Smartphone which comes in a sleek black coloured casing. The Touch HD has a smooth & stylish casing which displays a huge touch screen which allows the user to view high quality images & video as well as input feature selections, text, numbers & basically guide their way through the Smartphone's many features. The touch screen is a massive 3.8 Inch screen when measured diagonally which provides a 480 pixel by 800 pixel display on a WVGA flat LCD touch screen. The touch screen also supports a TouchFLO™ 3D user interface which allows the user to make on screen selections by the user using finger controls & gestures to control their feature selections. The HTC Touch HD comes with an auto rotate screen function which allows the user to enjoy a wide screen viewing experience on their Smartphone. The user can access the call keys, home key & back key which are situated just below the screen for easy to reach access. The casing measures 62.8mm wide by 115mm tall by 12mm deep & weighs a total of 147 grams including the battery.

The HTC Touch HD deserves its HD name as it comes with the highest clarity video playback & a movie type screen experience which is beautiful to see on a portable handset. The user can enjoy a real feel video experience in cinema quality on the 3.8 Inch touch screen. The HTC Touch HD supports video playback as well as a video recording function through the built in camera. The five megapixel digital camera feature which supports an auto focus function which allows the user to capture a beautifully clear shot each time the camera feature is used. The user can store all their pictures in the photo album which allows the user to access & scroll through pictures using the touch screen controls. The user can view their favourite pictures as a slide show presentation & sit back & enjoy the show. The Touch HD has a second camera which is used when the user wishes to take part in a two way 3G video call. The second camera is a VGA camera which has a lens located on the front of the screen. The 3G video call allows the user to view their contact on the large coloured touch screen whilst the VGA camera records the users expressions & surroundings which can be viewed on the contacts own screen. 3G video calling has become a fun way to enjoy a face to face chat with others which is thanks to the Smartphone's built in 3G HSDPA technology. A 3G video call can be shared between 3G video calling compatible contacts.

This sophisticated 3G Smartphone comes with a Qualcomm® MSM processor complete with a Windows Mobile 6.1 professional® operating system. The built in 3G HSDPA technology provides high speed transfer rates, super fast Internet connectivity & multitasking skills on the Touch HD. The user can enjoy download speed up to 7.2 megabytes per second on a HSDPA network. The Wi-Fi® wireless connection technology allows the user to connect their handset to the Internet wirelessly to either a nearby hotspot or a local WLAN Wi-Fi® connection point. A mini USB port allows the user to use a USB cable to connect their Smartphone to other compatible devices such as the user's PC, laptop, printer & more. The user can also use Bluetooth® wireless connectivity to connect the HTC Touch HD to other devices using a wireless connection when the devices are up to ten meters apart. The EDGE technology allows the user to enjoy high speed transfer rates when the user needs to transfer files between the Smartphone & other devices. The Touch HD comes with five hundred & twelve megabytes of ROM memory, two hundred & eighty eight megabytes of RAM memory & the user can add a memory card in the form of a MicroSD™ memory card. The battery is a rechargeable battery which when fully charged can provide up to eight hours of GSM talk time or up to four hundred & forty hours of GSM standby time.

A built in Web browser provides the user with the perfect tool to access their favourite websites. The browser is a HTML Web browser complete with a Google search facility which allows the user to access websites such as YouTube™. The Web browser is accessible from the Smartphone's main menu & the user can glide through Websites using the smooth to operate touch screen controls. The HTC Touch HD comes with a mobile email service which supports email document attachments. The user can use this mobile email service & manage it just the same way the user would do with their home or office PC. The instant messaging service allows the user to communicate with other compatible contacts that are online at the same time as the user using text to instantly communicate with others. The HTC Touch HD supports both SMS text messaging & MMS multimedia messaging which allows the user to create, send, receive & manage their messages on their handset. The 3G Smartphone covers a GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900 & HSDPA 2100 network.

A built in FM radio feature complete with a radio data system which allows the user to listen to their favourite radio station whilst reading information on the large touch screen. The HTC Touch HD comes with a built in music player which comes with easy to use touch screen controls & the user can create playlists & enjoy their favourite tracks whenever they want to. A built in microphone & speaker feature allows the user to record sound & hear sound out loud. The handset comes with a 3.5mm audio jack which allows the user to insert a set of compatible headphones to their Smartphone for a personal listening experience. The user can view up to date weather reports & five day forecast on their handset using the HTC weather feature. The user can get directions to new locations & view satellite maps using the GPS & assisted GPS navigation feature which supports Google maps. The user can view their routes & destinations on the large 3.8 Inch colour screen which turns the HTC Touch HD into an easy to view navigation system.

The new Nokia N79 Active pack just screams sports

Last month we saw the first leaks about the new wireless Polar heart monitor made for Nokia mobile phones. Well, now it’s official. And it comes in the company of Nokia N79 through a special retail combo.

The Polar WearLink Bluetooth heart rate belt allows you to monitor your heart rate while practicing so you can improve the way you train by staying focused on your training goals.

While you're training you can listen to the music stored on the 4 GB microSD card you'll find enclosed in the Nokia N79 Active pack. There will also be a pair of sports headphones and an armband which should make the Nokia N79 easier to wear while jogging.

At the same time you can monitor your heart rate using the handset, again, and see if you need to step up or if it's time for a little brake.

An updated version of the Nokia Sports Tracker application is expected to become available by the time the Nokia N79 Active hits the shelves (release time still unknown). The Sports Tracker allows keeping and sharing your workout records or favorite routes.

Nokia N79 Active

We still remember the first cooperation between the two Finn companies - Nokia and Polar. Back in 2004 they introduced the Polar S625X Running Computer and Polar S725 Cycling Monitor for Nokia 5140.

The Nokia N79 Active will only be available in select markets for an estimated price of 375 EUR before taxes and subsides.

And while you're waiting for the new Nokia N79 Active to arrive at the nearest store, you can check out our Nokia N79 review.

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News HTC Touch Viva gets a T-Mobile tattoo, dubbed as MDA Basic

T-Mobile Germany have just announced the newest handset in their product line. What we have here is the MDA Basic (an HTC Touch Viva under disguise). The sweet thing about it is the rather "basic" price of 4.95 euro with a 2-year contract (a pre-paid pack is also expected but a bit later).

The MDA Basic is introduced as an entry level Windows Mobile smartphone however it offers quite a colorful pack of features, which will be appreciated not only by the newbies to the smartphone world.

Just like the HTC Touch Viva, the MDA Basic comes with a 2.8" QVGA touch screen and runs on the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. The processor is maybe the only reason for grumbling as it the (only) 200MHz TI OMAP 850. But obviously HTC have equipped the device with such an elderly CPU having in mind especially those tight budget occasions.

Fortunately, there's enough RAM (128 MB). The built-in memory tops at 256 MB but you can add up to 4GB more using a microSD card.

Other eye-catching feature is Wi-Fi, EDGE (nope, no 3G on board) and Bluetooth support followed by the 2-megapixel fixed focus snapper. The preinstalled document viewer/editor is also worth mentioning.

Luckily, there is also the well known TouchFLO UI but only in its 2D reincarnation.

MDA Basic will appear on the shelves of T-Mobile's stores at the beginning of next month.