Slashdot Mirror

This is old news in Japan. It was announced back in June:

http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=888

But for those of us in the west, there's news, too, such as Nokia yesterday announcing a faceplate accessory that adds this feature to one of their phones:

http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=994

And Motorola recently announcing a U.S. trial of this technology together with MasterCard:

http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=973

Don't confuse this new NFC-based technology with passive technology like the gas-station keychain things, or touch-based transit passes, campus ID cards, etc. This is different, because it's active and dyanamic - it's integrated with the phone.

That means it can serve multiple purposes. It can be your cash, credit card, debit card, bus pass, driver's license, and work ID all in one. Then you can download a Java app to the phone that will let it replace your grocery dicount card, too. It really can replace your whole wallet - not just a credit card. That's what's so cool about NFC systems like FeliCa.

I personally am happy to see a phone like this hit the states. When the new ericsson phones release we'll really see something interesting.

no. it doesn't support ev-do. i think you want the a780[phonescoop.com]. all the features of the 710 (1.3mp camera, mp3, flip, bt) PLUS quadband support, linux OS, ev-do support and a touchscreen (it's also a flip!).

of course, VZW probably wont carry it.

I have one; as many people mentioned, the tech is /great/ with a headset. Sadly, the current version of the phone appears to be pretty cripped, limited to DUN and headset -- my Palm T2 doesn't talk to it yet, though there are rumours of an upgraded f/w for the V710. The phone is also, compared to the GSM BT, a touch bulky, but not enough that it's an issue for me. YMMV. There's a HUGE discussion on this thing over at Phonescoop.

However, living in NM AND with a job that requires me be outside of Abq/SF/Las Cruces enough, I can't effectively use a GSM carrier. Combined with corporate choice of VZW as a carrier and the cheap in-network stuff, I'm just happy to get SOMETHING with BT.

And, as mentioned earlier, it's great just for the headset. At least, to an admitted gadget freak like wot I am.

Still happy with my Moto v710. It'll be super-sexy once they fix the bluetooth.
v710

This phone seems to do much the same, and looks a lot cooler to boot.

Face it - the cameras suck and the're next to no use for having a $hitty camera in your phone.

Camera phones won't be shitty for too much longer. There are a few 1+mp phones coming out this year that have CMOS sensors. These won't be much better than the current camera phones. However, LG will be releasing their vx8000 sometime by the end of this year and it has a 1.3mp CCD. You can see pictures taken with that phone here (WARNING: page contains ~14mb of pics). Sony-Ericsson is coming out with a 1.3mp CCD camera phone.

So saying that convergence sucks is only half right. It sucks in the early stages, but once it's matured it's quite a good thing. You just have to be patient.

Face it - the cameras suck and the're next to no use for having a $hitty camera in your phone.

Camera phones won't be shitty for too much longer. There are a few 1+mp phones coming out this year that have CMOS sensors. These won't be much better than the current camera phones. However, LG will be releasing their vx8000 sometime by the end of this year and it has a 1.3mp CCD. You can see pictures taken with that phone here (WARNING: page contains ~14mb of pics). Sony-Ericsson is coming out with a 1.3mp CCD camera phone.

So saying that convergence sucks is only half right. It sucks in the early stages, but once it's matured it's quite a good thing. You just have to be patient.

making it HUGGE (PDA phones? urg)

Hey..if they can make a Wireless phone/PDA/digicam/mp3 player that is the formfactor of my small Samsung flip phone, w/ a screen that somehow folds out to be the size of an Ipaq, a 3-4 megapixel cam, w/ a good DAC and mp3 decoding chipset...and also have very good battery life, doesn't weight a ton..I'd buy it...

They're really close. Samsung sph-i500 is a Wireless phone/PDA/digicam/mp3 player. Runs PalmOS and has an SDIO slot. By the time it's actually available in the USA (lazy-ass Sprint -- grrrr), multi-GB SD cards should be cheap, so it should be comparable to the Flash-based MP3 players. As other posters note, the camera quality will still be lame, but it's great to have a camera with you 24x7.

That leaves a better screen. I don't see a fold-out screen coming any time soon. I'd rather have a cyborg-style floating "eyepiece" display, but Microvision has promised one for over a decade.

there is no money in it for them when their customers can transfer mp3s from their PC's to their phones, and seeing that the phone manufacturers sell their phones to the Telco's (and not end users) the Telco's have significantly more control over the functionality (and therefore dysfunctionality) of phone devices than Microsoft will ever have in the PC world.

Indeed. I bought the kick-ass Sanyo SCP 5500 (Sprint's VM4500) phone with camera, video, ringtones, organizer, etc. for my SO. It's a fabulous phone for only $179 with rebates on a 2-year plan.

Sprint really really wants you to pay $15+/month for PCS Vision where you pay them for picture and video mail, and buy your ringtones and games from them. It's convenient and you can see Sprint PCS wanting to be like .mac for your phone, but the fees add up.

Meanwhile, in theory the phone is expandable. So you can go to Radio Shack and buy a USB cable, and then go to FutureDial and buy SnapSync and SnapMedia, and jack your phone into your PC, and transfer your contacts, pictures, and ring tones. In practice you've just spent more than the phone cost you to get some poorly-written Windows-only software with all kinds of limitations. Likewise, this phone runs Java so in theory you can download your own MIDlets. In practice, I've yet to figure out how, and Sprint has no interest in telling me. As the parent posted, this situation is exactly how the telco wants it. Premium phones have the checkboxes for PC connectivity and Java, but in practice it's so painful most users will pay Sprint for their easy service, and Sprint only has to support a closed device.

I think the telcos' self-serving focus will actually save the PDA-phone market. If you buy a Treo 600 or a Samsung sph-i500, it is going to sync fine with your PC out of the box, and you can easily install third-party Palm software like media players, e-book readers, etc. But that expandability, media access, and user control makes PDA-phones a lot less appealing to telcos. Maybe that's why Sprint is dragging their feet on the greatest (for me) PDA-phone-camera-music player with SDIO expansion yet made, the Samsung sph-i550: announced in 2003, approved by the FCC early in 2004, but Sprint won't sell it in the USA until 2005.

Maybe ./ needs a Motorola logo...

Surprised no one mentioned the new V3 nor the A780.

Maybe ./ needs a Motorola logo...

Surprised no one mentioned the new V3 nor the A780.

http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=529

Well, I was IRC'ing on my phone back a few years ago using T9 over CDPD on ATT Wireless.

Now I'm playing with UMTS A845 Motorola phone in Seattle, bigger screen, just waiting fo the SSH client or a new updated IRC client. Thing has 64 megs, just need an SDK to compile IRC.

BTW, Wonder if my ISP will hate me for that link.. :)

If you want a cell phone that can go all over the world, check out the Motorola v400 and v600. They're a bit pricey, but if you want the ability to use it around the world (although you will have to work something out with a provider in each region), they're the best. (Unless you want to get one of those sattelite phones.. but that's just crazy unless you're going to be climbing a mountain.) If you don't like those, just look around for Quad-Band GSM phones.

If you want a cell phone that can go all over the world, check out the Motorola v400 and v600. They're a bit pricey, but if you want the ability to use it around the world (although you will have to work something out with a provider in each region), they're the best. (Unless you want to get one of those sattelite phones.. but that's just crazy unless you're going to be climbing a mountain.) If you don't like those, just look around for Quad-Band GSM phones.

I was going to suggest something like this. If you are traveling to a GSM region and are planning on bringing a cell phone anyway, you should really check out phones with keyboards. Most have note apps. Other possibilities (check regions! don't all use same freqs) can be found via Phonescoop (some CDMA included).

Many of these have reasonably decent keyboards. I've seen people hit pretty good WPMs with just their thumbs. Not listed are the Nokia Communicators (9xxx series, sample). They tend to have larger keyboards where touch typing may be possible.

Remember, it may not matter if you can get data connectivity or not. In reality all you seem to care about is text storage. The ability to mail yourself (or a blog) notes is nice though in case something happens to the device.

Let's link to the article again!

http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=853

Well, as it's probably well known, I am a radio shack store manager... and in my store, the sprint phones are dummies attached to a cabinet type display, with real ones locked inside my glass cubes at the counter. The verizon display is currently live phones attached toa cabinet type display, but as soon as Verizon can get dummies for all their phones, I am going the same route that I have gone with Sprint.

If little punk bastards wouldn't steal things that don't belong to them, we wouldn't have to have dummies :(

The website I use for all cell phone model information:

phonescoop.com

I have noticed in the past that some smaller independent dealers will let you play with the phones.

Good luck

EV-DO is data only.

There are supposedly CDMA Bluetooth phones on the way, but it's not necessarily likely that the EV-DO network will be available on said phones because it doesn't contribute to the phone's essential platonic phone-ness.

Wait another year or so when the 1xEV-DV rollout happens and then there'll be some neat choices.

Haven't you heard about the potentially upcomming V710 from Motorola?

The big thing about EV-DO is that it's data-only, with no voice network with it. So the assumption is you just buy an EV-DO card and use that.

The other problem is that Bluetooth is unfairly been victimized by wifi hype and, at the same time, not yet been done "right" in such a way that it becomes a must-have feature.

As far as I know, there are still no quadband phones (800MHz/850MHz/1800MHz/1900MHz), although I'm sure that that will be simply a matter of time. Those would be the ultimate roaming phones for frequent transatlantic travellers. :-)

Motorola V600 is quad-band. Of course, it goes for about $750 right now...

I asked the same questions a short while back on a different cell phone related slashdot article, and mkop kindly pointed me to this site....

PhoneScoop is a good source for wireless phone news, all Nextel phones are iDEN/TDMA, manufactured exclusively by Motorola.

Verizon also does not offer a Bluetooth phone, and Sony-Ericsson has stopped making CDMA phones.

I don't miss any extra buttons.

I would prefer a dock for the mouse with a rechargeable battery

I will miss the USB ports on the keyboard, especially for connecting my camera or my JumpDrive.

That being said, I'll probably be getting them anyway.

I was disappointed that Jobs didn't introduce the iTMS for Europe at Expo.

I thought the c331t was a TDMA and analog only phone. Phonescoop has more details. It looks like a cool phone though, so it would be cool if they offered it in a GAIT model!

At $600 for a PHONE - nobody gives a damn.

If you really want to waste your money, the Samsung SPH-i500 looks much nicer than this new Treo.

The only decently priced cell data network may finally someday get a Bluetooth phone. Me wantee.

T608

We need more cell phones that run Palm OS like the SPH-i500 it's the size of a normal phone but with all the palm stuff built in

Of course the SPH-i600 would kick it's ass, but I don't think that will ever make it to market

I'm very happy with the Kyocera,
the new smartphone from Verizon

IMHO it's worth time looking at individual apps
on wireless PDA sites like Handango.
The right apps that fit your needs can make
a huge difference in your satisfaction.

Cheers, Joel

Phone Details: http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=228

One of his major gripes with the service is the lack of Bluetooth phones. I read on PhoneScoop that Sprint PCS is going to start selling a Bluetooth enabled wireless phone very soon, in about May or so. The phone will be the Sony-Ericson T608, which is one hell of a phone, running the Symbian OS.

The only difference between this phone and the T610 that was featured earlier on Slashdot is that this phone doesn't have a built in camera. Not a big deal for me. I'm looking forward to having Bluetooth wireless data and synchronization with a Powerbook would be the shit!

Verizon (and Sprint) uses a different network standard (called CDMA) than AT&T (and Cingular/T-Mobile) do (GSM). To avoid a vi/emacs level flame war, let's not discuss which one is better :-)

There is a model very similiar that is coming out for Sprint (and other CDMA providers). It looks the same, but it doesn't include the built in Camera. It does have bluetooth, though. It is called the T608.

Verizon has quasi-announced that they aren't going to be supporting any new bluetooth phones, until they can charge for the data transfered between the phone and the external device (according to a Verizon Insider on HowardForums.) They get there own version of this phone called the T606, which supports BREW, but does not have the built in camera or bluetooth support.

If you go to Phone Scoop, they have pretty informative pieces on each of these phones...plus a giant preview of all of Sony Ericssons new phones!

the samsung i500 here Is a full palm pda + phone, and barely larger than my a500. if you want small, it seems to be the one to beat in 2q when it comes out.

To each his own -- I swear by clamshell designs. More compact, lower SAR, better conformance to face.

The Samsung SPH-i500 (announced last week for SprintPCS) is smaller in four dimensions (including weight), does AMPS, and has an integrated 16MB Palm 4 PDA. I am going NUTS waiting for it to appear locally so I can finally get a good look at it. I was very disappointed when I finally saw the Treo -- there's no way I could have one of those big flat things on my belt all day long.

Try GAIT phones. They are phones that support GSM + TDMA (and therefore AMPS also). What GSM/TDMA frequencies they support depends on model.

GAIT phones were created so that Cingular and AT&T have a smoother migration path to GSM/GPRS for their TDMA markets.

Here are a few GAIT phones I know of:

• Nokia 6340i
• Sony-Ericsson T62u
• Siemens S46

FYI, here in the US we use GSM1900, TDMA800 and TDMA1900. TDMA isn't widely used outside of North America bcause TMDA800 is basically Digital AMPS. Hence most TDMA phones should support AMPS also.

The rest of the world use GSM900 and GSM1800. There soon will be GSM850 available globally, which allow GSM850-compatible phones be used worldwide. Though I'm not sure if a GSM800(US) or GSM900(non-US) phone can use the GSM850 band.

Try GAIT phones. They are phones that support GSM + TDMA (and therefore AMPS also). What GSM/TDMA frequencies they support depends on model.

GAIT phones were created so that Cingular and AT&T have a smoother migration path to GSM/GPRS for their TDMA markets.

Here are a few GAIT phones I know of:

• Nokia 6340i
• Sony-Ericsson T62u
• Siemens S46

FYI, here in the US we use GSM1900, TDMA800 and TDMA1900. TDMA isn't widely used outside of North America bcause TMDA800 is basically Digital AMPS. Hence most TDMA phones should support AMPS also.

The rest of the world use GSM900 and GSM1800. There soon will be GSM850 available globally, which allow GSM850-compatible phones be used worldwide. Though I'm not sure if a GSM800(US) or GSM900(non-US) phone can use the GSM850 band.

Try GAIT phones. They are phones that support GSM + TDMA (and therefore AMPS also). What GSM/TDMA frequencies they support depends on model.

GAIT phones were created so that Cingular and AT&T have a smoother migration path to GSM/GPRS for their TDMA markets.

Here are a few GAIT phones I know of:

• Nokia 6340i
• Sony-Ericsson T62u
• Siemens S46

FYI, here in the US we use GSM1900, TDMA800 and TDMA1900. TDMA isn't widely used outside of North America bcause TMDA800 is basically Digital AMPS. Hence most TDMA phones should support AMPS also.

The rest of the world use GSM900 and GSM1800. There soon will be GSM850 available globally, which allow GSM850-compatible phones be used worldwide. Though I'm not sure if a GSM800(US) or GSM900(non-US) phone can use the GSM850 band.

Here is the page on the FCC website on the approval of the device.

https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/oet/ forms/reports/Search_Form.hts?fetchfrom=0&form=Gen eric_Search&mode=edit&show_records=50&grantee_code =QHO&product_code=HPN1600

The relevent PhoneScoop page is here: http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=179

Photos, a users guide, and other information is avalible.

The story is not great right now for US based developers, though it should get better soon.

Nextel is clearly the leading carrier for deploying Java apps (world-leading, arguably), but they do make developers jump through hoops and their data charges are substantial (plans from $13/month for 175 kb to $55/month for unlimited). Nextel is strongly tied to Motorola, who make the only compatible handsets and own a big chunk of the company, so they've been fortunate to get early access to Mot's Java initiative.

Sprint will be launching J2ME as part of their 3G lite rollout this summer, but at this point the only Java capable handsets they sell are the Kyocera and Samsung PalmOS smartphones. (Yes, any recent PalmOS device can run J2ME midlets, but they have to first be converted to .prc files using a utility that comes with Sun's J2ME toolkit.) Several manufacturers of CDMA phones have shown Java capability and Sprint should certainly be releasing an assortment of handsets from them, but so far they're being cagey about the details.

As for GSM at 1900MHz (Voicestream and parts of AT&T and Cingular), things are also bleak now, but look good for the near future. According to PhoneScoop, a number of Java-capable GSM handsets should be released in the US in 2002 from Motorola, SonyEricsson, Nokia and Samsung. Even if the US carriers don't sell the phones themselves, many of these new phones are triband, so you can be sure industrious folks will import them from Europe for sale here.

All these manufacturers and carriers have their own developer's programs, and will usually offer Q&A forums and tool downloads for a free registration, usually at "http://developer.companyname.com".

And yes, mobile gaming is quite the coming craze. To find out more about that, I'd humbly suggest a site I'm a part of, Wireless Gaming Review. We've got reviews, interviews and discussions of what's here and what's coming to wireless games. There are a number of active developers on the boards there who should be able answer your questions with more real-world experience.

-cashman