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CNBC SPECIAL REPORT: COMMUNICASIA 2008

 

Current DateTime: 03:25:39 08 Jan 2009
LinksList Documentid: 25269697
| 19 Jun 2008 | 02:30 AM ET
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At CommunicAsia 2008 in Singapore, CNBC got hands-on with the hottest upcoming mobiles and smartphones, such as the Samsung Omnia, LG Secret and others from Nokia and Sony Ericsson. Touch screens, integrated GPS, clean designs and sleek user interfaces are prevalent in the upcoming wave of handsets, as industry veterans prepare for the imminent release of the new 3G Apple iPhone, which will offer faster data access than the first model released last year -- and at a lower price point.

Touted as a rival to the Apple iPhone, the Samsung Omnia claims to be an ''all-in-one'' device that fulfills a user's every wish. Its 3.2-inch touch screen auto-rotates between landscape and portrait, and the Omnia serves as a 5-megapixel camera also. The handset features an innovative ''TouchWiz'' user interface, allowing intuitive tap, gesture and drag-and-drop operations. The Omnia will retail for US$800.

LG's latest handset from its premium Black Label Series is the LG Secret -- also known as the KF750. This 11.8mm slider is one of the thinnest available and its case is made of premium carbon fiber -- a material known for its lightness and strength. The Secret's screen is touch-sensitive in certain areas. It can access HSDPA 3G networks at speeds up to 3.6Mbps. And in addition to 5-megapixel photographs, it can record movies at a blazing 120 frames per second in the popular DivX video format.

At first glance, this handset can be mistaken easily for a quality point-and-shoot digital camera. In fact, the 5-megapixel LG KU990R Viewty is made for snapshot fanatics, with features like manual- and auto-focus, flash and image stabilization. Users also can edit their photos directly on the phone, with its 3-inch display. YouTube fanatics will love the direct-upload feature included -- however, the lack of Wi-Fi seems to be a serious omission for this high-end mobile.

A concept phone that would make ''Q'' proud: LG eliminated the number pad and instead included sophisticated voice-recognition technology into this prototype watch phone, allowing users to make calls and send text messages by speaking into the accompanying Bluetooth headset. The wearable phone has only three buttons, making it very user-friendly for 007 or Dick Tracy aspirants.

Why carry a wallet when you have a mobile? Osaifu-Keitai -- literally ''wallet mobile'' -- is a trademark of Japan's NTT DoCoMo. These handsets are integrated with ''smart'' radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, allowing them to be used as all-in-one payment tools, replacing one's bulging wallet with a swipe of the phone -- they can serve as ID cards, credit/debit cards, event and garage tickets, fast toll passes, transit cards and even electronic door keys for hotels.
Getting caught in the rain while talking on the phone doesn't have to be a serious problem anymore. The F705i handset from NTT DoCoMo is a slim flip-style phone that will continue to function in wet conditions. You can even wash the phone by swirling it around in shallow water. However, completely submerging the phone for a significant length of time is still unadvised.

Garmin's nuvifone represents a first: a GPS firm releasing a mobile phone, instead of the other way. As both a 3G phone and personal navigator, this device sports a 3.5-inch touch screen and a simple user interface with three main icons: 'Call,' 'Search,' and 'View Map.' Photos taken with the built-in camera can be ''geotagged'' with GPS data, so users can pinpoint exactly where they took their photos. Garmin also added online services typical of their GPS units: live traffic data, weather forecasts and news. Whether the GPS pioneer can produce a quality phone as well remains to be seen.

The Sony Ericsson C905 is the first slider phone in the popular Cybershot series and is one of the most advanced camera phones yet. Its 8.1-megapixel capability, auto focus and Xenon flash produce photos supposedly rivaling that of ''serious'' digital cameras. The C905 features a 2.4-inch scratch-resistant display and built-in GPS.

Sony Ericsson's F305 handset is made for gamers. Its ''Motion Gaming'' feature allows users to play games by flicking their wrists or swinging their arms for a truly interactive experience. Similar to Nintendo's Wii, its motion sensors detect arm and hand gestures and translates them to in-game activity. Battery life is listed for eight hours of gameplay, but the F305 also comes with a back-up PowerPack that can be jacked in for more game-playing juice.
Unveiled on the sidelines of CommunicAsia, at the 'Nokia Connection' media event, the Finnish handset-maker unveiled the latest in its E-series, which is targeted at business executives for messaging and one-touch email access. The E71 is a sleek successor to the E62 and E61i, which were both Blackberry-compatible. This latest model is slimmer and narrower than its predecessors, while still featuring a QWERTY key pad -- but slightly smaller screen. Rounding out its features are Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and network-assisted GPS.
Another new member of Nokia's E-series, the E66 is a slimmer successor to the E65 and is a slider with slightly more compact finish. This smartphone comes as feature-rich as Nokia's other new messaging handset, the E71, but is targeted less towards strictly business users -- it doesn't have a QWERTY key pad and offers customizable home screens for business or leisure usage.

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