The razr’s long history

Motorola RAZR V3

Screen Internal: 176×220 pixel (2.2inch) TFT LCD, 65,100 colors External: 96×80 pixel STN 4,096 colors
Ringtone MP3, Polyphonic – 24 Chords . Vibration
Memory 9.6 MB internal
Networks GSM Quad band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Connectivity GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbit/s; Bluetooth v1.2; USB
Battery 840 mAh Li-ion
Physical size 53 mm×98 mm×13 mm (2.1 x 3.9 x 0.54 inches)
Weight 125 g (4.41 oz)
Form factor Clamshell
Motorola RAZR V3 (pronounced “RA-zer”, is a thin clamshell mobile/cellular camera phone designed and manufactured by Motorola. The phone was initially regarded as an exclusive fashion phone,[2] with a high price of $600 with service agreement and $800 without. However, in 2005 the phone entered the mass-market as a mid-priced phone. PC World put the RAZR at #12 in The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years.[3] Many versions of the V3 were released, and on May 15, 2007, Motorola announced the new RAZR 2, with a bigger external screen, better UI, faster processor (10x the speed of its predecessor) and Linux platform.
2G Models
V3
The original RAZR V3 GPRS phone is carried by AT&T (formerly Cingular), Cincinnati Bell, T-Mobile,Suncom Wireless and Centennial Wireless in the USA, Rogers Wireless and Fido in Canada, Telcel in Mexico, Optus and Telstra in Australia, Vodafone in New Zealand and Australia, Brasil Telecom GSM, Claro, Airtel, BPLmobile & Hutch in India Oi and TIM in Brazil and by many companies in other countries.
Matte Black version
A black version was produced for distribution in the 77th Academy Awards gift bags, and was released in early May 2005. As of September 2005, the black version is available in the USA from AT&T, Metro PCS,Suncom Wireless and Cellular One from Dobson Cellular Systems, Canada only from Fido Solutions or Rogers Wireless and in many other countries from Movistar and Claro (Telcel).
The black V3 is widely available in the European Union and is the standard version of the phone in Brazil.
Hot Pink versions
The first pink version was released in October 2005, and as of June 2006, is available in the USA from T-Mobile (as RAZR V3 Magenta, after the T-Mobile—and its parent, Deutsche Telekom’s—corporate color, but called RAZR V3 Pink in other countries, including other T-Mobile networks), Verizon and Cingular Wireless and Suncom Wireless (each in a different shade, currently exclusive to the US). It is available in Canada from Bell, Rogers Wireless and Telus, and in the United Kingdom from T-Mobile and the Carphone Warehouse. $25 of sales from the Rogers pink V3 go to Rethink Breast Cancer. It is also available in all Movistar-serviced countries and Claro (Telcel).
Miami Ink Collection
As of October 30, 2006 through T-Mobile in the United States, Motorola offered a version with laser-etched tattoo-inspired designs created by Ami James of the TLC reality television show, Miami Ink. The phones are aesthetically different however they are standard V3r’s.
V3i
Motorola RAZR V3i

Screen Internal: 176×220 pixel (2.2inch) TFT LCD, 262,144 colors External: 96×80 pixel STN 65,536 colors
Ringtone MP3, Polyphonic – 24 chords
Memory 13.4 MB Internal and External microSD cards expandable up to 512 MB (1GB only with the latest firmware)
Networks GSM Quad band 850/900/1800/1900
Connectivity mini-USB, Bluetooth Class 1.0, GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2) slots 32-48 kbit/s
Physical size 53 x 98 x 13.9 mm
Weight 96 grams (3.4 oz)
The successor to the RAZR is the RAZR V3i. It addresses some of the faults of the original RAZR V3 including a better (1.23 megapixel) camera with 8x digital zoom, an improved external and internal display also support for microSD cards of up to one GB. V3i is functionally very close to Motorola V635 model. The V3i comes in two versions: one with iTunes and one with Motorola’s Digital Audio Player (DAP). The iTunes version of the phone has a 50 or 100 song limit restriction (“cap”) depending on where the phone model was made. The Motorola DAP does not suffer from this cap; however, it takes considerably longer time to load and uses the V3’s battery at a much faster rate than iTunes does. The phone’s looks have also been subtly changed. It was announced on December 8, 2005 that Motorola had teamed up with Dolce & Gabbana to produce a Special Edition Gold RAZR V3t. Only 1,000 of these have been made and sold for a premium price.
On June 1, 2006, Motorola and Dolce & Gabbana once again released their limited edition gold phone. This model includes a D&G cell phone holder, a signature leather pouch, Bluetooth headphone, and FM earphones. It is available from all major Motorola retailers and select D&G boutiques.
The V3i is available in the following colors:
Silver Quartz (main color)
Gunmetal Grey
Gold Plate (special edition DG version only, see above)
Dark Blue
Maroon
Violet
Orchid
Black for (PRODUCT)RED (special edition to tie in with the (PRODUCT) RED initiative)
Platinum
Red
Chrome Green
Chrome Purple
Celery (some companies call it Lime Green instead)
The Motorola RAZR V3i was released to most worldwide markets in the Q4 of 2005–2006. In the U.S. the phone was released through Cingular Wireless on September 6, 2006, with a new activation price of $299, but is availible with At&T Wireless as well as Suncom Wireless.
V3r/V3t
The V3r and V3t are models sold by T-Mobile, AT&T (formerly Cingular), and Canadian cellular services such as Rogers Wireless, respectively. These models are virtually identical to the V3 and V3i, except they use Motorola’s Digital Audio Player instead of iTunes for music playback. T-Mobile’s V3r offers a Voice Notes feature which permits forwarding your audio recordings to voicemail as the only storage method. However, a publicly available seem edit permits users to enable the hidden Voice Records feature. Voice Records allows you to save voice recordings locally to phone memory. Currently, Voice Records is limited to less than two minutes of audio recording and stores the resulting records as .avr format files on the a partition within phone memory. In contrast, currently available seem edits can expand the maximum size of video recordings.
T-Mobile V3t phone memory is 10.0MB total, including all system files. This space is divided unevenly into a and c partitions. Memory on partition a is larger than 2MB and contains system files, including some of the branding images for the phone carrier. Partition a also contains the avr structure for the hidden Voice Records feature. Partition c is larger than 5.5MB and stores user data, including images, sounds, videos, text notes, calendar entries, phone book entries, Java applets and web cache. V3r and V3t phones sold by T-Mobile come equipped with Java-based software that supports T-Mobile’s “MyFaves” rate plan. Publicly available third party tools can remove this Java software and other system or locked files to free memory for other uses.
Canada’s Rogers Wireless also carries them for a reduced price compared to the original Razrs.
MS500
Another version of this phone was released in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) on June 1, 2005. This version has the similar physical appearance as the original V3 but instead of GSM, it is a CDMA phone for SK Telecom. It is the first CDMA version of the RAZR without the expandable memory, Bluetooth and SIM card, since Motorola Korea’s system was able to produce its own model before worldwide GSM format release. It has a 1.3 megapixel camera, video recording, 80MB of internal memory and a variety of UI features, such as mobile blog, Yoga graphic book, Diet diary and Lotto number generator for Wellness theme. It also comes in colors other than those mentioned above. Black, pink, and lime models are seen around Korea. In February 8, 2006 Motorola Korea released its own slide-phone model for the RAZR named Z model name MS600. Unlike most other versions, the MS500 version is packaged with a charging dock and has three metal terminals on the back side immediately under the battery cover.
Also, as the add-on to the MS600, MS500 Lime RAZR has been in circulation in South Korea since October 2006 along with the Motorola KRZR Black and Motorola KRZR Fire (Red).
CDMA2000 Models
V3c
On November 21, 2005, a CDMA version of the RAZR, known as the RAZR V3c, became available to Alltel and SaskTel users. Verizon Wireless followed suit on December 7, 2005. Unlike models for Alltel and other carriers, Verizon’s V3c features a proprietary user interface and disables, in software, Bluetooth file transfer capabilities (called OBEX). (Although OBEX is supported in Verizon’s V3c firmware version .02, and version .04 if flash-upgraded directly from .02, skipping any install of .03.) In January 2006, Canadian Telus, Bell Mobility and Aliant Mobility, Venezuelan carriers Movistar and Movilnet, and Brazilian Vivo began carrying the V3c. In April 2006 Cricket Communications began selling the V3c. The RAZR V3c supports CDMA 2000 1xRTT and 1xEVDO third generation wireless technologies. This is the technology Verizon Wireless uses to provide their V CAST multimedia service. The coverage of this feature, however, may not be available everywhere. US Cellular and Alaska Communications Systems, Alaska’s CDMA provider, also carry the V3c. It also has approximately 41.2 MB of internal memory, although only about 36 MB are available for use. The V3c does not support an expandable memory card.
The original version of the V3c was charcoal gray, and a light pink version called Satin Pink (different from the GSM Magenta/Pink and the AT&T Cotton Candy versions) was released by Verizon Wireless in January 2006. Telus Mobility, Bell, Aliant, and Vivo also carry pink versions of the V3c.
V3m
V3m is a CDMA version of the RAZR. As an upgrade to the V3c, it features a microSD card slot for up to 2 GB of memory expansion, a longer lasting battery, and 40MB of internal memory. The V3m presently comes in silver, pink, red, and through Alltel, Fire Red although the original release as well as models currently available on the Sprint CDMA network featured the gunmetal gray color of the V3c. This is not available in the UK, although the V3x is on sale there.
Verizon Wireless version
Verizon Wireless disabled certain features on the V3m including the ability to transfer data files to and from the phone via Bluetooth (a specific protocol called OBEX). Verizon has also blocked the transfer of most data over USB, such as ringtones. These phones also run Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW), which signs each application to the phones Electronic Serial Number, or ESN, thus preventing the use of free applications. The equivalent models offered by competitors (such as the V3t by T-Mobile) still retain these features.
Verizon also installs their own user interface instead of the default Motorola interface that they used to use in the past. This has led to many Verizon Wireless users to resort to using their own artificial means of reverting their phones back to an original Motorola condition, or to that of a Verizon phone that has some of the disabled features enabled. A newer Verizon version of the phone has been upgraded and features limitless video capture, easier laid out menu system and the ability to customize the external screen. The phone is still unable to sync to a computer via USB cable for anything other than charging, unless a software such as Bitpim is used to access files.
Red V3mPartnering with Motorola, US Cellular and Sprint released a special Product Red RAZR and Bluetooth H500 headset to help support Global Fund programs which positively impact the lives of women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. Also in the UK there is a Product Red V3i, SLVR, and Bluetooth H3 headset.
W-CDMA/UMTS/FOMA models
V3x

RAZR V3x
Announced in March 2005 , the RAZR V3x was formerly known as the Motorola V1150. Externally, it appears to be a larger RAZR V3, albeit with enhancements such as a 2.0 Megapixel camera. Internally, it is quite different, utilizing a different microprocessor, chipset, an Nvidia GoForce GPU, and radio ICs. As a 3G product, its feature set is closer to that of phones such as the Motorola V980, e.g., two cameras instead of the single camera typical on GSM or CDMA products. However one of the main attractions of the RAZR V3, the fact that it is very thin, is no longer present in the V3x; although it is the smallest phone available in the UK on the “3″ network, compared to other clamshells, it is only an average-sized phone. It won the “Best 3GSM handset” at the 2006 3GSM World Congress.
M702iG
In Japan, a 3G(W-CDMA) NTT DoCoMo version of the V3x was released in late August 2006. This version has IrDA.
V3xx
Announced in July 2006, the V3xx is a 3G Category 5/6 (3.6 Mbit/s) HSDPA and EDGE supported handset. It is extremely similar in appearance to the compact V3i design, but incorporates an improved feature set with a 1.3 megapixel camera in place of the 1.23 megapixel, 50 MB of internal memory, support for microSD and Bluetooth A2DP. Like the V3x, it is also equipped with a secondary screen and a higher resolution 240×320 pixel (QVGA) main screen.. The V3xx was made available for purchase internationally on the Three network in November 2006, and is now available on at&t (formerly Cingular) for $149.99 with a new 2-year contract. The secondary camera is not available in the USA. The built-in GPU, manufactured by Nvidia (model GoForce 4800) is capable of rendering 3D images through OpenGL ES. The phone includes a much faster CPU as well, making the performance of all features, including 3G/Data much more real-time. (All menuing delays common to the slower V3 platform are gone). With the new CPU available, the V3xx Phone now also includes a fast USB V2.0 for downloading ringtones/images/mp3 files quickly. (older V3′s were limited to USB V1.1)
Unlike with the V3 and V3i (both of which were quad band GSM and thus worked equally well on any GSM network in the world) the V3xx comes in different variants depending on the local frequency bands used for GSM and UMTS/HSDPA. The North American V3xx is quad band (850 MHz/900 MHz/1800 MHz/1900 MHz) GSM and dual band (850 MHz/1900 MHz) UMTS/HSDPA, whereas the version sold in Europe and Asia is tri band (900 MHz/1800 MHz/1900 MHz) GSM and single band (2.1 GHz) UMTS/HSDPA. This is likely due to the need to fit the internal components of the V3xx into a small casing; as of early 2007 global phones that support quad-band GSM and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA are considerably bulkier than the V3xx.
M702iS
NTT DoCoMo version of the V3xx. This version does not have GSM, HSDPA. But it has IrDA. NTT DoCoMo FOMA M702iS
RAZR maxx
The RAZR maxx is a new 3G HSDPA and EDGE handset predated by the RAZR V3x. Initially known as the “MAXX V6,” it was released in Europe by the end of 2006. Additionally Motorola had released pictures on its website of the Verizon version. The original version has a 2.0 Megapixel camera with LED flash, a large 2.2-inch (56 mm) screen with 240×320 QVGA display (like the V3xx) and 50 megabytes of internal storage. While gaining a significantly improved featureset, it will maintain the same thin profile of the original RAZR V3. Key to its design are a glass fascia with external touch-sensitive controls for MP3s.
This phone is available in Australia from Telstra on their 850 MHz Next G network.
The Verizon Wireless version became available on April 24th, 2007.
The Verizon Wireless version, the RAZR maxx Ve, does not have the second camera on the inside of the phone. Instead, there is a shutter button for focusing and picture taking. The Ve will feature Verizon’s menu system, but is said to support OBEX profiles, unlike Verizon’s current RAZR V3m.
RAZR²
The new, more sleek and more stable design of the RAZR came out in North America in July 2007. This new RAZR includes more features such as Crystal talk (a feature designed to improve telephone audio quality) and a touch sensitive external screen (used for replying to text messages, listening to music, and other features). Also, sturdier materials such as stainless steel will replace aluminum in the RAZR. The new models are the V8, the V9, and the V9m.
Developments
The original V3 was intended to be a low-selling “halo product” to promote the Motorola brand. The phone was comparable in functionality to other cell phones when first released, but due to advancements in the cell phone industry, is now of relatively limited functionality. It had only 5.5 MB of usable memory capacity, upgradeable to an absolute maximum of about 10 MB by modding the phone Furthermore it had no storage expansion slot and a low camera resolution of 0.3 megapixels (Resolution: 640×480 pixels).
The newer models (V3i and V3x) addressed these issues by increasing memory capacity to 30.8 MB and 62.8 respectively. Camera resolutions were increased to 1.23 megapixels for the V3i, and 2.0 megapixels for the V3x. The hinge mechanism was also reinforced. For the V3x, Motorola slightly modified the keypad layout in response to complaints about it being difficult to use. The keys are bigger and more widely spaced, and rubber spacers have been added in between, instead of the laser-etchings on the metallic surface itself as seen previously.
U.S. network restrictions
Verizon intentionally restricts otherwise-available functionality in V3c and V3m models. Such phones are unable to transfer files via wireless Bluetooth (OBEX), forcing users to purchase ring tones and transfer photographs to home computers via Verizon’s paid PixPlace service. However, through certain unsanctioned modifications, some of these capabilities can be re-enabled. The V3c and V3m handsets sold through Sprint, US Cellular, and Alltel do not suffer from such limitationsDue to many Sprint customers complaining about less than expected battery life, Motorola has begun to offer free high-capacity batteries to Sprint customers who contact Motorola’s customer service line with battery life issues.
Cultural impact
The RAZR has been said to be the “iPod” of mobile phones. Being the slimmest phone during its release in 2004 , it easily stood out amongst other phone models. It has also been one of the most popular mobile phones since its first release, having been spotted in the hands of celebrities and businessmen alike, it is frequently seen in movies and TV shows and is also being used by the Dutch Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende.
In popular culture
Since its release the RAZR has become identified as a ‘fashion’ product and an iconic cell phone.[23] The RAZR has since been used in several television shows and featured in several movies. Contestants on the NBC adventure reality show “Treasure Hunters” were given RAZRs for communication with the host and each other throughout the season. The Product Red edition of the RAZR was launched by Oprah and Bono for charity. Its popularity has greatly faded though in recent years to newer models.
Specifications
The complete list of specifications for the V3c variant of the RAZR follows. Note that specifications for other versions vary.
Type Specification
Modes CDMA 850 / CDMA 1900
Weight 3.49 oz (99 g)
Dimensions 3.90″ x 2.10″ x 0.60″ (99 x 53 x 15 mm)
Form Factor Clamshell Internal Antenna
Battery Life Talk: 3.33 hours (200 minutes) Standby: 215 hours (9 days)
Battery Type LiIon 740 mAh
Display Type: LCD (Color TFT/TFD) Colors: 65,536 (16-bit) Size: 176 x 220 pixels
Platform / OS Symbian/ VZW
Memory 30 MB (built-in, flash shared memory)
Phone Book Capacity 1000

article thanks to wikipedia

iphone data plans released

The section below was on the Rogers web site today so I guess that makes it official. The prices are for both Rogers and Fido. The unlimited Rogers/Fido Wifi is nice but over all it seems pretty expensive. If you consider that at $115 you get 2gb data where in the States At&t has unlimited data for $35 this may not sell well. The price of the iphone itself $199 for the 8gb version is the same.

iPhone 3G Voice & Data Packages

iPhone packages include all the voice minutes and data you’ll need to fully benefit from the breakthrough device.

Monthly Fee $60 $75 $100 $115
Weekday Minutes Included 150 300 600 800
Evenings and Weekend unlimited unlimited unlimited unlimited
Evenings are from 9 p.m to 7 a.m Monday to Friday and Weekends are from 9 p.m Friday to 7a.m Monday
Data Included 400MB 750MB 1GB 2GB
1MB= 1,024 KB 1GB=1,024MB
Bonus Sent Text Messages 75 100 200 300
Visual Voicemail – New with iPhone Included
Visual Voicemail allows you to go directly to any of your messages without listening to the prior messages, so you can quickly select the messages that are most important to you.
Access to Rogers Wireless
and Fido Hotspots Unlimited
Additional Weekday Minutes
(per minute) 35¢ 35¢ 25¢ 15¢
Additional Data 50¢ per MB for the first 60 MB, 3¢ per MB thereafter
Additional Sent Text Messages
(per message) 15¢

Value Packs for iPhone 3G
Add a Value Pack to your package and save up to 53% off the regular price of Wireless Essentials.

$15 iPhone Value Pack $20 iPhone Value Pack
Wireless Essentials Included Wireless Essentials Included
Call Display Call Display
WhoCalled™ WhoCalled™
2,500 Sent Text Messages 10,000 Sent Text Messages
Caller Ring Trax™ Caller Ring Trax™
2,500 Call Forwarding Minutes 2,500 Call Forwarding Minutes
6pm Early Evening Calling

Nokia 2125i CDMA

Noki1 2125i

Lightweight design with chrome accents, an internal antenna and 96 x 65 pixel display in 65,536 colours
Bring things to light with the easy-to-activate flashlight
Talk handsfree with the integrated speakerphone
Stay on task with tools like the calendar, alarm clock and calculator
Stay connected Stay connected Voice dialing, recording and commands
Stay in the loop when on the go with the mobile Internet (Internet content/services designed for mobile devices)
Store up to 250 contacts in your phone book
Connect to friends and family with text messaging and picture message templates
Predictive text input
Personalize your caller ID with fun graphics
Make it yours, have fun Make it yours, have fun Enjoy richer sounding polyphonic ring tones
Express yourself with downloadable ring tones and Xpress-on™ colour covers (sold separately)
Take the fun with you with preloaded games
Specifications 800/1900 MHz CDMA plus 800 MHz AMPS band/mode
Weight: 85 g with battery
Dimensions: 102.4 mm x 42.2 mm x 21.5 mm
Power ManagementBattery Capacity Talk time Standby time

Accessories available here!

nokia-2125i-manual

Tips for some Nokias Phones

Nokia phone tricks

Firmware Version: *#0000#*#51×0# or*#9999#.
View Serial No: *#92772689# .
Check IMEI Number: *#06#.
Enhanced Full Rate (EFR):
*3370# to activate EFR.
#3370# to deactivate EFR.
Half Rate Mode (HFR):
*4720# to activate HFR.
#4270# to deactivate HFR.
Default Security Code: 12345.
Software Version: *#0000# .
*#9999# Phones software version if *#0000# does not work.
*#06# For checking the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI Number).
#pw+1234567890+1# Provider Lock Status.
#pw+1234567890+2# Network Lock Status.
#pw+1234567890+3# Country Lock Status.
#pw+1234567890+4# SIM Card Lock Status.
*#147# (vodafone) this lets you know your last call. *#1471# Last call (Only vodofone).
*#21# Allows you to check the number that “All Calls” are diverted To.
*#2640# Displays security code in use.
*#30# Lets you see the private number.
*#43# Allows you to check the “Call Waiting” status of your phone.
*#61# Allows you to check the number that “On No Reply” calls are diverted to.
*#62# Allows you to check the number that Divert If Unrea chable calls are diverted to.
16 *#67# Allows you to check the number that “On Busy Calls” are diverted to.
*#67705646#R emoves operator logo on 3310 & 3330.
*#73# Reset phone timers and game scores.
*#746025625# Displays the SIM Clock status.
*#7760# Manufactures code.
*#7780# Restorefactory settings .
*#92702689# (to remember *#WAR0ANTY#) Displays – 1.Serial Number, 2.Date Made 3.Purchase Date, 4.Date of last repair (0000 for no repairs), 5.Transfer User Data. To exit this mode -you need to switch your phone off then on again.

USE WITH CAUTION I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT COULD HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF USING THESE CODES

Blackberry 8820 comes to Rogers

It seems like these days the announcements are coming fast and furious from Rogers from the iphone to the Centro. Their latest new phone coming out is the Blackberry 8820. Complete with Home Zone Calling.
The 8820 is set to launch June 18 2008. And the cost is expected to be:
1yr $549
2yr $499
3yr $449
3yr special promo price $349
By appearance it looks a lot like the 8800 but the Wifi and GPS addition is going to be huge. The specs on it do look interesting:
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 Edge
Form Factor:
114 x 66 x 14 mm 134g
Black in colour
Trackball Qwerty keyboard

Display 65K colors 320×240 pixels
Features:

Bluetooth v2.0 64mb Memory internal microsd external
Mini usb data
Blackberry email client
Yahoo messenger
GPS
Camera No
Mp3 player stereo headset jack with echo cancellation
Battery Stand-by 520h talk time 5h
The thing that jumps out at me is the lack of camera. That is almost unheard of these days. But the wifi more than makes up for it to the business user.

Rogers introduces the Palm Centro

With all the talk of the Apple iphone coming out it is easy to miss any other cell phone news. But today Rogers announced they were going to be carrying the Palm Centro. The cost is expected to break down something like this
Monthly term… $399
1yr term $399
2yr term $349
3yr term $299

The smart phone runs on it is own Palm Os operating systems making syncing with things a challenge. The Rogers version of this phone will be cobalt blue. And be 107.22mmx53.5×18.6 and weigh 124g.
I was impressed with a lot of the specs of this phone, 320×320 pixel screen that is said to be touch screen. It also has full keyboard so to have both inputs a keyboard and touch screen is nice.
It is a quadband phone with edge technology. But no HSDPA. It also sports 64mb ram on board but expandable to 4gb. Of course as well it is Bluetooth capable. In ideal conditions it has 4hrs talk time and 300 standby which really is not bad.
From a multi media standpoint it has a small 1.3 mega pixel camera that also plays video and the ability to play music via pocket tunes. Included in the start up disc.
I do think the biggest draw for phones like this is the internet capablities. I mean is this really a good phone to have if you can not get your emails when you need them? And as far as that goes, it has push technology so you can get your emails as they come. It also allows you to view most Office documents and pdf files.
Considering Apple announced today they are coming out with a 3g version of their phone I hope this one does not get lost in the shuffle.

Softbank 913sh comes to Japan looks like the LG Shine

            One of the newest phones to hit the market in Japan is the “Fullface” Softbank 913sh by Sharp. On first glance it looks to me like the LG Shine we have here.  As the picture from the Softbank website shows. As with most phones from there it is only available in Japan for use there only as it is a 3g phone.

 

            It looks like a very attractive phone.  The face is totally flat, giving it a smooth and sleek appearance. The face also has what is known as Sensor keys to allow you to operate the phone even when closed which is a neat feature to have. Of course it is also Bluetooth capable so some things you would not need to open the phone for anyway.  When the phone is closed you are also able to use it as a audio video device with camera and media player.  Or browse the internet with it’s wide screen and high speed 3g.  The projected download speed is 3.6Mps so it is great for viewing many sites and as is common with Japanese phones, television.

            Unlike the Lg we have here it is available in many different colors but that is understandable in fashion conscious Japan.

 

            It also boasts

·         2mg camera

·         Micro sd

·         Video call

·         Graphic mail

·         English/Japanese bilingual

           

As the table below shows it is light at 125g but still heavier then the Shine at 104. The physical size is about the same however. The battery life is about the same as the Shine as well. However like a lot of phones in Japan it is not what you can see that makes this phone stand out. But what is under the hood or in this case the slider.  The launch date for this phone is late July which in a way surprises me as we always hear how much better the phones are over there. And yet the Shine was the first out. It is important to keep in mind that the extras this phone has over the Shine are because of the 3g network not the phone itself.

            But never the less it is a very stylish phone and will be popular among females who most of the new phones are marketed to anyway. There is a  thought out there that Softbank wants to concentrate more on making their phones stylish and leave the technology to their competitors.

Weight:	125g
Dimensions:	W50×H108×D16.8 mm (when closed, excludes protrusions)
Talk Time: (when stationary)	280 min.
Standby Time: (when stationary)	350 hrs.
Charge Time:	150 min.

 

Canadian cell phone fee fightback

Good news for the Canadian cell phone user. Liberal David McGuinty introduced a bill into the House of Commons of interest to cell phone users. Bill C-555 or the “Telecommunications Clarity and Fairness Act.” was brought before the House recently.
McGuinty is the brother of Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty. He quotes on the CBC today “we are talking 21 years and billions of dollars of misleading payments. My bill will end fictitious surcharges on cell phones” I would like to ask him what a fictitious charge is but regardless this is exciting.
McGuinty is the MP for Ottawa south presents his bill at a very good time, as spectrum auctions are also going on now which could open the air waves to more competition. He would like to “include a prohibition against levying of any additional fee or charge that is not part of the subscriber’s monthly fee or monthly plan rate” on the face of it this seems great. How many people have been so very surprised to find their first bill twice as much as they expect. But I have to wonder if the system access fees will now just be included in the monthly fee. His bill would also make it mandatory for cell phone contracts to include a fact sheet disclosing every service and cost. I have long felt that cell phone companies are less than honest about what the customer can expect to see on their monthly bill often not mentioning their system access fee or 911 fee not to mention their activation fee. It is not uncommon for the first bill to be twice what they expect.
The biggest aspect of this bill to me is a prohibition on locked phones. In a CBC press release it says so cell phones can work on other carrier’s networks but this is limited in Canada. For Bell and Telus this is a big deal as one phone can work on another network but Rogers is the only major GSM carrier in Canada. It will allow Rogers customers to change easier to Fido or Ice Wireless however. But still the advantage of this in Canada is limited. But it will allow for people from outside Canada to bring their phones here and easier for us to take our phones there.
The bill would also look into the effectiveness of the “Commissioner for Complaints of Telecommunications services” a consumer watch dog set up in Sept 2007 but has not been widely publicized.
It is no wonder the big 3 have not commented on this bill at all. But Peter Banes of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association is speaking out against the bill. He says the system access fee was originally a tax collected from the consumer by the government for airwaves licenses. Barnes says the fee is used to pay for airwave spectrum and licensing costs and are spelled out in the contract. I have to disagree being a cell phone dealer for a number of years often people would tell me “I went to ___ and they told me it would be $20 a month so now why is my first bill $40 and I would explain to them all the extras. Even in advertising all advertising says $20 a month in big letters only referring to the real cost in the fine print.
The idea for the bill came when McGuinty’s daughter got her first bill with $50 charges of unsolicited text messages. It used to be that incoming text messages were free unless you had signed up for a joke of the day text or something similar so this charge came as a shock. Looking at her contract he found the extra charge provision buried in the contract and like many of us encountered early cancellation fees.
McGuinty has introduced this as a private member’s bill so it is not going to be easy to pass but if enough people here about it and make noise. Mark Goldberg wrote in his blog “Bill c-555 is a sign of frustration with anti-consumer practices such as unilateral changes of terms and fees outside contracts.”
And they are right frustration runs big now with cell phone users. A Quebec consumer watchdog L’Union des consommaterus filed a class action suit against Bell for violation of consumer contracts. Also in Quebec a suit was filed against Videotron for putting on data limits in the middle of consumers contracts. Videotron disputes this saying they gave 2 months notice. But they fail to see a contract is a contract. And Tony Merchant a Regina lawyer has opened a 20 billion dollar class action suit to try to get more openness with the system access fees.
So Canadians are fighting back. And while the squeaky wheel gets the grease I can see this ending up like gas prices. How many times have we had a federal commission look at price fixing with gas and nothing done? But at least when you pull up to the pump you know what you are going to pay.
http://www.davidmcguinty.com/english/Archives/Latest_News/Banning_Cell_Phone_Fees.html