Certain handsets announced at the Mobile World Congress may reach the tightly controlled, somewhat schizophrenic – 60% CDMA, 40% GSM – United States market. But none are a sure bet, as vendors weren’t ready to announce carrier deals. We note one device per major vendor:
–Nokia’s N96: Nokia’s flagship “multimedia computing device” is now the dual-slide design N96, which offers a larger display than its predecessor N95 and enhanced applications. Given Nokia’s interest in the U.S., the N96 may arrive here, but not before the third quarter. Price: about $800, without subsidies.
–Samsung’s Soul: Samsung’s flagship model for 2008 may arrive in the U.S., given Samsung’s success here and its opportunity to grab market share from ailing Motorola, whose one-third share is eroding. The Soul features user-driven navigation indicators that light up controls pertinent to the features in use, plus graphic user interfaces that personalize the UI. A high-tier offering, but no word on price.
–Motorola’s Z6w: A GSM/Wi-Fi-equipped, Web-browsing multimedia slider phone with 2 megapixel camera and USB 2.0 for fast side-loading is expected in the second quarter. No operator or pricing info available.
–Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X1: The first SEMC device featuring Microsoft Windows Mobile offers a 3-inch-wide display, a 3.2 megapixel camera, slide-out QWERTY keypad, quad-band EDGE and HSUPA connectivity. It’s due in the second half of the year. No prices or operator partners were announced.
–LG’s KF700: Offers three methods of input – 3-inch touchscreen, sliding alphanumeric keypad and shortcut dial – and the latter enables navigation among six, self-selected features. The U.S. is LG’s strongest single market, so keep an eye out in the second half of this year.
