Omio News Blog

Nokia World 2011 – Nokia debuts new ‘Lumia’ series Windows Phones for November release

At the Nokia World 2011 conference yesterday, CEO Stephen Elop introduced the first fruits of their ‘strategic partnership’ with Microsoft.  The Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710 are being heralded by the marketing blurb as the ‘first true Windows Phones’, (which presumably had executives at HTC and Samsung spraying their coffee over the boardroom table in shock). 

NOKIA LUMIA 800

First up is the Lumia 800, the flagship handset, and the one to drool over. Phonespotters and Nokia fanboys among you (yes, you over there in the corner) may find it somewhat familiar, as externally it looks pretty much identical to the Meego-running N9. It has the same highly engineered ‘unibody polycarbonate’ shell, looking similar to the last vertical iPod Nano, although with a 3.7” curved glass front and a fantastic ‘ClearBlack’ AMOLED screen running 800×480 pixels.

When it comes to the internal gubbins, the Lumia 800 is unlikely to win any games of Mobile Top Trumps. The processor is a qualcomm single core running at 1.4GHz, running 512MB of RAM, which won’t scare off drag-racers like Motorola Atrix or the Galaxy SII. This should be perfectly adequate for the resource-light Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system, (plus the iPhone 4S runs just fine on the same amount).  Storage is also somewhat disappointingly limited to 16GB, with no memory card slot, although users will be able to use 25GB of cloud storage with the Microsoft SkyDrive service. The Lumia 800 has removed the front facing camera of the N9 (not that anyone really uses them anyway) but it does pack a whopping 8MP camera at the back with Carl Zeiss optics and the (essential for shooting on nights out in Helsinki) good low light performance.

The handset will be released this November in the UK and Europe in three colours, black, cyan and magenta in the UK and Europe with a suggested price of around 420 Euro’s.

LUMIA 710

Playing the 800′s less attractive but no less powerful sibling, the ‘no nonsense’ (read affordable) Lumia 710 comes with the same 3.7” screen, 1.4GHz processor ad 512MB ram, and a smaller yet respectable 5MP camera with all the usual social network hook ups for image uploading. Users will however only have 8GB of unexpandable storage for music, video and images however, although Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud storage is here aswell.

Whilst it lacks the smooth unibody appearance of the 800, the Lumia 710 is available in both black and white flavours, with the distinctly Nokia interchangeable back covers making a return in black, white, cyan, fuchsia and yellow.  Hello Kitty ones are probably being moulded in China as we speak, coming to a market stall near you.

The Lumia 710 will still have access to all of the same services such as Nokia Drive navigation, Nokia Music, a Spotify-esque service and also run a fully functional Internet Explorer 9. This handset is aimed at the fun young and price conscious market, and will bring Windows Phone functionality to a lower price point of 270 Euro’s.

Both Microsoft and Nokia are pinning a lot of hopes on this  initial lineup. Whilst Nokia were arguably the original smartphone manufacturers with classic handsets like the Nokia Communicator and the N95, the App-led (pardon the pun) ecosystems of Apple’s iOS and Google’s Andoid Marketplace have since left Nokia shivering at the bus-stop. In the year that we’ve had it, Microsoft haven’t managed to make a mark with their Windows Phone OS, outside of critical commendations, and whilst a few handsets are available at present, none really have the ‘wow factor’ or mass market appeal of a ‘killer handset’.

With Lumia, Nokia and Microsoft are making a two pronged invasion of the marketplace. The Lumia 800 is clearly targeting  phone fashionista’s and getting people talking about Nokia’s design skills again. The Lumia 710, whilst not as flash, is aggressively priced to give a much needed boost in numbers to the Windows Phone platform, which will live or die on the number of users in the marketplace.

No doubt anyone that remember Nokia’s domination of the mobile market, back when Snake was the pinnacle of mobile gaming, will be hoping that the Lumia range will be the first step to restoring some of their former glory.

Check back here for more info as we receive it, and on Omio’s deals page for and the best contract deals for the Lumia 800 and the Lumia 710.

Video Footage Of Upcoming BlackBerry Curve ‘Apollo’ Leaked

Video of the rumoured, yet still unannounced follow up to RIM’s wildly successful Curve 3G, currently being touted as the Curve 9370 ‘Apollo’, has leaked online courtesy of Vietnamese blog tinhte.vn via our friends at electricpig.co.uk.  See the video below, and a run down of what to expect from the newest BlackBerry handset.

What is apparent from the video is the new bodyshape, a smooth more rounded back, and tapered at the top and bottom, which makes the handset feel even thinner than its actual 11mm.  The 3.5 headphone socket has moved to the top, and the side has a volume rocker, camera button and a tiny tiny standby button.  Feel free to ogle it above in all its YouTube glory.

Whilst our Vietnamese is admittedly, um, non existent, an internet translation of the accompanying article does reveal some more interesting tech specs:

The camera has been improved to 5MP, with an LED flash to capture all of those late night/low light moments.  There is also a front facing VGA camera included.  The screen has also been given a pixel bump in line with the higher end BlackBerry models, up to 480 x 360 pixels, from 320 x 240.

The Curve Apollo runs the latest version of BlackBerry OS, version 6.1, and appears to run along smoothly thanks to double the memory (512mb) and a speed bump in the form of an 800MHz Marvell ‘Tavor’ processor.

Fingers crossed that RIM are slightly more cool about early footage of their handsets getting online than Apple were with the iPhone 4.  Lets just hope our guys in Vietnam doesn’t get some steel capped boots knocking at the door any time soon!

Stay posted to Omio for any more official details.  In the meantime, feel free to sign up for alerts on Omio’s deals page, so that the moment we get any indication of pricing or availability for the BlackBerry Curve ‘Apollo’, we’ll let you know!

Samsung Galaxy S II – FREE on T-Mobile from £25 Per Month

Deal hunters rejoice!  Samsung’s newest flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II, is now available on T-Mobile for absolutely free from £25 per month.

That will get you 600 cross network minutes, 500 texts and 500MB data each month.   Those unwilling to sign on for a 24 month contract can get the same package on an 18 month contract for £19.99 upfront, and £30 per month.

The Galaxy S II is quite simply one of the most powerful and thinnest smartphones on the market… We mean, like stick-insect thin, being a paltry 8.49mm at the narrowest point.

Its diminutive waistline belies the power in the belly of this sexy beast; The Galaxy S II is rocking a top of the line 1.2GHz Dual core processor and 1GB of RAM.

This combined with the latest Android 2.3 software, means the phone is SNAPPY, handling anything that you care to throw at it with ease, including flash browsing unlike some of its other notable rivals, and full 1080p video playback and recording.

The icing on the cake though is the generous 4.3-inch ‘Super AMOLED +’ touchscreen, which put simply is big, bright and colorful and has been universally praised for reproducing images that pop right out at you.

Samsung have come under fire from Apple in recent months over alleged copyright issues regarding the uncanny likeness to iOS, we won’t lie, its a fairly obvious reference to Apple’s layout.

However whilst they pit their best lawyers against each other in a legal bloodbath, for everyone else its something of a win/win. Previous iPhone users who may be wanting to dip their toes into the cool free waters of Android will find themselves at home here, with the added advantage of interface customization, free file handling, and expandable memory upto 32GB.

Alongside the iPhone 4 and HTC Desire HD, this really is one of the top three best smartphones on the market today. So if you fancy treating yourself to something special for less, check out all the deals for the wonderful Galaxy S II on Omio’s deals page.

HTC Flyer available to order

HTC’s first ever tablet is now around to order from Expansys.com, with the Flyer costing just £479.99 for the 16GB WIFI model and £599.99 for the 32GB 3G version – both SIM free and unlocked.

The HTC Flyer made is first public appearance at Mobile World Congress this year, along with 5 other new handsets from the Taiwanese mobile phone maker.

HTC’s Flyer runs from Android ‘Gingerbread’ 2.3, although the more recent spate of tablets all run the Android Android ‘Honeycomb’ 2.3 OS that has been designed solely for these products.

The Flyer comes with a 7-inch 1024×600 LCD capacitive touch screen, with a 1.5GHz processor, a 5MP camera and HTC Sense v2.1.

This tablet is just one of the plethora of large touch screen devices to arrive this year to take on the Apple iPad 2; with the Xoom from Motorola, another two Galaxy Tabs from Samsung and the TouchPad from HP – to name but a few.

Check out all of the HTC Flyer deals at OMIO here.

HTC Sensation Exclusive To Vodafone In May 2011, Other Operators From June

The HTC Sensation will be released exclusively on Vodafone in the UK and Europe in May, at least initially.

HTC’s all-singing all-dancing Android ‘multimedia superphone’, previously known to tech watchers as ‘Pyramid’, will be available a month later in June on T-Mobile and Orange according to Pocket Lint.  3 Mobile have also announced a vague ‘summer’ release period, and whilst O2 have announced their intentions to stock the handset to CNET today, they had no dates to give.

The Sensation, with its 4.3″ qHD screen (960 x 540 pixels) will take the throne of flagship handset from the popular Desire HD. It sports a smokin’ fast dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, that should keep things running quicker than your fingers can press things. Video calling will be a doddle with the front-facing VGA camera, and you will be able to capture memories with the impressive 8MP camera at the rear, in full 1080p HD video at a smooth-as-eggs 30fps. The Sensation will also include the latest version of their widely praised Sense overlay for Android OS, which adds further tweaks to streamline the user experience.

Most interestingly, the handset will come preloaded with HTC Watch, a multimedia portal for renting or buying movies and TV shows on the move. However, despite the handset having HDMI out and wireless DLNA, DRM restrictions will not allow downloaded videos to be streamed over to your massive TV/monitor.  Whilst this may turn out to be something of a deal breaker for some, many more will love the convenience of being able to watch  from a large library of content on the handsets spacious 16:9 screen.

Pricing is still unknown at this point, but we will post any news up as it arrives. Alternatively, you can sign up for information on the HTC Sensation, as we get it, on OMIO’s deals page.

LG Optimus 3D – Sim Free Pricing Details, Release Date

LG’s showstopper at MWC 2011, the LG Optimus 3D is available SIM-free for pre-order via Expansys.com for £514.99.  The handset is currently listed for release on the 25th April 2011.

On top of being an already feature packed 1Ghz Android phone, the Optimus 3D’s real selling point is it’s 3D tech credentials.  With two 5MP camera’s at the rear, capable of shooting 720P high definition 3D video and pictures, this sci-fi handset is going to set the expectations for 3D technology for years to come.  The future is here people!

Whilst a lot of the ‘meh factor’ surrounding 3D up until this point has been down to the goofy (and sometimes expensive) glasses, naysayers will be happy to hear that the Optimus 3D has a revolutionary new 4.3″ screen that can switch at an instant from super crisp 2D, to extra-dimensional 3D before your unbelieving eyes.

There has also been issues surrounding the lack of watchable 3D content.  This is soon to change however with Youtube releasing a dedicated 3D channel, enabling users to view and share 3D content on the fly.  At this very moment, the producers of You’ve Been Framed are clearly rubbing their hands at the prospect of a raft of freely available family calamity videos.  People falling over has never looked so real!  LG are also chucking 3D games into the mix

The Optimus 3D will soon be joined by Nintendo’s 3DS handheld console, due out in March, as the only two ways to play 3D games on the go, an application that I think has always made more sense than 3D films.  Both units will share the sci-fi glasses-free screen and dual camera’s, so love it or hate it, 3D content is here to stay… for now.

Be one of the first to get your hands on the Optimus 3D SIM-free on Omio’s deals page.

Samsung Galaxy S II – Available To Pre Order Sim Free

Good news all you power addicts out there, the Samsung Galaxy S II is here to satisfy your every desire.  This Android 2.3 Gingerbread device was officialy revealed to the masses at MWC 2011 and now been listed via expansys.com, off contract, for a princely sum of £649.99.  Early adopters can pre-order the handset now, with deliveries expecting to start shipping April 18th 2011.

Samsung have really pulled out the stops with the Galaxy S II, packing premium features into a desirably thin form factor.  Its 1.2GHz dual core processor and 1GB ram will make light work of pretty much anything that you care to throw at it.  An 8MP camera sits at the rear, capable of stills or 1080P full HD video, whilst the 2MP camera at the front will be just fine for portrait pictures or fancy video calling.

At 4.3″ the Galaxy S II’s ‘Super AMOLED Plus’ screen is now bigger and brighter and even more power efficient, with 14% extra screen estate available to show off it’s excellent HD video handling, full internet browsing and gaming prowess.  If you thought the iPhone 4′s retina display looked crisp, just wait until you see this in action!

Fans of cutting edge technologies will also be excited to hear that this will be one of the first handsets to incorporate Near Field Communication.  Puzzled?  NFC will basically mean that you will be able to pay for products and services simply by holding your phone near a reader device, saving embarrasing scrambles for small change on the morning commute.

It’s older brother the Galaxy S won a whole heap of silverware and we have no doubt that this handset will follow suit.  It’s staggering to think that Samsung have managed to cram all this technology into a body that is a mere 8.49mm thick.

You can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S II Sim-Free via Omio’s deals page.

MWC 2011: HTC Incredible S Announced, Release Date Revealed

HTC revealed today in Barcelona that they would be bringing the HTC Incredible S to European markets in the second quarter, along with its range of updated handsets.  The Incredible S was otherwise known to the U.S. as the Droid Incredible (even being released in a rather fetching limited R2-D2 colour scheme) and was previously unavailable to the Old World.

The Incredible S has a unique ‘shrink wrapped’ design that hugs the innards of the phone, showing off its interior physique.  Whilst the original Droid Incredible was hailed upon release as the ‘most powerful Android phone in America’, the Incredible S won’t have the benefit of such a tag, now that dual core handsets like the LG Optimus 2X are the bullies on the block. However, it will still pack a punch with a 1GHz Qualcomm processor and 768MB ram.  Onboard storage is a little lacking, with 1GB sure to cause a few grumbles, but this is expandable via the addition of microSD cards up to 32GB.

Premium features are a 8MP camera capable of photos and HD recording, a front facing 1.3MP camera for video calling, and a 4″ high definition 480 x 800 Super LCD display.  This 4″ display places it slightly bigger in size terms than the Desire S, but slightly smaller than the Desire HD.  Those of you wanting to show off your holiday snaps or video shenanigans on a larger screen can stream them to a compatible television over the air via DLNA.

Rather surprising is that the Incredible S will be released into the wild sporting Android 2.2 (Froyo), although HTC have said that an update to 2.3 (Gingerbread) will follow.  As with the other HTC handsets, the Incredible S will have a number of custom interface tweaks courtesy of HTC’s Sense UI overlay.

So HTC hasn’t gambled on updating it’s ‘S’ lineup with overpowered dual-core processors, or gimmicks like 3D or Near Field Communications this year.  Who knows whether anyone will be able to take full use of such features on the other handsets, in the meantime HTC release an incremental update to a hugely popular handset to a new market.  Hopefully for HTC this will be enough to continue their great success to date in the smartphone market.

We’ll post any hands on impressions and videos from MWC 2011 to the blog as we get them.  Any details that we can get on specific release dates and contract details, we will post to Omio’s HTC Incredible S deals page.

MWC 2011: HTC Wildfire S Launches, Super Small Smartphone Set For Q2 Release Date

Today at MWC 2011, HTC revealed the update to its Wildfire range of small, fun and affordable handsets with the HTC Wildfire S.

Whilst you won’t get the HD capability or flashy screens like HTC’s higher end handsets, the Wildfire S will focus once again on smartphone functionality at an affordable pricepoint, all packaged into a compact 10.13cm x 5.94cm unit.

The Wildfire S has the smallest screen of HTC’s lineup, at 3.2″, with display resolution boosted from 320 x 240 to 320 x 480 pixels, so comparable to the iPhone 3Gs.  The Wildfire S will ship with the latest Android ‘Gingerbread’ software, and will be modded with convenient interface tweaks via HTC’s Sense UI.  As expected, the camera is a 5MP unit that will allow you to snap away to your hearts content and post your photo’s and videos to Facebook with ease.

Once again, the updates to the Wildfire series are incremental rather than a leap forward.  HTC seems to be playing it cautiously, maintaining the solid reputation of their already popular brands with tweaks to the formula.  Whilst the Wildfire S won’t win any races based on specifications, (it’s 600MHz processor is somewhat underpowered) it is still an attractive entry level smartphone, containing all the key functionality and clearly aimed at the right market.

The HTC Wildfire S will be released in a variety of colours during Q2 2011.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Now Available for Preorder – Free From £35 Per Month

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play deals are now listed via BuyMobilePhones.net as being available for pre-order.

The UK’s big four carriers are listed – O2, Orange, Vodafone and T-Mobile, but nothing for Three or Virgin as yet.  The prices for the handset range from FREE on a fairly steep £35 per month package, all the way up to a £249.99 handset cost on the various contracts available, too numerous to list here.

Meanwhile, Expansys.com lists the handset at £539.99 SIM-free and have pencilled in the availability date as the 31st March 2011, so a maximum of just over 6 weeks to wait!

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play has to be one of the most poorly kept secrets since, well the iPhone 4, and we wonder if testing the public reactions in some way is due to a little hesitancy or insecurity on behalf of Sony themselves.

Sony stopped short of allowing the subsidiary Sony Ericsson to call it the ‘PSP Phone’ or similar, settling for a slightly less commital ‘PlayStation Certified’ stamp of approval, which only covers the XPERIA Play’s hardware setup, rather than gaming credentials.

The jury’s still out on whether the XPERIA Play will really do justice to the PlayStation brand, although Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kazuo Hirai was there to show support for the handset when he appeared onstage at the MWC 2011 on Sunday night during the official reveal.

The XPERIA Play packs a 1Ghz Qualcomm Scorpion ARMv7 processor (an interesting choice given the profusion of multi-core mobiles coming this year), has 400MB RAM, a 4″ capacitive touch screen running at 854 x 640 pixels, and runs on Android 2.3  or ‘Gingerbread’.

Onboard storage comes via an included 8GB MicroSD, expandable to 32GB.  The handset can also record 720p video and DLNA will stream it to compatible televisions.  In addition to a 5MP camera at the rear, a 2MP front facing camera is on hand to provide video calling functionality for all you Skype heads out there.

The controller itself has the familiar four button directional pad, triangle/circle/cross/square buttons as well as L and R shoulder buttons, instantly familiar to the Playstation range.  Some gamers earlier bemoaned the lack of analogue sticks, but it so happens that the slightly mysterious touch interface in the middle will be usable in lieu, giving fans of FPS games like genre stalwarts Call of Duty and Killzone something to sleep well on.

Oh yeah and before we forget, it’s also a phone! You know, to call people on, although we can’t imagine that serious gamers will want to be disturbed when they’re right in the middle of a serious multiplayer firefight.   Good luck making that call!

Check out Omio’s deals page where you can find the best offers on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play.