In focus: Mobile phones on the cutting edge

THE very latest in mobile phone technology was unveiled yesterday.

Between a new Samsung handset that sports a seven-megapixel camera - better resolution than most non-professional digital cameras - and a wide range of mobiles that download and stream music like an MP3 player, a range of lifestyle options were on offer.

The slew of new features on phones is an astounding leap from just two years ago, when an integrated camera that took fuzzy images was an attention-getter. And since 2002, music and mobiles has meant much more than just ringtones.

All these new bells and whistles have become a big selling point, not just for the makers, but for the carriers who want to increase their revenue.

“This is the first time that (next-generation) phones are getting close to being sexy and attractive,” said Leif-Olof Wallin, who follows mobile phone development and marketing for the Meta Group from Sweden.

Reaction at the Samsung booth was filled with actual “oohs” and “ahs”. Samsung didn’t disclose a price on the new SCH-V770, whose camera delivers quality on par, or better, than most non-phone consumer cameras, which typically offer four to six megapixels in quality.

The camera sports a flash and can be manually focused. The screen can display as many as 16 million colours, compared with 65,000 on most of today’s upscale phones.

The handset is expected to go on sale by June, at least in Asia, but there’s no launch date set for Europe and the US.

Germany’s Siemens hopes to transform text messages from boring print to a more interactive experience.

The company unveiled its new Animated Instant Voice Messages. The software converts the text in a wireless message into speech that can be synchronised to play with moving animated lips superimposed on one of the user’s own photographs. European users will get the first chance to see it, likely later this year.

Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sweden’s Ericsson and Sony, is touting its new Walkman phone, breathing new life into a name associated with music on the go since the late 1970s - but radically advanced compared to the analogue cassettes of the 1980s.