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Handhelds Wireless Networking Hardware

First 1.1Mpixel 192MB SmartPhone 257

Posted by timothy from the don't-get-mugged dept.
Daath writes "It just came to my attention, that LG Electronics announced a SmartPhone with 192MB memory and a built in 1.1 Mpixel CCD camera. It's a slide-down type phone, running on a 400MHz Intel X-Scale processor with a 2.8" 262K color TFT LCD. It runs MS PocketPC 2003. Personally I think it blows the SE P900 away. Ok, time to wipe the drool off the keyboard! ;)"
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First 1.1Mpixel 192MB SmartPhone More

First 1.1Mpixel 192MB SmartPhone

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  • Sucks (Score:2, Interesting)

    by pheared ( 446683 )
    They can put 192MB into a phone but they can't make the phone any smaller.

    Call me when it fits in my pocket.

  • holy crap! (Score:4, Funny)

    by Savatte ( 111615 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @09:58AM (#7280959) Homepage Journal
    I bet if god needed cellular service, he'd have a phone like that

  • This isn't a phone (Score:2, Flamebait)

    by Viol8 ( 599362 )
    Its a PDA with phone functionality built in and with a lousy 10 digit keypad. Give me a proper PDA or cheap mobile
    , but not this jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none mongrel (that probably will cost a small fortune for the suckers who'll buy it).
    • I hate these jack-of-all-trade things. I'd like a separate computer for web surfing, compiling, writing emails, word processing, watching movies, and playing games.

      How tough is it to be a master of cell phone? Not too hard. Most of the "advanced" features of a cell phone exist in PDAs these days - reminders, address books, web surfing, bluetooth, etc. So why not combine them?

      I concider this a kickass PDA with the feature of being a cell phone too. My only concern is size, it would feel a little odd to

  • Big Deal... (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @09:59AM (#7280967)
    Casio's already come out with a 2 MP camera phone [i4u.com], that includes nightmode, etc.

    Take that!

  • Coming soon.. in Korea. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Dynamoo ( 527749 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:01AM (#7280980) Homepage
    According to this article this article [mobileburn.com] at Mobileburn, the SC8000 is destined for the Korean market at the end of the year. Look closely at the press photo and you'll see that the markings are in Hangul.

    However, it looks like a great unit from a technical perspective. However the styling looks like it was done by a bus manufacturer in downtown Seoul.. urgh.

  • Completely and utterly useless. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Luckboy ( 152985 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:02AM (#7280986)
    Don't get me wrong, it has nice features, looks good, more memory is always a plus, but frankly I don't need or want a camera in my phone. And since I work somewhere that cameras are specifically NOT allowed (a rule that is enforced by many men with BIG guns), the camera makes this completely useless.

    Why can't a cell phone company make something with all the features of say a SE P800 or 900, or even this one without a camera? At this rate, I'm going to be stuck with my T68i for years to come, and when it dies, I'll be SOL.
    • Why can't a cell phone company make something with all the features of say a SE P800 or 900, or even this one without a camera?

      Exactly. I'm happy with my practically ancient SE phone, but if I were going to buy a new one, over half the phones I like have cameras on them. The last thing I heard on camera phones was something along the lines of 'confiscation and destruction'.

      If I need a camera, I'll get a camera, not a phone. At the very least, how hard is it to make the same damned phone without the came
      • See, I was exactly like you. What the HELL would I use a camera phone for? And then SprintPCS gave me one for free because I'm such a nice guy. And you know what? I use it. Sure they're not great pictures, but lets say I want to remember something real quick like, I just snap a picture of it. I annoy the HELL out of my girlfriend w/ it, and take funny looking cameos that I upload to the SprintPCS picture bank. Yea, I probbably wouldnt have BOUGHT this phone (SCH 8100), but since I recieved it for just
        • The grandparent made the observation of 'confiscation and destruction'. if here were caught carrying a camera, even one attached to his phone.

          I have the same problem, I cannot bring a camera to work or it will be confiscated and destroyed. As companies get more and more proactive about guarding their secrets, more employees will be faced with the same problem.

          You have to admit that, of all of the phone's features, the camera is the most gimmicky and least-used. The fact is it is only a stopgap to make e
    • I'm in the same boat. Why can't cellphone manufacturers make one or two models with all of the bells-and-whistles except the camera?

      Feel lucky that you have your T68i. I'm in need of a phone, and only the Siemens S56 and SL56 seem to be relatively high-end GSM phones without built-in cameras. What I'd really like is a Sony Ericsson T616...
    • I don't see a problem here.

      The CCD is the most delicate part of the hardware, and the device will work without it.

      Just break it off.

  • Some rather important stats are missing (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jandrese ( 485 ) * <kensama@vt.edu> on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:03AM (#7280997) Homepage Journal
    What is the battery life on this thing? How hot does it get when you're using it? How expensive is it? What standards does it support? What kind of range can you expect to get out of it? This article is a little light on the important statistics for the cell phone part of the device.
    • Cellphones with cameras actually don't suffer much in battery life. While the camera does use a lot of power, it only uses it when you take a shot, so the duty cycle is really low and over the long term it doesn't end up being a real power drain. Compare a half-second of picture taking with a 20 minute call on the phone while you are continuiously transmitting and receiving, and you can see why the camera power is pretty miniscule.

      My wife has a Sanyo SCP-5300 (with extended battery though) and its batter

    • Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:53AM (#7281468)
      Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Replacement for my Hiptop (Score:3, Informative)

    by SpineZ ( 84378 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:05AM (#7281010)
    This looks really nice. I had to get rid of my Danger Hiptop (TMobile Sidekick) because of the incredible bulk. This looks like a great replacement for it, although lacking the nifty keypad and "cool" swivel-screen. And of course, the PDA functions of it should be a lot more refined than the Hiptop.

    I don't see any specifics stating it will be GPRS capable. Anyone have any insight?

  • GSM or CDMA (Score:3, Insightful)

    by stilwebm ( 129567 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:06AM (#7281017)
    The news item linked in the post doesn't mention whether it is a GSM or CDMA phone, or available as both. Anyone know? LG makes phones for both technologies.

    • Re:GSM or CDMA (Score:2, Informative)

      by dokebi ( 624663 )
      The phone is being launched in Korea first, which is all CDMA2000. I wonder if you could use the PDA's browser on the CDMA 1x-DO network in korea. Now that would be cool (sustained rate of 800kbps--faster than my DSL at home!).
      I'm sure LG will follow with a GSM model for Europe and the rest of the world soon.

  • I don't want it (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ErikJson ( 27997 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:06AM (#7281020)
    The current PDA:s using XScales have horrible battery lives. Look at the ones from HP, Dell, etc.

    I want to be able to use a gadget like this the way I use my cell phone now. Charge it once a week or so. A device like a PDA or a cell phone is something you should be able to trust while travelling. If you forget to charge a PDA one day, the next day you shouldn't have to worry about not using it too much. The P900 seemed like a better alternative with respect to this.
    • How often do you have to charge your laptop?

      If you use your cell at all, you can probably skip one night, but no more. Yes-- battery life is horrible... but only when compared to a less powerful PDA or a regular cell phone. There's a pretty good correlation between processing power and power consumption.

      I think this highlights the problems with these integrated devices (and, more importantly, integrated power source). For most people, it just doesn't make sense. I'd be pissed if I couldn't make a call

  • You call THAT impressive? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by hajejan ( 549838 ) <hajejan@noSpam.kamps.org> on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:07AM (#7281025) Homepage
    You call that impressive?

    I hook up my 11 megapixel Canon EOS 1Ds to a laptiop with slott-in GPRS / GSM card. That gives me an 11 Mpx (nearly-)mobile phone.

    On a more serious note: As a photographer, I think the whole videophone / cameraphone thing is a ridiculously bad idea. I have been using an Sony Ericsson t68i for years, and it syncs with my laptop via bluetooth. Brilliant, and it does everything I would expect from a simple PDA (calendar and syncs perfectly with my address book, even stores my notes), and telephone, in a minuscule package.

    Blah, progress.
    • The camera phones are not made for photographers, but teenagers who like to snap pictures of their friends snapping pictures of each other, then send them to other friends who weren't there.

      Social mobs and all that.

      For that purpose the camera phones are extremely adequate. You don't need zillion megapixels. I'd even say 1.1 megapixels is more than enough.
    • I hook up my 11 megapixel Canon EOS 1Ds to a laptiop with slott-in GPRS / GSM card. That gives me an 11 Mpx (nearly-)mobile phone.

      Yes, but you can't carry it in your pocket.

      I think most people are missing out on the real uses for cellular phone cams. It is the form factor that is the win. Most people take snapshots, they don't care too much about the quality of the shot if they can easilly have the camera with them at all times, as they currently do with their cellphones.

      BTW, for an example cellphone
    • From the linked page: "The single most important characteristic of the smart phone is that it represents the development of a smart phone...."

      As opposed to all those smart phones out there that are actually lizards with antennas strapped to their backs, I suppose.
    • The cameras on phones I'm sure are rubbish compared to your Canon, and the audio on phones is rubbish compared to an audiophile system.

      Horses for courses. There is a time and a place for audiophile systems and super quality photos, and there's a time and a place to just communicate in a "good enough" fashion. Superficially at least, it sounds like this phone does a great job of that.
  • . It runs MS PocketPC 2003. Personally I think it blows the SE P900 away. Ok, time to wipe the drool off the keyboard! ;)"

    Maybe its my bad memory, but I swore I saw a story or 2 earlier toting a Linux PDA, and now a Windows CE device is being immensely praised.

    I'm confused. Next thing you know we'll have another RIAA lawsuit story, then a story plugging a movie a day later.
  • This is the perfect phone for geeks who need a new excuse for not getting laid.
    "I can't date because I'm too busy playing with my phone to use it for calling girls!"

  • PDA's and Cellphones are only natural (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Stone316 ( 629009 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:24AM (#7281199) Journal
    I purchased my first PDA almost 2 years ago now. Personally, the only thing they are good for is keeping track of my appointments and contacts. Sure, if i'm stuck in a doctor's office I can pull up some reading material but thats about it.

    Personally, I think this new phone looks pretty sweet. Yeah, it only has a 1mega pixel camera, but if i'm at the mall and my kids do something cute its good enough for a 4x6 print. Better than nothing. Sure, my 5 megapixel camera would take a better picture but I always carry my phone and PDA but not my camera.

    I won't be buying another PDA until Internet connectivity is reasonably priced and available. I want to be able to check my mail, surf the web from anywhere and until that happens I don't think the sales of PDA's and smartphones are really going to take off.

    I'm not entirely familiar with smartphones (other than the obvious) can their built in PDA's access the internet on demand?

  • Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:25AM (#7281210)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re:Technology is amazing. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by zulux ( 112259 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:59AM (#7281542) Homepage Journal

      I know what you mean....

      The background texture on my website takes up more memory that what my first computer had. (8k)

      My laptop has more memory in it's L2 cache than my fists floppy drive could store.

      My server could fit the entire OS of my first multi-tasking compter in it's L3 cache.

      • Oh well, I tried and failed to resist making a joke about your typo. So:

        My laptop has more memory in it's L2 cache than my fists floppy drive could store.

        First of all, it's "fist's" and second of all, your fist has a floppy drive? That sounds pretty cool. Can you download data into your brain Matrix-style? "I know kung-fu."

        I can just see someone having a little slot just below the knuckles and therefore needs to make a fist in order to insert a floppy disk. I found the mental image rather amusing

  • BUT ITS A M$ SMARTPHONE (Score:3, Insightful)

    by boogy nightmare ( 207669 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:28AM (#7281245) Homepage
    I know i know it looks good etc etc but at the end of the day good stats do not make for a good phone, i have a p800 and i will get a p900 when it comes out, and it runs on Symbian (do not spell that wrong when doing a search.....trust me)

    thats means there is plenty of free open source programmes out there to keep you going for years, if i want a top camera i'll either take my kodak 3600 out (3.2mp) or my Fuji Finepix s603(6mp).

    Think before you buy, good stuff to LG for making this but dont rush to buy until you see the test (a pointless statement i know but the general tone of the intro has made me think twice)

  • I get the impression all the doo-hickey digital cameras out there right now really are the polaroids of the modern world. It looks like this one doesn't even have a flash. Convenient, but...in the end, we want our memories stored in a format that doesn't look like crap. Plus, with the tiny ultra-compacts Minolta and Canon have available, you're certainly not sacrificing much space or weight to have a real camera with you.

    There are CF Cameras [mobileplanet.com] available to PDA users currently, but the reception to them th
  • The latest smart phone is equipped with a 1.1 million mega pixel built-in camera, Intel 400Mhz Xscale processor for PDA, 192MB memory, and 'Pocket PC 2003 Korean version' of Microsoft as its O/S.

    Freaky ;-)

  • Kyocera 7135 (Score:3, Interesting)

    by TrueJim ( 107565 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @10:40AM (#7281361) Homepage
    I've been carrying a Kyocera 7135 PalmOS SmartPhone [kyocera-wireless.com] for the last three weeks, as seen on TV [kyocera-wireless.com]. I like it -- it feels like a phone that does useful things, rather than like a PDA that can also make phonecalls. I get real wireless Web browsing on it, that's a given. The MP3 player gets a little choppy sometimes; I haven't figure out why yet -- but mostly it plays pretty well. The MMC/SD slot enables me to hook in all sorts of cool gizmos [kyocera-wireless.com]: VGA adapters, printers, keyboards, cameras, etc. Cost a little under $500. It's by far the most useful toy I've ever had.

    • Re:Kyocera 7135 (Score:2, Informative)

      by yomegaman ( 516565 )
      If your MP3's average more than about 128 kb/s then you will get choppiness, I'm still not sure whether the bottleneck is the decoder or just transferring the data off the SD card. I make my MP3's using MusicMatch, VBR 50% "High-Quality" (heh) setting, which average 128 kb/s and they work pretty well.
    • ughh cdma
  • really that is the only thing holding back my getting a camera phone. i dont need 192MB built in - i have a 256MB card laying around (since i upgraded my Nex2e and my digital camera to 512).

    data service for those phones is unnecessarily expensive (in the US) and yet i see the benefits of having a small average quality digital camera with me for all the times where i haven't thought to bring my 3MP monster.

    why is it that these phones never have a decent expansion slot? don't lock me in with your 'no one wi

  • Swiss Army Knife (Score:2, Interesting)

    by theslashdude ( 656154 )
    I can only image the comments had /. been around when the Swiss Army Knife was intruduced. So it's got a sucky knife, sucky scissors, sucky saw, sucky file, sucky toothpick. Am I the only one who would rather carry a real knife, real scissors, etc... Reality check! This device is not intended to replace a photographer's 5MP camera or the audiophile's iPod. It's like the Swiss Army Knife of electronics. When you are in the situation where that priceless picture presents itself and you don't have your 5MP

  • One is a PDA with a Phone and the Other is a Phone (Score:3, Insightful)

    by FatherOfONe ( 515801 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @11:03AM (#7281598)
    To me the Sony is the way to go. It looks like a good phone with some PDA features that I would probably use. I currently have an Ipaq 3970, that I hate and can't wait to replace with a phone like the Sony 900. Now the other product, looks like some PDA that they fit a phone around. It will still have all the same issues that the IPAQ has. Crappy OS, bugs and a battery hog. All that with the huge size to boot. It may be for some people, but for people like me that NEED a good phone and want SOME PDA functionality in it, the Sony is the way to go.

    Now I just have to see if they have telnet and ssh for the Sony AND if anyone in the U.S. besides T-Mobile will support it. Man T-Mobile sucks also... I hope that Sony will work with Verizion, ATT&T or ANYONE but T-Mobile with their phone.

  • It runs MS PocketPC 2003. Personally I think it blows

    You can stop right there--no need to go on.

    I think Symbian is a far better OS than PPC2003. And the difference between 1.1Mpixel and VGA is not enough to make up for that.

  • lens cap? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by JUSTONEMORELATTE ( 584508 ) on Wednesday October 22, 2003 @11:08AM (#7281652) Homepage
    My cell phone get covered in gunk from pockets, backpack, car seats, etc. My PDA is a palm V in the "armor" style case, and it still gets dust on it.
    I wouldn't buy a digital camera that doesn't cover the lens, and I'm at least careful with the digi-cam.
    If this thing is supposed to withstand the abuse of going with me everywhere, why can't it come with a lens cover?

    --
  • As a basic mobile phone/PDA/camera user I cannot but applaud these efforts. Granted, no-zoom 1MPix is not sufficient, but I don't want to carry around a PDA and a phone and a camera and all of those capabilities I'd like to have about me. I love making moment pictures, but my camera is usually in my bag or at home.

    Anyhow, I think once they make these rugged and with a super-LED flash-light, I'm on for one. (Rugged as in Siemens ME45 - shock-proof, water-proof and stuff.)

  • ... that the majority of picture taken will be of somebody's ear? "What was that again? Oops! Damn, I just took another picture!"
  • The press release only mentions IR, so it seems that the phone will be lacking bluetooth support. I'll wait for the P900.
  • That's an "interesting" combination. A 1.1 MPixel picture is around 300k, IIRC. So you can hold 576 pictures at a time. Which seems rather sufficient.
  • I'll pass on the Nimda-in-your-pocket phone
    and wait for something with non-viral software.
  • Sorry, but I just looked at the spec. I own a P800 and from my experience, any PDA/Phone combo without bluetooth for handsfree is a serious design/Feature flaw. I have seen friends with Palm/Handspring devices fumble with "handsfree" wires everytime a call comes in. I have seen other people hold up a fat PDA to their heads and chatting. Neither beats leaving the phone in your pocket or briefcase while talking on the phone... And driving at the same time... with both hands on the wheel! Just some usabil
  • I think the people who pay bucks for CCD products are going to be bummed when they realize in a few months that 1.3MPixel CMOS is going to be hitting the shelves as early as the beginning of next year.
    The Taiwan trade mags have had a lot about how the 1.3MP CMOS is already in full swing and they're starting on the 3MP.
  • "It runs MS PocketPC 2003. Personally I think it blows the SE P900 away."

    Wrong.

    Unless you're aiming to make the world's heaviest and power-hungriest phone, you use Symbian.
  • ...now if it only ran a decent OS (preferably PalmOS, but Symbian would do in a pinch).

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