LG KC910 Renoir review: Portrait of a high-flyer

The LG KC910 has a moniker that sends out a bold and clear statement about talent. Packing a whopping 8 megapixel camera and top-of-the-line video recording, the LG KC910 Renoir is all about capturing the moment, leaving an impression. While this alone should be enough to assert an identity, the Renoir just won't stop there. With the full touch user interface and the portly 3" display, everything is a mere touch away. Wi-Fi, HSDPA and GPS are all aboard to add the last bits of oomph to the feature-loaded LG Renoir.
The exciting facts and figures from the Renoir specs sheet however won't really give away its real-life performance and this is where we step in. We already had the camera performance of the LG Renoir to bits in our 8 megapixel cameraphone shootout but it's time to move up and look at the bigger picture

It certainly took us quite some time to bring this review forward. Perhaps we even pushed it over the peak of your anticipation, but we didn't mean to get you starved so you like the meal better.
Our better-late-than-never department - duly sent to the corner, by the way - has finally prepared a full-featured, action-packed and hopefully eye-opening review of one of the best imaging mobile phones this year - the LG KC910 Renoir.

Key features:
Quad-band GSM, HSDPA 2100 MHz
3" 256K-color touchscreen TFT display (240 x 400 pixels)
8 megapixel autofocus camera, xenon flash (geo-tagging, face tracking, blink detection, touch focus, manual focus)
Video recording in AVI format, VGA@30fps, QVGA@120fps, time-lapse QVGA videos
Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
Wi-Fi
GPS receiver with A-GPS support
TV-out
100MB internal memory
Hot-swappable microSD card slot (ships with 8GB card)
Accelerometer for auto screen rotate
DivX/XviD video playback
Dolby Mobile music enhancement
FM radio with RDS
Office document viewer
Multi-tasking with a real task manager
Handwriting recognition
Excellent touch optimized image gallery
Direct video uploads to YouTube

Nokia E71 gets bunch of new stuff through massive firmware update

European owners of the Nokia E71 can now update their smartphones with the latest firmware version that brings a whole raft of improvements. The update brings along new applications, camera improvements, bug fixes, localization improvements and new themes.
If you happen to have an European Nokia E71 we have some good news for you. A spanking new firmware for your handset has been released (v200.21.118) and you can get it through the Nokia Software Updater application on your desktop computer.
The new v200.21.118 firmware brings some new functionalities such as Internet Radio and My Nokia application, as well as improve the already present software sub-systems - general user interface, camera, web browser plus Flash Lite and Java, QuickOffice, Maps, Music Player, Bluetooth, 3G and WLAN connectivity. You can check the detailed changes further down.
There is no information when this huge update will hit other regional versions of the Nokia E71, but if you are too impatient you can supposedly spoof your Product Code so that the Software Updater will take your device for a European one. That however is for experienced users only, so if you feel uneasy tinkering with your phone's deep system properties, you better wait for an official release.

New functionalities:
- Internet Radio application- My Nokia application- 3G power reduction for applications using keep-alive style messaging- User experience improvements:- Easy Dialing support for Simplified Chinese language- Device Lock improvement: Open device lock with LSK + Fn-keys- One key input method switch for China language- ‘Mute’ option in Right Soft Key when wired headset / hands free is connected- ‘Loudspeaker’ option in Right Soft Key immediately when phone call is started- Enlarge characters in Chr-table- NTLM v1 and v2 support for Intranet Browsing- New black and red themes

General- Time zones updated- Improvements to localization- Localization fixes- Missing localizations added- Operator name database updated- Startup Settings updated- Certificates updated- Security updates- Stability and functionality improvements- Barcode reader icon changed from 1D icon to 2D icon- Windows DRM keys are not lost during NSU update from 110.07.127

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic review: Young as you feel

It's touchscreen o'clock for Nokia and the stage is set for the 5800 XpressMusic. Go ahead and touch it. We did and we've got a story to tell.
Now, it's technically not the first time Nokia get their hands dirty with touch screens, but it sure feels they really mean business this time. For Nokia 5800 is not the only story here. The smart platform with the most influential touch receives its first trial by touch. Being the first device running Series 60 5th alone is enough for the 5800 to be remembered by.

It's a first try and proceeding with caution is only fair. Nokia 5800 is unthreateningly and unobtrusively positioned in the mid-range and the XpressMusic branding helps share some of that first-S60-touchscreen weight. Still, it's way more than an affordable music-centered handset. The 5800 has a strong and unmistakable Nokia identity and delivers multimedia prowess. So, let's touch, shall we?

Key features:
3.2" 16M-color TFT LCD 16:9 touchscreen display (360 x 640 pixels)
Symbian S60 5th edition
ARM 11 369 MHz CPU, 128 MB of SDRAM memory
3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash
VGA video recording at 30fps
Dual-band 3G with HSDPA support
Quad-band GSM support
Wi-Fi
Capable GPS receiver and Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch
microSD card memory expansion, ships with an 8GB card
TV out
FM radio with RDS
Bluetooth and USB v2.0
3.5mm standard audio jack
Excellent audio quality
Landscape on-screen virtual QWERTY keyboard
Proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off
Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation and motion-based gaming
Rich retail package
Affordable price
Office document viewer
OVI and MySpace integration (direct image and video uploads)

LG Watch phone makes a nice appearance on CES 2009 catwalk

In case you need a refresh - that's the LG GD910 - the 3G wrist watch phone that allows for voice commands and video calls. We've come across a nice demo video that we though you would like to see. The demonstration includes the two basic functions - calling and messaging. Both of them are very easy to use via the bundled Bluetooth earphone.
Last year we presented you the upcoming and innovative wrist watch mobile phone - LG GD910. A working prototype was first displayed during CES 2009 and we managed to snatch the full specs. The GD910 has got a 1.4-inch TFT touchscreen display, 3G/HSDPA with video calls support, Bluetooth connectivity and a nice looking Flash-based user interface.

Making phone calls is very easy thanks to the bundled Bluetooth earphone. There's a workaround for texting too - LG GD910 has text-to-speech capabilities for your convenience.
As with most wrist watches, the LG GD910 is water resistant. The battery recharging is realized through a cradle stand.

Nokia E63 review: E for Economy

Nokia E63 is the next QWERTY messenger by Nokia, set on the glorious path of the E71. Only this time it slips off the high heels to walk it in plain straight and simple boots instead. And the matching price tag leaves little doubt of what this Working Joe here is all about.
No fancy spoils, the Nokia E63 means business and brings connectivity and messaging together in a sharp and reliable package. Certainly a no-thrills mobile, the E63 does its jobs with no fuss and at a fair wage. Well, who would frown at that?

Now, comparisons to E71 are clearly inevitable and maybe we know better than expect Nokia E63 to impress us as much. But who says it can't persuade through common sense.

Key features:
Quad-band GSM support
3G support
Landscape 2.36" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution
Symbian 9.2 OS, S60 UI with FP1 (sprinkled with some FP2)
369 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB of SDRAM
Wi-Fi
2 megapixel fixed focus camera with LED flash
120 MB of internal memory, microSD expansion
Standard 3.5mm audio jack
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP support
microUSB v2.0
FM radio
Comfortable full QWERTY keypad
Convenient shortcut keys
Provider-independent VoIP support
Office document editor
Nokia Maps
User-friendly Mode Switch for swapping two homescreen setups
Great battery life
Remote Lock and Wipe feature
One-year free subscription for Files on Ovi