Alleged Nokia Searay for T-Mobile Germany image leaks

A very legit looking image of the Nokia Searay has just been leaked by The Nokia Blog. The image is allegedly from T-Mobile Germany and has a short description of the phone on the side.

If we translate the text to English, we get the following result:

Drive safely to your destination with Nokia - including 3D. Representation and voice navigation Windows Mobile 7.5 (Mango) operating system. 3.7" brilliant domed AMOLED display.

The phone itself looks identical to the N9, as it did in all the previous leaks, which means it is also very easy to fake it. Just like The Nokia Blog, we're finding it a bit hard to swallow that Nokia would call the final version of the phone by the name 'Searay'. More so because recently Nokia had a poll to decide the name for their series of Windows Phone 7 devices, with options like Phoenix, Genesis, etc. This means the actual phones will probably be called something like the Nokia Genesis N1 instead of simply Searay.

Things are yet to get finalized though, so eventually they might just go with individual names instead of having a name for the series. Whatever it is, we'll find out before the end of this year.

SugarSync for iOS users gets and update, iPhone/iPad users rejoice

Earlier this year SugarSync brought their smartphone-to-PC free syncing service to Android users everywhere.

Making a name for themselves with iOS, SugarSync are now ready to push the next version of their service to iPhone and iPad users everywhere, which includes a heap of new functionality.

For starters they’ve made interface improvements primarily based on user feedback. You can now sync folders individually, organise photos alphabetically or chronologically and there’s now batch processing when it comes to copying, moving or deleting photos or albums.

Also another key new feature is the integrated notes service. Alongside photos, SugarSync now allows you to create syncable notes that pertain to album or photo content or anything you want to write about really.

It’s good news for fans of an already popular service on Apple’s turf, but it’s now a case of what happens to the non-iOS users. Does the Android SugarSync app get left out in the cold, or will they take steps to sweeten things up there too?

Samsung announces Omnia W, we go hands-on

Windows phone 7 Mango update is coming any moment now and so are the first phones that will have it stock right out of the box. HTC has already announced the Mango-based Titan and Radar, so today is the Samsung's turn - meet the Omnia W.

The Omnia W packs a 3.7-inch WVGA Super AMOLED screen and is based on the Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon chipset with a 1.4GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 205 graphics and 512MB RAM. Since Microsoft has strict policy about the hardware there is very little space Samsung to innovate.

The rest of the specs are pretty much standard - a 5 megapixel snapper with a LED flash, a 720p camcorder, a front-facing VGA camera, 8GB internal storage, a 1500mAh battery and the usual connectivity (Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth).

Samsung Omnia W runs on the latest Windows Phone 7 Mango version and there are just few Samsung apps you can download for free to get something unique with your phone, since Microsoft forbids customizations.

According to GSMInfo.nl the Omnia W is expected this November for about €450 for the unlocked device.

We also got a chance to play around with the Omnia W. It's nicely compact and not too heavy. The battery cover is made out of brushed metal (a nice touch!) but the rest of the body is plastic. Still, the Omnia W feels solidly built.

On the front, there's the 3.7" SuperAMOLED screen with WVGA resolution. Below that is the Windows key flanked by capacitive back and search keys. There's a half-pressable shutter key on the side as it's customary for Windows Phones.

Unfortunately, the phone had a rather bad case of a dead battery, so we can’t share any impressions about actually using the phone. We bet, however, it won't be long before we get one-on-one with the Omnia W again.

Touch panel issues to delay the iPhone 5 shipments

Issues with the touch panels, produced by one of Apple's suppliers will, reportedly, be causing a delay in the shipments of the next iPhone. According to the latest rumors, the defect panels are going to render Apple unable to meet the initial shipping targets for their upcoming smartphone.

The panels in question are manufactured by Wintek and are allegedly suffering from a "delayed bubble" issue which becomes apparent only later during the in the process of assembly. Since Wintek is delivering about 20-25% of the touch panels for the next iPhone, the supply shortages shouldn't be too dramatic, but that also depends on how the other suppliers are doing.

We are yet to see if that new turn of events will affect the actual announcement of the next iPhone. Previously, we heard that the unveiling will take place on October 4th, but that hasn't been confirmed by Apple just yet.

Galaxy S II global sales pass the 10 million mark

The hit smartphone Galaxy S II has surpassed the 10 million landmark in global sales. It managed to achieve this in just five months of going on sale.

The previous record holder in Samsung's fleet was the Samsung Star S5230, which managed to cross the 10 million mark in six months. The hot selling Galaxy S managed to achieve the same in about seven months. Being significantly more expensive than both, the fact that the Galaxy S II managed to reach the sales figure in a shorter period of time is quite an achievement.

Then again, this is not surprising. The Galaxy S II has struck a chord with the smartphone buyers thanks to its awesome features and performance and people are shoveling their money at Samsung just to get their hands on the best smartphone on the market right now. Now that the phone has started selling in the US as well, the next landmark will probably take even less time.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S now available, online at least

Although we've heard no word of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S in stores, we've spotted it on one online retailer's website and no doubt it'll start cropping up elsewhere soon.

The Arc S is an uprated version of Sony Ericsson's previous flagship the Arc. The key difference being the improved 1.4GHz processor (compared to the Arc's 1GHz). Beyond that the S is effectively the same device but that's not a bad thing.

Highlights include the top-notch 4.2" LCD with Sony's BRAVIA engine to really make it 'pop'. There's 512MB of RAM, an 8MP camera capable of 720p HD video at 30fps with continuous auto-focus and a new 3D sweep panorama mode, a feature previously reserved for the likes of Sony Cybershot cameras like the TX-9. The most impressive thing about the sweep being that it creates a 3D image using the S' single lens camera. Also we should add that we've checked with SE personally and the same feature should be coming to Arc users in the not too distant future so there should be no bad blood between Arc and arc S users.

The Arc S will be available in Pure White , Gloss Black , Misty Silver , Midnight Blue and Sakura Pink and if you want one now, check out the source link and have $528.50 spare. Still unsure, check out our coverage of the original Arc here to get an idea of what you could be picking up.

Update: Although we have no confirmed date yet, mobile carrier Three will definitely be getting the Xperia arc S, alongside Sony Ericsson's Live with Walkman. Thanks to Ahmed for this one.

Huawei Vision: Premium Android goodness from Huawei

In Beijing earlier this week, Huawei unveiled its latest Android device and it promises to be one of their 'sexiest' smartphones yet. The Vision is a stylish droid that fits in at the upper end of the Huawei's smartphone portfolio and has a promising spec sheet that matches its sophisticated image.

The Vision will come running Gingerbread 2.3 and totes a 3D carousel UI, which is in fact a modified version of SPB's Shell 3D launcher. The device's construction consists of an aluminum alloy uni-body which measures just 9.9mm thick at its thinnest point and weighs in at a reasonable 121g. It uses a 3.7" capacitive display on the front and a 5MP camera with a single LED flash on the back, capable of 720p HD video recording.

Hardware is certainly capable with a single-core 1GHz MSM 8255-1 Snapdragon chipset, 512MB of RAM, 2GB of ROM, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP support, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, a microSD slot that can take cards up to 32GB, a microUSB 2.0 port, a 1400mAh battery, A-GPS, an FM radio, a proximity and brightness sensor and customisable back covers available in charcoal, silver or rose gold.

So there are a few omissions that need to be cleared up like 3G connectivity and screen resolution, but all in all it's a device not to be sniffed at with looks akin to an HTC Legend crossed with a Nexus S and hardware similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S, a competent device that aims higher than some of it's brand siblings for sure. If you're interested by the Huawei Vision it's coming to 'selected markets' in September of this year.