HTC Diamond Touch and Dream Android

Rumors of an upcoming model, the HTC Diamond Touch, have been around for quite some time now. The Diamond Touch would, according to unconfirmed reports, be an updated version of the HTC Touch, offering a higher resolution VGA display.

Earlier this week HTC announced an event to be held on May 6, where it plans to unveil the "next wave of HTC innovation".

The rumor on the Diamond Touch is a teaser that we hope turns out to be true, as nothing on the release of this model has been confirmed as of yet.

Gadgetorama tells us that the Chinese-language Commercial Times is reporting that HTC will release a new series of Diamond smartphones in the second quarter of the year but that unfortunately there are few other details.

There have also been rumors drawn around another device from HTC, to be released on the same date - the HTC Dream Android. This would be the very first smartphone by HTC that would run on the Android operating system and which would include some iPhone features.

This includes a full touchscreen interface for added convenience and an onscreen keyboard. It would also feature time-sensitive touch gestures, easy navigation with icons, and virtual machine for multitasking, to name a few.

This special event taking place in London, UK on May 6 at 11:30am, has been taglined: "Witness the next wave of HTC innovation". There will be a few different companies including PHONE Mag which will be live-casting the event and we will be sure to keep you updated on this issue.

Whether they unveil only the Dream Android or confirm the rumors and present both models, this is an event that you won't want to miss.

Vodafone, Airtel pre-registering for Apple's iPhone 3G
Leading Indian telecom operators Vodafone and Airtel have begun pre-registering for Apple's iPhone 3G, the most anxiously awaited handsets. Though the two companies are not saying anything as to when the iPhones will be available in India, but sources say that September may be the launch time.

This is a great news for any gizmo lover. The iPhone launched last year in the US and most of Europe is being eagerly awaited in India.

Nokia in the meantime is worried that iPhone's arrival in the country will dent its high-end market. Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo recently said iPhone's launch in India would have an impact on the company in the country. He added, "when iPhone comes to India, it adds to our competitors here. The entry of a new product in the market creates customer interest and it, therefore, impacts us in India," Mr Kallasvuo said.

Pre-registration for iPhone is already under progress. Two leading mobile telephony providers in India Airtel and Vodafone have started registering orders for Apple's masterpiece.

Though the service providers are not saying for sure that when it will be launched in the country, but September launch is the most probable as insiders reveal.

In the meantime it is not clear as to whether the Indian government has issued final guidelines on the auction of 3G (third generation telephony) spectrum and licenses in India or not.

Apple has already sold around four million iPhones since its US launch on June 29 last year, and its chief Steve Jobs has targeted sales of 10 million units by December 2008.

Dell launches studio notebooks

Dell has launched Studio, a new series of laptops in US market. The new Dell laptop series offers combination of aesthetics and technology, claims Dell. Laptops named as Dell Studio 15 and Dell Studio 17 are the two initial products, which belong to the newest Studio series.

Both the new laptops possess sleek designs, striking visual color elements and personalization options. The color range of the laptop includes Plum Purple, Tangerine Orange, Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, Ruby Red, Spring Green, standard Jet Black and Graphite Grey.

"People seeking stunning design, brilliant colors, and innovative new technology find inspiration in Dell's new Studio brand," said Michael Tatelman, vice president of Dell consumer sales and marketing worldwide. "These products are built for today's digital nomad based on the millions of conversations we have every year on dell.com, Ideastorm and community forums. With Dell Studio we're answering the call for personalization, connectivity and simplicity."

Talking about the features of the Dell Studio 15 or Studio 17, both the laptops are equipped with Dell Dock, a task-based application organizer places the most frequently accessed programs front and center. Moreover the Dell Video Chat allows users to communicate with their loved once with just a one-click.

It also sports an option of fingerprint reader along with Blu-ray Disc drives and Built-in mobile broadband.

With the Studio 15 or Studio 17 laptops, Dell has announced to offer optional color-coordinated accessories and peripherals like backpacks and slip covers, mice, ear buds, etc. Hence the buyers will enjoy personalized laptops and peripherals.

The Dell Studio 15 and Studio 17 are now available for purchase on www.dell.com/studio starting at $799 and $999 respectivel

Review of the Samsung SGH i780 Online

This is a great phone, I can personally vouch for that. I would really love to see it come to the US under AT&T or T-Mobile. There is a rumor swirling that it might indeed come to AT&T. I don't know how strong that rumor is, but here is to hope. One of the reasons I couldn't stick with the BlackJack I or II is the lack of a touchscreen. The BlackJack look and feel are awesome, but I just have to have my touchscreen. Well, aside from the cool navigation and the touchscreen, the Samsung SGH-i780 is more or less, a BlackJack II with Windows Mobile 6 Professional.

A blog on the other side of the pond called Mobile Tech Addicts has published good review of this phone that I had a chance to toy with a the Microsoft MVP Summit last March…

We all know that the Palm Treo 800w has a 320×320 screen, improving from the smallish 240×240 on previous Treo phones, but this device beat Palm to the punch.

Have a look at what Mobile Tech Addicts, Chris had to say…

This is without doubt the best Windows Mobile device I have ever used, and believe me when I say I have used a lot of them, from the innovative mouse D-Pad, brilliant Qwerty front facing keyboard, zippy menus and software extras its hard to find fault with it, but I will, the charging should be by mini USB, the headphone socket should be a standard 3.5mm, there should be Windows Mobile 6.1 update now and the stylus should not be telescopic. Apart from that I cannot think of anymore negatives and that is high praise indeed.

Asus Launches P320 PDA in India
Asus has launched the P320 Mini Stylish PDA phone targeted at the fashion-conscious.

Operating on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional platform the P320 offers features such as GPS navigation; EDGE/GPRS and WiFi, Bluetooth and USB. It has a 2.6-inch TFT touch screen, 128 MB Flash ROM, 64 MB DDR RAM and a  2.0 megapixel camera.

The P320 is also equipped with an RSS Reader.

The P320 features the 'Ur Time' application that allows users to set up to four different countries' default time on the phone desktop for quick country-specific time references.

Edward Wang - Business Head, Mobile Communication Business, ASUS (India) said, "The ASUS P320 is designed stylishly and is by far the smallest ASUS PDA Phone. The size of the phone is compact and handy, and it is meant not only for business professionals but is also a fashion gadget for all youngsters, students and ladies."

The Asus P320 will be available nationwide through India Digital Lifestyle Distributors Pvt. Ltd. (IDLDPL) at an approximate end user price of Rs. 12,900.