Nokia’s unannounced E6-00, a new, candybar-style smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard, has been leaked by a member of the NokiaTeco forums. The E6-00 reportedly sports a VGA resolution touchscreen, an 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, a front-facing camera, and a version of the Symbian operating system that was specifically designed for the device’s 4:3 display aspect ratio. It doesn’t look like Nokia has strayed all that far from the E71 — which also is available in white and comes with a metal back cover — and looks like a pretty solid piece of hardware. In a world with smartphones packing qHD displays, we’re not too crazy about the VGA screen resolution, though, and we hope that particular spec is wrong. Hit the jump to view a blurry video of the E6-00 in action.

[Via MyNokiaBlog]

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Here’s the good news: the slide above depicts a possible upcoming Samsung handset that would definitely knock some socks off. The nameless Android kit apparently sports Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), a 4.3-inch or 4.5-inch sAMOLED2 (Super AMOLED 2) display, an 8-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, DNLA, GPS, full HD video recording and playback, and a 1.2GHz processor. This beast of a device is reportedly due in February of next year, and will be Samsung’s flagship phone for the first half of 2011. Sound too good to be true? Well, it might be.

Here’s the bad news: the image shown next to the “Revolution in Design” heading on the slide does not depict the Samsung phone we just described. In fact, it’s not even a Samsung product. Instead, it’s an old Apiotek SkyPhone. While that doesn’t necessarily mean the slide is fake — trust us; weirder things have happened in authentic documents — were not exactly sure why someone on Samsung’s marketing team would have an image of an old Apiotek VoIP phone sitting on his or her computer, or why one would be intentionally yanked off the Internet when this slide was being assembled.

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While we’re busy sitting here trying to figure out how this new phone is supposed to be pronounced, South Koreans are rejoicing that this Android device has become official there. We’ve all seen this handset before as the Motorola XT701 for China, but now we know that Korea will have it through SK Telekom. The device is running Android 2.0 and supports Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps and Google Talk. Basically, anything and everything Google will be delivered on this handset for the full Android experience. Shutterbugs and weekend videographers will be happy to know the MOTOROI packs an 8 megapixel sensor camera with Xenon flash, and has a 720p HD camcorder. Add to that support for up to 32GB of storage, a 3.7″ WVGA screen, HDMI capabilities, TV out and built in radio and it looks like Korea’s first Android device is a formidable one.

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Our Chinese is a bit rusty and the details are sparse but it looks like Motorola may be brewing up another Android-powered handset. This handset, codenamed the Mirage or the Shadow, breaks the mold by sporting a 4.3 inch, 800×484 display instead of the now standard 3.7 inch display. It is also rumored to include an HDMI port, 8 megapixel camera, 1080p video playback and measures a mere 9.0mm in thickness. The rendering provided is crude but the handset appears to have the same angular design of the Motorola DROID and Milestone. That is all we have on this Mirage/Shadow as no other details are available. Anyone out there care to fill in the blanks?

Thanks, Bryan!

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Ready to get your NAM on, Nokia fans? Nokia’s first crack at an 8 megapixel beast is reportedly touching down stateside on August 22nd, which is just over 2 weeks away. But wait, there’s more good news in store for all you Symbian fans out there. It turns out the launch price of the N86 8MP may be lower than the current pre-order price — $59 lower, in fact. Yup, it’s looking like $499 will get you in the door when this little guy hits Flagship store shelves and NokiaUSA.com three Saturdays from now. No word on pricing from resellers yet but expect it to come in a bit lower than Nokia USA’s offering. And then there’s Amazon, which has been undercutting nearly everyone in the phone biz lately. In other words, waiting a few weeks on your purchase will likely serve you well.

Thanks, Mark!

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Symbian-loving photogs are officially on notice… Nokia has just announced that its first 8 megapixel offering is now on its way to the US. That’s right, the N86 8MP will be hitting store shelves within the next few weeks and if you have a hankering for S60 3rd Edition FP2 and more pixels than you can shake a stick at, this little guy might be just what the doctor ordered. Of course the camera isn’t the only focus here, though for many it will be hard to get past an 8 megapixel shooter with a shutter speed of up to 1/1000 of a second, an f-stop range of 2.4-4.8 and a wide-angle lens. Once you do however, you’ll find a 2.6-inch AMOLED QVGA display, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band UMTS, 8GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi and aGPS with Nokia Maps 3.0 pre-installed and plenty more. There is some bad news to report as well unfortunately — despite being announced at €375 abroad (about $530 at today’s exchange rate, $474 when announced), the NAM N86 8MP is going to run you $558. If photography is your game however, that’s hardly a tall order for an unlocked top-of-the-line camera phone. Anyone in?

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Following what must have been an intense prayer circle attended by each and every Nokia fan in the US, the N97 somehow found its way into customers’ hands in the US before its European counterpart. Unheard of. With the hopes that a trend of timely US releases will follow, it might just be safe to presume the N86 8MP will find its way to store shelves in the next week or so. As revealed by the Nokia Flagship store in London, the photog’s dream of a handset is due to drop in the UK this coming Friday, June 19th. Our hope is that a US release happens around the same time and considering the handset is already shipping worldwide, it shouldn’t be long now. Man, what a month…

Thanks, Marcus!

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Touchscreen not your thing? QWERTY not your bag? It looks like the new kid on the block will soon have a cheaper, photo-centric neighbor as Nokia has just announced that the N86 8MP is now shipping globally. As for when it might touch down here in the US… Soon. The N86 8MP is two parts camera and one part smartphone, touting an 8 megapixel sensor, variable aperture, automatic motion blur reduction and half the processing time between snaps. It also sports 8GB of internal storage and up to an additional 16GB thanks to microSDHC support, ensuring your photos and videos have plenty of room to breathe. Pricing in the US has still not been revealed but the N86 8MP was announced at €375 so we should be looking somewhere just north of $500.

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Ok so the N97 is finally close to hitting the streets but truth be told, it’s not for everyone. Sure it’s sleek, well equipped and relatively powerful but not every S60 fan is looking for a QWERTY keypad and a touchscreen — or a $700 price tag. So what about the rest of you? The N97 breaks ground in that it’s Nokia’s first Nseries to sport a touchscreen and S60 5th Edition but the N86 8MP is a unique handset as well. Nokia, long known for producing amazing camera phones, has finally issued its first 8 megapixel-equipped handset in the N86… Oh, and it touts a few other cool new features as well. Now that the support pages are live, the N86 8MP should begin shipping within a few weeks with an expected retail price around $530. Anyone plan on snagging one?

Thanks, Buster!

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We aren’t exactly drooling in anticipation over the upcoming Nokia N86 8MP. After some time spent with it back at CTIA, we basically said it was an ok handset but it definitely wasn’t the most solid Nseries on the planet. It essentially seemed like any other Nseries device in Nokia’s arsenal — with an 8 megapixel shooter slapped on. Well, if neat little features like this one keep popping up we’re going to have to rethink our position. Everyone’s favorite Symbian guru, the Symbian Guru, was digging through the N86 emulator and it looks like the handset’s kickstand is more than just a tiny swiveling piece of plastic. Apparently a little sensor somewhere beneath the kickstand allows the N86 to open an application each time it’s flipped open. Badass. It also appears as though any app on the phone can be set as the kickstand-triggered app, leaving the possibilities nearly endless. Instant access to the movie player, music player or photo viewer jump out as obvious options but take it anywhere you like. No, this nifty little trick isn’t enough to completely change our minds about the handset but we have to give credit where credit is due — good thinking, Nokia, good thinking.

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Say hello to the new SCH-W740 “Haptic 8M”, the latest in Samsung’s line of high megapixel camera phone offerings. Destined for the Korean market, the touchscreen phone sports a 3.3-inch touchscreen display with 480×800 resolution, TouchWiz user interface, GPS, Bluetooth, 3.5G HSDPA, DMB tuner and an 8 megapixel camera with auto focus and face tagging. The face tagging feature allows you to make a call and send a text message directly from your captured image. Pretty sweet! Though the phone does not appear to be headed for the US market, perhaps the specifications and the face tagging feature will be wrapped up into another phone that is headed for the US — Samsung Memoir 2 anyone? The Haptic 8M will launch soon in Korea for 900,000₩ ($645).

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Sony Ericsson had the first press conference of MWC 2009 and used that opportunity to announce the W995, previously known as the Hikaru. The W995 is an 8 megapixel slider with 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo speakers, 2.6″ QVGA scratch-resistant screen, 118MB built-in memory, A-GPS with Google Maps and Wayfinder Navigator pre-installed, Wi-Fi and full PlayStation 3 compatibility. The phone also supports Sony Ericsson’s new Media Go service which allows you to easily transfer music, videos, photos and podcasts between your mobile phone and computer. This handset will be available in Progressive Black, Cosmic Silver and Energetic Red in select markets starting at the end of Q1 2009.

Sony Ericsson also unveiled the 12 megapixel Symbian-based Idou. The Idou will feature a Xenon flash, large 3.5″ 16:9 touchscreen and will be capable of “full media consumption”. The Idou does not have a model name yet and is expected to be available in the second half of 2009. Hit the jump for the press photo of the Idou.

We told you a few weeks about an 8MP shootout between the LG KC910 “Renoir” and the Samsung M8800 Pixon, but GSMArena outdid the folks over at Mobile@Mail.Ru by doing their own 8MP shootout testing four of the hottest 8MP camera phones out there. In their in-depth review, GSM Arena compares the LG KC910, the Samsung M8800 Pixon, the Sony Ericsson C905, and the Samsung INNOV8.  We wont even try to cover all the details of their 7 page review in a single post. Suffice to say that each camera phone has its own strengths and weaknesses. The Samsung INNOV8 is the best universal performer with excellent image quality, capable video recording, and a large display. The Sony Ericsson C905 has the best camera interface, camera handling, and controls. The LG KC910 has a beautiful high resolution touch screen with well balanced camera features and very good image quality. Last but not least, the Samsung M8800 Pixon brings up the rear in terms of image quality and camera features, but has a well organized user interface and above-average video recording. If that piques your interest and leaves you wanting more, then hit the read link and get more one on one mobile camera action than you can stand.

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According to an article at Telecoms Korea, Samsung may have some high-end camera phones on the way for 2009. Two of Samsung’s subsidiaries have already produced an 8 megapixel camera module that has 3x optical zoom, autofocus with a 57% performance increase, a 1/2.5 inch CMOS sensor and a lens that supports F2.85. The new camera modules are expected to make their debut in phones starting in early 2009. Awesome! The same article suggests that Samsung has a 12 megapixel camera module in the works that is even smaller in size than the 8 megapixel module, making it ideally suited for mobile phones. There is no indication as to when a 12 megapixel Samsung shooter will make its debut but we can tell it won’t be soon enough. Then again, knowing Samsung it won’t have US 3G anyway…

[via Unwired View]

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Want an 8MP shooter but cant decide which one?  With four sweet phones currently filling this category we feel your pain. The folks over at “Mobile@Mail.Ru” also understand your dilemma and have done a very detailed comparison of two of the latest 8MP phones, the LG Renoir and the Samsung Pixon . Besides the awesome 8MP capability which they have in common, what features differentiate these two camera phones and which one is the best for the shutterbugs among us? We will start off with the LG Renoir. The Renoir offers a Schneider-Kreuznach Lens and a Xenon flash which on paper (and in practice) outperforms the cheap plastic lens and dual LED flash of the Pixon. The Renoir also has an active autofocus which the reviewer deems superior to the Pixon’s passive autofocus. Mark that as two in the column for the LG Renoir. You can score a few for the Samsung Pixon as the reviewer notes that the speed of the Pixon camera is higher than the Renoir and the Pixon’s UI is easier to use. One caveat, the reviewer does not clarify (or our Russian is a little rusty and we missed it) what is meant by the “speed” of the camera; whether it is the time to first picture, the number of frames per second or the ISO. We will have to take his word for it that the “speed” is better on the Pixon. Hit the jump for some side-by-side sample photos.

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