VoIP company fring has launched a new service dubbed fringOut. As the company’s press release explains, fringOut “enables users to make almost-free international calls to any regular landline or mobile phone throughout hundreds of worldwide destinations, with rates as low as 1¢ a minute.” The company also notes that “fringOut is easy to use and fully-integrated into the familiar fring mobile experience.” If you are interested in seeing how fringOut rates compare to those of Skype or Google Voice, you can view the company’s rate chart here. Currently, the mobile iteration of fringOut is only available for Nokia S60 devices; fring states that the service “will soon be available on iPhone and Android devices.”

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Today, Nokia announced that the ever-efficient Swype keyboard will be coming to Symbian S60 5th edition devices. The software keyboard, which is currently being launched as a limited beta, supports the N97, N97 mini, X6, 5800, and 5230 Nokia handsets. As Nokia explains: “Swype and Nokia have been hard at work to deliver a limited beta release to Nokia S60 5th edition device owners. Your feedback will be valuable to us in the coming weeks, and we are especially interested in how well Swype interfaces with the many types of applications you use every day.” If you are interested in getting Swype on your S60 device, hit the jump to see a quick video followed by the download link.

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Earlier this month, we told you about the Sony Ericsson Vivaz; an S60 powered smartphone that was destined for AT&T. Today, via a press release, AT&T has made the mid-level handset official. The handset will have a quad-band GSM and UMTS/HSPA radio, 8.1 megapixel camera with 720p video recording, 3,2-inch 360 x 640 TFT nHD resistive touch-screen display, Bluetooth, aGPS, micro-SD card slot, and come in Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby. The device will be priced at $79.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate. You can tell how excited AT&T is about the S60 device by the brevity of its press release. We have said release ready for your scrutiny after the break.

Channel Your Inner Filmmaker with the New Sony Ericsson Vivaz™ Now Available Exclusively at AT&T

News

• AT&T* and Sony Ericsson today announced the Sony Ericsson Vivaz™
• Capture HD video1 or high resolution photos with 8.1 megapixel camera
• Available in the vibrant Galaxy Blue or for a limited time at www.wireless.att.com in the attractive Venus Ruby.
• Vivaz comes complete with a 3.2” nHD 16 million color touchscreen
• Exclusive for AT&T customers for $79.99, with a two-year service agreement and after a $50.00 mail in rebate, on September 5 in AT&T company-owned retail stores and online at www.wireless.att.com.
  Customer Benefits

With Vivaz™, AT&T customers can capture spontaneous moments and memories instantly with two quick camera keys – video and photo, which lock focus on the action as soon as it starts. Pre-loaded links to YouTube™ and Picasa™ Web Albums make it easy to upload HD videos and high resolution photos for sharing with friends and even the world.

In addition to its superb imaging features, Vivaz is loaded with applications to keep customers connected to their world. Topping that list is AT&T Social Net, allowing customers to share exciting moments with friends– on Facebook®, MySpace™ and Twitter®– all through one simple application. Other highlights include Wi-Fi®, aGPS with AT&T Navigator®, Stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology, and Vlingo® voice recognition interface for searching the Web, composing notes, and more.

Key Features

• AT&T Wi-Fi Hotspots – With Vivaz™ and a qualifying AT&T data plan, you have unlimited access to AT&T’s entire nationwide Wi-Fi network at no additional cost. Perfect for uploading your latest HD video masterpiece while taking a load off your feet.
• 3.2″ nHD screen – Customers can view photos and videos in vivid nHD detail.
• Multitask Effortlessly – Have multiple applications running simultaneously and easily switch between them, including the ability to multitask while uploading HD video via Wi-Fi.

Quotes

“Working with Sony Ericsson to deliver a best-in-class video and camera phone on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network gives our customers even more opportunities to express themselves through their favorite social networks,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “With Vivaz capturing photos and video in stunning HD and sharing it on YouTube™ or Picasa™ Web Albums is quick and easy.”

“Shooting and sharing brilliant HD content is what creativity-minded consumers want from their mobile devices right now and we are delivering it with Vivaz™,” said Paul Hamnett, senior vice president, Sony Ericsson North America. “With a host of dynamic multimedia and social networking features, and offered at a very attractive price, we are putting the power of spontaneous HD in the hands of everyone.”

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We told you last week that we’d be seeing more of the Nokia N9, and sure enough, a short little video overview of the device was published today. We’re not exactly sure how much there is to be learned from the video considering we know that the N9 will never ship with S60 (the OS it is seen running in the film), but at least we have video evidence that Nokia still knows how to make a solid piece of hardware. Hit the jump to check out the N9 in action.

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Why, hello, you thing of questionable sexiness. What we’re looking at here is the Nokia N9 live and in the digital flesh. Negri Electronics, the people that leaked the images, are keeping mum about the specs of the device until they’re ready to publish their full review, but from the images we can clearly see that previous rumors were correct in that there’s an 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, front-facing camera with LED flash, sliding QWERTY keypad, nHD display (640×360), and support for the 850/1900 MHz bands of UMTS/HSDPA. It’s clear that this is an early prototype N9 considering its still running Symbian S60 — a platform that will now know will never again grace the Nseries line-up once the N8 is released — but we’re sure if and when Nokia launches the phone it’ll be running MeeGo. In the meantime, hit the jump for a couple more pics.

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There’s good news today for Canadians who are looking to replace their ageing Nokia E71s, as it was officially announced that the Nokia E72 will be coming to Telus. The E72 builds upon the feature set of its predecessor with a 5 megapixel camera, optical trackpack, 600MHz processor and 10.2 Mbps HSDPA connectivity. Pricing and a release date were not announced, although our friend at Mobile Syrup have it on good authority that it will launch on July 11th, most likely for $50 on contract or $330 outright. Anyone thinking of picking one of these bad boys up?

Read [Nokia] Read [July 11th]

During a meeting with representatives from Nokia, CNet Australia was informed that the Nokia N8 will be the last Nseries handset to ship running Symbian. After it launches, all future Nseries handsets will be running MeeGo. But that isn’t to say that this is the end of the line for Symbian-based handsets from Nokia. Instead of placing Symbian on its flagship devices, the S60 version of the OS will be relegated to middle of the road handsets from the X and Eseries, while S40 will be loaded up on handsets from the Cseries.

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Apparently square-ish handsets are the cool new thing for 2010, as Nokia has just pulled a Flipout and announced the X5-01. Said to “plug the gap” between the X3 and X6, the X5 packs 2.36″ QVGA display, 5 megapixel camera and a sliding QWERTY keypad into its aesthetically and ergonomically awkward 74.3mm x 66.4mm x 16.8mm frame. It runs Symbian S60 3rd Edition and comes with support for all major social media networks as well as email from Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail and Ovi Mail. The X5 doesn’t really have much in the way of special features, though Nokia says there are some motion-controlled features such as spinning the phone to switch to a random track and shaking it to check the number of unread messages. The Nokia X5 will be available in pink, azure, graphite black, yellow green, and purple in Q3 for around 165€ ($200 US).

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AT&T made a pretty big splash last year when it launched the Nokia E71x, and now it appears that T-Mobile is hoping to do the same on June 16th. That’s the date Engadget has been informed T-Mobile will introduce a new, business-centric and Symbian-based QWERTY smartphone from Nokia known as the E73 Mode. Other than it will have 3G and Wi-Fi, concrete specs have yet to emerge (although we think it pretty safe to assume it will best the E72 based upon nothing but our knowledge of Nokia’s naming conventions). We’ll hit up some of our T-Mobile connects and try and find out what we can, but in the meantime please feel free to speculate at will.

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T-Mobile already has a very diverse lineup of smartphones, but the tail end of March will see “Magenta” (as some people lamely call it) release a trio of smartphones that appeal to the low, mid and high end markets. We’ve been saying it for the longest time and now it’s as official as can be without a full-blown press release: the HTC HD2 will be available from T-Mobile on Wednesday, March 24th. Going for $199.99 on a 2-year or $449.99 outright, the HD2 will easily be the best handset ever offered by T-Mobile in terms of sheer brawn. Of course now that we’re 100% certain it won’t be upgradeable to Windows Phone 7 Series, we have to wonder if a bit of the luster has prematurely worn off, but it’s not like those put off don’t have more than half a year to save pennies for the next greatest Windows Phone. On the same day, Nokia will also have a handset debut on T-Mobile. This is of course the Nuron and it will go for $69.99 / $179.99, a price that is quite mind blowing when you consider the fact it’s running S60 5th Edition. Last but not least in today’s T-Mobile update is the CLIQ XT. We’ve known for quite some time it is going to be available in time to drown in a pitcher of green beer, but now we’re hearing it will be $99.99 on contract as opposed to $129.99 (no contract pricing is presumed to still be set at $329.99).

Good job, T-Mobile.

Read [CLIQ XT] Read [HD2] Read [Nuron]

Last night was easily the best night of the year for the celebrity-crazed paparazzi. It also turned out to be a pretty darn good night for the smartphone paparazzi as well for two upcoming T-Mobile handsets were given the star treatment on their very own red carpet. First up was the HTC HD2, the infinitely lovable Windows Phone with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and gargantuan 4.3″ WVGA display, which looked as stylish as ever in Sense UI by HTC. Never one to miss an opportunity to show support for those in need, the HD2 took a moment to show off its Blockbuster app which will allow proud owners to download movies on demand. Immediately following the HD2 was the Nokia Nuron. Although the general consensus was that it was dressed more for the Kids Choice Awards than the Academy Awards, the Nuron made a bit of a stir when it shrieked at the top of its lungs how it had seen the light, converted to Buddhism and was now on a mission to convince everyone that less is more and that all other smartphones cannot possibly be as happy as it is living with S60, an OS that is on its way out. When will us ordinary folk get a chance to meet these stars? The Nuron is still a mystery, but we’re still very confident on a March 24th debut for the HD2.

Read [HD2] Read [Nuron]

In the days leading up to Nokia World 2009, the world’s largest phone maker announced the 5230, an affordable touchscreen Symbian S60 smartphone. At the time there was no official word whether or not it would ever make its way on to American soil, but thanks to the work of a few sneaky devils we now know that T-Mobile is gearing up to release it as the Nuron on March 17th. Pricing has yet to be passed down the corporate ladder, but we can’t imagine it would command a high price on or off contract considering it has nothing going for it in the eyes of the public other than its touchscreen and 3G connectivity. Perhaps this is one best left for the kiddies? T-Mobile’s slide doesn’t think so, however.

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DigiTimes is reporting that mobile giant Nokia plans to forgo Symbian V2 and release Symbian V3, complete with multitouch functions, in the second half of 2010. Perhaps even more exciting than that, was what Digi’s sources had to say about Symbian 4: “Symbian version 4 is believed to be based on the Qt cross-platform application development framework developed by Trolltech. The Qt will allow software developers to develop application software supporting Symbian and Maemo platforms simultaneously.” Nokia acquired Trolltech back in June, 2008. While no details of Maemo 6 were revealed, the article does state that we’ll get our first look at Maemo 6 handsets by the second half of 2010. The source also went on to comment, vaguely, on Nokia’s 2011 product road map: “By 2011, smartphones based on the Symbian S60-platform will account for 55% of Nokia’s total handset shipments, followed by Symbian S40 feature phones at 35% and Maemo-based devices at 10%.” Not sure about you, but we’re pretty excited.

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If you happen to live in Canada, have $199.95 burning a hole in your pocket, are more than happy to sign away three years worth of discretionary income to keep it running and don’t mind rolling with something that feels like it’s straight out of 2007, you might want to stop by a Bell dealership and check out the newly-launched Nokia N97. If you happen to become smitten with it and walk out of the shop with it, stand proud, for as Bell said, if you rock the N97, “you’ll be one of a kind”. Literally.

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In recent years, Canada’s Bell has done a good job of transforming its image of a boring carrier with humdrum handsets to a fiercely competitive purveyor of cutting-edge smartphones such as the Bold 9700, iPhone 3GS, Omnia II and Palm Pre. And as we mentioned last week, this Thursday will see the carrier release its first Android handset in the Samsung Galaxy. But that’s not the only first that will occur that day as the folks over at MobileSyrup have it on good authority that Nokia’s flagship N97 will also see its North American carrier debut on the very same day. As with the Galaxy, the handsets subsidized and unsubsidized price has yet to leak out, but we can’t imagine it would go for anything more than $249.95 on a 3-year contract.

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