3 lines up BlackBerry Bold, Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and more
3 has released its superb line-up of incoming products, including the almighty BlackBerry Bold, Nokia N96 and even the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1
Yesterday, 3 overwhelmed us by unveiling its incoming product portfolio, which includes the almighty BlackBerry Bold, Nokia N96 and even the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. These handsets pack some awesome features and 3 usually offers some fantastic deals, which will be a combination as tempting as orange and chocolate.
First up, RIM's BlackBerry Bold is a real looker and will be available on 3 in November. This seductive device isn't just something to make a business user swoon: it's something all of us will want. HSDPA (3.5G), Wi-Fi and GPS are just a few of its enticing acronyms. Add to all of that a 3.5mm jack so you can plug in your own headphones and you've got a very nifty proposition. Click through to the next page to see all the lovely new offerings from 3. -Andrew Lim
The Nokia E71 will be available on 3 within the month and is surprisingly compact for a handset with a full Qwerty keypad. More impressive is how easy it is to use the keypad. Boasting HSDPA and Wi-Fi, the E71 will keep you connected almost everywhere. If you need to tap out quick emails on the go, we think it's a good option.
If the Nokia N96 can't do it, then it most likely hasn't been invented. Available from September, it has 16GB of onboard memory with the option to expand, HSPDA and Wi-Fi, GPS, a 5-megapixel camera, support for DVB-H (the mobile TV standard) and even a clever little stand so you can prop it up on a table when you're watching videos. The screen is nice and large and there's a 3.5mm jack so that you can plug in standard headphones.
Available from September, the Samsung Tocco is smaller than other touchscreen phones and thin too, but it feels very solid because of its metal casing. Its screen is responsive and vibrating feedback ensures you know when you've clicked something. We found it better to use than any Samsung touchscreen before it. It also has HSDPA and a 5-megapixel camera.
Behold 3's new Skypephone, the S2. Packed with similar goodies to its predecessor, the S2 allows you to make and receive calls over Skype, which is great if you need to call long distance. This new handset comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera and HSDPA. It'll be out on 18 August for free on a monthly contract and under £70 on pay as you go.
Sony Ericsson's much-needed pièce de résistance, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, is crammed full of mobile goodness. It runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 and boasts GPS, HSDPA and Wi-Fi. Better still, it has a large touchscreen and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can plug in your own headphones. The X1 will be available on 3 in November.
Last but not least, 3 announced some USB data dongles that can achieve speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, plus two HP laptops that 3 will sell on monthly contracts with data bundles. The HP 530, HP 2133 Mini-Note and a version of the HP Pavillion dv6910 will be available from £30 a month, depending on the model you select. A dongle, 5GB worth of data and a set amount of text messages will be included in the deal. These will be available soon.