The smart way connected and mobile | Bangkok Post: tech

MOBILE PHONES

More and more people are likely to update their status, upload photos, check their inbox, tweet and BB chat on their smartphones.

The first social network phone, ‘‘Spriiing’’, made by local firm Spriiing Telecom, caters to students and trendy users, and is priced at 5,990 baht.

Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and other social networks all have sparked off the proliferation of smartphones.

After Apple revolutionised the mobile handset with the debut of the stunning iPhone a few years ago, smart phones have dramatically gained in popularity.

The iPhone's chief novelty was its user interface, with its multi-touch screen allowing an interface based on touch - an innovation followed by other phone makers.

Sales of the smash hit iPhone have not waned in Thailand since the day it was launched by True Corp a few years ago.

"Thailand became the largest iPhone shipment in the Asia Pacific region in December last year," said True Corp assistant to the president and CEO, Papon Ratanachaikanont, adding that the demand for iPhones continued to outstrip supply.

The 3G network, a variety of applications and the continual updating of the devices themselves have contributed to the growth of the smartphone market.

Social networking has undeniably influenced the smart phone and it's expected that from now on, instead of buying a feature phone, consumers will go for a smartphone.

Apple’s iPhone 4, the key player that revolutionised the world of mobile handsets.

Software Park director Thanachart Numnonda believes that BB users are likely to decline because of its proprietary platform and features that focus only on chatting and business groups, while the popularity of the iPhone has not changed, with Apple expecting to hog the largest market share for another three to four years. Google's Android, however, will witness a drastic surge because many handsets, including buget-priced handsets from China, are joining with the platform.

"High-income earners always go for the iPhone, BB and higher priced Androids, but for those who have limited budgets, Android-based devices are their choice," he said.

Local brand Spriiing Telecom, meanwhile, has entered the smartphone market, offering the first dedicated social networking phone. Their first model, Smile, runs on cross platforms - Android and Spriiing.

The company's R&D vice-president Yukonart Charnpanichkijjakarn said Spriiing Chat is the key feature as it can support a chat group of up to 200 users, compared to a maximum of only 30 users on BB.

"Spriiing doesn't compete with BB as they are at the upper level, but we see a market gap which is a huge opportunity," Yukonart said.

It's best to judge the features and prices of the device by yourself.

The Motorola Defy boasts a crisp 3.7-inch WVGA screen that stretches from edge to edge for an optimised web experience.

Here are some of the major players to showcase at Mobile Expo 2011, which will be held from Thursday-Sunday, February 6, at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

The LG Optimus 2X, the world's first smart phone with dual-core processor, runs at 1GHz and boasts low power consumption and high performance for playing video and audio files. Users will experience faster web browsing and smoother game playing compared with single-core processors running at the same speed as well as instantaneous touch response and seamless multitasking between apps.

Nokia will showcase new smartphones powered by the Symbian platform - the Nokia E7 and Nokia C6-Touch.

The E7 provides direct, real-time and secure access to corporate email inboxes and other personal applications. The C6-Touch is compact yet features social networking and mobile entertainment in a stainless steel and glass body. Stay connected to email and download apps and games from the Ovi Store.

The HTC 7 Mozart focuses on high fidelity sound, offering SRS WOW HD which brings virtual surround sound to your mobile. It is one of the most stylish Windows Phone 7 devices right now, bearing HTC's usual top-notch build quality. The 1GHz processor powers a 3.7-inch WVGA screen, an 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash and 720p HD video recording and 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity for speedy web browsing.

Samsung's Galaxy Cooper is designed for trendy and sociable young professionals with its simple-yet-elegant design, offering an experience with a 3.5-inch HVGA display on a compact and comfortable handset, but it does not compromise on capabilities, featuring Android 2.2, a 3.5-inch 320x480 HVGA TFT-LCD in addition to an 800MHz processor, Google voice search and ThinkFree document viewer.

The Motorola Defy has a crisp 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive, scratch-proof screen which offers excellent web and gallery browsing, and video playback. The Android-powered Motorola device features a slim, pocketable full touch-screen design, delivering a top-notch smartphone experience. Featuring a display resistant to the elements, the handset is dust- and water-resistant so it can hang with you through all of life's adventures.

Samart i-mobile will introduce the first four models of the company's Android phone, from 4,000 to 6,000 baht, targeting entry level smartphone users.

Don't expect to see any new BlackBerry models because RIM has no plans to launch during the show, but the 9800 Torch with special promotion is available from AIS, Dtac and True.

Equipped with a 4-inch touch screen display, the Nokia E7 is the perfect shape and size to work on documents.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 comes with 4GB of on-board memory and a 4GB microSD card.

The LG Optimus 2X runs at 1GHz and boasts low power consumption and high performance for playing video and audio files.

Featuring a full touch screen 3.2-inch HVGA TFT display, the i-mobile i692 is the first Android-based phone from Samart i-mobile.

Crafted from a single piece of brushed aluminium, the HTC 7 Mozart is slim, smart and strong. But it’s not just about sleek looks; it also feels great in your hand.

Featuring a 5-megapixel camera with AF and LED Flash, the Samsung Galaxy Cooper is designed for trendy and sociable young professionals.

Relate Search: iPhone 4, Motorola Defy, Nokia, BlackBerry, LG Optimus, i-mobile, HTC, Samsung