We guys have already seen the Airtel advertisement, wherein Saif Ali Khan apologises to his heartthrob Kareena Kapoor through a voice SMS. Seems like Vodafone doesn’t want to lag behind. The second largest private GSM carrier has launched Voice SMS services in nearly 16 circles across India through Kirusa's support

To use this service, one does not require any special handset. A Vodafone subscriber has to dial * and the mobile number of the person to whom he wishes to send an SMS, speaks for 30 seconds and disconnects. The recipient, if a Vodafone subscriber, will receive a SMS notification and can dial *0* to hear the Voice SMS. Similarly Old Voice messages can be retrieved by dialing *1*.

It’s free to listen a voice SMS like any other incoming call but the retrieval of a message and replying to a message charges will cost 75 paise each.

        

                                                           
                                                

The ‘Touch’ family has more to offer this season. After collaborating with Airtel and RCom, HTC has now partnered with Idea Cellular for two new devices in the Touch series. The Taiwan-based handset vendor has launched the Touch Pro (T7276) and Touch Viva (T2223) on Idea Cellular's network in India.

The Touch Pro shares its looks with the Touch Diamond and has a sliding QWERTY keyboard. And like the Touch Diamond in India, it is only EDGE capable. The Touch Viva, on the other hand, looks like the first Touch phone and has the TouchFlo 3D user interface like the Touch Diamond. The Touch Viva will be available at a Market Operative Price of Rs 16,490and the Touch Pro at Rs 34,900.

        

F-Secure has today announced its Mobile Security 5 solution for devices running on Symbian S60 3rd edition platform. The security suite not only protects smartphones from viruses and spywares but also provides remote-wipe and remote-lock features that can be used to wipe off all sensitive data from the phone and lock the device in case it is lost. In case the SIM card is changed, the device will send a text message to a pre-determined number like other anti-theft/mobile tracker solutions. The suite will be available in December.

        

Google has launched a voice-based app for the iPhone, which apart from doing web search also lets you search your contacts. For long, the iPhone was being ridiculed for not having voice command features, which is a hygienic feature in most smartphones. However, like most other Google apps for the iPhone, even this is not available in India yet. Anyway, here's the video that demonstrates the cool app.

        

HTC's WiMAX capable version of the Touch HD has become a reality in Russia as the Max 4G. The Max 4G omits HSDPA connectivity and gives just EDGE connectivity, which I don't think the Russian's will mind considering that WiMAX will give them mush faster speeds to engage in two-way video conferencing while engaging in a Vodka-shot guzzling competition. 

The HTC Max 4G has 8GB of user memory, a 3.2 MP camera and is approximately 2mm thicker than its look-alike Touch HD. Well, if you live in Russia and have 845 Euros to spend, you know what you should get yourself this Christmas.

        

Sony Ericsson has finally launched the XPERIA X1 in India. Priced at Rs 44,500, it might not be the best device for the price conscious folks but we believe that its features and design justify its price tag. To begin with, the X1 is the best Windows Mobile device we have ever used. In fact, its user interface is such that you won't ever come face-to-face with the default Wondows Mobile screen! Microsoft should be thanking Sony Ericsson for making Windows Mobile so hip and happenin'.
 
Agreed that HTC (which also happens to be the original device manufacturer of the XPERIA X1) and Samsung have also changed the user interface on their Diamond and Omnia phones respectively, those in our opinion are just cosmetic changes. Eventually, one does land up on the typical Windows Mobile screens with its boring icons. On the other hand, Sony Ericsson's concept of panels (customised widgets that you can download and use as your homescreen) are extremely user friendly and provide users with infinite options to customise the phone. We believe that this concept will be picked up by other Windows Mobile device vendors in the coming months.

The inclusion of Opera Mobile 9.5 web browser is also welcome, as it is the closest one can get to the Safari browser on this side of the iPhone. We also like the arc-shaped sliding QWERTY keyboard, which is well spaced-out and the angle that it creates with the screen makes it easier to follow what you have typed.

Coming to input methods, there are numerous options, ranging from the touchscreen to the QWERTY keyboard to the optical mouse to the normal D-pad that users will never find it difficult to use. There's something for everyone in here and you won't have to 'get used to' the X1.

        

The Bluetooth SIG has now revealed a new Moto phone that calls itself Onyx! Typical of Bluetooth SIG, there aren't many details about the product apart from the fact that it will be a Motorola phone with global appeal. But we have a hunch that this might be the 'social' phone running on Android that was in the news recently.

We believe that this phone might be based on the Onyx concept phone shown off by Synaptics a couple of years ago. Slashgear had posted some revealing videos of the concept phone, which seemed futuristic two years ago but now looks like an iPhone running on the Android OS. Well, with Motorola you never know, it might surprise you when you least expect it. Pop some corns and enjoy the videos!

        

Vodafone is currently facing a GPRS outage in its Delhi circle. Vodafone users in Delhi and NCR have been unable to browse Internet or access e-mails on their phones since morning due to a 'technical problem' that has cropped up on the carrier's network. The carrier's customer care executives have acknowledged the outage and are hoping to restore the service by Sunday. So far, we have been unable to get an official statement on the issue.

        

                

Sony Ericsson has unveiled yet another Walkman phone, the W705, along with wireless home audio system MBS-900. According to Sony Ericsson, the W705 matches the audio playback performance of the W980, which according to a trial conducted by TESTfactory (it offers comparative assessments for models and single components in the fields of consumerelectronics, telecommunications, photo, optics and IT products) is considered as the best handheld to provide the best audio experience. The W705 also supports Wi-Fi, which is something that the W980 does not have.
The portable speaker will fit in a small corner even when your room is messed up. With an inbuilt FM reciever, it plays FM independently without using your phone. While running music through Bluetooth A2DP and AVRCP format, one can also view the track name on its Monochrome OLED display.

        

Nokia has revealed its plans for tapping the rural segment of emerging markets like India and African countries. This time the company is not just looking at ultra-low cost handsets but also some services that have been developed keeping in mind the information needs of the rural population.

Mail on Ovi: This service is enabled in some upcoming devices running on the Symbian S40 platform and makes Internet surfing very enjoyable. 'Mail on Ovi’ lets you create a new e-mail account directly from the home screen of your cellphone.

Nokia Life Tools: Along with Mail on Ovi, the Finnish giant is also launching Nokia Life Tools. This SMS-based service will enable users to get relevant information like prices and availability of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides along with a weather forecast. The content has been sourced from Reuters Market Light while Idea will be the carrier for the pilot run of this service. The pilot will be enabled on the Nokia 2600 classic and the Nokia 1680, and will be available in Marathi, Hindi and English languages.

Nokia 7100 Supernova: The Nokia 7100 Supernova is expected for a launch at the end of Q4 of 2008. This phone is another addition to the Supernova collection with features like FM radio, 1.3 MP while supporting Mail on ovi. It is estimated to retail at Euro 75 before (approximately Rs 4,600) subsidies and taxes.

Nokia 5130: The Nokia 5130 looks pretty familiar to its other siblings of the XpressMusic range. With a music player, FM radio, 2 MP camera and a standard 3.5 mm connector for headphones. It is estimated to retail at Euro 90 (approximately Rs 5,500) before subsidies and taxes and is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2009.

Nokia 2320 classic, Nokia 2323 classic and Nokia 2330: All the three devices promise Good looks without acting pricey. The three also facilitate internet usage through Mail on Ovi and Nokia Life Tools. The three are ready for a launch in second quarter of 2009 and priced at EUR 50 (approximately Rs 3,000) before taxes and susidies.

Nokia 1202: Nokia claims the new 1202 to be it's lowest cost device with standard features like flashlight, extended battery life, loud ringtones and a phone book for up to five users. Priced at EUR 25 (approximately Rs 1,500) before subsidies and taxes, the handheld is expected to launch in Q4 of 2008.

Nokia 1661: This handheld is priced at 30 EUR (approximately Rs 1,800) before subsidies and taxes. The 1661 claims to be the Nokia’s lowest cost colour phone with FM and a large colour screen and is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2009.