Sony Ericsson today unveiled the S312, a basic camera phone with illuminated shortcuts on the keypad for easier usage. The London-based company said the S312 offers a 2.0-inch screen and 2.0-megapixel camera can be turned horizontally for a more realistic camera-quality feel. It has illuminated shortcuts on the keypad for more convenient usage, photo fix functions to get the best picture quality and picture blogging to upload images to the Web. Additional features include a built-in music player with equalizer, stereo widening and TrackID music recognition...

Internet search leader Google has rolled out a new version of Gmail for the iPhone and Android-powered smartphones. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company said its new version is faster and won’t crash even if a user loses connection with a wireless network. Users can open recently read messages and compose emails even when the phone is offline. The application is also more similar to Gmail on a computer and includes search, threaded conversations and a new “floaty bar” for more convenient functionality. The floaty bar appears near the...

Taiwanese handset component suppliers have started shipping parts for the successor to the Apple iPhone 3G — possibly launching in June. Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple has been beset by persistent rumors of new handset launches, with reports of a new iPhone gaining traction recently. The rumors intensified when several carriers said they were slashing the price of their current iPhone 3G stock — attributed to claims that they were clearing out inventory in preparation for the update to the handset. The new iPhone is suspected to have a 3.2-megapixel...

The Nokia E75 business smartphone has a large 2.4-inch QVGA screen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It features an integrated 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus, high-speed HSDPA access, integrated A-GPS with Nokia Maps, and a music player with a 3.5mm standard audio connector. As one of the first device with access Nokia’s new online apps store, the E75 is built with productivity in mind. It also come with N-Gage gaming and Nokia Messaging service for email HTML email support. Nokia E75 Features Compact and slim design with a sliding QWERTY keyboard...

The Sony Ericsson W205 is an entry-level sliding music phone with a built-in FM radio and TrackID music recognition software. The handset’s music player features album art, playlists, shuffle mode and loop mode. It also comes with TrackID music recognition software to identify the title and artist of unknown tracks — even recorded from the integrated radio. Additional functions include a built-in 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth wireless technology and multiple phonebooks to keep contacts in order if someone needs to borrow the phone. Sony Ericsson...

T-Mobile, the nation’s fourth-largest wireless carrier after AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, plans to aggressively push into consumer homes with communications devices that will use Google’s new Android smartphone software.The Bellevue, Wash.-based company will sell a home phone early next year and a tablet computer soon after — both running Internet search giant Google’s Android operating system. Its home phone will connect to a docking station that recharges the battery, while another unit will handle data synchronization. The tablet...

Released for Sprint, the Palm Pre features a 3.1-inch 24-bit color touch screen display. It integrates a proximity sensor that disables the screen when users put the phone up to their ear. To prolong battery life, a light sensor dims the display if the ambient light is dark. An accelerometer automatically orients webpages and photos for landscape or portrait view. Hidden from view, a full QWERTY keyboard slides out for easy and quick text messaging. An integrated 3.0-megapixel camera with LED flash and extended depth of field captures images and video. Other...

The HTC Snap has a new function called ‘Inner Circle’ that sorts emails based on a user’s preferences. By pressing a button, the smartphone can bring emails from a preselected group of people to the top of the inbox — so users can read and reply to them more conveniently. It has an ergonomic QWERTY keyboard with extra-large domed keys and tactile feedback for easier typing. The Snap runs Windows Mobile 6.1 and integrates Wi-Fi, high-speed HSDPA Internet, Bluetooth, GPS, a microSD expansion slot and a 2.0-megapixel camera.

At the annual CTIA wireless show in Las Vegas today, AT&T announced plans to launch the Samsung Propel Pro — a QWERTY slider smartphone running Windows Mobile 6.1 — this Wednesday. Evolving from the popular Samsung Propel handset, the Propel Pro is a silver and chrome compact smartphone with a sliding QWERTY keyboard design. It features Windows Mobile 6.1 to allow users to run applications on the same platform they use to text and send photos. It also integrates Wi-Fi and a 3.2-megapixel camera. The Samsung Propel Pro will be available in...

AT&T, the nation’s largest telecommunications company, plans to launch the Nokia E71x, its thinnest smartphone, in the coming months. The Finnish company said the E71x features a black steel finish and award-winning design. Similar to traditional BlackBerry devices in looks, the E71x is a sleeker 10mm thick. It has a QWERTY keyboard for corporate email access via regular wireless networks and Wi-Fi hotspots at cafes and airports. The smartphone has a built-in Global Positioning System for turn-by-turn voice directions and maps with fast traffic...