IFA consumer electronics show 2009: Mobile phones and games consoles at IFA 2009
Mobile phones, Sony PlayStation and Toshiba JournE Touch media tablet
Mobile phones seem to play less of a significant part at IFA, as manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Samsung hold back their exiting new developments for the Mobile World Congress show, which is run every February in Barcelona, Spain.
Nokia N97 Mini
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Nokia N97 Mini and the Nokia N97
As the name suggests, the Nokia N97 Mini is a slimmed-down version of the popular N97.
Here's a comparison of the two:
| Nokia N97 Mini and Nokia N97 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nokia N97 Mini | Nokia N97 | |
| Memory | 8GB | 32GB |
| Weight | 138g | 150g |
| Length | 113mm | 117mm |
| Screen | 3.2 inches | 3.5 inches |
| Camera | 5Mp | 5Mp with lens cover |
| Operation | Directional buttons | Tracker pad |
| Connectivity | 3G, Wi-Fi, A-GPS | 3G, Wi-Fi, A-GPS |
While the N97 Mini isn’t that much smaller and lighter than the original Nokia N97, the main draw may be the claim that its processing power means it will work much more quickly.
Nokia N97 Mini gallery
LG Chocolate 2 (LG BL40)
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The LG Chocolate 2, also known as the New Chocolate or the LG BL40, has a 4.1-inch touchscreen.
It looks a bit different to many other mobile phone screens, as its aspect ratio is 21:9 rather than the typical 4:3 or 16:9 widescreen.
LG believes this handset, like the 21:9 Cinema TV from Phillips, is just the ticket for film lovers, as the screen ratio is more akin to a cinema screen. So the picture is closer to what the director had in mind.
The phone can also play DivX video files that have been downloaded to your PC or laptop and then transferred to the phone on a microSD card.
It has 1.1GB of internal memory, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity, and runs LG’s S Class ‘cube’ user interface – something we’re seeing more often on top-end LG mobile phones and can be seen demonstrated in our LG Arena video.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X2
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We’ve had a look at a prototype of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 - though it was far from the finished article.
It’s a high-end slider mobile phone with a full qwerty keyboard and a touchscreen interface.
All that Sony Ericsson could confirm is that it should launch this side of Christmas will run on the Windows 6.5 operating system.
If the words on the casing are anything to go by, it will have an 8.1Mp camera, and feature a stylus and 3.5mm headphone socket.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 review can be read in our mobile phone report.
T-Mobile Pulse
The T-Mobile Pulse will be the first PAYG (pay as you go) Android mobile phone launched in the UK.
The T-Mobile smartphone, made by Huawei, will launch in October for around £180. It will have a 3.2Mp camera, 3.5-inch touchscreen and 2GB internal memory expandable with the use of MicroSD cards.
Internet use will cost £1 a day, with an unlimited use option for £5.
Existing contract mobiles based on the Android operating system include the T-mobile G1, the HTC Magic, and the HTC Hero.
For more on the Android system and its benefits, check out our Android Marketplace report, where you’ll be able to find out how it can help you tailor your phone to suit your needs.
Samsung Galaxy i7500
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The Samsung Galaxy i7500 is slated by Samsung to be the first non-HTC manufactured Android-based mobile phone, which means it's powered by the Google Android operating system.
Previous Android-based mobile phones include the T-Mobile G1, the HTC Magic and the HTC Hero.
The Samsung Galaxy i7500 is a full touchscreen device with a 3.2-inch AMOLED screen. It’s Wi-Fi enabled and provides 3G connectivity.
It has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, so you don’t need to rely upon the supplied set of headphones. There’s a 5Mp camera and 1GB of internal memory.
The touchscreen is receptive and in our hands-on test, found that Android applications launch quite quickly, while videos look crisp when played on the large, bright screen.
Check out our mobile phone reviews for more information.
Sony PlayStation
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Playstation
Sony PlayStation
The original PlayStation debuted in December 1994, and there have been many recarnations since then
Sony PlayStation
The new PSP Go will launch in the UK in October for around £150
Sony PlayStation
Games can be downloaded and then played on the PSP Go via an SD memory card
Sony PlayStation
The PS3 Slim will gradually replace the larger PS3 model
Sony PlayStation
The new PS3 Slim features 120GB of onboard memory
Sony PlayStation
The PS3 Slim doubles as a CD, DVD and Blu-ray disc player
Sony PlayStation
The previous PSP (portable PlayStation) will sell alongside the new PSP Go
Sony PlayStation PS3 Slim
Sony has launched the PlayStation Slim, the next generation of PS3 models, and has shown the new games console at IFA 2009. The PS3 Slim costs £50 less than the previous version – and is physically smaller, but with a larger 120GB hard drive.
The new PS3 Slim acts as a CD, DVD and Blu-ray disc player. It comes with a remote control that can also be used to control your TV – but only if you have a recent Sony Bravia model.
PSP Go
The new Sony PSP Go, or the PlayStation Portable Go, is also at hand at this year’s IFA show waiting to be taken for a test drive. Available to buy in October, the PSP Go can be used to play downloaded games.
Once the game files have been downloaded to your PC or laptop, then they can be either transferred to the PSP Go’s 16GB of onboard memory, or saved to an SD card, which the PSP Go will be able to read.
The portable games console will cost around £215 at the time of its launch.
Toshiba JournE Touch media tablet
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The Toshiba JournE Touch is a 7-inch multimedia tablet designed for family homes. Media tablets are portable screens that offer a variety of functions but are smaller laptops but larger than smartphones.
Much like the O2 Joggler, it’s designed to sit on a kitchen work surface, and offer quick and easy access to a number of predetermined websites through a customisable widget interface.
There are icons (widgets) that take you straight through to sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Picasa and Flickr, where photos and videos can be watched or uploaded.
The JournE Touch can also play video, music and images from an SD card, or from the internal gigabyte of memory.
Our experience with the tablet was a little clunky, but the Toshiba representative assured us that the Touch that will launch later this year, won’t exactly replicate the display model.
Tucked away behind the scenes is a USB port, a Micro USB port and an HDMI socket. There’s also a remote control, and a variety of frame colours.
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