Touch Screen BlackBerry Thunder in Q3

Thunder

BlackBerry makers plans to launch a touch-screen version of the wireless e-mail device in the third quarter as an answer to Apple Inc’s iPhone, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

RIM declined to comment on the report, stating that it does not comment on rumors and speculation. Earlier this week, rumored details of a touch-screen BlackBerry surfaced on the Internet.

The device, known as the Thunder, is to be sold through Verizon Wireless in the U.S. and Vodafone PLC abroad, the Journal reported on its Web site, citing people familiar with the matter.

In February, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said the company may bring out a touch-screen device if customers want it.

This week, Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM announced its BlackBerry Bold, a sleek smartphone with a keyboard aimed at its core base of business users.

Introducing a touch-screen BlackBerry would put RIM in more direct competition with Apple’s popular iPhone. In the past, Balsillie has dismissed concerns that the iPhone could pose a serious competitive threat.
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A touch-screen BlackBerry would also build on RIM’s continuing push into the broader retail market as it seeks to diversify its client base beyond the executives, lawyers and other professionals who have been its mainstay.

Update-1:-

According to the Boy Genius Report, the new handset will be RIM’s first true touchscreen phone, with just four physical buttons. The difference between a BlackBerry and an iPhone will be A keyboard. Once Apple ships the iPhone 2.0 software, with proper Exchange support and push email, the only real difference between the the handsets is the BlackBerry’s physical input. But it looks like RIM will be ditching it’s one advantage in a rumored new handset, the BlackBerry Thunder.

LG’s Touch Screen Phone Model KF-700

LG

Korean mobile phone maker, LG Electronics, unveiled its latest mobile phone, KF-700 at the Mobile World Congress trade show lately. The latest slim, stylish design and slider type phone, LG-KF700 features multiple input methods. It has a large, high resolution, 3-inch-touch screen for immediate touch screen input. Users also can use keystroke saving shortcut dial and numeric keypad for input. The LG-KF700 also comes with powerful multimedia featured which includes a full web browser, digital audio and video players as well as handy widgets.

The world’s first phone with three separate input methods, the LG-KF700 itegrates a 3-inch touchscreen, alpha-numeric keypad and Shortcut Dial. Each of these input methods is assigned to the tasks at which it is most efficient, making LG’s highly intuitive interface possible. With its user-optimized navigation, all of the phone’s functions and features are instantly accessable.

“Our consumers told us that they wanted a phone that had plenty of multimedia features, but doesn’t take a long time fiddling with menus to figure out. We created the LG-KF700 based their insight,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Internal research showed that a phone’s multimedia features often lay dormant if they are hard to access. On many phones these features are hidden deep in menus, requiring too much time and effort to find them. The LG-KF700 eliminates these endless menus with its intuitive interface and multiple input methods.”

Update 1:

LG has officially launched the LG-KF700 22 April 2008

A new multimedia phone, the KF700 combines three input methods to create what the company says is “an amazingly intuitive user interface” with instant access to features.

The first phone to integrate three separate input methods, there’s a 3-inch touchscreen, alpha-numeric keypad and “Shortcut Dial”.

The LG-KF700 is available in black and silver versions, as well as a black version with chrome accents. Pricing is yet to be announced.

source:LG

New Lumix DMC-FX500 with Touch-screen and Joystick by Panasonic

DMC-FX500

Panasonic recently announced the Lumix DMC-FX500 — the company’s first digital camera with a 3-inch touch-screen LCD – also featuring a 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC lens, 5x optical zoom and 10.1 megapixels.

The FX500 features a dual control system using touch-screen and joystick operation, the ability to record high definition (HD) video and advanced intelligent auto (iAuto) technologies.

Panasonic’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode is an advanced system of technologies that engage automatically, so the user does not have to change any settings. Maximizing the iA mode, users can go a step further and easily set auto focus and exposure by simply touching the screen.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX500 will be available in black and silver models for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $399.95 in the US by May 2008.

 source:tech2

Nokia Struggles With Touch Screen?

Nokia

Nokia is still working on bringing out touch, the company told a disappointed audience at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Apple wasn’t mentioned, but the message was clear–the Mac-maker had an easy time of it developing an iPhone as its first ever telephony product, while the Finnish handset maker has more work to do.

The company also denied a move to Linux following its acquisition of Trolltech, and added pedestrian-focussed GPS to its products.

“We are platformising touch and will bring out touch products this year,” said Niklas Savander, head of software and services at Nokia. He said it was important not to bring out “guinea pig” (other reporters heard “gimmicky”) touch products–and promised a smooth migration path from Nokia’s existing products and the 5000 applications running on mobile phones.

Nokia executives denied the company had any plans for Windows Mobile machines, despite Sony Ericsson announcing support for the Microsoft operating system in a phone announced today.

source:pcworld