Top Ten Mobile Phone Stories of the Week – 24th October.

This week sees the release and announcement of several exciting handsets including the amazing Samsung Pixon M8800, two HP iPaq’s, the BlackBerry Flip and, of course, the Android G1. We also learn who the most annoying mobile phone users are…

1. Android G1 On the Streets.

On the 22nd October, the G1 was released with very little fanfare, a far cry from the other big mobile release of 2008. Perhaps the less than attractive G1 itself had something to do with it, however this really is just the beginning for Android, especially with the release of the source code package on the same day. It’s still one to watch.

2. Sony Ericsson Streamlining 2009 Mobile Line-Up.

Sony Ericsson President Dick Komiyama has spoken to the Financial Times newspaper and given some insights into their plans for next year. With the merger of their three R&D departments, we should expect fewer phones to be released in 2009 than 2008, but presumably more focused and possibly more innovative too.

3. The Motorola Aura.

It may be $2,000, but there’s no denying the Aura is a beautiful phone. Motorola say they were inspired by high-quality timepieces when they created their new phone and it really shows. The circular LCD display is a first for mobile phones and the rest of the handset oozes quality, from the Swiss-made internals to the scratch resistant sapphire crystal screen.

4. Nokia E63 Existence Confirmed.

If a picture of it is on the Internet, then surely it must be true! Some spy shots have emerged of the Nokia E63, seen a short while back during a Nokia promo video, along with some tech specs. Unlike the superb E71, this will be a plastic bodied email device with a full QWERTY keyboard, 3G and HSDPA plus Wi-Fi too. As to when we’ll see it for sale, we will just have to wait and see!

5. Sony Ericsson to Drop UIQ OS?

With Sony Ericsson now a paid-up member of the Symbian Foundation, a loose-mouth at the Symbian Show in London has hinted the company would more than likely no longer use the UIQ operating system, seen on its P-series handsets amongst others, due to it being ‘dead’.

6. Just Shut Up!

Another survey has found ‘loud talkers’ to be the most annoying of mobile phone users, even more so than those who answer their phones in the middle of a meal, of which more than 75% of the interviewed said they did.

7. HP Debuts New Phones.

We spoke about this recently, and here they are in the flesh, two new iPaq mobiles from HP. Called the Voice Messenger and the Data Messenger, the former is a candybar reminiscent of the BlackBerry Pearl and the latter is a touchscreen device. Both feature 3G and HSDPA and will be out before Christmas.

8. E Ink Concept Phone.

E Ink is very fashionable at the moment, mainly due to the coverage it gained from the recent Esquire magazine cover, and here is a gorgeous concept phone using the power-saving system throughout the handset. Looks pretty special to us!

9. Mobile Filmed Doc ‘Shoot the Summer’ Released.

The BBC has released Shoot the Summer, its documentary project covering this year’s music festivals around the country as part of this week’s Electric Proms. Shot entirely on mobile phones (the all-conquering N95) and using the soundtrack captured at the same time, the footage was captured by DJ’s, bands and the film’s producer. You can watch it here.

10. The Latest Mobile Phone Releases.

This week we’ve covered two very special mobile phones, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip and the stunning Samsung Pixon M8800. The Pearl Flip is another step closer to mainstream acceptance for RIM and it’s a great looking mobile, however it can’t quite match the excitement level of the fantastic M8800 Pixon. Make sure you check the review – out soon – of this one, as it’s going to be very popular!

Another week ends and Christmas draws closer, so who knows what the next few weeks will hold? Join us to find out!