Top Ten Mobile Phone News Stories of the Week – 19th June

June continues to be an exiting mobile phone month, with plenty of Android news, a new touchscreen Nokia or two and of course, iPhone news aplenty!

1.   Apple iPhone 3G S Out Today…

The latest iPhone is out today in the US and the UK and as with previous launches of the phone, the chance of queues outside stores was likely.  Phone Arena have a couple of candid shots outside the New York Apple Store, where a few potential buyers have gathered, but the Regent Street store shows a different story over at Engadget Mobile!

2.   …How Will it Perform?

It’s perhaps not the best time – economically – to be releasing an expensive mobile phone, but if there’s one company who can do it, it’s Apple.  Analysts are predicting sales of between 500,000 and 700,000 iPhone 3G S’s over its first weekend, less than the 3G, but more than its new rival, the Palm Pre.

3.  Nokia Announce 5530 XpressMusic.

In addition to the launch of the N97 and the announcement of the new E72, Nokia have also shown off the 5530 XpressMusic, another touchscreen handset running Symbian S60 5th Edition.  The screen is 2.9″, it has a 3.2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi and a 3.5mm jack plug.   September is the likely release date.

4.  Android Coming to LG?

It’s going to happen, but the point is, when?  LG have confirmed they have ‘plans’ to launch three Android-powered smartphones this year, but have remained tight-lipped on what the phones will actually be like.  LG, speaking at the CommunicAsia show, also gave the least precise release date ever, Q3/Q4.  So, between now and 2010 then?  Thanks.

5.  Sony Ericsson Satio, Aino and Yari Dates Set.

Although the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog doesn’t give a region, their 28th September release date for the highly anticipated Satio – formally the Idou – Aino and Yari mobile phones sounds likely for Europe to us.  Three to look forward too!

6.  T-Mobile Ready for new Android Too?

T-Mobile revealed, in a Tweet, that their second Android phone will be announced very soon, and that it will be called the G1Touch.  Speculation is this phone will be a T-Mobile branded HTC Magic, but seeing as the network has also snapped up the Huawei U8230, there’s a chance this could be it too.

7.  Nokia N97 Mini Rumour.

A moderator on the Vodafone web forums made a cheeky reference to an ‘N97 Mini’ after being quizzed about when the network would be carrying the regular N97.  We can’t see why Nokia would snip anything away from the N97, as to do so would simply make it a 5800, so we presume the comment refers to a phone like the N97, but smaller or without the QWERTY, and from a different company.  The Samsung i8910 Omnia HD?

8.   Land Rover Phones Launched in UK.

The Sonim Land Rover S1 has been released in the UK, and will cost £300.  For this you get a phone which can survive a two metre drop, 30 minutes underwater, 400 kgs of pressure, dust and high temperatures.  It has a 2 megapixel camera, GPS and a face only a mother could love.

9.   SPRXmobile Show the World’s First Augmented Reality Browser!

Launching in the UK later in the year, Layar browses the world around you by using GPS, a compass and your Android phone’s camera to give a layered view of your surroundings, indicating houses for sale, bars and restaurants, banks and even offices with jobs available!  Check out the video, it’s really impressive!

10.  Mobile Phone Russian Dolls!

We love this!  Keep opening up these mobile phones to reveal a smaller one inside, ranging from the Motorola ‘brick’ down to the Apple iPhone!