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Verizon has officially announced the Samsung SCH-i770 Saga, a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional-powered block shaped smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard. The Saga’s 2.6″ QVGA (240×320 pixels) touchscreen display should make it easy to interact with.

The Samsung Saga also packs a punch in connectivity with its dual-band CDMA (800/1900MHz) support, as well as quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) support for world travelers. WiFi is also on board for high-speed data transfers. The Samsung Saga’s 2 megapixel camera includes NightShot technology for enhanced performance in low-light situations. A microSD card slot is also on-board for extra storage options.

The Samsung SCH-i770 Saga smartphone is set to be available in Verizon Wireless stores on December 1st, priced at $199.99 with a 2-year commitment and after a mail-in rebate.

Here are some pictures of Samsung’s SPH-W6050 cell phone. So far only available in Korea, it comes with a 5Mpix autofocus camera module with integrated flash and a redesigned body for improved handling in camera mode. It features the new OMNIA front design, a 3” LCD with WVGA resolution (800×480), digital TV tuner DMB, microSD card slot, and a Haptic user interface. Prices are to be expected around 800,000 Won (Over $600 US).

Sony Ericsson has committed to bringing the Xperia X1 smartphone to the U.S. market on November 28th, in time for the Holidays. This Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional-powered smartphone was first announced earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and its release date has been pushed back repeatedly.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is now said to be coming to Sony Electronics stores and other authorized Sony retailers unlocked on November 28th, priced at $800 before taxes. Pre-orders for this smartphone will also be available at the Sony Style web site starting on November 13th.

Nokia has announced the latest addition to its Eseries family, the E63 cell phone. Featuring a design that is similar to that of the popular E71, the E63 sports a 2 megapixel camera with LED flash in addition to a microSD card slot for extra storage. The QWERTY keyboard has been redesigned with a smaller space bar and extra character keys, as well.

The Nokia E63 is also the first smartphone in Nokia’s Eseries product line to feature a standard 3.5mm audio port, allowing you to use your own headphones without needing an adapter.

For those keeping score, the things that the E63 loses in comparison to the more expensive E71 are: it is thicker, it lacks GPS and HSDPA data, the camera is 2 megapixel fixed focus, and the body is made of plastic instead of the E71’s metal.

The Nokia E63 is expected to begin shipping within the next few weeks, priced at EUR199 (US$250) before taxes and subsidies, and is available in a red or blue color scheme.

Samsung appears to be bringing its Cleo cell phone to the United States according to the FCC. The Cleo, aka SCH-U440, is a stylish clamshell cell phone that hides a QWERTY keyboard inside. Obviously aimed towards the female crowd, the SCH-U440 also packs a 1.3 megapixel camera and threaded SMS.

The Cleo is currently on sale in Canada, though no American carrier has announced support for it thus far. The phone features a floral design etched into its exterior, and a black and red color scheme. Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support for stereo headsets is confirmed to be on board, as well.

okia has released another QWERTY-based phone, the E63, aimed at the business market and hopes to steal some of RIM’s BlackBerry Storm customers in the process.

It’s pretty cheap as well, a lot less than the similarly specified handsets from RIM. The E63 runs on the S60 system, which means a lot of the ‘fun’ applications and tricks we’re used to from Nokia will be present on this handset too.

To that end, Nokia is offering both a professional and personal mode, allowing users to switch off from the daily grind when they get home with just the press of a single button.

It also offers Wi-Fi, a 3.5mm headphone port (a first for the E-Series) and 1GB of free storage on Nokia’s Files on Ovi site, as well as being 3G-enabled for super zippy web browsing.

A 2MP camera is adequate  for day to day snaps, and it comes with a microSD slot to add to the pitiful 110MB internal memory.

Shipping in blue and red, this handset will likely be available in time for Christmas, so you’ve got something to buy for the business person in your life.

Google has finally revealed what fixes it has put in place to get Android back up to speed after two key errors were highlighted.

The most recent problem came when it was discovered that users were given top-level administrator privileges automatically on their handsets, and any text they entered could be read as a system command.

The problem was discovered when an unsuspecting user typed ‘reboot’ in a text, and the phone responded by shutting down and restarting.

The handset is designed to be able to work from a remote device attached by serial port, but given the lack of such an input, the phone just used the keyboard instead.

“We tried really hard to secure Android. This is definitely a big bug,” Rich Cannings, of the Android security team, said according to ZDNet. “The reason why we consider it a large security issue is because root access on the device breaks our application sandbox.”

However, he did say it would be difficult for malicious hackers to exploit the flaw, as it would require the user to download a programme that forced them to type in certain commands to give the hacker access.

The other flaw fixed in the update was the browser vulnerability that meant certain websites with malicious code built-in could be used to assume control of the browser.

The update helped fix this and other problems in the browser, caused by Android shipping with older versions of software, and would allow malicious hackers to assume control of certain parts of the phone.

At least Google can hold its hands up when necessary… albeit only when things have been fixed.

You might be lapping up all the coverage on the newly announced BlackBerry Storm, but Apple has snuck in through the back door and taken RIM’s number two slot in the smartphone stakes. Research firm Canalys has reported that the Cupertino boys are now the second biggest pusher of smartphones in the world after the success of the iPhone 3G in Q2. Apple has garnered 17.3 per cent of the worldwide market, pushing RIM into second place with 15.2 per cent.

Symbian still top. However, phones running the Symbian system are still looking the best bet on 46.6 per cent, though that figure represents a 21.5 per cent slide in market share… Nokia’s purchase of the OS could make or break its fortunes in the next year. It appears the business-minded among us are all over the iPhone, discarding their BlackBerries to the back of a desk drawer and marvelling at being able to swipe through their contacts.

Lucky RIM has got the Storm, Bold and Pearl 8220 coming out this quarter, eh?

T-Mobile announced the Samsung Gravity, a candybar cell phone with a convenient slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The Gravity also sports a microSD card slot for storage expansion and Bluetooth with A2DP support for stereo headsets, which should add up to a decent portable music experience.

The Samsung Gravity’s 1.3 megapixel camera also records video, which should allow it to capture plenty of great moments, while support for T-Mobile’s MyFaves service helps you keep in touch with your friends and family.

The Samsung Gravity cell phone is expected to be available on November 17th, priced at $49.99 with a new 2-year commitment. Two color schemes, white with aqua accents and grey with lime accents, will be available.

Specifications for the Samsung Gravity
Band     GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
Data     GPRS/EDGE
Size     114.3mm x 53.3mm x 17.8mm (4.5″ x 2.1″ x .7″)
Weight     121.9g (4.3oz)
Battery Life     Unknown standby time
Unknown hours talk time
Main Display     2.1″ 262k color (176×220 pixels) TFT
Camera     1.3 megapixel
Video     Record/Playback
Messaging     SMS/MMS/IM
Email     POP3 and Web-based
Bluetooth     Yes with A2DP
Memory     microSD card slot
Availability     Planned November 17th 2008
Other     Speakerphone, Slide-out QWERTY keyboard

Sharp unveiled its 8M camera phone SH-01A in Japan market through NTT DoCoMo. Adopting a 3.3-inch display with 480*854 resolution, the SH-01A mobil phone supports up to ISO 2500 and face detection function for five persons. Other features included 1-Seg, GPS, Bluetooth connectivity, 7.2Mbps 3G network and up to 8GB of micro SD card. Measuring 111*50*16.6mm at 145g, the phone comes with four different colors including blue, black, white and pink.