iPhone users to get Skype service (VOIP, Auckland, New Zealand)

Skype has confirmed that iPhone users will be now be able to use its internet telephony service. The firm's native voice over internet protocol (VoIP) application - Skype for iPhone - will be available for download from Apples iTune store on Tuesday. The new service will allow users to make free calls to Skype users, but will charge for calls to other numbers. The UK's first Skype capable handset was launched by Mobile operator 3 on 2 November 2007. Rival applications from Fring and TruPhone are already available for the iPhone. Unlike traditional mobile calls, which are transmitted over a cellular network, VoIP turns your voice into data and sends it over the internet using a wi-fi network. This means the only cost to the user is for sending internet data; for iPhone users this means no cost at all, as they get unlimited internet access within fair usage limitations. VoIP firms will levy a charge for users making calls outside its user base. In the case of Skype, while calling another Skype user will be free, calling an actual phone number via the service will incur a cost. Iphone users will not be able to make Skype calls, either to Skype contacts or to landlines, over the mobile network, something users of Skype on the UK mobile network 3 can do. Watching the pennies Many of Skype's other features - such as video conferencing and the ability to receive a second Skype call - have been left out, although the firm did not rule them out in the future. "We're considering video carefully but we have a really high bar on the quality," said Skype's chief operating officer Scott Durchslag. "If we do it we will have to do it incredibly well." Mr Durchslag said he had high hopes for the application. "The number one request we get from customers is to make Skype available on iPhone," he said. Skype plan to launch a service for BlackBerry users in May.

Search Engine

Nokia 5800 Multimedia Touchscreen Phone, Auckland, New Zealand, David, Lim

I visited a few Vodafone dealership today around Auckland and found that a few stores is retailing the Nokia 5800 phone, the first touchscreen model introduced by Nokia. Unfortunately, I never have the chance to test drive a unit in live mode! Very tempting size and design!

Generall: 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100
HSDPA 850 / 1900 - American version
Announced 2008, October
Status Available. Released 2008, November
Size Dimensions 111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm, 83 cc
Weight 109 g
Display Type TFT touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 360 x 640 pixels, 3.2 inches
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
- Handwriting recognition
Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Customization Download
Vibration Yes
- Stereo speakers
Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records Detailed, max 30 days
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB, 8GB included, buy memory
- 81 MB internal memory
- 128 MB SDRAM memory
- ARM 11 369 MHz CPU
Data GPRS Class 32
HSCSD Yes
EDGE Class 32
3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port No
USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Features OS Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Games Yes + Java downloadable, order now
Colors Black, Red, Blue
Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, video(VGA@30fps), flash; secondary videocall camera
- Built-in GPS receiver
- A-GPS support
- Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch
- Java MIDP 2.0
- MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+ player
- MPEG4/WMV/3gp video player
- Stereo FM radio with RDS
- TV out
- 3.5 mm audio output jack
- Voice command/dial
- Document viewer
- T9
- Photo editor
- Built-in handsfree
Battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 1320 mAh(BL-5J)
Stand-by: Up to 406 h
Talk time: Up to 8 h 45 min

Nokia E71 PDA Smartphone Specification, Auckland, New Zealand

I bought this unit from Vodafone New Zealand dealership in January 2009 and paid NZ$949 for it. The Nokia E71 is dubbed as the Apple iPhone killer. The only thing that I have problem is getting used to the QWERTY keyboard layout. No complaint on this model, has all the data connection you can thinkg of for such a tiny PDA phone.

The range of software available for download is siimply amazing! It has a very impressive battery size and usage time too! Camera is not too shabby, it has a 3.15 Mega pixel camera.

The only thing I miss is the 5.0 Mega pixel camera of my Nokia N95!

General: 2G Network, GSM 850/900/1800/1900
3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100
HSDPA 850 / 1900 - American version
Announced 2008, June
Status Available. Released 2008, July
Size Dimensions 114 x 57 x 10 mm, 66 cc
Weight 127 g
Display Type TFT, 16M colors
Size 320 x 240 pixels, 2.36 inches
- Full QWERTY keyboard
- Five-way scroll key
Ringtones Type Polyphonic, Monophonic, MP3, True Tones
Customization Download
Vibration Yes
Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records Detailed, max 30 days
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), up to 8GB, hotswap, buy memory
- 110 MB internal memory
- 128 MB SDRAM Memory
- ARM 11 369 MHz processor
Data GPRS Class 32, 100 kbps
HSCSD Yes
EDGE Class 32, 296 kbps
3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port Yes
USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Features OS Symbian OS 9.2, Series 60 v3.1 UI
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Games Java downloadable, order now
Colors White Steel, Grey Steel, Black, Red
Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video(QVGA@15fps), flash; secondary videocall camera
- Built-in GPS receiver
- A-GPS function
- Java MIDP 2.0
- MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player
- Office applications
- FM radio
- Push to talk
- Voice command/dial
- PIM including calendar, to-do list and printing
- Built-in handsfree
Battery Standard battery, Li-Po 1500 mAh (BP-4L)
Stand-by Up to 410 h
Talk time Up to 10 h 30 min

Nokia N95 8GB Multimedia Phone Specification, Auckland, New Zealand

This information might be a year or two late, but it is good reference for you to compare the N95 8GB with the Nokia E71 PDA phone, you will be surprise how simillar are they!

Currently, Vodafone New Zealand is retailing this model at NZ$1,399 (February 2009), but you can hunt for better pricing with Vodafone plans. Parallel imported model might not be able to configure for the NZ Vodafone setting like MMS or accessing the internet with full integration.

General 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 2100
HSDPA 850 / 1900 - American version
Announced 2007, August
Status Available. Released 2007, October
Size Dimensions 99 x 53 x 21 mm, 96 cc
Weight 128 g
Display Type TFT, 16M colors
Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), Monophonic, True Tones, MP3
Customization Download
Vibration Yes
- Stereo speakers
Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records Detailed, max 30 days
Card slot No
- 8 GB internal memory
- 128 MB SDRAM memory
- Dual ARM 11 332 MHz CPU
- 3D Graphics HW Accelerator
Data GPRS Class 32, 107 / 64.2 kbps
HSCSD Yes
EDGE Class 32, 296 kbps; DTM Class 11, 177 kbps
3G HSDPA
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port Yes
USB Yes, v2.0 miniUSB
Features OS Symbian OS 9.2, S60 rel. 3.1
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Games Downloadable, order now
Colors Black
Camera 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, video(VGA 30fps), flash; secondary CIF videocall camera
- Built-in GPS receiver
- A-GPS function
- Nokia Maps
- Dual slide design
- Java MIDP 2.0
- MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA player
- 3.5 mm audio output jack
- TV out
- Stereo FM Radio
- Organizer
- Office document viewer
- T9
- Push to talk
- Voice dial/memo
- Built-in handsfree
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 1200mAH (BL-6F)
Stand-by Up to 280 h
Talk time Up to 6 h
If you need to unlock your Nokia N95 8GB to be used in New Zealand, please contact me via email, davidlim hotmail.com