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HTC Desire deals become available on Omio in April.

Source: FlickR

After India got the Samsung Jet 2, there was speculation as to when the next version of the Jet would make it here. News just in that the Samsung Jet will be iterated, this time as an Ultra Edition, with the following: a 3.1 inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen display, TouchWiz 2.0 UI, 800 MHz processor, Wi-Fi, GPS, web browser with one-finger zoom, “DVD-like video playback & recording, 5MP autofocus camera, 2GB of on-board memory and MicroSD card support.

Nevertheless, the Samsung Jet Ultra Edition is available now exclusively on O2. Expect deals on Omio to follow shortly.

Last week we reported that the HTC Tattoo was in line for an update to it’s operating system –  from version 1.6 to 2.1 (Eclair). Well, according to official words from HTC, “currently there are no plans to update the HTC Tattoo with Eclair”. Well, that put that straight.

Virtual network Virgin Mobile have announced that they are to open up their Android handset range with the additions of 3 new phones: HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy Portal and Sony Ericsson Xperia X10.

The HTC Desire it set to sell like hotcakes this summer as the Taiwanese manufacturer rides a wave of success in the wake of it’s successful HD2 and HTC Legend handsets.

Meanwhile, Sony Ericsson look to bring their feature-phone prowess to the Android platform, with the Xperia X10 which features a highly customized UI, superfast 1Ghz Snapdragon Processor, large capacitive touchscreen and refined 8 MP camera

The Samsung Galaxy Portal on the other hand is the more affordable of the three. That’s not to say that the Galaxy Portal is slim on features however – 800mhz processor running Android 2.1 (Éclair), large 3.2” capactive touchscreen, Assisted GPS, MP3 player, 3.5mm jack and upto 32GB storage via SD card.

These three handsets join the LG Intouch Max to form a strong portfolio of Google-powered devices.

Expect to see the new deals early next month.

Submissions to the poll feature a number of votes for the N97 Mini (Nice, but sexiest ever??) but controversy aside, the #SexiestNokia conversation over there has reminded us of some cracking handsets:

A personal favourite – the Nokia N93i camcorder phone:

Drool here > . <

Other favourite knocking around the office is the Nokia 8110, as made famous in the Matrix. Many a teenager in the late nineties coveted this handset which was dropped in the bin in an iconic slow-motion fashion during Neo’s betrayal.

However, the consensus seems to be that you cannot beat a classic. In that department the Nokia 6300 exudes a timeless beauty:

Sure, it might not have the glitz of the obscenely decorated 8800 Gold Arte, but it performs like the best of them and has a pull across the generaions. In that sense it’s a kind of Helen Mirren of the handset world.

Er, anyway…. Nokia 6300 deals start at £15 per month, or £74.99 – Sim Free.

Today EA Mobile hosted their Spring showcase for iPhone and iPod Touch, giving the gaming press a chance to grill the developers behind the games as well as road test the five new games that are about to drop – FIFA World Cup South Africa Edition, The SIMs 3 – World Adventures, SIMCity Deluxe and the highly anticipated platformer, Mirror’s Edge.

First we spoke to the Rik Skews, who produced Mirror’s Edge and also oversaw production on all the of the new titles on show today. He was very excited over the future of mobile gaming, particularly the emerging social element to gameplay. With Farmville attracting around 60 million players (that’s Pacman numbers!), the potential for Facebook as a platform for gamers and a tech demo for developers is massive.

When asked about the relative merits of iPhone, PSP and Ninteno’s DS, Skews was balanced, but affirmative – while the iPhone’s graphics aren’t quite up there with the PSP it was, he said, “far better placed to make use of the emerging integrated social platforms.”

So it was off into the brunch gaming session to see what EA Mobile has in store for iPhone users this season:

Mirror’s Edge

Set in a not-too-distant future society draped in surveillance and stripped of most freedoms, Mirror’s Edge puts you in control of “Faith”, a member of an underground group known as “Runners”. Essentially it’s Prince of Persia on amphetamines… and it is incredibly addictive (we didn’t even touch the laid on buffet, we were so egngrossed).

Seasoned gamers will recognise the high-octane one-way format from smash-hit platformer Canabalt and it’s undeniable that Mirror’s Edge owes alot to that title. (The original PC version of Mirror’s Edge which was a 1st-person action-adventure), however the new hieghts that EA have take the graphics in Mirror’s Edge for iPhone are spectacular.

For producer Rik Skews, the idea of a 40-hour plus game was very much a console based model and for the emerging mobile market he was passionate about bringing games that just delivered “the best experience possible”. Take it from us… this game is a tasty a “digital-snack” as you can get.

Due Date & Price: T.B.C

FIFA World Cup – South Africa

The greatest sports event in the world comes to South Africa for the first time in it’s history and with this iPhone app you can be there too! Dean Bennet, associate producer for FIFA South Africa said that since football was a super popular sport, they’d planned to make a game that could be enjoyed by anyone. The game features enhanced controls, a new button layout and a floating d-pad, which all make gameplay more intuitive answer the problems of the iPhone not having physical buttons perfectly:

The game also has a highly authentic feel – it includes all 10 of the official stadiums and the newly animated crowds help re-create that all-important atmosphere. Fantastists still in denial over which teams qualified will be happy to hear they also can play as any team they wish – the only way Scotland will qualify for this years World Cup!

Due Date: 30th April

Price: TBC

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Skate – It

If you’re into extreme sports – you’ll probably prefer being all “gnarly” outside. If you’re like us however and recoil at the mere sight of a grazed knee then there’s Skate-It for iPhone:

Grind, ollie and kickflip til your heart’s content using EA’s nifty swipe-controls through a variety of real-world skate parks. Mastering tricks is just one aspect of this game though – Skate-It allows you to create entire skateparks from scratch using an environment editor. If that wasn’t enough though you can also deck out your board and customise your own clothes to give your character that all-important personal feel. Also, check out the cool action-replay feature in the clip below.

We did find the experience realistic and the gesture controls innovative, but for first time-gamers the co-ordination required might prove frustrating. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed.

Due Date: Spring 2010

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The SIMs 3: World Adventures

The latest iteration of the massively successful SIMs series allows you to enjoy the SIM experience across continents and cultures. Depending on what continent you’re in, this is reflected in all sorts of ways – from the furniture to the clothes you can wear. Moreover, in different countries the game goals can change – for instance, in China the objective might be language learning, in Egypt it could be archaelogical excavation.

We had a play>> Charging our SIM up with as many blundering personality defects as possible we got on a flight, got travel sickness, arrived in China smelling really badly then barged into the nearest person’s house to watch TV, despite it being in the wee hours. This didn’t go down too well and we were swiftly ejected.

We were assured by the product manager on hand that we could influence much more positive outcomes though – with a more gentler approach, you can befriend people and eventually entice them to hang out, even fall into love and shack up!

The SIMs 3 offers fans of the genre yet more depth to the SIM experience, however. We noticed that if a SIM from another continent chooses to move in with you, they can bring their possessions over too! We especially liked the added dimension that flying between continents added to gameplay – during your flight you have to focus your character to avoid getting travel sick. A nice realistic touch (no sick bag though).

Our only gripe – we can’t skip the sightseeing parts of the game, so if you’re in for a quick gaming fix, this certainly isn’t the one.

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SIMCity

Unfortunately, this was still at the pre-Beta development stage, so no-go for video. However, we did have a play and a talk to the games producer, Brian Sheehan who showed us the main gameplay features. Most notably, these included seasonal disasters such as typhoons, floods and locusts, plus a nifty pinch-zoom function. Mr Sheehan then told us that for the 3Gs version we could expect better animation, more detailed artwork and more animated rendering of landscapes and coastal areas.

Yet another network promotes the HTC’s flagship Android handset, as the HTC Desire‘coming soon’ page. ’superphone’ poses proudly on T-Mobile’s

Registration for the speedy Desire began in late February, with pre-orders for the popular device beginning on the magenta network from Monday 22nd March.

Available from the 26th of March, the HTC Desire will be available for free on a £35 per month tariff.

Compare the latest selection of HTC Desire deals from all the major networks and retailers here.

Well, we took a few choice photos to size up the handset’s paparazzi potential, and were (a bit) impressed!

With 2 x digital zoom, an LED flash and autofocus, the Legend comes slightly better equipped than many smartphones at this price point…

Images are rich with colour and lacking in crawl on the highest settings, if a little light…

…but the 2x digital zoom reveals a lot of the fuzziness endemic to mobile phone cameras. Still, a better than surprising clarity and level of detail in the goomba’s fur.

Outdoor shots are clear and crisp, but don’t stand up too well under scrutiny in terms of middle and long distance clarity.

However, the swift shutter speed results in a good photo, whilst the exposure control gives a surprising amount of customisation.

A bit of fiddling enabled a decent long-range shot of Wembley Stadium, whilst pressing a physical key (the trackpad in the case of the Legend) and gripping onto the ‘chin’ afforded some stability to the device.

The touch autofocus has accompanied by a reassuring whirr, letting you know that the right object is being brought to the fore, although it doesn’t really show in the resultant images…

Check out the detail on that cow! Too bad it was focussing on something else entirely…

Low light situations were in fact a friend to the Legend, with night photos coming out a treat thanks to the LED flash and ISO sensitivity adjustment.

The HTC Legend in fact has the entire suite of features you would expect to find in a dedicated snapper – white balance, geotagging and a range of effects (sepia, grayscale, negative) – the Android phone giving good reason to leave your digital camera at home.

Video was another story, recording at 30fps in MPEG4 but not giving a smooth reel of film once played back. Vids were fairly choppy, with quite a lot of ‘screen tearing‘ when making movies featuring plenty of movement.

So, all in all, the HTC Legend is a great photo grabbing device when it comes to still life, but trying to capture the world in motion is somewhat more challenging…

The lens is quick when it comes to taking pictures by minimising shake and blurring, whilst the flash truly illuminates otherwise dark situations.

The Legend is not as legendary at being a camera as it is, but it is still way above average and is more than capable when it comes to photo opportunities.

Music lovers listen up -  3 Mobile are pre-loading the Sony Ericsson Vivaz with the Spotify for Symbian application.

With an 8MP camera capable of shooting in HD, plus full Facebook and Twitter integration the Vivaz is already kitted out to be the manufacturer’s top-end image sharing device.

3-Mobile’s move to bundle sensational sound-streaming service Spotify now makes the Vivaz a great music-sharing gadget.

Do note that to benefit from the package you’ll need to pay for a Spotify Premium account, which itself £10 per month, but you do get what you pay for – listening is ad-free and playlists can be made available offline and at higher (320) quality too.

Expect Sony Ericsson Vivaz Spotify Bundles will be available on our deals page soon!