Whew! It’s been a busy week at the Federal Communications Commission. We combed through more than 350 filings to bring you the cell phone gems. The Motorola ZN200 was on the list, as was the Palm Treo 800w, which Bonnie Cha reviewed this week. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the FCC holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency’s online database offers many sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.
Motorola ZN200 clears FCC
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4
Ultimate Ears has been a familiar name to musicians and other audio professionals for a decade, but the company has gained quite a following with its consumer line as well. Earphones in its Metro.fi, Super.fi, and Triple.fi lines range in affordability and scale nicely from discerning listeners to audiophiles. Falling in toward the middle of the bottom is the $129 Super.fi 4, a stylish, low-profile set that comes with a reasonable array of accessories. The earphones offer some of the clearest audio we’ve come across, but getting a secure and comfortable fit is a challenge for some users.
Upon first laying eyes on the Super.fi 4 earphones, we were immediately smitten with the sleek and compact design. The earpieces are admirably small and are encased out in a blue-tinged metallic housing. However, the apertures are relatively large and cause some discomfort for the small-eared among us. Ultimate Ears includes a variety of silicone ear tips, but achieving a proper seal with the ear can be a challenge–we would welcome a foam option. It would also be nice if the earpieces were detachable from the cord, as with other Super.fi models. The cable measures about 46-inches long and is all black. A slider where the Y meets helps to prevent tangles when the headphones aren’t in use.
The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4 earphones are capable of delivering excellent audio quality–if you can get a proper fit. If not, music has a distinctly anemic quality. However, anyone who can get a seal with the ear will be rewarded with impressively clear and even sound. Bass is understated, but still present and tight, and mids are warm and encompassing. High-end response is particularly good, with shimmery acoustics and sparkling details. Even given the potential fit and comfort issues, the Super.fi 4 earphones live up to the company’s reputation of providing high-quality products. These ‘buds are a worthwhile consideration in the $125 range.
Nokia E71 has hit the stores
Probably the greatest release of July 2008 – Nokia E71 has been already put up for sale and now is available at Nokia Priority dealers. We have heard a lot about it when it was yet upcoming. As expected, it is another step in evolution of the Nokia E series processed to suit business needs of all Nokia customers. This gadget has an impressive list of options to correspond to any, even the most exigent pretensions.
From the very first glance Nokia E71 charms with its fabulous slim body (114 mm x 57 mm x 10 mm), very pleasant tactile sensation. But don’t think about it only as a stylish gadget. Take it seriously. Acquaintance with Nokia E71 starts with two-part QWERTY keyboard and large 2.36″ screen with 320×240 pixel resolution. Both of those will help you to explore internet support commodities. Gmail, yahoo mail, hotmail and many more Internet Service Providers are now working closely with Nokia.
Internet speed limits are outrageous 3.6 Mbps. Nokia E71 HSDPA data connection will deserve your entire attention. Business trips are no longer a problem. In this gadget we have built-in GPS assistant (A-GPS), Nokia Maps function allows downloading maps of more than 200 regions in very high resolution. Maps hold local points of interest and city guides for any needs. Nokia E71 is equipped with 3.2 Megapixel AF camera, which is not bad at all, though video recording time is bounded.