Video: LG GD510 Pop – first sub £100 touchscreen phone

Having already reviewed the LG GD510 Pop handset, we were impressed enough to whizz this budget touchscreen handset over to our video studio to give you a closer look.

Yes, the Pop is the world’s first full touchscreen phone to arrive at under £100, which is surprisingly undetrimental to its quality. We raved about the features and plentiful on-board apps, the large, bright screen and pocket-friendly size and so felt that pointing the T3 camera lens at this surprise package was more than merited.

- LG GD510 Pop review

- Gallery: Take a closer look at the LG GD510 Pop

It’s available now, SIM free for £99.95 and could be the perfect stocking filler for that loved one yet to embrace the wondrous world of the touchscreen.

Link: LG

Next generation iPhone spotted in testing

The next generation iPhone may be under testing in the San Francisco area according to app developer Pandav.

- Everything you need to know about the iPhone

The American company were analysing the usage of their iBART app – a public transport app – when they noticed a unique iPhone on their list of devices: a 3,1 device. This label could represent the latest generation iPhone, tentatively dubbed the iPhone 4G, as the iPhone 3GS is currently listed as a 2,1 device.

Last year, the 3GS was spotted in a similar fashion eight months before its launch, which means that the latest iPhone variant could be heading for another launch in June or July.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard speculation about a next generation iPhone. Earlier this month, China Ontrade revealed what they reported to be the back casing of the fourth iPhone.

Link: Apple (via ITProPortal)

Modern Warfare 2 to dominate 2010 games industry

A few weeks ago, a controversial, ultra-realistic, visceral war video game hit store shelves and newspaper pages with equal ferocity. It was called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. You might well recognise the name.

Now, amid almost impossibly high sales, in a statement that can only really be answered with the phrase “Yeah, fair enough”, Activision Blizzard’s CEO Bobby Kotick has claimed that the Call of Duty series "is likely to be one of the most viewed of all entertainment experiences in modern history."

Yeah, fair enough.

In reality, over $300million in UK and US sales alone have blasted the game into the sales stratosphere, and the promise of downloadable content coming in 2010 will only bolster its appeal.

- Read our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 review
- Modern Warfare 2 breaks first week sales record

With makers Infinity Ward suggesting that the first batch of downloadable levels is coming in "the wonderfully vague timeframe of Spring”, an analyst on behalf of Broadpoint AmTech has claimed that Activision will earn itself between $100 and $140 million in extra 2010 revenue from the franchise –  likely to dwarf that coming from most other titles. War is hell (for lesser developers).

Link: The Independent
 

Modern Warfare 2 set to dominate games industry revenues in 2010

A few weeks ago, a controversial, ultra-realistic, visceral war video game hit store shelves and newspaper pages with equal ferocity. It was called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. You might well recognise the name.

Now, amid almost impossibly high sales, in a statement that can only really be answered with the phrase “Yeah, fair enough”, Activision Blizzard’s CEO Bobby Kotick has claimed that the Call of Duty series "is likely to be one of the most viewed of all entertainment experiences in modern history."

Yeah, fair enough.

In reality, over $300million in UK and US sales alone thus far has blasted the game into the sales stratosphere, and the promise of downloadable content coming in 2010 will only bolster its appeal.

- Read our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 review
- Modern Warfare 2 breaks first week sales record

With makers Infinity Ward suggesting that the first batch of downloadable levels is coming in "the wonderfully vague timeframe of Spring”, an analyst on behalf of Broadpoint AmTech has claimed that Activision will earn itself between $100 and $140 million in extra revenue for 2010 from the franchise – which’ll likely dwarf that coming from most other titles. War is hell (for lesser developers).

Link: The Independent
 

Lenovo smartphone device in development

Lenovo looks set to follow HP, Acer and Dell into the congested mobile phone market after confirming it is to buy back its handset unit, with a smartphone device already in development.

The Lenovo Mobile division describes the mobile internet device as something that falls somewhere between a netbook and a smartphone. Chief financial officer Wong Wai Ming said, "We have prototypes already, and we need a strong execution platform."
 

Having enjoyed a recent return to profitability, Lenovo who sold its handset unit just 18 months ago, is set to re-acquire the part of the business for $200m, double the amount they had originally sold it for.
 

This latest development comes as the company realigns its business focus towards China. According to analysts, the Chinese mobile internet market is set to escalate to $16 billion by 2014, and Lenovo clearly has an eye on owning a substantial piece of that market.
 

Any Lenovo smartphone/netbook device is likely to hit stores in China only, but as we have seen with fellow PC-makers turned mobile manufacturers Dell, we wouldn’t rule out an appearance over here too.

Link: FT