The flaw is supposedly so significant that a nefarious user who exploited the issue could force the mobile phone to call or text a specific number. If the flaw were to be exploited, hundreds of thousands of mobile phones could be forced into calling for texting premium numbers in a short time, racking up huge money for the hacker at the same time.

The researcher talked about the flaw at a security conference in Berlin. Thankfully, he didn’t outline the details and give the hackers all the details they need to take advantage of the discovery. However, the researcher, Karsten Nohl, head of Germany’s Security Researchers said that it could be merely weeks before the hackers figure out the flaw themselves.

On the plus side, Nohl believes the issue could probably be fixed through software updates, though he doesn’t indicate if that would be at the network level or at the device level, and how he exactly plans on sharing the details of his findings with mobile phone carriers.

[via Reuters]

The phone ships with the none-too-thrilling Android 1.6 OS (but can be upgraded to 2.1 – voiding its warranty, though). The Windows side of the house runs Windows Mobile 6.5 Pro. The touchscreen phone is capable of dual-booting between Windows Mobile and Android OS. Under the hood of this unusual phone is a speedy Marvell PXA310 CPU, running at 624MHz. It’s an unlocked quad-band GSM phone, meaning you can use it pretty much anywhere on the planet too.

The hardware isn’t exactly cutting-edge, but a 2-megapixel digital camera, Bluetooth 2.0, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi should do the trick for most basic needs. The screen’s meager 240×400 resolution may have you going a little crosseyed if you’re used to today’s super-sharp displays. And despite its rather hefty 0.55″ thick profile, there’s no keyboard from what I can tell. At least there’s GPS capability, so you can use Google Maps for navigation. Sure, the hardware doesn’t sound too thrilling, but can your phone do this?

Nope? Didn’t think so. You can get your hands on the WinDroid phone over at Chinavasion for $239 (USD). If you’re looking for a single device that can run all the Microsoft and Google apps, it’s definitely one to check out. Apple fanboys and girls, you’re out of luck. Maybe next year ChinaVasion will offer up an iPhoWinDroid.

The company has announced a new limited edition gold version of the W PhoneWatch at CTIA. The company will make only 1000 units of the gold version of the black W PhoneWatch we have seen before.

Other than being clad in gold, the watch has the same features as the black one that debuted last October. You get a tiny 1.5-inch TFT touchscreen, media player, Bluetooth capability, and the watch works on 850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM networks. No pricing or pictures of the gold version are offered, but the standard black W PhoneWatch goes for $199 (USD).

The KINGK N99 has a screen that’s unlike most phones I’ve come across in my travels. While it’s definitely not ideal for watching conventional 4:3 or 16:9 video content, it’s enough of a novelty that I thought I’d at least give it a mention. In addition to its offbeat screen, the N99 has a shiny steel body which conceals its keypad beneath a sliding metal door.

Plus – in appropriately Engrish form – it’s got a 1.3 MAGAPIXEL digital camera. Sweet. I wonder how many megapixels there are in a magapixel. And if you’re really lucky you might get this special version I found floating around on the web, complete with misappropriated Nokia logo…

So the one thing to keep in mind if you decide to plunk down your hard earned cash on one of these is that this is a GSM 900/1800MHz phone, which means that it works in most parts of the world other than the Americas. But if you live anywhere where you can use it (and read the Chinese interface), you can order one over at importer SZprice for $158.99 (USD), less in wholesale quantities.

Sure, it’s a touchscreen phone and media player. And yeah, it’s got Bluetooth and WiFi support. But it’s also got a couple of tricks up its sleeve that even Apple’s latest wonderphone doesn’t have. There’s support for dual SIMs so you can switch between two providers. And since it’s a Quad-Band GSM phone, it’s guaranteed to work worldwide. And what was the last time an iPhone ran Java apps or browsed the web with Opera? And it even supports MMS messages out of the box! There’s also a little bonus on the back of phone – from the pictures it looks like there’s a flash next to the camera lens. Oh, and did I mention it’s got two cameras? Yep, there’s a crummy 0.3 megapixel one on the front for video chat, and a 1.3 megapixel one on the back for regular photos and videos. There’s even an analog TV tuner built in – which is the last thing I need these days.

Of course, at just $159.99 (USD) for an unlocked phone, they had to skimp on a few features that you can only get if you buy the real deal. For instance, there’s no GPS, compass, or accelerometer. And I think the “32GB” on the back is just part of the phony factor. According to the specs, there’s no on-board storage, and it comes with a 2GB microSD (TransFlash) card for memory. Oh well, what do you expect you cheap bastard?

If you want to get your hands on a WPhone, head on over to Chinagrabber.

[via PMP Today via Ubergizmo]

The Quantum offers a 3-inch touchscreen display, and is loaded up with a variety of mobile applications, including a calculator, contact manager, clock, FM radio, games, MP4 video player and voice recorder among other things. The quad-band phone works on all GSM networks worldwide, and has dual SIM slots so you can switch between two mobile accounts with the flip of a switch. The phone also supports Bluetooth connectivity, including A2DP and AVRCP so you can play music or even operate remote-controlled devices over Bluetooth.

There’s also a built-in video/still video camera, but it maxes out at a paltry 640×480 resolution. And just like the iPhone that it so desperately wishes it were, it even has a motion sensor which detects when you switch from landscape to portrait modes. And unlike the iPhone, it already has MMS support out of the box. Did I happen to mention that it has a built-in TV too? Too bad it’s analog, so it probably doesn’t receive anything in the US now that analog broadcasts are done. For those of you in other countries where analog TV still works, you can tell us how well it works.

You can find the Quantum CVFD-M46 over at Chinavasion for just $94 (USD). The price drops to just $90 bucks if you buy 3 or more.

No App Store, though

The CVFK-M14-US Business Phone looks like a regular desk phone, but is actually a dual-band (850Mhz/1900Mhz) GSM phone. That means it should work on all of the major US carrier’s digital networks. The phone works on either AC power or battery, so I suppose you could carry it around and whip it out of your purse to take a call if you want to look really silly.

Assuming you don’t want to invest in a landline, and don’t want to go with some sort of VOIP phone on your internet connection, this phone might work for you. Otherwise, I can’t see too much purpose if you already have a cell phone in your pocket.

If you can think of a good use for one of these, you can grab one over at Chinavasion for $67.91 (USD).

The CECT m188 borrows its looks and menus from the original iPhone, but smashes them into a package that’s just 86mm x 48mm x 11mm, making it about the size of a credit card (and just about as thick as  a standard iPhone). The screen measures in at 2.6″ diagonal, and while it is touch-sensitive, you’ll really want to use a stylus with it.

While it’s definitely no iPhone, the m188 is definitely an interesting novelty. The phone is completely unlocked and works on 900/1800/1900Mhz GSM networks around the world. As an added bonus, the m188 supports dual SIM cards, in case you have phone service with two different providers. I’m not sure why you’d really need this – one phone bill is plenty for me.

There’s also GPRS connectivity for data transmission, a built-in MP3 player, MP4/AVI video player, and an FM radio with scheduled recording capability. There’s also a digital camera, but it’s only 640×480 resolution which is REALLY lame.

In case you’re interested, here’s a video of the little phone being unboxed and showing off some of its features.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can find the CECT m188 over at Bigboxstore for just about $100 (USD). There are also a bunch of these floating around over on eBay.

Under the hood of the U200i mobile phone wristwatch dwells a quad-band (unlocked) GSM phone, complete with a 1.3MP digital camera, Bluetooth connectivity, and full media player capabilities. And thanks to an external OLED display, you can check the time, signal strength and battery meter at a glance.

You can even watch tiny little MP4 videos on the 1.5-inch color display, which also happens to offer touchscreen capabilities. In addition to the stainless steel case shown in these pictures, the U200i comes in a solid black case design as well. But my favorite part of the design has to be the decidedly retro round dial pad, complete with otherworldly blue backlighting.

So if you’re ready to wear the kitchen sink on your wrist, you can grab the U200i mobile phone watch from Chinagrabber for $234.99 USD.

[with a tip of the hat to TFTS]

This wannabe version of the iPhone copies the basic case design of Apple’s beauty, but certainly falls short on the details. For starters, there’s no glass face or durable aluminum back here. We’re talking cheap plastic and shiny chrome plate. Plus, it looks like it’s about twice as thick as the real iPhone.

Under the hood, you won’t do too much better. It’s pretty much your run-of-the-mill MP3/MP4 player phone, with just 256MB of on-board memory (although you can expand storage up to 2GB with an SD card). Of course, the touchscreen isn’t multi-touch, and needs a stylus to function properly. On the other hand, the bargain basement iFone does offer video recording capability with its 2-megapixel camera – something Apple hasn’t yet added to the iPhone. It’s also not locked to to a single carrier. The phone supports all GSM/GPRS networks, has SMS and WAP capabilities, but no real HTML web browser. At least they did manage to include Bluetooth connectivity inside the iFone’s bulky shell.

But let’s get real here. If you really want an iPhone, save your money and buy a real one. The only reason you’d even think about buying one of these is if you’re a real cheapskate, and you don’t mind looking like one. If you’re still convinced that you must have one, the iFone is available for $165 from DealExtreme (including free shipping).

Now SMS is back with a new version of the original, the M500. The watch is a fully functional GSM quad-band mobile phone, along with all the features you’d expect in a modern cell phone.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The M500 features a touchscreen display which not only offers touch dialing, but can play media files too. It offers playback support for AAC, MP3 and MP4 media files on its 120 x 160 TFT color touchscreen. Bluetooth connectivity lets you use a wireless headset to do your calling, or you can speak right into the watch if you’re really in a pinch. It’s also got a WAP enabled browser and Java application support.

Battery life is pretty good, with talk time rated at 200 minutes and 80 hours of standby time. The phone is unlocked for worldwide use, and costs $999 Australian Dollars (about $856 USD) including a rechargeable Bluetooth headset and a spare battery.

The M300 Watch Phone offers an unlocked quad-band GSM phone, which should work in most parts of the world. The watch has a built in speaker and microphone so you can talk directly into it. For better sound and call privacy, plug in the included earpiece. It’s also GPRS enabled for reasonably high-speed data access. The watch features a 1-inch color OLED screen, 60MB of internal memory, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. It’s also got an MP3 player built in so you can listen to your tunes on the go.

The M300 costs $305 and is available now from gadget importer Brando.

The phone’s most striking feature is its illuminated numeric keypad, concealed beneath a smoked glass slider. In keeping with its minimal design, the phone uses a single microUSB port for charging and syncing, reducing the number of connectors on the device to just one.

While it may be a heavy hitter in the design department, the phone is really pretty “middle of the road” in terms of features. Unlike many high-end phones, the Luna doesn’t have a keyboard, touchscreen or other input device. It’s got a decent 2-megapixel digital camera, and a 240 x 320 color display. Plus, it offers a music player for MP3 and AAC audio tracks. The phone is designed to work on all GSM networks, and supports GPRS and EGPRS for high-speed data connectivity. Bluetooth wireless connectivity is also included.

Priced at €700 (appx. $942 USD) before subsidies, it’s certainly not for everyone. However, if you’re rolling in dough and looking for a phone that makes a strong design statement, the Luna is one to check out.

While it might look like a radio from the 60′s or 70′s, the Becker Mexico has a plethora of tricks up its sleeve. The only clue of the beast that lurks within is the modern 13-color OLED screen, giving you an inkling that there’s more than meets the eye with this radio.

For starters, the Mexico has full voice-based GPS navigation capabilities in eight languages. It can play digital music files from CF, MMC, Microdrive and SD-Card formats or an iPod through an optional kit. Heck, it even has a built in voice-dial GSM-based mobile phone hands-free calling via Bluetooth. Oh yeah, it does still have an FM radio for you purists out there.

All those bells and whistles do have a hefty price tag however. The Becker Mexico retails for about €1500 (about $2000 USD) and is currently available only in European markets.

[via Smidigt]

The 8800 is a full quad-band GSM/EDGE phone, and lifts many of the features found in the popular BlackBerry Pearl model, such as its well-received trackball navigation. The phone has a solid 320 x 240 pixel color display with light sensing technology to automatically adjust screen brightness depending on ambient light levels.

Since the 8800 has added both media player software and expandable memory via an SD slot, it has the potential to be your primary media player now. Built-in GPS and mapping features are also included.The 8800 also features enhanced battery life, with a standby time of 22 days and talk time of 5 hours. As is the case with other full-sized BlackBerries, this one also has the standard full QWERTY keyboard, push/pull e-mail, web browsing, calendar and contact management capabilities.

The BlackBerry 8800 should be available from major carriers (Cingular/AT&T for sure) later this month, but pricing has not been announced yet.

When closed, the phone measures just 3.3″ (h) x 1.18″ (w) x .78″(d), and weight just 75 grams (about 2.65 ounces). The SGH-X830 features a 1.3 megapixel digital camera and media playback in MP3, AAC, WMA and MP4 formats. The phone also features Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headsets. 1GB of on board memory is provided for storage of media files and photos. In addition to the black and pink models shown, Samsung says they’ll be offering 4 other colors including blue, white, orange and “lemon green,” whatever that means.

The SGH-X830 should hit Europe by the end of the month, and other GSM markets some time shortly after.

In addition to being a GSM phone, there’s an onboard MP3 player with an iPod-esque click wheel interface and 1GB of memory for storage of tunes. The phone also features a 1.3 megapixel digital camera.

Let’s hope that Samsung thinks about a North American and European release for this beatifully designed phone.

[via Akihabara News]