Nyx Mobile Twist Connect hands-on

Nyx Mobile Twist Connect hands-on

It's not often that we write about a feature phone, but we were charmed by the Twist Connect's unique design. The dual-SIM device prides itself on its integration with Nyx Messenger, social networks like Twitter and it's MP3-playing abilities. It's the music playing features that caught our attention. The whole bottom of the phone rotates, switching from a full QWERTY keyboard, to a set of dedicated music controls. In messaging mode the keypad is angled out on a chin to make typing easier, while keeping the screen in a better position for visibility -- it wasn't the greatest display, easily getting washed out at even slight angles under the conventions center's lights. Give it a twist (hence the name) and the keyboard gets stuck to the rear, exposing a pair of stereo speakers and a set of controls to raise and lower the volume, skip tracks and, of course, play and pause your tunes. Otherwise, the bulky and plasticky handset holds little allure, but we'll cheers Nyx Mobile for their special twist on the MP3 phone. Check out the gallery below for a few pics.

Nyx Mobile Twist Connect hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 23:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Hands-on with the Nyx Mobile Lyuba Max and Fun mockups

Hands-on with the Nyx Mobile Lyuba Max and Fun mockups

When PR reps have something they think is truly special, things can get a little cloak and dagger. While we were hanging around the Nyx Mobile booth, a rep quietly sneaked up on us, to offer a glimpse of two new handset his company is working on. When we enthusiastically agreed (after our heart rate dropped), he led aside -- away from prying eyes -- and produced a pair devices, delicately wrapped in a silk handkerchief, from his suit's inside pocket. We won't lie, things got a tad disappointing when we realized they were non-functioning mockups, but if the company can pull of these frame-less designs we'll be quite impressed. Due to begin manufacturing within the next two or three months, the Lyuba Max and Lyuba Fun aim to make bezels a thing of the past. The lack of a frame on the five-inch, 63mm wide Max makes it even trimmer than the significantly smaller-screened Galaxy Nexus, which checks in at about 68mm wide. While we won't make too many judgments on the feel and design based on a non-functioning prototype we actually found the Max easier to hold and reach all corners of the screen with a single hand than the Nexus or the Note. The four-inch Fun, felt a good half-inch smaller than its specs -- more akin to an iPhone in size.

Both devices will come rocking Ice Cream Sandwich, but it'll be powered by some rather mid-range hardware. Both will pack a 1.2GHz processor, likely of the single-core variety, and neither is boasting impressive screen resolutions. The Max is checking in with a decidedly dated 800 x 480 LCD, while the Fun drops to a lowly HVGA panel. Check out the gallery below for some images of the mockups.

Hands-on with the Nyx Mobile Lyuba Max and Fun mockups originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 17:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments