When it comes to new phones Europe tends to get them before we do here in America. One of the handsets that was introduced a while back in Europe is the Nokia XpressMusic 5800. The handset didn’t do as well in Europe as Nokia wanted when first launched and the company has now announced that it will be offering the handset in America.

The 5800 will retail for $399 before taxes and subsidies. Nokia hasn’t announced what carriers will be offering the device at this time. The phone will also include a $50 certificate for Amazon’s Video On Demand service.

The smartphone market is booming and complex, feature packed devices like the iPhone and the G1 may catch the eye of fans of technology. However, there is a large portion of the handset market that cares nothing for all the geeky features and complexity of the average smartphone.

For the non-techie group of mobile phone users Pantech has announced a new black version of its Breeze handset. We first saw the Pantech Breeze in silver last year when it debuted at AT&T. The new handset is the same thing with a black case that may keep its looks longer than the silver version.

One of the biggest problems on many handsets when it comes time to surf the Internet on the go is the browser offered on the phone. Many mobile web browsers force users to view websites in a way that makes navigation difficult and runs the surfing experience we are used to.

Bitstream announced today that it is offering a free public beta for its BOLT web browser that promises to allow users of high-end and low-end cell phones alike to surf the web with a desktop like experience. BOLT allows users to view full desktop style web pages and to zoom in on sections they want to view closer.

Mobile phones and other electronics devices are the subject of recycling efforts all around the country. The goal is to keep the devices and their batteries out of landfills. Some companies out there recycle the internal components from discarded electronics to build new products or simply for the raw materials.

T-Mobile has the first handset that is actually made from recycled materials itself. The plastic case of the Moto W233 Renew is made from recycled water bottles. The packaging that the phone ships in uses 22% less material than other handsets and all of the packing materials are made from recycled materials as well.

Hardcore fans of James Bond have another piece of gear to add to their growing collection. Sure, you have the laptop, you also have the James Bond villain watches, but you don’t have this phone.

KDDI will release the limiited edition W63S cell phone with a special 007 Quantum of Solace design from AU. The handset is priced at €110 with a contract and features an internal 2.7 inch organic EL WQVGA display with an external 1.1 inch organic EL display, 100MB internal memory, 1Seg support, EZ FeliCa, and has a 3MP shooter.

I was never really into fingerprint authentication on my devices. The first thing I ever purchased with a fingerprint scanner was my Dell XPS M1330 laptop. I can safely say fingerprint authentication on my laptop sucks. It usually takes three or more swipes to get the reader to accept my fingerprints and I can log in by typing my password faster than by swiping.

Some folks really like the idea of fingerprint authentication though and Fujitsu has announced the first waterproof cell phone to offer fingerprint authentication. Why waterproof you wonder? Well, I know a lady who has dropped not one or two iPhones into the toilet, but three. Yeah that’s a crappy iPhone.

Everyone has a cell phone today, which is why people were so excited when phones gained the ability to take pictures and play music. That meant the majority of us had cameras on us at all times and music players wherever we went.

Nokia has announced a new mobile phone called the N79 Active that adds a new feature that fitness fans will love. The device features a Polar Bluetooth WearLink heart rate belt. The belt sends heart rate data directly to the N79.

The Huawei U121 is a brand new entry-level handset from Huawei Technologies. It features some high-quality materials like stainless steel casing. Despite being entry level, the phone comes with a 1.3MP camera that supports video calls, an integrated FM radio, microSD memory card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, Audio and video playback, miniUSB port and 3G connectivity. The Huawei U121 is currently only available only in Russia.

I know many people who don’t care for smartphones, but send tons of text messages and email. For those people what they want is a phone that offers up a nice keyboard and is aimed at messaging. Alltel has introduced a new handset perfect for this crowd.

Alltel has announced that it is now offering the Motorola Hint. The Hint has features text fans will appreciate like a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a nicely sized 2.5-inch display. Dimensions of the phone are compact and it weighs only 4.23 ounces.

One of the more common issues for people as they age is hearing loss. The big problem in today’s mobile society is that when the hearing stars to go, it’s hard to keep in touch with family, friends, and caregivers. The ClarityLife C900 is made just for people with hearing loss.

The handset offers a built-in amp that increases volume by 20 decibels. Other features of the handset include a one-touch emergency call button, a large and simple to use four-button control system, and an oversized backlit display with large numbers.

For some users a smart phone is overkill. All some people want is the ability to send text messages and make phone calls. For this type of user, a fancy smartphone with word processing and other functions isn’t particularly appealing.

AT&T has announced a new Samsung handset called the Propel that is designed with the text user in mind. The phone has a full QWERTY keyboard in a vertical sliding design. Multiple color options are available and the handset can do email and offers 3G connectivity.

As the holidays grow nearer, we will see more and more handsets that are new announced in an attempt to grab the holiday dollars of shoppers. Most of the handsets will be exclusive to one provider or another. Pantech and AT&T announced their newest mobile phone today called the C610.

The handset is a flip-phone that offers a multiple multimedia features including GPS and 3G network access. Pantech says that the design of the handset emphasizes fashion and function. It looks rather plain to me, but is decent looking.

The Sony Ericsson T700 is now official. And officially sexy. They obviously took a page from Apples design team. Measuring only 10mm thick, the slim candybar phone boasts 3G connections and high speed HSDPA. The handset also offers a 3.2MP camera, stereo Bluetooth, two speakers and a memory stick slot. It will also geotag photos, but instead of packing full GPA, it uses cell-tower data to roughly work out your position. The Sony Ericsson Ultra-slim T700 phone should be available in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Music based games are very hot right now with Guitar Hero and Rock Band selling tons of copies and playable digital tracks for the games often outselling their strictly music counterparts on iTunes. With the great proliferation of mobile phones capable of gaming music games are also migrating to mobile phones.

The latest music game for mobile phones is from Activision and is called Guitar Hero III: Backstage Pass. The game features the same music gameplay we know and love form Guitar Hero with some interesting additions. Activision says in all there is more than 25 hours of play for the game.

For lots of workers that are in harsh environments on a daily basis what they need in a mobile phone isn’t slick touch screen technology and a cool looking device. What this group of users wants is a very durable phone that still offers the features you expect on modern handsets.

Samsung has announced a new handset that provides all this type of user should need called the Z400. The Z400 is a Sprint Nextel exclusive handset and is designed to meet military MIL-STD 810F specifications for dust, shock and vibration resistance. The handset is covered in a rubberized coating to help with grip and reduce scratching.