We’ve almost missed this. German producer of sportswear Puma is teaming-up with Sagem to launch the Puma-branded mobile phone. The two companies will unveil the new device at some point in the second quarter of 2010, just in time for the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Details are unknown at the moment, except the PR line that says Puma phone will “embrace both sport and style with features, functions, and design that reflect the DNA of the Puma brand and encourage usage of data and commerce services.”

Moreover, we know the device will have a “completely tailor designed, from the inside out, with technology and services that improve experience and connect a brand community.”

Nothing to specific, just a regular PR mumbo-jumbo. However, I’ll leave my judgement for later, when I actually see the phone. Stay tuned in the meantime…

[Via: Unwired View]

Remember the Sagem-made Porsche P9522 candybar? The one with the quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) radio, 2.8-inch touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, WiFi, GPS and a fingerprint reader? Well it has been spotted at the FCC’s website, meaning it could hit U.S. “dealerships” anytime soon. With holidays approaching, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it on the store shelves of BestBuy and other electronics retailers within days or weeks.

It won’t be cheap, that’s for sure, but then again it’s <em>the</em> Porsche we’re talking about here, i.e. one of those brands reserved for the wealthy individuals. Maybe this time, though, even not-that-reach folks will be able to own a Porsche, even if it’s not a car we’re talking about. Porsche is Porsche, right?

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

Just when we reported that the Sagem brand is set to die until the end of the year, we’ve spotted a new slider phone from the French handset maker.

The Sagem my421Z seems designed to compete in the low-end segment, and honestly aside from the cool look we don’t see anything special about it.

The 90 grams heavy device sports a tri-band GSM/GPRS radio, 2-inch TFT screen, 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth support, FM radio, music playback software… and that’s about it. We’ve no idea whether this baby will ever hit the market nor how much will it costs once it eventually does. All we know is that we’ll miss somewhat cool-lookin’ Sagem phones. Yes, they never actually impressed us with the specs, but the design was there and, hey, that’s something…

[Via: JampBLOG]

Back in August, we reported Safran will sell Sagem Mobiles to a VC firm. Now we have more information to add to that. As a result of the acquisition, brand name Sagem will disappear from handsets at the end the year.

Sofinnova, the new owner of the company, obviously thinks there’s little value being associated with Sagem brand as they will continue to act as an OEM and make mobile phones for other handset makers and operators. For instance, some of the existing Sony Ericsson low-end phones were made by Sagem.

In addition to focusing on “pure production,” Sofinova will also push its newly acquired division towards developing “new products and innovations” for the mobile industry. We’re not sure what that means at this stage, but we’re certainly looking forward to the “innovation” part.

As for the already announced Sagem handsets, they will “partly come to market.” Guess, we’ll have to wait and see which “part” they’re talking about…

[Via: Engadget Mobile, GSM HelpDesk]

Is it just me, or are more and more luxury car manufacturers releasing their own mobile devices? Seems to be a little mini-trend these days. If you own the car, might as well pick up the phone too, right? If I owned a Lamborghini Murciélago I’d probably pick up the Lamborghini ZX 1… I think. The latest to follow this trend is a new device from Porsche Design and Sagem. The Sagem/Porsche P9522. Catchy name.

You’ll notice the standard Porsche font featured on the device, as well as Porsche styling. It is however lacking 3G. That’s a bit disappointing. More specs include:

• 2.8? touchscreen with reinforced mineral glass (wow, mineral glass!?)
• 5 megapixel camera
• built-in GPS receiver
• WiFi connectivity
• built-in fingerprint reader (cool)

Pricing is expected to start around 600 Euros. Look for it to hit shops in France next month.

[Via: UnwiredReview]

France’s industrial conglomerate Safran recently announced that it is selling its loss-making mobile handset business, Sagem Mobiles, to French venture capital firm Sofinnova. The disposal would cost Safran 220 million EUR, but it would retain a 10% stake in the new company, which will be known as Sagem Wireless.

Apparently, Safran — which was formed in 2004 via a merger between Sagem and engineering company Snecma — has been looking to spin off Sagem’s handset business for years to refocus on its core aerospace and defense security activities.

Also as part of the agreement, provider of Java in-device engines and mobile services platforms Esmertec will acquire the mobile software platform activities of Sagem Mobiles. Furthermore, they (Esmertec) will provide Sagem Wireless with a mobile software platform and related services for a three-year period — a deal valued at 51 million EUR.

Finally, Purple Labs (where Sofinnova is also an investor), is also involved in the deal. The mobile Linux developer will provide the new company with all the software for its future 3G Linux devices based on LiMo Foundation requirements.

In a conclusion, guess this means we may finally see some decent Sagem mobile phones. Amen to that!

[Via: Reuters]

If Porsche Design’s P9521 tickles your fancy (and your wallet), you might be interested in the new Limited Edition Porsche Design P’9521 clad in stylish White – that is, if the $2,063 price-tag doesn’t make your wallet run and hide. The sleek industrial design that Porsche Design is known for really makes for an elegant and understated aluminum handset that features a scratch-resistant mineral glass display, fingerprint scanner and 3.2 megapixel camera.

The Porsche Design P’9521 isn’t known for being slim or curvy, but the blocky handset definitely has that high-end feel that a 4-figure price-tag should offer, and the White Porsche Design P’9521 is no exception.

Head on over to eprice for more pics of the Limited Edition White Porsche Design P’9521.

[Via: Slashphone]

Asda has announced Britain’s lowest priced PAYG (Pay As You Go) mobile phones deal, selling handsets for £5! Apparently it’s a “no strings” deal so you can buy just the device, without needing to buy an credit (although clearly you’d need some to make calls…..). Over 50,000 of the handset will be available at stores across the UK while stocks last, and there are a choice of four:

• Sagem My212x
• Sagem My220x
• Sagem My150x
• Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 1112

(The PAYG tariffs come from Virgin, T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) and Orange)

News, as if any were needed, that the commoditisation of mobile devices has reached astronomic levels…

[Via: Scenta.co.uk]

France-based Sagem keeps trying to find its niche in the mobile phone marketplace. So far their affordable fashion phones brought them mixed success, but they’re certainly trying hard to reach niche markets. Their latest My411C Lulu Castagnette model seems designed for kids and young women — the original Lulu Castagnette’s market.

In terms of features, the device honestly sucks. A VGA camera, MP3 player, Bluetooth and WAP 2.0 browser sound so 2006ish. The design is cool, though, and the phone also packs Lulu Castagnette styled content such as ringtones and screensavers. If priced correctly — i.e. cheap — I guess people could buy this phone for their elementary school kid. Other than that, I can hardly envision anyone else using it.

[Via: JampBLOG]

Following from my post yesterday about the multiple Mobile TV standards, today I thought we might take a short tour de force of Mobile TV handsets – with specific reference to the DVB-H standard….

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