MWg Raises Its Profile with Zinc II, Atom V

By Nick Mokey Published May 8, 2008

The relatively obscure Singapore-based company MWg recently launched two new smart phones that may bring some much-needed attention to the brand. Its new Zinc II and Atom V roll high-speed Internet, GPS, and even FM radio into slick packages, but they won’t come cheap.

The Zinc II is a slider with a 2.8-inch exterior touch screen and QWERTY keyboard beneath, much like the Glyde that Samsung launched yesterday. Its footprint measures a fairly beefy 4.3 by 2.3 inches, but it manages to stay fairly slim with a depth of just 0.7 inches. Features include HDSPA 3.6 Mbps Internet access, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, a 2.0-megapixel camera, and the popular SirF Star III GPS chip for navigation, the same chip found in many standalone nav units. It’s also one of the first phones to roll out with Windows Mobile 6.1.

Recommended Videos

The Atom V adopts a more angular candy bar shape, but retains the Zinc II’s rough dimensions. Features closely match the Zinc II’s, from the 2.8-inch touch screen to the GPS chip, but the Atom V supports faster 7.2Mbps HSDPA Internet, and packs an FM tuner with RDS. It does, however, get the slightly more dated Windows Mobile 6.0 operating system.

According to Electronista, the Zinc II will launch in mid-May for about $880 US, while the Zinc II is available now in the U.K. and runs for $782.

Editor in Chief

As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…

Mobile

Microsoft patent hints at future return of the Surface Duo

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 comes in Obsidian or Glacier

Is Microsoft secretly working on the return of its Surface Duo folding smartphone? It's possible, as a recently filed patent shows it’s still coming up with ideas for hinges that are the key to making foldables work. The unusual design of the hinge, and the way it’s illustrated in the patent, makes it different than what we expect from Microsoft and foldables in general.

The majority of folding smartphones use a “water drop” style hinge, where the flexible screen forms a water drop shape at the point where it’s folded to improve durability and minimize any crease, but Microsoft’s patent doesn’t seem to include this familiar design. Instead, the hinge appears to use different “sub assembly” sections that slide and flex to facilitate the movement of a flexible screen.

Mobile

Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim: everything we know so far

A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, showing the bottom.

Samsung's January Galaxy Unpacked event is just around the corner. We know the event will show off the Galaxy S25 lineup, but there's a chance that it could also unveil the long-rumored Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim (and maybe give us a proper name for it besides the rumored title).

We've been following the rumors about this handset for a long time, and we've gathered quite a bit of information about the Galaxy S25 Slim. If you're curious about its specs, potential release window, and everything else we know, read on.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim: possible release date

Mobile

4 ways that Google Pixel phones can defeat Samsung in 2025

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL lying by a plant.

When it comes to phones, it would be easy to consider Samsung as the best simply because of its sheer scale. However, look beneath the surface, and you’ll see a bubbling sense of competition. Samsung has failed to innovate and increase its healthy advantage, and the door is open for at least one company to provide a sustained challenge.

Google wants to be that company, and while I think there are better phones in certain categories, Google is the only phone maker that can compete with Samsung at every level. Samsung’s success comes from an ability to spend lavishly to reach its customers, and Google is the only company that can operate at that scale.