Phone World Arena

Nokia C7 up for pre-order in Germany, yours for 429 euro

2010-09-21T14:33:00.002+08:00

Nokia unveiled the C7 yesterday and now it's already available for pre-order. The phone popped up on the German Nokia Shop website and according to it, you can pre-order one of the company's latest Symbian^3-driven smartphones but it won't cost you 335 euro as advertized.

During the Nokia World 2010 we took the C7 for a quick hands-on video. To refresh your memory, the Nokia C7 features a 10.5 mm thin stainless steel body, a large 3.5" AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, an 8MP fixed-focus camera as well as 8GB of built-in storage and a microSDHC card slot.

The Nokia C7 was said to start selling for 335 euro before taxes and subsides. Apparently, those "taxes" add another 100 euro (or 30%) to the retail price since according to the German Nokia Shop website, the C7 is a few days and 429 euro (delivery excluded) away from you.

Update, 15 September 2010: The phone was spotted on the Spanish Nokia Shop website too. It's listed there with the same pre-order price of 429 euro, but the Spanish store also mentions when the device should hit the market: by the end of October 2010.

Source

Apple iPhone 4 review: Love it or hate it

2010-09-20T14:24:00.011+08:00

Introduction

You can't make a phone that everyone loves and Apple is not even trying. Much like any other iPhone so far, the iPhone 4 is a phone that everybody loves AND hates.

Apple’s latest is always the greatest – you have to give them that. Sometimes it seems they put less effort into making it than in letting people know they did. But with the Apple iPhone 4, they were obviously hard at work. The 4th generation iPhone has an all new look, new feel and plenty of new skill. We already caught a glimpse of the iOS4. But there’s much more: a 1GHz chip, two cameras, HD video and of course the Retina display – the highest-res screen we’ve seen so far on a GSM phone.

Surely there are still enough blank spots on the feature list but that’s Apple and its iPhone. Compromises are being made in every phone out there anyway. But the simple fact is Number 4 is the best iPhone to-date. Let’s see how good that is.

Key features

Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support with 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
3.5" 16M-color LED-backlit TFT capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 960 px resolution
Scratch-resistant glass front and rear, with fingerprint-resistant coating
1GHz Apple A4 SoC; 512MB of RAM
5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and touch focus
720p video recording at 30fps
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
GPS with A-GPS connectivity; digital compass
16/32GB storage options
Accelerometer, proximity sensor and three-axis gyro sensor
Active noise cancellation with a dedicated secondary microphone
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack, stereo Bluetooth v2.1
Excellent audio output quality
Slim waistline at only 9.3mm
Secondary front-facing camera
Some degree of multitasking
Rich AppStore

Main disadvantages

Hardware design is prone to reception issues
MicroSIM card support only
No Flash support in the web browser
No true multitasking for all applications
FaceTime video calls work only over Wi-Fi
No file transfer over Bluetooth or USB Mass Storage mode
No hardware shutter key for the camera
No FM radio
No stereo speakers
No microSD card slot
No smart dialing
Too dependent on iTunes for loading multimedia content
Poor loudspeaker performance

As you can see, most of the main disadvantages are simply passed from one generation to the next but - whatever iPhone you’re coming from - the Number 4 will tick most of your boxes. Upgraders will be used to the shortcomings, and unbiased observers will have less points to complain against.

It just seems some features will be forever missing. The iPhone’s memory isn’t expandable and you can’t use the thing as an external drive (this also means that files are only transferred via iTunes, again). Bluetooth has been upgraded to cover not only for music and calls but a compatible wireless keyboard too. File transfers however are a no-go.

The lack of Flash support in the Safari browser is no surprise given the Apple-Adobe feud. Luckily there’s the good old YouTube app to partly make up for that but Flash games are still out of the question.

There is now a secondary video-call cam but the “reinvented” FaceTime video calls feature only works over Wi-Fi (for now) and between two iPhone 4’s.

As for the multitasking, this is the closest the iPhone has ever gotten but there is no true multitasking, and certainly not for all apps.

You've probably also heard of the user reports of reception issues and you're wondering how much of that is true. Well, we've checked that in detail, too.

All that (and a bit more) aside, the new goodies seem to merit at least some of the iPhone 4 hype. The Retina display is gorgeous. The 3.5” capacitive TFT touchscreen has four times the resolution of the older iPhones. At 640 x 960 pixels, it’s the best we’ve seen – statistically. But perhaps the most impressive too, for its actual performance.

There’s a generational leap in imaging too. The first two iPhones had a single 2MP fixed focus camera on board. Last year’s 3GS tried to make some sense with a 3-megapixel autofocus snapper. With the iPhone 4, Apple are finally beginning to look good. The primary 5-megapixel autofocus camera not only takes impressive images but shoots 720p videos too. Oh, and it has a LED flash.

Now, let’s see what else is in that tiny white retail box and check out those shiny glass panels. Let the iPhone 4 unboxing begin.

Unboxing the Apple iPhone 4

The new iPhone comes in a tiny white box with not much in it. Underneath the phone itself, we found the usual set of accessories: a charger, a USB cable and the same set of earphones with a 3.5mm audio jack as the one of the 3GS.

Amidst the booklets (an iPhone 4 brochure and product guide) we came upon the SIM eject tool and a couple of stickers with an apple on them. That’s that. No free bumper case, no polishing cloth, no dock. You’re buying a 600 euro phone SIM-free – and you’re supposed to be able to afford some extra accessories.

Apple iPhone 4 bumper case

We finally got out hands on the iPhone 4 original Bumper case. It turned out pretty much what we expected it to be.

The Bumper case is made of high quality rubber with external buttons for the volume and lock keys, duplicating the iPhone 4 ones. They are made of the same metallic material as the iPhone's own keys and leave the impression you are actually using the real keys instead of external replacements.

The only exception is that the top side of the Bumper case had the nasty habit of pressing the Sleep/Wake button on the iPhone 4 no matter where you touched it.

The Bumper case tightly sticks to the metallic iPhone frame. Thanks to it the iPhone 4 has now much better grip and feels secure when held in hand.

As for the most important question - the iPhone 4 bumper case solves all antenna issues you may be having. It successfully prevents the attenuation and you will be safe from dropped calls.

The iPhone 4 bumper case is definitely a looker, but it conceals all metallic elements on the iPhone 4 (the frame) thus toning down the looks of the phone. The black variety that comes free from the Apple bumper case program is no match for the iPhone 4 stylish personality. A brightly colored case would have been much better.

Apple iPhone 4 360-degree spin

Three generations and an iPad later, the iPhone finally looks different. Better. At 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm the iPhone 4 is impressively slim and obviously less curvy. The weight has stayed almost the same at 137 g, an emphatic statement of the newly found poise and presence.

The metallic frame around the body actually consists of two separate parts and both are individual antennas. You probably have heard by now, that this design is reportedly causing some reception issues. Well, we're about to test that further down in the Telephony section of this review.

Design and construction

OK, a new look for the iPhone does sound risky. After all, they didn’t bother to change the design for three generations and still sold ship loads of the thing. The Number 4 is here to open a brand new page in the iPhone history but a complete departure from the original styling could’ve been way too adventurous.

To be honest, Apple simply nailed it. Some will tell you the Number 4 has just about nothing in common with its predecessors. They may be right. We wouldn’t call it a complete overhaul though. You know, one of the things that made iPhone what it is, was the belief that no design is the best design.

When all you have is touchscreen and an interface that sets the standards for user-friendliness, you don’t need to put the focus elsewhere by getting too fancy with the finish. The iPhone is one of the most minimalist phone designs out there and Number 4 knows better than to try anything stupid.

So, Apple had no design to start with, made very little changes to it and ended up with a brilliant new design. What do you call it? Here’s one – magic. The iPhone 4 is thinner, sharper, more advanced, refined. The one thing to note probably is that it somehow feels more delicate than the older versions. This has nothing to do with the build and finish – we wouldn’t call the iPhone 4 fragile (despite glass being inherently quite easy to shatter).

If you put a 3GS and an iPhone 4 side by side on the table, you may have a hard time noticing a profound difference. That’s when the screens are off though. Once that gorgeous Retina Display powers up, you will want to turn off the 3GS and put it hastily away to save it the embarrassment. Hard to believe it was considered one of the better phone screens out there.

At the rear, the new styling is way more prominent. Instead of plastic there’s glossy glass surface that is said to be scratch-resistant and quite more sturdy than plastic. But as it turned out, if you want to get it scratched or broken, you’ll succeed.

The oleophobic coating – both front and rear – is supposed to reduce fingerprints but there isn’t much you can do to keep the high-gloss surface clean. The special coating at least makes sure smudges are easily removed.

Up front, the newly added secondary camera is located right next to the earpiece, on the left. Above the display we also find the proximity and the ambient light sensors. The round Home button is all there is at the bottom.

The Retina display

The iPhone 4 Retina display is the highest resolution screen we’ve seen in a mobile phone. Retina is just a marketing name made up by Apple to differentiate it. But it doesn’t need the extra differentiation cause it’s among the best screens we’ve seen too.

The new display has the same size as those on the previous iPhones (3.5 inches) but the the resolution has been bumped up four times. From 320 x 480 pixels on the previous generations, the new iPhone 4 screen has the amazing 640 x 960 pixel resolution.

Thanks to the increased pixel density (reaching 326 pixels per inch) images now appear way sharper (or smoother, if you like) than before.

Based on an IPS panel, just like high-end desktop displays, the new iPhone’s LCD screen has LED backlighting and resulting contrast ratio of 800:1, which is 4 times the previous ones, as well.

Going around

The left side of the Apple iPhone 4 features the Ring/Silent switch and the volume controls - two separate round knobs instead of the rocker button in previous versions. Those are prominent enough and surprisingly solid to press.

On the right side the microSIM card slot is all there is. To remove the SIM card you need to use the enclosed SIM eject tool or a paper clip – or even a pinboard pin would do. Again, there is no hardware camera key.

At the top we find the traditional Sleep/Wake button as well as the standard 3.5mm audio jack. Next to the audio jack is the the extra mic for the active noise cancelation during phone calls.

The bottom is reminiscent of the previous iPhone generations. It has the proprietary Apple USB cable/charger/dock connector, as well as the tiny loudspeaker grill and mouthpiece on either side of the connectivity port.The iPhone 4 surely would have made a good use of a pair of stereo speakers. As it turned out in our dedicated loudspeaker performance test the single loudspeaker is not that good. But more on that further on in the review.

The flat glossy rear features the lens of the 5-megapixel autofocus camera. The LED flash next to it is another iPhone novelty. As usual, the battery is not user replaceable and there is no memory expansion slot.

The Apple iPhone 4 is powered by a 1420 mAh Li-Po battery, which is quoted at up to 300 hours of stand-by, up to 14 hours of talk-time and up to 40 hours of non-stop music playback.

We just concluded our dedicated iPhone 4 battery life test and we are pretty pleased with it. The iPhone 4 managed almost three days on a single charge under some normal usage (or at least what we consider normal) including the following:

30 min of general usage
90 minutes of video playback
40 minutes of voice calls
40 minutes of web browsing
40 minutes of gaming
40 minutes of photo browsing
2 hours of music playback

That's better than what we hoped for and certainly much better than the iPhone 3GS. We were even pleasantly surprised by the dedicated video playback test - the iPhone 4 played our test video for 9 hours and 40 minutes before the battery went down. Downright impressive!

Come to think of it, Apple were too kind to original iPhone owners. They used pretty much the same design over three generations and the iPhone 2G users didn’t feel their device outdated.

But Number 4 turns it all upside down. All the functionality upgrades aside, rarely have we seen an upgrade that makes the previous one feel so old, if not obsolete? The Apple iPhone 4 has an extra premium feel that few contemporary flagship phones can match.

The finish is impressive – the level of refinement and sophistication is all the more remarkable considering the altogether minimalist design. The iPhone 4 is nothing short of beautiful. Handling will perhaps be less comfortable at first, if you’re coming from any of the older iPhones. The Number 4 just doesn’t allow as secure a grip.

iOS 4.0: at full throttle

The iOS 4 is can be installed on any iPhone 3GS and – technically – 3G. We see no point porting it on a 3G though – the whole thing gets dismally slow and some of the new features are not supported anyway. What matters now is how the OS performs on the iPhone 4. There's a quick video you may have already watched in our blog.

Thanks to its gorgeous new screen, better still camera and vastly improved camcorder, gyro sensor and video-call camera, the iPhone 4 is the device on which users can genuinely appreciate the potential of iOS 4. iPhone 3GS can run it almost without any compromises but you’ll get the fastest and most seamless performance on the iPhone 4 and its 1GHz Apple A4 platform.

On an iPhone 3G you will get neither homescreen wallpapers nor multi-tasking. The rest of the stuff is there, but the performance drop is too much to bear.

But let’s be positive here – we have an iPhone 4 and a 3GS to enjoy, which is more than enough. You might have already been through our iOS 4 review – you'll find it's got a lot of common with the follwoing part of the iPhone 4 review. You will find identical wording, don’t you worry, we’ve made sure all the details are updated with iPhone 4 specifics.

Let’s start with the changelog:

General UI changes

Homescreen wallpapers
Applications can be organized in folders
Multitasking – fast app switcher with app specific pause or backgrounding
You can do Google/Wikipedia searches straight from Spotlight
Minor icon facelifts
Video call support (only in iPhone 4 and only over Wi-Fi)
Settings menu gets you the last toggled setting screen

Text input and management

Keyboard layouts now cover QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY
Spell checker

Contacts

Simplified contact adding and editing

Messaging

SMS character counter
SMS search
Email threading
Unified Email inbox
Email archiving is now available as an option when you setup Gmail

Camera

5x digital zoom in still camera
Touch-focus in video capture

iPod player

iPod music player can now create, edit and delete playlists

Bluetooth

Bluetooth keyboard pairing support

iTunes store and AppStore

Free iBooks e-book and PDF reader
iMovie adds advanced video editing to the iPhone 4 (paid app)
iAd service allows for free, ad-supported apps

And the stuff iOS 4 failed to deliver

No Flash support in the web browser
No true multitasking for all applications
No quick switches for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or 3G on the homescreen
No social networking integration in the contact list
No lockscreen or homescreen info widgets or plugins
No new ringtones or SMS tones
SMS,,email, and calendar tones are still not customizable
No proper file browser or access to the file system
No USB mass storage mode
Screen has no vibrating haptic feedback
No Bluetooth file transfers to other mobile phones
Contacts lack a swipe-to-delete or mass delete feature
No SMS/MMS delivery notifications
No smart dialing (but Spotlight is a somewhat of a substitute)
No DivX or XviD video support and no official third-party application to play that
The whole iPhone is too iTunes dependent and you’re also limited to syncing particular types of content only with ONE computer..

General user interface and key features

The traditional flat interface should be all too well familiar by now. Tap an icon to open an application; press the hardware Home key to close the application and return to the Home screen. That's all there is to it. Only the Settings section goes several levels deep. Basically that’s all you need to control your iPhone.

The folder animations on 4 and 3GS are fast and fluid, while on 3G you can notice a slight lag. Still we are happy Apple didn’t cut them out of the iOS 4 for 3G users.

The new iPhone 4 does pack a serious punch under the hood. The previous iPhone 3GS is a responsive device by all means, but the capable hardware in the Number 4 makes quite a difference. The iPhone 4 is faster in all aspects - general interface response, programs, menu scrolling, web browser, app loading, etc.

Multitasking

Now it’s time for multitasking. Just to be clear here, Apple gave due warning it wouldn’t be the multitasking that hardcore users expect. It’s more of a quick app switching than actual multitasking.

To start the task switcher you double click the hardware home button below screen (there goes our Favorite contacts shortcut). At the bottom of the screen, a side-scrollable row of icons will display, showing the running apps. You can kill apps by tapping and holding on an icon – you then hit the red corner switch.

Apple’s idea of multitasking is not to let apps run in the background, but instead pause them at their current state for later access. There are exceptions for certain apps – such as the iPod or Pandora – they can actually play in the background.

So the paused apps are not actually working in the background and that way you can have more than 30 different apps readily accessible in the task switcher.

The positive side is the ability to quickly resume any of these apps exactly where you left them even games – with no new loading times.

The only one drawback is you can’t leave MOST regular apps do their thing in the background and return to them later. If they are not among the lucky few enabled to properly run in the background (such as Pandora), they would simply pause instead.

Bear in mind that not all apps are multitasking enabled. If you minimize a game that’s not yet compatible, later when you get to it again, it will start from the beginning instead of it resuming where you left.

As we said, the task switcher is a scrollable list of icons – but if you swipe to the right you’ll get quick iPod controls and shortcuts, along with the accelerometer lock switch. The latter will enable or disable portrait orientation lock.

Despite iPhone 4 and 3GS finally have multitasking support, the push background notifications service is also onboard. The service can inform you of new events in applications that support it (such as some IM client) by changing the app icon (via an icon badge), by invoking a pop-up reminder or via sound alerts. In the same time the applications can simulate that you are constantly online.

Homescreen wallpaper

Apple at last has the one thing that should have been there from the very beginning. Yes, we knew it would be there, we’ve seen it on jailbroken devices, but it’s still kinda cool to finally have it official.

There are 27 pre-installed wallpapers which you can set on both the lockscreen and homescreen. At least half of them are really nice and colorful too.

The homescreen scrolling is fluid and the animation looks good, as it should. You can also set a custom picture – move and scale options are available too.

Bluetooth keyboard support

The last piece of new stuff is in Keyboards. You can now choose your preferred keyboard layout: QWERTY or QWERTZ, for example. What’s more, you can set the layout of the Bluetooth keyboard you’re pairing.

There is also limited dictionary functionality. It becomes available when you choose a specific secondary keyboard – we’ve so far confirmed only Chinese Simplified. Then under the keyboard settings you’ll get a new option for a custom dictionary – a place where you can enter custom words that are off the standard punctuation.

Other than all that, iOS4 looks just like the previous releases except for a few updated icons here and there. By the way, the new Calculator icon – it’s a complete WinMo 6.5 rip-off.

#1 AppStore

The AppStore is the place to browse, buy and download all available third-party applications available for the iPhone platform. There are both free and paid apps with detailed descriptions and screenshots.

User ratings will help you decide which ones are worth it or which not. There are also numerous web sites that do app reviewing with videos and everything, so you can get pretty much all the information on any of the available apps.

The AppStore has an effective app update system to push all new goodies available for your currently installed software. If an app has been updated you will be notified with a red badge on the AppStore icon.

Apple introduced in April a new advertising service for the AppStore called iAd. It launches today (1 July) and offers inline multimedia advertisements for AppStore applications. We’re not quite sure how bugging the new iAd system will be in everyday use, but at least it holds a promise for getting us some interesting, but free ad-supported apps.

The Apple AppStore is currently the largest official repository of mobile phone apps with more than 200 000 titles available.

Final words

We would be lying if we told you we don’t like iPhone 4. Quite the opposite, the iPhone 4 has a way to impress.

The iPhone 4 is not the perfect smartphone but you’ll be inclined to believe it’s the perfect product. It can’t be just how they market it, or can it? Apple is great at giving people what they want, but even better at telling them what they get is the best for them. The iPhone still has very important features missing, some software and multimedia limitations and an annoying iTunes dependency.

But come a new iPhone launch, and you’ll still see people putting up tents at Apple Stores to be the first to get one. Even if they hear about easily breakable glass panels and some bizarre reception issues, they’ll still want to get one and learn to hold it right (or buy some Bumper cases).

The iPhone 4 will probably outsell the older generations and there are good reasons for that. It’s just gotten sexier, flaunts a killer screen, incomparably better imaging and a blazing fast CPU. Apple offers great support for their products and usually takes good care everything runs smoothly on every iPhone. It’s also got one of the richest application markets out there. The AppStore turns Apple handhelds into unsurpassed entertainment centers – games, social networking, video and imaging, silly pranks or whatever – the heaps of available apps fighting for your dollar are changing how we use mobile phones in our daily lives.

We do understand the millions of people out there who are less than impressed with the iPhone concept. Apple-imposed software limitations are stupid, even unfair at times, and their phones lack the flexibility you may be used to on other devices. The iPhone 4 is ridiculously expensive too – 630 euro for the 16GB iPhone and 740 euro for the 32GB version. No matter how you look at it, it’s the most expensive GSM smartphone on the market right now.

For this kind of money, you can get whatever high-end handset you lay your eyes on. And competition is probably at its fiercest.

The newly released Samsung I9000 Galaxy S is the first device to go head-to-head with the new iPhone. Samsung’s Super AMOLED screen, similar hardware and camera plus the great Android OS v2.1 inside are just the start of the Galaxy S feature list. It’s exactly the phone for those who don’t like being told what they can or cannot do with their devices. Yes, its plastic case makes it feel cheaper, but there’s no denying that the Galaxy S IS less expensive than the iPhone 4.

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S

If you are interested in more high-end Droids, you should definitely check out the HTC Desire and Google Nexus One. The Desire enjoys the great HTC Sense UI, while the Nexus One has already been updated to Android v2.2 Froyo for a performance boost and native Flash support. HTC Desire should also get a bump to 720p video recording via a software upgrade before the end of the year. Stateside, a monster of a phone is about to make Android even more compelling. The lethal Motorola DROID X boasts a massive 4.3″ high-res screen at and a top-of-the-line imaging package.

Nokia N8 should be released this quarter and, given the reported iPhone 4 market shortages, it might just land in time for the big show. It brings the revamped Symbian^3, a nice capacitive AMOLED screen and the hottest feature of all – 12 megapixel camera with Carl-Zeiss-certified optics and Xenon flash. Oh, there is 720p video recording too. Nokia N8 is an excellent package and it will be offered at the very tempting price of 370 euro (before taxes). That’s almost half the iPhone 4 price tag.

Nokia N8

And finally, there’s the iPhone 3GS, which some of you may consider if your local iPhone carrier can give you a good deal. Buying last year’s Apple tech is a good enough way of getting the iPhone experience. Software-wise, the iPhone 3GS is nearly the same as the iPhone 4. Here's a rundown of the advantages the iPhone 4 has over the 3G - they're all hardware-related.

iPhone 4 advantages over iPhone 3GS

Sexy new design, exclusive glass panels
New display has 4x the resolution and contrast ratio, wider viewing angles
1GHz Apple A4 platform is faster than ever before
Double the RAM amount (now reaching 512MB)
Quad-band 3G with HSDPA and HSUPA
802.11n Wi-Fi support (though conclusively faster even in G mode)
Three-axis gyro sensor for unsurpassed motion control
5MP AF camera with backside illuminated sensor and LED flash
Camcoder shoots 720p HD videos at 30fps
Front video-call camera (FaceTime calls)
Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
Improved battery life

So, to wrap it all up – we admit we enjoyed the company of Apple’s latest toy and we would like to keep it around. We wouldn’t mind a Samsung Galaxy S either to watch some movies or a Nokia N8 to take some cool pictures and videos. And we wouldn’t say no to a Moto DROID X that gets along with European networks.

No, there isn’t a perfect smartphone out there. There’s always something for anyone to love or hate. What makes the iPhone so special is that it takes love and hate with the loftiness of a royalty.

Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 review: Corby with brains

2010-09-20T14:08:00.003+08:00

Introduction

Don’t know what Android is? Don’t sweat it. Prepare to want one. The Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 looks like a Corby, but walks and talks like a smartphone. More importantly though, it’s got no problem finding an audience to talk to. With so many Corby phones around, there must be enough users mustering up their courage to take that extra step – and upgrade to something more advanced and more exciting.

We’ve seen plenty of Corby variations – QWERTY keyboards, 3G, Wi-Fi. There’s even music Corbies. Those who thought a smartphone was in order, can finally have their told-ya-so

With the Galaxy 5, Samsung are encouraging young users to give smartphones a thought. A Corby smartphone makes it all so much easier. The name says it all: we’re looking at a cheap and friendly touch phone with premium connectivity and a smart OS. In a way, this is some good news and some bad news. No one would say no to high-speed network data and Wi-Fi. But smartphone just sounds too scary for some. Well, not any more.

Key features

Quad-band GSM/EDGE, UMTS 900/2100, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
2.8" capacitive TFT touchscreen of QVGA resolution, 256K colors
Android OS v2.1 Eclair
600 MHz processor
170 MB onboard storage, microSD card slot (up to 16GB), 1GB card included
2 megapixel camera with geotagging, QVGA video @ 15fps
Wi-Fi connectivity
Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
microUSB slot
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Excellent audio
FM radio with RDS
TouchWiz UI v3.0
Accelerometer for UI auto-rotate
Social networking integration with direct file uploads
SWYPE text input method

Main disadvantages

Small QVGA screen: not to good for browsing, limited choice of apps
No multi-touch support
Poor still imaging and video recording
No DivX video support
microSD slot under the battery cover
No dedicated camera key
No secondary video-call camera

There’s much to question about the Galaxy 5 if you’re a seasoned smartphone user. This isn’t who this phone is for though. It’s a Corby, remember? There are weak spots of course, but calling them deal breakers would be too much. The Samsung Galaxy 5 is for those who take one step at a time. An entry level smartphone for learners, not pros.

Unboxing the I5500 Galaxy 5

The Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 is a no-frills smartphone with a standard set of accessories. There is a mandatory charger, a microUSB data cable and a one-piece 3.5mm headset. A 1GB microSD card is also supplied.

Design and construction

Overall, the Galaxy 5 is nearly identical to its Corby siblings. The trademark diagonal contour on the sides makes the phone easily identifiable. The plastic construction certainly helps the Galaxy 5 keep its weight down to the sweet 102 grams. All the surfaces are glossy and fingerprint-prone, That’s especially true for the piano black rear cover.

Still, the phone turned out as quite resistant to scratches in defiance of it sleek front. We liked the ergonomics of all previous phones using the same design and the I5500 Galaxy 5 is no exception. Easy grip, pocket friendly and sleek body – you have to admit it’s easy to like.

The Galaxy 5 2.8" display has QVGA resolution (240 x 320 pixels), which is what low-end Androids typically use. The image quality isn't impressive but that's more or less implied by the price tag. Sunlight legibility is well below standards, the narrow viewing angle the biggest disadvantage. Indoors the screen is quite good though.

Despite the low resolution, Samsung tried to accommodate the Android OS. We have to admit, the interface looks better than expected on the QVGA screen – Samsung as taken the extra pains to smooth the fonts so they look as good as on the higher-resolution phones. Browsing inevitably suffers the most – neither the screen resolution nor the size will let you enjoy web surfing.

Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 has a capacitive touchscreen, which is very responsive to even the gentlest of taps and sweeps. Unfortunately, there is no multi-touch support here. We guess it’s too much to ask in this price range.

Above the display, there is just the earpiece – no ambient light sensor to optimize the screen brightness. There’s no proximity sensor either. There are too many hardware keys around the D-pad – a hark back to the olden Android days. Alongside the two Call keys on each side of the D-pad, there’s the typical Android set: Menu, Home, Back and Search.

The Call and End keys are integrated into the body of the phone and have a soft but distinct press marked by an audible click. The Android controls are set on rocker-styled buttons that are quite comfortable to use too. A well-sized and tactile D-pad completes the tally. In the absence of a proper shutter key, the D-pad is used for capturing. Doesn’t make much difference anyway, given the fixed focus 2 MP camera.

HTC Desire HD gets benchmarked, its ROM ported to the HD2

2010-09-20T14:02:00.001+08:00

The first benchmarks of the HTC Desire HD are in - and it crushes the Nexus One in CPU and graphics performance. Also the ROM was dumped and is already running on an HTC HD2, with the latest Sense UI goodies.

The HTC Desire HD is powered by a Qualcomm QSD8255 processor and Adreno 205 GPU and it offers a much improved performance, compared to a Froyo-running Nexus One (which uses a QSD8250 Snapdragon, same as the Desire and HD2).

On the Quadrant benchmark, the HTC Desire HD dethrones the Nexus One showing about 30% more whoomph and it offers double the framerate in the Neocore benchmark than the Nexus One/HTC Desire phones do, and it matches the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S and its PowerVR SGX540 GPU.

The enthusiasts over at XDA-Developers forums got their hands on the HTC Desire HD ROM (Android 2.2 Froyo with the latest version of Sense UI) and they’ve already got a port running on the HTC HD2.

The HD2 can already run various Froyo ports (even Ubuntu Linux) but the Desire HD ROM will enable the latest changes HTC made to their custom Android UI. It’s far from ready for mass consumption, but it’s only been days since the Desire HD went official.

Source: XDA-Developers forums, HDBlog.it (Site in Italian)

Sony Ericsson reveals two phones with Greenhearts – Elm and Hazel

2009-12-14T20:51:00.002+08:00

Today Sony Ericsson presented their latest Greenheart tree-hugging phones - the aptly named Elm and Hazel. Those two are no slackers in functionality as they come with Wi-Fi, GPS and pioneer social networking integration via homescreen widgets. They also pack some innovative sound enhancing technologies such as Noise Shield, Clear Voice and Intelligent Volume Adaptation.

Both the Elm and the Hazel have splash-resistant, curved designs meant to fit better in the palm of your hand.

Sony Ericsson Hazel

The Sony Ericsson Elm and Hazel pack 5 megapixel auto focus cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS receivers complete with the preinstalled Google Maps and Wisepilot mapping applications.

The Sony Ericsson Hazel has a thickness of 16 mm and a weight of 160 g. It packs a 2.6-inch 16M color QVGA display.

The Sony Ericsson Elm has a thickness of 14 mm and a weight of 90 grams. The Elm screen however is only 2.2 inches with 262K color support and QVGA resolution.

Sony Ericsson Elm

Again, both the Elm and Hazel have quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support and dual-band HSPA (2100/900). Interestingly the devices are also HD Voice ready thanks to the AMR-WB audio codec.

Sony Ericsson *feature* phones are also obviously getting in on the game of social networking. The company is introducing a new homescreen widget system. It would allow direct integration with services such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

Another first from Sony Ericsson is the online backup of personal information at sonyericsson.com. There are no further details about the service mentioned, but we guess you'd be able to recover all your info if your phone gets stolen.

Both the Elm and the Haze have rich multimedia features including support for SensMe, TrackID, and MegaBass. Screen auto rotation is also available thanks to the built-in accelerometer.

Interestingly, Sony Ericsson mention a microUSB charger in the retail packages of both phones, which would make them the second and third phones by the manufacturer to feature that port after the XPERIA X10. Unfortunately, it's clearly visible from the shots that the Hazel and Elm both have proprietary FastPorts on their sides.

The Sony Ericsson Elm will be available in Metal Black and Pearly Rose from Q1 2010. The Sony Ericsson Hazel will be available in Superior Black and Passionate Rouge from Q2 2010.

Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica gets official, packs 800Mhz CPU

2009-10-25T19:00:00.000+08:00

Tags: Samsung, Android, Touch UI

Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica, or Galaxy Lite, if you prefer, is official as it gets. Not only is the I5700 the fastest gun in the Android crowd with its 800MHz CPU, but it's also cheaper than the original Samsung Galaxy.
But let's start from the basics - the Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica has been sitting in our rumor mill section for a while now and it seemed to be the baby brother of I7500 Galaxy, which we reviewed just recently. The "Galaxy Lite" certainly seemed to suggest it.
The CPU is interesting because the original Galaxy ran the 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7200A processor. But with 800MHz the Spica beats even the Acer Liquid, which until now held the crown for speediest CPU in the Android world - a 768MHz Snapdragon. Liquid still has a lead in RAM - 256MB - versus the 128 of both Galaxy phones.

Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica (aka Galaxy Lite) is official

The rest of the features are very close to those of I7500 Galaxy, save for the lack of internal memory and the camera. Galaxy Spica comes with a 3.2MP camera and support for microSD cards up to 32GB instead. The display is the same size at 3.2" (though the press release is mum about whether it's AMOLED and capacitive or not) as is the battery of 1,500mAh. The I5700 is a "Google experience" phone, so it's connected to Google's services.
The Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica will be available in Russia in November for 1,4000 rubles (320 euro or 480 dollars). There's no word on availability in other locations but it shouldn't be long now.

Motorola Zeppelin spotted, runs Android, has HDMI output

2009-10-24T11:56:00.002+08:00

Tags: Motorola, Touch UI, Android, Rumors

Motorola obviously are expanding their Android portfolio in all directions with China being one of them. The leaked images of a prototype called Zeppelin show a full touch phone with a 5 megapixel camera and dual mode dual SIM networking.

The new Motorola Zeppelin appeared on a Chinese (what else) website and show some intriguing features. The Zeppelin is supposed to have a 3.1-inch touchscreen with 480 x 320 pixel resolution, 5 megapixel snapper with LED flash, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, HSPA capabilities, FM radio and HDMI output.

Motorola Zeppelin

If the specs sheet looks pretty standard to you, except for the HDMI part, of course, you may reconsider when you learn that Motorola Zeppelin will pack two SIM slots - one for the GSM and another for the CDMA network (if SIMs what they're using anyway).

The rumor points to Q1 2010 as expected release date, but the Zeppelin is expected to hit only China. Sorry folks!

Acer Liquid goes live with Android 1.6 and 1GHz Snapdragon CPU

2009-10-15T12:57:00.001+08:00

Today Acer officially announced the Android-running Liquid full touchscreen handset. Rumors about the handset have been swarming online for several months but it's only now that it gets a proper announcement and we can safely say it's the most powerful Android handset to date (if we don't count the rumored XPERIA X3, of course).

Strangely enough Acer didn't show any photo of the device itself but as far as the specs go, there's no stopping it from becoming one of the hottest names of the season.

Acer Liquid packs a 1GHz Qualcomm 8250 Snapdragon CPU, identical to the ones found in HTC HD2, Toshiba TG01 and its cousin Acer neoTouch S200 (pictured on the left). The handset will run on Android OS ver. 1.6 (codenamed Donut) and will have an Acer home brew UI preinstalled.

The Liquid will pack the first 3.5" WVGA display in the Android world. It will use the capacitive technology as its siblings but the size and resolution advantage turn it into a real winner - at least on paper.

The other highlight features of the Acer Liquid include quad-band GSM support, HSPDA 7.2Mbps, HSUPA, Wi-Fi, and GPS. Despite not being mentioned in the press release, we can also expect a 5 MP camera, stereo FM radio, microSD card slot as well as Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

We are yet to see any information about the availability and the pricing of the Acer Liquid. Oh yeah, a photo or two wouldn't be too bad either.

Source

Ovi Suite 2.0 makes it out of beta status - Nokia users go grab some

2009-10-15T12:54:00.002+08:00

So that's that with the development of Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0. The application has now officially graduated from Beta status and its version 2.0.0.10 release is already being distributed to current beta users as we speak.

In the words of Nokia BetaLabs developers, the new Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 is now "the one and only Nokia desktop application" phasing out the use of the various separately available desktop apps by Nokia such as Nokia PC Suite, Nokia Nseries PC Suite, Nokia Ovi Suite, Nokia Software Updater, Nokia Map Loader, Nokia Music, Nokia Lifeblog, Nokia Photos, Nokia Device Status, and Nokia PC Suite Enterprise Edition.

The existing Ovi Suite 2.0 beta users can get the release through the Web update, while the rest can find it at the Nokia website. The Ovi Suite will also be making its way into product CD/DVDs in Nokia handsets retail packages.

According to the Finish company the final version of the Ovi Studio has made the best use of the massive feedback it has received from the beta testers. The issues should all be solved and the app should be much more stable (and hopefully even more useful) now.

Currently Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 supports exactly 142 different device models from Nokia (the number grows beyond 200, if you count in all different variants). You can download it by following this direct link (Windows OS, around 88MB).

If it still isn't exactly what you need, don't worry - Nokia are already working on the next version with the next Beta coming up in a few months.

Source

More Samsung I5700 Spica pics and details leaked today

2009-10-09T13:42:00.000+08:00

More details about Samsung I5700 Spica, previously known as Galaxy Lite, leaked online today. The Android-powered smartphone should be announced next month with a price of 350 euro, which is quite higher than what we would consider a budget smartphone price.

As we informed you before, the official name of the Samsung I5700 Galaxy Lite is going to be Spica. It will sport a capacitive touchscreen, 3.2 megapixel camera, all-round connectivity package (HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth) and a microSD card slot. The CPU is expected to be the same 800 MHz one as in the Omnia II, a lot faster than the original 528 MHz Galaxy processor.

The Spica will run on Android 1.5, but it won't have any UI modifications TouchWiz-style.
The Samsung Spica is rumored to cost 350 euro and should become available some time in November. There is no official announcement and information yet.

Source

Nokia 6600i slide review: I slide, you slide

2009-10-06T12:51:00.001+08:00

Introduction
A while back Nokia released the 6600 pair - the slide and the fold - which we fell for, big time. The seemingly more popular sibling got an update and the 6600i slide will keep on cashing in. Slightly revamped, it brings a beefier camera and a new paintjob to boot.

Looks have changed just a bit and we honestly think they did it right. The consciously minimalist design of the original didn't leave much room for frills anyway. Alright, the 6600i slide is a no-frills package overall, but don't go saying we didn't warn you. It's enjoyable and addictive.

Key features:
-Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support, dual-band UMTS
-2.2" 16M-color QVGA display
-5 megapixel camera, autofocus and LED flash
-VGA video recording at 15fps
-S40 user interface, 5th edition
-Bluetooth (with A2DP)
-Stereo FM radio with RDS
-microSD card slot (up to 16 GB), 1GB included
-Ovi Maps for S40 come preinstalled
-Ovi Contacts, Share on Ovi, YouTube, MySpace and Facebook applications preinstalled
-Really compact and extra smooth metal body
-Sweet oval shapes and neat slider design
-Accelerometer for tap-for-time and tap-to-mute

Main disadvantages:
-No HSDPA
-Display brightness is quite low
-Poor browser and no Opera Mini preinstalled
-Memory card slot under the battery, no hot-swap
-No dedicated shutter key
-Below par camera quality
-No 3.5 mm audio jack or a two-piece headset in the box
-No smart dialing
-No multi-tasking, especially uncomfortable in Ovi Contacts and the social networking
applications
-No office document viewer
-Loudspeaker loudness is only marginally improved

No need to tell you, the "i" in any Nokia model designation is there to save face. It's like Nokia saying: here's a phone that sells big, so be our guest - keep on buying it. It's more of a relaunch than an update. And we're not pointing fingers here - if you have a massive seller the first thing on your mind would be to keep it rolling.

Just remember the 6300 - it did wonders for the Finns, so the 6300i followed in due course. Yes, it added Wi-Fi to its predecessor's feature set but that can really be seen as an exception and was meant for select markets only. And by the way, Nokia might have a point. The 3G-enabled 6600 slide can do without WLAN and a better camera will perhaps serve its market better.

Anyway, "i" models are incremental updates - they build on the previous device rather than turn it into something completely new. In that sense, the last people to be viewed as potential customers are current 6600 slide owners. If we were to upgrade from Nokia 6600 slide, we'd probably be considering Symbian - or maybe an all-in-one feature phone like the 6260 slide.
Accordingly, the real job of the 6600i slide is to pick up the customers the original missed and serve the Nokia midrange more in keeping with the time.

New Gresso Grand Monaco LE line of luxury phones revealed

2009-10-03T00:11:00.000+08:00

Devoted to creating unique and expensive mobile phones, Gresso, one of the active luxury mobile phones companies have just announced an upgrade to their latest product line called the Grand Monaco LE.
The newbies are inspired by the Formula 1 race cars but what makes them special is the materials they are made of.
If you are into highly expensive luxurious mobile phones, then you should definitely check our just posted Million dollar review - our own window shopping tour in the world of insanely expensive handsets.
When it comes to handsets like Gresso's each material deserves attention. But this time leather is the main topic. By the way, most probably that is what the "LE" in the line name stands for - "Leather edition".
It's pure genuine leather but it has been specially impregnated to last as long as possible. The impregnation techniques used are similar to those used in the leather interiors of the most expensive Italian cars.

Gresso Monaco LE series comes in two color trims - bright red and black, and both suit the mobile phones just great.

The Gresso Grand Monaco LE line is available in red or black

And that's where the similarities to the other Grand Monaco devices begin. The casing of each Grand Monaco LE luxury phone is made by titanium with multilayer ceramic coating and the display is covered by a 42K hand-polished sapphire crystal promising remarkable scratch resistance.

For the keyboards a sheet of polished steel with laser cut symbols has been used. Titanium black PVD coating gives the surface the dark mirror-like finish and make it scratch-proof at the same time.

Stainless steel is the main topic as well when it comes to the navigation keys.
Underneath things aren't that fascinating but that won't surprise anyone. Along with Bluetooth, e-mail and EDGE support you get a 2-megapixel camera and an eye-catching menu design.
The Gresso Grand Monaco LE line is already available for purchase across the dealers showrooms at a price of 1800 US dollars.

Source

Nokia N86 8MP gets an update, now has face detection

2009-10-03T00:08:00.000+08:00

Nokia has released another update that improves the camera performance of its imaging flagship - the Nokia N86 8MP. The key addition in this one is face detection, but there's also a general improvement of still image and video quality plus other updates and bugfixes.

Nokia N86 8MP shows off its face detection

The previous major update for the N86 8MP was 11.043, which improved quality in videos and low-light shots. The new update builds on that, adding red-eye removal, a new focus point indication and improved macro shots.

With this new update, Nokia N86 8MP also gets bugfixes to Ovi Maps, the browser, Nokia Messaging, Music store client, Here and Now (which is still in beta), N-Gage and the RealPlayer.
The update also adds an Ovi Store client (which reportedly is still buggy) and does some tweaking that should improve performance. Interestingly it seems like Nokia did some spring-cleaning - the update also frees up some memory both in storage and in RAM - C: now has 70MB free and RAM has 65MB free on system boot. As for the update itself - it's about 8MB big and preserves user data. The new (20.115) update is available over the air or through Nokia Software Update.

Source

Apples and Oranges: iPhone 3G and 3GS coming to Orange UK

2009-09-29T16:05:00.001+08:00

Who says Apples and Oranges are different? Not Apple or Orange, that's for sure as they've reached an agreement to offer the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS to Orange UK customers. Sure enough, the iPhone is already available in the UK but competition is always good.
Unfortunately, they were in such a hurry to announce this agreement that they didn't take the time to figure out pricing or tariffs, not even a launch date. What they did do is let you register your interest allowing you to check what type of tariff you're interested in (pay monthly, pay as you go or business) and if you're an Orange customer already. Hopefully, this will have some bearing on their decisions.
In the wake of the Orange UK and T-Mobile UK merging we are wondering if current T-Mobile UK users will also be able to join in on the fun at some point. We do remain pretty skeptical about it though, as the two brands are supposed to remain separate for at least 18 months.
As an immediate response, O2 which held the iPhone exclusivity in the UK upsofar, issued a quick press release, which broadly stated that losing a battle is not like losing the war, and they will offer Palm Pre exclusively in an attempt to keep the upper hand in the smartphone battle.

Source

LG BL20 New Chocolate now live - yes, it's finally official

2009-09-29T15:46:00.000+08:00

After so much rumors and leaked shots and specifications, you would hardly imagine that the LG BL20 New Chocolate is not officially announced yet. Well, it is! Or better yet - it was! Today LG finally went live with it officially showcasing the successor of the once popular LG Chocolate to the public for the first time.
After being featured in numerous leaks (and under various names), the BL20 New Chocolate is now official with all the nitty-gritty details available as you might imagine. Of course, if you've been following our homepage, you'd know that the specs of this fella were pretty well known for several days now, but LG somehow refrained from actually announcing it.

Several years ago LG started the whole Chocolate lineup and mind, you, they did explore the sub-brand success to its fullest releasing not one or two, but at least three separate GSM handsets. We'd hardly be able to count the numerous CDMA offshoots but CDMA is out of our field of interest anyway.

Besides bringing a dozen of high-quality press images for your high-tech fetish enjoyment, the official information reveals little new facts about the chocolate bar (well, actually a slider).
The new LG Chocolate BL20 phone is a slim (12.3mm) handset with a 5 megapixel autofocus camera. It's not a full touch device, but it does offers a touch sensitive touch pad below the display that only comes alive after you slide the phone open. This time around the side keys - the two volume knobs and the camera key are touch sensitive as well (not quite practical, we would presume).

The bottom right corner of the navigational touchpad has a Widget Hotkey providing one-touch direct access to four of your most frequently used functions such as Weekly Schedule, Memo, News, Today's Weather or Alarm.
There's also a convenient Clear Memo Capture mode which takes shots of text, handwriting and drawings with the TextScan option as an additional way of storing and inputting info.

Here a short video for view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6f49K0tpNo

Unfortunately, there's no word of the handset featuring some modern features such as an accelerometer, a 3.5mm audio jack, let alone Wi-Fi or GPS. It's not a smartphone alright, but we've seen feature phones offer those by the dozen these days. The BL20 is not supposed to come with some advanced camera features and video recording maxes out at QVGA@15fps.
In other words, the sleek slider should better offer some aggressive pricing or it will have some rather hard time fighting off the competition off its back.
The LG BL20 New Chocolate should be available some time in Q4 2009 in the UK through the O2 network with UK pricing still undisclosed. However the official German LG blog suggests October availability with an MSRP of 269 euro. Seems quite steep, if you ask us.

More images of the HTC Pro Three a.k.a. Leo surfaced

2009-09-21T02:17:00.000+08:00

Tags: HTC, Windows Mobile

We've just spotted some new images of the getting more and more popular HTC Pro Three (also known as Leo). Even if most of its specs are known since July the device is still waiting for its official announcement.

HTC Pro Three looks damn hot

The news is that Pro Three is expected to be the first WinMo based device to pack a capacitive touchscreen (measuring 4.3 inches, with multi-touch support including while watching video). That makes the Pro Three the first capacitive WinMo handset ever. The phone will also sport the latest reincarnation of company's proprietary TouchFLO 3D user interface which was already previewed a while ago.

The latest reincarnation of HTC TouchFLO 3D

The smooth operation of the Pro Three is guaranteed by its super zippy 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. Standing at the formidable 121 x 67 x 11 mm, it will also sport 320MB of RAM, 512MB ROM as well as HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.

At the bottom of the specs list we find the microSD card slot, integrated GPS receiver with A-GPS support, on-device 3.5mm audio output jack, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera and the 1230 mAh battery.

Nokia officially announce N97 mini

2009-09-21T02:06:00.000+08:00

The Nokia N97 mini leaked a long time ago and it was about time it got officially announced. The official announcement brought no surprises - the N97 mini sports a smaller 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen with 640x360 resolution, 3-row full QWERTY tilting keyboard (this time without the D-pad), a 5 megapixel camera (Carl Zeiss optics) with VGA@30fps recording and dual LED flash, 8 GB internal storage, FM radio and microSD card slot. The connectivity package is as full as usual - 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack and TV-out.

The Nokia N97 mini is only 14.2 mm thin and weighs 12 g less than its big brother. It will ship in October on 450 euro price.

Nokia 8800 Erdos runs Symbian, has 5MP camera, Wi-Fi and GPS

2009-09-21T01:53:00.000+08:00

Nokia 8800 series of luxury phones have always focused on high quality materials and superior build quality, while holding back on the spec sheet. With the Nokia 8800 Erdos this reputation is about to change.

First off, "Erdos" is just a code name so expect that to change at some point. And second - this won't be an Arte. The Arte phones have had largely the same design, differing in materials only. The 8800 Erdos changes not only the design but also the way the phones are built.
The Nokia Ardos body will be constructed out of a single piece of "bullet silver". This apparently is marketing talk for stainless steel, so you probably can't kill a werewolf with it, but carving out the body out of a single piece of metal is all the rage with high-end laptops and the ridiculously expensive luxury phones.

The screen of the Erdos however is covered with regular scratch-proof glass, rather than sapphire, which is the usual weapon of choice in such cases. The glass covering the screen though turns silver when the display is off, giving the impression that the phone is a single slab of stainless steel. The screen itself is an OLED unit with QVGA resolution and a diagonal of 2.4 inches.

The high-end design of the Nokia 8800 Erdos includes a rather unique feature too - it's a slider like the rest of its siblings, but the keypad raises to the level of the display when you slide it out. This should make the keys of the top row much more accessible.

Sounds good already, but we haven't even gotten to the good part yet - the Nokia 8800 Erdos is the first of its breed to be a full-on smartphone. It'll run the Symbian OS S60 and feature Wi-Fi and A-GPS. The internal memory is 8GB, though there's no card slot.

The camera is the best in the luxury class with its 5 megapixels and Carl Zeiss lens with autofocus. There's a dual-LED flash too.

Rounding off the specs is the reasonably compact size of the phone. The 8800 Erdos measures 116.9 x 50,3 x 15.0 mm, though its weight is kept on the hush-hush. There is also a dedicated noise reduction microphone on the back.

The Nokia 8800 Erdos will be available in October with tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900) and dual-band 3G/HSPA. The price is the other thing missing from the rumored specs, though this could easily top the price point of the Gold Arte.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2

2009-09-21T01:47:00.000+08:00

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 has been in the center of attention ever since its first unofficial shots leaked online. Much like most other gadgeteers, we've had our hands itching to get one and luckily our wishes just came true.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is one impressive device full of industry leading features - it's the first Windows Mobile smartphone with an 8 megapixel camera and WVGA video recording and it's actually the first ever full QWERTY phone to have that sort of imaging prowess as well.

The XPERIA X2 most other features, though not as innovative, are a nice match as well. We guess they are worth going through one more time.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 at a glance:
General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, EDGE class 10, HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
Form factor: Slide-and-tilt QWERTY touch phone
Dimensions: 110 x 54 x 16 mm, weight 155 grams
Display: 3.2" TFT resistive touchscreen, 800 x 480 pixels
Platform: Qualcomm MSM 7200 528 MHz processor
OS: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional
Memory: 110MB storage, 256 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, microSD card slot
Camera: 8-megapixels auto-focus camera, LED flash, touch focus, geotagging, face detection, image stabilizer, Smart Contrast, WVGA@30fps video recording
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, TV-out
Misc: Optical trackpad, accelerometer for motion-based gaming, office document viewer and editor, XviD video support
Battery: 1500 mAh Li-Po battery
We just got the XPERIA X2 and we wanted to share with you our first impressions of the device. So consider this article as a quick and dirty preview, with a more detailed one coming up in the following week. We hope to get as much as possible from our encounter with the X2 and you can bet we surely won't keep anything to ourselves.

UPDATE 8 Sept: We decided to update this article with some new stuff instead of creating a new preview as the XPERIA X2 hardly deserves any further detailing at this early stage of its development. It still has quite a few software issues that will without a doubt be fixed in the future software builds.

So today we've added a whole new page on the messaging, web browser and 3D games and we've also updated our conclusion to take the most viable market alternatives into account. We really hope to see the XPERIA X2 again for a full-blown review, once its hits the stores all nice and bug-free.