Newest GSM phones & All Phone's News: phone

Showing posts with label phone. Show all posts

Dec 4, 2009

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 preview: First look

Introduction

With the X10 Sony Ericsson have gone from zero to hundred in a split second. While they may know their way around high-end devices, pulling off an undertaking such as the XPERIA X10 must have been a special challenge. And they have yet to get to the finish.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 official photos

The thing is that Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is the first Android smartphone by Sony Ericsson. It's also a Snapdragon first for the company, and they've even come up with a first of its kind proprietary Android UI. Making the X10 a reality seems like a long way full of potential pitfalls for a company that hasn't still recovered from its financial woes.

But the XPERIA X10 or Rachael, or X3, or whatever it has been called in the long months of development, seems like a device that's worth all the hard work.

Even more so, X10 will not be a solitary device but more of a high-flying start for a full-blown platform of Android devices with their own distinct interface and user experience. That kinda sounds familiar. A year and a half ago, we were again there listening to Sony Ericsson presenting the XPERIA X1 in much the similar words. Well, let's hope they'll have better luck with starting off and developing this new part of their portfolio this time.

We had the pleasure of attending a very limited press event held in London, at which Sony Ericsson presented their latest and greatest before they showcase it for the general public. Much like attending a press-only movie screener we had the opportunity to gather some first-hand impressions of what is probably going to be the Sony Ericsson flagship next year. But before making our first go at the XPERIA X10, let's recap its features.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 at a glance:

General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA, HSUPA
Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
Dimensions: 119 x 63 x 13 mm, 135 g
Display: 4" 65K-color TFT capacitive touchscreen, 854 x 480 pixels
Platform: Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz processor
OS: Android 1.6 (Donut)
Memory: 1GB storage, 256MB RAM, microSD card slot, 8GB card included in the retail box
Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and face detection
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack
Misc: Sony Ericsson custom social networking and media UI, built-in accelerometer

There have been numerous leaks about the XPERIA X10 so chances are you already know most of those specs well enough. As to the few new ones, let us assure you that some of those came as a surprise to us as well.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 presentation for the press

Take the Android OS version, for instance. Despite all the hopes for getting the latest and greatest of the Android crop, Sony Ericsson are serving a cold meal to all the gadget lovers out there. They refused to comment any further on the matter but perhaps all is not lost. Our best guess is they'll have some hard time adjusting their proprietary UI for Android 2.0 (Eclair) so they prefer to stick to 1.6 for the time being in an effort to get the XPERIA X10 out in the market as soon as possible.

And the current plans for the X10 availability say Q1 2010. Yup, missing the holiday season and shipping the handset during the tight-pocketed January and February is certainly the last thing they'd like to do, but proper product development obviously demands it.

Speaking of which, the Sony Ericsson X10 units presented at the event were devilishly fast in all Android tasks and applications, but the proprietary UI by Sony Ericsson clearly needed a lot more work.

But let's not waste any more time and jump into the physical details of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10

source

Acer neoTouch review: The dragon within

Introduction

It must be sweet October for Microsoft, with the launch of WinMo 6.5 on the 6th followed by the desktop Windows 7 on the 22nd. Acer are quick to sneak into the spotlight and make the most of the primetime coverage. Their neoTouch is leading a small PocketPC fleet, all powered by 6.5.

But it's the flagship of course to focus all the attention and the neoTouch should be conscious of its task. If you want it all you need to be prepared to take it - all the glory and all the enemy fire. The neoTouch is riding on the wings of a dragon but entering a territory long claimed by others.

The Acer neoTouch is not just the next in the growing line of Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets. It's the top device of a company that's determined to enter the mobile phone game with a bang. The 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU is a great way to start and the other ingredients look quite on par: complete connectivity options, spacious high-res screen and something becoming fairly typical for smartphones these days - a 5 megapixel snapper.

Acer neoTouch official photos

Today Windows Mobile is all about handset manufacturers customizing the OS with their own proprietary interface, such as the popular TouchFLO by HTC, Samsung's TouchWiz and the LG S-Class. Acer have given the neoTouch their own homescreen, brand new Phonebook and Organizer app (called Agenda), along with a neat Preferences menu and Communication manager.

But first, let's go over what the Acer neoTouch does and doesn't do. PocketPC spec sheets are quite a reading but potential deal breakers won't be overlooked either.

Key features:

3.8" 65K-color resistive TFT touchscreen, WVGA 480 x 800 pixels
Windows Mobile 6.5 with Acer Homescreen, Contacts, Agenda and Gallery
Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM (300MB user available)
5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, geotagging, image stabilizer
VGA video recording @ 30fps
Quad-band GSM support
Tri-band 3G with HSDPA (7.2Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76 Mbps) support
Wi-Fi with DLNA technology
Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality
microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
FM radio with RDS
Bluetooth and USB v2.0
3.5mm standard audio jack, TV-out functionality
Ambient light sensor, proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off
Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation
Smart dial
Office document editor (but no PDF viewer)
Full Flash support in the web browser (IE)
Top-notch audio output quality

Main disadvantages:

Not enough user interface customization
No camera lens cover
Poor photo and video quality
microSD slot is under the back cover
No DivX/XviD video support out-of-the-box
No navigation software, even Google Maps is not preinstalled
No active stylus
High-gloss body panels are a fingerprint magnet
Poor ringing volume

The neoTouch is the first Snapdragon device we're reviewing but the bigger debut is Acer themselves. Since February 2009 - when they made headlines at the Barcelona WMC - Acer have released 4 handsets all in all that have no corresponding entry in the Eten glofish lineup. (It was the acquisition of Eten that put Acer on the mobile phone map.) And we're looking at one of them making a strong claim to challenge the big ones in the PocketPC game.

Acer neoTouch in our office

The Acer credentials as leading laptop manufacturer will have the neoTouch - and the phones to follow - held to a rather high standard. We're dealing with a debut but it looks bold enough at least on paper. And we won't mind another keen compatriot rivalry along the lines of Samsung and LG. Of course, HTC are well ahead at this point but Acer look like they should be taken seriously.

But much like every other Windows Mobile smartphone out there, the Acer neoTouch has it strong and weak points. You can be sure we will explore both of them, on the pages to follow.

source

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 preview: Getting closer

Introduction

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is one of the hottest names in the industry and it's not even released yet. Santa won't be able to get us one for Christmas but next year holds a serious promise for us geeks. The Sony Ericsson's first Snapdragon device and first Android smartphone is one seriously capable handset that promises great user experience.

We first met the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 a month ago at its official announcement event in London. The device that might end up deciding the company's fate left us feeling quite positive about its market prospects so we are really pleased to finally welcome it to our office.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 official photos

The software of the XPERIA X10 is far from settled but since Sony Ericsson dared to show it to the audience, you can bet that the hardware won't see any dramatic changes. The realistic expectations are for the bugs to be solved and maybe a couple of minor features added but what we are going to show is what you should expect to see when the device hits the shelves in Q1 of next year.

For starters let's take a look at the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 key characteristics.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 at a glance:

General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA, HSUPA
Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
Dimensions: 119 x 63 x 13 mm, 135 g
Display: 4" 65K-color TFT capacitive touchscreen, 854 x 480 pixels
Platform: Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz processor
OS: Android 1.6 (Donut)
Memory: 1GB storage, 256MB RAM, microSD card slot, 8GB card included in the retail box
Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and face detection; touch focus, WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) video recording at 30fps
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack
Misc: Sony Ericsson Timescape and Mediascape UI, built-in accelerometer

That Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 certainly looks pretty powerful among its Android peers. It's only major sin is that it will be too late for the Christmas shopping spree and will have to achieve success in a much more challenging market conditions.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 views

An unspectacular handset can do wonders in the last moths of the year, given the right marketing, but things get much tougher once New Year's Eve passes. People have already spent most of their surplus cash and need more persuasion to shell out the serious amount that this baby calls for.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 next to the Apple iPhone 3GS and HTC HD2

But than again, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 looks well prepared to handle any challenge. The device is supposed to launch in the middle February - most probably around the MWC 2010.

We'll start with a brief hardware inspection of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 following the break.

Oct 21, 2009

Sony Ericsson C901 review: Cyber-shot reloaded

Introduction

At first, you might think that the Sony Ericsson C901 is just another 5-megapixel cameraphone. Well, that’s not terribly exciting in the current market bustling with 8-megapixel snappers, and probing the boundaries at 12. But you’d be wrong. Be it for the simple reason that the C901 is one of the few handsets out there sporting a Xenon flash. And the one on the C901 is special enough to help it stand above the crowd of cameraphones.

Another thing to note is the eco-friendly GreenHeart version which is interestingly enough, is the only flair or C901 that can currently be found on the Sony Ericsson website.

The C901 GreenHeart is trendy for being partially made of recycled materials (though, technically both devices are identical). You can find out more about it here.

Sony Ericsson C901 official photos

Even after reading those lines many would say there is nothing so special about the C901, particularly as it’s not even selling worldwide! Well, we‘ve been inundated with requests that we review it and there’s nothing we like doing more than pleasing our loyal readers.

Key features

Xenon and LED flash equipped 5-megapixel cameraphone, videocalling
Lots of dedicated camera controls
Active camera cover
Quad-band GSM support
3G with HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
2.2" 256K-color display of QVGA resolution
Accelerometer for screen auto-rotation
110 MB of internal memory, M2 expansion (up to 8GB)
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
Stereo FM radio with RDS
Motion-based games
Multi-tasking and task manager
Smart dialing

Main disadvantages

Video recording maxes out at QVGA@30fps
No document viewer
Memory card slot under the battery cover
Disappointing retail package contents

Sony Ericsson C901 live shots

The Sony Ericsson C901 is a great value in terms of image quality. Looking at the pictures we took with it makes us nostalgic for the time when Sony Ericsson camerphones set the pace and the others just followed.

Aside from the remarkable imaging though, the C901 is just an ordinary feature phone. And that isn’t a bad thing, since it does its job just fine. Very little to complain about, but at the same time not a huge list of features to get excited about either.

Anyhow, it’s about time we opened the box and started the review, don’t you think? Head for the next page to see what we found in the box and what we thought of the Sony Ericsson C901 design and construction.

Samsung I7500 Galaxy review: A hitchhiker's guide

Introduction

Android is set on grabbing the number two spot in the smartphone market by 2012 and the Samsung I7500 Galaxy might be the type of phone to get it there. Perhaps less for the Galaxy at this point, and more for the Samsung, but we'll see about that.

Samsung I7500 Galaxy official photos

The I7500 Galaxy is a "Google experience" phone, and has the intrinsic advantage of having the search giant's infrastructure behind its back. For one, YouTube and Picasa integration sure add value to the 5-megapixel camera.

And as to people who spend their time digging around the Internet for oft hard to find information, we really appreciate the improved search widget. And that thingy is about to get better - Android is a bit like Google's other projects, a perpetual work in progress that keeps getting new features and polishes the occasional rough edges.

The I7500 Galaxy is the company's first take on Android but if we put the OS aside, it should be a solid Samsung touchscreen with all the gadgetry we've got used to in smartphones. Of course, the Android platform still has a few issues to address and get some annoying limitations out of the way. Let's see what this here Android by Samsung can do for you and where it might fail.

Key features

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 5.76Mbps
Android OS v1.5 (codenamed Cupcake) without customizations
3.2" capacitive AMOLED touchscreen of HVGA resolution
Qualcomm MSM72000A 528MHz CPU, 128MB RAM
5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash, geo-tagging, YouTube and Picasa integration
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and GPS receiver
Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and turn-to-mute
Digital compass for automatic navigation of maps
Standard microUSB port for charging and data
microSD card slot with microSDHC support
8GB internal storage
Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)
3.5 mm audio jack

Main disadvantages

No smart dialing
Camera features are a bit outdated
No videocalling
No multi-touch gestures
No Flash support in the web browser (coming soon via the Open Screen Project)
No DivX/XviD video support or a third-party application to play that
No FM radio
No TV-out port
No voice dialing
Somewhat limited 3rd party software availability
No Bluetooth file transfers (not without rooting)
No tethering (not without a custom ROM)

Samsung I7500 Galaxy live shots

Samsung have established a strong presence in the touchscreen market. Their usual weapon of choice is TouchWiz, which brings PocketPCs and feature phones closer together, projecting a consistent brand image.

With the Galaxy, they're stepping out of their comfort zone - a new OS and a new interface. TouchWiz for Android is yet to come (and in the case of I7500 never is more likely than later).

To make sure it does well, Samsung have equipped the Galaxy to match to specs of the top Android phones available on the market. And it sure needs every bit of ammo if it's going to challenge the well-entrenched HTC Hero. The I7500 Galaxy can take it on spec for spec and even win a few rounds.

But that's on paper, and we guess you're curious to see the real deal. Jump to the next page for this Einstein's worth of a question: what is the Galaxy made of?

Aug 31, 2009

Samsung I8000 Omnia II review: A surprising experience

Samsung's top tier of Omnia devices is populated by some seriously heavy-hitters - first the 720p video recording Omnia HD and now the Omnia II - with its best-in-the-business display, WM 6.5, zippy processor and preloaded software galore, it will certainly win the hearts and minds of Windows Mobile fans.

It's no secret that the Samsung Omnia II has the HTC Touch Diamond2 in its sights. The Omnia II has several advantages, not the least of which is the amazing 3.7" AMOLED WVGA display. For the acronym-allergic - WVGA means 480 x 800 pixels resolution, which several years ago might have been considered acceptable for a computer monitor. That resolution is not so uncommon today, the exciting part here is "AMOLED" - active matrix organic LED. Or in plain English - brilliant picture quality.

It doesn't end there - the 800MHz CPU is one of the speediest around and the available capacities of up to 16GB built-in memory and up to 32GB external storage via microSD card offer more than enough memory expansion. There's Wi-Fi and GPS, the autofocus camera shoots 5MP stills and D1 video at 30fps and has dual-LED flash, there's DivX playback out of the box and HSDPA and HSUPA push the phone to great wireless speeds.

Samsung I8000 Omnia II official photos

We can spend a lot of time talking about the features of the Omnia II but here they are in a bullet list, which should be easier to read.

Key features:

3.7-inch 65K-color resistive AMOLED touchscreen, 480 x 800 pixels
Windows Mobile 6.5 with TouchWiz UI 2.0 and Media Gate 3D
Samsung S3C6410 800MHz processor; HW Graphic Accelerator
256MB RAM
5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, geotagging, face detection, smile shot, image stabilizer, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR)
Records video in D1@30fps, QVGA slow-mo video recording
Tri-band 3G with HSDPA (7.2Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76 Mbps) support
Quad-band GSM support
Smart dialing
Wi-Fi with DLNA technology
Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality
2/8/16GB internal memory
microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
FM radio with RDS
Bluetooth and USB v2.0
3.5mm standard audio jack
TV-out functionality
DNSe audio technology and SRS sound effect
DivX/XviD video playback
Proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off and ambient light sensor
Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation, turn-to-mute and motion-based gaming
Office document editor
Full Flash support in the web browser

Main disadvantages:

No xenon flash
No camera lens cover
65K color limitation of display results in banding in color gradients
microSD slot is under the back cover
Browser has issues with Flash support

Samsung I8000 Omnia II in our office

The Omnia II sample used for this review runs Windows Mobile 6.5, while the units that are currently available on the market run Windows Mobile 6.1. Those however will be eligible for a free upgrade to ver. 6.5 as soon as Micorsoft release the final build of the new OS (rumored late September or early October). All Omnia II units that will ship after that will run the Windows Mobile 6.5 out of the box.

UPDATE 29 Aug: There seems to be a lot of commotion in various forums, our comments section included, about the actual CPU speed of the Omnia II - 667MHz or 800MHz. Samsung official specs seem to deliver some contradictory information and you should rest assured we will be contacting Samsung directly to clear up the issue.
All that being said, it’s just numbers we’re talking here. If you think that calling it 667MHz makes Omnia II a worse performer, you’re wrong. The clock rate of a processor is only useful for providing comparisons between computer chips in the same processor family and generation and is hardly useful for direct comparison between competing mobile platforms. But we digress.
Our point here is that no matter what the actual MHz number is, at no point did we judge the Samsung Omnia II by its pure clock rate. Instead we quite more value the real-life impressions of our experienced reviewers and we’ve hardly drawn any conclusions based on the pure processor spec sheet. And neither should you – no matter if it is 667MHz or 800MHz we’re talking about in this particular case, the Omnia II remains a leading performer among smartphones this year.

Now that we've taken that off our chest, jump to the next page while you catch your breath after reading that long specs list. We continue with the Omnia II doing a 360 pirouette and then look at the hardware side of this multimedia Goliath.

Nokia 3720 classic: Handle without care

Introduction:

The Nokia 3720 classic is putting on its boots, pulling on its anorak, slinging its rucksack over its shoulder and striding out into the unfriendliest of environments: water, dust, tough ground…you name it, this device promises to shrug it off and keep on going.

After countless Nseries, Eseries, XpressMusic and classic releases and facelifts, Nokia look keen to revisit an almost forgotten niche of users - those who need a tough phone.

Well, the Finns have finally put that right and they seem to have a promising candidate on their hands for those who care less about features and even less about the weather. So, if you're after a handset that can survive the elements, get ready to check out the rugged Nokia 3720.

Nokia 3720 classic official photos

As a part of the Nokia classic series, the 3720 has a stylish oval design, nice handling, S40 user interface, decent display, FM radio and a 2 megapixel camera. But that's not all. As a ruggedized device, the Nokia 3720 classic has been designed to resist water, dust and to survive some pretty extreme situations.

Here is a list of what the Nokia 3720 classic can do for you and another one of the things that just didn't fit in that sort of tough body.

Key features:

Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
2.2" 16M-color QVGA display of excellent sunlight legibility
2 megapixel camera, autofocus and LED flash
VGA video recording at 15fps
S40 user interface, 6th edition
Stereo FM radio with RDS
Bluetooth (with A2DP) and microUSB port
microSD card slot (4 GB supported, 1GB included)
Rich preinstalled application package
Ovi Maps and Ovi Share
IP54 certified - dust and water jets resistant
Metal screw lock mechanism on the battery cover
Respectable BL-5CT battery (Li-Ion 1050 mAh)
A dedicated key to use the camera flash as a flashlight

Main disadvantages:

No 3G
No dedicated camera shutter key
No smart dialing
No multi-tasking
No office document viewer
No lens protection
Memory card slot under the battery
No USB cable in the retail box

Well here we are, holding the rugged Nokia 3720 classic in our hands and just itching to submerge it in water or run over it with a car. It's not too often that we get the chance to play with devices from this specialized sector of the mobile market, so we hope you'll share our enthusiasm as we put it through a battery of tests.But we'll come to that eventually.

Nokia 3720 classic live photos