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Samsung Galaxy : Is It Worth The Money?

A.R. — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:52:08 +0000

Apple’s iPhone family have dominated the smartphone charts for the last couple of years, with a few serious challenges, but nothing that could quite unseat the market leader. With the new iPhone launched recently, it looks like the challenge has become even more difficult. The Samsung Galaxy S didn’t receive quite the same level of publicity on its recent launch, but could the Korean company’s best ever smart phone give Apple a run for their money?

When you first see the Galaxy S, you notice how good looking it is, and even though there has been a fairly liberal use of plastic to keep the weight down, the chrome trim gives it a quality appearance and feel. The next thing you notice is the size of that screen, which comes in at a very impressive 4 inches, considerably larger than the iPhone 4.

The screen is even more impressive when it’s switched on. The high resolution Super AMOLED display makes everything come to life on the phone. Colors are bright and vibrant, and the superb contrast makes everything appear crisp and clear. The visual performance of the display is matched by its touchscreen capabilities, with a responsive touch that is easy and enjoyable to use.

The Galaxy S has a 5 megapixel camera, and while this is about average for a high end smartphone, and the same as the iPhone 4, the Samsung software lets you adjust and tweak a whole range of settings, giving you much more control over your photos. There’s also full 720p hi definition video capture, which makes up for the fact the Galaxy S has no flash, relying on its ‘night mode’ instead.

Where the Samsung Galaxy S really comes into its own is when it’s playing media. Samsung has put a lot of time and effort into creating one of the best media players on the planet, and they’ve succeeded. There’s plenty of storage for your media for a start, up to 48GB. Videos look great on the Super AMOLED screen, and the music player provides amazing quality, with the Galaxy S offering virtual surround sound as well.

Samsung have added the latest version of their Touchwiz interface which overlays the most up to date Android operating system nicely. All the required connectivity options are present including GPS, 3G, WiFi and the latest Bluetooth. The Galaxy S manages to keep everything running with a speedy 1GHz processor and one of the most powerful batteries available.

Whether you prefer text, e-mail or the various social networks, the Samsung Galaxy S lets you integrate all your communications, making it easy to stay in touch, how and when you want to. You can also make the Galaxy S into the smartphone you want it to be with apps from both Samsung and Android.

Is the Samsung Galaxy S an iPhone slayer? It’s hard to say. There are a lot of things it does very well, but we’ll have to see whether it does everything well enough to take on the smartphone king. One thing’s for sure, it’s certainly a genuine alternative to the Apple smartphone.

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The Nokia N8 : The Basics Explained

A.R. — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:50:44 +0000

For a name that’s as synonymous with mobile phones as Nokia, it’s sometimes hard to understand why they have never really been able to crack the smartphone market, at least not in the same way Apple and HTC have, and some of the other manufacturers are starting to. All this could be about to change however, as the Finnish mobile giant tries to make up for lost time and opportunities, with the launch of the N8. But does Nokia even know what it takes to make a competitive smartphone anymore, and if so, is the Nokia N8 it?

There’s no denying the Nokia N8 is a good looking phone, which is nothing new in today’s smartphone market, but is quite an achievement for Nokia. With attractive lines and good proportions it looks like Nokia has been taking design lessons. The shape and size are enhanced by the quality of the aluminum casing, which all works together to give the N8 the quality look and feel that offers a serious challenge to the current market leaders. The fact that there’s no way to remove the battery doesn’t just help make the phone look good, but also sends the message that Nokia have got the operating system right as well, and you won’t be fiddling around with the battery to try and reset your phone.

The 3.5 inch touchscreen display is a decent size without being anything outstanding, and is capable of providing clear and bright images on the N8. What is outstanding however, is the amazing 12 megapixel camera that Nokia has shoehorned into the N8. With claims that it is the best phone camera available anywhere, Nokia is obviously keen to demonstrate that it still has the ability to compete in the smartphone market. As well as the incredible still shots you would expect from such a hi-spec camera, you also get the ability to record video in 720p high definition. Plus, if the 3.5 inch screen on the N8 isn’t quite enough for you, the mini HDMI output that’s neatly tucked away, will let you hook it up to your HDTV and watch your videos in all their glory.

While most of the other manufacturers can’t get near the N8′s amazing camera, it takes more then great looking photos and HD video to make a market leading smartphone. This is where the N8′s new operating system comes in. Previous ‘smartphones’ from Nokia had always suffered from relatively poor operating platforms, especially when compared to Apple and Android, so the new Symbian 3 is designed to redress the balance. 1GHz processing power and 16GB’s of media storage will also help.

It may be that Nokia has left it too late to come up with anything that is going to seriously challenge the iPhone and other top smartphones, but the Nokia N8 is undoubtedly the Finnish giant’s best shot. If all the latest tech and software work well together, the other smartphone manufacturers will have to start taking Nokia seriously again.

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Samsung Galaxy : Is It Worth The Money?

A.R. — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:50:33 +0000

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LG Optimus – It’s Out And It’s Good!

A.R. — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:49:20 +0000

LG have been providing mobile users with great phones for a number of years, and with the launch of the LG Optimus, they are trying to tap into the ever increasing demand for smartphones. With a healthy list of smartphone features, does the Optimus have everything it needs to compete in this market?

The Optimus is another example of LG’s ability to make good looking phones. The phone’s design and quality finish mean that, not only will you be more than happy to be seen using it, it is easy and comfortable to handle when you do; and even with a decent sized touchscreen, the phone is easily carried in your pocket or purse.

There are smartphones which are available with bigger screens than the Optimus, but at 3 inches it can easily cope with webpages, images and movies, without it feeling like it’s not big enough. The display is bright and clear, and the Optimus’s accelerometer makes the touchscreen simple to use, whichever way up you want to hold the phone.

One of the LG Optimus’s strengths is its excellent connectivity features, with the usual 3G and Bluetooth you would expect, plus the ability to connect to WiFi networks, which seems to be the minimum standard for any smartphone these days. The Optimus is a friendly smartphone as well, with features that provide real-time updates from the main social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

LG looks to have decided on Android as their operating system of choice for their smartphones, and whilst the Optimus comes with the slightly outdated version, it still has the functionality most will need in a basic smartphone. Plus, with Android you can take full advantage of the Android Market, and the technology inside the Optimus means it’s performance and battery life will let you make the most of the apps you install.

The only real downside to the Optimus is the 3 megapixel camera, which is a adequate if not outstanding in today’s smartphone market. The autofocus is a great feature that makes taking photos much easier, however there’s no flash, which makes shooting inside or in low light a little disappointing. The video capture is good, but it isn’t going to worry any of the bigger smartphones.

LG’s Optimus is a good looking entry into the smart phone market. While some of its features might lose it points when compared to the top phones in the market, it will do very well as a mid-market offering for those who want smartphone functions, without the HTC or Apple price tag.

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The Nokia N8 : The Basics Explained

A.R. — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:47:12 +0000

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The Feature Packed HTC Desire

A.R. — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:19:24 +0000

HTC released the Legend, an Android powered smartphone, to mostly positive reviews. It has now unveiled the Desire, a phone that HTC hopes will continue to stake the companys claim as a leader in Android devices. There has been frequent mention of the handsets resemblance to the Nexus One, but this is not a case of cloning or inferiority.

Right off the bat, the Desire separates itself from the Nexus One out of the box with better usability. HTC included its Sense user interface on the HTC Desire, which is rather user friendly. Just a tad larger than the Nexus, the Desire measures 119 x 60 x 11.9mm, which is still not a monster by any definition. Part of the size requirement is due to the huge, 3.7-inch OLED screen. Additionally, it is a capacitive touch screen. A beautiful, AMOLED display maintains a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels that puts it beyond the capabilities of the rest of the Android field.

A display this impressive needs to be paired with a camera that is also of high quality. Although it may not blow the doors off the joint, the 5-megapixel camera from the Legend is brought to the Desire. Maybe not exactly completely complementary to the display, the camera still offers an aspect ratio of 5:3 on its still images which is a nice, wide picture. The video recorder on the Desire shoots in 800 x 480p resolution, an improvement over the Legend and the Nexus One. In low light, the Desires recorder does reduce frame rate, but this is in order to extend exposure time to compensate for relatively dark settings.

HTC, as previously mentioned, has placed their Sense user interface on the Desire in addition to Android 2.1. Features such as the weather effects found on it allow the display to really show what it can do. Sense provides the user with seven homescreens and unveils the Live View, a feature that displays the seven panels as thumbnails. Applications are a vital component of any smartphone, as is the ability to perform tasks simultaneously. The Desire comes equipped with a breathtaking 576MB of RAM, allowing it to handle all the apps a time you could possibly want. New to the Desire is Friend Stream, basically the HTC equivalent to Motoblur, which pulls Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter updates into a single timeline.

Comprised of all of the best features of the Legend, the HTC Desire has updated that handset. The Desire is the next logical step after a phone that was already well-received. Instead of breaking the mold, HTC took what worked and improved upon it.

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The Blackberry Bold – Information & Advice

A.R. — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:15:26 +0000

When Research in Motion released the Blackberry all those years ago, they unleashed one of the most popular smartphones on the market. Known for its all business performance, the Blackberry was sought after for its email capabilities and other cutting edge functions. To keep the Blackberry at the front edge of the curve, RIM created the Blackberry Bold, a handset that improves upon an already successful formula.

Where the Bold really excels is with its improvements on the screen. The 2.6-inch diagonal screen is slightly larger than the one found on the Curve. The Bold also adds three quarters of an inch to the width of the screen, bringing the total to 2.25 inches. The clarity and vivid colors on the Bold make older Blackberry screens seem dull by comparison. The resolution of the Bold is 480 x 320p, and Samsung has utilized the larger screen and better picture quality by updating the UI with bigger icons that are clearer and easier to handle.

The user interface on the Bold is the Blackberry OS 4.6. Precision Zen provides the default theme with the ability to apply wallpaper to the home screen. Precision Zen arranges icons dock style as a row of six at the bottom of the screen. If using Dimension Zen, only icons that are selected receive color. Since the icons have been enlarged on the Bold only three rows instead of the more familiar four appear, which causes a little more scrolling than usual. When its time to unwind, the Games folder provides Sudoku and solitaire as well as two online games that hook up the player with other Bold users for head- to-head gaming.

The Blackberry really made its name with email, a fact that RIM knows well. That is why the company chose to keep things relatively the same on the Bold. Older Blackberry smartphones did the job so well, RIM only updated and modernized the email functions rather than giving them a complete overhaul. Now, the user can see pictures in message and get full HTML. Attachment viewing is also nice, but other than that, it is still the same email procedure as usual. The text is obviously easier to see on the bigger and clearer screen, but actual mailing hasnt changed much.

Once again, RIM has revitalized a concept that already worked well. The Blackberry Bold freshens up its predecessors proven abilities and tweaks them to remain relevant in the smartphone field. The familiarity combined with the modernity will please longtime fans.

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Motorola Milestone XT720 Review

A.R. — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:15:22 +0000

Motorola released the Droid a few years back to mostly positive reviews. That was because the company had produced a smartphone that stood near the top of the industry in developments and performance. Lately, other manufacturers have caught up and Motorola has found itself playing catch up. In order to reclaim cellular glory, the company has unveiled the Milestone XT720.

With the XT720, gone is some of the size and weight of devices that came before. The Milestones shell measures 116 x 61x 11mm and the phone weighs 160g. The shape of the handset is rather unique. When viewed in landscape mode, there is a protuberance on the top right that seems to serve no other purpose than house three lights that indicate the camera option the phone is in. The front and back of the Milestone seem to be carved from two completely different pieces, as they fit together oddly. Critics have expressed their displeasure with the looks of the phone, stating that the changes were unnecessary. The new design does set the phone apart from the others.

Besides interesting designs, the Milestone XT720 offers the now familiar and sizeable 3.7-inch screen. A capacitive touchscreen, it provides resolution of 480 x 854 pixels on its display. To fully utilize the screen, a quite sharp 8-megapixel camera takes photos with a Xenon flash. This is unique to the Milestone, as other Android phones cannot yet boast this feature. Convenient additions to the camera are face detection and a panorama mode. Many smartphones that offer such quality cameras provide highly capable video recording as well, and the XT720 is no different. The recorder found on the phone captures video at 720p that can even be shown on the big screen using an HDMI port and the necessary cables to do so, all of which are included.

Motoblur is gone from the XT720, replaced by Android 2.1. Built-in social networking may be gone, but customers receive a trial version of MotoNav and Motorolas new Phone Portal app. With this application, you can manage your Milestones data from the browser of a PC or Mac that maintains a USB or WiFi connection. The XT720 handles web browsing well on its own, with the best results obviously obtained on the WiFi network. Of course, Youtube and movies are capably presented on the 3.7-inch screen.

The Motorola Milestone XT720 has not done in the competition by any means. It is, however, a very solid smartphone that is capable of performing the duties customers look for in these devices. The XT720 is sure to provide a quality experience to its users.

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Samsung Galaxy – It’s Out And It’s Good!

A.R. — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:15:05 +0000

The Android operating system has made an appearance on a rather large number of smartphones released in recent years. Manufacturers have fallen in love with the OS and are eager to use it on the handsets they release. Samsung is one such company and have taken great strides using Android technology. With the new Samsung Galaxy, they have succeeded once more in staking their claim as a major player in the Android smartphone market.

Customers do not want to feel as if they are lugging around ankle weights in their pockets, a fact with which Samsung is familiar. The Samsung Galaxy is comparably slim and slender to other smartphones of its type, measuring 122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9mm and weighing scant 119g. The contouring of the shell recalls the iPhone 3GS, with its black plastic and metal contrasts. This is certainly not a deal breaker, but some users may be a little disappointed that the style does not exactly distinguish the Galaxy from another handset.

Samsung certainly set the Galaxy apart from the competition, however, with the 1 GHz Hummingbird processor. Not very many smartphones can claim speeds of that caliber. There are 8GB of internal storage available on the Samsung Galaxy that can be expanded to 32GB for those who need a little more. The 8GB of storage break down to about 6MB for media and 2GB for applications. Connectivity on the Galaxy is triband 900/1900/2100 HSDPA/HSUPA. Add to that Bluetooth 3.0 and a microUSB 2.0 port and you have a handset at the front of the curve.

Although the Galaxy will surely be noted for its speed, it may earn even greater fame with its display. The eye grabber is definitely the gigantic, 4-inch capacitive touchscreen. Not only does it respond to touch very well, it provides 800 x 480p resolution and a Super AMOLED display. This is certainly an improvement over the standard AMOLED and LCD displays of the past. Samsungs own Super AMOLED display also grants a much more pleasant viewing experience in direct sunlight.

TouchWiz 3.0, Samsungs own user interface works in conjunction with the Android 2.1 operating system on the Samsung Galaxy. Those familiar with the Android 2.1 interface may have to get used to TouchWiz. One definite improvement TouchWiz brings, however, is on the notification bar. It offers persistent shortcuts that allow the user to toggle between vibrate and silent modes, Bluetooth, and WiFi. Social networking is not forgotten on the Samsung Galaxy, as the handset uses Social Hub, a feature that places Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter messages into a single stream.

Samsung has produced high quality Android phones in the past, and it has continued to do so with the Samsung Galaxy. The device falls somewhere at the top of the market in speed and functionality. Customers will be more than pleased to own the Samsung Galaxy.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 : An Impressive Phone

A.R. — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:15:02 +0000

Nearly all smartphones that are released these days are powered by the Android operating system. When consumers think of the Android OS, they think of speed and functionality. Because of its popularity, smartphone manufacturers often turn to Android technology to power their phones. Sony Ericsson has finally entered the fray by releasing the Xperia X10.

In order to stake their claim as viable smartphone providers, Sony Ericsson has created a remarkable handset with the Xperia X10. The rather sparse packaging does not hint at the complex phone found inside. This complexity refers only to the number of functions the phone performs, not to any difficulty in use. In fact, the Xperia X10 uses Android 1.6 instead of the new 2.1 version, but this is seen as a positive by those looking for familiarity. Besides, Sony Ericsson has planned 2.0 compatibility for the X10. Speaking of familiarity, the established Android interface is found on the phone complete with three homescreens that provide all of the widgets, folders, and shortcuts that users have grown accustomed to. The interface has been customized by way of Timescape and Mediascape. As always, the main menu can be culled from the bottom of the screen when the user needs it.

Covering the majority of the front of the phone is the voluminous screen. Coming in at a full 4 inches, the screen requires that the X10 be created somewhat larger than other smartphone models. This should in no way diminish the enjoyment to be had while reading the screen in direct sunlight, because this phone performs that task better than many similar models. In order to accommodate the large screen, the X10 is 119 x 63 x 13mm. It weighs considerably less than other models this size because of the sturdy plastic from which it is constructed. In addition, the X10s screen maintains a 854 x 480 pixel resolution and is full touch. Because it is based on Android 1.6 technology, the screen is limited to 65K colors, but this really does not reduce the quality of everyday use. It need not be a concern anyway, because the X10 will be able to support Android 2.1 and its 16M colors.

Every smartphone nowadays comes with a camera, and the X10s 8 megapixel version is found on the back of the handset. The lens is exposed, so one must be careful not to scratch it. It is, however, recessed, so that helps prevent damage. An LED flash is useful for close photography. Sony Ericssons Xperia X10 has accomplished the task of making the company a worthwhile smartphone manufacturer. The idea with the X10 was not to create a leading edge phone, but to establish one that performs all of the tasks of similar models with ease and quality. To that end, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is a success.

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