Latest Mobile Phones

SpyCams: A Cool Security Gadget

2009-12-08T01:49:00.002+07:00

Spy video cameras are not confined only to the spy thrillers or even the big businesses or firms any more. They are making their way into the average household with the promises of a far better security, monitoring and overall control over your residence or office whenever you are away from your residence. Reduction in price and more market availability of these Video surveillance gadgets are the main reason behind their up rise in demand.

Spy video cameras are those cameras that monitor your home without a pause. Using of such spy cameras with a view to protect against the burglary, wake up alarms, and simply to record the happenings when you’re away from home looks to be paying more dividends. Along side offering a watch over the errant babysitters, they also seldom provide you with valuable information on what’s actually going on in absence of master.

Predominantly there are two types of spy cameras available. They are: the overt and the covert.

The visible ones are known as overt systems while the hidden ones are regarded as the covert systems. At very first sight, it might appear self-defeating to be having overt systems just because they can be seen. However as a matter of fact, they can even act as the deterrent to the prospective burglars simply by capturing their sheer visibility. Understandably though, the covert systems are more in use.

Spy cameras can aid in a lot more ways than you might just realize at first sight. A total home security system can be established simply by placing a spy camera in your home via PC or linking to an alarm system. In fact, this can even be networked along with the local security provider (public or private) or the police station.

News on Cell phone: Its that very simple to Access and Analyze

2009-11-11T00:49:00.001+07:00

Cell phones are an integral part of modern day life. Life without cell phones is quite unimaginable. This creates a great urge in the minds of today’s cell phone users to remain updated on the latest cell phone news and reviews. Without being updated on the latest in the cell phone technology one can never manage himself the best offer on market. All these leads to the creation of various websites that provides you with the necessary updates on the arrival of new cell phones and the latest packages disbursed by the various providers. The providers with a view to remain in the competition keep on offering newer services and lucrative offers and this makes the users keep on visiting the cell phone buffs visiting their websites. For these huge mass of cell phone users a lot of websites are available that are intended to provide in depth analysis by comparing the various cell phone providers and manufacturers. These comparisons may not lead to a definite conclusion but can certainly provide the visitors with a basic idea and eventually aid in choosing the manufacturer, model and the provider best suited to him. A lot of reviews, comparisons, feedbacks, specifications and user comments are found here. All of these can aid you a great deal in selecting the perfect phone and provider for you. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon etc. are few of the noteworthy cell phone providers. T-Mobile phones are marketed in countries like USA, UK with a view to attract the attention of the cell phone users of almost al ages and of manifold demands. Once a person gets hold of a provider he can also shift to a better one if he is not satisfied with it. For an example, a T-mobile user can turn into a Verizon user by some simple migration procedures. But, this migration process may not be available all the time.

IC Cell Phone Deals

2009-11-05T01:39:00.003+07:00

The Website is solely dedicated in letting its visitors gather useful information on manifold free cell phone deals and simultaneously the paid ones. It’s a complete package for a prospect cell phone buyer especially for those who are more interested in buying a long term or of any term package provided by different cell phone carriers. The website not only lets you select the phone and the carrier ideal for you about also lets you compare one package with the other. The website updates the latest cell phone deals as soon as they are offered. The website also claims that the offers that are shown in their website are not disbursed by the stores and are only available online. The website has also proclaimed that you are to receive the best deal that can be offered taking into consideration of the packages original market value. Of the cell phone deals the AT&T cell phone deals and the Verizon cell phone deals are the market toppers in terms of their services and financial status. The website highlights the various lucrative cell phone deals offered by these two carriers. The website not only lets you access the recent deals but also has a rich archive that enables you to see the past deals and make a good comparison of how things have changed with time. In addition to this it also lets the visitor know the closed deals that they have missed. You can also scan through the site via different carriers (AT&T, Verizon etc.) and the cell phone manufacturers (viz. HP, Apple, Blackberry etc.). It also has an internal search engine that allows you to search content within the website reducing the effort level needed to search contents. In addition to this, you can also Sign up in the eNews and updates section with a view to receive the recent promotions and the exclusive free cell phone offers. In addition to the cell phone, at times it also features on the laptops offered by the wireless company’s like the Verizon wireless.

Overall, the interface of the website is user friendly and empowers the visitor decide on choosing a specific deal. The deals are so alluring that any cell phone buff or prospect customer would find them a must purchase!

Get Free Cell Phones with Great Plans

2009-10-27T15:31:00.004+07:00

Are you bored with your old cell phone? If you do then the solution is right here. You can have a great plan with lots of free minutes and texts at a very cheap rate. Not only that, you will find a lot of cell phones to choose from and have any one you like for free. And you will find all of it right in our site. That’s right. You can have up to 5 free cell phones right now. And you get to choose from so many options and so many great cell phones. Pick your one and have a blast.

There are more cell phones than you can imagine and you can have any of it absolutely free of cost. There are phones with all functions. You can have a phone with great camera then go for a cyber shot. If you want to have a great music phone then choose a different one. You will also get phones that are durable and made specially for browsing. And all the cell phones are user friendly.

Do you have a cell phone plan? Do you think it is more expensive than it should be? If you do then, you are at the right place. You will get a bulk of various plans at various rates. You will have to pick the one that you think would suit you. There are some plans with more minutes and less text and some offer you more texts and fewer minutes. Go through the plans and select the best one for you.

Cell phones are a necessity these days. And it is rather expensive. We intend to give you the cell phone that you need and you are the one who would be selecting it. Select your cell phone from and hope you have a great time using the cell phone.

By Ferdous Koreshi

Best Phone Cards

2009-08-21T01:14:00.004+07:00

Over the last few decades phone cards have gained tremendous popularity all over the world. The main reason behind this is the migration of people from country to country. When people goes to a foreign country and feel like to get connected to family back home, phone cards which are also knows as calling cards, is the best option for them. Cell phone cards actually provide international calling minutes trough which callers can make international calls. Normally calling cards offer a cheap international calling minutes. Different calling card companies offers cheap call rates to different parts of world.

There are so many companies offering excellent calling cards. So, the competition is very tough. Among so many calling card some of the popular ones are alltel prepaid wireless service, Boost mobile prepaid wireless airtime card, T-mobile prepaid wireless plan, TracFone prepaid wireless airtime card, AT&T prepaid cell cards. These cards offer very cheap rates to so many parts of the world.

Calling cards are very important for so many people living away from home. Not only that, even businessmen who needs to make international calls on a regular basis, are benefited by calling cards. Phone cards make it a lot easier for people to stay connected to the world, beyond the reach of local mobile networks, at a cheap price.

So if you are one of them who are looking for a reasonable and economic way for staying connected to worlds at the other side of the border, here is the solution for you. Cell phone cards! If you want to find out good calling cards you can always let the internet help you out. For your assistance a blog link is posted below.

Read blog and know more about calling cards.

By Ferdous Koreshi

Nokia N79 Review

2009-08-17T01:42:00.002+07:00

Introduction:

The Nokia N79 is another featured packed device in Nokia’s N-Range branded handsets.
At a glace physically, there won’t appear to be much difference between this device to say the Nokia N78 or even the older N73. However, when you examine the N79 more thoroughly, you will notice some enhancements both in looks and personality.

The N79 that we received from Nokia came with some of the normal boxed contents that you get with the N-Range series: A Nokia Travel Charger (AC-5), A USB Connectivity cable (CA-101), Nokia Music Headset (HS-45, AD-54) CD with Nokia PC Suite software and the User Guide. In addition, the handset came with a 4GB microSD card (MU-41) as well as two extra Nokia N79 Xpress-on smart covers to modify the look of the N79.

Design:

The first thing we noticed about the N79 itself was the colour! Looking at the handset from the front, the device has a white plastic front with a chrome trimmed finish. Slightly unusual but not bad we thought; quite distinctive. Try accidentally or even purposely smudging the bodywork of this device and you’ll fail miserably, which of course is good news. The screen of course is easier to smudge, but that is what screen protectors are for!

The alphanumerical keypad is 100% flat which we found were very responsive when they were pressed which is what you want from a flat keypad. The directional key pad button located in the middle of the handset was not marked by a line or symbol like they are on some phones; no big deal though. However, we didn’t feel it would make playing platform games the best experience on this mobile which does by the way support the N-Gage games’ platform. The select button in the middle works well and produces a satisfying ‘click’ when you press it. It also has a light underneath, which blinks every few seconds to show that the handset is still on when it enters the power saving mode or to notify you of any incoming communication e.g. missed calls, messages etc.

The screen on the N79 displays 240x320 pixels and measures 2.4 inches; smaller than that of an N96 for example, but equivalent to the N78 or N73. We do feel in order to truly maximize the N79’s potential, the screen could have been made bigger. There is enough room to have enlarged it, so this was a negative for us. Perhaps we have been spoiled with 2.8 inches screens we have seen in the past by Nokia which are so useful, especially for internet browsing etc. The actual display itself is good. Clear enough to see in poorly lit conditions but has enough contrast to be seen under direct sun light. It’s just the size that lets it down somewhat.

The back cover has a quite impressive feature which changes theme of the phone to match the colour of the back cover that you put on the handset. This is not a big thing as most people will probably download their own theme anyway, but a small innovation I feel is worth mentioning.
All in all the handset feels quite solid in your hands but is also relatively light which we believe is important for most.

Ok, so those are the looks of the N79, so now let’s look at its personality!

Telstra T6

2009-08-17T01:33:00.002+07:00

Design

For a cheap and cheerful, the Telstra T6 is a sexy little number. No, not iPhone sexy, but the faux stainless steel finish elevates this phone's aesthetic a notch or two, and its matte-black plastic battery cover helps the T6 not look like the budget-priced phone it is.

The keypad is flat and definition-less except for a braille dot on the number five, though this hasn't hindered us using the pad quickly or accurately. The numbers aren't uniform in shape, but it's the asterisk and hash keys that suffer as they're the smallest, and it's better that these less used keys are harder to find than the alpha-numeric keys which will be used constantly when punching in text messages and phone numbers.

Its low resolution display is deceptively sharp and colourful. Some of the edges around larger fonts look jagged, but overall the T6 does a good job of masking this cost-cutting screen. Even watching Foxtel TV on the phone is fine, though the picture is heavily obscured when viewed off-angle, so you'll want to keep the screen aligned correctly while viewing.

One feature many of our readers in rural areas will be pleased to see is the external antenna connection on the rear of the phone, next to the 2-megapixel camera lens. Hidden behind a switch, this socket will connect the T6 to an antenna to boost the available signal range. With this attachment the T6 gets Telstra's Blue Tick, indicating superior range over regular mobile handsets.

Features

Expect this section of the review to be short and sweet. Telstra lists the available features on the side of the retail box and when it lists "Bluetooth 1.2" as a selling point, you know the company is scraping the bottom of the spec sheet.
The most noteworthy feature is the T6's compatibility with the Telstra Next G network. For AU$129 outright, you get a phone that downloads data at 3.6Mbps and can connect to the growing range of Telstra online services, like BigPond Music and TV, Foxtel Mobile TV and WhereIs Maps. Visual features like maps and streaming video are best viewed on phones with larger screens and sharper resolution, but the T6 does a decent job of displaying what it can.

Performance

The good news is that the T6 is a fantastic mobile phone, even if it isn't the all-in-one smartphone solution we're seeing in phones of late. We're happy with the quality of audio during calls, and we're told by those we called that they could hear us loud and clear. The phone's manufacturer ZTE estimates battery life at three hours talk-time when using the Next G network.

Navigating the phone's menus and settings is zippy, though it doesn't attempt much in the way of graphical flare and animated menus. Web browsing is fine, though the browser is a simple mobile browser and best for viewing sites optimised for mobile phones. CNET Australia's mobile site looks good, even though the browser wraps the text and pushes the menus and photos around a bit.

Overall

The T6 is the phone we never expected to see from Telstra, a phone carrier with a reputation for its high prices. The price tag on the T6 is spot on for a phone with this feature set, and the Telstra Blue Tick should offer those in remote areas some peace of mind. The T6 would make a great phone for teenagers; it doesn't look so bad and it offers the power to watching TV on the go, though it sorely lacks the multimedia aspects of more expensive models.

By Joseph Hanlon

Telstra's blue tick phones

2009-08-15T06:47:00.000+07:00

To counteract these concerns, Telstra established the "Blue Tick" as a way of indicating to its customers which Next G capable handset has superior reception in regional areas, as per Telstra's own in-house testing procedures. These tests include practical handset trials both in the labs and on the ground in remote areas, emulating typical usage where possible.

Because we haven't tested these claims ourselves we suggest that you don't consider the blue tick a guarantee of clear reception, but more a recommendation to help start the conversation with your local mobile phone dealer about which handset will best suit your needs.

As with all mobile phone technologies, this list fluctuates; with phones being added and subtracted as they become available or are superseded.

By Joseph Hanlon

Vodafone 1210

2009-08-15T06:41:00.000+07:00

Design

The Vodafone 1210 is a remarkably plain looking smartphone that measures in at 110 x 46 x 18 mm and weighs 105 grams. The 1210 is dominated by its 240x320 pixel display screen. Underneath the screen sits four control buttons; two for selection, one back button and a home button. Further down is a five-way joystick selector that's very similar to those found on many Sony Ericsson models and small dialling buttons. Vodafone sells the 1210 as its "house brand" solution for businesses who want blackberry-style email-aware smartphones, but don't want the price tag associated with such devices. That doesn't stop Vodafone from selling Blackberry units; it's just that this particular unit is the no-frills entry-level model. As a no-frills substitute, it's thus perhaps not suprising that the 1210 is somewhat on the plain side. For those who crave such detail, it's actually an OEM phone produced by Asus for Vodafone.

Features

The 1210 is a 3G capable phone running the Windows Mobile 5.0 platform. Unlike many other Mobile 5.0 phones, however, the 1210 doesn't feature the cut-down Office suite and Internet Explorer. Instead, Vodafone has opted for the no-frills variants of those options; ClearVue for the Office reading capabilities and Opera for Web browsing. As it's a business mobile, there is no integrated camera. Onboard storage comes in the form of 64MB of memory, along with a MicroSD card slot, which hides under the battery. The practical upshot of that is that if you want to add storage, you may as well buy a really big MicroSD card, as you won't be able to access it easily once you've slotted it in and you'll have to power down the phone every time you do so.

Performance

As a regular phone, the 1210 performed quite well. Vodafone rates it for up to 3 hours GSM talktime (4 hours UTMS) with a standby time of up to 300 hours. That jibed well with our tests, where the 1210 lasted eight days between recharges on moderate usage. We hit a typical problem that we have with joystick phone controls with the 1210, which often misinterpreted a "down" press as a "select" press, and vice versa.
As an business phone, however, things were a little more murky. Opera itself ran well and did as good a job at rendering complex pages -- in some cases much better -- than competing Internet Explorer or Blackberry Browser alternatives. Likewise, if you're just scanning a document, the ClearVue solutions work quite well. It's when you come to data entry -- such as the email component that the 1210 sells itself on -- that things get much trickier. There's just no good way to do that via a regular phone keypad. The closest we've seen to a good solution comes in the form of the Blackberry Pearl and its semi-predictive keypress method. The 1210 has none of that and you're left slap-bang in the realm of TXT-speak, which isn't really suitable for most business purposes outside of certain youth-branded markets. Even simple things like setting up POP email accounts -- the 1210 supports POP, Windows Mobile Email and Blackberry Mail -- is rather tiresome due to the number of repetitive keypresses involved.

With any budget item there are compromises to be accepted and the Vodafone 1210 arguably falls on the wrong side of those compromises. It's a perfectly usable phone, good for browsing and checking work documents, but when it comes to anything more than just reading your email, it's just too fiddly to be genuinely worthwhile.

By Alex Kidman

Sony Ericsson W302 Walkman

2009-04-14T04:32:00.000+07:00

Big sounds, small package

The W302 is aimed squarely at the budget buyer, but it's still a member of Sony's Walkman family, so its sound quality is excellent. We compared the sound output from the W302 against our usual test set-up — the wonderful SanDisk Sansa Fuze MP3 player and a pair of beautiful Audio Technica headphones. The W302 sounded clear and full when we listened with our own headphones, and we noticed hardly any difference in sound quality.

When we used the included in-ear headphones, however, we found that the sound lost some of its spaciousness. The audio quality was still good, though, considering that we were using cheap, plastic-y ear buds.

We don't like the W302's proprietary headphone jack, which is shared with the USB cable (Credit: Sony Ericsson)

Unsurprisingly, like its Walkman cousins, the W302 has a proprietary USB port instead of a 3.5mm headphone jack. An adapter is included, but it adds about a metre to the cable length, so you could end up throttling yourself to music. It also means that we had to unplug the headphones every time we transferred music, so that we could plug in the USB cable. But the W302 does have stereo Bluetooth, so it could stream to a set of wireless headphones.

The handset includes an FM radio, which picked up a strong signal during all our travels around central London. It has RDS and TrackID, which can identify a song based on a clip of a few seconds. We found TrackID worked perfectly with pop songs on the radio, and failed gracefully with speech radio and the like, which it didn't recognise.

The user interface for the radio isn't as good as that of other Walkman handsets we've tried. Scrolling through stations is a slow process, setting up new stored stations is confusing, and the lack of a skip function is criminal.

The W302 doesn't support podcast subscriptions, which is a feature we love in handsets that are higher up the Sony Ericsson totem pole, like the W705 Walkman, for example. You can sync podcasts along with your other music using the free Media Manager software, but we're not fans of the software's usability. We like that it supports drag and drop, but it reorganised our music based on its own rules, and it's not clear what file formats are supported. We had to check the W302's folding user manual to learn that MP3, MP4, 3GP, AAC, MIDI, IMY, EMY and WAV are the supported formats.

Syncing the W302 is easy via USB but we aren't fans of the confusing, dull-looking Media Manager software (Credit: Sony Ericsson)

Files in all of those formats can be packed onto the handset's 512MB memory stick. If you like, you can spend the money saved by not buying a pricier phone on a memory-stick upgrade, up to 4GB. The W302 also has 20MB of on-board memory.

Boring browsing

The W302's music features got us through the night, but the rest of the package let us down. Pictures look fine on the 176x220-pixel screen — nothing to write home about, but clear and bright, with vibrant colours. But web pages look awful in the browser, with images an over-compressed mess. Since it also doesn't have 3G or Wi-Fi, we wouldn't recommend the W302 for anything more than an occasional emergency Google search.

Say cheesy

The 2-megapixel camera can shoot video or stills, but, with no flash or LED, it's only suitable for snapshots in bright light. The video quality is dreadful, rendering CNET UK colleagues and potted plants as similarly blurry blobs.

The multimedia experience is also let down by a poor user interface — something that's excellent on some other Sony Ericsson phones, like the Sony Ericsson C510 Cyber-shot. Photos, video and music are hard to find in the media browser. It's also hard to navigate once you're in the photo-viewing application. We struggled to find photos that we'd just taken, and had to trawl through unsorted wallpapers, slowly scrolling past one image at a time.

Tiny buttons

The user interface also proved a problem when we wanted the W302 to act as a dedicated music player. The W302 has a Walkman button, which launches the music player without having to navigate to it from the home screen. But the button doesn't wake up the handset from slumber, which we found annoying — the camera-shutter button does wake the handset, and this is a music phone, not a camera phone.

The keypad buttons are very small, but they're well separated, so they passed our sausage-finger test. The function buttons are not as easy to use, especially the Walkman, camera-shutter and volume buttons on the side, which are tiny and as narrow as a toothpick.

The W302 is cheap but, except for a plastic back plate that wobbles when you take it off, it feels and looks neat. Our black review model had a brushed plastic front and a pleasantly dimpled back, with two rubber feet to stop it sliding on the dashboard. It's also agreeably small and thin, with a restrained colour screen and just a hint of silver around the bevel of the screen. With its smart good looks, no-one ever has to know that it's a budget handset.

Conclusion

The Sony Ericsson W302 Walkman is a small, particularly light music phone with great sound quality. It has some other features, like a low-end camera, but they're just padding out the specs, and we think they're better off ignored.

We'd like better music-transfer software and a standard headphone jack, but we're willing to forgive these failings in a budget-level handset, especially because it includes a headphone adapter and a new Sony Ericsson media manager is on its way. Essentially, the W302 does a good job of sending texts, making calls and playing music, and it does it without emptying your pockets or weighing them down.

By Flora Graham

BlackBerry Curve 8900

2009-04-14T04:28:00.000+07:00

Design

There are two ways to look at Research in Motion's latest BlackBerry handset. You could pass it off as "just another BlackBerry", the design of the full-QWERTY keyboard and rounded edges suggest this, but we think that would be unfair. The 8900 is gorgeous, the combination of its stainless steel trim, piano black finish and the amazing display add to make this one of the more attractive phones on the shelf at your local mobile phone dealer.

RIM is excited to show off the 8900 as its slimmest and lightest full-QWERTY handset to date. You might be surprised to read this if you've seen the 8900, it might be BlackBerry's thinnest, but it's no supermodel in the smartphone stakes. Its 13.5mm waistline seems chubby next to a Nokia E71 or an iPhone, and its rounded corners give it a plump appearance — not that we mind its plumpness so much.

The keyboard is in line with BlackBerry's best. The keys are separated to give them just enough definition, so while each is tiny, we've found the 8900 very easy to type on. Like the Bold before it, the 8900 uses a jogball that is directly below the screen to navigate. The default setting for the cursor controlled by the jogball is set to quite a sensitive setting by default, this allows for fast movement across the menus and web pages, but some users may find it moves too quickly to be accurate. This can be easily adjusted in the phone's settings.

As mentioned above, the screen is stunning. Its HVGA (320x480) resolution may not sound so impressive, and its 2.4-inch screen is far from the biggest in the smartphone market, but it has to be seen to be believed. Colours pop off the screen, the blacks are deep, rich black, and all text is crisp and sharp. This, in unison with the side-mounted 3.5mm headphone jack, makes for an excellent media experience.

Features

The 8900 runs on RIM's latest BlackBerry firmware, version 4.2. This means you get the same experience and the snazzy new menu layout we saw last year on the Bold and Pearl Flip 8220. It also means the 8900 should be compatible with the BlackBerry App World when its finally ready for Australians. Provided you're signed up to a BlackBerry service account, you'll have access to the first-rate BlackBerry email system and the mostly good BlackBerry web browser.

In line with its 2008 releases, the 8900 is pitched equally as media-mogul and business workhorse. It has a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash on the back of the handset and the built-in Roxio media player is capable of DivX, XviD, WMV and MP4 video files, as well as playing MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA audio. Media transfers are taken care of by the BlackBerry Desktop Manager, which will transcode video files during the sync to optimise them for playback on your handset.

Stuck in the slow lane?

Unfortunately, this isn't a big love-fest. Our big bone of contention with the 8900 is the absence of a 3G capable radio, leaving web browsing to GPRS data services (the 8900 is EDGE network compatible but is, at the time of writing, only available on Vodafone which doesn't offer EDGE services). If you've forgotten GPRS (and we wouldn't blame you if you had), the comparison is dial-up internet speeds compared to the ADSL2-like speeds of HSDPA. The 8900 does feature Wi-Fi connectivity, but many will find this cold comfort as Wi-Fi hotspots in Australia are too infrequent to rely on. This really is an Australian problem — readers in the US may not give credence to this gripe — but in Australia, where two of the four carriers rely almost solely on 3G network coverage, it's a big deal.

But how big a deal is it? After all, RIM compress all incoming web traffic through the a magical BlackBerry server somewhere, so in theory you should be receiving much smaller packets of data, and require lower throughput speeds — like you'd get with GPRS. We put this to the test against 3G capable phones, the HTC Dream and Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

There's lots of variables affecting these figures (differences in networks, etc) but the results speak for themselves. If you plan to use the 8900 to search low-weight sites then you'll experience fast web browsing, as seen with Google.com. For anything more intensive, especially sites with large images like Apple, you can expect to play the waiting game.

Performance

Web speeds aside, the 8900 is a little speed demon. Opening and switching active applications is absolutely lag-free. Scrolling down long lists, like contacts or received messages, is also impressively fast. Only certain apps will have you waiting for load times, like the browser for example, but even these are open in no longer than a moment. This further reinforces our disappointment with no 3G; we love everything else about this phone. Though the upside to no 3G is longer battery life. We've seen just short of a full week with push email active and some calling and messaging.

Overall

What we wanted was a "Baby Bold", what we got instead was the "Bold lite". If it had 3G network compatibility and HSDPA we'd recommend the 8900 in a heartbeat. As it stands, the Curve 8900 is so close yet so far. It will service a certain segment of users well; those who just need calling and messaging, and those who can wait until they're in range of a Wi-Fi network before browsing the web. But we want options, we want to browse the web wherever, whenever, and the Curve 8900 doesn't offer this. If you're in the market for a BlackBerry, we'd suggest bypassing the Curve and getting the chunkier, but better featured Bold instead.

By Joseph Hanlon

The spellbinding Zen Bound for iPhone

2009-04-14T04:22:00.000+07:00

Zen Bound is a strange concept and is beautifully delivered. Each level finds you wrapping a piece of string around a wooden object and painting the object where the string makes contact with it. When you have painted enough of the surface of the object you are free to move on to the next challenge or push forward and try to reach the level's maximum goal — you usually have to have 99 per cent of the object painted.

The simplicity of the game is made complex by the variety of shapes these beautifully textured wooden objects come in. In the easier beginner levels the wood might be variations on a box shape, but as the difficulty rises the shapes change to be more complex carvings, for instance like animals, with tricky corners for ears, paws and snouts. You'll notice areas of the wood remain unpainted where the rope is suspended across divots and ridges or held up by rope wrapped around on your previous pass over the same area, meaning you'll likely have to start afresh and find a new approach.

This is fine, of course, because we're relaxed — we're not trying to rush through the game — we're taking our time and meditating on our next move. Plus we're listening to the game's fantastic soundtrack, a moody mix of old style wood instruments and slow, subtle hip-hop beats played under tinkling chimes. This is apparently a single, looped 22-minute track called Bound by artist Ghost Monkey and you're offered a free download of the track after you've purchased the game.

We've been captivated by this wonderful game. So often apps described as games and fun are epitomised by garish colours and shocking sound effects. Zen Bound is an escape from this into a tranquil place illustrated in stunning 3D. It comes in a free Lite version or can be purchased for AU$5.99 from the iTunes App Store.

By Joseph Hanlon

Sony Ericsson W205: A Walkman only your wallet could love

2009-04-14T04:18:00.000+07:00

Both phones feature low-end specs and matching price tags. The W205 makes use of some of the features we see in the Walkman range: an FM Radio and Track ID, as well as store your tracks on an M2 memory card, but will be sold without memory included in the box. Sony Ericsson also announced the MS410, a snap-on speaker stand that can be used across the company's range of mobiles including the W205.

The S312 sports a dedicated video capture shortcut key, illuminated camera shortcuts and PictBridge photo printing via USB. Physically, it harks back to Sony Ericsson's much older T-series, and doesn't seem to feature the charm of our favourite in the S-series, the S500i.

The new handsets and accessories will be in Australia by mid-year, and while pricing is yet to be announced, we expect these in the sub-AU$300 category.

By Joseph Hanlon

Motorola Evoke QA4: See me, feel me, touch me, dial me

2009-04-02T18:40:00.002+07:00

The nerd armies have once again marched upon Las Vegas, this time for the CTIA, which starts tomorrow. This showcase of all things mobile phone mostly features dog-ugly American-style messaging handsets that, thank the gods, we'll never see on our stylish streets in Australia.

But our spidey senses did tingle at the sight of a new touchscreen handset that Motorola announced today in advance of the show: the Evoke QA4.

Motorola says the Evoke will feature a 2.8-inch (71mm) touchscreen and a slide-out alphanumeric keypad — a configuration that, until now, only the Samsung Tocco Ultra has flirted with.

We think it's a great idea, since the three-by-four keypad is smaller, so it can be tucked away in a more elegant slider, and we've honed our texting skills on it already. And it's handy for making a phone call, if we ever have to do that obscure task.

The Evoke will also sport a soft QWERTY keypad and a customisable home screen with widgets for RSS feeds and social-networking sites. Motorola is pitching the Evoke as a social-networking tool, and said that it'll have MySpace and Tube gadgets built-in.

No word yet on an Australian launch for the Evoke, but we'll be sure to report on any announcements.

By Flora Graham

Mio DigiWalker P350

2009-04-02T18:40:00.001+07:00

Design

Can we move away from devices that look like iPods, please? Mio's P350 -- one part GPS, one part PDA -- has that same white casing that we've been seeing on everything from laptops to personal grooming accessories ever since the iPod popularity explosion began. When even Apple has branched out into black, red and even orange, it's probably time to move on, designer-type dudes.
Rants about copying iPod style aside, the P350 is an otherwise plain looking PDA shaped device of essentially the same design as the company's higher end A701, although the P350 lacks the A701's rather ugly "bump" at the top right corner, which apparently housed the GPS antenna. The four buttons on the face of the P350 control screen orientation, power, contacts and a today button, while the sides of the unit house an SD/MMC card slot, headphone socket, inbuilt microphone and IR port.

Features

Mio positions the P350 as the budget GPS alternative, and given that it's actually also a fully featured Windows Mobile 5.0 device, it's not a bad compromise. On the GPS side, triangulation is managed by the SiRFStar III chipset run via Mio's MioMap software application. It also offers what you might consider the "standard" Windows mobile 5.0 applications -- Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Bubble Breaker -- and a smattering of Mio-specific applications. These include Mio Calc, a higher-end calculator with support for currency and unit conversion. On the minus side for MioCalc, it looks rather like a Windows 3.11 application, especially the bitmapped program icon.
If you're the type that salivates at the mention of technical specifications, then this is the paragraph for you. The P350 runs on a Samsung 2440 400Mhz processor with 128MB of internal ROM, and flaunts a 3.5" 65,000 colour, 320x240 pixel TFT touchscreen. The naturally white stylus hides in the upper right corner of the unit. From a physical perspective, the P350 measures in at 17.8 x 72 x 115 and weighs in at 170 grams. That's surprisingly light for a PDA of this size.

Performance

The P350 might boast the same SiRFStar III receiver as other GPS systems, but you wouldn't know about it from its initial triangulation performance, which was amongst the slowest we've seen on a GPS for a very long time. We rarely managed to get a signal lock in less than two minutes, even when powering up the unit from a previously recognised location. This lag also transferred to en route navigation; while it was quite quick to recalculate a path if we strayed off the suggested route, it often lagged around 5-10m from our actual position. That's within the tolerance limits of GPS signal reception, but it's distracting while you're driving. We noticed the same kind of quirk with the A701, so perhaps it's a limitation of the MioMap software.
As a PDA, the P350 performed acceptably for our general use purposes, although it feels a little on the light side when it comes to additional bundled applications. One small factor that did impress us was the speed with which the P350 flips between horizontal and vertical applications -- great if you're watching video on the go.
Ultimately, the decision as to whether to buy the P350 depends on what you're really after. As a PDA it's somewhat on the lower specification side, and you could undoubtedly do better for the money -- but you can't get a GPS and a PDA for this kind of price in one unit. Likewise, its GPS performance was nothing to write home about -- and given the slow synchronisation, getting home might take some time too. But for a unit in this kind of price range, it sits in the acceptable range. Those with more cash to flash could do better -- even Mio's own A701 is a better combination unit, while we're still fond of the pure approach of units like the TomTom One or the nifty Navman N60i. Having said that, if you need a GPS and want a PDA, the P350 provides a reasonable but not stunning combination of both.

By Alex Kidman

HTC Dream

2009-04-02T18:40:00.000+07:00

Calling its latest phone Dream is an interesting move by HTC. It strikes an image so far removed from the buzz words of consumer tech, like Xpress, Bold and Pro, and yet it seems to sum up our long wait for Google's Android platform — a system which has been but a dream for us tech-heads in Australia until now.

Design

When you visit your local Optus store to see the Dream, brace yourself for an underwhelming first contact. The overall aesthetic of the Dream is a lacklustre step backwards for HTC, who've been busy designing some of the industry's sexiest handsets in the last 12 months. It's the company's take on function over form with the matte charcoal finish and rounded edges that lack the sharp, sexy design of the Touch Diamond and Touch HD.
The centrepiece of the Dream is a 3.2-inch 320x480-pixel touchscreen display. While this resolution isn't as rich as the Touch HD's WVGA (480x800) screen, it is no less impressive and is great for everyday use.
Alongside the touchscreen, the Dream has a variety of input options. Just below the display is a panel of mechanical keys and a trackball for basic navigation, and under the slide the Dream sports an excellent full QWERTY keyboard. The sliding mechanism moves the screen sideways in a small arc motion, which reveals five rows of well spaced keys.

Features

Worst things first: the Dream is not the business phone it should be. Short of a few unreliable third-party solutions on the Android Market there is no MS Exchange email support, which seems a major oversight. This means no native access to business email or syncing with Outlook and no access to your company intranet.
The paradox is that the Dream's real strength is its online connectivity. Without any application downloads the handset has pre-installed apps for GMail, Google Maps, YouTube. To keep the data coming quickly, the Dream supports HSDPA transfers on a 2100MHz network — as used extensively by all the carriers in Australia except Telstra. We found that after tinkering with the web we'd have loved to use this phone for more serious business.
The HTC Dream uses Webkit as the basis for its browser, which is also the core of the Safari browser on the iPhone. It uses full HTML browsing and has Java support, plus you can surf almost every website; except ones that use Flash. You can pan across the screen with your finger, and though you can't zoom in by pinching as you can on the iPhone, you can bring up on-screen zoom controls at the bottom of the display. Similar to the iPhone, you can also double-tap on a web page to zoom in on a particular section.

Multimedia

While Apple had the unenviable task of incorporating a full-blown iPod-like music player into the iPhone, the T-Mobile G1 has been made as more of a mobile phone than a music player. That said, the music player on the G1 is robust for what it is, and will satisfy most casual listeners. Songs are organised by Artists, Albums, Songs and Playlists, as you'd expect. You get the typical music player functions like shuffle, repeat and the ability to create playlists on the fly. And even though there's no CoverFlow, you can still view album art in a list format. We especially like that you can instantly convert any song to a ringtone directly from the music player.
You can also upload any of your own music files — it supports MP3, M4A, AMR, WMA, MIDI, WAV, Ogg Vorgis formats and has 192MB RAM and 256MB ROM. The 1GB microSD card comes preloaded with 11 songs, and the expansion slot can support up to 8GB cards. But the most disappointing thing about the music player is hardware related: the G1 doesn't have stereo Bluetooth, and the lack of a 3.5mm jack says to us that the G1 isn't meant to be a music player replacement.
YouTube clips took quite a while to load via 3G, and quality wasn't the greatest. Though images and audio were synchronised, it was blurry — but then again we were watching low-res versions since we were on T-Mobile's network instead of on Wi-Fi.
The 3.2-megapixel camera beats the iPhone's 2-megapixel camera, but you can't record video. Worse, there are no camera settings, such as white balance, effects and shooting modes. And taking pictures was a challenge. You have to have a steady hand to get a clear shot, as the slightest movement will result in a blurry image. We took about 10 or 12 pictures before we could get a satisfactory shot, and by the end, we were frustrated. Picture quality was mediocre — objects on the outside had sharp definition but they got soft in the middle. The images also had a yellowish hue.

Android

While this is a review of the HTC handset, the fact of it being the first phone in Australia to run Google's Android operating platform can't go unnoticed. Like the iPhone 3G, this is a landmark release.
We're still digging deeper in the platform, but so far we've been very impressed. Unlike the releases of new Nokia and Windows Mobile platforms, Android is a system built with touchscreen displays in mind, and this really shows in the finger-friendly design of its interface. A good example of this is the way notifications, like new SMS messages, are displayed in a drag-down menu at the top of the screen, an area on-screen shared with network coverage and battery life.
HTC's Dream isn't the most powerful phone around at the moment, but this doesn't stop Android from running exceptionally smoothly, with performance to rival the iPhone. Every finger gesture, swiping and scrolling, is met with a smooth and instant response. Android doesn't multitask, in the traditional sense, but instead appears to store an application's last active status for the next time this application is opened. This keeps things running lag-free, whilst allowing you to use several apps seamlessly without losing your place.
The Android Market is Google's answer to Apple's overwhelmingly popular App Store, though to call this a store would be incorrect considering every single application is free. We've spent a lot of our review time searching deeper and deeper into the Market, finding new apps and seeing what they do. There may not yet be the 15,000 apps found on Apple's Store, but there is more than enough to keep you amused for a very long time.

Performance

Android's zippy performance has made the Dream look very good in action, though parts of the phone unrelated to the operating system are less impressive. Battery life is abysmal, with only a day between charges with low-to-moderate use. While browsing the Android Market and the internet, the Dream lasted for less than eight hours before the battery died.
Also, call quality has been questionable, due perhaps to a weaker than usual radio antenna. Many of the calls we made were plagued with break-ups, and the phone lost its connection to the mobile network altogether on more than one occasion.

Overall

We came to our conclusion from the moment we started to test the Dream and little has changed as we continued: Android is awesome, but the handset needs work. Parts of the Dream are superb: the touchscreen, the QWERTY keyboard, the phone's performance in regards to menu navigation and applications. But, the shocking battery life and frequent disturbances during calls, plus the phone's daggy appearance, make the Dream a phone for early adopters only. 2009 will be a year full of sexy Android phones, so it might be best to wait for the next generation.

By Bonnie Cha, Nicole Lee and Joseph Hanlon

ASUS P735

2009-04-02T18:39:00.000+07:00

The Asus P735 is the company's latest PDA-phone, and features 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. Unlike many of its dedicated handhelds, this model doesn't come with GPS built-in. With so many PDA-phones on the market in this form factor, does the Asus do anything to stand out from the pack?

Design

Though primarily housed in plastic, this handheld has a solid feel to it. There's a brushed metal finish on the front, dark metallic grey around the display with a lighter shade for the buttons below that. Not including the navigation pad and selector, there are six buttons in total. A single panel with four depressible corners contains two soft-keys and two shortcut keys. On either side of the panel are the green call and red reject buttons. Though neatly arranged, the keys suffer from being too stiff and too noisy; every one of them giving audible clicks when pressed.One feature we did like, though, is the hold switch on the right side of the device. These switches are more commonly found on MP3 players, preventing users from accidental button presses, and it works well as a key lock on the P735.

The buttons on the P735 felt stiff when pressed.
On the bottom of the P735 is a 2.5mm audio jack, a mini-USB port for charging and syncing, as well as a microphone. Along the top are the power button and miniSD slot. The unit's metal stylus fits into a silo in the top right-hand corner. Seeing as the stylus is the Asus's main input tool, we would have preferred it if it was heavier, for better feel, and extendable.
The P735's form factor makes it fall into the same class as the O2 Atom Life and the Dopod D810. Even though the Asus is marginally lighter than those two handhelds, it is pertinent to note that it has fewer features and, at 109 x 59 x 19mm, is larger in all three dimensions. At AU$999, the Asus is marginally cheaper than the Dopod, and about AU$300 less than the O2.

Features

Because it was announced and released so recently, the P735's lack of HSDPA connectivity is somewhat disappointing. Otherwise, we did not face any problems connecting to the Internet with 3G. Video calls are also a cinch to do using the front VGA camera found above the display. One gripe is with the placement of the speakers at the rear, which isn't optimal for speakerphone use.
Among the P735's other connectivity options are Bluetooth 2.0 (with A2DP support for wireless stereo headsets) and 802.11g wireless LAN. Having Wi-Fi is good not only for surfing the Internet at wireless hotspots, it also means Skype communication is possible. In fact, Asus has provided the software on a CD with the P735, saving you from downloading it.
The main camera at the rear has a 2-megapixel sensor and comes with autofocus. The camera software boasts quite a few features, including white balance control, metering and macro mode for close-ups. Photos taken with the camera turned out generally sharp with adequately accurate colours. Operating the camera required steady hands, though, as the shutter speed is slow by default, even in brightly lit indoor spaces, making some photos unnecessarily blurred. The standard photo light alleviates the problem somewhat but it brings about a new problem, namely bright glare. As a bonus the photo light can be turned on independently, so you can use it as a torch in dark places. This is achieved by pressing and holding the mode switcher shortcut button at the front.
Alongside its 2-megapixel autofocus camera is a LED light and a preview mirror.
The main purpose of the mode switcher button, though, is to quickly jump between the Today screen and Windows Media Player, as well toggle between portrait and landscape modes. This is useful to an extent, but we feel a dedicated OK key to get out of menus would have be more useful.
There are a number of add-on applications bundled with P735. With the My Secrets application enabled, a folder is hidden and encrypted from view in File Explorer whenever the device enters sleep mode. The folder will only reappear, unencrypted, when the user clicks a tiny icon in the Today screen and enters the appropriate four-digit password.
Also in P735's application suite is Remote Presenter, which allows you to use Bluetooth to control a notebook during presentations. This requires desktop software to be installed on the computer and, of course, Bluetooth connectivity. Not to be outdone by its competitors, the P735 also comes with WorldCard Mobile, which allows the user to enter a contact's details just by taking a photo of their business card with text recognition doing the rest. This should make tedious text entry tasks a thing of the past and although it isn't 100-percent accurate, it's nothing a quick check and edit won't solve.

Performance

The Intel 520MHz processor in the Asus did well to handle all the applications we tried on it. Even with all of Asus' add-on applications running in the background, we noticed very little lag in the menu interface. Though the P735's 1,300mAh Lithium-ion battery is rated for 4 hours on a 3G network, we managed to make it last for about 2.5 days on a 3G network with intermittent Wi-Fi usage.

By John Chan

Top five free applications you must have on your N95

2009-04-01T05:25:00.000+07:00

While one of the key selling points of the iPhone is its large catalogue of useful and not-so-useful software, happily, the N95 has plenty of apps available for it too. Let's run through five of the best and explain what they do and why you should download them.

Twibble

No one's life is complete without Twitter. Twibble is the best little application we've ever used for tweeting the joys and horrors of public transport in London and moaning about the horrendous sniffing that people sometimes engage in.

Location Tagger

This app allows you to use the N95's GPS system to tag your photos with the location they were taken. It's especially cool if you go abroad and want to show people where you've been. Just remember that the N95 uses AGPS, which utilises your data connection to narrow down your location. This costs a fortune abroad, so disable it.

YouTube

There are few things as boring as being on a train with nothing to do. Luckily, Google has its own app that allows you to search, browse and watch videos from YouTube. This isn't the same as the useless app that comes with the N95 — that's really just a shortcut to a web page. This app is slick, and really works well.

JoikuSpot

Ever been somewhere and really wanted to surf the net on your computer, but not been able to because there's no Wi-Fi? JoikuSpot turns your mobile phone, and 3G internet connection into a Wi-Fi hotspot. The free version has some limitations — it won't allow VPN access, for example. But for simple browsing with no need to tether your phone or buy a separate dongle, this works brilliantly.

Google Maps

An obvious choice, but Google Maps is really the king of all mobile software. With its most recent update, it now matches the iPhone for functionality. You can search for restaurants or other businesses and get directions to them. There are even graphical niceties like flying pins — just like the iPhone.So next time someone waves their iPhone at you, claiming application superiority, at least you'll be able to use Google Maps to tell them where to go, and what to jump off when they get there.

Motorola Aura

2009-04-01T05:19:00.000+07:00

Like Derek Zoolander, the Motorola Aura knows there's more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. But it's not sure exactly what.
The Aura is drop-dead gorgeous, thanks mostly to its stunning 16-million-colour screen, but, like many fashion phones, it falls down on features. With an equally stunning price tag of around AU$2,990 SIM-free, it's got its work cut out to impress us.

Pretty but dumb

The Aura looks unique and impressive. Every time we whipped it out, we heard a chorus of "oohs" and "aahs". When faced with the Aura's loveliness, even the most curmudgeonly of cynics melted like they were looking at a baby kitten, having previously raised an eyebrow in doubt when they heard about "the world's first circular screen".
Part of the Aura's appeal lies in its hefty, 15mm-thick, etched stainless-steel body and rotating cover with exposed geared mechanism. But most of its charm is down to the screen, which is clear and amazingly vibrant, thanks to its 16 million colours, 300dpi resolution and a 62-carat sapphire-crystal lens.
But a round screen has its drawbacks. In fact, it made us realise why every other screen is square. For example, when we were taking photos on the Aura's 2-megapixel camera, the corners of the image weren't visible, which made it difficult for us to frame our snaps. After we took a photo, the Aura showed the whole rectangular image, wasting a great deal of screen real estate.
We had a similar problem when surfing the web. Web pages are designed for rectangular screens, so the Aura letterboxes the top and bottom of its display and cuts off the corners of the page to show a wide image with rounded sides. It works, but it reminded us that the round screen is a gimmick that's all about looks rather than functionality. The Aura's OK for looking something up on Google in an emergency, for example, but not for any serious surfing.
But maybe we're being shape-ist bigots — is it the Aura's fault that it's a round peg in a square world? Yes, because, even within its own user interface, which should be round-screen-friendly, there are problems.
The main menu consists of a series of icons arranged in a circle. It would probably be a pleasure to navigate the icons using a round wheel like that of an iPod. But the Aura sports a four-way navigation button, so moving around the circle requires multiple presses of the left or right directional buttons. We were frustrated when we wanted to manoeuvre to options on the opposite side of the circle because they take so long to get to.
In fact, we found the Aura's user interface click-happy throughout. For example, it took 13 steps to change the wallpaper — something we bet we'd be doing often so we could enjoy that luscious screen. And that's if we wanted to use one of the pre-made round wallpapers — to browse to our own photos required another four steps.
We also found the interface inconsistent and confusing. For example, when selecting a new wallpaper image, the select option's on the right function key. When choosing an option from the shortcut menu on the home screen, the select option's on the left.

Shrunken heads

The Aura sports a 2-megapixel camera, which takes bright but slightly fuzzy snaps in good light. But there's no flash or LED photo light, so shots in low light are noisy and blurry. But we were pleased to find a short lag of only a fraction of a second between pressing the shutter and taking a photo.
The Aura also shoots video, but the results were dark and dingy when we filmed indoors. We were also disappointed with the playback: videos are played in the centre of the screen in a tiny 21mm by 16mm square.
Even the full-screen option doesn't expand the video to fill the round screen, although it does what it says on the tin in the case of photos. The Aura's screen is its crowning glory, and we think it should exploit that by showing all media in a big and round format by default. Otherwise, we end up looking at unspectacular photos and video on a tiny screen area — hardly a luxury experience.
Getting sleepy
The brightness and clarity of the Aura's screen drains the battery. The Aura tries to address this by dropping into screensaver mode within a few seconds. But, with constant use, we found the battery life to be far below Motorola's estimate of 7.3 hours of talk time and up to 400 hours of standby time. A couple of hours of ogling the screen and a night on standby drained the battery completely.
On the other hand, the Aura's clock function, shown when the handset is closed, shows off the screen beautifully. In fact, the clock is one of the phone's best features, and almost made us wish the Aura was a watch rather than a mobile. Motorola has obviously recognised the clock's importance, adding a shortcut from the home screen so that you can switch quickly between the five different styles available.

Sound effort

The Aura's media player supports several formats, including AAC, MP3, WAV and WMA. We found the sound acceptable when compared to that of the SanDisk Sansa Fuze through some beautiful Audio Technica headphones, but we had to test using the handset's included headphones due to its proprietary socket. The Aura's output lacks the depth and resonance of the dedicated MP3 player, but we felt it would be fine for casual listening.
We used the Motorola Phone Tools software to transfer audio files to the Aura's 2GB of on-board memory via USB. The software looks amateurish but is easy to use, and we had no trouble setting it up or transferring files. But be warned: Motorola has no love for the Mac. You'll need Windows XP, 2000 or Vista to sync the Aura.

Conclusion

Motorola has joined Vertu and luxury-watch makers TAG Heuer and Ulysse Nardin in the rush to serve the few users who are crying out for more expensive, blinging phones. Like its rival offerings, the Aura is primarily aimed at blinding us with its beauty and price tag, rather than its features.
It's not good for much besides making calls, but its stunning screen, stainless-steel body and rotating cover are certainly glamorous. If you have deep pockets and you're not worried about advanced features like surfing the web, the Aura could be for you.

By Flora Graham

BlackBerry 8800 makes its debut

2009-03-30T22:10:00.004+07:00

Adopting some of the features of its consumer-oriented handheld, the BlackBerry Pearl, the BlackBerry 8800 includes a media player and a microSD expandable memory slot for music and videos. The device is among many smartphones being unveiled this week at the 3GSM World Congress, a wireless-industry trade show in Barcelona, Spain.
RIM says the BlackBerry 8800 also features its slimmest corporate design yet, with a QWERTY keyboard and a trackball screen navigation system. Global Positioning System software and Bluetooth 2.0, for use with wireless headsets, also are built into the device.
The BlackBerry 8800 is expected to be available this month through a variety of carriers worldwide. Pricing has not yet been disclosed.

By Dawn Kawamoto

Ten-hut: i-mate announces army-grade smartphone

2009-03-30T22:10:00.002+07:00

Dubbed the 810-F, this rugged handset is designed to meet military grade specifications. Metal screws over the battery plate seal the phone keeping out water and dust, while its rubber body makes it resistant to shock. The company is so confident that its phone will survive the rigours of outdoor life that it's offering a lifetime warranty with the smartphone.
The 810-F runs on Windows Mobile 6.1, giving users access to a complete business suite of connectivity, like MS Exchange support, VPN client support and the ability to edit MS Office documents. The 810-F also features tri-band 3G network support, 2.2GB of internal storage and a touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard for input.
Recent releases with ruggedised construction, like the Samsung M110 and the Sonim XP3 Enduro, have similar or superior resistance but are typically simpler featured handsets, without 3G radios and a range of business tools.
i-mate will be showing the 810-F at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and promises availability to Australians in the "coming weeks".

By Joseph Hanlon

HP expands iPAQ range with business users in mind

2009-03-30T22:10:00.001+07:00

HP has reinvigorated its iPaq handheld range with the launch of five new devices, plus a host of new software programs, accessories and services designed to attract business users.
The refreshed lineup includes two new 3G smartphones, a GPS-only device and two standalone PDAs.
Many of the new handhelds have a strong business bent, so it's no surprise that HP is also pitching the latest version of its Enterprise Mobility Suite. The suite is a self-service portal that will allow IT managers to set up, diagnose and update software. Using this software managers will also be able lock/unlock lost or stolen devices, as well wipe data from them. Furthermore, HP will also be offering a customisation service, allowing iPaqs to be shipped with an organisation's network and registry settings pre-configured, and company-specific applications and content pre-loaded.
Non-corporate buyers may be attracted by the 100 Series entry-level PDA and the 300 Series standalone GPS unit. Although it will be the most basic model in the iPaq line, the 100 Series seems to be pitched above the bare bones Palm Z22, with a large 3.5-inch screen, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Most left-field of the new models is the 300 Series, which like standalone GPSes from established names like Mio, Navman and TomTom, features a custom designed interface and no PDA functionality.

By Pam Carroll and Derek Fung

ASUS A696

2009-03-30T22:10:00.000+07:00

Upside

For those wanting a new PDA without mobile telephony, products are few and far between but Asus has just launched a few phone-less PDAs. One of them is the A696, a good looking device with its brushed metal face. Its key trick, though, is that manages to pack a GPS receiver and circuitry -- the same SiRF Star II chipset found on dedicated portable GPS units -- into a body just 15.7mm thick. The A696's 3.5-inch, 240 x 320 LCD should be sufficient for in-car navigation duties when used in landscape mode.
Packing Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity and Asus' Remote Presenter application, the A696 should appeal to both corporate warriors, who have to present Powerpoint presentations, and those wanting to listen to music on their Bluetooth headphones. There's also Wi-Fi connectivity, as the A696 comes with 802.11b/g.

Downside

The rest of the package is pretty much class standard, like the internals: a 416MHz Intel Xscale processor, 256MB of flash ROM and 64MB of SDRAM. An SD-card slot is present, as is a 3.5mm stereo jack and built-in microphone and speakers.
It's disappointing that a newly launched PDA should ship with Windows Mobile 5.0, not version 6.0 which has been on the market for about half-a-year. But this isn't the first time Asus has launched a new PDA with an outdated operating system: the Asus P735 was initially sold overseas with Windows Mobile 5.0 installed.
Outlook
The A696 is on-sale now for AU$599. There's also the cheaper AU$499 A686, which looks similar but it misses out on Wi-Fi, and has lower specs in the way of processing punch and on-board memory.

By Derek Fung

Apple iPhone vs. Palm Pre

2009-03-30T22:08:00.000+07:00

Mobile World Congress is such a terrible, terrible tease. Every year we see those shiny new handsets in the hands of the lucky few who get to attend the show in Barcelona, and then we're forced to wait six months before we have them in our eager hands.
This year promises a few tasty treats, like Samsung's Omnia HD and the Sony Ericsson Idou, but in terms of sheer potential, none compare to the Palm Pre. US company Palm is dragging itself out of the grave with this release and from what we've seen so far, the Pre is not only the phone Palm needed to make, but it's also the phone we've been waiting for.
The head-to-head comparisons with Apple's iPhone are too obvious to ignore, particularly the unique touchscreen interfaces used in each of these smartphones. A quick caveat before we toss these fierce competitors in the ring: the specs listed for the Pre are not final, and the specs listed for the iPhone may change considerably with the release of a rumoured successor mid-year. Be sure, we'll update this table as soon as any new information comes to light.
Platform: OS X vs. webOS
OS X is both the great strength and weakness of the iPhone. On the one hand you have a super stable platform that provides an excellent user experience, plus it's apparently very easy to write software for the iPhone (as 31 iFart applications will attest to). At the same time, this stable and speedy performance is due in part to the iPhone not being capable of multitasking or having applications running in the background.
Palm's Card system is the exact antithesis of this, not only running several applications in the background, but showing them in an active state on the deck-of-cards style home screen. This way you can have messages sent from IM services or social networking sites sent to your phone while you type emails, surf the web or take a phone call.
Another fascinating software implementation is what Palm is calling Synergy, referring to the way webOS deals with the various different communication methods we use to converse with the one person. Firstly, a contact's information listing contains all their addresses and numbers; phone, email, IM addresses, social networking aliases (like Facebook). While the iPhone and Windows Mobile phones may thread consecutive SMS messages together into a conversation, the Pre will be able to thread cross-platform communication together. For example, you'll be able to reply to a Gmail message with an SMS or an IM over Windows Live.
For all these ingenious advancements, the iPhone will still have the Pre beat in the sheer number of third-party applications available on the Apple App Store. Palm has announced its intention to launch a similar one-stop shop for downloading apps to the Pre, but at launch it should still be a long way behind the 15,000+ apps available for the iPhone.

May date for Vodafone 3G bush launch

2009-03-26T00:43:00.003+07:00

The telco said it was in the final stages of testing its 3G network in major regional centres, which would go live during the first week in May, bringing Vodafone's 3G coverage up to 80 per cent of Australians.
The upgrade expands 3G services to Vodafone customers in areas including Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Ballina, Bunbury, Byron Bay, Cairns, Darwin, Hobart, Kiama, Lismore, Mackay, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Townsville, Wollongong, Bowral, Nowra and Wagga Wagga.
The rest of Vodafone's customers in 2G coverage areas will see the faster services by 31 August, when Vodafone plans to have reached 94 per cent of the population with 3G.
This was less than the original target of 95 per cent. A spokesperson said that as the company got closer to launch, testing and tuning had led it to get a more accurate estimate. "We wanted to be transparent," the spokesperson said.
The $500 million roll-out was originally scheduled to be completed by Christmas last year, but in October Vodafone came out with the news that the program would be delayed by months. The portion of the network which it shared with Optus — 63 per cent of the planned coverage — had been completed but the part which Vodafone was rolling out alone was not.
The delay was laid at Ericsson's door, with Vodafone CTO Andy Reeves saying that it was taking the vendor longer than originally anticipated to complete the project.
With the end of the upgrade now in sight, Reeves justified the delays. "It's always a race against time to bring major upgrades to market as soon as possible, but it's even more important to get it right first time and minimise disruptions to normal services," he said. "We've managed the project in a pragmatic way to ensure quality and continuity of coverage for our customers throughout the upgrade project."

Dell mobiles too boring to live?

2009-03-26T00:43:00.002+07:00

After replacing ageing rockers and super-nerds with sexy models in their marketing for slick little laptops like the Adamo, Dell seemed to have learned its lesson about how ugly computers can destroy your soul. But according to investor mag Barron's, Dell's rumoured mobile phones are so mind-meltingly dreary, they've been rejected by operators.

Barron's quotes a market analyst who says Dell shopped around some Windows Mobile and Android handsets, but were cruelly rejected for "lack of differentiation", which is business code for "dull as nuts".

But if you're excited about pressing a black plastic Dell box against your fevered ear, take heart. Barron's reports that Dell may be looking at buying a mobile phone manufacturer to give its phone designs an injection of sexy. It seemed to work with Alienware, so maybe it could work with ... Palm?

HTC Touch Pro2

2009-03-26T00:43:00.001+07:00

From the old Dopod 838 Pro to the current Touch Pro, HTC's flagship business handhelds have always had landscape-orientated slide-out keyboards. While not the most compact of devices, these are usually packed with features and come with the best the company has to offer. Once again, this holds true for the Touch Pro2 announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
Upside
As mentioned, this handheld is specced to the max. You get almost every single connectivity option including HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and built-in GPS for navigation. Another standout feature is the use of a 3.6-inch WVGA (800x480) display, up from the 2.8-inch VGA (640x480) version found on the Touch Pro. This is a significant increase in terms of both resolution and size, coming close to the 3.8 inches on the Touch HD, HTC's high-end handheld targeted at multimedia users.
The slide-out keyboard on the Pro2 features a layout similar to the Pro with five rows of keys including a dedicated top row for numbers, just like your desktop keyboard. A significant difference from the Pro is the fact that the keys are now clearly separated and raised off the chassis. This should make for a better typing experience as the user will be able to feel the keys more easily.
Aside from sliding out sideways, the screen on the Pro2 also tilts upwards. This was first seen on the TyTN II but did not make an appearance after that in the Touch Pro. The design gives the handheld the ability to stand with the screen facing the user, which is useful when watching video clips or during calls using the speakerphone.
The ability to make conference calls is something HTC is touting as a main feature of the Pro2. It's easy to get a multi-party call started, and when you are in one, there's even a nifty feature where you can tap on a single party's icon to go one-on-one with them, leaving out the rest of the participants temporarily.
It's not just the software, too, as HTC put a large dedicated speakerphone on the back along with a noise-cancelling microphone. This is accompanied by a dedicated mute button. HTC calls this entire package Straight Talk technology. This feature comes across as being incredibly niche but professionals who are travelling less this year because of cutbacks may find it useful when holding meetings with partners or colleagues from other countries.
Downside
Though we like larger screens, the downside to that is having less space for other things. In the case of the Pro2, the directional pad was sacrificed so navigating the Windows Mobile interface will have to be done by touching the screen. This is fine for most purposes, but having a D pad can be useful in applications such as spreadsheets or when moving between text fields in a browser.
At 17.3mm thick and weighing 175g, the Pro2 is a bulky device. Given the sheer number of features, this may be inevitable but it will definitely put off some buyers who prefer something more compact.
Like many other HTC devices, the Pro2 comes with a single mini-USB interface for charging, syncing and connecting a wired headset. We would have liked a 3.5mm audio jack for music lovers, something HTC still doesn't see fit to make it standard on its devices.
Outlook
Similar to HTC's Touch Diamond2, the Touch Pro2 will first come installed with WM6.1 and get a free upgrade to 6.5 later in the year. This feature-packed handheld will be available in Australia sometime in Q3. HTC has not announced its price so we'll have to wait for that information nearer to its launch date.

By John Chan

LG KF310

2009-03-26T00:43:00.000+07:00

Design
Recent LG prepaid releases have been impressive. The KF510 was an excellent example of how a low-cost phone could emulate the sex appeal of its flagship model, but cut costs on high price components and materials. The KF310 doesn't do this as successfully, though there are parts of it we like. It's lightweight and smallish, in regards to length and width, but at 17mm, it's not the slimmest slider phone around. Its plastic construction is reasonably sturdy and the sliding mechanism moves smoothly and clicks into place when opened or closed.
The screen is serviceable but isn't specced to be seriously impressive. Only 2 inches big, the display features a low 176x220-pixel resolution which is half the resolution of the now-standard QVGA displays we see on most phones. Below the screen LG employs a standard set of navigation keys including selection and calling keys. Looking at this design, we feel that there is a lot of wasted space between the tiny screen and tiny keys.
Sliding the phone open you find a 15-button keypad, including the regular numeric pad plus three extra shortcut keys. This pad is as flat as unleavened bread and about as useful for typing out SMS messages or punching in long phone numbers. Perhaps we have unusually large thumbs, but we found typing on the numpad to be a frustrating exercise of entry and delete as we constantly hit the wrong key over and over.
On the back of the phone we find a 2-megapixel camera unadorned by any extras; there's no flash or self-portrait mirror, just the lens. On the right of the phone is a USB charging port that doubles as the headphone socket. On the opposite side is a microSD slot and volume controls.
Features
For a prepaid model, the KF310 has a few nice extras you may not expect on a phone under AU$300. Firstly, 3G is a very handy inclusion. With the increasing predominance of web services, particularly Google Maps, having 3G data speeds is essential, but often overlooked. The KF310 also supports Java apps, so Google Maps as well as the Opera Mini web browser and Yahoo Go are all supported.
Also like more expensive phones, the KF310 is equipped with two cameras, the standard camera for photos on the back and a secondary camera for video-calling located above the screen on the front. The rear-facing camera has the minimum 2-megapixel specification, but we found the digital shutter works quickly, so the photos we took were Facebook-able. Internally, the KF310 supports up to 40MB of user-stored data, but it does come with a microSD card slot so this memory is expandable. Don't expect a memory card at this price-point though.
If you do buy some memory you might want to consider putting some music and videos on the phone. The KF310 supports a range of audio files including MP3, WMA, AAC and AAC+, and video files such as MPEG4, H.264 and WMV. With the low-res screen you probably won't want to watch feature-length movies, but we found watching short clips and TV shows to be fine.
Performance
We didn't hear any significant problems when we made calls with the KF310, but the people we spoke to told us we were a little muffled. Composing text messages on the phone is simple enough with predictive text, but would be much easier to do with a better defined keyboard.
Web browsing was good, though we'd only recommend this phone for the most basic browsing; news headlines, quick google searches, etc. Using Google Maps was also good, with the help of HSDPA browsing speeds, though the screen obviously hampers your ability to use it for more than a quick street search.
Overall
Alongside 3 Mobile's excellent INQ1, we're pleased to see more prepaid handsets with HSDPA web speeds. Data on phones is passed the point of being an unused gimmick and owners of low-end handsets need access to information as much as people who can afford iPhones and BlackBerrys. The KF310 offers a few extras that are not often seen in prepaid phones, like 3G video-calling, but lacks the usability or quality components of the INQ1. Plus it's just not that attractive; the KF310's looks match its price tag. LG's KF510 and Shine Slide is what we really want to see from the Korean company — phones that look like top-end models that don't break the bank.

By Joseph Hanlon

Apple ready for third-generation iPhone

2009-03-25T03:28:00.000+07:00

The company plans to hold one of its trademark special events on Tuesday at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, to show off "an advance preview of what we're building" for the iPhone 3.0 software release, according to an invitation distributed on Thursday. The event will come just a little more than a year after the iPhone 2.0 software event laid out Apple's policies for getting third-party applications onto the iPhone, as well as business-friendly features.
Here's what we know: Apple plans to discuss a new software development kit at the event in addition to demonstrating the new software.
This could explain why the company has been slow to offer renewals for current SDK licences, as it might be requiring developers to sign a whole new agreement. While the software will be the main attraction, developers will be closely watching for details about how the new SDK will affect their businesses.
So, about that software: judging by the comments on our initial post about the event, iPhone users are looking for Apple to finally bring cut-and-paste capability to the device. Of all the advancements Apple has planned for the iPhone 3.0 software, that's probably the one users are hoping for the most.
There's a solid chance that Apple plans to introduce true background processing with iPhone 3.0, given the seeming disappearance of the quasi-background processing capability discussed at last year's Worldwide Developer Conference. This might only work, however, on an upgraded iPhone that probably won't be on display on Tuesday.
Apple may therefore have developed some way to let users of older iPhones run more than one application at the same time — perhaps allowing applications to save their states in memory — while enabling true background processing on iPhones that have the capability to handle those demands. We're also coming up on a year since Apple acquired P.A. Semi to work on developing chips for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and the first fruits of that acquisition might be ready for public airing.
Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray thinks Apple may demonstrate a "universal search capability" as part of the new software. There's no real way to search your iPhone on the device's home screen, although individual applications such as Contacts have their own search functions, of course.
Boy Genius Report claims to have info that iPhone 3.0 will finally add support for MMS — a common complaint about the current iPhone — as well as allow tethering between the iPhone and a laptop.
Leading up to this announcement, however, the rumour mill has been sort of quiet regarding iPhone software upgrades. What do you think Apple might have up its sleeve? Or, more importantly, what do you want Apple to release as part of iPhone 3.0? Let us know in the comments below.

Vodafone and Telefónica shake hands

2009-03-25T03:23:00.001+07:00

When two giants shake hands we often wonder what the final result will be. The collaboration of two of the world’s largest carriers, Vodafone and Telefónica, aims at providing better services in selected European countries. To achieve it, the two companies will share mobile network assets, provide transmission services and build new sites. The cooperation is expected to deliver significant benefits, including costs savings of hundreds of millions pounds for both companies over the next ten years.

The customers should get better signal quality and mobile broadband across a wider coverage area at lower network operating costs. Reducing the number of sites needed by each company will be good for the environment; however, they will build new ones where this is possible. For now, the countries that will benefit are Germany, Ireland, Spain and UK.

HTC Touch Cruise Review

2009-03-25T03:23:00.000+07:00

Introduction:

HTC has wowed us recently with top of the line offerings such as the Diamond and Touch HD, and smartphones are penetrating the consumer market at impressive rates. The reality is that not everyone can afford these high-end devices though, and HTC has the little guy in mind with its update to the Touch Cruise. It features many of the things we loved from the Diamond, including a small form factor, responsive touchscreen and a plethora of connectivity options. It may not be as pretty or polished, but with a focus on GPS services it holds its own where it matters: performance. Included in the box you’ll find:

• HTC Touch Cruise
• AC power adapter with USB connector
• USB data/charging cable
• DC power adapter
• Suction cup window mount with cradle
• Stereo headphones
• 1GB microSD card
• Carrying pouch
• Screen protector
• Extra stylus

Design:

The weight is the first thing you’ll notice when picking up the Touch Cruise. At only 3.63oz it shaves nearly a full ounce off of the original and even a quarter ounce off of the lightweight GSM Diamond, all while packing a higher capacity battery. While not quite as small as the Diamond, its dimensions are similar and the rounded backing gives it a better feel, arguably better than the CDMA Diamond that we proclaimed had the perfect feel.
The basic layout of the phone follows the Touch family design style: there is a 2.8” touchscreen that dominates the front, and below that is a cluster of navigation controls. In this case you’ll find four flush buttons arranged around a navigational pad encircled by a navi-wheel. The keys are housed in silver and are, moving clockwise from top left: Navigation (Tom-Tom), Footprints (more on that later), End and Send. The navi-wheel moves incredibly smoothly and is coated in rubber for a better feel. It functions like the Diamond’s touch-sensitive d-pad, but being mechanical it produces much more consistent results.

The left side of the Cruise has a single, slender key that runs along the top third which functions as the volume rocker. The only other key is the equally slender power key on the top. The top housing is slightly concave, allowing a finger to easily rest in it when pressing the button. HTC continues to impress us with subtle design elements such as this. The right side is totally bare, and the bottom houses the miniUSB charging/data/headset port found on most recent HTC devices. Most manufacturers have moved to the microUSB port by now, and it frustrates us that HTC has yet to follow suit.

The back battery door is nondescript. The 3.2 megapixel camera sits at the top and is housed in elegant brushed aluminum housing, and there is a small speaker slit off to its right. The stylus is tucked at the top left, when looking at the back. The door is coated in the same bespeckled soft-touch finish found on the CDMA Diamond, this time in black with subtle silver flecks.

If it weren’t for the display, the Touch Cruise would probably cannibalize sales from the Diamond. Unfortunately it is only a QVGA panel, and anyone who has used the higher VGA resolution would never go back. Compared to other 240x320 displays the Cruise is just fine; it’s plenty bright and we had no problems reading it in various lighting conditions, but the crispness and quality just doesn’t compare to its big brother. We’re sure it was a conscious decision on HTC’s part, but it’s a shame really because the Cruise has some features we’d have liked to see in the Diamond.

LG Cookie Review

2009-03-25T03:10:00.003+07:00

Demand for mobile phones with touch-sensitive screens has increased a lot during the last year and all kinds of models appeared on the market. However, only a small number of them are intended for the common user, who is not looking for a lot of extras, such as an 8-megapixel camera and GPS, he’d rather want a reasonable price and a modern appearance. LG is trying to reach exactly this group of users with its budget model, which has been given the nice and 'tasty' name Cookie, also known as KP500. According to the company, it offers features inherent in the high-end models, but at an affordable price. In addition, in the package you will find a small box of milk to eat it with - we are just kidding.
If you've seen the 8-megapixel LG Renoir you can find some similarities in the appearance, but Cookie is not as shiny and looks much more unpretentious. The phone is made of plastic, which feels like rubber and creates a pleasant sensation in your hand. A very good balance has been achieved in its size and weight so that the LG is comfortable to hold and very light - only 3.14 OZ. At first we even thought that we had forgotten to put the battery. The large 3-inch TFT display has a resolution of 240x400 pixels, 262k colors, which, just as many screens with such features, ensures a good image at artificial light. The situation is not as good at sunlight and just as in the case with Renoir, if you do not look directly at the KP500, the screen looks almost like a mirror.

The manufacturer boasts that the touchscreen uses the latest technology, which improves sensitivity. After we’ve spent some time with the Cookie, we were convinced that this was really true. Furthermore, there is an option to play different sounds and vibrations when pressing the screen, which contributes to the tangibility. We are very pleased with the screen and can only say "Bravo!". Well, it can eventually become a fingerprint mess, but you’ll be able to use it for a decent period of time before you feel the need to clean it. Below the display there are three buttons, which are similar to those of the Renoir and are easy to feel and press and in the lower right corner there is a telescopic stylus. The latter is removed horizontally and at first this seemed strange to us, because in most phones it is pulled downwards or upwards, but you get used to this after you pull it out 2-3 times. What is interesting on the sides is the key for turning the volume down, because by holding it down the silent profile gets switched on and off.

Samsung I7110 Preview

2009-03-25T03:10:00.002+07:00

Introduction:

The Samsung I7110 is yet another smartphone that promises to offer the users some decent multimedia capabilities. Specs-wise it is similar to the Samsung INNOV8; it features GPS, Wi-Fi and Symbian S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 operating system. In contrast, it isn’t a slider, lacks an abundant amount of built-in memory, and the camera utilizes the more modest 5-megapixels.

Design:

The appearance of the I7110 is very similar to the Soulb and has a lot of metal elements, including the keypad. The body of the phone isn’t exactly small, but at leThe 2.6” AMOLED display is capable of reproducing 262k colors. This technology has the potential to provide you with brighter colors, shorter response times and a 180-degrees viewing angle. Below it you’ll find the navigation keys, with an optical mouse in the center of the D-pad, similar to the INNOV8. The mouse lets you to navigate a cursor on the screen, which is interesting when viewing internet pages.ast is relatively thin at 12.9 mm.
On the left side of the I7110 you’ll find the volume rocker with the charger/headphones port below it, hidden under a sliding protective cover. On the opposite side is the microSD slot, the camera shutter and the button for quick access to the FM transmitter. The back houses the 5-megapixel camera and the loudspeaker.

Nokia 5730 XpressMusic

2009-03-25T03:10:00.001+07:00

Upside

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The fact that Nokia has taken its new flagship E-Series phone, painted it with glowing blue and glossy black, and paraded it as a "new device" offers a range of people the opportunity to own a smartphone fitting out with HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and push email, while maintaining their street cred.
This range of smartphone tools also includes the latest version of Nokia Maps, plus the 5730 will feature the Ovi suite of online services, notably the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage gaming. The home screen design has also noticeably changed. It features some elements of the Series 60 design we're accustomed to but also makes use of changes seen in the 5800 XpressMusic, with favourite contacts pictured for quick access.

The XpressMusic definitely supersedes the E75 as a music-playing device. Nokia is expected to bundle the phone with an 8GB microSD card, though the phone is capable of using 16GB memory sticks. It also comes with the all-important 3.5mm headphone socket, so your favourite Senheisser's can easily replace the bundled set of 'phones. The 5730 also includes Nokia's "Say and Play" voice-control for the built-in music player — just press the button and say the name of the track or artist to skip to the songs you want to hear.
Downside
With its full set of features the only thing that separates the 5730 from some of the high-end N-Series devices is a top-end camera. The on-board shooter is a 3.2-megapixel with Carl Zeiss optics, but this isn't a patch on the 8-megapixel cameras we're starting to see on the all-in-ones from Nokia and the rest.
The inclusion of smartphone components will also put strain on the battery life and we're not sure the 1000mAh battery in the 5730 will have enough juice to keep the phone powered for days at a time.

Overall

Mixing business functions and a QWERTY keyboard with the features we expect in an XpressMusic handset is interesting in concept, but we're not sure Nokia is onto a winner with this one. People looking for a business phone will likely turn to the E-Series, and those looking for a music phone will, and should, check out Apple's iPhone. Mixing business with pleasure seems sure to leave the 5730 in limbo.

By Joseph Hanlon

Sony Ericsson W 705

2009-03-25T03:10:00.000+07:00

Design

In the picture above it may not seem like there is much different about the W705. Slider phones are a dime-a-dozen and it has the same nav-key layout as just about every Sony Ericsson phone for the last two years. But trust us when we say, there is something different about the W705. It's almost hard to describe, these differences are very subtle, but the overall effect is very pleasing.
The W705 is an interesting mix of the brushed-metal silver finish we've seen time and again, and a soft-touch plastic covering the back of the phone and keypad. The 2.4-inch screen on this phone isn't going to rival the HTC Touch HD in size, but on this tiny little phone it seems positively huge. The cute menu displays the screen's bright colours and deep blacks with funky flare.
But it's not all strawberries and cream. Firstly, the slider mechanism feels loose and wobbles very slightly when it's moved. This may not result in any lasting damage to the phone, but it belies the phone's premium quality aesthetic. Also, we don't like the W705's tiny, flat keypad. Previous Walkmans, the W880 and W890, featured ridiculously tiny keys but at least each was well defined. We criticised the tiny buttons when we reviewed those models, but they were much easier to use compared to the just-barely-raised buttons on the W705.
We should probably add that the W705's lack of a 3.5mm headphone socket on the phone and use of M2 memory rather than microSD also annoy us, but this is becoming such a tired, one-way conversation between Sony Ericsson and the buying public. The bundled headphones have a 3.5mm jack and the phone comes with an adapter so you can use your favourite headphones, just be prepared to have a pocket full of loose cable. Sony Ericsson has generously included a 4GB memory card in the box to get you started.
Features
Musically speaking, the W705 is well featured and performs its dual-role of phone and music playing with aplomb. Hardcore musos will argue that a phone could never replace their 120GB iPod, and nor may it ever, but the 4GB card included with the phone is capable of holding between 1,500 and 3,000 songs, depending on compression, and this will be plenty for most people. Sony Ericsson's music menu is still our second favourite after Apple's, it's attractive and easy to navigate. A Walkman button on the top of the handset makes access to your music even easier, jumping you into the media menu from any screen.
The W705 employs Sony Ericsson's "clear audio experience", though what this actually means has been difficult to decipher. We know there is dedicated audio hardware, different to that featured in other Walkman phones, and we know that the phone features a pretty comprehensive equaliser, but then so many phones do these days. You'll also find Sony Ericsson's SenseMe playlist creating software. This makes your job of choosing music as easy as deciphering your mood and translating it to somewhere on a scale of happy to sad, fast to slow. To be honest, SenseMe didn't seem to be on our brainwave, some of the songs it suggested as sad were hilarious. Anyone who knows the Sahara Hot Night's Alright Alright knows it's hardly the kind of maudlin music you'd play after a break-up.
As a phone, the W705 sports HSDPA data speeds for downloading as well as HSUPA for faster uploads (2Mbps uplink), which is excellent if you want to upload your pics to Facebook, or upload geotagged photos to Flickr. With the growing interest in social networking from handsets, expect to see fast upload become the norm across mid-range and top-end handsets in 2009.
Its connectivity is extended with Wi-Fi and DLNA networking giving the option to share your media with a PC or a DLNA-connected television. If you're jumping online, the W705 comes with a nifty YouTube video player. This is a dedicated client with excellent navigation through the dozens of search results you're likely to come across.
Performance
Lace up your dancing shoes kids, the W705 makes a cracking good music player. Sony Ericsson might be a bit cagey about the exact audio hardware under the hood, but the results speak for themselves. The media menu makes it easy to jump into your music, and the audio fidelity is great. Even the bundled headphones do a decent job of delivering a thumping sound, close to our favourite Sennheisers, if not quite as loud.
It seems strange then that audio quality during calls was a little sub-par. The W705 is as easy to make a call with as any Sony Ericsson phone before it, but the voices we heard during calls were muffled and difficult to hear and the people we spoke with complained of distortion when we spoke. Text messaging was fine, though the characters on-screen appear a moment after you input them, lagging slightly behind, and this can be off-putting. Sony Ericsson rates the battery life for the W705 to be four hours for talk-time on a 3G network. With varying uses of the media player we averaged at about three days between charges.
Something that drove us crazy was the extraordinarily long time it took to transfer media to the phone using the bundled PC software. For our tests, we transferred 3GB of supported music files to the memory card and this took one and a half hours. In comparison, transferring 4GB of music to the new Nokia 5800 XpressMusic took 40 minutes. Sony Ericsson announced its new Media Go software at MWC this year, so here's hoping it streamlines this process and results in us not waiting as long to use our phone again.
Overall
Our disappointments with the W705 were few and cosmetic, with the exception of muffled call quality which poses an issue with core functionality. This is Sony Ericsson's sexiest Walkman since the W890 and with the introduction of the company's Entertainment Unlimited brand (the merging of Walkman and Cyber-shot feature sets), this could be one of its last Walkmans to boot. There's not too much difference between this and Sony Ericsson phones from last year, it's hardly the kind of phone that will have you begging your network carrier for an upgrade, but people looking for a phone that plays their music won't be disappointed.

By Joseph Hanlon

Acer ready to release new smartphones

2009-03-24T05:56:00.000+07:00

After having their hands full at the MWC announcing new smart phones, Acer is now ready to start bringing some of these handsets to market. The DX900 should be available at the end of this month. The device is a touchscreen, 3G model that holds two SIM cards (one for high speed HSDPA and the other for the more pokey EDGE) and runs on Windows Mobile. As the calendar flips over to April, Acer is expected to release the X960. This device features a 2.8 inch touchscreen, a 3.2MP camera, GPS, a 5-way navigation button that lies under the screen and also runs on Windows Mobile.

Acer plans on a second quarter release of their two 3.8 inch touchscreen models, the M900 and the F900. The latter is a thin, stylish handset that anyone could use while the former, with a QWERTY keyboard slider, is aimed at the business market. Pricing and carrier availability for all of the handsets has not yet been mentioned.

HTC to ship at least three Android devices in 2009

2009-03-24T05:52:00.001+07:00

MWC 2009 was clearly a snoozer, in terms of Google Android news, but with the CTIA Spring 2009 just a couple of weeks away, there's hope for some announcements at the show. While we can't say for sure, here's something that might interest you.
According to HTC chief executive Peter Chou, the smartphone manufacturer plans to release at least three Android devices in 2009. Keep in mind, this number includes the HTC Magic, which was announced at MWC for the European market, so we're looking at a minimum of two more.
This information came to light at the Merrill Lynch technology conference in Taipei, Taiwan, when a reporter asked Chou if there was any truth to the rumour that HTC would ship five Android smartphones this year. Although he answered that the manufacturer would release "at least" three, he declined to comment any further.
With Samsung, Garmin, Sony Ericsson and several other companies also working on Google Android devices for 2009, it looks like we're in for a busy and exciting second half of the year.

By Bonnie Cha

Sony Ericsson C510 Preview

2009-03-24T05:52:00.000+07:00

Introduction and Design:

Sony Ericsson’s Cyber-shot family includes high-tech phones that are able to compete with the top cameraphones from the other manufacturers (even though the C905 fell a bit short), as well as some simpler devices intended for people with limited budgets who still wish to take quality pictures. The 3.2-megapixel C510 falls in this second group, aiming to be the cheapest one in the series.

It is also one of the thinnest ones, measuring in at 12.5 mm. Only “James Bond’s phone”, the C902 is superior in this aspect. Its overall design is rather pleasant and bears all appearance features that are typical for new Sony Ericsson candybar devices.
The display is 2.2-inch and supports 262k colors, and Sony claims it to be scratch resistant. Even without looking at the pictures you can guess that below it are situated the 5-way D-pad, the send and end keys, the functional keys and the keypad. The volume rocker and the camera shutter are on the right, and on the left are the charger connector and the M2 card slot.The only interesting element is the camera lid, which covers the camera lens and the flash. It is made of metal and rises a bit when opened. It also activates the illumination of the functions connected to shooting, which are set to some of the keys – change of the shooting mode, switching between preset preferences, focus and flash.
Interface:

Speaking of the camera, let’s first examine its interface, as it is the only thing that distinguishes the C510 from previous Cyber-shot phones. While certainly not the first on the market, this is the first phone from the series to incorporate smile detection. We gave it a few tries and concluded that it works fine, even if the people in front of us aren’t grinning, similarly to the Joker from “Batman: The Dark Knight”. The rest of the features are well known to us from the C905 – preset scenes with beautiful pictures, white balance, various effects, face detection, macro mode, geotagging and so on. The interface of the phone itself is also identical to the C905 with all its colorful themes, the home screen apps and the multimedia menu. The awesome internet browser is also on board, along with the games utilizing the accelerometer.As a whole, the future of the Sony Ericsson C510 will be determined by the camera quality/price ratio, since there are already a lot of similar devices on the market, and the newbie in the Cyber-shot series does not offer some revolutionary extras or appearance that would turn heads. Expect our detailed review as soon as this phone hits the market officially.

Samsung UltraTOUCH Preview

2009-03-24T05:45:00.000+07:00

A few words:

Memories from the MWC event are no doubt still fresh not only because it was about half a month ago, but also because the manufacturers have done their best in order to impress us. Thinking about it, it was probably Samsung that managed to put up the most remarkable performance. However, among the countless phones that were introduced by Samsung, there were a few of them that definitely deserved more attention than the others. These handsets have excelled in having a remarkable design, overtaking functionality and… of course, large touch-sensitive screens.

You certainly remember that one of these was the Samsung UltraTOUCH, which is going to be the new high-end model in the manufacturer’s Ultra series. Being an Ultra series phone means that it will bring together the positive sides of other more narrowly developed devices and put everything in a nice and good-looking body, making it easily acceptable by the common user. The UltraTOUCH will be Samsung’s flagship model in the course of 2009, as it combines several key features. To begin with, it sports a 2.8-inch touch-sensitive display which allows it to take advantage of the latest TouchWiz user interface and a rich number of widgets, automatically turning it into an adequate modern device. On the other hand, it is also equipped with an up-to-date 8-megapixel camera. You would say it is a real cameraphone?! Not exactly. In addition, it has a really slim and attractive body, along with a numeric keypad, designed to turn heads from the ground up. Still, its various features and capabilities would not let us refer to it as just a fashion accessory. So what exactly is the UltraTOUCH? In our view, it is a multifunctional - all-purpose - high-end device, designed to satisfy the pretentious needs of a widest range of users, while still being a phone in the first place.

Design:

The Samsung UltraTOUCH succeeds the Soul, but in contrast to it, the navigation touch display is no longer present, freeing some space for the larger 2.8-inch touch-sensitive screen. Right below it there are just a few buttons – the send and end ones and the unique-looking back button, which on our prototype does not feature a “back arrow”. However, it still introduces the unique rhomb-like shape with a metal frame.

Wondering how to dial a number? Simply slide the phone open to reveal the standard keypad. As a whole, the numeric keys are big enough, but are quite different in design to the ones of the MWC unit. Still, we would avoid giving an opinion on how handy they are since, as we’ve mentioned above, our unit is a prototype and these elements are a subject to change.

Other elements here are the loudspeaker and the camera for video conversations, positioned above the display. The left side houses only the volume rocker; and the camera shutter, the hold key and the microUSB port (fortunately, there is one) are on the right.

Turning the phone over reveals a simple design, with only the Samsung logo standing against the black housing. Opening the slide provides a bit more flare; the 8 megapixel camera is revealed on a bright orange finish, complete with flash and a tiny mirror.

Samsung Omnia i900

2008-11-29T02:04:00.000+07:00

This morning, Samsung briefly had an image of this Windows Mobile smartphone with the Verizon logo on its website. This led to a broken link, and has since been removed, but it's evidence that's hard to refute.

This isn't the first strong indication that this carrier has its eye on the Omnia; this model was listed on a Verizon rebate form issued last month.

An Overview of the Samsung Omnia

The Omnia has a design that focuses on its relatively large, 240-by-400 pixel touchscreen. It's one of several smartphones that strongly invites comparison to the iPhone 3G.

It runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, but Samsung has added its TouchWiz user interface, which has been designed to make the device easier to use with a fingertip.

The European version of this device has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 5-megapixel camera, a microSD card slot, a TV-out port, a GPS receiver, an FM radio, and a 1440 mAh battery.

It's not clear if Verizon's version will have the exact same feature set, but the images and description that briefly appeared on Samsung's site (shown here) included TouchWiz and mentioned the 5-MPx camera.

BY: Adama D. Brown

Samsung F480

2008-11-29T01:26:00.000+07:00

Design Think Samsung's Omnia, but squatter. It's no surprise that two Samsung touchscreen handsets released in short succession should look so alike. There are subtle differences in the shape and size of the mechanical keys, and the Omnia's 3-inch display is a 2.8-inch touchscreen on the F480, but otherwise these guys are like twins separated at birth The F480 has a pleasing weight and its brushed metal finish feels nice to hold. Samsung has opted for a capacitive touchscreen in the F480, as opposed to the resistive touchscreen technology it tends to employ, and while these technologies are vastly different, the end result subtly favours the F480. Capacitive touchscreens react to fingers only (or contact with any part of your body), so you cannot use a stylus, but the upside is a more responsive display. Samsung has designed a good touchscreen interface for this handset. Incorporating the company's TouchWiz widgets homescreen and large colourful menu items, we've had no significant difficulty in navigating the menus or performing basic phone functions. We're still not sold on the usefulness of the TouchWiz widgets, though our review unit came with four Telstra widgets which are great links to Next G services. Features Comparisons with Apple's iPhone are inevitable, on the merit of the touchscreens and colour menus mostly, but there are important differences to note. Firstly, the F480 isn't a smartphone. It runs on Samsung's proprietary operating platform and as such you cannot develop or install third party applications to this phone, other than Java-based software. Also, the F480 doesn't include Wi-Fi hardware or a GPS receiver, like Apple's smartphone. Instead the F480 sports strong consumer phone features, including a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash and access to Next G services and mobile Foxtel. In unison with 7.2Mbps HSDPA data speeds the F480T has an excellent pre-installed web browser. Its interface is simple and clean, and it does a great job of rendering pages in a single column mobile view, which is lucky because zooming requires more keystrokes than the finger gestures iPhone users will be accustomed to. The F480 supports a range of multimedia including DRM-free MP3 and AAC music files and MPEG4, H.264 and H.263 video files. The music player interface is serviceable, but it has nothing on the slick iPod Coverflow menu found on the iPhone. Performance Unlike the Samsung Omnia, the F480 has fewer feathers in its cap, but we've been mostly impressed with how each of these features has performed. Making and receiving calls is good with a loud, if slightly muffled, speaker at your ear. Creating messages is a breeze due to a well-designed onscreen T9 keypad. Some people may be disappointed to discover the F480 doesn't use a virtual QWERTY keyboard, but from our experience with other touchscreen phones, this is not a feature we'd make use of anyway. The speed of menu navigation and processing in applications is mostly sufficient. The time between selecting an option or application and seeing the results is typically about one second. This pause is smoothed over somewhat by animated transitions, though these tend to stutter and lag. The F480 does an excellent job of behaving like a portable media player, though with matching file recognition and no significant internal storage or 3.5mm headphone socket on the phone (it does come with a cumbersome 3.5mm extension adapter), it's hard to recommend the F480 over the iPhone as a media player. On the other hand the F480 may be the best Telstra Next G handset we've come across. Watching Foxtel TV on this phone truly shows off how great this service is; the streaming is fast and without interruption and the picture and audio is as good as to be expected — which is about YouTube video quality. The 5-megapixel camera certainly seems to have all the settings and adjustments that have become common across the higher-specced camera phones. The F480 has a variety of shooting modes and white balance settings, picture quality and focusing mode adjustments. In the field we found the camera took photos that represented the colours we saw well, but tended to flare in sunlight and often struggled to focus. As far as 5-megapixel camera phones go the F480 is a mid-range shooter and will pass the test for Facebook bloggers, but not so for people who may want to print these photos down the track. Overall At CNET we love to see phones that know exactly what they are, and don't fail pretending to be something they are not. This describes the F480 exactly. The F480 is the perfect match for the first generation iPhone, before Apple filled its phone with MS Exchange support and a GPS receiver. If you're in the market for a chic-looking touchscreen phone, with responsive input, a decent camera and a standard range of media playback, then the F480 is worth checking out. If you're looking for a business-capable smartphone, look elsewhere.
By Joseph Hanlon

BlackBerry Storm 9500

2008-11-28T02:32:00.000+07:00

Upside

Prepare to be astounded by the crisp clarity of the 9500's screen. This is undoubtedly one feature that has our knees quivering with anticipation. The screen on the BlackBerry Bold was second-to-none in terms of vibrant colour reproduction, and from what we can tell so far, the Storm's screen is simply a bigger version of this display with a slightly higher image resolution.

But how do you intend to make the most of this marvellous screen? Watching videos, of course! In regards to video, we are pleased to see that the Storm supports many of the popular file formats including Windows Media Video (WMV), MPEG 4, H.264 MP4, plus standard 3GP mobile phone video files. The Storm also sports a 3.5mm audio output jack so you won't be burdened with crappy bundled stereo headphones and microSD memory expansion to supplement its 1GB of internal storage.

Perhaps the most fascinating element of the Storm is that the screen depresses when pressed, so it's like a giant soft-key. Research in Motion (RIM) has made its name for producing some of the best QWERTY keyboards on mobile handsets, and the shift to touchscreen is sure to be received with quizzical scepticism from its hard-core fans. The touchscreen adds a tactility that is sure to help bridge the gap between physical keypads and virtual ones, and in concept is a stroke of genius.

In terms of power, the Storm should go like grease-lightning (sorry, that is absolutely the last weather pun). The Storm will run the same combination of a 624MHz processor with 128MB RAM we saw in the Bold, and we certainly had no complaints about processing when we reviewed it. The 9500 will also feature smartphone standards like HSDPA network compatibility, A-GPS with BlackBerry maps and RIM's excellent messaging service via BlackBerry Internet and Enterprise Services.

Downside

The only stand-out omission is a lack of a Wi-Fi receiver. This harks back to BlackBerrys of old when RIM would almost always leave out one feature or another. The Pearl series is a great example; the 8120 had Wi-Fi but no GPS, the 8220 had GPS but no Wi-Fi. In truth, the infrequency of Wi-Fi hotspots in Australia means we are far more likely to use the mobile networks for data anyway, however expensive it may be.

We are pleased that RIM has chosen to include a big 1400mAh battery with the 9500 because it's going to need every last drop of juice to keep it running. With the high powered processor and the 3.2-inch display, RIM estimates 5.5 hours of talk time, which will probably translate into two days between charges depending on use.

Overall

RIM is a very careful company that has impressed us in the past with its balancing act of design and practicality. The Storm is obviously a reactionary release, but there's no reason to doubt it will be a high quality handset.

By Joseph Hanlon

HTC announces the world's first Windows Mobile 5.0 based 3G device

2008-11-28T02:25:00.000+07:00

High Tech Computer Corp. today announced its plans to release the world's first 3G Windows Mobile 5.0 based device, the HTC Universal second half this year. The Universal will enable customers to be more productive while having powerful multimedia and internet browsing capabilities. Global distribution plans for the device are expected in the second half of 2005 with mobile operators in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Microsoft Corp. chairman and chief software architect, Bill Gates, unveiled Windows Mobile 5.0 during his keynote at Microsoft Mobile & Embedded DevCon 2005 in Las Vegas and displayed its versatility on the HTC Universal.

"This is the first time we are seeing the same internet experience, which you can only have in your office, with universal 3G high speed wireless data capability and large VGA display legibility. The new features from Windows Mobile 5.0 will greatly improve the keyboard experience and persistent storage feature will keep user data forever," said Peter Chou, president of HTC.

Certain technological breakthroughs are seen in the HTC Universal featuring improved support of more multimedia and productivity applications, broad integration of digital multimedia features, and faster connections to the Internet and email servers. With seamless synchronization to Office applications, faster connection speeds and versatile multimedia features customers can be more productive and have fun anywhere, anytime.

"The familiarity and flexibility of Windows Mobile 5.0 enables industry partners like HTC to differentiate themselves and provide extremely compelling mobile solutions for its customers," said Pieter Knook, senior vice president for the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft. "We look forward to our continued work with HTC to deliver forward-thinking and advanced mobile device solutions."

The HTC Universal is a 3G-enabled device that takes advantage of the advanced Windows Mobile 5.0 features, The built-in keyboard enables users to create and edit files with Microsoft Office applications. For phone and communications, the latest video telephony and dual-camera functionality facilitate high-speed connections and videoconferencing. The clamshell design of the device features a 180 degree pivot screen. With its new user interface boasting portrait and landscape modes, the new 3G phone will automatically change to the best interface. Users can also switch between the two display modes at their own discretion. In addition, users can send and receive pictures and video files at more rapid connection speeds. With its dual speaker stereophonic sound system, users can enjoy smooth and high-resolution videos at anytime.

Okay - insiders already knows what's the HTC Universal is - it's the previously announced T-Mobile MDA IV, Vodafone VPA IV and Orange SPV 3G Pocket PC Poone Edition and know we know why we have "never" seen in switched-on during congresses and conferences like 3GSM Congress in Cannes or CeBIT in Hannover - the reason is it is running Windows Mobile 5.0 which wasn't announced these days.

DLO TransDock (2nd generation)

2008-11-28T02:11:00.000+07:00

DLO's second-generation TransDock iPod/iPhone cradle and FM transmitter is a convenient and stylish way to connect your favourite music player to a car stereo system without performing an modifications. Design and Features At the time of writing, DLO's second generation Transdock is the most attractive iPhone cradle we've seen on the market. This black unit looks stylish, has a simple digital interface and the gooseneck arm allows for maximum flexibility for a variety of car dashboards. Like the Griffin iTrip Autopilot, the TransDock has a feature which scans for clear FM frequencies to use. In our testing, IntelliTune, as it's called, steered clear of most FM radio stations and up to four station presets can be stored. These can be set manually too, if you're that way inclined. Protruding out of the cigarette lighter connector and supporting the iPod/iPhone cradle, the TransDock's gooseneck support arm is both the device's best and worst feature. This flexible arm can be bent and twisted to show your iPod or iPhone at almost any angle you desire. The downside, though, is that the neck moves around quite a bit when you're on the road and around one bend, our iPhone almost fell out of the dock. In addition to the iPhone and iPod Touch, The TransDock can connect with all the different Nano flavours, as well as the full-sized iPod from the fourth generation onwards. Performance One of the problems with FM transmitters — and this is not a problem unique to the TransDock — is that the audio quality suffers in built-up areas. What sets this unit apart from other FM transmitters, however, is its range of input and output jacks located on the underside of the unit. A 3.5mm auxiliary-in jack allows the TransDock to be used with non-Apple MP3 players, while the AV-out port allows music and video to be heard or shown on your car's entertainment system. You will, though, need to purchase the necessary cables seperately, and if you're planning on using your TransDock only in cars with an auxiliary in port, DLO has a cheaper TransDock Direct model that does without the FM transmitter. Conclusion Were it not for the TransDock's less than stable grip on your precious Apple phone or MP3 player, it would have rated a lot higher. However, if you like having the flexibility of having both an FM transmitter and an auxiliary out port, as well as the ability to connect MP3 players from outside the house of Apple, then the second generation TransDock may well be a good fit for you.

Dexim BluePack

2008-11-28T02:08:00.000+07:00

If you've got a 3G iPhone and use its Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities regularly, you'll be well aware of the device's lack of battery life. For most users this means finding an electrical socket at least once a day or so — a major hassle for users on the run. Dexim's BluePack was built to address this problem by extending the iPhone's battery life. The device's rectangular lithium-ion battery connects to the bottom of the iPhone and gives up to 3.5 hours of extra talk time. Design and Features The Dexim BluePack certainly isn't the most attractive iPhone accessory on the market. While the black finish looks nice enough in isolation, attaching a 4-5cm black brick to the bottom of your iPhone certainly does detract from the iPhone's pleasing aesthetics. To charge the Dexim BluePack, a retractable USB cord is included; connected to a computer it takes a few hours to recharge. While the BluePack connects to the iPhone without a hitch, users may want to be careful when using it, as the extra weight dangling precariously from bottom of your beloved iPhone may, with a bit of rough use, unclip and damage the connector on either device. Performance Looks aside the Dexim BluePack does do what it is advertised to, which is to give your iPhone more battery life when you're without recharging options. The makers claim an extra 36 hours of extra audio playback, seven hours of video playback, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time with the BluePack attached. While we weren't able to fully verify the accuracy of these claims completely, we did manage to eke out a few extra days of fairly typical usage: light calling and messaging, heavy Wi-Fi use, and a couple of hours audio playback. Conclusion While the Dexim BluePack, like most additional battery packs, won't compliment the iPhone in terms of style, it's a worthwhile buy for heavy iPhone users who spend plenty of time on the road or want to keep it as a backup in the glove box of their car. Note: we reviewed DCA001 model, which is designed for the iPhone, iPod Touch and full-size iPods. A thinner DCA005, suited to the first, second and fourth generation Nanos, is also available By Brendon Chase

Xperia X1 is Telstra-exclusive

2008-11-27T04:48:00.000+07:00

Sony Ericsson has announced the Xperia X1 will be exclusive to Telstra's Next G network in Australia.

In a statement Sony Ericsson has priced the X1 handset at AU$1,499 with a 4GB microSD included in the bundle. Telstra has yet to name contract pricing for the smartphone, but has confirmed the X1 will be in stores in "early December".

The much-anticipated Xperia X1, Sony Ericsson's first Windows Mobile smartphone, was first announced during World Mobile Congress in February this year. The phone uses touchscreen input and features a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard. Sony Ericsson hopes to differentiate this handset from its competition with what it calls the 'Xperia Panels' — a navigation system which acts as a home screen portal to a range of user customised interfaces.

Telstra has been successful in securing exclusive sales rights to many of this years most popular smartphone releases including the HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Touch Dual, the i-mate Ultimate series and the Palm Treo Pro, as well as non-exclusive rights to the Apple iPhone 3G.

By Joseph Hanlon

Sony Ericsson W980

2008-11-26T03:42:00.000+07:00

I want a phone which I can listen to music by without compromise!’ - if this thought keeps running in your head, then look here before you go shopping. W980 is one of the latest models in Sony Ericsson’s Walkman series and may just be the perfect fit for you. It belongs to the high class and is Sony’s first device with an FM transmitter, by which you can play music on radio-receivers near you. Like the W960 before it, the W980 offers 8 GB of internal memory. In its box you will find: • Sony Ericsson W980 • Battery charger • USB cable • Stereo earpieces HPM-77 • 2 pairs of extra rubber seals • Software CD • Manual

Sony Ericsson W380i

2008-11-26T03:37:00.000+07:00

Design The W380i is the latest in Sony Ericsson's line-up of Walkman phones. Featuring a clamshell form factor, the W380i is an understated, entry-level mobile phone available in magnetic grey or electric purple. While the flip phone's outer shell appears nondescript, on closer inspection hidden underneath the grey cover is an OLED screen that is visible when closing the clamshell or when selecting music in MP3 player mode. The information displayed is quite similar to Sony Ericsson's Z750i where information displayed includes battery life, missed call/message, time and reception levels. Side on, the W380i is a parallelogram with just one proprietary port for hooking up the included stereo hands-free headphones, AC adapter and USB cable; on the opposite side is the volume button. Opened up, the clamshell phone sports a nice clean design with soft keys shaped like little silver discs and a bright aqua jewel-like button at the centre of the five-way navigation disc. The tactile keys on the number pad are attractively rounded bubble-like keys that are easy to press and provide good tactile feedback. Turning the phone over, there is a small sliding lock ... you'll have to read on to find out what this mystery button does. Features There are quite a few features on the W380i, like a 1.3-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, Bluetooth stereo, RSS reader and the usual assortment of apps such as calculator, alarm clock, etc. What interested us the most was the Gesture control, which sets this phone apart from other models in Sony Ericsson's Walkman line-up. What's Gesture control, you ask? Quite simply it's a way to control your phone by waving your hand in front of the embedded camera lens. Unfortunately, there's not a lot you can do with gesture control. You can mute incoming calls or put your alarm on snooze — that's about it. (We also found that it took quite a few waves of the hand before it mutes or snoozes. In that amount of time, we could've pressed a button — and not look like a fool). A few onlookers mistakenly thought we were trying to answer the phone by waving hello. And if you think jiggling it around in your pocket will do the job, it doesn't. Also, if you were to use it to turn off your alarm, you'd probably knock over everything on your bedside table before the alarm turns off. It's a gimmick you probably won't use after the first few days of purchasing the phone. A really nice feature, however, are the play, fast forward and rewind braille-like buttons at the top of the phone. To activate these, you slide the lock button located at the back of the phone and it's ready to go. By touching one of the markings, the W380i will give a little buzz to acknowledge you've hit one of the buttons. And with the volume button on the side, you won't have to open the phone to control your music. Song information scrolls across the top of the phone, which is handy for flipping through your song selection. The W380i has a tiny 14MB of internal storage with an included 512MB Memory Stick Micro (M2) — there's the option to expand up to 2GB for your expansive music library. To access the M2, the somewhat flimsy back cover must be removed first. If you're concerned about using the phone abroad, the W380i is tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900MHz) compatible, and runs on EDGE and GPRS data networks. Performance Music played on the phone's built-in speaker was incredibly tinny with no bass and average treble, even after adjusting the equaliser settings. The volume was loud enough for you to hear the music from across a quiet room, but don't expect to hear it in a noisy environment without headphones. Listening to music via the included headphones improved things greatly. The equaliser settings were quite impressive. After playing around with this feature, you'd never want to listen to music without "Mega Bass", or if you're a great fan of a singer's voice but the music drowns it out, you can select the "Voice" setting. You can also choose to listen to music in Normal, Bass and Treble Boost modes. Calls came through nice and clear. We found it very easy to hear the caller, even in a noisy environment. We experienced a few difficulties with the operating system — it was noticeably slow. The phone took a slow second to react when we pressed the soft keys and navigation key, but things went much more quickly when we got into the sub-structure. Battery life lasted for approximately 8.5 hours of non-stop music and the occasional phone call, which is one hour and a half longer than the company's estimated time of seven hours. According to Sony Ericsson, the W380i will last for approximately 300 hours on standby. If you're after a pretty decent MP3 player that just so happens to be a pretty nice phone, then we highly recommend the W380i.

Sony Ericsson T303

2008-11-26T03:36:00.000+07:00

Sony Ericsson has had a tough year but its saving grace might come in the form of a little slider phone called the T303. We took this cute little handset out on the town to see if good things really do come in small packages. After playing around with the relatively large iPhone 3G, it's great to see a small phone that fits easily into a pocket. Coming in at around the same size as a toy car, the T303 is just what the doctor ordered if you lack space in your handbag or you wear skinny jeans. The T303 is an attractive phone that sports a reflective screen, which is useful if you want to use it as a mirror. It feels solid, too — as if it could take a few falls without breaking and would last quite a few years of use. While we like how small the T303 is, we're not as overjoyed about its features. There's Bluetooth and a 1.3-megapixel camera, but that's about it. There's no 3G or Wi-Fi and no expandable memory, and with only 8MB of internal memory don't expect to store much data, asides from text messages perhaps. Unlike many small phones, the T303 comes with an FM radio, a definite plus for a phone with so few features. In addition to listening to your favourite shows, you can also listen to MP3s and set them as ringtones. Unfortunately because of the limited amount of memory, however, you won't be able to store many tracks. Composing text messages is disappointing because of the T303's small keypad, which doesn't leave you much room for manoeuvring. We also found the cancel key and shortcut key, located above the keypad, annoying to use as they require a lot of pressure to press properly. The screen is large enough to view text messages on comfortably but its low resolution (128 x 160 pixels) display doesn't do pictures any justice. As for the 1.3-megapixel camera, don't expect great things, especially in low light as there's no flash. If you're looking for something small then it might be the phone for you. The build quality is high and with a few more features and a slightly better keypad this could have achieved a much higher mark. Still, we're disappointed with the lack of features and the small screen and keypad, both of which could have been made a little larger.

Sony Ericsson C905

2008-11-26T03:28:00.000+07:00

Design
When we saw this phone at Communicasia earlier in the year, our first impression of the C905 was that it seemed like a cheaper model in the growing Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot range. Examining the handset again our first impressions were a little off the mark. The body of the C905 may be thicker and without the glossy sheen of the sexy C902 but its rubberised body looks quite attractive and sturdy enough to protect the high-resolution camera inside — and the 2.4-inch QVGA TFT display is fantastic.

The keypad on the C905 isn't our favourite, despite fitting stylistically with the handset's design. The keypad is flat and lacks the definition of previous Sony Ericsson models, and the navigation controls on the top of the slider feel stiff and cramped together. When correcting mistakes in text messages using the Clear key, we found that we had to be extra careful not to press the 'end call' key and cancel our work mid-message.

While we may not love the keypad design we do love that Sony Ericsson have given dual purposes to a number of the keys when the phone is in camera mode. Each of the four directions of the central navigation button have photographic functions assigned and two keys above the screen, on either side of the earpiece, have dedicated camera controls. On the left hand side we find the main buttons; zoom, capture, and a selector switch between camera and video modes.

The C905's camera lens is hidden behind a stainless steel panel on the back of the phone. Sliding the panel open not only exposes the lens, but unlocks the phone and activates the camera, ready for taking a quick pic. We had been concerned that this would unlock the phone too easily in our pockets, but during our test period this hasn't been an issue.

As with all Sony Ericsson handsets, the bundled headphones don't come with a 3.5mm connection but instead connect to the combination charging and USB port. The C905 takes M2 memory sticks, and Sony Ericsson have bundled an M2 USB adaptor in the box for easy transfers of files and photos to your PC.

Features
For those of you who've been living under rocks, or following presidential elections too closely to keep up, the C905 is Sony Ericsson's first 8-megapixel camera phone — 8.1-megapixels to be exact. The camera features a range of focus modes including auto, macro, face-detection and sports a Xenon flash. Delving deeper into the camera settings we find Smart Contrast and BestPic shooting modes, an extensive list of pre-configured scene modes, a digital image stabiliser and geo-tagging.

To geo-tag your photos the C905 uses a built-in GPS receiver, and the phone can also transfer data over HSDPA and Wi-Fi networks. The C905 also features DLNA network support for media sharing with a compatible networked device, like a Sony PlayStation 3. Once connected the C905 is cable of pushing media (audio, photos and video) to the PS3 and having it displayed on the connected TV.

The C905 runs on Sony Ericsson's proprietary operating system and includes all the software we expect to see on its handsets. These applications include its excellent media interface and support with MP3, AAC and MP4 media files. The C905 can also sync with MS Outlook to transfer contacts, calendar entries and upcoming tasks.

Performance
Before we go into detail about the performance of the camera we would like to say that the C905 is an excellent mobile phone. Call quality is superb and messaging is great, as per usual, and is fantastically easy to use with zippy menu navigation. Multitasking is possible with the C905, however, most applications close when you exit back to the menu and this helps the phone to run at top speed.

Also impressive is the C905's above-average battery life: during our testing we found ourselves charging this phone after at least two full days. When you consider the bright display and full range of connectivity in this Cyber-shot, two or three days of battery life is excellent.

It is important to put these criticisms into perspective. Being an 8-megapixel camera phone we have brought a stricter approach to our testing than we usually would for a camera phone, and the results certainly don't hold the C905 up well against standard 8-megapixel cameras. That said, the C905 is more than capable of taking the kind of snapshots people tend to capture with camera phones, and issues like over-saturisation may actually be seen as a bonus for some, as a way of giving their photos a larger-than-life colouring.

Overall
Despite its 8-megapixel image sensor, the C905 is not the camera phone to replace all cameras. It is, however, a very good mobile phone with a camera capable of capturing those impromptu moments of frivolity with friends. However, for a device that isn't a smartphone the AU$1,149 ticket price for the C905 is outrageous. If you find yourself drawn to this handset we suggest you wait six months for the C905 to end up on a low-to-mid range mobile plan.

Sony Ericsson R306

2008-11-26T03:26:00.000+07:00

Ever been out and about and developed a sudden, desperate hankering to listen to talkback radio? Neither have we, but if your wireless predilections include stations in the AM frequency range, you have a new, compact option for listening on the go. Sony Ericsson's R306 is a budget clamshell handset equipped with an AM/FM radio and not a whole lot else. With its large buttons, sedate colours and easy access to the talk on 2UE, it seems a perfect fit for the blue-rinse brigade, but it's not daggy enough to embarrass you when you pull it out of a pocket. Design With its squarish contours and bulky size, the R306 looks like a sixties designer's vision of future gadgetry. The silver and grey colour scheme is no-nonsense, and the phone is free — some would say mercifully free — from jewelled embellishments and touch-sensitive surfaces. When closed and held horizontally, the R306 resembles a radio. Speakers on the left and right are divided by a silver panel that incorporates a monochrome display. This LCD displays incoming calls, radio stations and the clock. Beneath it are three preset buttons for quick access to stations as well as up and down keys for scrolling through channels. Flick the phone open — a slightly arduous task given the weight of the lid — and you're met with more silver and grey on the keypad. The circular number keys are refreshingly well-spaced, and their raised silver ridges make it easy to distinguish between each button by the way the keypad feels. The other keys are not so user-friendly — the selection key at the centre of the menu nav button is particularly troublesome due to its tiny size and the fact that it's flush with the surrounding surfaces. There are also two buttons hiding in plain sight beneath the send and end keys. Though they have tiny symbols on them, they are barely distinguishable as buttons because they are just sections of the surface. Features Being an entry-level phone, the R306 is understandably light on features, but the paltry storage space is a bit jarring. Inside the R306 is a scant 5MB of space, or barely enough to store a single MP3. There is no expansion slot to bump up the teeny amount of memory, so you will have to settle for the tunes on the radio if you want to hear music on your phone. Also making appearances on the features list are Bluetooth, a voice recorder and a 1.3 megapixel, flash-free camera capable of recording short videos. Sony Ericsson's TrackID music identification service is included, for all those times when you need to know the name of a song posthaste but can't Google the lyrics. Performance In general, radio reception on mobile phones tends to be a mixed, static-strewn affair. Adding AM to the mix makes things even fuzzier. We tested the radio by putting the phone in a pocket and walking around the Sydney CBD. Predictably, when we ventured into areas with densely-packed skyscrapers, static swiftly took over. Reception was better in open areas such as parks, but some stations still suffered from intermittent buzzing. The R306's AM radio reception is at its least impressive when you're roaming urban streets, but it's tolerable when the headphone cable is pulled taut and you're not moving around too much. This makes the phone a cheap and compact choice for a day out at the cricket — if the commentary provided by the intoxicated rabble proves too irritating, simply plug in the headset, switch on the radio, and listen to the experts give their take on the action. Calls came through clear and loud, but messaging was not so simple. The interface is laggy, and letters can get skipped when typing speedily in T9 mode, resulting in an annoying need to re-enter entire words. If you're a keen texter, your patience will be tested. The R306 is easy to use, but the annoying navigation key, laggy messaging interface and fuzzy radio reception don't add up to a very good phone, even at this budget price.

Samsung U900

2008-11-26T03:22:00.000+07:00

Design Before we had Samsung's latest mobile phone in our hot little hands, advertising for the U900 on bus stands (and on CNET.com.au) had caught our attention, and in our minds we imagined a stunning handset complete with futuristic beams of lights exploding from the touch panel. Now that the U900 sits on our desk it's not as striking as we'd first thought. That's not to say the U900 is unattractive, it's quite the contrary in fact, but it's not exactly eye-catching either. The combination of brushed stainless steel and soft-touch, matte black plastic is subdued, and its slider form factor remind us of the Samsung G600 camera phone; another unassuming Samsung handset. But the real reason you're interested in the U900 is the Adaptive touch panel, right? The 1-inch touchscreen sits within the standard calling buttons and below the excellent 2.2-inch colour display. When switching between menus and applications, the panel morphs to show dedicated touch-sensitive controls for whatever is required in that application or menu. When you break it right down, the touch panel simply replaces the standard five-way navigation button found on most phones, but the fact that it "adapts" is handy in certain apps. Yet, this still isn't such an eye-catching feature, even though you can change the colour of the panel's icons — to a flaming orange or a screaming hot pink if desired — even then, the U900 remains conservative and conventional in its appearance. A friend of ours made the comment that "[the U900] looks like a TV remote". We're inclined to agree. Looks aside, the U900 feels very solid and sturdy. The sliding mechanism is smooth and without any of the loose jiggling we sometimes find in slider phones. Below the touch panel, the phone recesses to form a groove to place your thumb in when sliding, keeping it out of the way of the panel. Features In the months before the Omnia, the U900 will fill the space of Samsung's flagship model. This pretty much guarantees the U900 will feature a long list of functions and gadgetry. Complementing the touch panel is fast 7.2Mbps HSDPA data speeds, a 5-megapixel camera phone with an LED flash, plus the regular raft of mobile functionality like stereo Bluetooth connectivity. The handset we've been reviewing is actually titled the U900T and has been released on Telstra's Next G network — the same phone offered through Optus, Vodafone and Virgin is known as the U900. This gives you access to Telstra's services including Foxtel and Bigpond. The U900 is also being advertised as Samsung's official phone for the Beijing Olympics, and when the time comes Telstra plans to offer Olympic video highlights which will be available for customers with the U900, amongst others. As a Telstra phone, the U900T is also one of the first handsets to come with the new QR code scanner pre-installed. We're not sure whether this will become the next must-have phone feature, or disappear like so many gimmicky extras before (we're looking at you push-to-talk). Performance The performance of the U900 further cements why Samsung is currently the number two brand in the Australian mobile marketplace. This handset is very responsive and executes menus and applications with almost no lag at all. Equally responsive is the adaptive touch panel which is an absolute pleasure to use, and offers haptic feedback to give extra tactility. Calling and messaging are also excellent, and media playback is good though the lack of a 3.5mm headphone port means you will be stuck with the bundled headset. Streaming media, including Foxtel, is fantastic with the HSDPA speeds providing more than enough grunt for the streams to continue without interruption. The 5-megapixel camera is a solid shooter but we did find we had to take extra special care when taking pics. In the right conditions the pictures are stunning, with strong, sharp focus and good colour reproduction. However, the camera was also prone to losing focus with very slight movements during the exposure, and washing out or under-exposing in either high or low light environments. The camera is one of the phone's functions when the Adaptive Touch Panel really shines, giving quick access to four important settings: flash, macro, timer, and exposure adjustments (gain). The only below average feature we've come across is the shoddy NetFront Web browser. Viewing Web pages seems slower than other online operations and page rendering, especially when using Smart Fit screen mode, is terrible. Luckily there is other options available to remedy this. We've downloaded and installed the latest version of Opera Mini and have seen dramatically improved performance, particularly in Opera being able to render pages up to three or four times faster. This is a must-have download for owners of the U900. Overall Samsung's U900 is a fitting flagship model with strong, well-performing features. With the right browser, the HSDPA speeds shine, and streaming media is great. The 5-megapixel isn't class-leading, but is a solid performer, in the same league as Samsung's G600, and better in our opinion than the camera in the Samsung G800. Telstra's outright price of AU$849 is probably a touch too expensive for the U900T, however, at the time of writing we have found Vodafone offering the U900 "free" on an AU$49 per month contract which seems about right. The difference will, of course, be the absence of Telstra's services. By Joseph Hanlon

Samsung S7330

2008-11-26T03:19:00.000+07:00

We have previously discussed the popular strategy to use the design of a high-end phone for the production of a cheaper model of the same brand. Samsung’s L770 copying the U700 Ultra 12.1 is a typical example of that. But now again, the Koreans have decided to use that trick and the result is S7330, resembling the Soul. The phone is equipped with a 3-megapixel camera, FM radio, microSD slot and a touch-sensitive navigational pad.

Samsung i560

2008-11-26T03:18:00.001+07:00

Design
We're unlikely to discover whether Samsung relies on the slider form factor as an exercise in branding or if there's an element of cost-saving involved in reproducing the same phone over and over. Either way, Samsung's slider is back and for the untrained eye the i560 looks like about half of Samsung's mobile phone releases in the low-to-mid-price range in the last six months or more.

While we might be underwhelmed by its appearance, there's no questioning the functionality of the slider, and by extension its popularity. The i560 sports a 2.4-inch 16 million colour display, which is handy considering Samsung's push for the i560 as a navigating handset. Perhaps it was a minor issue with our review unit but this display seems to be noticeably duller, in brightness and colour, but also in the sharpness of the screen, as compared to other recent Samsung screens with matching specs.

Around the edge of the i560 you will find all the common important inputs; USB charging port, microSD card reader, dedicated volume and camera keys. The same can be said for the top portion of the slider under the screen, which has a standard grouping of navigation and selection keys. Under the slide is Samsung's renowned flat keypad, which we don't love, but at least the keys are verging on huge, so they are easy to find when thrashing out a text message.

Features
Looking back over 2008 it's easy to see that GPS tech in phones is the new black and we're hardly complaining. GPS and phones go together like pickles on a cold lamb sandwich, like Paris and Britney — they belong together. The i560 is Samsung's answer to Nokia's 6110 Navigator, a GPS enabled phone with high-speed internet and a half decent camera.

The i560 handset we've been reviewing comes bundled with Route 66 navigation software and an associated car kit including a mount and arm plus an in-car charger. From what we've been told this bundle will be sold through Optus in Australia, while Vodafone will offer the i560 bundled with its own Compass navigation software.

In addition to the GPS the i560 features HSDPA data speeds for Web browsing, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera plus an LED photo light, stereo Bluetooth, and runs on Nokia's Series 60 operating platform (feature pack 3.1). Audiophiles will be pleased to know the i560 also features a 3.5mm headphone jack for connecting your favourite headphones.

Performance
As mentioned above, we had the chance to test the i560's navigation abilities using Route 66 Mobile8 mapping software. This software is a solid option and offers turn-by-turn directions without a subscription, unlike the offerings from Nokia and Vodafone. The GPS hardware is sufficient but far from the best we've seen. To improve the speed of your connection, the i560 also features Enhanced-GPS which involves a small data download and updates the receiver as to where to find the positioning satellites at any time over a seven-day period.

Similar to the next generation Nokia phones we've encountered recently, the i560 runs extremely well on the Symbian platform. Menu navigation is extremely brisk with very little lag noticeable between pages and when executing applications. The i560 is able to multitask, however, switching between active apps is the same as reopening them anyway.

The 3-megapixel shooter was the surprise performer for us, taking some excellent outdoors shots, and not performing too badly inside some of the dark, dingy bars CNET editors stagger into along their travels. Care does need to be taken to make sure you don't move too much when hitting the shutter, but otherwise the pics we took were colourful and sharp for the most part.

Topping off the generally excellent performance is strong battery life. We found ourselves charging the i560 every third or fourth day with moderate use of all features, with these cycles being shorter on days we gave the GPS a good workout.

Overall
If you can get past its uninspiring exterior, indeed, if you can find the i560 amongst the samey looking handsets in your local phone shop, then you'll discover a powerful phone with some excellent features. If you prefer your navigating phone to have a bit of physical panache then it may be worth waiting another few months for Nokia's new 6210 Navigator which does sport sharper design and Nokia's own mapping software.

For the asking price of AU$599 the i560 is reasonably good value, especially when bundled with the Route 66 software and the car kit.

Samsung i200

2008-11-26T03:14:00.000+07:00

You can begin to understand why the Samsung i200 has a rather subdued feature list when you consider that it's a business device. In the modern business world you could excuse the lack of a radio or a featureless 2-megapixel camera but we would have at least expected Wi-Fi or GPS for navigation. Design The Samsung i200 is a little taller than some smartphones, but with a depth of 11.8mm and weighing in at just over 100g, the phone does feel comfortable to hold in the palm of your hand. The clear and vibrant 2.3-inch screen is joined by a responsive five-way D-pad, phone buttons and a keypad underneath. The latter was great for typing texts or emails. On the sides you get a customisable camera shortcut button, a microSD slot, volume controls and a propriety headphone/USB port. The proprietary port used for the headphones (and the USB and mains cable) is placed to the side of the phone and hidden behind a protective cover that tended to stick out from the casing. Features The inclusion of Windows Mobile 6.1 does provide several enhancements. For a start, you now have threaded SMS support, so you can follow your texts in a conversation format. It's now possible to copy and paste between emails, texts and input areas of Internet Explorer, plus you get the latest Office mobile, which includes OneNote and the ability to edit existing Office documents. Additional software comes in the form of a video player, Exchange support, podcast software, a PDF viewer and an RSS reader. HSDPA was welcome for Web access, but the inclusion of Wi-Fi or GPS would have been useful, especially as the Samsung i200 is aimed at business users. Performance The Samsung was pretty easy to use (despite not having a touchscreen), as a quick press of the start button reveals a list of your recently accessed programs. Alongside the customisable speed dials (which can open applications), you get an enhanced picture viewer and a content manager for providing quick access to your multimedia files, documents and storage card. Battery life is enhanced by an auto light sensor option and we got nearly six hours of video playback. While the battery life is optimised to a certain degree, and with Wi-Fi or GPS hardware to drain it, we did notice that when playing games or watching videos full-screen within Windows Media player there was a significant drop in its life. With the inclusion of HSDPA, Web browsing was fast and the call quality during our test conversation was loud and clear. The 2-megapixel camera's lack of flash and autofocus did hinder image quality indoors, but on a positive note some outdoor shots came out pretty well. While the Samsung i200 performs well, its memory is still thin on the ground, with only 64MB RAM (23MB free) and 128MB ROM (25MB free). Conclusion Despite its proprietary port, 2-megapixel camera and lack of Wi-Fi or GPS, we still enjoyed using the Samsung i200. Its slim profile and responsive keypad provided a useful text and email experience. Its HSDPA access and responsive Windows Mobile 6.1 software should offer just about enough features for most small business needs, though having a look around your local mobile phone shop does reveal alternative products that are better specced for a similar price per month.

Samsung BEATs

2008-11-26T03:13:00.000+07:00

After the introductions of Nokia’s XpressMusic and Sony Ericsson’s Walkman, Samsung finally decided to release a line of music-oriented phones. It is called BEAT Edition and the slider BEATs is one of its first two models. The phone is equipped with quite some extras in order to provide quality sound – support for Samsung’s DNSe DSP technology, ICEpower amplifier by Bang & Olufsen. The phone has a rather nice vision, mainly thanks to the colors and the metal front panel. Despite being somewhat thick, the device is not very heavy and the curvy shapes are easy to the touch. The bottom part houses the keyboard, the SEND and END keys and the clear button. On the right side, we find the camera button, charger connector, and one of the two symmetrically positioned stereo loudspeaker. The opposite one houses the 3.5 mm jack, the sound volume controls and the button for the musical player, which connects you to Shazam’s Find if you press and hold it.

Samsung B2700

2008-11-26T03:03:00.000+07:00

Phones resistant to impact, dust and water are rarely found on the market so the release of such a model by Samsung deserves a small celebration. B2700 is made to survive. It has a protection class IP54 (meaning that is dust and splash resistant) and is equipped with a compass, pedometer, altimeter and a flashlight.

Samsung A561

2008-11-26T02:59:00.000+07:00

Design With a depth of 14mm, Samsung's slim clamshell mobile phone brushed in gunmetal grey is a subdued looking phone that can easily slip into your pocket. Its design is incredibly similar to the RAZR2 V9, which confused many people into thinking it was a Motorola. While it may look like the RAZR2 V9, the A561 has a different tactile feel to the keyboard and a reshuffling of the keys in and around the five-way navigation key at the top. The circular grooved five-way navigation key looks like a shiny 10-cent piece embedded at the top of the keypad, which gives quick access to the usual apps. The soft keys surrounding the navigation keys are additional shortcuts to the camera and applications. Samsung has taken a minimalist approach by making ports and devices do multiple things. On the left side of the phone is the volume control, which also works as up and down keys when perusing the menu. Across the phone's hinge is a nifty VGA camera that can be rotated to face outwards or inwards depending on whether you want to film yourself or your surroundings. Along the right side is the proprietary three-in-one port that is used for headphones, charging the phone and hooking up to your PC with the included hands-free headset, AC adapter and USB cable respectively. It's a very sturdy phone and in no way feels fragile, but if you have short and stubby fingers, flipping the phone open one-handed may be a little tricky. Features The Samsung A561 runs on Telstra's Next G allowing you to watch Foxtel TV on the go, and BigPond for your internet needs. We won't go any further into this, but if you wish to learn more click here for Telstra's Next G plans and here for Telstra's Foxtel TV plans. Now to the nitty gritty stuff: the A561 uses Samsung's native operating system and is compatible with GSM (900/1800/1900MHz) networks when roaming. During our tests, the phone was very smooth at switching between applications and, while browsing websites, there was barely any lag. Although, it's important to note that strength of signal is dependant of the area you are in. The A561 plays the popular MP3/WMA/AAC music formats as well as AMR/AAC+/e-AAC+, and MPEG4 video files. Using the included headphones, music and video quality sounded reasonable (though slightly tinny), but struggled with music that had a lot of bass. The 2-megapixel (MP) camera is a bit of a disappointment, with other mobile phones on the market having 3MP and higher these days. Its digital zoom didn't pick up a lot of detail, but you can't really expect much from a mobile phone camera. You're not stuck with the measly 40MB internal phone memory — the A561 has a microSD card slot which can add up to 2GB should you wish to store an extensive music playlist or videos. Connection-wise, the A561 is Bluetooth and WAP capable as well as USB. Performance The 2.2-inch glossy screen displayed images very well, but became highly reflective when viewing it outside under a bright sun. Although, should you need rescuing, you can use the screen as a mirror to reflect the sunlight at the helicopter searching for you. When watching video, the screen's viewing angle is limited to around 45 degrees making it difficult for a friend to watch over your shoulder. Also, the flip-top can't be adjusted to remain open at a particular angle to view the screen when it's resting on a table. With HSDPA up to 3.6Mbps, surfing the net was very smooth and viewing Foxtel TV shows only took 10 seconds to buffer — images were rarely pixellated. Also, the 262K colour TFT screen with 176x220 pixels had no problem handling fast-moving action scenes. Our only complaint is that the screen wasn't big enough to display subtitles at a legible size. Calls came through clear and crisp in a quiet environment; however, in busy areas we found the phone wasn't not loud enough, even with the volume on max. One reason may be the small earpiece on the wide phone — so if you don't have your ear perfectly placed you won't be able to hear clearly. We tried making video calls, and the recipient (using a Sony Ericsson) said that the calls sounded distorted at their end, but video came through clearly. On our end, it sounded like we were speaking into a walkie talkie rather than a mobile phone and the image was blocky. We tried it with a Nokia mobile phone, but the Samsung still gave the same result. Our review unit came with Samsung's PC Studio software which lets you sync your phone to the PC, unfortunately it refused to connect to the mobile phone after numerous attempts on various PCs. After discussing the problem with Samsung's product manager, we discovered that there was something wrong with the handset. Should you have a problem similar to this, Samsung highly recommends you take the A561 back to the retailer. Battery life with minimal use lasted for approximately seven days, and when viewing Foxtel TV or non-stop talking (not a difficult task when chatting with a friend!) the battery lasted an impressive three hours. It's an excellent result that concurs with Samsung's estimated times of three hours talk time and up to 250 hours on standby. However, after using the phone for as little as 10 minutes, the battery's heat could be felt on the back of the phone which may get slightly uncomfortable if you were to keep it in your pocket. Overall With its average looks, average performance, and average price, the most we can say about the A561 is that it's ... average. Mind you, average can be a good thing, it's perfect for someone who wants a fuss-free and non-flashy phone that has a little bit of everything.

The N76: Back From the Dead and Now With Half a Keyboard

2008-11-26T02:56:00.000+07:00

The Boy Genius Report has word of a new Nokia phone (code name: WAHOO) that’s slated to hit AT&T some time in the future. It looks just like the ill-fated N76, Nokia’s answer to the ridiculousness that was the RAZR. Specs are fairly sparse right now, but it looks like the flip is a quad-band connected phone with WCDMA 850/1900, 2 megapixel camera with flash, 2.5mm headset jack (lol), A-GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 + A2DP, and up to 4 hours of battery life (UMTS). Screen size leaves a little bit to be desired, with a 2.2 inch main display and 1.36 inch front display. The half-QWERTY keyboard looks similar to the one featured on the Blackberry 8220 Pearl Flip phone currently turning heads at T-mobile (or not). The entire device looks like a weird cross between the 8220 and the RAZR. Quote from BGR specs: “In the smart phone QWERTY category, “WAHOO” will stand out as stylish and one of the few options in the familiar and preferred fold form.”

Special Edition Bruce Lee Nokia N96 released

2008-11-26T02:55:00.000+07:00

For Kung fu fans, the launch of the Nokia N96 Bruce Lee Special Edition is something to be excited about. Both legends of their respective territories, Nokia has taken their flagship phone and offered it in a special edition for those who love the martial arts master. The handset is etched with Bruce Lee’s face and signature on the back case, and comes preloaded with rare photos of the actor. Accessories are included, along with a Bruce Lee doll, and there is an accompanying website promoting the product (although it is a bit slow to load).

The device can be purchased here for 8,788 Chinese yuan (roughly $1,286), though you will need to know a bit of Chinese in order to navigate the purchase website.

source: unwiredview

Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition (Now Available)

2008-11-26T02:52:00.000+07:00

Hit up Nokia’s web store for a chance to purchase the latest in the internet tablet series - the N810 WiMAX edition. At $493, it’s a cool $55 more than the original N810 tablet, and apparently it’s also only available in the USA. Take that, world! The meager differences between the new and old N810 include WiMAX (duh!) and weight - the WiMAX enabled N810 is slightly heavier tablet at 8.06 vs 7.93 ounces. Battery life on WiMAX isa little spotty, with up to 3 hours of continuous usage. Then again, compare that to the 4 hours you’d get on normally on WLAN.

Nokia E66 and E71 Get Updated

2008-11-26T02:50:00.000+07:00

There’s two semi-new firmware updates for the Nokia E66 and E71 smartphones, as well as a general update to the Nokia Software Updater app. Changes include “performance improvements” for the camera (viewfinder orientation), Mail for Exchange synchonization, and browsing. You also get the latest versions of Mail for Exchange and Nokia Maps. Herre’s hoping Nokia fixed the dedicated camera key actually functioning as a dedicated camera key bug, the wacky accelerometer, and this annoying bug I get sometimes that causes the backlighting to remain off when unlocking the phone.

Nokia E66

2008-11-26T02:49:00.000+07:00

Design At the beginning of the movie RoboCop a regular policeman is covered in shiny metal and becomes a super policeman, a RoboCop, if you will. That's a tremendously watered down version of the tragic start to this film, but in similarly simplistic terms we can see how Nokia has improved last year's popular E65 smartphone: they've covered it in shiny stainless steel and made it sleeker and sexier. Yet, physically speaking, there is still so much of the E65 in the E66. From the size of the handset, to the placement of the menu keys, to the tiny phone-shaped speaker above the screen. Just as you can recognise Officer Alex Murphy in the RoboCop outfit, so too can you easily see the E65 in the E66. This newer model is marginally longer to accommodate the larger 2.4-inch colour screen, and is ever-so-slightly thinner, measuring in at 13.5mm deep. The build quality of the E66 is outstanding. The handset as a whole feels solid and has a pleasing weight, and similar to the E71, the battery cover is textured with an appealing dimpled grid. The sliding mechanism on the E66 is smooth and controlled, feeling similar to the slider on the AU$1,800 Nokia 8800 Arte. With its sleek slider design, and lack of QWERTY keyboard, the E66 is the business phone to appeal to people who want the flexibility of a smartphone without necessarily having a serious business intention, or who hate the larger form factors of most business phones. As such, the E66 features a 2.5mm headphone port and a microSD card slot for expanding the phone's memory and filling it up with music and videos. The E66 isn't a media phone, strictly speaking, but it is more than capable of busting out some tunes on public transport. Features Different to Nokia's E-Series releases of last year, the distance in regards to specs between this year's models, the E71 and the E66, is much closer. Sifting through the menus of the E66 is an identical experience to doing the same with the E71, they share matching connectivity options in 3.5G network speeds, Wi-Fi and A-GPS receivers, and the same 3.2-megapixel camera. In fact, one of the few differences between these phones is that the E66 features an orientation sensor, meaning the display changes from portrait to landscape depending on how you are holding the phone. This isn't a new feature in phones, but while most phones only rotate the display in certain apps, like the Web browser or photo gallery, Nokia takes the idea a step further allowing you to adjust the orientation regardless of which application is running. This sensor also silences the ringtone on incoming calls when the phone is turned over, without cancelling the call. The "E" in E-Series stands for Enterprise and like its business focused brethren, the E66 makes a very handy business sidekick with excellent email options, access to Microsoft Exchange servers for syncing mail, contacts and calendars with MS Outlook, a VPN client for accessing your company's intranet, as well as the ability to view MS Office documents (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) with the option to upgrade and be able to edit these documents from your handset. We've been able to install the necessary certificates and easily gain access to our office Exchange mail server and have new messages pushed to the phone. Performance Not only do the E66 and E71 share preloaded options and software, but they also have 128MB RAM and apparently make use of the same 369MHz ARM processors. Strangely, the E66 doesn't seem to process as quickly as the E71, but it's light years faster than last year's sluggish E65 and a slew of other smartphones we've seen this year. One major difference between these two recent Nokia's is the size of the included batteries, and the resulting performance. We gave high praise to the E71 for its average of four days battery life. The E66 falls short of this, with cycles between two and three days depending on usage. A new feature for both E-Series phones is easy-to-use multitasking. Pressing and holding the "main menu" key (the one that looks like a house) displays icons for all currently opened applications — similar to holding Alt-Tab on your PC. Using this menu you can quickly switch between apps, or use the backspace key to close an opened program, thus freeing valuable memory. This system works extremely well and the E66 is more than capable of having several processes active without significantly lowering performance. Overall As a smartphone the E66, like its predecessor, offers a portable alternative to the mostly bulky smartphones it competes against. We think the E71, with its excellent QWERTY keyboard and improved battery life, is a better option overall, but the matching productivity tools on these phones does mean that if you prefer a T9 numeric pad you won't be losing any functionality. By Joseph Hanlon

Nokia E63 Phone

2008-11-26T02:47:00.000+07:00

NOKIA has dropped an E-bomb on the world of mobile phone with the announcement of the E63 smartphone. Essentially it’s a budget E71, with the exception of a couple nice features aimed towards the consumer market. Since it’s an Eseries device, it still retains business-y features such as the ability to switch work/personal modes. Features are all bellow- Size- 113 x 59 x 13 mm Camera- 2 megapixel camera Audio Jack- 3.5 mm standard audio jack Talk Time- 11 hours GPS- Yes

Nokia 6600 Slide

2008-11-26T02:45:00.000+07:00

If you're overwhelmed with all the large touchscreen phones coming out at the moment and yearn for something a little smaller, Nokia might just have what you're looking for. The Nokia 6600 Slide is an attractive compact slider, but is it a fashion phone with nothing to offer or is it a tiny titan ready to take on all your needs? Design The seductive Nokia 6600 Slide looks like a polished pebble and feels reassuringly heavy. Although it's a small phone it has a relatively large screen that displays text messages and pictures well. A few blue details, such as the blue navigation key, add a little flare to the already stylish phone. Slide open the smooth mechanism and out pops a small but well-designed keypad. It's not the best we've ever used but it's good enough to write text messages on comfortably. Slide the phone shut and it will fit very easily in a handbag or stuffed in a pocket — something you can't say for many phones. Features If you're looking for a phone that can do everything, stay away — but if you want something that does the basics well, this could be it. Calling and texting are straightforward and Nokia's S40 interface is easy to understand, especially if you've used a Nokia phone before. Built-in 3G means you can browse the Web at high speeds. The 6600 Slide comes with Opera Mini pre-installed, which lets you look at full Web pages in a similar way to the iPhone's browser. You can also use 3G to make video calls, but who are we kidding — has anyone made a video call since the service came out? A 3.2-megapixel camera on the back will satisfy your basic MMS and Facebook photography needs, and we were surprised to see how well it performed in low light. While the dual LED photo lights aren't as illuminating as a xenon flash, they did pump out more light than we expected, making night shots turn out fairly well. A useful and unexpected feature is Nokia Maps, which comes pre-installed and allows you search for directions. The 6600 doesn't come with GPS so you can't pinpoint your location without using an external Bluetooth GPS receiver, but we still found Nokia Maps to be useful without it. Performance The Nokia 6600 Slide is a snappy performer that sounded good during calls and performed well when connecting to 3G. We didn't encounter any notable performance problems. Similar to the Nokia 6300, the 6600 Slide does what it says on the tin without causing any trouble. Conclusion All told, this is a simple phone with simple ambitions. While smartphone-users may scoff at its simplicity, we really liked it — especially its style. A solid case combined with an easy-to-understand interface make this an understated gem that will deliver an enjoyable user experience.

Nokia 6600 Fold

2008-11-26T02:41:00.001+07:00

When this reviewer was a young boy he owned a pop-up watch, a plastic wrist watch with a spring-loaded screen that was released by pressing a button on the side. His favourite time of day was the when someone asked him for the time, giving him an opportunity to show off his cool low-tech gadget. So as a disclaimer, this reviewer has a strong bias towards any product that snaps open at the press of a button, like switchblades and Nokia's 6600 Fold. Design There's no denying that Nokia's 6600 Fold is eye-catching. Its glossy metal surface and two-tone colouring are bound to stand out on the wall of a mobile phone store amongst the masses of cloned black-plastic handsets. Our review unit featured Nokia's "sophisticated purple" colour scheme, the front of the phone appearing like petrol floating on water with a dark, almost-black purple running through from rose to silver. The plastic elements of the handset, the battery cover and the areas surrounding the screen and the keypad, are coloured in a rich, chocolate-like mauve. Unlike many flip phones, the Fold is spring loaded and held in place by magnets. On the left side is a 'one-touch' opening key that disengages the magnets and flings the top half of the phone upwards. As ridiculous as this sounds there is something genuinely satisfying about answering a call this way. The internal QVGA OLED display is excellent, with strong contrast and sharp rendering of the menus. On the outside, concealed under the top half of the flip Nokia have included a secondary display for showing the time and a few key notices such as unread messages. This screen remains unseen until you double-tap on the lid to activate it. It is a very classy touch but we have noticed it is completely invisible when viewed under sunlight. The numeric keypad is usable without being outstanding; its flat, shapeless design is easier to navigate than those on other recent Nokias, particularly the N96. Like its 6600 sibling, the Slide, the Fold features a front-facing camera for 3G video-calling, and a rear-mounted 2-megapixel camera with an LED flash. Features The 6600 is primarily a fashion phone, and so it does without the laundry-list of features of some of the 'smartphones' we've seen recently. The Fold is a 3G handset and comes with the Opera Mini web browser pre-installed, but its design certainly doesn't suggest a a strong mobile web browsing experience. Wi-fi browsing is sadly not available. Strangely, the Fold comes with Nokia Maps installed, but doesn't have a GPS receiver onboard. The Maps can be used to browse locations without navigation, or the Fold can connect to an external GPS receiver via Bluetooth if you decide you want directions later. Performance With its slick design and short-list of features, the 6600 Fold is trading on basic phone functionality, and being a Nokia we expected a high quality of calling and messaging. We were wrong. Firstly, the Fold's call quality is below par. People we have spoken with seem to hear us fine, but the earpiece speaker is too quiet and bassy to be clearly audible. Also, and this seems very strange, there is no in-call volume control on the phone. The only external key is the one-touch flip button, so as we struggled to listen to our conversations we had no way to adjust the audio. Under the in-call menu we found a 'voice clarity' option, and while this helps a little, activating this acted like a gain boost and produced an element of quiet static. We struggled to make calls in quiet rooms, let alone on busy streets where we found calling was nearly impossible. We were also disappointed with the quality of pictures taken by the onboard camera. In truth, we weren't expecting much from the 2-megapixel shooter, but even these meagre hopes were dashed by uniformly dreadful images. In all of the pics we took we saw over-saturated colours, loads of noise, and jagged edges, and the lack of auto-focus ruined at least half of the photos. Overall Nokia's 6600 Fold is a lesson in never trusting first impressions. It's a tidy package, and we love the one-touch opening mechanism, but its below average performance and keypad make it very difficult to recommend. It is one of the more attractive handsets we've seen lately, and for some people that might be enough to overlook its various shortcomings.

Nokia 6210 Navigator

2008-11-26T02:41:00.000+07:00

Design Perhaps Nokia's numbering should have been the clue, but we were surprised to see just how similar the 6210 Navigator is to the 6220 Classic we reviewed last month. Both phones share similar navigation controls, nearly identical dimensions — including a pocket-friendly depth of 15mm — and both phones share the same awkward keyboard design, but more on that later. One key difference between these handsets is that the Navigator sports a slightly larger 2.4-inch colour display, which is important considering this phone is intended as a handheld personal navigation device. This display is up to Nokia's usually high standard and features excellent horizontal and vertical viewing angles, meaning you don't lose the image on-screen when you view the screen tilted on an angle — another important element for a mobile navigator . In our hands the 6210 feels solid while also being lightweight. The battery cover is made of a stiff plastic and has a slightly rough feel to it, like a piece of flint, which gives the phone necessary friction for when you slide open the top half of the slider. The sliding mechanism feels slick and sure, and gives the 6210 the feel of a premium quality handset. A 3.2-megapixel camera sits on the back but unlike previous N-Series releases, this camera doesn't have a lens cover. This isn't poor design necessarily, it keeps the phone flat and streamlined, though we did find the lens recess did collect a lot of dust and lint after short trips in the pocket of our trousers. As mentioned above, the 6210 sports a similar keypad to the 6220 Classic, which in our opinion is less than ideal. The pad lays flush with the underside of the sliding half, and while it's an attractive design element, it's just not as easy to use as it should be. The keys feel plastic-y and less tactile than a raised keypad and the top row of keys are awkward to thumb quickly when speed-typing text messages. Features Last year Nokia started pushing its mapping service with vigour, spruiking the turn-by-turn navigation subscriptions attached to the service. When the Finns released the 6110 Navigator at the end of last year it offered free turn-by-turn voice guidance for the life of the phone, setting it apart from the growing range of Nokia handsets capable of installing Nokia Maps and featuring A-GPS hardware. Naturally we assumed this year's Navigator would also feature this service subscription-free: we were wrong. In it's place Nokia has included six months free access to voice-guided navigation — the same offer they attached to the N95 8GB at the end of last year. In our experience Nokia is not a miserly company and is often acutely aware of what its loyal fans will and will not pay for — the Comes with Music offer is an excellent example — however, stripping turn-by-turn guidance out of the 6210 Navigator reeks of penny-pinching and makes an affordable mobile phone cum personal navigator look immensely less attractive. Aside from navigation, the 6210 is another well-featured mid-range Nokia handset. It connects to the internet at 3.5G data speeds and sports A2DP Bluetooth connectivity, though no Wi-Fi. The 6120 runs on the latest Series 60 third edition operating platform and includes the same excellent suite of pre-installed applications we've seen on recent release N-Series phones including document readers for Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF files, visual radio, a selection of games and the standard range of personal organiser applications. Performace Since the frustrating lag we experienced using last year's original N95, Nokia has been on a sure and steady road to improving the performance of its handsets running on the S60 Symbian platform, and the 6210 is further evidence of this. While its hardware specs may seem underwhelming, its 369MHz ARM processor has proven more than capable of delivering an impressively lag-free user experience through the various applications and menus. When the 6210 was first announced at the beginning of the year Nokia began espousing the phone's specialty in pedestrian navigation, especially with regards to its internal compass. This compass rotates the on-screen map's orientation, with an icon displaying true north, helping to better guide you to points of interest on the map like cafes and train stations. We've had a chance to test the 6210 on foot and in-car and agree with Nokia's original approach. This device is much better suited to pedestrian navigation than to directing a moving vehicle. When walking with the Navigator we found it kept our location superbly, updating constantly as we moved along one street or another. In a car, with a much heavier reliance on routing, the 6210 struggled somewhat, directing us along unusually complicated routes and even once guiding us to a street three or four blocks from our destination before proudly announcing that we had reached our destination. No one, and we mean no one, tells a CNET editor to walk three blocks more than he or she has to. Battery life during our tests was also mildly concerning, with two-day average cycles reminding us of N-Series handsets of old. Unsurprisingly 90 minutes of GPS navigation nearly completely drained the battery, but more alarming, a similar length phone conversation almost depleted the battery as well. Anyone intending to use the 6210 as their in-car navigator should seriously consider buying a car charger as well. Overall The 6210 Navigator is another decent handset from the world's number one mobile phone manufacturer, but far from the company's best. Its stand-out features are the Series 60 operating platform with its excellent suite of apps and speedy performance, but of course, this is available with all new mid-range and top-line Nokia phones and doesn't differentiate the Navigator from the growing list of same-y Nokia phones. Without a lifetime subscription to turn-by-turn navigation via Nokia Maps, the 6210 feels neutered, robbed of what made it unique and leaves us asking why we should choose it over the 6220 Classic — with its 5-megapixel camera, A-GPS and the ability to install the same maps — or wait for the N96, or even Samsung's INNOV8.

Preview: Nokia 5130 XpressMusic, Nokia 7100 Supernova

2008-11-26T02:36:00.000+07:00

Geez. Six new Nokia models in one day, with one common theme: they’re all budget phones. The two best of the worst include new phones from the XpressMusic (fondly called the XpressPlastic series on this blog until this year) and Supernova series (a strictly middle-of-the-road collection of handsets). Inside: a look at the Nokia 5130 and 7100.

Nokia’s cheapo phones have really come a long way. While the company still makes tons of phones that come loaded with the bare minimum of features and look like they were produced in the ’70s, handsets like the new 7100 Supernova demonstrate why Nokia is still king of the emerging markets. I have to admit, the 7100 actually looks like a decent phone. Stylish, even.
For 75 euros ($97.50 USD, unsubsidized price), you get a slider that has that 5800 XpressMusic/Tube look, a 1.3 megapixel camera, an FM radio, MP3/AAC ringtones, QVGA screen (65k colors supported), and even Bluetooth. It’s pretty darn good for entry level.
The only real flaw I can see with the 7100 is the decided lack of a good battery: Nokia stuck a BL-4S, which is only good for up to 3.5 hours of talk time.
Release date for the Nokia 7100 Supernova: Q4 2008.
At 90 euros, the Nokia 5130 XpressMusic is the most expensive of the bunch. Like several other phones in the XpressMusic series, the 5130 comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD support, 2 megapixel camera, and an MP3 player. But at this price point, you also get a couple bonus features: quad-band GSM connectivity, and 6 hours of battery life. Oh, and the retail package also includes a free* 1 gig microSD card.
According to the press release, there’s a dedicated music key. And while those dots on the sides look like some onboard stereo speakers, it isn’t mentioned anywhere so we’ll have to call a negative on that one.
The Nokia 5130 XpressMusic is expected to be released in Q1 2009.

Motorola RAZR2 V9 Ferrari Special Edition

2008-11-26T02:31:00.000+07:00

Design When Motorola gave us the RAZR V3 oh so many moons ago it was the must have phone. It was slim, sexy and metallic. Topping it off it had not one colour screen but two colour screens. For a while the orders poured in and Motorola found itself wallowing in vast vats of cash. But after three years and countless derivatives, including the hideously gaudy Dolce and Gabbana version, last year Motorola finally coughed up a successor, the RAZR2 V9. It's a nice looking phone, slimmer than ever before, but, for a world caught in the stampede to the latest touchscreen creation from the house of Apple, it wasn't enough to re-capture the zeitgeist. So, Motorola has gone back to its tried and true tactic and given us the Ferrari Special Edition. So what does the extra US$89 over the standard RAZR2 V9 give you? Well it's piano black for one and there are red highlights on the lovely metallic keypad. There's a chequered pattern on the front posing, we guess, as imitation carbon fibre. A similar pattern adorns the rear battery cover and is presumably there to remind us about finishing flags or some such. Naturally there's a plethora of Ferrari material scattered around the place, like the Ferrari prancing horse shield on the back, ringtones and a set of animated wallpapers and screensavers. But the pièce de résistance are the sounds of Ferraris whooshing by every time the phone is started up or turned off — this should give everyone fair warning that there's a Ferrari fanatic in their vicinity. Features and Performance We could live with all this Ferrari showmanship if this phone delivered in one of two key areas: enhanced features and performance, or Ferrari-led design. Alas this phone has neither. It is, for all intents and purposes, apart from the cosmetic differences we've listed above, the same as other Motorola RAZR2 V9s. Conclusion So for your hard earned you get a good 3G phone — for a more complete run down of the ins and outs of the RAZR2 V9, read our review of the original phone — but one that doesn't do anything to justify the price increase over run-of-the-mill RAZR2s. Unfortunately this phone is a damning indictment on what's wrong with Motorola at the moment: a company bereft of any ideas or creativity that can do little at the moment but relive past glories and slap other more successful brands on its own products in the vain hope that it will somehow bask in its reflected glory. Little wonder then that the company lost US$1.2 billion last year. What's even sadder is that Ferrari let itself be used in such a manner. Thanks to the wealthy playboys in Russia, the Middle East and China, the Maranello firm is not suffering a liquidity crisis, so it has no good excuse for putting its name to such a money grubbing venture. If you're a Ferrari tragic and just have to show your love for the prancing horse on your mobile device, download some Ferrari wallpapers — there are plenty available on the Ferrari website — and install them on your phone. You can even do it on a normal RAZR2 V9.

Deal: Nokia 1208 Beater Phone + $25 Airtime For $19.99

2008-11-26T02:28:00.000+07:00

These “beater” phone deals always come along every couple of months, and the latest one is the Nokia 1208 for $19.99 shipped with a bonus $25 T-Mobile prepaid refill card. Great deal whether you want the phone or not. I wish I could write a nice, long paragraph about the 1208, but I can’t. It’s your standard, basic Nokia candy bar, and its most advanced feature is a speakerphone. Hey, be glad that it has color! The Nokia 1208 weighs 2.7 ounces and comes equipped with an awesome battery that will last up to 3.5 hours.

LG Renoir KC910

2008-11-26T02:27:00.000+07:00

At the beginning of this year we pitted four 5-megapixel cameras against one another in our camera phone showdown. During this we noted that the LG Viewty was one of the weaker performers in this group; it struggled to focus sharply and the Xenon flash robbed the pictures of natural colour, casting a blue light over the subjects. When we heard about the 8-megapixel Renoir we had our reservations. Would it simply take larger poor quality photos? The results have been surprising. Design Named, we assume, after the French impressionist, this latest touchscreen from LG is slick and sturdy, but a bit utilitarian in its design to be called a work of art. Its body is formed mostly from plastic with curved reflective metal edges. The centre piece is a 3-inch 240x400-pixel resolution touchscreen display, which we've found sharp and colourful and extremely easy to use. Above the screen we find a front-facing camera for video calls and below the display are three soft-keys for calling and accessing application shortcuts. Along the right-side edge of the Renoir are four keys, a volume rocker, a dedicated camera key and a handset lock. The underside of the phone houses the Schneider-Kreuznach camera lens and LED flash. We were glad to see the camera has a lens cover, activated by a switch where you might expect to find a focus ring around the lens. The Renoir uses a proprietary LG platform, very similar to the interface we saw on the Viewty last year. The Renoir is extremely touch-friendly, the whole interface is designed with fingers in mind. Features You're going to need to be sitting for this one: the Renoir features an 8-megapixel (MP) camera. By this time next year 8MP shooters may be eye-rollingly passè, but considering this is the first we've had the opportunity to review we've been tremendously eager to put it to the test. The camera software for the Renoir features an extensive range of settings and modes, similar to the Viewty and what you'd expect to find on stand-alone point-and-shoot cameras. There's the obligatory auto-focus, but this is matched with face and blink detection, macro shooting mode, digital image stabilisation and adjustable image sensitivity. The Renoir is also capable of shooting video at 120 frames per second, effectively creating videos which play back at four-times slow motion. While this looks great written on a spec sheet, this is a feature we are still struggling to find a place for in our lives — YouTube quality videos of our friends are arduous to watch at a normal speed, let alone in extreme slow motion. The Renoir also makes quite a handy portable media player supporting MP3 and AAC music formats and MP4, DivX and XviD video formats. The only let-down here is no 3.5mm headphone port for plugging in your favourite headphones, although, the Renoir does include a 3.5mm headphone adaptor and supports TV-out for viewing your massive photos on the big screen. With all this fantastic media capability it's a shame the Renoir doesn't have sizeable internal memory like several of its main competitors. Performance LG has taken a significant step forward with the Renoir. The Schneider-Kreuznach optics have improved since the Viewty to a point where we have managed to take some rather exciting photos. As with most mobile phone cameras, the Renoir works best under optimal conditions: bright, natural sunlight. However, we did have some success taking pictures with the Xenon flash in dark rooms with less than perfect lighting, though only when our subjects were within a metre of the flash. Testing the macro focus feature, we took photos that replicated a depth-of-field quite well, which is often difficult to achieve with a fixed focus camera phone lens. When reviewing our images we saw good, natural colour reproduction when the flash didn't fire and very little artefacting. Our photos taken in darker environments did appear slightly grainy, probably due to the software automatically adjusting the image sensitivity, and subjects further than a metre from the flash were cast with a deathly blue hue. In line with our experience with the camera, operating the Renoir has been a pleasure. Similar to our experience with the iPhone 3G, the Renoir is a phone we can't leave sitting on the desk for long without wanting to pick it up and play with it again. The menus and all major interfaces, like contacts lists and the photo gallery, are excellently designed for use with your fingers; all the buttons are large enough to make it almost impossible to miss your target. Messaging is similarly easy, the Renoir features a T9-style numeric input in portrait mode, and a full-size QWERTY keyboard in landscape mode, with a built-in accelerometer rotating the screen depending on how you choose to hold the handset. Using the numeric pad, we found the "send" key to be too close to the space bar, meaning we sent a few text messages to friends by mistake before we had completed the message. We also liked the Renoir's web browser. Web pages rendered quickly and looked fantastic; the browser word-wraps the content to fit the screen, and pictures looked sharp and clear. The browser's incremental zoom function isn't top notch, the controls are a bit finicky to use, but we found that most of the time the browser displayed pages exactly as we'd want them without us having to adjust the size. Our only significant concern is the quality of calling. The sound of voices through the internal speaker were uniformly muffled and slightly distorted. The people we spoke to during our tests commented on hearing something similar at their end. Battery life is about average for a handset with a display of this size. With light to moderate use we managed two days between charges, and found we had to charge the battery at the end of a full afternoon using the camera. We also noticed the battery warming considerably during long calls, making it uncomfortable to hold against the face. Overall There's loads to love about the LG Renoir. The 8-megapixel camera is a winner and the touchscreen interface is one of the best — a close second to the iPhone, in our opinion. Without a 3.5mm headphone port on the handset or substantial internal storage, it's hard to recommend the Renoir for music lovers and it's definitely not a phone for business people, but then it's not pretending to be. The Renoir does exactly what it sets out to do and stands out as one of our favourite camera phones of the year.

LG KF510

2008-11-26T02:21:00.001+07:00

LG's current handset line-up is all about the Secret, also known as the KF750. But for those who may not be too keen on shelling out 900 clams for that phone, there is a budget model waiting in the wings: the KF510. Design Like the Secret, the KF510 is a slider phone coated with tempered glass, which gives it a solid feel in your hand. But we've said it before and we'll say it again: glossy, glass-covered surfaces equal icky, fingerprinted, face grease-infested phones. This is definitely the case with the KF510, so carry a wipe cloth if you don't want to gross yourself — and others — out. Those who care not for the ancient art of manual-reading may struggle to locate the power button on the KF510. It is a slider switch located on the right side of the KF510 and looks closer to an MP3 player's hold switch than your garden variety on/off key. Beneath the slider is a dedicated camera button, which also functions as a wake-up key for when the display lapses into idleness. There's a microSD slot, but it's a stealthy little thing. After several minutes of ape-like fumbling, we finally located it lurking on the back of the internal section — the bit that's only visible when the phone has been slid open. Slide the KF510 open and you'll get a face full of large, matte number keys. The sliding mechanism itself is sturdy enough to inspire confidence — rather than simply dividing into a top and bottom section, the phone uses an internal slider for more stability. This allows a 3-megapixel camera to set up shop beneath the sliding mechanism, just like the camera we saw in Sony Ericsson's C902. The big point of difference with the KF510 is its disco-style navigation. All non-numeric buttons are hidden until the phone is awakened from standby mode, when they light up and follow the movements of your finger. Press any part of the touchpad and the illuminated dots form an animated arrow draws attention to the relevant section. You can also scroll through lists by dragging your finger down the surface. The buttons offer haptic feedback, which means you'll feel a little buzz when you press them. There are three levels to choose from, depending on how much you want your fingers to tingle. Features The KF510's specs list doesn't reveal anything new or exciting, but for a sub-AU$300 phone it doesn't do too badly. Stalwarts such as Bluetooth, an FM radio and a speakerphone join a world clock, MP3 player and organiser to get your daily essentials sorted. The 16MB of internal memory won't do you much good if you plan to store songs and photos, so you'll need to invest in a microSD card to bump up the space to a gigabyte or so. Performance Why are mobile manufacturers so mad for touch-sensitive buttons? Granted, they often look snazzy, but almost every touch-activated phone we've tested has had a black mark recorded against it due to accidental key presses and delayed response times. This tradition is continued with the KF510 — although the adjustable haptics are a help, the vibrations don't affect the laggy response time. Forget speeding through a text message with this phone, as editing a misspelt word using the touch keys is a patience-testing affair. Whle images captured with the 3-megapixel camera couldn't quite match the sharp lines and vibrant colours you'll get with the Secret's 5-megapixel lens, photos don't look bad if you're in a well-lit area. We did notice some artefacting in our images when viewed at full resolution on a monitor, but pics look fine on the KF510's 240x320-pixel display. Overall The KF510 doesn't give the Secret a run for its money — and at a third of the price, it would be unfair to expect a similar standard — but it does incorporate some of the pricier handsets' more endearing features and looks. The phone's point of uniqueness, though, is also its greatest weakness. While the interactive lighting effects give you something to talk about with curious admirers, they'll likely drive you batty when you're texting.

LG KF390

2008-11-26T02:21:00.000+07:00

Design From a distance the LG KF390 holds itself with a quiet pride. Its glossy black finish and the almost complete absence of mechanical face keys gives it the appearance of a miniature obsidian monolith, like the one the monkeys discover at the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey. As with many phones from LG (and Samsung for that matter) the illusion is broken when viewed up close, revealing the KF390 as a fairly unremarkable plastic handset, with one exception. As with other recent low-end LG handsets, the KF390 offers a few cheap thrills to distract from the otherwise pedestrian design. These come in the form of touch-sensitive menu selection keys located around the centre navigation button and activated when the slider is pushed open. On our test unit (as it will be for all Next G handsets) the left and right selection keys are dedicated to Telstra services, with the buttons below these activating the music player and the task manager. These touch-sensitive keys are a nice touch but were consistently getting in the way as we found ourselves constantly miss-striking them, particularly when using the navigation button. Above these keys the KF390 features a 2-inch screen with a 220x176-pixel resolution. This is a lower res display than we normally see on mobiles — most recent release phones included QVGA displays (240x320) — and it is obvious when you navigate the menus, with its jagged edged graphics, or when you watch streaming video like mobile Foxtel TV. On top of this we found the viewing angle for this display to be terrible. If you turn the phone on its side to view video in landscape mode the picture fades to a negative image on very slight angles off-centre, making it hard to concentrate on the image. Features The big drawcard for the LG KF390 is Telstra's blue tick seal of approval. This indicates that Telstra has tested the handset in remote areas covered by its Next G network and has determined that it provides superior reception to the majority of Next G capable handsets in its range. The KF390 becomes the eighth handset to have been given the blue tick, so it joins quite an exclusive club. Aside from this improved reception, the KF390 is decidedly light-on in the features department, especially for a phone at this price point. The KF390 will take photos and video with its 2-megapixel camera and browse the Web at a theoretical maximum of 7.2Mbps on the Next G network, plus fulfil its basic roles as phone and messaging device, but it is important to consider that the KF390 is not a smartphone, unlike Nokia's E66 which can be picked up for about AU$100 more (but not available on the Next G network). The KF390 also features a front-facing VGA resolution camera for video calling and expandable memory up to 8GB via its microSD memory card reader conveniently located on the left-hand side of the phone, which is handy if you plan to have the KF390 pull double duty as your MP3 music player. Performance We wish we could take the KF390 deep into the outback to test Telstra's claims of superior reception. As it stands we'll wait patiently for feedback from our readers in this regions as to whether they experience clear call quality. From deep within the concrete jungle we had no major complaints with making calls with the KF390. We would prefer the speaker to be a bit louder and slightly less muffled, but overall, it does a good job. Data speeds to the handset have been excellent, and combined with the basic but well-performing pre-installed Web browser, we enjoyed a pleasant online experience. Testing Telstra's Next G services has also been good, although the problems with the low quality display mentioned above have ruined our experience of watching streaming media on the KF390. While it probably won't be the selling point for those interested in the KF390, the 2-megapixel camera is a decent performer for a camera without a flash or auto-focus. We took to the Sydney streets on a sunny afternoon and took some colourful photos of the colourful characters about town and were impressed with the results, even if the brighter elements of the images tended to blow out and if it was very difficult to take photos with sharp focus. Overall If you disregard the 7.2Mbps HSDPA, the LG KF390 strikes us as a prepaid model phone with its otherwise basic features set. The excellent Web browsing does lift the KF390 out of this category a bit, but its poor display kills this particular feature in equal measure, ruining the mobile TV experience and lumping it back in with the likes of cheaper phones. For the asking price of AU$559 we think LG, and Telstra, are asking too much.