IF you plan on getting yourselves a shiny new smartphone for Christmas, you might have one hell of a choice to make. Acer obviously has a thing or two to say about that too.
The following leaked pics suggest that Acer will be the next company to make a major announcement before the holiday season. The Taiwanese company is obviously next to completing the work on a couple of hot Android smartphones and an Android tablet.
The first of those is an old friend of ours, going by the name of Acer Liquid Metal. Packing an 800 MHz CPU and Android Froyo inside its aluminum shell it makes a second appearance, following the cameo back in September.
Acer Liquid metal
Along with the Liquid Metal, Acer will reveal another steel-clad handset. Except for the fact that it will pack a rather unusual display (unless you are coming from the LG BL40 New Chocolate, that is), there's little we can tell you about the Froyo-loving smartphone.
The other leaked Acer smartphone
Finally, we come to the Acer tablet that too remains nameless for now. Its screen measures 9 or 10 inches in diagonal and it will too be running the latest Google OS currently available. Its announcement is rumored to come in early 2011.
Showing posts with label Phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phone. Show all posts
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Lumigon T1 gets more specs
Remember the sleek Lumigon smartphone we told you about yesterday? It turns out its name will be T1 and it will be running the latest version of the Android OS - 2.2 Froyo. The Danish company finally took the time to announce the handset properly and confirmed most of its specs. There is also a live photo of the device and several videos demonstrating its home-brewed interface.
The aluminum-clad Lumigon T1 will be powered by a 1GHz Freescale CPU and will pack a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen of WVGA resolution. A universal remote control feature will allow the T1 to control a variety of appliances straight out of the box.
Lumigon T1 official photos
Connectivity is well covered with HSDPA, Wi-Fi, FM transmitter, 3.5mm headset jack. There is no official confirmation on the GPS receiver just yet but we can't imaging they've left that one out. A 5 MP camera with LED flash is what the Lumigon T1 offers on the photography end.
If you get the external dock you can also enjoy HD TV-out through HDMI.
The first Lumigon T1 units should hit the shelves before the end of the year, with wider availability to follow in Q1 of 2010. The sad news is the T1 will cost good 525 euro.
The aluminum-clad Lumigon T1 will be powered by a 1GHz Freescale CPU and will pack a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen of WVGA resolution. A universal remote control feature will allow the T1 to control a variety of appliances straight out of the box.
Lumigon T1 official photos
Connectivity is well covered with HSDPA, Wi-Fi, FM transmitter, 3.5mm headset jack. There is no official confirmation on the GPS receiver just yet but we can't imaging they've left that one out. A 5 MP camera with LED flash is what the Lumigon T1 offers on the photography end.
If you get the external dock you can also enjoy HD TV-out through HDMI.
The first Lumigon T1 units should hit the shelves before the end of the year, with wider availability to follow in Q1 of 2010. The sad news is the T1 will cost good 525 euro.
Samsung Galaxy Tab and the tough IP67-certified Motorola DEFY are coming
Two hot Android devices are coming to T-Mobile UK this November. The 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab and the tough IP67-certified Motorola DEFY are already listed into the carrier's website and you can register your interest right now.
There isn't any info on the pricing and exact availability, but November is just around the corner so it shouldn't take long.
Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab's processor is mentioned as a 1.2GHz one, but according to Samsung the ARM A8 Cortex runs at 1GHz. Most probably T-Mobile UK has made a mistake.
There isn't any info on the pricing and exact availability, but November is just around the corner so it shouldn't take long.
Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab's processor is mentioned as a 1.2GHz one, but according to Samsung the ARM A8 Cortex runs at 1GHz. Most probably T-Mobile UK has made a mistake.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 tastes Eclair with 720p video
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 owners have been waiting in the firmware upgrade lounge for what seems like ages. But Eclair is almost done cooking and it will be served with 720p video capture with continuous autofocus for an extra-sweet result.
The update was pushed back until the end of October, but a release candidate has already been sent out for testing. The Sony Ericsson product blog has a quick video demo of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 with the new firmware.
The update was pushed back until the end of October, but a release candidate has already been sent out for testing. The Sony Ericsson product blog has a quick video demo of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 with the new firmware.
Samsung I9000 Galaxy S Android 2.2 Froyo
One of the coolest smartphones currently in existence just got even cooler. Samsung is already seeding the Android 2.2 Froyo update to I9000 Galaxy S units in selected markets and worldwide availability should come in the following days.
So head to Kies and hit that Firmware Update button to see if you are among the lucky fellas in the first wave. But even if you are not, don't get discouraged just yet - wider availability should be a matter of days only.
And if that's not good enough for you, you can get the latest update through a registry hack that only takes a few seconds. You can check out the update topic at the XDA-developers forums for more details on how to do this.
We already got the official update running on an I9000 Galaxy S we had lying around in the office and we have no issues with it so far. The update even left the user data and preinstalled apps intact. On the other hand it doesn't bring much performance improvement over those latest leaked ROMs we've been seeing so don't expect miracles just because it is official.
So head to Kies and hit that Firmware Update button to see if you are among the lucky fellas in the first wave. But even if you are not, don't get discouraged just yet - wider availability should be a matter of days only.
And if that's not good enough for you, you can get the latest update through a registry hack that only takes a few seconds. You can check out the update topic at the XDA-developers forums for more details on how to do this.
We already got the official update running on an I9000 Galaxy S we had lying around in the office and we have no issues with it so far. The update even left the user data and preinstalled apps intact. On the other hand it doesn't bring much performance improvement over those latest leaked ROMs we've been seeing so don't expect miracles just because it is official.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Nokia X2 Review
The Nokia X2 is a lower midrange S40 phone and it shows when you look at the disadvantages. But most of those are under the hood and you likely won’t notice them right away. The back cover is made of aluminum and has a brushed metal finish that looks great.
The stereo speakers are loud and you don’t need the headphones to blast out that new song on the radio. And if that feels too retro, the microSD card slot is easily accessible. The Nokia X2 is true Xseries stuff and makes no excuses when it comes to music.
The Nokia X2 paying us a visit
The Nokia X2 doesn’t overlook the biggest thing on the Internet since Google either. The dedicated Facebook app is pretty good (by non-touch phones’ standards).
And the 5MP camera with LED flash came as a bit of a surprise – that kind of camera usually goes on a mid-to-high end phones. Not all 5MP cameras are born equal though as we’ll see later on.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves – we need to open the box first. Jump to the next page to see what’s in and how the Nokia X2 feels on the outside.
Key features
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
2.2" 262K-color QVGA display
5 megapixel enhanced fixed-focus camera with LED flash
QVGA video recording at 15fps
Series 40 UI, 6th edition
Dedicated Facebook app
Bluetooth (with A2DP)
Standard microUSB port (charging); USB On-The-Go
Hot-swappable microSD card slot (16 GB supported)
Stereo FM radio with RDS; built-in antenna
3.5mm audio jack
Dedicated music keys
Stereo speakers
Excellent loudspeaker performance
Great audio quality
Aluminum back cover
Main disadvantages
No 3G
No GPS receiver
No WLAN
S40 is outdated and lacks multitasking
No document viewer
No smart dialing
Below par still and video camera
Wobbly microUSB port
Opera Mobile comes to Android, first beta available within a month
Android 2.2 Froyo comes with arguably the best web browser of all current mobile platforms, but you will hardly be able to tell that if you take a look at the Android Market. There are just so many alternative browsers available that you would think they are the hottest commodity around.
Mind you, I’m not complaining here – competition is a great thing and it’s the users that win the most in the end. That’s why the announcement that Opera is going to release their full-fledged Opera Mobile browser over the coming month is excellent news.
Sure, Opera Mini has been available for a while in the Android Market, but that’s by far not the real deal. Opera Mobile is one of the best mobile browsers available and it will certainly give competitors a run for their money. Even more so considering the new features it will be getting. Opera is promising pinch-zooming and hardware acceleration support (read: even better performance).
Now we wait! The first beta should be available in the next month, which doesn’t sound too bad.
Mind you, I’m not complaining here – competition is a great thing and it’s the users that win the most in the end. That’s why the announcement that Opera is going to release their full-fledged Opera Mobile browser over the coming month is excellent news.
Sure, Opera Mini has been available for a while in the Android Market, but that’s by far not the real deal. Opera Mobile is one of the best mobile browsers available and it will certainly give competitors a run for their money. Even more so considering the new features it will be getting. Opera is promising pinch-zooming and hardware acceleration support (read: even better performance).
Now we wait! The first beta should be available in the next month, which doesn’t sound too bad.
BlackBerry Torch 9800 review
The BlackBerry Torch is not the first phone to give you both a full hardware QWERTY keyboard and an ample touchscreen in a smartphone setting. But it’s a debut for BlackBerry and one that will probably shape the future for the next generation of RIM phones. The supplied 6th version of the BlackBerry OS is looking to balance user-friendliness and performance, tradition and creativity in the latest BlackBerry touch products..
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is the usual impressively built gadget, the ultimate email machine.
One would think RIM is among the lucky few phone makers that could’ve for ever pretended the iPhone didn’t exist. When your devices are in a class of their own and you’re a household name in corporate services, it’s easy to believe you’re special.
BlackBerry Torch 9800 official photos
But RIM is not looking for safety in habit. We’ve seen enough proof that complacency is not on the company’s agenda. And they deserve credit for that. RIM still put business users first but the game has changed and they know it. So, a first-ever slider and a new OS are the torchbearer for RIM looking to revise their whole strategy.
Key features
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
3G with HSPA support
3.2" 16M-color multi-touch capacitive touchscreen of 360 x 480 pixel resolution
5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and VGA video recording
BlackBerry OS 6
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Built-in GPS with BlackBerry maps preloaded
4 GB internal storage and a hot-swappable microSD card slot
Nice design and build quality
3.5mm standard audio jack
Accelerometer sensor for screen auto-rotate
Bluetooth v2.1 and microUSB v2.0
Document viewer
Optical trackpad
Good audio quality
DivX and XviD support
Main disadvantages:
Comes pricey
No document editing without a paid upgrade
Interface needs more polishing
No FM radio
No web browser Flash support
No dedicated video-call camera
No email support or BlackBerry maps without BlackBerry Internet Service account
Loudspeaker way too quiet
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is meant to appeal to the average Joe while making sure the typical corporate user receives the usual high quality service. Wait a minute. Since when are they even remotely interested in the average Joe? Now, that’s what this whole thing is all about. With touchscreen, app stores and the growing smartphone market share, the typical mobile phone user is not what they used to be.
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is the usual impressively built gadget, the ultimate email machine.
One would think RIM is among the lucky few phone makers that could’ve for ever pretended the iPhone didn’t exist. When your devices are in a class of their own and you’re a household name in corporate services, it’s easy to believe you’re special.
BlackBerry Torch 9800 official photos
But RIM is not looking for safety in habit. We’ve seen enough proof that complacency is not on the company’s agenda. And they deserve credit for that. RIM still put business users first but the game has changed and they know it. So, a first-ever slider and a new OS are the torchbearer for RIM looking to revise their whole strategy.
Key features
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
3G with HSPA support
3.2" 16M-color multi-touch capacitive touchscreen of 360 x 480 pixel resolution
5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and VGA video recording
BlackBerry OS 6
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Built-in GPS with BlackBerry maps preloaded
4 GB internal storage and a hot-swappable microSD card slot
Nice design and build quality
3.5mm standard audio jack
Accelerometer sensor for screen auto-rotate
Bluetooth v2.1 and microUSB v2.0
Document viewer
Optical trackpad
Good audio quality
DivX and XviD support
Main disadvantages:
Comes pricey
No document editing without a paid upgrade
Interface needs more polishing
No FM radio
No web browser Flash support
No dedicated video-call camera
No email support or BlackBerry maps without BlackBerry Internet Service account
Loudspeaker way too quiet
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is meant to appeal to the average Joe while making sure the typical corporate user receives the usual high quality service. Wait a minute. Since when are they even remotely interested in the average Joe? Now, that’s what this whole thing is all about. With touchscreen, app stores and the growing smartphone market share, the typical mobile phone user is not what they used to be.
Nokia N8 vs. Samsung Pixon12 vs. Sony HX5v
The Nokia N8 is an immensely popular phone and we’re already hard at work on a proper review of the handset. Since the N8 camera is its pivotal feature, we’re interested how you'd rate it in a blind shootout with two other cameras - the Samsung Pixon12 and the Sony DSC-HX5v compact digicam.
Our comments section is full of your input about the Nokia N8 camera performance. Our latest article on the subject got more than 1000 comments in a couple of days.
The way we see it, there’s some strong brand awareness that surrounds the Nokia N8. One way or the other, both praises and criticism come down to the handset being a Nokia phone.
The N8 advertising campaign has set the bar of expectations quite high. It’s only natural that when you boldly brag about the qualities of your product, you will attract all the scrutiny in the world.
As a result, we see a lot of prejudice about the N8 camera performance. Another prejudice we see often is that cameraphones will never be as good as dedicated digital point-and-shoot cameras.
Introducing the blind test
So striking at both of these, we’re putting the Nokia N8 against both a capable cameraphone (the Samsung Pixon12) and a relatively expensive point-and-shoot digicam (the Sony DSC-HX5v Cyber-shot). And best of all, we’ll start with a blind test.
The contenders in today's blind test: Nokia N8 • Samsung M8910 Pixon12 • Sony DSC-HX5v Cyber-shot
We’ll give you camera samples from all the three cameras in random order. You are free to pick your favorite today – call it in our comments section. We’ll announce the true identities of the devices behind the photos tomorrow.
Since the Sony HX5v is a 10 megapixel camera, we’ve downsized all images to 10 megapixels just for this test. Don’t worry, it’s for demonstration purposes only. That kind of comparison is really alright and it doesn’t put the 12 megapixel shooters in a disadvantageous position. Just on the contrary – the downsizing would even help them by concealing some of the digital noise.
Here go the samples gallery
The sample images you see have been stripped of all EXIF data, but we haven’t done any other digital modifications to them (besides the obvious resizing). You’ll see the original full-resolution samples tomorrow so you’ll be able to verify that for yourselves.
Once again, this is not a guess-the-phone game. It's about picking the best camera regardless of brand loyalty.
Our comments section is full of your input about the Nokia N8 camera performance. Our latest article on the subject got more than 1000 comments in a couple of days.
The way we see it, there’s some strong brand awareness that surrounds the Nokia N8. One way or the other, both praises and criticism come down to the handset being a Nokia phone.
The N8 advertising campaign has set the bar of expectations quite high. It’s only natural that when you boldly brag about the qualities of your product, you will attract all the scrutiny in the world.
As a result, we see a lot of prejudice about the N8 camera performance. Another prejudice we see often is that cameraphones will never be as good as dedicated digital point-and-shoot cameras.
Introducing the blind test
So striking at both of these, we’re putting the Nokia N8 against both a capable cameraphone (the Samsung Pixon12) and a relatively expensive point-and-shoot digicam (the Sony DSC-HX5v Cyber-shot). And best of all, we’ll start with a blind test.
The contenders in today's blind test: Nokia N8 • Samsung M8910 Pixon12 • Sony DSC-HX5v Cyber-shot
We’ll give you camera samples from all the three cameras in random order. You are free to pick your favorite today – call it in our comments section. We’ll announce the true identities of the devices behind the photos tomorrow.
Since the Sony HX5v is a 10 megapixel camera, we’ve downsized all images to 10 megapixels just for this test. Don’t worry, it’s for demonstration purposes only. That kind of comparison is really alright and it doesn’t put the 12 megapixel shooters in a disadvantageous position. Just on the contrary – the downsizing would even help them by concealing some of the digital noise.
Here go the samples gallery
The sample images you see have been stripped of all EXIF data, but we haven’t done any other digital modifications to them (besides the obvious resizing). You’ll see the original full-resolution samples tomorrow so you’ll be able to verify that for yourselves.
Once again, this is not a guess-the-phone game. It's about picking the best camera regardless of brand loyalty.
Windows Phone 7 OS review
A modern smartphone OS needs to be balanced - drawing on excellent cloud services and standing on the cutting edge of software. The Windows Phone 7 OS is nothing like Windows Mobile. It's got a trendy, almost magazine-like new look, and it is incredibly simple to use despite its different approach to just about everything.
Windows Phone 7 has a brand new interface
Microsoft received a loud collective boo when it revealed that Windows Phone 7 will not support multitasking. But the company is trying to break the mold here. Instead of making a playground for apps, it made WP7 the “killer app”. Anything extra that you install just integrates in and extends the relevant features.
They must’ve sat down to think. A complete makeover or start from scratch. In an odd way, it looks like they never actually made up their mind. That doesn’t matter though. The important thing is Windows Phone 7 is breaking loose from its “Windows Mobile” heritage and changes everything about itself – from the homescreen to the very nature of apps.
Key features:
- Premium mobile OS (high minimum hardware requirements)
- Clean, uncluttered interface with distinctive design language
- Easy and thumbable user interface
- Smooth operation with cool animations and transition effects
- A fresh start with no legacy support needed
- Backed up and developed by one of the largest software companies in the world
- Excellent MS Office mobile implementation
- Top-notch social integration
- Excellent cloud services integration (SkyDrive, Windows Live, Xbox Live)
- Wireless syncing of multimedia content
Main disadvantages:
- No system-wide file manager
- No videocalling
- Limited third-party apps availability
- No Bluetooth file transfers
- No USB mass storage mode
- No multitasking
- No copy/paste
- Too dependent on Zune software for computer file management and syncing
- No music player equalisers
- No Flash or Silverlight support in the web browser
- No sign of free Bing maps Navigation so far
- No DivX/XviD video support
- No internet tethering support
- Memory cards are not natively supported by the OS
- New ringtones available only through the Marketplace
Nokia N8 review
We’ve come to take Nokia for granted in the low end or the business class but it seems it has lost the knack for killer phones, run out of royal blood. It’s up to the Nseries to fix it all up. The Nokia N8 may just turn out to be the right cure. With that kind of hardware, it’s a smartphone you’d be mad to ignore. For a change we are not talking netbook-grade processing power or loads of RAM. Nokia have instead given their flagship an industry-leading camera and stuff like HDMI port and USB-On-the-Go.
Nokia N8 official photos
The Finnish engineers often like to make a point about Symbian being the most resource-effective OS. We’ve seen it run reasonably fast indeed on even slower CPUs. This time though it’s Symbian ^3, so we’ll have to see it again to believe it.
Key features
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
Penta-band 3G with 10.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2 Mbps HSUPA support
Sleek anodized aluminum unibody
3.5" 16M-color AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 360 pixel resolution
12 megapixel autofocus camera with xenon flash and 720p@25fps video recording
Camera features: large 1/1.83” camera sensor, mechanical shutter, ND filter, geo-tagging, face detection
Symbian^3 OS
680 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 256 MB RAM
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
microHDMI port for 720p TV-out functionality
GPS receiver with A-GPS support and free lifetime voice-guided navigation
Digital compass
16GB on-board storage, expandable through the microSD card slot
Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
DivX and XviD video support
Built-in accelerometer and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Stereo FM Radio with RDS, FM transmitter
microUSB port with USB On-the-go support
Flash and Java support for the web browser
Stereo Bluetooth 3.0
Nice audio reproduction quality
Smart and voice dialing
Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display
Main disadvantages
Symbian^3 is still behind Android and iOS usability standards
No video light
Camera interface is decidedly outdated
Relatively limited 3rd party software availability
No office document editing (without a paid upgrade)
Video player has some issues
Battery life is not on par with best in the business
Battery is not user-replaceable
There’s certainly a lot of pressure on the Nokia N8. People are probably expecting more from it than the very guys who designed it. But the N8 was never meant to compete with the iPhone 4 or the Galaxy S. At least, that’s what Nokia will gladly have you believe.
You see, with the Nokia N8 it’s not about who the competition is. Not about the business benefits of a smartphone, not about the available apps. It’s about the best camera in the business. Now, we’ll have to see about that. Again.
Nokia N8 at ours
The N8 already managed to put a dedicated digicam to shame in our recent blind test. But it will take more than that to get the thumbs up at the end of a full review. The camera is certainly impressive but it’s the overall balance and bang-for-buck that count most in our books here so the N8 better have more aces up its sleeve.
Nokia N8 official photos
The Finnish engineers often like to make a point about Symbian being the most resource-effective OS. We’ve seen it run reasonably fast indeed on even slower CPUs. This time though it’s Symbian ^3, so we’ll have to see it again to believe it.
Key features
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
Penta-band 3G with 10.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2 Mbps HSUPA support
Sleek anodized aluminum unibody
3.5" 16M-color AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 360 pixel resolution
12 megapixel autofocus camera with xenon flash and 720p@25fps video recording
Camera features: large 1/1.83” camera sensor, mechanical shutter, ND filter, geo-tagging, face detection
Symbian^3 OS
680 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 256 MB RAM
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
microHDMI port for 720p TV-out functionality
GPS receiver with A-GPS support and free lifetime voice-guided navigation
Digital compass
16GB on-board storage, expandable through the microSD card slot
Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
DivX and XviD video support
Built-in accelerometer and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Stereo FM Radio with RDS, FM transmitter
microUSB port with USB On-the-go support
Flash and Java support for the web browser
Stereo Bluetooth 3.0
Nice audio reproduction quality
Smart and voice dialing
Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display
Main disadvantages
Symbian^3 is still behind Android and iOS usability standards
No video light
Camera interface is decidedly outdated
Relatively limited 3rd party software availability
No office document editing (without a paid upgrade)
Video player has some issues
Battery life is not on par with best in the business
Battery is not user-replaceable
There’s certainly a lot of pressure on the Nokia N8. People are probably expecting more from it than the very guys who designed it. But the N8 was never meant to compete with the iPhone 4 or the Galaxy S. At least, that’s what Nokia will gladly have you believe.
You see, with the Nokia N8 it’s not about who the competition is. Not about the business benefits of a smartphone, not about the available apps. It’s about the best camera in the business. Now, we’ll have to see about that. Again.
Nokia N8 at ours
The N8 already managed to put a dedicated digicam to shame in our recent blind test. But it will take more than that to get the thumbs up at the end of a full review. The camera is certainly impressive but it’s the overall balance and bang-for-buck that count most in our books here so the N8 better have more aces up its sleeve.
Samsung I8700 Omnia 7 review
Though it might seem like a chicken-and-egg situation, the question in our case never was which one came first: Windows Phone 7 or the Samsung I8700 Omnia 7. We know you’re all adding two and two together. Our Windows Phone 7 review was based on this Samsung Omnia 7 here. You can’t blame the OS for taking unfair advantage but you can’t deny the fact either that a Super AMOLED screen can make anything look good.
Samsung I8700 Omnia 7 official photos
Not that we’re saying that Windows Phone 7 is just anything. And of course, it just can’t and won’t be anything you want it to be. But that’s not the whole story. Let’s just say Microsoft are in charge of the numerology and leaving it to manufacturers to do the math.
And it’s simple but expensive math. WVGA screens, 1 GHz processors and dedicated GPUs are the minimum requirements for any set to run the brand new OS. Let’s just repeat that – those are the MINIMUM requirements.
No wonder then, the Samsung I8700 Omnia 7 has no choice but to be the Galaxy S of the new Windows phones. It has the same 4 inches of a gorgeous Super AMOLED screen, a 1GHz Snapdragon powerplant and it captures 5 megapixel photos and records HD videos. If there was one thing to hold against the I9000 Galaxy S it had to be the plastic finish. But Samsung listened to their customers and gave the Omnia 7 the same get-up as the first Bada phone.
So, the Omnia 7 seems to have it all to make a grand entrance – premium build, powerful hardware and a brand new OS are all thrown into the mix. We can hardly think of any weak spots on the chassis.
Key features
Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G support
7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support
4" 16M-color Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution, multi-touch input, scratch-resistant glass surface
Windows Phone 7 OS
1GHz Snapdragon QSD8250 CPU
5 MP autofocus camera with face, smile and blink detection, geotagging, LED flash
720p HD video recording at 25fps
Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g and n support
GPS with A-GPS connectivity; digital compass
8/16GB internal storage
Accelerometer, ambient light and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
microUSB port (charging)
Bluetooth v2.1
FM radio with RDS
1500 mAh Li-Ion battery
Good audio quality
Microsoft Office Suite for Mobile
Zune integration with wireless syncing
Excellent cloud services integration (SkyDrive, Windows Live, Xbox Live)
Samsung I8700 Omnia 7 official photos
Not that we’re saying that Windows Phone 7 is just anything. And of course, it just can’t and won’t be anything you want it to be. But that’s not the whole story. Let’s just say Microsoft are in charge of the numerology and leaving it to manufacturers to do the math.
And it’s simple but expensive math. WVGA screens, 1 GHz processors and dedicated GPUs are the minimum requirements for any set to run the brand new OS. Let’s just repeat that – those are the MINIMUM requirements.
No wonder then, the Samsung I8700 Omnia 7 has no choice but to be the Galaxy S of the new Windows phones. It has the same 4 inches of a gorgeous Super AMOLED screen, a 1GHz Snapdragon powerplant and it captures 5 megapixel photos and records HD videos. If there was one thing to hold against the I9000 Galaxy S it had to be the plastic finish. But Samsung listened to their customers and gave the Omnia 7 the same get-up as the first Bada phone.
So, the Omnia 7 seems to have it all to make a grand entrance – premium build, powerful hardware and a brand new OS are all thrown into the mix. We can hardly think of any weak spots on the chassis.
Key features
Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G support
7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support
4" 16M-color Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution, multi-touch input, scratch-resistant glass surface
Windows Phone 7 OS
1GHz Snapdragon QSD8250 CPU
5 MP autofocus camera with face, smile and blink detection, geotagging, LED flash
720p HD video recording at 25fps
Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g and n support
GPS with A-GPS connectivity; digital compass
8/16GB internal storage
Accelerometer, ambient light and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
microUSB port (charging)
Bluetooth v2.1
FM radio with RDS
1500 mAh Li-Ion battery
Good audio quality
Microsoft Office Suite for Mobile
Zune integration with wireless syncing
Excellent cloud services integration (SkyDrive, Windows Live, Xbox Live)
Nokia N8 battery good but not the best
Hot on the heels of our full Nokia N8 review here come the results of the Finnish flagship’s battery test. With the N8 battery being non-user-removable (or at least not without a Torx screwdriver) the battery life will probably be more important to potential customers than usual.
The Nokia N8 managed to survive for 42 hours (or just under two days), enduring the following in the process:
30 minutes of general usage
90 minutes of video playback
2 hours of audio playback
40 minutes of voice calls
40 minutes of web browsing
10 minutes of gaming
10 minutes of shooting photos and videos
10 minutes of navigation
We also did a dedicated video playback test, by looping a standard definition XviD video with the screen brightness set to 50%. The Nokia N8 went on for 6 hours and 20 minutes before the N8 battery died on us.
Now this isn’t too bad and will probably be more than enough for most users. The only issue is that most of its competitors did better when exposed to similar torture and it might turn out that the battery life will count against the N8 when making direct comparisons.
The Nokia N8 managed to survive for 42 hours (or just under two days), enduring the following in the process:
30 minutes of general usage
90 minutes of video playback
2 hours of audio playback
40 minutes of voice calls
40 minutes of web browsing
10 minutes of gaming
10 minutes of shooting photos and videos
10 minutes of navigation
We also did a dedicated video playback test, by looping a standard definition XviD video with the screen brightness set to 50%. The Nokia N8 went on for 6 hours and 20 minutes before the N8 battery died on us.
Now this isn’t too bad and will probably be more than enough for most users. The only issue is that most of its competitors did better when exposed to similar torture and it might turn out that the battery life will count against the N8 when making direct comparisons.
Vertu Constallation Quest is a classy smartphone
Vertu Constallation Quest is a classy smartphone, has QWERTY keyboard
Vertu going smartphone – are my eyes deceiving me? The Vertu Constellation Quest features not only Symbian OS but a full QWERTY keyboard too – bringing some luxury feel to the mundane task of sending and receiving emails.
Speaking of which, the Vertu Constellation Quest also comes with a Vertu email account (@vertu.me) and an enhanced Vertu Concierge service too…
There aren’t a lot of details about the Vertu Constellation Quest right now – except that Vertu launched it last night at a huge party at Lancaster House, St James’s in London with many celebrities attending.
Vertu going smartphone – are my eyes deceiving me? The Vertu Constellation Quest features not only Symbian OS but a full QWERTY keyboard too – bringing some luxury feel to the mundane task of sending and receiving emails.
Speaking of which, the Vertu Constellation Quest also comes with a Vertu email account (@vertu.me) and an enhanced Vertu Concierge service too…
There aren’t a lot of details about the Vertu Constellation Quest right now – except that Vertu launched it last night at a huge party at Lancaster House, St James’s in London with many celebrities attending.
Safely update your iPhone 4 to iOS 4.1 without losing unlock capabilities
You can safely update your iPhone 4 to iOS 4.1 without losing unlock capabilities
If you are already tired of waiting for a carrier unlock solution and want iOS 4.1 on your iPhone 4 right now, you can have it. There is a way to update your phone without updating the phones’s baseband along the way.
iClarified has a complete walkthrough for the update process. You need a regular iPhone 4.1 firmware, the application TinyUmbrella and iTunes. The method works on both Windows and Mac. Check the iClarified tutorial to see how it’s done.
When you’re finished, you can jailbreak your iPhone 4 running iOS 4.1 with either limera1n or greenpois0n and then you can then unlock the regular way with ultrasn0w.
If you are already tired of waiting for a carrier unlock solution and want iOS 4.1 on your iPhone 4 right now, you can have it. There is a way to update your phone without updating the phones’s baseband along the way.
iClarified has a complete walkthrough for the update process. You need a regular iPhone 4.1 firmware, the application TinyUmbrella and iTunes. The method works on both Windows and Mac. Check the iClarified tutorial to see how it’s done.
When you’re finished, you can jailbreak your iPhone 4 running iOS 4.1 with either limera1n or greenpois0n and then you can then unlock the regular way with ultrasn0w.
Motorola DEFY hits it off in Germany, yours for 350 euro
The ruggedized Eclair-serving Motorola DEFY has just made it to the market. The phone was said to head for the stores this month and, as promised, it has just started selling in Germany. The thing is priced at 350 euro.
The Motorola DEFY saw daylight for the first time over a month ago. And back then our attention was caught by its IP67 specifications, which guarantee protection against dust, water and accidental drops. And the Gorilla Glass covering the 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen keeps scratches away.
The Motorola DEFY saw daylight for the first time over a month ago. And back then our attention was caught by its IP67 specifications, which guarantee protection against dust, water and accidental drops. And the Gorilla Glass covering the 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen keeps scratches away.
Samsung GT-i8700 Omnia 7- Windows Phone 7
t was only yesterday when Samsung unveiled the I8700 Omnia 7 and HTC its Windows Phone 7 lineup, but it seems carriers and retailers have already solid plans for a close launch. Three UK carriers - Orange, T-Mobile and Three - will launch the Omnia 7 on 21 October, while Amazon will sell unlocked versions of the HTC windowsphones in November.
Samsung Omnia 7 will be released in UK in less than two weeks. All three operators give the phone for free on two-year contract. The T-Mobile's and Three's tariffs are 35 pounds per month, while the Orange one is 40 pounds.
Samsung I8700 Omnia 7
Amazon DE has listed the HTC HD7 for 600 euro (525 pounds), while Amazon UK is going to sell HTC Trophy for 430 pounds (495 euro). Pre-orders are not available at this time, but since the Trophy will be released this November, we guess you could wait a little bit.
Samsung Omnia 7 will be released in UK in less than two weeks. All three operators give the phone for free on two-year contract. The T-Mobile's and Three's tariffs are 35 pounds per month, while the Orange one is 40 pounds.
Samsung I8700 Omnia 7
Amazon DE has listed the HTC HD7 for 600 euro (525 pounds), while Amazon UK is going to sell HTC Trophy for 430 pounds (495 euro). Pre-orders are not available at this time, but since the Trophy will be released this November, we guess you could wait a little bit.
Nokia N8 gets better stills, 30 fps video with continuous autofocus
If you already checked the review, you would know that the Nokia N8 is the best cameraphone available by some distance. But it turns out that there's even more potential locked inside that large sensor. The latest Nokia flagship is actually capable of doing even better images and what's more important - it's quite apable of outputting 30 fps HD video with continuous autofocus.
The best news is that the skillful hackers from Team HX has just managed to unlock that full potential and has released it to the public. By lifting the ceiling on the JPEG compression the guys from the team managed to get the N8 to produce even more detailed images with even less noise.
Crops: After the mod • original sample
The thing is the difference isn't all that great, compared to the price you'd have to pay. With no compression the images are several times larger in size (the sample posted is over 12MB) and that will probably make them pretty slow to browse in the handset's gallery.
It's the video recording that got the more worthwhile boost though. Team HX managed to increase its framerate to 30fps and added… wait for it… continuous autofocus. Considering that those two were our main grudges against the N8 camcorder, this is some major improvement indeed.
Check out the samples by Team HX to see it in action.
The best news is that the skillful hackers from Team HX has just managed to unlock that full potential and has released it to the public. By lifting the ceiling on the JPEG compression the guys from the team managed to get the N8 to produce even more detailed images with even less noise.
Crops: After the mod • original sample
The thing is the difference isn't all that great, compared to the price you'd have to pay. With no compression the images are several times larger in size (the sample posted is over 12MB) and that will probably make them pretty slow to browse in the handset's gallery.
It's the video recording that got the more worthwhile boost though. Team HX managed to increase its framerate to 30fps and added… wait for it… continuous autofocus. Considering that those two were our main grudges against the N8 camcorder, this is some major improvement indeed.
Check out the samples by Team HX to see it in action.
Samsung DE suggests the Galaxy Tab
Samsung DE has just announced the availability of its Android-running tablet, the P1000 Galaxy Tab. Rejoice, our German friends! Or don't, because here comes the cold shower. The suggested retail price of the tablet is good 799 euro.
Now if that turns out to be the case, we get a feeling that Samsung will have to lower its expectations for the Froyo-running tablet. Being 100 euro more expensive that the 3G-enabled version of the Apple iPad certainly won't do the Galaxy Tab any favors.
Of course the device is already listed for pre-order at Amazon.de for 750 euro and Amazon.co.uk for 600 GBP (680 euro) so this might turn out to be a mistake on behalf of Samsung staff. Usually pre-order prices are higher than the actual retail value of a product, not lower. Also just the other day Vodafone Spain released their pricing plans for the Samsung tablet, offering it for 200 euro on a contract.
We are obviously doomed to stay unaware of the Tab real pricing until the very last possible moment. The good news is that this moment is just around the corner and the puzzle should finally be solved in the following days. Unfortunately the chances of the Tab being as affordable as we all hoped rapidly dropped after this announcement.
Now if that turns out to be the case, we get a feeling that Samsung will have to lower its expectations for the Froyo-running tablet. Being 100 euro more expensive that the 3G-enabled version of the Apple iPad certainly won't do the Galaxy Tab any favors.
Of course the device is already listed for pre-order at Amazon.de for 750 euro and Amazon.co.uk for 600 GBP (680 euro) so this might turn out to be a mistake on behalf of Samsung staff. Usually pre-order prices are higher than the actual retail value of a product, not lower. Also just the other day Vodafone Spain released their pricing plans for the Samsung tablet, offering it for 200 euro on a contract.
We are obviously doomed to stay unaware of the Tab real pricing until the very last possible moment. The good news is that this moment is just around the corner and the puzzle should finally be solved in the following days. Unfortunately the chances of the Tab being as affordable as we all hoped rapidly dropped after this announcement.
Nokia C5-03 brings full connectivity on the cheap
The increasingly complicated Nokia model numbering scheme just received a new entry - meet the Nokia C5-03. It's a Symbian^1 touch phone with 5MP camera, Wi-Fi and GPS and it's really lightweight - it weighs only 93 grams.
Nokia C5-03
The Nokia C5-03 runs Symbian^1, which is to say Symbian S60 5th edition. Anyway, it has a 3.2" nHD (360x640) resistive touchscreen and it measures 105.8 x 51.0 x 13.8 mm.
Nokia C5-03
The new C5-03 flaunts a 5MP camera (fixed-focus) and comes with a 2GB microSD card in the box. Wi-Fi and GPS are on-board and of course Ovi Maps with free voice-guided navigation. For mobile connectivity, the Nokia C5-03 offers quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band 3G with HSDPA (10.2Mbps) and HSUPA (2Mbps).
The Nokia C5-03 has a 1000mAh battery, which promises impressive battery life - up to 25 days of standby, 11.5 hours of talk time and up to 35 hours of music playback (19.5 hours if you're using a Bluetooth headset).
Nokia C5-03
The Nokia C5-03 runs Symbian^1, which is to say Symbian S60 5th edition. Anyway, it has a 3.2" nHD (360x640) resistive touchscreen and it measures 105.8 x 51.0 x 13.8 mm.
Nokia C5-03
The new C5-03 flaunts a 5MP camera (fixed-focus) and comes with a 2GB microSD card in the box. Wi-Fi and GPS are on-board and of course Ovi Maps with free voice-guided navigation. For mobile connectivity, the Nokia C5-03 offers quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band 3G with HSDPA (10.2Mbps) and HSUPA (2Mbps).
The Nokia C5-03 has a 1000mAh battery, which promises impressive battery life - up to 25 days of standby, 11.5 hours of talk time and up to 35 hours of music playback (19.5 hours if you're using a Bluetooth headset).
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