Archive for 2009

By September 18, 2009 Read More →

Palm leaving Windows Mobile behind

palmprewinmoend

Agh. More bullets for Windows Mobile. Today Jon Rubinstein, CEO at Palm, confirmed in a financial resultsconference call that Windows Mobile was no longer part of their future line-up. He stated that…
"Due to importance of webOS to our overall strategy, we’ve made the decision to dedicate all future develoment resources to the evolution of webOS. Which means that going forward, our roadmap will include only Palm webOS-based devices"
PreCentral reckons that the Treo line will still continue, but with the advent of the Palm Pre they’re heading in a whole new webOS direction.
Hmm. It looks like the 1000 people working on Windows Mobile 7 have an even steeper hill to climb.

[Source PreCentral.net via Coolsmartphone]

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By September 18, 2009 Read More →

Sony Ericsson W205 review

The W205 from Sony Ericsson is a Walkman phone with all the features you would expect from the great brand of Sony Ericsson but can almost be described a trimmed down version and before you go thinking this a bad thing when I say trimmed down I also include the price in that statement.

The Sony Ericsson W205

The Sony Ericsson W205

What’s in the box?

Actually, not a lot! The box is not only tiny but also mostly empty.

  • The W205 Handset
  • Battery
  • Mains Charger
  • Manual and Warranty Card

Check out Matt’s Sony Ericsson W205 unboxing video for a closer look at the handset.

 

Sony Ericsson W205 specification:

  • Network: GSM / GPRS 900/1800
  • Display: TFT, 1,8-inch, the resolution of 128×260 pixels, 65 thousand colors
  • Camera: 1.3 MP, 2.2-fold digital zoom, video recording
  • Memory: built-5Mb, slot for memory cards Memory Stick Micro (M2) up to 2 GB
  • Communications: Bluetooth, USB
  • Audio: supported formats MP3/AAC, player Walkman, FM-radio with RDS, stereo headset
  • Battery life: during a call up to 9 hours, standby up to 425 hours of music listening mode: up to 13.5 hours
  • Dimensions: 92x47x16, 4 mm
  • Weight: 96 g

 

 

General

Looks wise the W205 is not a bad looking device with all the standard Walkman styling seen on many other devices in the Sony Ericsson range. Build quality does leave a little to be desired the W205 does give away its low price tag in this respect, the slider feels very flimsy and the phone itself is very light and has a distinct plastic feel to it.

The front of the device has allot going for a modern day mobile phone but not so much for the Walkman series. The standard Walkman control circle is present for quick and easy playback controls which also doubles as menu navigation. To the right of this are a menu quick launch button, call control and cancel. On the left is a further quick launch button along with call control and a shortcut key. When open the W205 reveals a standard numeric keypad with a rubberised feel.

Sony Ericsson W205 front view

Sony Ericsson W205 front view

 

The left side of the device houses that large Sony Ericsson propitiatory connector and a two way volume rocker which as with other Sony Ericsson devices can also be used to check the status of things such as battery life and general information about the phone.

Sony Ericsson W205 left side

Sony Ericsson W205 left side

 

The right of the device is very bare indeed and located on this side the W205 is a solitary M2 memory card input which is housed under the plastic cover towards the top of the mobile phone.

Sony Ericsson W205 right side

Sony Ericsson W205 right side

 

The back of W205 has a matt black throughout and as well as this the 1.3 megapixel camera which is well places at the top of the device.

Sony Ericsson W205 back view

Sony Ericsson W205 back view

Highlights and Lowlights
+ Low Price
+ Battery Life
– Poor Camera Quality
– Limited Memory Support


Review

The W205 from Sony Ericsson further increases the already staggeringly large mobile phone collection other wise and more affectionately referred to as the Walkman range.

Style wise the W205 is what I would refer to as practical and functional, it is certainly not award winning but is not a phone you will be desperate to keep hidden away under the table the whole time. As I mentioned earlier the build quality does give the phones low value away somewhat, the slider feels very strange in that it is not spring loaded as with many others and often you will find yourself having to manually slide it as often it only moves a small amount at a time which sounds like a very strange and obscure criticism but it is something which you will certainly notice when using the phone. The keypad has a rubber feel to it and although the keys are not technically individual they are fairly sized and should not cause a problem even for the biggest of hands.

The navigational menu is the standard Sony Ericsson menu which will be familiar to all of you with previous experience with Sony Ericsson devices or indeed anyone who has read a previous Sony Ericsson mobile review. Navigation is done using the four way playback control control which is simple enough however given the small screen size space is certainly at a premium when browsing a list such as contacts or music.

The W205 is capable of basic web browsing however with no 3G connectivity and given the screen size it can become more of a challenge and seems more trouble than it’s worth.

The W205 despite its price does have the capability to be as good as its more expensive and greater featured older cousins however it just feels like at certain points it is being held back. One of the most important factors when it comes to a modern MP3 player is storage, and more importantly large storage. And this is the first sticking point for the W205 it does support additional memory support via M2 memory card however only supports up to 2GB of memory which by today’s standards is below par and especially for those MP3 and music enthusiasts. That said as given the price the W205 is likely to be targeted at the less die hard music fan and more for those looking for a cheaper option than a dedicated high spec MP3 player while combining it with a fairly well featured Sony Ericsson mobile phone.

The device does come shipped with a set of standard Sony Ericsson in ear headphones which are not always ideal however also included is the adapter required for you to use any headphones with 3.5mm head phone jack, connection to the W205 through the head phone adapter is done via Sony Ericsson’s unnecessarily large and somewhat clumsy and poorly place propitiatory connector. The phones in built speakers are not great quality but this is something that does improve considerably when using the W205 with headphones. Navigating your way through the W205’s music menus is similar to that on other Walkman devices, if unfamiliar with these is basically involves scrolling through your tracks by either artist, song, titles etc. Although navigation is not what you would describe as difficult it is not perfect and could I feel be slightly improved to make it a little more user friendly.

The W205 features an FM radio and the ever helpful track ID is also present.

Camera wise the W205 did disappoint me somewhat, there is no forward facing camera meaning no video calls and the main camera is the now rare sight of a 1.3 Megapixel camera which is not the best quality I have seen even at this resolution, not helped by the W205’s small screen and disappointing resolution. The Camera does come with a few features such as night mode, scene mode and a few effects however none really bring the W205 up to speed with other mobiles of a similar price on the market today and with no flash or focus of any kind the camera becomes more of an after thought from Sony as appose to a feature at the forefront of their thinking. The W205 is also capable of taking short video clips which performs better than I expected given the phones problems with still images. Playback of either photos or video on the W205 is not what I would describe as a pleasure and dare I say for fear of sounding like a broken record this is due mainly to the devices small screen.

In terms of features the W205 doesn’t do badly given its low price, the phone has bluetooth connectivity allowing for quick and easy transfer of files and also offers the the generic organiser type functions including the basic calculator, notes and calender however besides this the W205 does lack the more current features many have come to expect from a modern day mobile phone but this is something that can be forgiven of a device with a low price tag.
Practicality wise the W205 is Size: 92 x 47 x 16.4 mm and weights 96 grams, battery life is quoted at a talk time of up to 9 hours and around 425 hours standby, for music playback the W205 can be expected to last approximately 13 and ½ hours which given its small size I found somewhat impressive.

w205_angled_open

 

Conclusion

Overall the W205 came as a bit of a reappointment, it just seems like Sony Ericsson have held back and yes of course price will have paid a big part in this however I fell that they should have equipped it with fully functioning features rather than going for volume and letting quality fall short. That said I do commend Sony Ericsson on their attempts in cutting down packaging and presenting the W205 in a stylish and modern way. While not a bad phone the W205 does leave a bit to be desired but for the average user who has little need for more high end connectivity etc. the W205 with its low cost should be ideal.

 

Review by: Nick

Posted in: Reviews
By September 17, 2009 Read More →

3D iPlane Pro for iPhone released

Here comes low budget flight simulator that costs just one buck and is also available in a limited free version.

Posted in: Phones
By September 17, 2009 Read More →

T-Mobile increases roaming rates outside EU

T-Mobile-logo-400px(4) T-Mobile has announced it will be increasing roaming charges for all customers outside the EU from 26 October.
The operator sent a text message to its customers to inform them of the changes last week, which will affect all pay as you go, contract and some business customers.
A steep increase in prices will take effect for calls made and received in Andorra, the Faroe Islands and Switzerland, where the price will rise from 55p per minute to £1 per minute.
The operator blamed the price increase on the fees paid to local service providers and the weak pound.
In June, the network increased prices for roaming in the EU by 6p per minute, to 44p per minute. At the time, the operator justified the change by saying it had to reduce the price of sending text messages on the Continent, in line with price caps issued by the EU.

[Source: mobiletoday]

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By September 17, 2009 Read More →

Palm Pre, Sim Free, £450

palm_pre-500x387

Here is an article from Mypre.com that’ll get some excited. Seems you’ll be able to pre-order a Palm Pre for £450, sim-free. That’s an attractive price I must say. However, I’m wondering were these sim free phones are fitting into the limited stock levels Palm are talking about.

Posted in: Phones
By September 17, 2009 Read More →

Nokia running out of stock?

58da4_nokia-6700

Dealers and distributors have been struggling to source Nokia handsets for the past month and have complained of particular difficulties with the 6700.
The phone has been in short supply throughout August and is only just beginning to be available again.
Dealers and distributors cited a number of reasons for difficulties in sourcing the 6700. 
One distributor said: ‘There has been a shortage of Nokia handsets and we have been told there have been some component issues, but that they have now been resolved.’
One dealer said: ‘We waited eight weeks for some 6700s and received a delivery a few days ago, but only 10.’
Some believe the market has been ‘under forecast’ and there is a global shortage.
Nokia said: ‘The N97, 6700, 6303 and 5800 are currently selling strongly across all channels. On some occasions, there has been a short delay in supply arriving from our factories into the UK and being distributed to our customers.

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[Source: Mobiletoday]

Posted in: Phones
By September 17, 2009 Read More →

T3 review Motorola DEXT

dextr_lead_w300 T3 have gotten their hands on the Motorola DEXT from Orange. This highly anticipated Android phone looks the biz and seems to actually BE the biz. Packing the first qwerty keyboard on an Android device since the G1 read on for the complete review.

Posted in: Phones
By September 17, 2009 Read More →

Blackberry Curve 8520 Review

The Blackberry Curve 8520 (codename Gemini) is the latest device to be released by RIM and it is supposedly a low end handset. However, there are a couple of things which I personally prefer over the popular Curve 8900. Read on to find out what they are……

Blackberry Curve 8520

Blackberry Curve 8520

The ten second review:

Device: Blackberry Curve 8520

Summary: A low end messaging device but does it so well.

Best of: BlackBerry email, WiFi, Superb Keypad.

Worst of: No 3G, No GPS

Price: £224.25

What’s in the box?

  • Device
  • Battery
  • Charger
  • Headset
  • USB Cable
  • Software
  • Manual/Quick start guide

Have a look at Matt’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 unboxing video for more

Blackberry Curve 8520 Gemini Specification:

  • Dimensions:- 109 x 60 x 13.9mm
  • Weight: 106g
  • Battery:- Talk Time: 4.5 hrs / Standby Time: 408 hrs
  • Display:- 320 x 240 pixels/2.46″
  • Network:- GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 (Quad-Band)
  • Camera:- 2 mega-pixels (auto-focus)
  • Video:- Supported formats: MP4, 3GP, H.264, & WMV
  • Music:- Supported formats: MP3, AAC, eAAC+ & WMA
  • Messaging:- SMS / MMS / E-mail (POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, BlackBerry, MS Exchange)
  • Instant Messaging (MSN)
  • Memory:- 256 MB (internal) / microSDHC (external)
  • Navigation:- BlackBerry Maps
  • Security:- Remote Lock / Device and memory card encryption
  • Features :- Optical Pad, Dedicated Media Keys

General

The top of the device contains some rather nice media function keys.

Blackberry Curve 8520 Top View

Curve 8520 Top View

The left side of the phone houses the USB port, 3.5 mm headset jack and also the voice dialling activation key.

Blackberry Curve 8520 Left Side

Curve 8520 Left Side

The up/down volume rocker and a dedicated camera key can be found on the right side.

Blackberry Curve 8520 Right Side

Curve 8520 Right Side

The back of the Blackberry houses only the camera lens.

8520 Back View

Curve 8520 Back View

The front of the handset looks just like you would expect a Blackberry to look.

Blackberry Curve 8520 Front View

Curve 8520 Front

Highlights:

  • Optical Trackpad
  • Blackberry email

Lowlights

  • No 3G
  • No GPS
  • No Camera Flash

Review:

Dubbed as a low end device the Blackberry Curve 8520 is similar to the Curve 8900 in many ways but it is just missing a few things. The main features missing are no GPS, smaller battery and the camera is 2mp compared to 3.15mp on the 8900.

However, this will clearly make the phone cheaper to buy and I think it could do very well as a pay as you go device. It is listed as coming soon as PAYG on the Orange website.

Never owning a Blackberry before I was pretty excited about getting this latest addition to the Blackberry family. I particularly wanted to see what all the hype was about as just a few weeks ago RIM was named as the fastest growing company in the world with its profits up 84% over the last three years!

There is no doubt that the 8520 is a nice looking device. Its pure black, unlike the Curve 8900 which has a silver band around its casing, and oozes the fact that it a Blackberry hardcore messaging device.

It’s smooth and shiny and if it could talk it would probably be saying “Hey, check me out ladies!”

It’s slightly lighter in weight than the Curve 8900 and certainly feels it. So lightweight in fact that it feels a bit toy like. The battery cover in particular feels cheap and I wonder how it will be over months and months of daily handling.

So how did I find using the Blackberry operating system for the first time? It was really simple and I would imagine that is one of the things that attracts and keep Blackberry customers.

There was nothing too complicated and navigating the menus was smooth.

Speaking of navigation, the Curve 8520 has a small feature which sets it apart from the popular previous Curves and the Bold. It doesn’t have a trackball. Instead it has an optical trackpad. Although these have been used by other manufactures for a while I believe this is RIMs first and I think they have made a good choice. When I knew I was getting the 8520 to review I popped down to my local Orange Retail store to have a quick play with the Curve 8900. Not in any great depth but I just wanted to get a feel for the trackball as I knew I would have to compare it with the trackpad.

Now which is better will certainly come down to personal choice but I defiantly would go for the trackpad. I have subsequently had a go on a friends 8900 and again much preferred the pad over the ball.

The speed that the trackpad works can be altered which is nice.

Another thing I was very impressed with was the screen. It’s nice and bright and the images are crisp and bold. In addition, viewing photos that have been taken with the camera look really colourful and bright.

Probably the most important aspect of the device is the keyboard.

8520 Keyboard

The Blackberry Curve 8520 Keyboard

With any messaging device the quality and layout of the keys are paramount. Luckily RIM have made a fantastic job of the 8520. The keys are of a decent size and there is just the right amount of spacing between them. Not only do you feel a click when you press any of the keys but you can also hear it as well which is a feature I like.

Compared to other devices I would say that the keyboard on the 8520 is pretty near the top of the pile. The keys are smaller than on a Blackberry Bold but bigger than on several Palm devices still on the market, including the forthcoming Palm Pre. A few months ago I reviewed the HTC Snap and gave its keyboard a super review. In my opinion I found typing slightly better on the Snap but there is nothing wrong with the 8520 and I was able to compose messages pretty much mistake free. The device allows for easy one handed use as well as two handed which will suit some people. I’m a big fan of slide out keyboards so using the smaller front facing ones is always a bit of a challenge for me!

On to the camera. At 2mp it is never going to be great but as I said earlier, viewing photos on the device is good. Once the photos were on my computer they were actually better than I thought they would be. Still a little grainy but for 2mp not bad at all.

I don’t think that buyers of this device are going to have the camera at the top of there required features list.

Listening to music through the speaker was reasonable. The speaker is fairly loud but a little “tinny” and this made the “Metallica test” not so good. Once the Blackberry headphones were plugged in, this improved things but using my own headphones was better. The supplied ones also look and feel really cheap.

Web browsing on a non touch handset is never something I look forward too but the 8520 was not bad at all. The optical trackpad controls an onscreen mouse arrow and the experience was better than on similar devices. The web pages were a little slow to load and using the menu to select bookmarks etc was also more hassle than on a touch screen device but if you are going to own one of these phones you will soon adjust.

The 8520 does have WiFi but lacks 3G which is a real shame.

The main reason to buy a Blackberry has to be for email. I had a slight problem setting up my email on the device. I couldn’t. After several hours researching on the internet how to do so I discovered that I needed to register the device with my network provider. I didn’t want to use the Blackberry server, just my pop3 yahoo account but that wasn’t easy. After speaking with Orange they told me that the only way they could do it would be for me to sign up for Blackberry Services at a cost of just over four pounds a month. Now normally this would not be an issue but in order for them to do this they would need to remove my existing data package of 500mb and replace it with the Blackberry one (250mb). I didn’t want them touching my existing package as last time they did they forgot to put it back on and I had a bill for £900.00! Of course they credited me but I didn’t want the hassle so I told them I wouldn’t bother.

So, I have not been able to use the email feature myself but I do have a little story about my friend Phil. A few weeks ago Phil came to the end of his mobile contract and decided to switch carriers and get a HTC Hero on Orange. He was pretty happy with the device but eventually decided to order a Blackberry Curve 8900 from O2 to compare and then send one device back. His exact words to me on Sunday were “The Hero is a much better device in nearly everyway but there is just something about the Blackberry”. So the Hero went back and he is more than happy with his Blackberry and the dozens of emails he sends from it everyday.

If your bored don’t worry, that’s the end of the story!

Conclusion:

The Blackberry 8520 is without doubt a decent device. I think it will have a limited market though as it is lacking a few features compared to the Curve 8900, however the new trackpad may just swing it for some people.

I’m sure that the network providers that release it as a PAYG handset will do relatively well with sales but that will obviously be dependant on price.

In this review I have covered the main features/selling points of the device but if you have any questions please feel free to ask using the forum. I will have the device for another week so please register on the forum and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Review by: James

Posted in: Phones, Reviews
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By September 16, 2009 Read More →

IS the HTC Leo Capacitive?

htc_touch_hd_htc_leo_touchflo_3d_romHere’s a little video showing the HTC Leo’s multi-touch capabilities. No sound, so nothing confirmed but it’ll be an exciting leap for Windows Mobile if it is. Video after the break:

Posted in: Phones
By September 16, 2009 Read More →

Orange resolves broadband issues after outage

Lancement-de-la-TV-HD-mobile-chez-Orange-1

Orange has resolved issues with its broadband service and BlackBerry emails after an outage last week (11 September). The BlackBerry issues, where emails were down for around one day, were caused by vandalism of cables at Heathrow, according to the operator.
Orange broadband, which was previously known as Wanadoo, is also up and running again after going down for a period of time last Thursday (10 September).
The operator did not give a reason for the problems.

[Source Mobilenews]

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