Vodafone sells 100,000

Written by on January 23, 2010 in Phones with 0 Comments
Vodafone sells 100,000

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Vodafone sold its 100,000th iPhone [yesterday], just eight days after it went on sale

Vodafone today sold its 100,000 Apple iPhone, just over a week after the operator launched it.
The iPhone went on sale at Vodafone last Thursday (January 14). Vodafone followed Tesco Mobile and Orange in selling the iPhone, breaking O2’s two-year exclusivity on it.
Vodafone UK CEO Guy Laurence said: "The demand from both consumer and business customers has been phenomenal. They want an outstanding phone on an outstanding network and we’re delivering that."

[Source mobilenews]

Nokia Booklet 3G unboxing video

Written by on January 23, 2010 in Videos/Unboxings with 0 Comments
Nokia Booklet 3G unboxing video

The Nokia Booklet 3G is Nokia’s first foray in to the ‘proper laptop’ market. Upon initial inspection you might think the price tag is rather high for a device of a similar size to many other netbook style computers hitting the market but there’s a while lot more to consider.

First of all the Nokia Booklet has a built in 3G modem for connectivity on the move without the need for dongles or teathers. It features a 10.1", HD ready, glass screen, HDMI output, 12 Hour battery life, SD card reader and a hot-swappable SIM card slot to name but a few of its stand out features. The built-in HSDPA gives you internet on the move, while WiFi and Bluetooth give you the other now standard connectivity options.

The Nokia Booklet 3G

The Nokia Booklet 3G

 

So looking at the Booklet more closely I have to say that I am VERY impressed with the build quality. The majority of the chassis is made of aluminium nicely designed a made too. Then there’s the glass screen which looks beautifully clear, glass adding that extra optical quality that cant be matched by plastic. To be honest, if I were shown this computer minus its branding I think I would have guessed it was a new smaller Apple MacBook.

Oh yes.It’s talents don’t end there, with Nokia’s mini laptop PC also features onboard assisted-GPS and Ovi Maps, a great navigation solution. There is also a single front-facing camera nestled above the 10.1-inch HD screen for video chat, with Bluetooth and a built-in SD card reader also making appearances.

Have a look at my quick unboxing and tour video for more:

 

Nokia Booklet 3G unboxing video

 

Nokia Booklet 3G specification:

  • Operating System – Windows 7 Starter Edition, Home Premium or Professional
  • Processor – Intel Atom Z530, 1.6 GHz
  • Chipset – Intel Poulsbo US15W, fanless design
  • Display – 10.1", 1280×720 pixels, glass window
  • Weight – 1.25kg
  • Dimensions – (W x D x H) 264 x 185 x 19.9 mm 
  • Internal drive(s) – HDD: 120 GB, 1.8"/5mmH/SATA, 8 MB cache, 4200 RPM
  • Memory – RAM: 1 GB, DDR2, 533 Mhz, soldered down (probably not upgradable then!)
  • Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n, 2T2R
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • Inbuilt 3G modem (data calls only). Different variants: WCDMA: 850/1900/2100 or WCDMA 900/2100 or no modem.
  • Assisted-GPS
  • Expansion slots – 1 x SD card reader
  • 1 x HDMI 1.2 out
  • 3 x USB 2.0
  • 1 x headphone out (OMTP 3.5 mm) – with OMTP headsets also functions as audio in
  • 1 x DC-in
  • 1 x SD card reader
  • 1 x SIM / USIM slot
  • MS Office Small Business 60 day trial
  • MS Internet Explorer 8
  • HDD protection utility, Hotkey utility , Knock Control utility, Power Profile Switcher, Battery Life utility
  • Nokia Update Manager
  • Ovi Suite
  • Ovi Maps Gadget
  • Social Hub
  • F-Secure Internet Security 2010 trial
  • Frame keyboard – UK (79 keys, 16.7 mm pitch, 1.8 mm stroke)
  • 1.3 MP front facing camera with integrated microphone
  • Accelerometer
  • Power – 16 cell, 56.8 Wh, Li-Ion prismatic, removable design

 

Posted by: Matt

BlackBerry Storm2 Review

Written by on January 22, 2010 in Reviews with 0 Comments
BlackBerry Storm2 Review

RIMs original Storm was not the best device, although it was the first touch screen BlackBerry. Now that RIM have redesigned a few features, most importantly the screen, will the Storm2 make current BlackBerry users switch to it or entice other platform users to give it a try?

Storm2-angled-left

BlackBerry Storm2 9520

 

What’s in the box:

  • Device
  • Battery
  • Wall Charger
  • Case
  • USB Cable
  • Cleaning Cloth
  • Headset
  • Manual
  • Software Disc

You can get an insight into the OS by viewing Matt’s BlackBerry Storm2 unboxing video.

 

The ten second review:

Device: BlackBerry 9520 Storm2

Price: From free with contract

Summary: A touch screen messaging device with all the good bits you would expect.

Best of: Push email, Wi-Fi, 3G, Media

Worst of: Screen is an acquired taste, weight.

Buy it now from: Vodafone

 

 

BlackBerry 9520 Storm2 Specification:

  • 2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
  • 3G Network: HSDPA 2100
  • Dimensions: 112.5 x 62.2 x 14 mm
  • Weight: 160 g
  • Display: TFT capacitive touchscreen, 65K colors
  • Size: 360 x 480 pixels, 3.25 inches
  • Memory: Internal 2 GB
  • Card slot: microSD (TransFlash) up to 16GB
  • GPRS: Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps
  • EDGE: Class 10, 236.8 kbps
  • 3G: HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA
  • WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
  • Bluetooth: v2.1 with A2DP
  • USB: microUSB v2.0
  • Camera : Primary 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
  • Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, IM
  • GPS: with A-GPS support
  • Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
  • MP3/WMA/AAC+ player
  • MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player
  • Battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 1400 mAh
  • Stand-by: Up to 305 h (2G) / Up to 280 h (3G)
  • Talk time: Up to 5 h (2G) / Up to 6 h (3G)

 

General:

Located on the top of the BlackBerry is the power and standby mode buttons. These are flush with the casing and if you dont know they are there you may miss them!

Storm2-top

BlackBerry Storm2 9520 Top

 

The bottom of the device is bare apart from a tiny microphone.

Storm2-bottom

BlackBerry Storm2 9520 Bottom

 

On the left side of the handset is the MicroUSB port and also a shortcut key. This is pre-set to voice commands.

Storm2-left

BlackBerry Storm2 9520 Left Side

 

Over on the right side is the 3.5mm headset jack, the up/down volume rocker and the camera key.

Storm2-right

BlackBerry Storm2 9520 Right Side

The rear of the device contains the camera lens and flash.

Storm2-back

BlackBerry Storm2 9520 Rear

 

At the top of the front of the Storm2 is a speaker grill and light sensor. At the bottom are the four hardware keys.

Storm2-front

BlackBerry Storm2 9520 Front

 

 

Highlights:

  • Connectivity
  • Multiple Push Email Accounts
  • Video Player
  • BlackBerry Messenger

 

Lowlights:

  • Touch Screen
  • Weight

 

Review:

I was pretty excited about getting the BlackBerry Storm2 to review. Firstly because I had not had a go with the original Storm, so I was intrigued, and secondly as I am a BlackBerry user myself and wanted to check out the touch screen action.

Out of the box I was pleased with the look of the Storm2. Its not really different from the first edition but still, its a good looking phone. Its pretty heavy though, weighing in at 160g which is a dammed sight more than my Bold 9700 at only 122g. Size wise its very similar to the 9700, being only slightly bigger in each of the three dimensions.

The device feels extreamly sturdy and I should think so too, due to that weight! The back cover on the Storm2 is made from metal and this gives it a bit more of a robust feel. Its a wee bit slippery though! The buttons on the sides are identical to those on the 9700, being made from a rubbery plastic.

 

The main feature on the BlackBerry Storm 2 has to be the touch screen. The original Storm got some stick, so those issues it had have been sorted now. Originally there was one sensor under the centre of the screen. This has now been replaced with four, giving for a much better typing experience. Before, you needed to press a key and make sure your finger was off it before pressing the next. Now, the Storm can handle pressing two keys at once so typing is more fluent.

Although the screen still clicks when you press it, it does not move around from side to side like on the original Storm. I have had no experience with the Storm1 but I would imagine if the screen was loose it would be prone to getting dust under it. Thank god the Storm2 screen is fixed!

The screen is extreamly sensitive but it takes a bit of getting used to. If you touch an on-screen item it will then appear highlighted. To actually select it you click the screen. Yes its odd, but its a case of adapting to it.

Another feature that is present in the Storm2 which was not on the original is Wi-Fi. Dont ask me why it wasn’t on the Storm1 as many other phones had it, but at least its here now.

If you have used a BlackBerry before then getting to grips with the operating system will be a piece of cake. Its more or less the same as on other BlackBerry devices but just set out slightly different due to having a large touch screen.

The Storm2 also comes with an internal memory upgrade, double in fact. With 2GB now, you will be able to store a decent amount of documents and media files on the device.

If you are going to buy a BlackBerry then messaging is going to be most important to you. Using email and sms is just as easy on the Storm2 as on any other BlackBerry. The only difference is using the onscreen keyboard instead of a hardware one. Being a BlackBerry means you get BBM, BlackBerry Messenger. This is an instant messaging client unique to BlackBerry devices and once you have it, and you have some mates with a BB, its great. I would not want to be without it!

The BlackBerry Storm2 gives you a few different keyboard options to allow you to use the one that is most suited. This is great when using the device one handed in portrait mode. In landscape mode though you really want the full QWERTY.

Storm keyboard1

SureType on BlackBerry Storm2

 

Storm Keyboard 2

Full QWERTY on BlackBerry STorm2

 

 

Most other things on the BlackBerry Storm2 are more of less the same as on other recent BlackBerry Smartphones.

Storm2 Home Screen

BlackBerry Storm2 Home Screen

 

You now get eight icons on the home screen instead of six like on the Curves and Bolds. Below these on screen icons are the hardware keys. They consist of call send/end, back and BlackBerry menu. The menu key is used a lot as it not only takes you to the main menu but once in an application it then allows you into the options within that application.

Storm2 Menu
BlackBerry Storm2 Menu

 

One of the first things you need to do when you have your new Blackberry is download Blackberry App World. Although its not on par with Apples iPhone app store its not bad. There is some decent stuff in there and the prices are reasonable. Of course there are loads of free apps as well . Its easy to navigate round App World and you are given a lot of info about the apps before you download, including screen shots. The graphics are not great for gaming but you must remember that a Blackberry is primarily a messaging device.

 

The web browser on the BlackBerry Storm2 is typical BlackBerry and not the best, but it works. Having this nice big screen means a better browsing experience compared to the standard BlackBerry devices. The screen auto rotates on the Storm2 really quickly so you have the option of using the phone in portrait or landscape. Zooming is done one of two ways. Either a double tap on screen or there are zoom in and out buttons at the bottom of the display. Unfortunately I could not get the screen capture software to work on the Storm2 for some reason so I cant show you any images. You will have to watch my BlackBerry Storm2 demo video.

 

 

With built in A-GPS you will never get lost again with your Storm2.

Storm Maps

BlackBerry running Google Maps

 

The BlackBerry Storm2 comes with BlackBerry maps pre-installed but you can download Google Maps as well, which I prefer. Although no voice guided turn by turn navigation the maps do look pretty good on the Storms screen.

 

 

The 3.1mp camera on the Storm2 is far from superb but its okay for taking snaps and uploading to Facebook or Twitter. The LED flash is blinding but obviously the subject needs to be reasonably close to get a decent shot in very low light conditions. The camera interface is dead easy to use.  The only thing I did not like was the positioning of the camera button. It just felt a bit strange using it.

IMG00005-20100115-1350 IMG00006-20100115-1350

BlackBerry Storm2 Camera Samples

 

 

One thing I love about using a BlackBerry is the way I can keep my life organised. The Storm2 will hold an infinite number of contacts and calendar events. I use my BlackBerry as my diary so when I am out, doing what I do in the daytime, I can enter contacts and make appointments straight onto my BlackBerry. When I get home I sync the device with Outlook via Bluetooth and within 30 seconds all my new recorded information is on the PC. I know most other Smartphone platforms do this but I particularly like using it on BlackBerry. Its simple pimple to use!

 

Listening to music on the Storm2 was not at all bad. The external speaker is really loud but you clearly get a better quality when using the earphones. As I have said in previous reviews I really dont like the earphones supplied with BlackBerry handsets but as the Storm2 comes with a 3.5mm jack you can use your own.  The music interface is not the best eye candy but it does the job.

Storm Music

BlackBerry Storm2 Music Player

 

Watching video on the Storm2 is great. The screen is a perfect size and the picture quality is on par with other touch screen devices. If not using earphones the loud external speaker really helps out here. With 2GB of onboard storage available and extra via microSD you can get a lot of movies onto the Storm2, perfect for travelling.

 

The BlackBerry Storm2 has all the usual bits found on most smartphones such as document viewers, calculator, memo pad, voice dialling. The alarm clock is wicked and I use this daily. Still manage to oversleep most days though!

 

 

Conclusion:

My overall impressions of the BlackBerry Storm2 were that its a decent device. I’m not sure if hardcore BlackBerry users will be going out and getting one, just because they love their hardware keyboards, but for new BlackBerry users or someone who wants their first smatphone its not a bad choice, as long as you are on Vodafone in the UK!

Compared to other touch screen devices on the market such as the iPhone and some of HTCs and Samsungs its certainly not as flashy to look at but that’s just the BlackBerry OS for you. The Storm2 does exactly what it says on the box but I just feel that its stuck in the middle between the for mentioned touch screen devices and the other BlackBerry devices with proper hardware keyboards. You really need to try before you buy with this one I think.

To see the the device in more detail please have a look at my BlackBerry Storm2 demonstration video.

Posted by: James

eXpansys Friday deals 22nd January

Written by on January 22, 2010 in Deals & Offers with 0 Comments
eXpansys Friday deals 22nd January
nokia booklet
   

eXpansys Friday Deals: Selected deals between 11am and 5pm, 22nd January 2010

   
HTC Tattoo Android Smartphone
Info

HTC Tattoo Android Smartphone

Normally £249.99
Now £209.99
Save £40

TriSpecs Bluetooth Stereo Fashion Eyewear
Info

TriSpecs Bluetooth Stereo Fashion Eyewear

Normally £99.99
Now £79.99
Save £20

Freedom Pro Universal Bluetooth Keyboard
Info

Freedom Pro Universal
Bluetooth Keyboard

Normally £84.99
Now £54.99
Save £30

GMAX 2-Bay Alloy Desktop Hard Drive Enclosure
Info

GMAX 2-Bay Alloy Desktop
Hard Drive Enclosure

Normally £34.99
Now £29.99
Save £5


These deals are available on Friday the 22nd January 2010 between 11am and 5pm by following the links above only. Normal pricing will apply outside of these hours*.

*Voucher codes do not apply with these deals. Limited to 2 units per customer, available while stocks last.

 

Posted by: Matt

Nokia N900 replacing N97?

Written by on January 22, 2010 in Editorial with 0 Comments

We reviewed the Nokia N900 recently and were quite impressed with the new Maemo OS, personally I like it better than Symbian. We also reported that the Nokia N97 and N97 mini seem to have been withdrawn from sale, at about the same time that the Nokia N900 hits the market.

Working in London I’ve started seeing posters and adverts for the Nokia N900 popping up all over the place and there are some huge adverts on the tube too so I’m guessing that Nokia are aiming the N900 at the consumer market now. So is the N900 ousting the N97 so that Nokia can sell the more expensive handset or is the N900 filling the void left by the N97 and N97 mini?

My personal opinion is that the N900 is probably filling the void. There have been lots of problems reported with the N97 that Nokia did not, apparently, address when they launched the N97 mini and according to one of our friends at the Carphone Warehouse, the N97’s were probably the third most returned handset just behind the Satio and Aino.

We did also hear a rumour recently that Nokia stated that 90% of the N97 handsets returned had no faults and that the reason for the high return rate was that customers were not able to get used to the user interface!? If that’s true then I think that the average consumer is definitely going to struggle with the N900 as I would have said that was more of an enthusiast phone than the N97’s were!

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

 

Do have a look at our Nokia N900 unboxing (complete with fox) and subsequent N900 demo and N900 review.

 

Posted by: Matt

Sony Ericsson Vivaz announced

Written by on January 21, 2010 in News with 0 Comments
Sony Ericsson Vivaz announced

Sony Ericsson VivazT, announced today, follows on from the Xperia X10 announced in November 2009, and is the second phone in the new family of communication entertainment phones coming to market in the first half of 2010. Sony Ericsson VivazT will come to market in Q1 2010.

Vivaz

Sony Ericsson Vivaz

 

With Sony Ericsson VivazT communication truly becomes entertainment with high quality HD video allowing consumers to produce and broadcast their best experiences with the latest video capture and sharing features.

Capture – record spontaneous moments and memories in HD quality and crisp high resolution for a real-life video experience. The dedicated video key allows consumers to shoot video instantly with continuous auto focus for the perfect film every time.

View – review video content in the standby panel or online via Wi-Fi on the 3.2 inch widescreen

Share – upload via Wi-Fi onto YouTubeT and Picasa in high resolution while still using other features on the handset

The open platform also allows users to personalise their entertainment experience by downloading great applications through PlayNowT and the SymbianT Developer Community.

“User-generated content, especially video, is exploding on the web,” said Lennard Hoornik, Head of Marketing, Sony Ericsson. “With Sony Ericsson VivazT, we have created a mobile phone that makes it easy to catch life in high quality video and upload that self expression onto the web to share with the world. Sony Ericsson VivazT offers beauty inside and out with an open and intuitive user experience allowing consumers to capture, view and share their lives and spontaneity in HD quality.”

Sony Ericsson VivazT features the new design philosophy ‘human curvature’, first introduced with the Xperia X10, which will become a consistent feature of Sony Ericsson’s portfolio going forward. Designed to mirror the shape of the human body, and at the same time delivering a precise and compelling phone interaction, Sony Ericsson VivazT is instantly recognisable.

Sony Ericsson VivazT

· HD video – produce and broadcast your best experiences with the latest video capture and sharing features

· Social networking – easy access to social networks such as FacebookT and Twitter

· 8.1 megapixel camera – capture life’s moments in high quality

· Face and smile detection – a perfect picture every time

· Sony Ericsson Media Player

Sony Ericsson VivazT supports UMTS HSPA 900/2100 and GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS HSPA 850/1900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.

Sony Ericsson VivazT will be available in selected markets from Q1 in the colours Moon Silver, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby.

 

Looks pretty sweet to me! We will be itching to get a review device as soon as we can.

Head on over to the Sony Ericsson website for a few more details and a short video.

 

Posted by: James

HTC Bravo: Europe’s Nexus One?

Written by on January 21, 2010 in Rumours with 0 Comments
HTC Bravo: Europe’s Nexus One?

There have been a few stories on the news wire today about a newly anticipated Android powered device from HTC. I’m talking about the HTC Bravo, which is thought go on sale throughout Europe within the next few months.

HTC-Bravo

The HTC Bravo

 

If you think that the HTC Bravo looks a lot like the Nexus One then there’s a good reason for that. HTC made the Nexus One for Google and it is believed that the Nexus One was based upon the designs that HTC already had for the HTC Bravo and not the other way around. Does it matter which of these handsets you buy? Well I doubt HTC will care which!

So if the HTC Bravo goes on sale throughout Europe where will that leave the Nexus One? Will we see some carriers taking the HTC unit where others might opt for the Google branded model? Or does this mean no Nexus One in Europe at all? My guess would be that both will be sold.

The HTC Bravo features the same 3.7 inch AMOLED, the same 1Ghz Snapdragon mobile processor, 512MB RAM and 512MB ROM. The HTC Bravo also features a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and will run on the Android 2.1 operating system just the same as the Nexus One.

I’m reviewing the Google Nexus One at the moment so please do have a look at my Nexus One unboxing and demo video and also let me know if I can answer any of your questions!

 

Posted by: Matt

Free Navigation Coming to Nokia Handsets

Written by on January 21, 2010 in Press Releases with 0 Comments
Free Navigation Coming to Nokia Handsets

Nokia has today announced plans to release a new version of Ovi Maps for its smartphones that includes high-end walk and drive navigation at no extra cost,available for download at www.nokia.com/maps. This move has the potential to nearly double the size of the current mobile navigation market.The new version of Ovi Maps includes high-end car and pedestrian navigation features, such as turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries, in 46languages, and traffic information for more than 10 countries, as well as detailed maps for more than 180 countries.

nokia 

Nokia

 

"Why have multiple devices that work that work in only one country or region? Put it all together,make it free, make it global and you almost double the potential size of the mobile navigation market ," explained Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President,Nokia. "Nokia is the only company with a mobile navigation service for both drivers and pedestrians that works across the world. Unlike the legacy car navigation manufacturers, we don’t make you buy maps for different countries or regions even if you’re only visiting for a few days. We offer both navigation and maps free of charge, with all the high-end functionality and features that people now expect."

"The large-scale availability of free-of-charge mobile phone navigation offerings using high-quality map data will be a game changer for the navigation industry," said Thilo Koslowski, Vice President Automotive and Vehicle ICT at Gartner. "Such offerings will accelerate mass market adoption for navigation solutions and shift innovation focus to location-based services that go beyond traditional routing benefits."

For Nokia, removing the costs associated with navigation for drivers and pedestrians allows the company to quickly activate a massive user base to which it can offer new location features, content and services. This is part of Nokia’s strategy to lead the market in mobile maps, navigation and location-based services. The move is also in line with Nokia’s vision that the next wave of growth will be centered on the location-aware, social internet — as the ‘where’ people are doing things becomes as important as the ‘what’ they are doing. 

According to research firm Canalys, the number of people worldwide using GPS navigation on their mobile phones was approximately 27 million at the end of 2009. With this announcement Nokia potentially grows the size of this installed user base to about 50 million by enabling smartphone owners, with compatible devices and devices that will be made compatible shortly to activate free drive and walk navigation through a simple download of the new Ovi Maps. Nokia will further grow this base as it quickly adds more smartphones to the compatible devices list.Canalys also estimated in 2009 that the installed base of smartphones with integrated GPS was 163 million units worldwide, of which Nokia accounted for more than half (51%) having shipped cumulatively  83 million GPSdevices. 

"This is a game changing move. By leveraging our NAVTEQ acquisition, and our context sensitive service offering, we can now put a complete navigation system in the palm of your hand, wherever in the world you are, whenever you need it – and at no extra cost," continued Anssi Vanjoki. "By adding cameras at no extra cost to our phones we quickly became the biggest camera manufacturer in the world. The aim of the new Ovi Maps is to enable us to do the same for navigation."

Ovi Maps is immediately available for download for 10 Nokia handsets, including the popular Nokia N97mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia E72, with more Nokia smartphones expected to be added in the coming weeks. In the meantime, current owners of Nokia smartphones that are compatible with the new Ovi Maps can download it free of charge from www.nokia.com/maps.

From March 2010, new Nokia GPS-enabled smartphones will include the new version of Ovi Maps,pre-loaded with local country map data, with high-end walk and drive navigation and access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides at no extra cost. 

Ovi Maps covers more than 180 countries with car and pedestrian navigation for 74 countries in 46languages and 6000 3D landmarks for 200 cities around the world. Lonely Planet and Michelin guides have information on more than 1,000 destinations globally.

 

With Nokia selling more phones than any other manufacturer this is a great move forward for them and im sure this will also increase their SmartPhone market share.

 

Posted by: James

Nokia makes walk and drive navigation free on its smartphones

Written by on January 21, 2010 in Phones with 0 Comments
Nokia makes walk and drive navigation free on its smartphones

On your mobileEspoo, Finland – Nokia has today announced plans to release a new version of Ovi Maps for its smartphones that includes high-end walk and drive navigation at no extra cost, available for download at www.nokia.com/maps. This move has the potential to nearly double the size of the current mobile navigation market. The new version of Ovi Maps includes high-end car and pedestrian navigation features, such as turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries, in 46 languages, and traffic information for more than 10 countries, as well as detailed maps for more than 180 countries.

“Why have multiple devices that work that work in only one country or region? Put it all together, make it free, make it global and you almost double the potential size of the mobile navigation market ,” explained Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Nokia. “Nokia is the only company with a mobile navigation service for both drivers and pedestrians that works across the world. Unlike the legacy car navigation manufacturers, we don’t make you buy maps for different countries or regions even if you’re only visiting for a few days. We offer both navigation and maps free of charge, with all the high-end functionality and features that people now expect.”

“The large-scale availability of free-of-charge mobile phone navigation offerings using high-quality map data will be a game changer for the navigation industry,” said Thilo Koslowski, Vice President Automotive and Vehicle ICT at Gartner. “Such offerings will accelerate mass market adoption for navigation solutions and shift innovation focus to location-based services that go beyond traditional routing benefits.”

Continue Reading »

Acer beTouch E101 unboxing video

Written by on January 21, 2010 in Videos/Unboxings with 0 Comments
Acer beTouch E101 unboxing video

Acer have launched a number of new handsets recently from the Android powered Acer Liquid that we reviewed recently to several Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets including the Acer beTouch E101 that we are looking at here.

The Acer beTouch E101

The Acer beTouch E101

 

The beTouch range includes several handsets, the E101 being the entry level followed by the E100 and then the S200. The E101 and E100 are virtually the same handset but the E100 has 3G where the E101 does not.

The Acer beTouch E101 is very much an entry level device and is probably the best value for money Windows Mobile 6.5 handset on the market. You can pick one up for £150 (+VAT) from Clove Technology. While the E101 is undoubtedly an budget handset don’t be fooled in to thinking it’s overly basic. It has a generous 3.2″ display, a decent amount of RAM/ROM and still manages to squeeze in GPS and Google Maps!

The Acer E101 and the E100 are available in both Black and White, the E100 offering 3G connectivity on top of the specification of the E101.

We’ll be reviewing the E100 over the next week or so and will have the review live as soon as it’s complete. Take a look at the unboxing video below where I’ll take you on a tour of the hardware and briefly dip in to the OS/UI.

 

Acer beTouch E101 unboxing video

 

Acer E101 specification:

  • Operating System – Windows Mobile 6.5
  • Processor – Qualcomm 7225 528MHz
  • Memory – RAM – 256MB / ROM – 512MB
  • Display – 3.2 inch WQGA resolution
  • Network – Quad-band GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
  • Connectivity – Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
  • miniUSB
  • GPS supports A-GPS
  • Expansion Slot – MicroSD card
  • Camera – 2 Megapixels
  • Device Control – 5-way Navi Key + Scroll Wheel
  • Talk Time – 5 Hours (manufactures approximation)  
  • Standby Time – 400 Hours (manufactures approximation)  
  • Battery – Rechargeable Lithium-ion 1140 mAh
  • Dimensions – 113 x 56 x 12.8 mm
  • Weight – 118 grams with battery
  • Includes Google Maps

 

Posted by: Matt

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