The guys at Palm have been kind enough to loan me a Palm Centro to take a look at, so I jumped at the chance to have a play around with it. As I haven’t used a Palm OS converged device before this is a whole new experience, so I am going to look at Palm as a fresh user which should be interesting.
When the device arrived I opened the box and my first impression of the phone was its size, it is very very small, much smaller than I had imagined, but it is quite thick.(107x53x18mm)
O2 today announced that the innovative iPhone 3G will be available in the UK on July 11 for free on selected O2 consumer and business tariffs and that it will also be available for Pay & Go customers. Existing iPhone customers will be able to upgrade to the new iPhone 3G, taking advantage of the same great offers as new customers.
Yesterday at WWDC, Steve Jobs confirmed the long-rumored iPhone 2 or rather the iPhone 3G as Apple are calling it. It hits stores in the US and over 70 other countries on July 11th. The prince in the US has been confirmed at $199 for the 8GB version, and $299 for the 16GB one (in black and white).
The new features mentioned are the 3G connectivity (obviously) and built in GPS. There’s also support for Exchange email in version 2.0 of the firmware as well as ‘Dramatically Improved Audio’, solid metal buttons and, thankfully, a flush headphone jack.
The offical press release:
Apple Introduces the New iPhone 3G
Twice as Fast at Half the Price
SAN FRANCISCO, June 9 — Apple(R) today introduced the new iPhone(TM) 3G, combining all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast* as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK. In the US the new iPhone 3G is priced at a stunning $199 for the 8GB model, and just $299 for the 16GB model.** iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries later this year, beginning with customer availability in 22 countries — Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US — on July 11.
“Just one year after launching the iPhone, we’re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPhone 3G supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync right out of the box, runs the incredible third party apps created with the iPhone SDK, and will be available in more than 70 countries around the world this year.”
iPhone 3G gives users ever faster access to the Internet and email over their cellular network with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world. iPhone 3G supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to ensure the fastest possible download speeds. The new iPhone 3G also makes it easier to multi-task with simultaneous voice and data communications, so with iPhone 3G you can browse the web, get map directions, or check your email while you are on a call.
iPhone 3G includes the new iPhone 2.0 software with both the iPhone SDK and key enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide over-the-air push email, contact and calendar syncing as well as remote wipe and Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to corporate networks. The iPhone SDK allows developers to create amazing applications that leverage the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch(TM) user interface, animation technology, accelerometer and GPS technology on the world’s most advanced mobile platform.
iPhone 3G includes the new App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The App Store on iPhone works over cellular networks and Wi-Fi, which means it is accessible from just about anywhere, so you can purchase and download applications wirelessly and start using them instantly. Some applications are even free and the App Store notifies you when application updates are available. The App Store will be available in 62 countries at launch.
Additional features available with the iPhone 2.0 software include the ability to do real-time mapping and track your progress with GPS technology, mass move and delete multiple email messages, search for contacts, access a new scientific calculator, turn on parental control restrictions for specified content, save images directly from a web page or email them to your iPhone and easily transfer them back to your photo library on your Mac(R) or PC. iPhone 3G delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback.
iPhone 3G takes advantage of MobileMe(TM), a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online “cloud” to native applications on iPhone, iPod(R) touch, Macs and PCs. With MobileMe email, messages are pushed instantly to iPhone, removing the need to manually check email and wait for downloads, and push keeps contacts and calendars continuously up-to-date so changes made on one device are automatically updated on other devices. With iPhone, you can even snap a photo and post it directly to a MobileMe Gallery to share with friends and family.
iPhone 3G will be available in the US on July 11 for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 8GB model and $299 (US) for the 16GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail stores and requires a new two year contract with AT&T for qualifying customers. iPhone 2.0 software will be available on July 11 as a free software update via iTunes(R) 7.7 or later for all iPhone customers. For further information about iPhone 3G pricing and availability in the US and internationally, visit http://www.apple.com/iphone.
* Based on 3G and EDGE testing. Actual speeds vary by site conditions.
** Based on iPhone 3G (8GB) and first generation iPhone (8GB) purchases. Requires new two year AT&T rate plan, sold separately.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): iPhone, Apple, iphone, Amazon, Tracy & Matt]
I can see a definite change in the way the iPhone 3G will come to market in the UK. The 3G iPhone seems to be only available from O2 or The Carphone Warehouse according to Apples UK Online Store, there is no mention that you can buy it from Apple, compare this with how it is shown in the US Apple Store and you can see the difference.
Apple have just released the full specifications of the new 3G iPhone, and its looking very nice, add the App Store and extended battery life and you cannot fail to be impressed with the new release aprt from the July 11th release date, full specifications after the break.
Introducing iPhone 3G. With fast 3G wireless technology, Maps with GPS, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more amazing features in your hands. And just like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and full web browsing. iPhone3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do. Again.
As expected the 3G iPhone was announced today at WWDC by Steve Jobs, it will be available in 22 countries from July 11th and will have the following features.
3G but no further details as of yet.
AGPS in built and can be used in combination with cell tower triangulation and Wi-Fi to help locate an iPhone. Finally real-time positioning in Google Maps.
It has been a long time since I reviewed a phone but while I’m on maternity leave and waiting for the baby to arrive I thought I would do something useful. This is actually the first Smartphone (Windows Mobile 6 Classic) device that I’ve ever used in earnest and it has been quite an experience. Read on to find out what I thought of the Toshiba Portege G710!
10 second review:
Device: Tohiba Portege G710
Cost: SIM free only: £185 (Ex. VAT)
Available from: Clove Technology
Summary: One of Toshiba’s latest Windows Mobile device the G710 offers entry level features with the added benifit of built in GPS in a Blackberry style package.
Best of: Inexpensive WM device with GPS, great battery life.
Worst of: Lack of 3G and WiFi. Trackball navigation method that you’ll either love or hate.
What’s in the box?
Toshiba G710 specification:
GENERAL
Starting with the front of the device then we have a 2.46″ QVGA landscape screen with loudspeaker above and controls below. There’s the standard softkeys, home and back buttons as well as the send/end call keys. In the middle you’ll find the trackball which is in place of the Dpad that you’ll find on most devices. Certainly not the first device to use a trackball but the first time we’ve seen one on a Smartphone. Below these you’ll find the fixed QWERTY keyboard.
Looking to the left side of the G710 you can find just two buttons, the power button and the camera button
Spinning the device around to look at the right side you’ll see a up/down rocker for volume control and then a rubber cover over the USB socket. Under the cover you’ll also find a socket for an external GPS antena.
The G710 doesn’t have any additional controls on the top or bottom edges, these are both rounded off and give the device quite a smooth look.
On the back you’ll find a 2.0 megapixel camera with LED flash. You’ll also notice two loudspeaker grilles either side of the camera.
Highlights
Lowlights
REVIEW
I’ve been using the the Toshiba Portege G710 for just over a week now, it’s taken some getting used to as this is the first time I’ve used a Smartphone in earnest. Getting started is a simple affair, removing the back cover and installing the SIM card and 1050mAh battery. It took me a while to find the MicroSD card slot, I even had to double check the spec to make sure it really did have one! The MicroSD card slot is actually located on top of the SIM card and becomes more obvious once you have installed the SIM. It’s virtually impossible to install a memory card without havaing a SIM installed first.
On first boot up the G710 runs through the normal setup asking me to set the date and time and my region and offers to let me set up a PIN code. I notice that there’s no custom software installation routine when you first boot up and I’m not asked about setting up an email account, I can do that manually later. The G710 doesn’t have any special homescreen and instead has a standard WM design.
The first thing I want to do is see what software is already installed on the device but in order to do that I have to get used to the trackball! The trackball is one of those things that you’ll either going to love or hate. Personally I would prefer to see a normal dpad as I find the trackball awkward, there is a definite threshold where it goes from not working at all to working a lot – what I mean by that is if you move the ball too slowly in an attempt to be accurate then nothing happens to as you move it more or faster it suddenly comes to life an you find it scrolling across two or three lines or icons. There is no happy medium here and no settings to adjust to get it right.
Unlike newer HTC devices, the Portege G710 doesn’t automatically detect the network operator from the SIM card, instead you have to go in to a folder in the start menu called Config UK. In here you’ll find 4 icons for setting up the network settings. After runing the desired set up file you’ll see a text message confirming the change. There’s no setting for 3 users though so if you have a 3 SIM you’ll have to set up the data connection manually.
The G710’s keyboard is pretty easy to use and the keys have a nice positive feel to them. They are also raised enough to make them quite easy use either single or two handed. They are quite close together though so if you have particularly large fingers (or thumbs actually) then you might find that you press more than one button at a time.
The Portege G710 is one of an increasing number of Smartphone devices to include built in GPS and I’m pleased to report that it has a SiRF Star III chipset. Unfortunately Toshiba have not included any GPS software with the device but there are a few free or inexpensive packages out there that you can use. I installed Google Maps in order to try the GPS unit out. As with most devices it takes a little while to acquire a signal the first time you use it but after seems to take less time. Sitting in the garder it quite accuratly pinpointed my location on the aerial map.
The G710 has a dedicated external GPS antena socket. This is situated right next to the USB connector under the rubber cover on the right side of the device. The rubber cover it really awkward to open and it annoys me every time I have to plug in the USB cable.
If you use an external GPS antena you have to select this in the antena settings menu.
As Matt has mentioned in other reviews and articles, we live in an area with poor network coverage. The G710 isn’t the best device to network reception, nor is it the worst. I can get a bar or two of signal most of the time here at home but it’s not totally reliable. If you live in an area where the signal is marginal there are probably other devices that have better reception.
One of the biggest disapointments with the G710 is the lack of 3G or HSDPA. Now I realise that this is a fairly inexpensive device, and if you consider the GPS then it IS good value for money but no 3G I suspect will put many people off. We do not have 3G coverage where we live so I guess it’s not such a big deal for us. However, if you couple the lack of 3G with the lack of WiFi the G710 may have limited appeal. For me spending so much time at home at the moment I find myself using WiFi a whole lot more and I know that Matt uses WiFi all the time at work.
There are advantage to having only GPRS and EDGE though and that is the much better battery life offered by this device. Compared to my TyTN II over the past I’ve had to charge the G710 far less frequently. I guess you have to consider the trade off between connectivity, battery life and price.
The screen on the G710 is clear and bright. It’s smaller than I am used to but still just as readable. The screen is flush with the front of the device so you might want to use a screen protector as I think it’ll be more susceptible to scratching.
CONCLUSION
The Toshiba Portege G710 is a good entry level smartphone and offers value for money especially when you think about the built in GPS.
If you are a business or power user then I the lack of 3G and WiFi are likely to be a bit of an issue and I suspect you’ll want to look elsewhere. But if you are looking for an inexpensive Blackberry-style Windows Mobile device and like the idea of built in GPS then the G710 is definitely worth considering.
Review by: Tracy
[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Windows Mobile blog, G710, Toshiba, Tracy & Matt]
In association with Mobility Today, J Doss has put together a page with a live audio stream of the Steve Jobs Keynote from WWDC combined with a live chat room where we can discuss what’s happening as it happens.
To join us in the chat room please head on over to http://www.jdoss.net/wwdc/.
The audio stream is provided by iPhoneAlley via www.ustream.tv if you want a proper user name in the chat, register with ustream first.
Thanks to iPhoneAlley for the audio feed.
Phonemag gets the scoop on the new Samsung Omnia. The Samsung OMNIA is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and comes packed with MS Office (PowerPoint, Excel, and Word). Even though the OMNIA is 100% touch screen, Samsung included an optical mouse for ease of navigation – the optical mouse is similar to what you’d find on laptops.
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