Mobile Phone News Blog » specifications

News on Mobile Phone :Acer mobile phone news from Mobile World Congress 2010

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:43:21 +0000

Not the most noted name in the manufacturing and selling of mobile handsets, Acer have announced a range of high end smartphone products at this years Mobile World Congress that are worth noting. Running on either Android or Windows Mobile, these devices deliver high end specification

=============
Article Content:
Not the most noted name in the manufacturing and selling of mobile handsets, Acer have announced a range of high end smartphone products at this years Mobile World Congress that are worth noting. Running on either Android or Windows Mobile, these devices deliver high end specification and serve to further enhance Acer’s growing reputation.

The first of the two Android devices is the Acer beTouch E400. Running on Android 2.1, the beTouch E400 has a large, 3.2 inch resistive touchscreen, and the Android operating system has been tweaked with the Acer UI. The E400 has a built in GPS receiver with aGPS support and includes a digital compass. The beTouch is a well connected handset, offering standard HSDPA at 3.6 Mbps and HSUPA at 384 kbps, and there is also WiFi and Bluetooth onboard.

A capable media device, the handset has a stereo FM radio and full featured music player, and there is a 3.5mm audio output jack. Messaging is covered with support for multiple email accounts, and the Pocket Office application for editing and viewing attachments comes pre-installed. Imaging seems a bit weak on the phone, in comparison with other recently announced phones, with a 3.2 Megapixel camera on board, it remains to be seen whether it provides acceptable pictures. The beTouch E400 should be available to market during April.

The second Android device has a slightly lower specification than the E400. The Acer beTouch E110 is smaller and lighter, and includes a 2.8 inch TFT resistive touchscreen display. It also runs on an older version of Android, version 1.5, it is not yet clear if the device can be upgraded after purchase to a more recent version. There is still the same 3.2 Megapixel camera, but whilst the E110 supports 3G+ Mobile Broadband like the E400, the E110 does not offer WiFi. Other features on the E110 seem to match its big brother, so we find support for social networking, multiple email accounts, and the Pocket Office application for viewing and editing email attachments. The Acer beTouch E110 should be available to buy from March.

Moving over to Windows Mobile now, Acer has two devices running on Windows Mobile 6.5.3, the first we are going to look at is the Acer neoTouch P400. The device appears to be a Windows Mobile version of the beTouch E400, so the spec list is pretty similar. The same HVGA 3.2 inch touch display is included, and the P400 also runs on the same processor. Support for GPS with aGPS is included, as is a digital compass, and there is even the same 3.2 Megapixel camera. Connection options on the P400 include Bluetooth, HSPA for high speed uploads and downloads, and the P400 includes WiFi 802.11 b/g in its arsenal. The device can handle multiple email accounts as well as push email, and the built in document viewer also allows you to edit email attachments. The neoTouch P400 is expected to be available from May.

Lastly we have the Acer neoTouch P300, a smart looking Windows Mobile device, with a slide out QWERTY keyboard. The QWERTY keys are illuminated to help with typing in poor light conditions, and there is a strong emphasis on productivity and messaging. The Pocket Office application allows you to work on the road, and the device can handle multiple email accounts and also offers push email. Social networking is tightly focussed on the phone, and connectivity is well covered, with support for WiFi, HSDPA, and Bluetooth. As we know, all work and no play is no fun at all; to cover this, the neoTouch P300 includes a full media player, and there is a 3.2mm audio jack, plus support for Bluetooth connectivity. The camera, as with the previous handsets, is a 3.2 Megapixel imaging device, the handset also includes GPS with aGPS support for accessing location based services. The neoTouch P300 is expected to be available in March.

This is a strong set of handsets from Acer, and although the name may not be big in mobile phones, with handsets like these that may be set to change.

———————

Mobile Phones :HTC mobile phone news from Mobile World Congress 2010

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:43:21 +0000

We now turn our attention to the announcements at the Mobile World Congress from HTC. HTC have come a long way in the industry from the early days, when they were mainly responsible for supplying network branded Windows Mobile devices, bring the likes of the SPV on Orange, MDA on

=============
Article Content:

We now turn our attention to the announcements at the Mobile World Congress from HTC. HTC have come a long way in the industry from the early days, when they were mainly responsible for supplying network branded Windows Mobile devices, bring the likes of the SPV on Orange, MDA on T-Mobile and XDA on O2 to market. As the popularity of these devices increased, HTC started to release handsets under their own name and are now one of the leading manufacturers of Windows Mobile and Android handsets. Of the three handsets announced, two are running the Android OS and one Windows Mobile, and it is that handset we are going to look at first.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The HTC HD2 has been a popular device for HTC, but it has to be noted that the large size of the device is not to everyone’s liking. Fear not, as HTC has announced the imminent arrival of the HTC HD Mini. Expected in early April, the Mini is an amazingly feature packed device for its size. The HD Mini is an amazing 17mm shorter than its bigger brother, 10mm narrower and a whopping 47g lighter. Despite the compact size the HD Mini delivers a bright HVGA capacitive touchscreen display with multi touch support, measuring in at a healthy 3.2 inches. The handset runs the HTC Sense UI over Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Professional, offering probably the best UI on a Windows handset. Squeezed into the HD Mini is a 5.0 Megapixel camera, with autofocus, GPS receiver with aGPS support, stereo FM radio and full media player which plays multiple digital formats for audio and video, including DivX. Powered by a Qualcomm 7227 600 MHz processor, the HD Mini has 384 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, and can handle MicroSD memory cards up to 16GB in size. Data is well supported on the phone, with Bluetooth 2.1 for local connectivity, plus HSPA Mobile Broadband and WiFi for web browsing. All powered from a Li-ion 1200 mAh battery.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The next device will be known as the HTC Legend. The Legend is powered by a Qualcomm MSM 7227 600 MHz processor and has the updated HTC Sense UI overlaying Android OS 2.1. The updates include multi touch support, improved integration for social networks and an option called Leap, which allows you to view all the homescreen panes on one screen, by making a pinching movement on the display. Available in grey or black, the Legend in design is very much like the HTC Hero, even including the little ‘chin’. The handset is made of one piece aluminium, and that offers it a really smart, elegant look. With 384 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM, the Legend supports MicroSD memory cards up to 16GB in size, and includes HSPA, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1. Other features include a 5.0 Megapixel camera, Stereo FM radio, full media player and of course there are all the usual Google services available too. The HTC Legend is expected to be available from the end of March/beginning of April.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lastly, by certainly not the least of our trio, is the HTC Desire. Previously codenamed the Bravo, the HTC Desire is basically a Nexus One, running with the excellent HTC Sense UI. Expected to be available from the end of March, t-Mobile UK have already confirmed that this device will be part of their line up, but we don’t yet have any pricing details. The HTC Desire sports a huge 3.7 inch WVGA AMOLED display, with multi touch support, and instead of a trackball as found on the Nexus One offers an optical trackpad. The Android OS version is 2.1, and the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1GHz processor, with 576 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM. MicroSD memory cards up to 16GB will be supported, offering plenty of storage for media on the phone, for images captured on the 5.0 Megapixel camera, as well as music and video. All the necessary data options are included, with Bluetooth 2.1 plus HSPA Mobile Broadband and WiFi.

An impressive array of smartphones, a line up of products that only further enhances HTC’s standing as a specialist supplier of top end products.

———————

Mobile Phones News :Samsung S5620 Monte Review

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:43:21 +0000

Sometimes when a new handset is released, it is instantly clear where it fits into that particular manufacturer’s line-up of existing handsets, but every once in a while a new product is announced that, whilst being a fine device in its own right, seems to be nothing more than

=============
Article Content:

Sometimes when a new handset is released, it is instantly clear where it fits into that particular manufacturer’s line-up of existing handsets, but every once in a while a new product is announced that, whilst being a fine device in its own right, seems to be nothing more than a filler handset, just another variation on an existing phone. The Samsung S5620 Monte is a device that fits into this category. I mean, it is indeed a fine handset, with an impressive array of features, but I do wonder just who it will appeal to, what is the market segment it is aimed at? Perhaps, though, the S5620 isn’t designed to attract a specific type of user, and will instead offer a broad appeal across the market. It will be interesting to see just where this phone sits when it is released.

As I said, the feature setup on the handset is very good, with a solid if not spectacular line-up. Very lightweight, at just 92g, the Samsung Monte measures in at a comfortable 109 x 54 x 12.5mm, very much among the norm for a mid range device. With a full touch enabled display, using capacitive technology, the Monte delivers a TFT screen measuring in at a good 3.0 inches, supporting up to 256,000 colours and with a pixel resolution of 240 x 400. The handset runs on the proprietary Samsung TouchWiz user interface, which is a simple, icon driven menu system that makes navigation simple for even the newest of mobile phone users. The device has a built in accelerometer for auto display rotation, and there is a turn to mute option included too, which handily allows you to mute incoming calls by simply flipping the phone over. Another nice inclusion is the Smart Unlock option, which allows you to unlock the phone and instantly launch a chosen application by simply ‘drawing’ a pre selected shape on your phone’s display. So for example, drawing an ‘M’ could launch the music player, or an ‘S’ could launch the SMS feature, and so on.

It’s good to see on a mid range device the inclusion of a GPS receiver, enabling the phone to work as a personal navigation device by using the ever popular Google Maps application, with the Samsung Monte shipping with Google Maps 3.0. The GPS receiver also works with the built in 3.2 Megapixel camera, allowing you to add location information to the digital data on captured images, which allows people to see the location images were captured if you enable this on photos you upload to the web. As well as offering Geotagging, the camera on the Monte supports fixed focus, and also smile detection. Video recording is enabled too, allowing video clips to be captured at an acceptable 15 fps, at QVGA resolution, which whilst a bit choppy and blocky would still view ok if uploaded to the web. Social networking integration on the Monte follows in the footsteps of many recent handsets from Samsung, offering live updates that can be set to be delivered direct to the main standby screen on the phone. This option can be activated from a variety of the most popular social networking sites.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The S5620 Monte includes a full media player, with support for multiple music and video formats. Memory on the handset is a rather impressive 227MB internal, which can be expanded with the addition of a MicroSD memory card, with the Monte supporting cards up to 16GB in size. To enhance the music listening capabilities, the Monte includes a 3.5mm audio output jack, plus includes support for DNSe for an improved sound quality. There is a stereo FM radio with RDS included on the phone, and we also find Bluetooth 2.1, which allows for stereo audio streaming to a compatible wireless headset.

Messaging and web browsing are well catered for on the Monte, with support for Palringo instant messaging already installed on the device, plus the usual email facilities found on most Samsung devices, which includes support for push email and multiple account setup. There is a full web browser on the handset, which works well with most websites, and data connectivity is handled via 3G+ Mobile Broadband, backed up by GPRS, EDGE, and there is also WiFi 802.11b/g too.

Overall the Samsung S5620 Monte is a smart looking device, which will offer a broad appeal to a wide variety of users. Available in Q2 2010, the Monte will be available on both Prepay and contract, and given the expected selling press offers very good value indeed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

———————

Mobile Phone :Samsung Wave S8500 Review

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:43:20 +0000

Late last year, Samsung announced their intention to launch their own mobile platform, an ecosystem designed to enable developers to create applications for Samsung mobile devices, which would further enhance the productivity and functionality of phones. Some questioned the viability

=============
Article Content:
Click here to view the embedded video.

Late last year, Samsung announced their intention to launch their own mobile platform, an ecosystem designed to enable developers to create applications for Samsung mobile devices, which would further enhance the productivity and functionality of phones. Some questioned the viability of bringing yet another mobile platform to an already over-crowded market, but Samsung followed through on their intentions and Samsung bada was born.

The name bada is Korean for ocean, and Samsung claim it conveys the limitless variety of potential applications which can be created for this new system. Which is all well and good but whether developers will want to invest in creating applications for yet another phone platform remains to be seen. Even so, Samsung are confident that bada will deliver something appealing to consumers, and at the recent Mobile World Congress they announced the first mobile phone to run on bada, the Samsung Wave.

In design, the Samsung Wave is very similar to the Vodafone H1, with similar stats in measurements and weight, although the Wave is 2mm thinner. The Wave sports a huge 3.3 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, supporting up to 16 million colours and with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. The screen has auto rotate facility and supports multi touch input, which among many benefits makes gaming on the device a much better experience. The screen is covered with a scratch resistant surface, which should help the display remain clear and legible in the day to day knocks and bumps a mobile phone receives. Sitting on top of the bada OS is Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz user interface, a smart, bright UI that will be familiar to many owners of previous Samsung handsets. One of the features carried over from standard Samsung devices into the Wave is Smart unlock. This nifty feature allows you to unlock the screen from standby and immediately launch into an application by tracing a letter onto the display with your finger. For example tracing an M could launch the music player, T for text messaging and so on.

Speaking of music, the Wave 8500 is a capable music player, and in fact a capable all round entertainment device. The music player supports MP3, AAC, eAAC+ and WMA amongst other formats, whilst the video player on the Wave will play back MP4, WMV, XviD and DivX files. Audio playback is enhanced by the inclusion of DNSe which has been seen in a few top end Samsung devices recently, and there is also a 3.5mm audio jack. The handset includes a stereo FM radio, which also has an FM recording option, too. Should you wish, the Wave supports Bluetooth with A2DP for stereo wireless streaming, avoiding any messy tangles with wires, and in fact the Bluetooth on this handset is the very latest 3.0 variant. There is ample storage space available on the phone for all your media files, with the Wave coming with either 2GB or 8 GB of internal memory, plus memory expansion via MicroSD memory cards up to 32 GB in size.

The Wave also comes with a high quality 5.0 Megapixel camera incorporated, which offers support for autofocus, as well as face, smile and blink detection, to help you get that perfect snap every time. With a built in GPS receiver, the camera can Geotag images with location information, which can be viewed when your images have been uploaded to the web. The Wave is also a capable video recording device, offering high quality video capture, and the LED flash can also be used as a video light for recording in low level lighting conditions.

We’ve already mentioned the inclusion of GPS, and the Wave delivers with aGPS too, which works to locate your position in a faster way by not relying solely on GPS satellites but also uses network triangulation. Google Maps comes pre-installed on the Wave, and there is also a digital compass. Location based services comprise a large number of available apps for established platforms, and these features will be vital for such apps if they are ported to the bada OS.

To cut it as a top end smartphone these days, a device needs to be well connected and here the Samsung Wave also scores well. The phone is a quad band GSM device, offering dual band HSDPA on 900 and 2100 frequencies. The HSPA support allows for downloads at up to 7.2 Mbps and uploads at up to 2.0 Mbps, whilst the WiFi support includes 802.11 b/g/n. If you happen to be in an area that is not 3G enabled, the Wave offers both Class 10 GPRS and EDGE.

For a first device, the Samsung Wave certainly sets a high standard for subsequent bada based handsets. If Samsung do manage to deliver with an appealing set of applications for this new platform, they may just prove the naysayers wrong and make bada devices a viable alternative to the more established smartphone platforms.

The Samsung Wave is expected to release to market in late April 2010.

———————

Mobile Phone :Motorola Quench Review

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:43:20 +0000

Motorola didn’t have much to show at the Mobile World Congress, showcasing just one handset at the event. In keeping with the recent tie in Motorola have had with Android, bringing us handsets like MILESTONE, DEXT and BACKFLIP, the QUENCH also runs Android OS, in this case version

=============
Article Content:

Motorola didn’t have much to show at the Mobile World Congress, showcasing just one handset at the event. In keeping with the recent tie in Motorola have had with Android, bringing us handsets like MILESTONE, DEXT and BACKFLIP, the QUENCH also runs Android OS, in this case version 1.5.

Unlike the aforementioned Motorola devices, the QUENCH is purely touchscreen, there is no hard QWERTY keyboard included here. Now generally typing on a touchscreen QWERTY keyboard can be a bit difficult to get used to, but with the QUENCH text entry is *completely* different. The QUENCH offers Swype, a completely new way of entering text on a touchscreen phone, where words are entered by swiping your way across the screen, instead of individually touching each letter. You simply press on the letter that starts the word you wish to enter, and then trace your finger across the screen to each letter in the word, without moving your finger from the screen, until you come to the last letter in the word. You then take your finger from the screen, press on the letter of the next word, and repeat. There’s no need to use the space key, as a space is automatically entered after each word. Swype needs to be seen in action to be fully appreciated, you can view Swype in the video clips below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The display itself is a large 3.1 inch capacitive touchscreen, with a pixel resolution of 320 x 480. The screen has an auto rotate facility, and there is a proximity sensor which disables the screen when you are on a call. The device is pretty much a standard size for a high end touchscreen smartphone, measuring in at 117 x 60 x 12.5mm and weighing 130g. On the QUENCH, Motorola have included the MotoBLUR UI, and there is support for live widgets, which allow you to be constantly updated with friends’ updates from your favourite social networks, and this is all powered by a Qualcomm MSM7201A 528 MHz processor.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Available in three colour options, Black, Liquorice and Purple, the QUENCH measures up pretty well against other Motorola and other manufacturer Android handsets. The handset includes 512 MB ROM and 256 MB RAM, with memory expansion via MicroSD memory cards, supporting up to 32GB. The media player supports MP3, AAC and eAAC+ audio files along with MP3, H.263 and H.264 video files. A 3.5mm audio output jack is included, and there is also a stereo FM radio option, with RDS support. There is a 5.0 Megapixel camera onboard, with autofocus and an LED flash for low level light conditions, and images can be geotagged too. Video recording is enabled, CIF resolution at 25fps, but there is no front facing camera.

Web browsing on the QUENCH comes over well; with all the usual data connections you’d expect on a smartphone, HSPA Mobile Broadband at up to 7.2Mbps and WiFi for high speed browsing, backed up by Class 12 GPRS and EDGE, the web browser on the phone will allow you to zoom in and out using pinching movements on the display. All the usual Google services are accessible, Gmail, YouTube, Google Search and Maps, and the QUENCH also covers push email and instant messaging.

All round then, the Motorola QUENCH is a solid device, offering everything you would expect from a modern smartphone, and should help further re-establish Motorola once again as a manufacturer of desirable mobile phones. You should expect the QUENCH to be available sometime during late March/early April.

———————

News on Mobile Phone :Nokia 6303i Classic Review

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:34:06 +0000

Ever since the legendary Nokia 6310i, the 6000 range of handsets from Nokia have produced some of the most enduring and immensely popular devices that have ever been sold in the mobile phone industry. The 6000 series is responsible for the soap bar styled Nokia 6600, upgrade to the

=============
Article Content:

Ever since the legendary Nokia 6310i, the 6000 range of handsets from Nokia have produced some of the most enduring and immensely popular devices that have ever been sold in the mobile phone industry. The 6000 series is responsible for the soap bar styled Nokia 6600, upgrade to the market leading smartphone of the time, the Nokia 7650. As well as other popular Symbian based devices, the 6000 series also brought to market some top selling S40 based devices, including the Nokia 6230, Nokia 6300 and now one of the most recent, the Nokia 6303. The 6303 has proven to be a worthy successor to the 6300, one of the most popular devices of all time, and now Nokia have released a new version, the 6303i Classic. As with previous ‘i’ upgrades, the 6303i just offers a slight tweaking of the basic components of the device, without compromising anything that served to make the original a popular choice.

The main upgrades with the 6303i Classic revolve around memory. So the device now offers an internal capacity of 55MB instead of 17MB, and is capable of officially handling memory cards up to 8GB in size, instead of the previous 4GB. You will also find in the box that the device now ships with a 2GB card, instead of a 1GB card as previous. Other than that the 6303i Classic still offers the familiar line up of features that have made the 6303 one of the top selling handsets of recent times. The fact that it can be purchased for such a good price on Prepay, generally around the £100 price point, is certainly a contributing reason to the device’s success. But that should not serve as a pointer to belittle the handset, what it offers compared to the price you pay is very good value indeed.

To go through the main features of this device, then, the Nokia 6303i Classic comes with a very good Point ‘n’ Shoot 3.2 Megapixel camera, with autofocus support and a dual LED flash. The device is also enabled for video recording, although truth be known, the resulting quality isn’t that good, and is of a standard that would work for MMS at best. It certainly wouldn’t look great if uploaded to any social media sites or YouTube. But this is a minor point, in the grand scheme of things, and you wouldn’t be buying the 6303i if video recording capability was important to you. The 6303i however does have some other redeeming features that will be of interest to the majority of mobile phone users. And chief amongst these is a very impressive battery life. Nowadays, with the popularity of smartphones, it is not uncommon to need to charge your phone on a daily basis, if not twice a day in some instances. The Nokia 6303i Classic in comparison offers a much better battery life, and almost re-introduces us to a modern mobile phone that will ‘last the distance’ if you go away for the weekend and leave your phone charger at home.

One feature that can take advantage of the excellent battery performance is the built in music player. The handset can offer a music playback time of up to 30 hours from a single charge, which is pretty good going and certainly amongst the best offered from a mobile phone. The music player on the phone is of a standard S40 look, with support for playlists which can be chosen from a pre selected list, or from personal lists created on the phone. Music can also be browsed via genre, album or artist. As well as a music player, the handset also has a built in stereo FM radio, with RDS support, and we also find Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP for stereo audio streaming. For normal cable headphones the 6303i includes a 3.5mm audio output jack, allowing you to choose headphones more suited to your own personal comfort than standard supplied headphones tend to offer.

The 6303i Classic is exactly the same size and weight as the 6303, weighing in at just 96g, and sports the same size and type of display, TFT QVGA screen measuring 2.2 inches and supporting up to 16 million colours. All the standard colour variants of the 6303 will be included, as well as being available in White on Silver and Khaki on Gold variants. The Nokia 6303i Classic is expected to be available to market by the end of Q1, and should sell for the same price as the 6303 currently does.

———————

Mobile Phones News :LG GS500 Cookie Plus Review

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:34:05 +0000

The LG Cookie has proven to be one of the most popular handsets of recent times, selling in millions around the world. The Cookie name is going to spawn a whole range of handsets from LG in 2010, and leading the charge is the LG GS500 Cookie Plus.
The Cookie Plus takes everything

=============
Article Content:

The LG Cookie has proven to be one of the most popular handsets of recent times, selling in millions around the world. The Cookie name is going to spawn a whole range of handsets from LG in 2010, and leading the charge is the LG GS500 Cookie Plus.

The Cookie Plus takes everything that made the original Cookie popular, with the ‘Plus’ on this device coming in the form of enhanced data connectivity options, with the inclusion of 3G with HSDPA Mobile Broadband offering downloads at up to 7.2Mbps. This will really help deliver a solid web browsing performance on the device, but HSDPA is not yet enabled in all areas, and some parts of the country still lack even 3G coverage, in which case the handset utilises Class 10 GPRS and EDGE for data transfer.

Like its predecessor the Cookie Plus delivers a high quality 3.0 inch touchscreen, with the display supporting up to 256,000 colours and with a pixel resolution of 240 x 400. The Cookie Plus runs on a cartoon style Flash UI, with bright colourful graphics and a wide selection of brightly coloured themes to compliment the graphical style of the phone. As with the original Cookie, the Cookie Plus is clearly aimed at a younger user, people who appreciate cartoon style user menus, funny noises and cartoon icons. The resistive display allows for handwriting recognition on the phone, and this works well with the editable screenshot MMS application. This app allows you to take simple screenshots on the phone, and add your own message written across the image, and then send via MMS. For example, if your football team has beaten a rival supported by a friend, you can take a screenshot of the score, and add your own message before sending the image to ‘console’ your friend!

Many applications can be quickly accessed on the Cookie Plus via the handset’s support for Widgets, with up to 40 applications being accessed via Widgets on the device. Widgets support applications like quick access to weather news, and also social networking. Social networks are the real big change for mobile devices in recent months, and it seems that any handset that wants to have success with a younger audience needs to include support in some way for services like Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, MySpace and the rest. The Cookie Plus delivers social networking support in spades, offering live updates direct to the main standby screen on the phone. The whole layout is very intuitive, and very simple to use, and gives a pleasing experience. LG have also included LiveSquare, which allows you to peer manage your favourite contacts via a graphical display on the phone.

Other features on the handset are as you would expect from a mid range mobile phone; the Cooke Plus offers a 3.2 Megapixel camera, which is enabled for video recording. Although the Cookie Plus is a 3G handset, there is no front facing camera, so no video calls. Aside from the already mentioned social networking support, more traditional messaging is well catered for, with SMS and MMS plus support for multiple email accounts. The Cookie Plus also includes a document viewer, so you can view, but not edit, office attachments such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and .pdf files.

The Cookie Plus offers the bare minimum in media support, with a standard media player which supports a variety of media and audio formats, plus there is also a stereo FM radio with RDS support. There is ample memory available on the device for storing media, with support for memory expansion via MicroSD memory cards; the Cookie Plus can support up to 16GB memory cards, room for thousands of music tracks and images.

The LG GS500 Cookie Plus, then, ticks all the right boxes for a mobile phone of its genre, and sits well as an interim handset in the Cookie range. With up to 10 handsets due to be released in coming months under the Cookie name, it will be interesting to see just what LG will have to offer. As for the Cookie Plus, it should hit the market sometime late in Q2, probably around March/April time.

Click here to view the embedded video.

———————

Mobile Phones News :Samsung S5550 Shark 2 Review

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:21:08 +0000

We now come to the third phone in the new Shark handsets from Samsung, the S5550 Shark 2. Although by numbering this handset sits in the middle of the line-up, by specification it is the most powerful handset of the three. So, as is our custom by now, we are going to take a closer [...]

=============
Article Content:

We now come to the third phone in the new Shark handsets from Samsung, the S5550 Shark 2. Although by numbering this handset sits in the middle of the line-up, by specification it is the most powerful handset of the three. So, as is our custom by now, we are going to take a closer look at what the S5550 brings to the table.

The device shows a return by Samsung to a more traditional styling that is common in so many of their phones, with the S5550 being a slide style device. The compact slider measures in at 102 x 49 x 15mm, and weighs a pocket friendly 99g. The display on the phone uses AMOLED technology, which assists with battery performance; such displays need no backlight, and are less demanding on the battery generally to power them. AMOLED displays also tend to offer a crisper, clearer colour representation, and so it is on the S5550, although the colour support is only up to 256,000 colours. The display itself is of average size, 2.2 inches, and with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. Under the display sit the two soft option menu select keys, and below those are the call send/end keys. These flank the main navigation key, a design that is at the same time simply Samsung whilst reflecting designs found on newer devices like the Blade and the Jet.

The S5550 is a top mobile device, and this is reflected in the features it offers. Chief among these is a high quality 5.0 Megapixel camera, with autofocus, and an LED flash included. The camera also has support for face and smile detection, and image stabilisation, to help ensure the very best image results. The camera is enabled for video recording, taking video at 30 fps in QVGA resolution. There is also a secondary, front facing camera, giving support for the much under used video call facility.

Entertainment and connectivity is a theme that has run central to all the Shark series phones, and so it should come as no surprise to find these features well covered on the S5550 Shark 2. A full media player is included on the device, with playback support for multiple formats of audio and video, including MP3, AAC, WMA, MP4 and WMV. There is ample storage on the phone for all video and audio files, with an internal capacity of 110MB supplemented by MicroSD memory card expansion offering an extra 16GB of storage. The S5550 also includes an FM radio with an FM recording option. Social networking integration, as on the other Shark handsets, allows for quick access icons to be stored on the main standby screen with live updates from your favourite services. The Communities app is included, so sharing your content is a simple and straight forward process. Although popular these days, Social networking is but one of the ways we use to communicate with friends and family, so it is pleasing to find an email client included on the phone, which offers support for multiple email accounts.

The quad band S5550 has support for 3G and HSDPA Mobile Broadband, and also includes GPRS and EDGE, pretty much the only data option not included is WiFi. The handset offers Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, for stereo audio connectivity.

Fully compliant with Java 2.0, the handset comes pre-installed with Google Maps, although there is no built in GPS receiver, a move which helps to keep the costs down on the device. A simple Bluetooth GPS unit will compensate, if required. One of the striking features of the Shark series handsets has been the focus on device security, which is to be applauded. Security is often lax on devices, and considering how much personal information is stored on the average mobile phone, it is prudent to be security conscious. As with the other handsets, the S5550 includes Mobile Tracker, which helps to trace a lost or stolen mobile by alerting the user whenever the SIM card is changed, and in addition, an SOS Message can be programmed to send a distress alert to a pre-selected emergency contact, enabling quick and discreet requests for assistance.

The Shark range of handsets have been created to attract the style conscious, younger mobile user, delivering easy, constant access to social networks, blending power and function in a unique style phone. Each of the three Shark devices offers something for all, and there should be a Shark device to fit most budgets. The S5550 Shark 2 is expected to be available in January/February 2010, on both contact and PAYG.

———————

Mobile Phone News :Samsung S5350 Shark Review

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:21:08 +0000

The Samsung S5350 Shark is the second of the batch of three recently announced Shark series handsets that we are going to look at in a bit more detail. In terms of specification, the S5350 Shark sits in the middle of the range, so let’s take a look at what it has to offer.
The S5350 [...]

=============
Article Content:

The Samsung S5350 Shark is the second of the batch of three recently announced Shark series handsets that we are going to look at in a bit more detail. In terms of specification, the S5350 Shark sits in the middle of the range, so let’s take a look at what it has to offer.

The S5350 is a candybar style device, and slightly heavier than the Shark S3550 3 we previously looked at, weighing in here at 99g. Size wise the handset is in the midrange, measuring up at 115 x 47 x 12mm. The Shark has a 2.2 inch TFT display, with QVGA resolution, supporting up to 256,000 colours. Quad band GSM connectivity means you will be able to use the device pretty much anywhere around the world where a GSM network is available.

As with all the handsets marketed under the Shark name, the emphasis for the phone is on connecting via social networks. On the display standby screen, there are shortcuts to Facebook, Bebo, MySpace and other popular social networks, plus there is a Samsung communities app that allows for easy and quick uploading of photos and videos to sites like Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket and YouTube. With the mobile phone becoming more and more an essential all round communication tool for many people, the more manufacturers do to enable ease of access to such services, the more likely the devices will find favour with the fickle mid to late teen youth market.

The Shark 5350 comes with Google Maps pre-installed, although the device itself does not natively support GPS. Network triangulation will give varying results depending on your location at the time, so to get the best from this it is advisable to invest in a Bluetooth GPS unit. These can conveniently come as a key ring, so you can easily carry the GPS unit around with you. The S5350 supports Bluetooth 2.1 so connecting to a Bluetooth GPS unit should be an easy enough affair. The Bluetooth option on the device also includes A2DP which allows you to stream audio to a stereo Bluetooth headset. With DNSe included on the phone, sound quality from music playback is very good, and the media player supports a wide range of audio and video file formats. There is plenty of space for media storage on the phone, with an internal memory capacity of 100MB, which can be expended with MicroSD memory cards, with the S5350 handling up to 16GB in size.

The camera on the phone is a 3.2 Megapixel device with autofocus. Support is built in for smile detection to help get the best result from portrait shots. The camera is also enabled for video recording, capturing video at 15 fps in QVGA resolution. There is also a front facing video camera so you can make and receive video calls on the handset. The inclusion of a front facing camera is a giveaway sign that the Shark S5350 includes support for 3G data transfer; in fact the Shark supports not only 3G but also HSDPA for high speed downloads at up to 3.6Mbps. This is all backed up by Class 10 GPRS and EDGE, although there is no WiFi support on the phone, which is not too surprising given the low entry price range of the device.

Security is an important point if devices are going to store passwords for your various social networking and email accounts. To cater for this, the S5350 Shark has a strong set of security features that should help prevent people being able to access your personal data. As well as setting a pin code on your SIM, and a security code for changing the SIM card, you can preset the device to send an SMS to a pre-determined number when the SIM card is changed. In addition, it is possible to set an SOS message on the phone, which allows you to discreetly send out for help without attracting too much attention.

Despite being marketed as a level entry device, the S5350 Shark has enough in its bag to do battle with more mid range handsets and hold its own, too. If you are looking for a well featured, low cost handset, then the S5350 Shark could be the phone for you. You won’t have to wait long, either, as the Shark is due for release during the coming weeks.

———————

Mobile Phones News :Samsung S3550 Shark 3 Review

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:21:08 +0000

A new series of handsets have been announced by Samsung, which will bring a range of handsets to market that focus on the additional ways people communicate these days, particularly social networking. The range of handsets will be branded under the name Shark, and three handsets

=============
Article Content:

A new series of handsets have been announced by Samsung, which will bring a range of handsets to market that focus on the additional ways people communicate these days, particularly social networking. The range of handsets will be branded under the name Shark, and three handsets have already been announced by Samsung under this label, which should all become available during January and February. We are going to look at the main features of all three of these handsets, starting with the baby of the family, the S3550 Shark 3.

Whilst pricing on all models have yet to be confirmed, the Shark 3 will surely be the lowest priced, based on features the device offers, and is most likely to be aimed at the emerging markets, as well as prepay in developed countries, and on the amazing cashback and special offer gift deals that are available these days. The Shark 3 is very lightweight, weighing in at just 79g, and measuring 96 x 46 x 14mm. The Shark 3 S3550 marks a return to the traditional styled Samsung device, coming in a comfortable slide style, as opposed to the recent run of touchscreen devices Samsung have been producing. The display on the phone is a tad small, measuring 2.0 inches across, with a QVGA (240 x 320) resolution. The TFT display supports up to 256,000 colours, and looks good when in use.

The S3550 isn’t the best connected device available, which does help keep costs to a minimum, so there is no WiFi, nor HSDPA, nor even 3G. All data transfer on the handset is handled either on EDGE or GPRS, with the Shark 3 supporting class 10 in both protocols. For local connectivity the handset is enabled with a USB connector to connect to a PC with a data cable, as well as offering the latest version of Bluetooth, 2.1. This version allows for easier pairing with other compatible Bluetooth devices, removing some of the frustration users experience when trying to pair handsets with other phones, and Bluetooth headsets. The Bluetooth option also includes A2DP for stereo audio connectivity, which offers the option of being able to listen to music on the phone wirelessly, in stereo quality.

There isn’t too much internal memory on the phone, just 35MB, but this is expandable by the addition of a microSD memory card, with the Shark 3 able to handle cards up to 8GB in size, which is ample memory for music, as well as games and images. The phone is compatible with Java 2.0 which means that there is a wide selection of games and apps that can be installed on the phone, such as apps from Google, and Opera. One app from Google that comes pre-installed is Google Maps. The S3550 does not include GPS support, so all location information will be gathered using network triangulation, which works well in built up areas, but less so in wide open countryside locations.

We’ve already mentioned about playing music on the handset, and as well as the capable media player the phone also comes with a built in Stereo FM radio, with RDS support. To further enhance the music playing credentials of the phone, the Shark 3 is endowed with DNSe, as with other recent Samsung devices, which serves to improve the playback quality on the phone.

A nice feature on the Shark 3 and something that it will hold in common with all Shark series devices, is the tight integration with social networks. Social networks have really revolutionised the way we communicate with our friends and families, and whilst text messaging is as popular as ever, social networking does a lot to help us keep in touch on the move. The major manufacturers have all taken notice of this trend, and quickly brought devices to market that offer a range of ways of interacting with these services, much more so than was ever done for accessing Instant Messaging by mobile. On the standby screen, there are shortcut icons to Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo among others, and there is also a Samsung Communities app which makes it easy to upload content such as photos and videos to services like Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket and YouTube. Security also gets a look in on the Shark range, with a mobile tracker feature available, plus the phone can be set to send an SMS to a pre-defined number if the SIM card is removed. It is also possible to program the phone to send a distress alert to a pre-selected emergency contact, a quick and discreet way of sending a request for assistance should the need arise.

For a budget phone, the Samsung S3550 Shark 3 has a lot to offer, and should appeal to the younger generation, most likely people looking at their first mobile phone, as well as the price conscious consumer.

———————