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<title>Reviews</title>
<link>http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/</link>
<description>Reviews</description>

<item id="31">
<title><![CDATA[Nokia's Slim 5310 Music Phone]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/200801/nokia_31.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Consumers these days are really spoiled for choice. Ranging from the latest huge megapixel camera phones, to music phones with audio chips and big storage, buying a phone is quite a tough choice to make. And Nokia didn't help the situation by throwing in two more models from their XpressMusic range &ndash; the slim 5310 and the sliding 5610. We managed to get our hands on the 5310, a slim and lightweight phone that is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera and expandable microSD memory card slot.   Physical AspectsOur 5310 review unit came in a grey and red color scheme. The contrasting red bars by the sides of the display give the phone a youthful, exuberant look. The phone is made entirely of high quality plastic and is very solidly built. There were no large gaps in the exterior of the phone and the battery cover slid on securely. There were no creaks or squeaks to be heard anywhere. I personally enjoyed using the 5310 and found it to be comfortable to hold, providing a very solid feel in the hand.The front of the 5310 consists of the usual D-pad, flanked by the left and right softkeys, plus the usual call and end keys. The numerical keypad is set flush with the phones fascia, but each key is slightly convex, giving good feel and separation between keys to allow faster typing. They also provide excellent tactile feedback. The screen is a really nice QVGA (240 x 320) display, capable of displaying up to 16 million colors. Fonts and icons look smooth, and colors were reproduced perfectly. In strong sunlight conditions, the screen can appear slightly washed out, though still remains perfectly useable.Both the display and white backlit keypad have their brightness controlled by a light sensor located next to the earpiece. When in brightly lit conditions, the screen will automatically be set to its maximum brightness with the keypad lights turned off. When the surroundings become dimmer, the screen brightness is automatically decreased so as to not blind you, and the keypad lights are turned back on. This is a nice touch from Nokia, as the light sensor is usually seen in more expensive mobile phones. However, there is no way to adjust the screen brightness manually, or even to turn off the light sensor, which is a shame.The red bar to the left of the screen is home to three music playback buttons &ndash; Skip Backwards, Play/Pause and Skip Forwards, giving users easy access to their music. The top of the 5310 houses the power button, Mini USB port, and thankfully, a very welcome 3.5mm headphone jack. This is the single most important feature that should be found on any music phone, as it enables users to use whichever headphones they like, without extra wires or funny adapters. The charging jack can be found at the top of the left side of the 5310, and volume keys found on the right side.The back of the 5310 features the 2-megapixel camera lens, though unfortunately there is no self-portrait mirror or flash included. The battery cover is quite tight and can be slid off to reveal the memory card slot, which is located near the bottom right of the phone. MicroSD cards can be hot-swapped easily without turning off the phone or removing the battery. The loudspeaker consists of two tiny holes located next to the SIM card tray.Overall, I really liked the 5310's design. The clean lines and slim profile makes it easily pocketable and comfortable to hold. Measuring 103.8 x 44.7 x 9.9 mm and weighing a mere 70.2g (2.5oz), it may not be the slimmest or the lightest phone out there, but it does pack quite a lot of features, something which is rare to find in ultra-slim phones these days.[next]Core FunctionsThe 5310 worked really well when it came to voice calls and I didn't experience any problems using it over the two week test period. Signal strength was great and the phone managed to hold onto a signal even in places where signal strength is known to be poor. Voice quality was pretty good too, and the earpiece volume was adequate. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the speakerphone function. The loudspeaker isn't loud enough and I had quite a difficult time trying to hear what the other person was saying. Therefore, using a wired or Bluetooth headset is the best option for handsfree talking.  Business users would likely shy away from the 5310, as it's only a triband GSM phone with support for EDGE networks. Unfortunately, no 3G or WiFi connectivity options can be found in this slim phone, which is hardly surprising at this price point. However, the battery life of the 5310 is pretty impressive, and it lasted about 4.5 days with average use. Admittedly, this was with sleep mode and power save all activated, but 4.5 days is still quite impressive nonetheless. However, take note that listening to music and transferring files via Bluetooth drains the battery much faster than usual, though this is to be expected with any device.The phonebook feature works well, just the same as with all other S40 devices. It allows users to save almost any kind of data under one contact entry. You can save various numbers, postal address, email address, birthday, and even a text note about the contact, if you choose. Unfortunately, our review unit had a bit of a problem recognizing incoming calls. When certain contacts call, the phone would just display their number, but their name wouldn't appear. This happened sporadically and I'm quite sure that the problem was due to the phone's firmware, as I reformatted the phone a few times, yet the problem still cropped-up intermittently.The six ring profiles available on the 5310 are all customizable, allowing you to tweak to your heart's content. You can personalize your ringtone, vibrating alert, type of alert, message alert tone, and various other aspects. Timed profiles are also available on the 5310, enabling users to set the phone to revert back to the original profile after a set period of time. This is useful for those who don't want to forget to turn their ringer back on after a meeting or movie.Like recent S40 devices, the 5310 comes with speaker independent voice dialing. However, before you start using this feature, you have to &lsquo;train' the phone to recognize the way you pronounce certain names or words. This is the first time I've encountered such &lsquo;training' in an S40 device and I must say, it does help a lot in recognizing the Asian names in my phonebook. It's not perfect, but much better than previous S40 devices I've tested so far.T9 input is supported by all the messaging systems in the 5310. The SMS interface has been tweaked slightly, offering a scroll bar at the bottom of the screen for users to add on pictures, video clips, or music files easily. This automatically transforms the SMS message to a multimedia message (MMS). I did not particularly like this scroll bar, as it limits the amount of text that I can view when composing a message. I rarely send MMS messages, so an option to turn this scroll bar off would be have been most welcome. Anyhow, typing out SMS messages was fast and easy with the 5310's keypad. You can now add a contact as your favourite SMS contact, so you do not have to search for him/her every time you need to send an SMS. There is also an option for users to select recently messaged contacts from a list in the menu.The MMS system worked pretty well, enabling users to insert photos, ringtones, voice recordings and even text on multiple pages. MMS messages that are received will be placed in the same inbox as SMS messages. The email application, however, has its own inbox. The 5310 email application works with both POP and IMAP email systems. A spam filter is also available here, enabling users to blacklist spam emails as they arrive. This is not particularly intuitive, but users can opt to use their mail server's own spam filter, should they desire added security. The email application also enables users to download only email headers, or even limit the size of messages to be downloaded.As previously mentioned, the 5310 does not have UMTS network support or a built-in WiFi antenna. There is no infrared connectivity either, but the 5310 does have support for Bluetooth 2.0. Transferring files back and forth with my desktop computer worked flawlessly. However, I didn't like how the phone always insisted on searching for devices, even when I already have the target device stored in the paired devices list. This slowed down the entire process, and annoyed me quite a bit. The 5310 also has A2DP support, but I cannot comment on this as I did not have any A2DP devices with me at the time of testing. The data cable that was included in the sales package can be used to hook up the 5310 with a computer for data synchronization with Nokia's PC Suite. However, I couldn't get the cable to charge the phone, which is a surprise as I have never personally experienced this problem before with other phones.[next]Multimedia / ApplicationsThe 2-megapixel camera on the 5310 churns out average quality photos, which is quite disappointing. Photo-taking is done in portrait mode, as the centre D-pad key is the shutter key. Unfortunately, the 5310 does not have a dedicated shutter/camera key like a lot of phones tend to have these days. There are, however, settings enabling users to take photos in various color modes &ndash; black and white, sepia and negative. The white balance was not exactly great during my tests, giving a bluish hue to all the photos taken. The end result is always good enough for candid shots, but never good enough for prints, which isn't surprising for a fixed focus camera like the 5310's. The 2-megapixel camera can also be used to record video clips in two resolutions - 176 x 144 pixels or 128 x 96 pixels. The length of these videos is limited only by the amount of memory that is available. The biggest flaw of the 5310's camera is its speed. Shutter lag is about 1 second, and it takes about 5-10 seconds to snap and save a photo, which is a painfully long time.   The music application is pretty impressive on the 5310. It's similar to previous S40 music applications, but offers a layout quite like the iconic iPod. Music files can be divided into various categories, such as - artists, song names, playlists, genres and even composers. Adding music files is easy and can be done in two different ways &ndash; via PC Suite directly onto the phone, or by using a card reader to simply drag and drop files onto your memory card. However, the latter option requires removing the memory card from the phone. The 5310 can also sync with Windows Media Player 10 and above, enabling users to add album art onto their phones.The music player can be customized with four different themes. Apart from changing its appearance, there's nothing much that the themes offer, but I guess users who love to personalize their phones will enjoy this feature. The on-board equalizer didn't offer much, so I left it switched off during the entire test period. With the included earphones, music sounded hollow and the bass was almost non-existent. However, with the included 3.5mm jack, I could swap earphones easily. I tested the 5310 with both my Sennheiser PX100 and Crossroad MylarOne X3i, and the results were pretty impressive. The sound was crisp and bass was more than adequate. Overall, sound quality was actually comparable to my iPod. The dedicated on-board audio chip has surely played a large role in providing this high quality sound from the phone.As mentioned earlier, music is controlled via the 3 buttons beside the 5310's display. I would have also preferred a dedicated key-lock switch on the phone, as I found it cumbersome to have to deactivate the key-lock via the centre D-pad key and * key before I was able to access the music control keys. When the music player is minimized and playing in the background, the active standby menu will display the name of the song being played. Music stops automatically when a call comes in, but it does not resume automatically when you end the call, which was quite puzzling. This meant that I had to manually restart my music every time I received a call.When you get tired of your music library, you can always switch to the built-in FM radio, and the 5310 worked well in this department. Thankfully, the phone comes with a flight mode option that allows users to access all of its multimedia features in areas where radio frequency emitting devices are prohibited. The 5310 supports microSD cards up to 2GB in size, which should be good for about 500 songs or so depending on the size of each file.Apart from multimedia applications, the 5310 also offers basic PIM applications. The calendar is a useful feature, enabling you to enter your appointments and set reminders for each of them. The active standby display on the home screen works like the &quot;Today&quot; screen on a Windows Mobile device, letting you know of pending appointments. Users can also set the appointments to repeat daily, weekly, or monthly. These calendar entries can be synced with your desktop via PC Suite, enabling users to sync their Outlook appointments with the 5310. Apart from the Calendar, there is also a To-Do list, calculator, stop watch and a voice recorder as well.Web browsing is done via the xHTML browser. This handles light websites well, but when it comes to frames and heavily graphical sites, the phone struggles to display them properly. Our 5310 came pre-installed with Snake 3, an updated version of the original Snake game. Apart from Snake, there is also a Sim City-like game called &quot;City Bloxx&quot;. There is a music guessing game as well, that plays a short clip from any music file from your library and requires you to select the right song name from a list. This is an interesting game to include, but for users with a lot of music on their phone, could prove to be quite good fun. However, users can always download newer games and more applications online.[next]User InterfaceThe S40 interface on the 5310 has received some minor tweaks, as mentioned earlier on in the review. One of the more obvious tweaks is how a contact's name appears on the pop-up window when you receive a message or a missed call from them. This feature has been long overdue and I've always wondered when Nokia would provide this nifty feature in their S40 phones. It's certainly great to know who tried to contact you at a glance, rather than having to go through menus to find out. However, such minor tweaks don't hide the fact that the S40 interface needs a major revamp. Having seen its S60 user interface improve in leaps and bounds in recent years, Nokia should pay some attention to its ailing S40 series of devices.  As with all other S40 devices, the 3 x 4 grid main menu view can be changed to suit your preference. I personally like the tab version, as it enables me to browse through the main menu items on a horizontal bar at the top of the screen, while each of its sub-menu items are displayed vertically below. The menu system is another sign of the aging S40 interface needing a major rework. I feel that Nokia has crammed-in too many new features, which forces the need for numerous sub-menus. This made it difficult to navigate around the phone and avid Nokia users who used to swear by Nokia's user friendly menus might have to take a different stand now. It's unintuitive and I find it hard to search for a certain menu item these days.Thankfully, the active standby screen helps by providing a row of shortcut icons at the top. These shortcuts can be customized and the amount of information on the screen can be reduced as well &ndash; the music player/radio line, or even the calendar item line, can be removed to de-clutter the home screen. Alternatively, if active standby doesn't take your fancy, then the right and left directional keys of the D-pad can be customized to launch certain applications, and the left softkey accesses a list of shortcut functions. Again, I stress the importance of having a dedicated back and clear key, as it enables the right softkey to access extra menu items instead of working like a back/clear key. If the S60 devices can have it, why not the S40 devices as well?Theme support is slightly better in the 5310, as it only changes the graphical outlook of the backgrounds without changing the ringtones, unlike previous S40 devices. This means that you will no longer have to manually revert back to your favourite ringtone every time you change your theme, as was the case with previous S40 devices. There are five themes excluding the default blue Nokia theme &ndash; &quot;Audio Roar&quot;, &quot;Beat Burst&quot;, &quot;Dancefloor&quot;, &quot;Psychedelic Lights&quot;, and &quot;Techno Clouds&quot;. However, themes still do not change the icon designs, and are limited to just different color schemes for the menus and the background. This makes it a little boring when other phone makers are offering themes which totally change the icons and even the overall graphical layout sometimes.[next]ConclusionThe 5310 is an attractive, ultra-slim phone from Nokia. Although not particularly basic, neither is it hugely feature-rich when compared to other phones on the market. Instead, it excels at the task it was designed for - being a very pocketable phone that plays music well. The slim form factor certainly caught the attention of my friends, and I enjoyed using it for the entire two weeks that I tested it.  The camera could have been better, but those who are looking for a superior camera need look no further than the 5310's elder brother, the 5610 - which is in a sliding form factor. The memory card slot offers expandability and the versatility of being able to switch between different music libraries stored upon different microSD cards. The best feature of the 5310, which isn't found on the 5610, is the 3.5mm audio jack. To me, that alone makes the 5310 a winner.With good audio quality and battery life, it's really quite difficult to fault the 5310 and we highly recommended it if you're looking for a mid-ranged music phone which comes in such a slim candybar form factor. However, Sony Ericsson's W580i might be a good alternative as well, if you don't mind slider phones and fancy a nifty motion sensing interface to change tracks.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Nokia]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>7:02:47 PM, January 28, 2008</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="30">
<title><![CDATA[Nokia's E51]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/200801/nokia_30.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Nokia's Eseries has been making as many waves in the business device ocean just as the Nseries has for multimedia devices, and like its Nseries brethren, the Eseries keeps getting better and better. Thankfully, Nokia doesn't just try to cram more and more features into a device line to achieve this result, instead designing devices that cater to specific segments of the market.The latest Eseries device, and subject of this review, is a perfect example of this. Nokia's E51, spiritual successor to the E50, might not pack a super high-resolution camera and incredible multimedia functions, but it does include most everything business users will need in a smart device, and does so in a very thin and light package. The E51 is also herald to some changes in certain long-running traits for Nokia's S60 smartphones, including the design of the look and functionality of the menu key, and the removal of the edit key.[next]Physical AspectsTo begin, the Nokia E51 is available in three color schemes: chrome, black, and rose. Don't get the chrome scheme if you want any sort of subtlety in your phone. The chrome color scheme, which our review example is graced with, is far too loud for a business device. With mirror chrome trim around the front, and an almost total mirror chrome rear, it is simply not a good choice for those looking for a more practical device. The black scheme dulls this mirror down vastly, making it the tasteful alternative, and even the rose version brings its own level of style to the table.Apart from the above gripe, the Nokia E51 is a great example of simple and smart phone design. Everything about the device feels solid and durable. This is a good thing, as the device measures up at just 12mm (0.47.) thick, meaning any less could have made it feel very flimsy. A weight of 100g (3.53oz), though high for such a slim device, feels just right in the hand. Its other measurements aren't as impressive, at 114mm x 46mm (4.49&quot; x 1.81&quot;), which is about average for a bar style device of this class.Grasp the Nokia E51 in your hand and you'll feel instantly familiar with the keypad. With the exception of the delete key, which has been placed directly underneath the d-pad as opposed to toward the right of the phone as on most other devices, the keypad is as close to perfect as I have seen on a phone in a very long time. The key travel and weight are spot on, and Nokia has shunned super-stylish keys for a basic design that just works. Big thumbs will feel right at home, as even the collection of quick access keys have a highly convex design, meaning it is hard to press more than one at a time. It is here in the collection of keys around the d-pad that we see our first interesting thing about the E51, as on top of access keys for the phone book, calendar, and messaging applications, which are totally customizable, we see a redesigned menu key that now sports a very Windows Mobile-like home icon. This key also behaves differently than in other S60 devices, but we'll get to that later in the review. Nokia has finally thought to include an automatic keylock for the E51, complete with a customizable lock time.[next]Though slightly on the small size by today's standards, the Nokia E51's screen is a highly readable QVGA (240x320 pixel) resolution unit, capable of displaying up to 16 million colors. The display is surprisingly clear and crisp, and though it isn't perfect for web browsing, it is more than enough for the usual phone functions and reading email.  Just above the E51's screen is a small alert light that, unlike in previous S60 devices, is fully customizable for the length of time it should blink and the types of messages it should alert you to. It can even be set to alert for missed calls in addition to newly arrived text, MMS, and email messages. Looking to the top of the device, one finds the power button, which unfortunately is near-on impossible to press. Previous Nokia users that have become accustom to using the power button as a shortcut to change profiles will be very let down here, as an incredible amount of effort is required to press the button, making it far easier to just open the profiles application.The right side of the Nokia E51 is home to three buttons: the volume up and down buttons plus a dedicated voice dialing key. The left side of the device has a customizable shortcut key, which is set up to activate the Voice Recorder application by default. Looking to the bottom of the handset, the standard set of power and a 2.5mm headset connector can be seen, in addition to a miniUSB port. The miniUSB port was a little of a surprise, since Nokia has already started to standardize on micro-USB for its devices. The device cannot be charged via the miniUSB port, which will disappoint frequent travelers looking to take the minimum number of cables on their trips.The rear of the Nokia E51 is home to the 2.0MP camera, a speaker for ringtones and speakerphone, and the aluminum battery cover. This battery cover, which has an interesting dotted pattern that somewhat breaks up the reflective chrome, is very robust. Hidden behind the battery cover is the device's microSD memory card slot, which, despite its location, is still hot-swappable[next]Core FunctionsThough its looks may be questionable, there is no doubt that the Nokia E51 brings the Nokia's best to the table when it comes to core functionality. It was impossible for me to use the Nokia E51 set at full volume during a call, which is a nice change from the usual act of straining to hear the other party on a call when in a noisy area. The E51 not only provides good volume in calls, but also a surprisingly high level of clarity. Where many phones come across very tinny during calls, the E51 maintained a very smooth sound. Outgoing call quality wasn't the best we've come across, but the device was still better than most other devices on the market today. Call quality through the device's built in speakerphone was a bit of a mixed bag; incoming sound was lacking in volume, though the device was able to pick out voices in relatively noisy environments. Most typical smartphones give way to non-smartphones when it comes to battery life, but I am happy to say the Nokia E51 performs just as well as devices with far lesser feature sets in this regard. Even with Bluetooth switched on, intermittent WiFi usage, plus 3G usage for checking emails and regular phone calls, we were still able to achieve four days of battery life on average. Should you not make use of WiFi and 3G as much, a user could probably expect to see at least the work week covered by a single charge. It is also worth noting that Nokia seems to have finally got the battery meter to drop in a linear way, instead of the last three bars dropping off exceedingly quickly, which is the case with most S60 devices.Another point where there is nothing bad to say about the Nokia E51 is reception. The device seemed to find and hold signals better than anything I've used in recent memory. Though the signal meter may only show one bar at times, no noticeable loss in audio quality is perceivable, and I did not experience any dropped calls in testing.As always, the S60 user interface provides ample options when it comes to the integrated contacts application. The E51 provides far more than just a basic phone book, instead extending to a full contact management system. Standard details like first, middle, and last names, a nickname, multiple phone numbers, email addresses, and business and home address are complemented with more exotic details like VoIP information, information on assistants, spouses, and children, plus dates like birthdays and anniversaries. The device also allows storage of notes, a picture, and a personal ringtone for each contact. All of this information is easy to add and use, and Nokia's sync software will synchronize as much information to your PC or Mac as you PIM software can handle. The E51 provides a simple search function based on first and last name, but with all the information that can be stored I would have loved to have seen something more advanced, like the new search function available on the Nokia N95 8GB.Ring profiles continues to be something that are well supported on Nokia devices, and the E51 doesn't disappoint in this regard. Though timed profiles are still not available, the device allows the user to create a seemingly unlimited number of fully customizable profiles on top of the five that come standard with the device. With the exception of the special 'offline' profile that turns off all wireless communication from the device, all profiles can be renamed and totally customized. Each profile has settings for a standard ringing tone, video call, SMS, email, keypad, and warning tones, ringer volume, and the option to have the device say who is calling when the phone rings - thanks to its text-to-speech system. The user can quickly switch to the silent profile by holding down the '#' key from the standby screen.[next]Though the device is clearly marketed towards the business crowd, it is far better suited to consuming email than creating it. There are many QWERTY keyboard-equipped devices available that are better suited to writing email, but for users that need a device they can use to quickly and easily check email on the go, this could be the answer.All messaging systems that are supported by the phone are accessed by way of the unified Messaging application. A press on the single 'New Message' option prompts the user whether they would like to create an SMS, MMS, audio, or email message, with a simple composition screen following. Users can triple-tap the first few letters of the recipient's name from their address book and have the phone display a list of matching entries, and entering a message and adding multimedia in the case of MMS or emails couldn't be simpler.The device's main Inbox folder is the destination for incoming MMS and SMS applications, while each email mailbox receives its own folder structure. Unified Drafts and Sent folders can be overwritten on a per-mailbox basis, and delivery reports always land in their own folder to prevent cluttering of your main inbox. Overall, the E51 covers messaging very well, and should be ideal for many businesspeople. Simple mailbox wizards help new users set up mailboxes, and full Microsoft Exchange support is available through a free add-on from Nokia to complement standard POP/IMAP/SMTP mailboxes. While 3G or WiFi access is preferable for messaging, I am happy to report that the device worked quite well on lowly GPRS connections, too.Speaking of connections, the Nokia E51 has them in droves. In a flurry of acronyms, the Nokia E51 supports GPRS/EDGE, WiFi (802.11g), UMTS/HSDPA (850/2100MHz bands), miniUSB, Bluetooth v2.0, and even Infrared. What this means is that you are covered for high-speed as well as legacy connectivity almost everywhere, and the inclusion of 850MHz and 2100MHz UMTS support means that the device is workable on almost all 3G networks, even those in the US. Bluetooth works superbly, supporting all the common profiles (with the exception of A2DP for stereo headsets), and Nokia has even simplified WiFi connections with a greatly improved wizard interface.[next]]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Nokia]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>6:48:52 PM, January 25, 2008</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="29">
<title><![CDATA[Nokia's 6263]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/200801/nokia_29.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Nokia's 6263 is one of the first phones on the market to support T-Mobile's upcoming 3G network, which will use WCDMA (1700MHz), and it brings quite a package to the table. Heavy on the features, is the 6263 the perfect clamshell?The Nokia 6263 is a mid-sized clamshell with a musical tendency. It measures up at a slightly thick 23mm, (0.9&quot;) but has a very nice in-hand feel. The phone is weighted nicely and feels solid, though not overly heavy. It is slightly difficult to open, thanks to the top portion of the flip being slightly smaller than the bottom. The edges are nicely curved, which helps to give the phone an overall pleasant feel. The body of the phone does not emit any creaks, and the hinge has absolutely no wiggle room, which further proves the superior build quality of the 6263.   The volume up and down buttons are located on the right side of the 6263, with the camera button positioned directly below. These buttons protrude slightly, but offer enough resistance so that they are not pressed accidentally. The mono speaker is also located at the bottom of the right side of the 6263. The left side of the phone is where you will find the microSD card slot, with an extremely flimsy door that attempts to protect the slot from dust. This small rubbery door is incredibly difficult to open, and feels as though the slightest tug would easily rip it off the phone.[next]The front of the 6263 features a 2 megapixel camera with no flash, in addition to the dedicated music playback keys and large 262k color TFT external display. The music buttons sport raised labels, allowing them to be easily found and used, even when the device is in a pocket. The top of the handset houses the small-barrel Nokia power port, a miniUSB port for data transfer, and a 2.5mm audio jack that you can't help but wish was the standard 3.5mm.Once you flip the 6263 open, you're greeted by a large 2.2&quot; QVGA display and ample keypad. The d-pad on the 6263 is extremely pleasant to use, with well defined feedback for each directional key and the large center key. The keypad's white backlight evenly illuminates every key, as well.  The 6263's vibrate notification is very powerful, making it less likely that you would miss a call. However, since the only speaker is located at the bottom right corner of the device, it often gets muffled when in your pocket or in a holster, therefore reducing the volume.The 6263 operates on T-Mobile's GSM network and uses EDGE for data access on the 850, 900, 1800, and 1900MHz frequency bands. Reception is very strong, as is typical of Nokia's handsets, and during my tests there was little fluctuation shown on the signal indicator, showing that the 6263 has no problem holding a signal. Unfortunately, the audio quality when on a phone call was somewhat empty, as if speaking into a large barrel. The volume is plenty loud enough, even at the medium setting, but some work could go into the speaker quality. The speakerphone is also loud, however, the aforementioned placement of the speaker does not lend itself to using the speakerphone function when holding the device.[next]The Nokia 6263 runs Nokia's S40 user interface, which includes a very capable web browser, despite it being a bit slow to render larger pages. This little clamshell's internal display is a joy to browse the web on, with support for Java and the ability to send a web page to a friend via SMS.   The 6263's 1.3 megapixel camera takes several seconds to process each photo, which is disappointing. The photos, however, are decent, considering their resolution. Good lighting is a must, though, as the camera performs poorly in low-light situations and as mentioned earlier, does not feature a flash. The camera application does, however, feature plenty of options such as white balance adjustment, scene mode, and even includes a night mode and sequence shot for extra fun. Image editing is another fun feature that's included, with several included clip-art images and borders that allow users to customize a photo directly on the phone.This smart little clamshell also sports video mode, allowing you to record video at 15 fps in 176 x 144 pixel resolution. The results are great for MMS, and can also be used for incoming caller id, which is a fun feature. As with video calling, low lighting conditions will result in poor quality video from the 6263, as will excessive movement.[next]The Nokia 6263 supports themes, which allow the user to customize the background image, as well as ringtone and menu colors. Users can set a group of pictures as the background, resulting in a constantly-changing slideshow. The main display also features Active Standby, offering users several shortcut options for their favorite or most used features, or alternatively, users can assign shortcuts to the four directions on the d-pad. The Nokia 6263's menus are very snappy, and users can easily rearrange the icons to their liking. Several games are also included, such as AMF Bowling and Frogger 25th anniversary, with more available through T-Mobile's tzones. The 6263 also supports both POP and IMAP email in addition to the standard SMS and MMS messaging options.The 6263 features a built-in FM radio tuner, though it requires wired headphones, which function as the radio's antenna. The music player is compatible with MP3s and sports a robust music library, album art, and can be controlled via the external display and music buttons. The music library is organized by artist, album, and genre, with support for playlists, which be created directly on the phone. A full graphic equalizer ensures that the sound is optimized to the users' taste, and there are three different themes for the music player. Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support for Bluetooth stereo headsets adds another option to enjoy your music.[next]ConclusionThe Nokia 6263 is a sleek, music focused clamshell, with convenient music playback buttons and stereo Bluetooth support. The 2.5mm audio jack is disappointing, though, as is the flimsy microSD slot cover. I would still classify the 6263 as &quot;Recommended&quot;, however, thanks to the build quality and friendly S40 user interface. The Nokia 6263 measures 94mm x 48mm x 23mm (3.7&quot; x 1.9&quot; x 0.9&quot;) and weighs 105g (3.7oz). The manufacturer rated talk time is a 3.3 hours, and standby time is rated at 11 days. After personal use, I would suggest bringing a charger on a weekend trip with the 6263, as even with light data usage, the battery barely makes it through the day. This clamshell is available now through T-Mobile.com.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Nokia]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>6:41:06 PM, January 22, 2008</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="28">
<title><![CDATA[Samsung SGH-A737]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/200801/Samsung-28.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Samsung seems to have a knack for slider phones, and their SGH-A737 reflects this. This slicker than Teflon slider also happens to be one of the latest low cost 3G offerings from AT&amp;T. Many of the reasonably priced 3G offerings these days are offering a lot of bang for the buck, so the question, as with most low cost phones, is &quot;What am I getting and what (if any) corners are being cut in the process?&quot;  Physically, Samsung's SGH-A737 is a typical slider in a fairly slim presentation. It weighs in at a svelte 90g (3.16oz.) and is also reasonably thin at 15.2mm (0.6in.)We received our test unit in black with metallic blue color scheme. AT&amp;T is also offering the phone in black with your choice of orange, red or lime. Samsung have gone fashion forward with the SGH-A737. You'd be forgiven for mistaking the d-pad for a scroll wheel because quite frankly, it looks like one. Alas, the circular d-pad is just a d-pad.[next]Surrounding the d-pad are the call and end call buttons, music and calendar hot buttons, and a pair of softkeys. Above that, you'll find the high contrast QVGA display, which is bright, and therefore easy to read. The speaker is punctuated with a perforated grill that is a subtle but nice styling touch. Conveniently located on the right edge of the device is a dedicated task switching button. Just below that is the charging and accessory port.On the right edge of the phone you will find a rocker button for the volume control, below which a microSD slot can be found and can accommodate cards up to 4GB in capacity.The sliding mechanism is up to usual Samsung standards, and that is to say it's excellent. The device snaps open smoothly with that knife-through-butter texture that conveys the feeling of a quality product. Open the phone to reveal the clearly backlit keypad and you will also reveal one of my few small complaints about the SGH-A737. The keypad on this phone has a membrane surface rather than individual buttons. Raised surfaces separate the rows of buttons but there is no similar ergonomic aid for the columns. This apparent flaw seemed to lead to an occasional mis-pressed button. The appeal of the membrane style keypad is obvious: fewer spots for dust to get in, but the main drawback could have been avoided with the addition of raised vertical dividers between key columns and not just between the rows of keys.[next]Opening the phone also reveals the 1.3 Megapixel camera lens on the opposite side of the earpiece/speaker. Next to the camera lens is a convex mirror to aid in framing self portraits. Sadly there's no flash, but you can't expect everything in a phone at this price point.The SGH &ndash; A737 performed its core functions fairly, living up to its three hour reported talk time and sounding better than the average phone from either end of a call. The phone's contact system is fairly detailed, providing separate fields for first name, last name, display name, mobile number, landline, email address, and instant messaging IDs for the supported Yahoo!, Windows live, and AIM instant messaging services. The contact system also allows for the grouping of contacts and a field for notes in each contact entry.Samsung has included a profiles system with settings for normal, silent, driving, outdoor, as well as an airplane mode for in-flight music playback. These profiles can be edited, however there are no additional user defined or nameable profiles.[next]The SGH-A737 is a 3G phone and as such supports a number of AT&amp;T's high-speed features. For instance, one way live video can be shared, provided both the sender and the receiver have access to AT&amp;T's 3G network. It seems a shame that this feature can only be utilized from phone to phone. The ability to send video to one of the live streaming video services like ustream.tv or stickam.com would be a fun application to include on a phone like this.Email support is provided for a number of webmail services, as well as a handful of Internet Service Providers. There is no IMAP or POP3 support. If you find your email service missing from the list, then your best bet is to set up a forwarding service to one of the supported webmail services.Like many Samsung phones these days, the SGH-A737 is a capable digital music player. Headphone connection is supported through A2DP Bluetooth stereo connectivity and thoughtfully, a 1/8&quot; headphone adapter for conventional headphones is included in the package. We were able to test the music playback with both conventional headphones and a Plantronics Bluetooth stereo headset. With both, the Samsung came up aces.The camera seems to be where money is saved on these lower priced phones and the 1.3 Megapixel camera in the SGH &ndash; A737 performed as expected for a camera of this type. Essentially this means it was passable for outdoor daytime photos, but slightly worse for well lit indoor shots. This, however, is forgivable for a phone in this price range.[next]A dedicated shutter button would have been a nice touch, for quick camera activation, however is not present on the SGH-A737. The main benefit I see to these lower quality cameras is that they are available in a pinch, should a photo opportunity quickly occur, so I find it a bit disappointing when I can't activate one with the press of a single button. Pressing a softkey labeled option, followed by a press of the center button on the d-pad will activate the camera. The two button access to this camera isn't awful, but it just seems that it could have been better designed, and I tend to expect better from Samsung.Using Bluetooth was problem free. I experienced no difficulty in pairing with headsets and a Tomtom One GPS device. Computer connectivity functioned as it should, performing Bluetooth file transfers and Dial-Up-Networking (DUN) well.Despite the camera issues, the user interface is one area where this phone seemed to shine. The main menu is laid out in a standard 3x3 grid layout and is easily navigated by d-pad or keypad. The various items on the main menu are represented by 3D animated graphics that do a good job of conveying the intended category. A particularly useful function of the menu system, is how it reveals a preview of available submenu items as you scroll down through the list. These submenus can actually be scrolled through and selected in the preview mode. This is the sort of touch that can make getting used to a new phone a lot easier. This is the first phone I've reviewed with this type of menu and I hope that more manufacturers follow this example.[next]Samsung has put together another nice phone for the budget minded consumer with an eye out for 3G. The SGH-A737 handles media well, especially music, thanks to its A2DP stereo Bluetooth connectivity. Like so many of Samsung's other sliders, the mechanism is top notch, conveying the feel of a quality device. Sound quality is rather good as well. At the time of writing, AT&amp;T is offering the phone for $25 with rebate and a two year contract. At this price the camera hardly seems a major complaint when so much else is done so well, and is concealed in such a tidy, compact exterior. With only the few mentioned caveats, this phone earns my rating of &quot;Recommended.&quot;AT&amp;T's Samsung SGH-A737 measures 99mm x 48mm x 15.2mm (3.9&quot; x 1.9&quot; x 0.6&quot;) and weighs 90g (3.16oz). The manufacturer rated talk time is 3 hours with an impressive 10 days of standby. Based on personal usage, the phone typically lasted close to its standby time. The SGH-A737 is available now from www.att.com. If red is your preference, then you'll be pleased to note that a red version of the SGH-A737 is available, apparently as a Radio Shack exclusive.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Samsung]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>7:04:21 PM, January 14, 2008</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="27">
<title><![CDATA[Motorola Q 9m]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Motorola/200710/Motorola_27.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[IntroductionMotorola's first full QWERTY smartphone, the Q, was designed for CDMA networks such as Sprint and Verizon Wireless. The company has since updated the device and labeled it the Motorola Q 9m, and is offering it on Verizon's EV-DO network. Verizon was able to get the device in a sexy black casing with Verizon red trim. The 'm' in the Q 9m's name stands for multimedia, and this device certainly delivers plenty of multimedia experience.  [next]Physical AspectsThe Motorola Q 9m weighs in at 134g (4.7oz) and measures 117.5mm x 65mm x 15mm (4.6&quot; x 2.6&quot; x .6&quot;). For those paying attention, that's only slightly bigger than the original Motorola Q. However, this device does not look or feel any bigger in person. The Q 9m fits perfectly in one hand, making it extremely easy to use...one-handed. The back of the device is coated in a soft-touch layer that offers plenty of grip without making it difficult to slide into a pocket or the provided protective pouch. The build quality is superb, with absolutely zero creaking or looseness. The edge of this smartphone is metal and painted Verizon red, while the front and back plates are black. The front of the Q 9m is extremely similar to that of the original Motorola Q, though it has undergone some distinct design improvements. The first of these improvements is the elimination of the empty space between the bottom of the keyboard and the bottom of the phone. The face of the Q 9m is evenly distributed, with the display taking up the top half and the keyboard taking up the bottom half. The d-pad and accompanying keys separate the QWERTY keyboard from the display, and they are nice and big. Surrounding the d-pad are the end/send keys, left and right soft keys, as well as home and back keys. These are separated by a RAZR-like electro-luminescent rubbery lining which glows red when the backlight is active. The d-pad is large and extremely easy to use, with no confusion as to which direction you are pressing.[next]The QWERTY keyboard is curved slightly upwards on the ends, making it ergonomically pleasurable for your thumbs. The keys are covered in an odd coating similar to the soft-touch of the back of the device that I have never seen used on a phone before. Despite the lack of space between the keys, the Q 9m has arguably one of the best QWERTY keyboards I've ever used on a phone. The keys are domed, making it easy to tell them apart. The bottom row includes shortcut keys for mail, voice command, and Verizon's custom multimedia screen.The layout of the keyboard, however, could use some improvement. For instance, there is only one shift key, on the left side, and there is no backspace key - users are expected to utilize either the back button up by the d-pad or the one located on the side of the Q 9m, by the scroll wheel. Also, the location of some of the punctuation seemed a bit odd to me, though that's entirely personal preference.[next]On the left side of the device, one can find the miniSD card slot door, which I found particularly difficult to open. Below that is the mini-USB port used for both charging and data connections. On the other side of the device is the scroll wheel, which I found to be extremely easy to use with its nice, solid (but not obtrusive) clicks. Beneath the scroll wheel is the aforementioned back button. There are no other buttons on the Q 9m. Volume is controlled with the d-pad or the scroll wheel, and the end button, if held for a few seconds, will power the device down. There is a 2.5mm headset jack at the top of the device that is covered by an easy-to-open tab.The back of the device houses the 1.3 megapixel camera and flash. There are light sensors on both the front and back of the Q 9m that help to optimize the backlight and flash usage. At the bottom of the back of the Q 9m are the stereo speakers, which I found to be very loud and clear. The battery door locks into place and is released by a small black metal button, and I did not have any issues with it coming loose unintentionally.[next]Core FunctionsReception on the Motorola Q 9m could have been a bit stronger. However, in cases where I had low indicated signal, I was still able to make and maintain a call with consistent quality. The call audio quality was nearly crystal clear, and the Motorola Q 9m's microphone does a good job of detecting and minimizing background noise. The speakerphone is loud and clear, as well. Our Motorola Q 9m managed 5.4 hours of talk time in our battery tests on Verizon's CDMA network. The battery life has been improved slightly over the original Motorola Q, but the calibration on the battery meter is very misleading. There are only a total of 3 bars, which does not provide much detail as to your remaining battery life. Also, the first 2 bars disappear rather quickly, but the phone can last several hours with just one bar showing. The basic phone functions are handled by Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition, and are obviously very complete in terms of data stored. Searching through your contacts is incredibly easy due to Windows Mobile's real time search, which looks at phone numbers as well as names stored to quickly bring up a list of matches as you type. Typically this can save you a few keystrokes and seconds when searching for a contact. Seamless syncing with Microsoft Outlook ensures all contact information is stored in the contact file, such as street address, email address, and other appropriate information.There are several profiles that control ringtones, volume, and related settings. Each profile is assigned a shortcut letter (A-E) in a submenu that is accessible from the Today screen. You can also access the profiles list by pressing and holding the home key on the Motorola Q 9m. The profiles are heavily customizable, with different types of audible and vibration alerts available. There is not, however, support for timed profiles.[next]The Motorola Q 9m supports speed dial, which you can assign to each contact through the Contacts application. Any number between 0-99 can be assigned to a contact, and activated by simply dialing the number and pressing send. Also incredibly useful is the built-in VoiceSignal speaker-independent voice recognition system. This is activated with a dedicated button on the bottom of the keyboard, right next to the space bar. This system can be used to dial existing contacts as well as phone numbers. You can also use this application to instruct the phone to perform other functions such as opening applications or sending a text message. I found it to be extremely easy to use and very accurate. I even attempted several different accents and the application was able to correctly decipher what I was asking.The Motorola Q 9m is capable of email, SMS, and MMS. Like all Windows Mobile 6 devices, the Q 9m also supports Microsoft's Direct Push over the air synchrnization of email, contacts, tasks, and calendar appointments. Typically Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition also features Windows Live Messenger built-in, but it seems as though Verizon has removed this feature, so I was forced to install a third-party application for IM. The mail system on the Motorola Q 9m is essentially a trimmed down version of Microsoft Outlook for the PC. It was able to easily handle my personal IMAP and POP3 accounts without any issues. SMS and MMS also performed as expected. The Motorola Q 9m features data on Verizon's high-speed EV-DO network, and the experience was a pleasure. I was able to stream a full episode of Family Guy from my desktop computer to the Motorola Q 9m via Orb with minimal stuttering while cruising down the freeway at 70mph.The Motorola Q 9m also features Bluetooth 2.0+EDR with A2DP support for stereo headphones. I was able to test a regular Bluetooth headset as well as a pair of Motorola S9 stereo Bluetooth headphones with the Q 9m and was very impressed with the quality. Jogging with the headphones on and paired with the Q 9m, which was in my pocket, I could not detect any noticeable loss in audio quality.[next]Multimedia / ApplicationsMultimedia on the Motorola Q 9m is handled by either Windows Media Player or Verizon's Multimedia Screen, the latter of which is accessible through a dedicated key located at the bottom of the keyboard, next to the voice recognition key. This screen toggles to replace the Windows Mobile Today screen, and features media-focused buttons in a circular shape around a center visual area. This middle area is where you are able to navigate the Music Library or watch videos.  The Motorola Q 9m, as expected, interfaces flawlessly with Windows Media Player on the desktop, allowing synchronization (and automatic conversion) of music and video files and playlists. The Motorola Q 9m is also compatible with Verizon's V CAST Music Store, and I was able to easily browse and download a track directly to the Q 9m. Purchasing and downloading individual songs is a breeze, but unfortunately Verizon still does not provide a simple method to purchase and download an entire album at once. Instead, users will have to download each song individually.[next]The 1.3 megapixel camera on the Motorola Q 9m features an incredibly bright LED light. The LED light, however, does not flash when you take a picture; it just remains on as long as you have the camera application open. It also remains on when shooting a video. Video length is 30 seconds by default, though you can change that to be limited only by the size of available storage space.  The picture quality, for a 1.3 megapixel, is decent if you have good lighting. When taking a picture, the entire screen becomes the viewfinder, though there is an option to reduce this to roughly half of the screen. Pressing the right soft key brings up an options menu, while the center key on the d-pad actually snaps the picture. The options menu allows you to configure the flash or self-timer, as well as several other settings such as brightness, resolution, zoom, and white balance. Through this menu you can also switch to video mode.Web browsing is handled by Pocket IE, which I found lacking compared to other smartphone web browsers. There were several sites, my own included, that Pocket IE simply could not handle. This is hardly a deal breaker, though, as there are several other browsers that can be easily downloaded and installed on the Q 9m.[next]User InterfaceThe Motorola Q 9m is based on Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition. This is the version that is designed for non-touchscreen devices. Since Motorola chose not to ship the Q 9m with the standard read/write Office suite, the Motorola Q 9m instead comes preloaded with Documents To Go. Documents To Go is capable of full viewing and editing of office documents, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. It is a rather robust application, and in fact portions of this review were written on the Q 9m using Documents To Go.  There are a few enhancements to the typical Windows Mobile 6 interface on the Motorola Q 9m. Most notable is the aforementioned multimedia screen, which allows instant access to most of the handset's multimedia functions. There is also a very handy 'Personalize My Q' menu that allows you to change the color scheme, background, menu layout, and other customization options easily.  [next]ConclusionThe Motorola Q 9m is definitely a well-built device. The QWERTY keyboard's special coating and domed keys make it a joy to use, and the scroll wheel is extremely handy to have as well. Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition is very solid and offers a robust mobile experience in terms of multimedia. The sound quality through the Q 9m's speaker is very good, and Verizon's EV-DO high-speed network really supports the device well.However, the battery indicator was extremely misleading, and the lack of a 3.5mm audio jack on a &quot;multimedia&quot; device is disappointing. In any case, the Motorola Q 9m is still a slim smartphone, with superb build quality and an easy to read display. As such, the Q 9m earns a 'Recommended' rating from this reviewer, simply because of the build quality and friendly QWERTY keyboard.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Motorola]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Motorola/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>9:56:49 PM, October 26, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="26">
<title><![CDATA[HTC Touch (CDMA)]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/200710/others_26.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[The HTC Touch for Sprint is the second incarnation of HTC's finger based smartphone the company has put out. The original version of the Touch was made for GSM networks and was also the first device to offer HTC's TouchFLO user interface extension that allow users to use a finger where in the past a stylus had been required. This new CDMA based Touch for Sprint not only changes the hardware specs a bit, dropping WiFi and adding EV-DO 3G data, but it also sports a vastly improved version of the TouchFLO system. This review is based heavily on the original GSM version review, but has been updated where needed to reflect the numerous changes that have been made for Sprint.  The result is a traditional stylus equipped Pocket PC that just happens to be quite usable with a finger for most tasks.It is no accident that the original HTC Touch's codename was the &quot;Elf.&quot; At 102mm x 60mm x 15mm (4.0&quot; x 2.4&quot; x .6&quot;) in size, the new Touch for Sprint is 2mm longer than the original, but still quite small for a smartphone with these capabilities. At 114g (4.0oz), it is also pretty light for a Pocket PC device. By comparison, HTC's own P4350 (aka T-Mobile Wing) looks like a giant next to the Touch and weighs 53g (1.9oz) more.[next]The smooth lines that make up the design of the Touch's body, along with its compact dimensions, make the Touch one of the most comfortably held Pocket PC devices ever made. The 77mm (3&quot;) long stylus is not going to please a lot of people, though, as it is too short to be comfortably used for an extended period of time. Luckily, the driving force behind the Touch is that its large 2.8&quot; (44mm x 57mm), 65k color touchscreen display is finger friendly, meaning that users will be able to get away with using the stylus less than with typical Pocket PC devices. Unlike most stylus compatible touchscreens, the display on the Touch is flush mounted to its body, and the touch sensitive surface extends well beyond the limits of its 240x320 pixel resolution. Not only does this make it easier to hit on-screen controls that are located by edges or corners of the display, but it means that we finally have a Pocket PC device whose screen can easily be cleaned with a quick swipe on a pants leg. My only complaint with the display is that it can be a bit hard to read in direct sunlight, though running it at maximum brightness level mitigates the problem to some extent.Beyond the large screen that dominates the Touch, there is relatively little else to talk about. The small d-pad that is located beneath the screen is well designed and easy to use. It is flanked on either side by very small green and red call control keys. A chrome edge separates the dark front and rear faces of the Touch. A volume slider is located on the left side, a dedicated camera key on the right. The power key is found on the top of the Touch, and the typical miniUSB power/data port is on the bottom edge. The 2 megapixel camera and self-portrait mirror are located on the back cover. The entire back cover can be removed easily, once you learn the trick, to expose the battery and allow the unique microSD card slot cover on the right edge of the phone to be opened.While I ran into some problems with the SIM/microSD cover on the original Touch, in that I could not get it back in place without some trimming with a knife, I had no such problems with the Sprint version of the device. I still find the cover a bit difficult to open, but it is at least secure and works properly on this new version.In addition to shipping in a very nice box, the HTC Touch for Sprint comes with a belt case, an extra stylus, and a couple of adapters for charging and using a wired headset at the same time. A power adapter, USB cable, and 512MB microSD card are also included in the kit.[next]While HTC touts the finger friendly aspects of the HTC Touch and the TouchFlo user interface extensions, there are relative few actual changes made to the Windows Mobile 6 UI from the user's perspective. Unlike purely finger based user interfaces, such as those adorning the LG Prada phone and the Apple iPhone, the vast majority of the Touch's WM6 UI looks stock. What HTC added to the UI can be categorized as follows: finger based scrolling for most applications, &quot;swipe&quot; gestures, some tweaks to the contact list, and the new finger-based menu system itself. A couple of finger friendly Today screen plug-ins also adds much to the Touch's usefulness with a finger, even though it is not really a UI extension. The swipe gestures can be used to bring up the finger menu, just as was the case with the original Touch, and can also be used to switch between accounts or messages in the Messaging app or to move from photo to photo in the camera album.   Let's start with the scrolling. One of the things that allows the Touch to do its thing is its ability to determine the difference between the stylus (or fingernail) and a fingertip. Whereas a dragging motion with the stylus in the Messaging inbox will select multiple messages, the Touch will instead scroll the display when a finger drags on the screen. The user's finger effectively grabs an entry on the screen and drags it up or down, causing the screen to scroll. By &quot;throwing&quot; the grabbed item up or down with a quick motion, the screen will continue to scroll on its own (like spinning a bicycle wheel). Adding a second throw will cause it to scroll faster. Eventually the screen will slow down on its own and stop unless the user speeds it up again. When scrolling, a quick tap of the finger will bring things to a quick halt.[next]This form of scrolling is particularly effective for the Inbox, Contacts, and long pages in the Pocket IE web browser, where, incidentally, a finger can be used to &quot;click&quot; on links. The scrolling also works in most other applications and parts of the system. For example, you can use your finger to scroll through the Programs folder, File Manager, or even third party applications like the NewsBreak RSS reader. Users can also grab a scrollbar control pretty easily, if they prefer a more traditional route. The fact that the Touch can sense finger position beyond the pixel edge of the display makes it far more accurate in these situations. Contrary to what you might think, hitting small buttons in the corners of the screen with even a large fingertip is quite easy.   The aspect of the HTC Touch that impresses people the most is the new finger menu system that is accessed with the equally new finger swipe gestures. The new HTC finger menu application can be accessed at any time on the Touch by placing a finger on the Sprint logo at the bottom of the display and dragging, or swiping, upwards. The application will slide up from the bottom of the screen in a very Apple iPhone looking way. It can be closed with a downward swipe. The three main pages of the HTC developed finger application include the finger menu, the picture contacts list, and the multimedia app menu. The finger menu is a simple finger friendly page of buttons that provides quick access to the following functions and applications: Software Store, IM, Internet Explorer, SMS, Comm Manager, and Email. Unfortunately, these shortcuts can not be changed. Swiping from left to right or right to left on the menu will bring up one of the other two pages in the system, complete with 3D rotating cube graphics effects.The picture contact list looks like a speed dial application. 9 contacts can be placed on the screen, and the system will use the associated contact photo if one is present. Tapping on one of the 9 contacts will dial the contact's default number. The main contacts list, the call log, and the phone dial pad can also be quickly accessed from on-screen buttons at the bottom of the picture contact list. The last page of the system, the multimedia menu, provides 3 large finger buttons that access Sprint's music store/player, Sprint TV, and Sprint's On Demand application.[next]The Today screen plug-ins that I mentioned earlier could actually be used on any WM6 Pocket PC device since they don't rely on any Touch specific features. The larger of the two plug-ins has four main screens: time, weather, applications, and profiles. The weather page can pull up current and forecasted weather for a user selected city and can be configured to auto update, as well. The applications screen lets the user configure up to 9 commonly accessed applications or functions that can be easily selected with a finger. The profiles screen makes switching between normal, silent, and vibration profiles painless. The second plug-in, located below the main one by default, provides a few additional hard-coded links to applications. It is mostly redundant, and the screen space can probably be better utilized with other Today screen plug-ins.  One of the shortcomings in the Touch is that the finger based menu system and the swipe gestures are disabled when the device is used in landscape (horizontal) screen mode. Finger scrolling, using a finger to hit on-screen controls, and the Today screen plug-in still function normally, but you lose access to the finger friendly HTC developed menu system. The left and right swipe gestures are also under utilized, working only in the finger menu, the camera album, and the Messaging app.The rest of the UI on the Touch is basic Windows Mobile 6, which is to say that it is 95% like Windows Mobile 5. The vast majority of UI changes made in WM6 are meant to shave off keystrokes from common tasks as well as provide more information where it is most needed. Good examples of such are the delete function being the default action assigned to the left softkey in the Inbox, and the new time ribbon that shows available timeslots in your day when in the agenda view of the Calendar. The system is largely unchanged otherwise: application specific cascading menus and submenus are accessed with the right softkey, context sensitive menus are accessed with a long stylus tap or finger press, and the red call end key will cause the system to jump back to the Today screen. The Today screen itself can be configured to show upcoming appointments, unread messages, and other useful pieces of information.[next]The status bar at the top of the screen is full of active icons. For example, tapping on the battery icon will bring up the battery status page. Tapping on the speaker icon (or using the volume control) will bring up the ring profile control. When a new message arrives or a call is missed, an appropriate status icon will appear on the top of the screen. They can be tapped to get more information. But typically, missed calls and messages are best dealt with by tapping the left on-screen softkey when it is labeled as &quot;Notification.&quot; Tapping the softkey will fill you in on the event you have missed and offer you options for dealing with it.   The biggest problem with the original HTC Touch in terms of being finger accessible was text input. The new Touch for Sprint now ships with a few new text input options, including a RIM BlackBerry SureType-like 20 key keyboard. Each key on the keyboard represents at most two letters of the alphabet, which makes predictive text more accurate. A new on-screen QWERTY keyboard mode is used for entering passwords, which don't like predictive text very much. In general, I think this is a step in the right direction, but so far the implementation is a bit lacking. I just don't find the system to be as easy to use as it should be. A new version of HTC's own T9 style PhonePad application would probably be better.While some people will slam the Touch and its TouchFlo UI extensions as being a simple add-on, and cry foul because the entire UI has not been customized for easier finger use, I am still pleased with TouchFlo. If you consider the HTC finger application as merely a new menu used to access existing applications, then it doesn't seem all that different from the Start menu (which has been made larger, by the way, so as to be finger friendly). Instead of pressing the Start button in the upper left hand corner of the screen, the user swipes upwards from the bottom of the screen with a finger or stylus. I agree that it is a bit inconsistent, a problem for any UI, but I am OK with the compromises that have been made - for now. Finger based user interfaces are new to the industry, so I am willing to cut HTC, LG/Prada, and Apple a little slack as we all come to terms with these new concepts.[next]Considering it is a Pocket PC device, the HTC Touch is a capable and easy to use phone. It works on CDMA networks on both bands, which means it can roam between Sprint and Verizon's networks when needed. Call audio quality was acceptable in general, but the hands-free speakerphone function was not very impressive at all. Battery life was good in terms of talk time: 4.5 hours. Standby time seemed to be quite good, especially if the Direct Push function was disabled. Users should be able to get 2 or 3 solid days of use out of the Touch with moderate activity. Dialing on the Touch was pretty painless thanks to the large on-screen keypad that is accessed by pressing the green call key. Phone numbers can be entered directly, of course, but the keystrokes will also be compared with the first and last names of phone contacts for painless contact searching. Unfortunately there is no way to add a space while dialing, which means that searching on &quot;M O&quot; for &quot;Michael Oryl&quot; is not possible the way it is on Windows Mobile Smartphone devices. The contacts system in all Windows Mobile devices is capable of storing most any piece of contact data that can be stored in Microsoft Outlook.[next]Windows Mobile 6 Professional does not have a particularly great profiles system. The volume key can be used to quickly change ring volume and put the phone into vibrate only or silent mode, but there is no real facility for setting up actual profiles. The main ring profile can be set for ring only, increasing ring, ring then vibrate, as well as ring and vibrate. This Sprint version of the device has a nice finger accessible profile switcher on the Today screen, though, and even supports automatic switching from the normal to silent profile based on appointments in the calendar.In addition to the Touch's picture speed dial application that is accessible in the finger menu system, the WM6 phone application supports traditional speed dials. Speed dials can be defined in the phone app and can then be accessed by long-pressing the associated key or by entering the number and hitting the green send key. The Touch makes use of an old fashioned voice tag system for voice dialing instead of using a more modern speaker independent application. The system works fine, but requires setup for each contact that the user wishes to use voice dialing with.The Touch supports all of the messaging flavors offered by Windows Mobile 6, including SMS, MMS, and both push and tradition POP/IMAP email. Integration of Microsoft's Windows Live service means that MSN Messenger and Hotmail email are also available. Within Inbox, switching between the SMS/MMS inbox and various email accounts requires nothing more than a finger swipe or d-pad press left or right, and the Today screen makes it easy to keep tabs on unread messages without having to open the Inbox application itself.As an EV-DO device, the Touch for Sprint has pretty fast data speeds. We averaged about 880Kbps with DSLRerport.com's M-Speed test on a less than full signal, which is quite good. This should help people deal with the lack of WiFi connectivity in this version of the device. I used the Touch with an Exchange account that supports over the air synchronization of email, contacts, tasks, and calendar appointments, but all of this can also be done over a simple USB connection to a personal computer. Synchronization of music, notes, and bookmarks, missing in over the air connections, is supported over USB connections. The Touch also supports most common Bluetooth profiles, including the Network Access Point profile (for using the Touch as a modem). You can also use it with stereo and regular Bluetooth headsets.[next]While not specifically billed as a multimedia phone, the HTC touch comes reasonably equipped for general multimedia tasks. For starters, its 2 megapixel fixed-focus camera takes nice photos in most situations that have half decent lighting. The automatic white balance system it uses is pretty accurate, and the finger based user interface is very easy to use. You can easily edit, crop, and rotate an image with the Touch itself if you feel the need. The new gallery application on the Touch for Sprint is a vast improvement over the originals. Finger gestures can be used to zoom, rotate, pan, or switch to the next or previous photo. The gesture system isn't nearly as accurate as that of the iPhone's, but it works. The slide show feature is pretty nice, using nice fade transitions to switch from photo to photo.  Like all WM6 devices, the HTC Touch comes equipped with Windows Media Player for video and audio playback. The application is reasonable. It can organize music by artist, album, and genre, and can even create playlists on the phone. It can also be synchronized with a copy of Windows Media Player on a Windows PC as well. The problem is that Windows Media Player is hard to use with a finger since the controls are too small. The Sprint Music player is a bit easier to use, and also allows over the air downloads of purchased music, but it is still not ideal for a finger based UI. It works pretty well with the d-pad, so overall it still offers a pretty decent user experience. The Touch ships with a pair of wired stereo headphones, but I choose to test it with a pair of Motorola S9 Bluetooth headphones. The sound quality was pretty good.While I am not really a fan of Microsoft's Pocket IE web browser, having been spoiled by far better browsers from Opera and Nokia, the addition of finger scrolling has made it much more tolerable. Web browsing on the small screen is much easier when a fingertip can be used to scroll and pan a large web page, and a finger tap can be used to activate links. The only problem is that the finger scrolling doesn't work properly in sites that make use of frames, which are, admittedly, somewhat rare these days. At least the improved scrollbar support in TouchFLO makes things easier.The personal information management (PIM) type applications on Windows Mobile 6 devices are rock solid. They offer tight integration with Exchange and Outlook, even to the point where meeting requests from another Outlook user can be accepted and responded to from the phone. New additions to the PIM apps, such as the calendar ribbon I mentioned earlier, make the apps easier to use.[next]Like all Windows Mobile 6 Professional (aka Pocket PC) devices, the HTC Touch comes equipped with &quot;Pocket&quot; versions of Word, Excel, and Power Point. These applications allow for the reading, editing, and creation of Microsoft Office compatible files. A copy of Adobe Reader LE is also available for reading PDF documents on the Touch. HTC also saw fit to include full Java application support, which opens the device up to a world of applications beyond the normal WM6 apps that it natively supports.All of these applications, especially the camera, require one thing in common: memory. The Touch has about 128MB of available flash storage on board (much more than the GSM version) and room for an optional microSD card slot for up to 2GB more. That's plenty for most people, and thankfully the CDMA Touch also gets a real boost in application RAM. The Sprint Touch has about 60MB of available RAM for applications, 3 to 4 times that of the original device. If RAM still is an issue, HTC includes its little task manager applet on the Today screen. Located in the upper right hand corner, where the OK/X button is typically found, the task manager is a drop down list of running apps, each with an X next to them that allows the user to close them and free up the associated memory. Tapping on the program name instead of the X brings that program to the foreground. It's quite convenient. This version of the applet is far more finger friendly than the one loaded onto the original Touch, too.[next]ConclusionWhile its finger based controls still feel a bit like an &quot;add-on&quot; in much of the system, the HTC Touch for Sprint is still quite an improvement over the original GSM device, a device that I am very fond of. I miss the WiFi connectivity, but Sprint's EV-DO network is very fast and more convenient to use. I've never been a fan of Pocket PC devices for a number of reasons. Some practical, such as not being able to clean their sunken displays, which are prone to collecting dust in their corners. Others convenience and usability related, like having to use two hands so that I can whip out a stylus to complete some task. For me, the HTC Touch addresses these problems. I rarely need the stylus at all in typical use. The Touch turns out to be a good passive messaging and data consumption device. It has the power to get information to the user, and present it in a usable fashion, but lacks some of the practical aspects of other Pocket PC devices, like full QWERTY keyboards, that allow users to edit documents or create new messages easily.So while it is not going to be the perfect solution for power users and other road warriors that need to edit documents and create dozens of emails in a day, it could well be the perfect device for people who generally just need to keep on top of their appointments and manage their lives. HTC certainly has a lot more work to do with their TouchFlo system, but in its current state it is still overall useful and powerful enough to earn itself a &quot;Highly Recommended&quot; rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Others]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>9:40:04 PM, October 31, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="25">
<title><![CDATA[Palm Centro]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Palm/200711/Palm_25.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[IntroductionThe Centro is Palm's latest entry in the handset market, and their first attempt at a consumer oriented 'multimedia' device. Targeted towards the younger, hipper crowd, the Palm Centro features a 1.3 megapixel camera, a microSD memory card slot, and a multimedia player. Running the relatively ancient Palm OS, with a few updates, can Palm indeed produce something that non-business users can appreciate?    [next]Physical AspectsThe Palm Centro is actually a well-built device. There are very minimal creaks, and you have to be really abusing it to get them. The Centro is hefty, but not heavy. It feels very solid and nicely weighted in your hand. The size is phenomenal, easily slipping into a pocket or purse. The screen is well lit in general, though not very readable in direct sunlight. The front of the device is slightly unbalanced, with a 4-5mm gap between the screen and the d-pad. Had they used that area to put in a larger QWERTY keyboard, the device would have been a lot better. The QWERTY keyboard on the Palm Centro is one of the biggest pitfalls. It's entirely too small and cramped, and the keys are made of what feels like a hardened gel. The keyboard does have good tactile feedback, but I found it completely unusable. It doesn't help that the Centro does not feature handwriting recognition or an onscreen keyboard that I could find.[next]The bottom of the Centro is where you'll find Palm's proprietary ports for data and charging. A nice touch, however, is that there is an adapter included in the box to enable the Centro to accept the standard Sprint charger.The phone sports IrDA connections, which I'm sure is useful to someone, somewhere. Right below the IrDA port is the microSD card slot, though you must remove the battery door to gain access to the memory card. On the left side of the phone is the volume rocker, as well as a shortcut key for the voice activated dialing and voice commands.Above the QWERTY keyboard are the d-pad and shortcut keys. The d-pad is actually an elongated chrome ring. Pressing up, left, and right are all very nice and provide good feedback. However, I found that the &lsquo;down' direction was very soft, and had to press it numerous times before it actually felt like I was getting it right. The shortcut keys are, clockwise from top left: phone, home, messages, and calendar. There is no 'back' button on the Centro, making navigation slightly difficult.[next]Core FunctionsThe Palm Centro's reception was slightly below my expectations. I dropped several calls over two weeks of use, and noticed degraded call quality in areas of low signal. The Palm Centro's speakerphone is loud and clear. However, it's located on the back of the phone, so you have to set the phone face down in order to really use it. The normal speaker is also clear, and well placed. You will not find yourself hunting for the 'sweet spot' when on a phone call with the Centro. I was also able to easily pair the phone with a Bluetooth headset, and the sound came through with no quality issues.  The battery on the Palm Centro performs solidly. With heavy data usage, I was easily able to make it through the end of the day. The battery gauge is realistic, and gives an accurate view of the battery's status. With the device in standby mode, it could easily last several days.[next]The phonebook is very complete, and easily synced with Outlook on my desktop computer via the included Palm software and USB cable. However, a major annoyance to me is that the only way to view your phonebook is either by lastname firstname or by company name. I'm not sure I understand this, specifically for the US market, where we typically refer to people by first names. For instance, if I was in your phonebook, it would either list as Cadden Ricky or Mobileburn. There is no option to view it as Ricky Cadden.  Messaging is where the Palm Centro shines, though. With the QWERTY keyboard, the Centro supports MMS, SMS, and email (POP/IMAP/SMTP). There is a dedicated messaging key located to the lower right of the d-pad, and the Centro does not differentiate between SMS and MMS, they are all stored in the same inbox. This little device also uses threaded messaging, so that your messages appear in an IM conversation type setup, which is very convenient. When you receive a message, you get a very handy popup that offers options such as view, respond, and ignore. Thus you can manage your messages without having to actually go to the messaging menu. I was able to easily setup and manage personal POP and IMAP email accounts with the Centro.Dialing is possible from the phone screen that is accessed with the dedicated phone shortcut key. This key brings up a numeric keypad on the touchscreen, though you can also use the hardware buttons on the QWERTY keyboard to dial a number. Since the keypad numbers are located on three columns right next to each other, I found it a bit crowded and preferred to use the touchscreen.[next]Multimedia / ApplicationsThe Palm Centro sports a 1.3 megapixel camera on the back of the handset - no flash. The photos the camera recorded were decent for a 1.3 megapixel camera, though the colors were not sharp at all. One could easily use the pictures for online sharing, but printing is out of the question. Video quality is great for capturing moments as they happen, but don't expect a great deal of quality there, either. The Centro ships with a copy of PocketTunes for easy enjoyment of your MP3s. I found the software to be very intuitive and easy to use. The Media Library allows one to sort music based on artist, album, or genre, and also supports playlist creation. There is an internet radio option with a vast library of links sorted by genre. Streaming radio over Sprint's high-speed EV-DO network was pleasurable, with no buffering during playback.[next]The Palm Centro also ships with a link to register and download Datavis' Documents To Go with full editing for free. I was able to complete the registration completely on the device and downloaded the application easily, and even used it to write a portion of this review. The QWERTY keyboard on the Centro is much too cramped to be able to create a large Word document, but it's nice to have the ability for the businessperson on the go. MobiTV also comes preinstalled on the Palm Centro, though I found this application operated a little slowly during use. Games on the Centro include Sudoku and a free installation of AWSolitaire, which offers several different versions of the classic card game, each with plenty of options and entertainment value.Web browsing on the Palm Centro is painful at best. The Blazer browser that the Palm OS uses has certainly not aged well. It still presents itself as a full desktop browser, which thwarts sites such as MobileBurn that automatically detect mobile browsers to serve up a mobile-optimized version. However, the Centro's browser isn't up to the task of handling today's complicated websites, either. The best idea is to simply pretend like it is a mobile-only browser such as you would find on a regular phone. Seems such a waste, considering the Centro supports Sprint's high-speed EV-DO network.[next]User InterfaceThe Palm Centro runs the latest version of the Palm OS. I really wish I had better things to say about the interface, but I simply don't. Visually, it's very obvious that the OS has not been updated significantly in several years. There are few customization options beyond changing some colors. There are little quirks in the UI that make the device easier to use, though.&nbsp;&nbsp; The home key takes you to the main menu, but also performs another function. Rather than organizing icons into folders in the main menu, users are able to apply category labels to different icons. Pressing the Home key repeatedly flips through these category views. Also, if you hold the Home key down for a second or two, you're presented with a list of recently accessed apps.Pressing the Phone button activates the phone portion of the Centro, and displays a numeric keypad on the touchscreen as well as a few shortcut buttons on the bottom of the screen. By pressing the 'Contacts' button on the screen, the QWERTY keyboard can be used to begin typing to search through your contacts. The shortcut buttons on the bottom of the screen can be customized, and you have access to several full pages of available shortcuts, for convenience.The interface is quite user friendly, even if it is old. I was easily able to find my way around and perform necessary functions. The Palm Centro uses an 'options' or sub-menu key, though, which is oddly hidden at the bottom right of the QWERTY keyboard. The placement is awkward for use, and often not where you think to look to get more options. Alternatively, the top of the screen can be tapped with th stylus toup the menu.[next]ConclusionWith pricing set at $99 with a 2 year contract on Sprint's high-speed network, the Palm Centro is a pretty good deal. For less than half the price of most other smartphones, you get a full touchscreen device with multimedia capabilities and streaming media. The QWERTY keyboard is nice, but not entirely usable unless you have small finger tips. The stylus could easily have been sturdier, and the keyboard more spaced out, but with all of the included software, there isn't much this little smartphone can't do.  In the end, the phone is solidly built, the OS is stable, and the price is right. I give the Palm Centro a &lsquo;Recommended', but also suggest that you spend some time at the store with the keyboard before putting your money down on it.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Palm]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Palm/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>9:08:32 PM, November 5, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="24">
<title><![CDATA[Jabra's JX10 Series 2]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/200711/others_24.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Jabra's JX10 Bluetooth headset has long been a favorite of the folks here at  MobileBurn.com. It is small, good looking, weighs only 9.8g (.35oz), and just  plain works. But now, there are a few more reasons to recommend the JX10, thanks  to the arrival of the new JX10 Series 2 headset from Jabra. The Series 2 gives  the JX10 a new black color scheme and includes some additional hardware that  allows the headset to be used with a regular home or office desk phone while  working with your mobile phone at the same time.That's right. The JX10 Series 2 can support two active connections at one  time, which is a first for any headset that I have reviewed. The JX10 Series 2  can connect to two mobile phones at the same time, or with one mobile phone and  one land line. The trick that allows the land line connection is a little black  box that Jabra includes in the JX10 Hub package. This device, the A170 Hub, sits  between your desk phone's receiver, the part you pick up, and the phone itself  (not between the phone and the wall). If your phone has a headset port, you can  connect the hub to the phone that way, too. The JX10 in the package comes  pre-paired with the hub, so apart from maybe having to adjust the dial tone  switch once, something that takes mere seconds, all you have to do is pair the  headset with your mobile phone. There is a dedicated pairing mode button on the  headset that makes this easy.

    
        
            Jabra JX10 Series 2
        
        
            Weight
            9.8g (0.35oz)
        
        
            Body Size
            39mm x 20mm x 20mm(1.5&quot; x .8&quot; x .8&quot;)
        
        
            Talk Time
            6 hours
        
        
            Ear Loop
            Optional, over ear
        
        
            Left/Right Ear?
            Both
        
        
            LEDs
            1, blue/red/green 
        
        
            Pairings
            Multiple
        
        
            Headset Sound
            Excellent
        
        
            Mic Sound
            Excellent
        
        
            Included Accessories
            AC power, USB charging cradle, 2 ear hooks
        
    

[next]Now that everything is hooked up and paired, you are ready to do some  talking. We'll start with the phone. If your phone supports voice dialing, you  can initiate it by long-pressing the main answer/end button on the headset.  Thanks to the JX10's design, doing so exerts no pressure on the wearer's ear.  After the long-press, you should hear 2 beeps from the headset and the voice  dialing on your phone should start. Ending the call, or answering an inbound  call, requires just a brief press of the button, and you can reject an inbound  call with the same type of long-press that is used to initiate voice dialing.  All pretty simple. The interesting part is that while all of this mobile phone functionality is  available, you can also use the JX10 with your desk phone. A brief press on the  answer/end button will cause the JX10's hub to tap onto the phone's receiver  line. It won't get you a dial tone, though, until you manually lift the receiver  out of the cradle (or tap a line button if your hub is connected to a headset  port on your phone). The same basic procedure is needed for answering calls.  Briefly pressing the headset's call/end button will turn off the hub, but you  will still have to put the receiver back into the phone cradle to hang up. It's  not perfect, but it at least lets you use the same headset with both your desk  and mobile phone.[next]There is, however, another option. Jabra's JX10 Hub is also compatible with the GN Netcom GN1000 Lifter. This device gets attached to your phone with velcro and adhesive and sits underneath the receiver while it is in the cradle. When the hub gets the connect signal from the headset, it tells the lifter to spring into action. The lifter then proceeds to raise the receiver up enough to answer the call, without you having to pick it up yourself. On top of that, the lifter will detect the ringing of your desk phone and cause your headset to ring, just as it would with an inbound call from your mobile phone. Now, all of a sudden, you have the exact same functionality as you do with a mobile phone. It's also quite entertaining to watch. Without the GN1000 lifter, though, use with a desk phone can, admittedly, get a bit confusing. For example, just because you manually place the receiver back in the cradle, which hangs up the call, the headset and the hub will stay connected until you press the headset's call/end button. On top of that, the headset makes the same beep whether it is connecting or disconnecting from the hub, so it is a bit too easy to lose track unless you are very disciplined in your call answering routine. And since the headset can only support one active audio connection at a time, if you forget to disconnect from the hub, you will be unable to receive a call on your mobile phone over the headset.The lifter might look gimmicky, and might set you back another US$50 or so, but it is probably well worth it if your phone doesn't have a built-in headset port.[next]If you buy the JX10 Series 2 package that does not come with the A170 Hub, saving yourself $30 or more, then you will probably want to try using the headset with two mobile phones at the same time. This works pretty much as you would hope, except that the voice dialing function will only work with the phone that was paired to the headset most recently. Once you have both phones paired to the JX10, you will be able to receive calls from either of them with no problem at all. It is a very slick system. [next]As to the headset's actual performance and use, it is basically the same as the original except for a few improvements that have been made. Would-be buyers would do well to read our original JX10 review. The changes, apart from the new black color scheme, include Bluetooth 2.0 support, which appears to have allowed for slightly cleaner sounding connections from longer ranges, and slightly tweaked audio characteristics that have made both inbound and outbound audio a bit more crisp sounding. Nothing earth-shaking, but the improvements are still appreciated. Like the original, the JX10 Series 2 still has the same configuration of call/end, volume, and pairing buttons. A few ear loops of differing sizes can optionally be attached to the JX10 for both right or left ear use. I tended to leave the loop off, something I rarely feel confident enough in the security of a headset to do. It also ships with a very cool metal charging stand that uses a supplied USB cable. The cable alone can be used to charge the JX10 when on the road.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Others]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>8:24:49 PM, November 8, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="23">
<title><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson Z750 in Mirrored Pink]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Sony-Ericsson/200711/Sony-Ericsson-23.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[While it looks very much like the mirror finished Z610 that was announced a little over a year ago, the Sony Ericsson Z750 offers a number of improvements that make the device viable to far more people than the original. Take, for example, the Z750's new quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA connectivity. This means the Z750 will work on just about any GSM or UMTS network on the planet, something the tri-band GSM and single-band UMTS Z610 couldn't claim. There are other changes as well, like the new GPS functionality and integrated Google Maps.  The Z750 we tested for this review is a near-production prototype supplied to us by Sony Ericsson USA. As a prototype, minor problems that we experience in our review tests will quite likely be addressed and fixed before these phones ever make it to the retail consumer. We can't say with 100% certainty that such issues will be fixed, but the phone itself was overall very stable and performed very nearly like a production handset, and Sony Ericsson has been made aware of any issues we came across.[next]Physical AspectsWhile I have to admit that I wasn't particularly thrilled to see that our Z750 test unit was pink, I can also admit that the look of the phone has grown on me over the past week or so. Considering that at 98mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9&quot; x 2.3&quot; x .8&quot;) in size and weighing 111g (3.9oz), the Z750 isn't what you would call small or thin, but it has some nice, simple lines and a distinctive look to it. The mirrored finish on the top half of the folder doesn't show fingerprints nearly as much as I had feared it would, and I really love the way the small, hidden monochrome display just seems to float on the surface of the phone. The display provides all the information that one typically needs, such as caller ID info and signal and battery status, yet wastes very little power when used. There are few features on the exterior of the phone apart from the prominent camera. On the left edge of the phone are the volume and music keys. The volume keys perform normally when pressed for a short duration, but also function as previous and next track controls when long-pressed. The dedicated music pause/play button is located nearby. The other edge of the phone is where the Sony M2 memory card slot is found. The loudspeaker is found on the back of the device, and the slightly curved &quot;ice scraper&quot; antenna keeps the speaker from being blocked when the phone sits on a desk. A normal fast port power/data connector is located on the bottom of the device. The hinge, while spring loaded, is somewhat odd in that it will ensure that the phone snaps fully opened or closed, yet allows the phone to be positioned freely somewhere in the middle as well. This is good for improving readability while it sits upon a desk.The Sony Ericsson Z750 is a bit more conventional looking once it has been opened. It has a reasonably large color display, and a very spacious keypad and control cluster. The display is of only average brightness, but it is exceptionally crisp and colorful. The pixels on it are so tightly spaced as to make it almost look like paper at times. The keypad has an outstanding layout and feel, the best I have come across in a while. The d-pad works well and offers good action, but has a nail file like feel to it that I found somewhat annoying. The twin chrome softkeys are a bit small but are very easy to find and use. The call buttons are clones of the softkeys, and sit above dedicated web, clear, and shortcut menu buttons. Beneath the keypad sits the power key. It is interesting to note that Sony Ericsson seems to have abandoned its normal control cluster layout and no longer offers a dedicated back key, while using conventional red and green call buttons.My only real complaints regarding the Z750's physical design are fairly minor. The backlighting on the keypad is somewhat uneven, though the d-pad and controls are well-lit. And while the body pieces of the Z750 seem to fit together with fairly tight tolerances, the device as a whole feels a bit hollow and a tad less sturdy than some other high-end clamshells on the market. But overall, it's a nice package.[next]Core FunctionsWith a few exceptions, which I'll cover later, the Sony Ericsson Z750 performed very well for us when it came to general phone functions. Reception on AT&amp;T's network was quite good in general, though the GSM coverage seemed to be a bit better than the 3G reception. On GSM, at least, it outperformed most handsets that we've tested recently. The Z750 supports all four GSM bands on top of the 850/1900/2100MHz UMTS frequency bands. 3G coverage comes at a cost in terms of battery life, though. The Z750 managed 4:04 in our talk time test on a 3G connection, but managed to get 64% more talk time when configured to support only GSM networks (6:41). Audio quality overall was very good, though the speakerphone function lacked necessary volume to be usable beyond short ranges.Like most all Sony Ericsson phones, the Z750 has a very nice contacts system. There is a place for just about every piece of data you could associate with somebody, and the contact editor itself is nicely tabbed to make it easy to find things. The contact search on the Z750 allows multiple characters to be typed in to narrow the search, but it only works on the first or last name (depending on the search order), and not both. A 9 slot speed dial system can be setup in the contacts app and easily assigned to a d-pad shortcut or the shortcut menu. Long pressing a key from the standby screen will not call a speed dial, but rather jump to the appropriate point in the contact list. Voice dialing is limited to an older system that requires voice tags to be recorded for each contact or command to be used with the system. [next]The profiles system can most easily be accessed by briefly pressing the Z750's power key. There are 7 pre-defined profiles that can be customized by the user. There are options for ringtones and vibration alerts as well as the ability to forward calls when the profile is active. A list of contacts to accept calls from is also available, which means that you could easily setup a meeting profile that only allowed in calls from your spouse or your assistant, for example. There is a separate flight mode for airplane travel and similar situations.   The Sony Ericsson Z750 supports all of the typical messaging modes. SMS and MMS are, of course, present, as is support for IMAP and POP email accounts. Relatively new is the Exchange ActiveSync support that allows for over the air email, contacts, and calendar synchronization. There is even a push mode that has email messages arriving on the phone moments after they are received on the server. Contacts and email sync worked well on our prototype test unit, but the calendar sync had some problems. Hopefully this will be cleared up in the production units.The Z750 supports all of the typical Bluetooth profiles, including the increasingly important A2DP stereo profile. We tested the Z750 with a pair of Motorola S9 headphones and, apart from one failed pairing attempt, had no problems using the two devices together. The Z750 also supports USB connectivity, including USB mass storage mode, and also can make use of 3G wireless connectivity on the 850, 1900, and 2100MHz bands. The Z750 is supposed to support HSDPA data rates, but we never managed anything beyond 162Kbps or so during transfers on our Z750 prototype, which is regular UMTS speed. Sony Ericsson told us that they are still working on the HSDPA drivers in the phone, and that since this is running on a new platform, there is a decent amount of tweaking that needs to take place yet. We've seen transfer rates of 500 to 700Kbps on some other HSDPA devices we have tested in the recent past.[next]Multimedia / ApplicationsThe Sony Ericsson Z750 might not be a Walkman of Cyber-shot branded device, but it still has the basic multimedia functions like music, video, and a photography covered. It also has a few other features that we did not expect to find at all. In terms of photography, the 2 megapixel camera is adequate for random snapshots, but is not going to impress a real photo fan. The automatic white balance system seems to work decently well, but photos tend to turn out overly blue in many outdoor situations. The user interface is nice and simple, though, and there are a few keypad shortcuts for functions like night mode. Most of the same effects and functions are available when recording videos. The videos are of somewhat low resolution, but come out well enough in general. The music player application on the Z750 is part of the new media menu. While it looks somewhat new and interesting, the new menu system seems to me to be less convenient than the older non-Walkman music player that was found on previous devices. It is nice in that it can be used in both landscape and portrait modes when it comes to photo and video viewing, but this offers little advantage for music on a clamshell handset. But otherwise the music player is still capable and flexible. The audio quality is very good, and it still offers equalizer settings, MegaBass, and good music organization and on-phone playlist creation. I synchronized the Z750 with Windows Media Player on my laptop without running into any problems at all. Music can be played back through the included wired headphones, optional speakers, or on any A2DP compatible Bluetooth headphones. Most people should be quite happy with it.[next]The big surprise for me on the Z750 was not so much the pre-installed Google maps application, but the on-board A-GPS system that the phone offered. At some point since the original Z750 announcement was made, Sony Ericsson added GPS capabilities to the phone. So while Google Maps does not offer verbal turn by turn navigation, thanks to the GPS support it can at least find out where you are and actively track your position on the map, scrolling as you move from one sector of the map to the other. The system in our prototype test phone had some trouble getting an accurate lock on our position while in a moving car, often being 100 yards or so off, it worked more than well enough to get basic directions and find gas stations and restaurants based on our current location. A separate Status Info application shows current speed and direction in addition to providing information on the currently used satellites. All in all, I was really thrilled to find such features in the phone. Since A-GPS requires carrier support, though, whether the feature is enabled or not on a retail version of the Z750 will depend on which carrier offers it.  Web browsing on the Sony Ericsson Z750 is handled by the phone's NetFront browser. NetFront is a fairly capable mobile browser that handles mobile phone oriented websites very well. I find the menu organization a bit counter-intuitive at times, but the basic functionality is all there and the browser renders mobile websites very well. It can not handle full websites meant for desktop computers like the iPhone or Nokia's S60 browser can, but it is still decent.[next]Like most all phones on the market today, the Z750 comes equipped with many personal organizer and game applications. The calendar application can be synchronized with a desktop PC by using the included PC Suite software and can also be synchronized over the air with a Microsoft Exchange server. Our prototype unit had some problems with Exchange calendar syncing, but Sony Ericsson told us that this problem had already been addressed in newer firmware versions, so it should not be an issue on regular retail phones. Other applications include alarms, tasks, notes, various timers, and a calculator. In terms of games, our Z750 came equipped with Quadrapop, The Sims 2, and an interesting mystery game called Investigators. The Z750 supports 3D and Java games downloaded or purchased online, too. Our prototype test unit has about 35MB of free built-in storage for games, photos, and apps, and came with a 128MB M2 memory card. Final retail versions could differ in this respect, though.  [next]User InterfaceThe Sony Ericsson Z750 sports the same basic user interface that we have seen on their phones for the past couple of years. It is highly polished, easy to use, and very consistent. There are a few differences to be found, though. As previously mentioned, there are regular red and green call control keys on the Z750 instead of the normal Sony Ericsson back and C keys found on recent devices. This will probably make more sense to most people coming from other manufacturer's phones, but will leave die hard Sony Ericsson fans scratching their heads.  Because of this hardware reconfiguration, the right softkey become the Back key, the left softkey becomes the Options key, and the d-pad select button gets a label of its own on the display and is typically linked to the Select function. It all makes good sense, but it is quite different from other Sony Ericsson devices.Otherwise the user interface remains much the same. Menus pop up on the screen and offer pop-out cascading sub-menus, which keeps everything nice and organized. The dedicated Shortcuts key is still available to bring up, from most anywhere, a list of user configurable shortcuts in addition to a list of missed alerts, applications running in the background (music, Google Maps, etc), and web browser bookmarks. The user interface also offers tabbed views for more complex sections of the phone, such as in the Settings or the Contacts editor. These tabbed screens are very easy to use and are far more user friendly, in my eyes, to a massively long list of options on one screen.The Z750 also supports any number of themes, each with its own menu animations and different color schemes and look and feel. Sony Ericsson has long had some of the best theme support available on a mobile phone, and the Z750 is no exception. It is also good to know that the numeric keypad can be used to navigate through the main menu, sub-menus, and even the pop-up options menus. The Z750 menu system is both easy to use and pretty at the same time. I have no real complaints at all.[next]ConclusionSony Ericsson's Z750 is by no means the smallest or thinnest folder handset on the market, but it does have a very distinct look and a pretty impressive array of business type features for what is basically a fashion phone. The mirrored finish and hidden external display might initally get people's attention, but it is going to be the wide array of supported GSM and UMTS bands, the good multimedia functions, and snazzy UI that will make people love it on a day to day basis. It doesn't have the best camera on the market, nor the best music player, but the Z750 has all of the basics covered while adding a number of nice-to-haves like Microsoft Exchange Activesync support that make it quite a desirable device. The fact that the keypad is big and offers great feel certainly won't bother anybody, either.The Z750 we tested for this review was a near-production prototype that still has some bugs to be ironed out, most notable being the HSDPA and A-GPS systems. But apart from those, the Z750 really has no obvious shortcomings at all. As such, I feel quite good about giving the Z750 a &quot;Highly Recommended&quot; rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Sony-Ericsson/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>8:02:28 PM, November 11, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="22">
<title><![CDATA[Samsung SCH-U470 Juke]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/200711/Samsung-22.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Just in time for the holiday season, Verizon Wireless has introduced a new device geared towards budget conscious music lovers, the Samsung SCH-U470, also known as the Juke. The Juke is basically a music player that just happens to also be a phone. Does the music centric Samsung Juke have what it takes to make it into little Johnny's stocking this holiday season?Verizon's Samsung U470 Juke is a hip and trendy MP3 styled device specifically designed with the younger crowd in mind. Its small and compact design, along with a spinning d-pad, makes this device this seasons must have. The Juke is slightly bigger than a pack of Wrigley's stick gum and is offered in a glossy hue of teal, red, or navy. For this review, we were provided with a mild manner navy blue version. The front face of the Juke is mirrored and surrounds the brightly colored 1.45&quot; 262k (128x220 pixel) external display. For such a small display, the Juke's screen rendered photos and menus nicely. The Juke's main attraction, the metallic scroll wheel d-pad, worked wonderfully and made navigation a joy. When the device is closed, the Juke's music player can be activated with a quick press and hold of the wheel's select/OK key. The music player's menu will pop up in landscape mode, showing the Juke's music library and its list of music files. It should be noted that the Juke supports MP3/WMA/AAC/AAC+ but does not support any files from Apple's iTunes.    On the left side of the Juke is where both the covered headset and charging ports are found, as well as the lock/hold switch for the Juke's music player, which comes in handy when listening to tunes on the go. Jumping over to the right side, things are kept to a minimum with the phone's volume rocker. The rocker not only adjusts the volume but also quickly puts the Juke in vibrate or silence mode. Around back sits the device's speaker and VGA fixed focus camera lens. The speaker, when tested, provided reasonable sound quality during playback.[next]With a quick flick of the thumb, the Juke's top swivels 180 degrees to reveal a slender mirrored keypad. The hinge that makes this happen seems extremely solid and provides a nice snap as the top locks into place. My only complaint regards going from the closed to open position with the Juke. Because the screen and d-pad flip 180 degrees when the phone opens, the Juke must be turned around in its entirety before it can be used &ndash; either before or after swiveling the device's top open. This definitely is an annoyance when making calls but more so when receiving them. As we move further inside to the phone's mirrored keypad, we find very small, square keys. Surprisingly, they have great spring action and ample tactile feedback. The keypad contains the typical send and end keys with the clr/back key placed in between. The end key also doubles as the device's power key. Directly above this row are two softkeys and a dedicated camera key. In the open position, the Juke's 5 way metal spun d-pad is now above the keypad and can be used as a regular d-pad or as a scroll wheel. Since my fingers are on the small side, I found constantly stretching my thumb from the keypad up to the scroll wheel a bit tedious and exhaustive when texting and perusing through menus.  The Samsung Juke runs on Verizon's CDMA voice network and uses 1xRTT for data. This device is not intended for high speed 3G EV-DO data, which, combined with the small display, is probably why Samsung and Verizon decided to forgo including a web browser on the Juke. Honestly, I never missed the connectivity nor did I miss Verizon's V Cast services. The device is still able to access Verizon's Get It Now apps, such as VZ Navigator, which had no hiccups when downloaded or while using VZ Navigator on the road. The phone's internal antenna provided good reception and decent voice quality for phone calls. The Juke's built-in speakerphone held its ground and shines most when used in short distance situations. The phone supports Bluetooth, which allows you to connect up to any Bluetooth enabled headset or car kit. Samsung was also kind enough to throw in support for the Bluetooth AD2P stereo profile, so users can be wire free when listening to their tunes. I easily paired up both my Plantronics Discovery 665 headset and Motorola S9 Bluetooth stereo headphones. VoiceSignal's speaker independent voice dialing is also included. Because this phone is music focused, Verizon and Samsung provide a standalone mode, which disables phone abilities but still allows users to continue music player use. [next]The Juke's music player provides users with 2GB of storage, which should hold upwards of 500 songs. The simple yet effective music application allows music sideloading from your PC without the need for a data plan. A quick PC sync with the provided USB cable can be done with Windows Media Player or Verizon's Music Manager app, I chose the latter. Syncing was easy and very quick. It should be noted that the USB cable also charges the unit. The Juke's music player is very basic but includes lots of visual toys such as skins, album artwork, and an equalizer for fine tuning. Playlist creation is easily accomplished by a quick spin of the d-pad, and the Juke is fully capable of playing music in the background while you do other things. If a call is received during music playback, the device will pause the music to take the inbound call and resume right where it left off once the call is over. A quick press of the d-pad's select key, which activates the player, will also stop music playback. Since the Juke does not offer OTA syncing, music can be purchased from Verizon's Music Manager. One more note, Verizon made a poor decision and decided not to ship the Juke with a 3.5mm adapter for regular stereo headsets, but has included a wired 2.5mm headset instead.  Verizon's Samsung Juke comes loaded with a fixed focus VGA camera that can shoot in night shot mode when lighting is less than ideal. Photos can be taken in VGA (640x480 pixel), QVGA (320x240 pixel), or the low resolution of 224x168 pixel modes. The Juke offers many photo effects, a self timer and even a self portrait mirror. Photos can only be taken when the device is swiveled open with a quick press of the dedicated camera key. Captured pictures can be sent to Verizon's PIX Place, or sent to an email address or a phone number for sharing. Unfortunately there is no way to use the USB cable to move them over to a PC. The photos looked decent, but tended to appear a bit blue when taken indoors. It should be noted that the Juke does not offer any video recording or playback options.[next]The Juke provides solid messaging support. Offering text and picture messaging as well as mobile instant messaging, the handset performed well with the help of T9 predictive text input. The Samsung Juke does not have any built-in email or instant messaging clients but can use Verizon's Get It Now Mobile IM application for accessing AIM, Yahoo!, and Windows Live Messenger. Finding contacts with the help of a search feature was simple and done in a snap. The device's address book holds up to 500 contacts that allow 5 numbers, 2 email addresses, 1 group, and 1 note for each entry. Outlook contacts were easily sent as a Vcards via Bluetooth to the Juke from my Windows Vista PC. The device also supports handy speed dials, which allow contacts to be assigned any number from 0 up to 999 and are activated by a quick press and hold of the corresponding number key, or keys. The phone's user interface uses a simple and easy to navigate menu system that is loaded with animation. Using the 2 themes provided by Verizon, the Juke is set to show only list type menus that are easily navigated by a quick spin of the d-pad. The Juke provides shortcuts by associating a number key to each of the corresponding sub-menu items. Verizon has provided softkey shortcuts for messaging and contacts and also allows for personalization of the d-pad shortcuts. The d-pad shortcuts come preconfigured for Picture and Video, Get It Now, Calendar, and New Txt Message. The font and font size used during dialing can also be tailored to the users liking. The device's personal information manager provides some handy features, such as voice memos and an alarm, calendar, calculator, converter, and stop watch. Despite a few minor flaws, Verizon's Samsung music focused spinner is, as the song says, &quot;a juke box hero&quot; in my eyes. The built-in 2GB of internal storage proved adequate for storage of my music files - and then some. I had plenty of music to keep me entertained for hours and, better yet, with Samsung's inclusion of Bluetooth stereo, I did this all without wires. This incredibly small and compact device also gave us good audio quality to boot. With the exclusion of 3G data on the Juke, users will definitely be able to keep wireless bills to a minimum. With all that being said, I give the Samsung Juke a &quot;Highly Recommended&quot; rating. Verizon's Samsung Juke measures 97mm x 31mm x 21mm (3.8&quot; x 1.2&quot; x 0.8&quot;) and weighs 87g (3.1oz). The manufacturer rated talk time is 3.5 hours with 10 days of standby. Based on personal usage, the phone typically lasted close to its standby time and exceeded its rated talk time by almost a half hour, managing 3 hours and 53 minutes in our tests. The Samsung Juke is available now from Verizon Wireless.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Samsung]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>7:17:35 PM, November 12, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="21">
<title><![CDATA[Nokia N81 8GB]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/200711/nokia_21.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[ Nokia's newest Nseries device, the N81 8GB, is an update to the N91, one of the first smartphones to have 8GB of internal storage capacity. This slider is also one of the initial handsets that supports both the Nokia Music Store that just launched in the UK recently, as well as the upcoming N-Gage platform. Pitched as a music phone, with its dedicated playback keys and whopping 8GB of internal storage, does the Nokia N81 8GB stand up to its predecessor?  [next]Physical AspectsThe Nokia N81 8GB weighs in at a solid 140g (4.9oz) and measures 102mm x 50mm x 17.8mm (4&quot; x 2&quot; x 0.7&quot;). The N81 8GB fits nicely in one hand, with all buttons in range of your thumb for easy use. The entire device is covered in a very smooth, shiny plastic that shows fingerprints and also can be too smooth to get a good grip on. The back cover does not feel very solidly designed and causes a lot of creaking during use. The middle chassis of this smartphone is metal that is colored a light bronze-tan on the 8GB version of the N81, and bright blue on the microSD version. The front of the device is solid black, while the back is an absolutely beautiful subtle brown with metallic flakes. This is a nice change from the typical Plum color that Nokia has been using lately, and I hope that it continues. On the right hand side of the phone are the camera button, the volume rocker, and one of the stereo speakers. The left side of the device is barren, save for the other stereo speaker. On the top of the device are the power button (which I found to be a bit too difficult to press) and the keylock switch. This spring loaded keylock switch is merely pushed to the right to activate it, and then it slides back to the left. The 3.5mm audio jack is also located at the top center of the N81 8GB.  The front of the Nokia N81 features the front-facing VGA camera for video calls, when supported by the network. The display is a generous 2.4&quot;, 16.7 million color screen with 240 x 320 pixel resolution. This display is very bright, though thanks to the glossy layer, not easily viewed in direct sunlight. The screen is flush mounted with the front of the phone, which prevents gunk from building up in the corners, and makes keeping it clean a simpler task.[next]The bottom third of the front of the N81 is occupied by the key cluster. There are a whopping 11 buttons here, not counting the d-pad. The left and right softkeys are located at the top, with the S60 menu key and 'c' button directly below. The end and send keys have been moved to the side edges, flanking the d-pad. Surrounding the d-pad are the four dedicated music playback buttons. These music buttons are active in all menus of the phone, allowing you to easily control the music no matter what screen you're currently in. There is a small horizontal silver button to the right of the d-pad that serves as the Multimedia Key. Pressing this key once will take you to Nokia's new carousel multimedia menu, while long-pressing it will take you directly to the music player. At the top of the front face there are also two keys that are only using for gaming and for zooming when viewing photos. Sliding the front face up reveals the numeric keypad, which is a single membrane separated horizontally into four rows.  All of the buttons on the N81 offer great tactile feedback, though I found the d-pad to be a bit too firm and hard to press. When first using the device, the dedicated music buttons were easy to press by accident, given their proximity to the d-pad, but after a few days of use, I quickly learned how to avoid mispresses. The d-pad also features a touch-sensitive layer that Nokia calls the 'naviwheel'. It functions similarly to the iPod's touch-scroll, and works well, though it was curiously disabled by default in the menus. Also, unfortunately, this handy scrolling technique is only usable in the multimedia (music, imaging, etc) menus, and not throughout the rest of the user interface. Hopefully a firmware update will rectify this.
Since the Nokia N81 8GB has 8GB of internal storage, there is no memory card  slot for expanded memory. On the bottom of the device you will find the charging  port, which uses Nokia's current small-barrel charger, and the micro-USB port.  Unfortunately, charging through the micro-USB port is not supported. There is  also a loop for a lanyard located on the bottom of the phone.
The back of the device houses the 2.0 megapixel camera with flash. The entire  back plate of the phone can be removed to reveal the 1050mAh battery and SIM  card tray.[next]Core FunctionsThe Nokia N81 8GB carries on Nokia's reputation for stellar reception. The phone reported full signal in every location that I tested it. The N81's microphone did a great job of minimizing the background noise, as well, so that callers could hear me clearly. The speakerphone is also typical of Nokia handsets, with a very full and clear sound, and is a pleasure to use. The ring volume is loud enough to be heard, even at half volume, though the vibrate feature could use a slight boost.The basic phone functions are handled by Nokia's S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1 system, which runs on top of the Symbian OS. Syncing contacts, calendar, notes, to-dos, images, videos, and files with your PC is a breeze thanks to Nokia's Nseries PC Suite, which is included on a disk in the N81's packaging, and is also available for download directly from Nokia. There is a handset search application on the main screen that allows you to search the entire handset's memory (as well as the internet, optionally) and updates as you type.The Contacts application on the Nokia N81 8GB is robust and allows you to store names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails addresses for your contacts. You can also add custom labels if you wish. Thumbnail pictures can be attached to contacts, and will show up when that person calls you. The N81 8GB also allows users to set a custom ringtone to each individual contact, or they can create custom groups of contacts and assign a ringtone to the group. Searching through the contacts is easy, just begin typing and the application will narrow down the contact list to those records that match.There are several profiles that control ringtones, volume, vibrate, and that sort of thing. Users can switch profiles easily by pressing the power button once and then scrolling through the list. By going to the Tools folder in the main menu, users can select Profiles and customize the different profiles to their liking, including creating new ones. The Nokia N81, however, does not support timed profiles out of the box.[next]The Nokia N81 8GB does support speed dial, which you can assign to each contact through the contacts application, or by merely pressing and holding the number for a few seconds. Speed dial can only be assigned to the keypad's 2 through 9 keys because 1 is already dedicated to voicemail. Nokia also includes their speaker-independent voice dial, which is activated by pressing and holding the right softkey for a few seconds. This system can be used to call up certain phone applications as well as contacts. Unfortunately, it does not support digit dialing or speech-to-text for messaging. I found it to be very accurate, even with me attempting several different accents.The Nokia N81 8GB is capable of email (both POP and IMAP) and SMS/MMS. Instant Messaging is supported through the Wireless Village protocol, though I have yet to find a network that supports this protocol. The email system supports attachments, but does not support HTML messages. I was easily able to setup a personal POP and IMAP account on the Nokia N81 with the help of the setup wizard. The Nokia N81 8GB is capable of EDGE data speeds on any of the four GSM bands it supports, as well as UMTS on the 2100MHz frequency. Unfortunately I was unable to test the UMTS speeds. WiFi is also supported, with a handy WiFi wizard and auto-detection enabled on the home screen.The Nokia N81 8GB sports Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, with A2DP support for stereo headphones. I tested this with a Motorola S9 and was impressed with the quality and ease of pairing. I was able to use the headphones with the N81 in my pocket with no noticeable loss in quality or stuttering. Voice dialing is also available through Bluetooth headsets on the Nokia N81 8GB.Nokia estimates the battery in the N81 8GB to be good for 4 hours of talk time or 17 days of standby time. With a large 1050mAh battery, I was able to easily last through a day of heavy personal usage. The phone was able to run for a day and a half with heavy use that consisted of the included Jaiku mobile application running in the background, 4 hours of music playback, 2 hours of GPS (via Bluetooth) use, 2 hours of additional EDGE usage, shooting several pictures, an hour of phone calls, and sending 15-20 SMS messages. I would have no qualms taking the Nokia N81 8GB on a weekend trip and leaving the charger behind.[next]Multimedia / ApplicationsThe Nokia N81 8GB is an Nseries device, which is Nokia's line of multimedia-focused products. The N81 is very clearly optimized for music, with its 3.5mm audio jack, stereo speakers, and dedicated music playback keys. The 8GB version features abundant built-in storage, while the microSD version supports microSD cards up to 8GB in size. The N81 syncs very nicely with Windows Media Player, and is capable of playing PlaysForSure DRM protected files such as those from Napster, ToGo, or Rhapsody.The Nokia N81 8GB is also compatible with Nokia's newly launched Music Store, which supports the over-the-air purchase and downloading of music tracks, though I was unable to test this application. The music player on the N81 is robust, offering playlist support in addition to several views such as artist, album, and genre. Album art is supported, and there are 4 different visualization options included. There is also an equalizer plus several other audio optimization options.The Nokia N81 8GB also features an update to Nokia's Podcasting application, which makes it easy to subscribe to your favorite audio and (some) video podcasts and download them directly to the handset. This update also features bookmarks, so that you can resume listening where you left off when you have to interrupt a lengthy podcast.  The 2.0 megapixel camera on the Nokia N81 features a LED flash and video capture capability. The phone is held horizontally and the entire screen becomes the viewfinder, with a floating menu bar offering image editing options such as flash, light balance, and others. The N81 can easily upload your pictures with one click to an online destination such as Flickr, or you can send them via email or MMS.The picture quality, for a 2.0 megapixel camera, is good if you have adequate lighting. Trying to take pictures in low-light situations is a bad idea, but this is typical of Nokia's 2.0 megapixel cameras. Video quality is poor in low-lighting, as well, and the frame rate is low, making for an overall poor video experience. Video length is limited only by the amount of space that you have available, though, which is nice.  Web browsing is handled by the new S60 Internet Browser, which offers a nearly-full desktop internet experience on the handset. A full page overview with minimap is available, and the ample RAM of the N81 8GB enables the phone to handle nearly any website you throw at it. The N81's browser also features an RSS reader, which allows the user to keep up with news and headlines from their favorite sites. User name and password storage means you only have to sign in to sites once, and the browser supports Flash (limited) and downloads.  The N81 does not come with an office document viewer or editor installed, but  the ability to view office documents can be added with a free application  through the Nokia Download! application. This application is a central place  where Nokia can push applications and free trials to users of their S60 devices.[next]User InterfaceThe Nokia N81 8GB the S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 user interface on top of the Symbian OS. This smartphone OS is designed as a phone first, PDA second, and supports multitasking in addition to several other features. Access to the Nokia N81 8GB's main menu is granted by pressing the swirly button directly below the left softkey. You can also hold this button down for a few seconds to view a list of currently running applications, and switch to them, for true multitasking convenience. When using an application, you can press this same button twice quickly to send that application to the background.  There are several options for displaying the main menu, other than the default grid. You can view it as a scrolling list, or also as either a horseshoe or v-shaped list of icons, with folder contents shown on the side. The center button on the d-pad typically serves as the 'select' function, while the left softkey brings up a list of options, and the right softkey functions as a back key.The S60 3rd Edition interface is very customizable. There is a vast library of free themes that not only change the background, but can also change the icons and menu colors, making it feel like a brand new phone. The menus are also user-configurable, allowing users to create folders, and move menu items around or even into these folders for maximum organization. The left and right softkeys are user-configurable to a dizzying array of functions.The home screen of the S60 3rd Edition interface is called the Active Standby screen. It offers a row of user-chosen applications across the top. Below this row is where the Search box is, upcoming calendar events, and the WiFi locator. When the music is playing in the background, this screen will also display the currently playing track. The Nokia N81's functionality can be extended easily through a plethora of third party applications in the .sis format.[next]ConclusionThe Nokia N81 8GB is a worthy follow up to the N91, and it has rightfully been praised for its audio quality and internal storage. The battery life is ample for enjoying music, and it manages to do that without draining the battery, and the WiFi is a convenient touch for high-speed data. Once the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage Platform launch globally, the N81 will be a hot handset to have. The music experience on this phone is easily equal to that of the iPhone in terms of storage, audio quality, and convenience, especially given the numerous ways in which you can enjoy your tunes. However, the camera is merely decent for a 2.0 megapixel, and leaves something to be desired. The build quality is also less than perfect, with noisy creaks and groans being heard when using the handset. But even with those few shortcomings, I still consider the N81 8GB to be worthy of a 'Recommended' rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Nokia]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>12:54:16 AM, November 15, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="20">
<title><![CDATA[Nokia 6555 - 3G on a Budget]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/200711/nokia_20.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[3G has hit the mainstream, no longer the exclusive territory of expensive premium phones. Finally we are starting to see 3G phones for the budget minded. The quad-band GSM, dual-band UMTS Nokia 6555 is just such a phone. At $50 when committing to a 2 year contract with AT&amp;T, the stylish 6555 promises much, including 3G and Multimedia. But can it deliver?  Physical AspectsNokia presents its 6555 3G phone in a clamshell configuration. Opening the phone with one hand is simple enough by working your thumb between the two halves. The hinge mechanism seems to be sprung just strongly enough to snap the phone open easily. Also, when open, the ear piece and microphone are in their traditional spots with the mic residing near the user's mouth, below the keypad. For folks not comfortable with smaller phones, this can be a plus. Rubber padding in the hinge contributes to noiseless opening and adds to an overall high quality tactile experience. Despite its price, the phone doesn't feel cheap.Our evaluation unit was finished in glossy black with chrome accents. The overall effect is a classy look. When in the open position, the exterior chrome accents meet to form a rather nifty looking loop. While the glossy finish may be vulnerable to scratches, it's worth noting that not even micro abrasions were apparent after our time with the phone. These would stand out readily against a black finish so it seems that Nokia used quality materials when building the 6555.The keypad and controls are fairly straightforward. The nicely backlit keys are laid out conventionally, with the only exterior buttons being the volume control and the push to talk button for AT&amp;T's Nextel-style walkie-talkie service. Additional buttons for AT&amp;T internet and video services are clearly marked with the AT&amp;T logo and a TV screen logo. The d-pad that is used for navigation has a separate selection button in the center. While this configuration takes a lot more real estate, it is more accurate than the all-in-one d-pads used on some phones.Powering on and off is intuitive. As with most phones these days, the 6555 is brought to life by pressing the same red button that is normally used to end calls. Pressing the same button for an extended period returns the phone to a powered down state. The volume control is also intuitive. A long, sleek rocker control is located just where your thumb tends to land when holding the phone left-handed, making it easy to adjust volume during a call. Tactile button feel is good, so you know when you've pressed it correctly.From button design and placement to the phone's shape while open, the design reflects well thought out ergonomics everywhere. As is common for a clamshell phone, the exterior display on the 6555 can be set to depict an analog clock, which adds an additional layer of class to the phone. Both displays are vivid and easy to read even in bright sunlight. Colors, too, are bright and clear. The primary QVGA (240x320 pixel) display is particularly nice. For wearers of polarized sunglasses, these had little impact on the screen's legibility which can be a frequent problem with LCD displays and polarized lenses.[next]Core FunctionsCall quality is quite good in general. The clamshell form factor seems to contribute to this, increasing the isolation between speaker and mic, which helps to eliminate the likelihood of echo. Caller voices were clear and the same was true for those on the receiving end. Here in the Florida keys, AT&amp;T has excellent coverage, and I experienced no dropped calls. 3G data speeds averaged around 165kbps, which is consistent and significantly faster than EDGE. Bluetooth dial-up networking was problem free, and connections were easily established once the phone was paired to a computer.  In terms of battery life, the 6555 is rated for 3 hours of talk time and 11 days of standby time, which seems reasonable based on my personal experience. These are by no means record breaking numbers, so if you are a heavy user you may find that the battery on the 6555 comes up short. It is important to remember that extracurricular 3G activities take their toll on battery life. A little less than 2 hours of web surfing and streaming audio via a Bluetooth dial-up networking connection had the phone's battery indicator showing less than a half charge. Even as somewhat of a devout non-texter, I had little trouble sending a few text messages to my personal phone. I attribute this to an easily navigated UI. Locating and activating the T9 text prediction settings in the options menu was simple enough and greatly simplified the texting experience. Adding and deleting contacts was intuitive as well. Punch in a phone number and the screen makes it evident that the select button now means SAVE. Press it and you are prompted to complete contact information. The 6555 has a number of predefined profiles available for use: Normal, Meeting, Vibrate, and Outdoor. There are two user definable profiles available, as well.If the 6555 has a weak spot, it's the camera. At only 1.3 megapixels and having no auxiliary illumination or flash, indoor shots had a tendency to be grainy. Outdoor shots with plenty of light tended to yield far better results. The camera also has the ability to record video. All media files can be stored on a microSD card. Unfortunately like so many other handsets, it is necessary to remove the battery before you can access the memory card. Bluetooth or a USB cable can be used to access the files on the card without having to remove it from the 6555, and will be easier for many people.The user interface is conventional and intuitive. Keyboard shortcuts in the menus, with the 1-9 keys corresponding to relative icon position, help speed up navigation. Interestingly, these shortcuts become unavailable after a second or two. I suppose the logic behind this is that you'd be using a shortcut to save time so they're only active for a second. Still it took me a while to figure out why the shortcuts worked only intermittently. The good thing here is that the rest of the interface makes sense. Things are logically organized. When I needed to perform a task, I was able to navigate the menu and get it done. What's the point of all this 3G speed without media? ATT has a number of video, music, and web services available for taking advantage of all this high data speed goodness. Even XM, the Satellite Radio service, is making a large number of their music channels available via the 6555's 3G connection - should you wish to subscribe to them.[next]ConclusionOverall I like the 6555. It's an attractive phone that looks and feels more expensive than it is. This handset certainly won't be all things to all people, but its feature set seldom leaves you wanting for more. While I tend to not like the clamshell form factor, I recognize that it has its benefits over the candybar configuration, and the 6555 capitalizes on this. When open, the handset was comfortable and felt natural to use, and will surely appeal to people who dislike phones that don't place the microphone close to their mouth. And what's not to like about a reasonably priced 3G handset?  The things I liked least about the 6555 weren't deal breakers from my perspective. The memory card slot buried beneath the battery really isn't so horrible, and though disappointing, it's hard to fault the camera on such an inexpensive phone, especially when so much else is so right. As is typical with lower priced phones, the built in camera is a nice thought, and handy in a pinch, but it certainly won't be your first choice for capturing precious memories. If a more versatile built in camera is needed, then perhaps you should look elsewhere. But for being an affordable, solid 3G phone, the 6555 gets a &quot;Recommended&quot; rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Nokia]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>12:24:20 AM, November 16, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="19">
<title><![CDATA[LG's Voyager is a Multimedia Monster]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/LG/200711/lg-19.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[When people learned that Verizon Wireless turned down the original iPhone, stating that they had something of their own already cooked up, a lot of folks thought that they were crazy. But now that LG has launched the VX10000 Voyager, Verizon isn't seeming quite as crazy anymore. It isn't exactly an iPhone killer, lacking some of the visual pizazz that the gurus in Cupertino have produced, but it packs in an amazingly vast array of features that includes 3G data, an auto-focus camera, true mobile TV, dual 2.8&quot; displays, and a full QWERTY keyboard. While it might not be able to kill the iPhone, it does seem capable of bullying it around some.   Physical AspectsThe physical design of the LG Voyager is the cause of much of the attention that the device has received. While neither light nor small, at 140g (4.9oz) and 118mm x 54mm x 19mm (4.6&quot; x 2.1&quot; x .73&quot;), the Voyager still garners attention due to its large external touchscreen display and its communicator style clamshell hinge that hides a large non-touch display and full QWERTY keyboard within. It is, for the most part, the best of both worlds, offering some iPhone like finger touch wizardry while at the same time being a very practical platform for messaging and other text related functions.The front face of the Voyager is quite simple. It consists of the 2.8&quot;, 262k color touchscreen (240x400 pixels) and 3 buttons: Send, End, and CLR. The left edge of the Voyager is where one will find the volume rocker, the camera shutter button, and, my favorite, the spring loaded lock/unlock key. The right edge of the phone is home to the 3.5mm stereo headphone jack and the microSD memory card slot. There is nothing up top, since power is handled by the End button, and the only things on the bottom of the Voyager are the proprietary LG power and data port, which I found to be a bit difficult to use, and the pull-out whip antenna for the Voyager's TV receiver.The back of the Voyager is where the lens for the 2 megapixel, auto-focus camera is located. There is no flash or self-portrait mirror backing it up. The snap-in battery is also located on the back, and has a moderate 950mAh capacity. Also seen on the back are the Voyager's clamshell hinges. This is important because it means that even when the device is opened up, the volume, lock, and camera buttons located along the left edge of the phone are still accessible.The interior of the Voyager is pretty straight forward. The screen is yet another 2.8&quot;, 262k color unit that is a clone of the external display, except for the lack of a touch interface layer. The 4 row QWERTY keyboard is huge, and offers such extravagances as a dedicated row of number keys and separate Fn and Symbol shift keys. The keys offer great feel, and work fantastically in general, but I have to admit that the position of the split space bar took a bit of getting use to. The d-pad and controls that are located to the right of the keyboard are also quite good, and a decent pair of softkeys are found above the keyboard, close to the display.Both displays on the Voyager are bright, sharp, and colorful. My only concern is that the touch surface on the external display feels somewhat soft, like the screens found on an old Handspring Treo, before Palm snapped them up. While the display is flush mounted, like the screen on the iPhone, it is not made of glass - or even hard plastic. I fear that a pair of keys could do a real number on it, though I have not tested this. Every other part of the phone exudes a feeling of strength and quality, and overall I think the design of the Voyager is just fantastic.  [next]Core FunctionsA do-everything phone like LG's VX10000 Voyager wouldn't be worth much if it couldn't make phone calls. Luckily the Voyager does pretty well with the basic tasks. Reception from the phone's internal antenna was pretty good in general, which helped the Voyager to eek out 4.5 hours of talk time in our tests. Call audio quality for the Voyager user is adequate, but is quite good for the remote caller. The speakerphone, on the other hand, is fantastic all around, and is automatically activated by opening up the Voyager's clamshell hinge. I was somewhat disappointed by the contacts system in the Voyager, though. As is the case with virtually all other Verizon handsets, the Voyager uses a single, combined field for first and last names. This makes the search system inadequate, as there is no way to match on &quot;Oryl&quot; if the contact name is entered with &quot;Michael Oryl&quot; as the name. On top of that, there appears to be no cost-free way to synchronize contacts (or calendar items, for that matter), with a desktop computer application like Microsoft Outlook. For a phone with such business potential, I see this as a big mistake. The only way to sync the Voyager is to use Verizon's Wireless Sync service, which costs $19.99/month.There is no real profiles system on the Voyager, but the phone's volume rocker can be used to easily set ringtone volume as well as activate vibrate or silent modes. The # key on the external display's virtual keypad and the 'z' key on the QWERTY keyboard can also be used to quickly toggle the vibrate mode. The various tones and vibrations used for calls, messages, and other alerts can be individually configured. The system isn't great, but it should prove adequate for most people.[next]While the Voyager has an decent speed dial system that can be activated by long-pressing on a number key on the QWERTY keyboard or virtual keypad, the speaker independent voice dialing and command system is far more interesting. It can be used to easily call a number, address a text message, or check various bits of status information, such as time and signal strength. It is quite good.Like most phones on the market, the LG Voyager is capable of sending both picture and text based messages. Additionally, the Voyager ships with a decent AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! instant messaging client. The Voyager falls short on email, though, coming with no pre-loaded email application. Verizon's Mobile Email app can be used for $5/mo (free with some call plans). It offers an adequate experience with most web mail services and POP or IMAP servers. Verizon's Wireless Sync push email system costs a whopping $19.99/month and is a nightmare to get up and running. Between the poorly organized website, which had problems with FireFox, and the poor desktop PC software that fails to connect, I just had to give up. Even if it did work, it would require my PC to be running 24/7 in order to sync email, contacts, and appointments. This Intellisync based product has consistently been the worst mobile phone related software I've had to deal with here at MobileBurn.Data on the VX10000 Voyager is handled by EV-DO, Bluetooth, and USB connectivity options. The EV-DO connection was good for 600Kbps downloads, even with a somewhat weak signal. Bluetooth options include both mono headsets and the new stereo A2DP headphones that are becoming somewhat popular. I tested the Voyager with a pair of Motorola S9 headphones and had no trouble at all. USB works pretty much as expected.   [next]Multimedia / ApplicationsThe LG VX10000 Voyager is packed with multimedia capabilities and good application functionality. Let's start with the auto-focus 2 megapixel camera, which snaps beautiful photos using either display a full screen viewfinder. The AF system on the Voyager can be configured in either a 1-touch or 2-touch mode. The default 1-touch mode is fine as long as the subject of the photo is in the center of the frame. If not, the 2-step process will allow the first button press to set the focus while the second press will snap the photo after the user has recomposed the shot. The camera works well for everything from close-ups to landscapes.The music player on the Voyager is also pretty solid. Music can be purchased directly over the air from Verizon's V CAST Music service, or simply synchronized over with a copy of Windows Media Player or any other MTP compatible application, such as Winamp. Music can be purchased and played back on either of the Voyager's two displays, though I feel the system works best on the touch screen. The player includes support for album art and on-phone playlist creation, which is great, but lacks the ability to play in the background when the phone is being used for other tasks. As mentioned previously, the Voyager is compatible with Bluetooth wireless stereo headphones as well as standard 3.5mm headphones.  [next]The Voyager's web browser is notable for being able to properly render even large non-mobile sites that would normally require a desktop PC or an iPhone. The browser lacks the iPhone's advanced zooming and rotation capabilities, but does pan easily with a fingertip. It also has an automatic mini-map feature that shows what part of a large web page is currently being displayed, much like the Nokia S60 browser. Another central application on the Voyager is VZ Navigator, which offers verbal turn by turn directions that make use of the Voyager's built-in GPS receiver. The only issue I have is that the application will only run on the internal screen, whereas the browser will work on either screen. Most impressive, though, is the Verizon Mobile TV service, which looks fantastic on the Voyager's large display. The $15/mo. fee might seem expensive to many, but if you have time to fill, the TV service on the Voyager is as good as mobile TV gets.  The Voyager comes equipped with all of the standard organizer apps, such as calendars, clocks, timers, and note pads. If the user needs more, Verizon offers a very large assortment of applications that can be rented or purchased outright. They generally aren't cheap, but they do tend to be of high quality. The same goes for the games that are available for the Voyager. I was particularly impressed with Need For Speed ProStreet and VZW Sudoku. The VX10000 Voyager comes equipped with about 180MB of available internal storage space for music and apps, and supports microSD cards as large as 8GB for even more headroom.[next]User InterfaceSince it sports two 'main' displays, one touch sensitive, the other not, the LG VX10000 Voyager has something of a split personality when it comes to its user interface. The two displays act as if they were on separate phones, which I actually believe to be a good thing when compared with the alternative: trying to design one UI that works well with both a d-pad and a finger controlled touch screen.The external touchscreen shows some relation to LG's Prada phone, but this time around things work much better. For starters, there's a nice on-screen button for unlocking the Voyager. A simple tap and you are off. This brings up a series of 4 icons across the bottom of the display: messaging, phone, main menu, and contacts. The main menu consists of a simple 2x4 grid of icons that can be easily hit with a fingertip. Each of those sections brings up a new screen that resembles the regular Verizon main menu UI to some degree. A finger scrollable lists of options appears below the list of main menu icons that run along the top edge of the display. Users can switch to the previous or next menu by simply tapping on its icon or tapping on one of the arrowhead buttons in the upper corners of the display.    The normal pair of hardware softkeys found on most phones are replaced by as many as 3 virtual softkeys that sit next to the ever-present CLR button, which is more commonly used as a 'back' key. It is worth mentioning that the hardware CLR key can always be used, even in the rare instances when it does not appear on-screen. The on-screen softkeys can be used to bring up option menus or activate common tasks. I like how the keys change, or morph, based on the context of the current screen, even though that breaks the UI consistency rule that I tend to hold so dear.The bulk of the more commonly accessed Voyager features can be accessed more quickly by tapping on the standby screen, which brings up the shortcut menu, with its 12 icons for features such as My Pictures, VZ Navigator, and Mobile TV. This menu is very convenient to use, but I do wish that it could be customized by the end user. Additional finger friendly UI controls can be found deep inside the Voyager, including swipe gestures to move from one photo to the next in the photo viewer, large, finger accessible scroll bars, and even a very iPhone-like finger keyboard for QWERTY text entry in some places (though not text messaging). All of the finger UI features work very well, with the single exception of menu scrolling. The Voyager UI theoretically permits fingertip scrolling by grabbing or flicking the screen, but it doesn't work all that well, and sometimes leads to an option being selected when the user merely wanted to grab the screen to scroll it. This is the only real problem I have with the finger based touchscreen UI. The common problem of not being able to tell when a screen press has been understood by the phone is dealt with by the Voyager's decent haptic feedback system, which lets the user configure the type and intensity of the vibration felt when the screen is pressed.  While most every feature of the Voyager can be used on either display, there are certain tasks, such as the VZ Navigator, that require the non-touch display to be used, and others that are just more practical when used with a d-pad. The non-touch user interface used on the Voyager is a very good approximation of the standard Verizon UI that people know very well, even if they don't love it. LG has gone to great lengths to ensure that the UI meets both Verizon's requirements as well as meets the real world needs of users. As such, if you are familiar with any recent model Verizon feature phone, the Voyager's UI will be quite familiar.[next]The regular user interface on the Voyager makes use of the d-pad, the CLR key, and the two softkeys for dealing with most tasks. In general the right softkey is used to bring up an options menu while the left activates the most commonly used task for a given screen, such as adding an appointment while in the calendar. The OK button that is located in the center of the d-pad is pressed to choose a highlighted on-screen item or menu option. Most menus in the phone can be quickly accessed with the number keys that are on the top row of the keyboard. There are only two simple themes to choose from, one in color, one in black and white. The selected theme covers both the internal and external menu system. Two theme options are not going to cause much excitement, but at least the Voyager has a decent array of animated wallpapers that can be used.Apart from a few little annoyances and the finger scrolling issue, LG has done a bang up job with the Voyager's menu system. It avoided a potential Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde situation and basically came up with two different variations of the same basic, and good natured, user interface.  ConclusionThe LG VX10000 Voyager is easily one of the most compelling devices that has ever been offered by Verizon Wireless. The touchscreen, large and bright, works very well in general and is a lot of fun. The Voyager's spacious QWERTY keyboard is a joy to use, and the internal display and user interface are also nice. In terms of form factor and usability, it is a home run.But it has its issues. For me, the biggest issue is email. Having to pay a monthly fee for basic email on an expensive and QWERTY keyboard equipped device like the Voyager is just sad. Having to pay $20 per month for push email and over the air contacts and calendar synchronization would be unpleasant if the system worked well, but it is a crime to charge that for such an inadequate system as Verizon's Wireless Sync. For a non-smartphone device with as much business potential as the Voyager, not being able to sync email, contacts, and appointments with an app like Outlook over a USB connection is just wrong.Thankfully for LG and Verizon, the Voyager is a very nice multimedia phone. It does music decently, take great photos, and is an outstanding mobile TV platform. The Voyager even offers pretty decent battery life. That makes up for much of what it lacks in business skills. So while I really hate the poor showing it gives in email, I still love the Voyager for everything else it can do. As such, I give it a &quot;Highly Recommended&quot; rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[LG]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/LG/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>12:06:53 AM, November 20, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="18">
<title><![CDATA[Pantech C810 Duo]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/200711/others_18.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[QWERTY equipped smartphones like the Nokia E61i, the Samsung Blackjack, and the BlackBerry Curve have been all the rage for quite some time now. While these devices are great for people that live and die by email messages, their width and form factor don't sit well with people that want something slightly more normal. That's where cleverly designed devices like Pantech's new C810 Duo for AT&amp;T come in. The Duo offers a bit of both, a conventional alphanumeric keypad equipped slider that is good for general making and taking of calls, as well as a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard for those times when a bit of messaging is required. The design certainly looks interesting, but the question is whether or not the Duo can mange this split personality in a way that people will accept.    Physical AspectsLike the well-known Ocean that Pantech designed with Helio, the Duo (also known as the C810) is a dual-slider handset that sports both a traditional numeric keypad and a full QWERTY keyboard. In order to accomplish this, a few compromises had to be made. For one, at 102mm x 50mm x 22mm (4.0&quot; x 2.0&quot; x .9&quot;), the Duo is not a particularly thin handset. Its 128g (4.5oz) weight isn't going to set any records either. But all in all, Pantech did a fairly good job of keeping the size and weight of the device under control, which keeps the Duo looking, for the most part, like any other slider smartphone.The most interesting part of the Duo's physical design, as well as the part that involved the most compromises, is the slide out QWERTY keyboard. In order to keep the Duo's overall thickness in check, Pantech had to make sure that the QWERTY keyboard was very thin. This led them to use fairly soft rubber keys that don't provide very consistent tactile response. The space bar is particularly bad in this regard: pressing on the left or right edge of the key feels fine, but the key becomes very stiff feeling if it is pressed dead center. This lack of consistency, which is present on most of the keys (to a lesser extent), makes it hard for users to quickly and confidently enter text on the keyboard. One nice point about the keyboard is that numbers and symbols can be entered with a simple long press, removing the typically required Fn key shift from the input equation. The last keyboard related issue is the lack of a spring in the keyboard's slider mechanism. There is no snap open or snap close, which lowers the overall sense of quality the Duo otherwise exhibits.The numeric keypad suffers no such problems. It is as good as, or better, than the keypad found on most other slider handsets on the market. The keys have a good feel to them, and the slider mechanism is spring loaded so that it confidently snaps closed and open. It is so good, in fact, that it just highlights the QWERTY keyboard's lacking in this regard. The rest of the Duo's controls are located directly below the main 262k color, QVGA (240x320 pixel) display, which is clear and bright, but prone to internal dust accumulation, as seen in our screen shots. The d-pad is a bit small, but works adequately well. The left and right softkeys, the home and back buttons and the red and green call keys also perform well. Under the d-pad sits a button marked with camera flash and lock symbols. This button, in spite of the iconography, brings up the Windows Mobile Quick List, which provides quick access to the wireless manager, the profiles, and a power-off option.The body of the Duo is covered in a dark gray metallic color scheme that seems reasonably resistant to scratching. A decent volume rocker switch sits on the left edge of the phone, directly opposite the Duo's record and camera buttons that sit on the right edge. These two buttons are poorly positioned, being too close to each other and too well lined up with the volume controls. It is simply too easy to trigger the volume when gripping the phone to press the record or camera buttons. The opposite is also true. A device like this really doesn't need a dedicated camera key, though the record button is useful for launching the voice dialing app. The back of the phone is home to the 1.3 megapixel camera's lens and self-portrait mirror, the speaker grille and the snap on battery. The slight bulge of the battery prevents the speaker from being blocked when it sits on a desk. The bottom of the device is where Pantech placed its proprietary charger/headset port (miniUSB would have been much more convenient). At least the supplied USB cable can charge the phone. The microSD memory card slot is cleverly located behind the display that is exposed when the keypad slider is extended.The overall design of the Pantech Duo is decent. If you look at it primarily as a regular slider form factor smartphone, one that just happens to have a QWERTY keyboard to help ease the occasional messaging need, then the design works. If your phone needs require more frequent and heavy text entry, then the keyboard's feel is probably going to leave you wanting for more.  [next]Core FunctionsThe Pantech C810 Duo manages basic phone related tasks quite well. The quad-band GSM/EDGE, dual-band UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900MHz) support in the Duo means that it fully supports AT&amp;T's 3G network as well as basically any GSM network in the world. In my personal usage, the Duo's internal antenna performed pretty well. Most of the time I was able to get a 3G connection from my home, and when I couldn't, the GSM connection was rock solid. In our battery tests, the Duo managed 4.5 of talk time. Call quality was generally good, although the audio during speakerphone use was only of average quality.As is the case with all Windows Mobile 6 Standard (smartphone) devices, the contacts system on the Pantech Duo is well organized and very complete. Nearly any conceivable piece of information can be stored in a contact record, from typical things like phone numbers, custom ringtones, and a photo, to more obscure details like &quot;Government ID&quot; and &quot;Manager&quot;. The contact editor could be organized better for dealing with all of those options, but at least the raw capability is there. Contact searching is simple: you just start typing a name with the keypad or keyboard and the contacts list appears, drilling down further with each key press. If using the keyboard, a space can be added to the entered search text to make the system match both names at the same time: &quot;J D&quot; would quickly find John Doe, for example.  The profiles system on WM6 Standard devices is relatively simple, but generally adequate. While it is not possible to assign separate ringtones to the different profiles (such as Normal and Meeting), each profile can be configured in fine detail as to how it will interact with the user when it comes to phone calls, received messages, alarms, and other notices. Each individual type of ring/alarm/notice can be configured in a profile in various combinations of different vibration types and sound volumes. There is even an automatic profile mode that will switch the phone into vibrate mode for any appointments in your calendar, and then switch back when they are over. The profiles can most easily be accessed from the Quick List, which is called up with the dedicated key located below the Duo's d-pad.[next]WM6 has a flexible speed dial system that lets speed dial numbers be assigned not only to contacts (in the contact viewer), but also to applications. Applications are linked to a speed dial from the main menu's right softkey 'menu' function. Once assigned for either a contact or application, a speed dial can be accessed by long-pressing the associated key on the keypad. An equally useful function is the speaker independent voice dialing and command system that is on the Duo. Not only can the voice command system be used to effortlessly dial contacts, but it can even announce callers, read received email or text messages aloud, or be used to cue up songs in Windows Media Player. It is a fantastic application.The Pantech Duo supports traditional SMS and MMS messaging as well as email and IM. The included IM app integrates MSN, AIM, and Yahoo! Messengers into one central location that is quite easy to use. The email support on the Duo is also very good, thanks to the inclusion of Microsoft's Exchange Activesync system that can deliver push email as well as synchronize appointments, contacts, and tasks over the air. When the phone is paired with an Exchange 2007 server, users can even search for messages that are stored on the server, but not the phone, which can be tremendously handy. The solid messaging app on the Duo also supports regular IMAP and POP based email accounts, with all accounts of all types, except for IM, being handled by the main messaging application. Users can easily switch from one account to the next by pressing left or right on the d-pad. The Duo can also be synchronized with desktop apps like Outlook by using Bluetooth or a USB cable.The HSDPA capable Pantech Duo managed to pull down data at roughly 700Kbps in our tests using DSLreports.com's mspeed site. This nicely performing 3G access mitigates the fact that the Duo lacks WiFi support. Like most WM6 devices, the Duo supports a wide array of Bluetooth profiles that include A2DP stereo and regular headsets. I was, however, unable to make use of the phone's Network Access Point profile, when I attempted to use it as a Bluetooth modem for my laptop.  [next]Most Windows Mobile 6 devices come with a fairly standard array of applications for entertainment and keeping organized. To that end, the Pantech Duo has the standard Calendar, Tasks, and Calculator applications. It also comes equipped with Notepad, a world clock and alarm, and the normal Microsoft Mobile Office suite: Excel Mobile, Word Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile. These office applications can be used to view and edit existing documents, but can not be used to create brand new documents on the phone, which is entirely odd.  AT&amp;T and Pantech have added a number of other applications to the Duo. The ClearVue PDF viewer is available, as are trial versions of My-Cast Weather, MobiTV, and MySpace Mobile. The included MusicID application lets users identify music that is playing on the radio or another nearby audio source. It is pretty cool, if a bit slow at making the actual identification. AT&amp;T also includes a number of links to its own video and music services, and the Duo supports 3rd party Java applications as well.Between its Windows Media Player application and its included 3.5mm headset adapter and Bluetooth stereo support, the Pantech Duo is fairly capable of acting as an MP3 player. The Windows Media Player might be awkward to use at times, especially when it comes to creating playlists on the phone, but it plays the actual music tracks quite well and synchronizes easily with a desktop computer via the supplied USB cable. The ability of the Voice Command application to start the music playing with voice commands is especially handy when the Duo is paired up with stereo Bluetooth headphones, such as the Motorola S9 headphones that we tested it with.One of the areas where the Pantech Duo comes up short is its camera. For such an otherwise well equipped handset as the Duo, it just seems strange to place a lowly 1.3 megapixel camera on-board. I don't mean lowly simply because it has a 1.3 megapixel resolution, I mean lowly because the photos it takes are largely useless to anybody I can imagine. The camera can also record video, but again the quality is so poor as to not matter.The Pantech Duo has about 56MB of on-board storage, of which roughly 48MB is available to the user. There is roughly 55MB of application RAM in the Duo, 34MB or so of that being available after a restart. Storage can be augmented by inserting a microSD card into the Duo's card slot, but no card is included in the retail package.   [next]User InterfaceAs a Windows Mobile 6 Standard device, the Pantech Duo's user interface should be quite familiar to anybody who has used any other WM6 or WM5 device in the past. In this particular case, Pantech did not make a lot of customizations to the stock system, which is not necessarily a bad thing. As a Windows Mobile 6 Standard (as opposed to Professional) device, the Pantech Duo has no touchscreen. All user interactions are handled by the keys and d-pad controller. The main screen on the device is called the home screen. The home screen can be configured to use a number of different layouts, including a few AT&amp;T specific layouts. Most of these layouts provide a decent amount of basic information at a glance, such as the current day's appointments and counts of any unread messages or missed calls. The color schemes used by the phone in general can be user configured as well.The main menu of a WM6 device is accessed by pressing the left softkey, which brings up the Start menu. The menu on the Duo is arranged in an icon grid configuration with no option for switching it to the commonly-featured list view. The icons in the start menu are arranged somewhat haphazardly and can not be reordered by the user without resorting to the types of minor hacks that most users would never attempt. As is the case in most all parts of the WM6 user interface, the right softkey brings up a pop-up list of additional options, the left is associated with the most common task for the given screen or currently highlighted item, and the d-pad's center button acts as the select key to activate the currently selected program or item.   From anywhere in the system, users can press the dedicated home key to get back to the home screen (the red call end key services the same function). The dedicated back key can be used during navigation to move back a screen or two without having to start over again from the home screen. While there are a few situations where the back key will not work as expected, the situation has been much improved over what Windows Mobile 5 users experienced.While I don't find the device to be particularly sluggish, Pantech saw fit to include a 'turbo' mode in the Duo's settings that appears to speed up the processor a bit. This does, of course, increase the amount of strain the Duo puts on its battery, so be forewarned. In general I like the Windows Mobile 6 OS and user interface, but it does feel a bit less organized than usual on the Duo. This means that while it is very powerful in terms of its raw capabilities, the Duo is not exactly a device that novices will take to right away.[next]  ConclusionThere is no mistaking that the Pantech C810 Duo for AT&amp;T is a good device. It offers a lot of good functionality, like HSDPA data and top-notch voice control, in a cleverly designed package. While the QWERTY keyboard suffers from a few design compromises, it is still very useful to have included. On the down side, the camera in the Duo is a massive disappointment, and the Duo's main menu seems especially disorganized.But luckily for Pantech, I don't feel that any of these things are deal breakers. While I might like the physical design of HTC's S710 better, the Duo is all over the S710 when it comes to data speeds. So if fast is your game, and you wouldn't mind occasionally using a QWERTY keyboard, the Duo could be just the ticket. I give it a &quot;Recommended&quot; rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Others]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>11:37:39 PM, November 23, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="17">
<title><![CDATA[Samsung's P520 Armani Phone]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/200712/Samsung-17.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Samsung's SGH-P520 Armani phone is a high-fashion cell phone that is meant to take on the likes of Apple's iPhone and LG's Prada phone. It certainly has the good looks, and it packs some solid multimedia capabilities into its svelte form, but has Samsung been able to adapt to the concept of finger basic touchscreen navigation the way the other two have?Thanks to Wireless Imports for loaning us the Armani phone used in this review.Physical AspectsWhen it comes to physical appearance and design, the Samsung Armani phone has what it takes. It is no larger than 9 or 10 stacked credit cards, 88mm x 55mm x 10.5mm (3.5&quot; x 2.2&quot; .4&quot;), and weighs only 86g (3.0oz). The included case that it snaps into adds a good layer of protection for an additional 34g (1.2oz), while still providing access to the camera and all of the buttons and ports on the phone's edges. It is probably a good idea to use the case, even though the Armani's 2.6&quot;, QVGA resolution display seems reasonably rugged.The display is touch sensitive and intended to be used with a fingertip, just like the one on the Apple iPhone. It senses even very light finger touches on its surface, but also seems responsive to indirect finger touches as well. For example, I was able to fumble through the menus and dial pad on the phone while wearing a pair of insulated leather gloves, something that I found quite surprising. Considering that the touch screen works in spite of leather, paper, or plastic most of the time, it seems quite possible that it is somewhat pressure sensitive, even though the display doesn't appear to have any real give to it. The touch action doesn't work as well as the iPhone's, but overall it works better than LG's Venus and Prada handsets do.The only two keys on the front of the phone are the call send and end keys. The volume, camera, and hold/lock buttons, along with the microSD slot and power/headset/data port are found on the sides of the phone. A safety latch on the bottom releases the rear battery cover, which sits below the camera lens and flash.In terms of accessories, the Samsung Armani phone ships with a USB cable, a stereo headset, and an Armani cleaning cloth - all packed in a soft black bag. In addition to the previously mentioned snap-on cover, the phone also comes with a soft pouch for storage.The overall build of the phone is rock solid and very attractive. It has all of the appropriate hardware keys, and a sufficiently large and useable touchscreen. The hardware design of the Armani phone is a good one.   [next]Core FunctionsI tested the tri-band GSM/EDGE Samsung SGH-P520 Armani phone on T-Mobile's and AT&amp;T's 1900MHz networks in the Philadelphia region. Reception on the 1900MHz band was very good in general and the phone never dropped any calls, even when I tried to force the issue. Audio quality was typically adequate on both normal and speakerphone calls. Samsung rates the Armani phone's battery as being good for up to either 6 hours of talk time or 9 days of standby time. Those numbers seem reasonable since the P520 managed just over 6.5 hours in our talk time test.The contacts system in the phone is functional, storing numbers and email addresses as well as photo and group assignments, but the search feature is awkward to use due to the full screen design of the virtual keypad on the Armani. The fact that the included PC synchronization software failed to link up with my copy of Outlook 2007 (giving an error message that consisted solely of an exclamation point) meant that I had to add contacts to the phone manually, which is a tedious process. There appears to be a complete lack of voice dialing on the phone, though it is possible to access speed dials with the virtual keypad.  Another place where the SGH-P520 is lacking is its profiles system, or rather its lack of one. There appears to be no simple way to change ring profiles on the phone without going through the various menus in the Settings section of the device. The volume key normally only changes the volume of screen taps, and even though it changes the volume of the ringer when a call is coming in, that adjustment is not saved. The vibration alert on the Armani phone is pretty weak, making it useless for many situations even when at its strongest setting. While there is no real profile support, at least a silent mode can be entered easily enough by long-pressing on the speaker icon at the top of the standby screen. Silent mode can be configured to work with or without the vibration alert.The SGH-P520 did manage text and picture messaging tasks well, thanks to a decent T9 system linked up with the on-screen keypad. IMAP email access failed every time with an unknown &quot;server&quot; error, which was most obviously a problem not with the server, but the phone itself. POP email worked fine, though very slowly. Slow also describes the general speed of the EDGE connections that the phone maintained. The Bluetooth system worked well for both mono and stereo headsets, and also supports the DUN profile.  [next]Multimedia / ApplicationsThe SGH-P520 Armani phone from Samsung is adequately equipped for most typical multimedia type functions. The on-board 3 megapixel digital camera, which is equipped with a flash, takes reasonable photos as long as the subject is not too close and there is plenty of light, and it appears tailored for scenery shots rather than people shots. The camera's user interface is nice and intuitive and easy to use, and I like how swiping motions can be used to change the digital zoom or brightness level, even though this is not obvious. The photo viewer application, however, is painfully slow at times and even though it, too, has a nice interface, the overall sluggishness of the system detracts greatly from the user experience. The camera can be used for recording decent video clips at up to 352x288 pixel resolution. The P520 has about 60MB of internal storage available and ships with a 1GB microSD card in the box.The music player on the Armani phone suffers from the same basic problem as the camera: sluggish performance. The user interface in the media player is quite novel and easy to use if you can ignore the performance issues. Music playback quality was always top notch, but it is quite obvious at times that the phone's CPU really struggles with juggling the playback and UI tasks. The simple act of starting a new song, for example, leaves the user with a long pause where the phone appears to have not even noticed the play command, and the finger dragging motions used to control volume and in-track seeking also seem to be more than the phone can handle at times. The music player itself supports a wide array of features, and technically works well with all of them, even background music playback, it is just that the UI sluggishness makes the app a bit of a chore to use for all but the most basic music tasks.Chore is a good word for describing the use of the built-in web browser, too. One would think that with the ability to use a finger to control a web page, the browser would be great for reading and viewing long pages. The opposite is true. Users are forced to use either the supplied on-screen arrow keys, which eat up a log of screen real estate, or finger gestures to move from one link to the next. It is not really possible scroll the display normally with a finger or otherwise. Instead, scrolling is done by moving from link to link with repeated finger swipes or arrow key presses. It is a rather painful experience. Apart from navigation, the browser does a reasonable job of rendering mobile specific websites, and can make readable representations of more complex sites most of the time.  [next]&nbsp;&nbsp; User InterfaceIt is easy to see that the finger based touch user interface on the Armani phone is one of Samsung's first. It is generally awkward to use, and requires too many screen taps to get a task done and managed to often misinterpret dragging motions (used for scrolling through menus) as regular taps. Visually it is a decent system, but even then the way it makes currently selected menu items larger throws off the sense of real buttons that it should be trying to emulate. Buttons simply to not get larger when pressed.Samsung has the right idea in that swipe and drag motions are quite useful for a device such as the P520, but it sometimes fails to use them in the most effective way, such as in the web browser. Then there are the numerous inconsistencies in the UI. For example, the keypad and main menu icons that are located at the top of the standby screen can be tapped to bring up their respective functions, which makes sense. However, the speaker icon that sits to their left requires a long press to activate, though the phone gives no indication that this is the case. In fact, I only stumbled across this feature after I finished writing the initial draft of this review. The fact that the main menu requires a single tap to activate an icon while other menus require two taps (one to select, a second to activate) is inconsistent, and I don't like that the hardware call key brings up the call log instead of the dial pad or contacts, which would be more useful.I do like that the main menu, which is a grid of icons, can be navigated by dragging a finger through it, with the system identifying each icon as it is passed over. Something like this is required for other parts of the system, too, since I found the very spartan looking white on black icons to sometimes be difficult to identify. This also leads me to mention that there is no theme support on the Armani phone, so users are stuck with the stock look of the UI - except for being able to change the wallpaper image used on the standby screen. The pop-up notices that appear on the standby screen for missed calls and received messages are nice, though, and the fact that track information shows up there as well when the music player is running is good.Another thing about the UI on the Armani phone that just boggles my mind is the lack of haptic feedback when the alphanumeric keypad (with or without T9) is used. While all other screen taps cause a gentle vibration effect, the parts of the system that need it most sorely, dialing and text entry, make do with just the basic tapping tone. Text entry is already reasonably accurate due to good touchscreen hardware, but could have been so much better if Samsung had just followed through.  The new Samsung touch UI has some decent potential, but at this point I think it, and especially the applications that use it, just isn't ready for a production level device. Especially a pricey, high-end cell phone such as the SGH-P520 Armani.Many of the other built-in applications are also not ready for prime-time. The calendar application is good looking, but doesn't support most of the appointment details we have come to expect in a modern phone. The calculator application totally misses the point of a touchscreen device by making the user switch input modes to get all of the math functions keys to be accessible, and then force them back to the number mode after they have picked the + or x key - just like switching modes in a text message editor. There are a fair number of other apps, like a stopwatch, timer, world clock, and converter, but most of them are adequate, at best.On paper the Samsung SGH-P520 Armani phone looks like a solid phone. The physical design is quite good, the touchscreen seems to work well, and it even appears to offer good reception characteristics. Sure the lack of 3G data will bother some, but I feel that the biggest faults in the device are its poor user interface and the sluggish performance of the multimedia applications, which are otherwise quite good. If you are looking for the Armani name, or just a very small credit card sized phone, then perhaps the P520 will suit you. But even with the solid physical design and good looks, I just can't recommend this device to users.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Samsung]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>2:48:52 AM, December 31, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="16">
<title><![CDATA[Nokia's 5mp N82 Cameraphone]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/200712/nokia_16.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[   The Nokia N82 is the latest high-end imaging-focused device from the Finnish manufacturer. With a Xenon flash, a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, and video capture at 30 frames per second, the Nokia N82 is set to replace the venerable N73 in the Nseries imaging lineup. Going back to the candy bar form factor that Nokia is known for, does the Nokia N82 set the benchmark high for other multimedia handsets?Physical AspectsThe Nokia N82 measures 112mm x 50mm x 17.3mm (4.4&quot; x 2&quot; x .7&quot;) and weighs 114g (4oz). The N82 is one of the first Nseries candy bar phones since the Nokia N73. It feels solid in the hand, and the sides are slanted slightly to offer better grip. There are no creaks when handling the N82, even though the body's cover is made from plastic. The only noise that I can coax out of this phone comes from pressing down on the d-pad. When I first received the device, there was a clicking sound, as if the membrane inside was sticking to the physical button. However, as expected, after some use the sound has disappeared. The back of the device sports a geometrical striped design with a smooth surface that, unfortunately, attracts fingerprints easily. The Nokia N82 is currently only available in a white and silver color scheme, though more colors have been promised for Q1 2008.The display on the N82 is a 2.4&quot; 16.7 million color TFT screen, with 240 x 320 pixel resolution. The display is mounted flush with the front of the handset, and is protected by a polished layer of plastic. This causes some readability issues in direct sunlight due to glare, but otherwise, the N82's display is bright and easy to read. Above the display is the speaker, an ambient light sensor, and a front-facing VGA-resolution camera for video calling (where supported). This front-facing camera is also handy for self-portraits and MMS video messages.The buttons on the Nokia N82 are different from what I've seen on an S60 device before. However, after some use, I grew to really enjoy using them. The end and send keys are large, and positioned at the left and right edges of the phone, as with the Nokia N81 8GB. Between them lie the softkeys and S60 keys, with the d-pad and its center select button located in the middle. The softkeys and s60 keys are really just 2 rocker-style buttons. Pressing on the top half of the key gets the appropriate softkey function, while pressing on the lower half will trigger the S60 or &quot;c&quot; button. The reduced sized multimedia key is on the right, next to the &quot;end&quot; key and activates the new S60 multimedia menu, made up of panels with nice transition animations to facilitate a smooth look. The numeric keypad is quite different, with very small buttons that are each about the size of a grain of rice, with key labels printed directly above each button. These keys were slightly difficult to get used to, but after some time I have found that they make fast SMS composition much easier, eliminating the problem of accidentally pressing surrounding buttons.On the right side of the handset are the camera shutter button, the gallery button, and the volume rocker. The left side houses the micro-USB data port, the microSD card slot, and the Nokia charging port. The bottom of the device, oddly, has no ports whatsoever. The power button and 3.5mm audio jack are located on the top.  The microSD card slot on the Nokia N82 is covered by a plastic tab that is easily opened and keeps dust and other foreign particles from getting inside. The 5 megapixel camera is located on the back of the N82, with a Xenon flash above the lens, and a lens-cover switch located to the right of the lens. The dual stereo speakers are both located on the right side of the handset, one at the top and the other at the bottom.[next]  Core FunctionsI found the reception strength on the Nokia N82 to be on a par with with other recently tested Nokia handsets, which is to say that it was pretty good. Even in lower-signal areas, the N82 was easily able to hold a call and deliver solid audio quality. Callers stated that they were able to easily hear and understand me, even in areas with quite a bit of background noise. The speaker on the N82, unfortunately, has a bit of a tin-can sound, specifically when the volume is fully turned up, though it is easily activated by pressing the right softkey during a call, and callers can generally be clearly understood when using it. There is some distortion on its loudest setting, though, which can sometimes make it difficult to understand what a caller is saying.The Nokia N82 is based on the Symbian OS, with Nokia's S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1 user interface running on top. Using Nokia's free PC Suite application, users can easily synchronize their N82 with Microsoft Outlook on their home computer, including contacts, calendar, to-do list, and notes. PC Suite also facilitates synchronizing pictures and videos, allowing you to easily manage your multimedia. The contacts application on the N82 is robust, offering support for multiple fields, including addresses, email, and multiple phone numbers. Users can also create caller groups and assign each group its own ringtone, which is really handy for discerning calls from work contacts vs. personal contacts. Individual contacts can also be given their own ringtones, and video ringtones are supported natively as well.Pressing the power button on the N82 quickly brings up a list of profiles that can be customized by going into the 'Tools' folder in the main menu. These profiles control ringtones, volume, vibration, and that sort of thing. There are several preset profiles, and users can easily add their own, as well. Unfortunately, profile scheduling is not built into the S60 UI, but is available on the Nokia N82 via third-party applications.Speed dialing on the Nokia N82 is disabled by default, but can be enabled easily from the Tools folder in the main menu. Numbers 2-9 can be assigned speed dial functions, with the 1 key being fixed for speed dialing voicemail. Once configured, speed dial is activated from the standby screen by pressing and holding the appropriate number for a few seconds. The Nokia N82 also features speaker-independent voice dialing for real convenience. This is activated by pressing and holding the right softkey for a few seconds. A beep will prompt the user to speak, and overall the system is relatively accurate.POP and IMAP email is supported on the Nokia N82, and so are SMS and MMS. The N82 is equipped with an Instant Messaging application, though it uses the generally worthless Wireless Village version, which is not widely supported. The email client does not support HTML email, but is able to download email at user-defined intervals. I was able to setup 3 different email accounts with no issues. There is a mailbox setup wizard included, but it does a very poor job of actually setting up the mailbox, requiring the user to go back and manually set common details, such as username and password.The Nokia N82 sports Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR with A2DP support for stereo headphones. Pairing a Bluetooth device with the N82 is simple through the Bluetooth menu, conveniently located in the Tools folder of the main menu.Nokia estimates the battery life on the N82 to be 9 days of standby and 4 hours of continuous talk time. I tried my best to deplete the 1050mAh battery in one day, but after 24 hours of heavy web usage, several phone calls, a few pictures and a video, the battery meter still showed 3 bars. The Nokia N82 will easily last through a weekend trip without any extra juice, however, extensive use of the camera's Xenon flash will deplete the battery more quickly than normal.[next]Multimedia / ApplicationsThe Nokia N82 is part of Nokia's Nseries lineup, which is focused on multimedia. Obviously, the N82's focus is on imaging. With a 5 megapixel camera, auto-focus, a Carl Zeiss lens, and a Xenon flash, the N82 is a serious competitor for some entry-level standalone digital cameras. The N82 superbly records video at 30 frames per second, which means that the resulting video is incredibly nice for viewing nearly anywhere.The camera is activated by sliding the lens-cover switch to reveal the Carl Zeiss lens. This brings up the familiar S60 camera application, with a floating toolbar on the right side of the screen for setting things such as the scene mode, flash, and self-timer. Shown in the bottom left corner of the screen are the current quality settings and the number of pictures that can be taken in the available storage space. As with other Nseries devices from Nokia, the N82 is designed to be held horizontally, like a regular digital camera. Pressing the camera shutter button slightly causes the camera to focus, and then pressing it all the way takes a picture. Significant improvements have been made to increase the speed of the camera, including start-up time and processing time. The N82's camera speed brings it one step closer to typical point-and-shoot digital cameras.   The quality of the resulting pictures is truly astounding. Edges are sharp, colors are true, and it's honestly one of the best cameraphone experiences I've ever had. The Xenon flash makes a big difference when snapping pictures in low light situations, and the macro mode is simply awesome.The music player on the Nokia N82 is the same one that ships on the newer S60 devices like the N95 and N81 8GB. Pressing the multimedia button takes you to the new menu, where you can easily see the currently playing track, as well as how many tracks are on your device, and how many podcasts you have. In the 'Library' view you can browse your music by artist, album, genre, and composer, in addition to viewing (and creating) playlists. The 'Now Playing' view shows the album art, if loaded, as well as the track title and artist, and the functions of the d-pad for controlling your music. Under the 'Options' menu you can set the shuffle and repeat settings, as well as access a fully-featured equalizer and some visualization options. The music player can also run in the background by pressing the multimedia key again.The S60 web browser is known to offer an incredible web experience, and the browser on the Nokia N82 is no exception. It is able to render full websites, but also shows itself as a mobile browser, so that sites with a mobile-optimized version, including MobileBurn.com, deliver a better experience. One feature that I really enjoy is auto-bookmarks, which is somewhat like a history feature. This makes it really convenient to pick up where you left off when browsing, and stores the information for several days.  Using a mini-map feature, the S60 web browser brings a desktop browsing experience to your mobile phone. Mini-map shows a zoomed-out view of an entire web page, with a small magnifying box that allows you to select the part of the page you want to view. The S60 browser also features a built-in RSS news feed reader so that you can easily subscribe to your favorite RSS feeds.The Nokia N82 comes with a read-only QuickOffice v3.8 installed, which allows you to view office documents. A full read-write version of the suite is available as a paid upgrade. Other useful applications include: notes, a calendar with a to-do list, and a zip manager for compressing and decompressing files. The Nokia Download! application is also available, which offers access to several free applications from Nokia and third party developers, as is the Nokia Software Market. The N-gage preview menu is there, as well, and offers demos of FIFA 07 and Asphalt: Street Rules.The Nokia N82 features a built-in GPS receiver for satellite navigation, and can also use A-GPS for quick satellite locks. The Nokia Maps application is pre-installed, offering users free navigation, though voice-guided turn-by-turn instructions are a paid upgrade.[next]User InterfaceThe Nokia N82 uses Nokia's S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1 user interface, which offers a large degree of customization. The standby screen supports what Nokia calls Active Standby. Active Standby offers a row of user-changeable application shortcuts at the top, for quick access to your favorite functions/applications. Below that, is a phone search utility that allows real-time searching of the phone's content, in addition to the ability to search the internet. The Active Standby will also show any upcoming appointments from your calendar, and whether there is a WiFi network available. If you have the music player running, there will be an additional entry on this screen that tells you the track title and artist.The S60 menu key is located directly below the left softkey, and has two functions. Pressing the menu key once takes you to the main menu, which is a collection of applications and folders. Users can easily create folders, and move applications in and out of the folders to organize the main menu however they see fit. Here, the left softkey act as the &quot;Options&quot; menu and offers the commands to move an application into or out of a folder, as well as create new folders, and sub-folders within those folders. If you press and hold the menu key for a few seconds, the task manager appears. This is a list of the currently running applications. Pressing the 'c' button with any of these applications highlighted will close it, and selecting a highlighted application with the d-pad select button will bring it to the foreground. It's worth noting, however, that the music player will not quit in this way, and needs to be closed from the option menu within the player itself.Found below the right softkey is the multimedia button that provides a shortcut to the new S60 multimedia screen. This is presented as a series of panels focused on a specific function, such as imaging, music, or navigation. You can scroll through these panels using the d-pad, and select a panel function with the d-pad's center button. Using the options menu on the left softkey, you can also rearrange these panels as you see fit.The Nokia N82 supports themes, which can be used to change the background image, as well as the icons and color schemes used throughout the phone. There are also two ways to view the menus, either in a grid format or in a list. When in grid mode, the numeric keypad can be used as shortcuts in the menu screens. For instance, in the main menu, pressing the '1' key will select the icon in the top left of the screen, and so forth.A fun feature of the Nokia N82 is the auto-rotate functionality. Using an accelerometer, the N82 can detect whether you are holding it upright or horizontally, and automatically rotate the screen appropriately. This is universal throughout the entire UI, which makes it easy to use the display in landscape mode for things such as web browsing or viewing photos. Users can also disable the feature in the settings, if it's unwelcome. I found it to be very accurate, though, and felt it really added to the user experience.   [next]ConclusionThe Nokia N82 is definitely the current king of imaging in the Nseries family, and a serious match for most of the stand-alone point and shoot digital cameras on the market. The build quality is phenomenal, and the battery life is top notch, as well. The Xenon flash on the N82 really makes a difference, and the auto-focusing Carl Zeiss lens make for some really nice pictures, even for printing, which is a feat for any cameraphone. The only camera related complaint that I have with the N82 is that it does not stand on its own for timed shots, meaning that a tripod or stand of some sort is required. The lack of US WCDMA (850/1900MHz) support is also disappointing, but something I've come to expect from Nokia, sadly. But based on everything that the N82 does, and does so well, I rate the Nokia N82 as &quot;Highly Recommended.&quot;]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Nokia]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>2:10:55 AM, December 24, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="15">
<title><![CDATA[Samsung Blackjack II for AT&T]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/200712/Samsung-15.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[  The original Samsung SGH-i607 BlackJack was a great phone that was hampered by pretty poor battery life, like many of the thin QWERTY equipped smartphones of the past. In spite of that issue, the BlackJack was still a very popular cell phone for AT&amp;T (then Cingular). This time around, Samsung has addressed the battery issue and added a few new goodies to the mix, like a d-pad that serves double duty as a scroll wheel. The resulting device is a millimeter or two bigger in height and width, and an extra 10g heavier, but those minor tradeoffs are well worth the results.[next] Physical AspectsThe new SGH-i617 features the same basic form factor and design as the original BlackJack. The phone's flat block shape tapers down at the bottom, giving the phone a pleasing look and an equally pleasing feel in the hand. The lines used by Samsung's designers are all very clean and soft, with the only exceptions being the squared corners on the buttons found in the d-pad control cluster beneath the display. New for the BlackJack II is the piano black glossy finish on the cover, which makes the phone something that any CSI investigator would love to find at a crime scene. It is worth noting that the wine red version has a textured back cover that doesn't show fingerprints, but it still has a glossy front cover.The display on the BlackJack II has a 2.4&quot; screen that can render 65,000 colors. This QVGA resolution screen is crisp and colorful, and can be set to any one of 5 brightness levels, all of which I found to be quite workable. It has an almost paper-like appearance to it that I just love. The aforementioned control keys and d-pad all work quite well and are attractively designed. The BlackJack II's d-pad scroll function works better than the one found on the T-Mobile Shadow that we recently reviewed, and proved itself to be quite useful. I do think that it would work even better if it had a more fingertip grabbing radial pattern on it instead of its concentric circles design, which doesn't provide enough grip for dry and cold wintertime fingers.The d-pad isn't the only thing that lacks a bit of grip on the SGH-i617. The phone's otherwise stellar QWERTY keyboard's keys have the same glossy surface as the rest of the device, something that makes them a bit slick at times. The older BlackJack didn't have that problem, though it did suffer from a strange number key layout that has been fixed on the new model. The new BlackJack II also has a couple of additional shortcuts keys that I find quite handy. Overall, it is an exceedingly good keyboard, it just could have been a tad bit better if it had kept the old design's matte finish.The remainder of the device is pretty simple. A nicely shaped volume rocker control is found at the top of the left edge of the phone, and the multi-purpose power/data/headset port is located directly beneath it. I would have preferred for this port to have been on the bottom of the device, though, as side-mounted headsets are a real problem in pockets. A power button is located on the top of the device, which I like since it also calls up the Quick List menu. A small multi-color status LED is located nearby. It provides information about charging and new events, like received messages. The right edge of the phone is bare except for the microSD slot, and the nicely sculpted back cover of the phone bulges out where the 2 megapixel camera is located. Otherwise, the rear cover is plain except for the subtle Samsung logo.The Samsung SGH-i617 sports a near perfect design for a messaging smartphone. It weighs only 116g (4.1oz) and measures 114mm x 61mm x 13mm (4.5&quot; x 2.4&quot; x .5&quot;) in size, with an additional 2mm bulge for the camera. That's not bad at all. There are a few little snags, like the glossy surfaces, but overall it is one of the most elegant and practical QWERTY phone designs on the market.[next]  Core FunctionsSamsung's SGH-i617 BlackJack II is a tri-band UMTS/HSDPA handset that also happens to support all four of the major GSM frequency bands. While it won't support the new AWS (1700MHz) 3G networks, like the one T-Mobile USA is rolling out soon, it will work on pretty much any other GSM or UMTS network in the world. The audio quality of the calls we made on AT&amp;T's 3G network was fantastic, and the speakerphone performed equally well, being one of the most clear and usable ones that we have come across this year. The phone also supports AT&amp;T's one-way video calling service, which is called Video Share. Samsung tackled the battery issue of the elder BlackJack model by equipping the BlackJack II with a massive 1700mAh battery, perhaps the largest we've ever seen in a regular phone. This helped the SGH-i617 to manage 5.75 hours of talk time on a predominantly 3G connection; a mighty impressive feat. Standby time is rated at 14 days, which seems optimistic, but the BlackJack II is easily capable of running for two full days with average use, something the original model could only have dreamed of.The contacts system on the Samsung BlackJack II is well organized and very complete, something that is common to all Windows Mobile 6 Standard edition handsets. Most any imaginable piece of information can be stored in a contact record, from typical things like phone numbers, custom ringtones, and a photo, to more obscure details like &quot;Government ID&quot; and &quot;Manager&quot;. The contact editor in WM6 isn't the best organized on the market, but it is able to get the job done. Contact searching is simple: you just start typing a name with the keyboard and the contacts list appears, drilling down further with each key press. First and last name can be searched for at the same time by adding a space to the search string: &quot;J D&quot; would quickly find John Doe, for example.The profiles system on WM6 Standard devices is not amazing, but generally robust enough for most users to survive with. While it is not possible to assign separate ringtones to the different profiles, each profile can be configured in fine detail as to how it will interact with the user when it comes to phone calls, received messages, alarms, and other notices. Each individual type of ring/alarm/notice can be configured in a profile in various combinations of different vibration types and sound volumes. Windows Mobile 6 Standard also offers an automatic profile that will switch the phone automatically into vibrate mode during any appointments in your calendar, and then switch back to normal when they are over. The profiles can most easily be accessed from the Quick List, which is called up with a brief press of the phone's power button.WM6 has a flexible speed dial system that lets speed dial numbers be assigned not only to contacts, but also to applications. Applications are linked to a speed dial from within the Start menu, by using the right softkey's 'menu' function. Once assigned to either a contact or application, a speed dial can be accessed by long-pressing the associated key on the keypad. Sadly, though, just as was the case with the original BlackJack, AT&amp;T and Samsung chose not to include Microsoft's wonderful Voice Command speaker independent voice dial application. It can be purchased separately from Microsoft for US$39.99. Without it, or a similar 3rd party application, there is no voice dialing capability on the BlackJack II.The Samsung BlackJack II supports traditional SMS and MMS messaging as well as email and IM. The included IM app integrates MSN, AIM, and Yahoo! messengers into one central location that is quite easy to use. The email support on the BlackJack II is also very good, thanks to the inclusion of Microsoft's Exchange Activesync system that can deliver push email as well as synchronize appointments, contacts, and tasks over the air - though not notes. When the phone is paired with an Exchange 2007 server, users can even search for messages that are stored on the server, but not the phone, which can be tremendously handy. The solid messaging app on the BlackJack II also supports regular IMAP and POP based email accounts, with all accounts of all types, except for IM, being handled by the main messaging application. Users can easily switch from one account to the next by pressing left or right on the d-pad. The BlackJack II can also be synchronized with desktop apps like Outlook by using Bluetooth or the included USB cable.The HSDPA capable Samsung BlackJack II managed to pull down data at rates ranging from 650Kbps in average signal areas to speeds just shy of 1000Kbps in stronger signal areas on DSLreports.com's mspeed site. The solid 3G performance helps mitigates the fact that the BlackJack II lacks WiFi support. Like most WM6 devices, the BlackJack II supports a wide array of Bluetooth profiles that include A2DP stereo and regular headsets. It is worth noting that the BlackJack II lacks Microsoft's Internet Sharing application that allows the phone to be used as a USB modem. [next]  Multimedia / ApplicationsOne of the upgrades that the new Samsung BlackJack II received is an improved camera. The new model sports a fixed-focus, 2 megapixel shooter that takes pretty good photos in most real world situations - as long as the subject is not too close. The automatic white balance works reasonably well, and all of the various settings are very easily navigated. The camera is also capable of recording video clips at QVGA resolution. Samsung really went over the top when it came to camera sound effects, though. Changing the digital zoom and brightness levels with the d-pad causes sounds reminiscent of Space Invaders to erupt loudly from the phone. They are featured in the video located at the bottom of this page.The music playing abilities of the SGH-i617 are pretty standard for a WM6 handset, which is to say that they are good overall. Samsung provides its own skin for the Microsoft Windows Media Player that displays a graphical equalizer looking effect that is enjoyable, but seems like it might slow down the device a tad. I was able to easily sync the BlackJack II with my desktop computer's Windows Media Player application, but users can sync with any other MTP compatible application as well, such as Winamp. Samsung does not include any wired stereo headphones or a 3.5mm adapter with the BlackJack II, so I tested the music out with a pair of Bluetooth wireless Motorola S9 headphones. Everything worked well.Samsung and AT&amp;T have loaded up the BlackJack II with a decent array of applications that go beyond the traditional smartphone calendar, calculator, tasks, and notes apps. For starters, the included RSS feed reader is really excellent and I am glad to see it included as standard equipment. A PDF viewer, a stopwatch, a unit converter, and a world clock are also included. A non-GPS enabled version of Telenav's mapping software can be downloaded for free, but the version that works with the BlackJack II's built-in GPS unit costs US$9.99 per month and requires a call to AT&amp;T customer service to activate. Also included are the read/write versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.The BlackJack II ships with a trial of the excellent XM Radio service, and, like most AT&amp;T 3G handsets, it also comes equipped with links to AT&amp;T's Cellular Video service, AT&amp;T Mall, and AT&amp;T Music store. These sites all run on the built-in Pocket Internet Explorer web browser that is standard to Windows Mobile Devices. The browser is not all that impressive by current smartphone standards, but it works well enough with sites formatted specifically for mobile phones. Other browsers are available for the WM6 platform, and there are plenty of Java applications available in general that can be run on the phone without a hitch.One of the most impressive aspects of the BlackJack II is its available RAM and storage space. When all running apps have been closed manually with the task manager, which is brought up by long-pressing the home key, the SGH-i617 has a massive 81MB of application RAM available. The phone also has roughly 125MB of flash storage available built-in, 100MB of which is available, and has the ability to accept 8GB microSD memory cards.In spite of its business and messaging focus, the BlackJack II puts in a respectable performance when it comes to multimedia, and has a lot of capability when it comes to applications.[next]User InterfaceAs a Windows Mobile 6 Standard device, the Samsung BlackJack II's user interface should be quite familiar to anybody who has used any other WM6 or WM5 device in the past. Like all Windows Mobile 6 Standard cell phones, the BlackJack II has no touch screen. Instead, WM6 relies on the d-pad/scroll-wheel, a pair of softkeys, and the dedicated home and back buttons for navigation. Most applications are launched either from the Start menu, which can be viewed as a list or icon grid, or from shortcuts provided on the home screen by most of the available home screen layouts. Most of these layouts provide a decent amount of basic information at a glance, such as the current day's appointments and counts of any unread messages or missed calls. Samsung has provided a number of their own layouts with custom plug-ins that I also like very much. As is always the case with WM6 devices, the color scheme used by the UI can be changed to suit the user's preference.The main menu of a WM6 device is accessed by pressing the left softkey from the home screen. The icons in the start menu are arranged somewhat haphazardly and can't be reordered by the user. The system supports folders, but there is no simple mechanism for the user to create them without resorting to manual changes made with the included File Explorer app. As is the case in most all parts of the WM6 user interface, the right softkey brings up a pop-up list of additional options, the left is associated with the most common task for the given screen or currently highlighted item, and the d-pad's center button acts as the select key to activate the currently selected program or item.From anywhere in the system, users can press the dedicated home key to get back to the home screen (the red call end key serves the same function). The dedicated back key can be used during navigation to move back a screen or two without having to start over again from the home screen. While there are a few situations where the back key will not work as expected, the situation has been much improved over what Windows Mobile 5 users experienced.Beyond the custom home screen layouts, Samsung has included a few additional tweaks to the BlackJack II's user interface. To start with, Samsung equipped the phone with user configurable application shortcuts (accessed with the Fn key) as well the previously mentioned dedicated keyboard keys. Additionally, a screen zoom function can also be easily accessed by long-pressing the camera key on the keyboard. While it is interesting to use, I don't really see the true value of being able to pan and zoom around the phone's display. But it is fun to play with, at least.    [next]ConclusionSamsung's original BlackJack, the SGH-i607, was a very good device that had a couple of serious flaws. This new i617 variant addresses a number of them, including the biggest problem with the original: battery life. The BlackJack II still lacks voice dialing, which is disappointing for a business phone, and I am not very fond of the new glossy exterior, but overall the BlackJack experience has improved greatly.With its gobs of RAM, great keyboard, crisp display, and solid battery life, the new BlackJack II has earned its place among the best QWERTY phones on the market, including RIM's fantastic BlackBerry Curve 8300 series. If Windows Mobile is your thing, the new BlackJack II is very likely the best non-touchscreen QWERTY smartphone on the market. It has a great form factor, robust capabilities all around, and won't require daily recharging. That's easily enough to earn it a &quot;Highly Recommended&quot; rating from this fan.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Samsung]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>12:27:06 AM, December 19, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="14">
<title><![CDATA[T-Mobile's Shadow, a Smartphone for Novices]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/200712/others_14.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[    The T-Mobile Shadow, built by HTC, is the first Windows Mobile 6 device to sport Microsoft's new Neo home screen. Neo is an attempt at making the power of a smartphone accessible to novice users, users that have traditionally shied away from such devices because of its complexity. On top of that, the Shadow has a very compelling design, and offers messaging fans a new 20 key QWERTY-like keypad that should make the phone's XT9 predictive text input system both faster and more accurate. That's something that goes well with the Shadows built-in IM clients, email and SMS support, and large 2.6&quot; display.[next]Physical AspectsThe T-Mobile Shadow is one of the few Windows Mobile devices on the market that makes use of the slider form factor. The design allows the Shadow to use a massive 2.6&quot; main display while still having enough room left over for a full control cluster and a 20 key alphanumeric keypad. The Shadow isn't small, at 104mm x 52mm x 16mm (4.1&quot; x 2.0&quot; x .6&quot;), but it is pretty light for its size: only 108g (3.8oz).The display itself is a 65k color unit with QVGA (240x320 pixel) resolution. There is no brightness control, automatic or otherwise, on the Shadow, but it does have a power saving dim mode that it enters after a user configured number of seconds. After a second user configurable timeout, the display turns off completely. When the display is on, text is crisp and bright and very easy to read.Beneath the display is the main control cluster. The controls include a pair of softkeys, a pair of larger home and back function keys, the red and green call keys, and the dual-mode d-pad that can also be rotated to act like a scroll wheel. The d-pad works very well for normal up/down/left/right navigation, and is passable for scrolling. My impression is that the scroll wheel works fine physically, but that the software support in certain sections of the phone is not calibrated well. Either way, it is very nice to have in certain situations. I also like that the center of the d-pad glows a soft green color for a short time when a new message arrives. A pair of small LEDs near the earpiece of the phone provides long term status information for new messages and charging.The last major attraction on the Shadow is its 20 key hybrid keypad/keyboard. Looking very much like the SureType keyboard RIM developed for the Pearl 8100, the 20 keypad on the Shadow improves upon the accuracy of predictive systems like T9 without requiring the 50+ keys found on a traditional QWERTY keyboard. It has some issues, which I will talk about later, but in general it works very well for light messaging. The keys themselves are very large and stable, and offer nice, consistent tactile feedback. There is a bit of a problem with the backlight, though. The backlight for the keypad and the softkeys will sometimes turn off and not turn back on even if the d-pad is clicked or scrolled. This can be a real problem when using the device in the dark, as you have to hit a keypad button (that you can't really see) in order to get the backlight to turn back on.The rest of the physical design of the Shadow is very nice, as well. While the gold-green color scheme of our review unit might not suit everybody, few will take issue with the build quality of the device or the nice soft-touch paint used on its back cover. Other controls on the Shadow include a volume rocker, a camera shutter button, and a user configurable shortcut key, which I used for messaging and voice dialing. A microSD memory card slot and the miniUSB power/data/headset port are also easily accessible on the left side of the phone, even though the attached covers seem to be a bit stubborn during removal. The 2 megapixel camera lens and speaker grille for the ringtones are located on the back of the device.Apart from the sometimes slow scroll wheel response, I truly love the physical design of the Shadow. It is simple, comfortable to hold and use, and has elegant lines and curves.[next]  Core FunctionsWhile the T-Mobile Shadow puts in a very strong showing when it comes to design, the device starts to exhibit some weaknesses when we look at traditional phone functionality. The Shadow's quad-band GSM antenna puts in a pretty good showing, but the device falls short when it comes to call audio quality and battery life. The inbound audio quality on the Shadow can sound a bit rough at times, though still passable, but the phone's true Achilles heel is its battery. The phone's 920mAh battery is often not enough to get a typical user through a full day - especially if advanced features like push email are enabled. Our Shadow managed 3 hours and 52 minutes of talk time in our test, coming up way short of T-Mobile's rated value of 5 hours. The device is also rated for 6 days of standby, which we find optimistic. The device sh or 6 days of standby time. While those numbers are similar to the rated figures for T-Mobile's Dash and Wing, also made by HTC, in reality the Shadow comes up short.Like other Windows Mobile 6 Standard devices, the contacts system on the T-Mobile Shadow is well organized and very complete. Nearly any conceivable piece of information can be stored in a contact record, from typical things like phone numbers, custom ringtones, and a photo, to more obscure details like &quot;Government ID&quot; and &quot;Manager&quot;. The contact editor could have been better optimized for dealing with all of those options, but at least the raw capability is there. Contact searching is simple: you just start typing a name with the keypad or keyboard and the contacts list appears, drilling down further with each key press. The phone matches what you type with both first and last names. The Shadow also comes equipped with an application that will let users sync their contacts with T-Mobile's servers so that they can edit them on T-Mobile's website, which is pretty handy.The profiles system on WM6 Standard devices is relatively simple, but generally adequate. While it is not possible to assign separate ringtones to the different profiles (such as Normal and Meeting), each profile can be configured in fine detail as to how it will interact with the user when it comes to phone calls, received messages, alarms, and other notices. Each individual type of ring/alarm/notice can be configured in a profile in various combinations of different vibration types and sound volumes. There is even an automatic profile mode that will switch the phone into vibrate mode during any appointments in your calendar, and then switch back when they are over. The profiles can most easily be accessed from the Quick List, which is called up by holding down the home key for a second or two. Some home screen layouts also allow the profile to be easily changed.[next] WM6 has a flexible speed dial system that lets speed dial numbers be assigned not only to contacts (in the contact viewer), but also to applications. Applications are linked to a speed dial from the main menu's right softkey 'menu' function. Once assigned for either a contact or application, a speed dial can be accessed by long-pressing the associated key on the keypad. An equally useful function is the speaker independent voice dialing and command system that is on the Shadow. Not only can the voice command system be used to effortlessly dial contacts, but it can even announce callers, read received email or text messages aloud, or be used to cue up songs in Windows Media Player.The T-Mobile Shadow supports traditional SMS and MMS messaging as well as email and IM. The included IM app integrates ICQ, AIM, and Yahoo! Messengers into one central location. MSN instant messaging is handled by Microsoft's own built-in application. The email support on the Shadow is also very good, thanks to the inclusion of Microsoft's Exchange Activesync system, which can deliver push email as well as synchronize appointments, contacts, and tasks over the air. The solid messaging app on the Shadow also supports regular IMAP and POP based email accounts. Users can easily switch between SMS/MMS and email accounts by pressing left or right on the d-pad. The Shadow can also be synchronized with desktop apps like Outlook by using Bluetooth or a USB cable.Data tasks on the Shadow are handled primarily by the phone's EDGE and WiFi systems. EDGE data can't compare to any of the 3G technologies available today, but the Shadow's WiFi system performed well, pulling data down at rates over 1300Kbps according to DSLReports.com's mobile speed test. The Shadow also supports a wide variety of Bluetooth profiles, including support for both stereo and regular headsets, and the USB port can also be used for speedy data transfers or for using the phone as a wireless modem with the Internet Sharing app.[next]  Multimedia / ApplicationsMost Windows Mobile 6 devices come with a fairly standard array of applications for entertainment and personal organization. To that end, the T-Mobile Shadow has the standard calendar, tasks, and calculator applications. It also comes equipped with a notepad, world clock and alarm, and the normal Microsoft Mobile Office suite: Excel Mobile, Word Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile, in addition to OneNote. These office applications can be used to view and edit existing documents, but can not be used to create brand new documents on the phone.There are a few other 3rd party apps on the phone, but not many. Adobe's PDF viewer is on board, as is the previously mentioned IM application. The Shadow supports 3rd party Java applications as well as native WM6 apps. With 135MB+ of built-in storage and over 100MB of application RAM, there is plenty of room for users to install additional applications. A microSD card slot means that there is a lot of potential space for media files as well.Between its Windows Media Player application and its included 3.5mm headset adapter and Bluetooth stereo support, the T-Mobile Shadow is fairly capable of acting as an MP3 player. The Windows Media Player might be awkward to use at times, especially when it comes to creating playlists on the phone, but it plays the actual music tracks quite well and synchronizes easily with a desktop computer via the supplied USB cable. The integration with the new Neo home screen, complete with album art, is pretty nifty and makes the music easier to access.While devices built by HTC have historically had poor cameras, the 2 megapixel imager on the Shadow turns in a pretty good performance. Its fixed focus lens is tuned for portraits more than landscapes, which should work for most people. The photos have a nice colorful look to them, and the white balance system performs pretty well. The camera can also record video in one of three formats: H.263, MPEG4, and Motion JPEG (commonly used in dedicated digital cameras). The camera user interface is simple to understand and use. There really is very little to complain about overall.[next]  User InterfaceWhen it comes to user interfaces, typically every Windows Mobile device looks like pretty much every other Windows Mobile device - at least among versions (i.e. Standard vs. Professional). That is not the case with the Shadow, which uses a new Microsoft developed home screen. Neo, as the home screen was known as during development, integrates some features that were originally developed for Photon (Windows Mobile 7) into the existing WM6 codebase. The goal is to put a friendlier face on a smartphone that novices will be able to adapt to without the normally steep learning curve.To that end, Neo arranges the major functions of the phone into a series of full screen panels that can be navigated through by moving up and down on the d-pad. The phone starts on the home panel (or MyFaves, if your account includes that), and includes panels for notifications, messaging, calendar, web browsing, windows media, photos, and, finally, settings. Once the proper panel is selected, the user can then navigate to specific functions of that type by moving left or right on the d-pad. When at the particular panel they need, the user simply presses the d-pad button or the context sensitive right softkey. I particularly like how Windows Media Player, and its album art, and the photo viewer are integrated into Neo.Neo lets users easily find the function or setting they need, but it doesn't provide the all-in-one screenful of information that the other Windows Mobile home screen configurations do. Luckily, there are a large number of those provided as well. The T-Mobile home screen layouts are quite good, integrating appointments, connect management, musicm and messaging into one screen. Check out our video to get a better look at Neo in action.Apart from the Neo home screen, though, the rest of the user interface on the T-Mobile Shadow appears to be stock. In general it works well, but I did notice a few quirks from time to time, some of which having to do with slider specific functions. For instance, when an appointment reminder goes off and the screen is locked (something it can do automatically), opening the phone will cause the alert to disappear before the user can acknowledge it.The new scroll wheel is also sometimes a problem. In certain applications it works fine, coasting through menus and screens easily. Other times, though, it just is too slow to be used practically. In the main icon grid Start menu, it takes a little less than a third rotation to move from one icon to the next. A bit slow, but fine. One turn moves down 5 email messages in the Inbox, which is good, but it takes 3 complete rotations to scroll a single page when reading an email or a web page. Luckily the d-pad click method is always available.   ConclusionThe T-Mobile Shadow is one fun handset to own and use. It is good looking, has some nice user interface enhancements, and can even take a nice photo. It has a lot going for it, but the poor battery life is more than enough to keep the Shadow from getting our highest ranking. But because of all of the things it does well, it still earns a &quot;Recommended&quot; rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Others]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>12:03:09 AM, December 17, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="13">
<title><![CDATA[Samsung Blast for T-Mobile USA]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/200712/Samsung-13.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[    Samsung's SGH-T729, AKA the Blast, is a stylish and slender slider phone that is being offered in the USA by T-Mobile. It appears that the emphasis here is meant to be on text messaging, based on a number of integrated instant messaging clients and the QWERTY-like layout of the Blast's 20 key keypad.Our test unit of the Samsung Blast arrived in a two-tone finish. The front is matte black and the back side of the handset is a shiny metallic looking red. The red finish looks good, but I have my doubts about how well it will hold up to abuse, since our test unit already had a small gouge in it. It's worth noting, however, that there were no additional scratches at the end of our evaluation, and fingerprints were scarcely evident after handling. Altogether this adds up to a very nice looking package, especially with its slim 106mm x 52mm x 13mm (4.2&quot; x 2.0&quot; x 0.5&quot;) dimensions and its scant weight of 79.4g (2.8oz).As with most sliders, the d-pad and a number of buttons surrounding it are just below the display while in the closed position. The typical green and red send and end buttons are prominent, with soft keys in the typical upper left and right positions. Two other dedicated keys are available: the left key is a shortcut to T-Mobile's T-Zones and the right key is a shortcut to the MP3 audio player. Directly below the D-pad is a correction key. The remaining exterior buttons include a volume rocker on the left edge and camera shutter key on the right edge. There is no dedicated speakerphone key, but the right softkey performs this function during a call. The speakerphone is loud, though not the clearest I've heard, but it is still very understandable.This leads right into the sound quality on the Blast, which turned in a good result. No complaints from either end of a call. As for T-Mobile's GSM network, I experienced no dropped calls during my time with the Blast, it's internal antenna seeming quite up to the task. Talk time fell in line with the manufacturers reported 5 hours alongside its 8 days of standby time.The slide mechanism operates smoothly, but unfortunately this also reveals the closest thing to a problem with the Blast. The chink in the Blast's armor is its 20 key keypad. I have to admit to not being a fan of QWERTY keyboards on phones in general, and I find this 20 key QWERTY-like layout to be no exception. On top of that, the keypad itself has poor tactile feedback, being one large rubber sheet with raised areas for the individual keys. Each key represent 2 letters of the alphabet at max. This certainly helps with T9 predictive text input, making it more accurate, and I'm sure that a person will get used to the layout after a period of time, but I found it more frustrating than either a full QWERTY key keyboard or a standard 12 keypad. The more annoying thing is when you have to enter a phone number that uses a word to make it easy to remember, such as 1-800-FAKE-NUM. With a 20 key layout like this, you either need to have the letters on a standard 12 key keypad memorized, or you'll find yourself looking for a normal phone in order to figure out the appropriate numbers. Granted this is probably not a frequent occurrence, but it happened to me during testing. Measures have been taken to make the Blast a good messaging phone, and to that end a number of messaging clients have been included, namely AIM, Windows Live, ICQ, and Yahoo! instant messengers. For email, a number of webmail clients including AOL, Gmail, and Yahoo are supported. I read specs claiming that the Blast includes POP3 and IMAP support, but I didn't find a way to configure such accounts.Samsung was first to include an MP3 player in a mobile phone with their uproar some years back, and the Blast doesn't disappoint in this department. The slick display upon activating the audio player gives a map to the d-pad's player controls. There are better audio player UIs on the market today, especially with Apple now on the scene, but the Blast is certainly passable, and available at a far more reasonable price. With an MP3 player onboard, the included support for stereo Bluetooth is certainly a welcome feature. Unfortunately, it appears that Bluetooth is the Blast's only option for stereo playback, as there is no conventional headphone adapter and the included wired headset has only a single earpiece. [next]  The Blast includes a 1.3 megapixel camera that is protected nicely when the sliding mechanism is retracted. With no auxiliary lighting or flash included, you'll be relying on available light, which means it's daytime outdoors and well lit interiors for this camera. Despite these omissions, a surprising number of settings and effects are available for the user's configuration. Preferences can be set to automatically send photos to an online gallery or an email address. Another surprise was the inclusion of a multi-shot mode, which can be set to capture up to 15 frames in rapid succession. Video capture is also available on the Blast. A microSD card slot provides extra storage opportunities for music and photos, however the maximum readable size is 2 gigabytes.Bluetooth connectivity was as simple as can be expected. My Sony Ericsson HBH-608 headset connected with no problems and a TomTom One GPS navigation system was able to connect and receive internet traffic updates without any trouble.Samsung ranks highly on my preferred list when it comes to mobile phone user interface designs. From the main menu with its instantly recognizable and intuitive icons, to the audio player and camera, each element is thoughtfully done and none of the icons left me wondering &quot;What does that mean?&quot; The menus and sub menus were logically categorized, and finding my way to a desired task was never frustrating. With the exception of the 20 key keypad laayout, I had no complaints with the user interface and, truth be told, that QWERTY layout in conjunction with T9 would certainly have to be faster than a conventional keypad layout once you get used to it. Just remember that if you ever have to enter some info into a voice response menu, you may need to take a quick peek at someone else's phone to remind yourself of the traditional alphabetical layout on a standard keypad.Measuring 2.1&quot; and providing 262k color 176x220 pixel resolution, the display screen was outstanding. Both vivid for photographic images, as well as having nice contrast for reading text. In bright sunlight the display remains quite readable.Samsung's SGH-T729 Blast is a decent messaging phone, and while I have my complaints about the keypad layout, the benefits will probably outweigh the drawbacks in the long haul. I'm used to having mobile support for POP3/IMAP mail servers, but many users will be perfectly happy with its support for the major web mail systems. Also in the complaint department; why is it so difficult to include a conventional headset jack? This phone touts a decent music player, but without a Bluetooth stereo headset, you're out of luck.Make no mistake about it, at $39.99 after rebate and a contract agreement with T-Mobile, this is a bargain phone. For that price, the Blast brings a lot of value and also looks great. For the avid text messenger willing to push through the 20 key keypad's learning curve, the Blast should pay dividends in helping you pump out messages more quickly than ever. The Blast brings a full feature set as long as you're comfortable doing it Samsung's way.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Samsung]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Samsung/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>11:41:31 PM, December 13, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="12">
<title><![CDATA[LG's Rumor QWERTY Phone for Sprint]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/LG/200712/lg-12.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[    IntroductionLG's Rumor, offered by Sprint, is a nifty side slider that is aimed at folks wanting a phone geared towards text messaging. With this in mind, a full QWERTY keyboard is part of the package. In addition to advanced text messaging features, the Rumor has a 1.3 mega pixel camera, MP3 audio Player, and the usual assortment of software features. Sprint's EV-DO network is not supported, but with the focus on text communications, broadband internet is less of a priority.Our test unit arrived in matte black, with a blue band dividing the face of the phone from the section housing the QWERTY keyboard and the battery. The black surfaces have a finish that feels good in the hand, sort of a rubberized silky texture which seems to hold up fairly well to everyday wear and tear. The matte finish seems impervious to fingerprints and no scratches were apparent after our time with the handset. You would be forgiven for mistaking the Rumor for a rather large candy bar phone, as that is exactly what it looks like when the QWERTY text messaging keyboard is retracted. Exterior dimensions add up to a slightly chunky 109.5mm x 63mm x 18mm (4.3&quot; x 2.0&quot;x 0.7&quot;) and it weighs in at 116g (4.1 ounces). The Rumor is a little larger than I would like, but quite honestly I didn't care because its slightly above average size and weight yield a nice chunk of extra usability.As I previously mentioned, the phone is set out in the traditional candy bar format and as such has the usual array of numeric keys, soft keys below the display, and a D-pad. You also get dedicated speakerphone and &quot;back&quot; keys for speedy navigation. There are two more soft keys on the right side of the display which come into use when the QWERTY keyboard is extended and the display shifts into landscape mode. Additional buttons on the left side of the phone are the up and down volume keys and the shutter button for the camera, which is rather poorly placed.The QWERTY keyboard slides out to the right and in doing so launches the phone into messaging mode, shifting the display orientation. The slide mechanism feels solid and springs open firmly. All the keys on the phone are nicely backlit. Those on the numeric keypad are illuminated in a vivid blue, while those on the QWERTY keyboard are thoughtfully done in white. This is important, as although the blue would look cool, it's also a bit tougher for the eye to focus on and therefore tends to be fatiguing.[next]  As a standard phone, the LG Rumor leaves you wanting little more. The call quality is as good as I've heard from a phone on Sprint's network, and I was also pleased with the phone's reception performance, as it never once dropped a call. Sprint claims that we can expect 4.5 hours of talk time from the Rumor, and we managed to achieve over 4 hours and 40 minutes with our test unit.The Rumor is not quite a smart phone, but it is purpose built for text communications, giving you several different options for entering text. The usual SMS text messaging is supported, as well as e-mail, and I had no difficulty in setting up a connection to my personal mail server with IMAP (POP is supported as well). Providing quick and easy e-mail access for technophobes, the Sprint also supports five popular web mail services: AOL Mail, AIM Mail, Hotmail, Yahoo!, and Gmail. On top of this, users can keep in touch with various instant messaging services, including AOL, Windows Live, and Yahoo! Messenger. These communications services are complimented by an included mobile web browser which, although functional, is rather unimpressive. To round everything off there is even a menu shortcut to the social networking site of the moment; Facebook. The included MP3 audio player is a nice touch and your music can be read from MicroSD cards up to four gigabytes in capacity. The Rumor features a 3.5mm headphone socket to further enhance the device's MP3 capabilities, which is lucky, considering that LG did not include a headset with our test unit, nor does Sprint list one as an included accessory. A2DP is also supported by the Rumor, making it possible to use a stereo Bluetooth headset, should you desire to listen wire-free. Frequent fliers will be pleased to note that the Rumor also offers an airplane/music mode which effectively shuts down the CDMA radio for safe, uninterrupted music listening while in-flight.The 1.3 megapixel camera is fairly basic with no auxiliary lighting or flash, and as such wins no awards. With this in mind, the best picture results will be with daytime use outdoors and well-lit indoor use. More annoying than the mediocre camera however, is the shutter button placement on the right hand edge of the phone (or the bottom right when in landscape mode). The only comfortable position I found for snapping pictures was to hold the phone with the right hand in portrait mode (vertical) and use the second finger to activate the shutter. The OK button in the center of the D-Pad also operates the shutter, however it seems odd that LG thought to include a dedicated camera shutter button, yet apparently didn't take care in its placement. In landscape (sideways) orientation, pressing the shutter button with the right thumb seemed to be the way to go, although not particularly intuitive. On the plus side, a video mode is featured, as well as the ability to send short videos as e-mail attachments.As mentioned earlier, the Rumor also features Bluetooth connectivity, which performed well in my tests. I was able to easily pair the Rumor with a Sony Ericssonn HBH-608 Bluetooth headset, and a TomTom One GPS navigation unit, however the latter was unfortunately not supported by the phone. The user interface is adequate, if a bit dull. The main menu is presented as a list, with a standard nine items, but personally I prefer the increasingly common 3 x 3 grid of icons found on many phones these days. I suspect LG's reason for choosing a list layout was to maintain consistency for when the display is in landscape mode, but despite this, the menus are logically laid out and I had little difficulty finding my way around. I especially like the way that the Rumor leaps into messaging mode when the QWERTY keyboard is extended, ready to do business.Furthermore, landscape mode is definitely the best way to view the screen for reading or writing messages. It seems tweaked for message reading and writing, perhaps to the detriment of other applications. It offered high contrast for the reading and writing of text, but images both still and video looked somewhat washed-out. These issues were not helped by the display's poor performance in bright sunlight.[next]  ConclusionThe look and feel of the LG Rumor is that of a quality device. The slide mechanism feels solid and the materials used convey a feeling of quality. I came away from this phone being mainly impressed with its effectiveness as an e-mail and messaging device, especially considering that it's only a pinch larger than the typical candy bar phone. Some may not be able to deal with the Rumor's lack of mobile broadband, but not everybody is ready to take the plunge into that level of service. Not only that, but with a $50 rebate and a 2 year contract the handset will only set you back $79, making it a very affordable choice.With regards to multimedia, kudos must be given to LG for supporting the larger 4 gigabyte microSD cards, and the odd placement for the dedicated camera shutter key, although unfortunate, is hardly a deal breaker. However, the lack of EV-DO functionality may send some looking at other devices with more comprehensive connectivity.If you come to this phone wanting an assortment of ways to compose text messages and e-mails, and otherwise keep in touch, the Rumor will not disappoint. Therefore, I confidently give the LG Rumor a &quot;Recommended&quot; rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[LG]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/LG/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>11:33:32 PM, December 10, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="11">
<title><![CDATA[AT&T's USBConnect 881 HSUPA Modem]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/200712/others_11.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[&nbsp; IntroductionWhile I have used and tested a number of 3G broadband access devices for laptop computers over the years, they have all worked on the EV-DO CDMA technologies used by companies like Verizon and Sprint. I've certainly used a number of UMTS/HSDPA phones as well, and have tethered a laptop or two to such a device a number of times, but I've never had a dedicated USB or PC card UMTS 3G modem to try. Until AT&amp;T launched the new USBConnect 881 by Sierra Wireless, that is.[next]Specs and DesignMy first impressions of the device were twofold: it is a fairly large, but has a nice physical design. For starters, I really like how the USB connector gets tucked away in the back of the modem, and how snaps into a number of different angled positions. But considering the fact that the entire 93mm x 39mm x 20mm (3.7&quot; x 1.5&quot; x .8&quot;) body of the modem sits outside of a laptop when in use, connected to a free USB port, it is easy to see some of the inherent advantages of a PC card solution. While the 881 is quite light, at 53g (2.1oz), it has to be unplugged and separately stowed before its host laptop can be safely tossed into a laptop case, something that isn't true of most PC card solutions. On the other hand, such a design as the USBConnect 881 has provides more room for engineers to include additional features.For example, the 881 supports all four GSM/EDGE bands and the 850, 1900, and 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA bands for true world roaming. The 881 also has its own battery that can be used when an extra power boost is needed in weak signal areas. My favorite feature, though, is the built-in flash storage on the 881 that stores all of the needed drivers for a Windows based machine. Just plug the device into a free USB port, and the software gets installed automatically. A Mac driver is freely available from the Sierra Wireless website.[next] PerformanceWhile the USBConnect 881 should have plenty of room for adequate internal antennas, I didn't find it to be a stellar performer in terms of reception - even when compared with AT&amp;T's own 3G mobile phones like the Tilt and the Pantech Duo. In my office, where reception is a bit of an issue, most AT&amp;T 3G phones have little or no trouble finding a 3G signal and putting in pretty consistently fast HSDPA performances. The 881, however, was unable to maintain consistent HSDPA connections even when it was in a static position. While most of the time I had HSDPA download speeds, often the modem would fall back to UMTS, or even, upon a few rare occasions, EDGE.HSDPA download speeds generally ranged from 900 to 1200Kbps, which is very fast indeed. Upload speeds generally ranged from 200 to 350Kbps in most cases, showing that we lack HSUPA support in this part of the Philadelphia area. When I was in an area with reasonably strong AT&amp;T coverage, data speeds were pretty consistent, but I still can't help but feel that the USBConnect 881 is being held back somewhat by its antenna.The other issue I had with the 881 was that it failed to work for me when I was in Amsterdam for a Microsoft event. One of the biggest feathers in the 881's cap is its ability to roam onto networks in most of the world's markets. While the modem definitely saw a number of available Dutch networks in Amsterdam, it was unable to register on any of them so that I could get a data connection. This was due to my not having called AT&amp;T ahead of time to have international roaming added to the account. So keep that in mind before you head across the Atlantic.[next] ConclusionIf your mobile bandwidth needs require both HSUPA and HSDPA access, the ability to roam internationally, and you prefer USB devices to PC card or ExpressCards, then the USBConnect 881 from AT&amp;T might well best suit your needs. At US$49.99 when purchased on AT&amp;T's website, it's a pretty reasonable buy, too. While it isn't the best 3G modem I have used, it still works acceptably well and earns itself a &quot;Recommended&quot; rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Others]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>7:14:51 AM, December 5, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="10">
<title><![CDATA[T-Mobile's Sidekick LX]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/200712/others_10.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[   IntroductionThe Sidekick LX is the latest member of the Sidekick family, and brings quite a feature set. Multimedia is covered by a 1.3 megapixel camera with flash, a built-in music player application, and a microSD card slot for expanded memory. Upgrades from its predecessor, the Sidekick 3, include an improved screen, quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) support, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The question is, does the Sidekick LX live up to the Sidekick family's reputation for being IM/Email powerhouse devices?[next]Physical AspectsThe Sidekick LX weighs in at a hefty 162g (5.7oz) and measures 130mm x 60mm x 17.9 mm (5&quot; x 2.4&quot; x 0.7&quot;). It's no secret that this thing is big and heavy, however Sharp has reduced the size over previous models, especially with regards to the Sidekick's thickness. The build quality is solid, however, with no creaks. The main display swivels up with a very satisfying snap, though there is quite a bit of play throughout the opening motion. The Sidekick LX comes in either navy blue or deep brown, and though the front is a very smooth plastic, there are too many buttons for the handset to show fingerprints. The back is textured to look like leather, which I found to be a nice touch, and helpful for gripping.The Sidekick LX has the most buttons of any phone I've held, not counting the internal QWERTY keyboard. There are a total of ten buttons with varying functions, not including the odd speaker/d-pad combo and trackball. The top edge of the device offers two buttons that appear to be softkeys. Their function seemed to be dedicated to the camera, though in some menus they were assigned new functions. On the bottom of the device is the volume rocker and power button. I found the volume rocker to be poorly placed, as I was constantly pressing it by accident with my thumb. The left end of the Sidekick LX offers the miniUSB port, used for both charging and data transfer, and the 3.5mm audio jack.To the upper left of the main display is an options button, which drops down a sub-menu in each screen with additional options. At the lower left is the jump key, which is used to get back to the main menu. Between the options button and jump key is the speaker, which doubles as a secondary d-pad. The speaker/d-pad only supports up/down/left/right, and cannot be used to select things. It can also be disabled in the menus. The right side of the screen houses the cancel button, which has an appropriate 'X' symbol on it, and the done button, which sports a checkmark symbol. Between these buttons is the trackball, flanked by the end/send keys. The trackball is incredibly useful and has a very distinct 'click' to select. It is also incredibly functional, as it lights up with various status lights.[next]  The display is a generous 3&quot;, 65k million color screen with 400 x 240 pixel resolution. This display is very bright and looks absolutely beautiful. The screen is flush mounted with the front of the phone, which prevents gunk from building up in the corners, and makes keeping it clean a simpler task. Applying a small amount of downward pressure to the top left corner of the Sidekick LX activates the screen's spring-assisted swivel motion, causing it to snap up into place, revealing a well-spaced QWERTY keyboard. However, there is no texture to the QWERTY keyboard, and the buttons are more like well-defined bumps than actual buttons. Tactile feedback is good, and there is a very handy row of numbers at the top. I found typing on the Sidekick LX to be very comfortable, though not something I could do one-handed. The Sidekick LX is very much a two-handed device, which limits the ease of use in certain situations.The QWERTY keyboard, end/send keys, and trackball are well lit, and the backlight is efficiently controlled with a light sensor at the edge of the screen. I found it annoying, however, that the remaining buttons were not backlit at all. On the four corners of the Sidekick LX, hidden in a chrome ring are multi-colored LEDs that flash in varying colors and patterns for specific phone events. I found this lighting scheme to be incredibly useful when using the phone.The Sidekick LX's microSD memory card slot is covered by a tab on the back cover of the phone. This back cover is easily removed, but it's annoying that they didn't make the flap into a door, so that users would not have to remove the backplate to change the memory card. There is also a loop for a lanyard located on the top left corner of the phone. The back of the Sidekick LX houses the 1.3 megapixel camera with flash and self portrait mirror. Most of the time, the two buttons on the top edge of the device are used to activate and control the camera application.[next]  Core FunctionsThe Sidekick LX is a reception superstar. I had trouble finding an area that did not report full signal, and calls were crystal clear everywhere. Callers came through with little distortion, and reported that I sounded great, as well. The speaker on the Sidekick is clear, though it does have somewhat of a 'sweet spot', meaning you'll need to maneuver a bit to get the perfect audio. The speakerphone on the LX is easily activated using one of the keys on the top of the device, and gives quality output, as long as you don't turn it up all the way. At full volume, lows and highs were very distorted, and made for an unpleasant experience. It is plenty loud enough at a few levels below maximum, however. With several profiles to choose from, including light options, vibrate, and ringtones, it's very difficult to miss a call with the Sidekick LX. The vibrate feature is very strong, and there are lights EVERYWHERE on the device, to visually alert you to the call.The basic phone functions are handled in the phone section of the main menu, though you can also get to the Address Book separately. While there is no desktop client that I could find for syncing your Sidekick with your home computer, you can easily setup a My T-Mobile account and access it either from your Sidekick or through a web browser to manage the content on your Sidekick. Unfortunately, the contacts application is somewhat limited. For starters, the only view that I was able to find is the lastname, firstname view at default. Personally, I find it better to view my contacts as firstname lastname. However, beyond that, the contacts directory is very robust, including support for categories (as well as the option to view by category). Editing the information is incredibly easy, and there are a dozen or more pre-set photo caller id pictures available, in addition to being able to choose any image on the handset. I was unable, however, to set custom ringtones for individual callers, which was slightly disappointing.There are several profiles that control ringtones, volume, vibrate, and that sort of thing. Users can switch profiles easily by pressing the volume rocker to scroll through the profiles. Customizing these profiles is accomplished by pressing the submenu/options button from the main menu screen and accessing the settings menu. Each sound profile is heavily customizable, and there is native support for profile scheduling. This is an awesome feature where I can tell the Sidekick LX to activate the Silent profile every evening at 9pm, for instance, and then change back to the Loud profile at 8am the next day. I am extremely pleased with the Sound Profiles settings on the Sidekick LX, and would like to see such options available on other handsets.Speed dial on the Sidekick LX is set from within the Submenu of the Phone application. Numbers 2-9 are available for speed dial, and activating is as simple as pressing the desired number and pressing the send button. The 1 button speed dial is reserved for accessing voicemail. The Sidekick LX does not support voice-dialling, which is a shame.The Sidekick LX is capable of email (both POP and IMAP) and SMS/MMS. Instant Messaging is supported for AIM, Yahoo!, and MSN, and is truly what the Sidekick LX was designed for. Once you are signed in on the platforms you use, the Sidekick LX will automatically sign you in whenever you power the phone on, and new message alerts are delivered in a banner at the top of the display, no matter what screen you're currently in. You can also set light effects and vibration alerts for different IM events. Instant Messaging on the Sidekick LX was the best mobile instant messaging experience I have ever had on a phone, and if that is what you're looking for, look no further. The email system is just as good, with a stellar wizard that helps you setup your accounts. The phone automatically polls for email, though I was unable to determine how often. The Sidekick LX is capable of EDGE data speeds on any of the four GSM frequencies it supports.  The Sidekick LX sports Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, though only headsets and vCard sharing are supported. Pairing a headset with the Sidekick LX is done through the submenu on the main screen, and is very easy and intuitive.Sharp estimates the battery in the Sidekick LX to be good for 6.8 hours of talk time or 4 days of standby time. With the large 1540mAh battery, I was able to easily last through a day of heavy personal usage. This includes being signed on to both AOL and MSN for instant messaging, email activated, as well as several phone calls and some light web browsing. The talk time is slightly exaggerated, though, as I was only able to get 5 hours in my tests. The Sidekick LX is most definitely not a phone you need to tote a charger around for.[next]  Multimedia / ApplicationsThe Sidekick lineup has recently moved deeper into the multimedia area, and the LX is no exception. The 3.5mm audio jack is a welcome addition, allowing the use of any headphones, as well as external speaker systems and the like. The microSD memory card slot is also helpful for storing tons of music, though as mentioned before, it could do with a bit easier access. When connected to a computer via the miniUSB port, the Sidekick LX registers as a mass storage device, allowing the user to load up music without removing the memory card.The music player on the Sidekick LX is incredibly easy to use, offering playlist support in addition to several views such as artist, album, and genre. A nice feature is the ability to queue music as you browse through your library. Another extremely convenient feature is the miniplayer, which is accessed from any screen by pressing the jump button and the done button at the same time. This small player pops up in the center of the screen and allows you to quickly control your music, as well as access your current playlist. This is another small feature that other handset manufacturers should take note of.The 1.3 megapixel camera on the Sidekick LX features an LED flash, though video capture capability is unfortunately not present. The phone is held horizontally and the entire screen becomes the viewfinder. The camera application unfortunately does not have many options, missing features such as brightness or image type. There is also no way to easily upload images to Flickr, Photobucket or any other photo sharing website, which I found surprising. You can, however, easily email or MMS your photos through the camera application.Taking photos with the Sidekick LX is simple enough. Pressing the button on the top right of the device brings up the camera application, and pressing the same button activates the shutter. There is a slight lag between pressing the button and the phone actually taking the picture, and the earlier-mentioned LED flash is completely useless. In most cases, you're better off disabling the flash, as it will only over-brighten images. The photo quality is poor, even for a 1.3 megapixel shooter. On the LX, dark areas are very noisy and images are simply not crisp, providing particularly poor photos in low-light situations.&nbsp;  [next]
Web browsing is handled by the built-in web browser, which offers a  nearly-full desktop internet experience on the handset. The browser appears as a  mobile browser to websites, but is able to handle most regular websites as well.  One nice feature is that the Bookmarks list is pre-populated with actually  useful sites such as Facebook, Mobileburn, and a handful of other sites, neatly  organized into appropriate folders. Another convenient feature is the ability to  send a page via email, MMS, or SMS, to easily share your browsing experience  with others.
The Sidekick LX does not come with an office document viewer or editor  installed, however there is a calendar, notes, and a to-do list feature  available on the handset for managing your time and keeping track of important  tidbits of information. Also included is a Download Catalog, which makes it easy  to find Sidekick-specific applications and other content. I found the catalog to  be full of content, though missing the ability to download and use Java  applications such as Google's Maps for Mobile. There is a Community menu area  with a pre-installed MySpace application that I was unable to test. The Sidekick  LX comes with one game pre-installed, Bob's Journey: To The Center of The Earth.  This is a silly game where you guide Bob, a bouncing yellow ball, through  various levels attempting to save his girlfriend.  [next]  User InterfaceThe Sidekick LX's menu is mostly easy and intuitive to navigate, though I got lost a few times. The main menu is presented as a half-circle of options, some of which allow you to scroll to the right to show more options, opening somewhat like a folder. These cannot be reorganized, unfortunately. You can use either the d-pad/speaker or the trackball to scroll up and down through the main menu, and then to the right in order to view the contents of each menu option. You can also click the trackball to select an application.Once you're in an application, you can press the submenu button to access the application's settings and other options. You can then use the done and back buttons to navigate quickly and easily through the application. I found the menu speeds to be really snappy on the Sidekick LX, with no lag when changing screens at all. The menu layout is consistent throughout the device and is simple to learn.The Sidekick LX features a few preinstalled backgrounds and sound effects, though more can be purchased in the Download Catalog. I was unable to find a way to use a custom image as the background, which was surprising. There is support for themes, including a couple of pre-installed options. The Sidekick LX also features an endless array of button shortcuts, typically involving the submenu or MyFaves button in conjunction with a button on the QWERTY keyboard. For instance, you can press the MyFaves button and the 'i' key to instantly access the instant messaging application. This is a really nice feature, but not something that is highlighted, so you more or less stumble upon the varying shortcuts.[next]  ConclusionThe Sidekick LX is a worthy addition to the Sidekick family, and the 3.5mm audio jack and impressive display are very welcome. The battery life is ample for enjoying all of the features of the handset without having to hunt for a charger throughout the day. However, the camera is merely decent for a 1.3 megapixel, and leaves something to be desired with the lack of video capture and more image editing options. The build quality is superb, and the instant messaging and music player applications should be copied by all. Despite the lack of proper desktop sync and the absence of Java applications, I would rate the Sidekick LX as Highly Recommended.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Others]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>6:51:46 AM, December 3, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="9">
<title><![CDATA[LG's VX8800 Venus for Verizon]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/LG/200711/lg-9.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[    LG's VX8800 Venus for Verizon is a slick little CDMA slider phone that sports dual displays, one of which is touch sensitive. This smaller touchscreen takes the place of the traditional d-pad and softkeys found on most every other phone on the market. The on-screen controls morph to suit the context of the currently used phone function, and make the Venus a phone that is unlike any other phone on the market today. To some extent it might be sitting in the shadow of its bigger brother, the LG Voyager, but the Venus proves itself to be a very capable and desirable handset in its own right.[next]Physical AspectsThe LG Venus is a rather simply styled, yet elegant, slider handset. It weighs a reasonable 111g (3.9oz), and has a fairly compact set of dimensions: 102mm x 51mm x 12mm (4.0&quot; x 2.0&quot; x .5&quot;). It has a textured black rear cover, where the camera's lens is located, and a chrome trimmed sliding front that houses two displays. The top display is where all of the normal on-screen information is presented. It can render 262k colors and offers QVGA (240x320 pixel) resolution, making it quite sharp and colorful. The bottom display, which is touch sensitive, takes the place of the normal d-pad and softkey cluster. In short, softkeys and directional navigation buttons are shown on the screen, and change depending on the current function that is on the main display. The flexible glossy front face of the phone, which is required by the lower touch screen, has a fair amount of give to it, something that, when combined with vibration haptic feedback, improves the touch screen's usability. But also leads me to worry that it might be prone to damage from keys and similar hazards commonly found in a pocket.The slider mechanism on the Venus is spring loaded and snaps open or closed with a solid thunk. Sliding the front of the phone open reveals the large, and quite normal, alphanumeric keypad. The call send, call end, and dedicated CLR key are also found with the keypad. All of the keys provide great tactile response and are very easy to use both quickly and accurately.The other hardware buttons are located on the side of the Venus. The rocker switch for volume control is on the left side of the phone, next to the voice dial button and the covered LG power/data port. The right side is home to the camera shutter button, the music access key, and the covered microSD memory card slot. The music key also serves as the touchscreen unlock key when the phone is closed.In terms of physical design, the VX8800 Venus is a virtual home run. The phone is very solidly constructed and just oozes quality. Everything snaps snuggly into place, and the materials used offer a nice feel and are aesthetically pleasing. My only concerns revolve around the plastic surface on the front of the phone. Its slightly concave shape causes glares to appear from pretty much any lighting source, and I worry about its durability a bit. It seems very resilient, but it makes sense that LG has included a protective pouch for the device.[next]Core FunctionsThe LG VX8800 Venus for Verizon turns out to be a pretty respectable device when it comes to making phone calls. Its internal antenna seems to work very well, and it helped the Venus to manage slightly more than 4.5 hours of talk time from its 800mAh battery. That's pretty good for an EV-DO 3G CDMA phone. Call audio quality was pretty good in general, but the speakerphone put in only an average performance and is usable only at short distances of a couple of feet.Just like most every non-smartphone that Verizon sells, the VX8800 Venus' contacts system uses a single, combined field for first and last names. As such, while it is possible to search through the contact list for anybody named John, it would be impossible to search for people with the last name of Doe. Apart from that, though, the contacts system is reasonably flexible. Multiple numbers of varying types can be entered, as can multiple email addresses, a custom ringtone, a photo, and a group designation.There is no real profiles system on the Venus, but the phone's volume control can be used to easily set ringtone volume as well as activate vibrate or silent modes. The * key on the keypad can also be used to quickly toggle the vibrate mode by holding it in for a second or two. The various tones and vibrations used for calls, messages, and other alerts can be individually configured. A standalone (airplane) mode is also available in the settings section of the phone.While the Voyager has a decent speed dial system that can be activated by long-pressing on a number key, the speaker independent voice dialing and command system is far more interesting. It can be used to easily call a contact, address a text message, or check various bits of status information, such as time and signal strength. It works quite well, and is very handy since it has a dedicated hardware key associated with it on the left side of the phone.Like most phones on the market, the LG Venus is capable of sending both picture and text based messages. The Venus also ships with an IM client for AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! chatting, but messages sent and received with it are charged at standard text messaging rates. The device ships with no pre-loaded email application. Verizon's Mobile Email app can be used for $5/mo (free with some call plans). It offers an adequate experience with most web mail services and POP or IMAP servers. Verizon's Wireless Sync push email system is also available for $19.99/month, but is difficult to get up and running and is not something I recommend.Data on the VX8800 Venus is handled by its EV-DO, Bluetooth, and USB connectivity options. The EV-DO connection seemed to work well in general, even if the browser in the Venus prevented us from running our normal speed test. The Bluetooth system includes support for both mono headsets and stereo A2DP headphones. I tested the Voyager with a pair of Motorola S9 headphones and had no trouble at all. USB works pretty much as expected, and a cable is included in the box.[next] &nbsp; Multimedia / ApplicationsThe LG VX8800 Venus comes with a decent array of multimedia functionality. The 2 megapixel camera on the Venus lacks auto-focus, but still manages to snap reasonable photos. Photos are taken with the phone held horizontally. The touchscreen navigation cluster rotates to match the phone's horizontal orientation and really shows off the flexibility of the system. Better yet, the photo viewer application can also be run in full screen landscape mode, with the touchscreen displaying thumbnails of the available pictures while the main screen displays the current photo. There is even a finger controlled zoom mode. It is a very good system.The music player on the Venus is also pretty solid. Music can be purchased directly over the air from Verizon's V CAST Music service, or simply synchronized over with a copy of Windows Media Player or any other MTP compatible application, such as Winamp. The player includes support for album art and on-phone playlist creation, and can play in the background while the phone is being used for other tasks. As mentioned previously, the Venus is compatible with Bluetooth wireless stereo headphones, but comes equipped with a 2.5mm audio jack instead of a 3.5mm jack. Neither a wired pair of headphones nor an adapter is included in the box. It is worth noting that early Venus units had a bug that prevented over the air song purchases in the V CAST Music store from working. The problem can be fixed by bringing the Venus to any Verizon shop for a software update.The Venus makes use of a rather simplistic web browser that lacks the ability to render full sized websites. It works just fine with Verizon's web portal, and with mobile websites like our own, but isn't really all that impressive otherwise. Like most of Verizon's current handsets, the Venus is compatible with the VZ Navigator application, which uses the phone's built-in A-GPS module. Just be sure to enable full GPS functionality in the 'location' section of the phone's settings menu before you attempt to use it./p&gt; The Venus comes equipped with all of the standard organizer apps, such as a calendar, clocks, timers, and a note pad. If the user needs more, Verizon offers a very large assortment of applications that can be rented or purchased outright. They generally aren't cheap, but they do tend to be of high quality. The same goes for the games that are available for the Venus. I was particularly impressed with VZW Sudoku and also liked the game based on the TV show &quot;Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?&quot; The VX8800 Venus comes equipped with about 70MB of internal storage space for and apps and other data, and 64MB of dedicated storage for music. The Venus also supports microSD cards as large as 8GB for even more headroom.[next]  User InterfaceLike its sibling, the VX10000 Voyager, LG's VX8800 Venus is quite different from most Verizon phones when it comes to its user interface. On the Venus, the reason for this is the navigation touchscreen that morphs itself depending on what application or function it is being used with. This is a fairly novel approach for a mobile phone, and one not without a few down sides.But first, the good points. The best thing about the touchscreen navigation cluster on the Venus is that on-screen softkeys are clearly marked. You press on the text label that says 'Options' to get a menu of options. That's far more intuitive than pressing a hardware button with the word 'Options' written somewhere near it on the display. On top of that, the navigation display can create buttons as needed, and in any orientation. If 6 buttons are required for the camera when the phone is rotated, it can create 6 rotated buttons. If only 4 are needed, then it can create 4 larger buttons. It is very flexible. When used for d-pad like navigation, it is also intuitive. When only the up and down functions have any effect, the left and right arrow buttons are not displayed. There is no guess work involved.There are downsides, though. The biggest problem is that the Venus user will often, at least initially, suffer a mental disconnect caused by only one of the two displays being touch sensitive. New Venus users will often be seen pressing on the main display, expecting a reaction. There is none to be had, of course, since only the small display can sense finger presses. People can adapt to this, though. The other problem is more sinister. Most of the time when the user presses on an area of the touchscreen with no key, the phone does not respond. The problem is that sometimes when you press on an on-screen button, the phone will tell you, with vibration and sound, that it acknowledges your command, yet still nothing will happen. I see this most often with the center 'OK' on-screen button. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. This appears to be a bug, one that I hope will be fixed in a future firmware revision. You might notice this problem in the video clip on the preceding page.The rest of the user interface should be familiar to anyone that uses a recent model Verizon phone. The Verizon UI on the Venus features LG's typical polish, but the functionality is largely the same - once you look past the navigation touchscreen. The 'Classic' theme uses the standard Verizon main menu structure, while the 2 Venus specific themes use a main menu organized in a vertical list. T9 predictive word input mode can be used for messaging, but most non-messaging aspects of the phone rely on the old fashioned triple-tap text method. The keypad can be used to speed up navigation by jumping to the appropriate on-screen menu option, and the hardware CLR key can be used in the same way as the 'Back' key that is usually found on the touchscreen.All in all, the Venus user interface is good. LG's novel use of a touchscreen in place of a d-pad and softkeys makes a lot of sense in most situations. The on-screen buttons provide decent tactile and haptic response, and it is very pretty. The system has great potential, but I don't know if people are going to be willing to give up a real, honest-to-goodness d-pad for navigation.[next]ConclusionWhile the name Venus will suggest a ladies phone to many people, I think that the VX8800 Venus is suitable for both men and women. Men will appreciate the clean lines, solid feel, and high-tech dual-screen wizardry. Women will like its compact form factor, and how pretty the user interface and touchscreen are when compared with other phones. I think it is a win for both groups.Personally, I really like the Venus. If not for the recently launched VX10000 Voyager, I would have probably thought the Venus to be the most interesting phone in Verizon's handset stable. It is stylish and different, it has all of the core functions that people need or want, and it has no major problems. That is what I call a winner. I give it a &quot;Highly Recommended&quot; rating.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[LG]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/LG/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>6:58:22 AM, November 30, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="8">
<title><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson Z310]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Sony-Ericsson/200711/Sony-Ericsson-8.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[    The Z310a is Sony Ericsson's latest entry-level offering for AT&amp;T's lineup. While light on features, the Z310a is stylish and offers solid build quality, which should help it stand up to a bit of abuse over time.The Z310a is a small flip phone for the entry-level crowd. Though somewhat thick at 25.4mm (1&quot;), this stylish handset is smooth, and fits nicely in your hand. The soft curved edges make it feel very sleek. I have the black model for this review, though the Z310a is also available in light pink and a bronze color. The phone weighs 91g (3.2oz) and is nicely weighted so that it feels solidly built, and not too light. The phone does not creak when in use, which further attests to its solid construction.There is a volume rocker on the left side of the Z310a, with the rest of the buttons being found on the keypad. The flip is well built and snaps nicely into place when opening or closing. The keypad of the Z310a is well lit with bright blue lights. The keys are all on a single membrane, and are separated by raised ridges that make it easy to know which button you're pressing. Like most Sony Ericsson models, the Z310a lacks dedicated end/send buttons, instead using a 'back' button and the softkeys when in a phone call. There is also a multi-tasking/shortcut button on the bottom right of the keypad, which I found to be incredibly useful. The d-pad is a silver ring, and users can configure its four directions to be used as shortcuts to most anything on the phone. I found that all of the buttons had great tactile feedback and were a pleasure to use.The front of the handset features a VGA camera for snapping pictures, although it unfortunately lacks both a built-in flash and a portrait mirror. Below the camera lens is a smooth glossy area that hides the external monochrome 96 x 64 pixel resolution display. Above the display is a line of indicators that are also neatly hidden when not active. These indicators show when you have a new SMS, missed call, or when your phone is charging or in Silent mode. When active, the external display is visible and will show you the time, as well as scrolling information such as caller's name.When you open the Z310a, you'll find a slightly small 65k color TFT display with 128 x 160 pixel resolution. The smaller pixel count is noticeable in the icons and menus, showing that this is most certainly an entry-level handset. However, I was able to read the display in direct sunlight, and indoors it is also nice and bright. The handset's speaker can be found on its rear, although sadly I found it to sound somewhat muddled. Likewise, the vibrate feature was not nearly as strong as it should be, meaning that I frequently missed calls if I had the phone in my pocket.The Z310a features Sony Ericsson's Light Effects, which use a ring of lights along the edge of the phone around the keypad. The effects are user-configurable to any of a dizzying array of colors and patterns, and can be assigned to not only general phone notifications, but also to individual callers. I really enjoyed this feature and wish that more handset manufacturers would integrate light notifications in their handsets.  [next]  The Z310a runs on AT&amp;T's GSM network and uses EDGE for data on the 850, 1800, and 1900MHz frequency bands. The antenna was not as good as it should have been, frequently fluctuating between full bars and no signal, even while standing still. However, when a call was made, the sound was clear and the earpiece volume loud. The speakerphone is not as loud as I would like, and could use a bit of a volume boost.The Z310a is curiously equipped with a full HTML web browser, and the homepage is set to a customized Google mobile homepage. However, with its low resolution screen and limited computing power, I was frequently greeted with a 'Page Too Large To Load' message, rendering web browsing a disappointing experience.The camera on the Z310a captures VGA resolution photos of less that stellar quality. However, it does feature a night mode, as well as contrast and white balance settings, plus a number of effects one can apply to photos. There is also a self-timer feature, though the phone would have to rest on its side in order to use the timer, which would result in an incorrectly rotated photo. A neat feature is the 'Blog This' link after taking a photo, which allows direct uploading to a Google Blogger site. Unfortunately, video recording is not supported on the Z310a.The Sony Ericsson Z310a offers quite a few customization features, including themes that can change the background and menu colors. The phone also supports animated backgrounds, which is a fun feature that some users may enjoy. Several themes are included, with there even being an option to set a day theme and a night theme, as well as a setting to determine at what time the phone will automatically switch between the two. In the themes menu there is also a link to download more themes from Sony Ericsson's site, but none of the links would work for me, which was disappointing.The multi-tasking/shortcut button previously mentioned brings up a tabbed popup box with several useful functions. The default is a short list of user-customizable shortcuts such as the Bluetooth menu and RSS reader. To the left of this tab is the Internet tab, which allows you to directly type in a URL or search Google. A third tab is the task manager, which lists any applications that are running in the background, similar to the way most smartphones work. This is a handy feature when using a java-based IM application or the web browser, and I found it to work well.The menus on the Z310a are snappy and well organized. The UI features a rather robust file manager that makes it easy to organize pictures and other files. Two games are included, AceOfSpades and QuadraPop, and the Z310a features Sony Ericsson's MusicDJ application, which allows users to custom mix their own ringtones and message alerts. The Z310a supports POP and IMAP email and has a built-in RSS Reader in addition to the standard SMS and MMS messaging support.  The Sony Ericsson Z310a is a well built and stylish handset, though it lacks high-end features and offers an Internet experience that is disappointing, at best. The speakerphone and ring volume could use a boost, as could the vibrate feature. I still give this handset a 'Recommended' rating, as there are no glaring issues. However, at the entry-level price point, one could easily pickup a handset with at least a better screen and video capture.The Z310a measures 86mm x 46mm x 25.4mm (3.4&quot; x 1.8&quot; x 1.0&quot;) and weighs 91g (3.2oz). The manufacturer rated talk time is a whopping 7 hours, and standby time is rated at 12.5 days. After personal use, I can say that even with heavy data usage, the battery will easily last through the day, and I would even feel comfortable taking a weekend trip with the Z310a without stressing over a charger. This handset is available now through ATTwireless.com.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Sony-Ericsson/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>5:53:26 AM, November 26, 2007</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="7">
<title><![CDATA[Motorola v70 - Fashion with a new Twist]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Motorola/200202/Motorola_7.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Traditionally Nokia has been the only major phone manufacturer to really make a play for the &quot;fashion&quot; phone market. Models such as the 8800 series and the 8250 have been good high-end sellers for them.With the introduction of the v66 not too long ago, Motorola jumped into the fray. They offered interchangeable faceplates and other goodies for the phone. With the new v70, they have taken it two steps further.The v70 is simply the best looking phone on the market. Believe me when I tell you that the photos do not do it justice. Based on the photos, I believe most people would think the phone is good looking. Or at least &quot;cool&quot;. But once you get one in your hand, it goes well beyond cool. This phone, with its satin finished metal body, is beautiful.Three main features stand out when you first see the phone. The chrome ring around the display, the white on black display, and the swiveling faceplate.Unlike any other phone on the market, to open the v70 you swing the faceplate around 180 degrees. It clicks lightly into place in that position and offers optimal placement for the speaker and microphone. Opened up like this, the microphone is actually where it should be - near your mouth. A novel concept. In fact, you can position it anywhere you like since it swings a full 360 degrees around in either direction.The display is relatively small, but very crisp. It uses an inverted color scheme of white text on a black background. Very good looking, but a bit too dark for some lighting conditions. The text is also small, and the size is not configurable. If the text were brighter or larger, the display would be just fine. I think this is a case of fashion winning out over function.[next]In the future Motorola will be offering other color rings to go around the display so that you will be able to replace the chrome stock ring with one that is gold, for example. Black is also going to be offered, based on what we have seen shown at the product launch. The phone comes with a rubber disk that is used to remove the ring for replacement. (Check the last page of this review for an example aftermarket ring.)One thing that you might not notice right away is the keypad lighting. When the room is on the dark side, you will see a cool blue glow surrounding the buttons. It has a look not unlike neon lights. Tubes of light bent and formed around the outlines of the button. It is reasonably effective, and very hip looking. Again, quite possibly another point where looks outweighed performance. It is quite obvious that Motorola&prime;s designers wanted this phone to look great.This phone is also pretty easy to live with in your pocket. It weighs only 79g, and is physically smaller than an Ericsson T68m. It can also be easily opened and closed one handed, which makes you look cooler. We of course would love for there to be no external antenna, but you would have to sacrifice signal strength for that. As is, it is pretty unobtrusive.Technically speaking, the phone is pretty current. It is a Dual Band (900/180) GSM mobile with GPRS and an FM Radio. It has a datebook function with alarms, a small notepad function, and contact management (more than one phone number per name). It can store up to 500 numbers, and it comes with 32 ring tones and has room for 32 custom ring tones to be added. It is Outlook sync capable with the proper connection to the PC (more on this a little later).Navigation is pretty straight forward on the v70. The middle of the three keys on the ring brings up the menu when the phone is opened. The two keys on either side of it can be user defined for direct access to certain functions, and act as &quot;back&quot;, &quot;done&quot;, &quot;edit&quot;, &quot;select&quot;, etc buttons when in the menu structure. Sometimes the choice of which button represented which function seemed backwards to me, but it was not all that bothersome after I used it a few times. Additionally, there is an Up/Down button that is used to move up and down in menus and lists.One of the nice features in the phone is the ability to define a shortcut menu that lets you put exactly the things you use most in one convenient spot, just as the late model Ericsson phones do. Additionally, you can reorder the items in the main menu to suit your personal preference. This is easy to do, and quite nice.[next]The v70 makes a decent WAP browser considering its size. While the display is fairly small, it has a pretty fine resolution. You obviously can&prime;t fit as much text on it as you can with the Ericsson T68, but it does have one advantage over the Ericsson that is important. It is much easier to configure. There is a single config screen for the WAP system, you put in GPRS config information and dialup config information all in one place. I had it up and running in less than a minute. It connected to the Viag Interkom&prime;s GPRS network right away, something the Ericssons are a bit loathe to do with the Nortel GPRS equipment that Viag uses here in Munich.Sadly, you can&prime;t get the full potential benefit out of Motorola&prime;s good GPRS implementation. My preferred use of GPRS is for data from a laptop or handheld computer, and the v70 doesn&prime;t deal with those devices. The v70 lacks Bluetooth, InfraRed, and even a data cable. Unacceptable. This also means that there is no way to actually sync with a PC, even though it is theoretically supported. For a phone this expensive, it should at least come with a sync cable and software. I was forced to use an Ericsson to write the contacts to my SIM card and import them into the v70 from the SIM card, which does not take advantage of being able to have multiple numbers per contact. I can not confirm this, since I don&prime;t have the cable, but it appears that it would not be possible to use the v70 as a GPRS modem even with the cable, since there is no place to configure a data account (which often uses different GPRS APNs than WAP does). And since I have no data cable (tho I do have the software), I can not confirm that the Outlook synchronization works, tho since I have used the system with an Accompli 008, I think it is safe to say that the software is decent enough.There is another glaring omission in the list of included items. While the phone does ship with a headset for hands free talking, it does not ship with the optional stereo headset. This may not seem like a big deal until you realize that it is not possible to use the built in FM radio without the stereo headset. The normal hands-free mono headset doesn&prime;t cut it. The radio function doesn&prime;t even show up in the menu structure unless you have the stereo headset attached. A normal stereo headset, such as those used with an MP3 player, won&prime;t activate the radio function in the phone. As such, I can&prime;t comment on the quality of the radio reception.[next]
The v70 does come with an assortment of other goodies, tho. It comes with a  desktop charger with an extra battery. It also comes with a versatile holster  that can be attached to an included belt clip or can be suspended from a chain  like a necklace, as is common in Japan. The belt clip clicks into one of four  locations so you can have the phone oriented as you like, and one of the  attachments snaps on and off for attachment to a keychain - or something.
The v70 I received was imported from Hong Kong (the only place they are  currently available), and comes with both English and Chinese manuals.
And since this phone was made for the Chinese market, it has menu support in  both English and Chinese. It also supports Motorola&acute;s iTAP predictive text  technology, which is vastly inferior to the T9 system that most manufacturers  use.
The v70 supports voice dialing for up to 20 different entries. When adding  voice dialing to a contact, the v70 asks you to say the name of the contact  twice to give it a better chance at finding a match. I found the system to work  very well, just as with voice dialing on past Motorola phones.
Like most phones these days, the v70 has a few games. It has a reasonable  blackjack game, a matching game called Mindblaster, and a very simple paddle  game. The paddle game is not very playable, since you have to repeatedly hit the  up or down navigation buttons to move it, instead of being able to hold the  buttons down for continuous movement.
This surely isn&acute;t the phone for the guy that has to have all of the latest  technologies in his phone. That guy wants a Ericsson T68. This phone is for the  guy that wants to have the best looking phone in the world. The fact that it has  some nice technology built into it just means that it is even that much better  than the the current king of &quot;look at me&quot;, the Nokia 8800 series.
Photos of the phone with its holster:    
In brief:
Good: Stunning looks, low weight, small, easy to configure, FM Radio. Did I  mention it looks good?
Bad: No InfraRed or Bluetooth. Headset for Radio and data cable not included.  Friends might try to steal it.
It is important to keep in mind that this review was of a phone made  for the Hong Kong market. Certain aspects of the phone could very well change  for the phone that will be released in Europe and North America.
A photo of the v70 with an aftermarket ring is on the next page[next]]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Motorola]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Motorola/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>3:07:29 AM, February 27, 2002</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="6">
<title><![CDATA[The MagCom Communicator - the best phone you´ll never see?]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/200202/others_6.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[When MagCom first introduced itself to the industry, there was a decent  amount of buzz. The company was founded by former senior executives from  Ericsson, NetCom and Telenor Mobil. The device was thought to be a potential big  deal in the emerging communicator market.
That never happened. MagCom ran low on cash and looked like it was going to  disappear completely. MagCom was saved by being purchased by another company  with sufficient cash to run the show, Q-Free. Together they formed a new  company, Q-Free Magcom.
Now, in an effort to reduce excess inventory and repay debt, the new company  is offering its MagCom phone for half of the original price. And as a bonus, a  few accessories are thrown in for good measure (including car adapter, headset,  leather case, and sync cable). You can find out more on the company website.
Enough of the history, now to get to the reasons you should care that this  phone is still available.
This device has many outstanding features that make it a great phone for the  businessman or technogeek. Here is a partial list: 
GSM Tri-band  
200x320 monochrome display  
Magnesium body for durability  
User upgradeable software  
POP Email/WWW/WAP clients  
Contact Management (multiple numbers, address, special ringtones)  
PDA Functionality (Calendar, ToDo List, Calculator)  
9 Games (Yahtze, Mines, etc)
The phone has fairly typical communicator dimensions. It weighs in at about  150g like the Motorola Accompli, Handspring Treo, and Ericsson R380. It also has  roughly the same physical size as the Accompli. Fairly normal. One could assume  that if MagCom had used more traditional materials in the phones casing that it  would be lighter than most of the other devices available.
The phone&acute;s display is just dynamite. Big enough to play a game of  Minesweeper with 748 squares. In slightly more practical terms, that means 20  lines of text at the smallest, though still quite readable, font size. Would it  be nice if it was in color? Certainly. Would it make much of a difference to the  target audience? Probably not in practical terms, other than perhaps making the  menus nicer looking. What is important is that the display makes reading email  and WAP pages a piece of cake.[next] 
&nbsp;A great display isn&acute;t worth  much if there are no good applications to make use of it. The MagCom doesn&acute;t  fail us here, either. The big display allows for a very nice menu layout, as you  can see in the photo to the left. You move the cursor around with the arrow  controls, just as with the new SonyEricsson T68m. MagCom would have been wise to  use the same kind of joystick control for this as SonyEricsson and Alcatel are  now using. Though not as easy to use as a joystick, the current arrow controls  on the MagCom are more than adequate.
The applications themselves cover all of your basic PDA needs. Contact  management, time management, and leisure activities.
The Calendar Application and ToDo List are well integrated. A ToDo entry will  show up in your calendar on the date it is due (or past-due). The calendar can  be viewed in Month, Week, or Day view. The Address Book allows for multiple  numbers for each contact, in addition to an address, web URL, email address, and  Time Zone. The time zone info allows the phone to show you the person&acute;s local  time when you view the contact. A nice touch. The Address book also allows you  to tell the phone that you do not want to accept calls and/or SMS from a  particular user. The device will automatically reject communications from those  people you tell it to.
Power users require sycronization with their PCs and other devices, and the  MagCom is up to the challenge. Using the supplied serial cable and software I  had Microsoft Outlook uploading my contacts to the phone in no time. 100%  painless. The phone can also read the contacts off of the SIM card, if you  like.
The Message Application is where you read and write Email and SMS. It has  folders for the Inbox, Outbox, Saved Messages, and Sent Messages. Creating a new  message is easy thanks to the MagCom&acute;s implementation of the T9 predictive text  input system. This is by far the BEST implementation of T9 I have used. You can  easily enter new words or edit previously entered words without having to erase  and retype them. Words are automatically added to the dictionary if you switch  to the normal multi-tap entry method. Once the dictionary is full the phone will  delete the least used words that have been added as more space is needed. Very,  very nice.
Another great feature is the MagCom&acute;s use of T9 throughout the range of  applications. In the preferences section of the phone you can enable T9 for all  text input fields on the phone. For example, typing in the Mobile.Burn.Com URL  becomes quite easy when T9 is enabled. Anywhere on the phone, if you wish to  switch to one of the multi-tap modes all you have to do is hold down the #  button and the phone will cycle through the options. The current text input  method is shown in a small icon on the bottom right hand corner of the  display.
One of the more interesting aspects of the phone is the Menu button. As the  default view of the phone is of the menus, you might wonder what this button  does. It brings up context sensitive menus for whatever you are doing. For  example, if you are in the address book editing a contact and you press the menu  button, you will be given options to delete the contact, cut/copy/paste text, or  dial the contact. If you are sitting at the main menu of the application and hit  the menu button you will be to change to one of 5 configurable profiles, do a  new network search, set an alarm, or even adjust the display contrast. It is  similar in concept to the extra menu button found on the SonyEricsson T68m and  R520m, but it has been better utilized.
So, all of these great things about the phone. Don&acute;t I have anything bad to  say. Sadly, I do.
This phone&acute;s target audience demands GPRS. The phone was first introduced in  March &acute;01 when GPRS was pretty new, but it is needed for a phone that has such  great Email and browsing abilities. It is also amazing that there is no infrared  port. This isn&acute;t as much of a problem since the phone now ships with the sync  cable standard, but it still keeps you from beaming a contact over to a friend&acute;s  Palm Pilot. The device does support the Vcard standard, it just doesn&acute;t mean  much without an easy way to exchange Vcards. Of course Bluetooth wouldhave also  been a welcome addition.
Battery life is a bit on the short side. Expect 3 days of standby time out of  the 900mAh battery, or about 3 hours of talk time. Extra batteries can be  purchased from the MagCom site, though.
Lastly, the fit and finish are not perfect. One can understand how a metal  casing would be a bit harder to get perfect, and the extra durability is well  worth the slight imperfections. The thing that bothers me is the paint. My  device shipped with a few tiny paint chips missing, and one not so tiny one  missing. The pain does not seem to adhere to the magnesium well enough on the  sharper edges of the case. Frankly, I would have preferred an unpainted  magnesium case.
Overall it is a great phone. I hope that Q-Free Magcom continues development,  as promised. In any event, this is a phone you are going to like - if you ever  actually see one.
]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Others]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Others/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>2:53:21 AM, February 26, 2002</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="5">
<title><![CDATA[Nokia 5510 with MP3]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/200201/nokia_5.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[MP3 players are a huge hit with the younger market these days. Nokia,  SonyEricsson, and Siemens all have add on devices for some of their models that  add MP3 playing ability to the phone while taking advantage of the phone&acute;s  battery. Today there are a few phones available with built in MP3 players like  the Siemens SL45, but so far these have been high-end phones with high-end price  tags.
With the 5510, Nokia has introduced a reasonably priced phone with a built-in  MP3 player and FM Radio. Additionally, they have further targeted the young  demographic by adding a full keyboard to the device to make SMS easier. The  result is an abnormal looking phone with reasonable abilities and a reasonable  price.
Here&acute;s a quick overview of the features of the Nokia 5510:  
MP3 Player with 64MB memory and USB connection  
FM Radio  
Full Keyboard for easy SMS  
Nokia Ringtone/Picture SMS compatible
There is not much in the way of direct competition for the 5510 since Nokia  has basically created a new class of its own with the 5510. Other Teen/Youth  phones don&acute;t have the audio or SMS capabilities of this phone, and the other MP3  and Radio capable phones available are generally priced much higher. If people  can get past the looks, it could be a big seller. So far this hasn&acute;t been the  case, even with Nokia&acute;s &quot;Looks weird, sounds great&quot; advertising campaign.
The phone itself is quite easy to use. It uses the same menus structure than  most every Nokia on the planet uses. If you have used any other Nokia (outside  of the 9000 series) for any length of time, you should be instantly comfortable  with this one. The phone also has extra controls for the Radio and MP3 player on  the side that server as the Radio On, MP3 Play, and Volume buttons. The jacks  for the Stereo Hands-free Headset are color coded to make it simple (there are  two jacks, one for the ear pieces, the other for the microphone). A strange  looking plastic panel also slides away to reveal the USB port and the Audio  Input jack. Overall, a nice layout.
The interesting aspects of the phone are, of course, it&acute;s audio capabilities  and the keyboard. First lets touch on the audio.
The FM radio does everything you would expect. It has 10 user configurable  presets (that you can name yourself) and has a a manual tuning function.  Reception seems to be pretty good considering the lack of an external antenna.  The Radio can be turned on with one of the audio control buttons on the side of  the phone, provided the keyboard is not locked.[next]
The 64mb internal MP3 player also works quite well and can also be activated  from one of the side buttons. It is capable of showing the file name of the MP3  files it has to make selection simpler. It can play the tracks in order, or can  be put in random play mode. There is a built in equalizer with a number pf  selectable presets (Bass, Pop, Dance, Latin, etc) that can not be modified by  the user, but do have a worthwhile effect on the sound quality. I like &quot;Extra  Bass&quot; the best. Additionally, you can make new MP3 files directly on the phone  from either the built-in FM radio or by using an external audio source through  the line-in jack that is located next to the USB port.
The USB port itself is nice. Serial is an awful method for moving  multi-megabyte files to a device. Ask any owner of a Nokia 9210 about that. The  problem with the PC Connectivity lies not in the transfer mechanism, but in the  PC Software. The supplied Nokia Audio Manager software is just plan horrible. To  get music onto the 5510, first MP3 files must be added to the Audio Manager  database. You can do this by adding specific MP3 files or by importing Winamp  playlists. This process reads each MP3 file and creates brand new file of almost  the exact same size, but with a .LSE extension. The effect this has is that of  doubling the storage requirements for your music files on your PC. Winamp can&acute;t  play .LSE files, and the 5510 can&acute;t play native MP3 files. You need both  formats. Unacceptable. Forgetting that the interface in the software is bad,  just that fact lowers the practical value of the device. You can bypass some of  the awkwardness by directly copying the .LSE music files to the 5510 in Windows  Explorer, since the 5510 shows up as a normal external USB Storage device. But  you still have to create the .LSE files in the first place and waste the disk  space.
Once the files are uploaded to the 5510, though, everything is smooth  sailing. It sounds great. The included stereo hands-free headset gives good  audio quality, even if it isn&acute;t the most comfortable headset on the planet. I  found it to be just fine. Nokia supplies an adapter for using your own headset,  but of course that precludes you from using the headset for making and receiving  phone calls.
The keyboard is the dominant feature of the device, being split in two with  half of the keys on either side of the display, which is located in the middle.  The configuration works. Text input for SMS is fast and convenient. If you are a  big SMSer, this could be your phone. The keyboard also makes contact editing  simple. The 5510 is capable of storing 100 contacts in the phone, and up to 250  on the SIM. it can also be programmed with up to 10 reminders.
The technology in the phone seems to be based on the rest of the old 5000  series devices. Nothing particularly interesting here. In fact, if you remove  the back plate of the phone to gain access to the battery, you will see what  appears to be an old 5000 series phone embedded inside a larger 5510 housing. I  am sure this is no coincidence.
The phone is a bit bulky, perhaps as a result of this being a phone inside a  phone. It has the size of a typical communicator device, and weighs in at 155g.  A bit hefty for a modern phone with only basic phone capabilities. But if you  consider the weight and bulk of carrying a MP3 player with you, it doesn&acute;t seem  so bad at all. One battery to charge, one headset to carry. Battery life, too,  is decent. Claimed talk-time of 2.5 to 4.5 hours seems reasonable. Claimed  standby time is 55 to 260 hours, but I guess it to be for practical purposes  close to 100 hours. In many cases, the battery life will be dictated by the MP3  Player more than through telephone use. Nokia claims up to 10 hours of  continuous MP3 playing on a full charge.
Lastly, the 5510 comes with 5 games (Bumper, Space Impact, Snake II, Pairs  II, and Bantumi), some of which can be augmented with new levels from Club  Nokia&acute;s WAP site. You can also upload high-scores to the site. The phone also  supports the typical Nokia Ringtones and Pictures.
Overall, I like the phone. If SMS and Music is your thing, and I believe it  is for many people in the youth market, then this phone does it. Sure it has a  few weaknesses, like the PC Software, but none of these problems affect normal  day to day use of the phone. I think it is a winner, now we have to see if  Europe&acute;s Youth markets thinks the same thing. I say &quot;Europe&acute;s&quot; market because,  sadly, this device is not Tri-Band and does not support american markets. Shame  on you for doing this time and time again, Nokia.
In brief:
Good: MP3, FM Radio, USB, Full Keyboard
Bad: Idiotic PC Software, Old Technology, Kinda Big and Heavy
&nbsp;
]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Nokia]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Nokia/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>2:34:48 AM, January 23, 2002</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="4">
<title><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson HBH-15 Bluetooth Headset]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Sony-Ericsson/200201/Sony-Ericsson-4.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[When SonyEricsson released the HBH-15 Headset I was a bit surprised. The new  device was not sporting any significant new features over the HBH-10 headset  that had been available for months.
The only thing promised in the new headset design was improved battery  performance. The new device is capable of 110 hours of standby time, 5 hours of  talk time, or some combination of the two, depending on usage.
The device weighs only 32 grams, which is very little. This makes it 2 grams  heavier than the HBH-10 model.
So, anything else gained? Yup. One of the main problems with the first  Ericsson Bluetooth headset was maximum volume. I am glad to say that this model  is quite a bit louder, tho probably not quite loud enough for some users. It is  my opinion that the maximum volume on a device like this should be too loud for  the average user. There are always situations that require that little extra  volume. Maybe you are outside in the wind, maybe you just don&acute;t have great  hearing.
As is, the max volume on the device is good enough for most situations for  most people. We can hope that future devices will be capable of higher  volumes.
Another thing that seems improved is sound quality. Sound quality for the  person you were speaking to was good on the old headset, and it remains so. The  sound quality that the headset wearer hears seems to be better. The response  from a Bluetooth phone to voice commands issued from the headset also seems  improved, further hinting at better sound quality.
A rather obvious change, if not particularly important, is the color and  shape of the body. The microphone boom is exactly the same as the older model,  but the main body comes in different/brighter colors, and is smooth. The  &quot;jog-wheel&quot; style power/volume/answer/hang-up control is unchanged. Good thing,  since it was very functional as it was. The ear pieces are also unchanged, and  the device comes with two styles just as the older headset did. The device can  be configured for right or left ear use quite easily.
In short, I don&acute;t really think the difference in price between the new HBH-15  and the older HBH-10 makes the new model worth buying. If you are on the road  alot and really need that extra battery power, then maybe it makes sense. Or  maybe you just like to have the latest and greatest device, I wouldn&acute;t ever hold  that against anybody. It IS a great device.
I would like to direct you to the HBH-10  review for the details, as the devices are otherwise identical.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Sony-Ericsson/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>2:31:20 AM, January 15, 2002</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="3">
<title><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson T68m - Best of Breed]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Sony-Ericsson/200201/Sony-Ericsson-3.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[The Ericsson T68 is what I consider to be the best small handset available on the market at the moment. It weighs about 85g, supports Bluetooth, GPRS, HSCSD, WAP 1.21, POP3 Email. It has a joystick navigation controller, too.But there is really only one feature of the phone that is important.A Big 256 Colour Display.The display is brilliant, making some fantastic background images possible. It is also big enough to get 8 lines of text on it, which really makes Email over GPRS something useful.The phone also comes with 8 color games, including a pretty good clone of the old arcard classic Defender. The games are much easier to play with the joystick controller.Additionally, this is one of the first Ericsson phones to sport an internal antenna, which makes this small phone fit quite nicely into your pants pocket. Additionally, you don''t have to worry about an antenna snapping off if you''ve had one too many burgers at McD''s....Shortcomings?1)There are a few minor ones. The Yes/No buttons are chromed plastic and feel like chromed plastic. The chrome finish feels funny and looks a bit out of place.2)The Battery life is not nearly as good as the internal metering system suggests. 200 hours of standby with Bluetooth and Infrared off is still possible, but the claimed 12h of talk time is not really realistic. But 6 hours surely is, and that is still magnificent.3)The phone battery compartment is not compatible with the R520/T28/T29/T39 phones. The desk charging stand for those models also doesn''t quite fit, tho it is usable if you remove the metal support back on the stand.4)Price. No explanation needed.Other than those points, tho, 2 big thumbs up. By far the best Ericsson design ever. Nokia no longer has a strangle-hold on style....I should mention that I have found the display to be not quite as resistant to scratches as other Ericsson models. I already have a few scuffs on the display that annoy me a bit. I think this is because the T68 display seems to have a higher gloss than the older models.Ease of use* EasyLook &amp; Feel* ExcellentDurability &amp; Robustness* GoodReception quality* ExcellentBattery standby time* GoodBattery talktime* GoodValue for money* ReasonableRange of features* Large selectionRecommend to potential buyers: yes]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Sony-Ericsson/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>2:09:33 AM, January 14, 2002</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="2">
<title><![CDATA[Ericsson CHA-10 Chatboard]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Ericsson/200201/Ericsson_2.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[If you are an avid SMSer like me, I am sure you have grimaced more than once  while attempting to type in a message on your tiny little phone&acute;s tiny little  numeric keypad. 999 88 222 55.
Sure, T9&acute;s predictive text input system REALLY helps out on phones where it  is available, but you will never be able to type a message on your phone as  quickly as you can on your computer (or Nokia 9210) because of the keyboard.
That is where the Ericsson Chatboard comes in. It is a small &quot;thumb board&quot;  that clips onto the power connector on the bottom of most current Ericsson  mobile phones. While it doesn&acute;t allow for even touch-typing, it does let you  press one button once for each letter you want.
And doesn&acute;t that sound nice?
If you are using a slightly older phone like a T28 that doesn&acute;t have T9  input, then this probably sounds REALLY nice.
The device is simple to use. Just snap it on. The phone will recognize it in  a split second and display a message to that effect on the phone. From that  point on you can use the chatboard instead of the numeric keypad on the phone.  This includes dialing, adding/editing your phone book, and of course - SMS.
The top row of buttons on the Chatboard contains shortcut keys to often used  features like SMS, Phonebook, and the normal Yes and No buttons. It also has  buttons for starting a new Email, adding an attachment to an email, or for  putting in a web/wap address.
Using the keyboard requires a few non-standard keystrokes. For example, to  switch between Upper and Lower case, you hit the shift button followed by the  space bar. Using the shift key on regular letters will not get you a capital  letter, it will get you the special symbol character shown above the letter.  This could be a quote, it could be a currency symbol. That takes some getting  used to.
There is a problem or two. Firstly, on the newer phones (R520m and later) the  first character of a message will be lower case. Subsequent characters will come  out in upper case unless you hit shift-space. That is weird.
nOBODY WANTS A MESSAGE LIKE THIS.
Another problem seems to exist only on the T68m (which runs Ericsson&acute;s newest  mobile software). If your phone keypad is currently locked (auto-lock or manual  lock) and the backlight is off, the backlight will never come on when you start  using the phone. This is a problem since the color display of the T68m really  requires a backlight to be usable unless you are in direct sunlight. Kinda  annoying since it means you have to unlock the phone first, then clip it on.  With a phone like the R520m, you just clip it on and go. It will automatically  unlock the phone.
Another problem has to do with the presence of a signal - but Ericsson warns  you of this in the manual. The phone has to have a signal when you attach the  Chatboard or else it will not function. I have no idea why, but I tried it out  for myself in a subway station. They are right.
Those problems are minor. My biggest problem with the Chatboard is the speed  of input. On the R520m or T39m, there is a slight delay between the time you  press the key and the time that it shows up on the phone. You can type as fast  as you want, mind you, as it appears to be buffered. But it certainly allows for  more time to be wasted on typos. What is worse is the delay on the T68m, who&acute;s  processor is already overtaxed. The delay on that phone is rather annoying.  Again, it is all buffered so that no keystrokes are lost, but it really allows  for some costly errors to be made.
That is why I still prefer T9 keypad input on the T68m over the  Chatboard.
Would I use this on a T28 (which has no T9)? In a heartbeat. R520m? Probably.  Just not on Ericsson&acute;s latest and greatest....]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[mobileburn]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Ericsson]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Ericsson/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>1:54:17 AM, January 15, 2002</pubDate>
</item>
<item id="1">
<title><![CDATA[Ericsson HBH-10 Bluetooth Headset]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Ericsson/200111/Ericsson_1.html]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[If you are using one of the new Bluetooth phones that are now available on  the market, you certainly must be looking for a Bluetooth device to play  with.
A wireless Bluetooth headset is an obvious first choice for many people, as  wired headsets are already a very popular accessory for mobile phones.
We have all seen a person standing in the middle of an empty elevator or  street corner seemingly talking to the air in front of them, only to notice the  cord hanging from their ear - the sign of a mobile phone. Well, with this device  from Ericsson, you can do that one better. You can talk to yourself without any  tell-tale wires.
The best part will be when you turn to face the person and they see a device  that looks just like the one that Laura Croft wore in the Tomb Raider movie.
Aside from the obvious Gee-Wiz factor, this device has a lot of practical  value. I have used this headset extensively with both an Ericsson R520m and a  T39m while driving. It is brilliant to not have wires getting in the way of the  controls.
The headset is very easy to put on and take off without removing your eyes  from the road, and it is comfortable enough to leave on for the entire evening  commute without bothering sensitive ears (like mine). It comes with two  swappable, reversible ear pieces. Use the one that fits you best, and put it on  for either right or left ear use. Very easy to do.
The controls are also quite easy to use. There is a single jog-wheel style  control (like those common on modern Sony devices). You push the control up to  increase volume, down to decrease volume, and push it in to either initiate,  answer, or end a call. When you are in a call, the volume level controled is the  volume of the other person&acute;s voice. When you are not actively in a call, it  controls the ring volume in the headset. Hold in the button for a few seconds to  turn the device on and off.
Very simple, very intuitive.
I mentioned that you can initiate a call from the headset. You can, if your  phone supports voice dialing (the Ericsson Bluetooth phones all support voice  dialing). You simply push in the control button, wait for the beep, and then  speak the name of the person that you previously configured the phone to respond  to. I must mention that the headset makes the phone&acute;s voice recognition software  work a bit harder. You must be more exact with your commands than when you are  speaking directly into the phone. But it works.
While most portable Bluetooth devices on the market, like the HBH-10, are  rated for a 10m (30&acute;) range, this is a best case rating. In practical  application, this isn&acute;t possible. Walls and desks and briefcases shorten the  effective range of Bluetooth. This is not to say that you can&acute;t leave your phone  in your briefcase under your desk while you work. You can. It does mean that you  probably can&acute;t make it to the water cooler around the corner and still get a  usable connection.
Setting up the connection is pretty easy if you aren&acute;t afraid of transversing  your phone&acute;s menus (or maybe even looking at the phone&acute;s manual). Without  explaining the workings of Bluetooth itself, let me explain the process like  this. You turn the headset off. Then hold down the control button for 10  seconds. This will make the headset &acute;discoverable&acute; by other Bluetooth devices.  You then tell your phone to search for new discoverable devices. It will find  the headset (and refer to it by name), and ask you if you wish to &acute;pair&acute; with it  (or &acute;bond&acute;). Select yes.
That is pretty much it. When you have Bluetooth enabled on the phone it will  make use of the headset if it is in range.]]></description>
<author><![CDATA[Ericsson]]></author>
<categoryname><![CDATA[Ericsson]]></categoryname>
<categorylink><![CDATA[http://mobile.symbianer.com/Reviews/Ericsson/]]></categorylink>
<pubDate>1:39:47 AM, November 16, 2001</pubDate>
</item>

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