If you need to just have a phone, any phone, then most would say that any standard GSM/2G handset would do, and for the most part, that answer would be true. But for those who would be willing to put off a budget friendly 80 Pounds to invest in a mobile handset, then it would be hard to do any better than getting the new Nokia C3.
Local mobile network carrier Vodafone UK is offering the device at a very low price of 80 Pounds, and considering how much this handset offers, it is a very great deal. If there are just two main factors that make the C3 a device worth owning, it is the physical QWERTY keyboard and the support for wireless LAN.
As very few 2G handsets actually have WiFi, this is actually a pretty big deal for the Nokia C3. First off, it makes access to the internet much easier and significantly faster (as well as more reliable than having to stick with the 
slower GPRS). Since the phone also comes with integrated social networking features, users will be able to check their online profiles, make posts and even upload content instantly.
The best part about WiFi these days is that it is easy to find hotspots almost everywhere you go. Plenty of commercial and public establishments often have WiFi access for customers while others simply offer a free open network for any user who needs it.
Nokia’s C3 also comes with a physical QWERTY keyboard. With a basic four row configuration, evenly spaced keys and an ergonomically designed downward curve, typing out long emails and messages on the C3 becomes an easy task.
According to Vodafone UK, the C3 is 80 Pounds on pay as you go –one of the best prices for a handset with these features.
Archive for June, 2010
Nokia’s C3: Cheap, Effective and Heading to Vodafone
Thursday, June 24th, 2010Second HTC WP7 Device Rumored
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
It has not been more than a month since the first rumors of an HTC made Windows Phone 7 handset appeared and now, it seems that the Taiwan based mobile phone maker is about to make a second WP7 handset –provided that this and the previously rumored phone are indeed difference smart phones.
The new device, HTC Mozart has been leaked in Australia. Judging from the initial sets of blurry images, the device is going to have a type-1 chassis, which means that it will be using a touch screen as the only user interface. Expect to see a 1GHz CPU, a capacitive touch screen display with WVGA resolution, a 5 mega pixel camera and plenty of RAM –which are the basic requirements for the upcoming Microsoft mobile platform. Aside from that, little is known about this new handset.
Until the Mozart’s specs are revealed, it is hard to tell if it will not be the same handset as the HTC Mondrian that was leaked much earlier. Many believe that it is likely that the two smart phones are different devices.
The Mondrian is a powerhouse in terms of hardware. While Microsoft has already set a minimum set of hardware requirements, the Mondrian is said to have specs that goes beyond the typical WP7 handset. The processor alone is rumored to have a speed of 1.2GHz (which hints that this may be the new Snapdragon CPU).
Windows Phone 7 is considered to be the most impressive operating system ever made by Microsoft and that this new mobile phone OS is expected to come with many new features such as Bing, Zune, Xbox Live Games, Silverlight, MSN Player, and more. Enterprise clients of Microsoft are still expected to use the older 6.5 series as the new operating system focuses more on media playback and integrated social networking.
HTC have had great success with the Google Android OS, producing phones like the HTC Desire and the Google Nexus One, so it will be very interesting to see what they can do with Microsoft’s new OS.
Sony Ericsson Cedar
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Along with the announcement of a number of other phones at the CommunicAsia conference in Singapore on June 16th such as the Xperia X8 and the Yendo, Sony Ericsson has revealed an affordable feature phone for those who wish to stay connected to friends and family without the steep prices attached to many of the latest communication, messaging, and entertainment-based mobile devices. Making use of many of the features that Sony Ericsson has put to use in other phones, but with a few compromises to help bring down the cost, the Cedar provides much of the functionality consumers need to connect to social networking services. Additionally, Sony Ericsson aimed to balance its entertainment functionality with business application, so a few additions have been made to make it friendlier for corporate users on the go. “Featuring 3G HSDPA, a 3.5mm jack and a port for easy connection to your laptop – the Sony Ericsson Cedar™ is an affordable GreenHeart™ phone which allows consumers to easily connect to their various communities whether it’s for work, fun or play,” says Quentin Cordier, Global Marketing Manager for Sony Ericsson.
Expected to be available some time in Q3 of 2010, the Cedar features some sleek styling that implements Sony Ericsson’s new human curvature design philosophy they intend to include in all forthcoming phones. By developing and designing phones that fit the contours of the hand much better, they hope to make the experience of using a mobile phone much more comfortable, compelling, and intuitive to cater to consumers. For the ecologically minded, the Cedar also keeps in line with Sony Ericsson’s GreenHeart commitment by using recycled materials, making much more efficient use of battery power, providing an e-manual rather than paper copies, and using waterborne paint and compact packaging to help reduce the impact on the environment.
Measuring 111 x 49 x 15.5 mm, the Cedar fits comfortably in the hand as intended, and weighs just 84 ounces; with such a small, featherweight phone you hardly remember it is in your pocket at times. Classic black colouration combined with bold silver or red accents combine with the design to create a stylish mobile device, and the prospective price tag makes the phone that much more appealing. Though no pricing information has been officially announced, Sony Ericsson is aiming for a budget price range to bring 3G connectivity and functionality to a wider audience with this feature phone, so you can expect a fairly accessible price tag.
3G HSDPA support provides users with broadband connectivity for fast and easy use of social networking sites, quick web browsing, or up-to-date email access. Using Sony Ericsson’s Widget Manager 2.0, the Cedar provides easy access to your favourite applications and social networking sites from the stand-by screen; easily check updates from your friends and family on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. The Access Netfront 3.5 web browser with support for standard images, video, and protocols makes it possible to surf the internet and check out the latest news and information on your favourite sites, then use the bookmarking support to save those pages and come back to them later. Along with the integrated web browser and Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter applications, the Cedar offers instant messaging, MMS picture messaging, and SMS text messaging with predictive text input in a conversation-style layout to help make it quick and simple for you keep in touch and organise all of your interactions into easy-to-read streams of text. In addition to the messaging capabilities, the Cedar has adopted a few corporate-friendly email features, such as push email support for instant updates over the network and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync connectivity to allow you to connect to a corporate Exchange server to receive business emails and and access corporate contacts on your mobile phone from anywhere you have 3G service. The Cedar also provides simple contact transfer and web backup to keep all of your important business and personal contacts safe should your Cedar be lost or damaged.
To complement the messaging capabilities and corporate appeal of the Cedar, Sony Ericsson has included some entertainment features to make it ideal for fun as well. A 2-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom makes it possible to take pictures or capture VGA video at 30fps, and then upload it to the web easily. The camera also allows you to make video calls to add a personal touch to your conversations, and the Cedar also supports video streaming and playback to allow you to watch video clips on the go. Watch YouTube videos or MP4 H.263 video from your mobile phone on the Cedar’s 2.2” TFT LCD capable of displaying up to 262,000 colours. The screen provides a perfect display platform for pictures, video, or games as well as the Widget Manager interface, allowing you to view them all in fairly vivid colour. The Cedar features Java support, allowing you to download productivity tools, applications, and 3D games and utilise them to add to the mobile phone experience and functionality of the Cedar.
As expected from Sony Ericsson, well-known for its Walkman line of phones, the Cedar includes essential music playback functions and features. The Sony Ericsson Media Player allows you to sort your library by album, artist, and track name and create your own playlists on the fly from the phone itself without the need for PC software. Additionally, as a Sony Ericsson phone, the Cedar has integrated access to the PlayNow network, allowing you to download music, as well as games, applications, themes, and other media directly to your phone utilising high-speed 3G internet access. Using Sony Ericsson’s interesting TrackID software, you can record a few seconds of a song you might hear in a store, at the club, on the radio, or at a friend’s house and then send it to be analysed on the TrackID network. TrackID searches through a database of over 2.5 million tracks to see if it can find a match, and then immediately returns the track name, album, and artist information to your phone so you can find the song on the PlayNow network and add it to your library. To listen to your music, you can utilise the 3.5mm stereo headphone jack for standard wired headphones, or the Bluetooth A2DP connectivity allows you to use a wireless headset for more freedom. Compare all the latest Sony Ericsson Cedar deals or just have your say about this new eco-phone on the Sony Ericsson Cedar reviews section.
Quick Preview: Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X8
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
The XPERIA X8 is top notch handset hidden in the guise of a standard smart phone. Sure you’ve got other high end Android devices available right now, but having to shell out loads of cash on a smart phone is a heavy investment –especially when you will not get to use all the features. This is where the X8 shines, it is versatile, stylish and most importantly practical.
Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA series of smart phones have always been on the higher end of the spectrum. Even with the disappointing performance of the X1 and X2 Windows Mobile handsets, the company has been able to establish the brand as their ‘special’ set of smart phones. This later expanded with the XPERIA Pure, which is a concept GSM device that featured the very first transparent display and the announcement (and launch) of the XPERIA X10 –their first Android smart phone.
While the XPERIA X10 impressed many of us in terms of features and hardware, it was a very high end device. The smart phone had both killer specs and a killer price tag. The recent launch of the X10 Mini was supposed to be an answer to that, the Mini provided users with a very low end alternative. But with the jump from the high end device to the super small X10 Mini being such a big step, Sony left a big gaping hole in between –a niche that the XPERIA X8 is meant to fill.
Packed with a 3 inch TFT capacitive touch screen display, 128 MB of internal memory, a 3.2 mega pixel camera, a 600 MHz CPU and the Android 1.6 Donut operating system, the XPERIA X8 is a solid piece of work that people can rely on for its usability and more importantly, stability. It is also reported that it will be getting a price tag of less than 200 Euro –a great deal for an Android handset.
Conserving Batteries on Your Android Phone
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
When it comes to smart phones, functionality is rarely an issue. There are plenty of things that people can do with smart phones these days, and in the case of Google’s Android operating system (which runs on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S or the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini), the phone is always up and running various functions from the moment you turn it on until it runs out of batteries.
In fact, the Android does so many things that it tends to eat up battery charge like there’s no tomorrow –and if you do not manage your power consumption patterns, the charge will definitely not last until tomorrow. Of course, this is an issue that man smart phones face –not just the Android. Apple’s iPhone is notorious for its super low battery life, many user complain that they need to charge the device twice in the course of a single day (and a third time for the handset to make it through the night).
Thankfully, Google has developed the Android to have various settings and options that you can change in order to help conserve batteries.
The biggest tip that experts will tell users is to turn off all the auto-connection functions. From auto-updates to auto-sync, these functions will drain the battery on your Android handset. Getting alerted to Tweets and new emails is nice; unless it is really important having a charged battery and a functional phone is still more practical.
GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G can be switched off; now here are some settings that many people tend to forget. While these features provide plenty of convenience, nobody really needs them up and running the whole time. So unless you intend to use a map, turn off the GPS.
Lastly, leave the device in a location with good coverage. When there is no signal, a phone will struggle to find one –and thus consume more energy.
Some Last Minute iOS 4 Mail Surprises for iPhone Owners
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
If you have an older iPhone model and are not yet sold whether or not you want an iPhone 4, you can simply choose to try out the perks of the new operating system. Anyone who has an iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS will be able to try out the iOS 4 platform, straight out of the oven.
Even those who have current generation iPod Touch devices can get a sneak peak of how good (or buggy) the iOS 4 platform runs by simply downloading it from iTunes. Developers who have had the privilege to try out build 8A293 will recognize the final release. It looks like after all the tests, Apple was unable to find anything that needs drastic changing.
While owners of older units will not be able to enjoy functions such as multitasking, customized home screen wallpapers or the Bluetooth keyboard functionality, there are still added features to make it worth the download.
For example, the mail system can now recognize snippets that refer to events or tracking information for your parcels. These work automatically so you will not need to scramble for the details just to write them on your schedule. For example, your niece’s birthday party is at 12:00 NN on Saturday, the mail program detects this and opens a dialogue box asking you if you would like to set this event or appointment on your Calendar app. This way, you will not need to manually manage anything and you can save it in your appointments as soon as you receive the details.
As for managing your parcels, the mail system automatically recognizes your package’s tracking number and provides you a clickable link which opens a page in the Safari browser.
These may not be shocking changes but they are quite handy to have around. At the very least, these improvements prove that Apple is listening to what their fans are asking for.
Sony Ericsson Yendo
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Most of us tend to carrying about both our mobile phones and mp3 player. While it has not also been convenient to do so – it means taking up more room in your pockets – it is what we have traditionally done as mobile phones do not always make the best portable music players; slowish interface, lack of storage, having to use specially provided earphones are all reasons that have been used to dismiss your mobile as doubling up as a rival to your iPod. However Sony Ericsson have, over the last few years, tried to buck this trend and release a new wave of mobile phones that are specifically designed to be a phone and an mp3 player all in one thus we shall be having a look at the latest incarnation – the Sony Ericsson Yendo.
The Yendo is very similar in terms of design to the x10 Mini although it does come in at about 10 mm taller; even still it is small and neat enough to fit inside your pocket without being too much of an inconvenience – certainly better than carrying two devices around with you anyway. Following the trend of just about every new phone having a touch screen the Sony Ericsson Yendo comes with a 2.6 inch touch screen that isn’t the biggest around but is more than satisfactory for what it wants to achieve. Perhaps one of the major disappointments with the Sony Ericsson Yendo is its camera. Sony Ericsson mobiles have always been regarded as leading the way in a sense when it comes to mobile phone digital camera technology – the x10 has a whopping 8 mega pixel camera – however the Yendo will only offer a 2.0 mega pixel camera. Even though the Sony Ericsson Yendo is not marketed as a digital camera replacement it is somewhat disappointing to see it doesn’t offer a higher pixel camera or any sort of flash option.
The phone itself will not carry the hugely popular Android operation system – instead it will be Sony Ericsson’s own proprietary system – however this shouldn’t cause too many problems given that we are talking about an mp3 player with phone capabilities. In fact, the Sony Ericsson Yendo will carry the same interface as the x10 and x10 Mini which will come as relief to many as their user interfaces have proved to be a hit with Sony Ericsson’s users. The ‘corner tabs’ that are present on the x10 Mini should still be here on the Yendo however with only a 156 MHz processor don’t expect it to be anywhere near as swift and fast when browsing through its features and options. However it is in the Yendo’s ‘walkman’ like features that we are most concerned about for a phone that is aimed at replacing our mp3 players and it is in this department that any potential buyers will look at specifically before making a purchase.
The Sony Ericsson Yendo provides an excellent touch walkman interface with track identification and PlayNow options. The fact that it also has a 3.5 mm audio jack – a prerequisite for any mobile phone that also claims to be an mp3 player – means that everything in certainly in place on the multimedia side of the Yendo. The fact that, through a microSD memory card, you can have up to 32 GB’s of memory means that then Yendo will be able to hold more songs that many mp3 players – including most iPods. The Yendo however will leave many frustrated with its connectivity specifications. It doesn’t offer Wi-Fi or 3G so it connects through EDGE. While we have to bear in mind that the internet isn’t one of the Sony Ericsson Yendo’s ‘marketing’ features it is still something that is widely used even on phones that aren’t specifically designed for that purpose. So the lack of Wi-Fi or 3G means that even accessing web sites such as Facebook and Twitter could be laggy and slow.
The batter on the Yendo will give you about 210 minutes of talktime and around 300 hours on standby although expect to have your charger ready as continually playing mp3’s and audio files is sure to eat into the lifetime of the battery far more than simple calling or surfing the web. Leave your own thoughts on this new SE music phone on the Yendo reviews page.
When considering buying the Sony Ericsson Yendo you have to think about it in a specific way; it is not designed to be a high end mobile phone nor is it designed to be a high end mp3 player. The Sony Ericsson Yendo is designed to be basic and fundamental. It is no use comparing it to x10 or x10 Mini because it is not meant to be a replacement or successor to either of these phones; what it is supposed to be as a budget end of the market mobile that provides basic phone features and mp3 playback . So what you end up with is a pretty nifty and effective portable music player with phone capabilities – calling, texting, taking pictures, internet browsing. When considering buying the Sony Ericsson Yendo you have to think about what you want; if you’re looking for a truly all in one device that has a fantastic mp3 player, crystal clear digital camera and the equivalent of having your laptop inside your mobile when it comes to internet usage then Yendo isn’t going to live up to your expectations. That being said, the Yendo comes into its own when you consider that it is a mid-market mobile that is aimed at those who want a decent enough mobile – phone calls, texting, respectable camera and the ability to access the internet – with the functionality to be able to listen to music effectively as well; if this is your desire then they Yendo is right up your street.
The Sony Ericsson Yendo should be available in the UK later on this year through various Sony Ericsson Yendo deals.
Galaxy Q Added to Samsung’s Android Lineup
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
There seems to be no shortage of Galaxy related buzz these past few days. Samsung’s name has been pretty prominent in the Android community with the recent launch of the Galaxy S smart phone several weeks ago and since then new devices for this line of smart phones have been constantly popping up on the radar.
As for the Galaxy Q itself, there is still no information or details regarding this handset. The most that we can say at the moment is that it will be an Android smart phone but aside from that, this device could be anyone’s guess.
So far, it has not even been proved if the handset will be a completely new device. There are a couple of Galaxy branded Samsung handsets that were only released in Asian regions and the Galaxy Q might be a western port of one of these phone –that or the Q might be another Asian-only smart phone. Only time will tell.
Speaking of the Samsung Galaxy lineup, there really is quite a bit that people can choose from and look forward to. When the Galaxy i7500 first arrived on store shelves last year, there was plenty of buzz about the Android handset from the Korean manufacturer. The handset would be later followed up by the Spica which served as the mini version of the original.
With the launch of high end Androids such as the Nexus One and the HTC Desire, Samsung also released their own 1GHz Android smart phone the i9000 Galaxy S, and just a while back, they also confirmed a second version of the i9000, the Galaxy S Pro which has a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Samsung also seems to have an eye on the tablet industry with the Galaxy Tape. This new Android device sports a big 7 inch capacitive touch screen display.
iPhone 4G: Double the RAM, Double the Fun
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
iPhone fans all over the world have been hanging onto every iPhone tidbit coming their way since the little device has been announced to the masses. The latest in the iPhone family, the iPhone 4G, is the current star of the show. Stealing the limelight from even the iPad, the iPhone 4 has features like multitask capabilities as well as a killer 5 megapixel camera. That being said, the latest spec to hit the airwaves is focused on the Apple device’s RAM.
Reports say that the latest Apple device sports double the RAM of the iPhone 3GS. Since the iPhone 4 boasts a 512 MB RAM, this also makes it double the iPad’s 256 MB RAM.
The technologically savvy Apple buffs had to figure this one out on their own first however, because Apple has kept mum about the device’s hardware. Since the original iPhone’s debut, the company has increased their efforts in shielding the actual tech specs of upcoming devices from the public and the media. This may be to discourage people from scrutinizing the numbers too much that they fail to see the company’s overall intention for the device.
Since then, the rumor has been confirmed. This is further supported by the fact that iOS 4’s native functions such as its multitasking capability was announced to be incompatible with older (like 3G and 3GS) models. To put it simply, older devices do not have enough RAM to run the functions efficiently.
At the very least, this is better than previously expected. The prototype model which has found its way to the press before only had a 256 MB RAM on board. The added power should help with most of its operations and add exclusive stuff such as the ability to run the iMovie video editing app as well as the device’s multitasking support without any hiccups.
Orange Brings Over a US Exclusive HTC WinMo Smart Phone
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
US network carriers tend to get exclusive mobile phones. Not just special colors or new features, but entire mobile handsets. Sometimes, we get lucky and a port of the smart phone get brought over to the UK (like the case of the Motorola DROID, which got a quick renaming and was ported over as the Motorola Milestone), some devices however, seem to take forever to reach UK shores.
Take the case of the HTC Touch Pro2 smart phone. Before the HTC HD2 was ever announced, the Touch Pro2 was the Windows Mobile smart phone to have. It is an impressive mobile phone which delivers a true Windows experience with a few slight hardware upgrades that makes the experience truly enjoyable. For quite some time, WinMo users have complained that the interface of the OS was too small and relied too heavily on stylus input -which required the use of resistive touch screen technology.
The Touch Pro2 brought a large 3.6 inch TFT resistive touch screen. It was big enough to for some users to tap the buttons with their fingers (though with the resistive touch screen, response was not so good unless a stylus was being used).
The device also came with a slide out QWERTY keyboard, for a business smart phone, the physical keyboard is something of a necessity since it facilitated the ease of having to type out documents and emails. HTC brought in a special hinge for the top screen which allowed it to be tilted –and for the whole device to look like a really small netbook. In this mode, the Touch Pro2 was quite conducive to typing as it allowed users to type while providing a clear view of the screen.
So far, there is no specific date as to when Orange will be having the device in stock, but with the official announcement already up in their website, it is only a matter of time before the Touch Pro2 is available in the UK.