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Reviews written by Administrator
Samsung
Samsung Omnia Review - We Like It....For The Most
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
The Samsung i900 Omnia is a very capable device, from its well built design to the 5MP camera with Flash the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional device delivers on almost every area it promises to. The user interface is well thought out for intuitive controls, the audio offerings including a 3.5mm jack are everything we've come to expect from a pocket pc, and the unit really does hold its own against today's top devices such as the HTC Touch Diamond and even the ever present iPhone.
I've included some pics at the top of the page that I recently took, be sure to check them out! In the meantime here's a look at our take on the Omnia.
DESIGN
The Omnia looks great, its a little industrial, but I guess that suits the well built industrial style design, nothing on the Omnia feels cheaply made, quite the opposite, I didn't notice any gaps or other manufacturing issues on the well put together unit.
Looking at the front of the unit users will notice that the screen takes up most of the devices realty an impressive 3.2 inches of it, i'll talk about the screen and its haptic feedback shortly.
Below the screen you'll find your basic navigation scroll and your Send and End Keys. Really this device is about the haptic feedback touchscreen with large fonts so it came as no surprise that very little was offered ALA the iPhone concept for the unit. There is an optical based mouse cursor that lets you scroll around the device with a cursor, but the touchscreen is much more accessible with a stylus or even the use of your finger.
The left side is pretty empty with just the USB 2.0 port. On the right are the volume rocker, camera key and a key that launches the Menu. On the bottom is the mouthpiece while the top houses the Power key and a reset hole.
Looking at the back of the device users will notice a good size speaker grill located next to the units very well placed 5MP camera offering along with an LED flash for even better picture taking. The camera is accented in a bright and shiney metallic finish which shows off the full scope of the lens and flash.
Finally the bottom is bare while the top features the units On/Off/Standby function and very little else.
Overall I love the screen size, its big but still manageable and easy to carry around in your pocket, the device is well built and offers great functionality thanks to the placement off all the devices buttons.
FEATURES
Its almost hard to decide where to start. The Samsung Omnia features a Windows Mobile 6.1 setup which means users can access and edit Windows Office documents while maintaining their original formatting, a definite plus for people constantly on the go. Windows Mobile 6.1 also offers full email support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 which allows users to set out of office messages from their units and it supports threaded messaging for easier to follow messaging capabilities. Throw in added security and a host of other features and its a great addition to any device.
The Optic mouse, while not necessarily needed thanks to the large touch display actually operates very well, users can choose between using the optical part as a normal touch pad, or as an optical mouse that can move a cursor around your devices screen, you can also set the speed of movement making it easier to find your own comfort level. Its a small piece of the overall puzzle, but one that fits nicely especially for added one hand navigation.
The unit also features an Accelerometer, if your unfamiliar with the term it means when you tilt your device from regular screen mode to the side it detects the movement and goes into landscape mode just like the iPhone, the accelerometer also allows for some interesting cell phone game playing on your device. The transitions are smooth with some nice graphics and it excels at the level we would expected from the relatively new technology.
The New TouchWiz User Interface is also something to write home about, the UI is extremely responsive and fast in its responses. I also liked the bright color on the menu icons and their placement, entertainment is found together, settings are placed in the right spots, and its easy to create your own shortcuts, i'm not going to get to far into the UI other than to say its intuitive and fast as I plan on writing up more on the UI in a seperate article.
Another great feature for the Samsung Omnia is the 624 MHZ Marvell PXA312 CPU Processor, the thing moves quickly with help from the onboard 128MB of ram and either a 4GB or 8GB internal memory setup that really keeps system load down. The Omnia Touch Wiz UI also supports several different widgets such as Notes, Radio, Explorer, Clock, and Calendars. It also has 3 different home screens, while running Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional below them for added support and functionality. I'll admit I still prefer the HTC Touch Diamond and its TouchFlo 3D technology, but the Omnia exceeded my expectations when it came down to examining both interfaces side by side.
SCREEN
The screen on the Omnia is bigger than some newer models like the Touch Diamond, featuring a 3.2inch display, but the resolution at 240 x 400 with 65k color display was a little less than I would have hoped for. The resolution in fact will make playing some games and using certain applications hard if not impossible.
One huge screen advantage however is the units use of haptic feedback, essentially when you push an icon or number/letter button on the screen a mini vibration is felt for a split second letting you know you have touched the area, while its not perfect and can be slightly annoying until you get use to it, overall its a great feature that makes using your touchscreen slightly easier than the screens found on other Windows Mobile and various Pocket PC units.
Overall its not a bad screen for use with the device but 3rd party applications may put up a fight if they don't offer a good variety of resolution output choices so beware.
CAMERA
I love the camera on the Omnia, some 5MP cameras don't offer a true take on the technology, but with the Omnia I found pictures that didn't blur with a mixture of undertones and overtones, in fact outdoor and indoor picture taking thanks to the included LED flash made picture taking a breeze. The device also offers an impressive set of functions such as white balancing, Panorama picture taking, Geotagging of pictures and then the standard offerings of other devices. The unit will also record VGA video with a resolution of (640 x 480) at 15fps and QVGA video (320 x 240) at 30fps. The video playback was pretty smooth, although when objects were further away I did notice some instability that wasn't operator faulted. The Omnia also features
the Samsung Omnia Media Album which makes for easy access to all of your multimedia needs and the audio playback on recorded clips was on par with the iPhone or any Sony Walkman device.
MUSIC AND VIDEO
Audio on the unit is crisp and clear, I particular like that the device features such a wide range of supported music types including the following: MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA/OGG/AMR player. The Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP Stereo streaming support also played through with ease using my Motorola S9 headset, while the standard headset jack via my 3.5mm unit also played back crisp music, using the Samsung Touch Player made finding and player music by Artist, Genre, Albuma and playlists easier than ever and I liked the overall quality it offered. The unit as most cell phone devices do these days also supports FM Radio with RDS, my local stations connected easily and offered excellent playback even at higher music volumes including when I blasted the headset at full volume. I was actually able to get more stations on my device than my home radios.
For Video enthusiasts the Omnia supports the following formats: DivX/XviD/WMV/MP4 player I tried a few divx movies and they popped right up and played with no choppy feeling, however the screen resolution doesn't offer the highest quality playback which was a little bit of a let down, even with the videos you take on the 5MP camera you'll be dissapointed with the final outcome. The audio is great on Video playback which is one upside.
CONNECTIVITY
The Samsung Omnia offers a very high level of connectivity, first the device features 3G Internet access which works like a dream, a really fast dream. If you don't have 3G support where you are don't fret to much the Edge/GPRS was still suitable for most web browsing and email functions.
You can also always connect to WiFi via the units very nice 802.11 b/g internet access, thanks to Windows Mobile 6.1 support the WiFi connects with no problems to both secured and unsecured networks and offers ultra fast download and upload speeds.
You can also connect via ActiveSync via the units onboard USB 2.0 adapter.
Finally for GPS navigation the device features Assisted GPS (A-GPS) that allows for easy access to navigation at street level.
Overall the connectivity is what we've come to expect from Windows Mobile devices and they work as good as is to be expected.
CONCLUSION
Overall the Samsung i900 Omnia is a very competent device, it features an impressive set of standard connections and it surprises with its very fast and capable User interface and very well though out and high performing 5MP camera. Audio is also a favorite of mine on this unit as it really showcases the ability to playback and streaming both video and music at a high caliber. However, the device isn't perfect, there's no stylus slot and using the unit in direct sunlight makes reading the onboard screen a headache, not to mention the odd resolution of the unit can make 3rd party applications a hassle or impossible to use.
Overall I like the unit, I think its a capable device that offers alot of nice features. Its also well built, offerings a ton of added features, and thanks to the overall features the unit is great for business execs and street consumers alike.
Make sure to check out our pics of the unit to see more.
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| Overall rating: |
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8.2 |
| Styling: |
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8.0 |
| Ease of Use: |
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9.0 |
| Display: |
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7.0 |
| Voice Quality: |
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8.0 |
| Battery Life: |
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8.0 |
| Quality/Build: |
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9.0 |
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Reviewed by Administrator
August 07, 2008
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Last updated: August 07, 2008
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Nokia
Nokia E66 Smart Phone Review
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Nokia E66 Cell Phone Review
For the last several days I've been playing with the new Nokia E66, a soon to be released cell phone for the Nokia E Series of devices, and I must say, I have been impressed with what I?ve seen. Not only is the device well built, but its size is perfect for toting around the office, while the devices camera, connections and excellent build factors help spice up the Nokia E series line.
BUILD AND DESIGN
The Nokia E66 comes in at a very respectable 107mm x 49mm x 13mm (4.2" x 1.9" x 0.5") and weighs only 121g (4.3oz) and it feels like it, I found carrying around the compact smartphone to be a welcomed addition.
The device will ship in Grey and White steel and features a typical slider keypad with no qwerty type of layout, a little disappointing given the HTC Touch Dual 20 Key Configuration allows for easier text and email functionality. However the build well makes up for what the unit lacks, the device is built with the highest Nokia standards in mind, there is no gapping, no rough edges, and no other noticeably hiccups in the overall build of the unit. The finish does however lend itself to tons of fingerprints so be sure to carry a microfiber cloth with you.
The front of the Nokia E66 features several shortcut keys and a D-Pad listed directly below the devices 2.4 inch QVGA screen. The shortcut buttons consist of the devices send/end keys along with a "Home" button, a contacts list shortcut key, a Messaging softkey and finally a Calendar button. Their is also three remaining shortcut keys that can be programmed by the user. Overall I like the layout, its easy to launch some of the devices most used features. But the shortcuts don't stop there. The E66 uses a new system in which a long push or a short push will actually launch different applications. For instance a short Home key push brings you to the Home screen, however a longer push of the same key will launch your Task Manager. The other 3 shortcut keys are all accessed via short pushes, while each can be programmed by the user for access to their own applications of choice, a very cool feature that in essence gives access to 8 shortcuts on the front of the devices limited space.
Overall the keypad and even the D-Pad provide excellent tactile feedback functionality, an important aspect given all the industry talk about tactile use lately.
Sliding open the keypad you?ll notice a pretty standard keypad, with one exception the * key is not used to turn bluetooth on and off, a very neat function on the unit.
The top of the unit then features the bright red On/Off/Standby mode.
Looking to the right side of the Nokia E66 you?ll notice a whole host of keys. At the top right there is the volume up and down keys which both offer great feedback and work on contact. Between those keys is the device voice rocker button.
Below the down volume key is the camera shutter, it works in the same 2 step process as the Nokia E90 Communicator with the same program, you can't actually launch the camera from the button, if you want a dedicated camera button you'll need to pre-program that yourself by using one of your own softkeys.
Turning our attention to the left side of the device we?ll find several important add-ons including the Micro-USD Port, a 2.5mm headphone jack, a 2mm standard Nokia power port, and the irDA port. I was happy to see a dedicated headphone jack however 3.5mm would have been more appreciated. I also found an irDA option to be outdated, but to each there own. A usb charge port rather than Nokia?s 2mm standard would also have been welcomed.
Looking at the back of the device users will find the units mono speaker and 3.2 mega pixel camera. Unfortunately the lens doesn?t offer any type of protective cover, but at least it comes with an LED Flash for low light picture taking.
FEATURES
The Nokia E66 works perfectly with Nokia PC Suite, this is great if you need to sync your Outlook via your bluetooth connection or through the included data sync cable that ships with the device.
I really appreciated the E66 speed dial offering. As you begin to type a contacts name a list of possible matches are displayed. If you hover over a name you can click on your right softkey and then choose whether to make a call, send a text, or compose a message to send off to the customer. You can still use your basic speed dial by holding down a button, such as the "2 key" to call Home, the "3 key" to call work, etc.
The E66 also features voice dialing efforts for added dial capabilities, simply hold down the right softkey or the voice recorder button and you can make a call or access your favorite applications.
Of course the device also features the Symbian S60 3rd Edition Mobile Operating System with feature pack 1 included
The Nokia E66 also features an option that is increasing in popularity an Accelerometer, this allow for some fun video game playing and allows the device to switch between standard and landscape modes when the device is turned upright or on its side. You can also simply flip the phone over to put a ringing call into silent mode, a very cool feature. If you delve further into the user manual as we did you'll also find a double tap feature that allows you to tap the front of the unit to turn off call volume or to silent an alarm sound.
The Nokia E66 also features a built-in Assisted GPS (A-GPS) feature which is nice to have but lacks geo-tagging even though Nokia has free software available for such cases, it's a little frustrating when a company leaves off software they have readily available, especially when it takes up very little memory or system resources and should have been included. Overall the GPS works as well as the Nokia N95 8GB, its probably the same technology based on load times and mapping offerings, so I'll take it as is, especially since a simple improvement is only 1 free download away. The GPS features on the device include free Nokia Maps however premium maps with voice guided directions are also available for a fee of course.
The Nokia E66 also makes accessing your work documents easier than ever, the nokia PIM software gives access to your Office documents for viewing and editing via QuickOffice 4.1. I should mention that while the device comes with document viewing, you?ll have to paid for a subscription if you want to edit your documents, this fee gives devices like the MWG Zinc II an advantage thanks to their Windows Mobile document editing features for Microsoft Office.
The Nokia E66 also features a search application that can search your entire device for files and it offers access to Adobe PDF files as well.
CONNECTIVITY
First, the device is a Quad-Band (850/900/1800/1900mhz) offering meaning AT&T Customers are more than welcomed to use the device along with their T-Mobile counterparts. AT&T Customers will also appreciate the ultra fast 3G Internet connection available thanks to the units WCDMA (850mhz/1900mhz) support on the U.S. version of the device, while other offerings such as 850/2100mhz and 900mhz/2100mhz models are available for other parts of the world, an important aspect when you?re looking to buy.
In terms of other connections the E66 also supports USB mass storage mode, this means users can quickly and conveniently drag and drop files into any directory over a USB cable connection.
Users can also share memory between devices using the units MicroSDHC card slot, while this is a great option for some reason Nokia placed the card slot under the battery cover making it not easily accessible, a surprising move given the dedicated nature of card slots on most newly released units. My 8GB MicroSDHC card worked perfectly on the unit and download and upload times seemed to be on par with the HTC TyTn II and HTC Touch Diamond Units.
Finally the device also features an irDA port which works well but is not quite as fast as the Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP for Stereo Bluetooth streaming use. With Bluetooth 2.0 on the unit users can connect up to 6 Bluetooth devices at one time to the phone, a nice feature that allows for fast transfers, but which also eats up battery life at about 3 times faster than the irDA port.
MULTIMEDIA
The E66 features a suitable music player with the ability to listen to podcasts included. Users can sort through artists, albums, genres and playlists just as you can on most Symbian based devices.
One big drawback, there are no dedicated music keys on the device which doesn?t make accessing your songs the easiest of tasks.
I did however appreciate the devices ability to use A2DP Bluetooth stereo playback. My Motorola S9 headset worked perfectly with the device and I didn?t notice any background distortion to songs ranging from Rock to Light Jazz.
And while Nokia made an effort with the 2.5mm headphone jack, I would much rather appreciated a more standardized 3.5mm jack, either way it?s a nice dedicated additon.
CAMERA
As I've already mentioned, the Nokia E66 features a 3.2 mega pixel camera with an LED flash. The camera also features an auto focus function which worked well enough, however the camera often led to blurry photos and some grayish blue overtones both in direct sunlight and in low light indoor conditions.
One plus on the camera mode is that the unit features an onscreen toolbar that makes access camera functions very easy. Scene mode, white balance, a self-timer and the camera exposure are among some of the accessible options that make using the camera once your in camera mode a snap.
As mentioned however getting into camera mode means using one of your softkeys or accessing the camera form the Symbian menu system, while the side loaded camera button can be used to actually snap your photos.
The device will take 15 fps video, which comes out okay. To launch the Video mode you simply access the feature through the on screen toolbar, again a quick launch offering would have been appreciated and was sorely missed.
INTERNET
The Nokia E66 also features a very nice Symbian S60 web browser that both renders pages quickly while offering full size web pages like you would experience on your desktop browser. The device also mobile optimizes web pages so they load more quickly than on many other devices. The Nokia Symbian browser also supports Java websites and Flash Lite. You?ll probably also enjoy the landscape mode feature thanks to the devices accelerometer which I spoke about earlier in the article.
With Edge/GPRS and 3G support browsing has never been more complete and faster than it is on the Nokia E66. Overall a great experience that offers easy browsing with superb page display.
CONCLUSION
The Nokia E66 is a very small device that packs some big features. While the 3.2 mega pixel camera wasn't perfect, it still took suitable on the go pictures. The devices GPS could also have used some added functionality, but its only a free download away so I didn?t find it to be much of a nuisance. On the positive side the devices 3G connection is ultra fast while the web browsing on 3G is supported by a wonderful browser that renders pages quickly and with excellent viewing possibilities.
I also loved how quickly the accelerometer changed between landscape and normal modes, while dialing options both through the quick contact search and voice dialing options were on par with other top tier Nokia devices.
While some options require paying extra to access them, the overall functionality of the Nokia E66 out of the box is on track to attract business users and other users of all sorts. Whether you need a capable music player or the ability to access your needed Microsoft office files, the Nokia E66 has something for everyone.
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| Overall rating: |
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9.0 |
| Styling: |
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8.0 |
| Ease of Use: |
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9.0 |
| Display: |
|
9.0 |
| Voice Quality: |
|
9.0 |
| Battery Life: |
|
9.0 |
| Quality/Build: |
|
10.0 |
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Themes
FreeStylWM Freeware Offers Good Skin Capabilities
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Its hard for me to easily rate skins, since all they essentially do is cover up the programs originally work. In this case the FreeStylWM is a suitable program. I found it installed easy on my TyTn II and the icons were easy to set up, both on the main screen part of the application and in the sub pages. One added feature I liked on this skin was the ability to display digital and analog clocks and of course the Slide To Lock feature which worked perfectly. Overall its a fun skin and if you really like the iPhone look for the UI you'll probably enjoy this addition, although my TyTn II didn't quite offer the same load speeds on the menu as the iPhone does.
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Graphics
Easy To Use, Functional Freeware App
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
I played with the app yesterday for about an hour and I love it! While an hour isn't long enough to find all the hiccups it was long enough to learn the instinctive menus, play around with the core functions, and make sure the touch screen sensitivity was good to go. The program is very responsive, and it didn't seem to eat up my devices system memory. I like that the colors really pop out of the screen and the color palette is very functional, as are the special effects options and brushstroke shape choices. Overall A great program for someone who loves to draw or for someone who needs to sketch out a quick diagram on the go.
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Apple
Apple iPhone 3G Succeeds Where Past Effort Failed
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
I'll be the first one to admit that I have always had a love and hate relationship with the iPhone, I thought the first version looked great in its aluminum casing, and the interface was second to none in terms of interactivy, user comprehension and style, but I simply couldn't look passed the device shortcoming, from the lack of 3G, to the useless paper weight the device become when business based email servers were needed, it just drove me crazy.
Luckily Apple realized the downfalls of the device, and hence Apple's iPhone 3G was born. A still slick device, albeit changed slightly in manufacturing Pocket PC that finally features the connectivity needed by business professionals, while ushering Apple into the high speed data world ala 3G internet connectivity and GPS capable use. So lets take a look shall we.
iPhone 3G Build Factor
Its an Apple device so as expected its well built. The device however unlike its predecessor features a plastic compound rather than aluminum, and the plastic is glossy glossy glossy, after all the iPhone is about alot of flash. I liked the original look but the new build isn't bad either and the plastic compound is very strong, and more importantly Apple chose Function over Form, in the sense that 3G Radios, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi and other radios need to pass through the device and plastic compounds are more conducisve to the overall functionality of the unit.
The device does still feature the same screen as the original iPhone, but I'm thinking no one minds the high resolution VGA screen that pushes out 480 x 320 pixels of resolution on a 3.5 inch screen. The iPhone 3G also remains pretty bare in the sense that the front side screen is the main attraction.
The unit does feature a slightly curved back side, which looks nice on the slightly thicker device, my one qualm is that when typing on the screen if you have it say on your desk, it wobbles.
The body change was smart on Apple's part in the sense that you can't use your original iPhone dock, which i'm sure will make many customer none to happy.
Also I should mention that the devices 3.5mm headphone jack makes connecting your favoirte headphones a breeze, and its finally right up against the device, not disturbing the flow of the unit.
Basically the device has a slightly different build factor but not much has changed, but like I mentioned before the form factor has always been great, there really has been no need to change.
iPhone 3G Features
Lets start with the most obvious, the 3G model finally features well...ummm...3G Data speeds! I was surprised when the first device didn't have this offering, in fact I was more than surprised, I was a little pissed off. The data speeds are nice and fast on AT&T at least in my area, its definately a huge noticeable difference over the original iPhone, and it makes downloading apps from that Apple Store that much easier. 3G did eat up the battery at a faster rate, Apple says 5 hours, I say closer to 4 hours 30 minutes, but either way that's impressive enough considering all the other radios and add-on's that could be eating up the memory but are not. In terms of 3G speeds, I was noticing 310-520Kpbs in the Midwest region of the United States, although some overseas reviewers have clocked 700-850kbps where data networks are more technologically advanced. Either way the speeds are very impressive.
Call Quality is also a huge upgraded feature on the iPhone 3G. This was one area I hated the original in and love Apple for improving on. I found 3G calls to come in very clear while GSM calls also showed a vast improvement over the original iPhone call quality. One qualm I have with this feature is that Apple has yet to integrate real time network monitoring into their devices, which means the iPhone 3G can't tell if you would get better calling on 3G than GSM or vice versa, for this you have to switch between the two on your own, its a bit of a pain, but at least its a move in the right direction. 3G Voice it should be mentioned will also eat up your battery.
I also liked that the unit now has proximity sensors so it can tell when you put the device up to your ear which was a cool addition.
The units GPS is also a nice addition that offers new technology as well. Aside from connection via traditional Assisted GPS (A-GPS) the iPhone also uses a technology from Skyhook that acquires location based information via WiFi. Combining all the dimensions of connectivity allows the iPhone to connect to GPS signals in a matter of 1-2 seconds, very impressive for a phone, actually that would be very impressive on a GPS unit as well.
The new Mac OS X 2nd Release has also added some nice features to the unit, i'll discuss these in a later post. One thing I will say is that the Apple App store makes downloading 3rd party applications a breeze, some programs start as low at $.99 and increase from there, either way its a nice addition and makes the phone more expandable in its depth.
Finally I liked that the unit supports corporate email functions, specifically the ability to use Microsoft Exchange Servers, this addresses my biggest iPhone concern, the lack of business connectivity. Add this ability in with the SDK kit Apple released several months back and the iPhone is finally moving towards market integration and its about time.
DISPLAY
Just a quick reminder from the build information posted in the first section of this review. The screen is the same as offered on the iPhone's original incarnation. Its still 3.5 inches and still offers the same bright display that is unparralled by any other in the industry, the ability to control screen resolutions, brightness and responsivness are still as welcomed as they were on the original iPhone thanks to the wonderful work Apple has done on the interface.
CAMERA
It's okay, there's not really much more to say about the camera, it takes slightly brighter pictures than the original, but given the number of 8MP camera phones hitting the market such as the Samsung i850, or heck even the 3.2 mega pixels on the HTC Touch Diamond, I found it hard to get excited about slightly better picture taking on the device while also still lacking a flash function.
One option I like on the camera is the message that now pops up asking if you'd like to geo tag your photos, which can be useful if you like to keep track both mentally and physically in terms of where your photo's were taken and then maybe share them with your friends at a later time.
Overall its not a camera phone, its everything else, but its not a camera phone, i'm sure Apple will read the complaints and put a 100 mega pixel camera that will fold your laundry for you on the next phone, but not this time.
CONNECTIVITY
3G, WiFi, GPS, Data Sync Via Data Sync Cable, GPRS/EDGE. Really it offers it all and very competently, obviously it syncs well to the PC thanks to Apple's computing no how, and the 3G as mentioned earlier is nice and fast which adds a new level of connectivity to the iPhone 3G. Overall there's not alot I need to say other than it offers pretty much every level of connectivity you need, no infrared, but IR techology is dead on cell phones so who cares.
INTERNET
The biggest internet difference is the 3G connectivity, the Safari browser remains as good as ever, I actually think it may be rendering pages a little faster than the prior release. Overall though its the same as it was, which isn't bad, and its definately ahead of the competitors in the cellular market.
CONCLUSION
I'm sure i'll be writing plenty more about the Apple iPhone 3G in the coming months, it really is neat to watch how quickly Apple has played catch up in the market, and in terms of some functions have actually surpassed the competition. Is the iPhone 3G perfect? Absolutely not, but its alot more close to perfect than say the Palm Centro and Palm has been in the industry for a long time. While Apple may be playing catch up it sure does seem like alot of phones like the Samsung Instinct and the LG Dare are playing a scared game of offense to keep up.
So my final question to everyone and more specifically to Apple is....Whats next for the iPhone?
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| Overall rating: |
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9.3 |
| Styling: |
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10.0 |
| Ease of Use: |
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10.0 |
| Display: |
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10.0 |
| Voice Quality: |
|
8.0 |
| Battery Life: |
|
9.0 |
| Quality/Build: |
|
9.0 |
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MWG
MWg Zinc II Offers Great Build, Good Features
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
MWg ZINC II FULL REVIEW
Over the last 10 days i've been prying at, beating up, and pretty much attempting to destroy the MWg Zinc II,i'm happy to announce the device is still working as well as it did the day I removed it from the really nice packaging it arrived in.
The device from the same developers as the original O2 devices is a well built machine that offers a wide variety of well thought out additions. Whether your looking for a GPS solution, WiFi, 3G internet access, or a Sliding Qwerty Keyboard, the Mwg Zinc II has it all.
BUILD AND DESIGN
Before I give you the full walk around, I have to say that the Zinc II is a really well built device, given that the Atom Life and other O2 devices were so well built it really doesn't suprise me though, the unit offers a strong build factor with no gapping, a stronge back battery cover, and a feel that seems almost industrial in its depth.
The devices dimensions come in at 109.5 x 59 x 18mm. I know the 18mm may seem a little thick, but you have to remember that the device is built like an Ox and for that reason the unit feels like one. The unit also features a GPS Receiver which admittedly adds to the depth.
Looking at the front of the MWg Zinc its immediately clear that MWg was looking for simplicity, the front of the unit features very few buttons underneath the devices 2.8 inch TFT QVGA Touchscreen. In fact there is only a green send key on the left and a red end button to the right, between those two buttons is a D pad that can be pushed in the up and down and left and right directions while a large button in the middle allows you to make selections. The Touch Screen offers excellent feed back with every touch of the screen, which is always appreciated, and the screen is flush with the front of the unit offering a nice smooth look across the front of the device.
On left of the device features your volume up and volume down buttons, they are actually buttons not a rocker, which work in the same manner, the actual buttons are well constructed and offer great feedback when pushed. Below those keys is a button that looks sort of like a Windows Shortcut key, but its in fact the Zinc II Quick Menu, if you want to access your videos, pictures, connections, or Music this is the button to push, its great if your a music enthusiast
or you want to access your multimedia in a flash, i've always been a big fan of multimedia shortcuts so this was a big plus, the screen that displays shows 4 large icons that take up the entire screen making navigation among your multimedia offerings easier than ever. Finally below the Quick Menu is the MiniSDHC card slot, the slot is left open with no cover, at first I wasn't sure how I felt about that, on the one hand it can become a dust and other substance magnet
on the other hand I always have a card installed on my devices which covers up the opening and makes for easy removal and insertion access, this really depends on your taste and is a toss up based on preference.
The right side of the unit features the Power/Standby button at the top right follow by a quick launch camera button on the bottom right.
The bottom of the device features a MiniUSB port and nothing else.
The Top of the unit is bare.
Finally on the back of the unit you'll notice a fairly large speaker grill and the units 2.0 Mega Pixel camera, along with the camera's self portrait mirror. One option sorely missing is a flash option for the camera.
After looking around the device we come to the units Sliding qwerty keyboard. The unit features a non-raised keypad style that offers only small edges around each key. Admittedly the keyboard is a pain to get use to, I don't completely blame the design, which is a little akward, I think it was also partly the fact that i'm use to a raised keypad layout. It took me about 3 days of medium use to become comfortable with the keyboard. One thing i'll say is that the keyboard quick action, meaning right when I hit a key it appears on the screen. The top of the keyboard features two soft keys which can be programmed to access whatever you choose, but comes with the standard options. While the top right side of the keyboard has a nifty light up option for your Function (FN) and Caps offerings, just like on a laptop or desktop keyboard. One big issue I have with the keypad is that the period (.) button is only accessible if you push the Function (FN) key, I found this pretty annoying considering web browsing requires the constant use of the period key, an option like on the iPhone that offers a single (.com) button would have been much appreciated.
Overall the device is well built and offers quick launch functions for the most used aspects on the device. I would have liked to see a quick launch GPS button, but that's just being picky. The keyboard could also use a dedicated period key at the least. The device felt good in my hands, and while its a little heavier than i'm use to, I didn't really mind that fact knowing how well built MWg device are now and have been since their inception.
FEATURES
The Zinc II offers some nice features. First there is the units Samsung 500mhz processor! A nice speedy addition to the unit that keeps applications zipping along with no freezing, at least not that I experienced in the first 10 days of use. One peeve is the 64MB of Ram, on a higher end device 128MB would have been appreciated. While my device didn't slow down with 2 or 3 applications running at a time I can easily see how more power intensive programs may slow down the unit. The unit also features 256MB of Flash ROM.
The Zinc II also features Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, which means access to Exchange Server 2007, Threaded Messaging, and an overall refined interface that features a more streamlined architecture that helps devices work at higher speeds than Windows Mobile 6.0.
I also really liked that the Start menu prominently featured the Task manager, it definitely made for closely applications easier, which helps the device run faster and conserves battery power.
Then there is the Zinc II Quick Launch application I spoke about the design section. The Quick Launch menu is great for multimedia enthusiasts, or for anyone who wants easy access to their devices top accessed programs without navigating the Windows Mobile menu architecture. The icons are bright and easy to touch thanks to taking up a quarter of the screen each, and upon hitting the Quick Launch button the screen pops up instantly. The MWg Quick Menu also in response to the HTC TouchFlo technology allows users to switch between menus by simply dragging their fingers across the screen.
GPS is also a very nice feature. The unit features a SIRF III GPS Chipset that can grab up to 20 satellite signals at a time. I tested the GPS with Google Maps and found that the satellites were picked up on average within 15 seconds. The unit also worked well with the standard GPS Location Finder for grabbing latitude and longitude settings. Thanks to the devices MicroSDHC card capabilities you can also literally store tons of country data on your card for use with TomTom Software which is also very capable on the device while adding voice navigated directions.
CAMERA
The Camera on the Zinc II isn't its greatest feature. At 2 Mega pixels the pictures were okay, usually showing some signs of
undertones and overtones. The camera doesn't offer a flash which means darker inside pictures don't turn out all that well, while the self portrait mirror is a little small and hard to use. The camera loads quickly which is a plus, and it will video record as well, although the quality leaves something to be determined.
MESSAGING
The MWG Zinc II offers the standard messaging functions, including MMS, SMS, Email, Instant Messaging via Microsoft Messenger. I was able to easily setup my Exchange server functions and I like the threaded messaging features offered. My particular device was a pre-production model and did not have the auto settings yet installed, however the consumer devices will have auto configuration implemented meaning you don't have to go through and setup your carriers MMS settings, a vary nice touch. SMS and MMS messages were also easy to access from the Windows Mobile Interface, again its a standard set of functions, but nice either way.
INTERNET
The MWg Zinc II offers your basic internet connections via Edge/GPRS settings and then it offers the much more appreciated 3G option via UMTS 2100/1900/850MHz settings. I live in an area where 3G is nicely implemented and I found the speeds on the MWg Zinc II to be up to par with HTC devices, screens loaded quickly, and I never appeared to lose the connection. When testing out at my home in a small town I was resigned to Edge connectivity which still worked fine. The device has basic, WAP 2.0, HTML, XHTML access with Windows Internet Explorer for Mobile. I actually decided to use the Opera Mini browser which allows for better page layouts and appeared on the device to render pages faster than IE. Personally the internet settings are pretty standard, however they worked and I was able to easily navigate the web.
CONNECTIVITY
The device is built for worldwide GSM use with a Quad-Band (850/900/1800/1900mhz) setup and Tri-Band UMTS (850/1900/2100mhz)3G access.
Aside from Edge/GPRS and 3G connections the device also features WiFi 802.11 b/g, while on vacation over the 4th of July I used the device to check my work emails and found the WiFi to work at blazing speeds, pages not only rendered quickly, but connecting to both my WEP Secured and Non-Secured networks at the lake house were easy and fast.
Aside from WiFi the unit also features Microsoft Active Sync Capabilities via USB, my device connected with no problems to my desktop which runs Windows XP and my laptop via Windows Vista Business Edition. USB transfers were fast from both the device and from the devices other connectivity option the MicroSDHC cardslot which can hold cards up to 8GB in size and which as mentioned before is easily removable via a side loaded dedicated card slot offering.
As mentioned network setup is also going to be available for MMS settings, making your connectivity for your messaging application easy as well.
CONCLUSION
Overall the MWg Zinc two offers some nice additions to the oringal Zinc, including a Sirf III GPS receiver that worked great,and a newly minted Quick Launch button, which isn't hardly revolutionary, but is still very much appreciated. I liked the Samsung 500mhz processor, but more RAM should have been used. The use of 3G is of course very nice, especially considering the device is Quad-Band GSM with Tri-Band UMTS access. The keyboard was a little frustrating, and while I became use to the design, the lack of a Period key was frustrating, while the camera was less than stellar.
Given the news additions and build of the MWg Zinc II, along with the excellent touch screen and the units 500mhz processor I can confidently recommend the unit despite some of its shortcomings, hopefully as the company continues to grow some of the issues above are addressed, because as it stands right now the devices are among the best built, its the need for additional offerings that I'm looking for.
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| Overall rating: |
|
8.2 |
| Styling: |
|
8.0 |
| Ease of Use: |
|
8.0 |
| Display: |
|
8.0 |
| Voice Quality: |
|
8.0 |
| Battery Life: |
|
8.0 |
| Quality/Build: |
|
9.0 |
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HTC
HTC Touch Diamond Brings Style With Substance
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Design standards at HTC continue to push the envelop and the HTC Touch Diamond is no exception, featuring yet another new design backdrop the Touch Diamond looks more like an iPhone that warped in the hot sun than a standard HTC Touch Cruise offering. The unit is sleek, offers a nice portable size, and features the cell phone and pocket pc devices that have come to be expected from both HTC and from the new Windows Mobile 6.1 Operating System.
HTC Touch Diamond Design
The first thing I noticed on the Touch Diamond is the first thing I noticed on the HTC Touch Cruise, the unit features very few push buttons, in fact the only button option on the front of the device is a single round button in the middle front bottom of the device that works as an Okay key.
Looking at the top frontside of the device users will notice a single speaker and VGA video conferencing camera which features a VGA output, a pretty standard feature on HTC devices released in about the last 6 months. Below the camera is the devices 2.8 inch TFT Touch Screen with the ultra popular HTC TouchFlo Technology.
Below the screen I found a keypad with 5 buttons, at first it appears the keys are touch sensitive, until you actually push one of the keys and realize they are attached to a board like keypad that moves in the direction of your pushes. The keys on the far left feature the home screen key which will return you to the main menu of the device, follow directly below it by the Send Call Button on the opposite side of the keypad is the devices back arrow key followed below it by the Call End Button. Finally in the middle of all four buttons sits the D-Pad, which features a single button to push down on for selecting your icons. The D-Pad configuration is a little odd in that you can move up and down through items by pushing directly above, below, or on either side of the D-Pad button, yet there is no clearly defined area to push, just small arrows pointing in each direction, it seems odd at first, but once you begin using the new configuration a breeze to handle and allows the front of the unit to utilize its clean lines configuration.
On the top left side of the device there is a simple volume rocker, clicking up or down will increase and decrease your sound and doing so will also display a vibrate and silent screen for easy access to those functions.
The bottom of the HTC Touch Diamond features an HTC MiniEXT USB port which is used for charging the phone, data syncing and for plugging in an HTC Headset adapter. The unit unfortunately does not feature a separate 2.5mm or 3.5mm headset jack which was missed on the unit.
The bottom right of the device then houses the Stylus which is magnetic, followed by no other attributes on the side of the unit.
The top of the HTC Touch Diamond features the units ON/OFF/Standby button.
Finally the back of the HTC Touch Diamond offers a new unique design, it literally looks like the face of a diamond with beveled edges consuming the backside, the edges are smooth and feel good in the hand which was a big plus. At the top of the backside the 3.2 mega pixel camera is prominently features with a silver lining, literally, the only part of the device that is not offered with a shiny black gloss and shows off the unique design by mounting the camera within one of the triangular diamond patters.
Overall the relatively small size of 102 x 51 x 11.5 mm packs quite a large bit of design into the unit, while not sacrificing functionality thanks to the excellent placement of the devices backside and front side cameras. The unit shows no signs of gapping or any other issues in the build of the unit and the magnetic stylus while maybe not needed in a practical sense made for another unique feature. Overall the HTC Touch Diamond design is not only inventive, but a nice change of pace that really puts a Windows Mobile 6.1 Pocket PC on par with other non-business devices in terms of visual appeal.
HTC TOUCH DIAMOND FEATURES
My favorite feature on the HTC Touch Diamond is the use of the HTC Home Screen display. When using the unit you will first notice a nice large clock, clicking on the clock will bring up the time settings with the ability to integrate world times onto your device. You can get to the home screen at any time by clicking the home screen shortcut key located on the bottom front side of the device.
Shortcuts can then also be setup by the user, such as the default shortcuts that lead to your call history and calendar by pushing down on the D-Pad. The shorcuts do not stop however on a vertical level, horizontally across the bottom of the screen user can access contacts, emails and text messages, launch their web browser, access photos and videos, play music, get the weather, change the Pocket PC settings, and access their favorite settings which can be setup as shortcut keys for onscreen one button push access, such as YouTube which comes as a standard part of the devices shortcut setup, of course hitting the home key will always bring you back to the start of the options available.
The HTC Touch Diamond also features the HTC TouchFlo technology with the new TouchFlo 3D interface, a nice addition that allows users to swipe their fingers up and down and left and right across the units screen and thus access their favorite applications, the TouchFlo 3D technology is an upgrade from TouchFlo was has been offered on the HTC Touch Cruise and other HTC Touch models for almost the last year, but I especially found it efficient on the Touch Diamond because it offered more usability, as you can see from various videos posted on YouTube, and because it was not a standalone offering this time thanks to the other shortcut keys listed above, whether you are in the mood for finger swiping, stylus use, or the use of a D-Pad each button was well thought out and each type of navigation served its own purpose well.
I usually do not talk about memory on the Features section of reviews I have written so I will keep this short and sweet, the unit features 4GB of Internal Memory which supplants the usually MicroSD card slot which is missing from the unit, if you are a moderate user or are looking to open mostly office documents I doubt it will make much of a difference, beside 4GB can store a lot of songs, documents, photos and even some good sized videos.
The unit also features a very impressive Qualcomm MSM7201A processor with a 528 Mhz processor for very fast processing speeds, which are helped along by the units 192MB DDR SDRAM and 256MB Rom, for a small device the processing power actually beats out some devices like the HTC TYTN II and in terms of memory it outshines the MWg Atom Life.
The HTC Touch Diamond also features a really nice keypad, the keys are big enough that dialing is easy and the device offers a cool feature, once you dial at least 6 numbers a message will come up that says Save to Contacts which you can click on and it will prompt you for a name, which you can enter using several different keyboard layouts, including a 16 key configuration which puts two letters on each number display for faster entry. I like this function because it makes saving contacts easy, plus I tend to forget to save numbers and the HTC Touch Diamond helps ensure I remember to save important numbers.
Finally the HTC Touch Diamond features Windows Mobile 6.1, if you are not familiar with the changes between Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 they are pretty significant, for instance the use of Zoom Out internet browsing technology, and the ability to enjoy threaded text conversations when instant messaging users. Business users will particularly like the ability to open Office 2007. Also, Windows Mobile 6.1 gives access to an actual Task Manager just like you would find on your computer, it shows CPU usage, open programs, and the memory usage of each application. There is of course other new advantages of Windows Mobile 6.1 but I wanted to highlight a few I found helpful on the HTC Touch Diamond.
HTC TOUCH DIAMOND DISPLAY
I hate websites that have black backgrounds, and usually I do not like home screens to be dark in color, with the exception being the HTC line of devices, and especially the HTC Touch Diamond, the screen size is a respectable 2.8 inches, and takes up most of the front side realty on the device, the display is also surprisingly crisp considering the 65,000 color output and the 480 x 640 pixels of resolution. I think the display comes off nicer than the specs would have us believe because of the backlighting capabilities of the unit and the layout of the HTC screens. I found picture taking and video playback to both function well on the device, although video playback on a 2.8 inch screen is not ideal and the resolution does not give the best video playback previewing, but for a compact unit that is easy to tote around I am not going to complain too much. The display also offers that nice touch screen technology by HTC known as HTC TouchFlo which responds perfectly, and with nice bright and easily defined icons the display helps the navigation options on the unit, although with a smaller screen the icons could have been bigger, and pushing some of them with your finger is not suggested, I would personally look at using the stylus for some of your navigation, or even the D-Pad.
HTC TOUCH DIAMOND INTERNET
The Touch Diamond is a Tri-band GSM Device that features 3G Internet access for International use, but unfortunately not on 3G networks in the United States which was a real letdown. However, considering the unit will only work on T-Mobile in the United States the 3G would not have mattered, with that said what the device does offer is a very capable and surprisingly fast Edge network connection. The unit utilizes the Class 10 Edge network which can push speeds up to 236.8kbps. One big advantage of the unit is the ability for Internet Explorer to Zoom Out on web pages to make browsing around sites much less complicated. Also, Windows Mobile 6.1 works wonderfully if you choose to use Opera Mini 9.5 which allows for multiple windows browsing, zoom in and zoom out functions, and faster page rendering. Overall the GPRS and EDGE capabilities of the HTC Touch Diamond are fine for Email and Internet uses and for 3G internet access if you happen to travel overseas.
HTC TOUCH DIAMOND CAMERA
I have to admit that one thing on the HTC Touch Diamond annoyed me, there is no Camera quick launch button, a shortcut key that has become a standard on many Pocket PC and for that matter cell phones in general. To get to the camera it is easiest to navigate the bottom row of touch buttons, find the photos and videos function and then select the camera option. Once in camera mode I did find the Auto Focus to function very well, the camera makes a loud click noise when in focuses and shows the green in- focus box on the screen. Pictures taking on the 3.2 mega pixel camera came out very clear, I did not notice any undertones, overtones, or blurring of images. The devices D-Pad offers some shortcuts, for instance, pushing down on the d-pad will move you between the following options: Photo, Video, Panoroma Mode, MMS Video, Contacts Picture and then Picture theme which allows you to do one of those Time Magazine type photos with the picture framed in a fake magazine layout. I will admit that having the ability to quickly scroll through the camera functions was nice, but once a video or picture is taken it can be confusing to find your way back into the necessary screens to take another picture or browse your videos and pictures you have already taken. The video recording is as good if not better than the HTC TYTN II, and was actually fairly comparable to the Sony Ericsson K850i even though that camera offers a higher 5MP camera option. With tiled browsing of already taken pictures and videos and the ability to quickly send them to friends via MMS the phones offers some really nice camera functions that take some time to get use to and for that matter to find, but overall the camera takes solid pictures and videos, just beware when zooming in which still plagues not only the HTC Touch Diamond, but many other Pocket PC units on the market.
HTC TOUCH DIAMOND AUDIO
The HTC Diamond offers an impressive set up supportable Audio playback options. Users can playback MP3, AAC, AAC+, WAV, and WMV files among others. The Audio playback on the HTC Touch Diamond is crisp, although a dedicated headset jack would have been appreciated. Playing back music on the units installed speaker was actually very decent, the speaker offers loud playback with very little distortion, of course external playback can�t match the units ability to play music via A2DP Bluetooth technology, or via the included Stereo Wired headset which easily plugs into the units MiniEXT USB port. The new media player on the HTC Touch Diamond is also very nice, the unit features a stylish new setup that lets users scan through their albums with album art, simply push the up or down arrows and you move seamlessly through the available albums. You can also push the menu button and choose to repeat a song, shuffle your music, add to a playlist, and even view the properties of a song including the album name, artist name, genre, etc. Click on the Library option at the bottom of the music player screen and you willll even find your now playing list, artist lists, albums, and more, I actually liked the display more than the iPod display. Overall audio playback and the options for audio use are excellent on the unit and the new crisp display is top Notch.
HTC TOUCH DIAMOND CONNECTIVITY.
The Diamond features some nice connectivity features, for instance the unit can hook up to a PC via the USB slot, a nice feature that allows for quick active sync capabilities. Aside from corded connections as I previously mentioned the unit features EDGE internet connectivity in the United States, and the option to connect to 3G internationally. The Touch Diamond also features Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP which makes listening to music over Stereo Bluetooth headsets a breeze. Finally the Unit features WiFi 802.11 b/g certified internet access which offers blazing fast speeds over both secured and non-secured WAN networks. The one missing connection is a MicroSD card slot, but if you do not pile on applications and music on your device with the internal 4GB of memory and all the other options available I doubt you will even miss it.
CONCLUSION
If you like style but still want substance the HTC Touch Diamond is one of the best Tri-Band GSM options on the market, this is if you are willing to give up your expandable memory slot and 3G internet access. I will admit that the Menus can be a little confusing at first, partly because it is a new navigational layout which always takes some time to get use to, and partly because the navigation menus were sloppily laid out. The screen is nice and crisp though, and the actual call clarity on phone calls is excellent, I would have liked to see a Quad-Band GSM offering, but its still a nice unit regardless if it only works on T-Mobile in the United States. Yes the unit is a fingerprint magnet for those of you wondering, but really what touch screen device with swiping capabilities isn�t I know the iPhone attracts fingerprints from people just standing near the device.
For business users the ability to go head to head with Office 2007 will be a welcomed addition, while the threaded messaging should also come in handy.
Overall I like the device for what it is, a new style with new layouts and a nice processor that zips along, is there room for improvement? Of course there is, but what device can honestly say it could not build on its own functions, hopefully HTC will continue to build on the design of the HTC Touch Diamond and continue to reinvent the style of the Windows Mobile Pocket PC arena as they have managed to do with the ultra stylish Touch Diamond.
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| Overall rating: |
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7.8 |
| Styling: |
|
9.0 |
| Ease of Use: |
|
7.0 |
| Display: |
|
8.0 |
| Voice Quality: |
|
8.0 |
| Battery Life: |
|
7.0 |
| Quality/Build: |
|
8.0 |
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MWG
MWg Atom V Full Review
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
ATOM V REVIEW
I recently sat down with the MWg Atom V, a Quad-Band device that definately gives HTC a run for their money, not to mention offers a host of capable features from a Sirf III GPS Receiver to a Quad-Band connectivity, expandable memory, an impressive 520mhz processor by Intel, Wireless internet capability, and a host of other must have features.
DESIGN
The MWg Atom V is one of the best looking Windows Mobile devices i've encountered to date. The first thing users will notice when examining the unit is the impressive 2.8 inch screen that occupies much of the devices front end realty. Located below the screen is the units soft keys, in the case of the MWg Atom V there are actually 6 soft keys! each of which offers their own unique functions. The first softkey on the top left side features as a default the notifications button, followed by a contacts button located on the opposite top right side, of course these buttons can be changed to meet your needs. Directly below the top left button is the devices call button, its an easy to press option, but the call logo on the unit is small and can be hard to see, which can make it difficult to see in darker areas. Opposite the green call button is the devices red end key. Below the middle left key is the devices Windows Mobile Start Button Shortcut, a very nice function for quickly bringing up your start menu, opposite that key is the "OK" select button, another nice feature. While each of the buttons are small and take some time to get use to their size does help keep the overall height of the unit to a minumum, coming in at 59mm. Finally between the 3 buttons on each side is the devices Dpad, in this case the Dpad functions by pressing up, down, left or right, and selecting your option by pressing the middle of the Dpad, of course you can also use the devices touchscreen and stylus to make your selections as well.
The left side of the unit offers some nice features as well, including on the top left the phones reset button, follow by the camera quick launch button for easy access to the units 2MP Camera. Below the quick launch camera button is the devices rocker key which can be used for adjusting your volume, turning the phone on silent, etc. Finally below the rocker key is the units MicroSDHC card slot that is expandable up to 8gb.
The right side of the MWg Atom V features a 2.5mm headphone jack at the top right side, a nice feature that could have been improved by using the more widely accessible 3.5mm size, but either way it allows for better accessibility than propietary type ports. Finally on the bottom left side of the device is the placement holder for the devices stylus for use on the units touch screen. I don't talk much about sytlus' but I will admit that the stylus was well put together.
The Top and bottom of the unit is pretty standard, the top of the unit features the devices Power/Standby button, while the bottom of the unit features the devices MiniUSB port for charging and syncing the device.
Finally the back of the unit offers the Atom V speaker, along with a 2.0 Mega Pixel camera with LED Flash. The camera is accented by a silver lining and is offset to the back left of the Atom V.
FEATURES
The standout feature on the MWg Atom V is the devices Standalone Sirf III GPS Processor, the unit doesn't come with software so I first tested the unit using Google Maps, I found the GPS to work well in open areas, and it picked up the GPS towers within 20 seconds of attempting a connection, once connected the signal was not lost over approx. 20 miles, and managed to keep up at a fast rate with my car, even while driving 65mph on the highway. I next attempted to use the unit with TomTom Navigator 6 which offered voice by voice directions. I was pleasantly surprised with the voice quality when the TomTom software gave turn by turn directions, and again with the ability of the device to keep constant positioning of my location. Overall the GPS Processor is very capable and also offers a simple GPS Tracking onboard software application that will give coordinates along with traveling speed and distances, a nice feature if you don't require a full GPS software suite.
Another nice feature on the MWg Atom V is the devices ultra fast 520mhz Intel Processor, while I like the option I was surprised to see that the device was actually downgraded in speed from the Atom Life which offered a 624mhz processor. I was also surprised to see 256mb of Rom opposed to the 1gb of memory found on the Atom Life, I would have also likes to see more than 64mb of Ram when the new standard is moving towards 128mb, otherwise the processor speed was great, and if you aren't running too many applications at once you won't notice much of a shift in system speed.
Much like the old O2 devices that eventually became the MWg brand the unit once again offers a very nice, and unique optional shortcut screen, now called the Atom V Quick Menu. The quick menu functions in an easier to use fashion than the HTC Today Screen. The convenient interface offers large icons on the bottom of the screen which are created for easy finger tapping, rather than the use of a stylus. The menu buttons can of course be customized for your own needs and are accessed with a simple swipe of the finger. The Atom V Quick Menu also features a very large clock in the middle of the display while the top of the screen features the phone information such as shortcuts to messaging, keylock, and phone settings. I would compare the Atom V Quick Menu to the HTC Today Screen only in that they both offer shortcut keys, however they are different in that the HTC Today screen is meant for full functionality, while the Atom V Quick Menu is meant for easy of use while accessing your most used applications.
The unit also runs on Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional a move that surprised me given the newer availability of the Windows Mobile 6.1 interface, I am waiting to hear back from MWg as to whether an upgrade to the newer version of Windows Mobile will be available in the future.
DISPLAY
The MWg Atom V offers a 2.8 inch screen with 65,000 colors. The display itself outputs at 240 x 320 pixels of resolution which isn't all that impressive, however I actually found the screen to look better than the display would have me believe, thanks in large part to a well let backlight that really helped to bring out the colors in the screen. Unfortunately video playback on the unit did suffer slightly due to the output resolution, and some smaller icons were hard to press due to the thickness of the screens touch display. Overall the screen looked nice, offered an excellent backlight, but ultimately left something to be wanting in terms of video playback.
CAMERA
The MWg Atom V offers a 2.0 mega pixel camera that functions well, pictures taken with the device didn't show any signs of overtones or undertones and the flash worked well in lowlight situations. I did notice some blurring in overlit areas and darker areas, and the unit doesn't offer good picture taking if you are zooming in to take pictures, but it was what I would expect on a 2 mega pixel Windows Pocket PC. That being said, if you are looking for a camera phone I would probably look elsewhere and to something with a higher pixelation such as the Sony Ericsson K850i that offers 5MP and a host of other camera features. The MWg Atom V camera does offer the same scene functions such as outdoor, indoor, etc. as other devices, and brightness levels and zoom levels can be adjusted, even if they only do so at a lower level. Unfortunately the unit did not feature a secondary video conference camera, a real letdown considering the use of these cameras on newer devices such as the HTC Touch Cruise, or even the Sony Ericsson K850i. Overall the camera works well if you are using it for simply capturing and last minute picture taking, but I wouldn't recommend it for long term use or for capturing your favorite moments.
AUDIO
The first nice feature in terms of Audio for the MWg Atom V was the inclusion of a 2.5mm headset jack located on the top right hand side of the unit, while I would have preferred the 3.5mm version its still not a bad option and allows for better connectivity than a propietary port. I also liked the audio support available including MP3, MPEG, AAC, ACC+, and WAV formats among others. The audio through the headset was excellent, while the backside speaker also did a fairly decent job of playing back music and offer loud and crisp ringtones. Windows Mobile Media Player is of course offered on the unit and offers playlists, and the arrangement of music by Singer, Genre, Album, etc as it does on many other Windows Mobile based devices.
The unit also features an FM Radio tuner with RDS, users can browse to their own local stations or have the unit search for stations available in their area, simply plug in your headset which is used as the antenna and you are ready to go, it actually sounded like the radio with very little interferance and a nice interface for browsing and listening to your favorite stations.
Overall a nice audio offering that is capable of full playback options and offers a crisp speaker with a good use of audio options.
INTERNET
The MWg Atom V offers a full host of internet connections. Most notably is the units use of a 7.2mbps HSDPA 3G Internet connection, although many networks that only support 3.6mbps will slow the connectivy of the device. The unit also features Edge connectivity which although slower still offers a high level of performance within slower networks. The unit also features WiFi 802.11 b/g which connected as would be expected to secure and non-secured WiFi Networks. I attempted connections on a Belkin router and a Ruckus and found both to work perfectly fine with the onboard WiFi hardware.
In terms of browsing the device comes loaded with Internet Explorer which limits the display of swebpages when browsing, I would highly recommend downloading Opera Mini for faster pageload screens. The unit itself features support for HTML, HXTML, and WAP 2.0. The functionality of the internet connections is excellent.
MESSAGING
Messaging on the unit is pretty standard in terms of Windows Mobile Devices. The MWg Atom V features support for email via your favorite portals such as Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo mails, along with support up to Windows Exchange Server 2007. Overall the Email was fast and offered excellent viewing via an HTML Email output. The unit also supports SMS and MMS messaging, the SMS worked right off the bat while MMS needs to be set manually in the United States, with options available to autoset your settings on many European networks. Text messaging via Windows Messenger is also an easy username and password setup, while other messaging programs can be added via third party applications. Overall messaging was easy to use, easy to setup, and easy to read.
CONNECTIVITY
The MWg Atom V offers many levels of connectivity. First there is the units MiniUSB port which is used for charging and syncing the device, a nice option that uses less power but requires the use of the included data sync cable. Second is the use of Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) which allows for faster connections via Bluetooth but uses up to 3 times the amount of battery power. Then there is the use of a MicroSDHC Card which can expand memory currently up to 8gb, a nice option for transferring files between your device and computer, you'll notice on many computers that this option is now available as an additional port that often comes with the desktop or laptop. Users can of course also connect via 3G Internet access, Edge Internet connectivity or the WiFi 802.11 b/g connection, all which offer excellent connectivity for performing a variety of different tasks.
CONCLUSION
Overall the MWg Atom V is a vary capable device with a cool design and many add-on features. The device could use more memory and the step down to the 520mhz processor was a little shocking, but when thrown in with a Sirf III GPS Processor, the new MWg Atom V Quick Menu, and a nice backlit screen with tons of connectivity options its easy to see why the sleek device packs quite a punch while offering a full host of options for everyone from business execs to the casual user looking for a fun and stylish device. Overall the MWg Atom V is a move in the right direction for the fledgling company and I can't wait to see where they go next.
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| Overall rating: |
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8.2 |
| Styling: |
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9.0 |
| Ease of Use: |
|
9.0 |
| Display: |
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7.0 |
| Voice Quality: |
|
8.0 |
| Battery Life: |
|
7.0 |
| Quality/Build: |
|
9.0 |
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Nokia
Nokia 3500 Classic Delivers a Retro Feel
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
It was only a matter of time before the whole "Retro" fad caught on with cellular devices. Nokia not only realized this, they have fully embraced it, created a budget handset that is both retro in its look, and for the most part retro in its price. In the process the Nokia 3500 Classic proves that simplicity does not have to fully give up over all performance.
I should mention however that the Nokia 3110 Classic is almost identical to the Nokia 3500, just replace the newer 2 megapixel camera with a 1.3 megapixel on the Nokia 3110 and you have a device that is slightly more expensive, but that also offers more impressive photo capabilities.
Design and construction
Looking at the front of the device users will first notice at the top portion the units earpiece which is placed right above the devices 1.8 inch screen. Looking below the display users will find the main control button and the standard cellular phone alphanumeric keypad. The first part of the keypad features a soft key and call key on the left side followed by a nicely laid out D-Pad in the middle, and finally a soft key on the right which features an end key directly below it. Below the softkeys and D-pad is a simply laid out and standard 12 key keypad.
The sides of Nokia 3500 classic are placed for simplicity, in fact the left side of the device features no button, ports, or anything else, while the right side of the unit features only the devices Volume Rocker at the top right side.
The top of Nokia 3500 Classic is where the cell phone places the power key. The key is used for alternating between device profiles and for turning the unit on and off.
Next the bottom of the phone features several different hardware applications. On the far left side is the microphone pinhole, followed by the charger plug, next followed by a 2.5mm headset jack, and finally the devices USB Port. This may seem like alot to place in one spot, but it does help the phone keep its clean look with clean lines.
Finally we come to the back of the Nokia 3500 Classic. The units backcover offers no protection for the devices 2 megapixel camera, however it does feature a loudspeaker grill that is both good in design and use.
Overall the Nokia 3500 Classic offers an excellent build factor, the battery cover was well held in place, the opaque plastic on the back of the unit kept fingerprints at bay, and it had a nice feel to it. The only issue was the front panel which was a fingerprint magnet and required constant attention.
Display
The display on the Nokia 3500 Classic features a smaller 1.8" display that outputs a small 262k color display. The screen also features a low pixel output at 128 x 150. The display was probably my least favorite part of the unit, it was poor on the eyes, many of the icons had a grainy feel, and the screen seems like it would belong on an actual classic device, rather than a unit produced for 2008. While some of the contrast was adequate and I could see okay in sunlight, I still find the grainy effect the screen left to be a bit overwhelming.
CALL QUALITY
While some budget handsets offer beautiful designs, it is usually not their main mission to impress on the eyes, but rather to accomplish one objective and to accomplish it well, that objective is of court call quality. In terms of this objective the Nokia 3500 classic was excellent, teh call reception was never a problem, even in my small town that only features 1 cellular tower and often lends itself to static. Voice quality was great both on my end and from what my friends tell me on their end as well. Voices came through loud, and the quality offered excellent results.
In terms of ringer quality the device was surprisingly loud, actually its probably loud enough to hear in almost any situation. The vibration on the device however leaves something to be desired, but still vibrates well enough to catch most calls.
USER INTERFACE
The S40 platform suffers in part due to the units low screen resolution, and in part due to the complicated user menus. I solved the complicated menu structure in part by configuring my own menu options, which i'll admit was a welcomed ability on this particular device. I did find some of the icons hard to read, if not almost completely impossible which was a real shame.
In stand-by mode the unit shows all of your typical settings such as the signal strength, battery indicator and time. Unlike the main display it was actually pretty easy to read the stand-by mode.
One tip: Change the font color within your display to whatever is easiest on your eyes, the platform on the Nokia 3500 Classic gives you 42 font colors to choose from and I found many of the non-standard font colors to be easier to look at.
One issue I had was the number of available view modes, on other S40 devices there was a wide selection to choose from, however because of the limited display output on the unit users have only two choices, the 3x3 grid and a 4 icons at a time option, meaning less customization for users.
I will say that the menu worked quickly which is a standard on S40 based units, and I didn't notice any freezing, lagging, or restarts on the device, which was to be expected on such a simple and straight forward unit.
Messaging
The messaging function on the Nokia 3500 Classic was acceptable and offered 5 messaging types.
Starting with the most basic of messages the SMS message, it was easy to find where the unit really shined, the editor allows users to type in a receipent, choose them from the phone book, or select a caller group. Overall its well organized and easy to use. The unit also features a fully loaded T9 dictionary and a message length with a very acceptable 1000 characters.
The next messaging focuses on MMS messages. For some reason the unit has three seperate editors, one that places messages in a slide format, another that places them in fields, and finally an music editor. Personally I liked the slides option, but I strongly believe that the editors are put in place to allow users the option to find which editor works best for them. The MMS option allows users to send photos, contact card, and events from their onboard calendar. Each option can send and receive up to 300kb, don't worry however about making sure the MMS messages are within that data rate, the phone automatically scales down the messages to fit the size allocated.
Next we come to the email client, which features a java based application, an odd choice compared to other S40 devices, its a little clunky and not fun to look at but it does competently allow users to connect to their email providers such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc. The email application also allows for different views, whether you choose the whole message view or headers only, it gave a feel similar to the outlook display options.
AUDIO
The Nokia 3500 classic uses a music player similar to the Nokia 5300 MusicXpress. Sure its a little outdated, but it does a decent job overall. The device also support a wide range of audio formats that inclue MP3, MIDI, AAC, AAC+ and the WMA format. Just like most players on the mobile market music can be sorted by artist, album, and genre, and multiple playlists can be create.
The device also support the A2DP Bluetooth Stereo output that worked great with a Motorola S9 Bluetooth A2DP headset with overall good sound quality. If you prefer a more traditional approach the unit also features a 2.5mm standard audio jack, I would have liked to see the more widely 3.5mm jack, but either way its something that can easily be corrected with the use of a 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio jack.
While the A2DP supported fairly decent music, I must admit that the clarity on many songs, especially songs with alot of bass or treble tended to sound slightly distorted, while the volume was sometimes still hard to hear even on the highest volume level, it really seemed to depend on the song I was listening to.
I did find the FM radio tuner that automatically searched for local stations to be a nice option. I could store up to 20 stations and it was simple enough to figure out the program.
CAMERA
The Nokia 3500 Classic features a 2 megapixel camera with a resolution spectrum that can carry up to 1600 x 1200 pixels. The device doesn't feature a flash, which means low light picture taking produces almost unusable pictures. The camera settings are a little clunky, you basically have a white balance option, three settings for picture quality, and color effects and sequence shots.
The images taken from the devices camera were easy enough to see, but the quality was of average use, but only when the lighting was natural or at least not too dark. The color quality on the camera provided colors true to their originals and sharpness levels that were on par with other camera phones in the same price range. The auto focus actually got in the way during certain shots, such as close up and macro shots which often appeared blurred and out of focus.
Video recording on the device was barely passable and created blurred images when the camera was panning or tilting too quickly and the sound quality wasn't the best available.
CONNECTIVITY
There are actually quite a few connectivity options for the Nokia 3500 Classic. The unit features a USB connection via miniUSB which makes for easy file transfers. The unit also features Bluetooth version 2.0 with A2DP Bluetooth Stereo support which makes for excellent bluetooth music streaming, and the unit features the GPRS/Edge internet connection for fairly quick speed,s although 3G would be nice, even on a lower end cellular device. The unit overall has a nice host of connection options for every type of situation.
Internet
The Nokia 3500 Classic features a pretty standard WAP browser which works well with HTML pages. The browser allows users to change basic settings such as how images are handled, and the font size of images, while rendering pages in an easy to read style. Personally I stand behind what I always stand behind in my reviews, use the Opera Mini browser which actually comes installed on the unit and you will find a more user friendly experience, which renders quite quickly on the Opera Mini interface, even with GPRS/EDGE connectivity the Opera browser zooms along at a decent pace.
CONCLUSION
Overall the price is right on this classic design with classic features, the connectivity is well thought out, the camera is good considering the low end nature of the device, and the easy to use design makes the unit feel more like a phone than a miniature computer that we've come to expect from other high end devices. Personally I felt that the phone was lacking in display quality, and some of the user menus were clunky and hard to look at because of the display resolution. Of course for the price some options were unexpected and welcomed such as the Opera Mini Browser, some of the devices Audio options such as A2DP, and the ability to change many of the devices display settings to make it at least semi easier on the eyes. Overall for the price the phone lives up to its abilities, even if it doesn't exceed them.
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| Overall rating: |
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7.8 |
| Styling: |
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8.0 |
| Ease of Use: |
|
8.0 |
| Display: |
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6.0 |
| Voice Quality: |
|
8.0 |
| Battery Life: |
|
9.0 |
| Quality/Build: |
|
8.0 |
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LG
LG KF510 OFFERS FORM AND FUNCTION
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
The LG KF510 is one of the best looking phones from LG to date. The device features a sleek metallic finish, an upgraded 2.2" from such models as the LG Chocolate, and hosts an ultra slim slider with touch button controls.
Design and Build
The LG KF510 features a glossy surface that highlights the units bright eye catching red color. One downside, the device like the last reincarnation of the Chocolate is a fingerprint magnet, picking up each touch of the finger against the units surface.
Looking at the front top part of the device the LG KF510 features the earpiece which is centrall located next to the units ambient light sensor. Below the earpiece is the units 2.2" display which offers a vibrant backlight. Below the units screen is the devices touch pad which is responsible for the units entire navigation controls.
Looking at the left side of the LG KF510 users will find a sparse section that only contains a volume rocker. The rocker is at the top left of the unit.
The right side of the LG KF510 offers more than the left side, the unit features a USB port on the top right hand side, followed by a microSD card. Below the microSD card slot is the sliding end key, its a like odd to get use to, but in essence it works just like a standard end key button control. The new sliding end key serves all the purposes of a Red Receiver key, like exiting menus and powering the handset on and off. Finally below the end key is the units Music Player key which also acts at the devices camera key when held down.
If you look at the top and the bottom of the device you'll also notice a nice sleek chrome finish. What you won't notice are any buttons, controls, or other functional keys.
Finally, the back of the unit features the devices 3 Megapixel autofocus camera. The camera is only visibile when the slider is slide up, just like the LG Chocolate models. Next to the camera is the units LED flash which is located next to the units self-portrait mirror.
If you remove the battery cover on the back of the LG KF510 you'll notice the SIM Card slot. The units Sim Card is one of the harder SIMS to install due to the akward nature of the pull out plastic tray that houses the SIM card in the device.
DISPLAY
The Display on the LG KF510 is sized decently at 2.2 inches and features a 262k color LCD TFT display with QVGA Resolution. The devices colors are vibrant and the unit features excellent contrast levels. The unit also works well in high sunlight conditions, although some conditions still left alot to be desired.
CALL RECEPTION AND DIALING
Call quality was good on most calls, although their were several static laced calls that may have been caused by the area calls were placed. In Call sound was good. I particulary liked the units contact and phonebook offerings which made finding and dialing contacts easy.
USER INTERFACE
The user interface on the LG KF510 is one of the most user friendly interfaces i've tested to date. The screens are brightly colored, the text is big enough to read comfortably, and the UI has well thought out and vibrant icons. The devices standby screen containts your typical information, such as battery strength, signal strength, the time and date, and shortcuts to the user menu and the contacts screen. Overall the KF510 offers a pleasant interface that's easy on the eyes and easy to find your way around in. I also liked that the unit is so easily customizable, you can change the devices Font color and sizes, change the backlight timer, change the theme of the device, and even change the noise the slider makes. While the device only comes with 3 theme customizations installed, more can be added and the ones that come with the device were all well thought out and nice to look at.
MESSAGING
The LG KF510 doesn't offer the most elegant messaging software available, but it does support SMS, EMS, MMS, and Email. The unit even supports Bluetooth messaging which has become popular on several LG devices of late. Unfortunately the text and email editor available on the unit is clunky and assumes to much, for instance, after inputting your message a multi number screen appears, basically the unit assumes to much and offers to little in the messaging department. Unfortunately the editor is used for all the texting applications and handles very little of it with any ease of use.
The Units email is simple enough to use, unfortunately SSL support is missing. The unit does however offer easy multiple account setup.
SMS meanwhile has a save capacity of 500 messages while MMS and emails can be saved in the hundreds in a special reserved spot on the device.
MUSIC
The music player on the KF510 features what we've come to expect from the LG line of devices. Music can be arranged by artist, album and genre, and multiple playlists can be created. The unit also features an equalizer that offers a host of music type settings such as General, 3D, Concert, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Dance, and more. The device not only offers a full line of media type support, but also features an FM tuner for radio listening, the device will even scan for local stations and saved them if you choose to use that option. Unfortunately the RDS option is missing, but with the wealth of features being offered its not that big of a deal.
CAMERA
The 3 Megapixel camera on teh KF510 is one of LG's best yet. The camera features a host of impressive features such as an excellent white balancing option, an LED Flash and a self portrait mirror. As stated in our design section the camera is also well protected behind the sliding mechanism of the device. The LG unit also features such settings as Display, Resolution, Quality settings, Shake controls, Shutter controls, and more. When using the Camera as a camcorder the sound is also on par with other high end devices on the market. The rapid fire succession of picture taking was also very impressive, I would have like to see faster write speeds to the memory card saving feature, but overall its a sleek picture taking experience with very little undertones and overtones that offers crisp pictures and excellent video taking capabilities.
CONNECTIVITY
The LG KF510 offers a host of connection options. The unit houses a Bluetooth 2.0 connection with A2DP Bluetooth stereo support which is a big plus and works well with a Motorola S9 Bluetooth headset.
The unit also features Edge/GPRS internet connectivity which works well but lacks the speed of a 3G connection which was sorely missed.
While Bluetooth connectivity is definately available the unit also features the option of connecting through a USB 2.0 port that works well with the devices data storage mode.
The unit also features a nice memory card slot option that transfers quickly thanks to the LG hot-swap capability.
INTERNET
The browser on the LG KF510 is okay, but I would much rather be using something along the lines of Opera Mini. The mouse pointer that jumps between links in a fluent fashion, but you never really know where its going to end up which can become aggravating fairly quickly. Luckily the internet loads smoothly and fairly fast on the EDGE network.
CONCLUSION
Overall the LG KF510 is a sleek device that offers excellent usability, an excellent camera and plenty of connection options. The internet unfortunately leaves something to be desired, and the messaging features are clunky and sometimes aggravating. The unit does however feature a nice Bluetooth offering in its A2DP feature, and it offers excellent call reception with a design that is user friendly and fun to look at. If the device comes in with a nice price it will definately be worth considering. Once again LG proves form and function can coincide...for the most part.
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| Overall rating: |
|
8.0 |
| Styling: |
|
8.0 |
| Ease of Use: |
|
8.0 |
| Display: |
|
7.0 |
| Voice Quality: |
|
8.0 |
| Battery Life: |
|
9.0 |
| Quality/Build: |
|
8.0 |
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