Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Phones Review

Phones Review

Phones Review

Latest Handset Comparisons For Mobile Fans

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 01:08 PM PST

In the ever-expanding mobile market there is barely a day that goes by without a new batch of handsets being launched or new prototypes getting discussed in detail. Here are just some of the latest handsets which are set to light up the interest of mobile fans around the world.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play
The first handset to get PlayStation certification is the Xperia Play, a touchscreen smartphone with slide-out physical controls that have led many to dub it the PSP Phone. It features a four inch display and a 1GHz processor onboard powering Android 2.3. It also has a number of unique gaming features, including access to specially emulated PlayStation One games from the early days of Sony`s console dominance. Prices are set at around £520 for this high end handset, although whether it will actually appeal to gamers in place of a standalone device like the PSP remains to be seen.

LG Optimus 3D
Another smartphone based on Android 2.3, the Optimus 3D has a market-leading glasses-free 3D display which will produce stereoscopic images and enable users to enjoy movies, pictures and games in greater depth than ever before. A dual-core 1GHz processor will help it chew through the 3D content and on the rear a pair of five megapixel cameras will allow it to take 3D photos and even record video clips in 3D and high definition at the same time. This might cost roughly the same price as the Xperia Play but from a technical standpoint it is clearly superior.

Samsung Galaxy S2
The Galaxy S2 replaces last year`s original which sold more than 10 million units and so has a lot to live up to. With a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus display it will not be short on visual clout or size. It is also going to be eminently thin and even a little slimmer than the iPhone 4 which has held the crown as the world`s slimmest smartphone since it launched last summer.

HP Pre3
Following its acquisition of Palm last year HP is finally getting around to properly reinventing the Pre smartphone which was a critical success but a commercial failure for the firm. The Pre3 has all the right specs, with a 3.6 inch display, a 1.4GHz processor and a solid five megapixel camera with that all-important HD video capture. The webOS software has also been modernised and rejuvenated, offering what will arguably be the best multitasking performance on the market. Whether it will be able to win any fans with so many powerful alternatives grabbing the headlines is a different matter.

Motorola Atrix
Like the Optimus 3D from LG this will sport a dual-core processor and a four inch display which will have a high resolution that almost matches that of the iPhone 4`s Retina Display. 16GB of storage and Android 2.2 should make it a competitive device and no mobile phone is complete without a five megapixel camera with the obligatory 720p HD video capture. If you are fan of Motorola`s MotoBLUR interface then this too will be available, although you can turn it off if it turns you off.

Motorola Atrix 4G Root Guide Video

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 01:04 PM PST

Although the Motorola Atrix 4G has only just hit the shelves that hasn’t stopped the Android hacking community from getting down and dirty with the Android 2.2 Froyo smartphone and get the device rooted so the user gains more control over the handset.

But if you are new to the device rooting game what you could probably do with is a visual guide on how to attain root on the Motorola Atrix 4G right?

Well that’s exactly what we have for your viewing consideration today courtesy of Jon Rettinger over at TechnoBuffalo and by way of YouTube user Getaphixx, and delivers almost 13 minutes of showing you how to root the Android handset.

Or if you prefer you can follow the written how to root the Motorola Atrix 4G guide by hitting up TechnoBuffalo who have done the business by doing the tech writing fully for you to follow if following the video below is not quite your thing.

So that’s it, either check out the written guide or head on down and hit that play button, and if you do have a go at rooting your Motorola Atrix 4G then feel free to let us know how you get on…enjoy.

Apple iPad 2 Event Scheduled for 2nd March

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 12:05 PM PST

Well now it could well be that all the rumours flying around about the next generation Apple iPad suffering a delay until sometime in June may be somewhat unfounded as the word is Apple has scheduled an Apple iPad 2 event for the 2nd of March.

According to an article over on Slash Gear, Apple will apparently unveil the Apple iPad 2 at the event which has been reported by AllthingsD, who claim the usual “sources close to the situation,” will be held at the Yerba Buena Center of Arts in San Francisco.

If true then Apple should be sending out invites to the event round about now so the media can get to the event on time; whether Steve Jobs will be present at the event is unclear as the iPhone chief is still on medical leave.

So, if this is true then at least the delay of the Apple iPad 2 will be proven to be unfounded. So does this news excite the iOS faithful out there waiting in eagerness for news of the new Apple tablet?

Windows Phone 7 Nightmare, The Samsung Bricking

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 11:33 AM PST

As previously reported by us, the new Microsoft Windows Phone 7 update was released this week. However, don’t jump up and down in excitement just yet, as a number of problems have struck some Windows Phone 7 devices that have applied the update, resulting in the phones bricking – failing to work properly.

This small update was supposed to prepare the phones for the larger update expected next month, but it looks like Microsoft may have got it wrong on this occasion. This Windows Phone 7 update nightmare has happened on Samsung mobile phones like the Omnia

Some of the issues raised by users that have tried to update their devices are that the phones do not correctly boot up, suffer from back up or driver errors. It has been suggested that devices that have experienced problems with the update and that are not functioning correctly, are taken to their store for repair, which may result in the phone being reset to factory settings.

We can only but hope that the problem is resolved sooner, rather than later and that errors of this nature do not befall the release of the main update.

If you have a Windows Phone 7 device and have tried the update, please let us know of your experience whether good or bad in the comments box below.

Source – UberGizmo

White iPhone 5 Is On The Cards

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 10:35 AM PST

Well now here’s one rumour that just might perk up those iPhone faithful that have seen that the next generation iPhone may be delayed until September, remember the elusive white iPhone 4 that never materialised? Well we could well be seeing a white iPhone 5.

According to an article over on Engadget by way of DigiTimes and by way of the Economic Daily News, that beast of a smartphone that is more elusive that the mythical unicorn or Pegasus, is on the cards as the Economic Daily News reports that Wintek will be the exclusive supplier of the white touch panels for the iPhone 5.

Furthermore according to the Economic Daily News report, Apple is to focus on the paler than pale model of the iPhone 5, so perhaps Apple feels they let their faithful followers down too much by not delivering on the white iPhone 4?

However; this should still only be treated as rumour as apparently Wintek declined to comment, and no doubt Apple is keeping the usual closed mouth on anything to do with Apple gear. So will our iPhone toting reader be overjoyed and drooling at the bit if Apple finally manages to deliver a white iPhone 5?

HTC Desire on 3 UK Gaining Android 2.3 Gingerbread Confirmed

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 08:55 AM PST

For anyone who may have purchased the HTC Desire smartphone on the Three network you can now start to rejoice as the latest Google guy’s operating system Android 2.3 Gingerbread will be heading to your device.

According to an article over on Top 10, Three UK have used their official Twitter account to announce the confirmation that the 3 UK HTC Desire will gain the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update; however Three does not have a timescale for the update as yet.

There’s what Three UK replied on Twitter when asked ” @ThreeUK Will you be releasing Android 2.3 for the original HTC Desire?” to which Three UK responded…” @ianmcmillan Yes we will but we don’t have timescales yet :-) ”

So there you have it Three UK Android HTC Desire owners, at some point in the future you will get updated to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, let’s just hope it’s not too far into the future and that Three push out the update rather quickly.

Samsung Epic 4G Problems Since Android 2.2 Froyo

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 08:32 AM PST

Even though Sprint has not yet released Android 2.2 Froyo update on the Samsung Epic 4G Samsung has and we want to hear from you if you are experiencing any problems at all.

Earlier on today PhonesReview author James told us about the new update that users can get via the Samsung Support Page, and if you have not got already all you need to do is simply get the .exe file running on your PC and then update via USB connection.

We would love to know if you opted for the above approach to download or did you go for the Mac link option where you can get an update.zip file (This works straight from the Samsung Epic 4G's SD card).

Some Samsung Epic 4G users are experiencing problems and one of our readers says "It's been forcing closing some apps, I can't open my music player now but that's about it! "

If you visit XDA-Developers there has been problems such as force close issues with any sound app? Can get system sounds, but cannot play music files.

Seems like there are a few teething problems and we would love to hear from you, are you having Android 2.2 Froyo update problems on your Samsung Epic 4G, please do use the commenting area below. We would also like to hear from those that have a perfectly working mobile phone since updating.

iPhone 5 Now Reportedly Hit by Delay As Well

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 08:29 AM PST

Earlier today I reported that there may be a possible delay to the release of the Apple iPad 2, you can check out that article by hitting up (here), and now apparently there are rumours hitting the net waves that the iPhone 5 may be delayed as well.

According to an article over on iPhonefaq, reports are saying that due to component shortages and a last minute change in design, the next generation iPhone, commonly being referred to as the iPhone 5 have resulted in pushing back the device release until September.

Well I guess that kind of smarts for all you iOS faithful out there that have been banking on picking up the iPhone 5 in June/July.

Not too sure where iPhonefaq got its news from as they don't list a source, however according to an article over on Time, according to Business Insider, FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger said in a note…

“For the iPhone 5, we continue to hear that a July launch is unlikely, with various casing suppliers and touch suppliers still ramping up, with some chip vendors not having yet received firm iPhone 5 orders, and with other sockets like the image sensor (most likely going to Omnivision exclusively, but with some potential for Sony to split that socket) still in flux. Given these factors, we think a September launch is more likely, off from Apple’s traditional iPhone launch schedule, but giving the firm more time to enhance its next-generation instant communications on the phone.”

So there is, if true the iPhone faithful can expect a long wait for the next generation smartphone to fall into their waiting hands, annoying isn't it?

Android 3.0 Honeycomb Playing Nice on Nexus One Video

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 07:35 AM PST

Yesterday my colleague Mark posted news of Android 3.0 Honeycomb SDK being ported to the Google guy’s first smartphone, the Google Nexus One, as reported (here). Now of course Android Honeycomb is supposed to be for tablets only so just how well does Android 3.0 Honeycomb run on the Nexus One?

Well let’s find out as we have some video footage of Android 3.0 Honeycomb playing nice on the Google Nexus One smartphone for your viewing consideration below courtesy of the guys over at Daily Mobile and by way of Pocket Now.

The Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet operating system running on the Google Nexus One handset video lasts almost ten minutes of the real deal doing its stuff.

So to find out just how well Android Honeycomb plays on the Nexus One you need to skip on down, mash that play button, sit back and enjoy the footage, after which if you feel like having a go yourself you can download the necessary from XDA-developers….enjoy.

Flick Ninjas Mobile Game for iPhone: Video

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 07:01 AM PST

Do you enjoy passing the time away by playing games on your iPhone or iPod Touch, then perhaps you should check out this latest game for your iOS device called Flick Ninjas, apparently a star of the 90′s 8-bit game era.

Flick Ninjas for iOS devices apparently love to be flicked, the mobile game has bee exclusively built for the iPhone and iPod Touch multi-touch display whereby users flick or tap their way through the levels, which 360 degree freedom of precise flick and power meter controls.

The Flick Ninjas app for iOS features 30 levels of flickability, and the user needs to collect all the coins to records their high scores to OpenFeint and the Game Centre leaderboards. The user can earn up to 3 stars for each level and 27 achievements totalling 800 points. With Flick Ninjas the user simply flicks to move fast, taps to stop or finer walking, and hold to bring up the power meter.

Flick Ninjas can be downloaded to your iPhone or iPod Touch at a cost of just $0.99 by hitting up iTunes. We have a short Flick Ninjas gameplay demo video for your viewing pleasure below courtesy of the guys over at Game Trailers, so don't forget to check that out before grabbing the app…enjoy.

Xperia Play Pre-Order: Orange & Vodafone Tariffs

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 06:42 AM PST

The new Sony Ericsson Xperia Play aka PlayStation Phone or PSP Phone is making its way onto the online stores and today we can talk about the Orange and Vodafone tariffs and pre-order.

Mobile.co.uk now has the Xperia Play on its online store, which you can now pre-order, first stock is expected March 28, 2011.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is the next generation gaming smartphone that runs Android 2.3 aka Gingerbread and can see gamers loving this device, with features such as gaming controls that slide out that features the traditional PlayStation keys and D-Pad, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and the ability to download games from the Android Market app store.

The Best Tariffs: If you choose the Orange Dolphin 25 
(24 months)
 tariff you will get in return 300 minutes any network, Anytime + Unlimited Texts and 500MB data, this tariff will cost £25.54 a month with the Xperia Play handset costing only £99.

The Vodafone Your Plan 600 (24 months) gives you 600 minutes any network, Anytime + Unlimited Texts and 500MB Mobile Internet and Vodafone Passport for £30 a month and the handset is free.

There are many more different Orange and Vodafone tariffs to choose from but the ones above gives you a little idea of what you can pick.

If you would like to learn more about this smartphone then Cnet is the place to be, they have given their review, which is very interesting. They say the good about the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is that the slide-out controls feel great and that the powerful Android 2.3 operating system is good, they also like the access to the PlayStation Suite games store. The do say on a bad note that the slide-out controls make the phone quite bulky.

Mosaic Photo Facebook and Flickr iOS App

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 06:37 AM PST

Do you enjoy tinkering with your photos to give them an unusual effect, or maybe you like to create a mosaic of your favourite images, well you can do just that with the Mosiac Photo app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and of course the Apple iPad.

Mosaic Photo for iOS devices is a mosaic tool for your device that enables the user to create photographic mosaics from their own images that can be imported from Facebook and then shared on the users Twitter account.

With the Mosaic Photo app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple iPad, the user can easily create image montages, random mosaics, and mixed mosaics, and the latest version of the app, v1.5 now features the ability to pull your images from Flickr.

Mosaic Photo for iOS devices now supports iOS 4.0 and fast app switching and high-resolution display is now also supported. The Mosaic Photo Facebook and Flickr app can be downloaded at a cost of $0.99 to your device from iTunes.

ETFdb Investment Database App for iOS Devices

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 06:17 AM PST

Are you into the investment game with your hard earned cash, looking to grab a little profit here and there, but which investment to invest in that is the big question whether you are an individual investor or a financial advisor.

However if you own an Apple iPhone or Apple iPad there is even an app for that called ETFdb from ETF Database, which enables the user to search through over 1000 exchange traded funds trading in the good ole US of A.

With the ETFdb for iOS devices the user can speedily find any ETF investment category, ticker name or fund issuer, while the database also includes information on basic data for each ETF along with fund expense ratio.

The ETFdb app delivers enhanced screening, including the ability to filter ETFs by region, sector, bond type and commodity, and also enables the user to access information on ETFdb.com. The ETFdb app for the Apple iPad and Apple iPhone can be downloaded for free from iTunes.

Case study: Diabetic Friend iPhone App

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 06:09 AM PST

Diabetic Friend is an online community that helps people with diabetes manage their condition and share their stories.

Tecmark developed an iPhone app for Diabetic Friend, called DF Diary, which lets users record their glucose levels, what they have eaten, and what medication they have taken.

DF Diary incorporates a UK food database, which shows the nutritional content (calories, carbohydrates, sugars, fat and saturated fat) for around 6,500 separate items, and a UK restaurant database, which updates automatically and helps people manage their diet.

The app also lets users calculate their carb: insulin ratio, and suggests the appropriate insulin dose. Additionally, it produces graphs showing glucose readings, nutritional targets and medication, which can be emailed to the user or their doctor, and syncs with www.diabeticfriend.co.uk to ensure that data on the app and the website stay concurrent.

Richard Heyes, MD at Tecmark, says, "As mobile Internet usage continues to soar, organisations will increasingly benefit from linking their conventional web presence with mobile apps or other mobile-optimised content in this way."

DF Diary iPhone App Main Features: Keep an online diary of your blood sugar levels, medication and nutritional values, Currently 13 restaurants and increasing, to help control what you are eating, it also features A database of English foods showing Calories, Carbs, Sugar, Fat & Sat Fat, plus Help carb counting and this app also gives a data in graph form to help you and your healthcare team.

You can buy this app via iTunes for only £1.79 if you already have this app we would love for you to send in your personal review. Thanks

Motorola Xoom Gaining Flash 10.2 Coming OTA Soon

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 05:56 AM PST

As you know and may have been somewhat disappointed, the new Android 3.0 Honeycomb sporting tablet from the Motorola camp, the Motrola Xoom will not have Adobe Flash support on initial release, as reported (here), but all is not lost because the Xoom will get Flash quite soon.

According to an article over on Droid-life and by way of Android Central, the Motorola Xoom will gain the latest version of Adobe Flash, Flash 10.2 rather than Flash 10.1 in a few weeks time by over the air update.

According to Adobe…” Adobe will offer Flash Player 10.2 preinstalled on some tablets and as an OTA download on others within a few weeks of Android 3 (Honeycomb) devices becoming available, the first of which is expected to be the Motorola Xoom.”

So basically although the downer with the Motorola Xoom is that there will be no Adobe Flash support at the outset, it shouldn't be that long before the Android tablets plays nice with Adobe Flash 10.2, of course that is if there are no unexpected delays in pushing it out.
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