Thursday, March 17, 2011

Phones Review

Phones Review

HTC Thunderbolt Accessories Kit Available from Amazon

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:43 PM PDT

Tomorrow the HTC Thunderbolt smartphone should be available for purchase on the Verizon network, I say should because anything could happen between now and then, but you should be fairly confidant that the device will release.

So when you pick up your shiny new sparkling Android 2.2 Froyo 4G LTE surfing HTC Thunderbolt, you are going to need a few accessories to keep the much sought after device in pristine condition and perhaps a car charger.

So, Amazon is doing quite a good deal on their Android based HTC Thunderbolt Accessories Kit, which comprises of a Thunderbolt silicone skin in Argyle Purple, a blue compatible USB HTC Thunderbolt car charger, along with a custom cut screen protector and a Live Love Laugh GV wristband.

This HTC Thunderbolt accessories kit would usually cost the customer $29.95, however Amazon have knocked down that asking price to a nice cool low $16.15 saving the customer a sweet 13 bucks. Sop if you are looking for an accessories kit for your Thunderbolt, head over to Amazon and snap up a deal.

Hands-On Review: Proporta Aluminium Lined Leather iPhone 4 Case

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:11 PM PDT

We have got our hands on the 'Aluminium Lined Leather iPhone 4 Case' courtesy of Proporta and we will give this our personal review, we will let you know what we think of this case in detail.

Proporta has many different products and their cases are superb and we are not just saying that because we have this case, they are of top quality and reasonably priced. The aluminium lined leather iPhone 4 case that we have here has been handcrafted with the finest leather and is built to secure and protect your iPhone 4 smartphone whilst still have available access to all the buttons and charging port.

First Impressions
Our first impressions of the packaging and case was a very good one, even the package was of quality with a viewing window and a circular cut out so that you could have a little feel of the case.

Fitting With Ease
Fitting the iPhone 4 into the case was very easy indeed, all you have to do is flip the case lid and slide the smartphone in. There was no struggle or tight fit, which means if you need to retract the handset you can do so with ease.

In The Case
When the iPhone 4 is in the case the home button is covered with the Proporta leather logo, which must admit is a nice touch unlike a lot of cases that have this part cut out to reveal the home button. When you press the Proporta home button it still responds as if it was not there at all if not better.

Give Your iPhone 4 Some Respect
We prefer leather cases because when you think of paying in access of £600 for a smartphone why would you want to cover it with a hard cheap looking case, even those Apple bumper cases are not as good looking as the 'Aluminium Lined Leather iPhone 4 Case'.

Looking At Quality
The quality of the case is superb, black and cream leather and within all that there is an aluminium plate lining to give it strength, it also has stitched edges to give it that extra touch of quality even though some may say it is not the best hand-stitching you have ever seen (We think it has been hand stitched).

If We Had To Pick Holes

Like it says above if we had to pick holes and trust us it is not a massive hole that you need to get air lifted out would have to be on the inside, when the iPhone 4 is in the case there is a little flap at the top left hand corner of the face, but this is down to this particular part being quite thin. If you have big thumbs or fingers operating the touchscreen keyboard near the edges can be quite tricky.

Our Summary
Overall we would recommend the Proporta 'Aluminium Lined Leather iPhone 4 Case' because it has that quality feel, stunning look and gives the iPhone 4 the protection it needs and at only £29.95 ($42.95) with lifetime warranty we believe this is a fantastic price. You will see a picture below of a Yorkshire teabag that Proporta sent us with the case, this is a nice touch and want to say thanks as whilst reviewing this product we had a lovely cup of strong tea (Send some coffee next time please).

Head on over to Proporta right now and bag yourself a fantastic case and a very respectable price, please do scroll down a little below this review and check out the hands-on video courtesy of Proporta as this will give you that little push to do the right thing. Before the YouTube video check out our hands-on photos that we took, comments most welcome.

The Photos

Thanks For The Tea

We have more hands-on reviews coming soon so please keep coming back as you really do not want to miss out on many more hands on reviews. Join us on Facebook or Twitter for instant updates.

Verizon White iPhone 4 a Possibility

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:57 AM PDT

Recently there have been rumours that that Apple object that’s more rare than seeing a Pegasus may actually materialise some time in the spring, of course I am talking about the white iPhone 4. However it wasn’t know if Apple did manage to pull off the white version of the iPhone 4 whether Verizon would get it.

Well apparently the Verizon iPhone 4 in white just might be a possibility as according to an article over on Phone Dog and by way of Macrumors, a Macrumors reader was doing some delving into iTunes 10.2 resource files and found something quite interesting.

Apparently the reader came across an icon for the CDMA white iPhone 4 and it shows the antenna gap at the top of the device so is definitely a CDMA model, and as Verizon is the only carrier in he US using a CDMA iPhone, put two and two together and you come up with a Verizon white iPhone 4.

Now of course locating an icon of the device in iTunes doesn't mean it’s guaranteed that Apple will deliver a white CDMA iPhone, but obviously someone spent time making the icon on the presumption that there would be a white Verizon iPhone at some point.

So for what it’s worth, there is a possibility that we will see Verizon gain the white iPhone 4 at some point, would you purchase the white CDMA iPhone from Verizon?

HTC Thunderbolt Accessories on Best Buy Store Shelves

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:07 AM PDT

Well finally HTC & Verizon Wireless have put a lot of people out of their misery and officially announced the release date for the HTC Thunderbolt smartphone, the release dated is 17 March 2011.

The price for the HTC Thunderbolt is reported to start at $249.99, see my colleague Mark's post earlier today on the release date and price of the phone.

If you are still interested in the HTC Thunderbolt after all the calamity surrounding the release date, then you may also be interested in obtaining some of the accessories for the phone. Well, you need not wait for a release date for some of these, as a couple of items are already on sale at Best Buy stores. According to the guys at androidcommunity.com you will see a couple of cases for the HTC Thunderbolt displayed on the racks, the RocketFish mobile case and the QUICK CLIP holster – both in black.

It appears that there is no problem in obtaining some of the accessories now, even though the phone is not released until tomorrow.

It has also been revealed by those at gizmocrunch.com that there has been a leak regarding further accessories available for the HTC Thunderbolt, these include a multimedia dock, an extended battery pack and wireless charging battery cover. These accessories are reported to range between $40 and $60, but we are unable to confirm when they will be available in stores.

I would also like to add for all those that have pre-ordered the HTC Thunderbolt or for anyone that may still be considering purchasing one, that of interest may be my colleague James' post regarding the 'user manual now being available online'.

Jawbone ERA Bluetooth Headset In Midnight

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:55 AM PDT

If you are in the market for a Bluetooth headset you might like to consider the Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset that features military grade NoiseAssassin 3.0 technology for killing background noise and auto-adjusts inbound call volume.

The Jawbone ERA Bluetooth Headset in midnight, also features a built-in accelerometer, MotionX tech, Dual microprocessor, is Bluetooth v2.1 compliant with a range of up to 33 feet, EDR support, and A2DP support.

The Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset measures 51.3 x 0.57 x 0.95 mm with a weight of just 10.2 grams and delivers a battery life of up to 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 10 days of standby time, and a built-in battery meter auto-displays on devices such as BlackBerry handsets and the iPhone.

The Jawbone Bluetooth Headset in Midnight can be yours for the price of £99.99 from eXpansys with an expected shipping time of three working days, while discounts may be available on orders of 5 or more units.

Djay App for iPhone Now Available

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:34 AM PDT

A while back Algoriddim release their Djay iOS app for the Apple iPad enabling iPad users to spin their disks on their iOS tablet, but the company didn't release a version for the iPhone; however that has now been rectified.

According to an article over on Macrumors, Algoriddim has now released the Djay app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, which delivers the same features as the Apple iPad.

So those features are…realistic low-latency turntable interface, direct access to the iPod library, looping, seamless Airplay integration, high quality scratching, Beat synchronised scrubbing, live recording, full visual Waveform, auto-mix mode, portrait and landscape modes, and more.

The Djay iOS App for the iPhone and iPod Touch basically delivers a full-fledged portable DJ system to your device that gives access to all the users favourite playlists and tracks.

We also have a very short introduction video for the Djay app for iPhone and iPod Touch for your viewing pleasure below courtesy of the Djaysoftware YouTube page.

The Djay app can be downloaded to your iPhone or iPod Touch running iOS 4.2 and up by hitting up iTunes and for a cost of $9.99.

HTC Thunderbolt User Manual Now Available

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:38 AM PDT

Well if you are going to snap up the new Verizon 4G LTE smartphone the Android toting HTC Thunderbolt, no doubt you might have need of the handset’s user manual at some point, so why not brush up a little right now.

According to an article over on Android Guys, and by way of Android Central, those wishing to make use of the Android 2.2 Froyo packing HTC Thunderbolt user manual can do so right now as the manual is now available online for your reading pleasure.

No doubt many wont need a user manual for the device, but there are probably those out there that could do with a little read up before the Thunderbolt releases tomorrow, but perhaps you should set a little reading time aside as the HTC Thunderbolt user manual is a 339 page PDF.

If you wish to check out the Android HTC Thunderbolt user manual you can do so by hitting up here, however when I tried the page only partially loaded and then hung, but maybe that’s because I’m in the UK. So if you check it out feel free to let us know if all goes well.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread Might Hit LG Optimus One Come May

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:36 AM PDT

With many Android smartphones now languishing on Android 2.2 Froyo, albeit many not yet seeing the upgrade, some are looking forward to being upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and one such smartphone is the LG Optimus One.

LG have already stated the LG Optimus One would see the Android Gingerbread update but thus far haven’t let it be known when.

However according to an article over on Unwired View, and by way of Androidos, LG India have said on Facebook that the Optimus One should see the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update before May is out.

However, don't let your hopes be set in stone as apparently that upgrade date to the LG Optimus One comes with the usual “subject to change” line attached

According to the article over on Androidos, LG says that the update will be available via the Android Market, something that as far as I’m aware isn't possible; however the guys suggest that Android 2.3 Gingerbread may come via LG’s own update tool.

So there it is if it all holds true, LG Optimus One users can look forward to the end of May for grabbing a slice of Gingerbread for their device…now I wonder when Samsung will update my Samsung Galaxy S to Gingerbread?

HTC Thunderbolt Accessories Spotted With Prices

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:53 AM PDT

Now that the Android 2.2 Froyo HTC Thunderbolt release date fiasco is over as Verizon and HTC have gone official as to when you can nab the Thunderbolt, it might be time to think about what accessories may be becoming available for the smartphone.

Well a couple have now turned up courtesy of the guys over at Phandroid, apparently there were send some images showing HTC Thunderbolt accessories along with the prices including a multimedia dock and extended battery.

So what will these Tbolt accessories set you back? Well the extended battery is 2750mAh and will apparently command a price tag of roughly 50 bucks, and apparently there’s also a special wireless charging battery door via inductive tech that will set you back $39.99.

Lastly they found an HTC Thunderbolt multimedia charging dock that houses the Android device in landscape mode whilst filling it with juice, but the guys aren’t too sure what ports the dock will carry so could be a 3.5mm jack or mini HDMI, price wise the multimedia dock will hit your wallet for some 60 bucks give or take.

So there you have it, three new accessories becoming available for HTC Thunderbolt users at some point in the not too distant future, so will you be snapping up one of these to accompany your shiny new handset?

Amazon Appstore Apps and Prices Outed

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:23 AM PDT

As you are no doubt aware, Amazon is entering into the mobile app offering game by launching the Amazon Appstore and will be in competition with Google’s Android Market. But so far not much other than Amazon gaining exclusivity over Angry Birds Rio for Android is known.

However, according to an article over on Softpedia, the guys over at Android News decided to slap http://www.amazon.com/apps into their address bar and were treated to a view of the new Amazon Appstore, although if you try it now you just get the Amazon home page.

They did manage to grab a few screenshots of what the Amazon Appstore will look like though along with some prices for the Android apps and a comparison against the Android Market app prices which can be checked out on their website.

The apps captured in the screenshot range from $9.99 for the “EasyTether” app right the way down to $0.10 for “Where is the red” app, although I couldn’t see any free Android apps in the screenshot.

The word is that once the Amazon Appstore goes live, users purchasing apps from the store can install said apps on any Android device as apparently the software will be auto-tied to the user’s account.

With Amazon letting the Appstore slip out like this, guesses are they can’t be that far away from launch. Will you be hitting the Amazon Appstore for your apps rather than the Android Market?

HTC Thunderbolt, White iPhone 4, iPhone 5 Verizon Choice Decider

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:19 AM PDT

Verizon not so long ago released the Apple iPhone 4 and tomorrow they are releasing the new HTC Thunderbolt, that is a decision in itself as to the one you will buy but we also know that the white iPhone 4 is coming soon too.

Can you see why this is called the 'Decision decider', not only has Verizon got the iPhone 4, the HTC Thunderbolt being released tomorrow we also know that the white iPhone 4 is coming in April sometime (Apple Insider) and we are not speculating if Verizon will get the white iPhone but they probably will.

A new Apple smartphone will no doubt be released in June or July this year as well, you know the iPhone 5 as everyone is calling it. Many Verizon customers have been waiting for the HTC Thunderbolt for quite sometime now with many being left very annoyed as to when it will be released, but it still seems like a very popular choice according to our poll we did a yesterday (Check out the stats below).

Do you still want the HTC Thunderbolt?

• Yes of course, been waiting long enough (71.0%, 223 Votes)
• Not to sure now, I am a little confused (18.0%, 58 Votes)
• No, waited so long got bored and got another smartphone (10.0%, 31 Votes)
• Never wanted one from the start (1.0%, 2 Votes)
• Not with Verizon so do not care (1.0%, 2 Votes)

So we thought we would hold another poll asking you a simple question, when it comes to Verizon do you want the iPhone 4, White iPhone 4, iPhone 5 or the HTC Thunderbolt?

We do not need to put all the features, specs, prices and all of that as you that get's a little boring, all we want to know is what smartphone do you want.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Pimp Your Screen App for iOS Devices: Video

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 06:47 AM PDT

If you own an iOS device and don't really like the look of the screen, there is an app for that. Apalon has now released an iOS app whereby the user can change the look of their device screen and is called Pimp Your Screen.

The Pimp Your Screen app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple iPad includes a large collection of original and unique background for the home screen and lock screen that are arranged by categories and has been designed with attention to detail.

The Pimp Your Screen app for iOS devices offers Retina Display for the iPhone 4, HD resolution for the Apple iPad, icon skins, app shelves, neon combos, popular and recent tabs, customisation abilities, landscape and portrait images available for the iPad.

The vice president of Apalon, Peter Melnikov says, "Users of iOS devices are vivid people that always stand out from the crowd. We decided that it would be fair if their devices were as unique and stylish as their owners and users could exercise their personality through customization of their touch screen beauty. This is how we came up with Pimp Your Screen."

We have a short video review of Pimp Your Screen for your viewing pleasure below courtesy of YouTube user Machelpntips which lasts almost three minutes and gives an overview of the iOS app.

The Pimp Your Screen app for the Apple iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone running iOS 2.2.1 and above is available to purchase from iTunes at a cost of $0.99.

BlackBerry PlayBook Release Date iPad 2 Facetime Style Chat

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 06:30 AM PDT

The iPad 2 has now been released and it features FaceTime video chat, well the latest news reports that the BlackBerry PlayBook might feature the same style chat. This new tablet is going to be release anytime now

There is a lot of speculation about this tablet's release date but according to many sources such as TechRadar the release should be somewhere in April, it is looking like April 17 but we here at PhonesReview will not commit to that yet.

TG Daily reports that the new BlackBerry PlayBook will feature an iPad 2 FaceTime style video chat and that the peer-to-peer video-conferencing application will be Rim's own work, apparently.

If this is the case how well will the BlackBerry Playbook do right up against the likes of the iPad 2 by Apple. David Heit, RIM’s VP of enterprise strategy, let slip news of the BlackBerry-made app, telling CIO that the app will be released “very soon”.

Will the cameras on the BlackBerry PlayBook be better than the Apple iPad 2? If you consider that the PlayBook has a 1GHz processor is this better than the iPad 2? Apparently the iPad 2 is only kicking out 900MHz.

The iPad 2 is better on the app front with so much to offer and the display is 10-inches, what would you prefer the iPad 2 or the BlackBerry Playbook? Please do vote below on our poll system.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Cameo In Video

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 06:23 AM PDT

Looks like Samsung has started touting their new Android Galaxy tablets, which are expected to be unveiled at CTIA 2011 next week and old Sammy has released a short video which teases the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 model, which of course we have for your viewing pleasure below.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 makes a very brief appearance in this 31 second teaser video that comes our way courtesy of the guys over at Android Community and by way of Sammy’s YouTube page.

The video blurb states…” Were you excited about the introduction of our GALAXY Tab 10.1 at 2011 Mobile World Congress? If so, join us for more surprises at SAMSUNG MOB!LE UNPACKED on March 22nd, 2011 in Orlando, Florida, US!”

The rumour is that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 will come toting Googe’s Android specific operating system Android 3.0 Honeycomb, but will the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 be a worthy challenger to the new Apple iPad 2?

I’m sure we’ll find out more next week during CTIA, so until then head on down, hit that play button and check out this cameo of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9…enjoy.

Big Cup Cricket Android SIM App Release: Availability

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 05:34 AM PDT

If you love cricket then this Sim android game will be just for you, welcome to 'Big Cup Cricket' by Square Enix that is available from free.

Beautiful Game Studios part of Square Enix has a fantastic game for the Android platform and is available in Europe, North America and Canada, there is a free version of this game or you can opt for the premium version for £2.50, download via Android Market.

Below this article is a YouTube video courtesy of Championship Manager, this game features challenge and tournament modes and all you need to do is swipe and flick to control direction, and of course speed and position of both bat and ball.

For more information about BIG CUP CRICKET visit www.bigcupcricket.com or Facebook – facebook.com/bigcupcricket

Please let us know what you think of Big Cup Cricket, let other readers know if it is a good game or not.
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