Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Phones Review

Phones Review

iPhone 5 And The NFC Yes No Game: Does It Matter

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 02:02 PM PDT

Ah the big guessing game now it would appear is whether the iPhone 5 will come out to play sporting Near Field Communication technology or NFC as it is called. It’s seems the rumour of an NFC supported iPhone 5 simply wont go away.

There has been speculation over NFC an the next generation iPhone for some time, and not too long ago a report by The Independent claimed that Apple had told UK carriers that the iPhone 5 would not have NFC.

This claim was later countered with a report by a tweet by a Forbes tech writer saying "Just met with an entrepreneur who says the iPhone 5 *will* have NFC…according to his friend, who works at Apple. Huh."

Now we have another report by the guys over at the Boy Genius Report and by way of The New York Times, that Apple will include NFC tech in future versions of the iPhone, although apparently the article doesn’t exactly say it will be the iPhone 5 but says a “coming iteration” of the iOS smartphone.

So will the iPhone 5 come out to play with NFC in tow? Again only Apple can really confirm whether it will or not and they are not likely to give the game away just yet, but like I’ve said before if the iPhone 5 didn't materialise with HFC would it really be a deal breaker?

What do our reader’s think, will the iPhone 5 sport NFC ot wont it, or do you really care?

LG Optimus 3D Turns LG Thrill 4G for AT&T

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 09:13 AM PDT

Well now, it appears that the good ole US of A is about to gain their first 3D smartphone and with support to play nice on 4G, as the word is AT&T is to gain the LG Optimus 3D with the new name of the LG Thrill 4G.

According to an article over on Gizmodo, the AT&T bound LG Thrill will launch sporting the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system but will be upgradeable to Android 2.3 Gingerbread as per Optimus 3D.

The HTC Thrill 4G will of course deliver 3D glasses-less 3D experience the same as the LG Optimus 3D with its 5 megapixel stereoscopic dual camera and will sport a 4.3 inch touch screen and 1GHz processor and will offer 3D contend through the “LG 3D Space”, and HDMI and DNLA support.

Apparently AT&T also announced the HTC HD7S handset, a Windows Phone 7 smartphone packing a 4.3-inch WVGA Super LED touch screen, 1GHz processor, and a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash.

Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Market has said, “AT&T customers know that we offer the best lineup of cutting-edge smartphones in the country. Our first 3D phone plus a new, leading Windows Phone underscore our commitment to continue to offer the best.”

No word on just when the HTC Thrill 4G or HTC HD7S will see release or what price tag the smartphones will command. No photos available of the LG Thrill 4G yet but should resemble the LG Optimus 3D as shown.

Apple iPad 2 UK Launch Not Delayed

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 08:40 AM PDT

Apparently there have been some rumours flying around that there could be some delays to Apple launching their next generation iOS tablet outside the US of A. However at least for us over here in the UK it would appear there will be no delay.

According to an article over on TiPb and by way of Tech Radar, the Apple iPad 2 is still on track for its UK release date of the 25th of March, which of course is this Friday and hasn’t been delayed until the 25th of April as rumoured, which apparently was simply a typo error.

The word is the guys at Tech Radar actually managed some how to get Apple to confirm that said UK release date was still hard and fast with Apple stating… “Everything that is on the website still holds true; the website says 25 March and that’s when it’ll be.”

So there you go, as they say, you can’t get better info than from the horses mouth itself, so no need for potential UK Apple iPad 2 owners to worry that they will have to wait longer than expected, although there’s no word yet on just what time you can grab the UK Apple iPad 2.

iOS 4.3.1 to Release Within A Couple of Weeks

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 08:08 AM PDT

For the iOS faithful out there in Apple gear land, the word is that iOS 4.3.1 could well be gracing your iOS device as soon as two weeks time although don't go expecting any major excitement to be delivered.

According to an article over on Unwired View and by way of the Boy Genius Report, the word is Apple is currently working on iOS 4.3.1 and will release it to the iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple iPad and presumably the Apple iPad 2 sometime within the next two weeks.

As for anything exciting, well apparently iOS 4.3.1 will only be a minor update delivering several bug fixes such as fixing memory hang which results in memory corruption when reading large files from USIM file system, baseband updates for the iPhone 3GS and original Apple iPad, fixes the Apple iPad 2 jailbreak vulnerability, fixes NTLM authentication problem on websites and in apps and fixes Springboard issues.

Other than that there’s nothing to become all excited about and apparently no word on whether iOS 4.3.1 will deliver Apple’s updates operating system to the Verizon iPhone. So you we’ll keep you iOS faithful informed as we hear more on when iOS 4.3.1 will drop.

LG Optimus Pad Japan Release Date: March End

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 07:59 AM PDT

The new LG Optimus Pad tablet PC is still scheduled to be released in Japan at the end of March, many customers have been asking the release date for this device.

According to Good eReader the NTT Docomo LG Optimus Pad is expected to release at the end of March and no change to this will happen, "There's no reason to believe there will be any delay from our previous estimate," said Ken Hong, a Seoul-based LG spokesman.

The LG Optimus Pad in Japan already has its pre-order acceptance back on March 15 and deliveries will happen at the end of this month. We here at phonesreview.co.uk thought that there would be a delay of the Optimus Pad releasing just like the Apple iPad 2 Japan release, the iPad was supposed to have been landing in Japan March 25 but this has now been pushed back indefinitely.

Japan has gone through turmoil with its devastating earthquakes and tsunami, nuclear reactors exploded, which was catastrophic. Our hearts go out to all those in Japan and of course family and friends.

We will bring you more news about the LG Optimus Pad exact release date soon as we know, please do post all comments below. In the meantime please do visit TechRadar who have done a very nice review covering all including pros and cons.

Source – Times of India

HTC Incredible S In-Depth Video Review

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 07:42 AM PDT

For those who might be thinking of picking up the HTC Incredible S smartphone we have an in-depth video review of the Android 2.2 Froyo touting smartphone for your viewing pleasure below. The HTC Incredible S review is of the European version of the device whilst the US version, the HTC Droid Incredible 2 for Verizon hasn’t yet been officially introduced.

The HTC Incredible S in-depth video review comes our way courtesy of the guys over at Phone Arena, and they do say that the HTC Incredible S seems to be identical to what is expected with the HTC Droid Incredible 2 so the review could be seen as a prelude to the US version of the smartphone.

The HTC Incredible S video review delivers almost ten minutes of getting up close and personal with the Android handset, although if you prefer a written review the guys have a nice four page review of the device available on their website.

The guys have come up with a couple of pros and cons for the HTC Incredible S, the pros being a super responsive platform experience with a sharp looking Super LCD display while the cons are the device isn't quite a modern high end handset while videos and pictures look muddy.

So if you don't have the time to check out that four page written review along with numerous pictures, you can make the jump below, hit that play button and check out the video, and feel free to voice your opinions of the handset to our comments area below…enjoy.

Android Froyo Update Confirmed for Samsung Epic and Galaxy Tab

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 07:11 AM PDT

A few days ago we reported that the long wait for the Android 2.2 Froyo update to hit the Samsung Epic 4G, Samsung Transform and Samsung Galaxy Tab would resume as of today, and now the word is both Sprint and Samsung have made that official.

According to an article over on Engadget old Sammy and Sprint have got their act together at last and pushed out a press release confirming that as of today the 21st of March the Android 2.2 Froyo update will begin roll out once again.

No doubt Samsung Epic 4g owners will remember that Froyo was pushed out before and them pulled, but apparently and of course if all goes well the Samsung Epic 4G and Samsung Galaxy Tab will receive Android 2.2 Froyo this week that will deliver Sprint’s Android skin, Sprint ID, Flash 10.1 and Bluetooth dialling.

So keep your eyes open for the over the air update, which apparently notifications will be sent out to all owners and all owners should gain the updated firmware by Thursday the 24th of March.

So there it is Epic and Galaxy Tab owners should have Android 2.2 Froyo by the end of the week, no mention as to whether the Samsung Transform would be getting the update though as previously thought, other than the Transform already has Sprint ID.

HTC Thunderbolt 2750mAh Extended Battery & Cover Should Be Free

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 06:51 AM PDT

Earlier on today we reported that many customers have been facing battery problems with the new Verizon HTC Thunderbolt and so far the response is bad, many Thunderbolt users are complaining of poor battery life.

To achieve better battery life many suggest you turn of 4G and off course all apps running in the background but even doing this there still seems to be a problem, obviously we are only going on what comments are coming in and our readers are not so happy.

Read all the comments coming here on our previous article titled "HTC Thunderbolt Battery Life Issues: Discuss Problems", you can opt to buy the HTC Thunderbolt 2750mAh extended battery and battery cover via Verizon Wireless or HTCPedia for $49.99 (At the moment HTCPedia is out of stock).

If we were customers of the HTC Thunderbolt and we did everything we could to save power usage like switch apps off, WiFi off when not needed as so forth and we still experienced battery life problems we would not be happy.

Do you think Verizon should give HTC Thunderbolt customers a FREE 2750mAh extended battery? One of our readers called Bill posted a comment that could help a little:

The battery life is horrific; however, it is the best phone on the market (imo (and the stats to back it up)). Ways to save some juice:
1: Change your display brightness to the lowest setting. It may look like a lot when you first do it but after 5 minutes you will never know.
2: Turn off automatic brightness.
3: Turn screen time out to 15 seconds (30 MAX).
4: Download the Android app killer.

Simple adjustments but will save a decent amount of battery.

Anyway, the new HTC 2750mAh extended battery and battery door cover combo kit is $49.99 and will allow you to use your handset that little bit longer. Is the HTC Thunderbolt battery really that bad or is it down to the user? Check out a video below of the HTC 2750mAh battery

Carphone Warehouse Royal Wedding PAYG Phone Available

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 06:41 AM PDT

With the UK event of the year, the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on the horizon, with all its pomp and flair associated with a royal wedding, and as usual the tacky trinkets and souvenirs will hit way before the big day on the 29th of April.

And it appears that the mobile industry isn’t going to be left out of the tacky souvenirs game as according to an article over on Slash Gear, the Carphone Warehouse has now made available the Special Edition Royal Wedding mobile phone.

The Special Edition Royal Wedding handset is a pay as you go Alcatel One Touch device that has been adorned with the red white and blue Union Jack on its facia whilst on its red rear is apparently Prince William and Kate Middleton’s initials.

Furthermore for the lover of royal weddings the Special Edition Royal Wedding phone comes sporting a customised William and Kate wallpaper along with a special ringtone of the “Wedding March,” and all this can be yours for just £14.95, which is roughly $24.

Personally I think this kind of thing is beyond tacky, but no doubt there are those out there that would fall over backwards to have this kind of memento, are you one of them?

Sprint Samsung Nexus S 4G Release Date & Price

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 06:21 AM PDT

Sprint has recently announced that they will be getting the Samsung Nexus S 4G smartphone; this is great news if you love CDMA. Now seeing as Verizon is getting the HTC Nexus One with support for a 4G network we would love to know what network you prefer.

The Sprint Nexus S is the same as T-Mobile's counterpart offering the same profile, exterior featuring a 4-inch Super AMOLED display.

The smartphone will feature Gingerbread operating system, Google Voice integration, NFC chip, Bluetooth 2.1 (with A2DP), front-facing VGA camera and 5-megapixel camera, 16B of internal memory, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, PC syncing, USB mass storage, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Wi-Fi hot spot, GPS and USB tethering.

The new Sprint Nexus S 4G smartphone will sell for 199 with a two-year contract and its release date will be Spring 2011, you will have to sign up to a new Sprint Everything Data at $69 per month and $10 per-month Premium Data plan if you wish to use the Sprint's 4G WiMax network.

What do you think of the Samsung Nexus S 4G smartphone? Please do let us know your thoughts; we just love reading your comments.

Source – Cnet

Sprint Android Gingerbread Nexus S 4G Now Official: Want it

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 06:14 AM PDT

There have been several rumours about the Android 2.3 Gingerbread toting Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint in the past, but finally the Nexus S for Sprint has been given the official stamp by an announcement from the Google guys.

According to an article over on the Boy Genius Report, Google says that the Sprint Nexus S 4G handset is virtually identical to the previous Android Nexus S smartphone albeit a tad heavier and thicker.

Apparently this slight difference is due to sporting Sprint’s CDMA and WiMAX radio and that the operating system will also differ slightly due to the addition off a 4G on and off check box in the settings application.

As for the availability of the Sprint Nexus S 4G, the word is the device should become available in spring but no hard and fast release date has been offered, and no work on any pricing for the device. So are any of our readers hoping to snap up the Nexus S 4G on Sprint once it hits?

Android HTC Pyramid Possibly Poses for Blurred Back Pic

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 05:38 AM PDT

A rather burred image of what is purportedly the new HTC Pyramid smartphone with its silver diagonal HTC line across its back has recently hit the net waves sitting right next to the HTC Desire HD, but is it the HTC Pyramid?

According to an article over on Ubergizmo by way of Engadget, Greek website Tech Blog are claiming that the silver striped handset is none other than the HTC Pyramid, which apparently is also known as the HTC Desire HD S.

The image shows that the HTC Pyramid has a an off-centre dual LED flash along with the camera lens whilst there looks to be what could be a 3.5mm jack socket at the top and at the bottom there’s a small imprint which says with HTC Sense.

Other than that there’s not a great deal else to be gleaned from the burred image, but is this really the HTC Pyramid as previous purported shots of the HTC Pyramid show a different camera configuration along with that silver stripe saying Google although apparently the previous image was a mock-up, which you can view (here)

So could this be the Android HTC Pyramiod or some other as yet unknown smartphone, what are our reader’s opinions?

AT&T and T-Mobile: The Union and Competition Debate

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 05:33 AM PDT

The latest news covering AT&T buying T-Mobile USA for $39 billion is very interesting indeed and we would like to ask a few questions for your answers.

Even though AT&T is acquiring T-Mobile USA, PhonesReview colleague James reported that T-Mobile will remain an independent company but we would like to ask what will happen on the union front, AT&T is union and T-Mobile is non-union and that leaves us with the question "Will T-Mobile stay non-union or will they enter the union?"

There are so many questions that are very important, two separate companies offer healthy competition but of course once two become one that competition is no longer there and that could mean many bad things such as prices go even higher than they already are and of course the possibility of job cuts. This is all speculation but still worth thinking about, what are your thoughts?

We did mention in an earlier article that T-Mobile customers will be billed the same as they are today and that even though AT&T is buying T-Mobile, T-Mobile will not be getting the Apple iPhone.

Reading the latest RedState article earlier they mention "With 42,000 unionizable T-Mobile employees and the potential of raking in 1.3 percent of their paychecks—an estimated $15 million in union dues each year—top union boss Larry Cohen wasted no time on Sunday declaring the union's interest in unionizing the T-Mobile employees".

Please do post all your comments in the area provided below this article, your views are very important. You the customer should always have your say because it is you that could win or lose when two firms become one.

Apple iPad 2 Accessories: Hermes Swift and Station Cases, Rather Expensive

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 04:55 AM PDT

We know most owners of the latest iOS tablet out of the Apple camp will want to protected their shiny new Apple iPad 2, but how far would you go in protecting the device, just how much cash would you be prepared to part with?

Would you say pay more for the case than what your Apple iPad 2 costs? According to an article over on Ubergizmo, French fashion house Hermes is offering Apple iPad 2 cases called the Hermes Station and Hermes Swift, and both command a rather expensive price tag.

The Hermes Station case for the iPad 2 is a case that opens up to transform into a stand enabling the user to view content and is made in calf skin leather and available in four colours with a hefty price tag of roughly $1400.

The Hermes Swift is a sleeve type case for the second generation Apple iPad, and again made in calf skin leather and available in ten colours with a price tag of about $820.

So would you fork out such a high price for a sleeve or case that basically does what the Apple Smart Cover does and costs way less, how much cash are you prepared to shell out on protecting your Apple iPad 2?

Oil and Gas Price App: Includes Gold & Silver Prices

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 04:35 AM PDT

If you would like to track oil, gas, gold and silver prices then the 'BlackGold' free iOS app is something worth considering for download.

BlackGold is a great application for Apple devices that tracks the price of crude oil, gas, gold and silver, as we know the prices of oil and gas is getting very expensive and will continue to rise especially with the problems in Libya at the moment and this app will help you keep an eye on things.

The stock and future markets needs your close eye as fluctuations in recent years has been alarming, this app keeps you informed of current prices at all times.

Main iOS App Features Include: Crude Oil WTI Current Price, Gasoline Regular, Mid, Premium, Diesel, E85. (US National Average provided by AAA), it also features Gold Troy Oz Current Price including seven charts, Natural Gas Current Price including intraday chart and Heating Oil Current Price including intraday chart.

Version 4.0 of BlackGold Features: Updated User Interface, Larger Basic Charts, Silver tracking, Chart Controls for Basic charts, Customizable UI, Full-Screen Technical Analysis charts, Brent Crude tracking, State-by-State gasoline tracking and Set a specific State as your default, plus so much more.

For more information on the free BlackGold app please visit iTunes, as usual we always ask if you could send in your personal reviews if you already have this application installed on your device.
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