mobile reviews

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

HTC Desire S review: Droid cravings

Introduction

Powerful hardware, large high-res screen and the latest Android version in a solid metal body– the recipe did wonders for the original Desire so no wonder HTC are in no mood to experiment with the sequel. Take the best and make it better pretty much sums up the game plan. Oh well, we’ll take quietly brilliant even if emphasis is sometimes on quiet. In other words, the Desire S is a phone we’re ready to like. But make no mistake – it’s not meant to be the flagship its predecessor was.
HTC has the Sensation to send against the heavyweight competition. The new Desire is given a different, though no less important role. Ideally, it should be the smartphone that has broader appeal, the one to offer as reward to loyal upgraders. The phone to give you – wait for it – more bang for your buck than we’ve come expect from HTC.
Here’s what it puts on the table summarized.

Key features

Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
3.7" 16M-color capacitive LCD touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
Uses the best screen from HTC so far (along with the Incredible S)
Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense
1 GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 chipset
768 MB RAM and 1.1 GB ROM
5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging
720p video recording @ 30fps
Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
GPS with A-GPS
microSD slot up to 32GB (8GB card included)
Accelerometer and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Stereo FM radio with RDS
microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
Smart dialing, voice dialing
Front facing camera, video calls
DivX/XviD video support
Compact aluminum unibody
Gorilla glass display
HTC Locations app
HTCSense.com integration
HTC Portable Hotspot
Ultra-fast boot times (if you don’t remove battery)

Main disadvantages

No dedicated camera key and no lens cover
Poor camcorder performance, jerky 720p videos
Below-par sunlight legibility
Wi-Fi signal degrades when you cover the top part of the back panel
microSD is below the battery cover

Those coming from the original Desire will certainly notice the absence of the optical trackpad and that now capacitive keys replace the hardware buttons. It’s a different way of interacting with the phone but by no means less comfortable. Other than that, the new smartphone certainly does well to upgrade the original. You get more RAM, a slightly more compact and lighter body, which is still solid enough thanks to all the metal, along with the latest Android and a more powerful GPU.
Video-chat enthusiasts will cheer the front-facing camera, while those who want lots of apps installed on their smartphones will appreciate the extended built-in memory.
The bad news is the Desire S is – in more than one way – running against the clock. A year is a really long time in cell phone terms and there’s no guarantee the updates are enough to make it competitive in a market that’s embracing dual-core and pushing beyond the 1GHz mark.
The easiest way to dispel the doubts would be to sail smooth through this review. So why wait – unboxing coming up right after the break

Monday, June 6, 2011

Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II preview: Second encounter

Introduction

Having earned its place in the Android hall of fame, the original Galaxy S can start thinking about retirement. And these won’t be thoughts of fear and worry. With a replacement on its way, the veteran can look forward to getting the respects it deserves.

And what a replacement it is. Samsung’s Galaxy lineup is home of some of the world’s finest droids. But the I9100 Galaxy S II is special. The forerunner was in contention for the Best Droid title and more than once got a hand on it. But it was only a matter of time for the competition to eventually catch up and even get ahead. The Galaxy S II aims to put Samsung back in the lead.

Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II at a glance:

General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
Dimensions: 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm, 116 g
CPU: Dual-core ARM Cortex A9 1.2 GHz processor, Orion chipset
GPU: Mali-400MP
RAM: 1GB
OS: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Memory: 16/32GB storage, microSD card slot
Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with face detection, touch focus and image
Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 3.0+HS, standard microUSB port,
Misc: TouchWiz 4.0 UI, DivX/XviD codec support, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor, gyroscope sensor, Swype text input

The success of the original Galaxy S was based on four key features: the big Super AMOLED screen, the processing power, the 720p video recording and the ever evolving Android. The Galaxy S II is not just a cursory update – it upgrades all the key ingredients of its predecessor. The Super AMOLED Plus looks better and is more power efficient. The powerful dual-core processor and faster graphics make the Galaxy S II a silky smooth performer in web browsing and media.

On top of that, Samsung has really listened to the users. They’ve added a LED flash to the camera – and 8 MP sounds like they finally mean business. Not to mention the full HD videos were quite impressive. There is even more – the Galaxy S II has ditched the glossy battery cover in favor of a textured surface that makes the phone appear both more mature and durable.

The Galaxy S II is slightly bigger than its predecessor, but thinner and lighter. It’s a monster of a smartphone with a killer screen and premium imaging. You can bet the Gingerbread ticking inside feels right at home. And though this isn’t the first time we’re about to see it in action, we’d gladly spend more quality time with it.

Motorola Atrix 4G review: Enter the Atrix

It was the alliance with Android that put Motorola out of the woods. Like every partnership, it’s been a series of peaks and dips but every now and then the relationship between Motorola and Android goes beyond a mere marriage of convenience and well into a simmering love affair.

They did it with the MILESTONEs and the DROID X, the BACKFLIP and the DEFY. With the ATRIX 4G, Moto says it has no plans to live in the shadows of other big makers.

The Motorola ATRIX 4G is the first dual-core smartphone in the Motorola line-up. It’s also the first to flaunt a qHD touchscreen. That’s as solid as credentials get. Add the fact it’s the first handset for Motorola to support the fast HSDPA+ network (hence the 4G moniker) and you’ve got yourself a Droid that’s not afraid of what comes next.

Dual core is certainly the next big thing in mobile phones and the Motorola ATRIX deserves credit for being among the first – our bad really, this review isn’t exactly on time.

But there are other bold decisions that Motorola had to make. The HD and laptop docks for one – though the concept is not exactly original, Motorola is trying to make it mainstream. The added fingerprint scanner is not new either but well forgotten old does just as well. Plus, it will satisfy the privacy freak in all of us.

Anyway, the standard package is what we’re interested in and this is what our review will focus on. The optional extras can wait. The ATRIX is more important to us a phone (a dual-core smartphone, to be precise) than a wannabe laptop or a potential entertainment dock. Let’s waste no more time and take a glimpse of the ATRIX 4G’s key features.

Key features

Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G with HSDPA and HSUPA
4" 16M-color capacitive touchscreen of qHD (960 x 540 pixels) resolution, scratch-resistant Gorilla glass
Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 proccessor, ULP GeForce GPU, Tegra 2 chipset; 1GB of RAM
Android OS v2.2; MOTOBLUR UI (update to Gingerbread planned)
Web browser with Adobe Flash 10.1 support
5 MP autofocus camera with dual-LED flash; face detection, geotagging
720p video recording @ 30fps (to be upgraded to 1080p Full-HD )
Wi-Fi ab/g/n; Wi-Fi hotspot functionality; DLNA
GPS with A-GPS; Digital compass
Fingerprint scanner that doubles as a power key
16GB storage; expandable via a microSD slot
Accelerometer and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
standard microHDMI port
Smart and voice dialing
Office document editor
Active noise cancellation with a dedicated secondary mic
DivX/XviD video support
Lapdock and HD Dock versatility
Web browser with Adobe Flash 10.2 support

Main disadvantages

Not the latest Android version
No FM radio
Screen image is pixelated upon closer inspection
Questionable placement of the Power/Lock button
Poor pinch zoom implementation in the gallery
No dedicated shutter key
Doesn’t operate without a SIM card inside

The ATRIX 4G is certainly the most powerful phone Motorola has made so far. With a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB worth of RAM and the ultra low power GeForce GPU under its hood, the ATRIX 4G is set to win the hearts and minds of power users.

Garnish all this premium hardware with a 5MP camera with dual LED flash and a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen of qHD resolution of 540x960 pixels, and the ATRIX 4G is more than ready to play with the other dual-core kids.

As for us, we are about to take a closer look at the design and build of the phone and find out if it matches the premium hardware that resides within.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

The white iPhone: Does size matter?

Few companies other than Apple can inspire such burning questions in the tech world. And until they're answered, those questions orbit around the blogosphere at tremendous speed. When will Verizon get the iPhone? How much will the next MacBook weigh? Will the iPad ever get Flash?
In the last few weeks, however, one question has put the tech press on the the edge of its collective seat like never before. It wasn't about the capacity of the next iPod, but rather whether the long-elusive white iphone 4 was thicker than its black counterpart. Apple fans demanded to know the truth in forums and ugly rumors spread that your existing case or bumper wouldn't quite fit. The reported difference was miniscule ("roughly 0.2mm" as TiPb put it) and other outlets said that there was no difference at all. Yet, the chatter was loud enough for Apple SVP of Product Marketing Phil Schiller to tweet, "It's not thicker. Don't believe all the junk that you read."
That could have put the issue to rest, but we just had to see for ourselves whether the rumors were true. When we took it from the box we couldn't see any design differences outside of the white skin and the more visible proximity sensor above the speaker (on the black phone the sensor blends in with the bezel). We also tried a couple of cases and they fit without any problem, but even then we weren't satisfied. So we took two iPhone 4s and traveled a few blocks from CNET's offices to put the question in the hands of experts. TechShop is a membership-based workshop that has just about every tool and machine you can imagine, from laser cutters to a drill press. Our needs were basic--just digital calipers, a micrometer, and one of TechShop's "Dream Coaches" to run the test.
After a few minutes of waiting with bated breath, we found that the white iPhone is indeed thicker, but only by the tiniest amount. According to the micrometer, for example, the comparison was between 9.4mm and 9.308mm. No, it won't make any difference in usability--and your case or bumper will still fit--but our white iPhone was a bit fatter around the waist. Watch the video below for the full details.
Now there are a few things to keep in mind. Tools can vary in accuracy and the differences could be due to imperfections in the skin or even dust or a bit of grease caught between the tool and the phone. What's more, it's very possible for a manufacturing assembly line to turn out two models of the same product with slightly different measurements. You may get different results measuring your white iPhone and you may find no difference at all.
But whatever the reason, we're already told you that the 0.092 gap will make no difference in your everyday use. And that's the most important fact to remember. So if you're freaking out (and really, why would you?) there's no reason to do so. Rather, we suspect that most iPhone users couldn't care less. And in all seriousness, there's no reason that you should.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W570 (Violet)

The good: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W570 is simple to use with reliable auto shooting and decent low-light photos in a very small body.
The bad: The W570's shooting performance--especially shot to shot--is slow, and the lens has some edge and corner softness.
The bottom line: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W570 is a tiny and light ultracompact capable of taking nice photos with little to no effort.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W570 is the successor to ,2010's Cyber-shot W350 a favorite ultracompact of mine and our readers. Sony didn't change much for the update, increasing resolution from 14 to 16 megapixels and putting in a slightly brighter, wider, and longer lens while keeping the body approximately the same size and weight. Its shooting options are the same as the W350's, so really the resolution and lens are the only reasons to upgrade (i.e., I wouldn't bother trading up). On the other hand, the starting price dropped $20, which makes it sweeter for those who don't have a W350.
This little camera can turn out nice-looking photos and movies, too, thanks to excellent color that's consistent up to ISO 800. Lens softness at the edges and in the corners kept it from rating higher; if you're sensitive to that, I would skip this model. Also, while the 16-megapixel resolution might work for marketing, it doesn't help or hurt photo quality. In fact, it just seems to slow the camera down between shots, so if you hate to wait you might want to keep looking. Otherwise, for the price it is a very good take-everywhere ultracompact camera.

Key specs	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W570
Price (MSRP)	$179.99
Dimensions (WHD)	3.6x2.1x0.8 inches
Weight (with battery and media)	4.1 ounces
Megapixels, image sensor size, type	16 megapixels, 1/2.3-inch CCD
LCD size, resolution/viewfinder	2.7-inch LCD, 230K dots/None
Lens (zoom, aperture, focal length)	5x, f2.6-6.3, 25-125mm (35mm equivalent)
File format (still/video)	JPEG/MPEG-4 (.MP4)
Highest resolution size (still/video)	4,608x3,456 pixels/ 1,280x720 at 30fps
Image stabilization type	Optical and digital
Battery type, CIPA rated life	Li-ion rechargeable, 220 shots
Battery charged in camera	No; external charger included
Storage media	SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Eye-Fi SDHC
Bundled software	Picture Motion Browser 5.5, PMB Portable 5.0 (Windows), PMB Portable 1.1 (Mac), Music Transfer

Photo quality from the W570 is very good for its class, but like most point-and-shoots it still stumbles at higher ISOs. Photos at ISO 80 and 100 are relatively sharp with very good fine detail and low noise. At ISO 200, subjects soften some, losing a touch of sharpness and fine detail. At ISO 400, images get noticeably softer and there's an increase in noise in darker areas of images. If you're printing at and below 5x7 inches and not doing heavy cropping, the results are very good. Photos at ISO 800 and 1600 look painterly from noise reduction, so subjects will appear soft and smeary; it's even worse at ISO 3200 making it unusable. Colors get muddy as well, especially at ISO 1600 and ISO 3200; you'll probably want to reserve these two highest sensitivities for emergencies when you need to shoot in low-light conditions or get a faster shutter speed regardless of the results.

Color is excellent. While blues and reds may not be as accurate as other colors, they are bright and vivid. Plus, they're consistent up to ISO 800; again, above that things get slightly washed out and muddy-looking. Exposure and white balance are good as well, though highlights tend to blow out.
As for the lens, Sony controls barrel distortion at the wide end of the lens and pincushion distortion at the telephoto end. The lens' center sharpness is very good, but gets noticeably softer at the edges and in the corners. (Editors' note: We tested two different W570 cameras for this review. The first one had extreme softness on the right side, which made everything we shot blurry on only that side. The second camera we tested did not exhibit the same issue; its softness was even, leading us to believe the first camera's lens had been damaged. However, it seems lens sharpness at the edges and in the corners is an issue in general with this model.) Fringing around high-contrast subjects was minimal and only really visible when photos were viewed at full size. Even then it's mainly off to the sides and in the corners.
The W570's movie mode is simple, offering resolutions up to 720p HD with a mono mic for audio and use of the optical zoom while recording. Video quality is on par with a basic HD pocket video camera; it's good enough for Web use and nondiscriminating TV viewing. Panning the camera will cause noticeable judder. You may also see trailing behind fast-moving subjects. Both are typical of the video from most compact cameras, though.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

SugarSync for Android

SugarSync, the popular solution for browsing, backing up, and syncing your files across multiple devices, is now available on the Android platform. If you're not familiar with the program, its concept is simple. Download SugarSync on all of your computers and mobile devices, and select which files and folders to sync. Then voila, access your files and folders from any of your devices, or through the SugarSync Web site. It's a super convenient service that you probably won't truly appreciate until you try.
The mobile app installs and syncs in seconds, provided you already have a SugarSync account (otherwise, you'll have to go online and register for either a free 5GB account, or a paid account starting at $4.99). Then once you're up and running, the interface is fairly straightforward, as you simply choose which of your devices you'd like to peer into, tap it's icon, and browse. But remember, since the files aren't all stored in your phone's local memory (thank goodness), whatever you access, you'll have to download first. From there, you can view files, share via e-mail, or share folders with other users. It's all a snap

especially with the built-in File Manager, for reaching those normally-hard-to-access corners of Android's file system.
Where the SugarSync app really shines is its AutoSync Photos feature. Enable it, and every picture you take will automatically be backed up to your SugarSync account in the cloud. It may drain a bit of battery life, but it's terribly convenient, reliable, and works completely behind the scenes. For the phone paparazzi among us, this feature alone is worth the download.
While SugarSync for Android is a near-perfect solution for viewing and syncing files through your mobile device, one thing we were missing was a greater set of sharing options. For instance, there's no built-in sharing of files (or links to files) via Twitter or Facebook clients. Meanwhile, rival file-syncer Dropbox incorporates the function into its menus.
Overall, SugarSync is a solid Android download, especially for existing account holders. It provides access to files on any of your synced devices, backs up to the cloud, shares via e-mail, and comes with a built-in File Manager. And for phone photographers, the AutoSync Photos feature is something you can't pass up

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Sony Ericsson W8 launched

Description:
With selling maximum number of mobile phones in the mobile market, the Sony Ericsson has taken maximum amount of share in the international market. The mobile phone from the particular company has gained much response that is extra ordinary. The most recent mobile from the company is the Sony Ericsson W8 that is a unique masterpiece creation. The Sony Ericsson W8 is well endowed with good latest options in the market. Sony Ericsson W8 price in india is not announced.
The Sony Ericsson W8 features are very good and interesting. The mobile phone is having eye catching looks and design. The handset is walkman phone with excellent camera facility. Sony Ericsson W8 is enabled with brilliant display screen with audio and video player facility. An internal and external memory is well enabled with the mobile phone with good battery backup. A FM radio with RDS facility is also available in the handset with social networking facility.
The specifications of the mobile are splendid. The mobile phone is powered with 600 MHz processor with latest Goggle Android OS. The handset is boasted with 3” HVGA display screen with QWERTY keypad facility. The Sony Ericsson W8 is supported with 3.2MP camera facility with Geo tagging and video recording facility. The handset is having 1200 mAh standard battery with up to 446 standby and talk time up to 4.45 hours. The mobile phone is enabled with 128MB internal and 168MB RAM with up to 16GB external memory. The Sony Ericsson W8 is enabled with v2.1 Bluetooth and micro USB v2.0 cable port facility. A 3G and WIFI facility is also available in the mobile phone with HTML and web kit browser facility. The Sony Ericsson W8 is integrated with java MIDP emulator with lots of interesting games.
Sony Ericsson has delivered this masterpiece with great expectations from the mobile.