Motorola DROID X ME811

This is not a GSM phone, it will not work on any GSM network worldwide.

GENERAL 2G Network CDMA 800 / 1900

3G Network CDMA2000 1xEV-DO

Announced 2011, January

Status Available. Released 2011, January

SIZE Dimensions 127.5 x 65.5 x 9.9 mm

Weight 155 g

DISPLAY Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors

Size 480 x 854 pixels, 4.3 inches

- Multi-touch input method

- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate

- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off

SOUND Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones

Speakerphone Yes

- 3.5 mm audio jack

MEMORY Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photo call

Call records Practically unlimited

Internal 512 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM

Card slot microSD, up to 32GB, buy memory

DATA GPRS No

EDGE No

3G Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps

WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA

Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, EDR

Infrared port No

USB Yes, microUSB v2.0

CAMERA Primary 8 MP, 3266x2450 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash

Features Geo-tagging, face detection, image stabilization

Video Yes, 720p@24fps, D1@30 fps

Secondary No

FEATURES OS Android OS, v2.2 (Froyo)

CPU TI OMAP3630-1200 1.2 GHz processor

Messaging SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, IM, Push Email

Browser HTML

Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS

Games Need for Speed Shift + downloadable

Colors Black

GPS Yes, with A-GPS support

Java Via third party application

- Digital compass

- MP3/WAV/WMA/AAC+ player

- MP4/WMV/H.263/H.264 player

- TV-out (720p video) via HDMI 1.4 port

- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,

- YouTube, Google Talk

- Document viewer

- Photo viewer/editor

- Organizer

- Adobe Flash 10.1

- Voice memo/dial/commands

- Predictive text input

BATTERY Standard battery, Li-Po 1540 mAh

Stand-by Up to 170 h

Talk time Up to 6 h 40 min

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Posted in: motorola,touch

LG Optimus Me P350

GENERAL 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100

Announced 2011, January

Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2011, Q1

SIZE Dimensions 113.5 x 59 x 13.3 mm

Weight 130 g

DISPLAY Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors

Size 320 x 480 pixels

- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off

SOUND Alert types Vibration, MP3 ringtones

Speakerphone Yes

- 3.5 mm audio jack

MEMORY Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall

Call records Practically unlimited

Internal 140 MB

Card slot microSD, up to 32GB

DATA GPRS Yes

EDGE Yes

3G HSDPA

WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, EDR

Infrared port No

USB Yes, microUSB v2.0

CAMERA Primary 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels

Features Geo-tagging

Video Yes

Secondary No

FEATURES OS Android OS, v2.2 Froyo

Messaging SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM

Browser HTML

Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS

Games Yes + downloadable

Colors Black, silver, blue, red, pink

GPS Yes, with A-GPS support

Java Yes, MIDP 2.0

- Social networking integration - Google Search, Maps, Gmail - Digital compass - YouTube, Google Talk - MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player - MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+ player - Document viewer - Organizer - Voice memo - Predictive text input

BATTERY Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh

Stand-by Up to 450 h

Talk time Up to 5 h

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Posted in: samsung,touch

BlackBerry Bold 9780 review: Business as usual

It’s no surprise that the BlackBerry Bold 9780 is the next logical evolutionary step, rather than a complete makeover that will propel it into the same league as the iPhone and Android. RIM has a loyal core of customers whose bond with the brand goes beyond the obvious business benefits. And devices like the Bold 9780 are certainly part of that bond.

From a geek’s perspective, a new generation of gadgets should emerge to a new generation of users. Radical, rebellious, with no sense of history and no respect for authorities. In the world of business, every new generation of gadgets has to make generations of users feel at home.

There’s no moral dilemma for BlackBerry in this. They know trying to introduce new features and UI tweaks with each new generation involves substantial risk for some of the changes to backfire. But they haven’t given up on the Torch and the Storm, have they? Though it’s obviously much easier to stick to a tested recipe and only add stuff that’s been proved to work.

Key features:

• Enhanced email and data security via BlackBerry services
• 2.44" 65K-color TFT landscape display with a resolution of 480 x 360 pixels
• Hardware four-row full QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM support and tri-band 3G with HSDPA
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• GPS receiver and BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera, LED flash
• 624 MHz CPU, 512 MB RAM
• BlackBerry OS v6
• Touch-sensitive trackpad navigation
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• DivX and XviD video support
• Decent web browser
• Office document editor
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Smart dialing
• Compact body and solid build quality

Main disadvantages:

• BlackBerry Internet Service account is a must to enjoy all phone features
• Outdated and unintuitive camera interface
• No FM radio
• No video-call camera
• No built-in accelerometer

The BlackBerry Bold 9780 upgrades the Bold 9700 by a 5 megapixel shooter and the new 6th version of the BlackBerry OS. It doesn’t sound much and when you consider that the 9700 was already updated to BlackBerrry OS 6 there is even less to choose between the two phones.

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Posted in: blackberry,touch

Sony XPERIA X10 mini pro review:

he Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 triplets got another round of "guess the price". Also target availability dates were mentioned, but they've been pushed back from previous estimates. It looks like we’ve still got a couple of months to wait.

The smallest of the trio, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini, will hit the stores in late May for 289 euro (Netherlands) and 300 euro (Belgium). Expansys lists the X10 mini at 300GBP and according to their estimate, it's due on May 24th.

The QWERTY-wielding Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini pro is said to be launching in late June for 330 euro in France and Belgium and for 319 euro in Netherlands. Turning back to Expansys, their estimate is again May 24th and 340 pounds cost.

However, Expansys previously estimated April 13th so take their estimates with a grain of salt.

Finally, the Sony Ericsson's Android top dog, the XPERIA X10, should start selling in April for 599 euro unlocked (815 US dollars).

The prices for the trio are for unlocked phones - as far as subsidies go, sub 50 euro prices are mention for carrier subsidized devices.

Update: It turns out India is getting the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 first – as soon as March 26, or in other words next Friday. The price is not certain but shouldn’t be above 30,000 rupees or 485 euro.

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Posted in: sony ericson,touch

Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab preview: First look

Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab is Samsung’s move onto the tablet warfield and luckily we are right here in the battle fray to give you first-hand scoop from the announcement event. Some might argue that it’s rather a step down from laptops but the Samsung Galaxy Tab smartphone DNA is obvious from the moment you touch it.

The 7-inch Android tablet has full phone functionality and the only thing that separates it from being called an insanely oversized cell phone is the fact that you cannot make phone calls by holding it next to your ear. The rest of the specs sheet looks like it belongs to a cell phone if you don’t mind the oversized screen.

Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab at a glance

• Form factor: Tablet
• Size: 190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98mm, 380g
• Display: 16M colors 7” TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen of WVGA resolution
• OS: Android 2.2 Froyo
• CPU: 1 GHz Hummingbird CPU with PowerVR SGX540 graphics accelerator, 512 MB of RAM
• Camera: 3.2 MP autofocus camera with D1 video recording; LED flash
• Memory: 16 GB internal memory, expandable through a microSD card slot
• Connectivity: quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band (900/1900/2100 MHz) UMTS with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 5.76 Mbps support, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Assisted GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, 30-pin connector
• Battery: 4,000mAh (Up to 7 hours of video playback)
• Extra features: Gyro sensor, accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation, ambient light sensor, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 support

However the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab specs don’t have the privilege to be considered in isolation. With the biggest player in the tablet world also belonging to the phone OS tablet category, the Tab will always be compared to it. The Apple iPad has quite a head start and it will be hard for a newcomer to steal the spotlight, but so was the iPhone back in the day and that didn’t stop Samsung from trying.

So here’s a brief look at what the two big guns hold as advantages over each other.

Samsung Galaxy P1000 Tab over Apple iPad

• Lighter and smaller, easier on the pocket
• Telephony (including 3G video calls)
• 3.2 MP camera with D1 video recording @ 30 fps and LED flash
• Android OS v2.2 Froyo
• Proper multitasking (though the iPad is getting that too in couple of months)
• microSD card slot for memory expansion
• Uses regular size SIM card
• 16:9 widescreen display
• Adobe Flash player 10.1
• Bluetooth 3.0

Apple iPad over Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab

• Larger screen
• Better viewing angles of the display
• Metal body
• iOS 3.1.3 with more than 25 000 apps written for it
• Larger internal storage (iPad 64GB)
• Longer battery life

There’s something we would like to highlight in the lists above. The first items in each of them turn this into a choice between handling and functionality (because a tablet’s main feature is its screen), which boils down to picking your priorities, rather than picking the better of two.

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Posted in: samsung,touch

Windows Phone 7 OS review:

A modern smartphone OS needs to be balanced - drawing on excellent cloud services and standing on the cutting edge of software. The Windows Phone 7 OS is nothing like Windows Mobile. It's got a trendy, almost magazine-like new look, and it is incredibly simple to use despite its different approach to just about everything.

Microsoft received a loud collective boo when it revealed that Windows Phone 7 will not support multitasking. But the company is trying to break the mold here. Instead of making a playground for apps, it made WP7 the “killer app”. Anything extra that you install just integrates in and extends the relevant features.

They must’ve sat down to think. A complete makeover or start from scratch. In an odd way, it looks like they never actually made up their mind. That doesn’t matter though. The important thing is Windows Phone 7 is breaking loose from its “Windows Mobile” heritage and changes everything about itself – from the homescreen to the very nature of apps.

Key features:

• Premium mobile OS (high minimum hardware requirements)
• Clean, uncluttered interface with distinctive design language
• Easy and thumbable user interface
• Smooth operation with cool animations and transition effects
• A fresh start with no legacy support needed
• Backed up and developed by one of the largest software companies in the world
• Excellent MS Office mobile implementation
• Top-notch social integration
• Excellent cloud services integration (SkyDrive, Windows Live, Xbox Live)
• Wireless syncing of multimedia content
• Internal memory expandable via microSD card slot (where available)

Main disadvantages:

• No system-wide file manager
• No videocalling
• Limited third-party apps availability
• No Bluetooth file transfers
• No USB mass storage mode
• No multitasking
• No copy/paste
• Too dependent on Zune software for computer file management and syncing
• No music player equalisers
• No Flash or Silverlight support in the web browser
• No sign of free Bing maps Navigation so far
• No DivX/XviD video support
• No internet tethering support
• New ringtones available only through the Marketplace
• Swapping memory card requires hard reset; cards not readable by computer

Microsoft is not fossilized in their own mythology. They are finally looking competitive in the apps and services part of smartphoning and Windows Phone 7 is their ticket out of the mold.

Bing has evolved and is perhaps drawing people away from Google Search. Bing Maps even beats Google Maps on some counts (Bird’s eye view is so much better than the plain top down view). The Windows Live Messenger got social with Facebook integration. Even the new Internet Explorer 9 beta is impressive – you know, for an IE iteration, at least.

We know what you’re thinking: we came here for the Windows Phone 7 review so where is it and why should we care about Microsoft’s new services? But you should. Because Microsoft has made their new Windows Phone 7 the perfect mobile platform for accessing all of their online services.

Bing Search and Maps are a part of the OS, rather than apps, so are Xbox Live and the Zune Marketplace. And the new Internet Explorer mobile is starting to make up for years of embarrassment.

In Windows Phone 7, the People hub puts together the usual phone contact info with the social networking stuff. In short, everything about someone you know can be found here. Sure, Sense UI and MOTOBLUR for example are doing the same magix on Android OS. But Windows Phone 7 applies this whole concept to all the other features, not just the phonebook. And it’s the stock interface, not some third-party software enhancement.

The well-though OS however is not without its downsides. You can see we've got a really long list of disadvantages up there, but Apple iOS and Google Android had even longer ones at launch - not to mention the superior hardware that WP7 debuts on. It's also good to know that Microsoft engineers are already working hard on fixing those up in further updates to the OS. For instance, they promise copy/paste functionality in the first months of 2011. We hope they've got many more of those in the pipeline. So hold your horses with the bashing and hop on on the guided tour to Microsoft's latest mobile OS, because it's nothing like you've seen before and it deserves the benefit of a doubt at this early stage

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Posted in: touch,windows

Samsung S5260 Star II

GENERAL 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Announced 2011, January
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2011, February
SIZE Dimensions 107.5 x 54 x 12.4 mm
Weight 94 g
DISPLAY Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors
Size 240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches
- Accelerometer sensor
- TouchWiz 3.0 UI
SOUND Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Speakerphone Yes
- 3.5 mm audio jack
MEMORY Phonebook Yes, Photocall
Call records Yes
Internal 30 MB
Card slot microSD, up to 16GB
DATA GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
EDGE Yes
3G No
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
Infrared port No
USB Yes, microUSB v2.0
CAMERA Primary 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels
Video Yes, QVGA@15fps
Secondary No
FEATURES Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, IM
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS
Games Yes + downloadable
Colors Black, White
GPS No
Java Yes, MIDP 2.0
- Facebook, Twitter
- Gtalk, AIM, Facebook chat, Yahoo IM
- MP3/WAV/WMA/AAC+ player
- H.263/H.264/MP4 player
- Organizer
- Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
- Voice memo
- Predictive text input
BATTERY Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh

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Posted in: samsung,touch

Sony Ericsson Yendo review: A touch of Walkman

It looks like the XPERIA X10 mini but acts like what it is – a full-touch feature phone. This is obviously nothing really to shout about as there are hundreds of them around now. It’s a first for Sony Ericsson but that’s not what makes it special either.

The Sony Ericsson Yendo will not stand being treated like just another touchscreen dumbphone. That Walkman badge commands a different level of respect. Now, does it really or is it what the Yendo likes to think?

There isn’t much this little fella can actually promise you. But you’ll be glad to hear the Sony Ericsson Yendo can keep its word. The Walkman logo implies above average sonic experience that the phone does well to deliver.

Here is what else to expect from the Sony Ericsson Yendo. It isn’t much but there’s enough to be excited about in terms of social skills and a positive personality.

Key features

• Ultra compact
• Dual-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Touch-friendly four corner UI
• 2.6" capacitive touchscreen of QVGA resolution
• 2 megapixel fixed-focus camera with video recording
• Standard microUSB port for charging and data
• Stereo Bluetooth with A2DP
• microSD card slot with support for up to 16GB
• 3.5mm-compatible audio jack
• Facebook and Twitter apps
• Wide range of color versions
• Attractive price

Main disadvantages

• No 3G, Wi-Fi
• Smallish, low-res display
• Sluggish user interface
• Basic music player (for a Walkman phone)
• Disappointing camera
• No file browser
• No multi-tasking
• No accelerometer for auto-screen rotation

The Yendo is the first feature phone to come with the Four corner UI, as seen on the XPERIA X10 mini. While it is offering little new, it’s still nice looking and intuitive. And that is very important when it comes to touch phones. The expected price of around 100 euro is another point in favor. And the Walkman branding makes it all the sweeter.

As for the other features, they’re mostly nice to have but not essential in a package of this kind. Yes, there is a camera on board for example, but with limited functionality and unimpressive image quality.

The touchscreen is on the small size and the resolution is low. On the other hand, the user interface is both thumbable and eye-pleasing so you might not notice the screen’s downsides.

You’re welcome to follow us on the next page, as we discover the Yendo. The invitation is still good even if you think there isn’t much to discover. There’re many people shopping for basic touch phones. We guess a Walkman phone that fits the description is sure to draw crowds.

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Posted in: sony ericson,touch

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Halon previewed

Another Android-running Sony Ericsson handset leaked today. Unlike most of its rumorland fellows the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Halon enjoyed an extensive preview, rather than just a few blurry shots. Even better, the smartphone passed the test with flying colors and looks like one of the hot prospects for this year.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Halon (also referred to as Vivaz 2 by the reviewer Eldar Murtazin) is built around the Qualcomm MSM7630 Snapdragon platform, featuring a 1GHz Scorpion CPU and the Adreno 205 GPU. There is 512 MB of RAM on board so you can bet the Vivaz 2 won't have trouble with multi-tasking.

The display of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz 2 is larger than that of the original Vivaz, though we are not sure how big exactly it is. The FWVGA resolution (480 x 854 pixels) and the Gingerbread version of the Android operating system are confirmed though. The Hallon also makes use of Sony Ericsson BRAVIA Mobile engine for the display.

There's an 8 megapixel camera with a backlit Exmor R sensor at the back, capable of recording video of up to 720p resolution. It's the same unit as in the XPERIA Arc so you could expect pretty pleasing images, we guess.

The XPERIA Halon user interface is identical to what we saw on the XPERIA Arc. You can check out our preview to find out what that looks like.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Halon should be officially announced at the MWC next month. It is expected to hit the shelves in April, asking for an estimated €320-350.

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Posted in: sony ericson,touch

HTC Gratia review: Body double

The Android world is in a stage where big screens make the grade, which makes it frustratingly hard for people who like their droid in a small package. The compact Gratia comes with a 3.2” screen and is noticeably smaller than competing phones with the same display diagonal.

Before we go on though, here’s the gist of what’s in store.

Key features

• 3.2" 256K-color HVGA capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch input
• Compact body and bold industrial design
• Android 2.2 Froyo with Sense UI
• Qualcomm MSM7227 600 MHz CPU and 384MB RAM
• Quad-band GSM support with dual-band HSDPA 7.2Mbps and HSUPA 2 Mbps
• Wi-Fi b/g connectivity
• Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support
• 5 MP autofocus camera; touch focus, geotagging and face detection
• VGA video recording at 20fps
• microSD card slot (32GB supported, 2GB included)
• Office document and PDF viewer
• Optical trackpad
• Standard microUSB port and Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Flash enabled in the web browser
• YouTube client, Facebook and Twitter integration
• Very good audio quality
• Excellent loudspeaker performance
• USB tethering; Wi-Fi hotspot

Main disadvantages

• Screen has poor sunlight legibility
• Patchy Flash support in the browser
• Card slot under the battery cover
• No DivX/XviD video support out-of-the-box
• No secondary video-call camera
• No dedicated camera key, no lens cover and no camera flash

Despite the clean, simple lines, the Gratia is recognizable enough thanks to the signature screws on the back. Some might confuse it with the HD mini, which originated the look, but Android’s explosive popularity means that the Aria/Gratia phones have far surpassed their PocketPC cousin.

HTC have put their magic touch on the HTC Gratia interface – the Sense UI is elegant and highly usable, with special focus on social networking. The speed boost from running Froyo rather than Eclair is a major advantage and Flash support in the browser is relatively rare in the midrange.

The Gratia software is certainly one of the highlights but the hardware deserves praise as well. The phone is solidly built and feels sturdy in the hand, without being bulky or heavy.

Okay, enough warm up – time to jump into the review. On the next page we start with opening the box and examining the contents. After that, our tour of the exterior begins.

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Posted in: htc,touch