Sony Ericsson Pureness Review

August 26th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Sony Ericsson

As Sony Ericsson mobile phones go, the Pureness is an interesting one. The phone is built around the concept of returning to simpler times, bucking the trend of the latest mobile phones which are stuffed to the brim with the latest technology.

The Sony Ericsson Pureness has a sleek, minimalist design which is highlighted by its unique transparent screen. This minimalist concept carries over to the phone’s functions, as aside from a few games and a music player this new mobile phone is only that – a phone. Unlike the other latest mobile phones, which come with email, social networking and a whole world of apps available for download, the Sony Ericsson Pureness just allows its users to call and text.

Although returning to the simpler days of mobile phone technology is an interesting concept, the Sony Ericsson Pureness acts more like a fashion accessory than a mobile phone thanks to its huge price tag. You would be lucky to find a Sony Ericsson Pureness for less than £350, more expensive than most of the smart phones on the market for only a fraction of the functionality.

Even if you decide to buy into the premise of the Sony Ericsson Pureness, the handset itself has some major drawbacks.

The internet functions on the phone still use old WAP technology, making web browsing painfully slow, while the transparent screen makes it hard to even use in some lighting conditions as the display is not visible.

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The Samsung Galaxy S

August 23rd, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Samsung Mobile Phones, Touchscreen

Rather condescendingly referred to by some as an iPhone 3GS wannabe, this stunning little jewel from Samsung mobile phones has nothing to be shy about. Stuffed to the virtual rafters with features, it boasts a gorgeous ‘Super AMOLED’ screen, which at 4 inches is a colossus. The reflective surface that marred Samsung’s previous efforts has gone, so that you’ll get bright, colour-saturated displays even in direct sunshine. And despite this beast of a screen, the handset feels astonishingly light at 119g.

More and more new mobile phones are using Google’s Android OS and the Samsung Galaxy S is no exception, using the very latest version (2.1). Samsung has opted to let Android handle the phone’s software features, which means you’ll get access to countless Google goodies, including a turn-by-turn navigation version of Google Maps. You’ll also find innumerable apps on the Android Market, all of them easily downloadable to the phone, and you can load up to seven different home screens with widgets. Not only this, but the Galaxy S ingeniously merges your amigos on Twitter and Facebook with the phone’s address book contacts. And the memory is positively gargantuan at 8 GB or 16 GB (you can expand it with a micro-SD to a walloping 32 GB if you need to). The 5 megapixel camera, despite having no flash or LED, takes surprisingly crisp pictures in good lighting conditions.

A delightful feature is Samsung’s cunning ‘Swype’ – an alternative keyboard which lets you select the letters you want just by running your fingers over them (you don’t have to pick them out one at a time). There’s also an excellent ebook reader (Aldiko) and you’ll enjoy super-fast web surfing over 3G with HSUPA connectivity. Available free on a 30-month contract, it’ll set you back around £400 on a pay as you go option or around £450 SIM-free.

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LG Viewty KU990 – is it as good as the iPhone?

August 20th, 2010 | LG, Mobile Phone Reviews, Touchscreen

The LG Viewty is one of the highest specification mobile phone models.  It is a touch screen phone which has a three inch screen and a five megapixel camera with flash.  It comes in a variety of colours and finishes making it a suitable handset for the fashion conscious.

The quality of the camera is similar to that of many digital cameras and photographs taken in good light are clear.  The HSDPA internet connection means that the user can upload photographs and videos directly onto the internet, making this phone a good choice for YouTube users.  Video can also be taken in a slow-motion format which makes it fun for users to play with.

When compared with the iPhone, the touch screen does not function as easily.  The menus can be slow when scrolling through them and there is no store for adding applications.  If using the phone a lot then the battery life will not last long and the camera does not work so well in bad light, even with the flash. 

The phone has a music player though no headphone jack and memory storage is limited though there is a slot for a removable memory card.  A USB connection makes data transfer between computers and phones easy. 

The handset can also read documents attached to emails in several formats including word, excel and pdf which makes emailing much more user friendly.  For those looking for an alternative to the iPhone, the LG Viewty comes very close in terms of functions and usability.

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Samsung Soul U900

August 19th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Samsung Mobile Phones

The Samsung Soul U900 is a slider phone with a touch-sensitive navigation pad that changes colour as you use it.

When it comes to aesthetics, the Samsung Soul is one of the more pleasing phones on the market. With dimensions of 50 by 106 by 13 mm and weighing only 112 grams, the Soul is a full metal design, coming in a brushed stainless and black combination and in a salmon pink colour. When holding it, the Soul feels solid and the slider mechanism is sturdy.

The key selling feature of this phone is the touch navigation keypad, which changes icons according to the menu selections. For instance, if you’re using the camera, the camera keys pop up. It is a nice touch as well as a unique one.

In addition to the navigation keypad, the Samsung Soul U900 features a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, image stabiliser, face detection, and wide dynamic range. The music player features a Bang & Olufsen digital amp for generous sound and there is also an FM radio player onboard. Unfortunately, there isn’t a 3.5 mm headphone jack, so you’re stuck with either using the supplied headphones or an adaptor.

While this is a 3G phone, there is no Wi-Fi or GPS functionality. Also missing is push email. Internal memory is 100 MB, with a microSD memory card slot for memory expansion.

If you are looking for contract mobile phone deals, the Samsung Soul U900 is available through most major UK networks.

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Nokia C3 Review

August 16th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Nokia

If you can imagine a BlackBerry in shocking pink, you’ll have a fair idea of what to expect when you pick up Nokia’s funky C3 messaging phone. Nowhere near as staid and dour as the company’s business-orientated E series, the C3 still boasts a full QWERTY keypad below the 2.4 inch landscape display and, even though its price tag places it towards the cheap mobile phones category, it feels pleasingly solid to hold. And lurid pink isn’t its only outfit – it also comes in graceful grey and Liberace-like gold, too.

Despite the slightly Las Vegas Lothario costume, the glossy plastic casing looks expensive, and the aluminium battery cover lends a distinctly up-market appearance to the handset.

Even though the phone doesn’t have a touch screen, the keyboard has the same elegant, concaved keys as the considerably more expensive E series, which makes it a real pleasure to use. There’s a generous space bar and the most commonly used punctuation marks have their own dedicated keys. The home screen features three panels displaying contacts, shortcuts to apps (like the camera, web browser, and email client) and updates from Facebook and Twitter, respectively.

To keep the price reasonable, Nokia have not included 3G on the phone, opting instead for GPRS, but you will get both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The music player’s not at all bad and there’s a standard 3.5 mm jack for conventional headphones. You can pick it up for £80 on Vodaphone’s pay as you go deal (which also adds a 2 GB micro-SD card to boost the handset’s rather paltry 55 MB memory), or SIM-free for about £130.

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How to Make up to £150 for an Old Mobile Phone

August 13th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Recycling, Mobile Technology

Most mobile phone networks offer customers a new phone each year and the old ones tend to be thrown into the bottom of the cupboard or relegated to the garage. Anyone who does this is actually throwing away money, because the longer the mobile phone sits in the garage or wherever else, the less resale value it has. Mobile phones depreciate very quickly and as the latest trendy model comes out, the old ones become ‘uncool’ and drop in value. After four years, most mobile phones are too old sell. They just aren’t worth anything, anymore.

Mobile phone recycling makes sense for your pocket and for the environment. The plastic cases on the phones and more importantly the batteries with all their chemicals end up in landfill sites if the mobile phones are thrown away. Recycling means that some of these phones can be refurbished for resale, while others can be stripped down and the parts reused, which is much more environmentally friendly.

So, what’s in it for you?  A quick look at a comparison site for companies that buy used mobile phone will give you an idea of what your phone, in perfect condition, is worth. Some phones are worth as much as £150, but other older ones are worth nothing, so the quicker you sell that phone the more chance you have of it being accepted.

Once you have found the best price for your phone on a site such as Mazuma or Envirophone, you ask them to send you a pre-paid paid. Send the phone and you receive a cheque for the value or the money is paid into your bank account, depending on how the particular company works.

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Smartphone Reviews – Sony Ericsson Satio

August 10th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Sony Ericsson, Touchscreen

For people looking for Sony Ericsson deals, the Satio smartphone is a good option to consider when comparing mobile phones – combining camera, music, and FM radio capabilities with some of the best in smartphone features.

Let’s start with music capabilities. The Sony Ericsson Satio uses Walkman technology to provide excellent music quality accessible through an easy-to-use interface. Unfortunately, it also uses Sony’s proprietary headphone connection; but it doesn’t seem we can get around that with most of their phones.

As to the camera, it is an outstanding 12 megapixels with Xenon flash. Also noticeable is the absence of shutter lag which is typical of most mobile phone cameras.

The Satio uses the Symbian OS, which we love and the home screen makes it easy to access five pages with simple swipes of your finger. Provided shortcuts take you straight to Google Maps, Wi-Fi Wizard, and TrackID amongst others. The internet page is also well designed, with links to Facebook, BBC News, YouTube, etc.

Finally, amongst the plusses is the looks of this phone, in particular the glossy black casing. And it feels comfortable and sturdy in your hand.

However, there is a downside to the phone – and that is the resistive touch screen. The absence of a capacitive screen makes the phone harder to work and therefore it’s easy to get frustrated during even simple tasks like texting.

Bottom line, if it weren’t for the touch screen and the absence of a 3.5 mm headphone jack, the Sony Ericsson Satio would be near-perfect.

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BlackBerry Curve 8900 Review

August 6th, 2010 | Blackberry, Mobile Phone Reviews

Small in stature but big on features, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 provides excellent mobile email capabilities, a great camera with video, a music player, GPS, a solid battery, Wi-Fi connectivity, and loads of memory.

Pros

Like the other Curve models, the 8900 has a full QWERTY keypad with trackball navigation.  Similar in looks to the BlackBerry Bold, the Curve 8900 is lighter and smaller, making it pocket-friendly.

The generous 2.44-inch screen with 480 x 360 resolution is brilliant for reading email, surfing the web, viewing photos, or watching video.  Users who like to compare mobile phones will find that the Curve 8900’s screen is as impressive as the iPhone’s.

For mobile email applications, the Curve 8900 excels.  It is compatible with all the major web servers, most corporate accounts, supports attachments, and includes a viewer / editor for Microsoft Office files.

The camera is the best of any of the BlackBerry mobile phones, with 3.2 megapixels and flash with autofocus.  It likely won’t replace a digital camera, but in a pinch it will perform beautifully. 

Cons

The only significant drawback worth noting is the Curve 8900’s lack of 3G connectivity.  Seeing how other BlackBerry mobile phones are equipped with the technology, it’s curious that the Curve 8900 is not.

Conclusion

Easily one of the best BlackBerry mobile phones to come along in some time, the Curve 8900 handles a wide range of communication and entertainment functions with style.  Aside from the missing 3G, there’s not much holding this phone back.

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Sony Ericsson C902 Review

August 5th, 2010 | Camera Phones, Mobile Phone Reviews, Sony Ericsson

The Sony Ericsson C902 is a slim candy bar styled phone featuring a five megapixel camera, imaging options, and video and music playing capabilities.

This is truly a well-built phone that looks good. The slim line design, metallic exterior, and three-band metal edging give the phone a simple, but contemporary look. With the top portion closed, the phone looks like a standard camera-less candy bar; slide the top portion up and the camera lens is exposed and camera features are activated.

With the camera activated, eight glowing blue touch-sensitive camera keys become functional. These let you switch between camera and video, access the photo gallery, and turn the LED flash on and off, amongst other things. To enhance photo quality, features like auto focus, face detection, best picture setting, and neat macro mode settings are included. Once done, photos can easily be geo-tagged and uploaded using HSDPA.

While all of those features are lovely and somewhat impressive, once you close the lens cover, your settings are lost. This can be quite annoying, given that you’ve taken loads of time to get things just right.

The Sony Ericsson C902 weighs 107 grams and is 49 by 108 by 11 mm in size. Talk time is up to 9 hours and standby is up to 16 days. Connectivity includes USB 2.0 and Bluetooth and this phone is push email capable. The 160 MB of internal memory is expandable via an M2 memory card slot.

For individuals looking for deals on contract mobile phones, this phone is available on most standard networks.

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Nokia E72 – great for business use!

August 3rd, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Nokia

The Nokia E72 is the company’s addition to the current batch of new mobile phones which are aimed at business users – the physical style is reminiscent of that of a Blackberry while the layout and practicalities of the phone are perfect for business use. Meanwhile, the Symbian operating system is based off of a typical Windows layout, meaning that it should look familiar and be easy to navigate.

The Nokia E72 comes with good options for listing contacts, keeping track of calendars and email, with several email accounts able to be forwarded into one inbox on the phone.

The phone also comes with Nokia’s Ovi Maps pack, which essentially gives users a free SatNav around the whole of Europe for use both in the car and on foot. This can be useful for those looking to travel long distances for meetings, or those who are just looking for the nearest place to eat. Along with these business applications, standard mobile phone functions such as a 5-megapixel camera and FM tuner are included.

The phone also has the innovative ability to be able to quickly switch between ‘business’ and ‘personal’ profiles, with different layouts, backgrounds and short cuts based on the user’s need at any point.

However, despite this extreme versatility, the Nokia E72 does fall down on a few fronts – it can have connectivity issues when both 3G and Wi-Fi are available, while the D Pad and keyboard can be hard to navigate.

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