Sony Ericsson S312 Review

September 17th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Sony Ericsson

If you’re seeking cheap mobile phones or best bargain mobile phone deals, you’re going to find it hard to beat the simple and straightforward Sony Ericsson S312. You can pick it up for about £50 on a pay as you go option or for no more than £90 SIM-free. Those who prefer contract mobile phones can trouser the S312 for free on a modest £15-a-month two year contract.

The silver screen is utterly beguiling, especially if you like taking a sneak peak at your good looks (or checking to see whether you’ve got any watercress stuck between your teeth after that egg mayo sandwich). OK, so it makes the screen a bit more difficult to see in bright conditions, but it doesn’t half make the phone stand out. This is a budget phone, so don’t be surprised to find that the screen is low resolution; but to compensate, the phone fizzes with fun features, including some funky animated screensavers.

There’s no FM radio but the S312 will happily play all your MP3s – be prepared, however, to fork out for a micro-SD card because the integral memory is a Scrooge-like 15 MB. The camera is a modest 2-megapixel number, but it has two dedicated buttons for shooting stills or moving images and the LED light definitely helps in dingy conditions.

Even though there’s a Web browser, there’s no 3G, although the pre-installed Opera Mini is hugely better than the native browser (you’ll have to root around in the apps folder to find it, though, and it’s not all that easy to locate). All in all, the S312 is a down-to-earth, honest-to-goodness, basic mobile phone – and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

Add a Comment

Maximum Advertised Broadband Speeds

September 13th, 2010 | Broadband

When advertising their broadband deals, broadband providers often boast of the super fast speeds which customers could enjoy while using their service. However, it is very rare that a customer will actually get the maximum download speeds that their broadband provider has on offer.

This is because when quoting their network speeds, broadband providers usually give the maximum speed which their network could reach. In reality, though, a number of factors stop these potential speeds from being reached.

In most cases, broadband networks may not be able to reach their top download speeds because the infrastructure of a local area is not able to carry enough data. This can occur when a broadband internet connection is forced to run through older internet cables or when a junction box, which channels traffic to and from various local broadband connections, is out of date.

All broadband networks, both fixed line and those using mobile phone signals, also suffer from increased use during peak times such as evenings and weekends. When using the internet during these times, the connections are often noticeably slower than when using broadband during the day or late at night.

In order to counter these problems, customers are able to check their local infrastructure and expected ‘true’ connection speeds on broadband comparison websites. These websites check a customer’s postcode against a database of connections and junction boxes to find out what broadband provider would offer the fastest and most reliable service.

Add a Comment

LG KM555 Review

September 9th, 2010 | LG, Mobile Phone Reviews, Touchscreen

The LG KM555 is a quad band touch-screen GSM mobile phone with HSPDA support. It has touch-screen functionality and comes in three colours: silver, black and violet. The LG KM555 is one of the most compact touch-screen phones on the market.

The LG KM555 measures 4.13 by 2.07 by 0.47 inches. It weighs a mere 3.17 ounces. Its main display screen has a picture resolution of 240 x 400 pixels, although the screen size is limited at just 3 inches.

The camera quality is basic, with 3 megapixels resolution. The multimedia features are similarly good but not competitively remarkable. The video player supports MPEG4 and 3PG files. The music player supports MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, RA, M4A (Apple lossless), AMR and MIDI files.

Internet connectivity is HTML, XHTML, WAP or XML. The LG KM555 has microUSB, Wi-Fi and 2.1 stereo Bluetooth. Email services can be accessed through IMAP, POP3, SMTP and Microsoft Exchange.

The range of media, messaging and communication features rate highly in LG KM555 reviews. Although many of the features are not of an exceptional quality, everything works well and the mobile phone will likely attract many buyers due to its all purpose nature. MMS sharing of text, picture and sound files is user friendly.

The LG KM555 switches automatically from one of four network bands to provide the best coverage where possible. The touch-screen is adequately responsive and does not stick to the touch, allowing for straightforward manipulation.

Add a Comment

Mobile Phone Reviews – Samsung Diva GTS 7070

September 5th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Samsung Mobile Phones, Touchscreen

According to Samsung, the Diva GTS 7070 is great mobile phone news for the diva crowd. To that end, it features a quilted effect on the back panel and a crystal button on the front. But is it the real diva deal?

Unfortunately, there isn’t much we like about this phone. There are a few handy extra features, like the wish list application and three customisable home screens. The phone is also environmentally aware – beeping at you every so often if you leave it plugged in after it’s charged.

The music player isn’t bad and has built-in handset speakers. But, like other cheap mobile phones, the headphone jack isn’t 3.5 mm, which automatically precludes using quality headphones without an adapter.

When using social networking applications, there are a series of problems which makes it feel as if Samsung rushed this phone out the door a bit too quickly. For one, like an absent-minded auntie, the phone has to be reminded of passwords, despite been set to “remember me”. Another issue is aesthetic; with a phone that has clearly had some though put into design, an ugly grey box appearing on the screen to alert you to a new message is surprising; yet there it is. Finally, when using the camera, it’s easy to accidentally turn the phone off completely.

If the Samsung Diva offered up the goods in functionality without all of the glitches and bother, then we’d say “don’t judge a phone by its casing”. But it doesn’t. So, our advice is look elsewhere.

Add a Comment

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic – listen to your tune on the move!

September 3rd, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Nokia, Touchscreen

The Nokia 5530 XpressMusic phone is a great, low cost handset for people that are looking for a mobile phone that also has a strong emphasis on being a music player.

As with any of the Nokia mobile phones in the XpressMusic range, the music player on the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic is well thought out and offers everything that an audiophile could want. Using the Nokia PC Suite, songs can be easily uploaded and thanks to the 4 GB microSD card which comes as standard, space shouldn’t be an issue. The phone also allows playlists to be quickly created and, unlike many other music players, a built in graphic equaliser allows users to tweak their sound settings to their individual tastes.

The handset itself features a 2.9 inch resistive screen and comes with a handy 3.2-megapixel camera, which boasts a digital zoom. The Nokia 5530 XpressMusic also has a connection to Nokia’s Ovi store, where wallpapers, ring tones and apps can be downloaded.

Although the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic makes for a good music player, it can fall down as a phone at times. In order to type with any degree of accuracy, the stylus must be used. However, in a big design flaw, the small stylus is not attached to the phone in any way and so can be easily lost.

Unlike many of the latest mobile phones, the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic also does not come with a 3G capability, making browsing the net hard.

Add a Comment

HTC Mobile Phones – Google Nexus One

August 31st, 2010 | Google Android, HTC, Mobile Phone Reviews, Touchscreen

The HTC Google Nexus One is a member of the range of HTC mobile phones and has been billed as Google’s ‘superphone’; it launched early in 2010.  This handset now has an Android 2.2 operating system and has Flash 10.1 installed, making watching videos and using a number of other features very easy.  The 3.7 inch screen helps make viewing even easier and is very responsive to the touch, though some users may prefer to use it in landscape rather than portrait mode.  

Applications can be easily saved onto a micro SD memory card and the phone allows you to carry out several different tasks at once without noticeably losing speed.  The rollerball makes it easier to edit documents and emails; accessing the internet and synchronising emails are fairly straightforward.  The power widget can help you to turn off some functions and turn down the brightness of the screen to help to conserve battery life. 

The Active Noise Cancellation function keeps phone calls clear and reduces the background noise that can often interfere.  This is also useful when recording voice notes.

If you are interested in HTC mobile phones then you will be on the lookout for some great mobile phone deals.  Searching the internet or talking to your current mobile service provider can point you in the right direction for a great deal on texts, minutes and contract lengths.  By committing to a contract for a longer period of time you can often find a cheaper monthly tariff, helping you to save money and keep in touch at the same time.

Add a Comment

Nokia E72 Smartphone

August 27th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Nokia

Nokia mobile phones scored a hit in the business phone corner of the market a little while ago with the impressive E71. The follow-up has been a long time coming, but the E72 is finally here.

Slim-line and classy, it has a handsome chrome band running around the edge, which is the main visual difference from its predecessor. As with the E71, the below-screen keyboard is excellent, and by shrinking the space bar Nokia has added two extra buttons. Compare mobile phones and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better messaging keyboard – the keys are pleasingly convex which makes them exceptionally easy to type with.

The phone’s Series 60 operating system allows you to switch between personal and business modes with the tap of an icon on the home screen. It also includes a gutsy 600MHz ARM processor, which makes it pleasingly responsive. The range of pre-loaded apps gets a thumbs up, too – you’ll find Nokia’s excellent maps navigation software and a full version of Quickoffice to create and edit documents whilst you’re on the hoof. But best of all is the crystal clear call quality, which is superb whether you use the microphone or the earpiece.

The phone’s connectivity is also very good – it supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and HSDPA. Throw in the excellent 5 megapixel camera, and this phone looks set to become a genuine BlackBerry worrier.

Add a Comment

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.

Add a Comment

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.

Add a Comment

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.

Add a Comment

« Previous Entries   Next Entries »