February 15th, 2010 | Blackberry, Mobile Phone Reviews
Blackberry mobile phones have always been the choice of business people and celebrities. The Blackberry Bold 9700 shows that this is a serious and compact mobile phone. It is a slim, sleek and elegant mobile but it also has weight. Many criticisms of today’s power hungry smart phones centre on their battery life, but this accusation cannot be levelled at the Bold 9700.
Known for their business use and communications applications, Blackberry mobile phones are not manufactured initially as media players, but this one has a passable system. Although the screen is small, this is compensated for by the addition of high definition imagery, which is crisp and clear, though the sound system is nothing out of the ordinary and includes a standard 3.5mm jack point.
Where most other producers seem to have rushed in with swipe screen technology, RIM has kept faith with the keyboard. It has remained the main form of access to the Bold 9700’s applications and they have not attempted to replace the useful keypad facility. The camera that is included, while not capable of professional quality pictures is good enough for documenting your day-to-day activities and downloaded results are quite acceptable.
Those unfamiliar with Blackberry’s challenging menu selection function will have a bit of trouble getting started, but once confident with the system they should find it an easy, if somewhat complicated set up to navigate.
The Bold 9700 performs well as a multipurpose, compact mobile phone, and has sufficiently good business and communication programmes, plus a more that adequate image system.
February 11th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Recycling, Mobile Technology
In these technology driven times we have come to take for granted all the electronic gizmos and gadgets available without really thinking about what happens to them when we upgrade to the next model. All the advanced technology devices we surround ourselves with do not last forever, and what happens to it when we are finished with it?
The components in most modern electronics can contain some pretty nasty chemicals and if they’re not disposed of properly these chemicals can damage the environment, and our health. Televisions and other large electronic items must, by European law, be dealt with by the manufacturers, but this law does not cover smaller items such as mobile phones.
Thankfully there are a number of easy to use services that will recycle, re-use or dispose of old mobile phones for us. They’ll even pay cash for mobiles that can be reused whilst recycling those that are truly dead. Reused phones will often be sent on to be resold in the developing world where mobile phones are becoming an essential way for people to keep in touch.
With maybe 50 million unwanted and unused phones lying around in drawers and boxes across the UK, the materials locked up in them can either be recycled into the next generation of phones or left to pollute our environment. A better option is to simply visit one of several websites, like Fonebank, Mobile Phone Exchange, or Mazuma, and find out if your old mobile can be turned into cash.
February 10th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Motorola, Touchscreen
A Motorola Dext review reveals that the company have combined android technology with a QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen and a variety of downloadable additions. The second android on the market after T-Mobiles G1, the Dext is a definite improvement on the technology and probably the best phone from the Motorola workshop for quite a while.
The Motoblur operating system is a bonus, as it fully integrates and personalises all your applications and enables you to network socially with all your friends while on the move. It displays all your Tweets, Facebook updates and MySpace details automatically. The Motoblur system also enables you to track a lost phone on GPS and if need be wipe the phone remotely, ensuring data does not fall into unwanted hands.
For those who prefer the safety of a real keyboard the Dext is a definite solution. It’s a little small but that’s to be expected, the backlighting could be brighter and some of the icons are much too small. Its camera doesn’t have a flash facility and the battery life is not exceptional, plus it is quite heavy to carry around with you.
The Motorola Dext comes with the expected services, camera, video and multimedia and a standard 3.5mm jack point. Its specifications are fairly standard and there is nothing really outstanding here.
A good phone for the social networkers out there, with excellent features available in that department. Its physical keyboard is also a sound feature but it is let down by its looks and the audio quality is a little tinny. The touchscreen is very responsive and there is a good range of downloadable Android applications.
February 8th, 2010 | LG, Mobile Phone Reviews
Every smartphone is going to be measured against the iPhone. For people who compare mobile phones, it’s the smartphone gold standard. The LG Arena KM900 might not quite be an iPhone, but it’s certainly a very good offering, and packed with features.
When it comes to sound, not only is there Dolby mobile surround sound on this handset (which is great when watching movies), but also a 3.5mm headphone jack for private listening on a user’s headphones of choice.
The camera has five megapixels, and for once it’s one that works pretty well even in low light, even if it doesn’t do all the movie bells and whistles.
The mobile phone’s styling is good; it fits in the hand well, and the rounded corners are appealing – it’s as good to look at as it is to use.
What else is good? The GPS, which utilises Google Maps, is excellent, and easy to use, and although a three inch display might seem a little small, it’s very clear and sharp for video.
However, the interface could be better. It’s awkward, and certainly not intuitive. Rather than up and down, the screens only move from side to side, which can be confusing to users, as will the lock, which requires a user to briefly hit the power button to reactivate the handset from idle.
For those who can acclimatise themselves to the vagaries of the touchscreen, the Arena KM900 offers a good, solid smartphone experience. But it’s not an iPhone – and for many that will be the big drawback.
February 5th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Samsung Mobile Phones, Vodafone
The Samsung Vodafone 360 H1, with its rather clunky name, is something a little different. It is a tie-up between manufacturer Samsung and network Vodafone as a handset for the Vodafone 360 service, and only available on a Vodafone mobile phone contract.
It’s primarily a social networking phone, and as such, the set up is quite unusual. Instead of a normal home screen, this is based around your contacts, whilst the three buttons under the screen are for apps, events, and contacts. There’s been nothing like it, and clearing the touchscreen brings up contacts. Touching a particular name allows access to texting or phoning them.
It sounds straightforward but it’s not, as beyond contacts the icons aren’t obvious, and it takes time and effort to come to a full understanding of them. Apps and menu items are merged, which can be good in some situations, as with the music player. Apps are available from the Vodafone 360 store.
It uses Linux Mobile, another innovation, but Samsung’s done a lot with it. However, it can be sluggish at times, especially when using the onscreen QWERTY keyboard. With 3.5G, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 16GB of onboard memory, it has a lot going for it, and the camera is a generous five megapixels that takes some excellent shots. Call quality is also excellent.
In short, it’s a phone that offers a great deal. The problem is learning to use it properly, which isn’t easy. However, for those willing to put in the time, the rewards can be great indeed.
February 3rd, 2010 | Mobile Phone Recycling, Mobile Technology
It is estimated that more than 20 million mobile phones will be upgraded annually in the UK and that each household has an average of four unused old mobile phones lying around. These old mobiles lose their value rapidly and eventually become worthless, being thrown out with normal household rubbish. This leads to many old mobile phones being dumped in landfill sites, allowing the dangerous and toxic materials used in their manufacture to escape into the environment.
A good way to prevent these chemicals from damaging the environment and to cash in on the value of your old mobile phones is to use a service such a Mazuma or Envirophone. These mobile phone recycling services offer to take your old mobile phones for cash and reuse them. If they are not fit to be reused they will also recycle them for free.
Approximately 80% of the materials that go into making a mobile phone can be reclaimed and recycled. This lessens the demand placed on our planet’s natural resources and reduces the impact on natural habitats, such as that of the endangered lowland gorillas in the Congo. The Congo is the source of the majority of the world’s supplies of Coltan ore from which many of the metals used in mobile phones are extracted.
Selling mobile phones in this manner is quick, easy and secure. You can also take comfort in the fact that your old phone will be going on to be used by someone else and is not ending up at the dump. You will also of course get a little cash for mobile phone.
January 29th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Samsung Mobile Phones
Having scored such a big hit with the young crowd with the Tocco Lite, it’s perfectly understandable that the company would attempt another home run in the same demographic, so cue the Samsung Genio mobile phone.
The first giveaway is the brightly coloured back cover on the phone, and the very simple interface, consisting of just call, end, and menu buttons. The resistive touchscreen is just 2.8”, and could have been bigger. Physically, the handset is not as long as the Tocco Lite, but thicker and wider, although it does sit neatly in the hand.
It responds well moving from portrait to landscape modes, and a good touch is a slight vibration when the screen is pressed, acting as confirmation. However, the Tocco Lite offers greater screen responsiveness. Strangely, there’s no onscreen QWERTY keyboard, just a regular mobile phone keypad, although its large size does making messaging very easy for even the largest fingers.
It can view documents in Word, and even Excel and PDF – pretty good for a phone of this calibre, while, understandably, there’s a YouTube app, and even FM radio. The music player is good, supporting most major file formats. The camera is a letdown, however, at only two megapixels and no autofocus – it’s not aimed at those taking many pictures.
One big question is why Samsung Mobile Phones felt the need to offer a variation on the Tocco Lite, especially when this one isn’t anywhere near as good. It would have made more sense to avoid the failings in the other phone instead.
January 26th, 2010 | Broadband, Mobile Broadband, Mobile Technology, Wireless Technology
If you are looking to purchase a dongle for internet access on the move it is a good idea to ensure that you compare mobile broadband packages. All providers have varying mobile broadband deals and the speeds, prices and download limits vary greatly. If you are planning to opt for a mobile broadband contract these are generally available for 12, 18 or 24 months and you can expect to pay between £10 and £30 per month. However, as with mobile phones you can also opt to purchase a pay as you go dongle that you top up as required, however you do have to purchase the dongle up front which can cost in the region of £60. You will find that most of the networks operate a fair use policy for download limits.
The mobile broadband comparison is necessary as all of the networks have options to suit every budget. For example, Vodafone offer their Ultimate Plan on a 24 months contract. You can expect to achieve speeds up to 7.2Mb and you can download up to 5Gb per month. On this contract the first three months are as low as £10 rising to £25. However, at the other end of the spectrum Vodafone have a standard option with free dongle for 3Gb usage per month at the cost of just £15.
However, it is worth noting that no matter which network you opt for that you should check coverage in your area to ensure that a service is available.
January 25th, 2010 | Blackberry, Mobile Phone Reviews
There’s no question that Blackberry mobiles phones are among the very best smartphones, and with the Blackberry Bold 9700 (the successor to the 9700, acclaimed in mobile phone reviews), they’ve made some significant improvements.
It’s much sleeker than its parent, and that’s not a bad thing. It has kept some aspects from the 9700, but it’s smaller, fits a little more easily in the hand, and is decidedly lighter.
The QWERTY keyboard is very similar to other Bolds, but then there’s little that could have been done to make it better. This is a little smaller, but still an absolute pleasure to use, and only likely to be problematic for those with large fingers.
Handset maker RIM has brought the trackpad that has been used elsewhere to the Bold 9700, unlike the trackball of previous models. It is much superior for navigating, giving the user a much better and smoother experience.
Although the screen is a little larger than the 9700, the increase is only slight – indeed, barely noticeable – and smaller than many competitors. The processor is snappy, utilising the Blackberry 5.0 OS, so browsing is a pleasure, with none of the lag associated with older models.
The camera is much improved, and the 3.2 megapixels offer very crisp pictures, although the Bold 9700 only has 2x digital zoom, instead of the previous 3x, but it’s hard to tell the difference.
Blackberry mobiles phones have never been ones to have all the latest bells and whistles. But they do what they do very well, and this is one of the best yet.
January 21st, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Nokia
The Nokia E72 is the newest Nokia mobile phone, one which has been anticipated for a good six months as the successor to the widely lauded E71. It’s a phone that has a lot going for it, designed as a business phone and so yet another direct challenge to the supremacy of the Blackberry in the field.
Since messaging is vital, the QWERTY keyboard is important, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s small but easy to use, with domed keys, and with enough spacing so that fingers don’t become cramped. There’s a great deal of mail support and you can use several accounts at once – a big bonus for those on the go; corporate mail can be pushed.
Connectivity is strong, too. There’s quadband GSM, Wi-Fi, 3.5G, and even PictBridge support for those who want it. The browser supports Flash, enabling video streaming from YouTube to pass the time, while GPS is supplied by the excellent Nokia Maps.
With a five megapixel camera, it takes good, clear shots, with autofocus and an LED flash for good measure. Those who care about music will be disappointed – the music player is functional, rather than great, but there is a 3.5mm headphone jack built in.
Voice calling offers excellent audio, as users would expect from Nokia, while the battery life is listed as 12.5 hours talk time, although mobile phone reviews have stated that it can last almost twice that long. At 2.35” the screen isn’t generous, and could have been more colourful, but then, this is aimed at the business crowd.
