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Archive for December, 2009
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
 January 14 is coming pretty soon and if you have not gotten an Apple iPhone from O2, Orange Mobile or Tesco, then this is the carrier you have been waiting for (or maybe you do not want an iPhone, maybe you want an Android instead).
Anyway, Vodafone has just released the details of their plan offers for their clients as they will release the Apple iPhone 3Gs come January 14. It is still a little early with Tesco just recently launching the iPhone as well, but there is not time like the present to get people’s attention focused on an upcoming device. Besides, with them being the last company to offer the phone, they could lose potential clients over the holidays if they let the buzz die out.
The confirmation of pricing details for Vodafone’s deals may seem disappointing for fans who were hoping for a price war. Considering that there are already a whole lot of them in the field, it was not a bad assumption to think that one or two companies would start offering more or pricing less. Vodafone’s deals however, are not too far from the prices offered by Orange and O2.
Still, Vodafone wants to stay ahead of its competitors. They consider the iPhone market as not a price-sensitive crowd, but that which places value on service. iPhone users often complain about slow connections and clogging on the network. Vodafone has decided to address this and has spent a whole year preparing for the launch of the device.
Vodafone UK’s CEO, Guy Lawrence expresses his stand on the matter: “I don’t think this is about a price war – I think this is a network quality war. At the end of the day, customers will seek out the best deal and we are competitive, but it is about the quality of the network. We have spent a year optimizing the network for the iPhone.”
Tags: Apple-iPhone, Apple-iPhone-3G-S, Iphone Vodafone, Vodafone
Posted in Apple Phones | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
 Two major mobile phones have been confirmed to be compatible with T-Mobile USA: the HTC HD2 and the XPERIA X10. The two phones just got their FCC testing results in and they are compatible for the US mobile carrier. With these two devices in tow, T-Mobile is certainly beefing up its device lineup.
The XPERIA X10 is currently Sony’s biggest device (in terms of hardware) that is heading into the market; the Sony Ericsson Kurara comes as the second. The XPERIA X10 will be arriving early during the first quarter of 2010 –just in time for Sony’s holiday crash. Not that the company is in dire straits right now, the Satio, Aino, Yari and the GreenHeart phones make for an impressive holiday lineup, but not as good is it had the XPERIA X2 and X10 available as well.
 The delay of X2 to next year places it launch date a little too close to the X10, many predict that the X2 will not hold out well on the market –with its competitor, the HTC HD2 already settled in its market position, the X2 has little space left. Anyway, the X10 is the very first 1GHz Android Snapdragon phone to be launched (the Acer Liquid Snapdragon Android run at a little under 800 MHz)l; making this device one of the most anticipated Android phones ever. The question that people ask now is if the X10 will be compatible with updates to new Android versions.
The HTC HD2 is an impressive Windows Mobile 6.5 phone; impressive because it packs all the amazing hardware from HTC while doing away with the problems of the Windows Mobile interface. Instead of letting its users tolerate the awkward WinMo UI, the HD2 comes with HTC Sense layered on top of Windows, giving users access to the Windows Mobile features without the fuss of WinMo.
Tags: HTC-HD2, Sony-Ericsson-Xperia-X10, T-Mobile
Posted in HTC Phones, Sony Ericsson Phones | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
 Philip K. Dick is the author of “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”. The book is a thought-provoking tale of a man named Rick Deckard, a policeman in the future whose task is to hunt down runaway Androids. The Androids are from the Nexus-Six series.
Now if all this sounds a little too familiar for mobile phone fans, then it is because Google uses a mobile operating system called the Android and their new Google Phone is called the Nexus One.
Mr. Dick has long since passed away (March 1982), but there are still plenty of people who have read and were inspired by his book -like people who like science fiction and are probably big fans of computer technology, people who would you would not be surprised to find working for Google.
The homage is obvious for all to see. While Google has not acknowledged it, it would be silly if they deny it outright. The problem is, Mr. Dick’s daughter, Isa Dick Hackett wants her father’s work to get the credit it deserves.
While the term Nexus One was never mentioned in the entire book (which mentions Androids a lot), the fact that the Androids were of a “Nexus Six” series connotes that it started with a Nexus One.
The question now is, is there really a case?
People might think that this could very well be the first lawsuit that the Google phone will be facing. But that can only happen if Google officially markets the device as “Nexus One”. Too often have we seen mobile phones leaked and images of pre-production models being brought out, and almost all the time, the nicknames used for the devices are changed for marketing.
If the Google does push through with the phone being named Nexus One, it would be nice if they acquired the permission of the Dick estate.
Tags: Google-Nexus-One, Nexus One
Posted in Google Phones | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
 The HTC Legend got leaked a couple of weeks back. Along with 4 other Android devices and 3 Windows Mobile phones; the 9 devices were part of what would be HTC’s 2010 line up.
The news broke just a couple of days after the news that the HTC Hero would be succeeded by the HTC Espresso. Succession of title seems to be pretty hard to discern with these three phones. The Espresso is a lot closer to the Hero in terms of specs; the two devices almost mirror each other perfectly, with the exception of the fact that the Espresso would have a physical QWERTY keyboard.
On the other hand, the HTC Legend surpasses the HTC Hero in every aspect. The HTC Legend sports a 600 MHz CPU. That is faster than the Hero, though not significantly so. The Legend also comes with a 3.2 WVGA AMOLED capacitive touch screen, a 3.5 mega pixel camera, a 1350 mAh battery and plenty of other impressive hardware features.
In terms of succession, it would make more sense to call the Legend as the next Hero as compared to the Espresso. While the Espresso is really a lot like the Hero in terms of specs, it does resemble the Hero too much to be a successor. At best, one can consider the Espresso as a variant of the HTC Hero instead of being an entirely new device –a Hero with Keyboard at best.
The Legend, while probably not being in the same series as the Hero, does have all the fitting specs of how the Hero should be with all the new technology. Also, it makes sense that the name “Legend” comes as a successor to the Hero. After all, the only thing that people remember more and consider greater than a Hero, is a Legend.
Tags: HTC-Legend
Posted in HTC Phones | No Comments »
Sunday, December 20th, 2009
 Why is Gameloft avoiding the Android?
Over a month ago, Gameloft announced that it would cease developing games for the Android platform, citing that the OS generates low sales for their company and that the iPhone is the best way for application developers to make revenue.
The announcement quickly drew the ire and criticism of both analysts and Android fans, stating that the Android has plenty of support from clients and that if they pull out, they stand to lose access to the growing market base of the Android (at that time, Android 2.0 and 2.1 have not been released, Milestone was just an announcement then).
Gameloft is a mobile game developer with years of development experience and marketing under their belt. Certainly, they are aware that the Android smart phone is a very powerful platform. What they were concerned about, was the user base. Sheer numbers alone will not generate revenue; it is the active market that will give any company the much needed income. According to studies, iPhone users are more likely to purchase applications on media online more than any mobile phone user.
Despite that point, it was still a bad move for the dev company to announce that decision. While Gameloft has taken back what they said and announced that they would continue to develop games for the Android phone, the lowered amount of support is very noticeable.
The numbers give a very different view of the same story. Sales of games for the iPhone are significantly higher than that of games for basic Java and BREW (of which, only 3-4% of the gamers actually make online purchases, on the iPhone, the number of buyers increases more than 300%: 15% of iPhone users purchase downloadable games).
The Android is still a very impressive platform; no doubt companies are interested in developing games for them. But unless they are able to draw and maintain an active market, it will be hard to keep third party support.
Tags: Android, Gameloft
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
Saturday, December 19th, 2009
 Motorola has an interesting new mobile phone. Originally called the Enzo, the new Motorola Backflip is more than your usual touch screen slider –it’s a Backflip phone.
Clamshell phones are easy to understand, just flip it open and you are set to go. The Backflip is a little more confusing. The keyboard is on the back half of the phone, the screen in on the front. The two sides can be folded out to create the typical keyboard and screen layout seen in other smart phones with touch screens and slide out keyboard.
What makes this phone rather awkward is the fact that the keyboard is on the back of the phone. While you can lock the keyboard when you are not using it, the feeling of holding a phone full of buttons on the back is not comfortable. It also sports a redundant touch pad on the back of the screen. The phone already uses a touch screen display, and having to use the touch pad just for scrolling is a bit of an ergonomic puzzle we would rather not get into.
Lastly, the camera lens is on the keypad. Yep, you can find the phone’s 5 mega pixel camera with auto-focus and flash LED on the 4 row QWERTY keyboard.
Weird, but interesting nonetheless –Motorola has yet to reveal when they would actually bring this Android phone out to the public. But they have already released plenty of pictures that showcase not only the odd-folding system, but also the device’s 3.1 inch HVGA display. The phone also runs on a 528MHz CPU, supports WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth accessories.
Initial reports show that AT&T will be handling the device and they have added in some interesting new features such as Yahoo! search (ironic), AT&T Nav, AT&T Music, and the AT&T mobile application store.
Tags: Motorola Backflip
Posted in Motorola Phones | No Comments »
Friday, December 18th, 2009
 Since last week, details, rumors, leaked OS photos, alleged leaked OS photos, start-up screen videos and plenty of other interesting tidbits revolving around the so-called “Google Phone” have been taking the biggest headlines in the mobile phone industry.
Ironically, despite all the hoopla, Google has yet to say a single word about anything. A quick visit to the Google Mobile blog will give you a quick December 12 posting with the vice President of Product Management talking about a little new “mobile lab” system they came up with.
So without any news from Google, the public is left to speculation regarding the HTC Nexus One.
The only things confirmed about the Nexus One is that it exists in two government papers, it is made by HTC, and people still do not know a single thing about it. There have been reports about the device having “Snapdragon specific libraries”, but what that would entail still remains to be seen as far as specs go.
One recurring news topic comes in the form of Eldar Murtazin’s personal opinion that the Google phone is nothing but a rumor propagated by Apple. Granted that Apple could have actually been the one to make the products on the leaked videos and the one to file the papers to FCC, they currently have no motive.
On other Google Phone news, Isa Dick –daughter of Philip Dick, has commented disapproval of the fact that the Android phone has been Named Nexus One, an obvious reference to the novel her father wrote (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?).
The novel, set futuristic setting, has a lead character that is tasked with hunting down Androids who have run away (from Mars to Earth). The Androids that the lead character is looking for in the story are branded as Nexus-6 models. Google’s reference to the book is more than beyond obvious.
Tags: Google-Nexus-One
Posted in Google Phones, HTC Phones | No Comments »
Friday, December 18th, 2009
 For some reason, people keep calling the HTC Legend as a Hero successor. While the Hero is currently HTC’s top Android phone, its real successor is the HTC Espresso (which has suddenly disappeared in the past few days). The Espresso is reported to have a 528 MHz CPU, Android 2.1, a 320 x 480 screen and a physical keyboard –a Hero with a physical keyboard.
Anyway, if successor means you have to have specs that are one up over the original, then the Legend is as good as a successor as the Hero can get.
The HTC Legend’s details first popped out when the HTC 2010 phone line up got leaked. The Legend, along with the Androids Bravo, Salsa, Tide, Buzz and three WinMo phones were part of the released document detailing the devices HTC has in store for the next year.
The big fish of the group is obviously the HTC Bravo. The phone had a huge 3.7 inch WVGA AMOLED capacitive touch screen, a 5 mega pixel snapper with 720p HD video recording and a whooping Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250 CPU running at 1GHz.
The Legend came right behind the Bravo in terms of specs (and literally too). The Legend is a capacitive touch screen phone with a 3.2 inch AMOLED display. The camera is a built-in 5 mega pixel snapper with auto focus and flash. The CPU is a Qualcomm MSM 7227 running at a 600 MHz speed. The whole phone is only 11.4 mm thick making it pretty slim for its hardware level.
For memory, the phone has 512MB of flash and 256MB of RAM (obviously, the phone will rely on microSD card for extra storage). The phone also comes with a nice, high-capacity 1300 mAh battery. The device will support GSM and HSPA, as well as Bluetooth, WiFi, A-GPS and micro USB.
Tags: HTC-Bravo, HTC-Legend
Posted in Coming Soon Phones, HTC Phones | No Comments »
Friday, December 18th, 2009
 Because Sony Ericsson knows their market very well, they are offering buyers of the Pureness some much-appreciated features. Considering the fact that the average tech-geek would pass up the Pureness for higher-spec Android smart phones, SE knows that the average Pureness owner would consist of individuals who are willing to spend money on a piece of “art” that would let you take and make calls.
The Pureness Concierge offers a wide variety of benefits made only those who appreciate the finer things in life. Pureness Concierge user who visit France would enjoy the preferential treatment in various establishments such as Le Sensing, Le First and L’Arc. Hotel Regina will offer special rates and at Pandaia, Pureness Concierge members will get a private presentation.
The service is not limited to France. There are establishments all over the world; China, Moscow, Italy, Germany, the United States, Middle East and other locations have affiliate and partner establishments that would grant special VIP treatment to members. There are limitations to the Pureness Concierge service however; the service is only good for the first 12 months after the owner of the Pureness registers for the service.
Second, the device has to have been bought in one of the selected territories (a list of which is available from Sony Ericsson’s website). The membership is non-transferrable and is tied to the account of the registrant. And of course, acquiring the booking bonuses would require that the booking be made through the Pureness Concierge service in order for the special offer to be validated.
On a side note, it is interesting that not only does SE consider the Pureness to be a phone for the affluent, but in particular, for women; on the second page of the Pureness Concierge FAQ (question number 12), it is implied that the person asking the questions is a woman.
Tags: Sony-Ericsson-XPERIA-Pureness
Posted in Sony Ericsson Phones | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
 Sony’s GreenHeart series is getting two new devices for next year; the Elm and the Hazel. The two phones are slated for different 2010 release dates but will share very similar features with the only noticeable difference being the phone’s form. The Elm is a candy bar device while the Hazel is a slider phone.
As most of you already know, Sony Ericsson has two existing GreenHeart devices out for this month, the Sunny and the Susan. The two GreenHeart phones are part of the company’s holiday phone line up and along with the Satio, Aino and Yari.
The GreenHeart phones are true pioneers in green engineering for mobile phones. While these do not come with the impressive little solar panel charging capabilities of a not-to-be-named-LG-phone, they are manufactured with energy and resource efficiency in mind.
The phones are made of 50% recycled plastic reducing the need for raw materials (and the processing thereof). The paints are water-borne solutions that have no harmful chemicals. Even the packaging is eco-friendly thanks to the minimal design. Manuals are no longer printed on paper –instead, a digital version is installed into the phones as e-manuals.
Charging is done with the EP300 GreenHeart adapter that is a mini-USB charger (thankfully, no FastPort this time); the adapter drains less energy and is more environment-friendly. The chargers is not the only green-accessory, the phones also come with the  Stereo Portable Hands Free HPM-60J.
The devices also have applications for eco-minded individuals. The WalkMate is perfect for fitness enthusiasts and more importantly, appreciating how much fuel can be saved simply by walking. A green calculator is also programmed into the device for conversion of various energy consumption rates and similar data.
Both phones will be arriving one 2010, the Elm will arrive earlier and is expected to be available by the first quarter of 2010. The Hazel is set to arrive on the second quarter of the year.
Tags: Sony-Ericsson-Elm, Sony-Ericsson-Hazel
Posted in Sony Ericsson Phones | No Comments »
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