A recently reported news bit about Windows Phone 7 has revealed a major flaw in the mobile platform: it cannot swap micro SD cards. And this is where you get some pause to let that sink in.
For those who cannot appreciate the gravity of the issue, here’s the basic lowdown: the micro SD card is basically removable storage for any mobile device. You can transfer and store files in card and basically allow you to switch between multiple handsets or multiple cards (depending on how you prefer).
Switching between phones is understandable, if you have an Android and a BlackBerry, being able to carry around a single media library means that you can still watch that next episode stored on the card, regardless of which phone you use. In that same regard, being able to carry multiple cards means that you can delegate space better –like having one card store all music and another for videos.
In any case, the ability to switch and swap micro SD cards is longer a feature of convenience, but something that is expected from smart phones. But this is not possible with the Windows Phone 7 operating system. Apparently, the OS tends to stick to the initial card you use, with the data supposedly written in a completely new format (ironic, since this is a Microsoft OS). And worst of all, only certain SD cards work well with the OS (which seems to have a high transfer rate speed requirement).
In other news, it seems that T-Mobile and Orange UK are looking into making the iPad more accessible to buyers. The team that brought us Everything Everywhere has hinted that the Apple iPad price tag might drop down as far as 200 Pounds –depending on the 3G contract. For those who feel that the almost 500 Pound cost of the touch screen tablet is too much, this is a perfect opportunity.
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Windows Phone 7 SD Card Hunt
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010All the New Handsets: Today’s Highlights
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010
If you have been planning to grab a new phone this holiday season, either for yourself or as a gift, expect to have plenty of choices. And the most recent launches of today should still count in the list even if the holiday season still has a few weeks before it arrives.
First off, tablets. Not exactly mobile phones, but equally as impressive; the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab is one of the most recommended ones around as it delivers and excellent degree of functionality that is not even matched by larger and more famous Apple iPad. While the regular version of the Tab is available through various network operators, you can also get a fully customized one from Harrods at almost 2,700 Pounds. This expensive tablet is loaded with Swarovski crystals all over and is certainly something for those with less than practical plans in mind.
If you want something that is a little more sensible and practical, you might want to stick to the basic mobile phones that have been announced. While these would certainly not be good replacements for your high end smart phones, these two are certainly better alternatives when you simply need to have a handset around.
First off, Alcatel’s new Virgin Mobile devices, the OT-209; this is a cheap phone. And by cheap, we are referring to the fact that it is bought at a price tag of 99 Pence when you buy a 10 Pound top up. The handset manages to deliver a colored VGA screen, FM radio and even conference call capabilities.
Our other budget alternative is the T-Mobile Vibe. This handset is a lot like an LG handset, though this one comes from China based manufacturer, ZTE. The Vibe brings together a touch screen display and a physical QWERTY keyboard. This handset is available under T-Mobile’s pay as you go plans.
New Androids and Nokia’s N8 to Hit Stores Soon
Monday, October 25th, 2010
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is coming out for both T-Mobile and O2 UK. The big announcement from O2 has just been confirmed and they have stated that the device will be coming out in November 1. Those interested in the touch screen tablet might want to know that it packs a 7 inch capacitive touch screen display, a 1GHz CPU, dual facing cameras, and of course, Google’s Android 2.2 Froyo.
The tablet also supports Flash 10.1 so users can browse any website without any worries about the compatibility of the browser.
Vodafone has confirmed that they will also be launching an Android smart phone, the HTC Desire HD. This handset is basically a remake of the original HTC Desire that came out alongside the Nexus One (in the UK) and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10. The updated version brings in a 4 inch capacitive touch screen display and a powerful 8 mega pixel snapper as well. Expect to see plenty of use of the handset’s HD video recording and playback features.
The Nokia N8 is also coming to Vodafone, O2 and Virgin Media as well. O2 has officially listed the launched date to be on the first of November, making the launch date just a few short days away. The phone has been delayed from launch since it was announced earlier this year.
Thanks to the N8’s 12 mega pixel camera and HD video features, users can expect to have plenty of fun experimenting on the phone. The Symbian^3 operating system will also be making its high end debut with the N8 as well.
Speaking of the Nokia N8, a specialized Virgin Media player app has been launched exclusively for the N8. Subscribers under VM getting the handset will find the app pre-loaded while those on different networks may choose to download the app separately.
Mobile News Bits: Updates and News from UK Networks
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
T-Mobile UK is promising something special for users of the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S at the end of this month: the Android 2.2 Froyo will be made available for the smart phone ahead of schedule. For users of the phone on other networks, the expected update launch is set for early next month. This means that T-Mobile subscribers get to enjoy Flash and improved OS and web browsing performance ahead of their peers by the end of September.
Speaking of the Froyo update, the much delayed Orange Mobile UK Froyo update for the HTC Desire has finally been rolled out. Originally, Orange was able to make the update available as scheduled but had to it pull down due to technical issues that the update brought.
While it certainly took them quite some time to come up with a solution, they have finally done it and are now making the update available to all HTC Desire users under their network. It is advisable for those planning to download the update to do so under a secure and stable connection as the patch is about 90MB in size.
On a much larger news scale, T-Mobile, Orange, O2 and Vodafone are all confirmed to be offering Windows Phone 7 handsets when the new mobile platform finally comes out this coming October. Microsoft seems to have made well laid out plans as they have been able to get devices into all networks –effectively expanding the market viability of the new OS.
With several other powerful platforms already established on the market, it is important for MS to be able to show that the new WP7 platform is as flexible and versatile as they had promised.
Lastly, 3 UK has confirmed that they will be offering the Nokia C7 nHD smart phone later this year. The new media centric Symbian device will be sporting a 3.5 inch nHD touch screen display and support for HD video.
Nokia’s N8 Now on T-Mobile
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
The Nokia N8 has not yet been released, but mobile network operator T-Mobile UK has announced that pre-registration slots for the upcoming Symbian N series handset are already available. So anyone who has been dying to try out the Symbian foundations’ latest operating system might want to check out T-Mobile’s official website.
For those who are on a different network, there is no immediate need to switch carriers just yet. It has also been announced that Vodafone UK will also be offering the Nokia N8 on its contracts and tariffs; details are expected to be released by the end of next week –here’s to hoping for pre-order slots to be made available.
Anyway, some tech fans might be wondering why there is very little hype or fuss surrounding the Nokia N8. The handset itself is pretty impressive; it is a media centric device that focuses heavily on HD video recording and playback. The new UI for the Symbian^3 is quite dynamic and feels a lot more like the UI layouts we see in newer platforms. Despite all this, the media attention with Nokia seems to be focused elsewhere.
This is because of the fact that the Nokia N9 smart phone will be launching shortly after the N8 and it will be featuring the MeeGo operating system –which is a combination of the Maemo OS from Nokia and the Moblin OS from Intel. Not only does the N9 come with an all new OS, but it also shares very similar specifications to the Nokia N8.
However, this does not mean that the Symbian Foundation has already hang up its gloves and quit. In fact, it has just been recently known that the Symbian^4 operating system is in the works and some initial screenshots of the official OS running on an emulator have popping up online recently.
T-Mobile: Ready for iPhone Issues Except the Antenna
Friday, July 9th, 2010
With the iPhone already out of stock in many other network operators, it seems that there are those that are still waiting for their stocks to arrive. T-Mobile has not been too forthcoming with any reliable updates as to when their stocks will be arriving, but considering the amount of training that their sales teams are getting for the iPhone 4, one can only assume that the handset will be finally made available soon.
According to reports, there are three major complaints that the staff are being taught to deal with. The first is the insertion and the removal of the SIM card into the smart phone. With a thinner insertion portion, most users are unaware of just how they can pop out their card (which is not really that intuitive in the first place).
The next issue that customers complain about is the power switch. Turning on an iPhone that has been shut off is quite a mystery for anyone who has never used the device before (as there are no obvious “on” switches that can be seen).
Lastly, T-Mobile’s teams are being taught to handle customers that are not familiar with the use of iTunes. Since iTunes is needed for many app downloads, for transferring media content and for backing up the handset. Learning to use the software is an important task for every new iPhone 4 owner. Also, many users are not that familiar with computers in the first place – which makes learning to use iTunes rather difficult.
Oddly enough, no mention of the return policy or the iPhone 4 antenna issue has been brought up. With all the internet fuss about the faulty antenna on the iPhone 4, one would assume that T-Mobile would be briefing their staff about it. But it seems that they are relying on Apple’s previously posted letter to explain everything to new iPhone 4 users.
Apple iPhone 4 Availability is Low in the UK
Monday, July 5th, 2010
It seems that after Apple has managed to sell over 1.7 million units of the iPhone 4 in just three days of sales, the Cupertino based company is having trouble keeping up with the demand. Recent reports indicate that stocks of the iPhone are not just low, but have already gone out of stock in various network operators.
3 UK and T-Mobile have yet to offer the iPhone 4 to their customers. The two networks are still leaving their iPhone offers on hold until stocks arrive. According to 3 UK, the iPhone 4 is expected to be made available by the end of this month. T-Mobile on the other hand did announce that they will also offer the Apple smart phone, but no details or date has been given.
Tesco mobile has announced that it is accepted pre-registrations for the iPhone. While the process will not ensure a handset for every person who signs up (unlike a pre-order which ensures an Apple iPhone 4 for the buyer), they have hinted that stocks of the handset will be arriving in a matter of weeks.
Vodafone UK has already run out of stocks –having received the Apple iPhone 4 early, they had already shipped out all the pre-order units to the customers and have proceeded to offer the handset locally. As one can see, the sheer volume of people who availed of the smart phone was more than enough to empty out the stocks of the network operator.
The same situation faces O2 UK. The network that originally hosted the older iPhone in the UK for three years has announced that all their stocks of the iPhone 4 are all out. Like the case with Vodafone, O2 has been able to accommodate all pre-order customers. According to OS, they are expecting a new batch of iPhone 4 stocks to arrive over the weekend.
T-Mobile Pulse gets a Holiday Price Drop
Monday, December 7th, 2009
Christmas is just around the corner and people are hoping to get great deals on many items. With the United States still in recession and much of the world still having trouble coping up with the energy crisis (it is no longer looming, it is already here), a new mobile phone is not a luxury anyone can afford. T-Mobile is showing how much they care by strategically making the Pulse cheap for the holidays.
Yep, not only is the Pulse one of the first Android mobile phones available for pay-as-you-go, now it is the first Android mobile phone to hit below the 100 Pound mark. T-Mobile currently lists the device for a nice budget friendly cost of 91.34 Pounds.
Even better is the fact that T-Mobile has also cut down on the prices on plenty of their other pay-as-you-go mobile phones, so if the Android Pulse is not your thing, there plenty of other cheap alternatives to choose from.
The Pulse is more than just a really great steal of an Android phone (again, just 92 Pounds!), but it also offers pretty great specs for what is supposed to be a low end device.
According to GeekWithLaptop, this phone sports a nice, big, 3.5 inch touch screen display with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels –it’s a big screen that delivers nice quality visuals; aside from the touch screen, the phone also a nice little trackball for navigational input. For images, the camera is an impressive 5 mega pixel snapper that comes with autofocus.
This cheap 3G wonder also supports HSDPA, GPRS, EDGE and WiFi for network connectivity. It has A-GPS, Bluetooth and a sweet media player that can handle common music and movie files.
Expect this 116 x 63 x 14 mm mobile device to see lots of sales with this good hardware and new low price.
T-Mobile Pulse: A Simple but Decent Offer
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
The new T-Mobile Pulse from Huawei is not necessarily a mobile phone one can call great. In fact, it is simple at best but add the fact that it comes with a reasonable price and a reasonable amount of features, and it becomes a pretty decent offer.
The Design
The design of this mobile phone is simple. It comes in a block form with a black colored front and a white back cover that adds a little style to its uninspired design. It comes in a body that weighs 135 grams and measures 116.0 x 63.0 x 13.5 mm. It also features a 3.5 capacitive touchscreen with a 320 x 480 pixel display, a multi-touch input method, and a capability to display over 16 million colors. It also features a tactile trackball along with dedicated keys at the bottom of the screen, which facilitate easy navigating and management of the phone.
Its Functionality
As far as functionality goes, this mobile phone provides an average experience at best. It does run on the Android v1.5, which allows it access to a host of Google services. It also features the MyCommunity service (for contacts), and the Media Center (for media management); the first Android mobile phone to feature both. Aside from these three features, everything else is basic. It comes with some email support, instant messaging capabilities, a microSD card slot (TransFlash), 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS with A-GPS, and a built-in 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera.
The Verdict
As a whole, the newest offer from T-Mobile will not wow you with its style or make you drool over its features. What it does offer you is a simple, decent smartphone that one can buy for a relatively low price. In short, it offers you a bargain and one will have a hard time looking for a better bargain than this one.
T-Mobile Pulse Links:
T-Mobile Pulse: Three Things to Consider
Sunday, October 4th, 2009When one looks for a mobile phone, one usually considers three things; design, functions, and price. For the T-Mobile Pulse it only succeeds in delivering above average performance on one of those three considerations.
The Design
In terms of the design, this smartphone has a normal style, one that is typical of any touchscreen phone out there. It comes with a 16.0 mm x 63.0 mm x 13.5 mm frame that weighs 135 grams. It also features a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen with 320 x 480 pixel display and the ability to display over 16 million colors. Below this touchscreen, this phone sports a tactile trackball and some dedicated keys that help in managing and navigating the system. It is quite obvious that its design is nothing special and is not one of its strong points.
Its Functionality
As for the functionality, it is also lacking. Although it does run on the Andriod 1.5 platform that provides a plethora of Google services. It has the Media Center that helps users play and deal with their media files. It also features the MyCommunity service that allows for constant tracking of all contacts. Aside from these, it has a microSD (TransFlash) slot, an email support capability, a 3.5mm audio jack, instant messaging abilities, WiFI and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS with A-GPS, and a 3.2-megapixel camera that has autofocus and the ability to capture photos of up to 2,592 x 1,944 pixels in resolution.
The Price
The only saving grace of this offer from T-Mobile is the fact that it comes with a lower price tag than other smartphones out there. For that reason, its failure to satisfy the first two considerations might just be over-looked and there are some people who might just grab this phone for the bargain it provides. The T-Mobile Pulse is one for three but at least the one thing it got right might just be the deciding factor.
T-Mobile Pulse Links: